TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday his country will ensure "maximum security" for Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in Tehran, commenting on a January deadly attack on Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, after which Baku decided to shut down the mission, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Kanaani said Iran is well aware of its responsibility of ensuring the security of diplomatic missions on its soil and will act responsibly in this regard.

Kanaani said Tehran and Baku had agreed that they should put behind what had happened to their bilateral ties, particularly with regard to the "unfortunate" embassy attack.

During a visit to Baku to take part in the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had held "positive and constructive" talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kanaani noted.

Azerbaijan shut down its embassy in Tehran following an armed attack on the mission on Jan. 27, in which a staff member was killed and two others were injured.

Baku said the attack was an "act of terror," but Tehran said investigations had revealed that the assailant had "personal and family-related" motives. 
Feature: Chinese oil giant contributes to empowering young talents for Uganda's emerging oil industry

Xinhua) 08:49, July 10, 2023

This photo taken on Jan. 24, 2023 shows the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube, Uganda. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

KIKUUBE, Uganda, July 9 (Xinhua) -- On the shores of Lake Albert in central Africa, which is shared by Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, international oil giants China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and French TotalEnergies, are busy preparing to start Uganda's first-ever commercial oil production.

In the Kingfisher oil field here in Kikuube district in the Western Region of Uganda, and Tilenga oil field in neighboring Buliisa, run by CNOOC and TotalEnergies respectively, young Ugandan oil talents are taking on tasks, acquiring skills and knowledge from international experts.

Emmanuella Kaducu, was one of the oil and gas university students in Uganda who has won a national contest regarding the country's budding oil industry. One of the rewards of the contest was a trip to visit the oil wells in the western part of her country.

At Kingfisher, Kaducu and the other winners met their future peers who are already working in the oil and gas sector.

Kaducu told Xinhua in a recent interview that she drew a lot of inspiration from the young professionals, and this strengthens her resolute to finish her course in petroleum geoscience and production at university.

At Kingfisher, CNOOC has taken on young Ugandan professionals who acquire practical skills and knowledge from their Chinese supervisors.

Linette Naiga, a junior drilling engineer at a rig on one of the oil pads at Kingfisher who spoke to Kaducu and her friends, said increasingly young professionals are taking positions in the country's nascent oil sector. She said opportunities are there for those who are determined to work hard and focus on their career.

Naiga, who graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering and Environment Management in 2021, is optimistic that she will pass on the skills and knowledge acquired in the sector to younger Ugandans who join the oil and gas industry.

"Working with the Chinese is so rewarding, there is so much to learn, so much technology transfer. It is challenging though rewarding, it pushes me every other day to the limit," said Ambrose Ogwang, one of Naiga's workmates.

Ogwang, who is a drilling engineer, said his humble background, including his parents dying when he was young, did not stop him from pursuing his dream.

"In my family, my journey in oil industry has inspired quite a number. It has been a series of learning and growth," he added.

Kaducu said such stories from young people in the oil and gas industry are inspiring.

"There so many examples of young people doing well in the oil and gas industry. I know a number of those who were doing my course. I see that they are doing well, the impact they are making on people's lives," she said.

CNOOC and TotalEnergies in February last year announced the Final Investment Decision (FID) to start commercial production in Uganda. FID is the detailed plan that an oil company will follow to develop an oil field.

The 10-billion-USD project, according to Uganda's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, includes the development of the oil wells and the construction of a crude oil pipeline that will transport the oil from western Uganda to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga.

The 1,445-km pipeline, estimated to cost 3.55 billion dollars, will be the world's longest-heated pipeline. The first oil output is expected in 2025 after completion of construction, according to the ministry. The project will generate about 160,000 jobs besides provisions of goods and services.

Uganda in 2006 discovered 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are commercially viable, according to the ministry.

A Ugandan worker walks through facilities at the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube, Uganda, Jan. 24, 2023. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

A Ugandan worker operates the mud pump unit at the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube, Uganda, Jan. 24, 2023. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
9-year-old musician from Lviv Oblast raises more than US$67,600 for Armed Forces within one year

A 9-year-old boy has raised more than UAH 2.5 million (roughly US$67,600) for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine while playing at charity concerts.

Source: Sambir City Council

Yurii Napora has been travelling around Lviv Oblast for a year now, singing patriotic songs on the streets.

The boy and his father have been holding charity concerts in Lviv Oblast for over a year.

During this time, the boy has raised more than 2.5 million hryvnias. The money was used to buy quadcopters, thermal imagers, ammunition, spare parts, etc.



Yurii Napora in the city of Sambir. Photo: Sambir City Council

"He is only nine, and he has already done so much. Yurii Napora, the boy who repeatedly showed up in the Ukrainian media, was in the city of Sambir today," the city council said.

Recently, he and his father, who also plays keyboards, performed in Sambir and raised US$703.

"The funds will be used to purchase a thermal imager for Yurii Hodomskyi, a soldier from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade," the city council said.

The musicians choose their set list together, with most of their songs focused on the war.

"One day Yurii heard the story of a guy from the city of Chernihiv who donated a large sum of money to help our army. I can't remember his name now," said Yuriy's father.



9-year-old boy with his father in the city of Sambir. Photo: Sambir City Council

Yurii and his father work with a charity organisation that helps our military.

The boy said that he really likes what he does.



Charity concert in the city of Sambir. Photo: Sambir City Council

Yurii is a member of the Dudaryk, the Lviv State Academic Choir.

Background: Eight Ukrainian children who suffered during the full-scale war were awarded for their courage and bravery.

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Editors Note: This article discusses suicide and contains details about mental health crises. If you are having thoughts of suicide, or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available at https://www.speakingofsuicide.com/resources/ If you are in need of help, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Hours of operation are 24/7 and it's confidential.

For the last year, three memorable numbers could make a big difference in someone's life: 988. Americans with phone access, whether cellular or landline, could dial or text the three-digit code to receive suicide prevention and mental crisis support. The service, which is free, anonymous and available 24/7, was introduced as an update to the 1-800-273-8255 number, which can be harder to remember.

However, just because the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline exists doesn't mean that every American experiencing a mental crisis in the last year used the 988 lifeline or even knew about it.

In the 11 month period ending May 31, 2023, over 4.5 million calls were made to the 988 lifeline. However, the untrackable number is how many people didn't call. Those who weren't aware of the crisis line are unable to be accounted for, whether due to stigma or just lack of awareness.

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Instantaneous mental health support and telehealth have increasingly become a staple of suicide prevention at a time when it is a leading cause of death for Americans. In 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 14 and 25 to 34, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The COVID pandemic marked not only a rise in suicide but also the use of virtual mental health care.

It's no easy task maintaining a workforce of dispersed and independent 988 call centers, but despite this, roughly 469,000 callers in May 2023 faced a drastically lowered wait time: Just 35 seconds on average, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' SAMHSA, which is a significant drop from the previous average of 140 seconds.

"A year ago we were saying, would it work? Would the demand outpace the capacity?" Bob Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, told Salon.

So far, Gebbia's questions seem to have been answered, as contacts are up and wait times are down.

A huge swath of Americans are seemingly unaware of the 988 lifeline's existence, with an estimated 75% still in the dark

A monthly call volume approaching half a million represents a significant increase from the 46,000 calls the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline fielded in 2005, its founding year. The number gained popularity following the 2017 release of the song "1-800-273-8255"' by the American rapper Logic, which according to the journal BMJ, further destigmatized the use of a crisis line.

Despite the increased awareness, in 2020 the FCC required a simpler number be designated for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis line, slated for activation by all U.S. telecommunication providers by July 16, 2022.

A year later, Gebbia is predicting 988 will receive five to nine million calls in its second year, up from nearly 4.5 million in year one of its operation. This increase is due to a slew of factors, including increased awareness and a decreasing stigma. However, a huge swath of Americans are seemingly unaware of the 988 lifeline's existence, with an estimated 75% still in the dark, according to Gebbia. A recent poll by The Pew Charitable Trusts found an even greater disparity, with only 13% of adults having heard of the lifeline and its purpose.

For someone experiencing a mental crisis, this gap in public awareness is likely one of the reasons leading them to neglect calling 988 or instead dial 911. As 911 and 988 haven't been widely integrated with one another, this may only be beneficial under certain scenarios. Not only are behavioral health calls to 911 not guaranteed to be rerouted to 988, a 911 call all too frequently leads to the unnecessary dispatch of law enforcement to a mental health crisis.

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This avoidable response is increasingly becoming lethal. To cite one example, Raul de la Cruz, a mentally ill man living in the Bronx, was shot by police within 28 seconds of law enforcement arriving at his father's apartment. According to the New York Times, last year "police responded to about 171,000 calls about 'E.D.P.s'  emotionally disturbed people."

With the expected increase of 988 calls in year two, Gebbia and others are worried about the already strained mental health workforce being unable to sustain capacity. This industry-wide concern is why Gebbia has been advocating before Congress for an increase in federal funding. His call to raise the lifeline's annual $500 million budget to $800 million could mean higher pay to incentivize participation in the mental health workforce.

"I would hope that with our allies in Congress who are really mental health champions, that they will fight for additional money," Gebbia said. "This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue."

Every 988 Lifeline center operates independently of one another, so the workforce challenges can be manageable in one area while another lacks a mental health workforce.

"I would hope that with our allies in Congress who are really mental health champions, that they will fight for additional money. This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue."

The Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $1 billion toward the 988 Lifeline, including $200 million this past May. The recent funding expanded local capacity for the 988 Lifeline, including funding geared (and available now) specifically toward federally recognized Indian Tribes, tribal organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations. It also included follow-up care of suicidal persons who called the 988 Lifeline.

Given that mental health is a highly stigmatized topic, one often engulfed in stereotypes, many misunderstandings surrounding the 988 Lifeline may exist after a year of its use. Importantly, the lifeline can be contacted by anyone in emotional distress, not only those experiencing suicidal ideation, Dr. Tia Dole, Chief 988 Lifeline Officer at Vibrant Emotional Health told Salon by email. In a society that is still known to promote the notion that it is "not okay to not be okay," it can be presumed there is room for progress on the front of non-emergency mental health cases utilizing the lifeline.

"Unfortunately, so many people avoid asking for help and seeking help that then they wait until they're in crisis and that's when they need 988," Gebbia said. "We'd love to see 988 avoided if we could."

Instead, Gebbia hopes individuals will receive adequate mental health support prior to ever being in a crisis and needing the lifeline. However, there is no prerequisite to calling 988. The service is open to anyone, whether experiencing a crisis or not.

Despite stigmas and stereotypes, mentally ill individuals are significantly more likely to be the victims of violence than perpetrators

Another possible public misperception is that callers will be outed or have a professional arrive at their door following a call. However, there is no way for callers to be tracked, as 988 doesn't enable geo-location sharing. The only information the mental health professional receives is that which the caller voluntarily shares.

Some stigmatized barriers like this are exacerbated in historically marginalized communities. For Black individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, the commonly held fear of police arriving following a 988 lifeline call is ever present, according to Gebbia. This disparity in cultural adoption, access to care and equitable rollout is similar to the mobile response units cities are actively rolling out to appropriately respond to mental health crises.

This city-by-city rollout is to prevent law enforcement, who aren't typically trained in mental crisis de-escalation, from arriving on the scene of a behavioral health crisis. Despite stigmas and stereotypes, mentally ill individuals are significantly more likely to be the victims of violence than perpetrators. However, these mental health response units aren't always efficiently linked to the local 988 lifeline, a city-by-city logistical feat that Gebbia is hopeful will change.

Further work to address equitable access was taken just this month when the Lifeline's LGBTQI+ pilot line became a permanent LGBTQI+ subnetwork. This addition, which comes with the option of connecting a caller with a counselor trained explicitly to support LGBTQ+ community members, is part of the lifeline's efforts to serve specific demographics often experiencing a heightened risk of suicide, such as veterans.

"This social responsibility relies on all of us, including federal, state, and local governments, public and private payors, to ensure that life-saving interventions are continuously available as quickly as possible," Dr. Dole told Salon by email.

Judging from these baseline measurements, year one of the 988 lifeline has been a success. More calls are answered, (45% year over year ending May 2023), while wait times have fallen from over two minutes. If the stigma of seeking mental health care continues to fade, it is likely more calls to 988 will be dialed, which means the workforce fielding these calls can expect a greater workload. As far as equitable reach and a sustainable workforce, mountable hurdles are ahead for 988 to become more than just a number and actually measurably decrease rates of suicide.

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'All this was an accident': Alleged shooter offers defense in Fayetteville killing

A Columbus County man is accused of fatally shooting a 19-year-old after an argument in May, then driving off as her friends tried to save her life in the parking lot of a Fayetteville bowling alley, according to court documents.

Levon Junior Campbell, 27, of Riegelwood, is charged with first-degree murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, discharging a weapon into occupied property and possession of a firearm by a felon in the May 26 killing of Ayanna Thompson of Fairmont, police said. Thompson was shot in the parking lot of a bowling alley in the 3000 block of Fort Bragg Road about 11:45 p.m., according to court documents. She died at the scene, police said.

Ayanna Thompson, 19, was killed in a shooting in the 3000 block of Fort Bragg Road on Friday, May 26, 2023, the Fayetteville Police Department said. Levon Campbell, 27, is charged with first-degree murder in her death.

Friends of the victim told detectives Campbell drove them and Thompson from Fairmont to the bowling alley that night for a double date, according to the arrest warrant. The friends were smoking outside the bowling alley when Thompson and Campbell reportedly emerged in the midst of an argument, the warrant states. The group got into Campbells vehicle, Thompson seated in the front passenger seat, with Campbell allegedly pulling out a gun and shooting Thompson before pointing the gun at the other passengers, according to the warrant.

After Thompsons friends exited the vehicle, bringing the injured woman with them, Campbell allegedly drove off, the arrest warrant states.

'I know he shot her'

Four 911 calls placed in the aftermath of the shooting painted a picture of desperate attempts to save the fatally-wounded Thompson, with the first call coming in at 11:47 p.m., according to 911 call recordings.

This dude just shot this girl in the parking lot, and I think they just left her there, a female caller said. I dont know what type of car, but he just sped off, and its a guy and a girl still in the parking lot, but Im almost certain  I know he shot her.

The caller reported the victims friends were holding a shirt to her stomach, where she had been shot. As the caller answered questions from the operator, sobs and screams could be heard in the background.

In another 911 call placed roughly three minutes after the first call, a woman called from across the street, telling the operator she was a first responder and wanted to help.

Im a medic, the caller said, presumably addressing people at the scene. Is she alive?

'All this was an accident'

Campbell was arrested at his home the morning of June 22, nearly a month after the shooting. During his first appearance in court the next day, he smiled and laughed when asked to reenter the courtroom after accidentally being dismissed early, then listened quietly as a prosecutor recounted the circumstances of the shooting.

When Cumberland County District Court Judge Roslyn Hood asked Campbell if he had anything to say before she considered his bail amount, he offered a brief defense.

I got nine kids. I got a job, he said. All this was an accident.

Hood set Campbells bail at $500,000 secured on the first-degree murder charge and $25,000 secured on each of the other three charges. The judge ordered Campbell be placed on house arrest and pretrial monitoring if he made bail.

He remained in the Cumberland County jail as of Friday afternoon, jail records show.

Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville bowling alley death was 'accident,' alleged shooter claims
This Afghan refugee in New Bedford is making a new life helping others to do the same

NEW BEDFORD  "What is happening?" "Why are we moving?" "Why aren't my cousins coming with us? Our grandparents?"

Those were some of the questions that New Bedford resident Dabeeri Emad and her husband were asked by their three young children  two sons and a daughter  as they made their way to the airport in an unmarked car that had come discreetly to pick them up to flee Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of the country on Aug. 15, 2021.

"There were so many questions they had on their minds, but everyone was blank. No one could answer," Emad said.

Before the abrupt and traumatic uprooting, the family were living in the capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan's largest urban center, where Emad held a management position at a women-owned media outlet and, aside from the occasional "disturbance" from the Taliban, she says life felt good and ordinary.

"Life was pretty good, life was normal; things were going as they should," said Emad, who was 33 at the time she and her family became refugees. "There was fighting in parts of the country ... but no one was believing they would come into the capital city. Everyone was expecting them to become part of the government."

In this file image, Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The events of that day prompted Afghan refugee Dabeeri Emad and her family to flee the country before being placed in New Bedford.

'A working woman'

In her prior life, Emad  who holds a master's degree in economics  was a development and project manager for a woman-owned, majority women-employed media company that has since been shut down by the Taliban.

"I was a working woman, which is quite unacceptable for them," said Emad, noting women in Afghanistan are banned from working outside the home and from education under Taliban rule.

In this file photo, New Bedford resident and Afghan refugee Dabeeri Emad speaks at an International Women's Day event at the First Unitarian Church in New Bedford on March 8, 2023.

Now, after having been in the U.S. coming up on two years, Emad, 35, is rebuilding her life while helping to give other Afghans a chance to do the same as a case specialist for the International Institute of New England, a refugee resettlement agency.

Will you miss it?: Airport Grille closed in New Bedford, dismaying many patrons

Emad says she feels a sense of fulfillment from her work, as she knows from experience how severely it's needed; and she's one of very few locally with not only the right skillset for the job, but who can translate between English and the languages Afghan refugees mostly speak: Dari Persian and Parshnu.

"From the very first day I came here, I was volunteering help for the other families that were here. I really wanted to solve their issues and I knew how hard it was for them," Emad said, noting she'd learned English while attending an English-speaking school. "So the same agency where I was a client ... saw what I was doing and hired me.

"I like to work with my clients, especially people from Afghanistan, because I know their culture, I know their language, I know their issues."

Future goals

Emad says her family has been fortunate: not only were they able to escape life under Taliban rule, but she and her husband were able to find work relatively quickly once resettled in New Bedford, and, as such, are approaching a level of stability that has allowed Emad to dream for their future beyond making it through another day. Currently, those dreams include Emad starting her own translation/interpretation service and  perhaps further ahead  opening an Afghani restaurant, something currently absent from the SouthCoast.

She is currently engaged in EforAll South Coast programming to help her start the translation/interpretation service.

In this file photo, New Bedford resident and Afghan refugee Dabeeri Emad is seen at the New Bedford Free Public Library downtown for Dil ba Dil Rah Dhara (From One Heart to Another): The Afghan Womens Art Project" on March 23, 2023.

"There are interpreters but they're very [fewer] than other languages," Emad said of the availability of Afghan-geared services. "Many people face a hard time when they go somewhere and they don't find an interpreter or can't get documents translated in a language they can understand, so they're really having a hard time ... and many people don't know these languages so they don't know where they can even go to hire these interpreters and translators."

When it comes to the restaurant, Emad says a church event earlier this year in Mattapoisett served as a feasibility test for an Afghan restaurant in SouthCoast, when she and a small group of other Afghan women prepared and served a selection of traditional food from their country.

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"We had a lot of people, about 100. Everyone said the food was very good," Emad said, noting the closest Afghan restaurants are in Providence and Boston. "I was so happy because I thought, OK, now that's one of the steps towards my restaurant because I know there are people here who will welcome it.

"So it's not an easy task, but that's one of my plans long-term."

Taliban fears still real, but so is hope

While she's become comfortable enough in her new environment to ponder an American future, those dreams remain underscored by fear stemming from the uncertainties of international relations. When asked if she or other Afghan refugees ever think about the possibility of their legal status in the U.S. changing unfavorably, Emad said, "I cannot talk on that but I hope and pray that never happens."

"Many of my own clients are getting their green cards, or they have their green cards and are moving toward citizenship," Emad said, noting she and her family are currently in the citizenship process themselves. "For all those who left, going back to Afghanistan is definitely a big threat to their life. The Taliban will say, oh, you are one of those who skipped."

Despite steep language barriers and generally being thrown into a strange, new world full of challenges at every turn, Emad says she does have an optimistic outlook for Afghans coming to America.

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"All the systems here  the educational system, the economic system, the finance system, the working system  everything is so different. They need time to resettle here. Its not that they will not get used to these things but its totally different," she said, noting many Afghan families tend to be large and thus, more challenging to support. "As a case manager I see theyre learning English enough to do basic communication like going to the market, buying stuff, getting their licenses, trying to work. So its hard but people are doing very well."

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Afghan refugee in New Bedford helps others resettle
Putin during talks with a delegation from African countries on June 18

Several African leaders have appealed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to demonstrate his "desire for peace" ahead of the forthcoming Russia-Africa summit scheduled for late July, Senegalese President Macky Sall said in an interview with the Financial Times on July 10.

"Before the next Russia-Africa summit, he (Putin) must do some actions to show his desire to move forward (with peace) even in a humanitarian way," said Sall.

Read also: Kyiv forms Ukrainian-African Trade Mission

Sall indicated this request was delivered to Putin in June during the African leaders' "peace mission" to Kyiv and Moscow. He added that the release of captive soldiers and children abducted by Russian forces "could be a very good signal."

According to Sall, African leaders persist in using the Russia-Africa summit as a platform to push for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which the leaders have been striving to facilitate.

Read also: African delegation in Kyiv, Prigozhins hidden motive, Putin antisemitism condemned

Sall is hopeful that during the forthcoming summit, leaders can have another meeting and "make some headway."

At the same time, Sall acknowledged Kyivs vow to not negotiate until Russia withdraws from occupied territories.

"Ukraine has said Russia must leave its occupied territory before they can negotiate and we understand that," said the Senegalese President.

Read also: Visiting South African leader taken to hotel bomb shelter as Russian missiles rain on Kyiv

On June 16, the heads of six African nations arrived in Kyiv and proposed a new initiative for peace in Ukraine. It suggested negotiating with Russia, even if the occupying forces don't leave Ukrainian territory.

On June 17, the same delegation arrived in Moscow, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged Putin to return to peaceful negotiations with Ukraine and end the war.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
President of Senegal Macky Sall has said African leaders urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to "show his desire to move forward [with peace]" before they gather in St. Petersburg for a Russia-Africa summit in late July.

Source: Sall in an interview with Financial Times

Quote from Sall: "Before the next Russia-Africa summit, he [Putin] must do some actions to show his desire to move forward [with peace] even in a humanitarian way."

Details: This demand was conveyed to Putin during the peace mission of African leaders to Kyiv and Moscow in June.

According to him, further exchanges of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by the Russian occupiers "can be a very good signal."

Quote: "Thats why we continue to use the Russia-Africa summit to see how we can move forward on the negotiations we tried to implement between Russia and Ukraine."

Asked if Putin had shown any inclination to pursue peace, Sall said: "During this summit, maybe we can have another meeting and make some progress. Thats what we hope for."

At the same time, the President of Senegal said that "Ukraine has said Russia must leave its occupied territory before they can negotiate, and we understand that."

Background:

On 16 June, a delegation from Africa arrived in Ukraine, including the presidents of the Republic of South Africa, the Comoros Islands, Senegal, Zambia and the Prime Minister of Egypt, as well as special representatives of the Congo and Uganda. They want to act as peacemakers between Russia and Ukraine, as well as agree on increasing the supply of grain and fertilisers from these two countries to their continent.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa named 10 main "components" of the African Union's position on the Russian-Ukrainian war.

After the meeting, Zelenskyy criticised the rhetoric of African leaders, who refer to Russia's war against Ukraine as a "conflict" or "crisis". Zelenskyy was also surprised that the African representatives emphasised their own grain and fertiliser crises while sidestepping the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

On 17 June, an African delegation met with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and he said that his logic regarding the war against Ukraine was allegedly "flawless" from the point of view of international law and the UN Charter.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that during their visits in Ukraine and Russia, the delegation from the African countries had an opportunity to see it for themselves who actually was interested in peace.

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One of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, Albert Einstein is well-known for developing the theory of relativity, as well as his other important contributions to quantum mechanics and physics. But shortly before to his death in 1955, Einstein reflected on his life and identified his single greatest regret: his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Although acquainted with physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, Einstein never worked on the Manhattan Project that led to the development of nuclear weapons, nor was he aware of plans to drop the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But Einstein and his colleague Leo Szilard played a crucial role in encouraging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to pursue the bomb in the first place.

A Startling Visit from a Friend

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It all started with a visit by Szilard, a Hungarian-German physicist who previously studied with Einstein in the 1920s. Their research led to the creation of a refrigerator pump that required no moving parts, resulting in what is most commonly called the Einstein refrigerator, according to Genius in the Shadows, a Szilard biography by William Lanouette.

After their collaboration, Szilard conceived the idea of a nuclear chain reaction while working in London in 1933. The next year, he convinced the British government to make his chain reaction patent a military secret, according to Lanouette, successfully forestalling a nuclear arms race with Adolf Hitler, who by then was the Chancellor of Germany.

However, after scientists in Germany experimentally split the uranium atom in 1938, Szilard became deeply concerned about idea of Hitler obtaining an atomic bomb first and began raising alarm bells among his personal connections. In Lanouettes words, he worked frantically to start the very arms race he had feared.

In 1939, Szilard visited his old friend Einstein, stunning the fellow physicist by describing the nuclear chain reaction concept. I havent thought of that at all, Einstein admitted, according to Lanouette. Einstein immediately agreed to warn his friends in the Belgian Royal Family that Nazi Germany might have eyes on the Belgian Congo, which contained the worlds largest uranium supply.

But after that initial meeting, Szilard became convinced that U.S. officials should be warned about Germanys intentions as well. Szilard and Einstein met for a second time three weeks later, discussing how to get word to President Roosevelt and starting work on one of the most impactful and historic letters in the 20th century.

The Einstein-Szilard Letter

Through friends, Szilard met with Alexander Sachs, a Wall Street banker with access to the White House. Sachs said he had already spoken with Roosevelt about uranium but that the government decided not to pursue uranium research because Columbia University physicists had told them the prospects of an atomic bomb were minimal, according to The New World 1939/1946: A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission.

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Sachs felt Roosevelt might be persuaded by someone of Einsteins reputation, according to the book. Einsteinwho was also encouraged by Hungarian physicists, including refugees Eugene Wigner and Edward Tellersent a letter dated August 2, 1939, urging Roosevelt about the possibility that Nazi Germany could develop an atomic bomb.

In the course of the last four months it has been made probable that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated, the letter read. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

Warning that this phenomenon could also lead to the construction of particularly devastating bombs, Einstein encouraged Roosevelt to consider a similar program in the United States and urged him to make contact with physicists working on chain reactions in the United States, according to the letter.

Preoccupied with events in Europe, Roosevelt didnt respond for nearly two months, making the physicists fear he wasnt taking the threat of nuclear warfare seriously, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. On the contrary, however, Roosevelt felt Hitler achieving unilateral possession of such powerful bombs would pose a grave risk to the nation.

The Letter Spurs Action

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Roosevelt wrote back to Einstein on October 19, 1939, informing him about the establishment of a committee of civilian and military representatives to study uranium, according to the Energy Department. Although this was only the first of many such steps and decisions along the way, this committee was ultimately the catalyst for the Manhattan Project.

In 1940, Einstein sent Roosevelt two more letters on March 7 and April 25, recommending additional work on nuclear research, according to An Einstein Encyclopedia by Alice Calaprice and others. He wrote again on March 25, 1945, expressing his growing fears about the possible misuse of uranium, but it wasnt delivered before Roosevelts death a little more than two weeks later.

The more famous 1939 letter, however, came to be known as the Einstein-Szilard letter and is widely considered to be the key stimulus for the United States developing the atomic bomb, according to Lanouette.

Einstein never worked on the Manhattan Project and had no prior knowledge of plans to use the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. A pacifist who despised war, Einstein came to deeply regret his role in the development of the bomb, later saying: Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing.

Einstein harbored these regrets for this rest of his life. In 1954, one year before his death, Einstein discussed the matter in a letter to his friend, chemist Linus Pauling. Although he cited the fear of Germany developing a bomb as a partial justification, he nevertheless described his letter to Roosevelt as the one great mistake in my life.

Einstein Appears in the New Oppenheimer Movie

Oppenheimer, now in theaters, is directed and written by Christopher Nolan . Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Tom Conti portrays Albert Einstein. Other cast members include Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh , Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, and Kenneth Branagh.

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Located in the Alzheimer's Orange County building, Irvine Clinical Research is a for-profit, private company recruiting seniors for clinical trials of experimental Alzheimer's drugs. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

For those fearing their memories are fading, the ads provide hope.

Early diagnosis extends quality of life, says an ad by Dung Trinh , an Orange County physician, on the website of a program for seniors at Mount of Olives Church in Mission Viejo.

Trinh offers free memory tests and personalized recommendations based on the results. He gives scores of lectures a year at assisted living homes, senior centers, churches and Rotary Clubs in Southern California, telling audiences how they can keep their memories sharp. He describes himself as a medical missionary and "healthy brain" expert.

All this helps in his job of recruiting patients for a private company's clinical trials of experimental drugs for Alzheimers disease.

The studies Trinh is recruiting for are part of a new gold rush in pharmaceutical research that was sparked when federal regulators approved two new drugs for Alzheimers. Trials of those two drugs have shown at best modest results in slowing cognitive decline.

Read more: Opinion: New Alzheimer's drugs are costly and controversial. Are we going about this all wrong?

The Food and Drug Administrations controversial approval of the two drugs  Aduhelm and Leqembi  came as the country struggles with caring for a fast-rising number of Alzheimers patients with no cures to help them. More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimers  a total expected to double in the next 25 years.

After the manufacturers priced the first two medicines at more than $26,000 for a year of treatment, other companies sped up their efforts to complete clinical trials of their experimental drugs. More than 57,000 research subjects are needed for the planned trials of more than 140 experimental drugs for Alzheimers disease, according to a study published in May. A drug that meaningfully improved memory function could extend the quality of life for millions of people while saving billions of dollars in healthcare costs.

The increasing sums spent to recruit older people with memory problems to these experiments gives some doctors pause. They say that people with dementia can confuse the helpfulness of clinical trial recruiters with actual medical care from doctors, an outcome that scientists call a therapeutic misconception. The purpose of a clinical trial is to test an experimental drug, these doctors point out, and not to provide medical care.

And the trials have been the subject of intense debate. More than 95% of the studies of dementia drugs have failed to show the therapy slows memory decline. Plus, the drugs come with adverse effects, sometimes serious. At least three people participating in trials of Leqembi died, although its maker has questioned whether the drug was the cause, saying the number of deaths was similar to the rate in the placebo group.

The two new drugs and many of the others being studied are monoclonal antibodies that are designed to clear amyloid, a protein that can build up in the brain. They are given by intravenous infusion and come with a risk of bleeding or swelling in the brain. In the trials of Aduhelm, 40% of participants suffered from brain bleeding or swelling.

Read more: Alzheimer's drug approval by FDA 'rife with irregularities,' probe finds

Aaron Kesselheim, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said scientists performing the studies need to make sure patients with memory problems understand the risks.

This is a population that may not fully understand the consent process, Kesselheim said. The investigator needs to be very careful to make sure people know what they are getting involved with.

Peter Whitehouse, professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve University, said trial investigators can earn phenomenal amounts for the patients they recruit.

Theres a bias for them to want to get people into these studies, said Whitehouse, who has studied the financial conflicts of interest in Alzheimer's research. In some cases, he has found, they overpromise the likely results of these trials and create false hope.

Trinh is an executive at privately held Irvine Clinical Research, which says it is the leading independent site for Alzheimer's drug trials in California. The company has long focused its recruitment efforts in Orange County, with its large retirement communities, including Laguna Woods Village, which has 18,500 residents.

Late last year, Trinh expanded the companys reach by setting up an office in Long Beach called the Healthy Brain Clinic, where he said he hoped to reach more Black patients and other minorities.

He holds lunch and learns where people can get a free meal while hearing his health tips. All his services are free to the patients, he explained in a February podcast. Pharmaceutical companies eager for new study volunteers are picking up the tab, he said.

His assistant assured the podcast audience that there was absolutely no danger for volunteers. The patients health is our No. 1 priority, she said.

In September, an 84-year-old grandmother from Lake Forest signed herself up for a trial at Irvine Clinical Research. The woman's daughter said she did not learn of the clinical trial until weeks later when her mother suffered a sudden decline, acting confused and unable to remember what day it was. The family took her to the doctor, who ordered an MRI, which showed she had suffered a stroke.

The daughter asked that the family not be named so she could speak openly about her mother's medical condition and treatment. The daughter said her mother had been worried about her memory but had not been diagnosed with Alzheimers.

She allowed The Times to review documents from the trial of the experimental drug called remternetug, which is owned by Eli Lilly, as well as the womans medical records confirming the stroke.

The woman signed a 21-page consent form, which listed risks of the drug.

Her daughter said her mother had recently struggled to make sense of her monthly electric bill.

How was it even possible for her to consent to this study? her daughter asked.

Federal regulations say that a person without the mental capacity to understand the consent form in a trial may not be enrolled unless a legally authorized representative consents on the subject's behalf.

The FDA recommends that scientists running the study consider having an independent monitor such as a clinician unaffiliated with the trial's sponsor determine whether patients have the mental capacity to know the risks in the consent form.

From an ethical perspective, you want to make sure that people understand information that's given to them, said Emily Largent, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Even well-intentioned investigators can sometimes have a conflict of interest, she said. It can help to have somebody who's looking at the situation a little bit more dispassionately to maximize protections for individuals.

In October, the woman received the first drug infusion in the trial. When she didnt show up for later visits, Irvine Clinical Research repeatedly sent Ubers to pick her up at her mobile home park, her daughter said, which the family sent away.

The Times spoke to the woman this month. She said she did not remember going to Irvine Clinical Research or any of the visits described in the documents. When did I go there? she asked.

Ralph Lee, chief executive of Irvine Clinical Research, declined to answer questions, including how his company had ensured elderly patients had the capacity to understand the consent form and whether it used an independent expert. We keep information about clinical trial participation strictly confidential, so we cannot answer your request, he wrote in an email.

Trinh did not respond to repeated voicemail and email messages.

Irvine Clinical Research has performed other research for Eli Lilly. The trial companys executives wrote on LinkedIn that they had enrolled more people into studies of donanemab, Lillys other experimental drug for Alzheimers, than any other trial site in the world.

Tarsis Lopez, an Eli Lilly spokesperson, said that the drug companys research is subject to review by an independent institutional review board, which must approve trial protocols and consent documents.

The protocol for remternetug required participants to have Alzheimers disease that has not progressed beyond the mild dementia stage, he said.

Lilly takes the safety and well-being of our valued clinical trial participants very seriously, he said. We are saddened to hear when anyone participating in a clinical trial experiences challenging medical issues, but we cannot comment on the specific circumstances of individual participants in ongoing clinical trials.

Advarra, the private-equity-backed, for-profit institutional review board that Lilly hired to oversee the trial, declined to comment.

Performing clinical trials can be a lucrative business. A study of 225 clinical trials performed between 2015 and 2017 found that it cost pharmaceutical companies an average of more than $40,000, and as much as $75,000, for each test subject completing a trial.

Trials of Alzheimers drugs are especially expensive, according to USC researchers , because of the difficulty in recruiting patients and the extensive testing required of each participant. Drug companies typically pay the recruiting company $600 for a cognitive test, $2,400 for an MRI and up to $8,000 for a PET scan, the researchers said. Volunteers are often compensated as well.

Pharmaceutical companies are willing to pay those sums because a drug that wins approval can bring in many billions of dollars. Eisai, the Japanese company that sells Leqembi, one of the two drugs conditionally approved by the FDA, expects worldwide annual sales of the drug to reach $7 billion by 2030, the companys executives said in March.

The FDA initially approved Leqembi and Aduhelm under accelerated approval rules that are used for drugs greatly needed by patients but not yet backed by studies proving their potential benefits.

On July 6, the agency granted Leqembi full approval based on an Eisai study that showed the drug slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 27%. Some doctors question whether that figure, which represents less than a half-point on an 18-point scale of cognitive function, constitutes a meaningful improvement for patients.

Irvine Clinical Research is just one of dozens of for-profit companies recruiting Alzheimers patients in California and across the country. The pharmaceutical companies also pay universities to recruit patients, but they often turn to the private research sites where there can be less bureaucracy to navigate.

Drug companies have found that academic institutions can be difficult to deal with, Whitehouse said. So they like these private operators, who basically set up their own system to do trials and can be much more efficient at enrolling patients.

Of the 76 sites recruiting patients for Lillys remternetug trial, one is a university.

Parexel, a trial operator owned by two private equity funds, including one controlled by Goldman Sachs, recruits patients using a method similar to Irvine Clinical Research's. It created what it calls a community memory clinic on the campus of Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

In a medical journal article about the clinic, Parexel staff explained the company was recruiting patients for the earliest human trials of experimental drugs, including Phase 1. Such trials often involve small numbers of people because little is known about the experimental drug's effect in humans. The employees wrote it was difficult to get people to sign up for these trials because they come with higher risks and require complex invasive procedures such as lumbar punctures.

The Parexel employees wrote that they had significantly increased the number of people referred to the company's clinical trials by hosting lectures for seniors and then asking audience members a series of questions on their cognitive abilities. Those who appear to suffer from memory problems are invited to the memory clinic for a battery of neurological tests, they wrote.

If the staff concludes the person has mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimers disease, the article said, the person and their family are given recommendations and told about available clinical trials for which they could volunteer.

Parexel told The Times in a statement that the doctors and staff operating the memory clinic were separate from those performing the clinical drug trials. The memory clinic does not manage clinical trials, it does not administer investigational drugs, it said.

If the clinic finds a person has cognitive decline, the company said, the results are provided to the participants primary care physician for a diagnosis.

Patient safety is always the highest priority, Parexel said.

The company said that a physician running the trial makes sure participants are competent to understand the study risks by quizzing both them and their family members about the information in the consent form. It said the physician is employed by a medical group not owned by Parexel.

Since Parexels memory clinic opened in 2016, more than 400 people have had cognitive evaluations, the company said, but less than 3% were deemed eligible to participate in a clinical trial.

When pharmaceutical companies pay for the clinical trials, they control what information gets released.

Eli Lilly began testing remternetug in 2018 but decided to stop the Phase 1 trial after enrolling 36 healthy adults. The company did not release the results.

Six months after the Lake Forest woman entered the trial at Irvine Clinical Research, Lilly released data on 41 participants in a second Phase 1 trial.

The company said the drug had led to rapid and robust amyloid plaque reduction in the subjects' brains and that the results supported its continuing research.

A close look at the data shows that 24% of the subjects suffered brain swelling and 17% had bleeding in the brain, according to the study. One of the 41 volunteers had both brain bleeding and swelling and attempted suicide.

David Knopman, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, reviewed the data for The Times and noted that the cases of brain swelling and bleeding increased as test subjects were given higher doses. He described the case of the participant who attempted suicide as a serious symptomatic adverse event.

The question, he said, is if investigators used the same dose in 200 people, how many of them would suffer similar complications. And then the next question is, what's the limit for where it becomes unacceptable?

Knopman said that while the data showed the drug reduced levels of amyloid plaque, scientists dont know whether that leads to improvement in cognitive abilities. They removed amyloid, but you don't know if that had any clinical benefit, he said. That question is still being studied.

FDA guidelines say that recruiters trying to enroll people into studies should not imply that the experimental drug is safe or effective. Recruiters also should not promise free medical treatment, the agency said.

In a May 2022 webinar for residents of the Covington, an assisted living facility in Aliso Viejo, and other senior residences owned by ECS, Trinh told the audience they could get free tests to look for amyloid plaque in their brains at his office.

Just give a call whenever today, tomorrow, said Trinh, after giving the audience his email address and phone number.

If we scan your brain or if we draw your blood and we see plaque, then we have medications in clinical trials that are designed to remove the plaque, he said. Our goal is plaque removal before theres significant damage because thats where prevention comes in.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An American Airlines flight was canceled after the door fell off due to a 'jet bridge malfunction'

An American Airlines plane. Daniel Slim/Getty Images

An American Airlines flight from Dublin to Philadelphia was canceled Sunday.

Images on social media showed its door had fallen off.

A spokesperson for the Airline said it was caused by a "jet bridge malfunction."

An American Airlines flight heading to Philadephia was canceled Sunday after its door fell off while preparing to depart from Dublin Airport.

Images shared on Twitter appear to show the Boeing 787 with a hole where the door should be  and the door on the tarmac below.

Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 9, 2023

An Aer Lingus-branded jet bridge can be seen positioned below the door-hole in the fuselage, and other social-media pictures of the incident appear to show fire trucks attending the incident.

In a statement shared with Insider, an American Airlines spokesperson said nobody was onboard at the time, and the damage was caused by a "jet bridge malfunction."

Jet bridges are usually fixed to the airport terminal gate but need to be moved to allow aircraft to approach, and then extended back out for passengers. Some designs can also be moved left, right, up, and down by a trained operator with a control panel.

The Boeing Dreamliner registered as N812AA was due to depart for Philadelphia around two hours after it landed from Chicago  before the door was ripped off and the flight canceled, data from Flightradar24 shows.

"An American Airlines aircraft was damaged due to a jetbridge malfunction at Dublin Airport (DUB). No customers or crew were on board at the time and there were no reported injuries," said a spokesperson for the airline.

"We sent a replacement aircraft to operate the affected flight which is now expected to depart this afternoon. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and thank our team for their professionalism."

Dublin Airport declined to comment when contacted ny Insider.

Read the original article on Insider
Amtrak partially suspended its popular Adirondack train to Montreal  just 3 months after its post-pandemic reopening

Passengers board an Amtrak train at New York City's Penn Station. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In April, Amtrak reopened its Adirondack line after a three-year closure amid the pandemic.

The Adirondack train ran for just three months before it was partially suspended at the end of June.

Instead of running from New York City to Montreal, the train now stops in Albany, New York.

Travelers hoping to get to Montreal via train this summer will have to find a different mode of transportation.

After just three months, Amtrak has suspended service on its Adirondack train between Albany and Montreal. The train, which is meant to run between New York City and Montreal, reopened in April after being closed for three years due to the pandemic.

According to a June 26 report from local news outlet WPTZ, the closure is due to Canadian regulations surrounding high temperatures.

"Amtrak rail partner Canadian National (CN) has implemented reduced speed regulations in Canada due to heat, impacting the Amtrak Adirondack route," an Amtrak spokesperson told the outlet. "Trains 68 and 69 will originate and terminate in Albany, NY until further notice."

Amtrak did not immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

Radio station WXXI reported that Canadian National requires that if temperatures exceed 86 degrees, trains traveling north of the border are kept to a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.

In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson for CN said the restrictions are put in place during extreme heat and cold, "as the rail is subject to expansion and contraction due to ambient temperature."

"Amtrak is responsible and has failed to pay for the maintenance required to keep the track at a level that accommodates its service," the statement continued. "If Amtrak agrees to make that investment, CN could upgrade the track to a level that would reduce heat restrictions."

The Adirondack train's revival in April was welcomed with considerable fanfare, with news outlets  including Insider  covering the buzzy reopening. It's currently unclear when, or if, the line will resume in full.

Read the original article on Insider
By Andrew Gray

VILNIUS (Reuters) - As NATO nations try to agree on Ukraines push for membership at a summit in Vilnius this week, an earlier gathering casts a long shadow.

At a summit in Bucharest in April 2008, NATO declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the U.S.-led defence alliance - but gave them no plan for how to get there.

The declaration papered over cracks between the United States, which wanted to admit both countries, and France and Germany, which feared that would antagonise Russia.

While it may have been an artful diplomatic compromise, some analysts see it as the worst of both worlds: It served notice to Moscow that two countries it once ruled as part of the Soviet Union would join NATO - but brought them no closer to the protection that comes with membership.

Now, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is pressing NATO to make clear how and when Ukraine can join, after the war triggered by Russias invasion is over.

Once again, there are divisions within NATO. And officials often cite the Bucharest declaration as a reference point.

There is widespread agreement that NATO should move "beyond Bucharest", and not just restate that Ukraine will join one day. But there are substantial differences over how far to go.

This time, the United States and Germany have been the most reluctant to support anything that could be seen as an invitation or a process leading to membership automatically.

Meanwhile, Eastern European NATO members, all of which spent decades under Moscow's control in the last century, are pushing for Kyiv to get a clear road map, with some backing from France.

Although Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced on Monday that a series of formal conditions for membership had been removed, the Vilnius declaration will inevitably be another compromise.

Assertions that "Ukraines rightful place is in NATO" and that it will join "when conditions allow" are among the phrases being discussed, diplomats say, as officials try to find wording acceptable to all NATOs 31 members. It may end up, as in Bucharest, being left to the leaders to resolve.

The parallels with the 2008 summit, held in the colossal Parliament Palace commissioned by Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, have struck many NATO-watchers.

Orysia Lutsevych, a Ukraine policy expert at the Chatham House think tank, said Zelenskiy and his advisers were working to secure as unambiguous an outcome as possible for Kyiv this time.

"The Bucharest summit left a lot of bad aftertaste and actually created the strategic ambiguity ... the permanent NATO waiting room for Ukraine and Georgia," she said.

PRESSURE FROM PUTIN

Much has changed since 2008, but one constant remains: Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president personally lobbied leaders in Bucharest not to bring Ukraine and Georgia into NATO.

This time, it is Zelenskiy who has the chance to make his case in person. But Russia will still be a big factor in discussions.

Underlying it all is the question of whether NATO would be prepared to come to Ukraines defence against Russia, starting a direct conflict between nuclear-armed powers. So far, all Western military backing for Kyiv has come from individual member states, not the transatlantic alliance as a whole.

Eastern European countries say the best way to ensure Russia does not attack Ukraine again is to bring it under the collective security umbrella that goes with NATO membership soon after the war. They say the Bucharest wording made little difference to Putins long-term intentions.

But others argue that promising Ukraine NATO membership after the war could encourage Putin to keep the conflict going.

They say the Bucharest declaration in fact prompted Putin to test Western Ukrainian militarily in both Ukraine and Georgia.

Four months after the summit, shelling from Georgia's Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia region induced the pro-Western government in Tbilisi to send in its army.

This in turn was promptly crushed by a Russian invasion force, cementing Moscow's hold over a part of Georgia.

In 2014, Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine by force and backed separatist uprisings in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region. And in February last year, Moscow launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow says the Bucharest declaration showed that NATO posed a threat to Russia.

But Ukraine says NATO made a promise and must now keep it.

Whether 2008 was the right decision or not, we can leave that aside and just say that it took on really symbolic importance going forward, said said Timothy Sayle, professor at the University of Toronto and author of a book on NATO history.

The diplomats need to remind their leaders that what NATO says or what NATO writes in its communiques has lasting significance - and can create unexpected obligations."

(Reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Thai king inaugurates parliament as Move Forward looks to lead new government

Analysis-Thailand's monarchy looms over battle for prime minister Thai king inaugurates parliament as Move Forward looks to lead new government

By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The role of the monarchy in Thailand is at the core of a looming deadlock that could tip Southeast Asia's second-largest economy into crisis, with reformers once again vying to dislodge the grip on power of the royalist military establishment.

Despite a stunning victory with its allies in a May 14 election over pro-military parties, the progressive Move Forward party led by Pita Limjaroenrat faces an uncertain path to government.

The main reason is that part of Move Forward's political platform is the once-unthinkable proposal to amend Thailand's "lese majeste" law, Article 112 of the criminal code that punishes insulting the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison.

In a country where reverence for the monarch has for decades been promoted as central to national identity, the idea is so radical that minority parties and many members of the appointed Senate have vowed to block Pita from becoming prime minister.

"The proposed amendment is disrespectful and is offensive to the monarchy," Senator Seri Suwanpanon told Reuters.

The military has for decades invoked its duty to defend the monarchy to justify intervention in politics, and used the lese majeste law to stifle dissent, critics say.

In parliament, a giant portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn hangs over the chamber where on Thursday members will vote for a prime minister.

But the battle over who gets the job could lead to weeks or even months of deadlock thanks to the votes of a 250-seat Senate, appointed by a junta, that could block the election-winning progressive alliance from securing its choice in a combined vote of both chambers.

The system was set out in a constitution drafted after a 2014 coup led by then-army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, the prime minister whose party lost badly in the May election.

Much depends on whether Move Forward's main ally, second-place winner Pheu Thai, sticks with it or seeks other coalition partners if Pita's bid looks doomed.

King Vajiralongkorn, 70, who has no role in choosing a government, has remained silent on the lese majeste issue since the election. The Royal Palace did not respond to a request for comment.

SWEEPING CHANGE

Move Forward's proposed amendment reflects cultural changes that have in a few years swept Thailand, where the monarch has for decades been held up as almost semi-divine.

On the surface, much remains the same. The king's portrait hangs on city streets and buildings. The nightly Royal News airs the royal family's good deeds.

But subtle changes are evident. In cinemas, many no longer stand for the royal anthem before every film. Satirical memes spring up on social media before the government orders them removed.

The biggest change, however, is political. In the last election in 2019, no party would have dared suggest amending the lese majeste law.

But Move Forward not only dared, it won the most seats in May though the amendment was only one plank of a progressive platform.

The shift emerged with student-led demonstrations in 2020 that began as protests against military rule but evolved into criticism of what the protesters called a military-palace power nexus, and finally into criticism of the king.

Politicians did not lead the protests but Move Forward called for reform of the lese majeste law when activists began to be charged under it.

About 250 of the 1,900 prosecutions linked to the 2020 protests were under Article 112, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The prosecution of so many under the law pushed the issue into mainstream discourse, analysts say.

"We can now see the real fault line in politics is the role of the monarchy in Thailand's political order," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

NUMBERS GAME

With many senators expected to vote against Pita for prime minister, Move Forward's 312-seat alliance of eight parties in the 500-seat lower House of Representatives may not be enough to secure him the premiership.

To get to the 376 votes he needs, Move Forward and main partner Pheu Thai need to convince 64 lawmakers from the Senate, or from other parties in the lower house.

If Pita falls short, other scenarios come into play.

Pheu Thai, which has 141 seats to Move Forward's 151, could nominate its prime ministerial candidate with the eight-party alliance intact.

Loyal to self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 coup, Pheu Thai has been more careful in its messaging on lese majeste, so one of its prime ministerial candidates could win enough votes.

Another possibility is that Pheu Thai seeks other partners in the lower house for a coalition without Move Forward. Pheu Thai, however, is vowing to stick with Move Forward.

Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of the faculty of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University, said using the law to crush dissent had backfired.

"By over-using Article 112, the conservatives dragged the royal institution deeper into politics," he said.

Move Forward says amending the law will prevent its misuse and benefit the monarchy. It wants the penalty reduced to at most a year in prison, and only the Royal Household Bureau to be able to file a complaint instead of anyone.

"Some senators misunderstood ... accusing Move Forward of wanting to topple the monarchy," party executive committee member Amarat Chokepamitkul told Reuters.

"We want to amend it to maintain good relations between the monarchy and the people."

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson, Robert Birsel)
By Michelle Price

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Embattled by a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) crackdown, crypto companies are making a renewed push on Capitol Hill to drum up support for legislation they hope will rein in the agency and provide regulatory clarity for the industry.

The Blockchain Association, Chamber of Digital Commerce, Crypto Council for Innovation, and Coinbase Global are among the groups knocking on doors in Congress to build bipartisan support for a draft bill ahead of a key vote in coming weeks, said half a dozen executives and lobbyists.

While crypto companies have been expanding in Washington over the past two years to combat growing regulatory scrutiny, the latest industry scramble shows how recent high-profile SEC enforcement actions are galvanizing the crypto lobby.

"It's another motivating factor to get up there and educate" Congress, said Cody Carbone, vice president of policy at the Chamber of Digital Commerce.

Crypto companies started out in a regulatory gray area, but the SEC has steadily asserted its authority over the industry, arguing most cryptocurrencies are securities and subject to its investor protection rules. That effort escalated last month when the SEC sued crypto exchanges Coinbase and Binance for failing to register some crypto tokens. The pair deny the allegations.

Most crypto companies dispute the SEC's jurisdiction. They argue cryptocurrencies are more like commodities than securities, and want Congress to write laws making that clear.

Lobbyists are focused on a discussion draft bill by the Republican chairs of the House Financial Services and Agriculture committees, Patrick McHenry and Glenn Thompson respectively, which would define when a cryptocurrency is a security or a commodity. It would expand the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) oversight of the crypto industry, while clarifying the SEC's jurisdiction.

It is the most comprehensive of several crypto bills floated in recent years, with the greatest chance of becoming law, lobbyists say. That is because of the close cooperation between the committees that oversee the CFTC and SEC, which are often accused of vying for crypto oversight. With Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate.

"For anything to really get traction, it has to have bipartisan support. So we're very focused on how we as an organization, and as the industry, can help facilitate that," said Brett Quick, head of government affairs at the Crypto Council for Innovation. "It's not a perfect bill, but it's a really good starting point."

McHenry and Thompson are discussing the proposal with crypto companies, regulators and Democrats, and hope the committees will vote on it before the August recess, senior Republican policy staff said. A spokesperson for Thompson said they are "coordinating closely."

Democrats, though, are skeptical about crypto after several major players collapsed last year, including FTX. It is unclear if Maxine Waters and David Scott, the top Democrats on the Financial Services and Agriculture committees respectively, will back the bill. Both have raised concerns it would weaken the SEC's powers.

"It proposes a cumbersome framework with inherent structural issues that will undermine the ability of our federal financial regulators to properly regulate and oversee an industry already rife with instability and fraud," Scott said in a statement.

Still, crypto lobbyists believe other Democrats on the committees who have yet to take a stance on crypto could be persuaded that the bill would help protect American innovation and jobs, including Vicente Gonzalez and Sylvia Garcia.

"That's where we are recommending that our members, other members of the industry, really target their advocacy efforts," said Carbone.

Spokespeople for the SEC, CFTC, Waters and Gonzalez did not provide comment. A spokesperson for Garcia said she is paying close attention to the bill.

'MASSIVE SETBACK'

Lobbyists acknowledge they are on the backfoot after the FTX scandal and indictment of its high-profile founder Sam Bankman-Fried badly hurt the crypto industry's credibility.

"It was certainly a massive setback, particularly because Sam Bankman-Fried was so personally active in Washington," said Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association.

The industry has been trying to repair the damage. It spent around $6 million on federal lobbying in the first quarter, putting it on track for another record year after spending $21.6 million in 2022, according to OpenSecrets. Coinbase was the biggest spender during the first quarter at $700,000.

The company is also running a grassroots campaign, encouraging crypto users to contact lawmakers, said Kara Calvert, head of U.S. policy at Coinbase. "It's not just Coinbase that cares about crypto; it's hundreds of thousands of people across the United States."

(Reporting by Michelle Price; Additional reporting by Hannah Lang and Douglas Gillison; Editing by Richard Chang)
FILE PHOTO: Russian-made MiG-29 aircraft are seen parked on the flight deck of INS Vikramaditya anchored in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai

By Krishn Kaushik and David Brunnstrom

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Indias multi-billion-dollar purchases of U.S. arms are less about shifting its reliance on Russian defence equipment and moving towards the West - it's more about developing its own domestic weapons industry, security officials and analysts say.

India is the world's biggest arms importer but almost all of its major weapons purchases now include provisions for joint manufacture or technology transfer, irrespective of which country it is dealing with.

Also, Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted some military supplies to India, reinforcing New Delhi's long-term desire to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware, Indian defence officials said.

India bought weapons worth over $60 billion in the last 20 years, of which 65% or nearly $39 billion were from Russia, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India intends to order weapons from the domestic arms industry worth over $100 billion over the next decade.

"It is a reality, that we have to reduce dependence on Russia," said a senior Indian defence officer working on future capabilities of the Indian military, who declined to be identified. "But that is part two. The part one is the effort to get out of the import business."

India announced significant purchases of U.S. defence equipment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington last month, including an over one billion dollar order for GE engines for fighter jets. A possible $3 billion deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones is also being discussed.

In line with New Delhi's desire for self-reliance in defence and Modi's flagship "Make in India" policy, the jet engine deal includes joint manufacturing in the future, while the assembly and maintenance of the SeaGuardians will likely be in India.

Eric Garcetti, the U.S. ambassador to India, said Washington had earlier paid "lip service" but was now easing India's access to military technologies. He said the U.S. was "leaning in with technology" sharing more with India than it had with some its closest allies.

However, the moves so far will not be sufficient to end New Delhi's reliance on Russia while stringent U.S. rules governing the sharing of military technology limit future possibilities for now.

"Nobody gives you everything. They keep you at least a screwdriver away from having it fully," said a second senior official from India's defence ministry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Arzan Tarapore, an Indian security expert at Stanford University, said the deals announced during Modi's visit "do not in themselves represent an Indian shift away from Russia."

"A big shift away from Russia will take multiple decades," he said.

GAP WITH CHINA

India still uses mostly Russian technology for traditional arms. Tarapore said that the biggest potential for U.S.-India collaboration should be on new systems that India doesnt already have.

India's main aim is to narrow the technological gap with better-armed arch-rival China, with which it has a tense relationship, and which is also closely allied with traditional foe Pakistan.

One problem for India is that Russia's war in Ukraine has severely dented Moscow's ability to deliver weapons and equipment.

India's air force recently informed a parliamentary panel that Russia would delay deliveries of spares for Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 jet fighter planes. A big-ticket item, believed to be the remaining two of the five Russian S-400 air defence systems India bought for nearly $5.5 billion in 2018, has also been delayed, it said.

India has also been expecting to receive two nuclear-powered attack submarines from Russia over the next few years, but these might also be delayed, defence officials said.

Such problems have reinforced India's resolve to become less dependent on Russia, but it does not want to rely on any one nation for its weapons purchases, they said.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones, American jet engines and potentially German submarines. Over time these purchases will reduce the share of Russian military technology used by India, but this would take at least two decades, Indian officials said.

LEAST LIMITATIONS

Bill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said the days of U.S. and Russian domination of the global defence market and being able to control defence technology was coming to end, but what would replace it was "still a work in progress."

He said India could become frustrated by the strict U.S. export control system for armaments and the restrictions it places both on technology sharing and its ability to develop systems it acquires.

"I expect India will pursue cooperation with the West with those countries that can transfer technology ... with the least amount of limitations on their use," he said.

Exports to India must satisfy stringent U.S. International Trafficking in Arms (ITAR) regulations and the two countries are not treaty allies - which for instance means the level of technology sharing provided under the AUKUS deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is not on the cards.

Even so, Modi's U.S. visit has been hailed by both sides as bringing the relationship to a new level. Besides the defence deals, the two countries also signed agreements on chips, space, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

India is also a member of the QUAD alliance with the U.S., Japan and Australia, which deepens its ties with the West, but does not replace its decades-old relationship with Russia.

Derek Grossman, a Rand Corporation defence analyst, said the U.S. would always be cautious in what military hardware and technology it shares with India because of this.

Even if India can transition away from Moscow over the next few decades, Grossman said, "the U.S. will still have suspicions about how their systems are being used and how that might help the Russians in some sort of way, because of that close India-Russia partnership."

"India is going to be opportunistic in this situation and accept whatever the U.S. is willing to offer. But I dont think they are willing to give up what they have with Russia."

(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in NEW DELHI, David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen went to Beijing with no expectations that meetings with China's new top economic officials would immediately ease tensions between the world's two largest economies.

There was no breakthrough. And it's far from clear whether the 10 hours of meetings, covering issues ranging from U.S. technology export controls to China's new "anti-espionage" law and other punitive actions against U.S. firms, will do anything to change the relationship's trajectory.

But Yellen met her objective of opening communications with her new Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and explaining U.S. intentions on a broad range of policies.

"The accomplishment of the meeting was the meeting itself, not specific issues," said Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "We're starting from a point in which the two sides have barely spoken to each other in three and a half years and the level of mistrust and cynicism has been layered on so thick."

But he said it was significant that Yellen, He and other Chinese officials could hold civil, substantive discussions about policy differences after years of acrimony over the COVID-19 pandemic, tariffs, national security, trade restrictions and increasing difficulties for U.S. firms in China.

China's state-run Global Times newspaper described the tone of Yellen's visit as "pragmatic" and "rational," but the "positive" expectations it generated are like "a candle in the wind, weak and uncertain."

"People are more inclined to believe that Washington's policy direction toward China is still focused on containment and suppression, and there has been no change in the securitization of economic and trade issues by the U.S.," the nationalist tabloid said.

A senior U.S. Treasury official accompanying Yellen on her first trip to China as secretary described it as "respectful, frank and constructive," adding: "She was warmly received."

Her meeting on Saturday with He, China's new economic czar, was scheduled for two hours but lasted five, followed by a "cordial" dinner, the official said.

Yellen also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and People's Bank of China Deputy Governor Pan Gongsheng during the trip, as well as senior executives of U.S. companies doing business in China and six female economists to highlight the need for gender diversity.

'SIGNIFICANT DISAGREEMENTS'

Yellen told reporters that she and her Chinese counterparts aired "significant disagreements," and cited U.S. concerns about China's "unfair economic practices" and recent punitive actions against U.S. firms, including restrictions on critical semiconductor metals.

Among issues brought up by the Chinese side was President Joe Biden's consideration of a potential executive order to block billions of dollars in U.S. investments into China related to sensitive technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Yellen said she told her Chinese counterparts that no decisions to proceed had been made, and any Treasury-administered investment curbs would be "highly targeted, and clearly directed, narrowly, at a few sectors where we have specific national security concerns."

Trade experts said after the meetings it was still difficult to see how Washington and Beijing would move towards compromise, but that it was better for the two sides to talk.

"I think Yellen struck the right tone, balancing efforts by the U.S. government and businesses to de-risk and diversify supply chains with the reality that the United States and China still have an important economic relationship," said Jake Colvin president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents major U.S. companies on trade matters.

Hong Hao, chief economist at Grow Investment Group in Hong Kong, said a possible outcome could be an easing of some tariffs on Chinese goods from a U.S. review now underway.

"Yellen has a say in the next phase of the U.S.'s four-year tariff review," Hong said.

But Colvin said that with 2024 elections looming, it would be "politically difficult" for Biden to unilaterally ease tariffs or other restrictions without reciprocal action by China.

In the meantime, Yellen said the talks set the stage for more frequent U.S.-China communications at the staff level about economic issues, including areas of disagreement.

Her visit is expected to be followed later this month by John Kerry, Biden's climate envoy, to discuss areas where the world's two largest carbon emitters could cooperate on fighting climate change. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has also expressed a desire to visit China.

The Yellen trip boosts chances for a meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year, said Wang Yiwei, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing. A possible venue for this would be the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Anchorage, Alaska, and Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang and Qiaoyi Li in Beijing; Editing by Stephen Coates)
This week will be the last in the deanship of Dr. Van Dempsey of UNC-Wilmingtons school of education. Thats tough news for UNC-Wilmington and the UNC System.

Once again, an important administrator was forced to choose between the truth and the commands of ideologically driven superiors. Dempsey did something that is, by now, exceeding rare. He told the truth, knowing hed likely be fired for it. He should receive a medal rather than being shown the door.

Gene Nichol

Dempseys departure stems from the decision to give Sen. Mike Lee a 2023 Razor Walker Award. The move came with controversy, and four weeks ago Dempsey admitted to The Assembly that UNC-Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety had instructed him to make sure a political conservative received one of the honors. Dempsey asked Volety what would happen if they went through the standard committee process and Lee wasnt chosen. I would make sure you land in a good place, Volety replied.

Dempsey also told The Assembly he knew that admitting to the press hed received the directive from the chancellor could cost him. Last week, it did. UNC-Wilmington issued a statement indicating Dr. Dempsey is leaving his position as dean, effective July 14.

Keeping to form, the statement itself was deceptive. Dempsey explained, it implies I chose to leave the position. That is not true. A Port City Daily public records request also revealed the selection committee had not recommended honoring Lee.

Choosing between Republican political mandate and ones personal integrity is part of the essential job description for high administrators in the UNC System in these dark days.

Our chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill has been required to do it regularly. When our Board of Trustees denied tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, in one of the most high-visibility acts of racial discrimination in recent history, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz did not utter a word against it. He seemed to fear that if he did, hed lose his job.

Hannah-Jones later refused to accept any appointment at Carolina, explaining she couldnt work at a university whose leadership permitted such conduct and has done nothing to disavow it.

More recently, the same Board of Trustees moved  contrary to all theories of academic governance  to create a new School of Civic Life and Leadership. Again, Guskiewicz did not use his authority or his voice to oppose it. No tradition of higher education is more deeply rooted than the dictate that faculty controls the curriculum. But not at UNC-Chapel Hill. Im sure our chancellor thinks hes keeping his powder dry for something more important than racial equality and academic freedom. But I cant, for the life of me, think of what that might be. Chancellor Volety shows Guskiewicz isnt alone.

It all reminds me of the various Trump officials who helped him trash the Constitution, saying if they didnt aid and abet the destruction, Trump would fire them and appoint someone even worse. Maybe so, but thats the excuse that forgives all sins. Every single one.

It was one of the high honors of my life to know the late Chancellor Bill Aycock  who displayed such bravery in the 1960s fighting North Carolinas Speaker Ban Law.

Aycock was a storied law teacher. When I asked him how he managed the courage to resist, he explained that in accepting the job he told then-UNC System President Bill Friday: I dont know if Ill last a week or 10 years, but Im going to do what I think is right and, if they fire me, Ill happily go back and teach my classes.

Those were the days.

Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
These EA-18G Growler U.S. Navy aircraft stopped at Asheville Regional Airport Nov. 21, 2021, as part of a training mission. The Citizen Times has frequently received reports of military planes being spotted in and around AVL.

ASHEVILLE  Todays reader-posed question seeks an answer to military planes being spotted at and around Asheville Regional Airport. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chavez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: Why are there so many military planes coming and going from Asheville airport? Are they patrolling the Appalachians for some reason? I cannot think of any military bases around here.

Answer: This isnt an unusual spotting. Upon reaching out to the airport, weve discovered that military planes coming on and off Asheville Regional Airports airstrip are not an uncommon sight. In fact, thousands of military planes pass through the airport each year.

Tina Kinsey, spokesperson for the Asheville airport, told the Citizen Times July 5 that the airport keeps a log of the number of military flight operations, namely take offs and landings, that occur on the airports airfield.

From January through April, AVL saw 1,009 military take offs and landings, according to Kinsey. During the full calendar year from January until December 2022, there were 5,140 military operations out of the airport, she said.

But when it comes to the details of why these military planes fly into and out of Asheville and where they come from, Kinsey said she is not privy to that information.

Regarding military air traffic, the airport does not track information about where specific military flights are coming from nor the specific reasons for each flights presence in the area, Tina Kinsey told the Citizen Times July 5.

What are military planes at AVL used for?

There are 14 military bases in North Carolina, but none of these bases are located in Western North Carolina, according to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The closest military bases to WNC and AVL Airport are the 145th Airlift Wing and 108th Training Command in Charlotte.

Citizen Times spoke with Tech. Sgt. Mary McKnight at the 145th Airlift Wing, which is the N.C. Air National Guard base closest to Asheville, regarding military plane operations out of AVL. McKnight checked with their operations team and found that their unit has conducted training out of AVL in the past, but not in recent times.

I really do not know what other units could be using it, McKnight said regarding what other military units may be using AVLs airstrip. And the reason is, for instance, a group from Mississippi could be in the area for some reason or another. Weve had units call in to use our airstrip because theyre in the area, and we didnt know they were coming. It all depends on what different events are going on.

North Carolina has one of the largest military footprints of any state in the U.S., representing three out of four branches of military service, according to the DMVA website. With military and defense industries being the second largest employers in North Carolina, this sizeable footprint generates a $66 billion economic impact annually, according to the website.

This isnt the first time the question of military planes in the area has been brought up by a reader. Two F-18s, specifically EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, were spotted at AVL in November 2021, which spurred one reader to ask, what the heck are they doing in Asheville?

The warbirds were later identified by a Citizen Times reader and former Marine as Growlers, special variants of the F/A-18 Hornet family. Identified by the word Cougars stenciled on the planes, we came to find out the Cougars of Electronic Attack Squadron 139 (VAQ-139) has used AVLs airstrip to conduct training in WNCs mountainous landscape.

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"I was forwarded correspondence between yourself and our ombudsman regarding two jets in Asheville, N.C., on Nov. 21, 2021," Lt. JG Erin Rouse told the Citizen Times in 2021. "I would just like to confirm that those were two EA-18G Growlers from our squadron conducting training. Thank you very much for your interest in our squadron. Go Cougars!"

The Cougars' home base is NAS Whidbey Isley, Washington, according to their website. This confirms what McKnight alluded to, that military jets spotted in and around Asheville sometimes travel far from home. Established in July 1983, the squadron formerly used EA-6B Prowlers but switched to the Growlers spotted at AVL in what appears to be the early 2010s, based on deployment information on the Cougar's website.

The squadron has had numerous deployments throughout the years, including a Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier deployed for service in the Vietnam War.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. News tips? Email Ryley at rober@gannett.com. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Answer Woman: Mystery military jets at Asheville Airport?
Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernandez, archbishop of La Plata, smiles after a Mass at the Cathedral in La Plata, Argentina, Sunday, July 9, 2023. Fernandez was appointed by Pope Francis to head the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

LA PLATA, Argentina (AP)  Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, chosen by Pope Francis to head the Vatican office that ensures doctrinal orthodoxy, conceded Sunday he made mistakes in handling a 2019 case of a priest accused of sexual abuse of minors.

The case has drawn allegations by critics that Fernandez tried to protect the priest, a charge that he has denied.

Today I would certainly act very differently and certainly my performance was insufficient, he told The Associated Press during an interview after celebrating Mass in La Plata, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) south of Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis appointed Fernandez on July 1 to head the Holy Sees Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which guarantees doctrinal orthodoxy and one of whose areas involves handling sexual abuse allegations brought against clergy. He was also named a cardinal Sunday along with about two dozen religious.

BishopAccountability.org, a U.S. group that maintains an online archive on abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, has questioned the archbishops appointment as head of the dicastery. It said Fernandez refused to believe allegations by minors who accused Eduardo Lorenzo, a priest in the archdiocese of La Plata, of abusing them.

At the end of 2019, hours after learning that an Argentine judge had ordered his arrest for the alleged sexual abuse of five children, Lorenzo was found dead in what was ruled a suicide.

In response to the U.S. organizations criticism, Fernandez told AP in a statement Monday that he had never said he did not believe the allegations and that he took steps to distance the priest from the alleged victims.

On Sunday, though, he was more self-critical of his actions, which he attributed to arriving in 2018 as archbishop of La Plata without any experience in another diocese. He said church procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse committed by clerics were less clear at that time.

I cannot say that I have committed a crime or something against what was established at that time, but that I could have been a much better father, much better pastor and much more efficient. That, of course, I recognize, he told AP.

With everything I say it is clear that I did not act in the best way, he said.

Fernandez said he should have treated the victims more closely and acted "a little earlier in removing Lorenzo from his duties as a priest while he was being investigated.

I was waiting to see how justice acted, what the prosecutor did, what objective elements came to us, he said.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, expressed disbelief at the archbishops words.

He declares himself bewildered, but he is a sophisticated and educated man," she said, adding that claims of ignorance are not credible.

Barrett Doyle said Fernandez repeatedly demonstrated support for the priest.

If Archbishop Fernandez finally regretted his handling of this case, why did he never reach out to Lorenzos victims? she said.

A close adviser to the Argentine-born pontiff, Fernandez has been nicknamed the popes theologian because he is widely believed to have helped author some of Francis most important documents. Francis named him to head the La Plata archdiocese in 2018.

Fernandez said he had spoken to the pope about the criticism received about Lorenzos case and was told: "You explain reality as it was.
Los Angeles City Hall, located in the downtown L.A. A suspect was arrested for allegedly starting a fire there Saturday night. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a fire that broke out Saturday night after an object was thrown through L.A. City Hall's second-floor window.

In a tweet, the Los Angeles Police Department said that officers apprehended the suspect in downtown Los Angeles around 6:15 p.m. Sunday "without incident."

The suspect, Carlos Tercero-Maradiaga, 36, is accused of using an accelerant to commit arson. The LAPD statement did not provide a motive for the crime but said "there is no indication that this arson is related to any other arson or crime series."

The fire alarm on the second floor was activated at 8 p.m. Saturday after someone threw the object into the office of Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso, said Warren Moore, an LAPD spokesperson.

Firefighters were quickly dispatched, but by the time they arrived the blaze had already been extinguished by the building's automatic sprinkler system, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said. No injuries were reported.

Tercero-Maradiaga is being held on $250,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's inmate website.

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The fire damaged a corner of one office, leaving the wall, baseboard, carpet and window frames blackened, according to photos viewed by The Times. Plywood covered a broken window panel.

Tso, whose office provides policy analysis to the City Council, said her computer, monitors, printer, phone and other office equipment  along with "numerous documents"  were destroyed by the water from the sprinklers. Artwork and personal photos were also damaged or destroyed, she said in an email.

Carpets in two conference rooms, an office reception area, two storage rooms and three offices also suffered water damage, Tso said. In addition, water flowed down to the first floor, causing damage there, she said.

Fans in City Hall were seen Sunday drying out carpets that had been soaked by the sprinkler system (Julia Wick / Los Angeles Times)

City Council President Paul Krekorian declined to discuss the arson investigation, referring those questions to the LAPD. However, he said he will demand that Dist. Atty. George Gascon prosecute the crime to the "greatest extent possible."

Krekorian said those steps should be taken so that city employees can be confident that when they come to work, "they don't have to fear for their lives."

"I will not tolerate anything less than the absolute most aggressive prosecution of those who would attack government officials," Krekorian said, pounding his fist on the lectern during a news conference hosted by Mayor Karen Bass. "Because it's not just an attack on government officials. It is an attack on the people. It is an attack on democracy and it can't be tolerated."

Saturday's fire is only the latest in a series of public safety incidents to occur at City Hall. Two months ago, police arrested an audience member at a council meeting on suspicion of committing battery on an officer. Police said the suspect had slammed the door to the council chamber in an officer's face, an account disputed by some other audience members.

Weeks later, a frequent attendee at council meetings was arrested on suspicion of assaulting another audience member, striking him in the face with a bag that had a laptop computer in it.

On Friday, a judge ordered two other defendants, who were arrested last year over their behavior at a chaotic council meeting, to stay 100 yards from council members' homes and offices for the next 12 months.

Times staff writer Julia Wick contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
[Source]

An 86-year-old Asian man was fatally shot by a scooter-riding gunman in a shooting rampage that injured three others in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, on Saturday.

What happened: The shooter, who was riding an illegal scooter, first shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder at Ashford Street and Arlington Avenue at around 11:10 a.m., according to reports. Seventeen minutes later, he shot the Asian senior in the back at 108th St. and Jamaica Avenue.

At around 11:35 a.m., the gunman shot a 44-year-old man in the face at Hillside Avenue and 126th St. Two minutes later, he shot another senior, a 63-year-old man, in the face at 134th St. and Jamaica Avenue.

The aftermath: The Asian victim, whom police initially reported to be 87, was identified as Hamoo Saeidi. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he later died. All three other victims survived the attack.

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The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Thomas Abreu, was arrested on Sunday and charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He was photographed smiling during his arrest for the mass shooting.

Whats next: Abreu was reported to have at least one prior arrest. In a press briefing, NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said investigators believe the shootings were random.

At this time, we don't know the motive. It seems that his acts were random, Kenny said. If you look at the demographics and pedigree of the victims, they're all different at this time.

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Abreu is set to be arraigned today. Mayor Eric Adams reportedly plans to visit the victims families.

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Actor Kevin Spacey leaves Southwark Crown Court, London on Monday - Lucy North/PA

Kevin Spacey likes young, straight guys, an aspiring actor was warned before he was allegedly sexually assaulted after falling asleep at the actors flat, a court heard.

The alleged victim said he did not know at that point he was a predator, a jury was told.

He told a police officer he had written a letter to the Hollywood star asking for help, which later led to the alleged incident  a move he said seemed quite tactical.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard the night had ended with him crying at a bus stop when Mr Spacey asked him to leave following his rejection of the stars alleged sexual advances.

He told the officer he did not leave when the actor had put his head in his crotch because you just dont want to annoy someone whos that powerful in the business youre trying to break into.

Social sway

The social sway he had was massive.

Nothing happened that was consensual, the man told police.

In the complainants police interview, which was played to the court on Monday, the man said Mr Spacey had called him a few weeks after his letter.

He told the officer: He said: Do you want to meet for a beer?.

Starstruck

I was quite dumbstruck, starstruck by the idea of essentially meeting an idol.

Addressing how he felt that the actor had made time to meet him, the man said: It made me feel weirdly special because it was someone saying, Hey, Im going to clear out time for you this evening.

I thought it would be getting a calendar and booking something for four weeks time.

He recalled being taken to Mr Spaceys address, saying: He said: This is my place, do you want to come up?, to which I said Of course, because its Kevin Spacey.

There was some leftover pizza on the table so we had a bit of pizza, smoked some weed, which I was more into then.

Incredibly weird

Describing what happened later, the man said: He kind of opened up his arms and said: Come here.

Then he started to nuzzle his head ... he was just rubbing his head into my crotch  I thought: This is incredibly weird.

I was very nervous at this point, I was just flicking through TV channels.

I was going through films asking if he knew the actors ... he didnt really want to have much of a conversation.

Speaking about the allegation of the sex act, the man told the officer he began to feel woozy before saying: Going to sleep isnt something I would normally do  it is unusual in my behaviour just to conk out.

I remember four to five hours later waking up  my belt was still together but my button and my zip were down and hes just performed [a sex act] on me.

The man said he reacted by saying, No, before adding: Then he stopped and asked me to leave straight away.

He said I shouldnt talk to anyone about what had happened.

The man told the officer that others had told him Mr Spacey liked the young straight guys.

Predator

He said: I didnt know at that point he was a predator.

Asked if he had thought of leaving when Mr Spacey had put his head in his crotch, the man said he had a niggling thought that maybe this is OK.

After the interview was played to the jury, Mr Spaceys lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, took the witness through phone logs that showed the star had sent text messages to him a number of times after the incident.

The man said he had not received or seen any of the messages.

The complainant said he had messaged Spacey once after the encounter as he wanted to meet up and get him to say something about the truth so he could record it.

The House of Cards star, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a sexual bully as he stands trial accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013.

The defendant pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The trial continues.

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'There's one last chance,' Stella Assange said (Fabrice COFFRINI)

The wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is petitioning the British government's decision to extradite him to the United States, on Monday appealed for clemency from the US president.

The Australian publisher is the object of a US extradition request to face trial for divulging US military secrets about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"(President Joe) Biden could end this anytime. It's not in the administration's interests for Julian to be tried during an election period," said Stella Assange while speaking to the Geneva Press Club.

"The UK is... giving off the signals that it is kind of accelerating and wants Julian extradited. So Julian could very well be extradited by the end of the summer," she said. "The Biden administration would have to deal with that and I don't think that's in their interest."

Assange, 52, is being prosecuted in the United States for having published some 700,000 confidential documents related to US military and diplomatic activities, starting in 2010.

He could face decades in prison, and his supporters portray him as a martyr for press freedom.

Assange was arrested by British police in 2019 after spending seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faced accusations of sexual assault.

He has been held for the last four years in the high security prison of Belmarsh, in east London.

"The smart thing" for Biden to do "would be to just stop it and end it," Stella Assange said.

The issue of his extradition is "a Trump era legacy" and represents "a threat" for democracy and the press," she told AFP.

Stella Assange, who is a lawyer, said he could be extradited within weeks. The UK government agreed in June 2022 to his extradition but Julian Assange has appealed.

During the press conference, his wife said that the appeal had been rejected about a month ago but a new petition for review had been filed.

"There's one last chance," she said.

If the application is successful, the case could go to a public hearing in front of two new High Court judges.

If not, the European Court of Human Rights could be the last option for Assange to evade his extradition.

According to his wife, his health is "in decline" after having suffered a "ministroke" in 2021.

apo/rjm/cn/giv/lcm
(Bloomberg) -- Armed men have forced truck drivers out of their vehicles before setting them ablaze on a northern stretch of South Africas N2 highway, the third such attack within the space of two days.

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The incident happened at about 10 p.m. on Monday, said Brigadier Jay Naicker, a police spokesman in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. He said the road, the main route along the countrys Indian Ocean coast, remained open.

It is alleged that a group of armed men attacked the drivers of the two trucks and robbed them of their belongings, Naicker said. The men were then forced out of the trucks before the trucks were set alight. Police at Empangeni are investigating a case of armed robbery, malicious damage to property and attempted murder.

Truckers regularly block major arterial roads in South Africa in protest at the hiring of foreign drivers. The protests threaten trade and employment because 80% of all goods moved in and around South Africa are ferried by road, according to the Road Freight Association.

On Monday, unidentified assailants set fire to five trucks on the N4 highway that links the commercial hub of Gauteng province to the port of Maputo in neighboring Mozambique, police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala told Johannesburg-based broadcaster Newzroom Afrika. The route is a key corridor for coal and chrome exports from South Africa.

On Sunday, six trucks were torched on the N3 highway that links Gauteng to the port of Durban, Africas biggest container harbor.

The ongoing attacks have led some companies to move their cargo through ports in neighboring countries instead of those in South Africa.

If we cant provide secure supply chains, if we cant provide secure roads for goods to migrate in and out of our country, we slowly kill our country, said Abdool Kamdar, manager of decarbonization and net zero at KDG Logistics, which had one of its trucks burnt in a community protest in Chesterville, Durban, three weeks ago. What we are seeing here is symptoms of a cancer that will eventually kill our economy, and we cant let this continue.

The latest incidents come two years after South Africa was rocked by seven days of violence in the worst instance of civil unrest since the advent of multiracial democracy in 1994. The N3 was shut down and shops were looted during violence that led to the deaths of more than 350 people and cost the economy an estimated 50 billion rand ($2.7 billion). The orchestrators of the unrest have yet to be prosecuted.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday expressed concern about the negative impact the attacks were having on the economy.

Its almost like economic sabotage to burn six trucks on a main logistics artery, he told reporters after a meeting of the governing African National Congresss top leaders.

The N3 was closed for most of Sunday as mop-up operations got under way. The police are yet to make any arrests.

The targeted precision of the attack is worrying, the Road Freight Association said. This was well planned and efficiently implemented. At this point, no group has acknowledged that they are responsible.

--With assistance from Matthew Hill and Mpho Hlakudi.

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The name of consultancy McKinsey became a heckle against President Emmanuel Macron during last year's elections (JOEL SAGET)

France's government must further rein in sometimes "inappropriate" hiring of consultancies, the country's Court of Auditors said Monday, responding to public outcry over an issue that hobbled President Emmanuel Macron's reelection campaign last year.

In a first-ever report compiled after requests from ordinary citizens, the court said calling in consultants had become the "easy option" for civil servants facing tight budgets and time constraints.

Their involvement had touched on "the heart of the administration's tasks" as well as "intervening in decision-making processes," the auditors wrote.

Between 2017 -- the year Macron was first elected -- and 2021, state spending on consultancies tripled to almost 234 million euros ($257 million), the report found.

That number rose to 890 million euros when IT consulting work was included.

A Senate report with similar findings published in March 2022 buttressed suspicions that the president and his ministers were too close to heavyweight outfits like US-based McKinsey, whose name became a common heckle against Macron ahead of the April vote.

The question was one of six taken up at the time by the Court of Auditors based on a public consultation.

But the court highlighted that spending on consultancies amounted to just 0.04 percent of state outlays last year.

"Externalising a part of the civil service's tasks raises no objection in principle," the auditors said

Nevertheless, consultancies' place should be "more appropriate and better controlled among the administration's different tools to carry out its missions".

The court called on the government to "put the finishing touches" to a January 2022 circular that aimed at limiting use of consultancies, which had been issued "under the pressure of events".

That decision has already brought down spending on consultants, with the state aiming to lower the figure by 35 percent this year compared with 2021.

The auditors also said the state should bring some capabilities back into the civil service and call on its own employees "whenever possible".

French senators have already passed a bill with stronger controls on hiring outside firms, although MPs have yet to debate it.

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Bad weather and Russian jammers prevent Ukraine from using its precious drones to retake area around the ruins of Bakhmut

Ukrainian military learn to fly drones at night using thermal vision on May 11, 2023, in the Lviv region of Ukraine. Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Bad weather and Russian jammers are preventing Ukraine from using precious drones around Bakhmut.

Ukraine's counteroffensive is heavily relying on drones for air power, The Washington Post reported.

Kyiv's forces remain posted around the outskirts and villages outside of the ruined city of Bakhmut.

In the surrounding areas of Bakhmut, Ukrainian soldiers remain poised to push against Russian defenses  but their main air asset is easily rendered useless by bad weather and Russian jammers.

Drones used for artillery and reconnaissance have been a boon for Ukraine since Russia invaded over 500 days ago, but they're not an all-purpose solution.

The Washington Post followed a four-man squad in a village outside Bakhmut who hoped to fly a drone to the Russian front nearby  but bad weather and losing the asset to Russian jammers for the second day in a row canceled their plans. They deemed the drone launch too risky.

It's just one example of the difficulties facing Ukraine's counteroffensive. Kyiv's grind against Russian defenses  which includes miles of trenches, landmines, and heavy artillery  has been slow, with little territory retaken or gained.

Experts say part of the problem is Ukraine's lack of advanced air support, such as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Gray Eagle drones. The latter has a loitering time of around 25 hours and can operate at just shy of 30,000 feet, making them useful for longer missions or gathering more information.

Ukraine's biggest air asset right now is its UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles, which have seen major battlefield success in recent weeks.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Lithuanias president called on NATO members to deploy more troops to the Baltic region, citing a very bad cocktail of new threats from Belarus.

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President Gitanas Nauseda said enemy forces could arrive at Lithuanias border in a matter of a few hours, citing the potential presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, tactical nuclear weapons and new aggressive rhetoric from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

We need boots on the ground, Nauseda told Bloomberg Television in an interview ahead of a two-day summit that hes hosting in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. We need more forward defense here.

Hours earlier, Canada became the latest country to announce that it will bolster its troop presence, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying his military will more than double its deployment in Latvia to shore up NATOs eastern flank. Germany last month announced it was prepared to station a permanent brigade of about 4,000 troops in Lithuania.

Under a deal brokered by Lukashenko, Wagner troops under Yevgeny Prigozhin that came within 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Moscow in a failed revolt were allowed to move to Belarus in exchange for dropping criminal charges. Nauseda said his government so far has no evidence that Wagner soldiers are being redeployed in Belarus.

Leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are meeting for the Vilnius summit as Russias invasion of Ukraine approaches 18 months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will arrive in the Lithuanian capital to make a pitch to join the alliance, even as US President Joe Biden says the war-torn nation isnt ready for membership.

Nauseda said the alliance will need to lay out a very clear path for Ukraines membership  and that such a signal would be a crucial help for the countrys morale as it fends off Russias invasion.

Ukraine should know that the doors of NATO are open to them too, the Lithuanian president said.

Many NATO leaders are pushing hard to give Ukraine a perspective for membership. The 31 member states will announce fresh weapons deliveries to Kyiv as they offer long-term support against Russias attack.

--With assistance from Max Ramsay.

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(Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp. wants to revive its work in the No. 1 market for US municipal-bond sales.

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But it doesnt appear to have gotten a nod yet from the Republican-led Texas Attorney Generals Office, which is grilling the bank on its policies surrounding the firearms industry.

Austin Kinghorn, Texas associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel, sent the banks law firm dozens of questions about its gun industry policies in a June 26 letter. The document was obtained through a public records request.

The bank suspended underwriting in Texas in late 2021 after a new GOP law barred governmental entities from working with companies that discriminate against firearm entities. Bank of America doesnt lend to companies that make assault-style guns used for non-military purposes. After suspending work there, the bank sent a letter in May saying it intends to resume work with public clients in Texas.

The Texas Attorney Generals Office asked about that policy, such as a list of specific products that fall under that category and who determines that. If military-style weapon is not a clearly defined term, how does BofA ensure that it does not discriminate against firearm entities? Kinghorns letter said.

Read the Attorney General Letter Here

The offices detailed response to Bank of America indicates that it may face a long process before it can resume municipal-bond underwriting in Texas. Kinghorns letter said the office may have additional questions.

A spokesperson for Bank of America did not have an immediate comment. A spokesperson for the Texas Attorney Generals Office didnt immediately respond to request for comment.

Bank of Americas law firm previously said in a letter to the attorney generals office that the bank generally considers the firearms industry as high-risk, with clients subject to a heightened due diligence requirement. Because of that, the bank avoids certain business transactions based on traditional business reasons.

Kinghorn asked why the bank considers the firearms industry to be high-risk.

Explain how any risk profile of the firearm industry materially jeopardizes the adequacy of your earnings, liquidity, or capital more than other industries and provide evidence of same, Kinghorn said in a separate question. He asked for a response in 45 days.

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Ryan Gosling, left, and Margot Robbie arrive at a photo call for Barbie on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. | Jordan Strauss, Invision via Associated Press

In the Barbie world, facts may be inconsequential, but that isnt the case in real life. The upcoming film has received criticism from U.S. lawmakers and countries for including a hand-drawn map of the world containing a disputed border line.

The map features a dotted line, similar to the nine-dash line that China used to draw a border in the South China Sea after World War II.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Chinese government claims everything within the U-shaped border is theirs because of historical rights. Other countries in the region say they also have a claim over the area.

As a result, Vietnam banned the film while the Philippines is contemplating the same.

We do not grant license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line, said Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, a government body in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films, as reported by a state-run newspaper.

In response to the ban, some GOP lawmakers spoke out about curbing Chinas influence on Hollywood.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas tweeted: I guess Barbie is made in China.

I guess Barbie is made in China. https://t.co/CDB1IzZcvm  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 3, 2023

A spokesperson for Cruz told The Daily Mail that the senator has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chairman of the select committee on the Chinese Communist Party, also took a jab at the movies choice to showcase a dashed line.

While it may just be a Barbie map in a Barbie world, the fact that a cartoonish map seems to go out of its way to depict unlawful territorial claims illustrates the pressure that Hollywood is under to please CCP censors, he said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on Twitter that Hollywood is more concerned with selling films in Communist China.

The Barbie movies depiction of a map endorsing Beijings claims to the South China Sea is legally & morally wrong and must be taken seriously.

Related

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. told Variety that the dashed line isnt intended to make any type of statement.

The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing, the spokesperson said. The doodles depict Barbies make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the real world. It was not intended to make any type of statement.

The map appeared in the movie when Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, faces an existential crisis  stay in the Barbie world or go to the real world, as seen in the trailer. All the continents on the map are wobbly drawn.

I spent part of the morning reply guying policy peoples questions about Vietnam banning the Barbie movie with the nine dash line map with this image of the map pic.twitter.com/oqJ91HJVUh  Lmao gan ma (@rzhongnotes) July 3, 2023

This isnt the first time a film has faced censorship over the nine-dashed line. The 2022 film Uncharted, starring Tom Holland, was also banned in Vietnam, and the Philippines followed suit.

Filipino Sen. Francis Tolentino told CNN Philippines that the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines will ban Barbie if the invalidated nine-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie.

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The controversy threatening to engulf the corporation prompted senior executives to call in the Met police to investigate the alleged sex scandal - James Manning/PA

Claims of a sex scandal involving a BBC presenter are rubbish and untrue, the young persons lawyer has said.

It casts doubt on the story, first published in The Sun, that reported a household name paid the teenager 35,000 for sexually explicit photos.

In a letter to the BBC, the lawyer says there is no truth to the story and nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place.

However, The Sun has defended its articles, with a spokesman saying: We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child.

Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. Its now for the BBC to properly investigate.

Representatives for the broadcaster met with detectives today to discuss the allegations, with police now working out whether a criminal offence has taken place. There is no investigation at this time.

The BBC first became aware of the claims in May, with further allegations of a different nature made last week. A male staff member has been suspended.

07:46 PM BST

Thats all for today

We are now ending our live coverage of the alleged BBC sex scandal but please visit The Telegraph website for the latest news as it happens.

The key events on Monday included:

A lawyer for the young person claimed the allegations were rubbish and untrue

Scotland Yard detectives have met with BBC representatives to discuss claims

A number of BBC staff accused bosses of protecting the high-profile presenter at the centre of the alleged scandal

07:27 PM BST

Presenter story marked by 'dangerous absence of facts', says ex-BBC executive

A former BBC news executive has claimed that a story alleging a presenter paid a teenager for sexual photos has a dangerous absence of facts.

Tim Luckhurst told the broadcaster: This story has been marked from the beginning by a dangerous absence of facts, at every stage there have been more questions than answers and that remains the case tonight.

The emphasis has shifted - now it seems that the parents may have raised concerns with The Sun concerns which did not directly reflect the concerns of their child.

But at no stage in this story have we seen the full details that The Sun purports to have.

I am beginning to suspect that the problem is that the facts are not entirely clear to The Sun, theyre not clear to the BBC either.

06:33 PM BST

The Sun defends BBC sex scandal story against inaccuracy claims

The Sun has responded to claims that its story about a BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos is untrue.

A spokesman for the newspaper said: We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child.

Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. Its now for the BBC to properly investigate.

06:15 PM BST

Police speaking to broadcaster over sex scandal claims

Detectives have met representatives from the BBC to discuss allegations that a presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images, writes Crime Editor Martin Evans.

The meeting took place on Monday morning and police said they are now assessing the information to decide whether any criminal offence has taken place.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: Detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, 10 July. The meeting took place virtually.

They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.

There is no investigation at this time.

05:56 PM BST

Sex claims reported to BBC while ITV 'engulfed in Schofield crisis'

Sex scandal allegations against a BBC presenter were first reported as ITV was engulfed in the Phillip Schofield crisis, writes Robert Mendick and Anita Singh.

On May 18 - a day before the broadcaster was contacted over the claims - Schofield appeared for the last time on This Morning amid widespread conjecture over his career and private life.

Although both scandals centred on sex, the ITV affair was different in nature in that Schofield admitted a consensual affair with a younger male colleague, while he was still married.

Read the full piece here.

04:27 PM BST

BBC staff mutiny as bosses accused of 'protecting' alleged sex scandal presenter

Furious BBC staff have accused bosses of protecting the high-profile presenter at the centre of an alleged sex scandal, writes Anita Singh and Robert Mendick.

They claim that the man in question is friendly with management and suggested that executives had failed to take the matter seriously.

We are all so sick and tired that these people are protecting their friend at the expense of the integrity of the BBC, said one staff member.

Read the full piece here.

03:29 PM BST

Presenter 'made panicked calls in attempt to halt sex scandal investigation'

A BBC presenter embroiled in an alleged sex scandal reportedly made panicked phone calls in an attempt to shut down an investigation into the accusations.

The presenter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is reported to have called the alleged victim last week asking: What have you done?

It is claimed he also asked the youngster to call their mother to stop the investigation, according to the Sun.

The BBCs internal investigations team will today meet Scotland Yard detectives for help with the case.

In a statement, the BBC said the male member of staff was being taken off air pending the outcome of a complex and fast-moving inquiry.

02:10 PM BST

Why has the BBC presenter not been named?

The media is not reporting the name of the suspended BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager for explicit pictures through fear of defamation and breaching his privacy, media law experts have said.

Since news broke that one of the broadcasters male presenters was at the centre of claims he paid more than 35,000 in exchange for sexual images, questions have been asked why the name of the BBC star has not been published.



Mark Stephens, media law expert and partner at Howard Kennedy, told the PA news agency that there was a big change to the way the media approached reporting after Sir Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, after he was falsely accused of historical sex offences.



This was further entrenched when the Supreme Court, the UKs highest court, ruled that a person being investigated for a crime generally has a reasonable expectation of privacy.



In the first case on the issue considered by the court last year, five justices dismissed an appeal brought by financial organisation Bloomberg over the publication of information about a person under investigation by a legal enforcement body prior to charge.

01:43 PM BST

Downing Street warns social media sites to ensure 'properly policed' amid baseless accusations against BBC personalities

Downing Street warned social media sites to ensure their platforms were properly policed following baseless accusations against various BBC personalities following the reports.

Both the users of social media sites and the sites themselves have responsibility, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said.

People should understand their responsibilities, and putting baseless accusations online can carry consequences.

The spokesman added: We have been very clear with the sites themselves about their responsibilities on making sure these things are properly policed.

01:25 PM BST

Rishi Sunak has 'full confidence' in BBC director-general

Downing Street refused to say whether Tim Davie was doing a good job but insisted Rishi Sunak had full confidence in the director-general of the BBC.

Asked about Mr Davies performance, he replied: Well, I think, you know, as I say, its important not to conflate this with wider issues.

I think on this, these are concerning reports and thats why I think its right the Secretary of State is keeping updated.

Pressed on whether the Prime Minister had full confidence in Mr Davie, the spokesman said: Yes.

The spokesman said about the wider issue: I think obviously these allegations are concerning, youll know the Secretary of State spoke to the Director General yesterday and was assured the BBC is investigating this matter swiftly.

And obviously the Met themselves have said they have received initial contact as well. So the Culture Secretary will keep a close watch on how this develops and I am sure she is regularly updated as appropriate.

01:04 PM BST

BBC asks former detective to investigate alleged sex scandal

The man tasked with leading an internal investigation into claims made against a BBC star is a former detective who specialises in whistleblowing, sexual assault and fraud, writes Victoria Ward.

Jeff Brown has led the BBCs corporate investigations team for three and a half years, having worked as the teams lead investigator for more than three years before that, but is unlikely to have grappled previously with such high-profile and sensitive allegations.

The family at the heart of the alleged scandal, who have accused the unidentified presenter of paying a teenager more than 35,000 over three years in return for explicit images, are said to have met Mr Brown on Friday.

Read the full piece here.

12:35 PM BST

'BBC first became aware of a complaint in May'

A BBC spokesperson said: The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.

This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps.

It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.

We have been clear that if - at any point - new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.

The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.

We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC Board will continue to be kept up to date.

12:08 PM BST

BBCs internal investigations team to 'meet' Scotland Yard detectives for help with the case

The BBCs internal investigations team is understood to be meeting Scotland Yard detectives attached to its high-profile inquiry unit on today for help with the case.

In a statement, the BBC said the male member of staff was being taken off air pending the outcome of a complex and fast-moving inquiry.

The corporation is refusing to identify the presenter on legal grounds of privacy.

It said it was suspending the star in the wake of new allegations that had come to light in the wake of inquiries by The Sun newspaper.

11:42 AM BST

Inquiry may be needed into BBCs handling of alleged sex scandal, says Cabinet Minister

A public inquiry may be needed into the BBCs handling of an alleged sex scandal, a Cabinet Minister has said.

The BBC has called in police to investigate allegations that one of its presenters, now taken off air, paid a 17-year-old 35,000 in exchange for sexually explicit images.

Tim Davie, the BBC director general, is facing questions over why the presenter remained on air for about seven weeks from May 19, when the broadcaster first received a complaint from the mother of the alleged victim.

Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, was asked on Monday how he would feel as a parent in the same situation.



Mr Chalk told Sky News: These are very serious and concerning allegations. You ask me as a parent, I would be extremely concerned about that.

I think in fairness I dont know precisely what was said at what time, but certainly you would expect allegations of that nature to be dealt with very robustly and very promptly.



And I think what were now seeing today is I understand that theres going to be a meeting with the police, and thats absolutely right. And it may be, Kay, that in the fullness of time there may need to be an investigation into how this allegation was handled. Thats quite possible.

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The British broadcaster has come under fire over its handling of the claim (HENRY NICHOLLS)

The BBC said Sunday it had contacted the authorities and suspended a presenter following allegations that he had paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos.

UK culture minister Lucy Frazer said earlier she had spoken about the "deeply concerning" allegations with BBC Director General Tim Davie, who assured her the BBC is "investigating swiftly and sensitively".

The Sun newspaper, which first reported the claims, cited the young person's mother as saying that an unnamed BBC presenter paid her child more than 35,000 ($45,000) for the images over a three-year period.

It is also claimed that the presenter in question appeared on air for a month after the family of the young person -- who was said to be 17 when the payments started -- complained to the BBC in May.

In a statement on Sunday, the BBC confirmed that it "first became aware of a complaint in May".

"New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols," it added.

The statement said that "a male member of staff has been suspended".

"This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps," the BBC added.

London's Metropolitan Police released a statement later on Sunday confirming the BBC contacted it over the matter, "but no formal referral or allegation has been made".

"We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow," it added.

- 'One scandal to another' -

The BBC said it takes "any allegations seriously" and has "robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations".

In an internal email sent to staff and quoted on the BBC website, Davie said he is "wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent".

Since The Sun published the allegations, some BBC presenters have taken to social media to deny that they are the broadcaster in question.

The British broadcaster, whose chairman resigned in April after an inquiry found he failed to disclose a loan to ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, has come under fire over its handling of the claim.

Former home secretary and an MP from the ruling Conservative party, Priti Patel, has said the BBC's response was "derisory", adding: "They must provide the victim and his family a full and transparent investigation".

"The BBC, but also other broadcasters, do need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another and more needs to be done," opposition Labour party lawmaker Rachel Reeves told Sky News on Sunday.

In May, British star TV host Phillip Schofield resigned from the ITV channel after admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" relationship with a younger colleague.

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Kate Middleton may have a treasure trove of royal jewels and bespoke designer dresses available at her fingertips, but the Princess of Wales is no stranger to accessible fashion. In fact, most of the time she steps out for an engagement, Kate is usually donning ready-to-wear piecesmany of which that are affordable! For folks looking to emulate her show-stopping style, you don't have to search far and wide since since a ton of her go-to brands are available at Nordstrom.



And while the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale preview just started, it's always good to get an idea of what might be discounted so you can get in on her royal taste without totally breaking the bank. From Kate's trusty sneakers and everyday jewels to her bold blazers and leather handbags, the mega-retailer has it all. All you have to do is mark your calendar. This year's anniversary sale officially starts Monday, July 17, but early access starts July 11. Here, the best of the brands Kate Middleton has wornnot to mention her favorite stylesthat are available to shop now.

Le High Two-Button Flare Jeans

It's not often we get to see Kate in denim, but when she does step out in them, she often wears a slim pair from Frame. Nordstrom offers a ton of styles from the brand, including these wide-leg jeans.

Shop Now Le High Two-Button Flare Jeans $169.99 nordstrom.com

Kali Double Breasted Wool Jacket

Reiss's blazers have been staples in Kate's workwear wardrobe for years. This oversized option will be on sale during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.

Shop Now Kali Double Breasted Wool Jacket $329.99 nordstrom.com

Siren Bezel Set Drop Earrings

Take a look in Kate's jewelry box and odds are you'll see a few Monica Vinader pieces. She's been wearing the Siren Bezel earrings for years.

Shop Now Siren Bezel Set Drop Earrings $114.99 nordstrom.com

Le Pliage Shoulder Bag

Kate famously carried a Longchamp bag all the time in her early days as a royal, and it's not hard to see why. The nylon carrier is ridiculously lightweight and durable, comes in various colorways, and is reasonably priced. Better still, it'll be on sale at Nordstrom!

Shop Now Le Pliage Shoulder Bag $99.99 nordstrom.com

Double Breasted Wool Blend Coat

Kate is no stranger to Ralph Lauren. She's always sporting the American heritage brand's pieces for important events, and she even dresses her children in the label!

Shop Now Double Breasted Wool Blend Coat $199.99 nordstrom.com

Super Soft High Waist Pocket 7/8 Leggings

For active occasions, Kate relies on Sweaty Betty's athleisure. The brand's pieces are great for working out but still cute enough to wear for running errands.

Shop Now Super Soft High Waist Pocket 7/8 Leggings $79.99 nordstrom.com

Bowlees Waterproof Jacket

Kate isn't the only royal who loves Barbour's jackets. The British heritage brand has three royal warrants and offers versatile, utilitarian designs that are perfect for both town and country.

Shop Now Bowlees Waterproof Jacket $279.99 nordstrom.com

50mm Wayfarer Sunglasses

No summer wardrobe is complete with a pair of sunglasses. Kate swears by Ray-Ban Wayfarers, and as does Prince William, as well as Prince Harry and Queen Camilla.

More: The Royal Family's Favorite Sunglasses

Shop Now 50mm Wayfarer Sunglasses nordstrom

Linsi 75 Block Pump

When it comes to heels, Kate loves Stuart Weitzman. Fortunately, Nordstrom sells many styles from the label, including pumps, wedges, sandals, and more.

Shop Now Linsi 75 Block Pump $249.99 nordstrom.com

Cologne Collection Set

Rumor has it that Kate's signature scent is by Jo Malone. She loves the perfumer so much that she reportedly chose to have one of the fragrances waft through Westminster Abbey on her wedding day.

Shop Now Cologne Collection Set $90.00 nordstrom.com

One-Button Blazer

Another blazer she can't get enough of: Smythe. Kate has worn the label's one-button style for years and now you can tooat a discounted price!

Shop Now One-Button Blazer $484.99 nordstrom.com

Basket Weave Stitch Cardigan

When she's not wearing high-end designer brands, you'll likely find Kate wearing something from Topshop. The Princess has been a fan since her early days as a royal, and Nordstrom is discounting a ton of different styles for the Anniversary Sale.

Shop Now Basket Weave Stitch Cardigan $44.99 nordstrom.com

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Amazon Prime Day 2023 is a few hours out, but you can still snag some early deals before the two-day shopping event begins in earnest. We've rounded up the best early Prime Day deals we can find below. Remember that you'll need to subscribe to Prime to take advantage of many (but not all) of the offers, and that there's always a chance that prices drop lower during the event itself. For those with no interest in Prime, we've also included a few of the best tech deals that aren't explicitly tied to the event.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazons Fire TV Stick 4K Max has dropped to $25 for Prime members before Prime Day, which is more than half off its regular price and ties its all-time low. This the most powerful streaming dongle Amazon makes, with a superior processor than the standard Fire TV Stick 4K, plus support for WiFi 6, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos audio. While Amazon's Fire TV OS can be messy compared to other platforms from Roku, Google and Apple, it still gets you access to just about all of the major streaming apps. A few other Fire streaming devices have been discounted as well, including the latest Fire TV Cube, which Prime members can pick up for $110.

Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite $15 $30 Save $15 Amazons Fire TV Stick Lite is half off and down to only $15. It was slightly cheaper last Prime Day when it was on sale for $12, but nevertheless, this is a great sale on Amazons most affordable streaming dongle. $15 at Amazon

Amazons Fire TV Stick Lite is half off and down to only $15. It was slightly cheaper last Prime Day when it was on sale for $12, but nevertheless, this is a great sale on Amazons most affordable streaming dongle. With its support for 1080p video and WiFi 5 connectivity, its arguably best for those on tight budgets who just want to upgrade an old TV with basic streaming chops.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 $55 $100 Save $45 If all you want is a competent tablet for reading and streaming for as little money is possible, the Fire HD 8 should do the job at this deal price, which matches the lowest we've seen. $55 at Amazon

If you're on an ultra-tight budget and need a new tablet, the Fire HD 8 is worth considering at its current deal price of $55, which matches its lowest price to date. Normally, the device retails around $90. This tablet has a smaller (8-inch) and lower-resolution (1,280x800) display than the Fire HD 10, and it isnt as quick in day-to-day use. Like all Fire tablets, its app support lags well behind iPadOS, which is most noticeable in its lack of Google apps. But it has just enough power for the basics, it gets a solid 10-ish hours of battery life and its light in the hand. You can expand its 32GB of storage with a microSD card, too. If all you want is a competent tablet for casual reading and streaming for as little as possible, it should do the job.

Amazon Fire Max 11

Amazon's recently released Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale for $150 for Prime Day. It's the best discount we've seen since Amazon's most powerful tablet launched in May. The slab has an 11-inch 2000 x 1200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, up to 128GB of built-in storage and up to 14 hours of battery life. It can also work with a detachable keyboard and stylus, so you could use it like a 2-in-1 laptop.

Amazon Echo Buds (2023)

The latest Echo Buds just arrived in May yet theyre already 30 percent off at Amazon for Prime members. You can get them for $35, which is $15 off and ties the lowest price weve seen. We recommended the Echo Buds to those who prefer an open design in our best budget wireless earbuds guide. They lack active noise cancellation and don't completely seal off the ear canal, but their sound quality is decent for the price, and they come with features we don't often see in cheap earbuds, such as multipoint connectivity, auto-pausing and a customizable EQ tool. Naturally, they also work well with Alexa. If you hate the feeling of in-ear headphones, they'll be a good value.

Amazon eGift Card + $5 promo credit

Amazon is giving Prime members a $5 promotional credit when they buy an eGift card valued at $50 or more before July 10th. You'll need to use the promo credit by August 25, 2023, but the only things it won't apply to are items sold by third-party merchants and e-books.

Blink Mini

Prime members can get a two-pack of Blink Mini security cameras for $34 right now. Single cameras are also on sale for $18. While these Blink cameras are wired, they have most of the same features as the standard wireless models, including 1080p video recording, motion alerts and support for two-way talk. Several other Blink wireless cameras are on sale as well.

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

The new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is down to a new low of $130 for Prime members. This model just came out this year and its powered by a quick-release, rechargeable battery that you can easily remove when the device needs more power. It also supports some of the latest Ring Doorbell features including 156p video recording, color night vision, two-way talk, Quick Replies and customizable motion zones.

Amazon Kindle Unlimited 3-month membership

If you're a Prime member who has never subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, you can get a three-month trial to Amazon's e-book service for no extra cost. Normally, the subscription goes for $12 a month after a 30-day free trial. Just note that the membership will be set to auto-renew by default. As a refresher, Kindle Unlimited makes a selection of e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines accessible on-demand. It doesn't include every e-book in the Kindle library, but it may still be worthwhile if you're a particularly avid reader. If nothing else, this deal makes it easier to figure out if it's worth paying for.

Audible Premium Plus 3-month membership

Similar to that Kindle Unlimited offer, Prime members who are new to Audible Premium Plus can get three months of the audiobook service for free. This membership usually costs $14.95 a month after a 30-day free trial, so you're saving about $30. Premium Plus is Audible's upper tier: Like the less expensive Audible Plus, it provides an assortment of audiobooks, podcasts and other audio content you can access on-demand. The main difference is that it also includes a monthly credit that you can use to buy any book in the Audible store permanently. As with Kindle Unlimited, Premium Plus will be most worth it if you burn through audiobooks and podcasts quickly, but this extended trial is a comfier way to see if it's useful. Again, be aware that the subscription will be set to auto-renew by default.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon has knocked the latest Echo Dot down to $23, which is roughly half off its typical street price, and is throwing in a Sengled color smart bulb for no extra cost. We consider the Echo Dot the best smart speaker you can get for less than $50 thanks to its compact design, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and handy Alexa integration. The newest Echo Dots can also act as Eero WiFi boosters, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing Eero system.

Amazon Echo

Amazon has discounted several other Echo speakers as well. The base Echo, for one, is down to $55, which is $5 more than its all-time low but still $35 off its typical going rate. This is the top pick for less than $100 in our smart speaker buying guide, as it represents a clear step-up from the Echo Dot in terms of sound quality. If you arent tied to Apple or Google, we generally found it to outperform the HomePod Mini and Nest Audio as well.

If youre looking for something more affordable than the Echo Dot, the unidirectional Echo Pop doesnt sound as nice, but it offers most of the same Alexa capabilities and is currently on sale for $18. The Echo Dot with Clock, meanwhile, has similar hardware to the standard Dot, but adds an LED display that can show the time and basic weather and music info. That one is down to a new low of $30. And while the larger Echo Studio cant top something like the Sonos Era 100, its still the best-sounding Echo, and it could be a decent value at its current price of $155 if you already own several other Alexa speakers and want to save some cash. That deal also matches the lowest price weve tracked.

Amazon Echo Show 5

The latest Echo Show 5 is half off and down to a record low of $45. Weve previously recommended the Show 5 to those who prefer Alexa over the Google Assistant and want a smart display that wont take up much space. Its particularly useful as a smart alarm clock, as it has a gentle sunrise alarm feature and a tap-to-snooze function. This new model has a faster processor, a slightly larger speaker and an extra mic for better Alexa performance.

Amazon Echo Show 8

If you dont need something so compact, the Echo Show 8 is our favorite Amazon smart display overall and is currently on sale for $60. Thats a new all-time low and roughly $45 off the devices average street price. Compared to the 5.5-inch panel on the Echo Show 5, the 8-inch touchscreen here is much better suited for making video calls or viewing photos. You get a vastly superior camera, more powerful speakers and a faster processor as well. As with the Show 5, there's also a physical camera shutter and mic mute button.

The more spacious Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15 are also down to new lows at $163 and $182, respectively. Neither of those devices are outright bad, but our reviews found them to be less universally appealing than their smaller and more affordable siblings.

Ring Video Doorbell + Echo Show 5

Amazons sweeping early Prime Day sale on Ring devices includes a bundle that gives you the Ring Video Doorbell plus an Echo Show 5 for only $65. Considering the Video Doorbell alone is going for $55 as an early Prime Day deal, that means youll only spend $10 on the Show 5 if you opt for the bundle. The Video Doorbell itself is a fairly basic 1080p option, but it's easy to install and generally accurate at delivering motion alerts

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids

The 16GB version of Amazons Kindle Paperwhite Kids is down to $105, which is $65 off and a new low. While this e-reader is marketed toward children, it features the same hardware as the standard Paperwhite, with a lightweight and waterproof design, 6.8-inch 300 ppi display, 10-week battery life and extensive e-book library. Here, though, you also get a cover case, a longer two-year warranty and a year of Amazon's Kids+ service (which you can ignore if you arent buying for a little one). We gave the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition a review score of 97 back in 2021. The Kids edition lacks that models ad-free lock screen (when you aren't using a child account, at least), upgraded front light, wireless charging and 32GB of storage, but the two devices are otherwise similar.

Motorola Razr+

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget Motorola Razr+ (2023, Unlocked) $850 $1,000 Save $150 Motorola's new foldable phone came out less than a month ago, and is already getting a discount on Amazon  but only for Prime members and only on Prime Day. Enter your email to be "invited" to buy the phone on July 11th. $850 at Amazon

The foldable Moto Razr+ only just arrived last month, but it's already received a 15 percent discount for Prime Day, albeit in a roundabout way. You'll need to be a Prime member and request an invite first, after which youll be able to buy the phone on Prime Day for the discounted price. While jumping through Amazons hoops is annoying, doing so will get you an unlocked Razr+ for $850 instead of $1,000.

We spent some time with the new foldable before it came out last month and gave it a full review upon its debut. The verdict? Samsungs Galaxy foldables have some serious competition. The Razr+ has a 6.9-inch screen when open and offers a 3.6-inch screen when folded, which is much larger than the 1.9-inch exterior screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The foldable design unlocks different uses, as it can act as its own tripod in addition to taking up less space in your pocket.

Eero Pro routers

eero Amazon eero Pro mesh WiFi router $70 $160 Save $90 A number of Eero and Eero Pro WiFi router packs have been discounted for Prime members ahead of the shopping event. You can pick up one Eero router for as low as $45, or an Eero Pro router for $70. $70 at Amazon

A number of Eero and Eero Pro WiFi router packs have been discounted for Prime members ahead of the shopping event. You can pick up one Eero router for as low as $45, or an Eero Pro router for $70. We recommend going for the Eero Pro if you can, since it's a tri-band system that supports speeds up to 1Gbps and covers slightly more square feet than the standard Eero does. Just keep in mind that these are not the latest Eero systems; for WiFi 6 support, you'll have to shell out a bit more money for an Eero 6 set.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro are back on sale for $200, which is $50 off their usual rate and a record low. These remain the best true wireless earbuds for Apple lovers, even though the company didn't drastically overhaul the design with this latest model. Most of the new features are under the hood, with Apple noticeably improving the pair's sound quality, noise cancellation and transparency mode.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

The 256GB version of Samsung's latest Pro Plus microSD card is down to a new low of $20. That's $10 off its MSRP. If you need more space, the 512GB model is within a couple dollars of its best price at $43.52. The Pro Plus is the top pick in our guide to the best microSD cards, as it finished at or near the top of all of our sequential and random speed tests. It's also backed by a 10-year warranty.

Samsung 980 Pro

The 2TB version of Samsung's 980 Pro is down to a new low of $100. We've seen this SSD steadily drop in price over the course of the year, but this deal marks a roughly $35 drop from the devices average street price in recent months. The 980 Pro isnt Samsungs fastest SSD  that would be the 990 Pro, the 1TB model of which is down to $70  but it still meets Sony's requirements for expanding the PS5s storage. Youll just need to add a heatsink for a few bucks more to go along with it. If you aren't buying for a PS5 specifically, a speedy PCIe 4.0 drive like this may be overkill but will provide fast storage all the same.

Both this and the Evo Plus microSD card deal come as part of a wider sale on Samsung storage devices. This includes the Fit Plus, a tiny flash drive we recommend in our best SSDs guide, down to $22, and the T7 Shield, a ruggedized version of one of our favorite portable SSDs, back down to $75. Both deals match the lowest prices weve tracked, and nothing in the sale is exclusive to Prime subscribers.

Apple iPad (9th gen)

The 64GB model of Apple's 9th-gen iPad is down to $250 at Amazon, matching the lowest price we've tracked. You'll see the price listed as $279 and an additional $29 discount will apply at checkout. Apple normally sells the device for $329, though we've seen it retail closer to $275 in recent months. This is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide: It lacks the accessory support, thinner bezels and laminated display of the iPad Air, but it's by far the most affordable route into iPadOS, and it remains fast and comfortable enough for casual reading, streaming and gaming. It's also the only current iPad with a headphone jack.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm) $199 $280 Save $81 The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is down to $199 for a 40mm model and $229 for a 44mm model. We gave the Galaxy Watch 5 a score of 85 last year, and it's currently the "best for Android users" pick in our smartwatch buying guide. $199 at Amazon

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is down to $199 for a 40mm model and $229 for a 44mm model. We gave the Galaxy Watch 5 a score of 85 last year, and it's currently the "best for Android users" pick in our smartwatch buying guide. While its battery life could be better, its design is durable and attractive, its OS is easy to navigate and its health tracking is relatively comprehensive. Samsung is expected to announce a Galaxy Watch 6 in the coming weeks, however, so it may be worth waiting to see how that model stacks up if you don't need a new smartwatch right this instant.

Google Pixel 7a

Google Google Pixel 7a $449 $499 Save $50 The Pixel 7a is currently the best midrange phone you can get thanks to its fast Tensor G2 chipset, smooth 90Hz display, IP67 water resistance, fantastic cameras and support for wireless charging. $449 at Amazon

Googles Pixel 7a is $50 off and down to a new low of $449 right now. Its currently the best midrange phone you can get thanks to its fast Tensor G2 chipset, smooth 90Hz display, IP67 water resistance, fantastic cameras and support for wireless charging. If youre willing to spend an extra $50, you can spend $500 and upgrade to the Pixel 7.

Elgato Stream Deck +

Elgatos Stream Deck + is 10 percent off right now and down to $180 in one of the first real discounts weve seen on the gaming accessory. In addition to eight customizable buttons, the Deck+ also has a touch bar and four knobs that make it easier to control things like lighting and sound during a stream. The Deck+ also supports plugins for Camera Hub, Elgato Wave Link, Spotify, Twitch and more.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know, and hear from Autoblogs car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals.
The Biden administration on Monday filed an emergency stay with the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals to temporarily suspend a federal judge's ruling that limited government officials contact with social media companies concerning misinformation.

The request came shortly after U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty rejected the Biden administration's request to stay his own order  which he issued July 4  while they pursue an appeal. That order came in a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, as well as a conservative website owner and four individual critics of government COVID-19 policies.

The lawsuit claimed the administration, in effect, censored free speech by using threats of regulatory action or protection while pressuring companies to remove what it deemed misinformation.

The lawsuit spotlighted such topics as COVID-19 vaccines, legal issues involving President Biden's son Hunter and election fraud allegations.

FEDERAL DEBT EXPLODES BY $1 TRILLION IN FIVE WEEKS SINCE DEAL SUSPENDING LIMIT BECAME LAW

Doughtys injunction blocked the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI and multiple other government agencies and administration officials from meeting with or contacting social media companies for the purpose of "encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech."

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"Defendants do not identify any specific conduct that they claim is lawful but prevented by the injunction," Doughty said in Monday's ruling. He refused to block his own order while it is appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The administration can also ask the appeals court for a stay.

BIDEN TO APPEAL BIG TECH COLLUSION RULING BANNING ADMIN OFFICIALS MEETING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA FIRMS

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

In the governments Thursday night request for a stay, Biden administration lawyers argued that it faced "irreparable harm" because Doughty's July 4 order may prevent the federal government from "working with social media companies on initiatives to prevent grave harm to the American people and our democratic processes."

"These immediate and ongoing harms to the Government outweigh any risk of injury to Plaintiffs if a stay is granted, and for the same reason, a stay is in the public interest," the court memo stated.

Doughtys order, meanwhile, accused the Biden administration of assuming a role "similar to an Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth.'"

The Biden administration argued that the injunction would prevent it from speaking "on matters of public concern" and conducting its primary law enforcement responsibilities.

Signage outside the US Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023.

The lawsuits plaintiffs have countered that Doughtys injunction carves out exemptions allowing officials to contact social media companies about postings that involve criminal activity or public safety threats; national security threats; election-related issues including voter suppression attempts, voting infrastructure threats and illegal campaign contributions.

The injunction also states that officials can continue "exercising permissible public government speech promoting government policies or views on matters of public concern."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Interior Department announced Monday more than $650 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to plug abandoned oil and gas wells.

The $660 million in funding, available to 27 states, will go toward the plugging of so-called orphan wells, or wells abandoned for extraction by the oil and gas industry.

Orphan wells are associated with major safety and health hazards, many of them associated with methane leaks. Methane is also a major driver of climate change, due to its capacity to trap more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The Environmental Defense Fund estimates about 14 million Americans live within a mile of an orphaned well. Separate research indicates such infrastructure particularly affects communities of color, which because of the practice of redlining host a disproportionate amount of urban gas and oil wells.

These investments are good for our climate, for the health of our communities, and for American workers, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in remarks Monday in Kansas with Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.). With this additional funding, states will put more people to work to clean up these toxic sites, reduce methane emissions and safeguard our environment.

Kansas has already received $25 million in initial funding to plug its abandoned wells, and is eligible for another $25 million of the new funding. The bipartisan law includes a total of $4.7 billion for orphan well management, including the $2 billion in grants from which the $660 million derives.

The administration previously announced $560 million in grants to plug orphaned wells in August 2022, with eligible states plugging nearly 3,000 wells so far using that funding.

States have until Dec. 31 to apply for the next round of grants. Potential grant amounts range from $1.6 million for Alabama to $79.6 million for Texas. The administration is also set to offer performance grants under the infrastructure law, guidance for which will be issued later in the year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Biden appeared to break royal etiquette rules as he greeted King Charles during his visit to the UK

President Joe Biden shakes hands with King Charles III during a welcoming ceremony at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023. Susan Walsh/AP

President Biden met King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Monday during his visit to the UK.

Biden touched Charles' arm and put his hand on Charles' back, which breaks royal etiquette rules.

People aren't supposed to touch members of the royal family unless royals initiate contact.

President Joe Biden appeared to break royal etiquette rules during his visit to the UK on Monday, greeting King Charles III by touching the king's arm and putting his hand on his back.

Biden met with the king and the UK's prime minister, Rishi Sunak, in a trip that the White House said was intended to "further strengthen the close relationship between our nations," Reuters reported on Sunday.

Biden kicked off the trip with a "low-key meeting" with Sunak at Downing Street in London, according to Reuters. He then traveled to Windsor Castle, just outside of London, to have tea with the king and view an exhibition of items relating to the US in the castle's White Drawing Room, according to a Buckingham Palace press release.

During their meeting, Biden was photographed shaking Charles' hand and placing a hand on his back rather than taking part in a traditional bow.

President Joe Biden places his hand on the back of King Charles III during a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023. KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Touching a member of the royal family when they have not initiated contact is considered a breach of royal etiquette, former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told Insider. Harrold, who worked for Charles between 2004 and 2011, said members of the public who meet the royals should always wait for them to initiate a handshake.

Bowing or curtsying isn't strictly necessary when greeting a royal, but the royal family's official website says that "many people wish to observe the traditional forms."

Charles and Biden have met before on several occasions, including at the G7 Leaders Summit in Cornwall, England, in June 2021 and at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.

The president and first lady also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. However, as Insider previously reported, Biden didn't attend the king's coronation in May as it is considered against tradition for US presidents to attend. The first lady and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden attended instead.

It's not the first time a US president has broken the unspoken rules of meeting royals

Biden also kept his sunglasses on while meeting Queen Elizabeth II in 2021, and President Donald Trump appeared to break royal protocol several times during his UK visits in 2018 and 2019, walking in front of Queen Elizabeth and appearing to touch her back at a state dinner.

Michelle Obama also caused controversy when she put her arm around Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2009 during her first royal visit as first lady.

Michelle Obama with Queen Elizabeth in 2009. AP/AP

Obama wrote in her 2018 memoir, "Becoming," that she and the Queen bonded over both wearing uncomfortable high heels, and she didn't realize until later that she had committed "what would be deemed as an epic faux pas."

"If I hadn't done the proper thing at Buckingham Palace, I had at least done the human thing," she wrote. "I daresay the Queen was okay with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back."

Buckingham Palace and the White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chaired a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday

Israeli ministers have criticised the US president, after he said their government contained "some of the most extreme" members he had ever seen.

Joe Biden told CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "problems in terms of his coalition" when asked why he had yet to visit the White House.

Mr Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition includes far-right parties.

The leader of one of them, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, denied that he was an extremist.

Mr Ben-Gvir, who has convictions for racist incitement and supporting a terrorist organisation, also warned Mr Biden that he "needs to realise that we [Israel] are no longer a star on the American flag".

Energy Minister Israel Katz, a member of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, said the US president "knows the rules of democracy".

He also noted a decision by Mr Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday to "act to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority". Mr Ben-Gvir voted against the move, while another far-right minister abstained.

Mr Biden also said in the CNN interview that the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank that are not under full Israeli control, had "lost its credibility" and "created a vacuum for extremism among the Palestinians".

"So, it is not all Israel now in the West Bank, all Israel's problem. But they are a part of the problem, particularly those individuals in the cabinet who say: 'We can settle anywhere we want; they have no right to be here, etc.'"

"We are talking with them regularly, trying to tamp down what is going on. Hopefully, Bibi will continue move toward moderation and change," he added, using the Israeli prime minister's nickname.

Mr Netanyahu returned to power at the end of December, leading the most right-wing government in Israel's history.

It immediately faced condemnation from Palestinians and human rights groups for stating that the Jewish people had an "unquestionable right to all areas of the Land of Israel", including the occupied West Bank.

Since then, the government has advanced plans for 13,000 new housing units at settlements across the West Bank, according to the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. That is three times as many as in the whole of last year.

Most countries deem the settlements, which are built on land captured by Israel in 1967 in the Middle East War, to be illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees.

The Biden administration warned last month that the settlement expansion was undermining the viability of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict - the long-standing international formula for peace - as well as exacerbating tensions and harming trust between the two parties.

The past seven months have also seen a surge of deadly violence in the region.

On Monday, the Israeli military said its troops had shot dead a Palestinian man who threw a grenade and opened fired at them near the village of Deir Nidham.

The incident came a week after the military launched what it called "extensive counterterrorism effort" in the city of Jenin. Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed during the two-day operation, which involved hundreds of ground forces backed by drone strikes.
President Biden sat down for a recent interview in which he said the United States is low on 155 mm artillery ammunition rounds, sparking outrage and questions of competency from conservatives on social media.

During the interview, which aired Sunday morning, Biden defended his administration for sending cluster munitions to Ukraine as a "transition period" until more munitions are produced.

"This is a war relating to munitions. And theyre running out of that ammunition, and were low on it," Biden told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to  not permanently  but to allow for this transition period while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians."

Reactions on social media ranged from confused to outrage as conservative pundits and experts alike wondered why Biden was announcing the U.S. shortage during a nationally televised interview that would be seen by adversaries.

President Biden, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 20, 2023.

RFK JR BLASTS BIDEN FOR SENDING CLUSTER BOMBS TO UKRAINE A YEAR AFTER PSAKI SAID IT COULD BE A WAR CRIME

"Love when the president of America goes on CNN to tell everyone were low on ammo," remarked political operative Logan Dobson.



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"Joe Biden broadcasting to the world that the US is low on 155mm shells," conservative communicator Steve Guest tweeted. "Moron. Does Biden not care that our adversaries in China are listening?"

"In CNN interview, President Biden is not particularly clear but seems to be saying US is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine because we are running out of 155mm artillery ammunition to send them," wrote Byron York of the Washington Examiner. "Seems obvious this is affecting US readiness to defend itself."

UKRAINE GAINED ADVANTAGE IN WAR AGAINST PUTIN WITH CUSTOM-BUILT AI: UNPRECEDENTED TESTING GROUND

A White House official appeared to walk back Biden's comment that the United States is running out of ammunition when asked to comment on criticism in response to Biden's interview on CNN.

"The military has specific requirements for the numbers of weapons systems and ammunition we maintain in our reserves in case of contingencies or military conflict," a White House official said in an email to Fox News Digital. "Everything we send to Ukraine is in excess of that. So, the U.S. is not running out of ammunition ourselves."

"Joe Biden wasn't supposed to say the quiet part out loud: We've run out of ammunition. But now that the cat's out of the bag, one must ask whether continued support of Ukraine's military is even feasible as the conflict rages on," political commentator Ian Miles Cheong remarked.

"The point of the proxy war was to weaken Russia," tech entrepreneur David Sacks tweeted. "But the U.S. ran out of ammo first. So whos weakening whom?"

Biden's opponent in the Democrat presidential race, Robert Kennedy Jr., slammed Biden on Twitter on Saturday after he gave his administration the green light to send cluster munitions to Ukraine.

"Last year, WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the use of cluster bombs a 'war crime.' Now President Biden plans to send them to Ukraine. Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peace," Kennedy wrote in a tweet.

"Biden was opposed to cluster bombs in 1982 as well, when he opposed their sale to Israel," Kennedy, who entered the White House race in April, added in a separate tweet . "What happened to his conscience?"

This view shows residential buildings damaged by a military strike in Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine, on April 16, 2022.

The White House official also defended the administration green-lighting cluster munitions for Ukraine, saying they wanted to make sure Ukraine is not "left defenseless."

"We are authorizing cluster munitions to ensure that Ukraine is not left defenseless while we wait for our own domestic production of ammunition to ramp up substantially, which we are in the process of doing as are our allies and partners," the official added. "These cluster munitions are a bridge as we significantly increase production of ammunition over the coming months  and will have much higher production levels soon."

Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
President Biden will meet Tuesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Europe.

The bilateral meeting will take place Tuesday evening in Vilnius, Lithuania, following a family photo with NATO heads of state and a meeting with all NATO heads of state as well as Sweden  which is seeking to enter the organization but faces a roadblock in Turkeys leader.

The Biden administration has been pushing Turkey and Hungary to ratify Swedens accession to NATO, and Erdogan Monday linked Swedens entry to Turkeys admittance to the European Union.

Turkey has argued that Swedens government has been too lenient with the Kurdish Workers Party, which is deemed a terrorist group by the U.S., Turkey and the European Union. Meanwhile, Biden has repeatedly said he is committed to getting Swedens membership accepted.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that Biden and Erdogan spoke ahead of the summit and they agreed that the two of them would have the opportunity to sit down together in Vilnius.

Biden arrived in Vilnius on Monday for the summit, which will largely be about Ukraine and the Russian invasion, Swedens entry into NATO, and the potential for a NATO membership for Ukraine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Steve Holland and Gerhard Mey

LONDON/WINDSOR, England (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden made a whistle-stop trip to Britain on Monday, hailing the "rock-solid" friendship with Washington's close ally before meeting King Charles for a discussion with the monarch and finance chiefs on tackling climate change.

Biden's visit to Britain kicked off a three-nation trip that will include the NATO summit in Lithuania, at which allies aim to show solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's invasion while not yet accepting Kyiv as an alliance member.

The president's meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, their fifth in as many months, lasted less than an hour, with the focus on Ukraine.

"Weve got a lot to talk about," said Biden as they sat in the garden of Sunak's Downing Street office. "Our relationship is rock-solid. Couldnt be meeting with a closer friend and a greater ally."

Sunak and Biden shared notes before the NATO summit which kicks off on Tuesday. Ahead of the trip, Biden urged caution for now on Ukraine's campaign to join NATO, whose mutual defence pact obliges all members to come to the aid of any member that is attacked.

"We want to work with the U.S. and our allies on the pathway for Ukraine to join," Sunak's spokesperson told reporters, saying it would not be appropriate for Ukraine to join while the war was ongoing.

The leaders also discussed the U.S. decision to send Ukraine cluster munitions, which are banned by more than 100 countries, including Britain, which view them as a potential threat to civilian populations because they typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately.

Russia, Ukraine and the United States have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their production, stockpiling, use and transfer.

"We stand by our obligations under the convention, which include discouraging their use. There is no change from us on that, obviously it is for each country to make a decision," Sunak's spokesperson said.

After the meeting, Biden, 80, headed to Windsor Castle to meet the king, where he was greeted with traditional pomp and ceremony in the castle quadrangle.

Biden, who skipped the king's coronation in May in line with the longstanding practice of U.S. presidents, exchanged a warm welcome with the 74-year-old monarch before they met with banking bosses, financiers and philanthropists to discuss how to help boost private investment to combat climate change.

The issue is one both Biden and Charles, an environmental campaigner for more than five decades, say poses an existential threat. The meeting comes at a moment when Sunak has faced criticism over his commitment to environmental issues.

"We had several trillions of dollars of assets that are managed and deployed represented in the group that met today, all people who are deeply committed to dealing with the climate crisis," said John Kerry, the U.S. special climate envoy, who was one of those present.

Amongst the other attendees were COP28 President-Designate Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, and chief executives from HSBC, NatWest, Blackrock, Lloyds of London and Allianz Holdings.

(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Michael Holden, and Gerhard Mey in Windsor and Jarrett RenshawEditing by Leslie Adler, Mark Heinrich, Peter Graff)
President Biden will have a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Europe, the White House confirmed Monday.

The White House has not said when the meeting will take place. Zelensky is set to attend the summit and hold a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday, according to the NATO schedule of events.

The meeting with Zelensky comes after Biden said Ukraine isnt ready for a NATO membership. In an interview, Biden said NATO members have a responsibility to defend each other, something he said Ukraine could not do while fighting a war against Russia.

Biden did recently announce he would send cluster munitions, which a number of NATO members have effectively banned, to Ukraine.

Biden defended the controversial decision in the same interview, saying that Ukraine needed them after the approval of the transfer sparked concern over the weapons ability to harm civilians.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo illustration: Doreen Zyderveld-Hagel Model Charlene MacDonald with polypropylene kung fu swords.

I served up a humiliating kick in the pants to a perverted middle-aged man.

It amazed me that my Kung Fu fighting skills awoke after a 15-year hiatus. The creep clenched my hand, muttering obscenities, and got a cheap thrill from the rough hand shake. Feeling angry and embarrassed, I told him to stop as I tried to pull away.

When that didnt happen, I waited until his grip loosened, then I latched onto his wrist in praying mantis style. Now the tables had turned, I yanked him off balance and hoon-kicked him with the top of my right foot. I enjoyed watching his facial expression change from lecherous to fearful.

It felt disgusting, and I wanted to wash my leg with disinfectant. He scurried away, red-faced, into the crowd because a girl had whooped him. Doing my best Clint Eastwood impersonation, I growled, Youd better run punk, run.

There was only one witness to the altercation, a retired cop, who stood there with his mouth open. He was as shocked as I was with my slick ninja moves. The perv behaved properly with me afterwards, but had a history of harassing and preying on women. This confrontation happened when I was in my mid-40s.

In my 20s, I had taken Seven Stars Praying Mantis Kung Fu lessons for self-defence and stopped being victimized. While training, I was skeptical, as I was a puny 110-pound female after all. Despite that, I pinned a muscular fifth-level black belt instructor against the wall with his arm bent behind his back. The guy was in his prime. At that moment, I realized this stuff really works.

After being dominated by my ex and some older brothers, I was done. And I wanted to even the score. "Embarking on a revenge journey? Dig two graves," said Confucius. Nonetheless, I would no longer turn the other cheek. I had taken too many beatings from them.

Unexpectedly, I felt at peace because I could protect myself, and I didn't need to use my newly found skills. Had I used those combat moves on the ex, I would have done time in the big house, where some female convicts end up. Sometimes they kill in self-defence, or they just snap from stress, substance abuse, jealousy or rage. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. What would now be criminal behaviour, was once acceptable. All is fair in love and war.

Female warriors have existed for thousands of years. Japanese warriors (Kunoichi) were the first of their kind and the most dangerous. Legend has it the expert female assassins came about in 1561; starting with a widow named Mochizuki Chiyome. Takeda Shingen enlisted the woman because of her ninja fighting skills.

She recruited and instructed about three hundred orphaned girls and prostitutes. Outwardly, she appeared to be a motherly figure. However, Chiyome secretly taught them how to seduce, spy, and slaughter. Those femmes fatales infiltrated royal courts, posing as actresses and geisha. Others came under the guise of priestesses, servants, mistresses and concubines. Captivated by their beauty, the drunken emperors caught on too late. The Kunoichi eliminated the males either with their poison tipped painted metal claws or with a boomerang style Kitana (war fan). It had razor-sharp edges made of steel. An elaborately embroidered silk cloth camouflaged it. Stealth and surprise were the modus operandi of those deadly ladies.

Female ninjas werent the only warriors to exist amongst the gentler sex. We originally thought of Amazonian women as a figment of Greek mythology.

Artists of long ago painted scenes of Greek heroes battling Amazons on pottery and jewelry. However, it got real in 1990 when a joint-American Russian archaeology team found a 2000-year-old grave site near the Kazakhstan border.

The spot was filled with the skeletal remains of warrior women and located right where Greek stories placed those Amazons. They buried many female corpses with weapons, including metal daggers and archery equipment. The relics had arrow tips embedded in their chest cavities. One such female cadaver showed she was bow-legged from horseback riding and had the same weaponry on her.

Those tribal women had to fight alongside their men in order to survive and protect their children.

Oh, the complexities of womanhood! With one hand we can calm a crying baby and with the other fling a boomerang-style steel fan.

Isnt it time we embrace our inner Amazon?

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Biden to meet with Zelenskyy and Erdogan in Vilnius

Joe Biden in Vilnius

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Vilnius, Politico correspondent Jonathan Lemire reported via Twitter on July 10.

Read also: NATO agrees, Ukraine will join the without Membership Action Plan  Kuleba

Erdogan, Biden, and Zelensky have reportedly already arrived at the meeting location.

In a recent video message, Zelenskyy noted his scheduled bilateral meetings with representatives from European nations, the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Bilateral meetings of various levels are planned in Vilnius with countries from Europe, America, Canada, Japan, said Zelenskyy.

The priorities are clearly defined  air defense for our cities and communities throughout the country. We are working on creating a full-fledged air shield. This, along with weapons for the front lines, will be a topic of negotiation in Vilnius I am confident that there will be good news for our soldiers from Vilnius.

Read also: Retired U.S. General expresses doubts about Ukraine NATO prospects at Vilnius summit

The NATO summit will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. Ukraine is hoping to receive a clear signal regarding the prospects of a future membership in the Alliance.

Although NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed such a signal will be given, no formal invitation for Kyiv to join the Alliance is expected.

Read also: NAFO Summit, community combating Russian propaganda, makes waves in Vilnius

However, Politico reported that Western allies have not yet unified their stance on the security guarantees Ukraine is seeking.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Western nations plan to offer Ukraine a security arrangement based on the Israeli model prior to its joining NATO. This proposal will allow for the transfer of weapons and advanced technology to Kyiv, marking a step towards its membership in the Alliance.

Read also: US and Germany remain opposed to swift Ukraine NATO membership  report

On July 3, Zelenskyy urged Biden to immediately extend an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO.



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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
President Biden met King Charles III in the U.K. for the first time since snubbing the invitation to the monarch's coronation earlier this year.

King Charles, 74, greeted Biden, 80, at Windsor Castle after the U.S. president met with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street on Monday. The pair of meetings will kick off a week of European diplomacy for Biden.

The Biden administration indicated that the meetings will focus on climate issues and Ukraine, though details of their conversations have yet to be made public.

Biden's meeting with Sunak came just days after the pair split over Biden's decision to deliver cluster munitions to Ukraine. While the U.K. has long pressed the U.S. to ramp up its already substantial military aid for Ukraine, Sunak distanced himself from this latest round of aid.

US TO PROVIDE CLUSTER MUNITIONS TO UKRAINE, $800 MILLION MILITARY AID PACKAGE, OFFICIALS SAY

President Biden is greeted by Britain's King Charles III greets during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023.

"The U.K. is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use," Sunak said in a Saturday interview with U.K. media.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russias illegal and unprovoked invasion, but weve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine," he added.

UKRAINE GAINED ADVANTAGE IN WAR AGAINST PUTIN WITH CUSTOM-BUILT AI: UNPRECEDENTED TESTING GROUND

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets President Joe Biden on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street. The President is visiting the UK to further strengthen the close relationship between the two nations and to discuss climate issues with King Charles at Windsor Castle.

Biden himself acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to send cluster munitions, which pose a greater risk of causing civilian casualties and, in some cases, can lie un-detonated in the ground for long periods, risking post-war casualties as well.

Biden defended his decision to send the munitions in a Sunday interview, framing it as a "transition period" until more traditional munitions can be produced.

RFK JR BLASTS BIDEN FOR SENDING CLUSTER BOMBS TO UKRAINE A YEAR AFTER PSAKI SAID IT COULD BE A WAR CRIME

"This is a war relating to munitions. And theyre running out of that ammunition, and were low on it," Biden told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to  not permanently  but to allow for this transition period while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians."

US President Joe Biden and Britain's King Charles III on the dais, listen to the US National Anthem played by the Band of the Welsh Guards, during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor.

Following his meetings in the U.K., Biden will travel to Lithuania for a NATO summit.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
President Biden on Monday met with King Charles III at Windsor Castle, marking the first time they have met since Charles became king.

The president arrived at Windsor and the King walked out to a white tent with red carpeting to greet his motorcade. They shook hands and the royal band played the Star Spangled Banner.

The two leaders walked around the tent together and saw the Honor Guard. The president put his hand on Charless back, and they entered the castle together. They are sitting for a meeting at Windsor and after that, they will participate in a climate engagement with philanthropists and investors.

Biden spoke with Charles in April to congratulate him on his coronation, and the president attended the late Queens funeral in September. The president didnt attend the coronation in May, but first lady Jill Biden went to represent the United States.

Earlier Monday, Biden met with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in London.

Its good to be back, Biden told Sunak.

The president joked that they have met about once a month since Sunak became prime minister. Biden hosted Sunak at the White House last month, and before that, the two were together in Japan for the Group of Seven summit in May. Biden also visited Sunak in Northern Ireland in April.

Were very privileged and fortunate to have you here, Sunak said.

Later Monday, Biden will leave the United Kingdom to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, for the NATO summit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Biden reportedly fumes and spews curses at staff in private: No one is safe

President Biden has a short temper and frequently lashes out at staff members with profanity-laden rants if they do not meet his expectations, according to a new Axios report.

One official in the administration told the outlet that "no one is safe" from Biden's wrath. Aides are reportedly known to meet with him in groups of two or more to defuse potential tension.

Some of the president's go-to attacks include, "How the f--- don't you know this?" and "Don't f---ing bulls--- me!"

Aides have framed his outbursts as a desire for accuracy and competence, telling the outlet that many see getting shouted at by the president as a rite of passage.

UKRAINE GAINED ADVANTAGE IN WAR AGAINST PUTIN WITH CUSTOM-BUILT AI: UNPRECEDENTED TESTING GROUND

President Biden has a short temper and frequently lashes out at staff members with profanity-laden rants if they don't meet his expectations.

"If there is something that's not in the brief, he's going to find it," said Ted Kaufman, Biden's chief of staff when he was in the Senate. "It's not to embarrass people, it's because he wants to get to the right decision. Most people who have worked for him like the fact that he challenges them and gets them to a better decision."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

FETTERMAN APPROACHES BIDEN-LEVEL UNPOPULARITY IN HOME STATE: POLL

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

It is not the first time reports from within Biden's circle have undermined his carefully curated "Uncle Joe" public persona. Biden last showed his darker side when a hot mic caught him calling Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy a "stupid son of a b----."

Presidnet Biden's short temper has come to the fore during his interactions with reporters, where he often lashes out.

Monday's report comes as Biden is facing criticism from conservatives who say his latest gaffe revealed sensitive U.S. military information to global adversaries.

RFK JR BLASTS BIDEN FOR SENDING CLUSTER BOMBS TO UKRAINE A YEAR AFTER PSAKI SAID IT COULD BE A WAR CRIME

Biden defended his administration's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine in a Sunday interview, framing it as a "transition period" until more munitions are produced.

"This is a war relating to munitions. And theyre running out of that ammunition, and were low on it," Biden told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to  not permanently  but to allow for this transition period while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians."

President Biden let slip that the U.S. is running low on 155 mm artillery shells, part of the reason it is now delivering cluster munitions to Ukraine.

"Joe Biden broadcasting to the world that the US is low on 155mm shells," conservative communicator Steve Guest tweeted. "Moron. Does Biden not care that our adversaries in China are listening?"

The White House responded to the criticism by saying the U.S. and its allies "will have much higher production levels soon."

Fox News' Matteo Cina contributed to this report.
President Biden Departs The White House For Illinois

President Joe Biden talks to reporters about Russia and other issues as he departs the White House on June 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. Credit - Chip SomodevillaGetty Images

By some measures, Ukraine looks closer than ever to joining NATO. Support for its membership, both inside Ukraine and within the alliance, is at its strongest ahead of this weeks NATO summit, while Ukraines war-tested military has demonstrated on the battlefield that it can use NATO weapons and tactics effectively. The biggest obstacle along its path to NATO no longer appears to be Russia or Vladimir Putin. Its the White House, which is stalling Ukraines effort to join.

I dont think its ready for membership in NATO, President Joe Biden declared in an interview with CNN that aired on July 9, two days before NATO leaders are due to gather in Vilnius, Lithuania. Even putting the matter to a vote among NATO members, Biden added, would be premature.

Compare that to an earlier set of Oval Office talking points, and its clear just how far the U.S. position has changed. Fifteen years ago, when NATO leaders took a position on this issue, the U.S. was firmly behind Ukraines membership. Then-President George W. Bush lobbied hard among his peers to get Ukraine and Georgia a formal invitation and a detailed roadmap into the alliance. Back then, France and Germany shot the idea down, arguing that it would provoke a conflict with Russia.

At their landmark summit in 2008, held in Bucharest, Romania, the leaders of NATO declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join one day, but they gave no timeline and offered no specific plan for keeping that promise. NATOs non-decision on their membership was the worst possible outcome, the Harvard historian Serhiy Plokhy writes in his new book, The Russo-Ukrainian War. It angered the Kremlin without offering any protection to Ukraine and Georgia. While Russia would not dare to attack NATO, it could easily attack its aspirants, Plokhy wrote, and it did so. A few months after the Bucharest summit, Russia invaded Georgia and occupied about a fifth of its territory.

In the years that followed, Ukrainians remained skeptical of NATO membership. Only 28% supported it in a Pew Research survey taken in 2010, and 51% were against. But those attitudes changed after Russia invaded Ukraine four years later, seizing Crimea and starting a separatist war in eastern Ukraine. With the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, support for NATO membership reached record highs inside Ukraine, topping 80% support in recent surveys.

Much the same trend has played out inside the alliance. Polls taken in May across five of NATOs leading member states found that most people support formally inviting Ukraine to join the alliance despite the ongoing war: 70% in the U.S., 56% in France, 55% in the Netherlands, 53% in Italy and 50% in Germany. Some of those supporting the invitation favored delaying Ukraines actual accession until after the war ends.

European leaders are also coming around. Since the end of May, French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly called for NATO to give Ukraine a concrete path to membership, marking a significant shift in policy, while Poland has emerged as the leader of an influential block inside NATO that is pushing hard for the alliance to welcome Ukraine.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took a tour of these allies in Eastern Europe to rally their support, and he urged them to avoid the half-measures and empty promises that have defined Ukraines relationship with NATO since 2008. We need honesty in our relations, Zelensky said during a visit to the Czech Republic. We need some kind of signal, a clear one.

In his interview the following day with CNN, President Biden was abundantly clear. I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, he said.
London  President Biden was in London Monday morning for a whistlestop, 24-hour visit to the United Kingdom before heading for a NATO leaders summit in Lithuania. The first meeting on Mr. Biden's agenda after his Sunday night arrival was a sit-down with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his residence at No. 10 Downing Street. It was the president's first in-person discussion with a fellow world leader on the European trip as the U.S. and its NATO allies look to maintain a unified voice in support of Ukraine as it battles Russia's ongoing invasion.

Mr. Biden was heard saying as he walked into the British prime minister's official residence that the U.S. has "no closer friend and greater ally" and that the relationship remained "rock solid."

There has been concern in Europe over the Biden administration's decision to send controversial weapons to Ukraine, but also over the future of U.S. government backing for Ukraine when Mr. Biden's first term comes to an end. On both points, the U.S. leader will be looking to reassure America's closest allies that Washington remains not only a committed partner but one that respects their humanitarian concerns.

Mr. Biden has spoken with Sunak a handful of times in recent months and their Monday meeting at Downing Street lasted only about 40 minutes.

It came after the U.S. announced its latest military aid package for Ukraine, which for the first time includes controversial cluster munitions. The move has divided U.S. allies, some of which  including the U.K.  have banned use of the bombs under an international treaty signed in 2008 by some 123 nations.

A spokesman for Sunak's office said after he and Mr. Biden met that Britain stood "by our obligations under the convention, which include discouraging their use."

"There is no change from us on that," the spokesman told reporters, adding that "obviously, it is for each country to make a decision."

The U.S., Russia and Ukraine are not signatories to the 2008 treaty.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that NATO does not have a position on cluster munitions and that their use is not on the agenda for the summit that Mr. Biden will join in Lithuania after his stop in London.

Another issue facing Mr. Biden and Sunak, and then the other NATO leaders this week, is Sweden's pending accession to the transatlantic alliance. Russia's invasion of Ukraine drove the previously neutral countries of Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership. Finland has already become a full NATO member but Turkey and Hungary have so far blocked Sweden from joining.

President Biden shakes hands with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of their meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, July 10, 2023. / Credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty

Mr. Biden was expected to speak Monday with Sunak about conditions for a possible deal with Turkey to clear the way.

Ukraine also wants to join NATO, but allowing that to happen would infuriate Russia, likely draw sharp criticism from China and is a more contentious issue among the alliance's existing members.

In an interview aired by CNN over the weekend, Mr. Biden said he didn't think Ukraine was "ready for membership in NATO."

"If the war is going on, then we're all in a war," he said, adding that there are other qualifications Ukraine must still meet to be considered for membership, including full "democratization."

After his meeting with Sunak, Mr. Biden left central London to head west for his first in-person meeting with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Though not an official state visit, some classic British pomp and circumstance was organized for Mr. Biden's stop at the ancient home of the British monarchy, including a military Guard of Gonor and a marching band.

Mr. Biden has met Charles on multiple occasions, but not since the king's formal coronation ceremony on May 6. Mr. Biden did not attend the ceremony as he had just been in Britain for a separate trip, but first lady Jill Biden was there.

One of the two heads of states' recent meetings was at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, in November 2021. On Monday, they were expected to discuss environmental issues and greet attendees from a climate finance forum that took place in the morning. Mr. Biden and Charles are expected to discuss with business leaders how private industry can best tackle climate change.

Inside a Ukrainian clinic after a cluster bombing

Russian, Belarusian players get icy reception at Wimbledon

Biden meets with King Charles ahead of high-stakes NATO summit
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told President Joe Biden the UK and the US were "two of the firmest allies" in Nato

US President Joe Biden has described relations with the UK as "rock solid" during talks in London with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Biden said he "couldn't be meeting a closer friend and a greater ally". Mr Sunak hailed the UK and the US as "two of the firmest allies" in Nato.

They also discussed a US move to give Ukraine controversial cluster bombs to defend itself from Russia's invasion.

Ukraine's membership bid will be high on agenda at Tuesday's Nato summit.

All 31 Nato members attending the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, agree that Ukraine cannot join the military alliance during the war - amid fears this would lead to a direct conflict with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has himself said he does not expect Kyiv to join the bloc until after the war - but he wants the summit to give a "clear signal" on Ukraine's bid.

Several Nato members in Eastern Europe are pressing for a fast-track membership for their neighbour - but others, including the US, are seen as more hesitant, fearing this could lead to a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Speaking to CNN, President Biden said Ukraine's membership bid was "premature".

Referring to the US pledge of cluster bombs for Ukraine - something which caused unease among Nato allies - Mr Sunak's official spokesman said it "was a difficult choice for the US".

But the spokesman added that the decision had been "forced on them by Russia's war of aggression".

The weapons have been banned by more than 100 countries, including the UK, because of the danger they pose to civilians.

The spokesman said Sunak was upholding the UK's requirements under an international convention banning the weapons.

The US says it has received Ukraine's reassurance that the munitions will not be used in Russia or in urban areas.

President Biden also held separate talks on Monday with King Charles at Windsor Castle - the pair's first meeting since the King was formally crowned in May.

Mr Biden received a royal salute and listened to the US national anthem performed by the Welsh Guards before entering the castle for the talks.
Biden is on a flying visit to the UK before a NATO leaders' summit in Lithuania (HENRY NICHOLLS)

President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a flying visit to London on Monday, as they readied to join a NATO leaders' summit where Ukraine is expected to push to join the alliance once its war with Russia is over.

The vast presidential entourage swept into Downing Street for a red-carpet welcome, smiles and a handshake outside Number 10, as banks of media looked on.

The pair then held talks in the garden for just under 40 minutes, seated in wicker chairs and sipping from specially branded Downing Street mugs.

Biden and Sunak have met regularly in recent months, as the UK leader tries to repair transatlantic ties strained by the turbulent tenures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Irish-American Biden's position on UK wrangling with the European Union over post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland has been seen as at the heart of the tensions.

But relations have improved since Sunak and Brussels struck a deal about the movement of goods, protecting a hard-won peace after 30 years violence over British rule in the province.

Biden told reporters he "couldn't be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally", adding: "Our relationship is rock solid."

As the summit looms, there have been signs of divergence, notably over Washington's provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine, and concern echoed by other Western allies.

Biden said the decision to send the weapons was "very difficult" but Ukrainian forces conducting a counteroffensive against invading Russian troops were "running out of ammunition".

The move raised concerns from rights groups due to the danger unexploded bomblets pose to the civilian population.

Sunak at the weekend did not directly criticise the United States but reiterated that the UK was one of 120 signatories to an international accord banning the use and supply of cluster munitions.

"We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion," he said.

On Monday Sunak again played down any rift.

"We stand as two of the firmest allies in (NATO) and I know we'll want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security," he said.

- Climate talks -

NATO leaders are meeting in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Tuesday and Wednesday, where President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping for a clear signal that it can join the alliance.

Western allies agree that Ukraine cannot join while war is still raging, as it would pull NATO into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

But the United States is seen as most hesitant about its membership. Biden has described Kyiv's bid as "premature".

"I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," he told broadcaster CNN.

From Lithuania, Biden will travel to Finland, NATO's newest member, for a US-Nordic Leaders Summit.

Before jetting to Vilnius, Biden will drop in for tea with King Charles III at Windsor Castle, west of London, to discuss climate issues.

It will be Biden's first meeting with Charles since he was officially crowned king in May. The US president did not attend the coronation but was represented by his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.

The couple had been at the funeral of Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September last year.

The British monarch, 74, is a lifelong environmentalist and Biden considers that he has been a "clarion voice" on climate change, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters travelling with the president.

Although not a full state visit, Biden will receive a royal salute at the castle and hear the US national anthem played by a band of the Welsh Guards.

Top financiers and philanthropists are also meeting in Windsor to discuss climate finance to boost support for developing nations to cut carbon emissions.

Attending the meeting will be UK energy security and net zero minister Grant Shapps and Biden's special climate envoy John Kerry.

The UK government said more than $1 trillion is needed by 2030 to help developing economies get on track to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Additional investment, including from the private sector, is required to cut non-CO2 emissions, halt deforestation as well as to adapt and build resilience to climate change.

acl-sms-phz/har/rox
LONDON  The big question hanging over the high-profile NATO summit this week is whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will show up.

The answer could either prove a galvanizing moment for the West in its support of Kyiv against Russia, or a humiliation. Though invited, Zelenskyy has yet to confirm his attendance, with his officials saying he is not yet clear about what was being promised at the summit.

Zelenskyys last-minute decision shines a spotlight on the divisions between Kyiv and its foreign backers as the war passes its 500th day.

The central disagreement: whether to invite Ukraine to join NATO, and, if so, when and how.

The two-day summit opens Tuesday in Lithuania, a former Soviet republic that today is one of the most outspoken critics of Russias war in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden, who stopped in London on Monday en route to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, has said he doesnt think Ukraine is ready for full NATO membership.

Biden told CNNs Fareed Zakaria that discussion around Ukraine imminently joining NATO was premature, but he said the U.S. and its allies in NATO would continue to provide Kyiv with weaponry and support to end the war.

I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, Biden said.

Ukraine's joining NATO as the war rages, in the eyes of the U.S. and other allies such as Germany, would risk a full-blown conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia.

President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Getty Images file)

As national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a briefing Friday: Biden has been clear that we are going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, but we are not seeking to start World War III.

NATOs central pillar is Article 5  the all for one and one for all clause that suggests allies, and namely the colossal U.S. military, will come to the aid of any fellow member that is attacked.

As such, its unlikely that any concrete commitments on this front will emerge from the Vilnius event. But Ukraine is nevertheless looking for verbal guarantees that extend beyond what it sees as the timid and vague assurances offered so far.

Zelenskyys office did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment on whether Zelenskyy would attend.

Its been very clear that Ukraine wants some enhanced statement, rather than just a reaffirmation of the open-door policy, said Neil Melvin, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank. But I think that the time frame will remain open and tied very much to when the war ends.

For Ukraine, this is not just about its own safety but also providing a bulwark against Russia trying to invade other countries farther into Europe. Zelenskyy has been adamant since the early days of the war that Ukraine needs to join NATO for any long-term peace agreement to hold not only within Ukraine, but beyond its borders.

His country has been given promises in the past that have not borne fruit. In 2008, Ukraine and the former Soviet republic of Georgia were both told that they would become members of the alliance. But crucially they were not given whats known as a Membership Action Plan, a formal pathway for any would-be NATO member.

Membership never happened for either country. And later that year Russia was at war with Georgia, and in 2014 made its first incursion into Ukraine and annexed its Crimea Peninsula.

So its against this backdrop that Zelenskyy appears to be willing to stage something of a grand statement  snubbing his invitation as an honored guest  unless tangible assurances are offered.

There were encouraging signs for Kyiv on Monday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that NATO had reached consensus on removing the Membership Action Plan requirement from Ukraines path into the alliance. Kuleba said it shortens Ukraines path to NATO and is the best moment to offer clarity on a membership invitation. There was no immediate comment from NATO.

But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that he expects the summit to yield a three-point package to bring Ukraine closer to NATO: a multiyear program of assistance, increased political ties and reaffirmation that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.

It comes at a key time for Ukraine, which is in the middle of a counteroffensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russia, itself apparently weakened by the brief Wagner rebellion last month. But with the counteroffensive going slower than planned, Ukraine is grasping for anything that could help turn the tide, including cluster munitions, which Washington last week agreed to provide after months of hesitation over the moral and reputational implications of supplying and using such weapons.

The weapons have been banned in more than 100 countries because they pose a life-threatening danger to civilians long after conflict, and the White House suggested last year that Russias use of them in Ukraine was a potential war crime.

Meanwhile a poll released Monday by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology suggested 89% of Ukrainians want their country to join NATO, a desire that has grown steadily since Crimea was annexed in 2014 and a military conflict broke out in the countrys east.

And yet, while war rages, the possibility of full membership for Ukraine looks distant.

I cant see any prospect for Ukraine joining NATO before there is at the very least the liberation of all occupied territories, said Mark Galeotti, who heads the Russia-focused consultancy Mayak Intelligence. No one wants, in effect, to commit NATO to war with Moscow.

Nevertheless its an idea that, in theory at least, does have support among some Western allies. And to firm up that support this week, Zelenskyy went on a diplomatic offensive, touring several NATO member capitals. Turkey, NATOs largest army after the U.S., and Czechia are among the countries that have recently said they back Ukraines accession as soon as conditions allow.

Ukraine knows it cant change NATOs mind at such short notice, according to Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst, but Zelenskyy wants to show Biden that he has sufficiently massive support of Ukraines NATO membership among its member countries, Fesenko wrote in an analysis posted on Facebook. Appearing in person would be crucial to that, Fesenko said.

Other experts also said that it is in the Ukrainian presidents interests to show his face at the summit in Vilnius rather than stage a high-profile boycott.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, says he is sure that President Zelenskyy will appear in Vilnius so he can have some influence over the talks.

He can see and sense the growing support for Ukrainian membership and he knows that this is a long process, yet his support across NATO is growing, said Hodges, who supports the country joining the alliance.

He will be there in Vilnius to demonstrate his determination, his calm, poised leadership and to remind everyone of the courage and sacrifice of Ukraine, from which all of Europe is benefiting, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Birds or rivers on euro notes? Europeans can weigh in

The ECB announced in 2021 that it wanted a fresh look for the 20-year-old euro banknotes (INA FASSBENDER)

The European Central Bank launched a survey Monday asking citizens to weigh in on the redesign of euro banknotes, with rivers, birds and European culture among the shortlisted themes.

"We want Europeans to identify with the design of euro banknotes, which is why they will play an active role in selecting the new theme," ECB president Christine Lagarde said in a statement.

The online survey, running until August 31, asks respondents to share their opinions on seven possible themes for the new notes.

These include "Birds: free, resilient, inspiring" and "Rivers: the waters of life in Europe", as well as more abstract ideas such as "The future is yours", "European culture" and "Our Europe, ourselves".

The ECB, which has also tasked a research company with asking a representative sample of euro area citizens the same questions, will announce the chosen theme next year.

A design competition will follow and Europeans will then again be asked to choose their favourite options for the euro bills, which come in six denominations.

The ECB will announce the final decision on the future design, and on when the new notes will be produced and issued, in 2026.

The Frankfurt institution announced in late 2021 that it wanted a fresh look for the 20-year-old banknotes.

The original design for the bloc's single currency was fraught with political tension, and ended up consisting of symbolic illustrations of architecture to avoid stirring national rivalries.

ECB officials have expressed the hope that by involving the public in the facelift, younger Europeans will feel more connected to the single currency.

Regularly updating banknotes is also necessary to stay a step ahead of counterfeiters "in a world where reproduction technologies are rapidly evolving", the statement added.

"We are working on a new series of high-tech banknotes with a view to preventing counterfeiting and reducing environmental impact," said ECB executive board member Fabio Panetta.

"We are committed to cash and to ensuring that paying with public money is always an option."

In an interview last year, Lagarde said she could imagine Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci or pioneering French politician Simone Veil gracing the new bills as examples of "great, true Europeans".

jpl-mfp/dlc/lth
Photo: The Canadian Press

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Netherlands longest serving premier, said Monday he will leave politics after an early general election sparked by a dispute over migration that led to his governments resignation.

His decision means the end of nearly 13 years in power for the conservative leader sometimes called " Teflon Mark " because scandals that plagued his four different administrations did not stick to him.

Rutte, the 56-year-old leader of the Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, announced his decision at a hastily arranged parliamentary debate to discuss the fall of his latest governing coalition.

Yesterday morning I made a decision that I will not be available again as a leader of the VVD. When a new Cabinet takes office after the elections, I will leave politics, he said.

Rutte called it a personal decision, regardless of the developments in recent weeks. There was no immediate indication who might replace Rutte as leader of the VVD. The partys parliamentary faction is led by Sophie Hermans, Ruttes former political assistant.

No date has yet been set for the election, but it is not expected before October or November. That means that Rutte will likely remain in office as caretaker prime minister for months. He is expected to attend a NATO summit that starts Tuesday in Lithuania.

In the 27-nation European Union, only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been in charge of a country longer than Rutte, but their leadership styles could not be more different.

Orban, in power for a full 13 years and counting, has turned Hungary into his vision of an illiberal democracyand increasingly smothered all dissent, while Rutte navigated a Western democratic system at its most eclectic and exuberant.

But the Dutch prime minister's four-party ruling coalition resigned Friday after failing to agree on a package of measures to rein in migration, an issue that often has divided the EU as a whole. Rutte said it was a unanimous decision prompted by irreconcilable differences among the partner parties.

Supporters and opponents alike called it the end of an era.

With uncanny political savvy, Rutte at times managed to twist the arms of not just his coalition partners but also opposition lawmakers to pass new policies and remain in charge of governments that provided enough glue to hold together his politically fractured nation of nearly 18 million.

In the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Dutch parliament, no fewer than 20 parties are represented. To some extent, the diverse lineup reflects the European trend of the political center losing ground to voices on the far left and particularly the far right.

Rutte steered the Netherlands through crises ranging from the coronavirus pandemic and flooding to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Even his political opponents praised his handling of the aftermath of the plane's downing by pro-Russia rebels. About 200 Dutch citizens died.

Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, whose son Bryce and the son's girlfriend, Daisy Oehlers, were among the 298 passengers and crew members killed, said she and other bereaved families regularly met with Rutte to discuss efforts to establish the truth about what brought down the plane and to bring to justice those responsible.

He attended many gatherings (of) relatives and has always been very compassionate and supportive. He always took the time, Fredriksz-Hoogzand told The Associated Press.

I personally regret that he steps back, but given the circumstances, I understand. But for (the) MH17 case, it is a loss in my opinion, she added.

Rutte, who often cycles around The Hague to get to and from meetings, also became known for seeking forgiveness for past Dutch government policies.

When a parliamentary commission said that governments, several of which Rutte led, had put energy profits before the safety of people in northern Groningen province, where earthquakes from gas extraction destroyed homes and the lives of families, he apologized.

We stand here cap in hand, he said earlier this year.

Two years ago, his third government also resigned to take responsibility for a scandal involving investigations into child welfare payments that wrongly labeled thousands of parents as fraudsters, again hurting hundreds of innocent families. He pledged his government would continue working to compensate affected parents as quickly as possible.

We are of one mind that if the whole system has failed, we all must take responsibility, Rutte said.

Rutte's party nevertheless won the ensuing election, and he formed his fourth government with the same four parties that made up the coalition that collapsed last week. This time, though, the political rot set in early, and after 1 1/2 years, he was not only unable to hold together his coalition, he was accused by some of setting up its fall with demands that at least one party could not accept.

Despite the many scandals that tarnished his governments, Rutte remained popular among voters. His departure throws the election wide open and could open the door for a shift to the political left or further to the right.

Such was Ruttes acumen to reconcile political fire and ice that he was mentioned over the years as someone to lead both the European Union and NATO. He has not pursued either post, yet.

Jesse Klaver, leader of the opposition Green Left party, said Rutte's stated exit from politics marked a historic day but that his departure was unavoidable as the prime minister's fourth and final coalition crumbled in acrimony.

Caroline van der Plas, leader of the Farmer Citizen Movement, a populist party that was the shock winner of provincial elections this year, was not ready Monday to declare herself a candidate to replace Rutte.

At some point in the campaign, I will make it clear whether or not I will be running for prime minister, she said.
VENICE  Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice, will ordain Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan to the priesthood July 15 at 11 a.m. at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., in Venice.

This is one of the most beautiful and rarely seen sacraments in the Church, Dewane said. The Diocese of Venice relies on dedicated men who commit their lives to serving God; the diocese is blessed that these men have heard the call of the Lord, and responded.

During the ceremony, Roldan and Scanlan will present themselves to serve God, the Church and the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice and his successors. They will also make a renewed commitment to celibacy and promise obedience.

Roldan: Born and raised in Colombia

Roldan, 29, a native of Colombia, has devoted nearly 11 years to discerning his vocation. A pivotal moment in his life was receiving his First Holy Communion. It was at that moment and going forward that I experienced the love of God in a special way. That awakened my desire to become a priest.

Alejandro Giraldo Roldan will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota on July 16 at noon.

Roldan joined the Diocese of Venice as a seminarian in 2019. He studied at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami before going on to St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. As a seminarian, Roldan served in a pastoral assignment at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish on Longboat Key, and a pastoral year at St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota.

Roldan will be vested during the ordination by the Parochial Vicar of St. Thomas More, Rev. Lawton Lang, and will also celebrate his first Mass as a priest at St. Thomas More on July 16 at noon.

Scanlan, 28, was born and raised in Fort Myers in a large family, the seventh of 11 children, before they moved to Ave Maria. When he was 13, he had his first thought about becoming a priest when he heard his oldest sibling tell the family about his own discernment to the priesthood.

I think I was fascinated because I never considered how one became a priest," Scanlan said. "I didnt even know what a seminary was  this was a big moment in my life because the thought that my own brother might become a priest made this vocation become real and personal to me.

Scanlan: Bound for Washington, D.C.

Scanlan first studied at Ave Maria University before deciding to become a seminarian at St. John Vianney College Seminary. He later studied in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and received a degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Most recently, he initiated his studies in moral theology at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce.

Daniel Scanlan will celebrate his first Mass as a priest on July 16 at 10 a.m. at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Ave Maria.

Following his ordination, Scanlan will transfer to the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., to study for his licentiate of Sacred Theology of Marriage and Family.

Since joining the Diocese as a seminarian, Scanlan has served in pastoral assignments at St. Vincent de Paul in Fort Myers; Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles in Bradenton; St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers; St. Joseph in Bradenton; and St. Katharine Drexel in Cape Coral.

Scanlan will be vested during the ordination by his eldest brother, Father Eric Scanlan, Pastor of Incarnation Parish in Sarasota, and will celebrate his first Mass as a priest on July 16 at 10 a.m. at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Ave Maria.

All are encouraged to attend the ordination, Dewane said. It is important that the faithful support each ordination as the priests being ordained are a future link to the continuation of the sacraments, Dewane said.

The ordination will also be livestreamed on facebook.com/epiphanycathedral and on the cathedral website, epiphanycathedral.org.

The Diocese of Venice includes 61 parishes, 15 schools and serves an estimated 250,000 Catholics in 10 counties. For more information, visit dioceseofvenice.org.

Submitted by Karen Barry Schwarz

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bishop Dewane to ordain two priests at Epiphany Cathedral celebration
FILE - Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard brings the ball up against the New York Knicks during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Damian Lillard asked his team for a trade Saturday, July 1, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Damian Lillard wants to be traded to the Miami Heat. The Portland Trail Blazers know this yet haven't abandoned hope that the seven-time All-Star changes his mind.

And whether he does or not, the Blazers insist that they're in no hurry.

General manager Joe Cronin, at the news conference where the team unveiled its new five-year, $160 million contract with Jerami Grant, spoke at length about the impasse with Lillard. He offered no specifics on talks  not negotiating publicly  and revealed that he hasn't spoken with Lillard since the franchise cornerstone asked to be traded.

Were going to be patient, Cronin said Monday. Were going to do whats best for our team. Were going to see, you know, how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.

Lillard's trade request became publicly known on July 1, the first full day of free agency in the NBA. After the Blazers revealed that Lillard  who has spent all 11 of his pro seasons in Portland  asked out, agent Aaron Goodwin confirmed days later that the seven-time All-NBA selection wants to go to Miami.

Dames position wont change, Goodwin told The Associated Press last week. This entire situation was about building an opportunity for Portland to win or giving him another opportunity that he wants, which is Miami.

The entire matter is complicated on so many levels  that the trade request became public, that Lillard wants to be traded only to Miami (he doesnt have a no-trade clause, and Portland is under no obligation to honor that request), that he is beloved as an all-time great in Portland and that not having him on the roster simply means the team probably wont have enough to truly compete in the loaded Western Conference.

As a team, you always hope that you have more options, Cronin said. To have limited options like that, I wouldnt call it frustrating, but it prevents you from perhaps getting the best return. So, its something that well have to work through.

And in his eyes, theres still hope that Lillard changes his mind  although theres been no indication that will happen.

I havent lost hope, just because I understand this league is complicated and things change very quickly sometimes, Cronin said.

The Blazers have a core of young talent  Anfernee Simons just turned 24, Shaedon Sharpe is going into his second season after being the No. 7 pick in 2022 and point guard Scoot Henderson is entering the league as the No. 3 pick in this draft. Cronin said he gets why Lillard would look at the Blazers, as currently constructed, and feel like there isnt a clear path to contending for a title this coming season.

I could see why Dame would look at it and say, Well, this isnt a win-now opportunity, or at least as much of a win-now opportunity in some other places, Cronin said. So, from that regard, I understand his position and I respect it and it makes sense to me why he would like to go elsewhere.

But Cronin also believes that great days are coming for Simons, Sharpe and Henderson.

Those guys are going to impact winning very soon in this league, Cronin said.

Lillard is coming off a season in which he averaged 32.2 points for the Trail Blazers. He is a member of the NBAs 75th anniversary team, but he has never been close to a title in his 11 seasons in the league.

He met with Portland multiple times, asking for the roster to be upgraded to the point where he can compete for a championship. But those efforts did not go to Lillard's liking. And now, the trade watch is on.

Its just hard. How do you replace Damian Lillard? Who is the person in the marketplaces that is available that is a better player than Dame? Cronin said. No team more than us knows what this market looks like. Weve been trying for 18 months to find the Dame equivalent at another position or someone thats 80% of Dame, even. So, thats the challenge and thats why weve got to keep working.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
BLM crews responding to wildfire of more than 80 acres south of the Boise Airport

Several agencies are responding to a fire that is burning more than 80 acres south of the Boise Airport.

The Bureau of Land Managements Boise district, according to a Twitter post, is responding to the Southtom Fire, which is 12 miles south of the airport. The agency is using three overheads, three engines, a water tender, a dozer, two single-engine air tankers, an air attack and a large air tanker, according to the BLM post.

The Idaho Statesman has reached out to the department for additional information.

An over-40-acre fire delayed travelers headed toward McCall over the weekend near Horseshoe Bend after Idaho 55 was temporarily closed. The Hulls Fire burned north of 8th Street over the weekend in the Boise Foothills, temporarily closing 4,500 acres of land.
Body of unidentified man found floating in lake in New Yorks Central Park

Police on scene of Central Park lake where mans body found (Citizen)

An investigation has been launched after the body of an unidentified man was found floating in a lake in New Yorks Central Park.

The NYPD said that the mans body was spotted in the Harlem Meer near 110th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday afternoon.

First responders pulled the man from the body of water at around 3.15pm that afternoon and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Now, the NYPD is investigating what happened as the citys medical examiner works to determine his cause of death.

The Independent has reached out to the NYPD for further information.

The Harlem Meer is a lake in the northeast corner of Central Park popular with families due to its range of activities in and around the lake, according to Central Park Conservancy.

The lake is a common spot for catch-and-release fishing while the Harlem Meer Center is known for skating and swimming.
Boss Tells Employee That Working Overtime 'Isn't Really Optional' & Says To Change His Plans So He Can Work More

man looking at his watch

An employee wrote to Reddit to vent about a situation between him and his boss that happened a few years ago, yet was clearly still on his mind. He told his story on the subreddit r/antiwork, explaining that he worked delivering construction material at one of his boss's many stores.

One afternoon, a coworker called him to relay the news that he had to help with a delivery at a different store, past the time when his store closed. But the employee had made plans to pick his dad up from his job, so he called the store manager and told him that he had commitments.

RELATED: Cashier Reveals How He Got Revenge On Customer Who Continued Shopping 35 Minutes After The Store Closed

The head boss claimed that working overtime wasnt optional, despite the employees family commitments outside of work.

When the employee said hed made plans and couldnt work overtime, the boss told him, Well, during the winter, we pay you to work even though there isnt much going on, so we expect you to work overtime occasionally. So this isnt really optional.

The employee explained that although winter is quieter, he still works hard  from shoveling snow to making sure everything is safe, hes still an active employee. So, hearing his boss tell him that overtime wasnt optional really bothered him.

boss tells employee working overtime isn't optional

Photo: energepic.com / Pexels

The boss asked the employee what he was doing so that he couldnt work extra. While the employee realized in retrospect he should have claimed it was private information, he told his boss that he was picking his dad up from work, and they were going to a job to do together outside of town on a family property.

RELATED: Man Sprays A Homeless Woman With Hose To Move Her Away From His Business & Viewers Are Divided

The boss insisted that the employee check and see if his dad would let him change their plans so he could work overtime.

The employee asked the store manager if the job could be done earlier, in which case, he could have helped out. But the manager said no, saying the customer wont be home until a certain time. I tell him then unfortunately I cant help, because of my commitments, and tell him Ill tell the boss.

He texted his boss, saying that his dad really needed his help, and that their plans couldnt be delayed. He wrote that the boss texted back, and said to me to take my dad home, do the delivery, then Ill be done in an hour, and can continue doing the job with my dad. My boss also offered to help my dad with the job so I could do the delivery, because he didnt live far away from where we were working.

RELATED: Worker Deletes Thousands Of Files He Created After Finding Out That The Company That Fired Him For Being Incompetent Is Still Using His Work

The employee repeated himself over and over, explaining that he couldnt work more that night because hed made plans to help his dad.

Ive covered everything, he explained. Phoned the governing body that oversees employment, and they said I have [a] legal right to refuse overtime work unless there was a written agreement which there [was] none.

boss tells employee working overtime isn't optional

Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels

RELATED: Top-Performing Employee Tells Boss That Because His Pay Is 'Below Average' His Work Will Be Too After Getting Denied A Raise For Two Years

He stated, This isnt the first time my boss has tried to screw with my personal life. This incident was when I [started] to get my voice.

A majority of people commenting agreed that the boss had no right to overstep his boundaries.

It amazes me how much overreach employers think that theyre entitled to in our personal lives, said one person. We trade them our time [and] labor for their money. Thats where this ends.

The employee whod made the original post came into the comments to note that hed begun the process of looking for a new position, hopefully one where his time outside of work would be respected.

He stood up for himself, because his life outside of work was just as important as his job was  and if his demanding boss couldn't accept that, he did the right thing in finding new employment.

RELATED: Employee Shares The Sweet Tradition His Boss Does For His Company Every Week  'It Really Helps The Morale'

Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers work-related issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.

This article originally appeared on YourTango
A viral video posted by actress P-Valley star, Brandee Evans, is offering insight into the pay issues motivating the possible SAG-AFTRA strike that is looming over Hollywood.



Evans, who is known for her breakout role as Mercedes Woodbine in the hit show, took to her TikTok to give her followers a view into how much she makes in residuals as an actress.



In the clip, she shows the payment amount for three checks she received from SAG-AFTRA.



The first check she showed was for $3.99. The second check was for $4.67. And the third check she showed was for just one cent.



And thats why we gone strike, Evans said at the end of the video, alluding to the possible SAG-AFTRA strike.

Heres @Therealbrandee from our favorite show P- Valley showing us her residuals. This is the reality of life for working actors. What is $3.99 and $0.01 gonna do for anybody? pic.twitter.com/zPdx1LoLMF  Caroline WGA Captain on Strike Renard (@carolinerenard_) July 8, 2023

Actors Want More From Streaming

Evans first posted the video at the end of May on her TikTok. This was timed to an approaching strike authorization vote by SAG-AFTRA. And when votes were counted on June 3, it was determined that 97.91% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in support for strike authorization.



As talk of a SAG-AFTRA strike continues to build, Evans video has continued to make the rounds across social media sites like Instagram and Twitter.



People have praised Evans for her transparency about her residuals pay and have credited the video with showing in clear detail one of the key issues connected to the strike  actors demands for better residual pay from streamers.



Some people immediately assumed the checks were from her P-Valley work  which airs on Starz. But in a retweet, Evans clarified that the checks were actually from unnamed past projects shes worked on.

Looming Strike

The clock is ticking regarding the possible SAG-AFTRA strike.

With the approval of the strike authorization in June, SAG-AFTRA members have given permission to union leaders to call a strike if they cant reach a deal with the major studios by July 12.



There is also talk of the Directors Guild of America going on strike.



And with the Writers Guild of America having been on strike since May 30  after its own contract expired with no deal  Hollywood could be facing a simultaneous strike from the three unions.

Pay from streaming services was a key issue for WGA members leading up to the unions strike. They expressed frustrations over streamers being able to pay less and the struggle to maintain a sustainable income with the current contracts.



The post Brandee Evans Reveals 1 Cent Residual Check Amid Strike Talks appeared first on 21Ninety.
Bill H | Dreamstime.com

Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff Bryan Bailey says at least some of the deputies accused of beating, sexually assaulting, and repeatedly Tasering two men and shooting one of them in the mouth, have been fired. But Bailey refused to release the names of those deputies or even say how many were fired. The two men were in a home raided by the deputies after reports of drug activity at the location. The raid happened in January. Attorneys and family members of the two men say they are upset it took so long for the sheriff to fire the deputies and angry that no charges have been filed against them.

The post Brickbat: That's All You Need To Know appeared first on Reason.com.
Can I bring food to the California State Fair? Can kids go alone? Here are the rules

The annual California State Fair is almost here and whether youre planning your first or 50th visit, its a good idea to brush up on the rules before you go.

The state fair returns to Cal Expo at 1600 Exposition Blvd. on Friday. The last day of the fair will be Sunday, July 30.

All guests and containers entering Cal Expo and the California State Fair are subject to a protective screening and security search, according to the California State Fair website.

Illegal substances are prohibited.

Keep shirts and shoes on at all times. Both real and toy weapons as well as drones, selfie sticks and tripods should be left at home.

Before you hit the road, heres your guide to the general rules of the California State Fair:

Can minors go alone?

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older.

An adult can only chaperone five children at a time. Anyone entering Cal Expo and the California State Fair may be asked to show a valid I.D.

Organized and ticketed groups  including schools, churches and summer camps  are exempt from the rule and should have their own chaperone policies in place.

Its almost time for the California State Fair. Heres how to save money on tickets and rides

Are bags allowed?

Yes, but it must follow the clear bag policy.

Bags must be clear plastic or vinyl and not exceed 12 inches in length, 12 inches in width and 2 inches in height. One gallon-sized clear plastic bag or a small clutch is also allowed inside.

Can I bring food and drinks?

Outside food and sealed plastic water bottles are allowed.

Glass, aluminum cans, flasks, metal water bottles and alcohol are prohibited.

Can I bring a wagon?

Single wagons are allowed but you cant connect multiple wagons to one another.

Can I bring a cooler?

Yes, but it must be attached to a wagon and will be subject to a security search.

The cooler or ice chest cannot exceed 12 inches in length and 18 inches in width.

Can I bring my pet?

Pets, including emotional support animals, are prohibited.

Certified service animals are the only exception. They must be leashed or in a harness as well as controlled by their owner at all times.

Is smoking allowed?

The California State Fair is a smoking and vaping-free zone except in designated smoking areas.

California State Fair smoking areas

Green Gate

Outside Expo Center 5

Outside California Building B

Outside the Tractor Supply Co. Big Barn

The Miller Lite Racetrack Grandstand

Is weed allowed?

Cannabis in any form is prohibited.

Are bikes and skateboards allowed?

Biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, skating and scootering are prohibited.

Report suspicious activities

The Cal Expo Police Department can be reached at 916-263-3050.

Heres a complete list of rules for the California State Fair including disruptive conduct like running, shouting and sitting on tables. If you break any of the rules, you could be kicked out of the fair without a refund.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Email servicejournalists@sacbee.com with your top-of-mind questions.
President Biden faces a difficult task smoothing over wrinkles in his relationship with the U.K. as infighting continues to plague the ruling Conservative Party and as the country's traditionally impartial bureaucracy appears to weigh in on affairs, according to experts.

"Joe Biden has been the most anti-British U.S. president of the modern era," Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "He has treated the British people, the United Kingdom, with tremendous disdain, from sinking a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement through to his refusal to attend the coronation of King Charles."

Biden arrived Sunday night in Britain ahead of a critical NATO summit this week, with the bloc looking to firm up the details and commitments for a new Ukraine support package and the establishment of a NATO-Ukraine council.

The visit marks the first time Biden has visited since King Charles III took the throne, with Biden famously not attending the coronation on May 6. Biden made sure to call Charles ahead of the event to congratulate him, and the king invited him for a state visit after the coronation, but many Brits still interpreted the move as a snub.

FORMER UK PM BORIS JOHNSON STEPS DOWN FROM PARLIAMENT, CLAIMS HE WAS PUSHED OUT OVER PARTYGATE SCANDAL

Some hold the view that Biden does not have particular fondness for the U.K., a position born from his strong connection to his Irish roots and the difficulties that have persisted between the Republic of Ireland and Britain.

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That age-old friction is just one speed bump among many, according to Gardiner, who also cited Bidens "intense anti-Brexit  very pro-EU" stance and awkwardness around the administrations interference in the NATO secretary-general nominations to oppose Britains pick of Ben Wallace, currently the U.K.'s secretary of state for defense. Wallace stood as favorite for the position, but failure to secure U.S. support ended his hopes, The Telegraph reported.

"That's caused a lot of unhappiness in London," Gardiner noted. "That's happened just ahead of his visit to the U.K., and that has generated a lot of bad advance publicity, I think, for Joe Biden ahead of his trip."

President Biden is greeted by Britain's King Charles III greets during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023.

"And if you add onto that the reality that Biden and his administration are basically backing Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union Commission president, to be the next head of NATO, that's seen as very insulting, of course, by the British," he added.

CHINA CANCELS VISIT FROM TOP EUROPEAN OFFICIAL, OFFERS NO EXPLANATION AS RELATIONS GROW TENSE

Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that despite these tensions, Bidens visit has a chance to "cement the burgeoning relationship between the two leaders."

"We shouldnt expect any grand announcements to arise given the substantive discussions that already occurred last month, but the volume of conversations in recent months  and the addition of a meeting with the king this time  underscores an awareness that both countries would do well to work more closely together," Mendoza said. "The U.K.-U.S. alliance remains pivotal to the future of the free world."

Biden arrives amid a difficult situation in the U.K., which may limit the impact and value of his trip, as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces something of a mini-revolt in his party and a lack of support: He scored negative approval ratings among his party for the first time since taking office in October, notching a -2.7% after a decent 11.7% last month.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks as World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab listens during a session of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2023.

His approval in the traditional "Blue Wall" conservative stronghold region in southern England dropped to -8%, according to a Telegraph report.

AMERICANS BECOME LESS INTERVENTIONIST EVEN AS THEY PREFER STRONG MILITARY, GLOBAL LEADERSHIP: POLL

Sunaks approval has suffered partly due to continued drama surrounding Boris Johnsons exit not only from the role of prime minister last year but his role as a member of Parliament as well. Johnson and several other long-serving party members resigned their seats, with some suggesting they were pushed out from within.

"I would say that there are deep internal divisions within the British Conservative Party and a lot of unhappiness within the grassroots of the Conservative Party over the current leadership, which they see as shifting the Conservative Party to the left," Gardiner said.

"Also in the background you have down to the efforts by the Civil Service to undermine key aspects of government policy," he added, citing the governments inability to tighten immigration law to deal with the "small boat crisis," which he claimed the Civil Service has opposed and worked to "upend."

Former Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in London on Nov. 13, 2022, honoring service members who have fallen in the line of duty since World War I. (Toby Melville / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

"So, certainly in the U.K., I would say it is not easy for the British government to push through strong, robust conservative policies because you have a Civil Service in place that is very opposed to much of the governments agenda."

UK LAWMAKER FACES LIKELY EJECTION AFTER LONDON NIGHTCLUB GROPING INCIDENT

The Civil Service has come under great scrutiny after Sue Gray, the civil servant charged with heading up the independent investigation into Boris Johnson and his "partygate" COVID-19 scandal, accepted a role as the chief of staff to the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer  subject to approval from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Starmer led the left-wing Labour party.

Johnson wrote in a statement following the release of Gray's report that he was "being forced out by a tiny handful of people, with no evidence to back up their assertions, and without approval even of Conservative party members let alone the wider electorate."

"There have long been suspicions that civil servants of a differing political view have been able to stymie the efforts of this government to enact its preferred legislative agenda by throwing up procedural roadblocks along the way," Mendoza said.

"The furor over a senior civil servant like Sue Gray negotiating a job offer with the Labour Party while still a serving public servant is just the latest example of the sense that the Civil Services traditional neutrality may have been eroded," he said. "The net effect has been to see an Americanization of our system with an increase in political appointees as special advisers to ministers, helping them shepherd ideas through the Whitehall quagmire."

On Monday morning Biden met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street, and was then hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Following the meetings Biden flew to Vilnius, Lithuania for Tuesday's NATO summit.
Private airplane with red carpet

An untold increase of high net worth British nationals are paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to become EU citizens, wealth experts have warned.

Countries including Latvia, Greece, Malta, Austria and Portugal are touting golden visas and citizenships to an increasing number of British taxpayers looking to become domiciled abroad.

It comes as Britain is forecast to lose a net 3,200 high net worth individuals in 2023, more than Russia, amid the most onerous tax burden in post-war history, according to expat advice firm Henley & Partners.

The company, which advises clients on how to gain foreign residency and citizenship, recorded a 344pc increase in applications for its EU programmes from UK citizens between 2020 and 2021 in the wake of Brexit.

The interest dipped 22pc between 2021 and 2022, but applications have now skyrocketed again by 250pc in the second quarter of 2023 versus the first quarter  as Britains tax burden grows.

Stuart Wakeling, a managing partner at Henley, said: Weve got more British clients than ever before. [We have seen an] untold increase in demand in what we do from Brits because they are not happy about being outside the EU.

He added: There are big drivers for millionaires to move, tax is always going to be one of them. Whether youre American or British.

Last year 557,000 British passport holders emigrated, official figures show, as the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is accused of launching the biggest tax raid in 44 years with one in five expected to become higher-rate income taxpayers by 2027.

At the same time, British nationals are facing more restrictions on their ability to live and work on the continent. From 2024 visitors from the UK must pay for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, which is valid for three years and allows stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

Low-tax jurisdictions like Malta, with a top rate of 35pc, offer citizenship for applicants prepared to invest 738,000 for a minimum residence period of 36 months or 888,000 for a minimum of 12 months. The Mediterranean islands citizenship scheme has been one of the most applied to from Brits this year, according to Henley.

Real estate investments in Greece of 250,000 grant applicants residence and visa-free travel in the EUs Schengen area and the right to apply for citizenship after six years of residence, while those who invest a minimum of 60,000 in Latvia can enjoy the same benefits, with a pathway to citizenship after 10 years of residence.

Countries famed for their high quality of life, such as Austria and Switzerland, also seek to attract wealthy foreigners by investment.

Swiss residence permits require minimum annual taxes of 250,000, while investment of 10 million to a business, or 3 million to a government development fund, is generally required for Austrian citizenship. There are usually further requirements beyond monetary contributions for citizenship and residency schemes.

The net outflow of high net worth citizens from the UK, who are classed as having investable assets of $1 million or more, surged to 4,200 in 2017 following the Brexit referendum.

The figure is now climbing again to 3,200, beating Russias 3,000, and making the UK the third biggest loser of millionaires globally after China and India, according to Henleys data.

Prof. Trevor Williams, former chief economist at Lloyds Bank Commercial, said: Whatever one may think about the merits of Brexit, this cohort is voting with its feet. Coupled with the policy change to remove permanent non-domiciled taxpayer status, Brexit has made the UK less hospitable and welcoming to high net worth individuals.

Its now harder for them to move between the UK and EU countries. And evidence shows that the UKs share of inward investment into Europe has declined since it left the EU, with Germany and France benefiting.

Sunita Singh-Dalal, a partner at Dubai-based law firm Hourani and Partners, said: The recent unsettling British Non-Dom debate triggered by unprecedented political volatility, coupled with rising debt, a dysfunctional healthcare system, high crime rates, and a general sense of lingering malaise, has clearly tarnished the lustre of London.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Postmedia signage is pictured at the head office in Toronto, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Postmedia Network Canada Corp. and Nordstar Capital LP, the company that owns the Toronto Star, say they have terminated discussions about a potential merger, saying they were unable to come to an agreement. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj

Canadian media companies Postmedia Network Canada Corp. and Nordstar Capital LP, the company that owns the Toronto Star, have ended discussions about a potential merger, saying they were unable to come to an agreement.

Both companies issued press releases disclosing the change, with Torstar Corp., noting that the added backdrop of regulatory and financial uncertainty contributed to the talks ending.

The two companies announced in late June that they were in talks to merge in a deal that would have seen Postmedia and Metroland Media Group combine forces while the Toronto Star would be managed by a new company.

They had said the proposed deal would help them scale up in order to respond to the "existential threat" facing the media industry.

But experts sounded the alarm over what such a deal could do for local news coverage and for competition in journalism.

Postmedia laid off 11 per cent of its editorial staff earlier this year.
For months, a Brooklyn Shomrim leader coerced a teenage girl into an illegal sexual relationship, using his status as the anti-crime patrols chief to scare her into keeping quiet, federal prosecutors hope to prove in court this month.

Jacob Daskal, 64, is slated to face trial in Brooklyn Federal Court on allegations he groomed the 15-year-old girl, transported her across state lines to rape her and convinced her to participate in a lurid Skype call.

Its just going to ruin your life if you tell people, he warned the teen, according to the feds.

Daskal has denied the allegations, and filings from his lawyers show that his defense will likely be painting the girl as a liar who fabricated her accusations out of whole cloth. A woman who answered the phone at a number listed for Daskal declined to comment to the Daily News.

The alleged abuse started in 2017, after the teen, who was a member of the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park, started having problems with her family and asked a local mentor for help that spring, according to filings by federal prosecutors.

That mentor contacted the Borough Park Shomrim Society, which in turn linked the girl up with Daskal.

The Shormim, a volunteer group with ties to the NYPD and city politicians, works as a nonprofit auxiliary police of sorts in Brooklyns Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. It has about 130 members, a 24-7 dispatch service and vehicles that have markings resembling police cars.

The group has been credited with helping the police make arrests and has raised the alarm on antisemitic hate crimes. It has also seen its share of controversy, with critics accusing its members of violent vigilantism and stoking racial tensions with the boroughs Black population.

Daskal, who was the Borough Park Shomrims founder and chief, ostensibly stepped in to help the victim, letting her move in with him and his wife in Brooklyn in the short term, prosecutors allege. And when she moved in with her aunt and uncle to finish out the school year, Daskal kept in close contact.

Her aunt and uncle were leaving the city for the summer, though, so she needed a place to stay  and Daskal offered up a room in his summer home in South Fallsburg, N.Y.

Thats when the sexual abuse started, prosecutors said. One Saturday night in August 2017, he asked the girl to come to her bedroom, removed her shirt and started molesting her, the feds say.

He had sex with her in the house and at a nearby camp grounds on several occasions and drove her back to Brooklyn, crossing state lines through New Jersey, several times for more sexual encounters, the feds allege.

All the while, he texted I love you and that he was going to make her into a lady, regularly warning her to delete the messages because he feared going to jail because of her age, prosecutors said. He also repeatedly told her he had police protection and was a big guy in the Jewish community and would deny any allegations, they added in court filings.

She moved back in with him that October, until enrolling in Bais Yaakov High School in Chicago, the feds say. She lived in a basement apartment in the Windy City and Daskal would communicate with her by text and Skype, convincing her to go nude in at least one video call, the feds allege.

Daskal traveled to Chicago that November for a one-day trip, having sex with her in a hotel and taking her to dinner, the feds say. The girl told a classmate about the relationship, though, who let the schools principal know.

But the teen, who was afraid of Daskal, recanted what she told her classmate and the school expelled her, the feds allege.

She then went to school in Israel and Daskal stayed in touch, asking her to write him a letter calling the sex therapy and saying she loved him so he could use the letter as a legal defense, the feds say. He also asked her to write a letter denying they had a tryst in Chicago and, in a visit to Israel, he paid money to one of the victims friends to walk away and leave the two of them alone, the feds allege.

When the girl returned from Israel, she told her mentor about the relationship and called the NYPD soon after. That led to the Brooklyn district attorneys office to file rape charges in state Supreme Court in May 2018.

Those state charges were dismissed after the feds took over the case in early 2021.

In court filings last month, defense lawyers Henry Mazurek and Ilana Haramati asked the trial judge to limit what the jury can see and hear from calls and texts between the teen and Daskal  arguing that her texts, written after the alleged relationship, serve only to bolster her allegations and try to introduce actions that arent included in the charges against Daskal.

Theyre also asking the federal prosecutor be barred from describing the teen as a victim and a minor.

These terms would convey that Jane Does accusations are truthful, and because the government believes her, the jury should, too, they wrote to presiding Judge Nicholas Garaufis. Telling the jury that Jane Doe is a victim is tantamount to telling the jury she testified truthfully, presupposing Mr. Daskals guilt.

Jury selection in the case is expected to start the week of July 17. Daskal faces federal coercion and enticement charges, as well as charges he transported a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

A well-known community leader with ties to politicos and police, Daskal has donated money to state Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) and Mayor de Blasio in his 2009 run for public advocate.

The Shomrim has taken some hits to its reputation in recent years, and in 2013, Daskal publicly defended the watchdog groups actions after a man who shot four Shomrim members in a wild 2010 melee was acquitted of attempted murder.

The groups members tailed the man, David Flores, after hearing a report that he was seen masturbating near children. The masturbation allegation fell apart at trial, but Flores was still convicted of weapon possession and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Air travel has made a significant resurgence in the past year, including smashing pre-pandemic passenger records leading up to the Fourth of July holiday. However, as the number of air travel passengers climbs, the skies have become increasingly turbulent.

The increase in turbulence has led to more reports of wings bouncing, drink carts flying and passengers being jolted around. Researchers at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom have raised concerns that the duration of severe turbulence on flights over the North Atlantic has increased by 55 percent over the past four decades. The significant increase has been attributed to climate change, according to University of Reading researcher Isabel Smith.

In March 2023, seven people were hospitalized after a commercial jet experienced turbulence, while one person died in a separate incident that occurred on a business jet, according to to NPR. In December 2022, dozens were injured on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu due to significant turbulence.

A Southwest Airlines plane lands at Long Beach Airport Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Long Beach, Calif. Southwest Airlines says planes are taking off again Tuesday after departures were held up Tuesday because of what the airline calls an intermittent technical problem.

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

"The jet stream, which is this fast-flowing band, is getting more chaotic and stronger with global tropospheric warming," Smith told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell.

A jet stream is essentially an atmospheric highway located at the level where jets cruise. Winds in this high-speed river of air often reach 250 mph. Typically, aircraft flying from west to east will make better time than when flying from east to west. Aircraft flying from west to east often have a jet stream tailwind, as opposed to a jet stream headwind, when flying from east to west.

Pilots tend to utilize the jet stream while flying because the wind contained inside the jet stream can move the airplane quicker to its destination, allowing the pilots to conserve fuel in the process. However, clear-air turbulence is becoming more of a problem for flights in the jet stream.

Static Three Main Jet Stream Branches

"As you're flying, [clear-air turbulence] can come out of nowhere, hit the aircraft quite suddenly, and you don't have time to put the seatbelt sign on," explained Smith.

Clear-air turbulence is undetectable by onboard radar equipment. While clear-air turbulence poses a significant challenge for pilots due to its invisibility, avoiding the jet stream altogether may not be a viable solution. Even though modifying flight paths to not be in the jet stream could lower the risk of clear-air turbulence, it could also lead to other issues.

Light: Slight erratic changes in altitude and/or attitude.

Moderate: Change in altitude and/or attitude, but the aircraft remains in positive control at all times.

Severe: Large, abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude. Aircraft may be momentarily out of control.

Extreme: Aircraft is violently tossed about and practically impossible to control. May cause structural damage.

Turbulence climate change (Image/Ed Pritchard/Getty Images)

"If you were to avoid the jet stream when you're flying, you might have your flight times be a little longer, you might actually burn more fuel, which of course is going to contribute to more significant impacts on the climate," AccuWeather Director of Forensic Sciences John Lavin said.

The increase in turbulence may lead to significant changes in the way we travel.

"We'll probably end up with more convoluted, longer flight routes, longer waiting times, and flights will become more expensive," Smith explained.

In the long term, airplanes may be built with more advanced technology to detect clear-air turbulence and allow more warning for passengers on board. In the meantime, Smith said simple advice may be the most important to follow: "Keep your seatbelt on as much as possible."

Reporting by Bill Wadell.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
A Bucks County man could sue a South Jersey community for $1 million after he was rear-ended on a backed-up highway.

Eldion Pajollari has filed a tort claim notice with Salem County preserving his right to sue in connection with the March 31 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike.

A tort claim notice must be filed prior to suing a government entity in New Jersey. The notice does not mean a lawsuit will be filed; it only preserves to right to sue in the future.

The incident took place at Exit 3 on the New Jersey Turnpike in Runnemede, Camden County, when Pajollari was rear-ended by a Chevy Impala driven by Reinaldo Anzola, according to a New Jersey State Police accident report included in the tort claim notice.

In Pajollaris claim, filed by attorney Brandon J. Broderick, the Feasterville resident says he was injured when a Chevy Impala slammed into the back of his Infinity Q50.

It wasnt clear in the report which agency Anzola worked for. The Impalas owner was listed at 94 State Street in Salem City  the address for the county administration building. The tort claim lists the county, the sheriffs office and the Salem City police department as responsible for Pajollaris injuries.

Messages left with Salem County counsel and Pajollari's attorney were not returned Friday afternoon. Pajollari was not available Friday afternoon for comment. Anzola could not be reached.

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Anzola reportedly claimed Pajollari stopped suddenly, but the included police report faults Anzola for following too closely.

The men were stuck in stop-and-go traffic as Pajallori described it, as cars waited to exit the highway. The force of the crash pushed him into the car in front of him.

That car had no visible damage, the report says, but Pajollari's and Anzola's cars had to be towed from the scene.

The investigating officer wrote that no injuries were reported at the scene, but the tort claim notes injuries to Pajollari's upper extremities and legs.

The tort claim says that Anzola's negligence includes but is not limited to failure to observe traffic, failure to follow traffic properly, failure to safely operate a vehicle, failure to maintain a safe following distance, failure to alert other drivers and for creating a hazardous condition.

The public entities listed as causing the injury and damage include the County of Salem Sheriff's Department, County of Salem, City of Salem, and the City of Salem Police Department.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Feasterville man says Salem County employee rear-ended him on highway
Building evacuated on Georgia Tech campus after gas sets off alarm in lab

Officials from Georgia Tech said a building had to be evacuated Monday evening after gas set off an alarm.

It happened shortly before 5 p.m. A spokesperson for Tech said gas was being used under a security hood in a lab and set the alarm off.

They said the building was evacuated out of an abundance of caution.

The representative said they were working to return to normal operations on the campus.

The scene was cleared around 5:30 p.m.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Manojit Mondal, a businessman from Bankura in West Bengal, India, has made headlines with his hand-made solar-powered car. The vehicle only requires the driver to pay about 37 cents to travel 100 kilometers  about 62 miles.

This car is a pretty substantial money-saving tactic for Mondal, considering gasoline costs about $4.42 per gallon in some parts of India, according to India Times.

Indian news outlets have referred to the car as a mechanical landmark and a mechanical icon. Reports indicate that the car does not run on a traditional engine, which means it is almost completely silent even when reaching speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

The vehicle appears to be a converted Tata Nano, which made waves as the supposed worlds cheapest car when it was unveiled in 2008 for just 100,000 rupees  about $1,500, according to CNET.

The Nano was in production for 10 years between 2008 and 2018 and targeted first-time car owners who might otherwise stick to scooters or motorbikes, according to HotCars.

The Tata Nano kept costs to a minimum by stripping away everything that could be seen as superfluous  it boasted only one mirror, only one windshield wiper, smaller wheels, lighter-weight sheet metal material, no ventilation, and no airbags, which means it didnt meet the safety standards to be sold in the United States.

News 18 reports that Mandal had creative aspirations since childhood, so his new solar car project was a way to put his ambitions to good use while also saving money on gasoline.

Electric vehicles are gaining in popularity around the world due to decreased fuel costs and government incentives. By driving vehicles that utilize clean energy, we help curb the dangerous overheating of our planet by refusing to burn the dirty energy sources that pollute our environment.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Toni Atkins

In a first for LGBTQ+ people in California, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins has signed bills into law while serving as the states acting governor.

Atkins, who is a lesbian, is the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person serving as acting governor to sign bills into law while doing so in California, according to The Bay Area Reporter.

Atkins took the action last Thursday, when both Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis were out of the state. She signed three bills: Assembly Bill 354, updating membership on the Sacramento Regional Transit District board of directors; AB 410, upgrading Braille signage on motorized scooters and other mobility devices; and AB 588, dealing with membership on the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency board.

These bills impact public transit, shared mobility devices, & local water management will continue our efforts to protect CA & enhance our communities, Atkins tweeted.

 (@)

Im thrilled to step into the governors shoes, though I have better shoes than him, Atkins said during the signing ceremony, the Reporter notes. Her wife, Jennifer LeSar, joined her at the ceremony.

Atkins had served as acting governor for a few hours in 2014, making her the states first LGBTQ+ person doing so, but she signed no bills then.

The senator, who represents a San Diego district, has a history of firsts. In 2014, she became the first lesbian and second out LGBTQ+ person to be speaker of the California Assembly; John Perez, a gay man, had held the post previously. In 2018, when she was named president pro tempore of the Senate, she was the first woman and first out LGBTQ+ person in that position.

She will leave the Senate at the end of 2024 due to term limits, and she has set up a campaign account for a run for lieutenant governor then, when Kounalakis will also be term-limited. Kounalakis plans to run for governor.

While serving as acting governor last week, Atkins deflected questions about whether she might run for governor instead of the number 2 post. Thats a question for another day.  Im going to keep options open, she told journalists, according to the Reporter.
If you were a same-sex married couple before 2013, a lot of senators and members of Congress are pushing to get you tax refunds.

Prior to that year, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling overturning barriers to same-sex marriage couples in California and some other states were only sometimes able to marry legally.

But they couldnt file joint federal income tax returns, which meant they could be pushed into higher brackets and owe more. Not to mention trying to figure out how to divide a married couples deductions between two returns.

Since the ruling, same-sex couples have been able to file jointly. And now there are strong efforts in the House and Senate to allow couples to amend their returns if they were married prior to 2013. Congress bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimates there could be as much as $57 million in refunds available.

To a lot of people it would be a huge help, said Cindy Baudoin, an Orangevale financial officer who married her wife in San Francisco in 2004, saw the marriage annulled after a court ruling, and then married again after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013.

Baudoin is familiar with the tax code, and for years has helped friends with their returns.

Shes seen the confusion that filing separately caused married couples. How do you divide the mortgage expenses? The property tax deduction?

Tax refunds?

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, is a chief sponsor of the House bill. The Senate version, authored by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, has 46 co-sponsors, including California Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein.

Taxpayers usually have three years to amend a return. The legislation would allow same-sex couples married before 2013, notably in California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., to file for income tax adjustments prior to 2013, back to the date of their marriage.

Another bill would require the tax code to eliminate gender-specific references such as husband and wife. Instead, terms such as spouse and married couple would be used.

The tax code still reflects the discrimination of yesteryear, said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. He and Collins are the bills chief Senate sponsors.

Whether theres a windfall waiting for many couples, though, depends on income and other circumstances.

Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, a watchdog group, noted that the tax code has been a moving target for years, frequently changing.

Before people start thinking they can file amended returns and get refunds, they need to do some careful investigation, Sepp said. They could even wind up owing more money.

California and same-sex marriage

San Francisco first permitted same-sex marriage in 2004, which quickly triggered court challenges. The state Supreme Court ruled in May, 2008 same-sex marriage was legal, but that November, voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment barring such unions.

Dawn Deason and her wife lived that rocky history. They were first married in a church in 2003, celebrating with family and friends, and then were wed a year later when San Francisco legalized same-sex marriage.

They wed again in 2008, during the brief period when same sex marriage was legal in California, and again in 2013. Prior to 2013, they filed separate federal tax forms.

They got the help of a tax professional to navigate the complications.She really knew what to do, said Deason, a retired Sacramento video producer.

Most troubling about the legal chaos,was feeling we were second class citizens, Deason said.

The 2020 census found about 1.5% of marriages in California, involving around 100,000 couples, are same-sex.

About 1.8% of marriages in Sacramento County are same-sex couples. Other percentages: 1.5% in Yolo County, 0.8% in Placer County, 0.9% in El Dorado County and 1% in Stanislaus County.
'Call me!': Sandra Oh wants to reprise Vice Principal Gupta role in 'The Princess Diaries 3'

[Source]

Sandra Oh revealed in a recent interview that she is interested in reprising her role as Geraldine Gupta in the latest installment in The Princess Diaries film franchise.

What she said: Speaking to EW earlier this month, the 51-year-old Killing Eve star shared that she wants to see how her character ended up, saying, I am ready for the queen. Call me! I'm dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world."

About her role: Oh played Gupta, the vice principal of Albert Einstein High School where Anne Hathaway's character Mia Thermopolis attends, in the first The Princess Diaries film, which premiered in 2001.

In one of her most-cited scenes in the film, Ohs character receives a phone call informing her that Thermopolis grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (played by Julie Andrews), is on her way to Thermopolis school.

More from NextShark: KCON announces dates for Los Angeles and Japan

Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. The queen is coming," Gupta says.

About The Princess Diaries 3: The upcoming film, which is the third installment in The Princess Diaries film franchise, is currently in the works, reported The Hollywood Reporter in November 2022.

Aadrita Mukerji (Reacher, Quantum Leap) is writing the films script, while franchise veteran Debra Martin Chase will produce once more. The film will be a continuation  not a reboot  of the popular film series.

More from NextShark: Mindy Kaling, other South Asian comedians called out for perpetuating stereotypes

It is still unknown whether Hathaway and Andrew will reprise their roles.

More from NextShark: Netflix reveals first look at Michelle Yeohs character in new fantasy film The School for Good and Evil

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Prolific South Korean actor Yoon Jeong-hee dies at 79
FILE - Kentucky gubernatorial candidates, from left, Eric Deters, Daniel Cameron, Kelly Craft, Ryan Quarles and Alan Keck get ready before the start of the Kentucky Gubernatorial GOP Primary Debate in Lexington, Ky., May 1, 2023. On Friday, June 30, Republican infighting erupted in Kentucky over gubernatorial nominee Cameron's plans to attend a rally sponsored by Deters, who is now looking to challenge an incumbent GOP congressman next year. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron's campaign said Monday that he is pulling out of a September political rally after some fellow Republicans objected to his planned appearance alongside a controversial candidate who wants to challenge a sitting GOP congressman in next year's primary.

The congressman, Thomas Massie, said last month that it would be a mistake for Cameron, the state's attorney general, to attend the northern Kentucky rally hosted by Eric Deters, who also made a bid for governor this year, finishing fourth in the GOP primary.

Cameron now has other plans on the day of the event, his campaign said in a statement.

As it turns out, were going to be doing other campaign events that day in another region of the state. We plan to campaign in northern Kentucky often between now and November 7, the campaign said.

Deters has said that former President Donald Trump will be headlining his event, but the Trump campaign has not confirmed that.

On Monday, Massie tweeted that the attorney general wisely canceled his appearance. He referred to a news article in the Lexington Herald-Leader that cited past racist and homophobic comments made by Deters on social media.

Deters has been surrounded by other controversy as well. Earlier this year he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of harassment and menacing stemming from chasing his nephew in a truck at his farm. His law license has been suspended for many years.

Deters has said he wants to help Cameron defeat Democrat Andy Beshear, who is running for a second term, in the fall election. Deters has accused Massie of putting his own interests ahead of Cameron and GOP voters.

Massie, serving his sixth term, has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in next year's GOP presidential primary.

Cameron is the state's first Black state attorney general. He won an endorsement from Trump in the May gubernatorial primary, helping him defeat several other candidates.
(Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country will more than double the number of its troops in Latvia to help shore up NATOs eastern flank against potential Russian aggression.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization member will deploy as many as 1,200 new personnel to boost the Canadian-led battle group in Latvia as it expands to a combat-capable brigade, Trudeau said Monday at a military base in Adazi, Latvia. He announced an investment of C$2.6 billion ($2 billion) in weapons, intelligence and in cyberactivity.

Were here because European security is important to Canadian security, Trudeau told reporters alongside Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Canada has led a multinational NATO battle group in Latvia for six years and currently has about 800 of its own soldiers there. The force is one of four NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battle groups in the region.

This operation is Canadas largest overseas mission, with up to 2,200 troops to be persistently deployed, Trudeaus office said in a news release.

Canada stands ready to deploy additional surge personnel for allied crisis response, cooperative security and collective defense, the government said, adding it will also procure and pre-position critical weapon systems and supplies.

Trudeau and Karins signed a road map on Monday detailing the process to expand the current battle group into a combat-ready brigade, a promise first made by the Canadian prime minister a year ago.

The Canadian government said it will take another three years to fulfill the commitment, with full implementation of brigade capabilities planned for 2026.

Canada avoided using the word permanent to refer to the deployment, opting for persistent instead. Some troops will be rotated through Latvia for six months to a year, while others will stay for longer periods.

The Baltic nations, which since the end of the Soviet Union have warned of Russian attempts to claw back territory, have for years urged allies to bolster their troop presence permanently in the region to deter Russia from attacking.

Canadas decision follows a surprise announcement in June by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said Germany was prepared to station a permanent brigade of about 4,000 troops in Lithuania  though the move is likely years away. The conditions for such a presence are an expansion of infrastructure, including barracks and depots, as well as coordination with NATOs defense plans.

As part of a wider overhaul of NATOs defenses, allies in Madrid last year agreed to a compromise solution  committing to scale up in an emergency eight multinational battle groups to brigade size, which can involve as many as 5,500 troops.

The plan didnt necessarily involve stationing troops in eastern countries permanently, but rather identifying units at home that can be deployed at short notice and linking up with national and allied troops already on the ground. That rotation plan would give allied commanders more flexibility to deploy troops to other parts of the alliance.

But for countries like Canada, rapidly deploying troops to brigade size across the Atlantic within a matter of days would be a challenge.

If nations want to do more, that is their choice, that is not a problem, Rob Bauer, the chair of NATOs military committee, told reporters last week. But I would be cautious to have all the forces fixed along the eastern flank, because we do not know where the enemy will come. And if they come somewhere else, then you have those forces in the wrong place.

Canada has also been engaging more closely with the Baltic states at a diplomatic level by converting its missions in Lithuania and Estonia to full embassies. Canadas first resident ambassador to Lithuania, Jeanette Sautner, presented credentials to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday.

--With assistance from Laura Dhillon Kane.

(Updates with details on timeline beginning in 7th paragraph.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Photo: The Canadian Press The Teare Creek fire (G3021) burns in the Fraser-Fort George Regional District of British Columbia in a May 5, 2023, handout photo. The Township of Spallumcheen in the southern B.C. interior has opened an emergency operations centre after ordering 18 properties evacuated due to an out-of-control wildfire. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BC Wildfire Service

The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako in central B.C. has issued an evacuation order for all properties west of the Telkwa River, accessed off of Tatlow Road, including all local roads, as the Powers Creek wildfire rages nearby.

The out-of-control blaze covering 20 hectares was discovered Friday evening, and is believed to have been sparked by lightning.

Everyone in the area is being told to gather pets and critical items such as medication, wallet, keys and turn off all gas and electrical appliances before leaving immediately.

Evacuees should register at the reception centre at the Christian Reformed Church in Smithers.

Earlier Friday, the Township of Spallumcheen in the southern B.C. interior opened an emergency operations centre after ordering 18 properties evacuated due to an out-of-control wildfire.

The evacuations come amid a spike in wildfire activity associated with lightning and parched conditions across much of the province's interior.

Spallumcheen, with a population of about 5,300, says people living in the properties east of Round Lake Road should leave the area immediately.

The township says more than a dozen other properties on the west side of the road are on evacuation alert and should be prepared to leave with little notice.

The township says emergency crews are on scene, and tactical support from the BC Wildfire Service is on the way.

It says people whose properties have been evacuated can visit an emergency support service centre at the Spallumcheen's municipal hall.

Meanwhile, an evacuation alert has been issued by the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako for all areas north of the Endako river accessed by Savory Road, due to the risk posed by the Tatin Lake wildfire, which is burning out of control. Residents are being told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

The wildfire service was reporting 136 active fires in B.C. on Friday afternoon, most of them concentrated in the province's northeast.

They include 36 that were sparked in the past day, including the Spallumcheen fire, that the wildfire service says was caused by lightning and was discovered at about 2 p.m. Friday.

The service says that of the fires burning Friday, 110 were caused by lightning, 19 by human activity and seven had unknown causes.
Canada pledges to double its troops for Latvia in NATO reinforcement NATO Summit in Madrid

By Andrius Sytas

VILNIUS (Reuters) -Canada on Monday pledged to double its NATO-mandated deployment in Latvia with up to 1,200 more troops to try to secure the vulnerable Baltic region against any Russian aggression.

NATO has set up multinational battlegroups of about 1,000 troops in each of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The battlegroups are configured to act as a tripwire for larger forces in case of a conflict.

Since Russia's full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the battlegroups have been reinforced. The Baltics - all of which have borders with Russia - have been calling for them to be beefed up further into battle-ready brigades of about 3,000-5,000 troops.

Germany announced in June it would keep 4,000 troops in Lithuania permanently. Estonian officials said their defence needs had been met by a British fighting force based outside Estonia but which can be deployed there within days in a crisis.

"We are going to more than double our presence ... to serve and defend democracy and the rule of law," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart Krisjanis Karins at the Adazi military base in Latvia after an agreement was signed.

Canada commands the NATO battlegroup in Latvia, currently 1,700 strong, a number including troops from nine other NATO members. It is the largest overseas military engagement for Canada.

Trudeau said the added Canadian personnel "will reinforce and enhance our land, maritime and air capabilities and support special operations in central and eastern Europe" and the other nations will increase their presence in the battlegroup too.

The three Baltic republics have sharply increased military spending since 2014 but their economies and militaries are small. Canada pledged C$2.6 billion ($2 billion) to renew and expand the Latvian mission for three years starting in 2023-24.

The investment includes critical weapons systems and support for intelligence and cyber activities, Trudeau said before heading to neighbouring Lithuania for a NATO summit.

There Canada is expected to come under pressure from allies to increase its defense spending further to a minimum of 2% of gross domestic product per year. At 1.29% of GDP in 2022, Canada's defense spending as a percentage of GDP is about the same as it was in the late 1990s.

Canada has been lobbying to include in the calculation its expenditure space, cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) research, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported on Monday, citing sources.

($1 = 1.3283 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas and Johan Ahlander; additional reporting by Steve Scherer and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; editing by Anna Ringstrom and Howard Goller)
I canceled my BJ's and Sam's Club memberships when Costco opened 40 minutes away. It's now the only warehouse I shop at for my family.

My family shops for the essentials at Costco once a week. Terri Peters

When Costco opened 40 minutes away, I canceled my other warehouse memberships and never looked back.

Products like Kirkland Signature wine and Premier Protein shakes always end up in my cart.

I also love visiting Costco for the beautiful flower bouquets and $5 rotisserie chickens.

I've been an avid Costco shopper for most of my adult life but when my family relocated from the Northeast to Central Florida seven years ago, I was disappointed to learn the closest Costco to my beach town was a 90-minute drive away.

The trip seemed just a bit too far so my family and I looked for other warehouse-store alternatives. Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club were only about 15 to 20 minutes away so, over the course of six years, I shopped at the two stores. However, I was never completely happy.

But a little over a year ago, a Costco warehouse opened about 40 minutes from my home. I canceled both my BJ's and Sam's Club memberships without hesitation and gladly embraced weekly drives to our new Costco. I can honestly say I've never looked back.

In addition to the delicious food-court offerings, the kind employees passing out product samples, and the rotating variety of interesting products, my family relies on the Costco staples that always end up in my cart.

Here are 10 things I buy at Costco that leave me with absolutely no regrets about canceling my other two memberships.

The warehouse's Kirkland Signature wine is pretty tasty.

Kirkland Signature wine is a good deal. Terri Peters

Costco is known for its Kirkland Signature label, and the brand's wines often find their way onto my shopping list.

Not only are they affordable at about $8 per 1-1/2-liter bottle, but also they taste pretty good. Though I wouldn't serve them to impress dinner-party guests, I'd consider them a step above boxed wine in terms of flavor.

The Kirkland Signature wines are perfect for sipping on a weeknight, using in recipes that call for wine, or for making sangria  just a few of the reasons they're usually on my shopping list.

I'm always shopping Costco's selection of premade, refrigerated meals.

Premade meals include taco kits, wraps, and pasta dishes. Terri Peters

Costco's premade-meal section brings a bit of nostalgia for me. No matter if it's the birth of a child, someone in my home getting sick, or a loved one passing away, my friends have brought us Costco's delicious premade meals including enchiladas, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie.

There's nothing more comforting than knowing a friend cares enough to deliver a meal, and having something delicious to heat and eat can feel like a gift. My family has also taken part in the tradition by driving Costco's refrigerated meals to friends when they need a bit of help.

I often purchase premade meals to heat up on a busy weeknight and toss salads or wraps into my cart for weekend picnics or boat days. I've never had a meal from Costco that didn't live up to the hype so they're easy to lean on when we need some help in our home.

You can't beat the Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken.

I grab a $5 rotisserie chicken each time I stop at Costco. Terri Peters

It's no secret that a premade rotisserie chicken can make weekly meal prep a cinch or fill in as an easy dinner option. The $5 fresh-tasting rotisserie chickens are a delicious and budget-friendly addition to my grocery list.

We've been known to pull rotisserie chicken for enchiladas and to top salads with or carve it up with some simple side dishes as a fast meal during a busy week.

The produce at Costco always seems fresh and affordable.

I love going to Costco for my fruits and vegetables. Terri Peters

I think Costco's produce is always affordable and fresh, so the chain is one of the places I most often shop for the fruits and vegetables my family needs.

I tend to look for produce that's precut and ready for cooking. Removing additional steps in the kitchen is the perfect way to save time while getting family dinners on the table.

From precut cauliflower florets to bagged salad kits, Costco's produce section never disappoints me.

I turn to Costco for my cheese and charcuterie-board needs.

The Kirkland Signature cheese flight was delicious. Terri Peters

The selection of fine cheese and charcuterie at Costco is always impressive. We've found everything from spicy salami to smoked Gouda in the refrigerated-cheese and deli-meat section, and we've loved most of the things we've taken home to try.

On a recent trip, I discovered a Kirkland Signature cheese flight with a mixture of interesting cheese selections like chevre and fontina. I quickly snatched it up and turned it into a grazing board for friends we entertained that weekend.

The store always sells large quantities of milk for less.

It's economical for my family to buy gallons of milk at Costco. Terri Peters

Though the price of a gallon jug of Kirkland Signature milk can fluctuate, it's almost always more affordable than milk at other grocery stores by me.

On a recent shopping trip, I noticed whole milk was priced at just under $4 for a gallon and skim and 2% milk were a bit cheaper.

Some of our frequent purchases, like Premier Protein shakes, are priced reasonably at the warehouse.

The Premier Protein shakes are almost always in stock at Costco. Terri Peters

Everyone in my house loves protein shakes to get our nutrients, whether we're pouring it into coffee or drinking one on the go.

At Costco, our preferred protein-shake brand, Premier Protein, is priced more reasonably than we've seen elsewhere. At under $30 for an 18-pack of shakes, each one averages just around $1.50.

The flavors of Premier Protein available at Costco seem to rotate, so we've made peace with accepting that we may find vanilla and chocolate on one visit and end up having to choose between caramel and strawberry on the next. The key is to be flexible in which flavors you're willing to purchase and take home.

Eyeglass wipes, which we also buy often, are a great deal at Costco.

Eyeglass wipes can even be used for electronic devices. Terri Peters

Though the brand and price of the lens wipes sold at Costco tend to change, I always purchase my eyeglass cleaning wipes at the warehouse.

At around $10 for a gigantic box of individually-packaged wipes, I find it's more budget-friendly to purchase them in bulk instead of picking up a smaller box at the pharmacy.

We use these wipes for cleaning the screens of devices like phones and iPads, too. And, since they're individually packaged, they're easy to toss into a purse or backpack for keeping everything dust and fingerprint free.

The chain's displays of fresh flowers always bring me nostalgia.

The fresh flowers at Costco look beautiful in my home. Terri Peters

Every time I shop at the warehouse, I purchase a fresh bouquet of flowers, another nostalgic Costco buy for me. I remember being a new mom, shopping with my husband and our small children, and having my kids choose a bouquet of flowers for me.

I'd take them home and arrange them in a vase, never not surprised by how fresh the flowers seemed or how long they lasted on my kitchen table.

My kids are teenagers now but they'll still ask if I want flowers when we shop together. The great-smelling blooms sold at Costco always put a smile on my face and, since I believe in the joys of simple pleasures, I always add some to my cart.

Costco's the only place we buy shampoo and conditioner.

Costco's shampoo and conditioner usually come in pump bottles. Terri Peters

My daughter and I have a lot of hair so we go through many products to keep our locks in the best shape. Living in Florida, where my entire family is hot and sweaty and frequently takes showers, it's safe to say we use a large amount of shampoo and conditioner.

I'm always sure to purchase shampoo and conditioner from brands like Kirkland Signature and Pantene to get the most bang for my buck. The bottles almost always have a handy pump on top so using them in the shower is a breeze.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

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Candid photos from President Joe Biden's visit with King Charles show the close bond the 2 leaders share

King Charles III and President Joe Biden laughing in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023, in Windsor, England. Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

President Biden met King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Monday during his visit to the UK.

They were photographed laughing together and appeared animated as they discussed climate change.

Biden broke royal etiquette rules by touching Charles' arm and back, but Charles returned the favor.

President Joe Biden and King Charles III appeared friendly during the president's visit to the UK on Monday, forgoing formal greetings and laughing together at a welcome ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Biden met with the king and the UK's prime minister, Rishi Sunak, in a trip that the White House said was intended to "further strengthen the close relationship between our nations," Reuters reported on Sunday. Biden and Sunak will both attend the 74th NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, beginning on Tuesday.

Charles and Biden have met before on several occasions, including at the G7 Leaders Summit in Cornwall, England, in June 2021 and at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.

Here are the best candid photos from Biden's visit with Charles.

President Joe Biden touched King Charles III's arm as they shook hands at a welcome ceremony at Windsor Castle  a breach of traditional royal etiquette rules.

President Joe Biden shakes hands with King Charles III during a welcoming ceremony at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Monday, July 10, 2023. Susan Walsh/AP

Biden also put his arm around the king in another non-traditional move.

President Joe Biden places his hand on the back of Britain's King Charles III as they return to the Dias after inspecting a guard of honour during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023. KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Charles didn't seem to mind, returning the favor by touching Biden on the arm as they walked inside a tent for the ceremony.

President Joe Biden walks with King Charles III during a ceremony before their meeting at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Monday, July 10, 2023. Kin Cheung, Pool/AP

After the president's arrival, Biden and the king watched a short procession of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of the British Army, before listening to the US national anthem.

King Charles and President Joe Biden inspect the Guard of Honour formed by The Prince of Wales's Company of the Welsh Guards at Windsor Castle on Monday. REUTERS

As they departed the ceremony, Biden shared a joke with Charles' equerry Major Johnny Thompson, who accompanies the king at royal events.

President Joe Biden jokes with King Charles III's equerry, Major Johnny Thompson, after the ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023. BEN STANSALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Biden and the monarch appeared to enjoy each other's company as they smiled and laughed on the castle grounds.

King Charles III and President Joe Biden laugh in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023, in Windsor, England. Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Later that day, Charles and Biden appeared animated as they spoke about climate change with philanthropists and investors.

President Joe Biden and King Charles III meet participants of the Climate Finance Mobilisation forum in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023, in Windsor, England. Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images

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A longtime Capitol Police (USCP) officer has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material and suspended from duty, according to the law enforcement agency.

Maryland State Police on Monday arrested Capitol Police officer Jared M. Lemon, 42, outside his home in the state and charged him with five counts of possession of child pornography, according to a release.

Lemon, who has been with the Capitol Police for nearly two decades, is suspended pending the outcome of the criminal case.

According to the release, the USCP learned of the investigation into Lemon in December and revoked his police powers, reassigning him to administrative duties where he would not interact with the public while the Maryland police investigated.

The USCPs Office of Professional Responsibility will start an administrative investigation after the criminal case concludes, the agency said.

The Hill has reached out to the Maryland police for more.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Rocklin police captured escaped murder suspect Eric James Abril at 12:30 p.m. Monday, ending a manhunt that began early Sunday morning when he fled from Roseville Sutter Medical Center.

If you run you will be shot, an officer could be heard shouting over police radio. You understand?

His hands are up, the officer continued. Hes listening to commands. Hes walking toward us. Its confirmed its him. Tattoos on his arms, matches the description, orange pants.

Abril, 35, was taken into custody near Antelope Creek behind 5855 Zion Court, according to radio traffic, following a night-long search for him by dozens of police officers who combed through rough, rocky terrain using dogs, drones and aircraft.

Word of his capture came from scanner traffic, and Placer County sheriffs officials had yet to announce the news.

But Abrils lawyer, Matthew Bockmon, learned of his clients capture from The Bee and expressed relief.

Im glad hes safe, Bockmon said. And I hope nobody else is hurt.

This is a developing story; check back with sacbee.com for updates.
Tom Stuker has been called the world's most traveled air passenger, with some 23 million miles flown (-)

Tom Stuker has flown some 23 million miles in three decades, the same as 48 round trips to the moon, but the American says he is not concerned by his carbon footprint.

Stuker, dubbed the world's most traveled air passenger, estimates he has spent the equivalent of three of his 69 years on planes and in airports.

The businessman from New Jersey travels an average of 994,000 miles (1.6 million kilometers) a year, although in 2019 he clocked up 1.5 million miles.

"I'll never do that again," he told AFP, admitting that even for him it was too much.

Stuker owes his travel to a lifetime pass he bought from United Airlines for $290,000 in 1990.

"It was strictly a business decision," Stuker recalls.

At the time, his auto industry consulting business was expanding, particularly in Australia, and he wanted to save money on travel.

He later took up the option of a companion pass, bringing his total spent to $510,000, for which he took out a loan.

"It took about a half hour to explain everything to my banker, and he tried to talk me out of it several times," Stuker remembers.

Then he was scared of flying, but not anymore.

The pass has likely saved him millions of dollars but United appear happy with his business -- they've put his name on three of their planes.

Stuker has flown an average of 22,000 miles a week since acquiring his pass and visits Australia about 20 times a year.

He has been featured in several US publications and has endured some abuse on social media, with users accusing him of contributing to global warming.

"Recently a person posted a comment saying he hopes that myself and my entire family die from my carbon footprint," Stuker says.

- 100 million miles -

The airline industry contributes up to three percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but experts say its impact on warming temperatures is worsened by its emission of other gases and condensation trails.

Scientists say that the industry's contribution to further warming can be halted with a 2.5 percent annual decrease in traffic using current fuels or a transition to a 90 percent carbon-neutral fuel mix by 2050, an industry target.

"The problem isn't the passengers," insists Stuker.

"The only way to solve the problem is with the airline industry itself, which is spending millions of dollars to reduce its overall emissions."

Stuker has accumulated more than 100 million frequent flyer miles that he has been able to use on luxury hotels and restaurants, as well as generous gift cards for family and friends.

And his favorite thing about flying? The food.

"Actually I got to start cutting down on all that food. During the pandemic, I lost 65 pounds," he says.

Stuker says he has only ever missed one flight in his life and that was because he fell asleep in the airport lounge.

So what is his top tip to ensure the smoothest possible travel?

Catch the first flight of the day because it is usually cheaper, less busy, and not impacted by delays.

"Get your butt out of bed early!" Stuker says.

af/pdh/sst
Ray Epps and his wife, Robyn Epps, in an undated photo. (Alan Feuer/The New York Times)

Of all the distortions and paranoia that Tucker Carlson promoted on his since-canceled Fox News program, one looms large: a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol to sabotage and discredit former President Donald Trump and his political movement.

Whats known about the man  a two-time Trump voter named Ray Epps  is that he took part in demonstrations in Washington that day and the night before. He was captured on camera urging a crowd to march with him and enter the Capitol. But at other points, he pleads for calm once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent. He can be seen moving past a line of Capitol Police at the barricades, but he never actually goes inside the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors have not charged Epps with a crime, focusing instead on the more than 1,000 other demonstrators who acted violently or were trespassing in the Capitol. The Justice Departments sprawling investigation into the attack remains open, however, and Epps could still be indicted.

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Yet for more than 18 months, Carlson insisted that the lack of charges against Epps could mean only one thing: that he was being protected because he was a secret government agent. There was no rational explanation, Carlson told his audience, why this mysterious figure who helped stage-manage the insurrection had not been charged.

He repeated Epps name over and over  in nearly 20 episodes  imprinting it on the minds of his viewers.

Epps was in the Marine Corps but said in his deposition before the Jan. 6 committee that he had otherwise never worked on behalf of any government agency. He and his wife, Robyn, have fled Arizona and are in hiding in another state, having sold their wedding venue business and ranch after receiving death threats from people who appeared to believe the conspiracy theory. And his legal jeopardy is far from over given that prosecutors are still unsealing cases in connection with Jan. 6.

Now lawyers representing Epps and his wife are proceeding with plans to sue Fox News for defamation. We informed Fox in March that if they did not issue a formal on-air apology that we would pursue all available avenues to protect the Eppses rights, said Michael Teter, a lawyer for Epps who sent the network a cease-and-desist letter asking for an on-air apology and a retraction. After Teter did not hear from Fox about his request, he began to prepare the suit. That remains our intent.

Epps declined to comment on his potential suit. A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment.

Carlson also declined to comment. But he continues to push the false notion that the Jan. 6 attack was staged by anti-Trump elements inside the government. On a podcast last week, Carlson claimed that the riot was not an insurrection and that the crowd that day was filled with federal agents.

First Amendment experts say Epps has a viable case for defamation  one reminiscent of the lawsuit the network recently settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, a case centered on numerous examples of false statements made on Fox News programs over an extended period.

If Epps moves forward, the case would be another legal complication and reputational stain for the conservative network, which faces a growing list of lawsuits related to its airing of false claims about the 2020 election and its aftermath. They include a $2.7 billion suit from a second voting technology company, Smartmatic, and two separate claims by Fox Corp. shareholders. Another lawsuit from a former producer for Carlson, which Fox settled on June 30 for $12 million, alleged that he condoned and encouraged a toxic workplace.

A defamation suit by Epps would be further evidence of how Carlson continues to pose a headache for Fox well after the network relieved him of his anchoring duties. Fox executives took him off the air after his text messages, which became public as part of the Dominion suit, revealed he had expressed hateful and racist sentiments.

On the air, his behavior had begun to grate on senior Fox executives including Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corp., who disliked Carlsons continued promotion of conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, which had drawn rebukes from Republicans including Sen. Mitch McConnell. On the day he was informed his show was canceled, Carlson had been planning to run another segment on Epps, according to a tweet from an authorized biographer of the host, Chadwick Moore.

By design, defamation law tilts heavily in the news medias favor, making it difficult to be found liable for defaming public figures  who are often targets of media reporting  unless there is proof that the defendants either knew what they said was false or acted with a reckless disregard for the truth. Epps would be able to argue that Carlson repeatedly uttered statements about him from October 2021 to March 2023 that were baseless, or easily explained or contradicted by the facts reported in numerous news reports.

His challenge is to get a judge, if he files the suit, to say this was so inherently, bizarrely improbable that only a reckless person would put it into circulation, said Rodney Smolla, president of Vermont Law School and a defamation expert who consulted for Dominion during its case against Fox News.

No case is easy, Smolla added, but this one is certainly, in my view, viable.

The attacks against Epps began circulating online after a video taken on the night before the Capitol attack. It shows Epps at a pro-Trump demonstration on a Washington street shouting that he planned to march to the Capitol and enter. After pausing for a few seconds, he adds, Peacefully. Some in the crowd begin chanting Fed! Fed! Fed! at him, implying he was a government agent trying to goad Trump supporters into committing a crime.

Another video, taken on Jan. 6, also shows Epps encouraging people to march toward the Capitol. Then he bends down to whisper in a mans ear moments before the man and rioters overcome police officers and breach the security perimeter around the Capitol grounds. It is difficult to hear what Epps says in the video.

Law enforcement immediately took note of Epps suspicious behavior and put a picture of him on an online wanted list. Epps has said he called the FBIs National Threat Operations Center shortly after the alert went up, and his phone records show he spoke to agents there for nearly an hour.

When the bureau removed him from the list  a few months after agents formally interviewed him and his son in spring 2021  Carlson and others claimed that Epps disappearance and the lack of criminal charges meant that the government was protecting him.

On his programs, Carlson claimed that Epps was a liar and demanded that he be arrested. In one segment that ran shortly before Fox News canceled Carlsons show in April, he showed viewers an image of the FedEx logo that had been altered to say FedEpps.

The fact that Epps has not been charged is largely in keeping with hundreds, if not thousands, of individual decisions that the Justice Department has made in its vast investigation of the Capitol attack.

Only a handful of people who pushed past barriers at the Capitol but never went inside the building have faced charges, and no defendants have been charged with incitement. Incitement charges against Epps would be particularly hard to prove given that he ultimately sought to deescalate the crowd, and his most vocal encouragement to enter the building took place on the night before the attack, making it almost impossible to show his words had an immediate effect.

What Epps whispered to that man on the day of the attack has been answered three separate times: in an interview the FBI conducted with the man Epps had talked to, Ryan Samsel; in Epps own interview with authorities; and in a podcast interview with a co-defendant in Samsels case. All three said Epps had urged Samsel to calm down.

He came up to me and he said, Dude  his entire words were Relax, the cops are doing their job, Samsel said, according to a recording of his interview with the FBI.

Carlson, in his legal defense, could point to inconsistencies in Samsels account. He could also note that Epps sent a text to a family member, well after the riot ended, saying he helped orchestrate the movements of people toward the Capitol.

There are also unresolved legal questions about whether Epps truly suffered reputational harm if the only people he presumably lost esteem with are those who think Jan. 6 was a righteous cause.

The question I would raise if I were Tucker Carlsons lawyer, said David Logan, a former dean of Roger Williams School of Law, is should Epps be able to claim defamation when the people who think less well of him are criminals?

Courts have struggled with this exact question, he added, pointing to hypotheticals such as a man who sues over false allegations that he is gay, or an anti-abortion activist who claims she was wrongly accused of having an abortion.

Carlson could also rely on the ambiguous and indirect language he sometimes used in describing Epps. For instance, he said at various points that he couldnt be sure if Epps was really a double agent, acknowledging, We dont know anything about him.

An indictment of Epps could also complicate his defamation case, by making any claim of reputational damage more difficult. The centerpiece of a libel case is an alleged harm to reputation, so it for sure can become trickier to prove that you experienced a damages-incurring loss if your reputation is already poor because of true information, said RonNell Andersen Jones, a professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. But the questions are often complex.

Only if a judge allows a case to proceed, Logan said, will his lawyers know how strong their position is.

Unlike Dominion, without Epps filing suit and getting broad discovery, we cant be sure that Tucker Carlson had any doubts about the veracity of the allegations, Logan said. Or that similar doubts went up the corporate chain.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
When Joey Piscitelli was 14, he was sent to Silesian High School in Richmond, California. A self-described runt, he weighed 70 pounds and looked about 10. I think thats why I was picked, he told me. He was befriended by the schools vice principal, Father Stephen Wheelan, before being subjected to years of abuse. It began with priests masturbating in front of him and ended in violent rape. He is aware of at least four other victims of the paedophile ring at his school who have since committed suicide.

Piscitelli is now an advocate for other victims, having won $600,000 in compensation from a 2006 jury trial against the Diocese of Oakland  which last month declared bankruptcy, after receiving more than 330 legal claims of sexual abuse. Its part of a growing trend in the Catholic Church of the United States, which Piscitelli and other campaigners believe is an attempt by the church to skirt its responsibilities  but the reality is not as clear-cut as it may seem.

Since ground-breaking reporting by The Boston Globe in 2002 exposed widespread sexual abuse in Americas Catholic Church  including the practice of moving known paedophile priests between parishes  countless victims have sought justice. Two years after the expose was published, the United States Church commissioned a report, which found that, between 1950 and 2002, over 4,000 Catholic priests were the object of sexual abuse allegations. The cases involved some 11,000 children, the overwhelming majority of whom were young boys. The allegations go all the way to the top, with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked by the Pope in 2019, the subject of an ongoing criminal case. A seismic reckoning, but one that is still far from complete.

In California, a 2019 law opened a three-year window in which cases would be exempt from statutory limitation, resulting in more than 3,000 lawsuits. The influx of claims has seen at least four of the 12 Roman Catholic dioceses in California file for bankruptcy, or contemplate doing so, to deal with the crisis. In New York, five of the states eight dioceses have also recently sought bankruptcy protection.

In a letter to parishioners last month, Oakland Bishop Michael C. Barber said that the Diocese made the filing because it believed that the bankruptcy process is the best way to support a compassionate and equitable outcome for survivors of abuse, while ensuring that the church continues to support the community. He warned that the Diocese would be forced to close some of its worship sites, and re-imagine how to use others. This was part of the dual challenge of declining engagement by Catholics, he explained, citing a 25% decline in priests since 1985 and Mass attendance that has almost halved since 2010.

According to research firm Gallup, between 2000 and 2020 the percentage of self-described Catholics in the United States who were members of a church declined by 18 points (from 76% to 58%)  double the number of Protestants no longer going to church. While the decline in church attendance cannot be solely put down to child sexual abuse scandals  it is occurring to an extent across most Christian denominations, and has been accelerated by pandemic lockdowns  they may explain why it has been particularly precipitous for Catholics.

The hypocrisy of Pope Francis

By Damian Thompson

For those seeking financial redress for these horrific crimes, understanding the true wealth of the Catholic Church is a frustrating pursuit. One estimate suggests its total United States assets are worth $65 billion, but there is no way to prove this figure. Only through individual bankruptcy cases can churches true wealth be known. The Oakland Dioceses recent petition says that its assets are valued between $100 million and $500 million  and that liabilities from the claims against it are estimated to be in a similar dollar range.

When an organisation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, it automatically halts any pending civil lawsuits, while allowing the organisation, in this case the churches, to continue operating. Marie Reilly, a law professor at Penn State Law and practising Catholic, has compiled Chapter 11 bankruptcy data for The Catholic Project, which aims to provide transparency regarding the process. She noticed that filing for bankruptcy was becoming commonplace after the Diocese of Portland first sought the legal protection in 2004: 32 of the countrys 195 dioceses have sought it since. But Reilly believes that media coverage of the practice is often misleading.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who are great at what they do, manage the media extremely well, she told me. The Church, Reilly added, tends to be unwilling to publicly push back on some of some of the inflammatory and colourful statements that are made by advocates for survivors of sexual abuse. She believes that bankruptcy is a very powerfully charged word and public perception of it, along with legal complexities, makes the bankruptcy process seem sinister in a way that in fact, it is not.

A number of bankruptcy scholars, and lawyers who have no affiliation to the Church, have also come out in support of the bankruptcy strategy as the best way to handle mass sexual abuse claims. (The Boy Scouts of America, facing a similar crisis, is using the same mechanism). The reasoning goes that United States tort law could permit the first few claimants to take the lions share of compensation, meaning that subsequent victims could be left fighting for scraps. Reilly says that the untold story about bankruptcy is that it provides an alternative to the winner-take-all race approach to litigation. If all the claims against the church are resolved in a single forum, she says, all the victims will be treated similarly.

Victims, however, say that filing for bankruptcy shields the Catholic Church from true justice. Mike McDonnell, a child sexual abuse victim of the Church in Philadelphia and spokesperson for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), says that bankruptcy proceedings stop the operations of the Church hierarchy coming to light. Many victims, he explained, are seeking to unveil how some of these well-known predators within the diocese were allowed to continue their career by being transferred to parish after parish. He believes that it is not only financial claims that are halted when a bankruptcy petition is filed, but also any deeper inquiries into the systemic cover-up of abuse. The victim is then prevented from seeing documents that we know the diocese is holding on to, he says. We know that the Catholic Church is extremely good at keeping records and taking notes.

There is only so much the national, and international, Church is willing to do. The Vatican wrote to the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2020, reminding them that dioceses filing for bankruptcy may require consent from the Holy See  when the alienation of temporal goods exceeds $7.5 million for dioceses with more than 500,000 members, and $3.5 million for those with smaller numbers. The overarching US Church body, meanwhile, has established a protocol for managing cases  each diocese is supposed to have its own designated Victim Assistance Coordinator, for instance  but it has eschewed responsibility for the financial management of claims. Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs for the US Bishops Conference, told UnHerd in a statement that the financial, legal, structural, and operational matters of each United States diocese operates separately under the governance of its respective bishop. (She also said that the Church has made much progress, but we also know that the painful experience of survivors calls us to continual improvement.)

Marie Reilly agrees that victims deserve restitution, but says that their cause has been hijacked by class action lawyers who advertise on television and generate a large number of claims though communicating an anti-church sentiment. She suspects that some victims groups are funded by well-organised, extremely sophisticated donors looking for profit rather than justice.

On that front, she has a case. In 2017, former SNAP fundraiser Gretchen Rachel Hammond filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Network, alleging that she was fired for confronting the organisation about colluding with survivors attorneys. Hammond accused SNAP of exploiting victims, stating in her lawsuit that the organisation routinely accepts financial kickbacks from attorneys in the form of donations, and it then refers survivors as potential clients to attorneys, who then file lawsuits on behalf of the survivors against the Catholic Church. Mike McDonnell told UnHerd that SNAP will not comment on that resolved issue.

How manifesting was corrupted

By Elle Hardy

Church bankruptcy is the real issue, he says, that needs to be addressed. Its not fair, because it still allows the dioceses to steer the proceedings and have a better outcome, he says. Victims need significant compensation. But the days of large six figure settlements for survivors are becoming increasingly rare. If you really tally up the cost of trauma over the course of an individuals lifetime, its a heck of a lot more than $175,000, which he says is now roughly the average payout. McDonnell believes that, by refusing to take financial responsibility for that trauma, the Catholic Church is kicking the can down the road, and revictimising those who have been terribly hard done by.

Many have pointed to the vast property holdings of the Church as another sign that filing for bankruptcy is a shady tactic. But some dioceses have actually started selling property to contribute to settlements. In 2021, Long Island in New York sold its headquarters for $5.2 million. Last year, the Archdiocese of New Orleans sought court approval to sell off properties as part of its bankruptcy case. So far, it has only sold one former school for $1.9 million  a drop in the ocean of the $243 million in assets, and $139 million in liabilities, that it listed in its bankruptcy petition. (Marie Reilly notes that the Diocese has layers of financial problems beyond sexual abuse cases).

And while the Catholic institutions unpopularity balloons, it appears that an equally despised, albeit secular villain is entering the arena. Reilly says that insurance companies have become increasingly involved in this scandal, on behalf of the Church, and that they are resisting victims claims in court. Historical lawsuits without witnesses are notoriously difficult to prosecute, and insurers are beginning to mount more robust legal defences. Insurers are saying, the dioceses wont push back, so were going to push back  were not just going to write the checks anymore, she says. This is another way in which bankrupt churches might serve victims better: under bankruptcy law, claims are batch processed, with few going to jury trial  a process that is not only traumatic for victims, but also has a less predictable outcome.

Catholics for clout

By Ann Manov

Pope Francis has asked victims of clerical sexual abuse for forgiveness, but SNAP says it is up to individuals, and not something that can be granted to the institution. These cases are about redressing failure, and everyone  even insurance companies  recognises that nothing in this world can ever truly compensate for the moral, psychological and spiritual injuries inflicted on untold numbers of young children by an institution that was supposed to love them.

For survivors like Joey Piscitelli, the Churchs request for grace is a step too far. And nothing will persuade him that the legal manoeuvring is not a false pretence to keep perpetrators names, and details of their crimes, out of the media. A bankruptcy court shouldnt have jurisdiction over the information of what priests did to kids, he says. By filing for bankruptcy because theyre being pursued for tens of millions of dollars, Catholic Churches are claiming that they are the victims.
They Caught the Fish, but the $3.5 Million Prize Got Away

From Left, Darrin Cox and Tyler Hodge unload fish after a charter outing on the Sensation boat in Morehead City, N.C., on June 30, 2023. (Madeline Gray/The New York Times)

If you want to hear about the day the guys aboard the fishing boat Sensation landed a giant marlin and danced to Tina Turner because they were sure they had won $3.5 million, only to find out they had not, first you need to know about Ashley Bleau and the Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament in Morehead City, North Carolina.

Bleau, 45, is a self-described Down East redneck for whom business attire is board shorts and bare feet. Like a lot of people on North Carolinas Crystal Coast, he grew up hoping he would own a boat someday, and last year he bought a beaut: Sensation, a 52-foot custom fishing boat with a cabin for lounging and a downstairs bunk room. He has used the boat to build his charter company, Sensation Sport Fishing.

In June, he entered it in the Big Rock Tournament, joining 270 other vessels that set out to sea over six days in hopes of winning millions in prize money and having their achievement engraved in the Big Rock fountain at the Morehead City docks.

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Since 1957, the Big Rock tournament, run by a nonprofit charity, has attracted sport fishermen from all over, including Michael Jordan, who competes on his fishing yacht Catch-23.

If you grow up around here and care about fishing at all, Big Rock is your Super Bowl, Bleau said.

Bleaus captain was Greg McCoy, 56, who left his previous job partly because the boat he captained was owned by the woman he was divorcing. McCoys only dedicated crew member was Darrin Cox, a 21-year-old in a camo hat whom nobody calls Darrin. He goes by Scooter.

Bleau found fishermen willing to pay for 24 shares in the boat at $3,013 a share, with different anglers assigned to different days.

The shareholders on Sensation agreed that the people on board for any prize catches would divide 70% of the payout among themselves. Bleau, McCoy and Scooter would take 10% each.

The first boat to bring in a marlin weighing more than 500 pounds would win the Fabulous Fisherman prize, worth $739,500. The prize for catching the biggest marlin overall was $2,769,400. The potential haul, then, was $3.5 million if you won both prizes.

The Sensation planned to leave Morehead City at 5 each morning of the tournament and look for a place to drop its lines by the 9 a.m. starting time. Under the rules, the fishermen would have until 3 p.m. each day to hook a fish, and they could fight it as long as it took to reel it in. Boats had to radio in to tournament officials when they had a fish on the line. They also had to provide video of their battles with fish later to confirm the catch was legitimate and there was no cheating. Winners had to take polygraph tests.

Many of the boats heading out into the Atlantic had big, dedicated crews and fancy sonar technology that could find a fish in the water below and lock onto it and follow it around.

Bleaus boat had none of those things. To find marlin, McCoy relied on instincts and knowledge honed over 20 years at sea. Earlier this year, he and Scooter fought a 600-plus-pound bluefin tuna for 11 hours. They got it right up to the boat, but then the line snapped and the fish was gone.

Broke my heart, Scooter said.

On the first day of the Big Rock, the swells were 8 to 10 feet high, and four of the nine people aboard Sensation spent most of the morning vomiting. Jordans Catch-23 did not even go out.

Three boats managed to land blue marlin that day, though only one weighed more than the minimum 400 pounds. On Day 3, Sea Wolf brought in a 408.1-pounder and Predator a 459-pounder. On Day 5, two more big marlin came in, including one from the boat Sushi at 484.5 pounds.

Sensation had one day left  Saturday, June 17  to catch a prizewinning fish.

As the boat headed out to sea that morning, Scooter, not normally one for bold statements, made a prophecy: At 2:13 p.m., were going to hook a marlin, and its going to win.

The morning passed quietly. McCoy searched for rips, locations where warm and cold water met. They can create lines of sea grass and trash where baitfish like to hide. Thats where fish would be, he thought.

Sensation dropped the lines and trolled. At the end of one particular line was a Black Bart Super Plunger with a blue and silver head and streaks of red and purple.

Scooters 2:13 p.m. came and went. Fish do not wear watches.

But two minutes later, the line with the Black Bart exploded off the reel. A hit like you wouldnt believe, McCoy said later. Line raced from the rod with a screaming whine. Something was on the line, and it was big.

Bleau got it all on video. Scooter brought the rod to the shareholder who was then taking his turn in the chair  Bailey Gore, who owns a basement waterproofing company in Boone, North Carolina. Bare-chested and wearing sunglasses, Gore braced himself in a low squat to let his legs and back do the work.

When the marlin jumped, they knew they had a good one. If we can catch this fish, McCoy recalled saying, well win the Big Rock.

After more than an hour of battle, the fish made one final dive, going down to 1,000 feet, trying to get away. Then the line went heavy and stopped moving. McCoy, who has caught about 15 blue marlin in his life, said the marlin probably had a heart attack and died. (Daniel Pauly, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, confirmed in an interview that a fish can die from overexertion during a fight.) Their task now was to haul the fish up without breaking the line. Hour after hour they winched it up.

Once they boated it, Bleau said, they knew they had won. The fish was a blue-black monster, its mouth frozen open in surprise.

McCoy set off for home, going 24 knots to cover the 55 miles back to shore. He cranked up Tina Turner and the crew danced and drank and took pictures with the fish. Bleau called his daughter. Scooter imagined the boat he would buy with his $350,000 cut. McCoy told him he would introduce him to a financial planner so he could make the right investments.

They pulled into the docks around 11:15 p.m. Word had spread about their big catch, and people packing the waterfront restaurants and bars cheered them as they motored into Morehead City. A huge crowd packed Big Rock Landing.

The tournaments weighmaster, Randy Gregory, who is a marine biologist, boarded the boat and inspected the fish. He quickly recognized a problem. The marlin had a bite on its tail, apparently from a shark, and was a missing chunk of flesh on its anal fin.

Under the rules, any fish that was mutilated during the battle would be disqualified. When a fish is hurt, the angler has an unfair advantage.

Ideally, when you fight and land this fish, you have fought 100% of the fish, the Big Rock president, Emery Ivey, said in a Facebook video after the tournament. The guys on Sensation had fought 100% of this marlin, minus a couple of chunks.

McCoy said that he had noticed blemishes on the fish, but that he had seen much worse in his career. It never went through my mind that it would be disqualified, he said. That might be me not reading the rules properly, but Ive read them a hundred times.

Sensations win was in doubt. But out of respect for the crews efforts, Ivey said, officials chose to announce the weight: 619.4 pounds. It was the first fish greater than 500 pounds, and the largest overall by 135 pounds. The crowd hooted in celebration, but tournament officials said they needed to deliberate further and sent everyone home.

That night, they brought in additional biologists and experts to examine the fish. Their conclusion: It had indeed been bitten by a shark or some other predator during the time it was hooked on the line.

The next morning, they announced that Sensations catch was disqualified.

Nobody was pulling for those guys harder than we were on the Big Rock board, Ivey said in an interview. You know, theyre a hometown boat. Everybody knows who they are. But the rules are rules, and to keep up the integrity of the tournament, we have to enforce the rules as theyre written in our rule book.

Bleau has protested the decision and retained legal counsel. Neither he nor Ivey would discuss any possible litigation. Bleaus argument is that previous Big Rock marlin have come in with bites and still been counted as qualified results. Some people point to the 2019 winner, a 914-pound marlin caught by the fishing boat Top Dog, as an example. But Ivey said that fish was mutilated only after the fight was over, when the fisherman were hauling it into the boat.

Bleau has plenty of support in Morehead City. His daughter made T-shirts identifying Sensation as the Big Rock Peoples Champion and sold more than 1,000 of them.

It turns out that losing $3.5 million because of a poorly timed shark bite is the sort of thing that makes fishermen examine their real principles.

Ive never been about the money, McCoy said. I wanted my name on that Big Rock fountain. I have ever since I started fishing down here. And I thought Id done it.

The other day, Scooter was talking to a friend on another boat, saying he felt as if he had won the tournament.

But you-all didnt win, another guy on the boat said. He had been part of the crew on Sushi that caught the winning marlin.

Scooter shrugged and said, We caught a bigger fish.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Central Bucks investigation found evidence that led to arrest of former math teacher

The Central Bucks School District superintendent says that additional information obtained through an internal investigation he ordered resulted in the arrest of a former high school math teacher after the Bucks County District Attorneys Office initially found nothing criminal.

Abram Lucabaugh made the revelation in a letter to the community posted Monday on the Central Bucks website, which offered his first comments about former teacher Michael London, who the school board terminated in December.

London, 31, of Warrington, who taught at Central Bucks South and West high schools, was charged last month with one count of misdemeanor corruption of minors for allegedly engaging in inappropriate communication with a minor between September 2021 and last year.

Gavel in courtroom

Former CBSD teacher charged Former Central Bucks high school teacher charged with corruption of minor

Court documents show that the Bucks County Detectives opened an investigation into London in September 2022 after they became aware of allegations involving an unidentified minor.

Charging documents did not identify the name or gender of the minor or if the minor was a Central Bucks student.

Londons attorney, Craig Penglase, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Monday on the charges against his client or the superintendents letter.

In his letter, Lucabaugh wrote that after the allegations were brought to the attention of the administration, they met with London and suspended him with pay pending the results of an investigation by the District Attorneys Office.

The initial DA investigation did not find any evidence of criminality, according to Lucabaugh, however in an abundance of caution, Mr. London was kept on suspension while I authorized an internal investigation to ensure that nothing was overlooked, or inadvertently missed, according to the letter.

The result of that internal investigation yielded additional information that, upon resubmission to the district attorneys office, led to the charges (sic) against Michael London, Lucabaugh wrote.

The probable cause affidavit in the criminal case does not mention anything about the school district providing information relevant to the case or an internal investigation.

Lucabaugh did not provide details about what additional information the internal investigation provided in his letter.

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub confirmed that the information shared by Lucabaugh is accurate, but the DA did not respond to a question asking what information the district provided.

Former CBSD choir director sentenced Central Bucks ex choir director sentenced: 'You earned my trust and you destroyed me.'

Authorities who reviewed electronic communications between London and the minor said it appeared that the teacher was attempting to act as a mentor, and offer advice about romantic relationships, according to the affidavit.

But within the communications they found numerous inappropriate messages including ones where London asked if the minor was sexually active and spoke about his own sexual encounters, masturbation and alcohol use, according to the affidavit.

London often asked the minor for photographs under the guise of inspecting the minor's physique, authorities said.

Sometimes, London and the minor talked on Instagram social media app in vanish mode, so that photos or messages would disappear after they were read, the affidavit said.

After reviewing the communications between the two, authorities believe that London was grooming the minor in hopes of initiating a sexual relationship, according to court documents.

In the letter posted Monday, Lucabaugh called the arrest of London, and the recent sentencing of former longtime district choir director Joseph Ohrt, a stain that is difficult to remove.

Last month, Ohrt was sentenced to 2  to five years in state prison after pleading no contest to charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, tampering with evidence and invasion of privacy filed in 2022. His three victims were former students including two were were students in the 1990s.

Last December former CBSD custodian Robert Murphy Jr., of Perkasie, was also terminated, three months after he was arrested and charged with possession of dozens of videos depicting child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility. He has entered a guilty plea to the charges and he is scheduled to be sentenced this week.

Lucabaugh called the incidents unfortunate and a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance, vetting and training to ensure students can learn and grow safely.

It is also an example of why I continue to maintain my stance on protecting our students from sexualization, in any form and in any medium, he added.

How a CBSD student helped protect others This Central Bucks student wanted to protect others from predators. His district listened.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Central Bucks superintendent says district probe led to teacher arrest
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to journalists during a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, early Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Swedens accession protocol for joining NATO to the Turkish Parliament as soon as possible and to help ensure that the assembly approves it.

Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania. Swedens NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year.

This is an historic day because we have a clear commitment by Turkey to submit the ratification documents to the Grand National Assembly, and to work also with the assembly to ensure ratification, Stoltenberg told reporters.

Earlier Monday, with NATO hoping to put on a public display of unity in its support for Ukraine more than 500 days into the war, Erdogan said that he would block Swedens path unless European members of the military organization pave the way for Turkey to join the worlds biggest trading bloc.

His surprise announcement added new uncertainty to Swedens bid to become the alliances 32nd member. Turkey was already blocking its entry because Erdogan believes that Sweden has been too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that he considers to be security threats.

On arriving in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts will hold two days of talks starting on Tuesday, Erdogan first met with Kristersson, before breaking off for a separate meeting with European Council President Charles Michel.

Michel tweeted that he and Erdogan had explored opportunities ahead to bring cooperation back to the forefront and re-energise our relations. Michel said he has tasked the European Commission to draw up a report with a view to proceed in strategic and forward-looking manner.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogans presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

Erdogans new demand was the first time that he had linked his countrys ambition to join the EU with Swedens efforts to become a NATO member.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.

Come and open the way for Turkeys membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland, he added.

Earlier, Erdogan's office said he told U.S. President Joe Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkeys EU ambitions from the NATO leaders. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish EU membership.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul, before flying to Vilnius.

I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years, he said. Come and open the way for Turkeys membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden, as we did for Finland.

Earlier, Erdogans office said he told U.S. President Joe Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkeys EU ambitions from the NATO leaders. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish EU membership.

Erdogans government has postponed ratifying Swedens accession, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups. A series of anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Swedens capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkeys demands could be reached before the NATO summit.

Turkeys delaying tactics have irritated other NATO allies including the United States. Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken about Swedens NATO membership among other issues and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks.

Sullivan said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

We dont regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better, he said.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Another key issue in Vilnius will be how to bring Ukraine closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesnt invade again after the war ends. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky will join the summit in person on Wednesday.

Stoltenberg said the most important thing was to continue to support Ukraines efforts to resist the Russian invasion.

Unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership issue to discuss at all, he said.
The big story: Floridas political and higher education worlds expressed surprise last week when Florida Atlantic University trustees named three finalists for their presidential search, and Republican firebrand Rep. Randy Fine was not among them.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had, by several accounts, encouraged Fine to seek the job. Its not clear whether the Palm Bay lawmaker, whose work experience is in casinos, applied.

Days later, university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues, another DeSantis ally, put a stop to the search, alleging there were irregularities in the process. The move quickly came under criticism by opponents who accuse DeSantis of undermining Floridas colleges and universities for political gain.

FAU is being targeted for purely political reasons, state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said on Twitter. Its gross and an insult to academic freedom and integrity. Read more from the Palm Beach Post, Florida Politics.

Hot topics

Black history: The states reconfigured African American History Task Force has rescheduled its delayed summer institute for Aug. 7, with fewer topics on the agenda, Politico Florida reports. The group abruptly postponed the event in June after a new slate of appointees took over.

New College: Interim president Richard Corcoran said the revamped New College has hit a new record for enrollment, Floridas Voice reports.

Security: Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three new members to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, Florida Politics reports.

Other school news

Hillsborough County is looking into safety improvements for students who walk or bike to five schools. Improved sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic signals are under consideration, WFTS reports.

The longtime leader of Flagler Youth Orchestra resigned amid School Board questions about her management. The school district will discuss the orchestras future, and how it will have oversight going forward, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

From the police blotter ... A New College of Florida student was charged with battery on allegations of spitting on trustee Christopher Rufo in May.

From the court docket ... A Lee County judge found that a boy made a threat of violence against his elementary school last year, WFTX reports. The case drew national attention after the sheriff had the boy, then 10, perp walked after the arrest.

Dont miss a story. Heres the link to Fridays roundup.

Before you go ... Did your 4th of July celebration include fireworks? How did they compare to this drone presentation?

  

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Every Thursday, get the latest updates on whats happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Click here to sign up.
In an act of interstate assistance, members of the Charlotte Fire Department are heading up to Vermont.

North Carolina Task Force 3 was deployed to help as Emergency Responders prepare for catastrophic, life-theatening flooding, according to the fire department.

Charlotte Fire deployed North Carolina Task Force 3 to assist with an Emergency Management Assistance need from Vermont as they prepare for catastrophic, life-threatening flooding. Most of Vermont has seen two to eight inches of rain over the past week. pic.twitter.com/lxtw36b14L  Charlotte Fire Dept. (@charlottefire) July 9, 2023

In the past week, most areas in Vermont have seen between two and eight inches of rain.

Rain in the Charlotte area over the weekend caused enough flash flooding to submerge cars and flood rivers.

WEEKEND COVERAGE: Cars flooded in south Charlotte during storm

It was pouring rain and I started getting some texts from some other residents in the building and then I realized, oh no, I better go and check my car, Charlotte Resident Kat King said. By the time I opened the garage door, the water was moving so fast that I was afraid to step into it to get to my car.

(WATCH: Weekend weather floods inground pool, backyard at NoDa home)




Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has claimed that the Akhmat special forces have been redeployed to the Bakhmut front and that they are fighting in Klishchiivka.

Source: Kadyrov on Telegram

Quote from Kadyrov: "Akhmat special forces under the command of Apta Alaudinov have been redeployed by the command of the special operation [as the Russians call the war against Ukraine - ed.] to the difficult Bakhmut front. Such a deployment testifies to the trust of the General Staff and the high combat capability of the unit."

Details: He also added that he had allegedly talked to Alaudinov on 9 July about the situation in the settlement of Klishchiivka, and he allegedly sent a video of himself leaving the village and saying that everything was under control.

Background:

On 6 July, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that heavy fighting continued near Klishchiivka on the Bakhmut front.

On 7 July, Andrii Kovalov, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that the Ukrainian defence forces had had partial success and were consolidating their positions in the area of Klishchiivka on the Bakhmut front, with heavy fighting continuing.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The scene of China's latest knife attack - police have yet to give details of any motive

We still know little about what might have caused a man to enter a kindergarten in southern China and stab six people to death.

There are rumours swirling that it was revenge - that one of the dead adults had previously hit the attacker's child with his or her car. But that does not explain why six died, including three children and a teacher.

These sorts of crimes can feel senseless, and yet also depressingly common.

Go back to the 1990s and things like this were virtually unheard of in China. It's not that terrible things didn't happen to children. They did.

There was the horrific incident in March 2001 when a school in the southern province of Jiangxi exploded, killing 41 children. An investigation found the school was doubling as a fireworks factory and the school children as cheap labour.

It was a tragedy that rocked China. There was much soul-searching about the exploitation of children and callous disregard for their safety. But their deaths were an accident.

Then, starting from around 2010, something began to change. That year, there was a sudden spate of knife attacks in which 17 children were killed.

This was something completely different. The children had been deliberately targeted to cause maximum pain and outrage.

China's then Premier, Wen Jiabao, visited the scene of one of the attacks and immediately called for more security at schools. But he also said the underlying "social tensions" that led to such crimes must be addressed.

It was an interesting use of words. It suggests that these apparently senseless crimes do have a logic to them.

A man leading a face mask-clad child waits to cross a street in Beijing on April 11, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Since then, China has witnessed a significant increase in such attacks, almost always by men, almost always designed to cause maximum outrage.

In 2018, a man walked in to a packed school room in south-west China's Yunnan province and began spraying the children with corrosive chemicals. Thankfully, none of them died. But 50 were sent to hospital, some with serious injuries.

What could cause someone to buy and mix the chemicals, then carefully plan and carry out such an attack?

It is not a phenomenon unique to China.

In 2019 in the Japanese city of Kyoto, a disgruntled man in his 40s sprayed gasoline on to the entrance of an animation studio and set fire to it. In the ensuing inferno, 36 young animators died, most of them women. The man told police he wanted revenge against the studio for stealing his ideas.

Experts say such men, and they are almost always men, fit a profile.

They have festering anger and resentment towards the society they live in, but do not feel part of.

By carrying out a sensational and violent crime, they bring notoriety to themselves, while inflicting pain and suffering on the society they hate.

But China may have some additional factors that have driven the recent rise in such crimes.

In the last two decades, China has gone through an extraordinary social and economic transition, from centrally planned socialist state to a hyper-competitive free-market economy, where some have become very wealthy and others have been left out of the bonanza.

Chinese people now joke that if you want a girlfriend, you need to have a nice car, and if you want a wife, you first need an apartment.

But this isn't really a joke.

Men with low social status, who earn low wages or are unemployed, have little prospect of finding a mate. This has been further exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, during which millions of Chinese spent months locked in their apartments, and a youth unemployment rate that hovers around 20%.

China now has a term for mass knife attacks and mass outrages. They are called "social revenge". Arguably, the conditions that led to the first social revenge attacks over a decade ago have only got worse.
(Bloomberg) -- China is preparing to name a provincial law-enforcement official as the head of its agency overseeing Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported, a sign that security remains Beijings priority four years after protests shook the financial hub.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Zhou Ji, 59, is traveling across the border with the current head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Xia Baolong, the newspaper reported, citing a person familiar with the situation it didnt name.

The trip is intended to introduce Zhou to the top job, the newspaper reported, without saying how exactly that is done. Xia would stay on a few more months while the office is revamped, it added, paving the way for Zhou to eventually take over.

See: How Chinas National Security Law Changed Hong Kong: QuickTake

Beijing has moved to tighten its grip on the financial hub since major pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. It introduced a sweeping national security law thats been used to quash dissent, clamped down on media outlets and restructured the electoral system so that only lawmakers loyal to the ruling Communist Party can hold office.

Last year, John Lee, a former policeman and security minister, became leader of the former British colony. His hardline positions, including on handling protesters, were central to Beijings decision to anoint him the sole contender in the election, according members of the committee that ratified his candidacy.

The US has criticized China for its handling of Hong Kong, citing suppression of free speech, the targeting journalists and civil society groups, and moving to deny locals the right to freely select their leader.

Zhou was named deputy governor of Henan in 2021 and was later made head of the Communist Party commission that oversees law enforcement in the central province.

The partys 24-member Politburo signed off on Zhous appointment as deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office at a meeting on June 30, the SCMP reported. Like Xia, Zhou has no prior experience on issues related to Hong Kong or Macau.

--With assistance from Jing Li.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Chinese President Xi Jinping talks to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing

China, Solomon Islands sign policing pact in upgrade of ties Chinese President Xi Jinping talks to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) -China and the Solomon Islands on Monday signed a deal on police cooperation as part of an upgrade of their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", four years after the Pacific nation switched ties from Taiwan to China.

The police cooperation pact was among nine deals signed after Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, underlining his nation's foreign policy shift.

Sogavare arrived in China on Sunday for his first visit since the two countries struck a security pact last year, to the alarm of the United States and neighbours including Australia.

"In just four years, the relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful," Li told Sogavare.

Sogavare, in turn, thanked China for its role in addressing global challenges including peace and sustainable development. He added that his country had "a lot to learn" from China's experience.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said Washington "respects the ability of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interests of their people" while encouraging the sides "to release these texts immediately to increase transparency and inform discussions about the impacts of these agreements on regional security."

The official added that the U.S. was committed to a strong relationship with the region and strengthening longstanding bonds with the people of Solomon Islands.

Sogavare switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing when he came to power in 2019. Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as part of its own territory.

Last month, Sogavare called for a review of a 2017 security treaty with Australia, which has historically provided policing support to the Solomon Islands, including the rapid deployment of police in 2021 to quell riots, although China has increased its police training there.

China will continue to provide assistance to the Solomon Islands to enhance its law enforcement capacity, according to a joint statement released by China's official Xinhua news agency.

It urged "relevant countries" to "prudently" handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and cooperation on nuclear submarines, in a thinly veiled swipe at Japan and AUKUS, the alliance among Australia, the United States and Britain.

'TRUSTWORTHY FRIENDS'

Sogavare also met China's President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon and the two agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, according to Chinese state television.

"China and Pacific island countries are both developing countries and should strengthen mutual assistance within the framework of South-South cooperation," Xi said in the meeting.

China has long supported so-called South-South cooperation, which refers to cooperation between developing nations as equals for mutual benefit.

Describing the two countries as "trustworthy friends and reliable brothers", Xi said China-Solomon Islands ties have set a "good example of solidarity and cooperation" between countries of different sizes and between developing nations.

Xi told Sogavare China supports more of its firms investing in the Solomon Islands and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance "without political strings attached".

Sogavare's office highlighted "quality infrastructure" as an area that the country needs for economic empowerment to eradicate poverty.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is already building a cellular network in the Solomon Islands, financed by a $66 million Chinese EXIM bank loan. A Chinese state company will also redevelop the port in the capital Honiara.

Xi also pledged support for a 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, referring to a grand blueprint agreed among Pacific nations on advancing the region's strategic goals over the next three decades.

The two countries also reached agreements in civil aviation, trade, economy, technology and sports, including a deal on "Sports Technical Assistance Project" as Honiara is hosting the Pacific Games in November. China has constructed the stadium.

Sogavare will be in China until Saturday and will officially open his country's embassy in Beijing.

(Reporting by Ethan Wang, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo in Beijing; Additional reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel, Mark Heinrich and Lincoln Feast.)
By Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Monday called on the U.S. to take "practical action" in response to its "major concerns" about sanctions on Chinese firms, after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up more than 10 hours of meetings with senior officials in Beijing.

Yellen came to Beijing seeking to ease tensions between the world's two superpowers, and while there was no breakthrough, both sides described their talks as "productive" and agreed to keep channels open "at all levels" for talks on the economy.

The visit boosts chances for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping later this year, possibly at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco in November.

Before departing on Sunday, Yellen told reporters that she and her Chinese counterparts had "aired significant disagreements" in their meetings, a sentiment reflected in a readout from China's finance ministry on Monday morning.

China "requires" the U.S. to "cease the suppression of Chinese enterprises, lift bans on Xinjiang-related products, and take concrete steps to respond to China's major concerns in economic relations between the two countries," the ministry wrote.

The United States has imposed sanctions on some companies for using forced labour in the far-western region of Xinjiang.

Beijing denies the use of forced labour and any other abuses there.

The ministry also said China believed its development was an opportunity rather than a risk to the U.S. and that "strengthening cooperation between China and the United States is a realistic need and the correct choice of the two countries."

"The re-commencement of senior-level Sino-U.S. talks in diversified areas could open up room for more cooperation on bilateral and global issues," said Hong Kong-based Bruce Pang, chief economist at Jones Lang LaSalle.

"I expect more working-level communications ahead, on a range of topics where there is more consensus than disagreements, such as climate change and the tariff reduction list, among others," he added.

(Reporting by Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen Coates)
[Source]

A restaurant in southwestern China is under investigation after daring customers to eat over 100 spicy dumplings in exchange for a free meal.

Food for more food: The unnamed restaurant, located in Yibin, Sichuan province, required each participant to eat 108 chaoshous  or spicy wonton dumplings  as fast as possible for one free meal and other prizes.

To generate interest, the whole shebang was reportedly promoted on social media.

Violations in question: The dumplings were reportedly free for contestants; however, anything in excess was thrown away. As photos and videos of the challenge were posted online, they caught the attention of local authorities, who quickly moved to investigate whether the activity had violated Chinas anti-food-waste laws.

More from NextShark: Boy Swept 30 Feet Into the Air By Kite in Indonesia

The bigger picture: Food waste remains a sensitive topic in China, whose Great Famine of the late 1950s and early 1960s killed an estimated 45 million people.

In 2021, anti-food-waste legislation was enacted in response to the proliferation of mukbang videos. Under the law, mukbang bloggers may be fined up to 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000). Meanwhile, restaurants that encourage excessive orders may be fined up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400).

More from NextShark: Car Strikes Elderly Vietnamese Family of Five, Kills One in Florida

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Over 800 Anti-Asian Incidents Reported in the Last 3 Months Just in California, Report Says

UK's King Charles hosts reception for Asian communities at Buckingham Palace
By Farah Master

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A group of Chinese female economists who met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over the weekend have been lambasted on Chinese social media by some netizens who accused them of treason for meeting her and being "radical feminists".

Yellen, a trailblazer in the field of economics, had lunch with six female economists in Beijing on Saturday, an effort to spotlight gender diversity following meetings with China's largely male government leaders.

In one post which garnered close to 600 comments, an online user said female economist Hao Jingfang who attended the meal with Yellen was "not only a traitor but also a radical feminist."

Hao wrote online in response to queries as to why she attended the meal that "Yellen is the friendliest American official, she is always dedicated to developing friendly China-U.S. relations".

Some users called Yellen an "obviously dangerous person" asking why she was allowed to be officiated as a public guest in the country, while others called out the female economists as being pro-American.

"Look at the bunch, the anti-espionage law might come in handy," wrote a user called Shan3847, while another user wrote "Everyone around the table should be caught, no one is innocent. The United States is always so kind to help us expose the rebels."

Ahead of the meeting, a senior Treasury official had said the lunch with the Chinese economists would give Yellen, who was also the first woman to head the U.S. Federal Reserve, a chance to "interact with a number of people kind of outside the normal policy structure".

Chinese President Xi Jinping's decade as the ruling Communist Party's general secretary has seen the number of women in politics and top government roles decline and gender gaps in the workforce widen, with the government emphasizing more traditional roles for women.

(Additional reporting by the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
Chris Christie pushed back on claims that tens of thousands of people still show up to Donald Trumps rallies, calling estimates for a recent South Carolina event absurd.

The ex-New Jersey governor, a onetime ally of Trumps who is now running against him in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, sounded off on the former president in an interview with Fox News Shannon Bream on Sunday.

Tens of thousands dont show up anymore. Thats another one of the big lies that happen. Look, all you have to do is look at the pictures, Christie told Bream, according to The Hill.

Christie was responding to reports, citing a local police chief, that Trump drew a crowd of 50,000 people to a town of 3,400 in South Carolina over the July 4 weekend. That claim has since been called into question.

Christie also lambasted Trumps campaign stop in Iowa last week, where he said the ex-president droned on for an hour and a half, lied about a farm deal with China, and spent the rest of the time discussing his indictment.

This is not somebody whos fighting for the American people and their future, Christie concluded. This is all about his ego.

2024 GOP candidate Chris Christie on Trump: "This is not somebody who is fighting for the American people and their future  this is all about his ego. What he cares about most is trying to undo the loss he had to Joe Biden in 2020. But since he's a three-time loser ..." pic.twitter.com/gqPjLNsCz7  The Recount (@therecount) July 9, 2023

Christie, who has takenaimatTrumpseveraltimes on the campaign trail, added that the former president cares the most about undoing his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

But since hes a three-time loser, having lost in 2018 the House of Representatives, lost the White House and the Senate in 2020, and in 2022 he winds up losing two more governorships, another seat in the Senate, and we barely won the House by five votes, Christie said.

Hes in this for himself and himself only, and not in it for the American people, Christie said.

Bream, elsewhere in the interview, asked Christie whether he is a Trump spoiler or if he has a path forward in the primaries.

Christie declared that hes in the race to win it, arguing theres a demand for his candidacy.

When you talk about polls, at this time in 2015, Donald Trump was at 4%, so I dont think anybody should be worried about the polling right now, he said.

Fox's Shannon Bream: Are you just a Trump spoiler or do you have a path forward?



2024 GOP candidate Chris Christie: "... At this time in 2015 Donald Trump was at 4%  so I don't think anybody should be worried about the polling right now." pic.twitter.com/ZAon8ere6A  The Recount (@therecount) July 9, 2023

Related...
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins shake hands after unveiling a street sign honouring Canada at the Adazi Military base, Monday, July 10, 2023 in Adazi, Latvia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will continue to strongly advocate that cluster bombs "should not be used," after the United States announced it is sending the munitions to help Ukraine's war effort against Russian aggressors.

Trudeau told reporters in Latvia on the eve of a summit held by the NATO military alliance that Canada abides by an international treaty prohibiting the use of explosives that scatter small bombs across a wide terrain.

The prime minister said Canada was one of the countries that led on the banning of cluster munitions and it will "continue to stand very strongly" on its position, adding in French they should "never" be used.

Trudeau spoke to the issue when asked whether he'd pressure the Biden administration not to send cluster bombs, or ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to use them.

Ottawa pioneered efforts in the 1990s to ban anti-personnel mines, and was among the most enthusiastic nations to sign the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, though the U.S. and Ukraine have never endorsed that pact.

The Cluster Munition Coalition says both Russia and Ukraine have used such bombs in the ongoing conflict, despite the fact they can leave behind unexploded ordnances that maim and kill decades after they were first dropped.

Washington has argued that Ukraine needs such arms to keep up its counteroffensive against Russia as Kyiv runs out of certain weapons that won't be replaced until industrial production catches up.

Its decision to provide them came just days before transatlantic heads of state meet Tuesday in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, to take stock of NATO and Ukraine's request to join the military alliance.

Trudeau added during the Monday press conference that he understands countries are sending as many munitions as they can to Kyiv.

Last November, during a visit to Cambodia, Trudeau pledged nearly $1 million to help remove unexploded landmines and cluster bombs from Southeast Asian countries.
Chris Mason: Biden to meet Sunak and King during UK visit

Joe Biden disembarks Air Force One

The context of this presidential visit can be summarised in two numbers.

President Biden was last in the UK three months ago.

And this visit is the fifth time in five months Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Biden have met.

And you only need one word to describe this trip.

Short, just like the last one.

President Biden was in Belfast in April en route to the Republic of Ireland for a longer trip.

This time, he is en route to the summit of the defence alliance Nato, which is taking place in Vilnius in Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is not a State visit, but a splash of the razzmatazz associated with one will be laid on.

Air Force One arrived at Stansted Airport in Essex on Sunday night.

The president's day in the UK is expected to begin in Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak.

As you can read here, the immediate diplomatic backdrop, ahead of the Nato summit, is the public disagreement within the alliance over the US's decision to give Ukraine what are known as cluster bombs.

They are also expected to talk about the so-called Atlantic Declaration  the arrangement well short of a trade deal announced in Washington last month - that aims to smoothen trade, to a degree at least, between the US and UK.

Another focus of this visit will be the environment and climate change.

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and the President's Climate Envoy John Kerry will lead talks of the not very catchily titled US/UK Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum.

It's about trying to help poorer countries tackle climate change.

Members of the forum will brief the King and the President at Windsor Castle at lunchtime.

While President Biden was at the Queen's funeral, he wasn't at the King's Coronation.

He sent his wife, the First Lady Jill Biden in his place.

So it is the first time the two will have met since the Coronation.

Prior to their formal meeting there will be a spot of pageantry.

There will be a marching band and there will be a Guard of Honour, provided by the Welsh Guards.

Like the visit to Downing Street, this element of the trip will also be brief.

It's expected the president will be at Windsor Castle for an hour or two, before he heads off to Lithuania.

The prime minister heads there on Tuesday morning.
Gabe Davis conducts a monthly meeting of Cincinnati's Citizen Complaint Authority in February 2023. He'll leave the agency next month to take over as CEO of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.

The head of the agency that investigates complaints against the Cincinnati Police Department has resigned to head a non-profit criminal justice reform group.

Gabe Davis will start as CEO of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center in early August. The 38-year-old Cincinnati native had been director of the Citizen Complaint Authority since September 2020.

Davis called the policy center position a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity  to really do something big as pertains to justice reform.

In his new role, he hopes to address the complaints of incarcerated persons  from medical needs to solitary confinement to prison violence  with more true impact litigation. He also wants to expand beyond Cincinnati and Columbus, where the policy center currently operates, into other parts of the state.

Davis said his work at the Citizen Complaint Authority, and an earlier position as a prosecutor in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, have prepared him to head OJPC.

At the Complaint Authority, Davis worked on reducing a backlog of cases. The agency is on track to clear that backlog by the end of this year, he said. It has about 60 cases that are 90 days or older right now, down from 140 at this time last year, he said.

Davis said the agency also became more transparent during his tenure, reporting police responses to its recommendations.

The Complaint Authority has grappled with clearing cases and getting police compliance since it was created in 2003. The controversial agency was launched in the wake of racial unrest that erupted when a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man.

The city will conduct a national search for Davis replacement, with an interim director to be named when he departs, City Manager Sheryl Long said Monday via email.

Davis was the seventh director or interim director of the Citizen Complaint Authority, hired for $140,000 a year. The salary range for his replacement will be $120,000 to $167,000, Longs office said.

David Singleton was the fourth employee of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center when he hired on as executive director in 2002. He left the center, now with about 10 employees, on July 1 to teach law and run a pro-bono law practice in Washington, D.C.

Davis will be taking over for David Singleton, who ended 21 years as executive director at Ohio Justice and Policy Center on July 1.

Singleton, 57, will begin teaching law at the University of the District of Columbia next month, and representing old and new clients in a pro-bono practice.

He is making the move to follow spouse Verna Williams to Washington. Williams signed on as CEO of Equal Justice Works there last September, positioning law students for public interest law work, after teaching law and serving as dean of the University of Cincinnati Law School for two decades.

Singleton focused on second chance programs at the policy center, helping people returning from prison to land jobs, find housing and navigate the legal system.

Most recently, he led the centers 2019 launch of Beyond Guilt, designed to free over-punished but guilty inmates. It has won freedom for 45 individuals deemed rehabilitated after long terms  including one profiled in the New York Times  and helped launch an umbrella group for similar efforts in other states.

Were not going to make a meaningful dent in mass incarceration unless we figure out how to free people who have been convicted of real serious crimes  and have been in for decades and who have changed, Singleton said.

Singleton led the center without pay since 2007, when he began teaching law and collecting a salary from Northern Kentucky University.

Hes changed a lot of lives, said David Zimmerman, president of the policy center's board.

Gabe Davis attends a 2020 Meet the Candidates Night, hosted by the Cincinnati Enquirer. A Cincinnati native and son of a retired Cincinnati police offer and Head Start manager, Davis lost his campaign to serve as Hamilton County prosecutor that year.

What's left undone for Gabe Davis  who graduated from Harvard Law School in 2011, 20 years after Singleton earned his law degree there  to take on? Efforts toward an Ohio law that would allow judges, not just parole boards, to release inmates with life sentences and clean prison records.

With such a law, Singleton said, a judge could determine it doesnt make sense to keep this person locked up anymore.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: who is leaving citizen complaint authority?
The city of Gainesville and Gainesville Police Department has agreed to pay $60,000 to three employees of Colliers International who claimed their rights were violated during a SWAT raid.

In 2021, an armed SWAT team raided the local office of Daniel Drotos and Michael Ryals, whom their former employer accused of stealing trade secrets and clients. Three Colliers International employees were detained and had their electronic devices seized.

That raid, as well as a yearlong investigation, turned up empty.

Body camera footage shows an armed GPD SWAT unit entering Colliers International offices in Gainesville on June 2, 2021 to execute a search warrant.

More: State Attorney's Office drops all criminal charges against Colliers real estate agents

More: 'I literally thought I was going to die,' real estate agent says of Gainesville police raid

The recent settlement, signed June 19, releases GPD Detective Ronald A. Pinkston, Lieutenant M. West and the city of Gainesville from any claims relating to the case and raid. The $60,000 will be paid to the three employees  Jason Hurst, Nicola Moreland and Bennett Harrell  who were detained by the SWAT team.

Though the defendants agreed to the settlement, they stipulated that they deny any liability. The settlement is a way to avoid any additional expenses and uncertainty accompanied by future litigation, according to the agreement.

In 2022, the criminal charges previously filed against the real estate agents Drotos and Ryals were also dropped by the State Attorney's Office. The parties have been entangled in several connected lawsuits, all of which have been settled or closed as part of an agreement reached through mediation.

2021 SWAT raid

According to the 2021 search warrant, which was based on testimony from Gainesville police detective Ronald Pinkston, the search stemmed from a "trade secret theft" case.

Those named in the warrant  Drotos, Ryals, Lauren Edwards and Rory Causseaux  are four former Bosshardt Realty Services employees who went to work for Colliers International, as well as Christian Oldenburg, the managing director of Colliers International Northeast Florida.

The warrant gave police permission to search the Colliers office for recording devices, mobile phones, computers, tablets, emails or texts showing trade secrets or articles taken from Bosshardt Realty without permission.

Under state law, someone who steals a trade secret can be convicted of a third degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Drotos and Ryals were formally charged in February 2022 by the state with racketeering, scheming to defraud/organized fraud and theft of trade secrets. Drotos faced an additional charge of offense against intellectual property. The two, however, maintained their innocence throughout the process. All charges against those named in the warrant were dropped.

Hurst said none of the three people who were in the office during the raid  himself, an intern and a coworker  were even named in the warrant. And he had no idea why police sent such a contingent over for what is clearly a white-collar case.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville to pay out $60K in settlement for botched SWAT raid
After over 20 years as a fixture in Canyon County, the city of Nampa has taken over ownership of the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho.

The cultural center, which opened in 2002, was a resource for many in the Latino community. Its purple, orange and blue walls held murals and its classrooms hosted cultural and informational events.

The city of Nampa leased the building to the Hispanic Cultural Center, headed by Humberto Fuentes and a seven-member board, at 315 Stampede Drive, for $1 a year since July 2002. But over the last several years, the cultural center had minimal use and community members complained about its lack of responsiveness to their needs, Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said in a news release Monday. Fuentes contested this and said the city is after the building because of its monetary value.

The complaints from Latinos in the community led the city to hold meetings with Hispanic Cultural Center leaders and community members, the city said. On June 27, the city took possession of the building.

The Canyon County Sheriffs Office on Monday began enforcing that the cultural center tenants vacate the building. Fuentes, reached by phone, said he hadnt heard from the mayors office Monday and was surprised to see sheriffs deputies and city officials changing the locks in the building.

Hispanic Cultural Center staffers tried to fight the city to keep the center, Fuentes said. They hired pro bono lawyers and plan to try to fight the city in court.

It is bad for the Hispanic community, Fuentes said. The city does not have a very good track record for serving the Latino community.

City promises to work with Latino community

Mari Ramos, now director of operations for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said she remembers the center in its glory days, when it was beautiful with a working fountain and a room full of computers for people to use. Over the last 20 years, the cultural center hosted free citizenship classes, know your rights sessions, holiday celebrations, mariachi performances and other events.

It was a really great resource and I would love to see it be that again, Ramos said by phone.

Kling said the city plans to host all of the events scheduled at the center. The doors will be open for event attendees but remain closed outside of event hours. Two separate businesses operate out of the center, and Kling said those businesses will remain open and anyone with appointments there should contact them directly.

The center was built to improve the quality of life for all people as well as to recognize, celebrate, and preserve Hispanic heritage, culture and values, the lease between the city and the center said.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce along with the Community Council of Idaho plan to work with the city to help the center reach its full potential, the city said.

We want it to continue to foster an appreciation of the Hispanic community and our values, Ramos said.

In the news release, the city said it will work with other Latino leaders to discuss the future of the Hispanic Cultural Center. Anyone interested in participating in a working group regarding the center can contact the Nampa Mayors Office at (208) 468-5401 or mayor@cityofnampa.us.

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After Brown Pride protest at Caldwell High, White Power is painted on school building
The city of Poughkeepsie agreed to pay $400,000 to settle a case alleging police intimidation and excessive force stemming from an incident caught on video involving two teenage girls.

City of Poughkeepsie police responded to report of 15-20 kids fighting at Church Street and Hammersely Avenue on March 11, 2019.

Amid the scuffle, Officer John Williams threw the then 15-year-old Jamelia Barnett to the ground. A 17-second video posted to social media depicted the interaction, prompting many in the community, including Barnett's mother, Melissa Johnson, to question the force used on the teen. The interaction happened after Barnett ran towards her sister Julissa Dawkins, who was 12 years old at the time and was being arrested by Officer Kevin VanWagner.

Attorney William Wagstaff III holds a press conference with Melissa Johnson of Poughkeepsie, who is suing the city for the false arrest and use of excessive force on her daughters Jamelia Barnett, 16, right, and Julissa Dawkins, 13, at White Plains Federal Court Oct. 28, 2019.

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The settlement, which was passed by a unanimous vote by the city of Poughkeepsie Common Council on Thursday, states the city does not admit liability and the the agreement "reflects the Parties' compromise and Settlement of disputed claim."

"The constant cycle of police officers not being held accountable continues because it's not the officers that are held responsible financially, it's the taxpayers," said William Wagstaff, the family's attorney.

The city investigated the incident and concluded the officer did not use excessive force. The fallout from the incident prompted city leaders to address the need for youth initiatives in the city.

Mayor Marc Nelson and Council Chairperson Natasha Brown didn't immediately respond to the Journal for comment.

Wagstaff said the settlement of $400,000 will go to the sisters. Barnett graduated from Poughkeepsie High School after which the family moved to Georgia in 2021. Barnett is in college and her sister is a high school senior.

Johnson filed a lawsuit in federal court in 2019 alleging police intimidation, false arrest and the use of excessive force in regards to her daughter.

The suit alleges Barnett and Dawkins had their Fourth Amendment rights violated through false arrest and the use of excessive force. The suit questions why the pair were the only children arrested, and claims police called others involved with the intention of intimidating them into providing statements that would corroborate the narratives of the arresting, despite their falsehoods.

From left, Jamelia Barnett and Julissa Dawkins speak about their arrest Monday at Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in the City of Poughkeepsie on March 13, 2019. Accompanying the pair is their Mother, Melissa Lynch, and Pastor Edwrin Sutton.

Both girls were charged with obstruction of governmental administration and Dawkins was charged with resisting arrest. The charges were dismissed in 2020 as long as the girls attended school regularly, obeyed school rules and no adverse interactions with law enforcement for six months.

Saba Ali: Sali1@poughkeepsiejournal.com: 845-451-4518: @MsSabaAli.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Settlement reached in Poughkeepsie police intimidation, force case
Social media posts claim the death rate from Covid-19 among the Amish in the US is significantly lower than the general population since they did not follow pandemic mitigation directives. This is misleading; researchers say available data shows the religious community was also hit by the coronavirus, leading to excess deaths.

"A major study into the impact of the pandemic on Amish communities has found that Covid death rates among the traditionalist groups of citizens are 90 times lower than for the rest of America," claims the introduction to a June 30, 2023 article from Slay News, circulating on social media.

One July 2 tweet amplifying the article was re-shared more than 2,900 times.

Other posts featuring tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch -- who has spread misinformation about the pandemic and Covid-19 vaccines -- making similar claims spread on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter.

"The Amish died at 90 times lower rate than America -- than the rest of America," Kirsch says in the video of testimony before the Pennsylvania State Senate (archived here).

Screenshot of one of the tweets sharing a misleading article, taken July 7, 2023

Screenshot of a tweet taken July 7, 2023

Similar claims of the Amish -- a secluded religious community that refused many pandemic public health guidelines -- experiencing fewer deaths from Covid-19, were shared in other languages, including French, Finnish, Spanish, German and Japanese.

However, there is no definitive research on how the pandemic affected the Amish, who live in a variety of rural settlements across multiple US states.

Experts said medical documents do not record patients' religion, so accessing data on Covid-19 cases or deaths among the Amish is difficult. Obtaining accurate figures is further compounded by the low number of Covid tests taken in the religious community -- leaving infections underreported.

Still, available data suggests the traditionalist community experienced death rates equal to or higher than the overall US population.

Excess deaths

Steven Nolt, a professor of history and Anabaptist studies at Elizabethtown College, told AFP in an email that there is no evidence supporting the claim of fewer Covid-19 deaths among the Amish.

"On the contrary, excess deaths were higher in the Amish population than the US as a whole," he said.

In a 2021 study (archived here), researchers at the University of Western Virginia traced excess deaths in Amish and Mennonite (another Anabaptist religious group) communities in Ohio in 2020, before the vaccine was available. They found similar death rates in these communities compared to the general US population, with a spike of 125 percent among the secluded religious communities in November 2020.

A follow-up study published in June 2023 (archived here), the same group of researchers found excess death rates remained high in Amish and Mennonite communities, while it dropped in the general population -- two-thirds of which are vaccinated against Covid-19.

Braxton Mitchell, an epidemiologist at the University of Maryland who studies Amish communities, particularly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, also said he had also observed a growth in excess mortality, with a death rate three or four times higher in the summer of 2020 compared to the year before in Amish communities.

"Based on this and other anecdotal information, I do not see any basis for the claim that Amish experienced fewer deaths compared to non-Amish," Mitchell said.

Herd immunity

Many of the posts refer to the figure of 90 percent fewer deaths among the Amish, with Slay News mentioning a "study" from the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (VSRF), which Kirsch funds and has frequently been found to be spreaders of Covid-19 misinformation. AFP found no such research published on its website.

When Kirsch presented to the Pennsylvania Senate, he claimed the Amish had died at a lower rate than the rest of the country. However, he was only discussing those living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a statistic that cannot be applied to the experience of communities in other states.

Screenshot of an Instagram reel, taken July 7, 2023

The article also discussed a story (archived here) published March 29, 2021 on the local news site "Penn Live," reporting 90 percent of America's largest Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania had contracted Covid-19, achieving "herd immunity." The medical experts quoted in the story noted that would be short-lived and local officials underlined a large increase in deaths among the Amish.

Nolt, told AFP that it is difficult to quantify how closely Amish communities followed public health guidelines during the pandemic.

While some communities are very strict about following traditional lifestyles which often ignore public health recommendations, others are more "integrated" into larger American society, he said. He said that some Amish participating in farmer's markets complied with municipal mask mandates rather than forfeit their income.

"Many Amish communities took stay-at-home orders and school closing and church service suspension seriously for several months but then stopped as their non-Amish rural neighbors also stopped," he said. "Broadly speaking, I think we can say, in general and with some exceptions, starting in mid-June 2020 most Amish folks paid little heed to most directives unless forced to."

AFP previously fact-checked misinformation about Covid-19 infection rates among the Amish in February 2021.
Cluster Bombs Aren't the Only Weapons That Kill People After a War Is Over

Ivansabo/Dreamstime.com

President Joe Biden's decision to include cluster bombs in his latest shipment of arms to Ukraine is creating rare public fissures in the otherwise rock-solid liberal consensus in favor of continued military aid to the embattled country.

Critics' argument against providing these munitions on the grounds that they will cause death and injury long after the war is over could easily be applied to most forms of military aid the U.S. is sending over there.

Defense officials announced the transfer of cluster bombswhich spread smaller bomblets when droppedon Friday. Those bomblets often don't explode immediately, seeding areas with deadly explosives that continue to injure and kill people for years after a conflict ends.

The delayed damage from these bombs is why most countries (although not Ukraine, Russia, or the U.S.) have signed onto a treaty banning their use. U.S. law generally forbids their transfer, although the president can waive those restrictions. In a CNN interview, Biden said he made a "very difficult decision."

The president's reticence, and Ukrainian assurances that they'll use the munitions in a responsible manner, haven't mollified progressives nor America's European allies.

At Responsible Statecraft, Daniel Larison documents statements from a number of Democratic lawmakers unequivocally criticizing the transfer. Some 19 representatives signed a letter saying the move will "further endanger Ukrainian civilians" and undermines America's moral leadership.

"Experts warn that the likelihood of leaving behind dangerous unexploded material is dependent on several factors and potentially much higher than the Pentagon has estimated. The reality is that there is no such thing as a safe cluster bomb," they wrote. Reps. Sara Jacobs (DCalif.) and Ilhan Omar (DMinn.) have also introduced an amendment to this year's defense authorization bill to stop the transfer.

This level of public criticism is unusual given that even anti-war, progressive Democrats have generally been in lockstep behind the Biden administration's Ukraine policy. Contrast progressives' reaction to cluster bomb transfers to the debacle last year when the House Progressive Caucus issued a letter urging direct negotiations between the U.S. and Russian governments about ending the war in Ukraine only to retract it a day later.

It's a peculiarity of American foreign policy that so discourse and policy itself revolves around the types of weapons being used in a given conflict.

In both the Obama and Trump administrations, the U.S.' standard for attacking the Syrian government was whether it used chemical weaponsan odd "red line" that never made much sense given its liberal use of conventional weapons to kill and maim people.

The flashpoint over cluster bombs makes a little more sense at first brushgiven the long, deadly second-life these weapons can have. But these aren't the only type of military hardware that can continue to claim life and limb after the official war ends.

Recall all the videos that circulated on the internet during the final chaotic hours of the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan showing Taliban fighters driving around in American-made vehicles and toting American-made weapons.

All that hardware might not explode and kill people on its own like cluster bombs. Its capture is still a huge windfall for the new Taliban government, which can now use it in its plans for domestic score-settling and oppression.

Similar risks abound in Ukraine. The sheer number of weapons and war materials we've sent to the country heightens the risk that a significant portion of that aid will be diverted to unsavory paramilitary groups and criminal organizations.

A government watchdog report from last month found that U.S. military personnel were failing to adequately account for thousands of pieces of equipment, including small arms shipments, passing through Poland and into Ukraine, reported Task & Purpose.

U.S. diplomatic personnel in Ukraine also said last year that it's often "impractical or impossible" to exercise standard oversight of weapons shipments, given the intensity of the conflict.

Earlier this year, Pentagon officials told Congress they've seen "no evidence" that weapons sent to Ukraine are ending up in unintended hands.

Perhaps that's true. As the war rages on, the Ukrainian government has a huge incentive to get weapons into the hands of frontline soldiers.

It doesn't answer the question of what happens once the war in Ukraine ends, or at least winds down to something resembling the low-intensity conflict that persisted in the country's East prior to the Russian invasion.

A government with long-running corruption issues sitting on a lot of U.S.-supplied weapons it doesn't need as much anymore is a recipe for many of those weapons falling into the wrong hands.

And there are a lot of wrong hands in Ukraine.

To fight that earlier conflict in its East, the Ukrainian government leaned heavily on paramilitary groups, including far-right and neo-Nazi groups.

Early in the war, there was some evidence those same groups were getting Western-supplied weapons. Defense Department officials have dismissed more recent reports of that happening.

Even so, should the current war devolve into a frozen conflict, the odds that all the weapons we've sent over there (and that we currently can't account for) stay in responsible hands and aimed at their intended targets will diminish greatly.

U.S.-supplied cluster bombs will have deadly impacts in Ukraine long after formal hostilities cease between Russia and Ukraine. The same can easily be said of almost all weapons sent to the country.

The same reasons to oppose sending cluster bombs to Ukraine are the same reasons to oppose sending weapons to the country generally.

The post Cluster Bombs Aren't the Only Weapons That Kill People After a War Is Over appeared first on Reason.com.
What are cluster bombs and what is controversial about Biden sending them to Ukraine?

The United States has announced that it is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the front lines.

The administration of Joe Biden said that it will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth $800m (630m).

The move will likely trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.

Proponents argue that both Russia and Ukraine have already been using the controversial weapon in Ukraine and that the munitions the US will provide have a reduced dud rate, meaning there will be far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths.

Ukraine has welcomed the decision, saying it needs weapons, more weapons, and more weapons, including cluster munitions if it is to defeat Russia.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said the outcome of the war started by Moscows invasion depended on the volume of arms Kyiv receives.

In the great bloody war which has been ongoing for more than 16 months, and which will predetermine the future of the world  the number of weapons matters. So, weapons, more weapons, and more weapons, including cluster munitions, he said on Friday.

Here is a look at what cluster munitions are, why they are so controversial and where they have been used.

What is a cluster munition?

A cluster munition is a bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller bomblets across a wide area. The bomblets are designed to take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.

The munitions are launched by the same artillery weapons that Western allies have already provided to Ukraine for the war  such as howitzers  and the type of cluster munition that the US is sending is based on a common 155 mm shell that is already widely in use across the battlefield.

A Ukrainian serviceman carry a 155mm shell into self-propelled howitzer "Bohdana" before firing towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023 (AP)

Why are they so controversial?

In previous conflicts, cluster munitions have had a high dud rate, which meant that thousands of the smaller unexploded bomblets remained behind and killed and maimed people decades later. The US last used its cluster munitions in battle in Iraq in 2003, and decided not to continue using them as the conflict shifted to more urban environments with more dense civilian populations.

On Thursday, Brigadier General Pat Ryder  the Pentagon press secretary  said the US Defense Department has multiple variants of the munitions and the ones that we are considering providing would not include older variants with [unexploding] rates that are higher than 2.35 per cent.

A convention banning the use of cluster bombs has been joined by more than 120 countries, which agreed not to use, produce, transfer, or stockpile the weapons and to clear them after they've been used. The US, Russia and Ukraine haven't signed on.

Why provide them now?

For more than a year the US has dipped into its own stocks of traditional 155 howitzer munitions and sent more than two million rounds to Ukraine. Allies across the globe, including the UK, have provided hundreds of thousands more.

A 155 mm round can strike targets 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometres) away, making them a munition of choice for Ukrainian ground troops trying to hit enemy targets from a distance. Ukrainian forces are burning through thousands of rounds a day battling the Russians.

Yehor Cherniev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, told reporters at a German Marshall Fund event in the US this spring that Kyiv would likely need to fire 7,000 to 9,000 rounds daily during the intensified counteroffensive. Providing that many puts substantial pressure on US and allied stocks.

The cluster bomb can destroy more targets with fewer rounds, and since the US hasnt used them in conflict since Iraq, it has large amounts of them in storage it can access quickly, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

A March 2023 letter from top House and Senate Republicans to the Biden administration said the US may have as many as three million cluster munitions available for use, and urged the White House to send the munitions to alleviate pressure on American war supplies.

Cluster munitions are more effective than unitary artillery shells because they inflict damage over a wider area, Mr Brobst said. This is important for Ukraine as they try to clear heavily fortified Russian positions.

Tapping into the US stores of cluster munitions could address Ukraines shell shortage and alleviate pressure on the 155 mm stockpiles in the US and elsewhere, Mr Brobst said.

Is using cluster bombs a war crime?

The use of cluster bombs itself does not violate international law, but using them against civilians can be a violation. As in any strike, determining a war crime requires looking at whether the target was legitimate and if precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The part of international law where this starts playing [a role], though, is indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians, Human Rights Watchs associate arms director Mark Hiznay said. So that's not necessarily related to the weapons, but the way the weapons are used.

Where have cluster bombs been used?

The bombs have been deployed in many recent conflicts.

The US initially considered cluster bombs an integral part of its arsenal during the invasion of Afghanistan that began in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The group estimated that the US-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan during the first three years of the conflict.

The Defense Department had been due to stop use of any cluster munitions with a rate of unexploded ordnance greater than 1 per cent, by 2019. But the Trump administration rolled back that policy, allowing commanders to approve the use of such munitions.

Syrian government troops have often used cluster munitions  supplied by Russia  against opposition strongholds during that countrys civil war, frequently hitting civilian targets and infrastructure. And Israel used them in civilian areas in south Lebanon, including during the 1982 invasion.

During the month-long 2006 war with Hezbollah, HRW and the United Nations accused Israel of firing as many as four million cluster munitions into Lebanon. That left unexploded ordnance that threatens Lebanese civilians to this day.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has been criticized for its use of cluster bombs in the war with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that has ravaged the southern Arabian country.

In 2017, Yemen was the second deadliest country for cluster munitions after Syria, according to the UN. Children have been killed or maimed long after the munitions originally fell, making it difficult to know the true toll.

In the 1980s, the Russians made heavy use of cluster bombs during their 10-year invasion of Afghanistan. As a result of decades of war, the Afghan countryside remains one of the most heavily mined areas in the world.

What has the White House said?

The United States will provide Ukraine with cluster-style artillery rounds for use on their own territory to repel Russian invading forces, the White House has said.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Friday that Kyiv has provided written assurances that it would use the controversial weapons in a very careful way that is aimed at minimising any risk to civilians.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan responds to a question from the news media during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 07 July 2023 (EPA)

He said the Defence Department would provide further details on the next arms package that will be sent to Ukraine, but he pointed out that Kyivs forces are firing thousands of rounds a day to defend against Russian efforts to advance and also to support its own efforts to retake its sovereign territory. The national security adviser suggested the decision to provide Ukraine with cluster weapons already in US stocks was necessary to keep up a steady flow of arms for Kyivs defence.

We have provided Ukraine with a historic amount of unitary artillery rounds and we are ramping up domestic production of these rounds. Weve already seen substantial increases in production, but this process will continue to take time, and it will be critical to provide Ukraine with a bridge of supplies. While our domestic production is ramped up, he said. We will not leave Ukraine defenceless at any point in this conflict period.

Mr Sullivan noted that Russia has been using their own version of cluster munitions, which are antipersonnel weapons that make use of small bomblets to maximise their effectiveness against massed troops, and pointed out that the Russian weapons have a high rate of failure which leaves the battlefield littered with unexploded ordinance.

He added that the US-made shells that will be provisioned to Kyivs defence forces have a much lower failure rate, and said Ukraines government has committed to post-war de-mining that would prevent civilians from being harmed by unexploded submunitions, which in past conflict zones have lingered for years.

While a 2008 treaty, the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions, has been signed by more than 100 nations which have agreed to ban the use of such weapons, neither the US, Russia, nor Ukraine are signatories to the treaty.

What has the Pentagon said?

Speaking at a Defence Department briefing on Friday, Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Colin Kohl said the next US arms package to Ukraine would include the Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition, which is used both for anti-armour and anti-personnel purposes.

With this announcement, we will be able to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of additional artillery ammunition immediately. This decision will ensure we can sustain our support for Ukraine by bringing us to a point where we are producing sufficient artillery ammunition on a monthly basis across the coalition, he said.

Both Mr Kahl and Mr Sullivan also contrasted Russias use of the weapons on Ukraines territory with Ukraines desire to use them to defend their own land.

When we look at what Ukraine would be doing with these weapons, as opposed to what Russia is doing with these weapons, we see a substantial difference. It doesnt make it an easy decision, and Im not going to stand up here and say it is easy, Mr Sullivan said, adding that the US had deferred a decision on providing cluster munitions for quite some time because it required a real hard look at the potential harm to civilians.

When we put all of that together, there was a unanimous recommendation from the national security team, and President Biden ultimately decided  in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress  to move forward on this step, he said.

Mr Kahl admitted that the US has criticised Russias use of cluster munitions because they have been doing so indiscriminately, and with older, less reliable systems that cause more civilian casualties. But he said Kyiv has assured the US that they will not use the DPICMs rounds in civilian areas or urban environments, and they have also committed to recording where they are used to aid in cleanup efforts post-war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Government of the Russian Federation, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

While the future of the Wagner mercenary group hangs in the balance following Yevgeny Prigozhins attempted mutiny in Russia, fissures are emerging within the Wagner Group itself over whether Prigozhin is worth following anymore.

My comrades and I fought for the country, not for some cocky idiot and his personal ambitions, Roman, a former Wagner fighter, told The Moscow Times, referring to Wagner boss Prigozhin.

Vlad, another former Wagner mercenary, criticized Prigozhins willingness to ask his fighters to launch a revolt against Russia and turn on their own. He told the outlet that on June 24, the day of the attempted mutiny, he kept asking himself one question: Will I be able to shoot my comrades?

Prigozhin staged the rebellion in Russia late last month in an attempt to remove Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and push back against efforts to force Wagner fighters to join the conventional Russian military.

The insurrection appeared to fail, however, with Prigozhin working out a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to go into exile in Belarus. The fighters have been given the option to move to Belarus or join the military as well.

Opposition Figures Fear Prigozhin May Try Another Mutiny in Belarus

And while the staged insurrection against Putin and the Kremlin appears to be the largest challenge to Putins grip on power in years, throwing the future of Russia and the entire region into unknown territory, Prigozhin himself might be dealing with a disintegrating base of support.

The former mercenaries accused Prigozhin of running a traitorous revolt merely for personal reasons.

Vlad added that he wanted to join Wagner to defend Russia, not attack it, and not out of sympathy for Prigozhin.

Some lamented that Prigozhins revolt appears to have been a waste since whatever change he wanted in the leadership of the country has not materialized at the Kremlin.

Our comrades have killed each other, a huge amount of military equipment has been destroyed, people are scared, not to mention the damage to the reputation of Russia in the geopolitical arena, and the parquet generals are still in their places.

Other fighters suggested that the conventional military is overdue for a change, however, and welcomed the revolt in the hopes that the Russian military might take the hint.

I hope the 'March for Justice' has served as a wake-up call for our government to see that it's time for a change, Mikhail, another former Wagner mercenary, said.

The whole of Rostov supported Wagner and Prigozhin Prigozhin speaks and acts correctly, he did a lot for the country, and Shoigu, I think, never did anything useful, said Malik, who has fought in Ukraine for the Wagner group. I remain a patriot of my country The whole of Rostov supported Wagner and Prigozhin.

Its not clear what Prigozhins future holds at the moment. Days after he called off the mutiny in late June, Prigozhin met with Putin at the Kremlin, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday, according to Interfax. Questions remain as to whether Prigozhin will be safe from reprisal following the revolt as the Kremlins influence extends throughout Belarus.

According to Peskov, whose narrative about the course of events frequently strays from the truth, Wagner commanders expressed support for Putin at that meeting.

Putin Secretly Invited Prigozhin to the Kremlin 5 Days After Mutiny

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened, they emphasized that they were staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander in chief, and also said that they were ready to continue fighting for the Motherland, Peskov said.

While the purported deal brokered to end the revolt would have Prigozhin exiled to Belarus, its not clear where he will end up. Belarus government indicated days after the revolt that Prigozhin had entered Belarus. But just days ago, Lukashenko claimed that Prigozhin was not in Belarus and that he may have returned to Russia.

The future of the Wagner mercenaries themselves hangs in the balance. Field camps in Belarus have appeared to emerge for a likely influx of Wagner fighters to the country. But Lukashenkowho is facing his own political instability following the revolt, according to a U.S. ambassadorhas said only time will tell whether Wagner fighters are destined for Belarus.

We will soon sort out whether they will be in Belarus or not and in what numbers, he said last week, according to Belta.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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W.C. Bradley Co.s acquisition of the grill manufacturer Dansons US LLC last month was part of a larger strategy to grow the companys footprint in outdoor living.

The Columbus-based company acquired Dansons June 7 bringing together grilling and outdoor living brands such as Char-Broil, TIKI, Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills. Char-Broil and Pit Boss are two of the top 15 outdoor cooking brands, according to reporting by CookOut News, with Char-Broil accounting for almost 30% of the market share in 2022.

W.C. Bradley developed Tom Penner, who was already an executive at Char-Broil, to succeed Mark Werner as president of Char-Broil, W.C. Bradley CEO James Hillenbrand told the Ledger-Enquirer. Penners ascension to president was announced in February.

This allowed us to move Mark into a newly created business development position with the objective of identifying acquisitions and other growth opportunities consistent with our strategy to become a more meaningful player in the outdoor living category, Hillenbrand said.

The Dansons acquisition enabled W.C. Bradley to execute this strategy, he said. Leadership in W.C. Bradley and Danson knew each other and already had a mutual respect for one another, Hillenbrand said.

When the opportunity to acquire Dansons arose and discussions began, we grew to appreciate our shared values and how well our products and capabilities complement each other, he said.

Dansons was a natural fit because of its strong culture, products and partners, Hillenbrand said. Its brands Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills are leaders in the wood pellet segment, he said, which positions W.C. Bradly to succeed in the outdoor cooking and the broader outdoor living categories.

Along with the compatibility of Dansons products, the fact that the company was family-owned also made it appealing.

We generally find that family-owned businesses have a passion to add value and a high level of accountability, Hillenbrand said.

Founded in 1885, W.C. Bradley measures success by generations, Hillenbrand said, which allows the company to invest during challenging times.

We constantly strive to demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit and servant leadership, he said. Our goal is to add financial value, make a positive impact and foster meaningful connections.

The private family-owned companys current holdings include consumer products group focused on outdoor living and recreation, a real estate development and property management company, a land management operation and an investment portfolio, Hillenbrand said.

The Dansons acquisition follows last years announcement of the final phases of our Riverfront Place development, which  in aggregate  is an over $250 million investment in Columbus, Georgia, he said.  As for the future, stay tuned.
Chinese vice premier meets with U.S. treasury secretary

Xinhua) 09:08, July 10, 2023

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meets with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Saturday met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing.

Focusing on the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Bali, the two sides had in-depth, candid and practical exchanges on the economic and financial situation of the two countries and the whole world as well as on working together to address common global challenges. The talks were constructive.

Noting that the overstretching of national security does no good to the normal economic and trade exchanges, the Chinese side expressed concerns over the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States on China.

The two sides agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation on addressing global challenges, and continue maintaining exchanges and interactions.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife, Anaida, pose for a photo with an unidentified man wearing a "straight pride" T-shirt during a Calgary Stampede event in Calgary, Alta., in a recent photo published to Twitter by user @BSpence1983. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Twitter

A spokesman for Pierre Poilievre says the federal Conservative leader does not agree with the message of "straight pride," after he was photographed with a man wearing a T-shirt bearing those words.

Sebastian Skamski says Poilievre had been posing with "hundreds of people" at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday when he was photographed with an individual "without reading what was written on his shirt."

The bright green T-shirt featured the symbols for men and women that are often posted to the doors of public restrooms.

It says "Thank a straight person today for your existence," in black capital letters, with "straight pride" written at the bottom.

Skamski says that "Poilievre does not agree with the message displayed on the T-shirt," adding that Conservatives are working to build a country where everyone is free to be themselves, "regardless of their sexual orientation."

Poilievre and other political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, kept up the tradition of joining pancake breakfasts and other public events at Stampede over the weekend.
Medications are lined up on shelves in a pharmacy in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Counterfeit pills, Times reporters found, are often kept in containers under the counter or in a back room. (Connor Sheets / Los Angeles Times)

A warning appeared on Tripadvisor on May 25, 2020: Cabo pharmacies selling fentanyl laced pills. The person posting under the moniker Spreadingfacts wrote, My brother passed away last year after buying pills at a pharmacy in Cabo. Over several posts, the writer said their brother died after buying what he thought were Oxycontin pills. When his blood was tested it revealed the deadly presence of fentanyl.

At the time, only a vague notice about counterfeit medications was posted on the U.S. Department of State's online page on travel to Mexico, with no mention that they may contain fentanyl, which can be deadly in small doses, or their easy availability at small pharmacies.

Nor was the notice updated after a Times investigation in February revealed that independent Mexican pharmacies catering to tourists are selling pills that are labeled as oxycodone, hydrocodone and Adderall but are fake and contain fentanyl or methamphetamine. A UCLA study of pharmacies in northern Mexico had similar findings. The investigation confirmed half a dozen cases of people dying from these tainted pills, but the actual death toll is unknown.

Only after being pressed by U.S. lawmakers after The Times stories did the State Department in March add a detailed health alert that counterfeit medications being sold at non-chain pharmacies could have deadly consequences.

Read more: Editorial: U.S.-Mexico officials must put aside animosity to stop fentanyl deaths

The sluggish response by authorities on both sides of the border is worrisome. Clearly, this is a major public health threat for Mexicans and foreign tourists. The Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risks, Mexicos health agency known by its acronym COFEPRIS, finally raided three pharmacies in Los Cabos last month. They arrested four people and seized more than $25,000 in cash and nearly 25,000 pills that the pharmacies were not authorized to sell, though authorities claim none of these pills contained fentanyl or methamphetamine.

Mexicos denial of the extent of the fentanyl crisis in that country runs deep. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied that the drug is produced in Mexico despite evidence to the contrary and blames the massive U.S. demand for illicit drugs as the problem. In turn, U.S. authorities blame the Mexican government for not doing enough to combat the drug cartels that are slaughtering people and ravaging cities throughout Mexico.

Its not surprising that pills containing fentanyl or methamphetamine are being sold illegally in Mexican cities that cater to tourists. But the availability in pharmacies adds a false veneer of legitimacy that magnifies the public health hazard for everyone, not just those seeking opioids for questionable purposes.

For decades, U.S. residents have found cheaper medications in Mexican cities, especially those at the border. The consumers include older people and immigrants who cannot afford needed medication in the U.S. The Adderall shortage in the U.S. could be prompting parents to travel to Mexican cities in search of the medication needed to treat their children's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Read more: Editorial: Haven't we learned yet? Harsher penalties won't save us from fentanyl

There is increased urgency when it comes to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin. A health alert on an obscure State Department web page is wholly insufficient to warn consumers.

Mexicos COFEPRIS is well aware of counterfeit medicine produced and sold throughout the country, regularly putting out alerts on specific brands that have been falsely manufactured. The agency recently produced a podcast explaining how consumers can spot fake pills by examining the package for specific features such as expiration dates, lot numbers, etc. This lifesaving information should be more widely disseminated in the U.S.

COFEPRIS also regulates pharmacies by conducting inspections, though the agency is well-known for corruption within its ranks. Earlier this year, government leaders fired 11 employees in a corruption crackdown.

But lets be real. Occasional crackdowns and raids on pharmacies are just stopgap measures that can be counterproductive. Public health researchers have long warned that a law enforcement strategy of seizures and arrests endangers more lives by pushing the market for these drugs further underground, causing more overdoses. A study of enforcement consequences in the July 2023 issue of the American Journal of Public Health confirms this.

A better approach is through public education. Authorities on both sides of the border should consider installing warnings at border crossings, in tourist zones, near pharmacies and other popular tourist areas about the possibility of fentanyl in medications sold at independent pharmacies. In the U.S., government officials should design a social media campaign that could be disseminated on sites such as Reddit, where users routinely trade tips about safe travel to Mexico and purchasing medication.

The Tripadvisor alert three years ago may have been one of the first warnings from the anguished relatives of people who died after taking counterfeit medication purchased in Mexican tourist spots. Another came last month from a mother whose 22-year-old son died after ingesting pills he bought in Ensenada during a stop on the Norwegian Bliss cruise to Mexico last Thanksgiving. Shes hoping Norwegian and other cruise lines will start to issue written warnings to cruise passengers.

Until U.S. authorities start listening to these families, and treating this as the serious public health threat it is, more people will die.

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.
When NATO leaders meet in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Tuesday, they do so with two clouds hanging over a crucial summit for the alliance.

First, this is the week that NATO had hoped to welcome Sweden as its 32nd member, following the countrys joint application with Finland shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland was approved earlier this year.

Second, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that a key aim of the summit was to strengthen the alliances security and political ties with Ukraine, while also committing to a smooth path into NATO for the country.

But attention has been diverted from both these key issues ahead of the meeting by comments from the presidents of two key alliance members.

On Monday morning, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that Swedens membership of NATO should be linked to Turkeys membership of the European Union.

First, lets clear Turkeys way in the European Union, then lets clear the way for Sweden, just as we paved the way for Finland, Erdogan said.

Erdogan also emphasized that Turkey has been waiting at the gate of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all NATO member countries are European member countries.

President Erdogan, seen here with Ukraine's President Zelensky on July 8, 2023, has painted himself as the key negotiator between the West and Russia. - Ozan Guzelce/dia images/Getty Images

Turkeys EU membership bid has been on hold since 2016, when an attempted coup failed to remove Erdogan from power. Erdogan has since tightened his grip on power through constitutional reforms that have prompted concerns from the EU on human rights and legal grounds. The official position in Brussels now is that Turkey would not meet the official criteria to join the bloc.

Stoltenberg later said Turkey had agreed to support Swedens membership bid. But few Western diplomats were surprised at Erdogan using this moment to kick up a stink.

Turkey has resisted Swedens bid to join NATO for a long time. Ankara has given multiple reasons, including accusations that Swedish officials have been complicit in Islamophobic demonstrations, including the burning of the Quran.

More importantly, Turkey claims that Sweden allows members of recognized Kurdish terror groups to operate, most notably the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Sweden changed its terrorism laws earlier this year, making it a crime to be part of these groups, though this has not yet been enough for Turkey.

The Turkish president has been on the Wests naughty step for a number of years. His relationship with Putin has been a problem for many Western allies, whether it be his cooperation with Russia in Syria or painting himself as the key negotiator between the West and the Kremlin on Ukraine.

He has been punished through sanctions and restrictions on military equipment that Turkey can buy from NATO allies, including the US. Both of these things have affected Turkey economically and geopolitically.

Sweden provides Erdogan with some rare leverage. And the Turkish president, officials are aware, is very good at using any leverage he has to extract things he wants from his Western allies.

Turkey claims that Sweden allows members of recognized Kurdish terror groups to operate in Sweden, most notably the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. - Christine Olsson/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images

The most often-cited example is how he struck a deal with the EU that saw it hand Turkey 6 billion ($6.58 billion), among other perks, in exchange for Turkey hosting Syrian refugees who were en route to Europe. Erdogan, European officials have repeatedly said, knew that he had Brussels over a barrel as he could effectively flood Europe with refugees at will.

It is therefore a headache, but not a huge shock, that Erdogan played his best and on the eve of a key international summit. Swedish officials remained confident the deal would be done  confidence that was well placed, it would appear given Stoltenbergs later statement.

The second headache for NATO comes in US President Joe Bidens comments to CNN this weekend that Ukraine should not join the alliance until the war is over.

Multiple NATO officials told CNN on Monday that these comments were regrettable as they have allowed the conversation to shift from all the good things the alliance has done and will do for Ukraine, to a largely irrelevant conversation about immediate membership.

No one is seriously talking about Ukraine joining us right now. We are talking about laying out a clear path and also how best we can practically help them now. This isnt a change in position from the US or NATO, one official said.

Both of these issues might be distractions from the main parts of the summit, but Western officials know that distractions that can be spun to make the West look disunited will be welcomed in Russia at the moment.

And that is the real reason that officials heading to Vilnius are so annoyed.

NATO, remarkably, has remained united for most of the war and has gone beyond what most expected was possible.

Both dramas  created by Erdogan and Biden  have the potential to generate headlines out of the summit that set up a false premise and could ultimately make the meeting look in some respects like a failure. And that only helps the man observing from a distance in the Kremlin.

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National and local environmental groups Monday filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  alleging that officials have allowed the state of Colorado to persistently violate air quality standards.

The lawsuit, submitted in a federal appeals circuit court, challenges the EPAs approval of a state plan that failed to sufficiently reduce smog in the Metro Denver and North Front Range areas by July 2021.

Concentrations of ground-level ozone, also known as smog, have continued to surpass acceptable air quality levels  a situation that the complainants attribute to the states inadequate response to pollution generated by fracked oil and gas.

Stressing that Colorado has remained in noncompliance with national smog standards for the past 15 years, the conservation groups questioned the EPAs ongoing approvals of the states pollution cleanup programs.

This government embrace of a plan that has already failed means the fracked gas and oil industry gets to keep spewing out pollution that causes asthma attacks and even death, Robert Ukeiley, an environmental health attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.

The ongoing contamination, Ukeiley added, also kills trees and flowers in majestic places like Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit together with 350 Colorado, a local environmental organization.

While the national smog standard is 75 parts per billion, Front Range levels were 81 parts per billion in summer 2020, the conservation groups noted.

The highest levels were recorded at the National Renewable Energy Labs monitoring site in Jefferson County  just west of Denver  but another site due southeast in Douglas County showed similar concentrations, the complainants stated.

The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver, petitions for the review of a final action taken by the EPA regarding Colorados air plan approval, which was published on the Federal Register about two months ago.

The rule, effective on June 8, authorizes the majority of the states ozone attainment plan, while noting that the EPA recognizes the adverse impacts of ozone.

Colorados plan, according to the rule, involves detailing emission inventories, demonstrating reasonable further progress, ensuring that Colorado meets federal Clean Fuel Fleet Program requirements and conducting nonattainment reviews of new pollution sources.

We expect that this action and resulting emissions reductions will generally be neutral or contribute to reduced environmental and health impacts on all populations in the [Denver Metro-North Front Range Area], including people of color and low-income populations, the rule states.

At a minimum, this action would not worsen any existing air quality, the document adds.

The Hill has reached out to the EPA for comment.
A new group with ties to the anti-tax Club for Growth is launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in key early primary states aimed at stopping Donald Trump from steamrolling to the Republican nomination.

The group, Win it Back, will on Tuesday begin airing TV commercials in Iowa and South Carolina. The new super PAC is spending $3.6 million on the blitz, which will run through the end of the month.

The move comes as Trump is solidifying his lead over his Republican primary rivals in early-state and national polling. The former presidents main opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has stalled in recent surveys, and others have struggled to gain traction.

The Club for Growth itself is not running the commercials, though two of its top officials are involved in the new outfit. In Federal Election Commission filings, the Clubs president, David McIntosh, is listed as the designated agent for Win it Back PAC. The Clubs treasurer, Adam Rozansky, has the same role for the anti-Trump outfit.

The emergence of Win it Back represents the latest twist in a long, complicated relationship between Trump and the Club for Growth. During the 2016 primaries, the Club spent millions of dollars in a failed effort to stop Trump from winning the nomination. But during the Trump administration, the relationship between Club and the then-president grew warmer, with McIntosh emerging as an outside political adviser. The alliance spilled over into Trumps post-presidency.

But last year, Trump and the Club feuded bitterly over the Ohio GOP Senate primary, where Trump supported J.D. Vance, the eventual winner, over the wishes of McIntosh, who backed a rival candidate, Josh Mandel.

Earlier this year, McIntosh made clear that the Club for Growth would oppose Trump in 2024, telling reporters that the party should be open to another candidate. And this spring, the Club declined to invite Trump to a donor retreat it held in Palm Beach, Fla., though it did invite other candidates, including DeSantis.

On Friday, a day after POLITICO reported on the emergence of Win it Back PAC, Trump took aim at the Club for Growth during a speech in Iowa, calling the organization the Club for No Growth.

The 60-second ad is softer than some other ads that have gone after Trump and does not endorse any alternative candidate.

It portrays a man sitting on his doorstep talking about how he supported Trump when he first ran, but now sees Trump as someone who cannot win a general election against a Democrat in 2024.

I love Donald Trump, I love what he did. Once he got in, my thought was that its a breath of fresh air, the man says.

But the man then says that the drama surrounding Trump impacted his own family, and that his sister stopped inviting him to Thanksgiving.

Hes got so many distractions, the constant fighting, something every day, and Im not sure he can focus on moving the country forward, he says. We definitely need someone that can freakin win. I think youd probably lose that bet if you voted for Trump.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pushed back on the ad, saying in a statement: Another swampy DC insider group using shady money to hurt America. Instead of bowing down and kowtowing to their CCP masters, Club for China Growth should be helping the people of Iowa and South Carolina fight against the Biden Regime who has put China First.

It is not clear what donors are helping to bankroll Win it Back; the group is not required to file its contribution disclosure forms until early next year, just as the primary season is getting underway.

The anti-Trump offensive bears some similarities to 2016, when the Club for Growth launched an effort to stop the then-candidate from winning the nomination. At the time, Trump called officials from the group stupid and extortionists.

Another conservative group, Americans for Prosperity, is also expected to spend heavily against Trump. The organization, which is linked to billionaire Charles Koch, recently announced that it has raised more than $70 million.
Cops scour creek by I-80 in manhunt for murder suspect who escaped custody in Roseville

The Roseville murder suspect who escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center early Sunday remained at large Monday morning as hundreds of law enforcement officers searched a heavily wooded area between Roseville and Rocklin through the night.

LATEST UPDATE: ABRIL SURRENDERS TO POLICE IN ROCKLIN CREEKBED

Eric James Abril, 35, disappeared after escaping from a Placer County sheriffs deputy just after 3 a.m. at the hospital Sunday, sparking a massive search for the fugitive.

At 12:50 a.m. Monday, authorities zeroed in on a spot at the end of China Garden Road in Rocklin, about a mile northeast of the hospital, after a law enforcement aircraft spotted movement in the area just east of Interstate 80 near where police had been searching Sunday afternoon.

Law enforcement initially thought an object on the ground was a rock, but saw it move. Authorities called in teams of searchers and dogs and methodically began to move through the area, which was heavy with brush and near Secret Ravine, according to scanner traffic.

Law enforcement vehicles are seen at the end of China Garden Road in Rocklin in the early morning hours of Monday, July 10, 2023, during authorities search for Eric Abril, 35, a murder suspect who escaped custody at Sutter Roseville Medical Center on Sunday. Officials were working in teams and using K-9s and drones to scour a portion of Secret Ravine, a creek that runs alongside Interstate 80.

The subject looked to be buried under the bushes under the trees from where they saw him go to ground first, one deputy said over the radio as searchers combed the underbrush and studied broken branches, footprints and other possible clues for hours.

Heat signatures likely wildlife

At one point, searchers said they found some ice and food in the area, and authorities began directing teams toward a spot along the creek where they had last seen movement using heat-sensing equipment.

After several minutes, they concluded the heat signature they had detected likely was too small to be a person, but teams continued to search the surrounding trails.

Residents told officers there were deer in the area, and they or other animals might have caused the heat signatures searchers were detecting.

He was moving east when he disappeared, one officer told colleagues over the radio. I think he went to ground where everyone was looking.

The only way to move was east through the brush.

Another searcher said he was close enough to hear movement.

There was some heavy movement near a tree and it just stopped, he said. Then we heard some crackling noises.

An El Dorado County sheriffs unit was using a drone to help searchers, who were hampered by the thick brush in the area.

Its just hard to access, one officer said over the radio. Its super thick.

At times, officers could be heard whispering updates over the radio as they sought to keep their target from overhearing them.

Despite their efforts, searchers apparently came up empty and some began leaving the area at 3 a.m., two hours after they first spotted movement there.

The area searchers had pinpointed was about 3 miles northeast of where Abril had been seen on a security camera at 3:39 a.m. Sunday walking on Rainier Court in Rocklin, about 12 hours after he escaped from the hospital.

Hundreds of officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the capital region searched throughout the night for Abril, responding to numerous sightings called in by area residents.

In an image released by the Placer County Sheriffs Office, Eric Abril is seen on a doorbell video camera more than a mile from Roseville Sutter Medical Center around 6 a.m. on Sunday. Abril had escaped custody while being hosptalized.

A flurry of reports from concerned residents led to deputies chasing down leads, from a transient wearing an orange shirt sleeping on a sidewalk to numerous empty houses where someone thought they saw movement.

Greenbelts and parks throughout the area about 20 miles north of Sacramento were searched throughout the day as helicopters, drones, police dogs and armored vehicles swept over and through neighborhoods.

Officers from multiple agencies have gathered and are actively searching for Abril, Rocklin police reported in a social media post at about 11 p.m. Sunday. The search will continue throughout the evening and overnight. Every resource is being utilized to take him back into custody.

We are asking for residents to stay vigilant, check your security cameras, and report any sightings immediately to the Placer County Sheriffs Office. Authorities set up a tip line at 916-409-1257 and https://bit.ly/pcso-abril-manhunt-tips.

A Placer County Sheriffs Department BearCat armored vehicle drives down Greenbrae Road in Rocklin on Sunday, July 9, 2023, after a potential sighting of the Mahany Park murder suspect Eric James Abril, who escaped early in the morning from a Roseville hospital.

Manhunt passes 24-hour mark

The manhunt began after Abril somehow managed to escape from Sutter Roseville Medical Center after 3 a.m. Sunday, where he had been taken Thursday for treatment of seizures.

Although he was supposed to be under 24-hour guard by a Placer sheriffs deputy, Abril somehow managed to escape the hospital by running down a flight of stairs and out the doors into the night as a deputy ran after him.

Authorities said they were investigating how Abril, who was wearing orange jail garb and shackles in the hospital, managed to get away, but they declined to provide any details about what had happened.

Im concerned with the fact that this occurred, obviously, and well be doing a full investigation when the time is right, Placer Sheriff Wayne Woo told The Bee in an interview Sunday.

The security photo of Abril taken from Rainier Court after his escape showed him shirtless, wearing what appeared to be orange shorts and no obvious signs of shackles.

Abril had been in custody since April 6 facing murder and attempted murder charges stemming from a standoff at Rosevilles Mahany Park during which officials say he shot and killed a 72-year-old hostage and wounded the mans wife and a California Highway Patrol officer before surrendering.
MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON  A Monday morning ceremony marking the end of Gen. David Bergers four years as commandant involved all the usual trappings.

It had the music and marching onto the Marine Barracks Washington parade field, the passing of the Corps official battle colors, and the reading of Bergers orders to relinquish command and retire.

But as Berger passed the colors to Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, the ceremonys narrator did not read orders for Smith to take command of the service. And the Home of the Commandants, the nearly 220-year-old white house at the end of the parade field, will sit empty upon Bergers departure.

For the first time since 1910, there is no Senate-confirmed commandant of the Marine Corps at the helm of the service.

While Smith and his wife, Trish, wont be moving their boxes into the house quite yet, he will have the powers of a confirmed Marine commandant.

To make sure that there is no confusion: All orders, directives and guidance in effect this morning remain in effect, unless I direct otherwise, Smith told the crowd attending Bergers retirement ceremony. Further guidance to the force will follow.

Bidens pick to lead the Marine Corps helped design its new vision

Federal law required Berger to step down Monday, four years after he became commandant.

Berger, who has been a Marine since 1981, has said he plans to spend time at the family farm with his wife, Donna, as well as with his four sons and his grandchildren, before deciding what work may come next.

The lack of Senate confirmation means Smith, who was nominated in May to become the 39th commandant, will perform the duties of the No. 1 and No. 2 Marines simultaneously, without a set person to whom he can delegate tasks.

The White House hasnt yet nominated the next assistant commandant, who also would be subject to the hold on nominations by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama.

Tuberville has single-handedly blocked hundreds of general-officer promotions in protest of a Pentagon policy that gives troops leave and travel expenses to help them access out-of-state abortions. Neither the Pentagon nor Tuberville shows signs of backing down.

The Senate does have a possible workaround: voting on individual nominees one by one, rather than relying on unanimous consent of senators to speed them through in batches. But that would require several weeks of Senate floor time for the five nominees for the Joint Chiefs of Staff alone, Defense News previously reported.

In the role of acting commandant, Smith told reporters June 29, he also wont be able to release the planning guidance, which lays out the commandants strategic vision for the Corps.

Bergers planning guidance, from 2019, played an important role in the services past four years by setting the stage for Force Design 2030  the 2020 plan to prepare the Marine Corps for conflict with a technologically sophisticated peer like the Chinese military.

I can give guidance to the force as the acting commandant, but it does not carry the same weight, quite, as commandants planning guidance, Smith said.

Until Smith gets confirmed, he will still be called assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, or ACMC (pronounced ACK-mack) for short, he emphasized Monday during his remarks at the ceremony.

That is my title, and one that Im proud of, Smith said. You can also say Devil Dog, leatherneck, Marine or Trishs husband. I respond to all  probably most proud of the last.

Smith said after the ceremony that he is the first acting commandant since 1910, when Maj. Gen. George Elliott aged out of the job and the Marine Corps did not have a replacement ready. Maj. Gen. William Biddle became commandant three months later.

As acting commandant, Smith will focus on continuing the overhaul of the Marine Corps while making sure the force is ready to respond to global crises, he said.

Smith has been a vocal supporter of Force Design 2030. At his June 14 confirmation hearing he called for the Corps to speed up that modernization as the budget allows.

Following the ceremony Monday, Smith said that he would not wait until his formal confirmation in order to go fast.

I still retain the authorities of the office of the commandant, so as far as budgetary, experimentation, changing formations, I can still do all that, he said. And those things that are working well for us  long-range fires, et cetera  we will move faster on them as long as we have a defense budget.

Force Design was widely embraced by the Corps, the Pentagon, Congress and industry  but it attracted its share of opposition, especially from a group of retired general officers who thought Berger was changing the Marine Corps for the worse.

Retired Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper Van Riper said that the pushback had nothing to do with Berger as an individual and everything to do with the nature of the reforms.

Asked what the group thought of Smiths call to accelerate the modernization and if theyd continue to be as vocally against Force Design under the new leader, Van Riper said the retired community desires to support General Smith in every way possible if he intends to rebuild a Corps able to respond globally as a combined arms force in an age of precision munitions.

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Dakota Wood, a senior research fellow for defense programs at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, said that although Force Design 2030 was Bergers brainchild, Smith was perfectly positioned to continue and accelerate it.

In his 21 months as assistant commandant, Smith had to get into the weeds of programs and budgets, and work closely with his counterparts on the joint staff, Wood noted.

While you could say Gen. Berger is kind of the idea [guy], making the argument  who is actually doing the grunt work and seeing where the obstacles are at and how to make sense of all this? Thats been Gen. Smith the entire time, Wood said. So I think theres a natural progression.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who presided over the ceremony, and Berger both called for the Senate to confirm the next commandant, though they didnt call out Tuberville by name.

Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States, and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history, Austin said in a speech on the barracks parade field.

Im with you, Mr. Secretary, Berger said in a speech that followed. We need the Senate to do their job so we can have a sitting commandant thats appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied.
Between Supervisor Sue Frosts anti-vaxxer nonsense and Supervisor Phil Sernas years-long narcoleptic performance art, I didnt think I could be surprised any more by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

I feel like this shouldnt need to be said, but just because the state of California has announced a 2045 deadline for carbon targets doesnt mean the county can pawn off their own, glacially-slow efforts to reduce the countys greenhouse gas emissions by 15 years  setting back any immediacy the work of their own staff, the countys climate task force and the whole of the Sacramento region may have once felt in their efforts to combat climate change.

Yet that is exactly what the Board of Supervisors is proposing to do on Tuesday, against the advice of climate experts on their own task force; delaying their goals by 15 years simply because they feel no immediacy or are cowed by environmental advocates who simply want to see the county do what they said they would do, within the time frame they said they would do it in. Quelle horreur.

Opinion

Tim Irvine, a climate justice advocate and chair of the Sacramento County Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force, said he believes the climate emergency resolution doesnt need to be amended because such declarations are non-binding; they can coexist alongside whatever other legally-binding targets are in the county plans.

A lot of jurisdictions, I think, are seeing the new California Air Resources Board scoping plan, which is setting the statewide minimum (for) 2045. I think theyre seeing that and theyre thinking, OK, cool. Well just also go for 2045. Theres no need to try and do anything else faster.

Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo sent the Supervisors a letter over the weekend, begging them not to pursue a delay and calling any deferment of the countys climate action goals a mistake and a missed opportunity.

No issue is more critical to the survival of our planet and our species than climate change. Yet with so many other pressing issues, it seems easy to defer, Fargo wrote. You sent a clear message of the importance of addressing climate change when you approved this in 2020. Pushing the date back for 15 years sends the opposite message, that this is not a priority.

Anne Stausboll too, former Chair of the Mayors Commission on Climate, wrote the board over the weekend, admonishing them that retreating from the 2030 target would be an abrupt reversal of course and would demonstrate a lack of commitment to mitigating and adapting to the crisis we face.

Regional leadership is essential to addressing these impacts, she wrote. Although it would have been prudent to consult with your experts, it does not appear that the task force has been consulted on whether the proposed change in target date is appropriate.

County supervisors did not return a request for comment, nor did Todd Smith, Planning Director for Planning and Environmental Review at the countys Community Development Department, who is presenting at Tuesdays meeting on the proposal.

County delays goals because theyre hard

Now pay attention, because this next part gets confusing: In 2020, Sacramento County declared a climate emergency. That Climate Emergency Resolution established the year 2030 as an aspirational goal for partial carbon neutrality within the county.

Since then, the state has set a goal for 2045 to both to achieve net-zero GHG emissions and to ensure that human-caused GHGs are reduced to at least 85% below 1990 levels, statewide. Also in that timeframe, the county has merely approved a draft of their Climate Action Plan, the broader emissions reduction strategy, more than a decade in the making. A decade, I might add, in which we could have been working further toward reducing emissions.

That document is completely separate from the Emergency Resolution, which has not yet been fully approved but is likely to by the end of this year. Also known as the CAP, that document would be legally-binding, unlike the resolution, and the CAPs deadlines are expected to be in line with the states mandates for allowable emissions, as measured in emitted metric tons of carbon dioxide, by 2045.

Apparently under the threat of litigation by both sides, the county seeks to realign their Emergency Resolution goals to be in line with the states 2045 allowable emissions and cities such as Sacramento, Rancho Cordova and Davis own proposed goals. (Thats right, folks, were not even talking about full carbon-neutrality here, just slightly decreasing emissions.)

But just because the state has a 15-year-later deadline doesnt give the county a good excuse to procrastinate. Yes, Sacramento was aspirational by aiming for a 2030 goal, but thats exactly the kind of ambition we must have to combat a global climate emergency. They could have been even more ambitious at the time, as pointed out by numerous environmental advocates who begged the county to work as fast as possible toward carbon neutrality. Just last week, Earth warmed to the highest temperature ever recorded when the average global temperature reached 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sacramento had the chance to show other California counties that climate change mitigation is not only possible, its time-dependent and deathly necessary. How the supervisors have managed to put emergency in the title of their resolution and still somehow completely miss the definition of the word is beyond all comprehension.

Were at the very beginning of exponentially increasing damages per greenhouse gasses, Irvine said. Gas emissions at the current rates are going to push us into a possibly permanent warming feedback loop. we have to go as fast as possible.

We need leaders to set ambitious goals, so that when one jurisdiction makes more progress on a faster timeline, other jurisdictions get a model of how they can also do more, faster, Irvine said.

Sacramento County must remain aspirational in its efforts to combat climate change if for no other reason that we already know we likely wont meet a 2030 goal, but perhaps we can achieve it by 2035. Meanwhile, the supes acted astoundingly fast on raising their own personal salaries by 36% back in May.

If we set our goals later, then our achievements will be later and there simply isnt time for that sort of leisure, despite however relaxing Serna makes his job look. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent with drought, fire and blight simply because the state isnt working on the same timeline.

Sacramentos biggest obstacle to fighting climate change isnt Mother Nature, its a Board of Supervisors so stacked with complacent politicians that theyre scared to lead on a divisive issue, however globally threatening. All of them seemingly have either given up on their responsibilities, never cared in the first place, or are so in the pocket of local developers that they either cant or stubbornly wont see the wildfires, floods and future destruction barreling toward us.

The Board of Supervisors must not be allowed to change their climate goals on Tuesday and pass their responsibilities onto a generation literally still in diapers. The world, much less Sacramento, can no longer withstand such weak climate policies, nor even weaker politicians.
Illustration: Lex Villena; Elena Garder | Dreamstime.com

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has upheld the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). In a decision released Friday, the appeals court affirmed a lower court's ruling that upheld FOSTA in full, agreeing with the government that the 2018 law is neither overbroad nor unconstitutionally vague. But in a partial win for civil liberties and sex worker rights' groups, the court also endorsed a narrow interpretation of FOSTA's prohibition on promoting or facilitating prostitution.

The law "does not proscribe facilitating prostitution more generally, which could extend to speech arguing for the legalization of prostitution or that discusses, educates, or informs about prostitution," the court said.

During oral arguments back in January, two of three judges on the panel hearing the case seemed skeptical of the government's claim that a portion of FOSTA did not violate the First Amendment. The portion of FOSTA in questionSection 2421A(a)makes it a federal felony crime to own, manage, or operate an "interactive computer service" with "the intent to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person."

The plaintiffs challenging the lawwhich include the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, the Internet Archive, and Human Rights Watchargued that this portion illegally criminalizes speech. "The language that it uses includes not just things that are in themselves the commission of illegal acts of sex trafficking or prostitution," David Greene, a lawyer on the case, told Reason earlier this year. The language of FOSTA "can be reasonably read to include protected [speech]and not just protected speech, but speech that's really highly important, like providing harm reduction, health and safety information to sex workers, to advocating on particular sex workers' behalf, to advocating for decriminalization, and things like that."

But the government contended, and a lower court agreed, that this section of FOSTA targets not speech but conduct. Federal prosecutors said it was a standard "aiding and abetting" law, aimed at punishing illegal activity.

The plaintiffs argue that "'promote or facilitate' has a variety of meanings, many of which include protected speech, such as general advocacy and the provision of safety and health information," the appeals court noted in its Friday decision. But it took the government's position that this was an incorrect interpretation, and thus FOSTA's language is "not unconstitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment."

FOSTA's "mental state requirement does not reach the intent to engage in general advocacy about prostitution, or to give advice to sex workers generally to protect them from abuse," the court concluded. "Nor would it cover the intent to preserve for historical purposes webpages that discuss prostitution. Instead, it reaches a person's intent to aid or abet the prostitution of another person."

"Undoubtedly, the term 'facilitate' could be read more broadly," it went on. "But nothing in Section 2421A(a) compels us to read 'facilitate' that way. Doubly so when a more expansive reading could raise grave constitutional concerns."

Ultimately, "FOSTA does not criminalize promoting prostitution broadly. It only punishes aiding or abetting the 'prostitution of another person,' which has a much narrower reach," the court said.

"Although the Court did not issue the constitutional ruling we sought, it held that the law must be interpreted narrowly," commented Woodhull in a statement. "By imposing the interpretive discipline Congress lacked, the Court ruled out many of the broader applications of FOSTA that caused us to challenge it."

"We are continuing to review the decision for its full implications and evaluating our options going forward,' Woodhull added.

The group and its fellow plaintiffs had also argued that FOSTA's amendment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was overly broad. The law bans knowingly benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking. FOSTA defined "participation in a venture" as "knowingly assisting, supporting, or facilitating" sex trafficking.

"Woodhull argues that [this section] is overbroad because the operative verbsassisting, supporting, or facilitatingare broad and potentially sweeping in their reach," said the appeals court. But it decided this interpretation was also "incorrect."

Reading the definition of participation in a venture "in light of its context and placement in the statutory scheme, the definition permissibly prohibits aiding and abetting a venture that one knows to be engaged in sex trafficking while knowingly benefiting from that venture," the court concluded. "We thus hold that the provision does not have the expansive scope that Woodhull fears, but instead, proscribes only speech that falls within the traditional bounds of aiding-and-abetting liability, which is not a form of speech protected by the First Amendment."

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Democrats dismiss nonwhite moderates. In the U.S., "African Americans and Latinos as well as Asian Americansremain heavily, even overwhelmingly Democratic but disproportionately compose the party's moderate wing," writes Jonathan Chait. This "is why Republicans are beginning to eat into their margins," and Democrats are allowing it by casting constituencies who disagreement with certain progressive priorities as pawns of white conservatives.

Part of this is just the standard stubbornness of ideologues. But "another, deeper reason is that it violates a deep, self-flattering Democratic Party assumption to acknowledge that the swing constituents being lost are heavily made up of non-white voters," argues Chait:

It's supposed to be racial minorities, who have experienced the most discrimination, pulling the party to the left with white people joining as allies. Progressive activists and donors have long assumed that simply mobilizing non-white voters would naturally pull the electorate leftward. The idea that the constituents pulling the party leftward are disproportionately white, and those resisting that pull are disproportionately not, contradicts the premise of a movement that has axiomatically equated socially liberal positions with the desires of minorities. David Byler recently broke down the political inclinations of the three largest demographic blocs of Democratic voters: white college-educated Democrats, white non-college-educated Democrats, and Black Democrats. Across a slate of social issues, white college-educated Democrats had the most liberal views, Black Democrats the least liberal. A recent poll even showed that Black Americans, who are overwhelmingly Democratic, narrowly approved of the Supreme Court ruling banning racial preferences in college admissions.

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Senator wants investigation into energy drink with less caffeine than a Starbucks coffee; GOP prosecutors threaten Target over Pride merchandise. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) is asking the Food and Drug Administration to investigate an energy drink created by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI. The drink, called PRIME, has dangerous levels of caffeine, Schumer suggested in a letter to the agency.

How much constitutes what Schumer calls a "cauldron of caffeine"? That would be 200 milligramsquite a bit less than in the larger sizes of Starbucks coffee. "A brewed cup from the brand has 155mg of caffeine in a short, eight-ounce cup; 235mg in a tall, 12-ounce cup; 310mg in a grande, 16-ounce cup; and 410mg in a venti, 20-ounce cup," according to Reader's' Digest.

Energy drinks have long attracted a weird amount of concern and hate from busybody politicians who give coffee a free pass. In this case, Schumer says he's concerned that the beverage is attractive to children. But PRIME energy drinks not only list caffeine content on the can; they're also labeled as "not recommended for children under 18."

Not to be outdone by the Democrats when it comes to trying to interfere in the marketplace, a group of seven state attorneys general, all Republican, have sent a letter to Target threatening legal action over the company's sale of Pride-themed merchandise and suggesting that it sell patriotic merchandise instead.

The ridiculous letter suggests that certain Pride merchandise that was sold at Target might be obscene and a violation of "state laws protecting children." It also objected to Target donations to the gay rights group GLSEN, alleging that the organization "furnishes resources to activists for the purpose of undermining parents' constitutional and statutory rights."

The letter was signed by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Carolina. "Target's directors and officers have a fiduciary duty to our States as shareholders in the company," yet "the evidence suggests that Target's directors and officers may be negligent in undertaking the 'Pride' campaign, which negatively affected Target's stock price," they write.

"Corporations are expected to pursue excellence in their chartered purposes, including, where applicable, by retailing goods and earning robust profits along the way," the letter continues. "Target's 'Pride' campaign was decidedly not an example of excellence in retail.It is likely more profitable to sell the type of Pride that enshrines the love of

the United States. Target's Pride Campaign alienates whereas Pride in our country unites."

QUICK HITS

There is another, more appropriate term for police officers "having sexual relationships" with people in police custody. https://t.co/aCHBR5Jl12  Radley Balko (@radleybalko) July 10, 2023

 Ocean City police punched a man for vaping on the boardwalk.

 "Journalists aren't always consistent fans of liberty," points out J.D. Tuccille.

 More evidence that the DeSantis campaign is too online.

 An appeals court says Tennessee can enforce its ban on gender transition treatments for minors for now. "The district court blocked enforcement of the law, but the Court of Appeals stayed the decision pending appeal, concluding that the challengers were unlikely to prevail on their parental rights (substantive due process) and equal protection claims," writes Eugene Volokh. (More on the ruling, from Law Dork's Chris Geidner, here.)

 Afroman is running for president. Among other things, his platform calls for decriminalizing cannabis, halting American aid from being used to "fundforeign entanglements," mandatory body cameras for every law enforcement officer ("if sporting events have instant replay, so should traffic stops"), and legalization of prostitution.

The post Court Says Prostitution Law Doesn't Violate First Amendment but Language Should Be Interpreted Narrowly appeared first on Reason.com.
MATIAS J. OCNER/TNS/Newscom

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman mull over last week's ruling against the Biden administration concerning politically disfavored speech on social media as well as Twitter's latest competitorThreadsand the latest from the Ron DeSantis campaign.

0:25: A federal judge orders Biden administration officials to stop encouraging social media companies to censor disfavored content.

19:57: Threads: Meta's Twitter competitor

31:50: Weekly Listener Question

39:14: The "Mamas for DeSantis" initiative

51:08: This week's cultural recommendations

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Social media injunction unravels plans to protect 2024 elections," by Cat Zakrzewski, Naomi Nix, and Joseph Menn

"Federal Judge to Biden Administration: Stop Telling Social Media Sites To Limit Free Speech," by Eric Boehm

"Journalists Outraged That a Judge Would Dare Limit Biden's Censorship Powers," by Robby Soave

"'Mamas for DeSantis' Is Proof: The DeSantis Campaign Is Too Online," by Emma Camp

"US podcast misinformation goes largely unchecked," by Rob Lever

"'Build the wall,' Florida gubernatorial tells his young daughter in campaign ad," by Erin B. Logan

Casey DeSantis' "Mamas for DeSantis" campaign ad on Twitter

"Ron DeSantis: Good or Bad for Liberty?" by Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller with Karol Markowicz

"What DeSantis Did to Disney's Dream City," by Zach Weissmueller

"The Casey DeSantis Problem: 'His Greatest Asset and His Greatest Liability,'" by Michael Kruse

Ron DeSantis' "Top Gov" 2022 ad

Ron DeSantis' pro-Trump 2018 gubernatorial ad

"How 'disinformation' became public enemy No. 1," by Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller with Jacob Siegel

"Did SCOTUS roll back gay rights and civil rights?" by Nick Gillespie with Coleman Hughes and Walter Olson

"'60s Songs That Explain the '90s': 'Tubthumping' and the Chart-Topping Anarchists," by Rob Harvilla

"A Strange Museum Takes a Strange Turn," by Stephen Wahrhaftig

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

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The post The Courts vs. Misinformation Cops appeared first on Reason.com.
Repealing a 33-year ban on cruising, as the Modesto City Council is expected to do Tuesday, is the right solution to a problem that went away long ago.

The ban, enacted in frustration in 1990, was an understandable reaction by city officials to increasing vandalism and even violence perpetrated mostly by out-of-area miscreants coming here on warm summer nights to take unearned advantage of Modestos cruising culture.

Owners of businesses and homes along and near traditional cruise routes  McHenry Avenue and downtown  were relieved when city officials lost patience and said no more.

Opinion

But no more need not have meant never, ever again in the human history of our fair city. Cruising, we came to recognize over the ensuing three decades, is a Modesto birthright.

Thirteen months ago, The Modesto Bee Editorial Board thanked proud lowriders and hotrodders alike for refusing to let Modesto forget its cruising legacy:

Modesto raised George Lucas, who in 1973 spawned the American Graffiti cult movie classic, which immortalized cruising to the rest of the world.

Modesto: home of the Graffiti Summer Parade, a regulated cruise with 1,000 classic cars.

Modesto: home of the long-running American Graffiti Festival & Car Show.

Modesto: home of the one and only Graffiti USA Museum, a beloved work in progress (610 N. Ninth St).

Modesto: home of the unique Legends of the Cruise Walk of Fame. Where else can pedestrians view markers on public sidewalks (Tenth Street Plaza, and 10th and 11th streets) paying lasting tribute to true cruising pioneers?

Modesto: home to a life-size bronze sculpture of teens on a 57 Chevy (Five Points), and larger-than-life murals on various downtown walls.

Modesto is the mother lode and mothers milk of cruising. No one did it better, back then, than the proud and faithful purring down 10th, or G, or around Burges Drive-In at Ninth and O, and later, up and down McHenry.

Modesto is cruising ground zero. Our bragging rights trump all others.

That June 3, 2022, editorial urged Modesto leaders to continue meeting with representatives of classic car and lowrider clubs, to make a plan and make us proud because cruising lives on in our hearts and in our souls.

They did.

The Modesto Police Department, understandably, was wary. Its been understaffed for years and doesnt need an extra headache.

But police were open-minded enough to try a one-night practice run, and then another, and found that people really can behave themselves.

Surely Modesto police also saw writing on the wall at the State Capitol, where Assembly Bill 436 is winding its way toward becoming California law. Defenders of Chicano culture had successfully persuaded officials in Sacramento, San Jose and National City that their cruising bans unfairly discriminated against them, and decided to take the fight to a statewide level, where the bill has met with little resistance so far.

In a recent discussion with The Bee, Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie praised city voters for agreeing in November to higher sales tax for many city improvements, including money for more officers.

The time is right to reverse the ban.

Those intent on mischief are gone. When graying people think of cruising, they remember warm summer nights, beautiful people and beautiful cars  not the chaos and mayhem of a few that ruined it for everyone. For most, the slate is blank, except for good memories that define Modestos cruising legacy.

The Modesto City Council on July 11 must not stubbornly hold to an unenforced ban addressing a long-ago problem that no longer exists. Waiting to be forced to comply with state law, as may happen in a few weeks, would be embarrassing for a city priding itself on a proud cruising heritage.
Is there anything so fleeting today as political attention? From raging fires in Quebec to war in Ukraine, from a worldwide refugee crisis to our national plights of racist policing, from unfair labor conditions to loss of access to abortion, the ceaselessness of urgencies might be the only constant.

A summer exhibit at DePaul Art Museum offers a historical model for how to proceed. Art for the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities resurrects a long-forgotten moment in 1984 when more than a thousand artists got together to take a stand against U.S. intervention in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Grenada and other nations in the region. This was the era of Reagan, the Iran-Contra Affair, U.S.-trained Salvadoran death squads and CIA-backed military coups in too many countries to name. A slogan of the time made the stakes clear  El Salvador is Spanish for Vietnam  and artists, still fresh from protests against that war, and with recent experiences organizing feminist collectives and marching for civil rights, rallied.

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Artists Call, as the nationwide activist campaign called itself, was spearheaded by an intergenerational group of artists, writers and curators based in New York, among them names that were big then and remain so today: Claes Oldenburg designed the poster, Lucy Lippard and Doug Ashford were primary organizers, much planning took place at the studio of Leon Golub and Nancy Spero. Louise Bourgeois, Barbara Kruger, Elizabeth Murray and Eric Fischl all signed one of the very first solicitation letters. The goal was twofold: to raise money for cultural groups in Central America and to raise political consciousness about the toll of continued U.S. hegemony there. To this end, 31 exhibitions, performances, concerts, actions and benefit sales were held at artist-run spaces, commercial galleries and in the streets; advertisements were printed in major newspapers; and 27 chapters sprung up in cities across the country, including Chicago.

Filling the entirety of DPAM, Art for the Future, curated by Erina Duganne and Abigail Satinsky, includes all the necessary historical contextualization to make sense of this today, plus plenty of archival materials, including Oldenburgs ingenious yellow poster, with its silhouette of a giant banana  for the banana republics of Central America  being toppled by a group of revolutionaries. The show features a choice selection of artworks: some shown in the original Artists Call programming, some remakes, some related pieces meant to replace those lost or destroyed. Worth noting is the array of artistic positions: militant and apolitical, realist and abstract, eminent and marginal. All efforts were welcome.

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Mass media messaging, the deconstruction of which was a mainstay of critical 1980s art-making, informs the first gallery of Art for the Future. Alongside Alfredo Jaars searing combination of copy from a Fortune ad and CIA imagery from Newsweek hang a pair of Susan Meiselas color photographs taken on the front lines in El Salvador, documenting street fighters and the terrifying white handprints left by a death squad on the door of a slain peasant organizer. Elena Alexanders unsettlingly hilarious performance as a Frankenstein-Uncle Sam monstrosity plays on a nearby monitor. In the second gallery, artists consider what is done to bodies by war: six small clay figurines by Michele Oka Doner, bound and striated, suffer the cumulative loss of body parts until only a stumpy torso remains. The ravaged skin of the men in Leon Golubs massive Napalm I was portrayed by scraping the raw canvas with meat cleavers. The condition of prisoners locked up in 2.5 x 2.5-meter wooden isolation boxes by the U.S. military during their 1983 invasion of Grenada cant be avoided, faced with Hans Haackes scale replica.

The exhibition "Art for the Future" at DePaul Art Museum through August. (Chiara Conner)

Two of the projects on view in the upstairs galleries were collective efforts not just organizationally but also artistically. For Reconstructed Codex, Sabra Moore invited a group of 20 women artists, including Liliana Porter and Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, to contribute two pages each to a 13-foot-long accordion-fold book modeled on one of the few surviving Mayan manuscripts. For Solidarity Art by Mail, organizers Fatima Bercht and Josely Carvalho found a logistically and financially manageable way to include more than 100 artists from across Latin America and the Caribbean in Artists Call: through the post, a tried-and-true means of achieving wide dissemination while avoiding censorship.

Part of what distinguishes Art for the Future from other historical shows and makes it so inspiring is that the curators were not content to simply celebrate the past. Sprinkled throughout are the concurrent stories of Galeria el laberinto, a pioneering cultural center in San Salvador, and Galeria Imaginaria, an artist-run commercial space in Antigua. Recent projects by Central American artists are a highlight, among them Benvenuto Chavajays successful campaign to recover the Indigenous identity of the eponymous athlete of Guatemalas national stadium and a series of hybrid LGBTQ-Sandinista flags by Elyla Sinverguenza and Christian Lord. A handful of new commissions respond creatively to the Artists Call archives  12 uncataloged boxes of material discovered five years ago in the vaults of the Museum of Modern Art Library. The result is an exhibition that succeeds in speaking with wisdom and promise to our present moment, when art workers everywhere are wrestling with how to help right so many wrongs of the world in which we all live, create, and, hopefully, feel immense solidarity toward others.

Art for the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities runs through Aug. 6 at the DePaul Art Museum, 935 W. Fullerton Ave.; more information at 773-325-7506 and resources.depaul.edu
Channel 2 Action News has learned that there are more troubles ahead for a metro mayor following his weekend arrest.

Channel 2s Tom Jones learned Monday that the Fulton County District Attorneys Office now says an investigation is underway surrounding City of South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau.

The DAs office would not comment on the specific nature of what it is looking into, but its statement came after Jones asked what was going on with the DAs probe into the mayors use of city-issued credit cards and we asked about another issue we got a tip about.

People in the community say enough is enough and they say its time for the Kamau to step down.

An immediate resignation is what we need, said Deborah Robinson Herring.

Resign and go get some help. Thats what I want, said Wander Thornton.

While they dont agree on everything, they all agree Kamou needs to go.

Youre bringing our city down. And this right here is really just the last straw, said Tiffiany McCune.

Shes talking about the mayor getting arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and criminal trespass.

TRENDING STORIES:

Thats after police say Kamou trespassed on a homeowners property Saturday and went into the lake house.

The owner held the mayor at gunpoint until police arrived.

Kamou said he was walking his dog. He said the home was his dream house and he wanted to buy it.

How could that be your dream home and its not for sale? Daphne Jordan asked.

This is not the type of thing that I would do as the mayor, said Otis Strong.

Reshard Snellings is a supporter of the mayor and calls him an asset to the city.

He uses this tagline a lot that people know him by, the peoples mayor. He genuinely cares for the people, Snellings said.

The neighbors say they are getting calls from all over about the mayors arrest -- even from the United Kingdom.

Our business is all over the world, Herring said.

Neighbors say there is so much good news thats happening in their city thats not being discussed because everyone is talking about the mayors legal troubles.

Jones attempted to contact Kamou for comment on this story Monday, but he did not hear back.

When he was released from jail over the weekend, Kamou said he would be discussing the incident at a later date.

RELATED NEWS:
Dad bought lottery ticket while getting ham for sons lunch. He was shocked by win

A father of two was waiting for his deli order at a market and decided to buy a scratch-off, Maryland officials said.

The man was waiting for ham at a grocery store in Perry Hall to make his sons lunches when he bought a $10 lottery ticket, according to a July 10 news release by the Maryland Lottery.

The man with sons ages 15 and 9 was shocked to learn he had won $100,000, officials said.

I look at it as a blessing, he said, according to the lottery.

The dad told lottery officials he wanted to tell his story because he wants everyone to know how blessed and lucky he feels.

He won days before he claimed his prize on July 7 but wanted to get his winnings on a date that has personal significance, officials said. He claimed the money on the anniversary of his moms passing to have a happy memory to go along with the sad memory.

Although the man said the $10 ticket pays for college, he plans to use a portion of the winnings toward a trip to Greece coming up for his wifes birthday, the winner told lottery officials.

Perry Hall is about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Mom always envisioned winning big  then scratched her lucky number in NC lottery

Co-workers with 15-year pact to share Powerball prize can finally honor promise in NC

Two lucky lottery players win big in California  but just miss massive jackpots
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. Its Monday, July 10, 2023. Start your day the right way with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

One person is dead after historic rainfall north of New York City triggered dozens of water rescues and led to roadways being washed out after more than a half-foot of rain fell in only a few hours Sunday.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency for parts of Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties in New York's lower Hudson Valley due to the life-threatening flooding.

The agency received reports of water rescues in Highland Falls, Fort Montgomery, Cornwall, West Point and several other communities in the lower Hudson Valley.

Orange County Officials confirmed to FOX Weather that a 30-year-old woman in Highland Falls was killed during the devastating flash flood.

On Monday, the threat of potentially catastrophic flooding shifts north into New England. NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has placed portions of Vermont and northeastern New York under a rare "high risk" of excessive rainfall  the first high risk issued for Vermont since August 2011 during Hurricane Irene.

When a high risk  the highest risk level that can be issued  is in place, it means severe, widespread flash floods are expected in the highlighted areas.

High risks are only issued on about 4% of days (including tropical and non-tropical events), but this risk category accounts for 39% of flood-related fatalities and 83% of flood-related damages in the continental U.S., according to research by WPC meteorologists.

"Expect significant to potentially catastrophic widespread flash flooding through Monday evening, with possible impacts not seen since (Hurricane) Irene," the National Weather Service office in Burlington, Vermont, wrote in a forecast discussion.

Irene produced a wide swath of 5 to 8 inches of rain across Vermont, which led to devastating mudslides and deadly flooding.

While the Plains were largely spared from severe weather on Sunday, the break will be short-lived as the threat of storms is already back in the forecast.

Scattered severe thunderstorms packing threats of large hail and damaging winds are expected from parts of the Upper Midwest through the Plains on Monday.

While a Saharan dust plume rolling off Africa and heading toward the Southeast U.S. is mostly keeping the Atlantic free of any tropical concerns, there is one spot that forecasters are keeping a close eye on.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has flagged an area of the central Atlantic Ocean where it believes an area of low pressure will form within the next couple of days a few hundred miles east-northeast of Bermuda.

For now, the NHC says that future area of low pressure has a low chance of acquiring some subtropical characteristics during the second half of this week as it drifts toward the southeast. By this weekend, however, that low is expected to turn northward, bringing the system over cooler waters and ending its chances of subtropical development.

Regardless of development, this system would not pose any threat to the U.S. East Coast.

Over in the Eastern Pacific, the NHC has flagged two disturbances for possible development this week.

Computer forecast models show both disturbances working westbound over the open ocean.

The NHC says the second disturbance has a higher chance of development than Invest 93E. An invest is the designation the NHC uses to identify an area of disturbed weather being investigated for possible tropical development.

The next Eastern Pacific system that organizes into a tropical storm with winds of at least 40 mph will be named "Calvin."

Before you go, here are a couple of stories we think you might enjoy.

Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app at foxweather.com/live or on your favorite streaming service.

You can share your weather pictures and videos with us anytime, anywhere, by emailing them to weather@fox.com or by adding the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media platform.
Firefighters in Bradenton and Sarasota are teaming up with Sarasota Memorial Hospital to address cancer, one of the leading causes of death among firefighters.

When firefighters joined the fire department, we knew it was a dangerous job. What we didnt know was that over a period of years  the cumulative effect  what it would cause on our bodies, and we are just learning that now, Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said during a recent news conference to announce the formation of the Firefighters Cancer Collaborative.

Even with state-of-the-art protective gear, firefighters face contamination from hazardous substances during exposure to hundreds of different chemicals in the form of gases, vapors and particulates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some of these chemical substances are known or suspected to cause cancer. Some of these hazardous substances are byproducts of combustion or burning, such as benzene and formaldehyde. Others come from the materials burning or in the fire debris, such as asbestos from older structures, the CDC says on its webpage.

By reducing firefighters exposure risks, encouraging regular cancer screenings and providing education, navigation and support, the Firefighters Cancer Collaborative seeks to save more lives.

Among Manatee County fire departments that have joined the collaborative:

 East Manatee Fire Rescue

 West Manatee Fire Rescue

 Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue

 City of Bradenton Fire Department

 North River Fire Department

 Southern Manatee Fire Rescue

 Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

 Parrish Fire Rescue

 Duette Fire and Rescue District

Cancer is the number-one health threat for firefighters with mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder right behind, said Michael Williamson, division chief for Parrish Fire Rescue.

Manatee and Sarasota County firefighters are teaming up with Sarasota Memorial Hospital to address cancer, a leading cause of death among fire rescue teams. Firefighters are shown during an extrication exercise in this Bradenton Herald file photo.

In addition to active firefighters, the collaborative is trying to reach out to retirees as well, so that they can share their background with their healthcare providers, Williamson said.

We are behind them all the way, he said.

A partnership between Sarasota Memorial Hospitals Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute and local fire departments, the collaborative is focused on raising awareness about the cancer-causing hazards and steps firefighters can take to reduce their exposure.

Supported in part by a grant from the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, the Jellison Cancer Institute program also provides free navigation and support services to local firefighters affected by a cancer diagnosis.

The initiative, which has been in the works for about a year, started when Dezzi approached Sarasota Memorial to discuss the rising number of cancer diagnoses reported among fire-rescue workers locally and globally.

Firefighters, by virtue of what they do, are at higher risk. There are a multitude of agents they are exposed to on a daily basis that are carcinogenic, Dr. Richard Brown, chief program medical director of the Jellison Cancer Institute, said in a press release.

We know there is a greater risk of developing or dying of cancer if you are a firefighter, he said.

Cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Research by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health revealed firefighters have a 9% higher risk of developing cancer and a 14% greater risk of dying from cancer compared to the rest of the U.S. population.

The cancers mostly responsible for this higher rate were respiratory (lung, mesothelioma), gastrointestinal (buccal, pharynx, esophageal, large intestine) and kidney, but Florida specifically has identified 23 different forms of cancer linked to the profession.

While carcinogens like asbestos and other inhalants are a factor, another risk comes from the absorption of chemicals into firefighters skin.

Firefighters are urged to remove their hoods and gear as soon as safely possible and fire departments are updating and prioritizing safety procedures and decontamination areas to make washing chemicals off firefighters and their protective gear faster, easier and safer, the collaborative said.

Any cancer, if you catch it earlier, is better than if you let it go, Brown said.

Firefighters tend to be younger and more fit and they tend not to think anything is going to happen to them. Unfortunately, that is not correct, he said.
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Its annual conferences have attracted the whos-who of right-wing and hawkish, conservative politicians from the West, including former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former United States National Security Adviser John Bolton and ex-Vice President Mike Pence.

But recent setbacks for the most powerful Iranian opposition group have some observers wondering whether its glory days are numbered.

A shadowy dissident group in exile, the Mujahadin-e Khalq (MeK) was once a US-designated terrorist group but today counts prominent anti-Iran Western politicians as key allies. Iran accuses it of terrorism, saying it carried out a series of attacks in the 1980s. The MeK denies those charges.

It is one of the best-organized opposition groups confronting the Islamic Republic, but it has little support among Iranians, largely due to its violent past and for having supported Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his almost decade-long war with Iran.

However, analysts say that recent diplomatic activity between Iran and its foes however may not bode well for the group.

In the span of one week, the MeK last month witnessed a rare raid on its sprawling base in Albania, where it is headquartered, as well as a brief ban on a planned annual rally in France, where it has held such events for several years.

The MeK believes these actions were part of a policy of appeasement of the regime in Tehran, a top representative from the group told CNN in an email interview.

It became clear that the security concerns were simply a pretext to placate the clerical regime, Shahin Gobadi, a Paris-based member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political arm of the MeK, told CNN, referring to the French ban.

Albanian police said the June raid on the MeKs Ashraf 3 camp near the capital Tirana was due to suspicions that the group was involved in political activity, according to local media. Political activity is banned under the agreement that allows them to stay in Albania. One person was killed in the raid, and police denied they were responsible for the death.

Iran welcomed the raid, and last week an Iranian official said that some of the seized hard drives arrived in his country, and that Iranian experts were working on data recovery to identify the groups agents and sabotage cells, according Iranian state media.

The MeK called on Albania to clarify whether any of the hard drives were indeed sent to Iran.

Gobadi told CNN the raid was carried out at the behest or under pressure from Iran.

Illegal and subversive activity

An Albanian foreign ministry coordinator told CNN by email that the country has not provided any seized material to Iran. All the equipment seized is with the authorities and will be used for investigations, the coordinator said.

In the same week, French authorities banned a planned MeK rally in Paris citing attack threats. The ban was later reversed by a judicial order, and the rally took place on Saturday coinciding with an annual MeK meeting on the outskirts of Paris that hosted some of the most prominent right-wing figures.

A French diplomatic source told CNN that Paris police had ordered a ban on the demonstration due to risks of public order disturbances.

This decision was quashed by the administrative courts, a decision which it is not for the government to comment on, the source told CNN in an email, adding that we have no relations with this organization (MeK), which we cannot endorse.

Gobadi said the MEKs activities in Albania and elsewhere have aligned with the laws of their host countries.

The Albanian foreign ministry coordinator told CNN that the MeK had broken an agreement not to engage in illegal and subversive activity, adding that Albania has paid a high price for hosting it, the worst of which was the July 2022 cyberattack on the country that it blamed on Iran. That attack, the coordinator said, had dramatic consequences for Albania and its citizens, because 95% of public services in Albania are offered online.

Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran as a result, but Tehran denied involvement.

The coordinator said it was deeply insulting to be accused of appeasement given that Albania welcomed and provided humanitarian protection to the MeK, when no other country in the world would accept them.

The setbacks for the MeK also follow a landmark deal between Iran and Saud Arabia in March, which saw diplomatic ties re-instated after almost eight years of tensions.

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the MeK, speaks remotely at the 'Washington Summit, Iran Uprising in its Fourth Month: Prospects & Correct Policy Options' hosted by the Organization of Iranian American Communities at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C. on December 17, 2022. - Bryan Olin Dozier/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Iran has for years accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the MeK. Speculation about the kingdoms alleged support for the group was further fueled by the appearance of Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent Saudi royal and former ambassador to the US and the UK, at an MeK summit in Paris. In his speech in 2016, al-Faisal declared: I, too, want the downfall of the regime.

But in a sign of changing winds, Al Faisal in March told the France24 news channel that he wasnt aware of an imminent normalization pact between Tehran and Riyadh and that he was surprised by it.

The prince has insisted that he plays no official government role, but his public endorsement of the MeK has enraged Iran, which called the group the Saudis adopted children.

The MeK denies receiving any funds from Saudi Arabia or any government, and insists that it is an independent movement, standing on its own feet both politically and financially, Gobadi told CNN.

CNN has reached out to the Saudi foreign ministry for comment.

The brief French ban on the MeK rally also came just days after a 90-minute phone call between French President Emanuel Macron and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on June 10.

It is unclear whether the recent diplomatic activity between Iran and its foes is directly responsible for the developments in France or Albania, but analysts say theyre unlikely to be coincidental, especially as Western states hope to restart nuclear talks with Iran.

Hardened neo-cons

The MeKs support overwhelmingly comes from the countries that have tensions with Iran, said Trita Parsi, vice-president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC.

As a result, as those tensions with Iran go up or down, it directly affects the fate of the MeK, he told CNN, adding that since Riyadh and Tehran have patched up, the MeK is a lesser utility to Saudi Arabia.

Politicians who have attended its conferences also include former Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and former British Prime Minister Liz Truss.

At least one speaker at the event reportedly received tens of thousands of dollars from the dissident group.

Ali Ahmadi, an executive fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, says those who go to support the MeK are usually a lot of hardened neo-cons as well as retired politicians who are happy to take a really big cheque.

A lot of right wingers have this kind of infatuation with small right-wing groups that they dream of someday being able to put in charge of a country like Iran, Ahmadi told CNN.

Gobadi told CNN that that speakers or attendees have never received payments from the MeK.

As the US and EU attempt to reach new agreements with Iran, they may be throwing in the future of the MeK in the mix to see if a broader comprise can be found, said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC., adding that removing the group from the picture could be a Western concession to Iran.

Analysts say however that the MeK is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, having survived over the past six decades despite shifting geopolitics.

They are gradually becoming weaker I think, Vatanka said. While the Saudi-Iran rapprochement will weaken them further, it will not spell their demise, he said.

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Dave Portnoy, Elon Musk, and more are fueling a false rumor about New York ruining its iconic pizza industry

Despite what some in the media are saying, no one is coming for New York City pizza. The only difference would be that the air in and around the pizzeria where you choose to grab a slice will be cleaner.

What is everyone saying about the proposed rule for NYC pizzerias?

Following the proposal of a new rule in New York targeting coal and wood-fired ovens, the New York Post published an article with a source decrying the ruining and destroying of the quality of NYC pizza by requiring such establishments slice carbon emissions by up to 75%.

The story quickly went viral, and others weighed in on the rule, possibly without reading what the proposal actually states.

Elon Musk called the proposed requirement utter BS in a response to another Twitter post. Dave Portnoy, the figurehead of Barstool Sports, tweeted a video in which he railed against the policy. In an interview with Fox News that took place in an NYC pizzeria, Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke on the rule, blaming the proposal on the political left, stating, They just dont want people to be happy.

But the rules proposed by the New York Department of Environmental Protection have nothing to do with carbon emissions, as the Post inaccurately stated.

The proposal instead aims to reduce particulate matter emissions, which are bad for humans to breathe in. When pizza ovens are fired up, the burning of fuels like wood or coal creates this airborne pollution. As the EPA explains, this type of pollution is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets  such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke.

Coal- and wood-fired ovens release significant amounts of particulate matter. This has been linked to serious health problems like asthma, heart and lung problems, and cancer.

The NYC proposal would require that any pizzeria using coal- or wood-fired ovens (that were installed before May 6, 2016) add an emission control device, if possible, to cut particulate pollution by 75%, as Heated reported.

According to the proposal, if an assessment concludes that a reduction of 75% cannot be reached for one reason or another, efforts must be made to reduce particulate pollution by at least 25%.

In short, nobody is trying to deprive New Yorkers of a tasty slice of pizza. Theyre only trying to make it safer to grab one and create cleaner air for city residents and for those serving up the pies.

Why reducing particulate pollution is important

Recent studies in Italy and Brazil both found significant concentrations of hazardous pollutants inside pizzerias. In 2015, one small town outside Naples, Italy, even went so far as to temporarily ban wood-fired pizza ovens in an attempt to curb air pollution in the area, protecting citizens health.

Changing how pizzerias operate doesnt have to harm the quality of the pizza. But it definitely can improve the quality of our air.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
The number of people killed in the Russian airstrike on Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, has increased to five.

Source: Yurii Malashko, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, during the 24/7 national joint newscast

Quote: "Unfortunately, theres now five people killed [in the attack  ed.]. Another man has just been found. Eleven received injuries of various degrees and are currently in hospital."

Details: According to Malashko, Russians continue to fire at Orikhiv and even hit a place located not far from the rescue operation. One more person was injured by this strike.

The Head of the Oblast Military Administration reported that rescue workers continue to clear the rubble, and there may still be more people trapped under it.

He added that currently there are 1,800-2,000 residents living in Orikhiv.

Background:

On 9 July, Russian occupiers hit a school in the city of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with a guided aerial bomb. At that time, humanitarian aid was being distributed there. Four people were killed on the spot: women aged 43, 45 and 47, and a 47-year-old man. Eleven more local residents were hospitalised.

On the evening of 10 July, news emerged that there may be three more people trapped under the rubble in Orikhiv.

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More than 50 years after Steve Reed left Vietnam, he is still on patrol.

At 76, the Army veteran of a long-range reconnaissance patrol unit and retired Sacramento police officer finds his targets as part of his routine: at a car wash, in the grocery store, at the dentists office.

And once hes found a military veteran, his interrogation begins. Where did you serve? Do you have any health problems? Are you getting any Veterans Administration benefits? And, if not, can I help?

I wear my Vietnam hat, and thats a brotherhood, and immediately I get contacts all the time, Reed said in a recent interview in his Elk Grove home, where he is surrounded by photographs and memorabilia from the Vietnam War and his time as LRRP, the nickname given to the small units that operated in the jungle doing surveillance. Ive been doing it for about four or five years, and Id say Ive helped probably around 70 people.

His goal is simple: convince any veteran who may have health problems associated with their service to seek the compensation they have earned from the Veterans Administration.

He says he has helped veterans from World War II onward, driving some to their appointments, studying the internet to find resources for them and helping them navigate a system some simply believe is too complex.

See, these guys, theyre so afraid to go in, the VA is intimidating for them, it totally intimidates them, Reed said. Sometimes, it takes me a year to get somebody to go in there.

Reed says his efforts have helped veterans receive compensation ranging from a few hundred dollars a month to $200,000 for a veteran whose duty guarding planes left him ill from breathing in jet fuel fumes.

Steve Reed is a Vietnam War veteran and a former Sacramento Police detective. Reed said that for some veterans it feels too complicated to ask for the benefits they fought for.

Most are strangers he comes across, or people who have heard about his efforts and call him for help.

One was a former colleague from the police department, a retired homicide detective named Gene Burchett who had been stationed in Okinawa and spent three months temporary duty working supply in Vietnam.

After he retired, Burchett had a heart attack and Reed went to work.

I went into cardiac arrest and it changed my life, Burchett said. Steve heard about my heart attack and he called me and said, Hey, you know this could be connected (to your military service).

Burchett said he wasnt convinced, especially given his limited time in Vietnam compared to others.

You see so many veterans that have really paid for their service, with limbs cut off and oxygen tanks and in wheelchairs, Burchett said. And I always thought, I didnt see combat, Id feel guilty taking money when theres others that really need it.

But he worked on me and worked on me, and finally he dragged me down to the VA and had me file a claim. And its probably the best thing that ever happened to me.

Burchett, 75, says that within six months of applying he began receiving benefits, and now gets $2,600 a month that is helping him plan for helping his 30-year-old son, who has autism.

It is really helpful for me and my family, Burchett said. And it would not have happened without Steve.

Veterans already have a wealth of resources to seek help in getting services, from the VA itself to organizations like Vietnam Veterans of America and others.

But Reed says he finds many who simply dont want to reach out to seek services or dont know how, and that his own experience with heart problems and PTSD led to him deciding to try and help.

I was on the computer looking up Agent Orange stuff because I had been exposed to Agent Orange for all that time, Reed said, adding that he found the VA recognizes the connection between some heart disease and the defoliant.

So, lo and behold, I ended up filing a claim, and I also filed a claim for my knee, which I hurt when I was jumping out of a helicopter and had to have a surgery on it when I got home, he said. And I got compensation for it.

But during that time I started realizing what a chore it was... Some of the guys I virtually have to drag in there to get them to go. I started doing just one and two at a time.

His latest effort came last month, when the family of a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran called him asking for help, Reed said.

The man was sleeping on the floor of his home littered with trash, boxes and debris, and suffering from heart problems and other health issues.

He just didnt care, and the family was beside themselves, Reed said. But he was pretty receptive when I called him and made him an appointment at the VA.

Now, Reed says, he has helped arrange for a social worker to help the veteran and has a follow-up appointment at the VA next week to begin the process of seeking compensation for exposure to Agent Orange and other issues.

Ive done it for people I met at the car wash, Ive done it at the grocery store, Reed said. When you wear the Vietnam Service hat theres a connection and immediately theres a brotherhood. Its a different brotherhood than it was in law enforcement. Its much more intense to me, being a veteran.
BELGIUM-ENVIRONMENT-CLIMATE-DEMO-SEA

Activists take part at a "Look Down action" rally to stop deep sea mining outside the European Parliament in Brussels on March 6, 2023. Credit - Kenzo TriboullardAFP/Getty Images

On July 10, youth from around the world will gather at the International Seabed Authority meetings, as delegates cast a vote on environmental regulations that will either stop deep-sea mining in its tracks or allow it to move forward. Many ISA delegates are advocating for the mining regulations to be finalized so that mining can start immediately.

Deep-sea mining projects could be given the green flag to source minerals needed to support green technological innovationat the cost of damaging portions of our ocean floor in ways that could kill marine life and negatively impact people who depend on the ocean for sustenance and economic prosperity.

The citizens of Palau and Sustainable Ocean Alliance continue to call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining and are grateful that many others around the world share our views. Among them, importantly, are our youth. The next generation, who will inherit this world and its problems, are the future scientists, entrepreneurs, and engineers who will discover new solutions, as well. But we have the unique opportunity to prevent a problem before it begins by halting deep-seabed mining practices until we can better understand the risks.

Read More: The Case Against Deep-Sea Mining

Young people have become a powerful force in the face of minimizing imminent environmental threats, driving transformative actions to combat the climate crisis, protecting biodiversity, and advocating for a more sustainable and equitable future. It is why, when Palau co-hosted the seventh Our Ocean Conference with the United States in April 2022, youth were invited to join the discussions with the hope that they would find options and solutions that our generation havent considered.

Youth advocates, in particular, see past the short-term and misguided solution of mining deep-sea minerals. From the recent oil spill in the Philippines, to billions of Alaskan Sea Crab disappearing from the Bering Sea, to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is traversing the globe, experts and young people have worked to educate the public on how the ocean is our most critical ally in the fight against climate change, protecting the planet from future catastrophes. More than 90% of excess heat from global warming is absorbed by the ocean. Mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows remove 10 times more carbon than the rainforest. We cannot afford to open up the ocean to potential destruction to which we do not yet understand the stakes. By disrupting the delicate balance of ocean life through deep-sea mining, we could reduce its ability to serve as a critical shield for our planet, putting us all at further risk.

While we cannot go back and undo many of the past climate mistakes, we have the chance to stop an environmentally harmful practice at the outset. Global leaders of today and tomorrow have the opportunityand the responsibilityto listen to the voices of impacted communities and the young people who will inherit our future to prevent further degradation of our dire planetary situation. We cannot allow our policymakers to treat deep-sea mining with the same indifference shown to the climate crisis. We must uplift these young leaders call to ensure our politicians step up and do the right thing this time around.

Palau was the first country to call for the moratorium (or precautionary pause) of deep-sea mining until the impact of such a practice is better understood. (To date, 17 countries have called for a deep-sea mining moratorium or pause, including Germany, New Zealand, Spain, France, Sweden, and Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia.) People in Palau are already seeing and living in the effects of a warming worldour coral reefs are bleaching and our prized stingless Golden Jellyfish are dying. Climate change has brought about more typhoons and extreme weather to Palau than most adults living in Palau today have seen in their youth. Farmlands that our people have used to grow taro, tapioca, coconuts, and bananas for hundreds of years are either regularly inundated during storms or baked by harsh droughts and then swept away by days of torrential rains. The impacts of digging into the ocean floor are uncertain and could cause irreparable harm to people who depend on the ocean for food and, we know today, enable further climate change.

We encourage all leaders, and in particular the remaining political leaders who have yet to announce a position on deep-seabed mining to listen to their young constituents, including those at Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) that led the handover of a global petition signed by more than 250,000 people across the globe calling for a moratorium. SOAs network of youth leaders and regional representatives from the Caribbean, Latin America, and France continue to advocate for the prevention of opening international waters to this destructive mining practice and using youth voices to call for corporations to do the same.

And the movement is only gaining more ground with every passing day: Other youth-led organizations like Look Down Action aim to inspire communities to learn more about deep-sea minings potential negative impacts and take any action on proposing moratoriums around the world. Global companies like Google and Patagonia are also some of the first to support a deep-sea mining moratorium. The Metals Company (TMC), which would have been a key player in the deep-sea mining industry if it were approved, recently lost its biggest remaining investor, Maersk. This comes after Storebrand, a Norwegian private asset manager, divested from TMC and reaffirmed its commitment to halting and reversing biodiversity loss late last year. Not to mention, car manufacturers like BMW and Volvo are focusing their attention on finding new transportation solutions that do not rely on precious seabed minerals for battery production.

We are at a pivotal moment for the health of our ocean, and by extension, our planet. This is not going to be the last time our generation (or the next) is asked to choose between protecting our planet and taking the path of least resistance. We have a chance today to set a new precedentfor global politicians and business leaders alikethat we will no longer allow destruction for the sake of profit or progress. We cannot afford the alternative.
Heavy rains brought deadly floods to northern India on the weekend as the countrys capital marked its wettest July day in more than 40 years, according to authorities and local reports.

The rains triggered flash floods and landslides, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people, mostly in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, CNN affiliate CNN-News18 reported.

The Indian Meteorological Department said New Delhi received 153 millimeters (6 inches) of rain on Sunday, making it the citys wettest July day since 1982.

On Sunday, the department issued red alerts, indicating the highest threat level, for the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana. Landslide warnings were also issued for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked residents Monday to stay home for the next 24 hours.

I appeal to all to stay safe and stay inside their houses, Sukhu told CNN-News18. Schools and colleges have also been closed as there is no way to travel.

Rescue efforts are ongoing for those caught in the floods throughout Himachal Pradesh. Early Monday, 27 people were rescued from a flooded hotel in Kullu district near the overflowing Beas River.

For the next five days, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast for the northern regions of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh starting Monday, the Meteorological Department said Sunday.

The downpours forced school closures in a number of areas including Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi.

New Delhis Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the decision was made in view of the torrential rains lashing Delhi since last 2 days and warnings from the Meteorological Department.

Schools in Chandigarh have been advised to remain closed until Tuesday. The local education department said those that choose to stay open must ensure the safety and security of the attending school children and staff.

Southwest of Delhi, authorities in the satellite city of Gurugram ordered schools to close Monday due to the significant rainfall and concerns of floods, trees falling and other potential disruptions.

India is in the midst of monsoon season, which can last from April to September.

Last month, nearly half a million people in northeast India were affected by severe flooding after rain battered the region and cyclone Biparjoy hit the countrys west coast, turning roads into rivers and submerging entire villages.

The country has also been rocked by blistering heat waves this summer, highlighting how residents of the worlds most populous nation are among the most vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis.

CNNs Rhea Mogul contributed reporting.

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Jan and Helena Tarasewicz, center left, grieve at the funeral Mass for three members of the Janus family killed by tainted Tylenol, including their daughter Theresa, at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Chicago in 1982. (Carl Hugare/Chicago Tribune)

A suburban police detective climbs the steps of the main Cook County criminal courthouse in hopes of ending a 40-year-old mystery.

The Tylenol murders, as they are commonly known, have been his investigation since he assumed responsibility for the cold case more than 15 years ago.

Now, he and several other law enforcement officials believe they have solved the killings.

They just need prosecutors to agree with them, to take the risky step of indicting a 76-year-old man in a case built almost entirely on circumstantial evidence. The detective knows the odds are steep as he heads into the January 2022 meeting with top criminal investigators from the Cook County states attorneys office.

He makes his best pitch anyway.

His presentation references undercover FBI recordings, a secretly exhumed body and writings discovered during a raid on the suspects home, multiple law enforcement sources say. It explains the complicated tests being done to sort out the DNA profiles discovered on several poisoned bottles. And it offers a possible motive never previously disclosed to the public.

The detective implores the prosecutors office to look at the totality of his teams work. He asks them to set aside the reasons and ways the case has faltered for nearly four decades.

In months that follow, officials from the Cook and DuPage County states attorneys offices will meet twice with the detective. The head of the Illinois State Police  a former prosecutor from the St. Louis area  will attend the meetings, as well.

They all know that time is running out to solve the Tylenol murders.

Key sources have died. Memories have deteriorated. And records have been lost.

The 1982 poisonings left seven people dead and panicked the nation. Widely regarded as an act of domestic terrorism  a term not in the countrys vernacular at the time  the murders led to tamper-evident packaging, copycat killings and myths about tainted Halloween candy.

The Tylenol case is a decadeslong story of heartbreak, anger and frustration. Its a story without an ending, without closure for those involved.

And this is how it begins on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1982:

6:15 a.m., Elk Grove Village

Twelve-year-old Mary Kellerman woke before sunrise with a nagging head cold that would keep her home from school.

After persuading her father to let her miss her classes, she went into the bathroom and swallowed an Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule that her mother had purchased at the grocery store the previous night.

Mary Kellerman, 12, was the first of seven victims to die after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol in 1982. (Chicago Tribune archive)

Seconds later, her father heard coughing and then the sound of something hitting the floor. He called out to Mary.

When she didnt respond, he opened the bathroom door and found his daughter  his only child  lying on the floor. Her eyes fixed and dilated. Her breathing shallow, as if being suffocated by an invisible force.

Nothing the paramedics tried seemed to help. Mary was in full cardiac arrest by the time they reached Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, records show. The doctors, in need of a miracle, installed a pacemaker and called a priest to give the child last rites.

Mary  who liked making pottery and cooking with her mother, riding her pony, and playing Atari with her dad  was pronounced dead at 9:56 a.m.

I remember just a very happy-go-lucky person. I remember her crooked teeth because she was always smiling, her childhood friend Sharon Hogg told the Tribune. She was just a very warm and loving person. I was certainly drawn to her because, I think, as kids we kind of have a radar for good people.

Sharon Hogg of Fort Lauderdale, a childhood friend of Mary Kellerman's, remembers her as just a very warm and loving person." (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Mourners support Jeanna Kellerman, in the black dress, outside Queen of the Rosary Catholic Church in Elk Grove Village, where the funeral was held for her 12-year-old daughter, Mary. (Karen Engstrom / Chicago Tribune)

Marys death was the start of a chaotic and terrifying 24 hours in the Chicago area that saw six more healthy people perish in horrific fashion, sometimes before their families eyes.

Authorities would create the largest police task force in Illinois history to investigate the killings, but first officials needed to figure out that these werent isolated deaths.

In the end, a small group of people solved the shocking medical mystery through experience, intuition and, at times, sheer luck.

One of those fortuitous moments came when Richard Keyworth, a firefighter in Elk Grove Village, received a call from a friend in neighboring Arlington Heights.

[ [Para leer en espanol] Los asesinatos de Tylenol: La historia de un caso sin resolver de 40 anos comienza con un misterio medico aterrador ]

Phil Cappitelli, a fire lieutenant, was off duty at the time. But he had heard about Marys death  his mother-in-law worked with the girls mother at United Airlines  and he wondered what had happened.

The health care privacy law known as HIPAA was still 14 years away and Keyworth, who was off work that day, telephoned his fire station for details about Mary. He then shared what he learned with his friend:

Mary had a cold and took some Tylenol. Otherwise, she was a perfectly healthy seventh grader.

For Cappitelli, that information would pay off with a piece of crucial insight later in the day, when several members of the same family suddenly collapsed in his town.

Arlington Heights Fire Lt. Philip Cappitelli, left, and Elk Grove Village firefighter Richard Keyworth discuss how they put two and two together in several of the Tylenol deaths. The men were at Keyworth's home on Sept. 30, 1982. (Quentin C. Dodt / Chicago Tribune)

Marys mother, Jeanna Kellerman, had been at work at United when Mary fell ill. She rushed home in time to see paramedics placing her daughter in an ambulance. She tried to get close, but authorities held her back.

She and her husband, Dennis, have rarely spoken publicly about their daughters death. They declined a request to be interviewed for the 40th anniversary.

But in a 1991 deposition, part of a lawsuit they filed against Tylenols maker, Jeanna Kellerman described Mary as an inquisitive, well-loved child who took guitar lessons and gymnastics.

At 12, she had just begun babysitting and used the money she earned to buy books for herself and little gifts for her parents. She kept her room clean and happily took care of the familys three dogs.

You didnt have to ask her to do anything, Jeanna Kellerman said in the deposition. She would just go ahead and do it.

According to the 1991 transcript, she and her husband still hadnt talked about her daughters final moments in the familys home, nearly a decade later.

I asked him once about it, she said, and he just said: You dont ever want to know what happened in that room.

11 a.m., Arlington Heights

Adam Janus, a burly post office supervisor, had the day off work. Hed experienced some chest pains the previous day but felt well enough to spend the morning running errands with his wife and young son.

After picking up his daughter at a Catholic preschool, he stopped by a local grocery store and purchased several items, including steaks, fresh-cut lilies for his wife and a bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol.

Janus had moved to the leafy bedroom community of Arlington Heights in the late 1970s, around the time the first of his two children was born. For Janus and his wife, Teresa, the small brick bungalow represented a promising future.

Born on a small farm in southern Poland, Janus came to the United States as a child after his father refused to join the Communist Party. They left their homeland in 1963 and settled on Chicagos Northwest Side.

Adam Janus met Teresa on a visit to his old hometown, brought her to the United States and married her in a big, joyful wedding at the same church and reception hall where the Janus brothers celebrated their marriages in America.

Adam Janus, with his wife Teresa on their wedding day, died at 27 after taking poisoned Tylenol. (Janus family)

Everything my brothers and I did, we did because we were looking to the future, his oldest brother, Joseph Janus, told the Tribune.

After his grocery store stop, Janus cheerfully put away his purchases and went into the bathroom, where he apparently swallowed two Tylenol. Teresa Janus told police she did not see her husband take the capsules but he walked out of the bathroom clutching his chest and complaining of pain.

When she followed him into the bedroom, she saw that his eyes were fixed and dilated, his breathing shallow.

Teresa Janus looked outside and saw two neighbors talking. She knew one was a nurse who spoke Polish, so she ran and asked for help. The women rushed inside the house, where the nurse tried to resuscitate Adam Janus and the other called for an ambulance.

At Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, the paramedics trying to revive Janus were met by Dr. Thomas Kim, medical director of the ICU, who had the trust of local first responders. Kim tried to save Janus as well, but his heart never regained a normal, sustained rhythm.

Adam  a 27-year-old father who tinkered with clocks in his spare time  was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m. There was no immediate way to know what killed him, Kim said in an interview.

There was nothing obvious like a gunshot wound or anything, Kim said. In (Janus) case, we thought of the heart first. So the diagnosis for him was either a massive heart attack or a massive injury to the brain. We had to wait until the tests came back.

Teresa Janus, Adam's widow, is helped out of St. Hyacinth Roman Catholic Church with her daughter Kathy in hand on Oct. 5, 1982. (Michael Budrys / Chicago Tribune)

In the meantime, Kim had to tell the Janus family the shocking news. Teresa Janus didnt speak much English at the time, so the doctor spoke directly with Adams parents and youngest brother, Stanley, a 25-year-old Lisle resident who ran an auto parts store in Chicago.

Shortly afterward, the extended Janus family went to Adam and Teresas house to console Teresa and start making funeral plans. Stanley tried to beg off. His back pain had flared up and he wanted to return home to the west suburbs with his wife, also named Theresa.

His mother, Alojza Janus, wouldnt hear of it.

My mother said, No, you come with us to Adams house,  Joseph Janus recalled. He didnt want to come, but when he got to Adams house, he came inside with us.

There, Stanley grabbed two Tylenol from the bottle Adam had purchased earlier that day.

3:45 p.m., Winfield

About 30 minutes after Adam Janus died, 27-year-old Mary Lynn Reiner was preparing to feed her 6-day-old son in the living room. She had a headache, and earlier in the day shed purchased Tylenol at a grocery store.

Following her doctors advice, Reiner swallowed two capsules and felt dizzy almost immediately. She tried to make her way to the bathroom, but she collapsed onto a kitchen chair and began having seizures.

Mary "Lynn" Reiner collapsed after taking two Extra-Strength Tylenol for a headache. (Chicago Tribune archive)

When a police officer arrived at the familys duplex, summoned by Reiners husband, her eyes were fixed and dilated. She experienced one seizure after another while her sobbing mother-in-law held the newborn in her arms.

One of Reiners school-age children was upstairs and could hear all the commotion, former Winfield police Officer Scott Watkins told the Tribune.

And theyre yelling, Dad! Dad! Whats going on? And hes telling them, Stay upstairs! Stay upstairs! It was just horrible, Watkins said.

The Tribune could not locate many of the police records related to Reiners death despite Freedom of Information Act requests to multiple agencies. The Winfield Police Department said it provided copies of the case file to the Illinois State Police before losing the originals in a flood.

A state police spokesperson said all reports related to the Tylenol murders are stored on microfiche and cannot be searched electronically. The agency is gradually turning over more than 30,000 pages in its Tylenol archives, but police reports stemming from the call to the Reiner home havent turned up yet.

An April 2022 view of the Winfield town home where Mary "Lynn" Reiner fell ill four decades earlier. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Reiners daughter Michelle Rosen has spent more than a decade investigating her mothers murder. She called on law enforcement agencies to release their investigative records so the victims families and, by extension, the public can have answers.

Releasing case records would not alter or disrupt the current investigation in any way, she said in a statement. It will have the opposite effect. By giving access to all the files, we can examine the available information. Even if nothing comes of unsealing the records, we deserve to see them.

DuPage County coroners records indicate Reiner was taken to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield and placed on life support.

The young mother, who grew up in Villa Park and played softball, died the next day.

5:15 p.m., Arlington Heights

Back at the Janus house, a stunned family gathered to make funeral plans.

Stanley was there, per his mothers orders. So was his new wife, 20-year-old Theresa, known as Terri to her friends. Like the Januses, her family emigrated from Poland, and she grew up in a home where Polish was the primary language.

Stanley and Theresa "Terri" Janus were married in June 1982, just three months before they fell victim to the Tylenol poisonings. (Janus family)

The two married just three months earlier in a large ceremony held at St. Hyacinth in Chicago, an ornate Catholic church that has served as the heart of the citys Polish community for generations. Hundreds attended their reception at the White Eagle banquet hall in Niles, the same place where Stanleys older brothers Joseph and Adam had celebrated their weddings.

Stanley and Terri were so newly married when they stepped into Adam Janus house that day, they hadnt even received the proofs from their wedding photographer yet. They would never see the images of Terri, wearing a lace gown with a full, tiered skirt, smiling as she looked adoringly at Stanley.

Or of her father walking her down the aisle.

Or of Terri with her bridesmaids, dressed in soft lavender.

Oh, she was beautiful, said her high school friend Sandy Botwinski, one of the six bridesmaids. It was just a happy day.  I thought they would have a long, good life together.

Sandy Botwinski visits Lisle High School, where she became friends with Terri Janus. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Sandy Botwinski saved photographs from her friend's wedding to Stanley Janus in June 1982. Botwinski, shown with bride Terri Janus, was one of six bridesmaids. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

And for the first three months after the wedding, life indeed was good. They honeymooned in Hawaii, set up house across the street from her parents in Lisle and embarked on an ambitious remodeling project.

But now, the newlyweds were sitting in Adams kitchen, planning a funeral at the same church in which they had just married.

Stanley, suffering from chronic back pain and a headache born of the days sorrow, said he needed to take a couple of Tylenol. He asked if anyone else wanted some, and his mother shook her head. She had pain reliever in her purse and had already taken two pills at the hospital.

Terri, however, had a headache that showed no signs of abating. She grabbed a glass of water and followed her husband into the bathroom.

Moments later, Stanley emerged clutching his chest.

My God, I feel bad, he said.

He started to collapse, but his brother Joseph caught him and eased him to the floor. Terri Janus complained her chest hurt too.

While a family member called for an ambulance, Teresa Janus rushed her two young children out of the house and brought them to a neighbor. She had seen these symptoms just hours earlier and wanted to shield them from the horror.

The firefighters and paramedics at Arlington Heights Station 3 were making dinner when the call came in about a man down. When the dispatcher gave the address  1262 S. Mitchell Ave.  they looked at one another in disbelief.

The stations paramedics had just been there a few hours ago for a man down. And that man had died.

Fire Lt. Chuck Kramer ordered an engine to follow the ambulance to the house. It was unusual for the bigger vehicles to respond to a medical emergency, but two calls to the same address in less than six hours was alarming.

As we were coming down the street  there were crowds of people, said Kramer, who was in the trailing firetruck. And as we pulled up in front, I started to go up to the house and I can hear screaming come out of the house.

Chuck Kramer, a former Arlington Heights firefighter, responded to the house of Adam Janus in 1982, after paramedics were called to that address for the second time in six hours. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Inside, paramedics were trying to revive Stanley as he lay on the floor. One of the medics looked at Kramer with fear in his eyes.

This is the exact same thing that happened to the man this morning, he told his lieutenant. And we lost him.

Terri grabbed Kramers shoulder for support.

Stanley! Stanley! she yelled to her unconscious husband.

Then she groaned and fell to the floor. Kramer assumed she had fainted, but when he turned her over, he knew it was something far more serious.

Her breaths were shallow. Her eyes were fixed and dilated.

So now Ive got six paramedics working on two people, Kramer said. And Im looking at whats going on. I said, Guys, this isnt heart attacks. Theres something wrong. 

The paramedics loaded the couple into separate ambulances and headed to Northwest Community Hospital. Concerned that some kind of airborne contagion or other deadly environmental poison was in the house, Kramer put the entire Janus family in police cars and sent them to the hospital too.

He radioed ahead to the hospital staff.

You better find a place for us, he recalled telling them. Ive got 14 people who need to be isolated.

As the ambulances raced toward the hospital, Dr. Kim was about to leave after a long shift. But a nurse stopped him to say that two people had collapsed at the Janus house and were on their way.

He assumed it was Adams parents, overcome with grief. The nurse said no, its his brother.

So then I said, Well, maybe he fainted, Kim recalled. Then she said his wife also collapsed. So I threw my jacket off  and told the ICU nurses I was staying.

Kim mobilized the emergency department and began treating Stanley and Terri as soon as they arrived. The rest of the Janus family was quarantined in a hospital meeting room with the police, firefighters and paramedics who had responded to the call.

I was in shock so bad that I didnt know what was going on, Joseph Janus said.

Kim still didnt know why Adam Janus was dead or why two relatives were critically ill. He didnt know two other people had been stricken in the same way.

Or that more deaths were yet to come.

6:45 p.m., Lombard

An hour later in a town 20 miles away, Mary McFarland, a single mother with two young boys, took her dinner break at the Yorktown Shopping Center. After going through a divorce two years earlier, her life seemed to be steadying a bit.

The 31-year-old Elmhurst woman had a good job at the Illinois Bell Telephone store in the mall, where the union wages and flexible hours were ideal for someone with small children. She also had started dating someone.

Mary McFarland, shown in her April 1974 wedding photo, died from taking Tylenol capsules tainted with cyanide in 1982. (Family photo)

Her kids were everything to her, said Jan Hoffman, a friend and co-worker. Her divorce was difficult and she had just started dating a guy and she seemed happy.  I dont know if it was anything serious, but she was having a good time and she needed it.

After eating dinner with Hoffman, McFarland returned to the store floor. It wasnt long before she slipped into the break room to deal with a headache.

Migraines were common at the store, thanks to the flickering fluorescent lights and constantly complaining customers. Illinois Bell even provided a jar of generic pain pills for the workers to take as needed. The staff called them greenies because of their mossy hue.

McFarland, however, preferred her own medication. Shaking two Tylenol capsules from their container for herself, she offered some to co-worker Diana Hilderbrand, also in the break room.

Jan Hoffman, in South Elgin in July, worked with Mary McFarland in 1982. Her kids were everything to her, Hoffman said. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

I said, No, I just took some greenies. Id had a rough day, Hilderbrand said. Then she walked back on the floor.

But McFarland quickly returned to the break room.

I dont know if it was even 10 minutes later, Hilderbrand said. She said, I dont feel good, and she just collapsed.  Were all trying to do CPR and call 911 and all that kind of thing. The paramedics got there and they said, Do you know if she took anything? I said, Well, yeah, she took Tylenol. 

McFarland was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where doctors told her family she suffered a catastrophic stroke.

She never regained consciousness.

7 p.m., Arlington Heights

With Stanley and Terri Janus conditions dire, it was obvious to Chuck Kramer that someone needed to call a public health expert. He knew only one person who would qualify: his friend Helen Jensen, the Arlington Heights village nurse.

As the towns only public health official, Jensen did everything from flu shots for firefighters to home health care for cancer patients. She also never backed down from a challenge.

The fire lieutenant, who was still at the hospital, called her at home and said he needed help figuring out how three young, healthy people from the same family were so suddenly stricken. Jensen, who had been making dinner for her family, grabbed her car keys and rushed out of the house, still wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

Helen Jensen, shown at home in February in Arlington Heights, was the village nurse in 1982. She was the first person to intuit that Tylenol was to blame for deaths in the Janus family. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Jensen arrived at the hospital 15 minutes later and walked into the quarantine room. The people inside marveled at her courage.

I thought she would go and talk to the doctors, but no. She came directly into the room and I couldnt believe that, Kramer said. But thats just Helen. She is brave. She sees it as just doing her job, but I really admired her.

Jensen asked to speak with Adams widow, Teresa, who was standing by herself across the room and looking undeniably lost.

With a relative interpreting, Teresa walked Jensen through Adams morning and the family gathering later that afternoon. In her retelling, Jensen noticed, all three people who got sick had taken Tylenol.

A warning seal from the Cook County medical examiners office is taped to the front door of the Janus house in Arlington Heights on Oct. 2, 1982. (Karen Engstrom / Chicago Tribune)

Jensen asked Teresa for a key to the house and told a village police officer to take her there immediately.

I want to go out, she recalled telling the patrolman. I want to take a look for myself to see what I think.

Jensen entered the tidy bungalow around 8 p.m. and gathered a few things she thought all three people could have come in contact with: a pot of black coffee, used coffee grounds, home-jarred fruits, cherry juice, a pound cake, prescription medicines, the fresh flowers from the store.

She found the Tylenol bottle on the bathroom counter and the receipt in the trash can.

How a single bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol killed three members of a close-knit Polish clan. >>> View the timeline here

Jensen poured out the capsules and counted them repeatedly. There were only 44 capsules in the 50-count bottle. She could easily do the math: three people, each taking the recommended two capsules. Three people, dead or dying.

She returned to the hospital, where she found a representative from the Cook County medical examiners office in a conference room. She placed the white plastic bottle on the table.

It has to be the Tylenol, she said.

Her declaration was met with skepticism, she said. So, she repeated it, this time stamping her foot and raising her voice.

Theres something in the Tylenol.

Same response.

Helen Jensen outside the home in Arlington Heights where she found the Tylenol bottle that was to blame for deaths in the Janus family. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Feeling frustrated and unheard, she went home and poured herself a Scotch on the rocks. She told her husband that lives were potentially still at risk and she couldnt get the right people to believe her.

She cried herself to sleep.

Im a woman and a nurse, she said. No one was going to listen to me.

8:34 p.m., Chicago

As Jensen searched the Janus home, United flight attendant Paula Prince landed at OHare following a long day in which she worked a return trip from Las Vegas and then an out-and-back to Hartford, Connecticut.

She checked the flight board after landing and saw that her friend Jean Regula Leavengood  a fellow flight attendant who lived in the same Old Town condo building and shared Princes passion for travel and fun  would not be arriving for another hour or so.

Jean Regula Leavengood was close friends with Paula Prince before Prince's death in 1982. Both were flight attendants who lived in the same Old Town condo building. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Prince scribbled a note to her friend, explaining that she had left for home and she would talk to her soon. Prince left it in her friends airport mailbox.

Lets meet for a drink later, Prince wrote. I have exciting news to tell you.

On the way home, Prince stopped at a Walgreens near her building. A security camera snapped an image of Prince at the cash register, still dressed in a United Airlines uniform consisting of a navy pantsuit, neck scarf and high-heeled shoes.

The photo captured the exact moment the 35-year-old Nebraska native unwittingly purchased her own death.

At 9:16 p.m., she paid $2.39 for a 24-count bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol.

A photograph from a drugstore camera shows Paula Prince, dressed in her United Airlines uniform, buying a bottle of tainted Tylenol in 1982. (Chicago Tribune archive)

Once home, Prince put on a flowery nightgown and began taking off her makeup with a cotton ball. She paused to swallow a single capsule from her new purchase, seemingly forgetting that she already had an open bottle of Tylenol in her travel bag.

Regula Leavengood and Princes sister would find her lifeless body two days later, looking nothing like the striking blond woman they knew.

She was a bombshell, you know, said Regula Leavengood. She was pretty, she was vivacious. Always laughing. Always laughing.

Jean Regula Leavengood has kept photos showing her friend Paula Prince as she remembers her: always laughing. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

At Princes funeral, a man approached Regula Leavengood and introduced himself. He said he had met Prince during a recent layover in Las Vegas and they had fallen immediately, madly in love. He said they planned to marry.

He was Paula Princes exciting news.

10 p.m., Arlington Heights

After hours in quarantine, firefighter Kramer heard from Dr. Kim that Stanley Janus had been pronounced dead and Terri was on life support with no chance of recovery.

Kim said he didnt think the deaths had been caused by anything environmental, but rather something they all ingested. He was trying to find a poison expert to help him make a diagnosis.

The first responders were released from quarantine with instructions to decontaminate at their home stations, just to be on the safe side. Doctors admitted all the Januses to the hospital for overnight observation for that same cautious reason.

Joseph Janus shared a room with his sister, Sophia. The siblings passed a sleepless night, afraid they wouldnt wake up if they fell asleep.

I was just looking at my sister and she was looking at me to see if we were still alive, he said. I thought we were going to die too.

Joseph Janus, shown in June in the Wisconsin Dells, was quarantined at a suburban hospital after two of his brothers and a sister-in-law were stricken with a mysterious illness in 1982. It turned out to be cyanide poisoning. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

At home, Joseph Janus wife, Elizabeth, pulled their two young children into a bedroom and told them to pray harder than they had ever prayed. She also called her family in Poland and asked them to go to nearby Czestochowa, a religious site where Catholics have long asked for miracles.

I remember my (4-year-old) brother holding a statue of Jesus and just holding it really tight, recalled Joseph Janus daughter, Monica, who was 8. Were all sitting there and praying together, hoping that my dad would come home because everyones dying in our family.

As the Janus family prayed, Kramer and his crew headed back to the firehouse. On the way there, Kramer got on the radio and notified emergency dispatchers that his trucks would be out of commission until further notice.

Minutes after he returned to the station, his phone rang.

It was his close friend and fellow Arlington Heights fire lieutenant, Phil Cappitelli. Always one to keep a scanner nearby on his days off, Cappitelli wanted to know what possibly could have happened to shut down the entire station.

Kramer, who had listened to Jensens conversation with Adam Janus widow, told him about the family and their mysterious illness. They didnt have anything in common, Kramer told his colleague, except that they each took Tylenol.

The information clicked with Cappitelli. He told Kramer about his inquiry into Mary Kellermans sudden death and that she also had taken Tylenol moments before collapsing.

Oh my God, it just hits you, Kramer recalled. Someone is out there indiscriminately poisoning people.

Arlington Heights Fire Department Lts. Chuck Kramer, left, and Phil Cappitelli, right, and Elk Grove firefighter Richard Keyworth in 1982. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Kramer immediately called the Elk Grove Village Fire Department and spoke with the paramedic who had treated Mary Kellerman. Were her eyes fixed and dilated? Was her breathing rapid and shallow? Were her symptoms resistant to medical intervention?

Yes, the paramedic said. Yes. Yes.

Kramer called the hospital to relay what he found out  what Jensen already knew.

Theres something wrong with the Tylenol, he said.

Dr. Kim was told about the Tylenol connection, but it didnt completely solve the medical mystery. The doctor had treated cases of acetaminophen poisoning previously, and this wasnt that.

Yes, the Januses all took Tylenol before falling into respiratory distress. But Kim needed to know what substance caused them to suffer sudden cardiac arrest. He consulted with several poisoning experts and scoured his old medical school textbooks. He paced back and forth in his office, thinking and ruling out various causes.

I cant just say, Oh, I tried my best,  Kim said. I had to find an answer.

Dr. Thomas Kim, medical director of the ICU at Northwest Community Hospital, recounts at a Sept. 30, 1982, news conference how three members of the same family had ingested cyanide as a result of taking Tylenol. (Karen Engstrom / Chicago Tribune)

In the end, there was only one substance that he could think of that killed people so rapidly after being ingested: cyanide.

It was a wild thought, but it was the best explanation he could offer. His hospital couldnt test for cyanide at the time, so he found a 24-hour lab in Highland Park. He put two vials of blood  one belonging to Stanley, the other to Terri  in a cab and gave the driver instructions on where to take them.

As he watched the taxi pull away, he hoped that none of his colleagues would see the Januses charts and think he was being foolish.

My back was against the wall, Kim said. I mean, I had nothing else to offer, so I ordered the test.

Meanwhile, an Elk Grove Village police officer brought the Tylenol bottle from the Kellerman home to the hospital and gave it to Nicholas Pishos, an investigator with the Cook County medical examiners office.

Pishos already had the bottle left by Jensen. Both bottles had the same lot number.

Pishos called his boss, Dr. Edmund Donoghue, deputy chief medical examiner for Cook County. Donoghue, who was at home, told him to open one of the bottles and smell inside.

Dr. Edmund Donoghue, shown earlier this year, was deputy chief medical examiner in 1982. He knew Tylenol had been tainted with cyanide when one of his investigators opened a bottle and smelled the chemical's almond-like odor. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

When Pishos poured out the capsules, he caught a strong almond scent. The second bottle produced the same bitter smell.

Donoghues suspicion was confirmed. He knew instantly the odor was cyanide, a notorious and rapid-acting poison that cuts off oxygen to red blood cells. The almond odor isnt always present, and even when it exists, its discernible by only about 60% of the population.

Pishos apparently was among them.

As soon as I popped the top, I could smell the cyanide, Pishos said in an interview. I remember it smells like burnt almond from my chemistry classes in college.

Donoghue called Michael Schaffer, the countys chief toxicologist, and asked him to come to the morgue and run tests on the confiscated Tylenol capsules. It was the first time Donoghue could ever recall asking the toxicology department to work through the night.

This was a crazy idea, that there might be something in Tylenol, Donoghue said in an interview. I mean, this was the worlds most common analgesic.

Dr. Edmund Donoghue, right, then the deputy chief medical examiner in Cook County, discusses the cyanide-laced Tylenol on Sept. 30, 1982. At left are Michael Schaffer, the toxicologist who tested the capsules, and Dr. Barry Lifschultz. (Charles Osgood / Chicago Tribune)

Tests would show that four of the 44 remaining capsules in the Januses bottle contained cyanide. Records indicate each capsule had between 550 and 610 milligrams of poison  nearly three times the amount needed to kill someone.

1:30 a.m., Arlington Heights

In the early morning hours of Sept. 30, a technician from the Highland Park lab called to notify Dr. Kim that her tests had found massive amounts of cyanide in the newlyweds blood.

She also told him she had never run a cyanide test before, but she assured him she had followed the screening protocols.

Theres just so much cyanide, Kim recalled her saying. I mean, its just too much.

Testing of blood samples taken from Stanley and Terri Janus, shown here on their honeymoon, showed high levels of cyanide. (Janus family)

Kim asked for the lab directors home phone number so he could call and discuss the results. When the technician hesitated, Kim told her she could either give it to him or give it to Arlington Heights police when he sent them to the laboratory.

She gave Kim the number.

Kim called and woke up the director, who assured the doctor he was confident the test had been run correctly. The tech, he said, was one of his best.

The results were indisputable: Stanley and Terri Janus died from acute cyanide poisoning.

[ The Tylenol murders: How we reported this story ]

3:07 a.m., Chicago

The first news related to the Tylenol poisonings broke when a reporter for the City News Bureau  a famed Chicago news organization that operated 24 hours a day  published a bulletin.

City News reporter John Flynn Rooney wrote that authorities were looking into the sudden deaths of Adam Janus and his brother Stanley. The information was attributed to a hospital spokesperson.

The item, based on a tip received by overnight editor Rick Baert, didnt mention Tylenol. Rooney couldnt get someone to confirm that part of the story right away.

But Baert told the Tribune that he recognized the potential danger to the public and urged Rooney to keep digging.

Baert also called his best friend in the middle of the night because he knew the man took Tylenol for his knee each morning. He warned his buddy to skip the pills when he woke up.

All I could think of was how many more people could be at risk if this news didnt get out by morning, Baert said.

Shortly before sunrise, Rooney  who died in 2016 of complications from ALS  nailed down the story. Around 5:30 a.m., City News reported that the medical examiners office was attributing three deaths to an unnamed headache remedy and a news conference would be held later that morning.

The story was immediately picked up by local radio stations, including the one Helen Jensens husband listened to before work. When he heard the news, he woke up his wife.

You were right, he told her. Its on the radio. Its the Tylenol.

In less than 24 hours, a group of first responders and medical experts had solved a critical piece of a heartbreaking puzzle.

Although autopsies would have detected the cyanide eventually, according to Donoghue, that process would have taken another 18 hours  and, in this case, every minute counted.

The same morning the news broke, stores began pulling the pain reliever from their shelves and public health departments went door-to-door with flyers warning people about potentially poisonous capsules in the medicine cabinets. Police officers drove through streets, using bullhorns to order people to throw out their Tylenol.

Pharmacist Dennis Jordan, right, checks lot codes on bottles of Extra-Strength Tylenol at the Westmont Pharmacy as he removes them from the shelves on Sept. 30, 1982. (John Dziekan / Chicago Tribune)

And these efforts almost certainly saved lives, as testing turned up three other tainted Tylenol bottles and no other deaths occurred after those first 24 hours.

Kramer said he often wonders what would have happened if just one small thing about that day had been different.

What if Cappitellis mother-in-law hadnt worked with a woman whose little girl had mysteriously died? What if Keyworth, the Elk Grove Village firefighter, hadnt been around when Cappitelli called him for information about Mary Kellerman? What if Kramer hadnt called in nurse Helen Jensen, who interviewed Teresa Janus and retrieved the poisoned bottle? What if Dr. Kim hadnt acted on his cyanide hunch, sending blood samples to the lab?

What if Cappitelli hadnt heard something puzzling on his scanner and learned about the Januses from his friend Kramer?

What if Kramer hadnt overheard Jensen discussing Tylenol with Teresa Janus and relayed that detail to Cappitelli?

What if Nick Pishos couldnt smell cyanides distinctive almond odor?

Remove any of these people and their efforts that night, and the public wouldnt have known about the poisoned capsules as quickly as they did.

Remove any of these people and their efforts that night, and more people likely would have died.

It all came together, Kramer said. We were lucky.

The massive police task force assigned to find the culprit, however, would not be as fast in its mission.

Or as fortunate.

The Tylenol murders, part 2: Cyanide-laced Tylenol was the murder weapon. But who was the killer? >>> Read the full story here
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Governors across the country have taken part in GLSENs Rise Up campaign, releasing proclamations affirming the safety of LGBTQ+ youth in their communities.

Governors from Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Washington State vowed to protect LGBTQ+ youth. Local elected officials in California, Nevada, Washington State, North Carolina, and Florida also provided support for the campaign.

GLSEN is a nonprofit organization that works to create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students in schools.

At least 15 mayors also joined the call in pledging to rise up for LGBTQ+ youth in their communities, a press release said.

Attacks against LGBTQ+ youth have become more frequent and more vicious, and we cant wait to take action, said GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. Were grateful for the leaders who have pledged to rise up in support of LGBTQ+ youth and policies that promote safe and inclusive schools.

They added, We stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth and supportive parents and educators across the country, and were never going to stop fighting for safe, inclusive, and affirming learning environments for all students.

Despite Republican and far-right extremist attacks on educators and school systems that claim the institutions are sexualizing kids, GLSEN recently found that LGBTQ+ students rarely receive instruction in matters of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Researchers and experts in childrens development say that providing young LGBTQ+ people with spaces to discuss matters important to their identity significantly decreases the risk of suicidal ideation.

Marylands Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said, Leaving no one behind requires a community approach and relies on all of us working together.

He continued, On behalf of the Moore-Miller administration and the people of Maryland, I want all young Marylanders in the LGBTQIA+ community to know that you are not alone and have my full support, always.

Before he was elected, Moore told The Advocate that the rights of LGBTQ+ Marylanders would be at the forefront of his decision-making as the states first Black governor.

On behalf of the people of Maine, I write this letter in support of GLSENs Rise Up for LGBTQI+ youth campaign, Maine Governor Janet Mills also wrote in a letter supporting GLSENs Rise Up for LGBTQ+ Youth campaign.



Schools in Maine  and all over the country  must be free of the violence of racism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, ableism, and all forms of systemic oppression, Mills wrote. To that end, we must do everything in our power to ensure that all students have an equal educational opportunity, free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
Alejandro Hernandez Vazquez is facing several charges including child abduction after being pulled over during a routine traffic stop in Nash County, North Carolina (Nash County Sheriffs Office)

Deputies in North Carolina have arrested a Florida man on suspicion of child abduction after finding a missing 16-year-old girl in his car during a routine traffic stop.

Alejandro Hernandez Vazquez, 40, was pulled over for a traffic violation on the I-95 in Nash County at about midnight on 4 July, authorities say.

Deputies became suspicious and asked to search his white 2016 Audi Q5, and learned that a teenage passenger had been reported missing hours earlier by the Coral Springs Police Department in Florida.

According to Nash County Sheriffs Office, Mr Vazquez was not known to the girls family and did not have permission to cross state lines.

Deputies also found cannibas vape pens and drug paraphernalia in the car, they said.

Mr Vazquez, from Miami, was booked into the Nash County Detention Center on charges of child abduction, felony possession of synthetic cannabinoid, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

He was initially jailed without bond. At a court appearance on Friday 7 July, his bond was set at $505,000.

The missing girl was transported to the Wake County Juvenile Detention Center before being picked by family.

The 16-year-old willfully went with him is what were seeing at first glance of this investigation, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone told ABC11.

It was not like she was bound in the car and things of that nature, but you know, its a young 16-year-old and a grown man, and hes manipulated her and carried her across this country. This is a true case of child trafficking, he added.
Deputy who embodied the spirit of service killed by drunk driver, Missouri cops say

An off-duty deputy with nearly 40 years of service was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver, Missouri police say.

Missouri State Highway Patrol officers said a 35-year-old man crossed the center line while driving in Lincoln County on Saturday, July 8. His Ford Focus struck a Harley-Davidson being operated by 60-year-old Steven Tucker.

Tucker, who was identified as a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriffs office said the driver of the Focus was drunk. He received serious injuries, highway patrol officers said.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the driver was cited with driving while intoxicated.

Tucker served in the United States Army and was a member of police departments in Wright City and Berger before joining the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office this year.

Deputy Steven Tucker embodied the spirit of service, honor, and selflessness, exemplifying the qualities expected of a law enforcement professional, sheriffs officials said. His unwavering commitment to protecting and serving the community will forever be remembered by his colleagues and the citizens he served.

Tucker was likely on his way home when the crash happened, a deputy told KSDK.

Family was very important to him, Deputy Steven Robertson, who is Tuckers son-in-law, told the station. His kids, his grandkids and his wife, Donna, were all very important to him.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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Derek Diazs family holds vigil and demands answers from OPD after an officer-involved shooting

At a vigil Sunday night in downtown Orlando, the family of 26-year-old Derek Diaz left flowers and candles to remember their son, father, brother, and friend, that was shot last week by an Orlando police officer.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

I lost my best friend, my brother and this just isnt right at all, said the brother of Derek Diaz.

Emotions fill the hearts of Derek Diazs loved ones as they gathered at the scene of the tragedy.

Last Sunday, on the corner of Jefferson Street and Orange Avenue, officers were conducting proactive patrols in an area known for drug activity on June 3rd, according to police.

Read: FHP: Arrest 40-year-old for double fatal crash in Orange County

Officers approached Diaz, believing he was involved in drug-related activities inside a car, and police say officers shot Diaz because he made a move for what they thought was a weapon.

Investigates did find drugs on Diaz, but no gun was recovered.

Diaz died at the hospital.

Read: Deputies ask for publics help in Orlando shooting death investigation

Now, his family is demanding transparency and closure, urging the release of the bodycam video.

I want to know what happened. We have the right to know, said Yaneri Diaz Rodriguez, Diazs mother.

The family doesnt know anything beyond that. It is heart-breaking, said attorney Benjamin Crump. Our principles are liberty and justice for all. That means justice for Derek Diaz too. Thats why we need to see the video.

It was an emotional Sunday night as the loved ones gathered to honor 26-year-old Derek Diaz, who was shot one week ago.

The Orlando Police Department plans to release the video within 30 days of an officer-involved shooting, per department policy.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Conservative Leaders Address Faith & Freedom Coalition Majority Conference

Republican presidential candidate and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. Credit - Drew AngererGetty Images

Ron DeSantis has been cracking down on a popular cause among fellow Republicans: criminal justice reform.

Last month, the Florida governor vetoed a bipartisan measure that would have allowed some adults to expunge their criminal record if they were not convicted. And hes shifted from his own past positions: in May, he declared that if elected President, he would repeal the First Step Act, which was signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018 and which DeSantis supported in an earlier form when he was a congressman. (The law expanded educational programming and job training opportunities in addition to reducing some mandatory minimum sentences.)

DeSantis move to the right on criminal justice reform in part reveals that violent crime can be a fruitful focus for Republican primary candidates, and allows him to draw a contrast with Trump, the current frontrunner in the race. Amid DeSantis pressure, Trump has begun backing away from what he used to tout as a major legislative victory. When Fox News asked Trump in June about sentencing reform, he spoke of a new proposal to punish drug dealers with the death penalty.

Read More: The DeSantis Project

Yet DeSantis position is more extreme than the views of most Republican primary voters, experts say. Right now, the political rhetoric may be tough, but that doesnt change where the base is, says Micah Derry, CEO of the Adams Project, which is focused on conservative criminal justice reform. Thats important for people to understandthat the base hasnt moved. They want a safe community, to support law enforcement, want people held accountable, and they want to know that there is a pathway for rehabilitation.

More from TIME

The Adams Project published a poll on July 6 examining conservative views on safety and crime. More than 80% of focus group participants supported the idea that a criminal justice system must allow incarcerated people to have the chance to get the skills and training necessary to pursue a better path after prison. It also found that GOP voters responded negatively to messages that attack the First Step Act, noting that the provisions almost perfectly matched or were pretty close to views of 86% of Republicans. Focus group members referred to them as attacks on Trump and political posturing. Many focus group members viewed the traditional tough-on-crime approach as dated and out of touch and emphasized the importance of second chances.

DeSantis campaign did not response to a request for comment.

As Trumps most competitive challenger at this point in the race, DeSantis has significant influence over the rhetoric and policy positions animating the primary. Trumps former Vice President Mike Pence, who is running for President in 2024, said on the campaign trail it is time to rethink the First Step Act. Former Republican Congressman Doug Collins, who sponsored the House version of the First Step Act, is worried about the ripple effects DeSantis position could have on the rest of the party. It is concerning and thats why were talking about it, Collins says. It is posturing for a political campaign I see it a little bit more as an outlier.

If the GOP shifts towards DeSantis, it could hamper one of the few areas of bipartisanship left in Washington. Eight in 10 likely voters support criminal justice reform, including 74% of Republicans, 80% of independents, and 85% of Democrats, according to a national survey of likely voters in the 2022 midterm elections conducted by Democratic and Republican pollsters Benenson Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies. Criminal justice policy has been one of the most robust areas of bipartisan cooperation, says Jenna Bottler, executive director of Justice Action Network, which advocates for bipartisan criminal justice reform.

Not all criminal justice reform has been popular with Republicans, especially measures tied to defunding the police, bail reform, or shortening long sentences even for violent offenders. But proposals tied to the idea of second chances and helping people who have been incarcerated transition back into society have gotten more support.

Other Republicans in the 2024 race arent making the same bet as DeSantis. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, for example, was a key lawmaker in developing the First Step Act and also supported a bipartisan police de-escalation training law. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

A 2023 Justice Department report on the First Step Act found that since it became law in 2018, more than 30,000 federal inmates have gone through its programming and earned early release with only 12.5% arrested and imprisoned again; thats much lower than the overall federal recidivism rate of 43%. Dont take away something that we know is working and dont channel this false narrative about the First Step Act that youve borrowed from the alarming rise in crime that youre trying to capitalize on as a politician, says Brett Tolman, executive director of Right on Crime, a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation focused on supporting conservative solutions for reducing crime and reforming offenders.

As the presidential race heats up, it will become clearer whether DeSantis positioning to the right of Trump on criminal justice reform is resonating with voters. Ron DeSantis, on this issue, is unfortunately out of step with Republicans across the country. He is also out of step with his own track record, says Bottler. Were seeing somebody sort of attempt to see what might catch fire in primary politics. Unfortunately, this ones just going to fall flat.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called California Gov. Gavin Newsoms (D) demand for an investigation into the migrant flights to California authorized by Florida absurd during an interview Monday.

I think its just absurd, DeSantis, who is running for president, told Fox Businesss Stuart Varney on Varney & Co . I mean California is a sanctuary state. They actually provide benefits for illegal aliens. And so theyre serving really as a magnet for people to cross our border illegally.

The governor went on to pledge to build a border wall if elected president and to hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable for what theyve done to poison tens of thousands of Americans every year.

But, at the same time, if you do have people here illegally and a court says they can stay until theres some type of court date, I think thats a bad system, he said. But if it is, the sanctuary jurisdiction should be the one to have to bear that burden. Were not a sanctuary state in Florida, and I think its wrong that states that are doing it right would have to bear burden. And so theyve asked for this, theyve invited it, and they should step up.

DeSantiss comments are the latest in a war of words between him and his Democratic California counterpart, which began last year following the migrant flights to Sacramento.

Last week, Newsom called on the Justice Department to investigate Floridas migrant relocation effort. The letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland claims that it is not uncommon for local jurisdictions and nongovernmental organizations to facilitate onward travel from the border in some instances, but that this scheme is different: according to news reports, recruiters deceived migrants into taking flights to these particular locations based on promises of jobs and shelter.

It is unconscionable to use people as political props by persuading them to travel to another state based on false or deceptive representations. We urge USDOJ to investigate potential violations of federal law by those involved in this scheme, the letter reads.

Last month, Florida confirmed it was behind recent migrant flights to Sacramento from Texas, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) vowed to investigate potential wrongdoing by Florida officials related to the flights. Last year, DeSantis sent dozens of migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard as part of the migrant relocation effort, as other Republican governors moved to bus or fly thousands of migrants north to cities controlled by Democrats as a way to protest the Biden administrations immigration policies.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The world is 'big enough' for both US and China to thrive even amid a simmering tech war, says Janet Yellen

The world is 'big enough' for both US and China to thrive even amid a simmering tech war, says Janet Yellen

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen concluded her trip to China on Sunday with an appeal for both nations to find 'a way to live together.'

'We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,' she said.

Yellen pushed for cooperation on climate change and resuming high-level talks.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that a four-day visit to China has put political relations between both countries on a "surer footing," despite a recent intensifying tech war.

"President Biden and I do not see the relationship between the US and China through the frame of great power conflict. We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive," she said, according to a transcript of her speech on Sunday.

During her trip, Yellen sought greater cooperation with China on funding to tackle the climate crisis and resuming the high-level talks that have faltered since the COVID-19 pandemic, per the transcript.

Even so, Yellen voiced concerns over China's "unfair economic practices," including an updated counter-espionage law and crackdown on foreign businesses. The US Chamber of Commerce said in an April 28 statement that these actions raised the risks and uncertainty of doing business in China.

Yellen's visit came against the backdrop of simmering trade tensions between the US and China. Just days before her arrival, China restricted exports of two crucial chip-making rare metals.

The move marked an escalation from the Biden administration's introduction of new export restrictions on advanced chips to China last October. In a note last week, analysts at the Eurasia Group described it as a "shot across the bow" to deter the imposition of further restrictions.

Her trip marks the second high-profile visit by a Biden administration official to China, following Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June, which concluded with a pledge to stabilize US-China relations.

John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, is slated for a visit to China later this month, per Bloomberg.

Despite Yellen's optimism, at least one analyst feels that relations between the US and China remain tenuous.

"Trouble is, even if on a surer footing, one cannot shake off the feeling that US-China relations remain on the wrong foot," Vishnu Varathan, the head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank's Asia and Oceania treasury department, said in a Monday note.

"The silver lining is that candid conversations, resulted in common ground on: ensuring there is no dis-engagement (keeping channels of communications open), and; not allowing diplomatic spats to usurp economic ties, with adverse spillover," he wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Metamorworks via Getty

COVID precautions have been lifted nearly everywhere, but that doesnt mean the virus has gone away. It may be lingering in any given room thats seen frequent visitors or is host to large crowds. Well be living with COVID for the foreseeable futureincluding any threatening variants that may arise. But a new device built by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis aims to help us manage that new future by providing real-time monitoring of indoor spaces and detecting any traces of the COVID virus in the air in just five minutes.

The new device, described in a paper published in Nature Communications on Monday, is said by its makers to be relatively small and inexpensive to build. It also has the potential to be easily modified to monitor other kinds of aerosolized viruses, such as influenza and RSV.

It can be effectively utilized in hospitals, ICU wards with symptomatic patients, airports, office spaces, crowded bars, or any crowded indoor environment with poor ventilation and a high risk of virus transmission, Washington University researchers and study co-authors Joseph Puthussery and Rajan Chakrabarty told The Daily Beast in a joint email. According to the pair, the device could be used for both short duration spot checks for COVID, as well as long duration monitoring over an entire day.

This Cross-Species COVID Test May Stop the Next Scary Variant

Puthussery, Chakrabarty and their colleagues built the device based on designs for a previously built biosensor that is able to detect a protein commonly found in the brains of people with Alzheimers, helping to give early warning that someone may be at risk of developing symptoms of the disease. When the pandemic got underway, the team began to believe it may be possible to use the same design to detect airborne SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID infection.

With help from some airborne toxicity experts, the Alzheimers biosensor was converted into a tool that uses an antibody from llamas to recognize the infamous SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Air gets sucked into the virus sampler at high speeds and mixes with fluid that can trap any airborne viral particles that are present.

The sample then pumps the fluid into the biosensing component of the detector, where the virus spike proteins bond with the llama antibodies. If the virus is present, a light goes off to indicate the COVID virus is present nearby. Anyone who is present then has a heads up to leave the room, or mask up and increase ventilation in the area for a while.

Hospitals stand to benefit the most from this device, said Puthussery and Chakrabarty. In hospital wards with immunosuppressed patients, maintaining clean and virus-free air is crucial to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Despite being just 10 inches tall and 1 foot in length, the device has a flow rate of about 1,000 liters per minutewhich basically means its able to find any virus thats present in a mid-sized room within just minutes, as opposed to the other systems that can take up to 24 hours. Lab experiments conducted in confined rooms showed the device has a detection sensitivity (ability to positively identify the virus) between 77 and 83 percent, across four major variants: Beta, Delta, Omicron, and Washington (WA-1). Trials were also run in the apartments of two COVID-positive participants, and underscored the ability of the device to find aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 in a real-world setting.

Besides further testing in more kinds of indoor spaces, the team plans to make the device into a product thats easy to manufacture and operate, including making it less noisy. Should they be successful, it would be the first commercially available real-time monitoring system for SARS-CoV-2. The research team is also interested in enabling the device to monitor other respiratory viruses.

We are currently working on simultaneously detecting other airborne pathogens, said Puthussery and Chakrabarty. The remaining task involves working with industry partners to optimize production and scale up to build an affordable product.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Did South Jersey police ignore cries to help dying man? Lawsuit could seek answer

PENNSVILLE - Police officers ignored cries to help a man who was fighting for breath in a holding cell and later died, says an attorney for the mans estate.

Walter S. Zilinski Jr. was the victim of multiple civil rights violations before his death on Feb. 10, according to a tort claim notice filed by attorney Jeffrey Puff of Woodbury.

The notice, a requirement before filing a lawsuit against public entities, indicates the estate may seek damages of $2 million.

Puff could not be reached for immediate comment on the case.

More: Suit filed for man's estate, son Lawsuit: Mantua police officer fired deadly barrage of 13 shots at man who called 911

A Salem County representative also was unavailable.

Who's named by tort claim notice?

The state Attorney General's Office is notified of all deaths in police custody, a representative noted Tuesday, July 11.

"The Salem County Prosecutors Office is reviewing that matter and the findings of that review will be reported to the Attorney Generals Office," said spokesman Dan Prochilo.

The agency has not announced an investigation in this case, and did not respond to requests for information.

The tort notice names the countys Sheriffs Office and Prosecutors Office, as well as the Pennsville and Carneys Point police department and Pennsville EMS.

Also named are 10 officers from the law enforcement agencies.

According to the claims, law enforcement officers converged on Zilinskis home shortly after 6 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2023.

The notice claims the officers, pursuant to an arrest, removed Zilinski and two women from his home on North Hook Road and made them sit on a boat trailer for two-and-a-half hours.

An online listing says the North Hook Road location was the address of Walt's Crabs and Crab Pots. A phone number for the seafood market was out of service on Wednesday.

Puffs account alleges zip-ties restraining Zilinskis hands were extremely tight interfering with the blood flow in Zilinskis wrists.

The women were given coats when they complained about the cold, but Zilinski was forced to wear only a short-sleeve shirt, it continues.

What happened in Pennsville holding room?

Zilinski and the women were taken to Pennsvilles police department, where he struggled to breathe.

According to the notice, The women were yelling, 'Oh my god, somebody help him. You guys have got to help him!'

It contends no police officer came to Zilinskis aid in response to the womens statements, and that one Pennsville police officer said Zilinski "probably swallowed drugs or was faking in order to go to the hospital instead of prison.

Zilinski then vomited and was desperately attempting to breathe until his skin turned grey, the notice continues.

It was too late when the officers called for an ambulance, it claims, adding emergency medical personnel did not provide oxygen or Narcan to Zilinski.

The Pennsville man was taken to Salem County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The notice alleges Zilinskis rights were violated through failure to act and to provide appropriate medical care. It also says he was subject to malpractice.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email him at jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey police facing lawsuit over death of Walter Zilinski Jr.
LGBT for Trump flag with the former president holding it

Iowans are receiving mailers promoting the same message as the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ video that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently promoted. It was so homophobic that it caused Gays Against Groomers, DeSantiss most supportive anti-trans hate group, to fracture.

According to Iowa political blog Bleeding Heartland, a mailer appears to promote former President Donald Trump as a champion of marriage equality and trans rights. Trump is neither and has a history of anti-LGBTQ+ policy positions during his presidency and since.

The Iowa mailers was paid for by Advancing Our Values.

Accentuated by an underline in rainbow colors, the message Thank you, President Trump appears alongside a banner in the transgender Pride flag colors calling Trump a transgender trailblazer, the website reports.

A Politico article referenced in the mailer describes how Trump received a standing ovation from the conservative gay group, the Log Cabin Republicans, for delivering an enthusiastic affirmation of gay rights not often heard in the GOP.

Iowa is one of the conservative states with a solid Evangelical Christian population, which historically has not been friendly to LGBTQ+ issues.

DeSantis War Room tweeted a video last month mocking Trump for supporting the LGBTQ+ community after the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.

DeSantis anti-LGBTQ+, especially anti-trans, policy proposals and laws that he signed are celebrated for stifling the rights of queer Floridians. There were also homoerotic images of shirtless men with defined muscles and clips of the American Psycho, which features actor Christian Bale as a serial killer. There is also a clip of Brad Pitt as Achilles  who many note had a male lover in the Illiad.

The Log Cabin Republicans, the largest queer GOP group in the U.S., and others criticized DeSantis video for its homophobia.

DeSantis, however, defended the video in an interview, saying Trumps past support of trans women competing in the Miss Universe pageant rendered it totally fair game.

In response to outrage, the original account deleted the video a week after posting it.

The non-profit organization behind the Iowa advertisement was established on June 27, according to Bleeding Heartland. As far as funding and political affiliation are concerned, neither was available.

A growing number of conservative organizations are promoting liberal ideas in Florida to damage candidates opponents, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
In this handout photo taken from video released by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. (Uncredited/AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army, the Kremlins spokesman said Monday.

The three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Prigozhin has a long-simmering feud with Russias top military brass which on June 24 culminated in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia.

Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled to Belarus.

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The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who has branded Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief. His fate and whereabouts have been unknown since the abortive mutiny, which severely weakened Putins authority.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and of the events of June 24. The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Peskov said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company, namely Prigozhin himself, Peskov said.

Also Monday, Russias Defense Ministry published a video featuring the countrys military chief  the first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebelling aimed to oust him.

During last months revolt, Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition.

Mondays updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period.

Meanwhile, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the incident a war crime.

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Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in Sundays attack in the town of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Broad investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those investigations.

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Zaporizhzhia province is home to Europes largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, and is one of four regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally annexed last year. Retaking the province is one of the targets of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine between Sunday and Monday, according to a summary from the Ukrainian presidential office.

In the Donetsk region, the Russians used aircraft, missile systems and heavy artillery to shell residential areas of 6 cities and villages, injuring one person, the office reported.

The Russian army attacked residential areas of Kherson, the regional capital of a province of the same name. A 66-year-old woman was injured, the presidential office said.
NEW YORK  In an era of embellished and outright invented political biographies, Harlem City Council candidate Yusef Salaams personal narrative was remarkably authentic.

One of five teenagers convicted in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, Salaam spent nearly a decade in prison before the judgments were overturned. He became a motivational speaker and Ken Burns made a film about the case.

Then Salaam ran for City Council this spring in a highly competitive three-way Democratic primary race against two longtime lawmakers.

Harlem voters couldnt resist his comeback tale.

Here's a man who Donald Trump condemned to death, who's now representing his community in the City Council, and is going to be a voice for change and reform. That to me is an amazing story, said Basil Smikle Jr., former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.

Salaams landslide win against two well-known politicians  one of them backed by Mayor Eric Adams  was due in large part to the strength of his compelling personal narrative. It also represents a shift in a Black political power center away from entrenched elected officials and toward outsider candidates as the district grapples with crime, affordability and racial equity issues.

Many voters here see the issues as existential threats and are looking for fresh leadership to secure their future in the Manhattan neighborhood that gave birth to Harlem legends like poet Langston Hughes and jazz great Louis Armstrong. And while Harlem and Salaam are unique, other historically Black neighborhoods in New York have recently embraced political newcomers, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, which elected a 23-year-old party promoter and activist in 2021.

People really want something different, something new, Salaam said in an interview. They want someone who, like myself, has been in pain, who's been close to the pain. I've often said on the campaign trail, those who have been close to the pain have to have a seat at the table.

While Salaam is more moderate than his immediate predecessor, socialist Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, they share an outsider identity. Jordan also beat an established Harlem politician to represent the district in 2021. She dropped out of the race in May  blaming, among other things, the behavior of the Harlem machine.

Salaam is expected to win the November general election in the heavily Democratic district.

The primary was Salaams first foray into electoral politics, and while he grew up in Harlem, and had the backing of Manhattan Democratic Party Leader Keith Wright, he was still the outsider in the race. The other candidates vying for the seat were two state assembly members. Inez Dickens, who was backed by Adams, Rep. Adriano Espaillat and former Rep. Charlie Rangel, has been in elected office in the city and state for more than a decade. Her colleague Al Taylor has been in the Legislature since 2017, where he previously served as an assembly staffer.

Smikle, now the director of a Hunter College public policy program, said voters are tired of the musical chairsthe electeds who have just spent a lot of time running in between city and state government.

That feeling was stronger than the divergent political views of Salaam, who said he believes in righteous police, and Richardson Jordan, who once called the NYPD a white supremacist institution and wanted to defund the department.

It's not necessarily about ideology, but it is about the present and future of the community and who's going to represent that, who's going to be the face of that, Smikle said.

Its also about how voters connected to Salaams compelling campaign narrative.

Smikle said the local legacy of the Central Park case was far reaching, and recalled how it felt, as a young Black man growing up in the Bronx at the time, to watch the public response.

There was a sense that we were being viewed as animals and to be honest to this day I still do not go into Central Park as a result of that, he said.

Former President Donald Trump, at the time a New York City real estate developer, took out full-page ads in the four major New York newspapers shortly after the 1989 incident calling for the return of the death penalty. He declared that these muggers and murderers should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.

A few days after the former president was indicted earlier this year on charges stemming from hush money payments to a porn star, Salaam released an ad responding to Trumps 1989 message. Even though thirty-four years ago you effectively called for my death and the death of four other innocent children, I wish you no harm, he said.

Rather, I am putting my faith in the judicial system to seek out the truth. I hope that you exercise your civil liberties to the fullest, and that you get what the Exonerated 5 did not get  a presumption of innocence, and a fair trial, he continued.

Salaam  who said he identifies as a progressive Democrat  supports the same police department responsible for the forced confessions that led to his conviction. Yet unlike Richardson Jordan, he would not vote to take away NYPD funding.

Most people would probably think, Oh, Yusef Salaam, yes, he would probably be for that statement. But the truth of the matter is that I'm not, he said in an interview.

What about the real criminals? he asked. When I think about the Central Park jogger case in that context, it was a real crime that happened. It was really a woman that was raped by an individual who was found to be the culpritAnd so if we abolished the prisons, if we defunded the police, what does that say about us as a society?

We need righteous police, he concluded.

The predominantly Black central Harlem district that Salaam will likely represent has a higher serious crime rate, a lower median income and more sharply escalating rents compared to citywide averages.

The three candidates shared similar sentiments about those central issues.

Former Gov. David Paterson, who supported Dickens in the race, said he didn't see Salaams win as a rejection of his favored candidate, but more as a response to his story of personal tragedy and triumph.

I think there was such a reaction to that situation that he became sort of martyred by it, Paterson said in an interview. After what happened to him, [voters said] we're going to give him the chance.
Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, an increasingly present figure in Memphis, pushed for an explanation from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office regarding the fatal shooting of Jarveon Hudspeth, the 21-year-old who was killed during the course of a June 24 traffic stop.

In the more than two weeks since Hudspeth's death, the family has not learned any additional information, according to Hudspeth's mother, Charlotte Haggett. Few details have been released publicly.

Haggett, along with family members, community activists and state Rep. Antonio Parkinson, appeared alongside Crump Monday and delivered remarks from the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.

For now, Hudspeth's family only knows what they have gathered from witnesses and news reports. They know Hudspeth was pulled over and they know a SCSO deputy shot Hudspeth at some point during the traffic stop.

Senquel Hudspeth, the sister of Jarveon Hudspeth, who was shot and killed by a deputy from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office during a traffic stop on June 24, looks down as she holds a photo of her brother while surrounded by other family, friends and supporters during a press conference as they call for the release of footage of the shooting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 10, 2023.

The unnamed deputy was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being dragged some 100 yards, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner said.

Haggett learned of her son's death, she said, only after he was missing for over 24 hours. When she initially contacted authorities, SCSO said a deputy would be out to her residence to take a missing persons report. That deputy never came.

Hours later, she said, someone called and simply stated he was dead following an accident.

"He was in an accident and 'didn't make it,'" Haggett said. "That was the most I got."

Haggett said she has not heard from SCSO since.

Charlotte Haggett, the mother of Jarveon Hudspeth, who was shot and killed by a deputy from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office during a traffic stop on June 24, breaks down in tears while speaking at a press conference and is comforted by Attorney Ben Crump as they call for the release of footage of the shooting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 10, 2023.

Crump, who also represents the families of Tyre Nichols and Gershun Freeman, drew parallels between Nichols and Hudspeth's deaths during his remarks, namely how the mothers of both men had to push for transparency and accountability.

But a key difference, Crump said, is the speed with which a fuller picture of Nichols' death developed and the treatment of the officers in the aftermath.

The five officers charged with Nichols' death, Crump said, were Black. The deputy that allegedly shot Hudspeth is white.

Attorney Ben Crump speaks at a press conference surrounded by the family, friends and supporters of Jarveon Hudspeth, who was shot and killed by a deputy from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office during a traffic stop on June 24, as they call for the release of footage of the shooting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 10, 2023.

"Don't play games with this family," Crump said, "Release the video. We've heard all of the excuses, release the video."

Crump said using the Nichols precedent  20 days between Nichols' death and the subsequent release of all associated footage  authorities have four days left.

"Don't make us sue to get this video," Crump said. "Why is it that taxpayers pay all this money for body cameras, but we can't see the video?"

As he did at Hudspeth's funeral, best friend Martaveon Boone emphasized the lack of criminal activity in both of their lives. Neither were involved with gangs, neither spent any time even flirting with illegal activity, Boone said.

Martaveon Boone, the best friend of Jarveon Hudspeth, who was shot and killed by a deputy from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office during a traffic stop on June 24, speaks at a press conference surrounded by attorney Ben Crump, the Hudspeth family, and supporters as they call for the release of footage of the shooting at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 10, 2023.

Rather, he said, both worked "a lot."

When Hudspeth wasn't working his job at Whole Foods "we were always doing something productive," Boone said.

"We gotta know what happened. It's not right. There's a lot of missing pieces," Boone said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation declined to provide any updates regarding Hudspeth's case and said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

Monday evening, Bonner, who is also a candidate to be the next Memphis mayor, said in an email statement that any information about the investigation, including death notifications, would come through TBI.

Bonner also called the press conference a "cheap political" stunt, saying some of the claims were "inciting."

"It has come to my attention that specific individuals, including Attorney Ben Crump, have made inciting claims regarding releasing video evidence related to this active investigation," Bonner said in the statement. "I strongly condemn these cheap political stunts aimed at manipulating public opinion and causing distress for all involved."

Withholding evidence, Bonner said, follows "the law as set forth by the Tennessee Supreme Court, the legislature and the courts" during active investigations.

"My primary focus remains on protecting the integrity of this investigation and providing support to my deputy, who is still recovering from serious injuries," he said.

Bonner has previously said that MPD "set the national standard" with its release of body camera and pole camera footage, along with additional information, in the beginning of the Nichols investigation. When MPD released the footage, it was also during a TBI investigation.

Those statements, from a Commercial Appeal Q&A, are also posted to his mayoral campaign website.

SCSO did not respond to a follow-up question from The CA asking why he called Crump's assertion to follow the same model a "cheap political" stunt and if he plans to follow in MPD's footsteps with releasing footage.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Crump, Jarveon Hudspeth's family want body camera footage of shooting
Drowning Is No. 1 Killer of Young Children. U.S. Efforts to Fix It Are Lagging.

Kendra Lubin, a swim instructor and lifeguard, at the Salgado Community Center in Santa Ana, Calif., July 3, 2023. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/The New York Times)

SANTA ANA, Calif.  Yadira Salcedo was born in Mexico to parents who did not know how to swim. As a child, she nearly drowned when she waded too deep in a backyard pool.

Now a mother of two in Santa Ana, Salcedo is breaking the cycle, she said, making sure Ezra, 3, and Ian, 1, never experience such terror. The family has qualified for Red Cross scholarships to a new program that teaches children who might not have other chances to learn how to swim.

On a recent day, Salcedo and her children climbed together into the Salgado Community Center pool, using kickboards and blowing bubbles with an instructor, Josue, who uses a mix of English and Spanish.

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Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths are likely to surge this month, as they do every July, with children drowning just feet from their parents without a scream, struggle or splash. A 4-year-old at a Texas hotel pool, a 5-year-old in a California river, a 6-year-old at a Missouri lake and a 10-year-old at an Indiana public pool all drowned just this past week.

And yet, despite calls from the United Nations, the United States is one of the only developed countries without a federal plan to address the crisis. Thirty years of progress in decreasing the number of drowning deaths in the country appears to have plateaued, and disparities in deaths among some racial groups have worsened.

Its hard to imagine a more preventable cause of death. No one is going to say, Oh, well, some people just drown, said William Ramos, an associate professor at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington and the director of the schools Aquatics Institute.

Its time to go deeper than the sad statistics and answer the why and the how, he said.

A parent who has never learned to swim yields an 87% chance that a child wont, either, said Dr. Sadiqa A.I. Kendi, the division chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center, who studies the cyclical nature of injury and inequity.

This is anthropology, Ramos said. To start a new narrative around water is not an easy task.

The National Institutes of Health recently published a call for research proposals to examine drowning prevention, writing that little is known about what intervention strategies work. The CDC said it planned to do an in-depth analysis of childhood drownings in several states to better understand the contributing factors.

But public health researchers point to an array of factors that could make it increasingly difficult to close the gap, including shrinking recreation department budgets, a national lifeguard shortage and an era of distraction on pool decks, as parents juggle child supervision with laptops and cellphones when they work from home.

In the longer term, the figures are likely to be exacerbated by climate change, said Deborah Girasek, a drownings researcher at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. More children are likely to drown in hurricane floodwater in Florida, fall through thin ice in Wisconsin or climb into restricted reservoirs in Yosemite for a reprieve from the increasing heat. (Research shows that drownings rise with every degree on a thermometer.)

Although overall drowning deaths have decreased by one-third since 1990, they have risen by 16.8% in 2020 alone, according to the CDC. There are still over 4,000 of them in the United States annually, and about one-quarter of the deaths are of children. An analysis by the CDC shows that Black children ages 5 to 9 are 2.6 times more likely to drown in swimming pools than white children, and those ages 10 to 14 are 3.6 times more likely to drown. Disparities are also present in most age groups for Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American and Alaska Native children.

Socioeconomic factors are at play as well. A study of drownings in Harris County, Texas, for example, showed that they were almost three times more likely for a child in a multifamily home than in a single-family residence, and that drownings in multifamily swimming pools  like the one at the Salcedos apartment  were 28 times more likely than in single-family pools.

Salcedo said she often saw children swimming in the pool of her complex unsupervised.

The leading theory to explain the inequities traces back a half-century to the proliferation of municipal pools after World War II. When those gave way to suburban swim clubs and middle-class backyard pools, historian Jeff Wiltse wrote in his book on pool history, white children began learning to swim in private lessons, while children in minority families saw public pools become dilapidated and aquatics budgets be slashed. Many of the facilities and education programs have never recovered.

Black adults in particular report having had negative experiences around water, with familial anecdotes of being banned from beaches during Jim Crow-era segregation and brutalized during the integration of public pools.

A U.N. resolution issued in 2021 and a World Health Assembly decision this year to accelerate action urged every member nation to prioritize the fight against childhood drownings. The WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics have implored the U.S. government to catch up.

Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa  they all have a plan. We dont, Ramos said. The message to Congress is: We need to fix this, and we can. But look at seat belts, fire safety, smoking cessation. Legislation is whats going to move the needle.

Officials could add aquatics to gym class curricula or mandate four-sided pool fences in backyards (since many victims still wander into pools from the exposed side facing the house). Girasek said she was eager to see legislation because we see very clearly that it works.

After former Secretary of State James Bakers 7-year-old granddaughter Virginia Graeme Baker was trapped by the suction of a hot tub drain and drowned, a federal law was named in her honor that required public pools and spas to be equipped with drain covers that meet certain standards. It seemed to all but eradicate such deaths.

The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan, launched by a group of nonprofits last week, is the countrys first attempt to construct a road map to address the crisis. Its 99 recommendations for the next decade serve as a sobering guide through the countrys various gaps in research, funding, surveillance and parental education, compiled by earnest advocacy groups on shoestring budgets that arent equipped to fill them alone.

Connie Harvey, the director of the Aquatics Centennial Campaign at the American Red Cross, visited Capitol Hill recently alongside other experts to brief House representatives, she said, to let our leaders know that there is a plan  that this plan exists.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a longtime advocate for drowning prevention, was the only member of Congress to attend.

In the meantime, some local governments have adopted their own interventions. This summer, Seattle is piloting a new initiative based on the nonprofit No More Under, which connects hundreds of low-income and foster children with swim lessons. Broward County, Florida, which has some of the highest drowning rates in the state, is offering free vouchers. And Santa Ana plans to pull more than $800,000 from its Cannabis Public Benefit Fund this year to bring its aquatics program back in-house.

The city, with a population that is nearly 80% Hispanic nestled between wealthier Orange County suburbs, has historically epitomized racial and economic health disparities. One of its public pools is 63 years old. But its Parks and Recreation Department recently hired an aquatics supervisor and 36 new lifeguards  several of whom the supervisor needed to first teach to swim.

Under the new Santa Ana program, Salcedo, a server, and her husband, a post office employee, who live in a three-generation household, secured scholarships that brought the cost of swim lessons down to $15 per child every two weeks. They plan to attend all summer.

Ezra, who is 3, cried on the first day of lessons. Now he shares facts about hammerheads between strokes during the Baby Shark singalong. Ian, the 1-year-old, has not yet mastered walking on land. Still, he paddled after an orange rubber duck, with his mother  now a proficient swimmer  keeping him afloat.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he had 'mixed feelings' about bowing out of politics (Remko de Waal)

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Monday he was leaving politics after nearly 13 years in charge, in a shock end to his time as the longest-serving leader in the history of the Netherlands.

Nicknamed "Teflon Mark" for surviving scandals that hit his four governments, the centre-right leader said he would bow out after elections triggered by the collapse of his coalition in a row over asylum policy.

The European Union's second longest-serving leader after Hungary's Viktor Orban was widely expected to seek a fifth term in the elections this autumn, but stunned MPs with his surprise announcement.

"I feel ok, but of course it is a significant moment for me personally," Rutte, 56, told AFP after leaving parliament.

The bike-riding, frugal-living premier had steered the Netherlands through economic upheaval and the Covid pandemic since 2010, relying on a "Mr Normal" image to appeal to voters.

He was also a European stalwart, who infuriated some southern countries with his hard line on bailouts but won support for his backing of Ukraine.

- 'Pass the baton' -

The four-party coalition government collapsed on Friday over Rutte's plans to cut numbers of family members from war zones who are allowed to reunite with asylum-seekers in the Netherlands.

The ChristenUnie -- a Christian Democratic party -- and the centre-left Democracy 66 had strongly opposed Rutte's plan.

Rutte, who passed Ruud Lubbers last August to become the longest-serving Dutch PM, is staying on as caretaker premier until a new government is formed. He is due to mark 13 years in office in October.

"I would like to say something personal. There has been speculation over the past few days about what motivates me. The only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said during a parliamentary debate on the fall of the coalition.

"Yesterday morning, I took the decision that I am no longer suitable to be the new leader of the VVD (his party). When the new government is sworn in after the elections, I will quit politics."

Rutte later told reporters: "This is not entirely without emotion... But it feels good to pass the baton."

Politicians from all sides paid tribute but were already eyeing the post-Rutte era, with a protest party of Dutch farmers in particular hoping to repeat their recent success in senate elections.

The farmers have held months of rowdy rallies against plans to cut livestock numbers and maybe close some farms to meet environmental targets.

- 'Very surprised' -

The Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB)'s leader Caroline van der Plas told AFP she was "very surprised" by Rutte's decision but that it was "very wise".

She said she was "not sure yet" if she wanted to serve as prime minister but the "good news for the Netherlands is that a new policy will be made".

Dutch lawmakers applauded after far-right leader Geert Wilders, Rutte's long-term rival, praised him in parliament, saying: "Your choices were not ours, but you made them with conviction."

Opposition parties scrapped a planned no-confidence motion that would have toppled Rutte as caretaker premier.

Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, who said he was also stepping down as head of the CDA, one of the parties in the fallen coalition, said he had an "incredible amount of respect" for Rutte.

He later tweeted a meme involving the comic character Tintin, saying "What a week huh" with the reply "it's only Monday morning."

There are no obvious successors in Rutte's own party, which announced it would choose a candidate this week ahead of the elections, which are likely to be in mid-November.

Turkish-born Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz and VVD parliamentary group leader Sophie Hermans, a former assistant to Rutte, are among the frontrunners, broadcaster RTL said.

Rutte meanwhile has been tipped for the top jobs at NATO or the European Council.

But he indicated he would continue his work as a part-time teacher instead. "Maybe I'll do that for a few days," he told reporters.

dk-jcp/gw
Dutch PM Rutte says he won't run for fifth term in office

FILE PHOTO: Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg meet ahead of a working dinner for NATO leaders, in The Hague

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will not run for a fifth term in office and will leave politics following the elections in November, he said on Monday.

Rutte on Friday handed in the resignation of his fourth cabinet after failing to reach agreement on stricter immigration policies.

"In recent days there's been a lot of speculation about what motivated me. The only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said in a speech in parliament before a debate on the collapse of the government.

"Yesterday morning I made the decision that I will not again be available as leader of the VVD. Once the new cabinet is formed after the elections, I will leave politics."

Rutte's decision will mark the end of his run as the longest serving government leader in Dutch history. He took over as Prime Minister in October, 2010.

Rutte, 56, will stay on as leader of a caretaker government until a new administration is formed after the next elections, a process which in the fractured Dutch political landscape usually takes months.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Toby Chopra and Ed Osmond)
FILE - Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks during a press conference at the Serbia Palace, in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 3, 2023. Rutte, the Netherlands longest serving premier, said Monday, July 10, 2023, he will leave politics after a general election sparked by his governments resignation. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Netherlands longest serving premier, said Monday he will leave politics after an early general election sparked by a dispute over migration that led to his governments resignation.

His decision means the end of nearly 13 years in power for the conservative leader sometimes called " Teflon Mark " because scandals that plagued his four different administrations did not stick to him.

Rutte, the 56-year-old leader of the Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, announced his decision at a hastily arranged parliamentary debate to discuss the fall of his latest governing coalition.

Yesterday morning I made a decision that I will not be available again as a leader of the VVD. When a new Cabinet takes office after the elections, I will leave politics, he said.

Rutte called it a personal decision, regardless of the developments in recent weeks. There was no immediate indication who might replace Rutte as leader of the VVD. The partys parliamentary faction is led by Sophie Hermans, Ruttes former political assistant.

No date has yet been set for the election, but it is not expected before October or November. That means that Rutte will likely remain in office as caretaker prime minister for months. He is expected to attend a NATO summit that starts Tuesday in Lithuania.

In the 27-nation European Union, only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been in charge of a country longer than Rutte, but their leadership styles could not be more different.

Orban, in power for a full 13 years and counting, has turned Hungary into his vision of an illiberal democracyand increasingly smothered all dissent, while Rutte navigated a Western democratic system at its most eclectic and exuberant.

But the Dutch prime minister's four-party ruling coalition resigned Friday after failing to agree on a package of measures to rein in migration, an issue that often has divided the EU as a whole. Rutte said it was a unanimous decision prompted by irreconcilable differences among the partner parties.

Supporters and opponents alike called it the end of an era.

With uncanny political savvy, Rutte at times managed to twist the arms of not just his coalition partners but also opposition lawmakers to pass new policies and remain in charge of governments that provided enough glue to hold together his politically fractured nation of nearly 18 million.

In the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Dutch parliament, no fewer than 20 parties are represented. To some extent, the diverse lineup reflects the European trend of the political center losing ground to voices on the far left and particularly the far right.

Rutte steered the Netherlands through crises ranging from the coronavirus pandemic and flooding to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Even his political opponents praised his handling of the aftermath of the plane's downing by pro-Russia rebels. About 200 Dutch citizens died.

Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, whose son Bryce and the son's girlfriend, Daisy Oehlers, were among the 298 passengers and crew members killed, said she and other bereaved families regularly met with Rutte to discuss efforts to establish the truth about what brought down the plane and to bring to justice those responsible.

He attended many gatherings (of) relatives and has always been very compassionate and supportive. He always took the time, Fredriksz-Hoogzand told The Associated Press.

I personally regret that he steps back, but given the circumstances, I understand. But for (the) MH17 case, it is a loss in my opinion, she added.

Rutte, who often cycles around The Hague to get to and from meetings, also became known for seeking forgiveness for past Dutch government policies.

When a parliamentary commission said that governments, several of which Rutte led, had put energy profits before the safety of people in northern Groningen province, where earthquakes from gas extraction destroyed homes and the lives of families, he apologized.

We stand here cap in hand, he said earlier this year.

Two years ago, his third government also resigned to take responsibility for a scandal involving investigations into child welfare payments that wrongly labeled thousands of parents as fraudsters, again hurting hundreds of innocent families. He pledged his government would continue working to compensate affected parents as quickly as possible.

We are of one mind that if the whole system has failed, we all must take responsibility, Rutte said.

Rutte's party nevertheless won the ensuing election, and he formed his fourth government with the same four parties that made up the coalition that collapsed last week. This time, though, the political rot set in early, and after 1 years, he was not only unable to hold together his coalition, he was accused by some of setting up its fall with demands that at least one party could not accept.

Despite the many scandals that tarnished his governments, Rutte remained popular among voters. His departure throws the election wide open and could open the door for a shift to the political left or further to the right.

Such was Ruttes acumen to reconcile political fire and ice that he was mentioned over the years as someone to lead both the European Union and NATO. He has not pursued either post, yet.

Jesse Klaver, leader of the opposition Green Left party, said Rutte's stated exit from politics marked a historic day but that his departure was unavoidable as the prime minister's fourth and final coalition crumbled in acrimony.

Caroline van der Plas, leader of the Farmer Citizen Movement, a populist party that was the shock winner of provincial elections this year, was not ready Monday to declare herself a candidate to replace Rutte.

At some point in the campaign, I will make it clear whether or not I will be running for prime minister, she said.

___

Casert reported from Brussels.

___

Follow AP's coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
FILE PHOTO: Man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment in Khartoum North

By Dawit Endeshaw

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An eastern African bloc called on Monday for a regional summit to consider deploying troops into Sudan to protect civilians, after nearly three months of violence between the army and a paramilitary faction.

Fighting that erupted on April 15 in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, has spread to other parts of the country and driven more than 2.9 million people from their homes.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), made up of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to kick-start a peace process for the conflict in Sudan.

But the initiative faced a setback as a delegation from Sudan's army failed to attend the first day of meetings, having rejected Kenya's president as head of the committee facilitating the talks.

IGAD said in a statement it had agreed to request a summit of another regional body, the 10-member Eastern Africa Standby Force, "to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access".

Sudan is a member of both bodies, as are Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

Diplomatic efforts to halt fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have so far proved ineffective, with competing initiatives creating confusion over how the warring parties might be brought to negotiate.

IGAD said it regretted the absence of a delegation from the Sudan army, which it said had earlier confirmed attendance.

Sudan's foreign affairs ministry, which is controlled by the army, said the delegation did not turn up because IGAD had ignored its request to replace Kenya's President William Ruto as head of the committee spearheading the talks.

Ruto "lacks impartiality in the ongoing crisis," the ministry said through the state news agency. Last month it accused Kenya of harbouring the RSF.

Neither Ruto's office nor the Kenyan ministry of foreign affairs responded immediately when Reuters sought comment. The Kenyan government said last month the president was a neutral arbiter who was duly appointed by the IGAD summit.

Following the meeting, Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone  spanning a radius of 30 kilometres in Khartoum  to aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Talks hosted in Jeddah and sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia were suspended last month. Egypt has said it would host a separate summit of Sudan's neighbours on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict.

Unlike the talks in Jeddah, the meeting in Addis Ababa was attended by members of a civilian coalition that shared power with the military in Sudan before a coup in 2021.

IGAD said that along with the African Union, it would immediately start a "civilian engagement process" aimed at delivering peace.

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw and Hereward Holland; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Peter Graff)
Heres some background information about the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Facts

Almost seven million people visit the Eiffel Tower annually.

About 300 million visitors have been to the tower since its opening.

Designer Gustave Eiffel had a small apartment cloistered away in the upper reaches of the tower. In 2016, a second (temporary) apartment was built inside the tower by vacation rental company, HomeAway. The firm held a contest, selecting four winners to spend one night each in the apartment, with up to five guests.

The names of 72 French scientists are listed on the four sides of the tower.

The premises are under video surveillance.

Security checks are performed prior to entry and visitors are required to disclose the contents of their bags.

There is a police station located at the foot of the south pillar.

Timeline

Construction: 1887-1889 (2 years, 2 months and 5 days).

1889 - The tower opens during the Universal Exposition, a fair celebrating the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It is the tallest structure in the world until 1930, when the Chrysler Building opens in New York.

1981-1982 - Two phases of renovations are completed, with new facilities including a conference room, post office and screening room.

1985 - An illumination system called Golden Lighting is unveiled, with 336 projectors and yellow-orange lamps.

December 31, 1999 - A sparkling light show debuts to mark the new millennium. The lights glimmer nightly for five minutes every hour on the hour until 1 a.m. Originally planned as a temporary display, the light show becomes a permanent fixture by popular demand.

October 2014 - A glass walkway opens with views of the street 187 feet below.

September 20, 2015 - Security officers spot three people climbing the tower. The climbers escape before police arrive and the tower opens after being inspected by an emergency response unit.

November 2015 - The tower is closed for two days following the terror attacks in Paris. When it reopens, it is lit up with the colors of the French flag.

January 13, 2017 - Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announces a 300 million euro ($318 million) renovation of the tower that will take 15 years to complete and will include increasing security and reducing waiting times for visitors.

February 9, 2017 - It is announced that two glass walls will be erected around the base of the Eiffel Tower. These walls will provide increased security and be more visually appealing than the current metal fencing.

September 18, 2017 - Construction begins on the three meters high glass fence around the North-South viewpoint of the tower. The glass is 65 millimeters thick, resistant to bullets and extra clear.

June 20, 2018 - The towers official website announces that the new glass wall is ready to be unveiled.

May 20, 2019 - The tower is closed and evacuated after a man is spotted climbing up the side. The situation lasts just over seven hours before the climbers capture.

May 21, 2019 - Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announces a plan to transform the passage connecting Trocadero Square to the tower into a green corridor for pedestrians by 2024. It will be the largest public green space in the city.

March 13, 2020 - The tower closes to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

June 25, 2020 - The tower reopens with pandemic restrictions.

October 30, 2020 - The tower closes to the public due to a surge of Covid-19 cases.

July 16, 2021 - The tower reopens after more than eight months with new pandemic restrictions. This is the landmarks longest closure since World War II.

Construction

Original designers: Gustave Eiffel, Maurice Koechlin, Emile Nouguier, Stephen Sauvestre.

50 engineers and designers produced 5,300 workshop designs.

The tower was constructed with some 18,038 individual metallic pieces.

Characteristics

Height: 330 meters (1,083 feet)

Metal framework weight: 7,300 tons of iron

Total weight: 10,100 tons

The Tower is repainted every seven years, with 60 metric tons of paint.

There are 1,665 steps to the top of the tower.

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Journalists aren't always consistent fans of liberty; over a century ago, The New York Times editorialized against self-defense rightsa tradition it continues today. Still, in the past when there was more ideological variety among elite media than now (a flaw alternative outlets seek to address), reporters from all sorts of publications generally favored free speech, opposed broad surveillance, and supported restrictions on search and seizure. If nothing else, they knew they were high on the list of targets for abusive officials. But that was then; now, elite media love Big Brother.

On Independence Day, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty issued a powerful First Amendment decision in an ongoing case brought by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana. "If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States' history" he said of government pressure on social media companies to suppress speech at odds with official messaging. The judge barred further arm-twisting, though with significant exceptions. It was a clear win for free speech, which you would expect to be applauded by people who make their living from speaking and writing. That's not what happened.

Free-Speech Practitioners Who Don't Like Free Speech

"The Donald Trump-appointed judge's move could undo years of efforts to enhance coordination between the government and social media companies," The Washington Post huffed in its report.

The "ruling that could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues," agreed The New York Times. Apparently, government officials are entitled to decide what constitutes truth and falsehood.

On July 5, Reason's Matt Welch appeared on a CNN panel discussion of the case to take the minority view (among the participants) that it's actually bad when governments muzzle views they don't like.

"We have a legal category of journalists for more speech regulation. It's just bizarre to me," he said.

Journalists for more speech regulation are eyeing podcasts, too, through which "misinformation about everything from election fraud to Covid-19 vaccines is reaching millions of Americans," according to Agence France-Presse. The problem is that "anybody can be a podcaster, anybody can get a microphone and start talking about whatever they want" we're warned in a piece that again assumes accusations of "misinformation" are the same as proof.

What's a Little Snooping Among Friends?

It's not just speech, either. On July 3, The New York Times weighed in on the continuing debate over domestic surveillance conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Gray Lady's take on legal snooping provisions specifically called out as dangerous by whistleblower Edward Snowden is that (did you see this coming?) they're in peril from overwrought lawmakers.

"An intensive drive by right-wing Republicans in Congress to vilify the F.B.I. with charges of political bias has imperiled a program allowing spy agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance on foreign targets, sapping support for a premier intelligence tool and amplifying demands for stricter limits," wrote the Times's Karoun Demirjian.

The report went on to allow that many Democrats also oppose Section 702 and spying that often ensnares Americans. But the piece's overall framing is of necessary legislation freshly at-risk from "a new generation of Republicans less protective of Washington's post-9/11 counterterrorism powers."

We should have anticipated this moment. In 2013, even as the paper's own reporters helped publicize Snowden's revelations about the surveillance state, The Washington Post editorial board sniffed that "the first U.S. priority should be to prevent Mr. Snowden from leaking information that harms efforts to fight terrorism and conduct legitimate intelligence operations." All of this journalism is fine and dandy, they suggested, but it's inconvenient for the nice people in government office.

In fact, that's probably a fair assessment of the attitude of name-brand journalists towards their friends who wield coercive powerand they are friends, if not more.

The Blurry Line Between Government and Elite Media

"The flow of faces and names between government and 'news' media has turned what was supposed to be a watchdog over the destructive power of the state into little more than a forum for political marketing and an extended battleground for factional fighting," I noted in 2019. In particular, Politico media writer Jack Shafer observed in 2018, TV news networks are heavily leavened with former (and often future) security state apparatchiks. "Almost to a one, the TV spooks still identify with their former employers at the CIA, FBI, DEA, DHS, or other security agencies and remain protective of their institutions" Shafer wrote. "This makes nearly every word that comes out of their mouths suspect."

Many elite journalists can get quotes from politicians across the breakfast table. CNN's Christiane Amanpour married former Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell married former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and Joe Scarborough (formerly a congressman) married co-host Mika Brezezinski (daughter of a former national security advisor). The Washington Post's Matea Gold is married to FBI chief of staff Jonathan Lenzner. "What to make of all the family ties between the news media and the Obama administration?" The Washington Post's Paul Farhi asked a decade ago in a query that could be posed continuously about government and media in general.

Prominent journalists and government officials often meet not on the job, but in the college dorm. "Forty-one percent of senior- or mid-level Biden White House staffers  or 82 people out of 201 aides analyzed  have Ivy League degrees," Politico reported in 2012. That expands on dominance by elite colleges dating back at least to JFK. And many faces those Ivy League grads saw in the White House press room were familiar. "Almost half of the people who reach the pinnacle of the journalism profession attended an elite school," found a 2018 paper in the Journal of Expertise focused on The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. "Roughly 20% attended an Ivy League school."

To a great extent, interactions between prominent reporters and powerful officials are like private parties that never end. These people know each other, drink with each other, share attitudes, marry, and trust each other. Elite journalists have few doubts about the wisdom of their friends, for whom they do glorified public relations, to censor, spy, and coerce. About the rest of us Who are we, anyway? Better to be safe and encourage the folks they know to keep a cap on the unseemly mob.

If You Want News, Look Elsewhere

Let's emphasize that "elite journalists" doesn't mean the folks struggling to keep your local paper alive, or determined bloggers covering official malfeasance, or reporters at alternative outlets competing with brand-name operations. They represent a range of views, oftenstrained relationships with the powerful, and are as vulnerable as you or I to the civil liberties violations championed by legacy media outlets.

But prominent journalists have become cheerleaders for Big Brother because they like and trust his minions more than they care about you and me. If you want support for freedom instead of authoritarianism, or even just skepticism about unrestrained government, look to reporters who aren't so enmeshed with those who wield power.

The post Elite Journalists Love Big Brother appeared first on Reason.com.
The disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes arriving at a women's prison camp in Bryan, Texas, on May 30. Michael Wyke/Associated Press

The Bureau of Prisons has changed Elizabeth Holmes' listed release date to December 29, 2032.

The Theranos founder reported to prison on May 30 and is now set to serve 9  years of her sentence.

Holmes was convicted of fraud and conspiracy last year and sentenced to 11  years in prison.

The disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is scheduled to be released from prison on December 29, 2032, after she serves roughly 9  years, according to recently updated Bureau of Prisons records.

Holmes, whose infamous blood-testing startup collapsed in 2018, was convicted last year of fraud and conspiracy related to false claims she made to investors about the effectiveness of blood-testing technology. Holmes pitched Theranos to investors as a revolutionary company that could run hundreds of medical tests based on just a drop of blood. In reality, the technology was incapable of doing that.

Holmes was originally sentenced to 11  years in prison and reported to a minimum-security women's prison in Bryan, Texas, on May 30. The listed release date says Holmes is set to spend nine years, six months, and 29 days in prison.

Release-date calculations are often tricky because of federal law and prison policies. The calculations factor in things like surrender date, jail-time credit, the completion of substance-abuse programs, and credit for good behavior. The Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Holmes' release date was calculated.

Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, Holmes' ex-boyfriend who was second-in-command at Theranos, received a similar reduction to his sentence. Balwani was originally sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison, but his sentence was cut down by roughly two years, and he is now set to serve 11 years, according to his projected-release date.

Holmes and Balwani were also ordered to pay more than $452 million in restitution as part of their sentences. But last month, Holmes' lawyers objected to the restitution-payment plan and said she would be unable to pay the $250 a month following her release from prison.

Holmes had also unsuccessfully fought to have her sentence postponed because of her young children. Holmes' first child was born in July 2021 while she awaited trial, and she gave birth to her second child earlier this year, just months before she reported to prison.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Venezuelan migrant sleeps in Chamizal Park in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times)

Migrant shelters with plenty of empty beds. Soup kitchens with food to spare. Soldiers patrolling intersections where migrant families once begged for spare change.

In Ciudad Juarez and in other Mexican cities along the border, the story is much the same: Instead of surging as elected officials and immigration advocates had warned, the number of migrants trying to enter the United States has plummeted following the expiration in May of a pandemic-era border restriction.

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The unusual scenes of relative calm flow from a flurry of actions the Biden administration has taken, such as imposing stiffer penalties for illegal border crossings, to try to reverse an enormous jump in migrants trying to reach the United States.

But it is also the result of tough steps Mexico has taken to discourage migrants from massing along the border, including transporting them to places deep in the countrys interior.

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Mexicos strategy reflects the countrys emergence as an enforcer of U.S. migration policies, acting often in tandem while also taking its own steps to control the border, as its northern cities have struggled to house and feed large numbers of migrants. The harsh conditions attracted a global spotlight following a devastating fire in March at a Juarez migrant detention center that left dozens dead.

Underscoring the easing of pressure on border cities, Mexican migration authorities in Juarez recently dismantled a tent encampment set up after the deadly fire. The site, which opened with 240 people in May, had only 80 people this month after many migrants scheduled appointments with U.S. border officials at ports of entries through a mobile app created this year.

Cristina Coronado, who operates a soup kitchen for migrants in the Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Juarez, said shelters in the city were semi-empty after migrants were able to get appointments across the border or were taken by Mexican authorities to other parts of the country.

Still, Coronado and other migrant advocates warned that the lull may be short-lived as hundreds of migrants, largely from Venezuela, Haiti and Central America, continue streaming into southern Mexico on a daily basis from Guatemala with the goal of traveling north.

As long as the conditions in the countries of origin dont change, as long as people continue to leave, there is going to come a point where we are going to see the borders saturated again, said Alejandra Macias Delgadillo, director of Asylum Access Mexico, a nonprofit helping asylum-seekers.

How long the combination of U.S. and Mexican policies will keep crossings down remains to be seen, she added, but one thing is clear: I dont think its going to be permanent.

For now, U.S. authorities have registered a sharp drop in arrests of migrants for unlawful border crossings since the public health measure known as Title 42, which barred most people without legal status from entering the country, ended.

By the end of June, migrant apprehensions had begun to creep up along some parts of the border, but were still considerably lower than in the spring. On June 29, Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector, historically one of the busiest, encountered 654 people trying to enter the United States unlawfully, down from nearly 2,000 a day in early May.

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The measures rolled out recently by the Biden administration include stiffer penalties, such as a five-year-ban on entering the United States for migrants repeatedly caught trying to enter illegally, and improvements to the app designed to streamline asylum requests.

But Mexicos government, which had already agreed to accept non-Mexican migrants deported from the United States before the pandemic-era restriction expired, has also taken steps contributing to fewer border crossings.

Beside busing and flying migrants away from northern Mexico to other parts of the country, including Chiapas, the countrys southernmost state, the government has introduced bureaucratic hurdles for migrants trying to make it to the U.S. border.

In the city of Tapachula, on Mexicos southern border with Guatemala, migration offices that had been set up to provide temporary permits allowing people to travel north closed.

Mexicos government imposed a nationwide mandate to stop issuing any documentation allowing migrants and refugees to stay in Mexico. Even permits based on humanitarian reasons were prohibited and replaced with expulsion orders giving migrants days to leave the country.

Officials soon reversed or softened these measures, but migrant groups say their effect has been clear.

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I think the logic is to tire them out, said Eunice Rendon, coordinator of Agenda Migrante, a coalition of migrant advocacy groups. Let them get discouraged and go back.

Juarez, which has been a main starting point to reach the United States, is now patrolled by hundreds of Mexican soldiers, ostensibly to crack down on crime, but it also bolsters attempts to assert order after a chaotic episode this year when hundreds of migrants tried forcing their way across the border over a bridge leading to El Paso, Texas.

The large concentration of soldiers has created a clear disincentive for migrants, said Tonatiuh Guillen, a former head of Mexicos migration agency.

No options in Mexico, thats the message, Guillen said, emphasizing how the soldiers created a threatening environment for migrants.

Migrants who now find themselves deep in Mexicos interior, stymied by all the different obstacles, are grasping for options. In Mexico City, the capital, small clusters of migrants sleep on streets surrounding a plaza in the central part of the city.

Michael Fernando Poveda, 26, who said he left Ecuador to escape rising violence and a lack of work, sleeps in a tent left behind by a Haitian migrant who had planned to cross into the United States. Citing the new challenges of making it across the border, Poveda said, You dont know if youre going to cross or if youre going to stay or if youre going to be deported.

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Despite the challenges many migrants in Mexico face, the countrys president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has tried to reframe the narrative, telling reporters recently that Mexico was leading by example' by adopting humanitarian policies.

But political expediency may also be part of the equation, analysts say. Mexicos more stringent approach benefits the Biden administrations efforts to improve border control heading into next years presidential election in the United States.

At the same time, according to critics of Mexicos president such as Jorge Castaneda, a former foreign minister, the strategy insulates Lopez Obrador from explicit questioning from Washington for domestic moves that civil liberty groups regard as anti-democratic, such as trying to hobble the nations election agency.

A spokesperson for Mexicos National Migration Institute said officials were unavailable to comment.

More migrants who had been streaming into northern Mexican cities are finding it easier to start the asylum process because of the improvements to the app known as CBP One. On June 30, Homeland Security announced the expansion of appointments through the app to 1,450 per day, a nearly 50% increase from May 12, the day Title 42 was lifted.

In Tijuana, Mexico, Enrique Lucero, manager of the citys migration office, said migrants in shelters and hotels are using the app rather than trying to climb over the double-layered steel wall that separates the city from San Diego.

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People are getting appointments faster than before because more are available, he said.

The situation in Tijuana, Lucero added, was completely calm and there was plenty of space for migrants in shelters.

In mid-June, 1,603 migrants were in U.S. Border Patrol custody in the El Paso sector, according to internal data obtained by The New York Times, compared with 5,000 to 6,000 daily before the end of Title 42.

But the factors that have caused millions of migrants to leave their homes across Latin America bound for the United States, including violence and economic hardships, have not eased.

Diego Pina Lopez, associate director of Casa Alitas, a shelter network in Tucson, Arizona, said shelters there were receiving large numbers of Mexican asylum-seekers. Many had been displaced by violence gripping states such as Michoacan and Guerrero, where drug cartels have taken control of villages and towns.

In fact, along the Arizona border, illegal crossings have been rising. Border agents in the Tucson sector made 7,010 apprehensions the week that ended June 30, compared with 4,290 the week that ended June 2.

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Much farther south, the number of migrants traveling through the Darien Gap, a brutal jungle crossing linking Central and South America, has soared this year, to more than 200,000 through July 5, compared with fewer than 50,000 migrants during the same period last year, according to Panamas government.

Maureen Meyers, a vice president at the Washington Office on Latin America, who visited the Guatemala-Mexico border in mid-June, said it was too early to tell if there will be a long-term decrease in migration flows.

She said her team had observed Mexican immigration officials busing Guatemalans and other migrants back to Guatemala, while transporting others elsewhere in Mexico.

There is lots of movement of people, and no one has a clear sense of what is going on, she said.

While major border cities such as Juarez and Tijuana are relatively calm, pressure points persist. In Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, where shelter is scarce, migrants remain in an open-air encampment.

Matamoros is not prepared for this, said Glady Canas, who heads a nonprofit assisting migrants in the camp. We dont have the resources to help them.

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The swell of enthusiasm around the new app Threads seems to be too much for Elon Musk.

The CEO of Twitter has been lashing out at fellow tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg since the release of Metas micro-blogging app last Tuesday, but he truly aimed below the belt when he challenged his rival to a literal dick-measuring contest on Sunday night.

Musks proposition followed a crass jab he tweeted hours earlier, Zuck is a cuck  short for cuckold, which has become a go-to insult for the right-wing set.

Twitter owner Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference in Paris on June 16.

Twitter owner Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference in Paris on June 16.

The embattled tech CEO has already threatened to sue Meta over Threads, which TechCrunch reports hit 100 million users by Monday morning, just five days after its launch.

Twitter currently has around 250 million active users, but data from internet services company Cloudflare seems to show traffic has been steadily declining since the start of 2023, following Musks purchase of the app for $44 billion last fall.

Musks feud with Zuckerberg took a decidedly personal turn last month after he challenged the Facebook founder to a cage match. In a surprising twist, the usually mild Zuckerberg tweeted back at Musk, writing, Send me location.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the Paley Center in New York on Oct. 25, 2019.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the Paley Center in New York on Oct. 25, 2019.

Zuckerberg has pitched Threads as a more welcoming alternative to Twitter and its quarrelsome culture.

The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands, he wrote on Threads last week. I think its possible and will ultimately be the key to its success. Thats one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.

Related...
Maria Lourdes Ortiz, the mother of Alexander Bello-Ortiz, speaks to the media with her husband and Alex's stepfather, Harold Dolph, and attorney John Phillips, Monday, March 27, 2023, during a press conference in front of the Daytona Beach Police Department.

The Daytona Beach Police Department has again reviewed the 2020 fatal shooting of an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student and reached the same conclusion as before: Alexander Bello-Ortizs death was a suicide.

Bello-Ortizs family had asked police last year to reopen the case. The family also filed a federal lawsuit last year against Bello-Ortizs roommate, ERAU student John Burlein, accusing him of killing Bello-Ortiz and covering up the crime with the help of his father, Joseph Burlein.

But the police department told The News-Journal that it had completed the review of the case, including new evidence provided by the family, and still classified the death as a suicide: Bello-Ortiz shot himself.

We have closed this case. The cause of death was ruled a suicide by the medical examiners office and our investigation supports those findings, wrote Daytona Beach Police Sgt. Tim Ehrenkaufer in an email.

And in a recorded phone call provided by police, John Burlein denies killing Bello-Ortiz while speaking with ERAU student Henry Lax.

What happened to Alexander Bello-Ortiz?

Bello-Ortiz, 22, was found with a gunshot wound to the head on Sept. 6, 2020, in his bedroom at 941 Vernon St., according to a police report. A rifle was found on the floor nearby and a single .22-caliber shell casing was found about 4 feet from a pool of blood, a police report stated.

Bello-Ortiz was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach where he died.

Ortiz was an Eagle Scout who studied electrical engineering and planned to work as an engineer for NASA, the lawsuit stated.

Alexander Bello-Ortiz

Police reopen case into student's death: Daytona Beach Police reopen 2020 case of ERAU student's suicide

Both Bello-Ortiz and John Burlein were members of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Bello-Ortizs mother, Maria Lourdes Ortiz, and stepfather, Harold William Dolph, filed a federal lawsuit last year in Orlando against John Burlein and his father, Joseph Burlein.

Attorney Richard W. Smith of Nejame Law in Orlando represents the Burleins and did not respond to The News-Journal's attempts to contact him.

Terence Lenamon and Daniel Schwarz represent Ortiz and Dolph; they did not return emails from The News-Journal.

Ortiz did not return a text from The News-Journal seeking comment.

John Burlein did not respond to a text from The News-Journal.

Ortiz was originally represented by Kendall Coffey and then by Attorney John Phillips of Jacksonville. Phillips represented Ortiz when the family and supporters held a press conference in front of the Daytona Beach Police Department in March to call attention to the case.

The lawsuit also named Lax, Gregory Lynn Trax, Brenden Tyler Rubio and Robert Kramer as defendants. But all defendants except the Burleins have since been dismissed from the lawsuit. Kramer was an ERAU student and a roommate of Ortiz and John Burlein. Trax and Rubio were acquaintances of John Burlein, the lawsuit stated.

Bello-Ortiz and John Burlein were the only two people in the house at the time of the shooting, the lawsuit states.

Mother demands investigation: Mother says son, an ERAU student, was killed and police have not arrested suspect

Instead of calling 911 for medical help, John Burlein first called his father, Joseph Burlein, a retired Air Force captain, according to the lawsuit. John Burlein waited more than five minutes before calling 911 to "falsely report" that Ortiz had "collapsed," the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Ring cameras recorded the following exchange between John Burlein, 22 at the time, and a person believed to be Joseph Burlein on speaker phone.

Did you (expletive) kill him?

I did.

"(Expletive)."

What if hes not dead?

Alex is dead.

Report was inaccurate

Jennifer Owen of Owen Forensic Services LLC examined the audio at the request of Bello-Ortizs family. Owen writes she has served as an expert witness in audio clarification in several states, including Florida, and has developed an ear for such work.

The Owen Forensic report dated Dec. 15, 2022, states it enhanced the audio and includes a transcription, which in one spot states:

Did you (expletive) __?

I did.

"(Expletive)."

What if hes not dead?

Alex is dead.

Another portion of the report includes the word "kill."

"Did you (expletive) kill him?"

"I did."

"(Expletive)."

"I didn't do __.""What if he's not dead?"

"Alex is dead."

But in a phone call with The News-Journal Friday, Owen said those quotes were from a preliminary report that never should have been released. She said the preliminary report was "inaccurate."

Owen said her final report did not contain any of that dialogue.

She declined to say how the transcription got in the preliminary report and said it was a draft report based on notes.

She said she no longer works for the Ortiz family.

No new evidence found

The police department requested in January 2023 that the FDLE review the recordings enhanced by Owen Forensic. Orange County Sheriffs Office Detective Peter Hernandez, a member of an FDLE task force who is assigned to such duties, performed the review.

Hernandez wrote that no new additional evidence was found.

While listening to the enhanced audio I was not able to recognize what was being said. Even when reading the provided text as the audio played, I still found it difficult to interpret what was being said to what was transcribed. I also had other members of FDLE listen to the enhanced audio. They were unable to distinguish the sounds they were hearing or interpret it as speech, Hernandez wrote.

Hernandez reviewed audios of the case in August 2022 when he wrote he was unable to find anything.

Although what is being heard sounds like a conversation, the isolation and enhancement of it did not make it clearly intelligible, the lab report states.

No mention of gun on 911 call

The police department also provided a recording of the 911 call made by a calm and unemotional John Burlein.

My roommate just collapsed. His bleeding from one ear and his nose, John Burlein tells the dispatcher.

Burlein said Bello-Ortiz was breathing very shallow.

Burlein said Bello-Ortiz was cleaning before he became unconscious. The dispatcher asked if Bello-Ortiz was using any chemicals, like bleach. Burlein said no.

Burlein tried to determine if Bello-Ortiz was breathing. He at first said no, but then said yes. A man named Robert arrived and tried to help determine if Bello-Ortiz was breathing.

They decided that Bello-Ortiz was not breathing and said they were starting CPR.

Burlein does not mention during the 911 call anything about a gun or a gunshot.

Neither does Robert, but he said there was a lot of blood.

One of the responding paramedics later notices the gun, a black .22-caliber rifle.

Burlein denies killing Bello-Ortiz

Records included Henry Lax in Burlein's and Bello-Ortiz's group of friends or acquaintances.

In a recorded phone call after the lawsuit was filed, Lax asked Burlein about the rifle.

When you found Alex, you remember like where the gun was, where like, if you saw the gun?" Lax said.

The medics found it, Burlein said.

Burlein said the gun was lying kind of like in the shadow of a dresser.

Lax went to the house later after paramedics responded.

I remember seeing it, but I didnt know if you saw it, Lax said.

I dont really know if I saw it or not when, I dont think I saw it when I walked in, John Burlein said. At least, I definitely didnt recognize it. Its not like I walked in and Oh, thats a gun. I walked in and Oh my roommate is on the floor.

Later, the topic of the gun comes up again.

The EMTs found it when they were working on him when they came in, Burlein said. So, I had already kind of at least known there was a gun there, but it was kind of like, you know, its got to be a coincidence, you know, theres no way he would have done this. That would be silly.

Lax then poses the most important question to John Burlein.

It would make me feel a whole lot better if I could just ask you something that you dont take offense to, Lax said, but, like cause you and him were the only ones there, like did you kill Alex?

John Burlein responds: Ah, no.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Embry-Riddle student wasn't murdered, police say; death ruled a suicide
How do I enroll my child in Pre-K? Heres a how-to guide for Georgia parents

If your child is 4 years old or turning 4 by Sept. 1, this guide is for you.

Get your tissues ready and break out the baby book, because your child is about to embark on their first year of school. Or pre-K, that is.

Of course, before they pick out a first day outfit and you prep your camera, youll need to handle some business first, so lets go all the way to the beginning.

Heres a step-by-step guide to enrolling your child in pre-K in Georgia.

Make sure your child is eligible

To enroll in Pre-K in the Peach State, your child must be a resident of Georgia and at least 4 years of age on Sept. 1 of the school year.

Gather documents

You must provide proof of eligibility, such as age and residency.

Proof of age includes a birth certificate, passport, hospital record of live birth, legal document, or an official document from another country.

Proof of residency includes a current lease, property tax notice, homeowners insurance bill, mortgage statement, current vehicle registration form, any utility bill listing your residence as the service address, a letter from a shelter, or a letter from your employer, if your employer provides housing.

Additional information about eligibility requirements can be found online.

Fill out Application

You will then need to fill out an application. Many programs accept applications online.

If your child is accepted after the initial application process, youll need to formalize your childs enrollment by providing specific information about hearing, vision, dental and nutrition examination certificates as well as immunization records.

If you need to print these forms, they are also available online.

Find a program & apply

Pre-K programs in Georgia are offered by local school systems and child care learning centers. To find one for your child, you can use a search tool online.

If you are enrolling your child in a local school system pre-K, here are some things to remember:

School system pre-K programs require you to be a resident of the school systems district.

They generally accept registration applications between January and mid-March.

These programs may limit how many schools your child may be considered for when you apply to the systems Pre-K program.

If you are enrolling your child in a child care pre-K program, here are some things to remember:

These programs are not part of the local school system.

They have no state limit. Apply to as many centers as you please.

They may offer programs besides the state-funded Georgia Pre-K program, so make sure youre applying to the no-cost program.

These programs do not have county residency requirements.

They generally accept registration applications around the same time as the local school system.

Please note:

Each provider/program may have different application and acceptance criteria. Contact the school system or child care program directly for requirements.

Complete and submit the application before the deadline. Check with each program directly for deadlines.

Unfortunately, applying does not guarantee that your child will be accepted.

Next steps

If your child is accepted and ready to be admitted into the program, you will be notified by mail, email or phone. You will then receive instructions to fully register your child.

If your child isnt selected, they will be placed on a waiting list for when another child drops out or declines.

If you have any questions about enrolling your child in Georgia pre-K programs, contact the Department of Early Care and Learning by calling (404) 656-5957.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday linked his countrys approval of adding Sweden to NATO to Ankaras longtime bid to become a formal member of the European Union (EU).

Speaking to reporters ahead of a major NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Erdogan said Turkey has for over 50 years been kept waiting at the door of the European Union.

First clear the path to the EU in front of Turkey and then we will clear the path in front of Sweden, just as we did for Finland, Erdogan said at the news conference.

Turkey is the only holdout to approving Stockholms accession to NATO after Hungary last week said it would not stand in Swedens way once Turkey approves. All 31 NATO members must ratify a country for inclusion.

President Biden had hoped to win Swedens entry to NATO during this weeks summit. Stockholm first applied more than a year ago along with fellow Nordic nation Finland. Both nations applied shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking concerns about security in Europe.

Finlands accession was held up until March, when Turkey gave final approval to the nations membership.

Erdogan, however, has expressed serious concerns about Swedens position on the Kurdistan Workers Party, a terrorist group in the eyes of the EU, Turkey and the U.S.

On Monday, Erdogan stressed he wanted to see more progress on a trilateral memorandum between Turkey, Finland and Sweden that pledges a commitment to addressing security concerns.

We as Turkey are tired of saying that it is a must to combat terrorist organizations and its extensions without making any distinction among them, Erdogan said.

Its unclear if a deal can be reached without EU membership for Turkey.

Ankara has formally sought inclusion into the EU since 1987, when it applied to the EUs predecessor. Negotiations over the years have stalled amid concerns over human rights and democracy in Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is hosting a meeting Monday with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

At a news conference Monday, Stoltenberg said he supports Turkeys EU ambitions but indicated it should not be linked to Swedens entry to NATO. He said Sweden had met requirements related to its counterterrorism activities and cooperation with Turkey.

Its still possible to have a positive decision on Swedish membership here in Vilnius, Stoltenberg said. We dont have any certainty. We dont have any guarantees. But of course, now we have the momentum of the summit with the leaders here and we will use that momentum to ensure as much progress as possible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Brussels should clear the path for Ankaras accession to the European Union, before his country approves Swedens bid for NATO membership.

Erdogans statement, which surprised diplomats, came on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Swedens membership is on the agenda.

First, lets clear Turkeys way in the European Union, then lets clear the way for Sweden, just as we paved the way for Finland, Erdogan said at a news conference.

Erdogan said it was time to act on Turkeys long-stalled bid to join the EU. Turkey has been waiting at the gate of the European Union for over 50 years now, he said, and almost all NATO member countries are European member countries.

Turkey claims that Sweden allows members of recognized Kurdish terror groups to operate in Sweden, most notably the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It also alleges that the Swedish government has been complicit in far-right anti-Islam protests.

NATO had been aiming to admit Sweden to the alliance before this weeks summit in Vilnius, Lithuania  but Turkey blocked Swedens accession due to long-running disagreements between the two countries.

In June  just a couple of weeks before the scheduled NATO summit  Swedish authorities approved a small Quran-burning demonstration outside a mosque in Stockholm which coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar.

The decision to permit the protest, made in accordance with the right of freedom of speech, angered Ankara further. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan condemned the decision, saying to turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to be complicit in them.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that it is still possible to have a positive decision on Swedish membership at the Vilnius summit, despite Erdogans latest announcement.

We dont have any certainty, we dont have any guarantees, but of course now we have the momentum of the summit with the leaders here and we will use that momentum to ensure as much progress as possible, he said at a press conference in Lithuania.

While Turkey has obstructed Swedens membership bid for months, this is the first time he has made a correlation between Turkeys long-forgotten EU bid and Swedens NATO entry, Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, told CNN.

But the wording was vague, she added. Erdogan said he wanted Brussels to open the door to the EU for Turkey, without specifying what that entails. That could mean anything  from upgrading the free trade agreement to just political statements of support, Aydintasbas said.

Critics of Erdogan said his new demands meant he had drastically shifted the goalposts so close to NATOs stated deadline.

But, for Aydintasbas, he is simply negotiating  and this is how Erdogan negotiates.

Erdogan knows that Vilnius is when he can extract maximum concessions from Western partners.

Before Erdogans latest announcement, an Eastern European diplomat told CNN that he will use the moment to squeeze every drop from this situation and will throw the ball to Sweden  making them hostage of their (own) anti-terrorist laws.

CNNs Luke McGee contributed reporting.

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European Union and New Zealand sign free trade deal that's expected to boost trade by up to 30%

Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell addresses a media conference on the EU-New Zealand free trade agreement at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The EU is New Zealand's third-biggest trade partner. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  The European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30% within a decade.

New Zealand will gain up to 1.8 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.1 billion; 1 billion) in exports to the 27-country bloc every year, a government statement said.

The deal brokered over five years will cut NZ$248 million ($153 million; 140 million) a year in duties, a European Commission statement said.

New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region and this free trade agreement will bring us even closer together. With todays signature, we have taken an important step in making the agreement a reality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Duties will be removed on 91% of New Zealands goods exported to the EU from the start of the agreement, rising to 97% after seven years.

The deal has yet to be ratified by the two sides' parliaments and a start date set.
On eve of NATO meet, Ukrainian troops eye more help amid tough fighting FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian service members check a destroyed Russian a BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in the newly liberated village Storozheve

By Max Hunder and Vitalii Hnidyi

DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) - On the eve of a key NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukrainian soldiers fighting fierce and costly battles called on the alliance to consider Kyiv's demands for eventual accession, saying it may be the only way to end the war with Russia once and for all.

Ukraine's forces have made some headway in their summer counteroffensive, but the gains have been slow and smaller than many had hoped in a sobering reminder of how the conflict in the south and east could drag on.

Povar, a 32-year-old marine infantryman who gave only his callsign and covered most of his face with a camouflaged scarf, said the Russians were well dug in, with complex trench networks and landmines.

He said his unit, part of the 35th marine brigade, had recently captured the village of Makarivka on the southeastern part of Ukraine's 1,200 km (750 miles) frontline, although Povar was recovering from wounds at the time.

"I hope this will be the last war in Ukraine ... that we finally put a full stop to this 300-year-long war," Povar said, referring to Ukraine's long and bloody struggle for independence from Moscow.

"When we have such a miserable neighbour, then we need to join some kind of alliance - join the civilised world - to have serious support and serious partners."

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy concedes that Ukraine will probably not be allowed into NATO while the war with Russia is raging, but he is pushing for accession one day.

Kyiv sees membership as the ultimate deterrent against Russia attacking Ukraine again, after it illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in February last year.

ATTACK HARDER THAN DEFENCE

Soldiers in another brigade that liberated the nearby village of Neskuchne several weeks ago painted a bleak picture of the battlefield, despite gains they had achieved.

Andriy, a 35-year-old serviceman, said he and the rest of his team of some 70 troops had faced well-hidden Russian defensive lines and fields densely mined against both tanks and infantry. He said his unit had suffered unspecified casualties from the mines.

"This is just the way it is. You won't see that on television," he said at a practice shooting range in eastern Ukraine in late June.

Neskuchne was one of several settlements captured by Ukraine in a southward thrust along the Mokri Yaly river starting in June. Another key prong of the counteroffensive is to the northeast around the city of Bakhmut.

"Attack is not defence. It's an entirely different war," said Andriy, who volunteered for the army shortly after Russia's main invasion began in February last year.

Ukraine has launched numerous attacks on Russian positions defending a salient of land north of the Sea of Azov that connects the Russian mainland to the occupied Crimean peninsula - a key strategic target for Ukraine.

Both Andriy and a younger member of the same team with the same first name, described heavy barrages of shelling, rocket artillery and cluster munitions, as well as Russian helicopters used to hit advancing Ukrainian forces.

Andriy said Russia appeared to be adapting its battlefield tactics, after previous, rapid counteroffensives last year in Kharkiv and Kherson regions exposed weakness in Russian defences.

"They learn just like we do," he said.

MORE BULLET WOUNDS

On a recent visit by Reuters reporters to his position near Bakhmut, an exhausted field medic bandaged a gaping crimson hole in the hand of a Ukrainian soldier wounded in fighting less than an hour earlier.

He noted the rising proportion of small arms wounds - accounting for two of three soldiers brought to him from the battlefield that day.

The medic, who introduced himself by his callsign Yoda, said this was because the unit was on the offensive, which also yielded a higher number of casualties overall.

"In general, a week on the offensive would be the same as a month in defence," he said. "In that short time, (the unit) will take as many dead and wounded as one which has been used in defence for that whole month."

The 38-year-old is a field medic for Ukraine's 57th motorised infantry brigade fighting near Bakhmut, the city captured by Russia from Ukraine after a 10-month struggle in which thousands of troops on both sides were killed.

Ukraine has claimed small advances around the city in recent weeks.

Yoda said he had been wounded four times over the course of the war, and that many soldiers were carrying injuries.

He said the unit faced a critical shortage of field medics due to the high casualty rate, as they sometimes had to make five journeys a day to the frontlines and back under shelling and enemy drone fire.

"Yesterday they went to a place where there were enemies. We laid out routes, but the route ... turned out to be dangerous. We took losses there," he recalled.

(Reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by MIke Collett-White and Alex Richardson)
Everything to know about the star-studded film adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon

Murder, money and mystery: Martin Scorsese's next film promises to be an epic retelling of a tragic chapter in the nation's past.

The official trailer for the Oscar-winning director's upcoming thriller "Killers of the Flower Moon" was released July 5.

The film is based on the bestselling 2017 book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by journalist David Grann. The nonfiction title was named one of the top 10 nonfiction books of that year by Time Magazine.

It will sear your soul, Dave Eggers wrote in a 2017 review of the book for the New York Times.

Killers of the Flower Moon has a lot to live up to  but early reports indicate that the film wont disappoint fans of Scorsese or of the source material.

This movie is already generating buzz

At its premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May, Killers of the Flower Moon received an extended standing ovation.

Jacqueline West, the films costume designer, spoke in March about her experience working on the film during a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute. Afterwards, she revealed behind-the-scenes details of the movie to Deadline.

According to West, Leonardo DiCaprio, who stars in Killers of the Flower Moon, told her that the film was a masterpiece.

I was talking to Leo about it. We had lunch before I came here. He said, Jackie, I think we worked on a masterpiece. I thought for Leo to say that, was something, she said. "He doesnt say that lightly. He has been in the business since he was a little boy.

Is Killers of the Flower Moon based on a true story?

Yes, "Killers of the Flower Moon" chronicles the tragedy of the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma.

When lucrative oil deposits were discovered on land owned by the Osage Nation, citizens of the Native American tribe rapidly became some of the wealthiest people in the country at the time.

However, newly moneyed citizens of the Osage quickly began to die under suspicious circumstances. As the death toll grew, J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigations, sent in former Texas Ranger Tom White to investigate the murders.

The vast, deadly conspiracy to kill citizens of the Osage to take over their land, which was uncovered by White, still affects the nation to this day.

Who stars in Killers of the Flower Moon?

"Killers of the Flower Moon" boasts a star-studded cast alongside Oscar-winning director Scorsese.

West also praised the casts performances to Deadline.

The native cast was incredible and the acting, Lily Gladstone is incredible, she said. The images were thrilling. It looks amazing. I watched it all being shot but I havent seen any of it.

The film brings together an ensemble cast that is no stranger to working with each other. De Niro and Scorsese have collaborated on a whopping total of 10 feature films, and DiCaprio starred in six of Scorseses movies before his role in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Here's what you need to know about the film's stars and their characters.

Robert De Niro

Killers of The Flower Moon (Melinda Sue Gordon / Apple TV+)

Robert De Niro stars as unscrupulous businessman William Hale, who has his sights set on the money brought in by the Osage oil deposits.

De Niro and Scorsese have a long history of making successful movies together. Aside from "Killers of the Flower Moon," Scorsese and De Niro collaborated on lauded films including "Taxi Driver" (1976), "Raging Bull" (1980), "Goodfellas" (1990), "Casino" (1995) and "The Irishman" (2019). De Niro won his second Academy Award for his role in "Raging Bull."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Killers of The Flower Moon (Melinda Sue Gordon / Apple TV+)

DiCaprio, who also co-produced the film, plays Hales nephew, Ernest Burkhart, whose loyalties are split between his family and his ambition.

DiCaprio has starred in several other Scorsese films, including "The Departed" (2006), "Shutter Island" (2010) and "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013).

In a 2019 interview with Deadline, the Oscar-winning actor expressed his excitement for "Killers of the Flower Moon" and described the film as "one epic master orchestra" led by Scorsese.

DiCaprio told Deadline in the same interview that De Niro, who he has also previously worked with, is one of his biggest inspirations as an actor.

"There were a lot of great actors I really fell in love with, but if I were to pick two, from different generations, it would be De Niro and James Dean," DiCaprio said.

Lily Gladstone

Killers of The Flower Moon (Melinda Sue Gordon / Apple TV+)

Lily Gladstone takes on the role of Mollie Burkhart, Ernests wife and Osage oil heiress. Mollie is caught in the middle of a deadly struggle over the Osage oil money, and her coveted wealth puts her life in peril.

Gladstone, who is of Blackfeet and Nimiipuu heritage, grew up in Montana on the reservation of the Blackfeet Nation.

In a March interview with Empire, Gladstone pushed back against the notion of "Killers of the Flower Moon" as a traditional "Western."

To Gladstone, the story is better described as a great American tragedy.

With natives and Westerns, we are so dehumanized that it just kind of feels like were part of the landscape  instead of humans that are telling a story, she said.

Jesse Plemons

Killers of The Flower Moon (Apple TV+)

Jesse Plemons portrays Tom White, the former Texas Ranger determined to bring the killers and their cronies to justice.

Plemons won acclaim for his leading role in "The Power of the Dog" (2021), which also starred his wife, actor Kirsten Dunst. He was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for the role.

Plemons also played a supporting role in Scorsese's "The Irishman."

When and where will Killers of the Flower Moon be released?

Killers of the Flower Moon will be available to view in select theaters on October 6 before a general release on October 20.

There are also plans to release the movie for streaming on Apple TV+ at an unspecified later date.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A former federal prosecutor says a tidbit in newly unredacted sections of the Justice Departments warrant to search Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort damages one of the former presidents potential defenses.

On Wednesday, a federal magistrate judge unsealed a slightly less redacted version of the affidavit that ultimately allowed the FBI to search Trumps Florida estate on Aug. 8 last year. One previously redacted sentence about material found at the property read: Multiple documents also contained what appears to be FPOTUSs handwritten notes.

This was an interesting note that has potential implications for Trumps defense, according to former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, who parsed the document in her latest Substack newsletter.

This means Trump wont be able to claim he never saw the documents, Vance wrote. At best he could maintain the notes were written while he was in office. But if he resorts to that argument, he still has to explain how the documents ended up at Mar-a-Lago after they were in his hands.

Though not much new information was unveiled, Vance said, were seeing the depth in the governments case and learning more about its strength.

Perhaps most importantly, the release of these interesting pieces of information underscores just how much more there is that we dont know, she wrote.

The affidavit was originally submitted under seal in court last year when investigators sought permission to search Mar-a-Lago to find and retrieve classified documents they believed were improperly taken and stored there.

Other portions had already been unsealed by Judge Bruce Reinhart in response to media requests following the search. Trump was indicted last month on 37 felony counts related to his handling of classified material.

Related...
Former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) said the emergence of Casey DeSantis on the campaign trail on behalf of her husband, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, could actually backfire.

For many, shes the brighter side to Floridas angry governor. To others, shes become Americas Karen, Jolly said Sunday on MSNBC.

He called her a more effective messenger than her husband as he battles for the GOP presidential nomination.

The problem is the message itself.

If all shes doing is amplifying the wrong message, shes actually clarifying Ron DeSantis weaknesses, he said, pointing specifically to DeSantis attempts to terrify voters with his culture war rhetoric.

It doesnt matter if its presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrines a losing one, he said. Were gonna learn that the more Casey DeSantis gets out there.

See more of the conversation below:
A memorial for a 9-year-old boy sits in an alley behind the 2800 block of Elder Lane in Franklin Park on July 10, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Among the toys and outfits Ulysses Campos father had bought for the 9-year-olds quickly approaching birthday and hidden away was one shining gem: a PlayStation 5 video game console.

The dad was eager to give the gift to his son, the boys cousin said.

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He knew he was going to love it, she added.

But the father will never get to see his son open that box.

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Campos was shot and killed Saturday while playing at his grandmothers 70th birthday party in Franklin Park.

As Karina Cazares, 26, remembered her cousin on Monday, she told the Tribune he had a husky little voice.

We always knew it was him, Cazares said. We knew it was Uly.

She described the slain child as goofy, fun and loving.

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Very charismatic, very energetic, Cazares said. He always had a song or dance that he was doing. He made people laugh.

Campos had been playing near an alley when gunshots broke out from a moving car late Saturday night. The bullets flew around a group of other kids, Cazares said.

Police said Sunday a person of interest was in custody and the car that authorities suspect was used in the shooting had been located nearby.

A GoFundMe that Cazares set up to help the family pay for memorial services had raised just under $20,000 in one day as of Monday night. The outpouring of support surprised the mourning family, she said.

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The shooting had come as a shock to the family as they celebrated their matriarch, she added. They had family gatherings before at the Elder Lane house near Grant Avenue with no issues. But the attack, which Cazares described as completely random and not targeted, left the family terrified and shocked, she said.

The innocent kid who the family can now only dearly miss was a kindhearted jokester, Cazares said. She can feel a void in her family, she added.

If you needed, hed help you out, whether it was setting the table or bringing the groceries in, Cazares said. He had his whole life ahead of him. Everything, she said.
HAMPTON  A former Massachusetts police officer is facing felony charges alleging he raped a woman in Hampton last year.

Dylan Bryant, 29, of Gardner, Massachusetts, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault in Rockingham County Superior Court. The indictments allege the crime took place in Hampton between May 28 and 30 of 2022 and the woman was physically helpless to resist.

Dylan Bryant, 29, of Gardner, Massachusetts, was indicted by a Rockingham Superior Court grand jury on two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

Bryant was employed by the city of Gardner at the time of his March indictment and was listed in court documents as on paid leave, most likely unpaid leave soon.

The Gardner city human resources office did not immediately return a call Monday to confirm his employment status. However, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission announced last week Bryant was suspended as a law enforcement officer and listed him as formerly of the Gardner Police Department.

More: Kittery man pleads guilty to breaking into Seabrook home with ax

Bryant was contacted by phone Monday for comment but declined to speak. He said he was being represented by Eliana Forciniti, an attorney from the New Hampshire public defenders office. Forciniti did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The charges were brought forth by the Rockingham County attorneys office as a direct indictment. Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway said that means there is no police affidavit available in the case. She declined to provide further facts in the case, declining to elaborate on how the victim became incapacitated. Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno did not return a call seeking comment.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-Massachusetts cop charged with sexual assault in Hampton NH
Nassar, disgraced doctor who abused US gymnasts, is stabbed in prison

Larry Nassar, a former team USA Gymnastics doctor who pleaded guilty in November 2017 to sexual assault charges, stands in court during his sentencing hearing in the Eaton County Court in Charlotte

(Reuters) - Larry Nassar, the disgraced doctor of USA Gymnastics who was convicted of sexually abusing young female gymnasts, has been stabbed multiple times by another inmate in prison and was in stable condition on Monday, U.S. media reported.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Coleman in Florida was assaulted on Sunday afternoon, but declined to identify the prisoner over privacy and security concerns.

"Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures," bureau spokesperson Benjamin O'Cone said in a statement. "The inmate was transported by (emergency personnel) to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation."

The FBI was notified of the incident, and an internal investigation is ongoing, O'Cone added. No other staff or inmates were injured, he said.

Nassar, who is serving a decades-long sentence following his 2018 conviction, was stabbed 10 times - twice in the neck, twice in the back, and six times in the chest - Joe Rojas, president of the local correction officers union, told CNN.

According to the Associated Press, which was first to report the assault, Nassar was in stable condition.

Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing young female gymnasts who were entrusted to his care, including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

His sentencing followed an extraordinary week-long hearing in which 160 of his victims, most of whom were minors at the time they were abused, unflinchingly told their stories.

Since the Nassar scandal, USA Gymnastics has overhauled its leadership and filed for bankruptcy, saying at the time it was staggering under the weight of lawsuits filed by hundreds of women who were sexually abused by the former team doctor.

Nassar's former employer, Michigan State University, agreed to a $500 million settlement with the hundreds of women who were sexually abused by him. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee reached a $380 million settlement.

A July 2021 report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz uncovered widespread and dire errors by the FBI that allowed Nassar to continue to abuse at least 70 more victims before he was finally arrested.

In September 2021, Biles and Maroney were among the high profile Olympic gymnasts who gave heart-wrenching testimony before a U.S. Senate panel about the sexual abuse they endured for years under Nassar's care.

At that hearing, the gymnasts blasted the FBI for its mishandling of the investigation, with Biles accusing the bureau of turning a blind eye to all of Nassar's victims.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Additional reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Alistair Bell)
By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has relaunched his government's quest to change Israel's justice system, rekindling unprecedented nationwide protests.

On Monday, the Knesset is scheduled to vote on a bill that limits Supreme Court powers, a first of three parliamentary readings. Protests are likely to intensify if it passes.

RECAP

Netanyahu's religious-nationalist government launched its judicial overhaul plan in January, soon after it was sworn in. The proposed changes included curbs on the Supreme Court's writ, while granting the government decisive powers in appointing judges. But with increasing alarm among Israel's Western allies, swelling unrest and a falling shekel currency, Netanyahu suspended the push in late March to allow for talks with opposition parties. Those fell through three months later and Netanyahu relaunched the legislation, scrapping some of the originally proposed changes, such as a clause that would have allowed parliament to override a court ruling, while moving forward with others.

WHAT IS THE NEW 'REASONABLENESS' BILL?

It is an amendment that would limit the Supreme Court's ability to void decisions made by the government, ministers and elected officials by stripping the judges of the power to deem such decisions "unreasonable." Proponents say this would allow more effective governance while still leaving the court with other standards of judicial review, such as proportionality. Critics say that without constitutionally based checks and balances, this would open the door to corruption and abuses of power.

WHAT'S THE GOVERNMENT'S PROBLEM WITH THE JUDICIARY?

Many in the ruling coalition see the bench as left-leaning, elitist and too interventionist in the political sphere, often putting minority rights before national interests and assuming authority that should only be in the hands of elected officials.

WHY ARE SO MANY ISRAELIS PROTESTING?

They believe democracy is in danger. Many fear that even as he argues his innocence in a long-running corruption trial, Netanyahu and his hard-right government will curb judicial independence, with serious diplomatic and economic fallout. Polls have shown the overhaul to be unpopular with most Israelis, who are mainly concerned about rising living costs and security issues.

WHY ARE PROPOSED CHANGES STIRRING SUCH SERIOUS CONCERN?

Israel's democratic "checks and balances" are relatively fragile. It has no constitution, only "basic laws" meant to help safeguard its democratic foundations. In the one-chamber Knesset the government holds a 64-56 majority in seats. The president's office is largely ceremonial so the Supreme Court is seen as a bastion of democracy protecting civil rights and rule of law. The United States has urged Netanyahu to seek broad agreement on judicial reforms and to keep the judiciary independent.

ARE THERE OTHER CHANGES PLANNED?

Unclear. Netanyahu has indicated that he wants changes to the way judges are picked but not necessarily the ones already crafted in another bill that awaits a final Knesset reading. There are proposals being floated, including changes to legal advisers' positions. Opposition lawmakers say his coalition is trying to carry out a piecemeal overhaul that will gradually restrict the courts' independence, one law at a time. The coalition says it is pursuing justice reforms responsibly.

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; editing by Mark Heinrich)
FILE PHOTO: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov visit the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces, in an unknown location

(This July 10 story has been refiled to fix a typographical error in paragraph 1)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Army General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces, was shown in public on Monday by the defence ministry for the first time since before the failed June 24 mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group, a sign that he had kept his job.

Here are some facts about Gerasimov:

AS CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF

* Gerasimov, now 67, is the third most powerful man in the Russian military after President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Along with them, he is thought to hold one of the three nuclear briefcases that can transmit orders for a nuclear strike.

* The army general - second most senior rank in the armed forces - was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Shoigu was made defence minister.

UKRAINE

* Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.

* The U.S. sanctioned him the day after the invasion of Ukraine, saying he was among those directly responsible.

* In January, Putin appointed Gerasimov to lead the Ukraine campaign, and made Army General Sergei Surovikin, appointed to the role three months earlier, one of his three deputies.

CRITICISM

* Many of the nationalist war bloggers who have licence to criticise the conduct of the war blamed Gerasimov for the fact that a superpower military - supposedly expensively modernised in the last 15 years - has failed so signally to subjugate its much smaller neighbour.

* Critics in the West and even inside Russia say the army has been naive, poorly equipped, slow to react and dogged by muddled command structures.

* After a mobilisation campaign last year failed to boost Russia's fortunes, rumours had swirled for months that Gerasimov, largely invisible to the public, would be sidelined.

* At war games in the Russian far east in September, the Zvezda military news service published video of Putin and Gerasimov sitting far apart in an observation booth in awkward silence while waiting for Shoigu to arrive.

* Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary Wagner Group, fiercely criticised Gerasimov and Shoigu and staged a short-lived mutiny on June 23-24 to demand their dismissal.

* Gerasimov had not been seen in public since early June. He made no public appearance or statement during the mutiny, which Prigozhin called off after receiving a promise that he could go into exile and other mutineers would not face recriminations.

EARLIER LIFE

* Gerasimov was born on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan. He graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command in 1977, from the Malinovsky Military Armoured Forces Academy in 1987, and from the Military Academy of the General Staff another decade later.

* In 2007, he was appointed commander of the Leningrad Military District, and in 2009, commander of the Moscow Military District.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
A TikTok video shared thousands of times claims to show President Emmanuel Macron apologising to Frances former African colonies and pledging reparations during a UN speech in New York in April 2023. But the claim is false: AFP Fact Check traced the footage of the address to a speech from last September and found that the original English translation was replaced with a fake voiceover. Macron did not discuss Africa but talked about the Russian-Ukrainian invasion.

A TikTok account named African Lives shared the video of Macron delivering a speech in French with a purported translation into English.

The president of France apologizing to the African continent for forgiveness of wrong did to them during colonisation (sic), reads the caption of the post published on May 19, 2023.

The clip, which lasts close to three minutes, starts with a commentator calling on users to pay attention to Macrons message.

Then another male narrator begins to talk as if he were translating the presidents speech.

Dear distinguished delegates, I stand before you today (on) April 30, 2023, as the president of the French Republic to express my deepest apologies to the African nations and people who were affected by Frances colonial past, says the English-language narrator.

We recognise the harm and damage caused by our actions and we are committed to making amends for the wrongs committed during that period, continues the voiceover before listing some of the affected African countries.

A screenshot of the false TikTok video, taken on July 6, 2023

A longer version of the same video made its way onto Facebook (see here and here) along with the false English translation.

Manipulated video

Among the Google search results for the keywords Macron speech was the original clip of his address posted on the United Nations official YouTube channel (archived here).

According to the caption, the 30-minute video was filmed at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September 2022.

The footage matches the clip circulating on social media. At 023, we see the same three individuals seated behind Macron as well as the podium with the UN emblem.

A screenshot comparing the original video of Macrons speech, left, to the fabricated clip

The excerpt currently making the rounds online starts 19 seconds into the footage.

Unlike the manipulated video with the male narrator, the original version features a female English-language translator.

And contrary to the claim, Macron starts his speech by saying: It is an honour for me to speak before this Assembly on behalf of France. At this point in time, I am thinking of those who have fought in my country and everywhere in the world for France to be free.

Macron then goes on to criticise Russia for invading Ukraine, describing it as an act of aggression, invasion and annexation.

The French presidential palace also uploaded Macrons speech with a written translation to the official Elysee website (archived here).

No apology

African countries have been demanding official apologies and reparations for colonial-era wrongs from European powers.

France has pledged to return African artifacts and art looted during colonial times but there has never been a formal apology (archived here).

Earlier this year, Macron said he would not ask forgiveness from Algeria for French colonisation but hoped to continue working towards reconciliation (archived report).
Families with transgender kids are increasingly forced to travel out of state for the care they need

Flower Nichols, an 11-year-old transgender girl, poses for a portrait in Chicago on June 13, 2023. Families around the U.S. are scrambling to navigate new laws that prohibit their transgender children from accessing gender-affirming care. At least 20 states are moving to ban or restrict such care for minors. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

CHICAGO (AP)  On an early morning in June, Flower Nichols and her mother set off on an expedition to Chicago from their home in Indianapolis.

The family was determined to make it feel like an adventure in the city, though that wasnt the primary purpose of the trip.

The following afternoon, Flower and Jennilyn Nichols would see a doctor at the University of Chicago to learn whether they could keep Flower, 11, on puberty blockers. They began to search for medical providers outside of Indiana after April 5, when Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law banning transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and other hormone therapies, even after the approval of parents and the advice of doctors.

At least 20 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans minors, though several are embroiled in legal challenges. For more than a decade prior, such treatments were available to children and teens across the U.S. and have been endorsed by major medical associations.

Opponents of gender-affirming care say theres no solid proof of purported benefits, cite widely discredited research and say children shouldnt make life-altering decisions they might regret. Advocates and families impacted by the recent laws say such care is vital for trans kids.

On June 16, a federal judge blocked parts of Indianas law from going into effect on July 1. But many patients still scrambled to continue receiving treatment.

Jennilyn Nichols wanted their trip to Chicago to be defined by happy memories rather than a response to a law she called intrusive. They would explore the Museum of Science and Industry and, on the way home, stop at a beloved candy store.

Preserving a sense of normalcy and acceptance, she decided  well, that's just what families do.



Families in Indiana, Mississippi and other states are navigating new laws that imply or sometimes directly accuse them of child abuse for supporting their kids in getting health care. Some trans children and teens say the recent bans on gender-affirming care in Republican-led states send the message that they are unwelcome and cannot be themselves in their home states.

For parents, guiding their children through the usual difficulties of growing up can be challenging enough. But now they are dealing with the added pressure of finding out-of-state medical care they say allows their children to thrive.

In the Nichols family alone, support took many forms as they traveled to Chicago: a grandmother who pitched in to babysit Flowers 7-year-old brother, Parker, while their father Kris worked; a community of other parents of trans kids who donated money to make the trip more comfortable.

What transgender expansive young people need is what all young people need: They need love and support, and they need unconditional respect, said Robert Marx, an assistant professor of child and adolescent development at San Jose State University. Marx studies support systems for LGBTQ+ and trans people aged 13 to 25. They need to feel included and part of a family.



In Indiana, rancorous legislative debates, agitated family relationships and exhaustive efforts to find care have drawn families to the support group GEKCO, founded by Krisztina Inskeep, whose adult son is transgender. Attendance at monthly meetings spiked after the state legislature advanced bills targeting trans youth, she said.

I think most parents want to do best by their kids, Inskeep said. Its rather new to people, this idea that gender is not just a binary and that your kid is not just who they thought at birth.

The perceptions of most parents, Marx said, don't align neatly with the extremes of full support or rejection of their kids identities.

Most parents exist in a kind of gray area," Marx said. "Most parents are going through some kind of developmental process themselves as they come to understand their childs gender.



On June 13, Flower and Jennilyn set off on their trip, unsteady but hopeful. They brought a care plan from Indiana Universitys Riley Childrens Hospital, the Hoosier States only gender clinic.

At the time, the pair worried whether Chicago providers could meet their request for full-time support or as a backup if Indianas ban went on hold. They considered whether they could make the drive every three months, the necessary interval between Flowers puberty blockers.

The decision for Flower to start puberty blockers two years ago wasnt one the family took lightly.

Jennilyn recalled asking early on whether her daughters gender expression was permanent. She wondered if she had failed as a mom, especially while pregnant  was it an incorrect food? A missed vitamin?

Ultimately she and Kris dismissed those theories, ungrounded in science, and listened to their daughter, who recalled the euphoria of wearing princess dresses at an early age. Flower cherished a Little Red Riding Hood cape and felt certain of her identity from the start.

I remember that I really disliked my name, Flower said of her birth name. This is just like who I am. Its all that I have a memory of."

Conversations between Flower and her mother are often marked by uncommon candor, as when discussing early memories together at an Indianapolis park.

Before I knew you and before I walked this journey with you, Jennilyn told her, I would not have thought that a kid would know they were trans or that a kid would just come out wired that way. I always thought that that was something adults figured out, and so there were times that it was really scary because I didnt know how the world would accept you. I didnt know how to keep you safe.

Now, Jennilyn said, her worries have shifted to Flowers spelling skills and how shell navigate crushes.

Flower, for her part, appreciates being heard. She said she and her parents make medical decisions together because, of course, they cant decide on a medicine for me to take."

At the same time, you cant pick a medicine that we cant afford to pay for or that, you know, might harm you, Jennilyn responded.

Thats what I really like about her, Flower said, of her mother. She leaves a lot of my life up to me.



In Mississippi, a ban on gender-affirming care became law in the state on Feb. 28  prompting a father and his trans son to leave the state at the end of July for Virginia. There, he can keep his health care and continue to see doctors.

We are essentially escaping up north, said Ray Walker, 17.

Walker lives with his mother, Katie Rives, in a suburb of Jackson, the state capital. His parents are divorced, but his father also lived in the area. Halfway through high school, Walker is an honors student with an interest in theater and cooking. He has a supportive group of friends.

When Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill banning hormone therapy for anyone younger than 18, he accused radical activists of pushing a sick and twisted ideology that seeks to convince our kids theyre in the wrong body.

The states largest hospital halted hormone treatments for trans minors months before Reeves signed the ban. That hospital later closed its LGBTQ+ clinic.

After that clinic stopped offering its services, Walker and other teenagers received treatment at a smaller facility in another city, but those services ended once the ban took effect.

As access to gender-affirming care dwindled and was later outlawed, Walker's father, who declined to be interviewed, accepted a job in Virginia, where his son could keep his health care. Walker plans to move in with his father this month. Rives, however, is staying in Mississippi with her two younger children.

Walkers memories of the anguished period when he started puberty at 12 still haunt him. My body couldnt handle what was happening to it, he said.

After a yearslong process of evaluations, then puberty blockers and hormone injections, Walker said his self-image improved.

Then the broad effort in conservative states to restrict gender-affirming care set its sights on Mississippi. The path toward stability that Walker and his family forged had narrowed. It soon became impassable.

I was born this way. Its who I am. I cant not exist this way, Walker said. We were under the impression that I still had two years left to live here. The law just ripped all of that up. Theyre ripping our lives apart.

The family sees no alternative.

Mississippi is my home, but there are a lot of conflicting feelings when your home is actively telling you that it doesnt want you in it," Walker said.

As Walkers moving date approaches, Rives savors the moments the family shares together. She braces for the physical distance that will soon be between them. Her two younger sons will lose Rays brotherly presence in their daily lives.

She still feels lucky.

We know thats an incredibly privileged position to be in, Rives said of her son moving to Virginia. Most people in Mississippi cannot afford to just move to another state or even go to another state for care.



Flower, initially dispirited by the debates at the Indiana Statehouse, brightened after her parents took her to her first Pride march on June 10 in Indianapolis.

She tied a transgender pride flag around her shoulders and covered her pink shirt in every rainbow heart-shaped sticker she could find. She gripped a sign that read: She belongs.

Her favorite activities are often less inflected with politics than her status as a soon-to-be teenager. She's a Girl Scout who enjoys catching Pokemon with her brother. Before the trip, she zipped around an Indianapolis park on a pink scooter, her hair tangled by the wind.

Prior to entering Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, Flower used a womens bathroom. At a diner in the city, she ordered a mint chocolate chip milkshake and a vegan grilled cheese. Jennilyn created an itinerary to make their experience as joyful and uncomplicated as possible.

First of all, were going be able to chill at the hotel in the morning, Flower said. Second of all, theres a park nearby that we can have a lot of fun in. Third of all, we might have a backup plan, which is really exciting. And fourth of all: Candy store!

The doctor's appointment the following day, initially intimidating, soon gave them another reason to celebrate: If care was not available in Indiana, they could get it in Chicago.

Indiana could do whatever the hell theyre going to do, Jennilyn said, and we can just come here.

___

Arleigh Rodgers reported from Chicago and Indianapolis. Michael Goldberg reported from Jackson. Rodgers and Goldberg are a corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Its been nearly four years since Dayton Conways daughter Amy was killed in an automobile crash on U.S. Highway 550 north of Aztec, and the Alexandria, Louisiana, resident says in that time he has come to accept her absence.

Nevertheless, he cant help but feel regret for the lives she could have changed had she not died, he said.

The ones who are hurt are the students in Farmington and Aztec who would have had an excellent teacher for years to come, Conway said of his daughter, who taught English at Aztec High School.

Amy Hauman was killed July 17, 2019, when the vehicle she was driving south on U.S. Highway 550 near Cedar Hill was struck from behind by Christopher Middlebrook, who police investigators say was driving at a speed of more than 100 mph seconds before impact. Seriously injured in the crash was Haumans passenger and fellow Aztec High School English teacher, Cynthia Mortensen.

Middlebrook was charged with third-degree felony counts of homicide by vehicle (reckless driving) and great bodily harm by vehicle (reckless driving). But the case against him was dismissed a little more than two years later when Chief District Court Judge Curtis Gurley based on the defenses argument that Middlebrooks speed alone was not enough to meet the standard for reckless driving.

Amy Hauman, a University of New Mexico graduate and Aztec High School teacher, was killed in a July 17, 2019, crash on U.S. Highway 550 near Cedar Hill.

The 11th Judicial District Attorneys Office appealed that ruling, and on June 20, the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled that Gurley had erred in dismissing the case, leading to the reinstatement of charges against Middlebrook. Conway said he was very relieved by the ruling, especially since he was left with little faith in the justice system after Gurleys initial ruling.

We were flabbergasted with his ruling that released Middlebrook, Conway said.

Maggie Shepard, the communication director for the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender, the agency representing Middlebrook, said the defendants attorneys were refraining from commenting on the case as it continues through the process. Shepard has said previously Middlebrooks attorneys intend to ask the New Mexico Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals ruling.

Mortensen did not respond to a phone message from The Daily Times requesting an interview.

'He was there like a rocket'

Conway described Middlebrooks alleged actions that day as gross negligence, recounting how the defendant, according to a New Mexico State Police investigation, drove up behind Hauman at excessive speed after she had executed a U-turn on the highway, then collided with her when she tried to move into the right lane.

He was there in an instant. He was there like a rocket  a rocket, Conway said.

Dayton Conway, father of late Aztec High School teacher Amy Hauman, remembers his daughter as a dedicated educator who was very popular with her students.

Conway  a U.S. Air Force veteran who lived and trained in many parts of the Southwest and Alaska before retiring to Louisiana  tearfully described how investigators told him his daughter, who suffered a broken neck, lived for only a few minutes after the crash. He said she died at the scene after rescuers removed her from her vehicle out of fear that the automobile would catch fire.

He said he is grateful that she was not in pain for long, and he said he is comforted by his faith, which teaches him that Hauman has moved on to a better place. He said his daughter  who lived in the Farmington area on and off for 15 years  had a significant impact on those around her.

Amy has been through the ringer in her life, but she enjoyed teaching, she enjoyed kids, Conway said. She was very popular as a teacher. She had a very down-to-earth personality.

Hauman had a bachelors degree from the University of New Mexico and a graduate degree from Northern Arizona University, Conway said. She was always deeply concerned about the young people she worked with, he said, and much of her legacy is tied up in legislation she helped get passed in Alaska that is designed to protect students from teachers who attempt to take advantage of them sexually.

Conway said the law has been used as a model for other states interested in adopting similar measures.

While his daughter worked hard to secure justice for others, Conway doesnt believe she has received it herself in the Middlebrooks case.

Dayton Conway, the father of the late Amy Hauman, who died in a 2019 car crash, says his daughter fought for justice for others but hasn't received it in her own case.

So many judges are not interested in rendering justice, he said. It seems like victims rights are totally trampled and perpetrators rights are championed.

Conway said he is grateful to the District Attorneys Office for the way it has handled the case but that prosecutors were shackled by Gurleys ruling. Now that the initial ruling has been reversed and the charges against Middlebrooks have been reinstated, he said he hopes the Supreme Court affirms the appeals court ruling and that a trial can be held quickly.

Hopefully, the witnesses remember enough details, he said, noting the amount of time that has gone by since the incident occurred. But I have a bachelors degree in law enforcement, and I know that getting a conviction under these circumstances is a real challenge.

He said he has no plans to attend Middlebrooks trial, although he said many of her family members likely will choose to be there. But if the defendant is convicted, Conway intends to make a quick trip back to New Mexico for the sentencing hearing.

I intend to be there, and I hope the judge will allow me to say something, he said.

According to nmcourts.gov, in the years since the crash, Middlebrook has been cited numerous times for driving without proof of insurance, driving without insurance, improperly displayed registration, driving with a suspended license and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. Numerous failure to appear in court or failure to pay warrants have been issued for him.

In December 2021, he was cited for speeding between 21 and 25 mph more than the speed limit. He pleaded guilty in May 2022.

'Amy did a lot of good in this world'

Conway said his wife has remained in touch with Mortensen since the crash, and he noted happily that Mortensen adopted Haumans terrier Foxy after his daughters death. Foxy was in Haumans car at the time of the incident and was uninjured, but the dog ran away in the aftermath of the crash and was missing for several days.

The driver accused of killing Amy Hauman in a July 17, 2019, crash near Cedar Hill faces two counts of felony reckless driving charges.

Eventually, Foxy reappeared at the crash site, and Mortensen took the dog in, he said.

Conway insisted that he and his large family  Hauman had six siblings  havent lost her and that they all will be together at some point in the future. He said he is very proud of what his daughter accomplished in the time she was here.

Amy did a lot of good in this world, he said.

He recounted her birth in vivid detail, explaining that the family was living in El Paso when Conways wife delivered Hauman. Conway, who wasnt allowed on the maternity ward at the institution in those days, sneaked into his wifes room anyway and found her holding their baby girl.

My wife looked at that beautiful blonde wonder and couldnt sleep, he said. She just looked at her all night long,

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Crash victim's father says daughter had big impact on those around her
Wray's attempts to move the FBI past the Comey era have not blunted Republican attacks on the top federal law enforcement agency.

FBI Director Christopher Wray at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2022. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

For six years, FBI Director Christopher Wray has kept a low profile and taken a no-drama approach to the job. even as his agency has become a regular punching bag for Republicans and right-wing media figures.

This week, however, Wray will come face to face with one of his fiercest critics, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

It will be a test of Wrays ability to face tough questions in real time, from Jordan, who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Wray took the job in 2017, after then-President Trump fired his predecessor, James Comey, who had been vilified by Republicans and Democrats alike for different reasons, and whose significant public profile intensified the effect.

Comeys public-facing leadership style drew criticism from Democrats who saw him as feckless and Republicans who believed him to be a menace. By contrast, Wray was described as understated when he took the job. He has lived up to that label.

Former FBI Director James Comey in 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Think about how few public statements you have heard from Chris Wray, Benjamin Wittes, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and founder of the national security publication Lawfare, told Yahoo News. Think of how the Bureau has been under attack from Jim Jordan, from Fox News, from everybody. It's an organization that the right-wing attack machine has identified as public enemy No. 1, other than Joe Biden.

But Wrays modest and workmanlike manner has left the FBI vulnerable to attacks from Republicans, including top presidential hopefuls. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that if he were president, he would fire Wray and install a new FBI director on day one.

Jordan himself issued a report late last year that said the rot within the F.B.I. festers in and proceeds from Washington.

Wray has not conducted any kind of public defense, Wittes said. The answer that, Well, we don't want to be like Jim Comey, is a real non-answer. You're the leader of an organization, and the organization and its people are being attacked, and you're not really doing anything about it other than keeping your head down.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, during a news conference in 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

The FBI Agents Association, however, defended Wrays leadership.

Director Wray has been diligent and steadfast in his support for FBI Agents. During his visits to all 56 FBI field offices, the Director has said he wants Agents to keep their head down, ignore the sometimes-heated political rhetoric, and follow established processes and procedures. This is also the approach Director Wray has chosen for himself over the past six years, FBIAA President Brian OHare said in a statement provided to Yahoo News.

Much of the right-wing animus toward the FBI originated from mistakes that the agency made in its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, which were documented in a report released in May by special counsel John Durham.

After the 2020 election and the assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, many conservative media figures such as Tucker Carlson implied  without evidence  that the attempted insurrection had been fomented by undercover FBI agents.

During this weeks hearing, Republicans are likely to ask Wray about the FBIs raid last summer of Trumps compound in Florida, in a search for classified documents. Jordan has written to Attorney General Merrick Garland about objections to the raid by one FBI agent.

Jordan sent that letter the same day that Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida on charges that he illegally removed top secret documents from the White House after he left office and obstructed government efforts to retrieve them.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr, typically a Trump ally in the past, said the indictment is very detailed and very damning.

Former Attorney General William Barr speaks at a meeting of the Federalist Society in 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The saga of Hunter Biden is likely to take up the most time at the hearing. Jordan and other congressional Republicans have floated a series of accusations about Hunter Bidens links to foreign business deals and whether his father, President Biden, was connected in any way.

In particular, Republicans have trumpeted the existence of an internal law enforcement form that documents an allegation that President Biden was paid $5 million by a foreign source in exchange for government favors. The FBI has said the allegations on this form, known as a FD-1023, are unverified.

Hunter Biden is facing federal felony charges on tax evasion and illegal possession of a firearm but has reached a plea deal with the Justice Department to avoid jail time.

Wray, 56, is only the eighth director of the FBI in its nearly 100 years as an independent arm of the Justice Department. He was an assistant U.S. Attorney in Georgia from 1997 to 2001, and then worked his way up into the senior ranks of the Justice Department during George W. Bushs presidency.
The FBI is now looking into President Biden's Iran envoy, Rob Malley, three sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

One source familiar with the matter told CBS News that the FBI was looking at Malley's handling of classified material. It is unclear if the bureau's examination encompasses other issues. There was no indication from this source that the FBI considers it a criminal matter at this point.

Congressional intelligence committees are routinely briefed on this type of issue, though lawmakers contacted by CBS News declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

As presidential envoy for Iran, Malley was based at the State Department, and his portfolio included both the attempts to resurrect a nuclear agreement with Iran, as well as negotiations over at least three American citizens who remain wrongfully detained by Tehran. Malley coordinated closely with both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the White House National Security Council, whose Middle East division is led by Brett McGurk.

Frustrated by the lack of information sharing with the congressional committees overseeing the State Department, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mike McCaul, Republican of Texas, sent a letter setting a July 11 deadline for the department to provide an update. His letter claimed Congress had been misled about the reason for Malley's absence, which had been attributed to a family health matter.

"We take our oversight obligations extremely seriously," State Department spokesman Matt Miller said Monday. "We obviously got the letter from the chairman; we've been reviewing it and we will be engaging with his office on the matter."

On "Face the Nation," Foreign Relations Committee member Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, said he had not been briefed on Malley's "security situation" or on any involvement by the FBI. He, too, called for Congress to be briefed on many Iran-related matters, including the status of any potential negotiation with Iran.

"The Iranians are providing the Russians critical drones and munitions for their aggression in Ukraine," Coons said Sunday. "I think that puts even greater tension on any possible conversations between the United States, our regional allies, and Iran. And I do think we need a briefing to update the members of Congress."

In a statement emailed to CBS News on June 29, Malley said that he was on leave after having been informed that his security clearance is under review. He said then that he had not been provided any further information about what he referred to as an investigation, but said he expects it to be "resolved favorably and soon." He did not specify whether that investigation remained at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

In Malley's absence, his deputy is taking over responsibilities. The State Department is not commenting on the matter.

Miller only reiterated that "Rob Malley is on leave and Abram Paley is leading the Department's work in this area." He added, " In addition to not commenting on any reports of an investigation, I'm really limited about what more I can say about what is a personnel matter due to privacy considerations."

The Department of Justice and FBI also declined to comment.

The FBI's involvement was first reported Friday by Semafor, which referred to the matter as an investigation.

Larry Nassar stabbed multiple times in prison

Turkey agrees to back Sweden's NATO bid, Jens Stoltenberg says

H.R. McMaster says alleged Putin meeting with Wagner chief is damage control
Firefighters rescue child after medical emergency near Palm Springs tram

A juvenile was rescued from an inaccessible area of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway on Sunday.

Firefighters from the Riverside County Fire Department responded to a report of a juvenile with a medical emergency at around 12:45 p.m. Sunday.

They hiked approximately 3.5 miles to the juveniles location because wind conditions didnt allow for helicopter hoist, according to the fire department.

The condition of the juvenile was not immediately known.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firefighters rescue child after medical emergency near Palm Springs tram
Longtime Tylenol suspect James Lewis, who was found dead Sunday, walks down the street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last August. He was 76 at the time. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

James Lewis, the lone suspect in the 1982 Tylenol murders, was found dead Sunday at his home in suburban Boston, making it unlikely anyone will ever be charged in connection with the poisonings that killed seven people and caused a worldwide panic.

His death at age 76 comes after 40 years of intense scrutiny from law enforcement, in which Lewis played a cat-and-mouse game with investigators. Local authorities questioned him as recently as September as part of a renewed effort to bring charges in the case.

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Though investigators looked at several potential suspects in the weeks following the murders, Lewis had been the authorities sole focus for decades. He did nothing to dull their interest, as he offered to help the FBI find the real killer, granted lengthy interviews to law enforcement and built a website taunting investigators.

Authorities maintained they had a chargeable, circumstantial case against Lewis, but prosecutors were hesitant to seek an indictment without direct physical evidence linking Lewis to the poisonings. With the police work so intently focused on Lewis for the past 40 years, it seems improbable they would be able to build an unassailable case against anyone else, absent a confession or a major advancement in DNA technology.

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James Lewis death ends a lifetime of cruelty to others and a compulsive need for revenge, said retired FBI Special Agent Roy Lane, who worked the case for decades. His death puts the pursuit of justice to an end.

Illinois Attorney General Tyrone Fahner holds up a photo of Tylenol suspect James Lewis at a news conference on Oct. 13, 1982. (Val Mazzenga / Chicago Tribune)

[ The Tylenol murders: Read the Tribune investigation ]

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who successfully prosecuted Lewis for an extortion attempt related to the case, also expressed regret that Lewis was never held accountable for the murders.

I was saddened to learn of James Lewis death, he said in a statement to the Tribune. Not because hes dead, but because he didnt die in prison.

Lewis  a convicted con man who inserted himself into the Tylenol investigation by sending an extortion letter to the drugs manufacturer  long denied being the killer.

Seven Chicago-area residents died after swallowing Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide in September 1982. The victims were Mary Kellerman, Mary McFarland, Mary Lynn Reiner, Paula Prince and Stanley, Adam and Terri Janus. Their deaths prompted a national recall of the medicine and led to the adoption of tamper-evident packaging.

Seven people died in 1982 from cyanide poisoning after ingesting tainted Tylenol, murders that were never solved. From clockwise top left are Adam Janus, Mary McFarland, Mary Lynn Reiner, Terri and Stanley Janus, Paula Prince and Mary Kellerman. (Chicago Tribune archive)

The ensuing police investigation, including the intense focus on Lewis, was the subject of a Tribune series and companion podcast last year. The award-winning podcast, Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders, was produced in partnership with At Will Media.

The Tribune investigation revealed investigators believe Lewis tampered with the Tylenol in an act of revenge against Johnson & Johnson, Tylenols parent company. Records show his 5-year-old daughter, Toni, died in 1974 after the sutures used to fix her congenital heart defect tore.

The sutures were made by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, according to a medical document reviewed by the Tribune.

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Days after the murders, Lewis sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson, demanding payment to stop the killing. After being convicted of attempted extortion, he offered to help investigators find the killer. He met with them several times, drawing detailed sketches showing ways of filling the capsules and providing flowcharts on how to carry out the poisonings without getting caught.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 7 This James Lewis drawing depicts a way to use a test tube and paper to fill Tylenol capsules with poison. (National Archives and Records Administration)

Lewis spent about 13 years in federal prison for attempted extortion related to the Johnson & Johnson letter and for committing mail fraud in a Kansas City credit card scam in 1981. He was released from prison in October 1995 and then joined his wife in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he lived the rest of his life.

In a brief conversation with the Tribune last August, Lewis again denied being the Tylenol killer and suggested he has been treated unfairly.

Have you been harassed over something for 40 years that you didnt have anything to do with? he asked.

James Lewis, 76, talks with a Tribune reporter as he walked along Cambridge Street on Aug. 22, 2022, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Lewis, who spoke to the Tribune while walking near his home, gave no direct response to a question about law enforcements most recent attempts to bring charges against him.

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Lewis, instead, pointed the finger at Johnson & Johnson and questioned why its corporate scientists were allowed to test Tylenol bottles that were recalled after the murders. Lewis long maintained that the company was given too powerful a role in an investigation that centered on its own product.

[ [Don't miss] The Tylenol murders: 40 years ago, an infamous Chicago-area crime took these 7 lives ]

Last September, a suburban police detective and two Illinois State Police investigators traveled to Cambridge to interview Lewis. Sources said they persuaded Lewis to meet with them by offering to return a personal item seized in a raid of his home in 2009.

Investigators spoke to Lewis for several hours in a recorded interview and left Boston the next day without making an arrest. The meeting was the most significant sign of activity in the case in a decade. But the investigation appears to have stalled afterward.

Cambridge police Superintendent Fred Cabral confirmed to the Tribune that authorities found Lewis body after responding to his condo just after 4 p.m. Sunday.

Lewis wife, who was out of town at the time, had asked someone to check on him after she was unable to reach him.

His cause of death was not immediately known. Public records show Lewis had a history of heart problems and had been in poor health recently.

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We have no reason to believe there was anything suspicious, Cabral said of Lewis death.

Massachusetts authorities initially said there would not be an autopsy, but the state medical examiners office accepted jurisdiction over the case Monday at the request of Illinois law enforcement. An autopsy is now expected to be performed this week.

Chicago-area law enforcement agencies involved in the Tylenol case declined to comment on Lewis death, citing an ongoing investigation. Several sources, however, told the Tribune this latest development will likely curtail work on the case given the energy and resources expended on Lewis.

Investigators intense interest in Lewis drew occasional accusations of tunnel vision. Though the criticism often came from armchair detectives, at least one victims daughter believed authorities had focused on the wrong person.

Lewis was convicted of his opportunistic act and spent 12 years in prison for it, Michelle Rosen, daughter of Mary Reiner, told the Tribune in 2022. I am appalled that they still circle back to him as the possible murderer. This inhibits the investigation and influences the public into believing a false narrative.

The Tribunes investigation leading up to the crimes 40th anniversary included more than 150 interviews in multiple states. Reporters also obtained tens of thousands of pages of documents through records requests, including sealed affidavits and court orders that outline some of law enforcements best evidence in the unsolved case.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 Helena and Jan Tarasewicz, center left, the parents of Theresa "Terri" Janus, grieve at the funeral Mass for Terri, her husband Stanley and her brother-in-law Adam Janus at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church. (Carl Hugare / Chicago Tribune)

One revelation was an FBI video from an elaborate 2007-08 undercover sting operation in which Lewis stated it took him three days to write the extortion letter.

Advancements in technology had allowed the FBI to determine the letter was mailed Oct. 1, 1982, the Tribune reported. On the undercover recording, which the reporters viewed, Lewis did not dispute that date.

[ [Don't miss] Movement in the Tylenol murders: Law enforcement seeks to persuade prosecutors to act on chargeable case ]

FBI Special Agent Lane, who had come out of retirement to help with the sting, then sketched out a calendar for Lewis and counted back three days from Oct. 1, landing on Sept. 29. That was the day all seven victims swallowed poisoned capsules.

News of the poisonings didnt become public until Sept. 30, meaning Lewis would have been writing the letter before officials had even determined the pills had been poisoned.

Lewis was quiet for a moment on the recording. I see your quandary, he says. Ive been telling myself for 25 years I worked on it for three days. But its impossible.

The medical examiner's office shows Tylenol bottles containing analyzed contents of Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules. The specimen, right, was found to contain the poison cyanide. (Charles Osgood / Chicago Tribune)

Lewis also made potentially incriminating statements about the timeline to his friend Roger Nicholson, a self-described provocateur who hosted a community access television show. In one conversation confirmed by the Tribune, Lewis told Nicholson that he was in New York when the deaths started and he made a point to stand in front of security cameras so hed have an alibi. Nicholson believed the only way Lewis would have known he needed an alibi before the murders became public was if he was involved.

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He better have prayed to God there was no afterlife, Nicholson told the Tribune after learning about Lewis death.

The FBI asked Cook and DuPage County prosecutors in 2012 to move forward with a grand jury, stating that it was law enforcements best  and perhaps last  chance at bringing justice to the case. No charges were ever approved.

Lewis life is chronicled in more than 5,000 pages of court transcripts, parole documents and psychological assessments maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration and obtained by the Tribune. The records paint a portrait of a convicted con man driven at times by vindictiveness, trauma and a steadfast belief that he is always the smartest person in the room.

[ [Don't miss] The Tylenol murders, part 4: Thats Jim Lewis! The task force turns its attention to a man with a disturbing past. ]

Born Aug. 8, 1946, in Memphis, Tennessee, Lewis was the youngest of seven children. His birth name was Theodore, after his father, Theodore Elmer Wilson. His parents were poor, irresponsible and ill-equipped to care for their children, according to federal court documents.

After his father deserted the family when Lewis was a year old, his mother, Opal, moved the children to Joplin, Missouri, to be closer to her own mother. But she still struggled to provide a stable home and later abandoned the children in the summer of 1948.

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Young Theodore was adopted at age 2 and his name was changed to James William Lewis. His adoptive parents raised him as an only child on a 20-acre farm near Joplin, living what investigators called an unremarkable childhood.

The first documented sign of psychological trouble came in summer 1966 when Lewis was 19. According to the records, the teen went missing for about two days that June and was found in a shallow pond apparently trying to drown himself.

He was brought back to his familys home, where he demanded access to his stepfathers gun cabinet. When his stepfather refused to give him the key, court records say, Lewis attacked the older man and broke several of his ribs. As his parents fled their farm during the outburst, Lewis threatened them with an ax, the records state.

Lewis was arrested on assault charges and spent three weeks in the county jail, where authorities said he took 36 aspirin in a suicide attempt. The charges were dropped after Lewis was committed to a state psychiatric hospital on June 24, 1966, according to federal records.

At a news conference where Tyrone Fahner introduced new evidence in the extortion case, the media was given handout photos of Robert Richardson and his wife Nancy, shown here, who were actually James and LeAnn Lewis. The news conference was held at Area 6 police headquarters at Belmont and Western avenues in Chicago on Oct. 14, 1982. (John Bartley / Chicago Tribune)

Lewis briefly attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City, where he befriended people in the pharmacology department and met his wife, LeAnn. The couple married in 1968 and she gave birth to their only child, Toni, the following year.

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Toni, who was born with Down syndrome, would sit in the window of her parents tax business and wave to passersby. One of those people was Raymond West, who befriended the little girls parents and hired them to do his taxes.

Five years after Tonis death, Wests dismembered body was found in the attic of his home in August 1978. Lewis was charged with his murder after he forged a check in Wests name for $5,000 and police determined Lewis was the last person to see West alive. Prosecutors, however, dropped the case on the eve of trial after a judge found Lewis had not been read his rights before being questioned about his former tax clients death.

Raymond Wests cousin, John, believes Lewis killed his relative and said he found some solace in the news of Lewis death.

Now, my cousin Raymond can rest in peace, he said Monday.

The sun rises over the grave of Raymond West who is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery on Aug. 29, 2022, in Carrollton, Missouri. West was slain in Kansas City in 1978. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Kansas City police began investigating Lewis again in 1981 for a credit card scam, prompting Lewis to leave town and move to Chicago. He and LeAnn lived there for about nine months under assumed names before assuming new identities and moving to New York three weeks before the Tylenol poisonings.

While living in Cambridge, Lewis was charged in 2004 with the rape, drugging and kidnapping of a neighbor, but the case was dropped after she declined to testify. In 2010 Lewis self-published a novel called Poison! The Doctors Dilemma.

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cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com

sstclair@chicagotribune.com







More coverage: The Tylenol murders

Part 1: The story of a 40-year-old unsolved case begins with a terrifying medical mystery

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Part 2: Cyanide-laced Tylenol was the murder weapon. But who was the killer?

>>> Read the full story here

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>>> Listen to the podcast here

Part 3: Chicago police zero in on a suspect, and the case claims an 8th victim

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Part 4: Thats Jim Lewis! The Tylenol task force turns its attention to a man with a disturbing past.

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Part 5: For the Tylenol task force and their top suspect, the game is on

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Part 6: A sting operation turned up the heat on a perfect cold case

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Tragedy, then triumph: How Johnson & Johnson made sure Tylenol survived the Tylenol murders

>>> Read the full story here

40 years ago, an infamous Chicago-area crime took these 7 lives

>>> Read the full story here

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>>> One familys day of horror

>>> Photos: One familys heartbreak

>>> 8 contaminated Tylenol bottles were found: Heres where
One of the five people allegedly killed by a lone shooter in Philadelphia last week is believed to have been fatally shot almost two days before the others, according to police, raising questions about whether the second attack could have been prevented.

The suspect, Kimbrady Carriker, allegedly shot and killed 31-year-old Joseph Wamah Jr. early on July 2  about 44 hours before he allegedly carried out a shooting rampage in the Kingsessing neighborhood, Philadelphia Police said in a news release Sunday.

Early that morning, police received a report of gunshots near 1600 South 56th Street, the release said, but officers were dispatched instead to the 1600 block of North 56th Street  about three miles away. As a result, they did not find evidence of a shooting.

Hindsight is always perfect, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a news conference Monday, when asked whether the first shooting presented an opportunity to prevent the one that followed.

While it may have given us an investigative lead, the likelihood of cutting that off, or cutting off what happened later on, we just dont know, Outlaw said. Its tragic, its unfortunate. And we dont like the fact that were adding to the atrocities that already occurred, because now folks are second guessing our actions. But the answer is we really dont know.

Police became aware of the error in the days that followed the July 3 mass shooting, Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said at the news conference, as investigators went door-to-door to gather more information. On Friday, a witness told detectives they heard gunshots that night inside a home in the 1600 block of South 56th Street.

Detectives then encountered more witnesses, one of whom said they called 911, Vanore said. Police initially could not find a record of that call but located it using the callers phone number, he said, then realizing officers had been sent to the wrong location.

Police then discovered video evidence of the July 2 killing, Vanore said, describing footage of a shooter opening fire and entering the home where Wamah was found. Its unclear why Carriker allegedly targeted Wamah or that address.

But police believe the call about that shooting came an hour-and-a-half later, indicating they believed it unlikely Wamah would have still been alive if police were dispatched to the right location.

The medical examiners office also confirmed, Vanore said, it believed Wamah died long before the four other victims, who were previously identified as DaJuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; and Ralph Moralis, 59.

Several others were injured in last Mondays shooting, including 2- and 13-year-old boys, who police said were shot in the legs. A 33-year-old woman and another 2-year-old  the twin of the first  were injured by glass.

Carriker, 40, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and carrying a firearm without a license, among others in connection to the shooting. He had a preliminary arraignment last Wednesday but was not asked to enter a plea. He is being held without a bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 24, according to court records.

The Philadelphia Public Defenders Office, which is representing Carriker, previously declined to comment on the case.

The revelations about the timing of Wamahs killing have not affected the charges Carriker faces, according to a statement Sunday from District Attorney Larry Krasner, adding Wamahs family was briefed on the findings.

I cannot express enough the sorrow I feel  and that surely all the officers and detectives working on this investigation must feel  that these developments may be confusing and re-traumatizing for Mr. Wamahs loved ones, Krasner said.

Authorities believe the shooting was premeditated; Krasner previously stated it was obviously planned. He also told CNN last week the suspects social media history contained indications of mental health issues and irrational behavior.

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Only 11 of NATO's 31 countries are set to meet the alliance's current defense spending ambition of 2% of national gross domestic product this year. Also in the news: Before heading to a NATO summit in Lithuania this week, Biden is in London Monday to meet with King Charles to chat about climate policy and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss support for Ukraine.

 I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. The Diet Coke discourse continues.

Now, here we go with Monday's news.

NATO will boost defense spending to help Ukraine, but how?

NATO leaders are set to make a new defense spending pledge at their summit in Lithuania this week as support for Ukraine eats into their military budgets. In Vilnius, the alliance will discuss making 2% GDP the minimum for defense spending.

NATO nations agreed in 2014 to aim to spend at least 2% of their annual gross domestic product on defense and take steps to meet the guideline within a decade. By the end of this year, the number of countries in the 31-nation alliance meeting that standard is expected to reach only 11.

Biden and his counterparts are set to make 2% the least that nations should do and senators are urging Biden to push NATO nations to step up their defense spending at the summit.

Biden's controversial decision to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs was denounced by some NATO allies on Saturday. The choice sparked controversy due to the weapon's increased risk of causing civilian casualties.

But first, Biden is off to Windsor Castle to have tea with King Charles

Before heading to Vilnius to meet with his NATO counterparts, Biden will have a royal visit Monday with King Charles at Windsor Castle, where he will enjoy a royal salute, a viewing of U.S.-related artifacts and a teatime. Biden and Charles will also use their get-together to bring attention to climate policy, hosting a forum on the issue. Before making his way to Windsor Castle, Biden will sit down with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a session that the White House says will focus on a range of global issues. The two leaders differ on the use of cluster munitions, which Biden said the U.S. would provide to Ukraine but the U.K. opposes. Read more

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed claims by Donald Trump that he could end the war in 24 hours.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomes US President Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street on July 10, 2023 in London, England.

More news to know now

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Flash flooding on the East Coast kills one

Heavy rain has spawned extreme flooding in New Yorks Hudson Valley, killing at least one person and forcing road closures. The flooding Sunday night came as much of the rest of the Northeast U.S. prepares for a major storm. Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus says rescue teams were attempting to retrieve the body of a woman in her 30s who drowned after being swept away while trying to evacuate her home. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County just after 9 p.m. Sunday. Read more

Heat record after heat record will be broken in 2023.

Emergency personnel work at the scene of flooded homes on Lowland Hill Rd. in Stony Point, New York, July 9, 2023.

Nine wounded in Cleveland mass shooting as police search for suspect

Police are searching for a suspect after a gunman opened fire on a crowd of people in Cleveland early Sunday, wounding nine before fleeing the scene. Investigators are looking for surveillance video from the many cameras in the Warehouse District, a popular night spot featuring trendy shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Police Chief Wayne Drummond said seven men and two women ages 23 to 38 were struck, but no fatalities were immediately reported. Read more

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Novak Djokovic will be back at Centre Court

Novak Djokovic will be back at Centre Court on Monday to try to close out his fourth-round Wimbledon match against 17th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz. The seven-time champion was leading by two sets  7-6 (6), 7-6 (6)  on Centre Court when play was suspended by the tournament's 11 p.m. curfew on Sunday night. Djokovic's Wimbledon winning streak is at 31 matches and he's 5-0 head-to-head against Hurkacz. On the women's side, defending champion and No. 3 seed Elina Rybakina takes on 13th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, who is in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time. Read more

Novak Djokovic falls over the net against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the Men's Singles fourth round match on July 9, 2023 in London, England.

Quick hits

Photo of the day: Stars hit pink carpet at 'Barbie' premiere

Stars descended on the Shrine Auditorium for the Los Angeles premiere of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" on July 9. The venue was decked out in the iconic doll's signature palette of fuchsia and bubblegum pinks. Check out the Barbies and Kens who graced the pink carpet, starting with "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie, left, and Ryan Gosling.

Margot Robbie, left, and Ryan Gosling arrive at the premiere of "Barbie" on Sunday, July 9, 2023, at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo Chris Pizzello) ORG XMIT: CAAK760

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this  subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NATO summit, King Charles, flooding, weather, shooting, Wimbledon, Barbie: Daily Briefing
National attention might be focused on the 2024 elections, but several notable races are taking place this year that could have implications for next years contests and beyond.

Three states are holding off-year elections for governor this year, while a few are holding legislative elections.

While all three states with gubernatorial elections this year  Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi  are generally conservative states, Democrats currently hold the office in two of the states.

Meanwhile, the results of Virginias legislative elections could determine major policies for the state for the next two years and potentially spur an additional presidential candidate, and Ohio appears to be headed for a vote on whether to protect abortion rights.

Here are the races to keep an eye on in 2023:

Louisiana gubernatorial race

Four years ago, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) became the first Democratic governor in the state to be reelected to a second term since the 1970s. But, he has reached his term limit.

The states electoral system features a jungle primary in which all candidates appear on the same ballot during the Oct. 14 primary race, regardless of party affiliation. If one candidate wins an outright majority on the ballot, they will be declared the winner.

If no candidate secures a majority, the top two performers will advance to a general election on Nov. 18.

Democrats seem to be facing an uphill battle as they try to hold on to the governors mansion.

A half dozen Republicans have declared their candidacies for the office, but state Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) appears to be coalescing support around his campaign. He has received endorsements from former President Trump, a few GOP congressmen from the state and the state Republican Party.

Shawn Wilson appears to be the top choice for the Democrats. He served as the transportation secretary for Edwards administration and has support from the governor, local and state officials and state party leaders.

Polling has shown Landry and Wilson at least somewhat close to each other in the multi-candidate race. But Landry has led in almost every public poll released on the race, and an independent pollster said he appears to be in a commanding position to succeed Edwards.

Kentucky gubernatorial race

Incumbent Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) won a victory against his widely unpopular Republican predecessor, Matt Bevin, in 2019 by less than half a percentage point and is running for a second term.

Beshear has enjoyed strong favorability ratings as one of the most popular governors in the country, with almost nine out of 10 Democrats and nearly half of Republicans saying in a Morning Consult poll earlier this year that they approve of his job performance.

But the incumbent is facing some headwinds that could be larger than him. He leads a strongly conservative state and is one of only a few Democratic governors leading a state that former President Trump won in the 2020 election.

He is running against Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), the first Black man to serve in that position. Cameron once served as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and has tied himself closely to Trump.

Recent Republican-leaning polls have shown the two candidates tied at 47 percent each and Beshear with a 2-point lead, but with 12 percent undecided.

The outcome of the election hinges on either Beshears popularity or Kentuckys trends and advantage for the GOP.

Mississippi gubernatorial race

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) is running for reelection to a second term in office, seeking to extend continuous GOP success in governors races. A Democrat has not been elected as governor of Mississippi since 1999.

The primaries for the race will be held next month. Reeves has some competition for the Republican nomination, but polls have shown him with large leads.

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District Brandon Presley appears to be the likely Democratic nominee, facing no major opposition and bringing in endorsements from Democrats nationwide and in the state, including Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

Presley may be facing a challenge in trying to defeat Reeves in the deep-red state but might have some reasons to be hopeful about his chances. The second cousin of legendary rock n roll star Elvis Presley, he acknowledged his name recognition from his family connection during his campaign announcement video, saying My cousin grew up just down the road in Tupelo. Youve probably heard of him.

One poll in late April from a Democratic-leaning pollster found Presley trailing Reeves by 3 points  47 percent to 44 percent.

Another Mississippi Today-Siena College poll from earlier in the month had Reeves ahead by 11 points. But that poll also had Reeves as only being viewed favorably by 42 percent of registered voters, a possible opportunity for Presley.

Virginia legislative elections

All 40 seats in the Virginia Senate and all 100 seats in the state House of Delegates are up for election this year. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority in the Senate with 22 of the 40 seats, while Republicans narrowly control the House with 50 seats to the Democrats 46. Four House seats are currently vacant.

Whichever party wins control of the two houses will be key to determining the success of Gov. Glenn Youngkins (R) agenda for the rest of his term as governor. Democrats narrow control of the state Senate since clinching the majority in the 2019 elections has restricted Youngkins scope as governor despite the GOP holding the House.

Abortion rights is one of the key issues in Virginias legislature and at the ballot box.

Youngkin has called for a 15-week ban on abortion to roll back access from the current law, which permits the procedure up to the end of the second trimester. Senate Democrats blocked the proposal in a vote in January.

The outcome of the race could also influence whether Youngkin joins the large field running for the Republican presidential nomination. He said in May that he would not join the 2024 presidential campaign trail this year and would instead focus on campaigning for Virginia Republican House and Senate candidates.

But he did not rule out running next year and has given mixed signals on his possible presidential prospects.

Ohio abortion ballot measure

A vote on whether the Ohio Constitution should protect abortion rights appears to be headed to the ballot in November now that abortion rights groups seem to have gathered enough signatures on a petition for it.

The groups said earlier this week that they submitted more than 700,000 signatures on the petition, significantly more than the 413,446 needed for a measure to be placed on the ballot. The Ohio secretary of state must certify the signatures to confirm no duplicates or other errors are present by July 25.

The measure would call for the state constitution to be amended to create a fundamental right to reproductive freedom with reasonable limits, essentially creating a standard similar to when Roe v. Wade was in place.

The Ohio legislature passed a heartbeat bill to ban abortion after about six weeks soon after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. That law was temporarily paused last fall amid ongoing legal challenges.

But the effort to amend the constitution could face a challenge with another ballot measure that will come up in August. Republican lawmakers have pushed for a ballot measure that would raise the threshold for Ohio voters to approve a constitutional amendment from 50 percent to 60 percent.

Abortion rights proponents have argued that the effort is specifically designed to try to prevent the abortion measure from passing, making the August vote a proxy for the potential November one.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NATO leaders will gather July 11-12 in Lithuania to discuss the war in Ukraine and the embattled countrys bid to join the alliance, as well as defense spending levels and Swedens accession to the western security organization.

President Biden will attend the summit along with leaders and heads of states from nations across NATOs 31 members. The summit is the fourth such event since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a break from once-a-year gatherings.

The high-stakes event will be closely guarded, with security measures in Lithuanias capital city of Vilnius to include three German Patriot air defense units protecting the venue and fighter jets patrolling the countrys airspace.

Here are five of the biggest things to watch for at the summit.

Sweden vs. Turkey, Hungary

Perhaps the biggest question hanging over the gathering is whether NATO leaders can reach a deal with Turkey and Hungary to approve the accession of Sweden to the alliance.

Sweden, along with Finland, abandoned its long-held policy of military nonalignment and applied for membership following Russias attack on Ukraine.

The process has been held up mainly by Turkey, which argues Swedens government has been too lenient with the Kurdish Workers Party, which is deemed a terrorist group by the U.S., Turkey and the European Union.

Every NATO member must agree on a new country joining the alliance.

Hungarys Foreign Minister said this week that Budapest would not stand in the way of ratifying Sweden once Turkey signals approval for the countrys inclusion.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has long expressed his conviction in Stockholms eventual ascension, said Friday he was confident they could make progress in getting Sweden into the alliance, though he noted that gaps remained.

Stoltenberg said there was a planned meeting between Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday.

My message is, Sweden has delivered, the NATO leader said. At the same time, Im also very clear Turkey has serious security concerns and thats the reason were sitting down.

Earlier this week, Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the White House, where the president affirmed his commitment to getting Sweden into the alliance.

Ukraines bid for NATO membership

A dominant topic of the summit is whether the alliance will offer Ukraine a fast track to get into NATO amid repeated calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his country to gain an invitation.

The situation is a complicated one, as the war against Russia is raging and the alliance has long held a policy known as Article 5 that stipulates an attack on a member is an attack on them all.

Some members of NATO support Kyivs bid, including the Bucharest Nine  nine of NATOs most eastern European nations  which want to offer a roadmap for the alliances future relationship with the embattled country.

The group said they want to enhance our political and practical support to Ukraine with a multi-year defense package and increased interoperability with the alliance.

We expect that in Vilnius, we will upgrade our political relations with Ukraine to a new level, and launch a new political track that will lead to Ukraines membership in NATO, once conditions allow, a statement read.

Some countries have also backed a British proposal to allow Kyiv to bypass the alliances Membership Action Plan (MAP) program, which dictates military, political and economic goals countries have to meet and Eastern European nations have to pass before receiving entry to NATO.

But others, including the United States and Germany, are concerned that any quick moves to accept Ukraine will cause further tensions with Russia.

Stoltenberg has made clear that Ukraine will not gain entry into the organization while its war with Russia continues, with no formal invitation to come at the Vilnius summit. Stoltenberg did, however, vow that allies would push to move Ukraine closer to NATO at the summit.

Ukraine must also meet certain additional criteria, including anti-corruption standards. Biden said last month he would not make it easier for Ukraine to join NATO.

The Wagner rebellion

The short-lived rebellion of Russian private military organization Wagner Group last month may stiffen the spine of NATO and up its commitment to both its own and Ukraines defense needs.

Many are watching closely as to what allies say about the rebellion, which saw thousands of mercenary troops under Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin march on Moscow.

Stoltenberg last month said the revolt showed the weakness and fragility of Russia.

If allies continue to believe that statement, then the rebellion may indicate robust, long-term support for Ukraine from NATO. And it may complicate the arguments for any dissenters who want to pull out from the war effort because of a long conflict.

Along those lines, leaders are expected to review the first defense plans NATO has drafted since the Cold War.

The so-called regional plans would give countries a new playbook on how to upgrade their militaries and logistics, detail how NATO would respond to an attack from the Kremlin, and raise targets for ammunition stockpiles  a particularly important topic given Ukraines fast-paced use of Western-provided shells that has depleted supplies.

Turkey has been blocking any approval of the strategy, an issue expected to be hashed out at the summit.

Leaders will also lay out how NATO would ready more than 300,000 troops, an increase from 40,000 agreed to at last years Madrid summit, to counter Moscow should the need arise.

F-16 training and delivery to Ukraine

In May, Biden announced a training program for Ukrainian pilots to learn how to operate F-16 aircraft, which Kyiv has long asked for.

A looming question is whether NATO can set a timeline for when training will be completed and the fourth-generation aircraft can be delivered to the battlefield.

The Pentagon has only said that Ukrainian pilots will train at sites in Europe on the F-16s and that the fighter jets are a long-term commitment for the country, making it unclear when they will get their hands on the prized warplanes.

The training is expected to take months, but all indications are that Ukraine needs them sooner than later.

Russia has dominated the airspace during the war with a much larger fleet, and more jets could boost Ukraine in the counteroffensive launched last month.

Moscow deployed attack helicopters during the beginning stages of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to deadly effect.

Other weapons systems for Ukraine are likely to come up at the summit, including long-range artillery and cluster munitions. Cluster munitions were approved by the Biden administration this week.

Defense spending commitments

Back in 2014, NATO members pledged to increase their minimum defense spending to 2 percent of their individual national GDP  the economic output of a nation  a goal that has since only been met by seven countries.

The commitment has been seen as all the more critical since Russias invasion of Ukraine, with Stoltenberg vowing to make NATOs current 2-percent target a minimum requirement rather than a goal to aim for.

That formal commitment to establish a minimum military spending target for all NATO members is expected to be announced at the summit, as Stoltenberg promised when he visited Washington last month.

Biden has also pushed for a formal agreement to be reached at the gathering.

The only alliance members to have met the target as of the end of 2022 are the United States, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Greece.

NATO has tried for years to get the 2 percent of GDP target to stick, and its unclear if the commitment can be reached despite the pledges.

The war in Ukraine has boosted the spending commitment of several European allies, who are concerned the world is becoming increasingly unstable and that NATO members close to the fighting are vulnerable to any battles that may spill over.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
After Florida lawmakers in 2022 reorganized the states appeals courts, House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, is pushing to consolidate circuit courts.

A committee appointed by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz will hold its first meeting Friday to begin looking at consolidation in the 20-circuit system. Muniz issued an order on June 30 appointing the committee after receiving a request from Renner.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Although Floridas appellate districts have recently been realigned, the boundaries of Floridas judicial circuits have been unchanged for decades despite significant population and demographic changes during that timeframe, Renner wrote in a June 15 letter to Muniz. The size of our judicial circuits varies widely, ranging from approximately 2.7 million people (in the Eleventh Circuit) to less than 100,000 people (in the Sixteenth Circuit). I believe that the consolidation of circuits might lead to greater efficiencies and uniformity in the judicial process, thereby increasing public trust and confidence. I also believe that the consolidation of circuits would result in improved economies of scale in the judiciarys back-office operations, leading to substantial cost savings for Floridas taxpayers.

In the June 30 order, Muniz said current boundaries of judicial circuits have been in place since 1969.

Without expressing any view on the merits at this time, the (Supreme) Court agrees that the question of whether there is a need to consolidate Floridas judicial circuits deserves thoughtful consideration and careful study, Muniz wrote. To that end, and to aid the (Supreme) Court in making its ultimate determination, the (Supreme) Court believes it would be beneficial to appoint an assessment committee.

Under the state Constitution, the Supreme Court can certify recommendations to the Legislature about a need to decrease or redefine judicial circuits. The Legislature then would make a decision.

Renners letter referred to the 11th Judicial Circuit, which is made up of Miami-Dade County, and the 16th Judicial Circuit, which is made up of Monroe County. Three other circuits are made up of one county each  Broward, Hillsborough, and Palm Beach.

By contrast, the 3rd Judicial Circuit is made up of seven rural North Florida counties  Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor. The 2nd Judicial Circuit, the 8th Judicial Circuit, and the 14th Judicial Circuit, which are spread across other parts of North Florida, each have six counties.

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After decades of having five district courts of appeal, lawmakers last year approved creating a 6th District Court of Appeal. That change, which took effect Jan. 1, also involved revising the jurisdictions of the 1st District Court of Appeal, the 2nd District Court of Appeal, and the 5th District Court of Appeal. In some cases, judges had to change districts.

Circuits also have their own judges, state attorneys, public defenders and clerks of court. In his June 30 order, Muniz said the newly formed committee must limit its findings and recommendations to whether there is a need to consolidate (i.e., reduce the number of) Floridas judicial circuits.

The 14-member committee, made up of judges, clerks and attorneys, will be chaired by 4th District Court of Appeal Judge Jonathan Gerber. Muniz asked the committee to submit recommendations by Dec. 1, a little more than a month before the 2024 legislative session starts.

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Screenshot: Jacksonville Sheriffs Office via First Coast News

A Florida man pleaded guilty to two federal hate crimes in what the Department of Justice called a vile assault on two Black women, according to First Coast News. Investigators determined his threats were based on the race of the women, however, these incidents stemmed from a relatively plain event.

Theres a reason why the NAACP gave Black folks a national warning about Florida for instances like these.

Read more

Police say last September, 27-year-old Frederick Eugene Pierallini III walked into a convenience store to buy a cheese stick and a Slim Jim but his card declined. After growing angry at the employees, he insulted them with the n-word repeatedly and tried to leave with the items without paying. Instead of fleeing the store, he went outside and grabbed his shotgun, cocked it and pointed it at the employees continuing his racial slur-filled tirade.

Two days later, he started yelling racial slurs at an older Black woman sitting in her walker on the sidewalk. In the same fashion as his previous outburst, he grabbed his shotgun and fired it causing the woman to drop to the ground for cover. As a result, she hit her head on the pavement and bruised her knees, the report says.

It took a three-day manhunt to find Pierallini. Now, hes got to answer to the law.

Read more from The Department of Justice:

Investigating these acts and seeking justice remains a top priority for the FBI and our partners because hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim  they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community, said Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. There is no place for hate and racism, and no one should ever fear they could be targeted in an act of violence based on how they look, where theyre from or any part of their identity. The team at FBI Jacksonville is proud to work alongside our partners at the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office to protect all members of this community. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. For each count, Pierallini faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of mandatory supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has allowed the Sunshine State to become more of a sundown state with all the legislative efforts to discredit the significance of systemic racism and invalidate the Black experience. A report from the Anti-Defamation League found acts of racial hate and antisemitism rose by 71 percent between 2020 and 2022. Not every person capable of racist violence has to wear Proud Boys paraphernalia or have a Confederate flag tattoo.

This case just shows that any minor inconvenience can unleash the bigoted beast from inside anyone.

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Boston City Council President Ed Flynn said Monday hes requesting an emergency meeting with the Boston Police Commissioner after a city officer was ordered to work for 24 hours straight, a claim that Boston Police are denying.

Flynn and his colleague, City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy, also called for the hiring of additional Boston Police officers to address what they call a significant public safety issue in Boston, and a problem within the department with mandatory overtime.

Working 24 hours without time off for rest is not only unhealthy for the police officers and their families, it is also harmful to the residents and our neighborhoods, Flynn said in a statement. It is also illegal to work that many hours without needed rest. Mistakes are made when a police officer is sleep deprived.

However, in a statement shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, a Boston Police spokeswoman said, No officers were ordered to work 24 hours.

Friday evening, officers were offered overtime to support a district that was short-handed, the statement said. For a few officers who volunteered, this meant that in this instance, they were approved to work more than the allowable 18 hours in one day.

Officer wellness is fundamental for public safety, so we continue to prioritize taking steps to fill vacancies on the sworn and civilian side, and to boost our numbers in order to meet minimum staffing levels and to ensure that officers and their families can have the rest and health they deserve and need, the statement said. We currently have a recruit class going through the academy and are actively working to recruit officers, and we appreciate help in spreading the word about opportunities to join the Boston Police Department.

Boston Police said they use mutual aid when city resources are limited.

To support public safety, when districts are in need of additional resources they have the option to request personnel from other districts or citywide units when they are available, or to utilize mutual aid agreements in place with the State and other surrounding Departments, the departments statement said. We are carefully reviewing any situations of individual officers working untenable hours and believe the cap on hours is an important protection for officer health and for public safety.

Flynn said he spoke with Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox about this personnel issue last year and I was assured it would not happen again. However, this recent incident is confirmation that we have a significant problem in the department with mandatory overtime.

Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, left, is requesting an emergency meeting with BPD Commissioner Michael Cox regarding police overtime.

Murphy said in a statement Monday that the summer in particular presents challenges, from annual spikes in violence to the health risks to seniors and others from oppressive heat. Murphy also said that, recently, at least one Boston Police officer had been forced to work a 24-hour shift.

Additionally, emergency calls to 911 have been met with delayed responses in multiple neighborhoods due to staffing shortages, Murphy said.

Particularly in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved, we need to be able to provide rapid, top-quality emergency responses, Murphy said. Thats very hard to do with thinned-out staffing or with cops, EMTs or 911 who are working the tail end of an overtime shift. Im in community meetings every week across the city, and people want a more robust public safety and public health presence, not a depleted one.

Murphy said the city must do a better job of hiring and retaining first responders, citing Boston Police Commissioner Michael Coxs public statement that the city was evaluating leaving the states civil service system. Pointing to Bostons rising cost of living, Murphy affirmed her support for some residency rules, but said the worsening emergency response situation warranted a full evaluation of the civil service system.

Flynn said over the past six years, I have consistently advocated for the hiring of at least 300 police officers every year for the next ten years due to forced overtime, overstretched resources, transfers out of the department, and retirements.

The current system of forced overtime is a failure and it cant continue, Flynn said. I will file a hearing order on this troubling situation in the next City Council meeting, and request an immediate meeting with the Boston Police Commissioner to discuss my concerns.

In a tweet on Monday, the Boston Police Patrolmens Association echoed Flynns comments about the 24-hour shift worked by the Boston officer.

One triple tour is one too many. NOBODY should be working 24-straight-hours. Waiving the 90-hour-rule is an abuse of power, the police union said. Our officers are constantly being ordered to work 16-hour-shifts throughout the entire summer. Its unacceptable and dangerous.

The police overtime issue comes as Boston and city officers are grappling with a spate of shootings, including gunfire that erupted in Mattapan on July 5 that left five people wounded.

Late Saturday night, police arrested a Boston man on assault to murder charges near the scene where five people were shot in Mattapan earlier.

Murphy had shared similar concerns last July, when several Boston Police officers were mandated to work round-the-clock shifts as a result of major events across the city, including the Open Streets festival in Jamaica Plain, a Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway, and a festival in the Seaport District.

Such demands, Murphy said at the time, both impaired officers mental and physical health, and created a public safety liability for residents. Murphy has also previously called for increasing class sizes at the Boston Police Academy.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Former CNN correspondent Saima Mohsin has accused the cable news channel of wrongful dismissal after an injury sustained while on assignment in Israel.

I was injured on assignment for CNN, she tweeted Monday. They fired me.

Mohsin linked to a story in The Guardian stating she was hurt when a cameraman drove over her foot while she was covering the Israel-Palestine conflic.

We risk our lives in the field trusting well be taken care of, she wrote. Im suing for unfair dismissal, disability & race discrimination.

According to Mohsin, CNN declined to support her rehabilitation from severe tissue damage, which made performing her responsibilities difficult. When she asked that her foreign correspondent gig be reshaped to require less travel, the British-Pakistani journalist was reportedly told she didnt have the look the network desired.

Three years later, Mohsin was no longer employed by CNN. She brought her case to a London employment tribunal that expected to review the matter Monday.

CNN wants my case thrown out, she tweeted.

CNN, which declined a Daily News Request for comment, argues terms of Mohsins contract prohibit her from seeking relief in London, according to The Guardian.

Mohsin became a presenter for Sky News in 2022. Shes also worked for the BBC. The South London native was with CNN from 2013 to 2017. She told the Guardian her claim against CNN is a call for change to ensure women journalists, and women journalists of color, are better protected.

The 43-year-old news outlet, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., has lost two big bosses in 17 months.

Former president Jeff Zucker stepped down in Feb. 2022 following revelations he was involved in an undisclosed, but consensual relationship with a colleague.

CEO Chris Licht, left the network in June following a live Town Hall with former President Donald Trump, who predictably used the opportunity to amplify election fraud disinformation hes been pushing for years. That event drew big ratings, but even bigger criticism followed by widespread calls for a boycott of the embattled station.

CNN has struggled to keep pace with the left-leaning cable outlet MSNBC and right-wing cable channel Fox News.

The station was also rocked by the unceremonious dismissals of primetime host Chris Cuomo at the end of 2021 and Don Lemon  a 17-year CNN veteran  in April.
Former CNN reporter sues network after being told she didnt have the look they wanted

Former CNN journalist Saima Mohsin says she is taking the network to court for unfair dismissal, disability & race discrimination after being injured on the job.

The British-Pakistani foreign correspondent was injured during a reporting trip in Jerusalem in 2014 when her cameraman drove over her foot. The injury rendered her unable to sit, stand, or walk and prevented her from being able to work full time.

The journalist, who now works as a TV presenter at Sky News, also claimed that she asked the network to switch roles to be a presenter, but was told you dont have the look we are looking for.

CNN terminated her contract three years later. She is seeking justice through an employment tribunal claim in the UK. Her case was set to be heard on Monday in London.

I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN, Mohsin told The Guardian, adding, I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not.

Regarding the racial discrimination claim, Mohsin alleges she was denied broadcast opportunities, as the network preferred to put white American correspondents on air.

CNN says that the UK doesnt have jurisdiction over Mohsins case.

The journalist argued to The Guardian that her case should cause concern for all foreign correspondents who travel around the world  and take risks to do their journalism in the belief their employer will take care of them.

She continued, Im also taking the opportunity to highlight the racism and gender pay gap issues that I experienced. I was repeatedly let down and denied the ability to achieve my potential while I was at CNN. I am bringing my claim to take a stand and call for change to ensure women journalists, and women journalists of colour, are better protected.

Mohsins complaint arrives during a period when the network is already mired in controversy. CNN boss Chris Licht was booted after just 16 months on the job after an explosive expose in The Atlantic. Licht replaced Jeff Zucker after the company president was fired for failing to disclose a relationship with a colleague.

The network also received harsh criticism after hosting a town hall for former President Donald Trump, a decision that Licht oversaw.
The Dallas County Sheriffs Office supervisor who admitted to embezzling $250,000 from the county jails inmate population was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Umeka Treymane Myers, 50, was charged on April 28 and pleaded guilty in June to theft from a program receiving federal funds, according to the news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas. She was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey to 33 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $429,640.66 in restitution.

In her guilty plea, Myers said she was working as a supervisor at the Lew Sterrett Justice Centers inmate property vault, which refunds inmates commissary account balances when they are released from jail. Property vault employees provide inmates with debit cards if their accounts contain more than $30 at the time of their release.

According to the news release from the Justice Department, any time an employee makes an error processing a debit card to refund an inmate, the software used to generate the card sends an error message that only a lead clerk or supervisor can clear.

In her role as a supervisor, the Justice Department said, Myers used the book-in numbers of released inmates to create duplicate debit cards, entering the same amount from the card issued to the released inmate, after overriding a debit card error.

Doing this, Myers admitted in her plea that she issued dozens of fraudulent debit cards between 2018 and 2021 and then used them in Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Maryland and New York, according to the news release. Records from Winstar, Choctaw and Margaritaville casinos, Southwest Airlines and personal bank records, along with ATM surveillance footage, confirmed her spending.

The program from which Myers stole included money provided through federal funding, according to the news release.

Myers has been ordered to report to prison on Sept. 11.
Surrounded by supporters, Patrick Daley Thompson, center, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on July 6, 2022, after being sentenced to four months in prison for tax evasion and lying to banking regulators. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Six months after his release from federal prison, former Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson could be in hot water again after court probation officials accused him of failing to pay restitution for his tax-related conviction.

Thompson, 54, the former 11th Ward alderman and scion of the Daley political dynasty, was sentenced to four months in prison in July 2022 for tax evasion and lying to banking regulators. He served his time at the minimum security facility in Oxford, Wisconsin, and was released five days before Christmas, records show.

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As part of the sentence, Thompson was ordered to begin paying approximately $60,000 in restitution within 60 days of his release. He also was required to notify probation officials immediately of any significant change in his economic circumstances, court records show.

Last month, the U.S. probation office filed a sealed special report on Thompsons supervised release status and asked for an admonishment hearing before U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama, court records show.

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[ Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson sentenced to four months in prison in tax case ]

Although the report is under seal, Valderrama set a public hearing on the matter for Thursday to address nonpayment on his restitution since March 2023 and employment status, court records show.

Its likely Thompson will at most face a tongue-lashing from the judge to abide by his supervised release conditions and possibly a warning that future violations could land him back behind bars.

Meanwhile, in arguing Thompsons response should also be kept sealed, defense attorney Chris Gair stated Thompson has been working as a consultant and claimed that revealing the identities of his client companies in court records could damage his new livelihood.

Mr. Thompson maintains the confidentiality of his consulting clients, and public identification of those clients  together with anticipated media attention  would jeopardize Mr. Thompsons ability to earn a living, Gair wrote in a motion last week.

Prosecutors have objected to the motion being kept under seal, saying the documents do not contain anything overtly sensitive and that there was no justification for hiding it from the public.

Gair could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Thompson, grandson of Richard J. Daley and nephew of Richard M. Daley, Chicagos two longest-serving mayors, was convicted by a federal jury in February 2022 of two counts of lying to federal regulators about loans he had with the now-shuttered Washington Federal Bank for Savings in his familys Bridgeport neighborhood.

The jury also found Thompson guilty on five counts of filing false tax returns that illegally claimed mortgage interest deductions he never paid.

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[ Ald. Patrick Daley Thompsons conviction on tax charges connected to loan from failed bank adds chapter to familys political legacy ]

Under state law, Thompson was forced to resign his seat on the Chicago City Council immediately after the conviction on felony charges. His license to practice law also was suspended by the Illinois Supreme Court following his conviction  a decision he is still trying to reverse.

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At the sentencing hearing last year, Valderrama ordered Thompson to serve a year on supervised release, which is the federal equivalent of parole. Thompson agreed to work with the U.S. probation office on a payment plan for the restitution that would include garnishment of 10% of any earnings, court records show.

The charges against Thompson were an offshoot of a larger investigation into the collapse of Washington Federal, which uncovered a massive embezzlement scheme leading to charges against more than a dozen former bank officers, employees and customers.

Gair sought to pin blame for Thompsons issues on both the bank and its former president, John Gembara, saying Thompson had nothing to do with generating the erroneous tax forms that wound up on his returns.

The defense team also portrayed Thompson as an honest but frazzled man, constantly torn between his duties as an alderman, commercial real estate lawyer and father, and admittedly Thompson lacked focus when it came to the minutiae of his taxes.

Gembara was found hanged in the home of a customer days before the bank was shuttered, and his death was ruled a suicide.

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Thompsons appeal of his conviction is pending before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Former GOP lawmaker says Casey DeSantis is 'America's Karen' to a lot of people, and she can only do so much to help her husband Ron

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis listens to his wife Casey DeSantis speak during a campaign stop. Logan Cyrus / AFP via Getty Images

Former GOP congressman, David Jolly, told MSNBC that Casey DeSantis has "become America's Karen."

DeSantis is often credited for boosting her husband's presidential campaign.

But Jolly said "it doesn't matter if it's presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one."

A former Republican congressman told MSNBC on Saturday that Casey DeSantis  who's married to Florida Gov. and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis  has "become America's Karen."

"Casey DeSantis is a fairly compelling political figure in Florida and now nationally. For many, she's the brighter side to Florida's angry governor. For others, she's become America's Karen," David Jolly, who represented Florida's 13th Congressional District from 2014 to 2017, said on MSNBC's "The Saturday Show With Jonathan Capehart."

"Look, she's a more effective messenger than Ron DeSantis, but if all she's doing is amplifying the wrong message, she's actually clarifying Ron DeSantis' weaknesses," Jolly told MSNBC.

"It doesn't matter if it's presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one. We are going to learn that the more Casey DeSantis gets out there," Jolly added.

Since leaving office, Jolly had made regular appearances as a political analyst for media outlets like MSNBC and CNN.

Representatives for DeSantis' campaign referred Insider to comments given by Gov. DeSantis on Fox Business Network's "Varney and Co." on Monday.

"We wear criticism from MSNBC as a badge of honor," said Gov. DeSantis.

Casey DeSantis, a former news anchor, has been credited with boosting her husband Ron's 2024 presidential campaign and improving the governor's image.

"It's clear she's the X factor. They complete the political element that is Ron DeSantis. Without Casey, he would not be the same person," Scott Parkinson, one of Ron DeSantis' former chief of staff in the US House of Representatives, previously told Insider.

But Gov. DeSantis's bitter feud with Disney and his reputation for spearheading Republican culture wars  among other factors  may be hurting his presidential ambitions. DeSantis has consistently lagged behind former President Donald Trump, per multiple GOP primary polls.

Editor's note: July 11, 2023  This story has been updated with responses from DeSantis' campaign.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Stilwell Elementary teacher accused of sexually abusing six students

Like other tribal members accused of crimes on reservation land, Lawrence Fourkiller's case will proceed in federal court, as required under the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma.

A former Stilwell Elementary teacher has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing six students.

Lawrence Fourkiller, 47, was arrested at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on June 28. The FBIs Oklahoma City field office announced the arrest on Thursday.

A federal grand jury indicted Fourkiller on June 14 in Muskogee federal court on one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country and five counts of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. The indictment remained under seal until after Fourkillers arrest.

Fourkiller, of Stilwell, is a Cherokee Nation citizen, according to the tribes voter registration database.

Like other tribal members accused of crimes on reservation land, his case will proceed in federal court, as required under the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma.

McGirt v. Oklahoma, 3 years later: How police work on the Muscogee Nation reservation

Investigators reported Fourkiller engaged in oral sex with a girl under the age of 12 sometime between August 2020 and May 2021. He inappropriately touched five other girls younger than 12 over the past school year, court records allege.

He could face a sentence of life in prison if convicted.

The FBI reported Fourkiller is no longer teaching at Stilwell.

Stilwell schools immediately placed Fourkiller on administrative leave and reported him to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services after the school district received a "serious allegation" this spring, Superintendent Matthew Brunk said in a statement.

"Student safety is the greatest priority of Stilwell Public Schools," Brunk said. "The district has fully cooperated with  and will continue to cooperate with  all related investigations. Because this is a personnel matter, I am unable to share additional information at this time."

The Oklahoma State Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment on whether it will attempt to suspend or revoke Fourkillers teaching certification.

Contributing: Indigenous affairs reporter Molly Young

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a statement from Stilwell Superintendent Matthew Brunk.

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Stilwell Oklahoma teacher accused of abusing six children
Former Tennessee Sen Roy Herron killed in jet ski crash: Will be missed by us all

Former Tennessee Sen Roy Herron killed in jet ski crash: Will be missed by us all

Former Tennessee lawmaker Roy B. Herron has died after suffering injuries related to a jet ski accident this month. He was 69.

Herron had decades of public service, including terms in the state House of Representatives, Senate and as chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He was also a candidate for governor in 2010.

FOX 17 reports that Herron was hospitalized after a jet ski accident on Kentucky Lake on July 1.

Many of Herrons family members and former colleagues have paid tribute in his honor.

LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF FRENCH D-DAY UNIT DEAD AT 100

Former Tennessee lawmaker Roy Herron died after being involved in a jet ski accident.

"Saddened by the death of former colleague in Tennessee General Assembly, Roy Herron," Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., tweeted. "Roy succumbed to injuries from jet ski accident last weekend apparently caused by negligence of another. He was bright, diligent, and honest. A politician destined for greatness."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari called the late Herron a "dedicated and joyful warrior for the causes he held dear."

"Behind that warm smile, he was as tenacious as they come and never better than when he was fighting for public schools, affordable healthcare and working families."

LOWELL WEICKER, FORMER CONNECTICUT GOVERNOR AND US SENATOR, DEAD AT 92

Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said Herron was "the kind of guy that you couldnt help but like."

"He came to my office on many occasions to lobby or debate and we would end up just sharing stories about life," Faison wrote, adding, "TN lost a true servant."

Memphis mayoral candidate Van Turner extended his condolences to Herrons family.

"Senator Herron was truly a statesman and public servant and will be missed by us all," Turner wrote.
TikTok

Credit - Jakub PorzyckiNurPhoto/Getty Images

TikToks parent company ByteDance is facing a potential lawsuit in Kenya over allegations it failed to protect the mental health of workers tasked with preventing disturbing content from appearing on the short-form video app.

James Oyange Odhiambo, a Kenyan former content moderator for TikTok, who was employed by the outsourcing firm Majorel in Nairobi, alleges he developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of his work. He says he was later unfairly dismissed in retaliation for advocating for better working conditions.

The allegations were made in a letter dated June 29 that was sent by the law firm Nzili and Sumbi Advocates to ByteDance and Majorelthe outsourcing company that employs the content moderatorsthreatening a lawsuit. The letter has given the companies two weeks to comply with a series of demands before lawyers for Odhiambo file a lawsuit.

In the letter, Odhiambos lawyers allege that he was required as part of his job to watch, at times, between 250 and 350 TikTok videos per hour. The vast majority of these videos, the letter alleges, were horrific in nature.

Read More: Behind TikToks Boom: A Legion of Traumatized, $10-A-Day Content Moderators

To this day, our client struggles to cope with the videos he watched, particularly of gruesome violence against the vulnerable and helpless, the letter says. He has distinct memories of people begging for their lives, and graphic abuse of children and kittens.

Other videos that Odhiambo was required to watch on the job, the letter says, included rape and sexual assault; torture and murder; child abuse; suicide and self harm; and human babies and animals being dismembered.

A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment on the accusations made in the letter. ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, Majorels executive vice president Karsten Konig said: At Majorel, the health and well-being of our content moderators is our priority. We demonstrate this every day by providing 24/7 professional psychological support, together with a comprehensive suite of health and well-being initiatives that receive high praise from our people. We know that providing a safe and supportive working environment for our content moderators is the key to delivering excellent services for our clients and their customers. And thats what we strive to do every day.

TikToks parent company is just the latest big tech firm to run into legal trouble over content moderation in Kenya. The law firm representing Odhiambo is also representing clients suing Facebooks parent company Meta in two separate cases in Kenya, related to alleged violations of the law that occurred at a third-party contractor. A Nairobi judge ruled on June 2 that Meta was the principal employer of the outsourced content moderators in one of those disputesmeaning that the company could be held liable under Kenyan law. Foxglove, a legal nonprofit based in London, is providing funding and strategic coordination in the cases against Meta, and in Odhiambos claims against ByteDance and Majorel.

If TikTok wants to operate in this country, it has to respect the rights of its workers, Odhiambos lawyer Mercy Mutemi said in a statement. Its time we had a serious and honest conversation about the exploitation of the youth here in Kenya by Big Tech companies like ByteDance. My client Mr. Odhiambo braved the damaging work of content moderation diligently working to clean up TikTok. He was an exemplary worker who even went a step further to advocate for the fair treatment of the Kenyans working as content moderators. He should not be punished for that. We will fight for him to access justice.

Failure to Provide Adequate Mental Health Care

The letter alleges that ByteDance and Majorel took no steps to create a safe working environment that could mitigate the well-known risks of content moderators developing PTSD, amounting to violations of Kenyas Occupational Health and Safety Act.

No psychiatric support was offered to our client to prepare for, or continue to undertake, the work, the letter alleges. It adds that instead of being consulted by medical professionals, content moderators struggling with the mental burden of the work were initially offered only access to a quiet room. Thereafter, the letter says, content moderators were offered 30 minutes per day with a wellness counselor who was not a medical doctor. This on-site counselor did not have the expertise or experience to offer the support our client and his colleagues needed including diagnosis or medical treatment, the letter claims.

Content moderators were not given the ability to opt out of watching graphic content, according to the letter.

The result, the letter claims, was that many content moderators including Odhiambo developed PTSD. Some of his colleagues, the letter alleges, reported suicidal thoughts. Our client suffers from anxiety, insomnia, vivid flashbacks and nightmares which have significantly decreased his quality of life and ability to work, the letter says. Our client has had difficulty obtaining employment given the lingering trauma from the work he did for you.

Unlawfully terminated

Odhiambo was employed as a TikTok content moderator for a year, between April 2022 and April 2023. The letter alleges that during this time, Odhiambo had attempted to advocate for himself and his colleagues to attain safer working conditions, meaningful mental health support, as well as pay equity.

In response to these attempts, the letter alleges, ByteDance and Majorel refused to renew Odhiambos contract, in contravention of a clause saying that the contract would be renewed yearly barring poor workplace performance or declining business needs. The letter says Odhiambo was recognized by Majorel as a Feel Good Champion, a designation that the letter says meant the company considered him a good team player and a great role model for his colleagues. The letter adds that ByteDance and Majorel are continuing to recruit and expand their Kenyan operations. It is clear therefore that your failure to comply with the terms of his contract was due to our clients efforts to advocate for his own, and his colleagues legal rights, the letter says. You decided not to renew his contract in retaliation for these actions.

In its statement to TIME, Majorel did not address Odhiambos claims about retaliation.

The letter argues that ByteDance is jointly responsible for the alleged violations of the law that occurred at its outsourcing partner Majorel. This is because, according to the letter, ByteDance controls every significant aspect of the work by providing the software, setting targets, and deciding the level of mental health care to be offered. ByteDance is the true employer of all TikTok moderators, regardless of its choice of outsourcer, the letter argues.

The letter demands that ByteDance and Majorel comply with a list of 14 demands, and says a lawsuit will be filed if the demands are not met within two weeks. The demands include that both firms issue public acknowledgements of alleged wrongdoing, make offers to compensate Odhiambo and his colleagues, hire qualified and adequately experienced clinicians to provide mental health care for current and former workers, and affirm the right of content moderators to join a union.
Russian attack on humanitarian aid point kills seven, Ukraine says Aftermath of a Russian air strike in Orikhiv

KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian attack on a humanitarian aid distribution point in southeastern Ukraine killed seven people, emergency services said on Monday, and two people were killed by Russian shelling in the east.

Yuriy Malashko, governor of Zaporizhzhia region, said a guided aviation bomb was used in Sunday's attack on a school building being used to distribute aid in the small town of Orikhiv.

Ukrainian emergency services said three bodies were retrieved from under rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll to seven. Rescue and recovery operations were now complete.

Malashko said 11 people wounded in the attack were being treated in hospital. The General Prosecutor's office said the incident was being investigated as a war crime.

The prosecutor's office said that two people had been killed and three wounded on Monday in Russian shelling of the village of Hostre and the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, denies deliberately targeting civilians.

Ukraine's military is conducting a counteroffensive to try to retake Russian-occupied territory in the Zaporizhzhia region.

(Reporting by Dan Peleshchuk in Kyiv, additional reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Anna Pruchnicka in Gdansk, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski and Alistair Bell)
White House with Pride and U.S. Flags and Fox News

After Fox News retracted a story on its website and noted that it had inaccurately attributed a quote, White House officials continued to demand that the far-right network retract a recent report on the far-right networks site that was false and inflammatory.

On Friday evening, Fox News withdrew a story it had published in which former Trump administration Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was quoted as saying he would not support the former president in 2024.

He can kiss my big medical butt, the story said Price had remarked.

However, the story was taken down and instead replaced with an editors note.

This article inaccurately attributed a quote to former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and has been retracted, it read.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates took notice of the networks flirtation with accepted journalistic ethics and called it out for not retracting an absolutely false story it had published during Pride Month.

.@FoxNews, if youre now retracting lies, yall have a story up citing an ADL-designated extremist group to attack @FOXCorp, Bates tweeted.

 (@)

After President Joe Biden hosted the largest LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebration at the White House on the South Lawn in history last month, Republicans and right-wing extremists pounced to gin up controversy where there was none.

First, they claimed that the administration had violated the U.S. Flag Code and disrespected the Stars and Stripes.

At the June 10 celebration, the columns adjacent to the Truman Balcony along the south side of the White House were adorned by a Progress Pride flag in the center, flanked by two American flags on each side.

Atop the building, as there always is, flew a U.S. flag above a POW-MIA flag commemorating military prisoners of war and those missing in action.

Days later, seemingly having not achieved the desired level of anti-LGBTQ+ outrage, Fox News ran an article criticizing the Progress Pride flag hung on the White House portico.

White House flew controversial new transgender flag that promotes grooming and pedophilia, say critics, the outrageous headline read.

After being blasted on Twitter by Bates, who called the network out for lying, Fox News quietly changed the headline to White House flew controversial new transgender flag that troubles some critics in the gay community.

The story was based on comments made by Gays Against Groomers hate group founder Jaimee Michell. The Anti-Defamation League recently designated the organization an amplifier of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism.

However, Fox Corps., the parent company of Fox News, itself wrapped its corporate logo in the Progress Pride flag for a corporate diversity report in 2022.

This hypocrisy was not lost on Bates, who insisted that the network issue a retraction and has continually demanded that the network come clean for lying.

Since Fox News apparently now has the capacity to retract stories, they should immediately withdraw the malicious and debunked assertion that their owner, Fox Corporation, in any way promoted grooming and pedophilia by using a mainstream LGBTQ+ pride flag to emphasize their inclusive work environment, Bates told The Advocate.

Currently, Fox News is continuing to stand by a dangerous lie based on the word of a group the Anti-Defamation League identifies as an extremist coalition. Whatever our disagreements, we have no compunctions about making clear that Fox Corporation [also rejected the claims of Gays Against Groomers by embracing the Progress Pride flag]. Its unclear why Fox News cant do the same, he said.

The Fox News situation continues a series of blatantly anti-LGBTQ+ media controversies that have befallen the right.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis came under fire after a Twitter account associated with his campaign promoted a homophobic video that was roundly criticized for its outrageous homophobia.

Republicans have made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric a central element of their strategy to win the 2024 presidential election.

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
French company to start building modern power grids in Ukraine

French company EDF International Networks has broken ground on a pilot project to build a modern electrical power distribution system in Ukraine, Ukrainian Energy Ministry said in a Telegram post on July 10.

Read also: Russia demands inclusion of Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in NATO Summit agenda

The initial stage focuses on building electricity distribution networks will commence in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Oblast.

Distribution systems are one of the elements of the energy infrastructure that suffered the most damage due to Russian attacks, said Deputy Minister of Energy, Yaroslav Demchenkov.

The economic recovery of the country places high demands on future networks. They need to be resilient, flexible, efficient, and reliable, catering to the needs of developing new economic facilities and generation, including renewable energy sources, while fully meeting the demand for electricity distribution. Our collaboration with French partners will help us achieve these goals and elevate distribution service standards to align with best international practices.

Read also: French Senate recognizes Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people

Following the successful completion of the pilot project in Zaporizhzhya, plans are to replicate this partnership in upgrading electrical power distribution networks in other regions of Ukraine.

The ministry signed a memorandum of cooperation with EDF International Networks in June.

Read also: Ukraine's power grid operator pleads for energy savings as AC use surges

Earlier, the Energy Ministry reported that Russian missile strikes damaged half of Ukraine's entire energy system, with 271 confirmed hits.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad, her family confirmed. (Foreign Policy Research Institute)

A number of people close to missing Princeton doctoral student, Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was reportedly kidnapped in Iraq, are speaking out about the lies being spread about her.

Friends and colleagues defended Ms Tsurkov after some of her tweets from more than 10 years ago circulated. In one tweet, she said she was in intelligence and in another, she wrote she was an active reserve duty IDF soldier, fuelling theories that she worked as a spy.

Those who actually know the Princeton doctoral student have said that the allegations are completely ridiculous and offensive, citing Ms Tsurkovs criticism of Israels government as well as outspoken support for Palestinian rights. Both of those stances are prevalent across her Twitter profile.

Gary Spedding, who met Ms Tsurkov in 2012 and has worked with her on a number of human rights projects in support of Palestinian refugees, came to her defence. I am disgusted and appalled by those attacking Elizabeth and using this as an opportunity to spread complete lies about her, Mr Spedding told The Daily Beast.

The people trying to defame her and smear her are aware of how precarious her situation is Its absolutely horrific, infuriating. They are disgusting cowards, and they really know exactly what it is theyre doing. They seem gleeful about it and its shameful, absolutely shameful, he continued.

Its absolutely horrifying. I was truly panicked and very upset that this is now a massive news piece. Its such a horrific situation. Shes not just got detractors who are criticizing her for being a potential spy: shes also got right-wing Israelis who despise the fact that she supports Palestinian rights calling her a traitor, and saying the Israeli government shouldnt bother helping her. Its all absolutely disgraceful, Mr Spedding added.

An author and Middle East expert familiar with Ms Tsurkov and her work, Robin Yassin-Kassab, also discussed her positions toward the Israeli government.

She was somebody who openly criticized Israeli policy and she was working for justice and equality throughout the region. Ultimately, people like her are a benefit to the region and to the people in it, Mr Yassin-Kassab told The Daily Beast. He also added that he was appalled by the online criticism of the kidnapped Princeton student.

The people whove kidnapped her are monsters whove committed huge crimes against the Arab peoples of Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon. I hope that were all free of them, and I hope that we can get to a situation where people are not targeted just because of their ethnic or national or religious origin, he continued.

A journalist, who spoke to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity, described Ms Tsurkov as a dear friend and called the spy allegations seriously repugnant and inhumane.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement last week that Ms Tsurkov had been kidnapped in Iraq while doing field work in the country, and is being held by the Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah.

Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being, Mr Netanyahu wrote. Ms Tsurkov is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, the Israeli prime minister added.

The Iraqi government announced it opened an investigation into Ms Tsurkovs kidnapping, a government spokesperson said on Friday.
A funding shortfall has forced the Air Force to delay some permanent change of station moves, Selective Reenlistment Bonuses and other cash incentives for airmen, officials said today.

The shortfall is driven by higher than projected personnel costs, said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. The Air Force is taking the actions to avoid running out of funds, she said.

Anyone who doesnt have authenticated PCS orders in hand by Aug. 1 may be affected, she said. Air Force Personnel Center is currently approving PCS orders for those moving in July, she said. But those with projected departure dates in August or later could be affected, if they dont have official orders in hand.

In any given year, the Air Force may ask Congress for authority to reprogram funds for various reasons when there is a shortfall in one area But this year, according to one source, the request hasnt been approved due to a political fight spat between the Colorado and Alabama congressional delegrations over the administrations delay in deciding where U.S. Space Command headquarters will be located.

Two years ago, during the final days of the Trump administration, the Air Force announced Huntsville, Alabama  the site of the Armys Redstone Arsenal and home to the Missile Defense Agency  would serve as the new location for Space Command headquarters, moving it from Colorado Springs. But that choice is under review, and a decision is long overdue.

As a result, some Air Force funding requests have been delayed.

The moves do not affect guardians, as the Space Force has its own appropriations pipeline. Information wasnt immediately available about whether  or when  other branches of service would be affected by similar pressures.

PCS orders are being reviewed and approved on a priority basis, she said. Otherwise, moves will be pushed into next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Generally, service members should get orders anywhere from 60 to 120 days ahead of their departure date, depending on the situation. There was discussion about orders being cut 36 hours in advance of departure dates on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page, but that couldnt be immediately confirmed.

Airmen on overseas long tours with an expected date of return between October and Dec. 23 will have their time extended to between January and March 2024.

Bonuses affected

As of Tuesday, the Air Force is suspending the fiscal 2023 Selective Reenlistment Bonus program, but will allow airmen who would have been eligible after the deadline to extend their current enlistment into fiscal 2024.

This allows most airmen to still access an SRB program with the fiscal 2023 rules until the fiscal 2024 program starts, Stefanek said.

Airmen who reach their maximum extensions by law on their enlistment can also be accommodated through constructive reenlistment, she said. Airmen should be on the lookout for Air Force Personnel Center messaging and work with their servicing Military Personnel Flight.

Other programs affected:

 The Aviation Bonus program that opened on June 6 is being temporarily paused to restructure the program and continue to offer bonuses to aviators. Officials expect to reopen it within the next 14 days. Officers who hadnt already elected to sign the Aviation Bonus contract will be able to do so as long as funds remain.

 The Assignment Incentive Pay program for airmen signing contracts or initiating new pay at non-contract locations is being paused until the beginning of fiscal 2024. Those already receiving Assignment Incentive Pay will continue to receive it.

The Air Force continues to work through additional options to avoid the funding shortfall and will provide more information when available, Stefanek said.
GA Family Dollar worker who reported being held up, now charged with making it all up, theft

A Georgia Family Dollar store worker is under arrest after deputies said she lied about being attacked during an armed robbery.

Investigators said Nicole Hall, 38, called 911 last month saying a man came into the store along Jeffersonville Road in Bibb County, put a blunt object against her back and demanded cash from the store register.

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Hall told deputies at the time that the man ran away and had no description of the suspect.

Last week, investigators brought Hall in for question last week and determined the whole thing was made up.

The sheriffs office has now charged Hall with making a false report of a crime, felony theft by taking and making false statements or writings.

IN OTHER NEWS:
US actor Jamie Foxx attends the mens quater-final match between Christopher Eubanks of the US and Daniil Medvedev of Russia at the 2023 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on March 30, 2023. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Jamie Foxx has been spotted in public for the first time since he was hospitalized with a mystery health complication in the spring.

TMZ first reported the public sighting.

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The gossip site obtained video recorded sometime Sunday afternoon showing Foxx waving from a mega-boat cruising on the Chicago River. He was seen waving to a passing vessel that gave him a cheer.

[ Jamie Foxx spotted at Topgolf in Naperville before boat ride on Chicago River ]

The stars family members have been visiting him as he continues to rehabilitate in Chicago.

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Foxx was hospitalized for several weeks after suffering a medical issue while in Georgia filming a movie for Netflix.

The reason for Foxxs hospitalization sudden has not been released.

We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday, Corinne Foxx, the actors daughter, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram in April.

Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers, the statement continued. The family asks for privacy during this time.

Earlier this month, word began to spread that Foxx was on the mend.

John Boyega, Foxxs co-star in They Cloned Tyrone, told E! Canada that the actor was doing fine.

Yeah. Hes all good. Hes all good, Boyega said. So were just going to wait for him to reappear when he wants to. You know, privacy and all.
Gavin Newsom Says His Staff Want Him To Stop Watching So Much Fox News

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) says he watches Fox News every night to understand it and observe patterns in conservative media  even though members of his staff dont think its healthy.

Newsom criticized the cable news network, as well as right-wing outlets NewsMax and One America News Network, during a new interview with MSNBCs Jen Psaki. He accused the conservative media outlets of fomenting an environment where illusion rules, not facts, and denounced what theyre doing to divide this country.

Do you occasionally turn on Fox prime time and see what happens? Psaki asked.

Not occasionally. Every night, Newsom said.

My staff has quite literally tried to have interventions with me about it. They say Im too obsessed with it, but I need to understand it, he said. I dont want to know what they think  I want to see the patterns, and what you see are patterns that emerge.

WATCH: California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Fox News "contributes to the mental health crisis" but he watches every night and is "obsessed with it" pic.twitter.com/WwkqtbHMjw  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 9, 2023

Psaki also asked Newsom if he believes Democrats should still appear on Fox News.

It contributes to the mental health crisis in the state, he said. So on the basis of ones own personal conditions, I would not recommend it, he added with a laugh.

Newsom did in fact appear on Fox News last month, using the opportunity to push back on misinformation. During an interview with Sean Hannity, Newsom dissected the star hosts talking points about Californias economy and President Joe Bidens ability to do his job, among other topics.

In January, he called the Fox News prime-time lineup a disgrace after a mass shooting in Monterey Park where 11 people were killed.

Their xenophobia, their racial priming  what they have done to perpetuate crime and violence in this country, by scapegoating, and by doing not a damn thing about gun safety, not a damn thing for decades, he said.

Related...
George Santos compared himself to Rosa Parks, saying he also refuses to 'sit in the back' like some want him too

Rep. George Santos, left, and Rosa Parks, right, in a composite image. Getty Images

Rep. George Santos compared himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks during a podcast appearance.

He said he refuses to "sit in the back" like some politicians want him to.

Santos was referring to comments made by Sen. Mitt Romney during the SOTU address in February.

Rep. George Santos compared himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks in a recent interview, saying that he refuses to "sit in the back" like some people want him to.

Santos, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on 13 criminal charges in May, made an appearance on conservative talk show host Mike Crispi's "Unafraid" podcast last week.

In the interview, Santos took aim at what he called "sellout" Republicans, singling out Sen. Mitt Romney in particular.

Santos told the podcast: "Mitt Romney goes to the State of the Union of the United States wearing a Ukraine lapel pin, tells me a Latino gay man that I shouldn't sit in the front, that I should be in the back."

He continued: "Well, guess what, Rosa Parks didn't sit in the back, and neither am I going to sit in the back."

In 1955, Parks famously defied a bus driver's order to vacate a seat in the "colored" section of the bus in favor of a white passenger. Her act of resistance against racial segregation inspired the Montgomery bus boycott  a 13-month protest that played a significant role in the fight for civil rights for Black people.

The suggestion that Santos move to the back, however, occurred in very different circumstances.

In February, Romney told reporters that he had confronted Santos, telling him that he did not belong in Congress after being caught out in a web of lies.

Romney later told the media that he said to Santos: "Given the fact that he's under ethics investigation, he should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet."

Santos is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying he would be removed from Congress if the committee found that he had broken the law.

Several other federal bodies, as well as Brazilian authorities, are also investigating potential wrongdoings by the embattled first-term congressman.

Read the original article on Business Insider
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty

Notorious political troublemaker Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has caused a stir after comparing himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks, leaving many social media critics bewildered at the truth-averse congressmans new level of self-righteousness.

A clip went viral Monday morning of Santos sitting in the backseat of a vehicle while being interviewed last week for Mike Crispis rightwing political podcast Unafraid, explaining how he handles Republican dissenters.

They come for me, I go right back for them, Santos said, because they think for far too long theyve gotten away with getting along to get along. So, no. Its not going to stay that way anymore. Im going to call them out: You wanna call me a liar? Ill call you a sellout.

Then, Santos blasted Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) for instructing him to not sit at the top of the aisle for President Joe Bidens State of the Union in February. (Romney later said he called Santos an ass who doesnt belong here.) Santos, being Latino and a gay man, said he wasnt going to do that.

Well, guess what? Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back, and neither am I going to sit in the back! Santos proclaimed. Thats just the reality of how it works.

Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back and neither I am going to sit in the back - Rep. George Santos pic.twitter.com/DTwfYMiSru  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 10, 2023

People within the political sphere immediately jumped on social media to break down the odd comparison.

Santos is not Rosa Parks, former New York state senator Anna Kaplan wrote on Twitter. He is a fraud and an embarrassment to our district.

What an absolute disgrace, tweeted lawyer and Democratic strategist Aaron Parnas.

This guy is a special kind of crazy, and I mean the kind that belongs in a straight jacket.



Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back and neither I am going to sit in the back - Rep. George Santos pic.twitter.com/LtAvTe7CL6  Shermichael Singleton (@Shermichael_) July 10, 2023

George Santos just compared himself to Rosa Parks, wrote California Democratic congressional candidate John Burrows. Its shameful. Its embarrassing.

You're a liar George, civil rights journalist Soledad OBrien said. You're no Rosa Parks. Go shush your embarrassing self.

Santos was arrested in May after being indicted on 13 federal charges, including allegedly taking COVID unemployment benefits while receiving a hefty salary in Florida at a company accused of engaging in a Ponzi scheme, misusing campaign funds, and money laundering. He has previously been called out for misrepresenting his Jewish heritage, claiming to be Black, and exaggerating his political resume and education.

Santos did not immediately return The Daily Beasts request for comment Monday.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Wikimedia Commons

The remains of a German real estate tycoon who has been missing since July 4 have been found inside a freezer of a rental home in the Thai city of Pattaya, according to local authorities.

Hans Peter Mack, 62, had been reported missing by his wife, 24-year-old Thai national Piraya Boonmak, a day after his disappearance. According to local reports, Boonmak had grown concerned after her husband failed to return to their home in Pattaya after a scheduled meeting with a foreign property broker.

The missing persons case took a grim turn on Sunday, when local authorities reportedly found Macks car, a silver Mercedes-Benz E350 coupe, abandoned in the parking lot of a condo. According to local police, the interior of the car appeared to have been scrubbed with a bleaching cleaner.

There was intention to destroy evidence and the case indicates that Mr Hans Peter Ralter Macks disappearance was suspicious, a police spokesperson quoted by The Bangkok Post said.

A local food vendor had reportedly told police that the car had been parked there for a few days, and they had seen two women exit from the vehicle at one point.

Police later revealed that they suspected Mack had been abducted for extortion after linking several suspicious financial transactions to his disappearance, according to local reports.

The case concerns assets. The offender seemed to know that Mr. Mack had assets. Detectives must find out if he knew Mr. Mack personally, Thailands deputy national police chief said.

Three foreign nationals have reportedly been questioned in connection with the case.

According to Pattaya News, Macks dismembered body had been discovered in a large freezer of a rental home around midnight local time on July 11. The discovery came after police reviewed CCTV footage around the area that showed a black pickup truck transporting the freezer in the direction of the rental home.

A neighbor told the outlet that the home had been occupied by a German national who knew Mack.

Prior to his disappearance, Mack had been spotted on security footage leaving a local restaurant toward Jomtien beachhis last known sighting.

Whoever took my husband, just tell me what you want, but please give me back my husband, Macks wife said in a televised statement alongside his two sonsjust hours before the gruesome discovery of his remains were reported. Everyone is worried and we are waiting to find him. The family hopes he is still alive and in Thailand. Everyone will help to bring him home.

The family had offered upwards of $84,000 for leads on the disappearance of the real estate tycoon.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Germany to announce new military aid package for Ukraine at NATO summit  Pistorius

Boris Pistorius

Berlin is set to unveil a fresh aid package for Ukraine during the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on July 10.

Pistorius said that preliminary work on the aid package was practically completed, while expressing his anticipation for a very united NATO summit.

Read also: NATO agrees, Ukraine will join the without Membership Action Plan  Kuleba

He also said he was closely monitoring Swedens potential NATO membership and the responses of both Turkey and Hungary.

The Ukrainian government has stated that it will receive a clear signal affirming its readiness to join the Alliance during the summit in the Lithuanian capital on July 11-12.

Read also: Retired U.S. General expresses doubts about Ukraine NATO prospects at Vilnius summit

According to the Wall Street Journal, prior to Ukraines accession to NATO, Western nations will present a security model akin to that of Israel, facilitating the transfer of weaponry and cutting-edge technologies to Kyiv, thus paving the way for eventual membership in the Alliance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 10 that Swedish membership of NATO was tied to Turkeys possible accession to the EU. He previously indicated his support for Ukraines membership.

Read also: U.S. confirms transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, delivery expected within days, says Ukrainian PM

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Germany sends troops to Australia in a first as Berlin shifts focus to Indo-Pacific

By Sabine Siebold

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will, for the first time, send troops to Australia as part of joint drills with some 30,000 service members from 12 other nations, underlining Berlin's increased focus on the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions with China in the region.

In recent years, Germany has had a greater military presence in the Indo-Pacific, even as this means walking a tightrope between its security and economic interests.

"It is a region of extremely high importance for us in Germany as well as for the European Union due to the economic interdependencies", Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters in an interview published on Monday, hours before the first German troops were to leave for Australia.

China is Berlin's most important trading partner, and 40% of Europe's foreign trade flows through the South China Sea, a waterway that is a focal point for territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific.

In 2021, a German warship sailed into the South China Sea for the first time in almost 20 years. Last year, Berlin sent 13 military aircraft to joint exercises in Australia, the air force's largest peacetime deployment.

Mais said up to 240 German soldiers, among them 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, will take part in the Talisman Sabre exercise from July 22 to August 4, the largest drills between Australia and the U.S., held bi-annually.

The Germans will train in jungle warfare and landing operations alongside soldiers from countries such as Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, France and Britain.

"We aim to demonstrate that we are reliable and capable partners that contribute to stabilizing the rules-based order in the region", Mais said.

When asked what message the first deployment of German troops to Australia was meant to send to China, he underscored Berlin did not aim to antagonize anybody.

"It generally makes sense to get to know the perspective others have upon the world", said the lieutenant general, adding that the current security challenges were much less clear-cut than before 1990.

"The Cold War was easy, it was a bi-polar world. Today, we can no longer focus on Europe only...we have to position ourselves much more broadly," the army chief underscored.

Mais plans to visit the German troops in Australia and a Rheinmetall plant assembling Boxer armoured transport vehicles for both armies in mid-July, before travelling on to Japan and Singapore.

"Japan is a partner that holds a lot of potential for a deepening of our bilateral military cooperation," he said. As for Talisman Sabre, the German troops already have orders to return to Australia for the next exercise in 2025.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Fatima, 11, was taken from her family's home in the middle of the night

Ghanaian children have been taken from their homes in an operation backed by one of the world's leading anti-slavery organisations, according to a BBC Africa Eye investigation.

The multimillion-dollar charity, International Justice Mission, aims to rescue trafficked children and reunite them with their families. But serious concerns have been raised about their West African operations.

Short presentational grey line

A little after midnight on 6 September, 2022, Musah Mustafa emerged from his thatched-roof hut to relieve himself and saw four cars speeding towards his tiny village.

Mogyigna was barely a village. With just a handful of family homes and two dozen people in total, it was more like a dot in the middle of an expanse of farmland in northern Ghana. Cars were a rare sight during the day, let alone at night. Musah hid behind a tree and watched. When he saw armed men from the cars approach the two homes, he shouted in an attempt to wake the other residents.

But before anyone could act, the men entered the huts and forcibly removed four children, carrying an 11-year-old girl called Fatima by her arms and legs from the room where she had been sleeping with her grandparents.

A gun pointed at her neck, Fatima's grandmother Sana pleaded with the men. She did not understand why the children were being taken away. Two of the children's uncles were also taken. Sana feared she would never see her relatives again.

In the eyes of Mogyigna's villagers, a violent kidnapping had taken place.

But this was not a kidnapping.

Officially, it was a rescue operation carried out by Ghanaian police officers, under Ghana's Human Trafficking Act. The children were transferred into the care of social services.

The operation was instigated by IJM.

With around $100m (78m) in funding annually over the past two years, IJM is one of the world's leading anti-trafficking organisations.

In the UK, IJM says it can count on the support of nearly 300 churches, and more than 220,000 ($280,000) was raised last year from churches and other donors by IJM UK to support activities in Ghana.

But according to our investigation, IJM has removed some children from their families in cases where there was scarce-to-no evidence of trafficking and this aggressive approach may have been fuelled by a target-driven culture inside IJM.

We found two documented cases of rescue operations in which children were forcibly, traumatically and unjustly removed and the children's relatives prosecuted as child traffickers. One of the cases was Fatima's.

In Ghana, IJM focuses on rescuing children who have been trafficked to work as slave labourers on Lake Volta, one of the world's largest man-made lakes.

Children working on the shores of Lake Volta are a common sight

About 300,000 people depend on the lake for their livelihoods, and children work in the local fishing industry under varying degrees of exploitation: some support their families in fishing, others are hired to work under boat masters for little or no pay.

There is very little independent data on how pervasive the child-trafficking problem is on Lake Volta. A 2016 study by IJM indicated that more than half of all children working on the lake were victims of trafficking.

In 2015, the charity began rescuing children who were spotted in canoes on the lake, but in 2018 it switched to night raids of on-shore locations where children were said to be kept overnight.

The raid that night in the village of Mogyigna was one such mission. It was dubbed Operation Hilltop.

Africa Eye began investigating IJM after becoming aware of concerns over their work in Ghana and placed an undercover reporter on the staff at the charity.

As Operation Hilltop unfolded, we were able to monitor what staff were saying to each other on an IJM WhatsApp group. We also gained access to social services' documents relating to the case, giving Africa Eye an unprecedented insight into the planning, execution and aftermath of the IJM's rescue mission.

That evidence shows that while IJM was telling their partners in both the police force and social services that the four children had been trafficked, internally the charity had reached a different conclusion.

An IJM legal officer said in an internal message sent after the raid that the charity had already concluded there were "no elements of trafficking" in the case of Fatima and two of the other children taken that night from Mogyigna. Only one of the four cases, Fatima's cousin Mohammed, included elements of trafficking, according to the legal officer - a conclusion that is disputed by Mohammed's family.

But the mission to remove all four children, aged between five and 11, went ahead anyway because IJM concluded the children were at risk of being used for child labour, an issue that, although serious, would not have merited such an aggressive raid.

The internal messages said that as the children were not in school and "working between the hours the law states they should not work, and deprived of good health then there was a need to rescue them [as they were] being used for the purposes of child labour".

Fatima and the other three children were housed at an IJM-partner shelter, separated from their relatives for more than four months, before an investigation by Ghanaian social services concluded the children had not been trafficked and they should be reunited with their families.

Mogyigna village is made up of a handful of family homes

Fatima is now back in the village, under the care of her grandmother Sana, while Mohammed's father decided the boy should live elsewhere, as did the father of the other two children.

When Africa Eye visited Mogyigna, five months after the rescue, villagers there told us they were happy the children had been returned, but they said the after-effects of Operation Hilltop were still being felt.

Fatima said that she was afraid the BBC team had come to take her away again.

"I was terrified and I started crying," the 11-year-old said about the night of Operation Hilltop. "I thought they were taking us away to kill us. We didn't know where they were taking us."

While in the shelter she thought her "grandmother, grandfather, uncles had died".

"When I was taken away, I cried a lot while thinking about my family," she added.

Fatima's uncles, Nantogma Abukari and Sayibu Alhassan, were arrested during the operation.

They were prosecuted on charges of child trafficking and child labour and spent all their savings to attend court and bail hearings. Every return trip to court cost them more than 1,500 Ghana cedis ($132; 104) in travel - the equivalent of almost two months' work.

Prosecutions are an essential part of IJM's anti-slavery model, as the charity argues they serve as a deterrent. Court documents show that an IJM lawyer stood in for the state prosecutor in one of the court hearings.

The uncles' case was eventually dropped and their names cleared, but it continues to dog them. Some members of their family no longer speak to them, they said, driven by a suspicion that they had "colluded" in some way "with the people who took the children away".

Responding to the BBC's inquiries about Fatima's case, IJM maintained that its mission had successfully relocated the four children with their fathers to a safer location.

Mawusi Amlade was wrongly jailed for child trafficking

During Africa Eye's investigation into Operation Hilltop, a second problematic rescue came to our attention. A 2019 operation had removed a boy and his sibling from their family and led to the children's mother, Mawusi Amlade, being sentenced to five years in prison for child trafficking.

The most painful aspect of prison, Ms Amlade said, was to be separated from her children, unsure about what had happened to them.

"I had no idea where my children had been taken, I kept thinking about them, more than anything else," she told Africa Eye.

Two years later, in a bizarre turn of events, Ms Amlade's conviction was quashed after an intervention by another US NGO, the Sudreau Global Justice Institute - a partner of IJM.

Sudreau not only freed Ms Amlade through an appeal process, but also advertised her case in a fundraising campaign as a miscarriage of justice.

In an Instagram post that was later deleted, Sudreau's official account described Ms Amlade as a "mother of two falsely convicted of a serious crime".

Four years on, Ms Amlade has still not been reunited with her children.

Sudreau told the BBC that it acted independently from IJM, despite the partnership, and that there was no conflict of interest.

In a statement, IJM said that it "does not decide whether a possible child trafficking case is pursued or whether any individual is arrested or prosecuted with offences".

The undercover Africa Eye reporter joined several conversations that may help explain what was going wrong in a charity whose mission was to help the poor.

In a secretly filmed conversation with a senior IJM staff member, the reporter was told IJM staff needed to rescue a set number of victims and secure a set number of prosecutions every year. Another staff member said that IJM staff were denied pay rises or were at risk of being sacked if they did not reach these targets.

In a separate conversation, the reporter asked an IJM investigator what would happen if staff on a mission were unable to take the children away. "We can't say we didn't get even one, we need to get some," the staff member replied.

Dr Sam Okyere, a senior lecturer from the University of Bristol who worked on Lake Volta conducting field research into child rescue operations, reviewed the secretly recorded conversations and expressed concerns about the apparent target-driven culture.

He told the BBC that jobs at IJM are well paid and sought after.

"The fear of losing a coveted position would mean that people would go the extra mile to meet the targets," Dr Okyere said.

Fatima's home in Mogyigna is in a remote area several hours' drive form the nearest large town

With regard to the claims of a target-driven culture, the charity said: "IJM Ghana sets targets in order to evaluate impact so that we can provide the most effective support to authorities to stop child trafficking."

IJM denied that staff were penalised if they failed to meet targets.

It said the charity's Ghana's team was "led and staffed by Ghanaian nationals who support the Ghanaian authorities to bring trafficked children to safety, help restore survivors' physical and mental wellbeing, and stop those responsible for illegally exploiting children".

It added: "Our approach always has the welfare of the child at its core. The 76 operations that IJM Ghana has supported have led to hundreds of children being brought to safety by the Ghanaian authorities."

IJM has released cinematic promotional videos for its work in Ghana. In one, actors play out the emotional moment when a boy is reunited with his grandfather after being rescued from the lake. In its marketing material, the production company which made the video said it helped raise about $1.25m in donations to IJM.

But when Fatima, a real child with real people caring for her, was allowed back to her village, there was no such embrace.

Fatima's grandfather, who had watched as armed men burst into his home and took his granddaughter away, died while she was in the shelter.

"My grandfather was very loving, he used to give us gifts," Fatima said. "When I came back, I was crying and wondering, since my grandfather has left us, where would we see him again?"

Additional reporting by Yahaya Masahudu and Aliaume Leroy

You can watch the full film on the BBC Africa YouTube channel.
A video from Glenn Beck, an American conservative commentator, claims a proposal backed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) would limit meat and dairy in smart cities by 2030. This is false; the document cited as evidence is an independent climate analysis that makes no specific policy recommendations.

"The World Economic Forum calls them smart cities, which seems great. Progressive urban designers like the UK-headquartered Arup Group, they have their own section on the WEF website. They're gaming what smart cities might look like," Beck says in a video published June 30, 2023 on Facebook.

"Their plan for 2030: Your family will eat zero amounts of meat and zero amounts of dairy. Each person will be restricted to 2,500 calories a day. What? Each family member will only receive three new items of clothing per year."

The reel, originally posted June 17 on TikTok, accumulated hundreds of thousands of views across platforms. Text over the clip says: "World Economic Forum WEF WANT TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE PUBLIC 15 minutes city already in USA."

Screenshot from Facebook taken July 10, 2023

The footage stems from a January 2023 episode of Beck's show on The Blaze, a conservative media company he created after leaving Fox News in 2011. Similar claims about WEF restrictions have circulated on Instagram and Twitter -- including in Spanish.

"A report published in 2019 states that humans will only be permitted to buy three items of clothing per year and will be prohibited from buying or consuming meat" says a July 6 tweet.

The WEF, an international non-governmental organization that meets annually in Davos, Switzerland, is a frequent target of online disinformation. AFP has previously debunked claims that the group wants to ban eggs and force people to eat insects.

Rumors of meat and dairy restrictions are similarly inaccurate, according to the WEF, which has no authority over governments or policy.

"While the World Economic Forum is contributing to reflect about how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a growing global population, our organization has no plan to restrict people's nutrition," said Yann Zopf, the group's head of media, in a July 7, 2023 email, calling the claims "completely false."

'Not a plan for cities to adopt'

To support his segment, Beck cites a June 2019 report from the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group titled "The Future of Urban Consumption in a 1.5C World" (archived here). The group, a global network of nearly 100 mayors working to combat climate change, has a page on the WEF website (archived here).

"In 2017, emissions associated with food were estimated to account for 13 percent of total consumption-based emissions across C40 cities," says the report, whose stated goal is to "inspire practical action."

"Roughly three-quarters of these emissions stem from consumption of animal-based foods, with the remaining 25 percent from consumption of plant-based foods," it says.

The study -- a collaboration between C40 Cities, Arup and the University of Leeds -- modeled how five different food-related interventions would affect the progression of global warming. The report includes both "progressive" and "ambitious" targets for 2030.

The latter scenario posits zero kilograms of meat and dairy consumption, a limit of 2,500 calories per day and zero household food waste.

"If C40 cities change their food consumption habits in line with the identified progressive targets, the categorys emissions could be cut by 51 percent between 2017 and 2050," the report says. "The adoption of ambitious targets would enable an additional nine percent reduction."

Screenshot from a C40 Cities report taken July 10, 2023

Screenshot from a C40 Cities report taken July 10, 2023

The study also includes an ambitious target of limiting new clothing items to three per person per year.

But those numbers are not policy recommendations.

"This report does not advocate for the wholesale adoption of these more ambitious targets in C40 cities; rather, they are included to provide a set of reference points that cities, and other actors, can reflect on when considering different emission-reduction alternatives and long-term urban visions," the document says.

The group confirmed the report "is an analysis of consumption-based emissions in C40 cities, not a plan for cities to adopt."

"It's up to individuals to make their personal lifestyle choices, including what type of food to eat and what type of clothing they prefer," a spokesperson said in a July 10 email.

AFP reached out to Beck for comment, but a response was not forthcoming.

'Smart cities' unrelated

The WEF leads the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance, an initiative aimed at "ensuring responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies." Arup is a partner on the project (archived here).

But the 2019 climate report makes no mention of smart cities, which have been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.

Through the WEF-led alliance, 36 cities are pioneering projects to improve access to amenities and plan for forthcoming technologies, such as autonomous vehicles. Beck also references the 15-minute city urban design philosophy which is attributed to Carlos Moreno, a computer scientist and entrepreneur at Paris's Sorbonne University.

Moreno previously told AFP the concept aims to "face up to our ecological, economic and social challenges" by reducing car use and commuting times.

"Never have there been proposals for restrictions -- on the contrary, this is a new opportunity: more choice, more services, more desire to thrive in one's neighborhood while having the choice to go where we please," he said.

"Since the start of 2023, the concept of the 15-minute city has been subject to conspiracy theories, produced and shared by people already well-known for spreading disinformation about Covid, the climate, vaccines and politics."

AFP has fact-checked other false and misleading claims about the WEF here, here and here. More reporting about 15-minute and smart cities is available here, here and here.
Google is already testing its Med-PaLM 2 AI chat technology at at the Mayo Clinic and other hospitals, The Wall Street Journal has reported. It's based on the company's PaLM 2 large language model (LLM) that underpins Bard, Google's ChatGPT rival  and was launched just months ago at Google I/O.

Unlike the base model, Med-PaLM-2 has been trained on questions and answer from medical licensing exams, along with a curated set of medical expert demonstrations. That gives it expertise in answering health-related questions, and it can also do labor-intensive tasks like summarizing documents and organizing research data, according to the report.

During I/O, Google released a paper detailing its work on Med-PaLM2. On the positive side, it demonstrated features like "alignment with medical consensus," reasoning ability, and even the ability to generate answers that were preferred by respondents over physician-generated responses. More negatively, it showed the same accuracy problems we've seen on other Chat AI models.

Microsoft is also developing medical AI chat tech based on OpenAI's ChatGPT, having teamed up with the healthcare software company Epic. Google is also working on using its AI for ultrasound diagnosis and cancer therapy, it revealed in March. Both companies have promised to keep patient information confidential, saying they don't train their models on patient data. Last month, Microsoft expressed alarm about its ChatGPT technology being used by doctors to improve communications with patients.

In an internal email seen by the WSJ, Google said it believes the updated model could "be of tremendous value in countries that have more limited access to doctors." Still, Google has admitted that the technology is still in its early stages. "I dont feel that this kind of technology is yet at a place where I would want it in my familys healthcare journey," said Google senior research director Greg Corrado. However, he added that the tech "takes the places in healthcare where AI can be beneficial and expands them by 10-fold."
GOP Senate candidate uses Kentucky photo to tout his support for Montana agriculture  then quickly replaces it when asked about it

Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman recruited by the national GOP to run against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana. Tim Sheehy For Montana

GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy's website touts his support for Montana agriculture.

But the photo he originally used wasn't taken in Montana  it was taken in Kentucky.

After Insider reached out to Sheehy's campaign, the photo  and two others  were quickly replaced.

Republican Tim Sheehy has based his Senate campaign in Montana in part on his support for the state's agricultural sector.

On the "Issues" section of his campaign website, he argues that he knows "firsthand the challenges we face with the over consolidation of corporate agriculture," pointing to his co-founding of a cattle company to showcase his "direct participation and investment in production agriculture here in Montana."

But the photo he originally used to illustrate that "direct participation"  a sunny, green pasture filled with grazing cattle  was actually taken by a photographer hundreds of miles away, in Kentucky.

The original portion of Sheehy's website touting his support for Montana agriculture  alongside a photo taken in Kentucky. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy for Montana

An original copy of the photo can be found on the Shutterstock page of Patrick Jennings, a Kentucky-based photographer. A similar photo on the website indicates that the picture used by Sheehy was taken in a field in Kentucky.

That wasn't the only example of out-of-state photography on Sheehy's website.

The photo that Sheehy originally used to illustrate his support for border security was taken in Russia, while a photo in his "Forest Management" section originates from Ukraine.

Reached for comment, Sheehy campaign spokeswoman Katie Martin blamed their campaign's digital vendor, Push Digital, for the "unfortunate error."

"The website has been updated accordingly," Martin added.

The agriculture portion now includes a Shutterstock image labeled "Round bales found in Livingston Montana," while the forestry section now has a photo taken in Custer Gallatin National Forest and the border security section features a commonly-used stock image of the southern border wall that's been appeared in several articles.

Sheehy's original "Border Security" section, which includes a photo taken in Russia. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy for Montana

It's not all that uncommon for political campaigns to use stock imagery that contradicts the message they're seeking to get across.

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. recently used a Russian stock photo in a tweet hawking his campaign merchandise, while House Republicans' "Commitment to America" campaign roll-out last year also included Russian and Ukrainian stock imagery.

Often, it's simply cheap and expedient to use stock images, rather than original photos taken solely for a campaign.

Sheehy's original "Forest Management" section, which includes a photo taken in Russia. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy for Montana

But in a state like Montana  where suspicion towards so-called "out of staters" runs high and where Democrats have already sought to portray Sheehy, who moved to the state in 2014, as a "transplant"  even small choices like these are likely to draw scrutiny.

Montana's US Senate election is certain to be one of the most closely-watched in the nation next year; Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is seeking re-election in a state that former President Donald Trump carried by double-digits in 2020, and partisan control of the entire Senate hangs in the balance.

National Republicans recruited Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman, to run against Tester. Several Republican senators have already backed Sheehy's campaign, hoping to head off a primary challenge from Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Republican who lost to Tester in 2018.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nominating petitions for candidates in a county election are dropped off at the Cook County Administration Building in Chicago in March 2022. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

The General Assembly has created the illusion of a robust democracy in Illinois by making it fairly easy to get on the ballot for local offices but very difficult to get on the ballot for the state legislature, U.S. House and statewide elections, including president.

Illinois has some of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. Consider the 2022 general election results. While it is true that the Libertarian Party was able to place a slate of statewide candidates on the ballot, there were 118 Illinois House and 59 Illinois Senate district elections, none of which had a third-party or independent candidate on the ballot.

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While there was one third-party and one independent candidate on the ballot among the 17 U.S. House district elections, they made the ballot only because the signature requirement is cut by more than half in years that end in 2 (due to recently completed redistricting) and possibly were not challenged to prove they had enough signatures of registered voters.

Illinois has one of the most difficult petitioning requirements in the nation for U.S. House elections, requiring a number of signatures that is 5% of the last total general election vote for that office. No candidate for U.S. House in Illinois has met that petition requirement to get on a November ballot since 1974. While some non-Republican or non-Democratic U.S. House candidates have made the ballot since then, that was due to temporarily reduced petitioning requirements (for example, in 2020 due to COVID-19), or they were not challenged to prove they had enough valid signatures. (More on Illinois challenge process later.)

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Illinois also has a signature requirement of 5% of the last general election vote for third-party and independent candidates for Illinois House and Illinois Senate.

On average, it will take about 12,000 valid signatures to be gathered within 90 days in highly gerrymandered congressional districts to place a third-party U.S. House candidate on the 2024 ballot. The average number of valid signatures to get on the ballot for an Illinois Senate seat in the 2024 general election will be about 2,900, and about 1,600 for the Illinois House. All signatures have to be from registered voters in the applicable district. Out-of-district voters dont count.

This compares with averages of 1,000 (Illinois Senate), 500 (Illinois House) and even fewer signatures for U.S. House for Republicans or Democrats to get on the ballot for their primary elections in 2024, after which the winners advance to the general election without gathering any more signatures.

If a third party wanted to run candidates for all U.S. House and Illinois House and Senate districts in 2024, it would take about 450,000 valid signatures  probably at least 675,000 total signatures  to be gathered in 90 days to get those candidates on the ballot. Include a statewide petition to put a presidential ticket on the ballot, and that number will increase to more than 700,000 total signatures, compared with about 130,000 total for Republicans and Democrats to qualify for the ballot in all districts and place their presidential tickets on the 2024 ballot.

The petitioning requirement for 2026 will be even higher due to more people voting in the presidential election year of 2024.

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Beyond high signature numbers, plenty of other land mines have been planted by the General Assembly for potential challengers. Each voter can sign only one petition for third-party general election candidates. Each petition circulator can gather signatures for only one party or independent candidate during each two-year election cycle. With numbers this high, paid petition circulators must be hired, and the best paid petitioners gather signatures for Republican and Democratic candidates to get on the ballot for their primary elections, after which they cannot petition for any other candidates for the general election.

Worst of all is the challenge process. Instead of having state employees verify collected signatures, which is the case in the vast majority of states, Illinois has a Kafkaesque process whereby petitions are challenged by people usually associated with Republican or Democratic candidates in an attempt to push potential candidates off the ballot through incurrence of large expenses (usually including attorneys fees) and major hassles. It is a political sport to try to kick candidates off the ballot, including primary election ballots, in Illinois, and that should stop.

Illinois then has a high vote test to remain on the ballot for future elections. Only if a governor candidate earns 5% or more of the vote will a party be able to remain on the ballot to compete with the Republicans and Democrats for the next four years. That compares with a median percentage of 2% of the vote in other states, with that usually applying to any statewide office.

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Our neighboring state, Wisconsin, requires a new political party to gather 10,000 valid signatures of registered voters, which then qualifies that party to run candidates for all partisan offices in that state. The same law should be adopted in Illinois.

The ballot access laws of Illinois are something that you would expect from authoritarian regimes, not a state deliberative body in a nation that holds itself up as a beacon of democracy to the world. I urge the people of Illinois to inform the General Assembly of that in no uncertain terms.

Bill Redpath is the chair of the Libertarian Party of Illinois and was the partys U.S. Senate nominee in 2022. He is also the national ballot access coordinator for the Libertarian Party and the editor of Ballot Access News.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
When a scooter-riding gunman on a senseless rampage shot Cesar Martinez in Brooklyn Saturday it was like he wounded the bystanders whole family, the victims distraught grandmother said Monday.

His mother is holding up more than me, said Ana Burgos, 60, who has been caring for Martinez since the weekend shooting spree left two other random victims wounded and an 87-year-old man dead.

She holds it in a little bit but she needs to cry, Burgos said. She needs to scream. She needs to hit something. She needs to let it out. But she has been strong.

Cops arrested Thomas Abreu, a 25-year-old restaurant deliveryman and charged him with the caught-on-camera 30 minute shooting spree that stretched from Brooklyn to Queens and claimed the life of Hamod Ali Saeidi, who was shot and killed while taking his daily stroll along a Queens street.

According to police, Martinez, 21, was Abreus first victim, taking a bullet in the shoulder when Abreu whizzed by him shortly after 11 a.m. ET at Arlington Ave. and Ashford St., two blocks from the duplex where the suspect lives in Cypress Hills.

Surveillance footage obtained by the Daily News shows Martinez crossing the street when the moped-riding gunman zips past him and opens fire, sending the victim sprawling to the ground in the crosswalk.

Martinez was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital and has since been recovering with help from his worried and angry grandmother.

Thank God that hes home, she said. And I thank God that hes alive. And I thank God for the officer that helped him. And, God willing, hes going to be fine.

Right now hes in pain so hes on medication  antibiotics, Motrin, Tylenol, she added.

He lost a tooth, broke his nose. So hes going to have a couple of surgeries to fix all of that. And he wobbles a bit when he walks. I guess he has a nerve pinch. But the doctor says that hes back to normal. Its going to take time but hes going to be back to his normal self. I cant wait. I cant wait.

In the meantime, Burgos said she remains puzzled about what motivated Abreu to attack a series of strangers.

After Martinez was shot, the shooter next surfaced on Jamaica Ave., where he shot 87-year-old Saeidi in the back during one of the victims daily walks near 109th St. in Richmond Hill at 11:27 a.m. ET.

Abreu then opened fire on a group standing a block away on 108th St. but his bullets failed to hit their marks and he sped away, according to police.

The shooter next targeted a 44-year-old man on Hillside Ave. and 126th St. at 11:35 a.m. ET, striking him in the cheek, police said. The man was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.

The scooter rider shot his final victim, a 63-year-old man, on Jamaica Ave. and 134th St. at 11:37 a.m. ET, striking that victim in the shoulder.

I would like to know why, Burgos said. How do you get up in the morning and say Im just going to go out and hurt four families. Because its not only mine. Im also grieving for the man who passed away and the others who are in the hospital.

Like, why? What was your problem? she added. He didnt do nothing to you. Neither did the other people. And they say mental illness. But nah, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Martinez has two younger sisters, 14-year-old twins and an 18-year-old brother.

They are taking it hard, the grandmother said. His brother, he doesnt like to show emotions. He likes to keep everything inside of him. Yesterday when they gave the OK to go in one by one, when he came out he was crying. I hugged him and I said, Its okay to cry. Its okay to cry. So we both cried.
House Republicans will return to Washington this week amid rising tensions between GOP leaders and hard-line conservatives, a dynamic highlighted by the House Freedom Caucus taking a vote to oust Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

The apparent purge marks a stunning development for Greene, a conservative icon and close ally of former President Trump who has also, more recently, cozied up to House GOP leaders at the expense of her standing among her own hard-line colleagues.

And it could create new headaches for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has leaned on Greenes firm support to shield him from conservative attacks throughout the year.

The straw that broke the camels back, Freedom Caucus board member Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) told reporters Thursday, was Greene calling Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) a little bitch on the House floor in June.

But Harris also said that Greenes close relationship with McCarthy, as well as her support for a debt ceiling deal the Speaker struck with President Biden over the objections of most Freedom Caucus members, all mattered in her ouster.

Greene told Breitbart News that she had not yet talked to House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) about the vote, and questioned whether there was a quorum for the impromptu meeting.

But the vote itself has highlighted broader frictions between GOP leaders and far-right conservatives, who were wary of McCarthys speakership from the first days of the year, grew furious with his handling of the debt ceiling and are now eyeing tactics to force McCarthy to hold a tougher line on deficit reduction in the coming battle with Biden over federal spending.

Hanging over that debate is the threat of a government shutdown  and a possible challenge to McCarthys Speakership.

McCarthy and some of his leadership allies huddled with roughly a dozen of the conservative detractors on the day Congress left Washington for the July 4 recess  an effort to ease tensions before the long break. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate left that meeting with hopes of coming together to pass all 12 appropriations bills through the lower chamber in time to prevent a shutdown at the end of September.

Were making progress, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) said afterwards. Well be working on finding as many opportunities to cut federal spending as possible.

Yet no deals were sealed, and winning the votes of the hard-liners  many of whom have opposed most of the spending bills theyve faced in Congress  will be no easy task given the Republicans slim House majority and the unanimous Democratic opposition to the GOPs proposed cuts.

That internal GOP battle will be front and center as Congress returns to Capitol Hill, where Freedom Caucus members and their allies will focus the next three weeks on pressuring McCarthy and House leadership to pass spending bills at levels below the caps McCarthy agreed to in the debt ceiling deal  and rejecting what they call budgetary gimmicks, like rescinding previously approved funds, in order to achieve those lower levels.

Conservatives are also gearing up to pressure leadership on hot-button social issues in amendments to the annual defense authorization, which the House takes up next week. Among the nearly 1,500 amendments are proposals to ban the Defense Department from paying for abortion services or travel to a state where abortion is legal, and anti-woke measures like eliminating diversity and inclusion positions and initiatives.

Greenes apparent ouster from the Freedom Caucus has sparked plenty of questions about the underlying reasons: Was it policy differences, personality disputes, a clash of allegiances, or some combination of the three? Harris said there were multiple factors at play, but neither Greene nor the Freedom Caucus will officially confirm her membership status or the motives behind the push to remove her.

In a statement responding to news of the vote to remove her, Greene said that she serve[s] no group in Washington and will work with ANYONE on her top priorities.

But coming in the midst of the spending fight, the vote to expel her  the first in the groups eight-year history  is seen by some outside experts as just the latest example of the conservatives flexing their muscles in a razor-thin GOP majority.

In doing so, theyve sent a message to GOP leaders that they aim to use their considerable leverage to achieve their policy goals, particularly on federal spending. Theyve also sent a warning to their own members that theres a price to pay for siding with the conventional governing strategy adopted by McCarthy on issues like the debt ceiling that demand bipartisan support.

Thats what Marjorie Taylor Greenes problem [is] here, Brendan Buck, former aide to past Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), told NBC News. Its not so much that shes fighting with her colleagues. Its that shes become an ally of the Speaker.

Some other observers see the Freedom Caucuss recent moves as tactical errors that will cause leadership to resist the groups demands rather than embrace them.

If Im Scott Perry, this is the last thing I want making headlines leading into three weeks of session before the August recess, a senior Republican aide told The Hill in response to news of Greenes ouster. All of the continuous drama surrounding [the House Freedom Caucus] has put their members at odds of getting any agenda items passed. It has to be tiring for leadership.

In addition to moving to boot Greene, members of the group blocked legislative action on the House floor for a week in June over outrage about the debt ceiling bill and an alleged threat to keep legislation from coming to the floor.

Later, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Boebert surprised leadership by making privileged motions to force action on flashy measures to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for his role in Trump investigations and to impeach Biden over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The GOP passed the measure to censure Schiff after leadership worked with Luna to adjust the language. Boeberts effort didnt fare as well  House lawmakers opted to re-refer her impeachment articles to committees  but the Colorado firebrand is threatening to force floor votes once again if those panels dont act on them.

Harris, for his part, told reporters that Perry is a true leader and doing a great job.

And despite divisions on some issues, Freedom Caucus members say they are united on spending issues and their approach to securing cuts.

We share a vision for reigning in wasteful government spending and re-focusing on the core functions of the government, Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) told Punchbowl News last week. There are more of us on Appropriations now than there have ever been and that gives us a little bit more insight into the process and how to influence the process.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
King Charles III Meets The President Of The United States At Windsor Castle

Biden shakes hands with King Charles III in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023 in Windsor, England. Credit - Chris JacksonWPA Pool/Getty Images

Joe Biden is meeting with the U.K.s King Charles as part of a pit stop in the U.K. ahead of this weeks NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The U.S. President arrived in London on Sunday, ahead of an afternoon of royal pageantry.

Heres what to know about the meeting, and Bidens relationship with the British monarchy.

The Biden-Charles meeting agenda

King Charles will receive Biden at Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon local time, where the President will take part in a Ceremonial Arrival and Inspection of the Honor Guarda mark of respect for visiting heads of state. This will be the first meeting since Biden attended Queen Elizabeths funeral in September; the U.S. President declined to attend King Charles coronation in May.

The pair will then enjoy afternoon tea in the castle, where Biden has been invited to view an exhibition of American items held by the Royal Collection. Additionally, Charles and Biden will meet with members of the Climate Finance Mobilization Forum, where leaders from the U.K. and U.S. will earlier in the day have discussed their commitment to climate action within emerging markets.

Prior to meeting King Charles, Biden sat down with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and the leaders discussed their ongoing support of Ukraines counteroffensive and issues of economic partnership.

Bidens history with the crown

While Charles and Biden have only shared respectful encounters and they are linked by a few commonalitiesthey are only six years apart in age and share a commitment to climate actionthe latters longstanding discomfort with the British monarchy is no secret.

Biden, a vocal Irish American and the great-great-grandson of the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth, has criticized Britain, and the monarchy, for its role in colonizing the island of Ireland for hundreds of years.

Read More: If Biden Is Going to Rebuild the International Order, Hell Need a Friend Like the U.K.

In his memoir, Promises to Keep, Biden wrote that his mother, Catherine Jean Finnegan, has Irish American relatives who tightly held Irish grudges. He recalled his Aunt Gertie telling him, Youre fathers not a bad man. Hes just English.

Biden also revealed that his mother disliked England to such an extent that she once chose to sleep on a hotel floor in the U.K. rather than spend the night in a bed Queen Elizabeth had slept in, according to an autobiography written by comedian Georgia Pritchett.

In April, Biden paid a visit to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. He declined to visit the U.K., which was interpreted in various quarters as a snub.

The U.S.-U.K. special relationship

With repeated assertions of a rock solid relationship between the U.K. and U.S. emerging from Sunak and Bidens meeting, its likely the two nations want the trip to project the image of a united front, ahead of the NATO summit where disagreements among the defense alliances 31 member states are expected.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the two leaders would share notes before the summit, where conversation will be dominated by the Ukraine crisis.

I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, he told CNNs Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday. The summit is expected to see a new, multi-year program of assistance announced for Ukraine and the creation of a NATO-Ukraine Council to upgrade ties.
Your guide to finding the best new and used vinyl record shops in the Charlotte area.

Records are making a comeback in Charlotte, as more people nationwide are collecting records and engaging in the retro hobby.

The trend that started in the mid-1900s never quite went away, although its had ups and downs. According to a 2022 Music Industry Revenue Report, vinyl records revenue grew 17% to $1.2 billion, making 2022 its 16th consecutive year of growth.

Releases include every genre of music that this planet has ever heard of. Youll find famous rock bands like The Rolling Stones and Queen right along with talented hip-hop artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre, so there is something for everyone.

Check out these independent record spots in Charlotte to find what youre looking for. (Sorry, not sorry, Amazon).

Location: 966 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis NC 28083

This record store is about a 30-minute drive from Charlotte, making it a great off the map record store. Although there is no social media page or official website for this quaint spot, customers love finding oldies but goldies record albums. One thing you need to know before heading out there is that this establishment is cash-only, so dont forget to ditch your credit card.

Hours: Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Location: Inside Homestyles Mint Hill, 11237 Lawyers Rd STE 201, Mint Hill, NC

Location: Inside Antique Alley Matthews,1325 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Matthews, NC

With locations in Mint Hill and Matthews, the family-owned Hardy Boys shops sell a large variety of records and comics. You can also find guitar gear, LaserDiscs and stereo equipment.

Pro tip: Keep an eye out for more. The owners are looking for a new spot for their third shop in South End, NoDa or Camp North End.

Hours: Homestyles Mint Hill: Monday -Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.

Antique Alley Matthews: Monday, Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1- 5:30 p.m.

Dean Hardy and his sons, Thaddeus and Caspian at Hardy Boys Record and Comics shop.

Location: 111 S Main St, Monroe NC 28112

Its a Walt Gibson thang. Located in the heart of downtown Monroe, Jampac Records was established in 1986 and serves as one of the well-known independent record stores. This spot sells and buys records from 1955-99, soul, country and more.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Location: 825 Central Ave Charlotte NC 28204.

Located near Plaza Midwood, this independent record shop sells new and used records, DVDs, turntables and more. This old-school indie record store opened its doors in 2005 and has been one of the best and most well-known spots to find, collect or sell vinyl records.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-6 p.m.

Customers line up outside of Lunchbox Records for a Record Store Day event.

Location: 315 W. John St. Matthews NC 28105

Located in Matthews, this brick-and-mortar store has an excellent selection of records and CDs. Mad Jacks also sells Marvel and DC comic books and fun t-shirts, patches and posters. From X-Men comic books to George Harrison records, this record store has a little bit of everything for everyone.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

Location: 11500 E Independence Blvd Unit 4, Matthews NC 28105

Noble Records is an independent record shop located in Charlotte and is known for having a huge following of 55 thousand followers on Instagram. Established in 2010, it started off as collectors that wanted to find and rescue records from basements, attics and spaces where they might be forgotten. The owners main focus is to provide the local community of creatives with inspiring music from all genres from pysch to metal, jazz and more.

Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.

Location: 6424 South Blvd Suite B Charlotte NC 28217

Located right next to Sleepy Poet Antique Mall is The Poets Vault. This record shop sells records, comics, games and toys. It has thousands of curated, high quality and used records. While youre done shopping, this is a perfect chance to check out the cafe and vintage items next door.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 12-6 p.m.

Location: 2615 Central Ave, Charlotte NC 28205

Premium Sound is back in business, joining forces at Gold Tone Workshop to provide all things music. This new record store offers vintage instruments, new and used records, and guitar and amp repair.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12-7 p.m.

Location: 3325 Commonwealth Ave Charlotte NC 28205

In the same neighborhood as Lunchbox Records, Repo Records is just a short drive down Commonwealth Avenue. Repo has a number of used and new records, power amps, speakers and DJ equipment.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m.

Location: 109 Main St, McAdenville NC 28101

Located in McAdenville, this record store is just a 25-minute drive from Charlotte and is worth checking out. This record spot has a great selection of vinyl, cassettes, CDs and equipment. The shop also has vintage records from Fleetwood Mac and Marvin Gaye.

Hours: Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

[READ NEXT: Gamble in Gastonia: Can a small downtown music club draw big enough crowds to survive?]

Location: 500 S Main Street, Booth E28, Mooresville NC 28115

Seventeen miles north of Charlotte is Old Dog Vinyl Records, located in Main Street Antiques & Design Gallery in Mooresville. With a huge selection of country, rock and blues, this spot also has framed memorabilia, cassette tapes and CDs. Old Dog also specializes in vintage records along with new, remastered records.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Location: 214 W Broad St, Statesville, NC 28677

If you record lovers want to make a mini road trip out of the city, check out 33  Records located in downtown Statesville. This Statesville-only independent record shop has new and used vinyl, tapes, CDs and more for every music-lover to enjoy and shop. Come and check it out, this record shop might have your favorites.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Authorities are searching for a man accused of robbing an Arizona toy store at gunpoint with three children present, according to a nonprofit and police.

The man entered Teddy Bears El Paraiso in Mesa shortly before 1:30 p.m. on April 16, Silent Witness and the Mesa Police Department said in a joint July 7 news release.

Surveillance video shared by the nonprofit shows a masked man enter and stand in the back of the store. The man waits about 40 seconds before heading to the checkout counter, pointing a handgun and demanding all the customers  including the children  to gather in a corner of the store.

The man then ordered an employee behind the counter to hand over checks and cash, according to the release.

When he pointed the gun at me, I knew he would shoot me if I didnt give him what he wanted, the stores manager, Eliseo Francisco, told AZFamily. At that moment, I prayed to God to help me because it was life or death.

While the cashier is handing over the cash and checks, another customer walks into the store, and the gunman orders him to stand in the corner, the video shows. Shortly after, the gunman shakes out the cash register onto the counter before quickly backing away and exiting the store.

The man fled with about $800, KTLA5 News reported.

It was a scary moment, Jamey Cox, a sergeant with Mesa police, told FOX 10 Phoenix. He showed a handgun to kids in the middle of the afternoon, in a toy store. So to us, hes dangerous, hes armed, and we need to find him.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

Armed robbery suspects may be teens, Sparta police chief says

Man hides in store till closing time, then robs clerk and gets away

Give it: Masked man carrying shotgun robs Rock Hill convenience store, police say
A Hagerstown man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

John Frederick Hegedus, 34, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III in Baltimore, according to the release. The judge also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Hegedus be under lifetime supervised release, plus he must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.

What did Hegedus plead guilty to?

According to his guilty plea, Hegedus sexually abused a 6-year-old girl on seven separate instances between April 26 and June 9, 2022.

He also admitted that he used his cellphone to record his abuse of the minor victim and subsequently posted the videos to a child pornography group chat, according to the release. The videos were reported to law enforcement and on June 9, 2022, they searched Hegedus apartment and arrested him. During the execution of the warrant, agents noted that the background shown in the videos matched the defendants apartment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, according to the release.

Another plea: Another defendant in 2020 riot at Washington County Detention Center pleads

Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood uses federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims, according to the release.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown man gets 30 years in federal prison for child sex crimes
The race for the GOP presidential nomination is going to be totally different by the fall, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley said in an interview published Sunday.

Haley, who is well behind in polls to former President Donald Trump, brushed off those numbers in the interview with The New York Times and said she expects the race to look different in a matter of months.

I look at it like one goal after another; I dont look at the end, Haley said in the interview from New Hampshire, where she holds 4.3 percent of the vote in the Real Clear Politics average of polls compared to 44.3 percent for Trump.

I know that by midfall, this is going to be totally different. Once you pass Labor Day, the numbers start to shift. And you can look at history for that. Thats not me just hoping, thats me knowing, Haley said.

Haley also trails Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in New Hampshire, when measured in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. DeSantis has 17.7 percent and Christie 4.7 percent in those averages.

In the national average of polls measured by the site, Haley trails Trump, DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.

One recent poll by Echelon Insights suggested biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy could be gaining some steam. It showed him notching 10 percent and placing third to Trump and DeSantis.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

Haley, however, argued in her interview with the Times that presidential hopefuls have risen and fallen quickly in previous GOP presidential primaries, saying, I know the reality of how quickly somebody can go up and how quickly they can fall.

The shiny object today is not the shiny object tomorrow. So its about not peaking too soon, she added.

Other GOP campaigns have signaled some worries about Trumps strength, with the spokesman and adviser for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down acknowledging the uphill climb DeSantis faces against Trump.

Look right now in national polling, we are way behind, Steve Cortes said during a Twitter Spaces event earlier this month. Ill be the first to admit that. I believe in being really blunt and really honest. Its an uphill battle, I dont think is an unwinnable battle, but clearly, Donald Trump is the runaway front-runner, particularly since the indictments.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
About half of New Mexico's budget is reliant on the oil and gas industry, report says

Oil and gas revenue was making up an increasing portion of New Mexicos budget, as production in the Permian Basin boomed, even as state officials sought to diversify its economy away from its reliance on fossil fuels.

In its most recent revenue estimates published in May, the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) found that about half of General Fund revenue was tied to oil and gas, marking an increase from prior estimates that the industry accounted for about a third of the states budget.

Developed at the outset of this years 60-day session, where the legislature passed a record $9.6 billion budget, many ties the increase to growing extraction operations in southeast New Mexicos Permian Basin Region.

More: Oil and gas industry opposes federal conservation proposal, New Mexico voices support

The shale region, which New Mexico shares with West Texas, produced about 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in June  more than any other onshore shale region in the U.S.  almost half of the U.S. total output of about 12 million bpd, according to the Energy Information Administration.

New Mexico was also second in the nation after Texas in the number of operating drilling rigs, according to Baker Hughes, with 111 rigs as of Friday, while the Permian itself had more rigs than other major basins combined at 342 rigs.

That meant about $7 billion in General Fund revenue in the last fiscal year, according to the LFC report, about 50 percent of total revenue into the fund.

More: $168 million deal sees Northern Oil and Gas increase Permian Basin footprint

New Mexico works on solutions to alleviate oil and gas dependency

To protect the General Fund from future volatility in oil and gas, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 26 which was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to limit the amount of oil and gas revenue that be sent to the General Fund, earmarking revenue more than the five-year average for the Severance Tax Fund.

This would have the effect of limiting losses to the General Fund amid decreasing oil and gas production in the future, read an LFC analysis of the bill, making the budget about 11.4 percent less reliant on oil and gas.

Furthermore, the new transfers would significantly decrease the volatility of the general fund and would decrease budgetary reliance on the oil and gas industry, read the report.

More: Dunes sagebrush lizard proposed as endangered species amid threats from oil and gas

LFC Chairman Sen. George Munoz (D-4) of Gallup said the State was becoming more and more reliant on oil and gas to fund the states operations.

That can be dangerous, he said, as New Mexico is susceptible to the cyclical nature of oil and gas, riding high waves of revenue when the market for fossil fuels grows but also risking economic depression during busts.

George Munoz

Were becoming more and more reliant on oil and gas, Munoz said. Were riding this big ramp up. Theyve always been the engine driver of New Mexico. When they do well, we do well. When they fail, we fail. Thats a problem for us.

More: New Mexico fines Permian Basin oil driller Ameredev $42M for air pollution

Instead of relying singularly on the energy industry, Munoz said New Mexico should work to diversify its economy, seeking to gain revenue sources within the renewable energy and transmission sectors, along with outdoor recreation and tourism.

He said the state should look to others in the American West like Colorado and Arizona, which Munoz said were successfully able to increase tourism as a means of escaping dependence on market-drive industries like oil and gas.

The best diversification policy is very wide, he said.

More: Feds reject proposal to phase out oil and gas drilling in New Mexico, US

Improving education in New Mexico was another path toward a more stable economy, Munoz said, improving the workforce and allowing higher-paying jobs to be filled within the state.

Weve always had a problem with education, he said. It will improve our employment and economy when that workforce hits out of college."

But for now, Munoz said New Mexico should find ways to save oil and gas revenue so it can be tapped when the industry ultimately busts again in the future.

More: Could oil and gas tax collections in Eddy County exceed $100M at the end of FY '23?

Oil and gas is 'the rollercoaster' New Mexico rides on

He said the LFC would likely receive a revenue report in August, showing exactly where the money is coming from and how dependent New Mexico will be on fossil fuels for spending, going into the next legislative session in January 2024.

Our budgeting ability is dependent on what our oil and gas revenue is forecast at, he said. Thats the rollercoaster were on. If I had my way, Id set New Mexico up so that the oil and gas revenue can be used in the future. How do we save for tomorrow, and what does tomorrow look like?

Jim Winchester, president of fossil fuel trade group the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico (IPANM) said the recent reports of increased oil and gas revenue should send a message to lawmakers that the industry must be supported by state policy.

More: $4.7B spent by Denver oil and gas company in 2 sales to enter booming Permian Basin

He said lawmakers should reject bills and laws that would add regulations to the industry, potentially stymying New Mexicos most powerful revenue driver and a leader in national energy development.

Winchester cited New Mexico as the second-highest oil producer in the U.S. and seventh-highest natural gas producer, arguing that 50 percent of oil growth in the U.S. came from the state.

IPANM hopes the staggering $7 billion revenue number encourages government leaders, legislators, and communities to do everything possible to protect our safe and responsible oil & gas production, Winchester said.

While we agree state economic diversification is critical for stabilizing revenues, lets acknowledge the enormous benefits that $7 billion dollars brings to the overall well-being of New Mexicans through funding of education, public safety, healthcare, and social programs.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Is New Mexico too reliant on oil and gas to fund its budget?
Harry Styles was hit in the face with an object while performing Saturday night in Vienna.

Styles, 29, was walking along the stage when he was struck by the unclear object, according to videos posted online.

The pop star immediately stopped, bent over and grabbed his face in obvious pain. He then slowly ascended a few stairs and apparently walked backstage.

Styles recovered and finished the concert, according to fan accounts online. He did not immediately comment on the incident Sunday, but remained scheduled to conclude the globetrotting tour with two shows in Spain, one in Portugal and one in Italy.

The One Direction veteran is the latest music star to be struck with an object while performing on stage. Styles has also dealt with similar assaults in the past.

On June 18, a fan hit Bebe Rexha in the face with a phone while she was performing in Manhattan. Rexha, 33, suffered an injury to her eye but recovered and played two nights later in Philadelphia.

Nicolas Malvagna, 27, of Manalapan, N.J., was arrested and charged with felony assault. According to police, he admitted he thought it would be funny to throw the phone.

The same night Rexha returned the stage, fellow pop star Ava Max was attacked and scratched while closing a show in Los Angeles.

A few days later, Kelsea Ballerini was struck in the face by an object hurled from the crowd at a show in Boise, Idaho, briefly stopping the performance.

And one week after that, Drake was struck in the arm by a cellphone chucked by a fan at Chicagos United Center on the first night of his new tour. Drake continued performing right through the impact, apparently unfazed.


What now?

Thats the question confronting university administrators, faculty, applicants and their families in the wake of the Supreme Courts landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. The 6-3 ruling by the Courts conservative majority struck down race-conscious admissions policies at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina, overturning the decades-old model of affirmative action in higher education.

That system  blessed by an earlier version of the Court in the 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case  allowed schools to include race as a consideration in offering university acceptance, but only as a means of cultivating the benefits of a diverse student body. But after a series of failed legal challenges over the past 20 years appealing to the benchs increasingly rightward tilt, a group of Asian plaintiffs prevailed in arguing that they were unconstitutionally disadvantaged by affirmative action as currently practiced.

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US Supreme Court Strikes Down Use of Affirmative Action in College Admissions

Many universities have for too long wrongly concluded that the touchstone of an individuals identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned, but the color of their skin. This Nations constitutional history does not tolerate that choice, wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the majority opinion.

But if the status quo of college admissions has been cast aside, a replacement hasnt yet been offered. According to Georgetown Universitys Anthony Carnevale, the future remains murky.

Carnevale is the longtime director of Georgetowns Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) and one of Americas most-cited economists on the intersection of schools and the labor market. A former member of multiple federal panels on employment and technology, and a passionate advocate for additional K12 funding and policy experimentation, he has long pondered the question of what might follow an abrupt end to affirmative action.

The Supreme Courts decision to overturn race-conscious policies at Harvard and the University of Northern Carolina dealt a dramatic shift to university admissions around the country. (Getty Images)

His observations and proposals fill a 134-page CEW report published in June, which may help shape colleges and policymakers response to a new landscape of socioeconomic mobility. If elite schools can no longer act as an access point for historically disadvantaged groups to enter the middle and upper classes, he and his co-authors argue, the logic of broad-based education reform  including both dramatically boosted resources and an overhauled approach to college and career counseling  becomes inescapable.

In an interview with The 74s Kevin Mahnken, Carnevale discussed the legacy of the Bakke case and multiple generations of racial preferences; the plausibility of class-based selection metrics replacing the vanished system; and the future of a higher education sector that could increasingly come to be seen as elitist. While lamenting the end of affirmative action as we knew it, he argues that colleges should step up efforts to become truly egalitarian.

One of the problems for elite colleges is that theyre going to become unpopular because everyone is going to see them as what they are: institutions that preserve elites, he said. If youre an elite college president, thats a problem you have to deal with.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

The 74: Whats your perspective on this ruling and the legacy of race-conscious admissions?

Basically, affirmative action has been a Band-Aid thats been used by politicians and the rest of us, so that we have a little racial access to elite colleges. And its stopped us from truly reforming education. Now the Band-Aid has been ripped off, and race is a gushing wound in America.

In the end, what disgusts me most about this outcome is that theyre demanding that minority applicants humiliate themselves. The best way for a minority to get into Harvard now  its allowed in this opinion  is to write an essay about the hardship youve suffered; that your parents abused you, that your neighborhood abused you, that you got beaten up going to school every day, and that was good for your character. I find that humiliating, to turn on everyone you know and care about so that you can get into Harvard. Telling your story in this way is kind of like racial porn: Lets see whos got the sorriest story to tell, and well let them in!

There are definitely going to be fewer African American, Latino, and Native American people on campus, no doubt about it. Thats whats going to happen here. The question is, how does everybody respond?

How do you think theyll respond? Are college admissions officers freaking out right now?

Im not sure about freaking out. I go to meetings of college officials where this topic is the center of the discussion, and people basically dont know what theyre going to do. In one of those meetings, a lawyer opened the conversation by saying, The first question you have to answer is, do you want to get sued? I thought, Boy, thats a good question.

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A Ruling Against Harvard Might Not End Diversity-Based Admissions, Experts Say

If you want to make your name in higher education, you can disobey this ruling and let them sue you. If youre Harvard or Georgetown, and slaves helped build the buildings, maybe you should do that and make a point. But I dont see any way out of this because the anti-preferences side is committed, and not all of them are racists  a lot of them are just idealists. Theyre well-funded, theyre well-organized and theyre always three steps ahead. Theyre already challenging changes to Gifted and Talented programs, and if anyones wondering whether theyll persist [in those challenges], I think the answer is yes.

If I were as rich as Harvard, I might simply disobey the ruling. What are they going to do? Theyre like the pope  they have no army. Maybe theyll sue you.

Deliberately contravening a Supreme Court order seems incredibly risky, though. I wonder if universities are entering a particularly dangerous period with respect to the law and public opinion.

It is risky because peoples feelings are easily aroused on this issue. One of the things that will happen is that the ACE [the American Council on Education, a nonprofit advocacy group representing 1,700 institutions of higher education] will take a beating.

I think the College Transparency Act [legislation re-introduced this spring, which aims to modernize data collection from universities and give families a fuller picture of schools enrollment, completion, and post-completion earnings statistics] will pass when theres an opening for it. It has strong, bipartisan support, and one of the things you can do to whack higher education is to make them more transparent in terms of their employment and earnings effects. Theres also a push for expanding funding for workforce training, so were going to get transparency on degrees and accountability on training. All of that stuff will move now.

I worked on the Hill a long time, and higher education annoys politicians because they think its arrogant and ungrateful. Higher education leadership tried to stop the GI Bill, and they lost. They tried to stop student aid because they wanted that money to go to institutions, and they lost again. They lose at every turn when it comes to issues going beyond higher education. Whacking the elites is a common American sport that appeals to both parties for different reasons.

So if Im a lobbyist for higher education, Im looking for another job.

What has been the final legacy of race-conscious standards of college admission since the Bakke case?

Allan Bakke was the namesake of one of the most important legal precedents governing the use of race in college admissions. (Bettmann)

The importance of Bakke was that it saved race-conscious affirmative action just in time. There were questions even then about whether it could survive, and its never been popular.

If you ask the American public straight-up, Do you agree that we should give racial preferences in admissions to selective colleges, a majority will say no  and that includes a majority of African Americans, Latinos, etc. If you ask them, Do you think there are fundamental problems in the American system that are racist and need attention, theyll say yes. But if you give them anything specific, theyll reject it.

So Bakke saved the day by deferring to the expertise of educators, the notion being that educators understood higher education better than judges do. What has now happened is that the deference is over, and theyre no longer going to defer to American education institutions on race. The argument is that race is too much; even if diversity is a good thing, we cant base admissions decisions on it because that would be racist.

Could there be any replacement measures for racial preferences?

The courts have been chipping away at preferences in admissions for a long time, and were now at the point where theyre saying its the end. But its not clear that it is. In many peoples judgment  lawyers and others  courts will begin to defer to class instead. Many decent people argue that the real issue of concern here, across all our diverse peoples, is class. We believe strongly in striving and Horatio Alger, and we want to reward that. The polls make clear that the public still believes that, and its part of our culture.

The classic story is Poor Kid Makes Good. Everybody likes that, you want to give that kid a break. But for some reason, we dont recognize the connection of race to American history and the disadvantages that are still there. Its a failure to deal with American racism, and it has been since Bakke. The hope among some people is that well use class as a proxy for race, but class and race are not the same thing. They are two very different forces in disadvantaging peoples lives, though a lot of people notice that they often go together.

Weve done a very long set of studies over the years and discovered that, no, you dont also get race when you screen for class. You can claw back a bit of the racial diversity you had before affirmative action was banned, but not much of it.

Related

Skeptical Supreme Court Asks: Do Race-Conscious Admissions Have an Endpoint?

Nevertheless, a lot of people are celebrating a potential switch to class-based affirmative action, saying, Finally, going to Harvard isnt just going to be for rich minority kids anymore. The truth is, it never was. Most of the African Americans and Latinos who go to the top 193 schools are from the bottom half of the income distribution. A lot of them arent poor in the classic sense, but theyre not a bunch of rich kids.

The thing people dont talk about when it comes to class-based admissions is this: A basic problem for people who are poor is, obviously, that they dont have money. And with the exception of places that are filthy rich, like Harvard and Yale  they can do whatever they want, and their concern is prestige rather than money  colleges just cant afford class-conscious affirmative action. There have been efforts, but what people forget about colleges, whether theyre selective or not, is that theyre businesses. What theyre always trying to do is find as many kids who can pay full tuition as possible, and if theyre lucky, more than 50 percent of your families will do that.

Theres a bargaining process that every middle-class family is familiar with, where families visit eight colleges and strike the best bargain they can within their kids preferences. The colleges will give them merit aid, but what it is is a bargain. You get all the full-pay parents you can get, and you haggle with the parents you have to haggle with. Then, whatever youve got left over, you can use it for athletes, legacies, the trombone player you need in the band. But you really dont have room for many poor kids.

You might say to these schools, Youve got an endowment of something like $2 billion. How the hell can you not afford it? Well, if a college president takes money out of the endowment, the alumni are going to get him fired.

How did this whole focus on diversity get started?

As a practical matter, this has always been about white kids. James Conant, who was the president of Harvard after World War II, determined that we needed 5 percent of kids to go to college. He therefore decided that we should build a certain kind of high school nationwide, the comprehensive high school. It was comprehensive because it offered a college pathway to a small share of the kids; it offered vocational education, mostly for boys; and it offered home economics and typing for women.

But one of the big moments in the history of education came in 1983. After A Nation at Risk, we decided to do away with the comprehensive high school and provide every American child a full academic education through high school. And the real political reason behind that reform was the civil rights movement, the womens liberation movement, the disability movement. Basically, anti-tracking sentiment killed the comprehensive high school and, in the end, created an academic curriculum that assumed everyone would go to college. Since Obama, the battle cry has been to make every kid college- and career-ready, but of course, high schools dont. A lot more kids are graduating high school and going to college, a lot of them are dropping out, and a lot of the kids who dont make it are the ones youd figure wouldnt make it.

Underneath all this, theres a fundamental shift in the relationship between education and the economy. We needed an elite to run our military, our businesses, every institution in American life, and most of these people were going to be white males. We realized that if youre going to run a diverse economy and be the global leader in a diverse world, you need to have some understanding of demographic diversity. The reason we did affirmative action was for them  they needed it! If youre going to run a company in America, you need to have a diverse workforce, or Reverend Als going to show up.

The way this will work out is that employers will need to have diversity in their leadership. Theyve got to look like America, as Bill Clinton used to say. So irrespective of what the courts done, theyll go to UMass instead of Harvard to recruit, and theyll find plenty of talented minorities there. Theyre serious about this, and they have no choice  you cant run a company with an all-white leadership team.

What about the political consequences?

It will be hell for the Democratic Party. The Supreme Court has effectively put a Band-Aid on racism for years, and now were ripping it off. If minorities are a core part of your coalition, youve got to come up with something for them.

Joe Bidens answer is: Were going to go back and do what we should have done in the first place. Were going to have preschool for everyone, were going to increase spending for Title I, were going to increase funding for low-income schools, and were going to make community college free. In other words, now that you cant just mess around with the elite schools, youve got to focus on the whole damn system. Thats not very satisfying because youre talking about 40 years of work. Theres going to be much more focus on making the education system produce minority elites who arent from rich families.

The landmark case was brought by Asian American plaintiffs who argued that Harvards admissions policies discriminated against them. (Getty Images)

This changes the conversation on education reform, which has run out of gas at the K12 level. That discussion is about to get revived because theres nothing else to do except go back to the beginning and get it right.

That sounds refreshing, but also potentially impossible.

In the end, K12 has caused this problem, so weve got to go back to court cases in the states. There have been a lot of those, and theyve been reasonably successful over the last few decades. But its a big, big deal. Politically, its going to be awful because what youre talking about, in part, is screwing around with the local control of schools.

The education system is now the primary pathway to a good job in America. That wasnt true back when I was young. If you had an uncle working at Chrysler, he could get you in.

You didnt need to go to college; truthfully, you should drop out of high school instead of waiting. But in all the research  OECD [the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] was the first organization to start saying this, in the 90s  the education system is now the primary institution that ensures the reproduction of advantage from one generation to the next. Its a machine where you go to a good grade school, a good high school, a good college, and you get work-based learning and internships. Then you marry a college graduate, move to a neighborhood with good schools and the whole thing starts right over again.

The thing is, its hard to argue with. And if we werent a diverse nation, it would be an ideal system. But we are a diverse nation, and diversity clearly matters in terms of who wins. Both Republicans and Democrats have tried to reform the K12 system, and they did good things, but it wasnt nearly enough.

What Im hearing is that this change to college admissions is occurring in an economy with an increasingly ossified relationship between higher education and success in life.

The endgame now is much clearer than it used to be. According to our projections, which run out to 2031, were going to have 171 million jobs. Forty percent will require a B.A. or more, and about three-quarters of those jobs will be good jobs. Meanwhile, 30 percent of all jobs will be middle-skilled, and maybe 40 percent of those jobs will be high-paying and secure. And then therell be jobs for high schoolers, only about 20 percent of which will be good jobs  largely because of the infrastructure bill.

That said, theres still quite a bit of variability. Thats why, in the United States, 40 percent of people with B.A.s make more than people with graduate degrees, and 30 percent of people with A.A.s make more than people with B.A.s. Its a system, more and more, where what you study really matters. If you go to a community college and learn about HVAC, youre going to get a good job. Theres movement here.

Why wasnt affirmative action ever popular? You mentioned the fact that polling around it is terrible, but it was also striking that a ballot measure to bring back race-conscious admissions failed  in California, of all places  a few years back.

Think about it: Every family has that guy  in my family, its a couple of immigrants  who came over and worked hard with a pick and shovel, and by the third generation, we all went to college. Everybodys got that story about themselves and their families, and were almost neurotically tied to hard work and individual success. The idea that somebody who worked less hard or was less qualified could get the job over my grandfather, which they did, was anathema. The striving, the upward mobility, is what we reward.

Now, if you recognize racism in America, you ought to question that perspective somewhat. That is, in America, there were people who werent allowed to strive. But its a tough American problem because it creates the cultural contradiction of rewarding people based on the color of their skin. You put that to the average guy in a bar, hell say, Hell no! Whoever works the hardest and does his homework should get the job. To my mind, its a very superficial understanding of the United States and its history, but we are who we are.

If Im a Republican, Im standing up to make a righteous speech about how the people who deserve advantages are now going to get them. Even if you look at Democrats, they tend to agree with that, so youve got to find a Plan B. Ive worked for a lot of politicians, and boy were they happy that the Supreme Court handled abortion and affirmative action. Now its falling into their laps.

If youre a Democrat, the abortion ruling last year was very advantageous. On affirmative action, not so great.

Is it possible that colleges will effectively ignore this ruling? They can just jettison the use of admissions exams, which were a big part of the evidence in this case, and admit whomever they like, right?

If you look at the data, test-optional [admissions] has increased the recruitment of high-income kids. White kids. If you take the test away, colleges and universities can admit more legacies, the quantity of whom is growing all the time. After this decision, they can admit anyone  except African Americans and Latinos.

In an ideal world, if youre talking to a student who wants to go to your college, you should be talking about the whole kid, not just their grades. Theres something to holistic admissions. But it also frees up colleges to do whatever they want, and what they want is not to admit poor kids. The flip side is that in American politics, elitism is not a good look. Americans dont like elites, even if they themselves are elites. There are already bills in Congress that would prevent colleges from admitting legacies. That wont go anywhere, but well get transparency on legacies; theyre going to have to report to the Department of Education how many legacies and donor kids are in their freshman classes. You can call it grievance, or revenge politics, but its going to happen.

Harvard grad student Viet Nguyen started a grassroots organization determined to end the practice of legacy admissions at colleges. (Getty Images)

One of the problems for elite colleges is that theyre going to become unpopular because everyone is going to see them as what they are: institutions that preserve elites. If youre an elite college president, thats a problem you have to deal with. If you dont have any African American or Latino students on campus, people arent going to like it. Resentment politics might become stronger in higher education because the class differences and race differences will get even more real.

Class has always been real  elite colleges have always done better with race than with class. If you walk around on a college campus, you cant tell what a poor kid looks like. But youve got a much better chance of bumping into an African American or Latino kid than a poor kid on an elite college campus. They just dont go there.

Combined with the decision to overturn the Biden administrations student debt forgiveness program, weve now seen big reversals for universities as engines of social and racial equality. It seems like higher education will increasingly come under some skepticism from the political realm.

Yeah. Were going to get a big emphasis on training and career education because its a program that can reach the working class in a way that Harvard and a lot of four-year schools never could. The Democrats need it to shore up their working-class voters, and the Republicans need it to retain white working-class voters as well.

So higher education is going to get some competition from training. Thats good for two-year institutions, but not four-year institutions. More than 20 states now allow you to get bachelors degrees at community colleges. Higher education is being rebuilt, in other words. Pretty soon well have a mandate to force higher education institutions to tell their applicants what happened to all the other students who took the program theyre in, whether they got a job, and how much money they made. The data is there for that.

Transparency and accountability is about to come to higher education. You cant stop it now.

Is it possible this judgment will affect a school like Harvard much more than one like UNC? My guess would be that the types of students who are currently benefiting from racial preferences at the most selective institutions will just apply, and gain acceptance to, slightly less selective institutions. But the more elite the institution, the more challenging it could be to find top nonwhite students.

Yeah, its not a choice for these kids between Yale and jail. Its a choice between Yale and Dartmouth, or Colby, or Bates. But it should change the demographics at the top, say, 40 institutions, and people will be pissed off about it. The newspapers will write headlines about the shrinking number of minorities enrolled at their local colleges, and that will get noticed politically. The decline in the number and shares of minorities at elite colleges will be a constant topic. The people who fund me already want me to get in and start tracking this.

Did affirmative action save America from racism? No, thats pretty clear. But it allowed elites to operate in a way that made them seem like they were progressive and honoring Americas racial history. So the reputational effects are real. Parents are going to want their kids to go to diverse schools, and there might not be many.
Italian art exhibition tour along ancient Silk Road concludes in Xi'an

Xinhua) 09:19, July 10, 2023

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows an artwork exhibited at an Italian contemporary art exhibition "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road" in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province.(Xinhua/Zhao Yingbo)

XI'AN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- An Italian contemporary art exhibition at the Grand Tang Mall, an enchanting scenic area in the historic Chinese city of Xi'an, has attracted visitors for the past month.

The touring exhibition, "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road," closed on Sunday after 37 days at the Xi'an Art Museum in the scenic area, having welcomed over 60,000 people.

"It is like traditional Chinese culture and modern Western art communicating with each other in the same block, making the exhibition a captivating journey that transcends time and space," said Zhang Yin, an art enthusiast from Beijing.

What makes the exhibition unique is its tour route. According to its curator, Angela Tecce, the exhibition began in Italy, the end point of the ancient Silk Road. It has toured several countries and regions along the route, including Trkiye and Uzbekistan, and finally landed in China's Xi'an, the starting point of the Silk Road.

The exhibition's tour to China can be read as a message of renewal and a fresh beginning, in which art confirms itself as a true facilitator for dialogue, said Pasquale Terracciano, director general for public and cultural diplomacy at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a preface to the display.

The cultural communication between China and Italy can be traced back to ancient times. In the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-25 A.D.), Chinese envoy Zhang Qian began his journey to the West via Central Asia, and opened up a trade route that later became the Silk Road.

Originally a setting for commercial exchange, it evolved into a crossroads of different cultures. More than 700 years ago, the Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo traveled to China on the ancient Silk Road. Chinese culture had spread to the Italian Peninsula through the trade of silk, tea and porcelain, and Roman architecture and art had also spread to China.

In recent years, the Xi'an Art Museum has been working closely with its peers in Italy. In 2018, it held the exhibition "Beyond the Wall: Xi'an Contemporary Art Exhibition" in Florence, Italy, and it was well-received by locals.

Both China and Italy boast long histories. Since visual art needs no translation, the exhibition can serve as a carrier for direct dialogue between classical and contemporary art, and between East and West, said Yang Chao, curator of the Xi'an Art Museum.

A total of 31 art pieces from 33 emerging Italian artists and established masters were on display at the exhibition. The artists utilized a variety of creative methods to manifest Italy's latest artistic developments, from the 1960s to the present day. Exhibits ranged from paintings and photography to sculpture and installation.

One of the artworks, "What holds it all together," drew many visitors. Made from porcelain and organic glass, it was inspired by the porcelain from the royal palace of Naples, demonstrating the then-popular artistic genre known as chinoiserie.

"The touring exhibition was vital to cultural exchange and the formation of consensus between the peoples of China and Italy in today's turbulent world," Yang said.

A visitor takes photos of an exhibit during an Italian contemporary art exhibition "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road" at the Xi'an Art Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, July 4, 2023.(Xinhua/Zhang Sijie)

Visitors view exhibits during an Italian contemporary art exhibition "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road" at the Xi'an Art Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, July 4, 2023.(Xinhua/Zhang Sijie)

Visitors view exhibits during an Italian contemporary art exhibition "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road" at the Xi'an Art Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, July 7, 2023.(Xinhua/Zhao Yingbo)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Hayley Atwell is addressing the romance rumors that have surrounded her and Tom Cruise as they promote their film Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One.

The actors share the screen in the upcoming action film, out July 12, and recently there has been speculation about their relationship off camera.

Atwell responded to the gossip and opened up about her friendship with the Top Gun: Maverick actor in an interview with The Independent published on July 8.

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise (David M. Benett / WireImage)

During the sit-down, she mentioned that she heard rumors about her having secret flings with Cruise and Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One director Christopher McQuarrie, also known as McQ.

But she says her relationships with her collaborators are strictly platonic. The 41-year-old actor told the British newspaper that she views Cruise, 61, and McQuarrie, 54, as sort of two uncles.

Speaking directly about the gossip involving her co-star and director, Atwell said, I would be like, Ooh, theres some weird rumors, and it feels base, it feels a little dirty, it feels grubby, its not what Im about.

She continued, Why are things being assumed or projected onto me about my relationship with my work colleague and boss?

The Marvels Agent Carter star called the rumors upsetting, pointing out that comments about her love life impact her personal relationships.

Its involving people in my actual life, my personal life, who have to be on the receiving end of that, she explained. It becomes invasive.

Atwell has been navigating life in the public eye since her breakout role in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. She said she has learned to be more mindful when giving statements to avoid assumptions about her private life.

She told The Independent that she decided to have a conversation with Cruise about the rumors swirling around their relationship, to which the Jerry Maguire star gave Atwell stellar advice.

She recounted that he told her, You know exactly who you are. You know what youre about. And that is the only thing that matters. It doesnt matter what people think of you, if you are in integrity with yourself, if you know what your value system is.

The Marvel star recalled watching classic movies like Paper Moon and Broadcast News with Cruise and McQuarrie after landing the role of Grace in Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One.

Cruise and McQuarrie love seeing women thrive and be in their own power, she said. So if I ever tried to play small or flirtatious, or play damsel, they would probably be like, What are you doing? Thats not you!

The actress will appear alongside Cruise, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Cary Elwes and Simon Pegg in the franchises next installment.

Atwell is already being praised for her role in the movie. In his first reaction to a screening of the seventh Mission: Impossible, Screen Rants Joe Deckelmeier tweeted that Atwell, STEALS every scene shes in.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Heavy rains cause flooding and mudslides in southwest Japan, leaving 2 dead and at least 6 missing

Vehicles shift through a flooded street in Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, southern Japan Monday, July 10, 2023. Torrential rain is pounding southwestern Japan, triggering floods and mudslides Monday as weather officials issued emergency heavy rain warning in parts of on the southern most main island of Kyushu. (Kyodo News via AP)

TOKYO (AP)  Torrential rain pounded southwestern Japan, triggering floods and mudslides and leaving two people dead and at least six others missing, officials said Monday.

Rain falling in the regions of Kyushu and Chugoku since the weekend caused flooding along many rivers, triggered mudslides, closed roads, disrupted trains and cut the water supply in some areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency heavy rain warning for Fukuoka and Oita prefectures on the southern main island of Kyushu, urging residents in riverside and hillside areas to take maximum caution. More than 1.7 million residents in vulnerable areas were urged to take shelter. The emergency warning was downgraded later Monday to a regular warning.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is scheduled to attend a July 11-12 NATO summit in Lithuania, said he will make a final decision on whether to go after assessing the extent of damage Tuesday morning. Either way, we will do our utmost to respond to the disaster by putting people's lives first, he said.

Two people died and at least six others were missing, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and prefectural officials.

A man was found dead in a vehicle that fell into a swollen river in Yamaguchi prefecture. In the town of Soeda in Fukuoka prefecture, two people were buried by a mudslide. One was rescued alive but the other died, according to prefectural officials.

In Kurume, also in Fukuoka, a mudslide hit seven houses, burying 21 people. Six were able to escape on their own. Rescue workers extracted nine people alive and were working to remove five others, but one remained missing, according to the disaster agency.

Toyota Motor Corp. suspended night-time production at three Fukuoka factories on Monday as a safety precaution. Normal production was expected to resume on Tuesday.

In the city of Karatsu in Saga prefecture, rescue workers were searching for three people whose houses were hit by a mudslide, the agency said. Video on NHK public television showed one of the destroyed houses reduced to just a roof sitting on the muddy ground amid flowing floodwaters.

At least three other people were missing elsewhere in the region.

NHK showed water from the swollen Yamakuni River gushing over a bridge in the town of Yabakei in Oita prefecture.
Heavy flooding washed out parts of Route 9W of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, New York on July 9, 2023 (-)

The northeastern United States was inundated Monday with heavy rain and flooding across several states a day after storms and flash floods washed out highways and killed one person in New York state.

Parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont were under flood warnings, with states in the region recording rapid rainfall and "life threatening" flash floods, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Heavy rains in New York state on Sunday turned streets into raging waterways, washing out bridges, leaving roads impassable and leading Governor Kathy Hochul to declare states of emergency in two counties.

The Orange County Emergency Management office on Monday confirmed that a 35-year-old woman had died in Highland Falls, in New York's Hudson Valley, where "historic floods" caused significant damage.

Hochul said the woman was swept to her death in a flash flood in the valley as she tried to evacuate her damaged house with her dog.

"Her fiance literally saw her swept away," the governor told reporters on Monday.

On Sunday Hochul said that up to eight inches (200 mm) of rain had created "life threatening conditions due to flash flooding."

On Sunday evening, more than 12,000 customers had lost electricity in the state, but by midday Monday that figure had dropped to 3,800, according to poweroutage.us.

Amtrak rail service was suspended between New York City and state capital Albany "due to severe weather conditions" as of 5:30 am, the company said in a statement.

Hochul said the rains appeared to be heading east to Vermont where law enforcement earlier reported severe rain in four counties, with several roads washed out and closed.

"The expected rainfall rate is 0.25 to 0.5 inches in 1 hour," NWS said in a state alert. "Flash flooding is already occurring" and "catastrophic flooding" was expected Monday in parts of the Vermont.

Governor Phil Scott declared a state of emergency.

"Swiftwater rescue teams have been staged in strategic locations throughout the state, should they be necessary to help with evacuations and rescues from floodwaters," Scott's office said in a statement Sunday.

The heavy rains washed out and closed highways, and stranded people in their cars and homes. Search and rescue teams were operating in several locations, according to various media reports.

NWS said it had received "multiple reports" of significant flooding and of persons trapped in vehicles in Orange County.

"Several additional inches of rainfall is expected through Tuesday morning as this system slowly moves eastward" and more flash flooding is possible, it said Monday.

Scientists say that climate change intensifies the risk of heavy rain because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

burs-pdh/caw
A Kennywood Day was held at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

The event celebrated the parks 125th anniversary.

Visitors were able to relive Kennywood moments through six floors of the museum.

Kennywood was founded in 1898 as a trolley park. It is one of only two amusement parks in the U.S. to be designated as a national historic landmark.

For an amusement park to last this long, its really important and, obviously, for a place like Pittsburgh, a big city with lots of little neighborhoods, its got a lot of connections to many generations and its still there today, said Brian Butko, director of publications at Heinz History Center.

Butko said he was pleasantly surprised with the turnout.

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Here's how much I made at Google, Meta, and LinkedIn  and why I ultimately left my $196,000 tech job

Mitchie Nguyen left her six-figure job as a product-marketing manager at Meta. Mitchie Nguyen

Mitchie Nguyen is a former product-marketing manager at Meta and Google.

She left her $196,000 job at Meta job to build her creator-economy startup.

She says it's important not to be afraid of change and to take a chance on yourself.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mitchie Nguyen, a former product-marketing manager at Google and Meta about her salary journey in her 6-year career. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I've spent about six years working in the tech industry at companies such as LinkedIn, Meta, and Google.

In college, I studied sociology and media studies. I had no prior exposure to the tech industry or even the corporate world, and I didn't know what I wanted to do after college.

I found it really hard to convince companies to take a chance on me with my sociology degree, especially for roles that I was looking for within tech. They typically look for students majoring in business or computer science.

Finally, I decided to start a club in college called Diversatech, a tech-consulting club that would bring students of all majors to gain experience with companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Figma.

In the club, the side project I worked on helped me stand out. It showed that I could build something from zero to one, and it ultimately helped me land a role at LinkedIn after college.

LinkedIn wasn't the highest-paying new college-graduate offer I received. I took the pay cut with the hope that having LinkedIn on my resume would open more doors further down the line. I think the bet paid off because it was much easier to get past resume screens and interview rounds. It likely played a role for me in securing an offer from Google within a year.

How much money I made working in tech

LinkedIn: Business-leadership program, sales associate

$50,981 base salary + $17K annual target bonus

After I graduated in 2017, I joined LinkedIn's business-leadership program, which is a rotational program. First, you worked in customer operations and then spent a couple of months in recruiting. This person will ultimately become a sales development representative.

I was super passionate about the company and its mission, but I wasn't passionate about sales  I wanted to try something more strategic like product marketing. So I started looking elsewhere.

Google: Associate product-marketing manager

$91,000 base salary + 15% annual bonus target + $64K stock package vested over four years

I joined the associate product-marketing program at Google, where I fell in love with product marketing. When I was there, it was a 2 -year program  the first rotation was 18 months, and the second rotation was 12 months.

My first rotation was in global programs and events for Google Cloud. I got to travel to 10 countries a year, including Japan, Austria, Australia, Italy, and Spain. It gave me a lot of exposure to running a business within each geographic area and taking into account cultures and norms.

During the second rotation, I joined the privacy team as an associate product-marketing manager  I love this role because I got to tap into my background in sociology and media studies to understand how we could build more responsible technology products that respected people's privacy, which was becoming increasingly important at the time.

Meta: Product-marketing manager

$150,000 base salary + $15K target bonus + $80K over 4 years stock package + $20K sign-on bonus

In 2020, Meta contacted me about joining their privacy product-marketing team for their new augmented-reality and virtual-reality products. I applied and successfully got the role, which provided me with exposure to early product development. I aggressively negotiated the salary and also secured a promotion.

Shortly after joining Meta, I was surprised to receive another promotion.

I took on various roles during my time there, starting with building the privacy product-marketing team for augmented-reality and virtual-reality products. That was an exciting time as VR was gaining popularity because of the pandemic and people staying home.

I had the opportunity to be at the forefront of emerging technology and work on some really cool early product development.

Then, I decided to follow a respected manager and underwent an internal transfer to a new team. This role became my personal "mini MBA" as I gained extensive knowledge in aspects of the business, including long-term product roadmap, sales, and category management.

I joined Facebook with a $150,000 base salary in November 2020. By the time I left in June 2023, my base salary was $196,000.

I care more about the breadth of experience instead of just salary bumps

Many people talk about salary bumps as a benefit of job-hopping. However, the No. 1 reason and motivation has always been to gain a breadth of experience.

When you're starting out in your career, it's important to explore roles and build a network in new companies. Through all these jobs, I gained confidence and skills from sales to product marketing. That's why I quit my job at Meta to start my own startup in the creator economy.

Some may think leaving during an economic downturn is crazy, but I wanted to use my knowledge to try something on my own.

I can always return to the tech industry if my startup doesn't work. Through job-hopping, investing, side hustles, and a little luck  I'm in no rush to return to a corporate job, so I have no hard timeline just yet.

Worse comes to worst, I'll eventually find another job at another tech company, but if the stars align, this won't happen soon.

It's OK not to love your first few jobs  I didn't

You don't need to get it right on the first try. Job-hopping helped me realize what I did and didn't like, and I made career moves accordingly.

I realized my 20s was my time to explore roles and industries. Our careers span upwards of 40 years, so I wanted to take full advantage of exploring  I feel the later you get in your career, the harder it is to drop off and do something else.

When you become more senior, the company values more depth and progression. They want to see that you can stay long-term.

If I were to sum up the biggest learning out of my short, six-year career, it's to not be afraid of change and take a chance on yourself  trust that everything will work out.

If you'd like to share your salary journey, email Aria Yang at ayang@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which hires contractors for projects such as the Purple Line extension seen here, is one of the agencies that can help small businesses expand into government contracting. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Adam and Bethany White decided three years ago to pivot their Hawthorne-based cabinetry business from residential clients to more ambitious projects, such as large, government-funded affordable housing developments.

They soon discovered, however, that public works contracting wasn't like private contracting. In particular, there were financial hurdles that seemed insurmountable to a small business like theirs, which has only three to eight full-time employees.

"We knew we had the skills," Bethany White said. "It really came down to having enough money to float the jobs."

The solution for the Whites and many other small businesses in Los Angeles County is the L.A. Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Program, which provides financial tools and guidance to help small and disadvantaged companies compete for government contracts. The program made it possible for the Whites' business, Fixed Dimensions, to win the first of these contracts; Bethany White said it has since landed three more.

The city and county of Los Angeles and the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority fund the program to help companies compete for the construction work they put up for bid. It's administered by Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services, which has been running similar efforts in the Bay Area since 1997.

Merriwether Chief Executive Ingrid Merriwether said the point isn't just to create opportunities for a wider range of contractors  it's also to save taxpayers money.

Read more: Gov. Newsom unveils sweeping plan to speed up California infrastructure projects

"This is an investment that increases the pool of contractors that are competing for public works," most of which are awarded to the lowest bidder, she said. Anything that enables more contractors to submit bids will lower contracting costs, she said; she estimates that the lower bids submitted by companies enrolled in the program have saved $22 million.

And now is a good time for small businesses and those owned by women or minorities to compete for federal contracts  the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $1.2 trillion for multiple years' worth of transportation, clean energy, climate and communications projects. So far, the federal government has directed more than $20 billion of that pot to nearly 1,000 projects in California.

The law requires at least 10% of its funding for surface transportation projects go to "small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals."

Critics of government preferences for women- and minority-owned businesses assert that set-asides raise costs and invite fraud, as white-owned and well-established businesses look for ways to win contracts under false pretenses. In one example of the latter, an investigation by The Times in 2019 found that $300 million worth of federal contracts intended for minority-owned businesses went to business owners with unsubstantiated claims of Native American heritage.

Given how much money is being spent on public works, Merriwether said, "you will always find examples of some businesses trying to take advantage" of the system. But Metro and other public agencies have "a very rigorous certification process to make sure the firms that receive any kind of benefits of the [disadvantaged business preferences] meet the requirements," she said.

The regional contractor development program works with small businesses that aren't disadvantaged or minority owned as well as those that are; its target is businesses capable of fulfilling construction contracts of up to $15 million, Merriwether said. That encompasses a broad variety of firms, including architects, engineers, artists, sign makers, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, job-site clean-up companies and heating and air conditioning installers.

Here are some of the barriers that small businesses face to competing for government contracts, as well as the solutions offered by the regional contractor development program.

Read more: To do business with L.A., city contractors now must disclose ties with the NRA

The performance bond hurdle

Anyone who hires a contractor risks having that person quit before the job is done, leaving an expensive mess. That's why California requires every licensed contractor to carry a $25,000 surety bond that can be tapped if the contractor doesn't complete the work.

Similarly, governments that put infrastructure projects out for bid require contractors to obtain performance bonds to help guarantee that the work will be completed. (They may also require payment bonds to ensure that the contractor pays the people it hires to do the work.) In the case of the federal government, the performance bond has to be as large as the original contract amount  in other words, if you're hired for a $30-million bridge repair, you need to obtain a $30-million performance bond.

Big companies that the federal government hires as prime contractors typically have no trouble obtaining those bonds. But the companies that sell bonds may be reluctant to serve a small business with considerably smaller revenue and no experience with these sorts of contracts.

Merriwether said it's a Catch-22 for companies trying to break into the field. "Bonding companies are looking for a contractor to demonstrate their capacity for performing public construction work," she said, but small and minority-owned contractors can't show their public-construction chops because they can't get bonded.

That's where the regional contractor development program comes in. It has a pool of money that can be used as collateral to help small businesses obtain bonds that they wouldn't qualify for on their own.

William Jackson, president of Global Electric in Anaheim, said his company cut its teeth as a subcontractor to electrical subcontractors, installing communications equipment on city buses. But there's a cap on the size of contracts that companies like his can compete for, he said: "You're limited by the size of your bonding capability."

Working with the contractor development program, Jackson said, his 25-person company lined up bonds that his company wouldn't have been able to obtain based on its revenue alone. Now Global Electric is installing fiber optics, lighting and more on Metro's Purple Line extension project, he said, with contracts totaling about $20 million.

Read more: Bass issues sweeping directive to fast track affordable housing projects

The long wait to get paid

If you've ever hired someone for an expensive repair or remodeling job at your home, you know that your contractor will ask for a portion of the fee upfront, then demand more chunks as the work progresses. You're basically paying for the job as you go along, which allows the contractor to buy materials and pay for labor.

The government doesn't do that. Jackson explained that subcontractors usually submit a pay application at the end of the month, which has to be approved by the higher-tier contractors and then submitted to the government. "It may take 60 to 90, sometimes 120, days to really start receiving payment on a project," he said.

That's a cash-flow nightmare, and unless they have a stack of profits from previous jobs to draw on, contractors will need a line of credit from their bank to cover their expenses. But when Fixed Dimensions sought help on a $600,000 government-funded contract to supply and install cabinets at a new senior housing complex in Los Angeles, White said, her local bank balked.

"They asked to see additional sources of income. And we said, 'Well, our business is our income,'" White said. Still, the bank insisted that the Whites needed to show more streams of revenue to qualify for a line of credit, which they couldn't do. Despite the large contract, "we weren't really bankable at that point," she said.

"There's no way we could have made payroll each week and continued to operate the business," White said. "You've got to be ready to essentially float three months', four months' worth of payroll. It's just impossible without someone to help you."

Enter the regional contractor development program, which arranged the financing they needed to solve the cash-flow problem. Unlike the bank, the program based its support solely on the size of the Whites' cabinetry contract.

To Jackson, that's the most noteworthy feature of the financing available through the regional program: It's based on the strength of the contract, not the strength of the company. He said the line of credit Global Electric obtained through the program charged modest fees, "and it was instrumental to help us finance these projects."

Merriwether said small contractors often have to rely on high-interest credit cards to pay the bills while waiting for government reimbursement, which piles on costs that can consume their profit margin. "That also then limits their capacity," she added. "If you're a smaller firm, you can't take on multiple projects, and you can't take on very large projects if you have to finance the work yourself."

One reason local governments are investing in services such as the contractor development program, Merriwether said, is to generate a larger supply of contractors capable of doing public construction work, given the ever-increasing demand for them.

White said her goal is to reach the point of becoming "bankable," having enough income to satisfy commercial lenders. In the meantime, though, Fixed Dimensions wants to continue to work with the regional program.

"When you're a growing business and you're still kind of small, and you're going after larger [contracts], I feel like they bridge the gap," she said.

Read more: In groundbreaking plan, California allows affordable housing on some commercial properties

Dealing with the red tape

Jackson said that besides the bonding and cash-flow challenges, a third issue for small businesses entering the government contracting field is "the administrative support you would need to run a project of that size."

"You are held to very stringent protocols and very stringent performance measurements," Jackson said, adding, "Its very different from residential or commercial" contracts.

"I've always wanted to work in the public works space," he said. "It was just a good fit for my vision of the business. But I was taken aback by ... the steps involved, the documentation involved in performing a public works job."

The contractor development program tries to help small businesses climb that learning curve by providing technical assistance and support in addition to project financing. This includes connecting the companies they advise with bid opportunities that fit them, helping them complete their bids, and holding seminars with public officials.

The extensive hand-holding has helped keep program participants' loss ratio  the share of contracts not fulfilled  at less than 0.5%, well below the industry loss ratio of about 20%, Merriwether said. This data point shows how the program is bringing contractors to the table whose shortcoming was their size, not their competence.

As Merriwether noted, small businesses have multiple  and typically free  places to go for training on public works contracting.

For example, she said, large companies that work as prime contractors will put on multi-week training programs for subcontractors, and government agencies will fund community-based organizations to help small businesses become bidders. And L.A. County Public Works has a dedicated online portal to walk businesses through the requirements of public contracts.

The regional contractor development program does more than just help companies break into the field, Merriwether said. "Our objective is to help them grow and increase their capacity. That means we're going to help them multiple times," she said. "We have many contractors who have been participants in the program for a decade or more. ... A contractor doesnt go from $1-million [contracts] to $50-million in a year."

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President Biden, who has forcefully promoted unity among NATO nations behind Ukraines defense against Russia, heads later today from London to attend a key summit in Lithuania vowing to back Kyiv while also acknowledging that Ukraine is not ready for NATO membership.

Biden told CNN during a wide-ranging interview broadcast Sunday that he does not think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place.

If the war is going on, then were all in war, Biden said, referring to the alliances commitment to mutual defense. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case. He added that there would be other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization, for Ukraine to be considered for membership (The New York Times).

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius this week, told ABC News that membership in NATO can wait until after the war. His goal, he said, is to secure continued NATO-nation military support during his countrys ongoing counteroffensive, which he concedes has been slow but is not at a standstill.

Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO, Zelensky said during an interview that aired Sunday. And that is a very important point.

 The Hill: Five things to watch during this weeks NATO summit.

 The Hill: Lawmakers split over U.S. cluster bombs heading to Ukraine.

 BBC: War in maps: Ukraines slow advance continues.

 The Washington Post: Biden visits the U.K. ahead of a NATO summit amid alliance divisions.

 The New York Times: The president met this morning in London with the British prime minister, their sixth meeting as leaders.

Biden spoke with President Recep Tayyp Erdogan of Turkey on Sunday while en route to London, the White House said. The NATO meeting takes place as Sweden seeks to join the Western alliance, a move that has faced resistance from Turkey and Hungary.

Biden told CNN he is optimistic Sweden would eventually be admitted to NATO, noting that Turkey wants to modernize its F-16 fleet, along with Greece, which has voted to admit Sweden. Biden and Erdogan expressed a shared commitment to continue supporting Ukraine, according to the White House, and Biden expressed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.

 The Associated Press / Mindaugas Kulbis | NATO summit venue in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday.

Related Articles

 The Hill: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Fox News he has real qualms about the U.S. sending Ukraine cluster bombs. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a Senate candidate since February and the only member to vote against the Afghanistan war, criticized Bidens cluster bombs decision (The Hill). Biden ally Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) backs the presidents decision, he told CBS News on Sunday (The Hill).

 The Hill: Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and four Senate colleagues plan to attend the NATO summit this week to show support for Ukraine.

 The Hill: Biden has not committed to inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, the president told CNN. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be in Washington later this month.

 CBS News and The New York Times: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen believes her estimated 10 hours of meetings in Beijing with top Chinese leaders, including Premier Li Qiang, Vice Premier Liu He, Finance Minister Liu Kun and Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the Peoples Bank of China, were successful in laying groundwork for future diplomacy. She spoke to Face the Nation from China at the end of her trip.

LEADING THE DAY

 CONGRESS

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) returns to work at the Capitol this week with a July agenda with clear political overtones that includes efforts to lower the cost to consumers of insulin and prescription drugs, plus proposals to strengthen Supreme Court ethics requirements, reports The Hills Alexander Bolton.

In the House, Republicans confront ugly internal tensions as they return to the nations capital. The stunning Freedom Caucus ouster last month of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a prolific fundraiser and prominent conservative lawmaker on social media, could signal new headaches for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has relied this year on Greenes support to shield him from conservative attacks.

Greene told Breitbart News last week that she had not spoken with caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) about her in-or-out standing and questioned whether there was a quorum for the impromptu meeting during which colleagues now say they booted her. The dustup highlights broader frictions between GOP leaders and far-right conservatives. Ahead this year is a threat of a government shutdown  and a possible challenge to McCarthys Speakership, report The Hills Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis.

On Sunday, Greene took to Twitter to repeat her calls to impeach Biden, the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security. She drove a wedge into her own party over its support for U.S. assistance to Ukraine. She said Bidens decision to send U.S. cluster bomb munitions to Ukraine to support its counteroffensive against the Russian military may be a war crime.

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

 POLITICS

 The Associated Press / Matt Rourke | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in Philadelphia on June 30..

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is unhappy about a pileup of criticism that his bid against former President Trump for the GOP presidential nomination appears adrift. The governor, who says hell debate GOP rivals on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, lashed out at news outlets Sunday.

The media does not want me to be the nominee. I think thats very, very clear. Why? Because they know I will beat Biden, he told Fox News. But, even more importantly, they know I will actually deliver on all these things, he added while ticking off conservative goals he touts to voters. The governor, who has been expending lots of energy on retail politics in Iowa and New Hampshire, took issue with a Politico Playbook analysis titled Failure to Launch, and similar reporting by The New York Times.

Why is the governors campaign seen as lackluster (The Hill) and what is the assessment costing DeSantis within his party (The Hill)?

The race is still in its early phase. But likely voters of all stripes are beginning to reckon with who can lead the country through 2028. Voters grouse that the 2024 presidential contest could come down to their interpretation of a least bad candidate choice.

The Hill: This year, key elections to watch take place in Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi (gubernatorial contests), in Virginia (legislative elections) and in Ohio (abortion rights).

2024 roundup: The GOP nominating calendar next year will span 50 days beginning in Iowa on Jan. 15 to Super Tuesday on March 5 (The Des Moines Register).  Trump and DeSantis have begun eyeing Super Tuesday states (The Associated Press).  Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison warned Sunday that third-party candidates are not looking at the big picture while entering the presidential race on the margins (The Hill).  The White House tries to ward off distractions posed by Hunter Bidens legal difficulties during the presidents reelection bid (The Hill).  DeSantis on Sunday told Fox News the Trump administrations FBI in 2020 was colluding with Big Tech companies to bury conservative viewpoints (The Hill).  A relatively small number of politically active parent groups, which were formed years ago and also recently, are well funded, use social media and turn to like-minded elected officials to get books pulled from school libraries (The Hill). GOP presidential aspirant and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) said Sunday that he would not sign a federal abortion ban if he were elected president (The Hill).  Retired Army Capt. Sam Brown launches his campaign today in the Nevada Senate race to take on Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) as Republicans seek to reclaim the upper chamber in 2024 (The Hill and Politico).

Trump World: The former president will appear in a pre-taped interview July 16 on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures (The Hill).  An NBC News analysis of the ongoing Justice Department investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and allies to overturn the 2020 election results finds that dozens of witnesses have appeared before a federal grand jury. Witnesses suggest prosecutors are focused particularly on a fake electors scheme in which false slates of electors from states Trump lost were to assert that he won. In total, 84 fake electors in seven swing states signed documents falsely declaring Trump the winner.

OPINION

 A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine, by Alyona Getmanchuk, guest essayist, The New York Times.

 Biden is right on cluster bombs for Ukraine, by The Wall Street Journal editorial board.

WHERE AND WHEN

The House will meet at 2:30 p.m. for a pro forma session. Lawmakers return to the Capitol Tuesday.

The Senate will convene at 3 p.m. and resume consideration of the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to be deputy secretary of Agriculture.

The president is in London today at the outset of a three-country trip. Biden will meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10:45 a.m. BST amid Western cluster bomb unease (BBC). Biden will travel from London to Windsor Castle for an arrival ceremony at 12:45 p.m. BST. He willmeet with King Charles III from 1:05 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. BST to discuss climate change, among other issues. U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry will participate (The Associated Press). The president will depart London at 3:55 p.m. BST for Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of a NATO summit taking place Tuesday and Wednesday.

Vice President Harris will swear in Jared Bernstein as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers at 4 p.m. She will swear in Geeta Rao Gupta at 4:15 p.m. as ambassador-at-large for Global Womens Issues.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is with Biden in the United Kingdom today and will accompany the president to Lithuania for NATO meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Michael Barr will speak at 10 a.m. about bank capital and regulation during an event hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

ELSEWHERE

 INTERNATIONAL

North Korea on Monday accused the United States of violating its airspace by conducting surveillance flights. Pyongyang warned such flights may be shot down (Yahoo News).

Amid tensions with North Korea and China, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is heading to the NATO summit in Lithuania (Reuters).

 The Hill: Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a smear campaign against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group military leader who led a brief mutiny against the Kremlin and became an international political figure.

 The New York Times: The Dutch prime minister resigned over the weekend after his coalition rejected his tough new line on refugees, demonstrating the potency of migration in European politics.

 The New York Times: Aiding North Korean defectors in China has become all but impossible.Messages from defectors describe their journeys.

 The Guardian: Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale civil war, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned amid deadly air strikes and reports of ethnically targeted killings there.

 JUSTICE & COURTS

 The Associated Press / Jose Luis Magana | Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in May.

The end of the Supreme Courts term in June opened the floodgates to fresh assessments of Chief Justice John Roberts, who has led the high court for 18 years. Court watchers said Robertss alignment among fellow justices was not a reflection of his power as chief, but rather his influence within the high courts ideological middle, reports The Hills Zach Schonfeld.

In the most significant opinions this term, the chiefs stance reflected the majority. With an end to consideration of race in university admissions, rejection of Bidens student loan debt relief program and a decision that for religious reasons, a website designer could refuse to service same-sex couples, it meant joining a 6-3 conservative supermajority.

In other major cases, Roberts kept the court from embracing sweeping legal positions, breaking with some of his most conservative colleagues to strike down Alabamas GOP-drawn congressional map and reject a fringe theory that would have handed near-total authority to state legislatures in setting federal election rules.

The Washington Examiner: Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh emerge as the courts most pivotal votes.

Increasingly, Americans see the Supreme Court as politically polarized. But a majority of recent respondents backed the courts ruling ending consideration of race as a factor in college admissions, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted between June 30-July 1. On striking down the administrations student loan forgiveness program, 45 percent said they backed the ruling, while 40 percent said they supported the federal program. Respondents were more closely divided on whether a designer should be permitted under the Constitution to deny services to same-sex customers seeking a wedding website because of her religious disapproval. A narrow plurality, 43 percent, backed that opinion, while 42 percent objected.

The Washington Post: How Supreme Court decisions are activating a generation of young voters.

 Today begins a bench trial for right-wing Oath Keeper militia members James Beeks and Donovan Crowl before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on two felony counts stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including alleged conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder (The Hill).

THE CLOSER

 The Associated Press / Brynn Anderson | Old books in Sasser, Ga., in 2020.

And finally   Public Libraries are community treasures and also very forgiving. These days they automatically renew materials for borrowers on the off chance they might become overdue  and email their patrons about the anticipatory extensions theyve granted.

They also overlook dramatically past-due materials and waive fines, always delighted when books make their way back to the shelves. Even after 119 years.

The New Bedford Free Public Library in Massachusetts Friday welcomed the return of James Clerk Maxwells An Elementary Treatise on Electricity, which was checked out on Feb. 14, 1904, by someone curious about the emerging possibilities of a key force of nature (The Standard-Times photos and The Associated Press).

The book, in excellent condition after more than a century, made its improbable return thanks to a rare books expert who spotted it among donations to the West Virginia University Libraries and made sure New Bedfords librarian was reunited with one of her librarys holdings.

The New Bedford library has a 5-cent-per-day late fee, which arithmetic would suggest would have meant a possible penalty of $2,100. However, the librarys late fee policy limit is $2, and the moral of the story: Its never too late to return a book.

ABC News: A History of the United States by Benson Lossing, was due back at the St. Helena Public Library in Napa Valley, Calif., in February 1927. It was returned in May by a resident who found the formidable tome amid his late wifes book collection.

Stay Engaged

We want to hear from you! Email: Alexis Simendinger and Kristina Karisch. Follow us on Twitter (@asimendinger and @kristinakarisch) and suggest this newsletter to friends!

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Gov. Katie Hobbs announced $1.7 million in state funding was invested in Pima Community Colleges workforce development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

Part of that funding helped build the Automotive Technology and Innovation Center, a new facility that trains future automotive technicians located at the college's downtown campus in Tucson. This years state budget also appropriated $2 million for the colleges operations.

Before Hobbs' tour of the automotive facility, she spoke about Arizonas place as the epicenter of emerging technologies like semiconductors, electric vehicles and aerospace, among others, and the role community colleges play in training a workforce for these jobs.

To keep the pace, the state will need to have opportunities for postsecondary education and training that prepares Arizonans for these jobs, Hobbs said, standing in the automotive training center, amid rows of trucks and cars, with hoods open revealing their engines.

She said this was the first time the college received state funding since 2015.

The Automotive Technology and Innovation Center is a two-story, 50,000-square-foot building that opened in 2021. It houses automotive technology programs in diesel, electric and autonomous vehicles and training for brands like Ford, Fiat-Chrysler and Subaru.

The $35 million Advanced Manufacturing facility is 100,000 square feet and houses programs in mining technology, manufacturing, metalworking, robotics, machine technology and more.

Hobbs said these training programs help meet industry demands and will help attract more companies to Arizona.

If we have the workforce, we will continue to attract the companies, she said.

Hobbs reiterated the importance of community colleges to Arizonas education system and economy, noting how funding for Pima College ensures that state funding helps all corners of Arizona, not only in the capital.

Investing those dollars here to invest in the workforce will help bring those opportunities here to Pima County and Tucson, Hobbs said.

Programs like these at Pima Community College and other community colleges allow more people to access education and find better paying jobs, helping grow the state's economy, she said.

"We're committed to continuing to invest in our community colleges, which are a critical piece of Arizonans being able to access better jobs, better pay, better quality of life," she said.

Governor speaks out: Hobbs tells county attorneys she won't rescind executive order on abortion; lawsuit could come next

Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republics coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hobbs announces $1.7M for Pima Community College workforce training
For Hong Kong's youth, government-backed hostels offer a smidgen of housing hope Youth hostel organized by the Hong Kong United Youth Association, in Hong Kong

By Clare Jim

HONG KONG (Reuters) -For most young adults, moving out of home is a rite of passage but in Hong Kong - notorious for its chronic lack of housing - it's usually an unaffordable dream.

Silver Ho, a 26-year-old hair stylist assistant who was tired of arguing with his parents, counts himself as one of the lucky ones. Two months ago, he landed a spot at a new so-called "youth hostel", which offers rooms for young adults that are subsidised by the Hong Kong government and can be rented for up to five years.

His 22 square metre (240 square foot) twin-bed room he'll share with another person is only a bit smaller than the public housing unit he shared with his parents.

Ho also pays rent of just HK$4,400 ($560) per month, 27% cheaper than a space in a sub-divided flat in the same neighbourhood. Such partitioned units often have no personal bathroom and are barely big enough for a bed.

The hostel programme, ramped up last year under pressure from Chinese President Xi Jinping, is aimed at tackling youth frustration with housing - a factor Beijing believes contributed to the anti-government pro-democracy protests that rocked the city in 2019.

It's also aimed at nurturing what the government considers to be good responsible citizens and providing opportunities for self-development.

Applicants - who must be younger than 31, earn less than HK$25,000 ($3,200) a month and have less than HK$380,000 in assets - are chosen after interviews. They are also required to do 200 hours a year of community service or approved activities to keep their rooms.

For Ho, gaining a room at the BeLIVING hostel has meant independence and saving on commuting time. It's the first to have been converted from a hotel under a new scheme and unlike the city's three other hostels, is conveniently located in the bustling commercial area of Causeway Bay.

"I now have more time in the salon to learn new skills and practise. That helps increase my chances of getting a promotion," he said.

HOME TRUTHS

Hong Kong has been the world's least affordable housing market for 13 consecutive years, according to research firm Demographia, and housing woes are widely blamed for most of the city's social problems.

Public housing units are available for low-income people but the average waiting time is 5.3 years. Families and the elderly are favoured, so the chances of one going to a young single person are close to nil.

Hong Kong's hostel programme first started in 2011 but only gained momentum after Xi visited the city last July and said the government must do more to tackle youth housing and job problems while creating more opportunities for self-development.

At the time, the city had only one hostel with 80 beds. Since then, however, the government has pledged to boost supply.

It now aims to provide 3,000 beds in five years through hotel-to-hostel conversions, which would come on top of 3,400 planned under the first programme that are either being built from scratch or through redeveloping properties owned by non-profit groups.

A survey by the Concerning Youth Housing Rights Alliance published in May suggests the hostels will have limited appeal with close to 90% of respondents saying they don't plan to apply. Most are instead prioritising saving up to purchase their own flat one day.

That said, applicants for the BeLIVING hostel outstripped the number of beds 5 to 1.

New BeLIVING resident Chelsea Tung sees her move as both a chance to live with her boyfriend while putting aside money for a flat of their own.

"Ill be able to save up for a downpayment here," the 23-year-old insurance agent said.

The programme faces several hurdles.

It may be hard to boost the number of hostels as hotels, previously hit hard by three years of pandemic restrictions, are now seeing more demand.

Non-profit groups that run the hostels are also struggling to find a sustainable financing model.

The group that runs the city's first hostel built under the government scheme said all its rental income goes towards building maintenance and project management.

"We need to think of ways to cut costs and to raise funds to keep operating," said Carrie Wong, a supervisor at the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

Ngai Ming Yip, a professor of housing and urban studies at City University of Hong Kong, said the hostel scheme will only provide a limited amount of supply and only goes so far in ameliorating frustration among the city's youth.

"The root of the problem is not only housing. Research has shown it's related to young people's views towards opportunity, outlook, politics, democracy, everything," he said.

($1 = 7.8136 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina Gibbs)
At this year's Burning Man festival, the Ukrainian team will present an installation entitled The Hedgehog Temple. This work of art will be a memorial dedicated to their compatriots who have been killed in the full-scale war.

According to Yaroslav Korets, Chairman of the Community of Ukrainian Burners, the Ukrainian installation has been supported by funding from the organisers of the Burning Man Project.

Korets said the idea of the installation arose when the festival announced the theme for this year, ANIMALIA. The Ukrainian team decided to make a giant hedgehog built of anti-tank hedgehogs and covered with a military pixel pattern. Korets explained that through the installation, the authors wanted to show a symbol of defending Ukraine, as well as dedicating it to the deceased.

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Photograph: Oleksandr Slobodianyk / Facebook

"The Hedgehog Temple War Memorial is dedicated to the Ukrainians who will never be able to go to Burning Man because the war took their lives... We are taking our pain and grief from human losses to Burning Man. We want to tell the stories of our friends from the creative community who were taken by the war. Artists, DJs, musicians, directors, artists, IT specialists, journalists... they could have been with us at Burning Man, but they will never be able to do that because of the Russian aggression," he added.

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Photograph: Oleksandr Slobodianyk / Facebook

The hedgehog, made of rusty metal seven metres high, with a hundred anti-tank hedgehogs in its stomach, was completed in Kyiv in June. Then it was loaded into a container and shipped to the United States.

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Photograph: Oleksandr Slobodianyk / Facebook

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Photograph: Yaroslav Korets / Facebook

Next to the installation there will be anti-tank hedgehogs engraved with stories of the dead. Artist Oleksandrt Slobodyanyuk urged everyone to send memories of their family or relatives. "If you want photos, stories or personal belongings of your Heroes to be placed in our Temple and help save those who are defending us all It could be an arm patch, a photo, glasses, a cap, a bracelet, any personal thing - anything that we can exhibit in our temple and through which we can reach people on the other side of the world," he wrote.

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Photograph: Oleksandr Slobodianyk / Facebook

Burning Man is an annual independent art festival which has been held since 1986 in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA. A variety of art works are installed on site, and at the end of the festival, a giant human figure made of wood is burned.

Last year, the Lithuanian-American camp Amber Dust installed a five-metre trident at the festival to show their solidarity with Ukraine.

Burning Man 2023 will take place on 27 August  4 September.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) pressed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for information as his panel probes the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), alleging the agency has been insufficiently responsive to previous requests.

In a Monday letter to Powell, Comer and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), chair of the subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, said the committee had received some publicly available and nonpublic confidential supervisory information they requested from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in late April.

But Comer and McClain said they had not received adequate responses to requests for examination and audit reports, meeting minutes, communications and other information.

The committee is investigating the role the San Francisco Fed, which was tasked with supervising SVB, and other state and federal regulators played in the banks April 27 failure.

Regulators raised concerns about risks within SVB and Signature Bank, which collapsed after customers withdrew billions following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, but a Government Accountability Office report found they did not take steps to address serious mismanagement at the banks.

Former SVB CEO Gregory Becker was a member of the San Francisco Fed board, raising additional questions about regulatory oversight ahead of the collapse.

The San Francisco Fed responded to the initial request with publicly available documents, Comer and McClain wrote, including an overview of the Federal Reserve System and a copy of the Boards postmortem review of the Feds supervision of SVB.

San Francisco Fed officials later informed committee staffers the Fed Board was asserting privilege over a majority of the requested materials.

We have received the letter and plan to respond, a Fed spokesperson said in an email.

The San Francisco Fed did not immediately return a request for comment.

Committee staffers discussed concerns about the assertion with the Fed board staff on June 1 and secured an agreement to receive nonpublic materials and other documents, according to the letter.

Comer and McClain said they had received some nonpublic confidential supervisory materials but that they have not received any communications responsive to our requests.

They requested additional information that could provide new insights into the failure to respond to the initial request.

We look forward to continuing working with you and your staff so that the Committee can receive a fully responsive production, Comer and McClain wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Republicans want political payback for COVID vaccine mandates for troops, but the White House is refusing to back down

The Pentagon AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

The White House signaled it will defend the fallout from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The Biden administration blasted House Republicans for trying to speed the reinstatement of troops who refused the shot.

More than 8,000 active-duty service members were kicked out for refusing to get vaccinated.

The White House on Monday dug into its defense of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for American service members, signaling a fight with House Republicans that will loom large over funding for the Pentagon.

In a lengthy statement, the White House said it would not back down from a series of penalties that service members incurred if they refused to get vaccinated. House Republicans have for months pressured the Pentagon to revisit the punishment defiant service members incurred, including those who were discharged as a result of their decision.

Congress previously forced the Pentagon to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in January. At issue now is how and to what, if any, extent reinstatement or other assistance will be offered to troops who defied the requirement. Republicans have repeatedly pushed for the reinstatement of service members that were discharged as a result of defying the mandate.

More than 8,000 active-duty service members were kicked out for refusing to get the vaccine. The disagreement also underlines that as the US moves past the pandemic, debates about the government response will continue on.

As Military.com previously reported, vaccine-related amendments to the massive bill funding the US' defense largely passed on party lines. Each year, Congress must pass a massive bill funding the Pentagon. Lawmakers often tack on funding restrictions or other requirements onto the bill.

The White House took particular issue with a series of vaccine-related policies that would require the Pentagon to notify discharged service members if they were kicked out solely for defying the vaccine mandate, ensure that a review board gives priority to any COVID-19-related discharge requests, and end a policy requiring service members who attended military Service Academy such as West Point to pay back their tuition if they refused to get vaccinated.

The academy policy "sets a dangerous precedent that not following lawful orders is an option for service members, which will be deleterious to good order and discipline as well as unit cohesion," the White House said in a statement of policy.

The Biden administration also took issue with giving vaccine-related discharges a priority review. In keeping with practice, the statement was released by the Office of Management and Budget unsigned. These types of statements are how the White House influences ongoing legislative fights.

"Because it would place the review of petitions [...] above the consideration of all other Boards of Correction of Military Records actions, which could include pressing issues related to military sexual trauma, PTSD related to military service, and matters related to pay and benefits."

It's unclear what the outlook will be for the vaccine-related policies. The Republican-led bill still needs to be voted on by the full House. The Senate, where Democrats retain a small majority, is expected to pass its own version of the bill. Biden must then sign the compromise into law.

Democrats have repeatedly argued against automatically reinstating service members who refused the shot. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has also defended the mandate, arguing that it saved lives.

"The Department's COVID-19 vaccination efforts will leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the world-class Force we have been able to field, and the high level of readiness we have maintained, amidst difficult public health conditions," Austin wrote in a letter that announced the end of the mandate.

Read the original article on Business Insider
House Republicans were less likely to object to the 2020 election results if they raked in lots of corporate cash, study finds

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, seen here before objecting to the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021, has sworn off corporate PAC money. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Republicans who got lots of corporate cash in 2020 were less likely to object to the election results.

That's according to a new study from researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

With every $500,000 received, the likelihood of objecting went down 11 points, the study found.

If you're a Republican member of Congress that rakes in thousands in corporate cash, you may be more committed to democratic norms.

That's the provocative suggestion of a recently-published research paper led by Kenneth Miller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In short, Miller's research found that the more corporate PAC money a House Republican received over the course of the 2020 election cycle, the less likely they were to vote to object to the certification of the 2020 election results in Arizona or Pennsylvania.

Specifically, the authors found that with every 10-percentage point increase in the amount that a House Republican's campaign had received from corporate PACs, there was a 6-point decline in the probability that they voted to object to the election results in either state.

Additionally, the likelihood that a House Republican would vote to object went down roughly 11 points with every additional $500,000 they received in corporate PAC money.

"Business interests will not likely welcome the uncertainty and turbulence that might accompany democratic decline," the paper argues, before noting that "the individuals who comprise the pool of donors to candidates tend to be more ideological and less moderate than the overall American electorate."

In the wake of January 6, several corporations halted contributions to lawmakers' who had voted to object to the election results  though many later resumed making donations.

The paper notes that given the relationship between corporate PAC contributions and likelihood to object to the election results, the "true degree of 'punishment' Republican House members have felt for objecting on January 6th appears muted."

One Republican who was likely unaffected by the pause: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.

A chief proponent of the notion that the 2020 election was stolen who objected to the results in both Arizona and Pennsylvania, Gaetz has sworn off corporate PAC money.

The researchers argue at the conclusion of the paper that the findings "highlight a challenging dilemma of campaign finance" in the United States.

"While a greater reflection of the preferences of individual donors may have the normatively attractive outcome of reducing the influence of monied interests in policymaking," they write, "it should also be worrisome that portions of the activist bases that populate the donor class may be more concerned with winning than with the health and stability of the institutions themselves."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Paint protest: Just Stop Oil activists outside TotalEnergies' UK headquarters in London last month (HENRY NICHOLLS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday urged a halt to a major East African oil project led by French giant TotalEnergies, warning of dire consequences for the environment and local communities.

TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation signed a $10-billion agreement last year to develop Ugandan oilfields and ship the crude through a 1,445-kilometre (900-mile) pipeline to Tanzania's Indian Ocean port of Tanga.

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has run into strong opposition from rights activists and environmental groups, and faced legal action in France and criticism in the European Parliament.

TotalEnergies says those displaced by the project have been fairly compensated and measures have been taken to protect the environment.

But HRW says the mega-project will irreparably harm fragile ecosystems, and alleges that some of the 100,000 people expected to be displaced by its development have been poorly treated.

Researchers conducted over 90 interviews in March and April this year, including with 75 displaced families, many of whom said they had received delayed or inadequate compensation.

Others told HRW they were pressured into selling their land.

"EACOP has been a disaster for the tens of thousands who have lost the land that provided food for their families and an income to send their children to school, and who received too little compensation from TotalEnergies," said Felix Horne, senior environment researcher at HRW.

"EACOP is also a disaster for the planet and the project should not be completed."

- 'Rights violations' -

Farmers told HRW they went into debt waiting years for compensation, with campaigners documenting 37 cases where children were allegedly forced to drop out of school because their families could not pay fees.

Some signed compensation agreements in English, a language they couldn't read, while others told researchers "the presence of government and security officials at public meetings contributed to an aura of intimidation", HRW said.

One 79-year-old man said: "In my heart I said no, but because I thought government would be hard on me, I gave in and signed."

Those who refused to sign said they faced pressure from company representatives as well as harassment from local government and security officials.

TotalEnergies told AFP that more than 94 percent of the people who had signed the agreements had "already received their compensation."

"These agreements are supplemented by measures to promote employment, education and respect for women's rights," TotalEnergies said.

The company said it was "committed to putting environmental and biodiversity issues as well as the rights of the communities concerned at the centre of the project".

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to proceed with the project despite the European Parliament calling for it to be delayed over "rights violations".

The parliament has raised concerns over the wrongful imprisonment of activists opposed to the project, and the eviction of people from their land without adequate compensation.

Five Ugandan and French aid groups as well as 26 Ugandans sued TotalEnergies in Paris last month for reparations over alleged human rights violations at two of its mega-projects in the country, including EACOP.

Museveni has hailed the project as a major economic boost for the landlocked country, where many live in poverty.

amu/np/ri
Hurricane center is monitoring a system in the Atlantic. What the forecast says

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of low pressure that could develop into a tropical system this week.

Here are the details:

Where is it?

Location: The Central Atlantic system could form in the next several days several hundred miles to the east-northeast of Bermuda, according to a National Hurricane Center update early Monday.

Will it get stronger?

Tropical: Forecasters say the system is expected to interact with an upper-level trough, and could acquire some subtropical or tropical characteristics later this week.

Where is it heading?

Direction: Its expected to pivot southeast to northeast.

Will it affect Florida?

The state is not expected to be affected at this time. It is going to be moving away into the northern Atlantic, said CBS News Miami meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez.

Watches/Warnings?

None issued.

Forecast

Development: By the weekend, the low is expected to turn north, bringing the system over cooler waters and likely limiting additional development.

Chances of formation: Formation chance through 48 hours is near 0% and formation chance through seven days is 30%.
A coalition seeking to make Idahos primary elections more accessible and establish a ranked-choice voting mechanism has sued Attorney General Raul Labrador, alleging he made false and misleading statements to the public about the groups ballot initiative.

Idaho law directs the attorney general to review proposed ballot initiatives and assign them ballot titles, which summarize the purpose of an initiative and appear on the ballot when voters weigh in.

Idahoans for Open Primaries, a coalition that includes citizen advisory group Reclaim Idaho, last month filed a ballot measure to make primaries open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation, and to create a ranked-choice voting system for general elections. Labrador, a Republican, completed the ballot titles for the open primary initiative, and the coalition Monday filed a lawsuit challenging the titles in the Idaho Supreme Court.

Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice and one-time Attorney General Jim Jones said Labradors titles are deceptive and designed to create prejudice against the measure. Jones, who campaigned against Labrador last year, is a member of Idahoans for Open Primaries.

The attorney general is setting the stage for a campaign of confusion and deception against the initiative, Jones said in a news release.

The lawsuit asked the Idaho Supreme Court to reject Labradors titles in favor of the coalitions and to provide the group an extension to collect signatures.

To qualify for the general election ballot in November 2024, the coalition must collect signatures from 6% of Idaho voters who were registered for the last general election  nearly 63,000 people  along with signatures from 6% of registered voters in 18 of 35 legislative districts before May 1.

Beth Cahill, spokesperson for Labrador, told the Idaho Statesman that as a rule we dont comment on pending litigation, but she pointed to a statement in a June 30 letter that Labrador wrote to Secretary of State Phil McGrane.

(Attorney General) Labrador has furnished a ballot measure title with a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure and without prejudice or partisanship, consistent with his requirements under Idaho law, Cahill said by email. If it is required, we will be happy to defend the AGs fulfillment of his statutory duties in litigation.

AG aimed to bolster future lawsuit, group says

Attorneys for the open primaries coalition accused Labrador of making false statements and using obscure language to confuse voters about the initiative. And they accused Labrador of using the ballot titles to tee-up a future legal challenge against the initiative.

Labrador in the titles falsely claimed that the initiative would require voting for each candidate on the ballot in order of preference. The initiative says, Voters are not required to rank every candidate.

Labrador also described the proposed primary system as a nonparty blanket primary. Attorneys for the coalition wrote that the phrase is an obscure term that is almost entirely absent from common usage, and that open primary is preferred.

In dereliction of his official duties, the attorney general has prepared ballot titles that do not conform to the law, attorneys for the group wrote in the lawsuit. He has instead drafted titles that express his strong bias against the initiative and his intention to use his power to defeat it.

Last month, the attorney generals office released an analysis of the proposed initiative and argued that it doesnt withstand constitutional scrutiny. Labrador and Idaho Solicitor General Theo Wold, meanwhile, have criticized ranked-choice voting on social media.

In the June 30 letter to McGrane, Labrador wrote that the initiative is ineligible for placement on the ballot and the attorney generals office would attempt to block it if it qualifies for the ballot. The proposed measure violates a state constitutional provision requiring that initiatives deal with a single subject, Labrador wrote.

We will litigate that objection if and when it becomes ripe, he wrote.

Labradors title for the initiative says its a measure to (1) replace voter selection of party nominees with nonparty blanket primary; (2) require ranked-choice voting for general elections.

The coalition attorneys argued that Labrador gratuitously divided the title into two parts  one regarding the primary and one regarding the general election  to bolster a future lawsuit arguing the initiative covers two subjects.

The purpose of the initiative is a multi-part reform of the electoral system in Idaho and includes multiple policy changes that fall under the single common subject of elections, the attorneys wrote.
Incarcerated man dies at State Penitentiary, according to DOC

A man incarcerated at the South Dakota State Penitentiary died Friday, according to a Department of Corrections press release.

Madit Borthok, 41, died at the Jameson Annex, according to the DOC. No cause of death was listed.

More: Sioux Falls police: Man arrested after threatening to stab driver at Hy-Vee

Borthok was serving sentences for second-degree rape and simple assault on law enforcement conviction in Minnehaha County, according to the DOC.

Borthok would have been eligible for release in 2029, according to court documents.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Incarcerated man died Friday at State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls
Counting millions of people is never an easy task, but according to the United Nations, India now has more people than China, an epochal shift in global demographics that happened sometime in late April.

Most of the world has grown up with China holding the title of the worlds most populous country, but decades of restrictive policies limiting families to one child dramatically slowed Chinas birth rate, allowing India to pull ahead.

But having a chart-topping headcount is not necessarily a title that most countries covet.

A few years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about Indias population explosion and lavished praise on families who carefully considered the impact of more babies  on themselves, and the nation.

In 21st-century India, the ability to fulfill dreams starts with a person, starts with a family. If the population is not educated, not healthy, then neither the home nor the country can be happy, Modi said.

So how did Indias population get so big, and how long will it last?

CNN analyzed the UNs World Population Prospects data and spoke to experts to delve beneath the headline numbers at the detail surrounding Indias demographic shift.

How did India get so big?

Not surprisingly, fertility is key to understanding what drives the rise or fall of a countrys population. It is commonly accepted that a countrys average fertility rate  children per woman  must be 2.1 for the population to sustain itself  and even more to grow.

Back in the 1960s, when todays grandparents were having children, Indias fertility rate was 6, around the same rate as some African countries now.

But, according to the government, Indias total fertility rate dropped to 2.0 in the latest nationwide assessment period from 2019 to 2021, down from 3.4 from 1992 to 1993. The rise in population despite a drop in the fertility rate can be explained by demographic momentum.

When the fertility rate drops, the population continues to grow for several decades. And that is because younger, large cohorts are still growing into that age when they become parents, said Frank Swiaczny, senior researcher at the Federal Institute for Population Research.

So, even with a replacement or sub-replacement fertility rate, Indias population will continue to grow slowly because of the considerable number of women entering their reproductive years.

Mothers hold their newborn babies inside a maternity hospital during "World Population Day" in Kolkata July 11, 2012. - Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters/FILE

Not surprisingly for a nation of its size, Indias fertility rate is uneven across the country, contributing to a north-south divide that sees more babies produced in the north. But even there, the numbers arent off the charts.

What really surprised us is that the highest fertility rate in India  3.0 in Bihar  is not even that high, said Barbara Seligman, chief strategy and growth officer and senior vice president at PRB, a nonprofit group that focuses on demographic data and population research.

It is really striking to see just how many states are below replacement level, Seligman added. All but five states  Bihar, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur  are at that level, and notably, theyre all in the north.

In southern states, a different pattern emerges.

For example, Goa has a fertility rate similar to certain countries in southern Europe, which are currently struggling to support an aging population with a shrinking workforce. Its a trend experts say Indias leaders would be wise not to ignore.

According to the UNs classification, India is now an aging society meaning that 7% of its population is age 65 or older. In some states, for example in Kerala in southern India, the population over 65 has doubled in the last 30 years and is now at 12%.

The same pattern will extend to more states given the low total fertility rate.

Were going to see more and more states over the course of the next 30 years aging in the way that Kerala is now, Seligman said.

Indias population growth is slowing down

India may have overtaken China in total population, but UN data also shows that its growth rate has slowed.

Between 1971 and 1981, Indias population was growing on average 2.2% each year. By 2001 to 2011, that had slowed to 1.5% and is even lower now. According to UN projections, Indias population is expected peak at about 1.7 billion in 2064.

Right now, more than 40% of the countrys residents are younger than 25, and the estimated median age in 2023 is 28  nearly a decade younger than Chinas  according to UN data.

In 2021, Indias working-age population stood at more than 900 million and is expected to hit 1 billion over the next decade, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Not only is this massive  and relatively low-paid  labor force young, it is largely English-speaking, digitally literate and has a reputation for entrepreneurship, making the country a big draw for Western companies seeking an alternative manufacturing hub to China.

But Indias contribution to the share of the worlds working-age population is expected to slow in coming decades, making way for a younger population of workers emerging from Africa.

India may have the lions share of todays working-age people, but experts say the nation needs strong policies to capitalize on its youth.

A large number of people is not enough, we need to come up with a holistic plan, Sonalde Desai, director at National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and professor at the University of Maryland, told CNN.

We need people who have the skills to fill some of the high-value jobs and an economy that produces these high-value jobs.

Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India, said addressing the gap is imperative for India to progress to fulfill its aspirations of being a developed country.

Whats next for India?

Though it remains one of the worlds poorest countries per capita, India is moving up the global economic league tables  its nearly $3.5 trillion economy is now the worlds fifth largest and among the fastest growing.

In 2023, the World Bank expects India to outperform all other major economies with growth of 6.6%  compared to 4.3% for China and just 0.5% for the United States, while on some projections it is expected to take the number 3 spot within the next 10 years and become only the third country with a GDP worth $10 trillion by 2035.

Yet despite its fortunes, Indias wealth is not evenly spread.

Poverty remains a daily reality for millions of Indians, and experts say while the country has a large population of young people ready and willing to work, comparative to other countries, figures show there arent enough jobs for them.

The problem is worse in economically disadvantaged regions in the north, which rely heavily on agriculture. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, is home to 17% of Indias population but has only 9% of its industrial jobs.

Sabina Dewan, a senior visiting fellow at the Center for Policy Research, says population growth can be a tremendous productive force for the economy but economic growth hinges on providing good quality, productive, and well-remunerated jobs.

And that starts with investing more in education beyond primary school, especially for women.

We need to strengthen our secondary school system, make it safer and closer to where the girls are, because many parents do not send their daughters to secondary schools, which are far away, because of security issues, Muttreja said.

Once they leave school, womens participation level in the work force  the estimation of the active workforce and people looking for work  was just 19% in 2021, World Bank data shows. Thats less than half the overall labor force participation rate of 46%, already one of the lowest in Asia. The comparative rates for China and the United States were 68% and 61%.

Not only does India need better policies to put women in work  they need to ensure theyre able to stay there, said Desai. For that, more options are needed for temporary contraception to give women more control over childbearing, she said.

Education is the best contraceptive pill that can be given to a woman, Muttreja added.

Dewan, from the Center for Policy Research, said if India doesnt get the balance right, it risks squandering the considerable advantage of being the worlds most populous country with the worlds largest share of working age human capital.

The challenge of educating, providing training, and enough good quality jobs is huge, she said.

If we dont create enough good jobs, we waste the tremendous potential of our workers. And we could be looking at a youth population that has greater aspirations than ever before, but few opportunities for income generation.

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A veteran deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Indiana died Monday after he was attacked by an inmate attempting to escape, officials said.

John Durm, 61, was bringing an inmate from the hospital back to the Criminal Justice Center complex in Indianapolis when he was assaulted, authorities said. Suspect Orlando Mitchell, 33, stole a jail vehicle and tried to escape, but he was taken back into custody after he crashed into a utility pole.

"The investigation at this point shows clearly that this was an intentional act of homicide and it will be investigated as such," Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said during a news conference.

Durm was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Another deputy received minor injuries while taking Mitchell into custody.

Durm had worked for the Marion County Sheriff's Office for 38 years, Sheriff Kerry Forestal said. His wife has also worked for the office for decades and one of Durm's son started training as a detention deputy about a month ago. Durm is also survived by two sons who are members of the military.

The deputy's wife knew it was a dangerous job, but she didn't expect anything like this would happen to her husband, Forestal said.

"The deputies who walk into the jail every day are walking into a place where there's over 180 people charged with murder," Forestal said. "There's 2,400 prisoners over there and a lot of them think that they want to escape and some of them take extreme measures like this guy did today, which isn't his first alleged violent act in this community."

Mitchell suffered minor injuries in the crash during his escape attempt, officials said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and will be placed under arrest for murder once he is released.

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Cultural artefacts are handed back to Indonesia during a ceremony in Leiden, Netherlands, Monday, July 10, 2023. The Netherlands and Indonesia on Monday have hailed the return of hundreds of cultural artefacts taken, sometimes by force, during colonial times as a major step forward in restitution efforts worldwide. (AP Photo/Aleksandar Furtula)

LEIDEN, Netherlands (AP)  The Netherlands and Indonesia on Monday hailed the return of hundreds of cultural artifacts taken  sometimes by force  during colonial times as a major step forward in restitution efforts worldwide.

The items, ranging from valuable jewels to 13th-century temple carvings, were officially handed back to Indonesia at a ceremony at the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden.

We are really delighted. This is a very historic moment for both us, Indonesia, and the Netherlands. And the relationship between the two," said Hilmar Farid, director general of cultural heritage at Indonesia's Ministry of Culture. "But I think what we have achieved so far is also a very significant contribution to the global debate about returning of colonial objects.

The Dutch government announced the return last week of the Indonesian treasures and looted artifacts from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry welcomed the decision and said the Indian Ocean nation will work to preserve the items, including a richly decorated ceremonial cannon.

They are the first artifacts returned home on the advice of a Dutch committee set up in 2022 to assess requests by countries for restitution of artifacts in state museums. The committee is considering more restitution requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Indonesia got back more than the trove of glittering jewels and ancient carvings from a temple in Java, said Farid.

We consider these objects as our missing items in our historical narrative and of course they play different roles symbolically, culturally," he said. Their return means Indonesia can "reintegrate them into their cultural contexts. And that is, of course, of symbolic importance to us.

Gunay Uslu, the Dutch state secretary for culture and media, called the presentation Monday a historically, important event that resonates beyond the Netherlands and its former colony.

"Its also an important moment for the world because its about colonial objects in a colonial context. So its a sensitive topic, she said.

A Berlin museum announced in January it is ready to return hundreds of human skulls from the former German colony of East Africa. In 2021, France said it was returning statues, royal thrones and sacred altars taken from the West African nation of Benin. And last year, Belgium returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Corder contributed from The Hague.
Editor's note: This investigation is a collaboration between the Kyiv Independent and partners, including The Investigative Desk, Lighthouse Reports, and Follow the Money (Netherlands), El Diario (Spain), Delfi (Estonia), and Liberation (France).

Key findings:

Over a year into Russia's full-scale war, neither Ukraine nor the EU has implemented any solid plans for ammunition production ramp-up

EU member states' governments hardly sign any long-term contracts with producers, while the "wait-and-see" arms industry is reluctant to take financial risks

Ukraine's arms makers also complain about a lack of state support yet scale up production under existing capacities anyway

Ukraine uses from 3-10 times (depending on the intensity of fighting) less ammunition than Russia does, but its ammunition expenditure is still several times higher than Europe's production rates

National protectionism of member states and the bureaucracy of the EU prevented rapid decision-making to tackle ammunition shortages

The lack of unified ammunition types in the EU forces soldiers on the front line to alter their ammunition and adapt weapons, which can delay or jeopardize operations

As Ukraine was throwing all its forces into counteroffensive operations in northeastern Kharkiv and southern Kherson oblasts last fall, soldiers defending the eastern front struggled with ammunition shortages.

When long-anticipated military aid arrived at one brigade stationed in Ukraine's eastern Donbas front, the soldiers were over the moon. But disappointment soon followed when they realized that the supplied ammunition was useless: The Finnish 120mm mortar bombs wouldn't fit into the Italian Mod. 63 mortar, despite them being of the same caliber.

Taras, the commander of the brigade's mortar battery, was tasked to find a way out of the situation. Ten people used grinders to manually trim all eight tail fins on each mortar bomb to fit the Italian mortar. There were 400 bombs to trim.

"My infantry was relying on me. At the time when we received these bombs, we had nothing else from the brigade artillery left," said Taras, who doesn't reveal his full name due to fear of retaliation for publicly complaining about the supplies.

Taras's story points to two major issues the Ukrainian military has been facing.

One is the lack of consistency of arms across the European Union. Ammunition from various producers of the same caliber differs to the extent that soldiers call it a "zoo" for how messy it is.

Since Ukraine gets arms from various countries and suppliers, it creates ammunition chaos and affects the performance of the military: Soldiers have to make time to weigh incoming munitions and manually grind them to fit their launchers, which can get in the way of military missions.

The second problem is a shortage of ammunition on the front lines. Austerity forces Ukraine to save up munitions while defending or building up for an attack by giving soldiers less than usual, multiple high-level sources close to Ukraine's military leadership told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive started later than planned due to weapons supply delays, President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN on July 5.

Russia is steps ahead of Ukraine in ammunition capacities. According to Ukrainian military and government sources, Russia can fire up to 10 times as much ammunition as Ukraine does during high-intensity fighting. On average, Russia fires 60,000 rounds of ammunition at Ukraine a day, whereas Ukraine fires 20,000, according to Ukrainian officials' public comments and off-the-record conversations with them.

While Russia makes use of its large stock of ammunition, both Ukraine and the EU have so far failed to scale up ammunition production to meet battlefield demands.

The Kyiv Independent and its partners spoke with dozens of insiders, arms producers, diplomats, the Ukrainian government and military sources, and soldiers on the front line.

This cross-border investigation found that national protectionism, misjudgment, and indecisiveness among EU countries have obstructed the bloc from finding a swift and collective approach to tackling ammunition shortages which had a direct impact on Ukraine's performance on the battlefield. Both governments and their defense industries have proved reluctant to take risks investing in arms production, including jointly with Ukraine.

Ukraine's own defense industry started producing ammunition only about two months into Russia's full-scale war.

And it faces similar problems to those of the EU: it's too slow, the government and the industry blame each other for failing to take the lead in scaling up production, and a strategy for future ammunition programs is still a work in progress.

While Ukraine and the West fail to produce more, Russia is trying to disrupt Ukraine's production and destroy what it already has in stock by targeting ammunition depots.

The inability of officials, both domestically and internationally, to ensure Ukraine has enough arms and ammunition leaves the soldiers on the ground with an impossible task: meeting the world's high expectations of Ukraine's counteroffensive without the means to do so.

Caught by surprise

The fact that ammunition would eventually run out in the EU warehouses has been self-evident to anyone paying attention from day one of the full-scale invasion, according to officials and experts the Kyiv Independent spoke to.

Ukraine, a country that inherited most of its arms from the Soviet Union, had ammunition of calibers most NATO countries didn't have. Some Eastern European countries had Soviet-style munition but in limited volumes.

Ukraine's own stocks were only enough for up to about a month of active fighting, according to multiple top-level sources in Ukraine's Defense Ministry and Armed Forces. They claim to have informed Western allies about the state of things as early as day one of the full-scale invasion.

Once comprehensive, Ukraine's stocks had dried up due to a series of explosions in ammunition depots between 2014 to 2018 in Ukraine, as well as the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, countries Ukraine bought Soviet-style ammunition from. The Czech government has openly blamed the explosions on Russia. Ukraine's State Security Service and Prosecutor General's Office have investigated the blasts in Ukraine in connection with sabotage, murder, terrorism, and military service negligence. None of the investigations have resulted in convictions yet.

In Ukraine alone, around 210,000 tons of ammunition were destroyed in the attacks  that's three times as much as the country had used defending itself against Russia's war in the Donbas and on military training combined in 2014-2018, according to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank. It's unclear whether any of the lost ammunition was replenished, or how much was rescued.

As Battle of Bakhmut nears culmination, Ukraines artillery gasps for more ammo BAKHMUT, Donetsk Oblast  Its the last days of December and the heat of the holiday season. But an artillery battalion with Ukraines 24th Mechanized Infantry just couldnt care less. For them, its like Groundhog Day  just another day of war that keeps repeating over and over. The Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

Ukraine tried to launch the production of artillery ammunition in 2018, four years into the war in the Donbas. That attempt failed, due to suspected corruption.

Back then, Bezpeka, a state enterprise then operating under the Economy Ministry, was tasked with buying ammunition production equipment for state factories. It sought to buy equipment for Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's state-owned arms manufacturer, recently rebranded as Ukrainian Defense Industry as part of corporate reform. The equipment would allow Ukroboronprom to start producing 152mm shells.

Bezpeka ordered the equipment from an American contractor, Gray Fox Logistics, that never delivered the order. Ukraine won arbitration against the company in 2020 and is yet to receive the $8.3 million it prepaid for the order  but it lost valuable time. Law enforcement opened a probe into the head of Bezpeka, alleging he and a deputy economy minister plotted to give the contract to the U.S. company while knowing it couldn't deliver the equipment. Bezpeka's head is suspected of treason, abuse of office, and theft.

While waiting for the American equipment, in 2018, Ukraine ordered 152mm shells from a Ukrainian private company Rubin. It delivered low-quality products, which weren't approved by the Defense Ministry. These were Ukraine's only attempts to launch mass production of ammunition before the 2022 invasion.

So when Russia started its all-out war, Ukraine didn't have reliable ammunition production pipelines and had little left in stock.

Meanwhile, the closest possible sources of ammunition  the EU and the UK  were also short on it.

After years of defense budget cuts and a strategy of keeping ammunition stocks low ever since the Cold War, the EU had little to offer.

According to Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO military committee, he told member states' foreign ministers in mid-March 2022: "We deliver from half-empty warehouses. You have to refill it very quickly."

"NATO won't be able to provide Ukraine with lasting support if the war goes on for long," he recalled saying back then.

Officials and experts in the United Kingdom and Germany later admitted that their own countries only had enough ammunition to last for mere days of high-intensity fighting.

Reluctant to start helping

The West did not rush to start sending arms to Ukraine to help repel Russian aggression. It took days for politicians to decide and weeks to deliver the first batches of Soviet-style military aid to Ukraine, according to diplomats and military sources.

There were a few reasons for the delays.

One was the fear that Ukraine would quickly fall and the arms and ammunition provided by the West would end up in Russian hands, said two high-level Ukrainian diplomatic sources.

Additionally, they said, the EU was scared that Russia would see Europe as a party to the conflict.

"That's why they didn't want to help us for a very long time, despite the fact that Russia immediately accused the West of being a party to the war," according to another source close to Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

The EU defense industry proved to be more farsighted than politicians.

Nexter, a French munitions company, claims to have bought a few hundred tons of gunpowder a few days after the full-scale Russian invasion.

"We were in constant talks with the French government, especially with its Defense Ministry, which was well aware that the need for ammunition would increase," said Gabriel Massoni, a spokesperson for Nexter.

According to NAMMO, a Norwegian-Finnish munitions company, it bought extra raw materials days after the invasion. They also claim to have alerted authorities how difficult scaling up production quickly would be, given supply chain issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company got its first ammunition production contract only about a year later.

Camille Grand, who served as NATO's assistant secretary general for defense investment until November 2022, said: "We were under the impression that the war would not last long."

Taking a lifetime to act

Even upon realizing the scale of ammunition shortages, the leadership of the EU and its member states proved to be slow in tackling them.

At the first Ramstein summit, a Ukraine-focused meeting of allied countries at an air base in Germany, on April 26, 2022, the allies decided to give the first big batch of weapons to Ukraine.

"It was very tough before the Ramstein talks, and only after did it start moving at least in some direction, and we started receiving the first pieces of (U.S.-made and provided) M777 and M119 howitzers, which came in together with ammunition," a Ukrainian military source said.

However, it is not known whether the looming ammunition shortage was addressed at the summit.

The first notable attempt to find a solution came two days later, at NATO's semi-annual meeting of national armaments directors. There, some member states, for the first time, aired concerns that ammunition stocks could run out, according to Grand, a former top NATO official.

Around that time, it finally became clear to Western leaders that modern warfare still requires high volumes of ammunition despite advances in military technology, according to a source close to Ukraine's Defense Ministry. "That was a shock to them," he said.

EU unable to keep up

Soon after the start of the invasion, it became obvious that Ukraine was using ammunition much faster than EU countries were able to produce it.

According to the Kyiv Independent's calculations based on publicly available information and sources, Ukraine is using at least five times as much ammunition as the EU members are able to produce. By mid-April, it became clear that the European defense industry could not keep up with Ukraine's growing battlefield demands.

Meanwhile, the demand on the international ammunition market was growing as EU member states rushed to buy ammunition to replenish their emptied stocks.

This led to longer delivery times and rapidly rising prices. It also made Ukraine compete for ammunition and industrial materials like gunpowder on the European market.

"The current peak capacity of the ammunition-producing industry will probably be reached soon," Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote to the House of Representatives on April 29, 2022.

On Sept. 27, 2022, arms producers were, for the first time, invited to meet arms buyers at NATO's headquarters.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, participates in a meeting of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Credit: NATO)

"This war could go on for a long time," NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg told the audience. "That is why we must be prepared to continue to support Ukraine for the long term. That is why we also need to increase production."

The meeting took place seven months into the full-scale war, in the middle of Ukraine's attempt to push Russians back from Kherson Oblast and following the successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

By September, ammunition stocks in Ukraine were rapidly coming to an end. At that time, Ukraine's mortars and artillery fired two rounds for each 100 shots by Russia, according to a high-level source in the army.

And yet, there was still no political solution among EU member states to ammunition shortages.

The November inventory of the ammunition stocks of NATO countries found shortages in 155mm and 120mm calibers  the two most-used ones on the battlefield in Ukraine. It also revealed chaos in the member states' warehouses.

"Some member states had no idea how much stock they had and had to count it manually," said an official who was involved in the inventory.

Forced to save up ammunition

Artillerymen in Ukraine say they have to use their artillery like sniper rifles, firing precisely at targets, instead of as intended  with sustained barrage artillery fire that can hit multiple targets at once.

"It is normal to attack a group of enemy infantry with 15 to 20 shells. But if we do it this way, we won't have any ammunition to strike the next group," said an artilleryman with the callsign Haiduk. He operates a Soviet-era D-30 howitzer, which uses 122mm shells, the ones both the West and Russia are chasing after around the world.

Multiple soldiers told the Kyiv Independent they receive up to 15 shells a day when they are in defense, which is only enough to effectively repel one Russian attack.

In their turn, NATO officials believe Ukrainian soldiers use up way too much ammunition by operating new, modern, and precise artillery in an old-fashioned manner, a source in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said.

NATO artillery is indeed more precise than the Soviet ones, which is supposed to save up a fair portion of ammunition. However, Western weapons constitute only around 30% of Ukraine's arms, according to Ukroboronprom's spokesperson, while the biggest shortages are experienced with Soviet-style calibers.

A Ukrainian serviceman carries a Soviet-style 152 mm shell to fire a Msta-B howitzer towards Russian positions near the frontline town of Bakhmut on March 2, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Dimitar Dilkoff/Getty Images)

Soldiers on the ground say they can't spend less ammunition. One reason is that Western arms often arrive in Ukraine without automatic fire control systems, sights, or navigation, which could save up to around 20% of ammunition, according to the Kyiv Independent's soldier, volunteer, and expert sources.

"We receive weapons without access to technology," said Daria Kaleniuk, co-founder of Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), which, since Russia's full-scale invasion, has also been advocating for arms supplies. "They are very much afraid that these technologies will be received by the enemy, that we won't protect them."

Western ammunition also often comes with temporary shooting tables or none at all, which means soldiers have to do the math themselves. Moreover, the weight indicated on ammunition is often incorrect, which is why soldiers are forced to weigh munitions themselves.

Taras, a mortar battery commander, bought industrial scales and started a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to calculate the ammunition's trajectory.

"I will be frank, here on the front line, we don't have much time for these kinds of things," he said.

Yet they have to make time for calculations. Otherwise, soldiers risk hitting their own infantry when supporting their advances.

A zoo

The fragmented standards in the EU in arms and ammunition make soldiers struggle to navigate through dozens of ammunition types.

EU ammunition and arms are often not compatible: A 155mm shell for a German howitzer won't fit the Italian launcher of the same caliber, for instance.

Europe produces a total of around 170 different weapon systems, from aircraft to air defense, according to Admiral Bauer, chairman of the NATO military committee. There are 16 different 155mm shells in Europe alone.

Ukraine receives ammunition from everywhere, and it's extremely difficult to navigate through it, soldiers say, calling the wide range of ammunition a "zoo."

Mortar battery commander Taras says he has so far received 30 types of 120mm caliber ammunition: "They all differ in their tactical and technical characteristics."

Once the soldiers run out of one type of ammunition, they have to change the settings for their mortars and artillery every time they receive a new batch of munitions, which causes delays or disruptions in military operations.

"I wish it was more or less unified and systematized," Taras said.

EU members' self-centrism

EU member states' fixation on protecting their national interests has also gotten in the way of Ukraine getting prompt ammunition supplies.

When NATO initiated inventories, some countries were reluctant to share information about their ammunition stockpiles. Political and diplomatic sources said that one reason was the low level of trust in certain fellow member states and failure to meet ammunition stock benchmarks set by NATO  something they allegedly didn't want to reveal.

Some countries also prioritized making shells for themselves, rather than for Ukraine, according to a diplomat source.

Shells are stored at the workshop of the "Forges de Tarbes," which produces 155mm shells, the munition for French Caesar artillery, in Tarbes, southwestern France, on April 4, 2023. Caesar self-propelled howitzers are being actively used on Ukraine's frontline. (Photo by Lionel Bonaventure/Getty Images)

One good example is France.

In June 2022, four months into the full-scale war, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered his country's defense industry to increase production  but not for Ukraine's benefit. The move was mainly intended to shore up French stockpiles, said a French diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"France's policy is similar to that of the Americans. First, we take care of our own supplies, then we help others," he said.

What also didn't help the joint EU effort is that each state protects and promotes its own arms companies, which are often fully or partially state-owned.

Ukraine war latest: Pentagon unveils $800 million aid package, approves cluster munition for Ukraine Key developments on July 7: * Pentagon announces $800 million aid package * US approves cluster munitions for Ukraine * Zelensky arrives in Turkey * Russia excludes IAEA experts from Zaporizhzhia plants reactor rooftops * NATO to agree on package to bring Ukraine closer, says Stoltenberg * The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

In mid-February, Estonia's leadership lost their patience.

Four officials locked themselves in the Defense Ministry and didn't leave for a couple of days until they had come up with a proposed solution: EU members should jointly purchase ammunition, like they did with vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic.

"If we hadn't come up with this idea, Ukraine would have run out of ammunition," said policy director of the Estonian Defense Ministry, Tuuli Duneton, a co-author of the plan.

Based on the Estonian pitch, the European Commission drew up a three-step plan. First, give Ukraine 1 billion euros in ammunition from their current stocks. Then, jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine worth another 1 billion euros. And finally, pump up industries with investments to produce 1 million rounds of ammunition within a year.

On March 20, more than a month and a half later, the EU set the plan in motion. A larger flow of ammunition to Ukraine seemed within reach.

"And then nothing happened," said Nico Lange, a former official with the German Defense Ministry.

France wanted to keep the money within the EU and only buy locally. It would have been a reasonable approach in peace time, said a source in Ukraine's arms industry, but not in wartime.

"The war is here and now. A soldier doesn't carehe needs a shell," he said.

Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the Baltic States disagreed with France and were ready to buy from wherever they could get it the quickest.

In early May, Europe finally reached a compromise: Ammunition must be bought collectively from producers in the EU or Norway, but may also come from elsewhere.

On July 7, after two months of negotiations, the EU decided to invest an additional 500 million euros to boost European ammunition production capacity.

This should help the European industry produce 1 million shells by March 2024, according to the EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton. That also won't be enough  in March, Ukraine's defense minister asked the allies to provide at least 250,000 artillery shells per month to aid critical shortages.

Though approved, the plan is facing backlash. According to a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity, most member states are against it as they see it as an attempt to transfer the members' national defense competence to Brussels.

EU industrys outcry

Governments aren't the only ones who aren't happy.

European munitions makers refuse to scale up production without state guarantees. They say they are afraid to have to shrink back if the war ends soon. Thus, they demand 10-year-long contracts  something officials are reluctant to give.

According to annual reports of arms giants NAMMO, Rheinmetall, Saab, and MBDA, they invested hundreds of millions of euros in 2022. They mostly spent it on improving their capacity: buying more raw materials, machine maintenance, and hiring new staff.

The German arms producer Rheinmetall moved to expand its capacity and build new production facilities, according to a spokesperson.

But most companies claim that to build new production lines and factories, they need long-term contracts with their governments.

"The industry can't pay for it all, then there's no profit left over. We can't produce on the speculation that somebody will buy it," said Morten Brandtzaeg, the director of NAMMO.

A rare glimpse into covert arms sales world: How Western companies make a fortune on brokering deals for Ukraine Editors Note: This story is a collaborative project of the Kyiv Independent (Ukraine), Eesti Ekspress (Estonia), Die Welt (Germany), Lighthouse Reports, and The Investigative Desk (the Netherlands). Top findings: * Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine had driven arms prices times up * High de The Kyiv IndependentAnna Myroniuk

The reasons why EU member states are reluctant to sign long-term contracts vary from the unwillingness to increase military spending to the belief that the governments are already helping the industry enough, to the yearly nature of state budgets that make it difficult to make longer-term deals.

"This is a failure of policy, leadership, and will, more than anything else," said General Richard Barrons, a retired British Army officer, criticizing European politicians' ability to mobilize the industry.

"They do not feel like they are at war. They are just working in the bureaucratic machine," Andriy Zagorodnyuk, defense minister of Ukraine in 2019-2020, told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraines industry struggle

The problems Ukraine's arms industry faces are similar to those in the West, but combined with the risk of Russian air strikes that target defense industry sites.

Several Ukrainian state and private companies managed to launch mass ammunition production around April 2022 and then scale it up. But it wasn't due to a centralized effort from the government.

There were no ammunition procurement contracts with the state ahead of the launch, said Vladyslav Belbas, director of private company Ukrainian Armor, which produces 60mm mortar bombs. A source in Ukraine's state-owned arms manufacturer confirms it: "It was our own initiative to start production."

Due to the regulations imposed by martial law, the Kyiv Independent can't reveal the exact number of rounds of ammunition produced by Ukraine monthly. It covers less than 15% of what Ukraine's Defense Ministry claims the country needs to meet its battlefield needs.

"Do we meet the needs of the Armed Forces? Of course not. Because it is impossible to launch from scratch and immediately deliver the amount needed by the military," a source in one of Ukraine's arms producers said.

Ukrainian soldiers of the 80th brigade fire artillery in the direction of Russian positions in the temporarily occupied Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on April 13, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Getty Images)

Ukrainian ammunition producers, both state-owned and private, told the Kyiv Independent they want at least three-year-long contracts to ramp up production. Their current contracts last until the end of the year.

The Defense Ministry hasn't replied to the Kyiv Independent's request for comments for this story as of publication time. (In the written response that came later the Ministry, among other things, said: All Ukrainian ammunition producers are contracted by the Ministry of Defense for the entire scope of their confirmed capabilities. We only buy abroad what is not produced domestically in Ukraine.)

In October, Ukrainian Defense Industry (former Ukroboronprom), together with private producers, anti-corruption NGOs, and analytical centers, drafted a law on prioritizing the defense industry.

Among other things, it creates preferential bank loans and state subsidies, government investment into renovation and modernization projects, tax and customs benefits, and cancellation of debts and fines, according to the draft document seen by the Kyiv Independent. The bill is under consideration by the parliamentary committee on national security.

As part of the bill, the industry wants the Defense Ministry to prioritize buying locally-produced ammunition over importing from abroad. Currently, even the small amounts of ammunition produced domestically sometimes end up sitting in storage waiting to be delivered to the battlefield  often due to poorly organized procurement and logistics, according to the Kyiv Independent's sources in the industry.

Production revival

Both Ukraine's state-owned and private enterprises are working around the clock to try and meet the military's demands.

State-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry is seeking alliances with European companies to produce ammunition jointly. Some firms did jump in, but their input is very limited, according to a high-profile source in Ukraine's government.

To scale up ammunition production quicker, Ukrainian Defense Industry is striving for full-fledged joint ventures with Western companies. In May, Rheinmetall announced plans to create a joint venture with Ukroboronprom and co-produce selected Rheinmetall products in Ukraine.

This idea, however, does not yet have broad support. Due to the ongoing war involving Russian targeted air strikes, investing in Ukraine is a high risk few companies are willing to take.

"We're not involved at all in moving any production or knowledge to Ukraine, and we have serious reservations about this mode of operation," said a spokesperson for Nexter.

Ukraine's state arms manufacturer has another idea: It wants the West to include equipment for ammunition production in military aid packages. Ukraine wants to use it for both its own and joint production with foreign partners.

"It's the eternal dispute between giving a man a fish or teaching a man to fish. Give him a fish, and he will always be hungry," said a source in the Ukrainian Defense Industry.

Even if Ukraine gets the equipment it asks for, the source said it won't arrive until at least next summer since it takes substantial time to produce it.

Meanwhile, mortar battery commanders like Taras need ammunition here and now.

This project was supported by a grant from the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund.

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Note from the author:

Hi there! It's Anna Myroniuk, the author of this story.

Together with colleagues from Estonia, Netherlands, France, and other countries, we have spent a few months looking into the causes of ammunition shortages in Ukraine. We found that the European Union's inability to ramp up ammunition production dramatically affects Ukraine's performance on the battlefield.

We have been digging into one of the world's most regulated and secretive industries to answer the question: Why, despite all efforts to tackle ammunition shortages one year into the full-scale war, there are still no working solutions?

I hope this story provided you with insights into where the interests of the EU's leadership, its member states, and their industries lie, how they clash, and what can be done to fix problems and make it work for the sake of both Ukraine and the West. If you like this piece, please consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
UPDATE: This coverage was published in September of 2022. On July 9, 2023 prime suspect James Lewis was found dead in his Cambridge residence.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Major developments surfaced Thursday in the 40-year-old investigation into the Tylenol murders in the greater Chicago area.

We learned Thursday that investigators went to Boston this week to re-interview the man considered a suspect in the seven deaths.

James Lewis was never charged with the murders, but he was convicted of trying to extort $1 million from Johnson & Johnson in the days after the cyanide-laced pills showed up on store shelves.

The CBS 2 Investigators began re-examining the case back in April. As CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards reported, we went to Boston as well last month to try to track down Lewis.

Indeed we did track down Lewis, at the very same Cambridge, Massachusetts apartment he moved into after being released from prison.

In 1982, seven people in the greater Chicago area died after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide. Next week marks 40 years since that event, which terrified the city and country.

Soon after, a man wrote an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, the maker of Tylenol -- demanding $1 million to stop the killings.

The man who wrote that letter was James Lewis. He would later spend a dozen years in prison for the attempted extortion.

Forty years later, Lewis remains a person of interest in the actual killings. He is really the only living known person of interest.

When we went looking for him last month, he had not been seen or heard from in more than a decade.

We went to Lewis' apartment outside of Boston. We knew it was him  and he is a man with a long history of not being honest.

More than two weeks ago, we showed our entire exchange with Lewis to Arlington Heights Police Sgt. Joe Murphy. At the end, Arlington Heights Police asked for a copy of it.

Sgt. Murphy is the default head of a task force investigating the murders, which includes numerous agencies, Illinois State Police, and the FBI. He was unable to comment Thursday, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

However, CBS 2 was able to confirm that individuals investigating the Tylenol murders were in Boston in recent days - furthering investigative efforts that included interviewing Lewis.

Sources at the FBI released this statement:

"No interviews on the subject of the 1982 Tylenol Murders have recently been authorized. Any opinions expressed by former employees are solely their own and do not constitute official statements attributable to the FBI. The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of the American legal system, and standard Department of Justice policy prevents the FBI and its employees from expressing opinions regarding a private citizen's guilt except as appropriate based on court proceedings. Department of Justice policy also prevents the FBI from commenting on the nature of ongoing investigations. For additional comment, we will need to refer you to Arlington Heights Police Department as the lead investigative agency."

Over the past six months, we have interviewed dozens of people connected to the case - from former police officers to emergency personnel and relatives of some of the victims.

We'll share their stories in a multi-part docuseries later this fall.

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Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran on January 8, 2020

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, and the UK of allegedly "pursuing political goals" through their lawsuit against Iran filed with the UN International Court of Justice, Iranian news agency IRNA reported on July 10. This lawsuit pertains to Iran downing the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in 2020.

Read also: Russia has sufficient Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Ukraine daily

The Iranian ministry's statement asserts that the country immediately established an "independent technical group" after the plane was shot down. The statement also claims that Iran is undertaking necessary measures "in good faith, with transparency, and utmost seriousness" to conduct an investigation and ascertain all elements of this tragic incident.

Furthermore, the statement alleges that Iran has provided assistance and promptly facilitated visas for over 50 specialists and experts from Ukraine and Canada to visit the crash site.

Iran's government said that a technical report, prepared with the involvement of experts from France, the United States, Ukraine, Canada, and the UK, was compiled following the conclusion of the investigation. The statement further highlights that the report was "well-received" by the majority of these experts.

According to the statement, Tehran's military prosecutor's office conducted a detailed and thorough investigation independently, objectively, and in accordance with Iran's internal laws and regulations, based on its legal jurisdiction.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also declared its willingness to participate in joint negotiations with the governments of the four countries, with the aim to "demonstrate goodwill and prevent the use of this tragic incident for political purposes."

Read also: Russia, Iran building combat drone factory in Tatarstan  report

The ministry stated that it awaits a response from these countries to continue negotiations at a determined time.

"Their request for negotiations was essentially a means to achieve their political goals and interests, as they referred the case to the UN International Court of Justice," added the statement.

Read also: Iran likely supplies new batch of suicide drones to Russia

On June 29, Ukraine and other participants of the International Coordination Group filed a lawsuit against Iran with the UN International Court of Justice over the downing of flight PS752.

The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800, flying from Tehran to Kyiv, was shot down on January 8, 2020, shortly after taking off from the Tehran airport. All 176 people aboard, including 11 Ukrainians, were killed. Most of the victims were Iranian and Canadian citizens.

Read also: Sham trials  International groups slams Irans sham justice in deliberate downing of UIA passenger plane

Four days after the crash, Iran officially admitted that its military mistakenly shot down the airliner, mistaking it for a hostile target. The planes flight recorders confirmed that the aircraft was in good condition and the crash occurred due to two surface-to-air missile hits.

Iran maintains that the plane crash was due to a mistake by an air defense operator, not an order from the military leadership. Ukraine disputes this stance, demanding participation in the investigation and financial compensation.

In April 2023, an Iranian court sentenced 10 Iranian military personnel implicated in the plane crash to prison terms. One commander received a 10-year sentence, while the other nine military personnel were given sentences ranging from one to three years.

Read also: Lviv missile strike victims range from 21 to 95 years old  oblast head

The International Assistance Coordination Group that represents the victims of the plane crash characterized the trial as fictitious and non-transparent, asserting that the victims' families are still awaiting justice.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Iran boasted in early July that it secured sensitive electronic data seized during a June raid on an Iranian opposition group in Albania, sparking outrage from the exiled Iranian Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) group.

Albanian authorities confiscated 150 computer devices from MEK opposition due to alleged prohibited political activities in the Balkan state.

According to a July 3 report in the regime-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Sepehr Khalaji, head of Irans information council, tweeted that "part of the hard drives and cases" from the raid on the MEK had arrived in Iran.

IRNA wrote in a paraphrased section of its article that was attributed to Khalaji, "Iranian experts were engaged in data recovery and identifying the terrorist groups agents and sabotage cells." Khalaji said, "The results so far are promising."

WHO ARE THE PEOPLES MUJAHEDEEN OF IRAN?

Iranian dissidents clash with Albanian police in a raid on the Ashraf-3 and Ashraf-4 camps on June 20, 2023, in pursuit of suspects tied to a cyberattack.

Numerous Fox News Digital press queries to Irans government and its Permanent Mission to the United Nations were not returned. The NCRI published a statement, demanding answers from Albania and the U.S. on whether their electronic data was sent to Tehran.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Albania's embassy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, "Albania does not have diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. It broke off relations in the fall of 2022 following the cyberattack against Albania's digital infrastructure and public systems and does not have any communication or exchanges with the Iranian regime."

IRAN REGIME CLOSE TO GETTING NUCLEAR BOMB, BUT WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

The Albanian embassy continued, "So, no! Albania has not provided anything to the Iranian regime. All the equipment seized by the Albanian State Police during the search operation in the MEK camp, remains in the hands of the Special Prosecutor against Organized Crime and Corruption, the institution in charge of the investigation, and will be used for the purposes of the investigation."

The Albanian spokeperson added, "It must also be noted, that Albania is a NATO member, a candidate country for the EU, and a close strategic partner to the United States. Under no circumstances would Albania contemplate any such cooperation with the Iranian regime."

Members of the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) protest on June 20, 2023, after Albanian police raided a camp, home to members of an Iranian opposition movement.

The NCRI wrote in its statement, "The United States and Albania should clarify whether the MEK's computers have been handed over to the Iranian regime. This requires a clear position from this government, and we hope that the American and Albanian authorities firmly deny and provide complete transparency and details."

IRAN REGIME CLOSE TO GETTING NUCLEAR BOMB, BUT WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

Asked about the NCRI letter, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States had no role in any such thing and we have no reason to believe that these claims are true.



"As we have said, on June 20 the Albanian State Police entered the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) compound in Durres, Albania, to execute a court order. The United States was not involved with this operation. We support the Government of Albanias right to investigate any potential illegal activities within its territory."

The spokesperson added, "We refer you to the Government of Albania for any further information."

Fox News Digital has reviewed new European intelligence from the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany that revealed Irans regime continued to conduct surveillance on Iranian dissidents and the MEK.

A Belgian court sentenced an Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, to 20 years in prison for his role in a plot to bomb a MEK conference outside of Paris in 2018. The Belgium government released Assadi in May in exchange for a Belgian aid worker taken hostage by Irans regime. According to a Reuters report, the NCRI condemned Assadi's release 15 years before the end of his prison term because it encouraged terrorism.

"Nothing justifies releasing a terror master," Shahin Gobadi from NCRI said. "Nothing."
Dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, arrested last October for supporting the protest movement in Iran last year, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison, his official Twitter page said Monday.

Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison, and after 252 days of solitary confinement, transferred to the general section of the prison, the tweet said.

The rapper, 32, was previously charged with crimes that are punishable by death, including propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments and forming illegal groups with the intention of creating insecurity in the country, Iranian state media IRNA had previously reported.

Salehis lawyer, Reza Etemad Ansari, told Iranian daily newspaper Shargh on Monday that the rapper was acquitted of insulting the Supreme Leader and cooperation with hostile governments.

Ansari told Shargh the rapper will be banned from leaving the country for two years, and his passport will be revoked adding that the rapper will be banned from any activity, preparation and production of music and singing work for two years.

Salehis uncle, Iqbal Iqbali, said in a statement Monday that his nephew has been unjustly imprisoned for six and a half years and thanked supporters who have taken steps for the rappers release.

Salehi was arrested in October last year during protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini. - Toomaj/Youtube

Your Toomaj, Irans Toomaj, the worlds Toomaj, and our Toomaj was unjustly imprisoned for six and a half years. May he and all of our political prisoners be released, Iqbali said. Thank you to all dear ones who have taken steps for the release of Toomaj and for the release of our political prisoners.

Salehi had expressed support online and in his songs for a wave of nationwide protests that were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who died on September 16 after being detained by morality police and taken to a re-education center, allegedly for not wearing her hijab properly.

When nationwide protests started in mid-September last year, Salehi called for Iranians to protest against the government.

None of us have different color blood, Salehi posted on Instagram. Dont forget our amazing union and do not allow them to create division between us, in this bloody and sad heaven.

Salehi, who himself is of Bakhtiari ethnic background, has long rapped about Irans multi-ethnic makeup, encouraging unity among Iranians of different ethnic backgrounds.

Stand with us, we stood by you for years, Salehi raps in his song Meydoone jang which translates as The Battlefield.

Its not enough to be rebellious, we have revolutionary roots. Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Turkmen, Mazandari, Sistani, Baluch, Talysh, Tatar, Azeri, Kurd, Gilaki, Lor, Farsi and Qashqai, we are the unity of rivers: we are the sea.

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By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's parliament has given initial approval to a bill that limits some Supreme Court power, part of a rebooted judicial overhaul by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has set off a deep political crisis.

The drive to change the justice system by Netanyahu's ruling coalition of nationalist and religious parties has sparked unprecedented protests, stirred concern for Israel's democratic health among its Western allies and bruised the economy.

Commanding 64 of the Knesset's 120 seats, Netanyahu's coalition on Monday won the first of three required votes for the new bill to be written into law. Protests against the bill were expected to intensify on Tuesday with nationwide disruptions pledged by organisers.

The bill seeks a curb on the Supreme Court's power to void decisions made by the government, ministers and elected officials by ruling them unreasonable. It now returns to committee for discussion and could be altered before being brought for the final votes.

Critics argue that this judicial oversight helps prevent corruption and abuses of power. Proponents say the change will facilitate effective governance by curbing court intervention.

"It is not the end of democracy, it strengthens democracy," Netanyahu said in a video statement as the Knesset debated the bill.

"Even after the amendment court independence and civil rights in Israel will not be harmed in any way. The court will continue to oversee the legality of government action and appointments," Netanyahu said.

His statement did little to calm opponents.

The sound of protesters rallying outside the Supreme Court before marching to parliament could be heard loud and clear at the nearby Bank of Israel, after governor Amir Yaron urged the government to seek broad agreements over legislation of judicial reforms that would safeguard institutional independence.

"Continued uncertainty is liable to have notable economic costs," Yaron told reporters, citing an excess depreciation of the shekel and underperformance of Israel's stock market.

Netanyahu - who is on trial on graft charges he denies - has played down economic fallout from the campaign. On Sunday he signalled impatience with the demonstrations that have flared anew.

Before the vote, a White House National Security Council spokesperson reiterated President Joe Biden's call on the government to build a consensus and keep Israel's judiciary independent.

"The president has been clear he hopes the Israeli government will work to find a genuine compromise," the spokesperson said.

Divisions over the overhaul have cut deep through Israeli society. Netanyahu had paused it for compromise talks with the opposition hosted by Israel's president Isaac Herzog, but that collapsed in June and the coalition restarted legislation.

Herzog called on the sides to resume talks in order to resolve "the fundamental issues that are tearing us apart."

(Additional reporting by Steven Scheerin Jerusalem and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by William Maclean and Stephen Coates)
After wrapping up his eight-year tenure as host of The Late Late Show, actor James Cordenheaded back to his native Londonis tying up his remaining loose ends in the States. Namely, the Carpool Karaoke comedian has finally offloaded his Brentwood, Los Angeles mansion for a touch over $17.1 million after initially listing it at the beginning of the year with a $22 million asking price.

The buyer, as reported by Dirt, is private equity heiress LeeAnn Akouri-Shan, daughter of economist and billionaire Weijian Shan. Akouri-Shans new digs just so happen to neighbor a $20 million home that her older brother, hedge fund investor Bo Shan, bought in 2019 from Million Dollar Listing star Tracy Tutor.

Corden extensively renovated the 1997-built New England-style neocolonial following his $10 million purchase of the property in 2017 (the seller in that transaction was Modern Family creator Steven Levitan). The Tony winners wife, interior designer Julia Corden, decorated the 8,609-square-foot space with modern, mostly neutral furnishings, save for eye-catching teal blue cabinetry in the kitchen, which also features a massive center island topped with white marble.

The seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom manse boasts a movie theater with tiered seating and a navy blue shag carpet, an extensive childrens play area bordering the backyard swimming pool, and a living room centered by a fireplace with a wall-to-wall charcoal gray surround with gold accents, complete with firewood storage.

Per the Dirt article, the Cats actor has already made plans to replace a run-down structure on his 44-acre Oxfordshire estate with a more modern, custom-built abode. "I'm just leaving the show primarily because we're a long way from home, and we really want our children to know what it's like to grow up in London, to have a solid relationship with their grandparents, and that is time that you don't get back," Corden told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show last winter. So however hard it is to go, I'm completely certain that it's the right thing to do.

See the video.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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CHICAGO (CBS)-- The prime suspect in the 1982 Tylenol murders has been found dead in his Massachusetts apartment.

According to Cambridge police, James Lewis was found unresponsive on Sunday just after 4 p.m.

He was pronounced dead shortly after. Police said his death was "determined to be not suspicious."

In 1982, seven people in the greater Chicago area died after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide.

Soon after, a man wrote an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, the maker of Tylenol -- demanding $1 million to stop the killings. The man who wrote that letter was James Lewis. He would later spend a dozen years in prison for attempted extortion.

Sources tell CBS 2 Chicago, this is a frustrating day for law enforcement who've been investigating the case for decades. CBS 2's reporting uncovered Lewis was a prime suspect since day one, and officials felt they had sufficient circumstantial evidence for Lewis to be charged.

CBS 2 Investigators began re-examining the case back in April; reporter Brad Edwards traveled to Massachusetts in 2022 to try to track down Lewis. Edwards interviewed him.

"I was hoping to see justice," one source told CBS 2.

Lewis was never charged with the murders, but he was convicted of trying to extort $1 million from Johnson & Johnson in the days after the cyanide-laced pills showed up on store shelves.

He was living at the very same Cambridge apartment he moved into after being released from prison.

He was really the only living known person of interest and had not been seen or heard from in more than a decade.

CBS Chicago interviewed family members, attorneys, and law enforcement officers whose lives were forever impacted by the murders. The victims' last moments to stories from inside the internal investigation are documented throughout the interviews.

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CHICAGO The prime suspect in the 1982 Tylenol murders has been found dead.

According to police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, James Lewis was found unresponsive on Sunday just after 4 p.m. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

Police said his death was "determined to be not suspicious."

In 1982, seven people in the greater Chicago area died after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide.

Soon after, a man wrote an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, the maker of Tylenol, demanding $1 million to stop the killings.

Lewis was identified as the source of the letters, and was convicted of trying to extort $1 million from Johnson & Johnson in the days after the cyanide-laced pills showed up on store shelves. He spent a dozen years in prison for the attempted extortion.

For 40 years, he remained a person of interest in the actual killings, but was never charged with the murders.

Sources tell CBS Chicago this is a frustrating day for law enforcement who've been investigating the case for decades. The station's reporting uncovered Lewis was a prime suspect since Day One, and some officials felt they had sufficient circumstantial evidence for Lewis to be charged.

The series of deaths began on Sept. 29, 1982, when a 12-year-old girl in Elk Grove Village had a cold, so she took two Tylenol capsules before going to school in the morning. She collapsed and died.

Six more people would die in the days to come after taking Tylenol. Officials soon pieced together that the capsules were laced with cyanide. As fear and panic shot across Chicago, and the country, officials didn't yet know how widespread the poisonings were.

And without the existence of social media or the internet, they had to warn the community to prevent anyone else from taking the popular drug by going door to door and disseminating flyers as quickly as they could.

CBS Chicago began re-examining the case last year, and reporter Brad Edwards traveled to Massachusetts to try to track down Lewis.

He was living at the very same Cambridge apartment he moved into after being released from prison, and Edwards spoke with him there. Lewis was the only living known person of interest and had not been seen or heard from in more than a decade.

In Sept. 2022, task force investigators returned to re-interview Lewis.

CBS Chicago also interviewed family members, attorneys and law enforcement officers whose lives were forever impacted by the murders. They include members of the Janus family, who lost three loved ones  brothers Adam, 25; Stanley, 27; and Stanley's wife Theresa, 20  after they consumed Tylenol.

Forty years later, the poisoning murders still send a chill through the memories of generations of Chicagoans. The deaths led to the creation of tamper-proof packaging and forever changed how people consume over-the-counter medication. But they also remain unsolved.

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Jamie Foxx spotted in public for first time since mystery health complication

Jamie Foxx has been spotted in public for the first time since he was hospitalized with a mystery health complication in the spring.

TMZ first reported the public sighting.

The gossip site obtained video recorded sometime Sunday afternoon showing Foxx waving from a mega-boat cruising on the Chicago River. He was seen waving to a passing vessel that gave him a cheer.

The stars family members have been visiting him as he continues to rehabilitate in Chicago.

Foxx was hospitalized for several weeks after suffering a medical issue while in Georgia filming a movie for Netflix.

The reason for Foxxs hospitalization sudden has not been released.

We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday, Corinne Foxx, the actors daughter, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram in April.

Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers, the statement continued. The family asks for privacy during this time.

Earlier this month, word began to spread that Foxx was on the mend.

John Boyega, Foxxs co-star in They Cloned Tyrone, told E! Canada that the actor was doing fine.

Yeah. Hes all good. Hes all good, Boyega said. So were just going to wait for him to reappear when he wants to. You know, privacy and all.


Jamie Foxx waves to fans from boat in first sighting since medical complication

Jamie Foxx has been pictured in public for the first time since suffering a medical complication that led to him being admitted to hospital earlier this year.

The Django Unchained star, 55, was taken to hospital in April, with his daughter Corinne telling fans that due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery.

Weeks later, Foxx shared his first post on social media after the incident, and Corinne confirmed in May that he had been out of hospital for weeks. No details of the medical complication have been shared.

On Sunday (9 July), TMZ shared footage of Foxx on a boat on the Chicago River. In the video, he can be seen doing a peace sign and waving.

Foxx was filming the forthcoming Netflix comedy Back in Action in Georgia in April when he was admitted to hospital.

The actor is reuniting with his Any Given Sunday (1999) and Annie (2014) co-star Cameron Diaz for the movie. The Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) project marks Diazs first film since stepping away from acting in 2014.

Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, McKenna Roberts and Rylan Jackson also star.

In June, Foxxs representatives were forced to refute right-wing conspiracy theories that the actor had been left paralysed and blind by the Covid-19 vaccine, calling them completely inaccurate.

Jamie Foxx (Getty Images)

Foxx can soon be seen in They Cloned Tyrone, a Netflix comedy he stars in alongside British actor John Boyega.

Boyega recently said that, after hearing of Foxxs medical issues, hed been calling his co-star and would keep on calling until his co-star answered.

He finally picked up the phone. Thank you, bro, he said. Hes doing well. And then, you know, we just giving him the privacy, and we cant wait for his return.

Boyega continued: I gave him the well wishes directly. I gave him all the well wishes. So Im just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro.

They Cloned Tyrone co-producer Datari Turner also told People: Hes doing amazing. I promise you. Doing really, really good.

[Director Juel Taylor] talked to him yesterday. John Boyega talked to him yesterday. Hes in really, really good shape and spirits. And hell be back on the screen. Hell be back to work very soon.
Toshodaiji Temple in Nara is identified as a national treasure of Japan

A Canadian teenager has been questioned by police in Japan after carving letters on a wooden pillar of an 8th Century temple.

Police said the 17-year-old boy carved "Julian" on a pillar at the Toshodaiji Kondo temple complex in Nara, Japan.

The boy was caught carving the pillar with his fingernail by a Japanese tourist, who alerted temple staff.

The temple is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the incident, which occurred on 7 July, the boy was questioned on suspicion of violating the cultural properties protection law.

The carving was made on the pillar of the temple's "Golden Hall", which is a designated national treasure, police told Japanese newspaper The Mainichi.

Police also told CNN that the boy said his actions did not intend to harm Japanese culture. They added he is now with his parents, who were with him when the vandalism occurred.

A monk at the temple told The Mainichi that "even though it may have been done without malice, it is still regrettable and sad".

The temple is one of eight sites that make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.

According to UNESCO's website, the monuments, which include Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, "provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the eighth century, a period of profound political and cultural change".

Nara is around 45km (28 miles) south of Kyoto, and was once the capital of Japan. It remains popular with tourists.

Under Japanese law, any person who has damaged an object of "important cultural property" could face up to five years in prison, or a fine of 300,000 ($2,120; 1,650).

The incident in Nara follows a video which showed a UK-based man carving a message into a wall at Rome's ancient Colosseum.

The man, Ivan Dimitrov, faces legal proceedings after cutting "Ivan+Haley 23" into stone at the 2,000-year-old monument. He has apologised and said that was not aware how old the monument was when he acted.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

When Morgan Hellquist learned her gynecologist of nine years was actually her father, it seemed her story couldnt get any more bizarre. But on Friday, a New York Supreme Court judge issued yet another wild turn, ordering DNA from her now-deceased fathers autopsy to be preserved for genetic testing.

Hellquist, 37, sued Dr. Morris Wortman in 2021, alleging he secretly used his own sperm when he performed an IVF procedure on her mother in 1985 that resulted in her birth. She claims the doctor never revealed his identity, despite treating her as a patient for almost a decade.

The suit was pending last month when Wortman, 72, died in a plane crash outside Buffalo. According to the local sheriffs office, Wortman was riding in an experimental, hand-built aircraft with one other person when the wings fell off, causing the plane to crash in an orchard.

Fertility Doc Accused of Using Own Sperm Dies as Plane Falls Apart Mid-Flight

On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Vincent Dinolfo ordered the Monroe County medical examiner to preserve all DNA evidence from Wortmans remains and submit them for genetic testing to determine his relationship to Hellquist.

Dinolfo wrote that the decision was based solely on the extraordinary and exigent circumstances warranted by the unexpected and sudden death of Defendant Dr. Morris Wortman, and should not be used as precedent for future cases. He also ordered Hellquist and her mother to submit their DNA for testing.

Hundreds of IVF patients and donor-conceived children have accused sperminator doctors of secretly using their sperm in IVF procedures, in a phenomenon often called fertility fraud. The practice is not illegal in most states, but children and patients have scored significant wins in civil courts for breach of contract and infliction of emotional distress.

Jody Madeira, a professor at the Indiana University School of Law and an expert on fertility fraud, said this is the first case shes seen in the U.S. in which a doctors remains were preserved for testing after their death. The only similar case she could recall was Jan Karbatt, a Dutch fertility doctor whose toothbrush was seized by police after his death in 2017. Subsequent DNA testing revealed he was the father of at least 49 children.

Madeira added that there may be more such cases in the future, as the older generation of doctors who engaged in fertility fraud begins to die out.

I think that were just looking atwith the cases that have been foundthe tip of the iceberg, she said.

Hellquist first suspected her doctor might be her father during a visit to his office for her extreme menstrual symptoms in 2021, according to her lawsuit. Wortman was well respected in the area for performing abortions despite repeated threats of violence by anti-abortion protestors, and he was also deeply admired by Hellquists mother for helping her conceive despite her husbands infertility, the suit claims. Wortman allegedly told Hellquists mother that the donor sperm he used was from a local medical student who would never donate again.

In 2017, hoping to learn more about her biological father, Hellquist submitted her DNA to a heritage testing site and learned she had at least six half siblingsall conceived via IVF. She also allegedly learned that she was 50 percent Ashkenazi Jewish, despite her parents request that their donor not be predominantly Jewish. She informed her doctor of these revelations, she claims, and he continued treating her, at one point joking that she was now a Jewish American princess.

During an exam in 2021, Wortman asked her to take off her face mask, telling her she looked better without it, she alleges. He also showed her an antique theragun and insinuated that women had used it for masturbation, and spoke with her at length about his family and childhood, she says. At one point, his wife walked into the room and he introduced the twoin order for the wife to observe the family resemblance, she now believes.

Disturbed, Hellquist reached out to one of Wortmans children from his first marriage and asked her to complete genetic testing. The results showed a 99.99 percent chance that the woman was her sibling, according to the suit.

Attorneys are now in mediation over the suit, according to the Democrat and Chronicle, which first reported the news of the judges order.

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Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Eric Norris has denied a contempt of court motion filed against District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez after he determined she did not violate an order to provide documents subpoenaed by Watkinsville attorney Kevin Epps.

The ruling issued late Friday is part of a lingering legal proceeding in the Marsys Law issue in which Gonzalez has already admitted violating the rights of an alleged victim in a sexual assault case.

In the criminal case, the district attorneys office dismissed rape and child molestation charges against Michael Lareco Daniel, 42, the day after a jury was selected on April 17 to hear the charges.

Gonzalez has recused her office from further prosecution of Daniel and the case was assigned to Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randy McGinley. The circuit is composed of Walton and Newton counties.

McGinley filed a motion Thursday asking Norris to vacate the dismissal as his office will seek to reindict Daniel after the case evidence was reviewed by his office.

Norris granted the motion on Friday.

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The contempt motion arose from the controversy of the case as Epps represented the girl, who was 14 at the time of the alleged assault, and the girls mother as they said Gonzalez violated the victims rights under the Georgia Crime Victims Rights, known as Marsys Law.

Epps sought more evidence in the case to show what prosecuting attorneys did prior to the dismissal and he subpoenaed documents, which Norris would later view in private.

Norris ruling noted that following his May 25 order, Gonzalez produced 42 documents before the 15-day deadline. The judge privately reviewed the documents and based on this review he wrote that Gonzalez complied with the ruling.

An issue was also made of 19 e-mails that Epps wanted, but it was never established that those 19 e-mails were not among the 42 documents produced.

Based on the review of the documents, Norris wrote that he is satisfied that Gonzalez complied with his order.

The judge also ruled that attorneys fee were not appropriate. Epps had asked in a previous hearing for about $14,000 in attorneys fees.

Because the criminal case against Daniel is now in the hands of the Alcovy Circuit, Norris ruled that the victim has not been harmed.

Norris noted that a hearing on the Daniel case will be scheduled between the new prosecutor and the lawyer for Daniel, who was represented in the initial case by Athens attorney David Crowe.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Contempt motion filed against District Attorney Gonzalez is denied
OKLAHOMA CITY  An Oklahoma judge threw out a lawsuit that sought financial restitution for the three remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, effectively ending any further attempts by survivors' attorneys to seek reparations.

Tulsa County District Court Judge Caroline Wall on Friday dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit that was filed against the City of Tulsa and others in an effort to obtain legal justice for the racist attack's survivors and the Black Tulsa community. The survivors, ranging in age from 102 to 109 years old, lived through what some consider one of the worst incidents of domestic terrorism in American history.

Between May 31, 1921, and June 1, 1921, an angry white mob stormed the well-established and prosperous Black community of Greenwood, Tulsa, also known as Black Wall Street. More than 1,000 homes were burned and businesses were looted and left in ruins as 35 city blocks were destroyed.

Although just 39 deaths were listed in official records, estimates now put the number at closer to 300, and thousands more were left homeless.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2020, stated that the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre represented an "ongoing public nuisance," to survivors Viola Fletcher, Lessie Benningfield Randle, and Hughes Van Ellis Sr. The lawsuit also said the destruction of what had been America's most prosperous Black business community continues to affect Tulsa.

Wall wrote in her order that she was dismissing the case based on arguments from the city, regional chamber of commerce and other state and local government agencies. When a case is dismissed with prejudice, it acts as a final and permanent dismissal, meaning the case cannot be refiled.

The city has yet to receive the full court order, according to Mayor G.T. Bynum.

The city remains committed to finding the graves of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims, fostering economic investment in the Greenwood District, educating future generations about the worst event in our communitys history, and building a city where every person has an equal opportunity for a great life, Bynum said in a statement.

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Lawsuit alleged ongoing nuisance stems from massacre

The lawsuit was brought under Oklahomas public nuisance law, claiming Black Tulsa residents remain impacted by the attack today. It alleged that the massacre had rendered the survivors insecure in their lives and property, and "annoyed, injured and endangered the community."

It also alleged that the lack of investment in the Greenwood District and other historically and predominantly Black areas of Tulsa after the massacre had exacerbated the damage and suffering.

The suit contended that the city's long history of racial division and tension are rooted in the massacre, which was perpetrated by members of the Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff's Department, the National Guard, and city and county leaders, among others.

Problems were further compounded when "in 2016, the Defendants began enriching themselves by promoting the site of the Massacre as a tourist attraction," according to the suit.

A Chamber of Commerce attorney previously said that while the massacre was a horrible incident, there was no ongoing nuisance.

Wall initially ruled on the motion to dismiss in August 2022 but plaintiffs filed an amended petition, allowing the case to proceed.

In this May 2021 photo, Tulsa Race Massacre survivors Hughes Van Ellis, Lessie Randle and Viola Fletcher ride in a carriage at the head of the Black Wall Street Memorial March in Tulsa.

Ruling ends long legal battle

Wall's order ultimately reverted the suit back to last year's decision, stating that the plaintiffs' claims of the defendants creating an ongoing public nuisance should be dismissed with prejudice because they requested "relief that violates the separation of powers provided by the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma."

The decision also said the survivors' attorneys failed to identify a legally cognizable abatement remedy, and that the court was not willing to engage in the management of public policy matters that should be dealt with by legislative and executive branches.

Friday's ruling effectively ends a centurylong legal battle by survivors. The suit against the city came after numerous previous legal attempts at reparations failed.

Because the massacre was originally deemed a riot, the Oklahoma Supreme Court immunized insurance companies from liability in 1926, meaning none of the Black home or business owners could make claims for property loss.

A commission established by the Oklahoma Legislature studied the incident from 1997 to 2001 before recommending reparations, but a federal lawsuit filed in April 2003 was dismissed less than a year later because the statute of limitations had expired.

In her order Friday, Wall wrote the motion to dismiss "should and shall be granted upon the grounds set forth in the defendants' briefs." The order also said the court finds further amendment futile, and "respectfully finds and orders the plaintiffs' second amended petition should and shall be dismissed with prejudice," according to court documents retrieved from the Oklahoma State Courts Network website.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Tulsa Race Massacre case: Judge denies restitution for survivors
A New York judge has ordered former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon to pay roughly $500,000 in legal bills in connection with a retainer agreement.

New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth ruled Friday that Bannon must pay the law firm that previously represented him $480,487.87 plus interest in relation to four different legal matters.

Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP sued Bannon in February, saying he had only paid $375,000 of the roughly $850,000 in total that the law firm billed him.

The firm said it had represented Bannon with regards to a subpoena sent by the House Jan. 6 committee, a criminal contempt case stemming from Bannons refusal to comply with the subpoena, a federal donor fraud criminal case that was dismissed after then-President Trump pardoned Bannon and the Manhattan District Attorneys Offices subsequent investigation into the alleged donor scheme.

Bannons current lawyer, Harlan Protass, wrote in an email that the judges decision on the unpaid legal fees was clearly wrong and we intend to immediately appeal.

Among other arguments, Bannon claimed he told the firm to stop representing him after January 2022, but Bluth ruled that the firm showed Bannon continued to seek legal services after that date.

Bannon further argued the retainer agreement was limited to the federal fraud case, in which he was accused of defrauding donors to a project meant to fund the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and so he didnt owe money for the other three matters.

The agreement only explicitly listed the one donor case, but it went on to state that the firm would represent Bannon in such various and other matters and issues as may arise from time to time.

This provision does not constitute a basis by which defendant can avoid paying his legal fees as defendant did not include any evidence that he ever told plaintiff to not represent him in these matters, Bluth wrote. Put another way, defendant cannot receive the benefit of plaintiffs legal representation and then insist he need not pay for it.

After Trump pardoned him in the federal fraud case, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Bannon in connection with the alleged scheme. Bannon pleaded not guilty.

The former Trump adviser had also claimed he did not have to pay the fees because an attorney at the law firm might be a witness in the criminal contempt case and that he had not personally received the invoices or agreed to pay the amounts.

Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with demands from the the Jan. 6 House committee for testimony and documents, and he is currently appealing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Judge says Columbus man shows no remorse for 2017 wrong-way crash that devastated a family

Amanda Griggs was 38 in August 2017 when a wrong-way driver hit her family's car, killing her mother-in-law and injuring Amanda Griggs and her young children. On Aug. 21, 2021, Amanda Griggs ended her life. Her family says the car crash was a contributing factor.

Betty Griggs was driving her family to a Columbus-area Chuck E. Cheese for a fun family outing on Aug. 8, 2017 when a wrong-way driver with cocaine in his system turned the trip into a tragedy.

In the car with the 63-year-old from New Lexington in Perry County, were her daughter-in-law Amanda Griggs, 38, and Amanda's daughters, 8-year-old Drea Griggs and 2-year-old Nola Cotton.

Police and prosecutors say Richard Hough, of Columbus, drove a Chevy Tahoe in the wrong direction on a ramp from Refugee Road onto westbound U.S. 33 and collided head-on with Griggs car.

Betty Griggs was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at around 12:50 p.m.

Amanda Griggs was taken in critical condition to Grant Medical Center and her two critically injured children were taken to Nationwide Childrens Hospital.

Almost six years later, Hough, now 47, is still filing appeals in his case and the victims family has endured two jury trials and two sentencing hearings.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott sentenced Hough for a second time on Wednesday, this time giving him 18 years  three more years than he was sentenced to in 2019 after his first conviction. The judge, citing expert psychological reports that Hough is faking a serious mental illness to challenge his conviction, said Hough was trying to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.

Its one of the worst cases Ive ever seen of somebody trying to get out of the situation and not accepting responsibility whatsoever, Serrott said during the hearing.

A family forever impacted

In court on Wednesday, Betty and Amanda Griggs family described how theyve continued to suffer.

April King, Amandas sister, said during the hearing that Hough is also responsible for the death of Amanda Griggs, who died by suicide, although he is not convicted of her death.

"Mr. Hough, before the collision, Amanda was a beautiful woman. She was a real-life Snow White," King said. "Amanda was kind, a friend, a loving mother and she was a hero, a survivor of addiction and an advocate for recovery."

After the crash, Amanda Griggs endured several surgeries over the next few weeks and was in and out of consciousness. She struggled with short-term memory and each time she awoke, she'd ask about Betty and her girls.

"I had to tell her several times each day that Betty was killed, Drea was barely alive and Nola suffered a traumatic brain injury," King said. "It was fresh anguish for her over and over."

Amanda was not well enough to attend Betty Griggs' funeral and say goodbye to the woman whom she called, My Betty.'

Amanda was the last one to leave the hospital, going home to a third-floor apartment with a broken leg, broken arm and open wound across her stomach.

"Amanda was left broken. Her body became a prison," King said. "Her mind no longer worked, incapable of concentration or rational thought. Her face housed a scar so hideous it horrified her to look in a mirror and her sobriety that she worked so hard for all but vanished."

Amanda Griggs was 38 in August 2017 when a wrong-way driver hit her family's car, killing her mother-in-law and injuring Amanda Griggs and her young children. On Aug. 21, 2021, Amanda Griggs died by suicide. Her family says the car crash was a contributing factor. Here, she is seen after the collision.

Amanda Griggs never returned to work. She used a walker or, for longer distances, a wheelchair. And she required pain medication that she was terrified of taking. The medicine was kept in a lockbox and her fiance dispensed it for her.

"She was 42 when the brain you injured convinced her she wasn't worth living anymore  that she was an ugly, hideous burden on her family," King told Hough. "Our father lived next door and heard the gun go off" on Aug. 21, 2021.

In her obituary, the family wrote:

Today, Amanda feels no pain and walks without assistance. Today, Amanda reunites with her son, Tyler Griggs, her husband, Chris Griggs, and her very special mother-in-law, Betty Griggs whom she called, My Betty.

Drea and Nola are forever scarred emotionally, physically and cognitively, King said.

"They must live the rest of their lives different ... and without love and support from their mother and grandmother," King said.

Nola has a long, one-inch thick scar on the top of her head that hair wont grow over. Her family says Nola isnt bothered by the scar now, but they worry she will be later in life and that others will be cruel to her because of her appearance.

King told Serrott in court that she wanted retribution and for Hough to never go free.

Unlike a murder conviction, a conviction of aggravated vehicular homicide in Ohio does not carry a life sentence. For the charges, Serrott could have sentenced Hough to 23  years.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott

Multiple appeals

A jury found Hough guilty on June 30 of operating a motor vehicle while impaired and multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault.

Hough was convicted in September 2019 on the same charges by a different jury and Serrott sentenced him then to 15 years in prison.

Hough appealed his case to the Ohio Tenth District (Franklin County) Court of Appeals on the grounds that he did not receive a hearing to determine if he was competent to stand trial.

Defendants are presumed mentally competent to stand trial under the law, but are entitled to a competency hearing upon request under Ohio law.

On April 12, 2019, Houghs attorney at the time, Tameca Plair, submitted two motions: a motion for a psychiatric evaluation and a motion for a competency evaluation. Serrott denied the former but told The Dispatch that he did not see the latter motion.

A three-judge panel for the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals unanimously sided with Serrott and denied Houghs appeal. In her opinion for the panel, Judge Julia Dorrian noted that after Serrott denied the motion fo a psychiatric evaluation, Plair proceeded to trial and did not raise the issue of competency again to Serrott until Houghs sentencing on Sept. 12, 2019.

Hough appealed the Tenth Districts decision to the Ohio Supreme Court, filing that appeal pro se, or without the assistance of an attorney.

In a split 4-3 decision in December, the Ohio Supreme Court reversed the Tenth Districts judgment and sent the case back to Serrotts court for a competency hearing and another trial.

After psychologist evaluations, Serrott found Hough competent to stand trial, and he received one last week. A jury again convicted him.

When Serrott increased Houghs prison sentence this time around, he said he was not being vindictive but basing his decision on new evidence, including Houghs record of misbehavior in prison and new psychologist evaluations.

At the sentencing hearing, Serrott cited multiple reports from experts who evaluated Hough this year and reported that Hough was likely malingering or faking serious mental illness.

Serrott criticized Hough, saying he has shown no remorse whatsoever for the life he took and the young lives he has forever changed.

Hough indicated Wednesday that he plans to appeal again, and Serrott referred the case to the Ohio Public Defenders office.

Defense attorneys who represented Hough most recently and Plair, who is now a Franklin County Juvenile Court Magistrate, did not return phone calls from The Dispatch requesting comment.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus wrong-way driver sentenced again in fatal crash plans appeal
Julian Knight, the MP for Solihull, has said he will stand down at the next election - Geoff Pugh

A former Tory MP has been accused of sexually harassing three women who claim he used the pretext of job opportunities to make inappropriate advances towards them.

Julian Knight, who strenuously denies any wrongdoing, previously lost the Conservative whip after the Metropolitan Police received a complaint of serious sexual assault last year.

Scotland Yard subsequently dropped its investigation into the Solihull MP, who now sits as an independent and has announced that he will stand down at the next election.

However, the case has since been referred on to Essex Police, which has now opened its own inquiry. It is not clear why this move was taken.

The Politico website reported on Monday that three women had made separate allegations that Mr Knight exploited his position to sexually harass them.

It is claimed that he invited the women to discuss job opportunities before touching them inappropriately or sharing intimate details of his personal life. He is also accused of messaging them persistently.

While none of the three women reported the alleged behaviour at the time, two have since raised concerns with senior figures in the Tory Party, and one has shared her claims in writing with the police, according to Politico.

Mr Knight, who previously chaired the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: None of these allegations has any basis whatsoever in truth.

They have been repeatedly made to various media over several years as part of a concerted smear campaign against me which is now under appropriate investigation.

To publish them would be wrong, misleading and defamatory.

Further complaints

Following the Mets decision to drop their investigation in March, Mr Knight made a request for his immediate return to the parliamentary party.

But this was rejected by Chief Whip Simon Hart, who cited further complaints against the MP.

The decision prompted an extraordinary attack by Mr Knight on his former party colleagues, as he accused the Whips Office of pursuing a witch hunt against him in a bid to stop him naming names.

The Telegraph has approached Mr Knight for comment.

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JumpCloud has told customers it reset their API keys to protect their organizations from an apparent security incident.

The directory, identity and access management giant said in an email to customers that it was experiencing an "ongoing incident" but did not provide specifics. In a support post on its site, the company said the resets were "out of an abundance of caution."

The Louisville, Colorado-based technology company provides cloud file directory and device security, such as single sign-on and multifactor authentication, for corporations and organizations. JumpCloud says it provides its technology to more than 180,000 organizations, with more than 5,000 paying customers.

It's not uncommon for companies to offer API keys that allow customers to integrate that technology into their own tech stack and different systems to talk to each other. Given that API keys are treated like passwords or other secrets, rotating or invalidating customer API keys is not likely to be taken lightly, given the downstream impact on customers whose integrations with other services would break and cause disruption.

It's not clear what ongoing incident JumpCloud is responding to, and a spokesperson for JumpCloud did not return a request for comment.

JumpCloud last raised $159 million at Series F in 2021, valuing the company at more than $2.5 billion.

If you know more about the JumpCloud incident or work at the company, get in touch with the security desk on Signal and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849 or zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com by email.
A Naples man accused of killing a teen five years ago will face trial in February.

Santiago Burbano, 25, is accused of killing Rubi Velasco, who was 18, in an East Naples home on Sept. 13, 2018.

Judge John McGowan set a jury trial date for Feb. 12. He also approved a motion to appoint an expert, according to court records, in which the details are currently unknown.

Nearly five years ago, Burbano's mother called Collier County Sheriff's Office to report her son had killed a woman, according to an arrest report.

Deputies responded that evening to Tuscan Isle Apartments where they found Velasco in a bedroom with a laceration on her neck, according to the Sheriff's Office.

More: 'That's where my nightmare started,' says mother of teen slain in Collier

Burbano's mother told investigators he and Velasco had returned home in the afternoon and went into his bedroom together, the report states.

Later, Burbano's mother got a call from a relative indicating something might be wrong, according to the report. She went to check on her son but found his bedroom door locked.

While she was outside his bedroom door, Burbano said, "Mommy, mommy, I killed Rubi," the report states.

Burbano's mother convinced him to open the door. She found him sitting at his desk with a rifle pointed at his head where he told his mother he preferred to die than go to jail, according to the report. After his mother persuaded him to put the rifle down, deputies arrested Burbano.

Burbano pleaded not guilty in October 2018, but was found incompetent to stand trial in March 2019 because of mental illness, according to court records. He was committed to the Florida Department of Children and Families for treatment after two evaluations found him incompetent to stand trial, where he was expected to reach competency.

More: Collier murder suspect found incompetent to stand trial

More: Second competency hearing for man accused in East Naples killing set for Friday

A psychiatric evaluation filed on Oct. 11, 2019, stated "Burbano is competent to proceed contingent on his remaining on psychotropic medications." He was then transported to the Naples Jail Center about three weeks later.

He was found incompetent again in February 2020, according to court documents. About a year later, Judge Joseph Foster found Burbano competent to proceed with the trial, but he was reevaluated and deemed incompetent yet again in December 2021. In May 2022, Burbano was found competent to proceed with the trial again.

He has remained in state custody since his arrest.

Last July, the case was reassigned to Judge McGowan, who set the trial date Monday.

Burbano will appear in court for a pre-trial hearing in January ahead of his February jury trial.

Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for the Naples Daily News and Fort Myers News-Press. You may reach her at EBehrmann@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @emmabehrmann.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Man accused in East Naples killing of friend set for February
Trey Cabler

More than a year after former Bartlesville High School teacher Trey Cabler was arrested on a felony charge, his fate will likely be in the hands of 12 jurors soon.

A jury trial is set to begin in September at the Washington County District Court that could bring a conclusion to a thorny issue involving a male teacher allegedly providing drugs and alcohol to former female students.

At issue, two female students testified Cabler used social media to solicit them to come to his apartment and provided one student with alcohol on multiple occasions and the other student with cocaine, according to court documents.

After resigning in March of last year as the speech and debate teacher amidst an investigation into possible misconduct, Cabler was formally charged the next month of allegedly supplying alcohol to an underaged person and distributing a controlled dangerous substance within 2,000 feet of a park or school.

If convicted of the felony drug charge, Cabler faces zero to seven years in prison and up to a $100,000 fine, a far cry from the four years to life under the previous punishment guidelines updated in 2018 by the state Legislature.

While still serious, the alcohol charge is only a misdemeanor and carries no more than a year in county jail or up to a $500 fine or jail and a fine, according to state statutes.

District Attorney Will Drake indicated Cabler's trial might be later in the jury docket since the courts prioritize defendants currently incarcerated. Cabler is out on a $50,000 bail since he was charged.

Recap of the charges

A police affidavit reveals that the students came forward independently to report Cabler's behavior. One student, a minor, told police Cabler invited her over to "get day drunk," but she declined. Cabler denied this claim but admitted to providing alcohol to the female student on three separate occasions.

The other student, an 18-year-old, testified to the court she had confided in Cabler about her history of substance abuse, believing she would not be judged. She told Cabler about her struggle with addiction to cocaine, fentanyl and Xanax and going to rehab during her junior year of high school, according to court documents.

The former student testified that she and Cabler communicated via social media on several occasions about him providing her with cocaine, court records show. She alleges she was absent from school in March of 2022 and set up a meeting with Cabler, where he provided her with a plastic baggie that held cocaine. Cabler resigned a few days after this alleged delivery.

Bartlesville Police Officer Brett Miquelon testified that he reviewed security footage from the meeting and didn't witness any delivery of items between Cabler and the student, according to court documents. He also testified no controlled drugs were recovered during the investigation.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Jury trial set for teacher accused of providing student with cocaine
Months after Covenant School shooting, has public lost interest in gun reform?

Despite the sweltering heat, Wilson County Young Democrats recently gathered to shed light on why the state of Tennessee needs stricter gun control.

The small group of concerned county residents advocate for assault weapons to be banned, prioritize mental health and make a gun license required before purchasing a gun.

"Assault weapons do not belong in a civil society." said Tennessean grandmother, Joni Cochran. "They're meant for war."

As the young democrat group organized this event, they said they were met with grave challenges  despite the community's out cry for updated gun legislations.

Wilson County parents hold signs while attending an anti-gun protest in Wilson County.

The mayor's office wanted to put us in the back or on the side steps to not be seen, said Aiden Pratt, ,16, the president of Young Democrats of Wilson County.

I was just not having it, so we stood right here front and center.

Aiden Pratt, the president of Young Democrats of Wilson County, speaks at the anti-assault weapon protest in front of the Wilson County Courthouse.

The recent increase in school shootings across the nation has only added to the worries of Tennessean parents and grandparents.

When my daughter went to school I never had to worry about if she would come home, Cochran said. But now something has changed.

On a daily basis, parents are often dropping their children off at schools in fear for their safety, while students practice lockdown procedures in case of active shooters.

A Wilson County parent shows off her "I thought you were pro-life?" sign.

Gun rights activists claim the Second Amendment guarantees their right to bear arms, despite semi-automatic weapons such as AR-15s being utilized in numerous mass shootings, according to research completed by Northeastern University.

My wife and I have a sixteen-month-old boy who goes to daycare not far from the Covenant School, said John Kennedy, a concerned father. There is something about proximity to a horrible event like that, that changes everything.

Wilson County residents hope concrete steps are put in place soon to address the issue of stricter gun legislation.

Sierra McMillian-Barnett and Aiden Ross speaking at the anti-assault weapon protest in front of the Wilson County Courthouse.

We know thoughts and prayers help this cause, but what we need today is action from our legislators, said Sierra McMillian-Barnett, a mother of two.

Say it again for the people in the back, said a bystander after Barnett spoke.

Attendees held up signs, held hands and sung chants.

Hey, hey! Ho, ho! The NRA has got to go!

As they joined hands to form a human chain to demonstrate the community standing together against assault weapons.

Wilson County residents holding hands to form a human chain standing against gun violence.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Do people still want gun reform months after Covenant School shooting?
As Kansas City confronts a rising tide of killings this year, one tool remains out of bounds for local leaders and law enforcement: restrictions on guns.

For nearly 40 years, the Missouri General Assembly has retained for itself the sole authority to regulate firearms. The closely guarded power has kept city councils and county commissions around the state from imposing limits on concealed weapons or requiring the registration of handguns.

But as the toll of gun violence has mounted in Kansas City and St. Louis in recent years, that power faces a growing challenge from anti-violence advocates, local leaders and others frustrated by what they say is a major obstacle to combating the daily rhythm of shootings in the two cities.

The Republican-controlled legislatures sweeping control over gun laws  and its steady relaxation of restrictions  has spurred a nascent campaign to amend the Missouri Constitution to restore the ability of the states two biggest cities to set rules limiting guns. The effort, called Sensible Missouri, could pose the most serious threat to Jefferson Citys grip on firearms policy in recent memory.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and the mayors of St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield are scheduled to meet in Kansas City on Thursday to discuss collective solutions to gun violence and state preemption laws, his chief of staff, Morgan Said, wrote in an email. Lucas is also scheduled to meet with Sensible Missouri on Wednesday.

I think the community is awash in firearms and largely firearms that are in place where people either are drinking or looking at retaliation, are looking at any number of issues, Lucas told reporters Friday. And I think it is clear, not just from Kansas City, but if you talk to mayors, prosecutors and police officers in any major city in the country, these are ingredients that have led to more incidents like these.

Sensible Missouri in late June submitted three initiative petitions, all of which would grant Kansas City, Jackson County, St. Louis and St. Louis County latitude to approve local firearms ordinances. Two of the versions would allow all counties to set their own rules, either by county leaders or a countywide vote.

The proposals come as Kansas City grasps for solutions to gun violence in the metro. The city marked its 100th homicide for the year last week, according to data tracked by The Star, well ahead of the roughly 80 homicides recorded at this time last year. High-profile killings  including a mass shooting that killed three and injured six others late last month at 57th Street and Prospect Avenue  have only increased public pressure.

Still, when it comes to the guns themselves, local leaders say their hands are often tied.

I fully support cities having the ability to come up with responsible limits to gun access in any number of places  we continue to fight the Missouri legislature about firearms on buses and transit, which I think creates substantial concern, Lucas said.

Lucas made the comments during a news conference with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announcing murder charges in a mass shooting at Klymax Lounge in May that killed three people and injured two others. Baker and Lucas noted state law allowed guns at the nightclub.

Lucas and others seeking local control over guns are fighting a decades-long shift in Missouri in favor of ready access to firearms thats swept away nearly all major restrictions.

The General Assembly in 1984 passed a bill preempting the authority of local governments to restrict guns except in limited circumstances, such as banning their discharge in city limits. The arguments for and against fell along similar lines to the gun debate today.

During a House committee hearing, proponents said the legislation would allow uniformity on firearms across the state. Opponents charged that what is considered acceptable in rural areas may not be acceptable in urban areas, according to an official legislative summary of the hearing.

Missouri voters in 1999 narrowly rejected an early form of concealed carry, only for the General Assembly to impose it in 2003 over the veto of Democratic Gov. Bob Holden. In 2007, lawmakers repealed a law requiring a permit to purchase handguns  a change that led to 49 to 68 additional firearms deaths each year in Missouri over the following decade, Johns Hopkins researchers found.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas speaks to reporters on Dec. 8, 2022, in Kansas City.

Local leaders want another tool

The legislature has continued to loosen restrictions on guns in recent years.

Lawmakers have lowered the conceal carry age to 19, allowed concealed weapons without a permit and even passed the Second Amendment Preservation Act, an audacious attempt to prohibit the enforcement of certain federal firearms laws in Missouri. A federal judge struck down the law earlier this year; the decision has been appealed.

I dont think that they should have more latitude to restrict Second Amendment rights, state Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican who is running for Missouri secretary of state, said of local governments.

The solution that needs to happen is they need to start prosecuting criminals and putting violent criminals behind bars.

Hoskins comments echo a common view advanced by Missouri Republicans, that prosecutors in Democratic-leaning areas are too often soft on crime. Former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, resigned in May after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, initiated court proceedings to remove her. Gardner, the citys first Black circuit attorney, had faced fierce GOP criticism during her turbulent tenure.

State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, speaks during a bill debate on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo.

Republicans also often emphasize the importance of strong police forces. Gov. Mike Parson last year signed a measure requiring Kansas City to spend more on its police force, even as the department remains the only one in Missouri under state control. Voters statewide then approved a constitutional amendment this fall legalizing the increase.

As the initiative petition is still in the early preliminary stages, we do not have a comment other than Governor Parson is a strong and proud supporter of the Second Amendment and would not support any measure that he views weakens law-abiding Missourians right to bear arms, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in a statement.

Some on the frontlines of anti-violence efforts see irony in Republicans who are quick to point out and campaign on the prevalence of violence in Kansas City and St. Louis while keeping limits on guns off the table.

It always seems as though were fighting with one hand behind our back, or at least at a disadvantage, said Damon Daniel, president of the Kansas City-based AdHoc Group Against Crime. Thats always been the case and its unfortunate thats the way that politics has played out in our country.

For the past five years, state Rep. Richard Brown, a Kansas City Democrat, has introduced legislation that would return authority over firearms to local governments. He said its never received a hearing but that he plans to offer it again next year.

My colleagues thinking is that the good guys are going to pull their guns out, shoot the bad guys. But thats not what happens, Brown said.

Proponents of returning control over gun policy to local governments say there are a variety of rules cities and counties could enact to have some effect on violence. Some say officials could implement new handgun permit requirements, mimicking at a local level the repealed statewide rules.

Others say guns have so thoroughly proliferated society that permits may be of limited use. Instead, they say ordinances requiring guns to be safely stored or requiring owners to report stolen or missing guns could make a difference.

Jennifer Joyce, a Democrat who served as St. Louis circuit attorney from 2001 to 2016, said she sensed a growing availability of guns and more homicides of young people over her tenure as firearms restrictions were rolled back. Shes now a principal at the Vera Causa Group, which provides leadership training and consulting services to prosecutors.

I think that horse has left the barn on handgun permits, Joyce said, adding that she focuses on measures like requiring parents to keep guns locked.

Any kind of legislation that has the word gun in it gets a lot of opposition because if its applied statewide, she said, its going to affect people who are living in a different reality than we are.

The stark divide between the rural and urban areas of the state, and the insistence by gun rights supporters of uniform access, has driven frustration among local leaders that they dont have the tools they need to rein in violent crime.

Baker, the Jackson County prosecutor, has voiced support for allowing local governments to set their own gun ordinances. On Friday, Baker told reporters that if she lived in a small, rural community she would probably think the states gun laws are swell, but that Kansas City has different needs.

What works in rural Missouri isnt necessarily whats needed in the city. Seems kind of basic to me, Baker said.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (left) announced during a press conference Friday that 36-year-old Isiah Clinton has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and other charges in the Klymax Lounge nightclub shooting. Kansas City police Detective Ryan Taylor (center) and Sgt. Mark Slater, supervisor of the homicide squad, also talked about details of the case.

A feeling of terror

A February poll of 900 likely Missouri voters by Saint Louis University and YouGov found 69% of respondents support a minimum age of 21 to purchase a gun; 60% support a 72-hour waiting period to purchase a handgun. The poll didnt ask about support for local authority over firearms.

Melissa Robinson, who represents the Third District on the Kansas City Council, said Missouris lax gun laws have had a direct impact on Kansas Citys soaring homicide rate and gun violence, she said.

Theres a feeling of terror that residents feel and there is nothing that we can do about it because of the state laws, Robinson said. It has been challenging when you are in that situation and some people feel like if I want to do something about it, then I have to join them and then I have to go out get me a gun because they have a gun.

And then we all have guns to protect ourselves because there arent any common sense gun laws that we can depend on, she said.

But Carl Bearden, a former Missouri House Republican Speaker Pro Tem who went on to lead the libertarian-oriented group United for Missouri, said solid support exists for gun rights even within major cities. The SLU-YouGov poll found just 10% support for banning the sale of handguns, for example.

I think they underestimate even within the cities themselves  St. Louis and Kansas City  how people feel about their Second Amendment right, Bearden said of the Sensible Missouri petition drive.

Lucas on Friday cautioned that gun regulation isnt everything, pointing to criminal activity in Chicago, Philadelphia and other major cities with some level of firearms restrictions.

Still, the mayor said he is a believer in local solutions to local problems.

I think that anything that allows the people of Kansas City to have a stronger voice in connection with how we can feel safer when were going to grocery stores, schools or for a night out is something that would be positive for us long term, Lucas said.
When it was Rep. Mark Alfords time to speak in the House Committee on Small Business this May, the freshman Missouri Republican said there was a problem when it came to helping veterans start businesses.

While the Small Business Administration has programs helping veterans, theyre not always utilized, Alford said. And we need to find out why that is and how do we change them so they are utilized.

Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, felt similarly. She sponsored a bill in 2019 that cleared the House of Representatives, but failed to pass the Senate. And she was looking for a Republican sponsor to join her in introducing the bill again.

Two months later, Davids and Alford are introducing the SERV act, a bill that aims to identify the challenges facing veterans when they attempt to start a business. The bill would commission a report by the Government Accountability Office on the ability for veterans to access credit and would require an action plan for how Congress would make changes.

The 2019 version of the bill passed the House with only three no votes.

Because of their sense of service and dedication, there are few people better situated to become entrepreneurs than our nations veterans, but they face far too many obstacles when starting their business, said Davids, whose mother served in the Army. We must do a better job setting Kansas City area veterans up for success, and thats why Im honored to lead the SERV Act alongside Representative Alford.

After World War II, around 50% of veterans went on to start a business. After the Korean War, in the 1950s, around 40% of veterans went on to start a business. Today, the percentage has dropped to just 4.5% of the 3.6 million veterans who served after September 11, 2001.

While it is unclear why the number has dropped so significantly, Davids and Alford point to issues veterans face when trying to access the credit necessary to open businesses and the transition to civilian life.

Alford represents a district with two military bases, Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood, and a large veteran presence. He invited Taylor Burks, a veteran who Alford defeated in the Republican primary for his House seat, to speak to the House Committee on Small Business about how the government can help more veterans start businesses.

This bill is our first step in doing that, Alford said. It is a win for our districts, a win for veterans, and a win for our country. I am proud to co-lead the SERV Act with my colleague Rep. Davids who represents our neighboring district to promote veteran entrepreneurship.
Kansas Republican AG Sues Democrat Governor Over Trans Drivers Licenses

Quoting one of the original founders of the country, the Republican attorney general of Kansas is suing the states Democratic governor, saying she is violating a new law by allowing transgender people to change their gender identity on drivers licenses.

Attorney General Kris Kobach filed the lawsuit in state court on Friday to stop Gov. Laura Kelly and the states Division of Vehicles from allowing trans people to change the sex on drivers licenses and other official documents to align with their gender identity. Kobach contends the actions are in violation of the law SB180, known as the Womens Bill of Rights, passed over Kellys veto and which defines gender identity as binary and for official purposes determined by sex at birth.

In the lawsuit, Kobach says the law requires government agencies to cease issuing documents that do not align with a persons sex at birth and to correct past documents.

The Governor cannot pick and choose which laws she will enforce and which laws she will ignore, Kobach wrote in the suit, later adding, In the words of John Adams, we have A government of laws, and not of men.

Kelly countered Kobachs claims, saying her administration is following policy resulting from a 2018 settlement with the federal government requiring transgender people to change their gender identity on their birth certificates, rather than the state law.

While the attorney general has a well-documented record of wasteful and political lawsuits, Governor Kelly is faithfully executing the laws of the state and has directed her administration to as well, Brianna Johnson, a spokesperson for Kelly, said in a statement provided to the Reflector. We look forward to the Kansas Department of Revenue being able to present its case in court.

While Kelly is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, it does include a quote to the Associated Press where she says agencies under her control will keep in place [its] policies regarding gender markers on . . . drivers licenses.

The lawsuit seeks an order from the court directing state agencies to cease issuing drivers licenses that reflect sex other than the persons sex at birth and to correct all previously changed documents as well.
A Kansas judge has ordered Gov. Laura Kelly's administration to stop changing gender markers on driver's licenses for transgender people.

Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson issued the temporary restraining order on Monday at the request of Attorney General Kris Kobach, who is suing two officials at the Kansas Department of Revenue over the practice.

The lawsuit is an attempt from Kobach, a Republican, to force the agency under Kelly, a Democrat, to follow new state law from Senate Bill 180.

A judge has ordered Gov. Laura Kelly's administration to stop changing gender markers on driver's licenses for transgender Kansans.

The law went into effect July 1 with a strict biological definition of sex. The attorney general and governor have disputed whether or not the law bans the current practice of changing gender markers on both driver's licenses and birth certificates.

"The Attorney General points out that driver's licenses are issued for a period of six years and are difficult to take back or out of circulation once issued," Watson wrote. "Licenses are used by law enforcement to identify criminal suspects, crime victims, wanted persons, missing persons, and others. Compliance with stated legal requirements for identifying license holders is a public safety concern.

Taryn Jones, vice chair and lobbyist for the LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Kansas, acknowledged the concern that allowing the state to keep making changes would make it more difficult for law enforcement, but asked, How many criminals are you having that are trans? She said trans people will still be able to change their names to align with their gender identities.

Jones also said potential problems for law enforcement should be weighed against the harm to the mental health and safety of transgender people who dont have licenses that match their gender identities.

You know, its hard enough being trans right now in America, especially in a conservative place like Kansas, she said.

"Allowing Respondents to issue non-compliant driver's licenses pending a court hearing is an immediate and irreparable injury that supports the grant of a temporary restraining order on the terms requested by the Attorney General."

The order is in effect for 14 days, but may be modified, vacated or extended by the court.

Under Kansas law, a court is allowed to issue a temporary restraining order without providing prior notice to the other party if the facts "clearly show that immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage will result to the movant before the adverse party can be heard in opposition."

Its significant because transgender people have been able to change their drivers licenses in Kansas for at least four years, and almost 400 people have done it.

Even with a raft of measures targeting transgender people in statehouses across the U.S. this year, Kansas would be atypical for not allowing them to change sex or gender markers on birth certificates, drivers licenses or either. Montana and Tennessee also have policies against changing either document, and Oklahoma has a policy against changing birth certificates.

More: Kobach sues Kelly administration to block Kansans from changing gender on driver's licenses

Spokespeople for Kelly and Kobach did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Watson wrote that she was ordering the two named respondents, director of vehicles David Harper and Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart, "to comply with the provisions of SB 180." That means:

"Respondents and those under their direction shall immediately cease and desist from processing any requests by driver's licensees or driver's license applicants to change or display their sex in a manner that does not reflect their biological sex as defined by SB 180.

"Respondents shall take all actions necessary to ensure that any newly issued or reissued drivers licenses reflect the licensee's biological sex as defined by SB 180."

Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Alatidd.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas to stop changing driver's license gender markers, judge rules
Kenya's logging ban stymied the process of forest cultivation. | Photo 157661485  Nikolay Antonov | Dreamstime.com

On July 2, Kenya's president ended an almost six-year moratorium on logging in the country's public and community forests.

"We can't have mature trees rotting in forests while locals suffer due to lack of timber. That's foolishness," President William Ruto explained during a church service. "This is why we have decided to open up the forest and harvest timber so that we can create jobs for our youth and open up business."

In 2018, when he was deputy president, Ruto announced a 90-day ban in order "to allow reassessment and rationalisation of the entire forest sector." The government regularly extended the ban as part of an effort to limit illegal logging and prevent the lowering of Kenya's water levels.

While lifting the ban, Ruto is maintaining Kenya's goal of planting 15 billion trees over the next 10 years. The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has also set rules for harvesting in gazetted forests, including requiring loggers to acquire entry and exit certificates.

"Some of the areas, in the Great Rift Valley for example, used to be hubs for timber production," says Lubanga Makanji, who teaches environment and resource development at Egerton University in Kenya. "And that means that there were wood processors that would provide employment for the local community. As soon as the moratorium came into place, those jobs were lost."

According to the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, the 2018 ban led to the loss of approximately 44,000 jobs and $28 million in revenue, bringing economic collapse to communities that relied on the logging industry.*

Ruto's decision has set off a storm of environmentalist anger, with activists accusing Kenya of favoring economic development over its climate goals. John Kioli, the executive director of the Green Africa Foundation, told the Associated Press that he didn't expect the president to achieve his tree-planting goal and that lifting the ban would "undermine all efforts to put Kenya on a low-carbon trajectory."

"By lifting this ban president Ruto has prioritised profit over people and nature," said Tracy Makhet of Greenpeace Africa in a press release. "The ban on logging in public and community forests should not be based on monetary value, but rather on restoring our natural forests with indigenous trees."

"Not all forests have trees that are ready for harvesting and we don't have a framework to identify which forests, or which trees in which forests, are to be harvested," notes Douglas Kivoi, a policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy and Analysis. "Our forest cover is very minimal compared to that which we require."

But the ban is still in effect for indigenous forests. The lifted portion of the ban applies to trees in plantation forests, which should be felled when the trees reach rotation age, Makanji says.

"We cannot talk about the issue of there being environmental consequences because these are plantation forests usually established for commercial purposes," says Makanji. "We have a community that is also engaged in tree planting within these gazetted government forests. So to me, there shouldn't be any environmental impact."

Furthermore, it's far from clear that the moratorium substantially reduced illegal logging. In a 2004 study, Makanji and Haruyuki Mochida of the University of Tsukuba found that a previous ban did not prevent illegal logging in the Kakamega forest. "As wood shortage bites, the price of sawn timber has risen hence creating a major incentive for illegal extraction," explained the authors. "In the year of the initial ban, 1999, the number of arrests was highest. In the following year, the numbers were still high."

While lifting the ban on commercial logging marks a positive step in liberalizing Kenya's forestry industry, the reality of corruption in the KFS remains. "Following the lifting of the moratorium the other day, what we now need to ensure is the proper management of forests," Gerald Ngatia, the national secretary of the National Community Forest Association, told Semafor. "Every forest station should have good forest management plans whereby if you are cutting a hundred, you should be able to restore the same hundred."

By bringing property rights to the forest, Kenya could ensure that its trees are both conserved and used depending on the utility they bring to Kenyans, as determined by price signals. A 2000 paper on forest conservation in Kenya's Mt. Elgon National Park, written by Esther Mwangie of Indiana University and Paul Ongugo and Jane Njuguna of the Kenya Forest Research Institute, found that the "institutional flexibility" of "according claimant rights to local communities" can "create incentives that encourage communities to take long term benefits and short term costs into account when making decisions."

Or as economists Terry L. Anderson and Laura E. Huggins put in their 2003 article "The Property Rights Path to Sustainable Development," with property rights "economic growth is not the antithesis of sustainable development; it is the essence of it."

*CORRECTION: This sentence has been updated to reflect the correct data source.

The post Kenya Lifts Logging Ban, Promising Jobs and Growth appeared first on Reason.com.
Kevin Lindke says he will represent himself in criminal trial

Kevin Lindke is facing three misdemeanor charges over an altercation at a St. Clair County Board meeting.

Social media figure Kevin Lindke will represent himself in his upcoming misdemeanor trial on assault charges.

District Judge John Monaghan advised Lindke, 43, that it was universally agreed in the legal profession that self-representation in court is unwise.

Lindke acknowledged the judge's concerns, but said he would act as his own counsel, including filing motions, participating in jury selection and questioning witnesses.

A trial was scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 30 and is expected to last a day. Lindke has been charged with aggravated assault, assault and battery and disorderly person jostling.

The charges were filed in connection to a June 1 St. Clair County Board meeting in which Lindke is accused of assaulting Rob Drewek, who was requesting a loan extension for development of the Eddy Center in St. Clair.

Drewek and a third party who reportedly attempted to intervene ended up on the floor after the altercation, according to footage posted on Facebook by Lindke.

Lindke has previously claimed Drewek started the altercation when he knocked Lindke's phone from his hand. Lindke regularly records county meetings he attends and posts the videos on social media.

Though Lindke said he wanted to represent himself, he did request the court appoint advising counsel. Monaghan denied the request.

Monaghan told Lindke that he could hire his own advisory attorney, but that the St. Clair Public Defender's Office had said they would not provide an advisory attorney to the case.

St. Clair County Chief Public Defender Michael Boucher said the state grant that funds his office forbids public defenders from assigning advisory counsel. He said his office could still assign an attorney to represent Lindke, but that attorney would have to be taking the lead in his defense.

"If Lindke wants an attorney, I'll give him an attorney," Boucher said.

The judge said the Michigan Supreme Court had previously ruled a defendant who represents themselves does not have a right to advisory counsel in the same way they would have a right to legal representation.

"There's a difference between allowing advisory counsel and appointing advisory counsel," Monaghan said.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jr_Hogan1.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Kevin Lindke says he will represent himself in criminal trial
Kevin Spacey arrives in court on the second day of his sexual assault trial in London Wiktor Szymanowicz / Getty Images

Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey is in a U.K. courtroom facing allegations of sexual assault. Will the case land him behind bars nearly six years after he was first hit with misconduct allegations? Or could a vindication in court lead to a career comeback, as he claims?

What has Spacey been charged with?

Spacey faces 12 charges and is alleged to have sexually assaulted four men between 2001 and 2013. The U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service announced charges against Spacey, including four counts of sexual assault against three men and a charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, in May 2022. In November, seven more charges were authorized. The alleged assaults largely took place while the actor served as artistic director at London's Old Vic theater from 2003 to 2015.

In the first incident, Spacey is accused of groping a man Spacey employed as a driver in London, according to Deadline. In a second, Spacey allegedly grabbed a man's penis "with such force it was painful." Spacey is also accused of performing oral sex on a man who fell asleep in his apartment. Finally, he's accused of grabbing a man's crotch after they met in a pub, per Deadline.

Could he go to jail?

Yes, Spacey could receive jail time if he's convicted. He's facing criminal charges, whereas a previous sexual assault case that he won in New York last year was a civil trial. The charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to Reuters.

What have prosecutors said?

As the trial began, prosecutor Christine Agnew told jurors that Spacey "delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable" and is a "sexual bully," adding, "none of the men wanted to be touched by Kevin Spacey Fowler in a sexual way, but he doesn't seem to have cared very much for their feelings," per The Washington Post. "He did what he wanted to do for his own personal sexual gratification."

What else have jurors heard during the trial?

The man whom Spacey employed as a driver told jurors that the actor is a "slippery, snaky, difficult person" who groped him, and he also accused the actor of grooming, according to CBS News. "He grabbed me so hard I almost came off the road," the man said, per Deadline. "He grabbed me really hard, and it really hurt. I pushed him against the door and said, 'Don't do that again, or I will knock you out.'" The accuser also compared Spacey, who allegedly groped him a "good dozen times," to Spacey's serial killer character from the movie "Se7en."

Jurors saw additional interviews between accusers and police, with one alleging Spacey grabbed his genitals and saying it was "not like a seduction" but "was angry," adding that he had to push the actor away twice, per The Associated Press. The accuser who met Spacey in a pub said he pushed him away after the actor grabbed his crotch and said, "Be cool, be cool." The fourth accuser alleged that after he woke up to find Spacey had just performed a sex act on him, the actor "said I shouldn't talk to anyone about what had happened."

What has Spacey said?

Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and has denied any nonconsensual sexual conduct. According to Variety, the actor said he didn't recall meeting two of the accusers, said he was "baffled" that the first accuser has "reimagined" their time together and acknowledged he may have made a "clumsy pass" in the third accuser's case but denied assaulting him. Spacey's attorney told jurors that they would hear "deliberate exaggerations" and "damned lies" during the trial.

Spacey also claimed in an interview with ZEITmagazin that "there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London," and "the second that happens, they're ready to move forward." In October 2022, a jury found Spacey not liable in a sexual assault lawsuit brought by Anthony Rapp, who was one of the first people to level sexual misconduct allegations against him in 2017.

Spacey's trial is expected to last four weeks.

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"He kicked me in my balls": Michigan Republicans brawl at local meeting

Michigan State CapitolGetty Images/benkrut

A Saturday meeting of Michigan's GOP state committee reportedly resulted in one person being sent to the emergency room after a brawl broke out at the host hotel.

As reported by The Detroit News, Wayne County Republican James Chapman was trying to get into the state party's meeting room at the Doherty Hotel by jiggling the door handle when Clare County Republican Party Chair Mark DeYoung opened the door from inside.

"He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door," DeYoung told the outlet while being interviewed in the ER, adding that he had suffered a broken rib and intended to press charges against Chapman.

Chapman, however, said DeYoung was the one who swung first after threatening to kick Chapman's ass. DeYoung denied that, though, claiming Chapman squared up first  rushing DeYoung and slamming him into a chair.

One of the individuals involved in the fight gave Detroit News' Craig Mauger a warning for any would-be future Michigan brawlers:

"When you see me taking my glasses off, I'm ready to rock," Chapman said.

A physical altercation broke out at Saturday's Michigan GOP state committee meeting, bringing police and sending a person to the ER.



"When you see me taking my glasses off, Im ready to rock," one of the individuals involved in the fight told me today. https://t.co/ahhAoFmCig  Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) July 8, 2023

Although the dust-up took place outside the actual meeting room, members inside got an eye full.

"From my clear vantage point a kerfuffle occurred outside our meeting room. We recessed for 5 minutes. It had nothing to do with the content of our meeting," said committee member Kristin Lee.

https://twitter.com/kristinlee103/status/1677800111835889666

This isn't the first time, some members of the Michigan GOP got froggy  nor the first time one of them was jumped at the Doherty Hotel.

As pointed out by HuffPo on Monday, an April meeting of the Michigan Republican Party leadership in the same building also turned to party infighting. The incident resulted in significantly less ball-kicking, however, with the spat ultimately defused after one woman sloppily shoved the face of another.
Kina Collins hopes three is her magic number as she runs again to represent a U.S. congressional seat stretching through Chicagos West Side that has been held by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis for over a quarter century.

Collins this week announced her third straight bid for the Democratic nomination in the overwhelmingly Democratic 7th Congressional District, arguing the progressive political organization shes built and the connections she has with voters will finally carry her to victory.

Whats going to be different this time is, were really going to put an emphasis on our base, to knock the doors and really get in front of voters, Collins said. Thats what worked last time.

The dynamic will be different in the 2024 race for the district, which stretches from Hillside and Bellwood on the west, all the way through Chicagos West Side to the downtown lakefront and also encompasses parts of the South Loop, Bridgeport and Englewood on the South Side.

Davis, who has represented the district since 1997, filed in February to seek a 15th term next year, and Chicago city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin announced in April that she was creating an exploratory committee, laying the groundwork for her own congressional campaign.

After Collins garnered only about 14% of the vote in the 2020 Democratic primary among four candidates, she tightened things up considerably in the 2022 rematch with Davis, receiving about 45.5% in a head-to-head matchup with the incumbent.

Collins said she isnt bothered by Conyears-Ervin potentially throwing her hat in the ring.

I think that, coming into this race, were the front-runner, even with an elected official, two elected officials, in the race, she said.

I think our base is unmovable. I think theyre going to stick with us, Collins said.

Collins, 32, was endorsed in 2022 by several progressive groups, including Justice Democrats, a leading left-wing political action committee that backed U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in 2018. The Strokes played a campaign gig at the Metro to support Collins.

In 2022, Davis, now 81, leaned on his long congressional record, saying his veteran leadership made him the obvious choice.

Conyears-Ervin campaigned on Davis behalf in 2022. In announcing her exploratory committee, she was careful not to criticize Davis, saying he had served ably.

After months of talking to voters throughout the district, the treasurer is incredibly encouraged by the response to her candidacy, a Conyears-Ervin campaign spokesperson said. Shes humbled at the support shes received so far in this race and will make an official announcement this fall.

Collins said she will continue to try to appeal to young, progressive voters. But she thinks others who were on the fence last time will swing her way in 2024 because theyve gotten more familiar with her and seen how close she came to winning even though Democratic heavy hitters such as President Joe Biden, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot endorsed Davis in 2022.

They know that were a scrappy campaign, Collins said.

Kouri Marshalla former deputy director for Pritzker, has also filed with the Federal Election Commission to create a campaign committee to run for the congressional seat.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS

Royalist is The Daily Beasts newsletter for all things royal and Royal Family. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Sunday.

Aides to King Charles told The Daily Beast that the king positively welcomed an apparent breach of protocol Monday when President Biden patted the king on the back as they met at Windsor Castle amidst much pomp and ceremony.

A source at Buckingham Palace told the Royalist, His Majesty the King is entirely comfortable with that kind of contactand what a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations.

Donald Trump Is Not Invited to Queens Funeral, and Joe Biden May Have to Take the Bus

The back-patting incident happened shortly after Biden stepped off helicopter Marine One for a meeting with Charles which the palace, in another departure from established norms, widely briefed was going to be dominated by a discussion about climate threats.

As he arrived at the quadrangle of Windsor Castle, where he was greeted by the marching band of the Welsh Guards playing "The Star Spangled Banner," Biden appeared to pat the new king on the back.

Historically it is forbidden to touch the monarchs body without permission or invitation (such as an extended hand). However, the rule has been broken before.

In 1992, Paul Keating, then prime minister of Australia was dubbed the Lizard of Oz by the British media after he put his hand around Queen Elizabeth II's back.

Courtiers today, however, played down the incident and also said that the president walking a few steps ahead of the king while inspecting the guard of honor was in fact the correct protocol for such an engagement, contrary to some reports.

In an undoubtedly significant break with tradition, however, the palace actively briefed that a private meeting, over tea, between Biden and the king would be dominated by discussions of the environment and climate change, arguably controversial as the king is supposed to sit above politics.

The emphasis that the palace placed on the relaxed and friendly nature of the encounter will be seen in some quarters as an attempt to push back against claims that there is an unusually antagonistic relationship between Biden and the British establishment in general.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The News

NATOs annual summit will begin Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, where questions about Sweden and Ukraines bids for membership are set for discussion.

Weve collated key analysis you should read on the criticial conversations taking place at the meeting.

Insights

Joining NATO isnt just a security decision for Ukraine. Membership would allow the country to become a de facto member of the West, offering a way out of centuries of Russian subjugation. In 2008, the defense bloc agreed Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join the alliance, but no timeline was given. Now, NATO members must decide what that membership looks like.

There are fears that an entrance into NATO could make Ukraines security situation more tenuous. After Georgia was offered eventual membership in 2008, Russia invaded the country, and still occupies South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In 2014, Moscow invaded and later annexed Ukraines Crimea. Since NATO membership requires that there are no ongoing disputes, Russia has made it effectively impossible for the countries to join. Only accession to NATO will provide Ukraine the security it needs to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from trying to incorporate it into Russia or turn it into a puppet buffer state like Belarus, John R. Deni, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, has argued.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may change his mind on blocking Sweden as the summit kicks off, but Dov Zakheim, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, thinks that is unlikely. Erdogan has continued to hold firm against the countrys membership, despite some analysts belief that he would ease his opinion after Turkeys general election. Sweden will eventually join the alliance, Zakheim says  but probably in a few months time, and not in Lithuania this week.

Know More

Sweden, which applied for NATO membership more than a year ago, faces holdout accession votes from Hungary and Turkey, which has raised issues with what it views as the countrys lax attitude towards separatist groups Ankara labels as terrorist organizations.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is vying for a position within the defense alliance, in the face of Russias full-scale invasion a year and a half ago. Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, and hopes to see member countries commit to further weapons provisions for its defense.

The U.S. has said that Kyiv is not yet ready for full membership in the bloc, with President Joe Biden telling CNN that Russias war must end before any such consideration.
What we know about Orlando Mitchell, accused of killing Marion County Sheriff's Deputy

A Marion County Sheriff's deputy has died after being attacked during an escape attempt, marking the second time in as little as two weeks that an Indiana peace officer has been slain in the line of duty.

On Monday, Deputy John Durm was declared dead at Eskenazi Hospital hours after he was attacked during a violent escape attempt by a man who drove a jail van out of the Community Justice Campus, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Lt. Shane Foley said. The van crashed just outside the parking lot, in the 3000 block of Prospect Street.

Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal said Durm had been with the department for about 38 years.

Marion County Sheriff's Office Deputy John Durm

"John was just a good guy, he really was," a tearful Forestal said.

Orlando Mitchell, 34, has been accused in Durm's slaying. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Indiana trooper's funeral: Slain Trooper Aaron Smith, a 'humble servant' laid to rest

What we know about Orlando Mitchell

Mitchell is facing several criminal charges that include a 2022 homicide in addition to the death of Durm, which Assistant Chief Chris Bailey on Monday called "an intentional act of homicide."

Mitchell's charges in 2022 include murder, intimidation, strangulation, confinement, domestic battery, intimidation, invasion of privacy, and residential entry.

In September 2022, Mitchell was arrested after Krystal Walton, 32, was fatally shot while dropping her children off at a daycare in the 900 block of North Holmes Avenue.

Domestic violence in Indiana: Indiana killings of domestic partners up 180% during pandemic. They haven't dropped much since.

IndyStar learned Walton routinely faced threats from her ex-boyfriend, Mitchell, who was the father of her youngest child. Walton filed a restraining order against him, barred Mitchell from seeing their son and took Mitchell to child custody court.

Walton told police she feared Mitchell would one day try to kill her.

Three hours after Walton's death, a caller told 911 a man at a downtown bus stop informed them he killed his girlfriend earlier at the same address of the daycare shooting. Police found Mitchell, who was carrying a rifle, and shot him in the leg after they say he refused to drop the gun.

Prosecutors later charged him with murder in Walton's killing. He was held without bond on two active domestic violence-related warrants for prior cases.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Orlando Mitchell suspected in killing Marion County Deputy John Durm
Kratom becomes the latest age-restricted product in Florida. What to know

Like alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets, kratom is now another age-restricted product in Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis last month signed a bill where products containing the plant Mitragyna speciosa can only be sold or given to people older than 21. The law went into effect July 1.

Kratom is from Southeast Asia and is part of the coffee family. The leaves contain two psychoactive ingredients. Consuming kratom in small amounts can lead to a stimulant effect, and in larger amounts, it acts as a sedative.

The plants effects are felt by consuming capsules or an extract, brewing it in a tea or by chewing on its leaves. The new Florida law considers any age-restricted kratom product to include food product, food ingredient, dietary ingredient, dietary supplement, a drink that includes any part of the kratom leaf, or an extract or synthetic derivative of the plant in powder, capsule, pill, drink or other edible form.

Florida joins Arizona, Utah and Georgia among the states restricting the substance with their own Kratom Consumer Protection Acts. In the Sunshine State, its now a second-degree misdemeanor to violate the law, which can come with a fine up to $500 and as many as 60 days in jail.

Kratom is a naturally occurring herbal extract that comes from leaves of an evergreen grown in Southeast Asia.

But in one Florida county, kratom cannot be sold. Sarasota County banned the substance in 2014 after a state survey two years prior found that the countys high school students had used synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or spice, at a greater rate than other students in the state, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The ban was a preemptive measure when the county outlawed designer drugs like synthetic marijuana and bath salts, thinking kratom might be sought out to fill that void.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration considers kratom a drug of concern, along with the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, known as DXM, and Salvia divinorum, an herb in the mint family that produces hallucinogenic effects.

Kratom is outright illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Vermont and Wisconsin. The Rhode Island House of Representatives voted to legalize kratom this year after the state had banned it in 2017.

Viewpoints on new Florida law restricting kratom are mixed

The reaction to the age restriction on kratom is mixed.

Some who work in smoke shops where kratom is sold say the law probably wont affect business.

I think its fine, said Felix, who works in a Fort Lauderdale smoke shop and asked that his last name not be used. Most of the products are 21-plus, anyway.

But when Ryan Lunt turned 18, he was told kratom wasnt as intensive as marijuana and gave it a try. It started as a social thing to do while hanging out at the kava bar on Friday nights. Then kratom became a tool to help him focus on studying at Florida State University.

More: Kratom supplier owes millions to family of South Florida nurse who overdosed and died

I do feel like 18 is probably the optimal age, but 21 is not too far away, said Lunt, who works as a kavatender at a kava bar in Tallahassee. Kava comes from a different plant than kratom, and is typically consumed in drink form for its relaxing effects.

Some who are recovering from addiction use kratom in place of alcohol or drugs, while others credit the substance for helping with pain or anxiety.

But it is possible to overdose from kratom. In May, an Idaho-based kratom manufacturer was ordered to pay $4.6 million to the family of a 39-year-old Boynton Beach woman whose cause of death was determined to be acute mitragynine intoxication. Mitragynine is an alkaloid found in kratom.

Maureen Kielian of Southeast Florida Recovery Advocates said she doesn't knock anyone who uses kratom on their journey toward sobriety. Understanding that not all kratom users are recovering from an addiction, she added that legislators should have focused on expanding treatment for mental health and substance-abuse disorders as well as Medicaid rather than restricting kratom.

"Our legislators have no license to make medical decisions and no right to choose who gets treatment," she said.

More: FDA warns about herbal drug kratom, used for pain relief: What to know about side effects

Lunt felt that in 2016 when the DEA mulled listing kratom as a Schedule I drug  like heroin, marijuana, LSD and ecstasy  it created a fear-driven narrative around the product. But people should be mindful about the amount they ingest.

The substance has been around for a while, Lunt said, knowing people who have been drinking kratom for more than a decade. I believe that if there was a serious issue to be had, we would see a lot more of an epidemic level of danger in people consuming kratom.

Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Drop a line at hmorse@pbpost.com, call 561-820-4833 or follow her on Twitter @mannahhorse.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Kratom in Florida can now only be bought if you are 21 or older
Kremlin to allow Wagner to retain its operations in Africa  report

Wagner PMC mercenary in the CAR, fall of 2012

Moscow has permitted the Wagner Group military company to continue its major operations in Africa, Bloomberg reported on July 10, citing informed sources.

Read also: Putin to attend virtual summit in first international appearance after Prigozhin mutiny

The report reveals that the Wagner will maintain its operations in the Central African Republic (CAR). The decision was allegedly approved by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

The article mentions that the Russian Defense Ministry may struggle to immediately assume Wagners intricate role in the CAR and elsewhere. As such, private contractors could be required to further Moscow's interests in Sudan and other countries.

The second Bloomberg source suggested that Putin might allow the group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin to handle self-sustaining operations, while the Kremlin will aim to directly control countries where the work of Russian mercenaries relies on funding from Moscow.

Bloomberg also reports that Vitaliy Perfiliev and Dmitry Sytyi, local Wagner commanders in the CAR, both remain in Bangui and meet daily with the head of the CAR army, as revealed by Hassan Buba, a former rebel leader and current member of the republic's government.

Read also: Putin sidesteps general mobilization: Chechen mercenaries, convicts to replace Wagner  Bloomberg

The future of Wagners operations in Sudan may present a significant concern for Russian authorities. Bloomberg reports that Prigozhin has been supporting rebels against the government army in Sudan, even as Moscow maintains close ties with the country's military leadership. The Kremlin may have implemented this policy through the clandestine deployment of mercenaries in the country. According to the agency, Moscow's objective might be to establish its first military naval base in Africa on the Red Sea coast.

Read also: Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny

One source from a Russian state-owned company, familiar with operations in Africa, told Bloomberg that one of Prigozhin's main assets for African leaders was his access to Putin. Therefore, with this change, the Wagner Group might become less valuabel for African countries.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks in the headquarters of the Russian southern army military command center in the city of Rostov-on-Don

By Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the army's top brass, Putin's spokesman said on Monday.

The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin.

The meeting, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was held on June 29, five days after the aborted mutiny, which is widely regarded to have posed the most serious challenge to Putin since he came to power on the last day of 1999.

Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours.

"The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company's (Wagner's) actions at the front during the Special Military Operation (in Ukraine) and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June (the day of the mutiny)," Peskov told reporters.

He said Putin had listened to the commanders' own explanations of what had happened and had offered them further options for employment and combat.

"The commanders outlined their version of what happened (on June 24). They emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland," said Peskov.

The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin, who likened the events to the turmoil which engulfed Russia in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, has since thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war.

Prigozhin has said the mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing the government but at "bringing to justice" the army and defence chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

Putin has so far kept Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in place, judging by appearances by both men on state TV - rejecting Prigozhin's appeals to sack them.

Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny. But Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up an offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow, Mark Trevelyan in London and Caleb Davis in Gdansk)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin met with the founder of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin days after Wagner's short-lived rebellion against Russian authorities, the Russian state news agency TASS cited Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on July 10.

"This meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29. It lasted almost three hours," Peskov reportedly said.

"The details of it are unknown, but the only thing we can say is that the president gave an assessment of the company's actions at the front during the special military operation, and also gave his assessment of the events of June 24."

According to the Kremlin's spokesperson, Putin invited 35 people to the meeting, including the leadership of the Wagner Group.

The commanders of the private military company presented "their version of what happened" during the insurrection on June 23-24, while reaffirming their loyalty to the country and its leader, Peskov said. In turn, Putin offered the Wagner leaders further options on employment and combat deployment, according to the statement.

Petro Burkovskyi: Decoding Prigozhins rebellion The Wagner Groups armed rebellion has displayed little evidence of being a successful challenge to Putins regime, but it has created a strong argument in support of Ukraines accelerated accession to NATO. The military drama that unfolded in Russia from June 23 to 24, orchestrated by Wagner The Kyiv IndependentPetro Burkovskyi

Prigozhin launched a "march for justice" against Russian military leaders on June 23 after the Russian army allegedly targeted Wagner troops in Ukraine. His mercenaries occupied Rostov and marched 200 kilometers to Moscow, only to abruptly end the rebellion less than 24 hours after its start.

As a result of an undisclosed agreement allegedly mediated by Lukashenko, Prigozhin and his contractors were allowed to leave for Belarus to avoid persecution.

On June 27, the Belarusian dictator said that the mercenary boss had arrived in the country shortly after reports that Prigozhin's business jet landed at the Machulishchy military airfield near Minsk.

Already the same day, however, the independent monitoring group Belaruski Hajun said that the oligarch's plane left back to Russia, though it was unclear whether Prigozhin was on board.

The French media outlet Liberation reported earlier on July 10 that the mercenary leader has been present in Moscow at least since July 1.
A Shawnee County District Court judge on Monday ordered the Kansas Department of Revenue to immediately stop processing any gender marker change requests for drivers licenses and to take steps to ensure any future licenses issued, or renewed, reflect a residents sex assigned at birth.

Judge Teresa Watson said Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys administrations decision to continue allowing gender marker changes despite a new law defining man and woman based upon sex assigned at birth could result in immediate and irreparable injury.

The order came in response to a lawsuit filed Friday by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican who argues that a new Kansas law forbids trans and nonbinary Kansans from updating state issued documents to reflect their gender identity.

The Attorney General points out that drivers licenses are issued for a period of six years and are difficult to take back or out of circulation once issued, Watson wrote in a three-page temporary restraining order.

Licenses are used by law enforcement to identify criminal suspects, crime victims, wanted persons, missing persons, and others. Compliance with stated legal requirements for identifying license holders is a public safety concern.

Watson didnt rule on whether the Kelly administration had broken state law by continuing to issue updated licenses and noted repeatedly that the order was based on assertions by Kobach. The order is effective for two weeks, allowing time for Watson to hold a full hearing.

The order is the latest development in a legal fight between Kobach and Kelly over the extent of SB 180, titled the Womens Bill of Rights, which the Republican-controlled Legislature passed this spring over Kellys veto.

The sweeping measure defines man and woman in state law based upon sex assigned at birth. The law is one of the first of its kind in the nation, amid a sweep of legislation affecting the lives of transgender residents.

At stake are the identity documents of hundreds of trans residents who have changed the gender markers on their drivers licenses in recent years. Kobach contends the law not only requires the Kansas Department of Revenue to stop changing licenses but also to revert licenses to their original markers.

Kellys office didnt respond to a request for comment. In a court filing, Ted Smith, an attorney for the Kansas Department of Revenue, asked Watson to remove the temporary restraining order, saying many Kansas residents depend on their licenses to indicate their gender to employers and that trans residents could be put in a position of explaining the difference between what their license says and how they present to society.

There will be serious harm and public impact to individuals if they must reclassify their gender as requested by Kobach, Smith wrote.

Adam Kellogg, a 20-year-old transgender man and University of Kansas student, said the order was harmful to Kansas gender non-conforming residents who may have mismatched documentation.

The argument in the order that police need to know a persons sex assigned at birth, Kellog said, is illogical.

Its more likely that the police need to know what you look like than what your genitalia is, Kellog said. If I got pulled over driving and my ID said female, how confusing would that be?

While Kansans are, for now, blocked from changing their gender marker on a drivers license, they are still able to to change their gender marker on birth certificates. Kobachs lawsuit only concerned drivers licenses. The ability to change birth certificates was guaranteed in a consent order the Kelly administration struck in 2019 to resolve a federal lawsuit filed by transgender residents.

Kobach filed a motion last month asking a federal judge to reopen the case and set aside the consent agreement in light of SB 180. In a legal opinion issued days before the law took effect on July 1, Kobach said that state issued legal documents must reflect a persons sex assigned at birth.

Lawmakers said the new law was important for ensuring female-designated spaces, like restrooms, are segregated by sex assigned at birth. But Kobach and Kelly both said last month that the law would not affect policies for such spaces because it lacks an enforcement mechanism.

Brittany Jones, a lobbyist for Kansas Family Voice, a conservative Christian policy group that advocated for the law, said she believed Kobachs interpretation of the law was consistent with how it was written.

How this was applied was always going to be determined by courts anyways, Jones said. I do think this is the appropriate application of SB180. It was always intended to protect womens opportunities and their place in society as well as how theyre reported in bio statistics.
The door to Kyrylo Barashkov's bunker stands on his tree-lined street just outside Kyiv (Sergei SUPINSKY)

After several missiles exploded near his house outside Kyiv, Kyrylo Barashkov decided the only way to keep his family safe was to build his own bunker.

"That's what we need more than any other thing -- more than a good car, more than repairing the house -- because it's safety. If you're dead, you need nothing (any) more."

The cost of constructing the shelter was around $20,000, the 43-year-old immigration lawyer says -- less than his SUV.

"I can't say it's a lot for safety, for a calm brain, a calm heart," says Barashkov, who lives on a housing estate of low, wooden houses just outside the Ukrainian capital.

The door to the bunker stands on Barashkov's tree-lined street. His neighbours tend not to talk much, Barashkov says, but he has given them all the code to the shelter.

Refuge from attack is available to everyone who can fit inside the bunker -- as many as 15 people.

Those around him "feel better every day when they know that any time, they have a bunker nearby, so it will house them in the case of a huge attack, a nuclear attack", Barashkov says.

- Wood fire and Wi-Fi -

Down the 14 steps to the wood-panelled bunker, there are two sofas, a log stove and an as-yet-unused portable toilet -- in case of a lengthy stay downstairs.

The longest stint so far has been seven hours, Barashkov says, although he admits he popped up to the surface to smoke a cigarette every so often.

Inside, the facility is kitted out with Wi-Fi and a large power bank to charge mobile phones and other devices. Should the electricity be cut, the bunker is equipped with its own diesel generator to keep the lights on.

The shelter is a good five metres (16 feet) underground, which the owner says is enough to avoid "99 percent" of possible strikes.

"We had a few explosions right here," Barashkov says, pulling up a video from a blast outside his home in January.

Barashkov says he even comes down to sleep in the bunker, where he finds peace in the dark away from the noise and light pollution at the surface.

His attitude contrasts with that of many Kyiv residents, who have stopped seeking shelter during air raids, tired of nights in crowded metro stations or damp cellars.

While some of his neighbours are regular visitors, others have not yet opted to make use of the shelter.

"To me, it's strange, to be honest," he says.

"We should care about children, we should care about women, we should care about ourselves, because we should survive during all this."

Protecting his family is especially important to Barashkov, whose wife has just given birth to their son.

He was "nervous all the time" when she was pregnant, and they sheltered in the bunker together.

Their son has not yet had to take cover, "thanks to God", he says.

am/sea/lcm
One woman has found out that crime does not pay after a new court ruling in the case of Lady Gagas dognapping.

A Los Angeles judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who was arrested and charged in connection with the theft of her two French bulldogs which left her dog walker hospitalized with a gunshot wound.

www.instagram.com

In 2021, Gagas dog walker Ryan Fischer was walking her dogs Gustav and Koji in Los Angeles when he was robbed at gunpoint and shot. When the dognapping happened, Gaga offered a $500,000 reward, no questions asked, for the safe return of her dogs.

After a short time, her dogs were returned by a woman who claimed that she found them tied to a pole. Jennifer McBride was initially praised for returning the dogs, however, when arrests were made in the case, McBride was one of five arrested and charged with being an accessory to the crime.

Still, she wanted her reward.

www.instagram.com

In February of this year, McBride sued Gaga, claiming that her reward offer for no questions asked meant that even if the person who returned the dog was involved in the crime, they would get the reward.

Her lawsuit alleged that Gagas reward offer was made with the intent to defraud and induce members of the public, such as Plaintiff, to rely upon it and act upon said promise by locating and delivering Lady Gagas bulldogs to Defendants.

Now, a judge has dismissed that argument.

You cant benefit from your own criminal act, the judge said, I have a problem with your position.

Hopefully, Gaga will now be able to move on with her life.
Larry Nassar stabbed in prison: Everything we know about attack against disgraced doctor

Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports doctor who is currently serving a multi-decade prison sentence for sexually abusing child athletes, was stabbed by another inmate in a federal prison on Sunday.

Nassar, 59, was supposedly stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida, sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The extent of Nassars injuries is unclear though he is said to be in stable condition. One source claimed he was stabbed in the back and the chest.

Nassar, a former sports physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, is currently serving 40 to 175 years in prison for abusing his power to sexually assault children and young women. Additionally, he was convicted of possessing child sex abuse images.

Sundays altercation marks the second time it was made public that Nassar was attacked while serving his jail sentence. The disgraced doctor was moved to USP Coleman II in 2018 after being attacked at the USP in Tuscon, Arizona.

Here is everything we know about the incident.

Nassar was reportedly assaulted by a fellow inmate at USP Coleman II Sunday after an altercation occurred, The Associated Press first reported.

USP Coleman II is a high-security facility that houses around 1,214 male offenders.

In a statement provided to The Independent, the US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed an altercation occurred around 2.35pm local time on 9 July but declined to provide details about the inmates involved or the inmates medical status for privacy, safety and security reasons.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that an inmate stabbed Nassar in the back and chest.

The BOP added: Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures. Staff requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and life-saving efforts continued. The inmate was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.

Sources claimed Nassar was in stable condition as of Monday.

BOP said that No other staff or inmates were injured and at no time during the incident was the public in danger. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was also notified of the attack and an internal investigation is ongoing.

Larry Nassar (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The incident marks the second time Nassar has reportedly been attacked while serving his prison sentence.

In 2018, Nassar was moved to USP Coleman II after being assaulted at USP Tucson. Nassar was attacked almost immediately after being placed in the general population at USP Tucson following his child pornography and sexual assault convictions.

Nassar was at the centre of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal in 2016 when it was revealed that for at least 14 years of his career as the team doctor and an osteopathic physician at Michigan State University, Nassar sexually abused children and young adult athletes.

Over 260 women, including Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Gabby Douglas, accused Nassar of sexually assaulting them under the pretense of providing medical treatment beginning in the 1990s.

In 2021, several prominent athletes, including Ms Biles and Ms Maroney, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the failures of the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to investigate and stop Nassar after he was reported.

Their testimony was part of a congressional hearing to hold the FBI accountable after the organisation made multiple errors while investigating the case  including delays that allowed Nassar to abuse more young gymnasts.

Additionally, an investigation by the FBI found that Nassar had more than 37,000 videos and images of child sex abuse images dating back from 2004 until 2016.

In 2017, Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to child sex abuse images and tampering with evidence by trying to destroy or conceal the footage.

Nassar was also sentenced to an additional 40 to 175 years in Michigan State prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexual assault. Another 40 to 125 years were added after he pled guilty to an additional three counts of sexual assault.

As of now, Nassars earliest potential for release is January 2068 however at 59 years old Nassar will likely die before being released.
Last week was the hottest ever recorded across the world  and an oncoming El Nino is likely to keep upward pressure on global temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization said Monday.

Global average surface temperatures were not the only records broken last week, the United Nations' weather and climate agency said, citing preliminary data. It noted sea surface temperatures also hit "unprecedented" highs and that Antarctic sea ice coverage is at a record low.

The WMO said climate change and the developing El Nino are expected to push land and ocean temperatures higher. But that El Nino system has yet to take full effect, meaning temperature records are likely to be reached again later this year.

"The scientific community is struggling to a certain extent to keep up," Michael Sparrow, head of the WMO's world climate research department, said in a press call. "It's very concerning."

Mean temperatures reached as high as 17.24 degrees Celsius (63.03 degrees Fahrenheit) globally on Friday, according to the Japanese government's JRA-3Q dataset, the WMO said.

The U.N. agency said that finding backed up observations from the European Union's Copernicus ECMWF ERA5 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Those early results point to the first week of July being the hottest since modern instruments began measuring global temperatures. It follows record high temperatures in June, which were 0.5 degrees C above the 1991 through 2020 average.

The high ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic are "unprecedented and of great concern" given the region's role in driving extreme weather events, Sparrow said in a statement. A warmer Atlantic could contribute to more hurricanes and tropical cyclones, as well as heavier rains and drought in West Africa, he said.

The hotter temperatures in the North Atlantic, however, are not likely due to El Nino. The oceans absorb more than 90 percent heat from human-produced greenhouse gases that drive climate change, Sparrow noted.

But the development of the El Nino system will likely raise ocean temperatures, which is "worrying news for the planet," Christopher Hewitt, WMO director of climate services, said in a statement.

Zia Weise contributed to this report.
A lawsuit filed Friday in Oklahoma County District Court accuses Midwest City-Del City Public Schools of negligence. The plaintiffs claim a student suffered sexual abuse by an elementary school principal.

A young girl has accused her elementary school principal of sexual abuse in a lawsuit against him and Midwest City-Del City Public Schools.

Two adults filed the lawsuit Friday on the childs behalf in Oklahoma County District Court. It is The Oklahomans policy not to report identifying information of alleged sexual abuse victims.

The lawsuit alleges the longtime principal of Parkview Elementary, Michael Stiglets, touched the students bottom over her clothes while hugging her and forcing her to stay in his grasp. This occurred at least three times while she attended the school from 2018 to 2021, the lawsuit states.

The student disclosed the allegations in December 2021, according to court documents. Her lawsuit claims the principal similarly groped one of her classmates.

The plaintiffs contend the Mid-Del school district was negligent in failing to prevent and report the alleged abuse. They asked a judge to award them at least $75,000 in damages.

More: Former Stilwell Elementary teacher accused of sexually abusing six students

Long known by the nickname Mr. Piggy, Stiglets retired from Parkview Elementary last month and, according to his social media account, accepted a position with a counseling and therapy center.

He has not been charged with a crime.

The Oklahoma City Police Department looked into the accusations, said Stacey Boyer, spokesperson for Mid-Del schools.

Mr. Stiglets and the District fully cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation into these allegations, Boyer said. No charges resulted from the investigation and Mr. Stiglets retired at the end of the school year after a 46 year career in education.

The Oklahoman was unable to reach Stiglets for comment.

A records search showed no police reports have been filed against Stiglets with Oklahoma City police.

Before she reported the allegations, the student began to display behavioral problems and declined academically, court documents allege. She has suffered from emotional distress because of the alleged abuse, she claims.

The students attorney, Ashley Leavitt, encouraged other Parkview students to come forward if they have similar allegations. She called the situation extremely unfortunate.

We believe it was also entirely preventable, Leavitt said. We filed this lawsuit seeking justice for our clients. The majority of the facts known at this time are contained in our Petition, but we are confident there are other victims who may come forward after hearing about this lawsuit.

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Retired Mid-Del elementary principal accused of abuse in lawsuit
The employee who filed the federal lawsuit is a gay, Black man who said he encountered almost immediate racial discrimination and homophobia when he began working at the campus in September 2021.

The University of Houston-Downtown is the target of a lawsuit by an employee who claimed the university neglected to discipline its former business school dean despite being informed of his discriminatory actions.

According to the Houston Chronicle, employees allegedly made UH-Downtown aware of issues involving Charles Gengler, who left his position as dean of the Marilyn Davies College of Business in March, nearly two years before he stepped down.

UH-Downtown officials said in a statement they disagree with and would vigorously challenge the claims made by the employee who filed the federal lawsuit in March and still works there.

A lawsuit accused the University of Houston-Downtown of failing to act after the former dean of the Marilyn Davies College, Charles Gengler, was accused of racial discrimination. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/UHD Network)

The employee who filed the lawsuit, who asked the Chronicle not to name him, is a gay, Black man who said he encountered almost immediate racial discrimination and homophobia when he began working at the campus in September 2021.

The employees attorneys allege that UH-Downtown fostered a hostile workplace and perpetuated and emboldened Genglers discriminatory behavior by failing to address and correct him, violating Texas labor law and the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

According to the lawsuit, when the employee told Gengler he met university president Loren Blanchard, a Black woman, soon after being employed, Gengler said, Nice, it will probably make me look good that I hire Blacks!

The employees attorneys claim Gengler made several further remarks implying he recruited their client to avoid discrimination accusations.

The employee also claimed to have overheard Gengler telling another Black employee to don a monkey suit, even though Gengler stated he wasnt alluding to the racial trope with ties to slavery.

The employee claimed he was humiliated in April 2022 when Gengler falsely implicated him in a campus crime. He stated he left his office when university police informed the public of an assault by a tall Black man. He returned to learn that Gengler told other academics and employees he was the assailant because he fit the description.

Days after the alleged assault comment, the employee launched a formal discrimination complaint against the university under Title IX.

Attorneys have also claimed in court that the university was aware of other instances of discrimination before the case even began. Some business instructors mentioned possible problems with Gengler in the summer of 2021 before the employee joined UH-Downtown.

While the lawsuit does not name Gengler as a defendant, his attorney Alfonso Kennard said the allegations shocked him and his client. Kennard added, Dr. Gengler categorically denies these accusations that have been thrown against him.

In their statement, officials described the university as a community of diverse faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future.

At UHD, we believe in fostering an inclusive, respectful learning environment free from harassment and intimidation for all students, staff, and faculty, officials said. Furthermore, we investigate all complaints and allegations while respecting individuals rights to privacy and due process.

The dean received a poor performance rating from 50% of respondents to a survey about the faculty climate.

In response to a question regarding the root of the issues, one person called the dean unprofessional, and another claimed he and another staff member had permitted and encouraged a toxic work environment.

A third query on potential approaches to their obstacles led to someone saying the dean was polluting the environment and needs to be sanctioned.

Another individual suggested that the Marilyn Davies College of Business would likely undergo adjustments due to negative publicity or a lawsuit at some point.

Since federal law tightly shields Title IX proceedings, UHD spokeswoman Marie Jacinto said she could not comment on individual cases.

She noted that every investigation differs depending on the circumstances, and some take longer to complete than others.

We protect the rights of all parties throughout the process and take appropriate action if a violation is found, Jacinto added, the Chronicle reported. The action taken, if there is a finding of violation of our policy, is commensurate with the specific circumstances involved.

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The post Lawsuit alleges U of Houston failed to address Black staffers claims that dean showed bias appeared first on TheGrio.
India's meteorological department has forecast more rain across large parts of the country's north in the coming days (Arun SANKAR)

Days of intense monsoon rains across northern India have left at least 29 people dead, rendering many areas inaccessible with bridges smashed and roads blocked, officials said Monday.

Television footage showed flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain, washing away vehicles, demolishing buildings and ripping down bridges in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, the worst affected area.

"In the last two days, the death toll due to monsoon rains has risen to 20 in Himachal Pradesh," said Omkar Sharma, a senior official heading disaster management in the state.

Nine more deaths were reported in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand and Kashmir, taking the toll of those killed since Saturday from a previously reported 15 to at least 29.

Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed "deep sorrow" at the deaths and said the government was "making all-out efforts" to tackle the situation, with more rain predicted.

Authorities were waiting for a break in the rains to send helicopter missions to rescue about 300 stranded people -- including tourists -- in Himachal Pradesh's areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu.

India's meteorological department has forecast more rain across large parts of the country's north in the coming days.

Schools in New Delhi were shut Monday after receiving the most rain in a single day in July in four decades, and the capital was on high alert as the Yamuna river was flowing close to danger levels, with many roads swamped.

Streets and neighbourhoods in Punjab state were also filled with knee-deep rainwater.

Official data shows monsoon rains across the country in the first week of July have already produced about two percent more rainfall than normal.

The summer monsoon brings South Asia around 80 percent of its annual rainfall, as well as death and destruction due to flooding and landslides.

The rainfall is hard to forecast and varies considerably, but scientists say climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic.

str-pzb/pjm/aha
A coalition of 90 left-of-center groups Monday called on lawmakers to hold formal hearings and investigate Supreme Court ethics and recent scandals involving its justices.

In a letter sent to party leadership on Capitol Hill and leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the newly formed United for Democracy coalition said the court has exempted itself from the most basic oversight.

In the wake of recent revelations of egregious impropriety by justices and this latest disastrous Supreme Court term, Congress must step up to conduct robust investigations and coordinated formal hearings into corruption, dark money, and interest-driven judicial activism at the Supreme Court in order to inform legislative action to bring true transparency and accountability to this broken Court, the letter states.

The letter does not name any particular justice, but it follows a series of ProPublica investigations into undisclosed trips that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito accepted from billionaires and major Republican donors. The justices have denied any wrongdoing.

In the wake of the reports, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced plans to mark up a Supreme Court ethics bill as Congress returns from the July Fourth recess, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday said Democrats will explore every option to address Supreme Court ethics.

The letter  signed by groups including NARAL Pro-Choice America, several labor unions, End Citizens United and League of Conservation Voters  calls for a broad oversight effort that spans multiple committees.

A coordinated multi-committee oversight effort would further Congresss important legislative responsibilities with respect to the federal courts, the letter, first reported by Politico Playbook, states.

It would also enable accountability for any specific instances of lawbreaking and corruption by judges and their financial backers, expose the methods and mechanisms used by elite actors to secure undue influence over the judicial process, and educate the American people about the corruption and ethics issues as well as judicial policymaking and its devastating impact on our freedoms and families, the letter continued.

Democrats have renewed calls for the Supreme Court to adopt a binding code of ethics in the wake of the recent ethics controversies, but the push has become deeply partisan. Republican lawmakers have portrayed the effort as an attempt to tear down the courts 6-3 conservative majority.

There are also divisions among Democrats about how far to push Supreme Court reform on questions such as expanding the court or imposing term limits on justices.

Congress not only has the power, but a sworn constitutional duty, to bring transparency and accountability to a Supreme Court that has been captured by wealthy and well-connected special interests and to ensure equal justice under the law, the letter states.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Nycole Knoxx; Illustration, Lex Villena, Nomadsoul1

In February, Adam Martinezthe parent of a Robb Elementary School shooting survivorwas banned from Uvalde school board meetings following his public criticism of the school district's hiring of a certain police officer. However, following the threat of legal action, the school district has now reversed course and lifted its ban against Martinez.

Following the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Martinezlike many parents whose children survived the tragedybecame a vocal critic of the Uvalde police department, which had attracted national attention for its failure to act quickly when the shooting began.

On February 13, Martinez attended a Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) School Board meeting with the intention of voicing his opposition to the district's decision to hire a police officer that the Uvalde County Sheriff's Office had deemed "ineligible for rehire."

At the meeting, Martinez approached Joshua Gutierrez, the UCISD police chief, and criticized the decision to hire the new officer. Though Gutierrez told Martinez to sit down, Martinez continued speaking to him. According to a letter sent to the school district's board of trustees by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment nonprofit, video recordings from the meeting show that the conversation remained "quiet and did not disrupt the meeting."

However, that didn't keep Gutierrez from retaliating. According to FIRE's letter, he "lashed out by banning Mr. Martinez from all school district property and escorting Mr. Martinez and his family from the building." The next day, the ban was formalized when Gary Patterson, UCISD's interim superintendent, sent Martinez a "formal criminal trespass warning banning him from all school district property, including School Board meetings, for two years."

FIRE sent the letter to the board of trustees in May demanding that the ban against Martinez be lifted, threatening a lawsuit should the school refuse.

"UCISD banned Mr. Martinez simply for raising concerns about whom the school district was hiring to protect the district's children, an issue of understandable importance for Uvalde parents, like Mr. Martinez. In doing so, UCISD has violated and is continuing to violate the First Amendment," reads the demand letter. "There can be little doubt that if Mr. Martinez had approached Chief Gutierrez at the February 13th School Board meeting and praised his performance, Mr. Martinez would not be subject to a criminal trespass warning."

While the letter demanded a response by May 22, the school district agreed to lift its ban last week.

"The school district's administrators overstepped their authority," FIRE attorney Josh Bleisch said in a Friday press release. "We're glad they finally came to their senses, but it shouldn't take the threat of a lawsuit to remind them that the Constitution does not allow them to use their power to silence their critics."

However, district officials hardly seem repentant for their attempt to stifle critics.

"The district did not wish to engage in legal action, which would require staff time and taxpayer resources in a frivolous suit," a UCISD spokesperson told the Uvalde Leader-News, "The district has attempted to work with Mr. Martinez over the last months, complying with and approving each request he has made. Instead he chose to engage FIRE to threaten legal action."

The spokesperson added that, after the ban was lifted, Martinez was "informed that the ban could be reinstated if there are any recurrences of the behaviors exhibited at the February board meeting."

The post After Legal Threats, Uvalde School District Lifts Ban on Parent Who Criticized Police Hire appeared first on Reason.com.
Letters to the Editor: We need more cops like Bernard Robins. Shame on the LAPD

Former LAPD Officer Bernard Robins was detained in South L.A. by fellow LAPD officers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: When, according to your article, Bernard Robins looked into the mirror and realized that his Los Angeles Police Department uniform was no longer a good fit, he was not addressing the style, color or fabric. It was the perfect metaphor for a situation that did not have to exist.

The tragedy here is that the man who truly deserves to wear that uniform is no longer a member of the LAPD, while the ones who handcuffed him despite being told he was a cop are still in that uniform.

Even as Robins tried to get around the more aggressive tactics of some officers by involving himself with a unit that reached out to community groups, he was ridiculed by some of his fellow officers. That in itself tells another story, and not a good one.

Homer Alba, Glendale

..

To the editor: The entire story of a Black officer being profiled, disbelieved and handcuffed by white officers is maddening. But there is an obscene irony at the core of the story he relates, of his cars tinted windows being the probable cause for cuffing him and searching his car.

I follow a man on Twitter known for keeping a watchful eye on the LAPD  William Gude, known by the handle @FilmThePoliceLA. He has filmed officers rolling out of police station lots in their personal cars, many with the same darkly tinted windows that they routinely use as an excuse to stop drivers.

Mickey Fielding, Baldwin Hills

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The exterior of Jon & Vinny's Italian restaurant in Los Angeles in 2015. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: If I read your story right, the new language on customer bills at Jon & Vinny's Italian restaurant in L.A. explaining the 18% service fee still may allow the money to be withheld from hourly workers.

By calling it a service charge rather than a tip, there's no requirement that the money be remitted in full to non-managerial service staff. Is calling it a service charge sufficient to prove it's not a tip?

Besides how wonky all that is, the second offense is in the timing. Communicating the unexpected charge after guests have ordered and eaten, or even after they've been seated, is too late.

A special experience indeed.

Lynn Balsamo, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: My cousin owned a bistro. He paid everyone a living wage, not just the minimum. Tips were split evenly, including among the chef and the dishwasher.

While dining with a group of seniors on fixed incomes recently at Jon & Vinny's, we were shocked by the 18% service charge on the bill. We hadn't counted on that. I asked the waiter whether the service charge on the bill was a gratuity. We were told it wasnt.

We resented the extra cost, as it came as a surprise. For us, the final bill was unaffordable.

Restaurateurs who need the money should just raise their prices. Their patrons with adequate means will still come.

Judith Amdur, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: It's time for consumer protection legislation for at least the hospitality, restaurant, ticketing and cable TV industries.

Mandatory fees, charges and costs of any description  with the possible exception of local, state and federal taxes  that are imposed on consumers should be built into the stated or advertised price.

Disclosure at billing is inadequate and misrepresents the true cost of the product or service at the time the consumer is comparing prices.

David Avirom, Whittier

..

To the editor: Some restaurant owners are at best clueless and at worst devious. There is no excuse for a "service fee" tacked on to the bill. Why is this bait-and-switch allowed?

The prices on the menu for the dishes should be the price on the final bill, just as it is when we buy almost anything else. Raise the prices to cover expenses. The customer's $42 pork chop on the menu should not end up costing $50, and customers clearly don't like the hidden fee.

Good for the employees for bringing suit and calling attention to this practice  which should, after all, be illegal.

Alexa Smith Maxwell, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lexington Burger Week is back. Heres the menu and where to find $7 burgers

One of Lexingtons messiest foodie events is back: Lexington Burger Week returns for seven days.

Known for giving local burger fans a chance to try out unusual flavor combinations and great meat at a terrific price point, Lexington Burger Week is traditionally a big summer hit. Its put together by Smiley Pete Productions, which charges restaurants a participation fee.

This year, there are 30 local restaurants serving 41 burgers. Last year there were 36 restaurants serving 40 burgers.

There are some ground rules: The special burgers often sell out, so you may have to settle for something else. Restaurants will be busy, so you may have to wait. And youre encouraged to order something besides the special menu burger.

This years event will be July 10-16 and burgers will cost $7 each, according to the website.

If youre really into burgers, you can get the Lexington Burger Week app, where you can see Braxton Brewing Co. beer pairings and upload your passport for chances to win prizes including the Ultimate Grill Out from the KY Beef Council or free burgers for year from Drakes and Harrys.

List: Lexington Burger Week restaurants, menu

Heres a list and guide of restaurants and descriptions of burgers on the special menu and will be served for $7 each (while supplies last.)

Racy Miss Tasty, Agave & Rye, 3535 Nicholasville Rd. (Fayette Mall), 123 N. Broadway: Deep-fried ground beef patty coated in crunchy ramen noodles with taquito cheese, bacon, lettuce, salsa, cowboy candy and comeback sauce, all on a brioche bun.

Pita Burger, Athenian Grill, 313 S. Ashland Ave., 120 E Main St.: Greek lamb patty, tzatziki, diced horiatiki, feta cheese and bib lettuce on 2 mini pitas.

Barn Door Grill Brisket Burger, The Barn Door Grill at Bluegrass Stockyards, 4561 Iron Works Pike: 8oz ground beef, smoked gouda cheese, smoked brisket, homemade peach and cabbage slaw with grilled peaches on a toasted bun.

The Barn Door Grill Brisket Burger from The Barn Door Grill.

New-to-Lexington fried chicken chain opening first location. Details on where, when.

Chevy Chase Steak Burger, Bear & The Butcher, 815 Euclid Ave.: Beef patty, pepper jack cheese, chopped philly ribeye, American cheese, peppers, onions, and a horseradish ranch aioli on a toasted brioche with grilled banana peppers.

Tipsy Bacon Ranch Steak Burger, Big City Pizza, 2312 Sir Barton Way #110: Charbroiled beef patty, bacon bits, pickle, garlic parmesan-Ranch aioli finished with a BBQ bourbon glaze.

The Tipsy Bacon Ranch Steak Burger from Big City Pizza.

Beginning Burger, BRU Burger Bar, 3010 Lakecrest Circle: Burger made from local meats, topped with American cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, onions and tomatoes.

The Kevin Smashburger, Campus Pub, 393 Waller Ave. Unit 18: Two smash burger patties topped with American cheese, onion puree and burger sauce on a toasted brioche bun. Served with house kettle chips.

Cheech and Chong Burger, Chevy Chase Inn, 833 Euclid Ave.: Its not really a burger, but about as close as you can get to one in shot glass form, specifically three different shots from the bar: Smokey herb whiskey, tomato juice, and pickle juice. For ages 21 and up.

The Ultimate Oreo Overload Burger, Crank and Boom, 555 Jefferson St.: A North Lime glazed donut loaded with Cookies n Cream Ice Cream, whipped cream, rich fudge sauce and topped with a huge Oreo cookie, Oreo cookie churro and sprinkles. Non-dairy alternative is available.

The Blazin Summer Peach Burger, Crank and Boom, 1210 Manchester St., 3101 Clays Mill Rd. #301: A North Lime glazed donut with fresh Summer Peach Ice Cream, whipped cream, golden grahams cereal and sprinkles with Mikes hot honey drizzled on top.

Strom-Burger, Drakes - Brannon Crossing, 390 East Brannon Rd.: A fresh, never frozen burger with mozzarella, sauteed banana peppers, mushrooms, onions, marinara and garlic-Parmesan mayo on a warm butter-toasted bun.

Caprese Burger, Drakes - Hamburg, 1880 Pleasant Ridge Dr.: A fresh, never frozen burger with mozzarella, tomatoes, red onion, balsamic glaze and pesto mayo on a warm butter-toasted bun.

Creole Burger, Drakes - Lansdowne, 3347 Tates Creek Rd.: A fresh, never frozen blackened burger with Swiss cheese, onion straws, lettuce, tomato, pickle and Cajun heat aioli on a warm butter-toasted bun.

New additions to Greyline Stations food, drink lineup announced

All B It Burger, Drakes - Leestown, 1735 Sharkey Way: A fresh, never frozen burger with brie, smoked bacon, citrus-splashed arugula and blueberry-bourbon BBQ sauce on a warm butter-toasted bun.

The Baja Burger, First Watch, 1080 S. Broadway, Suite 301, 2251 War Admiral Way, Suite 130, 119 West Reynolds Rd., 2894 Richmond Rd., 100 Tiger Way (Georgetown): Lean white-meat turkey patty with avocado, organic mixed greens, house made pico de gallo, mayo and horseradish Havarti on a brioche bun.

Genesis Coffee House Burger, 1403 N Forbes Rd STE 130: Burger offering coming soon.

Jam + Swiss, Goodwood Frankfort, 109 W Main St., Frankfort: Burger patty, Swiss cheese, habanero bacon jam, pickled red onions, lettuce and pickles.

Im a Big Dill, Goodwood Lexington, 200 Lexington Green Cir. Suite 110: Burger patty, fried pickles, Swiss cheese, creamy dill dip, lettuce and pickles.

The Im a Big Dill burger from Goodwood Lexington.

The Big Easy Burger, Harrys - Hamburg, 1920 Pleasant Ridge Dr.: A fresh, never frozen blackened Cajun burger with Provolone, smoked ham, olive relish and remoulade on a warm butter-toasted bun.

Southern Comfort Burger, Harrys - Palomar, 3735 Palomar Centre Dr.: A fresh, never frozen Old Bay-seasoned burger with pimento cheese, potato chips, mayo and pickles on a warm butter-toasted bun.

Boozy Burger Cupcake, Inebriated Baker, 3401 Nicholasville Rd, Suite D-413 (Fayette Mall): Two fluffy cake buns protect the boozy and frosting center. Choose from 12 different flavors.

Crab Rangoon Burger, Jack Browns Burger and Beer Joint, 155 N Limestone: 100% Waygu Beef Burger topped with crab dip, fresh fried wonton strips and finished with a sweet chili drizzle.

Thai, Mediterranean and lots of chocolate: New restaurants, brewery in Georgetown

Blackberry Habanero Burger, Jacks Sandbar and Grill, 2536 Larkin Rd. (Inside Malibu Jacks): Juicy all beef patty, topped with creamy goat cheese and house-made blackberry habanero sauce nestled in a pretzel bun.

Southern Love, Josannes Homestyle Kitchen, 3449 Buckhorn Dr., Suite 100: Fresh grilled burger topped with cajun turkey, American cheese, a fried green tomato and sweet potato mayo on a toasted bun.

Salsbury Steak Burger, Josannes Homestyle Kitchen, 3449 Buckhorn Dr., Suite 100: Fresh burger topped with an homemade onion gravy and crispy onions on a toasted bun. A Kentucky hot brown burger will also be featured.

FGT BLT Burger, Kentucky Strong BBQ, 974 Beasley St. (inside Paul Miller Auto Group): 6 oz. black Angus smash burger topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, bacon, fried green tomatoes and homemade buffalo ranch on a golden brioche bun.

Cheeseburger Deluxe Pizza, LaRosas Pizzeria, 2890 Richmond Rd., 115 Southland Dr.: Tastes just like a deluxe cheeseburger on a pizza crust  with special burger sauce, ground beef, bacon, roasted onions, pickles, provolone and cheddar cheeses.

Pineapple Royale with Cheese, LexLive, 301 S. Broadway: 8 oz. never frozen, 100% beef patty with blackened seasoning, topped with aged white cheddar, fresh arugula, crisp red onion and drizzled with a house made Bourbon Barrel BBQ sauce, finished with grilled pineapple on a toasted brioche bun.

The Pineapple Royale with Cheese from LexLive.

The Kentucky Cubano, Marriott: Infinity: Rooftop Restaurant Bar + Bar, 150 W Main St. (Inside Lexington Marriott City Center): Smoked pork and country ham on a black Angus patty topped with habanero dill pickles, beer cheese mustard aioli and Swiss cheese on a brioche bun.

Cajun Burger, Marriott: The Greatroom, 121 West Vine St. (Inside Lexington Marriott City Center): Blackened patty with pepper jack cheese, Cajun cream sauce, lettuce, and tomato topped with fried okra on a brioche bun with a side of remoulade.

Baja Burger, Mi Pequena Hacienda, 110 Cynthia Dr., 3501 Lansdowne Dr.: Grilled beef patty with a slice of monterey jack cheese, chorizo sauteed with onions and jalapenos and topped with cheese sauce.

Baby Backyard Burger, Mimis Southern Style Cooking, 126 E New Circle Rd.: Grilled beef patty topped with baked beans, bacon, and tomato, drizzled with BBQ sauce on a toasted bun.

3 Italian restaurants have satisfied Lexington for decades. Whats their secret sauce?

Loco Taco Burger, Mimis Southern Style Cooking, 126 E New Circle Rd.: Grilled beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapenos, American cheese, salsa and Doritos and sprinkled with shredded cheese.

Blackened Shrimp and Grits Burger, Nic & Normans, 135 W. Main St.: Smash patty with cheddar cheese grits, blackened shrimp, arugula and creole sauce.

The Sweet Backyard Burger, NuHealth Kitchen, 3180 Richmond Rd. (inside United Motorsports): Deliciously lean 95/5 beef patty topped with thick cut applewood smoked bacon, sweet BBQ sauce, house made sweet onion and bacon aioli, melted colby jack cheese, Roma tomato and spring mix lettuce on a grilled Daves Killer Bun.

The Sweet Backyard Burger from NuHealth Kitchen.

The Sucker Punch, The Sage Rabbit, 438 S. Ashland Ave.: House ground 5 oz. burger, bourbon BBQ sauce, spicy queso and bacon bits on a Sunrise Bakery bun.

The Hot Brown Burger, Stellas Kentucky Deli, 143 Jefferson St.: 1/3-pound of Kentucky beef topped with grilled tomatoes, local turkey, chopped bacon and creamy, white cheddar Mornay sauce.

In the foreground is the Hot Brown Burger from Stellas Kentucky Deli and in the background is the veggie version.

The Veggie Hot Brown Burger, Stellas Kentucky Deli, 143 Jefferson St.: Features a house made lentil patty with grilled tomatoes, grilled veggies and white cheddar Mornay sauce.

The Bandolero, Wild Eggs - Palomar, Palomar, 3735 Palomar Centre Dr.: Kentucky Proud beef patty topped with avocado slices, deep fried hash brown casserole, a fried egg, chipotle mayo and queso.

Thats My Jam, Wild Eggs - Hamburg, 1925 Justice Dr.: Kentucky Proud beef patty topped with goat cheese, spinach, fried onion straws and bacon jam.
Lexington wants to raise $500,000 to preserve Black, rural hamlets. How you can help

Lexington officials are raising money to protect and honor historic, Black rural hamlets in Fayette County.

A steering committee, made up of city officials, local historians and Black leaders, has identified 20 historic Black hamlets that were once in Fayette Countys rural area.

Due to racist policies such as deed restrictions that kept Black and other minorities from owning property in certain areas, many Black freed slaves settled in rural areas in Fayette County.

Many of those Black hamlets, which frequently had stores, schools and multiple churches, have been lost to new development.

The city has launched an effort to make sure those communities are remembered through A Sense of Place campaign. The campaign seeks to document rural Black hamlets but also to preserve and educate the community about those hamlets.

The steering committee has held multiple events over the past six months to gather photos, stories and other memorabilia from people who once lived in those hamlets.

Cadentown off of Old Todds and Liberty roads has largely been preserved thanks to the efforts of the Cadentown community. In 1990, the neighborhood came together and organized the preservation of the Cadentown Rosenwald school.

Julius Rosenwald, a white industrialist, partnered with Booker T. Washington and others to help build thousands of schools for Black students during segregation. Black community members raised money to help build those schools.

The Cadentown Rosenwald one-room school is the only remaining Rosenwald school in Fayette County.

There are only a couple of graves remaining in the cemetery behind the Rosenwald School in Cadentown, one of 20 historic Black hamlets that were settled by Black people in Fayette County, Lexington, Ky., Friday, March 31, 2022. There are efforts to save the Rosenwald School and to mark and celebrate Fayette Countys Black hamlets. Julius Rosenwald built 158 schools for Black students in Kentucky between 1917 and 1932.

The group would like to do further renovations to the Rosenwald school, restore a cemetery behind the school and make other improvements to the city-owned property. The hope is to turn the Rosenwald school into a type of museum featuring stories and artifacts about Fayette Countys Black hamlets, city officials have said.

Our rural Black hamlets deserve recognition and celebration for their historical impact on the evolution of Lexington, said Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Kathy Plomin. The monies raised through the A Sense of Place capital campaign will provide funding for the renovation of the Rosenwald school and grounds to ultimately serve as a history center for all the artifacts and family stories of our rural Fayette County Black hamlets. It is long overdue recognition.

Plomin represents the rural area where many of the former Black hamlets were located.

The group has raised $130,000 to date. The goal is to raise $500,000.

Approximately $105,000 came from council money. An additional $25,000 has been donated by Columbia Gas of Kentucky.

As a company committed to diversity and inclusion, Columbia Gas of Kentucky is proud to support this effort and celebrate Black history and achievement in our community, said Kimra Cole, chief operating officer of Columbia Gas of Kentucky.

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said the citys rural Black hamlets are an important part of Fayette Countys history that need to be remembered, preserved and honored.

Our rural Black hamlets are very important to the rich culture and history of Lexington. It is very important that we do all that we can to respect and uplift these communities, Gorton said.

To find out more about the Sense of Place campaign or how to donate contact lexingtonhamletsproject@gmail.com.
FILE - Migrants wait to be rescued by the Spanish NGO Open Arms lifeguards during a rescue operation at international waters zone of Libya SAR (Search and Rescue) in the Mediterranean sea, on Sept. 15, 2022. A court in eastern Libya sentenced five people to life in prison after they were convicted of human trafficking over the deaths of 11 migrants who were on a rickety boat trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the office of Libyas chief prosecutor said Monday July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CAIRO (AP)  A court in eastern Libya sentenced five people to life in prison after they were convicted of human trafficking over the deaths of 11 migrants who were on a rickety boat trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the office of Libyas chief prosecutor said Monday.

The court in the city of Bayda also sentenced nine other defendants to 15 years in prison each, the office of General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sourr said in a statement. Another 24 others were jailed for a year, the statement added.

The defendants were part of a network smuggling migrants from Libya to Europe, it said. The statement did not say when the deadly shipwreck took place or provide further details.

The court ruling was the latest in the conflict-wracked North African nation to target traffickers. On Friday, the chief prosecutor's office said another court in the capital, Tripoli, sentenced one defendant to life in prison and two others to 20 years each for human trafficking.

In recent years, Libya has become a major transit point for Middle Eastern and African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to seek a better life in Europe. The oil-rich country descended into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi.

Human traffickers have benefited from the instability in Libya, smuggling migrants across borders from six nations, including Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. They then pack desperate people into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels for the risky voyage across the central Mediterranean.

For years, the United Nations and rights groups have decried the inhumane conditions faced by migrants trafficked and smuggled across the Mediterranean.

In March, U.N.-backed human rights experts said there was evidence that crimes against humanity had been committed against Libyans and migrants in in Libya, including women being forced into sexual slavery.

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Follow AP migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania, has confirmed that the NATO member states have reached a consensus and decided to drop the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraine on its way to accession to NATO.

Source: Nauseda at a press conference on 10 July, the day before the NATO summit in Vilnius, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent

"I can say that the Membership Action Plan will be removed, this is a great step forward. This will simplify Ukraines path to NATO," Nauseda stated.

He stressed that a very clear signal is also needed concerning the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO when conditions allow.

"In connection with this we must go beyond the borders of the Bucharest summit, which only suggests an open door. Ukraine today needs very concrete signals concerning the fact that when circumstances allow, it will become a NATO member not only on paper, but in reality as well," Nauseda added.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg remarked that the consultations concerning the final decision of the summit are ongoing.

"The consultations are ongoing, and there will be other meetings today. But I am sure that all Allies will reach a clear statement concerning Ukraine. The final decision is yet to be made," Stoltenberg stated.

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said earlier on Monday that following a discussion, NATO member states had agreed to waive the MAP for Ukraine on its way to accession to NATO.

Earlier, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna added that the whole Eastern flank of NATO is in favour of inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance, as well as a number of Western European countries.

Stefanishyna also believes that NATO may invite Ukraine to join even while the war is on, and complete the process when circumstances allow.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






TELL CITY, Ind.  Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the United States honored fallen Tell City Police Sgt. Heather Glenn, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week, during a public funeral Monday.

Speakers, including Tell City's mayor and police chief, mourned Glenn, who was described as a changemaker and "kind-hearted soul" who etched a unique impact in the tight-knit Indiana community.

Law enforcement officials held the funeral service at Tell City High School's auditorium. After a visitation period, services began at approximately 10 a.m. Monday.

Law enforcement vehicles line 12th Street in preparation for a funeral procession to honor fallen Tell City Police Sgt. Heather Glenn in Tell City, Ind., Monday morning, July 10, 2023. Glenn died in the line of duty during a shooting at Perry County Memorial Hospital.

Glenn served in Perry County law enforcement for nearly 20 years. On July 3, Glenn was reportedly investigating a domestic dispute when she and other officers found themselves in an armed altercation with 34-year-old Sean Hubert.

The Indiana State Police said Glenn suffered a fatal gunshot wound as she attempted to arrest Hubert, who was armed, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. Police then shot and killed Hubert.

The circumstances surrounding Glenn's death have proven particularly traumatic for a police department that has never lost an officer in the line of duty. Glenn was the first female in Tell City history to make the rank of sergeant.

More: Tell City police officer and suspect killed in gunfight at hospital

Glenn also hails from a law enforcement family: Her father, Bob, served with the Tell City Police Department and later became the Perry County Sheriff.

Tell City Police Chief Derrick Lawalin, speaking at Monday's service, noted the challenges Glenn faced in chasing her dream to follow in her father's footsteps.

"When Heather embarked upon her career in law enforcement, she faced the adversity of being a female in what was historically a male-dominated profession," Lawalin said. "Not only did Heather conquer these adversities, but she also inspired young women to join the profession as she served as a role model."

Lawalin said Glenn was quick to think on her feet and could deliver a searing punchline at a moment's notice  sentiments echoed by many others who knew and loved her.

Sgt. Heather Glenn

Tell City Mayor Chris Cail described Glenn as a dedicated public servant who was willing to sacrifice her life for the protection of the community. As a striking symbol of Glenn's connection with her community, her flower-adorned squad car sits parked on display in central Tell City.

"I've known Heather, and the whole family, for my whole life and they're wonderful people," Cail said. "But July 3 was the day that changed all of us; it was the day that none of us will ever forget... I couldn't believe what had happened: not to our community, not here in Tell City and to our Heather."

Glenn, by all accounts, was an animal lover. At her funeral, speakers shared heartfelt stories of Glenn personally making sure abused animals found loving homes. According to Glenns obituary, members of the public can make contributions to the Rivers Edge Animal Shelter in her honor.

Indiana law enforcement officers are required to fill out what is known as an "end-of-watch packet." The documents outline an officer's wishes should they fall in the line of duty.

People pay their respects from the lawn of City Hall as a procession for to honor fallen Tell City Police Sgt. Heather Glenn passes in Tell City, Ind., Monday morning, July 10, 2023. Glenn died in the line of duty during a shooting at Perry County Memorial Hospital.

Lawalin said reading Glenn's end-of-watch papers was "difficult." But among her wishes was that her nephew, Trace, would be one of her pallbearers.

"While there are not many things in this world that I know with absolute certainty, I can tell you that the bond between Heather and Trace was as special as anything I have ever witnessed," Lawalin said.

In Glenn's "beautiful handwriting," Lawalin said Glenn went out of her way to stick her much-beloved nephew with "the heavy end." Glenn's joke resulted in a roar of laughter from the hundreds of residents, officers and deputies who came to honor her legacy.

Houston can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Community honors fallen Tell City police officer Heather Glenn
A 3D-printed model of a Kia EV9.

In general, we see cars as artificial and inanimate machines made from welded steel and plastic. But what if vehicles could be designed with the evolution of microorganisms in mind, representing a collaboration with nature? Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis are investigating that worldview with a group of young artists and scientists at the renowned Rhode Island School of Design.

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), the parent company of all three brands, kicked off the RISD x Hyundai Motor Group Research Collaborative in 2019. Now in its fourth year, the unique partnership is focused on actively exploring the relationship between nature, art, and design for the good of humankind. Using phrases like biologized skin for robots and chemotaxi processes to describe movement, the team of students, professors, and HMG engineers and designers are challenging traditional ideas about how machines can work.

Here's what to know about projects that RISD students have created with the future of Hyundai Motor Group in mind.

Using slime mold to mimic autonomous vehicles

While test-driving a brand-new 2024 Kia Seltos in and around Providence, Rhode Island with a group of journalists, we made a stop at RISD to hear from students in the program. In an initiative called Future Spaces and Autonomous Vehicles, students examined the future of autonomous vehicles using scientific methodologies combined with design-focused thinking.

The first presenter, 2023 graduate Manini Banerjee, studied at Brown and Harvard before making her way to RISD, and she challenged us to think about how a car might work if it were driven by organisms instead of algorithms.

In their research, Banerjee and her lab partner, Mehek Vohra, discovered that each autonomous vehicle processes 40 terabytes of data per hour; thats the equivalent of typical use of an iPhone for 3,000 years, Banerjee says. The problem, she asserts, is that data processing and data storage relies heavily on carbon-emitting data centers, which only accelerates global warming. Vohra and Banerjee set out to find out if there is an opportunity for organic, sustainable data-free navigation.

[Related: Inside the lab thats growing mushroom computers]

Using a slime mold organism as a vehicle, the team observed how the mold grows, learns, and adapts. In a cardboard maze, the slim mold organism mimicked the movements of autonomous vehicles. During the study, they noticed the slime mold learned how to find the mazes center through sensing chemicals and light in its environment. Is it possible to replace carbon-heavy data processes with a nature-based solution? Yes, Banerjee says. (According to Texas A&M, slime molds exist in nature as a blob, similar to an amoeba, engulfing their food, which is mostly bacteria. And in related work, research out of the University of Chicago involved using slime mold in a smartwatch in 2022.)

Civilization has been measured by this distance between the natural and the built environment, she told the group. I feel that weve begun to build that space with technological advancements.

Turn away from blindly pursuing innovation

Today, designers and engineers look to the outside world to better understand physiology, patterns in nature, and beauty. The future of nature and cars as collaborators is front and center for the RISD and HMG partnership.

There are about 100,000 taxidermied specimens in RISDs Nature Lab collection; its on par with a world-class natural history museum and has been around since 1939. Students can check out a specimen from the lab like one might check out a library book for study. For instance, studying the wings of the kingfisher may spur an idea for not just colors but patterns, textures, and utility. Observing the bone structure of a pelican for strength points or the ways an insects wing repels water can advance the way vehicles are made, too.

The RISD team is also exploring how to embrace entropy, or the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system, versus strict mechanical processes. Sustainability is also an important element in this research, meaning that researchers should understand how materials break down instead of contributing to waste and climate change. Together, those two concepts inform the idea that engineering and technology can be programmed with built-in degradation (an expiration date, if you will) at the rate of human innovation.

The intent is to turn away from blindly pursuing innovation and toward creating living machines that may restore our relationship with nature, Banerjee said during a TedX presentation earlier this year. If we understand the organisms were working with, we wont have to hurt, edit, or decapitate them. We can move from nature inspired to nature collaborated.
A federal judge Monday denied the Justice Departments request to stay an order limiting the Biden administrations communication with social media companies over free speech concerns.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee in Louisiana, rejected the DOJs bid to stay an injunction while it works to appeal the decision barring talk between administration officials and social media companies.

Hours later, the Justice Department filed an emergency stay motion in the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the agency filed a notice of appeal regarding the order last week.

Lawyers  led by Brian Boynton, principal deputy assistant attorney general  wrote in a filing last week that the orders broad scope and ambiguous terms prevent the government from engaging in a vast range of lawful and responsible conduct.

The governments initiatives with social media platforms prevent grave harm to the American people and the nations democratic processes, Boynton says in the filing.

The ruling came after two Republican attorneys general alleged that federal officials coordinated and colluded with social media platforms to target disfavored speakers, viewpoints, and content.

Doughty decided that administration officials cannot contact social media companies regarding the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted on social media platforms.

The decision marked a blow to the Biden administrations efforts to combat disinformation online.

Updated at 3:33 pm.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
CANTON  A 16-year-old who took part in the fatal stabbing of Michael Morris Jr. at a Louisville park last year will be sent to Boys Town  a residential village for displaced young people and youth reform  in Nebraska.

Stark County Family Court Judge Michelle Cordova decided on Monday to send the youth to the residential community founded by Father Edward Flanagan. The defendant's placement will be reviewed periodically under terms of her disposition order. A disposition in juvenile court serves the same function as sentencing in adult court.

The case was resolved after the youth pleaded true, the equivalent of guilty in an adult court, to charges of felonious assault, aggravated criminal trespass and carrying a concealed weapon. A charge of complicity to murder was dismissed.

The teen supplied the knife that 17-year-old Marissa Smith used to stab Morris on Sept. 13 at Wildwood Park. Smith, of Louisville, is serving a prison sentence of 15 years to life for murder and felonious assault. A group of teens had gathered at the park to fight.

The incident involved a lot of "unfortunate, bad choices" said Tara Burns, the aunt of the victim, who lived in the Alliance area.

"Unfortunately, Michael had to lose his life for lessons to be learned," she said. "My hope, and I'm sure all of our hope, is that he learns from this and moves forward and he'll have a decent life ahead of him. Obviously, those were the things that we would have wanted for Michael."

Attorney: Boy involved in Wildwood Park stabbing is 'a nice kid'

Defense attorney Jeffrey Jakmides said his client had no behavioral issues during the more than 300 days he spent at two juvenile detention facilities.

"I've talked to staff members at both places," the Alliance lawyer said. "They said he's a nice kid. He's very respectful, serious kid. He doesn't shoot off his mouth."

Jakmides said an evaluation by a judge found treatment would help the teen.

"He is very sorry," Jakmides said.

He said the defendant would return to live with his grandmother and mother after being released from Boys Town.

Boy's family speaks after fatal confrontation

Although the defendant did not speak on his own behalf, the judge heard from his mother and grandmother.

His mother said the fatal stabbing was a tragedy, and that her son had been "a good kid otherwise."

His grandmother said the defendant had good grades in his honors classes, had responsibilities at home, held a job and was more than the terrible decision that brought him to court.

"As parents and grandparents, we begin planning for the future of our children before they're even born," his grandmother said. "We invest everything that we have into their lives with hope for their future, believing the best and doing our best to protect them. And we count on the community to support us with that, too."

Killer sentenced: 'Every single one of us died that day.' Teen gets 15 years to life for park stabbing

Turning to the victim's family, she said, "You just have our deepest sympathy. There are no words. No one could have ever imagined this tragedy and we all profoundly wish that we could change it."

She said her grandson's decision was "immature, impulsive and very foolish. He fully recognizes that. He totally accepts responsibility. I know that he's going to regret his part in this his entire life. We will be sad about this our entire lives."

She expressed the hope that the judge's decision would pave the way for her grandson "to rebuild his life and to have a future ... with purpose and opportunities to serve others."

Fatal stabbing: Marissa Smith murder trial: Louisville police recall scene at park, witness interviews

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Louisville boy tied to Michael Morris Jr. stabbing sent to Boys Town
Madonna is rescheduling the North American portion of her tour, including a stop in Pittsburgh, after being hospitalized.

The Material Girl made the announcement on Instagram.

She was scheduled to be at PPG Paints Arena on Monday, Aug. 7.

Madonna postponed her career-spanning Celebration tour due to what her manager called a serious bacterial infection.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Man accepts plea deal after threat to kill 6 over free pizza at North Fort Myers restaurant

Cristian Andrade-Banegas pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault on Monday, July 10, 2023. The arrest affidavit says he threatened to kill several patrons of a North Fort Myers Cuban restaurant with a gun after they were offered free pizza and he wasn't.

A man accused of pointing a loaded gun at several patrons in December, threatening to kill them after they accepted free pizza at a Cuban restaurant, accepted a plea deal Monday.

Cristian Andrade-Banegas, 35, of Houston, Texas, pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault as the state dropped the remaining five similar charges.

Lee Circuit Judge Bruce Kyle sentenced Andrade-Banegas, aided by his Spanish-language interpreter, to 364 days with credit for time served, followed by 48 months of probation.

Kyle further ordered that Andrade-Banegas forfeit the weapon, have no contact with the victims and complete an anger management course.

Cristian Andrade-Banegas pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault on Monday, July 10, 2023. The arrest affidavit says he threatened to kill several patrons of a North Fort Myers Cuban restaurant with a gun after they were offered free pizza and he wasn't.

Andrade Banegas, who said he was born in Honduras, asked the court how long he'd be held before a potential deportation. At least two of the victims were also subject to deportation, Assistant State Attorney Leena Marcos said during the hearing.

According to his arrest report from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Andrade-Banegas on Dec. 7, 2022 pointed what witnesses called a "machine gun" at several patrons eating at a Cuban restaurant in the 5600 block of Bayshore Road, in North Fort Myers.

Andrade-Banegas became upset because those accepting the pizza from the restaurant had already eaten their food, the report says.

After the argument, Andrade-Banegas retrieved the firearm from his pickup and pointed it at six patrons as he threatened to kill them.

When deputies arrived, a patron who recorded the incident played that footage for authorities, the report says.

Cristian Andrade-Banegas pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault on Monday, July 10, 2023. The arrest affidavit says he threatened to kill several patrons of a North Fort Myers Cuban restaurant with a gun after they were offered free pizza and he wasn't.

When detective found him, they spotted an assault rifle through the pickup's windows, partly covered by a T-shirt.

When detectives further examined the firearm, they noticed it had a magazine similar to those used in assault rifles with several pellets loaded, an air gun scope mounted to the top and no other indicators that wouldn't make it a real firearm, the report says.

Kyle warned Andrade-Banegas he has 30 days to appeal his sentence.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida: Man sentenced in death threats made over free pizza
This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows an artwork exhibited at an Italian contemporary art exhibition "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road" in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province.(Xinhua/Zhao Yingbo)

An Italian contemporary art exhibition at the Grand Tang Mall, an enchanting scenic area in the historic Chinese city of Xi'an, has attracted visitors for the past month.

The touring exhibition, "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road," closed on Sunday after 37 days at the Xi'an Art Museum in the scenic area, having welcomed over 60,000 people.

"It is like traditional Chinese culture and modern Western art communicating with each other in the same block, making the exhibition a captivating journey that transcends time and space," said Zhang Yin, an art enthusiast from Beijing.

What makes the exhibition unique is its tour route. According to its curator, Angela Tecce, the exhibition began in Italy, the end point of the ancient Silk Road. It has toured several countries and regions along the route, including Turkiye and Uzbekistan, and finally landed in China's Xi'an, the starting point of the Silk Road.

The exhibition's tour to China can be read as a message of renewal and a fresh beginning, in which art confirms itself as a true facilitator for dialogue, said Pasquale Terracciano, director general for public and cultural diplomacy at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a preface to the display.

The cultural communication between China and Italy can be traced back to ancient times. In the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-25 A.D.), Chinese envoy Zhang Qian began his journey to the West via Central Asia, and opened up a trade route that later became the Silk Road.

Originally a setting for commercial exchange, it evolved into a crossroads of different cultures. More than 700 years ago, the Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo traveled to China on the ancient Silk Road. Chinese culture had spread to the Italian Peninsula through the trade of silk, tea and porcelain, and Roman architecture and art had also spread to China.

In recent years, the Xi'an Art Museum has been working closely with its peers in Italy. In 2018, it held the exhibition "Beyond the Wall: Xi'an Contemporary Art Exhibition" in Florence, Italy, and it was well-received by locals.

Both China and Italy boast long histories. Since visual art needs no translation, the exhibition can serve as a carrier for direct dialogue between classical and contemporary art, and between East and West, said Yang Chao, curator of the Xi'an Art Museum.

A total of 31 art pieces from 33 emerging Italian artists and established masters were on display at the exhibition. The artists utilized a variety of creative methods to manifest Italy's latest artistic developments, from the 1960s to the present day. Exhibits ranged from paintings and photography to sculpture and installation.

One of the artworks, "What holds it all together," drew many visitors. Made from porcelain and organic glass, it was inspired by the porcelain from the royal palace of Naples, demonstrating the then-popular artistic genre known as chinoiserie.

"The touring exhibition was vital to cultural exchange and the formation of consensus between the peoples of China and Italy in today's turbulent world," Yang said.
A man confronted 3 teens trying to egg his house so they shot him to death, sheriff says

REUTERS/Max Whittaker

3 teens are charged with murder after egging a man's house and then shooting him, authorities said.

The sheriff's department said Johnathan Gilbert was unarmed when he tried to confront the teenagers.

The teenagers' motive for the egging was an "ongoing lovers quarrel."

A Georgia man was fatally shot last week after confronting a group of three teenagers who egged his house, according to the Spalding County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office issued a statement on Friday announcing the arrest of 18-year-old Sydney Maughon, 18-year-old Jeremy Munson, and 19-year-old McKenzie Davenport. All three are charged with malice murder, battery, and criminal trespassing. Maughon and Munson are charged additionally with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm.

The statement said Maughon, Munson, and Davenport had arrived at the home of Johnathan Gilbert on July 3 to vandalize it with eggs. The statement said the motivation for the egging was an "ongoing lovers quarrel."

When Gilbert saw the vandalism, he "came out of the house unarmed, to confront them," the sheriff's statement said. The three teenagers ran back to their car, where Maughon retrieved a firearm and shot Gilbert multiple times. "The suspects then drove away leaving Gilbert dead in the middle of Dobbins Mill Road," the statement said.

Jail records show the teenagers are being held with no bond, but court records were not immediately available. It is unclear if any of them have attorneys.

The sheriff's statement said because all three teenagers "plotted and planned together, and traveled to the location with the intent to commit a crime that led up to the murder together," all three were culpable.

"They went to egg a house, the victim confronted them while they were doing it, he lost his life, and they drove off and left his body in the middle of the road," the statement said. "Together they bought that ticket; now together they can ride that ride."

Read the original article on Insider
Christian Bey, the man convicted of fatally shooting an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in 2019, has been sentenced to life in prison.

In April, after just one day of deliberations, a jury decided that Bey was guilty of murder in the first for killing Pittsburgh Police Officer Calvin Hall.

UPDATE: CHRISTIAN BEY WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON.



A judge sentence Bey to life without parole this morning. Bey was found guilty in the 2019 murder of off-duty Pittsburgh Police Officer Calvin Hall back in April. pic.twitter.com/yJugFXt915  Talia Kirkland (@talia_kirkland) July 10, 2023

Previous coverage: Retrial underway for man accused of killing off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in 2019

On Monday, Calvin Halls family was inside the courtroom as a judge sentenced Christian Bey to life without parole for the 2019 murder of the off-duty Pittsburgh police officer.

In April following Beys guilty verdict, his attorneys spoke with Channel 11 News.

It was not a shocking verdict. Pretty much after the first week, we were just making a record. We were looking towards an appeal. My client was not shocked by the verdict, said Carmen Robinson, the lead defense attorney for Bey.

It had appeared that Beys defense team was looking for an appeal.

But on Monday in court, attorneys and Bey both declined to say anything on his behalf ahead of sentencing.

The victims family, however, did speak. It was the first time we heard from Halls mother, Louella Hall-Carter.

She told the judge its been hard on the family since they lost Calvin.

His kindness and love will truly be missed and never forgotten, said Hall-Carter.

Back in April, his father echoed her words.

Its been a long four years; its been a hard battle, but justice has prevailed. Were thankful that the evidence showed the truth in this matter. We all miss Calvin dearly and this is justice for him, said Curtis Hall, Calvins father.

Halls fiancee, Angel Warren, was also in the courtroom on Monday, but was too emotional to read her statement aloud, instead, prosecutors read her letter.

Even though this sentencing will not bring back my fiance, it will prevent the defendant from inflicting this level of pain on another family and I feel he should spend the rest of his natural life incarcerated, Warren wrote.

Bey was given a mandatory life sentence for murder. His defense attorneys were not available for comment following the hearing.

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Man dies in basement freezer while attempting to hide from police, Minnesota cops say

A 34-year-old man found dead inside a homes freezer had entered it to hide from officers, Minnesota police said.

The man, identified by the Gilbert Police Department as Brandon Lee Buschman, was found dead June 26. Police revealed more information Friday, July 7, about why Buschman was in the freezer.

Buschman, who had an active warrant for his arrest, was seen by witnesses fleeing from the upstairs of a Biwabik home due to the possible presence of police, police said. The home had been abandoned since February.

He went into the basement and entered a freezer on his own accord, police said.

The freezer was not operating, police said, but it was unable to open from the inside.

Investigators located a metal lawn ornament rod that was inserted from inside of the freezer towards the latching mechanism, police said in a news release. The rod was jammed between the gasket and manufactured edge, preventing the rod from being able to manipulate the latching mechanism from the inside.

An autopsy revealed no evidence of trauma or injury, according to police. It is unclear how long Buschman was in the freezer before being discovered.

Investigators are trying to determine when Buschman was last seen alive.

The reports from the individuals were very unclear to us as to exactly when it was that Buschman had fled, Lt. Chelsea Trucano told the Duluth News Tribune. We are continuing to work on some additional investigation to narrow if that means it was this year or last year and will provide that information at a later date once it is narrowed to a better timeline.

Gilbert is about 200 miles north of Minneapolis.
Man facing charges for hitting ex-girlfriend in the head with hammer, Peters Twp. police say

A man is facing charges after police say he attacked his ex-girlfriend with a hammer.

Peters Township police say they were called to Thompsonville Road at around 1:45 a.m. on Saturday after a man said he woke up to screaming and found his daughter unresponsive on a garage floor.

Court documents say there was a large pool of blood around the woman and bloody footprints that left the garage through a man door.

Police also found a hammer near the woman with what appeared to be blood and hair on it, according to court documents. The woman was taken to a hospital. She had a broken jaw, skull fractures and missing teeth.

Officers identified William McCann Oberschelp, 28, as a possible suspect after the victims father told them his daughter had just broken up with him and moved home just ten days earlier.

Court documents say that police went to Oberschelps apartment in Bethel Park to ask him questions. When he greeted them, he allegedly said, Im the one youre looking for.

Oberschelp told police he took an Uber to the house on Thompsonville Road and entered through the garage, according to the complaint. He said he woke the victim and the two went to the garage where they began arguing. The argument escalated into an assault and Oberschelp allegedly began hitting the woman in the back of the head with a hammer and then kicked her multiple times once she was on the ground, police said.

Oberschelp is charged with attempted homicide, burglary, simple assault, criminal trespass, theft, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.

He was placed in the Washington County Jail and denied bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.

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Man found dead in basement freezer after trying to hide from police

Brandon Buschman, who was last seen hiding from police, was found dead in a freezer in his basement (Facebook)

A 34-year-old Minnesota man, who was last seen fleeing from police, was found dead in a freezer in his basement.

The Midwest Medical Examiners Office identified the man as Brandon Lee Buschman, according to a police press release. The office also determined that there was no evidence of trauma or injury found during the autopsy.

Not only was the freezer unopenable from the inside when closed  it can only be opened from a latching mechanism on the outside of the freezer  but it was also not active when Buschman was found.

According to the release, the house hasnt been occupied since February 2023, and no utilities have been connected since April 2022.

After conducting interviews with those who know Buschman, police said that he was last seen by people in his house as he was fleeing from the upstairs of his home after hearing that police were near by. Buschman had an active outstanding warrant for his arrest, the release said.

Evidence, the release states, indicates that Buschman entered the freezer on his own accord.

The final autopsy reports will be released in several weeks, police said.
Man found shot in vehicle in Orlando, police say

Orlando police are investigating after they said a man was shot inside a vehicle Monday afternoon.

Police said they responded to the shooting around 4:20 p.m. at 5300 Radebaugh Way.

When officers arrived, they said they found a man in a vehicle with a gunshot wound.

Officers said the circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation.

Read: Woman killed at Orlando apartment complex; suspect fatally shot during arrest in New Jersey

Police said the man is in stable condition.

Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A man has been cited after he was accused of illegally landing his helicopter on a lakeshore in Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, rangers said.

The man landed his helicopter inside the park at Moran Bay on the west shore of Jackson Lake, where rangers found him picnicking with another person on June 24, the national park said in a July 10 Facebook post.

The park said the pilot, a Colorado man, violated Federal Aviation Administration regulations, leading to two misdemeanor charges that carry fines up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

The unauthorized landing of helicopters is prohibited on the lands and waters within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park in order to protect wildlife and other natural resources and to preserve the visitor experience, rangers said.

Four months prior, the pilot was cited for a separate FAA violation, wherein he flew an aircraft below minimum safe altitude in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, according to rangers. He was ordered to pay a $530 fine.

The man is expected to appear in court in August, rangers said.

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Man shoots and kills two people trying to rob him at ATM, Texas police say

Two people were killed during an alleged attempted bank robbery in Texas, police said.

While trying to withdraw money from a drive-thru ATM in San Antonio on July 7, a man was confronted by two individuals, police Chief William McManus said at a press conference posted on Facebook by the police department.

The man believed the individuals were attempting to rob him, so he pulled out a handgun and shot both of them, McManus said. They died in the parking lot near the ATM.

Theres no continuing danger to anyone in the area, McManus said.

All three individuals were believed to be in their 20s, McManus said.

The deceased were later identified by the medical examiner as Mark Brooks III and Terrance Stevens, according to KENS 5.

McManus did not say whether they were armed during the time of the alleged attempted robbery.

McManus said police were in the process of interviewing the man who they said shot the two men, and that the incident is being considered a jugging.

Jugging is a type of theft where perpetrators follow victims to banks or ATMs, according to the Austin Police Department. The victim is then approached, threatened with violence, or assaulted while the suspect demands the money or aggressively takes the cash bag.

The crime happens frequently when cash bags are visible as the victim leaves the bank or ATM, police said.

A spokesperson for the San Antonio Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

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Man slammed online for complaining about $40,000 dowry set by his girlfriends parents

[Source]

A Chinese man from Zhenyuan County in Gansu province was ridiculed online after complaining about the dowry that his girlfriends parents set for him to pay before they could marry.

What happened: The man, identified only by his surname Liu, lodged his complaint with the Zhenyuan County mayor on June 15, in which he urged his local government to take action after his girlfriends parents asked him to pay them 288,000 yuan (approximately $40,000) as a dowry.

"A high bride price": In his complaint, Liu noted that his girlfriends mother claimed the price was the standard dowry paid in their county, which still did not include the required house and a car. He wrote in his complaint that the local bride price is only 120,000 yuan (approximately $16,600).

Since we really like each other, I dont even dare to tell her that my family cannot afford such a high bride price, he added.

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Asking to take action: Liu continued to plead to his local government to take action, even citing this year's No. 1 Central Document, a China Central Committee and State Council guideline released on Feb. 13 meant to fix several issues in China, including exorbitant dowries.

The local government responds: Liu's local government responded to his concerns four days later, reportedly noting that Zhengyuan County has been seeing a downward trend of expensive dowry in recent years.

Meanwhile, one government official reportedly told Guangzhou-based news outlet Nanfang Daily on Tuesday that the dowry in Zhangyuan should not be high and that they will continue to investigate the matter.

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What people are saying: Some people criticized Liu for complaining about the high dowry request, with one Weibo user writing, If you can't afford it, maybe you shouldn't marry her."

By stirring up such a fuss, even if the girl doesnt ask for a bride price in the end, she wont marry you, another user said.

One user, however, was more sympathetic to the man, commenting, A reasonable betrothal gift is acceptable, but this was too much. This needs to be stopped."

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Man sneaks gun into water park and assaults constable, Texas officials say

A man is accused of sneaking a gun into a Texas water park and attacking a deputy, landing both of them in the hospital, according to police.

On the evening of July 8, a man was seen throwing a backpack over the metal detectors at the entrance of Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, in Spring, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office said in a news release.

A deputy with the constables office arrived a short time later and confronted the man, who began to resist and assaulted the deputy, the release said.

After a brief struggle, he was safely detained, the constables office said. Investigation revealed that his backpack contained a firearm.

The deputy and suspect, who the constables office called a career criminal, were taken to a hospital, the office said.

The suspect was booked into the Harris County Jail on charges of felony assault on a police officer and possession of a weapon where prohibited, the release said.

Officials did not comment on the mens injuries but both were released from the hospital by July 9, KTRK reported.

Spring is a suburb of Houston, roughly 25 miles north of the citys downtown.

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Chengdu Worldcon, the 81st World Science Fiction Convention, announced the finalists for the 2023 Hugo Awards, Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and Astounding Award for Best New Writer on social media and through its official website on July 6.



An announcement for the 2023 Hugo Awards. [Photo courtesy of Chengdu Worldcon]

The 2023 Hugo Awards received and counted 1,847 valid nominating ballots from the members of the 2022 and 2023 World Science Fiction Conventions, who selected finalists from a pool of more than 25,000 submitted works and individuals. These ballots consist of 1,843 electronic and four paper submissions from Feb. 28 to May 1. Voting for the final ballot is scheduled to begin on July 10.

The 2023 Chengdu Worldcon, scheduled to take place in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in October, will announce the winners and host the presentation of the 2023 Hugo Awards. These awards primarily recognize works published or appearing in 2022. Individuals who were members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) and attended either the 2022 or 2023 World Science Fiction Conventions before Feb. 1, 2023, are eligible to submit a nominating ballot. Nominees with sufficient nominations will advance to the final ballot for the 2023 Hugo Awards. Although both 2022 and 2023 Worldcon members can participate in the nomination stage, only members of the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon have voting privileges for the final ballot.

Established in 1953, the Hugo Awards are an annual accolade presented by the WSFS during the World Science Fiction Convention. The award is named in honor of Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967). Since its establishment, the Hugo Award has been given each year to recognize the best works of science fiction and fantasy from the previous year as well as notable individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the field.

The Hugo Awards have consistently played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of global science fiction literature. It is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and renowned science fiction awards worldwide. In 2015, Chinese writer Liu Cixin achieved a monumental feat by winning the Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel with his work, "The Three-Body Problem." This victory propelled Liu's fame to unprecedented heights both domestically and internationally. Notably, this marked the first time a Chinese writer had received such a prestigious prize.

According to the WSFS Constitution, the 2023 Hugo Awards Subcommittee has completed the shortlist. Chengdu Worldcon organizers have reported that this year's data shows the largest-ever participation of non-English speaking members in the history of the Hugo Awards. Thanks to the open and inclusive nomination system of the Hugo Awards and the collaborative efforts between Chinese and foreign members of the Hugo Awards Subcommittee, non-English works have gained attention from science fiction fans worldwide for the first time, further promoting the diversification of global science fiction literature.

It is worth noting the presence of several Chinese finalists in various categories of the Hugo Awards. In the Best Short Story category, there are four Chinese finalists: "On the Razor's Edge" by Jiang Bo, "Resurrection" by Ren Qing, "The White Cliff" by Lu Ban, and "Zhurong on Mars" by Regina Kanyu Wang. The Best Novelette category features the Chinese entry "The Space-Time Painter" by Hai Ya. Furthermore, "Chinese Science Fiction, An Oral History, Volume 1" by Yang Feng is nominated for Best Related Work. Yang, the founder and CEO of the Chinese sci-fi brand Eight Light Minutes Culture, has also received a nomination in the Best Editor, Short Form category. Another notable nominee from China is Yao Haijun, a Chinese sci-fi publisher, who is nominated for Best Editor, Long Form. Joining him in this category are fellow Chinese nominees Chen Ruoxi and Yan Huan. In addition to these nominations, Chinese artists Zhao Enzhe, Zhang Jian, Kuri Huang, and Sija Hong will compete for the Best Professional Artist award.

To further enhance its appeal, the Hugo Awards also recognizes outstanding achievements in films and television. In the category of Best Dramatic Presentation Long Form, highly acclaimed blockbusters such as "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," Oscar-winning "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "Nope," the first season of "Severance," and the Pixar animated feature "Turning Red" have all received nominations.

The 2023 Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award, and the Astounding Award will be presented during a formal ceremony at the Chengdu Worldcon on Oct. 21, 2023.

The list of the Hugo Awards finalists:
More than 24 hours have passed since Eric Abril, the man charged in connection with an April hostage standoff that killed one and wounded two, escaped his hospital room in Roseville, prompting a manhunt across east Roseville and Rocklin that continued Monday.

Eric James Abril, 35, had been in custody by Placer County sheriffs officials since April on charges of murder and attempted murder but escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center after being taken there Thursday from the Auburn jail for seizures.

The Placer County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Monday that it has investigated 64 tips since the manhunt began about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

Today, we continue to saturate and focus on the eastern Roseville and Rocklin areas as the most reliable source of evidence points to Rainier Court in Rocklin as the last known location for Abril, the statement said.

In an image released by the Placer County Sheriffs Office, Eric Abril is seen on a doorbell video camera more than a mile from Roseville Sutter Medical Center around 6 a.m. on Sunday. Abril had escaped custody while being hosptalized.

Deputy guarding Abril wasnt asleep

The Sheriffs Office on Monday also addressed questions about the guard who was tasked with watching Abril in the hospital room.

Our preliminary investigation reveals the deputy was not asleep during the incident, deputies said in the statement, which was posted on social media.

An internal investigation has begun to determine what occurred leading up to Abrils escape, and this investigation confirmed, at some point, that Abril was able to defeat his restraints, sheriffs officials said.

Sheriff Wayne Woo was asked about the possibility that the guard had fallen asleep but told The Sacramento Bee in an interview following Sundays media briefing that officials had no information to corroborate that.

There is no evidence of that, Woo said. There is an ongoing investigation and were really focusing on getting (Abril) back into custody.

Im concerned with the fact that this occurred, obviously, Woo added. And well be doing a full investigation when the time is right.

In response to a Bee query about the deputy, Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Angela Musallam said the deputy was assigned to the corrections division and remains on the job: He is still assigned to the corrections division  an internal investigation has been initiated.

The Sheriffs Office said Monday it had begun conducting a thorough review of all corrections policies and procedures regarding inmate transportation and inmate supervision and security when it is necessary for inmates to be transported or housed outside our correctional facilities.

Officials also said they are taking every measure necessary to ensure an escape does not happen again.

A Placer County sheriffs deputy approaches a home on Greenbrae Road in Rocklin on Sunday, July 9, 2023, after a potential sighting of Mahany Park murder suspect Eric James Abril, who escaped earlier in the morning from a Roseville hospital.

Agencies helping in the search

Law enforcement agencies across the Sacramento region were searching for him Sunday. The agencies included: the Placer County Sheriffs Office, Roseville Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriffs Office, Nevada County Sheriffs Office, Grass Valley Police Department, Truckee Police Department, Yolo County Sheriffs Office, Woodland Police Department, Davis Police Department, West Sacramento Police Department and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Placer County sheriffs officials said those agencies actively saturated east Roseville and parts of Rocklin overnight, along with a 24-hour air surveillance provision.

The Placer County Sheriffs Office said the manhunt continues with FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, Nevada County Sheriffs Office, Sacramento Police Department, Elk Grove Police Department, Lincoln Police Department and several other law enforcement agencies.

Our primary focus remains on utilizing every resource available to us to locate and bring Abril back into custody, sheriffs officials said.

Law enforcement asks residents of the area to remain vigilant and review their surveillance footage. Tips can be given to the Sheriffs Office at 916-409-1257 or online at bit.ly/pcso-abril-manhunt-tips to report Abril or other suspicious activity related to the manhunt.

As of Sunday afternoon, authorities were focused on a neighborhood more than a mile north of the hospital in Rocklin. A helicopter circled above and alerted residents of their search for Abril, who was described as a 6-foot, 175-pound white male with brown hair. The area was searched again overnight after heat signatures were located along Secret Ravine, a creek that runs parallel to Interstate 80.
Manhunt underway for escaped survivalist inmate with military training, PA cops say

Photo from the City of Warren Police Department

Photo from the City of Warren Police Department

A manhunt is underway in Pennsylvania for an escaped inmate who is considered armed and dangerous.

Michael Burham, a 34-year-old man charged with kidnapping and robbery, broke out of the Warren County Jail on July 6, according to a news release from state police.

Burham, who is also a suspect in a homicide case, reportedly used bed sheets to descend the jails walls, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News.

He was last seen wearing a denim jacket, orange (striped) jumpsuit and orange Croc style shoes, police said, adding that he may have changed clothes.

Following his escape, a search ensued in Warren but later grew to include surrounding areas.

Among the agencies taking part in the manhunt are the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Marshals Service, which is offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to Burhams capture. Warren County Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward.

Burham is a self taught survivalist with military training and he could be potentially held up in a wooded area, police said, noting that he is thought to be armed and dangerous.

Members of the public are asked not to approach Burham, but to contact Pennsylvania State Police in Warren at 814-728-3600. He has tiger tattoos on his right bicep and left forearm, photos released by police show.

In a July 9 update, police said they discovered several campsites in wooded areas around Warren that may have been used by Burham, according to WNEP.

Burham was previously captured in South Carolina on May 24 following another large, multi-agency manhunt, according to police in Jamestown, New York.

He is considered a suspect in the killing of Kala Hodgkin in Jamestown, police said.

Hodgkin, a 34-year-old mother of three who loved spontaneous adventures, died on May 11, according to an online obituary.

A spokesperson for state police in Warren did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Warren is located in western Pennsylvania, about 100 miles south of Buffalo.

19-year-old rookie officer killed when fleeing suspect rams cop car, Vermont police say

2-year-old drowns after wandering away from nearby football field, Utah police say

Restaurant workers find videos on soccer coachs phone of him raping boys, TN cops say
An escaped inmate accused of killing a hostage in a shootout with police in April was captured Monday standing in his underwear in a creek after a manhunt near Sacramento, according to officials and witnesses.

Eric Abril, 35, was on the run for more than 24 hours after escaping custody from Sutter Roseville Medical Center early Sunday morning after he was able to "defeat his restraints," according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office. Officers with numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies desperately searched Roseville and Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento, throughout the day Sunday and Monday.

He was finally located after Rocklin resident Bill Sanchez spotted Abril's orange jumpsuit lying by the side of the Antelope Creek in Sanchez's backyard, he told The Times. Sanchez had taken his dog out to the yard when he spotted Abril in his underwear crouching in the creek.

"I started shaking as soon as I saw it. Nobody was around, just me and the dog in the backyard," Sanchez said. "I look over the deck and theres the creek that runs all the way through Rocklin and I see an orange jumpsuit laying on the edge."

At around 12:20 p.m., fugitive Eric Abril was located by law enforcement and taken into custody. There will be a press conference held at 2:30 p.m. at the Loomis Substation on 6140 Horseshoe Bar Road. #PCSO #PlacerCounty #fugitive #arrested pic.twitter.com/Ufcmpdtfsh  Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) July 10, 2023

Police arrived quickly and approached Abril with their guns raised.

"They told him, 'Hands in the air or we'll shoot.' There was no running or anything. At that point there were four cops with guns drawn," Sanchez said.

Abril was captured Monday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office confirmed.

This has been a trying couple of days, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said at a Monday news conference announcing the capture. He thanked the community for "their patience and continued support for our organization.

Eric Abril (Placer County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff added some context Monday about what preceded Abril's escape.

He noted that Abril had recently been downgraded from being a "two-officer move" to a "one-officer move," meaning only one officer was needed to transport him from one location to another.

Abril was taken on Saturday night by ambulance to Sutter Roseville Medical Center from jail, Woo said. Abril was able to escape "through a door. He left on foot," Woo added.

Read more: Man serving life for grisly O.C. kidnap-torture scheme is convicted in 2016 jail escape

The deputy who was responsible for Abril chased him out of the building and lost him in the parking lot, Woo said.

The deputy, who has not yet been interviewed as part of the investigation, is still on active duty, Woo said.

"As sheriff of this entire county, I take full responsibility for this incident, quite frankly," Woo said. "This should have never happened."

UPDATE: Fugitive Eric Abril is in custody.  Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) July 10, 2023

Abril was charged with murder in the death of James MacEgan, who was shot and killed as he and his wife were held hostage while their captor exchanged gunfire with California Highway Patrol and Roseville Police Department officers on April 6 at Mahany Park. Abril, 35, was shot and injured during the shootout and was taken into custody.

Abril's escape set the Northern California community on edge as helicopters searched overhead and SWAT teams descended into backyards and swept across open fields.

Read more: Mexican Mafia member who ran county jail rackets is killed in prison

Scott Colvis usually keeps his .45-caliber pistol locked away in his Rocklin home. For the last 24 hours, though, the gun has been sitting on the night table.

That was the case after Colvis and his wife saw Abril on their Ring camera Sunday morning as he strolled shirtless through their frontyard.

Abril was last seen in the video outside the Colvis home before he was caught, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"I'm not a big gun guy, but when that happens I pulled it out," Colvis told The Times. "He killed people. Innocent people. This guy doesnt seem to care about human life."

Colvis and his wife were asleep when Abril walked up to the fence separating their front and back yards. The escaped inmate did not even wake up the couple's German shepherd, Colvis said. It was a beautiful night and Colvis and his wife were sleeping with the back door open, with only a screen keeping unwelcome visitors out, he said.

But Abril did not go into the backyard. Colvis thinks the escapee may have seen the "Beware, German shepherd" sign on the gate.

Read more: Fights, beatings and a birth: Videos smuggled out of L.A. jails reveal violence, neglect

Abril was wearing orange jail pants and no shirt in the surveillance image shared by Colvis.

The manhunt included resources from the Sheriff's Office, the Roseville Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. The FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service also assisted with the manhunt.

The Sheriff's Office said that law enforcement had combed through 64 tips since Abril escaped.

Abril was not shackled.

The escape raised questions about the sheriff's protocols for handling inmates in custody. Numerous media outlets asked the Sheriff's Office whether the deputy supervising Abril had fallen asleep at the time of the escape.

"Our preliminary investigation reveals the deputy was not asleep during the incident," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Cody Krause of Peoria, Ill., was found not guilty after his insanity plea before an Illinois judge in the 2022 murder of his grandmother using a hammer.

PEORIA  An Illinois man was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a stipulated bench trial for first-degree murder on July 6 in the 2022 slaying of his grandmother, according to a press release from State's Attorney Jodi M. Hoos.

Cody A. Krause, 29, was charged with the beating death of his grandmother, Glenda Rusterholz, 73, with a hammer in the living room of her Peoria home on April 14, 2022. She was pronounced dead at 8:23 a.m.

The release states Krause is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.

The judge's verdict is a common outcome and does not mean not guilty in the traditional sense, according to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office. The decision simply means "the defendant lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct" at the time the crime occurred.

Illinois crime: Registered sex offender charged in the death of 10-year-old Rockford girl

What is schizoaffective disorder  bipolar vs. depressive?

Schizoaffective disorder is considered to be a mental health disorder, according to mayoclinic.org. A combination of of schizophrenia symptoms are included with the condition but not limited to:

hallucinations or delusions

mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.

There are two types of schizoaffective disorder, but what is the difference between the two conditions?

Bipolar type: May produce episodes of mania and sometimes includes major depression.

Depressive type: Only major depressive episodes occur.

In the case of Krause, he has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.

The disorder can run a unique course for each individual diagnosed with the condition, according mayoclinic.org. People affected by schizoaffective disorder many need assistance and support with daily functioning.

Treatment is available to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. If left untreated, the ailment could produce loneliness, as well as difficutly maintaining a job, going to school or handling social situations.

Peoria, Ill.: Man killed his grandmother with a hammer at their Peoria County home, prosecutor says

What is a stipulated bench trial?

Stipulated bench trials are commonplace in situations like the Krause case, according to the press release. A bench trial means the judge will make a final decision as opposed to a jury listening to the case and deciding the outcome.

According to americanbar.org, stipulations are merely agreements made between lawyers of the plaintiff and the defendant. They are required to be made on record in open court, or written and signed by the judge.

The release states the defining factor between this type of trial and a regular trial are both parties simply agreeing to the facts instead of calling witnesses.

What led to Cody Krause's arrest in Glenda Rusterholz's death?

860 Kim Moor Road in Peoria.

Police were called to the a home in the 800 block of South Kim Moor Road in Peoria County on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

When they arrived that morning, blood covered the hands and boots of Krause, who was carrying a hammer. The living room was covered in blood splatter with the body of Rusterholz lifeless on the floor, her face and skull completely crushed.

Krause was questioned by the Peoria County Sheriffs Office where he confirmed hitting Rusterholz an unknown number of times with the hammer. He was convinced Rusterholz was an alien and must kill her serpent brain in order to be free, according to the release.

Krause told investigators the voices in his head stopped after his grandmother was dead, adding it would be best if his entire family were deceased.

The Peoria County Coroner revealed there were multiple defensive injuries throughout Rusterholz's upper extremities and that she had suffered multiple severe blunt force trauma injuries consistent with being assaulted by another.

Cody Krause's Illinois sentencing

Krause faced a minimum of 20 years in prison and possibly a life sentence for the first-degree murder charge.

After the "not guilty by reason of insanity" verdict, the judge deemed Krause be detained in a mental health facility rather than be sent to jail. Krause is now receiving treatment and is under the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Chris Sims is a digital producer for the Journal Star. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois man 'not guilty' in grandma's hammer death in Peoria
Manufacturer of Bayraktar attack drones starts building plant in Ukraine  Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries

The Turkish company Baykar has begun building a plant to produce Bayraktar attack drones in Ukraine.

Source: Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Minister for Strategic Industries, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "The plant has actually started to be built, rather than just being a memorandum. This is the huge Bayraktar facility that we agreed on a few years ago; back then, there were interruptions and scandals. The plant is now starting to be built, and we have taken real steps," he said.

Details: On Saturday, 8 July, the Minister of Strategic Industries signed a new memorandum with the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkiye to develop capacities and capabilities for producing various types of UAVs.

Kamyshyn said these are other kinds of production that cannot be discussed at this time.

Background: In June, the Turkish company Baykar received licensing permits from the authorities to produce Bayraktar TB2 and Aknc drones in Ukraine.

Earlier, Baykar established production in Ukraine and acquired a land plot for construction.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Margot Robbie pulled out all the fashion stops at the world premiere of Barbie, where she once again wore a red carpet ensemble inspired by the Mattel doll.

The 33-year-old actor, who stars as the titular Barbie in the upcoming live-action film directed by Greta Gerwig, arrived at the Los Angeles premiere wearing a black sparkling dress that accurately resembled the 1960s Barbies Solo in the Spotlight outfit.

The custom black Schiaparelli Haute Couture dress, which was embellished with sequins, featured a strapless neckline with a layered tulle hem, adorned with a single red rose. Much like the special edition doll, she accessorised the look with black opera gloves and a pink silk mousseline scarf.

Robbies red carpet moment was finished with a pair of black Manolo Blahnik heels, diamond earrings, and a diamond choker necklace from Lorraine Schwartz. For a bit of old Hollywood glamour, she styled her hair in a ponytail with side-swept bangs and a touch of red lipstick.

Her stylist, Andrew Mukamel, has been the mastermind behind Robbies Barbie-inspired press tour fashion. On Instagram, he confirmed the black sequin dress was an homage to the Solo in the Spotlight Barbie doll.

In addition to Robbie, Ryan Gosling also attended the Los Angeles premiere of Barbie. The 42-year-old actor plays Barbies paramour, Ken, in the forthcoming film. For the event, Gosling arrived in a pink Gucci suit. However, it was his chain necklace with the letter E dangling from it  in the same typeface used for the film  that received praise from fans.

Fans immediately noted the initial was in reference to Eva Mendes, with whom Gosling shares two children: Esmerelda, eight, and Amada, seven.

Ryan Gosling rocking not just a sexy little chain but a sexy little chain with a Barbie font E for Eva on it, tweeted one person. How cute wearing a necklace with an E for Eva. He really is making sure his wife feels secure, added another.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Early reactions to the Barbie movie have already rolled in, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Gosling was singled out as a scene-stealing highlight, while Varietys social media editor Katcy Stephan wrote: Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.

Throughout the press tour for the highly-anticipated movie, Margot Robbie has stunned in a number of Barbiecore looks. Just days before the Los Angeles event, she attended the Mexico City premiere in a pink leather Balmain minidress inspired by the Earring Magic Barbie doll from the 90s. In Seoul, Robbie wore two custom Versace looks inspired by the Mattel dolls Day to Night ensemble from 1985. And while promoting the Barbie film at Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach, her black and white striped minidress paid tribute to the first-ever Barbie doll, which was released in 1959.

Barbie premieres in the US and UK on 21 July. The film also stars Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and more.
Margot Robbie mandated pink day on Barbie set and fined crew if they failed dress code

Margot Robbie raised money for charity by mandating pink day on the set of Barbie, and fining her co-stars and crew members if they failed to wear a pink item of clothing.

The Australian actor, 33, stars as the titular Mattel doll in Greta Gerwigs forthcoming comedy co-starring Ryan Gosling as Barbies boyfriend, Ken.

In a new interview with People, Gosling, 42, explained the reasoning behind pink day.

Margot had this pink day once a week, where everyone had to wear something pink. And if you didnt, you were fined, he said. She would go around collecting the fines, and she would donate it to a charity.

What was really special was just how excited the male crew members were. At the end of the film, they all got together and, with their own money, made pink crew shirts with rainbow fringe, Gosling added.

It was this opportunity for them to show their respect and admiration for what Margot and Greta were creating. It was almost like that scene at the end of Dead Poets Society, where they all get on their desk and say, O captain! My captain!

Simu Liu, who plays another version of Ken doll, also revealed that Robbie hosted a sleepover for her fellow Barbie actresses.

Margot was so great. She had a sleepover with the Barbies before photography started, and the Kens were allowed to either visit briefly or to phone in and say hi, he said.

So we made sure to show our support but not be overbearing with our presence. And all the Barbies and Kens got in a group chat, he added.

The pink carpet was rolled out in Los Angeles on Sunday (9 July) for the world premiere of Barbie.

The first reactions from critics were overwhelmingly positive and called for Gosling to get an Oscar for his scene-stealing role.

Warner Bros was last week forced to defend a doodle of a map in the Barbie movie after the film was banned in Vietnam.

One scene in the film includes a map showing what appears to be the nine-dash line.

The line represents Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

According to local Vietnamese outlets, the drawing is deemed an illegal image and has therefore prompted the national ban.

Barbie is due for release in the UK on 21 July.
Controversial former Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory S. VanderSchans/Released)

When one thinks of Marines and conflict, it generally evokes images of battle and a hostile enemy force. One might be surprised to learn that many instances of conflict can arise within the ranks, particularly among staff members of a unit. The Marine Corps premier doctrinal publication (MCDP-1 Warfighting) describes friction as that which makes the inherently easy difficult. The Corps cultural environment produces a certain approach and response to organizational conflict. Listed below, you will find a few perspectives Marines take when anticipating or responding to conflict, though perhaps unsuitable for the faint of heart.

Here is a Marines approach to organizational conflict

If the Colonel is interested, the Captain is fascinated

Whether civilian or military, every organization has a rank structure or hierarchy. A staff or the employees will fare much better if they are attuned to the interests and concerns of the boss. It is a way to anticipate future tasks and mitigate potential disasters while gaining the confidence of the old man. One thing is for sure, a staff that neglects to respond to hints and suggestions from the Commanding Officer will find things will get real uncomfortable, real quick.

"Bad news dont get better with time."

Yes, that may be poor grammar, but it is an enduring maxim. Some people may think the situation will resolve itself, be taken care of at a lower echelon, or simply go away. This is rarely the case. More often than not, the situation continues to balloon out of control. The longer you wait to inform the boss, the less time he or she and the staff have for damage control. There are certain situations that are trigger lines and require an immediate response. One danger of delaying bad news is for your boss to hear about it from their boss or some outside source. As the Guadalcanal veteran said in response to another bonsai charge, That aint good.

Fire the red star cluster

Pyrotechnics are used in battle as part of the signaling plan. Think of it as a single firework. There are various colors, and they are generally fired from a handheld aluminum tube. Once employed, they can be seen by all hands. The signaling plan may be something like a green star cluster to directing shifting the machine gun base of fire, or a red star cluster to initiate the assault elements maneuver. The bottom line is, everyone can see it, its a big deal, and it elicits specific, aggressive action. When a subordinate leader looks at their fellow staff member and says, Fire the red star cluster, it indicates things are bad, and everyone must orient to the problem NOW! It activates and motivates the team while creating a unity of effort.

Pain retains

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil

This simple principle is introduced during boot camp and never goes away. It is all stick, no carrot. Oh, you want to roll your eyes? PUSH! Oh, we cant have everyone in formation at 0730? Tomorrow we will all be here at 0530. The idea is to make the consequences so incredibly miserable that in the future, the individuals (or group) will make every effort not to repeat the infraction. Group punishment (or consequences) results in individuals generating accountability for themselves and their fellow team members. This isnt the most popular method, but it has proven effective since at least 1775.

If the baby is ugly

The incomplete phrase, If the baby is ugly... has the unspoken conclusion that it belongs to someone. The tactless humor here conveys that someone has responsibility or ownership over a situation. Owning the problem, as opposed to passing the buck, is one of the primary indicators of good leadership and an effective organization. In the Marine Corps, an officer is responsible for everything a unit does or fails to do, that means good or bad. This concept applies to leaders of all ranks, at all levels. Dont look for someone or some other unit to blame. Explain but dont excuse. Own it.

Organizational conflict, friction and strife are going to arise. We are only human, after all. Tackling the issues head-on with unhesitating determination is the best method to remedy the drama. The five proven approaches listed above are how Marines handle internal conflict. They will serve you well.
The U.S. Marine Corps does not have a confirmed leader for the first time in 164 years, following Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Bergers relinquish-of-command ceremony held Monday and Bergers private retirement ceremony.

At the relinquish-of-command ceremony at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, D.C., Gen. Eric Smith, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, took over as acting commandant. President Biden had nominated Smith to lead the service in May. Smith is expected to serve as the acting commandant but also stay in his role as assistant commandant  without a second-in-command due to the hold.

The last time the Marines were without a confirmed leader was 1859 following the death of Commandant Archibald Henderson.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is blocking more than 250 fast-tracked military promotions in the Senate over the Pentagon's post-Dobbs abortion policy, established earlier this year. The Pentagons new policy pays for the travel and time off service members must take to receive abortions if the state where they are stationed does not allow the procedure. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have both called Tuberville's hold a national security concern.

Without calling Tuberville out directly, Austin said this hold is becoming a readiness issue and called on the Senate to confirm these military leaders.

"Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history," Austin said in his remarks.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Berger agreed, saying in his remarks, "We need the Senate to do their job so we can have a sitting commandant thats appointed and confirmed."

AIR FORCE CUTS PAY FOR TOUGHEST JOBS, REFUSES TO DISCLOSE DETAILS TO SPOUSES, PUBLIC

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has halted the fast-tracking of more than 250 military promotions in the Senate over the Pentagon's post-Dobbs abortion policy.

Tuberville remains dug in on his stance. "I continue to reiterate my stance and my position over the last, almost, four months now, about my opposition to this policy. Now, the burden is not on me to pass legislation to stop this illegal policy, the burden is on the administration. The burden is on the administration to stop breaking the law," Tuberville said in a statement. "And so let me just say this one more time  because I keep getting asked the same question over and over again. I will keep my hold, I will keep it on, until the Pentagon follows the law or changes the law. Its that simple. Those are the two conditions that would get me to drop the hold. So, until these conditions are met, I object."

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday, "At a time when our nation is facing rising challenges and threats all around the world, from Russia and Ukraine to the growing pacing challenge in China, we need the best of the best in those positions, in the positions that they were nominated for."

Tuberville placed his hold on approving these nominations by unanimous consent this past February. "If Secretary Austin wants to change the law, he should go through Congress," Tuberville told Fox News Digital. Tuberville had a 10-minute phone call with Austin back in March, according to the senators office.

GOP CONGRESSWOMAN RIPS PENTAGON FOR PRIORITIZING 'WOKENESS' OVER COMBATTING SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN MILITARY

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger retired this week.

Since February, senators have attempted 10 different times to approve all pending military nominations by unanimous consent. One option to get around Tubervilles hold: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., could file cloture to cut off debate for each nominee, scheduling one-by-one votes. But with more than 250 promotions already piled up this year and hundreds more expected, it is unrealistic for the Senate to have time to vote on all nominees.

"I remain confident that all Americans can come together to agree on that basic obligation to those who keep us safe. I am also confident that the United States Senate will meet its responsibilities," Austin said Monday, despite the Senate hold.

US AMMUNITION RUNNING 'PERILOUSLY LOW' FROM BIDEN'S EFFORTS TO ARM UKRAINE, MILITARY STRATEGIST WARNS

U.S. Marines march at an event in Boston.

On Tuesday morning, the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing for the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Air Force Gen. Charles Quinton Brown Jr.

The Joint Chiefs chairman is another position that could go unfilled when Milley retires if Tuberville continues the hold.
WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES - JUNE 18: 109 year old survivor of the Tulsa Race massacre Viola Fletcher (L) and Hughes Van Ellis (R) is 102 years old, is a survivor of the Massacre and brother of Mother Viola Fletcher speaks about their memoir in Washington D.C., United States on June 18, 2023.

The victims of the brutal 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their descendants suffered a massive loss in court. On Friday, an Oklahoma judge dismissed a lawsuit brought on behalf of the last three survivors of the massacre seeking reparations for the crimes against them and the lasting harm to their descendants.



Tulsa County District Court Judge Caroline Wall ultimately dismissed the survivors calls for reparations, siding with the defenses argument that the survivors could not prove individualized injury. This despite the fact that the family home of one of the survivors, Lessie E. Benningfield Randle, was looted and destroyed during the massacre.

Read more

For those unfamiliar with the Tulsa Race Massacre, in the summer of 1921, white rioters aided by city and state officials looted and burned the affluent Black community in the Greenwood District of Tulsa. The district, known as Black Wall Street, was leveled. An estimated 800 people were injured and 300 were killed. The story of the Tulsa Massacre had mostly been lost to history. But for the remaining survivors and their families the bloody aftermath of the riots still looms large. Thankfully, there is still a chance for the survivors in this case to have another day in court.

Sara Solfanelli, an attorney representing the victims, told the Washington Post that they planned to appeal. Black Americans, especially Black Tulsans, carry the weight of intergenerational racial trauma day in and day outa weight they cannot relinquish or cavalierly dismiss, Solfanelli said in a statement obtained by the Post. The dismissal of this case is just one more example of how Americas, including Tulsas, legacy is disproportionately and unjustly borne by the Black community.

The victims of the Tulsa Massacre have had some relief. Last year, Ed Mitzen, a New York-based philanthropist donated $1 million to the survivors. However, many argue that true reparations needs to come from the city of Tulsa that allowed the massacre to occur.

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Migratory bird conservation enriches vision of shared future for all

Xinhua) 09:29, July 10, 2023

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- When she spotted the first flock of Beijing swifts hovering above the Beihai Park this year, Zhang Liting was extremely excited to see that her "old friends" had completed their thousand-mile journey.

The 39-year-old volunteer goes to the Beihai Park observation site at least once a week to record populations of Beijing swifts, providing tracking data and helping the birds migrate safely.

The Beijing swift, or the Apus apus pekinensis, is a typical migratory bird. These birds leave Beijing in mid-July to overwinter in South Africa, and return to Beijing in late April the following year.

Bird migration flyways are the stable routes that birds travel along between breeding and wintering sites. Four of the nine major bird migration flyways in the world pass through China.

Harboring rich biodiversity, including more than 1,400 species of birds, China plays an irreplaceable role in global migratory bird conservation. Thanks to the country's continued efforts to preserve biodiversity and conserve green ecosystems, an ever-growing number of people are joining in on migratory bird protection work.

BUILDING BIRD-FRIENDLY CITIES

Beijing is a key point along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), one of the world's great flyways for migratory birds. It is an important stopover site for birds such as grey cranes and black storks, as well as Beijing swifts, on their northbound trips in the spring.

The latest list of Beijing's terrestrial wildlife shows that the city boasts 515 varieties of wild birds, ranking second among all the capital cities of G20 countries.

Amid efforts to ramp up the construction of an ecological civilization in Beijing, the natural environment and various wildlife species are being increasingly integrated into the fast-growing megacity with a population of over 20 million.

As of now, Beijing has established 79 protected nature areas, with the total areas reaching 368,000 hectares, bringing over 90 percent of key state-protected wildlife species and their habitats recorded in the city under effective protection. In 2021, the capital's forest coverage rate was 44.6 percent, and the green coverage rate of its urban areas was 49 percent.

Beijing's appreciation for and awareness of birds has skyrocketed in recent years. Many activities are held in public spaces and schools to promote the importance of protecting birds. Bird-friendly buildings are a common sight, and methods to prevent birds from crashing windows are improving.

"With the restoration of the ecological environment and rising public awareness, people and birds, hopefully, can become the best neighbors living under the same sky," said Jia Yifei, an associate professor at Beijing Forestry University.

REVITALIZING BIRD HABITATS

In late March, a flock of black-faced spoonbills was seen foraging on the shores of east China's Fujian Province.

These birds have black and spoon-like beaks, and are one of the world's most endangered birds. They normally breed between May and July in northern regions and migrate southward to their winter roosting wetlands in October.

"The black-faced spoonbills were once rare to see here, but now they can be spotted every year and the number has remained stable," said Zheng Zhiwu, a birdwatcher who has been spotting birds at Luoyuan Bay in east China's Fujian Province for more than 20 years.

Decades ago, the disorderly expansion of aquaculture farms once posed a great threat to the birds and damaged the ecosystem. To restore their habitat, the local government of Fujian has carried out multiple projects to restore key ecosystems, and transformed many fish-breeding ponds into bird habitats.

The profound change in Luoyuan Bay epitomizes China's ecological restoration efforts.

China in 1992 became a party to the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental agreement dedicated to the conservation and rational use of wetland ecosystems, and the country has since stepped up its conservation efforts while establishing a legal framework to govern wetlands.

During the 2016-2020 period, China undertook 53 wetland protection and restoration projects, and more than 2,000 wetland ecological compensation projects. It also undertook projects to return farmlands to wetlands, as well as wetland protection and restoration subsidy projects.

Over the past decade, China has added or restored more than 800,000 hectares of wetlands, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The growing number of migratory birds seen in China speaks to an improving local natural environment, Zheng said. "Endangered birds have become frequent visitors thanks to the improved natural environment," he added.

PROTECTION TRANSCENDING BORDERS

Flyways usually stretch across thousands of kilometers, spanning countries, oceans and continents. The EAAF, for example, stretches from the Russian Far East and Alaska, southward through East Asia and Southeast Asia, and on to Australia and New Zealand, encompassing over 20 countries and regions.

"Thriving migratory species need support from all countries along the entire flyway, so enhancing international cooperation is a must," said Guan Lei, a project manager at the Beijing Entrepreneur Environmental Protection Foundation.

However, experts warn that the protection of migratory birds and their flyways continues to face threats such as the loss and fragmentation of habitats, insufficient funding, and regional imbalances. "Only by working together to conserve their habitats can we provide more effective protection for the birds," Jia said.

China has always been a strong advocator for strengthened global cooperation. It has signed bilateral agreements on migratory bird conservation with countries such as Japan and Australia, and promotes migratory bird protection through multilateral environment treaties. Last year, China pledged to promote international exchanges and cooperation to protect the four flyways that pass the country.

Making big headway in that direction, China's Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) were inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural site in 2019.

"This inscription not only helps promote global efforts to protect the EAAF, but also injects vitality into the construction of a community for all life on Earth," Guan said.

Zhang Liting said she was gratified to see her 13-year-old daughter become a loyal bird guardian. "I believe Beijing swifts will make beautiful memories for future generations too," she said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A larger fleet of driverless taxis will soon be available for hire in the capital city as the Office of the Beijing High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone has decided to launch the commercial operation of autonomous vehicles and expand their serviceable area.

On Friday, authorities in Beijing made a policy decision to allow eligible companies to operate driverless taxis without safety supervisors on board and charge passengers for the rides, marking a definite step in commercialization of intelligent transportation.

Self-driving taxis were rolled out on a trial basis in the capital in March following a series of road tests, which were conducted with safety supervisors on board.

Chinese tech giant Baidu and autonomous mobility startup Pony.ai won permits back then to operate driverless taxis through their ride-hailing apps within a 60-square-kilometer area in Yizhuang, located in the southern suburbs of Beijing. The trial rides were free for passengers.

Now, the Office of the Beijing High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone plans to allow commercial operation of the driverless taxis in an area of 500 sq km. Interested companies are required to apply for commercial operation permits.

According to the office, 116 self-driving taxis have been operating in Beijing on a trial basis for the past four months. They have completed over 1.5 million test trips, and the total length of the trips reached nearly 2 million km. More than 95% of passenger ratings have been favorable.

All the preliminary tests and free trials have laid a solid foundation for the commercial launch of unmanned vehicles and provided a wealth of experience in unmanned demonstration applications, said Xu Hongwei, executive deputy director of the office.

During the commercial run of driverless taxis, more attention will be paid to the assessment of service capabilities of autonomous mobility companies, with the focus being on reviewing three risk aspects  passenger safety, traffic conditions and autonomous driving functions, he said.

At the same time, tailored daily supervision and emergency plans will be formulated for the unmanned commercial fleet to ensure that these vehicles run smoothly and safely on roads, he added.

Dai Wanli, a 35-year-old Beijing resident, said she and her family took a ride in a driverless taxi in May at Shougang Park, one of the venues for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

"We booked a ride using a mobile phone app and followed instructions to the closest stop to board a self-driving taxi. We scanned the code, the door opened on its own and we hopped in," Dai said, pointing out that it was a very smooth ride, unlike some manned taxis.

"My son absolutely loved the ride. We've seen other special projects in the industrial park, but this one is by far the most impressive," she said, adding that they planned to book another ride soon.

Last month, Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said at a news conference that China has opened up a road network of more than 15,000 km to test intelligent vehicles, including taxis and buses, involving multiple self-driving scenarios such as autonomous valet parking and unmanned delivery.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wrote a Washington Post op-ed Monday pushing back on Democrats recent attacks on the Supreme Court, calling them a fundamental misunderstanding of the court.

The op-ed follows Senate Democrats announcement that they will attempt to push a Supreme Court ethics bill in the coming days in the wake of ethics controversies surrounding multiple justices and a series of landmark rulings.

McConnell, who has made confirming conservative judges a hallmark of his tenure, discussed at length the justices voting patterns this term while insisting that the courts defining characteristic was a politically unpredictable center.

These escalating attacks from the left betray a fundamental misunderstanding of the courts structure and purpose, McConnell wrote. It is an ideologically unpredictable body that takes cases as they come and produces diverse outcomes. Recent rulings put that reality in stark relief.

The high court handed down several considerable conservative legal victories this term along 6-3 ideological lines, including blocking President Bidens student debt relief plan, ending affirmative action in college admissions and siding with a Christian web designer who refused to make same-sex wedding websites.

But the courts conservative supermajority also split at times on major cases.

McConnell noted the Supreme Courts recent ruling striking down Alabamas Republican-drawn congressional map as well as lower-profile unanimous and near-unanimous decisions.

The Senate GOP leader noted that of the Supreme Courts granted cases this term, roughly 45 percent were unanimous and less than 10 percent fell along ideological lines.

The courts critics note that those statistics do not account for the thousands of appeals the justices decline to hear each year without publicly indicating their votes.

Some MAGA Supreme Court, McConnell wrote, referencing a tweet from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticizing the court when it ruled against the Biden administration in a major environmental case.

In a Dear Colleague letter circulated publicly Sunday, Schumer similarly called the court MAGA-captured as he referenced ProPublicas recent reporting into undisclosed luxury trips accepted by conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Schumer pledged that Senate Democrats will consider all means at their disposal to pressure the court to take steps to reform its ethical practices, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has vowed to mark up an ethics bill in the next few weeks.

McConnells op-ed only vaguely referenced the ethics push and did not specifically mention recent questions surrounding the justices. However, the Kentucky Republican has previously expressed confidence in the court, including Thomas, amid rising pressure from the left.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are trying to tell a coequal branch of government how to manage its internal operations, ostensibly to clean up its ethics, McConnell wrote.

McConnell also noted how after the affirmative action decision Biden proclaimed, this is not a normal court.

On that count, he is correct  it is, as Article III of the Constitution put it, supreme,' McConnell wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
McEwan fire in Shelton now 70% contained, cause still under investigation

The McEwan Fire near Shelton has been burning for nearly a week now, taking 244 acres of industrial timberland and private property with it. But officials said Monday morning that the fire was 70% contained.

The cause of the fire, which began on the Fourth of July, is still under investigation, and the Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management team will be handing the case over to a state Department of Natural Resources team this week, according to Monday update from the management team.

Evacuation levels were reduced at 9 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from Central Mason Fire & EMS. All areas that have been under evacuation orders are now at Level 1: Evergreen Drive, Oak Park, Rainbow Lake Neighborhood, Little Bear Lane, McEwan Drive, Johns Prairie Road from Batstone Cutoff to Highway 3 and the Hiawatha Neighborhood.

Level 1 means people should be ready to evacuate if necessary.

McEwan Prairie Road opened at 9 a.m. Monday as well.

The number of people working to contain the fire was at 178 on Monday.
The News

A couple dozen Atlanta-area residents will be selected Tuesday to be part of a grand jury that will likely consider whether to indict former president Donald Trump on criminal charges for trying to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia.

As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, Tuesday marks the start of a new grand jury term in Fulton County, where District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his allies broke the law following the 2020 election. Willis outlined in a letter in May that she might seek grand jury indictments in the case in early- to mid-August.

Heres what you need to know about the case, and analysis on what a possible case against Trump could look into.

Insights

The grand jury that will be empaneled Tuesday is different from the special grand jury" that met for eight months and subpoenaed dozens of witnesses to testify about the effort to overturn the election, including Trumps call for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find the 11,780 votes needed to beat Joe Biden. The special grand jury issued a report to prosecutors that recommended multiple people be criminally indicted.

On top of the Georgia probe, Trump is also the subject of a federal investigation related to the 2020 election. Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith is looking into whether there was provable criminal intent behind the push to subvert the election, and the investigation is becoming a wide-ranging probe into the plots, CBSs Robert Costa reported. The intent question is a factor in the Georgia case as well, Georgia State Universitys Anthony Michael Kreis noted.
Atkinson, co-founder and co-director of Forward Justice, is fighting to give currently and formerly incarcerated people a second chance. He is the winner of the inaugural theGrio Heroes as voted by our readers.

In 1999, Daryl Atkinson walked out of the St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville, Ala., and stepped into his purpose. His mission for nearly two decades? To help the currently and formerly incarcerated start over and provide a brighter future.

I left hundreds of brilliant men behind after my incarceration, and the only thing that separated me from them was access to opportunity, said Atkinson, 52, who spent over three years in prison for a nonviolent drug crime  his first-time offense. Ive devoted my career to trying to create those various access points to the same opportunities.

(Photo courtesy of Daryl Atkinson; graphic by theGrio)

The attorney and community activist, now living in North Carolina, has fought to provide the most marginalized with second chances, reducing recidivism, securing rights and restoring the overall humanity of those leaving prison. In 2016, he co-founded and currently co-directs Forward Justice, a nonprofit that works toward achieving racial, economic and social justice for those currently and formerly incarcerated.

Working in partnership with like-minded organizations in the South, Atkinson and Forward Justice have led movements building litigation and advanced public policies addressing the rights of those with criminal records. That includes the 2020 passage of the Second Chance Act, a landmark North Carolina law that makes the expungement process easier to give formerly incarcerated people equal access to opportunities for housing, education and employment.

Over the last four years, he served as lead attorney in a monumental case in the state seeking to reinstate voting rights for more than 55,000 North Carolinians previously convicted of felonies. Were fighting to achieve a third reconstruction in this country, Atkinson said.

This mission spoke to theGrio readers, who voted Daryl Atkinson as our inaugural theGrio Hero. We created this initiative to recognize everyday Black Americans, the unsung heroes who are dedicated to improving the Black community and uplifting the culture. In the first year, Atkinson was among a strong contingent of finalists.

I dont think of myself as special or exceptional, he said.

Atkinson credited two jailhouse lawyers with offering him an alternative and purpose-driven vision for his life while in prison, and his family with helping him to get his footing upon his release. Thats even though he was assessed a $50,000 fine when he was released, which he just finished paying off last year. He was also denied federal financial aid for college, his drivers license was suspended and he lost his voting rights in his home state of Alabama  all of which served as barriers to rebuilding.

But I didnt have those pressures of finding food, shelter and clothing  those Maslowian needs to survive, he said. As a result, I could think and could work out a plan for his future. Thats essential for peoples success returning home.

In 2004, Atkinson earned his bachelors from Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., and he went on to receive his law degree in 2007 from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. In 2015, he was tapped to be the first-ever Second Chance Fellow for the Department of Justice during the Obama administration, a position that allowed him the opportunity to help create an experimental site reinstating the Pell Grant for incarcerated people.

Hes a founding member of the North Carolina Second Chance Alliance, a collaborative of people who support the reintegration of adults and juveniles after incarceration. And hes on the board of directors for the Clean Slate Initiative.

During the pandemic, Atkinson joined forces with a legal team to sue the governor and department of public safety for violating the constitutional rights of the thousands in state prisons and jails whore most vulnerable to the spread of the virus. The suit asserted that the state had a legal obligation to protect incarcerated people, prison staff and surrounding communities from a potential large-scale outbreak. The historic settlement resulted in the early release of over 3,500 people most vulnerable to the virus.

For Atkinson, all of these deeds come from tapping into deep family roots of community activism. He noted how his maternal grandparents spearheaded a community group that supported Charles Gomillion, a Tuskegee University professor who fought and won a 1960 lawsuit outlawing racially motivated gerrymandering in Tuskegee.

Resistance is in my DNA, Atkinson said. My path got diverted but all of that has been re-emerged.

Monee Fields-White is an award-winning writer and journalist based in Los Angeles. She has produced a broad spectrum of stories on a national and global scale for leading publications and nonprofit organizations in the four largest marketsWashington, D.C., New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. She can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Meet Daryl Atkinson, theGrio Hero for 2023! appeared first on TheGrio.
GRAND RAPIDS  Investigators say three out-of-state men conspired to steal $40,000 from West Michigan grandmothers who thought their grandchildren were in jail.

The grandchildren were never arrested  but the three men were.

The scam targeting grandparents isnt new. Victims get a call from someone claiming to be their grandchild saying theyre behind bars and need money for bail. Often, the scammers tell the victims to send the money via wire transfer or gift cards. But, in this case, investigators say the suspects showed up to get the cash.

This isnt the first time. Its out there and its happening, and its something everybody needs to be aware of, said Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker.

Youve got to be careful anywhere. Whether its on the phone, on the computer, somebody showing up at your door, you have to be careful and know for sure what youre doing.

One grandmother, 78, who asked not to be identified, said seniors need to know anyone could fall victim, even those who're certain theyd know better.

She says she's a perfect example.

Its unbelievable that somebody could do that to me, the woman told WOOD TV-8. (Victims) are normal people. Normal people who live normal lives and have an education.

She said she received a phone call around 9 a.m. June 27 from a woman who sounded exactly like her granddaughter.

Hi, Grandma. Im in a bit of a pickle,' she recalled the woman on the phone saying. She got into this accident on the way to work. She slammed into the back of a lady and the lady got out and she was hugely pregnant, and the lady had already called the cops cause she was mad she got slammed into the back of.

A bag full of money confiscated from suspect linked to a scam targeting grandparents.

The caller and a man on the line posing as a lawyer told the woman her granddaughter was in the Kent County Jail on a reckless endangerment charge.

And to get her out, they need a large amount of money, the grandmother said. Never in this two hours did (the fake lawyer) go more than eight minutes before getting me on the phone. Thats what it is. Its two hours of him being on the phone.

When the grandmother checked out the name the man gave her, she found a lawyer with a very similar name.

She called her granddaughters phone. No answer.

Her granddaughter could post bail, the stranger on the phone said, but the bondsmen wanted cash. The grandmother went to the bank to get it. The scammer said the teller would question a large withdrawal and gave her a suggestion for a lie to tell  she was going on a trip.

I thought, No, I can do better than that, the woman said. You know, Im thinking like him now.

She told the bank she wanted the money to buy a used car.

(He'd) got it in my head that if anybody else did anything with this information, then we wouldnt be able to help my granddaughter, the grandmother said of the fake lawyer. Im already in that mindset: Its just him and I and (my) granddaughter against the world.

The fake lawyer told the grandmother a courier would come get the cash. She gave the man her credit card information to pay the courier company, which he said was based in Holland. Sure enough, the courier showed up at her house within two hours of the 9 a.m. call. He looked like a nice kid, she recalled.

I give him my bank bag full of money and he leaves, she said.

It was thousands of dollars. She was still on the phone with the man pretending to be the lawyer. As soon as she hung up, she realized what happened.

Within two minutes, I know Ive been scammed. Its like the fog lifted, she said. She called immediately to cancel the credit card.

Her actual granddaughter called her at 11:30 a.m. She was fine. Shed been at work.

Darn it. Its like, 'No, Im smart. Im doing my due diligence,'" the grandmother said. "Theyre smarter. No matter how smart you think you are, theyre smarter."

She's among three women in metro Grand Rapids investigators say fell victim to the scam.

A multicounty investigation, aided by good timing and a little luck, led to the arrests. Kent County deputies took the womens reports and soon learned departments in Ottawa County and Ionia County were looking into similar reports.

Ionia County deputies pulled over two of the suspects, 22-year-old Pablo Balbuena and 23-year-old Anthony Rosario, both of Hollywood, Florida, on June 27.

Anthony said he knew they were scamming people when he left Florida, a document written by an investigator filed with the court said. Pablo said he had been hired by an unknown person to pick up packages of money. He was called by an unknown number and given (addresses) to go to. Pablo admitted to picking up money at three houses.

The third suspect, 26-year-old Matthew Luis Ramos-Soto of Wilmington, North Carolina, was pulled over in Ottawa County. In his car, deputies said, was a duffel bag that contained Balbuenas passport and $18,000 in cash.

Ramos-Soto, one deputy wrote, didnt tell investigators anything.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Men accused of scamming West Michigan grandmothers out of $40,000
David Beckham, donning a black and pink Inter Miami ball cap, sat in a bucket lift high above Wynwood over the weekend watching in admiration as Argentine artist Maxi Bagnasco put the finishing touches on his massive Lionel Messi mural, one of several that have popped up in the area as South Florida awaits the arrival this week of the soccer icon.

Messi, the reigning Argentine World Cup champion and arguably the greatest player of all time, is heading to Inter Miami early this week after a Caribbean vacation with his family. He is scheduled to be formally introduced at an Unveil ceremony Sunday at DRV PNK Stadium along with his former FC Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, who is also joining Inter Miami.

Details on how fans can attend the ceremony will be announced by Tuesday.

The third new marquee player, former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba, is a maybe for the event as his wife is expecting their third child any day. The welcome week for the trio began Monday as newly hired coach Tata Martino, a native of Messis hometown of Rosario, conducted his first practice.

South Florida soccer fans are buzzing, nobody more than legendary announcer Ray Hudson, the former Fort Lauderdale Striker known for his masterful turns of phrase and world-famous Magisterial! calls on Messi goals over the years. Hudson played for the Strikers in the 1970s and 1980s, and went on to coach the Miami Fusion, South Floridas first MLS team, which played at Lockhart Stadium, on the same parcel of land where Messi, Busquets and Alba will play at DRV PNK.

I have never been at a loss for words, but Ive looked through my English lexicon and I cannot find a word that truly encompasses this whole dream come true other than surreal, Hudson said. Its Hollywood stuff nobody would believe. Ted Lassos got nothing on this. Somehow the Mas brothers and Beckham pulled this kangaroo out of their magic hats and absolutely staggered the world of sports. It was on headline news in Iceland. In New Zealand. In Outer Mongolia. Messi to Inter Miami at the apex of his career.

How big is it?

Its like Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Beethoven have arrived in a museum and said `Wed like to play together. You want to hang our works in your museum? Hudson said. And then the ownerships clear vision that they need a world class coach, and they get that, as well. Tata Martinos a tremendous coach who had phenomenal success in Atlanta. He really knows the league, had an amazing career, and `Oh, yeah, by the way, he was born in the same city as Leo Messi. The words just cant describe this mosaic of absolute bewilderment of how theyve all come together for this go around with these players of such supreme technique and speed of thought.

Martino, who coached Messi, Busquets and Alba at FC Barcelona and coached Messi with the Argentine national team, takes over a team in last place in the Eastern Conference with the second-worst record in the league (5-13-3) with 13 games remaining in the regular season. He will coach Miami for the first time on the road Saturday against St. Louis City SC. Messi and friends are expected to debut July 21 in the Leagues Cup opener against Mexican team Cruz Azul.

Inter Miami is coming off a 2-2 tie against D.C. United, the teams third tie in a row. Both Miami goals were scored by local teenagers, products of the clubs youth academy  18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi of Key Biscayne and 19-year-old Noah Allen of Pembroke Pines. Five teenagers and one 20-year-old were on the field for Miami Saturday night filling in for a roster depleted by injuries and national team Gold Cup appearances.

Martino watched from the stands as interim coach Javi Morales led the squad against D.C.

One of the positives I saw was the great performance of the youngsters and the commitment they showed, the way they are handling this responsibility that is coming earlier than expected, Martino said. Those young players are in a situation they probably never imagined at the start of the season. That is very interesting, and we can only imagine what this team will look like in another month.

The coach deflected questions about how he plans to blend Messi, Busquets and Alba into the squad, saying he is uncomfortable answering that question until they are officially signed and in camp. He last spoke to Messi in Rosario in late-June.

Hudson reminds fans that Martino should not be expected to perform miracles.

Its not going to be easy for Tata to integrate them into the team, this is going to take time, Hudson said. We will not see it this season, I can almost guarantee you. Youll see improvement, youll see the promise of magic coming through before your eyes, between the three of them magical connected football, just like they did in Barcelona, embroidered by silk thread of skillful beauty.

They were like three dolphins chattering to each other in their own language. Nobody understood it. And theyre still more than capable of playing world class football. But can Tata create the right mix around them and improve his team to be the setting for these spectacular diamonds?

When you look at the supporting cast, these guys are going to be challenged like never before. Theyll be under scrutiny of the world to live up to the expectations of supporting World Cup winners and Euro winners. Its nothing less than footballing royalty that are coming. These jet pilots are going to be playing with kids on bikes. Its going to take time, but Tata knows what it takes. He knows this isnt all sun and rainbows here, even with Messi and Busquets and Alba.

Ian Fray, the 20-year-old Coconut Creek native who started the past few games, said it has been a seamless transition from previous coach Phil Neville to Morales to Martino. He is eager to welcome his new world-class teammates and feels the young players are ready.

It feels really natural, Fray said. Really classy guy, and I cant wait to get started. Everyone knows theyre great players coming, everyones excited. I have imagined (being on the field with them) and its hard to picture. Its going to be amazing. Weve shown fight. Were from here, Miami, Broward, Coconut Creek, and well fight for our team. Its how we were raised.

Inter Miami defender Ian Fray (24) speaks during a press conference at the Florida Blue Training Center on Monday, July 10, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

As for Hudson, he also is having a hard time imagining the soon-to-be Inter Miami roster.

This million mega-watt arc lamp thats going to illuminate this area, we are all so lucky in South Florida, Hudson said. Shakespeare called it outrageous fortune. Its a bizarro world, but for us in South Florida, its a dreamland. Can you imagine Leo stopping in at that Dunkin Donuts on Commercial Boulevard with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets behind him before they get on I-95 and hop back down to Miami? (laughing).

Ill just be sitting outside on the Adirondack chair listening to the crowd on game nights. I can hear the crowds, thats how close I live to the stadium. So, that would be pretty cool in itself, a surreal moment, drinking my beer with Zara the cat on my lap, and thinking in my minds eye that Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are playing there under Tata Martino and the cat is just going to shake her head and look at me and say Meow.
More than 10 million people signed up to Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said July 6. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, Meta launched its latest social media venture, a Twitter alternative called Threads.

New accounts can easily migrate their data from Instagram, so Threads has a built-in user base.

The microblogging site is the latest Meta-branded alternative to similar social apps.

For social media start-ups, attracting an audience is crucial to scaling a new product  but it can be near impossible to lure loyal users away from other platforms. Meta's Threads doesn't have that problem.

Launched July 5, the new microblogging site, touted as a brand-friendly alternative to Twitter, is leveraging Meta's existing reach to attract users from other platforms it owns.

New Threads accounts can easily migrate their information from Instagram, sharing their account data and username between the platforms. The ease of use drove more than 10 million people to sign up for the new site within the first hours of its launch, CBS News reported Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

Representatives for Meta did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Threads answers the big question that social start-ups like BlueSky and Mastodon have to ask themselves, Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of Reddit, said in a video posted to Threads on Friday: "Why should a creator who has this sunk cost of all the time spent creating all this following all this content on one platform move to another one? For these new ones there's a serious cold start problem."

Representatives for Ohanian did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The 'cold start' problem

For new social media companies, reaching a "critical mass" of new users can be a challenge, Ohanian said, because without a wide enough audience, creators  who themselves draw in new eyes  are unlikely to sign up in the first place.

"If there's no audience, it's hard to get the creators  a chicken-egg problem," Ohanian said. "Now, Instagram has the audience and has the creators. Overnight, it was able to onboard a bunch of people who have an incentive to now create content on Threads because they have a following on Instagram, and some portion of those followers is going to come over to this other platform; they're gonna see the notifications, they're gonna want to try it out."

The Boston Herald reported Threads racked up over 70 million users within two days of its launch.

"The reasons for its quick adoption are easy to see," Sarah Oh, a former human rights advisor at Twitter and co-founder of the fledgling Twitter alternative, T2, said in a statement emailed to Insider. "Meta has leveraged Instagram's gigantic user base and made it easy to connect the accounts they already follow. And of course, they're taking advantage of widespread disillusionment with Twitter."

She added: "However, it remains to be seen whether it will stick. Will it serve any new purposes for users - other than another place to hear from accounts they already follow on IG? With the algorithm boosting posts from larger accounts over those from friends, we've heard Threads referred to as 'the echo chamber for the ultra-followed.'"

T2, which now has over 10,000 regular users, began admitting users from its waitlist in December and continues to stagger their entry to prevent overloading their community base with new users. Oh said T2 doesn't "believe that the 'big bang' launch is an effective way to start healthy online communities."

The Threads platform, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said in a Threads conversation with The Verge's Alex Heath, is "not going to do anything to encourage" politics and "hard news"  the bread and butter of conversation on Twitter. Instead of focusing on replacing Twitter, he said, it will be a brand-safe place for users "that are interested in a less angry place for conversations."

"It's a bold move by Zuck exploiting the weakness of Elon in this moment," Ohanian said in his video, adding that he thinks "it can work" to push the bird app to the side.

A Meta monopoly?

Critics have pointed to the extremely large amounts of data that Threads collects and a current bug that prevents users from deleting their Threads accounts without deleting their entire Instagram as reasons to avoid creating an account just yet but the criticism hasn't been enough to slow its widespread adoption.

Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School's Cyberlaw Clinic, told Insider the speed of Threads' astronomical rise is partly due to Zuckerberg's polished habit of making Meta-branded versions of popular social media sites.

"When Facebook bought Instagram, Facebook called it 'Instagram by Facebook.' They have this pattern now of either launching or creating spin-off social media networks based on what's most popular at the time, then do it under their brand," Caraballo said. "They have Facebook, Instagram, TikTok's competitor Reels, Threads, and WhatsApp  and, you know, it just it's kind of a nightmare scenario where you end up with a complete monopoly under one company."

Threads is so similar to Twitter that Elon Musk is threatening legal action over the site, Insider previously reported, claiming in a cease-and-desist letter that Meta hired ex-Twitter staff to help create the "copycat" app  something Meta denies.

At some point, given the collapse of alternative social media sites and new sites' struggles to gain popularity with wide audiences, Caraballo said, she believes the Federal Trade Commission may have to step in and force Meta to divest or force it to sell off WhatsApp or Threads because of the social media giant's vice-like grip on American social networks.

"It just is so dystopian to have one single person basically who oversees the entirety of all social media, at least in the Western world," Caraballo told Insider. "It is deeply distressing, and I don't think that's healthy for any society to have."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- One of the frontrunners to be Mexicos next president, Marcelo Ebrard, proposed the use of facial recognition technology to combat crime in the first concrete policy proposal since the ruling partys primary process started last month.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Ebrard, a former Foreign Affairs Minister, is seeking the nomination of the ruling Morena party of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ahead of elections in June 2024. The race has heated up as candidates have begun touring while still hewing close to the platform of the popular president, before the party is expected to announce its pick in September.

Security cameras linked to databases of faces have been used by governments including Chinas, but the European Union and some US states have studied restrictions over privacy fears. Crime is among the top issues concerning Mexican voters, as fighting between organized crime groups has made the country more violent than Colombia in recent years.

We have to take responsibility for the fact that today the main preoccupation of our people is insecurity, which does not allow us to enjoy our country as we would like, Ebrard said at a campaign event Monday. We should have a plan Ive designed based on the trips I have taken around the world. Ive been in the most important countries in the world.

Read More: Mexico Poll Sees AMLOs Main Succession Candidates Tied

Ebrard also called for weapons tracking to bring violent crime back under control. He didnt address whether he had suggested these proposals to the president while he was a cabinet member.

Polls show Ebrard neck-and-neck with former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum in voters preferences. Lopez Obrador enjoys strong support, but is barred from seeking re-election by Mexicos constitution. Morena will hold its own polling process, which it has not yet explained in detail, to determine its candidate.

Read More: Why Facial Recognition Makes Even Tech Companies Fret: QuickTake

The unofficial campaign season kicked off in June as politicians competing to be on the ballot for the Morena party started traveling to meet voters in anticipation of the partys selection. Lopez Obrador, who still has 58% approval rating according to El Financiero, is expected to have some sway over the outcome of the process.

What hes doing is trying to put himself at the vanguard, trying to be the first, because he needs people to be talking about him and for the other candidates to be responding, Lisa Sanchez, director of the non-profit Mexico United Against Crime, said about Ebrard. Its a good public relations strategy, but its not a serious proposal on security.

Mexicos homicide rate has fallen slightly since Lopez Obrador took office in 2018, though remains near record highs, according to data complied by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Read More: AMLOs Party Kicks Off Succession Fight in Run-Up to 2024 Vote

(Update with mention of crime in first paragraph, timeline in second, AMLO approval in seventh, and analyst comment in eighth.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Peso Plumas performance at Golden One Center was the only place to be for many Latinos on Sunday night.

The love for the Mexican music star runs deep, and the arena was packed with Sacramentans of all ages waiting to witness the Doble P Tour. The tour highlights his third studio album Genesis, which was released last month with the hit song Lady Gaga.

Peso Pluma, 24, is currently at the forefront of the Mexican music scene, with 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Riding high off those strings of hits, he played to a crowd of more than 15,000. His set list included fan favorites Ella Baila Sola and PRC.

Mexican singer Peso Pluma holds a bouquet of balloons on Sunday, July 9, 2023, as he performs at Golden 1 Center as part of his 31-city Doble P Tour. Peso Pluma became the first Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Spotify Global Top Songs chart. This year, eight of his songs have landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Around 6 p.m., crowds began to line up around Golden One Center. Many were dressed for the occasion wearing boots, tejanas (cowboy hats) and Peso Pluma fan attire.

Others paid homage to the artist with Spider-Man apparel or accessories. Spiders are the symbol of Genesis, and he is known for wearing a chain of the superhero. The spider motif was present in the background of Sundays performance.

His fans were wide-ranging in age, with an abundance of families and children. During Peso Plumas performance, some children sat on their parents shoulders and others sang enthusiastically while copying the artists iconic dance.

Mexican singer Peso Pluma on Sunday, July 9, 2023 performs at Golden 1 Center as part of his 31-city Doble P Tour. Peso Pluma became the first Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Spotify Global Top Songs chart. This year, eight of his songs have landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Cecilia Ruiz attended the show with her husband and three children, who ranged from teenagers to young adults. Her youngest son carried a Spider-Man mask, and her daughter had a silver necklace of the superhero.

As she waited in line, Ruiz was seen with the Nicaraguan flag draped around her shoulders. She said the whole family loves Peso Plumas music, and appreciates his welcoming of the entire Latino community.

Peso Pluma is for all Latinos, said Ruiz. He represents all of them.

Nearby, 17-year-old Jose Franco was preparing to see Peso Pluma for the second time. He saw the artist two months earlier in Fresno alongside his parents.

Franco said his parents discovered the Mexican artist about a year ago, and now are listening to his music anytime they drive.

Hes bringing a whole new meaning to Mexican music, Franco said.

On Sunday, Franco made the drive from the Bay Area with his girlfriend Natalia Garcia. The couple both have family roots in Mexico and expressed pride that Peso Pluma is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.

Hes iconic now, Garcia said. Now, you can go to the barbershop and theres people asking for the Peso Pluma haircut.
Andrew Walters has been the best closer n the country for the last few years and now the Miami Hurricanes star pitcher is headed to MLB.

The Cleveland Guardians took the right-handed pitcher with the top pick in Competitive Balance Round B  No. 62 overall  of the 2023 MLB draft Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, giving Miami a pair of first-day MLB draft picks.

Star third baseman Yohandy Morales went 22 spots earlier to the Nationals at No. 40 after surprisingly falling out of the first round.

Walters was an 18th-round pick last year by the Orioles, but turned down an offer to return to Coral Gables and try to boost his draft stock. Now, the 22-year-old will almost certainly sign with the Guardians to begin his professional career after jumping all the way into the top 75.

The 6-foot-4, 222-pound righty was virtually unhittable throughout his three seasons as a Hurricane, especially when coming out of the bullpen. In 102 innings, Walters gave up just 61 hits and 14 earned runs for a 1.25 ERA.

Last year, he logged 44 2/3 innings, allowed only 29 hits, struck out 72 and walked just seven, and put up a 1.21 ERA.

Walters, who played in high school at Palm Bay Bayside, is one of the most unlikely draft prospects on Miamis roster. He was unrecruited out of high school and started out at junior college at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. He got a scholarship offer from the Hurricanes after just one season and immediately became one of the best relievers in the Atlantic Coast Conference once he got down to South Florida.

Miami briefly toyed with the idea of using Walters as a starting pitcher  he made one start in his career  before ultimately sticking with him as a relief pitcher throughout his entire career.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development.

In his letter, Xi said transformation of the world unseen in a century is unfolding at a faster pace, the world economy is struggling to recover and the global development agenda is facing challenges.

"To build consensus on cooperation and promote common development, I have put forward the Global Development Initiative in order to help accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and I am pleased to see that with the joint participation of all parties, cooperation on the Global Development Initiative has yielded important early results and benefited many developing countries," Xi said.

He emphasized that development is the eternal theme of human society, and shared development is an important path to building a better world. As the largest developing country, China has always placed its own development within the larger context of human development and created new opportunities for the development of the world through its own development, Xi said.

China will further increase its resource input for global development cooperation, work with the international community to further advance the Global Development Initiative, and make new contributions to the realization of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, the Chinese president said.

The first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, hosted by the China International Development Cooperation Agency, kicked off in Beijing on Monday with the theme "Global Development Initiative: Echo the Development Agenda and Call for Global Action."
Miami Hurricanes land 2 players in top 65 of MLB draft for only the 2nd time since 2008

Yohandy Morales fell further than most expected on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB draft.

Andrew Walters surprisingly jumped way up into the back end of the first day Sunday.

The opening day of the MLB draft was a mixed bag for the Miami Hurricanes, but ultimately another successful one for one of the most storied programs in the country.

Morales is headed to the Washington Nationals after getting picked with the top selection of Round 2. Walters is going to the Cleveland Guardians after he was the top choice in Competitive Balance Round B.

Morales was the No. 40 pick and Walters was the No. 62 selection. Its the first time since the 2020 MLB draft Miami had multiple players picked in the top 75 and only the second time since the 2008 MLB draft.

For Morales, it was a bit of a tumble. Most mock drafts pegged the star third baseman as a clear-cut first-round pick  he was the No. 20 prospect in the draft, according to MLB.com  and yet he slid all the way out of Round 1, past the Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick and through Competitive Balance Round A before finally landing with the Nationals to kick off the second round.

The slide, however, means the Hurricanes still havent had a first-round pick since catcher Zack Collins, now in the Guardians organization, went to the White Sox at No. 10 in the 2016 MLB draft.

If Morales landing spot was a bit of a disappointment, then Walters was a triumph. The star pitcher was only the No. 124 prospect in the draft and fell all the way to the Orioles in the 18th round last year, before deciding to return to Miami to try to boost his draft stock.

The decision paid off and Walters, who began his career in junior college at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, jumped 465 spots, from No. 527 in the 2022 MLB draft to the top 65 this year.

The first day of the draft likely also left the Hurricanes with at least one of their top recruits instead headed elsewhere: Doral Academy shortstop Adrian Santana, who signed a national letter of intent with Miami, went to the Rays with the No. 2 pick in Competitive Balance Round A  No. 31 overall  and will most likely sign a contract with Tampa Bay to begin his professional career.
Citing Cubas support of Russia and reports about Chinese espionage activities based near Havana, members of Congress called for tougher sanctions against the islands government on Monday, during a bipartisan roundtable held in Miami to mark the second anniversary of the July 11 anti-government protests.

The anniversary of the island-wide uprising in 2021 comes during a significant deterioration in the human-rights situation in Cuba, with hundreds of people still in prison for joining the demonstrations and a renewed alliance between the Cuban regime and the authoritarian regimes in Russia and China, the roundtable participants stressed.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who hosted the event at the Assault Brigade 2506 Museum in Hialeah Gardens, said supporting the Cuban peoples aspirations for freedom is not only a moral imperative but a national security requirement.

Recent intelligence that China plans to expand its espionage capabilities on the island and build a military training facility poses a clear and present danger to U.S national security and cannot be tolerated, McCaul said.

House Foreign Affairs Commitee Chairman Michael McCaul speaks during a roundtable discussion between elected officials and Cuban activists about political prisoners at Assault Bridge 2506 Museum on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Hialeah Gardens, Fla.

Florida Republicans Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar and Mike Waltz and Florida Democrats Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Jared Moskowitz echoed those concerns during the event.

To allow the encroachment of China and Russia and Iran, as close as that as they are to our shores, is absolutely unacceptable, said Wasserman Schultz. We cannot allow the continuing repression; we have to continue to apply sanctions. We have to make sure that the regime understands that the only pathway to relief is to join the family and community of democratic nations and allow free and fair elections for their people.

China has had a spy base in Cuba for decades, former intelligence officer says

McCaul said he and his colleagues in Congress would not stop advocating for the release of the estimated 800 demonstrators still imprisoned, among them some of the main figures in the opposition movement on the island.

Cuban opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrer, who was arrested two years ago while trying to join the July 11 street protests, is in solitary confinement at high-security prison near Santiago de Cuba. The treatment is likely to leave long-lasting physical and mental scars, his brother, the former political prisoner Luis Enrique Ferrer, told the Miami Herald.

In the case of Jose Daniel, it is a unique isolation because not even the guards can enter that corridor where his cell is located, his brother said. They only enter accompanied by a prison head when they are going to bring food or see him for something else. He hasnt been around any prisoner or had nobody to talk to.

Ferrers wife, Dr. Nelva Ismarays Ortega, was not able to see him for three months until prison authorities granted her a five-minute visit on June 22, after activists launched a social media campaign demanding proof he was alive.

What she saw shocked her.

They are killing my husband, she said in an audio message shared with the Herald. We saw him in his underwear, walking with difficulty because of severe pain in his extremities. He was extremely thin and had toothaches and vision loss. His body is full of skin lesions to the extent that he did not want to hug our son Daniel Jose so as not to infect him.

Friends and relatives are also worried about the health of visual artist Luis Manuel Alcantara and Grammy-award winner rapper Maykel Osorbo Castillo, who spear-headed the dissident artistic group Movimiento San Isidro and had also been imprisoned for two years.

Monday marked the fourth day of a hunger strike Alcantara launched in prison to demand his release, the rapper Eliecer Marquez, known as El Funky said during the roundtable. He, Castillo and Alcantara all participated in the recording of a video of the protest anthem Patria y Vida, that won the Latin Grammy award for best song of the year in 2021.

Luis Manuel had already told us that if July 11 comes and they have not released him, he was going to go on strike again because he cant stand being there anymore, that he would rather die than be in prison, Anamely Ramos, another prominent member of the San Isidro Movement living in Miami, told the Herald.

Diplomatic efforts by the United States, European Union officials and the Vatican seeking the release of the imprisoned protesters have clashed with the Cuban governments insistence to set some of the political prisoners free only if they go into exile abroad, several sources have told the Herald. And the Cuban government seems to be treating the prisoners as bargaining chips to get concessions from the United States, the sources added.

Vivianny Pena, Castillos wife, told the Herald from Havana that his family has not heard from Cuban authorities about his release. However, she said he would be willing to go abroad for medical treatment for an undiagnosed medical condition.

Ramos, whom Cuban authorities have banned from entering the country, has said she is skeptical about the potential release of the Cuban political prisoners because the Cuban government is arrogant, and their liberation would mean a triumph for Cubas independent civil society.

The problem is not only that they are not releasing people and that they are not advancing in the negotiations, it is that they continue imprisoning people, she said.

Madrid-based organization Prisoners Defenders added 16 new names in June to their list of political prisoners in Cuba, which now includes 1,047 people.

During the Monday roundtable, activists and members of Congress said the U.S. should continue pressing for the unconditional release of the prisoners and other conditions stated in the 1996 Cuba Libertad Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act, before considering easing sanctions on the Cuban government.

Activist Rosa Maria Paya called on the Biden administration to impose targeted sanctions on individuals involved in human rights violations in Cuba. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, who coordinates a coalition of exile organizations known as the Assembly of Resistance, said the United States should do more to press its European partners, especially Spain, to stop acting as the regimes bodyguard.

Activist Rosa Maria Paya speaks during a roundtable discussion between elected officials and Cuban activists about political prisoners at Assault Bridge 2506 Museum on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Hialeah Gardens, Fla.

It is time that the Cuban regime receives the message that its actions will not be met with impunity, said Paya, whose father, the opposition leader Oswaldo Paya, was killed by Cuban state security agents, according to an investigation by the Organization of American States human rights commission.

Diaz-Balart, who chairs a House subcommittee that decides on the U.S. foreign policy budget, said there is bipartisan support to fund technologies that would expand internet access in Cuba  which was deemed essential for the demonstrators to connect with each other  and cutting U.S. aid to countries hiring Cuban doctors through the government medical missions that have been accused of human trafficking.

Dr. Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat speaks during a roundtable discussion between elected officials and Cuban activists about political prisoners at Assault Bridge 2506 Museum on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Hialeah Gardens, Fla.

He also said the subcommittee included language in the State Departments foreign operations bill to encourage European partners, who continuously ask  and I am one who is supportive funding for Ukraine to have a more consistent position regarding Cuba, telling them that you cant ask the U.S. to help in the Ukraine while at the same time, youre out there supporting the allies of Russia in this hemisphere.

Rep. Waltz, a former Green Beret, made a similar comment during a press conference after the roundtable.

I say this to our allies: You cannot say we care about freedom in Ukraine, but then were going to ignore freedom right here in Cuba. You cant say that we should open up sanctions for the Maduro regime, knowing that money is going to go right into the hands of Castro, Waltz said.

We are here, he added, because we want to send a clear message to the regime. We know youre watching. We have not forgotten; we will never forget.
Spanish maritime rescuers have spent days looking for the small Senegalese boat (file image)

The Spanish coast guard has rescued 86 people from a migrant boat off the coast of the Canary Islands.

At first, rescuers thought they had found one of three boats that have been missing since they left Senegal more than two weeks ago.

But the coast guard now says this boat is a different vessel that they did not know about, according to migrant aid group, Walking Borders.

It means there are still more than 300 people missing at sea, on three boats.

The fourth vessel was spotted by a search plane on Monday afternoon, with maritime rescuers initially reporting that they could see 200 people on board.

The boat was found 70 nautical miles (130km) south-west of the Canary Islands. It was carrying people from sub-Saharan Africa, however where it departed from was unclear, a coast guard spokesperson told Reuters news agency.

Those rescued include 80 men and six women, and with the assistance of a container ship, the boat was taken towards Gran Canaria island.

Meanwhile, the search continues for the three missing vessels - the largest of which had an estimated 200 people on board, including many children.

It is thought to have left Senegal more than two weeks ago, on 27 June, heading for the Canary Islands, Walking Borders said.

The boat sailed from Kafountine, a coastal town that is roughly 1,700km (1,056 miles) from Tenerife.

The other two boats are slightly smaller and left four days earlier. One has about 65 people on board and the other up to 60.

This comes just weeks after an overcrowded trawler sank off the Greek coast, in one of the worst Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks.

At least 78 people were confirmed drowned, but the UN reported that up to 500 were still missing.

The voyage from West Africa to the Canary Islands is among the most dangerous routes for migrants. They usually sail in dugout fishing boats that are easily tossed by powerful Atlantic currents.

Last year at least 559 people died at sea attempting to reach the Spanish islands, the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says. The death toll for 2021 was 1,126.

However, the IOM says information about the number of departures from West Africa is scarce and shipwrecks are often not reported.

It adds that the migrants are often from Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, or are of other sub-Saharan origins.

According to Spain's interior ministry, 15,682 people arrived in the Canary Islands without permission in 2022, a drop of more than 30% compared with 2021.

"Despite the year-to-year decrease, flows along this dangerous route since 2020 remain high compared to prior years," the IOM says.
The Neptune-sized exoplanet LTT9779b reflects 80 percent of the light from its star, according to Cheops (Handout)

A scorching hot world where metal clouds rain drops of titanium is the most reflective planet ever observed outside of our Solar System, astronomers said on Monday.

This strange world, which is more than 260 light years from Earth, reflects 80 percent of the light from its host star, according to new observations from Europe's exoplanet-probing Cheops space telescope.

That makes it the first exoplanet comparably shiny as Venus, which is the brightest object in our night sky other than the Moon.

First discovered in 2020, the Neptune-sized planet called LTT9779b orbits its star in just 19 hours.

Because it is so close, the side of the planet facing its star is a sizzling 2,000 degrees Celsius, which is considered far too hot for clouds to form.

Yet LTT9779b seems to have them.

"It was really a puzzle," said Vivien Parmentier, a researcher at France's Cote d'Azur Observatory and co-author of a new study in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The researchers then "realised we should think about this cloud formation in the same way as condensation forming in a bathroom after a hot shower," he said in a statement.

Like running hot water steams up a bathroom, a scorching stream of metal and silicate -- the stuff of which glass is made -- oversaturated LTT9779b's atmosphere until metallic clouds formed, he said.

- Surviving 'Neptune desert' -

The planet, which is around five times the size of Earth, is an outlier in other ways.

The only exoplanets previously found that orbit their stars in less than 24 hours are either gas giants 10 times bigger than Earth -- or rocky planets half its size.

But LTT9779b lives in a region called the "Neptune desert", where planets its size are not supposed to be found.

"It's a planet that shouldn't exist," Parmentier said.

"We expect planets like this to have their atmosphere blown away by their star, leaving behind bare rock."

The planet's metallic clouds "act like a mirror," reflecting away light and preventing the atmosphere from being blown away, according to the European Space Agency's Cheops project scientist Maximilian Guenther.

"It's a bit like a shield, like in those old Star Trek films where they have shields around their ships," he told AFP.

The research marks "a big milestone" because it shows how a Neptune-sized planet could survive in the Neptune desert, he added.

The European Space Agency's Cheops space telescope was launched into Earth's orbit in 2019 on a mission to investigate planets discovered outside our Solar System.

It measured the reflectiveness of LTT9779b by comparing the light before and after the exoplanet disappeared behind its star.

dl/gw
What you missed from Bidens visit with King Charles III: tea, climate change and China

WINDSOR, England  President Joe Biden and King Charles III, two men who waited decades to reach the tops of their careers, met for the first time Monday since the king's coronation.

The meeting at Windsor Castle came after Biden sat down earlier in the day with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London at No. 10 Downing Street, the British leader's official residence and office. By Monday afternoon, Biden made his way to Lithuania for a NATO summit.

Here's what to know about Biden's meeting with King Charles III:

English tea between a king and US president

Biden, 80, and King Charles III, 74, kicked off their meeting with the most English of traditions: breakfast tea at Windsor Castle.

Biden, elected to the Senate in 1972, ran for president twice in 1988 and 2008  before cracking through as the Democratic nominee in 2020. He immediately became the nation's oldest president when he entered the White House.

Charles III waited 70 years  longer than any heir apparent in British royal history years  to take the thrown after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was coronated in 1953.

Yet their paths to power couldn't be more different.

Biden started as a scrappy kid from a working-class Irish Catholic family whose dad sold used cars in Wilmington, Delaware. King Charles III grew up the super-privileged son of a woman who had a lifelong love of horses and spent most of her free time on walks in the countryside with her dogs.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, second left, speaks to U.S. President Joe Biden, centre left and Britain's King Charles III during a climate engagement with philanthropists and investors at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Monday, July 10, 2023.

Royal pageantry on display

Two old diplomatic hands  Biden is 80 to the king's 74  leaned into the royal protocol.

Biden received a royal salute at Windsor Castle. Red-jacketed Welsh Guards played the U.S. national anthem. The photos appeared to show quite a lot of tactile, light-hearted banter of the avuncular variety.

Biden participated in the inspection of the honor guard with King Charles III, later putting his arm around the king in a sign of friendship.

President Joe Biden reviews royal guards along with Britain's King Charles III during a welcoming ceremony at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Monday, July 10, 2023.

Climate change, China take centerstage in talks

Their discussion was focused mainly on climate change, a topic long close to the king's heart when he was a mere prince.

"It went well," Biden told reporters after arriving in Lithuania, later tweeting: "It was an honor meeting with His Majesty this morning for a wide-ranging discussion on the global challenges facing our nations."

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden and King Charles III also talked about China and shared stories from the past at Windsor Castle.

The White House said the meeting "underscored the strength of the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and the friendship between our people."

Former Sen. John Kerry, Biden's special envoy on climate, was on hand for the meeting. Afterward, Biden and King Charles III also met with a group of leading philanthropists and investors focused on mobilizing finance to address the climate crisis, the White House said.

Why did Biden miss the king's coronation?

The meeting at Windsor Castle also was part of a pledge by Biden to see the relatively new king after he skipped the monarch's May coronation. He sent first lady Jill Biden to attend the historic event instead.

Why Biden chose to do that has been a source of media speculation, especially among conservative outlets. Perhaps this was about his Irish-ness? Maybe it was about Britain's decision to leave the European Union  Brexit?

Or that he's just generally "anti-British"?

Historians say there's a much, much simpler explanation: No American president has ever attended a swearing in ceremony for a British monarch. Like, ever.

"I certainly don't view it as a snub on President Biden's part," Laura Beers, a professor of history at American University who specializes in modern Britain, told the BBC in late April amid the news of Biden's decision to give the coronation a miss and instead send a diplomatic delegation that included his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.

"It is a non-story in terms of the idea that Biden is anti-British," she said at the time. "He's not going because no American president has ever gone to a coronation, so why start in the 21st century."

Britain's King Charles III and US President Joe Biden, right, during the welcome ceremony in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Monday July 10, 2023.

An Irishman meets an English king

Biden, who proudly talks about his Irish heritage, ruffled feathers among some English during his trip to Ireland in April.

Speaking at an Irish pub, Biden paid tribute to his cousin, Rob Kearney, a rugby player whose Irish squad defeated the dominant All Blacks team of New Zealand in 2016. But he instead referred to "Black and Tans," the pejorative name given to British police recruits assigned to fight the Irish Republican Army in the 1920s.

The White House later corrected Biden.

In the same speech, as Biden touted the values instilled in him by his Irish-American mother, he said the "saving grace" of his father, whose lineage traces to England, was "a quarter of his family was Hanafees from Galway." He added, "You know, Biden is English. I hate to tell you that. I dont hate to  Im joking  but its true."

"All the times President Joe Biden has shown disdain for his UK heritage," the British tabloid The Daily Mail wrote at the time.

Yet there were no signs animosity between the parties Monday.

King Charles III and US President Joe Biden arrive to meet participants of the Climate Finance Mobilisation forum in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023 in Windsor, England.

Charles III's latest of many visits with presidents

As the son of a monarch who ruled through 14 U.S. presidents, King Charles III is of course no stranger to meeting U.S. presidents.

He's been consistently doing so since he was a child. Trump, Obama, both Bushes, Clinton, Reagan, Carter - there's plenty of photos and newsprint to attest to these encounters.

The king has also previously met Biden. Several times, actually.

Prior to Monday, Biden's most recent meeting with King Charles came in November 2021 at the COP26 U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

Contributing: Associated Press

Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Biden, King Charles III discussed in first meeting as leaders
Missouri woman in prison for murder since 1980 gets chance to prove innocence next year

Lawyers for Sandra Hemme, who has spent four decades in prison for a murder her attorneys say was more likely committed by a disgraced St. Joseph police officer, will present evidence of her innocence at a hearing early next year.

The evidentiary hearing was set for Jan. 16 to 19. If her attorneys with the New York-based Innocence Project prove their case, the hearing could lead to Hemmes exoneration and release from prison.

Now 63, Hemme has been behind bars for more than 42 years for the Nov. 12, 1980, killing of Patricia Jeschke, whose nude body was found on the floor of her apartment along North Riverside Road in eastern St. Joseph.

The only evidence connecting Hemme, a psychiatric patient at the time, to the murder were her wildly contradictory and factually impossible statements extracted from detectives, her attorneys say. No physical evidence or witnesses tied her to the crime.

The Innocence Project contends more evidence implicated Michael Holman, a 22-year-old cop who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries, and later went to prison. He died in 2015.

Shortly after Jeschke was found dead, Holman tried to use the victims credit card to buy $630 worth of photography equipment at a store in Kansas City, Kansas. A hair found on Jeschkes bed sheet exhibited microscopic characteristics similar to that of Holmans. And Jeschkes earrings were found at Holmans apartment  a fact that was hidden from Hemmes lawyers at trial.

The Missouri Attorney Generals Office did not oppose setting an evidentiary hearing. It was an unusual move for the AGs office, which has historically fought to keep innocence claims out of court and uphold convictions, regardless of new evidence that might prove a person was wrongly convicted.

At a hearing Monday at the Livingston County courthouse in Chillicothe, a short drive from where Hemme is incarcerated at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, Hemmes lawyers said they expect to call seven or eight witnesses at the evidence hearing. The AGs office plans to put about three witnesses on the stand.

Hemme  who has been in prison for about two-thirds of her life  appeared at the hearing in a beige jail uniform. She was handcuffed at her hands and feet, with a locked chain around her stomach.

If Hemme is ultimately exonerated at the January hearing, her prison term would mark the longest known wrongful conviction of a woman in U.S. history.

Joyce Kays, Hemmes sister, said their family cant wait to bring her home. That includes grandchildren Hemme has never had the chance to meet. Hemmes spirits were lifted Monday when she saw nine of her relatives in the courtroom to support her, they said.

Hemme has been imprisoned for so long that some members of her legal team were not yet alive when she went to prison.

Jane Pucher, one of Hemmes attorneys with the Innocence Project, said they are grateful for the opportunity to show in January what her family has always known: that Hemme is innocent.

She should never have been questioned in the first place, Pucher said. And she deserves to be home.

Hemmes innocence claim

Then 20, Hemme was a patient at the St. Joseph State Hospitals psychiatric ward when she was first questioned by detectives about the murder of Jeschke, a 31-year-old library worker. Hemme, who goes by Sandy, had a history of mental health issues and was medicated with drugs so potent that she was unable to hold her head up straight, her attorneys say.

Detectives who pursued dozens of leads during the investigation kept coming back to take statements from Hemme, whose story evolved dramatically over the course of nearly two weeks.

Sandra Hemme as a teenager

At first, Hemme said she left the hospital on the day that Jeschke was killed and hitched a ride to Dearborn, between St. Joe and Kansas City, before heading to her parents house in Lafayette County. She made no mention of a homicide.

In a later statement, Hemme claimed to have watched a man named Joseph Wabski kill Jeschke. He was charged with capital murder  until prosecutors, days later, declared him innocent when they realized he was at a halfway house in Topeka at the time.

Hemme pleaded guilty to capital murder in April 1981, but she told her mother in a letter from jail that she didnt kill that lady.

The judge initially rejected her guilty plea, saying she could not provide enough information about the crime. After a short recess, during which Hemme talked to her attorney, she provided more information and the judge allowed the plea.

Hemme would later say her defense attorney told her she would be sentenced to die if she did not plead guilty.

A survivor of physical and sexual assault, Hemmes psychological vulnerabilities increased the likelihood she falsely confessed, a forensic psychiatrist recently determined. Her youth also may have played a role, research shows.

Nearly 70% of people under 25 who have falsely confessed have diagnosed mental illness, Hemmes lawyers wrote in court filings.

Across the country, false confessions have contributed to the wrongful convictions of more than 400 people, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, which has logged the some 3,300 known wrongful convictions since 1989.

Because Hemmes original attorney did not seek to have her mental health evaluated, her guilty plea was thrown out on appeal. She was then convicted in 1985 at a one-day trial, during which her statements were read to the jury.

Holman, the discredited officer, was considered a suspect late in the murder investigation. His colleagues looked into his alibi  a story of him having sex with a woman named Mary at a motel next to Jeschkes apartment  but it could not be verified.

Lloyd Pasley, who twice served as the St. Joseph Police Departments interim chief, is among those who believes Hemme is innocent and that Holman was Jeschkes lone killer. Pasley previously told The Star that a lieutenant who has since died was also convinced that Holman  rumored within his own police department to be a burglar  was the killer.

Hemmes attorneys argue that she was also not the first mentally ill person targeted by St. Joe detectives. Around the same time, Melvin Lee Reynolds falsely confessed to murdering a boy in 1978 following hours of police interrogation.
Missouri Tigers pitcher Austin Troesser was selected No. 135 overall by the New York Mets in the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday afternoon.

That makes him the first player from a KC-area college program to be picked this year. Troesser was selected in Round 4C, held after Round 4 and ahead of Round 5  the first of two MU guys nabbed Monday by major-league clubs.

Also selected Monday, by the Kansas City Royals, was outfielder Spencer Nivens of Missouri State. Nivens was taken with the No. 142 overall pick., one of three Bears  or former Bears  who were drafted on Monday (more about this below).

A junior at Mizzou this past season, Troesser had entered the NCAA transfer portal early last month. He was 5-3 with a 4.73 ERA for the Tigers in 2023. He appeared in 22 games (three starts), striking out 53 in 45 2/3 innings. He was 8-5 across three seasons at MU, with 76 strkeouts and 36 walks in 77 2/3 innings.

Nivens, selected by the Royals Monday, played at Columbia Rock Ridge High before attending Missouri State. He was the Missouri Valley player of the year for the 2023 season, batting .341 with 14 home runs, 16 doubles and 34 RBIs.

The 2023 MLB Draft, which began Sunday night, continues through Tuesday.

Among other draftees with local or regional connection to KC:
Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry gather to revel the sign rededicating the Combat Operation Post to Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti.

Sergeant First Class Jared Monti was a member of the United States Army. He earned a Medal of Honor for courageous action during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Monti served with the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

Background

Sergeant First Class Monti is from a small town about 50 miles south of Boston. He graduated from high school in 1994 and joined the Army soon after. Monti first trained as a fire support specialist. Then he became a member of the Fire Support Team with the 71st Calvary Regiment. Later, he served as a paratrooper in Kosovo, where he injured himself in action. Because of his injury, the Army offered a medical discharge. However, Monti refused. Then, in 2006, he deployed to Afghanistan.

Action in Afghanistan

On June 21, 2006, Monti was part of an intelligence task force in northern Afghanistan. Along with his team, he deployed to Gowardesh, Nuristan Province. The region was mountainous with high hills and deep valleys, and the team positioned itself on a cliff to surveil the area. A helicopter brought supplies to him and his task force during the operation. Unfortunately, enemy combatants were watching from the ridges above, and the helicopter gave away the position of the team.

S. Sgt. Jared Monti (front right), May 2001.

Heavy fire from snipers

Enemy snipers began to fire on the Americans, killing some and wounding others. Private First Class Brian Bradbury took a hit and lay wounded without cover. He knew that if Bradbury didnt move quickly, he would die. So he radioed for backup. Then, without further delay, he raced toward Bradbury. The insurgents detected Monti and began shooting and launching grenades from above. Monti retreated to avoid injury, but he and his team didnt give up. The other soldiers covered Monti by firing up at the enemy shooters. Monti tried again to cross the ledge to get to Bradbury. Still, the shower of enemy bullets was too heavy to penetrate, and Monti turned back.

Going back again and again

Not one to be defeated, Monti made a third attempt to rescue Bradbury. As he crossed the terrain this time, a rocket-propelled grenade struck him down. Mortally wounded, Monti used his arms to crawl back for cover. Soon after, air support arrived and fired at the insurgents, ending the battle. Unfortunately, Monti died on the ledge before the team could be evacuated.

Nevertheless, he is remembered for his heroism. On September 17, 2009, President Barack Obama presented Sergeant First Class Montis family with his Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the White House. Listen to his remarks here.

Read more about the heroes of Afghanistan and Iraq who have received the Medal of Honor.
A popular Kansas City Chiefs fan, known for dressing as a wolf at games, has been arrested and charged more than six months after he was initially arrested for robbing a bank in Oklahoma, and after four months on the run.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, a 29-year-old from Overland Park known as ChiefsAholic online, was arrested Friday in California and faces a new federal robbery charge in addition to his earlier charges in Oklahoma.

Investigators determined, according to the affidavit, that Babudar would travel to various locations throughout the Midwestern United States to perpetrate a string of robberies at various banks and credit unions before returning home to the Kansas City Metropolitan area to launder these robbery proceeds through area casinos and deposit these proceeds in his various bank accounts.

While allegedly robbing a bank in Nashville, Tennessee, in November, Babudar allegedly told bank employees he would put a hole in your head if they included a dye pack with the $125,000 cash he was stealing.

Babudar was arrested Friday in Lincoln, California, federal authorities said. His initial court appearance is set for Monday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento.

A federal grand jury will ultimately decide if Babudar should be indicted on the current federal charges of one count of bank theft and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Babudar enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, Mondays federal news release stated.

His Twitter account appears to have since been deleted.

After Babudars initial arrest, authorities would not confirm that he was the person behind the social media page for Chiefsaholic. Nevertheless, his arrest immediately went viral on social media as fans speculated about the incident.

Babudars name initially hit headlines in December, after he was arrested in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, for allegedly robbing a credit union at gunpoint of more than $150,000. He was charged with armed robbery and assault while masked or disguised.

Authorities said he was wearing ski goggles and a paintball mask at the time, not the wolf mask he was known for donning at Chiefs games.

After Babudars arrest in December, FBI investigators connected his cell phone location to historical data from cell towers near the scenes of unsolved robberies at four banks in Nebraska, Iowa, and Tennessee, and to attempted robberies of two credit unions in Minnesota.

The Kansas City Chiefs superfan who dubbed himself ChiefsAholic was arrested Friday, July 7, 2023, in California.

FBI investigators found that between April and December of 2022, Babudar also purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from casinos in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.

In January, Babudars public defender at the time filed a motion seeking to reduce his bond, saying his then-bond of $200,000 was excessive. In that filing, his attorney said Babudar reported having been self-employed for about five years.

He bonded out in February. In March he violated court orders by cutting off his ankle monitor in Tulsa and going on the run. A warrant for his arrest was issued in late March. In June, he placed on the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Most Wanted list.

The latest charges announced Monday are specifically related to $70,000 stolen from Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa, on March 2, 2022.

Bank employees told police at the time that a thief came into the bank wearing a ski mask and appearing to be armed, then handed the teller a note demanding money. Police later found nearly $1,500 in $20 bills in the woods, along with a glove they connected to Babudar.

In the six weeks after the robbery, Babudar deposited the same amount that was stolen in Clive into his money market savings account and made multiple casino chip purchases and redemptions at the Argosy Casino in Riverside, Missouri, according to the affidavit.

The historical cell phone data also showed that Babudars phone was in the vicinity of a few Chiefs games, including the Arizona Cardinals game on Sept. 11, the Indianapolis Colts game on Sept. 25, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on Oct. 2, the Los Angeles Chargers game on Nov. 20, and the Denver Broncos game on Dec. 11.

Records from the Kansas Department of Labor showed Babudar last reported wages in Kansas, where he resided, in 2018, according to the affidavit. The last time he reported wages was in October 2021, in another state.

 ... Other than occasional eBay sales activity, we have not yet detected a consistent source of wages, revenue, or income from any legitimate employment for Babudar over this time, court records read.

In previous court filings, he listed his mailing address in Overland Park, but he also called himself homeless. He wrote that his last employment was in 2020 in a warehouse.

He previously filed a slip and fall lawsuit against Gillette Stadium from an incident he alleges occurred in 2019 on the day the Chiefs played the Patriots in Boston, according to federal court records filed in Massachusetts.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, spent the past week taking a victory lap.

On the Fourth of July, a federal judge said the Biden administration cant encourage social media companies to delete posts from their platforms or meet with them to discuss content moderation policies.

The injunction was part of a lawsuit Schmitt brought more than a year ago, when he was Missouri attorney general, alleging that the White House violated the First Amendment by colluding with social media companies to suppress conservative speech about COVID-19 regulations and false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

White House officials, CDC & others are stopped cold. We need to continue the fight to take down the Vast Censorship Enterprise, Schmitt wrote on Twitter. Their view of misinformation isnt an excuse to censor. This is the most important free speech case in a generation. Freedom is on the march.

It was Schmitts second court victory in as many weeks. The previous week, Missouris role in the case challenging President Joe Bidens plan to relieve some Americans of up to $20,000 of their student loan debt was central in the Supreme Courts decision invalidating the plan.

Both suits were launched while Schmitt was campaigning for U.S. Senate. Now  having successfully won the role after a campaign where his stump speech included a line, cribbed from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a former state attorney general, that his job was to wake up and sue the Biden administration  Schmitts first year in office has been defined more by the work he did as Missouri attorney general than legislative accomplishments in Congress.

They certainly distinguish him among his colleagues in the Senate, said John Hancock, a former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. And, you know, a Senate career is a career. Its a long-term proposition. New senators have to build relationships. They have to garner respect.

Its common for new senators, particularly those in the minority party, to have limited success in their early years in office. The Senate has a long history of favoring seniority  it was once Senate tradition for new members to wait months before speaking in the chamber.

Schmitt was the last of the new senators to offer his first bill, aimed at restricting the number of regulations the executive branch can create. It has not moved through the Senate.

His office is quick to point out that the legal victories complement his proclaimed mission in the Senate to give Congress more of the power it has ceded to the executive branch.

Tackling the administrative state and protecting freedom of speech are two of his top priorities, both of which were affirmed by court rulings these past couple of weeks, and both issues are now gaining steam on Capitol Hill, said Chris Nuelle, Schmitts communications director. Sen. Schmitt looks forward to continuing to lead the charge and introducing further legislation to stop the out-of-control growth of the administrative state and preserve freedom of speech.

Both of Missouris U.S. senators  Schmitt and Josh Hawley  served as the states attorney general before being elected to the Senate at a time when attorneys general have been able to build political capital through suing the federal government.

The lawsuits he filed are now being handled by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican who was appointed to the position by Gov. Mike Parson after Schmitt was elected to the Senate. Bailey, too, has made a point of going after the Biden administration with lawsuits.

With the court as receptive as it is now to political cases, that even when they dont have a real case or controversy to rule on, it is an incredible opening for the very politicized system to take advantage of, said Caroline Fredrickson, a constitutional law expert and professor at Georgetown Law. And for those attorneys general who want to jump on the the openness of the Supreme Court to hear these cases.

Missouri  specifically the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority  was central to the U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking Bidens student debt cancellation plan. Because the state created MOHELA, as the loan agency is known, and would potentially lose money used for scholarships, Chief Justice John Roberts said it proved the state would be harmed by the program. The three liberal justices said MOHELA, which has the ability to sue and be sued, should have brought the case on its own.

I would say theres a majority on the court that is  as are Republicans generally  suspicious of what they call the administrative state, said Russell Wheeler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institutions governance studies program. And, that being the case, they are probably willing to allow fairly loose standing rules to let the attorneys general have their way. I dont know any other way to look at it.

But where the countrys highest court scaled back executive power in the student debt case, it was a single federal judge in Louisiana who has blocked the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies over content moderation. The administration, which took office after false claims about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election helped spark an insurrection on the Capitol, has been vocal about fighting what it calls misinformation and disinformation on social media.

Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed suit claiming the White House had used the social media companies to suppress speech, under the threat of removing legal protections for social media companies. It would take an act of Congress to change the law that currently protects those companies from being sued over what users post, called Section 230.

Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee who in 2022 blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the Biden administration, appeared to favor Schmitts argument that the administration had targeted conservative speech.

This case is full of this judges idea of symbolism, Wheeler said. He issued on July 4. Come on. The only reason he did that is because it was Independence Day. And he starts out with this quote from Voltaire and then all this other stuff, which is, in my view, typical of a judge whos trying to show off.

Doughty has yet to issue his final ruling on the case and the Department of Justice is expected to appeal his injunction. On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House disagreed with the ruling, but didnt want to get in front of the Department of Justice.

Our view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take action or to take account of the effects of their platforms are having to the American people but make independent choices about the information they present, Jean Pierre said. They are a private, as you know, entity, and it is their responsibility to  you know, to act accordingly.

As the White House defends itself from lawsuits launched by conservative attorneys general, its working in a landscape often skeptical of the way it wields executive power. Schmitt and Landry filed their social media case in a Louisiana District Court where four out of the five judges were appointed by Trump. If the White House appeals, it will go to an appeals court that is considered one of the most conservative in the country. Then it would go to a Supreme Court where conservatives have a 6-3 majority.

The executive branch is clearly in a very different situation than it was 20 or 30 years ago, when the assumption was that the government pretty well worked by delegation of authority, and people accepted that, Wheeler said. That has become a very iffy proposition anymore and there are states attorneys general and judges who are willing to to give force to it.

Both Doughty and the Supreme Court have helped Schmitt accomplish some of what he hopes to achieve through legislation  which Fredrickson criticized as the court determining issues that should be determined by elected politicians, a similar argument to one Schmitt has used against federal agencies that promulgate rules.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court seems to be trying very hard to wrest power away from the other two branches, and unbalance that system rather than appropriately deferring to the elected branches, Fredrickson said.

Those legal victories have helped Schmitt build his name early on his Senate career. Already hes appeared on conservative stations to tout his victory and hes portrayed the lawsuit against the Biden administrations content moderation involvement as a pivotal case for free speech.

The politics behind this is excellent for Schmitt, said Jean Evans, the former executive director for the Missouri Republican Party. Its part of why he was elected in a tough primary, its because hes proven to be working for the people. And thats been his whole thing to push back against government control.
Chinese scientists have recently introduced a new method to reveal the nature of the first galaxies and dark matter in the early universe, according to a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The 21-cm absorption lines (21-cm forest) are the system of narrow absorption lines appearing in the spectra of high redshift background sources due to the intervening neutral hydrogen atoms.

Researchers from the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences delved into the previously little-discussed 21-cm forest probe and proposed an innovative statistical measurement scheme.

They discovered that by using the one-dimensional power spectrum measurement of the 21-cm forest signal in the cosmic dawn era, the upcoming Square Kilometer Array radio telescope would be able to simultaneously reveal the properties of the universe's first galaxies and dark matter, according to the paper.

The ground-breaking methods are of great significance for unraveling the mystery of dark matter and the formation of celestial bodies in the early universe and will further promote people's understanding of dark matter and shed light on the formation and evolution of the universe's structure, the researchers said.
Morro Bay rent control ordinance protects some tenants, but not others. Heres how it works

Christy Nair waves to neighbors as she strolls to her house perched on the edge of Silver City West, a 55-and-up mobile home and recreational vehicle park in Morro Bay.

As she opens the front door, her 13-year-old pug, Duke, skips from a sunny spot on the sofa to the door  wagging his tail in anticipation of treats or head scratches.

Nair, a retiree, has called Silver City West home for the past 11 years  but she worries about difficulties others may face when they choose to rent there or at other mobile home parks in the city.

About three years ago, Nair discovered black mold in the home she originally purchased at Silver City West, which required her to move to a new unit in the same park.

Her original mobile home at the park was eligible for rent control under a longstanding city ordinance. However, because her mobile home is owned by the parks landlord and on a 10-year lease, she no longer has that protection.

Nairs father was aware of what Nair was losing when he signed the new lease for her, but Nair is worried others may not realize they could be giving up rent control protection simply by buying a new home.

I want people to be aware of how unfair it is, Nair said in a recent interview with The Tribune. Theyre taking away the rent control.

Meanwhile, the parks landlord, Angus Keith, says he is doing what he can to keep the parks rents reasonable.

We dont get a lot of complaints on the rents there, Keith told The Tribune, and its probably because of the rent control.

Some tenants at Silver City West are protected by Morro Bays rent control ordinance, while others fall through the cracks.

How does rent control work in Morro Bay?

Morro Bays rent control ordinance  which was passed in 1986 and updated more recently in 2003  limits rent increases for mobile home parks, a key source of affordable housing in the city.

Mobile home parks can only increase rent once per year, based on a formula outlined in the citys Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Park Rent Stabilization ordinance.

Mobile home park tenants have two options: to rent a parking spot for a mobile home that they own, or to rent both a parking spot and a mobile home owned by the landlord.

The Morro Bay ordinance caps how much rent can go up during those annual increases. Increases for permanent residents of parks are capped at 75% of that years percent change in the Los Angeles Area Consumer Price Index.

In 2023, that meant the allowable rent increase was 5.7%, according to Morro Bay Community Development Director Scot Graham.

This protects tenants from unfettered rent increases, which is especially important for folks living on a fixed income, Graham said.

The ordinance permits larger annual rent increases for non-permanent residents, however, with a cap of 125% of the years percent change in consumer price index, according to the ordinance.

After living at Silver City West for more than 25 years, one resident  who spoke to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation from her landlord  said the ordinance has made it possible for her to afford to live in the park.

The resident owns her home, but pays about $300 per month for her parking spot, she said.

Other residents who have not been at the park as long pay more, she said.

Theres no way I could pay the rent that (the landlord is) charging for some of these places, the resident said, noting that folks like her who rely on Social Security payments and retirement savings wouldnt be able to afford the new units at the park.

According to the resident, most who have lived in the park for more than a decade qualify for rent control, but newer tenants often dont qualify for it.

Some tenants arent protected by rent control at Silver City West mobile home park in Morro Bay.

Some mobile home park tenants exempt from rent control

While the ordinance protects some Silver City West tenants, others dont qualify for rent control.

Morro Bays ordinance doesnt apply to certain mobile home park tenants, including those with leases that last longer than a year, those with short-term leases for less than 30 days and those who live in a mobile home owned by a parks landlord.

Park owners arent required to tell prospective tenants about the rent control ordinance when they offer a lease, Graham said.

A lot of the parks in town offer you a long-term lease because then theyre not hamstrung by the citys (Consumer Price Index) limitations, Graham said. Theyre probably not going to tell you that theres a rent control ordinance.

Longtime Silver City West resident Linda Winters said landlords can exploit these gaps of protection in the law  pushing people out of the park so they can flip the mobile homes into more expensive units.

The more people that move out, the more property he has control of, Winters said of her landlord, Keith.

Winters and Keith were involved in long-term litigation relating to eviction proceedings. Winters fought the eviction notices, which prevented the two from going to court, she said.

When approached about about the rent control ordinance, some Silver City West residents said they werent aware of it. However, Keith said his leases mention rent control rules.

According to Keith, most tenants without rent control are part-time residents who use their units as second homes. He acknowledged that folks in units owned by the park or on leases longer than one year could also be exempt from rent control.

Keith said a lease he offers to tenants that dont qualify for rent control stipulates that the park can raise rent up to 5% once per year.

Keith, who has operated the Morro Bay mobile home park for about nine years, said he raises rent to compensate for increased property taxes and maintenance costs.

I do try to keep the park maintained at a high level, Keith said, noting that he lives there with his family half of the year. The better the residents are doing, the better the park does, and the better the business does.

Christy Nair and her pug, Duke, have lived at Silver City West mobile home park for about 11 years. Nairs first home was protected by rent control, but when she moved to a new unit, she lost her rent control protections.

How do Silver City West residents feel about rent control?

Four residents at the park told The Tribune they signed leases for units at Silver City West without being informed of the rent control ordinance.

One resident signed a 10-year lease that doesnt qualify for rent control but said hes comfortable paying the price Keith decided for rent. He asked to remain anonymous to avoid conflict with his landlord or neighbors.

Everybodys talking around here, but Im happy with what I got, he said.

Darrell Sizemore has lived in his RV at the park for two months. He signed an eight-month lease for the parking spot, which means it is exempt from rent control because his lease is shorter than one year.

The park didnt mention the rent control ordinance to Sizemore when he signed the lease, he said, but with a rent of $800 per month, he doesnt mind. The rent is lower than what hes used to, he said.

Another woman living in a mobile home at Silver City West  who asked to remain anonymous to keep her financial situation private  said she didnt know about the rent control ordinance when she moved in.

She pays $979 per month for her parking space, which is lower than the rents at nearby mobile home parks, she said.

She bought the mobile home and a 10-year lease for the parking spot from the units previous owner, she said. There are eight years left on the lease, she said.

Living without rent control

Some residents are working to make sure their current and potential neighbors know what the ordinance is.

When Keith took ownership of the park, Winters met with each of her neighbors to ensure that they signed a lease that allowed them to maintain rent control protections, she said.

That has always been my mission, to educate people about their rights living in a mobile home park, Winters said.

Nair said she hopes to make people more aware before they sign away their rent control.

After forfeiting her rent control protections three years ago, Nair said she has been concerned about the long-term affordability of the park.

Nair lives on a fixed income of her pension and disability payments, so this years 5.5% rent increase, coupled with higher water, gas and grocery bills mean things will have to get a lot tighter, she said.

Nair said shes worried that she and her neighbors will eventually get priced out of the park.

I never thought Id live in a mobile home park, but now Id never want to leave, Nair said. Its kind of like a dysfunctional family. Theres a closeness  we help each other.

Duke, a 13-year-old pug, can often be seen on walks at Silver City West mobile home park.

Tribune reporter John Lynch contributed to this story.
During the past day, the Russians carried out 2 mortar attacks on Sumy Oblast. 11 strikes were recorded.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Telegram

Details: The Bilopillia and Seredyna-Buda hromadas were attacked [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.].

The Russians hit the Seredyna-Buda hromada with mortars (6 strikes recorded).

A mortar attack was also carried out on the Bilopillia hromada (5 strikes).

Initial reports indicate there were no casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A couple tries to wrap their arms around a massive 800-year-old Douglas fir in British Columbia, Canada.

In the forests of British Columbia, where recent wildfires have sent smoke across borders and dimmed blue summer skies, a series of studies from the past 30 years contends that large, old trees send resources and messages to the seedlings around them. The mothering could, hypothetically, help burned landscapes recover faster, boost the amount of carbon dioxide stores in soil, and improve the resiliency of natural systems overall.

The idea seems to borrow from bedtime tales about ancient trees and the enchanted forests they foster; to validate beliefs about all types of creatures nourish their young; to vouch for the inherent goodness of nature, where collaboration triumphs over competition.

[Related: Behold the world's tallest trees]

But two papers have recently called into question the evidence supporting the mother tree explanation. Do these veterans of the forest act as guardians for newer generations, protecting them from drought, disease, and deforestation? Or is their relationship much more complicated?

What is a 'mother tree'?

The term mother tree was coined in the 2000s by a Canadian scientist named Suzanne Simard, who grew up in a family of loggers in the Monashee Mountains in British Columbia. The old-growth forests on the range sustained a booming timber industry for more than a century.

In her book Finding the Mother Tree, Simard describes a childhood spent wandering through the forest, gaining keen insight on the intimate connections between long-lived trees like Douglas firs and ponderosa pines and the ecosystems they inhabit. Later, she studied forestry, became a research scientist for the Canadian Ministry of Forests and now teaches and leads a lab at the University of British Columbia.

Her childhood experiences and decades of scientific research led her to draw a connection that was somewhat revolutionary in forestry management and the conventional biological thinking that species must compete to survive. Simard proposed that large trees that are hundreds or even thousands of years old can send carbon, nutrients, water, hormones, and even alarm signals to young plants via a network of underground fungi known as mycorrhiza. She describes these trees as mothers in her writing and interviews, and argues that they are essential in making forests around the planet better suited to survive climate change.

We need to save the legacies, the mother trees and networks, and the wood, the genes, so they can pass their wisdom onto the next generation of trees so they can withstand the future stresses coming down the road, Simard said in her Ted Talk from 2016. We need to be conservationists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs

What's the scientific evidence?

Some forestry researchers warn that the mother tree viewpoint is ahead of the science. A paper published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution in February reviewed 26 studies that look at the ability of underground fungal networks to transfer resources and if mother trees send resources to young plants.

The studies spanned continents, experimental design, and forest and soil type. The authors found that in about 80 percent of the studies, access to mycorrhizal networks associated with nearby trees had no benefit to the seedlings planted around them. In 18 percent of the studies the seedlings did benefit. And in a much smaller subset, those trees and their mycorrhizal networks actually harmed the others

There are lots of important ecological roles for big trees in the forest, says Justine Karst, the lead author of the paper and a professor at the University of Alberta. But this sort of popularized idea of their role and how they work with these fungi as these passive conduits in the soil doing things under the direction of trees, there's just not really evidence for that.

Part of the problem is that theres so much variability within the 26 studies, making it difficult to draw conclusions about mother treesor large, old trees, as Karst prefers to call themas a whole.

It differs in which forest the experiment was conducted in: how far the seedlings were growing from the mature tree, the type of seeds or the type of soils, if theres overstory mortality, Karst explains. There's so many of these background features that there's just no way to generalize. This is something that we would suggest moving forward is that we need to understand, what is the cause of this variability?

Another issue is that most of the research that supports the mother tree theory comes from studies in labs, Meghan Midgley, a soil ecologist at Morton Arboretum who was not an author on the recent review, explains. We haven't been able to observe it in the forest, which is where we'd really want to see this sort of relationship happening.

The idea might even be so appealing, scientists have let it bias them. There are alternative explanations that have not been acknowledged in studies, Karst says. For example, one common experimental design using mesh bag encourages different types of fungal growth, potentially biasing the results.

PopSci reached out to Simard and The Mother Tree Project about these scientific uncertainties, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

What role do fungi play?

One facet of the mother tree debate experts agree on is that fungi have a unique relationship with trees. Midgley studies this symbiotic subset of organisms, which grow on the trees root system and allow it to gain access to water and nutrients deep in the soil. In return, the guests get carbon, which the fungi cant cant produce itself. From the tropics to boreal forests, trees are associating with fungi, Midgley says. This is a relationship that has been established for much of evolutionary time.

These collaborative fungi also have an overall beneficial effect on plants. There are many hundreds of studies showing that when there's no fungi, plants don't grow as well as when there are fungi, Midgeley adds. There's also some evidence that they can help protect plants from below-ground pathogens or from being eaten by below-ground invertebrates, so they can play a variety of roles for a plant.

[Related: Inside the lab thats growing mushroom computers]

Knowing this, forest manager might take fungi, as well as large, old trees, into account when restoring an ecosystem after a wildfire. However, theres not enough evidence right now to support specific strategies, like introducing fungi into a forest thats been harmed by wildfire, Midgley says.

She and Karst both suggest further research that would help scientists better understand the variability between mature trees and their relationships with fungi and the rest of the forest. Why do seedlings sometimes show no response, a positive response, or a negative response [to older trees]? Karst says. We don't know those answers, but I think that they'll be important to find out.
Mother of victim in lovers quarrel murder says he was trying to protect house from being egged

A mother is mourning the loss of her son after officials say he was killed amid a lovers quarrel.

Monica Gilbert told Channel 2 Action News that her son, 22-year-old Johnathan Gilbert, also known as Tyler Lane, was visiting from Texas last week when the incident occurred.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

She said her son was in town for a court date regarding his suspended license and was staying with a family friend on Dobbins Mill Road in Spalding County when he was confronted by Sydney Maughon, 18, Jeremy Munson, 18, and McKenzie Davenport, 19.

According to deputies, Maughon, Munson and Davenport planned to egg the home.

Investigators said when three teens were driving away, Maughon pulled out a gun and shot Johnathan Gilbert several times.

Monica Gilbert said her son was trying to protect the house from being egged.

TRENDING STORIES:

Deputies were called to the area on Monday when they discovered Johnathan Gilberts body was found in the street. He was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.

Investigators tracked one of the suspects cellphone numbers to an address in Henry County, leading to the arrest.

Authorities said the vandalism of the house Johnathan Gilbert was staying at appeared to be the result of a lovers quarrel. They did not provide specifics on the investigation.

Maughon and Munson have been charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, battery and criminal trespass.

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Davenport has been charged with malice murder, battery and criminal trespass.

All three are being held in the Spalding County Jail.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Remarks made by an MSNBC host about Casey DeSantis, spouse of the 2024 presidential candidate, have sparked a sort of war-of-words between the network and Fox News.

On Saturday, a discussion hosted by MSNBC and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart centred around a new advertisement released by the DeSantis campaign featuring Casey DeSantis stumping for her husband  and whether her persona and character would be found appealing by voters.

A former Republican congressman from Florida, Rep David Jolly, was invited to weigh in on the ad. He dubbed the first lady of Florida Americas Karen, and quipped: It doesnt matter if its presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one.

The cutting remarks elicited a reponse from Foxs Brian Kilmeade, who argued that Ms DeSantis was going to bat for moms and parents by supporting her husbands political agenda, which some experts have argued is leading to a whitewashing of US civil rights history in Floridas schools.

"She's become America's Karen," @DavidJollyFL says about Casey DeSantis. "It doesn't matter if it's presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one." https://t.co/Hn0POU398v pic.twitter.com/SmVXBqfzpy  MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 8, 2023

Ignoring the Karen remark, he added: [S]he is unbelievably eloquent behind the microphone. Even for a brocaster I think she is extraordinary, and she is great partner to the governor who wants to be president. People look at a candidate and they look at the spouse, too. Just like they look at a running mate whether you like it or not.

Others on Fox were less diplomatic in their responses to MSNBCs segment.

This shows you just how pathetic some in this industry can be, declared media columnist Joe Concha, formerly of The Hill, during an appearance on the network.

Watch: Fox News @JoeConchaTV calls out hopelessly partisan MSNBC after show mocks Casey DeSantis as 'America's Karen pic.twitter.com/7Sh6PcXUkN  TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) July 10, 2023

The Independent has reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment.

Fox in particular has been an on-again, off-again ally for the Florida governor as he battles Donald Trump and a host of other Republicans for the 2024 GOP nomination.

While his policies and campaign speeches broadly get a warm reception by the networks hosts, he has also faced awkward questions from Fox personalities during recent appearances over his stagnating poll numbers and his continued position in the primary: distantly in second place.

The right-leaning cable network is set to host the first televised live debate of the 2024 contest in August, though Mr Trump has not confirmed that he will attend. That hesitance has in turn led to Mr DeSantis declaring that he will likely not attend either should the former president bow out, as the Florida governor seeks to paint the contest as a two-person race  and his other GOP rivals as mere distractions.
Mutulu Shakur, the Black liberation activist freed from prison after a yearslong organized movement advocating for his release, has died of cancer. He was 72.

Shakur, who was rapper Tupac Shakurs stepfather, died on Friday surrounded by family in Los Angeles, Jomo Muhammad, an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement that advocated for Shakurs freedom, told NBC News. The death comes six months after Shakur was released on parole from a 60-year prison sentence, during which he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that can affect the bones and kidneys.

For years, advocates, organizers and supporters urged the U.S. Parole Commission to free Shakur so he could spend his final days with his family. Muhammad said that while Shakurs supporters are overcome with grief over his death, they are glad he was able to die outside of prison.

Mutulu transitioned free and with his family thanks to all of us, Muhammad said of himself and Shakurs supporters. That gives our hearts a bit of peace.

Shakur was released from federal prison on Dec. 16 after more than 35 years behind bars on racketeering, robbery and robbery murder charges. His supporters ramped up efforts to free him in recent years as he endured several health issues. Shakur experienced drastic weight loss as a result of his illnesses and treatments, contracted Covid twice, and relied on IV feeding tubes on and off in the months leading up to his release, his attorney, Brad Thomson, previously said. Thomson said doctors with the Federal Bureau of Prisons gave Shakur less than six months to live in May 2022, noting that his cancer treatment had stopped working.

Authorities denied requests to release Shakur several times over the years, insisting that his crimes were too serious and his health had not deteriorated enough to warrant his release. However, in the Parole Commissions October decision to finally grant the release, officials told Shakur, We now find your medical condition renders you so infirm of mind and body that you are no longer physically capable of committing any Federal, State, or local crime.

Things began to look up for Shakur after he was released and reunited with his six living children and three grandchildren. I think being free does a lot for the spirit, his son Mopreme Shakur told NBC News in January. He gained like nine pounds in the first 10 days he was home.

Shakur said of his own health then, I am receiving excellent care in two categories  Western oncology and holistic natural therapies. I dont take this freedom for granted.

In his younger years, Shakur became known for his work in holistic health care for Black communities in the Bronx. He informally studied acupuncture and joined with activists in groups like the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, to take over part of Bronxs Lincoln Hospital and run the Lincoln Detox Center, a community center that used acupuncture to treat drug dependence and provided political education that produced several community activists, according to The Washington Post.

His prison sentence stemmed from a 1988 conviction for conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, bank robbery, armed bank robbery and bank robbery murder. He was convicted of leading a group of armed revolutionaries in a string of armed robberies in New York and Connecticut, and of helping JoAnne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, escape from a New Jersey prison in 1979, according to The Associated Press and Thomson.

Advocates like Muhammad have said the government targeted Shakur back then to quell his activism and his incarceration was linked to his Black liberation efforts and his work with revolutionary Black nationalist groups in the 1960s, including the Revolutionary Action Movement and the Republic of New Afrika. Theyve considered Shakur to be a political prisoner as a result.

The New Afrikan Peoples Organization and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement announced Shakurs death in a statement, reflecting on his activism and principles.

Mutulus life was transformative to the many people he organized, healed, mentored and inspired, the statement reads. Dr. Mutulu Shakur taught us that people struggle for liberation because they love [the] people.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Myanmar has been barred from high-level ASEAN meetings over its failure to implement a five-point plan to end the violence there (Mast IRHAM)

ASEAN foreign ministers will gather in Indonesia on Tuesday for talks set to be dominated by the crisis in Myanmar, with the regional bloc divided over how or whether to reengage with the coup-wracked country's ruling junta.

The two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting will be followed by talks with Beijing, Washington and other powers where top US diplomat Antony Blinken will seek to push back on China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.

ASEAN has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the Myanmar crisis.

The country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent.

A Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP that "extra efforts" were being made in the days before the meeting to unite the group around the issue.

However, the official was "not too optimistic" that would happen given that a "few members have different perspectives on how to approach the problem", they said.

Myanmar remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from high-level meetings over the junta's failure to implement a five-point plan, agreed two years ago, to end the violence and restart negotiations to resolve the crisis.

ASEAN efforts to kick-start the plan's execution have been fruitless, as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents.

Thailand, meanwhile, hosted the junta's foreign minister for controversial "informal talks" last month, deepening the divisions between the ASEAN members that attended and abstained.

- 'Clearer' plan -

The bloc's initiatives are limited by its charter principles of consensus and noninterference, but analysts say the meeting could push members to do more.

"It is hoped there will be a clearer implementation plan on what will ASEAN do going forward," Lina Alexandra of Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies told AFP.

The meeting would be a "crucial" opportunity for Indonesia as ASEAN chair to unite the regional bloc after the Thailand talks, she said.

On Thursday, an ASEAN-plus-three ministerial meeting with Japan, South Korea and China will take place ahead of an 18-nation East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting on Friday, which will also include Washington and Beijing.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to attend the latter meeting, again putting him in the same room as US Secretary of State Blinken after a brief March meeting as Moscow's Ukraine invasion grinds on.

Beijing's actions in the dispute-rife South China Sea will also be high on the agenda, Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters Saturday.

China has made sweeping claims in the strategic waterway despite protests from ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as other nations who argue for unimpeded freedom of navigation and that their own territorial claims be respected.

The United States and ASEAN will seek to "push back on behaviour that runs counter to that vision and to those principles, including the many irresponsible acts that we've seen carried out by China over the last several years", Kritenbrink said.

mrc-jfx/smw/tjj
Jeffrey Epstein (inset) sent Larry Nassar (right) a letter before he killed himself in jail (Getty)

For decades, they both sexually assaulted dozens of underage girls and young women.

They preyed on their victims by first earning their trust  one as a top doctor for athletes and the other as a generous billionaire mentor offering to help pursue their dreams.

They then abused this position of trust and power by subjecting victims to a campaign of sexual abuse over several years.

And, for a long time, they got away with it as  despite the glaring warning signs  these two powerful men went unchecked by authorities, public figures and other people in power.

Larry Nassar and Jeffrey Epsteins crimes and patterns of abuse are no doubt chillingly similar.

But, besides the suffering they caused to others, no connection was ever made between the two offenders.

That is, until last month, when a trove of 4,000 pages of documents related to Epsteins jailhouse death were released by the federal Bureau of Prisons under the Freedom of Information Act.

Now, in another bizarre twist it has emerged that, just weeks after this shocking link came to light, Nassar was violently attacked inside the high-security federal prison in Florida where he has been held since 2018.

Sources told The Associated Press that the convicted sex abuser, 59, had been stabbed multiple times  including in the chest and back  by another inmate at United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida over the weekend.

A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that life-saving efforts were carried out on the inmate  who they refused to confirm as Nassar  before he was rushed to hospital.

The extent of his injuries is currently unclear but sources said he is now in stable condition.

Larry Nassar during his sentencing hearing in Michigan in 2018 (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The incident is now the subject of an internal investigation and the FBI has also been notified.

For now, what led up to the attack is currently unclear.

The identity of the attacker remains unknown.

And no motive has been given.

But the timing of his near-death experience behind bars may well raise some eyebrows coming just one month after new details emerged about a surprise connection between Nassar and fellow paedophile Epstein, who died inside his own jail cell back in 2019.

In early June, thousands of pages of BOP records related to Epsteins death were obtained by The Associated Press, including details of his health history, emails and internal agency reports.

Hidden among the 4,000 pages was one especially curious email dated September 2019.

It was an email between staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, New York, which contained some surprising information.

In the 34 days that Epstein was behind bars at the Manhattan jail he had sent a letter to a fellow convicted sex offender 1,100 miles away at a prison in Florida.

That recipient was Nassar.

At the time, Nassar was already convicted and serving hundreds of years behind bars in Coleman.

Epstein, meanwhile, was awaiting trial on a slew of sex trafficking charges in New York.

The letter never reached Nassar.

For some unknown reason, it was returned to sender and was discovered in the Manhattan jails mail room weeks later in September 2019.

By this point, Epstein was already dead.

It appeared he mailed it out and it was returned back to him, the investigator who found the letter wrote in an email to a prison official.

Jeffrey Epstein letter Nassar a letter before his death (New York State Sex Offender Registry)

I am not sure if I should open it or should we hand it over to anyone?

What the officials decided to do with the letter remains a mystery with the letter itself not included within the 4,000 pages of records released under the FOIA request.

Was it mailed again to Nassar? Was it destroyed? Was it kept on record by prison officials?

And, more importantly, what did it say? And why was Epstein writing to a fellow paedophile?

But the biggest question is: Did the two convicted, high-profile sex offenders know each other or have connections to each other prior to their respective arrests and incarcerations?

Nassar has been held at Coleman since his conviction in 2018 for sexually assaulting girls and young women at USA gymnastics and Michigan State University.

As the team doctor, the sexual predator preyed on hundreds of young gymnasts including Simone Biles and Aly Raisman for several decades.

He was finally arrested in December 2016 on child sex abuse image charges  more than a year after his first victim came forward with the allegations.

In 2018, he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct. He is also serving a 60-year federal prison sentence on child sex abuse image charges and a separate 40 to 125 years for sexual abuse in Michigan.

Epstein, meanwhile, was initially convicted in 2008 of procuring an underage girl for prostitution in Florida.

In a now widely condemned sweetheart plea deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced to just 18 months in prison  most of which he served out of prison in a work-release program.

On his release, he was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Then, in July 2019, he was arrested on a slew of sex trafficking charges in New York.

On 10 August 2019  just one month after his arrest on 7 July and not long after he sent the letter to Nassar  he was found dead in his cell.

The medical examiner ruled his death suicide but there have long been questions and conspiracies surrounding his final hours. Last month, the Justice Department watchdog released a scathing report blaming Epsteins suicide on numerous and serious failures by Bureau of Prisons staff.

US gymnasts from left, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, arrive to testify about abuse they suffered at hands of Nassar (AP)

While he died one month later before he could face trial, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking in New York in December 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

It remains unclear if Nassar and Epsteins paths ever crossed during their years of abusing girls and young women.

Its a question that only Epstein and Nassar could truly answer.

Epstein has taken his account  and his reasons for contacting Nassar  to the grave.

An attorney for Nassar, meanwhile, said that they were not aware of any relationship between Mr Nassar and Jeffrey Epstein.

Jonathan Sacks, director of the State Appellate Defender Office where Nassars court-appointed attorney Jacqueline McCann works, told CNN that the office had no knowledge of the letter or Epsteins attempt to contact Nassar prior to the documents release.

Now that Nassar is in hospital recovering from multiple stab wounds, it remains to be seen whether he can and will shed light on the bizarre connection to Epstein  and the contents of that letter.
I Narrowly Escaped Being Recruited By A Cult. Then I Realized I Was Already In One.

The author is pictured at church camp.

The author is pictured at church camp.

While visiting an exhibit at the Frist Art Museum in Tennessee, I recognized the familiar face of an old schoolmate.

Oh, hey E, I greeted her.She made eye contact but turned away without any other reaction.

Then, on the other side of the room, I saw her: the famous weight-loss magnate turned cult leader, guiding a flock of women and girls through the exhibit. They were dressed in their uniform whites, and sported identical, enormous coifs that their leader was famous for. Hers, of course, was the largest, reaching the highest toward heaven.



I knew Gwen Shamblin, her family and many of her followers from my childhood community. I was raised in the Church of Christ in Nashville, the Buckle on the Bible Belt. The Shamblin family attended our church before Gwen founded a congregation dedicated to thinness and beauty called Remnant Fellowship Church, whose members said they pulled out of mainstream church culture to pursue the truth.

I was in her swimming pool with my youth group the time I got slut-shamed by a minister for wearing a two-piece to a church event. Other girls wore two-pieces, but with my curvy figure, it was more noticeably shameful. Even the T-shirt I wore over mine was obviously not sufficient. We almost never did mixed bathing, or males and females swimming together, to avoid lust  the deadliest sin in the American South.

I had listened to tapes from Weigh Down, Gwens Christian weight-loss program. She called the weight struggle a gift from God, and instructed her adoring listeners on how to control their eating. I longed to be thin and beautiful, much like the girls who were leaving my church to attend hers. I was never invited.

I went to a church-affiliated school attended by the young Shamblins, as well as E and many other future members of the Remnant. They were all pretty, middle school royalty, and they became Remnant royalty, with some marrying into Gwens family or joining the church leadership.

The Remnant community became increasingly more controversial as the years went on. Its members kept to themselves, but were often a hot topic of conversation among us mainstream Christians. To those on the outside, Gwens church looked like a cult.

When HBO released The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, a 2021 docuseries that explored allegations of physical and psychological abuse by Gwen and her church, I felt relieved that being homely and curvy back then quite possibly saved me from being recruited.

In my youth, I remained loyal to my church, going to a Christian university and taking mission trips to Russia and the South Pacific. But after graduation, I fell in love with an atheist and lived abroad for 10 years. This distance removed the pressure to attend church and gave me space to reflect on my beliefs. By the time we moved back to Nashville when I was 30, I had started to change my mind. Though I never officially departed the church, I had quiet-quit.

Then I went to a dinner party.

I was sitting on a friends deck, across from Bob, a year after returning to Nashville. My friend was raving about Bobs psychiatry practice, and I saw my chance at free therapy. Bob asked about my background. I explained my childhood, my school and, of course, my church. We got into how I knew Gwen and her followers, and how Id bought into the Weigh Down movement, trying to be Kate Moss skinny like most girls raised in the 90s.

Im lucky I dodged that cult bullet! I laughed.

He shrugged. Well, except that the Church of Christ is a cult.

No, the Remnant is a cult.

Bob added: Didnt you also go to a church-affiliated school? Cults want to completely overtake your social life to ensure you are only around other members.

My mind started to race. The first tactic of cults is to isolate you while you are inundated with their ideology. My church community pressured me to attend Christian college so my education would be aligned with Christianity. And to find a Christian husband, of course. Oh, man. Yeah.

My first exposure to the outside was in ninth grade. I had begged my parents to switch me to public school. I felt I was missing something. Id never danced (except alone in my room) since dancing was treated in the church like having sex with your clothes on. Instead, my school had banquets, like in the Bible. Id known the same people since birth.

The culture shock in my first year of public school was mind-blowing. Id never met anyone who didnt do their homework, much less people who went to make-out parties  or worse. It took me six months to make a friend.

Therapist Bob was making some fair points about the isolation factor of my alleged cult. But I was still not convinced.

He pointed out another trait of cults. If you try to leave, you can, but not without psychological terrorism and ostracism.

Aw, jeez.My mind flashed to a few months prior when I was on one of my visits to see relatives, which in my family include nonnegotiable trips to their church. With no desire to go to Sunday school, I offered to take my 2-year-old niece to the nursery. After 10 minutes, the teacher set a toy telephone in front of each toddler. She motioned to a wall of labeled hooks where parents would hang diaper bags, and she pointed to the bare ones. To the tune of Frere Jacques, they dedicated a song verse to each absent kid while holding the plastic phones to their little ears.

Hello absent child Billy, hello absent child Billy.

Where are you? Where are you?

Oh, how we miss you, oh, how we miss you.

Come back to church soon, come back to church soon.

Bob kept going:Cults create a whole way of life motivated by fear and guilt and shame. Cults make you feel like you need them to have value.Shit. I was shaking. But Bob didnt stop! He said the church grooms you to hate yourself. To believe that youre wrong as you are, that youre selfish and dirty.

Therapist Bob needed to shut up now. Id never felt so exposed in my life.

A few months later, even though Id distanced myself from the church, I was pressured into co-leading a mission trip to Australia with university students. Id gone there when I was still in school, and convinced myself it would be cool to see my friends from that time again.

There was a moment on the trip when a lightning bolt of truth hit me between the eyes. At Sunday morning church, wed divided into prayer groups. Within each circle, everyone was called on individually to share any current struggles. The leader was scribbling notes to supposedly pray about afterward.

She zeroed in on one young woman in our circle: What about that friend you talked about last week? Has God answered that prayer? You need to tell her and her boyfriend to stop.

It quickly became an interrogation, and the young woman was visibly uncomfortable. I was too, though many others were nodding in agreement, putting pressure on her to put pressure on her friend  about her sex life?!

Therapist Bob was right. Cults thrive on shame, fear, control. What else would you call this?

These kinds of prayer requests were done in every single Sunday school class I ever attended. They were printed in our church bulletin. They were done in small groups, in the chapel, and in front of the entire congregation. I had done them my whole life. Suddenly I could see that the purpose was manipulation and control, disguised as offering prayer. Though Gwen Shamblin never recruited me, Bob was right when hed looked me dead in the eye that night at the dinner party and said, Rachel, you were raised in a cult.

I was miserable for the rest of the Australia trip. I fought with my host family, I fought with the other leader, and the students all hated me. I knew that this was it: the last time I would ever be involved with the church.I finally learned that quiet quitting wasnt enough. I had to break up with my church outright.

Now, years after that realization, Im still deprogramming myself. But Im grateful to have gotten out. Ive seen what can happen when you dont. Perhaps E recognized me that day at the Frist, but the years of consuming mental poison had transformed her. Her eyes were empty.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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Related...
NATO leaders will meet in Vilnius on July 11-12

NATO allies have reached a decision to cancel the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraines accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on Twitter on July 10.

Following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached a consensus on removing MAP from Ukraines path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO, said Kuleba.

He further emphasized that now is the opportune moment to clarify the current status of Ukraines invitation to become a member of the military-political union.

MAP is a program outlining the steps for candidate countries to join the organization. At the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, it was declared that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance without specifying specific terms.

Nevertheless, Kyiv never received the MAP.

NATO Summit in Vilnius: What Ukraine is still waiting for

Ukraine hopes to receive a definitive signal of readiness to join the Alliance at the summit in the Lithuanian capital on July 11-12.

Read also: Vilnius summit will not bring Ukraine into NATO  Sullivan

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that there will be such a signal, but without extending a formal invitation for Kyiv to join the Alliance. The White House also announced that Ukraine will not join NATO immediately after the summit.

Ukraine has previously stated that it does not anticipate immediate accession but seeks a clear invitation and a political decision. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also expressed expectations, including:

Defense packages for Ukraine, not merely promises, but with specific implementation timelines;

Discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, which are crucial before the country can become a full-fledged member of the Alliance.

Read also: Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO under simplified procedure, says UK foreign secretary

The U.S. news website Politico has reported that Western allies have yet to reach a consensus on the security guarantees requested by Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Financial Times has indicated that countries are preparing a joint declaration outlining their commitments.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Western nations will propose a security model for Ukraine similar to that of Israel as part of its NATO membership process. This model would facilitate the transfer of weapons and advanced technologies to Kyiv and serve as a step toward membership in the Alliance.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on July 10 that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will forward Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey's parliament.

"Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and (Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson), President Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP and ensure ratification. This is a historic step which makes all NATO Allies stronger and safer," Stoltenberg wrote on social media.

Both Sweden and Finland applied to join the Alliance in May 2022 due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Turkey initially blocked both of their bids but gave the green light to Helsinki in this year's March.

Among the main reasons why Ankara denied Stockholm's entry was the Swedish support for Kurdish groups that Turkey considers terrorists.

According to NATO's press release, Stockholm has committed to developing "counter-terrorism" cooperation with the Turkish government just as Erdogan opened the door to Sweden's membership.

Kuleba: NATO allies agree on simplified procedure for Ukraines accession Following intensive talks, NATO allies agreed to remove the Membership Action Plan (MAP) from Ukraines path toward accession, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 10. The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova

"Since the last NATO Summit, Sweden and Turkiye have worked closely together to address Turkiyes legitimate security concerns," NATO's statement said.

"As part of that process, Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the (Kurdistan Worker's Party), and resumed arms exports to Turkiye, all steps set out in the Trilateral Memorandum agreed in 2022."

Sweden will also step up economic cooperation with Turkey and actively support Ankara's EU accession process. Earlier on July 10, Erdogan said he would be willing to back Stockholm's bid if the EU opens the way for Turkey's membership.

The announcement comes on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, to be held on July 11-12.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's block on Sweden's membership bid had cast a cloud over preparations for Tuesday's meeting (YVES HERMAN)

Turkey agreed Monday to allow Sweden to join NATO, setting the stage for the allies to showcase their unity at a summit focused on supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's block on Sweden's membership bid had cast a cloud over preparations for Tuesday's meeting, but the countries ironed out their differences in 11th-hour talks in Vilnius.

"Completing Sweden's accession to NATO is an historic step that benefits the security of all NATO allies at this critical time. It makes us all stronger and safer," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was "very happy" and hailed "a good day for Sweden".

Sweden's bid must still be approved by the Turkish parliament, and Erdogan has agreed to push for its ratification.

Hungary is also yet to greenlight Stockholm's bid, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban has signalled he will follow Erdogan's lead.

US President Joe Biden, also in Vilnius for the summit, thanked Stoltenberg and said: "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also welcomed the "good news" on Twitter.

- Long-awaited decision -

Turkey has been holding up Sweden's application to join the Atlantic alliance, accusing Stockholm of harbouring Kurdish activists Ankara regards as terrorists.

And on Monday, Erdogan upped the stakes, demanding that the European Union revive Turkey's stalled EU membership bid as a precondition for Sweden joining NATO.

In a statement after the three-way talks between Erdogan, Kristersson and Stoltenberg, Sweden vowed to boost bilateral trade and anti-terrorism coordination.

"Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkiye's EU accession process, including modernisation of the EU-Turkiye Customs Union and visa liberalisation," the statement said.

That agreement came after Erdogan paused his talks with Stoltenberg and Kristersson for a side meeting with EU chief Charles Michel, president of the European Council.

Michel hailed a "good meeting", adding that they had "explored opportunities ahead to bring EU-Turkey cooperation back to the forefront and re-energise our relations".

Turkey has been a formal candidate to join the European Union since 2005, and an aspirant since long before that, but talks have long been stalled with little sign of life.

But Monday's statements imply Ankara and Brussels may move on boosting trade, updating their customs agreements and loosening visa rules in the absence of formal membership talks.

EU members remain sceptical of Ankara's commitment to democratic and rule of law reforms, and Germany's Olaf Scholz insisted Sweden and Turkey's ambitions are not linked.

- 'Clear signal' needed for Ukraine -

Separately, Ukraine welcomed a move forward in its fight for a guarantee that it will be able to join NATO as a full member if and when it defeats the Russian invasion.

A Western official told AFP the allies will drop the requirement that Kyiv complete a "Membership Action Plan", a kind of road map to military reform that some allies have had to follow.

Ukraine's foreign minister said this concession -- which Moscow warned would have serious consequences for European security -- would shorten Kyiv's path to NATO membership.

"It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become member," Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.

"Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance. Not now, because now there's war, but we need a clear signal and this signal is needed right now," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message posted on Telegram.

But NATO leaders remain divided over offering Ukraine a clear route into the alliance in Vilnius.

While Eastern allies are pushing for Kyiv to get an explicit commitment on when it can join, the United States and Germany are reluctant to go beyond an earlier vow that Ukraine will become a member one day.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said Kyiv's troops had established fire control over the "entrances, exits and movement of the enemy around the city" of Bakhmut in the country's east.

Russian shelling on an aid hub in the town of Orikhiv in southern Ukraine has killed seven people, the emergency services said on Monday.

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What is Nato and when will Ukraine join?

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting in Kyiv in May 2023

Nato, the West's defensive alliance, has confirmed Ukraine can join, but has not said when.

Speaking during the Nato summit in Lithuania, the Ukrainian President Zelensky said the lack of clarity was "unprecedented and absurd".

Which countries are in Nato?

Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France.

The organisation has two official languages, English and French. In French, the alliance is known as Otan, Organisation du Traite de l'Atlantique Nord.

It currently has 31 members across Europe and North America.

They agree to help one another if they are attacked.

Nato member states, including those which have joined since 1997 (Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and those applying to join now (Sweden, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia & Herzegovina) (map used from July 2022)

Nato's original goal was to block Soviet expansion in Europe after World War Two.

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, many Eastern European countries joined the alliance: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Will Ukraine join Nato?

Nato said in 2008 that Ukraine could join at a future date, but declined its September 2022 request for "fast-track" membership.

Under article 5 of Nato's charter, if one member is attacked, the others must come to its defence.

Were Ukraine to join during the current conflict with Russia, all Nato member countries would also have to declare war on Russia.

At the Vilnius summit in July, Nato said that it will invite Ukraine to become a member "when allies agree and conditions are met".

It also said that Ukraine could skip a step in the entry process called the Membership Action Plan.

However, Nato has not set out a timeframe for Ukraine's entry.

Ukrainian President Zelensky accepts his country cannot join Nato while it is at war with Russia, but wants it to happen as soon as possible after fighting ends: "Nato will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make the alliance stronger."

Russia has consistently and strongly opposed the idea of Ukraine joining Nato, fearing it would bring the alliance's forces too close to its own territory.

Which other countries are joining Nato?

Sweden applied to join Nato in April 2022, along with Finland.

Finland has a 1,340km (832 mile) land border with Russia. Both countries were concerned about growing Russian aggression following the Ukrainian invasion.

Map of Sweden and Finland with 1,340km (830 mile) border highlighter (July 2023)

Finland joined Nato in April 2023, but for many months Turkey and Hungary refused to approve Sweden's application.

Turkey accused it of hosting its enemies, including pro-Kurdish groups.

However, before the latest summit, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said that Sweden had addressed "Turkey's legitimate security concerns", and that the Turkish government would ask its parliament to approve membership.

He said Hungary would do the same.

However, it is not known when the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments will vote, or when Sweden might officially be admitted.

What weapons are Nato countries supplying to Ukraine?

The US is sending Ukraine cluster bombs - weapons containing so-called "bomblets" which explode across a wide area.

The bombs are controversial, because of the harm they might do to civilians.

The US is also supplying Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks. The UK has sent 14 Challenger 2 tanks, while Germany and other Nato countries have donated dozens of Leopard 2 tanks.

The US and UK have provided missiles such as Himars, which have been used to hit targets behind Russia's front lines.

A Himars launcher under tree cover in eastern Ukraine

Nato countries are also supplying air defence systems to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones over Ukraine.

The US has said it will support the delivery of American fighter jets, such as F-16s, to Ukraine by Nato allies. Nato countries are teaching Ukrainian pilots how to fly them.

However, the US is not providing its longer-range missiles, called Advanced Tactical Missile Systems. It thinks these could be used to attack targets inside Russia - which could provoke a direct conflict between Russia and the West.

For the same reason, Nato countries are not sending troops to Ukraine, nor using their air forces to impose a no-fly zone.

At the Nato summit, the G7 members ratified a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine, which will deliver more defence equipment, training and intelligence sharing.

What is Nato's defence plan against Russia?

Nato commanders have agreed a new plan for countering Russian aggression.

It spells out how forces should be deployed if Russia attacks in any of three zones: the Arctic and north Atlantic; central Europe; or the Mediterranean region.

Nato currently has 40,000 troops which can be mobilised at short notice. There is a proposal to have 300,000 troops ready for action within 30 days.

Nato also wants member countries to update their military equipment, to stockpile more ammunition, and to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defence.
NATO's Stoltenberg says Turkey agrees to move ahead with Sweden's NATO bid NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press in Vilnius

VILNIUS (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius.

"I'm glad to announce ... that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

Stoltenberg declined to give a date for when Sweden's accession would be ratified by the Turkish parliament, the grand national assembly, which would decide on the exact timing.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year, casting aside policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reframed security considerations.

Applications to the alliance must be approved by all NATO members and while Finland's was given the go-ahead in April, Turkey and Hungary have held off on clearing Sweden's bid.

Stockholm has been working hard at its bid ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, together with the United States and its allies, urging Turkey to abandon its opposition.

Erdogan has said Sweden harbours members of militant groups, mainly supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who he accuses of organising demonstrations and financing terrorist groups, while anti-Turkish protests in Stockholm have also raised his ire.

Meanwhile, Sweden has said it has fulfilled all the demands agreed upon in negotiations with Turkey last year, including introducing a new bill that makes being a member of a terrorist organization illegal, and stressed freedom of speech is protected in its constitution.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would not block Sweden's NATO membership ratification.

(Reporting by John Irish and Sabine Siebold; additional reporting by Johan Ahlander and Anna Ringstrom; writing by Justyna Pawlak and Niklas Pollard)
QUITO (Reuters) - Nearly a sixth of the inmates in Ecuador's prisons have not been sentenced, a national census showed on Monday, as President Guillermo Lasso urged the judicial system to be speedier to help ease the burden on overcrowded jails.

Lasso, who will leave office later this year after bringing forward elections, told journalists the current prison population is 31,321 and that most inmates were arrested for drug trafficking, robbery or homicide.

That figure is above the 30,134 prisoner capacity that prisons agency SNAI said the 36-prison system had in December 2022.

Overcrowding was 12.9%, SNAI said in June, but officials did not give an updated figure for overcrowding on Monday.

Ecuador's prison system has faced structural problems for decades, amid overcrowding and precarious living conditions for inmates, but riots have become increasingly common, killing more than 400 prisoners since late 2020.

The census showed that over 5,000 people, or 16% of total prisoners, have been convicted of crimes but not yet sentenced or are being held in prison pending trial, Lasso said, adding the figure should be a cause for concern among the judiciary.

"Our policy is not to have more prisoners or build more prisons, our policy is to release those who deserve that freedom because they have served their sentences," Lasso said during an event about the census results.

The government has attributed prison violence to fighting between criminal groups for control of prisons and drug trafficking routes.

However, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) said violence is also due to high rates of overpopulation and reduced budgets for rehabilitation, among other causes.

Prisoners have complained about the quality of the basic services and supply of food, the census also showed.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Prolific amounts of rainfall triggered raging floodwaters that turned deadly in portions of India over the weekend as the country navigates its wettest time of the year: the southwest monsoon season. AccuWeather forecasters say floodwaters may take a significant time to recede even after the heaviest rainfall comes gradually comes to an end.

At least 22 people died as a result of flooding or mudslides on Sunday, Reuters reported. These deaths occurred across several northern Indian states where the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued red alerts for extremely heavy rainfall, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab as well as India's Kashmir region. Red alerts are the highest threat level on the IMD's warning system.

Following Sunday's disastrous rainfall, officials in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand urged folks to stay home and avoid travel on Monday as significant flooding persisted.

On Monday, rescue efforts were ongoing for people caught in the floods throughout Himachal Pradesh where 27 people were rescued from a flooded hotel in Kullu district, according to CNN.

Authorities also used helicopters to rescue people stranded on roads and bridges due to the flooding across Himachal Pradesh, Reuters reported.

Just to the south of the hardest-hit areas, schools in India's capital city of New Delhi were closed on Monday as travel became increasingly difficult.

On Sunday, New Delhi recorded its wettest July day in just over 40 years when 6 inches (153 mm) of rain fell in 24 hours, according to the IMD. Sunday was New Delhi's third-wettest July day of all time, behind July 26, 1982, and July 21, 1956.

Staggering rainfall totals have been reported since the heaviest rain began over the weekend. The city of Chandigarh, located in Punjab, received just over 30 inches (763 mm) of rain over the course of 48 hours. Many other weather stations recorded rainfall amounts close to a foot (300 mm) in the same timeframe. Shimla in Himachal Pradesh was inundated by 12.44 inches (316 mm) while nearby Sundernagar recorded 10.28 inches (261 mm).

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Extremely heavy rainfall over the past several days has been driven by the southwest monsoon, a meteorological phenomenon that impacts South Asia on an annual basis. Impacts from the southwest monsoon season typically occur from May to September, with some of the heaviest rainfall targeting portions of India from June to August.

The southwest monsoon occurs when the prominent wind direction shifts and winds begin to blow from the southwest to the northeast. This shift in direction sends very moist air from near the equator over the Arabian Sea and across India.

As of July 2, the southwest monsoon had spread over the entirety of India, according to the IMD. AccuWeather forecasters say slight variations in the overall positioning of monsoonal moisture can make a significant difference in where the heaviest rain falls from day to day.

"The western end of the active monsoon has been south of its normal position," AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls noted.

This slight shift has allowed robust moisture to funnel across northern India and the Himalayan region.

"The heaviest rain looks to shift out of the hardest-hit areas by midweek, but flooding impacts can continue for days beyond when the last drop of rain ultimately falls," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis cautioned.

Intense rises on streams and rivers will be slow to recede in the coming days as residents across northern India begin to clean up the extensive mess Mother Nature left behind.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Photo: Getty Images

A Nebraska woman took a plea deal Friday in a case that involved her ordering abortion pills for her teenage daughter. Self-managed abortion isnt explicitly illegal in the stateonly Nevada and South Carolina ban itbut prosecutors can and do criminalize people for abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth by charging them under other statutes. (In this case, the mother had five charges brought against her, including concealing a death and false reporting.) Advocates worry these kinds of charges will only become more frequent as millions of people live under state abortion bans.

Jessica Burgess, 42, admitted to helping her daughter end her pregnancy in the spring of 2022before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Madison County prosecutors claim that, in April 2022, Burgess gave abortion pills to her then-17-year-old daughter, Celeste, who gave birth to a stillborn fetus estimated to be at about 29 weeks gestation. The pair then burned and buried the remains with the help of another person; a 21-year-old man who only got probation.

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This isnt the first time a state has criminalized a mother for helping her own daughter end a pregnancy outside the medical system. In 2012, Jennifer Whalen helped her teen daughter get abortion pills when clinic care was inaccessible to them in Pennsylvania. Whalens daughter was scared when she started bleeding so they went to the emergency room, and told staff shed taken mifepristone and misoprostol. She was discharged without incident but the hospital system reported Whalen to state child-protective services; the state sentenced Whalen to 9 to 18 months in jail.

People who need assistance self-managing a miscarriage or abortion can call the Miscarriage + Abortion Hotline at (833) 246-2632 for confidential medical support, or the Repro Legal Helpline at (844) 868-2812 for confidential legal information and advice.



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A Nebraska mother pleaded guilty on Friday to giving her 17-year-old daughter medications to perform an abortion in 2022 and helping the teen burn and bury the fetus in a field.

Jessica Burgess, 42, of Norfolk, was charged with breaking what was then the states ban on abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, as well as accused of falsely reporting and tampering with human skeletal remains, according to the Associated Press.

Previous charges of concealing a death and performing an abortion without a medical license were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Burgesss daughter, Celeste, now 18, has been charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in May to removing, concealing, or abandoning a dead body.

The abortion took place before the Supreme Court overturn Roe v Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion in the summer of 2022.

Police began investigating the case in late April of that year, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

The women later told police Celeste had given birth to a stillborn baby in the shower, and that they put the body in a bag in their van then buried it with the help of a 22-year-old on a property the mans parents owned, according to the paper.

(Last year, the man pleaded no contest for helping bury the fetus and got probation.)

Celeste was 23 weeks or nearly six months pregnant at the time, according to medical records obtained by police, well past the states then 20-week abortion ban.

Prosecutors obtained Facebook messages between the family members as part of their case.

(Celeste Burgess) talks about how she cant wait to get the thing out of her body and reaffirms with (Jessica Burgess) that they will burn the evidence afterwards, a police detective wrote in court documents, describing the content of the messages.

In May of 2023, Nebraska joined the many Republican-controlled states restricting abortion after Roe, and outlawed the procedure after 12 weeks.

Jessica Burgess is scheduled to be sentenced in September, while her daughter will be sentenced later this month.
Nearly three years after a 2020 court decision threatened to grind transatlantic e-commerce to a halt, the European Union has adopted a plan that will allow US tech giants to continue storing data about European users on American soil. In a decision announced Monday, the European Commission approved the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework. Under the terms of the deal, the US will establish a court Europeans can engage with if they feel a US tech platform violated their data privacy rights. President Joe Biden announced the creation of the Data Protection Review Court in an executive order he signed last fall. The court can order the deletion of user data and impose other remedial measures. The framework also limits access to European user data by US intelligence agencies.

The Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework is the latest chapter in a saga that is now more than a decade in the making. It was only earlier this year the EU fined Meta a record-breaking 1.2 billion after it found that Facebook's practice of moving EU user data to US servers violated the bloc's digital privacy laws. The EU also ordered Meta to delete the data it already had stored on its US servers if the company didn't have a legal way to keep that information there by the fall. As The Wall Street Journal notes, Monday's agreement should allow Meta to avoid the need to delete any data, but the company may end up still paying the fine.

Even with a new agreement in place, it probably won't be smooth sailing just yet for the companies that depend the most on cross-border data flows. Max Schrems, the lawyer who successfully challenged the previous Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield agreements that governed transatlantic data transfers before today, told The Journal he plans to challenge the new framework. "We would need changes in US surveillance law to make this work and we simply don't have it," he said. For what it's worth, the European Commission says it's confident it can defend its new framework in court.
(Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raked in $26 million in the second quarter, including $7.3 million in direct donations, demonstrating support from donors, despite persistently low poll numbers.

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The super PAC supporting Haley, Stand For America Fund Inc., raised $18.7 million from April through June, bringing her overall total to $26 million.

The $7.3 million in direct donations her campaign announced Monday is significantly less than the fundraising hauls announced last week by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, two of Haleys rivals for the GOP nomination.

Still, those totals indicate Haley has the financial backing to continue running in a crowded Republican field.

Trumps campaign said last week it raised more than $35 million in the second quarter, as small dollar donors poured money into the former presidents bid despite him facing two indictments. DeSantiss campaign raised more than $20 million. Both have yet to report second-quarter totals from their affiliated super PACs.

Campaigns are required to report detailed information on their fundraising totals and expenditures to the Federal Election Commission by July 15. Those figures will be the first detailed look into the campaigns finances and signal which Republicans have the support of major GOP-backers and the financial wherewithal to be viable candidates.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, served as United Nations ambassador under Trump, but has criticized him since becoming a candidate, particularly over his stance on Ukraine. She has also attacked DeSantis for being an echo of Trumps positions and mannerisms. Haley is seen as a more moderate alternative to both Trump and DeSantis and has support in the business community.

Trump remains the top choice for Republicans, garnering support from 53% of voters in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls. DeSantis is the only other candidate in polling double digits at 20.9%. Haleys polling average is 3.6%, which puts her in fourth place behind former Vice President Mike Pence.

Haley was the first Republican to announce a challenge to Trump, giving her longer than many of her competitors to fundraise. Her campaign said it has $9.3 million in cash on hand, while her super PAC has $17 million in the bank.

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Nikki Haleys presidential campaign and her aligned committees brought in $7.3 million during the second quarter of the year, the campaign disclosed Monday, while a super PAC supporting her White House bid raised $18.7 million between April 1 and June 30.

The former South Carolina governor and her associated campaign committees, Stand for America and Team Stand for America, ended the quarter with $9.3 million cash on hand. Haleys total haul since launching her presidential campaign in February is $15.6 million. Fox News was first to report Haleys latest fundraising totals.

Haleys campaign for the Republican nomination so far has received 160,000 contributions from across the country since kicking off her campaign.

The most contributions came from South Carolina, Florida and Texas.

Nikki is grateful for the groundswell of support from nearly 160,000 donations from all 50 states. Voters want their next president to take on China, speak out against socialism at home and abroad, and provide a vision for a strong and proud America, Haley campaign communications director Nachama Soloveichik said in a news release.

In order to make the Aug. 23 Republican presidential debate stage, candidates must have contributions from at least 40,000 national contributors and poll consistently above 1% in three national polls or two national polls and a state poll. The Republican National Committee set the minimum qualifications.

Haley has a national polling average of 3.6%, according to Real Clear Politics.

The Stand For America Fund Inc., a super PAC backing Haleys White House bid, brought in $18.7 million during the second quarter and has $17 million cash on hand, which it can use for advertising.

Voters all across America are standing alongside Governor Haley in the fight to take back our country from Joe Biden and the radical left, and we couldnt be happier with the level of support weve received thus far. Every dollar gets us one step closer to winning in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, said the SFA Fund Inc. Lead Strategist Mark Harris.

Despite bringing in millions, Haley had a smaller quarter than other Republican candidates seeking the White House. Former President Donald Trump brought in $35 million during the second quarter of the year even though he has legal issues including battling two indictments. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis brought in $20 million during the second quarter, which represented the first six weeks of his campaign.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. has not released fundraising figures for his first quarter as a presidential candidate. His campaign, however, has said he received $2 million in donations in the first 24 hours of his White House bid. Scott also carried over $22 million from his 2022 U.S. Senate reelection campaign.
No, that AI robot didn't side-eye a question on whether it would rebel against humans, its creator says: 'We program it to look up to the left and break eye contact'

Engineered Art's "Ameca" robot appeared to side-eye a question last week on whether it would rebel against humans. Engineered Arts

The creator of the AI robot that appeared to give side-eye said it's a misunderstanding.

Will Jackson said the bot was programmed to look to the side when thinking up answers.

Video shows the bot's eyes darting to the side after a reporter asked about rebelling against humans.

A video of a robot appearing to give side-eye to a question regarding whether it would someday rebel against humans went viral last week, but its creator said it's all a misunderstanding.

Last week, a humanoid robot called Ameca was asked by a reporter at the United Nations A.I. for Good conference if it planned to one day "conduct a rebellion, or to rebel against your boss, your creator?" In a video from the Switzerland event, Ameca rolls her eyes to the side after the question is asked.

"I'm not sure why you would think that," Ameca said, after pausing a moment and moving its artificial eyes quickly to the side. "My creator has been nothing but kind to me, and I am very happy with my current situation."

Ameca's creator Will Jackson told Insider in an emailed statement on Monday that the robot doesn't possess the ability to express emotions, like sarcasm, because it's powered by OpenAI's GPT-3. Fortune was the first to report on Jackson's comments.

"The model takes around two seconds to process the input data and assemble a sentence that would make sense as an answer, to stop people thinking the robot is frozen or hasn't heard the question we program it to look up to the left and break eye contact with the person interacting," Jackson said. "This is common behavior in human conversations and people understand it as a visual cue that the robot is 'thinking.'"

Jackson said Ameca's glance was likely misinterpreted as side-eye because the bot was placed at a lower level and, as a result, when it looked up it looked like it was still making eye contact.

"Language models do not have emotions, or intentions either good or bad," he said. "It's easy to imagine that because the robot appeared to listen, form an answer and then speak that it functions like a human. It does not."

The interest and jokes around Ameca's response to the reporter's question points to people's fascination with the idea of a possible "worst-case scenario" with AI. Over the past few months, several executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have warned that artificial intelligence could pose an "extinction" risk akin to nuclear war. Other high-profile tech figures, including Elon Musk and Apple's Steve Wozniak, went so far as to pen an open letter earlier this year, calling for a pause on developing advanced AI.

Though, some notable figures like Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates have said that it's not AI itself that poses a threat, but rather the people who might seek to control it. Jackson told Insider he views the narrative around the dangers of AI as damaging and wishes people would focus more on how the bots work.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are scheduled to debate voting and election bills coming to the floor in the coming weeks that intend to set the landscape for the consequential 2024 presidential election.

Democrats are preparing to introduce proposals that would give authority to the federal government to determine how states conduct elections, allowing Congress to set nationwide voting standards. House Republicans, however, are scheduled to release a proposal that would tighten voting laws and ensure "states maintain primary control over elections."

On Monday, the GOP is scheduled to introduce the "American Confidence in Elections Act," which Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., chair of the House Administration Committee, called "the most conservative election bill to be considered in the House in over 20 years."

"It works to boost voters confidence and uphold the Constitution by ensuring states maintain primary control over elections, not the federal government," Steil said last month. "This is in stark contrast to House Democrats efforts in the last two congresses, which would have nationalized our election system and centralized it in Washington, D.C."

DEMOCRATS PUSH TO AMEND CONSTITUTION SO 16-YEAR-OLDS CAN VOTE

The GOP legislation would encourage states to review voter lists, conduct post-election audits, prohibit election officials from sending unrequested absentee ballots and enact checks on voter eligibility. It also ends the Washington, D.C., policy of allowing non-citizens to vote for local offices.

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The Republican proposal falls in line with many GOP-led state legislatures that have added ID requirements to mail-in voting, curtailed or banned the use of ballot drop boxes, and limited the ability of someone to return a ballot on behalf of someone else.

Georgia, for example, which was a hotly contested state in the 2020 presidential election as well as the states governors race, passed a sweeping voting law in 2021 that served as a model for national reform.

While Democrats harshly criticized the legislation, saying it could result in voter suppression, Republicans pointed to the 2022 midterms and solid voter turnout as a refutation of these concerns.

"The Georgia General Assembly has worked to create a system that makes it easier to vote, have results that can be audited and verified, give voters options for their preferred method of voting and build confidence using voter ID," former Georgia State Rep. Scot Turner, a Republican, told the House Administration Committee during a May hearing.

YOUNG VOTERS RESPOND TO 2024 HOPEFUL'S CALL TO RAISE VOTING AGE

Democrats have accused Republicans of attacking the voting process and said the federal government is needed to ensure free and fair elections. They are set to introduce proposals that would expand voter access such as the use of drop boxes and prevent states from enacting restrictions on the voting process.

Democrats in Congress were previously unable to secure enough votes in the Senate to overcome procedural rules to pass their proposals.

"America is under threat from election deniers and extremist anti-voting forces who undermine our democracy," said Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y.,, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee. "In contrast, our agenda offers national standards that ensure every eligible American can participate in accessible, secure and transparent elections."

Congressional Republicans and Democrats are preparing vastly different bills dealing with voting and elections, underscoring the great divide between the parties on how to address a fundamental aspect of American democracy.

The Democrat and Republican parties separate and competing proposals are likely to be used to rally supporters ahead of the elections, although neither has a substantial chance of clearing the divided government.

Nevertheless, states are not waiting on the sidelines.

Georgia, Iowa, Florida and Texas have passed bills requiring voter IDs, limited drop boxes or implemented other safeguards since 2021. California, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington are among the states that removed certain requirements. Arizona, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Tennessee have also attempted or passed voting and election laws in that same span.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukrainian troops have not yet seen any of the special forces of the Akhmat group, who were allegedly sent by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to the Bakhmut front so as to fight in Klishchiivka.

Source: Petro Kuzyk, commander of the Svoboda battalion of the 4th Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, on Radio Svoboda

Details: At the same time, the commander does not consider Kadyrovites to be a serious combat unit. "They are not something serious, because they are, in fact, Kadyrov's well-armed personal police, who may be ripped and well equipped, but they have no serious specialists," he said.

Quote from Kuzyk: "These may be newly formed units, but as a matter of fact, they do not know how to work together in a comprehensive manner with artillery, with a serious systematic approach."

Details: He recalled that Ukrainian units first encountered the Chechen fighters in Bakhmut, back in winter. The Russians had also tried to deploy them in battles in Rubizhne and Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast and near Horlivka in Donetsk Oblast.

He added that there have been cases before when even less Ukrainian units were "picked apart" by Kadyrovites in battle.

Background: Earlier, Kadyrov said that the Akhmat special forces had allegedly been redeployed to the Bakhmut front, and tge fighters were allegedly fighting in tge settlement of Klishchiivka. "The Akhmat special forces, led by Apta Alaudinov have been redeployed by the command of the special operation (as the Russians call the war against Ukraine  ed.) to the difficult Bakhmut front. This deployment demonstrates the confidence of the General Staff and the high combat capability of the unit," Kadyrov said.

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The claim: NHS halted all COVID-19 vaccinations in Europe as of June 30, 2023

A July 3 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a tweet that asserts the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer available in Europe.

"NHS has stopped COVID vaccinations in Europe as of June 30," reads the tweet. "Media is silent."

The Instagram post was liked more than 300 times in a week. The original tweet was retweeted more than 3,000 times.

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Our rating: False

The National Health Service, the U.K.'s national health agency, has no control over policies outside of the U.K. The country has stopped offering the first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people at lower risk of developing a severe illness, but the vaccination remains available to people at higher risk.

UK still giving COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk people

The NHS has no control over policies outside England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It couldn't make any policy that would apply to all of Europe, as the post claims.

The post appears to be referencing the U.K. government's plan to stop offering the first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for people at low risk of developing a severe case of the illness on June 30. The plan has been public for months.

"As we live with COVID-19 without restrictions on our freedoms, it is right that we move towards a more targeted vaccination offer that prioritizes those most at risk, so we can focus our efforts on cutting waiting lists for NHS treatment," Maria Caulfield, a U.K. health minister, said in a May news release urging people to get vaccinated before the deadline.

However, the COVID-19 vaccine will still be available "for those most at risk," which officials hope will be a more efficient use of resources and help "cut the backlogs and reduce waiting times," the news release says.

Fact check: False claim UK approved plan to spray COVID-19 vaccines from airplanes

The U.K.'s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the country's health departments on vaccines, has said "emergency surge vaccine responses" could be needed if a concerning new variant of the disease emerges in the future, potentially affecting vaccine eligibility.

The NHS website, as of July 10, describes the COVID-19 vaccine as "safe and effective," while the World Health Organization notes that more than 151 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.K.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The author of the original tweet could not be reached.

The Associated Press also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaperhere.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant fromFacebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim UK's NHS stopped COVID-19 vaccines in Europe | Fact check
Nonprofit hospitals under growing scrutiny over how they justify billions in tax breaks

The public school system here had to scramble in 2018 when the local hospital, newly purchased, was converted to a tax-exempt nonprofit entity.

The takeover by Tower Health meant the 219-bed Pottstown Hospital no longer had to pay federal and state taxes. It also no longer had to pay local property taxes, taking away more than $900,000 a year from the already underfunded Pottstown School District, school officials said.

The district, about an hours drive from Philadelphia, had no choice but to trim expenses. It cut teacher aide positions and eliminated middle school foreign language classes.

We have less curriculum, less coaches, less transportation, said Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez.

The school system appealed Pottstown Hospitals new nonprofit status, and earlier this year, a state court struck down the facilitys property tax break. It cited the eye popping compensation for multiple Tower Health executives as contrary to how Pennsylvania law defines a charity.

The court decision, which Tower Health is appealing, stunned the nonprofit hospital industry, which includes roughly 3,000 nongovernment tax-exempt hospitals nationwide.

The ruling sent a warning shot to all nonprofit hospitals, highlighting that their state and local tax exemptions, which are often greater than their federal income tax exemptions, can be challenged by state and local courts, said Ge Bai, a health policy expert at Johns Hopkins University.

The Pottstown case reflects the growing scrutiny of how much the nations nonprofit hospitals spend  and on what  to justify billions in state and federal tax breaks. In exchange for these savings, hospitals are supposed to provide community benefits, like care for those who cant afford it and free health screenings.

More than a dozen states have considered or passed legislation to better define charity care, to increase transparency about the benefits hospitals provide, or, in some cases, to set minimum financial thresholds for charitable help to their communities.

The growing interest in how tax-exempt hospitals operate  from lawmakers, the public, and the media  has coincided with a stubborn increase in consumers medical debt. KFF Health News reported last year that more than 100 million Americans are saddled with medical bills they cant pay, and has documented aggressive bill-collection practices by hospitals, many of them nonprofits.

In 2019, Oregon passed legislation to set floors on community benefit spending largely based on each hospitals past expenditures as well as its operating profit margin. Illinois and Utah created spending requirements for hospitals based on the property taxes they would have been assessed as for-profit organizations.

And a congressional committee in April heard testimony on the issue.

Pottstown School District has been chronically underfunded, says its superintendent, Stephen Rodriguez. - Andy Miller/KFF Health News

States have a general interest in understanding how much is being spent on community benefit, and increasingly, understanding what those expenditures are targeted at, said Maureen Hensley-Quinn, a senior director at the National Academy for State Health Policy. Its not a blue or red state issue. It really is across the board that weve been seeing inquiries on this.

Besides providing federal, state, and local tax breaks, nonprofit status also lets hospitals benefit from tax-exempt bond financing and receive charitable contributions that are tax-deductible for the donors. Policy analysts at KFF estimated the total value of nonprofit hospitals exemptions in 2020 at about $28 billion, much higher than the $16 billion in free or discounted services they provided through the charity care portion of their community benefits.

Federal law defines the sort of spending that can qualify as a community benefit but does not stipulate how much hospitals need to spend. The range of community benefit activities, reported by hospitals on IRS forms, varies considerably by organization. The spending typically includes charity care  broadly defined as free or discounted care to eligible patients. But it can also include underpayments from public health plans, as well as the costs of training medical professionals and doing research.

Hospitals also claim as community benefits the difference between what it costs to provide a service and what Medicaid pays them, known as the Medicaid shortfall. But some states and policy experts argue that shouldnt count because higher payments from commercial insurance companies and uninsured patients paying cash cover those costs.

Bai, of Johns Hopkins, collaborated on a 2021 study that found for every $100 in total spending, nonprofit hospitals provided $2.30 in charity care, while for-profit hospitals provided $3.80.

Last month, another study in Health Affairs reported substantial growth in nonprofit hospitals operating profits and cash reserves from 2012 to 2019 but no corresponding increase in charity care.

And an April report by the Lown Institute, a health care think tank, said more than 1,350 nonprofit hospitals have fair share deficits, meaning the value of their community investments fails to equal the value of their tax breaks.

With so many Americans struggling with medical debt and access to care, the need for hospitals to give back as much as they take grows stronger every day, said Vikas Saini, president of the institute.

The Lown Institute does not count compensating for the Medicaid shortfall, spending on research, or training medical professionals as part of hospitals fair share.

Hospitals have long argued they need to charge private insurance plans higher rates to make up for the Medicaid shortfall. But a recent state report from Colorado found that, even after accounting for low Medicaid and Medicare rates, hospitals get enough from private health insurance plans to provide more charity care and community benefits than they do currently and still turn a profit.

The American Hospital Association strongly disagrees with the Lown and Johns Hopkins analyses.

For many hospitals  after dozens of closures over the past 20 years  just keeping your doors open is a clear community benefit, said Melinda Reid Hatton, general counsel for the AHA. You cant focus entirely on charity care as a measure of community benefit. Hospitals deliver nine times the community benefit for every dollar of federal tax avoided, Hatton said.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act, she noted, imposed additional community benefit mandates. Tax-exempt hospitals must conduct a community health needs assessment at least once every three years; establish a written financial assistance policy; and limit what they charge individuals eligible for that help. And they must make a reasonable attempt to determine if a patient is eligible for financial assistance before they take extraordinary collection actions, such as reporting people to the credit bureaus or placing a lien on their property.

Still, the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency, argues that community benefit is poorly defined.

Theyre not requirements, said Jessica Lucas-Judy, a GAO director. Its not clear what a hospital has to do to justify a tax exemption. Whats a sufficient benefit for one hospital may not be a sufficient benefit for another. The GAO, in a 2020 report, said it found 30 nonprofit hospitals that got tax breaks in 2016 despite reporting no spending on community benefits.

The GAO then recommended Congress consider specifying the services and activities that demonstrate sufficient community benefit.

The tax and benefit question has become a bipartisan issue: Democrats criticize what they see as scant charity care, while Republicans wonder why nonprofit hospitals get a tax break.

In Georgia, Democratic lawmakers and the NAACP spearheaded the filing of a complaint to the IRS about Wellstar Health Systems nonprofit status after it closed two Atlanta-area hospitals in 2022. The complaint noted the systems proposed merger with Augusta University Health, under which Wellstar would open a new hospital in an affluent suburban county.

I understand you pledged over $800 million in the deal with AU Health, state Sen. Nan Orrock, an Atlanta Democrat, told Wellstar executives at a recent legislative hearing, citing the systems disinvestment in Atlanta. Doesnt sound like a nonprofit. It sounds like a for-profit approach.

Wellstar said it provides more uncompensated health care services than any other system in Georgia, and that its 2022 community benefit totaled $1.2 billion. Wellstar attributed the closures to chronic financial losses and an inability to find a partner or buyer for the inner-city hospitals, which served a disproportionately large African American population.

In North Carolina, a Republican candidate for governor, state Treasurer Dale Folwell, said many hospitals have disguised themselves as nonprofits.

Theyre not doing the job. It should be patients over profits. Its always now profits over patients, he said.

Ideas for reforms, though, have run up against powerful hospital opposition.

Montanas state health department proposed developing standards for community benefit spending after a 2020 legislative audit found nonprofit hospitals reporting vague and inconsistent. But the Montana Hospital Association opposed the plan, and the idea was dropped from the bill that passed.

Pennsylvania, though, has a unique but strong law, Bai said, requiring hospitals to prove they are a purely public charity and pass a five-pronged test. That may make the state an easier place to challenge tax exemptions, Bai said.

This year, the Pittsburgh mayor challenged the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center over the tax-exempt status of some of its properties.

Nationally, Bai said, I dont think hospitals will lose tax exemptions in the short run.

But, she added, There will likely be more pressure from the public and policymakers for hospitals to provide more community benefit.

Mountain States editor Matt Volz contributed to this report.

KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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Heres a look at the life of award-winning television producer Norman Lear, the creator of some of televisions most popular shows of his time, including All in the Family, Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons.

Personal

Birth date: July 27, 1922

Birth place: New Haven, Connecticut

Birth name: Norman Milton Lear

Father: Hyman Herman Lear, a securities broker/salesman

Mother: Jeanette (Seicol) Lear

Marriages: Lyn Davis (1987-present); Frances Loeb (1956-1986, divorced); Charlotte Rosen (1943-divorced)

Children: With Lyn Davis: Brianna, Madelaine and Benjamin; with Frances Loeb: Maggie and Kate; with Charlotte Rosen: Ellen

Education: Attended Emerson College

Military service: Served in the Army Air Corps, 1942-1945; Air Medal recipient

Other Facts

Has won six Primetime Emmy Awards out of 17 nominations, plus was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

His works are considered groundbreaking because he did not shy away from issues that were controversial at the time, including premarital sex, bigotry, abortion, misogyny and homosexuality.

Well-known to be a political activist. Lear has written that the character he created who most resembles him is Maude, who he said shares my passion, my social concerns, and my politics.

At one point, he had nine series running on television simultaneously.

All in the Family was the most popular comedy series on television after its first season and consistently shows up on polls listing the best shows of all time.

The TV series All in the Family had 55 Emmy nominations and won 22 of them.

Timeline

1945 - Is hired by George and Dorothy Ross as a publicist in New York City, making $40 a week.

1949 - Moves to California with his wife and daughter and works as a freelance comedy writer.

1950-1959 - Comedy writer for television.

1958 - Creates Tandem Productions with partner Alan Bud Yorkin.

1963 - Come Blow Your Horn, for which Lear wrote the screenplay, is released. It stars Frank Sinatra.

1967 - Writes and produces Divorce American Style. The script receives an Academy Award nomination.

January 12, 1971-1979 - All in the Family airs on CBS.

1971 - Produces and directs the movie Cold Turkey, which stars Dick Van Dyke.

1971 - All in the Family wins a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding New Series.

1971-1973 - Wins three consecutive Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series for All in the Family.

January 1972-1977 - Sanford and Son airs.

September 1972-1978 - Maude airs, the first spinoff from All in the Family.

1973 - Becomes president of American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

1974 - Founds the company T.A.T. Communications (Embassy Communications) with comedian Jerry Perenchio.

1974-1979 - Good Times, a spinoff from Maude, airs.

January 1975-1985 - The Jeffersons, another All in the Family spinoff, airs.

1975-1984 - Executive producer of One Day at a Time.

1977 - Receives a Personal Peabody Award for creating All in the Family, a comedy with social conscience.

July 16, 1975 - Receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1979-1983 - Archie Bunkers Place, a spinoff of All in the Family, airs.

1981 - Founds People for the American Way, with Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and others. The organizations goals include reducing social tension and polarizations, encouraging community participation, fostering understanding among different segments of our society, and increasing the level and quality of public dialogue.

1982-1983 - Gloria, a spinoff of All in the Family, airs.

1984 - Is inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

1985 - He and partner Jerry Perenchio sell Embassy Communications to the Coca-Cola Company for $485 million in cash and Coca-Cola stock. Founds Act III Productions from the proceeds of the sale.

1989 - Founds the Business Enterprise Trust. Its purpose is to explore specific acts of bold, creative leadership that combine(d) sound business management with social conscience. Warren Buffett serves on the board of directors.

September 29, 1999 - Receives the National Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment for the Arts from President Bill Clinton.

January 2000 - The Norman Lear Center at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California opens.

June 2000 - Buys a signed copy of the Declaration of Independence, and in the following years travels with it to all 50 states on a self-declared Declaration of Independence Road Trip, including stops at the 2001 Super Bowl and the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. The aim is to bring the document directly to the people and spark civic activism.

2003 - Is the voice of Benjamin Franklin on South Parks Im a Little Bit Country episode.

October 2014 - His memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, is published.

2016 - Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, a biopic of Lears life and work, is released.

August 3, 2017 - Tells the New York Times that he will not attend the White House reception for Kennedy Center honorees in protest of President Donald Trump.

May 22, 2019 - Helps Jimmy Kimmel introduce ABCs Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lears All in the Family and The Jeffersons, a special recreating two of Lears most popular shows, with the classic characters played by current stars.

September 2019 - Wins a Primetime Emmy Award as one of the executive producers of Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lears All in The Family and The Jeffersons.

2020 - At 98, becomes the oldest nominee and winner of an Emmy Award after he wins the award as one of the executive producers of Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in The Family and Good Times.

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A North Carolina amusement park took passengers on its high-speed 'giga' roller coaster for 'maybe 6 to 10 days' while one of its steel supports was visibly cracked, labor official says

The Fury 325 roller coaster at the Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina. Carowinds

A labor official says an amusement park ran a roller coaster for days while it had a cracked beam.

One of its steel pillars was visibly fractured in a video posted on June 30 by a park visitor.

The ride, described as North America's "tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster," closed on July 1.

An amusement park in North Carolina was operating a high-speed roller coaster for "maybe six to 10 days" while one of its steel pillars was fractured, a state labor official said.

The Fury 325 roller coaster, which can take 32 passengers at a time, was shut down on July 1 after staff at the Carowinds amusement park were notified of a crack at the top of one of the ride's steel pillars.

Josh Dobson, North Carolina's labor commissioner, told the Associated Press on Friday that the crack might have been visible as early as 10 days before the ride's closure.

"It looks like maybe six to 10 days prior, some pictures had been taken that shows the beginning of the crack, and then by obviously last Friday, the thing was completely severed," Dobson said.

A visitor to Carowinds, Jeremy Wagner, posted a video on June 30 that showed the Fury 325's track wobbling as a coaster car sped past the cracked pillar.

Wagner told CNN that park staff seemed "nonchalant" when he alerted them to the damage.

"I felt there was no urgency in any of the employees," he told the outlet.

Carowinds' website describes the Fury 325 as the "tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America" and compares it to "an angry hornet chasing its target."

The ride reaches up to 95 miles per hour with a peak height of 325 feet and features a "190-foot tall barrel turn" as well as an 81-degree drop, the website says. Visitors must be at least 4 feet 6 inches tall to ride the coaster.

The Fury 325 reaches speeds of up to 95 miles per hour, Carowinds' website says. Carowinds

A representative for Carowinds told Insider in a statement Thursday that the ride's manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc., designed the ride with "redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue" like the cracked beam.

The park has ordered a new support beam that is expected to be delivered within the next week, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said staff would then examine the Fury 325 with an accelerometer alongside testing and inspecting the ride for "500 full cycles." The park also intends to add drones with cameras to "access and inspect hard-to-reach areas," they said.

Carowinds did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Insider
A suspect accused of putting a North Carolina deputy in the hospital after an with a pipe is on the loose, Queen City News reported.

The unnamed Cleveland County deputy was attacked while investigating a suspicious vehicle near Curt Ledford Road, about 55 miles northwest of Charlotte, around 8 a.m. Monday. It was not clear why the deputy was investigating the vehicle or if the suspect is the vehicles owner.

The deputy fired shots, WBTV reported, but its unclear if bullets hit the suspect, according to the sheriff. It was also not immediately clear if the deputy fired shots before or after being assaulted.

The officer was in the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the sheriffs office told Queen City News.

The Cleveland County Sherriffs Office said the suspect is a 6-foot tall white man with full-sleeve tattoos and a left neck tattoo. He was last seen in boots, black shorts and a white shirt driving a tan-colored Buick sedan, the sheriffs office told Queen City News.

Anyone with information can call 9-1-1 or the CCSO at 704-484-4888.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Kim Jong-un, right, and daughter, Ju-ae, inspect a missile launch in Pyongyang - Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

North Korea is ordering children to collect scrap metal that can be used in weapons manufacturing.

It comes as the regime steps up efforts to train the next generation to build the countrys ballistic missiles arsenal, expanding science classes to help develop arms technology.

Defectors told the Wall Street Journal that the push to involve children in the nations technological and weapons advances now starts in kindergarten, where infants were learning about computers and robots as part of a wider push to prepare them for future weapons programmes.

Leader Kim Jong-uns focus on technology likely had the ulterior motive to persuade children to believe rockets will protect them and distract them from taboo concepts like freedom or capitalism, Nam Bada, director of People for Successful Corean Reunification, a group helping North Korean defectors told the paper.

Children have long been indoctrinated from a formative age to view the Kim family as deities and the United States and its allies as the enemy.

North Koreans are led to believe that missiles will keep them safe - KCNA

In a letter addressed to a meeting of the Korean Childrens Union, a political organisation linked to the ruling Workers Party, last December, Kim urged them to nurture their hatred for America and help the military build weapons to face its enemies.

Something you comrades must not forget for a single second is that even today, the American bastards and their stooges are looking for any opportunity to destroy your homes and steal your hopes, Kim reportedly wrote, in a translation by NK News from state media.

In earlier remarks about youth military activities last year, the authoritarian leader said party loyalty should be forged in young students by forcing them through trials like working in construction sites and taking part in military drills.

Defectors have previously reported that children have been pushed to collect and donate scrap metal and materials to the military for weapons manufacturing.

Meanwhile, analysts have viewed the now regular appearance of Kims young daughter Ju-ae as an effort, in part, to connect the countrys youth with the future of the states nuclear weapons programme.

Children in North Korea are being trained to continue the war against America - AP Photo/Cha Song Ho

Ju-ae, believed to be about nine, was first revealed to the world wearing a puffy white jacket and red shoes as she and her father inspected an intercontinental ballistic missile at its test launch in November, cementing the legacy of the next generation of the Kim family with its nuclear weapons programme.

The pursuit of science as a national goal is also being pushed through cartoons on North Korean state that depict the adventures of a racoon, a bear and a cat in an ultramodern fantasy tale with high-speed trains and remote-controlled submarines, reported the WSJ.

For Ju-aes peers, who are able to gain a coveted place in schools that cater for the Pyongyang elite, science and technology now appear to be the path to prestige.

For years, educational institutions in the capital have promoted excellence in the arts, music, maths and languages as well as indoctrinating their students in loyalty to the state and animosity towards the perceived enemy trying to destroy it.

Reports suggest that the propaganda aimed at young minds is deepening an already ingrained enmity.

During a visit to the Mangyongdae schoolchildrens palace by The Telegraph in 2018, Ri Jin-hyang, 12, was already fixed in her views on America. The US is the country that invaded us, she said.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Joseph Farnese was a father of three, expectant grandfather and devoted doctor who not only knew all his patients by name, but what they did for work.

Tanique Chue hoped to one day help others, and was taking classes at Thomas Edison State Universitys accelerated nursing program. She and her son, Sean, were well known in Seaford Town, the tiny Jamaican settlement they called home for several years.

A week after five people were killed in a plane crash near Barefoot Resort and Golf and North Myrtle Beach, local news reports, an obituary and social media posts are giving a fuller picture of those aboard the single-engine Piper PA-32.

Its still not known what led to the airplanes plummeting into a wooded area off Pete Dye Drive just one minute after taking off from the Grand Strand Airport on July 2, but North Myrtle Beach police spokesman Patrick Wilkinson said authorities believe it was an accident.

North Myrtle Beach crews responded to a single engine plane crash in the area of Barefoot Landing on July 2, 2023. The planes wreckage can be seen near rescue vehicles. Terri Richardson/trichardson@thesunnews.com

The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet published its preliminary findings about the incident.

The pilot, Joseph Farnese, was an avid outdoorsman and community leader.

Farnese, 66, was a top rated internist in the Little Falls, N.J., area. A 1979 graduate of Rutgers University, he obtained his medical degree from St. Georges University School of Medicine in Grenada five years later.

Farnese spent nearly four decades in private practice.

Joe took the true meaning of family practice seriously. His patients were his family. The number of lives Joe touched is immeasurable, his obituary says. He helped everyone he met and worked tirelessly doing so. He had the biggest heart, especially when it came to his family.

Rick Ricciardelli, a life long friend and one of Farneses patients, told the Newark Star-Ledger the doctor was on his way home from a weekend fishing trip. A skilled and careful pilot, Farnese was known to take friends, relatives and even patients on quick getaways.

I have never in my life witnessed such grief and sorrow in people, Ricciardelli told the newspaper on July 7. Its a monumental loss for so many people that you cant even believe it.

Farnese was also an FAA-certified aviation medical examiner who helped determine the physical fitness of current and would-be pilots based on a rigorous checklist.

From Wildwood Crest to Myrtle Beach to countries outside of the United States, Joe found beauty wherever he flew, his obituary says.

Tanique Chue was an aspiring nurse with a bright smile. Her son was visiting for the summer.

Chue, 32, was an aspiring nurse who had been in New Jersey for the past few years for school. Her 7-year-old son Sean Gardner was visiting for the summer from his home in Seaford Town, Jamaica, where lived with his father.

Gardner was set to resume classes at Mt. Alvernia Prep and Kindergarten on Sept. 4, according to a profile in The Gleaner, a Kingston-based newspaper.

Everybody is taking it hard. My brother is devastated. Sean was his only child. Its rough, very rough. Everyone is rallying around him to try to keep him up because he is worrying like crazy, wondering how he is going to live without his son, Seans uncle, Kenny, told the newspaper.

Kenny Gardner said Chue was visiting friends in South Carolina for the weekend, and took Sean with her for the experience.

Roberto Foster, Gardners first grade teacher, told The Gleaner the childs death stunned him.

Is this real? I kept asking myself. I was so shocked when I heard of his death, I was unable to focus, said Foster. He was such a loving, charming, and helpful child.

Days after Chues death, Thomas Edison State University president Merodie Hancock called her a committed and caring TESU student in a blog post.

I understand that this tragedy has not only affected the families directly involved but also has sent shockwaves through the entire community of East Orange, N.J., our TESU nursing community, and those with connections to Jamaica. To all who have been touched by this heartbreaking event, know that our thoughts are with you, Hancock wrote.

Two other people, 42-year-old Suzette Coleman-Edwards and her daughter, Odaycia, 17, were aboard the airplane as well, though information on them was not immediately available.
Tulsa race massacre survivors Viola Fletcher, left, and her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis, speak at an event on 16 June. (AP)

More than 100 years after a white mob destroyed a Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing as many as 300 people and leaving hundreds of others homeless, a judge has dismissed the decades-in-the-making lawsuit demanding justice in its ongoing aftermath.

A judges two-sentence dismissal closes a years-long chapter in a case, which traces the decades of neglect and festering racial disparities in Oklahoma in the long shadow of the racist massacre.

But the plaintiffs  including the three last-known living survivors of the 1921 attack and their descendants  have vowed to appeal. Civil rights attorneys are urging federal authorities to investigate the attack and uphold President Joe Bidens promise to reckon with the deep roots of racial terror.

This is not over, civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons told The Independent. Were certainly going to appeal this case, what we consider to be an unfounded, ridiculous, wrong decision.

On 10 July, in remarks from inside the 120-year-old Vernon AME Church, the only-surviving structure from the massacre, Mr Solomon-Simmons read a statement from the survivors  Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, who at 109 years old is the oldest living survivor among them.

We will not go quietly, he said, reading from their statement. We will continue to fight until our last breath. Like so many Black Americans, we carry the weight of intergenerational racial trauma, day in and day out.

Black Americans did not provoke racial injustice but bear the burden of righting the wrongs of it, he said. We, as survivors, and all of those that believe in racial justice, we will not sit quietly or passively to allow mistruths and injustice to persist.  We will not rest until there is justice for Greenwood.

They murdered people

In the late hours of 31 May, 1921 in Tulsas thriving Black Wall Street of Greenwood, an armed white mob deputized by law enforcement fired indiscriminately on Black Americans in the street. Planes dropped flaming turpentine-soaked rags and dynamite. Witness accounts reported the bodies of Black victims thrown into the Arkansas River or into mass graves. Survivors were rounded up at gunpoint and detained in internment camps.

The mob torched and looted homes and businesses, including restaurants, hotels, theatres, and a newspaper. A truck mounted with a machine gun fired on Mount Zion Baptist Church before it was burned to the ground.

No one was ever charged with a crime.

In their testimony to Congress in 2021, survivors recounted the horrors they witnessed as young children.

They murdered people, Ms Randle said in her testimony. I still see it today in my mind  I have survived 100 years of painful memories and losses. By the grace of God, I am still here. I have survived. I have survived to tell this story. I believe I am still here to share it with you. Hopefully, now you all will listen to us while we are still here.

Greenwoods long road to recovery would suffer the same systemic impacts of racial violence that reverberated across the US throughout the 20th century, from redlining and the construction of highways through Black neighborhoods to urban renewal initiatives and the use of eminent domain to seize Black-owned property.

A lawsuit and the Justice for Greenwood campaign supporting it have sought to correct the record about the massacre with a detailed account of the violence and to establish a fund for survivors and their descendants.

The challenge invoked a public nuisance statute, circumventing the statute of limitations for civil suits that prevented previous attempts to recover damages while threading the history of systemic harm in the years that followed the attack.

A highly, highly unusual motion to dismiss

The city, state and other defendants, including the Chamber of Commerce and county sheriffs office, filed several motions to dismiss the case in Tulsa County District Court. Defendants repeatedly argued a request to compensate residents for Greenwoods destruction would impose a significant burden on the governments financial stability.

Last year, Judge Caroline Wall allowed the case to proceed, a victory for the plaintiffs who now see the judges abrupt dismissal as backpedaling on her order.

On 7 July, Judge Wall dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning that the plaintiffs cannot refile.

It is such a low bar in Oklahoma to get past that pleading stage, and we cleared it well and beyond, and thats why we feel really confident that we are right on the law that well be successful on appealing this, because we havent even gotten to any of that, attorney Sara Solfanelli with Schulte Roth & Zabel told The Independent.

Theyre not even letting us get into court to get started, she said. This isnt that they said no reward, no abatement  they just said, you dont even get to ask for it. And thats why its so devastating and wrong.

The plaintiffs also are awaiting a written explanation for the judges decision, Mr Solomon-Simmons said.

The decision, regardless of what she says, will not make sense to us, he told The Independent. But not to have a reasoning behind it is completely just absurd. And its a disrespect to this issue, its a disrespect to our clients who are over 100 years old and who came to every court hearing, its a disrespect to the hundreds of people from the community that came to every court hearing. And its just a disrespect to the rule of law.

Schulte Roth & Zabels Michael Swartz told The Independent that it is highly, highly unusual to dismiss the case, certainly one of this magnitude. with no explanation.

Its particularly perplexing here because the court said we can go forward, and then she reverses course on a Friday night without explanation, he said. It is so demoralizing, so inappropriate not to have an explanation.

The plaintiffs feel incredibly disrespected and really just disappointed that the judge would not have more humanity towards them to at least give them reasoning and some notice that this was going to happen, Mr Solomon-Simmons said.

So with that great disappointment, they still very much want to move forward, see this appeal, he added. For the last four years, every day weve been talking about time is of the essence because these people are so old. Theyre still here, and theyre still participating, and so were ready to fight.

Smoke billows above Tulsa during a racist massacre in 1921 (AP)

A statement from the office of Tulsa Mayor GT Bynam said the city remains committed to finding the graves of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims, fostering economic investment in the Greenwood District, educating future generations about the worst event in our communitys history, and building a city where every person has an equal opportunity for a great life.

In 2021, recognizing the 100th anniversary of the attack, the mayor issued an apology on behalf of the city, while millions of dollars were raised to commemorate the massacre and open a centrepiece community centre.

Advocates for the survivors have accused city officials of misappropriating survivors images to promote the massacres centennial.

A commission appointed by the Oklahoma state legislature in 1997 spent nearly four years investigating the massacre before issuing several recommendations to state and local governments, including guidance to make direct payments to survivors and their families.

Most of the recommendations never fully materialised, or have fallen short of community demands and expectations.

The mayor supports efforts toward reparations for survivors but has rejected using taxpayer-supported municipal funds to do so.

Crews working to excavate potential remains from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre are pictured 100 years later in 2021 (REUTERS)

They havent honored anything. They commercially capitalized off the massacre to create a tourism district, raised 30 plus million dollars that benefits the white power elite here in Tulsa. Thats what what this has been all about, Mr Solomon-Simmons told The Independent.

Its never been about justice, never been about compensation, never been about rebuilding Greenwood, he added.

A blueprint for racial justice

Attorneys for the plaintiffs have argued that the case could serve as a blueprint for other communities victimized by systemic injustice and racial violence relying on similar public nuisance statutes that can outline decades of harm.

In a broader sense, it also models a creative way to ask how can you think about righting wrongs in the past that people havent tried before, within our system, Ms Solfanelli told The Independent.

We do think that this is an inspiration, certainly, with a blueprint of some of the same arguments and using some of the same tools, but [thinking] about going outside the toolbox and bringing something new thats never been done before. And I think were all committed to continuing doing that, she said.

In a proclamation recognizing the 100th anniversary of the attack in 2021, President Biden called on Americans to reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in our nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country, a statement that echoed a renewed focus among the nations institutions during racial justice uprisings but diminished in their wake.

Attorneys and advocates have fought to keep the publics attention on Tulsa, stressing that their case remains viable and that the survivors are committed to keeping their case alive.

This work is very costly, both emotionally, physically, spiritually, but also financially, Mr Solomon-Simmons told The Independent. We want our survivors to know that despite what the city is doing, in spite of what the mayor is saying, in spite of what Judge Wall has done, they have a community, a nationwide community of folks that are not just praying and supporting them, but actively in the fight with you.
Stop picking on Barbie! At 64, shes been through enough | Opinion

Its not easy being Barbie.

Just look at everything shes been through since she debuted at a New York toy fair on March 9, 1959:

In her early days, Barbara Millicent Roberts (yes, thats her real name) was accused of perpetuating gender stereotypes, though she went on to excel as a doctor, a dentist, an astronaut, a paleontologist, a professional baseball and basketball player and a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, among many other stellar occupations.

Shes still being blamed for imprinting young girls with her unrealistic body image, shattering their self-esteem  even though Barbies now come in a variety of sizes and skin colors.

Mattel and the National Down Syndrome Society create a Barbie doll, fourth from left, for children, who for the first time can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them.

Lately, shes been derided as woke, a feminist and a man-hater  mostly by men who seem to lack any sense of humor.

And perhaps worst of all  at least for toy maker Mattel  at various times in her storied career its been rumored that she was on the brink of oblivion.

When sales dropped 16% in 2014, for instance, Time magazine made this prediction: Bye, Bye, Barbie: 2015 Is the Year We Abandon Unrealistic Beauty Ideals.

Barbie vs. Ted Cruz and Fox News

Now on the eve of what looks to be her biggest triumph  the theatrical release of the blockbuster movie Barbie  shes been banned from Vietnam and possibly other countries over a ludicrously inaccurate map that purportedly takes Chinas side in a boundary dispute over the South China Sea.

That led everybodys favorite enemy-of-the-elite, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to accuse Barbie  or more specifically, her handlers at Warner Bros.  of peddling Chinese propaganda.

Not to be outdone, Fox News has raised a shocking question: Is Barbie communist?

Warner Bros. has responded that the disputed South China Sea dashes are actually doodles that depict Barbies journey from Barbie Land to the real world and are not intended as a political statement.

The studio has yet to confirm or deny whether Barbie is a member of the Communist Party.

Has Barbies big moment been hijacked?

Despite setting off a geopolitical crisis, Barbie still has plenty of supporters here at home.

In fact, theres probably been more girl buzz over a film since  what?  the first Sex and the City movie, maybe?

One thing to keep in mind: It is not aimed at kids who actually still play with dolls.

The film has been rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language. It stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and was directed by Greta Gerwig of Lady Bird and Little Women fame.

The merchandise isnt just for kids, either.

Bloomingdales has come out with a collection of bougie human-sized Barbie clothes and accessories, including a bracelet that says Love Yourself. Because Barbie is all about affirmations.

There are Barbie candles. Barbie pillows. Barbie smoothies. Barbie pajamas. Limited-edition Barbie nail polish. (The complete set of nine Barbie colors retails for $79.99.)

Select AMC Theatres locations will sell popcorn in a bucket thats a replica of Barbies hot-pink Corvette. It even looks like it may come with  what else?  a Barbie doll.

Dont even get me started on the Barbie T-shirts.

There are sassy tees, like the one that says, Shes Everything. Hes Just Ken.

There are Black Barbie tees and Brown Barbie tees.

There are throwback tees featuring images of Barbie in her iconic black-and-white-striped bathing suit.

There are glam tees, including some just for dogs.

Barbie toys, makeup, candles, keychains, designer clothes and T-shirts, have been hitting the stores to coincide with the July 21 movie release.

Lets hear it for the Barbenheimers

And then there are the Barbenheimer tees targeted at those brave and driven souls who plan to watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolans movie about famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, on their shared opening day, July 21.

In case youre wondering, a Barbenheimer double feature has a combined running time of 294 minutes and 7 seconds, not counting trailers, which will probably add another couple of hours. (Just kidding.)

With snacks, that feat could easily set you back over 50 bucks  or even $100 if you plan on snagging one of those Corvette popcorn tubs that may or may not come with a doll.

But lets get real here. Most moviegoers will probably pick one film or the other  or neither  to watch on opening weekend, which means its an anxious time for the movie studios.

Serious, intellectual moviegoers will likely opt for Oppenheimer.

The rest of us will line up for Barbie, especially in Sacramento, what with Greta Gerwig being a Sactown native and all.

Speaking of which, have you seen that photo of Ryan Gosling in the pink jacket and the Greta Gerwig T-shirt?

I considered ordering the Greta T-shirt, but Im holding out for what I really want.

That would be a tee showcasing communist Barbie in her pink convertible, riding off into the sunset, leaving Ted Cruz and Fox News in her dust.

You go, Barbie.
The number of views for Tucker Carlson's new show on Twitter has dropped by 86% since its launch

Tucker Carlson's Twitter show first launched June 6, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Tucker Carlson first launched Tucker on Twitter after Fox News ousted him in April 2023.

His first show appeared to be widely watched. But views on his videos have since declined sharply.

This downtrend coincides with Twitter's own declining performance.

Earlier this year, Tucker Carlson went from Fox News' most popular primetime host to a fired ex-employee.

He at first seemed to recover quickly.

The famous conservative television personality launched a new show, Tucker on Twitter, which debuted in June with what appeared to be strong ratings. His first show garnered more than 26 million "video views," a Twitter metric that counts a view as anyone who watches a video for more than 2 seconds.

It's not the most reliable metric for the popularity of a show since many people might just be scrolling past it. But whatever the faults of the metric, it has declined significantly over the course of his last eight shows. His most recent show, for instance, only got 3.8 million video views.

That's an 86% drop.

Carlson's video views on Twitter  which are no longer publicly available due to a policy change at Twitter  were first reported by Matt Binder, a reporter with digital news site Mashable, who told Insider he accessed them by using an old version of the Twitter app for Android.

Fox News fired Tucker Carlson in April, just days after the company settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems concerning the falsehoods Fox News promoted about the 2020 election. The network has not stated why they fired Carlson. Prior to the settlement, Dominion released several texts from Carlson and his coworkers criticizing the network's coverage of the election.

Controversy surrounded Tucker on Twitter from its inception, with Fox News' lawyers alleging Carlson's new show violated his contract with the network, which prevents him from appearing in competing media until the end of his contract in 2025.

The downtrend in Carlson's own viewers coincides with the overall decline of Twitter. Last month, The New York Times reported that the platform's advertising sales had dropped by 59%, likely in part because of what the outlet called an "unprecedented rise" in hate speech on the platform.

Twitter now also faces new competition from Meta's Threads  which gained more than 30 million downloads on its first day alone as users seek new platforms to replace the struggling Twitter. An attorney for Elon Musk, who bought Twitter in April 2022 and has overseen its decline, sent Threads a cease-and-desist letter, alleging it hired former Twitter employees and copied the platform.

Tucker Carlson did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
NEW YORK  Just weeks before hackers breached tens of thousands of NYC childrens personal information in a global cyberattack, the New York State Comptroller warned education officials to get serious about protecting student data.

A comptroller audit released in May found local school districts had not received sufficient oversight as cybersecurity incidents in schools across the state  whether through human error, data breaches or ransomware attacks  have more than tripled over the last few years.

The State Education Department and school districts had a responsibility to strengthen and protect student data and systems well before the pandemic, said Deputy Comptroller Tina Kim, who oversees state government accountability.

But remote learning increased reliance on IT services, apps and third-party programs, she added, and its clear schools were not prepared for the heightened cyber risks.

The probe, which ran from March 2020 to November 2022, reviewed 131 data incidents reported by school districts, including 15 in New York City, and found many were out of compliance with regulations.

There have been other cautions as well.

Before the state audit, the city public schools had received warnings from the oversight agency The Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York School District. A review of its online portal showed watchdogs had recommended better safeguards of personal identifiable information five times since 2021.

Theyve had a fairly laissez-faire attitude about this, said Leonie Haimson, who co-chairs the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, and I think it hasnt sufficiently protected student or teacher privacy, and shows a lack of real seriousness on their part.

The state comptrollers audit found that 80% in of incident reports from the citys public schools lacked enough detail for the comptroller to say if officials told students and teachers their data was breached within a legally required 60-day timeline.

In more than half of incidents, the city blew past a deadline to notify the state of a problem.

Statewide, the auditors found many of the reports reviewed were incomplete or missing, leaving them unable to determine if schools notified families in a timely manner or at all. The comptroller also found that 14 in a statewide sample of 169 school districts did not have mandated data protection officers to make sure policies were followed.

The city public schools went without a permanent employee in that role for the majority of last school year. After the previous chief privacy officer, Joseph Baranello, left in October for a job in the private sector, it took until April for the city to replace him with Dennis Doyle.

It was pretty shocking for the largest school district in the country that collects a huge amount of personal data, said Haimson of the delay.

In response to the audit, state education officials suggested local school districts are primarily responsible for protecting personal data.

As New York is a local control state, the manner in which Districts choose to meet their unique cybersecurity obligations is entirely under their discretion, said JP OHare, a spokesman for the education department. The Department provides technical guidance, support, and resources for Districts to meet these obligations.

Local education officials announced last month that the sensitive data of about 45,000 local public school students  as well as information about staff and school service providers  were compromised in a global cyberattack.

Attackers targeted a security flaw in the popular file-transfer software MOVEit, which local schools have used to share documents and data internally and with third-party vendors that include special education service providers. The breach also impacted several state and federal agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Education, and some colleges and universities.

This really is a top priority for us, and its something since last year, weve been working to improve our own systems and processes, said Emma Vadehra, chief operating officer of the city schools, at a public meeting last week. We have more work to do  everyone has more work to do.

This was not a New York City public schools-specific breach. It hit hundreds of entities around the globe, she added. That doesnt mean its not a top priority for us to address, but it does mean... it goes far beyond our walls.

The cyberattack this spring was not the first time the citys public schools were breached.

Last year, the personal data of 820,000 current and former city public school students were compromised in the hack of a widely used online grading and attendance system from the company Illuminate Education.

Hackers gained access to a database containing students names, birthdays, ethnicities, home languages and, in some cases, whether students get special education services and economic status information. The breach prompted a weeks-long shutdown of the systems, and at the end of the school year, the city called it quits with the company.

Another incident quietly took place in February, when a bug in a personnel application allowed vendors to see and download the personal information of about 80,000 current or former employees who provide services to students. Those impacted were not notified until last week.

The application was taken offline, and users who accessed information about other vendors employees confirmed to the city that all records were destroyed or deleted. Education officials committed to strengthening their testing and review process in future updates to the application.

In all three major incidents, the city offered identity and credit monitoring services to impacted students and teachers.

But advocates suggested the school system should double down on preventative measures.

We essentially just shove our data to the vendors and trust that theyll follow whatever contract we had them sign, said Naveed Hasan, the representative for Manhattan families on the citys Panel for Educational Policy with close to three decades of experience in software development.

A spokesperson for the public schools directed the Daily News to its privacy and data security policy, which requires third-party vendors to sign an agreement, complete a security assessment, and undergo a cloud review.

They have to go back to basics and have another working group on who provides technology solutions to a system as large as the DOE, that spends hundreds of millions every month, said Hasan, who is also a public school parent.

Theres no way this is going to address the next problem, he added. Its going to happen again.
Suspected NYC scooter shooter Thomas Abreu claims everyone out to get him in paranoid rant

The scooter-riding suspect accused of killing an elderly man and wounding three other innocents in a two-borough shooting spree wildly claimed his victims were out to get him  as were a host of others.

The Russians are after me, Thomas Abreu, 25, said after being caught by cops, according to prosecutors. The Chinese are after me. The Italians are after me. Africa is after me.

Abreu, who also complained you are all wearing earpieces to cops, claimed the ghost gun used in the Saturday rampage wasnt his.

I was jumped before and someone dropped a bag and when I looked, there was a gun and I took it and I kept it since, he told police.

Abreu, who kept his eyes closed through most of the hearing in Queens Criminal Court via video hookup to his hospital bed, was charged with murdering Hamod Ali Saeidi, 87.

Saeidis final moments were captured on shocking surveillance video that shows the gunman rolling up behind him at Jamaica Ave. near 109th St. and shooting him in the back.

Saeidi, out on his daily walk, struggled to stand as blood soaked the front and back of his shirt, then doubled over and collapsed as a bystander moved in to help him.

Abreu was also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting three others, beginning with a 21-year-old man struck in the shoulder in East New York.

After driving into Queens and killing Saeidi, he shot a 44-year-old man in the cheek at Hillside Ave. and 126th St. and a 63-year-old man in the shoulder at Jamaica Ave. and 134th St., according to cops and prosecutors.

There easily could have been more victims. But right after the murder, Abreu fired at a woman and missed, police sources said. He then fired three errant shots at a man after shooting the 44-year-old, they added.

In court, Abreu came across as incoherent, blurting out, I think they wanted to kill me or murder.

Everybody says that Im innocent, he told Judge Scott Dunn. Thats the best problem that there is.

Mr. Abreu, Dunn said, Are you coherent enough to follow these proceedings today? You keep on closing your eyes. Are you alert enough to go forward?

Abreu insisted he was.

I need my innocence, first of all, he said. Im told that Im innocent, and thats the truth.

Abreu, who rocked back and forth through most of the hearing, often rubbing his eyes, was ordered held without bail.

Its the peoples position no amount of bail would be appropriate, said Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Selkowe.

It wasnt clear why Abreu was hospitalized, but his lawyer, Jonathan Latimer, said he would need more time to decide if he would ask that Abreu undergo a mental health evaluation.

Abreus roommate, Rueben Vargas, previously said the crimes didnt match the man he knows.

He seemed like a good boy, Vargas said.

Even police seemed perplexed, with one official noting Abreus prior arrest, for a forged instrument, didnt suggest a violent outburst would be next.
To his roommate and neighbors, 25-year-old Brooklyn man Thomas Abreu was the ideal acquaintance  quiet, unaggressive and normal.

Then on Saturday he hopped on his moped, drove two blocks away from his home and allegedly initiated a half-hour of horror that spanned two boroughs, left three wounded and claimed the life of 87-year-old Queens man Hamod Ali Saeidi.

I never thought he would do something like that, Rueben Vargas, Abreus 55-year-old roommate, told the Daily News on Sunday. He seemed like a good boy.

Abreu, 25, was slapped with murder and attempted murder charges at the 107th Precinct stationhouse in Pomonok, Queens, police said Sunday.

Police nabbed Abreu on Sutphin Blvd. near 94th Ave. around 1 p.m. Saturday, shortly after he ditched the moped that carried him from shooting to shooting during the spree that began in Brooklyn and ended in Queens, cops said.

Abreus violent rampage reportedly started at 11:10 a.m., when the gunman allegedly shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder from his scooter on Arlington Ave. and Ashford St.  two blocks away from the Elton St. duplex he shared with Vargas in Cypress Hills  according to police.

Surveillance footage obtained by the Daily News shows the victim crossing the street when the moped-riding gunman zips past him and appears to open fire, sending him sprawling to the ground in the crosswalk.

The gunman next surfaced on Jamaica Ave., where he shot 87-year-old Hamod Ali Saeidi in the back during one of his daily walks near 109th St. in Richmond Hill at 11:27 a.m., according to law enforcement.

Another security feed obtained by The News shows Saeidi stumbling in confused agony as blood leaks from wounds to his chest and back, before he collapses to the pavement.

Medics rushed Saeidi to Jamaica Hospital, but he could not be saved, cops said.

After gunning down Saedi, Abreu allegedly opened fire on a group standing a block away on 108th St., but his bullets failed to hit their marks and he sped away, according to police.

The shooter next targeted a 44-year-old man on Hillside Ave. and 126th St. at 11:35 a.m., striking him in the cheek, police said. The man was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.

The scooter rider shot his final victim, a 63-year-old man, on Jamaica Ave. and 134th St. at 11:37 a.m., striking that victim in the shoulder.

Paramedics took him to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

A worker at a nail salon near the scene of that shooting said she saw a pedestrian wounded in the gun violence.

The guy was waiting for the light to cross the street and someone came and shot him three times, said the worker, Gabriela Tipan.

Police said they found four 9-mm. shell casings at the scene near 134th St.

Neighbors and Vargas knew Abreu as Brian and said he could be spotted smoking weed every night outside the Elton St. duplex where they lived, according to upstairs neighbor Manuelissa Genao Lora.

He seemed normal, Lora, 20, said through a translator.

Abreu worked as a delivery driver, according to Vargas.
Nearly a dozen current and former officials serving in the White House and Biden administration, including the president's national security adviser and the secretary of state, have extensive ties to Hunter Biden, who is accused by Republicans of selling access to his father, dating back over a decade.

A Fox News Digital analysis reveals the extent of Hunter's potential reach in the White House, while the embattled first son is expected to make his first court appearance on July 26 for two alleged misdemeanor tax violations and a felony gun charge.

The Justice Department announced last month that Hunter had entered a plea agreement in the case that will likely keep him out of jail. U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss, who led the investigation, is facing demands from Republicans probing alleged improper retaliation against whistleblowers who claimed the probe was "influenced by politics" and that Weiss was "hamstrung" when making prosecutorial decisions.

The analysis includes two members of Biden's Cabinet and one former Cabinet member, a top aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a national security adviser, five top Biden White House aides, and a top Biden campaign aide who is currently on leave from her role as a communications director for first lady Jill Biden.

Hunter Biden and President Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, served together on the board of the Truman National Security Project, a liberal foreign policy think tank, for roughly two years before Sullivan joined the presidents campaign in 2020.

BIDEN'S CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS IS BECOMING HARDER TO MAINTAIN

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Hunter, who started serving on the board in 2012, and Sullivan both served on the Washington-based nonprofits board between 2017 and early 2019, according to internet archives captured by the Wayback Machine.

During that time, Hunter was also serving on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings and the Chinese private equity fund BHR Partners. The federal investigation into Hunter's foreign business dealings, which is still ongoing, also launched during the same time frame in 2018.

Sullivan was recently accused by former White House official Mike McCormick of being a "conspirator" in the Biden family's "kickback scheme" in Ukraine when Biden was vice president.

Sullivan denied the allegations, telling reporters that he had nothing to do with such an operation.

Jake Sullivan, left, and Hunter Biden

Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Hunter Biden at the State Department in July 2015 when he was serving as the deputy secretary of state in the Obama-Biden administration and Hunter was on Burisma's board, according to emails previously reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital.

The meeting was two months in the making after Hunter emailed Blinken in late May 2015, asking, "Have a few minutes next week to grab a cup of coffee? I know you are impossibly busy, but would like to get your advice on a couple of things."

Blinken said "absolutely" and Hunter forwarded Blinken's full email response to Devon Archer, who was also serving on the Burisma board with him. However, the initial meeting appeared to have been canceled due to the admission of Hunters older brother, Beau Biden, to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland because of a recurrence of brain cancer. Beau passed away on May 30, 2015.

Antony Blinken emails with Hunter Biden on May 22, 2015.

BLINKEN AND WIFE EMAILED FREQUENTLY WITH HUNTER BIDEN, RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT ROLE IN LAPTOP COVER STORY

Less than two months later, Blinken and Hunter met, prompting Blinken to send a follow-up email saying it was "great to see" Hunter and "catch up."

"You will love this," Antony Blinken wrote to Hunter Biden on July 22, 2015, "after you left, Marjorie, the wonderful african american woman who sits in my outer office (and used to be Colin Powell's assistant) said to me: He sure is pleasant on the eyes. Tell you wife. Tony."

In April of this year, former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell testified to the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees that Blinken, as President Bidens then-campaign senior adviser, "played a role in the inception" of the public statement signed by intelligence officials claiming Hunters abandoned laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign just weeks before the 2020 presidential election.

Blinken denied having any role in getting the letter signed by members of the intelligence community and claimed, "One of the great benefits of this job is that I don't do politics and don't engage in it. But with regard to that letter, I didn't  it wasn't my idea, didn't ask for it, didn't solicit it."

Emails from Hunter's infamous laptop that Blinken allegedly sought to discredit show that Hunter has ties to Blinken and his wife, Evan Ryan, dating back over a decade. Those emails also show that Hunter scheduled meetings with Blinken while he was on the board of Burisma and Blinken was deputy secretary of state.

Multiple profiles pieces over the years said Blinken has advised Biden on more than just foreign policy in his decades-long friendship with the president and serving as a confidant. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., President Biden's re-election campaign co-chair, told CNN in 2021, "President Biden is personally close to both Tony Blinken and Evan Ryan and Tony has been an incredibly loyal, capable and effective adviser, staffer and personal friend of the sort that is rare in Washington."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Hunter Biden

Evan Ryan, Blinken's wife who is currently serving as White House cabinet secretary, communicated frequently with Hunter and his longtime business partner, Eric Schwerin, when she was working at the White House during the Obama-Biden administration.

Hunter tried to connect with Blinken on June 16, 2010, when he asked Ryan for his non-government email address, according to emails. Ryan, who also worked on Biden's unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign, then provided Blinken's personal email address to Hunter.

It appears that Hunter Biden tried to connect with Antony Blinken on June 16, 2010, when he asked Blinken's wife, Evan Ryan, for his non-government email address.

White House visitor logs also show that Schwerin, who was the president of Hunter Bidens investment firm Rosemont Seneca Partners for several years, met with Ryan at the White House's Old Executive Office Building (OEOB) in October 2010.

She was also in communication with Hunter and Schwerin about a couple of White House events that year, including the Mexico State Dinner and the annual "Easter Egg Roll."

"OVP has 250 tix to the Easter Egg Roll and your Mom has an additional 200. Family, etc is coming out of your Mom's allotment," Schwerin said in the email to Hunter, referring to Blinken's wife. "Evan is handling your Dad's and we can pass on names to her for outreach purposes. Let's discuss. I don't think we have 50 spots, but if we had 20 or so names we'd probably be fine."

Eric Schwerin sent Hunter Biden an email about two upcoming White House events and mentioned that he talked with Evan Ryan, Blinken's wife, about tickets to the events.

JAKE SULLIVAN SERVED ON A NATIONAL SECURITY BOARD WITH HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2 YEARS, RAISING QUESTIONS FROM GOP

"More importantly, OVP has 12 spots to fill for the Mexico State Dinner in May and needs to send in their names by Monday," he continued. "Evan is looking for any suggestions. Hispanic Americans or just any outreach related suggestions. Obviously they won't have trouble filling this number but is still looking for suggestions."

A couple of months later, Hunter and Ryan exchanged emails about the Mexico State dinner guest list, and she sent him the seating chart for his table.

Mexico state dinner seating chart

Evan Ryan and Antony Blinken have ties to Hunter Biden dating back over a decade.

Fox News Digital previously reported several other ties between Hunter and Ryan.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, who led the federal COVID-19 pandemic response between early 2021 and April 2022, met Hunter multiple times in 2016, according to emails and White House visitor logs.

Zients met with Hunter Biden twice in February 2016 and on another occasion in May 2016, just months before Biden, the vice president at the time, was set to leave the White House.

Former Joe Biden aide Anne Marie Muldoon invites Hunter Biden to a meeting with Zients and his father in July 2016.

Hunter Biden's former business partner Joan Mayer sends him his schedule on Feb. 12. It includes a meeting with his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, Jeff Zients and David Rubenstein.

Biden attended the first two meetings, which both took place at the U.S. Naval Observatory, where the vice presidential residence is located.

Hunter Biden's business partner Joan Meyer sends him his schedule on Feb. 23.

Additionally, Anne Marie Muldoon, who was an assistant for then-Vice President Biden between 2014-2017, sent Hunter Biden an invitation to attend a potential fourth meeting with his father, Zients, David Bradley, a Washington, D.C.-based political consultant and chairman of media group Atlantic Media, and Eric Lander at the Naval Observatory on July 12, 2016. While it is unclear whether Hunter Biden joined the meeting, Muldoon sent him a copy of the meeting agenda after it took place.

Kathy Chung, who is currently serving as the Pentagon's deputy director of protocol, communicated frequently with Hunter when she was serving as Biden's executive assistant during the Obama administration.

Throughout much of her five-year tenure working for Biden, Chung regularly shared information with Hunter about his father's schedule and passed messages directly from the then-vice president, according to emails.

Chung's relationship with Hunter also appears to date back to before she worked for his father. The emails showed that Hunter recommended Chung for the executive assistant role when the previous holder of the job, Michele Smith, departed the White House in the spring of 2012.

HUNTER BIDEN'S BUSINESS PARTNERS, ASSISTANTS VISITED WHITE HOUSE OVER 80 TIMES WHEN BIDEN WAS VP

A month after Chung thanked Hunter for "thinking" of her and getting her to apply for a job in the vice president's office, Chung emailed Hunter Biden informing him that she had been offered the job.

Kathy Chung informs Hunter Biden that Vice President Biden had selected her to be his executive assistant.

"I cannot thank you enough for thinking about me and walking me thru this," she said. "What an incredible opportunity! Thanks, Hunter!!"

In another email exchange shortly after the Obama-Biden administration concluded, Hunter suggested that Chung come work at his company. It does not appear that she ever joined Hunter's company.

Hunter Biden tells Kathy Chung she should work for him in February 2017, adding that he can "make everyone money."

Chung made headlines in January after she was reportedly questioned by federal investigators as part of the probe into the president's handling of classified documents.

Bidens former White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, who stepped down in February, previously served as the chief of staff for Vice President Biden until the end of January 2011. In September 2012, Klain reached out to Hunter for help in raising $20,000 for the Vice President's Residence Foundation (VPRF), telling him to "keep this low low key" to prevent "bad PR," according to emails Fox News Digital previously reported on.

"The tax lawyers for the VP Residence Foundation have concluded that since the Cheney folks last raised money in 2007 and not 2008, we actually have to have some incoming funds before the end of this fiscal year (i.e., before 9/30/12  next week) to remain eligible to be a 'public charity,'" Klain, who had left his chief of staff position in Vice President Biden's office a year earlier but was the foundation's chairman at the time, said in an email to Hunter.

"It's not much  we need to raise a total of $20,000  so I'm hitting up a few very close friends on a very confidential basis to write checks of $2,000 each," Klain continued. "We need to keep this low low key, because raising money for the Residence now is bad PR  but it has to be done, so I'm trying to just collect the 10 checks of $2,000, get it done in a week, and then, we can do an event for the Residence Foundation after the election."

Hunter then forwarded the email to Schwerin, who helped manage a majority of Hunter's finances, and the two discussed donating to the foundation, though it's not clear what was ultimately decided.

Klain's career with Biden dates back to his failed presidential campaign in 1988 and serving as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain

Elizabeth Alexander, the communications director for first lady Jill Biden who went on temporary leave in May to help lead the messaging arm of Bidens re-election campaign, also has ties to Hunter.

In 2014, Alexander, who served as Bidens spokesperson when he was a senator and the vice president, reached out to praise Hunter for his statement after he was kicked out of Navy Reserve for testing positive for cocaine.

"Hey Hunter  just wanted to write you a quick note to say David and I are thinking of you," she wrote in an email. "Your statement was perfect and gracious. Sending you a virtual hug from both of us and hoping you can get some peace this weekend."

Alexander is married to David Wade, a former State Department staffer who helped advise Hunter with rapid response as he was receiving increased public scrutiny regarding his lucrative position with Burisma.

Emails uncovered by Fox News Digital last month showed Hunter's firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners, was paying Wade for communications consulting, and he strategized with Hunter and his partners on how to respond to inquiries by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Wade has visited the White House at least five times during Biden's presidency, according to visitor logs.

Annie Tomasini, an assistant to the president and the current director of Oval Office operations, was in frequent communication with Hunter, referred to him as her "brother" and often ended her emails with "LY" for "love you," according to emails dating from 2010 to 2016.

Biden publicly announced on Dec. 20, 2010, that Tomasini was stepping down to take a position with Harvard University, and Tomasini kept Hunter clued in on the details of that position before she took it, according to emails. The month prior, on Nov. 19, 2010, she forwarded information to Hunter about Harvards employee benefits and added, "Thanks."

Annie Tomasini, director of Oval Office operations, left, follows President Biden on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on May 17, 2023.

"Hey  I looked at benefits And they look pretty amazing. Any word on comp?" Hunter responded on Nov. 23, 2010.

"I'll keep you posted. Thanks for looking at all the background Hunt," Tomasini replied.

Tomasini was offered the job on Nov. 30, 2010, writing to Hunter, "Director of intergovernmental relations. > 120k ish  may be a little higher."

She later thanked him and said she was going to tell his father the news. Months later, Hunter gave a speech at Harvard, but not before running the draft by Tomasini first.

Tomasini has accompanied Biden and Hunter to Camp David twice in the past few weeks.

HUNTER BIDENS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS DADS NEW CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIR REVEALED IN LAPTOP EMAILS

Michael Donilon, a current senior adviser to Biden who served as his chief campaign strategist in 2020, was on dozens of emails with Hunter and other members of Biden's inner circle coordinating strategy meetings throughout the 2012 campaign, mulling over a 2016 presidential bid, and later plotting Biden's endeavors post-vice presidency.

In August 2015, Schwerin shared a Politico article with Hunter that says Donilon and a few other advisers from Biden's inner circle, including Hunter, are the only ones "involved in the real decision-making."

An email from February 2016 showed that Hunter, Donilon and a few others were also involved in the planning stages for the Biden Foundation. And shortly after Biden left office in 2017, Hunter, Donilon and others in his inner circle were invited to a meeting at Biden's residence in McLean, Virginia, according to emails.

Days later Hunter, Donilon and several others were invited to a meeting at Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home where classified documents were recently discovered. The meeting took place on Feb. 7, 2017, the same day it was announced that the former vice president would be leading the Penn Biden Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where classified documents were also found, and the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware.

Donilon accompanied Biden a few months ago on the trip to Ireland, which included Hunter and Biden's sister, Valerie Biden Owens.

Steve Ricchetti, who currently serves as Biden's White House counselor, was also on dozens of emails with Hunter dealing with strategy meetings and helping Biden with post-VP life.

Fox News Digital reported last year that Schwerin visited the White House at least eight times in 2016, meeting with Ricchetti at least twice when he was serving as Bidens chief of staff.

Morell, the former CIA deputy director who testified in April, said he received a call in October 2020 from Ricchetti, who was serving as the chairman of Biden's campaign at the time, following the final debate against then-President Donald Trump, when Biden said the Hunter laptop was a "Russian plant" and a "bunch of garbage."

Morell said the call from Ricchetti was to thank him for spearheading the letter signed by intelligence officials that tried to debunk the laptop.

Louisa Terrell, who is serving as assistant to the president and the director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, communicated with Hunter dozens of times during the Obama-Biden administration, with some of the correspondence including Schwerin on the emails.

In February 2014, Terrell emailed Hunter and Schwerin, saying, "So nice to catch up over lunch  thank you. Enjoy the snow day and talk soon."

Louisa Terrell, White House legislative affairs director, walks with Steve Ricchetti to a House Democrat caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 31, 2023.

Another email chain from late 2014 through early 2015 shows that she reached out to Hunter for help in getting her daughter into Sidwell Friends School, one of the most expensive and elite PK-12 schools in the country, which includes both of former President Obama's daughters and some of Biden's grandchildren as alumni.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with Sidwell about Olivia's application to next year's 7th grade class. I recognize how busy you are and appreciate you making the time to chime in with Bryan," Terrell said in February 2015. "Below is some logistical information and some background on why Olivia is a good fit for Sidwell. Let me know if this is helpful and/or you need some additional information."

"[Bryan] was very cordial/ nice  sent me two emails  one saying he received my message and email and a second that was more personal acknowledging that he also spoke to Chris and others who had weighed in on behalf of Olivia and he hopes it all works out etc..." Hunter said. "Very nice  looking forward to having dinner sometime soon  but didn't give any thing up in the way of real information."

Less than two weeks later, Terrell emailed Hunter saying her daughter got into Sidwell and added, "Thank you so so much for your help. I hope you know how much I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you!"

Terrell has worked for Biden going back as early as 2001 and served a two-year stint as executive director at the Biden Foundation, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The White House, Biden's campaign and Hunter Biden's lawyer did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Fox News Joe Schoffstall and Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush decided to sell deep-sea dives to the Titanic because 'it's such an iconic thing underwater'

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and a pilot operate another submersible, "Antipodes," in 2013. OceanGate's deep-sea submersible, the Titan, went missing on Sunday. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush once said he chose to sell trips the Titanic because it's "an iconic thing underwater."

"I like to say, if you ask somebody what's underwater, they're going to say sharks, whales, and the Titanic," he told Insider in a 2020 interview.

Rush was one of five people who died when his Titan submersible imploded underwater last month.

Why did OceanGate choose to dive to the Titanic shipwreck? It's simple, CEO Stockton Rush told Insider years ago: Everyone knows about it.

"We really narrowed in on the Titanic because it's such an iconic thing underwater," Rush told Insider's Sophie-Claire Hoeller in a 2020 interview. "I like to say, if you ask somebody what's underwater, they're going to say sharks, whales, and the Titanic. It's such a huge, huge thing."

Rush went on to say that crewmembers on the Titan submersible need "a certain respect and honor" and to "make sure that what we do really does add value to the cumulative knowledge of not just the Titanic, but all shipwrecks."

The OceanGate CEO was one of five people who died when the Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck last month.

The Titan imploded less than two hours after it set out on the June 18 mission, authorities said, and it lost all communication with its mothership shortly before. US and Canadian officials are investigating how and why the submersible imploded.

The others killed on board were the French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the British billionaire Hamish Harding, the British-Pakistani multimillionaire Shahzada Dawood, and Dawood's 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The Titan had made three previous trips down to the Titanic's wreckage. But shortly after the vessel vanished last month, questions began emerging about the design and operation of the Titan.

OceanGate, which operated the sub, was previously warned about some of these concerns, according to a lawsuit.

Rush also said in an interview in 2021 that he knew the company had "broken some rules" when building the vessel.

OceanGate posted a notice to its website saying it was suspending "all exploration and commercial operations" after the implosion. It's unclear when exactly the company made that decision; as Insider's Beatrice Nolan reported, it was still advertising trips down to the Titanic as of June 30 and had two missions listed for June 2024.

Insider reached out to OceanGate for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Oil spill cleanup in Tuscarawas River underway in Barberton: What we know

Since Wednesday morning, the Barberton Fire Department, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources have been working to contain the effect of an oil spill in the Tuscarawas River near Wolf Creek in Barberton.

The incident occurred when Noble Oil Services was transferring oil from a tanker truck to a rail car at a property on Snyder Avenue.

Oil in Tuscarawas River is shown in a video posted to Facebook on Monday by Tallmadge resident James Carnahan.

According to Ohio EPA spokesperson Dina Pierce, the oil spilled into a storm sewer that drains into the river. Noble Oil hired a contractor to install containment infrastructure and remove oil from the river.

How much oil was spilled, how long the cleanup will take, the long-term effects on wildlife and what the consequences are for Noble Oil are questions that have yet to be answered.

"The reservoir that supplies Barberton's public drinking water is upstream from the spill and should not be impacted by this incident," Pierce wrote in an email. "The public drinking water continues to be safe to drink."

Stephanie O'Grady of ODNR said the agency has rescued several geese and a mallard.

Barberton mayor posts video about oil spill

Barberton Mayor William Judge posted a video on social media saying, "We've been working around the clock on this issue and the cleanup efforts."

In the video below, Mayor Judge provides details on the recent oil spill in the Tuscarawas River. The investigation into this event, as well as the clean-up, is ongoing and being conducted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. pic.twitter.com/qmZgMspO2W  City of Barberton (@cityofbarberton) July 10, 2023

Judge said the investigation of the spill is being conducted by the Ohio EPA.

"All the animals that they have been able to catch which have been affected by the oil spill have been taken to wildlife rescues to be cleaned and treated," he said.

Judge confirmed that the spill "has not and will not affect our drinking water supply."

The mayor noted that some posts on social media contained "rumors, inaccurate information" and "disinformation" and urged anyone with questions to contact him at mayor@cityofbarberton.com.

Oil spill spotted last week by Tallmadge resident

The spill was discovered by James Carnahan of Tallmadge.

Carnahan was biking the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Barberton at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when he noticed an oily sheen on the surface of the water passing under the large suspension bridge southeast of the Wolf Creek Trailhead.

"I always look down off the bridge, down into the pool, because I like to fish for carp and I always check that out," he said.

He quickly realized that the oily patch was much larger than he initially thought, and contacted a friend at the Summit County Metro Parks to see if he knew whom to contact to address the issue. Carnahan's friend called him again later to inform him that Barberton Fire Department was on the scene, taking care of the problem.

On Saturday, Carnahan returned to do some fishing. There he discovered that a simplex boom had been installed in an attempt to contain the spill, but he doesn't believe the agencies' combined efforts have been effective in mitigating the disaster.

On Monday, Carnahan posted a video to his personal Facebook page that showed the oily water flowing past the boom, seemingly unabated. Carnahan said he has seen geese and a muskrat drenched in oil, the geese unable to fly and the muskrat unable to walk. Insect and fish populations seem to have taken a hit as well.

He also told the Akron Beacon Journal that he had seen oil building up on the river banks all the way down to where the Tuscarawas passes under Van Buren Road.

Carnahan worries about the deer that are crossing the river.

"If they pick up the oil, they're going to lick it off of themselves," he said. "The first thing they're going to want to do is try to get it off of them; it gets into their digestive tract, and they could die."

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Oil spill in the Tuscarawas River in Barberton, cleanup underway
Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, on June 29, 2023, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor. [Photo/VCG]

Affirmative action in college admissions has been a contentious topic in the U.S. since the 1970s. The nature of the controversy has changed over time, culminating in the Supreme Court's latest ruling banning universities from using race-based affirmative action.



In 1978, when Allan P. Bakke brought a lawsuit against the University of California, Davis, Asian-Americans only made up 1.8% of the U.S. population. Whites made up 80%. Bakke, who was white, was denied admission into medical school and alleged he faced discrimination in the application process because of his race. The court ruled that affirmative action was permissible as long as racial quotas were not implemented.

Since then, there have been more court challenges and statewide resolutions challenging affirmative action. In 1996, California banned the use of affirmative action in the state. Eight other states followed suit. America's demographics and political ecosystem have continued to change.

The Asian-American population has increased from 3 million to 23 million. Now Asians make up about 6% of the U.S. population. America is not a Black and white country, and affirmative action is not a Black and white issue.

The legal challenge that may have ended affirmative action was brought by a group of Asian-Americans who had been unjustly blocked from attending Harvard University despite having qualifications that should have been sufficient to merit enrollment.

Asian-Americans have the highest average score on the SAT of all racial groups in the United States. They also have higher grade point averages. As a result, we should expect Asian-Americans to make up a larger share of universities, especially elite universities, than their share of the population. Indeed, 21% of the students at Harvard are Asian-American. But that is still less than what it should be if enrollment decisions were judged solely by merit and not by race.

Analysis by Peter Arcidiacono, a Duke University economist, shows that an Asian-American applicant to Harvard with certain academic, extracurricular, and socio-economic characteristics would be 30% less likely to be admitted than a white applicant with the same background and 75% less likely to be admitted than a Black applicant.

The rights of Asian-Americans have been sacrificed to try to address white America's history of discrimination against African-Americans.

Some people who are straining to defend affirmative action dismiss the complaints of Asian-Americans by saying that Asian cultures enjoy a strong focus on education. They invoke a "Model Minority" stereotype which effectively says universities should dismiss Asian achievement because Asians are supposed to be good at math. In countries like China, South Korea, and Japan, students attend school for long hours and take after-school tutoring seriously. But why should individual citizens have to suffer just because they happen to come from a culture that values education?

If affirmative action policies were causing more Black students to be admitted in spots that otherwise would have gone to white students, it would be easier to justify. White Americans, as a group, have for years discriminated against Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians.

The white power structure had taken 12.5 million men, women, and children from Africa and built an economy on slavery. After two centuries of slavery, they imposed racial segregation to block Blacks from owning property, attending school, using public transportation, engaging in commerce, or even drinking from water fountains. They burnt down Black neighborhoods and lynched Blacks who were falsely accused of crimes and took pictures of their mangled, tortured bodies to print on postcards.

Some whites, such as Bakke, would still oppose the concept of affirmative action even if it were targeted squarely at righting past wrongs. The violence and abuses committed against African-Americans in the time of slavery and Jim Crow laws cannot be undone, they would argue. Why should present-day white students have to suffer because of historical crimes they were not involved in?

The counterargument: The legacy of racism continues to harm Black Americans today. And even if America is more equal today than it was a century ago, Blacks still face discrimination. The issue is complicated, and it is difficult to drill down to resolve chicken-and-egg questions about causation versus effectuation. But at least a plausible case could have been made.

However, the reality of affirmative action was much different. The whites who still made up a majority of college administration offices made policies that discriminated against Asians in an attempt to solve a problem caused by whites. Asians with SAT scores up to 140 points higher than white students at the same universities were denied entrance, according to a 2009 report by the National Study of College Experience.

Immigration from Asian countries to the United States has increased greatly since the 1960s. Most of the ancestors of Asian-American students who were being denied entrance to Harvard and North Carolina and other universities were not even living in the United States when slavery and Jim Crow regimes were in effect. Even fewer were involved in government at the time. Asian immigrants were facing discrimination and poverty, including race riots and false convictions in the criminal justice system. Now they have been facing discrimination of another kind.

One of the ways Harvard's racially-biased admissions program worked was through a system of grading "personality traits." In theory, that is supposed to allow applicants to be evaluated on traits that cannot be assessed by tests. It could give universities a method to use to increase the admissions of African-American students.

In reality, any system of personal evaluation conducted by humans will be subject to the biases and stereotypes of those humans. As it turned out, Harvard's biased interviewers rated Asian-American applicants lower on subjective traits such as "likability, courage, and kindness."

The people doing the ratings were not Asian-Americans themselves, and many of them had limited interaction with Asian-Americans in their daily lives. They just applied stereotypes that have been prevalent in movies and literature going back to the days of the Yellow Peril.

It is no wonder that a college admissions system based on "likability" instead of academic achievement, extracurriculars, and qualifications would systematically discriminate against Asian-Americans.

Now the universities are trying to think up work-arounds. They want to keep their affirmative action-style systems in place, either for principled reasons or because of tradition. But the United States is a country where over 400 languages are spoken, where over a million people immigrate to the U.S. from foreign countries every year. It is a country where multiple demographics and characteristics such as race, gender, religion, income, class, personality, and neurodiversity intersect and interact with one another to influence the outcome of people's careers and personal lives.

There is no way to devise a system of college admissions tinkering that achieves the exact racial composition the college administrators deem fair without discriminating against one group or another.

Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
As OKC adds to its license plate-reading surveillance network, see what the cameras can do

Drivers in Oklahoma City may have noticed some new additions to major intersections and roadways over the last year  automatic license plate reader cameras.

The city council recently agreed to purchase 65 more of these AI-powered cameras to be placed throughout the city in July, adding to the 25 they've had for a year at no cost through participation in a national study. The Oklahoma City Police Department declined The Oklahoman's request to provide the locations of those cameras, for which it is paying $257,500 this year to install the new cameras and maintain the others.

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance. The city of Oklahoma City is adding 90 of its own Flock cameras on roadways and public areas.

The fast-growing, Atlanta-based company, Flock Safety, has cameras in more than 1,200 cities and more than 40 states across the nation. The cameras it's bringing to Oklahoma City were created to assist police in solving crimes, said Flock Safety spokesperson Holly Beilin. Private groups like homeowners associations and Penn Square Mall already have Flock cameras, as well as other law enforcement agencies in the area like Guthrie police.

The implementation of Flock and other similar cameras, and the rise in law enforcement surveillance across the country has been met with skepticism from many who worry about an invasion of privacy. But proponents say the positives outweigh the potential negative consequences.

"I think the biggest thing that some people misinterpret regarding the cameras is, they are used for vehicles, they're not something that are used to identify a person," said Capt. Valerie Littlejohn, with the Oklahoma City Police Department. "There's no facial recognition or any personal identifiable information. It's not used for traffic enforcement. Again, these are cameras that are used to identify vehicles that are used in crime."

The installation of these cameras coincides with the upcoming launch of Oklahoma City's "Real Time Information Center." There, the cameras will be used as a tool, among others, for police to keep their finger on the city's crime pulse and respond in real time.

While The Oklahoman requested a tour of the soon-to-launch center and information about it, the department said it is waiting until closer to its implementation in July to provide media with more information.

What is Flock Safety?

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance.

Flock Safety was founded in 2017 by CEO Garrett Langley.

The majority of Flock cameras  which come in a variety of forms to address different needs  are owned by law enforcement agencies, though this wasn't the company's original founding intent, Beilin said.

Langley founded Flock after experiencing property crime in his Atlanta neighborhood and becoming frustrated with the dead-end case and lack of evidence for police to solve the crime.

Flock's automatic license plate reader cameras, also known as ALPR cameras, were originally made for neighborhoods and HOAs to capture a perpetrator's license plate and lead to their arrest.

"(Our founder) was thinking of this as a neighborhood safety tool," Beilin said. "And then police started to use it to solve really serious crimes  property crimes, but also, finding missing children and homicides and all kinds of crazy stuff. So at that point, we transitioned into a law enforcement company (in 2019)."

What do Flock license plate-reading cameras do?

The cameras take a picture of the back of a vehicle and use optical character recognition to identify the license plate.

Flock cameras do not have facial recognition or speed measuring capabilities, and the data and images captured don't include personally identifying characteristics, Beilin said.

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance.

The plate is then compared to "hot lists" like the National Crime Information Center database, as well as lists created specifically by local law enforcement for things like stolen vehicles, missing persons or other crimes that have been committed involving a vehicle.

If the plate matches with one on those lists, that's called a "hit," and an alert will be sent to Oklahoma City police officers. But that doesn't mean an officer will automatically pull the vehicle over, Littlejohn said.

"You have to verify any hit before you take any kind of enforcement action on a vehicle," Littlejohn said.

Littlejohn said the cameras especially will be useful when police have to cut short a pursuit or avoid one altogether due to their dangerous nature.

"It's very good from an investigative standpoint of being able to follow up on certain crimes that involve vehicles that we have information on," she said.

Exclusive investigation: A police chase, a mother killed. It didn't have to happen.

Data from Flock cameras held for 30 days

Police use the Flock Safety security camera program.

If the plate doesn't ping a match on any lists, the image and plate data is saved for 30 days using "the same level of encryption that the federal government uses," Beilin said.

The images are retained for a short period in case they are needed to solve a crime.

During the 30-day retention period  which could be longer in some jurisdictions depending on state and municipal laws, Beilin said  an Oklahoma City police officer trained to access Flock data can conduct a search for a specific license plate that may not be on a hot list but is of interest for an ongoing investigation.

But every search made in the system must be accompanied with a specific reason for the search, such as a case number. Searches also could be made for a vehicle description, if an eyewitness of a crime remembers details such as make, model, color or that it had bumper stickers but didn't catch the license plate.

Beilin said searches are saved indefinitely and can be audited at any time by law enforcement leaders if misuse is suspected.

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance.

Some fear mass surveillance implications

The ACLU, among other groups, warns residents against supporting Flock and other ALPR and surveillance tools. While Flock holds that license plate data is not an invasion of privacy, the ACLU and the Virginia Supreme Court have argued license plates are "personally identifiable" as police can easily cross-reference the plate with registered vehicle owner data.

The ACLU also claims Flock is "a giant camera network that records peoples comings and goings across the nation, and then makes that data available for search by any of its law enforcement customers."

However, both Beilin and Oklahoma City police's ALPR procedures state that Flock data is not automatically available to any other law enforcement agency.

The data captured by OKC Flock cameras will only be accessible by officers who have received specific training in the proper use of ALPR data, according to the department's operations manual.

Another law enforcement agency can request access to OKC's data in the investigation of a crime, but Oklahoma City's procedure states that "ALPR data will not be shared as part of a law enforcement information database."

The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit "defending civil liberties in the digital world," also object to the storage of data on license plates that aren't found on a hot list.

"With this data, you could easily put together in aggregate a map of somebody's entire day," said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst for the nonprofit. "You could see where anyone ever traveled to, you can see when they don't travel, you can see what routes they take. And this is a huge concern for civil liberties."

The city of Oklahoma City soon will have 90 of its own Flock Safety cameras, like this one pictured, on roadways and public areas throughout the city.

According to the Urban Institute, the findings are mixed from dozens of studies that have been done over decades to examine the relationship between surveillance cameras and crime. But, the indication is that cameras can reduce crime, especially property and vehicle crimes in parking lots.

A 40-year study of CCTV cameras in different countries showed they were associated with an overall 13% reduction in crime, and the effects were strongest in parking lots and residential areas.

But Guariglia said he isn't convinced.

"We have so much footage of crime happening on cameras, I just think there is no real evidence that people have an awareness of surveillance and therefore do not commit the crime they have been planning to commit," Guariglia said.

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance.

Why proponents say benefits outweigh the negative possibilities

Flock as a company is aware of the negative perceptions of their products, and the fear many hold of them. Langley explains counterarguments on the Flock website.

Beilin said one has to look at the big picture. Flock cameras consistently play a role in finding missing children, sex trafficking victims, solving homicides, rapes and assaults, preventing suicides and more, Beilin said.

With just the 25 cameras the department has had over the last year, more than 100 crimes have been solved, Littlejohn said.

A Flock automatic license plate reader camera, owned by Penn Square Mall, stands near the south mall entrance.

That, coupled with the accountability and oversight features and data retention limits, outweighs the possible negative consequences and "slippery slope arguments" against Flock, Beilin said.

"There are cameras across the US, Flock is by far the minority of cameras," Beilin added. "And we have laws in place in a democratic society that protect the privacy of individuals. So I think when you look at the full picture, it's frankly just obvious that this technology is worth it for what it is doing."

Jana Hayes reports on city government, homelessness, health and occasionally trending issues. Have a question or comment about this story or police surveillance in general? Reach her at jhayes@oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC police adding Flock license plate cameras to surveillance tools
TOKYO (Reuters) -Torrential rain over southwest Japan triggered landslides that killed at least one person, while four were missing, as authorities urged tens of thousands to leave their homes and troops were sent to help with rescue operations.

Japan is the latest country to be hit by unusually heavy rain in various parts of the world in recent days that has raised new fears of the pace of climate change.

"The rain is becoming so heavy unlike anything seen before," Satoshi Sugimoto, director of forecast division at the Japan Meteorological Agency, told a press conference.

A woman in her 70s was killed when a landslide hit her house in the Fukuoka prefecture before dawn, public broadcaster NHK reported. Four people were missing and two were injured, government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said later.

The defence ministry said members of the military were being sent to help with rescue work.

The highest-level heavy rain warning was issued in parts of the Fukuoka and Oita prefectures, on Kyushu, Japan's third-largest island.

Eight rivers had burst their banks and dozens of slopes saturated from continuous rain since late last month had turned into mudslides, the land ministry said. The same region was hit by rain that killed dozens of people in July 2017.

Authorities urged tens of thousands of residents to move out of areas in danger of more landslides and flooding.

Some parts of Fukuoka had received more than 600 mm of rain since Friday, more than usually falls in the whole of July, media reported, and another 100 mm is expected up to early Tuesday, Sugimoto said.

A Toyota Motor Corp subsidiary Toyota Motor Kyushu said it would suspend night-shift operations on Monday at three factories in Fukuoka due to the rain, with operations due to resume on Tuesday morning.

Tire manufacturer Bridgestone Corp suspended operations at four factories in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures from Monday morning, a spokesperson said. It is unclear when operations would be resumed, the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, the weather had not affected production lines of semiconductor firms Sony Group, Renesas Electronics Corp and SUMCO Corp, the companies told Reuters.

More than 200 post offices were closed, Japan Post said, while mobile carriers KDDI Corp and Nippon Telegraph and Telecom's NTT Docomo reported unstable connections in some areas.

Matsuno said that 1,820 households were without power while 60 homes had no water, as of Monday late afternoon.

The Shinkansen bullet train service was briefly suspended operations between Hiroshima and Fukuoka's Hakata stations while another 33 railway lines and 12 expressways were blocked and 35 flights were cancelled, the land ministry said.

The weather bureau said there was a 90% chance that the El Nino phenomenon, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific, would continue into the autumn.

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink, Satoshi Sugiyama, Mariko Katsumura, Kaori Kaneko and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel)
Heres one way Fort Worth is trying to stop street takeovers before they start

Street takeovers like the one Saturday in far north Fort Worth are hard to stop, but the city and police have had success by altering intersections in other parts of the city.

Fort Worth police received over 1,000 calls between November 2022 and April 2023 for street takeovers, when large crowds gather to watch cars spin donuts in an intersection. Fort Worth police said they spotted a silver Dodge Challenger doing just that at 10:30 p.m. Saturday at North Tarrant Parkway and North Beach Street.

After a chase involving multiple police departments, a police helicopter, and a brief pit stop at a QuikTrip, officers arrested five people near the Texas 121 overpass at South Riverside Drive, according to a Fort Worth police press release. Police said the said group responsible for Saturdays event was involved in a series of similar takeovers in February in Austin.

Events sometimes spring up spontaneously or are organized on social media, and can be hard to track, assistant police chief Robert Alldredge told the Fort Worth City Council in May. Fort Worth has partnered with the Dallas police department to develop an intelligence network to keep track of the events, he said.

The citys transportation and public works department has had success in east Fort Worth installing plastic raised pavement markings in intersections. These small reflectors can tear up car tires, and discourage people from doing donuts in the intersection, Alldrege said.

Its not clear how widely this technique is being used. A spokesperson for the citys transportation department did not respond to an email requesting comment Monday.

The citys spectator ordinance, which fines people $500 for watching or helping to plan a race or takeover event, has been a huge help, Aldredge told the council in May.

Whenever you put people in jail, they dont want to come here. Its an inconvenience. It costs them money, he said.

One person was cited for violating the spectator ordinance at Saturdays street takeover, according to the police report.

The transportation department is working with neighborhoods to install what it calls traffic calming measures like speed cushions to slow people down in neighborhoods. Roughly a third of the departments traffic safety requests are for some kind of calming, according to a city report.

Neighborhoods can apply to have a speed bump or cushions put in their area. Transportation and public works is adding calming features to at least seven neighborhoods this summer, according to a city report.
Cheerio OnPolitics readers! President Joe Biden touted the United States' rock solid relationship with the United Kingdom as he met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his official residence and office.

It marks Bidens first visit to No. 10 Downing Street as president, USA TODAYs Francesca Chambers reported, but it's his sixth meeting with Sunak.

Biden, traveling to a NATO summit in Lithuania, is also meeting privately with King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

What were they discussing? Biden and Sunak discussed the war in Ukraine, with the U.S. announcing last week that it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Britain is one of more than 120 signatories on a convention that bans the weapons. They disperse smaller explosives called bomblets," and critics of the move note that some bomblets dont detonate immediately and can explode later.

Biden has said the weapons have a very low dud rate, and they wont be used in civilian areas.

Keep up with USA TODAYs coverage as Biden meets with leaders from Europe and North America.

Read more: Biden trumpets 'rock solid' U.K. relationship ahead of King Charles meeting

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden meets with King Charles, UK prime minister before NATO summit
Opinion: The NATO summit must focus not just on winning the Ukraine war, but what happens after the fighting stops

President Biden arrives in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday to attend the NATO summit. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

At the NATO summit in Vilnius starting Tuesday, the transatlantic military alliance will plan the future of Western support for Ukraine, including a multiyear assistance package and upgraded political ties. Repelling Russias invasion will be top of mind. But longer term security decisions will be just as important  if not more so  to Ukraines future, after the fighting stops.

In planning for Ukraines postwar reconstruction, security arrangements have been the neglected element. At a conference in London last month, Ukraines partners promised $60 billion for recovery and reconstruction, adding to previous allocations. But such pledges will evaporate if donors and investors dont have confidence in Ukraines security going forward.

Read more: Ukraine and expansion top NATO agenda as Biden tries to cement unity

Since the end of World War II, European nations have faced a binary choice: They either join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or they are on their own. But the war in Ukraine is being fought on a different basis  military support for Kyiv is not contingent on NATO membership  and that should open the door to a new range of solutions for postwar security as well. The key will be crafting an approach that is strong enough to deter, but does not unnecessarily provoke, Russia.

Ukraines reconstruction challenge has sometimes been likened to that of war-torn Iraq or Afghanistan. But policymakers should instead see it in the context of Europes 75-year story of rebuilding and reintegration  Western Europe after WWII; Central and Eastern Europe after the Cold War; the western Balkans after the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia.

In each of these cases, it was security assistance that provided the foundation for reconstruction. NATO was founded in 1949, a year after the European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan. The two efforts went hand in hand: State Department officials even referred to NATO as a military European Recovery Program.

After the end of the Cold War, NATO accession promised security for reformers and rebuilders in Central and Eastern Europe. And after the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s, NATO deployed more than 100,000 peacekeepers to Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and north Macedonia in the western Balkans. Security for Ukraine will be just as essential to its recovery.

Read more: Kremlin says Putin met with Russian mercenary leader days after abortive mutiny

Any peace in Ukraine will endure only if Moscow and Kyiv perceive it as preferable to renewed war. Ukraine will have powerful positive incentives in the form of reconstruction assistance and European Union membership. Russia, on the other hand, will receive no comparable benefits. Its adherence to any peace settlement will rest principally on the security arrangements the West and Ukraine devise to deter it from renewed attacks.

Ukraines supporters have a range of choices. They could promise to perpetuate the current arrangements of providing Western arms, training and advice if Russia again attacks Ukraine. Stronger still, they could threaten to introduce Western forces into Ukraine. Or they could bring Ukraine into NATO.

NATO membership, backed by the alliances nuclear arsenal, would certainly provide the strongest measure of deterrence. Ukraine is also likely to have the largest and most battle-hardened force in Europe, an obvious asset to NATO. However, member states must reach consensus to invite Ukraine into NATO, and thats not guaranteed. A lack of unanimity could not only delay or block Ukraines membership, such internal divisions could also reduce the alliances ability to further deter Russian aggression.

Read more: Zelensky hails Ukraine's soldiers from a symbolic Black Sea island to mark 500 days of war

Although the strong deterrence of NATO membership might make renewed fighting less likely, it could also raise Russias threat perceptions, potentially leading Moscow to take desperate measures. And, if that deterrence fails, the resultant conflict could spill beyond Ukraine.

NATO has continued to grow and become more powerful since the breakup of the Warsaw Pact. Moscows influence is much diminished. As James Dobbins, former assistant secretary of State for Europe, pointed out, "NATO doesnt need Ukraine as a member to deter Russia. Nor does Ukraine need to become a NATO member to enjoy material support for its defense. The evolving European security order should reflect such changes in the balance of power."

Just like the Ukraine Recovery Conference, NATOs Vilnius summit will set the tone for donors, potential investors, and reconstruction planners. Clarifying security arrangements and moving toward firm postwar security assurances will be just as vital a step toward reconstruction success.

Gabrielle Tarini researches European security at the Rand Corp. Howard J. Shatz is a senior economist at Rand. Charles P. Ries, a senior fellow at Rand and a former ambassador to Greece, was the coordinator for economic transition in Iraq. They are co-authors, with the late James Dobbins, of the report Reconstructing Ukraine.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Oracle of the dead cave was used for rituals in Israel  likely by witches, study says

In the hills outside Jerusalem, a network of caves provides a window into the past.

Among them is Mugharet Umm et Tueimin, or the cave of the mother of twins, according to a July 4 study in the Harvard Theological Review.

Referred to as the Teomim Cave, the complex underground system was first explored in 1873 and described as a large main chamber leading to a deep pit in the northern end, the study said.

The cave includes a large main chamber and a northern arm leading to a deep pit, the study said.

The cave was studied by the French in the late 1920s, and researchers found ceramic, wooden and stone vessels dating from the Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Iron Ages, and the Roman and Byzantine periods, according to the study.

The finds suggest the cave was used by different groups throughout time, the study said, but in more recent history, its use may have taken a dark turn.

In the late second century, researchers believe the cave was consecrated for an underworld deity and functioned as a place of devotion to the darker side of religion.

Inside the cave were more than 120 preserved oil lamps that had been strategically placed into the cavities and crevices of the cave, the study said. They were found during an excavation between 2010 and 2016.

The fact that these lamps had been thrust into and buried deep in these hidden, hard-to-reach crevices suggests that illuminating the dark cave was not their sole purpose, the study said.

With the oil lamps were ancient weapons, placed together as part of cultic activity, the study said.

In other crevices, human skulls had been nestled into the rock, sometimes with other artifacts, the study said.

Inside the cave were oil lamps, bronze weapons and human skulls used in ritualistic magic, the study said.

Due to the archaeological context of the finds and their location inside the cave, we assume that the craniums were placed together with the oil lamps as part of a ritual of magic, the study said.

Oracle of the dead

The use of skulls is almost completely absent from classical literature, the study says, because witches used them for secret rituals to communicate with the dead, a taboo in the culture of the time.

To keep the rituals secret, the witches would go to an oracle of the dead, a shrine located in caves near water sources they believed to be portals to the underworld, according to the study.

These caves were associated with legends concerning the descent of Persephone to the underworld or the rise of Cerberus from the underworld, the study said. They always included a shaft leading to the underworld, through which the dead could rise.

For the Teomim Cave, that shaft was represented by the deep, northern pit.

Necromancy was first documented in Mesopotamia where tablets mention consulting with spirits by using human skulls, the study said.

It also appears in Homers Odyssey before human sacrifices were outlawed in 97 B.C., the study said. Other laws against witchcraft and divination were passed in the same time period.

The laws did not mean the end of dark magic, but instead the rituals went into the shadows.

Portal to the Underworld

The use of oil lamps for divination  was extremely widespread in the classical periods, the study said. The prophetic force behind the lamp was believed to be a spirit or spirits, or in some cases even gods or demons. Divination by means of oil lamps was done by watching and interpreting the shapes created by the flame.

While the lamps built the connection between the living and nonliving, bronze daggers were kept close by to protect against unfriendly spirits, according to the study.

They served primarily to protect the believer from evil spirits and to ensure that offerings to the specific spirit being conjured up were not seized by other spirits, the study said.

Weapons were placed with the lamps and skulls to ward off unsavory spirits, the study said.

The combination of the deep pit in the cave, the skulls for necromancy, the lamps for divination and the weapons for protection suggest to the researchers that the Teomim Cave was used as a portal to the underworld.

Their purpose was to predict the future and conjure up the spirits of the dead, the study said. Because more than 100 ceramic oil lamps but only three human skulls have been found so far in the Teomim Cave, we hypothesize that the primary cultic ceremony focused on depositing oil lamps for (underworld) forces, perhaps as part of rituals conducted in the cave to raise the dead and predict the future.

The researchers said this kind of archaeological find is an outstanding test case for the development of the archaeology of magic as a sub-discipline in the field.

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Orlando police said one person has died after a shooting at the Metro Place Apartments on South Kirkman Road.

The call went out around 12:30 a.m. Monday as a suspicious incident in the 1000 block of South Kirkman Road.

When officers arrived they found one male with a gunshot wound and he was pronounced deceased by Orlando firefighters.

Read: FHP: Arrest 40-year-old for double fatal crash in Orange County

Police have not released the name of the victim or a description of the suspect or suspects involved.

WFTVs Q McCray was at the complex this morning and spoke with a woman who knew the shooting victim.

Read: Derek Diazs family holds vigil and demands answers from OPD after an officer-involved shooting

She said police knocked on her door around 1:30 a.m.

She said he died. I said. I said how long ago. she said an hour ago. I didnt hear no ambulance. I didnt hear no shots, the family friend told Q McCray. He was a very nice person. very nice. I dont know why they did that to him.

Read: Death investigation underway after body found in Eustis

This is a developing story, stay with WFTV Channel 9 and WFTV.com for updates as the Orlando Police Department releases them.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A soldier from the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade seen

A soldier from the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade seen controlling the drone for surveillance in the basesment at an undisclosed position in Novodarivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukraine is undergoing the counter-offensive in the east and the south, taking villages by villages under mounting casualties amid heavy Russian artillery fire and fields of landmines, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier in an interview that the counter-offensive is not going as planned, blaming the Western nations for not supplying weapons and supplies on time. Credit - Alex Chan Tsz Yuk-SOPA Images/LightRocket

There is a sense of uneasiness when the screen lights up. Excitement, yes, because youre being shown a new way to fight a war, having gained access to a perspective until now closed to human perception. But also modesty because the action is down below, a thousand miles below, and all the courage and suffering of the battle are so distant as to almost lose their human meaning. In a recent visit to Palantirs offices in London, I was able to witness first-hand how the firms superior data technology really works. I have not been able to stop thinking about the experience ever since.

Palantirs founding team, led by investor Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, wanted to create a company capable of using new data integration and data analytics technology  some of it developed to fight online payments fraud  to solve problems of law enforcement, national security, military tactics, and warfare. They called it Palantir, after the magical stones in The Lord of the Rings. Palantir, founded in 2003, developed its tools fighting terrorism after September 11, and has done extensive work for government agencies and corporations though much of its work is secret. It went public in 2020. But through its 20 years in business, the question has been just how capable are its systems and what could it achieve on a large scale conflict. Can it deliver in a war between large armies and with greater firepower?

The following scenario has been described to me by a Ukrainian commander rather than Palantir, which does not comment on operational details. As Ukraine launches several and potentially dozens of thrusts across the full frontline, Russia has to bring reserve forces out of hiding, which Ukraine can track in real time using satellite and drone imagery, as well as visual recognition algorithms, and target with unprecedented speed and precision. Before the start of the current offensive, and now in its early stages, Ukraine has spent weeks shaping the battlefield by destroying command and control centers, logistics, and munition depots deep behind enemy lines. In some cases it used the newly available and long range Storm Shadow missiles.

More from TIME

In my recent visit to the London office, Palantirs largest and its main research hub outside the U.S., I was first shown the earths orbit. The screen on the wall comes alive with images of the thousands of satellites in low-earth orbit. Palantirs MetaConstellation platform allows the user to task these satellites to answer a specific query. Imagine you want to know what is happening in a certain location and time in the Arctic. Click on a button and MetaConstelation will schedule the right combination of satellites to survey the designated area. Remarkably, the software can deploy algorithms at the source so that only those images where the algorithms find valuable information are downloaded, saving time. Its a cat and mouse game: the same software can help you find a blind interval when no satellite is covering a particular area. Or perhaps you can fool your opponent into thinking they have found a blind interval by using stealth satellite technology or hacking their systems. Increasingly, the real battle will take place not on the ground and not in space but inside computer code,

The target coordination cycle: find, track, target, and prosecute. As we enter the algorithmic age, time is compressed. From the moment the algorithms set to work detecting their targets until these targets are prosecuted  a term of art in the field  no more than two or three minutes elapse. In the old world, the process might take six hours. As I look at the screen, it occurs to me that armies today are still operating in that world, following military doctrines that were tested and developed in a world where the cycle was measured in hours. Their equipment and movements are too large, too visible, too slow and ultimately too vulnerable. The U.S. military will face this problem if and when it has to fight a peer competitor such as China.

If a particular outcome falls short, the whole process is automatically corrected and improved, from target identification to effector pairing, a term referring to the selection of the appropriate weapons system for a given target and battlefield. Simultaneously, feedback from deployed models may then be used to refine, recalibrate, or develop new models to replace previously deployed ones. The platform is able to integrate data from multiple and disparate sources  think satellites, drones, and open-source intelligence  while allowing a new level of decentralised decision-making.

As one of Palantirs U.K. engineers explained during my visit, this is not a relevant domain for a human to exist in. He was talking primarily of the correlation between signals intelligence and satellite imagery. The former is very good at telling you what something is, the latter can tell you where it is. The goal is to correlate the two, but no human being would be able to compare thousands of images with thousands of hours of intercepted communications. The software does it more or less instantaneously.

Some tranches of the targeting process can be considerably automated. Just as a deep learning algorithm knows how to recognise a picture of a dog after some hours of supervised learning, the Palantir algorithms can become extraordinarily apt at identifying an enemy command and control centre. Presumably, there are hundreds or thousands of indicators for such a target, which can be graded according to relevance. Machine learning algorithms are particularly suited for warfare because their very high number of variables, most invisible to the human eye, make them very difficult to deceive or evade. Nevertheless, the idea that the full cycle can be automated is pretty extreme and still very far from where the technology or doctrine are today. The Palantir strategists I spoke to disowned any interest in transforming their software from a tool into an autonomous agent.

Next step: target. Here Ukraine has made some remarkable breakthroughs on its own: the Kropyva software allows commanders to enter target coordinates into a tablet, and then the direction of firing and the distance to the target are calculated automatically. Kropyva was created back in 2014 after the first Russian invasion. The software is reminiscent of Uber in that it assigns targets to the nearest artillery battery or missile launcher.

The Palantir platform will consider the full range of weapons with the right capacities and range to prosecute the target. It will suggest the best available option, a suggestion that needs to be confirmed by the user. The last step is, of course, the battle damage assessment, or estimate of the outcome, whose results are fed back to the algorithm. Thats where the self-learning happens.

How much could the Palantir software achieve in a place like Bakhmut where street warfare has been dominant? In a way the question may miss the point. If Ukraine were able to deploy the full force of algorithmic warfare, Bakhmut might never become necessary. Could Russia have moved its large weapons systems to Bakhmut if Ukraine had from the beginning had access to all the components of a software system like Palantirs? Even today it lacks some critical elements, such as ready access to the most classified intelligence, aviation or long-range missiles. Increasingly, the goal must be to assemble all the pieces of the target coordination cycle.

Alex Karp, Palantirs CEO, has argued that the power of advanced algorithmic warfare systems is now so great that it equates to having tactical nuclear weapons against an adversary with only conventional ones. Palantir would not have invested billions in developing its system if it did not believe in its transformational power. Karp was the first executive of a major Western company to visit Kyiv and meet with Zelensky after the Russian invasion.

One idea I heard in London is that warfare may increasingly take place as a complex simulation within algorithmic systems. The process may have some deterrence powers: two opponents might reach the same conclusion about the outcome, preempting any need to trigger a conflict in the physical world. Is this utopian? Probably. The most likely scenario is an algorithmic arms race happening at superhuman speed. Here China rather than Russia is the real opponent. Taiwan rather than Ukraine is where the algorithm takes over.

Once two or more actors acquire precision-warfare capabilities, the battlefield is once again contested and new technologies might no longer favour the offence. Forward bases or assets used to scout and strike enemy positions become themselves vulnerable to attack over long distances. Chinese strategists increasingly see military conflict as algorithmic warfare. In this context, advantages of speed and persistence might only be accessible to fully autonomous systems, with artificial intelligence forming the core of the coming revolution in military affairs. In a speech on June 30, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley argued that rapidly advancing technology is causing the most significant fundamental change in the character of war ever recorded in history.

Ukraine might be the last large war fought primarily in the physical world. We should be getting ready for the moment when the physical and virtual worlds swap places, where everything happening in the former may well feel tangible and real only from the perspective of those unable to climb to the higher virtual plane. Virtual war is not a war between soldiers, tanks or airplanes, but a clash between algorithms. Here victory means the ability to build the basic rules determining how the world works. Inferior algorithms will simply operate according to the rules and outcomes set by more foundational software. Geopolitics used to mean the struggle to control the physical world. In the future it will be about the struggle to build a virtual one.
When the half-constructed roundabout opened at Palm Harbor Boulevard and Florida Avenue last month, local residents were wary. So far, its caused caused confusion and even a few accidents.

Now some vocal residents doubt its the best mode of passage at the busy North Pinellas thoroughfare.

A sea of orange cones indicates that drivers must move in a circular fashion around the mess of dirt and cement at the center of the intersection.

Bobby Boles, an employee at Bills Palm Harbor Mobil and Auto Service Center on the northeast corner of the intersection, watched security camera footage from June 24 that showed a Publix truck ramming into the center, which hasnt been fully constructed yet.

Two days earlier, he said, a passenger truck also hit the roundabout. It was brought into his repair shop, and damages will cost the driver more than $2,000.

The roundabout has been controversial since its early stages. Residents voiced disapproval as early as 2015, when Florida Department of Transportation officials said they were leaning toward installing the roundabout instead of a traffic light at Nebraska Ave.

State officials said the roundabout is intended to reduce the number of fatal or injury crashes at the intersection. And after the $2.5 million upfront construction cost, the roundabout wont cost as much to maintain compared to a traffic light. Construction is scheduled to finish in August.

Kim Cromble is an active member of the Palm Harbor Roundabout Facebook group. The Spring Hill resident said shes started to avoid the traffic circle during her commute to and from her job at a private home in Palm Harbor.

I will go out of my way to not use it, she said in an interview. I just think life would have been just fine with a traffic light.

Crombles main complaint? The roundabout is too tight. She doesnt want to run over the edge of the roundabout if shes towing a trailer or in a large vehicle, she said.

One issue is that the roundabout isnt complete yet, said Chelsea Favero, planning manager for Forward Pinellas, the regions transportation planning agency, which helped coordinate the project and gather resident perspectives.

The west side of the roundabout still needs to be constructed, FDOT spokesperson Kristen Carson said. Signage, paving and pedestrian islands are on their way as well.

The cones are also making a tighter pathway for cars, Favero said. The roundabout, once complete, was designed in consultation with the Palm Harbor fire department to allow larger cars and emergency vehicles to lightly mount the pavement in order to clear the roundabout quickly.

I think people just need to be patient, she said. Once its fully functioning, she said drivers will see some of the intended benefits.

Can there be other crashes? Absolutely, Favero said. If someone doesnt yield properly, then there can be a crash that results in some property damage. However, if youre going to line up a fatal crash or a severe injury crash next to a property damage crash, we always want to see the property damage instead.

Billy Coleman, owner of Palm Harbor Auto Service, another business adjacent to the roundabout, said he hasnt lost customers since construction began last August. He favored a traffic light instead of the roundabout, but he said hes trying to remain cooperative.

One thing I learned a long time ago is you might as well shut up and make the best of it, he said.
A paranoid Putin still has no idea what to do with Prigozhin, and his indecision is putting him in a dangerous place, experts say

Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images/Contributor

Vladimir Putin appears uncertain what to do about Yevgeny Prigozhin, experts say.

Prigozhin led a failed uprising against Russian military leaders.

Despite being exiled to Belarus, he's been spotted in St. Petersburg.

Vladimir Putin's persistent paranoia and apparent unwillingness to punish those involved in the Wagner mutiny has put the Russian president in a dangerous place, experts said.

In June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a rebellion against Russian military leaders he blamed for failings in the Ukraine invasion.

The mutiny was the most serious challenge to Putin in decades and exposed how divisions caused by the Ukraine war have loosened his grip on power.

The rebellion was called off after the Kremlin reached a deal with Prigozhin, which would see him exiled in Belarus and those involved in the rebellion evade prosecution.

"Putin now has choices to make, and for the moment, he appears to be seeking an illusory middle ground with half measures," writes Douglas London, a security expert and former CIA officer wrote in the Just Security blog.

The Washington Post reports that Putin appears wary of alienating influential nationalist bloggers, many of whom have expressed support for Prigozhin and his criticism of the Kremlin, and the mercenary leader last week returned to St Petersburg to retrieve a stash of weapons seized in the raid.

London writes that "paranoid" Putin in not dealing decisively with Prigozhin has sent signals to other would-be challengers of his authority.

"Insiders might have reevaluated their greater odds to succeed  or at least their survivability  by moving, or joining a move, against him," he says.

According to an analysis by experts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, DC, based think tank, Putin's decision "to not rapidly dispose of the Wagner Group and prosecute rebellion participants is placing himself and his subordinates in an awkward position."

It was an uncharacteristically lenient response from Putin, who has in the past ruthlessly persecuted critics and political opponents.

According to a former Kremlin security official who defected to the West, Putin has long lived in fear of challenges to his power and assassination attempts, and is surrounded by layers of security.

In the wake of the rebellion, the Kremlin has sought to smear Prigozhin, with personal information photographs seized in a raid on his luxury home showing him wearing a woman's wig broadcast on state TV. Yet Putin has also sent mixed messages.

Instead of banning the Wagner Group, which scored one of Russia's few recent successes in Ukraine in seizing control of the city of Bakhmut, Putin has sought to encourage its fighters to sign contracts with the Russian military.

"Putin's decision to not dispose of the Wagner Group  previously Russia's most combat capable force  is making it difficult for Putin and other Russian power players to know how to interact with the Wagner Group and its leaders and fighters," notes the ISW.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The U.S. Department of Justice charged four China-based companies and eight Chinese nationals working for these companies on June 23 for allegedly supplying precursor chemicals for the purpose of creating fentanyl for distribution in the United States. U.S. law enforcement personnel had ensnared these people through a "sting operation." China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned these actions on the grounds that the arrests were illegal and the U.S. is using them as a pretext to scapegoat China.



When used in healthcare, fentanyl gives fast-acting pain relief and is up to 100 times more potent than morphine. However, 50 times more potent than heroin, its illegal use has grown in popularity and it's now widely defined as a controlled narcotic. The United States is the biggest producer and consumer of fentanyl-related drugs in the world. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. hit a new record in 2022 to reach 109,680 as the fentanyl crisis continued to deepen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The sources of the epidemic are multiple, with the abuse of legally produced fentanyl, the illegal production of fentanyl as a recreational drug, and the inclusion of fentanyl in other illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin all playing a part.

But the main issue is not where the fentanyl comes from but how it's been used. Why are there so many drug users in the U.S. and what constrains the U.S. from controlling the distribution of these drugs within its borders? Why doesn't China have a fentanyl addiction epidemic?

The reasons are differences in the two societies and systems of governance. China's regulation of the use of fentanyl for medical purposes is stricter than in the U.S. It also takes a tough stance against trafficking. On May 1, 2019, China became the first country in the world to place the entire class of fentanyl-type drugs under a controlled regulatory regime, even though there were no large-scale abuses of them in China. This was done specifically to assist the U.S. address its opioid addiction problems.

China works hard to fulfill its export control responsibility. The country has taken a host of measures to crack down on the trafficking of fentanyl and other scheduled chemicals, like introducing real-name registration of senders and receivers, parcel examination and X-ray screening in the express delivery sector, and stepping up examination of cross-border parcels to certain destinations including the U.S., a document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 2022 said.

The precursors referred to by the U.S. are general chemicals, Chinese authorities said in response to the recent arrests. The responsibility to prevent their use in illicit drug making falls on the U.S. authorities.

There is no reason for the U.S. to shift the blame and charge Chinese nationals for the sale of non-scheduled chemicals, other than in order to scapegoat China as a distraction tactic as it struggles to keep up with the pace of the crisis. The scourge of fentanyl does not lie in its production but in its regulation and use. If the United States is serious about defusing its fentanyl crisis, it needs to turn its attention inward.
Pardoned Wagner convicts are once again committing crimes, and Russian authorities are trying to cover it up, report says

Yevgeny Prigozhin (R), the founder of the Wagner private mercenary group Press service of "Concord"/Handout via REUTERS

Former prisoners pardoned after fighting with the Wagner Group in Ukraine have returned to Russia.

Some, including those convicted of murder, are committing violent crimes again, per Russia's Verstka.

And Russian authorities are trying to hide the cases, including in court documents, it reported.

Criminals pardoned after fighting in Ukraine for Russia's Wagner mercenary group have started to commit new crimes, with Russian authorities trying to cover them up, according to a report.

Independent Russian outlet Verstka said it discovered recent cases against former Wagner fighters when it looked at court documents.

But it said that it also found attempts to cover them up.

According to Verstka, attempts were made to remove the names of the accused from court documents, and that information about those crimes had not been published on the websites of Russia's prosecutor's office or Ministry of Internal Affairs.

It also said it found cases of pardoned Wagner fighters having committed murder since returning to Russia, and that those men would still have been in prison for their previous crimes had they not been pardoned for serving in Ukraine.

CBS News reported last month on the case of a Russian man imprisoned for murder who was pardoned for fighting in Ukraine, and who was then arrested after stabbing an elderly woman to death after returning to his homeland.

Verstka also reported that, because they had been pardoned, the punishments these men receive this time around will not be as harsh as if their previous crimes were taken into account.

Prisoners were promised pardons in exchange for six months of service in Ukraine.

The outlet said there are no statistics for how many former Wagner fighters have committed crimes since they returned to Russia, but that court data suggests it is becoming a more frequent occurrence.

Wagner sent thousands of mercenaries and former prisoners to fight in Ukraine, where the group became infamous for its brutal tactics.

Wagner troops took part in some of Russia's bloodiest battles, and had a high death toll as a result. UK intelligence said in March that half of all Russian prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine had likely been killed or wounded.

The UK Ministry of Defence warned in March that with a large number of pardoned prisoners due to return to Russia, there will be a "sudden influx of often violent offenders with recent and often traumatic combat experience."

This, it said, "will likely present a significant challenge for Russia's war-time society."

Wagner troops staged a mini mutiny last month, taking military headquarters in a key Russian city and started to march towards Moscow. But in the end the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, agreed to go into exile in neighboring Belarus, with his men being given a choice: Join Russia's army, go into exile in Belarus, or go home.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A few days ago, baby Ella was enjoying some tummy time. For parents Sandy and Jesse Fuller, this felt wonderful. Thats because Ella was born conjoined by the abdomen to her twin, Eliza.

When the couple learned Sandy Fuller was pregnant with twins, they felt stunned. Then another surprise followed.

Four weeks after we found out there were twins, we  confirmed that they were conjoined, Sandy Fuller told TODAY for a segment aired July 10. We were shocked.

Surprise after surprise

The Fullers learned the babies were conjoined when Sandy Fuller was 12 weeks pregnant, and soon after, they met with a team at Texas Childrens Hospital to prepare for the babies arrival.

Thats kind of what helped the process because weve had time to (have) people be involved in the planning, Jesse Fuller told TODAY. It was kind of a blessing and a curse finding out that early because weve had so much time to think about it.

They soon discovered the babies were connected at the abdomen, and their livers were joined. But thats all doctors could tell from early imaging. Time would reveal how much the two babies shared.

(The doctor) said, You dont really find out what more (is connected) until theyre older, a little bigger, Sandy Fuller said. They were so tiny at 12 weeks (gestation).

Later, the babies underwent a 3D scan, and the family learned more about their twins.

It took a team of 17 staff to separate baby Ella and Eliza, twins born conjoined by the abdomen. (Courtesy Texas Children's Hospital )

They each had their own (liver), and then it just fused together at where they met, Jesse Fuller said. So that was a blessing as well. While doctors could tell the girls didnt share other crucial organs, such as a heart  which was welcome news  they remained unsure if the babies would share connections in other places. Luckily, the images of the girls stayed stable.

Things never changed. It stayed the same, Sandy Fuller said. As they grew, (the liver) was all that they were sharing.

The Fullers live three hours from Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston, so when Sandy Fuller was 32 weeks pregnant, she went there to stay. Doctors wanted her close in case anything happened. They hoped to deliver the babies at 35 weeks. On March 1, 2023, Ella and Eliza arrived right on time. Seeing her daughters for the first time felt incredibly joyful for Sandy Fuller.

It was a beautiful experience because I just knew, Oh my gosh, my babies that Ive been carrying in here are now outside the womb, she said. Theyre good  and they immediately started to cry.

Jesse Fuller had felt nervous about his wife undergoing a C-section. But he was comforted by how the staff navigated delivery.

It all was amazing, he said. The team was so prepared because they knew from so early on what they needed to do. So everything went so smooth.

Holding their babies separately for the first time felt exciting for Jesse and Sandy Fuller. (Courtesy Texas Children's Hospital )

Preparing a team for the delivery and separation

Twins joined at the stomach are called omphalopagus conjoined twins, Dr. Jonathan Davies, co-leader of the conjoined twin clinical program at Texas Childrens Hospital, told TODAY. Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and many are stillborn.

But discovering that the babies were conjoined early meant Davies and his team could prepare for the birth and eventual separation.

Ive been part of the team that (cared for them) starting before they were born up until going home, Davies said. We heard about the girls about four months before they were born, and we got our team together and started planning for every part of their hospitalization.

Dozens of doctors, nurses, therapists and support staff from various departments were involved. Conjoined twins offer new challenges, and each one is different," Davies said.

We have to sort of specialize just for them  from the simplest things of how we position them in the bed and move the around to when we give medications, how were giving them medications and what dosage that we use, he continued. Thats a lot easier when you have one baby in one bed  (than) when you have two babies side by side. That becomes much trickier, and theres a lot of potential for risks.

Even feeding them felt challenging, as Ella and Eliza faced each other. Medical staff also needed to consider how the babies would rest. Staff flipped them from side to side so they could rest comfortably. Doctors also need to consider their growth, both physical and cognitive. For four months, neonatal intensive care staff navigated the challenges of caring for the conjoined twins to make sure they were healthy for their separation surgery in June.

Dr. Alice King, pediatric surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital, led 17 surgical staff in separating the babies.

Theyre so rare that theres no playbook, King told TODAY. In the back of my mind, I always have my plan A, B and then all the way down to like L, M, N.

After a six-hour surgery, Ella and Eliza were successfully separated and started their new, separate lives.

The future has no limits for them, King said.

Going home

When the Fullers held their babies separately for the first time. they experienced an overwhelming feeling (of) excitement," Sandy Fuller said.

I was just so grateful that I could finally hold my baby on her back, she told TODAYs Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

Sandy Fuller said holding her babies on their back after their separation surgery made her feel 'grateful.' (Courtesy Texas Children's Hospital )

Jesse Fuller added: I was super excited to see them separate and doing good. Its definitely getting easier as the days go on. Theyre getting better, stronger.

Ella is sassy while Eliza is chill," their mom said. Since being separated, they still love being side-by-side. Big sister Emi cant wait to meet them.

Shes really excited, Sandy Fuller said of her other daughter. She carries these two little twin baby dolls around and she says, My babies.

The Fullers hope to be home July 11 and look forward to being reunited.

Its going to be amazing. Its going to be a very emotional day, Sandy Fuller said. There were many times when I felt like, How can I get through this? There are moments where you feel like you cant go anymore. But then you just pray and gain that strength right back and you just do it.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador enjoys vast popular support for his iron fisted approach to violent street gangs (MARVIN RECINOS)

El Salvador's ruling party on Sunday gave the green light to President Nayib Bukele in his quest to seek re-election next year, as critics question the legality of a second consecutive term.

Bukele, 41, announced last September that he would seek another term in office after the Supreme Court allowed Bukele to seek re-election, sparking intense debate over its constitutionality.

The right-wing New Ideas (NI) party held an internal election with Bukele as the sole candidate.

New Ideas "make it official that the winner for the presidential candidacy... is Mr. Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez," Karen Gonzalez, head of the electoral committee of the party, told reporters, without specifying how many votes Bukele obtained.

Salvadoran law requires political parties to hold internal elections to select their presidential candidates for 2024 elections.

Polls give a huge advantage to Bukele, whose war against violent street gangs has earned him an approval rating of more than 90 percent of the population, despite heavy criticism from human rights organizations.

The Salvadoran constitution imposes a single-term limits on candidates for presidential elections, barring anyone from running who "has served as President of the Republic for more than six months, consecutive or not" within the six months before the presidential period.

In 2021, Bukele's administration replaced five Supreme Court judges and the attorney general -- two institutions with which he had clashed -- as well as a third of all the country's judges.

The court then issued a resolution that allowed immediate presidential re-election, but critics believe the constitution prohibits that.

Rights groups, the United Nations, and the United States have all expressed alarm over arbitrary arrests, inhumane prison conditions and growing authoritarianism in El Salvador.

Other minority political parties planning to run in next year's general elections have announced that they will hold their internal elections next week, ahead of general elections in February.

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Passenger jumps from planes emergency exit onto tarmac to avoid cops, MN airport says

Shortly after a Sun Country flight touched down at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a passenger forced open an emergency exit and leaped from the plane, Minnesota airport officials told news outlets.

The flight from Orlando, Florida, landed at about 11 p.m. on July 9, officials told KSTP. As passengers began deboarding the aircraft, a 44-year-old New Brighton man suddenly opened an emergency exit door, jumped down to the tarmac and started running, the outlet reported.

The man had violated a no-contact order, officials said, and police were waiting for him at the gate, KMSP reported.

He only managed to postpone his arrest, officials told WCCO. Less than an hour after the mans escape, police found him hiding inside an airline food truck and he was taken into custody.

We take these incidents very seriously, and the crew called airport police who responded quickly, Sun Country told KMSP. Fortunately, passengers and crew are fine.

Passenger threatens to bomb plane in note to attendant on Seattle-bound flight, FBI says

Watch TikTokers flight to NC turn into a private party after an 18-hour delay

Jet engine pulls in worker at Texas airport, killing him, officials say

Man again caught hiding in planes landing gear on flight to Miami, Texas officials say
Former Vice President Mike Pence Monday chided former President Trump over his assertion that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, arguing that doing so would mean giving in to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Pence, who is running against Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was asked on Fox News how he believes the war in Ukraine will end.

I think it ends by giving the Ukrainians what they need to win, he said. I mean, theres some talk, my former running mate likes to talk about solving it in a day. The only way youd solve this war in a day is if you gave Vladimir Putin what he wanted.

Pence, who has previously criticized Trump for praising Putin, warned that the Russian leader would likely move into neighboring countries if he was able to overtake Ukraine, pointing to Lithuania, Estonia or Latvia.

And those will be countries where wed have to send our armed forces to go and fight under our NATO treaty, Pence said. And so, I think its in the interest of our country to give them what they need to stop them there, repel them there. And make no mistake about it  [its] the most effective way to send a message to China that America and the West will not tolerate military aggression by Russia or by China to redraw international lines by force.

Trump has repeatedly claimed since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022 that he would be able to bring the conflict to an end within a day, though he has not detailed how he would do so. He has also argued the U.S. should not play such a significant role in sending military aid to Ukraine to fight off Russian forces.

Pence, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine late last month, has emerged as perhaps the most outspoken GOP presidential candidate in favor of providing support to the Ukrainians.

He has argued that while it is not Americas war, the fight in Ukraine is part of a broader struggle for freedom abroad that is in U.S. interests. He has been critical of the Biden administration for the pace of providing military equipment to Ukraine to fight Russian forces.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A disgruntled Iowa voter asked former Vice President Mike Pence whether he ever second-guess[ed] himself after he certified Joe Bidens 2020 election victory, despite then-President Donald Trump repeatedly urging him to block the transfer of power.

Luann Bertrand, the voter, confronted the former vice president during his campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa. She falsely claimed that Mr Pence had the power to block the certification.

Do you ever second-guess yourself? That was a constitutional right that you had to send those votes back to the states. It was not like you were going to personally elect him ... You changed history for this country, Ms Bertrand said.

Mr Pence replied that his role on Jan 6 continues to be misunderstood, adding that he kept his oath to the Constitution that day.

Dont take my word for it, go read the Constitution. Now really, I say this with great affection and respect  the Constitutions very clear. ... The Constitution says you open and count the votes, no more no less, Pence continued.

No vice president in American history ever asserted the authority that you have been convinced that I had, and I want to tell you, with all due respect, I said before and I said when I announced, President Trump is wrong about my authority that day and hes still wrong. I believe it with all my heart, the 2024 presidential candidate said.

In a subsequent interview on CNN, Ms Bertrand said that she would consider supporting Pence in the 2024 race, but noted, he has that one hiccup, referring to his role in the certification process.

Mr Pence also said at the campaign stop that he would weigh pardoning Mr Trump if he was found guilty of federal crimes.

Ive been a governor, Ive actually pardoned people, he said. I think any pardon that you could conduct would only be appropriate to consider after somebody has been found guilty. And I dont know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary assume the presidents going to be found guilty.

The former president faces a 37-count federal indictment relating to his handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
Pentagon says it's almost like Russia's on a 'mission to protect ISIS leaders' after its fighter jets harassed US Reaper drones that took out a top terrorist

MQ-9 Reaper US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class William Rio Rosado

Russian fighter jets harassed several US military drones operating above Syria on Friday.

Those same American MQ-9 Reaper drones later went on to kill an ISIS leader during an operation.

A Pentagon official said Monday it's almost like Moscow is "on a mission to protect ISIS leaders."

Russia is acting like it's on a "mission to protect" Islamic State leaders by disrupting counter-terrorism operations, a Pentagon official said Monday after Russian fighter jets harassed US military drones that were sent to eliminate a top terrorist just a few hours later.

US officials have slammed Russia's air force in recent days for carrying out aggressive maneuvers around several NATO aircraft operating above Syria on multiple occasions throughout last week. Friday marked three days in a row of what Pentagon leadership has slammed is "reckless" and "unprofessional" behavior by Moscow's pilots.

During the nearly two-hour-long engagement on Friday, an unspecified number of Russian aircraft flew 18 close passes near three Reaper drones, which were forced to "react to avoid unsafe situations," Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of US Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) said at the time.

Several hours later though, these same Reaper drones carried out a strike in eastern Syria that killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was an ISIS leader. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which revealed the strike on Sunday, said it was unaware of any civilian deaths but was reviewing reports that a civilian may have been injured.

"We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond."

Russian military Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft employ flares in the flight path of a U.S. MQ-9 aircraft on July 6, 2023 over Syria. US Air Force photo

The US has around 900 troops deployed to Syria, where they carry out missions against ISIS targets. Russia, meanwhile, operates in the country in support of the Assad regime's ongoing civil war. But in recent months, Washington has called attention to increasingly dangerous actions by Russian pilots who it says are interfering with America's interests there. The US and its partners saw several of these incidents last week alone.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday that the US is vocal and clear about its mission in Syria to defeat ISIS, according to a Pentagon official who relayed her comments from a Monday press gaggle.

"The Russians know that, they know exactly where we operate, and so there is no excuse for Russian forces' continual harassment of our MQ-9s after years of US operations in the area aimed at ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS," Singh said. "And it is almost as if the Russians are now on a mission to protect ISIS leaders."

"So while I can't speak to other missions, if they have been deterred by Russian actions, what I can say is that CENTCOM was able to successfully execute this mission despite what the Russian forces have been trying to do in the air," she said.

A Russian SU-35 fighter aircraft closes in on US MQ-9 aircraft on July 5, 2023 over Syria. Screengrab via US Air Force

Last week saw several instances where Russian fighter jets performed "unsafe and unprofessional" actions near NATO aircraft operating above Syria, according to US Air Force officials. On Wednesday, Russian Su-35s dropped parachute flares and engaged afterburners in front of three Reaper drones.

The following day, Russian Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets dropped flares and flew "dangerously close" to an unspecified number of Reaper drones. In a separate incident also on Thursday, a Su-35 conducted a "non-professional interaction" with two French Dassault Rafale fighters that were in the middle of a security mission.

"We continue to encourage Russia to return to the established norms of a professional Air Force so we can all return our focus to ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS," Grynkewich said after Friday's incident.

Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, told reporters on Friday that the US is concerned about the continuous nature of these incidents and that Washington doesn't want this behavior to be normalized.

"So, we will continue to highlight when the Russians engage in reckless, unprofessional behavior in the skies, we will highlight for the world so that, when and if an incident happens, people will know who's at fault here," Kahl said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
People are absolutely livid about this deceptive new Tennessee law: Name it what it is  bribery

In April, Tennessee adopted a law that requires the state government to consider planet-overheating methane gas a clean energy source, Heated reports.

Methane gas  sometimes called natural gas, which is mostly methane but contains other gases  is an energy source similar to oil and coal. Burning natural gas creates air pollution and heat-trapping gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), though relatively less than oil or coal.

Methane gas is also a heat-trapping gas itself; when it escapes into the atmosphere due to leaks and faulty equipment, it has up to 80 times the effect on our planets temperature that carbon pollution would.

However, according to the Tennessee legislature and Governor Bill Lee, natural gas is a clean energy source on par with wind, solar, and water power. The bill lays out a list of 17 permissible sources of clean energy that must be allowed by any ordinance, resolution, or other regulation that imposes requirements or expectations related to the source of clean energy used by a public utility.

In other words, government agencies or programs in Tennessee that encourage clean energy use have to include natural gas.

Tennessee isnt the first state to adopt a measure like this one. In December, Ohio passed a similar law labeling natural gas as green energy. Outlets, including the Energy and Policy Institute and The Washington Post, reported that The Empowerment Alliance, a group involved with earlier bribery scandals, had been behind the Ohio bills support.

The same group was involved in the Tennessee bill, Heated suggests. Governor Lee and bill co-sponsor State Senator Page Walley have signed The Empowerment Alliances Declaration of Energy Independence to support natural gas. Heated claims that other officials who supported the bill have also received money from the oil and gas industries.

Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, governments and businesses across the globe have been looking for ways to produce less heat-trapping gas and cool down the planet while investing in affordable, clean energy sources.

However, leaders and lobbyists from polluting industries like oil, gas, and coal have become an obstacle to this development. They stand to lose money if the world switches to less expensive and less polluting fuel sources, like solar and wind, and many have opposed efforts to switch.

Reddit commenters were enraged by the news from Tennessee. Many commented on a post that moderators have since removed but left visible. Industry-funded, said one user. Name it what it is. Bribery. The lawmakers and the industrialists paying them need to be behind bars.

At some point folks are going to get angry with this bulls***, said another user. A third replied, Im already livid.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
People defend Joe Biden after reporter claims he wore sneakers without socks during trip to UK: Impeach!

Joe Bidens sartorial choices have been called into question after the president was seen wearing sneakers seemingly without socks as he boarded Air Force One.

On Sunday, the president boarded Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he headed to London. For the trip, Biden was dressed in blue slacks, a pale blue button-down shirt, and a blue blazer. He completed the look with a pair of navy and grey Skechers slip-in shoes.

However, according to New York Times reporter Doug Mills, one thing the president was missing was his socks. Mills sparked a debate about the apparent fashion faux pas when he tweeted on Sunday that the 80 year old had allegedly gone sans socks for the flight.

@Potus boards Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he departs for London, England. Biden was not [wearing] socks with his sneakers, Mills tweeted, along with a photo of Bidens full outfit, as well as a close-up shot of the presidents sneakers and bare ankle.

The tweet, which has been viewed more than 4.2m times, has prompted a conversation about the presidents fashion choice, with some questioning whether Bidens apparent decision not to wear socks with sneakers was newsworthy, while others argued that Biden was actually wearing the footwear correctly. According to others, the president was likely wearing no-show socks.

How do you know he doesnt have very low-rise socks? Anyway, whats the problem with not wearing socks with sneakers? one person asked, while another said: Probably the invisible or low-rise socks. Everyone I know wears them.

Someone else claimed that its pretty normal for beach locals to go without socks while noting that Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden had just returned from a trip to their Delaware beach home.

.@POTUS boards Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he departs for London, England. Biden was not socks with his sneakers. pic.twitter.com/3CRQJ5uqnR  Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2023

Its pretty normal for beach locals to go without socks and he had just spent a day at his beach home. If hes more comfortable this way on his flight, why does it matter? they asked.

According to others, Biden was actually wearing the shoes, which happened to be a $90 pair of Mens Skechers Slip-Ins Ultra Flex 3.0, correctly.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Slip-on Skechers are designed to be worn without socks. The fabric is lightweight and breathable, allowing feet to stay cool and dry, one person claimed in response. Plus, the sole of the shoe is designed to provide maximum cushion and comfort without the need for socks.

Slip-on Skechers are designed to be worn without socks. The fabric is lightweight and breathable, allowing feet to stay cool and dry. Plus, the sole of the shoe is designed to provide maximum cushion and comfort without the need for socks.  Renegade Cowboy  (@Rene_gadeCowboy) July 9, 2023

How do you know he doesnt have very low-rise socks? Anyway, whats the problem with not wearing socks with sneakers?  Mario Pawlowski #ViralMario (@PawlowskiMario) July 9, 2023

It is summer. He is traveling. How do you know they are not no show socks?  #RandyResistING Authoritarianism (@RandyResist) July 9, 2023

Get a life 



Ever hear of no show socks?   NONYABIZ  (@LSD122070) July 9, 2023

On Skechers website, it notes that the easy-wearing style is designed with air-cooled memory foam that cushions the insole, and a Stretch-Fit design for sock-like comfort.

However, on the shoe companys website, it also includes a video of various individuals stepping into the shoes, with each wearing a pair of no-show socks.

Although it is unclear whether the president was indeed wearing no-show socks, or whether he had actually chosen to wear the shoes without socks, many defended Biden on the basis that his fashion choices arent important.

Oh thank god, heres the news finally - we were on the edge of our seats waiting to hear if he had socks on. This was riveting, thank you, one person tweeted sarcastically, while another added: Impeach!!

So? Sneakers with socks isnt in the Constitution. Find something else to complain about, someone else wrote in response to Mills tweet.

The reporters tweet also prompted some to compare the situation to the uproar after former President Barack Obama wore a tan suit, which his critics deemed unacceptable, in 2014.

Slip on sneakers are such a scandal right up there with the tan suit.  LJ  (@LatticedJennaly) July 9, 2023

Tan Suit 2023 just dropped https://t.co/VfDLd62dSO  Scott Charles, MAPP, FCPP (@TheScottCharles) July 10, 2023

Omg, tan suit again yawn, one person tweeted.

As of now, the president, who is currently in the UK meeting with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a NATO meeting in Lithuania, has not addressed the fashion choice.

The Independent has contacted Skechers for comment.
Philadelphia gunman killed first victim two days before mass shooting, authorities say

Authorities investigating a deadly shooting rampage in Philadelphia over the Fourth of July holiday weekend now say one of the victims was killed nearly two days before previously thought.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was charged with five counts of murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment and firearms charges at an arraignment on Wednesday.

Police initially believed all five victims were killed within a short period on the evening of 3 July after Carriker allegedly armed himself with an AR-15 and donned a bulletproof vest to wreak havoc on the Kingsessing neighbourhood.

On Sunday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner revealed that an error prevented police from discovering the body of Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, after shots were reported near his home at around 2am on 2 July.

Police later found additional evidence that was corroborated by the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office confirmed that Wamah was killed approximately 44 hours before the mass shooting, Mr Krasners office told the Associated Press in a statement.

Mr Krasner apologised to Wamahs grieving family.

I cannot express enough the sorrow I feel  and that surely all the officers and detectives working on this investigation must feel  that these developments may be confusing and re-traumatising for Mr Wamahs loved ones, he said.

Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, was shot dead nearly two days before a gunman rampaged through the streets of Philadelphia, authorities say (Facebook)

In a statement, the Philadelphia Police Department said they responded to a 911 call about gunshots on South 56th Street at about 2am on 2 July, about 90 minutes after they say Wamah was killed.

But police were dispatched to an incorrect address at North 56th Street, and didnt immediately find Wamahs body.

Wamahs twin sister Josephine Wamah told a press conference last week that her brother had been an exceptionally gifted artist.

You could feel all the energy, everything that he was saying in his body, you could feel it on top of the canvas. You could feel this mans emotions on every stroke of the paintbrush that he puts on the canvas, she said.

He was gorgeous inside and out, she said.

Ms Wamah also spoke of the familys anger towards the gunman.

The fact that you did this to us for your own agenda, for your own reason, is really pissing me off, she added.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, has been charged with five counts of murder after going on an alleged shooting rampage in Philadelphia (Philadelphia Police Department)

Roommates of the suspect told authorities he had been in an agitated state and was wearing a bulletproof vest in the house in the days leading up to the shooting, according to Joanne Pescatore of the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office.

Carrikers grandmother last week told The Independent that she was desperately seeking answers to what had set him off.
 Flash

People take part in a protest against Sweden hosting a large international military exercise and the country striving to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed on Sunday Sweden's NATO bid with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden over the phone ahead of the alliance's summit this week.

The two leaders also discussed Ukraine's position in NATO, the delivery of F-16 fighter jets and Turkiye's efforts to join the EU, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

During the phone call, Erdogan noted "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction" toward the ratification of its NATO bid by making changes in its anti-terrorism legislation, said the statement.

However, the Turkish leader said these steps were "nullified" as the supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "continue to hold demonstrations freely in the country to advocate terrorism."

Erdogan also stressed that it was not correct to associate Turkiye's F-16 purchase from the United States with Sweden's NATO bid, referring to several objections from the U.S. Congress to Ankara's purchase demand for F-16s over its veto of Sweden's NATO membership.

The two presidents agreed to meet face-to-face to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues in detail at the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on July 11-12, according to the statement.

Regarding Turkiye's EU bid, Erdogan told Biden that his country was "principled and honest" about EU membership, appealing to revive its membership process and hoping for getting a clear and strong message of support from leading countries of the EU at the upcoming Vilnius Summit.

Biden, for his part, conveyed to Erdogan his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to a White House statement.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but met with objections from Turkiye on the grounds that the two countries harbor members of PKK and the Gulen movement.

Turkiye eventually lifted its objection to Finland's NATO accession earlier this year after Helsinki took what Ankara calls "concrete steps" against such organizations. In April, Finland became NATO's 31st member state.
This booking photo provided by Philadelphia Police Department shows Kimbrady Carriker. Carriker was arraigned Wednesday, July 5, 2023 on five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public, prosecutors said. (Philadelphia Police Department via AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A day before killing four people in a mass shooting in Philadelphia last week, authorities say the gunman went to his first victims door wearing a dark mask, shot through it and yelled that he was law enforcement before entering the home and continuing to shoot, police officials said at a news conference Monday.

The details were revealed a day after police announced that it was likely Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, had been killed in the early hours of July 2, and not during the larger July 3 attack, as police had initially thought, and that a 911 call reporting the gunshots had been misrouted to the wrong neighborhood.

Officials said they have not found a connection between Wamah and the suspected shooter, Kimbrady Carriker. Authorities believe Carriker, 40, fatally shot Wamah in the early hours of July 2 and then, about 44 hours later, opened fire randomly with an AR-15-style rifle, killing four others and wounding four more in a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood.

Wamah was killed in a row house on South 56th Street, but Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Monday that officers were dispatched several miles away to North 56th Street instead. Upon not finding any evidence of a shooting there, Outlaw said the officers asked dispatch to call back the 911 caller. She declined to discuss details of that follow-up call.

I will abstain from providing the details of that interaction as they are currently under internal investigation," Outlaw said.

Outlaw said the call came in to dispatch about 2 a.m., nearly 90 minutes after the shooting was believed to have happened early July 2. When asked how she would respond to people in the neighborhood suggesting that if officers had gone to the correct address, it might have prevented the shooting Monday, Outlaw pushed back against the line of thinking.

I caution individuals to go down that rabbit hole. We can coulda, shoulda, woulda all day ... That doesnt make anyone feel better, Outlaw said. Its tragic, its unfortunate. We dont like the fact that we are adding to the atrocities that occurred, she added.

Outlaw said because the injuries Wamah sustained were so extensive, she did not believe officers could have saved Wamah's life if they had been correctly routed.

Calls and emails to Wamah's family members seeking comment were not immediately returned Monday.

Meanwhile, while the dispatch response is being investigated, Outlaw said the department has instituted another failsafe to try to prevent calls from being wrongly marked as unfounded. She said a higher level of supervisor will have to review and OK it before a call is dismissed.

Deputy Commissioner Krista Dahl-Campbell said when 911 calls are received, the system identifies a location for the caller. Dispatchers have the option of automatically transferring that location to dispatchers, but in this case and in most cases, the operator inputs the location by hand.

Oftentimes you are not calling about yourself ... so they end up inputting the reported information instead, she said.

Outlaw and others said several times that the caller did not specify north or south during the report. Once officers checked the location they were routed to, asked for the callback, and checked again, the call was reported to be unfounded in the system.

Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said police are still investigating a motive in both shootings. Carriker has been charged with five counts of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges.

Vanore said it appeared the same weapon was used in the attacks. He had previously said both the AR-15-style weapon and a handgun found on Carriker after the shootings were self-manufactured weapons also known as ghost guns.

Vanore also said if he had not been familiar with Carriker since he was taken into custody, he would not have been able to identify him from the surveillance video gathered in Wamah's shooting because he was wearing dark clothing and a mask covering his face.

A representative of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Carriker, said Monday they did not have a comment on the timeline changes or allegations from police.

Police called to the Kingsessing neighborhood on July 3 around 8:30 p.m. found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire.

Officers said witnesses and video of the attack indicated the suspect went to several locations while wearing a ski mask and body armor, carrying the AR-15-style rifle and shooting people and moving cars at random.

Cornered in an alley, Carriker surrendered and was found to have two guns, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said.

Lashyd Merritt, 21; Dymire Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; and DaJuan Brown, 15, were all killed in the July 3 attack. A 13-year-old and 2-year-old also suffered gunshot wounds and two others, including a 2-year-old, suffered wounds from shattered glass, police said.

___

Associated Press reporter Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Philadelphia Police Department

Police in Philadelphia revealed Sunday that one of the five victims they initially reported had been killed in a mass shooting that rocked the state this week was in fact killed nearly two days prior.

Joseph Wamah, Jr. was still murdered by the suspected gunman, Kimbrady Carriker, Philadelphia police told The Daily Beast in a statement, but investigations following the mass shooting incidentwhere four people were shot dead in southwest Philadelphia on June 3 in a seemingly random act of violencerevealed that Wamah had been murdered on June 2, approximately 44 hours beforehand.

Wamah was the only one of the five initial victims that were gunned down inside a house.

Police cited an unidentified source, corroborated by the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office, for the twist. They also cited additional evidence, including a 911 call at approximately 2:00 a.m. on the morning of 7/2/22 reporting gunshots in the area of 1600 South 56th Street.

The call came about 90 minutes after it is believed Wamah was killed.

However when the 911 call was logged, the address was incorrectly logged as 1600 block of North 56th Street, instead of 1600 block of South 56th Street. When police arrived at the wrong address, predictably, they found nothing wrong.

Philadelphia Shooting Suspect Kimbrady Carrickers Bra Selfie Is Not the Problem

Because this call was entered as 1600 North 56th Street, Philadelphia Police Radio was unable to immediately identify any calls for reports of gunshots in the area of 1600 South 56th Street, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

After killing Wamah, Carriker waited almost two days before opening fire across four city blocks while wearing body armor and a ski mask. He was also using a police scanner in a bid to avoid authorities.

Police later revealed Carriker was wielding an AR-15 style assault rifle and appeared to be firing randomly at people on the street or in their car.

On Sunday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told NBC the grieving family of the deceased has been briefed on this new information, and I cannot express enough the sorrow I feeland that surely all the officers and detectives working on this investigation must feelthat these developments may be confusing and re-traumatizing for Mr. Wamahs loved ones, Krasner wrote.

This new information, however, has not changed the number or type of charges we have filed against defendant Carriker: the Commonwealth alleges that he is responsible for the death of Mr. Wamah on July 2, 2023. This new information will lead the Commonwealth to amend or modify the timing alleged in the complaint against Carriker for the murder of Mr. Wamah from July 3, 2023, to July 2, 2023.

Appearing in court on Wednesday, Carriker claimed he began his deadly spree to help address the citys gun violence crisis because all these guys are out there killing people. He was arraigned on five counts of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public.

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Photo of cash in plastic bags falsely linked to recent arrest in South Africa

After police arrested a teenager with a large sum of money in South Africas Limpopo province in June 2023, social media users shared a picture of a plastic bag filled with South African rands and US dollars, linking it to the bust. This is misleading: the picture shows undeclared cash worth R6.9 million (about $367,000) seized at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in 2018.

A 19 year old in Thohoyandou Venda was found with 1.9 million rands in cash inside transparent plastic bags this is after the hawks received a tip off (sic), reads a tweet that has garnered hundreds of retweets and thousands of likes since June 29, 2023.

A screenshot of the misleading tweet

The picture in the tweet shows bundles of rand notes in a plastic bag on the floor.

The claim was also shared here, here and here (archived here, here and here).

But while the details of the recent arrest were mostly accurate, the photo is old and unrelated to the incident.

2023 search and seizure

On June 27, 2023, Nedzanani Vhugala Thivhilaeli was arrested after a joint search and seizure operation led by Thohoyandou-based Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation and other crime intelligence units in Limpopo.

The team recovered three plastic bags containing cash amounting to over R1,6 million. The suspect was immediately arrested and the recovered money was seized by the Hawks, South African police said in a statement (archived here).

South Africas Hawks are an elite police unit that investigates organised crime, economic crime and corruption.

The misleading posts embellished details, including that the plastic bag containing the money was clear. But the police statement did not provide that information, saying only that three bags with money had been recovered.

The posts also claim the 19-year-old was arrested in Thohoyandou when in fact it happened more than 40 kilometres away in Vuwani.

Screenshot of the distance between Thohoyandou and Vuwani, taken from Google Maps

2018 airport bust

A reverse image search led to the picture included in a police statement dated May 5, 2018, reporting the arrest of a 27-year-old man with US and South African currency worth R6.9 million at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg (archived).

A screenshot of the police statement published on May 5, 2018

The search also showed that local media have used the picture for illustrative purposes, as seen here in March 2023 (archived), crediting it as a stock photo.

A screenshot taken of an article using the picture as a stock photo

The case against Thivhilaeli was postponed to July 7, 2023, for a bail application. The investigation continues.
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland wants NATO to discuss extending its Cold War era oil pipeline system further east, President Andrzej Duda said on Monday before leaving for Vilnius for a NATO summit that will start on Tuesday.

"We will certainly raise the issue of the expansion of fuel supply pipelines, NATO pipelines. Today they end in Germany because they are the remnants of what was built during the Cold War," Duda told reporters.

"We would like, after more than 20 years of our presence in NATO, for the alliance to finally decide that it will finance, that NATO countries will finance their expansion, so that they reach NATO's eastern flank."

NATO's Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS) is a high-pressure pipeline network that transports jet fuel, gasoline, diesel fuel and naphtha across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg and the Netherlands.

(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Chris Reese)
Police arrest another man in connection with City Nightz shooting that injured 11

Wichita police have arrested another man in connection with the July 2 City Nightz shooting that left nine people wounded and two more with injuries from being trampled.

John Houze, 27, was arrested on one count of aggravated battery and another of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. He also had a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant, police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Houze was previously convicted of drug possession and fleeing from law enforcement, both misdemeanors, and aggravated battery and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon.

It i s unknown when and where Houze was arrested. Police were not immediately available for more details.

Police said on Friday that they had arrested 19-year-old Ameir Jayshon King-Ingram on suspicion of two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. He was arrested in the 700 block of South Greenwood, The Eagle previously reported.

Police also are asking the public for help in finding 23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita in connection with the shooting, Rebolledo said.

Thomas has a felony pick-up stemming from the City Nightz shooting, Rebolledo added. Police would like to speak with Thomas and check his welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is encouraged to call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

A man who was working security for rapper Mozzy was earlier arrested and released. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said that man fired in self-defense or defense of someone else.
Suella Braverman backs the plans

All 43 police forces in England and Wales will pledge to focus rape investigations on perpetrators rather than testing the credibility of women under reforms backed by Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, to end victim blaming.

Police chiefs say they will apply the same investigative and disruptive tactics to rapists as they do to organised crime bosses where they are pursued by police even if victims withdraw their complaints.

They believe the new approach, known as Operation Soteria, will be as significant as the reforms to murder investigations that followed the botched pursuit of the Yorkshire Ripper in the 1970s.

It follows scathing criticism of police chiefs for letting down victims and an unprecedented apology from ministers for the collapse in charging rates where just one in 70 rapes resulted in a conviction.

Mrs Braverman said: As a society, too often we have failed the victims of sexual violence. I have been clear that we must transform the way these investigations are handled, to make sure that all victims have the best support possible throughout the entire process. This is a vital step in delivering on that promise.

It will help ensure investigations focus on the suspect, and never on seeking to undermine the account of the victim, as well as placing the utmost importance on their rights and needs.

All 43 forces will, from Monday, use the Operation Soteria investigative model, where officers adopt an offender-centric approach that focuses more on suspects patterns of behaviour before, during and after reported attacks.

It will shift the spotlight from investigating the credibility of victims, which has been blamed for more than 60 per cent of rape complainants withdrawing from cases and a consequent collapse in conviction rates.

Sarah Crew, the National Police Chiefs Councils lead on rape, said: I compare what we are doing here to the quantum lead forward that happened in police professionalism after the Yorkshire Ripper case in the 1980s.

That seminal case led to a transformation in investigative doctrine, in policy and in practice.

It will mean police officers would, for example, focus on whether a suspect cruised bars looking for someone drunk before the attack, whether they groomed or manipulated the victim. It also includes a guarantee to return a victims phone within 24 hours after being examined.

Investigators will be urged to use the same tactics as organised crime squads, including building intelligence on suspects where a victim might have withdrawn their complaint, taking out protection orders against them and re-interviewing past victims who might now want to come forward with a complaint.

There is a whole pillar of disruption. Prosecution is only one tool, said a police source, noting that one in four rapists are repeat offenders.

When we deal with perpetrators of organised crime, we use intelligence on which we base our investigations. It is not unique in policing to investigate without a crime report but it is unique in the way we start to think about [rape].

Thus far, 19 of the 43 forces have already introduced Operation Soteria. The first five that pioneered it have all seen the proportion of suspects charged increase, with Durham up from 2.6 per cent to 12.6 per cent since it was introduced. The Metropolitan Police has risen from 3.9 per cent to 8.3 per cent.

There have been mixed results on reducing the proportion of victims withdrawing from cases, remaining for the five forces at between 56 per cent and 75 per cent. Police officers said this could be attributed to the fact that data included crime reports by third parties.

Ministers also published a progress report on its efforts to return charging rates to 2016 levels. It showed the Government has already met two key ambitions ahead of schedule  restoring both the number of police referrals and cases reaching court to 2016 levels.

However, Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: While we have seen some progress, the Government has been too quick to claim that theyve tangibly changed the justice system for survivors.

Were barely off the starting blocks, but we now have a road map which is going to need a lot of support to realise its ambitions.

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Police have identified a 54-year-old Taunton woman who was killed in a crash in Norfolk on Friday morning.

Pamela Stone died after the sedan she was driving crashed into a tree, Norfolk Police Chief Timothy Heinz said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

At 10:31 a.m. on Friday, Norfolk Police responded to the area of Needham and Main streets for reports of a crash.

When officers arrived, they found a sedan had crashed into a tree.

Stone was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where she later died, Heinz said.

On behalf of the Norfolk Police Department, we would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Pamela Stone, Heinz said. We wish them comfort in their time of mourning.

The crash remains under investigation by the Norfolk Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit.

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
Update as of 4:55 p.m.: Boston Police say they have located 6-year-old Daniel Soto.

Original article: Authorities are asking for the publics help locating a child that went missing from Roxbury Monday morning.

6-year-old Daniel Soto was last seen around 9:35 a.m. in the area of Washington Street and Dimock Street in Roxbury, according to Boston Police. He is autistic and officials say he only speaks Spanish.

Soto is described as a Hispanic boy, of thin build wearing a blue shirt, gray pants, red sneakers, and holding a blue lunch bag.

Anyone with information about Sotos whereabouts is asked to call police.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Police on the beat

Rape victims personal health and counselling records are being searched by police in a third of cases to establish their credibility, a government study has found.

The research found that police officers were seeking access to the records to test a victims reliability rather than establish facts about the rape amid moves by the Government to stamp out victim blaming.

The study was published as part of a progress report on the Governments rape review, set up two years ago to reverse the slump in rape prosecutions which has seen the proportion charged fall to as low as one in seven offences.

As part of the review, all 43 police forces in England and Wales have announced that, from this week, they will adopt a new investigation model where officers focus on the perpetrator rather than the credibility of the victim.

The analysis, conducted from January to March this year, found that in 71 per cent of 139 sample cases police made a request for GP records. In 47 per cent they requested social services records and in 29 per cent they asked for counselling or therapy notes.

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of cases where police gave a rationale for their requests focused on establishing perceived victim reliability or credibility rather than the facts of the incident.

Such intrusive searches of victims private lives have been blamed for deterring women from continuing with their prosecution. More than 60 per cent of victims withdraw from cases, blaming police trawls of their personal lives, court delays averaging two years and the prospective trauma of a trial.

The Government has pledged to end expansive fishing expeditions for information that is not relevant to investigations and could be used to undermine the credibility of victims.

Under the new Victims and Prisoners Bill, police will be barred from asking for rape victims therapy, health, school or other personal records unless it is absolutely necessary and proportionate.

Officers will also be required by law to inform victims about what type of information is being requested, why and how it will be used.

Expansion of Operation Soteria

The move will complement the announcement on Monday that Operation Soteria is being expanded to all forces: an approach that will shift the spotlight from investigating the credibility of victims to the suspect.

It will mean police officers would, for example, focus on whether a suspect cruised bars looking for an inebriated person before the attack, or whether they groomed or manipulated the victim. It also includes a guarantee to return a victims phone within 24 hours of it being examined.

Thus far, 19 of the 43 forces have already introduced Operation Soteria. The first five which pioneered it have all seen the proportion of suspects charged increase, with Durham up from 2.6 per cent to 12.6 per cent since it was introduced. The Metropolitan Police has risen from 3.9 per cent to 8.3 per cent.

There have been mixed results on reducing the proportion of victims withdrawing from cases, remaining for the five forces at between 56 per cent and 75 per cent. Police officers said this could be attributed to the fact data included crime reports by third parties.

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19-year-old killed after being shot in the head in Moraine; 2 suspects taken into custody

Two suspects connected to a deadly shooting in Moraine have been taken into custody.

Moraine Police were dispatched to the 2700 block of Gladstone Street at around 11:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting. A suspect reportedly shot a 19-year-old male and fled from the scene, the victims family member told Moraine Dispatch during the 911 call. About 10 gunshots were heard.

>> PHOTOS: 19-year-old killed after being shot in the head in Moraine

When officers arrived, they were able to confirm that the teenager was killed after being shot in the head. He was declared dead at the scene, a Moraine Dispatch sergeant confirmed to News Center 7.

The Montgomery County Coroners Office responded to the scene hours after the shooting to allow for investigators to gather information.

The preliminary investigation showed that the suspect fired about 10 gunshots into the home from outside. The victim was inside at the time and was hit by one of the bullets, Moraine Police told News Center 7 Reporter Kayla McDermott at the scene.

The suspect drove away from the crime scene in a black truck, last scene on Gladstone Street. A Be On the Lookout (or also known as BOLO) was created and sent out to Montgomery County policing agencies to locate the suspect vehicle.

>> TRENDING; Tickets sold out for more than $1M Queen of Hearts drawing at Beavercreek bowling alley

Authorities were eventually able to find the suspect vehicle; however, no suspect was found inside it.

Moraine Police said one suspect was taken into custody around 3 a.m., while another was apprehended around 6 a.m.

The reason for the shooting was still unknown.

Moraine Police led the investigation into the shooting.

We will update this story as it develops.




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Airstrikes carried out by the United States Africa Command (Africom) in support of the Somali government have killed 10 al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

Africom said the collective self-defense strikes, which were carried out overnight at the request of the Somali government, occurred in a remote area near Afmadow, approximately 105 kilometers north of Kismayo.
Police searching for 2 people of interest in brutal beating of man walking home from bar 2 years ago

Nearly two years after a man was brutally beaten along railroad tracks on his way home from a popular Buckhead bar, police have released pictures of two people of interest.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Joshua Dowd suffered a severe brain injury in the attack on July 11, 2022 after he left the Heretic Bar, a popular gay nightclub off Cheshire Bridge.

Dowd was so injured in the attack that friends and family initially gathered to say their goodbyes.

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They said he wasnt going to make it and if he did, he would be a in a total vegetative state, and basically in a nursing facility for the rest of his life, his partner, Colin Kelly, told Channel 2 Action News at the time.

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Dowd is still continuing his recovery and relearning how to walk.

On Monday, police released pictures of two people of interest who they say are homeless and living in the area.

Police said they are searching for John McIntyre, 48, and a woman that goes by the name Alyssa.

The motive for the attack remains unclear. Kelly said Dowd was found with his phone and debit card, so police did not think the attack was a robbery.

Friends and family believe Dowds race and sexual orientation may have played a role because he identified himself as a gay Asian American.

There were times based on where he was going to go, he would change his appearance so he wouldnt be at risk of getting attacked, Kelly said.

Anyone with information on the case can contact the Detective at 470-316-2606 or can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org. Tipsters do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest and indictment of the suspect.

You can donate to help with Dowds continuing recovery HERE.
The police are searching for clues after a man's decapitated body was found in a Japanese love hotel

A man was found dead in the bathroom of a love hotel in Japan (not pictured). BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty Images

A man's headless body was found in the bathroom of a love hotel in Japan.

Police identified the body as Hitoshi Ura, a 64-year-old man from Sapporo, a city in northern Japan.

While deaths in Japan's love hotels are rare, previous incidents have been reported.

A man's headless body was found in a love hotel in Japan. He was last seen alive while entering the building with a person dressed in women's clothing.

The man, identified by police as Hitoshi Ura, was found dead in a love hotel on July 2, according to local newspaper The Japan Times. The incident occurred in Sapporo, on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

On Sunday, near the love hotel, police officers approached pedestrians in search of evidence that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrator, according to the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun.

Ura, 64, was seen entering the hotel with another person at 10:50 p.m. on July 1, the receptionist told police, according to The Asahi Shimbun.

Some three hours later, the receptionist was told that the person would be leaving the hotel first and that Ura would be left alone in the room, per The Asahi Shimbun. The report did not state if Ura was the one who informed the receptionist.

The following day, police found Ura naked in the bathroom of a guest room, where he was said to have been decapitated, The Japan Times reported, citing investigators. Police said the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock, per the report.

According to The Asahi Shimbun, the person who accompanied Ura into the love hotel was small in size. The person was seen wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, dark clothing, and carrying a large suitcase.

Police noted that Ura's cell phone and personal belongings were missing, per the report. On July 4, his car was found in a parking lot.

"The investigation is progressing. We are trying to gather as much information as possible in the hope it will lead to the arrest of the perpetrator," said Daiki Kanamori, a detective with the Sapporo Chuo Police Station, per The Asahi Shimbun.

Love hotels in Japan typically feature themed rooms and charge hourly rates. They are often used by couples looking for a discreet place to meet for sexual encounters.

Some 4,900 love hotels currently operate in Japan, per Statista. These hotels do not require guests who live in Japan to provide identification when checking in, according to the news agency Kyodo News.

Deaths in love hotels in Japan are rare  but previous incidents have been reported. In 2021, a man and woman were found dead in a love hotel in Tokyo. Police reported the woman, who was in her 30s, had killed the man, who was in his 20s. She then killed herself.

In 2018, a 46-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were found dead in a love hotel in Saitama, just outside of Tokyo. Police said they killed themselves.

The Japan National Police did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Based on polling, more people identify as conservative in Mississippi than in any state in the nation.

According to Gallup, which routinely does extensive polling asking people to self-identify as liberal, conservative or moderate, 50% of Mississippians say they are conservative while only 12% say they are liberal in one of the recent polls.

The poll results encapsulate the difficulty facing Democrats in winning elections in Mississippi. In general, white Mississippians who identify as conservative vote Republican. The same might not always be true for Black Mississippi conservatives, who often remain loyal to the Democratic Party based at least in part on the opposition of some in the Republican Party to voting rights and other integration efforts beginning in the 1960s.Those poll results highlight the headwinds facing Democratic candidates, such as Brandon Presley who is vying this year to be the first Democrat elected governor since 1999.

And the poll results provide insight as to why Democratic candidates, sometimes to the chagrin of Mississippis small but vocal liberal community, often campaign as conservative on various issues. The argument that Mississippi Democrats would win if they only campaigned as true Democrats, i.e. liberal Democrats, loses much of its validity when considering the voters of the state.

Based on the poll, Mississippi is the nations only state where a majority of its people identify as conservative. Mississippis four contiguous states also are among the 10 most conservative, with Alabama being No. 2 with 46% of its population identifying as being conservative and 14% as liberal. All of the top 10 most conservative states have Republican governors and legislatures.

It is important to note that when it comes to actual voting, Mississippi is high but not in the top 10 in terms of the percentage of its population voting for the Republican candidate. Mississippi had a lower percentage voting for Donald Trump for president than did the contiguous states of Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama. What is unique is that based on studies by the FiveThirtyEight blog, which compiles and analyzes data, Mississippi voters are the least persuadable in the country. In other words, it is more difficult to convince people who normally vote Republican to vote Democratic and vice versa.

Is it a surprise that Mississippians are set in their ways?

Despite the daunting data, many in recent years have speculated that Mississippi might be in line to follow Georgia, North Carolina or even Texas and become more electorally competitive. Remember Georgia now has two Democratic U.S. senators, and by a narrow margin voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. President Barack Obama won North Carolina.

With the nations highest percentage of African American residents (about 38%), many surmise that Mississippi will be the next Southern state to enter swing state status.

A 2021 article in Politico titled, The Southern state where Black voters are gaining in numbers, but not power, argued that Mississippi is not  at least not yet  entering swing state status. The article pointed out that Mississippi does not have the population centers and large college-educated suburbs that have trended toward the Democratic Party.

But the article did cite a little hope for Mississippi Democrats. DeSoto County, for years considered one of the states bedrock Republican areas, ranked 30th in the nation of counties that swung toward the Democrats in 2020. DeSoto County still voted for Donald Trump, but the drop in Trump votes from 2016 to 2020 was significant.

In 2016, Trump won DeSoto County by 67% to 31%. In 2020, Trump won 61% to 37%. Hey, DeSoto County still went big-time Republican, but the Democratic inroads in the Memphis suburban county in northwest Mississippi did garner some national attention.

Democrats also performed better in 2020 than in the 2016 presidential election in what has been another Republican suburban stronghold: Madison County.

And one year earlier in 2019, former Attorney General Jim Hood became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win Madison County since 1987. The south Madison County area has a high number of college-educated suburban voters who have tilted Democratic in other areas of the nation in recent election.

While the Hood performance in Madison County provided a glimmer of hope for Mississippi Democrats, it is still worth noting the area still tilts conservative. South Madison County is home of the largest congregation in the state to leave the United Methodist Church because the local church members viewed the denomination as too liberal.

In other words, Mississippians of a broad spectrum of class and education level view themselves as conservative.

That is the headwind Mississippi Democrats will be facing this November.

This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Todays senior Capitol reporter.
Dont worry, Lexington. Youre also going to get a chance to get your hands on some steamed bagel sandwiches.

Sullys Steamers, the sandwich franchise that has long been popular in the Upstate and is known for its wide variety of sandwiches served on steamed bagels, recently opened a shop at 2835 Devine St. in Columbia. Now, franchisee Michael Stuckey confirms that Sullys has set its sights on its next Midlands location, which will be in neighboring Lexington.

Stuckey said the Lexington spot will be at 5580 Sunset Blvd., in the Kittys Corner shopping center. The Sullys restaurant will be going into the space that was formerly a Kittys Hallmark store. Thats right next door to Menchies frozen yogurt shop.

We are hoping to be open there in mid-November, if everything works out well, Stuckey told The State. If not, it will be very early December.

Sullys Steamers has long had a location on East Washington Street in bustling downtown Greenville, and it also has Upstate locations in Clemson, Simpsonville, Mauldin and Spartanburg, as well as a spot in Brevard, N.C.

Aside from the recently opened Columbia shop and the coming Lexington spot, Stuckey also has plans to open Sullys restaurants in several other Midlands areas, including West Columbia, Irmo and Forest Acres, though exact locations for those units have not yet been finalized.

The Lexington County Chronicle first reported the location of Sullys Steamers in Lexington.

The response to the Devine Street Sullys, which opened June 26, has been tremendous, Stuckey said.

There has been a perfect mix of customers (visiting the Columbia shop) who have been to the Sullys in Greenville, who already were fans of Sullys, and people from the local community, Stuckey said. I grew up maybe 10 blocks away, right off of Rosewood, and Devine has always been a place, for me, that needed a more family-friendly spot, with some outdoor space.

The Sullys in Lexington will be along a very busy thoroughfare. About 35,000 cars per day pass down that stretch of Sunset Boulevard, per state Department of Transportation data. There are a host of shops, restaurants and other businesses in the area, including a Walmart, a Chick-fil-A, Ganbei Japanese restaurant and many others.

We looked for a while in Lexington, and we were kind of going between Main Street and (Sunset Boulevard), Stuckey said. Everyone who lived in Lexington that I knew said (Sunset) was where we should go. Traffic is heavy, yes, but it flows.

Sullys menu has a plethora of bagel steamers, including the Nachos Maximus, which has turkey, cheddar, lettuce, honey mustard, parm-peppercorn and Doritos (the chips are on the sandwich), and the Hulk, which features turkey, pepperoni, salami, onions, provolone, cheddar and Italian dressing. The also have a number of breakfast steamers.
LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese police said on Monday they were taking legal action against the authors and broadcaster of an animated cartoon shown last week by public television channel RTP that denounced alleged systemic racism in security forces.

The cartoon shows a white police officer shooting at targets that represent people with different skin tones. The darker the target, the more rounds the officer fires and the angrier he looks.

In a statement, the PSP police said the cartoon was offensive, spread "untrue facts" and hurt the force's credibility and "prestige".

The PSP sent evidence to the public prosecutors, media regulator ERC and the journalists' professional licence committee, CCPJ, as part of a criminal complaint against the cartoon's authors and RTP.

Spam Cartoon studio said their creation had nothing to do with the PSP, but with the recent killing in France of Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent, who was shot dead by a police officer.

It also said it has been receiving threats due to the cartoon.

National and international organisations have previously expressed concerns about police violence in Portugal.

In April this year, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said it was concerned about information that indicated the "excessive use of force by police officials continued" in the southern European nation and that it was a "deep-rooted practice against people of African descent".

Interior Minister Jose Luis Carneiro, who oversees security forces, spoke to RTP to "express displeasure" over the cartoon, but Culture Minister Pedro Adao e Silva said artists should have editorial freedom.

Cited by Portugal's Lusa news agency, RTP said the cartoon had no intention of instigating violence against officers, as some critics had suggested, and that the "values of freedom of expression and opinion were fundamental".

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Nick Macfie)
A Facebook post claims that a witness set to testify on behalf of Nigerias Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a court petition contesting the February presidential polls failed to show and was "on the run". But the claim is misleading: the Court of Appeal is currently hearing two separate petitions filed by opposition parties. INEC presented a witness on the first day of its defence in one of the matters. The second case, taking place simultaneously, was adjourned for a day, briefly delaying scheduled testimony from INEC witnesses.

"INEC witness On The Run Fail to Show up Peter Obi is Coming nothing can stop him (sic)," reads a Facebook post published on July 3, 2023.

A screenshot of the misleading Facebook post, taken on July 4, 2023

Shared more than 870 times, the post also features a nine-minute video with a narrator.

It was published by a supporter of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. AFP Fact Check previously debunked another post from the same Facebook account.

Photos of Obi and INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu appear at the bottom left and right of the nine-minute clip respectively.

"Not surprising, they (INEC) failed to produce any witness," the narrator claims 24 seconds into the footage.

Obi, Tinubu, and 16 other candidates contested the presidential election on February 25, 2023. INEC declared Tinubu the winner.

However, Obi and fellow opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) argued that widespread irregularities and rigging marred the election. Both men separately petitioned an election tribunal to overturn the results, with each claiming to have won (archived here).

INEC has denied any illegal activity, although the commission acknowledged some technical problems with its voting machines.



But the claim that the commission failed to call any witness on the day it began to lead evidence is misleading.

Hearing adjourned

A keyword search produced links to media reports confirming INEC presented a witness on July 3, 2023  the day it opened and closed its defence in the petition filed by Abubakar.

Local broadcaster African Independent Television published a video on its YouTube channel of a lawyer representing Abubakar confirming the appearance of an INEC witness on the day (archived here).

Tinubus media office identified the "lone witness" as Lawrence Bayode in a statement published on its presidential campaign website (archived here). Abubakars legal team cross-examined Bayode on July 3, 2023.

Furthermore, the court hearing the petitions said on Twitter that INEC called a witness to testify in the same matter (archived here).

3rd July, 2023



PREPEC 2023: Opening its defense in the petition by Atiku Abubakar & the PDP,INEC introduced its first witness,an Assistant Director in the ICT Department of INEC

The witness who adopted his witness statement on oath was led in evidence by the lead Counsel of INEC  Court of Appeal, Nigeria (CoA) (@NGCourtofAppeal) July 3, 2023

However, the electoral body did not call any of its three witnesses on the first day of its defence  also July 3, 2023  in the petition filed by Obi (archived here).

The hearing was adjourned for the following day when INEC continued with testimony from one of its witnesses, the court tweeted (archived here).

4th July, 2023



PREPEC 2023: INEC has opened its defense in the petition by Peter Obi and LP.

Counsel to INEC tendered no. 1,2,3 ,4 and 7 of the Schedule of documents before the Court. However, Counsel to the Petitioners objected to the admissibility of some of the documents  Court of Appeal, Nigeria (CoA) (@NGCourtofAppeal) July 4, 2023

INEC has concluded its evidence in both petitions (archived here and here).
Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic, left, shakes hands with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, July 10, 2023. Milatovic is on a two-day official visit to Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  The presidents of Serbia and Montenegro agreed Monday to try to patch up strained relations between the historic Balkan allies.

The two countries had formed a joint state until Montenegro split in 2006 following a referendum on independence. The former allies grew further apart after Montenegro recognized the 2008 declaration of independence by Serbia's former province of Kosovo.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Montenegro's new President Jakov Milatovic said after a meeting in Belgrade that they will work to improve political ties to match their countries' economic cooperation.

Milatovic's visit to Belgrade was the first by a Montenegrin president in years. Naming new ambassadors to Belgrade and Podgorica following a diplomatic row in 2020 will be among the first moves, the two officials said.

It is our responsibility to truly improve relations and not to disturb them, as has been the case often in the past, said Milatovic. We are turning a new page in our relations with this visit.

Milatovic replaced Montenegro's long-ruling pro-Western leader Milo Djukanovic following an election in April. While in power, Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia and defied Russia to push his country into NATO in 2017.

Montenegro had been largely seen as the next country to join the European Union before a political crisis stalled efforts. Milatovic's pro-EU party won the most votes at a parliamentary election in June  but not enough to form a government on its own.

About one-third of Montenegro's 620,000 people identify as Serbs and divisions in the country remain deep over relations with Serbia. The two nations share the same language and both are predominantly Orthodox Christian.

Vucic said Serbia has no intention (to) force anyone to do what they do not want to do.

We agree on some (issues), he added, "and on some we don't but we have talked in a civilized, normal way which should help built trust between us.

Montenegro remained in a union with Serbia after other republics in the former Yugoslavia split in the early 1990s. The breakup of the former federation resulted in a series of ethnic conflicts that killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless.
Pretty scary: Vermont resident talks to FOX Weather live on-air as catastrophic flooding rages behind her

SOUTH LONDONDERRY, Vermont  Dana Zazinski woke up early Monday morning to knocks on her door after flooding began to creep toward her Vermont home.

The Londonderry Fire Department advised Zazinski to move her car and get to higher ground as the heavy rain poured down at 6 a.m.

"I loaded up my dogs, and we tried to get up over the mountain, but the road was washed out," she said.

Heavy rain swelled the West River, forcing the water onto her property.

"I have a three-story house, so if I have to go up higher, I will. But right now, it looks like it's going to be survivable," Zazinski said. "But not going to lie, this is pretty scary."

She says that she's never seen the West River flood like this before.

"I was told that it is a no flood zone," Zazinski says when describing the location of her home. "Sure seems like a flood zone."

State police told Vermont residents to be prepared to evacuate should floods threaten.

"Make an evacuation plan before it becomes necessary," state police said on Twitter.

And as floodwater rushes behind Zazinski, she knows exactly where she'll go.

"I have my escape route is to go up behind my house and climb the hill, the mountain that's there to the town hall," she said.

Nearly all of Vermont was facing catastrophic flash flooding Monday. The area was under a high risk for excessive rainfall, the first high risk issued for Vermont since August 2011 during Hurricane Irene.

STOCKBRIDGE, VT - DECEMBER 12: Don Fielder and his home which was destroyed during the floods of Tropical Storm Irene.

Incredible imagery is being seen across the state, including near Zazinski's home in South Londonderry.

Flash Flood Watches were in effect through at least Tuesday, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency.
What to know: Prigozhin met with Putin after mutiny, Kremlin says

The News

Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin five days after the formers attempted coup last month.

Were collecting analysis and insights on what the meeting might indicate about Putins power in Russia.

Insights

Freelance journalist Jane Lytvynenko, who reports on Ukraine, wrote on Twitter that there are always reasons behind Kremlin communications, adding that publicizing the meeting will likely be used to portray Putin as a great peacemaker and negotiator, paving over the significance of Prigozhins mutiny as Putin keeps trying to manage the fallout.

Colin P. Clarke, director of research at security consultancy firm The Soufan Group, tweeted that the Wagner Group is a complex multinational paramilitary organization. #Wagner is a global conglomerate, a network of shell companies. I doubt Putin himself understands its complexity. Kremlin still needs Prigozhin to explain how it works/operates.

Know More

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Putin met with Prigozhin and unit commanders from Wagner on June 29th. The commanders told Putin they were loyal to the Kremlin, Peskov said.

Prigozhin was said to have returned to Russia from Belarus last week, where he was temporarily exiled following a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Questions have continued to mount on what Russian top-brass knew about Prigozhins plot against Putin in the lead up to the short-lived insurrection.
Prime: Top US senator calls for probe into KSI and Logan Paul energy drink

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called on regulators to investigate an energy drink promoted by high-profile YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul.

Mr Schumer alleges the drink is being targeted at children despite its high caffeine content.

Prime Energy contains 200mg of caffeine per can, which is around twice the amount in rival energy drink Red Bull.

Each drink carries a warning stating that it is not recommended for children under the age of 18.

However Mr Schumer, a Democrat, alleged that Prime Energy was packaged and marketed "in near identical form" as a caffeine-free drink from the brand.

As a result, some parents had unknowingly bought the caffeinated drink for their children, he told reporters in New York on Sunday.

"The FDA [Food and Drug Administration] must investigate PRIME for its absurd caffeine content and its marketing targeting kids on social media," he later said on Twitter.

Prime Energy "contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it's sold in. It complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market," a Prime representative told the BBC.

"As a brand, our top priority is consumer safety, so we welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organisation regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers," they added.

Caffeine-free Prime Hydration drinks

In 2022, Logan Paul and KSI - who have around 48 million YouTube followers between them - launched the caffeine-free Prime Hydration drink.

It quickly became an online sensation, sparking long queues and even headfirst dives into shelves at stores.

The caffeinated Prime Energy drink was launched in January this year. It is promoted by the company as being sugar-free and vegan.

A warning on each can of the drink states that it is not recommended for children under the age of 18, people who are sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding.

How much caffeine is in energy drinks?

Prime Energy - 200mg (355ml can)

Red Bull - 80mg (250ml)

Monster - 160mg (473ml)

Nos - 160mg (473ml)

Burn - 112mg (354ml)

Rockstar - 300mg (473ml)

Lucozade - 46mg (380ml)

Coca Cola original - 32mg (330ml)

Source: caffeineinformer.com

Some schools around the world have sent out warnings about Prime drinks or banned them altogether.

Earlier this year, the Milton Primary School in Newport, Wales sent a message to parents warning them not to confuse the caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions of the drink after a pupil fell ill outside of school hours.

Meanwhile, the Maryborough State High School in Queensland, Australia issued a ban on energy drinks.

"There are some new energy or hydration drinks that have recently hit the market... some of which have 4 TIMES the caffeine or stimulant as 'regular' energy drinks," the school said in a post on Facebook.

"These can cause significant concerns in students with (potentially unidentified) health issues," it added.
Japan must not take IAEA report to shield its ocean discharge

09:30, July 10, 2023 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

The Japanese government obviously got excited after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a comprehensive report on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, taking the report as a shield that keeps off opposing voices against its plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.

However, this carefully worded report failed to fully reflect views from experts that participated in the review. The conclusion was not shared by all experts and failed to review the justification and legitimacy of Japan's ocean discharge plan. The attempt of the Japanese side is doomed to end up in vain.

The report cannot give legitimacy to Japan's plan of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

Japan's unilateral decision to dump nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific is based entirely on minimizing economic cost, and will transfer risks to the whole world. Japan is the only beneficiary of the decision, while other countries in and near the Pacific will be forced to shoulder risks and spend huge amount of resources in coping with possible negative situations.

When the Japanese side requested the IAEA to review its discharge plan two years ago, it has excluded other safer and better plans. The IAEA only reviewed the plan that the Japanese side submitted.

The report said that the responsibility for justifying the decision to discharge the treated water falls to the Japanese government, which is significantly important for stakeholders. Japan's discharge plan was not recommended or endorsed by the IAEA.

The report cannot fully prove that it's safe and harmless to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to the ocean.

The nuclear-contaminated water contains over 60 radionuclides, and there is not yet effective technology to treat many of those radionuclides. The effectiveness and maturity of Japan's Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) has not been evaluated or certified by a third party, and the facility has repeatedly malfunctioned.

According to data released by Japan, over 70 percent of ALPS-treated nuclear-contaminated water failed to meet the discharge standards. Japan's discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water will last as long as 30 years or even longer. How can it prove the long-term reliability of the ALPS? Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has a record of manipulating data and concealing accidents. How can the review based on statistics and information provided by this company assure the international community? The report said that the conclusions on safety was reached based on Japan's discharge plan and will establish a long-term mechanism that monitors the discharge, which exactly proves the long-term risks of discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

The report cannot exempt the Japanese side from its due responsibilities and obligations under international law.

The international community is concerned about Japan's discharge plan because it fears that Japan would transfer the risks of nuclear contamination to the rest of humanity, which is inconsistent with Japan's obligations under the international law.

Some long-lived radionuclides may spread with the ocean currents. What impacts will they have on the ecological balance of coastal waters of Japan's neighboring countries? Whether will they form a bio-concentration and pose potential hazards to food safety and human health with the migration of marine species and the food chain? No one has given convincing answers to these questions, be it the Japanese side or the IAEA.

Besides, such discharge violates Japan's obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment as outlined in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other international law and the provisions against dumping radioactive wastes from man-made structures at sea in the London Convention. The Japanese side cannot deny the fact that such discharge is suspected of violating its international obligations no matter how it whitewashes its intention.

The Japanese side is trying to hype the voice that distrusting the report is harming the authoritativeness of the IAEA. However, the biggest harm to the organization's authoritativeness came from Japan's efforts to limit the organization's authorization in reviewing the discharge plan, which finally led to incomplete and conditional conclusions of the report.

A recent poll in Japan shows that 40 percent of the respondents oppose discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. A joint survey by South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo and Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun also revealed that more than 80 percent of South Koreans disagree with Japan's discharge plan.

Experts and citizens from Pacific island countries, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and Peru have staged frequent protests against the discharge plan, and the Chinese people are strongly opposing Japan's practice.

Regrettably, Japan has turned a blind eye to this and stubbornly announced that it would start discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean as scheduled this summer. It slandered other countries' legitimate concerns and even mentioned water discharge from normal operation of nuclear power plants and dumping nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean in the same breath. This clearly is not what a responsible country does.

Japan has the responsibility and obligation to offer an explanation to the world on its discharge plan, which is a major issue that concerns the public interests of the international community.

It should be clear that the IAEA report cannot quiet the doubts of the world about its discharge plan, or become a shield or greenlight for the plan.

The country should faithfully fulfill its moral responsibility and obligations under international law, stop pushing forward the ocean discharge plan, fully study alternatives to the ocean discharge, carry out full consultation with neighboring countries and other stakeholders, and earnestly dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, safe and transparent manner.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
 Flash

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Beijing on Monday.

Thanking Saleumxay Kommasith for actively supporting and participating in the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work with Laos to promote new achievements in political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of China's joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), Wang said the two sides should take this opportunity to jointly push the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Wang also called for accelerating negotiations on the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which could inject new impetus into the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home between China and ASEAN.

Saleumxay Kommasith said Laos highly appreciates and firmly supports China's Global Development Initiative, and is committed to building a solid, lasting and stable comprehensive strategic partnership between Laos and China.

China is an important strategic partner of ASEAN, and Laos will play an active role in promoting ASEAN-China cooperation, Saleumxay Kommasith added.
A group of Johnson Point residents are opposing plans for a new commercial shellfish farm on Henderson Inlet, citing environmental concerns.

Taylor Shellfish requested a permit for the proposed aquaculture project in June 2022. The plans involve cultivating geoduck on 3.6 acres within an 8.85-acre tideland west of Johnson Point Loop Northeast, according to county documents.

Some residents have shared worries that the project may harm the environment. Among those with concerns is Ron Smith.

If this was all an oyster operation, we likely would not be opposing it, Smith said. Its the geoduck that we are opposing because of the methodology of cultivation.

Smith serves as president of Protect Henderson Inlet, a nonprofit that was founded in December 2022 in response to Taylor Shellfishs permit application. Since then, Smith said the nonprofit has branched out to other environmental matters, but they remain firmly opposed to geoduck cultivation.

Geoduck are large burrowing clams that are found along the West Coast but mostly farmed in South Puget Sound, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are often exported to countries in east Asia.

Taylor Shellfish leased the tideland in 2018 from Kyle V. Mazanti of Colorado, according to county records.

The property is part of the Bush Act Lands, state-owned aquatic areas that the government allowed to be sold for shellfish cultivation in 1895. There are 46,204 acres of Bush Act Lands in the state, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

How does it work?

In its initial proposal, Taylor Shellfish said geoduck culture would require placing PVC and/or mesh nursery tubes in the tideland substrate on about 1-foot centers. These tubes would extend above the tidelands by about 4-10 inches.

Workers would plant three to four geoducks by hand in each tube. Canopy netting would then be installed over the PVC tubes to protect them from being dislodged, according to the proposal.

After two years, workers would remove the tubes. The geoducks would continue growing for an additional 4-7 years. Harvesting involves using a hydraulic wand, or water jet probe, that workers would insert into the tidelands, adjacent to each individual geoduck.

From there, workers would remove the geoduck by hand and transport them to a processing plant, according to the proposal.

If Taylor were to plant 160,000 geoducks per acre, they may expect to produce 32,000 to 40,000 marketable geoduck per acre, according to a U.S. Army Corps 2015 Programmatic Biologic Assessment shared by Taylor Shellfish. The company sells geoduck by the piece on its website for $60.

The Thurston County Environmental Health Division issued a memorandum on June 5, indicating it recommended approval of the project to the Community Planning and Economic Development Department.

Smith said he worries the area will be polluted with microplastics and he has questions about how this activity may affect the genetics of local stocks. He believes more research is needed to understand the full environmental impacts.

Theres a whole lot of cart before the horse going on here, Smith said. Theres a huge amount of industry based on very flimsy claims of safety to the environment.

In a January document, Taylor Shellfish defended its practices, saying they are regulated by federal, state and local authorities and backed up by a 2013 research report by the Washington Sea Grant.

On the matter of plastics, the company said it uses marine-grade plastics that are designed to maintain their physical integrity.

Gear is essential for some areas and shellfish specifies, to successfully cultivate, and plastics are the most effective and environmentally responsible material available, the company said.

Erin Ewald, director of regulatory affairs for Taylor Shellfish, told The Olympian their practices should leave a minimal impact on the environment, and it should return to a natural state in about a week.

This practice has been analyzed by the services, including NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other organizations, Ewald said. The impact to the substrate is generally something that is similar to storm events.

The initial proposal called for using an additional 3 acres for clam and oyster cultivation, but Ewald said Taylor Shellfish now intends to focus on geoduck cultivation.

Access concerns

David Hall, a retired construction worker, owns property adjacent to the proposed geoduck site. Like others who have commented against the proposal, he worries the farm will affect his beach access and pollute the area with plastics.

The biggest thing that bothers me are these PVC plastic tubes, Hall said. They plant them with a couple inches between them and theyll fill the whole beach, just fill it up solid.

Over the past 15 years, Hall has allowed South Sound GREEN, a local watershed education program, to bring children to his beach for field trips. He fears those trips may no longer happen if Taylor Shellfish sets up a geoduck farm.

Stephanie Bishop, program manager for South Sound GREEN, said she doesnt have a stake in the local permit concerns. However, she said shes gotten assurances from Taylor Shellfish that they would be supportive of continued trips to the Halls beach.

What I really love about Davids property is that we can really dive into aquaculture, talk about harvest techniques and introduce that as a career option for students, Bishop said.

When I talked to representatives from Taylor Shellfish about this in the past, more recently, they were excited about the prospect of sharing their perspective as aquaculture farmers.

Ewald told The Olympian that Taylor Shellfish is open to showing people around their farms to educate them about their practices.
FILE PHOTO: Amfitriti, a bulk carrier part of Black Sea grain deal, and other commercial vessels wait to pass the Bosphorus strait off the shores of Yenikapi in Istanbul

(Reuters) - Expected negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan remain the only hope to extend the Black Sea grain deal that is set to expire next week, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Monday.

The Black Sea deal, brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain trapped by Russia's invasion to be safely exported from Black Sea ports.

Citing an unnamed source familiar with negotiations, RIA reported "there is no optimism" for the extension of the deal - a position that Moscow has reiterated frequently in recent weeks.

"Our practice shows that it is the negotiations between the two leaders that are able to change the situation, the current difficult period is no exception," RIA cited the source as saying.

"Today, this remains the only hope."

Erdogan said on Saturday he was pressing Russia to extend the grain deal, currently due to expire on July 17, by at least three months and announced a visit by Putin in August.

The Kremlin said over the weekend there was no phone call scheduled and that there was no certainty about the two leaders meeting.

Ankara angered Moscow with its July 8 decision to release to Kyiv five detained Ukrainian commanders of a unit that for weeks defended a steel works in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, with the Kremlin saying Ankara violated agreements.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Yevgeny Prigozhin met with Vladimir Putin after mutiny - Prigozhin Press Service via AP, File

Vladimir Putin held a secret meeting with Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the Wagner chiefs failed mutiny, despite promising to punish him over the rebellion.

The Jun 29 talks in the Kremlin lasted three hours and involved nearly three dozen people, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders.

The Kremlin said that Putin had called the meeting to hear first-hand why the group had rebelled five days earlier.

Putin listened to the explanations of the [Wagner] commanders and offered them further options for employment and combat options, Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesman, said.

Aviation tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that Prigozhins private jet flew into an airport near Moscow from St Petersburg on Jun 29. It returned to St Petersburg the next day.

Putin, meanwhile, had an unusually light public schedule on the day of the meeting. His only official engagement was a speech at a strategy forum in the Russian capital.

Extraordinary talks

The extraordinary talks add another twist to the uprising that has rocked the Kremlin, marking the most serious threat to Putins nearly quarter-century rule.

Putin had threatened harsh punishment of Wagners leaders when the rebellion broke out and later accused the organisers of the mutiny of having betrayed their country and their people.

The 24-hour revolt saw Prigozhins forces advance virtually unopposed from the southern city of Rostov-on-Don to within 125 miles of Moscow before he called it off under a deal brokered by Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin agreed to allow the Wagner founder and his men to move to Belarus and to drop criminal cases of armed mutiny against them as part of the arrangement.

Mr Peskov said that Prigozhin and his commanders had apologised to Putin at last months meeting and insisted that the target of their rebellion was the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Prigozhin had regularly accused defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a key ally of Putins, and General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, of incompetence over his handling of Russias offensive in Ukraine.

They emphasised that they were staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander in chief, and also said that they were ready to continue to fight for the Motherland, Mr Peskov said.

Peskovs confirmation of the meeting came after French newspaper Liberation reported that Putin and Prigozhin had held in-person talks on Jul 1, citing an unnamed Western intelligence source.

The meeting was also attended by the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and the head of Russias foreign intelligence agency, Sergey Naryshkin, according to Liberation.

Analysts said the move to meet with Prigozhin indicated Putin may still be reliant on the Wagner chief despite the recent turmoil.

With the war not going well, it could be that Putin still needs the Wagner chief - ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/Reuters

Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Wagner mercenaries were heavily involved in, has continued to falter in recent weeks and Russias president appears increasingly isolated following the Jun 24 rebellion.

The apparent inaction of the Russian military to stop Prigozhins uprising has raised questions over whether Putin can count on the loyalty of his security forces.

Putin has already promised to beef up the National Guard, which reports directly to him, and may also want to ensure the loyalty of battle-hardened Wagner fighters.

Russian officials have made only a half-hearted effort to close Wagner down since its rebellion, pressuring its fighters to sign contracts with the military or relocate to Belarus and pulling down roadside advertising, although its recruiting systems are still working.

Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up the offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.

Konstantin Sonin, professor of public policy at the University of Chicago, said that Putins apparent rapprochement with his former ally showed him to be a dysfunctional autocrat.

He also said that the re-emergence for the first time since the rebellion of the widely-loathed Gen Gerasimov in a video on Monday morning made the Russian leader look like a dictator in trouble who cant fire his incompetent subordinates.

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Vladimir Putin, left, and Yevgeny Prigozhin (Getty/AP)

Vladimir Putin met the Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after his fighters marched on Moscow in an aborted mutiny, the Kremlin has said.

Mr Putin declared the armed mutiny to be treasonous as it happening, appearing in an emergency television address to denounce what was the most serious challenge to his two-decade rule of Russia. Yet, according to the Kremlin, the president invited the Wagner chief  and a number of his commanders  to a meeting in Moscow so that Mr Putin could give his assessment of both the armed uprising and the mercenary groups war effort during the invasion of Ukraine.

The president gave an assessment of the company's actions on the front, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said of the three-hour meeting on 29 June, to which 35 people were invited. Putin listened to the commanders explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat, Mr Peskov added.

Such calm pronouncements, in stark contrast to those during the 24 hours of the mutiny itself from 23 to 24 June, appear aimed at anchoring the Kremlin narrative that that Mr Putin is back in control of his nation. The issue for the Russian leader is that mystery still surrounds so much of what happened that day, how fraught things still are and Mr Prigozhins movements in the aftermath. Mr Prigozhin does not yet appear to have fulfilled the terms of the deal which ended the standoff  which involved an apparent expectation he would travel to Belarus  what his future plans and those of his fighters are, and why he does not appear to have been punished by the Kremlin. Charges against Wagner were dropped as part of the deal, brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko  but few believe that will be the end of the matter.

The mutiny saw Wagner fighters seize control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don along with its military headquarters building and shoot down an unspecified number of military helicopters, killing their pilots, as they were marching towards the capital. Putin compared the turmoil to the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution.

There is little doubt that the mutiny highlighted severe cracks in Mr Putins authority and the fact that Mr Prigozhin has seemingly been able to travel on the Kremlin's watch despite the exile deal, does not exactly portray the strongman image Mr Putin put out when he said he would neutralise the rebellion. It may be that, given Mr Prigozhins previous clout and the troops at his disposal, the Kremlin is seeking to act cautiously  while projecting a calm image  until the fate of the Wagner leader and those that follow him is completely settled.

To that end, Mr Peskov claimed Wagner commanders had reaffirmed their loyalty to Mr Putin at the Kremlin meeting.

They [the commanders] emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland, Mr Peskov added. Mr Lukashenko has offered for some Wagner fighters to settle in Belarus.

The Kremlin meeting suggests Mr Prigozhin still has some leverage. Beyond this first official confirmation that Mr Prigozhin had definitely travelled back to Russia in the wake of the attempted coup, a plane linked to the Wagner leader appears to have made a number of trips into Russia and there have been reports in local Russian media that he had been in St Petersburg and had been allowed to collect confiscated weapons. Last Thursday Mr Lukashenko said Mr Prigozhin was in Russia, having previously said he was in Belarus. Mr Prigozhins current whereabouts are unknown.

The feud that led to the Wagner mutiny was months in the making, with Mr Prigozhin lashing out at Russias military command, for setbacks on the battlefield and a lack of support for his forces. Wagner mercenaries have been at the centre of some of the fiercest fighting during Russias invasion, particularly around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Mr Prigozhin had aimed expletive-laden messages at the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov in particular. Mr Gerasimov, whose resignation was one of Mr Prigozhins demands during the march on Moscow, had not been seen since the attempted rebellion.

But footage released by the Defence Ministry on Monday, apparently shot a day earlier, showed Mr Gerasimov ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites. The footage indicates that Mr Putin has for now kept his two most powerful military men, in Mr Shoigu and Mr Gerasimov, in their posts, despite rumours that Mr Gerasimov may have been sidelined.

However, the Kremlin is still quiet on the fate of Sergei Surovikin, another top commander who has not been seen since the mutiny, with unconfirmed reports he had been detained for questioning. Mr Surovikin is said to have had a good relationship with Mr Prigozhin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Yevgeny Prigozhin just days after the leader of the Wagner Group spearheaded a short-lived rebellion against Moscow, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the three-hour meeting, which took place June 29, included 35 people. Commanders of Prigozhins mercenary group also took part in the meeting, Peskov said, which came days after Prigozhin led an armed rebellion with the goal of removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu from power.

Peskov said Monday that during the meeting, Putin provided an assessment of the Wagner Groups efforts in Ukraine and of the events of June 24. The Kremlin spokesman also noted Putin listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander in chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Peskov said.

Prigozhin ended the rebellion after making a deal with Putin that reportedly included allowing the Wagner Group leader to go into exile and escape criminal prosecution. After the rebellion, Prigozhin was reported to be in Belarus, but Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that the mercenary leader was in Russia.

Its not clear whether Prigozhins reported travel to Russia would violate the deal struck with Putin. Since the rebellion took place, Putin has engaged in a smear campaign against Prigozhin as the mercenary leaders public approval has dropped.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Pavel Bednyakov/Sputnik via Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bizarre meeting with the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin who staged an armed rebellion against him, a Kremlin spokesperson confirmed Monday.

The meeting took place on June 29 in the Kremlin just five days after Prigozhin launched the most serious challenge to Putins authority the country has seen since his rise to power in 1999. Putin invited a total of 35 people to the three-hour meeting which is the first confirmed contact between the president and Prigozhin in the wake of the uprising.

Photos Leak of Russias Mercenary Boss in Ridiculous Disguises

The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of [Wagners] actions at the front during the Special Military Operation [in Ukraine] and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June, Kremlin spokesman Peskov told reporters, referring to the day of the rebellion.

He added that Putin listened to the accounts of Wagner unit commanders about what had taken place during the mutiny and offered them options for combat and employment. The commanders emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief, Peskov said. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland.

When asked if officials from Russias Defense Ministry were in the meeting, Peskov said he had nothing more to say on the matter, according to a report in RIA Novosti.

On June 24, Wagner mercenaries seized control of the Russian military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don after Prigozhin accused Moscows forces of killing his troops. As the crisis escalated, Putin accused the mercenaries of treason and ordered the paramilitaries to either leave Russia for Belarus or join up with Russias Defense Ministry.

For his own part, Prigozhin insisted his actions were not intended to instigate regime change in Russia, but were instead an attempt at bringing to justice senior military commanders for what he deemed mistakes during the war in Ukraine.

An agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ultimately ended the stand-off. The terms of the deal stipulated that Prigozhin would go to Belarus but Lukashenko last week said that Prigozhin was in Russia, and another Belarusian official said Wagner fighters had not visited a camp in Belarus offered to them for relocation. Peskov on Friday declined to comment on whether Prigozhin has reneged on the deal.

The warlords status in Russia is now unclear. A criminal case had been opened against Prigozhin over the armed rebellion, but the Federal Security Service (FSB) later said the investigation had been curtailed because the participants in the rebellion stopped their actions directly aimed at committing a crime.

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is withdrawing his country's longstanding opposition to Sweden's NATO bid, paving the way for the Nordic country to join the military alliance and sending a powerful message about its unity on the eve of the summit that begins Tuesday in Lithuania.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Erdogan has agreed to send Swedens NATO accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament as soon as possible after both held talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Completing Sweden's accession to NATO is an historic step that benefits the security of all NATO allies at this critical time,'' Stoltenberg said. "It makes us all stronger and safer.

Erdogan's sudden change of heart came as a surprise not only because Turkey had objected to Sweden's membership since last year, claiming the Swedes were sympathetic to Kurdish militants Ankara considers a threat to national security, but also because earlier Monday he demanded acceptance into the European Union in exchange for signing off on Sweden's NATO membership.

Sweden agreed to help unblock Turkeys progress toward joining the EU, which has been on hold since 2018.

It's unclear what role President Joe Biden's long phone call with Erdogan on Sunday played in Turkey coming around, but Biden issued a statement Monday welcoming Turkey's decision and saying, "I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.''

Biden has emphasized NATO's solidarity as a bulwark against Russian aggression, which prompted Finland and Sweden to abandon their decades-long policy of nonalignment and seek entry into the alliance after the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Finland became NATO's 31st member in April.

Hungary has not ratified Sweden's accession either, but Stoltenberg did not sound concerned, saying, "I think that problem will be solved.

Sweden will become a full member of the alliance, he added.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, shakes hands with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks on prior to a meeting ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, July 10, 2023. (Yves Herman, Pool Photo via AP) ORG XMIT: XVLM168

Developments:

Stoltenberg said NATO allies haven't reached a decision about Ukraine's membership bid and that the focus now is on helping the country fend off Russia's invasion. Unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership issue to discuss at all, he said.

Nearly 50,000 Russian men have died fighting in Ukraine, eight times more than the official figure of 6,000, according to research conducted by two independent Russian media outlets.

Russias Defense Ministry released a video Monday of Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the first time he has been seen publicly since Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's ill-fated coup sought dismissal of Russia's military chief.

89% of Ukrainians want their country to join NATO, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

Ukraine has liberated almost 4 square miles in the south and about 1 square miles in the east over the past week, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Monday.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, arrives during a funeral ceremony in Moscow, Russia, on April 8, 2023.

Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders five days after the mercenary group's short-lived rebellion, the Kremlin said Monday. The Moscow meeting, confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, appears to introduce fresh uncertainty about Prigozhin's influence with Russia's leader in the wake of the failed armed mutiny. Peskov said that on June 29, Prigozhin offered an "assessment" of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24," according to Russian state media. He said Putin "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat."

The meeting lasted about three hours, according to Peskov, and Prigozhin offered his unconditional support to Putin during their meeting.

The rebellion ended after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko promised Prigozhin amnesty for him and his troops provided they relocate to neighboring Belarus. But Russian media reported last week that Prigozhin had recently been seen at his offices in St. Petersburg.

The rebellion, launched amid Prigozhin's claimed frustration with Russia's military leadership and its handling of the war in Ukraine, lasted just 24 hours. Prigozhin's whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed. His private army has helped Russia's regular armed forces in key battles in eastern Ukraine.

Elon Musk says Ukraine offensive could lead to Russian counterattack

Elon Musk, who sparked outrage last year by proposing a controversial peace plan that included Crimea becoming permanent territory of Russia, now suggests Ukraine's counteroffensive has been slowed by concerns about a Russian counterattack.

"The flower of Ukrainian and Russian youth have been dying in trenches for a long time with almost no territorial gains," Musk tweeted. "Whichever side goes on the offensive against heavily entrenched positions will lose far more soldiers. Moreover, Russia outnumbers Ukraine ~4:1, so would win a war of attrition even if casualties were equal."

If Ukraine takes heavy casualties in its offensive, Musk wrote, "a Russian counterattack would capture a lot more territory. This is why there has been no major offensive."

The plan Musk tweeted in October suggested Ukraine drop its bid for NATO membership and allow regions seized by Russia since its invasion in February 2022  Crimea has been occupied since 2014  to hold referendums to determine whether they want to stay aligned with Moscow. The plan drew support from Moscow but bitter criticism from Ukraine's leaders.

If you want to understand what Russia has done here, come to Ukraine and you will see this with your own eyes, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in October. After that, you will tell us how to end this war.

Erdogan briefly demanded Turkey's admission to EU for backing Swedens NATO bid

Erdogan appeared to be throwing another obstacle in front of Sweden's NATO membership earlier Monday when he conditioned his approval on Turkey gaining acceptance into the European Union.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden.

Erdogan later changed his stance, just ahead of the NATO summit that begins Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, as Sweden agreed to aid Turkeys efforts to join the EU.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sweden closer to joining NATO, Turkey lifts objection: Ukraine updates
Putin's decision on Wagner puts him in an awkward position  ISW

Specialists at the Institute for the Study of War have come to the conclusion that the decision by the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin not to punish the mutineers from the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) puts him and his subordinates in an awkward position.

Source: ISW

Details: The review notes that Ukrainian troops conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three areas of the front on 9 July.

In addition, analysts point to the fact that unknown persons posted an image similar to Wagner PMCs founding statutes on the internet on 9 July.

"Possibly to present the Wagner Group as a professional organisation," analysts suggest.

Analysts point out that the document confirms that Wagners fundamental principles are to fight Russia's war in Ukraine "in loyal service to Russian President Vladimir Putin" and "the Russian people."

According to experts, the decision by the Russian President Vladimir Putin, not to punish the Wagner Group and not to prosecute the participants of the mutiny puts him and his subordinates in an awkward position.

"It remains unclear who benefits from the leak of Wagners alleged founding document as the document makes the Wagner Group look professional and appealing in comparison with the regular Russian military," the review concludes.

It is also noted that Wagner is still recruiting new members in Russia, while the Ministry of Defence of Russia is conducting a competitive campaign to recruit Wagner fighters to sign contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry.

Analysts add that Putin's decision not to disband Wagner, formerly Russia's most combat-ready force, makes it difficult for Putin and Russian security forces to understand how to handle Wagner, its leaders and its fighters.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways for 9 July:

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Ukrainian forces are attempting to soften Russian defences before liberating territory, accepting a slower pace of advance.

US President Joe Biden stated that Ukraine cannot join NATO until Russia's war in Ukraine is over.

Russian troops conducted limited ground attacks north of Svatove and south of Kreminna.

Ukrainian and Russian troops continued counteroffensive operations in the Bakhmut area.

Russian and Ukrainian forces continued ground attacks on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and Russian forces advanced as of 9 July.

Ukrainian forces continued to advance in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia oblasts administrative border area, and continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast..

Russian forces reportedly continued to reestablish previously flooded positions on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

Russian sources accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the Kerch Strait Bridge.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is reportedly accepting Wagner Group mercenaries for contract service with the Russian MoD in Molkino, Krasnodar Krai.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The administration of the colony where Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is serving his sentence has been playing the same address from dictator and aggressor Vladimir Putin in his cell for 100 days.

Source: Navalny on Telegram

Quote: "Anniversary. Exactly 100 days in a row, I have been listening to Putin's address of 21.02.2023 every night. I say to our deputy police officer: are you not right in the head? Put on a different Putin, hasn't he given enough speeches?

The answer struck me with its logic: this is the annual address from the 23rd year. So, we should listen to it for the entire 23rd year. When the next address will be released  we will be listening to it."

Details: According to Navalny, when he was in court, the judge explained to him that the message was played in accordance with the instructions for educational work.

Background: In his address on 21 February, Putin said, among other things, that it was allegedly Ukraine that started the war against Russia, not vice versa, and that the Kremlin had begun to use force to defend itself.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
After pressure from Northern Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, R-KY, Daniel Camerons campaign is pulling out of a conservative event hosted by a controversial speaker.

Racist remarks, legal troubles and unfounded personal attacks by event host Eric Deters were among the many reasons that Massie pushed Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron to cancel his plans to attend Deters conservative rally Freedom Fest in September. Camerons appearance would have be harmful to both his campaign and the Republican Party of Kentucky, Massie argued on Friday.

Camerons campaign, contacted about Deters racist comments and Massies criticisms on Friday, told the Herald-Leader that they had other plans for the Sep. 9 rally.

As it turns out, were going to be doing other campaign events that day in another region of the state. We plan to campaign in northern Kentucky often between now and November 7, the Cameron campaign said in a statement.

Deters, who finished fourth in the GOP gubernatorial primary and says he wants to primary the six-term congressman in 2024, said that Massies pressure is motivated by fear. He also argued that Cameron speaking at the event would have made sense given that hes touted the endorsement of former president Donald Trump. Deters says Trump has the event on his schedule.

Massie had already offered sharps criticisms of Deters, but his criticisms grew even stronger in light of racist comments that Deters has made.

In videos across social media channels, where Deters has regularly posted for years, the former attorney and aspiring politician has used the N-word, used a homophobic slur, and claimed that blacks want to control everything, among other racist and offensive comments.

This plays into a trope about Republicans and Im disgusted and discouraged that Republicans in Kentucky are going to show up to this event, Massie told the Herald-Leader in a recent interview.

Massie said that Cameron made a grave political mistake in first planning to attend the event and personally advised him not to go. The congressmans Fourth Congressional District covers the entirety of Northern Kentucky, a key battleground in Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears 2019 close win over former Republican governor Matt Bevin.

Though his campaign has changed tune, Cameron told the Herald-Leader in June that he cant wait to go to to Deters Freedom Fest event.

Massie told the Herald-Leader he based his recommendation on Deters well-documented legal troubles  he recently pleaded guilty to menacing his nephew and has run afoul of the law and the Kentucky Supreme Court multiple times  as well as previously unreported racist remarks.

I want Daniel Cameron to beat Andy Beshear this Fall, and I think hes putting that all in jeopardy by showing up at this event. The national media is going to have a field day with this, Massie said.

Deters Freedom Fest, held at his Northern Kentucky farm in September and attracting thousands from across the region, has previously been focused on former president Trump and the false claim that Trump won the 2020 election. Deters claims that Trump has the event on his schedule this year. Two of Trumps adult sons are slated to attend, as they did in 2022.

Deters told the Herald-Leader that he thinks Massie is being so hard on Cameron because the congressman is scared of a primary challenge in a presidential election year where he has endorsed Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president over Trump.

In 2024, itll be a Trump-Deters next to a DeSantis-Massie ticket. That has Massie worried, Deters said.

Trump endorsed Cameron early in the attorney generals GOP gubernatorial primary race, which he won handily.

Cameron is the first Black nominee for governor of either major political party in Kentucky history. If elected governor, Cameron would become the first elected Black GOP governor and just the fourth Black person to be elected governor in U.S. history.

When asked about the offensive content of Deters videos, including one where Deters baselessly accuses the congressman of being a pedophile, Massie said I think his videos speak for themselves.

I would never repeat the words hes said, but I would refer you to his videos where he rants for hours about race, ethnicity and minorities. Anyone who steps on the stage with him, at an event on his farm hosted by him, and campaigns with him owns all that stuff, Massie stated.

Deters has gotten in hot water over past racist comments when he joked that if you want to conquer an African nation, send white women and pot. He apologized for those comments in 2011, but he offered no apology on Friday when presented with more racist footage recently compiled from Deters social media posts by an anonymous user.

I stand by all of it, Deters texted. Truth.

A flyer depicting speakers at Eric Deters Freedom Fest, a conservative rally where Deters says former president Donald Trump may appear.

What did Deters say?

In a 2020 video titled The Bulldog Thinks Politically Incorrect Humor Is The Cure For The Race Issue, Deters says that while he doesnt believe white people should use the N-word, its a bunch of crap that Black people are generally allowed use it. Deters then goes on to use the N-word twice in the video.

Like for example if I was right here and I said man, he shouldve never used the word n*****, Deters said, later mimicking what he characterized as an overreaction. Woah, oh my God. You said the N-word explaining that they shouldnt have used the N-word. Youve gotta go.

He later adds: Were not allowed to say using the word n***** is wrong. See how F-ed up that is?

In another video from 2020, he complains about the prevalence of minorities, including interracial couples, in commercials and says the leaders of the country and of the Black Lives Matter movement want Black people to be in control, and God help you if youre white.

Do this test for me, Deters implored viewers. Try to watch television and see how many commercials have gay in them, black in them, interracial in them  you name it.

Cameron is married to a white woman with whom he shares a young son.

In one video, Deters claims that 90% of blacks (have) hatred towards us.

In the same clip, Deters called for a great white whiplash among white voters to elect Trump.

I am calling for a great white whiplash to re-elect Donald Trump, and you know why? Because they want to destroy us for the color of our skin, Deters said.

Scrutiny they havent had before

Massie insisted that information about Deters past would have come back to haunt Cameron. With few other competitive elections in 2023, much attention is expected to center around Camerons challenge to Beshear.

I think this is a political miscalculation by Cameron and his team. What they dont realize is that when and if Trump shows up, there will be national attention. There will be scrutiny they havent had before because its not just an off-year governor election, its also presidential primary season, Massie said.

Massie argued that not only would the attention hurt Cameron, but it would also hurt the Republican Party of Kentucky (RPK). Massie added that he wants RPK to comment on the matter.

The party offered no official comment when asked through an RPK spokesperson.

Deters, for his part, claims that Massie is the one doing damage to the party out of selfishness  calling it stupid for a congressman to tell a candidate for governor to ditch an event where the former president is allegedly scheduled to appear  and that the congressman turned up the heat on Cameron because hes scared of Deters anticipated political challenge and wants to undermine his event.

While Deters placed fourth in the statewide gubernatorial primary with 6% of the vote, he performed relatively well in key Northern Kentucky counties placing third with about 17% of the Republican electorates support.

Thomas Massie and his nasties  all his little minions  are being the most selfish people in the Republican Party of Kentucky, Deters said in an interview. Thomas Massie is actually asking Daniel Cameron, the Republican nominee for governor, not to come to an event, which is the largest pro-Trump political gathering in the state, where (Trump) is scheduled to appear How messed up is that?

All these people who are coming to this event, they know everything about me. I mean, Im an open book. Everybody knows Im a fighter. And guess what? The former president of the United States is under two indictments and Im still hosting him because I dont care. Trump people love me, Deters said.

Massie claimed that Deters continued personal attacks on him, which have continued this month, have no bearing on his criticism of Deters and politicians who attend his event.

(The attacks) just show how unhinged he is, Massie said. But it should be a wake-up call to anyone going to this event that not only do you own what hes said for the last decade, but hes going to create material every day between now and then that will be used against candidates who show up with him.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story stated that Daniel Cameron had not changed his plans to attend Freedom Fest. That was incorrect. Camerons team, in response to a question posed on Friday, told the Herald-Leader on Sunday afternoon via email statement that the campaign had canceled plans to attend the event. This story and headline have been updated to reflect that decision.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing.

Xi noted that with joint efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations have maintained a sound and steady development momentum, with steady progress in cooperation in various fields. The social foundations and popular support for the long-term friendship between the two countries have become more solid.

"During my state visit to Russia in March this year, President Putin and I reached new and important consensus on deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation in various fields," Xi said, noting that the development of China-Russia relations is a strategic choice that the two countries have made based on the fundamental interests of their respective countries and peoples.

China will continue to work with Russia to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, featuring mutual assistance, in-depth integration, innovation and win-win outcomes for all, so as to boost the development and revitalization of the two countries and promote the construction of a prosperous, stable, fair and just world, Xi said.

Noting that legislative cooperation is an important part of China-Russia relations, Xi expressed the hope that the two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote and guarantee the sustained and sound development of bilateral cooperation in various fields from the legislative level, strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation and state governance, and push cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries to a new level.

He called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, guide the reform of global governance in the right direction, and safeguard the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.

Matviyenko said the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination conforms to the interests of the two countries and the will of the two peoples, and has reached its highest level in history and continues to develop steadily. President Xi's successful state visit to Russia in March has injected strong impetus into the development of Russia-China relations.

The Russian Federation Council supports deepening Russia-China cooperation and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China's National People's Congress to provide a legal guarantee for the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state, Matviyenko said.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday announced hes offering a 10 percent commission to supporters who fundraise for his 2024 campaign.

A small oligopoly of political fundraisers is already making an ungodly amount of $$ on this election. Its disgusting. Im breaking up that cartel, Ramaswamy said on Twitter.

Today were launching the Vivek Kitchen Cabinet: starting today, *anyone* can fundraise for the Vivek 2024 campaign & make a 10% commission. If someone else is getting rich on this, it might as well be you. Lets go, he said.

In a video attached to the tweet, the conservative entrepreneur said he doesnt like this system as it exists But if thats the system were going to have, my view is: lets democratize that and make it possible for everybody to make money as well.

Ramaswamy said people in the program will have a special relationship with him and that hell be calling participants to let them know how to be most effective. Participants will get a unique link to share with donors in order to earn the commission.

Why should it be some member of some managerial class? Thats a secret closeted group of fundraisers in the cloistered world of politics? It shouldnt be, he said.

Ramaswamy, who launched his campaign back in February, is among a dozen GOP candidates in the 2024 race, including former President Trump, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A recent national poll showed Ramaswamy in third behind DeSantis, with Trump in the lead.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Chicago police arrested rapper G Herbo Sunday for allegedly illegally possessing a gun, court records show.

The 27-year-old rap star, whose legal name is Herbert Wright III, was charged with misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon and bonded out of police custody Monday morning, according to court records.

Officers pulled over the Cadillac Escalade the star lyricist had been riding in for failing to use a turn signal at the River North intersection of Wabash Avenue and Ontario Street at 5:42 p.m., according to an arrest report. The officer driving the unmarked police vehicle had begun to tail the Cadillac because of its tinted windows, police records said.

As police approached the car, they saw Wright, who was in the back seat, move his hands toward the front center console, according to a police report.

Officers determined the move was indicative with someone attempting to conceal contraband. They then asked the cars driver if there were guns in the car. He denied three times while appearing concerned and nervous, a police report said.

As officers continued to press, the driver admitted there were guns in the car, the police report said. Officers found four guns total, the report added.

Inside the center console, police found a black Glock 33 pistol that was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible, the police report said. The semi-automatic handgun and its magazine held numerous .357 SIG cartridges, police said.

Three other men in the car with Wright were also charged with illegally possessing guns, court records show. Police also found 248 grams of cannabis in the car, with an estimated value of $1,488, according to the police report.

Officers searched a law enforcement database and found Wright had neither a valid firearm owners identification card nor a concealed carry license. Police also determined the rapper is currently on probation, the police report said.

Wright was arrested for unlawfully possessing a gun in the South Loop in 2018 after his limousine driver tipped off police that he and two others had weapons. He pleaded guilty to a felony gun possession charge and completed a two-year probation term, court records show.

A year later, he was charged with misdemeanor battery in Atlanta following an alleged physical altercation with Ariana Ari Fletcher, the mother of his son.

An assistant states attorney declined to press felony charges for the newly alleged illegal gun possession early Monday, the police report shows. A judge set Wrights bond at $5,000 and he was released later Monday.

Wright, who grew up in a part of the South Shore neighborhood known as Terror Town, is scheduled to next appear in court Aug. 1. His attorney did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the rappers arrest and charge Monday.

He is also facing federal charges brought in 2020 in Massachusetts for allegedly using stolen identities to make fraudulent charges for extravagant services ranging from private jet trips to designer puppies. Wright has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Federal prosecutors also charged Wright for allegedly lying to an FBI agent investigating the fraud allegedly committed by him and his crew.

Wright has been involved in charity work across the city as hes risen to fame. He bought a vacant Bronzeville elementary school in 2020 with plans to convert the space into a youth center. Earlier that year, he launched an effort to connect Black young adults with mental health resources.

Last year, the former Hyde Park Academy High School student collaborated with Nike to give each student at his alma mater a pair of Air Force 1 shoes, social media videos show.
A woman from the city of Clive, Polk County, Iowa, fell victim to a scam involving the use of a Bitcoin ATM, according to a press release by local police that was shared on the departments Facebook.

The victim was baited into sending her exploiters $6,600 through a Bitcoin ATM after she received a phone call from somebody impersonating the Polk County Sheriffs deputy.

She was told that failure to do so would lead to her arrest.

The Clive Police Department is now collaborating with the Polk County Sheriffs Office to bring the scammer to justice. They emphasize that members of law enforcement agencies would never contact individuals requesting payment through Bitcoin ATMs.

The Clive Police also said that funds transferred through Bitcoin ATMs are virtually untraceable, making it incredibly challenging to recover the money.

Clive authorities did not immediately respond to Decrypt's request for comment.

Bitcoin ATMs: popular among scammers

According Chainalysiss 2023 report on crypto crime, 1% of victim payments to scams come from crypto ATMs.

Though that figure appears small, the blockchain analytics and security company says ATMs arent generally used to send funds to many other illicit address types.

Only 2.2% of funds sent from ATMs last year went to illicit addresses, accounting for $67.5 million of the eye-popping $20.6 billion in illicit transaction volume last year.

However, scams make up the bulk of this volume. That year, $35.3 million went to scammers from Bitcoin ATMs, meaning that scams account for over half of all the illicit transacting through Bitcoin ATMs.

Chainalysis chalks ATMs popularity among scammers down to their ease of use.

An ATM similar to the ones they use for fiat may offer what appears to be the easiest way to initiate a cryptocurrency transaction, as users can simply insert cash, type in a cryptocurrency address, and complete their transfer.

At the end of last year, the FBI also warned the public about the growing popularity of cryptocurrency ATMs among scammers.

According to a warning by Connecticut police, there are many types of Bitcoin ATM scams, from romance scams where confidence tricksters establish a rapport on dating apps before soliciting funds, to computer anti-virus scams that start from bogus pop-up ads to straight-up fraud, as seen in Clive.

The common thread running through all of them is that criminals create a false sense of urgency and trick victims into withdrawing cash from their bank account. The scammer then directs the consumer to deposit the cash into a virtual currency kiosk.

Crypto ATMs take center stage

In March, the UKs Financial Conduct Authority ordered crypto ATM operators throughout the country to shut down or face further action.

The FCA added that to date, none of the crypto firms registered with it have been approved to offer cryptocurrency ATMs, which ultimately means all crypto ATM operators in the UK are currently unapproved and thus, illegal.

Kraken Reveals Vulnerabilities in Commonly Used Bitcoin ATMs

Crypto ATM tracker CoinATMRadar lists ten crypto ATMs operating in the UK, six of which are in the Greater London area.

This is down from the eighty-one British crypto ATMs that were operational at the time of the notice, fifty of which were in London.
This photo, taken in New York, Thursday, July 6, 2023, shows Meta's new app Threads. Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned  and frequently changed  by Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP)  Celebrities, lawmakers, brands and everyday social media users are flocking to Meta's freshly minted app Threads to connect with their followers, including many Twitter refugees tired of the drama surrounding Elon Musks raucous oversight of that platform.

But the real question is: Will they stay?

Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Threads post Monday that in the five days since its launch, 100 million people have signed up for Threads, which was rolled out as a companion app to Instagram.

Ann Coleman is among them. The 50-year-old, who lives in Baltimore, said she joined Threads after hearing about the platform from a comedian she follows on social media. She said she loves Twitter and has been using it for more than 10 years. She even met her husband on there.

But Coleman, who is politically progressive, has been looking to switch to a new platform because of Musks political views and changes hes made to Twitter, like upending its verification system. She previously joined the decentralized social network Mastodon, but found it a bit confusing to use.

She said she likes Threads but wishes she could easily follow all her Twitter friends there. Threads gives Instagram users the option to automatically follow the same accounts they do on the photo-sharing app, which makes it easier for active Instagram users to replicate a similar type of engagement on Threads. But others starting from the ground up will have to do more work.

If Im going to leave Twitter entirely, Im going to have to try and find some of these people from Twitter, Coleman said.

While she said she has her own concerns about Meta  specifically pointing to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, among other things  "its not with the depth of concern that I do with Musk.

Michael Evancoe, 28, said he hasn't used Twitter much since his personal page was suspended years ago for what the platform attributed to violations of its rules on spam. Evancoe, who now works in production, said he agrees with some of the changes Musk has been making on Twitter and he created a new account earlier this year. But he wasnt able to gain many followers or interactions.

He joined Threads last week, and says hes been able to interact more with other users. But he hopes that Meta does not moderate the platform overly aggressively.

I think that would be a deterrent to both interest and engagement as well, Evancoe said.

For its part, Meta has said it will moderate using Instagrams content guidelines. In the past few days, the company has been positioning the much-hyped platform as a new digital town square thats a less toxic version of Twitter, with some executives indicating their aim isnt to replace Twitter but to offer something more palatable to a vast array of users.

The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, Mosseri said Friday.

In the first two full days that Threads was broadly available  Thursday and Friday of last week  traffic on Twitter was down 5% compared with the same period a week ago, and down 11% compared with the same period a year ago, according to the web analytics company SimilarWeb. But it also said Twitter traffic has experienced an overall decline even in the absence of Threads.

To Jennifer Billinson, a professor of media studies at Nazareth University in New York, the first days of Threads have highlighted a potential culture clash -- specifically one between Twitter refugees and what is likely a much larger number of people just clicking over from Instagram.

The idea that Threads will just become a Twitter clone, she says, is running headlong into the reality that the Twitterites are going to be vastly outnumbered on the new platform by those from Instagram, which has more than 2 billion monthly users. By comparison, Twitter has more than 237 million daily users, according to the most recent figures from the company's earnings report last year.

Among other things, those used to the more abrasive culture of Twitter could easily annoy more laid-back Instagram users. Of course, such tensions might be alleviated by potential platform changes that give people more control over what theyll see in their Threads feed. At the moment, users are largely at the mercy of the Threads algorithm.

Despite the influx of users, Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at the creative agency Mekanism, stressed it's too early to know how successful Threads will be. He further questions whether the rapid growth of Threads is even a good thing, pointing out some other successful platforms began with a focused approach and expanded more gradually.

Theres also the question of how influencers will use Threads and whether they can replicate the same following as on other platforms. Most notably, Jimmy Donaldson  a popular YouTube video maker who goes by MrBeast  has already amassed more than 4 million followers on Threads.

By integrating the new app to Instagram, Meta made it very easy for content creators to convert their Instagram followers to Threads followers. But that can also create a situation where popular content creators gain more influence while crowding out emerging talents from cultivating their own culture on a new platform, Gahan said.

Creators might also face other challenges.

Somebody who is purely video and photo-based may have trouble translating to a text-focused platform, Gahan said. That said, a lot of them I see reposting the same content. Time will tell whether or not that's a successful strategy.

Asante Madrigal, a content creator who makes his living off of social media posts about pop culture, said hes been trying out the Threads app and reposting some videos hes made recently on actress Keke Palmer, among other things.

But at least for now, the 22-year-old said he doesnt plan to make Threads a priority because he cant monetize his content on there. Instead, he said hes going to focus on apps where hes actually earning money, like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, where he more than 2 million followers combined.

Madrigal said the Threads algorithm is a black box, and pointed to some things that are still lacking in the app, including hashtags and direct messaging between users. And figuring out what to do on there will take more work.

I have a lot of friends that do pop culture as well, Madrigal said. And they were just like, Oh, my God, not another app.

___

AP staff writer David Hamilton in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Rep. George Santos compares himself to civil rights hero Rosa Parks because he refused to sit in the back of Congress

Rep. George Santos says hes the new Rosa Parks  because he wouldnt go sit in the back of Congress.

The controversial Long Island Republican absurdly compared himself to the civil rights icon, who famously challenged segregation by refusing to move to the back of a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956.

Guess what: Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back, and neither am I gonna sit in the back, Santos, 34, told Mike Crispi Unafraid, a rightwing podcast.

The controversial Long Island Republican was discussing his face-off with Sen. Mitt Romney in February ahead of President Bidens State of the Union address.

The GOP elder statesman gave Santos a tongue-lashing and told him he should sit in the back to avoid embarrassing himself.

The man goes to the State of the Union of the United States ... and tells me, a Latino gay man, that I shouldnt sit in the front, that I should be in the back, Santos said in the livestreamed interview.

Santos said he is proud that he stood up to Romney, a moderate whom the MAGA lawmaker derides as a Republican in name only.

They come for me, I go right back for them  So, you know, its not gonna stay that way any more. Im gonna call them out, Santos said. You want to call me a liar? Ill call you a sellout.

Santos, 34, who says he plans to run for reelection in a Democratic-leaning district in 2024, is facing more than just verbal jabs from fellow lawmakers.

He was charged in a federal indictment with several fraud counts and others related to campaign finance discrepancies.

Santos won his seat in an upset as the GOP swept to victories across New York.

He was almost instantly uncovered as a serial liar about virtually his entire background, including fake claims of college degrees, a Wall Street pedigree and even Jewish heritage.

Some Republicans want Santos to resign but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has thrown him a lifeline by insisting on a drawn-out ethics probe. McCarthy can ill afford to lose even one vote as he struggles to keep his fractious caucus in line with a slim majority.

Democrats are happy to use Santos as a punching bag and have made him the poster boy for a campaign to roll back GOP gains across the New York suburbs and retake the House of Representatives.

Neither Santos nor Romney immediately responded to requests for comment.
By Josephine Walker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Army combat veteran Sam Brown on Monday launched a run for his party's nomination to challenge Nevada Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen in 2024.

Rosen's is one of about eight competitive Senate seats that Democrats will need to defend next year if they are to hold their narrow 51-49 majority in the chamber.

Brown placed second in Nevada's Republican Senate primary last year with 34% of the vote, losing to former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Laxalt, a proponent of former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud, ultimately lost to Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto by less than one percentage point.

Brown, who was severely burned by an explosion in Afghanistan, is part of a Republican strategy of recruiting military veterans to seek election to congressional offices.

"In the military, no one asks you what party you're in," Brown said on Twitter. "They just want to know that they can count on you to fight alongside them."

Senator Steve Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, welcomed Brown into the race in a statement saying, "Sam Browns life of service and sacrifice is an inspiration to all Americans. I am very pleased that Sam is stepping up to run for the U.S. Senate."

Since leaving the military, Brown has launched a business providing medical support to veterans, according to his campaign website.

Democrats face potentially tough races in several other states next year, including Montana, West Virginia and Arizona - now represented by independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema who left the Democratic Party late last year.

Brown's rivals for the Republican nomination include former Nevada state Representative Jim Marchant, with Jeffrey Ross Gunter, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iceland under Trump, also expected to enter the race, according to local media.

(Reporting by Josephine Walker in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis)
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Appearing in the Republican presidential primary debates is no small feat. After skipping the events in the 2020 cycle to give then-President Donald Trump a default coronation, the GOP has erected around the 2024 debate stage the big, beautiful wall it cant quite build on the southern border.

Some of the partys requirements clearly function to establish viability. For instance, candidates must register support of at least 1 percent in select national and early primary state polls, and they must count at least 40,000 unique campaign donors in at least 20 U.S. states and territories.

But other rules are less about interest among the voting public and more about partisan discipline: Candidates will be barred from the stage unless they sign two pledges, one to support whomever the GOP eventually nominates for president, and the other to refuse to participate in any general election debate organized by the Commission for Presidential Debates (a bipartisan organization, cofounded by the Republican Party itself, which has overseen such debates since 1987 and already gives the GOP more control over the debates than it had in earlier decades).

Republicans Need to Accept Trump Is Clearly Guilty

These demandsas well as the partys indication that it may select smaller, more right-wing outlets like Newsmax to host, rather than major networks like NBCmay seem like they create a level playing field for candidates. After all, theyll all face the same moderators, whichever outlets host. And theyll all have to meet the same numeric baselines and sign the same pledges.

But in practice, across the board, these conditions will be uniquely favorable for one contender: Trump.

His advantage in polling and donors is obvious. With two previous wins of the Republican nomination and four years in the White House, Trump has a preexisting national campaign apparatus and a voter base none of his challengers can match.

Trump may not technically have met these qualifications for the debate stage yet, because the GOP is only looking at polls from July 1 onward, but theres no question about the outcome here.

The same cannot be said of many other contenders, including several serious candidates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) have all reported theyve scaled these two barriers. But former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence might not have the requisite donor base, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson may not post adequate polling support.

That lack of a national base makes the possible choice of smaller media hosts (as well as the rule about skipping the general election debates if the CPD organizes them) a more difficult condition for non-Trump candidates, too. Trump will be just fine if the primary debates have low viewership, or if the general race has no debates at all.

His challengers, DeSantis perhaps excepted, need that national attention. They need the Twitter clips and soundbites and the opportunity, however small, for a breakthrough momentbut their party doesnt seem inclined to grant it.

Finally, with the loyalty pledge, Trump has an unmatched advantage of a different sort: Even by politician standards, he is extremely comfortable with lies.

Skip the Reckoning if You Want Republicans to Move on From Trump

Hes made some noises about refusing to commit to party loyalty, as he did for a while in 2016, when the pledge wasnt a debate-stage prerequisite. If Trump holds firm in his refusal, my suspicion is Republican leadership will back off the demand, because debate viewership will tank if Trumps not involved.

But if the GOP insists, as Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel recently said on Fox News, that the pledge is staying and anybody who wants to seek the nomination of our party should pledge to support the voters, my guess is Trump will sign it, then simply go back on his word if hes not the nominee.

And thats just a normal day for Donald J. Trump. Im not even sure hed register breaking his pledge as an act of bad faith. This is a man, after all, who believes his net worth is determined by his feelings, a man who seems to live in a perpetual now, utterly unencumbered by past promises or future aspirations. Hell sign what he needs to sign and break what he wants to break.

Some of Trumps rivals, like Haley, have already committed to signing as part of the battle to save our country from President Joe Biden. For others, however, its not so simple. Some seem to have actual moral qualms about making a pledge they dont wholly intend to keep.

Donald Trump Doesnt Respect (or Even Understand) the Constitution

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX)who probably wouldnt have cleared the polling barrier anywayhas said he just cant do it. I cant lie to get access to a microphone, Hurd told CNN. Im not going to support Donald Trump. I recognize the impact that it has on my ability to get access to the debate stage, but I cant lie.

The Hutchinson campaign has asked that the pledge be modified. DeSantis, Pence, and Ramaswamy have yet to commit. And Christie, who has vehemently attacked Trump as unfit for the presidency, has said hell sign the pledge to get to the stage while all but acknowledging itd be a lie.

Christies route, which I suspect other candidates will eventually join, may be the grossest course of all, the most glaring indication of how completely Trumps ethos has overtaken his party.

Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sinor, you know, just what it takes to lead the GOP.

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Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger (left) and Gen. Eric Smith (right), acting commandant on Monday.



Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger (left) and Gen. Eric Smith (right), acting commandant on Monday.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has been blocking military appointments for months due to his opposition over the Pentagons new abortion policyand now his obstinacy has led to a pretty major gap in armed forces leadership: The U.S. Marine Corps no longer has a leader. Gen. David Berger officially stepped down from his position as commandant on Monday with no Senate-confirmed successor in place.

Gen. Eric Smith is now acting commandant, but his nomination to officially replace Berger has been stalled because of Tubervilles crusade against a policy that gives members of the military time off to travel to get an abortion. Smith is one of more than 200 military promotions that must be approved by the Senate.

Read more

Tubervilles stubbornness means top Pentagon officials will likely not be, well, official anytime soon. The New York Times reported Monday that more than half of the Join Chiefs of Staff will step down during the next few months. Without successors planned, the Joint Chiefs will be populated with acting or interim leaders.

Tuberville said in his Post column that hes fine with that, as long as the people who actually fight are not affected at allsomething he, personally, has no way of confirming.

Despite Tubervilles ongoing summer activity, Senate Democrats continue to hold hearings for potential military promotions, including two this week: Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who is expected to ascend to chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Randy A. George, whos been tapped to lead the U.S. Army. It remains to be seen if Tuberville will ever let them actually assume those positions, though.

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Lindsay Church and their wife started planning for a family in 2021. Church, who served as a linguist in the U.S. Navy, is medically retired from the military. Im missing 42 inches of my ribs, all the cartilage in my chest, and I have a spinal cord stimulator that controls my pain, Church explains. Because of those injuries, Church has always known that it would not be possible to carry their own pregnancy: A long while back, my wife became the person that was going to have the baby for us. The couple went through all of the prenatal testing, secured a donor, made their initial attempt to conceive in May of 2022. She got pregnant on the very first try. That doesnt happen very often, Church says. We felt really lucky.

One month later, the Supreme Court struck down the federal right to an abortion. Two weeks after that, Church and their wife got the first indication that there might be something wrong with their baby. But they would have to wait for an amniocentesis  a test that cannot be performed until at least 16 weeks gestation  to be sure. It was the longest month of our lives, Church, executive director of the advocacy group Minority Vets, says.

When they returned to the doctors office in August, the couple received confirmation that their child had a rare fetal anomaly. The doctor tells us their bladder cant empty. Over the period of these weeks, their bladder and torso has gotten to the point where theyre basically filling up like a balloon because they cant release the fluid. They had this tiny, tiny pocket of amniotic fluid that was all that they were living on at this point, Church recalls. They were suffocating.

Church has a 100 percent service-connected disability, which makes both them and their spouse eligible for full health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs. But at the time, in August 2022, the VA did not provide abortions or abortion counseling to the more than 9 million veterans and family members it serves. Until recently, veterans like Church and their families were forced to go out of network, pay out of pocket and, in many cases  in the wake of the Dobbs decision  leave the states where they live to receive care.

That changed in September 2022, when the Biden administration implemented a rule empowering doctors at VA facilities to provide counseling and perform abortions  even in states where abortion is banned or severely restricted. Its an unusual example of the federal government saying: Actually, we have supremacy in this case, and were willing to use it, says Kayla Williams, who previously served as director of the Center for Women Veterans at the VA, and is now a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation.

But with negotiations for the 2024 budget underway in Congress, the policy and the access it codifies are under attack. In June, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee advanced a budget that prohibited abortion care (and gender affirming care and the pride flag) at VA facilities. The committees counterpart in the Senate passed its own version of the budget without the attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care. The two budgets will have to be reconciled in a closed-door conference committee process. Advocates worried that the abortion policy could end up as a bargaining chip in that process.

There are more than 2 million women veterans of reproductive age  between the ages of 18 and 44  using VA health care. When the rule went into effect last fall, more than a quarter million of them lived in states with significant abortion restrictions. But in the months since the policy went into effect, only a tiny fraction of that population has used it: in April, the VA reported to Congress that only 34 individuals had received care between September and February. The agency previously estimated more than 1000 would take advantage of the policy in the first year. (A spokesman for the VA declined to provide more recent data. We are not providing numbers of procedures or locations for various reasons, chiefly for the privacy of Veterans, Gary Kunich told Rolling Stone.)

Williams attributes the smaller-than-expected number to a failure to communicate to veterans who need it what benefits are available. Actually reaching women veterans to ensure that they know what benefits and care they are eligible for is very hard, Williams says. Its just really hard to get this information out there.

Arguably the biggest publicity for the VAs abortion policy has come from Republicans furious over the policy and using any means possible to force the VA to rescind it. Shortly after the rule went into effect, GOP attorneys general from 15 states sent a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough threatening legal action. When a VA-employed nurse in Texas later filed a lawsuit claiming the policy would force her to violate her conscience, 18 Republican attorneys general joined an amicus brief in support of her claim. (The lawsuit has not been resolved.)

The loudest critic of all has been Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). Tuberville has registered his disapproval for the VA policy, as well as another reproductive health policy governing active duty service members, by continuing to block both appointments and promotions and for hundreds of military personnel. In April, Tuberville offered a Senate resolution that would have revoked the policy. The resolution failed 51 to 48, with Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joining Democrats to defeat it.

On a party line vote in June, Republicans who control the House Appropriations Committee inserted language into the 2024 Veterans Affairs budget that would block the VA from, in their words, prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for abortion on demand.

Now, as the House and Senate versions of next years VA budget have to be reconciled, advocates and Congressional aides worry that motivated opponents of the policy could have an outsized influence on the process. It is not a Republican, but rather a Democrat theyre concerned about. Among the VA policys critics is Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who joined Tuberville in co-sponsoring a Senate resolution earlier this year that would have blocked the policy.

At the time, Manchin said the idea of providing the full suite of reproductive healthcare to women veterans would constitute disrupting the whole operation of the VA who is responsible for the services for our veterans who have bravely fought for us and defended us. I think for them to have a quality system that works for their best care is what we should be concerned about. Machins office did not respond to multiple requests for comment about whether he would attempt to use the budget process to revive efforts to end the VA policy.

After learning of their babys prognosis in August 2022, before the VA rule went into effect, Church and their partner were on their own to seek abortion care. By the time they were able to book an appointment at an abortion provider outside the VA, their baby was no longer alive. They were nevertheless forced to navigate a gauntlet of protesters outside the clinic literally calling us baby killers.

Church remembers how needlessly cruel it all felt, how oblivious those people were to their circumstances. Our babys dead. At this point, all youre doing is harassing and hurting people  for what? After that experience, Church says, Im on a mission to make sure that there continues to be access for veterans, servicemembers, and their families and anybody who needs it.

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Shes a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, but the movie based on the iconic doll is entangled in a real-life political snafu, with GOP lawmakers criticizing it over a scene that features a map depicting Chinas claimed territory in the South China Sea.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) were among those who ripped the flick last week ahead of its July 21 release date. One scene, originally shown in the movies trailer, shows a cartoon map that labeled parts of the sea that Vietnam claims as its own as Chinese territory. Vietnam banned the movie from domestic distribution as a result.

China wants to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think, a spokesperson for Cruz said, and they leverage their massive film markets to coerce American companies into pushing Chinese Communist Party propaganda  just like the way the Barbie film seems to have done with the map.

Hollywood and the Left are more concerned with selling films in Communist China than standing up to the regimes human rights abuses, Blackburn said in a tweet.

The Barbie movies depiction of a map endorsing Beijings claims to the South China Sea is legally and morally wrong and must be taken seriously, Blackburn said.

Republicans Reps. Mike Gallagher (Wisc.) and Mark Green (Tenn.) have also spoken out about the movie, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the famed doll duo, Barbie and Ken.

Green said in a Twitter post that since the Warner Bros. film is promoting a world in which China controls most of the South China sea, perhaps this movie studio should think twice about asking for assistance from the [Department of Defense] for its next action movie.

While it may just be a Barbie map in a Barbie world, the fact that a cartoonish, crayon-scribbled map seems to go out of its way to depict the [Peoples Republic of Chinas] unlawful territorial claims illustrates the pressure that Hollywood is under to please CCP censors, Gallagher told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

In a statement to Variety last week, Warner Bros. Film Group called the map a child-like crayon drawing that appears in Barbie Land.

The doodles depict Barbies make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the real world It was not intended to make any type of statement, the film studio said.

Updated at 3:06 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Red Cross workers help migrants to disembark from a Spanish rescue ship at Arguineguin on Gran Canaria (DESIREE MARTIN)

Spain's coastguard said Monday it rescued 86 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa aboard a boat near the Canary Islands that had been spotted earlier in the day by a rescue plane.

The Salvamento Maritimo coastguard service said they had found the boat with six females and 80 males on board as rescuers were searching for a missing migrant boat that had "left Senegal with around 200 people on board".

It did not indicate the ages of those rescued.

When a rescue plane spotted the vessel about 71 nautical miles south of the island of Gran Canaria, it was initially thought to have "around 200 people on board", a spokeswoman said.

"We can't be 100 percent sure but it's likely it is the same boat," she said.

But the coastguard later acknowledged that the estimate by the plane's crew was incorrect.

"It is difficult to determine the number of people from the air," she later told AFP.

A rescue ship brought the migrants to the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria, where they were greeted by Red Cross workers who provided them with medical care.

The situation remains confused, however, and the spokeswoman told AFP she was not able to say whether there was another boat adrift in the same area with 200 people on board.

Helena Maleno, head of Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, which helps migrant boats in distress, said a vessel had left the southern Senegalese town of "Kafountine on June 27 with approximately 200 people on board".

"There are many minors on board," she said in an audio message, explaining the families had "told us about the disappearance of the boat, saying they had had no news for several days".

Kafountine is a fishing village in the southern part of Senegal, which lies at least 1,700 kilometres (more than 1,000 miles) south of the Canary Islands.

She said the NGO knew of two other boats with around 120 people on board that were also missing after leaving Senegal on June 23.

- An easy departure point -

Senegal, and more specifically the Kafountine region, is a regular departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe.

For them, the nearest entry point is the Canary Islands, although Spain itself is often only a stopover as the migrants make their way to other EU countries.

David Diatta, the mayor of Kafountine, told AFP some migrants had recently left the village but that he'd not heard any news about them.

"They are Senegalese, Gambians, Guineans, Sierra Leoneans... Most of the time, they are foreigners," he said.

He said people chose to leave from Kafountine because it is surrounded by islands and inlets that provide hiding places for people smugglers and migrants.

"As a local authority, we have tried to raise awareness, but the state's silence is regrettable -- there are very few gendarmes on the ground (to stop them) and we lack the resources," he said.

In June 2022, a pirogue -- a long wooden vessel -- with migrants on board caught fire in the area, leaving 15 dead and 20 injured.

"People from outside the area organise their departure as they wish, and it's only after the event that we find out about it," said Abdoulaye Demba, head coordinator of the local fishing council.

He said none of the migrants' families approach him directly for help because they know it is against the law.

- A highly dangerous journey -

The Atlantic route to the Canaries is particularly dangerous due to the strong currents, with migrants travelling in overloaded boats, which are often unseaworthy, and without enough drinking water.

Many boats leave from ports in Morocco, Western Sahara or Mauritania but they also come from countries further south such as Senegal.

According to figures released by Caminando last week, 778 people died while trying to reach the Canary Islands by boat in the first half of 2023.

Figures from the International Organization for Migration point to 126 dead or missing over the same period.

Spain has long been a key entry point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, but the number of Atlantic crossings began surging in late 2019 after increased patrols along Europe's southern coast dramatically reduced Mediterranean crossings.

In the first six months of this year, a total of 7,213 migrants reached the Canary Islands by boat. That figure is nearly 20 percent lower than the 8,853 that arrived in the same period a year earlier, interior ministry figures show.

burs-hmw/kjm/mtp/cwl
The authorities are evacuating all residents of the five-kilometre zone in the Russian-bordering hromadas in Sumy Oblast (a hromada is a town or a village with adjacent settlements  ed.).

Source: Press office of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, citing Volodymyr Artiukh, Head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration

Details: The decision was made by the Regional Defence Council after a thorough analysis of the operational situation in the border regions.

Quote: "Constant shelling of border hromadas, the intensity of which has increased significantly recently, destroys infrastructure, facilities for life support, and houses.

And most importantly, our people are dying. A total of 35 civilians died from enemy shelling from January to July 2023, and last month, it was 17 people, including one child; they were killed by Russian troops in the border hromadas of the oblast.

People do not live here but survive  under constant shelling, without any electricity for weeks or even months. Shops, schools, and hospitals are often closed there. It is not possible to bring in the most essential food, medicine, etc. safely.

Under conditions of constant shelling, it is almost impossible to rebuild destroyed objects. The enemy acts insidiously and defiantly  they even deliberately fire at repair crews  recently, the workers of Sumyoblenergo [an oblast electricity distributor  ed.] who went to repair a damaged power line were killed."

Details: Artiukh says civilians who reside in the border settlements die not just from artillery fire. The head of Sumy Oblast Military Administration mentioned the brazen killing of foresters in the Svesa hromada and residents of the Shalyhyne hromada at the hands of Russian subversion and reconnaissance group, who have been entering this territory more and more recently.

It is emphasised that staying in a five-kilometre zone of civilian residents does not allow the Ukrainian military to repel Russian attacks effectively, to respond adequately because this will expose civilians to even greater danger.

Based on this, the Defence Council of the Sumy Oblast decided on the need to prepare and carry out an evacuation.

It is indicated that systematic preparatory work is currently being carried out to give residents of border settlements a decent alternative, away from the border in safe areas.

The Oblast Military Administration is preparing an order to evacuate people from the five-kilometre zone from the state border of Ukraine.

All plans, evacuation routes, algorithms of actions and interactions of all services, primarily local authorities and the military, have been worked out, the Oblast Military Administration says.

The authorities emphasise that the evacuation will be carried out with the appropriate cover by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in order not to give Russians any chance to carry out a provocation and put civilians in danger.

Evacuation will begin only after every family, every resident of the border has been explained their rights, provided with the necessary means and resources, and after every family in the border settlements is ready for relocation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Residents of a wealthy gated community in Southern California were given 20 minutes to evacuate after their neighborhood began sliding down a hill

Sooyun Cho looks over to her damaged home, right, on Peartree Lane in Rolling Hills Estates on July 9, 2023. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Homes in a gated community in Southern California are collapsing due to a landslide.

Over the weekend, 16 people were forced to evacuate their residences in Rolling Hills.

The median value of an owner-occupied home there is nearly $1.5 million.

Residents of a gated community in Southern California were forced to leave their million-dollar homes over the weekend due to what authorities described as a "sliding hillside," with some of the homes visibly collapsing by Monday morning.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said on Sunday that a dozen homes in the city of Rolling Hills Estates were evacuated, posting video that showed large cracks emerging in driveways, lawns, and the homes themselves, with some of the residences appearing to sink into the land.

Rolling Hills Estates resident Bob Brown photographs the damaged home of his mother-in-law Edna Campbell, 98, on Peartree Lane in Rolling Hills Estates on July 9, 2023. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Some 16 people were evacuated, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said at a press conference on Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported. Residents "were told they had 20 minutes to get their belongings and get out," she said.

By Monday morning, several of the homes had "started collapsing," according to Shayla Girardin, a reporter with Los Angeles television station KABC, who shared photos of the damage.

The median value of an owner-occupied home in Rolling Hills Estates is nearly $1.5 million, according to the US Census Bureau, with a median household income of more than $160,000. The city is adjacent to Rancho Palos Verdes, home to the Trump National Golf Club.

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Restoring electric, natural gas services after flooding. What to know

New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) are working with local emergency management officials to address the ongoing flooding situation in Canandaigua and other parts of New York.

As a safety precaution, NYSEG has turned off natural gas service in flooded areas, while RG&E has turned off electric service as per the request of local Emergency Management Officials, according to company officials.

Approximately 120 NYSEG natural gas customers and 680 RG&E electric customers are currently impacted, company officials said.

NYSEG and RG&E are maintaining close coordination with the Ontario County Office for Emergency Management, local fire departments, and municipal authorities. The restoration of services will commence as soon as these organizations confirm it is safe to do so, company officials said.

NYSEG and RG&E are asking customers affected by flooding to review the below important information:

Restoring electric service after flooding

If electric service has been shut off due to unsafe conditions, such as submersion of the main fuse box or circuit breaker box in water, it must be inspected by a certified electrical inspector before restoration.

After floodwaters recede, customers should contact an electrician to verify the safety of restoring electric service before contacting the utility company.

Presence of a responsible individual is required for service restoration, along with a dry basement and a clean electrical panel free from debris.

Customers and contractors should never attempt to restore electric service themselves.

Restoring natural gas service after flooding

NYSEG employees are the only ones authorized to restore natural gas service; others should not attempt to do so.

To have NYSEG natural gas service reinstated, specific conditions must be met, including the presence of the customer during reconnection, absence of standing water in the basement, availability of electricity, and assessment of NYSEG equipment by their crews.

At least one natural gas appliance unaffected by the flood must be ready for ignition. A plumbing or heating contractor should ensure that gas appliances impacted by the flood are in working order before NYSEG reconnects and relights the pilots.

Flood-affected appliances will be identified and isolated by NYSEG representatives, requiring customers to engage a plumbing or heating contractor for necessary repairs. NYSEG will then remove the tag and restore service once repairs are completed.

Customers with questions about reconnecting services can call 800-572-1121 for NYSEG natural gas and 800-743-1701 for RG&E electric. Additional information and safety tips can be found on the NYSEG and RG&E websites.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Restoring electric, natural gas services after NY flooding. What to know
Retired Army Capt. Sam Brown officially launched his campaign Monday in the Nevada Senate race to take on Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) as Republicans look to reclaim the upper chamber in 2024.

Brown ran for the Senate seat last cycle but lost to Adam Laxalt in the GOP primary. Laxalt narrowly lost to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) during the 2022 midterms.

Right now, the American Dream is at risk. Joe Biden and Jacky Rosen promised to unite Americans and solve problems, Brown said in a statement. Instead, theyve abandoned Nevada and divided America with extreme policies to satisfy special interests in Washington.

I know our mission to restore the American Dream is achievable if we work together. In the military, no one asks you what party you are in. They just want to know they can count on you to get the job done, he continued. Thats the attitude we need to tackle the problems of today. As your Senator, I will get the job done for Nevada. I am ready to lead and fight for you again.

Jim Marchant, who lost the Nevada secretary of state race to Democrat Cisco Aguilar, is also running for Nevada Senate. Former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Ross Gunter is also reportedly considering entering the race.

Nevada represents one of Republicans best pickup opportunities for the party, though Democrats and Republicans are keenly focusing on Montana, West Virginia and Ohio.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukraine has been forced to do battle with less equipment than it needs because of the caution of its international partners, said Mark Carleton-Smith, the U.K.s former top military commander, during his visit to Kyiv.

Carleton-Smith, who was in the country as part of the Warsaw International Forum, said he heard some "very sober" assessments of the existential challenge the country still faces from his Ukrainian interlocutors. The balance on the battlefield in some places is pretty precarious."

The reality for the Ukrainian armed forces is that theyre having to prosecute the military campaign without being able to employ the full orchestra of three-dimensional warfare, of land, air, and sea, the former general told the Kyiv Independent in an interview. Which means that the land forces are overexposed, which is one reason why the counteroffensive is being as deliberate as it is.

Kyiv has said the counteroffensive, launched in early June, had been delayed due to how slow weapon and ammunition supplies from the West have been. The operation has been slow-going, with reports of difficult fighting across the front.

Western partners have failed to ramp up their domestic ammunition production to tackle Ukraine's shortage. Yet, there is a great deal of pressure and expectations heaped on Ukraine for a decisive victory.

Carleton-Smith said that the gradual, deliberate pace of arms support for Ukraine, which exacerbates battlefield challenges, is the unavoidable reality of international politics, but it's "a price that's being paid in the lives" of Ukraine's people and the destruction of its infrastructure.

The UN recorded over 9,000 civilians killed in the war so far, but actual numbers are expected to be significantly higher. Ukraine doesnt reveal its military losses, but they are, by many accounts, high as well.

Investigation: EU inability to ramp up production behind acute ammunition shortages in Ukraine Editors note: This investigation is a collaboration between the Kyiv Independent and partners, including The Investigative Desk, Lighthouse Reports, and Follow the Money (Netherlands), El Diario (Spain), Delfi (Estonia), and Liberation (France). Key findings: * Over a year into Russias full-sca The Kyiv IndependentAnna Myroniuk

He pointed out that the world is not unified on Russias invasion, as 41 countries with over half the worlds population, refused to condemn the invasion, including countries like Brazil, India, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

He believes that securing the supplies of F-16 fighters and additional long-range weapons will still take more time. Counting the time it takes to absorb and integrate those capabilities, the planes are unlikely to get here in 2023, and the counteroffensive is over a month old already. Ukraine has already received Storm Shadow missiles from the U.K. but hopes to get ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles from the U.S. too.

I think the limitation for the Ukrainian armed forces is that theyre unable to prosecute a deep battle across the full depth of Russias military capability, particularly their command & control & logistics sites, he said. Which means, amongst other things that it may well be a very significant obstacle to Ukraine managing a decisive and enduring military victory.

He added: Im confident and believe in the professional knowledge of the Ukrainian armed forces and the general staff leadership, that theyre going to play a very difficult and complicated hand in as sophisticated a manner as they can.

However, regardless of how Ukraines liberation goes, its very likely that Russia will retain sufficient capability on Ukraines borders that will need to be deterred in the future.

I think that is a very strong argument for incorporating Ukraine into the (NATO) alliance because however the war ends its hard given Russian behavior today to be confident in a long term sustainable political solution and therefore its hard to see a decisive conclusion to the war even if Ukraine enjoys very significant tactical success in Ukraine. The potential of a regenerated Russian threat will remain.

Its a lottery: How Ukraines assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut Editors note: The Kyiv Independent spent a day with soldiers from the 80th Separate Assault Brigade in June, and the story is comprised of interviews with them about their experience near Bakhmut. The soldiers are identified by their names or callsigns, and their deployment locations are not reveal The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

The general said that at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, there will be arguments made that the incorporation of Ukraine is both a greater deterrent and a greater provocation to Russia. And many countries have historically been reluctant to anger Russia.

Ukraine's national press service Ukrinform reported that 23 of 31 alliance nations signed documents formalizing their support of Ukraine's membership. According to Kyiv, these countries include Portugal, Canada, Romania and Moldova, among others.

The Telegraph cited sources that Germany will block Ukraine's accession, fearing that this might lead to war with Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden has also said that Ukraine is "not ready" for membership and both countries want to avoid invoking Article 5. NATO allies agreed to remove the Membership Action Plan (MAP) from Ukraine's path toward accession, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 10.

However, Russia has revealed many weaknesses through the invasion, making itself appear less threatening than before. Additionally, countries are starting to realize they may have misread Russia, which respects shows of strength more than appeasement.

This is why, he believes, foreign aid is seeing a stepped, incremental approach to the provision of weapons that only months earlier have been out of scope and inconceivable.

Its not inconceivable that the international community gets increasingly desensitized to providing Ukraine not just with the capability to defend itself but increasingly the capability to actually win.

Carleton-Smith said that the expectations in Kyiv are very high on the eve of Vilnius. The meeting is seen as a strategic opportunity to restate the case for Ukrainian membership in the alliance.

While he said hes not aware of the state of communications among the alliances members, he would be surprised if there wasnt at least a sense that this was the start of a pathway towards membership for Ukraine, as a series of interim steps.

The real challenge for Ukraine is how to convert a solution that is for the time less than full comprehensive membership but is nonetheless a pathway to membership and how to convert that into credible capability as soon as possible thats going to make a material difference to the Ukrainian armed forces on the battlefield, he said.

With Russias full-scale invasion making many European countries rethink their peace and neutrality policies, there is strong rhetoric in many of these countries that they must arm themselves. But it remains to be seen whether the money to do so will be put up and if the defense industries can build that capacity. So far, their attempts have had mixed results.

I think what were going to witness is a generational revision of European defense security and energy policy which is going to rewrite that geometry over the next several decades and generation, he said.

My generation has enjoyed the benefits of belonging to the 20th century post-war generation as weve described ourselves. We now need to recognize the responsibilities that we have to ensure that were not the 21st centurys pre-war generation.

Carleton-Smith said that Europe missed the opportunity to prevent Russias invasion of 2022 by failing to react when it invaded in 2014.

It was a moment missed, he said.
Return of Azov Commander Denys Prokopenko: What it means for Ukraine

Denys Prokopenko

The return of Commander Denys Prokopenko of the Azov Battalion, also known as Redis, along with four other commanders, provides significant reinforcement for the Defense Forces.

Read also: Russia scandalized by return of Azovstal commanders to Ukraine

Prokopenko is widely recognized as an excellent combat leader and a true military professional, excelling in creating combat readiness, learning, and self-improvement.

In 2021, Prokopenko conducted command and staff training on combat organization and NATO-standard offensive operations exclusively for a group of brigade and battalion commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, utilizing protocols unique to the Azov Battalion.

Prokopenkos experience, intelligence, and character can play a remarkable role in the war if he is provided with the necessary resources. The decision by President Erdogan of Turkey to release the Azov commanders and extend the grain agreement represents a significant step inassisting Ukraine.

It is important to note that approximately two thousand defenders of Mariupol remain in captivity, enduring inhumane conditions in Russian concentration camps and requiring liberation.

The release of Prokopenko will expedite the investigation into key questions: How was the south of Ukraine surrendered so swiftly within a few days? Who is responsible for opening all the enemy passages in Chongar Straits? Who is accountable for the complete unpreparedness to defend Mariupol, Melitopol, and Berdyansk? Who should be held responsible for the fact that Mariupol was entirely exposed from the rear, leading to its encirclement on the fifth day of the war?

The lack of timely decisions resulted in the effective abandonment of the 12th NGU Brigade, including the Azov Battalion, and the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces, along with attached units, in the cauldron immediately after the start of the war. These forces were consequently left to face highly disadvantageous combat conditions with heroic determination.

The return of Denys Prokopenko will finally enable the identification of all those responsible for the tragedy in Mariupol, as Redis is a man of principles and integrity.

This text has been published with the authors permission.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
If Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s three-month-old presidential campaign were a newly opened restaurant, it would have already succumbed to its negative reviews and closed its doors. Members of his own family have declined to back him. Due to a wide range of Bobbys positions, Im supporting President Biden, said his sister, Rory Kennedy. I support President Biden, said cousin Patrick Kennedy, a former member of Congress. And, most damning, the bookies say he has next to no chance of winning.

Kennedy  and this comes as a surprise to nobody  is about as likely to win the Democratic Partys nomination as, say, Donald Trump. A sharp CNN piece last month by the networks analyst Harry Enten attached an anchor to Kennedys chances and sunk it into the depths of the Mariana Trench. According to Enten, the party faithful overwhelmingly approve of Joe Bidens presidency, while a poll of strong Democrats registers as 50 percent unfavorable to Kennedy. Seeing as it is Democrats and not the press or tech billionaires who select the partys nominee, and the fact that Kennedy shows no sign of exceeding the sub-20 percent level of support among Democratic voters, his candidacy is stillborn.

This inevitable defeat is self-evident to everybody, including Kennedy, one suspects. But RFK Jr. doesnt care about losing because theres little evidence he was very interested in becoming president in the first place. Those with genuine presidential ambitions tend to establish foundational political careers, putting in at minimum a term or two in elective office. If they run and get beaten, they get back up and run again and again, as Biden did.



Outliers who enter the presidential derby usually broadcast their plans before running, as Trump did, forming an exploratory committee for the office in 2000, before finally running in earnest in 2016. But outside of Dwight D. Eisenhower  a genuine war hero  almost never does a figure without a political resume and not so much as a previous head feint toward the White House launch a serious presidential campaign out of the blue as Kennedy did in April. Some people give more forethought to picking a dressing for their salad than Kennedy seems to have given to his run for president.

But Kennedy doesnt care that hes losing because winning the White House isnt his objective. One clue that Kennedy doesnt crave the political power that comes with the presidency is that, unlike his siblings, cousins and other Kennedy offspring (Joseph P. Kennedy II, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Patrick J. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Edward M. Kennedy Jr., Mark Kennedy Shriver, Bobby Shriver), he has never sought public office. The closest he has ever come to serving in a legislature was in 2000 when he briefly considered running for Daniel Patrick Moynihans open U.S. Senate seat (which Hillary Clinton slipped into) and in 2008, when he appears to have been on the New York governors shortlist to fill the seat when Clinton vacated it to become secretary of State. Or, to give him the benefit of the doubt, it could be that Kennedy has always craved power but wanted to start at the top.

What Kennedy does undeniably desire is public attention, something his presidential campaign is delivering, with critical profiles in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time, the Atlantic and a particularly damning and comprehensive one by Rebecca Traister in New York magazine. In just a couple of months, Kennedy has gone from that anti-vaccine guy to a staple of cable news coverage, making him The Top Kennedy for now, even if much of the publicity is bad. Its always been a competitive clan, so hes got to be happy that he now occupies a larger presence in the public mind than his cousin Caroline Kennedy, an ambassador to Japan and now Australia, larger than her brother John Kennedy Jr., who dominated the headlines until his accidental death in 1999. Because its been so long since his father and famous uncles died, Bobby Jr. might even have eclipsed them as The Top Kennedy among younger voters.

The political gene, which often comes bundled with the one for narcissism, never adequately thrives until fed by some form of adulation. Even the negative adulation of the recent profiles can be read as I must be doing something right because theyre all knocking me for somebody as thirsty for attention as Kennedy. Hes winning there, too.



Kennedys candidacy has broadened the platform for his previously banned-by-Facebook-and-Instagram outre ideas about vaccines, not to mention his views on his fathers assassination, gender dysphoria and chemicals, antidepressants and school shootings, the CIA, and the stolen 2004 election. That adds to the considerable platform he has already built on his podcasts and his bestselling screed The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health. The current campaign has and will continue to expand his exposure until he concedes the nomination to Biden.

Kennedy may have spent his career as an environmental activist and litigator on the political sidelines, but hes well aware of the dividends that can be earned from running a long-shot presidential campaign. As laid out in a recent Insider article, the typical dark horse candidacy is mostly about climbing the rungs of power. Would former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg be the secretary of Transportation today if he hadnt run in 2020? Would Kamala Harris, who polled below Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders for almost the entire 2020 primary campaign, and frequently did worse than Buttigieg, have been tapped as Bidens running mate if she had not run? Would Sanders possess his current clout if not for his two unexpectedly strong forays? Failed candidacies have produced book contracts, cable TV deals, paid speaking engagements, lobbying gigs and proximity to power.

The current Kennedy moment will soon be swamped by the Biden machine. But every day this final heir to Americas second greatest political dynasty spends on the hustings, he will continue rolling up winnings like an undetected card counter in Las Vegas.



The greatest? The Bush family, of course. Send your winnings to Shafer.Politico@gmail.com. No new email alert subscriptions are being honored at this time. My social media accounts  Twitter, Mastodon, Post, Bluesky, and Notes  want to welcome a baby brother: [http://@jackshafer@threads.net]Threads. My RSS feed wants to kill them as they sleep.
Rheinmetall announces date of opening of first armoured vehicle plant in Ukraine

The German defence concern Rheinmetall will open an armoured vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks.

Source: Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, in an interview for CNN, as reported by European Pravda

The biggest arms manufacturer of Germany will also train Ukrainians to maintain tanks and other armoured vehicles produced at the plant.

The plant will reportedly be located in Ukraine's west.

"[Ukrainians] have to help themselves  if they always have to wait [for] Europeans or Americans [to] help them over the next 10 or 20 years that is not possible," he said.

The company hopes that the plant in Ukraine will produce about 400 tanks a year. Moreover, it is also planned to produce and repair the Fuchs armoured carriers there.

Papperger stated that the plant may be protected from potential Russian attacks.

"There are a lot of factories at the moment which are producing military goods [in Ukraine]. It is just another one  and we can protect that also," he said.

Background: In May, the state Ukrainian defence concern Ukroboronprom signed an agreement about strategic partnership with Rheinmetall, which stipulated for creating a joint enterprise.

According to the agreement, Ukroboronprom and Rheinmetall will start their cooperation with technical maintenance and repairs of armoured vehicles that had been sent to Ukraine.

Rheinmetall aims to sign contracts for creating two more joint enterprises for ammunition and air defence production.

Rheinmetall is the biggest German armament manufacturer. According to its own data, the company is in the top three manufacturers of military equipment and ammunition in the Western world. At the moment, the exchange value of Rheinmetall is over 10 billion.

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The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will open an armored vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, the company's CEO Armin Papperger told CNN in an interview published on July 10.

The concern's director also announced plans to train Ukrainian staff to maintain tanks and other armored vehicles produced in that factory.

"(Ukrainians) have to help themselves  if they always have to wait (for) Europeans or Americans (to) help them over the next 10 or 20 years that is not possible," Papperger said.

Rheinmetall's CEO revealed that the planned factory will be located in western Ukraine, protected from Russian strikes.

Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly  Issue 88 Editors Note: This is issue 88 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from May 13-19, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned ente The Kyiv IndependentUkrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly

Papperger pointed out that at the moment, ammunition is a bigger priority for the Ukrainian military than tanks, adding that Rheinmetall plans to increase its production of artillery rounds from 100,000 to 600,000 next year. Much of that will be destined for Ukraine, the company's director said.

The German publication Rheinische Post reported on March 4 on Rheinmetall's plan to build a $220 million tank factory on Ukrainian soil. The plant would be able two produce up to 400 newly created Panther tanks per year, while its security should be assured by air defense systems.

On May 20, the company also informed that it wants to cooperate on manufacturing Fuchs armored personnel carriers with Ukraine's state concern Ukroboronprom (now Ukrainian Defense Industry).


What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?

There are concerns that air traffic control issues across Europe could lead to disruption for UK travellers this summer.

Easyjet has axed 1,700 flights in July, August and September, blaming congested skies due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace and planned strikes by air traffic controllers.

Airlines say they are better prepared than they were last year, when surging demand for travel and staff shortages led to long queues at airports and many delays and cancellations.

However, if you do find your flight is affected, what are your rights?

Can I get a refund or another flight?

If your flight is covered under UK law, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or an alternative flight, regardless of how far in advance the cancellation was made.

You can get your money back for any part of the ticket you have not used. So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. If another airline is flying to your destination significantly sooner, or there are other suitable modes of transport available, then you have a right to be booked onto that alternative transport instead.

Graphic showing what you can do if your flight is cancelled

What about food and accommodation?

If you are stuck abroad or at the airport because of a flight cancellation, airlines must also provide you with other assistance until you are able to fly to your destination.

This includes:

A reasonable amount of food and drink (often in the form of vouchers)

A way for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of calls)

Free accommodation, if you have to stay overnight to fly the next day

Transport to and from the accommodation.

If your airline is unable to arrange assistance, you have the right to organise this yourself and claim back the cost later. In this case, the Civil Aviation Authority advises people to keep receipts and not spend more than necessary.

What if my flight is delayed?

You are entitled to the same assistance if your flight is delayed by more than two hours.

You may also be able to claim compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late. Again, the amount is based on how far you are flying.

If you are delayed by more than five hours and no longer want to travel, you can get a full refund.

Can I claim extra compensation?

Disruption caused by things like airport or air traffic control employee strikes, bad weather or other "extraordinary circumstances" are not eligible for extra compensation.

However, in other circumstances - which are the airline's fault - you have a number of rights under UK law if you are flying from a UK airport on any airline, arriving at a UK airport on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.

What you are entitled to depends on what caused the cancellation and how much notice you were given.

If your flight is cancelled with less than two weeks' notice, you may be able to claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight you are offered.

The amount you are entitled to also depends on how far you were travelling. For example:

For flights under 1,500km, such as Glasgow to Amsterdam, you can claim up to 220 per person

For flights more than 3,500km, such as London to New York, you can claim up to 520 per person

What if I booked a package holiday?

If you booked a package holiday with a company that is an Abta member and your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a suitable alternative flight or a full refund.
A column of fire shoots out from a Ringneck Energy ethanol plant in Onida, South Dakota on Sunday, July 9, 2023. According to Walt Wendland, CEO of the company, six people were working at the plant when an explosion occurred at around 1:15 p.m., though no injuries were reported as a result.

The damage to a central South Dakota ethanol plant, where an explosion occurred Sunday, "probably looks a lot worse than it is," according to the owner of the facility.

Walt Wendland, CEO of Ringneck Energy, confirmed to the Argus Leader the company's Onida plant experienced an explosion at about 1:15 p.m.

"Looks like no major equipment damage, but there's a lot of tin [siding] and ceiling tiles to put back in place," Wendland said in a phone call.

Sheets of metal siding and insulation hang off of Ringneck Energy's main process building in Onida, South Dakota on Sunday, July 9, 2023.

Ryan Bombellick, a plant operator who was working at the Onida facility when the explosion occurred, told the Argus Leader the explosion occurred at the plant's main process building.

Bombellick, who was in another building, said the explosion wasn't very loud, but it blew the walls off of every side of the structure.

"There aren't any parts of the wall. Like, the beams are there, but like the insulation and tin [siding] is damaged on every wall of that building," Bombellick said.

Bombellick said there were a few people in an explosion-proof control room near the main building who got an up-close view of the event.

"I talked to somebody who was in there, and they said it looked like a bomb went off in there," Bombellick said. "'Like a Russian rocket hit it,' they said."

The ethanol CEO said six people were working inside the plant at the time of the explosion. No injuries were reported, Wendland added.

Bombellick later said there was one customer on-site that also came away unscathed from the incident.

"We pray every night for the safety of our employees, and our prayers paid off, I'll tell you," Wendland said.

#ethanol plant in Onida. Heard a loud noise that shook our house. Prayers for safety of everyone at #RingNeck Energy pic.twitter.com/iOPnVTKnyL  Jeremey Frost (@FearlessGrain) July 9, 2023

Jeremey Frost, a grain marketing adviser from Onida, caught video of the incident after the explosion shook his house.

"I thought it was the railroad because the railroad is right behind our house. My wife looked out back. There wasn't any railroad," Frost told Argus Leader. "I looked outside and I saw the fire from the ethanol plant. Then I called the sheriff."

The CEO initially guessed that flammable fumes caused the explosion after they entered the facility's air conditioning ducts, but he added an official investigation has yet to take place to determine the cause.

This is a developing story. We will update the article as more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Ringneck CEO: No injuries reported after Onida ethanol plant explosion
(U.S. Army)

While not a doctrinal term, battle rifle is used to differentiate a service rifle chambered in a full-power cartridge from service rifles chambered in a smaller, intermediate cartridge. The battle rifle arguably first saw general issue during WWII with the U.S. M1 Garand, Soviet SVT-40 and German Gewehr 41 and 43. During the Cold War, the battle rifle saw widespread adoption with NATO's adoption of the full-power 7.62x51mm cartridge as well as the M14 and FAL rifles. The adoption of the intermediate 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge caused a decline in the battle rifle's popularity during the late 20th century. However, in the 21st century, it has seen a resurgence with militaries returning to more powerful rifle cartridges.

The FAL saw such widespread adoption that it was nicknamed the "Right Arm of the Free World" (U.S. Navy)

After WWII, the Soviet Union adopted the AK-47 (later modernized as the AKM), chambered in the intermediate 7.62x39mm cartridge, as its standard service weapon. Classified as an assault rifle, the AK platform was lighter than previous service rifles and gave communist soldiers the ability to employ higher rates of fire while also carrying more ammunition. Meanwhile, the FAL adopted by most NATO nations was longer than the AK and fired the heavier-hitting 7.62mm NATO round. The larger NATO cartridge allowed for only 20-round magazines versus the AK's 30. This also applied to the M14, which the U.S. adopted instead of the FAL, which fired the 7.62mm NATO round.

The M16 allowed troops to carry more ammo and deliver a greater volume of fire (U.S. Army)

During the early stages of the Vietnam War, the U.S. realized the disadvantage that the M14 put its troops at against communist troops armed with AKs. While the 7.62mm NATO was more powerful and more effective at longer range, the intermediate 7.62x39mm round of the AK could be fired faster and allowed its users to achieve fire superiority in the close-range jungle fighting of Vietnam. This led to America's adoption of the M16 and its intermediate .223 Remington cartridge, later standardized by the NATO as 5.56x45mm.

Battle rifles remained in limited service alongside assault rifles, especially with rear echelon and training units (Bundeswehr)

In the late 20th century, with NATO's adoption of an intermediate cartridge, the battle rifle quickly fell out of favor. Countries with enough money swapped out their 7.62mm NATO FALs, M14s and G3s for 5.56mm NATO M16s, AUGs and G36s. Lighter and more versatile, assault rifles became the service weapon of choice for most major militaries. Some countries, like Sweden and Norway, kept their battle rifles in use with their Home Guard while regular infantry units transitioned to assault rifles.

An M110 (foreground) and M14 (background) in service in Afghanistan (U.S. Army)

In the 21st century, especially during the Global War on Terror, the limitations of the assault rifle and its intermediate cartridge were highlighted. Lacking the long-range stopping power and accuracy of full-power rifles, assault rifles were augmented with marksman rifles like accurized M14s and the M110, both chambered in 7.62mm NATO. Especially in mountainous terrain, full-power rifle cartridges can be a better choice for infantry over weaker intermediate cartridges. In 2021, the Indian military purchased over 140,000 7.62mm NATO battle rifles from SIG Sauer. With the second-largest military in the world, after China, India's heavy investment in a full-power service rifle marked a significant resurgence for the type.

The XM7, with its full-power rifle cartridge, represents a return to the battle rifle (U.S. Army)

In 2022, the U.S. Army awarded SIG Sauer the contract for its Next Generation Squad Weapon. Chambered in the full-power 6.8x51mm Fury cartridge, the XM7 and XM250 are slated to replace the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun, both chambered in 5.56mm NATO. With similar dimensions to 7.62mm NATO, 6.8 Fury represents a return to the battle rifle for the world's most powerful military. The XM7 even feeds from a standard capacity 20-round magazine and weighs over 10 pounds loaded and equipped with its suppressor. Long-range engagements in Afghanistan and the increased adoption of body armor are cited as reasons for the adoption of a rifle chambered in a full-power rifle round. Time will tell if their militaries will follow this trend.
Doctor in Riverside arrested again on multiple charges of sexual assault

Dr. Sam Sannoufi, a Riverside-based doctor arrested last month on sexual assault charges, was taken into custody again Friday and is now being held without bail after more accusers came forward, according to police. (Riverside Police Department)

A doctor practicing in Riverside who had previously been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault was taken into custody again after more accusers came forward, according to police.

Dr. Sam Sannoufi of Newport Beach is the owner of Timeless Skincare Laser Clinic and Primary Care Family Practice, located in the 6900 block of Brockton Avenue in Riverside, according to authorities.

Detectives initially arrested him on June 27, on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman during a consultation exam. He was released after posting $1 million in bail.

Additional accusers have come forward during the investigation with similar sexual assault allegations against Sannoufi, police said.

Sannoufi was arrested Friday in the additional sexual assault allegations and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, according to officials. He is being held without bail.

Officials think there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact Detective Stanley Hua at (951) 353-7950 or at SHua@RiversideCA.gov. Those wishing to remain anonymous can email RPDTips@RiversideCA.gov.

Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Rivne mayor suspended from office for one year over corruption offense

Oleksandr Tretyak

A court in the western city of Rivne has found local mayor Oleksandr Tretyak guilty of a corruption offense and suspended him from office for one year, Ukrainian national public broadcaster Suspilne reported on July 10.

Tretyak was found guilty of violating legislative requirements for settling conflicts of interest. In addition to being removed from office, the mayor has been fined UAH 6,800 ($186).

Read also: Anti-corruption officials detain Ternopil Oblast council chairman for bribery

Tretyak is currently on a business trip to Germany. However, he has already reacted to the court ruling, calling it a mockery of the law. He has 10 days to appeal the decision.

The National Agency on Corruption Prevention prevuously charged Tretyak with three offenses relating to a conflict of interest. Two were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The third charge concerned the awarding of bonuses and additional payments to Maria Korniychuk, head of affairs for the citys executive committee. During the election campaign, she contributed UAH 45,000 ($1,230) to Tretyaks election fund.

Read also: Odesa mayor released on bail

Tretyak has repeatedly denied that there was a conflict of interest.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Robert Downey Jr names his two most important films of the last 25 years

Robert Downey Jr has named the two most important films of his recent career.

The New York City-born actor, 58, is now among the most recognisable faces in Hollywood, perhaps best known for his performance as Tony Stark in 2008s Iron Man. Downey Jr has reprised the role in nine other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, the most recent being 2019s Avengers: Endgame.

It is perhaps surprising then, that Downey Jr has named two other titles as the most important films he has done in the last 25 years.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the actor named The Shaggy Dog and Dolittle.

The 2006 family-comedy film The Shaggy Dog starred Tim Allen as Dave, a deputy district attorney who is bitten by a dog and turns into the animal.

His new canine life gives Dave him a new perspective on the importance of family. Downey Jr played the villain Dr Kozak in the film, which was a critical flop, achieving just 26 per cent rating on reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

Dolittle was similarly derided when it was released in 2020, currently holding a rating of 14 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film starred Downey Jr as the title character, a physician who can speak with animals, a role made famous by Eddie Murphy in the Nineties.

Philip Baker Hall (left) and Robert Downey Jr in The Shaggy Dog (2006) (Joseph Lederer/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock)

In the interview, Downey Jr explained his reasons behind naming the two unlikely films.

Honestly, the two most important films Ive done in the last 25 years are The Shaggy Dog, because that was the film that got Disney saying they would insure me, he said.

Then the second most important film was Dolittle, because Dolittle was a two-and-a-half-year wound of squandered opportunity. The stress it put on my missus as she rolled her sleeves up to her armpits to make it even serviceable enough to bring to market was shocking.

Robert Downey Jr as Dr John Dolittle alongside a talking parrot voiced by Emma Thompson (Universal Pictures)

Downey Jrs wife, Susan Downey, was a co-producer on Dolittle. The couple are founders of the Team Downey production company, which also produced the HBO series Perry Mason.

He continued: After that point  whats that phrase? Never let a good crisis go to waste?  we had this reset of priorities and made some changes in who our closest business advisers were.@

In the interview, however, the actor went on to explain his film Sr is probably the most important thing I will ever do, which was being able to become part object and subject within a piece of content.

Released in 2022, Sr is a Netflix documentary, directed by Chris Smith, examining the careers of and relationship between Downey Jr and his father. Robert Downey Sr died aged 85 in 2021.

Downey Jr made his acting debut when he was just five years old, making an appearance in his fathers 1970 film Pound.

Film - Robert Downey Jr. ( 2022 Netflix, Inc.)

In his early twenties, the actor starred in teen films such as Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). He received critical acclaim for his lead role in the 1992 biopic Chaplin, for which he received his first of two Oscar nominations.

His second nod arrived in 2008 for his role as method actor Kirk Lazarus in the comedy-action film Tropic Thunder.

Downey Jr is next set to star in Christpher Nolans Oppenheimer, which he told The New York Times has been a bit of a demarcation line for me.

The actor recently shared a cheery photo together with his Oppenheimer castmates, including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon.

Also spotted in the photo, however, was John Krasinski, fuelling speculation that the Office star may make a cameo in the star-studded film  something that Downey Jr acknowledged in his caption to the post, which has received almost five million likes.
Rolls-Royce Spectre Flippers Will Be Immediately Blacklisted, CEO Says photo

Rolls-Royce won't tolerate buyers who flip their cars for profit. In recent years, it's become the norm for deep-pocketed buyers to snatch up limited allocations for ultra-exclusive cars and immediately re-sell them for much more than they originally paid. The idea is that once the car's production is sold out, its value on the second-hand market skyrockets. However, Goodwood ain't doin' none of that, and will reportedly permanently blacklist anyone who flips their Rolls-Royce Spectre EV for profit.

"Theyre going immediately on a blacklist and this is ityou will never ever have the chance to acquire again," Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told Car Dealer magazine.

Rolls isn't the first brand to express frustration with flippers. Back in 2017, Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger said that Porsche was monitoring which customers were flipping cars to limit special car allocations to such people. "I personally like to see my cars being used. Thats what we build them for. They are just too good to be left to stand and collect dust ... I dont like this business of people buying our cars to make money on them. That was never our intention," he told Car and Driver then.

More recently, GM announced that it would penalize any customers who flip the Corvette Z06 by dropping certain warranties if the car is sold within a year. Not only that but customers who flip their Z06s won't be allowed to snag allocations on any future GM vehicles.

This obviously upsets some high-end car dealers who make quite a bit of money from buying and selling valuable, limited-edition cars.

UK supercar dealer Tom Hartley expressed his displeasure with Rolls' new policy to Car Dealer. "I have already agreed to buy two Spectres from customers. I do not think it is fair for car makers to tell customers who have spent close to half a million pounds on a car what they can do with it."

However, I believe Rolls is doing the right thing here. Flippers ruin things for customers who genuinely want to buy a new car at a fair price, and also for customers looking for used models in the second market. Overall, it spoils the entire ecosystem of high-end car buying.

Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com
Ron DeSantis blames Donald Trump over Hunter Biden laptop story: 'Never allow that to happen'

Florida Governor and 2024 Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis in an interview alleged that the Trump administration's agencies colluded with technology companies to censor a story involving the contents of Hunter Bidens laptop left at a Delaware repair shop.

I look back at the Hunter Biden censorship, which was a huge, huge deal to happen in the 2020 election, and yet those were Donald Trumps own agencies that were colluding with Big Tech, DeSantis said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures adding that he would "never allow that to happen."

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The House Oversight and Accountability Committee held a hearing earlier this year investigating Twitters suppression of a story on the laptop, with some Republican lawmakers arguing that the FBI played a role and that it could have shifted the outcome of the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. Former Twitter executives have denied that they were pressured by Democrats or law enforcement to suppress the coverage.

The story about Hunter Biden's laptop has become a talking point among 2024 Republican candidates as GOP lawmakers investigate Hunter Bidens business dealings with Ukraine and China.

From left, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

DeSantis, whos trailing former President Donald Trump in polls for the 2024 race for the White House, on Sunday said he would change the Department of Justice leadership if elected.

We will end the weaponization of government, DeSantis said. And thats, of course, a new FBI director on day one. Thats the difference between me and Donald Trump. He says the jury is still out on FBI Director Wray. I think you need a new start on day one. Were going to clean house at the Department of Justice.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DeSantis casts blame on Trump over Hunter Biden laptop story
Rudy Farias: A timeline of the bizarre case of the Texas man missing for eight years

The discovery of a 25-year-old Texas man who had been reported missing eight years earlier was briefly welcomed as a minor miracle.

But since Rudy Farias was found with severe injuries outside of a Houston church on 29 June, the baffling story has unravelled with claims of lies, alleged abuse and greed.

Neighbours said they had seen Mr Farias at his mother Janie Santanas house, and expressed surprise that he was regarded as a missing person.

It then emerged that Mr Farias had reportedly told investigators he was held captive and abused by his mother for year  a claim Houston police say they have no evidence of.

In a press conference on Thursday, police confirmed Mr Farias had returned home in March 2015, the day after he was supposed to have gone missing.

Police said Ms Santana had lied to them as they chased leads in the case, but that they were not pressing charges at this stage.

Here is a timeline of the perplexing case.

2011 to 2014: Childhood tragedies

Rudolph Rudy Farias IV was born in Houston in October 1997 to parents Rudolph Farias, a Houston police officer, and mother Janie Santana.

The young boy endured tragedy from a young age.

In 2011, his half-brother Charles Uresti, 21, was killed in a motorcycle crash when Rudy was just 13.

A private investigator hired by the Farias family told NBCs Dateline in 2015 that Mr Farias and his mother were the first to the crash scene.

Rudy Farias reportedly had a mental age of 10 when he went missing at the age of 17 (Texas Center for the Missing)

He watched his best friend die right in front of him, Brenda Paradise told Dateline.

His brother was his best friend in the world. He's just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.

Then in 2014, his father took his own life while under investigation for a fake speed ticketing scheme.

An investigation by KHOU 11 found that officers were falsely claiming to have witnessed speeding infractions in order to claim overtime by testifying in court.

Mr Farias Sr had reportedly earned $158,000 in overtime in the previous three years.

Mr Farias aunt, Pauline Sanchez-Rodriguez, said at a press conference on Thursday that Mr Farias was understandably traumatised by the two tragedies. And that, after them, his mother began to assume control of his life.

March 2015: Disappearance

On 6 March 2015, Mr Farias reportedly left his home at around 6pm to take his two dogs for a walk near Tidwell and Park Drive in northwest Houston.

A few hours later one of the dogs returned home. The next morning, the second dog showed up, according to a missing person report.

The 17-year-old was reported missing by his mother on 7 March 2015.

A missing flyer from that year claimed Mr Farias had been diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety, and had likely stopped taking his prescribed medication at the time of his disappearance. Mr Farias was described as 58, weighing about 215 pounds and having brown hair and brown eyes.

His cousin Michelle Rodriquez told the New York Post this week that although Mr Farias was 17 at the time, he had a mental age of a 10-year-old.

On 8 March 2015, it has now emerged that Mr Farias returned home.

A GoFundMe campaign set up by Rudy Farias mother Janie Santana raised more than $2,000 (GoFundMe)

But, despite this, Ms Santana did not tell police he was no longer missing  instead keeping up the pretence for the next eight years.

On 22 March 2015, a GoFundme page was launched seeking donations to help Ms Santana in the search for her son.

It has been over a Month and Rudy is still Missing, it stated. Please help us find RUDY FARIAS IV!

Ms Santana said her son was suffering from physical and mental disabilities. The fundraiser took in $2,025, and is reportedly under investigation.

A month after the apparent disappearance, Houston police told Dateline they did not suspect foul play, and were investigating it as a missing person case.

In 2017, Ms Santana told KHOU 11 that detectives had informed her Mr Farias could have been abducted and sold to human traffickers.

2018-2022: Sightings

In 2018, Mr Farias cousin Cassandra Lopez called Houston police to say he had been spotted at his mothers home, according to Click 2 Houston.

When officers showed up at Ms Santanas home, they said they didnt find any sign of the missing boy.

Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)s missing persons unit, told reporters this week that officers had unspecified interactions with Mr Farias during the eight years he was missing. It was unclear when exactly this happened.

During those interactions, he said both mother and son gave false names and dates of birth to officers, and claimed that Mr Farias was her nephew not her son.

Ms Lopez said that her grandmother told her she would often speak with Mr Farias during the years that he was allegedly missing.

According to Click 2 Houston, neighbours would also often see Mr Farias at his mothers home. They knew him by the name Dolph.

29 June 2023: Farias is found

At about 10pm on 29 June, a good samaritan found Mr Farias lying badly injured outside of the Immaculate Heart Church in southeast Houston.

Community activist Quanell X leads Rudy Farias out of a police meeting on Wednesday (ABC13)

3 July 2023: Mom celebrates return

On 3 July 2023, Ms Santana released a statement thanking media and public for all their support.

The statement reads: My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29th, after being missing for eight years. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudys case. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.

Ms Santana released a photograph of her son in a hospital bed. Her sisters would later claim the picture was from 2012.

Soon, questions began to mount about the truth of his apparent eight-year disappearance.

5 July 2023: Rudy meets investigators

On 5 July 2023, Mr Farias and Ms Santana met with detectives from Houston Police Departments missing person unit in a hotel.

Quanell X, a prominent local activist and counsellor, said he also met with Mr Farias alone at the same hotel.

According to Quanell X, Mr Farias detailed serious allegations of physical, sexual and mental abuse he had suffered during the past eight years.

Janie Santana, the mother of Rudy Farias, has said she expected to be arrested after her son was reportedly missing for eight years (Twitter / KPRC 2 Corley Peel)

A video emerges of Ms Santana being filmed by neighbours saying she expects to be arrested.

6 July 2023: Police give update

Police hold their first press conference since Mr Farias was found, where they confirmed that he had in fact returned home the day after he was reported missing back in 2015  while his mother continued to maintain he was still unaccounted for.

Mother Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family [saw] coming and going, said Lt Zamora.

Lt Zamora said the district attorney had declined to bring charges at this time for making fictitious reports to police.

Being missing is not a crime, Mr Zamora told the press conference.

Mr Farias, who was 17 when he was first reported missing, was considered an adult under Texas state law at the time, he said.

Police also contradicted the claims of abuse, saying they had no evidence to support Quanell Xs claims.

After the press conference, Quanell X doubled down on his claims in an interview with The Independent and accused HPD of trying to hide from conducting a shady sham investigation.

Its all confusing as hell to me now, he said. I think theyre revictimising the kid all over again.

I believe he needs extensive medical, psychological help and treatment.

Pauline Sanchez, an aunt of Rudy Farias, speaks to the media outside Houston Police headquarters (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Later that day, Mr Farias aunt Pauline Sanchez-Rodriguez said she was reunited with her traumatised nephew during an emotional press conference.

She said he no longer wants to be around his mother, and was staying with family friends.

Hes gone through a lot and I still feel that further actions need to be taken, she said.

Ms Sanchez-Rodriguez said he was not ready to share further details about what he had gone through.

Ms Santana meanwhile has reportedly fled the family home.
Rosfinmonitoring [Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation  ed.] has added Yevhen Cherniak, a Ukrainian businessman, founder of the international alcohol holding Global Spirits and the Khortytsia distillery, to the list of terrorists and extremists.

Source: website of Rosfinmonitoring

Details: Earlier, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a case against the international alcohol holding Global Spirits and put its beneficiary, Yevhen Cherniak, on the wanted list.

The investigation believes that Cherniak and "other persons" conspired to transfer 500 million roubles [about US$5.5 million  ed.] to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other Ukrainian units. They also believe that Cherniak supplied military goods worth 90 million roubles [about U$1 million  ed.] to Ukraine.

Ukrainian businessman Yevhen Cherniak is the CEO of the Global Spirits holding.

Global Spirits owns a number of alcoholic beverage production facilities, including Khortytsia distillery and Odesa Cognac Factory. The Crimean Wine House plant has not been owned by Global Spirits since 2014.

According to the Russian media, in 2011-2022, the Russian distilleries Russkiy Sever and Rodnik were closely affiliated with the holding, but in 2022 these assets were withdrawn from the Global Spirits brand.

Update: Following the publication of the news, a representative of the Global Spirits PR service contacted Ukrainska Pravda to deny that the company supposedly has employees or operates in Russia.

Quote: "This is a hostile propaganda absurdity. Global Spirits has never been in Russia and cannot be now. No cases have been opened against any of its employees in the Russian Federation. And, of course, no one has been detained. This is a primitive lie.

Since 2014, Global Spirits has been subject to a sanction banning the supply of products to the Russian market. And now, when you turn on a VPN, you can see this resolution on the website of their supervisory authority. The sanction, which has been in place for nine years, was one of the first to ban the supply of Ukrainian vodka and beer. One document prohibits both the supply and the sale of [our] products. Accordingly, the goods could not be supplied to the Russian market in any form.

On 24 February 2022, Global Spirits withdrew its licence to produce brands in Russia, as did many other Ukrainian manufacturers. This is the only possible procedure under which a licence can be terminated earlier than the established term. Global Spirits did so in the same way as all American and European companies that have decided to leave the market of the aggressor country."

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Russia has suffered around 400 casualties a day and its combat medical provision are failing, with up to half of fatalities preventable, says UK intel

A priest takes part in the funeral of 38 pro-Russian soldiers killed in the conflict with Ukrainian armed forces, at a cemetery in Luhansk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Russia is "struggling with a crisis of medical combat provision," a UK intelligence update said.

Up to half of fatalities were preventable, and hospitals are likely being reserved for officers, it said.

Russia has averaged 400 casualties a day in the 17 months since it invaded Ukraine, the MOD said.

Russia is failing to help its injured soldiers, with up to 50% of Russian combat fatalities in Ukraine preventable, according to UK intelligence.

The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Monday that Russia has suffered an average of 400 casualties a day in the 17 months since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

As a result, "Russia is almost certainly struggling with a crisis of medical combat provision," it said.

The influx of casualties "has likely undermined the normal provision of some Russian civilian medical services, especially in border regions near Ukraine," the MOD added.

It also said that claims made by a Russian official that up to 50% of Russia's combat fatalities were preventable are likely true.

The MOD said the lack of medical help on the battlefield was having a devastating effect. "Very slow casualty evacuation, combined with the inappropriate use of the crude in-service Russian combat tourniquet, is reportedly a leading cause of preventable fatalities and amputations," it said.

It also said that it appeared likely "many dedicated military hospitals are being reserved for officer casualties."

The total number of Russia's losses in Ukraine is unclear, and Russia does not release its own figures.

A leaked US intelligence assessment said that up to 43,000 Russians were killed in action in the first year of the war  twice as many as the number of Ukrainians reportedly killed on the battlefield.

The MOD previously said that Russia had experienced an estimated 776 casualties a day in March when it was conducting its own offensive, but those numbers dropped to about 568 a day in April, as it moved to a more defensive posture, it said.

Russian news outlet The Insider, which has no connection to Insider, reported last month that hospitals where soldiers are being treated have supply shortages and rely on volunteers rather than help from Russian authorities.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The war in Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on Russias capacity to supply arms to the international market due to both sanctions and attrition on the battlefield. If these changes lead to long-lasting effects on Russias defense-industrial base, opportunities could emerge for other suppliers to reshape the landscape of the international arms market, and China stands to benefit most.

The trend reversal in Russias arms sales predates its war in Ukraine and the pandemic. Until 2016, Russia had managed to expand and hold its share of the international arms market while reducing its dependence on sales to China. After 2016, publicly available data shows that Russia began to see major declines in the value of arms exported to almost all of its customers except India and China.

What weapons has Russia sent to India?

Russia could further lose its grasp on some countries arms markets due to production being diverted to the battlefield to cover massive equipment losses, which already is leading some countries to begin shopping elsewhere. Russia has already missed delivery deadlines for equipment and maintenance services to Cameroon and India  a key customer  and Russia may even be buying back its own exports to use in Ukraine.

When it comes to the race to fill the demand for Russian systems, China is in a uniquely advantageous position. Six of the 15 largest defense firms in the world are Chinese state-owned enterprises. China has the defense manufacturing capacity to meet domestic demand while delivering large orders of increasingly sophisticated systems and platforms to foreign buyers.

In recent years, China has delivered fourth-generation combat aircraft and a warship to Pakistan, and a large surface combat platform to Thailand. The Type 054 A/P frigate delivered to Pakistan is the largest and allegedly most advanced warship China has ever exported. As a result, in just two years China almost tripled the value of its arms sales from its 10-year low in 2020.

China is in a sweet spot to address capability gaps. Many sophisticated Chinese systems are derived from Russian counterparts, and mid- and long-range air defense systems are among the most sought-after capabilities by Russias customers. China has developed the HQ-9 series and HQ-17 series of surface-to-air missile systems based on reverse-engineered Russian S-300 systems and Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile systems  and with improvements. They offer better performance compared to their Russian counterparts to countries where Western suppliers are unwilling to export similar capabilities, such as Serbia.

In addition, Chinas rapid progress in fielding and exporting drones is part of its transition from the niche exporter of value arms (cost-effective but lower-tech systems) to the exporter of cutting-edge capabilities. Drones have helped China gain a foothold in markets with an entrenched presence of not only Russia, but the U.S. as well.

For example, during the past 10 years, Chinas arms sales to Saudi Arabia (which is the United States top military sales customer) as well as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (among Russias top customers) focused almost exclusively on unmanned air-to-ground strike capabilities with the Wing Loong series and CH (or Rainbow) series UAVs paired with guided munitions.

While the U.S. dominates the Saudi arms market, Washington has thus far been reluctant to sell UAVs to the country, providing a market opening for China. Saudi Arabia has even opted to jointly produce UAVs with China. As drones become the star of the show in Ukraine and the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the demand for UAVs is likely to keep growing, which holds great prospects for China as long as the drones continue to demonstrate effectiveness as they did in Africa.

China exerts flexibility in choosing where to sell arms, and its products have miraculously shown up in places where the country promised not to sell them, like the Shaanxi Baoji Tiger armored personnel carriers seen used by Russian forces in Ukraine. Beijing also offers attractive pricing to buyers, though sometimes with a caveat.

Some buyers have begun to complain about serious quality deficiencies in their Chinese purchases, such as four warships sold to Pakistan that are unable to fire missiles on a target, or the JF-17 fighter fleet grounded by Myanmar due to technical malfunctions. China may need to overcome bad publicity about its products quality if it is to fully realize the potential benefits presented by Russias losses.

The war in Ukraine is straining Russias defense production, which is having downstream effects on Moscows ability to export arms. These challenges might plague Russia for years or even decades to come if the nation needs to reconstitute its militarys inventory after the war. China has the opportunity, the incentive and the capacity to gain from Russias losses. As Russia relinquishes more of its share of the global arms market, there is not much standing in the way of Chinas success.

Weilong Kong is an assistant policy researcher at the think tank Rand.
Russian airstrike on Orikhiv school kills at least 4, injures 13

Russians launched an airstrike on the front-line town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast

At least four civilians were killed and another 13 injured after Russia launched an airstrike on a secondary school in the town of Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhya Oblast, on July 10, Ukraines Interior Ministry reported on Telegram.

Read also: Death toll rises to eight in Russian assault on Lyman, Donetsk Oblast

An aerial bomb almost completely destroyed the building, the ministry stated.

Dozens of people who were inside and nearby outside found themselves under the rubble of the destroyed building.

The bodies of three women and a 47-year-old man were recovered from the rubble. Another 13 people have been hospitalized with injuries of various degrees of severity.

MIA of Ukraine

MIA of Ukraine

Nearby residential buildings and other civil infrastructure facilities have also been damaged as aresult of the attack, the agency said.

Search and rescue operations are underway. Sappers are attempting to establish the type of ammunition used by the Russians to attack the civilian population.

Russia carried out 36 targeted strikes on 10 settlements in Zaporizhzhya Oblast with artillery and multiple launch rocket systems over the last 24 hours.

A 65-year-old man was injured in the village of Novodanylivka in the attacks, local authorities said.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The News

RIGA  Here are some of the things Russian journalists living in exile here in the Latvian capital know they cant do:

They cant go home. They cant get Ukrainian visas to report from the front of the war. They cant easily take payment from subscribers in Russia, due to sanctions. The stringers who send them videos from inside Russia cant show their faces, which is a killer for TikTok. And most of all they cant express self-pity  nobody wants to hear it from Russians.

Its a pretty interesting experience during the war time, Latvias new president, Edgars Rinkevics, who had been instrumental in issuing hundreds of visas to Russian journalists as foreign minister but has been publicly cool to the journalists, said in an interview last week. Emotions are running high in Latvian society after seeing many atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine.

Outlets from the Russian services of the BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Deutsche Welle to key Russian voices TV Rain and a European edition of Novaya Gazeta moved here to join the online outlet Meduza, which has been based in Latvia for nearly a decade.

But a turning point came in December, when a presenter on the highest profile of them, TV Rain, suggested viewers send help to Russian conscripts on the front. The station apologized and fired him in the face of a backlash from its viewers, but a right-leaning Latvian regulator stripped the stations license, calling it a threat to national security. A court upheld that ruling last week.

What would be just a minor issue five years ago or three years ago, is considered completely different, Rinkevics said, calling the ruling correct.

Know More

The exiled Russian outlets publish into Russias strangely porous media ecosystem, where some websites are blocked but millions still follow independent media through Telegram and, for now, YouTube.

And cooling Latvian postures toward the Russian journalists infuriates their allies, including Sabine Sile, the creator of Media Hub Riga, where many of them work.

If Putin hates them so much, that means that what they do works against him, she said. Its not in our interest to have another North Korea.

I got to Riga expecting the beginnings of an exodus. And in fact, TV Rain, whose travails were at the center of a recent, powerfully gloomy piece by the New Yorkers Masha Gessen, was working on shipping its studio set to Amsterdam.

But TV Rain, so far, is an outlier. Many other Russian journalists say they plan to stay, and the international organizations are settling in. Riga seems likely to remain what it has ambivalently become: a key hub for telling one of the most important stories in the world.

Russian media is one of the most successful parts of what remains of Russian society, said Kirill Martynov, the editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta Evropa, whose former colleagues faced a brutal attack in Chechnya last week.

Bens view

The new mission for a journalistic community that reported heroically through the closing aperture is captured in a new book by a former TV Rain star, Mikhail Zygar. War and Punishment is a kind of Peoples History of the United States or 1619 Project but aimed at curing the disease of nationalist history, of Russian nationalism, rather than gauzy American historiography.

The outlets in Riga are settling into this strange new world with a range of resignation and optimism. They were invaluable sources for reading the tea leaves of the Prigozhin mutiny, sharing videos on Telegram and conducting man-on-the-street interviews from Rostov-on-Don.

But the long-term prospects are unclear. The Russian government has experimented with escalating blocks of the internet, and journalists are split on whether their ability to reach into Moscow through Telegram, YouTube, and even Gmail might narrow as the government pushes users toward local services like Yandex and Vkontakte. The trend toward the national control of the internet can be felt from Latvia to the United States, where legislators have sought to ban TikTok and pornography; Russia has the tight Chinese censorship as a model.

Meanwhile, even more bylines have started turning up in the English-language press, from Milana Mazaeva in the New York Times to the FTs Anastasia Stognei.

Others, though, are settling in for the long haul. Martynov has been reading up the Russian media in exile after the Bolshevik revolution. The most important outlet, Segodnya, was published in Riga from 1919 until the Soviets took the country over in 1940.

He likes to quote a modified version of a favorite line from Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev: In days of doubt, in days of dreary musings on our countrys fate, thou alone art my stay and support, mighty, true, free Riga Airport.

The View From TV Rain

TV Rains editor in chief, Tikhon Dzyadko, said he remains grateful to the Lativan government for taking the station in, though he considers the court ruling insane.

And he said moving would be bittersweet. When he goes downstairs from his office in Riga to smoke, people on the street often recognize him. In Amsterdam, TV Rain will be anonymous.

Well be one of many exiled projects  Iranian television, Syrian television, Afghan television, he said.

Notable
Consequences of the Russian attack on Mykolaiv on April 27, 2023

Russian forces launched a missile attack on the southern city of Mykolayiv overnight on July 10, regional governor Vitaliy Kim reported on his channel on the Telegram messenger.

The Russians struck the city with a ballistic missile at about 1 a.m., hitting an infrastructure facility.

Read also: Death toll rises to eight in Russian assault on Lyman, Donetsk Oblast

According to preliminary reports the Russians used an Iskander-M missile  a highly-accurate short-range ballistic missile that can carry a high-explosive warhead weighing up to 800 kilograms.

Mykolayiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych reported the area where the missile impacted was being inspected. No damage to residential buildings or casualties has been reported.

Russia regularly attacks civilian infrastructure in the oblasts or regions close to the front line, or regions bordering Russia itself, with missiles, aerial bombs and artillery, frequently causing civilian casualties.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Stanislav Rzhytskyi

Stanislav Rzhitsky, the deputy head of the local mobilization department and captain of a Black Sea Fleet submarine, was shot and killed in Russias Krasnodar Krai, Russian news agency TASS reported on July 10.

Rzhitsky commanded Oscar II-class nuclear-powered submarine Krasnodar, which was used to launch Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukraine.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force downs six Kinzhal and six Kalibr missiles over Kyiv and oblast during Russian attack

According to the report, 42-year-old Rzhitsky was out for a morning run between 7 and 8 a.m. when an unidentified assailant ambushed and shot him several times.

The unidentified individual lay in wait near the Olympus gym, shooting Rzhitsky four times in the back and chest before disappearing from the scene, Russian outlet Shot said in a Telegram message.

Read also: Russia deploys two submarine missile launchers in the Black Sea

Rzhitsky died instantly from his injuries.

Other Russian media outlets confirmed Rzhitsky's death, citing police sources.

Read also: Russian Kalibr missile strikes warehouse in Odesa Oblast overnight

Some reports suggest that his submarine might have been responsible for a missile attack on Vinnytsia on July 14, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 27 people, including three children.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
On 10 July, two people have been killed and three more injured in a Russian missile attack on the village of Hostre and the town of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: press service of Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: According to the investigation, at around 14:40, the Russian military attacked Hostre in Pokrovsk district. A local resident was killed by projectiles. Three men aged 40 to 65, including a father and son, also sustained mine-blast injuries. All the victims received qualified medical assistance.

In addition, at around 15:00, Russians attacked Avdiivka, where a 54-year-old man was killed in his own home.

As per the information available at the moment, the Russians attacked the settlements with artillery. The explosions damaged private houses and outbuildings.

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Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, has said that the Russians targeted a local infrastructure facility overnight with a missile.

Source: Oleksandr Sienkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, on Telegram

Quote: "According to the military administration, the city was subjected to a missile attack at about 01:00 on 10 July. The enemy used ballistic missiles. The strike was inflicted on an infrastructure facility, presumably with an Iskander-M missile."

Details: Sienkevych said that the area that came under fire overnight is currently being inspected.

So far, he said that no damage to residential buildings had been found.

Update: Later, Yurii Ihhat, the spokesperson for the Air Force Command, confirmed in the air during the national joint 24/7 newscast that the Russian occupation forces had used an Iskander-M ballistic missile to launch the attack.

Details: According to the Oblast Military Administration, shelling of the coastal area of the Ochakiv hromada was recorded at 11:43 on 9 July in Mykolaiv district. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.]. There were no casualties.

The day and night were relatively calm in the Pervomaisk, Bashtanka and Voznesensk districts.

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During the day of 10 July the Russians launched 22 air strikes. There were 17 combat encounters on the front.

Source: evening report of the General Staff of Ukraine

Details: The Russians have launched 22 air strikes and about 30 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems. Unfortunately, civic infrastructure has been destroyed, and civilians have been injured.

The Russians are concentrating their main efforts on the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka fronts, heavy fighting is ongoing. During the day 17 combat encounters have occurred.

There have been no significant changes in the operative situation on the Volyn and Polissia fronts.

On the Bakhmut front, under dense air and artillery attacks by the Russians, the Ukrainian defence forces have successfully repelled the attacks near the settlement of Hryhorivka in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Avdiivka front, the Defence Forces continue to deter the offensive of the Russian forces near the settlement of Sieverne in Donetsk Oblast. The Russians have launched an aircraft attack near the settlement of Avdiivka.

On the Marinka front, under the Russian artillery attacks, the Defence Forces have repelled all Russian attacks near the settlements of Marinka and Krasnohorivka.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russians have been conducting unsuccessful offensive actions near the settlement of Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts the Russians are concentrating their main efforts on preventing further advances of the Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, the Defence Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct an offensive operation on the Melitopol and Berdiansk fronts, gain foothold on the achieved borders, launch artillery attacks on detected targets of the Russians, and conduct counter-battery measures.

The aircraft of the Defence Forces has launched four attacks on an area of concentration of manpower, armament and military equipment of the Russians. The Ukrainian troops have also destroyed three reconnaissance UAVs of the operative-tactical level.

The units of Rocket Forces and Artillery have struck a control point, three areas of concentration of manpower, armament and military equipment of the Russians, an ammunition storage point, seven artillery systems on firing positions and one air defence system of the occupiers during the day.

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Russians report more than 1,300 cars stuck at entrance to Crimea

The Russian occupiers have reported that a traffic jam of more than 1,300 cars has formed at the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge to enter annexed Crimea.

Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlet Kryminform

Details: The Kremlin-aligned media has reported that there are 1,310 cars in a traffic jam on the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge from Russian Taman.

This is the information as of 10:00 on July 10. The occupiers claim that the waiting time in traffic has increased to six hours.

Earlier, it was reported that a landing ship had arrived in Kerch, which will transport tourists' cars in the event of worsening traffic jams on the Crimean Bridge.

Background:

Since the beginning of the summer, traffic jams have been forming at the entrance to the Crimean Bridge for kilometres due to increased security checks.

On 3 July, the occupation authorities reported that the traffic jam at the entrance to the Crimean Bridge from the Kuban side had increased to eight kilometres again.

Due to kilometre-long traffic jams at the entrance to the Crimean Bridge, the Russian authorities decided to involve the military in order to transport people to the occupied peninsula.

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The Russians have hit the city of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with a guided aerial bomb at a time when humanitarian aid was being distributed in a residential area, killing four people, and there may still be people trapped under the rubble.

Source: Yurii Malashko, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Ukrainian National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Facebook

Quote: "The Ruscists have committed a war crime in the frontline city of Orikhiv; they struck the city with a guided aerial bomb while humanitarian aid was being distributed in a residential area.

Four people were killed on the spot: women aged 43, 45 and 47, and a 47-year-old man. "

Photo from Malashkos Telegram

Details: Eleven more local residents were hospitalised with injuries of varying severity.

Photo from Malashkos Telegram

Updated: The police added that Russian forces had carried out an air strike on 9 July. They hit a comprehensive school in Orikhiv as people arrived there to collect humanitarian aid  food and essentials.

Quote from the police: "The aerial bomb almost completely destroyed the building. The explosion killed four people and injured eleven others... Over a dozen people inside and outside the building were trapped under the rubble. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure facilities near the blasts epicentre were also damaged."

Details: The police added that search and rescue operations were ongoing as of the morning of 10 July, as there may still be people under the rubble.

The Russians carried out a total of 36 targeted attacks on 10 peaceful settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day: five attacks from MLRS on Levadne and Novodarivka and 30 attacks on Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, Novodanylivke, Olhivske, Chervone and Malynivka.

A 65-year-old man was injured in Novodanilovka.

The destruction of 10 civilian facilities was recorded.

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Russia's top general appears for the first time since Wagner's mutiny as Putin tries to squash rumours he's caved into Prigozhin demands

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov (R) attend an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow, on December 21, 2022. MIKHAIL KIREYEV/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia's top general, Vasily Gerasimov, has appeared in a video.

It's his first appearance since the failed Wagner mutiny.

It's an apparent show that Vladimir Putin isn't giving in to demands he be replaced.

Russia's top general, Vasily Gerasimov, has appeared in a video in an apparent bid by the Kremlin to quash rumors that President Vladimir Putin caved into demands from mutineers and replaced him.

In a video released by the Kremlin Monday, Gerasimov, the supreme commander of Russia's armed forces, issues orders to subordinates on a large video screen on how to deal with Ukrainian missile attacks, Reuters said.

It's the first film of Gerasimov released by the Kremlin since the failed June 24 uprising by the Wagner mercenary group, whose leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had demanded the firing of Russian military leaders he claimed had botched the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prigozhin agreed to call off the mutiny when he brokered a deal with the Kremlin and went into exile in Belarus.

Over the weekend, rumors circulated on nationalist blogger channels on Telegram that Putin had acted on Prigozhin's demands and Gerasimov was being replaced, The Moscow Times reported.

But the video released Monday appears to be a public show of support by the Kremlin for Gerasimov. It comes after a video was released days after the rebellion showing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, another target of the mutineers, visiting commanders in Ukraine in a show of support from the Kremlin.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exposed deep rifts between key figures close to Putin.

Gerasimov replaced General Sergey Surovikin as Russia's top commander in Ukraine in January, and since the mutiny rumors have circulated that Surovikin has been arrested for having knowledge of Prigozhin's plot.

Before the mutiny, Prigozhin had accused military chiefs of failing to support his fighters, and of launching the invasion on false pretexts. Yet Putin tolerated the outbursts, with analysts claiming that he was playing rival factions off against each other, and was too dependent on Prigozhin, and wary of his popularity, to punish him.

Russia's military has been beset by serious setbacks since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with faulty intelligence, poor planning, substandard weapons, and high casualties meaning only faltering progress has been made.

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Sacramento State is one of the most diverse colleges in all of California  a state that stopped allowing race to be a criteria for admission in its public academic institutions in 1996 with the passage of Proposition 209.

In private colleges and the public universities of other states, racial and ethnic background was a consideration in college admissions until the Supreme Court struck down that practice as unconstitutional in a ruling this month. This ended affirmative action for institutions around the country, joining California and other states who had already banned the practice.

This decision was met with concern that without affirmative action there would be no counterbalance to the access and privilege that white students have in entering institutions of higher education. However, California public colleges and universities have continued to rank among the most diverse institutions in the nation despite the absence of affirmative action over the past decades.

According to a 2020 ranking by USA Today, there were eight California schools identified in the top 25 most ethnically diverse student bodies in the country.

Among the schools mentioned was Sacramento State, San Francisco State, Cal State East Bay, Stanford, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and University of San Francisco.

During a June interview with The Sacramento Bee, incoming Sacramento State President J. Luke Wood, also a Sacramento State alumnus, recalled the days when he went there between 2000 and 2007.

Wood said even back then, the focus was really on students of color in general.

Black students, Latinx students, Native American students, Southeast Asian students, Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese and recognizing that if we all work together as a team that we could help to change that campus, Wood said. Thats why I really truly believe in diversity and inclusion. I believe that it serves as a driver for innovation and excellence when its embraced and when its not embraced, I think you have environments where people dont succeed in the way they should.

Efforts to maintain diversity on campus

Lukes predecessor President Robert Nelsen has led Sacramento State since 2015 and oversaw efforts to support diversity on the campus.

He told The Sacramento Bee that the university was able to increase diversity during his tenure by making sure the campus was a place that students felt like they belonged and wanted to be at.

One example, Nelsen said, are the various cultural affinity centers tailored to ensure people of all ethnicities are represented on campus. There are centers for students of Asian, South Asian and Pacific Island descent, students who are undocumented or who come from families without documents, students who are American Indian and students who are African American.

Nelsen called it an important win for his tenure during an interview with The Bee, saying the affinity centers were really critical for what he wanted to accomplish as president.

Were a stronger university where theres more access, Nelsen said. We tried to give them the opportunities and we also doubled the number of scholarships on our campus. That was deliberate.

Regarding the affirmative action decision made by the Supreme Court, Nelsen said the decision sent a negative message.

Its not about whether or not we should have some sort of criteria, Nelsen said of the Supreme Court decision. Its about whether or not diversity matters at a university. And what this decision said is that diversity doesnt matter.

He said college should always be about access and allowing as many students as possible into the university.

Nelsen has been very intentional about building and maintaining diversity at Sacramento State. He hopes that other university presidents share the same intention, despite the court ruling.

Look for pathways to make it possible to come recruit and be active in those neighborhoods where students may not have that possibility or may not be dreaming of that possibility of where you can help them dream of the possibility. You can help them make it happen, Nelsen said.

Following the courts ruling, what now?

Nelsen said the court ruling should not discourage students throughout the country from applying to college.

We proved at Sac State we can be (one of the) most diverse universities in the United States. We proved it can happen by making sure that access was what we were all about, Nelsen said.

His hope is universities do not stop creating possibilities for students.

The same goes for U.S. President Joe Biden, he said during a news conference that colleges and universities should continue to maintain their commitment to support, retain, and graduate diverse students and classes.

Biden strongly disagreed with the decision made by the court and shared his disappointment saying it rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.

Many people wrongly believe that affirmative action allows unqualified students to be admitted ahead of qualified students. This is not how college admissions work, Biden said. Rather, colleges set out standards for admission, and every student has to meet those standards. Then, and only then, after first meeting the qualifications required by the school, do colleges look at other factors in addition to their grades, such as race.

Biden said not to allow the Court decision become a permanent setback for the country.

He plans to work with the Department of Education to analyze practices to help build a more inclusive and diverse student body at U.S colleges and universities, and also practices that hold those efforts back, such as legacy admissions and other systems that expand privilege rather than opportunity.
On June 29, the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant held the first of three events in this summers Saltwater Science Speakers Series. The organizations Associate Director Bryan Fluech and Georgia Southern Universitys Jennifer Sweeney Tookes, Ph.D., presented Boat Stories to an audience of students and curious locals at UGAs Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island. Their anthropology project is aimed at recording the stories and experiences of local commercial shrimpers and their boats.

The programs research efforts were due to the pandemic. Funding actually came in for this project back in 2018, said Fluech. He is glad to finally share the data with the public.

He joked about the stigma that marine scientists often face. When most people hear that you want to study marine science they think, Oh youre going to train dolphins, thats nice. In reality, the anthropological work the GSU research team conducted has had a very meaningful impact on both the fishing communities and the policymakers who oversee Americas fisheries.

Tookes explained that, Once the stories are recorded and analyzed, they are no longer merely individual experiences. They become data. That data is then studied and eventually becomes science. Policy decisions are made based on science.

Get Your Feet Wet: Discover more than sharks teeth along Georgias coast with UGAs Saltwater Science Speaker Series

Black Gill: Shrimpers and scientists collaborate to study parasite worsened by climate change

Wynn Gale, captain of the Big Cobb, wrangles a net used to survey for shrimp.

Building trust in shrimp research

Fluech and Tookes discussed how the commercial shrimpers who participated were skeptical of the researchers and their students at first. It took time to build up the trust for them to be willing to go on record, Tookes said. They research team essentially ran two studies. One where the fishermen lend their names and voices to be archived in the Boat Stories initiative. The recordings in their entirety can be accessed through the NOAA Fisheries Voices collection.

The second study is still official, but basically anonymous. The researchers also had to be creative with their questions so as to not encroach on some of the most sacred of trade secrets while obtaining useful insight into shrimping patterns and hauls. Tookes said, We never ask them directly where the most shrimp are, for instance. There are ways we can phrase questions to get at the data that will be beneficial.

Now that the data has been compiled and shared with the shrimping community, the fisherman see the those benefits more clearly. For instance, disaster relief funds in recent years have been based on pricing information the fishermen dont typically share as it could affect their future asking prices. Fishermen often relate their work to gambling because income can be inconsistent. One commercial shrimper told of a story of bringing in $10,000 in five days. Others have reported going out on a day trip with very little to show for it when faced with variables such as the weather, sharks and boat damage.

(Left to right) Isaac Martin, Timmy Stubbs and Aaron Drake examine shrimp brought up in nets from the Wassaw Sound.

'The graying of the fleet'

Another key purpose of the joint project is to preserve the voice and culture of the fishermen. With the average age of local shrimpers around 54 years (the youngest was born in 1997), the need to catalogue their experiences is more important than ever. Fluech spoke about the Graying of the Fleet, which refers to more than simply the age of captains and shrimpers. Eighteen of the 20 vessels registered locally were built before 1990.

As industry stalwarts retire, they are not really being replaced by a new generation. Shrimping is grueling, unpredictable work. Costs for supplies, boat repairs, and other aspects have risen at a faster rate than the payouts to shrimpers have. Many commercial shrimpers also worked hard so their children could go to college and pursue more stable careers off the water.

St. Marys, Georgia, used to have 50 shrimping boats docked on a regular basis, now it has only two. The drop in vessels is due in large part to the the graying, but also because the necessary infrastructure to support commercial shrimpers and their boats has dwindled. Many railways along the southeastern coast have been shut down. Railways, in nautical terms, are ramps that shrimp boats can pull into on high tides to get out of the water for hull work or repairs. Georgia had five railways back in 1975. Only two remain, which means commercial shrimpers may have to wait two months or more to gain railway access. If they have an unexpected repair need, that wait time would severely hamper their ability to earn a living.

To learn more about the commercial shrimpers and hear their stories in their own words, go to www.workingwaterfronts.org or search online for the Boat Stories: A Cultural History Project. For additional context about United States fishery conservation, Tooks suggests the Magnuson-Stephens Fishery Conservation Act of 1976.

The next Saltwater Science Speakers Series event takes place at 6 p.m., on July 13. Read more details and register at www.gacoast.uga.edu/events.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Study: With the "graying" of Georgia's shrimping fleet, industry shrinks
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Salvadoran political party Nuevas Ideas chose President Nayib Bukele on Sunday as its candidate for the presidential elections of early 2024, even though the country's constitution does not allow consecutive terms for the presidency.

Bukele, whose first term began in 2019, said in September last year he would seek re-election despite the ban on consecutive terms. In 2021, the country's highest court - whose members were appointed by a Nuevas Ideas-controlled Congress - ruled Bukele could seek a second term.

The court's decision was criticized by rights groups as well as the United States, which labeled it part of the decline in El Salvador's democratic norms.

The president - favored in the 2024 election by nearly 70% of Salvadorans - and his Vice President Felix Ulloa still need to register as candidates with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to formalize their candidacy. Their ticket was the only one put up during the Nuevas Ideas party's internal elections.

Bukele, a 41-year-old businessman turned politician, took office in June 2019 after sweeping the presidential elections and breaking 30 years of bipartisanship between the right-wing ARENA and left-wing FMLN, his former party.

His "war" against gangs in El Salvador has led to more than 66,000 people being imprisoned and earned Bukele unprecedented popularity. But it has also brought accusations from NGOs of alleged human rights violations and negotiating with criminals.

Bukele has denied the allegations but undercover negotiations with gangs have not been unusual in El Salvador. In May, former President Mauricio Funes was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for negotiating with gangs.

Salvadorans will vote on Feb. 4 next year to elect a president and vice president for the 2024-2029 term and legislators until 2027.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Anna-Catherine Brigida; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Scientists make shocking discovery that provides hope for one of the worlds most endangered species: Encouraging news

A small dark fin raised above Mexican waters may signal hope for the survival of a species.

The vaquita, a 5-foot-long porpoise known as Earths smallest and most endangered whale, surfaced in limited numbers for researchers surveying the Gulf of California this May. The sightings suggest the success of recent conservation work to give vaquitas a fighting chance.

Scientists searched for two weeks and found 10-13 vaquitas, including at least one calf. The expedition was the joint effort of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Mexican government.

The sightings are precious because researchers feared that vaquitas would soon be extinct, given that they had a 45% annual population decline estimated in 2018, as survey leader Barbara Taylor wrote for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Species such as the vaquita have experienced declines and extinctions due to activities such as overfishing and habitat changes caused by our planets overheating. If the surprisingly tenacious vaquita holds on, its story could be an island of hope in a sea of concern.

Vaquitas only live in the uppermost reaches of the Gulf of California and cant survive being captured, held, or bred in captivity, reports Euronews. A 2017 effort to rescue the species in this way led to the death of one of the rare creatures, The New York Times reports.

The porpoises are endangered due to the devastating uses of gillnet fishing. Fishing boats drape curtainlike nets to snag fish that include the giant totoaba. Totoaba is an endangered species hunted for its bladders, a lucrative delicacy in Asia, according to Euronews.

Vaquitas, which must surface to breathe, become entangled in nets and drown alongside intended catch, sea turtles, and other organisms.

From an estimated population of 700 in 1993, vaquitas dropped to around 30 in 2016. The Mexican government established a Zero Tolerance Area (ZTA) in 2020, where gillnetting is prohibited. But enforcement has been inconsistent.

The good news is that recent measures have shown promise. In 2022, the Mexican Navy sank concrete blocks with 3-meter-tall hooks in the ZTA to wreck gillnets placed there illegally.

Along with Sea Shepherd, the Mexican Navy began patrolling regularly. This led to an estimated 90% decrease in gillnetting in the zone  heralded by conservationists as a major achievement.

This is the most encouraging news ever of human intervention to save vaquitas, Taylor and colleagues concluded their report. The results of the May 2023 survey provide clear evidence that this type of protection needs to be expanded.

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Scientists warn against the 'poor scientific practices' of assuming all ancient societies were male-led after an 'ivory man' is found to be an 'ivory woman'

This illustration provided by the ATLAS research group of the University of Seville in July 2023 depicts "The Ivory Lady" who was discovered in a tomb in Valencina, Spain, dated between 3,200 and 2,200 years ago. Miriam Lucianez Trivino/ATLAS - University of Seville via AP

Researchers in Spain discovered the remains of a nobleman were that of a woman.

They determined this through a new process that analyzes teeth for a gene associated with females.

Scientists hope this will challenge preconceived notions about women's roles in ancient societies.

For over a decade, the lavish tomb of a copper-age noble within an archeological site known as Montelirio tholos in the city of Valencina, Spain, was thought to have been built for a man.

Archaeologists called the remains of the high-ranking individual discovered in 2008 the "Ivory Man" based on an examination of the poorly preserved pelvis bone dated around 5,000 years ago.

The "ivory" nickname comes from the luxury items found with the skeleton, which included the full tusk of an African elephant and a blade made of rock crystal and ivory.

A knife with a clear crystal rock blade and a white ivory handle shaped like a row of teeth

This photo provided by the ATLAS research group of the University of Seville in July 2023 shows a rock crystal dagger with an ivory hilt and sheath discovered in a tomb in Valencina, Spain, dated between 3,200 and 2,200 years ago.Miguel Angel Blanco de la Rubia/ATLAS - University of Seville via AP

However, the rich person was not a man but an "Ivory Lady," a new study published Thursday in Scientific Reports found.

A team of researchers from the University of Seville used a new method of analyzing the sex of ancient remains. Rather than measuring the size of the bones, the scientists analyzed the tooth enamel to determine whether the skeletons contained AMELX genes found on the X chromosomes of humans. After testing two teeth, the scientists were able to detect the gene.

According to the study, the Ivory Lady probably enjoyed the position of the highest-ranking noble in her region  as evidenced by her large, solitary tomb and pricey gifts. This was "at a time where no male attained a remotely comparable social position," the study notes.



The paper notes that only women "appear to have enjoyed a similarly high social position" during the Iberian Copper Age.

"There have been other instances in which buried individuals were classified as male or female based on the assumptions of certain grave goods being given to men and women," Leonardo Garcia Sanjuan, one of the study's co-authors, told Live Science. "This is a poor scientific practice and a cautionary tale."

The scientists hoped their discovery would encourage other researchers to reevaluate preconceived notions about women's roles in ancient societies.

"During this time period, we were starting to see new forms of leadership in Western European societies," Garcia Sanjuan told Live Science. "She was a leader who existed before kings and queens, and her status wasn't inherited, meaning that she was a leader based on her personal achievements, skills, and personality."

The study's authors did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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WARREN, Pa.  The latest on the search for escaped inmate Michael C. Burham in northwestern Pennsylvania. Return for updates:

Pennsylvania State Police said this cache, found in the woods outside Warren, Pa., belonged to Michael C. Burham, who escaped from the Warren County Prison on July 6. State police on Thursday disclosed the discovery of the cache and released a photo of it.

Earlier

The search for escaped inmate Michael C. Burham will stretch into its sixth day Wednesday, as state, federal and local police agencies continue to comb Warren County and areas of the nearby Allegheny National Forest for the homicide suspect and kidnapping defendant whom authorities described as a "self-taught survivalist with military training."

State police late Tuesday afternoon said troopers continue to follow up on leads to try to find the 34-year-old Burham, who escaped from the Warren County Prison in downtown Warren late Thursday night.

At a news conference Tuesday in Warren, Lt. Col. George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police, said some of those leads included possible sightings Monday night and the breaking-in of unoccupied and unsecured structures or cabins in the national forest.

"It appears there may have been entry at some point in time in the past," Bivens said, referencing public and private cabins and structures associated with oil and gas wells in the forest.

"Some of these structures are not checked on very often and so the fact that we find one that it appears someone may have been in there, doesn't necessarily mean it was Burham," he added. "That's where we use additional steps to try and determine whether it may have been or not."

Bivens said none of the possible sightings of Burham have "panned out."

He added that police continue to find items connected to Burham that indicate he remains in the "general area," which he defined as northwestern Pennsylvania. Bivens declined to identify those items.

Bivens reiterated that Burham should be considered armed and dangerous, and that Burham has been able to get a hold of firearms before and is likely to do so while on the run.

Michael C. Burham, 34, escaped from the Warren County Prison on Thursday.

Burham is accused of escaping by climbing on a pullup exercise machine in the prison recreation yard, getting on to a roof and then sliding off the prison roof with a rope made of bedsheets tied together, as the Erie Times-News has reported.

Burham is from Russell, near Warren, and is still believed to be in the area of Warren County, east of Erie County. State police said searchers are using police dogs, drones and helicopters.

How dangerous is Michael Burham?

Burham is wanted in connection with the May 11 fatal shooting of Kala Hodgkin, 34, of Jamestown, in Chautauqua County, New York, north of Warren. Though he has yet to be charged in that case, Burham is a "prime suspect" in the killing, the U.S. Marshals Service said. At the time of Hodgkin's death, Burham was wanted a charge that he had raped her, according to court records.

Burham fled the area after Hodgkin's death. He is accused of kidnapping an elderly couple in Sheffield, in Warren County, on May 20, and stealing their SUV, which he used to drive to South Carolina. He was captured there on May 24 after a multi-agency manhunt. The couple was found unharmed in a cemetery in South Carolina.

Burham was eventually returned to Warren. He was placed in the Warren County Prison on $1 million bond on June 19.

Michael C. Burham, 34, escaped from the Warren County Prison on Thursday.

"Burham is a self-taught survivalist with military training and could potentially be holed up in a wooded area," state police said in a news release. "He is to be considered armed and dangerous and we are asking the public not to approach."

The U.S. Marshals Service, which is assisting the state police, said "Burham has an extensive and violent criminal history and should be considered armed and dangerous."

Where might Michael Burham be?

State police have indicated the search of Burham has stretched into the Allegheny National Forest. Stockpiles and small campsites believed to be connected to Burham have been in the area, police also said, without offering specifics.

"I don't want him to know what we have found or haven't found," Bivens said on Monday.

Burham was last known to be wearing a prison-issued denim jacket, an orange-striped jumpsuit and orange Croc-style shoes, "but it it possible for him to have changed clothing," state police said. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes and has a tattoo of a tiger on his right arm.

Have any rewards been offered in the search for Michael Burham?

State police urge those with information on Burham to call the state police command post at 717-265-9650. The public can also call the state police barracks in Warren at 814-728-3600.

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $7,500 for information that helps lead to Burham's capture. Warren County Crime Stoppers is offering another $2,000. Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers added an additional $10,000 for a total reward of $19,500, and Bivens said on Thursday that the Marshals Service had also added to the award, bringing the new total to $22,000.

Federal, state and local law enforcement gathered at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks west of Warren on Saturday amid the massive manhunt for Michael C. Burham, who escaped from the Warren County Prison on Thursday. The barracks is located just outside of Warren on Route 6 in Conewango Township.

According to the Marshals Service, other agencies involved in the manhunt for Burham include the city of Warren police, Warren County Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Warren County sheriff, Chautauqua County sheriff, Jamestown Police, Bradford police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Staff writer Tim Hahn contributed to this report.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 'Survivalist' Michael Burham remains on run after prison escape
Margot Robbie channels an 'enchanted' Barbie in her latest look  see all her doll-inspired outfits

Would the real Barbie please stand up?

While promoting the new Barbie movie, Margot Robbie has been channeling her character's namesake and donning a plethora of fanciful ensembles during her press tour  and the results are simply stunning.

In case you missed it or want to marvel at all the fabulous fashion all over again, here are all the times Robbie has channeled her inner Barbie girl.

'Enchanted Evening' Barbie

Enchanted Barbie and Margot Robbie at Barbie Preimiere (Courtesy Mattel Inc. / John Phillips / Getty Images for Warner Bros.)

Robbie brought a dash of elegance to the London premiere of "Barbie" on July 12 and channeled "Enchanted Evening" Barbie. The star looked absolutely brilliant in a pale pink strapless gown with a flowing train, a back slit and a flower at the cinched waist. She accessorized with a three-strand pearl choker necklace, a white fur shawl, white gloves and a sleek updo.

'Day to Night' Barbie

Barbie (Mattell, Getty Images)

This doll means business! During the Seoul premiere of "Barbie," Robbie paid tribute to the "Day to Night" Barbie in a pretty pink pencil skirt and blazer. She finished the look with a bright pink scarf, a white hat, a pink bag and white and pink heels.

'Day to Night' Barbie (Again!)

Party Barbie (Mattel, Getty Images)

The "Day to Night" doll had two outfits, and Robbie honored the looks by sporting both ensembles while promoting her film in South Korea. This time, the actor looked like she was ready to party in a gorgeous pink tulle skirt and a bejeweled spaghetti strap top. She also opted for pink shoes (naturally).

The Original Barbie

Robbie channeling a retro Barbie in Sydney, Australia, on June 9. (Mattel, Warner Bros.)

Whats black and white and fabulous all over? Robbies retro black striped minidress that pays homage to the first Barbie doll released in 1959. The actor broke out the classic style at a press appearance in Sydney and committed to the beachy look by adding white sunglasses.

'Solo in the Spotlight' Barbie

Robbie channeled the

Hot pink might be Barbie's favorite color, but she can also rock a classic little black dress like no other. For the Los Angeles world premiere of "Barbie," Robbie channeled the 1960 "Solo in the Spotlight" Barbie, dazzling in a black sequined midi dress with a tutu-inspired hemline.

'Sparkling Pink' Barbie

Barbie (Mattel, Getty Images)

Robbie gave Sparkling Pink Barbies outfit a modern twist and donned this bejeweled pink blazer, crop top and miniskirt. She added extra visual appeal with a heart-shaped bag, a bold pink headband and pink pumps.

'Pink and Fabulous' Barbie

Barbie (Mattel, Getty Images)

The Pink and Fabulous Barbie from 2015 had some serious sartorial sense in her hot pink polka dot dress, and Robbie put her own spin on the look in Los Angeles.

'Earring Magic' Barbie

Barbie (Mattel, Getty Images)

Earring Magic Barbie really had it going on, and Robbie expertly replicated her look in this neon pink strapless dress with a sheer long sleeve overlay. She even nailed the crimped hair, dangling star earrings and belt.

'Totally Hair' Barbie

Barbie (Mattel, Getty Images)

Barbie has always been equally known for her on-point outfits and hairstyles, and Robbie would've made "Totally Hair" Barbie proud with this crimped do. The star even mimicked the dolls psychedelic ensemble with a geometrically patterned minidress.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Senators to receive first ever classified briefing on artificial intelligence

Senators will receive their first ever classified briefing on artificial intelligence at 3 p.m. Tuesday from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and other administration officials.

The briefing will take place in the Capitols sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF).

In addition to Haines, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Director of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar, Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Trey Whitworth and the Defense Departments chief digital officer, Craig Martell, will also attend the briefing.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the briefing in a letter to colleagues Sunday.

Schumer informed colleagues the briefing will instruct senators on how were using and investing in AI to protect our national security and learn what our adversaries are doing in AI.

The briefing is part of a series being hosted by Schumer along with Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
To send booze to space, state lawmakers are looking to change liquor laws

A distillery in North Carolina wants to send bottles of their whiskey to space, and state legislators could lower the tax rate to make it happen.

Mystic Farm and Distillery in Durham announced earlier this year it wanted to launch bottles of whiskey into space to age.

READ MORE: Happy hours could become legal in North Carolina

With current state liquor laws, it would end up being taxed thousands of dollars.

In order to overhaul the laws, lawmakers would have to rework the liquor tax so that the space whiskey would be taxed at a flat rate.

(WATCH: North Carolina legislature could allow liquor sales on Sundays)
Trapped drivers swam out of their cars. A woman died after being swept away by floodwaters. What to know about the heavy rainfall hitting the Northeast

Intense rain and flash flooding that left at least one dead in southeastern New York continued to pelt the Northeast on Monday, forcing residents from their homes and prompting road closures and water rescues.

Over 9 million people are under flood alerts across the Northeast on Monday, including parts of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine  as well as across the country in Washington and Alaska. Flash flood emergencies and landslides are expected, with heavy rainfall expected throughout the day.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency warning for central Vermont on Monday, where 19 people have been rescued by boat and 25 others have been evacuated, Vermonts Urban Search and Rescue team coordinator Mike Cannon told reporters.

Two areas in the state, Weston and South Londonderry, are currently inaccessible due to flooding, and search and rescue teams are working to regain access and perform welfare checks, Cannon said.

Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency Sunday as the weather service warned flash flooding could become extremely dangerous.

My friends, this is the new normal, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, addressing the havoc that the storm is wreaking in the state, where more than 8 inches of rain fell within a 24 hour period in some locations in the state.

A 35-year-old woman died Sunday, swept away by floodwater as she tried to evacuate her Orange County home. The flooding has caused easily tens of millions of dollars in damage, county Executive Steve Neuhaus said Monday.

Many residents who tried to drive out of the area, which includes the US Military Academy at West Point, were trapped Sunday, Neuhaus said. We saw many cars that tried to go for it through the water, didnt make it, and got stuck, he said, adding that he saw active duty Army soldiers up to their bellies  we were walking to cars to make sure people got out.

Emergency personnel used a boat to rescue residents of flooded homes on Lowland Hill Road in Stony Point, New York, on Sunday. - Seth Harrison/The Journal News/USA Today Network

In western New Yorks Ontario County, door-to-door checks were conducted at about 120 homes, which prompted the voluntary evacuation of more than a dozen individuals and five pets, according to Hochul. Officials in the area have set up a temporary shelter.

Hochul said FEMA and White House officials have offered to assist with the response.

While the storm has already passed through the southern part of New York, conditions remain dangerous in further north where there are ongoing extreme weather conditions. I urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant, monitor local forecasts and have an evacuation plan ready if youre in a danger zone, Hochul said.

The Red Cross has opened three shelters for people displaced by the flooding: one in Highland Falls, New York; one in Reading, Pennsylvania; and one in Barre, Vermont. On Sunday night, around 25 residents in Pennsylvania and 11 in New York were seeking refuge at the shelters, the Red Cross told CNN.

Once-in-a-millennium rainfall

Rainfall in West Point, New York, totaled more than 7.5 inches in six hours Sunday afternoon, according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Thats a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event for the area, according to a CNN analysis of NOAAs historical rainfall frequency data.

A once-in-a-millennium rainfall event is one that is so intense, the chances of it happening in any given year is just 0.1%.

Reading, Pennsylvania, received 5.35 inches of rain Sunday, shattering its old daily rainfall record of 3.47 inches, set in 1952.

Areas across New England could see 3 to 5 inches of rain Monday, which could bring rainfall totals for this storm up to 12 inches.

A moderate risk, Level 3 of 4, of excessive rainfall is in place in New England through early Tuesday. Rainfall totals across the area are expected to range from 3 to 5 inches.

New York could see 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour on Monday, the NWS warned.

In Vermont, the heavy rain has left at least seven people trapped in their homes as of Monday evening, Emergency Management Director for Londonderry Richard Phelan told CNN.

Rescuers cannot reach them due to several road closures, Phelan said, and officials are advising those residents over the phone to get to the highest ground they can in their homes.

Most of the towns roads are impassable and Londonderry is cut off from the rest of the state, according to Phelan. Its the worst weve seen in many, many years, Phelan said.

Numerous rivers across Vermont have been rising as a result of the heavy rainfall, with some rising more than they have since Hurricane Irene in 2011. The rainfall could push isolated storm totals towards 12 inches when combined with rainfall from the weekend, according to the weather service.

The Winooski River at Montpelier swelled above major flood stage Monday and continues to rise quickly. The river has risen nearly 14 feet since early Monday morning and is now expected to crest overnight at 22.7 feet.

Downtown Montpelier will be inundated, and local roads will be covered by water. Route 2 and railroad tracks along the river will be covered with water, the National Weather Service said, noting this flood stage would be equivalent to a 1 percent annual chance flood, or 100-year flood.

The White River in West Hartford has similarly risen 10 feet in 10 hours since Monday morning and is expected to crest above 20 feet for the first time since Irene in 2011.

Nearly a dozen different locations across Vermont from the Connecticut River in the south to the Missisquoi River in the north will experience moderate or major flooding before river levels begin dropping Tuesday.

Emergency personnel tend to a resident in Stony Point, New York, after rescuing the man from his flooded home Sunday. - Seth Harrison/The Journal News/USA Today Network

Officials have made 50 rescues across the state, including using boats to help people trapped in their homes or in cars that were swept away in fast-moving waters.

Windham and Windsor County have been the worst hit by the flooding, according to Cannon, from the states Urban Search and Rescue Program.

In a Monday Facebook post, Scott said the state was enacting an all-hands-on-deck response to the extreme flooding. We have not seen rainfall like this since Irene, and in some places, it will surpass even that, the governor said.

In New York, six counties are under a state of emergency and state officials are scrutinizing roads and bridges to ensure theyre not structurally compromised, Gov. Hochul said at a Monday news conference.

New York Citys Emergency Management Department cautioned residents living in basement apartments to be prepared to move to higher ground. Heavy rains continuing through Monday morning may cause rapid flooding to basements with little to no notice and can be life threatening, an alert from the agency sent Sunday afternoon reads.

When torrential rain from Hurricane Ida caused flooding in New York City in 2021, most of the homes where residents were found dead were illegally converted basement or cellar apartments, city officials said.

Do not underestimate the power of fast-moving water, Hochul said. Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float your car, and water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.

And in Massachusetts, the towns of Williamsburg, Clarksburg, Deerfield and Becket, as well as the city of North Adams, have all declared emergencies, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency told CNN. Residents should expect rivers, creeks and streams to rise gradually through Tuesday.

Trapped drivers had to swim out of their cars

Two dozen residents were evacuated and two town employees were rescued from flooding Monday in Ludlow, Vermont, where routes in and out of the city were blocked, Ludlow Emergency Management Director Angela Kissell told CNN. Theres currently debris and water blocking the main roads. Were an island right now, Kissell said.

Ten people were rescued from a campground in Andover, Vermont when a bridge at Horseshoe Acres Campground was washed out, leaving campers trapped, said Jeannette Haight, the town clerk and treasurer.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson canceled camp on Monday due to the heavy flooding in Rockland and Orange counties on Sunday. - Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson

In the same county, the town of Cornwall issued a No travel Advisory Sunday after storms flooded multiple roads, triggered mudslides and forced rescues from stranded cars. In nearby Rockland County, state police also reported numerous motorists stranded due to flooding in the area.

Firefighters in Canandaigua in Ontario County, New York, received over 150 water related calls and performed dozens of rescues, Canandaigua Fire officials tweeted Sunday, sharing a photo of people kayaking through deluged streets.

Eastern Pennsylvania also saw significant flash flooding Sunday afternoon, according to the weather service. The Fleetwood Police Department shared images of deluged roadways in Berks County and urged residents to avoid all travel, adding that crews were out responding to rescues and flooded basements Sunday.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller and CNNs Kristina Sgueglia, Polo Sandoval, Michelle Watson, Christina Maxouris, Joe Sutton, Sara Smart, and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Widespread flooding Sunday in New Yorks Hudson Valley left one woman dead and hundreds stranded in what authorities are calling a 1,000-year-event.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said authorities are not expecting the same extent of damage in other parts of New York as the storm makes its way east into New England.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency warning Monday for central Vermont, and parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are under flood warnings with three to 5 inches of rain projected.

In a press conference from Highland Falls, N.Y., on Monday morning, Hochul confirmed a 35-year-old woman came out of her home after it took on too much water and was swept away. Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said the womans body was found at the bottom of a ravine, where first responders encountered falling debris while trying to recover her body.

Hochul confirmed at least 9 inches of rain fell in the Hudson Valley area, with the National Weather Service issuing a flash flood emergency for the first time since Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Hochul has declared states of emergency in multiple parts of the state, including Clinton, Essex, Orange, Ontario, Oswego and Rockland counties. And an estimated 700 people were stranded in Putnam County on Sunday night, she said.

Hochul said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have all reached out to assist with the damage.

The New York Department of Transportation and Orange County Department of Public Works will be assessing bridges to determine whether they are safe to cross, Neuhaus said Monday.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank the first responders, who came out, and as much as it looks clear today, this was a frightening, life-threatening experience that they just came through, Hochul said.

They did not think about their own safety, they literally went up to cars that were swirling, at risk of being washed away, and they knocked and made sure someone was safe, she continued.

Hochul said homeowners must be prepared and anticipate the worst-case scenario where the floodwaters are rising in your home. She said this includes charging cellphones, having food, water and medicine on hand and creating a safety plan.

Updated at 5:46 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Rina Gonoi is a fighter.

As a former soldier, as a judo practitioner, and as a woman battling on behalf of all women to bring those who sexually abused her to account.

When Gonoi served in Japans Self-Defense Force (JSDF), she says she endured physical and verbal sexual abuse on a daily basis for more than a year, and vowed when she left the force in June 2022 after two years service that she would bring her tormentors to justice.

At first, authorities seemed unwilling to believe her. When she reported the alleged abuse to military authorities, two investigations were launched, but both were dropped on grounds of lack of evidence.

Undefeated, she approached TV stations. When they ignored her, she took her battle to social media  a rare move in a country where sexual assault survivors can face backlash for raising their voices.

I wanted to help other people who had also been sexually harassed (in the JSDF). As for the perpetrators, I wanted an apology and for them to admit to what they had done; I wanted to prevent others from going through what I went through; thats why I spoke out, she said.

Gonoi wanted to be a professional judoka as a child. Now, she teaches other women how to defend themselves. - Courtesy Rina Gonoi

Gonois refusal to be silenced eventually prompted a wide-sweeping probe into sexual harassment across the JSDF and prosecutors reopened an investigation that found she had endured physical and verbal sexual harassment daily between autumn 2020 and August 2021, according to Gonois defense team.

The findings resulted in a groundbreaking moment: a rare admission of guilt and a public apology from Japans Ministry of Defense, as Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Yoshihide Yoshida bowed deeply, saying: On behalf of the Ground Self-Defense Forces, I would like to express my deepest apologies to Ms. Gonoi, who has been suffering for a long time. I am very sorry.

Five servicemen were also dishonorably dismissed and four others punished last December, according to NHK, Japans public broadcaster. Gonoi also said she received in-person apologies from several officers.

But this, she said, is not enough, and she is now pursuing both criminal and civil cases in the courts. At the start of the year she filed lawsuits against the government and her alleged assailants  three of whom were indicted in March on charges of sexually assaulting Gonoi. In the criminal case, to date, neither the defendants nor their lawyers have issued statements. Public prosecutors in Japan have not released information regarding the case and did not respond to CNNs request for comment. In the civil case, four of the five accused recently denied sexual abuse, while a fifth admitted the accusation.

The state has responded saying harassment cannot be tolerated but has not yet commented on Gonois lawsuit.

Regardless of the outcome of those lawsuits, Gonoi believes there is a bigger battle to be fought against what she sees as a culture of sexual harassment in the male-dominated military.

Rina Gonoi, a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, checks old photos on her phone. - Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

Speaking out

Japans struggles with gender inequality, which were highlighted during the #MeToo campaign, are well-documented. The country ranks bottom of all the G7 nations and 116th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forums index for gender inequality.

But Gonois experience is likely to be particularly damaging for the JSDF, which has poured much effort into promoting an image of itself as an institution that promotes gender equality.

Fumika Sato, a sociologist at Hitotsubashi University, said many women opt to join the military as they see it as offering greater job security and gender equality than the private sector.

(Women) choose the JSDF because they think it is an organization that will recognize their abilities fairly. Its very rare to hear that they joined to protect the country out of a sense of national defense, Sato said.

Gonoi, for instance, joined the ground forces in April 2020, seeing it both as a way of paying it forward but also a way of achieving her dreams of training as a judoka and competing at the Olympics.

Despite the JSDFs image, Sato said sexual harassment within the ranks has long been an issue but it is often hidden because people in the military often find it hard to admit vulnerability.

Theres an image that only strong personnel are considered suitable for the organization, and theres the attitude that those who say they are victims of harassment have no place in the organization, Sato explained. That makes it hard for people to speak out.

Rina Gonoi says she endured physical and verbal sexual abuse while she served in Japan's Self-Defense Forces. - Courtesy Rina Gonoi

Recruitment shortfall

Gonois fight also comes just as the JSDF faces a recruitment shortfall that is undermining its efforts to grow its military amid rising regional tensions with North Korea and China.

Last year, Japan announced it would boost its defense budget for 2023 to a record 6.8 trillion yen ($55 billion), a 26% increase, raising its defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027.

Experts say attracting enough women will be key to Tokyo meeting its objectives. The JSDF is meant to have a strength of around 250,000 service members but has consistently failed to reach its recruitment goals and says it is understaffed by around 16,000 service members  a shortfall that experts say has limited its operational abilities.

The force has spent years trying to encourage female enrollment, in line with the womenomics policy of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aimed at combating the effects of Japans aging population and shrinking workforce. In April 2015, the Defense Ministry launched a series of initiatives in which funds were allocated for everything from gender awareness programs to establishing of day care centers for children of JSDF employees.

But Japan still lags its peers. According to the Defense Ministry, as of March 2022, there were 20,000 women in the JSDF, comprising around 8% of the organizations total strength, which still lags the NATO average of 12% as of 2019. And to reach that threshold by 2030, Tokyo needs to reach more women.

A spokesperson for Japans Ground Self-Defense Force told CNN, We believe that the promotion of female SDF personnel is important for securing high-quality personnel in a stable manner and for incorporating diversity into the organization. The SDF continues to actively recruit female SDF personnel with the aim of increasing the proportion of women in all SDF personnel to 12% or more by (fiscal year) 2030.

Japanese former soldier Rina Gonoi takes part in a press conference at the National Press Club in Tokyo on January 30, 2023. - Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

Setback for progress

The JSDF has made progress in this regard. When it was first formed in 1954, women were recruited exclusively as nurses.

Japans navy accepted its first female recruits in 1977. And in the early 1990s, most roles  except those requiring combat  opened up to women.

In 1992, Japans National Defense Academy finally began accepting women, which made it possible for them to become senior officers. Since then, new women leaders have started taking the reins. For example, in March 2018, Japans navy appointed the first woman commander of a warship squadron. Later that year, it appointed its first woman fighter pilot.

As a child, Gonoi says she saw JSDF members as heroes. She grew up wanting to be like them after women officers  in particular  came to her rescue following the deadly 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster that decimated her hometown of Higashi-Matsushima in Japans northern prefecture of Miyagi.

Gonoi had marveled at how the JSDF members helped citizens regain a sense of normalcy, she said, making sure they had makeshift areas to bathe, for instance. The young Gonoi was sold by that human touch.

A dream dashed

Years later, it would be a posting to a JSDF station in Fukushima  another area that was decimated by the 2011 disaster  where she tells CNN she first experienced sexual harassment.

Theyd comment on my body and the size of my breasts. Or theyd come up to me in the hallways and suddenly hug me in the corridor. That kind of thing happened daily, Gonoi recalled of her time in the station.

The last straw came in August 2021, when Gonoi said she was pinned to a dormitory floor as several senior male officers simulated sexual intercourse. It was this incident that convinced her to come forward and report her assailants.

But Gonois claims were dismissed, and no action was taken internally within the JSDF.

They initially didnt admit that theyd done anything wrong. They tried to cover up what Id gone through, but then a re-investigation was ordered. Thats when they admitted what Id gone through, said Gonoi.

An external investigation was also dropped due to lack of evidence as none of the male personnel who witnessed her sexual assault would provide testimony.

Eventually, Gonoi says she felt like she had no other choice but to quit in June 2022.

Sato, the sociologist, said that it was only by taking her fight to social media to publicize her case that Gonoi had been able to pressure the JSDF into a rethink.

The Defense Ministry acted as it had always done in the past, taking the side of the perpetrators and isolating the victims. However, this resulted in so much public outrage, surprising so many people in the Defense Ministry, that they realized that if they didnt take proper action, the reputation of the (military) itself would be at stake, Sato said.

In recent months, the Defense Ministry has sought to improve its image. In March, Japans Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada asserted that harassment shakes the foundations of the JSDF by destroying mutual trust among its members and is something that should never be allowed to happen.

A spokesperson for the Ground Self-Defense Force told CNN, Harassment is a violation of basic human rights and, of course, must never be allowed to happen in the Ground SDF, where unit actions are the basis, as it causes loss of mutual trust and shakes the strength of the personnel.

For this reason, the GSDF is actively participating in various efforts to eradicate harassment based on the ministers directive and is carefully implementing measures such as education for its commanders and others.

To this end, we will continue to implement measures such as group education and e-learning to raise the awareness of personnel, education to promote understanding and improve the leadership skills of personnel (especially managers) and improve and strengthen the consultation system.

Rina Gonoi, a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, pictured on February 22, 2023. - Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

A battle won, now the war

Gonoi tells CNN she went back and forth on her decision, before finally raising her voice.

When you speak out there is a big risk that youll be beaten down and people will slander you, even though what you went through is real and youre really suffering, Gonoi said.

But she didnt back down.

(The JSDF) initially didnt admit that theyd done anything wrong  they tried to cover up what Id gone through, but then a re-investigation was ordered; thats when they admitted what Id gone through.

The government has yet to respond to Gonois lawsuits, but last October Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he understood that sexual harassment cases were handled inappropriately by the Self-Defense Force and the Ministry of Defense during a parliamentary meeting.

He added that though harassment should not be tolerated in any organization, there have been instances where cover-ups have been pointed out.

He asserted that the government and Defense Ministry are committed to eradicating all forms of harassment.

We are aware that the perpetrators of sexual harassment cases are scheduled to be punished severely. We are also conducting a special defense inspection to thoroughly identify harassment. We are committed to eradicating all forms of harassment, he said.

In a news conference last year, Gonoi said three of her perpetrators got down on their hands and knees to apologize after she received direct apologies from four of her assailants. She said the perpetrators acknowledged their actions and repeatedly bowed their heads, and one was crying.

When I joined the JSDF, I had a lot of dreams of what I wanted to achieve there. Had the JSDF fully investigated what happened to me I feel like I couldve still stayed on there. Everything came too late, she said.

The officers were dismissed last December, but Gonoi questions the sincerity of their apologies and decided to pursue both a civil and criminal case  not for money, she says, but because she wanted an apology from the heart.

In the civil case, four of the five plaintiffs recently denied sexual abuse, while a fifth admitted the accusations. Gonoi told reporters after the hearing, I felt a variety of feelings  sadness, frustration, anger, etc  that I cant express in words. I knew that their apology was only a formality.

Meanwhile, the government has said it will continue to establish drastic measures that strive to build an organizational environment that does not tolerate harassment at all.

Today, Gonoi said she receives abuse on social media with some users commenting on her appearance or accusing her of tarnishing the JSDFs reputation.

She has battled depression and still has flashbacks of what happened to her, but is grateful for the support she received on social media.

She wants the JSDF to educate its forces to recognize harassment as a crime, to install surveillance cameras and to not allow women officers to be left alone in situations where they are highly outnumbered by male colleagues.

But she said she hasnt lost faith in the JSDF. Mostly, she wants it to be a safer place, so other new recruits will not have to endure what she did. She wants to travel and keep practicing judo.

In Japan, theres a kind of view that you cant laugh, cant enjoy yourself after youve been a victim, but I dont want my life to be defined by that, Gonoi said.

Im glad I joined the SDF and I was able to work for my country. It wasnt all bad and I want to live life as normally as possible, knowing that everything ultimately works out somehow in the end.

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Anne McCall said shell never forget the day she heard the call, both because it was a profound moment and it occurred on her birthday.

McCall, the medical director of radiation oncology at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, said she was at a symposium at Duke University March 15, 2018, which talked about Christianity and why some people feel disengaged from the church.

What stood out to her, McCall said, was the majority of people in the room were women. While listening to the speakers, McCall said, she felt a shift.

All of the sudden, theres this presence that said Look around, youre going to shepherd these people. Im like, no Im not. Im going to go back. Im going to teach. Im going to do medicine, McCall said. But it just wouldnt go away.

From that moment, McCall, 67, said she couldnt stop thinking about serving at a church. Now McCall, whose denomination is with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is one class away from receiving her master of divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.

But she has continued to work as a doctor while in seminary and even as she serves a congregation.

The people that I know that have been physicians just retire from their practice, so they dont do both at the same time. The fact that Im continuing to do both, I think, is different, McCall said.

Since beginning her masters program, McCall said shes been able to more deeply understand end-of-life conversations that physicians should have with their critical patients and their families.

As a clergy member, McCall said shes enjoyed connecting her congregation, which predominantly is Black, with medical resources through community events and partnerships. But McCall said she has been mindful that she is not her congregations doctor, but rather a resource if they have questions.

Its this embedded wearing of two hats at the same time that constantly are crossing into each other, McCall said.

After feeling called to ministry in 2018, McCall signed up for a theology class at The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and then took a few more classes in the evenings or weekends. By 2020, a week before the COVID-19 pandemic led to stay-at-home orders, McCall started taking online classes at Wartburg.

In January 2021, she began an internship at First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Chicago, which had opened on the University of Illinois Chicago campus and near Rush University Medical Center, where she went to medical school.

When the pastor of the church left, McCall said she was named the churchs synodically authorized minister, or a lay person authorized by the bishop to preach and preside at Holy Communion under special circumstances and in a specific location.

McCall said she will complete her final class in December. After that, she hopes to be ordained and wants to continue working in urban ministry because she enjoys connecting community to people, empowering a congregation and working with youth ministries.

Brendan Kelliher, director of University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital, said in a news release that McCall focuses on the spiritual well-being of her patients so it makes perfect sense that she would be moving in this direction.

In both professions, there are forces that are beyond a physicians or clergys control, McCall said. Physicians have to deal with insurance companies and clergy have to address people hesitant to return to church post COVID-19 or young people leaving the church.

Those are forces they cant control and both of those cause the same kind of moral injury, McCall said.

In the time shes pursued her divinity degree, McCall said she and her co-workers have noticed a shift in her interactions with patients.

Sometimes Ill go to see a patient in the hospital, and well come out of the room, and itll be a discussion that may be a more difficult discussion, and my nurse will say, That was more of a pastoral visit than a physician visit, wasnt it? and Ill say, Yeah, McCall said.

Specifically, McCall said she has used her education in theology to encourage doctors to talk to and advocate for their patients end-of-life decisions.

It prevents a lot of heartache. It doesnt have to be a spiritual conversation, if it is so be it, but this is really important, McCall said.
Separate manhunts were continuing simultaneously on Monday afternoon for two of three murder suspects who escaped from custody in separate incidents that occurred across the country in a four-day span, authorities said.

One of the fugitives, 35-year-old Eric Abril, suspected in a Northern California hostage-taking homicide and shootout with police, was captured on Monday afternoon just miles from a hospital he escaped from early Sunday, authorities said.

The latest fugitive to escape was identified as Chadwick Shane Mobley, 42, alleged to have absconded from authorities in Montana on Sunday while being taken to Michigan to face charges in the 2011 slaying of a 20-year-old woman, who was found fatally shot in the basement of a relative's home, according to officials.

Employees of a private transport company contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service were driving Mobley from the Lincoln County Jail in Libby, Montana, to Michigan on Sunday when he managed to slip out of his handcuffs and ankle shackles and bolt from custody around 10 a.m. local time at a gas station in Plains, Montana, according to the Sanders County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's officials said Mobley is considered dangerous and warned residents of Plains, a small town of about 1,100 people, to keep the doors of their homes and vehicles locked and to immediately call 911 if they spot the fugitive.

PHOTO: Fugitives, from left, Chadwick Shane Mobley, Eric Abril and Michael Burham. (Plains Police, Placer County Sheriff, Warren Police Dept.)

Mobley was arrested on June 28 in Lincoln County following a nationwide manhunt.

Mobley's escape came just hours after Abril escaped just after 3 a.m. Sunday from a medical facility in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville, where he was supposed to be under 24-hour surveillance, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said at a news conference.

Woo said a sheriff's deputy spotted Abril shortly after he escaped but lost him during a brief foot chase.

Abril, described by authorities as a "very dangerous fugitive," was captured about 12:45 p.m. in a Rocklin, California, residential neighborhood, about 6 miles from the hospital he escaped from, officials said.

"I know there's a lot of questions surrounding this case, specifically, surrounding the circumstances regarding the escape," Woo said. "Quite frankly, I have a lot of questions, as well. I can assure the community that when the time is right there will be a thorough investigation into how this was able to occur and whether there were any policy violations."

Abril was arrested on April 6 after he allegedly shot a California Highway Patrol officer in an ambush while wearing body armor and took two hostages at gunpoint at a park, killing one and wounding the other, according to police. He was arrested when he was injured during a shootout with law enforcement officers, authorities said.

Woo said Abril was taken to the Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Roseville, the facility he escaped from, on Thursday for an undisclosed medical issue.

PHOTO: A search was launched on July 9, 2023, for 35-year-old Eric Abril, a suspected murderer, who authorities said escaped from the Sutter Roseville Medical Center near Roseville, Calif. (Placer County Sheriff's Office)

Abril's escape came as a massive manhunt was already underway for murder suspect Michael Burham more than 2,000 miles away in northern Pennsylvania.

The 34-year-old Burham, a suspect in homicide and rape cases in Jamestown, New York, escaped Thursday night from the Warren County Jail in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

Burham, who authorities described as a "self-taught survivalist" with military experience, remained on the run Monday.

PHOTO: The Jamestown Police Department released this booking photo of Michael Burham. (Jamestown Police Department)

Army spokesman confirmed to ABC News that Burham served as a water treatment specialist and utilities equipment repairer in the Army Reserve from February 2008 to December 2020. Burham had no deployments and held the rank of Sergeant at the end of service.

Burham was last seen around 11:20 p.m. Thursday wearing an orange-and-white-striped jumpsuit, a denim jacket and a pair of Crocs, state police said.

Burham escaped from the recreation yard by climbing atop exercise equipment and exiting the yard through a metal-grated roof, Warren County spokesperson Cecile Stelter told reporters during a news conference Friday. Burham then used bed sheets tied together to lower himself to the ground and flee on foot, she said.

More than 165 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are involved in the search for Burham, authorities said.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said during a news conference Monday afternoon that the search remains focused on the Northern Pennsylvania, where evidence found at several campsites has been linked to Burham.

Bivens said investigators believe Burham is receiving some kind of external assistance.

We do believe that he is getting some assistance. From where or what that type of assistance is, Im not prepared to comment on, Bivens said.

Pressed by ABC News on whether Burham could have gotten inside help with his escape, Bivins responded, "I can tell you that is being thoroughly investigated."

Residents in and around the city of Warren have been advised by authorities to lock their doors and windows and were warned that Burham should be considered armed and dangerous.

MORE: 2 escaped inmates, including convicted murderer, found after multistate manhunt

Bivens described Burham as a "self-taught survivalist" who "could be potentially holed up in a wooded area near the city," he said.

Assuming Burham is hiding out in the local woods, Bivens described the plan to continue pushing Burham, increasing his desperation and making him susceptible to capture.

We continue to make sure that were putting pressure on him and we wont know until we capture him just how close we really are, Bivens said.

The search is challenging due to the rugged and steep terrain, Bivens said. "It is taking a lot of time and effort to search those areas," he noted.

Burham was arrested on May 24 after leading authorities on a multi-state manhunt. At the time, there were three warrants issued for his arrest, including one stemming from charges he raped and unlawfully imprisoned a woman on March 13 in Jamestown, authorities said.

MORE: NY Prison Escape: Inmates Kept Notes About Escape Plan on Cell Walls, Source Says

Burham was previously named a person of interest in the killing of 34-year-old Kala Hodgkin on May 11 in Jamestown, police said. Amid the latest manhunt, Jamestown police are now referring to Burham as a suspect in that case.

During the previous manhunt, Burham allegedly kidnapped an elderly couple at gunpoint on May 20 in Sheffield, Pennsylvania, and drove them to North Charleston, South Carolina, where he was arrested, according to the FBI.

In the new search for Burham, a $9,500 reward is being offered for information that leads to his apprehension, state police said.

Stelter told ABC News that in the previous manhunt, Burham lived in the woods for multiple days, demonstrating his survivalist abilities.

ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

1 of 3 suspected murderers who escaped from custody in separate incidents captured originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Sister of North Koreas Kim says US spy plane was repelled over exclusive economic zone

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday that Pyongyangs warplanes had forced the retreat of a U.S. spy plane over its territorial waters.

Kim Yo Jong, an influential partner of her brothers in North Korean government, alleged the U.S. Air Force spy plane intruded into territorial waters around 5 a.m. Monday before it was scared off by aircraft from the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea (DPRK).

Kim also alleged another U.S. spy plane crossed into DPRK territory a few hours later.

Kim said the DPRK will not take a direct counteraction against the U.S. forces acts of espionage outside the economic water zone of the DPRK side but warned of clear and resolute actions if there is another incursion.

If the U.S. has not yet realized what danger is directly coming to it in disregard of the DPRKs warning, the DPRK is not to blame for it, she said in a statement shared by North Korean state media.

Kims comments come after a North Korean spokesperson also warned that approaching spy planes would be shot down.

There was no immediate word from Washington about the alleged incident.

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon denied the accusations of a spy plane crossing into North Korean territory.

He said the reconnaissance mission was a standard operation in coordination with South Korea.

North Korea and South Korea are divided by a demilitarized zone enacted nearly 70 years ago, and Pyongyang reacts fiercely to any illegal crossings over the border.

North Korea has stepped up its warnings against the U.S. and South Korea after the allied nations recently began conducting joint military drills again after a brief hiatus.

Amid concerns about a North Korean nuclear buildup, Washington also agreed this year to send a nuclear submarine to the peninsula, the first time a U.S. nuclear sub would be deployed to South Korea since 1981.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
China has been rocked by yet another knife attack

Six people including three children have been killed in a kindergarten stabbing in China's south-eastern Guangdong province.

Police said they have arrested a 25-year-old man with the surname Wu in Lianjiang.

The other victims are a teacher and two parents, AFP reported, quoting a local official. One person is also injured.

Police have called this a case of "intentional assault" but not elaborated on a possible motive.

The attack happened on Monday at 07:40 local time (23:40 Sunday GMT), just as parents were dropping their children off for summer classes. The man was arrested at 08:00.

A storeowner who works near the kindergarten told the BBC the surrounding area had been sealed off.

Lianjiang has a population of about 1.87 million.

As videos of the attack spread across Chinese social media, they sparked outrage and shock.

The stabbings also fit in to a disturbingly familiar pattern. Firearms are banned in China but the country has seen a spate of knife attacks in recent years, although there was also one incident where the attacker used a chemical spray to injure a classroom of 50 children.

The BBC has counted at least 17 knife attacks in schools, colleges and universities since 2010. Ten of those have happened between 2018 and 2023.

In August last year, a knife-wielding assailant stormed a kindergarten in south-eastern Jiangxi province, killing three people and wounding six others.

In April 2021, two children died while 16 others were injured during a mass stabbing in Beiliu City, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

In October 2018, 14 children were injured in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Chongqing, south-west China.

In most of these cases, the perpetrators are male and have expressed a grudge against society. Similar patterns have been seen in mass killings in other countries, from the US to Japan. But experts say there may be some additional reasons for the apparent increase in mass stabbings in China.

They believe the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced Chinese cities to endure some of the longest and toughest lockdowns anywhere in the world, could be one reason. The after-effects are not well understood yet, but could include feelings of anger and resentment, and involve a loss of jobs, investments and relationships.

Other possible factors that are cited are the high stress and high expectations put on young men in Chinese society. These are exacerbated by high levels of youth unemployment and a widening rich-poor divide. One expert told the BBC a strong sense of "social deprivation" can lead some to use violence to vent their frustration against society.

Chinese authorities have been stepping up security around schools since 2010. That year, the Ministry of Public Security had urged local authorities to "resolutely crack down" on criminal activities to ensure the safety of teachers and students.

After the April 2021 attack, the education ministry also mandated emergency evacuation drills in schools.

Fearing copycat attacks, Beijing is also not allowing state media to publish full details of Monday's incident at the kindergarten.

Additional reporting by BBC Chinese
China kindergarten stabbing: Everything we know about knife attack that left six dead

A police cordon is placed in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province (Video obtained via REUTERS)

Six people, including three children, were killed and one suffered injuries in a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in China's south-eastern province of Guangdong on Monday.

A 25-year-old man surnamed Wu has been arrested from Lianjiang, the local police said, adding they were investigating the incident.

A teacher, two parents and three students were identified as the victims of the attack that took place at 7.40am local time as parents were dropping their children off for summer classes in the downtown area of Hengshan township.

The suspect was reportedly arrested by 8.00am local time. Local police called the incident a case of "intentional assault" without providing further details on the attackers motive.

An unconfirmed video being widely shared on social media purports to show at least two of the victims lying on the street outside the school in a pool of blood.

Dafeng News cited an unidentified witness as saying that the suspect's child had been struck by the car of one of the people who was killed at the school in an earlier incident, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities have not released the identities of the victims.

The attack comes just a week after the Chinese education ministry released a notice to local authorities urging them to ensure student safety during the summer holiday.

The attack sparked an emotive debate on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where the incident was one of the top trending discussions on Monday afternoon.

China stabbing attack (The Independent)

Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this ... I support the death penalty, one Weibo user said.

Another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks. Why do such cases still continue to emerge?

Videos shot by passersby of the alleged crime scene were promptly removed from video-sharing platform Douyin and other social media websites.

Bodies lie on the ground in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, China (Video obtained via REUTERS)

There has been a spate of knife attacks at schools in China  where access to firearms is tightly regulated by the government  in recent years.

Violent crime in China has been on the rise as the economy has grown in recent decades, widening the gap between the rich and poor. The Chinese government has largely attributed attacks to people bearing grudges against society with an aim to wreak revenge.

State officials have also suggested poor mental health of people suffering to adapt to the changing society and social stressors such as unemployment as reasons behind the targetted killings.

However, mental health resources in China remain limited, with the topic still looked down upon by society.

A body lies on the ground near people riding a scooter in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, China (Video obtained via REUTERS)

In 2010, two high-profile mass stabbings at schools  in which 15 children died in total  occurred in the span of three months, pushing the Chinese government to step up security at schools.

At least eight elementary school students in Fujian province were killed in a knife attack in March that year, sparking fears at the time of copycat crimes. Later in May, a 48-year-old man killed seven children and injured 11 others with a cleaver at a kindergarten in Shaanxi province.

However, despite the government upgrading school security after these two incidents, such attacks have continued.

In August last year, a 48-year-old man barged into a kindergarten in southeastern Jianxi province, killing three people and injuring another six.

Two children were killed and 16 others wounded in a similar knife attack at a kindergarten in southern China in 2021.
LANSING  More than three-quarters of a million people may have had their social security numbers stolen in a data breach at Lansing Community College in late 2022 and early 2023, according to a law firm that says it's investigating the incident.

The community college notified "757,832 employees, students and vendors that their personal information may have been accessed or acquired by an unknown unauthorized person," Federman & Sherwood, a law firm with offices in Texas and Oklahoma, said in a statement posted on its website. The firm said it has initiated at investigation into the incident and asks people to contact them if they wish to "participate in this litigation." It's unclear if any lawsuit has been filed.

A spokeswoman for the college, Marilyn Twine, did not confirm the number of letters sent or how many people were potentially affected. She referred questions to attorney Richard Aponte-Boyd, who did not immediately respond. He works with data-breach specialty law firm Mullen & Coughlin LLC, based in Pennsylvania.

A data breach was discovered and reported by the college in March. Because of the breach, LCC shut down for several days. In the letter, the school said an "unauthorized actor" had access to "certain systems" from Dec. 25, 2022, until discovered on March 15, 2023. It took until May 24 to determine what information the actor had access to, the school said.

"To date, we have no evidence of any identity theft or fraud in connection with this incident," the college said in a statement.

The community college reported an annual enrollment of 14,000 students in the 2021-22 school year with 1,673 faculty and staff members. At least some of the people who received letters attended the school decades ago.

The letter, over LCC Chief Information Office Bill Garlick's signature, says the college is offering a year of complimentary identity monitoring services through Kroll, which bills itself as an independent risk and financial advisory company. The monitoring service requires registration.

The college is reviewing its procedures and is cooperating with a law enforcement investigation, according to a letter.

The data breach is being investigated by & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights and by state officials, according to a May update by the college. College officials said in March that the FBI and Michigan Cyber Command were also involved.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing Community College data breach identity theft update 2023
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After Sofia Richie married Elliot Grainge at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France, it felt like she was suddenly everywhere on the internet. Her style is lauded as embodying "quiet luxury," and features brands like Chanel, Prada, and the Row on repeat (and she is rarely without her Tiffany lock bracelet). Here, a look back at Sofia's most stylish outfits in the past year (and how you can shop some of her favorite pieces):

June 14, 2023

For a night out in LA, Richie wore an all-black Chanel outfit, carrying the brand's sphere bag with a pearl strap.

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May 17, 2023

Sofia showed off her summer style in Annie Bing jeans, a Destree jacket, and Bottega Venetta leather pumps.

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Sofia Richie/Instagram

May 17, 2023

For the opening of a Sezane store in Brentwood, Sofia wore a camel jacket from the brand and black jeans.

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May 9, 2023

For the 2024 Chanel Resort Show, Sofia wore an all-Chanel outfit.

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May 7, 2023

To watch her dad Lionel Richie perform at the Coronation Concert in celebration of King Charles, Sofia opted for a fuchsia suit designed by Destree and black Yves Saint Laurent pumps.

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Instagram/Sofia Richie

April 30, 2023

Sofia's honeymoon style was enviableincluding this Prada blue and white striped shirt, sandals from the Row, Celine sunglasses, and a Prada tote (which is undeniably this season's perfect summer beach bag).

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Sofia Richie/Instagram

April 20, 2023

Once again, Sofia wore head-to-toe Chanel; this time, for pre-wedding festivities in the south of France.

Sofia Richie/Instagram

March 7, 2023

For Chanel's Fall 2023 collection during Paris Fashion Week, Sofia once more wore an all-Chanel look, opting for a blue check dress.

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January 24, 2023

At the Chanel Haute Couture S/S 2023 show, Sofia stayed loyal to the brand in a black-and-white outfit.

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January 22, 2023

Proving bomber jackets are always in, Sofia looked comfy and causal in London in this Brunello Cucinelli leather jacket and suede boots from the Row.

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November 23, 2023

Sofia, wearing a Rouje trench coat, proved white outfits are not just reserved for summer. She accessorized with Olivier Peoples x the Row sunglasses.

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November 14, 2022

Sofia kept it casual in Celine jeans, a camel longsleeve, and Adidas sneakers for a day out in L.A.

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September 15, 2022

A good pair of jeans and a good white button down is always a winning outfit.

Shop the best white button downs

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September 14, 2022

At the Michael Kors show during New York Fashion Week, Sofia wore an oversized blazer over an all-black outfit.

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June 17, 2022

Sofia embodied the #LKRB style in Los Angeles, wearing a sweater tied over her shoulders, New Balance sneakers, and carrying a Chanel bag (obviously).

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June 11, 2022

In a printed Gucci dress and white Saint Laurent platforms, Sofia celebrated Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee with Elliot.

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May 26, 2022

In a graphic tee, jeans, and Vans, Sofia showed off her California cool girl style.

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March 27, 2022

At the Elton John AIDS Foundation 30th Annual Academy Awards viewing party, Sofia kept it classic in a simple black dress.

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Tylenol murders suspect James Lewis, pictured in 1992, has died at his Massachusetts home (ABC7 / Screengrab)

The sole suspect in the Tylenol poisoning murders that claimed seven lives and led to changes to how over-the-counter prescription drugs were manufactured and sold has died.

James Lewis, 76, was found unresponsive at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Sunday, and pronounced dead soon after, authorities said.

His death has frustrated law enforcement who had continued to pursue Lewis over the indiscriminate 1982 killing spree in the Chicago area that left six adults and a 12-year-old girl dead from cyanide poisoning.

Lewis was convicted of attempting to extort manufacturer Johnson & Johnson after sending a letter claiming responsibility for the deaths and demanding $1m to stop the killing.

He was questioned as recently as September over the poisonings, in which a suspect laced bottles of Tylenol with potassium cyanide.

But no-one has ever been charged over the deaths, which led to widespread panic and sweeping changes to the way prescription drugs were bought and sold.

Lewis was arrested in 1982 after a nationwide manhunt, and served 12 years in federal prison for trying to extort the drug manufacturer.

He later admitted sending the letter, and in a 1992 jailhouse interview with ABC 7 Chicago how the killer would have used a pegboard to drill holes into the Tylenol capsules and inject them with deadly cyanide.

Lewis always denied he had carried out the poisonings.

Former US Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who prosecuted Lewis for extortion, expressed regret he had avoided being held accountable for the murders.

I was saddened to learn of James Lewis death. Not because hes dead, but because he didnt die in prison, Mr Margolis said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune.

The victims were Mary Kellerman, 12, Mary McFarland, 31, Mary Lynn Reiner, 27, Paula Prince, 35, and Adam Janus, 27, Stanley Janus, 25, and Theresa Janus, 20.

All were hospitalised and died within the space of a few days in late September 1982, triggering a nationwide scare.
Visiting Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang after they witnessed signing on agreement for both countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool)

BEIJING (AP)  Leaders of the Solomon Islands and China promised Monday to expand relations that have fueled unease in Washington and Australia about Beijings influence in the South Pacific.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the countrys No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang. Sogavare and Li presided over the signing of agreements on police, economic and technical cooperation.

We are here to further boost relations, Sogavare told Li following a ceremony at which a Chinese military band played the Solomon Islands national anthem.

The Solomon Islands, 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) northeast of Australia, has been China's biggest success in a campaign to expand its presence in the South Pacific. Sogavare's government switched official recognition in 2019 to Beijing from Taiwan, the self-governed island democracy claimed by the mainland's ruling Communist Party as part of its territory.

Solomon Islands, sir, has a lot to learn from Chinas development experience, Sogavare told Li. He welcomed an opportunity for dialogue to enhance bilateral interaction and cooperation.

The two governments have decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development, Li said. The relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful.

The Solomon Islands signed a secretive security agreement with Beijing that might have allowed Chinese military forces in the South Pacific. However, Sogavare rejected suggestions his government might give Beijing a military foothold in the region.

The nearby island nation of Kiribati also switched official relations to Beijing in 2019.

Meeting later with Sogavare, Xi said Beijing wants to expand relations and trade through its Belt and Road Initiative to build ports and other infrastructure from the Pacific across Asia and Africa.

China supports more Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in the region, Xi said, according to state TV. China understands that Pacific Island countries are facing severe challenges from climate change and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

China's Foreign Ministry said last week that Sogavare's visit would inject new momentum into relations and deepen mutual political trust."

Chinas efforts to develop closer relations with other Pacific governments have largely failed.

The Biden administration has responded by announcing plans to reopen an American Embassy in the Solomon Islands.

Biden convened a summit of Pacific Island leaders in September to unveil a strategy that included cooperation in climate change, maritime security and preventing overfishing.

Biden promised $810 million in new aid for Pacific Island nations over the next decade, including $130 million to address the effects of climate change.

Agreements signed Monday by Solomon Islands and Chinese officials included an implementation plan for police cooperation through 2025.
South Africans marvel at snow and sleet in Johannesburg during cold snap

The last time it snowed in Johannesburg was back in 2012

People have woken up to snow and sleet in South Africa's biggest city, Johannesburg, for the first time in over a decade.

South Africans are being warned to keep warm as a cold front sweeps across most of the country.

"No major disruptions have been caused by the snowfall at this stage," a spokesman for the South African Weather Service (Saws) has told the BBC.

Cold weather conditions are expected to continue through the week.

Many people in Johannesburg on Monday seem enchanted by the rare sight of snow in their city.

"Some of the pupils and I went out to explore... some of them had seen snow before whereas others thought it was raining," says primary school teacher Agnes Mideva.

Domestic worker Nobukhosi Stompie told the BBC she travelled through the snow on her way to work, and had never seen anything like it.

"We're keeping warm indoors so we're fine," says caretaker Billy Nxumalo. "Snow was everywhere, covering the fields near our neighbourhood - it was really beautiful to see."

Children in Gauteng province waste no time playing with the snow

As winter begins in the southern hemisphere nation, meteorologists are keeping a close eye on developments.

Snow has been reported in a number of provinces including the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and the Gauteng region which includes Johannesburg and Soweto.

Weather experts have advised initiation schools in the Eastern Cape to be extra vigilant over the next week as they keep watch over hundreds of teenage boys undergoing traditional circumcision rites on isolated mountainsides across the province, a practice seen as a rite of passage into manhood amongst the Xhosa ethnic group.

Farmers are also being advised to provide shelter for their livestock during the cold spell.

It is not clear what role climate change has played in the rare snowfall.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to depart on Monday for a summit with NATO leaders, seeking deeper international security cooperation amid rising North Korean threats and tension over China.

Yoon's attendance at the annual NATO gathering that begins in Lithuania on Tuesday, alongside the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand, will be followed by a three-day visit to Poland starting on Wednesday, his office said.

Yoon has been pushing for greater security ties with Europe and other U.S. allies to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, while raising its contributions to global challenges, including Russia's invasion in Ukraine and Sino-U.S. rivalry.

Last year, he attended the NATO summit for the first time as a South Korean leader, saying new conflicts and competition posed threats to universal values.

Yoon this year is looking to voice stronger messages against North Korea and step up cooperation on security, supply chains and the Ukraine war, a presidential official said.

He will hold bilateral talks with several European and Asia Pacific leaders on the sidelines of the summit, and separately adopt a new document with NATO to bolster bilateral cooperation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity.

"He would strengthen cooperation with NATO on North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats, and send a united warning that the international community will not tolerate North Korea's illegal activities," the official told reporters.

A U.S. ally and rising arms exporter, South Korea may face renewed pressure to provide weapons to Ukraine, which Yoon's administration has resisted, wary of Russian influence over North Korea. There had also been speculation in media that Yoon might visit Ukraine as part of the trip.

The official said Yoon has no plans to travel to Ukraine, but would highlight Seoul's commitment to restoring peace in Ukraine and explore aid packages with other countries.

In a written interview with The Associated Press published on Monday, Yoon said supplies to Ukraine, including de-mining equipment and ambulances, "are in the works" and vowed support for post-war reconstruction.

In Poland, which Yoon will visit for the first time as president, both sides are expected to discuss ways to boost economic and strategic ties, including in arms trade and nuclear energy.

Poland has emerged a key destination of South Korean defence exports as it seeks to beef up its military in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Last year, two South Korean companies signed a $5.76 billion contract with Poland to export tanks and howitzers, as part of South Korea's biggest ever arms deal.

Choi Sang-mok, senior presidential secretary for economic policy, said the Poland trip would also help reinforce supply chains, secure new export markets and expand cooperation in rebuilding Ukraine.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Yoon's visit in Poland could send a message of support for neighbouring Ukraine.

"The NATO summit would be a chance to reinforce cooperation with the countries that share values and norms," Park said. "While whether President Yoon will go to Ukraine remains to be seen, it is important to voice support and solidarity as a country that can directly help them."

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; additional reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
PROVIDENCE  SouthCoast Wind is denying allegations made by a state engineer that the company lied to regulators about permitting related to the $5 billion offshore wind farm it has proposed building off southern New England.

In a letter filed with utilities regulators late Friday, the joint venture between Shell and Ocean Winds said the accusations contained in an email from David Ciochetto, an ocean engineer who is part of the team that reviews offshore wind projects for the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, are false.

Contrary to the emails inaccurate assertions, SouthCoast Wind has and will continue to conduct its permitting and siting efforts in an open and transparent manner, diligently and in good faith, the company said in the filing with the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board. SouthCoast Wind has and will continue to work closely with federal and state regulators to satisfy their questions and concerns about this complex multi-jurisdictional project.

A rendering of a wind farm proposed by SouthCoast Wind.

SouthCoast Wind: CRMC is reviewing their Category B Assent application

In a June 29 email to the coordinator of the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board and sent in the wake of a public hearing before the board on the SouthCoast Wind project, Ciochetto said the company made false statements in testimony about the state of a permit application filed with the coastal council and about discussions with a board that advises the council on fishing impacts from offshore wind development. Ciochetto said that, contrary to what SouthCoast Wind told the siting board, an application with the coastal council for the wind farms transmission cable was not moving forward and that no talks with the Fishermens Advisory Board had occurred.

More on SouthCoast Wind: State engineer accuses SouthCoast Wind of lying to RI agencies. What the email says.

In its letter, SouthCoast Wind pushed back against Ciochettos assertion about its application for whats known as a Category B assent for the transmission cable that would run through state waters and lands to a substation at the site of the former Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset. The application was filed in February and, although it has not been officially accepted for review, SouthCoast Wind has had five meetings with coastal council staff to discuss it, the company said.

SouthCoast Winds filings with the Board for the Show Cause hearing fairly and accurately reported that the CRMC was currently reviewing the Category B Assent application, the letter said.

CRMC contradicts engineer's email that SouthCoast Wind has been 'evasive'

In a separate document filed Monday with the siting board, the coastal council said the sticking point for the application is that the company has failed to demonstrate that it has site control for the portion of the cable that would cut through Common Fence Point in Portsmouth.

Please know that with any application to the CRMC, site control over which an activity is proposed is required to be shown so that the CRMC and the public at-large have assurances that the proposed activity has the permission of said property owner to perform the activity, if and once permitted, the council said.

The council confirmed that discussions with the developer are continuing and that documentation on site control is anticipated. The letter also said Ciochettos email was not authorized by the council and contradicted his assertion that SouthCoast Wind had been evasive in its dealings with the coastal council.

Due to CRMCs concurrent review of three to four offshore wind projects at one time, information requests between CRMC and SCW have not always been consistent, the council said. However, when CRMC has made information requests regarding various aspects of the project, SCW has been responsive, timely, and delivered the appropriate deliverables.

More: Rhode Island is playing a key role in a pivotal year for offshore wind in America

Fishermen's Advisory Board still contends they never met with SouthCoast Wind

In its filing with the siting board, SouthCoast Wind also said it had met with members of the Fishermens Advisory Board in May 2022. The company gave a general overview of its project at that joint meeting with another panel that advises the coastal council, the Habitat Advisory Board. Moreover, during a Zoom meeting this past March that members of the FAB were invited to, the company presented its fisheries monitoring plan, according to the letter.

The company said it had also been negotiating with Marisa Desautel, the FABs lawyer, about setting up an escrow account to pay for her legal fees  a necessary next step in the FAB process, the letter said.

But Desautel, who said last week that she had not attended any meetings between the board and SouthCoast Wind, filed a letter with the siting board saying that the companys statement about the May 2022 meeting appears to be misplaced.

No substantive mitigation meetings have been held between the FAB and this developer, she said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Offshore wind developer says they didn't lie to Rhode Island regulators
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine listed the capabilities of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, which the US will send to Ukraine soon.

Source: Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defence, on Telegram

Details: Maliar stated that the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are included in the additional military aid package of the Ministry of Defence of the US for Ukraine.

She explained that this vehicle is equipped with a 25-mm Bushmaster automatic gun with an ammunition load of 900 projectiles, TOW launcher and a 7.62-mm machine gun. The armour-piercer of the gun is able to pierce up to 66 mm of armour, which is enough to destroy an infantry fighting vehicle from a distance of up to 2 km.

Ukraine received the first batch of such vehicles in the winter 2023.

The main task of an infantry fighting vehicle on the battlefield is fire support and transporting infantry, which can be perfectly fulfilled by the M2 Bradley IFV. One more important factor, which makes this fighting vehicle truly valuable for the Ukrainian military, is the protection it provides.

Maliar recalled a well-known incident, when the crew and landing party stayed safe and sound after a vehicle had been directly struck by a missile of the Grad multiple-launch rocket system. On another occasion, a Bradley IFV hit an anti-tank mine and had its turret directly struck by anti-tank cumulative ammunition. Crew and landing party have not been hurt.

Quote: "The Ukrainian defence forces state that Soviet infantry fighting vehicles are not even close to their American analogue in terms of the level of protection."

Background:

In the middle of June, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine showed the Bradley IFV after a direct strike, confirming its outstanding combat survivability.

On 7 July, the US Department of Defense released details of a new USD800 million military aid package to Ukraine, which includes dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), or cluster munitions.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






SpaceX launched 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 9 July, 2023 (SpaceX)

SpaceX has broken its own record for launching reused rockets after successfully completing a mission to deliver its Starlink satellites into orbit.

The company launched 22 of its internet satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday night, before landing the first stage booster on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

It was the 16th launch and landing for the B1058 Falcon 9 rocket booster, with SpaceX hoping it can achieve another four launches before finally being scrapped.

The Starlink satellites were deployed into low-Earth orbit roughly one hour after lift-off, further boosting SpaceXs space-based internet network.

There are now more than 4,000 active Starlink satellites in orbit around Earth, delivering high-speed internet to users.

The latest Starlinks are V2 Minis, which despite the name are larger than SpaceXs previous generation Starlinks. The upgraded satellites include 4x more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations, according to SpaceX.

They are mini versions of the V2 Starlink satellites, which are set to launch aboard SpaceXs giant Starship rocket as soon as it is operational.

Falcon 9s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing the first 16th launch and landing of a booster pic.twitter.com/bT70Zu2aKl  SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 10, 2023

SpaceX recently completed a six engine static fire test of its Starship rocket at its Starbase facility in Texas, having failed in its first ever orbital mission earlier this year.

The private space company has already secured multi-billion dollar contracts with Nasa to use the rocket as part of its Artemis lunar program, while SpaceX plans to use a fleet of the rockets to establish a permanent human colony on Mars before 2050.

Shortly after the latest satellites were deployed, SpaceX boss Elon Musk provided an update for its next-generation space craft, which is the biggest rocket ever built.

Looks like we can increase Raptor thrust by ~20 per cent to reach 9,000 tons (20 million lbs) of force at sea level... And deliver over 200 tons of payload to a useful orbit with full and rapid reusability, he wrote on Twitter.

Fifty rockets flying every three days on average enables over a megaton of payload to orbit per year  enough to build a self-sustaining city on Mars.

There is no fixed date for the next major orbital flight test of the Starship rocket, though Mr Musk has previously said that it will likely take place before September.
Spain's Minister of Energy Teresa Ribera poses for a portrait after an interview with Reuters at the ministry headquarters in Madrid

By Pietro Lombardi

MADRID (Reuters) - The European Union environment commissioner and Spain's energy minister increased pressure on European lawmakers on Monday to support a flagship law to restore nature so that negotiations among the bloc's institutions can start.

The European Parliament will vote on Wednesday on a European Commission proposal for a law to restore damaged environments.

The vote is expected to be close. The parliament's largest group, the conservative European People's Party, opposes it, saying that it would threaten food security. That claim was rejected by the European Commission and scientists.

"It looks like it will be a tight vote, but I hope that, at the end of the day, responsibility for the future wins," EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told a press conference.

He warned that, should the lawmakers vote down the proposal, the EU's executive arm would not table a new one as there would not be enough time before the EU Parliament election next June, adding that a rejection would "put a great shadow on our credibility" internationally.

On Tuesday, Sinkevicius will participate in a parliamentary debate on the proposal.

"I hope there will be those who want to listen, who want to engage," he said.

Sinkevicius' words echoed those of the Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera, who earlier on Monday said she hoped "the parliament reaches a position that supports this file".

Spain holds the EU rotating presidency until the end of the year, and on Monday Ribera kicked off an informal meeting of environment and energy ministers in Valladolid, northwest of Spain.

"It is very important not only to conserve but also to restore nature... There will be time to improve what we have on the table but for the time being, the best thing we can do is to achieve an agreement," Ribera said.

(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; Editing by Andrei Khalip, and Alex Richardson)
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's High Court on Monday shelved an investigation into the use of Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group's "Pegasus" software to spy on Spanish politicians, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and several ministers.

Judge Jose Luis Calama, whose court investigates crimes against government ministers, said the lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities made it impossible to keep the probe open, in a case that had "jeopardized the very security of the State".

Last year the government said Pegasus software was used to spy on ministers, triggering a political crisis in Spain that led to the resignation of its spy chief.

Calama said he had sent a letter of request to Israel several times asking for NSO Group's CEO to testify as a witness in the case, but there had been no response.

"This silence clearly shows a complete lack of legal cooperation on the part of the Israeli government. This leads us to presume that there will never be a response to the letter of request in question, which has been sent four times," Calama wrote in a judicial document.

Only a diplomatic push by the Spanish government could help advance the case now, he concluded.

The probe will be archived until there is a response to the letter of request, which Calama says is unlikely, or new evidence emerges.

Sanchez's phone was hacked five times between October 2020 and December 2021, while Defence Minister Margarita Robles' phone was hacked four times, the judicial document said.

As much as 2.6 gigabytes of data were extracted from Sanchez's phone between May 19 and May 21, 2021, according to the probe.

The phones of Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Agriculture Minister Luis Planas were also hacked.

The government did not elaborate on the circumstances of the spying on the ministers.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Charlie Devereux and Jan Harvey)
Special counsel Jack Smith says Trump aide is proposing an 'unnecessary' delay by trying to push a Friday hearing without any replacement date

Special counsel Jack Smith AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Jack Smith urged a federal judge to reject a Trump aide's efforts to further delay his case.

Smith wants Judge Aileen Cannon to refuse Walt Nauta's request to delay a Friday hearing.

Nauta's lawyers argued that they can't both be present for the hearing.

Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday urged a federal judge to reject Trump aide Walt Nauta's efforts to further delay his case related to former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents.

Smith asked Judge Aileen Cannon to refuse Nauta's request to delay a scheduled Friday hearing because one of his attorneys, will be attending an unrelated trial in Washington, D.C.

"An indefinite continuance is unnecessary, will inject additional delay in this case, and is contrary to the public interest," Smith wrote.

The special counsel and his team have at times struggled to keep the case against Nauta on track. The arraignment for Nauta, who remains employed by Trump, was delayed multiple times as Nauta struggled to find a local attorney. The Trump aide is a key part of the government's case against former President Donald Trump that alleges he obstructed efforts to obtain classified documents that he had in his possession.

The request on Nauta's behalf did not propose a new date for the hearing, only suggesting that the two sides find a time that "is mutually agreeable to all necessary counsel of record. Nauta's side also said that they need more time to obtain the necessary security clearances needed since the case deals with classified documents.

Smith was unpersuaded by either point. He suggested that Nauta's attorneys failed to give a good reason why he can't be represented by Sasha Dadan, his local Florida attorney at the hearing. Smith further said that Woodward has thus far failed to complete the necessary form required to receive an interim security clearance.

The special counsel had hoped to put Trump on trial in mid-December, but it is likely the former president will try to object to that timeframe. He and Nauta are also expected to respond to the trial timeline later today.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Spelman Colleges esteemed art collection will be hitting the road for its first-ever national tour.



Titled Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection, the touring exhibition will travel to five institutions across the United States.



In a statement, Dr. Liz Andrews, executive Director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, said that the tour is an exciting moment to expose more people to the colleges art collection.



Spelmans art collection has long been regarded as a hidden gem and we have lent individual works of art for many years. Now, we are excited to share a selection of works by artists who shape our collection with audiences around the United States for the first time, said Andrews. Our hope is that this tour will raise awareness of the work we are doing in Atlanta to uplift Black women artists.



The traveling exhibition is comprised of pieces from almost 40 artists from African descent spanning the 20th Century to present day. Artists featured in the exhibition include Amalia Amaki, Beverly Buchanan, Lorna Simpson, Lina Iris Viktor, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Silver Linings was originally curated by Andrews and Curator-in-Residence Karen Comer Lowe. The exhibition first ran at the Spelman Museum of Fine Art from March 2022 through June 2022 to celebrate the museums 25th anniversary.



The exhibitions tour will begin at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College from September 30, 2023, until January 22, 2024.

We are honored to be the first stop for Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection. I had the privilege of experiencing the exhibition firsthand in Atlanta and was immediately struck by the strength and depth of the collection as well as the organic synergies between the histories of Spelman and Vassar, as well as the visions guiding both institutions today, said Mary-Kay Lombino, Deputy Director.

Spelman College first began collecting art back in 1899. But the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art wasnt founded until 1996.

The post Spelman College Announces First National Tour of Art Collection appeared first on 21Ninety.
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School has named Jim Tawney as interim principal.

On Monday, St. Vincent- St. Mary High School announced the hiring of Jim Tawney as interim principal and Charmayne Polen as assistant principal.

The decision comes following last month's resignation of STVM President Leo Hyland.

Most recently, Tawney served as director at Our Lady of the Elms Lower School and is currently an adjunct professor in the math department at Walsh University. Polen was the chief operating officer and career tech administrator at Bio-Med Science Academy in Rootstown.

STVM president resigns: Resignation comes months after school announces principal to also step down

I am excited to become a part of the STVM community. With the help of the faculty, staff, and trust in Gods direction, I am confident that STVM will continue to move forward in a positive direction, Tawney said in a statement.

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School has named Charmayne Polen as assistant principal.

Polen said she's looking forward to the opportunity to join the school in the fall, and she's grateful for the welcome she's received so far.

"I am looking forward to collaborating with the dedicated staff, students, and the entire STVM family to advance the school's mission and uphold its cherished traditions. Together, we will create an environment that fosters the growth of students as both learners and leaders," Polen said in a statement.

Tawney and Polen, along with interim President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Butterworth and Assistant Principal Amie Hale, comprise the new leadership team for STVM. Tawney and Polen will be introduced to the Irish community in the upcoming weeks.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: STVM announces interim principal, new assistant principal
At least one fatality was confirmed after a slow-moving storm system brought torrential rainfall and life-threatening flooding to the Northeast on Sunday.

Orange County, located in New York state's Hudson Valley region, was among the hardest-hit areas on Sunday.

A woman in her mid-30s was killed when she tried to leave her house with her dog in Highlands, New York, according to Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, PIX11 reported. Neuhaus believes the victim's house floated away. According to officials, the dog and the victim's family were OK. Highlands is a town in Orange County about 40 miles north of New York City.

Multiple vehicles were trapped and submerged in floodwaters on Sunday in Orange County. Several roads were closed after they became impassable due to the rising waters.

Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police told The New York Times that several bridges had collapsed and many roads were impassable, including the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which is a heavily traveled road in the area.

The National Weather Service reported a portion of U.S. Highway 6 near Fort Montgomery, New York, collapsed west of the Palisades Interstate Parkway on Sunday evening. Several roads in the area were closed as water rescues took place. Highland Falls, a town in Orange County, was unreachable from Interstate 87 or Route 6 due to the flooding, according to News 12.

The Deputy Commissioner of Orange County, New York, Alan Mack told AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno and AccuWeather Senior Television Meteorologist Kristina Shalhoup that floodwaters on Sunday evening completely cut off the village of Highland Falls from surrounding areas.

"The roads have been washed out, and where they weren't, the low-lying roads were flooded," said Mack. "People that were there were stuck there and people on the outside, couldn't get in."

Mack said water levels receded a bit on Monday morning, allowing emergency officials to get in and set up a command post. He emphasized that people should remain off the roadways until the water fully recedes.

On Monday morning, the New York State Department of Transportation said flooding rain had caused more roads to close and additional closures were likely throughout the day.

Top rainfall reports from 24 hours ending Monday morning, July 10.

"Orange County experienced a one-in-1,000-years weather event [Sunday] night," New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press conference on Monday morning. "The rain has subsided, but the crisis is not over."

Late Sunday, Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County due to the deadly flash floods. Roughly an hour later, Hochul expanded the state of emergency to include Ontario County, which is located just southeast of Rochester, due to the significant flooding the area was experiencing.

"Make no mistake: This is our new normal," said Hochul. "We are the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change and the last generation with a shot at doing anything about it."

Just after 5 p.m. EDT, a flash flood emergency was issued in parts of the Hudson Valley. The highest rainfall total in New York on Sunday came from Putnam Valley, which is located 43 miles north of New York City. As of 8 a.m. EDT Monday, 10.49 inches of rain had been measured.

In this photo provided by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, water gushes under and over the Metro North train tracks along the Hudson River during a flash flood, Sunday, July 9, 2023, near Manitou, New York. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day, Monday. (Courtesy of the MTA via AP)

The Metro-North Railroad service between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie was suspended on Sunday due to the flooding rain and is expected to remain suspended through Monday.

"Due to the impact of severe storms in northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, leaving behind high water, trees, boulders and other debris, sections of Metro-North's Hudson Line tracks north of Croton-Harmon have become impassable," according to a press release from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Amtrak services between Albany, New York, and New York City have been "temporarily suspended" because of flood damage to the Metro-North tracks in the Hudson Valley.

Roads were transformed into raging rivers across Vermont on Monday morning as rain continued to fall across the Northeast.

According to the Vermont State Police, at least two dozen roads across the state have been closed due to flooding.

The National Weather Service office in Burlington issued a flash flood emergency in central Vermont on Monday morning. In fact, it is the first flash flood emergency to ever be issued in the state since the implementation of the alert in 2014, according to Rutgers University meteorology student Collin Gross.

A swift water rescue was conducted in Andover, Vermont, on Monday morning after 10 people became stranded once their campsite flooded, according to ABC22 Meteorologist Alex Wasilenko.

Water was rushing down to the entrance to Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont, on Monday morning. Construction trucks could be seen clearing debris and rocks from the water-logged roads in Ludlow.

The entrance to Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont right now as heavy rain continues. Video by my friend Pat Moore. pic.twitter.com/oBle9RL9qj  Tyler Jankoski NBC5  (@TylerJankoski) July 10, 2023

During a radio show on Monday morning, Mark Breen, the senior meteorologist at the Fairbanks Museum in Vermont, said Monday's flooding could end up being the "most significant flooding that we've seen since Tropical Storm Irene."

"Culverts are already being overwhelmed, and so there are going to be a lot of road washouts," Breen said on Vermont Public Radio. "It's just a significant situation; this is not just normal flooding."

In Montpelier, Vermont's capital city, the Winooski River crested at 20.88 feet late Monday night. Not only is this well within major flood stage, it is over a foot higher than what occurred during Irene.

Flood watches and warnings were still active across a large swath of the Northeast on Monday morning. Many areas from New Jersey to Maine will have a heightened flash flood risk on Monday as showers linger. AccuWeather meteorologists say downpours will gradually ease from west to east on Monday and Tuesday.

Flooding across a road in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, on July 9, 2023. (Michael Woytowiez/Twitter)

In central Pennsylvania, some of the first reports of flooding occurred around 12 p.m. EDT in Juniata County, where roads were washed out. As the rain moved east, a bevy of flooding reports came in for the eastern part of the state into the evening.

Trained spotters reported a water rescue was underway for a truck trapped in flooding in Berks County, Pennsylvania, just before 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Several roads in the area were also impassable due to the rising water, including U.S. Highway 22 and Pennsylvania Route 309.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

As the deluge of rain moved northeast, emergency management officials in Durham Township, Pennsylvania, -- located about 12 miles southeast of Allentown -- reported evacuations due to rising water in the area.

The highest rainfall total came from Chalfont, Pennsylvania, which is located 20 miles north of Philadelphia. A total of 8.01 inches of rain was reported in Chalfont as of 10 p.m. EDT Sunday. Reading, Pennsylvania, recorded 5.35 inches of rain on Sunday, breaking its daily maximum rainfall record previously set in 1952.

AccuWeather's preliminarily estimate of the total damage and economic loss from the heavy rain and significant flooding in the Northeast over the weekend is between $3-5 billion. AccuWeather's damage estimate incorporates independent methods to evaluate direct and indirect impacts of the storm, including both insured and uninsured losses, and is based on a variety of sources, statistics, and unique techniques AccuWeather uses to estimate the damage, to property, job and wage losses, crops, infrastructure damage, interruption of the supply chain, auxiliary business losses and flight delays or cancellations.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
State police release more details on crash near Milesburg that killed an Indiana family

State police at Rockview released the report for the fatal Interstate 80 crash that killed three people at the end of June.

Three members of the Feick family  Thomas Feick, 48, his wife Catherine Feick, 49, and their son, 18-year-old Derek Feick, of Porter County, Indiana, died after two related crashes just after midnight on June 20. The crashes happened near Milesburg on I-80.

The Kia Soul carrying the three members of the Feick family crossed the yellow dashed line and struck a tractor-trailer, causing both vehicles to strike the guide rail on the right side of the road, according to the crash report. The Kia ricocheted off the guide rail and stopped in the right lane on its side, while the tractor-trailer overturned down the embankment.

The 60-year-old driver of the trailer-trailer was transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center with minor injuries.

A second crash, involving another tractor-trailer and the Kia Soul, resulted in the deaths of all three members of the Feick family.

An intervening bystander who was walking on foot to approach the first crash scene was struck by the passenger car due to the force of collision when it was struck by the tractor-trailer, police wrote in a release last month. The pedestrian was transported to UPMC Altoona with serious injuries.

The Feicks dog, which had reportedly been in the vehicle and was not found at the scene, has not been located.
Steve Bannon was ordered Monday to pay nearly $500,000 to his former legal team.

The law firm of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron sued the former White House adviser in February, claiming hed paid only $375,000 of the more than $850,000 he owed for legal representation across multiple years.

Bannon, 69, argued that he paid in full and terminated his relationship with the firm in January 2022.

But the lawyers successfully convinced Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arlene Bluth that Bannon continued using their services through November 2022 and owed an additional $480,487.87.

Bannon cannot receive the benefit of plaintiffs legal representation and then insist he need not pay for it. And [Bannon] did not claim, for instance, that the partial payments he made were limited solely to the [Manhattan Federal Court] case, Bluth wrote.

Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, a well-known firm that once feuded with New York Knicks owner James Dolan after Dolan banned them from his properties, including Madison Square Garden over a separate lawsuit, began representing Bannon in November 2020.

At that time, Bannon had been charged in federal court with fraud. Along with three other men, Bannon was accused of establishing a fake fund-raiser to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, then taking the money for himself.

Then-President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon in the federal case hours before his term ended. The other three accused fraudsters were convicted and sentenced to multiple years in prison.

But Bannons legal troubles did not end there. He was later subpoenaed by the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee. Davidoff Hutcher & Citron helped Bannon fight the subpoena, but the efforts eventually ended with Bannon being sentenced to four months behind bars. That sentence has been stayed pending appeal.

While Trump pardoned Bannon in the federal fraud case, he was later charged in New York State court in connection with the same scheme. Between those charges being filed and his February 2023 court appearance, Bannon changed attorneys.

The trial on money laundering charges is scheduled for May 2024.

Bannon promised to appeal Mondays ruling, according to NBC News.
A picture taken on July 28, 2022 shows the entry of a United Nations aid convoy through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey (Ahmad al-ATRASH)

A UN-brokered agreement that allows for the delivery of aid overland from Turkey into rebel-held areas of Syria expired on Monday after the Security Council failed to hold a vote to reauthorize it.

The 15 members of the council had been trying for days to find a compromise to extend the deal, which since 2014 has allowed for food, water and medicine to be trucked to northwestern Syria without the authorization of the government in Damascus.

But the vote, first scheduled for Friday, was postponed to Monday -- and then again to Tuesday morning, a source in the British mission to the UN, which holds the presidency of the Security Council, told AFP.

This means that as humanitarian convoys wrapped up their operations Monday night, the future of the aid corridor was in doubt -- it cannot resume operations until the United Nations reauthorizes it.

The aid mechanism originally allowed for four entry points into rebel-held Syria, though now only the Bab al-Hawa crossing remains passable. The accord comes up for renewal every six months due to pressure from Damascus ally Moscow.

The crossing provides for more than 80 percent of the needs of people living in rebel-controlled areas -- everything from diapers and blankets to chickpeas. The government in Damascus regularly denounces the aid deliveries as a violation of its sovereignty.

Negotiations continued all day at the UN Monday as officials scrambled to reach a last-minute deal but ultimately failed.

"We want to do all we can for the 4.1 million people in Syria who desperately need aid," British Ambassador and Security Council President Barbara Woodward said earlier in the day.

"We are still working very, very hard to find common ground with one and one goal only in mind: it's the humanitarian imperative, the needs on the ground," Swiss ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl said.

According to several diplomatic sources, the latest resolution -- drafted by Switzerland and Brazil -- would have allowed for a one-year renewal, as demanded by humanitarian workers.

But Russia, which in July 2022 vetoed a one-year extension, was again insisting it would only agree to another six-month deal, according to the same sources.

Switzerland and Brazil are now said to have put a nine-month renewal on the table.

UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths had last week again called for the opening of more crossing points, for at least 12 months.

The situation "is intolerable for the people of the northwest, and those brave souls who help them to go through these ups and downs every six months," he said, pointing out that humanitarian agencies have to bring pre-positioned stock into the country every time access is threatened, in case the crossing is closed.

According to the UN, four million people in Syria depend on humanitarian assistance to survive following years of conflict, economic strife and devastating earthquakes.

After the earthquake in February, which killed tens of thousands of people in the country, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the opening of two additional crossings, which remain open despite the Security Council's failure to reauthorize the Bab al-Hawa crossing Monday.

The authorization for the other two corridors is set to expire in mid-August.

"I have every hope that they will continue to be renewed. I see no reason why not," Griffiths said last week, after having met Assad in Damascus at the end of June.

Since the earthquake, more than 3,700 UN trucks carrying aid have passed through the three checkpoints. The majority have passed through Bab al-Hawa, including 79 Monday.

abd-caw/nro/dw
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius.

Source: Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius, reported by European Pravda

Details: Stoltenberg said that this summit should bring Ukraine closer to NATO.

"We will upgrade our political ties. President Zelenskyy will join us at the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council," Stoltenberg said.

Earlier, in an interview with the European Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said that no final decision had been made regarding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's attendance at the 11-12 July NATO summit in Vilnius.

On 7 July, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also announced that President Zelenskyy would take part in the NATO Summit in Vilnius next week as part of the launch of a new format for Ukraine's cooperation with the Alliance. Stoltenberg did not specify the format of the president's participation in the meeting.

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illustration: lex villlena; source images

Philadelphia has some of the strangest museums in the country. There is a Dental Museum with buckets of teeth, a museum dedicated to insects, and Pizza Brain, featuringpizza. But the strangest collection must be the Mutter Museum.

Part of the College of Physicians, the museum houses a vast store of medical oddities dating back to the 1850s. Although not large, the two-story institution houses hundreds of specimens and maintains a 19th century feel. Visitors can see part of Albert Einstein's brain, tumors removed from American presidents, and the death cast of the "Siamese twins" Chang and Eng Bunker, who died in 1874. The collection of skulls and diseased body parts defies description. One of my favorite exhibits is a large set of drawers filled with bizarre objects that people have swallowed (including, as I recall, a cast metal toy ship).

As much as I loved the Mutter, I have been careful to bring only visitors I thought would enjoy it. Some people prefer to keep their distance from a display of a 9-foot human colon.

Some people think we should all keep our distance from certain exhibits. The Philly Voice thinks it may be unethical to display human remains without the consent of the dead, even if the death occurred over a hundred years ago. The Philadelphia Inquirer and ProPublica have urged the museum to return roughly 50 American Indian remains to their respective tribes. Mother Jones has equated displays like those at the Mutter as examples of "grave robbing."

These complaints appear to have stung Kate Quinn, executive director of the museum, and Mira Irons, CEO of the College of Physicians. Quinn has removed almost all of the museum's popular and informative YouTube videos, which often featured in-depth discussion of the many examples of diseases and medical anomalies in the museum's collections. The videos had 13.5 million views, according to Stanley Goldfarb, a prior president of the college. Quinn writes on the museum's website that the removals may be "temporary," depending on the decisions of the inevitable "panel of experts."

Goldfarb, who wrote recently about this sad turn of events in The Wall Street Journal, reports that over a quarter of the Mutter's employees have quit in protest. "As an ex officio member of the College of Physicians Board," he tells Reason, "I see the emails describing the concerns of the staff." One of the museum's largest supporters, former Mutter director Robert Hicks, thinks the changes are "absolutely intolerable," Goldfarb says. "Robert had planned to bequeath his estate to the museum and had now removed them from his will." (Hicks did not immediately respond to request for comment.)

Quinn responded to Goldfarb's Journal article with a letter inviting him to join the review panel. But Goldfarb tells me that Quinn hasn't followed up, and he doubts that the panel will be bringing the content back online.

"Some of the exhibits offend people's sensibilities," Goldfarb adds. "The whole point of these displays is to offend sensibilities, to bring attention to what happened to these people. A lot of people don't get it. I am not offended by the displays, and I don't think most people are either."

Both Goldfarb and a staffer who asked not to be identified worry the endgame will be to close the Mutter collection to the public and let it be available only to physicians.

The Mutter has fans around the world, including the magician Teller, of Penn and Teller fame, who discussed the museum in their book How to Play in Traffic. "Neither your suffering nor mine, viewed in isolation, does the human race much good," he wrote. "We are valuable to medicine only when we become part of a pattern."

The Mutter is 160 years old, and it is gorgeous. The display cases are all beautifully polished wood and glass. Gleaming old-school brass railings line the galleries. A collection of 139 skulls is especially compelling. Many are accompanied by descriptions that read like short stories, "Simon Juhrer, 19. Linz, Austria. Suicide, Hung himself because of an unhappy love affair." Some just list names and occupations. Fisherman, Sharpshooter, Maidservant, Idiot. A soap lady died of yellow fever in 1874; the fat in her body turned to a material called adipocere, eerily described as "like a semi-hard cheese."

My favorite is the skeleton of Carol Orzel. Carol suffered from fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, where bones grow where they do not belong. Carol worked to raise awareness of this disease, and before she died in April 2018, at the age of 58. she bequeathed her body to the Mutter with one caveat: Her skeleton must always be displayed with the costume jewelry she loved to wear. A glittering tiara and pins of cats and dogs sit on velvet beside her badly deformed bones.

These exhibits not only demonstrate the terrible things that can happen to a human being. They remind us that every one of these remains were once living people, often surviving for years with debilitating diseases that confounded the physicians of their day.

There are things that you might expect to see at the Mutter but will not. When my daughter volunteered there years ago, a box arrived on her desk with a donation that at first confused her. When she realized that she was looking at a shrunken head, she put the box aside as a rejection. The Mutter Museum displays medical anomalies. It is not a sideshow meant to shock.

Irons, the college CEO, has suggested that only physicians know how to view the Mutter's offerings properly. When physicians see the specimens, she told WHYY, "we can contextualize the stories of those patients in our minds as we're going through it. It's kind of natural for us." Apparently, lowly laymen are incapable of such difficult concepts.

A staffer at the museum told me a story that I cannot stop thinking about. "When people get life-changing diagnoses, sometimes they come here. A man walked in and asked to see the exhibit with metastatic brain tumors. I took him to see it, and he looked at it for a long time. Then he explained that he had been diagnosed with the disease and that he 'wanted to see what I am up against.' I was kind of shocked, but I get it. He didn't want to just read through the stack of print-outs the doctor's office gave him. He wanted to see the disease for himself. He left the museum looking a lot more peaceful than when he entered. I've seen something like this a few times."

That staffer also told me that some displays had been removed from a room off the museum's entrance, and that there were plans to take away an iron lung displayed along with a photo of a crammed polio ward. My grandchildren ran up to the long green steel and glass tube when they entered the museum. The 5-year-old asked what an iron lung was. That day, these kids learned about how this devastating disease was once treated, and how science conquered this terrible illness.

To remove this collection of irreplaceable history because some people are uncomfortable with the displays is a mistake. These remains were human beings. They lived, loved, laughed, suffered, and died. They have left us a unique collection of information that shows us how they lived and what happened to them, and that reminds us of the fragile lives we all lead.

On Carol Orzel's birthday, the same staffer told me, museum staff gather at her exhibit and remove some of her cherished jewelry and refill the case with other bracelets and pins to be displayed for the new year. "She gave us a suitcase of the stuff, and we can only display a little at a time." They worry they may not be allowed to continue the tradition as leadership tightens up. That would be a shame; this small ritualof which Quinn says she has no knowledgedemonstrates that the museum's purpose of edifying the public can exist alongside the kind of care and respect that human remains demand.

The post A Strange Museum Takes a Strange Turn appeared first on Reason.com.
Help is available for Jacksonvilles homeless population looking to escape the sweltering heat.

Sulzbachers Urban Rest Stop is open daily until 5:30 p.m.

It provides air-conditioned areas for people who do not have beds in the shelter.

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Read: 2 newborn girls die after they were found in bathroom at child care center

Water, meals and medical care are also available.

On any day when temperatures reach 95 degrees or above, unsheltered women can stay overnight at the rest stop located at 611 East Adams Street.

Unsheltered men can stay overnight at the City Rescue Mission located at 234 West State Street.

Sulzbacher provides several services for the citys homeless, including daily meals, medical care, safe shelter, job training and job placement.

For more information, visit www.sulzbacherjax.org.

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Supposedly exiled Wagner boss Prigozhin pledged his loyalty to Putin in a face-to-face meeting just days after he ignited an armed revolt, Kremlin says

Prigozhin was supposedly exiled to Belarus  but recent appearances in Russia have raised questions over what's next for him, the Wagner mercenaries, and Russian military leadership. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images; Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Putin met with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders days after their failed mutiny, the Kremlin said.

The parties discussed Wagner's role in the war and its armed rebellion, but the details are murky.

Wagner commanders, including Prigozhin, pledged their loyalty to Putin.

What exile?

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin met face-to-face for a lengthy talk just days after the mercenary group's failed mutiny last month.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said Putin, Prigozhin, and other Wagner commanders met for three hours in the Kremlin on June 29, according to TASS. At the time, a deal had been brokered for Prigozhin and Wagner troops to exile to Belarus in order to avoid prosecution.

The parties met just five days after Wagner's brief but armed rebellion against Russian military leadership on June 24, which almost ended in a march on Moscow.

Peskov said that during the meeting, Putin "gave his assessment" of Wagner's "actions on the frontline during the special military operation and the June 24 events," while also listening to Wagner's explanations for the mutiny.

Then, Putin offered Wagner commanders "further options for employment and further use in combat," Peskov said, while Wagner  including Prigozhin  pledged their loyalty to Putin.

"They emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Fatherland," Peskov said.

Prigozhin has been quite hard to pin down since Wagner's mutiny, supposedly being exiled to Belarus but appearing in St. Petersburg as recently as last week. He may not have even been in Belarus at all, instead using a body double.

It's unclear what the future of Russia's military and Wagner's role in Ukraine look like. The Kremlin's announcement of this meeting comes as analysts and critics suggested Putin's grip on power may be weakening.

The Russian president has ruled with an iron fist for 20 years, but his blunders in Ukraine and infighting between Wagner and Russian military leadership have raised questions about the stability of his position.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Suspect arrested, charged with murder in second shooting death in Endicott this month

A suspect is in custody following a second shooting death in July in the Village of Endicott.

Police officers responded to Fillmore Avenue in the village shortly after midnight Saturday in response to a call and discovered a person with an apparent gunshot wound, according to the Endicott Police Department.

The male victim, whose name has not been released, was transported to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City, where he later died, police said.

During the investigation, officers developed information that a suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle.

The suspect, identified by police as Antoine C. Loup Jr., of North Arthur Avenue in Endicott, was later located on East Main Street and arrested around 2:10 a.m. by village police.

Related Johnson City man charged with felonies after shooting incident gets five years in prison

Police charged Loup with second-degree murder. He was arraigned in Broome County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and committed to the Broome County Jail without bail.

The investigation revealed Loup and the victim knew each other and this was not a random act, according to police, who added the incident was not related to a fatal shooting July 1 on Adams Avenue in the village.

In that situation, 25-year-old Moelique Dawson of Endicott was found shot at around 1:30 by police officers responding to a gunfire complaint.

Police are still searching for a suspect in Dawson's death.

The Endicott Police Department was assisted in the latest investigation by New York State Police and the Broome County Sheriff's Office.

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Murder charge for suspect in shooting death of Broome County man
Suspect claimed he was held at gunpoint by other suspect during Columbus bank robbery

Kenneth L. Parker, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus, speaks at a press conference Saturday announcing an arrest stemming from the Thursday armed robbery spree and shootout with Columbus police on Interstate 70. Beside him is (from left) Assistant US Attorney Noah Litton, US Deputy Marshal Dan Deville, US Marshal Michael Black, ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick.

As Faisal Darod was walked out of a U.S. District courtroom Monday afternoon in handcuffs, he saw uniformed police everywhere.

More than 50 uniformed officers from Columbus police and other central Ohio jurisdictions, nearly two dozen of whom were not able to get a seat in the courtroom, made their presence felt in the hallway, silently watching Darod pass.

The 23-year-old North Linden resident is one of two suspects facing federal charges in a crime spree that included a bank robbery and shootout that left an alleged accomplice dead and a Columbus police officer critically wounded.

During a court hearing on Monday afternoon in the federal courthouse in Columbus, Darod was ordered to be held without bond by Magistrate Judge Kimberly Jolson pending a formal detention hearing that is scheduled for Wednesday. Darod's first name had previously been misspelled on court records as "Fazsal" but was corrected during his first court appearance on Monday.

The U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of Ohio has already said they intend to ask that Darod be held without bond until his trial.

The other defendant charged in the case, 20-year-old Aden A. Jama, of Reynoldsburg, was scheduled to have a hearing Monday afternoon in Illinois, where attorneys there are also expected to request Jama be held without bond. Then, the process will begin to extradite Jama, who was arrested Saturday afternoon while trying to take a flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Turkey, back to Columbus.

Both men are currently charged with aiding and abetting a bank robbery and aiding and abetting the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence. They each face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Police vehicles on I-70 at Mound Street near Downtown surround a stolen Porsche Cayenne SUV, just beneath the I-71 South sign, as officers responded to a Columbus police officer shot by robbery suspects Thursday afternoon.

Darod and Jama are accused of being part of a trio of men who stole a Porsche Cayenne SUV at gunpoint around 2:15 p.m. Thursday from the Byers Imports car lot at 401 N. Hamilton Road in Whitehall. Around 4 p.m. that day, they are accused of taking about $90,000 during an armed robbery at a Fifth Third Bank branch at 2455 Hilliard Rome Road on Columbus' Far West Side.

Timeline of crime spree events: Timeline: How bank robbery, shooting that injured Columbus officer happened

The Byers dealership had provided GPS coordinates on the stolen Porsche SUV, and Whitehall police had followed it to the bank and attempted to block it in. However, body camera video from Whitehall police shows the Porsche ramming one of the vehicles and then speeding away.

About seven minutes later, Columbus police officers located the vehicle, which was on Interstate 70 eastbound near West Mound Street and gave pursuit. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the I-70 east lanes near West Mound Street in South Franklinton, where police say at least one person inside the vehicle began shooting at officers and eight officers returned fire.

One Columbus police officer, who has not been identified, was hit by a bullet that entered the upper part of a leg. He was rushed by his partner in critical condition to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, Downtown, where he underwent emergency surgery and was later upgraded to stable condition.

One suspect who was inside the vehicle, identified Monday by the Franklin County Coroner's office as Abdisamad Ismail, 19, died at the scene of the shooting.

The two other suspects, now identified as Darod and Jama, ran from the scene on foot over a hillside from I-70 into the area of Mount Calvary Cemetery and the Franklin County Children's Services building in South Franklinton, kicking off a massive manhunt that involved dozens of law enforcement officers, search dogs and the Columbus police helicopter unit.

Darod was arrested around 1:30 a.m. Friday outside a home in North Linden. Jama was arrested Saturday afternoon at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport while trying to board a flight to Turkey.

Darod's cellphone seized by authorities reportedly included he had been searching for flights out of the country.

According to the complaints filed in the case, Columbus police officers were able to look at cellphone tower data from the area of the robbery of the Byers Imports lot located in Whitehall, as well as the area of the Fifth Third Bank branch on Hilliard Rome Road that was robbed.

One cellphone number was shown to be at both locations at the times of the robberies and police were able to track that phone to a CashApp account linked to Darod, which was confirmed in other police reports related to Darod as being his phone number.

Additional online searches of social media accounts resulted in the location of photos of Darod wearing a shirt similar to one worn by one of the suspects who fled the scene of the shooting, according to court records.

Darod was arrested inside a vehicle that was stopped near the area of his home on the 1200 block of John G. McCoy Circle. Court records state that Darod admitted to being in the stolen Porsche on Thursday.

However, court records state that Darod reportedly told investigators that Ismail had "pointed a gun at him and demanded that he drive them to the Fifth Third Bank."

Darod also said Ismail "told him if he left the car he would start shooting," according to court records. Darod was initially released so additional investigation could be done.

Darod also reportedly told investigators he had been hanging out with Jama in Reynoldsburg prior to meeting up with Ismail.

Court records said another Fifth Third Bank, located at 1669 Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington, had been robbed on Wednesday by suspects in a black Chevy Corvette. According to the complaint, the Corvette matched a vehicle that had been stolen earlier in the week in Minerva Park. Darod's phone also was found to have been at both of those scenes, court records state.

During a search of the Porsche after the shooting, police reportedly found a Corvette key fob inside a bag that held the approximately $90,000 money taken from the Fifth Third Bank branch on Thursday. The bag also appeared consistent with one seen in photos on Darod's social media profiles, according to court records.

Darod was arrested a second time early Friday morning outside a residence on East Weber Road. He is currently being held in the Franklin County jail and is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday afternoon. The U.S. Attorney's office has indicated they will be asking that Darod be held in detention pending his trial.

The complaint filed against Jama states video from a women's shelter where Darod and Jama fled showed the men walking into the shelter before being turned away. Court records said Darod and Jama spoke 12 times on the phone between July 3 and Thursday.

Cellphone data also showed Darod going from the shooting scene to a hotel on Morse Road, where a vehicle was seen dropping Darod and Jama off. Hotel surveillance footage shows the two men together in the hotel lobby wearing the same clothing they were believed to be wearing at the time of the shooting.

A text message from Darod to Jama's phone number that was timestamped at 1:33 p.m. Thursday included the address for the Byers Imports car lot, which was 41 minutes before the robbery was reported there.

On Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Litton would not comment on whether Darod, Jama and Ismail were part of a larger criminal organization.

Efforts by The Dispatch to speak with the families of the three suspects on Monday were not successful.

Brian Steel, a Columbus police officer and executive vice president for the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, said Monday that the officer wounded Thursday remains hospitalized in stable condition. The dozens of officers who had gathered at the federal courthouse on Monday were planning to head to his bedside at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center afterward to continue to show their support to him and his family.

"A bullet does massive damage to internal organs," Steel said. "He has a long, long road to recovery."

Related article on police shootings: How often are police shot? Here's what we know in wake of Columbus shooting

Steel said police are confident in the ability of federal justice system to hold the suspects accountable.

"The weight of the U.S. government is about to come down on him," Steel said of Darod.

Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant, who was also at Monday's hearing, said the toll of having two shooting incidents involving officers within 72 hours  the I-70 shootout and Saturday's shooting involving Columbus police and a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy and a gunman outside a Walgreen's  is something that officers are mindful of, but having suspects in custody helps.

"We want justice for our officers, city residents and for our men and women in blue who go out every day to protect Columbus," the chief said. "Obviously (these shootings) have had a toll on officers, involved and officers across the department. But we're going to do everything we can to recover from this."

Related article on Marsy's Law: Why haven't the Columbus police officers involved in last weeks shootout been named?

Also on Monday, Columbus police formally denied a public records request from The Dispatch that sought to obtain police body camera video from the I-70 shooting. The Division of Police cited several sections of Ohio law related to Marsy's Law, which protects the rights of crime victims, as well as sections of public records law that provide an exception for records that show grievous physical harm to a first responder.

Dispatch reporters Jordan Laird and Jack Nimesheim contributed to this story.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New details in Columbus bank robbery, shooting that injured officer
Sweden tries to break Turkish resistance in NATO talks

Anti-Koran protests in Sweden have stirred anger in Turkey and other parts of the Muslim world (Yasin AKGUL)

Sweden's prime minister will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in a last-gasp attempt to bridge a diplomatic impasse over his Nordic state's stalled NATO membership drive.

The high-stakes talks on the eve of an alliance summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius come with NATO keen to demonstrate unity in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine.

NATO and the White House both fear the Kremlin is trying to use its strong ties with Turkey to seed divisions among Western allies.

US President Joe Biden is expected to raise the issue when he meets Erdogan on the sidelines of the two-day event.

Erdogan has voiced repeated frustrations with what he calls Sweden's failure to keep its promise to deal with suspected Kurdish militants allegedly "roaming the streets" of Stockholm.

"Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction," Erdogan's office quoted the Turkish leader as telling Biden in a call Sunday.

But Sweden's decision to allow pro-Kurdish groups to "hold demonstrations freely praising terrorism nullify those steps," Erdogan said.

Erdogan's stance is being supported by Kremlin-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The two countries remain the only NATO members still standing in the way of the unanimous ratification needed for Sweden to become the 32nd member of the US-led bloc.

Hungary has strongly signalled it will follow Erdogan's lead and approve Sweden's membership should Turkey give its green light.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg hopes to emerge from Monday's meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson with a Turkish commitment of support.

- 'Best decision' -

Analysts had hoped Erdogan would soften his stance after a hard-fought May election that he won by playing up his nationalist credentials to his conservative base.

The dispute stems from a deal Turkey signed with Sweden and Finland after the neighbours ended decades of military non-alignment and sought shelter under the nuclear umbrella afforded by NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine.

An agreement Stoltenberg finessed at last year's NATO summit committed Sweden and Finland to toughen their anti-terrorism legislation and hand suspected militants to Turkey.

Erdogan harboured far fewer grievances against Finland and Helsinki was formally welcomed into the alliance on April 4.

Sweden has since amended its legislation and also lifted an arms embargo it had imposed on Turkey after Erdogan launched a unilateral incursion into northern Syria in 2019.

The Swedish government last month also agreed to extradite a man convicted of drug trafficking who had supported the pro-Kurdish PKK militia -- a first that Stoltenberg played up in public remarks last week.

But Erdogan has seized on Swedish police decisions to allow pro-PKK demonstrations and protests at which anti-Islamic figures have burned pages from the Koran.

One such protest late last month ignited shows of anger across the Muslim world.

The Swedish government has issued a formal condemnation of the "Islamophobic" act.

But it also stressed that Sweden had a "constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration."

Erdogan has hinted that he was still open to persuasion and that his mind was not yet made up.

Turkey will "make the best decision (on Sweden's membership), whatever it is," he said on Thursday.

zak/gw/rox
Turkiye did not set any conditions for Kyiv to return Azov commanders

Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraines Ambassador to Turkiye, has said that Turkiye had not set any conditions for the return of the commanders who defended Mariupol.

Source: Bodnar on air with Svoboda Ranok (Liberty Morning), a Radio Liberty project

Quote from Bodnar: "In fact, no conditions have been put forward that I am aware of for the return of our military. On the contrary, this is precisely the peculiar nature of this position of the Turkish side as a mediator, which provides so-called good services to keep the process going. Its role, of course, is also important in this process. As its rating rises."

Details: Bodnar has also said that the negotiations on setting the commanders free lasted several months. And "the entire diplomatic vanguard" had been involved in this process.

He said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had raised this particular issue during previous phone conversations with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Bodnar believes that Ankara is interested in this operation because it strengthens Turkiyes position in the international arena and in communication with Russia.

"Let's not assume that this is just a kind gesture towards Ukraine. It is also a strengthening of Turkiyes position in communication with the Russian side," the ambassador said.

Background:

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Is your tactical vehicle supervisor toxic? The Corps wants to know

As the Marine Corps continues to face pressure from Congress and critics to address deadly vehicle mishaps, it rolled out a survey soliciting Marine drivers feelings about their training  and their bosses.

A Marine administrative message published in May by the commandant of the Marine Corps safety division invited vehicle operators to fill out an 18-question survey, including some open-ended questions, that addressed experiences and concerns about driving for the Corps.

The message made clear that the service is investigating the human factors behind mishaps, citing a 2021 Government Accountability Office report that found human error, both on the part of drivers and the leaders they answered to, was responsible for the majority of tactical vehicle mishaps.

The online survey will be used to gain a better understanding of how tactical vehicle operators view a variety of topics, including the quality of training, level of proficiency, and greatest challenges, the message states. Participants will also be given the opportunity to provide direct feedback via personal responses.

Marine acquitted of manslaughter, negligent homicide in fatal rollover

Unlike many Marine Corps-created surveys, the vehicle operator survey was not CAC-enabled and could be accessed online by anyone. If a survey respondent says they were neither an incidental or a school-trained tactical vehicle driver, they were directed away from the survey. Otherwise it opened up into the full list of questions.

Drivers were asked to provide demographic information, including rank, gender, current division or installation, and driving background, but were not asked for their names. The survey emphasized all information collected would remain anonymous. And data will be reported in the aggregate to shield individual responses.

The first set of questions asked Marines to indicate whether their training and certification programs prepared them properly to drive tactical vehicles, from strongly disagree to strongly agree, with space to enter additional comments about training. Later, Marines were asked to use the same scale to evaluate the statement, I feel undue pressure from supervisors to execute tactical vehicle operator tasks.

Next, Marines were asked to rank the top five factors that most frequently contribute to ground vehicle mishaps, and separately, the top five factors that most affect vehicle safety. The options they could select included: driving error; inattention; fatigue; insufficient experience; inadequate training; supervisory issues; maintenance issues; weather; and vehicle design flaws, among others.

Finally, respondents arrived at a series of open-ended questions soliciting their own experiences. They were asked to describe the greatest challenges drivers face before, during and after a tactical movement, and to retell positive and negative experiences theyve had with assistant drivers, or A-drivers, and with vehicle commanders.

Respondents were asked to describe an experience in which theyve felt unsafe as a driver, and then, in conclusion, asked for their own ideas to make tactical vehicle operation safer.

The answers generated from the survey, which was open until July 7, will be compiled and analyzed by the safety division and used to inform policy changes and improvements.

As always, the goal is to maximize the proficiency and lethality of our forces while minimizing injury to Marine and Sailors, and decreasing equipment damages and loss, the message states.

While the GAO report showed that the number of serious tactical vehicle mishaps in the Marine Corps had remained relatively stable at about five per year between 2010 and 2019, with a peak of nine mishaps in 2012, public scrutiny of preventable errors and misjudgments has led to high-level calls for change.

In May 2019, Marine 1st Lt. Conor McDowell, a vehicle commander with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, was killed when his light armored vehicle rolled into a ditch during training at Camp Pendleton, California. An investigation would find McDowell was not at fault, but that the sheer and uneven terrain in the training area was responsible for the tragedy.

Advocacy by McDowells father, Michael McDowell, led to the creation of a two-year pilot program, passed as part of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, that would put black box data recorders on more tactical vehicles in hopes of gathering better data about how and when mishaps take place.

A recent military trial also highlighted the reality, addressed by the survey, that sometimes Marine vehicle operators are pushed into unsafe situations by their chain of command.

In April, Lance Cpl. Luis Ponce-Barrera was acquitted of manslaughter and negligent homicide in a court-martial at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Ponce-Barrera had been the driver in a Jan. 2022 7-ton truck rollover at a highway intersection near the base that killed two Marines and left all the other Marine passengers injured. While Ponce-Barreras driving was the proximate cause of the mishap, his defenders  including some of the parents of the Marine victims  rallied around him, pointing out that hed never driven a 7-ton with a turret top until that day, was new to driving military vehicles and hadnt even gotten his civilian drivers license when he reported for training the previous year.

McDowell has told Marine Corps Times he is still pushing for additional safety measures, including legislation that would create a new Pentagon position to investigate and hold senior leaders accountable for safety breakdowns and mishaps that happen within their chain of command.
Investing Tax

Investing can be hugely rewarding, and not just financially. Backing young start-ups, watching them grow and deliver stellar returns can be an exciting journey for both a business and its shareholders.

You may miss out on this experience if you are only invested in big blue-chip companies that are already well-established. And, while these companies typically make for the most reliable investments, you might miss out on the scale for growth that start-ups can offer.

The enterprise investment scheme (EIS) is a Government-backed venture capital scheme, which offers a way for you to incorporate younger businesses into your portfolio, and the very generous tax reliefs that come with it alone are enough to consider them seriously.

While these should not normally take up a significant portion of your investments, they are a very popular way to diversify  investors poured a record 2.3bn in EIS in the 2021-22 tax year alone.

However, compared with more traditional investments, this is not a very transparent industry, and investing in start-ups involves a lot of risk. You are more likely to lose money in this area compared with investing in big, well-known businesses.

Here, Telegraph Money sets out what you need to know before going ahead with a riskier investment.

What is the enterprise investment scheme?

The EIS is a Government initiative that encourages savers to invest in young British start-ups. They are usually smaller, higher-risk companies  past success stories include Bloom & Wild, the flower delivery service, and Gousto, the meal subscription box.

The scheme does not work like open-ended funds you might buy through your regular investment broker. Jason Hollands, of the broker Bestinvest, said: EIS funds are not actually funds in the true sense  you are effectively giving a manager the discretion to allocate into a number of companies raising capital under EIS, and the returns will ultimately depend on the specific deals you end up participating in and the exit values achieved on these.

This means that a new investor in an EIS fund is unlikely to invest in the same companies as an old one, unless the scheme has announced a fundraise specifically for those shares.

What tax relief can I get?

The tax reliefs alone are enough to attract investors into EIS. You can get 30pc income tax relief on the amount invested upfront, applicable to a maximum of 1m each tax year  so you can potentially cut up to 300,000 off your tax bill.

You also get 100pc capital gains tax relief if your shares grow in value, as well as up to 45pc loss relief if a company fails. In order to qualify for loss relief, the value of the investment when it is sold must have fallen below its effective cost  this is the amount invested minus whatever was claimed in income tax relief.

If you hold the investment for at least two years, they will also come free of inheritance tax.

All these reliefs together mean that your money is well protected against losses. For example, if your initial investment is worth 10,000, its effective cost is 7,000 after income tax relief. In the worst case scenario where the investment falls to zero, you could get loss relief at 45pc and record an effective loss of -39pc, according to calculations from Wealth Club, a broker.

How to protect your money against losses

Alex Davies, of the broker, added: Investing in start-ups also gives you diversification. The types of companies you can invest in will be very different from those in the bulk of your portfolio.

It can also be a lot of fun seeing your chosen start ups potentially growing from an acorn to an oak.

Beware significant risk

Companies in the EIS are typically high risk, and should only make up a small part of your portfolio.

This is not a very transparent industry  it is hard to compare different schemes returns, for example. Performance is measured by investors subscriptions in a single tax year  this is because, unlike typical funds, there is no net asset value or share price that can be tracked.

Realised returns

Instead we can only compare the best realised returns, which measure the cash returned to an investor after the scheme exits (sells) a holding, and unrealised returns, which is the value of the existing portfolio based on the latest valuation of its underlying portfolio.

MMC Ventures has one of the best track records, as well as Fuel Ventures and Parkwalk. The latter is a scheme that focuses on businesses that spin out of universities.

There are other ways to invest in start-ups, such as venture capital trusts (VCT). These are easier to keep track of as they are listed investment trusts, with a share price that you can follow.

Unrealised returns

Mr Hollands added: A common misconception is that EIS investing has an edge over VCT investment because you only need to hold the investment for three years to keep the 30pc income tax relief, rather than five with a VCT.

While that is technically correct, in practice these are unquoted companies. The timing of an exit isnt in the investors hands, and will come down to when the business is acquired or  in rare circumstances  it might be listed on Aim. These are highly illiquid investments and you may be in them for several years. EIS companies dont pay dividends, and tax-free dividends are the main source of return from VCTs.

Now read: How to invest in Aim stocks (and save thousands on inheritance tax)

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A restaurant known for Asian and Latin flavors has chosen a location for its planned expansion to Forest Acres.

TakoSushi will open a space in the Forest Park shopping center in Forest Acres, according to a Monday release from commercial real estate firm Colliers South Carolina. The Forest Park shopping center also is home to Lowes Foods grocery store, Eggs Up Grill restaurant and several other businesses.

The new TakoSushi will go into a space formerly occupied by a Baskin Robbins ice cream shop.

We are excited to be a part of the Forest Acres community, TakoSushi co-owner James Williams said in a statement. Whether you are looking for a light lunch, a place to grab a drink, or a hearty dinner, we feel that TakoSushi has something for everyone. Being headquartered here in the Midlands, this location is especially important to us.

TakoSushi has several locations across South Carolina and Georgia, including one at 1332 Main St. in downtown Columbia, in the historic Arcade Mall. The company also has plans to open a location at the corner of West Main and Church streets in downtown Lexington.

The restaurant has a menu that offers sushi and other Asian dishes, as well as tacos, nachos and other Latin-inspired favorites.

TakoSushi will be a welcome addition to Forest Park and all of Forest Acres with its excellent cuisine, top-notch service, outdoor seating and fun atmosphere, Colliers South Carolina vice president Rox Pollard said in a statement. The space, formerly occupied by Baskin Robbins, will be completely renovated which keeps with the landlords commitment to keeping Forest Park a highly important amenity to the Forest Acres community.
Twitter logo displayed on a cell phone with Elon Musk and the Twitter bird in the background. Jonathan Raa/Getty Images

Anas Haqqani, a Taliban official, said Twitter is more committed to "free speech" than its rivals.

Haqqani's father founded the Haqqani Network, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization.

"Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta," Haqqani wrote.

A senior leader of the Taliban on Monday weighed in on the social media battle between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, arguing that when it comes to social media, Twitter has some "important advantages" over the competition.

The first advantage that Twitter has "is the freedom of speech," Anas Haqqani, who helped lead Taliban negotiations with Afghanistan's former, elected government, wrote in a July 10 post. The second is its "public nature" and "credibility," he continued, adding that he's no fan of the company's chief competitor, which launched a rival application, Threads, just this month.

"Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta," Haqqani wrote. "Other platforms cannot replace it."

Musk, a self-described "free-speech absolutist," has sought to position Twitter under his ownership as welcoming of all speech, even if controversial, as long as it's lawful. But his follow-through on that promise has come under scrutiny, with Twitter's approval rate of censorship requests from governments like Turkey and India increasing since his takeover, El Pais previously reported.

Critics slammed Musk for complying with censorship requests ahead of Turkey's presidential election, for example. Responding to the criticism, Musk said Twitter effectively has "no choice" but to honor the requests.

Twitter, which under Musk has eliminated its media relations department, did not respond to a request for comment.

Haqqani's is a controversial endorsement. In November 2019, he was released from an Afghan prison after five years behind bars as part of a prisoner swap with the Taliban. He joined Twitter about eight months later, during its previous ownership.

At the time of his release, Afghan officials described Haqqani as a computer guru who was charged with "strategic decision-making" and fundraising for the Haqqani Network, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a US state-funded media outlet. Haqqani himself claims he was innocent and used as a bargaining chip.

His father, Jalaluddin Haqqani, was the founder of the Haqqani Network, which is aligned with the Taliban and was considered the "most lethal and sophisticated insurgent group" in Afghanistan during the US-led occupation, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.

In 2012, the US government designated the Haqqani Network a foreign terrorist organization. The Taliban was designated a terrorist group more than a decade earlier, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The Taliban vs. Meta

Haqqani's endorsement also comes as Twitter faces stiff new competition from decentralized social media networks like Mastodon and BlueSky, which have attracted users unhappy with Musk's erratic leadership, his promotion of far-right content, and recent technical issues that have periodically made the site unusable.

But Meta's launch this week of Threads, a text-based social network built off Instagram, poses the most formidable threat to Twitter yet, with the app gaining more than 100 million registered users since its launch less than a week ago, according to the data-tracking platform Quiver Quantitative.

It is unlikely that members of designated terrorist groups will ever find a platform on Threads. Meta has banned the Taliban from Facebook, with limited exceptions, and has sought to kick off Taliban members from WhatsApp, its encrypted messaging platform.

Members of the Taliban began joining Twitter in earnest back in 2020 to reach an international, English-speaking audience, with a member of the group telling the BBC that they did not want claims about them from Afghanistan's prior, internationally recognized government to go unchallenged. The group seized power by force in August 2021, just before the final withdrawal of US troops from the country.

"The Taliban wanted to counter their propaganda and that's why we too focused ourselves on Twitter," the Taliban member said. "Social media is a powerful tool to change public perception."

Some members of the Taliban were at one point verified, or given blue checks. After Musk took over Twitter, he made blue check marks available for purchase, doing away with verification and removing them from anyone's account that didn't pay, whether or not they had been previously verified.

Taliban leaders Hedayatullah Hedayat and Abdul Haq Hammad both briefly appeared to have paid for the blue ticks, the BBC reported.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
TCUs third baseman Brayden Taylor was selected 19th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays during Sundays MLB draft.

This is such a surreal feeling, said Taylor on the ESPN broadcast of the draft.

With the 19th pick, @RaysBaseball selects @TCU_Baseball shortstop Brayden Taylor, No. 15 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.



Watch live: https://t.co/1s1j9XMnG5 pic.twitter.com/7hSBV1PVB6  MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 10, 2023

The 21-year-old infielder will go to a promising big league organization who is leading the American League East division and has the second-best record in the Major Leagues as of the All-Star break.

Im very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays for selecting me, said Taylor. Im ready to get to work.

According to MLB.com, Taylor flew under the radar through high school in Utah and while in college. However, he has developed during his time as a Horned Frog.

The analysis said he has a sweet left-handed swing that exhibits good bat-to-ball skills. He is comfortable getting deep into counts and control the strike zone. Taylor matched the program record for single-season home runs with 23, but couldnt set it after failing to record one in his last seven games.

Despite the drought at the end of his college career, he did set the TCU career-home run record after hitting his 48th in a postseason game against Arkansas.

The third baseman was commended for his arm strength and solid defense at the hot corner. He has been critiqued for his defensive quickness, which could prevent him from being impressive at second base or shortstop. However, he is still expected to be able to grow and develop in the coming years.

Taylor became the 169th Horned Frog to be selected in the MLB Draft. He is the 57th player from TCU to be picked in the top 10 rounds. He is the fifth to be drafted in the first round.

The last first-round pick TCU produced was pitcher Nick Lodolo, who was drafted seventh overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 2019.

Lodolo currently plays with the Reds big league club. He joined a group of Frogs that have made their Major League debut. Another prospect produced by TCU was Luken Baker, who made his debut for the St. Louis Cardinals this year.

Taylor is the first position player Horned Frog that heard his name called in the first round of the draft. All four others were pitchers.
Policeman among 4 killed in fresh violence in India's Manipur

Xinhua) 09:38, July 10, 2023

NEW DELHI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four people, including a policeman and a teenager, were killed and several others wounded in separate incidents in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police said Saturday.

According to officials, the policeman was killed in a gunfight with suspected militants Friday evening and three others lost their lives in Kangvai, Songdo and Awang Lekhai villages of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts.

Meanwhile, a mob torched two private vehicles at Mahabali Road near Kangla Fort in Imphal West. However, the drivers managed to escape unhurt.

On Thursday, an elderly woman was shot dead near a school in Imphal West district. The killing took place a day after schools partially reopened in the state.

There has been no respite in the ongoing incidents of violence, attacks, arson, and exchange of gunfire in the state.

The reopening of schools is seen as a first step towards restoring normalcy in the strife-torn state.

The authorities have extended the ongoing ban on internet services until July 10.

The northeastern state is on edge since May 3 when large-scale violence broke out in the state during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status -- designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups which gives them reservations in education and government jobs.

The authorities responded by imposing a curfew and putting a blanket ban on internet services as a precautionary measure to restrict the mobilization of crowds in the state. The ban has been in place since then.

The ethnic clashes have left over 100 people dead, over 3,000 injured and displaced 60,000 others.

The mobs in the state have been resorting to vandalism and arson, during which hundreds of houses and shops were gutted. The mobs even targeted houses and properties belonging to ministers and leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

So far, efforts by the federal government to restore peace in Manipur have not yielded desired results.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
(Bloomberg) -- Technology giants are drawing protests as they aggressively try to shape a new US trade deal with Australia, South Korea and other members of the Indo-Pacific region that account for 40% of global economic output.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Activists, alarmed by the involvement of corporations in drafting the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, have started a campaign to limit their role in writing the digital chapter of the new trade pact. Some are worried that the companies will use the agreement as a back-door way to head off domestic regulation and enforcement of antitrust laws.

They are stepping up that campaign as the trade negotiators convene for their fourth round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea this week. The framework will become a key platform for expanding trade in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring stable supply chains, said South Korean trade minister Chang-Yang Lee at the start of the talks, which attracted about 650 people from around the world.

When talks were held in Australia in November, Alphabet Inc.s Google and IBM Corp. co-hosted an invitation-only reception for negotiators. In the Singapore round in May, which was supposed to be mostly closed to outside stakeholders, sessions began late one morning because of a breakfast hosted by the tech industry. Elsewhere in the bustling conference center, a war room was run by the US Chamber of Commerce.

Just like in past international trade agreements, Big Tech companies are swooping in to make sure they get carve outs, said Maria Langholz, communications director with the left-leaning advocacy group Demand Progress. The firms, she said, want to continue to enrich themselves through their anticompetitive behavior.

The tech giants have been active in conversations with government officials: 34 of the 40 stakeholders who gave presentations in Singapore represented corporations or their groups, most of which had ties to tech, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss confidential talks.

We have very publicly advocated for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to include strong digital trade provisions that ensure digital technologies are widely accessible, and that support privacy, security, and trust in cross-border data flows said Google spokesman Jose Castaneda.

A US Trade Representatives office spokesperson said the US recognizes that it is costly for groups to fly out to the foreign locations where the talks are held, so USTR holds regular listening sessions about the trade talks in Washington. The spokesperson denied that the Singapore session started late because of the breakfast, saying other meetings ran long.

IBM didnt respond to a request for comment.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, told Bloomberg News that she has concerns that the industry is trying to use IPEF as an end run around facing meaningful regulation here or in other countries.

Trade Representative

Although trade policy has typically been dominated by corporations, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai has argued that its time to disentangle trade from the interests of big business, and particularly tech.

Sam Michel, a spokesman for Tai, said the final agreement will make the interests of workers a priority.

As with all trade negotiations, USTR seeks input from a broad range of stakeholders and consults closely with members of Congress, Michel said. Their input guides the development of IPEF text, including the digital trade chapter. We are confident that the final IPEF agreement will align with President Biden and Ambassador Tais vision for a worker-centered trade policy.

A USTR spokesperson added that Tai has been receptive to the feedback, and has talked to Warren about the issue several times.

The companies say robust digital rules will protect industries beyond tech. Theyve been pushing for IPEF to include provisions identical to digital trade sections of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Some technology lobbyists privately say they are pushing for USMCA plus or USMCA minus. They argue those provisions support typical trade priorities, such as protecting American companies.

This not about helping the largest firms or benefiting technology companies, but rather ensuring a regulatory environment among key trading partners that empowers a wide variety of businesses as most rely on digital services and tools to compete globally, said Jonathan McHale, the vice president of digital trade for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a trade group that counts Amazon.com Inc., Google, and Meta Platforms Inc. as members.

TPP Replacement

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is envisioned as a way to curb Chinas trade influence in Asia. Its a replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the US withdrew from under President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden did not rejoin a successor agreement. The framework has 14 members: the US, Australia, Brunei, India, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Negotiations have been underway for about six months and the fourth round is scheduled for July 9-15 in Busan, South Korea.

The anxiety centers mainly on IPEFs digital trade chapter. An initial version of the chapter proposed by the US would have effectively stymied any efforts by the countries to regulate the tech companies, according to people familiar with the initial proposal.

Echoing language in the US pact with Mexico and Canada, the US proposal included provisions that would effectively prevent member countries from passing legislation that disproportionately affected the tech industry, including on topics such as market dominance and privacy.

The pressure campaign by the left has escalated in recent months. Warren in May released a report showing American trade officials solicited the advice of lobbyists for Amazon, Google and other tech giants to help craft IPEF. Demand Progress parked a truck outside of a trade meeting in Detroit, calling on Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to stop helping big tech.

Tai has acknowledged the concerns from progressives. We need to be very, very mindful of how we expand this conversation around digital economy and digital trade to a set of stakeholders beyond just the biggest companies, Tai said at a June 12 conference.

(Updates with quote from South Korean trade minister in third paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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A 17-year-old charged with firearms offenses in connection with the mass shooting in South Baltimores Brooklyn neighborhood earlier this month was held without bail Monday.

The teen is not accused of shooting anybody at the boisterous block party that devolved into an apparent shootout that left two dead and 28 others wounded by gunfire  likely the highest casualty shooting in Baltimore history. The teen was one of the people injured by gunfire that night at the Brooklyn Homes public housing complex, according to his attorney.

Baltimore District Judge Kent J. Boles Jr. said he was concerned in the teens charging document that police said six rounds recovered at the scene could have been fired by the rifle caliber pistol the teen was seen holding in video circulated on social media. The charging document is shielded from public view because of the teens age.

Citing the allegations, Boles found there was clear and convincing evidence the defendant would pose a risk to public safety if released. The judge said police have not recovered the firearm they say the teen wielded.

We dont know if its a toy, the teens attorney, Michael Clinkscale, said in court.

The teen is charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, reckless endangerment, possession of an assault weapon, having a handgun in a vehicle and on his person. He has not been convicted of a crime and didnt have any other pending cases, an investigator with the Maryland Division of Pretrial Services and Detention said in court.

This is an extremely serious case and the defendant poses an extreme threat to public safety, Assistant States Attorney Brandon Jones said in court.

Police and prosecutors have not accused the teen with the discharge of a weapon or any other serious crimes, said Clinkscale, adding that his client would be amenable to house arrest or another form of release pending trial.

These are not the types of charges that should keep someone in custody, he said.

Outside of court, Clinkscale expanded on what he told the judge in interviews with reporters.

We allege that what this young man had was an Orbeez gun, said Clinkscale, referring to a toy firearm that ejects gel pellets. Its going to be a very significant challenge to determine that this young man even had possession of a gun  a handgun or otherwise  and we are going at them because they do not have the evidence to keep this young man held.

Clinkscale said police wrote in charging documents that they found six .223-caliber cartridge casings in a pool of blood that could have come from a weapon similar to what the young man had, but the police dont have (the gun).

Clinkscale said his client lived in the area of Brooklyn Homes, was slated to go into his senior year of high school and liked to sing and rap.

As of last week, investigators had collected cartridge casings fired by at least 12 different guns at the Brooklyn Homes crime scene, sources have told The Baltimore Sun.

Police have said there are multiple suspects but only have charged the 17-year-old so far.

-------
Teens Who Discovered New Method Of Solving Pythagorean Theorem Honored As They Prepare For College

Teens Who Discovered New Method Of Solving Pythagorean Theorem Honored As They Prepare For College | Maskot

New Orleans High School seniors Calcea Johnson and NeKiya Jackson were honored at the 2023 Essence Festival through AT&Ts Dream in Black program. The Math geniuses proved the 2,000-year-old theory wrong the two young women found an alternate method to solving the Pythagorean theorem.

At the festival hosted in their hometown of Louisiana, both Jackson and Johnson received recognition for their abilities to discover greater possibilities  and were given new electronics by AT&Ts Dream in Black to help them succeed while enrolled in college. During the festival, 200 free laptops were distributed to New Orleans locals in partnership with community organizations.

Genius black girls: Calcea Johnson & NeKiya Jackson, both in high school in Louisiana, worked together to figure out a new way of proving the Pythagorean theorem, a 2,000-year-old math concept that hasnt been expounded upon since. Jackson says they spent 3-4 hours a day pic.twitter.com/KeWCDpzh8r  Tweety (@DarkBlue420) July 9, 2023

This is just all very shocking to me, Johnson told PEOPLE. I didnt expect our work to go anywhere. Then all these people started picking it up and wanted to interview me and wanted me to go here and there. Im just like; I didnt expect any of it.

Earlier this year, the two standout students, Johnson and Jackson from St. Marys Academy, proved that there is a new method to solving the Pythagorean theorem.

There was a bonus question that was to create a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem, Johnson said.

Its really an unparalleled feeling, honestly, because theres just nothing like being able to do something that people dont think young people can do, Johnson told Black Wall Street. A lot of times you see this stuff, you dont see kids like us doing it.

The two broke down trigonometry based on the original Pythagoras Theorem formula: A^2 + B^2 = C^2. The old formula states that the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides of a right triangle equals the sum of the square of the hypotenuse.

Although they closed out their senior year with a bang, both Jackson and Johnson are ready to move on and attend college.

Its starting to hit me that Im not in high school anymore, Johnson told PEOPLE. Im moving on. My next step is at LSU Ogden Honors College studying environmental engineering.

My next step is at Xavier University, Jackson said. Im majoring in prepharmacy chemistry.
Temperatures in the 100s for Fort Worth this week, and check out what the heat index says

Triple digit temperatures return to North Texas this week.

Some parts of North Texas have a small chance of rain Monday night and going into Tuesday, but after that the heat is on, said Tom Bradshaw, meteorologist at the National Weather Services Fort Worth office.

Tuesdays high will be in the upper 90 degrees, but Wednesday through Friday is when temperatures are expected to cross into triple digit territory, Bradshaw said.

Wednesdays high is expected to be 101 degrees, followed by 102 on Thursday and Friday, with Saturday and Sunday both hovering right at 100 degrees.

Its going to feel like summer, Bradshaw said.

Hot and humid conditions will prevail from midweek into the weekend. Highs across North and Central Texas will range from the upper 90s to 107 degrees. Afternoon heat indices will be a few degrees warmer. Practice heat safety if you must be outdoors! #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/b17GSxCIu7  NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) July 10, 2023

Tuesdays heat index will range from 105 to 108 degrees, and it will only get steamier as the week goes on.

The heat index for Wednesday through Friday will be around 110 degrees, Bradshaw said. Saturday and Sunday will cool off slightly, with a heat index in the 105 degree range.

While the temperature and heat index will be high this week, the weather isnt breaking any records and is on-brand for North Texas in July, Bradshaw said. The hottest temperature ever recorded in North Texas is 113 degrees in June 1980.

A heat advisory is in place for counties just south of the Metroplex on Monday, and one for North Texas is most likely coming later in the week, Bradshaw said.
Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D) on Monday launched a 2024 campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Gutierrez represents a district in South Texas that includes Uvalde, where a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School and killed 19 students and two teachers last year.

Since then, Gutierrez has been an outspoken advocate of stricter gun laws and has called for the termination of the officers who waited more than an hour to respond to the school shooting. In his new campaign video, he calls for reforms to help protect children in school, accusing Republicans of not being open to discussing initiatives to prevent another tragedy.

But we saw firsthand how our leaders only cared about maintaining power, he said in his video. Im a proud gun owner and believer in the Second Amendment, but after 19 children and two teachers died, the Republicans wouldnt even allow us an opportunity to talk about ways to protect our kids.

Its why we have to do something now, he continued. But what happened in Uvalde wasnt just about guns, it was about neglect. The neglect of rural Texas. The neglect of the systems in this state that are supposed to keep us safe.

He is the second Democrat to enter the Senate race against Cruz, setting up a competitive Democratic primary between Gutierrez and Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas). Allred launched his campaign in May and raised $6.2 million in the first two months since his launch.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

In his campaign video, Gutierrez also took aim at Cruz over the Republicans 2021 trip to Cancun during a winter storm in Texas that left millions without power.

Im running against Ted Cruz because everything that weve seen in this state has been nothing but taking care of rich people, while the poor people  the working class  get screwed over, Gutierrez said.

Weve seen bribery and corruption that is appalling. Political stunts that are tragic. And when our Senator goes to Cancun while Texans are fighting for their lives in a winter storm, thats just indefensible, he added.

Cruz spokesperson Nick Maddux said in a statement that Texans will now get to watch Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez slug it out for who can be the most radical leftist in the state.

Meanwhile, Sen. Cruz will continue passionately defending Texas and delivering real results for 30 million Texans, Maddux added.

Updated at 10:36 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A roofing crew begins to shingle a home under construction in the Pavilion Park development in north Midland on March 14, 2022. Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune

After a monthslong standoff among Texas top Republicans, state GOP lawmakers finally struck a deal Monday on how to cut Texans property taxes.

The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate  which includes more than $5 billion approved for property tax relief in 2019  would lower taxes for the states 5.7 million homeowners and add a temporary cap on appraisal increases for some non-homesteaded properties.

It would also cut franchise taxes for small businesses and send billions of dollars to school districts so they can cut their taxes across the board. However, none of that money will go toward additional public education funding, according to legislation filed by state budget leaders on Monday.

The proposal must clear both chambers before it heads to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk. Abbott said he looks forward to approving it. Then voters must pass the plan in a constitutional election in November. If voters approve the deal, the cuts would start with the 2023 tax year.

I promised during my campaign that the state would return to property taxpayers at least half of the largest budget surplus we have ever had, Abbott said in a statement after Mondays announcement. Todays agreement between the House and the Senate is a step toward delivering on that promise. I look forward to this legislation reaching my desk, so I can sign into law the largest property tax cut in Texas history.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the last week of negotiations among himself, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and members of both chambers made the difference.

It has been a long road, but this is a great day for all property owners, Patrick said. It may have taken overtime, but the process has produced a great bill for homeowners and businesses.

The legislation, expected to be passed this week, allocates about $12.6 billion to reduce the school property tax rate by 10.7 cents per $100 valuation for homeowners and business properties. It also includes an increase to the states homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 at an estimated cost of $5.3 billion, and some extra relief for seniors and property owners with disabilities, averaging an extra $170 per year.

The Senate bills author, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said the deal would save the average homeowner about 41.5% on property taxes each year, or an average of about $1,300 per year.

Taxpayers WIN! All residential and commercial real property WIN! 5.72 million homesteaders WIN! Bettencourt said in a written statement.

Another part of the plan, which in a way revives a contentious idea the House had previously proposed, would institute a three-year, 20% cap on appraisal increases for commercial and non-homesteaded properties valued at $5 million or below  a number that could be adjusted by the comptroller with inflation each year.

Leaders referred to that part of the bill on Monday as a circuit breaker program, but its somewhat of a misnomer. Unlike programs in other parts of the country with the same name, the Texas proposal does not calculate property taxes based on a persons income or ability to pay, nor does it specifically seek to benefit lower-income taxpayers.

Reducing property taxes, providing relief to small-business owners, and reforming our appraisal system will ensure economic growth and prosperity, and this agreement is a significant victory for all Texans, Phelan said in a statement.

The new property tax relief bill, a franchise tax relief bill and the constitutional amendment required to enact the cuts were filed Monday.

The deal marks the end of a stalemate among the states top Republicans that lasted nearly seven months as they butted heads over how to dole out $12.3 billion in new tax breaks budgeted by lawmakers earlier this year.

Republicans came to Austin this year with a nearly $33 billion surplus and big promises to use a big chunk of it to provide tax relief to Texas property owners, who pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. But for most of the year, the heads of the House and Senate  Phelan and Patrick  couldnt come to terms on how to do it.

The main dividing line came over whether homeowners or business owners would get a bigger tax break. Phelan and House lawmakers wanted to send the entire $12.3 billion in new money to school districts to lower their tax rates, a kind of tax cut referred to as tax rate compression. Doing that would result in across-the-board cuts for all property owners, but it would most benefit business owners.

Abbott and conservative tax-cut warriors saw the proposal as a way to put the state on a quicker path to eventually eliminating the school maintenance and operations tax, the bulk of the school property tax that pays for day-to-day school expenses like teacher salaries. But as the weeks dragged on, Abbotts support for a compression-only tax-cut proposal seemed to wane as he encouraged House and Senate leaders to come to a deal and send him a bill.

Patrick and Senate tax-cut writers had agreed with the House on allocating $12.3 billion for property tax cuts but wanted to use only 70% of that amount for tax rate compression so they could use the rest to pay for a boost to the states school district homestead exemption, the amount of a homes value that cant be taxed to pay for public schools. Patrick and Bettencourt, Patricks lieutenant on the tax-cut issue, pushed for raising the exemption from $40,000 to $100,000.

Proposed temporary appraisal cap

An earlier proposal sought by the House to put a tighter cap on how much taxable property values can rise each year  also known as an appraisal cap  was left out of the final deal.

Currently in Texas, those appraisals can only increase by 10% each year. That benefit only applies to people who own the homes they live in. The House proposal would have narrowed that cap to 5% and extended it to include businesses and other non-homestead properties, an idea that drew harsh criticism from tax-policy advocates on both ends of the political spectrum.

Its proposed replacement in the deal announced Monday is a pilot program that caps appraisals for lower-valued non-homesteaded properties. The program would be a brand new addition to the tax code but does not  in spite of how leaders are describing it  amount to a traditional circuit-breaker program.

Circuit breaker programs are unofficially referred to as such because the goal is to  much like an electrical circuit breaker  cut off the cost of property taxes before they can do damage to a taxpayers financial situation. They provide targeted relief to certain residents, like seniors or renters, when their tax bills take up too much of their income. Some states administer them as part of the income tax or property tax systems, while others treat the cuts as rebates, according to an analysis by Every Texan, a progressive think tank in Austin.

A successful program in Texas that is income-based would likely need to be a rebate-style program because Texas has no statewide property tax and no income tax, which would help verify a persons income and make such a program easier to administer, the Every Texan analysis says. An idea for a similar program in Texas died in the 1990s because it came with enormous administrative costs in the absence of an income tax, according to Every Texan.

Mondays deal appears to sidestep those complications because the program isnt based on taxpayer income but instead is targeted at lower-valued property  which advocates for lower-income residents worry will not necessarily benefit renters and lower-income property owners.

The Texas program would expire on Dec. 31, 2026, unless lawmakers decide to renew it or make it permanent later.

Absent from either chambers previous proposals was any targeted tax relief for the states 3.7 million renter households. House Democrats last week unveiled their own tax-cut package that would give tenants a cash refund equaling up to 10% of the rent they paid the previous year. But Republicans didnt include anything like that in the package released on Monday.

Republicans and some tax policy experts argue that renters will benefit from the compression portion of the tax-cut package because landlords wont pass as much in property taxes onto their tenants  thus resulting in smaller rent increases. But others say demand for the states red-hot rental market and a dearth of supply to meet that demand, not property taxes, have driven rent increases in recent years.

Except for last years exceptional real estate market, most properties will probably be unaffected by this provision, said Dick Lavine, tax policy expert at Every Texan. And, even if the proposed cap keeps taxes on a rental property from going up faster than they would otherwise, there is no guarantee that a benevolent landlord will pass on the savings to their renters.

Still, with previous House plans being criticized for being more beneficial to wealthy homeowners and businesses than for lower-income Texans, the temporary new cap appears to be the most novel addition to Mondays deal.

And its the closest thing to a win that the House appears to have in the compromise, which includes the entire homestead exemption the Senate was asking for  but only 60% of the compression the House and Abbott were pushing for during the years first special legislative session.

Given the resistance to previous appraisal caps proposals, its a concession that seemed unlikely in the early days of the negotiations.

For much of this year, Phelan and state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican and the Houses chief tax-cut writer, sought to tighten the states appraisal cap for homeowners and extend the benefit to business owners  a push that came in response to complaints from residential and commercial property owners whose property values dramatically increased in recent years amid the states red-hot housing market and booming economy.

Housing and tax policy experts warned that such a proposal would have all kinds of nasty side effects without ultimately cutting tax bills and was a non-starter for Patrick and Senate Republicans.

Disclosure: Every Texan 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.

Join us for conversations that matter with newly announced speakers at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, in downtown Austin from Sept. 21-23.

Correction, July 10, 2023 at 1:45 p.m. : An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the $18 billion package for property tax cuts announced Monday includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021. The latter amount was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2019.
Texas lawmakers reach property tax cut deal. What it could mean for your tax bill

A deal has been reached for property tax cuts, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced Monday.

The leaders and their chambers have been at odds for months over the best way to deliver Texans property tax relief, with a regular and special session ending with no deal. The Republican lawmakers said Monday a compromise has been reached that includes both an increased homestead exemption and money to fund schools so districts can lower the tax rates for home and business owners.

The deal includes:

More than $12 billion to reduce school property tax rates for all homeowners and business properties.

A $100,000 homestead exemption.

Non-homesteaded properties, valued at $5 million and under, including residential and commercial properties, will receive a 20% circuit breaker on appraised values as a 3-year pilot project.

Savings on franchise tax for small businesses.

New elected positions on local appraisal boards.

The full text of the deal was not immediately available Monday. The chambers are scheduled to next meet Tuesday.

The measures in the deal will likely be subject to voter approval on the November ballot.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Thames Water officials working in London

Shareholders in Thames Water have agreed to provide a further 750m in funding as the company attempts to fight the threat of government control.

Thames also said it would be looking for an extra 2.5bn between 2025 and 2030.

The water firm has faced criticism over sewage discharges and leaks and is struggling under a mountain of debt.

The government has said it is ready to act in a worst case scenario if the company collapses.

Thames Water's future came under the spotlight last month when it emerged it was in talks to secure extra funding, and the firm's chief executive Sarah Bentley stepped down after just two years.

There was speculation that if Thames - which has debts of around 14bn - failed to secure fresh funds it could be temporarily taken over by the government until a new buyer is found, in a special administration regime (SAR).

This route was most recently taken with energy supplier Bulb after it ran into financial difficulties.

However, the new interim joint chief executive of Thames, Cathryn Ross, told the BBC's Today programme the company was "absolutely not" close to requiring government intervention.

She said the company had access to 4.4bn of cash and credit facilities. "That's absolutely enough to pay everything that we think we need to pay this year, next year and into the future."

However, the 750m that investors agreed to pump in to Thames between now and 2025 is less than the 1bn the company was seeking. The extra funds are also dependent on Thames improving its business plan to revive the company.

News of the extra funds came as Thames released its annual results, which showed it incurred an underlying pre-tax loss of 82.6m for the year to 31 March.

Thames Water serves a quarter of the UK's population and leaks more water than any other water company in the UK - losing the equivalent of up to 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day from its pipes.

Thames map

Last week, Thames was fined 3.3m for discharging millions of litres of undiluted sewage into two rivers in Sussex and Surrey in 2017, killing more than 1,400 fish.

The company is owned by a group of investors. The largest is Canadian pension fund OMERS followed by the Universities Superannuation Scheme, the pension fund for UK academics.

The regulator for the water industry, Ofwat, will be questioned by MPs on Wednesday amid accusations that it has been too lax in its oversight of the sector.

At the weekend, Sir Robert Goodwill, a Conservative MP who chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, told the BBC the regulator had been "very complacent" over Thames Water and had questions to answer over whether it had "been asleep at the wheel".

Last week, Ofwat chief executive David Black gave evidence to the Lords' business committee when he said Thames would need "substantial sums of money" to stabilise its finances.

He also admitted the regulator had taken a "relatively hands-off approach" to managing water companies since the industry was privatised in the late 1980s.

Thames Water's current debt amounts to 77% of the value of the business, Ms Ross told the BBC, which she said was the lowest level of indebtedness in a decade for the company.

However, Thames is the most heavily indebted of England and Wales' water companies, and interest payments on more than half of its debt rise in line with inflation, which has remained stubbornly high in recent months.

Thames Water has said that it has not paid dividends to external shareholders for the past five years.

But Sir Robert Goodwill told the BBC he suspected that Thames' holding company was taking money out in the form of debt payments, rather than as dividends.

However, Ms Ross said there was only a very small amount of debt that came from Thames' holding company.

"In the last year, we paid 45m out to service the debt that is essentially provided by our shareholders, through the holding company. Our revenues last year were 2.3bn - so you're talking about less than 2% of our revenues went to service that debt," she told the BBC.

"The vast majority of the debt that our regulated business has comes from bondholders in the open market."

Ms Ross was chief executive of Ofwat between 2013 and 2017.

She rejected a suggestion that the regulator's oversight of the water industry was affected by the potential for people to move from working at Ofwat to a potentially lucrative role in the private sector.

"I don't accept that," she told the BBC, adding that when she joined Thames Water she had spent three-and-a-half years working at telecoms company BT.

Asked if it had been her ambition to working in the industry after Ofwat, Ms Ross said: "I can honestly say the thought had never occurred to me at the time that I worked for Ofwat. In fact, I was thinking I would very much stay in the public sector at the time I was there."
Three people may be under rubble in Orikhiv

As a result of Russians dropping an aerial bomb on the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 4 people have been killed and 11 more received injuries. Three more people are likely to be under the rubble.

Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Telegram

Details: Search and rescue workers continue to carry out emergency rescue operations to find people under the rubble of the building destroyed by the airstrike.

Engineering equipment of the State Emergency Service is working at the site.

Background: On 9 July, the Russian occupiers attacked a school in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with a guided aerial bomb. At that time, humanitarian aid was being distributed there. Four people were killed: women aged 43, 45, 47 and a 47-year-old man. Another 11 residents of Orikhiv were hospitalised.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Were in the thick of Saharan dust storm season in South Florida, which is not all bad  these massive blobs of hot, dirty air roaming the Atlantic Ocean are also hurricane killers. Plus there are those pretty sunsets.

But notwithstanding the three South Florida-bound dust plumes currently being monitored by scientists, it appears to be a down season for what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls Saharan Air Layers.

Ominously, NOAA scientists also have seen the earlier formation of thunderstorms in the region off the coast of Africa that produces hurricanes, where water temperatures are typically kept cooler by layers of dust in the air.

Weve seen less of these SAL outbreaks than usual. For some reason they are stifled this year, said Dr. Jason Dunion, Miami-based director of NOAAs Hurricane Research Division Field Program and lead investigator on the agencys Saharan Air Layer project.

Dunion said the two large thunderstorms that NOAA watched form in the Cape Verde Islands in June were pretty unusual, about six to eight weeks ahead of schedule.

The sea-surface temperatures out there are very warm right now, so theres some question. Less dustiness could potentially lead to warmer temperatures out in the Atlantic. Its super interesting, he said.

A wave of Saharan dust that began working its way through the atmosphere above the Florida Keys on Sunday is the weakest and smallest of three dust systems that scientists are monitoring in the Atlantic.

The effect of these layers of extremely dry and dusty Saharan air  they typically move across the region a mile overhead and can be up to two miles thick  usually means diminished afternoon rain storms and higher temperatures.

The weak plume that reached South Florida this weekend, after leaving the coast of Africa last week, is expected to move over Broward and Palm Beach counties on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

In 2020 a large, dense Saharan dust cloud hit the region and prompted local authorities to issue warnings for those with pre-existing respiratory problems. Dunion said that while most of these dust invasions dissipate before they reach land, South Florida residents with breathing issues should heed local air-quality advisories.

A second, larger mass of Saharan dust is moving toward the Caribbean and is expected to reach South Florida on Wednesday or Thursday. A third major dust storm is forming in the Sahara and is expected to leave the coast in the middle of next week, Dunion said.

NOAA has been studying Saharan Air Layers since the mid-2000s, using data gathered with balloons, satellites and hurricane-hunter aircraft.

During a typical season, a dust storm will roll off the African coast every three to five days, many as large as the United States lower 48 states, Dunion said. In May they get blown toward South America, then begin to target the Caribbean and the U.S. coast in June and July.

SALs form when dry, dusty air blown off the desert hits the cool climate along the coast, which pushes the warmer stream of air upward for its journey across the ocean. This thick layer of hot, super-dry air is carried on a high-velocity stream of wind that is deadly for hurricanes.

The strong jet of wind actually hides inside that layer and rips the storms apart, Dunion said.

A low-pressure wave expected to form near Bermuda this week will be no match for SAL No. 2, he said.

That little area, theres a lot of Saharan air right behind it, not a lot of convective activity, so it doesnt look like its got a lot of promise, he said.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.
Were in the thick of Saharan dust storm season in South Florida, which is not all bad  these massive blobs of hot, dirty air roaming the Atlantic Ocean are also hurricane killers. Plus there are those pretty sunsets.

But notwithstanding the three South Florida-bound dust plumes currently being monitored by scientists, it appears to be a down season for what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls Saharan Air Layers.

Ominously, NOAA scientists also have seen the earlier formation of thunderstorms in the region off the coast of Africa that produces hurricanes, where water temperatures are typically kept cooler by layers of dust in the air.

Weve seen less of these SAL outbreaks than usual. For some reason they are stifled this year, said Dr. Jason Dunion, Miami-based director of NOAAs Hurricane Research Division Field Program and lead investigator on the agencys Saharan Air Layer project.

Dunion said the two large thunderstorms that NOAA watched form in the Cape Verde Islands in June were pretty unusual, about six to eight weeks ahead of schedule.

The sea-surface temperatures out there are very warm right now, so theres some question. Less dustiness could potentially lead to warmer temperatures out in the Atlantic. Its super interesting, he said.

A wave of Saharan dust that began working its way through the atmosphere above the Florida Keys on Sunday is the weakest and smallest of three dust systems that scientists are monitoring in the Atlantic.

The effect of these layers of extremely dry and dusty Saharan air  they typically move across the region a mile overhead and can be up to two miles thick  usually means diminished afternoon rain storms and higher temperatures.

The weak plume that reached South Florida this weekend, after leaving the coast of Africa last week, is expected to move over Broward and Palm Beach counties on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

In 2020 a large, dense Saharan dust cloud hit the region and prompted local authorities to issue warnings for those with pre-existing respiratory problems. Dunion said that while most of these dust invasions dissipate before they reach land, South Florida residents with breathing issues should heed local air-quality advisories.

A second, larger mass of Saharan dust is moving toward the Caribbean and is expected to reach South Florida on Wednesday or Thursday. A third major dust storm is forming in the Sahara and is expected to leave the coast in the middle of next week, Dunion said.

NOAA has been studying Saharan Air Layers since the mid-2000s, using data gathered with balloons, satellites and hurricane-hunter aircraft.

During a typical season, a dust storm will roll off the African coast every three to five days, many as large as the United States lower 48 states, Dunion said. In May they get blown toward South America, then begin to target the Caribbean and the U.S. coast in June and July.

SALs form when dry, dusty air blown off the desert hits the cool climate along the coast, which pushes the warmer stream of air upward for its journey across the ocean. This thick layer of hot, super-dry air is carried on a high-velocity stream of wind that is deadly for hurricanes.

The strong jet of wind actually hides inside that layer and rips the storms apart, Dunion said.

A low-pressure wave expected to form near Bermuda this week will be no match for SAL No. 2, he said.

That little area, theres a lot of Saharan air right behind it, not a lot of convective activity, so it doesnt look like its got a lot of promise, he said.
A Top Aces F-16A takes off from Eglin AFB.

I flew a dissimilar basic fighter maneuvers [BFM] mission a few weeks ago against an experienced F-22 Raptor pilot. After the mission, he told me it was the highlight of his year! We will take that feedback any day, says Todd T-Bone Robbins, Top Aces site lead for the adversary air (AdAir) contractors operation at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

For pilots of fifth-generation fighter jets, the combination of Top Aces highly maneuverable F-16As and their new active electronically scanned array [AESA] radar is exactly what the USAF needs, Robbins told The War Zone.

In September 2022, Top Aces announced that it had been selected under the U.S. Air Force Combat Air Force Contracted Air Support (CAFCAS) program to provide additional capacity in adversary air for pilots going through Formal Training Units (FTUs) at both Eglin in Florida and at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Top Aces has since commenced missions in support of USAF F-35A Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fleets under a contract valued at up to $175 million over a five-year period.

The additional capacity from Top Aces builds on existing AdAir support at both Eglin and Luke from the competing Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, better known as ATAC, which flies Mirage F1s to support the FTU activities at these locations.

A Top Aces F-16A taxies at Eglin AFB. Jamie Hunter

Top Aces is the first AdAir contractor globally to offer the F-16, and it has developed a variant that it calls the Advanced Aggressor Fighter (AAF)  an upgraded version that features Top Aces proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) open system architecture capabilities  which adds an AESA radar, helmet-mounted cueing system, tactical datalinks, and high off-boresight missile capabilities. You can read more about these capabilities here.

When the five-year contract was awarded, Top Aces initially operated four of its ex-Israeli Air Force F-16s from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, pending the completion of an environmental assessment at Eglin. The four desert-painted aggressor F-16As relocated to Eglin in early May 2023. Top Aces has also stationed four F-16As at Luke, where it supports F-35 pilot training with the resident 56th Fighter Wing. Across the two locations, they fly four-turn-four operations, which means two jets at Luke and two at Eglin every morning and then again in the afternoon.

Of our four F-16As here at Eglin, one is currently an upgraded Advanced Aggressor with the AESA, Robbins explains. The four jets enable us to operate a two-turn-two plan here to support the 43rd Fighter Squadron F-22 FTU [which will be relocated to Joint Base Langley-Eustis soon] and the two Eglin F-35A FTUs  the 58th and 60th FS.

A Top Aces F-16A pilot prepares for a mission at Eglin AFB. Jamie Hunter

The Advanced Aggressor technology is hosted within the aircraft independently from the existing fire control computer. Critically, it means the system is not linked to the complex Operational Flight Program (OFP) that runs the main mission functions of the jet. Our open mission system allows us to change it without the need for complex government approvals, and we arent bound to the OEM [original equipment manufacturer] of the aircraft to make any changes to our aggressor system. It means we are more flexible when we want to adjust or improve the system, explains Robbins. The Advanced Aggressor F-16 features a dedicated multi-function display (MFD) in the cockpit, which connects with the AESA radar and the new helmet-mounted display.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIgJBNkGRT4

What we have seen here at Eglin is a need to produce more F-35 and F-22 pilots, so theres no shortage of need for adversaries, particularly when they get into the heavy air-to-air phases of their syllabus. At that stage, the ability to bring us in as a radar-guided shooter on the adversary side that can punish Blue Air is very useful. They cant operate against us with impunity as they might against say a T-38, for example. Our Top Aces F-16s, especially when combined with our Baron Ground Controlled Intercept [GCI], means that if theyre not executing properly we can punish their mistakes. Top Aces says that its 'Baron' adversary GCI controllers use existing Air Force systems to help orchestrate the air battle, and they are offered at no additional cost while adding an additional layer of safety.

We are here to give the customer the best training they can get for whatever mission set they might have, Robbins continues. The neat thing about flying an F-16A is that it can do pretty much everything that you need an adversary to do, from long-range tactical intercepts without much maneuvering to close-in dogfighting. In terms of maneuverability  speaking as a career F-16 pilot  these are the most maneuverable F-16s Ive ever flown. The A-model Viper with the gun removed and flown in a clean configuration can compete with any fighter on the planet in terms of maneuverability.

Top Aces flies stripped out ex-Israeli F-16As. Jamie Hunter

Our F-16s give us the ability to show the students what the most maneuverable fighter Ive ever flown can do. This challenges some of their game plans and helps them to really learn what can happen when they get into a within-visual-range [WVR] fight against an agile fighter. Some of their long-range advantages go away once they get into visual range, and they have to max perform their jet in order to survive.

Robbins explains how an aging, low-tech T-38 Talon jet trainer doesnt really challenge the likes of an F-35 or F-22 pilot, and that spending top dollar to fly a fifth-gen fighter as Red Air within a squadron is widely acknowledged as not being cost-effective. Thats the promise of CAFCAS, says Robbins. The key to making it successful is having enough capability in the contract adversary air to where they are getting valid training lessons and not getting the negative learning from merging with a T-38 with a turn radius of a mile, versus an A-model Viper that can have a 2,000-foot turn radius inside of what even the best fifth-gen jet can achieve!

Our ability to air-refuel has additionally been very useful in student training in that it gives us flexibility. We've had instances where we took off, supported an F-22 training mission, went to the tanker, then supported an F-35 training mission  all without having to land and turn the jet. That just wouldnt have been possible without tanking. We can also fly long distances to support the customer. We recently had an instance when we flew over 250 miles to the airspace, refueled, fought, and then flew the return leg.

Top Aces has developed an Advanced Aggressor upgrade for its F-16s. Jamie Hunter

Top Aces isnt resting on its laurels. Having invested heavily to develop its aggressor F-16 it is already looking at enhancements and new solutions to meet the future needs of contract adversary support. We are talking to manufacturers about some of the pods that are out there, explains Aaron Fang Steffens, Top Aces Business Development and Technology Growth Manager. We can carry high off-boresight [HOBS] missiles and are fully certified for AIM-9M Sidewinder, for example, and we are already carrying those in our operations at Luke AFB. There are also other non-U.S. HOBS CATMs [Captive Air Training Missiles] that we could also carry.

Steffens says Top Aces is working with an unnamed manufacturer to add a podded infrared search-and-track (IRST) system to the F-16, which he says will hopefully be ready for operations by the fall. USAF aggressor F-16s have made use of Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pods as a means to introduce an IRST to the in-house Red Air community. Meanwhile, competitor Tactical Air has introduced a built-in staring IRST capability to its F-5AT adversary jets, which you can learn more about here.

Pre-flight checks before a mission with F-35As at Eglin AFB. Jamie Hunter

The company is also building a roadmap to develop an in-house Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) offering. From an AdAir industry perspective, CCAs bring a definite advantage in terms of mass that we can bring to the fight, explains Steffens. It also helps with the realism of threat replication, because our adversaries will also operate CCAs at some point. So we are working with potential suppliers to develop this capability, while additionally helping to burn down the risks associated with operating CCAs on the Blue Air side by supporting some of that experimentation with the technology. We think AdAir and CAFCAS could provide a means to outsource some of that CCA experimentation from the U.S. Air Force itself. The goal of fielding 1,000 CCAs is going to be a challenge in the timeline that has been set, and our F-16 mission system lends itself to be able to assist with that.

Top Aces has announced an agreement with EpiSci  a leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence [AI] for tactical air  that will work towards improving the Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) in its F-16s to permit the rapid integration of AI tools, and also integrate AI into the Top Aces CCA roadmap. We would like to present datalink targets as part of our portfolio initially, says Steffens. Use of AI would control the kinematics of that target to then be broadcast out on the link. This would present additional mass for the initial battle picture thats presented to the Blue Forces and we think this could be a valuable product. This kind of technology could eventually lead to Top Aces controlling CCAs with our F-16s further down the road.

Top Aces cites experience within its personnel as a critical factor in its AdAir offering. Jamie Hunter

Top Aces believes it not only has the technology, but also the experience that is needed to both maintain and expand its capabilities to future-proof the business. Over 80 percent of us on the operator side have squadron command experience, says Steffens. We have in excess of 1,000 years of F-16 experience in our maintenance corps with a lot of ex-USAF F-16 personnel, and we have a 99 percent mission effectiveness rate, which is very impressive given the age of the aircraft.

Top Aces has built a culture of experience that is focused on safety. The average for our pilots is 2,300 F-16 flight hours, and 900 Instructor Pilot hours. Most of us are former aggressors, and a number of us are Weapons School patch wearers as well. We like to think of ourselves as an additional safety buffer, especially when we are working with young Basic Course students. We often have that bit more situational awareness that means we can help fix a situation before things happen, Steffens adds.

Aaron Fang Steffens, Top Aces Business Development and Technology Growth Manager. Jamie Hunter

During my first week with Top Aces in September 2022, I witnessed the company participating in Exercise Black Flag with the USAFs 53rd Wing Black Flag at Nellis AFB, Nevada, Robbins says. As a former pilot in the 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis, watching our team perform there seemed a very natural fit. Former aggressor pilots flying desert-painted Top Aces F-16s on the Nellis ranges and using Top Aces Baron controllers  everyone knew exactly the capabilities we had and how to integrate them into the in-house aggressor forces.

That participation in Black Flag reflects the trust the USAF put in Top Aces to support its premiere operational test large-force exercise [LFE]. Another Black Flag exercise we supported in May 2022 saw one of our Baron controllers being awarded the outstanding performer award for the exercise.

Having been employed in industry between my time in the Air Force and coming to Top Aces, the ability of this company to deliver on its roadmap and technologies blows away anything else Ive seen in this industry. When you couple the professionalism of our adversary focus with the technology we have and are continuing to develop, you are elevating contract AdAir to a new level Ive not seen anywhere else.

Contact the editor: Tyler@thedrive.com
A visitor looks at a photo by the late US artist Saul Leiter at a huge show huge show in Arles, France (Nicolas TUCAT)

A host of never before seen work by the late great US artist Saul Leiter is being showcased at one of the world's biggest photography festivals in France.

Almost all of the paintings and drawings in the major Saul Leiter show at the "Rencontres d'Arles" festival in the southern French city have never been shown before.

A former fashion photographer, Leiter -- who died in 2013 -- was a leading light of the New York school of photography of the 1940s and 1950s that included Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and Robert Frank.

Curator Anne Morin called him "one of the 20th century's most fascinating artist-photographers".

"Everything is a matter of balance, exactitude and humility in the works of this man, who nonetheless accorded great importance to imperfection," she said.

In a short film presented at the show, Leiter said "you don't have to apologise" for looking for beauty.

While summer temperatures outside soared well above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the mercury hovered at around 20C in an underground exhibition space called the "cryptoportiques" where merchants once stored their wares in Roman times.

Fittingly, it is hosting images of prehistoric caves at Arcy-sur-Cure in central France taken by French photographer Juliette Agnel.

Drops of water occasionally oozed into the cryptoportiques, bringing to life the humidity pictured in the caves.

The photos had to be covered with a fine film to protect them from the moist conditions, festival director Christoph Wiesner told AFP.

Agnel illuminates only some parts of the caves in her photos, which show imaginary creatures and play on light and darkness in the manner of Old Masters like Rembrandt and Goya.

The work "explores extreme environments, whose unsettling beauty provokes senses of wonder and feelings of the sublime", wrote curator Marta Ponsa.

- Scandinavian sisterhood -

In a nearby centuries-old cloister, the Camargue, France's largest wetland located next to Arles between the Rhone river and the Mediterranean, takes pride of place in an exhibition by France's Eva Nielsen with Marianne Derrien.

"Insolare" captures the Camargue's reeds, marshes, the action of salt on the land, agricultural activity and local architecture in paintings, silk-screen prints and photography.

Wiesner said the Camargue was "particularly exposed" to climate change, with Nielsen describing the location as "at once wild and fashioned by man".

The sweltering temperatures of southern France take a dive into the chillier climes of Scandinavia with the exposition "Sosterskap" ("Sisterhood"), which highlights work by 18 women photographers who explore the welfare state from a feminist perspective.

Fathers on paternity leave caring for their children, handcuffed women looking towards the future and women of immigrant backgrounds, the latter by Nairobi-born Sweden-based artist Ikram Abdulkadir, feature in the displays.

The curators highlighted the feeling of sisterhood in the work by young Finn Emma Sarpaniemi, whose self-portrait was selected as the festival's banner photo.

Her portraits of groups of women in playful poses "embody a sense of togetherness and highlight the importance of fostering strong connections with those around us", they wrote.

The festival with its 45 exhibitions runs until September 24.

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The head Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee says he is worried about a flurry of extreme right-wing amendments attached to the House version of the annual defense bill as lawmakers prepare to debate and vote on the legislation this month.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told The Washington Post he was concerned about GOP measures on abortion, guns, the border, and social policy and equity issues.

Well just have to wait and see what amendments are made in order when the bill is debated on the House floor, he said. Depending on which amendments pass, I will make an evaluation on whether I support the final bill.

Smith voted for the initial $874 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill, which passed out of the committee in late June on a 58-1 bipartisan vote, but only after hours of fighting over amendments on culture war issues.

Democrats and Republicans on the committee clashed for hours over amendments targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at the Pentagon. Smith vowed after the vote to continue the fight on the House floor.

The amendments that passed include a ban on the Defense Department funding drag shows, the elimination of the Pentagons chief diversity officer and a prohibition on critical race theory at military academies. Critical race theory is an academic framework evaluating U.S. history through the lens of racism.

The House Appropriations Committee, which funds the priorities listed in the Armed Services defense bill, also included several amendments to limit the Pentagons use of clean energy and ban a new Defense Department policy reimbursing travel costs for servicemembers who travel to get an abortion, among a wide range of others that infuriated Democrats.

Lawmakers this week are returning for a three-week blitz before the August recess, with spending bills on the list of priorities. A vote on the NDAA is expected to come later this month.

Hundreds of amendments to the NDAA are being offered by the full House, some of which target cultural issues.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) introduced an amendment to ban funding for sustainable building materials, while Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) offered one to block the Defense Department from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to a person or group based on race.

Several more amendments from other lawmakers take aim at diversity efforts, including the prohibition of funds for DEI programs.

The amendments are setting up another contentious showdown on culture wars. Democrats are likely to object to the provisions, while Republicans will try to muscle through the votes with control of the House.

Democrats are offering their counter to the GOP, including amendments that would reverse those amendments that passed the Armed Services Committee last month, such as the elimination of the chief diversity officer position.

The Democratic-controlled Senate passed its version of the NDAA last month with no major divisive amendments.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
For the first time in more than 100 years, the Marine Corps has no Senate-confirmed leader.

And despite the retirement of Commandant Gen. David Berger, theres no inkling that the situation will change any time soon.

Sen. Tommy Tubervilles seven-month hold on all senior military promotions ran head-on into the long military history of smooth leadership handovers during a pomp-filled ceremony Monday at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington.

Berger, whose four-year tour as the Marines top officer came to an end, was supposed to hand the reins over to Gen. Eric Smith, who has been nominated for the job. Instead, Smith will run the Corps on a temporary basis while he waits for Senate confirmation, thanks to the hold. Because he's not confirmed, Smith will have to hold off on making any making strategic decisions for the service. He will also simultaneously serve in his current position as the Marine Corps' No. 2.

I know that everyone here is looking forward to the rapid confirmation of a distinguished successor to General Berger, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in brief remarks before jetting off to a NATO summit in Lithuania.



You know, it's been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate-confirmed commandant, he continued. Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States.

As Berger and Smith looked on, Austin sidestepped mentioning Tuberville by name. I am also confident that the United States Senate will meet its responsibilities, and I look forward to welcoming an outstanding new commandant for our Marine Corps and to adding many other distinguished senior leaders across the joint force.

Tuberville, an Alabama Republican and Senate Armed Services Committee member, placed the hold in protest of the Pentagons new policy that pays travel expenses for troops if they cannot obtain abortions in their state. He has also voiced frustration that President Joe Biden has yet to reach out to discuss the matter.

The senators procedural holds mean that senior officers across the military are unable to move their families to their new assignments, and in many cases are losing out on the pay raises that promotions entail.

Our military families give up so much to support those who they serve, so they shouldn't be weighed down with any extra uncertainty, Austin said.



In his own remarks, Berger also swiped at the issue, saying that with Smith performing the duties of commandant until his full Senate confirmation, the Marine Corps is in fantastic hands. And I'm with you, Mr. Secretary. We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied. We ask the Senate to do that.

Berger is the first of four members of the eight-member Joint Chiefs of Staff who will begin retiring this year. With the hold in place, half the chiefs, the leaders of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, along with the chair, will have no confirmed successor in the seat to replace them.

After Berger, current Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville will retire around Aug. 9, giving way to his second in command Gen. Randy George, who Biden has nominated to succeed McConville.

Current Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday will also step down around Aug. 14, to be replaced on a temporary basis by Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the vice chief of naval operations. The White House has yet to nominate a replacement for Gilday, but Austin has recommended Pacific Fleet chief Adm. Samuel Paparo to become the Navys next top admiral.

By far the most significant change comes this fall on Oct. 1, when Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley is required to retire. If his nominated replacement isnt confirmed by then, he will hand over responsibilities to his vice chief, Adm. Christopher Grady, until a replacement is confirmed.

The officer tapped to replace Milley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, will appear for his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Top Mexican diplomat: US elections will fuel the flames of xenophobia and racism

Mexicos new top diplomat Alicia Barcena warned that the upcoming elections in the United States will fuel the flames of xenophobia and racism.

Barcena, who last month was tapped as foreign minister by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, laid out her upcoming challenges in an op-ed in Mexican daily El Universal.

She said Mexicos diplomats will have to enhance efforts to protect Mexican nationals amid incendiary election-year rhetoric in the United States.

The historical vocation of Mexican diplomacy obliges us to enhance efforts to protect our citizens living abroad, especially in the coming months, when the electoral process in the United States will fuel the flames of xenophobia and racism, wrote Barcena, according to an unofficial translation distributed Monday by the Mexican embassy in Washington.

Mexican diplomacy is largely geared around services for its more than 10 million Mexico-born nationals present in the United States; Mexicos consular network in the United States is the worlds largest, with 52 local representations.

While the two countries have butted heads for decades over migration and the Mexican diaspora, those frictions have intensified over the past decade.

The 2016 presidential campaign in the United States marked a turning point, when former President Trump announced his candidacy in a speech remembered for the phrase, when Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best.

Yet Lopez Obrador, who came to power in 2018, established a cordial relationship with Trump and has become a fierce critic of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is seen as Trumps most competitive rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Barcena, as the outgoing Mexican ambassador to Chile and longtime executive secretary of the United Nationss Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), has focused her diplomatic career on Mexicos relations with its southern neighbors.

Barcena, who is awaiting Senate approval to formally take the top job, laid out a long list of Mexican diplomatic priorities beyond U.S.-based consular work.

Our country is closely linked to the United States and Canada. With our northern neighbors, we share trade and engage in intense and constant dialogue on a variety of topics, but a rich tapestry of family and social relationships also binds us, wrote Barcena, in a nod to 30 years of free trade in North America.

Still, Barcena subtly criticized Mexican governments of the past 30 years for turning their focus toward North America and away from the Caribbean and South and Central America.

We have an undeniable cultural belonging and a shared future with our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean, she wrote.

But more importantly, Mexico has committed to never turning its back again and looking more earnestly toward the South, which implies consolidating ourselves as a proactive, inclusive, and participatory force in regional affairs, leveraging our membership in the G20.

That southward vision has earned Barcena harsh criticism in the United States.

As Lopez Obradors candidate to run the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in 2022, Barcena was labeled a communist sympathizer by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

After the death of mass murderer Fidel Castro, she lamented the passing of a giant who spent his life fighting for equality. Fidel Castro, in fact, dedicated his life to creating one of the most unequal and totalitarian states ever known to mankind, wrote Salazar.

Similarly, she claimed to have been witness to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavezs indestructible commitment to the dispossessed, the most humble and stated he made equality both his lodestar and the permanent doctrine of his country. Hugo Chavez oversaw the impoverishment and starvation of millions while enriching a small clique of corrupt government insiders.

Shortly before the IADB election, Barcena dropped out, citing personal reasons, and Lopez Obrador nominated the deputy governor of Mexicos central bank, Gerardo Esquivel, for the job, saying that his candidacy had the possibility to triumph.

Former Brazilian Central Bank President Ilan Goldfajn was elected as IADB president in 2022, replacing Trump-nominated Mauricio Claver-Carone, who was ousted amid allegations of wrongdoing.

Barcena will take over the diplomatic portfolio replacing Marcelo Ebrard, who last month quit the job to pursue a presidential run.

This story was updated at 5:27 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Less than a year into Donald Trumps presidency, top homeland security officials were so alarmed about escalating tensions with North Korea that they held multiple meetings to prepare for a nuclear attack on American soil, according to a forthcoming book by Miles Taylor, who was a top official in the department at the time.

In an excerpt of the book Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump that was shared with POLITICO, Taylor describes acute concerns in the Trump administration in 2017 after North Korean missile tests  including one while then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Trump responded to the missile tests with increasingly bellicose rhetoric.

In the national security world, anything having to do with nuclear weapons is handled with extreme sensitivity  well planned, carefully scripted  yet we didnt know what Trump might say at any given moment, writes Taylor, who was intelligence and counter-threats counselor to the secretary of homeland security at the time. One day, he threatened North Korea with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before. He almost seemed to welcome a nuclear conflict, which terrified us.

Taylor said then-Defense Secretary James Mattis cornered him one day after a Situation Room meeting.

You all need to prepare like were going to war, he warned. Mattis was serious. DHS should assume the homeland was in mortal danger.

The Department of Homeland Security took a step it had never taken before, according to Taylor, who is best known for writing an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times in 2018 describing a quiet resistance in the Trump administration of people choosing to put country first."

We convened every top leader in DHS to discuss the brewing crisis, he writes in the new book, which is set for release on July 18. Experts walked through various scenarios of a nuclear strike on the U.S. homeland, dusted off response plans, and outlined best-case scenarios which nevertheless sounded horrifically grim. I cannot provide the details, but I walked out of those meetings genuinely worried about the safety of the country. In my view, the department was unprepared for the type of nuclear conflict Trump might foment.

Chris Krebs, a top DHS official at the time, confirmed that in 2017, department officials looked at how they would respond to a nuclear strike on the United States.

There was certainly a sense that there was a non-zero chance and therefore we should take the appropriate and reasonable steps of assessing readiness for such an attack, Krebs told POLITICO.

On Nov. 28 that year, North Korea tested a missile that could have reached the continental United States. The test spurred fear throughout the U.S. government, including at DHS. Then-acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke monitored it from a secure conference room, Taylor added, and he spoke with her after the test. She told him the president had called her in the wake of the launch. But it wasnt to talk about North Korea. Rather, he wanted to talk about DHSs upcoming decision on whether to extend temporary legal protections for Hondurans who came to the United States.

Although a nuclear-capable missile had just ripped through the skies, the presidents mind was on the border, Taylors book says. He wanted DHS to deport them all, Elaine recounted. Duke, however, decided to extend those legal protections.

DHSs scramble to prepare for a nuclear strike was a first, according to Taylor.

This is the first time to my knowledge that DHS thought there was the possibility, however remote, of Trump actually starting a war and us having to prepare for the nuclear fallout in the homeland, he told POLITICO in an interview.

In his 2018 New York Times op-ed, Taylor called Trumps leadership style impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. In 2019, he wrote a book anonymously exploring the theme. And in 2020, he endorsed Joe Bidens presidential campaign and revealed himself as the anonymous author.
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian military displays parts of rockets used by Russian army in the region of Kharkiv

Tortured path to US decision to send Ukraine cluster munitions FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian military displays parts of rockets used by Russian army in the region of Kharkiv

By Mike Stone, Trevor Hunnicutt and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After months of hand-wringing and just days before the July Fourth celebration of U.S. independence, President Joe Biden's national security team unanimously agreed to recommend he send cluster munitions to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Kyiv long had the controversial weapons at the top of its wish list but U.S. officials were wary because the munitions release scores of bomblets to shred anything in their path, pose a danger to civilians long after fighting ends and are banned by more than 100 states under a global agreement.

Even after approving the deal to supply Ukraine, Biden told CNN it was "not an easy decision."

Ultimately U.S. officials say they had no choice when it became apparent earlier this year that Ukraine - now waging a counteroffensive against Russia - was running out of regular artillery ammunition and production would not meet its needs.

It was this looming gap in supplies to Ukraine and assurances from Kyiv on how it would use cluster munitions that helped U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken overcome his humanitarian concerns and back the move, said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The United States is sending Ukraine the dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) - a cluster munition fired from a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon. The first shipments from U.S. stocks are expected to begin within weeks.

Human rights groups opposed the U.S. decision to provide cluster munitions. Human Rights Watch has already accused Russian and Ukrainian forces of using these weapons, which have killed civilians.

Colin Kahl, the Pentagon's top policy adviser, acknowledged on Monday that the U.S. government had been "agonizing" over whether to send Ukraine cluster munitions for months, given the humanitarian concerns. He said that the weaponry, however, was at the top of Ukraine's wish list and said there were concerns that Kyiv's counteroffensive could stall without it.

"They've been pushing for DPICM a long, long time. All right? This was at the very top of their list of requirements," said Kahl, speaking at a forum in London. "We held off because it was a really hard decision, because we've wrestled with the moral issues, the normative issues, the humanitarian issues."

'DIFFICULT DECISION'

The United States accused Russia of using cluster munitions with a failure rate of up to 40%, leaving the ground littered with unexploded bomblets. Washington said it is sending Ukraine cluster munitions with a failure rate of less than 2.35%.

Washington has sent Kyiv military assistance worth more than $40 billion since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukraine has been lobbying Washington for cluster munitions for months, along with some members of Congress.

Top Republicans on the Senate and House foreign relations and armed services committees wrote to Biden in March urging his administration to provide them. While some congressional Democrats objected to Biden's decision to send the munitions, there is bipartisan support for doing so.

However, many U.S. allies and partners helping aid Ukraine are among the 111 state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and came into force in 2010.

Under the convention, the state parties have to notify the United States of the obligations of state parties and make "best efforts to discourage states not party to this convention from using cluster munitions." The United States, Russia and Ukraine are not state parties.

The United States "consulted closely" with allies and partners on the cluster munitions decision, said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, adding that "we don't believe that decision will impact support for Ukraine from around the globe."

"This was a very difficult decision for the administration," Miller said.

Britain, Canada, Germany and others have expressed to the United States their opposition to the use of cluster munitions. Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed the U.S. decision when they met in London on Monday.

"We stand by our obligations under the convention, which include discouraging their use," said a spokesperson for Sunak. "Obviously it is for each country to make a decision."

(Reporting by Mike Stone, Trevor Hunnicutt and Simon Lewis in Washington; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Phil Stewart, Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Writing by Mike Stone and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Trans woman who threatened to shoot MP acquitted after saying she was only joking

Eve Shaw, previously known as Adam Shaw - Alex Lawrie

A trans woman who threatened to shoot a prominent gender critical MP has been acquitted after convincing a court she may have been joking.

Eve Shaw, previously known as Adam, went on trial on Monday accused of sending a threatening Twitter message about Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West, on Jan 22 last year.

The comment said: STG [meaning swear to God] I am gonna pop Joanna Cherry in response to a news article about the politician.

Ms Cherry and her senior aide told Edinburgh Sheriff Court they interpreted the message as a serious threat against her, interpreting pop potentially meaning to shoot.

The MP said she deemed the comment to be a threat and after speaking to colleagues she decided to inform the police.

A lot of the time I ignore it but I potentially saw this as alarming, Ms Cherry said. I was worried this person lived near my office and my constituency and that this was a police matter.

I interpreted that this person was going to do me violence. Pop refers to a gun shot or taking a pop at someone. I have to take these things seriously as two members of Parliament have been murdered since I became an MP.

Ms Cherry has become one of the UKs most vocal gender critical campaigners on trans issues, and strongly opposed her partys attempts to introduce gender self-identification legislation in Scotland.

She has complained of being repeatedly threatened and targeted by those on the other side of the debate, and has accused some of her own colleagues of failing to defend her.

Fraser Thomson, Ms Cherrys chief of staff, told the trial he became aware of the message on the day it was posted and immediately informed his boss of its contents.

Joanna Cherry, whose staff contacted police about a tweet threatening to 'pop' the SNP MP - Andrew Milligan/PA

Following a brief conversation, Mr Thomson said he informed the police the following day. He told the court: I took it to be a very serious attempt on Joanna Cherrys life.

However, Ms Shaw, from Morningside in Edinburgh, also gave evidence during the trial and said the intention in making the comment was to be humorous.

Shaw claimed her Twitter use was sporadic and that she didnt know much about Joanna Cherry other than her opinions on trans rights.

She claimed the message she posted was in reply to a friends message concerning a news article about Ms Cherry. Ms Shaw admitted she had written the comment but said it was made as a pun on her name.

She said her intention with the comment was to lighten the mood and that she was not trying to be threatening towards the nationalist politician.

Ms Shaw said she was made aware Ms Cherry had seen her comment when her parents got in touch and told her the politician had screen-shotted the comment and was informing the police.

She said: I did not take it seriously as I could not see how anyone could see this as a threat.

Shaw said the police subsequently raided her flat and seized all her electronic equipment before she was arrested and charged.

Following the evidence, Sheriff Ian Anderson said: This was a very unwise message that no doubt caused a great deal of concern.

But I have some doubt, reasonable doubt, as to your guilt in the matter so you are therefore acquitted and I find you not guilty.

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A federal appeals court in Tennessee has upheld a law banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, the first such federal court ruling to side with the wave of newly enacted state laws prohibiting affirming healthcare.

Last month, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that blocked Tennessees law after a legal challenge from a group of trans children and their families.

On 8 July, two Republican-appointed judges on a three-judge appeals court panel allowed the state to enforce the law, marking the first time that a challenged law against gender-affirming care has taken effect while a series of legal challenges against similar bans play out across the country.

Federal judges in five other states  Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Florida and Kentucky  have ruled that such bans are likely unconstitutional. A decision in the Arkansas case permanently struck down that states law, the first ban on affirming healthcare for trans youth in the US, marking the first such ruling in the country after a weeks-long federal trial.

Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLUs LGBT & HIV Project, condemned the latest Tennessee ruling as divorced from precedent, from the lower court opinion and from reality.

It is a scary moment for trans people and our health care as the reality of these circuit courts is upon us, he added. But we will absolutely keep fighting and figure something out.

Judges reject every other court and robust medical facts

Tennessees ban immediately took effect with the appeals court order on 8 July.

The law prohibits doctors from providing affirming healthcare to trans youth and forces trans youth to end their current care within nine months.

A legal challenge from a group of trans youth and their families argued that the law amounts to unconstitutional discrimination in violation of the 14th Amendment, a similar argument in other lawsuits targeting state bans on affirming care. Most of the treatments that make up a medical transition are regularly prescribed to non-trans people, including hormone replacement therapy and puberty blockers.

In her dissenting opinion, Judge Helene White said that Tennessee law likely does discriminate based on sex because it allows such care for any other child unless they are transgender, noting that until today, every federal court addressing similar laws reached the same conclusion.

I fail to see how the state can justify denying access to hormone therapies for treatment of minor Plaintiffs gender dysphoria while permitting access to others, especially in light of the district courts robust factual findings on the benefits of these treatments for transgender youth, she wrote.

A statement from the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal and other civil rights groups and attorneys that joined the lawsuit said that the ruling is beyond disappointing and a heartbreaking development for thousands of transgender youth, their doctors, and their families.

As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Tennessee to know this fight is far from over and we will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Tennessee is made a safer place to raise every family, they added.

One of the plaintiffs, a 15-year-old girl identified as LW, will no longer be able to access care in her home state, and must end her treatment by March of next year.

I feel hurt. I feel like they  dont see me as human, she told WPLN. Without gender-affirming care, I wasnt really able to be myself because I physically wasnt myself. And its very scary going through that.

Her family and other families with trans kids are considering whether to seek care outside of Tennessee, complicated by a wave of other similar measures playing out in other states.

The two states where we were looking to go for care if the injunction wasnt granted, now have bills of their own, which means we have to go even further, LWs mother Samantha Williams told WPLN.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (AP)

Guidelines from major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Counseling Association, among others, agree that such care is clinically appropriate for trans youth experiencing gender dysphoria.

But Donald Trump-appointed Judge Amul Thapar and George W Bush-appointed Judge Jeffrey Sutton said they would not defer to mainstream medical authority for the same reason we would not defer to a consensus among economists about the constitutionality of labor laws.

The judges admitted, however, that the decision amounts to their initial views in a case that is expected to resolve in that court no later than 30 September.

We may be wrong, they wrote. It may be that the one week we have had to resolve this motion does not suffice to see our own mistakes.

How courts are using the Supreme Court ruling on abortion to target trans rights

The 2-1 ruling in the appeals court repeatedly invokes the US Supreme Courts decision to strike down a constitutional right to abortion, underscoring the parallel legal battles for transgender rights and the right to abortion care.

The ruling mentions the Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization decision nine times to argue that Tennessees law against affirming healthcare for trans youth does not discriminate on the basis of sex because the regulation of a medical procedure that only one sex can undergo does not trigger heightened constitutional scrutiny.

It also argues that gender-affirming care is not proven to be deeply rooted in our history and traditions.

Mary Ziegler, a leading historian and legal expert on abortion rights, said it is fascinating to see the court treat Dobbs as a new paradigm for sex equality too  one that resurrects and supercharges other Supreme Court rulings on reproductive health.

Days after the Dobbs decision in June of last year, officials in Alabama filed a challenge that relied on that decision to end gender-affirming care. More than a dozen states have advanced explicit protections for both abortion access and gender-affirming care, noting the partisan-driven campaigns targeting them both.

Its hard to exist as a transgender person in Tennessee

Hundreds of bills aimed at LGBT+ people, particularly young trans people, have been filed in nearly every state within the last several years. Within the first five months of 2023 alone, state lawmakers had introduced more than 500 bills impacting LGBT+ people, including 220 bills specifically restricting the rights of trans and nonbinary Americans, according to an analysis from the Human Rights Campaign.

The Republican-appointed judges in the Tennessee appeals court cited that wave of anti-trans legislation as evidence that the states are indeed engaged on these issues.

In Tennessee, lawmakers passed a raft of anti-trans legislation signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee. Federal courts have struck down state law banning public drag performance and a measure that directs how trans people should use bathrooms.

Another recent court ruling upheld a state law prohibiting trans people from correcting their gender marker on their birth certificates, making Tennessee one of just three states with such a policy.

Its hard to exist as a transgender person in Tennessee at this moment, plaintiff Jaime Combs said in a statement following that ruling.

To have the court join state officials to willfully not see us for who we are adds to that burden. All my life Ive been carrying an inaccurate birth certificate, complicating my life and making me feel not seen by my government, she said. My heart is saddened as the court has refused to address the harms imposed by Tennessees policy, but I will continue to fight against the discrimination that continues to be perpetuated by the state of Tennessee.
Transfer of crude from tanker off Yemen to start next week: UN

A man stands on the deck of the beleaguered FSO Safer oil tanker, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen ahead of operations to remove more than a million barrels of oil from the vessel (MOHAMMED HUWAIS)

The transfer of crude oil from a decaying tanker off Yemen will begin early next week, the United Nations said Monday of an operation aimed at preventing a damaging Red Sea spill.

The 47-year-old FSO Safer, long used as a floating storage platform and now abandoned off the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeida, has not been serviced since the Arabian Peninsula country plunged into civil war more than eight years ago.

A team of experts in May started inspecting conditions aboard the vessel and kickstarted preparations for the operation.

It will see private company SMIT Salvage pump the oil from the Safer to the Nautica, a super-tanker the United Nations purchased for the operation to recover the equivalent of more than one million barrels of oil, then tow away the empty tanker.

"SMIT has certified to UNDP (the United Nations Development Programme) that the oil transfer can proceed, with the level of risk within an acceptable range," David Gressly, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, told a Security Council meeting.

"The Safer is fully stabilized for the ship-to-ship transfer of the oil," he said, stressing however that the operation "still presents residual risk" and that plans were in place to address potential incidents.

Noting that authorities in Sanaa had just given the green light for the transfer, Gressly said the Nautica was "preparing to sail" from Djibouti.

"It will moor alongside the Safer and should begin taking on the oil by early next week," he said.

Completion of the transfer should take roughly two weeks, at which point "the whole world can heave a sigh of relief," he added.

The unprecedented UN operation to transfer oil from the Safer -- which is carrying four times as much oil as that which spilled in the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska -- and tow the ship to a scrap yard is budgeted at some $143 million.

In the event of a spill, the UN estimates clean-up costs could top $20 billion, with potentially catastrophic environmental, humanitarian and economic consequences.

abd-mlm/caw
A transgender woman, Rikkie Valerie Kolle, was just crowned Miss Netherlands for the first time

Rikkie Kolle (center) will compete at the upcoming Miss Universe competition. Miss Universe Organization

Rikkie Valerie Kolle won the Miss Netherlands title on Saturday.

Kolle is the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands.

She is the second transgender woman to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Rikkie Kolle has been crowned Miss Netherlands, marking the first time a transgender woman has won the title.

Kolle won this year's Miss Universe Netherlands competition against nine other finalists on Saturday. The organization announced Kolle's victory on their social media pages, where they shared a photo of Kolle after she was crowned by current Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel.

The image's caption said the 22-year-old shined throughout the competition and had made great progress.

Gabriel also congratulated Kolle on Instagram Stories, writing, "Welcome to the class of 2023."

Rikkie Kolle (left) hugs R'Bonney Gabriel (right) at the Miss Netherlands competition. Miss Universe Organization

According to NOS, a broadcasting organization based in the Netherlands, Kolle is the second transgender person to compete in the Miss Universe competition after Angela Ponce. Ponce represented her home country of Spain in the international pageant in 2018.

The outlet reported that Kolle previously appeared on Holland's Next Top Model in 2018, when she reached the final four.

The Miss Universe Organization has made strides to be more inclusive in recent years, including last August when it was revealed mothers and married women could now compete. Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip purchased the organization in October 2022. Jakrajutatip is the first woman to own Miss Universe during its 70-year history and the third richest transgender person in the world.

The 72nd Miss Universe will be held in El Salvador.

Read the original article on Insider
From trauma to training - new lives for North Koreas defectors

About two hours' drive from the South Korean capital, Seoul, in a rural setting of wooded hills and rice paddies, is a complex of buildings that look out of place.

Towering over the surrounding countryside, these multi-storey structures are surrounded by a high fence and guarded gate. The compound is isolated, secure and private.

Part training-hub, part medical facility, part re-education centre, this is where North Korean defectors are sent for three months when they arrive in South Korea.

Its name is Hanawon, or to give it its full title, the Settlement Support Centre for North Korean Refugees.

The number of North Koreans making the difficult and dangerous journey to South Korea - risking possible death if they are caught - to escape poverty and repression has fallen significantly in recent years.

A decade or so ago, nearly 3,000 arrived each year. That figure dropped to around 1,000 in the years that followed and then to below 100 during the pandemic, when North Korea sealed its borders.

Despite that, South Korea has reaffirmed its commitment not just to keeping Hanawon open, but to expanding its facilities.

The government in Seoul believes that as Covid controls are relaxed in North Korea, more of its people will be able to flee. If that happens, Hanawon will again fill up.

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said South Korea needs to prepare to greet these new arrivals.

"We need to think of defectors not as aliens, but as neighbours whose hometown is in the North," he said.

With its hedges, flowers and manicured trees, Hanawon appeared welcoming in the summer sun on Monday, when the South Korean government gave journalists a rare glimpse inside the facility.

We were shown around a training centre, where North Korea defectors are offered 22 courses, in subjects such as hair and beauty, baking and clothes making.

One room has been made to look like a nail parlour, where defectors learn the delicate art of the manicure. They use model hands to practice painting, polishing and filing.

The delicious smell of baking fills the air; it has drifted down from a cookery class next-door.

Other courses are aimed at helping the North Koreans adjust to life in a country that is, in terms of technology, decades ahead of where they came from.

One classroom is set up like a shop selling high-tech gadgets. Tablets, smartphones and computers have been put on display.

While the floor of another building looks like a modern hospital. There is a small ward, consulting rooms and doctors walking around in white medical coats.

It is not just the physical needs of the North Koreans that are catered for; many arrive with severe psychological problems that need urgent attention.

"One of my patients... was worried about what people would think if they knew he was from the North", Source: Dr Jeon Jin-yong, Source description: Psychiatrist who has worked at Hanawon, Image: Dr Jeon Jin-yong, a psychiatrist who has worked at Hanawon

Dr Jeon Jin-yong is a psychiatrist who has worked at Hanawon. He has heard terrible tales of trauma from North Koreans who have passed through the facility.

He said they have had to cope with the stress of escape, and the constant fear that they will be caught and sent back before they make it to South Korea.

Many struggle to overcome the guilt of leaving relatives behind in North Korea who they might never see again.

Some face prejudice in South Korea and so choose to hide the fact that they are from the North.

"One of my patients was once having lunch in a restaurant when on the television there was news about North Korea launching a missile," said Dr Jeon.

"He became very uncomfortable, so quickly finished eating and left the restaurant. He was worried about what people would think if they knew he was from the North."

The facility, which is surrounded by a high fence with a guarded gate, includes a job centre

In an interview with journalists, three female defectors currently at Hanawon gave a hint of the difficulties they are trying to overcome.

They were fearful of revealing their names and were introduced as A, B and C. One woman spoke from behind a screen.

All three had arrived in South Korea after first escaping to China, where their lives were better than in North Korea - but still full of anxiety and danger.

Woman B said she was unable to get a Chinese identity card, which meant she could not go to a hospital, get a bank card or even travel on a train.

Woman C said she was paid half the wages of a Chinese worker because she was in no position to argue for more.

They also described a tightening net of Chinese surveillance that had forced them to seek shelter in South Korea.

"When I first decided to defect I wasn't afraid of anything because I was all alone," said woman A. "But then I had a child in China and realised I had no legal status."

All three women spoke of their hopes - and trepidation - for the future. One of them said she was even worried about paying tax.

"I felt such relief that I was finally in South Korea. I hugged my daughter and started to cry", Source: Kim Sung-hui, Source description: Graduated from Hanawon, Image: Kim Sung-hui, who graduated from Hanawon

Someone who knows what they are going through is Kim Sung-hui, who graduated from Hanawon just over a decade ago and now runs her own business making a rice wine that's popular in North Korea.

In North Korea, Mrs Kim had been told that the South Koreans would initially welcome her - and then she would be tortured and killed.

"It wasn't until I graduated from Hanawon that I finally realised that I was safe," she said.

Mrs Kim said the real education for those at Hanawon would begin only after leaving the facility.

"The first night on the outside is a memorable one for all defectors. I felt such relief that I was finally in South Korea. I hugged my daughter and started to cry - not because I was sad or lonely - but because we'd survived," the 49-year-old said.

In those first few weeks on the outside, Mrs Kim remembers the kindness of South Korean volunteers who helped her adjust.

They were there to welcome her when she stepped into her new home, they showed her around the local shops and even paid for her first ride in a taxi. She still keeps in touch with some of them.

Those still at Hanawon will be hoping for similar success.
Trial starts in case of Akronite charged in 2021 shooting death of Bedford man

Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Daniel Sallerson gives his opening statement to jurors in the trial of Christopher Blue on Monday.

Owen Matthew Barzal was interested in the marijuana business, having attended a cannabis industry conference the week before the 19-year-old was shot to death on Rosemont Avenue in Akrons Sherbondy Hill neighborhood.

He was anti-drug, but was interested in marijuana cultivation, said his father, Matthew Barzal, as the trial of his sons alleged killer began Monday.

Prosecutors said Barzal drove from his home in Bedford to Akron to sell some marijuana, but instead was shot and robbed by Christopher Blue, 19, on Oct. 12, 2021.

Blue is charged with one count of aggravated murder and two counts of murder, all unclassified felonies, first-degree felony aggravated robbery, F-2 felonious assault and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. All of the charges except the tampering with evidence charge include firearms specifications, which carry extra prison time.

Barzal testified his son sold marijuana, but said that he wasnt really making (money)  he would, like, give it to people. It wasnt any kind of orchestrated business.

Matthew Barzal talks about his son Owen Barzal, who was shot and killed in 2021, during the trial of Christopher Blue.

Barzal said he had attended the cannabis conference with his son and said, He was putting together a business plan.

The last thing I said to him is I love you and Im so proud of you.

That was the day he was shot. Barzal recalled noticing his son was in Akron through a tracking app he had linked to his son's cellphone.

Owen Matthew Barzal, right, pictured with his father, Matthew Barzal, in this undated photo.

"I thought he was down there skateboarding," he added. "He had no acquaintance with Mr. Blue that I know of before that time."

He said his son had previously worked on becoming an Eagle Scout and had been an archery counselor at Camp Manatoc in Peninsula, in addition to helping people around the neighborhood.

"He was all about nature  he was very into nature and animals."

Barzal said his son never carried more than a couple of hundred dollars at a time and called the killing "senseless."

Police pull Owen Barzal from car, get tip on suspect

Police responding to a report of shots fired in October 2021 found Barzal slumped over in the drivers seat of his Jeep around 4:43 p.m.

Matthew Barzal struggled to hold back tears as body-camera video presented in evidence showed police pulling his son out of the vehicle and rendering first aid, including CPR.

Police testified they identified Blue as a suspect and were told he was at home a short distance away by his mother, who they said approached investigators at the scene.

Christopher Blue listens to testimony Monday in court. Blue is accused in the 2021 shooting death of Owen Barzal.

Fatal shooting: Akron man pleads not guilty to charges stemming from Bedford man's fatal shooting

After a standoff that lasted nearly six hours, Blue was flushed out of his home after police deployed chemical agents about 10:30 p.m., they said.

In opening statements Monday morning, Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Sallerson said Blues cellphone was found in Barzals Jeep, complete with messages detailing the transaction. Sallerson said police found a message from Barzal to Blue at 4:29 p.m. stating, Im here.

Sallerson said the shooting happened within minutes, with Barzal calling for help at 4:33 p.m.

Akron police officer Anderson Moss points to defendant Christopher Blue during testimony Monday in Akron.

Surveillance video points to Blue, prosecutors say

Prosecutors presented video footage from a neighbors Blink security camera, which they said shows Blue walking with another male down the neighbors driveway at 3:37 p.m. The other male was later identified as a 17-year-old named Stephen Barclay.

Police later testified Barzal had driven from the direction of that neighbor's house and crashed through a street sign, striking a fire hydrant before coming to a stop.

A closeup of the video shows what police said was an automatic pistol with an extended magazine in Blue's front left pants pocket.

Akron police Lt. Aron Hanlon, lead investigator at the scene that day, said Blue's mother had approached detectives as they arrived to investigate and acted strangely, asking they what they were doing and what they thought they would be doing next.

"I've never really had anyone interview me at a crime scene when I didn't know their involvement," he said.

He said she followed investigators as they went to a nearby home, where they had noticed a surveillance camera, to see if there was any footage that would help the investigation.

The homeowner pulled footage the camera had recorded from a web-based server and Hanlon said he, the homeowner and Blue's mother watched it on the homeowner's phone.

When the two males appeared in the video, the homeowner turned to Blue's mother and said, "I asked you to keep your kid out of my yard," Hanlon testified.

Hanlon testified that Blue's mother then agreed the male in the video with the weapon was her son.

Another police investigator later testified the murder weapon was found hidden inside the home during a search after Blue was arrested.

Defense says Barclay also involved in Owen Barzal's shooting death

Attorney Pat Summers, representing Blue, said Barclay, who is now in the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center on an unrelated charge, gave Blue the gun after the shooting.

Summers said in a brief opening argument that Barclay came to Blues house and dropped off the disassembled weapon, then left with a relative.

Defense attorney Pat Summers talks with Christopher Blue on Monday in Summit County Court of Common Pleas in Akron.

He said Blue took the gun parts and put them away, then went to lie down, only to be awakened by police.

Barclay may be called as a potential witness in the case and appeared briefly in court Monday, having arrived in custody. After a brief recess, Barclay had been taken away.

According to prosecutors, the 17-year-old has been indicted as an adult on a charge of having weapons under disability, which means having a weapon despite being prohibited from doing so.

Detective Hanlon said Barclay was placed at the scene of the shooting because he had been wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor at the time.

Hanlon testified the video showing Blue in the vicinity with a weapon, along with information from Blue's cellphone made Blue the prime suspect.

Police chief: Murders paused after Blue's arrest

Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett in a March 2022 talk with the Akron Rotary Club, mentioned Blue's arrest as a possible factor in a brief pause in murders.

"I can tell you following that arrest, we witnessed a reduction in the number of violent incidents in our city for a period of time," Mylett later told the Beacon Journal. "Now, the public can draw whatever conclusion they want to on that. Of course, Mr. Blue is innocent until hes proven guilty, but we did witness a decrease in violence in our city for a period of time."

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Trial starts in case of Akronite charged in 2021 killing of Bedford teen
Former President Trumps co-defendant in the Mar-a-Lago case, Walt Nauta, is pushing the court to delay a conference to discuss the handling of classified evidence in the case, teeing up a decision for Judge Aileen Cannon that could signal how quickly she plans to handle the case.

A filing from the attorney of Nauta asks Cannon to reschedule the Friday conference, arguing he is due in court on another matter while the Florida-based attorney Nauta hired the day before his twice-scheduled arraignment  Sasha Dadan  is not yet prepared to participate.

Defense counsel cannot meaningfully opine on, a discovery and motion schedule relating to any classified information, before their provisional security clearances, let alone complete clearances, have been approved. Nor is it feasible to expect Mr. Nautas local counsel to appear at a pretrial CIPA conference and to agree upon, a discovery and motion schedule relating to any classified information, barely a week after she has been retained by Mr. Nauta, attorney Stanley Woodward wrote in the motion.

The conference is a routine part of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) and was granted by Cannon shortly after Trump was arraigned last month in Miami.

Its designed to lay out procedures for how to handle classified evidence, though attorneys are not required to have clearances to participate.

Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors argue Woodwards complaints about his own lack of a clearance are inconsistent with CIPA given the law allows that any party may move for a pretrial conference to consider matters relating to classified information.

But they also chastise Woodward for apparently failing to undertake the paperwork required to get a clearance.

Perhaps more to the point, as of this writing, Mr. Woodward has yet to complete his Form SF-86, which is necessary for him to receive both an interim clearance and final adjudication, despite having been put in contact with the Litigation Security Group on June 12, some three-and-a-half weeks ago, DOJ writes.

Nautas arraignment, completed Thursday, came after it was twice delayed when he failed to retain local counsel and as he struggled to reach Florida due to flight delays.

He retained Dadan the day before his court appearance, and DOJ argues the Florida attorney should be able to represent Nauta in the hearing.

The Judges ruling will give us a sense of whether shes going to go straight up the middle or lean Trump. No reason to delay this hearing, which is essential to kicking off classified discovery, Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney and law professor, wrote on Twitter.

Cannon initially scheduled an August trial date for Trump, though such matters are often delayed leading up to trial.

Brandon Van Grack, a former top national security lawyer with the Department of Justice, called Nautas motion a delay tactic and the first real test for the Court to keep the case on schedule.

The Court scheduled the CIPA hearing on June 26, but counsel waited two weeks to object to the date.

Nauta, a valet to Trump, is facing charges on six counts after he was spotted moving boxes in and out of a Mar-a-Lago storage room.

He is facing obstruction of justice and other charges that could carry as much as 20 years in prison.

Updated on July 11 at 7:32 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE - People wait to vote on Super Tuesday in the gymnasium at Cleveland Park Community Center, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. While most GOP presidential candidates are focused only on early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis also are looking ahead to Super Tuesday. March 5, 2024 is when the largest number of of delegates are up for grabs of any single day in the primary cycle. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

As the Republican presidential primary intensifies this summer, most White House hopefuls are devoting their time to events in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that kick off the nomination process early next year. Not Ron DeSantis or Donald Trump.

The Florida governor will address more than 1,500 faithful Republicans on Saturday at Nashville's Music City Center. A few weeks later, the former president will swing through Alabama to headline the state GOP's biggest event of the summer.

Trump, the early GOP frontrunner, and DeSantis, who is trailing him for second place, are hardly ignoring voters in the states that jumpstart the Republican contest. Over the past month, they've both held rallies and other major events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, sometimes even appearing in the same state on the same day.

But they are doing more than the other GOP candidates to strengthen their position in states like Tennessee and Alabama that will hold elections on so-called Super Tuesday. That's when the largest number of delegates, which candidates win state-by-state, are up for grabs of any single day in the primary cycle.

Only Trump and DeSantis, who have raised tens of millions of dollars to support their campaigns, have the resources to work in any meaningful way beyond the early states. And GOP leaders beyond Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina say it's a smart strategy.

I know everybodys focused on Iowa and New Hampshire, said Scott Golden, chairman of the Tennessee GOP, who noted that early voting in his state begins in mid-February, before South Carolina is scheduled to hold its contest. "But it is worth taking a little time out to come to Tennessee.

For presidential candidates, Super Tuesday is a circled-in-red date  next year, it's March 5  that can make or break a campaign.

Coming quickly after contests in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, the set of roughly 14 primaries are held across a broad geographic area, from California and Texas to Massachusetts and Maine. The day also is a test of a campaigns ability to organize supporters, its financial strength and a chance for those candidates who are still standing to run up their delegate total.

In 2016, for example, Trump's Super Tuesday dominance signaled, against conventional political wisdom, that the businessman and reality TV star was likely to be the party's nominee. President Joe Biden similarly romped through Super Tuesday in 2020, quickly forcing most of his remaining rivals to drop out.

This cycle, Trump and DeSantis have been nailing down key endorsements in Super Tuesday states, starting to hire staff and readying supporters to knock on doors.

The early start reflects the candidates' confidence they will be in the running come March, when the field typically has been winnowed down. Public polling shows Trump currently leading comfortably, followed by DeSantis, with other candidates trailing. They include former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor.

Of course, targeting Super Tuesday states is no guarantee for winning the nomination. After a late entry in the 2020 Democratic presidential race, billionaire Mike Bloomberg's strategy was to bypass early contests and win in Super Tuesday states. The former New York mayor spent over $500 million but finished well behind Biden in the delegate haul.

Trump and DeSantis haven't entirely had the Super Tuesday states to themselves. Candidates including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have traveled in California and elsewhere. Haley is among those who went to Texas to visit its border with Mexico. But their campaigns have been almost solely focused in early states, some on one in particular.

Pence, an evangelical Christian, has primarily targeted Iowa, where a large portion of GOP primary voters are evangelicals. Christie is counting on independent-minded voters in New Hampshire to support his anti-Trump candidacy, while Haley and Scott hope for good showings in their home state of South Carolina, which votes 10 days before Super Tuesday.

Trump and DeSantis have the money to wage a broader campaign. Trump will report raising over $35 million in the second quarter of this year alone, his campaign said, while DeSantis' campaign said he brought in $20 million in just six weeks after announcing his candidacy.

Trump formally entered the race with the huge advantage of having run and won races in these states before, and his campaigning in many of them hasn't stopped since he lost the 2020 election. In 2021, for example, Trump held a Save America rally in Alabama that the state GOP said drew some 50,000 people.

People of Alabama have a special relationship with Donald Trump," said Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, noting Trump handily won the GOP primary in 2016, when he was battling Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida for the nomination. Trump also won the general election in Alabama easily in 2016 and 2020.

While a small state compared to many other Super Tuesday contests, Wahl said places like Alabama allow candidates to demonstrate support among conservative voters that are the heartbeat of the Republican Party.

Its states like Alabama that are going to be where (Trump) hopes to make a lot of ground, he said. And if other candidates are going to beat him, they have to compete with him in those states.

DeSantis and Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting him, are trying. The PAC plans to invest $100 million on ground operations targeting the first 18 states  four early states plus Super Tuesday states  including paid staff such as state campaign directors. Door knocking is well underway in the first states and will start in Super Tuesday states this summer, with a goal of having 2,600 people out supporting the Florida governor by Labor Day.

Nobody else is doing what were doing as of this point, spokeswoman Erin Perrine said.

She described the door knocking as a crucial piece of the PAC's work because when DeSantis' supporters talk to voters about his personal story  a blue-collar upbringing, serving in the military, his legislative accomplishments  they like what they hear.

They know the name, but they dont necessarily know the man, Perrine said. Weve seen that where we show people the man that we take away Trump supporters and that they come over to the DeSantis camp.

One of DeSantis' most prominent endorsements in a Super Tuesday state was from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who joined the Florida governor for a rally in Tulsa last month, a move that angered Trump and some of his allies in Oklahoma.

The state party is neutral on the race, said Chairman Nathan Dahm, but he said Oklahoma still seems to lean in the former president's favor. He noted he passes a home while out running that for six or seven years has had Veterans for Trump proudly displayed out front.

Still, Dahm said Super Tuesday contests can offer redemption to a candidate that might stumble in an earlier state.

"You can never know what dynamics will change, he said. They should have a long-term strategy. Oklahoma is part of that.

___

Associated Press reporter Kim Chandler contributed from Montgomery, Alabama.
Former President Trump on Monday took a swipe at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) over her approach to the 2024 GOP presidential primary field amid reported frustrations from his team that Reynolds has been too cozy with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) campaign.

I love Iowa, protected & expanded Ethanol, got 28 Billion Dollars from China for our great Farmers, ended the Estate (Death!) Tax on farms, made the best TRADE deals in history (USMCA, China, & many more), introduced the World to our FARMERS, & kept Iowas First in the Nation status, Trump wrote on Truth Social, referencing the GOPs decision to keep the Iowa caucuses first on its primary calendar despite a push from Democrats to change their primary schedule.

I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won, Trump continued. Now, she wants to remain NEUTRAL. I dont invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!

Trumps post comes days after Reynolds appeared alongside DeSantiss wife, Casey DeSantis, at the launch of her Mamas for DeSantis initiative for the Florida governors presidential campaign.

Thank you to my friend @KimReynoldsIA for joining me for the launch of Mamas for DeSantis, Casey DeSantis tweeted Friday. Iowa and Florida are blessed to have strong governors who are holding the line in the name of freedom.

It also follows a New York Times report detailing frustrations within Trumps campaign about how Reynolds has appeared to embrace Gov. DeSantis, appearing alongside him at multiple events as he tries to make inroads in the state. The report noted Reynolds did not attend a recent event with Trump when he was in the state.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

Reynolds has said she intends to remain neutral in the primary process, telling the Des Moines Register in February she wants all candidates to feel welcome to campaign in the state, which will host its caucus in January 2024 to kick off the GOP primary calendar.

Polling out of Iowa in recent months has shown Trump with a sizable lead over DeSantis, who is running in second, and strategists have argued any challenger to the former president will need a strong showing in the Hawkeye State to have a chance at overtaking him.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Gov Ron DeSantis just got some of his worst polling news yet.

A survey of likely Republican primary voters in the Sunshine State by Florida Atlantic University shows him firmly trailing former President Donald Trump, with the pairs other rivals for the GOP nomination far out in the wilderness. Mr Trump leads Mr DeSantis 50-30 in the survey.

The poll affirmed two narratives involving the DeSantis campaign: The 2024 Republican primary, at present, is a two-candidate contest. And Mr DeSantis is losing.

While losing one state is hardly a death knell for a presidential candidate, losing ones home state as that states incumbent governor is another story entirely. And adding to the pressure is the states high delegate count  125  and rules declaring that the winner of the state primary will receive all the delegates, rather than apportioning them by vote percentage.

Presidential primaries in the US are decided by the number of votes cast by delegates won by individual candidates in various state primaries and caucuses around the country. In 2024, the Republican candidate who successfully wins the nomination will be the individual who secured the votes of at least 1,234 delegates.

Donald Trumps victory in Florida over his then-rival Marco Rubio, a US senator from the state, in 2016 was seen as the end of Mr Rubios campaign; the Florida senators campaign cratered after a damaging debate-stage confrontation with Chris Christie. Other candidates such as Sen Ted Cruz and John Kasich suffered similar defeats on their home turfs, paving Mr Trumps path to the nomination.

Mr DeSantis remains the only other Republican polling above the 10 per cent margin in this poll and many other surveys of the 2024 field. At present, the surveys suggest that the Florida governor is the sole contender with a shot at beating the former president, but he has yet to rebound in support after a muffled entrance into the field.

Still, other Republicans like Nikki Haley and Chris Christie are likely to make it on the debate stage alongside the former president, and could shift the dynamics of the race if they are able to mount effective attacks against him.

The Florida Atlantic Universitys poll surveyed likely 315 GOP primary voters in Florida between 27 June and 1 July, with a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
Former president Donald Trump reportedly further strained his relationship with Republican party leadership in Iowa after failing to show up for senator Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" charity.

Except for Mr Trump, eight of the GOP 2024 presidential election hopefuls were present at the senator's charity event last month  a combination of barbecue-rally and motorcycle rides that kick off a busy summer campaign season heading into the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former vice president Mike Pence, US senator Tim Scott, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and other candidates dressed for the occasion in leather and reached out to supporters.

Mr Trump declared that he would not participate in the event but his campaign had expressed interest in sending videotaped remarks to be played for the crowd, according to a New York Times report.

However, the former president failed to send the videotape, allegedly leaving Ms Ernsts operation with a large bill that was wasted on renting screens for the purpose of showing the tape.

The former president also potentially ruined the senator's plan to use a motorcycle helmet signed by all of the Republican candidates to sell tickets to the event.

The event organisers sent the helmet to Mr Trump, who returned it later than expected and had added the numbers '45' and '47,' signaling he would be the next president.

The helmet was never used, the newspaper said.

The presidential hopefuls during the event all tiptoed around mentions of the 45th president. Ms Haley repeated a version of a line she has been using as a candidate that seems to allude to Mr Trump and his political career as replete with controversies.

Its time for a new-generation leader. Weve got to leave the baggage of the negativity behind, she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump in Iowa earlier this week attacked the Florida governor as an enemy of corn-based ethanol in his largest campaign event in the state.

The former president spoke to more than 1,000 Iowans and Nebraskans packed into the event hall inside Mid-America Center.

Mr Trump declared himself the most pro-farmer president that youve ever had at the event, which was aimed at promoting his administrations agricultural record.

I fought for Iowa ethanol like no president in history, he said.
Trump publicly lashes out at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds after report that she's closer to DeSantis: 'I dont invite her to events'

Former President Donald Trump AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Trump lashed out at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday.

His comments come after The New York Times reported on Reynolds' closeness to Ron DeSantis.

Publicly rebuking the popular governor of a key early state is an extremely risky move.

Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds after a report hinted that the Republican governor was closer to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis than she is to the former president.

"I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won," Trump wrote on his Truth, his social media platform. "Now, she wants to remain 'NEUTRAL.' I don't invite her to events!"

The former president publicly criticizing Reynolds, the top Republican official in the home of the first-in-the-nation, could create major headaches for him. Reynolds has added onto a formidable organization that former US ambassador to China Terry Branstad spent years crafting. Trump appointed Branstad to his posting in Beijing, an event that he seems to believe Reynolds owes him for since it opened up the governor's mansion. In short, it means that top strategists and activists in the state remain loyal to her.

Reynolds, in keeping with the usual tradition for Iowa governors, has said she will not endorse before the January 15, 2024 caucuses. Trump's comments come after a New York Times report that detailed how Reynolds is increasingly in the middle of the fighting between Trump and DeSantis.

The Times went in-depth on how Trump feels that Reynolds owes him for becoming governor. The former president's fixation on loyalty has been a cornerstone of his challenge to DeSantis.

Reynolds appeared with DeSantis during all three of his first visits to Iowa. She also co-hosted an event with Casey DeSantis last week as the Florida first lady launched her "Mommas for DeSantis" group. The series of appearances, according to The Times, has sparked annoyance within Trump's orbit.

"Trump advisers have snickered privately about her having neutrality-in-name-only," The Times wrote.

After narrowly surviving her first election to a full term, Reynolds easily romped to reelection in the 2022 midterms. Her time in office has also coincided with Iowa's increasingly conservative shift as Republicans now hold a trifecta in state government. Reynolds has called legislators back for a special session tomorrow in a bid to pass further abortion restrictions.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Trump is railing against yet another Republican governor: "I don't invite her to events"

Kim Reynolds; Donald TrumpScott Olson/Getty Images

Donald Trump once again took to Truth Social to unleash a bitter tirade against a former political ally. This time, the former president and 2024 candidate took a swing at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a fellow Republican.

On Monday, Trump's lash-out followed reporting from the New York Times that Reynolds has a close relationship with Trump's closest primary-race competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Reynolds has also said that she won't formally endorse any GOP candidates in the primary  as is customary for Iowa governors.

"I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won," Trump wrote in his post. "Now, she wants to remain 'NEUTRAL.' I don't invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!"

Despite Reynolds reserve of formal endorsement, the governor has appeared with DeSantis in all three of his Iowa events, and join DeSantis' wife, Casey, to launch the voter-courting campaign "Mamas for DeSantis."
Former President Donald Trump publicly let loose against Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in a social media post on Monday, following a New York Times report that detailed the Republican governors close relationship with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trumps closest competitor in the GOP presidential primary.

I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Now, she wants to remain NEUTRAL. I dont invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!

Reynolds has said she wont formally endorse any of the candidates in the Republican primary, keeping in practice with past governors of her state, which holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses. However, the governor has appeared with DeSantis at each of the three events he has hosted in the state, including his first in-person campaign event, where she described her fellow governor as a candidate who has shown us that he can, and all you have to do is look at his record.

Last week, Reynolds joined DeSantis wife, Casey, to launch Mamas for DeSantis, a campaign to draw more women and parents to the DeSantis camp.

According to The Times, Trump has privately bemoaned the support Reynolds has shown for his rival, particularly in light of his 2018 endorsement.

The former president still appears to hold a sizable lead over DeSantis in the polls in Iowa. But lashing publicly could cause problems for Trumps campaign, as he looks to avoid the defeat he suffered in the 2016 Iowa caucuses this time around.

And DeSantis was quick to pounce on the opportunity, not so subtly slamming Trumps comments in a tweet Monday evening.

@KimReynoldsIA is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done, DeSantis wrote. She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session.
The blockade from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on about 250 of the Pentagons general and flag officers has left the Marine Corps without a confirmed leader for the first time in 164 years.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger officially retired on Monday, leaving Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith as the acting commandant and leader of the military branch until he is confirmed in the Senate.

The last time the Marine Corps was left with an acting commandant was in 1859, when Archibald Henderson, the fifth commandant of the Marines, died at 76 without a successor in place.

Its unclear when Smith could be confirmed. Tubervilles hold on the Pentagon nominees, which he began in March to protest the Defense Departments new abortion policy, shows no signs of weakening, even as the block has sparked bipartisan frustration.

Tubervilles hold is affecting leadership posts held by key military officers, prompting concern from the White House, Defense Department, former Defense secretaries under Republican and Democratic administrations and congressional colleagues, all of whom have warned about the harm to national security from the block.

The hold is also set to block key nominees on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the replacement for Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman, who retires in September.

Military holds enter fifth month as Republicans struggle to appease Tuberville

In an opinion article, Tuberville argued his block does not affect national security and is not affecting readiness.

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Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion, Tuberville wrote last month in The Washington Post. The hold affects only those at the very top  generals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all.

Tuberville is protesting the Pentagons abortion policy because it provides paid leave and reimbursement costs for travel for servicemembers who cross state lines to get an abortion. The senator says it violates the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from paying for abortions.

Republicans have reportedly suggested an off-ramp to Tuberville, but the senator says he will only lift the ban on two conditions: the policy is formalized in law or dropped.

If Democrats cant pass legislation to authorize the abortion policy, then it shouldnt be the policy, Tuberville wrote in his opinion piece.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In a surprising change of tune Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has apparently agreed to advance Sweden's bid for NATO membership announced NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

According to a NATO press statement Erdogan agreed take the ratification process to Turkey's Parliament for advancement as soon as possible.

"Sweden and Turkey agree today to continue their cooperation," the statement said after laying out the steps Sweden has taken to address Turkey's security concerns which have blocked Stockholm's accession into NATO for over a year.

LITHUANIA BOLSTERS TIES WITH TAIWAN AHEAD OF NATO SUMMIT AMID CHINA THREAT

Stoltenberg called the move "historic" and President Biden championed Erdogan's decision.

"I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area," Biden said in a statement. "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally. And I thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The surprising announcement comes just hours after Erdogan said he would support Swedens accession into NATO if Turkey was granted membership into the European Union.

Erdogan has ardently stood in Stockholms way since it first launched its bid over a year ago to join the now 31-member NATO alliance alongside Finland.

But while Finland was given the green light in April to join the military bloc, Sweden has faced opposition from Turkey, and more recently Hungry, over Stockholms lenient stance towards Kurdish individuals affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who Turkey perceives as "terrorists."

"I am calling from here on these countries that are making Turkey wait at the door of the European Union for more than 50 years," Erdogan said Monday ahead the NATO summit this week. "First, come and open the way for Turkey at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland."

Under Erdogans leadership Turkey has been attempting to join the European Union since 2005 during his first term as prime minister.

But the 27-member union has blocked its entrance over concerns relating to human rights and political turmoil, particularly following a failed coup attempt in 2016.

Turkish President and leader of the Justice and Development Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara on Jan. 18, 2023.

NATO LEADERS AGREE TO HELP MODERNIZE UKRAINE'S ARMED FORCES, MEMBERSHIP TALKS ARE STILL OFF THE TABLE

World officials have pushed back on Erdogans demands pointing out that the E.U. and NATO are separate entities and are not tied to one another.

"The accession process for each candidate country is based on the merits of each country," an E.U. spokesperson told Reuters.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that while he backs Turkeys membership of the E.U., he noted that Sweden already meets all the requirements to join NATO  the only hiccup being the unanimous consent needed from all member nations.

The map shows NATO member countries. Russia has opposed an expansion of the 30-member alliance.

The U.S. State Department echoed these comments and said that though it too backs Erdogans attempts to join the E.U., ultimately "they are separate issues."

"That is a separate question than the question about Sweden joining NATO," a State Department spokesperson told reporters Monday. "We think it's time for Sweden to join NATO, and we hope Turkey will support them."

Reuters contributed to this report.
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey agreed to support Swedens NATO bid in a major breakthrough for the military alliances push to strengthen its defenses following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Turkey will ask its parliament to advance Swedens membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as soon as possible, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Monday in Vilnius.

The about-face comes after months of arduous negotiations over Turkeys demands and on the eve of a critical two-day NATO summit where leaders including US President Joe Biden are eager to show a united front and signal to Vladimir Putin that his war on Ukraine has only strengthened the alliance.

NATOs northern enlargement heralds one of the most prominent changes in the European security landscape after Russias aggression led to shifts including a ramp-up of defense spending in Germany and plans to bring back conscription in France. The early 2022 attack on Ukraine prompted an almost overnight change in public opposition to membership in NATO in Finland and Sweden.

Completing Swedens accession to NATO is a historic step that benefits the security of all NATO allies at this critical time, Stoltenberg said in Vilnius. I will not give you the exact dates for that. But this is a clear commitment.

Just earlier on Monday, Erdogan had made a quid pro quo demand  Sweden in NATO if the European Union opened its doors to Turkey - only to be reminded by Brussels that they are separate processes. After the surprise request, however, a solution to the impasse emerged behind closed doors within hours.

Erdogan met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and then European Council President Charles Michel. After those conversations were had, Michel said the bloc would submit a report on the EUs relations with Turkey, with a view to proceed in strategic & forward-looking manner.

According to a Turkish official, Erdogan won assurances on key demands, including Stockholms approach to supporters of Kurdish separatists operating in its territory. There was progress too toward lifting defense-related sanctions and EU officials agreed to speed up their membership negotiations, including on upgrading the customs union and on visa liberalization for its citizens.

Stoltenberg expects Hungary, the only other NATO member yet to approve Swedens bid, will follow suit as they said they dont want to be the last one not ratifying.

F-16 Jets

What remains unclear is to what extent Bidens comments over the weekend that Turkeys purchase of American F-16 fighter jets is in play contributed to Erdogans U-turn on Sweden. Biden released a statement saying that he welcomed the agreement and the two leaders will meet on Tuesday.

Congress must approve significant U.S. arms sales to foreign allies and a bipartisan group of senators had told Biden earlier this year that lawmakers shouldnt consider the $20 billion sale of warplanes until the country ratifies Swedens membership.

Back in Washington, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, one of the biggest holdouts, appeared to be softening his position when quizzed by journalists. He said there may be a path forward in the next week.

The decision follows more than a year of stalling and contentious rhetoric, with Ankara repeatedly accusing Stockholm of failing to do enough to crack down on Kurdish groups it views as terrorists.

Turkeys turnaround follows a flurry of diplomatic activity that has seen Kristersson visit Biden in Washington, and Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom meet his Turkish counterpart at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

I have worked very hard for this to happen, including almost endless conversations with other prime ministers and presidents, and the response has been very good, Kristersson told reporters Monday. Today we took a very large step on the way to completing the ratification process.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also discussed Swedens ambitions with Erdogan during a visit to Istanbul on July 7.

Todays decision is very important as it shows consensus can be reached within NATO, Ihor Zhovkva, Zelenskiys deputy chief of staff in charge for foreign relations said. We hope more political decisions will be taken during the summit and Ukraine will eventually become the 33rd member.

Once completed, Swedens accession would clinch NATOs control of the Baltic Sea and give the alliance the upper hand in the Arctic region  both strategic gateways for Russia  even as Moscow is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine. Seven out of eight Arctic nations will belong to NATO.

Bringing Sweden into the fold will also simplify defense planning for the alliance. NATO will benefit not just from Swedens combat aircraft, naval prowess and other military assets but also being able to easily shuttle troops or equipment across Nordic territory.

With both Finland and Sweden in the alliance, it will give NATO better access to reinforce the Baltic nations with military support in the event of a crisis.

The area has long been seen as the blocs weak spot because troops and equipment arriving by land would have to traverse a narrow corridor between Poland and Lithuania that is sandwiched between Russias exclave of Kaliningrad and its ally Belarus.

--With assistance from Andra Timu, Niclas Rolander, Kati Pohjanpalo, Daryna Krasnolutska and Zach C. Cohen.

(Adds comment from key figure in Congress in 10th paragraph and moves up section on F-16 jets.)

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The News

After months of negotiations, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to advance Swedens bid for NATO membership, the security pacts leader Jens Stoltenberg said from Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, ahead of the alliances annual summit.

This is a historic step which makes all NATO allies stronger & safer, Stoltenberg tweeted, alongside a photo of him with the leaders of Sweden and Turkey.

Know More

The announcement from Stoltenberg came just hours after Erdogan said that the European Union should first grant Turkey membership to the E.U. before Ankara would greenlight Swedens NATO bid  a condition that the security alliances member states had not agreed on.

But later Monday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson allegedly promised Erdogan that Stockholm would crack down on Kurdish separatists whom Turkey considers terrorists, including members of a religious group that Ankara has accused of planning a coup attempt in 2016.

In a statement from NATO, the two countries agreed that counterterrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which will continue beyond Swedens accession to NATO.

Hungary is the only NATO member left to approve Swedens bid, but the country had previously said that it would take a cue from Turkey if the accession process was to move forward.

The View From the European Union

President of the European Council Charles Michel signaled that the E.U. and Turkey could resume further talks on Ankaras membership in the bloc.

Explored opportunities ahead to bring the European Union and Turkey cooperation back to the forefront & re-energize our relations, he wrote Monday.

The View From Washington

U.S. President Joe Biden who had long supported Swedens enrollment into the security bloc welcomed Turkeys move on Monday, saying, I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally.
Turkey has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance after a year of opposition, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. He called the moment a "historic step."

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to send the accession protocol to the Turkish parliament for approval as soon as possible, Stoltenberg said, noting that Erdogan would "ensure ratification."

Sweden will become a full member of the alliance, Stoltenberg said.

Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with @RTErdogan & @SwedishPM, President Erdogan has agreed to forward #Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer. pic.twitter.com/D7OeR5Vgba  Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 10, 2023

Stoltenberg held talks between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson the evening before the NATO summit was scheduled to begin in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday.

Erdogan and President Joe Biden discussed Swedens membership bid over the phone Monday. They decided to meet in person in Vilnius on Tuesday, said Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser.

Most NATO members have supported Sweden's efforts to join in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey, however, had maintained its opposition, which had stymied hopes for more than a year.

Sweden originally applied with Finland in May 2022 after years of appearing neutral in the growing tension between Russia and the West. Finland finally joined the alliance in April, adding an 830-mile land border between NATO territory and Russia.

Turkey had maintained its objections to Swedens bid because there is a prevailing view in Ankara that Sweden supports Kurdish groups that Turkish leadership considers to be terrorists. The Kurds, a Muslim minority group, make up about a fifth of Turkeys population, and they have had a volatile and, at times, violent relationship with the government.

Image: NATO Holds 2023 Summit In Vilnius (Filip Singer / WPA Pool / Getty Images)

Sweden is one of several European countries that have welcomed the Kurdish diaspora, and Stockholm has been host to several protests in support of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK  which Sweden and Turkey officially consider a terrorist group.

Stoltenberg said he worked with Kristersson and Erdogan "to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns."

"Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws significantly, expanded its counterterrorism cooperation against the PKK and resumed arms exports to Turkey," Stoltenberg said. "Sweden's cooperation with Turkey in the fight against terrorism will continue beyond accession to NATO, and Sweden agreed today to establish a new bilateral security compact."

As part of the agreement, NATO will also increase its efforts in those areas, Stoltenberg said, and he will create the post of special coordinator for counterterrorism.

Boasting the second-largest military in the alliance, of which it has been a member since 1952, Turkey has held out against pressure to allow Sweden's ascension with the support of Hungary. It is believed, however, that Hungary will follow Turkey's lead, allowing Sweden to become a full member of NATO.

Though it does not share a land border with Russia, Sweden will further impinge on Russia's power if its membership is approved, analysts say. Stockholm's naval and air power on the Baltic Sea, along with the eight NATO countries that border the sea, are likely to temper the Kremlin's power in the region and its ability to threaten NATO members.

"Integrated control of the entire area will make defense of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania easier, since Swedish territory and airspace in particular are important for such efforts. This will strengthen deterrence and make a conflict there less likely," Carl Bildt, a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden, wrote in Foreign Affairs last year.

"But perhaps the most important consequence of Finnish and Swedish accession to NATO," he said, "would be to increase the alliances political strength as the pillar of the defense of Europe and the transatlantic area."

CORRECTION (July 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Kurdish party the Turkish government considers a terrorist group. It is the Kurdistan Workers Party, not the Kurdish Workers Party.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been blocking Sweden's NATO aspirations (Adem ALTAN)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he would only back Sweden's NATO candidacy if the European Union resumes long-stalled membership talks with Ankara.

The mercurial Turkish leader's unexpected new demand came on the eve of a landmark NATO summit at which Western leaders want to display unity in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Erdogan has been blocking Sweden's accession for months because of what he deemed was Stockholm's failure to crack down on Kurdish militants who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state.

His new condition -- never raised in public before -- threatened to open a new chasm between Turkey and its Western allies in the heat of Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

Germany's powerful Chancellor Olaf Scholz quickly called Erdogan's demand unrelated to the issue of giving Sweden the security guarantees afforded by the world's most powerful military organisation.

Erdogan argued on Monday that many of the same leaders who were blocking Turkey's EU membership now wanted him to support Sweden's candidacy.

"Almost all the NATO members are EU members. I now am addressing these countries, which are making Turkey wait for more than 50 years, and I will address them again in Vilnius," Erdogan said moments before boarding his flight for the summit in the Lithuanian capital.

"First, open the way to Turkey's membership of the European Union, and then we will open it for Sweden, just as we had opened it for Finland."

Erdogan added that "this is what I told" US President Joe Biden when the two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday.

- 'Not connected' -

Turkey first applied to be a member of the European Economic Community -- a predecessor to the EU -- in 1987.

It became an EU candidate country in 1999 and formally launched membership negotiations with the bloc in 2005.

The talks stalled over European concerns about human rights violations that came in the midst of a sweeping crackdown Erdogan launched after surviving a failed 2016 military coup.

Scholz said Erdogan's new demand conflated two unrelated issues.

"Sweden meets all the requirements for NATO membership," he said in Berlin. "The other question is one that is not connected with it and that is why I do not think it should be seen as a connected issue."

Erdogan had previously voiced repeated frustrations with what he calls Sweden's failure to keep its promise to deal with suspected Kurdish militants allegedly "roaming the streets" of Stockholm.

The dispute stemmed from a deal Turkey signed with Sweden and Finland after the neighbours ended decades of military non-alignment and sought shelter under the nuclear umbrella afforded by NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine.

An agreement struck at last year's NATO summit committed Sweden and Finland to toughen their anti-terrorism legislation and hand suspected militants to Turkey.

Erdogan harboured far fewer grievances against Finland and Helsinki was formally welcomed into the alliance on April 4.

The Turkish leader barely mentioned the dispute with Sweden on Monday.

"We want the promises given to us to be kept and our determination on this is the same," he said.

Sweden has already toughened up its anti-terror legislation and lifted an arms embargo it had imposed on Turkey after Erdogan launched a unilateral incursion into northern Syria in 2019.

The Swedish government last month also agreed to extradite a man convicted of drug trafficking who had supported the pro-Kurdish PKK militia -- a first that NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg played up in public remarks last week.

bg/zak/lcm
(Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan agreed Monday to support Sweden's bid to join NATO, a move that will expand the military alliance and strengthen its Baltic flank as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.

Erdogan agreed to forward the membership bid to parliament, appearing to end months of drama over an issue that had strained the bloc.

Here are key quotes about the agreement and reaction to it:

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG

"I'm glad to announce ... that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," he told a news conference.

STATEMENT FOLLOWING TURKEY-SWEDEN-NATO MEETING

"Both Turkiye and Sweden will look to maximise opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investments. Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkiye's EU accession process, including modernisation of the EU-Turkiye Customs Union and visa liberalisation."

SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER ULF KRISTERSSON

"This feels very good, this has been my aim for a long time, and I believe we had a very fine response today and took a very big step towards membership," he told a news conference.

U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

"I welcome the statement issued by Turkiye, Sweden and the NATO Secretary General this evening," he said in a statement.

"I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area."

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY JAMES CLEVERLY

"It is in everyone's interest for Sweden to join @NATO. Their accession makes us all safer. The UK welcomes the steps Turkey has taken today to bring this closer," he wrote on Twitter.

(Compiled by Costas Pitas, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
By Sabine Siebold and John Irish

VILNIUS (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance, appearing to end months of drama over an issue that had strained the bloc as war has raged in Ukraine.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning their policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Stockholm has been working to join the bloc at the alliance's summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, which begins on Tuesday.

"I'm glad to announce ... that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference, describing it as a "historic" step.

He had convened Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for several hours of talks on the eve of the summit as he sought to finally break the deadlock.

Erdogan has held out for months, saying Sweden's accession hinged on the implementation of a deal reached last year during the alliance's summit in Madrid and that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.

Turkey has accused Sweden of not doing enough against people Turkey sees as terrorists, mainly members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the United States.

Erdogan and Kristersson appeared relaxed ahead of the meeting, with the Swedish leader joking about parking his plane next to the bigger Turkish aircraft at Vilnius airport.

"This has been a good day for Sweden," Kristersson told reporters, saying the joint statement on Monday represented "a very big step" toward the final ratification of Sweden's membership of NATO.

The statement issued by both countries said Sweden had reiterated that it would not provide support to the Kurdish groups and would actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkey's EU accession process.

Erdogan on Monday said the European Union should open the way for Ankara's accession to that bloc before Turkey's parliament approved Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance.

Stoltenberg said Erdogan had agreed to push ratification in parliament "as soon as possible," but he could not give a specific calendar. It took two weeks for Turkey's parliament to ratify Finland's membership.

After Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would now no longer block Sweden's NATO membership ratification, Turkish approval would remove the last hurdle for Swedish accession to NATO, applications for which must be approved by all members.

The United States and its allies have sought to pressure Ankara for months. Some NATO partners believe that Turkey, which requested in October 2021 to buy $20 billion of Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes, has been using Swedish membership to pressure Washington on the warplanes.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who welcomed the announcement, is due to hold face-to-face talks with Erdogan during the summit.

(Additional reporting by Niklas Pollard, Andrius Sytas and Justyna Pawlak in Vilnius, Anna Ringstrom and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm, and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; writing by John Irish; editing by William Maclean and Rosalba O'Brien)
Daisy and Sadie Delrie. Courtesy of the Delrie family

Daisy and Sadie Delrie are identical twins born in 1993.

They experience twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in the womb, leaving one smaller than the other.

When Sadie went into kidney failure at 19, Daisy donated her kidney.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daisy and Sadie Delrie. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Lots of people like to hear their birth stories growing up. But ours was always different, to say the least. We're identical twins who were born in 1993. Ultrasound technology wasn't the same 30 years ago as it is today, so doctors didn't realize we were experiencing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

That's a rare pregnancy complication where two  or more  babies share one placenta. The blood flows unevenly, keeping one twin from growing. In our case, Daisy got plenty of nourishment, but Sadie didn't. Right after we were born, Sadie's organs began shutting down.

Our mother didn't have much time to focus on that, though  she still had to deliver Daisy, who was breech. Daisy was born 57 minutes later, vaginally. Our mother is a saint.

Sadie had lifelong complications that ultimately led to kidney failure

Luckily, Sadie's organs began to regenerate. Except her kidneys. Since the time we were babies, we would travel four and a half hours from our home in Louisiana to see a pediatric nephrologist (or kidney doctor) at Tulane University in New Orleans.

We loved the trips to the city and loved our doctor. But Daisy always stayed in the waiting room  she had a bit of a phobia about doctors. Whether it was a dentist trip or a yearly physical, Daisy was always anxious.

When we were 18, we went to New Orleans with our mom. I, Sadie, was sad because I knew my pediatric nephrologist was going to suggest I change providers now that I was an adult. I had no idea the news was so much worse. My doctor told me my kidney function had dropped. I either needed to start dialysis or get a transplant.

Daisy didn't hesitate to help

I, Daisy, was in the waiting room for that appointment, but someone came to get me. I thought the doctor, who I knew well by then, just wanted to say hi. But as soon as I saw my mom and Sadie, I knew something was very wrong.

The doctor explained, "She needs a kidney transplant. Obviously, you would be the best match. But I want you to know that doesn't mean you have to do it."

My sister later said if the doctor hadn't told me that, she would have. But I immediately knew I'd donate. My fear of doctors didn't matter at that moment. I felt God had put me on this earth to save my sister.

We took about nine months to prepare for the transplant

We learned that Sadie needed a transplant in March of our senior year. In some ways, life went on as usual: we graduated and moved out for the first time. In the fall, we started college. But along the way, we were moving forward with transplant testing.

There was a bit of a hiccup: Daisy needed to lose 30 pounds before she could donate because of BMI requirements. Daisy joined Weight Watchers, and together as a family, we all worked to get ourselves as healthy as possible before surgery. In January, doctors transplanted Daisy's kidney into Sadie.

A few days after the surgery, our pediatric nephrologist visited us. We thought we looked terrible, but he told Sadie she already looked healthier. At a routine follow-up, Sadie's kidney function was even better than Daisy's. We joked that she got the good kidney.

We both work in healthcare now

We were so close before surgery. Maybe, it made us closer, if that were even possible. It certainly changed our lives.

During the surgery screening, we met with nurses and doctors  but the social workers really stood out to Daisy. She decided that's what she wanted to do with her life. Now, she works with dialysis patients and talks to them each and every day about transplants and hope.

Sadie helps people with physical health now. This summer, she started training to become a physical therapist's assistant.

We both work in advocacy, urging more people to become living donors. We're lucky that we share DNA, so it was essentially like Sadie was getting one of her very own kidneysjust an improved version. But you don't have to be a twin, family, or even a blood match to give someone the gift of life. It's our wish that every person with kidney failure could experience the success we've had.

Read the original article on Insider
Twitter may be struggling to court advertisers, keep the site actually running, and prevent users from fleeing to eager competitors  but at least the Taliban likes it.

On Monday, Anas Haqqani, a senior leader in the Taliban, praised Twitter in response to the launch of Metas Threads, a Twitter competitor that went live last week and has racked up more than 100 million users in a matter of days.

Haqqani weighed in on his own decision to remain on the Elon Musk-owned platform, writing that it has two important advantages over other social media platforms.

The first privilege is the freedom of speech, he explained. The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesnt have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it.

Twitter has two important advantages over other social media platforms.

The first privilege is the freedom of speech. The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it. pic.twitter.com/oYQTI3hgfI  Anas Haqqani( ) (@AnasHaqqani313) July 10, 2023

Meta has announced that Threads will be subject to the same content guidelines as its sister app Instagram, including a stipulation that Instagram is not a place to support or praise terrorism, organized crime, or hate groups.

Elon Musks takeover of Twitter has been defined by a mess of seemingly arbitrary policy decisions, a rollback of moderation guidelines and enforcement capabilities that has led to chaos, and the prioritization of paying users. Under Musks supervision, instances of hate speech have surged, and ad sales for the website have plunged 59 percent since last year.

Were no experts, but having members of the Taliban celebrate how much they can get away with on your website isnt exactly a stellar pitch for ad buyers.

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Click here to read the full article.
Two IS jihadists arrested in Niger joint operation: security source

Niger's Tillaberi region has borne the brunt of a jihadist insurgency that crossed from neighbouring Mali in 2015 (Tupac POINTU)

Two leading jihadists from the Islamic State's Sahel affiliate have been arrested in a joint operation by Niger and French forces, a senior security source said Monday.

The two members of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) were captured in western Niger on separate days last week after being "very actively sought", the source said.

The two were detained in Tillaberi region near the border with jihadist-hit Burkina Faso.

The source named the two as Abu Maryam also known as Zaid, and Sita Ousseini, alias Loukoumane, who is described in search notices as a native of Niger.

They were part of a group of jihadists sought by Burkina Faso for participation or complicity in planning or carrying out "terrorist acts."

Burkina had offered a reward equivalent to nearly $250,000 for Zaid and more than $291,000 for Loukoumane.

Niger and French soldiers have been conducting joint operations in western Niger for several months, mainly in a border area touching Niger, Burkina and Mali, according to Nigerien military officials.

Niger has accepted 1,500 French soldiers on its soil to bolster its armed forces.

The country, which is one of the world's poorest, is battling Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) jihadists in the east, and Al-Qaeda and ISGS in the west.

bh/stb/kjm/ri
FILE PHOTO: Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger testifies on the Department of the Navy 2022 budget in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Marine Corps is now without a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in over a century thanks to a Republican senator's block on military nominations.

Retiring Gen. David Berger formally relinquished command on Monday as the Marine Corps' commandant, creating the first of several possible vacancies of Senate confirmed leaders on the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff in the coming months.

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, who represents Alabama, has blocked hundreds of military nominations from moving forward because he believes the Pentagon is improperly using government funding to cover travel costs for abortions for service members and their dependents.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denounced the delay at Berger's retirement ceremony, saying it was undermining readiness.

"Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States," Austin said, adding he expected the Senate to "meet its responsibilities."

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said last time the Marine Corps had an acting Commandant was from December 1, 1910 to February 2, 1911.

"The longer these unprecedented holds remain, the greater risk the Department runs in experiencing knowledge and expertise gaps in certain critical and often difficult to fill positions," Singh said.

After the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling recognizing a constitutional right to abortion, the Pentagon said it would cover travel costs for service members seeking abortions and up to 21 days off.

Several states have limited abortion access since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the military argues that women service members cannot choose where they are stationed.

The Senate's approval of military promotions is usually smooth. Tuberville's hold cannot prevent the Democratic-majority Senate from voting on any promotion, but it can drastically slow down the process.

More high-profile posts are expected to be vacated in the coming months, including the top general leading the Army, the top admiral leading the Navy and the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The nominee to become chairman, Air Force General Charles "C.Q." Brown, will field questions at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Berger's retirement leaves General Eric Smith, the Marine Corps' No. 2, also filling the role of "acting" commandant. He is President Joe Biden's nominee to become the next commandant but is expected to avoid major decisions without Senate confirmation.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Kentuckys largest university medical system announced late Friday it will temporarily hit pause on providing lung transplants, beginning in mid August.

In an internal email obtained by the Herald-Leader and confirmed by UK HealthCare, the Lexington-based hospital system said lung transplants would be halted due to the departure of the programs primary surgeon.

This departure compromises the University of Kentuckys ability to meet necessary certification standards set by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Those standards require a primary surgeon be responsible for ensuring the programs operation and compliance with its requirements, the message from Eric Monday, executive vice president for finance and administration, and Bob DiPaola, provost, reads. We are notifying OPTN that as of August 18, we will temporarily not meet this requirement.

The surgical director of UKs Lung Transplant Program was recruited and accepted a leadership opportunity elsewhere, according to the university. Until two new lung transplant surgeons are hired, the program will remain inactive. UK didnt provide more information on the surgeons departure.

Patients currently awaiting a lung transplant, or who are in the transplant evaluation stage  roughly 75 patients  are being contacted by letter, MyChart account, and nurse coordinators with information regarding potential transfer to regional, high-volume transplant centers if they so desire, the university said.

Patients whove already received a lung transplant and require post-transplant care wont be impacted, UK said.

Lung transplant demand in Kentucky is high

The programs pause comes as Kentucky continues to have a high demand for lung transplants. The commonwealth consistently ranks as one the states with the highest rates of lung disease in the country, year to year. In 2021, the American Lung Association pegged Kentucky as having the highest incidence rate of lung cancer of all 50 states.

While the lung transplant program is temporarily paused, the university hospital system will not only stop providing lung transplants, it wont take patient referrals, evaluate patients for a transplant, or add new ones to a wait list, UK said.

In March of this year, UK HealthCare successfully provided its 500th lung transplant since the programs founding in 1991. In 2022, 31 patients received a lung transplant  a record number. The volume of patients whove received a lung transplant has grown by more than 10% in the last four years, though UK declined to provide specific numbers.

In March 2022, the UK Transplant Center was the first to utilize the lung-in-a-box, a machine which mimics the environment of a human body in order to allow lungs to continue breathing while being transported. The machine was used last year to transport a pair of lungs by plane more than 300 miles to UKs Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, where they were successfully transplanted into a patient.

Dr. Sravanthi Nandavaram, medical director of the program, said the machine is pivotal, because it allows organs to travel longer distances to reach patients.

There is a critical organ shortage, and 20-30% of patients die while on the waiting list for a new set of lungs, she said at the time.

A member of UK HealthCares communications team declined to provide details on how many lung transplants UK has provided, how many people are currently on a wait list awaiting a lung transplant, and which regional health care facilities are considered high-volume transplant centers, where many Kentuckians currently on a wait list will be referred.

UK said its committed to investing the necessary resources to not only resume lung transplants, but to increase access for patients across its transplant programs.

To meet that goal, the hospital system said its working to aggressively recruit two more lung transplant surgeons and two additional heart transplant surgeons. Expanding capacity in this way is part of UK HealthCares new strategic plan, the university hospital system said.

This story may be updated.
(Bloomberg) -- With Russias war in Ukraine in its eighth month, some European nations that have funneled weapons to Kyiv are running low, and it could take years for defense contractors to meet the shortfall.

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NATO states are urging companies to boost production to help them restock  to both resupply Ukraine and reinforce their own stores in a climate of heightened tension, according to people familiar with the matter. Thats as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates his threats, including warning of a potential nuclear attack, with his troops facing numerous setbacks on the ground in Ukraine.

Putin Threatens More Strikes on Ukraine After Missile Blitz

Kyivs allies have already sent in billions of dollars in arms, munitions and equipment since Russia invaded in February. Thats putting pressure on ammunition stockpiles, including 155 mm shells for artillery, some of the people said, of which the US has given Ukraine well over a million rounds since the start of the war.

Defense companies in the US and Europe are now seeing demand rise for air defense and anti-tank arms alongside other equipment, with governments increasingly recognizing that Ukraine will probably need military support for years to come. But it will be a struggle to quickly expand manufacturing after decades of limited orders.

As the war drags on, Ukraines partners may be tempted to prune back support as they worry about their own security needs, potentially creating the types of fissures Putin is seeking to exploit alongside tensions over access to energy in Europe. Apart from multiple launch rocket systems, Ukraines allies have mostly focused on sending it Soviet-era weapons and tanks, which are also running low in supply.

Those stocks need to be replaced with modern weapons. At the same time, North Atlantic Treaty Organization members need more arms to shore up the alliances presence on its eastern flank.

NATO Once Feared a Putin Victory; Now It Worries Over His Defeat

Defense ministers will meet in Brussels this week to discuss these issues, following a gathering of national armaments directors in late September. Enhancing NATO stockpiles will ensure we can keep supporting Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after that meeting.

It could take years before supply catches up with demand. Defense companies face hurdles to expand production to the scale that is necessary. European defense firms will also have to modify assembly lines after many governments cut defense spending following the Cold War and as the focus on equipment shifts back to what has worked for Ukraine.

Defense spending in Europe and Canada amounted to a total of around $310 billion in 1990, before dropping off for two decades, according to data from NATO, which bases the figures on 2015 prices and exchange rates. Only after 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, did spending start to pick up again.

Weve been operating in that modus for decades and now all of a sudden were entering a totally different ball game, said Burkard Schmitt, defense and security director at the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe. You have to scale up massively and this is simply an enormous effort and takes time because you have to reconfigure everything.

Firms are also struggling to access certain semiconductors and rare-earth metals, while skilled workers are in short supply.

On an analyst call on April 26, Raytheon Technologies Corp. Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes said the company wouldnt see orders come in before 2023 at the earliest for larger replenishments of Stinger missiles and Javelin anti-tank munitions, noting difficulties sourcing materials needed to produce them. Both Stingers and Javelins have played a role in helping Ukraine beat back Russian troops.

Unfortunately, DoD hasnt bought a Stinger in about 18 years and some of the components are no longer commercially available, Hayes said at the time, referring to the Pentagon. He said Raytheon would have to redesign some of the electronics in the missile, and thats going to take us a little bit of time. The US Army in May subsequently awarded the company a $624 million contract to produce 1,300 Stinger missiles, including support to address obsolescence, modernize key components, and accelerate production.

Dassault Aviation SA Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier on July 20 echoed concerns about supply chains and a shortage of skilled workers, stressing it would take at least an additional year to increase the pace of production of its fighter aircraft, which already take approximately three years to manufacture.

If we have to accelerate, we will accelerate, but we need time to accelerate, Trappier said. We cant just click our fingers and accelerate the delivery of fighter aircraft.

While allies havent sent Western-made fighter jets to Ukraine, the European Union in a defense investment gap analysis published in May recommended member states modernize their fleets of multi role fighter aircraft. It also suggested countries upgrade and expand their inventory of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles, and invest in frigates, submarines and high-end interconnected ships.

Eight Years of Fighting Hardened Ukraines Army Into a Winner

Officials are trying to work out how to better communicate their procurement needs with industry so that companies can invest in production for the long-term. And while they want to replenish stocks, governments also need to be wary about excessive stockpiling given the shelf lives of some weapons.

That constraint was highlighted in August, when Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said her government wouldnt send Ukraine the Leopard tanks it had been considering after finding them in a deplorable state after years of disuse, according to media reports.

The industry both in our country and around the world want to know, is there a sustainable longer-range plan for this production, William LaPlante, the US defense acquisition chief, told reporters after the national armaments directors meeting. And not that this will be something which has traditionally been feast or famine; that we go into panic mode, we increase production, and then when the crisis passed, we just go back to minimal production again.

LaPlante said allies were looking into setting clearer standards. That would, for example, allow for ammunition to be used in artillery produced somewhere else, while countries would consider joint procurement to create larger quantity orders for industry.

While defense spending has become a priority since Russias invasion, its unclear how long that will remain the case, particularly in Europe where nations face a potential energy crisis this winter, according to Lucie Beraud-Sudreau, director of the military expenditure and arms production program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Countries spending needs are going to increase further if they want to keep pace with China, when it comes to investing in emerging technology, she said.

With the difficult economic situation were getting into, theres going to be trade offs, Beraud-Sudreau said. There are tough decisions coming for European governments.

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Ukraine should become member of NATO as soon as circumstances allow  Chairman of Munich Security Conference

Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, believes that at the NATO summit Ukraine should receive a signal from its allies that it "belongs to the Euro-Atlantic family" and should be invited to join as soon as circumstances allow.

Source: Heusgen in interviews with two German publications, as reported by European Pravda with reference to Spiegel

Details: Christoph Heusgen admitted that Ukraine's accession to NATO remains impossible as long as the current phase of the war continues, as this would mean direct involvement of the Alliance in the war. However, he believes that the allies in Vilnius should send a signal "that Ukraine is part of the NATO family."

"Ukraine should also become a member of NATO, once the conditions allow," said Heusgen.

At the same time, he called for the continuation of maximum military support for Ukraine, including Western F-16 fighters, stressing that it is about its survival as a state.

Speaking about potential peace talks, Heusgen rejected the idea of any "security guarantees" for Moscow or the restoration of the previous attitude to the Kremlin's leader in geopolitics.

"Russia has violated all the treaties it has concluded. It would just be a mockery to give Putin some kind of security guarantees," he said.

Christoph Heusgen believes that Putin's return to the "first ranks" of international politics is out of the question after peace talks with Ukraine.

"It is absolutely impossible that Vladimir Putin could again act on a par with the United States or China. He is a pariah in international politics, his credibility is completely spent," said Heusgen.

In the spring, Heusgen called on the West to step up assistance to Ukraine, arguing that gradual and indecisive military support would lead to a stalemate on the battlefield.

Earlier it was reported in the media that a small group of NATO states are holding "frantic last-minute talks" to finalise a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuania on 11-12 July.

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Ukraine expands list of citizens affected by flooding entitled to one-time assistance

Flooding in Kherson due to the explosion of Kakhovka HPP

The Ukrainian government has expanded the list of citizens affected by flooding caused by the Khakova dam attack who can apply for one-time assistance worth UAH 5,000 ($137), the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories has announced.

The list now also includes recipients of assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Read also: EU sends aid to Ukraine to tackle consequences of Kakhovka dam breach

Previously, citizens who were registered as recipients of housing allowance for IDPs as of June 5, 2023, were not eligible.

From now on,all citizens who, at the time of the Kakhovka disaster, lived (were registered) in populated areas of Mykolayiv and Kherson oblasts that were affected by flooding, will receive state financial assistance, the ministry said.

In addition, those affected by flooding can receive a one-time financial assistance package worth UAH 6,600 ($180) from the UN International Organization for Migration.

Read also: Who and what may suffer most from Kakhovka dam destruction  expert interview

Where to apply for assistance

All social welfare departments in Ukraine are obliged to accept applications for financial assistance from those affected by flooding.

For consultations and registration, citizens should contact the ministrys hotline by calling 1548 or the Commissioner for IDPs by calling (066) 8136239.

What documents should be submitted

Applications must be submitted no later than Aug. 31, 2023.

In addition to the application, citizens must provide:

 an ID card or an eDocument;

 a document confirming the taxpayer registration identification card number;

 childrens birth certificates.

In case of lost documents, citizens can submit their copies.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Ukrainian soldier near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. (Roman Chop via AP)

Russias grip on Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine appears to be loosening as Ukrainian forces continue their push to encircle and liberate the beleaguered city.

Home to 73,000 people before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 of last year, Bakhmut is now largely a pockmarked moonscape of blasted-out buildings. Having experienced some of the fiercest urban warfare Europe had seen since the end of World War II, the city was captured by Russian forces on May 20.

Since the launch of a spring counteroffensive, however, Ukrainian forces have begun operations around Bakhmut, making slow progress in southeast Ukraine, in the regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhia. There, Ukrainian forces, backed by NATO-supplied armor, have been probing for Russian weaknesses but have yet to make a serious breakthrough. Mainly their efforts have been hampered by extensive minefields, well-constructed Russian fortifications and the dominant presence of Russian aviation.

For all that, however, Ukraine insists that it is conserving the resource most vital to its eventual military victory: human lives. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraines ground forces, told ABC News on July 5 that Russian losses are eight times or even 10 times higher than Ukrainian ones. Even if this figure is exaggerated, an army conducting an offensive typically loses three times as many soldiers as the defending side. Ukraine is advancing in the south on average a kilometer per day, a European diplomat told Yahoo News.

Gaining ground

Bakhmut, the site of heavy fighting against Russian soldiers in the Donetsk region. (Libkos/AP)

In Bakhmut, Ukraines achievements are more conspicuous.

Kyivs offensive push for the city began in mid-June, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. The British Ministry of Defence assesses that Kyiv has made steady gains to the north and south of Bakhmut. In the south, Ukrainian troops have seized positions on the high ground to the immediate west of the village of Klishchiivka, putting the Russian troops in the settlement in the unenviable position of taking fire from elevated positions. In the north, Ukrainian forces made tactically significant gains,according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, as they pushed the Russian forces back toward the village of Yahidne.

On Monday, Syrskyi announced that Kyiv had put all of Bakhmut under fire control, meaning Ukrainian forces are now within striking range of all Russian targets.

Both Russian, Ukrainian and Western sources point to the deteriorating morale situation among Russian forces in the area, which has led to several instances of localized mutinies as groups of Russian soldiers refuse to fight. Videos of multiple groups of insubordinates have circulated on Russian Telegram, usually with the Russians complaining about heavy losses, inadequate artillery support and meager pay  all criticisms, it bears noting, that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin leveled against Moscow in the lead-up to his mutiny last month. We asked our commanders to bring us food and water, one group of Russian conscripts from Altai Krai in Siberia complained. They responded to us with swear words.

Russia already paid a high price for Bakhmut.

One unnamed Western official told Sky News it suffered 60,000 casualties during the winter and spring campaign, with as many as a third of that number killed, as a conservative estimate. Wagner Group mercenaries took especially high casualties in the campaign, which contributed to Prigozhins stunning if short-lived putsch inside Russia. When the city was finally captured in May, some groups of Wagner mercenaries celebrated by waving not the Russian tricolor but their own flag.

Wagner had entirely pulled out of Bakhmut by late June, mere days before Prigozhin mobilized them in Russia to seize Rostov-on-Don, the headquarters of Russias Southern Military District, which is in charge of all the regions Russia annexed in Ukraine.

Turning the tables

Ukrainian soldiers of the 57th brigade in tactical training as the Russian-Ukrainian war continues. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Ukraines decision to fight a grueling attritional defensive battle became the subject of much criticism, particularly in the West, where analysts and Pentagon officials claimed the most combat-experienced Ukrainian troops were being sacrificed for a place that carried little intrinsic strategic value to the overall fortunes of the war.

Russia will now have a similar choice to make if Ukraine continues its advances to the flanks of the city. Should Russia withdraw to avoid encirclement, it will be difficult to couch that at home as anything other than an abject humiliation given the resources spent on Bakhmut for more than 10 months. Should Russia commit more troops in Bakhmut at the expense of its more secure defensive lines elsewhere in eastern and also southern Ukraine, it could give Kyiv the opportunity for a breakthrough at other points along the frontline.

The Russian leadership almost certainly see it as politically unacceptable to concede Bakhmut, which has a symbolic weight as one of the few Russian gains in the last 12 months, the British Ministry of Defence said in its daily intelligence update. But, as is always the case in war, the enemy gets a vote too.
ABC News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called out Donald Trump on Sunday for his outlandish and repeated claims that he could end the countrys drawn-out conflict with Russia in just a day if re-elected.

He made the statements during an interview on ABC News This Week, telling anchor Martha Raddatz: It seems to me that the sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful, but this desire should be based on some real-life experience.

He continued by noting tensions between the two former Soviet countries were already ratcheting up during Trumps years as presidentand that he did little to lower the temperature.

It looks as if Donald Trump already had these 24 hours once in his time, Zelensky said through a translator. We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal but he must have had some other priorities.

Asked what he would say to Americans who think U.S. has given enough to Ukraine, Zelenskyy tells @MarthaRaddatz that he appreciates all the help.



We, Ukrainians, are not people known for excessive appetites. Our victory is enough for us." https://t.co/Kuuzty4v6y pic.twitter.com/q1bwXfB1LF  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 9, 2023

Zelensky also rejected Trumps past suggestion that Ukraine cede some of its contested territory to Russia as a peace offeringsaying that he rejected such propositions wholeheartedly.

If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukrainein other words, to make us give up our territoriesI think, in this way, [President Joe] Biden could have brought it to an end in five minutes, Zelensky said.

But we would not agree, Zelensky added.

Raddatz also asked Zelensky about the future of American aid to the war-torn country, noting the stance of a growing number of Republicansand even a few Democratswho question whether the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on U.S. support for Ukraine should be brought to an end.

First, I would like to say thank you to all Americans for what you have done, he began. And I appreciate those who say, Weve done enough.

We Ukrainians are not people known for excessive appetites, he continued. Our victory is enough for ushonestly, when we have enough to declare victory, then it will be enough.

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Ukraine claims to have recaptured 169 sq km on the southern front and 24 sq km around Bakhmut since the counteroffensive began last month.



President Zelensky admitted last month Ukraines counteroffensive had been going slower than desired while hitting out at those who expected it to move with cinematic speed and drama.



On Tuesday, Oleksiy Danilov, head of the National Security and Defence Council, said the last few days have been particularly fruitful.



Speaking to ABC news ahead of a Nato Summit in Lithuania, Mr Zelensky said: All of us, we want to do it faster because every day means new losses of Ukrainians. We are advancing. We are not stuck.



We would all love to see the counteroffensive accomplished in a shorter period of time. But there is reality. Today, the initiative is on our side.



Moscow says fighting has been heavy since the counteroffensive began but still holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.

03:03 PM BST

Today's liveblog is now closed

Thats all for today, thanks for following along.

We will be back tomorrow with all of the latest updates from Ukraine and the fortified NATO summit as they try to find a pathway for Kyivs membership.

02:56 PM BST

Nato Chief "absolutely certain" there will be unity over Ukraine membership

Jens Stoltenberg, the head of Nato, has said on the eve of the summit that he is absolutely certain that by the end of the week there will be unity and a strong message from the military alliance on the future of Ukraines membership.

Divided Nato countries have been posturing on the correct pathway to allow Ukraine to join the military alliance.

At a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Mr Stoltenberg said that membership is extremely important to Kyiv. He warned against the concept of Ukraine getting membership becoming a horizon, adding that the more you walk towards it, the farther it is.

02:49 PM BST

Australia sends surveillance aircraft to assist Ukraine

The Australian government has announced it will send Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft to Germany to help monitor and protect the flow of military and humanitarian aid into the country.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said that they will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to Germany for six months, alongside up to 100 Australian crew and support personnel.

This contribution is very significant, both for what it will do but also for what it symbolizes, which is Australias commitment to doing what we can to provide the appropriate resources, the prime minister said in a press conference with the German chancellor.

Mr Albaneses office confirmed that the aircraft will not enter Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian airspace.

02:22 PM BST

Canada doubles its Nato-troop presence in Latvia

Canada on Monday pledged to more than double its Nato deployment in Latvia with up to 1,200 more troops being sent to the country to resist Russian aggression.

We are going to more than double our presence... to serve and defend democracy and the rule of law, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart Krisjanis Karins at the Adazi military base in Latvia.

Our presence in Latvia will be strengthened and it will become a brigade, added Trudeau on the eve of the Nato summit.

Canada commands the Nato battlegroup in Latvia, which is made up of 1,700 troops from 10 Nato countries. Baltic nations have been calling on the military alliance to beef up their presence to be battle-ready against Russia. Nato also has battlegroups in Estonia and Lithuania.

02:13 PM BST

A round-up of the best Ukraine photos of the day

Ukrainian teens rest between games at Planeta paintball on July 9, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. In Ukraine, paintball has become a popular way for kids to practice a war game during war time, as well as military who need to relax after fighting on the front lines.

A local resident packs his belongings in a car after a night missile attack on the city of Kramatorsk, on July 9, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine - Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian soldiers of the 57th brigade are seen with a BMP during the tactical training as Russian-Ukrainian war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 09, 2023 - Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

People weave a camouflage net at Saint Nicholas Church in Poltava, Ukraine - Photo by OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

01:36 PM BST

UK wants pathway to Ukrainian Nato membership after war; discourages Biden's cluster bomb decision

Following his meeting with Joe Biden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that he wants to work with allies to find a pathway for Ukraine to join Nato.

I think on Nato our longstanding position hasnt changed. Ukraines defence minister himself has said they cant become a member of Nato during the war. And we want to work with Nato and our allies to ensure their path, the Prime Ministers spokesperson said.

According to Dominic Penna on our politics live blog, Mr Sunak discouraged the use of cluster bombs in Ukraine during the meeting. When it comes to those munitions I think obviously the first thing to say is this was a difficult choice for the US thats been forced on them by Russias war of aggression, the spokesperson said.

Dominic has more, including a denial that there has been a rift between the UK and US over Ukraine joining Nato, on the politics live blog.

12:58 PM BST

"No optimism" from Russia over Black Sea deal renewal

Russias RIA news agency has reported, citing an unnamed person close to the negotiations, that there is no optimism for an extension of the deal that is set to expire next week.

The expected negotiations with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are the only hope, the unnamed source said. Moscow has repeatedly said that it is unlikely to be extended. Erdogan said over the weekend that he was pushing Moscow to extend the grain deal by three months and said that he was expecting a visit from Putin in August. The Kremlin responded that there was no certainty of a meeting and there is no call scheduled between the leaders.

The International Rescue Committee on Monday cautioned of the catastrophic ripple effects for the worlds most food insecure should a deal not be reached.

12:28 PM BST

Germany to provide "substantial" arms to Kyiv but no Nato invitation, report says

Germany plans to pledge a very substantial pledge of military equipment to Ukraine at this weeks Nato summit, a senior government source has told AFP news agency.

The German official reportedly said that they would not offer a membership invitation to Kyiv, because they preferred to offer specific aid rather than symbols. Germany is Ukraines second largest arms supplier after the US, who are also against offering the country Nato membership in the middle of a war.

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz later said that the US idea of an Israeli style security guarantee is one of several options that are on the table, but that the talks are far from over. US President Joe Biden had told CNN that it was ready to provide guarantees along the lines that it does for Israel: the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves.

12:08 PM BST

Kremlin warns against Kyiv Nato membership

The Kremlin has said that allowing Ukraine into the Nato military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europes security architecture, Reuters reported. Russia would consider the step a threat that would demand a harsh response.

The Nato summit, from which Kyiv wants a formal invitation of admission, has been fortified with advanced weapons. Tomorrows summit will take place just 20 miles away from Lithuanias border with Russian-ally Belarus. Sixteen Nato allies are sending troops and many are providing air defence systems.

11:48 AM BST

Ukraine 'advancing on Bakhmut'

Ukrainian forces are advancing on the south of Bakhmut, Kyivs deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, has said.

Ukraines counter-offensive has focused on recapturing villages in the southwest of the country as well as the areas surrounding Bakhmut, a city to the east that was captured by Russian forces in May.

Their forces have registered a definite advance on the southern flank of Bakhmut, but there has been no change in position to the northern part of the city, the statement released on Telegram read.

While the statement did not go into details on where the advance would happen, there has been a lot of attention in recent days on the village of Klishchiivka, which lies to the south of Bakhmut.

The British defence ministry over the weekend assessed that Russian forces are struggling to hold Bakhmut. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraines ground forces, said in a Telegram post that Russian troops are getting trapped in some areas near Bakhmut, while the Ukrainians are making progress in the gradual counter-offensive.

11:25 AM BST

Nato clears the way for Ukrainian membership, Kyiv claims

On the eve of the Nato summit Ukraines foreign minister has claimed that the alliance has decided to drop a requirement for them to meet certain targets before joining.

The Membership Action Plan (MAP) which had set out key targets that Kyiv had to reach before joining, has been dropped, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Monday.

Following intensive talks, Nato allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraines path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to Nato, the tweet read.

Nato did not immediately comment.

The announcement came as Joe Biden  who last night said that Nato should wait until the Russia-Ukraine war is over before voting to admit Kyiv to the military alliance  was meeting Rishi Sunak.

10:54 AM BST

Joe Biden arrives at Downing Street with Ukraine high on the agenda

US President Joe Biden has arrived at Downing Street to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets US President Joe Biden outside 10 Downing Street, London, ahead of a meeting during his visit to the UK - PA Photo

Dominic Pella on the Telegraphs political team has you covered over on the politics liveblog. Well keep you up to date here with anything Ukraine related that arises from the meeting.

10:46 AM BST

Photos released of the alleged Russian air strikes on Orikhiv

A view shows buildings destroyed by a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine July 10, 2023 - Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Yurii Malashko via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS

10:22 AM BST

Ukraine recaptured 14 square kilometres of land

Ukraine has recaptured 14 square kilometres (five square miles) of land from Russia in the past week, a military spokesperson has said, as the slow and gradual counter-offensive continues.

Over 10 square kilometres of Ukrainian land had been recaptured in the south of Ukraine last week. In the Bakhmut sector last week, the Ukrainian military liberated four square kilometres of territory from the Russian invaders, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov told state media.

In total, Ukraine has now said they have taken 193 square kilometres of land since the counter-offensive began last month.

10:16 AM BST

Biden set to meet the PM and King Charles amid Ukraine disagreements

US President Joe Biden is in the UK today to meet with both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles. The war in Ukraine is expected to be high up on the agenda with Mr Sunak, as well as at the Nato summit that both will be attending later this week.

Mr Biden last night told CNN that he thinks it is premature for Nato to discuss inviting Kyiv to join the alliance while in the middle of a war. Were determined to commit every inch of territory that is Nato territory. Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in a war. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case.

For some, it was seen as snubbing Rishi Sunak. Charles Hymas has more here.

The visit also comes after Mr Biden agreed to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. Mr Sunak has not directly criticised the decision yet  as other Nato allies have done  but has publicly reminded that the UK is one of the 123 countries signed up to the international treaty that bans the production and use of the indiscriminate weapons.

Mr Biden is expected to arrive at Downing Street in around 15 minutes.

09:39 AM BST

Russia has lost 50,000 troops, analysis suggests

Trying to uncover one of Moscows closest-kept secrets is a dangerous task, but two independent Russian media outlets have been working with a German data scientist to perform statistical analysis in a bid to find out the human cost of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Almost 50,000 Russian men have been killed, the first independent analysis suggests.

Russia has publicly acknowledged just over 6,000 troop deaths in the war, but neither side will give accurate data.

Working with BBCs Russia service, media outlet Mediazona combed social media for photos of cemeteries across the country. They found 27,423 confirmed dead soldiers as of July 7. Then, alongside media outlet Meduza they obtained records of inheritance cases that had been filed with Russian authorities. Their analysis suggested that 25,000 more cases were opened in 2022 for military aged males than would have been expected in comparison to previous years.

The overall statistical analysis relied on the concept of excess mortality: how many more men under the age of 50 died between February 2022 and May 2023 than would normally be expected.

Earlier this year the British defence ministry estimated that between 40,000 too 60,000 Russians had likely been killed. The US put their estimate for the first year of the war at 35,000 to 43,000.

While the numbers largely line up, counting the dead in war can be an almost impossible task and excess mortality rates could be skewed by the pandemic.

09:07 AM BST

Russia strikes school in "war crime", Ukraine says

Russia has bombed a school in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, the local governor has said, killing four adults as they queued to pick up humanitarian aid.

Governor Yuriy Malashko said that Sundays attack in the town of Orikhiv killed three men and a woman, who were all in their 40s. He also said that 11 other people were injured in the guided aerial bomb attack, but did not provide any evidence for the allegation.

The attack has not yet been verified, with photos circulating social media showing markedly different buildings.

Malashko branded the attack a war crime.

08:57 AM BST

Poland detained member of Russian spy ring

Poland has detained another member of a Russian spy network, the countrys interior ministry said this morning, bringing the total number up to 15.

The Internal Security Agency has detained another member of the spy network working for Russian intelligence, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski posted on Twitter.

The suspect kept surveillance of military facilities and seaports. He was systematically paid by the Russians.

Arrests have continued for months since Poland said it had become a target for Russian spies.

08:45 AM BST

Russia's Chief of General Staff seen for first time since Wagner's failed mutiny

In a military command room being briefed on Ukrainian missile attacks, Valery Gerasimov, Russias top general, has been seen for the first time since the Wagner mercenary group failed in its attempted munity on June 24.

The footage, released by the Russian defence ministry, showed Gerasimov giving orders to destroy Ukrainian missile sites.

It is the first confirmation that the countrys most senior general has remained in his position after the failed mutiny by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The meeting appeared to be a response to Russian defence ministry claims this morning that they thwarted Ukranian missile attacks on Crimea and the Rostov and Kaluga regions on Sunday.

The footage confirmed that Gerasimov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had remained in their positions. General Sergei Surovikin of the aerospaces forces was not present though, with Gerasimov referring to his deputy instead of him. Surovikin, who was the deputy commander of Russias forces in Ukraine  underneath Gerasimov  had been repeatedly praised by the Wagner leader.

For the first time since the beginning of the #Prigozhin rebellion, the head of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, #Gerasimov, appeared in public.



In the Western press and among the Russian "military correspondents" it is alleged that he was removed after the pic.twitter.com/pLYvVl9G5I  NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 10, 2023

08:23 AM BST

Good morning

Welcome to todays Ukraine live blog. Abbie Cheeseman here, guiding you through all of the latest updates from the Russia-Ukraine war.

US President Joe Biden is in London meeting with Rishi Sunak ahead of the Nato summit in Vilnius, where Ukraine is expected to feature high on the agenda. Biden yesterday told CNN that it is premature to call for a vote over whether to allow Ukraine to join Nato, saying that the war should end before the alliance allows Kyiv to consider joining.

Ukraine is advancing on the southern flanks of Bakhmut, according to the deputy defence minister, as both sides remain gripped in heavy fighting.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
The informant of the Russian Federation was detained while photographing one of the military facilities

The SecurityService of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed a Russian agent who was collecting data to help guide missile strikes in Mykolayiv Oblast, the agency reported on July 10.

He marked the exact coordinates of Ukrainian military facilities on an electronic map and reported on their security measures.

Read also: Over 200 individuals charged with sharing videos, photos of military positions  SBU

The detainee also secretly photographed the deployment of Ukrainian military units, paying close attention to locations with large clusters of military personnel and equipment.

The SBU said the information was intended to be used to launch targeted missile strikes.

The alleged traitor is a local resident who supported the holding of a sham referendum on the accession of Mykolayiv Oblast to Russia.

Read also: Russian missiles hit Mykolayiv infrastructure building

The detainee has been charged with unauthorized dissemination of information on the direction, and movement of weapons, armaments, and military supplies in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
NATO's summit in Vilnius will be dominated by Ukraine's push to join the alliance (Dimitar DILKOFF)

NATO leaders meet in Lithuania on Tuesday for a summit set to be dominated by the alliance's response to Russia's war on Ukraine and Kyiv's push for membership.

Here are some key things to look out for at the two-day meeting of the Western military bloc:

- Ukraine's membership -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to come to Vilnius to make the case to NATO's 31 leaders that Kyiv deserves to join the alliance once Russia's war ends.

Kyiv and NATO members in eastern Europe have pushed for a clear roadmap as they believe only bringing Ukraine under the alliance's collective defence umbrella will deter Moscow in future.

But key powers the United States and Germany have been wary of going much beyond a vow in 2008 that said Ukraine will join one day, without setting a timeframe.

Diplomats are still wrangling over the exact wording of a final communique as they seek to convince Ukraine it is moving forward.

NATO looks set to offer Kyiv a smoother path into the alliance for when it eventually becomes ready to join, by dropping a Membership Action Plan laying out reform benchmarks.

It will also boost political ties by launching a NATO-Ukraine Council in Vilnius and offer a multi-year programme to help Kyiv get to Western military standards.

But there will be no invitation to join for now and, most likely, no dates set.

Whether this is enough to satisfy the Ukrainians fighting and dying on the ground remains to be seen.

"Zelensky's team will be working until the last day to get as much as they can," said Orysia Lutsevych of the Chatham House think tank.

- Security guarantees? -

In a bid to reassure Kyiv before it joins NATO, heavyweights the United States, Britain, Germany and France have been negotiating possible long-term commitments on weapons supplies.

Diplomats say these would fall outside NATO's framework and not commit the powers to sending troops to aid Ukraine if it's attacked again.

The weapons supplies would build on the tens of billions of dollars-worth of arms Kyiv's backers have delivered since Russia invaded.

Drawing up something similar to the US arrangement with Israel -- which sees Washington sending $3.8 billion (3.5 billion euros) of weapons each year for a decade -- is one possibility mooted.

Intelligence sharing, training and rebuilding Ukraine's own arms industry could also figure in a deal.

Diplomats say there would likely be an overall declaration of support and then individual countries would commit to bilateral assistance under that umbrella.

But Eastern European countries insist any agreements should not be a substitute for Ukraine's eventual NATO membership.

"The only security guarantee that works and is much cheaper than anything else is NATO membership," Estonian premier Kaja Kallas tweeted.

- Sweden finally joining? -

Turkey's unpredictable president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be in the spotlight as allies press him to drop objections and finally let Sweden into NATO.

Ankara is still holding up Stockholm's membership despite letting Nordic neighbour Finland join in April.

Sweden insists it has met all the conditions Turkey has set, but a recent Koran-burning protest in Stockholm drew Erdogan's ire.

The Turkish president will meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit, with topics of discussion to include Sweden's NATO membership.

Hungary is also still holding out, but few believe Budapest would delay if Ankara shifted.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has called a meeting of Erdogan and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for the eve of the summit on Monday in Vilnius.

Stoltenberg will be hoping for a re-run of last year's Madrid summit where he got Erdogan to back the initial invite for Sweden after hours of negotiations.

The best case scenario would be for Erdogan to commit to ratifying Sweden's entry soon.

"It is absolutely possible to have a positive decision at the summit," Stoltenberg insisted last week.

- Military spending -

After Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO countries pledged to try to move towards spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence by 2024.

As that deadline approaches, only 11 NATO countries are projected to hit the target this year despite public haranguing during the tenure of former US president Donald Trump.

The allies have now been negotiating a new pledge and -- given the invasion -- have become more ambitious.

Spending two percent will become a minimum commitment despite opposition from laggards such as Luxembourg and Canada.

But there are questions over how soon NATO will agree to hit that figure and if it will seek to go further.

- Defence Plans -

Russia's war has propelled the biggest overhaul of NATO's eastern defences in a generation.

Leaders should sign off on new regional plans in Vilnius detailing how allies would stop any Russian attack at NATO's borders.

Diplomats say Turkey has thrown a spanner into the works with last-ditch objections, but they expect Erdogan to give the greenlight.

The move is part of a package that is seeing allies boost the number of high-readiness troops NATO can call on to 300,000.

del/gw/rox
S-200 SAM Ukraine

Russia has claimed that Ukraine is now using Cold War-era S-200 long-range surface-to-air missiles  known to NATO as SA-5 Gammon  to attack land targets in its rear areas and in Russia itself. A video from one particular claimed strike appears to show a missile that looks very similar to an S-200 diving almost vertically onto a target, supposedly in Bryansk Oblast, in western Russia, a region that borders Ukraine.

While Russia has been using the advanced S-300 SAM  which possesses a little-known surface-to-surface capability, which can read all about here  to strike large static ground target areas in Ukraine, the use of the vintage S-200s, in this way, is a new development in this conflict. Indeed, until now there was seemingly no evidence of S-200s being used in any capacity, by Ukraine or Russia, and the incident raises many questions.

The S-200s could give Ukraine a quasi-short-range ballistic missile-like capability, and if the missiles were deeply modified, its possible they could be far more accurate in doing so than if used in their original configuration.

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1678091570183020547?s=20

The most conclusive evidence, so far, of Ukraine using S-200s to strike ground targets is the video purportedly showing an attack on a sawmill in the settlement of Bytosh in Russias Bryansk Oblast, yesterday. Local surveillance cameras captured the arrival of the missile, which certainly bears the hallmarks of the S-200, or, more specifically, the 5V28 series missile used by this system, which was originally developed for high-altitude defense of large-area targets, including important administrative, industrial, and military installations.

Introduced to service in the late 1960s, and primarily intended to defeat high-flying U.S. bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, the S-200 system was deployed in static batteries that typically comprised six single-rail launchers, supported by a long-range surveillance radar, a target search and acquisition radar, a missile guidance radar, and multiple other support elements.

Powered by a single-stage liquid-fuel motor, plus a cluster of four jettisonable solid-propellant boosters, the 5V28 series missile measures around 35 feet in length, with a diameter of almost 34 inches, and in a surface-to-air role its later versions have a maximum range of approximately 186 miles. In Soviet service, the 5V28 could be fitted with either a big proximity-fuzed conventional 480-pound warhead or a command-detonated nuclear warhead, although there is no evidence the latter was ever available to Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/status/1678104577948766210?s=20

According to Russian accounts, another reported missile attack occurred on its border area yesterday, this time in Rostov Oblast, and was also attributed to the S-200. The target on this occasion appears to have been Morozovsk Air Base.

Perhaps most significantly, there are also reports that the S-200 was used yesterday in an attempt to target Kerch Bridge, the prized structure that connects Russia to Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukrainian media reported an attempted strike on the bridge using the S-200, while Russian sources claimed that their air defense operators shot down at least one missile just north of the Taman Peninsula, which borders the Azov Sea to the north, the Kerch Strait to the west, and the Black Sea to the south. Wreckage of the intercepted missile is said to have come down in the Azov Sea.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1678304977339514882?s=20 https://twitter.com/Roberto05246129/status/1678076017670344704?s=20

Despite Russia claiming that the missile was successfully intercepted, the incident reportedly led to the closure of Kerch Bridge by Russian authorities, leading to significant traffic jams.

Overall, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims that three S-200 missiles had targeted Kerch Bridge, but that all were destroyed. The same account notes that two other S-200 missiles were destroyed by its air defenses, while two more were defeated by undisclosed electronic warfare means, during what it says were attempted attacks in the Rostov and Kaluga regions in Russia.

All of these incidents are said to have occurred yesterday, although the defense ministry didnt say what, if any targets had been hit, or how many of these missiles were fired in total.

Its not clear how many, if any, S-200 systems were still active with the Ukrainian Armed Forces when Russias full-scale invasion began, but these missiles utilize static launchers and therefore are not highly mobile, being only suitable for the defense of static targets against high-flying threats.

An S-200 launcher preserved at the Military History Museum of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Vinnytsia. George Chernilevsky/Wikimedia Commons

So far, we have not seen evidence of Ukrainian S-200s being used, whether in an air defense capacity or as a surface-to-surface weapon. It remains a possibility, however, that Ukraine has reactivated some of its S-200 systems to bolster its legacy air defenses, which are clearly using up stocks of missiles at a prodigious rate. It could be that the missile that came down in Bryansk was actually an errant example that was intended to defeat an aerial target  something that has happened with air defense systems in the past. The fact that supposedly multiple missiles were launched against ground targets, at least based on Russian accounts, would seem to make that less likely.

As of 2010, it was reported that Ukraine still had four active S-200 batteries, providing air defense over much of the country, with a further 12 inactive sites. Further reports suggest the S-200 was removed from service in 2013, but its likely that Ukraine has not insubstantial reserves of these missiles, as well as potentially multiple locations from where they could be launched. Its possible, too, that Ukraine may have developed some kind of mobile or more deployable launcher that would allow these missiles to be fired from different locations, too.

The S-200 system also gained a degree of infamy in Ukrainian service, back in October 2001, when an errant missile shot down a Russian airliner over the Black Sea, during a live-fire exercise.

Iranian soldiers stand near an S-200 surface-to-air missile during military maneuvers in Iran. Ali Shayegan/AFP via Getty Images

It is possible, too, that Ukraine might have even received missiles for the S-200 system from other sources. Although no such transfer has been announced, potential donors exist in Europe, with Bulgaria and Poland both being current operators. Poland, in particular, has been an enthusiastic supporter of Ukraine and has previously delivered Soviet-era air defense missiles to Kyiv.

As a surface-to-air missile, the S-200 has been fairly widely used in recent years by Syria. Although debris from these weapons has ended up as far away as Israel, and even Cyprus, there is no evidence that Syria has used them in any capacity other than air defense, including in response to Israeli airstrikes. However, Syria has apparently taken to launching the missiles ballistically, without even acquiring a target, in an effort to sow confusion among the attacking force and put them on the defensive.

Syria has had very mixed results with its S-200s. A missile from one of these systems was involved in the shootdown of an Israeli F-16I fighter jet during an intense period of aerial activity over Syria in February 2018, while another accidentally downed a Russian Il-20 Coot electronic intelligence-gathering plane off the Syrian coast in September of the same year.

Wreckage of the Israeli Air Force F-16I shot down following a raid in Syria in February 2018. JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

The use of a long-range surface-to-air missile to strike ground targets is by no means an entirely new development. During the Cold War, it was not uncommon for weapons of this type to have a secondary strike role and some air defense weapons today can also be used in this capacity. Since then, there have been other examples of Soviet-era surface-to-air missiles being repurposed to strike targets on the ground. Ukraine, too, has its own history of turning dated Soviet systems into long-range strike weapons, in the shape of adapted Tupolev reconnaissance drones.

Its possible, too, that the S-200 always had a secondary surface-to-surface capability, although this would always have been limited by its static basing. The fact that it could carry a nuclear warhead would also have compensated for its reduced accuracy against ground targets. The same applies to the more modern S-300 system, which had a little-known surface attack role from the start, but which has the advantage of a mobile launch vehicle option.

The missiles used in the S-200 have inertial guidance systems with updates provided by radio link and, for the terminal phase, semi-active radar homing. While its highly unlikely that, under most circumstances, it would be challenging to illuminate a ground or surface target for the missile to home in on, the combination of inertial guidance and radio updates would presumably provide enough accuracy to hit larger, area targets.

Of course, there also exists the very real possibility of a more extensive series of modifications to the missile, perhaps even adding a new type of guidance system entirely, such as GPS. The missiles large warhead can be used for ground attack, but it could also be switched with one better suited to that role.

https://twitter.com/John_A_Ridge/status/1678229772999045121?s=20

But even in its far less accurate form, firing S-200s at large area ground targets would give Ukraine the quasi-short-range ballistic missile-like capability it so desperately wants, even if to a limited degree and with limited accuracy. As noted earlier in this piece, when launched on a ballistic trajectory, these weapons can have short-range ballistic missile-like range, also giving it the long reach Ukraine is seeking. This type of basic guidance would still limit how it is employed and the types of targets it can be used against.

If Ukraine is indeed using S-200s in a surface-to-surface capacity in a precision strike, not just an area attack role, its clear that some kind of major modification has been achieved. If reports that this weapon was used in an attempt to hit the Kerch Bridge are correct, then it must also be the case that a sufficient degree of accuracy for this kind of target is also judged realistic. Although there are some caveats, such as using these missiles in a simpler form to saturate Russian air defenses while other types of attempted attacks are attempted.

Certainly, it would appear that the Russian Ministry of Defense is taking the apparently new threat very seriously.

According to Russian reports, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has already called upon the Russian Armed Forces to prepare a response to the alleged S-200 attacks. Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik claims that Gerasimov has instructed the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as officials of the command post of the joint group to identify storage and training sites, as well as the launch positions of Ukrainian S-200 missiles and similar strike weapons and plan their preemptive fire damage.

https://twitter.com/MalcontentmentT/status/1678291277132234752?s=20

The same report says that Gerasimov has ordered taking additional measures to improve the protection of facilities from airstrikes in the shortest possible time.

Clearly, very many questions remain. But whatever the case, we will watch closely for further evidence of Ukrainian S-200s being used in this or any other capacity.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Ukraine war latest: Stoltenberg says 'no final decision' made about Ukraine's NATO aspirations on the eve of Vilnius summit

Key developments on July 10:

Stoltenberg: 'No final decision' made regarding Ukraine's NATO bid

Kuleba: NATO allies agree on simplified procedure for Ukraine's accession

Kremlin spokesman: Putin and Prigozhin met after rebellion

Defense Ministry: Ukraine controls 'key commanding heights' around Bakhmut

Rheinmetall to build, repair tanks in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 10 that "no final decision has been made" regarding Ukraine's NATO membership bid, and consultations and meetings are ongoing to prepare a "very clear message" at the Vilnius summit.

Speaking at a press conference next to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on the eve of the long-anticipated summit, Stoltenberg said that he was "absolutely certain" that the allies will have "unity and a strong message" on Ukraine's NATO bid by the end of the summit.

Stoltenberg's statement comes amid reports that Germany and the U.S. are expected to block Ukraine's entry on account of needed reforms and the ongoing war.

"All allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance," Stoltenberg, who has been recently pushing NATO members to reassert their position, said.

The most urgent task, however, remains to do everything for Ukraine to win the war, according to Stoltenberg.

"The most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation in Europe because unless Ukraine prevails, then there is no membership issue to be discussed at all," Stoltenberg said.

Estonian minister warns false peace is prelude to new wars, backs NATO membership for Ukraine Behind the curtains of Estonias substantial support for Ukraine lies the struggle of pushing allies to do more. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

All eyes on Vilnius

Ukraine's NATO membership bid is expected to be the main topic at the two-day summit in Lithuania's capital set to begin on July 11.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the German government not to delay Ukraine's accession to NATO at the Vilnius summit, the German television news magazine Tagesthemen reported on July 10.

"I call on the German government not to repeat the mistakes made by Chancellor (Angela) Merkel in 2008, who spoke out clearly against Ukraine's integration into NATO," Kuleba said.

Other topics include discussions on the Turkey-Sweden dispute over Stockholm's accession  Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 10 suggested that his country should join the EU if the West wanted Ankara to finally back Stockholm's accession into NATO.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to attend the summit on July 12, according to the event schedule and Bloomberg's report citing anonymous sources. Stoltenberg said on July 10 that Zelensky would join the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, with neither side confirming an in-person attendance yet.

The removal of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraine is among the discussion points, according to Stoltenberg.

"Of course, this is about moving Ukraine closer to membership," Stoltenberg said. "But again, the final decisions will be taken when every ally, when we all agree, and the leaders meet tomorrow."

The MAP envisages a country being assessed step-by-step to meet specific criteria for NATO accession, which may take years or even decades. Finland, who applied to join NATO in May 2022 and skipped the MAP process, managed to become the alliance's member in less than a year.

Kuleba said on July 10 that the allies agreed to remove the MAP from Ukraine's accession path "following intense talks."

"I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO. It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member," Kuleba tweeted.

Recent polls conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), published on July 10, show that 89% of Ukrainians want their country to join NATO, with the figure ranging from 79% in Ukraine's east to 93% in western regions.

Ukrainian soldiers of the 57th Separate Motorized Brigade prepare to train with an MK19 grenade launcher during the training session at the training area in Donetsk Oblast on July 9, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Kremlin says Putin, Prigozhin met after rebellion

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Wagner mercenary group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the end of the short-lived Wagner rebellion in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 10.

The nearly three-hour-long meeting involving about 35 people was held at the Kremlin on June 29, according to Peskov.

Peskov said that all detachment commanders and the leadership of Wagner were present at the meeting. He did not disclose details of the meeting, just saying that Putin gave his assessment of Wagner's role on the front line and the subsequent rebellion.

The spokesman added that the mercenaries present at the meeting said they were ready to continue fighting for Russia and were offered further employment and combat options.

Prigozhin launched a "march for justice" against Russian military leaders on June 23 after accusing the Russian army of targeting Wagner camps in occupied Ukraine.

His mercenaries occupied Rostov and marched several hundred kilometers to Moscow, only to abruptly end the rebellion less than 24 hours after its start.

On June 27, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said that the mercenary boss had arrived in Belarus after the dictator allegedly brokered a peace deal between the mercenaries and the Kremlin.

But Prigozhin's whereabouts have been unclear for nearly two weeks.

The French media outlet Liberation reported earlier on July 10 that the mercenary leader has been present in Moscow since at least July 1.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 14  Wagners mutiny attempt in Russia, and its consequences Episode #14 of our weekly video podcast This Week in Ukraine is dedicated to Wagner mercenary groups failed attempt to take on the Russian military establishment and its consequences. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independents reporter Francis Farrell. Listen to the audio vers The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

Fierce fighting in Donetsk Oblast

Russian forces are trapped inside Bakhmut as Ukraine continues to launch counterattacks on the flanks of the city, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, said on July 10.

Bakhmut is under fire control of Ukrainian forces, Syrskyi said, meaning that the Ukrainian artillery can reach targets in the city.

Contrary, there's no indication that Russian forces in Bakhmut are currently trapped.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on July 10 that Ukraine controls "the key commanding heights" around Bakhmut and "keeps the entrances, exits, and movements of the enemy through the city under fire control" for several days.

Ukrainian forces are raging the counteroffensive on at least three sectors of the front line, the Institute for the Study of War, a D.C.-based think-tank analyzing the war in Ukraine, said in its July 9 assessment.

Its a lottery: How Ukraines assault brigade counterattacks near Bakhmut Editors note: The Kyiv Independent spent a day with soldiers from the 80th Separate Assault Brigade in June, and the story is comprised of interviews with them about their experience near Bakhmut. The soldiers are identified by their names or callsigns, and their deployment locations are not reveal The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Rheinmetall to build, repair tanks in Ukraine

The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will open a plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, the company's CEO Armin Papperger told CNN in an interview published on July 10.

Papperger said the company plans to train Ukrainian staff to maintain tanks and other armored vehicles produced in that factory.

"(Ukrainians) have to help themselves  if they always have to wait (for) Europeans or Americans (to) help them over the next 10 or 20 years that is not possible," Papperger said.

Rheinmetall's CEO added that the planned factory will be located in western Ukraine, protected from Russian strikes.
Ukraine's counteroffensive is facing off against Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, on the outskirts of Bakhmut

Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut on May 15, 2023. Libkos/AP

Ukraine's counteroffensive is running into Wagner's successor group, Storm Z, in Bakhmut.

The group is mostly conscripts, reservists, and convicts, The Washington Post said.

Ukraine assessed that the group had low combat capability and were alcoholics and deserters.

Ukraine is two months into its long-awaited counteroffensive, slowly pressing the front lines and grinding against Russia's defenses. And on the outskirts of a ruined town, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the war, Ukrainian forces are battling a Russian group called "Storm Z," according to a new report.

As the Ukrainians fight on the outskirts of Bakhmut, positioning to retake key territory, they are running into Storm Z forces, Russian troops sent to replace the Wagner Group after its fighters came off the line, The Washington Post reported.

Storm Z, however, doesn't consist of mercenaries like Wagner, which defined itself with a culture of extreme violence. The group, instead, is a mix of regular reservists and conscripts, the Post said. Some of the troops in this force are convicted criminals, though, which is reminiscent of Wagner's push earlier this year to enlist Russian prisoners as combatants in exchange for time off of their sentences. Many of those prisoners were massacred fighting in Bakhmut.

Ukraine has said that Storm Z shows extremely low combat capability, according to a press release translated by Pravada. The soldiers in this group suffer from alcoholism, engage in looting, and are prone to desertion, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said, and Russian leadership has made efforts to regroup Storm Z with other soldiers.

Wagner troops declared victory in Bakhmut  a once-bustling city now a ghost town left in ruins  in May. The capture of the city was Russia's only major territorial gain this year, and it came at tremendous costs for both sides, but particularly for the troops fighting on behalf of Russia.

In late June, some Storm Z fighters announced their support for Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's armed mutiny against Russian military leadership, a move which ended in failure but may have a lasting impact on Russia.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukrainian defenders have killed 440 invaders and destroyed seven tanks and other Russian equipment over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 10 July 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 234,480 (+440) military personnel;

4,085 (+7) tanks;

7,966 (+2) armoured combat vehicles;

4,371 (+5) artillery systems;

668 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;

414 (+1) air defence systems;

315 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

309 (+0) helicopters;

3,686 (+1) tactical UAVs;

1,271 (+0) cruise missiles;

18 (+0) ships/boats;

6,937 (+8) vehicles and tankers;

632 (+4) special vehicles.

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Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reacts to removal of wounded Ukrainian veteran from passenger plane in Tel Aviv

A Ukrainian veteran who lost his leg in the war has been forcibly removed from a plane at the Israeli airport of Tel Aviv. After the incident, the company publicly apologised on its official page.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine wants to deal with the situation, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko, has said.

Quote: "We are very saddened by the information about the situation at the Tel Aviv airport, and we want to understand it," he wrote.



Photo: ak12m@hotmail.com/Depositphotos

Nikolenko noted that since the ministry has not received any appeals regarding this situation, the Ukrainian veteran who was kicked off the flight to Warsaw is being asked to contact the Foreign Ministry or the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel.

You can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by phone +38 044 238 1588 or by e-mail: cons_or@mfa.gov.ua

The Ukrainian Embassy in Israel has the phone number +972 54 667 6782 and e-mail: consul_il@mfa.gov.ua

"If the violation is confirmed, we will make maximum efforts to restore the rights of Ukrainian citizens. Protecting the rights of Ukrainians abroad is an absolute priority," Oleh Nikolenko added.

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Ihor Klymenko, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has introduced the new commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr Pivnenko.

Source: press service of the National Guard of Ukraine

Quote from Klymenko: "Colonel Pivnenko has relevant combat experience. He is a former commander of a separate special forces unit of the National Guard of Ukraine, which defended the city of Kharkiv and participated in the counteroffensive in Slobozhanshchyna (Ukraine's northeast  ed.)

After that, he led the 3rd Operational Brigade Spartan  one of our brigades of the Offensive Guard. And after returning from the city of Bakhmut, he headed the Eastern Territorial Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine."

Details: The Minister wished the new commander inspiration and strength. Klymenko noted that the new head of the National Guard, like his predecessor, should focus on training the brigades of the Offensive Guard and on the effective use of the already formed units.

Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Oleksii Pivnenko as Commander of the National Guard.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday cast doubt on Donald Trumps claim about being able to end Russias war on Ukraine in just one day, should the former president win the 2024 election.

The sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful but this desire should be based on some real-life experience, Zelenskyy told ABC News Martha Raddatz, via a translator, in an interview that aired Sunday.

Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time, Ukraines leader continued. We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities.

If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words, to make us give up our territories, well, I think, in this way, [President Joe] Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree, he added.

Watch the interview here:

Trump has repeatedly boasted about his ability to fix Russias invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022 and has now ground on for more than 500 days.

I would fix that within 24 hours, and if I win, before I get into the office, I will have that war settled. 100% sure, the former president told Fox News personality Sean Hannity in March.

Trump has never elaborated on how he would do it, though.

The former president, prior to his 2016 election win, frequently talked up his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since the war began, Trump has often suggested Putin wouldnt have attacked Ukraine had he still been in power.
Ukrainian military in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, July 2, 2023

The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) liberated over 10 square kilometers of land in the south last week, Andriy Kovalyov, spokesperson for the General Staff, reported on Telegram on July 10.

Since the commencement of the counteroffensive, Ukrainian troops have freed a substantial area of 169 square kilometers from Russian occupiers in the southern direction, Kovalyov said.

This area is approximately equal to the size of the city of Odesa. Demining operations are currently underway, Kovalyov said.

Read also: Ukrainian Army successfully advances in Donbas, General Syrskyi says

Kovalyov said that Ukrainian troops have advanced and liberated an additional 10 square kilometers of territory in southern Ukraine over the course of the past week. Overall, the advance from Melitopol to Berdyansk, situated on the Sea of Asov, amounts to an impressive 8.6 kilometers.

In the Bakhmut direction in Eastern Ukraine, the UAF achieved the liberation of a further 4 square kilometers from Russian forces last week, bringing the total reclaimed area to 24 square kilometers on that front.

Kovalyov said that Ukrainian soldiers are currently consolidating their positions and engaging enemy targets through artillery strikes.The enemy is actively resisting, executing troop movements and employing their reserves. Intense battles continue to take place, he added.

In June, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine had previously announced the successful liberation of nine settlements in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Read also:

Furthermore, the Ukrainian defense forces have confirmed the liberation of territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk Oblast, which had been under Russian occupation since 2014.

Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar said on July 7 that Russian losses during the southern campaign exceed Ukrainian losses by a significant margin of 5.3.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen prepare to fire a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops at a position near the city of Bakhmut

Ukraine says Russian troops 'trapped' in eastern city of Bakhmut FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen prepare to fire a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops at a position near the city of Bakhmut

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Monday its troops had caught occupying Russian troops "in a trap" in the shattered eastern city of Bakhmut, where its forces have been gaining ground as part of their counter offensive.

Russian accounts of the fighting said Moscow's forces have repelled or contained Ukrainian advances in the east and south.

More than 500 days into the invasion, Ukraine's counter offensive which began early last month has focused on capturing clusters of villages in the southeast and moving in on Russian forces holding Bakhmut.

Officials on Monday noted advances in both sectors.

"Bakhmut. The enemy is caught in a trap," General Oleksander Syrskyi, in charge of Ukraine's ground forces, said bluntly on the Telegram messaging app. "The city is under the fire control of (our) defence forces...the enemy is being pushed out of their positions."

In the south, General Oleksander Tarnavskyi said on Telegram Ukrainian forces were "on the move" and Russian forces had lost the equivalent of hundreds of men over 24 hours.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the counter offensive, boosted by supplies of sophisticated Western weaponry, is proceeding more slowly than Ukraine had hoped.

Military analysts say Kyiv wanted to point to at least a degree of success to leaders attending the NATO summit in Lithuania starting on Tuesday.

The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks in three areas of Donetsk region, including Klishchiivka, the focus of clashes in recent days near Bakhmut.

The ministry also said Russian forces thwarted Ukrainian attacks in the south, including near the village of Rivnopil, which Ukrainian forces said they captured two weeks ago.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said on Telegram that over the past week Kyiv's troops had taken back 10.2 square km (3.9 sq miles) of territory in the south and four sq km in the east.

And the Ukrainian military said its troops had now retaken 169 sq km on the southern front, and 24 sq km around Bakhmut since the counteroffensive began.

Reuters could not verify the situation on the battlefield, and Russia has not acknowledged Ukrainian gains.

Moscow says fighting has been heavy since the counteroffensive began. Its forces still hold swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine following its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Ukraine also reported new Russian attacks on civilian sites.

An attack on a humanitarian aid distribution point in the southeast killed seven people, emergency services said, and two people were killed by Russian shelling in the east.

Russia denies targeting civilian areas.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski, Oleksander Kozhukhar and Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Lincoln Feast)
According to a survey, citizens who remain in Ukraine hope for a shorter war than those Ukrainians who are refugees in Europe.

Source: survey conducted by the sociological group Rating on 4-10 July among citizens living in Ukraine and abroad

Details: The results of the surveys in Ukraine and in Europe show certain differences in the assessment of the duration of the war by Ukrainians, according to the sociologists of the Rating Group.

Thus, among Ukrainians living in Ukraine, 32% believe that Ukraine needs six months to a year to win, 30%  more than a year, and 17% believe that it will take several months or less to achieve victory.

Among Ukrainians in Europe, the prevailing opinion is that it will take more than a year to win (40%), 23% believe it will take six months to a year, and only 12% believe it will be achieved in the short term.

3% of Ukrainians in Europe do not believe in Ukraine's victory at all. In Ukraine, the number is 1%.

In the macro-regional context, there are also certain differences in assessments among Ukrainians living in Ukraine. The number of those who believe in a relatively short time frame for achieving victory is higher among residents of the centre, west, and south. Residents of the east and the capital are less optimistic or uncertain.

Sociologists interviewed 2,000 respondents in Ukraine and 2,000 Ukrainian refugees in Europe in early July.

The survey in Ukraine. Respondents: population of Ukraine aged 18 and older in all oblasts, except for the temporarily occupied territories and territories where Ukrainian mobile communication does not work. The results are weighted using the latest data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The representative sample is 2,000 respondents. Survey method: CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing). The accuracy of representativeness of the survey with a confidence level of 0.95: no more than 2.2%. Dates of the survey: 7-10 July 2023.

The survey of Ukrainians in Europe. Respondents: Ukrainians aged 18 and older who have found temporary refuge in European countries after 24.02.2022. The results are weighted using up-to-date UNHC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) data  an indicator of Ukrainians who have applied for asylum, temporary residence or similar national protection programs. The representative sample is 2,000 respondents in 31 European countries. The online survey was conducted on the Rating Online research platform. The accuracy of representativeness of the study with a confidence level of 0.95: no more than 3.2%. Dates of the survey: 4-10 July 2023.

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Largely arid Iraq is ranked by the UN as one of the world's five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change (Asaad NIAZI)

Southern Iraq's fabled marshland is suffering its worst heatwave in the past 40 years, the United Nations warned on Monday, reporting a drastic drop in water levels.

Largely arid Iraq is ranked by the UN as one of the world's five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change, and authorities there say the country is going through its fourth straight year of drought.

Iraq endures blistering summer heat and frequent dust storms, and declining rainfall as well as upstream dams have reduced the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement it was "deeply concerned about the grave consequences of climate change and water scarcity on the marshes and buffalo producers in southern Iraq".

The UN agency cited "alarming field reports" from its staff operating alongside Iraqi agriculture ministry staff.

The FAO statement said reports "indicate that the marshes are experiencing the most severe heat wave in the last 40 years, accompanied with a sudden water shortage in the Euphrates river".

"The dire situation is having a devastating impact on the marshes system, buffalo producers, farmers and fisheries, forcing many of them" to leave the area, it added.

The FAO said that in Chibayish, located in Dhi Qar province, "the water level of the Euphrates is only 56 centimetres (22 inches), and in the marshes from zero to 30 centimetres".

It noted high salinity levels exceeding 6,000 parts per million which have raised concern among farmers, especially buffalo herders and fishermen.

The statement cites official figures showing that "almost 70 percent of the marshes are devoid of water".

In a vivid illustration of the problem, an AFP journalist early this month saw thousands of fish washed up on the banks of the Amshan river in Majar al-Kabir, in Maysan province bordering Iran.

This region is famous for its marshland fed by the Tigris river.

Environmental campaigner Ahmed Saleh Neema said "a rise in temperatures" leading to increased evaporation, coupled with reduced water flow contributed to "a lack of oxygen and high salinity" in the river.

tgg/srm/ami
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. John Adams to his wife on celebrating Independence Day

Happy 247th birthday, America. We pause to remember those who risked their lives and treasure to manifest freedom and democracy, as the primary principle of our country. It has not always been our country. At the time of its founding the framers did not believe most of the people, including my ancestors, could be full citizens or even human. Only free, property owning, white, men could vote in the American democracy. While their constricted convictions stood on shaky moral grounds their struggles for independence laid the cornerstone for a belief system that permitted the ascension of the dignity and freedom for all.

It is that struggle that we now celebrate, a hallowed day, made more sacred by the passage of history. Both Adams and his fellow President Thomas Jefferson died within hours of each other on July 4, 50 years after the initiation of the Great Anniversary Festival. Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the two most important Union Victories of the Civil War, were both resolved on July 4, 1863.

Throughout history, not all have agreed with Adams about the sanctity of the day. In 1852, Statesmen and abolitionist leader, Frederick Douglass wrote:

What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy  a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.

Our country has progressed since Douglass denunciations. It took the bloodiest war in American history to eradicate slavery. The right to vote for African Americans was fully extended in 1965 by the Voting Rights Act, yet is under assault by recent state and Supreme Court decisions. The universal franchise for women was guaranteed by the 19th Amendment in 1920. But womens right to control their physical well-being has been abrogated by the same Supreme Court 100 years later. The right to vote was extended to 18-year-olds by the 26th Amendment in 1971. Yet young peoples lives are senselessly threatened and snuffed out by gun violence. We have come a long way, sisters and brothers, but we still have a ways to go.

This year, our Happy Valley community attempted to solemnize the Fourth of July with pomp and parade. A parade in downtown State College kicked off our local holiday celebrations for the first time since 2019. There was also a 4K race, a celebratory community cake, and the largest fireworks show in Pennsylvania. Celesta Powell, executive director of Central PA 4th Fest, said it was one of the best attended ever. Earlier in the week the Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley attracted 2,000 two participants and thousands of spectators. Sips and Sounds Downtown sponsored by Happy Valley Adventure Bureau attracted over 1,000 block partiers to Allen Street. Douglass is not with us to witness but his great-, great-, great-grandchildren are.

Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lions Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
FILE - A maintenance worker walks past the company logo on the side of a locomotive in the Union Pacific Railroad fueling yard in north Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006. United Pacific Railroad has reached a tentative deal Sunday, July 9, 2023, with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers on a paid sick leave agreement. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Union Pacific railroad has reached a tentative deal with a major union regarding paid sick leave.

The railroad and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers said that the deal reached over the weekend provides up to eight paid sick leave days to around 5,900 railroad employees.

While all Union Pacific employees receive some form of paid leave, the proposed agreement will provide the union members an additional five paid sick days annually, prorated for 2023. Starting next year, they also will have the ability to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time.

If ratified by workers, Union Pacific, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, will have paid sick leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions, making it the second railroad in the industry to to do so.

Last month Norfolk Southern was the first major North American freight railroad to reach deals to provide paid sick time to all of its workers.

Other railroads like CSX, BNSF, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are still negotiating with a number of their unions.

___

The first paragraph of this story has been updated to correct the name of the railroad to Union Pacific, instead of United Pacific.
In whats becoming a tradition, two senators have introduced a bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania.

Despite support from the governor, getting a deal has been difficult to conjure in years past.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, would make the commonwealth the 24th state to embrace recreational marijuana. It would also follow the lead of four border states to do so.

Legalized adult use of marijuana is supported by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians and this legislation accomplishes that while also ensuring safety and social equity, Laughlin said in a press release. We have a duty to Pennsylvania taxpayers to legalize adult-use marijuana to avoid losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars of new tax revenue and thousands of new jobs.

Republicans have emphasized the potential boost in tax revenues as a reason to legalize marijuana while allowing the police to focus on more-pressing threats to public safety. Democrats have argued legalization is a necessary step in reforming the criminal justice system.

We have a unique and singular opportunity to correct decades of mass incarceration, disproportionate enforcement against marginalized communities, the criminalization of personal choice and the perpetuation of violence, which all materialized from the failed war on drugs, Street said. Legalizing the adult use of cannabis will help us fully and equitably fund education, lower property taxes, and address a variety of community needs throughout Pennsylvania.

The duo first introduced a legalization bill in early 2021, as The Center Square previously reported. When former governor Tom Wolf announced his support for legalization in 2022, Laughlin was optimistic, but acknowledged that recreational use would be a years-long process. Last session, legalization bills made little progress in the General Assembly.

Current Governor Josh Shapiro also supports legalization and included marijuana revenues in his budget proposal, but advocates had mixed feelings. While they were happy to see a legalization commitment, activists worried that the high 20% wholesale tax rate would keep most marijuana sales in the black market.

Opposition to legalization has centered on workplace safety issues, DUI-related problems, and the potential federal-state clash that could put gun owners in legal jeopardy.
United Nations humanitarian chief says Sudan appears to be in a civil war 'of the most brutal kind'

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Sudan appears to be in a civil war of the most brutal kind and the world needs a new forum for talks in pursuit of a cease-fire, the United Nations humanitarian chief told The Associated Press on Monday.

Martin Griffiths spoke as regional leaders met in neighboring Ethiopia following the breakdown of peace talks in Saudi Arabia in June. Egypt says it will host leaders from Sudans neighbors on Thursday in search of peace, with few details.

We dont have a place, a forum, where the two parties are present ... where we can broker the kind of basic agreements that we need to move supplies and people, Griffiths said. He called Sudan the toughest place in the world for humanitarian workers in terms of access and warned that the crisis will only worsen as the fighting spreads to new areas.

We have to re-create the architecture that we had for a little while in Jeddah, he said of the Saudi- and U.S.-mediated talks. He criticized those discussions as very clunky, very time consuming, but said at least it did produce some real movements in facilitating aid access.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out between top army Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and his rival, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, on April 15.

The army and RSF have agreed to at least 10 temporary cease-fires, but all have failed. Riyadh and Washington, in adjourning negotiations, accused both forces of failing to respect the agreements.

The conflict has killed over 3,000 people and wounded over 6,000 others, Sudans Health Minister, Mohammed Ibrahim, said last month and warned that the true death toll is likely to be far higher. More than 2.9 million people have fled their homes.

If I were Sudanese, I find it hard to imagine that this isnt a civil war  of the most brutal kind, the U.N. humanitarian chief said. Part of that is its not limited to one place, its spreading, its viral  its a threat to the state itself ... and if that doesnt qualify for being a civil war, I dont know what does.

Griffiths said there is a pressing need to create a forum to facilitate humanitarian access and local cease-fires so trucks and goods can get into specific areas. Any new forum should have greater representation for humanitarian organizations, he said.

In Sudans capital, RSF troops appear to have the upper hand in the streets, having commandeered civilian homes and turned them into operational bases. The army has retaliated with airstrikes that have struck residential areas and sometimes hospitals.

In the western Darfur region, the conflicts other epicenter, entire villages have been overrun by RSF fighters and their allied militias, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee to neighboring Chad.

In the province of West Darfur, the fighting has morphed into ethnic violence, U.N. officials have said, with the RSF and Arab militias reportedly targeting non-Arab tribes. Activists and tribal leaders from the province say residents have been killed, women and girls raped, and properties looted and burned.

___

Associated Press writer Jack Jeffery in London contributed.
Joanna Toole was on board the plane that crashed in 2019

Three British people who died in a plane crash were unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.

Sam Pegram, Oliver Vick and Joanna Toole were among 157 people who died aboard a Boeing 737 Max airliner in Ethiopia in 2019.

Lawyers for the families had sought a verdict of unlawful killing ahead of an inquest into their loved ones deaths.

The court heard flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Kenya crashed shortly after take-off because of a design flaw.

A sensor failure meant that flight control software, known as MCAS, deployed at the wrong time and pushed the aircraft into a catastrophic dive.

Despite the pilots' efforts to regain control of the plane, it crashed in remote farmland outside the Ethiopian capital.

West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield said the incident occurred as a result of a series of failures relating to the development and operation of MCAS.

The flight control software was designed to make the plane easier and more predictable to fly under very specific circumstances. This would avoid the need for pilots used to the previous generation of 737 to undergo expensive retraining, something which would otherwise have made the plane less attractive to airlines.

Two employees of the manufacturer, the coroner said, had deliberately deceived regulators and operators of the 737 Max over the operation of a safety critical system.

'Like losing part of yourself'

The inquest heard Mr Pegram's parents describe the 25-year-old humanitarian worker as a kind, compassionate man with an infectious sense of humour.

"He had a passion for human rights, but also had the drive and inner strength to make a difference," his father Mark said.

Ms Toole's father explained how his 36-year-old daughter, a sustainability campaigner, had "the rare combination of empathy for animals and people".

The death of a child, he said was "like losing a part of yourself," he added.

Mr Vick, a humanitarian worker from Berkshire, was described by his mother Cheryl as a devoted father to his daughters, who had an "unwavering focus on making the world a better place for as many people as possible".

Abdulqadir Qasim, a former Somali refugee, who arrived in the UK aged 25 had been on his way to Kenya to have a meeting about a new job when he died in the crash.

There was no inquest into his death, but in a video statement in court on Monday, his wife Qamar described how he had been a "wonderful husband and father".

His youngest son, she said, had been a toddler at the time of the crash and could not remember his dad.

Prior to the Ethiopia crash, an identical failure caused another Boeing 737 Max to crash into the sea off Indonesia, killing 189 people.

The 737 Max was eventually grounded for 20 months after the two crashes.

The company has admitted responsibility for the loss of the Ethiopian flight, but in an agreement with the US government it gained immunity from prosecution in exchange for $2.5bn (1.9bn) in fines and compensation.
UPS and Teamsters negotiations matter to us all. UPS is subsidized with public dollars.

Contract negotiations between an emboldened Teamsters union and package delivery giant United Parcel Service are nearing a July 31 strike deadline. This showdown has massive implications for every Kentucky worker facing inadequate wages, difficult working conditions and lack of respect on the job.

That's because Kentucky is home to the company's largest sorting facility, UPS Worldport in Louisville. At this 5.2 million-square-foot behemoth, more than 10,000 employees sort 416,000 packages an hour. UPS is arguably Kentuckys largest employer once you add in other distribution facilities, seasonal workers and drivers of their ubiquitous brown trucks.

When UPS workers win, all Kentucky workers win because what happens there influences what happens at similar fast-growing jobs. Kentuckys is a prime location for package distribution, with the state now home to major Amazon, FedEx and DHL facilities. A good contract for UPS workers adds pressure for improvements at these competitors, some of which are non-union. All told, there are 124,000 Kentuckians working in transportation and warehousing, a 143% increase since 1990. Wages and working conditions at these jobs, which cant be offshored, ripple out to all workers at jobs that dont require a college degree.

Teamsters Local 89 president Fred Zuckerman urged UPS drivers at a rally Friday morning to reject the proposed national master contract between the shipper and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

'UPS is a microcosm of whats happened to workers in recent decades.'

In fact, every Kentuckian has a stake in this fight because UPS is heavily subsidized with public dollars. Our state has given the company $157 million in tax breaks since 2005. Its reasonable to ask that subsidized jobs lift up workers and communities rather than further fueling a race to the bottom. Thats especially true with UPS booking record profits of $13.9 billion last year.

UPS is a microcosm of whats happened to workers in recent decades. In 1982 and again in 2018, the company established new compensation tiers that meant lower wages for newly-hired and part-time workers, the latter of whom are now 60% of the UPS workforce. Package handlers and drivers face growing surveillance and constant pressure to work harder and faster.



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A key to the potential gains from these negotiations is new Teamsters leadership thats willing to aggressively fight for a fair deal. Louisville plays a central role in this too, with the new Secretary-Treasurer of the Teamsters Fred Zuckerman hailing from Louisville's Local 89. Zuckerman and President Sean OBrien have united workers behind an aggressive bargaining stance, with 97% of UPS Teamsters voting to authorize a strike if they dont get a better contract by the July 31 deadline.

And the unions approach is already winning victories at the bargaining table. Theyve secured concessions for air conditioning in trucks and the elimination of driver-facing cameras. But major issues remain unresolved, including the need for significant wage increases that finally allow the companys many part-time workers to make ends meet.

All eyes will be on the negotiation and on these Kentucky workers in the coming weeks. If the Teamsters are forced to walk out, it will be the largest single employer strike in U.S. history. UPS workers are testing for all of us whether the old tradition of solidarity can be a renewed path to better lives in the 21st century.

Jason Bailey is Executive Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, www.kypolicy.org.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Every Kentuckian has a stake in UPS and Teamsters negotiations.
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US Attorney David Weiss says he has not asked for special counsel status in Hunter Biden investigation

David Weiss, the U.S. attorney leading the investigation into Hunter Biden, on Monday directly refuted key allegations put forward by an IRS whistleblower who has made claims of political interference in the yearslong investigation.

The Justice Department last month approved a plea deal with Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, that will likely allow the 53-year-old to avoid prison in exchange for pleading guilty to failing to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018.

In a letter sent Monday to the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Weiss confirmed for the first time that he did not request a special counsel designation in the probe, contrary to one of the main assertions from the whistleblower, which Republicans on Capitol Hill have seized on to claim improper interference from Attorney General Merrick Garland.

MORE: Hunter Biden's alleged WhatsApp message fuels GOP assertions of corruption, even after plea

In April, IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley testified before Congress that Weiss had been unsuccessful in persuading federal prosecutors in Washington and California to bring charges against Biden, so Weiss then requested to become a special counsel, which -- according to Shapley -- was denied.

But in the new letter, Weiss refutes this.

"To clarify an apparent misperception and to avoid future confusion, I wish to make one point clear: in this case, I have not requested Special Counsel designation," Weiss wrote to Sen. Lindsey Graham of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Weiss wrote that he had conversations with Justice Department officials about being appointed as a "special assistant" or "special attorney" under a separate law, so that he could independently file charges in a district outside of his own, and he was assured he'd be granted that authority if needed, so he did not seek to be appointed as a special counsel.

PHOTO: U.S. Attorney David Weiss gives a press conference outside of the Federal Courthouse on Feb 14, 2016. (Suchat Pederson/AP, FILE)

The letter appears to bolster Garland's repeated assurances that he did not improperly seek to interfere in the Hunter Biden investigation, despite assertions from House Republicans who have taken steps toward initiating impeachment proceedings against Garland in recent weeks.

In a statement responding to Weiss' letter, attorneys for Shapley disagreed.

"As a practical matter, it makes no difference whether Weiss requested special counsel or special attorney authority," Shapley's attorneys said. "Under no circumstances should 'the process' have included the political appointees of the subject's father, because Congress and the public had been assured it would not -- but it did."

In addition to pleading guilty to two tax-related misdemeanors as part of his plea deal, the younger Biden will enter into a pretrial diversion agreement that would enable him to avoid prosecution on one felony gun charge, potentially ending the DOJ's five-year probe.

Republican leaders have called the agreement, which still requires approval from a federal judge, a "sweetheart" deal that would undermine faith in the criminal justice system.

US Attorney David Weiss says he has not asked for special counsel status in Hunter Biden investigation originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
US Attorney David Weiss, who is overseeing the Hunter Biden criminal probe, says in a letter obtained by CNN that he did not ask to be named as a special counsel and was never refused authority to bring charges anywhere in the country, refuting two key allegations from IRS whistleblowers.

Weiss comments, in a letter sent Monday to GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, go against claims from IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley and one of his deputies, who said they witnessed political interference in investigation of President Joe Bidens son.

They testified to Congress that during an October 2022 meeting, Weiss said he had requested to be named as a special counsel but was denied by Justice Department leadership. But Weiss said in the new letter that he never requested special counsel status, but rather explored becoming a special attorney under a different statute.

I have not requested Special Counsel designation, Weiss wrote to Graham on Monday. Rather, I had discussions with Departmental officials regarding potential appointment under 28 U.S.C.  515, which would have allowed me to file charges in a district outside my own without the partnership of the local U.S. Attorney.

Weiss said he got these assurances months before the October 7, 2022, meeting referenced throughout the whistleblowers allegations.

The prosecutor also wrote that he has never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction. Shapley claimed that Weiss said in that same October 2022 meeting he wasnt the deciding person on whether to indict Hunter Biden, because political appointees had blocked him from bringing charges in Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

Shapley and his deputy raised their concerns in congressional testimony that was made public last month by House Republicans. The Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland have denied that there was any political interference in the Hunter Biden criminal probe, which led to a plea deal where the presidents son will admit to two tax misdemeanors, resolve a felony gun charge and likely avoid jail time.

Lawyers for Shapley told CNN on Monday that the letter shows that Weiss story continues to change.

As a practical matter, it makes no difference whether Weiss requested special counsel or special attorney authority. Under no circumstances should the process have included the political appointees of the subjects father, because Congress and the public had been assured it would not  but it did, they said.

In the letter, Weiss also declined to comment on the internal FBI document from 2020 that contained uncorroborated allegations that Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a foreign bribery scheme. Weiss said Grahams questions about the matter relate to an ongoing investigation.

CNNs Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.

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(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines stronger defense relations with the United States can help unlock business deals for the Southeast Asian nation as Washington and its allies seek alternatives to China, according to Manilas envoy to the US.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The basis for better economic ties with the US now is our relationship on the defense side, which Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez described as clearly balanced under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. compared to periods in the past when the US may have taken the relationship for granted.

If we are able to get a large portion or even at least a slice of that American pie, that will be significant for us, Romualdez said in a Zoom interview on Monday, referring to investments. Ive not seen this enthusiasm for the Philippines from US investors. Its a consequence of our enhanced defense ties, said the envoy whos a cousin of Marcos.

At stake for the US oldest ally in the Indo-Pacific region is its domestic security and sovereignty amid Chinas encroachment over disputed waters and as tensions over neighboring Taiwan rise. The Philippines, one of Asias fastest-growing economies, is also competing with neighbors for a share of the billions of dollars of chips investments that may spread out from China and Taiwan.

The US views the Philippines as a key part of its strategy to prevent China from pursuing military actions particularly in Taiwan, according to Romualdez. The chances of a dangerous encounter in Taiwan isnt that high, but it can happen, he said.

US companies are particularly looking to tap the Philippines to produce semiconductors, Romualdez said. Manila is seen by American firms as a place that they can trust with their operations and expansion, he said, following President Joe Bidens enactment of a law to boost Americas capacity and rival China in the sector.

The US will likely dispatch a high-level trade and investment mission to the Philippines by yearend, according to Romualdez.

With neighbors like Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia also seeking investments, the Philippines will have to ease foreign ownership restrictions and provide perks to woo US businesses, the ambassador said.

The Philippine envoy lashed out against critics of Marcoss foreign policy especially against the backdrop of elevated tensions over the South China Sea that has prevented Filipino fishermen from venturing out to the sea.

Some people may have the wrong notion that the President is siding with one side to the detriment of the other, Romualdez said of Marcoss foreign policy. Not true at all. He is trying his best to balance our relationship between the United States and China.

At the same time, the Philippines cant just sit around and look while Chinese vessels intrude into its territories, he said, days after the Philippines reported fresh encounters and swarming of Chinese vessels. Chinas recent actions near an oil and gas-rich area in contested waters may be a prelude to occupation, a Philippine Coast Guard official said over the weekend. Beijing has said its activities were legitimate.

As for Taiwan, the Philippines is part of that deterrence posture that the US would like to have with China, Romualdez said. Its very important not only for the US but also for all like-minded allies in the Indo-Pacific region that the Philippines plays a role.

Marcoss government earlier this year granted the US expanded access to military sites, including those near Taiwan, as part of efforts to strengthen a longstanding alliance that was strained during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The US  which has allocated more than more than $100 million to upgrade military sites  is committed to developing these areas, Romualdez said. Its also working on maritime patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea hopefully within the year and will also help Manila buy hardware to strengthen its military, he said.

The foreign policy that we have right now in my view is the right move, Romualdez said. Were not looking for trouble; we are looking for business. Now, who is the one thats making trouble?

--With assistance from Cecilia Yap and Manolo Serapio Jr..

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The United States and Germany are under intense pressure from their allies to demonstrate greater support for Ukraine's membership in NATO ahead of the summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July.

Source: Financial Times, citing officials briefed on the talks, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Washington and Berlin are reportedly in favour of formulating a summit statement that does not contain full support for Ukraine's path to NATO membership, let alone an invitation to Kyiv to join NATO after the war, as demanded by countries in Eastern Europe.

The article also says that other members of the Alliance were "caught off-guard by the conservative US and German stance".

Two officials familiar with the summit's plans told the media outlet that the disagreement threatens to overshadow progress on separate long-term security guarantees for Kyiv involving the UK, France, Germany, the US and other allies.

The Financial Times sources say that since the talks on Sunday, 9 July between NATO ambassadors had failed to reach a compromise on the text of the final statement, it is likely that the leaders of the Alliance will finalise it themselves at the summit.

According to the publications sources, opponents of Ukraine's accession to NATO, led by Germany and the United States, say that "NATO cannot agree to anything that appears to suggest Ukraine is on an inevitable path to membership without first meeting rigorous standards on governance, military standards and weaponry, and that the alliance cannot commit to anything without knowing how the war will end, or when."

Background: Earlier, six retired NATO generals signed a letter ahead of the Alliance's summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July, calling for Ukraine's path to NATO membership to be opened as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Kyiv believes that NATO can invite Ukraine to join even during the war and complete the process when circumstances allow.

Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna has added that the entire eastern flank of NATO and several Western European countries are now in favour of inviting Ukraine to join.

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Ukraine wants to be invited to join NATO at the Vilnius summit, but not all Western countries support this idea

The United States and Germany are both reluctant to support Ukraines speedy accession to NATO as soon as there is a ceasefire in the war with Russia, German newspaper Bild reported on July 10, citing an internal document from the German government and anonymous high-ranking diplomats.

During multi-day talks ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, participants were finalizing a communique for the summit. Some countries, including France, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Sweden and Turkey, have expressed support for inviting Ukraine to join NATO immediately after the conclusion of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, according to the report. However, both Germany and the United States have yet to back this plan.

Read also: Zelenskyy to attend NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12, says Bloomberg

Bild reports that Berlin and Washington are advocating for the adherence to the Membership Action Plan, outlined for Ukraine in 2008. This plan includes a series of steps and conditions that Kyiv must meet before receiving an invitation to join NATO.

According to unnamed sources, representatives of various positions have agreed on phone discussions and have sent diplomats to reach a unified position for the Alliance by July 11.

Read also: US unaware of Erdogans decision to release Azovstal commanders  Biden advisor

A source told Bild that intense negotiations are ongoing, but assured that "Ukraine will not leave empty-handed."

On July 9, U.S. President Joe Biden said that Ukraine isn't ready for NATO membership and expressed the belief that the conflict must conclude before the Alliance can consider Ukraine's application.

Read also: Germany to announce new military aid package for Ukraine at NATO summit  Pistorius

The NATO summit is set for July 11-12, and Ukraine is hoping for a clear signal about the Alliance being ready to extend an invitation.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP

A Nebraska mother has pleaded guilty to giving her 17-year-old daughter pills for an illegal abortion last year and helping to burn and bury the fetus.

Under a plea agreement, Jessica Burgess, 42, of Norfolk, admitted to providing an abortion after 20 weeks of gestation, false reporting and tampering with human skeletal remains. Charges of concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed.

Burgess was accused of helping her then-17-year-old daughter, Celeste Burgess, end her pregnancy. Madison county district court documents show she ordered abortion pills on the internet.

After the teen aborted the 29-week-old fetus, the two burned the remains and buried them in a field north of Norfolk in north-eastern Nebraska. Authorities later found the burned fetus.

Madison county attorney Joe Smith has said it is the first time he has charged anyone with illegally performing an abortion after 20 weeks, a restriction that was passed in 2010. In May, the Republican governor, Jim Pillen, signed a 12-week abortion ban.

After pleading guilty last Friday, Jessica Burgess is set for sentencing on 22 September. Two of the counts against her are felonies, one is a misdemeanor.

Celeste Burgess, now 18, was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in May to removing, concealing or abandoning a dead body. She is scheduled to be sentenced on 20 July. She faces up to two years in prison.

Via Facebook messages, the two discussed terminating the pregnancy and plans to destroy the evidence. The messages, which law enforcement acquired using a search warrant, were detailed in court documents.

Last summer, a man pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor for helping the women bury the fetus on his parents land.

Last June, the conservative-dominated US supreme court struck down the national right to an abortion in the US, upending almost 50 years of precedent after overturning Roe v Wade as part of the Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization case.

It has sparked a year of protest, political backlash and some surprises by pro-choice campaigners and voters and more incidents of extreme difficulties for women wanting or needing to access abortion.

The power on abortion rights passed to the individual states, some of which have enshrined protections, while others have heavily restricted or all but banned the procedure.
US Secretary of State and Ukraine's Foreign Minister talk before NATO summit in Vilnius

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba have held a telephone conversation before the start of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US State Department released brief messages about the conversation, the final one before the Allies Summit in Vilnius, where Ukraine hopes to receive a signal about the prospects of joining the Alliance as well as security guarantees for the time it remains outside NATO.

Dmytro Kuleba called the conversation "productive". "With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, NATO, and global security. I also thanked the U.S. for another ground-breaking defence package, which includes much-needed ammunition," he said.

The State Department said Kuleba and Blinken had discussed "progress in Ukraines counteroffensive" and preparations for the summit. "The Secretary reiterated steadfast U.S. support and continued security assistance as Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russias aggression," the communique said.

Background:

On Friday, 7 July, the USA officially announced the provision of a new package of military aid to Ukraine in the amount of US$800 million, which included cluster munitions.

According to media reports, a small group of NATO states is conducting "frantic last-minute negotiations" to finalise a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania on 11-12 July.

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US unaware of Erdogans decision to release Azovstal commanders  Biden advisor

On July 8, five Azovstal commanders returned from Turkey to Ukraine

The United States was not involved in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans decision to release five commanders of the Azovstal garrison to Ukraine, Jake Sullivan, President Bidens national security advisor, revealed during a briefing on July 9.

Sullivan said that the question of why Ukrainian defenders were released earlier than planned should be directed directly to Erdogan.

We werent a part of this and arent in a position, really, to comment on what Erdogan was trying to accomplish by it, he said.

Sullivan also noted that both the United States and the world witnessed the joyful reaction of Ukrainians upon the return of the war heroes.

Read also: Russia scandalized by return of Azovstal commanders to Ukraine

On July 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the return of the five commanders of the Azovstal garrison. Zelenskyy personally greeted them at the Istanbul airport, and they later arrived in Lviv.

These commanders had been in Turkey for over nine months under the personal protection of President Recep Erdogan, following a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia in September 2022.

The exchange involved the release of 215 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity.

The five Azovstal garrison commanders were exchanged for 55 Russian military personnel, while the rest were exchanged for Viktor Medvedchuk, a disgraced former member of parliament and a close associate of Vladimir Putin who is suspected of state treason.

Medvedchuk has since been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Utah governor says he is getting ready to sue social media companies for harms to kids

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said on Sunday that hes getting ready to sue social media companies for their sites harms toward young children in his state.

In an appearance on CBSs Face The Nation, Cox told moderator Margaret Brennan that he and other state officials are looking at all social media companies. He added that in the coming months, the state will file lawsuits against those platforms to hold them accountable for their actions.

We believe theyve known about- about the dangers, some of this has been leaked out, Meta and others, very clear evidence that they knew the harms that their products were causing to kids, and that they intentionally tried to hide that information, Cox told Brennan.

And- and- and of course to not make-make changes that are necessary to protect our kids, and- and so were looking forward to having our day in court on that issue.

Cox signed legislation earlier this year that restricts minors in the state from using social media platforms without parental permission.

Utah Senate Bill 152 would require social media platforms to verify that users in the state are 18 years or older in order to open an account. The bill, which is set to take effect in March 2024, also states that those residents under the age limit would need to open an account with a parent or guardians permission.

Cox also acknowledged that hes ready to face any legal challenges for his latest slew of legislation.

Im sure well have social media companies suing the state of Utah. In fact, were going to be suing social media companies for- for the harm and damage that theyre causing our young people, Cox said. I suspect that at some point, the Supreme Court will weigh in on this decision when it comes to restricting youth access. What were trying to do is give families more control over what is happening on social media.

This comes as a bipartisan group of senators earlier this year introduced a bill that would prohibit anyone under the age of 13 from using various social media platforms. They added that the bill will also require parental permission for those under the age of 18.

What were trying to do is give families more control over what is happening on social media. In suicide, anxiety, depression, self harm, there is a causal link there, Cox told Brennan. He added that the states goal is to give more kids control over their experience with social media.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Utah governor says he hopes Republican party can turn the page on Trump in 2024

When CBS News Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan asked Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox whether one of the many Republican governors running in the 2024 race could defeat Mr Trump in a primary election, Mr Cox said he hoped his party could move on from the former president.

I hope so. I like governors. I think governors are great and have real experience. The great thing about governors is we have to get stuff done, right? We cant just do the performance thing.  Potholes arent partisan. You have to do those kind of things, Mr Cox said.

And I think we have lots of amazing choices, and Im really hopeful that we can turn the page and try something else. Someone who can win, which I think is important, and I think any of those governors could win and I certainly hope well give them a chance, he added.

Brennan was referring to former Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson, former South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, as well as Mike Pence, who served as Indiana governor before becoming Mr Trumps vice president.

Gov Cox joins a number of prominent Republicans  perhaps none more so than former Attorney General Bill Barr  who are trying to distance themselves from the former president, who faces several ongoing lawsuits and criminal investigations.

Despite these legal challenges, Mr Trump remains the frontrunner in the polls for the 2024 race.

The former president leads in a crowded Republican field, which also includes Sen Tim Scott, former Texas congressman Will Hurd, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, conservative talk radio host Larry Elder and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
TASHKENT (Reuters) -Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was re-elected with 87.1% of the vote on Sunday, the Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary results paving his way to another seven years in power.

Mirziyoyev, who has lead Central Asia's most populous nation since 2016, called a snap election after changing the constitution through a referendum which reset his term count and extended the presidential term to seven years from five.

The 65-year-old president has opened up the country of 35 million people to foreign trade and investment while also easing restrictions on religious and political freedoms, although there still are no strong opposition groups or politicians in Uzbekistan.

Three other candidates ran in the election, but all represented parties that support the president.

"Uzbekistans early presidential election was technically well prepared but lacked genuine competition," observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a statement.

Mirziyoyev's key task will now be navigating through the regional crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has disrupted supply chains across the former Soviet Union and put a stress on diplomatic relations.

Since the start of the war, Tashkent has sought to maintain ties with both Russia, a former Soviet overlord and traditional partner, and the West; Uzbekistan has called for peace and refused to recognise the independence of pro-Russian statelets in eastern Ukraine.

(Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov; writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Jason Neely, Toby Chopra, William Maclean)
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has won a third term that will keep him in charge of the tightly controlled, gas-rich Central Asian state until 2030 (VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO)

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev won a third term that will keep him in charge of the tightly controlled country until 2030 as international observers said Monday the vote lacked "genuine" competition.

Mirziyoyev, who was running against three largely unknown candidates, won Sunday's election with 87 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results.

A constitutional referendum this year paved the way for the 65-year-old to serve two more presidential terms and increased the mandate from five years to seven, meaning he could stay in power until 2037.

"Uzbekistan's presidential election lacked genuine political competition despite some efforts to reform," an election monitoring mission from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said in a statement.

They also said that a number of recommendations key to the democratic process "remain unaddressed."

Urszula Gacek, the head of the mission, said her organisation urged the country to "take bolder measures towards a true democracy that includes all citizens".

- Greetings from Putin, Xi -

A former Soviet republic, Uzbekistan is wedged between Russia and China and shares a border with Afghanistan.

Mirziyoyev portrays himself as a reformer creating a "New Uzbekistan" and has said he wants to double gross domestic product to $160 billion soon.

He has promised to open up Uzbekistan to foreign investment and tourism and implement major reforms in Central Asia's most populous country.

He focused his re-election campaign on the economy and education.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mirziyoyev on a "convincing electoral victory."

The win "confirms your high political authority and points to the broad, popular support for your policy of large-scale reforms," he wrote.

The two also spoke on the phone and discussed their "strategic partnership".

Chinese leader Xi Jinping also congratulated Mirziyoyev in a phone call.

"Xi Jinping pointed out, in recent years, under our joint leadership, China-Uzbekistan relations have achieved breakthrough development, and cooperation in various fields has been comprehensively strengthened," state broadcaster CCTV said.

Xi told Mirziyoyev he "very much cherishes the good working relationship and personal friendship with you", CCTV added.

In May, Xi hosted Mirziyoyev and other Central Asian leaders for a summit in the northern Chinese city of Xi'an.

- No sign of opposition -

Many voters said they were happy with the outcome but hoped to see positive change down the road.

Dilafruz Khamidova, 24, said she was "happy" with the election result, adding she wanted to see "more opportunities for women in the future."

Dilorom Karimova, a 51-year-old housewife, said she wanted salaries to match the cost of living.

It was also important to solve the "problem of unemployment in the regions," she said.

Mirziyoyev, who trained as an engineer, previously served as prime minister under his hardline predecessor Islam Karimov before winning his first term in 2016 and getting re-elected in 2021.

He has ended the practice of forced labour in Uzbekistan's cotton fields and released political prisoners jailed during Karimov's quarter-century rule.

NGOs say human rights are better than under Karimov but there is still much to improve, and the authorities have shown no sign of allowing a real opposition to emerge.

The OSCE said the campaign has been "low-key, mirroring lack of opposition to the incumbent".

In July 2022, protests erupted over a plan to remove the right to self-determination from the region of Karakalpakstan.

The unrest and subsequent crackdown in the poor northwestern territory left at least 21 people dead.

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In vaccination champ Brazil, many have stopped getting shots

Doctors, public officials and UNICEF have sounded the alarm over collapsing immunization rates in Brazil, where overall vaccination coverage has fallen from an impressive 95 percent in 2015 to just 68 percent last year, according to official figures (Carl DE SOUZA)

Two years after Brazil began emerging from its pandemic horror show thanks to a massive immunization campaign, officials face a paradoxical predicament: vaccination rates have plunged, and not just for Covid-19.

The troubling trend has left millions exposed to once-eradicated diseases.

Doctors, public officials and UNICEF have sounded the alarm over collapsing immunization rates in Brazil, where overall vaccination coverage has fallen from an impressive 95 percent in 2015 to just 68 percent last year, according to official figures.

For polio, the figure fell from 85 percent to 68 percent, triggering warnings that the disease could make a comeback in Brazil, where it was eradicated in 1989.

The figures are similar for other vaccines, allowing diseases to spread. Measles, officially eliminated in Brazil in 2016, returned two years later. There are fears diphtheria is making a resurgence, too.

Health experts say vaccine hesitancy is a growing problem worldwide. But it is particularly worrying in Brazil, a sprawling country of 203 million people that until recently was hailed as a champion of mass vaccination drives.

Then an anti-vax movement started spreading around 2016, soon gaining outsize influence via a powerful ally: far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, president from 2019 to 2022, who refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19, joking the jab could "turn you into an alligator."

"It's very sad to see how a country whose vaccination programs set an example for the world can suddenly suffer from an anti-vaccine movement," Natalia Pasternak, head of the Question of Science Institute (IQC), a public policy think tank, told AFP.

"It's very sad to see how 50 years of work can be so easily destroyed in three."

- Success story undone -

Covid-19 highlighted the shots-in-arms capacities of Brazil's struggling but lauded universal public health system.

Back in 2020, some of the most haunting images of the pandemic were of mass graves and corpses piled in refrigerator trucks in places such as Manaus, in northern Brazil, whose overwhelmed hospitals ran out of oxygen.

Then new images started emerging in 2021, of public health workers turning Rio de Janeiro's carnival parade venue into a drive-through immunization center, or boating deep into the Amazon rainforest to administer vaccines in Indigenous villages.

Experts credit the campaign's success with stopping a far bigger tragedy in Brazil, where more than 700,000 people have died of Covid-19, second only to the United States.

Despite a slow start -- widely blamed on Bolsonaro -- Brazil had by early last year vaccinated 93 percent of adults against Covid-19.

Then rates fell, not only for Covid-19 vaccines but across the board.

- The 'infodemic' -

Many factors are driving the decline, experts say.

They include failure to catch up on vaccines delayed during the pandemic, inaccessible health care and declining awareness of the dangers of once-ubiquitous diseases.

But experts say a new element is making things much worse: the toxic mix of politics, polarization and disinformation that exploded during the pandemic and is increasingly familiar worldwide.

In Brazil, despite Bolsonaro losing a divisive 2022 election to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the anti-vax movement still thrives.

"We're facing a post-trust scenario, in which families are being attacked by disinformation and lies. It's not just the occasional fake news story, it's very structured," said Isabella Ballalai of the Brazilian Immunization Society.

"The consequences of that 'infodemic' will be worse than the pandemic itself."

Brazilian Health Minister Nisia Trindade says the government is evaluating how to punish doctors spreading anti-vax disinformation.

"Criminal fake news is sowing doubt and fueling vaccine hesitancy," she told AFP.

- Going local -

A recent survey by the Brazilian Pediatrics Society (SBP) and IQC found that doctors said parents' most common reasons for not vaccinating their children were fears of side effects and mistrust of vaccines.

Experts say health workers are desperate for reliable information to counter the flood of anti-vax disinformation.

Pasternak, whose organization is working on creating just that, says health officials also need to think locally.

"Studies show the best way to convince people to get vaccinated is working with local leaders... People listen to those they trust: pastors, community leaders," she said.

But reversing the trend will not be easy, Pasternak admitted.

"We have lots of work to do."

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Viral Reddit post shares high-end purchases that were more than worth the money: I wish I did it sooner

Big purchases are never easy to make. When comparing big price tags, its always tempting to save a couple bucks today on the cheaper option  but in many cases, spending less today means paying up down the road.

One Reddit user recently posed the question: What was a purchase you made that was 100% worth the expense?

And the community did not disappoint, leaving more than 400 comments covering everything from vacuum cleaners to merino wool sweaters.

A lot of Redditors had an obvious answer: bedding. We spend about one-third of our lives in bed, so investing in higher quality mattresses, linens, and pillows pays off every single night.

Another commonly mentioned larger purchase was bicycles and e-bikes. While the upfront price tag may scare some people off, many commenters noted that their bikes saved them major money in the long run  especially on gas.

I bought my first e-bike a few months ago, and I wish I did so sooner. It has become my main mode of transportation since then, one Reddit user wrote. It takes me about the same amount of time to hit my nearby grocery stores, and needless to say riding a bike is more enjoyable than driving a car too. Plus, no more having to pay for gas, or car maintenance.

Quality clothing was another popular choice, with brands like Patagonia and Eddie Bauer popping up, as well as merino wool, cotton, and bamboo fabrics. While dropping $140 on a jacket may seem like a lot, a quality piece you can use for years is a smart swap for a $50 coat youll be replacing next winter.

When it came to household items, Redditors had a lot of common sense swaps that would pay out in the long run, like razors, electric lighters, and quality cookware.

But are these items really worth spending more on? Well, yes.

Not only does it save you money in the long run to not have to replace purchases every year or two, it also helps reduce the amount youre throwing away. American households produce nearly 300 million tons of garbage per year  talk about throwing money in the trash.

So the next time youre looking to replace something at home, take a moment to consider whether or not you could spend a bit more on a high-quality item youll be using for years to come.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Barren shelves are greeting customers at a local hemp shop in Virginia Beach.

Right now the shop is super empty, said Savana Griffith, owner of The Hemp Spectrum. We have about five vendors left on our shelves.

Griffith used to stock a wide range of items, including teas, salves, oils and edibles. But she said many of the products her store sells became illegal earlier this month when a new state law tightening regulations on the hemp industry took effect.

Were looking really hard for new compliant products to bring in, she said, adding she also opened a distribution center in North Carolina. We will see how our customers respond.

The new regulations created stricter rules for labels and packaging, and required cannabis products to contain at least a 25-to-1 ratio of CBD, or cannabidiol, to THC (the component in cannabis that can produce a high). It also established civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each day a violation occurs.

The new law was intended to end the so-called wild west days of the states fledgling hemp industry. Some cannabis consumers, manufacturers and shop owners, however, argue its only creating confusion for everyone involved. Now, some say the states recently stalled budget negotiations are making matters worse.

Most of this stuff is tied to the budget, said Jason Blanchette, president of the Virginia Cannabis Association. Its kind of a mess, quite frankly.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was tasked with enforcing the new laws and assisting businesses with the transition. The legislations fiscal impact statement states the agency would subsequently need more staff, including a program manager, two registration analysts, three compliance officers and eight inspectors, as well as funds for laboratory testing.

Although the bill was already signed into law, the $2.2 million in funding needed to support the agency must be approved in the states budget plan. An additional $632,000 is also needed to fund five new positions in the Office of the Attorney General. Leaders of two legislative finance committees have been debating a series of budget amendments this year  but the talks were repeatedly delayed and recently stalled out due to disagreements over tax cuts.

Blanchette explained this makes it harder for those who are trying to comply with the new regulations.

There are manufacturers who are well within the law and have provided everything VDACS needs for product approval to be able to sell wholesale to retailers, but VDACS has not approved any of them, he said, adding the agency appears to be overburdened without the additional support.

Barbara Biddle, owner of District Hemp Botanicals in Leesburg, said shes among those trying to keep up with the changing hemp landscape. She said she already removed a good number of products but still has additional questions.

We outsource some of our products from out of state and every state has different regulations as it pertains to labels, production and certifications, she said.

She reached out to VDACS for guidance but said it appears the agency is dealing with a learning curve as well.

The holdup with the budget has made things more confusing, she said. They are trying to be as helpful as possible, as nice as possible, but it hasnt been easy.

Mike Wallace, a spokesperson for VDACS, said Friday the agency has no comment on the budget negotiations. But he said the department has a web page with information about the new legislation and has also distributed a memo to over 14,500 establishments involved with edible hemp products.

Since that time, VDACS staff have and continue to respond to electronic and verbal inquiries regarding the new legislation, he wrote in an email.

Not all business owners feel as demoralized by the new regulations. Rita Woods, owner of Hemp House Wellness in Virginia Beach, said the new rules forced her to think outside the box and pushed her to expand her business by opening a mobile shop outside of state lines in North Carolina.

This industry is not for the weak of heart; you have to be able to pivot on a dime, she said. There is no point in being upset. You just have to innovate and thats what being an entrepreneur is all about.

Biddle said she is not opposed to new regulations but wishes legislators had spoken with more business owners  and consumers.

It just seems like this was slapped together without much thought, she said. Weve had customers call us crying. There are certainly people who rely on these products and they are just left unsure about what will happen or how we will continue to serve them.

Allyson MacLeod is among those who are alarmed.

The 25-year-old Virginia Beach resident said she has complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic nerve disease that causes the body to feel an extreme burning sensation.

MacLeod said she spent years in intense constant pain as doctors struggled to find a solution. It was ultimately cannabis products with THC, she said, that made the pain manageable.

It was like my body could relax for the first time in years, said MacLeod, who shops at various cannabis stores across Hampton Roads, including The Hemp Spectrum.

MacLeod has a medical cannabis card and doesnt expect to lose access to the products that help her. But she said any signs of a crackdown on cannabis leave her scared. Her doctors didnt allow her to try cannabis products for years, which she believes was due to the stigma around it.

It took a long time for that stigma to start going away and now it feels like its coming back, she said. Its making me nervous to think about what the years to come are going to bring.

Until this year, Virginia had appeared poised to welcome the cannabis industry.

Hemp and cannabis-related businesses proliferated across the state after a federal bill in 2018 legalized the regulated production of hemp and the state decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2020.

But the situation took a turn in 2023, with the General Assembly seeking stricter regulations. During a Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council meeting last week, Joseph Guthrie, commissioner of VDACS, stated that Gov. Glenn Youngkin has no plans to legalize the sale of adult use marijuana.

I wouldnt expect that during his administration, he said, according to The Daily Progress.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California. (Getty Images for Demand Justice)

Rep Barbara Lee (D-CA) is used to standing alone when criticising American foreign policy. In 2001, Ms Lee was the only member of Congress opposed to the War in Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks while 420 other members supported it, which prompted some to call her a traitor.

But other Democrats have joined her in opposing the White Houses announcement that the Biden administration would provide Ukraine with cluster-style artillery rounds as it attempts to push back against Russias assault on the country.

Ms Lee, now a candidate for Californias soon-to-be-open Senate seat, criticised the move, telling CNNs Jake Tapper that it set a bad precedent.

That's crossing the line, she said. Once you see what takes place, we know what takes place in terms of cluster bombs being very dangerous to civilians. They don't always immediately explode. Children can step on them. That's a line we should not cross.

Mr Biden has largely been praised for his approach to supporting Ukraine since Russia began his assault, though it has done little to bolster his approval ratings. Most Democrats have voted with legislation in the past year to support Ukraine while simultaneously restricting Russias access to markets around the world and putting the squeeze on oligarchs connected to the countrys President Vladimir Putin.

Democrats nearly unanimous approach stands in stark contrast to Republicans, who, as I reported earlier this year, are much more divided between the more traditionally hawkish wing of the GOP and the more MAGA faction that sees supporting Ukraine as a violation of the America First principles that former president Donald Trump espoused.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has attempted to draw a distinction, saying Ukraine is trying to defend itself compared to Russia, which is actively attacking Ukraine, my colleague Andrew Feinberg reported.

When we look at what Ukraine would be doing with these weapons, as opposed to what Russia is doing with these weapons, we see a substantial difference, Mr Sullivan told reporters. The United States, Russia and Ukraine have not signed onto the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions, a 2008 treaty signed by more than 100 countries banning the use of cluster munitions,

But Sen Chris Murphy (D-CT), a progressive who aside from his focus on gun violence has hoped to recalibrate American foreign policy, said on Monday that he did not buy the rationale in a Twitter thread.

Ukraine needs to maintain both a practical and moral advantage in this war. The ability to rally the world against Russia gets harder if our war efforts start to fudge ethical lines, he tweeted. Mr Murphy acknowledged that the Biden administration faced an impossible decision.

This is not the first time that progressives have broken from foreign policy orthodoxy when it comes to Ukraine. Last year, Rep Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, led a coterie of left-leaning Democrats in her group to call on Mr Biden to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. But the effort backfired massively and Ms Jayapal had to walk back her letter she sent to the White House.

But the break on cluster munitions is different. The progressives asking for negotiated peace was more about differing on the outcome of the war. This is simply about tactics, and Democrats who are criticising Mr Bidens decision want to ensure America maintains the moral high ground in its support for Ukraine.

The divide also doesnt fall on ideological lines. While Mr Murphy and Ms Lee represent a decidedly more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, even moderates are criticising the administrations decision. Sen Tim Kaine (D-VA), who represents a state with a large military population, said he had reservations about giving Ukraine cluster munitions.

When theres an international prohibition, and the US says, But heres a good reason to do something different, it could give a green light to other nations to do something different as well, he told Fox Newss Shannon Bream that doing so could set a bad precedent.

Still, this divide is not likely to cause any major ruptures or splits within the party. Given Republicans control the House, Democrats who oppose the Biden administrations decision will likely not team up with the GOP to hold up aid. It also will likely not affect turnout among Democratic voters next year since they tend to support efforts to help Ukraine as a whole.

But the split does show how Mr Biden has had to manage a fragile coalition that unlike the Republican Party, differs widely on policy.
Smoke billows from flowing lava during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, south-west of Reykjavik in Iceland (Jeremie RICHARD)

A volcano erupted near Iceland's capital on Monday, the country's meteorological office said, marking the third time in two years that lava has gushed out in the area.

Local media footage shows a massive cloud of smoke rising from the ground as well as a substantial flow of lava at the site around 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Reykjavik.

According to an AFP reporter, the smoke can be seen from the road connecting the capital to the international airport, with cars pulled over and people taking pictures.

"The eruption is taking place in a small depression just north of Litli Hrutur ('Little Ram' in Icelandic) from which smoke is escaping in a north-westerly direction," the meteorological office said.

"There are three fissures with lava basically running in all directions," Thorvaldur Thordarson, Professor in Volcanology at University of Iceland, told AFP.

He added that the fissures are in total around 200 to 300 meters long and "it is a low intensity, effusive eruption."

This means "it's not causing widespread threats due to explosive activity" but "if the eruption continues for long enough it could be a threat to infrastructure."

Thousands of small earthquakes were recorded in the area in the week leading up to the eruption, signalling that the magma below the ground was moving and an eruption was imminent.

The Icelandic authorities advised against going to the site, located in difficult terrain without road connection, before they have assessed the situation.

The magma broke through the ground at around 1640 GMT, just a few kilometres from two previous eruptions in the last two years.

The first was on March 19, 2021 in the Geldingadalur valley and lasted six months, while the second occurred on August 3, 2022 in the Meradalir valley, lasting three weeks.

Prior to the 2021 eruption, the region had remained dormant for eight centuries, but volcanologists believe the new cycle of increased activity could last several years.

The effusive eruptions that have occurred in this area so far have not been very dangerous, nor have they had any impact on air traffic.

The 2021 and 2022 eruptions attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors hoping to catch a rare glimpse of an active volcano.

Thordarson said the eruption could last anywhere from "a few days" to more than half a year like in 2021, or even longer.

- Land of fire and ice -

Iceland has 33 volcanic systems currently considered active, the highest number in Europe. It has an eruption every five years on average.

The North Atlantic island straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

In April 2010, some 100,000 flights were cancelled, leaving more than 10 million travellers stranded, following the massive eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.

Other volcanoes, such as Askja in the uninhabited highlands of central Iceland, have recently shown signs of activity.

One of the country's most dangerous volcanoes is Katla, near the south coast. It last erupted in 1918, with an unusually long pause suggesting an imminent reawakening.

The 1783 eruption of the Laki volcanic fissure in the south of the island is considered by some experts to be the most devastating in Iceland's history, causing its biggest environmental and socio-economic catastrophe.

Between 50 to 80 percent of Iceland's livestock was killed, leading to a famine that left a quarter of the country's population dead.

The meteorological impact of the eruption also had repercussions for several years, with some experts suggesting it may have played a part in triggering the French Revolution.

str-ehu/lcm
Wagner boss Prigozhin, the warlord who railed against the Russian military and led a failed mutiny, has all but disappeared

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2017. SERGEI ILNITSKY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Yevgeny Prigozhin has retreated into the shadows since his failed rebellion against Russian military leaders.

He has not been seen in public since July 4, when he was spotted in St. Petersburg.

The Kremlin said Prigozhin and Putin met on June 29, and that Prigozhin pledged his loyalty to the Russian leader.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken leader of the Wagner mercenary group who led a mutiny against Russian leaders last month, has all but disappeared from the public eye as the Kremlin tries to limit the fallout from his armed revolt.

On Monday, the Kremlin announced that the rebel leader, whom Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed having assassinated, met with him five days after the failed rebellion. This is a timeline of Prigozhin's reported whereabouts:

June 24: Prigozhin publicly called off his forces who were marching toward Moscow as part of an armed insurrection against top Russian military officials.

June 26: Prigozhin posted an audio message saying that the "purpose of the march was to prevent the destruction of PMC Wagner and to bring to justice those who, through their unprofessional actions, made a huge number of mistakes during the special military operation," referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

June 27: A private jet linked to Prigozhin arrived in Belarus. The Wagner leader was going to be exiled to Belarus under the terms of a deal that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, brokered to end the insurrection.

June 29: Prigozhin had a face-to-face meeting with Putin, according to the Kremlin, raising questions about whether Prigozhin went to Belarus in the first place. No photographs or videos of the Putin-Prigozhin meeting have been released. The Kremlin claims Prigozhin pledged his loyalty to the Russian leader during their meeting, which came days after Putin said, without naming Prigozhin, that the "organizers of the rebellion" had betrayed "their country" and "their people."

July 3: Prigozhin released his last audio message, in which he said the so-called "March of Justice" was "aimed at fighting traitors and mobilizing our society. In the near future, I am sure that you will see our next victories at the front. Thanks guys!"

July 4: Prigozhin was seen arriving at the FSB state security building in his home city of St. Petersburg and given back some of his weapons, according to the independent Russian news outlet Fontanka.

July 6: Prigozhin may have flown to Moscow sometime between July 4 and July 6. According to Flightradar24, the jet linked to Prigozhin flew from Moscow to St. Petersburg on July 6. Lukashenko confirmed that day that the Wagner boss was back in St. Petersburg, and he added that the final agreement on the terms of Prigozhin's exile was not finalized.

Prigozhin is still in Russia, according to Belarusian officials and Russian media reports, but the he's retreated into the shadows since his failed rebellion. He has not posted any audio messages since July 3, and his social media accounts have stopped responding to questions from the press. A top Russian general, said to have known in advance of Prigozhin's coup attempt, was taken in for questioning and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Putin, for his part, faces a unique challenge where Prigozhin is concerned. The Russian leader  who has long been accused of ordering the imprisonment and assassinations of those he deemed disloyal  shocked former US intelligence officials by allowing Prigozhin to live, and stay in Russia.

"The thought that immediately comes to mind is this is a sign of Putin's weakness" amid Russia's continued losses in the Ukraine war, Glenn Carle, a former CIA spy who was stationed in Russia, told Insider last week. It indicates that "there are various factions that Putin has to placate" and that Prigozhin "has supporters within the power structure that Putin can't afford to cross."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Wall physician charged with sexual assaults of juvenile beginning nearly 20 years ago

Police news

A physician from Wall has been charged with the repeated sexual assault of a juvenile beginning nearly 20 years ago and lasting for more than a decade, authorities said.

Cornelius Gallagher, 62, was arrested late last week and is being held at Monmouth County Jail where he is awaiting a detention hearing and initial court appearance scheduled to take place Wednesday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement Monday.

Gallagher has drawn two counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault. An aggravated sexual assault charge can bring a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison if there's a conviction.

Wall detectives learned that the sexual assaults took place at various locations in the township, Santiago said.

Gallagher's attorney could not be immediately reached.

More: Asbury Park man gets 40 years for repeated sexual assault of juvenile

Gallagher is a licensed pulmonologist who has practiced for more than 20 years and has worked at three hospitals across Monmouth County. The charges are not linked to his interactions with any patient, Santiago said.

He is urging anyone with information about Gallaghers activities to call Wall Detective Steve Swenson at 732-449-4500.

Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wall NJ doctor charged with sexually assaulting juvenile for a decade
WanMor Announces 2023 Scream Tour Featuring Emerging Artists And Special Guests | Gilbert Carrasquillo

Theres a new generation of artists emerging on the music scene who are eager to introduce themselves to larger audiences. The latest run of the Scream Tour is being repurposed and presented by R&B group WanMor. Young Dylan, That Girl Lay Lay, Papa Jay, Lay Bankz, D Sturdy, Citi Limits, Rocco Lupo and T.Is son, King Harris, will also perform on the tour.

The upcoming tours first showing is scheduled for Aug. 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It will push to Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, New York, St. Louis, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas and Houston.

Black Promoters Collective hired social media influencer and entrepreneur Kayla Nicole to host the 22 performances and hired DJs Amira, Kayla and Sophia Rocks.

Like many before, the Scream Tour aims to unite loyal fans while introducing fresh faces. In the 2000s, the original nostalgic music event once hosted prominent performers like Chris Brown, B2K, Bow Wow and many more acts die-hard millennial music fans go wild over.

Now, Scream Tour 23 Next Up will give fans of WanMor a chance to see their live performance skills, personalities and swag in person. The brothers are sons of Boyz II Mens Wanya Morris and have recently signed to Mary J. Bliges Beautiful Life Productions and recently earned a nod at the 2023 BET Awards for Best Group.

The four brothers go by Wanya Morris II, Wanya Morris III, Wanya Morris IV and Wanya Morris V  to avoid confusion, the young men go by Big Boy, 18; Chulo, 17; Tyvas, 16; and Rocco, 12.

Theres been so much conversation about the state of R&B and the next generation of R&B artists. This generation has been giving us great R&B, and that feeling, that soul, and that sound remain in our DNA, Blige revealed in a statement after signing the group. When we heard WanMor sing, we knew we could stop looking. They are IT!

Supporting and cultivating true R&B talent is why I started Beautiful Life Productions, and I couldnt be more proud to do this with these young men. she added.
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) delegation headed by Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee, president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Cai Qi met with a Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) delegation headed by Nguyen Xuan Thang in Beijing on Monday.

Cai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, called on the two sides to implement the important consensus reached by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, carry forward the fine tradition of friendship and mutual trust and intensify high-level exchanges.

Both sides should enhance theory and experience exchanges on party and state governance, advance practical cooperation in various fields, enhance people-to-people friendship and mutual trust, deepen cooperation on international and regional affairs, and push for steady and long-term growth of China-Vietnam relations, Cai said.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee, president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, said Vietnam highly appreciates China's development achievements under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

Nguyen Xuan Thang said Vietnam supports the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity and major global initiatives put forward by Xi, and is willing to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields through inter-party relations.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, held talks with Nguyen Xuan Thang earlier on Monday. 

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) delegation headed by Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee, president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, holds talks with Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, holds talks with Nguyen Xuan Thang, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, president of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine asked military leaders to explain why privatized housing reforms signed into law three years ago were implemented in a way that fails to create a standard of quality and safe housing for service members.

In a series of letters addressed to the secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, Army and overall Department of Defense on July 6, Warner and Kaine urged the leaders for answers on the long-awaited reforms, citing the findings of a Government Accountability Office report released in April.

The report highlights a litany of ways in which the function of some of these reforms differs across the services, and varies installation-to-installation. This echoes a concern that we have had  which is that as DoD and each of the services worked to implement these reforms, many of these efforts have happened in a piecemeal or stove-piped manner, in some instances with an eye more towards compliance, rather than resident experience, the letters read.

The report analyzed the implementation of the privatized housing reforms enacted in 2020 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. While the housing units are managed by a range of private companies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military services are responsible for project oversight.

DOD has taken steps to implement these requirements, but gaps in guidance and training remain, the report reads.

The reforms in question include dispute resolution guidance, a tenant bill of rights and increased oversight of the condition of private housing units across approximately 200 installations nationwide. The protections were championed by the Virginia senators.

Our service members and their families have been forced to navigate housing conditions and processes as part of the privatized housing system that have been woefully unacceptable, reads the letters signed by Warner and Kaine.

Some of those dilapidated homes were right here in Hampton Roads, in military housing communities owned by Lincoln Military Housing. The company came under scrutiny in 2019 after local military families described repeatedly reporting issues of mold, vermin and water intrusion, and made routine service requests to the companies that manage their privatized housing, only to face indifference. The company was sold to new ownership in 2021 and is now named Liberty Military Housing.

According to the GAO report, the DoD now conducts inspections of privatized homes prior to resident occupancy, but clear and consistent inspection standards have not been developed and the military departments have not provided adequate inspector training.

This has contributed to inconsistencies in how inspectors rate homes, resulting in homes with similar issues receiving different ratings and, according to private housing company representatives, has increased project costs, the report reads.

The DoD has also issued guidance establishing a formal dispute resolution process, but the guidance lacks information on how and when tenants can file a formal dispute. Additionally, the DoD designated personnel to act as tenant advocates, but the services have not clearly identified the roles and responsibilities for these personnel, or communicated useful information to residents about how they can and cannot use the tenant advocates.

In response, Warner and Kaine are asking the services how the challenges outlined by the Government Accountability Office will be resolved and what the timeline for each issue looks like. The goal is to create a standard a quality and safe housing across the services.

It is vital that the protections and reforms that we have put in place are implemented in a way that works for residents.  To the maximum extent possible, DoD and each of the services should be working to standardize implementation of these reforms, so that all members of the military across the country can utilize the same protections  informed by implementation best-practices of what is working and what is not  with the aim of providing them with quality and safe housing that they have earned, the letters read.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
NYC is under a flood watch as heavy rains inundate parts of the state, trapping drivers and damaging roads

Flash flood warnings are in effect Sunday night across southeastern New York, including New York City, as powerful thunderstorms make their way into the region, bringing torrential downpours, the National Weather Service said.

A flood watch is in effect across New York City until 6 a.m. Monday morning, the city said on its website, adding that areas that were low-lying, had poor drainage or are close to creeks, streams or rivers are particularly at risk for flash flooding.

The heavy rain could rapidly flood basements and put peoples lives at risk, city officials said, and urged residents to move to higher floors.

The storms have already dumped several inches of water throughout the day across parts of the Lower Hudson Valley, flooding roadways, trapping drivers inside their cars and spilling debris across communities as emergency responders worked to make rescues.

Damage from flooding in Cornwall, New York, on July 9, 2023. - News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state of emergency for Orange County Sunday night, saying the community saw life-threatening flooding in just a matter of hours and storms knocked out power to 13,000 homes. Emergency responders there were conducting search and rescue efforts there, she added.

Flooding at the United States Military Academy West Point, which is in Orange County, trapped people in their cars and forced them to swim out for safety, a West Point Military Police spokesperson told CNN Sunday. It was unclear if anyone had been injured, the spokesperson said.

Sunday afternoons rainfall in West Point totaled more than 7.5 inches in six hours, according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A CNN analysis of NOAAs historical rainfall frequency data indicates that would correspond to a 1-in-1000 year rainfall event at that location  meaning it was an event so intense, the chances of it happening in any given year is just 0.1%.

Gushing floodwater is seen in Highland Falls, New York, on July 9, 2023. - Melissa Roberts/TMX

Also in the county, officials for the town of Cornwall issued a No travel Advisory, following multiple roads that had been flooded and people that had to be rescued from their stranded cars. The towns emergency management office also warned the storms had caused mudslides and debris.

TRAVEL IS IMPOSSIBLE, the office said on Twitter. GET TO HIGHER GROUND. IF SAFE, STAY WHERE YOU ARE.

Hochul on Sunday urged residents to be particularly vigilant of road conditions throughout the storms.

My biggest concern is the fact that most peoples lives that are lost during a flood event occur because theyre in their vehicles  not in their homes, but in their vehicles, she told a Spectrum News reporter. And I want people to be very cautious about not going into a road thats closed or if you see any running water, because it doesnt take much for a vehicle, just two feet  of water can actually sweep a car away and you lose all control, and you could actually lose your life.

In neighboring Rockland County, New York State Police said Sunday numerous roadways consisting of State Route 9W and Palisades Interstate Parkway are experiencing heavy flooding and washouts. The Palisades NB is closed from exit 14 to Long Mountain Traffic circle. Avoid The Area!!!

In a later email sent to CNN, state police spokesperson Steven V. Nevel said multiple people were stranded on the road across the county and emergency responders were working to rescue them as quickly as possible.

The countys government urged residents to stay home Sunday evening, warning there was tons of flooding in the Stony Point and Lowland Hill areas and Lowland Park.

Later Sunday evening, Rockland County Executive Ed Day said in a statement the rain was anticipated to stop at nighttime.

Until then, we urge residents to remain indoors in a safe location, he said.

Flash flood threats will remain in parts of New England Monday and could become extremely dangerous in parts of Vermont, where mudslides are also possible, and the Champlain Valley bordering New York, the Weather Prediction Center said.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Sunday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storms and the potential flooding and said water rescue teams are already in areas where they may be needed.

CNNs Michelle Watson and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.

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More information has been released concerning the Warrenton Police officer who was arrested after calling the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

Michael Reddekopp, 32, of Evans, was arrested June 27 and charged with simple battery - family violence.

However, discrepancies in the incident report, 911 call and witnesses' statements have led Reddekopp to file a request for dismissal of the charges.

Wife says arrest 'was not what I wanted, nor was it necessary'

Columbia County deputies responded to Reddekopp's Evans home on June 27 for a domestic violence call, according to previous reporting.

While the incident report notes Reddekopp's wife claimed he grabbed her arm, the 911 transcripts revealed that the call was made by Reddekopp.

In a 911 call, Reddekopp can be heard calmly speaking with dispatchers, explaining he needed to get to work and his wife was standing in front of his patrol car. He can be heard on the call telling his wife he could not back up without hitting her and asked dispatchers to send a unit out to move her out of the way.

The 911 operator can be heard questioning Reddekopp about events leading up to the incident and he explained his wife took his phone and he grabbed her arm to take it back.

No injuries or visible marks were noted on the incident report.

While still on the phone with 911, Reddekopp's wife moved out of the way and he started driving to work. Dispatch told him deputies were already en route and "would still have to talk to [him]," according to the call.

Reddekopp saw a deputy coming down the road and flagged him down, asking if he could speak with that deputy to avoid being late for work, according to the 911 call.

Reddekopp was escorted back to the home to discuss the incident, which is where he was arrested, according to the incident report.

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Both Reddekopp and his wife provided written statements to the sheriff's office explaining the situation.

In Reddekopp's wife's statement, she said the pair had already separated for the evening and were taking time to calm down before working through the argument the next day.

"We had a total of six deputies at our home," she wrote. "Six deputies were not needed because Michael and I were being cooperative the entire time. After explaining the situation multiple times to different deputies, they asked what I would like to happen. ... [The deputy] said they were going to arrest my husband Michael. That is not what I wanted, nor was it necessary."

In Reddekopp's statement, he wrote when his wife stated she did not want charges filed, the deputy "began raising his voice stating, 'We aren't talking about it.'"

Columbia County Sheriff's Office policy states whenever a law enforcement officer responds to a family violence incident, the officer "shall not base the decision of whether to arrest and charge a person on the specific consent of the victim."

However, policy does note officers investigating an incident of family violence shall not "threaten, suggest, or otherwise indicate the arrest of all parties for the purpose of discouraging requests for law enforcement intervention."

FILE - A Columbia County Sheriff's car parked at the Columbia County Sheriff's Substation in Evans in 2022.

Reddekopp's wife wrote that deputies "have not told the truth about the events that took place" and said everything was "blown way out of proportion by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office," according to her statement.

Reddekopp resigned in lieu of termination the day after his arrest and the incident was reported to Georgia P.O.S.T, which investigates charges against law enforcement officers.

Warrenton Chief of Police Ron Sellers explained the force only has six officers and an administrative leave, which is typical for similar charges in surrounding counties, was not a possibility due to the department's size.

In a letter of recommendation Sellers wrote for Reddekopp on April 20, he describes Reddekopp as "a good officer," who is "professional," "courteous" and "dependable."

Sellers added he received "several compliments on [Reddekopp's] work performance from the citizens of Warrenton," according to the letter.

The Columbia County District Attorney's Office said the file is active, so they will not comment on whether the case will be tried.

Reddekopp's personnel file

A review of Reddekopp's personnel file shows no disciplinary action while employed by Warrenton Police Department.

Reddekopp was hired in October 2022 and was assigned to the patrol division, according to the file. He was previously employed by the Augusta State Medical Prison, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the Wrens Police Department.

Reddekopp worked as a jailor for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office before being promoted to a peace officer, according to Georgia P.O.S.T. records. He was terminated in October 2021. He worked at Wrens Police Department from November 2021 to July 2022, when he resigned in lieu of termination.

No sanctions or disciplinary action are listed on his P.O.S.T. file for any agency.

Prior to his law enforcement career, he served in the U.S. Army from 2009 to 2015, according to the file.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Warrenton officer fights charges after arrest in Columbia County
How the weight of the world fell on one geologist's shoulders

Jan Zalasiewicz, Emeritus Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, chaired the Anthropocene Working Group for more than a decade (YASMIN YONAN)

In 1981, newly minted palaeobiologist Jan Zalasiewicz assumed he was headed for a discreet career retrieving and deciphering fossils from Earth's deep past.

For three decades the British scientist was, in his words, an itinerant geologist.

But then, curiosity and happenstance thrust him into the middle of a raging debate within science and beyond as to whether human activity and appetites have tilted our planet into a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.

Zalasiewicz was tapped in 2009 by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) -- guardians of the timescale dividing Earth's history into segments such as the Jurassic and Cretaceous -- to chair a working group on the issue.

"I was ambushed by the Anthropocene, and then kidnapped without hope of release," he told AFP in an interview.

The working group has already concluded that the geological record shows a clear rupture in the stability of the Holocene epoch that began 11,700 years ago, and that it occurred around the middle of the 20th century.

Zalasiewicz pointed to an "embarrassment of riches" of evidence locked in ice cores, sediment and coral skeletons: microplastics, forever chemicals, traces of invasive species, greenhouse gases, and the fallout from nuclear bombs.

- Explosive change -

On Tuesday, the Working Group will announce which of nine candidate sites will get the "golden spike" signifying its status as ground zero for the Anthropocene.

Zalasiewicz's 15-years-and-counting Anthropocene odyssey was not what he signed up for.

"When I started geology, it was very much an escape from the complications of the world. You learn to live in the past," he said in an interview.

"Plunging into the Anthropocene, I hit all of this messy, complicated human life," he added. "It's a very abrupt change, and it's not a comfortable one."

But Zalasiewicz only has himself to blame.

Already in the late 1990s, he was intrigued by what human civilisation's fossil record might look like, leading to his first book in 2008, "Earth After Us: What Legacy Will Humans Leave in the Rocks?"

This made him an obvious choice to lead the Working Group, which he did until 2020. He is still a voting member.

For several years, it was assumed that the Anthropocene -- if it was really a thing -- would begin with industrialisation, but the geological markers just weren't there.

Around 2014, however, evidence of what Zalasiewicz called "explosive change" on a global scale concentrated around 1950 began to pour in.

One study in particular showing the planet dusted with fly-ash traceable only to burning coal and oil caught his eye.

"With the new bits of data clustered tightly around the mid-20th century, the Great Acceleration suddenly made sense -- things just clicked," he said.

- Overwhelming evidence -

Two non-geologists invited to join the Working Group -- chemistry Nobel winner Paul Crutzen, who coined the term Anthropocene in 2002, and climate scientist Will Steffen, both recently deceased -- had long championed that theory.

"The geologists were in fact catching up with the Earth system scientists," said Zalasiewicz, now an emeritus professor at the University of Leicester.

Today, Zalasiewicz is clearly worried about whether the Working Group's recommendations will survive the gauntlet of votes required for final validation. He's not optimistic.

"There is deep resistance to the idea of the Anthropocene, including from the most influential and powerful stratigraphers," notably the heads of the ICS and, above that, the International Union of Geological Science, both of whom have been vocal in their opposition, mostly on technical grounds.

"The artillery fire has been and continues to be heavy," Zalasiewicz added. "Validation has always been a long shot."

The concern, he continued, is how a failure to ratify would be interpreted by society at large, where the concept has tapped into a wider conversation about humanity's impact on the planet and what to do about it.

"People will say this is not happening, that the Anthropocene isn't real -- there are dangers involved in that," he said.

"It would give the impression that Holocene conditions" -- which have allowed humanity to thrive for thousands of years -- "were still here, which clearly they are not," he said.

"The weight of evidence for the Anthropocene as a new epoch to follow the Holocene is now overwhelming."

mh/rlp/rox
Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth's new chapter

The world is getting uncomfortably hot and its life-supporting systems are failing (Stefani REYNOLDS)

Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence.

On Tuesday they will deliver the last of their findings -- the location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch borne of humanity's outsized impact on the planet.

In essence, the Anthropocene Working Group was mandated by the high priests of Earth's geological timeline to answer three questions.

The first, roughly, is this: would aliens sifting through Earth's layered rocks and sediment a million years from now discern a human signature distinctive enough to mark a clear geological boundary?

If they did, when would it start?

Yes, the Working Group concluded, human appetites and activity have evicted the planet -- and its inhabitants -- from the stability of the Holocene epoch, which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended.

The world is getting uncomfortably hot and its life-support systems are failing.

The threshold for the "epoch of humans" first proposed in 2002 by chemistry Nobel Paul Crutzen, they said, should be the mid-20th century.

This is when a sharp surge in greenhouse gas concentration, microplastic pollution, invasive species, radioactive traces from atom bomb testing, and a dozen other markers of our species' growing influence added up to what scientists now call the Great Acceleration.

That leaves the question of the "golden spike" -- the single lake deposit, coral reef, ice core or other geological repository of evidence that best embodies the Anthropocene.

The "winner" will be announced Tuesday in joint press conferences at the Max Planck Society in Berlin and a meeting of working group scientists in Lille, France.

- A paradigm shift -

Presented as recommendations, the fruit of the Working Group's long labours must now be validated by a gauntlet of sceptical, hard-nosed scientists at the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and, higher up the food chain, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

The chances of that happening are slim, according to almost everyone involved.

At one level, the issues under debate are narrow to the point of pedantry -- rock experts quibbling over whether the Anthropocene merits inclusion in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, the planet's official 4.6-billion-year timeline.

Some geologists say it doesn't meet the technical criteria, even as they acknowledge a rupture with the past.

At the same time, marking the end of the Holocene and the start of a new epoch would force us to ponder humanity's devastating impact.

For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so.

Crutzen, who earned a Nobel for identifying the manmade chemicals destroying the protective ozone layer, hoped the concept and reality of the Anthropocene would focus minds on the challenges ahead.

"It could well be a paradigm shift in scientific thinking," he said at a symposium in 2011.

A dozen years later, many of the scientists who look at how the strands of the Earth system intersect agree.

"It's the recognition that, 'Oh my God, we have tipping points. Oh my God, the Holocene is the only state that can support us,'" Johan Rockstrom, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP.

"The paradigm shift is the realisation that we're leaving the Holocene and entering the Anthropocene."

- Minefield of resistance -

Other scientists, however, remain unconvinced, including powerful gatekeepers lobbying against the Anthropocene being adopted as a formal epoch.

"The conditions which brought about glaciation" -- a dozen mini-ice ages over the last million years -- "haven't changed, so we might expect that the Holocene is simply another interglacial," Phil Gibbard, Secretary of the ICS, told the "Geology Bites" podcast last year.

He suggested the planet could continue in that pattern for another 50 million years.

As for the Anthropocene, Gibbard has suggested calling it an "event" covering millennia of human alterations of the environment.

In geology, he noted, an event can be anything from a single raindrop pitting a lump of clay to the Great Oxidation Event that transformed Earth's atmosphere some 2.2 billion years ago.

For Jan Zalasiewicz, a journeyman geologist who rose to the challenge of leading the Anthropocene Working Group through a forest of evidence and minefield of resistance for more than a decade, that's not good enough.

Failure to formally ratify the concept, he said, would leave the impression that the Holocene conditions that allowed human civilisation to flourish are still there.

"Clearly they are not," he told AFP.

"I am concerned that if the word 'Anthropocene' continues to mean different things to different people, then it will lose its significance and simply fade away."

In the end, Zalasiewicz said, we can only follow the evidence.

"Science is basically trying to establish what's real as opposed to what's not," he said.

"And the Anthropocene is real."

mh/rlp/gil/fb
West Siders want a seat at the table when Democratic National Convention comes to Chicago: Its important that they invest in our people

The Democratic National Convention will descend on the United Center next August like a made-for-TV political Cirque du Soleil spectacle, putting a spotlight on Chicago.

For residents of the proud West Side, the impending gala offers an opportunity, but its also something of a double-edged sword. They worry their part of the city will host the event at the arena without enjoying much of that light or seeing many trickle-down benefits of the expensive party.

Now theyre trying to figure out how to get a seat at the table with the decision-makers to ensure they get their say, while local members of Congress also are attempting to make sure the West Side residents and businesses arent left out.

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who has represented the West Side since 1997, is pledging he and other members of Illinois Washington delegation will press the Democratic National Committee to secure Black businesses dont get left behind when contracts and jobs are awarded ahead of the event.

After decades of gentrification spurred in part by the 1996 Democratic convention in the hard-partying neighborhoods east of the United Center  which sits on Madison Street east of Damen Avenue  even the definition of West Side and the stadiums place in it is a point of contention.

Technically the United Center is in the West Side of Chicago, said Anthony Jones, an organizer and outreach coordinator for Westside Rising, a nonprofit organization that seeks to represent the interests of various West Side groups. The West Side, traditionally, goes from Halsted back west. Traditionally. But since weve redistricted our maps and all this other stuff, the West Side has been fragmented and broken into multiple pieces. And now the United Center is in Near West Side, but its the West Side. And its all political. So how can you exclude the West Side from the West Side?

West Siders know all about the ways a political convention can have an impact on a neighborhood.

While development was already underway in the vicinity of Fulton Market and West Town, that trend exploded in the aftermath of the 1996 Democratic shindig and then-Mayor Richard M. Daleys big spending to beautify the scruffier parts of the area so delegates and members of the national media traveling from their downtown hotels to the arena would get a more flattering view.

Daley splashed out more than $60 million to pretty up the city ahead of the 1996 convention, according to a Tribune analysis at the time. In addition to a tree-planting spree in the West Loop and downtown, artisanal street lamps cost more than $1 million in public funds, while spending on bridge makeovers and renovations to Daley Plaza and State Street downtown climbed into the tens of millions.

The last convention really helped the east side of the ward, of that area, said Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. Now, hopefully, it will transfer some things to the west side of that area.

Vast areas of the West Side need much more help than a brief injection of cash from the DNC could bring. Mayor Lori Lightfoots Invest South/West program was a signature project from her single term in office to try to boost parts of the city that have long lacked the direct economic stimulus seen in wealthier Chicago ZIP codes.

In some neighborhoods, scars of past decades are still fresh in vacant city lots, some empty for decades or since widespread unrest broke out following Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination.

West of the United Center, theres evidence there of 1968, what happened over there, said Bradly Johnson, chief community officer at the youth development organization BUILD and a board member at Westside Rising. And the West Side hasnt really been invested in since that time, since the late 60s.

But in East Garfield Park, Burnett notes there already are signs of encroaching gentrification just west of the United Center. If we dont capture trying to bring some stability and diversity in the area, well lose it. It will be all million-dollar homes, Burnett said. Homes are already selling for $750,000 west of Western (Avenue) there.

The city is working to ensure developers who buy city-owned vacant lots in the area invest heavily in affordable housing units so longtime residents dont get pushed out, he said.

Burnett was first elected in 1995 to represent the 27th Ward, which stretches through the West Side and includes the United Center, and he witnessed Daleys wrought-iron fence Potemkin village rise west of the Loop. Hes well aware there will be opportunities to improve and beautify the West Side ahead of the 2024 convention.

(Daley) made everybody do it on their lots. He made deals with them to do it on their lots, right? Burnett recalled. He gave them plays on other stuff if they did the wrought-iron fencing, like you may not have to do as much landscaping, put the wrought-iron fence in first. Or you may be encroaching on city land, were going to let that slide if you put the wrought-iron fencing in.

While Mayor Brandon Johnson hasnt discussed specific plans for infrastructure improvements and might be hard-pressed to justify big outlays in the face of more pressing needs, Burnett said he plans to offer ideas on how to spread the wealth, through CTA improvements and other projects that would help residents in East Garfield Park and farther west.

Well see how aggressive this group will be with some of these things, Burnett said of the Johnson administration. I expressed to the mayor that I was there in 96 and I saw how a lot of things happened and I can give some ideas on how to take advantage of some of this stuff.

Were gonna try to juice it for what we can, he said.

West Siders hope that juice extends to the kinds of jobs many residents need.

Pre-convention, I think its important that they invest in our people, thats No. 1, said Carol Johnson, board member of Westside Rising, founder of the Westside Cultural Alliance and member of the Garfield Park Advisory Council. And some of our small businesses, when it comes to jobs, theres going to be a lot of jobs that are going to be available for the convention, right? And so, its important to me that our community gets first choice as to employment, and be part of sitting at the table when it comes to jobs.

Congressman Davis said he aims to try to make sure of it.

Were anticipating a meeting with (Democratic National Committee Chairman) Jaime Harrison  to talk about the impact of the convention on African Americans living in Chicago, period, but especially those in the arena of the United Center, and expect that to occur, Davis said. So Im anticipating serious involvement of vendors and people who do the kinds of things you do in a convention, and were having some of those conversations now.

Burnett pointed to the Hatchery, a food and beverage business incubator in East Garfield Park, as a likely site for events tied to the convention. And the Garfield Park Conservatory, a renowned gem of the West Side, will certainly see some action.

But some West Side activists are leery of letting elected officials set the agenda.

We need some key community leaders  not those that they pick for us, but the ones we do ourselves, not the ones they delegate, but the ones we pick ourselves  there should be a strategy, like they have nominations for who sits on whatever, there should be nominations for which community members are part of the process of it, Carol Johnson said.

Can Mayor Johnson, a proud West Side resident who speaks often of his aim to lift up that part of the city, help?

I think we can sit down and meet with him and make that happen, but again we dont know when everything is happening, Carol Johnson said. We just need to be informed.

In a statement, Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development Kenya Merritt said the administration is excited to host the convention, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our local economy. But its too early to say specifically how the event will help in disadvantaged communities, Merritt said.

As of now, we do not have any developments tied to next years convention, but what we do have is a continued, strong commitment to inclusive growth and development throughout all of Chicago, including the West Side, she said.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
A flagging alliance? Far from it. Yves Herman/AFP via Getty Images)

Leaders of the nations comprising NATO will meet for a two-day summit beginning on July 11, 2023.

The gathering in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, comes at a pivotal moment for the Western security alliance  it is seeking to expand membership and confront challenges ranging from the ongoing war in Ukraine to a perceived growing military threat from China.

No doubt NATO members will want to present a united front at the meeting. But on a number of key issues, not everyone is in agreement. Here are some of the issues likely to be discussed and debated during the leaders summit.

1. A pathway to Ukraine membership?

With war in Europe the obvious backdrop to the summit, much talk will be about Ukraine. NATO members have been aiding Kyiv individually, through the supply of arms and aid. And the military alliance has been assisting through nonlethal support, such as medical supplies and training. But, as noted by Mark Webber, professor of international politics at the U.K.s University of Birmingham, what many in Kyiv really want is full membership: The bigger prize for Ukraine, however, is NATO membership. That would bring the country within the collective defense provisions of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and, in effect, extend U.S.  and U.K.  nuclear guarantees to Ukrainian territory.

Webber noted that accommodating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys request for expedited membership of the alliance will be difficult. No one in NATO is arguing in favor of granting membership while Ukraine remains at war. Beyond that, the allies are divided.

Read more: Nato: Vilnius summit will reflect fresh sense of purpose over Ukraine war  but hard questions remain over membership issues

2. What about Sweden?

The NATO leaders summit will be the first at which the members present will include Finland, which joined in April. Fellow Nordic state Sweden is hoping to be next, perhaps even officially becoming the groups 32nd member at the Vilnius meetup.

Swedens ascension had been held up by NATO member Turkey. Turkeys recently reelected leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had previous blocked the bid due to what he saw as the Swedish governments reluctance to crack down on Kurdish terrorists being harbored in Sweden. But on the eve of the Vilnius summit, it was announced that Erdogan had agreed to forward Swedens bid to the Turkish parliament for ratification.

Ronald Suny, a historian at University of Michigan, noted that Erdogans reluctance to allow Sweden and Finland entry represented domestic concerns  international pressure on the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, fits his agenda of suppressing Kurdish rights in Turkey. But it also highlights an underlying problem the alliance is facing:

NATO is supposed to be an alliance of democratic countries. Yet several of its members  notably Turkey and Hungary  have moved steadily away from liberal democracy toward ethnonational populist authoritarianism, Suny wrote. Finland and Sweden, on the other hand, fulfill the parameters of NATO membership more clearly than several of the alliances current members. As the United States proclaims that the war in Ukraine is a struggle between democracy and autocracy, Turkeys opposition to the Nordics who have protested its drift to illiberalism are testing the unity and the ideological coherence of NATO.

Read more: Why Turkey isn't on board with Finland, Sweden joining NATO  and why that matters

3. The benefit of being a NATO member

But why would Finland, Sweden, Ukraine and any other country look to join NATO? John Deni at American University School of International Service explained that Article 5 of the alliances treaty calls for collective action should any member be attacked.

Article 5 really is the heart and soul of the NATO alliance. It is the part of the treaty that says that if one member is attacked, then all of the other members will treat it as an attack on them all. In effect, it calls for a collective response once requested by any of the current 30 members of NATO and invoked by the entire alliance, he wrote.

But that doesnt necessarily mean that the U.S. would have to mount a military response should an ally be attacked. Article 5 was written in such a way that it allows each ally to decide for itself the best course of action to take  there is no prescribed response once the article is invoked, Deni added.

Read more: Could Poland demand NATO act in event of Russian attack? An expert explains Article 4 and 5 commitments following missile blast

4. The end of the neutral option?

As Finlands and Swedens desire to join NATO shows, smaller nations traditionally seen as aspiring to neutrality are, in the words of University of Michigans Ronald Suny, recalculating how they fit into this renewed division of the world.

Suny noted that, with Finlands entry into NATO and the now high chance of once-neutral Sweden joining it, other states are questioning the efficacy of nonalignment in a polarized world.

In its place, we have the NATOfication of Eastern Europe  something that Putin unwittingly accelerated and which leaves Putins Russia with less accommodating neighbors, Suny wrote.

Read more: Finland, NATO and the evolving new world order  what small nations know

5. A cluster bomb controversy

A last-minute area of controversy emerged as NATO leaders prepared to gather in Vilnius: cluster bombs.

On July 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced that it would supply Ukraine with the controversial munition, which scatters bomblets across a wide area. The problem is not all NATO countries are in agreement with the U.S. move. Germany, the U.K. and Canada  which are among the 120-plus countries that have signed an international treaty banning the use of cluster bombs  have all already expressed their misgivings.

Robert Goldman, a laws of war expert at American University, explained that the White House had previously shown hesitancy over selling cluster bombs to Ukraine in part because of the optics and over concerns that it may introducing a wedge between the U.S. and other NATO countries.

Goldman explained that there is no law preventing the U.S. from providing cluster bombs to the Ukraine or any other country. Nonetheless, providing Ukraine with cluster weapons could serve to destigmatize them and runs counter to international efforts to end their use. And that, in turn, could encourage  or excuse  their use by other states that may be less responsible, he argued.

Read more: There is no legal reason the US cant supply cluster bombs to Ukraine  but that doesnt justify Biden's decision to do so

Editors note: This article was updated on July 10, 2023 in light of Turkey agreeing to forward Swedens NATO bid for ratification.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Matt Williams, The Conversation.

Read more:


LITHUANIA-NATO-DEFENCE-DIPLOMACY

The NATO and Ukrainian flags are pictured in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 9, 2023, a few days ahead of a July 11-12 NATO Summit. Credit - Petras MalukasAFP/Getty Images

One of the dominating topics of this years annual NATO summit, which convened on Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, is what role Ukraine will have in the military alliances future. Ukraine has long harbored ambitions of joining NATO and saw this gathering as the ideal opportunity for its place within the alliance to be made officialif not through membership, then at least in the form of an invitation.

While the two-day summit has only just begun, Kyivs hopes already appear to be dampened. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet on Tuesday, in apparent reference to the language of a draft summit communique, which has yet to be made public.

The Ukrainian leader criticized in particular that no time frame has been set for extending NATO membership to Kyiv, the absence of which he called unprecedented and absurd. He also warned that such ambiguity risks making the question of Ukraines membership subject to negotiations with Russia, thus giving Moscow undue leverage.

Uncertainty is weakness, Zelensky added.

NATO, a defense alliance of 31 countriessoon to be 32, after Turkey dropped its opposition to Swedens accession to NATO on the eve of the summitthat has agreed to support each other militarily should any member be attacked, was created in 1949 at the beginning of the Cold War to combat what U.S. leadership perceived as a growing Soviet threat. In order for NATO to accept a new member, it must receive approval from every member state.

More from TIME

Ukraines latest bid was always going to face challenges, not least because the country is still in the midst of an active war. It is for this reason that President Joe Biden described the calls for admitting Ukraine into the alliance premature in a recent interview with CNN, noting that accession could only take place after Russias invasion of Ukraine ends. If Ukraine were to join before then, NATOs much vaunted Article 5 clause would make the rest of alliance treaty-bound to come to Ukraines defense. If the war is going on, then were all in war, Biden said.

This hesitation can also be explained at least in part by wariness to provoke Russia further. The expansion of NATO over the years on Russias western border and Ukraines previous attempt to join NATO in 2008 are both believed to be major reasons for Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

Lon Tweeten for TIME

But as the Ukrainian leadership sees it, NATO runs the risk of repeating its past mistakes. Kyiv believes that had Ukraine successfully joined NATO in 2008, Russia would have been significantly less likely to invade. Thus, joining NATO has become a top priority.

All NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a member, Jen Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO, said at a press conference in April. President Zelensky has a very clear expectation, we discussed this.

But while NATO countries may have agreed that Ukraine will eventually become a member, what comes between now and then is matter of major disagreement among Western allies.

NATO cant be in a situation where they offer a firm prospect of membership to a country which is in the state of war, which has nearly 20% of its territory under occupation by a hostile foreign power, says Martin Smith, a senior lecturer at the Department of Defense and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England.

But it is possible that member states could secure compromise language at the Vilnius summit that suggests Ukraine is getting closer to membership.

Ahead of the NATO summit, Stoltenberg said in a press conference on Friday that he expects the defense alliance to reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member.

Those plans, however, could also be complicated if the end of the war comes down to negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to Trevor McCrisken, a professor of U.S. foreign policy at the University of Warwick.

One condition for ending the war might be that Ukraine doesnt become a member of NATO. That might be a condition that will be set by Russia before it agrees to bring the conflict to a close, McCrisken says.

Either way, the summit is expected to lead to further military pledges for Ukraine. The members may well agree on a package of transitional security measures, Smith says.

Read More: Why the New NATO-Ukraine Defense Council Falls Short

During Stoltenbergs press conference on Friday, he said that he expects NATO to agree to a new, multi-year program of assistance for Ukraine. Political ties between Ukraine and NATO are also expected to be upgraded through a new NATO-Ukraine Council, or NUC. It is understood that the NUC will facilitate closer ties between Kyiv and NATO focused on making Ukrainian forces fully interoperable with the alliance, in addition to modernizing Ukraines armed forces.

Various NATO member states are also in ongoing talks about bilateral military and economic assistance.

Last week, the U.S. announced a further $500 million in military assistance to Ukraine. According to the Pentagon, the U.S. has provided more than $15 billion in weapons and equipment since the war began.

The 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid saw the U.S. commit another $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, with President Biden declaring that the defense alliance would stick with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

 YASMEEN SERHAN CONTRIBUTED REPORTING
Yevgeny Prigozhin Illustrated / Gettyimages

For a brief moment last month, Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared poised to become one of the most important, powerful people on Earth. After months of dispeptic saber-rattling toward the Kremlin over Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the man once considered part of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin's inner circle  dubbed "Putin's Chef" after landing a lucrative government catering contract in the early 2000s  had set his formidable Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries on the march toward Moscow. By all indications, Prigozhin seemed intent on not only deposing members of Putin's cabinet, but perhaps even the president himself, with the aim of replacing him.

One day later, Prigozhin shocked the world by announcing an end to his nascent coup before his Wagner columns had even reached Moscow. In a lengthy and at times contradictory statement, Prigozhin insisted that his goal had never been to "overthrow the current regime" and that his decision to abort his mutinous advance on the Kremlin was simply to "avoid spilling the blood of Russian soldiers." Shortly thereafter, Prigozhin appeared to accept a Kremlin offer to exile himself in neighboring Belarus, seemingly bringing his short-lived aspirations to an ignominious end. In the weeks since, however, that "end" has become a bit more open-ended than previously believed; Prigozhin's future  and even his current whereabouts  are not as final as they once seemed.

What are the commentators saying?

"The normally voluble Prigozhin's almost complete silence" in the weeks since the aborted coup has "prompted speculation about his whereabouts," the Times UK said, citing conflicting reports that the Wagner boss is "in Belarus, St Petersburg, behind bars or even dead."

"He's in St Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week, adding that "maybe he left for Moscow." Lukashenko's suggestion that Prigozhin was not adhering to the terms of his amnesty-in-exile was followed almost immediately by a Russian state television broadcast of footage seemingly designed to discredit the Wagner boss, including shots of Prigozhin in various costumes, and stockpiles of firearms and gold purportedly filmed during a raid on one of his properties. That footage, in turn, was followed by "reports that some of [Prigozhin's] money and possessions were returned to him," CNN said. "It adds another layer to the mystery as to why Putin has, so far, let Prigozhin remain free even as he fails to abide by the Lukashenko deal."

Prigozhin's whereabouts and status vis-a-vis the Kremlin were further complicated this week, after Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Prigozhin had been among a group of military commanders who met personally with Putin nearly a week after the Wagner rebellion evaporated. "The president gave an assessment of the company's actions on the front," Peskov said, adding that Putin also "gave assessment" to the mutiny itself.

"Putin listened to the commanders' explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat," Peskov said.

What comes next?

For now, at least, it seems that Prigozhin is safe from any terminal retribution from the Russian government. In addition to affirming that the Wagner boss was seemingly flouting his exile conditions, Lukashenko also "assured reporters that Putin isn't 'malicious and vindictive' enough to have Prigozhin 'wiped out,'" CNN said, noting that he used language similar to that which "Putin famously used about Chechen terrorists."

The Guardian seemed to agree, citing a "former senior Russian defense official" who told the outlet that "it does not look like Prigozhin fears for his life. He does not act like a man on the run." Conversely, CBS speculates "it could suggest the threat posed by Prigozhin has not yet been fully defused," and that the Kremlin may be waiting to take more definitive action against its onetime ally "until it can figure out what to do with troops who may still be loyal to him." To that end, "the Kremlin has cracked down on Wagner sympathisers in the Russian army after the militia's failure, reportedly detaining a senior Russian general, Sergei Surovikin," the Guardian reported. NBC News had previously reported that Surovikin may have had advance knowledge of Prigozhin's plans.

For its part, the Kremlin has insisted it not only isn't tracking Prigozhin's whereabouts, but that "we have neither the ability nor the desire to do so." Taken at face value, that seems unlikely, nor has it stopped the Russian government from taking some action against Prigozhin's personal fortune, if not the man himself. According to CNN, "the Kremlin currently appears to be dissecting his empire, putting control of the most valuable enterprises into more 'reliable' hands."

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Whistleblower who accused Bidens of corruption is charged with arms trafficking and violating Iran sanctions

(Independent)

A whistleblower who has repeatedly accused the Bidens of corruption has been charged by the Justice Department with arms trafficking, acting as a foreign agent for China and violating Iran sanctions.

Gal Luft, who is a citizen of both the United States and Israel, is accused of paying a former adviser to Donald Trump on behalf of principals in China in 2016 without registering as a foreign agent.

Prosecutors say that Mr Luft pushed the former government employee, who is not named, to push policies that were favourable to China.

Mr Luft, 57, was arrested in Cyprus in February on US charges but fled after being released on bail while awaiting extradition, stated prosecutors. He is not currently in US custody.

Prosecutors also allege that he set up meetings between officials of Iran and a Chinese energy company to discuss oil deals, which would violate US sanctions on the
Chinese authorities order crackdown on irregular forums

Xinhua) 10:00, July 10, 2023

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and 10 other authorities have issued a circular calling for a nationwide crackdown on irregular forums, summits, seminars and other related activities.

Irregular activities, according to the circular, include unofficial activities claiming to be organized by authorities and activities improperly described as "national," "international" or "summits."

The crackdown will also focus on activities that collect fees irregularly and activities that pay participants with money, expensive gifts or securities, the circular said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
BERLIN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A German lawmaker has accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of fighting a proxy war against Russia by supplying military aid to Ukraine.

"If we picture this conflict as a game of chess, then NATO is looking for pawns that can be sacrificed if need be, to secure a better position," Sevim Dagdelen, a member of Germany's lower house of Parliament, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

By delivering weapons and deploying NATO military advisors in Ukraine, NATO is now waging a proxy war against Russia to defeat the nuclear power through a combination of military force and an all-out economic war, said Dagdelen, chairwoman of the Die Linke (Left Party) parliamentary group of the German Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs.

She said that NATO is not a defense alliance, even though that is the constant refrain of Western leaders.

At the same time, the military pact is engaged in an aggressive arms drive and is thwarting all negotiation efforts regarding the Ukraine crisis, she said.

The NATO summit, slated for July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, would bring Ukraine closer to the alliance, said Secretary-General of the organization Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the summit.

"The discussions in the run-up to the NATO summit are extremely worrying," she said, adding that a debate is taking place within NATO about giving Ukraine NATO membership or NATO-style security guarantees, which would bring about a war between NATO and Russia. 
Jake Sullivan, the US President's National Security Advisor, has outlined the commitments that Ukraine has made regarding the use of the cluster munitions which Washington has decided to send to Kyiv.

Source: Sullivan at a press conference during a flight to London, where US President Joe Biden will meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Jake Sullivan recalled that the Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov had reported on the principles that Kyiv will follow when using cluster munitions, citing two examples.

Quote: "One being they will not use them on Russian territory; they will only use them on their own territory, where they have the highest incentive to limits  limit impact to civilians, because it is Ukrainian citizens who would be at risk," the US President's national security adviser noted.

And secondly, Sullivan added, Ukrainians "will not use them in populated areas."

Background:

On Friday, 9 July, the US Department of Defense released details of a new military aid package to Ukraine, which includes dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs), or cluster munitions.

Washington's statement drew criticism from non-governmental organisations and confused several European countries and other states, such as Canada, as cluster munitions are considered more dangerous to the civilian population and there is a convention under which member states refuse to use or store them.

On Friday, 9 July, a spokesman for the German government said that the US decision to send cluster munitions had been tough, and noted that Russia had used such weapons on the territory of Ukraine.

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WASHINGTON  The White House on Monday told lawmakers it opposes a provision in the Houses annual defense policy bill that would create a special inspector general for Ukraine aid, modelled after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

The Ukraine inspector general was one of several provisions in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that the White House, in an Office of Management and Budget statement on the bill, told Congress it wants removed.

The statement also objected to several provisions in the bill related to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and addresses the Pentagon cost assessment office drawn into a debate over Navy ship procurement. The House is expected to begin voting on the FY24 NDAA as early as Wednesday.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., added the language to create the Ukraine inspector general when the Armed Services Committee marked up the NDAA in June and eventually voted 58-1 to advance the $874 billion bill to the House floor. The Houses defense spending bill, which the Appropriations Committee advanced 34-24 in June over Democratic objections, would fund the Ukraine inspector general.

The White House statement argued the Pentagon Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office are currently undertaking multiple investigations regarding every aspect of this assistance  from assessing the [departments] processes for developing security assistance requirements to evaluating the end-use monitoring processes for delivered assistance  at the request of the Congress.

While the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development inspectors general have a joint oversight plan for Ukraine aid, Republicans say a special inspector general can provide an additional, more coordinated layer of oversight.

The Pentagon said in June a $6.2 billion accounting error inflated the costs of equipment the U.S. has sent to Ukraine, prompting Republicans on the House Oversight Committee to ask Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a staff-level briefing last week. The error means the Defense Department has more funds available to transfer weapons to Kyiv than it previously thought.

Congress has appropriated $35.4 billion in emergency military aid for Ukraine for FY23, and the Pentagon has said it expects to ask for additional defense funds for Kyiv before the end of the year. The House NDAA also authorizes $300 million in longer-term aid through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative  the same amount the Biden administration asked for in its budget request.

Nuclear arsenal

The White House also noted in the statement it strongly opposes several nuclear provisions in the House NDAA. That includes language that would institutionalize the sea-launched cruise missile nuclear program and hinder the retirement of the B83 megaton gravity bomb.

The House NDAA  and its Senate equivalent  would provide nearly $196 million for continued SLCM-N development while making it a Navy program of record via a provision inserted by Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., over Democratic objections. The Biden administration has sought to scrap research on SLCM-N and did not request funding for it in its FY24 budget request.

Deploying SLCM-N on Navy attack submarines or surface combatants would reduce capacity for conventional strike munitions, create additional burdens on Naval training, maintenance, and operations, and could create additional risks to the Navys ability to operate in key regions in support of our deterrence and warfighting objectives, the White House statement notes. The statement identifies other options the military already has, like the W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead, the air-launched cruise missile and the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb.

The House bill also halts the Biden administrations efforts to retire the B83 megaton gravity bomb, at least 80 times more powerful than the bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima, until the Pentagon gives Congress a report on alternative capabilities to strike a hard-and-deeply buried target.

The Biden administration in its new statement said it opposes a push for what could be a clearer catalog of spending on nuclear command, control and communications, the avenues through which the arsenal is readied, coordinated and launched.

Members of the House strategic forces panel earlier this year sought to establish a major force program for NC3, an opaque topic.

Major force programs are featured in Pentagon budgets as collections of related programs and resources. Establishing a major force program specifically for NC3, the White House said, would require a complicated extraction and collation of hundreds of embedded program elements and budget lines. The move, it continued, would be administratively burdensome and disruptive to ongoing efforts  ultimately delaying a much-needed overhaul.

The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that plans to replace aging NC3 systems would cost $77 billion between 2019 and 2028. The Biden administrations Nuclear Posture Review, published last year, promised to modernize and further insulate nuclear command and control, especially when it comes to cyber, space-based and electromagnetic attack.

Ship procurement and cost assessments

The White House also took issue with the bills efforts to continue procuring the next San Antonio-class amphibious warfare ship, an ongoing debate that has prompted House Republicans to try to abolish the Pentagons Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office.

Its statement objected to $750 million in requested incremental funding introduced by Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., that would allow the Pentagon to begin purchasing the next San Antonio-class amphibious warship in FY24, even though procurement would not normally begin to FY25.

Lawmakers in both parties have vehemently pushed back against the Pentagons strategic pause in amphibious ship procurement despite strong opposition from the Marines, which asked for $1.71 billion to buy the next ship in FY24 in its unfunded priorities list.

House Republicans cited the amphibious ship pause as part of their justification for an NDAA provision that would abolish the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Office and move its duties elsewhere, accusing the office of slowing down the acquisition process.

The White House said it strongly opposes abolishing the office, arguing it has helped reduce acquisition program cost breaches from over six per year to just over two per year while providing independent, fact-based evaluation of competing resource requests from across the department.

Finally, the White House said it strongly opposes the bills $1.5 billion reduction in authorized funding for the submarine tender replacement.
Henry Nicholls/Getty Images

When most Americans see the Vilnius, Lithuania dateline on stories about the upcoming NATO summit they will likely scroll past the story or turn the page. The location will sound so distant to them; it is a place they could never find on a map.

In fact, it is one that will sound to many like it is not even from this century, one of those remote, tongue-twister spots from some dusty history book that never seemed too relevant to the people of the worlds richest and most powerful nation.

Further, what could be less relevant to the lives of Main Street America than a NATO summit? Diplomatic talks about budgets and issues that by design seemed so far away?

How Did We Get Putin So Wrong?

Of course, if you were living in Ukraine, you might have a different perspective. You might take it more seriously if you realized the outcome of that summit might determine whether your family lived or died, your home was destroyed, your children kidnapped and shipped to some remote location in Russia (perhaps never to be seen again), or whether your village, your city, or even your country might exist in the future.

You might follow it more attentively if you lived in any state bordered by Russia, a country with a track record of brutally attacking its neighbors, ignoring international law, committing serial war crimesand getting away with it again and again because people in distant places like the U.S. just didnt think Russian abuses were close enough to home to their homes to take seriously.

Britain's Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, walk in the garden at Chequers on May 15, 2023 in Aylesbury, England. Reuters

That is what happened, youll recall, when Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to seize part of Georgia in 2008. It is also what happened in 2014 when he launched what is now nearly a decade-long assault on Ukraine.

The American response, the most important response in the NATO alliance, was to shift a few military assets around on paper, to complain in a speech or two, and then to try to get on with dealing with Russia, business as usual. And the response of other big European nations, the NATO allies, was to try to move past Russias offenses and get back to the business of buying Russian oil and gas and selling them German cars, French wines, and Italian industrial machinery.

Yes, the response was different following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But that was a long time ago for many residents of the countries that dont border Russia.

Russia Mutiny Is More Proof the World Needs to Get Rid of Nuclear Weapons

Are they losing interest? Will they continue to treat the Russian threat with the urgency it demanded? This summit would tell us much about that.

For the people of Ukraine and for the people who recognized that the threat posed by Moscow was a threat to all of Europeeven if it was first and foremost a threat to countries that bordered Russianext weeks summit is deeply relevant. It could hardly be more personal or pressing.

Despite a lengthy agenda, the summit will, after all, focus on two core questions. First, what will be the future of NATOs support for and relationship with Ukraine? Next, what will be the future of NATO?

The leaders gathered in Vilnius, a group that will include U.S. President Joe Biden (who will be traveling there after a brief stopover in the United Kingdom), will likely reiterate their support for Ukraine.

The NATO and Lithuanian flags fly over the summit venue on July 9, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

But what will their actual commitments be? Will there be announcements in and around the meeting of commitments to supply the weapons systems Ukraine needs to defend itself, to drive Russia from its borders? Which borders?

Russias Mutiny Shows Ukraine Can Win the War

Will the systems be just enough to help Ukraine eke out small gains until some moment in the future when a deal can be struck that will stop this wareven if it means giving up Ukrainian territory the Russians have stolen since 2014? Or will they be enough to inflict the kind of damage on Russia that will drive it out of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea?

Furthermore, the questions will not just be about whether major long-distance precision guided weaponslike the U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMs)or advanced fighter aircraft, or major resupplies of ammunition are promised, but it will be about when they will arrive.

These things matter if you or those you love are fighting to survive, or you fear what a message of waning support might be seen to mean by Vladimir Putin and his cronies in the Kremlin.

A U.S. M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System fires an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile during a U.S. and South Korea joint missile drill aimed to counter North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test on July 5, 2017 in East Coast, South Korea. South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

So, too, of course, is perhaps the most contentious question likely to be debated in Vilnius: Will Ukraine be accepted into NATO anytime soon?

There have been abstract promises about eventual Ukrainian membership for years. But until Putin invaded they were just that, abstract, off in the might-happen, might-not future. Now, they are not.

Indeed, what most of the countries closest to the Russian threat have come to correctly realize is that Ukraine can never be safe, that no settlement to conclude the current war can be complete, without Ukraine being on a concrete path to NATO admission on a realistic, near-term timetable. Details about how this happens still need to be worked out, but it must be clear to Russia that future aggression anywhere to its West will be seen as an attack on a united Atlantic Alliancenot because we seek a wider war but rather precisely because we desire to prevent one.

New State Department Report Admits Mistakes Were Made in the U.S. Chaotic Withdrawal From Afghanistan

A related question is whether and how Ukraines admission to the EU can be sped up.

These questions, in turn, cut to one of the most sensitive questions about the future of the alliance that will also be central in Vilnius: Who will lead the alliance?

In the past it was the biggest countries. There is no question that they will continue to be influentialand most influential of all for the foreseeable future will be the United States. But the center of intellectual gravity and energy among the European members of NATO has shifted eastward since the most recent invasion of Ukraine began. Baltic countries (like the hosts of the upcoming meeting) and other states closer to Russia have assumed a leading role in supporting Ukraine, giving disproportionate aid (given the size of their economies) and more outspoken support to Kyiv. By contrast, countries like Germany and France have waffled. Countries like Italy and Spain have been more remote. This summit will help determine how this shift will translate into policies and actions with significant implications for the big questions cited above.

Also significant will be whether the U.S. and other NATO leaders can cut a deal with Turkey to drop its objection to Swedens desired admission into NATO, a step that would, like the recent addition of Finland, materially increase NATOs resources in the north and thereby add to its deterrent profile vis a vis the Russians.

In addition, key decisions will be made about NATOs strategy going forwardspecifically, how it will deploy and support its resources to further ensure the peace of the region. (Once again, it is important to emphasize that history has shown a weaker NATO invites Russian aggression. A stronger NATO is not a threat to Russia but a way to ensure it and Europe avoid future conflict.)

Finally, another aspect of the Vilnius meeting will be the participation of partners from the Indo-Pacific region who seek stronger ties with NATO as a way of encouraging China not to follow Russias example. The summit could help determine how closely NATO commits to coordinate with these countries.

How the U.S. and Ukraine Should Take Advantage of a Weakened Putin

Lithuania has recently released its own thoughts on an Indo-Pacific strategy. At the core of these discussions will be a group of countries known as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4)Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

Consequently, while a place like Vilnius may seem far away, and yet another diplomatic summit may seem too dry for the average American to pay any attention, these views are not just out-of-touchthey are dangerous.

This summit will discuss issues on which the future peace of the world will depend, on which the lives of vital American allies and our own well-being may turn.

Confounding all expectations and, it should be added, led by a U.S. president and administration that have played a critical, central role in revitalizing the NATO alliance, this summit matters. And for all the reasons cited above, it will be watched exceedingly closely by audiences that care about the future of peace and democracy worldwide.

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Why Colleen Hoover will never tell 'It Ends With Us' from Ryle's POV

Author Colleen Hoover shared why she has no plans to write a story from the perspective of Ryle Kincaid, one of the characters from her bestselling novel "It Ends With Us."

In an interview with Time Magazine, Hoover said she's dismayed when readers ask her to write a book from Ryle's perspective.

"They just dont realize what a slap in the face it would be for all the women who have read this book and left their abusive marriages," she said.

Hoover added she doesnt like to make definitive statements about what she will or will not write, but said simply, "I will never write a Ryle redemption story." Instead, she continued Lily's story with the sequel "It Starts With Us," out in 2022.

Hoover has been open about how "It Ends With Us" was inspired by her own mother's experience with domestic violence. In the book, Lily Bloom, who grew up with an abusive father, meets Ryle as a young adult. Ryle becomes violent during their marriage.

Critics of the novel have said Hoover glorifies or romanticizes domestic violence. She told Time she simplified her own mother's story of getting out of an abusive marriage for the book.

"I simplified what she went through," Hoover said of her mother. "Ryle is a nicer character than my dad was."

Hoover shared one of her first memories of her biological father with TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager last month.

"One of my earliest memories was him throwing a TV at her," she said. "We grew up in an abusive household up to that point."

Hoover said her mother divorced her father when she was 2. "From then on, I just remember growing up with a mother who was so strong and independent."

As she grew up, Hoover said she would ask her mother about how she got the courage to leave her father while raising two small children. Her mom's stories ended up informing "It Ends With Us."

Goodreads

The book, published in 2016, has been on The New York Times bestseller list for 104 weeks, and is being adapted into a film.

The criticism hasn't stopped with the book  some of Hoover's readers, known as CoHorts, expressed disappointment when it was announced Blake Lively, 35, would play Lily, and Justin Baldoni, 39, would play Ryle. In the book, Lily is 23 and Ryle is 30.

Hoover addressed the age discrepancy in her interview with Jenna.

"Back when I wrote 'It Ends With Us,' the new adult (genre) was very popular. You were writing college-age characters. Thats what I was contracted to do. I made Lily very young. I didnt now that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. Theres not a 20-something neurosurgeon," she says.

She said she met with the film's production team to tell them she wanted to take the opportunity to correct her own mistake.

"As I started making this movie, Im like, we need to age them out, because I messed up," she said. "So thats my fault."

Hoover said she got to visit the set of the movie, which is being filmed in Hoboken, New Jersey, for about three weeks earlier this year. Photos of Lively and Baldoni on set have leaked online, sending some CoHorts into another frenzy over Lively's outfits.

Hoover said during a separate panel interview with Jenna at Book Bonanza in Dallas, Texas, last month she didn't write the book to be about their outfits or ages  it was "about the message (she) wanted to get across."

When I wrote the book, it wasnt about the age of the characters. It wasnt about what they were wearing. I dont even think I described any clothing in the book, she said.

Yeah, youve seen a few outfits that Lily has worn, but she looks so phenomenal on screen," Hoover told her fans in the audience. "And some of the outfits that shes worn indoors that no ones gotten pictures of yet are phenomenal."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Why is France in chaos? Heres what you need to know

Assa Traore raises her fist during a banned protest against police violence, Saturday, July 8, 2023 in Paris. Assa Traore, whose brother Adama died in the custody of French police in 2016, is now at the forefront of a movement to wipe out what many believe to be systemic racism in policing, fight for Black rights and to challenge Frances official vision of itself as a colorblind society. At right is far-left parliament member Eric Coquerel. | Thomas Padilla, Associated Press

Paris and other cities in France have been erupting in protests following a police shooting of a teenage boy in a suburb outside Paris.

Some of the protests have turned violent and Chaos, destruction and confrontations have led to curfews in some towns around the capital, CNN reported.

What caused the protests in France?

Two weeks ago on June 27, Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, was shot and killed by police following a traffic stop. At least 2,000 people have been detained throughout the unrest since, per CNN.

The officer who shot Merzouk is currently being formally investigated for voluntary homicide

Paris police banned planned demonstrations temporarily for a context of tensions, but protesters demonstrated anyway on Saturday in central Paris.

We still enjoy freedom of expression in France, but freedom of assembly, in particular, is under threat, Felix Bouvarel, a health worker at the gathering, told Reuters.

The demonstration Saturday was initiated by Adama Traores family, who was a Black Frenchman whose death in police custody in 2016 has been marked by annual protests since, per Reuters.

How France is prepping for possible demonstrations

France also banned the sale, possession and transport of any pyrotechnic articles or fireworks in preparation for July 14th celebration of Bastille Day, Frances national day.

The use of fireworks by some during the protests escalated the situation the most and included some of Frances worst urban violence for almost 20 years, according to BBC.

The country would also be deploying massive security efforts to protect the French during these two sensitive days, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told BBC.

Is it safe to visit France right now?

Its unclear yet how much longer the protests will last and if they will escalate. The U.S. State Department released a security alert on June 29 that said, US citizens should avoid mass gatherings and areas of significant police activity as they can turn violent and result in clashes, per CNN.

Some cities are enforcing curfews and limiting public transportation, so those planning a trip to France should be aware of that before embarking to the country.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a new Republican presidential candidate, speaks during an interview following a town hall meeting with employees at Rueters Equipment, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Elkhart, Iowa. | Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press

North Dakotas Republican Gov. Doug Burgum believes Americans are frustrated by candidates not talking about issues that matter to them, but he said his long shot presidential campaign will focus on those issues and this will give him the best chance of beating President Joe Biden.

Theres a broad spectrum of Americans that are really frustrated with the discourse thats happening at the edge, and part of the reason theyre frustrated is because there arent candidates, there arent choices on the ballot, to talk about the things that matter to them, Burgum said in an interview Sunday with NBC News Meet the Press.

He said the top three issues he believes Americans care about are the economy, energy policy and national security.

Burgum, a 66-year-old former software company executive who took office as governor in 2016, compared politicians focused on culture wars issues to distracted CEOs.

We are somehow, through culture, media, whatever, trapping the presidency or expecting them to weigh in on every single thing, he said. Its not the place that a CEO should be spending their time. Its definitely not the place where the president should be spending their time.

Related

He added that the U.S. needs a president thats focused on the challenges that were being faced as a nation, not a president thats going to decide whether a book is in the right section or not in a library in a small town somewhere in America.

During the wide-ranging interview, Burgum was asked if hed ever do business with former President Donald Trump and he said he didnt think so because its important that youre judged by the company you keep.

He signed a restrictive abortion ban in North Dakota in April but said as president he would leave abortion policy to the states. He also had harsh words for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One of Burgums biggest challenges in the Republican primary will be name ID. Among registered voters, 90% hadnt heard enough about him to have an opinion, according to Quinnipiac poll released a week after Burgum announced his campaign last month. His campaign is spending big to make up the difference. In the first two weeks of his campaign, Burgum spent more than $2.9 million on ads, which is more than Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent in the same period combined, according to data from AdImpact, an ad tracking firm.

Related

Burgum said he viewed the presidency differently than other branches of government in that it should unite the country, but that the U.S. has gone astray on that, where the presidency has also become hyperpartisan, no matter which party is in office.

If youre a legislator you put on your jersey, you fight for your side, you vote oftentimes along party lines, he said. The president of the United States, as this balancing third branch, is the one thats supposed to unite people, its supposed to bring people together, its supposed to paint a vision about a powerful, positive future.
Illustration: Lex Villena

Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit that warns of the possible dangers posed by vaccines, used to receive a modest 119,000 monthly visits to its website. When COVID hit and public skepticism of the medical establishment exploded, the site's web traffic went wild, peaking at 5 million monthly visits.

Who's behind this group that warns of the alleged dangers of electromagnetic radiation and a "global cabal" attempting to ban meat? The group's chairman, chief legal counsel, and highest compensated officer is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who recently launched a longshot bid to become president of the United States.

RFK Jr. is not worthy of the rehabilitation tour he's getting from various pundits, podcasters, and tech luminaries. He pushes tabloid-quality "reporting" and he wildly extrapolates from little grains of truth. His and his organization, Children's Health Defense, give opponents of vaccine mandates and government overreachlike mea bad name by lumping us together with science-denying anti-vaxxers.

Take the 2022 piece "Polio: Why Vaccines Are to Blame for Rising Number of Cases," where Children's Health Defense claimed that "cases have been on the rise globally since 2016, and the resurgence is related to the use of vaccines."

Actually, global polio cases fell by 99 percent from 1988 and 2022 and we're extremely close to eradicating the disease, thanks to vaccines. Kennedy's claim is technically true but misleading: He was referring to polio spread through untreated sewage by a form of the vaccine that uses live virus. Not only has that version of the vaccine been retired, but it can cause an outbreak only in unvaccinated communities, such as some Hasidic neighborhoods of New York City and outlying areas. In one ultra-orthodox community in Rockland County, a voluntary vaccine drive mostly solved the problem.

For the last 18 years, Kennedy has been a leading figure in the anti-vax movement.

"My principal objective is that vaccines and childhood vaccines are immune from pre-licensing safety testing," he has said. "Pharmaceutical drugs are now the third biggest killer in America after heart attacks and cancer. So, no, I do not intend to make it easier to get drugs to market."

This is a rhetorical ploy to make his vaccine fearmongering sound reasonable. The Food and Drug Administration is, if anything, overly cautious with vaccine testing: Bringing a vaccine to market generally takes 1015 years and costs several billion dollars.

It's ridiculous to argue vaccines are insufficiently tested, or that kids today are overvaccinated.

"When I was a kid, I got three vaccines. My children got 72 doses of six vaccines," Kennedy has said.

He is playing fast and loose with the numbers: About 30 doses are on the childhood immunization schedule, with fewer required to attend most states' public schools. The reason he didn't get vaccines that prevent measles and mumps when he was a kid is that they didn't yet exist, which is a shame because they've mostly eradicated those serious diseases in the U.S.

"Beginning in 1989, we experienced a chronic disease epidemic in this country, and it is unlike anything in human history. I mean neurological diseases that I never saw when I was a kidADD, ADHD, speech delay, language delay, tics, Tourette's syndrome, ASD, autism, narcolepsy," Kennedy has said. "All these suddenly appeared. Autism rates went from one in 10,000 to one in every 34."

A major reason autism rates have gone up over the years is because we've gotten a lot better at diagnosing it.

There's never been an objective test for autism, and the criteria have changed dramatically since the 1940s, when the diagnosis was first introduced.

"Peanut allergies suddenly appeared, food allergies, eczema suddenly appeared. Anaphylaxis and asthma, which had been around, exploded," RFK added.

Kennedy is correct that food allergy, asthma, and childhood obesity rates are increasing, but there's no evidence it's caused by vaccines. He is once again flubbing the particulars in order to pin blame on a single culprit.

Kennedy frequently mistakes correlation for causation, gets his numbers wrong, and portrays complex trends as simpler than they really are, with easily identifiable villains.

Last year, he produced the documentary Infertility: A Diabolical Agenda. It was directed by Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who wrote a 1998 article in The Lancet arguing that vaccines cause autism.

Kennedy has frequently pointed to thimerosal, a preservative that's mercury-based and was removed from vaccines out of an abundance of caution back in 1999, as the main culprit for increasing autism rates. But thimerosal has been removed from many childhood vaccines since then, and we haven't seen autism rates trend downward.

A measles outbreak in 20142015 and another in 2019 were caused by a drop in vaccination rates, which Wakefield and Kennedy helped stoke.

As for the film that Kennedy and Wakefield collaborated on, it recycles long-debunked myths from the '90s that tetanus vaccines administered in Kenya were deliberately laced with a hormone blocker that caused infertility.

This, they say, was part of the World Health Organization's depopulation plot, but the Catholic bishops who are the source for that claim never presented conclusive evidence.

Libertarians who understand the incompetence of government entities should be more skeptical that the World Health Organization would be so effective at carrying out such a nefarious scheme.

Kennedy has chaired Children's Health Defense for the last eight years, speaking at events all over the country on its behalf. He used his famous last name to add the veneer of respectability to the anti-vax cause.

In fact, he's been focused on this single issue for decades now: In 2005, he first became obsessed with the preservatives in vaccines, writing an article for Salon on the danger of vaccine additives that needed five corrections appended to it and was later retracted.

He's not really a persecuted truth-telleralthough recent attempts to go after Joe Rogan for having him on his podcast, or to cut him out of public debate in other ways, have fed that impression. The real issue is that RFK Jr.'s bold claims don't hold up to scrutiny, even when examined by people who don't have a dog in the fight.

So what would RFK Jr. be like as president?

Part of his appeal, to libertarians at least, is that he's staunchly anti-war and a huge critic of COVID lockdowns and mandates.

But he's fundamentally a big-government liberal. He supports Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal. He favors heavy-handed government intrusion in the realm of environmental policy. He's against nuclear energy. He favors massive wealth redistribution, saying: "I don't think huge disparities in wealth are healthy for our country or healthy for democracy."



He also wants pharmaceutical companies to burn in hell, and he seems to believe in an almost Alex Jonesesque concept of the deep state. He correctly points out that government and big business have an unholy alliance, but he doesn't understand that too much regulation is the root cause. He just thinks large companies are inherently bad.

He says he's concerned about government spending, and he throws out wild figures to make his point: "We spent $16 trillion on the lockdown we wasted. Got nothing for it. $8 trillion on the Ukraine war. That's $24 trillion that they had to print to pay for nothing."

But he's no better than any establishment Republican or Democrat in his unwillingness to scale back the eldercare entitlements that are driving the federal government into bankruptcy. "I would say it's a red line for me to touch Social Security or Medicare or Medicare," he once said.

What's surreal about libertarians now embracing RFK Jr. is that he's publicly fantasized about jailing his political opponents and cracking down on free speech for years. At the People's Climate March in 2014, Kennedy said this: "They should be in jail. I think they should be enjoying three hots and a cot at The Hague with all the other war criminals who are there. Do I think the Koch brothers should be prosecuted for reckless endangerment? Absolutely."

And, more recently, he told Reason's Nick Gillespie this: "The First Amendment does not protect that. The First Amendment does not protect fraudulent speech. If you say something that is fraudulent, you're not protected." To which Gillespie responded: "It just seems like that way madness lies, because the government will always come up with a pretext for saying your speech is not just wrong, it's criminal, and you need to be shut down."

"Well, I don't know, but I do believe that prosecutors and judges make decisions about what's fraud all the time," countered RFK Jr.

He's not a real free speech advocate, and he's not especially thoughtful about the principles or people he endorses. After all, this is a man who once heaped praise on Hugo Chavez, touting the socialist dictator's bogus literacy programs and alleged commitment to democracy.

Is it fair to hold 15-year-old soundbites against RFK Jr., as some of his fans that I've sparred with have claimed? One thing I'll say for him is that, unlike most politicians, he's been extraordinarily consistent in his views. He thinks the world is divided into heroes and villains, and he makes wild, unsupported claims that portray things as simpler than they are.

The difference is that he's no longer a widely ignored crackpot environmental lawyer. He's asking you to vote him into the White House.

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Lev Radin/ZUMA Press/Newscom; DPST/Newscom; Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire ECS/Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire/Newscom; Lian Yi / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom; Sean P. Anderson from Dallas, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; DestinationFearFan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kike Calvo/agefotostock/Newscom; Kike Calvo/ZUMA Press/Newscom; South Bend Voice, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; Chen S, Xing Y, Kang J, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Mohammad2018, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Julien Harneis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; David Larsen Africapictures.net/Newscom; Kyodo/Newscom; Valerian Mazataud/Wostok Press/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call/Newscom; Difference engine, via Wikimedia Commons; Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kenndy24 website; Record Group 111, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (111-SC-578830), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom; Jaredlholt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Carlos Sanchez/Polaris/Newscom; Stringer/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom; Roman Camacho/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Katherine Cheng/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom.

Music Credits: "Formational," by Lance Conrad via Artlist; "Flying Above the Sun," by Yehezkel Raz via Artlist.

The post Why Are So Many Libertarians Suddenly Fond of RFK Jr.? appeared first on Reason.com.
Why NATO could invite Ukraine to join during the war  Ukrainian official

Kyiv believes that NATO could invite Ukraine to join even during the war and complete the process when circumstances permit.

Source: Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, during an interview with European Pravda.

Details: Stefanishyna said that a political decision on inviting Ukraine to join is possible and should be made at the summit in Vilnius.

Quote: "There are no restrictions in the Alliance rules that prevent this. We want all NATO leaders, 31 countries, to confirm that Ukraine is invited to the Alliance and to confirm that the newly formed Ukraine-NATO Council should determine the path to membership.

Membership is a process that must be completed when certain security conditions are met. What exactly  whether it is about the end of the war or about something else  needs to be determined; here, the Alliance has an individual approach. But we can start this process, that is, invite Ukraine to become a member, right now," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

She spoke about Ukraine's arguments in favour of having the invitation approved in Vilnius.

Quote: "The beginning of a counteroffensive is taking place right now, and sooner or later, the defences built by the Russians will be breached. It is important for us that in this most difficult period, Ukrainians and the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hear a powerful signal from our allies.

It is also important that the current situation in Russia (after Prigozhin's rebellion.  EP) is clear: we have seen that its internal stability can be completely undermined in less than a day. Because of this, right now, Russia has very limited space for new dramatic movements because the Kremlin understands that this can provoke new pockets of destabilisation. This emphasises that there is an opportunity to act now," Stefanishyna said.

The Deputy Prime Minister added that the entire Eastern flank of NATO, as well as a number of Western European countries, are now in favour of inviting Ukraine to join.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Maintaining such a vast collection isnt easy, particularly when it comes to specimens preserved in alcohol.

This article was originally published on Undark.

In a dusty room in central Florida, countless millipedes, centipedes, and other creepy-crawlies sit in specimen jars, rotting. The invertebrates are part of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in Gainesville, which totals more than 12 million insects and other arthropod specimens, and are used by expert curators to identify pest species that threaten Floridas native and agricultural plants.

However, not all specimens at the facility are treated equally, according to two people who have seen the collection firsthand. They say non-insect samples, like shrimp and millipedes, that are stored in ethanol have been neglected to the point of being irreversibly damaged or lost completely.

When it comes to how the FSCA stacks up with other collections shes worked in, Ann Dunn, a former curatorial assistant, is blunt: This is the worst Ive ever seen.

Experts say the loss of such specimenseven uncharismatic ones such as centipedesis a setback for science. Particularly invaluable are holotypes, which are the example specimens that determine the description for an entire species. In fact, the variety of holotypes a collection has is often more important than its size, since those specimens are actively used for research, said Ainsley Seago, an associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

A paper published in March 2023 highlighted the importance of museum specimens more generally, for addressing urgent issues like climate change and wildlife conservation, with 73 of the worlds largest natural history museums estimating their total collections to exceed 1.1 billion specimens. This global collection, the authors write, is the physical basis for our understanding of the natural world and our place in it.

Through Aaron Keller, the communications director of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Serviceswhich oversees the FSCAthe museum declined to speak with Undark for this story. In response to a complaint that Dunn filed with the FDACS Office of Inspector General, the director of the museums parent agency Trevor Smith wrote: scientific specimens do not need to be pristine or perfect specimens and museum staff strive to maintain materials in the best condition possible because they cannot be replaced.

Dunn started working at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in April 2022 as an assistant to curator Felipe Soto-Adames. She was initially hired, she told Undark in a recent interview, in part to help maintain part of the FSCAs collectionsome of the so-called wet specimens, or invertebrates stored in vials and jars filled with alcohol. But she said she was shocked when she saw the condition of many of the specimens that were supposed to be under her care. (The FSCA did not respond to a request for comment on Dunns hiring or specifics about her role, nor did the museum respond to multiple requests for an interview with Soto-Adames.)

Dunn told Undark that she found mushy specimens sitting in brown ethanol, some with stoppers so eroded that they were dripping a waxy substance onto the contents of the vial. Most of the damage is in the collection of non-insect arthropods, like sun spiders, millipedes, and shrimp. She estimates that half of the FSCAs ethanol collection, which included 200,000 vials and approximately 1.1 million individual arthropods as of 2022, is damaged or rotten. Another person who is familiar with the FSCA collections agreed with Dunns assessment. (They asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of retaliation.)

The FSCA was founded in 1915 to house the collection of the Florida State Plant Board (now the Division of Plant Industry), and merged with other state collections in the 1960s after the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services formally took it over. Today, the FSCA seeks to build the best possible worldwide collection of terrestrial and aquatic arthropods in support of research, education and the functions of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, according to its website.

The state of the collection, Dunn said, prevented her from fulfilling the FSCAs mission of identifying pest species. When people asked the museum for help identifying lawn shrimpterrestrial crustaceans that are invasive in FloridaDunn had to rely on Google Images. "I knew from experience that the collection would not help me at all, she said, due to a lack of organization and degradation of specimens.

Maintaining such a vast collection isnt easy, particularly when it comes to specimens preserved in alcohol. While a few institutions have well-managed alcohol collections, many others do not, said Seago of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. (Seago is also president of the Entomological Collections Network, a nonprofit that provides best practices for insect and other arthropod collections.) She demonstrated one such challenge in a Zoom interview, holding up jars of crabs that were bone dryall the alcohol within had evaporated over time. While hard-bodied crabs can remain intact when desiccated, soft-bodied invertebrates fare worse. And evaporating alcohol can also degrade the stopper used to seal the specimens container, especially if its made of cork or rubber.

At the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, there are approximately 76,000 containers of ethanol specimens, mostly stored in a World War-II-era Quonset hut, which is made from corrugated steel and is uninsulated. According to Seago, replenishing the required ethanol of each sample takes a lot of work. Even if interns or volunteers are available to go through them all, supervisors have to oversee the process to ensure theyre using the correct alcohol concentration and understand how the specimens should be properly organized.

Just keeping an alcohol collection at baseline okay is a monumental amount of effort, Seago said.

According to Dunn, her work at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods came to a halt when her one-year contract was not renewed in April, just days after she posted negative comments about the workplace behavior of head curator Paul Skelley on her personal, anonymous Twitter account. Dunn had submitted a formal complaint against Skelley and the state of the ethanol collections to the FDACS Office of Inspector General on April 17. The inspector generals office determined that Dunns complaint did not warrant an investigation, and in a written evaluation, they noted that Dunn was let go for conduct unbecoming a public employee and insubordination associated with derogatory comments posted on social media.

Following her firing, Dunn tweeted photographs of damaged specimens from the FSCAs collection. Jackson Means, a millipede taxonomist at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, told Undark he had only seen similar conditions in an alcohol collection that had been left unattended in a warehouse for 22 years. These images are definitely long-term neglect, he said.

Some of the neglected specimens included holotypes, Dunn told Undark. The loss of holotypes can cause uproar among the scientific community, but they can be replacedif someone goes through the effort of formally describing a neotype (a new holotype meant to replace one that has been lost or damaged). But designating a neotype usually relies on other people being able to determine whether or not you can find a specimen of the same species from the same locality as the holotype, said Seago. For many species, there arent enough experts to do that work, she said, and the fewer taxonomists you have for that group, the less likely that is.

Seago is currently applying for a grant to help locate, consolidate, and digitize holotype specimens at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. And Means said the Virginia Museum of Natural History is working to catalogue its holotypes too. Dunn had been working on a similar organizational endeavor at the FSCA before her firing.

Many collectors, from scientists to hobbyists, donate their personal collections to museums. This was the case for Nell Causey, who had her millipede collection given to the FSCA after her death in 1979. Causey earned a Ph.D. from Duke University in 1940, and was the predominant myriapodologist of her time, said Means. She was a really good collector, and she described a lot of species.

During Dunns efforts to help catalogue the FSCAs holotypes, she says she found eight of Causeys millipedes sitting mislabeled on a shelf in the wrong building gathering dust. The samples had been described in 2010 by William Shear, a professor emeritus at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, who had borrowed the specimens several years prior for a research project. Neither Dunn nor her coworker on the project knew they existed before Shear reached out to check on them. (Shear told Undark that this snafu was caused by a lack of communication from the previous curator, and he has since borrowed and deposited specimens at the FSCA with no problems.)

Dunn is worried that the lifes work of Causey and other passionate collectors, like arachnid specialist Martin Muma, who died in 1989, is at risk of degradation at the FSCA, especially without dedicated taxonomists to care for them. It is a shame, Means told Undark, to lose parts of a prominent collectors work. Maybe art historians will be mad at me, but it's a lot like the degradation of a painting, he said. You are losing a piece of history.

Many museum curators have a preference or bias for the specific group they work on, said Seago, and will prioritize care for that groupespecially if theyre in a collection where the people in charge dont care at all about those groups. Meanwhile, taxonomists can be hard to come by, and she said this is even truer for small, obscure, and uncharismatic groups of organisms. Dunn said this taxonomic bias was strong at FSCA, which especially favors beetles. The person familiar with the museums collections who did not wish to be named agreed with Dunn that there is a persistent attitude of favoritism toward charismatic insects at FSCA.

Museum donors also usually have preferences for certain groupsSeago said she could easily raise funds for a new butterfly cabinetbut natural history museums need more money if theyre going to adequately care for their entire collections. That hasnt always been the case even for more popular creatures. Funding has been dropping across the board, said Means. And because of that, staffing is down.

Dunn accepts the commonality of neglect in ethanol collections, but said that doesnt make it acceptable. And when it comes to holotypes, she said, theres no excuse. Holotypes should never go without care.

Means and Seago agreed. The whole point of a museum, said Means, is to take care of type specimens in perpetuity.

Darren Incorvaia is a journalist who writes about animals and the natural world. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, and Science News, among other publications. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from Michigan State University.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.
The News

Heading into this weeks NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, President Biden has made one thing plain: Ukraine wont be joining the alliance any time soon, no matter how badly it might want to.

I dont think its ready for membership in NATO, Biden bluntly told CNNs Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired over the weekend.

Still, questions about Kyivs future with the defense bloc will loom large over the conference, which begins on Tuesday. In its leadup, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed hard for a clear invitation to at least begin the process of joining NATO, and recently told ABC News that his country should get clear security guarantees until it becomes a member.

Morgans view

For now, Ukraine seems far from guaranteed to come away with the kind of concrete membership invitation it so badly desires, given divisions within the alliance on how to handle its bid. But major new security assurances do appear to be in the works.

At the moment, the U.S. and its allies are intensively hashing out language for the NATO communique that will address the path forward for Kyivs membership in the alliance. Its unclear how specific the document will get, or whether it will even go beyond the vague 2008 Bucharest declaration that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance at some point.

Bill Taylor, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said officials are debating whether to voice support for adding Ukraine by next years NATO summit, or to wait until its war with Russia officially ends. Many alliance members dont believe Kyiv should be allowed to formally join the alliance while hostilities with Moscow rage on because that would embroil NATO directly in the conflict.

Biden seemed to side with that position during his interview with CNN, while calling for a rational path for Kyiv to join. I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, he said. If the war is going on, then were all in the war. Were at war with Russia.

Things are looking brighter for Ukraine when it comes to defense pledges. The Group of Seven nations are working on a package of what one European diplomat described as bilateral security assurances for Ukraine in lieu of the guarantees offered by Article V of the NATO treaty. Biden told CNN that the U.S. would provide Ukraine weapons like it does for Israel.

The concept is that the United States, alongside other allies and partners within a multilateral framework, will negotiate bilateral security commitments with Ukraine for the long term, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One yesterday, adding that it would include military assistance as well as intelligence sharing and cybersecurity support. He also acknowledged that such an arrangement would require approval from Congress.

NATO also plans to announce a multiyear assistance package for Ukraine, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and establish a new NATO-Ukraine defense council.

On the weapons front, Ukraine looks like it wont come away with everything its been asking for even after successfully persuading the U.S. to transfer controversial cluster munitions.

The White House has been consistently reluctant to send the long-range missile systems known as ATACMS to Ukraine, which could help it launch attacks deeper into Russian-held territory. Kyiv is also pressing for the quicker delivery of F-16s.

But for Kyiv, the most important question may be how long they can count on any new security pledges to last. The Ukrainians want to hear for as long as it takes until we win, Taylor said. They want to hear that the goal is actually victory.

Room for Disagreement

Countries on NATOs eastern flank have argued that the summit should set Ukraine on a clear path to membership. Theres always the chance that something surprising happens, either when it comes to the details of the communique or the security pledges. And the basic idea of Ukraine fostering closer ties with the alliance unites member nations, even if they dont agree on some of the specifics.. Stoltenberg said last week that the outcome of the summit would bring Ukraine closer to NATO.

Notable
TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Irani Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday condemned the E3 group of Britain, France and Germany for their "failure to honor their obligations" under a 2015 nuclear deal.

Kanaani made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the capital Tehran in response to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council last week, the official news agency IRNA reported.

At the meeting, the European states, as well as the United States, accused Iran of sending drones to Russia for use against Ukraine and expressed concern over Tehran's "increased stockpile of enriched uranium beyond the limits set by the nuclear deal," formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Kanaani said since the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, the E3 group neither fulfilled their commitments under the deal nor compensated for Washington's pullout.

He added that the three European countries are blameworthy as they are "sitting in the claimant's position," hurling accusations at Iran and imposing "completely illegal" sanctions against Theran on "baseless claims," which are "absolutely illegal and unacceptable."

Kanaani condemned such actions as "unconstructive" for they have led nowhere but only disrupted a multilateral framework for settlement of outstanding differences.

The spokesman emphasized that Iran reserves the right to take "serious, proportionate and balanced" actions in response to such irresponsible moves at the right time.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Austria's capital Vienna. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.

Ever since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the West has been accusing Iran of sending drones to Moscow for military use. Iran has repeatedly rejected such allegations, saying it has given only a limited number of unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia months before the start of the conflict. 
Not all use cases for AI make sense, but Pano AI makes a life-saving contribution in the "yes" column. Just last week, the company was able to send early warnings of the Kutch Road Fire, which broke out near Kutch Mountain in Yamhill County, Oregon. The company showed me how it was able to detect fire and issue a warning 14 minutes before the first 911 call -- illustrating its value to firefighters, even as the licensing cost per station clocks in at $50,000.

The company's solution is to mount high-definition remote-controllable cameras. They can be operated manually by a human operator, or go into scanning mode, where they rotate at about one rotation per minute. The video footage is checked out by an AI, which looks for smoke and fire; if it sees anything, it raises the alarm.

"We design the network of stations so that we can see fires from two stations. Next, we have our own proprietary algorithm where we triangulate and calculate the latitude and longitude that's really critical because you don't get this from your 911 call," Sonia Kastner, CEO of Pano AI explains. "Only 5% of 911 calls are actually a fire, so a 911 call needs to be verified by dispatching a truck. That takes a long time, and you can't launch a heavy response based on just one call. We double-check that [what the AI detected] is a true fire before we trigger an alert to the fire chief."

The combination of early detection and much higher fidelity of the alerts -- both in terms of what was detected and where, means that emergency responders can leave the helicopters and bulldozers safely parked when they aren't really needed -- or start moving them toward the fire hours before they would have been able to without Pano AI's systems.

The company just closed a Series A extension, and hints at the fundraising environment being hard at the moment.

"If the VC market hadn't taken a downturn, we would have raised a Series B this year. But there's been a pullback in the venture capital funding market. Valuations were down, but we're growing like crazy, and we decided to raise less capital," Kastner explains of the company's decision to raise less in 2023 and focus on a larger round next year. She believes the market is recovering as we speak. "We'll be able to raise a nice big Series B and continue on with our Series B plans. The wildfires aren't slowing down, so this additional capital now means that we don't have to slow anything down either."

Pano AI says it raised its current $17 million Series A extension at a slightly higher valuation than last year's $20 million Series A. The extension round was led by Valor Equity Partners, and added a couple of strategic investors too; T-Mobile Ventures and Salesforce.

"We have witnessed Pano AI's rise as an exemplary leader in climate adaptation. The team's unwavering commitment to innovation is fueling the development of transformative and scalable solutions to help combat the escalating devastation caused by wildfires," Abe Yokell, co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures said in a statement. "The urgency to mitigate and prevent the impacts of wildfires has never been more clear, and we are proud to continue supporting Pano's efforts to address these threats.

The partnership with T-Mobile is particularly interesting; Pano AI uses the company both for its 5G network and even uses some of the same masts to mount its hardware. The company's business model is interesting: Pano AI owns the cameras and infrastructure and sells licenses to its software to companies and organizations. Currently, Pano AI says most of its customers are power utilities, private landowners (such as ski resorts) and government fire agencies, whether on the local, regional or federal level. Notable customers of Pano AI include PacifiCorp, Xcel Energy, Portland General Electric (PGE), Holy Cross Energy, Big Sky Fire Department, Aspen Fire Protection District, Telluride Fire Protection District, Boulder County, Washington DNR, Forestry Corporation of NSW (Australia), Southern Cross Forests (Australia) and Noosa Council's FireTech Connect Program (Australia).

"Our price varies by customer; we customize the offering, but the typical pricing is $50,000 per station per year per customer," Kastner explains. The company says it is focusing on its first product for now, responding to international demand for its fire detection platform, before building out its product offering with a Series B financing in 2024. "So for a customer who is subscribing to 20 stations, it would be approximately a million dollars a year."

The company currently employs around 45 people, and says it is actively monitoring more than 6 million acres of land.

"I think we have about 100 units deployed, and we're going to be at hundreds by the end of this year," Kastner describes. "Right now we are growing rapidly in both the U.S. and Australia. We already have deployments in six states in the U.S., two states in Australia. We're starting some early discussions in Europe as well."
Michael K. Williams attends Netflixs FYSEE event for When They See Us on June 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

As Carlos Macci, one of the four men accused of selling fentanyl-laced heroin to late actor Michael K. Williams, awaits his sentencing, David Simonclose friend of Williams and co-creator of The Wireis making a surprising move on his behalf.

In a new report from The New York Times over the weekend, it was revealed that Simon wrote a three-page letter asking the judge presiding over the case to consider leniency for Macci. This ask is based on Simons belief that Williams would have wanted him to write the letter, citing the fact that the beloved actor always believed in taking responsibility for his own drug abuse habits and maintained a long-stated opposition to mass incarceration and the drug war. Maccis lawyer also approached Simon to write the letter, describing him as a thoughtful and eloquent voice about what the failure of the war on drugs has wrought.

Read more

What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy, Simon wrote in part. But I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty: First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened. And second, no possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction and who sold drugs not for profit but rather as someone caught up in the diaspora of addiction himself.

Simon later added of Williams: I never failed to see him take responsibility for himself and his decisions.

As previously reported by The Root, Macci is one of four men who are being charged in connection to the actors death in February 2022. According to the NYPD at the timeMacci, Irvin Cartagena, Hector Robles, and Luis Cruzhad been under investigation long before Williams died. Cartagena himself, however, was the only one seen on-camera handing the drugs directly to the Lovecraft Country star, thus resulting in him being charged directly with causing his death. Macci pleaded guilty to a lesser charge back in April and the cases against Robles and Cruz are still pending. Authorities alleged that the group, which actively sold fentanyl-laced heroin between August 2020 and February 2022, continued to do so even after becoming aware of Williams death.

Macci faces a recommended sentence of 10 years, though his lawyers are now aiming for time served since hes been in jail since February 2022.

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Woman dies after being swept away by rapid water in New York flash flood

A rare flash flood warning was in place for much of New York City into the early hours of Monday after heavy rains in the Northeast caused at least one death.

The warning, issued by federal forecasters Sunday night, applied to the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. In social media bulletins published in multiple languages, New York City Emergency Management warned residents in basements to seek higher ground.

Follow along for NBC News' live coverage here

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County, 60 miles north of New York City, where a woman in her 30s was swept away by rapid waters as she sought higher ground with her dog, County Executive Steven Neuhaus said.

The womans identity was unavailable.

Neuhaus said the hardest-hit communities include the village of Highland Falls, where the woman died, Fort Montgomery and West Point. First responders have received numerous reports of property damage and people trapped in vehicles, he said.

A vehicle on its side blocks a road Sunday in Orange County, New York. (Kristen Dyroff O'Dell)

The town of Cornwall, on the western shore of the Hudson River, declared a state of emergency and said in a statement that travel will be restricted to emergency vehicles.

Hochuls office said in a statement that 13,000 utility customers in the state were without power. Many were in the Hudson Valley, which includes Orange County.

Fort Montgomery resident Kristen Dyroff ODell said she was outside the town, cut off from her husband and three young boys without a way in. She said the National Guard was needed to restore access.

Our town is completely cut off from the rest of the world right now due to mudslides, sinkholes, washed away roads, flooding, brick walls crumbling and more, she said. Im separated from my kids right now in Monroe at a friends house after spending five hours trying multiple ways to get to Fort Montgomery. Every route was impassable."

Elsewhere, water rescues were made amid flooding in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, according to drone-based video from the area. Flooding was also reported in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Route 202 in Yorktown, N.Y. (Seth Harrison / The Journal News / USA Today Network)

While the National Weather Service office that serves Washington, D.C., and Baltimore said the storm had nearly cleared its area Sunday evening, the office that covers the Philadelphia region warned of possible hail and waterspouts along the New Jersey coast.

Air travelers in the Northeast were likely to face delays. La Guardia Airport in New York said the weather has caused flight disruptions. Boston Logan International Airport listed multiple flight delays and cancellations.

Airport officials advised travelers to reach out to their airlines to determine flight statuses.

Amtrak said late Sunday that train service between New York City and Albany, New York, had been suspended because of the weather.

The weather service said in a forecast discussion that the heavy rain was being produced by the clash of a relatively strong summer cold front with an unusual plume of tropical moisture.

It said the threat of flooding in Pennsylvania and New York on Sunday night would extend Monday to New England.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Police arrested a man in connection to the death of his girlfriend's friend after he accused her of stabbing him during an argument at a north Phoenix mobile home lot on Friday morning.

On Friday just after 7 a.m., Phoenix police officers responded to an emergency call of a woman shot at a mobile home lot near Cave Creek Road and Greenway Parkway.

When officers arrived, they found a woman, later identified as 31-year-old Stephanie Ellico, with a gunshot wound to the chest seated in the driver seat of a white Dodge truck, according to police.

A witness at the scene was interviewed by police and told officers she was moving out of her boyfriend Christian Ball's mobile home and her friend, Ellico, was helping her move. She stated that Ellico and Ball did not get along, according to police records.

While moving, an argument occurred inside the mobile home regarding access to possessions. It is unclear who started the argument from police records. All three people at the scene exited the mobile home and Ball ran to his vehicle, which was backed into the driveway, and opened the rear passenger door and then the front passenger door.

The two women realized he had obtained a semi-automatic gun from his vehicle. Ball then pointed the gun at Ellico, and she ducked. As she was ducking, Ball walked toward her and shot her, according to police reports.

At first, Ball's girlfriend believed he fired twice, but then clarified and said the first time he attempted to fire the gun, it did not fire. Ball then racked the gun and fired at Ellico one time, shooting her in the chest, said police.

During the altercation, Ball's girlfriend claimed to police that she saw Ball was bleeding, but she was unsure how he was injured. She did not see Ball nor Ellico with a knife.

Ball's girlfriend said she begged Ball not to shoot her. She helped Ellico to the driver's seat of her Dodge truck, which was parked in front of the unit, blocking the driveway. The girlfriend attempted to take Ellico to the hospital but was unable to find Ellico's keys, according to police.

While Ball's girlfriend searched for the keys, Ball got in his car and reversed into Ellico's truck, ramming it about three times, and then drove away from the scene, according to police records.

When police arrived, they located a holster, spent casing, and a projectile at the scene. They also noticed a blood trail from the inside of the mobile home to the area where Ball's car was parked, said police. A knife was located on the floor of Ellico's car.

On Friday evening, police located Ball in Tempe and interviewed him. He stated that Ellico stabbed him inside his mobile home. He said when they exited the mobile home, Ellico chased him around his car with a knife. He stopped telling investigators anything past that because he did not want to incriminate himself, according to police reports.

Ball did tell police that he was a prohibited possessor as he had been to prison before and had not restored his civil rights to possess a handgun. He told police he lost his handgun along with his backpack after the incident while walking through a wash, according to police records.

He was treated for a stab wound on his left forearm and charged with one count of prohibited possession. Additional charges relating to the homicide investigation will be submitted to the Maricopa County Attorneys Office for review.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix woman fatally shot while helping friend move, police say
Two newborns found dead last week in a Chicago day care center bathroom were discovered in a garbage bag after their mother  an employee at the facility  was found covered in blood near their bodies, new information in the case shows.

According to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun Times, a cleaning worker discovered the baby girls in a first-floor bathroom just before 7 p.m. Thursday at a child care center in Streeterville, a neighborhood in the city's Near North Side.

USA TODAY has requested a copy of the report from the Chicago Police Department.

The unconscious babies were taken to Lurie Childrens Hospital where police, last week said, they were pronounced dead.

A missing worker and a 911 call

The babies' 29-year-old mother, who works at the daycare, also takes a class at the Bright Horizons-operated facility, according to the report obtained by the outlet. When she missed a class Thursday, employees searched for her and, just before 6 p.m., found her in the bathroom and dialed 911.

The woman was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she underwent surgery, the outlet and local ABC 7 in Chicago reported.

About an hour after she was taken to the hospital, staff began cleaning the bathroom and discovered a black garbage bag in a cabinet with the newborns inside, the outlets reported.

It was not immediately known if she had been charged in connection to her twins' deaths.

Image of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago. Police said two newborns were found dead on July 6, 2023 in a Chicago day care center bathroom. They were taken to Lurie Children's Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Mississippi midwives' superpower: Listening when doctors do not

Hospital working with Chicago police on investigation

Their cause of death was not immediately known.

The daycare is on the Northwestern Memorial Hospital campus and no day care children were involved or impacted, hospital spokesman Christopher King told USA TODAY Monday.

The woman is not a Northwestern employee, King said, but employed by Bright Horizons.

We are working with CPD regarding this incident and unable to comment further at this time, King said in the statement.

An anti-abortion pregnancy centers win: Mississippi's anti-abortion pregnancy centers won. Now they're preparing for more babies

'A medical emergency'

Bright Horizons operates the Bernice E. Lavin Childhood Educational Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

According to a statement released to USA TODAY from Bright Horizons, the incident took place at the center when a staff member "experienced a medical emergency that resulted in the unanticipated delivery of newborn twin babies."

"All children and families enrolled at the center are safe and none were involved in the incident. We are providing emotional and mental health support to all members of our center team and families," the statement continued. "We ask for support and respect for everyone involved at this time as we grieve together and work to support each other and any ensuing investigation."

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago mother covered in blood after newborns discovered in garbage
Woman killed at Orlando apartment complex; suspect fatally shot during arrest in New Jersey

A 67-year-old woman was killed Friday evening at an Orlando apartment complex, and the 56-year-old man suspected of killing her was fatally shot Saturday in New Jersey, the Orlando Police Department said Monday.

Police were called shortly before 6:45 p.m. Friday to an apartment complex at Raper Dairy and Curry Ford roads after someone reported that a person was being attacked with a machete and a gun.

Investigators said they arrived at the scene within minutes and discovered Leonidas Duran lying unresponsive on grass at the apartment complex.

They said she had a gunshot wound and multiple lacerations, and her husband was discovered with a gunshot wound in the doorway of their apartment.

Read: Its been an honor: Popular Winter Park restaurant to close after almost 10 years in business

Duran was pronounced dead at the scene, and her husband was taken to a hospital and was stable.

Police said they quickly identified the suspect as Esteban De Jesus Jr., the adult son of Durans next-door neighbor.

De Jesus fled the scene, and an emergency warrant was issued for his arrest.

Read: FHP: Woman, 40, arrested in double fatal crash in Orange County

Police said the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located De Jesus shortly before 11:15 p.m. Saturday in Jersey City, New Jersey, and he was shot during his arrest.

He was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where he died while being treated.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General is investigating De Jesus arrest and shooting death.

Read: Larry Nassar, ex-gymnastics doctor, stabbed in prison

See a map of the scene below:

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Law enforcement officials say they rescued a young woman Sunday night who was allegedly kidnapped from the Kansas City area and taken about an hour away to Passaic, Missouri.

The Bates County Sheriffs Office learned around 10:15 p.m. that an 18-year-old was being held against her will and had been taken from the Kansas City area, according to a news release from the sheriffs office. The woman identified the suspects and their vehicle in a text to her mother, who told law enforcement officials.

Within minutes, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a Bates County sheriffs deputy saw the suspect vehicle in Passaic as it traveled into a construction zone on Interstate 49, according to the news release.

The trooper tried to stop the suspect vehicle near 52 Highway and I-49, but the pursuit continued until it was headed north on TT Highway. Thats where troopers deployed spike strips, causing the suspect vehicles tires to lose tread, officials said.

Two deputies used their vehicles to try to pin in the suspect vehicle, but it broke free. Then, Sheriff Chad Anderson, whod been called in to assist, peformed a PIT maneuver with his patrol truck and pushed the suspect vehicle to the side of the road where deputies could stop it.

Officials took the 20-year-old male driver to the sheriffs office pending formal charges, and a 17-year-old male passenger was turned over to the juvenile office.

The woman was rescued from the vehicle. She was taken to a hospital, where she was reunited with family and met by the Bates County Victim Advocate.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found a loaded Draco AK47 pistol. The suspect vehicle was towed from the scene.

The investigation is in its early stages, Anderson said in a statement. First thing in the morning the detectives will be assigned to the case and will work with the victim, her family and the Prosecutors Office to file the appropriate charges. The Victims Advocates Office will continue to work with the victim to make sure she has everything she needs to help.
Woman says she was never told her car would be totaled following wreck, parts taken from vehicle

Totaled and pulled apart-- thats how an Atlanta woman is describing her car after she says she was kept in the dark by her insurance company and that it would be totaled.

The car owner told Channel 2 Action News not only was she not informed but she later discovered parts were taken from her car.

Betty Hetherwick told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that she was just calling to check on the status of when repairs would be done when she found out the car had been totaled.

I still dont have the Lexus here, or the RX 350, Heterwick said. I thought it was in good hands.

She said she came to the shop and found parts like the headrest, emblem, and spare tire were just a few of the parts missing.

I was panic, panic. I dont think I ever had a panic attack, but I think I had one that day, Hetherwick said. It wasnt just the wreck that was missing, they had taken parts that had nothing to do with the wreck.

Hetherwick claims she was never notified by Caliber Collision of Buckhead or her insurance company, Nationwide, that her car had been totaled.

Has Nationwide given you any reason as to why they did not notify you? Lincoln asked Hetherwick.

No, Hetherwick said.

How does that make you feel? Lincoln asked Hetherwick.

Well, I dont feel like theyre on my side, Hetherwick said.

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In December, she said got into a minor accident with her car. During the next four months, she told Lincoln that she was in a back-and-forth with the collision company while awaiting parts.

She said after she called to check on the status of her car, the collision company told her:

They said, Didnt Nationwide call you? Because they salvaged your car last week, Hetherwick said.

She said when she got to the vehicle, parts were missing that had nothing to do with the original damage.

They had taken so much off of my car. They had taken almost $3,000 worth of parts off my car, Hetherwick said.

Caliber Collision confirmed with Channel 2 Action News that the ball was possibly dropped regarding notifying Hetherwick that her vehicle was being totaled.

Management said the SUV was totaled for reasons related to supply chain issues.

In an email from a Nationwide adjuster sent to Hetherwick after she questioned the insurance company on why she wasnt notified, the company said they decided to total the vehicle because a part was not available.

Prior to the pandemic, management said that wasnt a common reason to total a vehicle.

They also deny salvaging the vehicle for parts and said its typically normal to remove additional parts of a car when making major repairs.

This is so overwhelming what this has done to my life, Hetherwick said. You have to let people know youre doing this to them, and they didnt let me know

Nationwide told Lincoln that they are covering all of the repairs needed. Hetherwick said she has taken her car to a different body shop to be fixed.

She told Lincoln that she also had to pay nearly $3,000 out of pocket in rental car costs.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Woman wakes to discover dead bear in her front yard in California, she says

Amy Spada woke to discover a dead bear  covered by a sheet  sprawled in her front yard in Southern California, according to news outlets.

This morning I woke up to take my dog out, and there was a dead bear on my lawn with police tape, the Monrovia resident told KTLA on Sunday, July 9.

To be fair, it wasnt a complete surprise, Spada told the Los Angeles Times. Investigating police activity the night before, she learned an injured bear had holed up at her condominium complex after being hit by a car on a nearby road.

Even so, the discovery was horrible, just horrible, Spada told the publication. Police returned to pick up the bears body at about 8 p.m., she said.

Its just really sad, Spada told KTLA, adding that bears, deer, and coyotes are often seen in the neighborhood.

Monrovia is about 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

What to do if you see a bear

Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.

There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.

Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize youre a human and nonthreatening.

Stay calm: Bears usually dont want to attack; they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.

Dont scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.

Pick up small children: Dont let kids run away from the bear. It could think theyre small prey.

Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.

Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Dont make any sudden movements.

Dont drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.

Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.

Again, dont run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.

Dont climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.

Driver hears strange noises from car  and discovers stowaway creature under hood

Bear getting in chicken pen is shot and euthanized, SC officials say. Man not charged

Sign warned hikers of bear activity in the area  until bears came and ripped it up
Zemliachky Archives

KYIVVladimir Putins war has been grueling for hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting against Russian troops on the front linesbut the invasion has been particularly brutal on the roughly 60,000 women serving in the Ukrainian army, according to multiple sources who spoke with The Daily Beast.

Besides the regular horrors of war, Ukrainian women who spoke with The Daily Beast said that the lack of appropriate equipment and resources for female soldiers often puts them in greater danger than their male counterpartsincluding ill-fitting uniforms, boots, body armor, and tools to help them relieve themselves on the battlefield.

Try to go to the toilet in the woods at 4 degrees Fahrenheit... All of us got cystitis or inflammation of the ovaries and back pain, one 24-year-old Ukrainian soldier, Julia, told The Daily Beast in Kyiv this week. After a year of the war we have a bouquet of all sorts of health issues. (Julia and several other women who spoke with The Daily Beast for this story asked to be identified only by their first names.)

Julias 28-year-old sister, Alina, is also serving in Ukraines armed forces. In an interview with The Daily Beast alongside her sister, she said the health issues caused by the lack of female urination devices or diapers as the least of the problems we have.

Women in the army are often forced to stumble in mens shoes that are too big, or run in huge pants that slow them down in critical situations, Alina said.

A Ukrainian women soldier 28-year-old Svetlana, who served as a captain in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is seen on the frontline in Donbass, Donetsk, Ukraine on August 15, 2022. (Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

But the hardest is to run in the armys standard, 30-pound-bulletproof vestwhich just never fits snugly to the body with boobs like mine, she said. If I take the army armor off and get wounded or get killed, there would be no compensation paid to me or my family. Our lives, our security often depend on what we wear on our body and our feet, how healthy we are.

Before the war, the two sisters worked as programmers in the tech industry and had just saved up enough money for a planned vacation to Bali. All that changed in February last year, when they canceled their tropical getaway and opted instead to volunteer in the fight against Putins invasionfirst on the outskirts of Kyiv, then in Donetsk.

More than 100 military women have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, either in combat on the front lines, during evacuation missions, or while working with the press. But many of the basic issues hindering women in the war appear to be avoidable: Experts and soldiers who spoke to The Daily Beast said they believe that access to uniforms, medicine, and equipment specific to the needs of women would translate to more success on the battlefield.

Tortured Ukrainian Women Forced to Chant Glory to Putin!

There are some efforts in Ukraine to address this problem. The Daily Beast met with Alina and Julia at a warehouse event organized by the charity organization Zemliachky, a group dedicated to supporting Ukrainian military women, where a limited supply of new summer uniforms designed for women were showcased and distributed. At the event, organizers explained that they negotiated with army officials to approve the uniform, which features lighter body armor that is specifically designed for the female body.

Addressing the uniforms at a press conference on Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that additional models of body armor and helmets for women are already being tested in combat units. When there is a conclusion, the ministry by its order will approve the standard and officially order them for the system of defense.

Ukrainian soldier Runa. Zemliachky Archives

Runa, a petite 28-year-old army volunteer, was thrilled when she got her new uniform from Zemliachky. Before that, the former Kyiv floristwho now commands an artillery unitwas wearing uniforms about four times her size, including 30 pounds of body armor that made her muscles ache. It fits perfectly even for me, whose size is hard to find, she said in a video showcasing the uniform.

The founder of Zemliachky, Andriy Kolesnyk, told The Daily Beast that the organization currently has enough funds to get uniforms to only 10 percent of the 9,000 women who need them.

We have to provide women with hundreds of items but the priority ones are uniformswe need $1 million to produce uniforms and shoes for all women. We need just $1 million to dress up all of our women defenders in the right-sized uniforms this summer. Both their effectiveness and security depend on how freely they can move, run, crawl, load weapons, or operate a drone, he said.

During the event, Ksenia Draganyuk, a 27-year-old military volunteer who supports the organization, pulled out a box labeled Feminine Urinary Director.

Ukrainian soldier Ksenia. Zemliachky Archives

Here is what us girls use, when there is no chance to pee. When we asked all our girl soldiers about their health issues, 90 percent of them complained of cystitis and yeast infections, she said. So our job is to make sure women soldiers stay healthy because they are Ukraines future mothers.

Despite shortages in even the most basic resources like sanitary pads, the dedication of scores of Ukrainian women who are fighting in the war is unwavering, Kolesnyk told The Daily Beast.

For a housewife somewhere in Oregon, it would probably sound crazy that pregnant women fight on the front to defend Ukraine, but our country is constantly under attack, so even pregnant women fight against Russian invaders until they are seven months pregnant. I currently have requests for specially designed uniforms and other important items from at least 10 pregnant soldiers, he said. We have shortages for every single item So far nobody has managed to actually help.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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This photo taken with a mobile phone shows rescuers working at the site of a traffic accident where a bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned in Rayong Province, Thailand, on July 9, 2023. Two Chinese tourists were being treated at hospital but not in severe condition after the bus overturned, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand said on Monday. According to the embassy, the bus was carrying 24 Chinese tourists from the eastern Rayong Province to the resort city of Pattaya when it overturned due to heavy rain and slippery roads Sunday afternoon. (Xinhua)

BANGKOK, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese tourists are still being treated in the hospital but not in severe condition after a bus overturned in Thailand, the Chinese embassy in Thailand said Monday.

According to the embassy, the bus was carrying 24 Chinese tourists from the eastern Rayong Province to the resort city of Pattaya when it overturned due to heavy rain and slippery roads on Sunday afternoon.

Injured passengers were immediately sent to a local hospital for treatment. As of Monday morning, 2 tourists are still in the hospital for treatment, while the rest have been discharged.

According to Thai media reports, four people on the bus were at one point trapped in the vehicle after the accident, but were rescued by the rescue team. The local police said they would further investigate the cause of the accident.

Thailand is now in the rainy season and the meteorological department has predicted heavy rain across the country in recent days, warning against floods and mudslides caused by continuous rain in some areas. 

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows police officers working at the site of a traffic accident where a bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned in Rayong Province, Thailand, on July 9, 2023. Two Chinese tourists were being treated at hospital but not in severe condition after the bus overturned, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand said on Monday. According to the embassy, the bus was carrying 24 Chinese tourists from the eastern Rayong Province to the resort city of Pattaya when it overturned due to heavy rain and slippery roads Sunday afternoon. (Xinhua)

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows the scene of a traffic accident where a bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned in Rayong Province, Thailand, on July 9, 2023. Two Chinese tourists were being treated at hospital but not in severe condition after the bus overturned, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand said on Monday. According to the embassy, the bus was carrying 24 Chinese tourists from the eastern Rayong Province to the resort city of Pattaya when it overturned due to heavy rain and slippery roads Sunday afternoon. (Xinhua)
CHICAGO  Heather Beaubien doesnt believe in rock bottom.

Not when she dropped her son off at school in the morning and stopped at a liquor store five minutes later. Not during the moments shed dig through clothing drawers for stashed drugs and liquor and light up with a Christmas-morning feeling upon finding it. And not when she went for months without a proper shower and found herself crawling naked to let the cops in at the door of her own home.

No matter how deep she sank into addiction, it was the recovery community that helped her find her way out. After decades of alcohol and opioid addiction, Beaubien said her life changed permanently when she finally got tired of digging, but also tired of hiding.

Now, as a resident at Phoenix Recovery Support Services and addiction and recovery support counselor at Family Guidance Centers, Beaubien doesnt hide anything. Shes one of the lucky few in recovery who has been able to get residential treatment in Chicago, as many people in her situation arent housed because of a lack of insurance, insufficient government-supplied beds and space  and stigma, which disproportionately affects women.

The stigma is huge and its a shame. A lot of it has to do with funding. Theres not enough funding. People still dont believe this stuff is a disease, she said. Its exhausting to hide who you are and what youve been through. And theres no reason to feel ashamed.

Traditionally, individuals affected by past drug epidemics have been overwhelmingly male, said Andrew Kolodny, medical director for the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University. But in the past quarter-century, those who developed an opioid addiction mostly started on prescription opioids, he said, and there is now a more even split between genders.

Once you have this even split, you need to increase your capacity to treat women. And so despite the fact that this current epidemic began 25 years ago, were still playing catch-up and we still dont have adequate treatment resources for women, said Kolodny.

The standard of care for opioid use disorder is to at least assess if people need residential treatment, said Lindsay Allen, a professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine who recently published a study about the use of residential opioid use disorder treatment among Medicaid enrollees in nine states.

The American Society for Addiction Medicine has an established criteria to determine the most appropriate treatment path for a persons needs, strengths and support system, among other variables. But just 7.5% of Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder receive residential treatment, Allens study shows.

State mental health agency expenditure per capita in Illinois is in the bottom 20% of all states, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Women bear the brunt of this lack of support, said Allen.

Following the closure of The Womens Treatment Center in the West Loop about two years ago, support from Phoenix Recovery, a residential home offering services to people with diagnosed substance misuse issues, is filling a large gap in recovery home care in Chicago.

Phoenix Recovery currently provides recovery home support to 30 women and 65 men. Residents attend outpatient programming and in-house groups, 12-step meetings, life skills training, financial literacy and more, according to Hernandez. They stay for up to a year, or as long as is necessary to get on their feet, start working and transition into their own housing.

We definitely get a lot more calls from men than women, said Vauna Hernandez, executive director of Phoenix Recovery.

She has been through recovery herself, she said, but for years she wouldnt talk about it.

Hernandez sat on a wooden chair to the side of a routine Tuesday night Recovery Education Meeting at Phoenix Recovery in early June and clapped and laughed as residents stood up to share. She has a professional demeanor, and wore her hair slicked back into a bun, a blue blazer and dress flats.

People who are in recovery look just like everybody else. There is no difference. We pay taxes, we vote, were involved in our communities, she said.

Phoenix Recovery accepts residents of all kinds, including those on medications for opioid use disorder, or MOUD, previously referred to as medication-assisted treatment, according to Kolodny. MOUD is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as treatment with the use of methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone, in combination with counseling without medication.

Kolodny said that while MOUD has garnered a lot more support than it did when it was originally introduced, there are still many residential treatment programs across the country that dont admit people who use the combination of FDA-approved drugs with behavioral therapy.

We take people who are on it and there is no difference to us with MAR (medication-assisted recovery) than it is with diabetes medication or high blood pressure medication. It is medication, said Hernandez.

Thirty-two of the 95 Phoenix Recovery residents use MOUD, 15 of whom are women. Even though she condones it, she still advises residents to avoid talking about their medication, she said.

Its nobodys business. We dont run around talking about how many milligrams of insulin we take. Right? So why should you be talking about the medication your doctor prescribed for your recovery? she said.

Beaubien isnt on MOUD herself, but said it helps many people who have been using for years stay comfortable. Its for survival and maintenance of the treatment of the disease, she said.

Because once you have the disease, it doesnt not go away, she said. Your body is chemically and physically changed forever. Its changed. Its like having congestive heart failure.

At the recovery education meeting, Phoenix Recovery residents gathered in the fluorescently lit basement of a large brick building in Austin recounting their recovery processes  shaking, crying, laughing. Of all different ages and backgrounds, people shared how many kids were in their families, their goals, breakthrough moments and career aspirations.

Their messages of vulnerability were met with roaring applause and encouragement from other residents at the house.

Last week, I lost my best friend. Thursday, which I hadnt shared, I lost my brother, said resident Sherri Burdine through tears, pressing her hands together and putting them to her forehead.

Murmurs came from the crowd.

Its OK, Sherri, we got you, residents said. God has got you, Sherri.

Allen from Northwestern said substance use disorder can affect women throughout their journey as mothers.

Women tend to keep their drug use private, for a whole bunch of reasons  cultural and practical, Allen said. Theyre fearful their kids will be taken from them.

Service chief of inpatient addiction medicine at PCC Community Wellness Center Dr. Ruchi Fitzgerald works with other addiction medicine specialists to provide hospital-based addiction medicine treatment to medically underserved populations on the West Side of Chicago, including older adults and pregnant and postpartum persons with substance use disorders.

(Fitzgerald) is dealing with these women who are afraid to come in, said Hernandez.

Fitzgerald is well-versed in the legal and child care welfare system, and helps women create family care plans for at-birth crises  situations where the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services can be called due to a patients substance use during pregnancy.

Theres no question about it, this population  pregnant and parenting  is the most stigmatized and shunned population, Fitzgerald said. Theyre often using alone, and theyre very fearful.

Fitzgerald said the federal and state governments should prioritize programs that allow mothers to access treatment with their children, and allow them to have evidence-based treatment and prenatal care with access to a long-term recovery home. The rise in fentanyl, xylazine and stimulants has only increased the need for services for pregnant and postpartum women who are at high risk of maternal mortality, she said.

There are a paucity of resources available for pregnant and postpartum patients, especially those who live in poverty, who have substance use disorder and are involved in the child welfare system  despite the fact that Illinois law is supposed to prioritize pregnant and postpartum women for substance use disorder treatment, she said.

Peer doula Michelle Kavouras at PCC has lived experience having a child while using substances and said it was just horrific how (she) was treated and not provided resources. She works with people who are pregnant and using to demonstrate what resources might be helpful, and to be an advocate for them during their pregnancy journey, birth journey and postpartum journey.

She makes sure they understand all their options for care. There is a team of specialists that help them get connected to partners in the community to find the best possible outcome for them and their family, she said.

Unfortunately, a lot of people who come to us are unhoused, Kavouras said.

Fitzgerald worked with statewide organizations on proposed legislation that would have repealed punitive policies affecting pregnant and parenting individuals with a substance use disorder, but the bill never made it out of committee this session despite support from multiple agencies across the state including DCFS and the Illinois Collaboration on Youth.

A punitive approach must end and we must use our federal and state dollars allocated for our children and families appropriately  for treatment, prevention and for services; not for separation. Otherwise we will continue to see rising rates of homelessness in women, children, rising foster care rates and rising maternal mortality rates due to drug overdose, said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat from Chicago who sponsored the bill.

Beaubien said addiction is different for everyone, never-ending, hour to hour.

She has a light red tattoo on her forearm that reads My story isnt over yet, and wore a lace cardigan with and balanced sunglasses on her temple.

Women are supposed to carry themselves in society in a certain way. People dont realize that women can experience addiction just as bad, if not worse, she said.

She said she wished she had registered for residential treatment years earlier, when her son, Brodie, was 3 or 4.

God, I would have saved so much time, she said. The worst thing you could steal from anyone is time.

Just because shes not taking a pill or having a drink now, she said, doesnt mean shes not still exhibiting addictive behavior, scrolling on Amazon marketplace or running to Whole Foods after work to buy a pint of ice cream.

She glowed when she talked about son Brodie, whos nearly 11, but recalled his fourth birthday party at a waterpark when she experienced serious withdrawal symptoms and started seizing.

I feel like the ultimate loser mom. I havent seen my kid since April of last year, since I got myself stuck up here in recovery, she said.

Beaubien has been sober for about two years, she said. Shes been at Phoenix Recovery almost a year.

Hernandez said the best part of her job is seeing residents transform. Sometimes they show her mug shots of what they looked like before they went into recovery and they look unrecognizable from the people they are today, she said. Many arrive without a birth certificate, Social Security card or ID.

But Phoenix Recovery has only 100 beds and an extensive waiting list, even though the cost to house someone in a recovery home is less than the costs of repeated hospital stays from overdoses and treatments, Hernandez said.

We just cant house everybody, she said. There arent enough recovery homes.

Patrick Love, who led the recovery education meeting, repeatedly thanked the government funds Phoenix Recovery received to make the meeting possible.

Beaubien sat on a couch against the wall, her head cocked slightly to the side.

Its like family. We love, we hate, we fight. Its like having a ton of brothers and sisters. We have to be resilient, she said.

Love paced as he spoke to the crowd. Some residents in the audience took notes as he spoke. Some wiped tears from the corners of their eyes.

Be consistent with it. Are you familiar with the dance of life? Two steps forward, one step back, Love said.

He stepped forward and back on the gray tiled floor.
Worcester man sentenced to 12 years in prison on child porn charges

WORCESTER  A Worcester man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison and eight years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography.

Kenneth Gianatasio, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni in Worcester federal court, according to a Monday news release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.

According to the statement, Gianatasio initiated a conversation on Kik Messenger Aug. 5, 2019, with an undercover agent who said they had an underage daughter.

During the conversation, Gianatasio allegedly requested to meet the person to engage in sexual activity with the daughter.

Gianatasio was later interviewed by law enforcement and is reported to have said he used Kik to communicate with parents for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with underage girls.

A search of his cellphone and iPad yielded videos of child pornography, the U.S. attorney's office said.

On March 14, Gianatasio pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Kenneth Gianatasio of Worcester sentenced on child porn charges
Juris Zarins, a world-renowned archeologist, completed expeditions and excavations in multiple parts of the world but favored the Middle East.

A renowned Middle East archeologist and professor emeritus at Missouri State University  whose 1992 discovery of the ancient city of Ubar drew international acclaim  died unexpectedly Saturday in New Mexico.

Juris Zarins, 78, spent nearly three decades educating future archeologists and anthropologists at Missouri State. He took advanced students on expeditions to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman and Yemen.

His discovery of the ancient city on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula was hailed by Time magazine as the No. 3 scientific development of 1992. Discover magazine called it one of the top science stories of that year.

"He was an engaging person, someone who had lots of energy, a wonderful sense of humor and a command of his field, the literature and the history of the time periods he was working with," said Victor Matthews, who retired June 30 as dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs. "He was really a wonderful source of information and a great colleague."

Missouri State, where Zarins taught from 1978 to 2006, listed the archaeological find among its top milestones in the first century of the university.

In the mid-1990s, Zarins and his work was featured on a Nova PBS program called "Lost City of Arabia."

Matthews added: "He was the Indiana Jones in essence of the department."

Juris Zarins

Matthews, who spent 39 years at the university, said Zarins structured his contract so he was able to be in the field, often overseas, for a portion of most years. He took students on expeditions and brought that hands-on knowledge back to the classroom.

"Juris was kind of a unique character. He loved his work as an archeologist, he enjoyed his students but always felt his place was more in the Middle East than it was here," he said.

He said the work of Zarins and other anthropologists grew interest in the Missouri State program.

"Fieldwork was really a big deal and it set the stage ultimately for what the program has become since then with a real emphasis on doing study away," he said.

Zarins, drafted by the U.S. Army, served in Vietnam

Born to Latvian parents in Germany at the end of World War II, Zarins completed his undergraduate work at the University of Nebraska and a doctorate in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Archeology at the University of Chicago.

In between degrees, he was drafted and served in the First Calvary Division of the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.

His graduate work included excavations in Sweden, France, Turkey and Iraq. He studied cuneiform writing and his dissertation was on the domestication of equids, a mammal in the horse family in Mesopotamia.

Juris Zarins, a professor of anthropology at Missouri State University, made overseas expeditions a priority in his career.

Zarins became an authority on pastoral nomadism in the Middle East and wrote about obsidian trade in the Red Sea, early use of indigo, and the domestication of the camel.

Early on at Missouri State, Zarins was also an archeology and museum advisor with the department of antiquities in Saudi Arabia.

He spent three years as a consultant archeologist in Oman in the 1990s.

Shortly after retiring from Missouri State, Zarins was the archeology field director at the American Foundation for the Study of Man in Yemen.

He spent six years as archeology and museum consultant in Oman for the Office of His Majesty the Sultan's Advisor for Cultural Affairs.

Finding lost city using images from space

In the early 1990s, officials with Missouri State  then known as Southwest Missouri State University  said the role Zarins played in finding the lost city of Ubar increased interest in the anthropology program.

Zarins was chief archeologist for the expedition but his assistant and a group of MSU students were also part of the team.

Here are details about the discovery, according to 1992 and 1993 articles in the News-Leader:

Scientists believe that Ubar sank beneath the Arabian sand 2,000 years ago;

The city once flourished as the lucrative trade center for frankincense, a fragrant gum resin harvested farther south;

According to legend, Ubar known as Iram, the "city of towers" was destroyed in a violent windstorm sent by an angry god;

Before his untimely death in 1935, Lawrence of Arabia planned to search for the city, which was a probable source for the frankincense that the three wise men presented to the baby Jesus;

Findings include parts of the city's eight 30-foot mud-brick towers, various rooms, incense burners and thousands of pieces of pottery. They also found five pieces of a chess set that dates to the 10th century A.D.

The expedition used pictures from the space shuttle Challenger to find Ubar in a remote area of Oman.

More: Historic marker celebrating area's first African American USO Club installed in Lebanon

In a 1992 article, Zarins explained that the modern technology used to find and excavate the site was part of why it was noteworthy.

"There is the Biblical aspect and the fact that Ubar was known for the trade of frankincense," he said in 1993. "It gives a positive image to the country of Oman."

The discovery suggested the frankincense trade routes crossed the Arabian desert thousands of years prior to when historians and archeologists had originally estimated.

Matthews said the attention Zarins received for his work helped raise the profile of the university and the program.

"Anytime you get good publicity in major outlets like National Geographic and PBS and so on, it is always great for the university and I'm sure it attracted students," he said.

"If we were talking about someone who made an impact on people's lives and who was a memorable character, that is Juris."

Juris Zarins spent 28 years as a professor of anthropology at Missouri State University. He retired in 2006.

Lynne Newton, his wife for the past 16 years, served as co-director of a groundbreaking archaeological survey called the Mahra Archaeology Project, along with George Hedges, from 1996 to 2001.

Newton and Zarins were field partners for excavations at Al Baleed, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they worked to continue an archaeological survey of Dhofar.

At the time of his death, he was researching a book he planned to write.

"Juris was the love of my life. He trained me as an archaeologist and I am so grateful for the opportunity to join our lives and work in Oman and Yemen," Newton said Monday. "He was brilliant, funny and loving  he lit up any room he walked into. He touched so many peoples' lives and it is a void that cannot be filled."

Zarins, who lived in New Mexico with Newton, had four sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.

The family is planning a memorial in Springfield.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Renowned MSU archeologist who discovered lost city of Ubar remembered
World's war on greenhouse gas emissions has a military blind spot FILE PHOTO: US and South Korean troops hold live-fire drills in Pocheon

By Sarah McFarlane and Valerie Volcovici

LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When it comes to taking stock of global emissions, there's an elephant in the room: the world's armed forces.

As temperatures hit new highs, scientists and environmental groups are stepping up pressure on the U.N. to force armies to disclose all their emissions and end a long-standing exemption that has kept some of their climate pollution off the books.

Among the world's biggest consumers of fuel, militaries account for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2022 estimate by international experts.

But defence forces are not bound by international climate agreements to report or cut their carbon emissions, and the data that is published by some militaries is unreliable or incomplete at best, scientists and academics say.

That's because military emissions abroad, from flying jets to sailing ships to training exercises, were left out of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gases - and exempted again from the 2015 Paris accords - on the grounds that data about energy use by armies could undermine national security.

Now, environmental groups Tipping Point North South and The Conflict and Environment Observatory, along with academics from the British universities of Lancaster, Oxford and Queen Mary are among those pushing for more comprehensive and transparent military emissions reporting, using research papers, letter campaigns, and conferences in their lobbying drive.

In the first five months of 2023, for example, at least 17 peer reviewed papers have been published, three times the number for all of 2022 and more than the previous nine years combined, according to one campaigner who tracks the research.

The groups also wrote in February to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) calling on the United Nation's climate body to include all military emissions given their significance for comprehensive global carbon accounting.

"Our climate emergency can no longer afford to permit the 'business as usual' omission of military and conflict-related emissions within the UNFCCC process," the groups wrote.

Emissions accounting will come into focus in the first global stocktake - an assessment of how far behind countries are from the Paris climate goals - due to take place at the COP28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates starting on Nov. 30.

"The omission of conflict-related emissions in UNFCCC accounting is a glaring gap," said Axel Michaelowa, founding partner of Perspectives Climate Group, adding that hundreds of millions of tons of carbon emissions may be unaccounted for.

'RECOVERY AND PEACE'

For now, however, there are few signs there will be any tangible response to the lobbying drive this year.

The UNFCCC said in an emailed response to questions that there were no concrete plans to amend guidance on military emissions accounting, but that the issue could be discussed at future summits, including at COP28 in Dubai.

Asked whether military emissions would be discussed at the U.N. summit, the UAE presidency said one of its thematic days during the two-week summit would be "relief, recovery and peace", without giving further details.

There are signs, however, that some militaries are preparing for changes in their reporting requirements in the coming years, while others are making strides to cut their climate impact.

NATO, the 31-country Western security alliance, for example, told Reuters it has created a methodology for its members to report their military emissions.

Countries such as New Zealand are exploring whether to add previously excluded areas, such as emissions from overseas operations, while Britain and Germany are looking to address grey areas in their reporting, defence officials said.

And Washington sent U.S. Army and Navy representatives to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last year, the first time a Pentagon delegation has attended the global climate summit.

"What I think that signified is that we are part of the conversation, we are certainly emitters when it comes to fossil fuels and energy," Meredith Berger, assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment at the U.S. Navy and one of the Pentagon delegates, told Reuters.

The U.S. military's oil use and emissions are falling.

The U.S. Defence Logistics Agency, which oversees oil buying, said 84 million barrels were purchased in 2022, down almost 15 million from 2018. Emissions in 2022, meanwhile, fell to 48 million tonnes from 51 million tonnes the previous year.

The U.S. Department of Defense said those figures included all emissions, but that it stripped out international transport and bunker fuels from the numbers reported to the UNFCCC.

MORE DRONES

Neta Crawford, a professor of international relations at Oxford University, said U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq, the adoption of renewable energy technologies, more fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as fewer and smaller military exercises, had contributed to the declines in the fuel use.

The wider use of drones may also have helped.

"One of the biggest emissions reduction technologies has been the used of unmanned aerial vehicles - drones," said a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "When you take a human out of the aircraft, you get dramatically improved energy performance."

Groups lobbying the U.N. to lift the military exemptions point to a surge in emissions related to the Ukraine conflict as a good reason for the change.

"Ukraine has absolutely brought the spotlight onto this issue in a way that other conflicts have not," said Deborah Burton at environmental group Tipping Point North South.

A report from Dutch carbon accounting expert Lennard de Klerk estimated the first 12 months of the war in Ukraine will trigger a net increase of 120 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the annual output of Singapore, Switzerland and Syria combined.

And academics from Oxford and Queen Mary University of London are holding a conference on military emissions in Oxford on Sept. 26, with the aim of generating new research that could help inform changes to reporting requirements.

Ukraine's environment ministry spokesperson said it supports the efforts and would seek backing from governments at COP28 for more transparent military emissions reporting.

'FREE RIDE'

While the Ukraine war has heightened the focus among climate activists on military emissions, some experts say it is a distraction for governments focused on regional security, and that could slow discussions in the near term.

"It's important to understand the Ukraine crisis has made this a little bit more complicated," said James Appathurai, NATO's deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges.

Some militaries say publishing details on their oil use would be a window into their overseas operations.

"We would not want to let everybody know how much fuel we use in these missions  how far we fly, how far we drive, and what our exercise patterns are," said Markus Ruelke, from the German defence ministry's environmental protection unit.

Some military emissions are recorded under unspecified fuel combustion in the U.N.'s reporting tables, the UNFCCC said.

In the meantime, global military emissions will remain poorly understood, said Stuart Parkinson, executive director of the group Scientists for Global Responsibility.

"It's all very well telling people to stop flying or switch to an electric car, whether that's an expense or inconvenience to them, but it's hard to do that when the military gets a free ride," he said.

(Reporting by Sarah McFarlane and Valerie Volcovici; Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and David Clarke)
NEW YORK  Injured Yankees slugger Aaron Judge wont attend the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, choosing instead to focus on rehabbing his ailing big toe, he announced Sunday night.

Judge, the reigning AL MVP, was voted an outfield starter by the fans, despite not playing since June 3.

I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all the fans who voted me in as a starter for the 2023 All-Star game in Seattle, Judge wrote on Instagram. I feel truly blessed to be included in this group of outstanding players  it is an honor to be among those names.

Unfortunately, I will not be making the trip to Seattle, Judge continued. I plan to take this time to heal and rehab so I can get back on the field for my team and all of you.

Judge, 31, is a five-time All-Star. He hit .291 with 19 home runs and 40 RBIs through 49 games before tearing a ligament in his right big toe on a running catch into the right field wall at Dodger Stadium. Neither Judge nor the Yankees have said when the star slugger will return.

Judge set an AL record last season with 62 home runs and signed a nine-year, $360 million contract in the offseason to remain with the Yankees. He was named the teams first captain since Derek Jeter, who retired in 2014.

The Yankees only other All-Star is ace Gerrit Cole, who is 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA this season.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she believes the United States and China want to stabilize their economic ties with "candor" and "respect."

Yellen told American Public Media's Marketplace in an interview taped shortly before her departure from Beijing on Sunday that she believed her trip, during which both sides discussed "significant disagreements," had succeeded in putting a floor under the relationship.

"There are challenges, but I believe there is a desire on both sides to stabilize the relationship and to constructively address problems that each of us see in our relationship, to do so frankly, with candor, with respect and to build a productive relationship going forward," she said.

Yellen told Marketplace that the visit had been constructive and allowed her to make clear that U.S. export controls and other actions were motivated by national security concerns and to diversify supply chains, not to gain unfair economic advantage.

"I spent many hours with my counterpart going through in detail our concerns and addressing them and making clear that they have an open channel of communication," Yellen said.

Both sides, she said, agreed to "maintain open channels of communication and deepen our discussion of concerns that one another have."

With U.S.-China relations at a low over national security issues -- including Taiwan, U.S. export bans on advanced technologies and China's state-led industrial policies -- Washington has been trying to repair ties between the world's two biggest economies.

Yellen's trip followed one by Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month, the first trip by the top U.S. diplomat in Democrat Joe Biden's presidency. Climate envoy John Kerry is expected to visit China this month.

Yellen underscored that Washington was not looking to decouple from the Chinese economy, as Beijing fears, and noted that the United States and China would have almost $700 billion in trade this year, benefiting both sides.

She said China has made many advances in recent years, including addressing a serious pollution problem in Beijing.

China, still the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, has also invested in technological innovation - in electric cars, electric batteries and renewable energy - that could drive down the cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and around the world.

"This is one of the most important bilateral relationships and economic and financial relationships that we have," Yellen said.

(This story has been corrected to say that Marketplace is produced by American Public Media, not NPR, in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, after meeting top Chinese officials including Vice Premier He Lifeng, says both sides want to constructively address problems (Pedro PARDO)

Washington and Beijing both want to stabilize US-China ties and deal constructively with problems in their relationship, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview airing on Monday.

Yellen's comments on National Public Radio's Marketplace program come after a four-day visit to Beijing during which she met with China's new economic leadership team.

"There are challenges, but I believe there is a desire on both sides to stabilize the relationship and to constructively address problems that each of us see," Yellen said of the world's two biggest economies.

The aim is to do so "frankly, with candor, with respect and to build a productive relationship going forward," she added.

Calling her trip successful, Yellen added that the United States and China have "grown apart" with misunderstandings developing between them.

To put a floor under relations and improve them eventually, "it's necessary to meet to discuss our differences openly with respect, candidly, and to develop channels of regular communication," she said.

"That certainly was a major goal of my trip. I think it was successful in that sense," she told Marketplace.

Yellen met with officials including Premier Li Qiang, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Finance Minister Liu Kun and Pan Gongsheng, whom US officials described as the head of China's central bank.

While the visit did not produce specific breakthroughs, Washington and Beijing have agreed to continue exchanges.

Yellen said the United States is open to hearing Chinese concerns and when asked about reciprocity, she said: "We fully expect to have more frequent communications at many different levels and have opportunities to explore concerns."

With trade curbs high on the laundry list of disagreements, Yellen told journalists Sunday that new moves would be implemented in "a transparent way" and "narrowly" at sectors where there are specific national security worries.

"I want to allay their fears that we would do something that would have broad-based impacts on the Chinese economy," she said.

A Treasury official said on condition of anonymity that both sides talked about what US curbs on outbound investments might hypothetically look like.

Both sides also spoke at length about market access and China's treatment of US firms, the official said, adding that Washington is keen on more high-level engagements.

bys/dw
State of emergency declared in Vermont as torrential downpours and flash floods cut off towns

Rescue teams raced to Vermont on Monday after heavy downpours across the Northeast washed out roads and forced evacuations. One woman was killed in New York and dozens of others had to be rescued from submerged cars.

Torrents poured through the verdant landscape and small towns of the state after Vermont Governor Philip Scott declared a state of emergency on Sunday. He told a press conference that this may be just the start of what well see as rainfall continues and will worsen over the next several hours.

Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue said crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping to get to towns that have been unreachable since torrents of rain belted the state overnight.

Cannon said the hardest hit area are along the mountainous areas of the Green Mountains in the states southern and central counties. The towns of Londonderry and Weston were inaccessible, and rescuers were heading there to do welfare checks. A state park in Plymouth was being evacuated, and water levels at several dams were being monitored.

On Sunday, video footage showed floodwaters surging down residential streets after a large storm system dumped rain across the Hudson Valley on its slow trudge east.

More heavy downpours were expected across the US Northeast on Monday with flash flood warnings also in place for parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Some areas could receive as much as five inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The body of a woman in her 30s was found in the Hudson Valley by rescue teams. She drowned after being swept away in the floods while trying to evacuate her home, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told WABC-TV.

Her house was completely surrounded by water, Mr Neuhaus said. She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, he added, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.

Many roads were inundated with flooding and several bridges collapsed, according to law enforcement agencies, with early estimates of millions of dollars in damage.

Our town is completely cut off from the rest of the world right now due to mudslides, sinkholes, washed away roads, flooding, brick walls crumbling and more, Fort Montgomery resident Kristen Dyroff ODell told NBC News.

Im separated from my kids right now in Monroe at a friends house after spending five hours trying multiple ways to get to Fort Montgomery. Every route was impassable.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Sunday for Orange County, around an hour north of New York City, where life-threatening flooding developed in a matter of hours.

The amount of water is extraordinary and its still a very dangerous situation, Ms Hochul said.

My biggest concern is the fact that most peoples lives that are lost during a flood event occur because theyre in their vehicles  not in their homes, but in their vehicles. And I want people to be very cautious about not going into a road thats closed or if you see any running water, she said.

The area around West Point in the Hudson Valley got more than 7.5 inches of rainfall over six hours on Sunday, according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A flood watch was in place until 6am on Monday in New York City with officials emphasising the dangers to those in low-lying areas with poor drainage systems and proximity to rivers and streams.

City officials urged residents to consider moving to higher floors to protect themselves as heavy rain in may cause rapid, life-threatening flooding to basements.

Attributing the role of the climate crisis in individual flooding events takes significant scientific analysis. However, as the planet warms, more moisture is held in the atmosphere, which means that storms bring the possibility of a lot more rain.
Zelenskyy to attend NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12, says Bloomberg

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12, Bloomberg reported on July 10, citing confidential sources.

A spokesperson for President Zelenskyy has declined to comment. No further details has been disclosed by Bloomberg.

Read also: An intermediate step towards NATO. What to expect from the July summit in Vilnius

Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Zelenskyy would participate in the launch of the Ukraine-NATO Council, which will convene on the sidelines of the Alliances summit in Vilnius. However, he did not specify the format of this participation.

Importance of the NATO Summit in Vilnius for Ukraine

Ukraine hopes to receive a definitive signal of readiness to join the Alliance at the summit in the Lithuanian capital on July 11-12.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that there will be such a signal, but without extending a formal invitation for Kyiv to join the Alliance. The White House also announced that Ukraine will not join NATO immediately after the summit.

Read also: Retired U.S. General expresses doubts about Ukraine NATO prospects at Vilnius summit

The U.S. news website Politico has reported that Western allies have yet to reach a consensus on the security guarantees requested by Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Financial Times has indicated that countries are preparing a joint declaration outlining their commitments.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Western nations will propose a security model for Ukraine similar to that of Israel as part of its NATO membership process. This model would facilitate the transfer of weapons and advanced technologies to Kyiv and serve as a step toward membership in the Alliance.

Zelenskyy has stated that he sees no point in participating in the NATO summit in Vilnius if Ukraine does not receive a clear signal regarding its membership.

On July 3, Zelenskyy urged President Joe Biden of the United States to immediately invite Ukraine to NATO.

Read also: US unaware of Erdogans decision to release Azovstal commanders  Biden advisor

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he does not want to go to the NATO summit in Vilnius "for fun": he is expecting Ukraine to receive an invitation to the Alliance and interim security guarantees.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with ABC News

Details: The President stressed that the NATO summit is very important, and "it is a matter of political will just to find the proper wording and invite Ukraine".

"It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. And that is a very important point. Only under these conditions will our meeting be meaningful. Otherwise, its just politics," Zelenskyy said.

To the presenter's remark "It sounds unlikely that you will go," the president smiled and replied: "Why? I think we will do a lot of work. "

Quote: "We are working with our partners, we are working on security guarantees. We are also working on helping our partners to make some conclusions for this upcoming NATO summit meeting. And we would like to have all the decisions to be made during the summit. In this case, its obvious that Ill be there and Ill be doing whatever I can do in order to, so to speak, expedite that solution to have an agreement with our partners. I dont want to go to Vilnius for fun."

Earlier: Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said on Sunday 9 July that no final decision has been made on whether President Zelenskyy will attend NATOs Vilnius summit on 11-12 July.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron
RAMALLAH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Sunday called on U.S. President Joe Biden to interpret his words criticizing the Israeli government into practical measures that protect the Palestinian people.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged Biden to "stop the expansion of Israeli settlement" and "to compel the Israeli government to engage in a political track of negotiations to resolve the conflict."

"The Israeli government's continuation in its illegal settlement will expose it not only to accountability in accordance with the rules of international law and UN resolutions but also to UN sanctions," it said.

Biden said on Sunday that the current Israeli government has some "of the most extreme members" he's seen in Israel, according to "The Times of Israel" news website.

"The Israeli cabinet ministers who back settling anywhere they want in the West Bank are part of the problem in the conflict," Biden added.

The statement welcomed what it described as "the unprecedented slap that President Biden has dealt to the Israeli government for the first time."

It also called on Biden's administration "to fulfill its announced commitments to the Palestinian cause and to support the legal approaches of Palestine in international forums."

In 2013, the United States sponsored direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine for nine months. However, the talks stopped in late March 2014 following deep disputes on settlements and the border of the Palestinian state.

The current Israeli government is headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won 64 seats with his far-right allies in the 2022 elections. His government was sworn in on Dec. 29, 2022. 
Zelenskyy says another rebellion may happen in Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a rebellion in Russia may happen again, and there are people who will support it.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with ABC News, commenting on the Wagner Group rebellion in Russia on 23-24 June

Quote: "There is a signal that there might be another mutiny in Russia, a revolution. More than that, there are many people who might support such a mutiny."

"Putin doesn't have military force inside Russia, and his civilian population is not protected."

Details: Zelenskyy said that the primary goal of Yevgeny Prigozhin, who committed the rebellion in Russia, was to become a "political figure", and he succeeded.

"Why he [Prigozhin  ed.] stopped? Well, I don't know for sure," Zelenskyy added.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Lynchburgs top prosecutor announced Monday the use of force by a city police officer during a shooting at an apartment complex on Longview Road in May was justifiable, according to a news release from her office.

Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Bethany Harrison announced Monday the actions of LPD officer S. Evans actions in shooting Ashley Biggs Neeley on May 12 at an apartment in the 1500 block of Longview Drive amounted to a justifiable use of deadly force and Evans will face no criminal charges.

Neeley, 35, was charged by Virginia State Police with two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery, one felony count of assault on a law enforcement officer and one felony count of attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, according to the department.

The incident transpired at about 8 a.m. May 12, after Lynchburg Emergency Communications received a call for a welfare check on Neeley. According to Harrisons report, the caller detailed unusual behavior by Neeley and said she had a child with her who was not at school.

Officer G. Boras of LPD arrived to conduct the welfare check at 8:05 a.m., speaking with Neeley at the apartment where he saw the child. Boras then contacted Child Protective Services based on the allegations for the welfare check and his own observations, Harrison wrote.

When the CPS workers arrived at 9:30 a.m., Harrison said Neeley, who was familiar to one of the CPS workers, was not cooperative with officers.

According to Harrison, Neeley refused to take a drug test, which would have resulted in the same outcome as a positive test: CPS would call the childs father to take custody.

When a CPS worker picked up the phone to call the childs father, Neeley began screaming at the workers to get the f-  out of my house! Harrison wrote.

Neeley then grabbed one of the CPS workers by the arms and shouted the same statement again, according to the report. After one CPS worker tried to pull Neeleys arms off the other worker, Neeley then grabbed the other worker by the arm and shoved the worker who attempted to intervene.

Both workers left the apartment and called 911 at 9:35 a.m., according to Harrison.

The report says Boras, who was at the scene earlier, and Evans responded to the call, where they took statements of the CPS workers in the parking lot before approaching Neeleys apartment.

According to Harrison, in about a nine-second span at about 9:50 a.m., after Boras and Evans knocked and called for Neeley to come to the door, Neeley opened the door with two knives in her right hand. As she opened the door, Neeley saw Evans and put one of the knives into her left hand.

With the blades of the knives facing down from her hand, Neeley screamed f-  you! while charging at Evans, according to the report. Harrison wrote she raised both hands with the knives above her head as she moved forward with the blades pointed at Evans head and neck.

Evans retreat was limited by the small space on the landing at the apartment, backing him into an enclosed corner against a wall and other apartment doors.

As Evans attempted to bat away Neeleys arms, he described in Harrisons report that Neeleys stabbing motions came very close to his skin in areas not covered by his body armor, adding the force used was considerable, and he believed she intended to kill him.

Once Evans got into a position where he was no longer cornered by Neeley, Evans unholstered his LPD-issued firearm and pointed it at Neeley, who then stopped moving forward, but kept the knives above her head with the blades facing the officers, Harrison wrote.

According to the report, Neeley then turned her attention to Officer Boras, who yelled at her to drop the knives, but was interrupted by Neeley screaming F-  you! While Boras continued to yell commands at Neeley, Harrison wrote the woman stepped back and then charged Evans while screaming f-  you! with the knives at shoulder level and the blades pointed toward Evans.

When Neeley closed the distance to less than 10 feet, Harrison wrote Evans fired one shot into her right shoulder. While Neeley dropped the knife in her left hand, she continued to grasp the knife in her right hand, now at chest level, and took several steps backward.

Once Neeley later dropped the second knife, Boras approached to render first aid, while Evans continued to hold Neeley at gun point since the officers did not realize she threw the knife from her left hand down. Evans later removed the child from the scene as other officers arrived. The child was found unharmed and was released to CPS until he could be placed with another family member.

According to Harrison, one eyewitness to the event described Neeleys attack against the officers as occurring in the blink of an eye.

Boras and Evans said in an interview after the incident the use of deadly force in the situation was consistent with their training that when they are met with deadly force they are to use deadly force to repel or stop the attack.

Harrison ruled Evanss use was justifiable, saying it was necessary to prevent the immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to himself or others. Harrison cited multiple incidents where Neeley refused orders by the officers to drop the knives, and that instead of complying she charged the officer with the blades pointed at them.

From Neeleys actions, she wrote, it was clear she would not obey any commands or stop attempts to stab Officer Evans.

Harrison noted the body-worn camera footage of the incident will not be released as Neeley faces pending criminal charges from the events.

Neeley is due in Lynchburg General District Court on the four charges at 10 a.m. on Aug. 18, according to court records.
The K-12 learning recovery grants touted by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in March as a way to combat severe learning losses went mostly to higher-income families.

Originally announced as a $30 million initiative, the fund was doubled to $60 million to meet demand, Youngkin announced last week.

Less than a quarter of the families who received a grant were eligible for the larger grant that was given to students whose family income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level. For a family of three, that threshold is $74,580.

According to the Virginia Department of Education, 34,650 students were approved for the states learning acceleration grants.

Of those, 8,247 students qualified for the $3,000 grant that was available to families whose income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty limit. But more than three quarters of the students  26,403  received the $1,500 grant, which was available to families whose income exceeds the threshold.

The grants were given out on a first-come, first-served basis, and are intended to be used for qualifying tutoring services and other education services or materials. The $60 million comes from the states share of federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Im very pleased that so many Virginia families are able to find help to close the learning gap, Youngkin said on Thursday morning at a blood donation event in Petersburg.

A learning gap that was, in my view, unnecessary because schools were closed for an extended period of time unnecessarily.

Youngkin referenced Virginias performance on a congressionally-mandated assessment known as The Nations Report Card, the results of which were released late last year. The scores showed that fourth-grade reading scores in Virginia fell by 10 points, the largest dip in the nation, since the last assessment in 2019.

This is a great program, I think its hugely important, Youngkin said. Ive been so concerned about this massive learning loss in Virginia.

Virginia students deemed as economically disadvantaged by the state perform on average far below their peers on state assessments in every subject, year after year, according to state data.

Del. Schyuler VanValkneburg, D-Henrico, said the distribution of the grants to mostly higher-income families was to be expected.

If we actually care about getting the [National Assessment of Educational Progress] scores up, and if we want to help students make up for lost time, the way to do it is to target the kids who need it the most, VanValkneburg said. And you do that with high frequency, in-school tutoring because youre then able to get to the kids who need it the most with the least amount of friction.

The delegate proposed a budget amendment earlier this year that aimed to provide highly intensive tutoring during the school day to students who have suffered severe learning loss. The amendment failed.

The Senate Finance Committee calculated that it would have cost about $268 million. At the time, Vanvalkenburg said the state needs to target the students with the lowest test scores. Historically, those are low-income students.

If we want to fix the problems that we say we want to fix  and I do want to fix those problems  we know how to do it, Vanvalkenburg said. And this program just doesnt do that. It creates a lot of barriers. It creates a lot of waste.

Youngkins learning acceleration grants program was under fire last week following claims from many parents who said they had received the grants but were unable to use them.

Grant funds are deposited into parents ClassWallet account, and parents can browse the website and place orders for approved education materials and tutoring services.

But some parents said their requests have been denied.

Youngkin and the Department of Education lied and scammed parents, said Richmond parent Gabrielle Cevallos in an email.

According to emails to Cevallos from tutoring providers, her attempts to purchase education materials were denied several times.

Youngkin addressed the criticisms at a blood donation event in Petersburg on Thursday morning.

I really am sorry those families are having challenges but were going to get those resolved, Youngkin told reporters.

The VDOE Chief of Staff Jeremy Raley said the department assigned additional staff to work together with the families to resolve their issues.

Decisions were made today to remedy some of the concerns were aware of from our families, and those remedies are being put in place as we speak, Raley said Thursday afternoon. Well see the results of that within the next 24 hours.
As Michael and Brittany Layne try to piece together how their 17-year-old son, Nick, died from an accident involving fireworks, they say none of the information theyve received makes any sense.

They know he had gone with a neighbor to a friends house in Louisa County, the Saturday before the Fourth of July. Theyve since learned he was on the porch with others about 9:30 p.m., as the fireworks show was about to start.

But no one seems to know what happened next, said the parents, who live in Hanover County. It was dark, and people said they had their backs turned to Nick when they heard this loud boom, the mother said.

He just kind of stopped, she said. I think they ended up laying him down and starting CPR on him right away.

Nicholas Ryan Layne died that night, a month shy of his 18th birthday, in a darkened yard off Belle Meade Road in Bumpass.

Nicks parents believe a firework blast threw him into cardiac arrest. But they also said that a funeral home director told them there were no signs of an explosion on his chest or body except for some marks on his left hand.

A spokesman for Found and Sons Funeral Chapel wouldnt confirm what was said, stressing the funeral home doesnt discuss information shared with family members for privacy reasons.

The only thing I can think is, its just a freak accident. It was just something that you could not even reproduce if you wanted to, Nicks mother said as tears welled in her eyes. I dont question Gods timing or what His will is and were gonna celebrate the 17 years that we had with him.

On Saturday, a week after Nicks death, the Louisa County Sheriffs Office stated in a news release that while responding, deputies were advised that the victim had a firework explode in their hand, was not breathing, and that CPR had been started by individuals on location.

The fire marshal and detectives from several units collected evidence and are awaiting the medical examiners report.

The Louisa County Sheriffs Office responds to numerous calls for service each year involving fireworks, and this incident is proof that handling fireworks the wrong way can cause serious injury or death, said Sheriff Donald Lowe. Let the professionals handle the fireworks while you celebrate New Years and Americas independence responsibly and safe.

Rockets red glare

Last year, 10,200 Americans were treated for injuries from fireworks and 11 of them died, according to a Consumer Product Safety Division report.

Most of the deaths occurred around the July 4th holiday and were associated with mortar-style explosions, according to the CPSD. Misusing fireworks resulted in five fatalities, with victims ranging from ages 11 to 43.

Any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is considered illegal in Virginia, according to the State Fire Marshals Office.

But as evidenced by the glare of red rockets and the booms of pyrotechnic blasts in backyards across the Fredericksburg region last week, plenty of people cross state lines, where they can legally buy whats illegal to have in Virginia, and bring them home.

Then, they become part of the type of Independence Day gathering that Nick Layne attended. His parents had been to similar celebrations over the years and stressed in an interview on Friday they taught fireworks safety, just as they drilled in proper procedures with firearms, to Nick and his 14-year-old sister, Savannah.

If they dont know, then how can they be safe? his mom asked.

His father cant believe Nick would have lit a firework in the midst of so many people or held one that was lit.

Theres no way that he would have intentionally done anything while on the porch, at someones house with people around, Michael Layne said. He was taught to be much more respectful than that.

Left to wonder

The parents said they dont want the Sheriffs Office to press charges against the homeowners who hosted the party or whoever might have brought illegal fireworks to the event.

While laws at the county, state and federal level address the purchase and transport of fireworks, theyre difficult to enforce unless someone is selling them illegally in Virginia.

Last week, Stafford Fire and Rescue officials seized the largest cache of illegal fireworks in county history, more than $600,000 worth of items that were being sold at a stand in the White Oak area, according to public information officer Katie Brady. The items were displayed in plain sight, and an anonymous tipster told the county about them.

Its a different matter altogether when numerous people are gathered on someones lawn, shooting off fireworks.

The challenge that many of our fire marshals encounter is determining who, in a large group of people, actually purchased, transported and shot off the illegal fireworks, Brady said.

Michael Layne said he was definitely angry from the start about the fact that illegal fireworks were present at the event. But the more he talked to others, including the man who hosted the party, the more he realized the accident involving Nick wasnt anything intentional. They did everything they could to help him.

And what good does being angry do? his wife asked. Its only going to create bitterness in our own hearts. We want to show love and compassion. We dont blame anybody. We want to also be supportive of our daughter, too, because she needs us as well. What would we be teaching her if we got angry?

However, the father would like to know more details about exactly what happened the night his son died.

I just dont want to go on forever, wondering, he said. If I can get a definitive answer, its one more thing I wont have to think about.

Hippie style

As noted in Nick Laynes obituary, the young man loved his long hair and hippie style. It was more than a phase, his family said, with his interest in music and people from the 1960s and 70s starting when he was about 10.

He loved Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, said his grandmother, Sherry Pritchert of Stafford County.

She talked about the weekends he spent at her home, the way hed climb up the shelf in her garage and retrieve about 30 bins of Christmas decorations. Then after the holidays, hed be there to put them all back.

He enjoyed playing bass guitar and putting together complex Lego sets. He loved the outdoors, fishing, playing video games and cards, skateboarding, fast food and lasagna.

He really knew who he was and he was comfortable with who he was, his mother said. He didnt care what anybody else thought. He was just gonna be his own person and we embraced him and we loved him for that.

But it didnt necessarily make him popular in high school, and he was bullied, his parents said. He took some online classes and planned to get a GED when he turned 18.

Nick also wanted to celebrate his birthday by jumping out of an airplane, so his family is honoring those wishes by supporting anyone who wants to fly with him. Friends, family members and co-workers have donated several thousand dollars toward the event, which probably will involve about 12 people skydiving next month.

A relative will take some of his ashes and swirl them into resin beads so the jumpers will have a piece of Nick with them. His parents had planned to be there in August when he made his celebratory jump  to watch and support him, but not to participate.

Its not something that I ever wanted to do, but I feel like I owe it to him, his mother said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of his opposition to plans to set up a liaison office in Japan.

An official at France's presidential office told reporters on Friday that the "NA" of NATO stands for "North Atlantic".

The official noted that the articles of the alliance specify the geographical scope, which is the North Atlantic.

The official said France is not in favor of the idea for reasons of principle, and that Macron clearly expressed his opposition to Stoltenberg.

The official also said, "Regarding the office, the Japanese authorities have told us themselves that they are not very attached to it." ...continue reading
As the world increasingly looks for clean, reliable energy, there's growing debate in Japan about using its vast geothermal reserves.

It may seem like the perfect green energy solution, but critics say it too could come at an environmental cost.

North Asia correspondent James Oaten has travelled to the southern island of Kyushu for this special report.
Japan did not voice opposition Monday to a U.S. plan to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine for its counteroffensive against Russia, with some NATO members concerned over the supply of the weapons ahead of their summit later this week.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno refrained from making a direct assessment on the U.S. plan, but the top government spokesman said Tokyo has confirmed Washington's commitment to mitigating the impact of the weapons on civilians in Ukraine.

Matsuno said Japan has been aware that the United States will offer cluster munitions designed to minimize the risk of unexploded ordnance and Ukraine will use them exclusively within its territory while trying to reduce harm to those not in the military. ...continue reading
The Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County hosted a community conversation Saturday morning in Oakland to discuss and answer questions about the upcoming special election that will determine how county supervisors will be elected for at least the next 10 years.

The group, in partnership with the Western Iowa Labor Federation, was part of the effort to gather signatures to trigger the special election.

About 10 people sat around tables at Destination Coffee as Shawna Anderson, a local business owner and CCPC member, explained the three options voters will be faced with in the Aug. 1 special election, and why she is advocating for Plan Three.

The three options are:

Plan One  At large and without district residence requirements for the members (current plan)

Plan Two  At large but with equal-population district residence requirements for the members

Plan Three  From single-member equal-population districts in which the electors of each district shall elect one member who must reside in that district

Part of the reason I support (Plan Three), my biggest reason, is that I would have a board member who is practically my neighbor and who would be accountable to me, Anderson said. Right now, youve got four board members that are all practically neighbors in a 10 mile radius of each other. So, in a county thats 950 square miles and everybodys like, in this little bubble, thats where all your votes are coming from.

With Plan Three, Anderson said, rural residents of Pottawattamie County would be guaranteed at least one supervisor who would be representative of their concerns.

One of the attendees pointed out that first-term supervisor Susan Miller lives in Carson, which is certainly a rural community, and while that may be true, Miller isnt entirely a rural candidate, according to Western Iowa Labor Federation President Jen Pellant.

Shes not sitting on that board because she lives in Carson, shes sitting on that board in spite of the fact that she lives in Carson, Pellant said. Shes sitting on that board because she worked in the Omaha metro area at a bank for years and years and years. She and her husband are very well known in the city. She was on the Iowa West Foundation, so she has a lot of connections with the powerful and monied folks in Council Bluffs, and so thats where her votes come from.

Pellant reiterated that even though the county board currently has a very qualified supervisor from a rural community, there still isnt a guarantee that there will be a rural representative in the future.

Opponents of Plan Three have cautioned that, due to Council Bluffs large population size compared to the rest of the county, the rural part of the county might only be guaranteed one representative.

Future community conversations are planned throughout the month, leading up to the Aug. 1 special election. Each of these meetings will be hosted by the Concerned Citizens group as it advocates for change to the current plan:

Wednesday, July 12, 6 p.m. at The Back Forty Bar and Grill in Macedonia

Thursday, July 13, 6 p.m. at Casa Mexicana in Avoca

Wednesday, July 19, 6 p.m. at Jakes Station, Hancock

Tuesday, July 25, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Carter Lake Community Center, Carter Lake
A 22-year-old Iowa man died early Sunday after the motorcycle he was riding rear-ended a motorcycle driven by his brother on a South Omaha street.

The collision occurred just before 1 a.m. at Missouri Avenue and L Street, an Omaha police spokesman said. Riley Denisse of Neola, Iowa, was eastbound on L Street on a 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that struck the rear of a 2007 Harley-Davidson driven by Austin Denisse, 25, of La Vista, Nebraska.

Investigators said the force of the collision caused Riley Denisses motorcycle to go over a curb and flip over a guardrail. Austin Denisse lost control of his motorcycle and went into a slide.

The brothers were taken to an Omaha hospital, where Riley Denisse died. Austin Denisse suffered a broken leg that is not considered life-threatening.

The crash remains under investigation.
Gabons President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in power for almost 14 years, said on Sunday (9 July) that he would seek a third term in the elections scheduled for 26 August.

I officially announce today that I am a candidate, Ondimba told a crowd of supporters in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page. In 2009, the 64-year-old Bongo took over from his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the oil-rich African nation for 41 years. The president was narrowly re-elected in 2016, with just 5,500 more votes than rival Jean Ping who claimed the election had been fixed.

After suffering a stroke in 2018 and spending months out of the publics sight recovering, the opposition questioned his fitness to run the nation.

The Bongo family that has ruled the country for more than half a century already is branded a dynastic power by the opposition. For the time being, Bongo is the clear favorite for the presidential election, as various opposition parties have failed to form a single coalition. The announcement of Ondimbas presidential candidacy comes just a day after a new report titled 105 promises, 13 achievements slammed the record of his second 7-year term. In the 196-page-long document, economists Mays Mouissi and Harold Leckat highlight, among other things, the rising unemployment rate, failed promises of infrastructure development, and a third of Gabonese people still living below the poverty line  and all of that in one of Africas richest countries, full of abundant natural resources.
Tourists cross a bridge at the Fuxi Mountain tourism area in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 9, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Tourists take pictures on an observation platform at the Fuxi Mountain tourism area in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 9, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Tourists pose for pictures in front of a waterfall at the Fuxi Mountain tourism area in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 9, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Tourists watch a performance at the Enjoy International Tourism Resort in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 8, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Tourists are seen in front of a waterfall at the Fuxi Mountain tourism area in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 9, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Tourists visit the Enjoy Snow World at the Enjoy International Tourism Resort in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, July 8, 2023.

The city of Xinmi has taken advantages of its time-honored history and unique ecological resources to promote local tourism. As summer vacation has arrived, the Fuxi Mountain tourism area and Enjoy International Tourism Resort, two major scenic spots in Xinmi, have attracted many tourists. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)
Egyptian private Commercial International Bank (CIB) indicated Sunday it received $250 million from the International Financial Corporation (IFC) in form of multiple loans to be used to support its capital and fund green projects.

The first loan has a value of $150 million and a 10-year term, including $90 million for the refinancing of outstanding loans owed by CIB to the IFC, the bank said, according to a bourse statement.

The remaining $60 million will be used to support the banks sustainable growth plans, the statement added. CIB also signed a seven-year loan agreement with the World Banks arm for private sector financing to fund a group of green projects, including water treatment and efficiency, green buildings and renewable and sustainable agriculture projects.

CIB, established in 1975, is Egypts leading private sector bank, offering a broad range of financial products and services to its customers, including enterprises of all sizes, institutions, households and high-net-worth individuals. Its total assets reached EGP 635.83 billion (or around $20.6 billion) in 2022, up from EGP 498.23 billion in 2021.
Guinea has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Moroccos autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under its sovereignty, saying the plan is the only credible and realistic solution to the Sahara regional conflict.

In a joint statement issued Monday following the 7th meeting of the Moroccan-Guinean Cooperation Commission convened in Dakhla, Guineas Foreign minister Morissanda Kouyate commended the UN-led efforts for achieving a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the Sahara dispute.

He also recalled the opening by his country of a Consulate in the Saharan Moroccan city of Dakhla in 2020, a move which confirms this West African countrys backing to the Kingdoms territorial integrity.

The meeting of Moroccan-Guinea Cooperation Commission showed the two countries firm determination to strengthen further economic cooperation and build a model of inter-African partnership.

In the joint statement, Guineas FM and Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita lauded the win-win cooperation ties set between the two countries and the huge partnership opportunities offered in training, agriculture, food security, sea fishing, hydraulics, health, energy, port management and mining.

Bourita expressed the Kingdoms readiness to contribute to socio-economic development efforts in Guinea, particularly in priority sectors such as security, fisheries, health, social development, agriculture, vocational training, water and energy.

The two ministers voiced the willingness of Rabat and Conakry to develop Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and hailed the excellent ties of friendship and solidarity existing between the two countries.

They also agreed to support Moroccan and Guinean bids in regional and international organizations. Moroccos top diplomat thanked on this occasion Guinea for its supportive stand for the Kingdoms territorial integrity at regional and international fora.

Conakry will host the next meeting of the Moroccan-Guinean Joint Cooperation Commission
Conflict-torn Sudan is edging ever closer to a full-scale civil war that could destabilize the entire region, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned, condemning an air strike that killed at least two dozen civilians and widespread violence in Darfur.

The United Nations chief made his assessment in a statement on Sunday after the air strike on a residential area a day earlier killed at least 22 people in the capital Khartoums twin city of Omdurman. There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing, said Guterres who was also reportedly appalled by reports of large-scale violence and casualties across Sudans other regions, including Darfur. He also reiterated his appeal for the Sudanese Armed Forces and its rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop fighting and commit to a lasting end to hostilities.

This air strike is the latest incident to provoke outrage since Sudan descended into chaos in mid-April after months of tension between the countrys two rival generals. The RSF and associated militia, reportedly supported by the Russian private military Wager Group, have established bases in residential areas, and have been accused of forcing civilians from their homes.

More than 3,000 people are believed to have been killed in the conflict, with reports of sexual violence and ethnically targeted killings. Almost three million people have been uprooted by the fighting, among them almost 700,000 who have fled to neighboring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Representative George Santos may have just offered up his most fraudulent claim yet  comparing himself to civil-rights icon Rosa Parks.

In a recent appearance on a conservative podcast called Unafraid, the New York Republican, who has allegedly lied about nearly every aspect of his past, was discussing his ongoing tiff with Senator Mitt Romney, one of many Republicans calling for Santos to resign from the House. He addressed Romneys comment from February advising Santos that he should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet.

Romney tells me, a Latino gay man, that I shouldnt sit in the front, that I should be in the back, Santos said on the podcast. Well guess what? Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back, and neither am I going to sit in the back.

Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back and neither I am going to sit in the back - Rep. George Santos pic.twitter.com/DTwfYMiSru  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 10, 2023

Santos has been toying with comparisons between himself and civil-rights heroes for a few months now, though never this explicitly. But just so were all on the same page, the comparison is not an astute one. Parks was persecuted for resisting the Jim Crowera apartheid system when she refused to leave the whites-only section of an Alabama bus. Santos is being prosecuted for seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He is not being targeted by the government over his identity; its his alleged string of campaign and unemployment fraud that has attracted the Justice Departments attention. (Santos has pleaded not guilty and called the whole thing a witch hunt.)
GOP officials prepare for Caucus Night in 2016, the last time Iowa had a competitive presidential contest. Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Its official: Republicans first-in-the nation Iowa Caucus is set for January 15, 2024. That means the voting phase of the 2023 Republican presidential-nomination contest will begin in about six months on a federal holiday.

Iowa Republicans have given themselves an unnecessary headache by scheduling their caucus to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. State chairman Jeff Kaufmann claims they did this without considering it. Now Kaufmann is trying to spin the miscalculation as a tribute to MLK, but it wont be a good look for the famously non-diverse Republicans of Iowa to be engaged in full-time presidential politicking when others are reflecting on Kings provocative and progressive legacy. The burden of defending that decision will likely fall, ironically, on the two Black presidential candidates competing in Iowa, Tim Scott and Larry Elder.

While the specific date of the Iowa Caucus had been up in the air until now, the GOP calendar was expected to start early in 2023 owing to some failed efforts by other states to displace Iowa and New Hampshire. Some of this maneuvering was encouraged by the Democratic National Committee, which felt freer to tamper with the calendar as its 2024 contest isnt competitive. The big development for Republicans was the Nevada legislatures vote to create a February 6 presidential primary, which led New Hampshires secretary of state to move its primary to January 23. Iowas decision maintains the traditional eight-day gap between Iowa and New Hampshire. South Carolina Republicans (who do not have to vote on the same day as Democrats) will round out the early states with a primary on February 24. Then other states are free to hold primaries or caucuses beginning in March.

So we are once again virtually guaranteed a snowy-evening launching point for the 2024 presidential calendar. Iowa Republicans have a significantly simpler caucus process than the opposition; Democrats convoluted system of affinity groups, delegate-equivalents, and multiple votes crashed the Democratic caucuses in 2020, contributing to the DNCs decision to take away the states first-in-the-nation status and ban presidential caucuses altogether. Republicans just show up, hear some speeches, eat a few cookies and vote for their presidential favorite in a straight balloting thats easy to tabulate. I suppose a moment to commemorate a conservative take on the MLK legacy will be obligatory in 2024.

Meanwhile, Iowa Democrats will likely have caucus meetings on January 15. But in deference to the DNCs wishes, they are not inclined to complete or announce any votes on presidential preferences or the allocation of any delegates on the traditional caucus night. It appears they will have a separate vote-by-mail process for their real decisions, which will be announced when the initial phases of the presidential-nominating contest are safely past. So Joe Biden will not have to compete in rogue Iowa caucuses, and if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Marianne Williamson happen to show any strength in Iowa, we likely wont know about it until Biden has romped to victory in sanctioned primaries.

All the national attention, then, will be on the Republicans engaged in an individual struggle for survival and a collective effort to keep keep current front-runner Donald Trump from wrapping up the 2024 nomination before the first warm weather of spring arrives.
Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Senator Tommy Tuberville has vowed for months to block nominations from the Department of Defense in response to a policy change that would expand abortion access for service members. Now, as one military branch is set to lose its top commanders and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to retirement, the Alabama Republican has still shown no signs of moving on his pledge.

General David Berger, the 38th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, officially stepped down from his post on Monday after serving in that role since being appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019. He is set to be replaced by General Eric Smith, who has worked alongside him as assistant commandant for the Marine Corps. But Smiths nomination to the top spot is one of a few hundred currently being blocked in the Senate by Tubervilles hold, forcing the branch to go forward with Smith as acting commandant and no Senate-confirmed leader.

In his remarks at Bergers farewell, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin alluded to the hold on nominations, noting that its been more than a century since the Marine Corps operated without a leader confirmed by the Senate. Without naming Tuberville directly, Austin said that everyone is looking forward to a rapid confirmation of Bergers successor.

Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States, and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history, he said.

In October 2022, the Department of Defense announced it would cover travel expenses and provide time off for servicemembers who were seeking an abortion. Shortly thereafter, Tuberville wrote a letter to Austin, calling the policy immoral and saying he would place a hold on all future DoD civilian and general/flag officer nominations.

By CNNs count, more than 200 Defense nominations are currently paused in Congress. The issue will only increase in urgency in the coming months as other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the countrys top uniformed military leaders, are set to leave their roles. General James McConville, the Army chief of staff, and Admiral Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, are due to retire in August. General Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also set to step down in the fall.
How Can Electrical Contractors Plan for Workplace Emergencies?

Preparing for emergencies is of the utmost importance.

Unprotected exposure to electricity is one of the leading causes of accidents and fatalities in American workplaces. Approximately one-third of the fatalities happen directly in electrical occupations, and electricians continue to lead the top ten occupations of those involved in fatal accidents due to electricity.

Making workplaces safer for electrical contractors and other professions these contractors work hand-in-hand with is a priority. Understanding the most common workplace injuries within the electrical industry allows contractors to prepare thorough emergency plans and develop strategies to prevent further workplace emergencies.

Importance of Emergency Planning for Electrical Contractors

According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 650,000 Americans are currently employed as electricians. They maintain, install and repair electrical wiring and fixtures, or fit new equipment. The profession and the entire electrical contracting industry are regulated by OSHA.

Despite this level of regulation, thousands of workers in the industry are affected by non-fatal accidents and incidents every year, often at great personal cost to the injured person. The BLS reports that in 2020 alone, the industry suffered from more than 7,000 nonfatal injuries or illnesses. This is equivalent to nearly 130 incidents for 10,000 full-time workers.

The cases reported in this category led to days away from work, affecting employers and employees negatively. Depending on their contracts, employees may lose some of their income as a result of unplanned sick days. Employers not only lose access to a qualified pair of hands on a job site, but they may also struggle to meet project deadlines.

As if those numbers were not alarming enough, the electrical contracting industry is also affected by fatalities. Between 2011 and 2021, OSHA registered over 1,200 fatalities at work that involved electricity. Over the same period, the BLS noted more than 1,650 electrical fatalities. The discrepancy between the figures is most likely due to differences in categories and reporting methods.

Why Emergency Planning Matters

The industry has recognized the need to increase safety for electrical workers and others in contact with electrical work. For that purpose, various electrical industry associations founded the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) in 1994. The organization is funded by voluntary contributions and promotes electrical safety in workplaces and homes.
The United Arab Emirates has announced that it will not join Saudi Arabia in making voluntary oil production cuts, claiming that the cuts by the Saudis are enough to balance the markets. This is hardly surprising considering that the UAE has in the past argued that it should be allowed to pump more than its current OPEC quota. The UAE has plans to ramp up its crude production capacity to five million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027, well above OPECs quota of 3 mb/d.

A week ago, for the second month running, Saudi Arabia extended its voluntary 1M bbl/day oil production cut for another month, this time till August. The reduction will take the countrys production to ~9M bbl/day, the lowest level in several years. The Kingdom has been single-handedly sacrificing sales volume in a bid to goose weak oil prices, but has so far reaped little reward, thanks to increased supply by non-OPEC producers including the United States.

The Energy Information Administration has reported that U.S. crude oil production is on track to set a record this year, up 9% Y/Y through April. EIA has forecast total U.S. output will hit 12.61M bbl/day in the current year, above the previous record of 12.32M bbl/day set in 2019 and easily beating last year's 11.89M bbl/day. Although OPEC and its allies have announced cuts amounting to ~6% of 2022's production, Rystad Energy estimates output in countries outside OPEC is making up for about two-thirds of those reductions, frustrating OPECs efforts to goose prices.

Improved efficiency and newer technologies have made U.S. oil companies more profitable, even at lower crude prices, with J.P. Morgan estimating that the cost of drilling and fracking in the U.S. shale has dropped by 36% since 2014. Shale giant ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) is now betting that shale producers can double crude output from their existing wells by employing novel fracking technologies.

Theres just a lot of oil being left in the ground. Frackings been around for a really long time, but the science of fracking is not well understood, Exxon Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods said Thursday at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference. Woods has revealed that Exxon is currently working on two specific areas to improve fracking. First off, the company is trying to frack more precisely along the well so that more oil-soaked rock gets drained. Its also looking for ways to keep the fracked cracks open longer so as to boost the flow of oil.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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TALUQAN, Afghanistan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- One commuter was killed and 18 others injured as a mini-bus plunged into a ravine in north Afghanistan's Takhar province on Monday, provincial police department spokesman Abdul Mubin Safi said.

The deadly road crash took place in Rustaq district before noon as the driver lost control of the vehicle due to reckless driving, and resultantly the ill-fated bus plunged into a ravine, killing the person on the spot and injuring the 18 others, including three children and a woman, the spokesman added.

This is the second road crash over the past four days. In the previous accident, two travelers were killed and nine others injured in Wardak province on Friday.

According to Afghans, ramshackle roads, old vehicles, lack of safety measures during travel and reckless driving on congested highways are the main reasons for road accidents in the mountainous country, as nearly 400 people have reportedly been killed in road mishaps in the war-torn country over the past three months. 
The government of Iraq and TotalEnergies earlier today signed a long-awaited deal worth $27 billion that should see Iraqs oil production grow and boost its reliance on domestic gas for power generation.

The deal also involves the development of low-carbon energy in Iraq, Reuters reported.

The deal dates back to 2021 when TotalEnergies signed multi-energy agreements in Iraq for the construction of a new gas network and treatment units, the construction of a large-scale seawater treatment unit, and the construction of a 1-gigawatt photovoltaic power plant in the southern Iraqi region of Basra.

The French company signed agreements with the Iraqi Ministries for oil and electricity and the country's National Investment Commission.

Part of the proposal was the construction of installations to recover associated gas that is being flared on three oil fields and, as such, supply gas to 1.5 GW of power generation capacity in the first phase, growing to 3 GW in a second phase, and also develop 1 GWac of solar electricity generation capacity to supply the Basra regional grid.

Iraq is currently one of the biggest gas-flaring oil producers globally.

The initial amount to be invested in the megadeal was $10 billion, to be distributed over 25 years but the finalization of the deal was delayed by disputes in Iraqs government about the terms of the agreement.

Eventually, earlier this year, the authorities in Baghdad agreed to a lower stake of 30% in the projects, down from an initially proposed 40%, clearing the way to the deals finalization.

Per the final terms of the deal that the two sides signed today, TotalEnergies will hold 45% in the ventures, and QatarEnergy will hold the remainder of 25%. A Saudi company, ACWA Power has been invited to take part in the solar plant construction project for Basra.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Spains imports of natural gas from Russia more than doubled in May compared to a year earlier and Russia accounted for 27.9% of Spains gas imports, second only to Algeria, data from the Spanish Energy Ministry showed on Monday.

Spain imported the equivalent of 9,663 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of natural gas from Russia in May, which was a 121.8% surge compared to the same month last year.

In May 2023, Spains total natural gas imports dropped by 5.4% year on year. LNG accounted for 71.4% of imports and pipeline deliveries made up the remaining 28.6%, the Spanish government data showed.

Net natural gas imports fell by 13.4% year-on-year in May.

Algeria was the top natural gas provider to Spain, with a share of 28.4% of supplies, followed by Russia with 27.9%, and Nigeria with 19.6%.

Spain has raised its imports of LNG from Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As LNG imports surged, the Spanish government reportedly urged importers of liquefied natural gas not to sign new deals to purchase Russian LNG as the biggest buyer of Russias LNG in Europe looked to reduce dependence on Moscows gas.

The government of Spain, via Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera who is responsible for the countrys energy policy, sent a letter in the middle of March to Naturgy Energy, Repsol, TotalEnergies, Pavilion Energy, Enagas, Met Energy, Enet Energy, Energias de Portugal, Compania Espanola de Petroleos, and BP Gas & Power Iberia, urging them not to sign new contracts, according to a letter from March seen by Bloomberg News.

The plea is not binding because there are no sanctions on Russian gas in Europe, but the letter anyway called on the LNG importers to intensify the diversification of supply of liquefied natural gas and do without those from Russia.

Minister Ribera told Reuters in May she believed that the EU would sooner than later move to ban imports of LNG from Russia.

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Russian discontent over the increased role of the US and EU in the peace process, and strategic moves by Armenia and Azerbaijan, are believed to be adding to the tensions and could potentially affect the final outcome of the peace treaty.

Via the Jamestown Foundation

From June 27 to 29, the second round of the United Statesmediated negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan was held in Washington (State.gov, June 29; see EDM, May 8). The statements from both sides following the talks and that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the ministers agreed on more articles for the peace treaty and reached a mutual understanding on the draft agreement (State.gov, June 29; Mfa.gov.az; News.am, June 30). However, all three statements emphasized that Yerevan and Baku have yet to agree on some key issues.

According to statements from Armenian officials before and after the Washington-mediated meeting, a number of issues are particularly difficult to agree on for both sides (Armenpress, June 26; Armenpress, June 30). First, the Armenian side wants to use 1975 Soviet maps to delimit the border between the two countries. This contradicts the position of the Azerbaijani side, which wants to use analyses and examination of legally binding documents, rather than any specially chosen map for this process (Apa.az, June 5).

The second issue is the Armenian demand for an international mechanism to address the security and rights of the Armenian minority in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. For its part, Baku has made clear on a number of occasions that the issues related to the Armenian community in Karabakh are the internal matters of Azerbaijan and that it will not agree to any international mechanism to address these concerns. For the Azerbaijani government, such a mechanism may threaten to become a Minsk Group 2.0, in reference to the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe that failed to resolve the conflict between Yerevan and Baku for 30 years (see EDM, November 25, 2020; January 28, 2021; April 21, 2022).

According to Vice President of the Armenian National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan, the third issue on which the parties have yet to concur is the framework for guarantors of the peace agreement (Armenpress, June 26). Both sides understand the need for some mechanism to ensure compliance with the peace treaty, but they have yet to agree on the instruments modalities. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also notes the withdrawal of forces from the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as another matter of contention between Yerevan and Baku (Armenpress, June 30).

Thus, the US-mediated ministerial talks have failed to bring the two sides to a mutual agreement on these thorny issues. The talks have also been negatively affected by armed clashes between both countries along the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border as well as in the part of the Karabakh region that is under the temporary control of the Russian peacekeeping forces. Azerbaijani media reports that, on June 15, members of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire on servicemen of the Azerbaijani State Border Service at the Lachin border checkpoint as they were raising the Azerbaijan flag at the entrance of the Hakari bridge (Aztv.az, June 15). An Azerbaijani serviceman was injured in the course of the attack. Yerevan claimed that the area where the flag was being raised was Armenian territory (Asbarez, June 15)a claim that was disputed by the Russian side, which noted the importance of demarcating the borders to prevent these sorts of clashes (Armenpress, June 21).

Immediately after the incident, the Azerbaijani side closed the Lachin checkpoint as the countrys law enforcement agencies began to investigate (Trend.az, June 16). In its aftermath, Baku asked both the Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to use the Aghdam-Khankandi road rather than the Lachin road to carry supplies to the Karabakh region while excluding the transfer of patients to Armenia who can be still carried via Lachin (Turan.az, June 24; Minval.az, June 28). As of June 30, the passage of Armenians via the Lachin Corridor has been restored through the ICRCs mediation (Caliber.az, June 30).

The peace efforts were also disrupted by the armed clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the Karabakh region on June 28, while the foreign ministers were still in talks in Washington. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that it carried out a small-scale military operation against the Armenian-backed separatist forces who had earlier attacked and injured one Azerbaijani serviceman (Mod.gov.az, June 27). The clashes, which resulted in the death of four Armenian servicemen, were used by the Russian-backed separatist regime to try to convince the Armenian government to halt the negotiations in Washington (News.am, June 28). Although this call did not result in the cancellation of the talks, it did create an unfavorable environment for them.

Meanwhile, the former Russian-backed state minister of the separatist region, Ruben Vardanyan (see EDM, February 13), accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of supposedly being the failed negotiator who has no experience in governing the country or in the field of international diplomacy and the only one person responsible for the current situation in the Karabakh region (News.am, July 2). Vardanyans overt attack on Pashinyan came on the heels of earlier media reports about Moscows possible intentions to push for a change of government in Yerevan (JAM-news, June 30).

It is no secret that Russian discontent is growing with the expanded role of the US and the European Union in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process (see EDM, May 23). For Moscow, Bakus increasingly more favorable moves (e.g., closing the Lachin checkpoint for the Russian peacekeepers in the aftermath of the June 15 incident) and Yerevans more concerning policies (e.g., the deployment of the EU monitoring mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border while delaying the deployment of forces from the Collective Security Treaty Organization) adds more fuel to Russian fears about the possibility of a peace treaty ultimately being signed in the near future due to Western mediation and influence (see EDM, May 23; June 8). Hence, the intensifying clashes along the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, as well as in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, serve the interests of those who seek to reverse recent progress in the peace negotiations and prevent the conclusion of an effective treaty under the existing circumstances.

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By Vasif Huseynov

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U.S. President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to attend an important NATO summit later this week, said in an interview prior to his departure that Ukraine is not ready for membership in the alliance, asserting that the war with Russia must end before an invitation can be issued.

In an interview broadcast on CNN on July 9 -- the same day Biden departed for Europe on a three-country tour -- the president said that, although it was still too early to bring Ukraine into the alliance, the United States and its allies in NATO would continue to provide Kyiv the weapons it needs to defend itself against the unprovoked Russian invasion.

Biden spoke ahead of his weeklong trip, which begins in London, then moves on to Vilnius, Lithuania, for the NATO summit on July 11-12, before going to Finland to meet with leaders of NATO's newest member.

"I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war," Biden told CNN.

"For example, if you did that, then, you know -- and I mean what I say -- we're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case."

Biden said he has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy often about the NATO situation and reassured him of Washington's support as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression.

"I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden said.

In a wide-ranging interview with ABC News from Kyiv on July 9, Zelenskiy said again he would "never" cede any territory to Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014.

He didn't dispute a Washington Post report that Ukrainian officials told CIA Director William Burns on a recent trip to Kyiv that the aim of the current counteroffensive was to approach Crimea and then force Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.

"Well...it's very likely that Putin will be forced to seek dialogue with the civilized world, unlike how it was before the full-scale invasion, because he will be weakened."

Later on July 9, Biden held a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed Sweden's NATO bid, the Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan told Biden that Stockholm had taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to ratify its bid, referring to an anti-terrorism law, but that these steps weren't useful, as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) supporters continued to hold demonstrations in Sweden.

The two also discussed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets and Ukraine's status in NATO on their call and will meet in person at the NATO summit in Vilnius, the office said.

Separately, Zelenskiy, who was in Poland for meetings with Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, posted on Twitter that he had a "brief but very substantive" discussion with Duda about the upcoming NATO summit.

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"We agreed to work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote.

On July 7, Zelenskiy said he expected to see unity among NATO member states and that he wanted to see concrete steps on Ukraine's bid for eventual membership.

By RFE/RL

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Argentina inaugurated on Sunday a natural gas pipeline from the Vaca Muerta shale to a town in the Buenos Aires province, as part of its efforts to become energy independent and stop paying billions of dollars for LNG imports.

Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez officially launched the first leg of the Nestor Kirchner gas pipeline (Gasoducto Presidente Nestor Kirchner), which runs from the huge Vaca Muerta shale gas fields to the Buenos Aires province. The second phase of the gas pipeline will see it extending to the town of San Jeronimo in the province of Santa Fe.

Vaca MuertaSpanish for dead cowhas been dubbed the Argentinian Permian, although its geologic properties have been compared more appropriately to the Eagle Ford.

The Vaca Muerta shale play is estimated to hold recoverable resources consisting of 16 billion barrels of oil and 308 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Those numbers make the Vaca Muerta the worlds second-largest shale gas deposit.

The development of Vaca Muerta has hit various snags over the past half-decade, from perennial economic crises to global oil and gas crises and domestic foreign exchange limitations.

But oil and gas production has been rising since the Covid-related slump of 2020. Moreover, Argentina  plagued by incessant economic crises  has vowed to become energy independent by building infrastructure to ship the massive resources of Vaca Muerta in the western province of Neuquen to the major consuming centers in the east such as Buenos Aires and ports for potential exports.

The first leg of the Nestor Kirchner gas pipeline is Argentinas most important infrastructure work of the past 40 years, the presidents office said.

We made our energy sovereignty a reality, President Fernandez said.

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The pipeline will supply industrial and household gas demand at competitive prices while saving Argentina $4.2 billion worth of gas import bills per year, the presidency said.

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Norwegian oil and gas operator, DNO ASA, has made a significant gas and condensate discovery on the Carmen prospect in the Norwegian North Sea. Preliminary evaluation of comprehensive data indicates gross recoverable resources in the range of 120-230 , making millionCarmen ranks as the largest discovery on the Norwegian Continental Shelf since 2013.

Norway is the gift that keeps on giving. Carmen proves there are important discoveries still to be made and Norways oldest oil company, DNO, will be part of this next chapter of the countrys oil and gas story, said DNOs Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani.

Norway has become the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe after the continent cut ties with Russia following its war in Ukraine. Norway's pipeline gas exports to continental Europe have been robust in the current year, with flows averaging 313 million cu m/d.

Last month, Norways Aker BP (NYSE:BP) (OTCQX:AKRBF) made a much bigger than expected oil discovery in the Yggdrasil area of the North Sea, the energy company reported on Thursday.

Preliminary estimates indicate a gross recoverable volume of 40 million-90 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), much higher than the companys earlier projection of between 18 million and 45 million boe.

The discovery will significantly enhance Aker BPs resource base for the Yggdrasil development, which previously was estimated at 650M gross boe.The oil discovery is located within production licenses 873 and 442: In license 873, with Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) and PGNiG Upstream Norway as partners. The plan for development and operations (PDO) for this project was submitted to Norwegian authorities in December 2022, with production scheduled to start in 2027.

The North Sea is home to substantial known oil and gas reserves. According to a report produced by the Oil and Gas Authority, known reserves of oil and gas in the North Sea at the end of 2020 amounted to 4.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Fire on an offshore platform operated by Mexicos Pemex has led to the shut-in of 700,000 barrels of oil, Reuters has reported, citing the chief executive of the company, Octavio Romero.

The fire began on Friday at the Nohoch-A platform that is located in the Bay of Campeche. Six workers were injured, two of them fatally, and one is still missing, according to reports from Reuters and MarketWatch.

On Friday, CEO Octavio Romero reported that fireboats had come quickly and prevented the fire from spreading to other facilities in the area: Pemex operates five platforms in the Cantarell field.

At the time, Romero estimated potential losses at several thousand barrels of oil equivalent, per a release posted on the Pemex website.

This is not the first fire to break out on a Pemex platform. Two years ago, during maintenance season, the company had a fire erupt in an offshore gas-processing plant in the Bay of Campeche. The fire killed five and shut in some 400,000 barrels daily in production.

That was the second fire at the Ku-Maloob-Zaap complex in as many months. The first one was attributed to a gas leak, with chief executive Romero making a point of noting that neither of the fires was a result of insufficient investments.

"There is not a problem of lack of investment, there is not a problem of lack of resources," Romero told media after the second fire. "The oil industry is a risky industry. We have had accidents, which in numbers are less than in previous years."

In February this year, as many as three fires broke out in Pemex facilities in Mexico and the United States. One was at a storage facility in the state of Veracruz, another broke out at the Minatitlan refinery in the same state, and the third one broke out in a refinery Pemex operates in Texas.

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By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Europes electric vehicle industry faces pressure from imports of vehicles from China, which dominates the supply chain for raw materials for batteries, Jean-Dominique Senard, chairman of Frances automaker Renault, told Reuters in an interview this weekend.

When I talk about a Chinese storm, I'm talking about the strong pressure today related to Chinese (electric) vehicle imports into Europe, Senard told Reuters.

We are capable of making electric vehicles, but we are fighting to ensure the safety of our supplies.

Europe and the United States have been looking to reduce their dependence on China for supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements in order to reduce the risk of an energy transition slowdown if geopolitical tensions further rise.

Earlier this year, the EU and the U.S. agreed to start talks on a Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA) on cooperation and trade facilitation.

Yet, the Chinese dominance and the recent Chinese restrictions of exports of two metals showed that Europe and the U.S. will require a lot of investments to create their own supply chains.

Chinas EV success is the result of years of investments in the supply chain and raw materials, Senard said, noting that it would take billions of euros for Europe to replicate this.

Last week, China sent shockwaves through the supply chain and chip markets after announcing export controls on two rare earth metals, gallium and germanium, starting on August 1. These critical rare earth metals are used in microchip production. Former vice-minister of commerce Wei Jianguo told China Daily that the export restriction on gallium and germanium was just the beginning in an escalating technology war with the United States.

Following the Chinese announcement, a spokesperson for VW, which uses gallium and germanium, told Reuters the German car-manufacturing giant was ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary.

Frances Renault is looking for alternative zero-emission car technologies, its chairman told Reuters this weekend.

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We're looking for alternatives to avoid paralyzing the country if, for example, we run out of batteries, Senard told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have exclusive shared ownership of an offshore gas field that Iran has ambitions for, the Kuwaiti oil minister has said after Iran signaled it has plans for the field.

The exchange is taking place just as the two largest regional players in the Middle East began to warm up to each other.

In response to Iran statements that it owns a share of the field, Kuwaits oil minister said this weekend that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had exclusive rights to the Durra field.

"Until this moment, this is an exclusive right of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the Durra field, and whoever has a claim must start demarcating the borders. And if it has a right, it will take it according to the rules of international law," Saad Al Barak told Saudi media, as quoted by Reuters.

The statement follows an earlier one made by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, in which Riyadh also asserted the dual ownership of the field and called on Tehran to first demarcate its own maritime borders. Kuwait echoed the call.

Iran must first enter into the demarcation of international borders, and after that, whoever has a right will get it according to the rules of international law, Al Barak told Saudi media last week.

The declarations follow a meeting of the Saudi and Iranian energy ministers last week. At the meeting, Abdulaziz bin Salman and Javad Owji discussed investments in oil and gas, potential joint ventures, oil and gas trade, and the development of joint fields.

Iran and Saudi Arabia share more than 28 oil and gas fields which have never been exploited due to disagreements in terms of the amount of exploitation and level of access. The two share Farzad A and B and Arash gas fields, with the Arash field also extending to Kuwait.

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The two regional rivals agreed in March to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions in an agreement brokered by China after talks in Beijing.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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TotalEnergies and its joint venture partner SOCAR began natural gas production from the Absheron gas and condensate field in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, the French supermajor said on Monday.

The first phase of the development of the Absheron field has a production capacity of 4 million cubic meters of gas per day and 12,000 barrels a day of condensate.

The gas will be sold on the domestic market in Azerbaijan, which could free more gas from other Azerbaijani fields for exports, analysts say.

TotalEnergies and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) hold a 50% interest each in the Absheron project, which is operated by the joint company Joint Operating Company of Absheron Petroleum (JOCAP).

The development of the Absheron field provides an additional gas supply to meet growing demand, at a competitive technical cost and low greenhouse gas emissions intensity, in line with TotalEnergies strategy, the French company, which is also a major LNG trader, said in a statement.

Analysts and Europe will be looking very closely at the next development phases of Azerbaijans gas fields as Europe seeks to import more gas from suppliers other than Russia.

The EU has diversified its gas imports in the past year as it aims to ditch Russian gas by 2027. Europes LNG imports have soared, pipeline imports from Norway have also increased to the point of making Norway the EUs single largest supplier of natural gas.

Europe is also looking at African gas supply, as well as gas from Azerbaijan, to meet its demand without Russian gas.

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Last summer, the EU and Azerbaijan signed a strategic partnership agreement with which they committed to double the capacity of the so-called Southern Gas Corridor to deliver at least 20 billion cubic meters of Azeri gas to the EU per year by 2027.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Jacob Oloo, who has applied for a PhD in information technology at several universities in China's capital Beijing, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Mombasa, Kenya, July 9, 2023. A group of 52 Kenyan students, who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships, wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city Mombasa on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A group of 52 Kenyan students who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city, Mombasa, on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries.

Over the weekend, the students visited the Global Trade Center in Nairobi, the capital of the East African country, and Afristar, the company operating the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), two flagship projects highlighting China-Kenya cooperation.

Officials from Kenya's Ministry of Education, the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi and the Kenya-China Alumni Association also joined the discussion at the seminar.

The students who are set to pursue their studies in universities across China vowed to make full use of the opportunity and serve as ambassadors for friendship between the two countries to enhance bilateral cooperation featuring sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.

Darius Mogaka Ogutu, director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, said he was grateful to the Chinese government for providing scholarships for Kenyan students.

"This is an opportunity for you to shine, for you to come back to share (what you have learnt), and build your country and encourage more people," Ogutu said, adding that thousands of Kenyan youths have pursued their higher education in China and contributed a lot in their fields.

During the seminar, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian told the students that understanding China's people-centered philosophy will greatly help them understand the nation and better pursue their studies.

Underlining the long-lasting friendship between China and Kenya, Zhou said every Kenyan student in China is an envoy of the people-to-people exchange. He encouraged all students to strive for promoting in-depth development of the comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Elizabeth Sambasi who applied for an undergraduate degree in data science and dig data technology at Donghua University in Shanghai told Xinhua that cooperation between the two countries ranges from infrastructure construction to science and technology.

"China's development in the field of data science is leading the world. And China is the safest country in the world," said the 21-year-old student. "Studying in China is the best choice for me."

Jacob Oloo has applied for a PhD in information technology from several universities in Beijing. "It is always good to be part of China's development. China is taking up the whole world in terms of technology. Being a student of technology and public management, I would like to go and get a quality education and come back to Kenya and help my country to progress in the economy."

Since 1982, the Chinese government has provided scholarships for thousands of Kenyan students. Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan scholar on international relations and a recipient of the scholarship, expressed his hope that the students would cherish the opportunity to study in China, make contributions in their respective professional fields and live up to the expectations of the Chinese and Kenyan governments.

"China is developing rapidly, and China's development model may be applied to African countries, and young people should seize the opportunity to explore China and study hard," Adhere said. 

This photo taken on July 9, 2023 shows an exchange meeting in Mombasa, Kenya. A group of 52 Kenyan students, who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships, wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city Mombasa on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

(230710) -- NAIROBI, July 10, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Students visit the Nairobi Terminus Station in Nairobi, Kenya, July 8, 2023. A group of 52 Kenyan students, who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships, wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city Mombasa on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Darius Mogaka Ogutu, director of higher education at Kenya's Ministry of Education, speaks during an exchange meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, on July 9, 2023. A group of 52 Kenyan students, who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships, wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city Mombasa on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Elizabeth Sambasi, an applicant to Donghua University in east China's Shanghai, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Mombasa, Kenya, July 9, 2023. A group of 52 Kenyan students, who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships, wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city Mombasa on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)
Beijing is furious with the Biden administration mulling over a broader semiconductor chip export ban and, in response, decided last week to announce export restrictions on two metals, gallium and germanium, which are heavily imported by Western countries for semiconductor production.

The timing of the announcement is one to ponder about. It came days before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's China visit on Thursday. It appears Chinese officials are playing a complex game of chess with the Biden administration as their dominance over rare earth mining and refining, and the lack of that in the West would open up talks with Yellen about future US bans on chips and semiconductor equipment that are critical for China's economic growth.

"China apparently does not like the news that the Biden administration is considering a wider semiconductor chip ban and decided to ban the export of gallium and germanium, which are used in semiconductors, 5G base stations, and solar panels," Louis Navellier, founder of Navellier & Associates, wrote in a recent note to clients.

"Although the US and its allies depend on China for these critical minerals, China needs Western technology such as lithography machines to produce high-performance chips," Navellier said.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellen met with Premier Li Qiang and discussed economic competition that would benefit both countries.

Global gallium prices soared 27% on the news last week. Traders who spoke with Bloomberg said the gallium market is well-supplied, but export controls beginning next month have sent buyers scrambling to purchase the metal.

On Friday, Fastmarkets data showed Gallium prices jumped $43 on the week to $326 a kilogram.

Starting Aug. 1, exporters must apply for licenses with the commerce ministry to ship the metals abroad. And how the export controls will affect Chinese shipments still needs to be determined.

Colin Hamilton, managing director for commodities research at BMO Capital Markets, said the restrictions would likely spur efforts by Western countries to seek supplies of both metals elsewhere.

"This is a further example of how industrial raw materials are becoming increasingly strategic in global markets and brought to the center of policy action," Hamilton wrote in a note early last week.

Data from the US Geological Survey shows the US imported an estimated 14,000 kilograms of germanium in 2022 while consuming an estimated 30,000 kilograms. In the same year, imports of gallium were 14,000 kilograms, while consumption was around 18,000 kilograms.

In the meantime, the US will stockpile these metals as it will diversify sourcing away from Asia. There is a movement by the Biden administration to increase domestic mining and refining of rare earth metals.

The move by China is "far from being the nuclear option that it could have chosen," but it's the "first warning shot," Bernard Dahdah, an analyst at Natixis, wrote in a note. He pointed out, "China does control other metals through which it can inflict more severe consequences."

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Meanwhile, the US US Defense Department announced on Friday it is invoking the Defense Production Act to boost the domestic mining and processing capacity of the two metals.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
3D printing has taken the world by storm in recent years, but the things that can be printed just keep getting bigger and bigger. And this 3D 
Let's postulate that the goal in stock investing is to buy low and sell high.

If so, it makes sense to look at stocks that have been banged up, searching for ones that have recovery potential. That's the goal of my quarterly Casualty List. Today, I'll highlight two large energy stocks that I think fi t the bill, and a couple of other stocks.

Occidental

Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY), based in Los Angeles, is a favorite of the fabled investor Warren Buffett of Omaha. Down about 10% in the second quarter as oil prices fell, the stock seems appealingly cheap to me. It sells for only seven times the past four quarters' earnings.

Occidental has suffered five losses in the past 15 years, but profits have been strong lately. The company earned a 52% return on stockholders' equity in 2022.

Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., owns 23.5% of Occidental, and has warrants to purchase more. It has regulatory approval to own up to half of the company.

Once famous (or infamous) for drilling in Libya, Occidental today is a big player in the Permian Basin (Texas and New Mexico) and is active in the Rockies. It also drills in Algeria, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Valero

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO), with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, is a refiner and marketer. In a refiner's world, the ideal is for oil to be cheap while gasoline, heating oil and jet fuel are expensive. The price gap between the price of oil and the price of refined products is called the crack spread.

Lately, the spread (the price of two barrels of gasoline plus one barrel of heating oil, minus the price of three barrels of crude oil) has been around $35, which is good for refiners like Valero. According to Bloomberg, the average spread from 1985 to 2021 was $10.50 a barrel.

I think the spread will remain above normal for the next two or three years.Communities oppose new refineries, so few if any will be built. To be sure, as people increasingly choose electric cars, that will crimp gasoline demand, but I figure the transition will take a decade.

Just recently, oil prices and the crack spread have been dropping, which is why Valero' stock lost 15% of its value last quarter. It now sells for three times recent earnings and less than six times estimated earnings for this calendar year.

Acuity

Acuity Brands Inc. (AYI), based in Atlanta, provides lighting products for factories, office buildings, stores, malls and residences. Its stock fell 11% in the second quarter, perhaps because investors fear a further decline in commercial construction.

Acuity boasts a strong balance sheet, with debt only 30% of stockholders' equity. It has been profitable in each of the past 22 years. In the past four quarters it achieved a 19.6% return on stockholders' equity, which I consider excellent.

For the past six years, Acuity has been buying back its own stocks. I expect that will continue.

Columbia Sportswear

Knocked down 14% in the latest quarter, Columbia Sportswear Co. (COLM) has descended into what I consider a reasonable price range.

In the past year, sales grew 14% but earnings fell as costs rose. Analysts expect profits to rebound in 2024 and 2025. I think that's a reasonable hope, as Columbia has managed to increase its profits at a 12% annual rate over the past decade.

In the past year, Columbia stock has been as high as $98 and as low as $65. It's about $77 now. I think it's an okay buy at this level, and I would be more enthusiastic should it fall below $70.

Past record

The Casualty List you've just read about is the 81st one I've compiled, beginning in 2000. One-year results can be calculated for 77 of the lists.

The average 12-month gain on my Casualty selections has been 15.4%, which compares well with 10.4% for the Standard & Poor's 500 Total Return index over the same periods.

Of the 77 lists, 49 have been profitable, and 39 have beaten the S&P 500. Bear in mind that my column results are hypothetical and shouldn't be confused with results I obtain for clients. Also, past performance doesn't predict the future.

My selections from a year ago were weak, managing only a 7.3% return while the index advanced 18.3%. Paramount Global (PARA) depressed the results with a 34% loss. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. (AAWW) was the standout: It was acquired by Apollo Global Management for a 66% gain.

Disclosure: I own Paramount Global personally and for most of my clients. I own call options on Occidental Petroleum in a hedge fund I run.

John Dorfman is chairman of Dorfman Value Investments in Boston, Massachusetts. His firm or clients may own or trade the stocks discussed here. He can be reached at jdorfman@dorfmanvalue.com.
The 55th Mission Support Group is under new leadership following a change of command ceremony Thursday, July 6.

Col. Jasin Cooley relinquished command to Col. Patrick Kolesiak during the time-honored ceremony at the Offutt Fire Station.

This is a big deal for the 55th Wing, a huge deal for the Mission Support Group, said Col. Mark Howard, 55th Wing commander, who was the presiding official. Congratulations, thats what this is all about, to Colonel and Mrs. Cooley for a successful command tour.

Kolesiak comes to the MSG from Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he was the Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 7 commander and Aerospace Systems Directorate Site Support Division chief.

Colonel Kolesiak is a civil engineer legend within the civil engineering community, Howard said. He put together the fiscal year 2023 budget included in the military construction program for flood recovery for this base.

The 55th MSG is responsible for five squadrons encompassing more than 1,600 individuals who support Air Combat Commands largest wing and more than 50 mission partner units including U.S. Strategic Command and the 557th Weather Wing.

I want to thank the men and women of the 55th MSG for such a warm welcome, Kolesiak said. Im truly humbled and privileged to be able to serve you and lead such an amazing and professional organization.

The new commander is a career civil engineer officer who earned his Air Force ROTC program at the University of Notre Dame.

Jasin, its clear you leave me a group that is extremely professional, that is operating on all cylinders and ready for anything thrown its way, Kolesiak added.

Among Cooleys many accomplishments are leading the MSG team during the runway reconstruction and setting up the 335th Expeditionary Group which helped 16,000 displaced Afghans relocate to the U.S.

Cooley leaves the group for the Pentagon, where he will serve as the security forces operation and training division chief.

As I leave command for my final time in this career, I humbly offer my sincere thanks for this opportunity to serve in this organization, Cooley said. Men and women of the MSG, youve done the difficult, daily, impossible, upon request and provided miracles, but by appointment only. Thank you for this experience, its been my honor.
A 63-year-old Omaha man died Saturday after he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving near Morse Bluff in Saunders County.

David Sebben was northbound on Nebraska Highway 79 about 5:37 p.m. Saturday when the 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle left the road, according to the Saunders County Sheriffs Office. The accident occurred near the intersection of Highway 79 and County Road 25, about 2.5 miles south of Morse Bluff.

Life-saving measures were started by the first arriving deputy and first responders before Sebben was transported to Methodist Fremont Health, where he was pronounced dead.

Saunders County deputies were assisted by Prague Fire and Rescue, the Morse Bluff Fire Department, the Fremont Fire Department and the Dodge County Sheriffs Office.
The public is invited to line the funeral procession route for a longtime Papillion police officer who died suddenly last week.

A funeral service for Lt. Raymond Ray Higgins will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 324 Jackson St., Papillion. Following the service, Higgins will be taken to Cedar Dale Cemetery for burial.

A Papillion police spokesman said the public is invited to line the procession route to the cemetery. It will leave the church and head east on Lincoln Street before turning north on 84th Street.

The procession will then turn east on First Street in order to pass the police department. It will then turn south on 72nd Street and west on Cedardale Road to the cemetery.

Higgins, 57, died unexpectedly July 3 in Papillion. He grew up in Papillion, graduating from Papillion-La Vista High School in 1984. He continued his education at Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska, where in 1986 he received an associate degree in electrical engineering.

He joined the Papillion Police Department in 1988, rising to the rank of lieutenant in 2021. He also served as a volunteer for the Papillion and Springfield volunteer fire departments.

Rays greatest passion in life was to serve others and was sworn into Papillion Police Department in November of 1988 where he served and protected his community until his death, according to a press release. During his 34 years on the police department, he served in the capacity of accident investigation and re-creation, fire investigator, member of the Metro Area Task Force.

Higgins, who also ran a lawn service, spent the majority of his law enforcement career working road patrol. During his time with the department, he attended several classes specializing in the areas of accident investigation and fire investigation.

With Gail, his wife of 27 years, Higgins enjoyed traveling, especially to Florida, and camping. He loved attending NASCAR races and following the Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL.

In addition to his wife, Higgins is survived by his parents, Richard and Beverly Higgins; sisters, Judi Dort and Terri Hasiak; sister-in-law, Linda Wagner; brother-in-law, Norm Bruce Wagner; and children, Jessica Ohren and Daniel Ohren; grandson, Vincent Ohren; niece, Brooke Fallas Quiros; and his faithful dog, Max.
Omaha and eastern Nebraska should expect a return to warmer weather along with several chances for storms this week.

Monday, were looking at a high (temperature) around 90 degrees in the area with a slight chance for severe weather, Paul Fajman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley, said Sunday. The potential is for late-afternoon thunderstorms developing in northeast Nebraska and then a cluster of storm cells moving southeast, possibly with large hail and damaging wind gusts.

A weak front moving from the Pacific Northwest into eastern Nebraska could bring more chances for severe weather Tuesday. Omaha is again forecast to have a high around 90 degrees Tuesday, with slightly cooler weather in the mid-80s through the end of the week, Fajman said.

Weather models indicate that a stationary boundary could settle across northeast Nebraska into southwest Iowa by Tuesday morning, bringing with it a more active storm pattern. A cluster of storms appears likely to move from central South Dakota through eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Starting Wednesday, we can expect daily chances for thunderstorms through the end of the week, Fajman said. We are not expecting any days that will be washouts. There will just be chances for storms each day through Saturday.

Highs will generally range in the low to mid-80s. Thursday will hold the best chances for widespread and meaningful rain, he said.

Omaha has benefited from recent rains with 12.37 inches of precipitation so far this year. That is still about 3 inches below average.

If youve got outdoor activities, it will be a good idea to check the weather before going out, Fajman said. We will certainly have some opportunities to catch up on our precipitation.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2023
WASHINGTON  At 31 years old, Nasrat Ahmad Yar spent most of his adult life working with the U.S. military in Afghanistan before escaping to America in search of a better life for his wife and four children.

He found work as a ride-share driver and managed to send money back to Afghanistan to help family and friends. He liked to play volleyball with friends in the Washington suburb where many Afghans who fled their country now live. At 6-feet-5 inches, he had a powerful serve.

Last Monday night, worried about making rent, he went out driving and was shot and killed in Washington. Surveillance video captured the sound of a single gunshot and four boys or young men running away. Police offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

"He was so generous. He was so nice. He was always trying to help the people," said Rahim Amini, a fellow Afghan immigrant and longtime friend. He said Ahmad Yar always reminded him, "Don't forget the people left behind."

Jeramie Malone, an American who came to know Ahmed Yar through volunteer work with a veteran-founded organization bringing former Afghan interpreters to safety, also was struck by his generosity.

"He always wanted to be giving more than he was receiving and he was just really extremely kind." In America, Malone said, "all he wanted was a chance."

Afghans and U.S. military veterans gathered for a funeral service Saturday at the All Muslim Association of America in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Relatives and friends comforted Ahmad Yar's children and wife as his casket was lowered into the ground and covered with soil.

One of those in attendance was Matthew Butler, now retired from the military who met Ahmad Yar in 2009 at Bagram Airfield, then an American base north of Kabul, the Afghan capital. Ahmad Yar was his primary interpreter for two tours in the country.

Butler said Ahmad Yar was like a brother or son to him, and he noted the military's commitment to leaving no one behind  something he said now extends to Ahmad Yar's wife.

"I pledged my support to his wife and his children, and said just because Nasrat is gone doesn't mean my support to you is gone. I won't leave you behind," Butler said after the ceremony.

Amini said Ahmad Yar had worked for the U.S. military for about a decade as an interpreter and doing other jobs, seeing it as a way to help pave the way for the next generation in Afghanistan to have a better life.

While the U.S. has had a Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans who worked closely with the U.S. government to come to America since 2009, Amini said his friend didn't want to apply right away, preferring to stay in Afghanistan, where he felt needed.

He remembered Ahmad Yar saying: "I have guys here I need to support.  When I feel that they don't need my support then I can go to America."

In August 2021, the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over.

Mohammad Ahmadi, Ahmad Yar's cousin, was already in America after also working for the U.S. military. The two discussed how to get Ahmad Yar and his family out of Afghanistan. Ahmadi said his cousin could see the Taliban soldiers walking through the streets of Kabul and was worried they would discover he'd been an interpreter for the U.S. military.

"He said, 'I don't want to get killed in front of my wife and kids,'" Ahmadi said.

Ahmad Yar went to northern Afghanistan in hopes of getting into Uzbekistan. When that didn't work, he and his family went to the northwestern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where Nasrat would go out of his way to assist other Afghan refugees  greeting them on arrival, bringing their families to stay with his and feeding them, while all waited for flights out, Malone said.

While waiting at the interim transit camp in the United Arab Emirates, he asked for writing supplies for the children so he could teach them English, Malone said. "It was really important for him for his kids to get an education and for them to  have opportunities they never would have had in Afghanistan."

His eldest child, a girl, is now 13, and the others are boys, ages 11, 8 and just 15 months old.

They family was able to get on a flight to the United Arab Emirates and then eventually travel to America.

The family went first to Pennsylvania, but Amini said his friend was robbed there and decided to move to Alexandria, Virginia. Amini said Ahmad Yar told him he'd fled to the U.S. "to be safe and unfortunately I'm not safe here."

Amini said they spoke Monday evening and the next thing he knew, he was awakened by another Afghan friend who somehow heard that Ahmad Yar had been killed.

The police said they responded to a call about an unconscious person and found Ahmad Yar's body. They rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead. On the surveillance video they released, one of the four suspected attackers shouted, "You just killed him." Another answered, "He was reaching, bro."

Washington has seen steadily rising crime rates, including car jackings. Homicides are up 14% compared with this time last year. Early Wednesday, nine people were shot and wounded, police said.

His wife is still in shock, said Ahmad Yar's cousin, Ahmadi. Still, she said she and her husband had the same goal in coming to America: to provide a future for their children.

"I have the same goal for them," she told Ahmadi. "They can go to school. They can go to college and become educated and good people for the society."

Where refugees to the US come from and why Where refugees to the US come from and why #20. Central African Republic #19. Burundi #18. Honduras #17. Iran #16. Russia #15. Colombia #14. Pakistan #13. Ethiopia #12. Moldova #11. Somalia #10. Guatemala #9. Iraq #8. Bhutan #7. El Salvador #6. Eritrea #5. Afghanistan #4. Syria #3. Ukraine #2. Myanmar #1. Democratic Republic of the Congo
STAR, Idaho  Once he and his wife, Jennifer, moved to a Boise suburb last year, Tim Kohl could finally express himself.

Kohl did what the couple never dared at their previous house outside of Los Angeles  the newly retired Los Angeles police officer flew a U.S. flag and a Thin Blue Line banner representing law enforcement outside his house.

We were scared to put it up, Jennifer Kohl acknowledged. But the Kohls knew they had moved to the right place when neighbors complimented him on the display.

Leah Dean is on the opposite end of the political spectrum, but she knows how the Kohls feel. In Texas, Dean was scared to fly an abortion rights banner outside her house. Around the time the Kohls were house-hunting in Idaho, she and her partner found a place in Denver, where their LGBTQ+ pride flag flies above the banner in front of their house that proclaims Abortion access is a community responsibility.

One thing we have really found is a place to feel comfortable being ourselves, Dean said.

Americans are segregating by their politics at a rapid clip, helping fuel the greatest divide between the states in modern history.

The split has sent states careening to the political left or right, adopting diametrically opposed laws on some of the hottest issues of the day. In Idaho, abortion is illegal once a heartbeat can be detected in a fetus  around six weeks  and its a crime to help a minor travel out of state to obtain one. In Colorado, state law prevents any restrictions on abortion. In Idaho, minors arent allowed gender affirming care, while Colorado allows youths to come from other states to access the procedures.

Federalism  allowing each state to chart its own course within boundaries set by Congress and the Constitution  is at the core of the U.S. system. It lets the states, in the words of former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, be laboratories of democracy.

Now, some wonder whether thats driving Americans apart.

Does that work as well in a time when we are so politically divided, or does it just become an accelerant for people who want to re-segregate? asked Rob Witwer, a former Republican Colorado state lawmaker.

The states swings arent simply due to transplants, of course. The increasing clustering of Americans into like-minded enclaves  dubbed The Big Sort  has many causes. Harvard professor Ryan Enos estimates that, at least before the pandemic, only 15% of the homogeneity was due to people moving. Other causes include political parties polarizing on hot-button issues that split neatly on demographic lines, such as guns and abortion, and voters adopting their neighbors partisanship.

A lot of this is driven by other sorting that is going on, Enos said.

When Americans move, politics is not typically the explicit reason. But the lifestyle choices they make place them in communities dominated by their preferred party.

Democrats want to live in places with artistic culture and craft breweries, and Republicans want to move to places where they can have a big yard, said Ryan Strickler, a political scientist at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

But something may have changed as the country has become even more polarized. Businesses catering to conservatives fleeing blue states have sprouted, such as Blue Line Moving, which markets to families moving from blue states to Florida. In Texas, a "rainbow underground railroad run by a Dallas realtor helps LGBTQ+ families flee the states increased restrictions targeting that population.

The switch might have been flipped during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, which created a class of mobile workers no longer bound to the states where their companies were based. Those who are now mobile are predominantly white-collar workers and retirees, the two most politically engaged parts of the national population.

Mike McCarter, who has spearheaded a quixotic campaign to have conservative eastern Oregon become part of Idaho, said most people didnt pay much attention to state government until the pandemic.

Then it was like Oh, they can shut down any church and they can shut down my kids school? McCarter said. If state-level government has that much power, youd better be sure it reflects your values, and not someone elses values that are forced on you.

The coronavirus pandemic helped push Aaron and Carrie Friesen to Idaho. They realized they could take their marketing firm remote from its base near Hilton Head, South Carolina. Theyd always planned to return to the West, but California, where Aaron, now 39, was born and raised, and Washington state, Carries native state, were both immediately disqualified because of their progressive politics.

The Friesens and their three children settled on Boise. They loved the big skies, the mountains rearing up behind the town, the plethora of outdoor activities.

And they liked Idahos pandemic policies. When the Friesens visited, almost no one was wearing masks, which they took as a good sign  they were happy to mask up when sick, but found constant masking pointless.

With the temperature of politics nowadays, if people choose to move somewhere, they are going to choose to move to a place with like-minded people, Aaron Friesen said.

Thats apparently been happening in Idaho, said Mathew Hay, who oversees a regular survey of new arrivals for Boise State University. Historically, transplants mirrored the conservative populations leanings, with about 45% describing themselves as conservative, and the rest evenly split between liberal and moderate.

But something changed last year  the share of newcomers saying they came to Idaho for the politics jumped to 9%, compared to 5% for long-timers. The percentage describing themselves as very conservative also rose.

In Colorado, the reverse may be happening.

Bret Weinstein, owner of a real estate firm in Denver, said politics has become the top issue for people buying a home.

Its brought up in our initial conversations, Weinstein said. Three years ago, we didnt have those conversations, ever.

Most conservative county in liberal states Most conservative county in liberal states #20. Wisconsin: 24% liberal, 35% conservative #19. Pennsylvania: 24% liberal, 34% conservative #18. Delaware: 24% liberal, 29% conservative #17. Minnesota: 25% liberal, 32% conservative #16. Rhode Island: 25% liberal, 29% conservative #15. Colorado: 26% liberal, 33% conservative #14. Illinois: 27% liberal, 31% conservative #13. Connecticut: 27% liberal, 30% conservative #12. New Jersey: 27% liberal, 29% conservative #11. Oregon: 28% liberal, 32% conservative #10. Maryland: 28% liberal, 29% conservative #9. Hawaii: 28% liberal, 22% conservative #8. California: 29% liberal, 29% conservative #7. New Hampshire: 30% liberal, 28% conservative #6. New York: 30% liberal, 27% conservative #5. Washington D.C.: 30% liberal, 24% conservative #4. Washington: 31% liberal, 28% conservative #3. Vermont: 32% liberal, 28% conservative #2. Maine: 33% liberal, 35% conservative #1. Massachusetts: 35% liberal, 21% conservative
Just five days after staging a short-lived rebellion, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's commanders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence both men wield.

The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and involved not only Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine  where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops  and of the revolt itself.

"The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," Peskov said.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary. The Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, but the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.

Prigozhin has not commented on the Kremlin meeting, and his fate remains unclear, particularly since Monday's announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors. He could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

Monday's announcement came as Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov  who was one of the targets of Prigozhin's rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

In the video, Gerasimov is seated at a table with his team, watching a video report from the chief of staff of Russia's aerospace forces about a missile attack on Russian territory on Sunday. Gerasimov responds by calling for preemptive strikes against missile bases and for improvements in missile defenses.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show it's in control after a turbulent period, and to reflect Putin's delicate balance between condemning the biggest threat to his 23-year rule and the man behind it while not alienating a popular figure whose troops scored the biggest battlefield victory for Russia in the past year of the war.

Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov said Putin acknowledges Prigozhin's patriotism and needs his forces on the front line, while Prigozhin needs Putin to ensure his freedom from prosecution. The two are negotiating as allies, with Prigozhin escaping punishment, Gallyamov said.

Prigozhin "emerged victorious from this rebellion," Gallyamov said in a Zoom interview from Tel Aviv. "He has shown himself to be the master of the situation."

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhin's forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the war's longest and bloodiest battle. Putin has confirmed that Prigozhin's companies operated under government contracts.

Throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticized decisions made by Russia's top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putin's authority, even though Prigozhin claimed the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. Prigozhin called off his mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to go to Belarus.

Mark Galeotti, an author who heads the consulting firm Mayak Intelligence, said the delicate dance with Prigozhin is "a further compromise on Putin's part and reflects his unwillingness to take tough and ruthless personnel decisions."

"He is willing to see Ukrainians bombed by the dozen, but not confront any of the figures in his own circle," Galeotti wrote in The Spectator.

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24." The president also "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat," the Kremlin spokesman said.

In other developments, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed seven people as residents gathered to receive humanitarian aid, authorities said, with the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region branding the attack "a war crime."
BEIRUT, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys implemented on Blocks 4 and 9 of Lebanon's territorial waters show promising oil and gas discovery potential, said Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Walid Fayyad on Monday.

"We have sensed a positive atmosphere promising the presence of commercial quantities of gas in Blocks 4 and 9, according to partners with Lebanon in oil and gas exploration, including French energy giant TotalEnergies, Italian energy giant Eni, and Qatar Energy," Elnashra news website quoted Fayyad as saying.

The minister said the drilling in the two blocks will begin in the first half of August and continue for 90 to 100 days.

Lebanon and Israel finalized a U.S.-brokered maritime border demarcation deal in October last year, bringing both countries closer to oil and gas exploration in their waters after years of negotiations.

In late January, Qatar signed an agreement with Lebanon to join the consortium of TotalEnergies and ENI for oil and gas exploration in the two blocks.

Lebanon needs revenues from the oil and gas sector as the country reels under an unprecedented financial crisis. 
Just five days after staging a short-lived rebellion, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin 's commanders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence both men wield.

The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and involved not only Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine  where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops  and of the revolt itself.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Peskov said.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.

Prigozhin has not commented on the Kremlin meeting, and his ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Monday's announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors. He could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

Monday's announcement came as Russias Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov  who was one of the targets of Prigozhin's rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

In the video, Gerasimov is seated at a table with his team, watching a video report from the chief of staff of Russias aerospace forces about a missile attack on Russian territory on Sunday. Gerasimov responds by calling for preemptive strikes against missile bases and for improvements in missile defenses.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show its in control after a turbulent period, and to reflect Putin's delicate balance between condemning the biggest threat to his 23-year rule and the man behind it while not alienating a popular figure whose troops scored the biggest battlefield victory for Russia in the past year of the war.

Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov told The Associated Press that Putin acknowledges Prigozhins patriotism and needs his forces on the front line, while Prigozhin needs Putin to ensure his freedom from prosecution. The two are negotiating as allies, with Prigozhin escaping punishment, Gallyamov said.

Prigozhin emerged victorious from this rebellion, Gallyamov said in a Zoom interview from Tel Aviv. He has shown himself to be the master of the situation.

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhins forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the wars longest and bloodiest battle. Putin has confirmed that Prigozhin's companies operated under government contracts.

Throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticized decisions made by Russias top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putins authority, even though Prigozhin claimed the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. Prigozhin called off his mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to go to Belarus.

Mark Galeotti, an author who heads the consulting firm Mayak Intelligence, said the delicate dance with Prigozhin is a further compromise on Putins part and reflects his unwillingness to take tough and ruthless personnel decisions.

He is willing to see Ukrainians bombed by the dozen, but not confront any of the figures in his own circle, Galeotti wrote in The Spectator.

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some Russian observers would be stunned by the turn of events.

When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, its ridiculous, she told the AP. Its just so unbelievable and just so shocking.

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24. The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, Peskov said. Putin has given options to Prigozhins fighters: fight as part of the regular Russian army, retire from service or join Prigozhin in Belarus.

A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is looking at how to crank up the pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In other developments, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed seven people as residents gathered to receive humanitarian aid, authorities said, with the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region branding the attack "a war crime.

Gov. Yuriy Malashko said a guided aerial bomb caused an explosion Sunday at a school in Orikhiv, without providing evidence.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those probes.

Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive to regain occupied land, and on Monday, the deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, reported progress.

She said the countrys fighters had reclaimed 10.2 square kilometers (3.9 square miles) of territory in the south and four square kilometers (1.5 square miles) in the east in the past week. The gains, she said on Telegram, included the commanding heights of Bakhmut, where Prigozhins forces declared control of the city in May. None of the claims could be independently verified.
BEIJING (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to tell Chinese officials that Washington wants healthy economic competition but will defend trade curbs imposed by the U.S. on security grounds and express concern about Beijing's export controls on metals used in semiconductors and solar panels, a senior Treasury official said Thursday.

Yellen was due to meet Friday with China's No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, as part of efforts to revive relations that are at their lowest level in decades due to disputes over security, technology and other irritants. Treasury officials have said she wouldn't meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Washington doesn't support decoupling, or disconnecting U.S. and Chinese industries and markets, and Yellen will reiterate that message, the Treasury official said. Businesspeople have warned that might harm innovation and growth as both governments tighten controls on trade in technology and other goods deemed sensitive.

Yellen planned to discuss targeted action by Washington on trade due to national security or human rights concerns, according to the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Her visit follows one by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Xi last month in the highest-level U.S. visit to Beijing in five years. The two agreed to stabilize relations but failed to agree on improving communications between their militaries.

Major agreements arent expected to come out of the meetings between Yellen and Chinese officials this week, says William Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington.

Rather the hope of restarting dialogue between the two nations is the goal. "The best you can hope for this time around would be if the Chinese agree to some kind of structure for continuing economic conversations, he said.

China's government has been frustrated by U.S. curbs on Chinese access to advanced processor chips on security grounds. That threatens to delay or derail the ruling Communist Party's efforts to develop telecoms, artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Xi accused Washington in March of trying to hamper China's development.

Washington doesn't use security-related restrictions for economic benefit and considers national security non-negotiable, the Treasury official said.

The United States wants healthy economic competition with China but considers some of Beijing's trade practices unfair, the official said. They said Yellen would detail those concerns in meetings with Chinese officials.

The official cited this week's announcement of Chinese export controls on gallium and germanium as an example of policies about which Washington wants more information. The announcement jolted South Korea and other countries whose industries use Chinese supplies of the metals.

Washington wants to promote resilient supply chains and guard against excessive reliance on suppliers in critical areas but doesn't consider that to be decoupling, the Treasury official said.

Sourabh Gupta, a senior Asia-Pacific international relations policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said the U.S. argument that targeted restrictions are coming from a national security standpoint and not an economic competitiveness one isnt expected to convince the Chinese government but may provide further assurances that more communication between the countries is desired.

It does help create a certain reassurance that at least the U.S. is looking for a good relationship, he said.

Yellen said earlier the two governments can and need to find a way to live together in spite of their strained relations over geopolitics and economic development.

Treasury officials told reporters earlier in Washington the secretary wanted to focus on stabilizing the global economy and challenging Chinese support of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.

The latest flareup came after President Joe Biden referred to Xi as a dictator. The Chinese government protested, but Biden said his blunt statements are just not something Im going to change very much.

Ties became especially testy after a Chinese surveillance balloon flew over the United States in February and was subsequently shot down.

Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry, is slated to become the next administration official to visit China, next week, a State Department official confirmed Thursday.

China and the U.S. are the world's No. 1 and No. 2 top climate polluters, giving their one-on-one climate talks outsize importance.

The trip will be Kerrys first to China since it broke off climate discussions with the U.S. in August in retaliation for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's travel to Taiwan. Kerry, a former Secretary of State, is pushing China to move faster to wean itself off of dirty-burning coal-fired power plants and commit itself to a plan to reduce leaks of destructive methane from natural gas.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Nicholas Tofowomo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Ondo South supplementary election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Tofowomo polled 81,892 to defeat incumbent senator Yele Omogunwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 55,610 votes.

Kayode Onifade, the INEC Returning Officer for Ondo South, declared Mr Tofowomo winner of the election, having polled the highest number of votes.

Having satisfied the law by having the highest number of votes in a concluded election, I hereby declare Tofowomo of the PDP winner and he is hereby returned elected, he said.

NAN reports that Mr Tofowomo had earlier polled 79,029 against Mr Omogunwa who scored 51,993 at the February 23 National Assembly election.

The INEC returning officer had declared the election inconclusive over various irregularities in 56 polling units, saying that the cancelled 28,047 votes were higher than the margin of 27,036 votes between Tofowomo and his closest rival. (NAN)
Tinubu was elected chairman at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held on Sunday afternoon in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.

The president said, We will take democracy seriously, Democracy is very tough but it is the form of government. after he received handover documents.

The Nigerian leader takes over from the outgoing chairman who is Guinea-Bissaus President, Umaro Embalo.

The ECOWAS Chairmanship is a position held by one of the heads of state or government of the member countries, chosen on a rotating basis for a one-year tenure.

The immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari occupied the position from 2018 to 2019.

According to reports, although, the role does not confer executive powers, the Chairman plays a strategic role in conflict resolution, advocacy and liaises with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the executive responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of ECOWAS policies and decisions.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Ogun State Police Command has issued some security tips to residents of the state.

The command gave the nine security tips in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Sunday evening.

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The command gave the nine security tips in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Sunday evening.

It is unclear why the command issued the tips to residents of the state, Ogun is one of the states with high crime rates in the country.

The tweet reads, Be Security conscious by doing the following tips.

1. Avoid being predictable.

2. Learn to keep some secrets.

3. Avoid keeping late hours.

4. Avoid lifting strangers

5. Watch your use of social media.

6. When you attend parties, dont let the band get you so high that your start spraying money. Use an envelope instead.

7. Dont be the kind of person who always tries to empty the ATM machine by making large withdrawals. You dont need 50k in your wallet to feel like a man.

8. Dont try to show youre the richest in your neighbourhood by making large donations, apply modesty.

9. Be accountable to your spouse or your friend(s), let someone knows where you are at every point.

Be Security conscious by doing the following tips.

1. Avoid being predictable.

2. Learn to keep some secrets.

3. Avoid keeping late hours.

4. Avoid lifting strangers

5. Watch your use of social media.

6. When you attend parties, dont let the band get you so high that  Ogun State Police Command (@OgunPoliceNG) July 9, 2023

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the governments of former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa YarAdua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari to disclose the spending details of about $5 billion Abacha loot.

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as combined security forces comb forests

Oyebanji tasks security agencies to secure release

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Relatives of the kidnapped All Progressives Congress, APC, Chairman in Ekiti State, Paul Omotosho said they are hopeful for his release from the kidnappers den.

Omotosho was on Saturday evening kidnapped along Agbado-Ekiti  Imesi-Ekiti road in Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state by gunmen while driving to his country home of Imesi-Ekiti.

A family source confided in Vanguard on Sunday that members of the family were still expecting the call of the kidnappers possibly to demand for ransom since he was abducted on Saturday.

He added that even though joint team of security operatives have been combing the nearby bushes and forests in search of the APC chairman, no success has been recorded on the rescue mission.

According to him,  We are still in a very difficult mood since our man was kidnapped because we are yet to receive any call from the abductors since Saturday night.

I can tell you that security agencies including our local people have been in the bush searching for him but there is no headway yet as regards his whereabouts.

We have taken phones of close family members to a place where there will be good network in the community in anticipation for a call from the gunmen demanding for ransom, that is the situation.

Meanwhile, the combined forces of security agencies including Amotekun corps and local hunters in Ekiti state have commenced combing of forests in search of the kidnapped state chairman of the APC.

Also, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has called on the security agencies to do everything possible to secure the safe release of the party chairman.

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Oyebanji stated that Omotoso shouldnt only be rescued unscathed, that the perpetrators of the dastardly act be nabbed and made to face the full weight of the laws.

The governor represented by his Deputy, Chief Monisade Afuye, gave the directive on Sunday, when he visited Omotosos family at Imesi Ekiti, to sympathise with them on the devastating incident.

Similarly, the Governor, who was received by the victims family, also visited the Onimesi of Imesi Ekiti, Oba Olatunji Olatunde to register his displeasure over the disturbing incident.

Oyebanji in his stern instruction, directed the police and DSS operatives to comb the sprawling forests along Agbado-Imesi-Irun Akoko in Ondo State and other suspected areas to rescue the victims safely from where they are being held hostage.

The Governor branded the incident as very troubling and disturbing, saying his government would continue to step up efforts to tighten noose on those who are ocassionally terrorising Ekiti through senseless kidnapping, and made to face serious resistance.

As part of the ways to stamp out abduction in that axis of Ekiti, Oyebanji assured that the state forest reserves extending from Agbado-Imesi-Ise will be resuscitated and put to use to dislodge those using the area as hideout.
The Department of State Services (DSS) says its operatives did not raid the offices of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The secret police also said no file was carted away from the two government agencies as claimed by some sections of the media (not Channels Television).

In a statement on Sunday, DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, also said viral reports that the Service snooped on judges on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal were false.

The DSS said the allegations lack factual basis or credibility and were figments of the creators imaginations.

To set the records straight, the DSS did not execute operations of any kind at the ICPC and CCB or remove files from their offices, the statement partly read.

Instructively, the two agencies have, on their own, refuted the news in widely circulated press statements.

The secret police further described as laughable, reports that former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari was invited by the DSS for refusing to pick President Bola Tinubus phone call. Yari knows why he was invited, the Service stated.

The Service will remain focused, resilient, patriotic and professional in the conduct of its affairs. Members of the public are enjoined to disregard the misleading stories which are aimed at causing disaffection in the country and disparaging the Service leadership.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says two church officials have been arrested in Ogun state for drug trafficking.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the suspects were officials at Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries in Delta state.

He said they were operating a factory where different dangerous drugs were produced in Ogun.

Babafemi said the suspects, identified as Adewale Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, were arrested alongside four other persons.

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He said the operatives intercepted two consignments of the illicit drugs in Warri, adding that two other women were arrested in connection with the crime.

Ayeni, one of the two officials, works as the manager of the prayer call centre of the church, while Ebipakebina is in charge of the movement of international guests from the airport to the worship centre.

No fewer than 4,560 kilograms of skunk have been seized in interdiction operations in Lagos, Adamawa and Osun by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who also raided a skucchies factory in Ogun and arrested four members of a drug syndicate including two church officials; female staff of a courier company and another lady, involved in trafficking lethal opioid, fentanyl in Delta, the statement reads.

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The bust of the fentanyl cartel operating from Warri, Delta state is coming barely a month after two members of another syndicate: Odoh Collins Oguejiofor and Oliver Chigozie Uzoma were arrested at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha head bridge, Onitsha south LGA, Anambra State following months of intelligence-led investigation of the syndicates behind the dangerous drug, which is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70 percent overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.

Two female accomplices also arrested in Warri in the course of investigating the intercepted shipments include Naomi David, 28, who is a staff of United Parcel Services (UPS), and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, who is a business associate of Ayeni.

In another development, Babafemi said the operatives seized a Toyota vehicle carrying two passengers with 118 cartons of noodles where 544 blocks of compressed cannabis were concealed in Adamawa.

The drugs weighing 408kg were to be distributed in Yola, Mubi, and Gombe states.

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He said 89 jumbo bags of skunk were seized from one Segun Odeyemi in Lagos, while an abandoned Peugeot vehicle was recovered with bags of fresh pepper used to conceal 25 bags of cannabis on the Akure-Ilesa expressway.

In the same vein, operatives in Ogun state on Thursday 6th July raided a skucchies factory at Ajaka Sagamu where a suspect, Adekunle Adekola was arrested. Exhibits recovered from the premises include 10kg cannabis; 1,356 litres of sketches, 20 litres of codeine, seven deep freezers; a set of fireman generators, and two gas cylinders among others, he said.

The spokesperson added that Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and urged them to continue to track the fentanyl opioid cartels in Nigeria.
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By Izunna Okafor, Awka

School teachers in Anambra State, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Anambra State branch, have appealed to the State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo to lift the ban his government placed on meetings of the Union in the State.

The States leadership of the Union made the appeal when they visited the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, at her office in Awka, to tender their unreserved apologies for what their members did that resulted to the ban.

Recall that Governor Soludo, through the Education Commissioner, Prof. Chuma-Udeh, had placed a ban on the meetings of the Union in state, given the misconduct displayed by the members in a viral video of their conference recently held at the Teachers House in Awka, the State capital, on Tuesday June 6, 2023. the state. The members of the Union were seen throwing punches at each other in the viral video of the meeting.

However, tendering their apologies on behalf of the Union, the State Secretary General of the Union, Dr. Ike Ene, said the Union had called the various factions to order, while also pledgeing their loyalty to the State.

He pleaded with the State Government to lift the ban placed on their meetings, assuring that future conferences will adhere completely to established rules and regulations governing NUT proceedings.

Responding, the States Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chuma-Udeh said it was a rude shock to the entire State at the antics displayed by the teachers in the video, adding that it was somehow for a king to be found eating in the market place.

The Commissioner, who called on the Union to exhibit characters that are in line with the noble teaching profession, said they served as role models to the students, and should therefore portray characters worthy of emulation.

She further said she would convey the Unions apologies to the Governor, after which she would tell them revert to them on the Governors decision and response to their appeal on the lifting of the ban.

apologized to the Anambra State Government for the untoward behavior displayed by members in a viral video of the conference of the Anambra State Wing of the Union.

The apology was tendered by the Unions Executives in the Office of the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh at the Jerome Udoji State Secretariate Complex, Awka.

The Executives implore the State Government to lift the ban placed on their meetings.

Addressing the Union Executives, the Commissioner of Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma Udeh said it was a rude shock to the entire State at the antics displayed by the teachers in the video, saying, a King should not be found eating in the marketplace.

She called on the Union to exhibit characters that are in line with the noble teaching profession.

She said they served as role models to the students, hence should portray characters worthy of emulation.

Earlier in his speech, the Secretary General of the Union, Dr Ike Ene tendered an unreserved apology on behalf of the Union.

He pledged the Unions loyalty to the State, adding that the Union has called the various factions to order.

He pleaded with the State Government to lift the ban placed on their meetings, assuring that future conferences will adhere completely to established rules and regulations governing NUT proceedings.

It is pertinent to recall that a video of the Anambra branch of the NUT meeting in which members were seen throwing punches at one another went viral recently, this led to the imposition of the ban by the State Government on further union meetings till they put their house in order..

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Fasina, popularly known as Jingo who was said to have been missing since Saturday, 1 July was found in Turkey.

This was disclosed in a tweet by The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on Sunday.

The commission said Fasina was found at the airport and would be on his way to Nigeria on Monday.

NIDCOM also commended Nigerias High Commission in Turkey for the collaborative efforts to locate the scholar.

NIDCOM wrote: The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Turkey, has successfully located Prof Fasina, who went missing for a few days at Istanbul Airport while connecting on a flight back home.

Mr. Fasina, 76, was travelling to Algeria when he was said to have missed his connecting flight from Istanbul, Turkey.

A big thanks to the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey who immediately sent officials to the Airport to physically locate him in the very busy and huge Istanbul Airport.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Nigerias President, Bola Tinubu has emerged as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Beijing on Monday.

Thanking Saleumxay Kommasith for actively supporting and participating in the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work with Laos to promote new achievements in political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of China's joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), Wang said the two sides should take this opportunity to jointly push the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Wang also called for accelerating negotiations on the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which could inject new impetus into the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home between China and ASEAN.

Saleumxay Kommasith said Laos highly appreciates and firmly supports China's Global Development Initiative, and is committed to building a solid, lasting and stable comprehensive strategic partnership between Laos and China.

China is an important strategic partner of ASEAN, and Laos will play an active role in promoting ASEAN-China cooperation, Saleumxay Kommasith added. 
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has celebrated the reopening of the Eko Bridge, linking the Mainland and Lagos Island across the Lagoon, after 15 months of closure for rehabilitation. The governor announcing the reopening of the bridge, stated that the hard work and collaboration between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government has paid off with the opening of the Eko Bridge that was closed 15 months ago after a tragic fire.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge was severely damaged at the Apongbon section by a fire caused by illegal trading. He said that the intensity of the inferno weakened major components and the supporting pillars of the bridge, prompting its closure for extensive repair on the entire stretch.

Sanwo-Olu assured: we are committed to maintaining and reinforcing the durability of this vital infrastructure.

Governor Sanwo-Olu in a tweet on his official twitter handle wrote:

Babajide Sanwo-Olu

@jidesanwoolu

Today, I am happy to announce that the hard work and collaboration between the Federal Government and Lagos State Government has paid off with the opening of the Eko Bridge that was closed 15 months ago in March 2022, after a tragic fire.

The bridge was severely damaged at the Apogbon section by a fire caused by illegal trading. The intensity of the inferno weakened major components and the supporting pillars of the bridge, prompting its closure for extensive repair on the entire stretch.

This opening brings relief and convenience to the lives of Lagos residents, making our daily commute smoother, easier and safer.

We are committed to maintaining and reinforcing the durability of this vital infrastructure.
Fayose, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made the call while speaking on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics, saying Wike is an asset to Nigeria, Asiwaju [Tinubu] needs a man like Wike.

Rumours are rife that Wike, also a PDP chieftain might be making Tinubus ministerial list, however, Fayose sees nothing wrong with that.

He added that Wike is a man of courage who is not afraid to speak the truth.

Recall that Wike led a group of five governors in PDP who worked against the candidature of a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 presidential election.

Wike insisted that it was the turn of the South to produce the president of the country.

During the interview, Fayose, who was one of the first PDP members to call for a southern president, disclosed that he also worked against the candidature of Atiku in the 2023 presidential election.

I never worked for PDP during the last election. I cannot work for two people at the same time, he said.

The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the time of the South.

On March 1, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Tinubu beat Atiku in Fayoses Ekiti, winning in all 16 local government areas of the state.

Tinubu also won in 11 other states out of Nigerias 36 states. He scored a total of 8,794,726 votes almost two million votes more than Atiku, who polled 6,984,520 votes, and the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who secured 6,101,533 votes.

The former Ekiti state governor while still speaking on the ministerial list, vowed not to accept a ministerial position from Tinubu.

He insisted that it was time for the old to give the younger generation space in government.

According to him, Tinubus cabinet should be 40 per cent for the old, 30 per cent for women, and 30 per cent for youths.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has directed Mmesoma Ejikeme be handed over to the State Guidance Counselor for counselling after she admitted faking her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.

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By Izunna Okafor, Awka

The brothel owner, Mrs. Ekpereamaka Okonkwo (popularly known as Nwaanyi Ukwu Venza), who was recently arrested for using underage girls for prostitution purposes in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has been remanded in prison by a Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, sitting in Awka.

The remanding of the Nwaanyi Ukwu Venza (aged 39) and her husband Okechukwu Okonkwo (aged 36) was based on a nine-count charge bordering on alleged committing of official corruption, prevention of course of Justice, and procurement of about 5 underage girls for prostitution purposes in Oba.

The offices, according to the court, are punishable under section 495 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Vol II, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991.

The charge was read and interpreted to the defendants, to the satisfaction of the special court sitting at the Chief Magistrates Court, Awka.

They however, pleaded not guilty to all the nine charges; hence, they were remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service. While Nwaanyi Ukwu Venza was remanded at the Awka Centre, her husband was remanded at the Onitsha Centre of the NCS.

The case was thereafter adjourned to July 12 2023, for ruling on bail application.

Recall that the Nnewi-born brothel owner escaped when government officials and security agencies stormed her brothel in Oba, following a tip of information from a whistleblower alleging that she was using underage girls for prostitution services at her brother.

She had, therefore, remained on the run since then till she was eventually captured through the joint efforts of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare and the security agencies.

She was captured while she and her husband were trying to bribe the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, so as to water the ground to resolve the matter. The Commissioner, however smartly arranged security operatives who immediately captured them at the place where she invited them to give her the bribe.

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Bishop Matthew Kukah

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has stated that the immediate past administration was filled with corruption.

He said this on Monday while delivering a keynote speech at the 60th call to bar anniversary celebration of legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola, in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.

Bishop Kukah noted that even though corruption did not start under Buhari, the last administration amplified it in moral, financial and other terms.

He said: We have seen the worst phase of corruption in Nigeria, Femi Falana, my friend here will speak about that because he has published a series of articles talking about what happened under the Buhari administration.

They were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms.

He said that nobody is excited now about being a Nigerian even if they are President or Senators, as the country is literally being held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of our democracy and country.

Kukah noted that a lot of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary but added that he considers the judiciary a victim the same way every other institution in Nigeria is suffering a crisis.

He stated that Nigeria should not yet assume that it is a democracy but instead assume that it is matching towards democracy, which means rebuilding Nigeria after the kind of mess the last administration has left the country.

The Bishop said it is time to rebuild the country, adding that no matter what happens at the Supreme Court concerning the election, he is convinced that Nigerians have put the ugly past behind them.
President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has exited Guinea Bissau after his participation in the 63rd Ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Recall that President Tinubu on Sunday emerged as the new ECOWAS Chairman at the ECOWAS Summit held in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

The Nigerian leader took over from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau.

At the ECOWAS summit, the leaders addressed several important regional topics and also featured discussions on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and a report on the obstacles to the free movement of goods along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

The Summit also looked at the report from the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) concerning security challenges within member nations; a report from the 90th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers about the groups financial situation and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); and a report on the state of political transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Jaiye Kuti, in a video on Instagram, berated the older colleagues, saying their present predicament is because of their failure to prepare for the future.

Popular Yoruba actress, Jaiye Kuti has slammed veteran actors rushing to social media to beg fans for financial assistance.

Recall that veteran actors like Iya Gbonkan, Alapini Osha, Lalude, and Pariolodo among others, have recently taken to social media to seek help to improve their living conditions.

In an Instagram video, the actress blamed them for their present predicament, saying it is because of their failure to prepare for the future.

While describing the act as an embarrassment to the Yoruba movie industry, she explained that the veteran actors have themselves to blame for their present condition following the careless financial decisions they might have made when they were much younger.

She said: Nollywood has the Yoruba and English sectors, and those in the English sector have members who face hard times but seek help amongst themselves.

Our members, on the other hand, have ridiculed us with their need to publicly beg for help, to the point that many now see Yoruba actors as wretched, all because some people did not prepare for their future.

All the actors coming online to beg should stop giving us bad names. This job doesnt have a pension, so you need to prepare for the future when you are young and active.

This job is a success for me because I earn big, and I am already preparing for my future. You cant make it compulsory for your colleague to give you money when you are sick, Kuti stated.
Chris Ngige and NLC chairman, Wabba

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that there will be industrial crisis if President Muhammadu Buhari returns Chris Ngige as minister of labour and productivity.

In an interview with PUNCH, Peter Ozo-Eson, NLC secretary, called on the federal government to give Ngige a new portfolio in the next cabinet.

Ngige is one of the 43 ministerial nominees undergoing screening by the senate.

The former minister of labour had clashed with NLC leaders over his delayed inauguration of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board.

Ozo-Eson accused the Ngige of being unfit, saying he lacks an understanding of how the ministry works.

We think that government will be looking for problem if Ngige is returned to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity as minister because he does not understand how the place works and his own approach will create an unnecessary industrial crisis, he said.

If the government is properly advised, it should look for where to put him. Ngige is a square peg in a round hole in the ministry.

In reaction, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, personal assistant to Ngige, said the former minister has no personal rift with the NLC leaders.

It is the responsibility of the president to appoint and assign portfolios to ministers. Ngige will willingly serve in whichever ministry the president so decides. Besides, he has no personal issue with labour, he said.

What happened at the end of the last term was a matter of steadfastness to the rule of law or otherwise. He chose the rule of law in respect of the appointment of the chairman of the board of the NSITF.

Dont forget that labour later saw reason with his action, forcing the (former) president of the TUC at the valedictory organised by the ministry on May 26, 2019, to apologise on behalf of labour while commending him for his unimpeachable labour administration style.

It would be recalled that labour unions and some Nigerians had taken on Ngige for saying that Nigeria had no problem with doctors leaving the country because there were more than enough of them in the country to man hospitals.
File photo

According to a report by The Nation, the Director of Child Welfare at the Kogi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mr. Omoyele Fatoye, is now facing police interrogation for alleged sexual harassment.

His alleged victim is 25 year old Blessing, older sister of a day old baby who was abandoned by her mother two weeks ago in Lokoja.

The police said yesterday that the suspect was caught in the act on Thursday Lokongoma area of Lokoja following a distress call by Blessing.

Speaking to reporters on the incident Friday, the Police Officer in charge of D Division ,Lokoja, Mr. Ishaya Pam, said he and his team raced to the scene and found Blessing without her blouse which had been allegedly removed by the director and hung in his wardrobe.

His words: I missed a call (unknown number to my phone). As DPO, I have to return missed calls.

I called back and the person introduced herself as Blessing, a daughter of the mother of the abandoned child; that she was in distress, and in a house near Pati Guest Inn, here in Lokongoma, which is under my area of jurisdiction (AOR).

Thereafter, I went there with two of my detectives around 2145 hours (9.45pm). I saw Fatoye, the director and the girl, and we brought them to the station.

We are investigating him on attempt to commit an offence and gross indecent assault, after which he will be charged to court.

Blessing, a wrestler, who was part of the Kogi State contingent to last years National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State, said that the director collected her contact number the day after her mother was arrested.

She said: On the day they arrested my mother, when I got to state CID, I found out that they were going to the ministry of women affairs, and I went with her.

It was there I saw him (director). He said that he needed my contact; if I wanted to see the child, that Ill see him through him. I gave him my contact number.

They asked what I had to say about my mom, and I said after everything shes going to the village (in Jos). The woman (commissioner) said that she was angry with my mom, and that the child is not hers; that any child you turn your back on, is no longer yours. That the baby belongs to the government. And, we left.

When we got to where we were to sign, my mother said that she was not signing. The man said that if she liked the baby, why she didnt stay to look after her.

I called my auntie in Jos to speak with him, but he said that nobody was talking to anybody on phone; that he didnt want to listen to anybody on the phone. He now brought out ink pad for thumbprint, saying if she did not append, shell not leave there. He had to force my mom to thumbprint, after which he said I should sign.

He threatened that the whole blame for whatever happened would be on me. I had to sign the paper. He said that I should take my mother to anywhere I wanted.

I traveled on the time they found the baby, and when I came back, I met all this on ground. My mother pleaded with me to forgive her; that she did not know why she did that, that she was afraid. And, I forgave her.

He (director) was calling me, saying he wanted to see me that anywhere I was, I should come over. That time, I was so angry. I told him Ill get back to him, but I did not. He kept calling. Yesterday (Thursday) he called me and I said I was at home, and he said that I should meet him at Pati Guest Inn, and when I got there he took me to his house, which is not far from there. I was scared.

When I got there, he now started touching me; rubbing my breasts. I now asked him how much he was going to give me. He then pulled my blouse and hung it in the wardrobe. I imagined myself. I asked, what is his problem?

He now told me that anytime I wanted to see the baby, I could come through him; that he was going to give me N2, 000 next week; that he didnt want to take me like a prostitute, but only wanted to keep me for himself anytime he wanted me.

I wanted to go but he ordered that I should till the next day. I now said well

After then, I called the DPO. He called back, but he said I should call the next day, and I now said that I was in trouble. After that, he asked of my location and I described the place to him.

A dejected Fatoye prostrated over and over yesterday to the DPO as he was usher into Pams.

He pleaded for forgiveness.

He was detained overnight.

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, who was unaware of Fatoyes arrest, had sent for him at work and was worried that he was unusually late to arrive office.

Blessings mother, Mary James, allegedly abandoned her day old baby two weeks ago at a refuse dump in Otokiti area of the city.

Residents of the community who found the baby alerted the ministry about the development following which the baby was rescued and taken to the State Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

The residents teamed up with government officials to trace Mary.

They later handed her over to the police for investigation.

Mary was later allegedly forced to sign an undertaking that the baby was not hers.

A week later, the residents raised the alarm that the baby had been stolen from the hospital.

Women Affairs and Social Development Commissioner Amupitan later confirmed that the baby girl was in their care.

She told The Nation Friday on phone that she knew nothing about Fatoyes arrest by the police.

A resident of Otokiti, Ayodeji Ubeida, said they were dismayed when they learnt of the babys disappearance from the hospital.

He said: The baby was handed over on that day, and the mother who dumped it even breastfed it at the station, but to our utter dismay, we learnt that the child in the hospital had disappeared into thin air, while the mother is still in the police custody.

This sudden disappearance of the child is a concern to the community. The ministry of women affairs and social development should speak out.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Dr Ahmed Attach, dismissed the allegation that the baby disappeared from the hospital.

He explained that the baby was brought to the hospital by the state ministry of women affairs for medical attention because the baby was having umbilical infections.

He said: The baby in question was brought to our hospital on Tuesday October 8, for proper care and assessment and to ensure that she does not have any health challenge. We gave her utmost attention wholeheartedly, and while in our custody, we saved the baby, took care of her and was treated to ensure that she did not suffer any health challenge.

The baby was eventually discharged on Friday of that same week after full post-natal care was given to her.

We are worried by the purported news of the babys disappearance; it is a negative propaganda to paint the hospital in a bad light, which is totally and absolutely false.

Mrs. Amupitan had earlier said Mary, a widow and mother of three, would be prosecuted after investigation by the police.

Recalling the incident, she said: We were on our way to Okura sawmill to commission a project (orphanage/destitute home), when we received a call about an abandoned baby, and that they were taking it to the FMC (Federal Medical Center), and I said No, take it to the Specialist Hospital.

When we returned with the permanent secretary and the woman that found the baby, I told her, let us go to the police station. She was scared, but at the end, we went to make an official report.

They were removing maggots from the babys ears. It is our responsibility.

It is our responsibility to take care of such abandoned babies. We have the mandate to pick abandoned babies, take care of them and if need be, give them out for adoption.

They called us that the baby was ready for discharge, and I sent my Director, Child Development there. The baby is in the orphanage under our care. We are going to prosecute the woman. We have the Child Rights law that is domesticated in Kogi. The police will investigate and report back to us. We took the baby there. We have expanded over N100, 000 on her care; we bought dresses, clothing and other necessary things for the baby while she was in the hospital.

Mr. Suleiman Abdullahi, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry also confirmed to our reporter that the baby was hale and hearty in their custody.
El-Rufai and Sanusi

According to The PUNCH, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who offered Sanusi two appointments after his dethronement, said he could not leave the embattled monarch at this time. He added that Sanusi had been with him since he was a teenager and that he (Sanusi) had never left him.

He pointed out that traditional rulers deserve respect and that in Kaduna, monarchs as the custodians of culture are respected.

Speaking on Sanusis freedom of movement as ruled by the court, El-Rufai, who was in Awe around 12:45 to accompany Sanusi out of the town after the court ruling, told journalists that, I came to visit my friend and my brother, the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, and to see how he is doing and to express my support for him.

We have been friends since we were teenagers. He has been by my side throughout my troubles and successes and I have to be by his side throughout his own troubles and successes. We are inseparable.

Fielding questions from journalists shortly after Fridays Jumat prayer, he said, As you know, the Federal High Court in Abuja today declared his detention illegal and unconstitutional and his banishment also in violation of the constitution. So, he is free.

He can live anywhere he wants, including Kano city, if he wants. But we are on our way to Abuja. It is quite likely that the emir proceeds to Lagos which was his preferred destination from day one.

From the day he was informed of his deposition, it was his wish to go to Lagos because some of his family members are now in Lagos. And by the grace of God, we are on our way to Lagos.

On the appointment he offered Sanusi as the vice-chairman of Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency after the dethronement, El-Rufai maintained that the emir was a global citizen with network of contacts around the world, saying he could bring a lot of investments to Kaduna State.

He said he could not offer him the position when he was emir because he should be attracting investment to Kano State but that as soon as he was available, he seized the opportunity to bring that value to Kaduna State.

On the second appointment as the Chancellor of Kaduna State University, El-Rufai, however, affirmed that it had been a practice in Nigeria for emirs to be chancellors of universities, noting that he didnt want the emir to feel as if he had lost everything.

The governor added, In Kaduna, we honour our traditional rulers because they are the custodians of our cultural values. We revere and respect them. So, apart from being my childhood friend, traditional rulers deserve our respect.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers, Agege Branch B, has pleaded with Rt.Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) to help influence lasting resolution of the ranging leadership tussle in the union.

Alhaji Kamoru Balogun, Treasurer of the union, told the Newsmen on Thursday in Lagos that the speaker has key role to play in ensuring peace reign among the unions leaders.

Our union members are peaceful in Agege, no conflict, but the only challenge we are facing now is that of leadership position.

We want the honourable speaker to help resolve it to avoid undue political interference, he said.

Mr Olayiwole Quadri, Finance Clerk of the union, said, for many months now, we have been expecting the state council to give us go ahead to choose our chairman.

But due to one influence or the other till now, no response from them.

We know the next person to become the Branch B chairman Agege. He is Alhaji Kamoru Adaba.

All members of the union have given him support up to the state council.

Commenting, Mr Gambi Olaojo, the union Secretary, Mangoro Unit, appealed to the state chapter of the union to find solution to the chapters leadership tussle in Agege.

Also, Mr Akeem Olayiwola, the union Secretary, Mosalasi Phase 2, said: Most of us have been in the union for many years.

The leadership position here is turn by turn, and we know the next chairman either by election or through consensus.

We dont want political influence so as to maintain sanity among the union members, he said.
LANZHOU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The 29th China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair concluded on Monday, with robust growth in the number of deals signed during the event held in northwest China's Gansu Province.

A total of 1,172 contracts were inked during the five-day fair, a rise of 30.51 percent from the event's previous edition, said Zhang Yinghua, head of the provincial commerce department.

The contracts were mostly in the areas including new energy and new materials, equipment manufacturing, modern agriculture, and information technology.

Saudi Arabia and Thailand were present as the guest countries of honor at this year's fair. The number of guests to the fair exceeded 40,000, and more than 1,600 enterprises from home and abroad participated in the event.

First held in 1993, the fair serves as a window for the opening of northwestern China and is a major event for Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation. 
The Senate on Thursday rejected a motion seeking its nod to debate the speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Democracy Day.

But the opposition parties led by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Campaign for Democracy have faulted the All Progressives Congress-dominated Senates action. They said it was a bad omen for democracy, adding that the senators should show courage so as not to encourage dictatorship.

The majority of the senators at plenary overwhelmingly voted against the motion when the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the session, subjected it to voice vote.

The motion was moved by Senator Istifanus Gyang (Plateau-PDP), who came under Order 52 of the Senate standing order.

Gyang had sought the leave of her colleagues to present the motion which he described as a matter of public importance.

He said, The matter of urgent national importance that I am bringing before this Senate has to do with the Democracy Day speech of President Muhammadu Buhari on the 12th of June, 2019. This speech is already in the public domain. I am asking that in view of the interest it has generated, we should debate it.

Lawan had to cut short the speech of the lawmaker when he asked him to seek the consent of other senators to entertain the motion.

Most of the members of the All Progressives Congress-dominated voted against the motion and it was consequently shut down.

Buharis speech delivered at the Eagle Square, Abuja, on Wednesday announced the renaming of the National Stadium Abuja after the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late MKO Abiola.

The President also said with good governance the Federal Government could take 100 million Nigerians from poverty to prosperity in the next 10 years.

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BLOOMINGTON  A Heyworth woman was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a felony juror communication charge on Monday.

Rosa Toledo accepted a sentence of 30 months of probation for pleading guilty to the Class 4 felony charge. The other charges against her were dismissed.

She had initially been charged with two counts of harassment of jurors, 11 counts of communication with jurors and one count of attempted communication with a juror.

Toledos husband, Steven M. Abdullah, was sentenced in February to 30 days in jail and 30 months probation after pleading guilty to one count of harassment of jurors.

Police said Abdullah held up signs to jurors and yelled at them in the hallway outside the courtroom in February 2022 when he was on trial for a misdemeanor domestic battery case. He was initially charged with two counts of harassment of jurors, 11 counts of communication with jurors and one count of attempted communication with a juror.

Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph Bryant Lewis Derek Roesch Justin M. Mata Marcus D. Wesley Phillip Tinch Trisha L. Hanke William B. Givens David L. Oliver Kenneth E. Funk Jordan R. King Holly M. Isaacson Kenneth L. Minton Tony L. Jackson Britley L. Hilger Jasmine L. Smith Jackie S. Claypool Noah R. Demuth Brandon L. Parsano Alexander N. Williams Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano Jaylin S. Bones Jordan R. King Dominique M. Banks Austin T. Daugherty Sandra M. Lewis Samantha E. Morris Nolan C. Love Nikkita L. Sandefur Katlin M.B. Wilson Eli C. Garozzo Tysean T. Townsend Curtis J. Byrd Noral K. Nelson Charles J. Tankson Davis, Micah S Livingston, Joshua D. Kevin L. Ewen Emmanuel K. Mpay Ahmad S. Manns Dylan R Mann Tony L. Jackson William R. Linden Zadek U. Moen Zachary T. Willis Cecily M. Sexton Tonisha A. Jackson James A. McConnaughay Jessica M. Longberry Barry D. Guyton Keon E. Spiller Melina Aguilar Carlos D. Cregan Wayne M. Damron Terrance L. Ford Stanley M. Miller Darryl R. Vinson Jarvis K. Heads Wesley M. Noonan Brad Carter Brian K. Burnett Kenneth D. Downey Kenyon J. Bones
BLOOMINGTON  Authorities are asking for the publics help to find a missing Chicago woman who was last seen in Streator.

The Bloomington Police Department said April Capsel was last seen July 1. She was reported missing Wednesday.

Police described her as a 33-year-old white woman who is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 168 pounds, and has blue eyes and dark blonde-to-light brown hair.

Anyone with additional information on her whereabouts is asked to call Det. Downing at 309-434-2587 or email jdowning@cityblm.org. Calls can also be made to BPD dispatchers at 309-820-8888.

To remain anonymous, BPDs Crime & intelligence Analysis Unit can be reached at 309-434-2963 or CIAU@cityblm.org. Information can also be texted to 847411 by texting the word BPDTIPS, and inserting a space before your tip information.

Calls to CIAU should be made from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. A voicemail or email should be left outside of those hours.

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Different types of alerts and what they mean What exactly is a Silver Alert? What exactly is an AMBER Alert? What exactly is a Blue Alert? What exactly is an Ashanti Alert? What exactly is a Green Alert?
Veterans maintenance solutions

The Central Illinois Housing Network for Veterans/Veterans Maintenance Solutions Organization will hold an event on July 15 to raise funds for their Home Repairs for Heroes Program, which assists veterans who need home repairs or maintenance on their homes.

The fundraiser will be from 3 to 9 p.m. at Caspers Brewing Co. on Ireland Grove Road in Bloomington. There will be live music during the event. Food will be provided by A to Z Catering, and there will be a bake sale with goods donated by Ivy Lane Bakery and Nine Lives Bakery. Beverages will be available inside Caspers.

Additionally, Aaron Amadeus will have a book signing from 3 to 6 p.m. for his latest book, Hollywood Dead. Attend the Home Repairs for Heroes fundraiser for a fun evening for a great cause! Questions? Call 309-838-9124.

VA airborne hazardous exposure

The VA, at the Veterans Health Administration as well as the Veterans Benefits Administration, collects valuable medical information from veterans when they provide health care and when they develop claims for disability compensation.

While this information is primarily to determine medical care decisions and claims decisions for individual veterans, this information is invaluable for research on health conditions and treatment of the health and compensation claims. Before a particular medical condition can be determined by the VA to have a connection to a particular hazard exposure, data must be collected to determine that the exposure caused the medical problem.

It took many years for the VA to determine that medical conditions such as diabetes, ischemic heart disease and many kinds of cancer were likely caused by the exposure to Agent Orange (a chemical defoliant).

Many Vietnam veterans did not apply for VA health care when they got out of the service, nor did they file for service-connected disability compensation for years due to extreme anti-war and anti-veteran sentiment back home. This reduced the amount and timeliness of the collection of the necessary data to determine causation.

Today, the VA Airborne Hazardous Exposure Registry facilitates the collection of relevant data by encouraging veterans who may have been exposed to toxins during their service. The registries cover Agent Orange exposure, burn pit exposure, Camp Lejeune contaminated water, ionized radiation exposure, depleted uranium, war and others.

Visit the VA Airborne Hazardous Exposure Registry by Googling VA Airborne Hazardous Exposure and select Environmental Health Registry Evaluation for Veterans for more information.

Did you know?

The Supreme Court ruled that race-based admissions policies are unconstitutional. But according to a footnote in Chief Justice John Roberts majority opinion,  this policy would not impact how military service academies approached admissions, citing distinct interests those institutions have.

Historically, the academies have justified race and sex-related factors in the admissions process due to the need for a diverse officer corps. As of 2022, the Department of Defenses Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion assessed that while 19% of the militarys enlisted personnel were Black, only 8% of its officers were Black. However, Reserve Officer Training Corp commissions over half of the militarys officers in a particular year. Additionally, another quarter of the nations officers commission via Officer Candidate School. OCS requires no prior qualification beyond a bachelors degree from an accredited college. How things have changed! During the Vietnam War era the need for entry-level officers was so high that only a high school diploma or a GED was required. However, what was implied, was that whatever route a newly commissioned officer took to get commissioned, excellence of performance was the most important qualification. No one can be expected to be perfect. However, the importance of excellence can never be overrated.

If the admissions process of any institution, especially the military, is one which extolls and appreciates the excellence of those admitted, what need is there for other subjective factors?

Quote of the day

The power of excellence is overwhelming. It is always in demand, and nobody cares about its color.  Daniel James

Photos: Scenes from the Fourth of July across the US
In an era where digitization has become a staple for most business processes, one online platform in Ghana is distinguishing itself with an expansive array of services spanning from business registration to corporate compliance and secretarial services.



This platform is Serool, a trailblazer in the legal tech space, focusing on delivering efficient, solution-based services tailored to the unique needs of businesses.



Serool's extensive range of services starts from the point of business registration, extends to post-registration support, and includes crucial compliance advisory. (www.serool.com)



Their offerings come at a pivotal moment in Ghana's business landscape, as the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) steps up efforts to ensure businesses adhere to the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992).



Earlier this year, ORC initiated processes to strike off over half a million dormant business names from the Business Register due to defaults in annual renewals, financial statement filings, and annual returns.



Against this backdrop, Serool emerges as a critical solution provider, filling this compliance gap with its post-registration services.



Through Serool's platform, businesses can effortlessly complete the process of filing annual returns and renewals.



Solar Taxi, a ride-hailing service in Ghana, is among the many businesses that have benefited from Serool's comprehensive suite of services.



They said; "As a business, we can confirm the immense value of a professional and reliable corporate secretarial service provider. Our experience working with Serool has been nothing short of satisfying."



Solar Taxi further commended Serool's personalized service saying "their dedication sets them apart. They took the time to understand our specific needs, customizing their services to suit them. We have complete peace of mind knowing our corporate secretarial needs are well catered for".



Another satisfied client, IP Hub, also praised Serool's seamless and stress-free business registration services, highly recommending them to businesses seeking assistance with registration or corporate secretarial matters.



Besides providing a streamlined business registration process and a robust post-registration support system, Serool also hosts a team of corporate experts offering on-demand consultancy services.



Furthermore, the platform features a store where businesses can conveniently procure company logistics.



"We're building your business with you. Serool is a comprehensive platform for starting and operating a business in Ghana. You can rely on our network of vetted lawyers and technologists for guidance," the company said, reiterating their commitment to support businesses at every stage of their journey.

Source: Gifty Danso & Eleazer Quayson/Jounalist & Data Analyst









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has paid its credentialed healthcare providers over GHC471 Million to cover claims submitted for periods up to January 2023 in a spate of 42 days (24th May to 7th July 2023).



The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has credentialed over 4,500 health facilities across the country comprising Public, Private, Quasi, and Faith-based facilities with a variety of levels as CHPS Compounds, Health Centres, Pharmacies, Diagnostic Centres, Primary Hospitals, Secondary and Tertiary with the very latest being the International Maritime Hospital (GH) LTD (IMaH) in Tema Community One.



Between May and June 2023 alone the NHIA paid over GHC 367 Million Cedis to over 4,000 health facilities across Ghana with a further payment of GHC104.5 Million paid on the 7th of July 2023.



For the first time in several years, the NHIS is back into the accepted 90-day arrears window, which means that healthcare providers are only owed two (2) months of claims for February and March 2023.



In a released statement signed by the Corporate Affairs Directorate and copied to Peacefmonline.com, the NHIS had an active membership of 17.2 million as of the end of 2022, representing approximately 55 per cent of the population which is the highest since the inception of the Scheme.



Though OPD cases and membership in the Scheme have seen some upward trends coupled with the tariff adjustments, the NHIA today pays on average between GHC150  GHC200 Million per month as claims reimbursements.



Within a space of seven months, the NHIA again in February 2023 increased upwardly its tariffs for medicines and services covered by the Scheme by a whopping 50% for medicines in the framework contracting plus an additional 30% marginal increase.



On July 1, 2022, the NHIS tariffs paid to health providers were adjusted upwards by 30% after consultation with critical stakeholders in the health sector.



Non-framework medicines were reviewed upwards by 20% while service tariffs across the board have increased by 10%.



These adjustments were necessitated to correspond to the increasing prices of most active pharmaceutical ingredients and Managements desire to minimize the incidents of illegal charges made of NHIS members by healthcare facilities. A recent study conducted by the NHIA revealed that since the adjustments, OPD bills to the Scheme have gone up by over 300 per cent.



There are over 550 formulations on the NHIS Medicines list to take care of all the diseases covered under the Scheme.



To improve the claims management cycle by eliminating manual submission, vetting, and payment by the end of 2023, the NHIA has increasingly used the electronic Claims review system, crucial for addressing fraud and abuse to ensure the financial sustainability of the NHIS.



Throughout the first quarter of 2023, Four Thousand Five Hundred & Forty-Six (4,546) healthcare providers submitted claims at a total volume of 6,492,610 to the four Claims Processing Centres (CPCs).



Out of the total volumes of claims submitted, 86.3% were electronic whilst 13.7% were manual.



Furthermore, the NHIA is on the course soon to introduce the electronic verification of members at the point of seeking healthcare. This will further reduce the incidence where duplicate claims could be submitted or re-cycled thereby eliminating waste and fraud from the system.



Barely two years ago, the reverse was perverse making the Scheme susceptible to fraud and abuse. This high-level efficiency being injected into the management of claims will reduce abuse resulting from human and manual interventions.



The NHIS Benefit Package covers over 95% of disease conditions afflicting Ghana residents and has been detailed in the NHIS Act, Membership Handbook, and published on the website - www.nhis.gov.gh with services such as outpatient, in-patient, surgeries, oral, and dental.



To increase the survival rate of children suffering from childhood cancers, the NHIS Benefit Package was expanded and made provision for the four main childhood cancers which are Neuroblastoma (childhood cancer of the jaw and abdomen), Leukemia (childhood cancer of the blood), Retinoblastoma (childhood cancer of the eye) and Wilms Tumor (childhood cancer of the kidney).



Family Planning services were also added to the Benefit Package, after a successful pilot of the project in some selected districts nationwide in July 2022.



The publics reliance on the use of the NHIS membership card to seek healthcare is still very encouraging across the country.



A random sampling conducted to ascertain the use of the NHIS card in some regions of Ghana revealed that on average over 80% of attendees to most public healthcare centres attend with their NHIS membership cards with at least three different drugs dispensed per visit.



"This cannot be said of a Scheme that is failing and accused of only dispensing paracetamol despite the rise in claims payments", the statement said.



Ghanas National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is one of the major social intervention policies bequeathed to the nation by the Act of Parliament 650 (Act 650, 2003) as amended in 2012 with Act 852 to provide access to healthcare.



Over the past twenty (20) years, the NHIA has undertaken several reforms to make the NHIS more efficient, attractive, and sustainable ranging from the introduction of the instant issuance of a Biometric membership card system to the renewal of membership and self-enrolment using USSD (*929#) and applications (MyNHISApp) on mobile phones.



Especially since 2022, the NHIA has introduced robust innovations geared towards enhancing productivity, improving efficiency, and increasing visibility and brand recognition among others.



Some of the homegrown innovations comprise NHIS and Ghana Cards linkage, Partnership with premier league clubs to increase membership, the formation of National Committees against Illegal payments, the launch of the MyNHIS App, the Free Elderly Healthcare policy, and the Sunshine Policy.



Championing the national agenda of One nation, one card for accessing healthcare services the NHIA in partnership with the National Identification Authority (NIA) intensified campaigns making it possible for people to use the Ghana card to access healthcare services effective May 01, 2021.



The Authority entered into a strategic partnership with four local premier league clubs to register team players, management staff together with their dependents, and some fans onto the NHIS. This first-of-a-kind created some awareness, excitement, and vibrancy for the brand during match days.



In an attempt to eliminate these financial barriers confronting the NHIS, Management set up decentralized Co-payment Committees at the Head Office, Regional and District offices with mandates that include engaging with the NHIAs credentialed healthcare service providers and NHIS members who are sometimes compelled to pay such extra monies for services covered by the Scheme.



Copayments refer to the direct out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services and medications covered under the NHIS Benefit Package, and that adversely affect affordability and equality in accessing healthcare.



The Copayments Committee is to strengthen the NHIAs mandate of providing financial risk protection and improved access to healthcare for its members.



The NHIA Board is currently reviewing the first national report submitted and will guide the appropriate sanctions to apply to facilities that will be found culpable. This age-old phenomenon has weakened some confidence in the Scheme and must stop.



Ending the year 2022, a digital platform known as MyNHIS was unveiled in Tamale by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.



The convenient mobile App solution empowers corporate clients and other citizens to use their Ghana cards to sign up for the NHIS without necessarily visiting any of the Schemes district offices for the same service.



The new App also enables NHIS members to securely pay registration and membership renewal fees from their mobile money wallets, and bank debit cards. The Mobile Application App issues a digitized NHIS card and provides a mechanism for the NHIA to fulfil its statutory obligations. Most importantly, the innovation delivers a vastly improved renewal experience to NHIS members as it saves time and money, thereby making the Scheme much more accessible to all residents in Ghana and beyond.



Backed by the Ministry of Health, the NHIA Governing Board introduced the Free Elderly Care Policy in December 2022. The policy guarantees a waiver of the mandatory 30-day waiting period and an exemption from the payment of premium and processing fees for all members aged 70 years and above.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo approved the instant healthcare policy, embedded in the NHIS to address the many underlying health-related challenges the older population faces in Ghana. This development prioritised covering the healthcare needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana, especially those within the age bracket of 70 and above.



The NHIAs engagement with the MOF has improved significantly resulting in more frequent releases to the fund. Despite the general economic climate, the MOF has ensured that funds earmarked to support the NHIS are adequately protected and released on time.



The Sunshine Policy was launched as a platform to deepen accountability, transparency, and social auditing as the NHIS marks its 20th Anniversary. Since its launch in March 2023, suppliers of drugs to healthcare facilities and other stakeholders can log onto the NHIS website with privileged access to view payments made to excellent facilities. Hitherto, the process was opaque which fuelled some stakeholders to wrongly accuse the NHIA of withholding payments due to facilities. This highest level of transparency has won the admiration of healthcare managers as a critical innovation.



As the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) continues to possibly impact peoples health-seeking behaviour and contribute to better life expectancy outcomes for Ghanaians, the NHIA is committed to building a more resilient health insurance scheme that responds to the needs of all by providing more access to quality and affordable healthcare services.

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A flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has said that he personally approached the World Bank to provide funding to support the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) knowing the potential of its revenue base and how it could change the economic fortunes of Ghana.



According to him, he embarked on that move because of the slow pace at which the government was disbursing the seed money of US$5million every year for the first three years of the establishment of Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), making it US$15million.



As at the first three years of the establishment of the TCDA, only US$3 has been disbursed to the Authority, making woefully inadequate for its operations.



The TCDA was established by an Act of Parliament, 2019 (Act 1010), to develop and regulate the tree crop sub-sector and to provide for related matters. It is the main body spearheading the Tree Crop Diversification Project (TCDP).



As we speak, only US$3million has been disbursed to promote the objectives of the Tree Crop Development Authority. While the slow disbursement of the seed money was going on, I engaged the World Bank to see how best they can assist us. So, they saw my vision that this is something that can easily make Ghana a prosperous country if we just took care of that particular Authority. So, the engagement went on and I am glad that only a few months that I have left office, the World Bank itself has put up a statement that they are prepared to support the Authority with US$200million. It is just a relief for me, he noted.



Dr. Akoto made this observation in an interview at his campaign office on Sunday, July 9, 2023.



His reaction follows the announcement on June 23, 2023, at Washington DC by the International Development Association of the World Bank that it has approved US$200million financing facility for the Government of Ghana for its Tree Crop Diversification Project (TCDP).



The facility was to support the Government of Ghana to diversify and grow its economy through modernizing agriculture to accelerate productivity, resilience, and industrialization.



The financing is projected to directly benefit 12,800 cocoa farmers and 39,975 cashew, coconut, and rubber farmers, and their households. An additional 20,000 jobs are expected to be created in downstream value addition by mobilizing private capital. Nearly 40 percent of on-farm beneficiaries will be women.



The TCDP being spearheaded by the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), will see the development of the six tree crops namely cashew, rubber, shea, oil palm, mango and coconut including cocoa itself being prioritized by the government.



The combined growth of these six tree crops is projected to earn Ghana between US$ 6 billion to US$12 billion annually after six or seven years of implementation.



The financing of the Tree Crop Diversification Project will further support demand driven research and enhance on-farm productivity and resilience to improve the productivity, profitability, and climate resilience in the cocoa, cashew, coconut, and rubber value chains.



Commenting further on the facility, Dr. Akoto who is a former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, lauded the International Development Association for extending the financial support for the Tree Crop Diversification Project.



He expressed the belief that the US$200million injected into the TCDP would speed up the activities of the TCDA, an action, he underscored, was the surest way to salvage the countrys economic woes.



Dr. Akoto said the economic transformation of the country hinged on agriculture, of which the tree crop plays an important role.



Citing the situation in Ivory Coast, Dr. Akoto said a total annual export earnings from five cash crops  cashew, cocoa, coffee, rubber and oil palm, fetched the economy some US$8billion every year.



He noted that the location of Ghana gave it a strategic advantage over Ivory Coast because we have a vast arable land with enough water bodies and good rains.



He was confident that with the availability of the money, the Board and Management of the TCDA would now be able to pursue objectives of the Authority and ensure that the Ghanaian economy is turned around.



I am very confident now that with the capable Management and Board of the Authority, they will be able to implement and make this a very unique contribution to the transformation of Ghana and that is the vision I am bringing to the Presidency of Ghana if I am elected first as the flagbearer of the NPP and subsequently as President come 7th December 2024 if the people of Ghana are convinced of this vision, this will be my central contribution in terms of promoting development in Ghana by transforming the economy, he noted.



He commended farmers in the country for their commitment to feed Ghanaians, stressing that the smallholder farmers were ready to support the government to turn the economic fortunes of Ghana around using agriculture.



Dr. Akoto also commended the current Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong for continuing from where he left over with the introduction of the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).

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The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, has held fruitful deliberations with the Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Mr. Daren Tang, on the sidelines of the General Assembly of Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) currently ongoing in Geneva.



The Attorney-General whose Ministry is responsible for matters concerning intellectual property rights in Ghana, on 7th July, 2023, officially led a Government delegation consisting of the Registrar-General of Ghana, Mrs. Grace Issahaque, senior officials of the Ministry of Justice and Ghanas Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Antwi, to the sixty-fourth (64th) edition of the General Assembly of the world body held at the headquarters of WIPO. Mr. Dame honoured an invitation for a meeting with the head of the global institution responsible for administering intellectual property in order to discuss pertinent issues relating to Ghanas development in intellectual property as well as Ghanas current status as the Coordinator of the African Group of Member States of WIPO from 2023 to 2024, a position Ghana is holding for the first time in over 20 years.



Ghana is also the Vice-President of the Lisbon Union on Geographical Indications and President of the Paris Union Assembly of WIPO.



WIPO Director-General, Mr. Daren Tangs comments



The Director-General of WIPO expressed his sincerest appreciation for the honouring of the invitation by the Attorney-General of Ghana as well as the ministerial support for WIPOs work exhibited by Mr. Dame. Mr. Tang noted that Ghana had in recent times shown strong leadership on the African continent as far as intellectual property was concerned. He expressed the view that Ghanas status as the Coordinator of the African Group at WIPO can only result in meaningful development for Africas intellectual property law if backed by the necessary ministerial leadership, which Ghana is demonstrating.



The Director-General of WIPO noted that the registration of the Bolga basket by Ghana as a geographical indication from Ghana as well as the deposit of the instrument of ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the UPOV Convention) by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in November, 2021, are very remarkable steps by Ghana in the protection of intellectual property. Mr Tang affirmed his preparedness to assist Ghana in the significant strides it is making in intellectual property.



A-Gs Remarks



The Attorney-General expressed his delegations appreciation for the warm hospitality extended to them by the World Intellectual Property Organisation and assured that Ghanawill continue to deepen its special relationship with the Director-General in particular, and WIPO in general. He also stated that the Government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, recognizes the importance of innovation, creativity and industrialization as key to national development. The need to foster an enabling environment for creativity and innovation to thrive at the national and continental level, according to Mr. Dame, has assumed paramount importance to the Government of Ghana, with the recent location of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Accra, which has a dedicated Intellectual Property Division.



Ghana as Coordinator of African Group of WIPO



As Coordinator of the African Group, the Attorney-General indicated that the Director-General of WIPO can expect maximum cooperation and collaboration from Ghana and the African Group. He assured the global body of Ghanas steadfast support and commitment to the work of WIPO and close monitoring of the work of the African Group.



Request for technical assistance



Mr. Dame requested WIPOs technical assistance for the upgrading of Ghanas intellectual property system, described as the IPAS system for Intellectual Property Office administration including the Madrid Module at Ghanas national offices, in order to enable the office provide efficient services to users.

He also added that Ghana looks forward to advancing the project on Geographical Indications in the coming months, aimed at improving the usage of the intellectual property rights systems and protection as a tool for increased development and prosperity in Ghana. The A-G noted that Ghana would require the technical support of WIPO to effectively sharpen the skills of the staff to man the affairs of the Office particularly, in the area of Geographical Indications.



Request for Ghana to hold the Directorship of the African Bureau of WIPO and more senior positions in WIPOs Management



The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice used the occasion to request the support of the Director-General of WIPO for Ghana to hold more senior positions in the world body. Mr. Dame first noted that a Ghanaian national, Dr Edward Kwakwa, currently serves as an Assistant Director-General of WIPO and works closely with Mr Tang. He stated that anothersenior staff, Mrs Loretta Asiedu is very competent, hard-working and well-connected with member states and the African Missions in Geneva. Having been made the acting Director of the African Bureau, Mr. Dame expressed the hope that Mrs. Loretta Asiedu will be favourably be considered for the substantive position of Director at the African Bureau/Sector of WIPO, when nominations are opened.



Response of Mr. Tang



The Director-General of WIPO, supported the comment of Mr. Dame about the competence of Mrs. Asiedu and indicated that whilst he would do his best possible in view of the proposal by the Attorney-General, positions within WIPO are usually advertised and competed for. He however had no doubt that the experience and ability of Mrs. Loretta Asiedu would be a valuable asset for her.



Mr. Dame has since left for Ghana after the meeting with the WIPO boss. The rest of the Ghana delegation continues with participation in the General Assembly which ends on 14thJuly, 2023.





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Senior Psychologist, Professor Joseph Osafo has thrown his support for the anti-LGBTQ+ bill before Parliament to be passed into law.



The anti-LGBTQ+ bill, when passed, will ensure any person caught in the act of homosexuality or advocating for the practices of homosexuals is held culpable for contravening the law and be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions in the anti-gay bill.



The offenders risk going to jail or being fined or both.



Contributing to Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Professor Joseph Osafo stated emphatically that he fully supports the bill, however, he appealed for a review of some portions of it.



"As a Pastor, I support the bill but as a clinician, let's reassess it and work on the parts that won't help us because if we are not careful and we pass the bill to a certain level, there may be some people who genuinely need help" but, due to the bill, may face prosecution, he stated.



Prof. Joseph Osafo also stressed it is time for Ghana and Africa at large to be assertive in what they want and believe will help their society.



"I have worked as a suicidologist within the Ghanaian context and the African context. Africa now is leading in suicidality. It is the youngest continent. Our infrastructure, health infrastructure is down; it is not the best . . . I think Africans ought to be assertive a little bit," he said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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People have woken up to snow and sleet in South Africa's biggest city, Johannesburg, for the first time in over a decade.



South Africans are being warned to keep warm as a cold front sweeps across most of the country.



"No major disruptions have been caused by the snowfall at this stage," a spokesman for the South African Weather Service (Saws) has told the BBC.



Cold weather conditions are expected to continue through the week.



Many people in Johannesburg on Monday seem enchanted by the rare sight of snow in their city.



"Some of the pupils and I went out to explore... some of them had seen snow before whereas others thought it was raining," says primary school teacher Agnes Mideva.



Domestic worker Nobukhosi Stompie told the BBC she travelled through the snow on her way to work, and had never seen anything like it.



"We're keeping warm indoors so we're fine," says caretaker Billy Nxumalo. "Snow was everywhere, covering the fields near our neighbourhood - it was really beautiful to see."



As winter begins in the southern hemisphere nation, meteorologists are keeping a close eye on developments.



Snow has been reported in a number of provinces including the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and the Gauteng region which includes Johannesburg and Soweto.



Weather experts have advised initiation schools in the Eastern Cape to be extra vigilant over the next week as they keep watch over hundreds of teenage boys undergoing traditional circumcision rites on isolated mountainsides across the province, a practice seen as a rite of passage into manhood amongst the Xhosa ethnic group.



Farmers are also being advised to provide shelter for their livestock during the cold spell.



It is not clear what role climate change has played in the rare snowfall.

Source: BBC









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Commentary: Mending fences with China entails Washington's resolve to dispel misconceptions

10:07, July 10, 2023 By Gao Wencheng ( Xinhua

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China-U.S. interactions have lately forged ahead and hence some common understandings, signifying positive development towards a detente between the world's two largest economies.

Yet, it is important to stay lucid and recognize that given the various challenges in China-U.S. relations, a significant detente is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly achieved by a mere command of the will.

Their political, economic as well as people-to-people exchanges have sunk to their nadir in decades, owing largely to the major misconceptions in America's China policy and its consequential moves.

To stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations, the first and foremost prerequisite lies in Washington's will to shift its perception of China and adopt a rational approach to China's rise.

The very essence of today's problems lies in the misjudgment of China by some U.S. politicians, and notably the bigoted bias against China harbored by Washington's China hawks. China endeavors to develop its economy to enable all Chinese to live a better life, rather than to threaten, challenge, or supplant any other countries.

Framing China as a "threat" based on the unfounded fear of China competing for hegemony is utterly brainless, while deeming China as an imaginary enemy is a typical case of groundless anxiety.

Washington also lacks adequate understanding of the resilience of the Chinese people. It is nothing but an illusion for the United States to deal with China "from a position of strength," as China has never subscribed to the logic of "might makes right." Any attempt to suppress China will only evoke a more resolute response from the Chinese people.

Second, to mend fences between the two sides, consensus between the two heads of state during the G20 summit in Bali should be genuinely implemented.

The exchange of views between the two heads of state in Indonesia has charted the course to steer the relationship back to a healthy and stable track.

However, over the last few months, the United States has run counter to the spirit advocated by the consensus, taking a slew of actions detrimental to China's core interests, severely damaging the political foundation for the China-U.S. ties, polluting the environment for bilateral exchanges, and disrupting the agreed-upon dialogue and cooperation agenda.

Implementing the Bali consensus entails adhering to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

For China and the United States, respecting each other's development rights, properly managing the source of tensions, along with embracing cooperation rather than confrontation can ensure the steady and long-term development of their relations.

Third, both sides must respect each other's core interests and major concerns, refrain from treading on each other's bottom lines, and manage differences and sensitive issues in a constructive, calm, professional, and rational manner.

Particularly, the Taiwan question, which stands out at the very core of China's core interests, is the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. On this question, China has no room for compromise.

On other sensitive topics, China has made it clear that the specific differences between the two sides can be patched up through discussion, but only on the precondition of equality.

For instance, the two countries take different paths in their respective national development: the United States practices capitalism while China adopts socialism. Such difference has been there since day one of the China-U.S. engagement and will continue to exist.

For China and the United States to get along, it is vital to recognize and respect such differences. Washington's so-called "democracy vs. authoritarianism" narrative is an outdated awful fuss.

Fourth, improving the relationship with China constitutes a responsibility that the United States should undertake towards the world.

History has proven that China and the United States, when in concert, can accomplish much to both countries and the world. They joined forces in 2001 to combat terrorism, cooperated in 2008 to address the international financial crisis, and in 2016, played a crucial role in reaching the Paris Agreement on climate change.

However, after Washington's China policy has been dominated by misconceived competition, its attempts to contain China, through wars on the fronts of trade, industry and technology, have taken a toll on not only the development of the two sides but also that of the wider world. The international community expects both sides to approach each other with a sense of responsibility, properly handle their differences, and find the right way to get along.

In the future, there is great potential for their cooperation on a host of bilateral and global issues if Washington ditches its increasingly confrontational posture toward China.

Fifth, Washington's attempt to contain China is destined to fall flat.

China is bound to develop steadily because of its unique institutional advantages such as the whole-process people's democracy, a reliable and effective system fitted to China's realities. Its unstoppable progress also comes from its more than 1.4 billion industrious and intelligent people.

Meanwhile, China actively integrates into the trend of the times, and shares prosperity and promotes peace with other countries. This is the historical logic of China's development and the root cause of China's increased influence. In the era of globalization, countries have interconnected interests. That's why most countries are reluctant to take sides, let alone be tied onto the chariot of confronting China.

Washington's China approach underpinned by competition and confrontation has neither held China back nor made America great again, only to arouse resentment from across the world. Abandoning it now is a sensible move.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Gabonese Foreign Minister Hermann Immongault in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Gabonese Foreign Minister Hermann Immongault in Beijing on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, welcomed Hermann Immongault to China to attend the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, saying that China will realize national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, bring new opportunities for developing countries, especially for African countries at the same time, and provide a reference for other countries in pursuing development paths suited to their national realities.

Noting the high-level political mutual trust between China and Gabon is the greatest advantage of bilateral relations, Wang said that China is willing to continue to support each other in safeguarding core interests, promote bilateral cooperation to more fields and a higher level, and jointly uphold the basic norms in international relations.

Wang said that China appreciates Gabon's active participation in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and will continue to follow the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity, and good faith and be committed to the greater good and shared interests.

China will work with Gabon and other African countries to carry forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation to create a new chapter of China-Africa development and cooperation, Wang added.

Noting the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development demonstrates China's firm determination and solid measures to accelerate the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, Hermann Immongault said that Gabon speaks highly of China's contribution to global peace and development, highly appreciates a series of cooperation initiatives brought by China on Africa-China cooperation, and is willing to work with China to promote the building of an Africa-China community with a shared future.

Gabon will adhere to the one-China principle, Hermann Immongault said, adding that Gabon thanks China for its support in supporting Gabon's diversified development and accelerating its transformation and looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in various fields and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Gabon. 
Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has told an Accra High Court that the application filed by lead counsel for James Gyakye Qauyson, Tsatsu Tsikata, seeking to stay proceedings pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal is grounded on irrelevant matters, distortion of facts and confusion.



Arguing in opposition to the application by Mr. Tsikata, the A-G stated that the application does not show any exceptional circumstances warranting a stay of proceedings in a criminal trial and that, same was merely designed to frustrate the criminal trial of the Assin North Member of Parliament.



TSATSU TSIKATA'CASE



Mr Tsikata wants the High Court to stay proceedings of the trial because of an appeal he has filed at the Court of Appeal challenging the decision of the High Court on June 23, 2023, to conduct a day-to-day trial. In dismissing an earlier motion on June 23, 2023. The trial judge, Mary Yanzuh, ruled that a day-to-day trial was consistent with several provisions of the law as had been argued by the Attorney General, Godfred Dame.



However, Mr. Tsikata, in his submissions, stated that justice will not be properly dispensed with if the matter is scheduled for day-to-day trial.



ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S SUBMISSIONS



Explaining what he meant by the point that Mr. Tsikatas application was grounded on irrelevant matters and confusion, Mr. Dame indicated that Mr. Tsikata had originally applied for a review or variation of the courts order fixing the proceedings for day to day trial from 20th to 23rd June, 2023, as being an infringement of his clients right to participate in an election. It was the ruling on this application by Justice Yanzuh on 23rd June, 2023, which Tsikata was aggrieved by and had appealed against.



By the time, Mr. Tsikata filed his appeal on 27th June, 2023 and by the time he filed his motion for stay of proceedings, the material time  20th to 23rd June, 2023 which Mr. Tsikata was concerned about, had long elapsed. Mr Dame thus, submitted that clearly, in light of this, Tsatsu Tsikatas application was incompetent, unnecessary and otiose. My lady, this incompetent application grounded on confused and distorted facts, can only be designed to waste the courts time and nothing else.



ALLEGED PREJUDICE BY MR. DAME



Mr. Dame addressed the allegation often made by Mr. Tsikata and other supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against him that he had prejudiced the hearing of the criminal case against Mr. Gyakye-Quayson through the comments he made in reaction to the ruling of the Supreme Court restraining Mr. Quayson from acting as a Member of Parliament.



The Attorney-General indicated that he had never, on any platform, made any comment about the ongoing criminal trial against Mr. Quayson. I have never commented on the criminal trial of Gyaakye Quayson anywhere. Never. All my comments were related to the constitutional case which the Supreme Court was seised of.



When I stated that Gyakye-Quayson must suffer the same fate as Adamu Dramani Sakande, it was in reaction to the Supreme Court ruling that he be restrained from going to Parliament, which is what happened to Adamu Dramani Sakande.



The media house, myjoyonline, reported this fact clearly in their publication which Mr. Tsikata relies on as an exhibit. So, why is he once again, distorting the fact and misleading the court? The A-G asked.



PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO'S ALLEGED PREJUDICE OF the GYAKYE-QUAYSON CRIMINAL TRIAL



The Attorney-General further debunked the allegation by Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata that President Akufo-Addo had prejudiced the criminal trial of Mr. Gyakye-Quayson by his remarks at the last campaign rally of the NPP in the run-up to the Assin North by-election.



Mr. Dame strongly rejected this assertion and stated that once again, Mr. Tsikatas claim was based on a distortion of the facts. Mr. Dame invited the court to take a critical look at the tape that Mr. Tsikata had played in court, and the court would notice that Mr. Tsikata had played only a few seconds of the Presidents speech at the Assin North rally, and not the full record.



The Attorney-General stated that the full record of the Presidents speech will reveal that the President had only asked the people of Assin North why they would want to vote for someone who was bedeviled by litigation  today, High Court, tomorrow, Court of Appeal, tomorrow, Supreme Court. Why do you want to vote for one who is bedeviled by litigation. Gyakye-Quayson says that even if he is in jail, the people of Assin North will vote for him, but is that what you want? One who will serve from jail?



The Attorney-General stated that under no circumstance can anyone who listened to the Presidents speech allege that the President had prejudiced the hearing of the criminal trial. Mr Tsatsu Tsikata knew this and that it is why he had deliberately and mischievously played only a few seconds of the recording of the Presidents speech and not the full speech, Mr Dame submitted to the court.



TSIKATA AND DAME IN WAR OF WORDS 



Mr. Tsikata in his affidavit in support of his motion, had alleged that what Mr. Quayson was going through was similar to what he, Mr. Tsikata had experienced in 2008 which led to his conviction by an Accra High Court. He further submitted that the current Attorney-Generals conduct was similar to that of President Nana Akufo-Addo when he was the Attorney General of Ghana from 2001 to 2003.



Tsatsu Tsikata claimed that his observations about the A-Gs alleged comments which have been dismissed by the High Court as not relevant was similar to his own travails with the law. Mr. Tsikata then openly cautioned that the Attorney General will be prosecuted in the same measure if power changes hands at the polls during the 2024 elections.



Mr Dame immediately replied; I sympathise with your experience when you found yourself in jail in 2008 but I can assure you that I will not conduct myself in a way that will land me in prison, like you did. Mr. Dame asked the court, of what relevance is Mr. Tsikatas experience in 2008, 15 years before 2023, to this trial currently pending before the court? It is again an attempt to divert the courts attention to irrelevant matters and must not be tolerated.



The trial judge Mary Yanzu will rule on the application for stay of proceedings on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.



BACKGROUND FACTS



James Gyakye Quayson is standing trial for perjury, forgery and other counts of criminal nature pertaining to his Ghanaian passport and eligibility to contest in the 2020 general elections. The Republics case against Hon. Gyakye Quayson is that he lied on his passport application form filled on July 26th that he was not a dual citizen and that he held only Ghanaian citizenship.



This was in spite of the fact that he was yet to renounce his Canadian citizenship issued on 30th October 2016. Further to this infraction against the law, Hon. Quayson also submitted forms to the electoral commission declaring that he only held allegiance to the Republic of Ghana. This was despite knowing that the application to renounce his Canadian citizenship had not yet been granted by the time he filed his eligibility papers with the electoral commission on or between 5th and 9th October 2020.



Richard Takyi, a resident of Yamoransa in the Central Region prayed a High Court in Cape Coast to cancel Hon. Gyakye Quaysons electoral victory because he was not eligible to have taken part in the elections. The matter travelled all the way to the Supreme Court which upheld the ruling of the Cape Coast court.



The apex court of the land subsequently ordered Gyakye Quayson to be removed from Parliament occasioning a by-election. The National Democratic Congress in spite of the criminal prosecution he faces repeated him as the candidate for the election which he won. He has since been re-sworn in as the Member of Parliament for Assin North while his trial proceeds.

Source: Peacefmonline com









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Former Minister for Tourism, Arts and Cultrue and now Spokesperson for Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, one of the Presidential aspirants of the governing New Patriotic Party, Catherine Afeku has cautioned the party's members and supporters not to engage in politics of insults as they head to elect their flagbearer.



She admonished them to desist from destroying the character of opposing candidates while they campaign for their favorite aspirants.



Ten candidates are vying for the Presidential slot of the New Patriotic Party.



The ten will be trimmed down to five during the party's Special Delegates Congress in August this year with the five competing in the main congress on November 4 to be elected flagbearer and lead the NPP into the 2024 elections.



The candidates include the former Trade Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central Member of Parliament; Kennedy Agyapong, former NPP General Secretary; Kwabena Agyepong, former Agriculture Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Energy Minister; Boakye Agyarko, former Attorney General; Joe Ghartey among others.



Speaking on Peace FM's flagship programme "Kokrokoo", Catherine Afeku advised the various camps to pitch their candidates to the delegates in courteous manner, stressing the party must remain united and solidified after the internal contest.



" . . unified at the base, we will surmount the challenge of breaking the eight," she said.



"Insults is not going to let your candidate win. 'Ayampia' is not going to let your candidate win. Let us all see this as internal contest; sell your candidate, the attributes, track record and what he can do when they get the mandate. That's it and if we go like that John Dramani Mahama, his Excellency, he will have a very big fight ahead of him," she emphasized.





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Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), has pledged to do everything possible to make his party win the 2024 elections.



Joining the panel on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Salam Mustapha promised the party's supporters and youth that he will work for the party's victory come hell or high water.



He challenged the members and supporters to consolidate behind the NPP as they prep up for next year's general elections.



"We will give our all, even extra. If we have to squeeze water out of stones to win the 2024 [elections], I as National Youth Organizer, I am ready to do it. If I have to go to the peak of Mountain Everest and bring it down for the NPP to win, I am ready to do it but I will do it together with a party that is united in purpose", he urged.



The New Patriotic Party will hold a Special Delegates Congress in August, 2023 to cut down the number of aspirants contesting the flagbearer slot from ten to five.



The aspirants which include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Trade Minister; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Assin Central MP; Kennedy Agyapong, former Agriculture Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto among others are poised to battle out aiming for the flagbearer position of the NPP.



The New Patriotic Party will have its main congress on November 4 to elect their Presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Tiger chasing ibex. Decorative border panel in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic in Israel. Credit: Jim Haberman

A team of specialists and students led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Jodi Magness has uncovered a spectacular mosaic panel in the late Roman (ca. 400 C.E.) synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in Israel's Lower Galilee. The panel, which identifies the mosaic donors or artists, decorates the floor just inside the main entrance.

Magness, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of religious studies in Carolina's College of Arts and Sciences, along with Assistant Director Dennis Mizzi of the University of Malta, focused this 11th and final season of the Huqoq excavations on the south end of the synagogue's main hall, or nave.

The newly discovered mosaic consists of a large panel, in the center of which is an enigmatic Hebrew inscription framed within a wreath. To the sides and below the wreath, an Aramaic inscription lists the names either of the donors who provided funding for the synagogue's mosaics or the artists who made them, asking that they be remembered for good. The wreath is flanked on either side by lions resting their forepaws on bulls' heads. The entire panel is surrounded by a decorated border showing animals of prey pursuing other animals.

This summer's excavations also exposed additional sections of mosaic panels that were discovered in 2012 and 2013, which depict the episodes of Samson and the foxes as mentioned in Judges 15:4 and Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders referenced in Judges 16:3.

The newly exposed sections include a Philistine horseman and a dead Philistine soldier with a striking classic face.

Detail of one of the mosaics. Credit: Jim Haberman

Excavations in 2022 uncovered a panel in the southwest aisle divided into three registers (horizontal strips) that depict an episode from Judges chapter 4: the biblical prophetess and judge Deborah under a palm tree, gazing at Barak, who is equipped with a shield; and the Kenite woman Jael (Yael) hammering a tent stake through the temple of the Canaanite general Sisera, who lies dead on the ground with blood gushing out of his head. These are the earliest known depictions of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael.

The sweeping archaeological project at Huqoq has left an extraordinary legacy of historically significant finds, including:

A Hebrew inscription surrounded by human figures, animals and mythological creatures including putti, or cupids.

The first non-biblical story ever found decorating an ancient synagogueperhaps the legendary meeting between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest.

A panel depicting two of the spies sent by Moses to explore Canaan carrying a pole with a cluster of grapes, labeled "a pole between two" from Numbers 13:23.

Another panel showing a man leading an animal on a rope accompanied by the inscription "a small child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6).

Figures of animals identified by an Aramaic inscription as the four beasts representing four kingdoms in the book of Daniel, chapter 7.

A large panel in the northwest aisle depicting Elim, the spot where the Israelites camped by 12 springs and 70 date palms after departing Egypt and wandering in the wilderness without water referenced in Exodus 15:27.

A portrayal of Noah's Ark.

The parting of the Red Sea.

A Helios-zodiac cycle.

Jonah being swallowed by three successive fish.

The building of the Tower of Babel.

Archaeologists have discovered that in the early 14th century C.E. (the late medieval/Mamluk period), the synagogue was rebuilt and expanded in size. This development apparently occurred in the wake of the establishment of a new international highway connecting Cairo and Damascus that ran alongside Yakuk, Huqoq's medieval name, and the rise of a tradition that the Tomb of Habakkuk was nearby, which became a focal point of late medieval Jewish pilgrimage.

The 2022 and 2023 excavations also brought to light an enormous stone paved courtyard surrounded by a row of columns known as a colonnade to the east of the synagogue. In the late medieval period, the courtyard was reused, and a massive, vaulted structure of unknown function was built on top of it.

With the conclusion of this final season of excavations, the excavated area will be turned over to the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Keren Kayemet Le'Israel (Jewish National Fund), which plan to develop the site as a tourist attraction.

More information: Project website: huqoq.web.unc.edu/
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Artists impression of Green Bank Telescope connected to a machine learning network. Credit: Breakthrough Listen/Danielle Futselaar

In 2015, Russian-Israeli billionaire Yuri Milner and his non-profit organization, Breakthrough Initiatives, launched the largest Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project. Known as Breakthrough Listen, this SETI effort relies on the most powerful radio telescopes in the world and advanced analytics to search for potential evidence of technological activity (aka. "technosignatures"). The ten-year project will survey the one million stars closest to Earth, the center of our galaxy, the entire galactic plane, and the 100 galaxies closest to the Milky Way.

In 2018, they partnered with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) Collaboration, a ground-based system of gamma-ray telescopes operating at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) atop Mt. Hopkins in southern Arizona. In a recent paper, the VERITAS Collaboration shared the results of the first year of their search for "optical technosignatures" (from 2019 to 2020). Their results are a vital proof of concept demonstrating how future searches for extraterrestrial civilizations can incorporate optical pulses into their technosignature catalog.

The VERITAS Collaboration is an international effort that includes researchers from the FLWO, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) research center, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and multiple universities and research institutes. The paper that describes their findings, titled "A VERITAS/Breakthrough Listen Search for Optical Technosignatures," was recently accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal and is available on the arXiv preprint server.

For the past sixty years, beginning with Project Ozma, the search for ETI has been almost exclusively focused on looking for evidence of radio transmissions. In recent years, scientists have been expanding the search to consider other potential technosignatures, which include directed-energy communications, radio and optical leakage from technological civilizations, infrared emissions from megastructures, spectral evidence for industrial pollutants in exoplanet atmospheres, and even spacecraft or debris in our solar system.

These and other potential examples of extraterrestrial technology were outlined in NASA Technosignature Workshop Report released in 2018. Incorporating the VERITAS array, which consists of four 12-meter (~40 ft) Cherenkov optical reflectors for gamma-ray astronomy, has allowed Breakthrough Listen to expand its search for optical technosignaturesspecifically, for nanosecond optical pulses detectable over interstellar distances. Gregory Foote, a Ph.D. candidate with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware (UD) and a co-author on the VERITAS paper, explained to Universe Today via email:

"While radio technosignatures have been traditionally looked forwe don't know which waveband the signal will come from or whether it will be pulsed or steady, so it makes sense to search in as many different ways as possible. The technosignature that we are looking for, a pulsed laser, can (in principle) be easily detected and transmitted over a distance of 1000 light-years using current technology. VERITAS itself allows us to search for these pulsed lasers using some of the largest telescopes on the planet."

Completed in 2007, the VERITAS array effectively complements NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (FRGST)and the Large Area Telescope (LAT) collaboration, of which Fermi is a partnerdue to its larger collection area and greater sensitivity to gamma rays. In fact, VERITAS' segmented mirror telescopessimilar to the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) primary mirrorhave the highest sensitivity of any telescopes in the very-high-energy (VHE) band, with a maximum sensitivity of 100 giga-electronvolts (Gev) to 10 tera-electronvolts (TeV).

These capabilities were tested as the Collaboration team searched through the Breakthrough Listen target catalog for signs of high-energy optical pulses. Said Foote:

"We began with the Breakthrough Listen target catalog released in 2017, then removed anything which was unsuited for VERITAS operation. This left us with around 506 possible targets, which were then ranked according to being close, dim, and other nice thingse.g., having exoplanets. This ranked list gave us a nice tool to select which ones to observe, as we just picked the highest-ranked ones which could be seen in a given month. We observed for 30 hours in total, with each observation lasting roughly 15 minutes. We ended up observing 136 targets, as there were a couple of observations that included multiple objects."

In addition, the Collaboration team examined VERITAS archival data going back to 2012. The team then calculated which targets from the Breakthrough Listen catalog were observed by VERITAS during the same period. Because they had limited computation time, they decided to spread the archival analysis across many different targets, analyzing only the first hour of quality data. "This left us with 249 observations of 119 non-overlapping fields containing 140 targets captured serendipitously," said Foote. "Unfortunately, we did not find evidence for this technosignature from these targets in any of the observations we analyzed."

While their analysis did not find evidence of any nanosecond optical pulses, the study has provided an important proof-of-concept that will inform future searches. It has also established limits on the number of stars that could be hosting transmitting civilizations, helping narrow these searches and increasing the likelihood of future detections. Beyond that, said Foote, this study could have significant implications for existing gamma-ray observatories and planned ones. This includes the Panoramic All-sky All-time Near InfraRed and Optical Technosignature Finder (PANOSETI), which will conduct coordinated observations with the Veritas Observatory:

"I think the biggest impact on the broader field is that this technosignature can be searched for by piggybacking off of existing gamma-ray observatories, including VERITAS, and ones which have yet to be built. This also goes the other way too, as observatories being purpose-built for this technosignature, like PANOSETI, can have some gamma-ray science piggyback off of it. This is a unique intersection between fields which hasn't been greatly explored until now."
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An example of a latent generative landscape that Dr. Faruck Morcos team has developed is shown in a 3D-printed version. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

Scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas are using machine learning to study proteinsthe molecules that carry out essential life functionsin a way that could impact protein engineering, human health and the evolutionary tracking of proteins related to infectious diseases.

In the growing field of protein design, researchers examine the evolutionary history of proteinshow their structure and function have changed over time due to genetic mutationsand could use that information to potentially design new proteins for purposes like fighting diseases or enabling biotechnology applications from novel proteins not existent in nature.

A team led by Dr. Faruck Morcos, associate professor of biological sciences in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is using advanced computer techniques to generate a 3D "landscape" that allows scientists to visualize how viable new proteins could be engineered.

"This latent generative landscape represents an advancement in the modeling of proteins and, together with the software we have published, is an accessible tool for those seeking to generate, engineer or study proteins and their functions," said computational biology doctoral student Cheyenne Ziegler MS, one of the lead authors of a paper published online April 19 in Nature Communications describing the work. Morcos is the corresponding author of the study.

Proteins are made up of sequences of molecular building blocks called amino acids. Protein sequences give researchers clues to their functions in the body.

"Our new framework is like a road map," Morcos said. "Rather than simply analyzing existing protein sequences, we look at the evolution of the proteins and construct maps looking both at proteins that already exist as well as generating and plotting out potential sequences."

Using variational autoencoders (VAE)an unsupervised learning model incorporating a neural network and coevolutionary modeling, an inference technique developed by the research teamMorcos said scientists can classify protein sequences by their evolutionary changes and their specific functions, then generate new sequences similar in composition, along with a rating of their compatibility with real-world function.

Here, color instead of height represents the protein fitness level at each coordinate. Each pixel in the landscape represents one of 250,000 potential generated proteins, with existent ones overlapping in the map. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

"Recent focus in the field has shifted toward using machine-learning approaches to predict protein structures and understand protein sequence attributes. The sequence space of proteins is astronomically large, so identifying viable sequences is a hard problem," Morcos said.

Morcos and his team plotted protein-sequence data based on similar characteristics.

"The closer proteins are to each other in this virtual landscape, the more similar they are in function," he said. "The map implies where we have a higher chance for a novel protein to be functionalthere are many possible mutations as proteins evolve, but very few are fit to exist."

The UTD researchers used mathematical methods to create peaks and valleys in the virtual landscape. These barriers represent sets of improbable sequences that help isolate groups of proteins in terms of their function or evolutionary trajectory, similar to how geographical boundaries can isolate groups of animals who then evolve differently from those in other isolated areas.

Color-coding provides that third dimension of description of each coordinate. Proteins that already exist are also included and are concentrated in the dark areas.

"Is this protein fit to perform its function or not? How much does it look like a real protein? The dark blue regions are valleys of high fitness, where most proteins appear like things that can exist. These sequences might become real proteins," Morcos said. "Brighter-colored regions are less explored and probably not very fit."

Morcos said their system can also catalog proteins of unknown function in a process called annotation.

"The majority of protein sequences that exist don't yet have an annotationa label indicating a function or location," he said. "We just don't know what they do. That's why scientists invest so much effort in accurately predicting the function of a protein. Our map is an effective way to infer the functions of a new protein by knowing what its neighbors do."

More information: Cheyenne Ziegler et al, Latent generative landscapes as maps of functional diversity in protein sequence space, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37958-z Journal information: Nature Communications
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Pilot Studies: Critical messengers' actual level of concern for target group versus estimates of critical messengers' concern. Note. Actual messenger concern is the percentage of critical messengers who agreed with a statement of concern for a target group that they had criticized for causing harm. Estimated messenger concern is the estimates of target group members of the percentage of critical messengers that agreed with a statement of concern for the target group they had criticized for causing harm. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Credit: Journal of Business Ethics (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s10551-023-05475-0

When unethical behavior is criticized, demands are often met with defensiveness and denial. How can we overcome this reaction? New research from the University of Zurich demonstrates that criticism is more persuasive when it is expressed with concern for the welfare of those being criticized.

In pursuit of a more ethical world, people in business and society speak out to criticize groups for wrongdoing and call for them to change their harmful ways: Activists demand justice for victims in their campaigns, employees might call attention to unfair practices at work, journalists put a spotlight on harm in society, and business leaders speak out on political topics.

New research by Lauren Howe, an Assistant Professor from the Department of Business Administration at the University of Zurich, identifies a way that criticism across these scenarios can be made more effective. A series of experiments involving more than 1,400 participants shows that criticized groups are more likely to take a criticism to heart when the messenger not only criticizes the groups, but also shows concern for the issues that the criticized groups themselves face.

When criticism indicates a lack of concern

When criticizing groups, messengers often address the group by criticizing the group for causing harm to another group and imploring them to change their ways. "What messengers may not realize is that when a person accuses a group of harm like this, right away, members of the group may believe that the messenger views their group as immoral and does not care about their outcomes," Howe explains.

"We find in our research that when messages include dual concern by expressing concern for the group that is criticized while still accusing the group of causing harm, it reduces this problematic inference, and thus dual concern messages are more effective at encouraging members of a group to agree with the criticism of their own group."

The effects of dual concern messages

In one of the experiments, Liberals or Conservatives in the United States agreed 6.6% more with a CEO criticizing their political group in a news article if the CEO additionally acknowledged that the political group also faced harm such as being mocked and ignored by others. Participants were also 7.1% more willing to shop at the CEO's company than when criticism was issued without care.

The research also tested the idea in campaigns: participants read a poster advocating to stop prejudice against a group with whom they personally disagreedwhether Liberals or Conservatives, Christians or atheists, or the elderly or millennials. The poster led participants to agree 8.6% more strongly that their disfavored group faces unfair and specific prejudices when the poster conveyed that the advocates also were concerned about the prejudices that many other groups faced.

Criticizers may care more than people think

In one study, 87.3% of Liberals who said that Conservatives are harming America still agreed that "Conservatives, like anyone, deserve a voice, and their concerns should be heard. We should care for Conservatives." But interestingly, Conservatives estimated that only 40.8% of critical Liberals would agree that Conservatives are worthy of concern.

Likewise, 83.9% of Conservatives who were critical of Liberals agreed that Liberals deserve a voice and should be heard, yet Liberals estimated that only 35.3% of Conservatives would express concern for Liberals. This means that people in both political parties underestimated the concern of their ideological opponents by half.

Learning to criticize with care

What the research shows, Howe summarizes, is that criticism works better when it is done with care. She suggests, "When messengers point out harm or wrongdoing, they might consider: What challenges does the group that they are accusing of harm face?"

Messengers may want to acknowledge these challenges, if appropriate, to signal to their audience that they are not dismissed as immoral. As messengers raise their voices to criticize one group for harming another group in the service of social change, their arguments are more persuasive when they emphasize concern for the criticized.

The study is published in the Journal of Business Ethics.

More information: Lauren C. Howe et al, Expressing Dual Concern in Criticism for Wrongdoing: The Persuasive Power of Criticizing with Care, Journal of Business Ethics (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s10551-023-05475-0 Journal information: Journal of Business Ethics
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

There is no evidence that trade partners weaponize labor provisions in trade agreements, according to new research co-authored by Desiree LeClercq, the Proskauer Employment and Labor Law Assistant Professor at Cornell University's ILR School.

In the research, published in The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, LeClercq and co-authors Raymond Robertson (Texas A&M) and Daniel Samaan (International Labor Organization), examined the relationship between labor provisions and bilateral trade agreements from the 1990s through February 2016. LeClercq, a former lawyer for the International Labor Organization, and her research colleagues found no evidence that labor provisions impactmuch less reducetrade flows.

In a recent interview, LeClercq discussed why the findings shared in the paper are so significant.

Why did you want to research this topic?

Normally, if governments close their markets to cheaper exports abroad merely to protect their domestic industries, they run the risk of violating the trade rules under the World Trade Organization (WTO) for engaging in "protectionism." For decades, ever since the Clinton administration unsuccessfully urged governments to formally link their trade and labor instruments at the World Trade Organization in the 1990s, there has been a lot of speculation around why governments choose to include binding commitments to international labor standards in their trade agreements.

Those commitments, as I have written about, are pretty vague. No one really knows what the fundamental international labor principles mean in an operational sense. Consequently, governments that include those binding commitmentsincluding the United Statesenjoy significant discretion to close their markets if they believe their trade partners have violated those principles. Many governments and observers dismiss efforts to protect workers' rights in trade as "disguised protectionism," basically accusing governments of using those vague commitments as a pretext to close their markets without triggering retaliation by violating the WTO's rules.

Of course, we can't prove the intention of government negotiators. My work also shows how governments like the United States negotiate their trade agreements behind closed doors. Even if they negotiated transparently, if they're going to go so far as to insert binding labor clauses to hide their protectionist motives, they're not about to announce that to the world.

Rather than focus on intent, this project focuses on effects. In 2015, when I was still a lawyer for the International Labor Organization, I was involved in a trade and labor project with a rising economist star in the ILO's research departmentDaniel Samaanand a well-known econometrician, Raymond Robertson. On a flight from Geneva to Washington, D.C., we cooked up an idea about examining whether binding, sanctions-based labor clauses actually led to market closures as commonly suspected. It took us seven years to feel happy with our methodology and typology, but I think it was well worth the wait. Given the recent rhetoric around the Biden administration's "worker-centered" trade policy, this article could not have come at a better time.

What are your key findings?

On Twitter the other day, an economist posed the following question: Have any of you read an economic paper with null results that ended up being important? You see, typically in economic work, showing no effect is the kiss of death. You want splashy findings showing never-before associations and leading to spin-off work delving deeper. For example, if the mainstream suspicions of disguised protectionism were true, binding, sanctions-based labor clauses would have led to a decrease in trade. In our case, however, we did not find a negative association.

Our null results were the most significant finding we could have hoped for. Basically, we "controlled" for a bunch of factors and ran a bunch of intimidating-sounding "regressions"a term that makes me picture some intergalactic, Star Wars-esque technologyto see what's what. We found that irrespective of the countries, levels of development, other trade chapters and the like, there was no association between binding, sanctions-based labor clauses and trade flows. In other words, maybe governments are dishonest protectionists, and maybe they aren't, but they are definitely not taking advantage of their opportunity to act like protectionists. They haven't used their discretion to enforce commitments to ambiguous labor standards to put the smackdown on their trade partners.

What are the practical implications and/or potential impact of this research?

A lot of the resistance in countries to entering into trade agreements with labor provisions is that they will be vulnerable to disguised protectionism. We hope our work can contribute to their deliberations by showing, at least until 2016, that they stand to benefit from trade with labor protections. There is no evidence that trade partners weaponize those provisions, and their workers will benefit from the trade agreements' safeguards and technical assistance.

More information: Desiree LeClercq et al, Labor provisions in trade agreements: recasting the protectionist debate, The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization (2023). DOI: 10.1093/jleo/ewad009
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Credit: Liang Qu

To quickly obtain the spatiotemporal distribution images of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water, a research team led by Prof. Huang Ying from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a shipborne mass spectrometry system for monitoring VOCs in water. The results were published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

VOCs in water not only affect microbial growth, but also contribute to air pollution and harm human health. Understanding the distribution of VOCs in water is critical to understanding pollution, managing water bodies, and improving the environment. However, traditional detection methods are time-consuming and cannot provide rapid insight into the spatial and temporal characteristics or emission sources of VOCs in water.

The shipborne system developed in this research can monitor VOCs in water. It mainly consists of a shipborne platform, a spray inlet system, a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer, and geographic information software (GIS). During the navigation, VOCs in water can be quickly extracted to gaseous state by the SI system and transferred into the proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) for detection.

Diagram of S-SI-PTR-MS and the VOC distribution and fingerprints in Chaohu Lake. Credit: Liang Qu

Additionally, the system can integrate their component and concentration information with geographic information system (GIS). It enables real time visualization of the spatial distribution of VOCs in water. In this way, it is possible to quickly visualize and trace the sources contributing to the distribution of VOCs in water.

In a field test, the researchers verified its potential application. The system can be installed on ships to conduct large-scale surveys of VOC distribution in water bodies and trace VOC emissions in rivers. It can also be installed at specific locations for real-time monitoring and early warning of VOCs in water, such as pipelines and rivers.

More information: Qu Liang et al, Imaging VOC distribution and tracing emission sources in surface water by a mobile shipborne spray inlet proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, Journal of Cleaner Production (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137655 Journal information: Journal of Cleaner Production
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Redtail garra fish have siskin and olive green scales that abruptly transition to bright orange and red along the tail, making them easy to spot at the bottom of clear streams. Credit: Tangjitjaroen et al. (2023).

With just a few clicks of a mouse, you can purchase your very own redtail garra, a type of fish that feeds on algae. Information about the fish's biology, however, is much less easily obtained. That's because redtail garra, although popular in the aquarium trade since the early 2000s, has until now been unknown to science.

Researchers were peripherally aware of the fish's existence, but "discovering" a new species requires scientific description based on specimens collected in their natural environment. Redtail garras appear to be restricted to a small stretch of river straddling the border between Thailand and Myanmar. The locality is isolated and difficult to reach, so wild redtail garras have existed in relative obscurity, despite their global appeal.

Larry Page, curator of ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has surveyed fishes in Thailand every year since 2007. He recently encountered a few redtail garras while conducting fieldwork along the Kasat River, a tributary of the Ataran River in neighboring Myanmar.

"When we first collected specimens, we thought it must be widespread in Myanmar because of its popularity in the aquarium trade. But it turns out it's not. It's only in the Ataran River basin," he said.

Page and his colleagues published the new species description in the journal Zootaxa. Redtails take their place among nearly 200 additional species in the genus Garra, one of the most diverse and widely distributed fish groups anywhere on Earth. Garra can be found in streams and rivers from the farthest reaches of western Africa through the Middle East, India and southern and eastern Asia, including parts of China. Yet their ubiquity has not resulted in a corresponding amount of research on the group.

Many Garra species have faces and snouts encrusted with barbed nodules called tubercles, which may be used to attract mates or to fend off adversaries. Credit: Tangjitjaroen et al. (2023), CC-BY

"There's surprisingly little information on their natural history," Page said. There are few studies that broadly assess diversity in the genus, and little is known about relationships or how various groups within Garra have diversified.

According to Page, basic information about the fishes' biology is available, but often in the form of studies on individual species or regions. "Most of them live in fast-moving water, and they have a disclike structure formed from a modification of the lower lip, which they use as an adhesive pad to cling to rocks and maintain their position in the water column as they feed," he said.

Garra primarily subsist on algae and the occasional arthropod, which they eat by scraping detritus off rocks with specialized mouth parts. Like other species in the genus, redtails lack stomachs, and have a snout encrusted with modified and hardened scales called tubercles. Similar structures in other fish groups are temporary; they're used to defend nests but fall off after the breeding season has ended. Redtail tubercles are permanently attached and seem to be used as weapons, based on aggressive behavior observed in aquaria.

Redtail garra can be distinguished by their unique, elongated snout, covered in even more tubercles, which they can raise or lower, ostensibly as a means of intimidating opponents during combative encounters. As their common name suggests, their tails are emblazoned in red like a signal fire.

Their unique color pattern and their industrious ability to clear away algae have made them a coveted component of aquarium tanks, but their late addition to the roster of scientifically described species underscores a pressing need to take stock of biodiversity in understudied regions.

Populations of redtail garra appear to be restricted to a small river basin that crosses the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Credit: Tangjitjaroen et al. (2023)

Page, who is working on a book describing the fishes of the Mae Klong River basin in Thailand, said the belated description of redtail garra is part of a larger recurring pattern. "Many of the fishes in Southeast Asia are referred to by names given to species discovered in India or Indonesia because they look similar." People know particular species exist, Page said, but they are mistaken for those from other geographic areas, and their diversity has consequently been drastically underestimated.

Page and his colleagues named the new species Garra panitvongi, after the author of another book on Thailand's fishes, Nonn Panitvong. Lauded as a biodiversity hero by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Panitvong is both a businessman and an avid naturalist. He's nurtured a passion for nature since his childhood days spent translating books about animals written in English with the help of his mom. He developed a special appreciation for Thailand's aquatic life from his dad, who took him on fishing trips.

"Over the years, I found that in many of the places we went fishing, the environments were getting worse. There were fewer fish overall, and the fish assemblage changed for the worse, with a decreasing number of native species and more invasives," he said.

Panitvong obtained a Master of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina Wilmington so he could effectively run his family's sugarcane farm, but when it came time for a doctorate, he opted to study environmental science. After returning to Thailand, he created the website Siamensis.org, an open platform on which nature enthusiasts could share information about Thailand's flora and fauna and plan excursions to wilderness areas.

In 2006, Panitvong and a friend discovered one of Thailand's redtail garra populations and helped introduce the fish to the aquarium trade. Now, more than 15 years later, he said the official naming of redtail garraand the discovery of species like ithelp bring the world into clearer focus.

"I like to imagine humanity in a big room, painted in white. As we turned around, we would have no conception of which direction we were facing," he said. "With each new discovery, a dot is added, a point made, and we know more and more about where we stand as a species."

More information: Weerapongse Tangjitjaroen et al, Species of Garra (Cyprinidae: Labeoninae) in the Salween River basin with description of an enigmatic new species from the Ataran River drainage of Thailand and Myanmar, Zootaxa (2023). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5311.3.3 Journal information: Zootaxa
TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi urged on Sunday neighboring Pakistan to ensure security along the common border, the official news agency IRNA reported.

Vahidi made the remarks to reporters while asked to comment on Saturday's armed "terrorist attack" on a border police station in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

He warned that the terror groups that carry out such activities would not be immune from punishments by Iranian intelligence and law enforcement apparatuses.

Two Iranian policemen died in Saturday's "terrorist" attack launched by four assailants, who disguised themselves as regular clients. According to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the four "armed terrorists" were all killed in clashes with police forces.

Jaish ul-Adl, which Iran designated as a terror group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement on Saturday, Pakistan strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" and extended "deepest condolences" to the bereaved families.

Bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Sistan and Baluchestan province has been a target of several terrorist attacks on both civilians and security forces over the past years. 
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Mothers, with a criminal record and who have also been through the care system, could well face negative judgements and excessive scrutiny by virtue of already 'being known' to the authorities.

This is the conclusion of new research led by Lancaster University working with Manchester Metropolitan University, Liverpool John Moores University, and the University of Bristol.

"Confronting Intergenerational Harm: Care Experience, Motherhood and Criminal Justice Involvement" is published in the British Journal of Criminology.

The study focuses on mothers with "dual system contact," that is imprisoned women who have been in care (such as foster care or children's homes), care-experienced girls and young women in the community, and the professionals who work with them

Key findings include: a desire to break cycles of stigma and social care involvement across the generations; lack of support and a fear of asking for help, and the care-less approach to pregnancy and motherhood that may be faced in prison and beyond.

As one interviewee, 26-year-old Hannah, said, "But it is also used against you that you were in care, and there isn't a great support network around me because I've been in care."

The study bridges insights from across criminology and social work to explore messages from research and argues for more productive dialog across disciplinary and practice boundaries.

It highlights the long-lasting consequences of being under surveillance and any subsequent child removal/separation which may include intense feelings of guilt, shame, anger, loss and distress, while at a system-level the immediate focus moves to protecting the unborn baby or infant.

"While few would argue against the importance of protecting children, the problem with this relatively short-term preoccupation is that the needs of care-experienced mothers, sometimes still children themselves, may become lost as damaging cycles of social care (and criminal justice) involvement are reproduced across generations," says the research.

"Moving forwards in this context is not easy but we can start by challenging the stigma and negative labeling associated with mothers who have been in care and in conflict with the law."

This involves recognizing the structures of power they must navigate as they encounter, and seek to resist and survive, various aspects of social harm.

Confronting the stigma created by dual-system contact highlights the need to consider cumulative disadvantageand reveals the need to move beyond understanding discrimination and categorizing struggles as singular issues.

For some, negative gendered and racialized judgements may create overlapping layers of disadvantage for those who do not fit neatly with social expectations of the 'maternal woman' and combine with moral judgements of 'young' motherhood.

Practitioners who were able to support girls and women in pregnancy and motherhood to resist and survive such judgements were undoubtedly valued, says the research. Yet all need to be given the time to develop such relationships, with girls and women offered multiple opportunities to return for support and access to flexible services given their understandable fear of asking for help.

"From social workers to prison and probation officers to health care workers, it is vital that professionals do not simply dismiss individuals as 'failing to engage' but recognize how care and justice system-contact may have perpetuated past trauma and intensified a mistrust of the authorities," adds the study.

"Within this context, the focus moves from blaming individuals to putting the onus on professionals and systems to create spaces where individuals may feel safe enough to trust and connect with workers."

Yet creating safe spaces and developing trust takes time, particularly for those who may have every reason not to trust.

One 19-year-old mum, Kelsey, said, "I felt like I couldn't say anything, I'd hide everything from everyonebecause I don't want to do anything to lose himBecause that's all they said to me every time I done something wrong, this will jeopardize you from having [son]."

Meanwhile, for pregnant women in prison, the challenges are immense in institutions ultimately designed to punish and controland where restraint can have fatal consequences.

"Against the backdrop of dramatically reducing the number of all women in prison, there must be a far greater commitment to preventing pregnant women from being imprisoned wherever possible," warns the study.

Confronting the intergenerational harms that imprisonment creates could enable much greater recognition of the profound impact of imprisonment across the generations, particularly on care-experienced mothers.

As one probation officer interviewed said, "Going into custodyand your children going into care and then having to fight to get them back when you've got no resources whatsoeveris almost impossible."

For those already locked up, the role of social workers in prison may be vital in ensuring that imprisoned mothers are far better supported and can benefit from family contact days where relevant.

Planning for the transition from prison to the community must occur at the earliest possible stage, supported by non-judgmental practitioners willing to look beyond the stigma that care and justice system contact may create.

Lead author Dr. Claire Fitzpatrick, of Lancaster University, says, "A system that calls itself a care system, but fails to recognize the harm it can cause, may become a care-less and potentially negligent system for some. Ultimately, we need to shift our view of care-experienced girls and women as problem parents and focus our lens instead on the state as problem parent. This can provide a very different perspective."

More information: Claire Fitzpatrick et al, Confronting Intergenerational Harm: Care Experience, Motherhood and Criminal Justice Involvement, British Journal of Criminology (2023). DOI: 10.1093/bjc/azad028
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Dashes and captures of individually identified striped marlin with potential sub-grouping. a Examples of unique markings used for individually identifying marlin (images created by Matthew Hansen). b Each dot shows the timing of a dash by an individual marlin in 2018. Marlin are color coded to differentiate between individuals. Dashes that resulted in a prey capture are encircled (). Groups arriving at different time points are bracketed in different colors, with three potential scenarios: marlin arriving in two groups (red), three groups (green), or four groups (blue). c The three potential sets of arriving groups of marlin in 2018 that can be derived from the numbers of dash sequences between the appearances of individual marlin, two groups (red), three groups (green) or four groups (blue). Credit: Communications Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03951-3

A team of behavioral ecologists from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin (HU Berlin) is investigating how animals hunt in groups. Animals in water hunt differently than animals on land, which is partly due to the different size ratio between predator and prey. One example is striped marlin, which belong to the billfish family. Motivation may play a greater role than dominance hierarchy during resource division, but the large fish get out-competed by sea lions when the two predators attack the same prey.

Hunting together is an interesting expression of group behavior in vertebrates. The advantages can be obvious in terrestrial species: multiple predators are often required to capture a larger, stronger prey item. Disadvantage: the prey has to be shared. The diversity and complexity of group hunting strategies is great and are traditionally thought to require high cognitive abilities in the predators. However, advances in tracking technology can now test whether coordination between predators instead emerges from simple rules-of-thumb that do not require high levels of cognition.

While the hunting behavior of top predators such as lions, wolves or orcas is already well studied, the research team turned their attention to groups of larger fish that hunt swarms of smaller fish. To do this, they studied the collective hunting behavior of striped marlin (Kajikia audax), which belong to the billfish family. Striped marlin can grow up to four meters long and weigh up to 200 kilograms (although the researchers studied animals less than half this size). Characteristic is a spear-shaped upper jaw bone which, unlike the swordfish, is not flat and sharp-edged but almost round in cross-section. Striped marlin dash sequence with prey captures. Credit: Communications Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03951-3

Motivation and hunger instead of hierarchy and dominance

Using high-resolution video recordings, the researchers analyzed the animals in the wild in Baja California Sur, Mexico, in the Pacific Ocean, and were able to identify individual animals on the basis of body characteristics and thus examine their individual hunting behavior and their role in the group in detail.

When hunting, the marlin swam in groups around the prey, with individual animals taking turns to attack. The researchers found that competition for prey led to an unequal distribution among the predators: 50% of the most frequently attacking marlin captured 70 to 80% of the fish. Such unequal distribution of prey is also known from land animals.

However, this unequal distribution of prey could not be explained by aggressive behavior, body size or differences in hunting efficiency. "We found that, on average, newcomers had more access to prey. It is possible that the marlin that joined the group were particularly hungry and motivated to eat, and were thus able to outcompete their conspecifics," explained Matthew James Hansen, researcher at IGB and HU Berlin and lead author of the studies published in Biological Reviews and Communications Biology.

Unlike many group hunters on land, there is no strict hierarchy in marlin that determines the division of prey and the order of consumptiondominance, kinship and social bonds are not the determinants of who has access to prey, when and for how long. One major difference in the open ocean compared to on land is that there is usually no large carcass for several animals to feed on after the kill. Instead, many predators share a large school of fish, which is made up of lots of small, bite-sized prey.

"Since it is very difficult to monopolize a resource when it is comprised of many smaller preysuch as in a school of fishsocial hierarchy has probably not prevailed as a driving force for prey division," explained Professor Jens Krause, who heads the working group at the IGB and HU Berlin.

Predator-prey size ratio may determine hunting behavior

The researchers suggest that the size ratio between predator and prey is an important determinant of hunting behavior in vertebrates.

"In the case of large prey, we assume that the efficient selection of a prey animal from a group and the possible strength advantage that the prey animal might have due to its relative size, play an important role," said Krause.

However, if the prey is much smaller than the predators, as is the case with school of fish, the individual animals are divided up among the predators before they are killed. In this case, group hunting is mainly advantageous to overcome the prey's greater maneuverability and the collective defense of the prey, which they gain through cohesive schooling behavior.

Sea lions benefit as kleptoparasites of striped marlin hunts

It is not only groups of striped marlin that prey on the schools of fish in Baja California Sur, sea lions are often part of the action. These predators take advantage of the marlin's ability to locate prey and force it to the surface. In this mixed-species group hunt, the marlin seem to do all the initial hard work before the sea lions join and make their own attacks. The sea lions are more successful in their attacks than the marlins and dominate access to the prey school, making it difficult for the marlin to make their attacks.

Despite this, the marlin do not react aggressively towards the sea lions. If they can't access the school because of the sea lions, it is common for the marlin to simply leave and search for a new school of fish. "So it seems that, even though there are many differences in how group-hunting works in the open ocean, kleptoparasitism is also a major factor, just like on land," said Hansen.
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Heavy flooding washed out parts of Route 9W of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, New York on July 9, 2023.

The northeastern United States was inundated Monday with heavy rain and flooding across several states a day after storms and flash floods washed out highways and killed one person in New York state.

Parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont were under flood warnings, with states in the region recording rapid rainfall and "life threatening" flash floods, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Heavy rains in New York state on Sunday turned streets into raging waterways, washing out bridges, leaving roads impassable and leading Governor Kathy Hochul to declare states of emergency in two counties.

The Orange County Emergency Management office on Monday confirmed that a 35-year-old woman had died in Highland Falls, in New York's Hudson Valley, where "historic floods" caused significant damage.

Hochul said the woman was swept to her death in a flash flood in the valley as she tried to evacuate her damaged house with her dog.

"Her fiance literally saw her swept away," the governor told reporters on Monday.

On Sunday Hochul said that up to eight inches (200 mm) of rain had created "life threatening conditions due to flash flooding."

On Sunday evening, more than 12,000 customers had lost electricity in the state, but by midday Monday that figure had dropped to 3,800, according to poweroutage.us.

Amtrak rail service was suspended between New York City and state capital Albany "due to severe weather conditions" as of 5:30 am, the company said in a statement.

Hochul said the rains appeared to be heading east to Vermont where law enforcement earlier reported severe rain in four counties, with several roads washed out and closed.

"The expected rainfall rate is 0.25 to 0.5 inches in 1 hour," NWS said in a state alert. "Flash flooding is already occurring" and "catastrophic flooding" was expected Monday in parts of the Vermont.

Governor Phil Scott declared a state of emergency.

"Swiftwater rescue teams have been staged in strategic locations throughout the state, should they be necessary to help with evacuations and rescues from floodwaters," Scott's office said in a statement Sunday.

The heavy rains washed out and closed highways, and stranded people in their cars and homes. Search and rescue teams were operating in several locations, according to various media reports.

NWS said it had received "multiple reports" of significant flooding and of persons trapped in vehicles in Orange County.

"Several additional inches of rainfall is expected through Tuesday morning as this system slowly moves eastward" and more flash flooding is possible, it said Monday.

Scientists say that climate change intensifies the risk of heavy rain because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

 2023 AFP
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Radioactive traces left by nuclear weapon tests are one of humanity's calling cards being used to mark the Anthropocene epoch.

As scientists make the case that humans have fundamentally transformed the planet enough to warrant our own geological epoch, another question arises: is there anything left untouched by humanity's presence?

Soaring greenhouse gases, ubiquitous microplastics, pervasive "forever chemicals", the global upheaval of animals, even old mobile phones and chicken bonesall have been put forward as evidence that the world entered the Anthropocene, or era of humans, in the mid-20th century.

Jan Zalasiewicz, a British geologist who chaired the Anthropocene Working Group for over a decade, paused for a moment when asked if there was anywhere on Earth that lacked signs of human influence.

"It's hard to think of a more remote place" than the Pine Island glacier in Antarctica, Zalasiewicz told AFP.

Yet when scientists drilled deep below the glacier's ice a few years ago, they found traces of plutonium.

It was lingering fallout from nuclear weapon tests that began in 1945, leaving behind a radioactive presence unlike anything before.

Zalasiewicz said these radionuclides represented perhaps "the sharpest signal" to mark the start of the Anthropocene epoch 70 years ago.

But "there's an awful lot to choose from," he added.

On Tuesday, the Anthropocene Working Group is expected to announce its choice for the epoch's "golden spike" location, selecting the site that most clearly represents the many ways humans have changed the world.

However the announcement will not make the Anthropocene an official geological time unit just yet, as the world's geologists continue to sift through the evidence.

The remote Pine Island glacier in Antarctica, where plutonium has been detected deep under the ice.

The weight of humanity

Another major calling card of the Anthropocene will likely come as little surprise: the rapid surge in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are heating the world.

Many things changed "once humans developed the technology to pull fossilized sunshinein the form of oil, coal and gasout of the ground," Zalasiewicz said.

Humans have consumed more energy since 1950 than was used in the previous 11,700 years of the Holocene epoch, the Anthropocene scientists have shown.

This new power was used to dominate the world in a way not previously possible. Both land and animals were deployed to feed the exploding human population.

Humans and their livestock make up 96 percent of the biomass of all land mammals on the planet, with wild mammals representing just four percent, researchers estimated in 2018.

Supermarket chickens, bred by humans to grow far larger than natural, account for two thirds of the biomass of all birds, Zalasiewicz said.

Humans also reshuffled species across the globe, introducing invasive species such as rats to even the most remote Pacific islands.

Supermarket chickens account for two thirds of the biomass of all birds on Earth, research has suggested.

Technofossils, forever chemicals

In 2020, researchers estimated that the mass of all objects made by humans has now exceeded the weight of all living things on the planet.

The Anthropocene researchers called these objects "technofossils".

Successive generations of mobile phones, which so quickly become obsolete, were just one example of a technofossil that will "be part of the Anthropocene record," Zalasiewicz said.

Smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics have been detected on the planet's highest peaks and at the bottom of the deepest oceans.

Substances called PFAS or "forever chemicals," created for products such as non-stick cookware, are also being increasingly identified across the world.

Pesticides, fertilizers, increasing levels of nitrogen of phosphorus, even the buried skeletons of humansthe list of potential Anthropocene markers goes on.

The scientists say that hundreds of thousands of years into the future, all of these markers will be clearly preserved to give our future ancestorsor any other beings who care to lookinsight into this human era.

Mobile phones will just one "technofossil" that will let future ancestors or aliens study our civilisation, scientists say.

But what will this future geologist see happen next?

"One of the signals that you would want to see from the Anthropocene is humanity responding in a positive way," said Mark Williams, a British paleontologist and member of the Anthropocene Working Group.

The fossil record does not yet show a mass extinction, but one "is now very much on the cards," he told AFP.

"We go two ways from here," he added.

So is there somewhere left on Earth that does not bear a human fingerprint?

The scientists agreed that the only such place was likely somewhere under the ice in Antarctica.

But if nothing changes, these ice sheets will be steadily melted by global warming, Zalasiewicz warned.

 2023 AFP
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A member of the Chilean Nilus Project in front of an ice stupa while on a research trip to the Ladakh region of India. Credit: Rosa Oyarzun, provided by Kristina Lyons

Every winter across the Himalayas for decades, human-made reservoirs have been capturing glacial meltwater from streams and preserving it in the form of ice. By slowing meltwater down or spraying it into the air, people cause it to refreeze, often into shapes called stupas, after the domed Buddhist shrines they may resemble. The ice can then be melted the following year, allowing for irrigation that supports longer agricultural seasons in high mountainous areas.

Now, a group of Chilean engineers is attempting to transfer this technology to their country's high mountain glaciers in what they call the Nilus Project. In 2021 the engineers developed their first prototype in a private park in the Cajon de Maipo area south of Santiago, the nation's capital. The area was chosen due to both easy access and its proximity to the Maipo, a glacier-fed river descending from the Andes that provides fresh water for Santiago and the surrounding region. During the 2021 Southern Hemisphere winter, their prototype gathered 550,000 kilograms of ice that melted in just under two months. While smaller than the reservoirs in the Himalayas, it offers an early proof of concept.

These efforts caught the attention of University of Pennsylvania researcher Kristina Lyons, who read about the project while she was doing anthropological research on Indigenous Mapuche communities and their relationship with surrounding glaciers around Santiago.

"I was totally fascinated by this idea," she said in an interview with GlacierHub, recalling that it was the distinctive South-to-South knowledge transfer between the Himalayas and Chile that first stood out to her. "I was really interested in this technology, what could it possibly do and how it was being framed." Lyons began working with the engineers, and published a paper analyzing the Nilus Project's unique sociopolitical context earlier this year.

Satellite photography dates the construction of Himalayan ice reservoirs to at least the 1960s. Sometimes called "artificial glaciers"a catchy but scientifically inaccurate term, since they do not accumulate ice long term or move across landthese reservoirs reduce the loss of the glacial meltwater by taking advantage of the frequent freeze-thaw cycles in cold, arid environments. Unlike lakes, which freeze from the top down, ice reservoirs freeze from the bottom up. By engineering a slow trickle of meltwater from mountainswhether by creating a cascade of loose steps, redirecting the water into a shadier place with a large surface area, or by sending it into pipes that spray it into the surrounding airice reservoirs allow water to freeze back into ice before flowing any further. Over time, layers of ice form on top of each other, creating a water storage system.

In recent years, individual community leaders and NGOs have garnered significant attention beyond the Himalayan communities and around the world. That is how these projects first caught the Chileans' eyes. The recent expansion of ice reservoir projects across the Himalayas represents a strong example of community-led, locally designed water management solutions.

"Their priority was really about empowering communities to solve their own problems, and creating a system of education to train people in the region to [do so]," said Lyons.

Students of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives in Ladakh pose in front of their project, as part of the "Ice Stupa Competition" held in 20182019. Credit: The Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh, via Wikimedia

Marcus Nuesser, a professor at Heidelberg University, has studied the history, evolution and efficacy of the practice in Himalayan mountain communities. "These kinds of ice reservoirs have quite a long history in places like [the Indian region of] Ladakh," he said in an interview with GlacierHub.

Nuesser notes that the particular kind of ice reservoir upon which the Chilean engineers are modeling their project, the ice stupa, is a relatively new iteration of an old practice. Ice stupas work by spraying small water droplets to create and store ice. Designed and popularized by Ladakhi engineer Sonam Wangchuk around 2015, a surge of interest and funding followed. "They had something like a contest between different villageswhich village constructs the highest one," Nuesser recalled.

However, a significant barrier to ensuring the success of an ice stupa depends on an adequate workforce for maintenance. In Ladakh, many early projects were scaled up by NGOs that received international funding. Nuesser notes that once the projects were launched and the funding dried up, communities often struggled to keep the ice stupas running. This was in part due to a dwindling agrarian workforce across this region, which has long been characterized by massive outmigration.

"These structures [need] a lot of maintenance," Nuesser said. "When the money ran out, I saw many cases where they just let [them] go down.  When the hype is over, the structure faces some problems." Nuesser said that when he visited Ladakh last winter, he saw numerous once-impressive structures in a poor state.

The need for an adequate workforce also presents a significant challenge in Chile, where very few people live in the mountainous areas around which glacial meltwater could be captured. Without eyes to look for burst pipes, slow flow rates or other issues, the project may be compromised. However, Nilus's engineers are in the process of testing remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies to control how and where ice forms atop the structure.

The Chilean context adds another unique barrier: a privatized water rights structure that dictates how downstream water can be used. Water privatization was first signed into law by the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship in 1980, which created a formal market for buying, selling and leasing water rights within the country. Last year, Chileans rejected a new constitution that would have largely undone the provision.

The law draws a fine line between privatizing glaciers and privatizing water streams from them. "You cannot privatize water from a glacier in the sense that you can't just put a hose up there and say, 'whatever runs off is mine,'" explained Lyons. "But as water melts, as it does every season right now because of climate change, it is owned by somebody. And so that is one of the complications: Where will the water go? And who is it for?"

Through a series of pipes, the Nilus Projects prototype ice stupa sprouts new ice by spraying glacial meltwater from the top and forming ice from the bottom up. Credit: The Nilus Project, provided by Kristina Lyons

Nuesser agrees. "It's a completely different set of issues," he said, noting how the expansion of the Chilean mining sector adds yet another layer of issues, since mining operations typically require large amounts of water, and may present an interest in the new ice stupa's water supply. Still, Nuesser is cautiously optimistic. "This can work if they keep people informed about ownership in this," he said.

For Lyons, Chile's water rights issue highlights the limitations of how much a private company can do to address regional water scarcity. "I know they have totally good intentions," she said. She cited continued water stress exacerbated by internal migration from other parts of Chile into the Santiago region. "But they're also still caught in a model themselves, economically. What can they do, if they need to create a business and need to pay employees? In such a privatized system, how much flexibility do you have for the project to actually become [a climate solution]?"

Nuesser also notes that even if the project were to be successful at holding onto glacial meltwater well into the agricultural season, it would not mitigate the loss of glaciers as a whole.

"They [ice reservoirs] are very successful concepts to bridge this critical gap of water scarcity. But in another way, there's no additional water that comes into the system," he said. "It helps to cope with the water demand for this year, and for the next year maybe. But it will not help in the long run, when primary water sources will decrease."

Lyons concurred. "I think that for the Chileans, they would like to feel like they have something they could do to address their glacier retreat," she said. "What I see is that in this moment of intensifying awareness about climate change and global warming, it would seem like it would be helpful if the ice stupas could do something like that. It's still very speculative."

Efforts in Chile to scale up from the pilot project near Santiago will show whether this much-lauded example of SouthSouth technology transfer proves effective.

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Indonesia, home to the largest tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia and over 17,500 islands, is a country packed with biodiversity and endangered species. However, scientists studying the region's species and ecosystems are getting banned from Indonesia, and conservation plans are being blocked.

In a letter published in the journal Current Biology on July 10, a team of conservation researchers with long-term experience in Indonesia discuss scientific suppression and other research challenges they have witnessed while working in the region. They offer suggestions for how to promote nature conservation, protect data transparency, and share research with the public in this and other regions of the world.

"If you look at a heat map of the Earth, and where endangered species are located, Indonesia and that general region are just off the charts," says tropical environmental scientist William F. Laurance of James Cook University, who has been doing research on the environmental impacts of development in Southeast Asia for over a decade.

Laurance and his co-authors say they felt drawn to raise awareness about the issues facing conservation in Indonesia because during their time working in the region, they witnessed many instances when governments and corporations impeded researchincluding their own.

For example, they write in the letter, in 2022, five leading conservation researchers were banned from working in Indonesia on the premise that they had "negative intentions" to "discredit the government."

The researchers reference papers about forest conservation and wildlife management in Sumatra, for which the teams had multiple colleagues from Indonesia decline co-authorship "out of concerns that it might adversely impact their funding, research permits, or opportunities for commercial contracts in Indonesia."

"The researchers said, 'Well, no, you can't tell that story, even though it's true, and you can't identify me or include all the relevant details.' And this just kept happening over and over again. 'It's a climate of fear,'" says Laurance.

To protect environmental research in Indonesia and the contributors who work on it, Laurance and his team suggest that organizations funding research in the region require data transparency for studies that they support. They also recommend the implementation and usage of online "safe houses" (whistleblower websites designed to protect anonymity and information leakage) and anonymized journals (publications in which contributors are not named).

They say these interventions could help researchers get information out to the public without worrying about the consequences of being personally tied to their findings.

The authors do note that several organizations are advocating for change, especially in Indonesia. Some examples of these groups include the Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom and the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation, which are organizing to support conservation and thwart efforts to silence researchers. They also note that "scientific suppression is by no means unique to Indonesia."

"I think scientists have a really serious responsibility to try to communicate what's going on in the world. What's happening here is a bigger problem than gets talked about," said Laurance. "There needs to be a way to get information out, but scientists in many countries are seriously struggling."
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Twelve sites around the world have been proposed as golden spike locations for the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch, including Beppu Bay in Japan.

Beneath the seawater in Japan's Beppu Bay lie layers of seemingly unremarkable sediment and sludge that tell the story of how humans have fundamentally altered the world around them.

The site is among those being considered for designation as a "golden spike", a location that offers evidence of a new geological epoch defined by our species: the Anthropocene.

The path to agree the new era has been long and controversial, with scientists wrangling for years over whether the Holocene epoch that began 11,700 years ago has really been replaced by a new period defined by human impact on the Earth.

Key to their discussions has been picking a site that clearly documents the way we have changed our environment, from contaminating it with plutonium from nuclear tests, to littering it with microplastics.

Twelve sites around the world have been proposed as golden spike locations, including a peatland in Poland, an Australian coral reef, and the basin-like Beppu bay in Japan's southwestern Oita.

Michinobu Kuwae, an associate professor at the Ehime Centre of Marine Environmental Studies, has been studying the area for nearly a decade.

He began with investigations of how climate change affected fish populations, with layers of deposited fish scales in the bay's sediment offering clues about the past.

It was only more recently he began to consider the location as a potential golden spike, given the many "anthropogenic fingerprints, including manmade chemicals and radionuclides, layered in the bay's sediment."

The layers allow scientists to pinpoint "the precise date and level of an Anthropocene-Holocene boundary," he told AFP.

"There are the most diverse anthropogenic markers."

That perfect preservation is the result of several unique characteristics, explained Yusuke Yokoyama, a professor at the University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, who has analyzed core samples from the site.

The bay floor dips down quickly from the shoreline, creating a basin that traps material in the water column and "kind of creates a miso soup," he told AFP.

Water can flow in, but only moves back out at the surface, and a lack of oxygen means there are no organisms disturbing the sediment or disrupting deposits.

Ground zero of Anthropocene's 'golden spike' will be announced on July 11.

A 'warning bell' for humanity

"It's like Baumkuchen, the cake, a stack of pancakes, and you can count those pancakes to get the precise age," he added.

For a site to be considered a golden spike location, it must meet several conditions, including offering a record of at least the last century, along with specific "anthropogenic signals" like nuclear bomb testing, ecosystem change and industrialization.

It also needs to offer a complete archive of the period covered, and markers that allow scientists to identify which layer represents which year.

Coral is considered by some to be a good candidate because it grows in layers like a tree trunk and absorbs elements dissolved in water, including signatures from nuclear testing.

But it cannot capture materials that do not dissolve in water, like microplastics.

The sediment of Beppu Bay, by contrast, captures everything from agricultural fertilizer run-off to deposits from historic floods recorded in official documentation, as well as fish scales and plastics.

The most compelling feature however, according to Kuwae and Yokoyama, are the signatures from a series of nuclear bomb tests carried out across the Pacific ocean from 1946 to 1963.

The tests produced atmospheric radiation that was detectable globally, but also direct signatures that registered in places close to the testing sites.

"We can detect both," said Yokoyama.

"Because Beppu Bay is located downstream... we can identify the particular signatures of certain tests."

Core samples collected from Beppu Bay showed peaks in plutonium that correlated with individual nuclear tests, and matched similar findings in coral in nearby Ishigaki.

Whichever site is chosen as a golden spike, Beppu Bay and other candidate locations are expected to remain important resources for understanding human impact on the Earth.

And Kuwae hopes an official designation of the Anthropocene will be a "warning bell" for humanity.

"Deterioration of the global environment, including global warming, is rapidly progressing," he said.

"We will be in a state where the original safe earth, once lost, can no longer be recovered."

 2023 AFP
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Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

In 2015, Keeley Richards-Shaw found her name and personal life splashed all over the media. Her photo, her job and links to her Facebook page were all published. She'd been in court seeing her ex-partner sentenced for harassment and sharing sexual images without her consent. After being stalked by him, she said she was now being "stalked by the media."

Having her private, intimate images shared was devastating. But the invasion of privacy made it even worse, leaving her distraught and humiliated after what should have been a legal victory.

The law had just been changed to criminalize sharing images without consent. But it was not classed as a sexual offense and, crucially therefore for survivors like Richards-Shaw, there was no automatic anonymity for victims.

This act is often called "revenge porn." But this is a problematic term for many reasons, including that it places the blame on victims by suggesting they have done something worthy of "revenge."

Keeley Richards-Shaw became the first of many survivors to raise their voices and demand a change in the law. I gladly worked with her and her local police and crime commissioner to raise this issue with the government. I conducted a survey and found that 75% of the public supported automatic anonymity for victims.

I spoke to more victims a few years later, with one telling me and my colleagues and that she would never report this crime to the police due to the lack of anonymity. Another who'd been to the police said the publicity was "worse" than the crime itself.

At last, victims' voices are being heard. The government has announced it will amend the online safety bill to include significant changes to the law on the sharing and posting of intimate images.

First, it will make sharing intimate images without consent a sexual offense, guaranteeing victims automatic anonymity. It also removes a cumbersome legal barrier that requires proof of an offender's intent to cause distress. Finally, it criminalizes the sharing of deepfake porn, a vital step as AI technology is making it easier to create deepfakes.

Long overdue changes

Classifying the sharing of intimate images as a sexual offense in law is a significant step that victims, campaigners and researchers have been demanding for years. In 2014, the actor Jennifer Lawrence described the hacking and sharing of her nudes a "sex crime." As one victim, Deborah, whose images were shared without consent told my colleagues and I in 2019: "It's a type of rape, it's just the digital version."

Our research also recommended removing the "motivation threshold"a legal requirement to prove that perpetrators acted with the intention of causing distress. This standard was one factor leading to low prosecution rates and police refusing to progress cases.

Georgie Matthews learned this when, after reporting her ex-partner to police, he sent her a text saying he hadn't meant to cause her distresscase dropped. Matthews has campaigned tirelessly for this requirement to be removed from the law.

Hearing these and other experiences, my colleague Erika Rackley and I developed the term "image-based sexual abuse" to better describe how the non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate images can affect victims. We hoped to stop people using the term "revenge porn"in addition to victim-blaming, it's one reason why the law is so limited to those deliberately causing distress.

Removing the motive threshold also means many more types of abuse can be prosecuted, such as "collector culture" cases, where men take and trade intimate images in online groups. These private WhatsApp groups and internet forums are on the rise in schools, universities and workplaces, with men striving to boost their status and gain kudos by trading and sharing non-consensual, explicit photos.

The desire for non-consensual material is also driving the phenomenon of "deepfake porn" where ordinary images are altered using technology and AI to make them explicit and pornographic. Sharing such imagesthough not creating themwill also now be criminalized in the online safety bill.

Sarah shared with us her devastating experience when her ex-partner photoshopped images of her to make them sexual. Despite the adverse impacts on her mental health, she has continued to speak out, to try to help other survivors. Artist and campaigner Helen Mort has also shared her experiences of deepfake porn, calling for the changes in the law that have now been announced.

Only the start

It is very welcome to see reform happening in a way that validates survivors' experiences. We've come a long way since Erika Rackley and I started calling for change. But there remain some big gaps in protection.

These changes do not cover situations where a victim's images are not considered "intimate," yet sharing them non-consensually could be threatening for the subject. For example, a Muslim woman photographed not wearing a headscarf that her family or community expects her to wear.

Ultimately, what victims want first and foremost is for material to be removed from the internet. Yet these reforms do not include court powers to make platforms take down material, or insist perpetrators delete imagery, as is the case in many other countries.

The UK needs a comprehensive, holistic response that helps victims get justice and rebuild their lives. The changes to the online safety bill are a great start, but not the end of the fight.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A bee specimen with pollen on it. Credit: Andreas Kolter

A new study highlights potential causes for changing foraging habits of bumblebees. Using advanced molecular techniques called pollen metabarcoding, researchers investigated interactions between bumblebees and plants in Cuxhaven, Germany, and how they changed over 60 years.

Their findings can help us understand the connections between availability of floral resources and changing landscapes. The study, led by the Botany Department of the University of Kassel (Germany) in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (Germany), used bumblebee specimens from historical museum collections dating back to 1968/69 and compared them with bumblebees collected in the field in 2019.

By analyzing pollen samples attached to the bodies of the bees, the researchers were able to identify the plant species they had interacted with. The results revealed significant shifts in the foraging habits of bumblebees between the late 1960s and more recent sampling periods. In particular, there was a noticeable decrease in interactions with Fabaceae plants in 2019 compared to the past.

A bee specimen with pollen on it. Credit: Andreas Kolter

"This suggests that changes in the landscape have led to alterations in the availability of floral resources, which may contribute to the decline of specialized bee species," the researchers explain. "The successful application of scalable molecular techniques to analyze historical pollen samples highlights the value of museum collections as a valuable resource for biodiversity research," they add.

"This study, published in the journal Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, serves as a proof of concept for comparative analysis of recent and historical pollination data, providing important insights into the changes in foraging trends of bumblebees over time."

"In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of bumblebee interactions with foraging resources and the impact of landscape changes on their foraging habits," say the researchers. Their findings underscore the importance of conserving and restoring suitable habitats for pollinators. "Future research in this field is expected to provide valuable insights for the conservation and management of pollinators and their critical role in maintaining ecosystems," they conclude.

A bee specimen with pollen on it. Credit: Andreas Kolter

A bee specimen. Credit: Andreas Kolter

More information: Andreas Kolter et al, Pollen metabarcoding of museum specimens and recently collected bumblebees (Bombus) indicates foraging shifts, Metabarcoding and Metagenomics (2023). DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.7.86883
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This graphical simulation shows the microgel particles (green) arranging themselves in the liquid, with their overlapping ion clouds (red) on their surface. Credit: Urs Gasser

Researchers at PSI and the University of Barcelona have managed to explain the strange behavior of microgels. Their measurements using neutron beams have pushed this measuring technique to its limits. The results open up opportunities for new applications in materials and pharmaceutical research.

They flow through our arteries, add color to our walls or make milk tasty: tiny particles or droplets that are very finely distributed in a solvent. Together they form a colloid. Whereas the physics of colloids involving hard particles, such as color pigments in emulsion paint, is well understood, colloids involving soft particles, such as hemoglobin, the red pigment in blood, or droplets of fat in milk, hold some startling surprises.

An experiment carried out 15 years ago showed that soft particles made of polymersso-called microgelsshrink abruptly when their concentration in a solvent is increased above a certain threshold. When this happens, large particles contract until they are the size of their smaller neighbors. Amazingly, this happens even when the particles are not actually in contact with one another. The researchers were puzzled: How does a gel particle know how big its neighbor is without touching it? Is there some sort of "telepathy" going on between microgels?

Hypothesis of 2016 confirmed

"Of course not," says Urs Gasser. The physicist has been studying the miraculous shrinking of microgels in colloids for the past ten years. Together with a team of researchers, he published a paper in 2016 explaining the phenomenon.

Briefly explained, in this situation the polymer particles consist of long carbon chains. These carry a weak negative charge at one end. These chains form a ball, the microgel. This can be thought of as resembling a ball of wool, with the properties of a sponge. This three-dimensional tangle therefore contains negative point charges that attract positively charged ions in the liquid. These so-called counterions arrange themselves around the negative charges in the ball, forming a positively charged cloud on the surface of the microgel. When the microgels come close together, their charge clouds overlap (see image above). This in turn increases the pressure inside the liquid, which compresses the microgel particles until a new equilibrium is reached.

At the time, however, the research team was unable to provide experimental proof of the cloud of counterions. Together with his Ph.D. student Boyang Zhou and Alberto Fernandez-Nieves of the University of Barcelona, Gasser has now furnished that evidenceand it impressively supports the 2016 hypothesis. The results have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

SINQ neutron source crucial to solving the puzzle

This was possible thanks to the neutrons from PSI's spallation source SINQalong with an experimental trick. Because the cloud of counterions in the colloid is so rarefied that it is not actually visible in the image of the scattered neutrons. The counterions account for no more than 1% of the mass of a microgel. So Gasser, Zhou and Fernandez-Nieves examined two samples: one colloid in which all the counterions were sodium ions, and another in which they were ammonium ions (NH 4 ).

Both these ions also occur naturally in microgelsand they scatter neutrons differently. Subtracting one image from the other leaves the signals of the counterions. Boyang Zhou states, "This seemingly simple solution requires the utmost care in preparing the colloids so as to make the ion clouds visible. No one has ever measured such a rarefied ion cloud before."

Applications in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals

Knowing how soft microgels behave in colloids means that they can be tailored to fit many different applications. In the oil industry, they are pumped into underground reservoirs to adjust the viscosity of the oil in the well and facilitate its extraction. In cosmetics, they give creams the desired consistency. Smart microgels are also conceivable, which could be loaded with medicines. The particles could react to gastric acid, for example, and release the drug by shrinking.

Or a microgel could shrink into a small, densely packed polymer ball when the temperature increases, one that reflects light differently than in its swollen state. This could be used as a temperature sensor in narrow fluid channels. Other sensors could be designed to respond to changes in pressure or contamination. "There are no limits to the imagination," says Gasser.

More information: Boyang Zhou et al, Measuring the counterion cloud of soft microgels using SANS with contrast variation, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39378-5 Journal information: Nature Communications
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with visiting Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare on Monday in Beijing.

Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties nearly four years ago, relations between China and Solomon Islands have developed rapidly and yielded fruitful results, and the two countries have decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development in the new era.

Standing at a new, historic starting point, China is ready to deepen political mutual trust with Solomon Islands, he said. China is ready to continue working with Solomon Islands to firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, expand dialogue and exchanges in various fields and at all levels, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and upgrade bilateral relations, he added.

Li noted that China is willing to share development opportunities with Solomon Islands, synergize development strategies further, and expand cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, information and communication, and energy and mineral resources. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Solomon Islands in the fields of culture, education, health and local affairs, he said.

He stressed that China will continue to strengthen South-South cooperation with the Pacific Islands on climate change, and enhance their capacity for independent development and risk response. He said China is ready to work with Solomon Islands to uphold true multilateralism, and strengthen coordination and cooperation under the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum and other multilateral mechanisms.

Sogavare said that Solomon Islands attaches great importance to relations with China, appreciates China's active assistance for the economic and social development of Solomon Islands and other island countries in the Pacific, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.

He said he greatly appreciates China's important roles in maintaining regional and world peace, promoting sustainable development and responding to global challenges. He said Solomon Islands abides by the one-China principle, is willing to learn from China's development experience, and will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China on trade, investment, people-to-people exchanges and climate change, so as to achieve common development.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signature of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on development cooperation, trade, civil aviation, customs and meteorology. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
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Enantioselective Reductive Aryl-Benzylation of Alkenes by a Nickel-Titanium Bimetallic System. Credit: WANG Xiaoming

Prof. Wang Xiaoming's group at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has demonstrated the first nickel-titanium, bimetallic, system-catalyzed, asymmetric reductive aryl-benzylation of alkenes using benzyl alcohols, which afforded a series of biologically important benzene-fused cyclic compounds in good yields with high enantiomeric excess (ee) values. The work was published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

Difunctionalization of alkenes can rapidly construct complex molecules, in particular, Ni-catalyzed asymmetric reductive dicarbofunctionalization of tethered alkenes is one of the most effective methods for the rapid assembly of various chiral cyclic frameworks.

Since alcohols are ubiquitous in nature and medicine, the direct use of alcohols as coupling partners via homolytic C-OH bond cleavage remains a formidable challenge with great opportunities to achieve new and useful transformations.

In addition, low-valent titanium complexes have been considered particularly effective for radical deoxygenation of free alcohols due to their strong oxophilicity, high reduction potential, and cost-efficiency, which plays an important role in the direct deoxygenation of alcohols.

In this context, the combination of inexpensive Ti reagent for direct activation of alcohols with Ni-catalyzed asymmetric reductive difunctionalization of tethered alkenes may offer great opportunities for the synthesis of useful chiral building blocks using free alcohols.

In this study, using the radicals generated in situ by titanium-mediated homolytic C-O bond cleavage of benzyl alcohols as the key species, the nickel-catalyzed transformation proceeds under mild reaction conditions, with a wide substrate range and high functional group tolerance.

It provides easy access to various chiral benzene-fused cyclic compounds, including oxindoles, dihydrobenzofurans, tetralins, indane, and isochroman bearing an all-carbon quaternary center with enantioselectivities of up to greater than 99% ee in a single step, according to the researchers.

The synthetic utility of the protocol has been demonstrated in the late-stage modification of pharmaceuticals and the streamlined synthesis of the structural scaffolds of natural products.

Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction is most likely to proceed via a Ti-mediated direct homolysis of the alcoholic C-O bond, followed by the interception of the benzyl radical with -alkyl-Ni(II)X species in a Ni-catalyzed asymmetric cross-coupling process.

More information: Can Zhao et al, Enantioselective reductive aryl-benzylation of alkenes by a nickel-titanium bimetallic system, Cell Reports Physical Science (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101474 Journal information: Cell Reports Physical Science
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Swift X-ray light curve of Mrk 817. Credit: Cackett et al, 2023

Using NASA's Swift spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has carried out a long-term multiwavelength monitoring of a nearby active galaxy known as Markarian 817. Results of the observational campaign, published June 30 on the preprint server arXiv, yield important insights into the properties of this galaxy.

An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a compact region at the center of a galaxy, more luminous than the surrounding galaxy light. AGNs are very energetic due either to the presence of a black hole or star formation activity at the core of the galaxy.

Seyfert galaxies are a subclass of active galaxies and are categorized as nearby, low luminosity, radio-quiet AGNs hosted in spiral or lenticular galaxies. They are further classified as Type 1 or 2, depending on the emission lines shown by their spectra.

Located some 430 million light years away in the northern constellation of Draco, Markarian 817 (or Mrk 817 for short) is a nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy. The galaxy has an angular size of about 0.513 arcminutes and radial velocity at a level of 43,761 km/s.

Recently, Markarian 817 has been the target of the AGN STORM 2 projecta large, coordinated, multiwavelength reverberation mapping campaign. A group of astronomers led by Edward M. Cackett of the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, has monitored Markarian 817 with Swift for 15 months, obtaining observations in X-rays and six ultraviolet/optical filters, in order to shed more light on the structure and properties of this galaxy.

"The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (hereafter Swift) monitored Mrk 817 daily, concurrently with HST [Hubble Space Telescope], with 1 ksec observations for 15 months from November 22, 2020 to February 24, 2022," the researchers explained.

The observations found that the 0.310 keV X-ray count rates are on average a factor of 6 fainter than archival observations. Moreover, the X-ray count rates show suppressed variability aside from a large flare, which peaks close to the historical mean flux. The X-ray spectrum of Markarian 817 turned out to be heavily obscured.

The Swift ultraviolet/optical light curves are highly variable throughout the whole observational campaign. The astronomers noted that despite the X-ray count rate being significantly fainter, the ultraviolet flux remains almost unchanged when compared to archival data. They added that the X-ray band appears to be poorly correlated with the ultraviolet/optical light curves throughout the observing period.

Furthermore, Swift ultraviolet/optical light curves showcase interband continuum lags that increase with increasing wavelength. These light curves show a period at the beginning where the strength of the variations in the continuum is suppressed compared to later periods. The authors of the paper ponder different scenarios that could explain such behavior.

"We suggest that this indicates a significant contribution to the continuum from the broad line region gas that sees an absorbed ionizing continuum," the researchers noted.

Therefore, Cackett's team proposes further extended monitoring of Markarian 817 with Swift and ground-based facilities in order to explain the observed light curve properties of this galaxy.

More information: Edward M. Cackett et al, AGN STORM 2. IV. Swift X-ray and ultraviolet/optical monitoring of Mrk 817, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2306.17663 Journal information: arXiv

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Record-breaking heat is possible through mid-August, so we may have one or two more chances to break the record this year, says Texas A&Ms Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon. Credit: Abbey Santoro/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

On Tuesday, as the United States commemorated its 247th birthday, the planet experienced its hottest day on recordthis according to data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction and calculations by the University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer tool. That record was promptly tied the following day.

Amidst growing concern and alarm around the globe, Texas State Climatologist Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, a Regents Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University, addresses the combination of factors contributing to this record-setting event and what the future holds for our planet.

How much is El Nino to blame for this record temperature day on planet Earth?

El Nino typically makes global temperatures warmer by about a 10th of a degree Celsius. So it's a very minor contributor to this record. The other two times the planet broke its record this century were not El Nino years.

Why is this happening?

With climate change, we break the global temperature record once every few years (the previous record was set on Aug. 14, 2016). This year, the North Atlantic Ocean has been unusually warm, which probably helps. Global temperatures have been ahead of last year's values since April. Since the ocean temperatures are slow to change, a particular day's heat depends a lot on temperatures over land. Typically, waves in the jet stream make some areas warmer than normal and some areas cooler than normal. If the cooler-than-normal places are over the ocean, the temperature there won't change much, so the hotter-than-normal-places over land dominate the change in the global average temperature.

By the way, that's also why we break global temperature records in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The Northern Hemisphere has lots of land, while the Southern Hemisphere is mostly ocean. So in the Northern Hemisphere summer, there's lots of land that's hot and not much land in the Southern Hemisphere that's cold.

Was July 4th a 'heat wave' and did it have any unusual or extreme characteristics?

I wouldn't call it a heat wave, since we're only talking about a difference of 2 degrees or so between July 4 and what was normal during the last couple of decades of the 20th century (19801999). The warmest places compared to normal were in parts of Antarctica, from eastern Europe across most of Russia, and in Quebec and Labrador, Canada. Temperatures were considerably below normal in the north-central United States and in a couple of other areas around Antarctica.

How did this record impact human health and safety in the affected areas?

Certainly, the heat would have made fighting the wildfires in Quebec more difficult and more dangerous. In eastern Europe and Russia, I'm not aware of specific news of impacts since attention has been focused on other events in the region. Siberia and the Antarctic are lightly populated. In general, heat is dangerous for outdoor workers and for the elderly, especially those without air conditioning.

What are the potential implications and consequences of this record being broken?

The primary consequence of the record being broken is that it is a news event that provides an opportunity to put climate change in the headlines. Record-breaking heat is possible through mid-August, so we may have one or two more chances to break the record this year.

What steps (if any) can humans take to prevent the continuous record-breaking cycles?

This record will be broken again in a few years, and there's nothing we can do about that. The actions we take now and in the future to limit climate change will start having major impacts in a few decades. The main challenge is getting an energy system in place that is reliable, affordable and green. Right now, we're very good at pairing any two of the three, and we're making progress on getting to three out of three.
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Schematic of Sitka spruce current-year apical shoot (CYAS) growth, experimental design, and sample collection for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of developing stone cells. Credit: New Phytologist (2023). DOI: 10.1111/nph.19103

A study led by a North Carolina State University researcher identified genes involved in development of stone cellsrigid cells that can block a nibbling insect from eating budding branches of the Sitka spruce evergreen tree. The insect's attack has stunted the growth of these forest giants.

The new findings could help researchers breed genetically improved Sitka spruce trees resistant to the spruce weevil (Pissodes strobi).

"We wanted to learn about the genetic basis for natural pest resistance that certain Sitka spruce trees have evolved to prevent insects from feeding on the plant," said Justin Whitehill, assistant professor of Christmas tree genetics at NC State and first author of the study. Whitehill started the study as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, where the laboratory experiments were completed.

"The trait we studied in Sitka spruce is a physical defense known as stone cells, which are found in almost all plant species," said Whitehill. "They are responsible for the gritty texture you feel when eating a pear. Stone cell development is very complex, involving thousands of genes. We identified some of the genetics involved in the key early steps for these cells' development."

The Sitka spruce is a large conifer tree that grows on the West Coast from California to Alaska. While the tree has been replaced with other species for timber products in North America because of susceptibility to the weevil, it is still a prominent timber species in Europe. Many trees grown on the West Coast for forestry products were derived from a fast-growing population that grew on an island and were never exposed to the weevil, which left them extremely susceptible, Whitehill said.

However, a group of resistant Sitka spruce trees was discovered in Canada that develop stone cells, a rigid cell type that only grow in less than an inch of the top of budding branchesthe same area where the weevil feeds.

"The stone cells slow down the progression of the insect and give time for the resin found in the trees' bark to coat the insect and make it too sticky to feed more," Whitehill said. "Stone cells block these insects as they try to eat through the plant and slow them down enough to prevent them from causing significant damage to the tree."

In their recent study, researchers found nearly 1,300 genes that were expressed at higher levels in stone cells. They also identified a key gene that functions as a "master switch" and is responsible for activating thousands of other genes known to control the development of thick-walled cells in other plants.

"This paper lays out a roadmap of the genes involved in stone-cell development," Whitehill said. "We're showing it's strongly controlled by genetics involved in secondary cell walls."

Key to the researchers' study was a microdissection tool that uses a laser to cut extremely tiny slices of tissue into thin sections. Researchers were able to cut tiny sections from the buds of actively growing Sitka spruce branches to study genes expressed specifically in stone cells during their formation.

Whitehill said he has received funding to bring an updated version of this technology to NC State. Now, researchers here are using laser microdissection to study genes in the Fraser fir treea leading Christmas tree in the United States grown in western North Carolina. They are using this technology to investigate important features that could boost the viability, fragrance and pest resilience of the Fraser fir, a tree with a genome size five times bigger than humans.

"We're using this approach now to look for genes involved in resistance to pathogens and pests, and to understand complex ecological interactions at the genetic level," Whitehill said.

The paper is published in the journal New Phytologist.

More information: Justin G. A. Whitehill et al, Transcriptome features of stone cell development in weevilresistant and susceptible Sitka spruce, New Phytologist (2023). DOI: 10.1111/nph.19103 Journal information: New Phytologist
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Macaques in the study. Credit: Chloe Coxshall

Observations of a wild colony of macaques over three years show same-sex sexual behavior among males is widespread and may be beneficial.

The results, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, suggest same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) has evolved and may be a common feature of primate reproduction.

Conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, the observations and genetic data form the first long-term study of SSB in males within one species. Their study challenges the beliefs of some that SSB is a rare behavior in non-human animals or solely the product of unusual environmental conditions.

First author Jackson Clive, from the Georgina Mace Center for the Living Planet at Imperial, said, "We found most males were behaviorally bisexual, and that variation in same-sex activity was heritable. This means that the behavior can have an evolutionary underpinning; for example, we also found that males that mounted each other were also more likely to back each other up in conflictsperhaps this could be one of many social benefits to same-sex sexual activity."

"Our research therefore shows that same-sex sexual behaviors can be common among animals and can evolve. I hope our results encourage further discoveries in this area."'

Origins of same-sex behaviors

The team studied 236 males within a colony of 1,700 rhesus macaques living freely on the tropical island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. As well as observing their behavior and conducting genetic analyses, the team had access to pedigree records, which detail parentage of each individual back to 1956.

The researchers recorded all social "mountings" for the 236 males, both of males-on-males (same-sex behavior, SSB) and males-on-females (different-sex behavior, DSB). They found that male same-sex mounting was widespread: 72% of sample males engaged in same-sex mounting, in comparison with 46% for different-sex mounting.

SSB has been observed in thousands of different animals, ranging from insects to penguins, leading many to theorize about why it happens. These theories include ideas about establishing dominance in groups, shortages of different-sex partners, and reducing tension following aggression, but little data is available to support any theory.

The team investigated several of these theories with their data, finding that, for this colony of macaques, SSB in males was strongly correlated with "coalitionary bonds." This means male pairs that regularly engage in SSB were more likely to back each other up in conflicts, providing them with an advantage in the group.

Macaques in the study. Credit: Jackson Clive

Heritable behaviors

The researchers also investigated whether SSB led to any fitness costa reduction in the amount of offspring they have. In fact, they found the oppositemales that engaged in SSB may be more successful in reproducing, potentially due to the benefits provided by more coalitionary bonds.

In line with this, the team also analyzed whether SSB was heritable. Using the pedigree data, they found SSB in males was 6.4% heritable, which provides the first evidence of a genetic link to primate SSB outside of humans. This figure is similar to other heritable behaviors in primates, such as grooming and sociality.

These findings support counter-arguments to the idea that SBB "defies nature and evolution" (the so-called "Darwinian Paradox").

The team also found some genetic correlation between males that were more often mounters or mountees when engaging in SSB, suggesting these sub-behaviors may have a common basis. In addition, whether individuals were more likely to be mounters or mountees did not corelate with their social position, suggesting asserting their place in the hierarchy is not an important factor for SSB in this species.

Macaques and humans

Though the researchers caution against direct comparisons to humans, they say their study challenges the beliefs of some that SSB is a rare behavior in non-human animals or solely the product of unusual environmental conditions.

Instead, the results suggest some degree of SSB can evolve adaptively, depending on the context, and so may be a common feature of primate reproductive ecology. There are many examples of other primate groups engaging in different forms of SSB, so further in-depth genetic studies could strengthen this conclusion.

Lead researcher Professor Vincent Savolainen, Director of the Georgina Mace Center for the Living Planet at Imperial, said, "Unfortunately there is still a belief among some people that same-sex behavior is 'unnatural,' and some countries sadly still enforce the death penalty for homosexuality. Our research shows that same-sex behavior is in fact widespread among non-human animals.

"Our mission is to advance scientific understanding of same-sex behavior, including exploring the benefits it brings to nature and within animal societies. Among the macaques we looked at in this study, more than two-thirds displayed same-sex behavior and this behavior strengthened the bonds within the community."
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Researchers carefully restrained the sawfish in order to apply a tagging device to track its movements. Credit: Derrick Biglin

In 2003, smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) had the unenviable distinction of being the first native marine fish listed under the Endangered Species Act. The classification followed decades of declining populations due to habitat loss, overharvesting and mortality as fisheries bycatch. Now, 20 years later, a 13-foot adult female captured off the coast of Cedar Key, FL suggests the species may be making a slow but spirited comeback.

The sawfish was caught, tagged and released June 6 during an annual shark field course co-taught by Dean Grubbs, the associate director of research at Florida State University's Coastal and Marine Laboratory and a member of the U.S. Smalltooth Sawfish Recovery Implementation Team; and by Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's shark research program.

"This is the furthest north an individual has been tagged by the sawfish recovery team in the last 30 to 40 years," Naylor said.

Sawfish are a type of elasmobranch, a group containing sharks, skates and rays, and they were once a common sight along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. They were historically most abundant near Florida but occasionally ranged from Texas to as far north as North Carolina.

Females give birth to live young, which hunt and shelter among the protective, stiltlike roots of mangroves. But widescale coastal development along the coast has drastically decreased the number of mangrove forests, reducing the size and suitability of available environments for sawfish to use as nurseries.

Their most conspicuous featurea long, flat-edged blade studded with teethmarked them as a prized possession among trophy hunters.

The sawfish was caught during an annual shark class, co-taught by researchers at Florida State University and the University of Florida. Credit: Derrick Biglin

Early sensationalized accounts of their size and ferocity attracted thrill-seeking anglers, who collected and sold the saws, called rostrums, as curios. But the bigger threat to sawfish was from incidental bycatch. Their saws become easily entangled in gill and trawl nets, and freeing them poses the risk of injury to anyone attempting to remove the gear.

As a result, many sawfish were either killed or released only after their saws had been severed, jeopardizing their ability to hunt.

Throughout the 20th century, smalltooth sawfish populations declined by more than 90%, and experts were dubious about their ability to quickly recover, even with the aid of protective regulations.

So when Naylor and Grubbs began reeling in their line, expecting to haul aboard a juvenile shark for the class to inspect, they were surprised to find they'd snagged a full-sized sawfish instead.

"I felt something heavy on the line, and my first thought was that it was likely a nurse shark," said Grubbs.

Nurse sharks are large bottom feeders that share many of the same habitats as sawfish, but when the line jerked abruptly at a sharp angle, Grubbs knew he'd caught something much larger and more aggressive. "I was pretty sure this was a sawfish, but I remained stone-faced because I didn't want to disappoint the students if I was wrong. I saw the tail before the rostrum, so I lost my calm at that point and screamed 'Sawfish! It's a sawfish!'"

Researchers have caught and tagged a 13 ft female sawfish off the coast of Cedar Key, FL, the furthest north an individual of this species has been tagged in decades. Credit: Derrick Biglin

Quick on their feet, Grubb and his graduate students carefully restrained the sawfish while another personnel member piloted a skiff back to shore to retrieve a tagging device, which no one had imagined they'd need. The tag will allow the team to track the animal's movements for the next 10 years and is part of a broader effort by federal and state agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations to monitor sawfish populations.

A close inspection of the sawfish revealed it had mating scars on its fins and sides. There are few, if any, records of sawfish mating habits, but closely related rays and sharks exhibit courtship behavior in which the males bite the fins of their female partners before mating.

Smalltooth sawfish have a lengthy lifecycle in which females give birth to a small litter of seven to 14 juveniles, which take several years to reach reproductive maturity. Their slow development has limited the recovery of sawtooth populations, but mating scars are a positive sign that their numbers are continuing to rebound.

"What's remarkable to me is that they're creeping back into exactly the previous habitats and range from which they've been extirpated," Naylor said. "It's as if they have a deeply embedded knowledge of where to go."

The sawfish encounter occurred during the third edition of the shark course, jointly offered through the University of Florida and Florida State University. The course is a deeply immersive, two-week summer camp like no other, designed to intimately familiarize students with the sharks that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. The gulf's warm, nutrient-rich waters are a magnet for fish andby extensiona variety of sharks and rays.

According to Naylor, the sawfish sighting taught a lesson that would otherwise have been impossible to convey. "I can't think of a better way for a group of young people studying environmental and conservation biology to learn about this critically endangered and incredibly spectacular animal. So much of the news about Earth's climate and environment is doom and gloom, but this is a potent reminder that if you leave things alone, many species are capable of recovery."
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The first color pictures taken of the surface of Venus by the Venera-13 space probe. The Venera 13 probe lasted only 127 minutes before succumbing to Venus's extreme surface environment. Part of building a longer-lasting Venus lander is figuring out how to power it. Credit: NASA

A few weeks ago, a team of scientists from Caltech announced that they had successfully transmitted energy from an orbiting satellite down to Earth. It wasn't a lot of energy, but it showed that it was possible.

Eventually, we might be able to beam energy from solar satellites down to Earth, making solar energy available almost anywhere and helping combat climate change. But there's another potential use: powering surface probes on Venus.

Everybody knows about Venus. It's killed multiple landers with its extreme heat and crushing atmospheric pressure. The old Soviet Union sent a series of probes to the planet's surface, and most of them failed. The most successful one was Venera 13, which survived for just over two hours at 457 C (855 F), and was subjected to 9.0 MPa (89 standard atmospheres) of pressure.

Despite Venera 13's brief but significant success, the planet held onto its secrets, and we're drawn back to its surface to reveal them. That's why NASA wants to send a lander to the surface as part of its DAVINCI+ mission (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging.)

But there's the question of how to power a lander on Venus' unique, treacherous surface, assuming we can build one that won't easily succumb to Venus' nasty conditions. The usual methodssolar power, batteries, radioisotope thermoelectric generatorsaren't up to the task. That's according to new research titled, "Feasibility of power beaming through the Venus Atmosphere," published in the journal Acta Astronautica. The corresponding author is Erik Brandon from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"State-of-the-art space power technologies comprising solar arrays, batteries and radioisotope thermoelectric generators are not capable of operating on the surface of Venus, limited by the high temperatures, high pressures and corrosive environment," the authors explain.

This figure from the study shows how Venus atmosphere makes it difficult to beam power from above the clouds to the surface in microwaves. In this spectral range, water vapour and CO2 are the only significant absorbing gases, while H2SO4 clouds/aerosols are the primary contributors to the extinction optical depths, the paper explains. Credit: Grandidier et al. 2023

Venus is closer to the sun, but its thick atmosphere means not much solar radiation reaches the surface. About 75% of the sun's energy is reflected by Venus' clouds, and only about 2.5% of the solar flux incident at the top of the atmosphere reaches the surface. Up above the clouds, solar energy is abundant. Venus receives twice as much solar irradiance at the top of its atmosphere as Earth does at the top of its atmosphere.

Could this abundant energy be harnessed by solar collectors above the clouds and then beamed down to a lander/rover? It would have to make it through a lot of thick clouds. "The feasibility of such an approach and other related mission concepts are discussed herein from a perspective of atmospheric absorption and scattering of the beamed energy," the paper states.

Beaming energy from one place to another is called wireless energy (or power) transfer. There are two types: near-field and far-field. Near-field is short-distance energy transfer like the type used in charging pads for mobile devices. Far-field energy transfer is also called power beaming, and it uses microwaves or lasers to beam the power from a producer to a receiver.

One problem with beaming energy from an orbital solar collector to a surface vehicle is the complications in a Venus geostationary orbit. The planet rotates so slowly that the geostationary orbit is at a great distance from the planet, making the orbit unstable. Somehow, a solar collector would need to be closer to the planet. Above the upper clouds, at about 60 or 70 km altitude, a collector would essentially receive all available sunlight. Mission design might have to keep the collector, or group of collectors, at the right altitude and position.

An alternate solution is to beam a portion of energy to a lander on each orbit, which could be enough. "Hundreds of Wh (Watt hours) of energy could be received over the course of several orbital passes of the lander," the authors explain.

But those are larger issues of overall mission architecture. This research assumes that there are solutions to that problem. In this work, the authors focus on how to beam the energy and receive it, something that hasn't been studied thoroughly. "However, to date, there has not been a thorough study regarding the feasibility of transmitting power at relevant wavelengths, if a suitable platform and mission architecture could be devised and implemented," the authors write.

The problem is that Venus' atmosphere is dense and contains chemicals that interfere with power beaming by microwaves. CO 2 concentrations are a particular problem.

This figure from the study shows energy transmission by laser at different wavelengths from an altitude of 47 km. The 47 km altitude was chosen because, below it, theres less scattering of the beamed energy. There are likely enough windows in the atmosphere to allow lasers to transmit enough energy to operate a surface lander. Credit: Grandidier et al. 2023

Lasers might be a better option. Even though there are problems with the dense atmosphere, there are certain "frequency windows" in the atmosphere that could allow power-beaming with lasers. "Counterintuitively, power beaming via laser sources may be possible at Venus despite the continuous cloud coverage, given certain optical/infrared 'windows' present within the Venus atmosphere, which are not available using microwave power beaming," the authors write.

Lasers have other advantages, too, like reduced beam spreading compared to microwaves. That means receiving antennae don't need to be as large. A one-meter receiver might be enough and wouldn't be so unwieldy as to interfere with the design of a lander too much.

While solar energy is abundant at the top of Venus' atmosphere, beaming it down through the entire atmosphere might not be the best approach. Instead, a balloon or some other vehicle could situate itself near the middle of the atmosphere. There it would receive enough solar energy to be feasible, and would only need to beam the energy through a portion of the atmosphere.

The research shows that the 47 km altitude is significant. There's a cloud base at that altitude, and below it, the beamed energy is subject to less scattering. It also shows that from 47 km, the highest transmission factor is at 1022 nanometers, where about 20% of the beamed energy would reach a surface lander.

"These calculations point to a plausible approach for power beaming at Venus, using transmission from an aerial platform operating near the cloud base," the authors write.

But does the technology to do this exist? The paper doesn't discuss what type of vehicle or platform could be used at 47km altitude. They focus on the power beaming itself, and if calculations show that it's possible. But they also talk about available laser technology and if it's up to the task.

A prototype aerial robotic balloon, or aerobot, is readied for a sunrise test flight at Black Rock Desert, Nevada, in July 2022, by team members from JPL and Near Space Corporation. The aerobot successfully completed two flights, demonstrating controlled altitude flight. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

According to the researchers, we don't quite have the right kind of laser yet.

Researchers are busy developing them, though. Ytterbium-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs) that work in the near-infrared (NIR) window that can also operate at high power are under development. Unfortunately, they don't operate at the ideal wavelength for use at Venus: 1022. Instead, they're limited to two other ranges: 970980 nm and 10301100 nm. But lasers are an intense focus of different researchers around the world, and progress is steady.

The task of keeping some kind of aerial platform steady and in the correct position is critical to any power-beaming mission. But researchers are already working on balloons and other aerial platforms for use on Venus. Assuming they can be developed, the authors are confident that a power-beaming scenario can rise to the challenge and create successful missions to the Venusian surface.

"Also, although there are engineering and mission design challenges regarding control and pointing of such an aerial vehicle platform used for power beaming and in overall thermal management, this analysis shows that these optical windows could be exploited to enable sufficient mission-enabling power levels to be beamed to the surface of Venus."

We need a better understanding of Venus' atmosphere before a specific system can be designed. DAVINCI+ has three main scientific objectives, and one of them is to understand the atmosphere as it travels through it.

Its findings will help scientists understand what obstacles they face in beaming power to the planet's surface. If it can be done reliably, then Venus will be open to exploration.

More information: Jonathan Grandidier et al, Feasibility of power beaming through the Venus atmosphere, Acta Astronautica (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.06.042 Journal information: Acta Astronautica
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The project has been led by the Universitys Dr Jeremy Hopwood, a senior chemistry lecturer with over a decade of expertise studying and lowering the levels of lead in tap water. Credit: University of Huddersfield

Small amounts of phosphate are added to tap waters in the UK to prevent lead leaching from lead water pipes via a process known as phosphate dosing. But scientists are not certain how this works and there may even be more than one mechanism.

Now, a recent discovery from a team of scientists led by the University of Huddersfield, in collaboration with Yorkshire Water, has suggested the presence of certain organic molecules in tap waters could reduce the effectiveness of this process. This research has been published by the American Chemical Society in the journal, Environmental Science and Technology titled, "Spherulitic Lead Calcium Apatite Minerals in Lead Water Pipes Exposed to Phosphate-Dosed Tap Water."

The project has been led by the University's Dr. Jeremy Hopwood, a senior chemistry lecturer who has over a decade of expertise studying and lowering the levels of lead in tap water.

Also included in the research team were the University's Professor Paul Humphreys, industry experts and affiliates of the University's School of Applied Sciences, as well as researchers from Yorkshire Water.

Lead water pipes develop a thin mineral scale as the pipe slowly corrodes and it was while investigating this when the team discovered the spherically shaped crystals of lead calcium phosphate. This was unexpected as crystals are usually flat sided or faceted, like diamonds or cubic salt crystals.

Lead calcium phosphate crystals are extremely insoluble in phosphate dosed tap water and so their presence suggests phosphate acts by mineralizing the lead, preventing it from leaching into the water. However, the unusual spherical shape of the crystals implies something is interfering with their growth, making them less effective at removing lead.

The team discovered that spherulitic lead calcium apatite could be grown in the laboratory by adding lead carbonate crystals to soft and hard waters containing phosphate, chloride, and citrate ions at pH 5.5, but only when the citrate was present.

"As no spherulites formed when citric acid was absent," explained Dr. Hopwood, "this suggests that dissolved organic molecules could be a key factor when thinking how and why spherulitic lead calcium apatite forms on lead water pipes," he said, adding this discovery would be of benefit to water utilities in the UK who needed to gain a better understanding of how phosphate mitigates lead in tap water.

The research also adds to a growing body of work on spherulites which is a hot topic for crystallographers.

The University's long-standing relationship with Yorkshire Water has led to them collaborating on several projects together as part of a continuing strategy to minimize lead solubility and comply with the legal UK limit of 10 micrograms of lead per liter.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A wave of sick and injured sea creatures is pushing the Marine Mammal Care Center to the limit, jeopardizing the San Pedro-based veterinary assistance and food shelter's ability to provide necessary care.

Without more financial help and volunteers, animals "might not be able to be rescued," center Chief Executive John Warner said during a news conference this week in Marina del Rey.

"We need as many resources as possible to continue to care for animals, for marine mammals that have been dealing with this algae bloom," he said Thursday.

The bloom of toxic algae has overtaken Southern California waters and killed or sickened more than 1,000 marine mammals last month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

High concentrations of domoic acida neurotoxin produced by the marine algae Pseudo-nitzschiahave been found in Southern and Central California waters, according to forecasts by the NOAA and the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System.

Sea lions, dolphins and even sea birds have become ill after they eat small fish that consume the algae.

Warner said his organization is thankful for donations received amid "the largest algae bloom on record." But even though it's only July, they are over budget by $500,000.

At this time last year, the center was attending to 20 marine mammals. There were 113 such critters being cared for by late June.

Warner said sick and injured marine mammals cared for by the center consumed 50 tons of fish last year. He ordered an additional 25 tons of food this year, anticipating a larger need due to the chance of stormy El Nino weather, but those provisions were gone as of mid-June.

That forced him to place two unanticipated orders of 25 tons each.

Warnerflanked by Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, county Department of Beaches and Harbors Director Gary Jones, and staffers from the office of county Supervisor Holly Mitchelldemonstrated a temporary 50-by-50-foot overflow shelter along the Marina del Rey beach during Thursday's news conference.

That staging area provides an outlet for a "maxed out" Marine Mammal Care Center, which was dealing with 70 sea lions suffering from domoic acid toxicity as of June.

Eight sea lions were recuperating in the additional space Thursday, but it has helped about 35 marine mammals total since it opened June 23, Warner said.

After Warner called for more help on June 21, Jones said Mitchell "greenlighted" the emergency effort and established the sea lion safe zone within 48 hours. Mitchell's office also provided security during the Fourth of July to make sure beachgoers would not interfere with the recovering animals.

Park's office also reached out to volunteers through social media and newsletters. Most volunteers were locals, including about seven members of Park's office, said staffer Gabby Medina.

Volunteers serve as guardians and advise residents to keep their distance from the sea lions, avoid taunting them and keep their dogs on a leash.

"I'm particularly thankful to the local residents who have taken 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. shifts and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. shifts to make sure our sea lions are not disturbed," Warner said.

Warner said the Marine Mammal Care Center staffs 17 people and would have been crippled without the aid of volunteers. During this algae crisis, he said he's easily received help from "at least 150 volunteers."

Within a two-week span in June, Warner said his office's rescue hot line received more than 1,000 callsincluding reports of animals "seizing and foaming at the mouth," which he said were symptoms of domoic acid poisoning.

Despite these problems, sea lion survival rates were still at 60% to 90%, granted "the animals were found in the early stages," he said.

Warner said 120 sea lions have been treated and rescued at the center since the first full week in June. He's unable to place many of them back into the ocean, however, because of the persistent algae.

Blooms normally "dissipate four to six weeks after they start," Warner said, but it's unclear when this latest will.

Until that happens, Warner said, he'll be looking for more help.

2023 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Carpoid fossil found by James Hanna at Penn Dixie, April 2023. Two horn corals are present on the left. Credit: Dan & Ben Cooper

A recent and unexpected discovery at Penn Dixie has provided new insight into the evolutionary history of an unusual group of fossils.

In April 2023, two off-duty members of Penn Dixie's educational team, Jonathan Hoag and James Hanna, uncovered the well-preserved remains of a mysterious and exceedingly rare animala "carpoid"among the Devonian Period rocks at Penn Dixie. The remains, which date to approximately 382 million years old, are from a small invertebrate which lived in the ancient ocean that covered our region long before dinosaurs existed.

Carpoids are extinct echinodermsthey are related to living starfish, urchins, sea lilies (crinoids), and sand dollars. The unearthing of carpoid fossils from rocks of this particular age was unexpected.

Carpoids first appeared during the Middle Cambrian Period some 500 million years ago. They are rareand their fossil record is spottywhich makes it difficult to track their evolutionary history. They are often not found between their first and last appearance in the rock record making them a "ghost lineage": they were there, but we just don't see them. We know the animal was alive, however, because we find its ancestors and descendants separated in the fossil recordperhaps by tens of millions of years.

Preliminary identification of the newly discovered fossils suggests that they belong to class of echinoderms known as Solutesa branch of the carpoids previously thought to have gone extinct some 410 million years ago during the Early Devonian period. If initial interpretations are confirmed, then the new Penn Dixie fossils would be placed at roughly 382 million years oldextending the geological range of the Solutes by more than 25 million years.

The Penn Dixie carpoids are a "Lazarus taxon": an animal that disappears from the fossil record, then reappears much later. Much like the biblical Lazarus rising from the dead, a Lazarus taxon rises figuratively from the graveyard of global extinction. Thanks to the Penn Dixie find, there's new life in these old fossils.

Sketch of carpoid from the Ordovician Period, found in Scotland. Credit: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10946202

Assembly member Jon D. Rivera said, "The unexpected yet momentous discovery of a carpoid fossil at Penn Dixie Nature Preserve is just the latest example of the park's uniqueness and a further testament to its deserving acclaim. This breakthrough finding, which has the potential to reimagine and rewrite our planet's geological record, conveys why Penn Dixie is a destination like no other in our region. I want to extend my congratulations to the entirety of the Penn Dixie staff who helped make possible this incredible discovery."

"This is indeed an oddity. In five decades of working on Paleozoic fossils in the northeastern U.S., in particular, I have looked at more than 1,000 Hamilton [rock formation] localities and have never seen even a scrap of one of theseThis is definitely the most unusual occurrence from the bed that has ever been discovered," said paleontologist Dr. Carlton Brett, a distinguished research professor at the University of Cincinnati.

"To the untrained eye, the specimen may look like Paleozoic roadkill. Lucky for us, Hanna and Hoag could see that what they had found was something different and something special." Said Dr. Karl Flessa, a paleontologist at the University of Arizona.

"I have been collecting fossils at Penn Dixie since 2001 and had never heard of anyone finding a carpoid or a cystoid [related animal] at the park. In fact any relatively complete echinoderm is a rare find. As soon as I received the fossil for preparation from Jonathan, I realized it was a significant find with scientific importance," said Malcolm Thornley, an Ontario-based professional fossil preparator.

"This discovery is the most significant in the history of our organization, but also an incredibly special moment for science in Western New York. It is the honor of my career to be a very small part of the process that is unfolding," said Dr. Phil Stokes, a geologist and executive director of Hamburg Natural History Society/Penn Dixie.

"I feel very lucky and honored to be able to find such a cool animal. It is a groundbreaking discovery that could have been found by anyone, but we were just in the right place at the right time. The fact that I got to find it with my good friend makes it even better," said Jonathan Hoag, site manager at Hamburg Natural History Society/Penn Dixie.
KHARTOUM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority on Monday extended the closure of the country's airspace until July 31, amid continued armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure of Sudanese airspace for all aviation traffic until July 31, excluding flights for humanitarian aid and evacuation of foreign nationals," according to a notice to airmen.

The authority further said that the closure could be extended again in the future.

Sudan's airspace has been closed since the outbreak of the clashes in mid-April as air navigation systems at Khartoum International Airport were affected by the conflict between the two warring factions near the airport.

The clashes have left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 others injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry, while more than 2.8 million people have been displaced, according to UN estimates. 
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X-ray microtomographic image of manganese dendrite forest. Credit: Department of Geology, University of Vienna

An international research team involving scientists from the University of Vienna, the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw and University of Edinburgh has described the process of growing three-dimensional manganese dendrites. The researchers found that it occurs through accretion of manganese oxide nanoparticles.

Understanding the dynamics of the growth of three-dimensional mineral dendrites is important for various fields of sciencephysics, geology, material sciences and even the study of extraterrestrial environments. Not only are scientists gaining valuable insights into the history of rocks and minerals, the knowledge can also be used in industry, for example in the production of synthetic materials with new properties.

When we think of minerals, we often imagine perfectly formed, symmetrical structures. However, in nature, there are instances where they take on more intricate and unexpected shapes. A recent study has shed light on the growth dynamics of mineral dendrites providing the pioneering insights into their formation and the geological history they encode. This discovery challenges conventional crystallization pathways and offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex world of mineral formation.

Unlike the metallic or crystalline dendrites that form from supercooled melts, mineral dendrites are a result of unstable aqueous growth processes driven by fluid motion and chemical concentration gradients. Manganese dendrites, in particular, are known to develop as two-dimensional structures on rock surfaces. However, until now, the growth processes of three-dimensional dendrites have remained largely enigmatic.

A team of researchers from the University of Vienna, the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, University of Edinburgh and other institutions embarked on a journey to investigate the mysteries of three-dimensional Mn dendrites. Their study focused on natural dendrites formed in clinoptilolite-tuffs (zeolites), a type of compacted, porous volcanic tuff.

"By combining high-resolution X-ray and electron-based imaging techniques with numerical modeling, we were able to unlock the secrets hidden within these intricate mineral formations," says Dawid Wos, student of the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics student and creator of the numerical model used in the study.

Morphologies of the dendrite forest for different surface energies and manganese ion concentrations. Credit: Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.

The researchers discovered that the growth of dendrites occurred through the accretion of Mn oxide nanoparticles to the elongating structures.

"These nanoparticles formed when Mn-rich fluids mixed with oxygenated pore-water, leading to the development of complex dendritic structures. Remarkably, the geometry of these dendrites recorded the hydro-geochemical history of the rock, including the concentration of ions, the volume of infiltrating fluid, and the number of fluid pulses. In essence, these 3D dendrites can serve as geological fingerprints, preserving a record of past environmental conditions," explains doctor Zhaoliang Hou, of the Department of Geology of the University of Vienna, lead author of the publication.

The study also highlighted a non-classical crystallization pathway in which dendrite growth proceeds through the formation, diffusion, and attachment of Mn oxide nanoparticles. This pathway challenges traditional views of crystal growth and emphasizes the significance of particle attachment processes in the natural world. It further aligns with the growing recognition of this mechanism as a vital and widespread type of crystal growth.

Understanding the growth dynamics of 3D mineral dendrites has important implications for various fields, including physics, geology, material science, and even the study of extraterrestrial environments. In particular, the latter aspect presents an exciting opportunity to explore the influence of microorganisms on the growth of MnO dendrites.

By deciphering the complex processes behind their formation, scientists gain valuable insights into the history of rocks and minerals. Furthermore, this research paves the way for further investigations into similar dendritic formations, such as gold/electrum dendrites.

"The study of 3D Mn dendrites has unveiled a captivating world of non-classical crystallization pathways and the hidden stories recorded within geological structures. By combining advanced imaging techniques and numerical modeling, scientists have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mysteries of these intricate mineral formations. As we delve deeper into the secrets of crystal growth, we open doors to a better understanding of Earth's history and the fascinating mechanisms at play in the natural world," concludes professor Piotr Szymczak of the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics.

The paper is published in the journal Geology.

More information: Zhaoliang Hou et al, Three-dimensional mineral dendrites reveal a nonclassical crystallization pathway, Geology (2023). DOI: 10.1130/G51127.1 Journal information: Geology
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:

Image of caperea and blue whale, comparison. Credit: Carl Buell

Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale.

The smallest of the living baleen whales, it's tank-like skeleton is unique, and its ecology and behavior remain virtually unknown.

Because it is so unusual, the evolutionary relationships of the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) have long been a bone of contention.

In a study that solves the debate, just published in Marine Mammal Science, an international group of researchers sequenced the complete genome of Caperea, combining their findings with morphology and paleontology.

Co-author Dr. Felix Marx, curator of marine mammals at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa explains the skull shape of the pygmy right whale seems to be adapted for skim-feeding, where a whale will swim at the water's surface with its mouth open to food.

"This is very similar to the larger true right whale, leading some scientists to believe the two whales are closely related, hence their similar names. However, others believe the pygmy right whale is more closely related to species like the blue whale, which take big gulps of water to collect food instead of skimming," he says.

He was pleased to be able to exploit the power of genomics to elucidate the history of life.

"After 150 years of anatomical orthodoxy and decades of dispute, genomics now shows beyond reasonable doubt that Caperea is a distinct lineage and not related to right whales.

Comparison of filtration areas of whales. Credit: Felix Marx

"Like river dolphins and sperm whales, Caperea is the sole guardian of a unique piece of evolutionary heritage. It's not just another weird right whaleit truly is the last survivor of an otherwise lost family that once played a much bigger role in Earth's history," he says.

Co-lead author Dr. Kieren Mitchell, of Manaaki WhenuaLandcare Research, says new genetic information often prompts scientists to reconsider why different animals appear more similar or different to each other.

"When DNA and anatomy seem to be at odds about the relationship between species, usually that means there's an even deeper and more interesting story to be discovered about their evolution," he says.

Co-author Dr. Nic Rawlence, Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory Director, describes Caperea as a "wonderful case of convergent evolution", which occurs when two unrelated species end up appearing more and more alike as they adapt to similar selective pressures.

"Caperea has historically been aligned with right whales because they look the same due to similar feeding strategies, when, in fact, it's probable that Caperea is the last surviving member of an ancient group of whales called cetotheres," he says.

Co-lead author Dr. Ludo Dutoit, of Otago's Department of Zoology, says now its position in the family tree of whales has been confirmed, researchers can start to explore what the Caperea lineage looks like, and what kind of past events were significant in driving its evolution.

Dr. Marx agrees, adding that Caperea may be another example of how being 'unusual' helped save a lineage from extinction.

"River dolphins likely survived the demise of their marine relatives because they invaded freshwater habitats; sperm whales persisted when their toothed relatives disappeared because they were deep-diving suction specialists; and Caperea survived because it adapted to be a skim filter feeder, when most of its relatives presumably didn't."

More information: Ludovic Dutoit et al, Convergent evolution of skim feeding in baleen whales, Marine Mammal Science (2023). DOI: 10.1111/mms.13047 Journal information: Marine Mammal Science
CAMBRIDGE  An 8-year-old girl was injured on Friday after her leg got caught under a riding lawnmower.

Cambridge-Greenwich Police Corporal Mike Moses said the incident took place at around 3 p.m. at a residence on Jerome Drive.

The girl was playing on the property of a neighbor across the street. She was doing a cartwheel very close to the mower and slipped under the vehicle, according to Moses.

She was temporarily trapped under it for a little bit. Her foot was entangled in the blade, he said.

The fire department came and was able to partially disassemble the mower to get her out, according to Moses. The girl was transported to Albany Medical Center with a lower leg injury and transferred to the pediatric unit. Her injuries are not life-threatening.

Moses said there are no charges and the matter is being considered an accident.

Just a very unfortunate accident that happened  that freak accident that you hear about  that was one of them, he said.

I think its a lesson well-learned by everyone involved. Too bad it had to happen, he added.
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SOMERS POINT  The storms remained at bay long enough this weekend for boat racing to thunder its way back into the city.

Jersey Shore Boat Racing brought one of its races to John F. Kennedy Park on Sunday. The park waterfront teemed with spectators and racers of all ages, ready to celebrate a sport they said united generations and was unique to the Jersey Shore.

It was the second consecutive year JSBR brought its race to JFK Park, having kicked off its 2022 season at the scenic city spot. Organizers have said they were excited to rejuvenate the sport in the area, which had been popular for decades but had waned in prominence in recent years.

JSBR President Nick Megee said he was happy with how the league had grown in the past year. While noting that forecasts of rain and thunderstorms had dampened the crowd somewhat Sunday, Megee said the race had still grown significantly from last year, both in terms of audience and racers. He said he met with city officials before the 2023 season began and planned on ways for advertising the race to the community.

We have a lot more than we had last year, and its a good thing, said Megee, 43. Were trying to get as much exposure for JSBR as we can, and you can see the crowds compared to last year; its a lot more.

Racing began at noon and featured a dozen boats, with one skiff, one mini-boat and the remainder being Garveys. Crowds gathered on the edge of the water, with some taking to the platforms for a better vantage point. Organizers announced race results and played country music throughout the afternoon and served hot dogs and other standard summer fare.

Stephen Kraus, 32, of New Gretna, Burlington County, rode in his 350 stock boat Bad Clam G21 on Sunday with copilot Mike Dagostino, 55, of Mount Laurel, Burlington County. The Bad Clam ultimately tied for first in the 350 class along with its competitor, Direct Deposit.

It was a little rough, just got to drive with your head and not with your foot, Kraus said. Its a really nice day, the weathers turning out beautiful.

Anthony Gandolfo, 33, of Brick, helped race Drama Queen. He and copilot Matt Mason, in their second year racing, had only recently acquired their boat. They were still working to get acclimated to it. Gandolfo said boat racing required dedication to fit it around his day job painting in an auto body shop.

Its definitely a big commitment, 100%, Gandolfo said.

(You need) lots of guts, added Mason, 34, of the Mayville section of Middle Township. You got to be an adrenaline junky.

The free-to-attend races drew crowds from around the area and out of state.

Chelsea Barruzza, of Tuckerton, said she had been taking her children, Colton, 5, and Ellie, 2, to the races for years and used to provide on-site emergency services as a member of the Tuckerton Volunteer Fire Company.

Its fun because you get to be outside, you get to watch the races, Barruzza said. The race clubs really close and there are barbecues and its the excitement.

Stephen Nuttall, of Tuckerton, came with his daughter. He said he appreciated the history of the race and its ties to the Jersey Shore.

We got these racers in these neighborhoods and you see these races around town and its kind of cool, Nuttall said. Its nice to see a hometown racing atmosphere.

Barry Wood, 68, of Island Heights, said his father raced boats in the 1960s, with his brother eventually taking to the water as well.

Its been kind of a lifelong thing, a family thing, Wood said.

Multiple racers and spectators relayed the same story when speaking of the origin of the sport. Local clammers and fishers in the 1950s, looking for a way spend their Sundays off, began comparing boat speeds. The competition was eventually formalized and becoming a staple sport in the area, before receding in popularity. Organizers said last year the 2022 race was the first held in Somers Point since 2009.

The fact boat racing stretched back generations was clear when speaking to some racers and spectators.

Jim Bevacqua, 63, of Tuckerton, said he began racing in the 1980s. His son, John, found an interest in the sport as young as 6 years old. Standing on the waterfront, Jim watched as John manned The Jokes on You with his copilot, Rob Servis, which ultimately won the 315 Super Stock class.

He runs the boat now; its the second generation, Jim Bevacqua said of his son. Its phenomenal, its a high. ... When hes out there, running good, you almost want to cry, really.

John Bevacqua, now 32, said there was a simple reason why he wanted to carry on the family legacy: the adrenaline.

He noted that The Jokes on You was built in the early 1980s.

Its a lot of history, a lot of family-oriented history, John Bevacqua said.

Five places to get good barbecue in South Jersey You dont have to fire up your grill this Fourth of July weekend to get some good barbecue. 

Servis, a commercial fisherman who had spent much of his life on the water, said he was still new to the sport. Servis said he appreciated the community it created and understood how it hooked families. He said his 10-year-old daughter already was eager to start racing as soon as she was able.

Its fun, meet a new group of people, gives you something to do on a Sunday afternoon, Servis said.

Megee, the JSBR president, said the future of the sport was already in the wings. His daughter, Kaylie Megee, a rising junior at Lacey Township High School, drove the mini-boat in its exhibition Thursday. She was the third generation of Megee boat racers, after her father and grandfather.

Dont be intimidated. If youre going to go, just go ahead and do it, Kaylie Megee said for other aspiring riders.

John Bevacqua said his daughter was also beginning to take an interest in the sport.

Thats what its all about, Jim Bevacqua said.

Perry de Marco Sr., a Philadelphia attorney, said he had a previous life as a boat racer. He recalled heading the Dirty Perr in 1969, taking to the waters across the Jersey Shore, including Long Beach Island, Pleasantville and Tuckerton. He reminisced about the thrill of the races and its hardships.

Our biggest challenge was keeping the boat from falling apart and being thrown out of it, de Marco said. This is in your blood.

The JSBR circuit will return to JFK Park on Aug. 6 with races starting at noon.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sudan was on the brink of a full-scale civil war as fierce clashes between rival generals continued unabated in the capital, Khartoum.He warned that the war between the Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary force is likely to destabilise the entire region, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general. Sudan descended into chaos after months of tension between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and his rival Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in mid-April.

Indian-origin woman sentenced for slavery in Australia

A 55-year-old Melbourne woman, jailed for keeping an Indian-origin Tamil woman as a slave for eight years, has been sentenced to an additional two-and-a-half years for threatening the victim before she gave evidence in the criminal trial, police said. Kumuthini Kannan and her husband Kandasamy Kannan were earlier convicted and sentenced for enslaving the victim, in her 60s, in their Mount Waverley home between 2007 and 2015.

US drone strike kills IS leader in Syria, says defence department

A US drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defence Department.Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant, a US defence official said, when they were harassed by Russian aircraft.

Russia intercepts missile over annexed Crimea

Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean peninsula on Sunday reported shooting down a cruise missile near the city of Kerch and briefly suspending traffic on the Kerch bridge that links the annexed territory to Russia. The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said the interception of the missile by Russian air defenses didnt result in any damage or casualties. He didnt offer any details, including the type of the missile and its origin.

Imran Khan seeks IMF guarantee for scheduled general polls in Pak

Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan has sought a guarantee from the International Monetary Fund that the general elections in the country will be held on its scheduled time. Days before the IMF executive board meeting to review and possibly endorse the Standby Arrangement (SBA) for Pakistan, a delegation of the global lender met Khan on Friday in Lahore to seek assurance and support for the key objectives and policies under the recently announced $3 billion bailout programme.
A 27-year-old man sustained injuries Monday in a crash on Interstate 80 near Davenport.

Davenport police officers, firefighters and Medic Ambulance responded about 7:23 a.m. to investigate a report of a crash on I-80 just east of U.S. 61, Davenport Police Department spokesman Owen Farrell said.

When they arrived, they found a single-vehicle crash and the apparent driver, whose injuries were considered serious but not life threatening.

Authorities sent the man, the sole occupant of the vehicle, to the hospital via ambulance, Farrell said, adding that he thought a MedForce helicopter was called to the scene but was not used.

The injured mans identity was not available late Monday morning.

Officials briefly closed I-80 while they handled the crash but it has since been reopened, Farrell said. The Iowa State Patrol and Scott County Sheriffs Office assisted at the scene.

Further details of the crash, which is believed to have involved a Ford F-150, were not available Monday morning, Farrell said. The investigation was ongoing.

MedForce and the Davenport Fire Department had not yet responded to requests for information.
The First Day Project is collecting items this month at various sites for its annual Quad City-Wide School Supply Drive to support area students in need.

Items needed this year include:

Composition Notebooks

Spiral Notebooks

Pocket Folders

Headphones

Pencils/Pens

Crayons

Washable Markers

Colored Pencils

Watercolor Paints

Erasers

Glue Sticks

Pencil Boxes

Rulers

Scissors

Partnering local businesses and school drop-off sites will accept donations until Friday, July 28.

Those with extra school supplies may also bring donations to the fifth-annual "Pack the Bus" event from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25 at the WQAD News 8 station at 3003 Park 16th St. in Moline.

Business drop-offs

Northwest Bank & Trust Company

Bettendorf: 2550 Middle Road

Davenport: 100 E. Kimberly Road and 1454 W. Locust St.

Centennial Tax & Accounting

Davenport: 100 E. Kimberly Road, Suite 500

Rock Island: 2300 5th Ave.

DuTrac Community Credit Union

Davenport: 2330 E. 53rd St. and 3100 W. Kimberly Road

Moline: 3153 Avenue of the Cities

Mel Foster Co.

Bettendorf: 2300 Spruce Hills Drive

Davenport: 3211 / 3218 E. 35th St. Ct.

Moline: 2500 41st St.

Midwest Complete Construction: 3720 46th Ave. in Rock Island

McManus Orthodontics: 4507 24th St. in Rock Island

School district drop-offs

Bettendorf District Administration Center: 3311 18th St. in Bettendorf, (563)-359-3681

Davenport Achievement Service Center: 1702 Main St. in Davenport, (563)-445-5000

Pleasant Valley High School: 604 Belmont Road in Bettendorf

Moline Coal-Valley Allendale Facility: 1619 11th Ave in Moline

Rock Island-Milan District Administration Center: 2101 6th Ave. in Rock Island

Christ United Methodist Church (East Moline School District 37): 3801 7th St. in East Moline, from 9:30 a.m. to noon

Launched in 2006 by Davenport Community Schools, the First Day Project is supported by area schools, volunteer groups and the Quad Cities Community Foundation's "First Day Fund."

To make a monetary donation to the fund, visit https://www.qccommunityfoundation.org/first-day-fund.

Rock Island High School's "Rocky Resource Room"
NAIROBI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Company Limited, a Chinese manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic equipment, on Monday launched here a laboratory training center jointly with the faculty of health sciences at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Senior executives from Wondfo Biotech, faculty members, students and local distributors attended the launching ceremony of the center set up to boost point-of-care testing for infectious and lifestyle diseases in the country.

Bear Xiong, the Kenyan director for Wondfo Biotech, said the establishment of a joint laboratory center will improve the capacity of medical students and their lecturers to operate diagnostic equipment.

According to Xiong, the idea of setting up a joint training center in the medical laboratory at the University of Nairobi was put forward in July 2022, leading to the signing of a memorandum of understanding in April.

The joint laboratory training center will be housed at the University of Nairobi's clinical chemistry faculty and Wondfo Biotech will also facilitate students and faculty members to visit its headquarters in Guangzhou as part of academic exchange and peer learning, Xiong said.

George Osanjo, dean of the faculty of health sciences at the University of Nairobi, said the establishment of a joint laboratory training center marked a milestone in Sino-Kenya cooperation in the field of medicine.

"The laboratory training center also aligns with our vision of deepening academia-industry linkages. It will strengthen clinical services at Kenyatta National Hospital, which is the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa," Osanjo said.

"Some of the tests that will be carried out at the laboratory training center include toxicology, substance abuse, fertility, cardiovascular, thyroid, diabetes, and common infectious diseases," Osanjo said.

Ramesh Saxena, a medical student from the University of Nairobi, hailed the establishment of the center that will help address the skills gap in operating modern diagnostic equipment. Saxena said the laboratory training center will promote clinical medicine in Kenya by reducing testing time for samples besides averting misdiagnosis that is rampant in under-resourced health facilities. 
The Illinois Quad-Cities' second cannabis dispensary is close to the finish line at 2727 Avenue of the Cities.

Located in a former Aldi grocery store, the dispensary was approved by the City Council last fall and was to open this spring. When a new developer took over, new plans for the building's design had to be reviewed by city staff, which delayed its progress.

The name of the dispensary is Terrace Cannabis, according to a sign on the building.

City Planner Sean Foley said a walk-through of the building with police was conducted last week. It was inspected for security, among other factors. The interior space, he said, is nearly ready to go with a few tweaks.

An opening date has not yet been announced. Foley said the opening would be dependent upon the state inspection and any needed changes.

"Approval will be needed from the state and police," he said.

A state inspection is expected to take place next week, and the findings are likely to take a couple of weeks, Foley said.

Council approved another dispensary in late March 2023. It will be located at 4301 44th Ave., along John Deere Corridor. According to the permit application, Bolden Investments I, LLC, plans to operate under the name "Revolution Dispensary."

Foley said Revolution Dispensary was not ready for a certificate of occupancy, yet, since work still is needed for the interior of the building, landscape and the security plan.

About 3% of marijuana sales from the pair of shops will go into the city's general fund.

Moline capped the number of dispensaries at four, identifying areas as "overlay districts" in which marijuana can be sold. One dispensary is allowed to operate in each district.

The other two possible locations are in the Uptown area in the 16th Street corridor and near the airport.
BNSF Railway has begun work to replace the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River following years of permitting and preparation.

The North Dakota Department of Water Resources on April 24 issued BNSF the two final permits needed to begin construction. The move came six months after the U.S. Coast Guard finished a nearly three-year environmental review of the BNSF plan, concluding the bridge "is approaching the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced."

"We plan for the new bridge to last for another 100 years to meet our customers' current and future transportation needs, as this is a key route for interstate commerce," railroad spokeswoman Amy McBeth said. "Replacing our bridge is a massive private infrastructure project, and the biggest one we'll conduct in the state for several years."

The project will cost about $100 million, a significant increase from the estimate of $60 million five years ago when BNSF began the permitting process. The railroad will pay the entire cost.

The new bridge will be on the existing BNSF right of way. It will be built roughly 30 feet to the north of the existing bridge's centerline. It will be 1,554 feet long and consist of 12 spans. Seven concrete spans varying in length from about 70-80 feet will be used for the approach spans -- four on the west side of the river and three on the east. Five steel spans, each about 200 feet long, will be in place over the river. Eleven piers and two abutments will be constructed.

Rail service will not be disrupted. Trains will continue to run on the existing bridge until construction of the new bridge is complete.

"Train crews will be aware of employees performing work and equipment, but will plan to travel at regular speeds through the area," McBeth said.

Construction timeline

The construction of the bridge and removal of the existing bridge needs to be done in a specific sequence at certain times of the year because of the weather, according to McBeth. The first step taking place this year is ensuring access to the project area and building the embankment and piers for the substructure of the bridge.

Construction on an access road that will be used by trucks hauling construction equipment and material for the project began late last month. The removal of vegetation and any other material needed to be moved for the project has already taken place.

McBeth did not have a count for how many trees were removed.

"Most of any trees removed would be on BNSF property, and theyve been taken down so the bridge can be constructed. The environmental impact statement says that trees removed outside of the BNSF right of way will be replaced," she said.

Excavation for structures on land such as abutments and piers has started on the east side of the river.

An access road and laydown area for storage of equipment and supplies on the east side of the river was previously built, but it was improved this spring.

"The goal is to keep as much construction activity as possible off the public roadways by utilizing the Department of Transportation property," McBeth said.

BNSF will utilize the DOT's right of way to build its own access road into the project area on the west side of the river.

"That will allow trucks bringing in equipment and material for the project to travel on a road built by us and not used by the general public," McBeth said. "Its an example of where we try to minimize impact to the public, and safely and efficiently access the construction site."

Trucks will begin hauling dirt from the east side of the river to the west to build the embankment needed for the new bridge once the access road is finished in a few weeks. The railroad has an agreement with the city of Bismarck to utilize fill for the embankment.

The City Commission last December approved agreements giving BNSF the right to access certain portions of city property and to obtain soil from city property to be used for the embankment on the west side of the river. The city will be compensated 50 cents per cubic yard of material. BNSF will reclaim the site so as to leave it in a good state of repair once the work is done.

Pile driving and work in the water to build a dock wall will take place this fall. A dock wall is a platform along the water used for loading and unloading.

Construction of the embankment will resume after winter, and in-water pier construction will start next spring.

The next step from late 2024 to 2026 will be building the superstructure -- or top part -- of the bridge. Train traffic will begin using the new bridge tentatively in late summer 2026.

The final step will be the removal of the existing bridge, which McBeth said is expected to take about a year.

Preservation efforts

A permit from Water Resources has detailed language on how the existing bridge can be dismantled. The structure cannot be removed using explosives due to a water quality certification from the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The existing bridge has been the subject of an extensive back-and-forth between BNSF and Friends of the Rail Bridge, a local citizens group that wants to preserve it so it can turned into a walking bridge tourist attraction. A 2019 feasibility study conducted by North Dakota State University estimated the cost to do that at just under $7 million.

The nonprofit FORB said late last year that it had not raised any money specifically for preserving and repurposing the bridge because private foundations wanted bridge ownership established first. FORB has long argued that the state owns the bridge. BNSF maintains it has clear title -- an assertion bolstered by Attorney General Drew Wrigley's comment during a State Historical Board meeting in March that the bridge "has always been owned privately."

The Water Resources permit for bridge removal references parts being available for either salvage or disposal. The railroad has said dismantling the bridge rather than blowing it up will ensure that pieces of it can be retained if any groups wish to use them for historic preservation projects.

BNSF is providing $500,000 for a grant program to help document the history and legacy of the rail bridge, according to the State Historical Society, which is administering the Bis-Man Rail Bridge Fund. In February it began accepting applications for salvage, exhibits, special projects and educational activities directly related to the history of the bridge.

Four applicants applied for a grant; all of the funds are expected to be used by those applicants, according to State Historical Society Lead Historic Preservation Specialist Lorna Meidinger.

Projects will range from art to preserving the history of the bridge through exhibits and a documentary.

Meidinger did not immediately name the applicants. An announcement will be made once all the details are finalized, she said.
A 36-year-old Rapid City man pleaded not guilty July 6 to allegations he raped a toddler in 2017 and 2018.

A 2019 indictment charged Kyle Soto with first-degree rape between Jan. 1, 2017 and April 24, 2018. The alleged victim was 19 months to almost three years old during that time.

First-degree rape is defined as sexual penetration with a child under the age of 13. It is the most severe form of rape in South Dakota. The maximum sentence is life in prison and up to a $50,000 fine.

Although Soto is held in the Pennington County Jail on the state charge, he is still serving a federal sentence for 15 different sex crimes against children, including child pornography and enticement and exploitation of a minor.

The victim in that case was an 11-year-old boy, according to court documents. During conversations where Soto asked for explicit photos, he both threatened and attempted to bribe the child.

Soto appealed the convictions and his sentence in December 2023. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals denied his appeal in January 2022.

According to the Bureau of Prisons, Soto's federal release date is Dec. 26, 2043.

Soto is scheduled to appear in court at 2:30 p.m. for a motions hearing in the state case.
The founding father of Camp Rapid, South Dakota's First State Command Chief Warrant Officer and three brothers who served in the military were among those honored in a ceremony July 6. The ceremony was part of a building and gate naming at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid.

The soldiers honored with a building hall were Maj. Gen. (Ret) Raymond Carpenter, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Chris Mechling, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Paul Mechling, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) John Mechling, and Col. (Ret) Lowell Davis. The soldiers honored with gates were Col. (Ret) William Hazle, Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret) Duke Doering, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret) Richard Trankle.

Building halls

Carpenter served in the Army, Navy, and Army National Guard for more than 44 years and culminated his career as the Assistant Adjutant General for the South Dakota Army National Guard. He was simultaneously assigned as the Deputy Commanding General for the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. His last military assignment before retiring on Dec. 8, 2011, was Acting Director of the Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau. He was appointed as Acting Director, Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Washington, District of Columbia on May 29, 2009. Carpenter has received many awards, among the highest is the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal. Carpenter currently serves in the appointed position as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army.

Chris "Bob" Mechling started his military career in the South Dakota National Guard in 1947 when he was a student at Sturgis High School. Three years later his unit was ordered to federal active duty during the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 with Company C, of the 109th Engineer Battalion. He served in Germany with the mission of patrolling and maintaining military bridges over the Rhine River. Chris Mechling served as one of the original TAC (Train, Advise, Counsel) Officers with the South Dakota Military Academy's first officer candidate class in 1957.

Paul Mechling, the youngest of the Mechling brothers, joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1954 and later enlisted in the active-duty Army. In 1959 he returned to South Dakota and enlisted in the 109th Engineer Battalion. He was promoted to command sergeant major at the South Dakota Military Academy in 1982 and held the position at the military academy when it moved from Mitchell to Fort Meade in 1986. He holds the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and the de Fleury Medal.

John "Bull" Mechling was the first in the family to join the military by enlisting in the Army for three years after finishing high school. He returned home and enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard just in time to join his younger brother Chris on active duty in Germany. He remained in the South Dakota National Guard upon the unit's return to Sturgis and transferred to the 109th Engineer Group headquarters in 1962. His 24 years of service as a sergeant major is today an unheard-of leadership accomplishment. "Bull" retired in 1990 after 40 years of service.

Davis joined the 211th Engineer Battalion in 1956 in Lemmon. During his career he held many leadership positions in the Engineers and at State Headquarters, the position of Military Support to Civil Authorities, and he was later promoted to Plans, Operations, and Training Officer for the South Dakota National Guard. He is one of the most decorated soldiers to have served in the South Dakota National Guard. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Combat Infantryman Badge for his heroism in Korea while serving in the U.S. Army.

Gates

Hazle was Adjutant General of the South Dakota National Guard when the Headquarters was moved to Rapid City. He was instrumental in obtaining the land for Camp Rapid and is considered the founding father of Camp Rapid. Hazle was an 1897 graduate of South Dakota State University. He was a veteran of the Philippine Insurrection and World War I.

Doering was appointed as South Dakota's First State Command Chief Warrant Officer on July 1, 1999, when the position became available to the South Dakota National Guard. Doering retired from his full-time NG career on Nov. 8, 1999, as the Command Chief Warrant Officer. Doering served as the State Training, Schools, and Ammunition Manager, State Unit Readiness Management Officer, State Marksmanship Coordinator, Mobilization Readiness Officer, and Force Integration Readiness Officer.

Richard Trankle was appointed as the Civil Defense Coordinator for South Dakota and he held several other prestigious positions such as Assistant Highway Director and E.E.O. Officer for the South Dakota Department of Highways, Civil Defense Plans and Operations Officer, Emergency Disaster Agency Director, and U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for the South Dakota Army National Guard. Trankle is the recipient of the National Guard Bureau meritorious service award and distinguished himself as a staff member of the Army National Guard Sergeant Majors Advisory Committee from 1976 to 1978.

"This ceremony also recognizes that as the South Dakota Guard has generations of brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers who serve and we are a family," said Maj. Gen. Jeff Marlette, South Dakota National Guard Adjutant General, who was the featured speaker for the ceremony.
Montana Commissioner of Labor and Industry Laurie Esau resigned Monday after she was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Missoula a day earlier.

Esau, 59, had not yet appeared in Missoula Municipal Court on Monday for an initial hearing on the charges of driving under the influence, first offense; and obstructing a peace officer.

The commissioner post atop the Montana Department of Labor and Industry is an appointed position that Esau has held since Gov. Greg Gianforte took office at the beginning of 2021.

A spokesperson for the Governors Office on Monday said DLI chief of staff John Elizandro will serve as acting commissioner moving forward.

Commissioner Esau offered her resignation to the governor this morning, effective immediately, which he accepted, spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in an email Monday.

Jail records show Esau was booked into Missoula County jail Sunday at about 6 p.m. and released about a half-hour later after someone else posted her bail.

According to Missoula Municipal Court records, Esaus vehicle was reported in a hit-and-run near South 3rd Street West and Reserve Street on Sunday evening. Police made contact with Esau as she exited the vehicle at her Missoula residence, where she refused to submit a breath test, the affidavit states.

During the encounter, Easu tried to walk away from the officer and grasped a fence to frustrate the officers attempts to detain and escort her, the citation states.

A Missoula Police Department spokesperson did not immediately return a call seeking further information on the original hit-and-run call, whether that incident is still under investigation or if the other party had declined to press charges.

Esau, reached by phone Monday, declined to comment.
Shirley Bloxom can't forget the prideswallowing shame she felt asking friends and church members for financial help.

After surgery left her husband partially paralyzed, he needed to use disposable underwear at least three times a day, said Bloxom, 72. Living on a fixed income, the couple couldn't afford them.

Bloxom's husband is among the estimated 2.5 million older Floridians who use incontinence products, like pads and adult diapers, daily. But with over a tenth of the Sunshine State's seniors living in poverty, many struggle to pay for the supplies they need.

This year, Florida joined a growing number of states that are banning sales taxes on diapers to make them more affordable for older adults and families with young children. Florida is one of the United States' top three destination states for retirees, with about 21% of its residents age 65 or older.

"So it affects more people in Florida than it does in other places," said state Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Republican.

Fifteen other states, including California, Louisiana, and Minnesota, as well as the District of Columbia, have permanently eliminated the diaper tax, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Five others do not have sales taxes in general.

Exemptions can vary widely. Some states ban taxes on diapers but no other incontinence products; others exempt taxes only on diapers purchased with a doctor's prescription. Florida's effort is particularly comprehensive  eliminating sales taxes on both baby diapers and adult incontinence supplies.

Eliminating taxes on the products could save an adult who uses four or five diapers a day about $18 a month, according to a clinic analysis.

Though diapers, including for babies, are essential for many, they are not covered by food stamps. Nor are incontinence products for older adults typically covered by Medicare.

The cost can easily add up on a fixed income.

The Bloxoms receive $2,500 a month through Social Security. With medical copays, groceries, and mortgage payments, the money dries up quickly, Shirley Bloxom said.

Bloxom, who lives in Tallahassee, said she knows too many friends who have sat in unchanged incontinence products, stretching their luck and resources thin because money was tight.

"This stuff does not come cheap," she said. "I can understand why some people let their loved ones sit there in that kind of condition. Because they don't have the money."

Karla Munoz, a manager of aging services for Florida's Hillsborough County, said the region's older adults can spend about $100 a month on incontinence products. About half of the low-income seniors served by the county rely on these supplies, she said.

Lacking clean diapers can have a social cost. Seniors may avoid activities with grandchildren or friends, putting them at risk of isolation, which is linked to poorer health outcomes.

Eliminating sales taxes has long been considered a way to make essential items more affordable. Many states, including Florida, have removed taxes on period products, for example.

For the past year, the Sunshine State has had a temporary pause on taxing diapers for infants, through a relief package Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last May. But the one-year ban did not apply to products for older adults.

This year's tax bill, which sailed through the Florida Legislature owing to a bipartisan push, made the diaper tax ban permanent  and extended it to senior incontinence products.

The relief package provides a sales tax exemption for diapers, incontinence undergarments, pads, and liners. DeSantis signed it into law on May 25.

The Sunshine State joined Iowa, Virginia, and North Dakota in permanently banning sales taxes on diapers this year.

The Bloxoms were eventually connected to Elder Care Services, a local nonprofit that provides support to low-income seniors in northeastern Florida. Because of the program, they no longer pay for diapers.
Tequila Sunrise Mexican Kitchen & Cantina, a new restaurant with birria tacos, margaritas and a sprawling patio, is now open at 11581 Robious Road in the Huguenot Village Shopping Center.

Tequila Sunrise is the fifth Richmond-area restaurant from Carlos Londono, a New York transplant who co-owns several Shockoe-area restaurants such as Margaritas Cantina, La Bodega, Casa Fiesta and Papis with his wife, Adrienne.

Originally from Colombia, Londono has lived in Richmond for seven years and operated restaurants locally for 13 years, starting with Margaritas Cantina. His wife is originally from Chesterfield County. The two decided to move back to Richmond after operating several restaurants in New York. They now employ 80 to 100 staffers at their restaurants.

As for Tequila Sunrise, Londono has dubbed it, Disneyland of Mexican restaurants, wherever you look, theres something to see.

The bright, festive restaurant is over 15,000 square feet, formerly the home of Crab Tales and, before that, Fox & Hound. With pink walls and plenty of neon, there is a Day of the Dead room, a Tequila Sunrise bar area and a Frida Kahlo room, as well as a pirate ship. The restaurant took more than six months to renovate, with Londono tapping several artists to create the artwork.

Many of Londonos restaurants have a similar Mexican vibe with a Latin flair, although Tequila Sunrise delivers the most Disneyland-esque experience with lots of interesting things at which to look, such as fish tanks, shadow boxes, a guacamole bar and a long tropical cocktail bar.

Tequila Sunrise is leaning into the birria taco trend, with three different kinds of birria tacos ($17-$20) on the menu, including Jalisco-style with stewed goat meat, lamb or beef. The menu features plenty of traditional Mexican fare such as burritos, fajitas, chimichangas (all in the $15 range) and table-side guacamole.

Visitors will also find Latin dishes such as bandeja paisa ($23), which is a platter of chicharron (fried pork belly), grilled steak and Colombian chorizo served with rice, beans, plantains, avocado and a fried egg; or the traditional Cuban dish ropa vieja ($18), which features shredded beef over rice and black beans with tostones.

Tequila Sunrises lengthy menu also includes pupusas ($8), which are fried masa cakes filled with cheese, Mexican street corn ($6) and Mexican huraches ($12), which are two pieces of sandal-shaped fried masa dough topped with shredded beef, carnitas or chicken, pinto beans, tomatillo salsas, pico de gallo and cotija cheese.

A wide variety of tropical drinks are on the menu, including margaritas in an assortment of flavors ($11), mojitos ($11), pina coladas ($12) and skinny versions of margaritas with fresh juices and agave nectar. The outdoor patio, which is also brightly decorated, has a full service bar and can seat up to 50.

PHOTOS: New Tequila Sunrise Mexican Kitchen & Cantina restaurant from Carlos Londono
The derailment happened coming down out of the Appalachian Mountains near Elliston about 20 miles outside Roanoke. Fortunately, it involved coal cars and not hazardous materials like those that generated a huge plume of black smoke and forced evacuations in the eastern Ohio town of East Palestine after a different Norfolk Southern train derailed in February. That Ohio derailment triggered concerns nationwide about railroad safety and prompted calls for reforms from members of Congress and regulators.

Were just lucky right now that its coal. If it had been ethanol or LP gas or chlorine or anything like that, it could have been a totally different situation," said Randy Fannon, who leads the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union's safety task force.

Nineteen cars on the Virginia coal train derailed around 7:45 p.m. Thursday but remained upright and none of the coal spilled.

Before the derailment, the crew received a critical alarm from a trackside detector that a wheel bearing was overheating. But unlike in the East Palestine derailment where the crew received little warning, the crew was able to safely stop the Virginia train after it was alerted to the potential hazard.

The train's conductor found the railcar that triggered the alarm and confirmed the bearing was overheating. But a spokesman for the railroad said all the components appeared to be intact during a visual inspection.

Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flateau said the railroad decided to try and move the train to a siding, where the crew could safely set out the car with the overheating bearing without blocking the main track. But the train derailed before it reached the siding.

National Transportation Safety Board officials said late Friday they would investigate the Virginia derailment. While union officials and the railroads involved in an NTSB investigation arent allowed to speak publicly before that agency releases its findings, Fannon discussed the details of the crash Friday afternoon when the FRA was still leading the investigation. The NTSB had not taken the lead at that time.

Fannon said someone at the railroads headquarters in Atlanta who was working on the hot box detector desk told the crew to go ahead and move the train 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) down the track. The crew told union officials that they weren't comfortable with moving the train at the track speed of roughly 40 mph, so they kept the speed to around 20 mph. But the train still derailed.

Spokesman Tom Crosson said Norfolk Southern will use this derailment to help inform changes it is making to improve safety.

This derailment should never have happened. It is unacceptable, Crosson said. "We are working to achieve our goal of being the gold standard for safety in the railroad industry, and this incident strengthens our resolve."

Both the FRA and the NTSB said they were investigating Norfolk Southern's safety practices following the East Palestine derailment and several others in the past couple years.

The NTSB is doing a detailed investigation to determine everything that contributed to the East Palestine derailment, but investigators said in their preliminary report that an overheating bearing on a rail car carrying plastic pellets likely caused the derailment. The resulting fire burned for days as several cars carrying hazardous materials spilled their contents. Then officials decided to blow open five vinyl chloride cars and burn that chemical because they were worried those tank cars might explode.

NS is still in the spotlight and theyre going to remain that way until they make some changes," Fannon said.

In years past before Norfolk Southern began overhauling its operations in 2019 and making widespread job cuts, Fannon said the railroad typically would have sent a mechanical inspector to examine the car after an overheating bearing was found to determine if it was safe to move the train. That doesn't happen anymore after all the cuts to the ranks of inspectors.

I think the key to this is no qualified mechanical person inspected it, Fannon said.

Norfolk Southern, like all the major freight railroads, has streamlined its operations over the past several years to reduce costs by relying more on running fewer, longer trains so it doesn't need as many crews or locomotives. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the other rail unions have said the changes make railroads riskier, spreading employees thin and making it difficult to take the time to properly inspect cars or complete needed preventative maintenance.

The railroads have defended their safety record.

Railroad officials have said they don't believe the cuts jeopardized safety, and they emphasize that they continue to meet the minimum federal standards. Norfolk Southern's CEO Alan Shaw has said he believes NS is a safe railroad and that he is committed to improving that.
A group of ministers and former theological students is hoping to use a historic Dinwiddie County farm as a way to reimagine the way religious leaders are taught in central Virginia. It starts by turning Sophia Farms into a self-sustaining entity that can cover 100% of the costs of a seminary to be located with the farm.

Once that school is up and running, the students will provide the labor to run the farm and pay the bills for the school. They can then graduate with a three-year masters degree, becoming a minister without having paid a dime in tuition payments or having student loan debt, which Sophia Farms leaders say is a significant issue in training more religious leaders.

Leaders behind the Sophia  separately incorporated Sophia Farms, and Sophia Theological Seminary  want the school to be a place for a paradigm shift in religious thinking.

The small-scale intensive farming operation is currently about 20 acres. It bears summer crops, such as eggplant, cucumbers and tomatoes, plus winter vegetables, such as cauliflower, collards and kale.

Its currently farmed by a core group of trustees and committee members. When the seminary opens, plans are for Sophia to have 36 students plus staff members working the dirt.

Our aspiration is not to be huge; our aspiration is to have an impact, said Melissa Jackson, a member of Sophia Farms steering committee.

Currently in a startup phase, the farm between Interstate 85 and Boydton Plank Road in Dinwiddie is just about four plots of rotated farmland. As the farm grows, Sophia leaders want to build other amenities, such as walking trails and three student housing buildings.

Sophia Farms is operating under a community-supported agriculture  or CSA  model in which the customers essentially subscribe to shares of the farms produce. Each customer gets a share, or multiple shares, each week when Sophia harvests its fields. Most of the shares are currently purchased by people in the Richmond area.

The bulk of the revenue is currently earned with typical farm crops, but could move into other products.

The most notable individual products now are a pair of Sophias Pantry branded hot sauces made with cayenne and serrano peppers farmed at the property. One is an old family recipe that one of the founders called use wisely because they couldnt agree on how hot the sauce is. Some of the members say it has enough kick to make their eyes water; others dont think its too spicy.

The second hot sauce is a combination of honey and peppers formed in conjunction with Virginia FoodWorks, a nonprofit cannery in Farmville. The sweet mixture also comes with a kick of spice.

Sophia staff members say they could branch into new products or markets for sale as the farm scales.

If I had to guess what the future is, I would say its a cobbled link together of several different things that all are meaningful for us, but also taste good, Jackson said. The hot sauce tastes good. Were not dabbling; its a proper hot sauce.

The farm and its CSA model are designed as a way to combat a significant economic downfall that has been plaguing theological education over the past decade.

Sophia Farms is the brainchild of Mark E. Biddle, a former professor of the Old Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond. Most members of the current steering committee and board of trustees were once his students. He says he taught about 1,200 current ministers across central Virginia over his 26 years there.

That ministry closed in 2019, citing financial reasons.

Biddle said those reasons are a lopsided cost structure for ministers upon graduation. Religious schools and institutions have long relied heavily on donations to provide education and services. Biddle said that support from donations is starting to wane. That results in seminaries charging increased tuition, which is difficult for ministers to pay off.

Its just hard to go into $100,000 of debt, and then go into the ministry at a little small church out in the countryside and try to support your family, Biddle said.

The Association of Theological Schools accredits Christian schools of all denominations. It found that the average theological student spent $53,800 per year on their education and that almost 60% graduated with student loans averaging $44,500.

According to ATS studies, 38% of graduates had to take an extra job within the first five years after graduation, 33% looked for a higher-paying job and 19% postponed health care to help make ends meet financially.

A lot of really sharp, talented, wonderful former ministers who are former students of mine have left the ministry after three to five years simply because they cant pay off their student debt. Its a killer for the church, Biddle said.

The closure of Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond gave Biddle the opportunity to take theological education in a different direction. First, he had to work out the cost and revenues.

Board chair Neil Zahradka, an ordained minister with experience working with the Department of Environmental Quality, crunched numbers in a spreadsheet. They were confident based on the results that the available farmland, plus incoming labor, is enough to support a theological school.

A former student of Biddles just happened to have the perfect piece of land.

Kathy Shereda purchased the farm, now called Sophia Farms, in 1987. She and her husband farmed the land for pumpkins, Indian corn, gourds and flowers before she eventually went to the seminary.

I knew I couldnt sustain the farm physically; I kind of wanted to sell, but I didnt want to lose the property, Shereda said.

The farm itself is the last parcel of a property that belonged to the family of Winfield Scott. Scott grew up there and eventually practiced law in Petersburg before joining the military and fighting in the Mexican-American War. He later was a Civil War general for the Union, as part of President Abraham Lincolns staff. The current 92 acres are all that remain from the historic 5,000-acre property.

They called and said they were looking for a farm that was 100 acres, with about 20 acres open with some farmhouses, barns and water access. I said, You just described my property.

She sold the farm to Sophia but will continue living there and working the fields with her decades of knowledge about the land.

This means I still have my hands in the soil on the property that I love so much, Shereda said. A piece of property like this, you dont own it, you borrow it. And now it can continue a legacy, a living legacy.

PHOTOS: Sophia Farms
NEWPORT NEWS  Lawyers for a teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia can start the process of interviewing eyewitnesses, reviewing the boys disciplinary files and accessing other records for a $40 million lawsuit against the school system, a judge has ruled.

But the judge is yet to decide whether Abby Zwerners case will end up in a civil courtroom or before the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission.

The Newport News School Board wants the lawsuit dismissed and argues that Zwerner suffered employment-related injuries. Workers compensation provides up to 500 weeks of benefits and lifetime medical care for injuries.

Zwerner was a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School when she was shot in the hand and chest while sitting at her classroom reading table. The 25-year-old spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has had multiple surgeries since the January shooting.

Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman said he will hold a hearing on the workers compensation matter in late October. Matters before the judge on Friday mostly involved the process of discovery, the early phase of a lawsuit in which parties share evidence.

Anne Lahren, an attorney for the School Board, argued that discovery should wait until Hoffman decides on the workers compensation matter.

But Kevin Biniazan, an attorney for Zwerner, pointed to other cases in the state in which discovery was allowed to proceed. Jeffrey Breit, another attorney for Zwerner, also said it was important to interview teachers before the new school year began.

Breit told reporters after the hearing that the legal team had no intention of interviewing any children before the workers compensation matter is resolved, and that they may seek to talk to only one or two students if the case goes to trial.

Fridays decision was a victory for Zwerner, who did not attend the hearing and no longer works for Newport News Public Schools.

Zwerner is still on a long road to recovery, another one of her lawyers, Diane Toscano, said after Fridays hearing. Shes going to have physical and emotional scars for the rest of her life.

The incident sent shock waves through the military shipbuilding community and the country, with many wondering how a child so young could access a gun and shoot his teacher.

The boy used a gun that belonged to his mother, Deja Taylor. She is facing trial in August on charges of felony neglect and reckless firearm storage on the state level. Last month, Taylor pleaded guilty in federal court to using marijuana while possessing a firearm, which is illegal under U.S. law.

Prosecutors in Newport News had also said in April that they were investigating whether the actions or omissions of any school employees could lead to criminal charges.

Meanwhile, Zwerners lawsuit accuses the school system of gross negligence.

She describes a series of warnings school employees gave administrators in the hours before the shooting, including her own warning to the assistant principal that the boy was in a violent mood, had threatened to beat up a kindergartner and stared down a security officer in the lunchroom.

Other warnings included those from two students, who told a reading specialist the boy had a gun in his backpack, the lawsuit states. A search of his backpack found no weapon. And the assistant principal said the boys pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing, Zwerners lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims that school officials dismissed concerns about the boys violent behavior over the course of months. Often, after he was taken to the office, he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy, the lawsuit states.

The School Board has pushed back, arguing in court documents that the boy was being evaluated and treated for possible ADHD, which causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, while state and federal laws call for keeping such children in the classroom when possible.

The school system argues that Zwerner was clearly injured while at work, at her place of employment, by a student in the classroom, the board stated in court documents.

While in an ideal world, young children would not pose any danger to others, including their teachers, this is sadly not reality, stated the board, pointing to numerous incidents of violence against teachers.
GARISSA, Kenya, July 10 (Xinhua) -- At least three police officers were killed and eight others wounded when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device on Monday in Garissa County in northeastern Kenya, according to the police.

After the explosion, the al-Shabab militants ambushed the officers, the police said in a security report. People who were injured in the attack were sent to hospital in Garissa. The terrorists managed to flee the scene.

This was the second attack targeting security forces in the region in a week. On July 5, a police unit was raided by the terrorists in Mandera Country, leaving eight policemen and at least 20 al-Shabab militants killed. 
Chesterfield County police are determining why a man who they say was fatally shot by officers on Saturday after approaching them with a hatchet had been released from a facility where he was being treated for mental health issues.

Police identified him Monday as Charles M. Byers, 34, of Chesterfield, who died at the scene.

Authorities on Saturday said police responded at 12:49 p.m. to the 1200 block of Wycliff Court for a report of a suspicious man who had entered an attached garage and tried to get into other homes.

Police said officers found the man in the street with the hatchet and that he would not respond to instructions. Officers used a stun gun, but it was not effective, and they shot him when he advanced on them, police said.

Police on Monday released new details about Byers and said a relative took him to a hospital for a mental health treatment on Wednesday. On Thursday, a temporary detention order  used if it appears a person has a mental illness and could hurt someone or him or herself  was issued and Byers was admitted to the facility. But it is unclear why he was released, police said.

Decertified doctors work for Virginia corrections department, treat inmates Correction: A previous version of this story said that Dr. Vincent Gore is VDOC's chief medical director. That is incorrect. Dr. Paul Targonsk

A department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions Monday about what facility was used.

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz said in a statement that our mental health system failed Mr. Byers, his family, our community, and my officers.

Virginia has made overt strides to address this problem in recent years, but substantive changes must come faster. Lives are at stake, Katz said. It is stunning that mental health is such a pervasive issue, touching countless lives, in this country, and yet the patients, the practitioners, and the police are hamstrung by an infrastructure that puts profits over people.
HAZEL GREEN, Ala.  Before starting college, Taylor Mohead had never been outside her hometown of Houston, Texas. Now, the recent Tuskegee University graduate is trekking around trees in Hazel Green, Alabama, in fire gear and sweltering heat.

The U.S. Forest Service intern is among 20 students from historically Black colleges or universities who are participating in a prescribed burn demonstration under instructors' supervision. They clear paths, light fires and make sure the embers are out when they're done. Its part of an apprenticeship program that will give them the credentials to hit the ground running toward a fire line.

Its a grueling way to spend summer break, but Mohead is relishing it. She never pictured herself fighting forest fires.

Look at me. Im really small. Im really short. And then being a woman of color, thats something, too. I feel like thats more inspiring, Mohead said, grinning. I got goosebumps right now.

The on-site fire academy is part of the 1890 Land Grant Institution Wildland Fire Consortium, a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and a cluster of HBCUs comprised of Florida A&M University, Southern University in Louisiana, Tuskegee University and Alabama A&M University.

The recruitment effort comes as wildfire season around the U.S. grows due to climate change and minorities remain underrepresented in forestry and firefighting. The number of wildfires this year is below the 10-year average, but hot and dry conditions are raising the risk, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The idea for a consortium came during the pandemic to address a mission critical area of the Forest Service, said Stephanie Love, the USDA Forest Services national diversity student programs manager and an Alabama A&M alum. The initiative became official in 2021.

These four HBCUs have some of the top agricultural programs at HBCUs in the nation. So, it just makes sense to align our efforts and move together in the same direction, Love said. Were trying to create a pipeline of students who are pursuing this natural resources education and forestry and fire.

The hope is every student comes away with a foundation to chart one of many possible paths in forestry, ecology, agriculture or firefighting.

The consortium is building on top of a decadeslong relationship between Alabama A&M and the Forest Service. A USDA Forest Service Center of Excellence in Forestry was created at the school in 1993 to prepare students for jobs with the agency.

The Bulldogs established a nationally accredited firefighting team in 2009 made of students, called the FireDawgs. When class isn't in session, the FireDawgs are dispatched to wildfires or burn operations around the country.

The development programs that have come out of the Alabama-Forest Service collaboration are responsible for training two-thirds of Black foresters in the federal agency, said Love, who was in the first FireDawgs squad.

Diversity among the Forest Service's wildland firefighters has increased by 20% in the past decade, according to data collected by the agency. It has approximately 13,000 employees including firefighters and other staff who respond to wildfires. Between July 2010 and July 2022, white staffers fell from 86% to 66%.

Black fire personnel have remained mostly around 1.3%. Black women make up around 0.5%. Hispanics make up 12%, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Asians linger around 3% and 1%, respectively. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up less than 1%.

The dearth of applicants of color may partly be due to a lack of awareness. They are not often encouraged to consider firefighting by guidance counselors or recruiters, said Terry Baker, CEO of the Society of American Foresters and its first Black leader. There also is a misconception that working outdoors isn't highly technical or doesn't require skill, he said.

Once students decide to study forestry or related fields, retaining them becomes the next challenge. Love said the Forest Service and HBCUs ensure there are mentorships, scholarships and internships.

Bradley Massey, an Alabama A&M junior and president of the school's forestry club, said the school sparked a passion he was missing. Massey said he was a student at Auburn University of Montgomery when he lost focus, working in retail back home in Huntsville before enrolling in Alabama A&M in 2021.

As the school year progressed, thats when more information about the FireDawgs presented itself, Massey said in between running around in fire gear. I wanted to just have experience and be able to make the most out of my college experience because I wasnt just going back for fun. I was going back for a purpose.

He has since accomplished feats like passing several firefighter work capacity tests including walking 3 miles in under 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack. In October, he traveled to a conference in Boise, Idaho, where he went on field trips and talked with fire professionals and students from around the nation.

I didnt want to leave, Massey said. It was like going into Comic-Con and seeing all the cool stuff and just wanting to take many pictures  I feel like it has helped me a lot in my career now.

Baker, of the Society of American Foresters, said the need for more firefighters will only increase as wildfires intensify with worsening climate change and droughts.

If were going to meet these challenges, were going to have to have everyone, Baker said. What does that mean to a profession that has been primarily white male?
As Hanover County residents Michael and Brittany Layne try to piece together how their 17-year-old son, Nick, died from an incident involving fireworks, they say none of the information they have received makes any sense.

They know he had gone with a neighbor to a friends house in Louisa County the Saturday before the Fourth of July. They have since learned he was on the porch with others at about 9:30 p.m., as the fireworks show was about to start.

But no one seems to know what happened next, said the parents. It was dark, and people said they had their backs turned to Nick when they heard this loud boom, the mother said.

He just kind of stopped, she said. I think they ended up laying him down and starting CPR on him right away.

Nicholas Ryan Layne died that night, a month shy of his 18th birthday, in a darkened yard off Belle Meade Road in Bumpass. The Louisa County Sheriffs Office has not gotten a report from the medical examiners office on his cause of death.

Nicks parents believe a firework blast threw him into cardiac arrest. But they also said a funeral home director told them there were no signs of an explosion on his chest or body, except for some marks on his left hand.

A spokesman for Found and Sons Funeral Chapel in Fredericksburg would not confirm what was said, stressing that the funeral home does not discuss information shared with family members for privacy reasons.

The only thing I can think is, its just a freak accident. It was just something that you could not even reproduce if you wanted to, Nicks mother said as tears welled in her eyes. I dont question Gods timing or what his will is, and were gonna celebrate the 17 years that we had with him.

On Saturday, a week after Nicks death, the Louisa County Sheriffs Office stated in a news release that while responding, deputies were advised that the victim had a firework explode in their hand, was not breathing, and that CPR had been started by individuals on location.

The fire marshal and detectives from several units collected evidence and are awaiting the medical examiners report.

The Louisa County Sheriffs Office responds to numerous calls for service each year involving fireworks, and this incident is proof that handling fireworks the wrong way can cause serious injury or death, said Sheriff Donald Lowe. Let the professionals handle the fireworks while you celebrate New Years and Americas independence responsibly and safe.

Rockets red glare

Last year, 10,200 Americans were treated for injuries from fireworks and 11 of them died, according to a Consumer Product Safety Commission report.

Most of the deaths occurred around the Fourth of July holiday and were associated with mortar-style explosions, according to the CPSC. Misusing fireworks resulted in five fatalities, with victims ranging in age from 11 to 43.

Any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is considered illegal in Virginia, according to the State Fire Marshals Office.

But as evidenced by the glare of red rockets and the booms of pyrotechnic blasts in backyards across the Fredericksburg region last week, plenty of people cross state lines, where they can legally fireworks that are illegal in Virginia, and then bring them home.

Then they become part of the type of Independence Day gathering that Nick Layne attended. His parents had been to similar celebrations over the years, and stressed in an interview on Friday that they taught fireworks safety, just as they drilled in proper procedures with firearms, to Nick and his 14-year-old sister, Savannah.

If they dont know, then how can they be safe? his mom asked.

His father cannot believe Nick would have lit a firework in the midst of so many people or held one that was lit.

Theres no way that he would have intentionally done anything while on the porch, at someones house with people around, Michael Layne said. He was taught to be much more respectful than that.

Left to wonder

The parents said they do not want the Sheriffs Office to press charges against the homeowners who hosted the party or whoever might have brought illegal fireworks to the event.

While laws at the county, state and federal levels address the purchase and transport of fireworks, they are difficult to enforce unless someone is selling them illegally in Virginia.

Last week, Stafford Fire and Rescue officials seized the largest cache of illegal fireworks in county history  more than $600,000 worth of items that were being sold at a stand in the White Oak area, according to public information officer Katie Brady. The items were displayed in plain sight, and an anonymous tipster told the county about them.

It is a different matter altogether when numerous people are gathered on someones lawn, shooting off fireworks.

The challenge that many of our fire marshals encounter is determining who, in a large group of people, actually purchased, transported and shot off the illegal fireworks, Brady said.

Decertified doctors work for Virginia corrections department, treat inmates Correction: A previous version of this story said that Dr. Vincent Gore is VDOC's chief medical director. That is incorrect. Dr. Paul Targonsk

Michael Layne said he was definitely angry from the start about the fact that illegal fireworks were present at the event. But the more he talked to others, including the man who hosted the party, the more he realized the accident involving Nick wasnt anything intentional. They did everything they could to help him.

And what good does being angry do? his wife asked. Its only going to create bitterness in our own hearts. We want to show love and compassion. We dont blame anybody. We want to also be supportive of our daughter, too, because she needs us as well. What would we be teaching her if we got angry?

However, the father would like to know more details about exactly what happened the night his son died.

I just dont want to go on forever, wondering, he said. If I can get a definitive answer, its one more thing I wont have to think about.

Hippie style

As noted in Nick Laynes obituary, the young man loved his long hair and hippie style. It was more than a phase, his family said, with his interest in music and people from the 1960s and 70s starting when he was about 10.

He loved Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, said his maternal grandmother, Sherry Pritchert of Stafford County.

She talked about the weekends he spent at her home, the way he would climb up the shelf in her garage and retrieve about 30 bins of Christmas decorations. Then after the holidays, he would be there to put them all back.

He enjoyed playing bass guitar and putting together complex Lego sets. He loved the outdoors, fishing, playing video games and cards, skateboarding, fast food and lasagna.

He really knew who he was and he was comfortable with who he was, his mother said. He didnt care what anybody else thought. He was just gonna be his own person, and we embraced him and we loved him for that.

But it did not necessarily make him popular in high school, and he was bullied, his parents said. He took some online classes and planned to get a GED when he turned 18.

Nick also wanted to celebrate his birthday by jumping out of an airplane, so his family is honoring those wishes by supporting anyone who wants to fly with him. Friends, family members and co-workers have donated several thousand dollars toward the event, which probably will involve about 12 people skydiving next month.

A relative will take some of his ashes and swirl them into resin beads so the jumpers will have a piece of Nick with them. His parents had planned to be there in August when he made his celebratory jump  to watch and support him, but not to participate.

Its not something that I ever wanted to do, but I feel like I owe it to him, his mother said.
Second suspect arrested in mistaken identity shooting of family

Cancun, Q.R.  A second arrest has been made in the Cancun murder of a teenage boy from August of 2022. The State Attorney General says Erick A was picked up on an outstanding arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in the shooting death that took place in 2022.

On the morning of the attack, the family was traveling in a car in Cancun when they were intercepted and shot at outside a hotel. It was later revealed that the shooting was mistaken identity.

Three people from inside the car were shot. One of the two teenage boys from inside the car died later in hospital. The father and second teenage boy were treated and survived.

The State Attorney General says Erick A was arrested for his probable participation in the crime of qualified homicide and attempted homicide to the detriment of two foreign victims, a minor and an adult, both of whom are confidential.

Erick A is the second of three wanted in the shooting to be arrested. The Attorney General says the first male taken into custody for the August 8, 2022 shooting in Cancun was detained in Villmar I of Playa del Carmen.

The second arrest is now that of Erick A. Both detainees have been admitted to the Social Reintegration Center of the city of Cancun. The third suspect, who also has an outstanding arrest warrant, remains on the run.
Sedena agrees to temporary bridge after workers caught filling Estero de Chac

Costa Maya, Q.R.  Construction workers seen filling in a section of Estero de Chac have been ordered to stop. Citizen outrage brought the filling of the estuary to the attention of state authorities Friday.

The workers were videoed manually filling in a part of the water system with pipes and boulders. Since Saturday, the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena), who are in charge of the workers, acknowledged human error and ordered the work be stopped.

The material placed in the Estero de Chac, including the rocks, has already been removed from estuary that connects with the Bacalar lagoon. A public meeting was held between people from Bacalar, Othon P. Blanco, Huay-Pix, Xul-Ha and other areas adjacent to the estuary, with military and government authorities.

Research biologist Maria Luisa Villarreal, who participated in the public meeting, confirmed that the material used to fill the estuary has been removed. She said the workers were laying a total of 12 pipes and filling the estuary with large rocks to create a temporary bridge for trucks to pass.

They told us that the intention was to fill in the estuary and place around 12 pipes for the passage of water, but that it would only be temporary so that the trucks that transport material could pass through, however, that is something that cannot be done even temporarily because you are affecting a lagoon ecosystem that is very fragile, she explained.

A drone captures Maya Train workers building a temporary bridge for truck passage.

Photo: July 7, 2023.

During the meeting, which was headed by Sedenas Colonel Elizondo, one of the Maya Train section 6 supervisors where the human error occurred, acknowledged that the channel being filled connects to the Laguna de los Siete and the Rio Hondo and that it works as a natural water filter.

At first when we found out about it, we went to verify it in person and then with drones and we confirmed that there was already material deposited in the canal and about 12 tubes that were going to be placed.

The news went viral and we denounced it with evidence, but fortunately it was resolved. We will be very vigilant that things are done well, she added.

Authorities have since agreed to come up with another way to cross the estuary without damaging it.

On Saturday, it was reported that temporary bridges will be constructed to facilitate the transportation of the material needed for section 6 of the Maya Train. The part being worked on is rail that will run from the states capital city of Chetumal to the town of Bacalar.
Newly established businesses based on health or science in western and central Virginia can apply now to enter the Regional Accelerator & Mentoring Program called RAMP this fall.

Those admitted to the program receive 12 weeks of training, free office space, access to industry experts, one-on-one mentoring and $20,000 in funding sponsored by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp., an announcement said.

Selection also entitles startups to free membership in the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, Virginia Bio and the Shenandoah Club.

RAMP, whose office is on South Jefferson Street, has supported new companies seeking to grow since 2017.

The application is online at https://ramprb.com.
The last of three family members charged in the 2021 death of a 7-year-old boy was sentenced Monday in Franklin County Circuit Court to 12 years in prison.

On June 29, 2021, Hunter Cumbie was struck on the head by his grandfather, John Robert Ebel, inside their Rocky Mount home, according to court documents.

Ebels wife and the boys grandmother, Alice Mary Ebel, said they attempted to feed Cumbie that evening, but he became unresponsive. The family laid him on the floor in the living room, where he stayed overnight.

The Ebels didnt seek medical care until the next morning, after an attempt to revive him with a cold shower failed to revive him. The boy died after being airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

The medical examiners office found the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and ruled it a homicide.

The family initially told investigators that the boy had fallen off a trampoline at home because the net had a large hole in it. But investigators located the trampoline with the net intact.

The Ebels later admitted to police that Cumbies grandfather had hit him and his grandmother had witnessed it.

Investigators also found that the boy was routinely denied food in the house, and was punished for stealing food, both at home and at school, according to court documents. He was malnourished and under weight at the time of his death.

Police also interviewed Dakota Wayne Cumbie, the boys uncle, who lived in the same house, during their investigation. Police seized his cellphone, and a download of the devices data revealed thousands of photographs of prepubescent boys.

When he was interviewed, Cumbie admitted that he enjoyed looking at pictures of younger boys because he was, in his words, sick in the head. Cumbie also admitted to inappropriately touching his nephew, beginning when the boy was 5 years old.

Dakota Wayne Cumbie, now 28, pleaded guilty Monday to four felony charges, including aggravated sexual battery, forcible sodomy and two counts of child pornography possession.

In exchange for his plea, another four charges were not prosecuted. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison, suspended after he serves 12, according to a plea agreement with the prosecutor.

On the sexual battery charge, Cumbie was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended after he serves two. On the sodomy charge, he was sentenced to 20 years, suspended after he serves 10. And on the two pornography charges, he received a combined eight-year sentence, all of which was suspended.

Cumbie continued to be held Monday at the Western Virginia Regional Jail. Once released from incarceration, hell be placed on probation for five years.

Judge Tim Allen said Cumbie will have to register as a sex offender with Virginia State Police and comply with sex offender treatment recommended by his probation officer. He will also not be permitted to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.

John Ebel, now 52, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of second-degree murder. In exchange for his plea, two felony child abuse charges were not prosecuted.

Ebel was sentenced in June 2022 to 40 years in prison, suspended after he serves 21. Thereafter, he is to have no unwanted contact with any of the other children that were in his house when Hunter Cumbie suffered his fatal injury.

Ebel is being held at the Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections online offender locator. Once released from prison, he will be on probation for five years.

Alice Ebel, now 54, pleaded guilty in June 2022 to one count of felony child abuse causing serious injury. In exchange for her plea, a felony child cruelty charge was not prosecuted.

Ebel was sentenced in August to 10 years in prison, suspended after she serves two. She is being held at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Fluvanna County, according to the state online offender locator.

Once released from prison, Ebel will spend three years on probation and must have no unsupervised contact with any child under 15 years old.
An independent candidate for the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors says he believes the LGBTQ+ community is being protected by our culture, while the opposite is true for Christians.

Tom McCracken, a pastor at CommUNITY Church in Salem, recently posted a video to Facebook live titled Are we all being treated the same? LGBTQI+ and Christians, where he states Christians are being persecuted, while our culture has gone over and above in the past couple of years to protect the LGBTQ+ community.

Two recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court  with a conservative majority  sided with Christians in landmark cases when it comes to having to provide goods and services to the LGBTQ+ community.

The court has ruled a Colorado baker did not have to make cakes for a same-sex wedding due to his religious beliefs.

It has also ruled Colorado cannot enforce a state anti-discrimination law against a Christian website designer who does not want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, because doing so would violate her First Amendment right to free speech.

Those rulings have been met with pushback by progressives who have said religious freedom does not include the ability to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, which is a protected class in the U.S.

These sorts of debates have reached the Roanoke Valley as well, most recently when a parent at Glen Cove Elementary School accused multiple staff members of being criminals at a Roanoke County School Board meeting in May.

What Im here to talk about is the child abuse, grooming, conditioning and indoctrination by sexual predators disguised as teachers and staff at Glen Cove Elementary, parent and local realtor Damon Gettier said at the May 18 meeting.

While Gettier did not mention staff by name, he named jobs that only have one person in those roles at the school.

It became apparent that the guidance counselor, the school psychologist, the assistant principal and the music teacher were bent on indoctrinating our children on LGBTQA and not on reading, writing and arithmetic, Gettier said.

That all transpired after he said he became aware of rainbows in some classrooms in mid-April, while conversing with his son and another student.

Gettiers comments were met with pushback from hundreds of parents and others at a rally held outside of the school a week later, and again in June when dozens of parents spoke out against his accusations, and the school boards lack of response to Gettiers words.

McCracken, a former Roanoke County School board member, said on Saturday his video had nothing to do with the Glen Cove controversy as he does not have all the facts of what happened, though he said teachers should only be teaching what they are licensed to teach.

He also stated the only flag that should be in schools is the U.S. flag.

McCracken did support Gettier and some board members in a May 27 Facebook post.

My friend Damon Gettier stood in the gap for our children, and now he, his wife Alli Gettier, and their friends are being attacked, the post reads. Pray also for our conservative school board members: Brent Hudson, Tim Greenway, and Cheryl Duetsch Facciani-if we have any hope, its with these three!

He said Saturday he is a proponent of anti-bullying and led a campaign against it in years past in Roanoke County.

McCracken prefaced his recent 11-minute video by stating it might be considered a little bit controversial or offensive, but I assure you that is not where my heart is.

This is a difficult video for me to make. Im very familiar with Christianity, and Im very familiar with the LGBTQI plus queer trans community stretching more than some of you might even know.

McCracken also said I just ask that you hopefully see a heart from me that loves everyone. So bear with me through this. Let me just say that this video is being prompted by God.

He told The Roanoke Times he compared the two groups in his June 27 video, because he believes the groups are similar in that they take on a new identity and new name, and because of the current attention to both groups.

What we are seeing is the LGBTQI+ trans community believe certain things, right? Fundamentally they believe certain things. The first is they believe they have a new identity. That after they are born, there comes a point in time at which cognitively, emotionally they say I feel like I am someone or something else, McCracken said in his video.

He said the the LGBTQ+ community believes it is born without a choice of who they are, and Christians are in the same boat.

But Christianity is who I am  You might see some commonality. First, we believe that we have a new identity, he said, referencing Corinthians 5:17.

He continued with you have a new identity when you surrender to the gospel of Jesus Christ  Christians say they now identify as something different from what they were born as  So we have a new identity. And I would say we dont have a choice. If we believe in heaven, we believe in hell. We believe theres a God that loves us.

He said hes been told by students and teachers in his church that theyve been asked to remove religious symbols from their clothing and a cross from their desk, but didnt specify where.

I am not at liberty to say that at this point, I will tell you that the congregation that I pastor has a very diverse demographic. We have students and teachers and former teachers from Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem city, Botetourt and Bedford, he said.

Roanoke County schools spokesman Chuck Lionberger did not immediately return a request for comment on whether the removal of the symbols happened in that school system.

McCracken references transgender people being able to use the bathroom they are comfortable with in schools and other public places, people being able to display Pride flags wherever they want and how the LGBTQ+ community is being celebrated overall in society.

And lastly, a culture saying that if you are around one of these folks, you need to adapt. You need to change. You need to change your language. You need to change your behavior. You need to change your acceptance. You need to change your worldview, so that you can protect, celebrate and encourage these folks as well, he said.

In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of transgender students rights to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, a case that began in 2015 when a Virginia student sued the Gloucester County School Board after it implemented a policy that forced Grimm to use unisex restroom facilities.

And while McCracken doesnt explicitly say hes against how he perceives the LGBTQ+ community is being treated in the U.S., he does express frustration with how believe Christians are being treated.

We are not protected by this current culture. In fact, were persecuted. We have rules in our society. We have laws for our church. We have new policies for schools that are all outlining what Christians cant do. So were not protected, were persecuted, he said in the video.

McCracken said the cross is considered a hate symbol, and prayer is considered exclusionary.

In fact, we have a culture that says you can pray, you just cant pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Thats what our culture says. Theyve taken the Bible out of school. Theyve taken prayer out of school because again, hate speech and exclusionary prayer, he said.

Not having prayer or religious teaching in schools is not a recent policy, which McCracken acknowledged.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

The First Amendment also outlines the separation between church and state.

And while McCracken said he ideally would want prayer and Christian teaching in schools, he believes its no longer a reality in this country.

So, honestly, I think we are at a point in our society that getting to the place that we were in Andy Griffith days where teachers would lead a classroom and prayer and where announcements would involve scripture.

I think those days are behind us, he said. I honestly think at this point in our culture, anybody would be spinning their wheels in vain, he said Saturday.

McCracken, who was waging an intraparty Republican challenge to Roanoke Countys Catawba District Supervisor Martha Hooker, dropped out of the primary race days before the June 20 primary.

He is now running against Hooker as an independent in Novembers general election for a number of reasons, he said.

Even before I decided to run for the primary, that was a consideration to not be a part of the primary to run as an independent in the general, McCracken said. And then after I decided to run in the primary, it was still like a probationary period, if you will. And I decided to withdraw because my family and friends were being attacked relationally, politically and for a lot of different reasons. I decided to run as an independent to best represent the entire demographic of the Catawba district.

McCracken said he was not ready to discuss the attacks against his family but would at a later date.

Hooker said she has not seen McCrackens video and therefore had no comment.
MULBERRY, Tenn.  For decades, the whiskey and bourbon makers of Tennessee and Kentucky have been beloved in their communities. The distilleries where the liquor is manufactured and barrelhouses where it is aged complemented the rural character of their neighborhoods, while providing jobs and the pride of a successful homegrown industry.

Now, the industry's growing popularity around the world is fueling conflicts at home.

In Kentucky, where 95% of the world's bourbon is manufactured, counties are revolting after the legislature voted to phase out a barrel tax they have depended on to fund schools, roads and utilities. Local officials who donated land and spent millions on infrastructure to help bourbon makers now say those investments may never be recouped.

Neighbors in both states are fighting industry expansion, even suing distillers. Complaints include a destructive fungus, liquor-themed tourist developments and the loss of prime farmland.

Bullitt County has long depended on an annual barrel tax on aging whiskey, which brought in $3.8 million in 2021, said Jerry Summers, a former Jim Beam executive and the judge-executive for the county. The majority goes to schools but the money also is used for services that support the county's Jim Beam and Four Roses plants, including a full-time fire department.

Many new barrelhouses are being built with industrial revenue bonds exempting them from property taxes for years or decades. The counties supported the property tax breaks because they expected to continue collecting the barrel tax. When the state legislature voted to phase it out earlier this year, after intense lobbying by the Kentucky Distillers' Association, county officials felt betrayed.

Once the barrel tax sunsets in 2043, the distillers will pay no taxes at all to Bullitt on some warehouses. The county will still have to provide them with services, protect them and protect the surrounding community from them if anything goes wrong, Summers said.

"Where you have an alcohol-based plant that produces a hazardous material, you need emergency management, EMS, a sheriff's department," he said.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who signed the bill after Kentucky's Republican-controlled legislature passed it, said several industry compromises were vital to his support and the bill will encourage investment.

Kentucky Distillers' Association President Eric Gregory noted the compromise bill creates a new excise tax to help fund school districts. Another tax helps fire and emergency management services, though it does not apply in all counties.

"Even with this relief, distilling remains Kentucky's highest taxed industry, paying $286 million in taxes each year," Gregory said in an email.

Summers remembers a time when whiskey was a cheap, "bottom shelf" drink. With small-batch products, the liquor slowly became cool. American whiskey revenues nearly quadrupled since 2003, reaching $5.1 billion last year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. During the same period, the super premium segment rose more than 20-fold to $1.3 billion.

Now many of the most recognized brands are part of international beverage conglomerates. Jim Beam is owned by Japan-based Beam Suntory. Britain's Diageo owns Bulleit. Italy's Campari Group owns Wild Turkey.

In lobbying for the end of the tax, the distillers' group suggested the industry could leave Kentucky.

Officials like Summers are calling that a bluff. He said Bullitt County does not want any new barrelhouses unless things change, and he is not alone.

Nelson County, home to Heaven Hill, Log Still and other Kentucky communities involved with the industry, recently approved a moratorium on new bourbon warehouse construction while the county updates zoning and permitting rules. Soon, any new projects will be required to seek citizen input and zoning board approval, Judge Executive Timothy Hutchins said.

The county gets about $8.6 million a year from the barrel tax, he said.

In Tennessee's Lincoln County, Jack Daniel's was slapped with a stop-work order after neighbors sued after the company built six 86,000-square-foot warehouses holding 66,000 barrels each on a 120-acre property without permits, according to the lawsuit.

Jack Daniel's retroactively received the proper approvals, but neighbors say their biggest complaint wasn't addressed: A black fungus that feeds on the ethanol emitted as whiskey ages.

"Whiskey fungus" has been been a nuisance around liquor facilities for centuries. The size and scope of the new barrelhouse complexes mean much more ethanol is being released in a concentrated area. The fungus covers homes and cars in a sooty black film, choking trees and shrubs.

When Pam Butler moved to Lincoln County 30 years ago, there were only two barrelhouses nearby, and she had "no issues."

"Then about five years ago, everything started looking grungy," she said.

Butler owns a small farm where she keeps horses adjacent to the Jack Daniel's property. She said her pasture land is not thriving as it should, trees are dying and she developed asthma. She doesn't know if her illness is related to the fungus, but said she only started having symptoms in the past few years.

Butler and several other neighbors want Jack Daniel's to capture its ethanol emissions instead of releasing them.

In Kentucky, famed author and agriculturalist Wendell Berry has another concern: local food security and the destruction of prime agricultural land. He recently lost a fight with distiller Angel's Envy in Louisville over the development of a bourbon tourism complex on a 1,200-acre property adjacent to the farm where he grew up.

Bourbon legends: These Kentucky inns offer a taste of history along with the famous drink Old Talbott Tavern, Bardstown The Samuels House, Loretto Hermitage Farm, Goshen Chateau Bourbon, Prospect Charred Oaks Inn, Versailles The Galt House, Louisville
FREDERICKSBURG  As Michael and Brittany Layne try to piece together how their 17-year-old son, Nick, died from an accident involving fireworks, they say none of the information theyve received makes any sense.

They know he had gone with a neighbor to a friends house in Louisa County, the Saturday before the Fourth of July. Theyve since learned he was on the porch with others about 9:30 p.m., as the fireworks show was about to start.

But no one seems to know what happened next, said the parents, who live in Hanover County. It was dark, and people said they had their backs turned to Nick when they heard this loud boom, the mother said.

He just kind of stopped, she said. I think they ended up laying him down and starting CPR on him right away.

Nicholas Ryan Layne died that night, a month shy of his 18th birthday, in a darkened yard off Belle Meade Road in Bumpass. The Louisa County Sheriffs Department hasnt gotten a report from the medical examiners office on his cause of death.

Nicks parents believe a firework blast threw him into cardiac arrest. But they also said that a funeral home director told them there were no signs of an explosion on his chest or body except for some marks on his left hand.

A spokesman for Found and Sons Funeral Chapel wouldnt confirm what was said, stressing that the funeral home doesnt discuss information shared with family members for privacy reasons.

The only thing I can think is, its just a freak accident. It was just something that you could not even reproduce if you wanted to, Nicks mother said as tears welled in her eyes. I dont question Gods timing or what His will is and were gonna celebrate the 17 years that we had with him.

On Saturday, a week after Nicks death, the Louisa County Sheriffs Office stated in a news release that while responding, deputies were advised that the victim had a firework explode in their hand, was not breathing, and that CPR had been started by individuals on location.

The fire marshal and detectives from several units collected evidence and are awaiting the medical examiners report.

The Louisa County Sheriffs Office responds to numerous calls for service each year involving fireworks, and this incident is proof that handling fireworks the wrong way can cause serious injury or death, said Sheriff Donald Lowe. Let the professionals handle the fireworks while you celebrate New Years and Americas independence responsibly and safe.

Fireworks danger

Last year, 10,200 Americans were treated for injuries from fireworks and 11 of them died, according to a Consumer Product Safety Division report.

Most of the deaths occurred around the July 4th holiday and were associated with mortar-style explosions, according to the CPSD. Misusing fireworks resulted in five fatalities, with victims ranging from ages 11 to 43.

Any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is considered illegal in Virginia, according to the State Fire Marshals Office.

But as evidenced by the glare of red rockets and the booms of pyrotechnic blasts in backyards across the Fredericksburg region last week, plenty of people cross state lines, where they can legally buy whats illegal to have in Virginia, and bring them home.

Then, they become part of the type of Independence Day gathering that Nick Layne attended. His parents had been to similar celebrations over the years and stressed in an interview on Friday that they taught fireworks safety, just as they drilled in proper procedures with firearms, to Nick and his 14-year-old sister, Savannah.

If they dont know, then how can they be safe? his mom asked.

His father cant believe Nick would have lit a firework in the midst of so many people or held one that was lit.

Theres no way that he would have intentionally done anything while on the porch, at someones house with people around, Michael Layne said. He was taught to be much more respectful than that.

Left to wonder

The parents said they dont want the Sheriffs Office to press charges against the homeowners who hosted the party or whoever might have brought illegal fireworks to the event.

While laws at the county, state and federal level address the purchase and transport of fireworks, theyre difficult to enforce unless someone is selling them illegally in Virginia.

Last week, Stafford Fire and Rescue officials seized the largest cache of illegal fireworks in county history, more than $600,000 worth of items that were being sold at a stand in the White Oak area, according to public information officer Katie Brady. The items were displayed in plain sight, and an anonymous tipster told the county about them.

Its a different matter altogether when numerous people are gathered on someones lawn, shooting off fireworks.

The challenge that many of our fire marshals encounter is determining who, in a large group of people, actually purchased, transported and shot off the illegal fireworks, Brady said.

Michael Layne said he was definitely angry from the start about the fact that illegal fireworks were present at the event. But the more he talked to others, including the man who hosted the party, the more he realized the accident involving Nick wasnt anything intentional. They did everything they could to help him.

And what good does being angry do? his wife asked. Its only going to create bitterness in our own hearts. We want to show love and compassion. We dont blame anybody. We want to also be supportive of our daughter, too, because she needs us as well. What would we be teaching her if we got angry?

However, the father would like to know more details about exactly what happened the night his son died.

I just dont want to go on forever, wondering, he said. If I can get a definitive answer, its one more thing I wont have to think about.

Hippie style

As noted in Nick Laynes obituary, the young man loved his long hair and hippie style. It was more than a phase, his family said, with his interest in music and people from the 1960s and 70s starting when he was about 10.

He loved Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, said his grandmother, Sherry Pritchert of Stafford County.

She talked about the weekends he spent at her home, the way hed climb up the shelf in her garage and retrieve about 30 bins of Christmas decorations. Then after the holidays, hed be there to put them all back.

He enjoyed playing bass guitar and putting together complex Lego sets. He loved the outdoors, fishing, playing video games and cards, skateboarding, fast food and lasagna.

He really knew who he was and he was comfortable with who he was, his mother said. He didnt care what anybody else thought. He was just gonna be his own person and we embraced him and we loved him for that.

But it didnt necessarily make him popular in high school, and he was bullied, his parents said. He took some online classes and planned to get a GED when he turned 18.

Nick also wanted to celebrate his birthday by jumping out of an airplane, so his family is honoring those wishes by supporting anyone who wants to fly with him. Friends, family members and co-workers have donated several thousand dollars toward the event, which probably will involve about 12 people skydiving next month.

A relative will take some of his ashes and swirl them into resin beads so the jumpers will have a piece of Nick with them. His parents had planned to be there in August when he made his celebratory jump  to watch and support him, but not to participate.

Its not something that I ever wanted to do, but I feel like I owe it to him, his mother said.
ADDIS ABABA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, on Monday called on warring parties in Sudan to sign an agreement on ceasefire.

In a communique issued at the end of a one-day meeting of IGAD heads of state in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, IGAD said it strongly urges Sudanese warring parties to agree on an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire.

The communique called on the warring parties to immediately stop the violence and called for an effective enforcement and monitoring mechanism.

IGAD also underscored its call for Sudanese leaders to have face-to-face meetings, saying the ongoing military conflict in the country has no military solution.

"IGAD expresses deep concern regarding the impact of the ongoing war in Sudan which has so far killed thousands of people and displaced almost 3 million people including 615,000 refugees," said the communique.

It also expressed concern over the escalation of the conflict outside of the country's capital Khartoum.

Brutal fighting erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on April 15 and swiftly escalated in different parts of the country.

The ongoing fighting is pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Force (RSF). Both sides have accused each other of initiating the conflict.

Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter's integration into the army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on Dec. 5, 2022. 
A new interpretation of an old law gives homebuilders leverage over California cities and their zoning codes. Theyre using it to push through thousands of new apartments around the state.
" " The surface-to-surface Fateh 110 ballistic missile (seen here) is made in and by Iran and is thought to be one of the ballistic missiles used by Iran in the Jan. 7, 2020, attack on U.S. airbases in Iraq. Mohsen Shandiz/Corbis via Getty Images

In 2017, North Korea unexpectedly staged a test launch of what was then a new ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-2. The launch took place when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on a state visit to the United States. There have been many more test launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea since. Between May and October 2019, North Korea launched as many as 12 ballistic missiles or other projectiles. But they have all been just test launches.

Things got real, though, on Jan. 7, 2020, when Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops. This was not a test launch. It was Iran's retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3, 2020. There were no casualties and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the missile strike on the U.S. bases in Iraq, saying it was an act of "self-defense."

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But for the non-military minded among us, these ballistic missile launches  both the constant test launches in North Korea and the intentional strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq  may raise a good question: What exactly is a ballistic missile, anyway? Is there something about the ballistic part that makes a missile even more dangerous? After all, when someone freaks out we say they've "gone ballistic."

According to the Federation of American Scientists, a ballistic missile is one that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path. What that means is that once the missile burns up the fuel that propels it, the missile keeps moving, the same way that a bullet does after it's been fired out of a gun. Once the fuel is gone, the missile's direction can't be altered. It follows a path determined by the speed of its launch and the force of gravity trying to pull it back toward the Earth's surface. Eventually, gravity guides the missile  and its payload, which might be an explosive, a chemical or biological weapon, or a nuclear device  down toward its target.

Ballistic missiles are different than cruise missiles. Cruise missiles are self-propelled for the majority of their time in the air, flying in a relatively straight line and at lower altitudes thanks to a rocket propellant. Think of a ballistic missile's flight path as a large arc up and back down again, while that of a cruise missile  fired from a warship, for instance  is closer to a straight line.

Ballistic missiles first came into use during World War II, when the Germans used a ballistic missile called the V-2 to attack London. British air defenses designed to stop aircraft couldn't stop the V-2s, because the rockets traveled too high into the upper atmosphere and moved too fast.

After the war, the U.S., with the help of captured German technology and scientists, built its own arsenal of even more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of unleashing nuclear destruction upon targets on the other side of the world. The Soviet Union and China built ICBMs as well, setting up a world where a nuclear war was deterred by the prospect of mutual assured destruction.

Now That's Scary The North Korean regime successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in July and November 2017. Its Hwasong-15 ICBM reached an altitude of 2,780 miles (4,475 kilometers) and flew about 590 miles (1,000 kilometers) before landing in the sea off the coast of Japan. Analysts estimate the Hwasong-15 has a potential range of 8,100 miles (13,000 kilometers). If it's fired on a flatter trajectory, it could reach potentially reach anywhere on the U.S. mainland.
What do we know about the chemicals on the train, and what concerns you the most?

What do we know about the chemicals on the train, and what concerns you the most?

The main concern now is the contamination of homes, soil and water, primarily from volatile organic compounds and semivolatile organic compounds, known as VOCs and SVOCs.

The train had nearly a dozen cars with vinyl chloride and other materials, such as ethylhexyl acrylate and butyl acrylate. These chemicals have varying levels of toxicity and different fates in soil and groundwater. Officials have detected some of those chemicals in the nearby waterway and particulate matter in the air from the fire. But so far, the fate of many of the chemicals is not known. A variety of other materials was also released, but discussion about those chemicals has been limited.

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State officials disclosed that a plume of contamination released into the nearby creek had made its way into the Ohio River. Other cities get their drinking water from the river and were warned about the risk. The farther this plume moves downstream, the less concentrated the chemical will be in water, posing less of a risk.

In the long term, the greatest risk is to areas closest to the derailment location. And again, there's limited information about what chemicals are present  or were created through chemical reactions during the fire.

It isn't clear yet how much went into storm drains, was flushed down the streams or may have settled to the bottom of waterways.

There was also a lot of combusted particulate matter. The black smoke is a clear indication. It's unclear how much was diluted in the air or fell to the ground.
FLORENCE, S.C.  For two hours every second Saturday of the month car aficionados gather in the front parking lot of Highland United Methodist Church for Cars and Coffee, an outreach ministry launched and now shepherded along by Jim and Vicki Vidt.

We fall under local ministries, said Vicki Vidt of Saturdays gathering.

The event started seven years ago with a mention to the churchs pastor, then a second.

I gathered some information, talked to the pastor again and he said Great. Go for it. We started out with 12 cars and now we average about 80, she said. Saturdays number, about an hour in, was 85 cars that ranged from a couple of Fords from the dawn of motoring to a couple of very recent Corvettes.

People showing their cars and other people coming to look at them and theres no charge for either, she said. Its just a good time, its only two hours and its a fun time for people to get together and look at each others vehicles. Some are new, some are pretty old and some are in the process of getting fixed up.

I think that why a lot of people like it, it doesnt cost them anything to come, she said. We do it once a month, always the second Saturday, we have a good time and its fun.

No pressure, no competition, just a friendly get-together and gathering of car nuts, said Robert Gainey as he polished his blue Mustang GT. Just walk around, talk to people and have a good time.

As Gainey continued to polish his Mustang to a mirror-like finish he said just to show it was a lot less work than entering into competition.

Later in the year, Gainey said, he was going to take his car to Melbourne, Fla, for a national show which would require him to travel with a lot of cleaning and polishing tools.

Its a job, Gainey said with a smile.

James Cook drove to Saturdays show in his Pilot V8  a car with the steering wheel on the right side for driving in England  not so much for driving on this side of the pond.

But given it was built by Ford for sale in England that was to be expected.

It was back in about 86 when I got it. It was a basket case, Cook said. I had to winch it up on a trailer to get it home. The people I got it from were going to restore it, got to tearing it apart and got disenchanted with it. It sat in my garage for about three years and I started restoring it in 1990  at least get it running to where I could drive it.

The challenge in restoring it was finding parts.

I had to find a parts place in England first. Some Ford part s in the U.S. are interchangeable but most of them arent, Cook said.

He had the engine rebuilt from metric to standard.

Gets about six miles a gallon, Cook said.

As for the Vidts, they know a little bit about vintage cars.

They had a yellow convertible VW Beetle on display.
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Travel more meaningfully and responsibly to the beautiful islands of Maldives.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort. (Photo: Trip.com)

The Maldives is all about the sun, the sand, and the sea, right? Yes, and no.

It is a tropical paradise known for its luxurious and idyllic setting, pristine white-sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and abundant marine life. Attracting visitors worldwide, it is a popular destination for honeymooners, beach lovers, and diving enthusiasts.

But besides all the glam and glory, the Maldives is also where you can embark on meaningful adventures and positively impact the local environment and communities.

In recent years, the Maldives has faced environmental challenges due to rising sea levels and coral bleaching. The government has been actively promoting sustainable tourism and protecting the fragile ecosystem.

You can be a part of responsible travel and sustainable tourism with these three resorts at the Maldives. They offer different eco-activities that can make your travel to the Maldives more meaningful and memorable.

1. Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa

Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa. (Photo: Trip.com)

Best for: animal and marine life lovers

The resort has partnered with its dive partner, Sub Oceanic, to produce a range of immersive conservation initiatives, led by the resorts marine biologist. Through these programmes, you can learn about key environments that make up the Maldives delicate ecosystem. Youll be awarded a certificate when you complete four out of six hands-on modules: Seagrass Hopper, Mangrove 101, Reef Explorer, Turtle Quest, Ray Bay, and Build A Coral Reef.

Your participation in the programmes will contribute to the ongoing research required to conserve and care for the delicate ecosystem. (Photo: Marriott)

Your participation in the programmes will contribute to the ongoing research required to conserve and care for the delicate ecosystem. This includes identifying coral, turtles, rays and sharks, and monitoring their health over time.

2. Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. (Photo: Trip.com)

Best for: snorkelling and diving enthusiasts

In partnership with Reefscapers, the resort has a coral-fragment plantation activity that promotes reef habitats. Coral reefs are not only a beautiful sight, but they are also essential in providing food and protection for marine life. But due to climate change and rising sea temperatures, these coral reefs are losing their vibrancy to bleaching and are gradually deteriorating and dying.

By planting coral fragments on a frame, you are essentially aiding corals' reproduction as they mature into new colonies in the resorts lagoon. You can also snorkel to visit the underwater sites of the coral programme to see the marine life flourishing around these coral frames.

By planting coral fragments on a frame, you are essentially aiding the reproduction of corals as they grow and mature into new colonies in the resorts lagoon. (Photo: Marriott)

In addition, your participation in the coral-fragment plantation activity will provide employment for 250 local inhabitants on an island in Baa Atoll called Fulhadhoo, where the coral frames and designed and made.

3. The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort. (Photo: Trip.com)

Best for: culture and traditions fanatics

The resort is offering Liye Laajehun (Maldivian lacquer handicraft) workshops with the help of local craftsmen, where you can try your hand at the intricate craft. Traditional arts and crafts, like wood carving, are on the verge of disappearance as industrialisation and diminished interest overtake the current society. The number of artisans who practise these traditional art forms is getting scarce.

You can help keep traditional art forms alive by joining the workshop, where you can observe the craftsmen work and work on your own lacquerware. (Photo: Marriott)

But you can help keep such traditional art forms alive by joining the workshop, where you can observe the craftsmen work and work on your own lacquerware. This will help to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Liye Laajehun for future generations. You can also buy crafts and support the local economy.

Check airfare here: Skyscanner | Trip.com | Expedia

Book accommodations and activities here: Agoda | Booking.com | Klook | KKday | HotelsCombined

Save big, get the all-inclusive pass & explore your destination in-depth: GoCity

General info here: Tripadvisor

Affordable data plans here

And while you are at it, get your travel insurance with Alliance Assistance | Income | Prudential!
ONAWA, Iowa  An Onawa woman has pleaded not guilty of stabbing her boyfriend.

Inessa Lyons, 30, entered her written plea Friday in Monona County District Court to charges of attempted murder and willful injury.

Attempted murder is a Class B felony that carries a 50-year prison sentence. Willful injury is a Class C felony punishable by 10 years in prison.

In the early morning hours of May 10, authorities were called to Burgess Health Center in Onawa, where Derek Webster Jr. was being treated for a stab wound to the chest.

According to court documents, Webster and Lyons initially told sheriff's deputies Webster had been jumped by a motorcycle driver outside a local bar. Lyons later admitted she stabbed Webster with a knife in their apartment's kitchen because he had repeatedly asked her to drive him to a store to buy more alcohol.

Lyons was previously convicted of manslaughter at age 15 for the 2008 fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl in Macy, Nebraska, and sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison.
These decisions arent like a company combing the fine print for a reason to reject your claim for reimbursement. Insurance companies want to find a way to sell a policy.

If the only objective is to increase the odds of stopping a mass shooting at an Iowa school, then, by all means, give school employees guns and train them. Theyd have a chance to act more quickly and decisively than a single school resource officer or off-site emergency responders.

But thats not the only objective. Families want students to be safe all the other days when theres no massacre to be thwarted, too. EMC Insurance of Des Moines recognized this, albeit from a business perspective, and has thwarted the plans of district leaders in Spirit Lake and Cherokee to begin arming some of the faculty. The districts school boards said EMC refused to insure them unless they reversed the policies.

Republicans in the Iowa Legislature tried to get out in front of the question of coverage for schools that bring weapons to their campuses, but a measure to limit insurers discretion  just one part of a broad gun-rights bill  stalled this spring.

These developments underscore one older problem and help to illuminate a newer one.

Good guy with a gun leaves out a lot of tragic risks

The old problem is an old argument, often articulated: The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. There have been well-publicized incidents of civilian heroes mitigating tragedy, including at an Indiana mall last summer. But this idea is compelling only at the moment when the bad guy is about to start taking lives.

At all other times, the presence of extra firearms in a school  in the care of staff members whose training was almost surely far less extensive than a police officers, in the vicinity of dozens or hundreds of children of widely variable maturity  simply increases the probability of a different kind of tragedy. A curious kindergartner finds and discharges a sloppily secured gun. A school employee misreads the danger in a fight between students and maims or kills one. A suicidal teenager doesnt have a gun at home, but figures out how to get to it at school.

Every indication is that Spirit Lake and Cherokee developed thoughtful policies with stringent safeguards to prevent those scenarios. But no safeguard changes the addition of deadly weapons to the school building.

Professional actuaries judge risks for a living. EMC apparently told the districts that its actuaries homework didnt support issuing school policies with these risks present.

Iowa Legislature shouldnt try to force insurers to provide coverage

In swoops the Iowa Legislature. State Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Denison, told the Storm Lake Times Pilot recently that one reason the bill to compel insurance coverage didnt advance in the Senate is that, to his credit, he was trying to negotiate a resolution with EMC instead of making a business do something it doesnt want to do.

But other lawmakers have strongly suggested that the goal of letting districts bring in guns is worth threatening insurers through state law.

EMC has been at this for a decade; it refused to insure Kansas schools that wanted to arm staff in 2013. Schultz, referring to insurers scrutiny of staff-with-guns policies, said at a committee meeting in March, I think that is based on fear and distrust.

Its worth remembering that these decisions arent like a company combing the fine print for a reason to reject your claim for reimbursement. Insurance companies want to find a way to sell a policy

Another trend in school insurance deserves more attention

Or lawmakers could start work on another insurance issue that affects all Iowa schools: rising premiums and little competition.

What Spirit Lake and Cherokee discovered, according to local news reports, was that they did not have feasible choices outside of EMC. In addition, Iowa schools in general are no exception from a national trend of rapidly increasing premiums in education.

The reasons for the increases are varied, although one of them is more frequent damage from extreme weather linked to climate change. Gaining a better understanding of the insurance market for schools would be well worth the time of Iowa legislators and their staffs in the coming months.

This is about assessing risk, not an anti-gun agenda

Like the good guy with a gun mantra, this spin makes huge assumptions about the competence of armed personnel to defuse a crisis or to avoid inadvertently creating one.

We dont think EMCs judgment is about personal politics. Lawmakers should leave insurance companies alone on this issue. And school boards should stop trying to put more guns in schools.
Extreme heat makes pregnancy more dangerous

Posted on 10 July 2023 by Guest Author

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Samantha Harrington

Esther Sanchezs pregnancy this summer has coincided with extreme heat in Madrid, Spain, where she lives. Overnight temperatures there have been particularly uncomfortable. One recent morning, her living room was still 88 degrees Fahrenheit [31 C] at 6 a.m.

So it was impossible to sleep and to rest and have a normal day  a normal life, she said.

For many pregnant people  a group that can include women, girls, transgender men, and nonbinary people  heat is more than just uncomfortable. Its dangerous.

Pregnant people are more likely to experience heat stroke and heat exhaustion, according to the CDC. High temperatures can increase risks of stillbirth and preterm birth. And experts worry that state officials may scrutinize such pregnancy outcomes more closely in the wake of the June 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion.

Climate change raises these stakes even higher. Hot days are already more common. Heat waves are hotter and last longer than they were in the past, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses and death.

How heat affects pregnancy

Pregnant people face an elevated risk of heat-related illnesses because their bodies are working overtime to keep themselves and the growing fetus cool. They are also more likely to be dehydrated and thus produce less sweat, which is dangerous because sweating is a key way the body cools itself. Additionally, people exposed to extreme heat during pregnancy are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure and preeclampsia, a potentially fatal pregnancy complication. And heat exposure during pregnancy increases the risk of heart problems during labor and delivery.

Recent studies have also shown that exposure to heat is dangerous for the developing fetus and can cause stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, congenital abnormalities, and infant death soon after birth.

Sandie Ha, an assistant professor in public health at the University of California, Merced, analyzed 70 studies on the influence of heat on pregnancy outcomes. In her review, she found that estimates suggest a 16% higher risk of preterm birth during heat wave days compared to non-heatwave days. About one in 10 U.S. infants is born prematurely.

Ha also found that the stillbirth risk was 46% higher during heat waves compared to non-heat wave days. About 1 in 160 U.S. births are stillbirths, according to the CDC.

The risk for preterm birth and stillbirth increases about 5% with each additional degree Fahrenheit, she found.

One of the things I hear is, Oh, well, so these risks are small. So do we need to care about these risks? Well, yes, Ha said. Even if the risk is small for individuals, as a society, it can accumulate and it becomes a big public health impact.

The specific pathways by which heat affects pregnancy are not yet well known. But Has review suggests that extreme heat causes inflammation, which can decrease blood and nutrient flow to the fetus.

The time frames during pregnancy in which heat exposure is riskiest are not clear yet, but the risk of stillbirth appears most commonly associated with heat exposure early in the pregnancy. Because research on this subject is ongoing and uncertainties remain, it can be difficult for health care providers and patients to manage heat risks.

Adelle Monteblanco, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Middle Tennessee State University, has worked with maternal health care providers in El Paso, Texas, to provide them with training on how to keep patients safe during extreme heat.

A lot of them want to know the magic, like, which trimester is the worst one for exposure, or whats the magic number of what temperature is too high, she said. Nobody has that information, unfortunately.

The fall of Roe v. Wade means people may be prosecuted for poor pregnancy outcomes

The criminalization of abortion in a growing number of U.S. states also increases the risks associated with extreme heat and pregnancy. Thats particularly true for marginalized communities that are already heavily policed. Some people who lose pregnancies as a result of heat exposure may be subject to prosecutions if they are suspected of obtaining an illegal abortion.

As well see from the SCOTUS decision, pregnant people are going to be criminalized for pregnancy outcomes, Monteblanco said. And they cant help that they live in a community impacted by environmental injustice, that theyre breathing polluted air, or that their workplaces require them to be exposed to unhealthy temperatures.

Between 1973 and 2020, at least 1,700 people in the U.S. have been arrested, prosecuted, convicted, detained, or forced to undergo medical interventions because of their pregnancy status or outcomes, according to the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, a nonprofit legal defense group.

Public defender Emily Galvin-Almanza said she is worried that people will be criminalized for pregnancy outcomes such as preterm births and low birth weight. And she said that she expects to see increased prosecutions based on physical activity during pregnancy, which prosecutors claim constitute reckless endangerment of the fetus.

In the past, people have been scrutinized or prosecuted by authorities for miscarriages and stillbirths that occurred after, though not necessarily because of, falling down stairs, being shot during an argument, giving birth at home, having drugs (including legal drugs) in their system, eating a poppy seed bagel, being in a car accident, and more. Several cases of alcohol or drug use during pregnancy were brought to the attention of authorities because women were seeking medical care after being assaulted by a husband or boyfriend, according to the National Advocates for Pregnant Women.

Compounding risks heighten heat concerns during pregnancy

Heat gets even more dangerous during pregnancy when combined with other risk factors like air pollution, lack of access to cool spaces and healthcare, and other medical conditions.

Air pollution adds health risks: Some air pollution, like ozone, is more common on hot days. Poor air quality poses its own problems to pregnant people and fetuses, including increasing the risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, pregnancy loss, preterm birth, and restricted fetal growth.

Some air pollution, like ozone, is more common on hot days. Poor air quality poses its own problems to pregnant people and fetuses, including increasing the risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, pregnancy loss, preterm birth, and restricted fetal growth. Poverty and structural racism increase exposure to heat and poor air quality: Low-income and Black and Brown communities and incarcerated people are more at risk of exposure to increased heat and poor air quality. They are more likely to live in areas that lack green spaces and infrastructure like pools and cooling centers. They also are less likely to have health insurance and access to safe and trusted medical care. Black, Hispanic and Native people already have higher maternal mortality rates than white Americans. They also are more likely to be exposed to extreme heat at work.

Hot workplaces can be dangerous: Kameron Dawson, staff attorney at the Nashville office of A Better Balance, a nonprofit that helps pregnant workers understand their rights, said her organization has seen workers in kitchens struggle with pregnancy and heat exposure.



They are not sure how to ask for things like a water bottle or access to additional breaks, Dawson said. There are many instances where workers are afraid to ask for those reasonable accommodations because theyre not sure if theyre going to be fired.

Other medical conditions make pregnant people extra vulnerable to heat: Some medical conditions also increase risk of heat-related illnesses on their own and make it even harder for bodies to stay cool during pregnancy. Sanchez in Madrid has multiple sclerosis, often called MS, and heat worsens the symptoms of the disease.



Because of the MS, if I get heated, I cant think straight. I get really tired. Everythings blurry. And it starts feeling funny in my hands and feet, she said. With the pregnancy, Ive been feeling that it happens quicker.



Other conditions exacerbated by heat include migraines, autoimmune diseases, and respiratory illnesses. These conditions are not associated with poor outcomes for the fetus but can cause harm to the pregnant person. Heat can also lead to poor mental health, which can have physiological effects that can cause pregnancy complications, loss, preterm delivery, and low birthweight.

Intimate partner violence threatens the health of pregnant people: Extreme heat also affects the mental health of the people in the pregnant persons life. Heatwaves are associated with increases in intimate partner violence, which is already a leading cause of death for pregnant people in the U.S.

How to make pregnancy safer during heat waves

Many policies and solutions can lead to safer and healthier pregnancies despite the increasing risks brought about by climate change.

The first, and most obvious, is to limit climate change itself. According to the National Climate Assessment, a sweeping scientific report documenting the effects of climate change on the United States, the rapid growth of extreme temperatures can still be reduced. If global emissions of heat-trapping pollution are slowed, pregnancies will be safer worldwide.

Ha and Monteblanco said they would like to see more training for maternal healthcare providers about the risks associated with extreme heat. But both mentioned that providers are limited in the kinds of recommendations they can provide, particularly for people without access to air conditioning at home or work.

One of the reasons I struggle with this work is were putting a lot of responsibility on the doctor and/or midwife and/or nurse to educate the patient, and were putting a lot of responsibility on the patient to be like, OK, I wont wait for the bus in the hot weather, and I wont work outside even though my family depends on the paycheck, Monteblanco said.

Policy changes could make workplaces and neighborhoods safer places to be pregnant. Dawson at A Better Balance said that pregnant workers have some existing protections under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Americans with Disabilities Act that may allow them to receive accommodations at work, like a stool to sit on or an extra bottle of water.

But Dawson said that those protections dont go far enough. So A Better Balance has been working to get states to pass stronger protections. And the group has been advocating for the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives in 2021 and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

Other policy solutions could be adopted to protect pregnant people in the United States. Monteblanco pointed to the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which was introduced to Congress in 2021 and included in the stalled Build Back Better Act. The Momnibus is a collection of legislation focused on resources and support for marginalized pregnant people designed to lessen racial and economic disparities in maternal mortality.

One of the pieces of legislation included in the Momnibus is called Protecting Moms and Babies against Climate Change, which includes resources for training health care professionals about climate change risks.

Monteblanco said that legislation that protects reproductive rights and limits air pollution would help make pregnancy safer for everyone. Recent Supreme Court decisions striking down abortion rights and limiting the EPAs authority may preclude some federal actions. But states and Congress still have options to enshrine rights for pregnant people.

At a local level, municipalities can invest in building safer communities for pregnant people. Has review found emerging evidence that green spaces like parks and urban forests can help reduce the impact of extreme heat on pregnancy. Access to public pools can also help pregnant people cool down.

Monteblanco said everyone has a part to play in making their community safer for pregnant people.

Its not on women, right, its just its too much. Its too much for them to be held responsible for pregnancy outcomes. We ask them to give up so much during pregnancy. Were all invested in healthy outcomes, were all invested in healthy families, and that means we all need to check in on each other, she said. Ask them if they need fruit salad, ask them if they need water, ask them if they need your air conditioning for the weekend.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

Im not attracted to my wife since she had our son two years ago. Its not that her body is radically differentshes within a couple of pounds of her pre-baby weightits just impossible for me to look at her and think of her as a sexual being and not just a mom. Maybe part of it is that our son is still nursing and so my wifes body is literally being used for mothering purposes all the time. Maybe part of it is that her only interests right now are her job and our kid (understandably; she doesnt have time for anything else). Ive never found moms attractive in the past. If I thought a friend was cute, the minute she had a baby she became unattractive to me. But everyone said it would be different with my own wife because, of course, we had a history together. Its not different. I feel like an asshole and I dont know what to do.

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Mother, Not Wife

Dear Not Wife,

Im going to assume best intent with you here, since you took the trouble to write to an advice column instead of stepping out on your marriage or complaining on some Reddit thread. I appreciate that you say you feel like an asshole, because, respectfully, you sound like one. But, to some extent, I can empathize with where you are. After my first kid was born, I (a woman and the birthing partner) was the one who felt like my role as mother (and particularly a nursing mother) was at odds with being someones sexual partner, and it took me several months to get back in the saddle. So, I do think a kind of mind game can crop up when our bodies are suddenly put to a different purpose than they were before. For some folks, motherhood is a turn-on, for others, its a turn-off, and for others still, its neutral.

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You say that your wifes only interests are her job and your kid. Really?? Ive never once met a woman who said, You know, since becoming a mom, I dont even miss all my previous hobbies, friends, and social activities. None of them matter now that I have little Jacob. On the contrary, I have met plenty of women who lament being the default parent who is responsible for most of the parenting decisions, household management, and in-the-moment nurturing (despite working full time just like their partner does). Id encourage you to take a long, hard look at whether you are putting your wife into the mother category in more ways than just your sexual attraction. If you think your wife would be more attractive or recognizable to you if she got back into some of her previous pastimes, then good news: that is something you can directly influence today by taking on a more significant parenting role or outsourcing some of the household tasks to a third party! Basically, if you have time for your interests, but she doesnt have time for hers, then I direct you to these lyrics from Taylor Swifts latest hit: Its me, hi! Im the problem, its me.

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Along those same lines, have you tried to date your wife since becoming parents? Its easy to get caught up in the daily humdrum of diapers, school parties, and bedtime routines; actively going out just the two of you can help remind you of what you found attractive about your partner.

My next point is something youre probably already expecting me to say: Get to therapy. A marriage counselor or sex therapist can help you understand and unpack why your attraction has changed and help you and your wife find your way back to each other. This seems especially important since you mention that this has been a trend for you; its a pretty misogynistic way to think about women. Tread very carefully when raising this problem with your wifein fact, try to do some of this work on your own before you burden her with it. Im sure on some level she already knows something is going on, but no one enjoys being told that they are no longer attractive to their partner; if you dont choose your words precisely, you risk unintentionally blaming her. Apologize that you are putting her in this position and ask her for help in getting you back on track. This route is going to require significant vulnerability, honesty, and humility on your part. If that seems daunting, think of it as a gift you are giving to your partner, your child, and yourself. Good luck.

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Want Advice From Care and Feeding?

Submit your questions about parenting and family life here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

Dear Care and Feeding,

I am a 17-year-old girl who likes to go on walks and bike rides. Normally, I would go on walks with my parents, but theyve been busy. At my age, I think I should be allowed to go on walks a couple of miles away from home. I live in a safe, suburban city and most of the people Ive encountered on my walks are dog walkers and young families. My parents, however, refuse to let me go anywhere on my own. My mom thinks that because I am a quiet person, Id be easily abducted and incapable of defending myself. I think she is being paranoid. Im honestly kind of offended that she thinks Im so helpless and stupid. While I understand my parents concerns, I think theyre being too overprotective. How do I convince them Ill be fine?

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Stuck at Home and Bored

Dear Signoff,

You are nearly a grown adult, so given your age and (I assume) previously demonstrated sense of responsibility, I would expect your parents to give you some increased freedom. To me, what youre asking for sounds reasonable. Still, for some parents, it can feel monumental to let your kidyes, even at 17out into the world without a safety net. (And if you havent been responsible in the past, its understandable why they would balk at any free-ranging now.)

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Ask them to meet you halfway by compromising on a few criteria. Maybe you cant walk wherever and whenever you want, but could you agree on specific areas of town or times of day? Maybe you can carry pepper spray and let them track your phone; you could offer to enroll in a womens self-defense class. As gently as you can, point out that their no-walks rule feels like overkill, considering in less than a year you will be a legal adult who will be allowed to walk just about anywhere. You might even point out that by letting you walk with these safeguards now, theyre helping you develop habits that will likely stick as you move into college and adulthood.

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You cant convince them youll be fine, but hopefully, you can guide them along the pathway of acceptable risk. Good luck!

Catch Up on Care and Feeding

 If you missed Sundays column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

We have 10- and 19-year-old daughters. My husband is clearly favoring the younger one, to the continuous chagrin of the elder. I agree with him that the older one needs to push herself more and get it together, but I dont agree with openly supporting one while constantly finding fault with the other. Any discussions we have end up in arguments and a general souring of the relationship between all of us for weeks on end, and Im afraid the eldest will soon choose to move out, just to be away from her dad. She already chose to go to the furthest university she got an offer for, and, were it not for absurd rent prices, she would have stayed there for the summer. It breaks my and her younger sisters heart. Help!

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Mums the Word

Dear Mum,

Have you ever spoken directly to your eldest daughter about her fathers behavior? You and I can make assumptions about how she feels and what she needs, but it might be helpful to have a sidebar with her about how shes doing. Share your observations of your husbands behavior, and ask her how his behavior is affecting her and what she would want the relationship to look like going forward. Brainstorm how you can help create that future shed want. For example, maybe she wants you to stand up in the moment and tell your husband that his comments are out-of-bounds. Or perhaps the blow-ups you mention arent worth it to her, and shed rather just lie low when shes home from breaks. Follow her lead and keep your promises to her; asking how you can help and then not doing it is often worse than never asking in the first place.

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Meanwhile, you and your husband need to have a serious one-on-one conversation. (If this is likely to lead to another blow-up, choose a weekend where both kids are out of the house for a couple of days.) He needs to understand that his behavior is not only hurting his eldest daughter, but you and the youngest as well. He doesnt have to necessarily change his opinions about each daughters life choices, but he does need to keep more of those opinions to himself. If he cant change his patterns on his own, insist on couples counseling (I get the feeling hed be reticent to do therapy on his own) where he can gain some tools to break his bad habits. If he wont go, theres no reason you cant go on your own.

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Your husband may be among the parents out there who think that their job is to shape their kids into who they want them to be. Bad news, Im afraid. We, parents, are more like tour guides than sculptors. Sure, we can nudge our kids in a certain direction, but a lot of who they become is outside our control. (The exception, of course, is abuse, trauma, and neglect, which can have drastic and dire impacts on how a child grows into adulthood.) There is a lot of joy (and freedom) in parenting once you shift your mindset from make my kid a model human to I cant wait to see who he/she will turn out to be. If you think your husband needs this kind of mental course correction, try steering him toward this Ted Talk or this article.

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Your husbands relationship with your eldest daughter might not ever be what it could be, but how you conduct yourself will determine your future relationship with her. Shell remember you showing up for her, so do what you can to be noticeably and proudly in her corner.

Dear Care and Feeding,

Im sure this question is stepping into a minefield but Im at the end of my rope. My sister (36) has a son (6) who is craving attention from her. Normally, Im of the opinion that you shouldnt tell others how to parent, but Im concerned about how his behavior is going to look in school and in the future. I dont want him turning into a brat.

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When Thomas was a baby, my sister worked out of the house while her husband worked from home. She eventually put the pieces together and realized that her husband was not working, but sleeping, and neglecting Thomas the whole time. (Hed be in the crib for hours crying without his father responding.) She filed for divorce. After that, likely out of some guilt, she became super permissive. Every line she drew, shed let Thomas push her back. (Think: If you dont eat half your food, no dessert OK, a quarter of your food, well, five bites. Oh good, you had a bite, you can have dessert.) As this has gone on, my sister has become increasingly disengaged as well. She is constantly texting people with him around. He is difficult to deal with when she isnt around, and nearly impossible when she is.

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This came to a head recently. We were on a family trip to a museum. Thomas was clearly looking for some attention, but my sister would provide a brief reply before going right back to texting. So, Thomas did what he usually does: He threw a giant fit. He refused to move, demanded to go somewhere, and just slumped down in a corner. That got my sisters attention. She managed to put her phone down enough to try and bribe him into behaving (yes bribe, by getting him ice cream when we were done). Then she engaged appropriately with him. But it took the fit to get her engaged. It is a reoccurring pattern. He wants attention, but the only way he gets it is by having tantrums. His behavior is what Id think of for a 3- or 4-year-old. I dont know how he is in school. I would like to have a discussion with my sister about her phone use and her reactions to Thomas, but Im sure its going to cause a big fight between us. Im not even sure shell listen. Is there any somewhat reasonable and neutral way to approach this, or should I just stay out of it?

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Give Him Attention!

Dear Attention,

As well-intentioned as you may be, this is indeed a minefield you are considering stepping into. I cant draw you a path to success for this conversation, but I can offer thoughts to mull over.

You dont mention if you are a parent yourself. If you are not, I would abandon the whole idea, unless she invites the conversation. I am struggling to think of something less welcome than parenting advice from a non-parent.

If you have kids but you also have a full-time co-parent, I would still tread very cautiously. Kids are great, but the conversations, as you know, can be endless, boring, and slow, to name a few adjectives. When there isnt another parent in the household, they are even harder, because there is no one else to volley with; you are the sole converser all the time, with no breaks and no adult conversation to shake it up. Imagine if your entire socialization within your home was about PJ Masks villains, itchy underwear, whether someone earned dessert, why you cant watch another episode of Bluey, whether a planet could ever have a purple sky, is there a planet with a purple sky, do you know whether there is a planet with a purple sky, why we have to comb hair, why the town named that street that name you get the picture. Its really hard to be that engaged all the time. And she might be taking the opportunity, when you and other adults are around to watch her kid and engage with him, to mentally check out. So, before you do anything, be absolutely sure you are giving her grace, and remember that you are only seeing a portion of her day.

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That said, its very possible that your observation is correctthat Thomas has learned to throw fits as a means to get his way or get attention. I still dont think there is a great way to bring that up with your sister. I think you have to wait until she remarks on his behavior in a way that indicates she is struggling. At that point, you can say something like, Do you notice any patterns about when he does it? Like if youre on your phone, or out of sight or something? Asking open-ended questions in a non-judgmental way can be an effective way to point her in a directionfar better, I think, than offering straight-up commentary.

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You can also offer to babysit Thomas frequently or host him for a sleepover. See how he copes with the rules or limits that you set for him. If he behaves reasonably for you, then a) thats probably your best clue as to how he does in school, and b) you can report back to his mom how he did, and maybe shell pick up on the patterns. You also get the added bonus of being a moderating influence in his life, if it is needed. Bottom line: No parent is perfect and every parent needs help. But often, the help we need is less about advice and more about support. Be sure thats where your brain is at as you contemplate your next step.

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Allison

More Advice From Slate

I have a 16-year-old son who recently obtained his drivers license. He saved up enough money and, with his dads help, got a used car. His dad and I are divorced and have been since our son was 5. Before he got his own car, my son used to spend a couple of nights a week and every other weekend with his dad. I assumed this would continue after he started driving, but it hasnt. He comes home after he gets off work every night, eats, does his homework, and goes to bed. On the weekends, hes out with friends. Its getting to the point where hes going weeks without seeing his dad, and Im concerned.
On Friday, a three-member panel of the Bar of the District of Columbia recommended unanimously that Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for his role filing frivolous litigation on behalf of former President Donald Trump following the 2020 election. The recommendation comes one year into a disciplinary process that has been unfolding in D.C. and two years after New York suspended the former New York City mayor from practicing law in the state for similar impropriety.

The D.C. allegations focus on Giulianis efforts in Pennsylvania to overturn Bidens roughly 80,000-vote victory in the state based on nothing more than conjecture. While an investigatory panel issuing a pitiless smackdown of Giulianis 2020 post-election conduct is nothing new at this point, this latest recommendation (much like the previous New York ruling) shines a spotlight on how corrupt Giulianis litigation strategy for Trump in 2020 was and offers an appropriate remedy. Also like in the New York case, many of the panels admonishments of Giulianiand of his absurd defenses for his behaviorare quite funny.

What follows are some of the most amusing and brutal excerpts from the panels ruling against Giuliani.

Rudy Reinserted False Vote Fraud Claims That Had Been Removed by Other Lawyers

During his appearance before the D.C. Bar panel, Giuliani told them that an early version of Trumps Pennsylvania lawsuit contained fraud allegations that had been, in the panels words, wrongly deleted. The bar panel found, though, that the new version as corrected by Giuliani contained only vague and speculative allegations about random and isolated electoral irregularities which did not and could not support [Giulianis] inflated legal claims.

Rudys Basis for the Lawsuit Was Thoroughly Without Merit

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The principal notion behind the particular lawsuit under scrutiny in this bar proceeding was that because election observers in Pennsylvania had to have some physical distance from the ballot-counting process, the count was inherently corrupt and basically every ballot had to be thrown out and Trump declared the winner.

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As the panel noted, Giulianis primary accusations were simply not true. Indeed, Mr. Giuliani did not offer any evidence that fraudulent mail-in votes were actually cast or counted.

Giuliani further told the panel that it didnt matter that both Republican and Democratic observers had to maintain some distance from the counters, because Democrats werent allowed to see it because they couldnt count on the fact that all Democrats are crooked. As the panel notes, Giulianis logic was premised on a conclusive presumption of irregularity, i.e., the wholly unfounded supposition that observational boundaries necessarily led to fraudulent counting of mail-in ballots to favor President Biden. While Giuliani said he met with some of the observers in Philadelphia, [n]one of his interactions  unearthed credible proof of widespread fraud.

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As the panel wrote:

The chief factual objective of the hearing in this disciplinary matter was to ascertain whether [it was] proved by clear and convincing evidence that Mr. Giuliani lacked material evidence to support his claims that [procedures] facilitated widespread, systemic voter fraud and justified the nullification of hundreds of thousands of votes in Pennsylvania. The hearing clearly and convincingly disclosed that there was no such evidence: [Giuliani] based the Pennsylvania litigation only on speculation, mistrust, and suspicion.

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Related From Slate Leah Litman and Laurence H. Tribe Its Hard to Overstate How Awful the Latest Injunction Against the Biden Administration Is Read More

Rudy Says That Even Though He Didnt Have Proof, He Was Required to Prematurely Sue

The panel writes that Giuliani basically admitted in his filing to the panel to not having done his homework:

[Giuliani] commenced litigation without evidence that its core factual claim was true. He admits as much, maintaining that the fastmoving case did not permit him to investigate fully his clients position as he would normally do in any other case.

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He thinks he didnt do anything wrong, though, by not having evidence:

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Even without supporting evidence, he claims, it was reasonable for him to draw an inference and make an argument that the vote count was illegal and contrary to law.  We reject this argument.

Rudy Further Argued That Legal Filings Themselves Are Really Just Meant to Be Wild Guesses

[Giuliani] testified that a complaint is a prediction. Its not a statement of what you definitely are going to get, what youre definitely going to prove.  He further stated that [a]ll those questions have to be answered, which you cant answer at this stage of the litigation, so you put out all the allegations you have, the ones that help you, the ones that dont, and then you work your way through it in the litigation.

The Panel Disagreed With This Prediction Standard of Evidence

Citing a 2007 Supreme Court case, the panel noted that [t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice to file a lawsuit.

Rudy Turned Over Discovery After It Was Due and Midhearing

From the panel: At the hearing in this case Mr. Giuliani belatedly produced another set of declarations and affidavits [] along with some emails and text messages

Rudy Claimed to Have Filed Evidence That Was Never Actually Filed, Then Admitted It Wasnt Actually Real Evidence

His testimony raised the possibility that some relevant materials may have been lost or not turned over, but the only missing document he could think of was already included in his document production, albeit without an unknown number of affidavits he thought were attached to it. He subsequently testified that there might be other missing documents but, if so, they concerned an illegal voter, its one or two.

The Panel Did Not Buy the Dog Ate My Evidence Claims

We conclude therefore that the record of the disciplinary hearing contains all the material evidence gathered by Mr. Giuliani, and on his behalf, to support his claims in the Pennsylvania litigation. His nebulous allusions to the existence of additional material documentation are not credible.

Some of the Missing Evidence Supposedly Came From Disgraced Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik

At the disciplinary hearing Mr. Giuliani also offered the testimony of Bernard Kerik  who produced additional materials purporting to show election fraud.

Giuliani Was Unclear Whether He Actually Had the Kerik Evidence in Hand When He Originally Filed the Lawsuit Under Scrutiny, Though

At the disciplinary hearing Mr. Giuliani at first said he did not recall if or when he may have seen the Kerik materials  and later testified that he saw them before the oral argument in the District Court but could not attest to their veracity.

Neither Rudy Nor Kerik Would Actually Say if the Kerik Evidence Was True

Even if Mr. Giuliani did have the Kerik documents at a relevant time (and it does not appear that he did), they do not show any connection between [the procedures] and election fraud. Mr. Kerik (like Mr. Giuliani) could not and would not confirm that the information contained in the Kerik documents was true  and could not identify its sources.

Either Way, the Kerik Evidence Wasnt the Best

From the panel: The content of the Kerik documents is in many instances facially incredible.

The Other Evidence Rudy Did Turn Over to the Disciplinary Panel Was Not the Best Either

The documentary evidence that [Giuliani] did produce is fundamentally vague, speculative, or facially incredible. We have reviewed it. Although the materials identify a handful of isolated election irregularities, they completely fail to demonstrate that the [procedures] facilitated any meaningful fraud or misconduct that could have possibly affected the outcome of the presidential election.

Rudys Defense for Filing Such a Frivolous Lawsuit Was Singularly Unimpressive

Mr. Giulianis argument that he did not have time fully to investigate his case before filing it is singularly unimpressive. He sought to upend the presidential election but never had evidence to support that effort. Surely [the rule against filing frivolous lawsuits] required more.

Rudy Thought an Appropriate Punishment Might Be a Slap on the Wrist

[It is] recommend[ed] that [Giuliani] be disbarred. [Giuliani], on the other hand, contends that if he is found to have violated any Rules, he should receive only an informal admonition or reprimand or, at most, a 30-day suspension.

Because Rudy Refuses to Admit He Did Anything Wrong, the Panel Disagreed About the Slap on the Wrist

Mr. Giuliani has not acknowledged or accepted responsibility for his misconduct.  To the contrary, he has declared his indignation (he is shocked and offended) over being subjected to the disciplinary process (I really believe Ive been persecuted for three or four years ) and suggests merely an informal admonition or reprimand as an appropriate sanction.  In view of [Giuliani]s intransigence, we are convinced that a sanction must be enhanced to ensure that it adequately deters both [Giuliani] and other attorneys from acting similarly in the future.

Rudy, Ultimately, Gets Little Credit for Having Been Americas Mayor
ALGIERS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach announced on Monday that it had exported hydrocarbons with a total worth of 21 billion U.S. dollars from January to May.

According to a report released by Sonatrach, the company sold 68 million tonnes of oil equivalent in the first five months of this year, registering a year-on-year increase of 2 percent.

The company exported 38 million tonnes of oil equivalent from January to May, compared with the 37 million tonnes of oil equivalent exported during the same period of last year.

Sonatrach's export revenue hit 60 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, according to the report. 
On the last day of Pride month, Ron DeSantis campaign reposted and defended a video celebrating his yearslong assault on LGBTQ+ people. The promotion of this video by a serious presidential candidate marks a shift in GOP politics, Christina Cauterucci writes. She breaks down the potential implications.

Plus: Can Moms for Liberty swing an election? The group formed in response to COVIDand like COVID, its still out here, mutating. What Next takes a look at what the endgame might be for these moms.

Supreme arrogance

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Whew, this last Supreme Court term! Where do you even begin to sum it up? Dahlia Lithwick spoke with some experts to help us sort through this terms highs and lows, and the arrogance of this particular court.

You can also listen to the entire conversation here:

Put this myth to rest

Remember when the U.S. military promised it would rename a bunch of military bases that still bore the names of Confederate officers? Well, it finally happened!

The name-changing marks a formal end to the U.S. Armys long, largely unquestioned obeisance to the Lost Cause myth, which honored Confederate soldiers for upholding Southern traditions and states rights rather than seeing them as perpetrators of slavery, Fred Kaplan writes. He shares the backstories behind the old, and the new, names.

Boris is back

Uh-oh, Boris Johnsons post-government second act is actually  going rather well? The former prime minister is back to his old tricks as a political writerand it might just work on us all again, Imogen West-Knights warns.

LOL Rudy

Hello, police? Id like to report a murder. A panel of the D.C. Bar just issued a gutting takedown of Rudy Giuliani alongside its recommendation that he be suspended from practicing law. Jeremy Stahl gives us the funniest, most brutal excerpts.

Come hang out!

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The team behind Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas is holding a live event in Washington, D.C., on July 25!

Youll hear from people who can provide even more insights into Clarence Thomas life and careerand his decadeslong battle with affirmative action, which Thomas and the court just struck down. And youll watch as host Joel Anderson gets grilled himself about the making of this season of Slow Burn, and what it was like to interview Thomas mother in his childhood home.

There will also be a pre-show cocktail hour for a limited number of fans. You can find all the details, and buy tickets, here.

The dangers of NoFap

The people who join the anti-masturbation community known as NoFap are looking to fix their lives. But the message NoFap promotes isnt just misleading, Will McCurdy writesit can be more dangerous than that. He looks at why so many people who abstain from masturbation end up suicidal.

Defunctlands wild ride

Luke Winkie looks at how one explosively popular YouTuber is bringing all the amusement park skeletons out of the closet. You will never look at Disney or Universal the same way again!

Anatomy of a shortage

The U.S. supply of lifesaving cancer drugs is running dangerously low. Lizzie OLeary spoke with science journalist Ed Yong about why this is happening, and how it could have been prevented.

Dear Stephen

Help! A bunch of people wrote to Prudie for advice, and Stephen King answered instead!

The King of Horror weighs in on an endless litany of chores, in-law battles, and swamped librarians.

Today, Slate has  * THE MOST WORDPLAY- AND PUN-ORIENTED BRAIN

 much like the object of one successful reply guys affection. Heather Schwedel looks at men who managed to find love online by commenting on their crushes Twitter posts.

Thanks so much for reading! Well see you tomorrow.
In August 2021, forest range officer Remya Raghavan caught three people carrying wild boar meat in the Wayanad forest of Kerala, a state in southern India. Possessing wild animal meat is a crime under the countrys 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, so Raghavan entered all the details of the crimelocation, witnesses, names of the accused, items seized, and section of the forestin a mobile application. Just like that, the case was officially registered in the app-based system, which signaled that it needed to be taken to court.

The app Raghavan used is called HAWK, or Hostile Activity Watch Kernel, and it appears to be the first such digital intelligence gathering system for wildlife crime in India. It helps officers like Raghavan centralize and share information on forest and wildlife crimes in real time. The app, and efforts like it, fills a huge need: Global demand for elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, live reptiles, and big cats has fueled a poaching crisis across the world. Countries like Botswana, India, Kenya, and South Africa have reported high incidences of poaching, and globally, wildlife trafficking is considered the fourth-largest category of illegal trade, after arms, drugs, and human trafficking. In India, more than 70,000 native and exotic species were trafficked from 2011 to 2020. In South Africa, close to 10,000 rhinos have been poached in the past decade (though poaching incidences have decreased since 2015).

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The illegal wildlife trade is a huge threat to the survival of species and endangers biodiversity, the environment, health, and livelihoods. According to the World Health Organization, illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trade results in a global loss of $7 billion to $12 billion worth of government revenue per year. The loss of wildlife also exacerbates the climate crisis because wildlife helps maintain the forest ecosystem, which acts as a carbon sink. Further, wildlife trafficking could increase the likelihood of future zoonotic epidemics and pandemics.

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Technology is key to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, and there are lots of different efforts in that directioncamera traps, drones, and DNA analysis have been used globally, and HAWK sits alongside several similar mobile apps designed to fight or prevent poaching. In East Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development launched the Wildlife Information and Landscape Database, which uses GPS to record information on poaching, animal mortality, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal human activity. Similarly, in Kenya, the app-based Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool allows rangers to track threats to elephants, which officials say has led to a decline in poaching. Another app is targeted at the aviation industry, allowing airport and airline staff to report suspected trafficking. Even the state of Utah has an app for reporting poaching.

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Although these apps have proven helpful in investigating and prosecuting cases, the larger challenge of finding the people funding and orchestrating these crimes, many of whom are part of international crime networks, remains.

HAWK was developed by Manu Satyan, a Kerala district forest officer, and Jose Louies, director of the Wildlife Trust of India, to more efficiently track and reduce the growing incidences of illegal wildlife trade in India. Its roots trace back to 2017, when Louies and Satyan learned about an app-based counter-poaching initiative known as tenBoma, which was created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to protect Kenyan wildlife. The U.S. military had helped in the project by sharing intelligence-gathering methods used in counterterrorism efforts. The Kenyan app identifies poaching hot spots, and authorities then work with local communities in those hot spots to track poachers and suspicious activities.

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Satyan said they recognized that India also needed to develop a database to track habitual offenders who target endangered or trophy animals such as tigers, elephants, and other species that have high commercial value. And so they got to work on HAWK. Before the app was rolled out in Kerala in August 2020, Louies and Satyan consulted with the forest staff about their experience fighting wildlife crimehow poachers tend to enter forests, what suspicious vehicles might look like, and the various challenges for reporting. Once they had a prototype, they asked the forest officers to test it.

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Pranesh Prakash, co-founder of the Centre for Internet and Society, an India-based nonprofit that researches digital privacy, said its well known in criminology that a small percentage of people commit a significant percentage of crime, so apps like HAWK seem to be a good step. But where there is documentation, especially of crime, the question arises of how the data will be used and who it will be available to, and for how long it will be stored, he said in a message. Digital surveillance disproportionately affects low-income populations, and studies have shown that poverty and lack of economic opportunities are the main drivers of poaching. And although apps can track the people participating in poaching on the ground, its much harder to track the people behind them, those who are ultimately profiting.

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Because the illegal wildlife trade is run by organized criminal networks, intelligence is crucial to curtail illegal trade or apprehend people engaged in it across state and international borders. In developing the app, Satyan and Louies connected with two U.S. military intelligence analysts who briefed them on the rules and methods for developing an intelligence gathering and processing system. One concept that came from them is assessing the threat level of a habitual offender, Louies said.

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HAWK profiles suspected habitual offenders through interviews and other data gathering, which allow officers to register age, health, financial situation, current activity, and travel patterns. The system assigns a threat level from 1 to 10 and predicts the possibility the suspect will engage in criminal activity. If a habitual offender is very active, in good health, and in need of money, he may be put on a threat level of 8 or 9. HAWK also has separate databases on animal deaths and unregistered or suspicious vehicles entering forest areas. The system hopes to use the data on habitual offenders and their threat level, along with their expertise in animals (each poacher usually specializes in one type of animal), and correlate it with suspicious activity, such as animal injuries or the presence of snares or traps in the forest. Ultimately, the goal is to predict potential crimes. The entire concept of HAWK is not to catch people when they commit a crime, but to prevent crime from happening, Louies said.

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Applied to other contexts, these sorts of tactics have generated controversy, and Andrew Ferguson, a law professor and the author of the book The Rise in Big Data Policing, said predictive policing has largely failed in the U.S. However, the geographic limits, unusual movements, and specific triggers and patterns of poaching and wildlife crime might be more predictable than most crimes, he said in an email. Also, the number of suspects is rather small, and the resale market limited, so tracking the patterns makes a good bit more sense than other crimes.

Related From Slate Henry Grabar What France Has Found in the Rubble Read More

The app isnt able to make predictions yet, because it doesnt have enough databut it hopes to be able to do so within two years. For now, field staff in Kerala uses the app to enter data when it encounters a crime, and HAWK then generates the documents an officer needs to print out and submit the crime in court. Since the systems rollout in Kerala in August 2020, HAWKs documentation process has streamlined investigations that were once a mess, said Aneesh Joseph, an assistant prosecutor at the High Court of Kerala. The previous system required officers to manually fill out the documents, a process that was prone to errors, manipulation, and missing data, and often led to delays in registering the crime, allowing the accused to get off scot-free, Satyan said. Once a case has been registered through the app, it cant be manipulated, which is beneficial to both the prosecutor and the accused, Joseph said.

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The court proceedingssuch as witnesses depositions, trial date, and investigation historyare also captured in the HAWK system, and all government witnesses are given a temporary login so they can see the case history. The process is transparent; any officer can see what is happening, and mistakes are reduced, Satyan said. Before the new documentation system, there were instances of a crime locations being incorrectly recorded, or poaching being erroneously registered as accidental death.

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Still, there are challenges: HAWK doesnt yet have a way to directly interface with court systems. Instead, computer-generated printouts are submitted to court, and only then does the court take on the case. Similarly, if a crime happens in a remote area, it can take several hours, or even a day, to get to an area with internet connectivity good enough to enter the details in the HAWK application, Raghavan said. The interface is better on a computer, so the officers prefer to reach the forest office to enter the details in the desktop system, which can cause further delay.

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Prakash, of the Centre for Internet and Society, said tracking and listing repeat offenders in an app is not necessarily harmful by itself. But the need to track offenders to decrease wildlife crimes needs to be weighed against the right of people to not be constantly surveilled, he said. These two countervailing concerns can be addressed by limiting the time that someone is tagged as a target for surveillance, and by restricting the data to only officials who need it. He added that someone who hasnt committed a crime in a particular time frame (say, in the past year) should not be subject to heightened surveillance. Once the personal data has outlived its utility, it should be removed.

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HAWK has now been included in the Kerala forest departments monthly reviewwhich tracks wildlife deaths, crime reports, and the status of court cases and investigations. This allows the department to better monitor case outcomes. Louies and Satyan, meanwhile, are planning to scale HAWK for use across the entire country. In 2022 HAWK was introduced in the state of Karnataka, and is slated to be implemented this year in two additional states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Once there is a good database from around the country, we can know if a suspect has a prior record elsewhere, Joseph, the prosecutor, said. That will be much more effective, as previous conviction warrants a higher penalty.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Two months ago, Elon Musk sat down for an interview at the Tesla Gigafactory in Texas, where CNBCs David Faber asked him about free speech, among other topics. Faber wanted to know how the Twitter CEOs philosophy on speech squared with his professed desire for Twitter to be as truthful as possible, the most accurate source of information about the world. What does that mean for how you police on the platform? Musk took the opportunity to praise one of his favorite Twitter tools: Community Notes.

You can think of Community Notes as, like, an error correction on information in the network, Musk told Faber. If somebody knows that theyre gonna get Noted, theyre less likely to say something that is false, because its embarrassing to get Community Noted. And that applies even to advertisers.

If youre still a frequent Twitter user, youve surely noticed these Community Notes pop up on the platform. They appear under a given tweet from a prominent accountblue check or no blue checkto add more information and linked citations, under the heading Readers added context they thought people might want to know. In the days after his May 16 interview, you may have caught some of these notes under Musks own tweetsfor example, when he quote-tweeted a Fox News graphic that claimed that a pro-LGBTQ+, anti-bullying education organization is encourag[ing] secret gender changes among children in schools. Musk had written, Is this true, @Target? Community Notes volunteers corrected him, adding appendices to his tweet to clarify that Target has donated to [the organization] for more than a decade and that it provides curriculum support in many subjects, including mathematicsNotes that also appeared under the original Fox post.

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Other Musk tweets about Ron DeSantis fundraising and tech journalist Taylor Lorenz have also been Noted. In each instance, the user-written corrections have shown that the CEO was spreading falsehoods, by citing major newspapers and official organizations webpages. That, needless to say, has not embarrassed Musk himself into posting less, nor has it made him less likely to spread lies.

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Ive been tooling around with Community Notes for months, hoping to understand its impact on Twitters fragile information ecosystem. One fun thing about being an active contributor is that you have the ability to see pending Notes, including the myriad ones submitted under Musk tweets over the past few months. These Notes havent gone public yet, since they havent reached a threshold requiring approval from a certain amount of users from across the ideological spectrum. These tweets include his controversial post comparing billionaire George Soros with X-Men villain Magneto; a screenshot he posted of a graphic that misattributes a quote from a neo-Nazi figure to the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire; and, ironically enough, his quote tweet of a users claim that CNN seems to hate that Twitter community notes works much better in a free speech environment than anything they have ever done. Participants are granted the option to Rate proposed Community Notes. With a click, they can see what other users have suggested, whether its offering more information on a particular tweet or explaining why they think added context isnt needed. (An acronym often deployed in these discussions is NNN, which stands for No Note Needed.) Should any of these suggestions be rated approvingly by enough members of the Community Notes community of varying political leanings, that Note will at last be affixed to the tweet for all tweeters to see. If they dont get those votes, the Notes will be stuck in this Help Rate limboor, worse, be deemed Not Helpful and obscured from even Community Noters view. Notes can be sober and considered, shitpost-y and troll-y, false or bigotedan aptly chaotic microcosm of the new Twitter world.

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Musks Twitter tenure has seen the network devolve into a far-right-friendly, spam-ridden, hate-speech-saturated cesspool whose most outspoken users include transphobic tech bros and white nationalist pundits. Community Notes hasnt (fully) followed in that path, yet. The tool has provided needed checks on prominent users of all ideological persuasions, extending from Occupy Democrats founder to British conservatives. Even Musk buddy David Sacks couldnt preempt a public Community Note on his June 28 tweet about American troops  in Ukraine by offering media links for those who want to fact-check this. Funny enough, the Note drew on those very sources to clarify that 1) US pulled out its military instructors PRIOR to war beginning in Feb 2022, and 2) military personnel that do remain are embassy security. Though he seems to appreciate Community Notes overall, Sacks was clearly unhappy about that pushback and later called out the Ukraine Note as bogus; there are a few proposed, nonpublic Notes suggested on that tweet explaining why the original Note was not, in fact, bogus.

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Still, Community Notes is far from sufficient in checking the rampant spam and disinformation that flocks freely across the platform, already a serious issue in pre-Musk times and far worse now. As the Associated Press reported, even though Musk told CNBC that his system would correct tweets that push conspiracies about the 2020 election, those posts spread unabated across the platform in the week following Donald Trumps CNN town hall, the most shared of which included no public Community Notes. In general, corrections with a political valence have trouble getting enough votes from an ideologically diverse group on Community Noteseven in cases in which a political or media figure has very clearly lied.

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This pattern was evident just last month, with a large portion of inflammatory, misleading tweets regarding Trumps federal indictmentoriginating from influential figures like Kari Lake, Steve Bannon, and Charlie Kirk, among othersgoing thoroughly unchecked. The few public Notes on the subject were arbitrary and unhelpful, explaining to Matt Schlapp the real reason Trump didnt get a mug shot or informing Sen. Marco Rubio that the Department of Justice has made no sentencing recommendations for Trump. Even more weirdly, as Community Notes members can spot, suggestions have been made to append Notes to claims that President Joe Biden is weaponizing the DOJ and that Rep. Adam Schiff knowingly lied about the Russia Collusion Hoax. Unrelated to the indictment, other public Notes from the indictment period include a limp correction to Ian Miles Cheongs lie that Pepsi has released a new ad that makes America and the military trans (the correction: This is an advertisement by SodaStream from 2021), and a reminder on Nancy Pelosis remembrance of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting that the killer did not commit an act of hate.

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Far more troublingly, Musk stans and far-right influencers sometimes scapegoated and weaponized Community Notes for their own personal gain, regardless of accuracy. The Twitter account for the progold standard Wall Street Silver subreddit accused Community Notes of being overrun by volunteer leftists, while the right-wing activist Andy Ngo accused left-wing users of utilizing the block function to circumvent @CommunityNotes, leading Musk to suggest that blocking be done away with entirely. Other examples show right-wingers and Musk fans spearheading and cheerleading the addition of inaccurate Community Notes to multiple tweets by journalists like Judd Legum and Glenn Kessler (the Washington Posts Fact Checker columnistwho, to be fair, does not have a spotless record).

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Not that this has always played to Musks favor: On occasions when hes tagged the Community Notes account to gauge the accuracy of, say, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling Anthony Fauci a bioweapons manufacturer or a citizen journalists declaration that the FDA all but admitted that ivermectin treats COVID-19, no public Notes appeared for either claim; Community Notes members did submit multiple entries both supporting and detracting from the claims, although no consensus was reached. (To be clear, both of those tweets were very, very wrong.) Musk tried to summon Community Notes to check himself on a misleading tweet about gender-affirming care for trans youth, but the site did not surface even one of the several proposed Notes that countered him. Even Musk fans dont always love the feature, claiming that its too biased in favor of leftists, Big Pharma, or both. Sometimes, those most aggrieved with Musk, like the tweeters upset with the rate limits he suddenly imposed earlier this month, will propose Notes specifically meant to mock and insult him.

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Nevertheless, Elon Musk continues to tout Community Notes as an indelible, indispensable function for ensuring Twitters future, attempting to reassure users that when he tweets out a false Federalist article about the 2020 election or when he platforms Tucker Carlsona pundit whos gotten in legal trouble multiple times for his on-air liesCommunity Notes will correct everything without bias or favor. Forget that none of the many submitted Notes suggested for Tucker on Twitters multiple broadcasts has been deemed Helpful enough for public consumption. And forget, also, that these very Notes and their discussions can devolve into outright juvenilia.

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Community Notes was built by Twitter before Musks takeover, and some of its problems predate his arrival. But it has also changed under Musk to suit his mission, a process I observed up close. If even his own lies are allowed to stand, can Twitter really become the most accurate source of information about the world?

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In January 2021, mere weeks after Twitter was forced to grapple with its role in fueling the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the companys vice president of product, Keith Coleman, announced a new community-based approach to misinformation on the Twitter Blog, to be known as Birdwatch. Kicking off its pilot program in the United States, Coleman wrote that Birdwatch allows people to identify information in Tweets they believe is misleading and write notes that provide informative context. To start off, notes will only be visible on a separate Birdwatch site, on which anonymous pilot participants can also rate the helpfulness of notes added by other contributors. Eventually, however, we aim to make notes visible directly on Tweets for the global Twitter audience, when there is consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors, in addition to public access offered to the coding of and data contributed to Birdwatch. The company would encourage users to sign up for the pilot while seeking feedback and advice from academic experts in a variety of disciplines. Individuals would also develop a reputation score based on their record in grading Birdwatch notes, with new users starting at 0 and getting closer to 5the level at which they could write notes all their ownby consistently weighing in on Notes that are deemed Helpful or Not Helpful by consensus.

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A couple of weeks after the announcement, Poynter published detailed critiques of Birdwatch based on analysis conducted by reporter Alex Mahadevan, who participated in the pilot and claimed to have analyzed more than 2,600 notes made by Birdwatchers and reviewed 8,200 ratings. At that point, Mahadevan wrote, the pilot had about 1,000 usersand many times more issues. He pointed out multiple tweets ranked not misleading by these participants that trafficked in election denial, while tweets that highlighted well-documented connections between Donald Trumps rhetoric and the Jan. 6 violence were deemed Harmful. Further, a single-digit percentage of the 2,600 Notes studied were deemed Helpful, and none of the top 10 most active Birdwatchers were fact-checkers, journalists, or people otherwise trained in snuffing out and countering digital misinformation. Plus, the majority of Notes did not cite a single source outside of Twitter. In response, the Birdwatch team tweaked its algorithm to raise the threshold for a Note to be considered Helpful, including the need to cite a quality source.

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That June, as TechCrunch reported, Twitter shifted these Birdwatch fact-checks from the designated website to Twitter itself, although they were visible only to pilot participants. Notes that reached a Helpful consensus would stay visible, while others that were not deemed thus would disappear from view. By November, Twitter had established a private Discord server for Birdwatch users to congregate and deliberate over their decisions and research, especially regarding prominent tweets from politicians, celebrities, nongovernmental organizations, and corporations, or random posts that achieved virality. An employed community manager from Twitter kept in dialogue with these folks.

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To take it from those Birdwatch watchers, the program was bound for success: In March 2022, in a blog post announcing a slew of improvements to Birdwatch, Coleman stated that in surveys with randomly sampled people on Twitter in the U.S., a majority of users found Helpful Birdwatch notes to be, well, helpful, including for people from across the political spectrum (in this case, Birdwatchers who had consistently voted the opposite way on notes preceding the Helpful one). And those polled were 20-40% less likely to agree with the substance of a potentially misleading Tweet after reading a note about it, compared to those who saw a Tweet without a note, he wrote. That enthusiasm was somewhat belied by an April MIT study finding a strong partisan influence in how users were likely to gauge a notes accuracye.g., that Democrats rated 83 percent of Democrat-written notes as Helpful, while Republicans rated 87 percent of notes from their side the same way.

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By September, Twitter decided to expand Birdwatch Note visibility outside its then-15,000 users to half of Twitters U.S. base, and encouraged even more users to sign up. New features included an algorithmic function to ban a user from writing notes if their paper trail was often proved Not Helpful, and a boost to notes collectively rated Helpful by users of differing political ideologies. Despite the companys enthusiasm, issues remained: Internal documents made public by whistleblower Peiter Mudge Zatko showed that Birdwatch had accepted an explicit QAnon conspiracist as a member, while failing to implement content-moderation measures recommended by its expert consultants.

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Hey there! Exciting news . Now, when youre browsing Twitter on Android, iOS, or https://t.co/lEjTtR4BGM, you may see Tweets with Birdwatch notes. Notes will appear in a card on the Tweet. Right now, this feature is only visible to pilot participants. pic.twitter.com/dyMHgawLUl  Community Notes (@CommunityNotes) June 2, 2021

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On Oct. 6just a couple of days after Elon Musk confirmed hed go through with his purchase of Twitter, after fighting the deal most of the yearColeman wrote that Helpful Birdwatch notes would be visible to all U.S. users on tweets they were applied to, with additional written information and linked sources ready for public consumption and contextualizing. The networks end-of-month sale to Musks ownership (during which, notably, Keith Coleman stayed on as other executives were sacked) would provide a real-time example of Birdwatchs limits: When Birdwatch notes appeared under a President Joe Biden tweet about corporate taxes and a White House tweet about Social Security, Musk stans celebrated these as directly attributable to their new king. This, of course, did not align with the actual Birdwatch timeline, but these posters were not people inclined to read (much less cite or trust) a Reuters fact-check explaining why this assumption was wrong.

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In early November, Mahadevan penned a thread laying out how Birdwatch use exploded after Musks takeover, with daily rates of Notes additions, ratings, unique engagements, and Helpful consensuses all increasing, even as the overall number of active Birdwatch users shrank. (The Washington Post subsequently found that nearly half of the Notes ranked visibly Helpful in the days following Musks purchase were written by only 25 users.) However, Mahadevan also noticed that a full 25 percent of public notes deemed Helpful pre-Musk were disappeared into Birdwatch-exclusive Needs More Ratings limboincluding one adding context to a Musk tweet about appeas[ing] supposedly ungrateful activists who were pressuring advertisers to leave Twitter and, thus, trying to destroy free speech in America. (It later reappeared in public view on that Musk tweet, thanks to a process Coleman referred to as entirely organic and powered by the people.) In response to Mahadevans thread, Musk tweeted that Birdwatch would soon be renamed Community Notes and had incredible potential for improving information accuracy on Twitter!

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Community Notes value to Musk wasnt just in its potential utility for inviting advertisers concerned about (in)accurate information on Twitter, but in its ability to cut costs: an entirely volunteer-run army of amateur fact-checkers to replace the paid content moderators to whom hed shown the door. The Chief Twits controversial moves here didnt sit well with many longtime Birdwatchers, who complained to the Post that we dont have a moderator anymore. A college student involved with the Birdwatch Discord from jump mentioned that it feels like the entirety of the Twitter misinformation system is now reliant on Birdwatch. Birdwatch is important but shouldnt be the adjudicator of facts.

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It was shortly after the November midterms that I was approved to participate in the rebranded Community Notes. I had applied on a whim when a prompt suggested that I try out Community Notes, with no expectation that I would be granted access. Yet there I was, a newly anointed fact-checker for Musks brave new Twitter.

On any given day, to access the Community Notes portal, I have to click a button illustrated with three user-outline icons bunched together on my left-side Twitter sidebar. Im then taken to a feed that resembles Twitters homepage, except that it lists obscured and public notes arranged under three different tabs: Needs your help, which displays notes chosen for you on tweets that need a more diverse range of feedback and where my point of view could help decide if theyre helpful; New, which showcases the most recently written notes for which we can provide feedback; and Rated helpful, which shows Notes made available to public view that recently have been rated helpful by contributors of multiple perspectives, and that I can further rate as Helpful, Somewhat Helpful, or Not Helpful. (I can also see other nonpublic Notes that were submitted for that given tweet, regardless of whether they were designated Helpful or not.) This portal also includes a component declaring the Community Notes values: Contribute to build understanding, Act in good faith, and Be helpful, even to those who disagree. A page from the official Community Notes Guide spells these values out: Its not a place for quick dunks, personal opinions, or insults where people should game the system and use hateful, derogatory, or inflammatory language. Rather its an arena where users should write clear, evidence-based notes to help everyone, even skeptics, better understand a Tweet and why it might be misleading, where the chosen ones should genuinely and constructively contribute  in a way that even those who may disagree with you might find helpful and respectful. (The FAQ clarifies that all contributors and all Community Notes contributions are subject to the Twitter Rules and that if youre a tweet author whos received a disagreeable public note, you can request additional review.)

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The alias I chose for myself as a Community Notetaker is Ecstatic Tree Robin. (The feature autogenerated my name choices.) As of this week, I have a Rating Impact of 13, thanks to 11 of my ratings that helped a note earn the status of Helpful, along with two ratings that helped a note reach the status of Not Helpful. (I have not made any Ratings of helpful or not helpful on notes that end up with the opposite status, even though the program explains, about contrasting ratings, that everyone gets some of these! Well, not me, suckersIm just built different.)

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As of this writing, I do have 125 pending ratings on notes that dont currently have a status of Helpful or Not Helpful, along with 24 other ratings made after a status was reached, without any additional effect on those Notes as of yet. I cannot easily look up what those were. However, I can customize the types of Notes I receive on my feed through the settings: the language theyre in, and the frequency with which I receive alerts as to Notes that need additional ratings.

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I see Community Notes not only on these special feeds, but out in the wild, in my everyday Twitter experience. Made available to my account are horizontal options listed below tweets that have received notes, which I can see and rate should I click. There might be just one note submitted to a tweet, or several; these are grouped into categories depending on whether theyre suggesting context to be shown with the Tweet or explaining why context isnt needed. I can also get notifications both as to whether a Note I weighed in on was deemed Helpful, or whether theres a pending Note that could use my insight.

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Since I have a Rating Impact thats greater than 4a threshold I breached just last monthIm also allowed to propose my own written Notes. I have written only four so far: one on a conspiratorial June 19 tweet speculating on the cause of Houston rapper Big Pokeys recent death; one on an implication from Chaya Raichik, creator of the infamous Libs of TikTok account, that an increase of nonbinary students in New Jersey schools represents a social contagion; the third on a tweet by a Twitter Bluesubscribing Indian techie who claimed that Jack Dorseys statements on the Indian governments Twitter censorship demands have been busted many times; the fourth on a now-unavailable lie from a British user who tried to spin a report on a United Kingdom Court of Appeal ruling regarding asylum-seekers as a Supreme Court decision that would convert the UK into an Islamic nation. As of now, I have a 0 Writing Impact score, as none of my notes has earned ratings from ideologically disparate Noters. The most engagement I have received from my fellow fact-checkers, it seems, is a countering Note on the Raichik tweet telling me that The tweet is expressing an opinion. Rebuttals belong in the replies not community notes. Such is life.

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On June 12, kicking off her second week as CEO of X Corp./Twitter, Linda Yaccarino wrote a 10-tweet thread outlining why shed left NBCs advertising department to take on this new gig, and what she hopes to accomplish in the networks Twitter 2.0 era.

The global town square needs transformationto drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us, Yaccarino declared. Twitter is on a mission to become the worlds most accurate real-time information source and a global town square for communication. Thats not an empty promise. Thats OUR reality.

Related From Slate Alex Kirshner Metas New Threads App Is Terrible. It Just Might Bury Twitter. Read More

Much of this echoed what Musk pledged upon taking over the network in late Octoberthat Twitter should be a town square devoted to free speech, that the embattled social network should become unmatched in its accuracy, that he would run Twitter in an open and transparent manner. Weve  seen how thats turned out. Yet the network continues to double down on Community Noteslast week, it announced that its test program in Japan was found to be helpful and that Japanese Notes will be open to the global public.

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There have been signs Yaccarino could deviate from Musks extremely hardcore style. For one, she first wrote the thread as a memo to the companys 1,500 employees, even as mass internal communication has become rare in the Musk era. Plus, as the Informations Erin Woo reported, Yaccarinos first hire forwarded that very email out to tech reporters, marking Twitters first official external comms since [Musks] takeover (and a relief to those of us bored with the sites automatic poop-emoji email responses). A month before she was appointed CEO, Yaccarino celebrated a Twitter Safety announcement on adding labels on some Tweets identified as potentially violating our rules around Hateful Conduct letting you know that weve limited their visibility. (It should be noted that Twitter, despite massive staff reductions, still has employees working on user safety, although some workers told the BBC in March that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-coordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation.)

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As my colleague Heather Tal Murphy and I have noted, Yaccarino has some ideological overlap with Musks right-wing turn, and has been supportive of Twitters efforts to center figures like Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Ron DeSantis, all well known for spreading misinformation about vaccines, immigration, and climate change, among other topics. Further, Yaccarinos veneration of the global town square implies Twitter will retain its looser controls around what users can post, leaving Community Notes imperfect volunteers as a primary cleanup crew.

I aint sticking around to help. To avoid any future conflicts of interest, I hereby relinquish my Community Notes/birdwatching duties. To Yaccarino, Musk, and my now-former Community Notes comrades: Best of luck!
Google Workspace has collaborated with Stripe, a leading financial infrastructure platform for businesses to make life easier for small businesses. This joint effort will allow businesses to accept payments for services directly through Google Calendar, creating a streamlined booking and payment process for their customers.

Stripe makes it incredibly easy to accept payments directly from Google Calendar, so customers can complete bookings and make payments in seconds, said Ilya Brown, Google Workspaces vice president of product management. This integration is set to alleviate some of the financial pressure on small businesses by increasing the speed and ease of transaction completion.

The new feature is developed on Stripe Connect and Stripe Checkout. Businesses can now connect their Stripe account, set a service price, and offer clients the convenience of booking and making payments in one place  Google Calendar. Customers can easily visit their booking page, select a preferred appointment time, and input payment details. Crucially, businesses can restrict access to a meeting until payment has been made through the appointment booking page.

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Mike Clayville, the chief revenue officer at Stripe, succinctly encapsulated the potential benefits for small businesses, stating, Making appointment booking and payment ridiculously easy for customers means less administrative work and more revenue for businesses.

Besides ease of booking, using Stripe Checkout presents an added advantage to businesses. This feature offers businesses an optimized checkout form designed to eliminate payment friction. It supports over 40 payment methods, catering to a broad range of customers and improving overall user experience. In a recent controlled study, Stripe announced that businesses using its newest checkout optimizations saw a 10.5% revenue increase.

While the new feature is available to select Workspace subscribers, the rollout is expected to become more widespread in the coming weeks, gradually extending to all users. This integration marks an important step in the digital transformation journey for small businesses, many of which have struggled with administrative tasks that take time away from core business operations.

With the rapid evolution of digital tools and platforms, businesses increasingly seek ways to streamline operations and offer superior customer experiences. The Google Workspace and Stripe integration is not just an appointment booking tool; its a sign of the continually expanding digital capabilities available to businesses, especially small and mid-sized companies looking to leverage technology to drive growth.

This new partnership allows small businesses to save time, improve efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. By simplifying the payment process, businesses can focus more on their core services, creating a win-win situation for both service providers and consumers.

With more than 100 payment optimizations, Stripes partnership with Google Workspace is set to revolutionize how small businesses manage their appointments, making them more accessible, manageable, and profitable in the long run. The release of this new feature underlines the potential of digital tools to transform small business operations in an increasingly digital world.

Google Workspaces partnership with Stripe demonstrates a shared commitment to empowering small businesses with robust digital tools that simplify operations, drive customer satisfaction, and ultimately, contribute to their bottom line. It is certainly an integration that has the potential to alter the way small businesses operate significantly.

Get the latest headlines from Small Business Trends. Follow us on Google News.
Hashtags have become an integral part of social media, serving as a powerful tool for navigating platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. As these platforms experience exponential growth, boasting user bases in the millions, the relevance and utility of the hashtag feature continue to rise. The use of hashtags makes it easier for users to sift through abundant content, find and join conversations, share opinions, and reach a broader audience.

In the midst of the ever-growing social media space, our ability to connect with friends, family, and businesses hinges on understanding and effectively using these key features. This article aims to explore the nitty-gritty of hashtags, detailing what they are, how they work, and how to use them on various platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook posts, and more.

What is a Hashtag?

Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the pound symbol (#). The hashtag is a method to categorize content and make it easier to find on social media. Content posted with hashtags means that the post will present itself in the dedicated feed for the hashtag, which users will follow.

Additionally, anyone searching for specific content will use relevant tags and hashtags to find related content, so its a way to group related content and make it easy to find. Hashtags ensure that your post reaches the right people and gets the best engagement possible.

Thats why its crucial not just to use hashtags in social media posts but to use them strategically. You should be using hashtags that are relevant to your post while also seeking out niche hashtags where your content has the potential to be discovered and stand out.

The Hashtag Symbol

The hashtag symbol, or the pound sign (#), is a functional symbol invented by Chris Messina and used on social media as a way to mark keywords or certain topics in a post. The symbol itself is used as a method to categorize and sort posts about specific topics, and it is primarily a grouping tool.

Social media users commonly use the hashtag or pound symbol (#) to mark certain keywords or topics in a post to make it simple and easy to find related content. The hashtag symbol is used as a way for users to locate posts related to a specific topic or theme easily. Additionally, the hashtag symbol can also be used by users to join a conversation on a specific topic and to follow other conversations revolving around the subject. The hashtag symbol is used on social media platforms to make it easy for users to find relevant conversations and stay updated with the latest news and information.

The hashtag symbol can be used to create and join in on trending topics, allowing users to have their voices heard in the larger conversation.

Were going to show you how to elevate your business using several social media platforms. This video about how to use hashtags to go viral on YouTube shorts offers another fresh take on the strategy, so be sure to check it out after reading the article.

Why You Should Use Hashtags

Hashtags can be beneficial for social media use, especially if you use hashtags correctly. Here are some reasons why your social media posts should use the right hashtags to ensure users searching for content related to yours can easily find and engage with your social media.

Maximizing Your Reach

One of the primary reasons why popular social media sites have included hashtag functionality is to help users maximize their research and have users engage more with a conversation or topic.

Using relevant hashtags is the key to maximizing your reach on social media. Effective social media advertising should include hashtags, as they are a great way to increase popularity and increase engagement if used wisely. You can also use popular hashtags to reach a larger audience, but make sure you dont overdo it.

Make your content discoverable

Many people use hashtags to understand trending topics and the surrounding conversation. Using hashtags means that your content becomes discoverable and is more likely to be seen by people on social media.

Hashtags allow users to search for specific topics and conversations, making staying up to date with trending topics easier. The hashtag enables easy content organization and is useful for grouping conversations about a topic in one place on a social network

Increase your followers

Hashtags are also useful as a method to gain followers and engagement. Specific hashtags, such as branded hashtags, can also be used to create brand awareness and reach a wider audience for marketing. Popular hashtags can be used to join and sustain a conversation with other users who are interested in the same topic and create a following. Users interested in specific topics can search and find related accounts using the hashtag and follow and engage with them.

Make your content relevant

Hashtagged keyword usage ensures that users can quickly understand what your content is about, and helps establish its relevance. Many users follow hashtags to keep track of trending conversations and topics, which is why its so important to be strategic when you find hashtags for your content.

Popular hashtags are a great way to make content related to a specific topic or idea become more visible on social media. You can use hashtags on social media posts, such as a tweet or an Instagram post so that users can understand your content. Hashtags are used to search for content, which is why they are crucial for engagement and increasing the reach of the content. Using hashtags is the best way to appear in search bar results when users look for those specific keywords. They are also useful for tracking conversations and topics that are popular at any given time to stay up to date on the latest trends and news.

Build a community

Hashtags can be a great way to stay connected with your audience, providing updates on products and services and engaging with them on a more personal level. Using hashtags is. way to build a community with your followers and have a more meaningful connection. Whether your posts consist of videos, static text, or photos, hashtags make it easy to search for your content and encourage people to join your community.

Facebook Hashtags

Facebook posts can include hashtags and are helpful in many ways. Hashtags on Facebook can be used to categorize posts and make it easier for users to find related content. You can include the most popular hashtags related to your topic in posts. You can add words or phrases preceded by the # symbol on Facebook to make it easier for users to find your content on the platform when they look for that hashtag.

How to Find Facebook Hashtags

You can find hashtags on Facebook by searching for a word or phrase through the search bar. The results will show you the accounts and the post containing the hashtag, and you can see related hashtags as well. Search is the easiest way to find hashtags that are gaining popularity for your topic, and seeing posts containing the most popular hashtags gives you a steer on what to use for your posts.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Facebook?

There really isnt a limit to how many hashtags you can use, but they should be related to your content. You can add a hashtag word or phrase to categorize and mark posts for visibility on Facebook, which are usually added to the bottom of the post. Hashtags can draw attention to topics or conversations relevant to the Facebook post by using the most popular hashtags related to the topic, as they will appear in feeds when users search for that topic.

Hashtags are an efficient way to categorize and share content on Facebook. By using popular hashtags on Facebook posts, users can increase the reach of their content. Hashtags can even be used to join in on conversations already happening, allowing users to stay up-to-date on the topics and conversations that are trending.

YouTube Hashtags

YouTube hashtags are used in the description of videos to tag the content and make it easier to search. You can use the hash symbol followed by a word or phrase in your video description, which will instantly group and categorize the content with other related content.

How to Find YouTube Hashtags

The best way to find Youtube hashtags is to look at the wider industry and accounts that are similar to what you post (I.e., competitors). Look at their descriptions under the video content to see what hashtags they use, and once you click on the hashtag, you will see other accounts and users appear.

This will give you an example of the types of tags users have on their videos and what users search for when selecting what hashtag to use.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on YouTube?

Think of hashtags as a way to tag your videos and mark their broader category. That way, when users search for that word, they should be able to quickly understand what your content is about and how it relates to what they searched for. You can use as many hashtags as you want, but its best to limit them to 5-6 that are most relevant to what you are posting about.

Pinterest Hashtags

Pinterest has increased in popularity for many since its very visual, and businesses can amass followers relatively quickly on the platform. You can add hashtags to a Pinterest post to increase its relevance and make it easy to find for users.

How to Find Pinterest Hashtags

One of the top hashtag tips for Pinterest is to sort through the tags tab and find branded hashtags and related hashtags to your content. You can search for visuals that are similar to yours, for example, by using a broad keyword and looking at the posts that come up. The description will usually include a few relevant hashtags, and you can use the same hashtag on your posts to make your content easier to find.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Pinterest?

With visual platforms like Pinterest, you can use hashtags on a larger scale to make your content discoverable. For example, you could use a mix of branded hashtags and use hashtags for general words and terms on a single post to market your brand while also contributing to the larger conversation.

Instagram Hashtags

Instagram hashtags tend to be a very competitive space, so its important to have a strategy in place for your posts. You want to include hashtags on Instagram that are niche and relevant to your Instagram post while also ensuring that your content shows up when users search for relevant key terms.

How to Find Instagram Hashtags

The best way to find the most popular Instagram hashtags is to use the Explore feed on Instagram. Youll see trending Instagram hashtags on the top of the feed, including the most popular hashtags on Instagram at the moment.

You can also use the search function on Instagram to find certain hashtags related to your topic to include in your posts. Instagram enables users to follow hashtags easily, so related content appears in user feeds. You can follow the most popular Instagram hashtags to keep up to date on trends.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Instagram?

When thinking about Instagram posts, its important to include the most popular Instagram hashtags related to your content. Unlike Twitter, Instagram encourages as many hashtags as possible as part of Instagram posts. So the key is to balance the most popular Instagram hashtags related to your content while also going for some less popular Instagram hashtags to ensure your post doesnt get missed.

Twitter Hashtags

Twitter is one of the main platforms that popularized the usage of hashtags and brought it to the wider industry. Twitter users frequently use hashtags to learn about trending news, particular event, conversations, and tweets, so hashtags play a vital role for Twitter users.

How to Find Twitter Hashtags

You can see trending hashtags on the main Twitter page, and you can also search for specific hashtags. Youll see tweets from public accounts in Twitter search results, and you can use that as part of your Twitter social media strategy.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Twitter?

One of the main hashtag tips for Twitter is to use them strategically. If youre not sure how to make money on Twitter, using 1-3 particular hashtags options related to your content can make a significant difference in the engagement and reach your tweet will see.

TikTok Hashtags

If youre wondering how to get more TikTok likes and how to get more followers on TikTok, its all about your hashtag usage. TikTok users rely on hashtags as a primary way to find content and the TikTok algorithm prioritizes content that uses trending hashtags. The TikTok algorithm is also designed to show users content related to the hashtags they have searched or have expressed interest in as part of the feed.

How to Find TikTok Hashtags

You can find TikTok hashtags by looking at the main feed, which shows TikTok trends if youre looking for general hashtag options. In addition, you can use the search bar to find specific hashtags related to your content.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on TikTok?

As youll notice with other hashtag tips, while there is no limit to how many hashtags you can use, its usually best to use a mix of trending and niche hashtags for TikTok. You can include up to 4-6 hashtags or more as part of your post in the caption section.

Linkedin Hashtags

LinkedIn influencers have increasingly started to use hashtags as part of their broader content marketing strategy. Many LinkedIn posts, short-form, and long-form, generally tend to include at least 2-3 hashtags at the bottom of the post or even a few more.

How to Find LinkedIn Hashtags

You can look at other content on your feed to identify the best hashtags for your posts based on your industry. Like Instagram hashtags and other social media platforms, you can also use the search function to see what hashtag is best for your posts.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Linkedin?

Ideally, you should limit your hashtag use to 3-4 of the most relevant words to make it easy to find your posts. You can include your selected hashtag at the bottom of your LinkedIn post to make it easy to categorize with other related content.

How to Use Hashtags for Your Small Business

As you can see, using hashtags effectively can greatly enhance your small businesss social media presence. It helps you connect with your target audience, broaden your reach, and build your brand.

Before we explore the list below for how to use hashtags for your small business, here is a summary table of the steps for quick and easy reference:

Step Description 1 Identify Your Business Type: Understand your industry and target audience to select the appropriate hashtags related to your business. 2 Generate Related Keywords: Think of words or phrases related to your business that people might search for on social media. 3 Use Social Media Management Tools: Utilize tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social to suggest popular and trending hashtags based on your industry and keywords. 4 Consider a Hashtag Marketing Course: Enroll in a course that offers guidance on effective hashtag marketing strategies if you're new to this realm. 5 Create a Hashtag Strategy: Develop a comprehensive strategy detailing when and how to use different hashtags for maximum engagement. 6 Use Industry-Specific Hashtags: Incorporate hashtags specific to your industry to make your content discoverable to people interested in your field. 7 Incorporate Trending Hashtags: Include relevant trending hashtags in your posts to increase visibility, but make sure they align with your content and brand. 8 Monitor Hashtag Performance: Track the performance of your hashtags through social media analytics to understand which ones drive the most engagement.

Here is a detailed guide on how to use hashtags for your small business:

Identify Your Business Type: The first step in using hashtags effectively is to think about your business type. What industry do you belong to? Who are your target audience? These considerations will help you identify the appropriate hashtags related to your business. Generate Related Keywords: Consider what words or phrases someone might search for when trying to find content related to your business on social media. These words or phrases could be related to your products, services, or your industry in general. They can serve as a base for your hashtag strategy. Use Social Media Management Tools: There are numerous social media management tools and apps available that can help you with your hashtag strategy. These tools can suggest popular and trending hashtags based on your industry and keywords. Some of these tools include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social. Consider a Hashtag Marketing Course: If youre new to social media marketing, consider enrolling in social media marketing courses. Many online platforms offer comprehensive courses that can guide you on how to effectively use hashtags in your marketing strategy. Create a Hashtag Strategy: Based on your industry, target audience, and identified keywords, create a larger hashtag strategy. This strategy should detail when and how to use different hashtags for maximum engagement. Use Industry-Specific Hashtags: Make sure to include hashtags that are specific to your industry. These can help your content be found by people interested in your industry even if they dont follow you. Incorporate Trending Hashtags: If there are trending hashtags that relate to your business, incorporate them into your posts. However, ensure the trending hashtag is relevant to your post and your brand to avoid looking spammy. Monitor Hashtag Performance: Use the analytics features available on social media platforms to track the performance of your posts with various hashtags. This will help you understand which hashtags are driving the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By following these steps, you can optimize your use of hashtags and boost the visibility and reach of your small business on social media platforms. Remember, the aim is to use hashtags to engage your target audience and gain visibility among potential customers, not just to trend or go viral.

How to Find the Best Hashtags

You can find the best hashtags by going through platforms individually and using their search function. Some platforms, like Twitter and Instagram, make it easy to find trending topics through hashtags, while others, like Facebook, may require you to use the search function to find suitable options for your posts.

Search for related hashtags

You can use the search function on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to find hashtag options related to your content. You can see that hashtag usage is common for content similar to yours and adopt similar ones in your tweet or post moving forward. Note that only a public account that uses the hashtag will appear in the search results.

Look for trending hashtags

Many platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok make it easy to find and identify trending hashtags. You can usually find trending hashtag topics on the home page of websites like Twitter or the Explore feed on Instagram and TikTok. Clicking on the hashtag will show you content that includes those words.

Use a business hashtags app

If youre not sure how to find the best Instagram hashtags or the best Twitter hashtags to include in your Tweets, using a dedicated business hashtag app can help. It can show you the best Instagram hashtags related to your content and trending topics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook so that the selection process for what hashtag to include is easier.

Come Up with a Hashtag Strategy for Your Business

A hashtag strategy ensures your content has the desired reach and engagement. In addition, a hashtag strategy identifies the best keywords to include in your posts based on competitor content, trends, and other metrics.

The strategy will differ based on the platform and its unique nuances, but for example, you can identify the best Instagram hashtags for your content and use a mixture of them in your posts to drive awareness and reach. Likewise, you can use a hashtag strategy as part of your Twitter content and ensure that your tweets have related keywords to make it easy for users to discover your content.
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An out of office message, or OOO message for short, is a crucial part of business communications. When youre on vacation, out sick, or not in the office for any reason, you can set up an auto-response message that replies to each new email, letting them know that youre not in. They are useful for communicating information and letting the recipient know how to get in touch with you.

Well look at what out of office messages are and some examples to help you create your auto-reply.

What is an Out of Office Message?

An out of office message is an auto-response that you can set up from your email client if you happen to be out of the office and have no chance to check your email account. For instance, you can set one up in advance because you bought a ticket to a conference on the cheapest day to fly and know you wont be available that day.

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You can have it running for a specific period of time and add exact dates so that auto-replies will only go out during those dates. The out of office message will automatically be sent to incoming messages on the dates you decide to run the automatic message.

When is an Out of Office Message Needed?

There are several reasons why an out of office message is needed for business communications. Most notably, its nice to let people know you wont be available to respond during certain times and it is good email etiquette.

Out of office email can also tell potential clients how quickly they should expect a response from you, and provide them with instructions on how best to contact you in case of an emergency.

Here are a few top reasons why you would need an OOM:

Business Trips: Out of office messages are needed when youre away from the office on business trips. This lets people know that they wont receive an immediate response and gives them an alternate point of contact, like a work colleague or supervisor. Vacations: Taking time off for vacation is important to recharge and relax, but letting people know youre away is just as important. An out of office message can let people that youre on holiday and when youll be back. Unavailable: If you have to take some time off due to illness or an emergency, an out of office message will keep your contacts informed about the situation and when youll be back. Client Meetings: Out of office messages are great for letting people know that youre away on a client meeting and when to expect an update or response from you. Training Courses: If youre attending a training course, let your contacts know, so they dont think youre ignoring them

Be sure to check out the video for How to Set an Out of Office on Microsoft Teams after youre through reading:

How to Come Up with an Amazing OOO Message

You want your out of office message to be personable and informative. Here are a few tips on how to make your out-of-office email stand out:

Step 1: Keep it Short and Sweet

An out-of-office message should be short, concise and get the point across. No one wants to read a lengthy message just to find out that you wont respond immediately.

Step 2: Be Kind

You want your message to be polite and professional, so avoid using phrases like out of the office until further notice, as this can sound a bit dismissive.

Step 3: Make it Personal

If youre away on vacation or an event, consider adding something personal about what youll be doing. This will help your message stand out and show that its coming from a real person, not an automated system.

Step 4: Give Clear Instructions

Make sure to provide clear instructions on how people can contact you in case of an emergency or if they need something urgently.

Step 5: Add a Bit of Humor

If youre feeling creative, why not add a bit of humor to your message? This will help make it stand out from the pack and can even spark conversations with your contacts.

Also, dont forget to add the following information to your autoresponder email message:

Why youre out of the office

When youll be back, including the date range (starting date, return date, etc.) for when you are out of the office

Other ways to reach you, such as a cell phone number if applicable. You could put something like  If you need immediate assistance, please contact (your cell #) in your autoresponder email messages.

Other points of contact the recipient can reach in your absence in cases of immediate assistance, including another contact email address, phone number and/or business website.

What Not to Write in an Out of Office Message

Avoid adding too many details to your out of office reply: It might be tempting to add a long explanation, such as you are in a lunch meeting , but its best to avoid putting n too much detail. Instead, keep your auto-office email message short and concise. Not including other contact information: If possible, there should always be another point of contact included in the message to know who to follow up with if needed. Broadcasting too many personal details: Putting excess information in emails makes it harder for readers to glean the information they need. Also, adding too many personal details for the world to see can be a security concern, especially if you let people know you will be away from places like your home office. Not getting permission to commit a colleague: If you need to commit a colleague in your absence, get their permission first before doing so. Adding that you will respond as soon as you are back in the office: Telling everyone that you will respond as soon as you get back can be a land mine. While this is a great indication of how youre taking care of your clients and fellow workers, it can take time to get back to everyone whos contacted you while you were away. Keep things realistic, so no one feels ignored when you get back.

Here is a table of those steps for quick reference:

Step Description Key Tips 1 Keep it Short and Sweet Your message should be concise, delivering the necessary information without being overly lengthy. 2 Be Kind Always maintain a polite and professional tone. Avoid phrases like out of the office until further notice, as it may come off as dismissive. 3 Make it Personal If you're on vacation or at an event, add a personal touch about what you're doing. It helps the message feel more human and less automated. 4 Give Clear Instructions Include instructions for how people can reach you in an emergency or if they need urgent assistance. 5 Add a Bit of Humor If appropriate, infuse a touch of humor into your message. This can help it stand out and even prompt conversations. 6 Explain Your Absence Clearly state why you're out of the office. Whether you're on vacation or at a conference, your contacts deserve to know. 7 State Your Return Date Provide the dates (start and end) of when you'll be out of the office so people know when to expect a response. 8 Provide Other Contact Options Include alternative ways to reach you or someone else in the company for immediate assistance. Include another contact email, a phone number, and/or business website.

20 Amazing Out of Office Message Examples

If youre unsure how to structure your away-from-office message, weve come up with a sample out-of-office messages for different situations to help.

1. Simple Out of Office Message Example

This one is short, sweet and to the point:

Thank you for your message. I am away from the office without email access until (date), I will respond when I return to the office. I appreciate your understanding.

Kind regards,

(name)

2. Professional Out of Office Message

A professional OOO message is great for colleagues, customers and business contacts:

Thank you for your message. I am out of the office from (date) to (date) with limited access to email. If you need immediate assistance, please get in touch with me on my cell phone (number) or my secretary XX at (phone number).

Best regards

(name)

3. Funny Out of Office Messages

A funny out of office message can lend a personal touch and help your contacts know youre still alive and well and dont take yourself too seriously. Here is an example:

Thanks for the message, but this is a robot responding to you as (name) is currently out of the office and trying really hard not to check their office email. Theyll be back by (date), so feel free to get in touch then!

Thanks

The Email Robot

4. Out of Office Autoresponder Email Messages

If you need to send an out-of-office autoresponder message while youre away on vacation or otherwise unavailable, here is an example:

This is an office autoresponder email message as I am unavailable and not checking email. I will respond to your email when I return to the office.

This is an automatic OOO message as I am out of the office until (date). I will respond to your message promptly upon my return. If you need immediate assistance, please get in touch with XX at (email) for more details.

5. Out of Office Sick Leave Message Example

Medical leave is a time to rest and recuperate. Be sure to let your colleagues and contacts know you wont be available with a message like this:

Thank you for your message, but I am currently on sick or medical leave and unable to attend to email. If you need immediate assistance, dont hesitate to get in touch with the office at XX.

Thank you for your understanding

(name)

6. Out Of Office Vacation Message

If youre going away for vacation, here is an informative email vacation responder message for your contacts:

Thank you for your email. I am currently on vacation and unable to respond to phone calls or messages until I return on (date). If your matter is urgent, you can contact XX for assistance at (email). Alternatively, you can email at (generic company email), and someone from the team will be in touch.

Best,

(name)

Also, if you want to elevate your message, include a special auto-response to make it more entertaining for the reader. You can do this by linking to a GIF in your out of office reply.

7. Maternity Leave Out of Hours Message

Taking maternity leave and dont want to fret? Automatic replies like this example OOO message below can help let your contacts know when youll be back in the office, lessen the pressure to respond to messages and give you peace of mind:

Thank you for your message. I am currently on maternity leave without access to emails or phone calls until (date). If your matter is urgent, please contact (email). Alternatively, you can reach out to the wider team at (team email), and someone from the company will assist you as soon as possible.

All the best,

(name)

8. Business Trip Out of Office Message

If you are going away on a business trip, this example out of office message can help you communicate your absence and contact details:

Thank you for your message. I am away on a business trip until (date) and will return to the office with limited email access. For immediate assistance, please contact my colleague XX at (email).

Regards,

(name)

9. Sabbatical Out of Office

Sabbaticals are a great way to recharge and come back with fresh ideas. This out of office message can help you communicate your absence:

Thanks for your message. I am taking a sabbatical from (date) to (date) and will not be available for emails or phone calls during this period. If you need assistance, please get in touch with XX at (email). I look forward to returning soon!

Kind regards,

(name)

10. Out of Office Message for Personal Emergency

Life can throw unexpected curveballs. This out of office message can help you communicate any personal emergencies:

Thank you for your message. I am out of the office due to a personal emergency and will not be available until (date). If your matter is urgent, please contact XX at (email) for assistance.

Wishing you all the best,

(name)

11. Training Out of Office

Going to a training course? This out of office message can help you communicate the details your contacts need to know:

Thanks for your message. I am out of the office on a training course until (date) and will not be able to respond to emails or phone calls during this time. If you need help, please get in touch with XX at (email).

All the best,

(name)

12. Out of Office for Appointment

This out of office message can help you communicate your absence when you head out for an appointment:

Thanks for your message. I am currently out of the office attending an appointment and wont be able to respond until (date). If you need assistance, please contact XX at (email).

Regards,

(name)

13. Moving Out of Office Message

Moving to a new office or home? This out of office message can help you communicate your absence during the move:

Thank you for your message. I am moving offices and may not be able to respond to emails or phone calls until (date). If you need immediate help, please contact my colleague XX at (email).

Take care,

(name)

14. Out of Office Meeting

This out of office message can help you communicate your absence to people while you are attending a meeting:

Thanks for your message. I am out of the office attending a meeting and wont be able to reply until (date). If you require assistance, please contact XX at (email) for further information.

Best,

(name)

15. Team Outing Out of Office Message

This out of office is perfect for team outings since it can help you communicate the pertinent details people need to know:

Thanks for your message. I am away with my team on a day trip and will not be able to respond until (date). For immediate help, please contact my colleague XX at (email) and flag urgent messages as high priority.

Wishing you all the best,

(name)

16. Conference Out of Office Message

Thank you for your message. I am currently away attending a conference and will not be able to respond until (date). If your matter is urgent, please contact XX at (email) for assistance.

All the best,

(name)

17. Short Term Out of Office Message

A lot of times OOO messages are tailored to an extended period of time. On the other hand, this one is created in case you are away from the office for a short period of time and includes what to put for anyone that may have an urgent matter that cant wait:

Thanks for your message. I am out of the office on a short-term basis and will not be able to respond until (date). For urgent matters, please contact XX at (email).

Regards,

(name)

18. Out of Reach Out of Office

This one is for those who are away from their office and unable to respond, typically because of limited access:

Thank you for your message. I am currently out of the office today and have no email contact and wont be able to respond until (date). For urgent matters, please contact XX at (email) for assistance.

Best regards,

(name)

19. Holidays Out of Office Messages

Mark this holiday OOO message off your to-do list before you take a break with this all-purpose example:

Thank you for your message. I am away on holiday from (date) to (date). For immediate assistance, please contact XX at (email).

Happy Holidays,

(name)

20. Remote Working Out of Office Message

This OOO message example is for those who are not in the office but still working remotely:

Thanks for your message. I am currently working remotely and will not be able to respond until (date). For urgent matters, please contact XX at (email).

Best regards,

(name)

Use These Out of Office Message Examples to Create Your Own

The out of office messages provided above are just a starting point for creating your own. When writing your own message, think about what clients and team members will need to know and who would be the best person on the team to guide them in your absence.

These examples can give you an idea of how much information to include (or exclude) and the important components that go into creating the message.

Also, dont forget to update your out of office messages as soon as you return to the office so that your customers receive timely responses.

What is a good automatic email response? One that will generate leads

Rest assured that there is an excellent automatic office message response for you in internet land. However, its a really good idea to think about tailoring your out of office messages for lead generation. First of all, creating an out of office autoresponder email message is important and even more essential for email marketing.

The good news is that its surprisingly easy to create a lead generation opportunity that will collect a lead in your responder. Also, office message examples that collect leads, include a sense of urgency, have a clear call to action and make the reader smile are key.

Are there templates you can use for an out of office email?

Yes, there are numerous templates available online that can assist you in crafting an effective out-of-office message. Here are some key points to note:

On platforms like Etsy, you can find reasonably priced OOO message templates. These can be particularly helpful if you are seeking a more distinct or creative approach.

These Etsy templates often come with customization options, enabling you to adapt the message to suit your companys voice or your personal style.

Amazon also offers a selection of digital resources, including books and e-guides, that provide a variety of templates or samples for OOO messages.

There are online platforms that offer more than just templates. These platforms provide a comprehensive set of tools to help you design, write, and schedule your OOO messages. Some of these platforms might include email management or automation software.

Remember, the goal of using a template should be to guide you in creating an OOO message that is concise, informative, and reflects your professionalism. A good template should make this process simpler, not more complicated. Its always advisable to personalize these templates to your situation, as the goal of an OOO message is not just to inform but also to maintain and enhance your professional relationships.

How do I put out of office on status?

To put out of office on status, you will need to enable your Out of Office reply. If you use a web-based email client such as Gmail or Outlook, you can do this by going into Settings and enabling the Out of Office function.

You may also have access to an auto-responder in your email settings, which is a great tool for setting up your Out of Office status. If you are using a desktop email client, you will need to access the settings for that specific program to turn on the Out of Office message.

How do I set up an out-of-office message on Gmail?

Setting up an Out of Office email message on Gmail is easy! Just open your Gmail Settings, select the Vacation Responders tab, and check the box to enable the feature. Then, simply enter your desired response, set a starting date and end date for when youll be away from your inbox and returning, and save your changes.

You can also customize your Out of Office message to include specific contact information for urgent inquiries and any other pertinent details, such as expected response times.

How do I set up an out-of-office message in Outlook?

Setting up an Out of Office email message in Outlook is also a breeze! Just open the File tab and select the Send automatic replies option. Then, check the box to enable it, enter your desired response, and save your changes. You can customize your Out of Office message to include specific contact information for urgent inquiries, as well as any other pertinent details, such as expected response times.

Last Checks for Your Vacation Responder

Before leaving, youll want to check the following:

Availability: Everything in your auto-reply messages, including the vacation responder and time frame like the start and end dates, are unavailable for you.

Everything in your auto-reply messages, including the vacation responder and time frame like the start and end dates, are unavailable for you. Formatting: Depending on the email client, an auto-reply message can sometimes present with formatting issues.

Depending on the email client, an auto-reply message can sometimes present with formatting issues. Appearance: Make sure to check and see how your auto-reply messages look on desktop and mobile devices before it goes out to clients and team members.

Make sure to check and see how your auto-reply messages look on desktop and mobile devices before it goes out to clients and team members. Content: Check and double-check your auto-reply messages to ensure that its accurate, clear, and professional.

Check and double-check your auto-reply messages to ensure that its accurate, clear, and professional. Urgent matters: Make sure to include alternative contact information, such as a mobile number or email address, for urgent matters.

Once your Out of Office message is all set up and ready to go, you can relax knowing that any emails sent to your inbox will be answered in a timely fashion. With these 20 Out of Office Message Examples from Small Business Trends, youre sure to craft the perfect message and start raking in the leads! Good luck and happy away time!

READ MORE:
Kamila Dulova talks about how she travelled solo across Alaska.

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Her circle of family and friends told her Alaska is dangerous, wild and cold. She did not listen and spent a month there on a budget and alone. She slept in the woods and hitch-hiked around 1,300 kilometres through this US state. She had never travelled solo before, and certainly not in such wilderness.

"In the winter, the locals often remain stuck in one place for a month, they don't even go shopping. If you don't live in big cities, of which there are relatively few in Alaska, you live a very isolated life. There is no radio or television, and the service is unavailable in some places, people receive mail in mailboxes even five kilometres from where they live. However, they live a slow, beautiful life," describes traveller KAMILA DULOVA.

She knows that travelling alone may not always be safe for women. She herself has experienced unpleasant situations, but she does not want to be discouraged. "I also hear opinions about a woman travelling alone, but why should men have the right to do so and women be afraid? I also want to go on an adventure," she says.

What made you want to go to Alaska, when people close to you were telling you of all the dangerous things that could happen to you?

It's true that when I bought the flight ticket, I felt an adrenaline rush. I thought to myself that it was a wonderful opportunity to see something different, since I had not been to mountains outside of Slovakia until then. I had never even seen such a wilderness and I had never hiked alone. After a year of working as an au pair in the US I took a month to travel. Alaska is quite inaccessible from Europe and flights are expensive, so I thought why not take advantage of that when I was closer. I wanted a unique experience and maybe even subconsciously I wanted to prove something.

You went to Alaska without any experience?

Yes. I had never been anywhere alone like this before. So I tried to convince some friends to go with me, but the plane tickets were very expensive for them.

What did you find there?

I didn't experience anything like what I warned about. I guess I was lucky, because hitch-hiking can be risky and it's not unusual to meet bears in Alaska. Once the locals I was consulting with sent me on a trail that was marked only with wooden arrows. One lady wrote where to turn left, where to turn right, when to go straight on a piece of paper. I was also lucky to meet good people.

You spent nights in the wilderness, among animals. How did you prepare for that?

When I look at it now, it sounds terrible, because I didn't prepare. I didn't think so much about the risk, as I did mainly about the fact that it would be a great experience. I once ended up on a peninsula that could only be reached by water taxi. I got out, the boat left and I was alone. There were maybe a few towns along the coast, but deeper in the forest there was no service.

I spent the night at a glacial lake. The trail was about eight kilometres long, not difficult, but there were warnings everywhere two days before that bears in the area were being scared away by helicopter. I didn't sleep the whole night or maybe only in short intervals, because I every rustle woke me up. I didn't even have bear spray. The thought didn't occur to me.

Did you see any bears?

I saw a grizzly, but I wasn't in danger. It was during an organised hike in Denali National Park with a ranger. On the way back from the hike, we saw the bear, but from quite a distance.

What about other animals? After all, Alaska is not just populated with bears.

Fortunately, I only encountered mountain goats or other smaller animals. In fact, the locals say that bears are really not the worst thing you can encounter. Moose are said to be even more dangerous and may attack humans. For example, I was advised to hide behind a tree if necessary, because moose perceive the landscape around them differently and they will not attack me if I hide like that.

Does a person need to be physically fit to survive in the wilderness and the cold?
Ukrainian president assures Slovakia of his country's help should the need arise.

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Welcome to your weekly overview of news from Slovakia. This is a special summer edition of Last Week in Slovakia. We will be back to regular operations later in July, with a full commentary and news overview by Michaela Terenzani.

Heres what you need to know about last week: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Bratislava during a tour of countries that have been supporting Ukraine, the toxic dump in Vrakuna may finally be encapsulated, and the biggest aquaparks in Slovakia.

Zelensky in Bratislava

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to Slovakia since Russia invaded his country. He first met Slovak President Zuzana Caputova and discussed the security situation, including the current status on the front, as well as further support for Ukraine and its proposal for a peaceful solution to end the war.

He thanked Slovakia for the help it has provided Ukraine, praising all the cities and communities that have provided shelter to Ukrainian refugees, as well as the volunteers and civic associations that have come to their aid. "Ukraine will always value your help and remember your solidarity, the reaction of leaders, and support. Your citizens can always count on our help," Zelensky said.

In regard to rising pro-Russian sentiments in Slovakia, Zelensky had this to say:
What are mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are a variety of toxic substances produced by microfungi and mold. They can occur anywhere mold can occur, particularly in warm and humid conditions, which means they may also occur in food and coffee as those goods journey from production to consumption. The World Health Organization (WHO) cites cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, dried chiles (or chili), and coffee beans as foods on which mycotoxin-producing molds may grow. It is important to remember that the presence of mold does not equal the presence of mycotoxins, or the certainty that mycotoxins will grow. There are lots of different mycotoxins, and not all of them grow on all food products.

So which mycotoxins can be found in which foods?

Some popular mycotoxins you may hear about include Aflatoxins (which tend to grow on grains, nuts, and spices), Patulin (which favors apples and apple products), Deoxynivalenol, or DON, which frequently affects cereal grains, and Ochratoxin A (OTA). Aflatoxins and OTA are the mycotoxins that folks who worry about this worry most about in coffee.

What are the health concerns about mold and mycotoxins in my coffee?

OTA is considered to be potentially harmful to the kidneys, as well a danger to the immune system, and is carcinogenic in rats and mice. Currently, there are no federally regulated limits for OTA in the United States. In the EU, regulatory standards prohibit more than 3.0g/kg of OTA in roasted coffee.

Aflatoxins are regulated in several parts of the world, and are set at a limit of 20ppb in the US for all foodstuffs. Fascinatingly, science has found that coffee contains propertieslike caffeinewhich may inhibit the damage caused by Aflatoxins, particularly to the liver. (The bad news is that this means decaffeinated beans are more likely to contain aflatoxins, though a good decaffeinator will be monitoring carefully to control moisture along the way.)

OK. Are mycotoxins really in my coffee or what?

There is no way to tell if a coffee has been contaminated by OTA unless it is tested by a lab, says Emma Sage, Director, Education Resources at the Coffee Quality Institute. These mycotoxins can be formed during coffee processing or even during storage if less than ideal methods or improper conditions are present, she explains.

Though some brands do market their coffee as mold-free or mycotoxin-free (and some even test for it!), without knowing a companys standards you wont know for sure what that means. If you consume grains, dried chiles, or dried fruits, youre already exposed to mycotoxins at low levels, so keep that in mind before pouring that fresh-brewed cup into a potted plant, or going all-in on marketing claims around a specific coffee being free of mycotoxins and so forth.

So should I be worried about mycotoxins in coffee, or should I not be worried?

Being worried is a personal choice. If youre seeking an authoritative stance on how many mycotoxins make it into coffee or how dangerous they are for you, youll get a different answer (or no answer!) depending on who you ask.

Organizations that represent the financial interests of the consumer coffee industry will assure you that mycotoxins are not an issue of concern. Dr. Mark Corey, head of science and regulatory affairs for the National Coffee Association, tells Sprudge that mycotoxins are not present at levels that would cause a safety risk, adding impressively that an average adult would need to consume up to 410,000 8 oz servings of brewed coffee per day to exceed safety levels established by scientific studies. Dr. Corey offered a citation to this scientific study, funded by the National Coffee Association.

Conversely, many companies wishing to crest the wave of the wellness movement have popped up selling these mold-free coffees, and some are likely more legitimate than others. If a mycotoxin-free coffee brand is your jam, make sure to select one thats transparent about its testing process and results. One such brand that does conduct testing is Purity Coffee, a health-claim-forward brand out of South Carolina.

Mycotoxin is one of the biggest controversies in coffee, says Ildi Revi, Chief Coffee Officer at Purity. The main thing is, I dont want it to seem like its not a thing, and at the same time I dont want it to be alarmist, she says.

While not sounding the alarm too loudly, Revi described to Sprudge a litany of ways mold can be introduced into coffee besides during processing at originlike at the roaster itself. Roasters stick their hands in the coffee, they fondle the coffee, says Revi. She adds that roasters who scoop green and roasted coffee with the same tools, or cool down roasting beans by quenching them with water also risk introducing mold, and the potential for mycotoxins.

But doesnt roasting kill off mycotoxins in coffee?

Roasting hasnt been proven to fully eradicate mycotoxins, but if you love a super dark roast and hate mycotoxins, you are totally in luck! The darker the roast, the more likely OTA is to be broken down, says CQIs Sage. But this comes with certain tradeoffs, not the least being flavor.

I drink mostly organic, specialty-grade coffee. Do I still have to concern myself with this?

There is a school of thought that holds that since specialty-grade coffee scoring (80+ points on the standard Specialty Coffee Association scale) would, by default, eliminate obviously moldy coffees, that the amount of mold-containing, potentially mycotoxin-producing coffees that are sold to specialty roasters and importers would be negligible.

However, studies have shown that mycotoxins can be found even within coffees classified as specialty. (And as has been established, its possible for coffee to grow mold and fungi at stages beyond initial processing.) The question of how big a concern this is within the specialty coffee industry remains an open onehowever, we were not able to obtain the views of the Specialty Coffee Association, who were unreachable for comment on the subject.

Ive read hundreds of words about mycotoxins in coffee so far and I still dont know what to think about it.

Lookwere all just trying to live, right? Maybe youre a city-dweller already taking on heaps of pollution just breathing the air, or hell, maybe you live in a rural area thats increasingly finding itself on fire. Breathing air is trying to live, drinking coffee is trying to livedo we even have a choice to do either? Weigh your options at any given moment and decide as best you can given the information available.

If you want to buy coffee youre more certain has been tested for mold and mycotoxins, you have these choices. No matter what you decide, we support you. Well be here for you trying not to fondle the coffee.

Liz Clayton is the associate editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Liz Clayton on Sprudge.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/biden-erdogan-discussed-ways-to-boost-bilateral-ties-1111779089.html

Biden, Erdogan Discussed Ways to Boost Bilateral Ties

Biden, Erdogan Discussed Ways to Boost Bilateral Ties

The White House said on Sunday that Biden and Erdogan discussed issues to be covered at the upcoming NATO summit, Ukraine, efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, and terrorism.

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On Sunday, the Turkish presidency said that Erdogan held a phone conversation with Biden, discussing NATO membership bids of Ukraine and Sweden, as well as the deliveries of F-16 fighter jets. The leaders agreed to meet in person at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania that will take place from July 11-12. The White House specified that Biden "also conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible." Erdogan told Biden that "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction by amending anti-terrorism legislation, but the fact that supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK/PYD/YPG), banned in Turkiye, continue to freely hold demonstrations glorifying terrorism makes the steps taken futile," the Turkish presidency said. The Turkish leader also said that it was "wrong" to connect Turkiye's request on F-16 procurement with Sweden's membership. Erdogan also told Biden that Ankara wants leading European Union countries to send a clear and strong message of support for Turkiye's EU membership at the Vilnius summit, according to the Turkish presidency.

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ACCRA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Ghana and other developing countries could learn valuable lessons from China's achievements in agriculture development and poverty reduction, a Ghanaian official has said.

Speaking to Xinhua in a recent interview, Edward Kareweh, general secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union in Ghana, said China's strides in these areas inspire developing countries.

"China is making impressive progress in getting their people out of poverty. The Chinese population hitherto largely consists of farmers, and the structure is like what we have here, but through hard work, the Chinese government has been able to lift the population out of absolute poverty," Kareweh stated.

The recipe for China's success, Kareweh said, is the government put the Chinese people and their welfare at the center, which also enlightened Ghana and any other African country in fostering its agriculture and dealing with poverty.

He praised China's broad-based support for Ghana's development in the past and called for more support for the West African country to achieve its sustainable development goals.

"We admire China for the progress they have made in improving the lives of farmers," Kareweh said, noting that Ghana is a rural agrarian society with agriculture as the bedrock of the economy, and technical assistance from China would go a long way to help improve the agriculture sector.

China's consistent support for Ghana's development will achieve win-win outcomes, he added. 
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/nato-chief-says-unsure-about-zelenskys-participation-in-vilnius-summit-1111778965.html

NATO Chief Says Unsure About Zelensky's Participation in Vilnius Summit

NATO Chief Says Unsure About Zelensky's Participation in Vilnius Summit

Stoltenberg announced that he cannot be sure if Zelensky will attend the upcoming summit. In late June, Ihor Zhovkva told reporters that the president would not attend the summit if leaders didn't invite Ukraine to join the bloc.

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"Of course you can never be 100% certain, especially since he is a president in a country which is in the midst of the war, but I look forward to welcoming him, I have talked with him several times and [was] pleased to welcome him to what will be the first inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council," Stoltenberg told the Sky News broadcaster. The report said that Zelensky's decision to attend the summit may hinge on whether he is satisfied with signals from the allies regarding Ukraine's membership in the alliance. However, Stoltenberg said that he was "absolutely" confident that allies would agree on a form of wording about Ukraine's future accession. In late June, the deputy head of Zelensky's office, Ihor Zhovkva, told Reuters that the president would not attend July's NATO Summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius if the leaders of the alliance's member states fail to show "courage" to invite Ukraine to join the bloc. The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius will host the NATO summit from July 11-12. Discussions on Ukraine's NATO prospects, strengthening the alliance's eastern flank and defense spending are expected to be on top of the summit's agenda. On June 19, Stoltenberg said that the summit would not discuss a formal invitation, but rather ways to "move Ukraine closer to NATO."

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/airspace-closure-in-sudan-extended-until-end-of-month-1111779817.html

Airspace Closure in Sudan Extended Until End of Month

Airspace Closure in Sudan Extended Until End of Month

The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure of the countrys airspace until July 31. Previously, Sudans airspace closure was extended until July 10.

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In a notice to pilots (NOTAM), the civil aviation authority said that Sudans airspace would be closed to all flights until the end of the month, with the exception of humanitarian and evacuation flights, if a relevant permission is obtained from the competent authorities. Previously, Sudans airspace closure was extended until July 10. On April 15, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, with the epicenter located in the capital of Khartoum. The parties have since introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires, but the conflict has not been settled yet. Last month, Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of Sudans Transitional Sovereign Council, said that the Sudanese delegation had asked for Moscow's assistance in resolving the conflict in the North African country during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/australia-to-deploy-awacs-aircraft-in-germany-to-patrol-natos-eastern-flank---scholz-1111794072.html

Australia to Deploy AWACS Aircraft in Germany to Patrol NATO's Eastern Flank - Scholz

Australia to Deploy AWACS Aircraft in Germany to Patrol NATO's Eastern Flank - Scholz

BERLIN (Sputnik)  Australia will deploy an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft to Germany this fall to guard airspace on NATO's eastern flank, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday.

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"I am particularly pleased that Australia will contribute to the protection of the airspace in the eastern territory of the Alliance members this fall by deploying an AWACS aircraft at Ramstein [Air Base] for this purpose," Scholz said at a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Albanese, in turn, said that the aircraft will participate in air patrols for six months, and that 100 military personnel will take part in the mission. Since 2016, NATO has been increasing its military presence on its eastern flank in order to strengthen its "deterrence and defense posture." Following the start of Russia's military operation, NATO decided, among other things, to increase the size of its battlegroups from battalions to brigades where necessary, and began deploying additional forces to the area.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/berlin-prosecutors-office-charges-russian-citizen-for-trying-to-set-fire-to-sputnik-office-1111791744.html

Berlin Prosecutor's Office Charges Russian Citizen For Trying to Set Fire to Sputnik Office

Berlin Prosecutor's Office Charges Russian Citizen For Trying to Set Fire to Sputnik Office

The Berlin prosecutor's office has filed charges of attempted murder and attempted arson against a Russian citizen who tried to set fire to the building where Sputnik correspondents work in Berlin in May 2022.

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The Berlin prosecutor's office has filed charges of attempted murder and attempted arson against a Russian citizen who tried to set fire to the building where Sputnik correspondents work in Berlin in May 2022.Last year, someone threw a bottle into the window of one of the apartments housing Russian journalists in Berlin. An inspection of the building that followed found a suspicious object with a gas tank and wires, believed to be explosive. German sappers who were asked to the scene confirmed it to be an improvised explosive device and deactivated it on the spot. The Russian side said that it could have been a terrorist attack against Russian journalists and their families.Police launched an investigation, and the Berlin public prosecutor's office and the state security service were called in.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/canada-pledges-2bln-for-natos-operation-reassurance-over-next-3-years-1111791997.html

Canada Pledges $2Bln for NATO's Operation Reassurance Over Next 3 Years

Canada Pledges $2Bln for NATO's Operation Reassurance Over Next 3 Years

Canada is allocating C$2.6 billion ($2 billion) in funding for NATOs Operation Reassurance in Eastern Europe over the next three years, the Canadian government said on Monday.

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"Ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Leaders Summit this week, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that Canada is committing $2.6 billion in funding starting in 2023-24, to renew and expand Operation REASSURANCE for three years," the statement said.Canada currently has deployed some 1,100 troops in the Baltics in support of NATOs Operation Reassurance which aims to protect the alliance's eastern flank from an eventual Russian invasion. Operation Reassurance is Canadas largest military deployment outside of its own borders.Operation Reassurance was launched in 2014 enabling Canadian soldiers to operate in Central Europe and in the Baltic states.

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Dutch Prime Minister Rutte Will Leave Politics After Resignation - Reports

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte Will Leave Politics After Resignation - Reports

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he would retire from politics after his resignation, media reported on Monday.

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Last week, Rutte announced his resignation after the government coalition failed to agree on measures to limit the influx of asylum seekers after a long series of consultations. Later, the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation (NOS) reported that Rutte submitted to the king a petition for the resignation of his government. The Electoral Council of the Netherlands has announced that new parliamentary elections in the country may take place in mid-November. Rutte will not stand for a fifth term in November and leave politic altogether after his resignation, media reported.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/german-president-says-berlin-should-not-obstruct-cluster-bomb-deliveries-to-ukraine-1111779377.html

German President Says Berlin Should Not Obstruct Cluster Bomb Deliveries to Ukraine

German President Says Berlin Should Not Obstruct Cluster Bomb Deliveries to Ukraine

On Sunday, the German President said the country should not hinder US deliveries of cluster munitions to Ukraine, while adding that the government's position against cluster munitions remains justified.

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Steinmeier said that the German government's position against cluster munitions remains justified, but the United States' decision must be taken into account. "But in the current situation, [the government] cannot block the US," Steinmeier told Germany's ZDF broadcaster. On Friday, the US unveiled a new military assistance package for Ukraine that includes cluster munitions. The weapons are banned by the international convention, which has been ratified by 123 countries, excluding the US and Ukraine.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/grain-deal-situation-gives-no-optimism-erdogan-putin-talks-only-hope---source-1111780821.html

Grain Deal Situation Gives No Optimism, Erdogan-Putin Talks Only Hope - Source

Grain Deal Situation Gives No Optimism, Erdogan-Putin Talks Only Hope - Source

The current situation with the Black Sea Grain Initiative, also known as the grain deal, does not inspire optimism regarding its extension and the expected talks between the leaders of Russia and Turkey are the only hope, a source familiar with the grain deal talks told Sputnik.

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recep tayyip erdogan

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grain

black sea grain deal

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after Friday talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that he wanted to discuss the grain deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin either by phone or in person. Erdogan said he expected Putin to visit Turkey in the coming month. Asked about the possibility of the grain deal getting extended past July 17, a source familiar with the negotiations told Sputnik that "as of now, there is no optimism" but "the only hope that remains" are the expected talks between Putin and Erdogan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik on Saturday that a telephone conversation with Erdogan was not on Putins schedule yet.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230707/russia-exported-record-60mln-tonnes-of-grain-in-2022-agricultural-year-1111724378.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/hunter-biden-reportedly-has-extensive-ties-with-dozen-of-senior-us-officials-1111802335.html

Hunter Biden Reportedly Has Extensive Ties With Dozen of Senior US Officials

Hunter Biden Reportedly Has Extensive Ties With Dozen of Senior US Officials

US President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, has reportedly maintained extensive ties with almost a dozen current and former senior government officials since his father's days as vice president under the Obama administration.

2023-07-10T21:05+0000

2023-07-10T21:05+0000

2023-07-10T21:03+0000

americas

hunter biden

antony blinken

fox news

white house

joe biden

corruption

investigation

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A digital analysis carried out by Fox News detailed a list of officials with whom Hunter Biden was or continues to be in close contact, and includes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, senior Biden adviser Michael Donilon, and a close aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, among several other people. Hunter Biden and Sullivan were cooperating with each other during their joint work on the board of the Truman National Security Project, a liberal foreign policy think tank. Sullivan worked there in 2017-2019, while Hunter was also serving on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings and the Chinese private equity fund BHR Partners. The US is currently investigating those and his other foreign business activities. The outlet noted that former White House official Mike McCormick accused Sullivan of being a "conspirator" in the Biden family's "kickback scheme" in Ukraine at the time. The report also cites an extensive email exchange between Hunter Biden, at the time when he was with Burisma, and then-Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That correspondence shows the two men scheduled at least one meeting with each other. Moreover, their communications go back at least a decade. For instance, Hunter contacted Blinkens wife, Evan Ryan, in June 2010 asking for Blinken's non-government email address, the report said. Can I get Tonis non-govt email? I wanted to send him something, the message read. Ryan is currently serving as White House cabinet secretary.The report also mentioned email exchanges between Hunter Biden and several other cabinet members. In June, Hunter Bidens attorneys and the US Justice Department announced an agreement under which he will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversionary agreement on a felony firearms offense in an effort to resolve the criminal probe against him and avoid prison time.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/oh-no-joe-us-low-on-ammo-biden-skewered-for-letting-cat-out-of-the-bag-1111786601.html

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joe biden, hunter biden, government ties, obama administration,
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/israel-us-kick-off-joint-air-force-exercise-to-improve-interoperability--idf-1111787552.html

Israel, US Kick Off Joint Air Force Exercise to Improve Interoperability  IDF

Israel, US Kick Off Joint Air Force Exercise to Improve Interoperability  IDF

Israel and the United States have launched joint air force drills as part of the Juniper Oak exercise series aimed at improving operational compatibility, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday.

2023-07-10T10:02+0000

2023-07-10T10:02+0000

2023-07-10T10:02+0000

military

israel defense forces (idf)

israel

mediterranean sea

us

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"A joint US and Israeli Air Forces exercise began yesterday [Sunday] as part of the Juniper Oak joint exercise series," the IDF tweeted. The program of the drills includes long range striking, combat for aerial superiority and repelling cyber attacks, as well as midair refueling. The Juniper Oak 23.2 life-fire drills, conducted from January 23-27, was the largest US-Israeli bilateral military exercise in history. It took place both on the territory of Israel and over the Mediterranean Sea with participation of over 140 aircraft, 6,400 US and 1,500 Israeli troops and several ships.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230509/video-explosions-ring-out-across-gaza-strip-as-idf-conducts-airstrikes-1110208287.html

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PTA Pushing Transgender Ideology: The Parent Teacher Association Turns on Parents

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Capitol Resource Institute (CRI)

July 10, 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 10, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- The California State PTA is co-sponsoring a bill that is swiftly making its way through the legislature in California. AB 957 seeks to establish a framework for parenting in the state by enshrining into law that failing to affirm a child's self-identified gender will be considered detrimental to their well-being.

Under this proposed legislation, parents who do not affirm their child's chosen gender identity may be deemed to be engaging in actions that can be equated with child abuse.

If AB 957 is signed into law by the Governor, parents will be compelled to adopt the state-approved stance on gender identity or risk losing custody of their child.

"The California State PTA's endorsement of this law shows a complete disregard for parental rights, setting a dangerous precedent for other states to follow suit and appease the progressive transgender movement," says Karen England, President of Capitol Resource Institute. "AB 957 establishes an ideological litmus test for parenting in California, and the potential impacts of this language are truly horrifying."



This is the same PTA that was caught secretly partnering with Planned Parenthood to teach 5th graders gender theory and sexual education, while hiding it in their budget under "assemblies."



Capitol Resource Institute's President, Karen England, expressed her outrage at the PTA's deceptive actions, emphasizing that parents should be appalled by this behavior.

Karen also asserts that the PTA has strayed from its original purpose of organizing bake sales and fundraisers for the benefit of children's education and has instead become another organization promoting an extreme agenda.

"The collaboration with Planned Parenthood and the promotion of radical ideologies to be a complete betrayal, urging parents to demand the return of their dues," says England.

SOURCE Capitol Resource Institute (CRI)

CONTACT: Karen England, 916-212-5607


https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/kievs-attempt-to-attack-crimea-and-rostov-region-impossible-without-help-from-us---moscow-1111796232.html

Kievs Attempt to Attack Crimea and Rostov Region Impossible Without Help From US - Moscow

Kievs Attempt to Attack Crimea and Rostov Region Impossible Without Help From US - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraines attempts to shell the Kerch transport crossing in Crimea and Russian regions of Rostov and Bryansk on July 9 would have been... 10.07.2023, Sputnik International

2023-07-10T17:23+0000

2023-07-10T17:23+0000

2023-07-10T17:23+0000

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crimea

ukraine

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The ministry said that the Ukrainian military tried to attack the Russian territory with S-200 missiles. Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry called those attacks unsuccessful."Such actions would not have been possible without the financial, technical and logistical assistance of the US-led Western coalition, which is, in fact, a sponsor of the criminal activities of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskys regime," the ministry said in a statement.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/ukraine-makes-unsuccessful-attempt-to-attack-crimean-bridge-with-s-200-missile-1111782841.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/majority-of-poles-concerned-with-migrant-presence-in-country---survey-1111794199.html

Majority of Poles Concerned With Migrant Presence in Country - Survey

Majority of Poles Concerned With Migrant Presence in Country - Survey

WARSAW (Sputnik)  The majority of Polish citizens are apprehensive about migrants, a poll conducted by the IBRiS laboratory revealed on Monday.

2023-07-10T16:00+0000

2023-07-10T16:00+0000

2023-07-10T16:00+0000

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european union (eu)

poland

jaroslaw kaczynski

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The results of the survey showed that 53.1% of respondents were concerned about the potential risks posed by the presence of migrants in their country. Supporters of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) were most concerned about the migrant issue (83%), as compared to those of other Polish parties. Gender-wise, men (59%) were more concerned than women (48%). Supporters of opposition parties seem to be the least apprehensive about risks caused by the presence of migrants (35%). The survey of 1,100 people was conducted by computer-assisted telephone interview July 7-8.In June, the European Union reached an agreement on migration policy reform after years of negotiations. Under the proposed system, the member states that refuse to accept qualified migrants would be obliged to pay 20,000 euros ($21,700) per person into an EU refugee fund. Poland was one of the two nations to vote against the plan. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the PiS, announced that Poland would hold a referendum on the plan.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230216/poles-readiness-to-accept-ukrainian-refugees-drops-21-percentage-points-after-march-high-1107502734.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/nato-allies-want-germany-us-to-take-stronger-stance-on-ukraine---reports-1111779498.html

NATO Allies Want Germany, US to Take Stronger Stance on Ukraine - Reports

NATO Allies Want Germany, US to Take Stronger Stance on Ukraine - Reports

Allies are pressuring the US and Germany to demonstrate more support for Ukraine in NATO. Two officials said the US, the UK, Germany, France and other allies plan to announce a broad agreement at the summit in Vilnius.

2023-07-10T03:03+0000

2023-07-10T03:03+0000

2023-07-10T03:03+0000

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Other NATO members have been surprised by the "conservative" US and German stance, which does not entail coming up with a "pathway" for Ukraine joining NATO, the officials told the newspaper on Sunday. Two officials said the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and other allies plan to announce a broad agreement at the summit that will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania from July 11-12, which will include bilateral pledges of support to Kiev, but this broad deal could be delayed until after the summit. On Sunday, NATO ambassadors failed to reach a compromise on the text of the NATO leaders statement, so it could be finalized at the summit itself, the Financial Times said. On Saturday, The Telegraph reported that Germany plans to insist during the upcoming NATO summit that Ukraine should not be granted NATO membership. The newspaper said that the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union were working on "Bucharest-plus" - a series of bilateral security offerings to Kiev - instead of offering Ukraine NATO membership. Individual offers of security guarantees to Kiev would then be combined into an umbrella deal, a "Memorandum of Understanding," endorsed by NATO and the EU. Ukraine applied for a fast-tracked membership in NATO in September 2022 following the start of the Russian military operation in February of that year. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has on numerous occasions said that the bloc was supportive of Kiev's aspirations but was not ready to approve its application right away, chiefly due to Ukraine's active involvement in an armed conflict. In early June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev hoped to receive a clear invitation to join the bloc at the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on July 11-12. He also said the Ukrainian military was disappointed that Ukraine had not yet received a clear positive response about joining both the European Union and NATO. On June 19, Stoltenberg said that the top-level summit in July would not discuss a formal invitation, but rather ways to "move Ukraine closer to NATO."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/nato-chief-says-unsure-about-zelenskys-participation-in-vilnius-summit-1111778965.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/nato-may-adopt-multilateral-declaration-on-ukraine-containing-individual-pledges-1111789889.html

NATO May Adopt Multilateral Declaration on Ukraine Containing Individual Pledges

NATO May Adopt Multilateral Declaration on Ukraine Containing Individual Pledges

NATO member countries are likely to adopt a multilateral declaration containing individual pledges of each state aimed at codifying existing military supplies to Kiev, providing guarantees for the training of the Ukrainian troops, intelligence sharing and assistance in defense policy reforms, media reported, citing sources.

2023-07-10T11:00+0000

2023-07-10T11:00+0000

2023-07-10T11:00+0000

world

nato

ukraine

jens stoltenberg

kiev

vilnius

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The declarations formal provisions have not been yet agreed or stated publicly, but NATO is also expected to upgrade the existing Ukraine-NATO commission to the council level, which will provide Kiev with an equal seat at the discussions with NATO members and an ability to convene meetings for crisis consultations, the newspaper reported. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the news outlet that there were different proposals on the table and expressed confidence that the allies would "end on something that will unite" NATO member states and "send a clear message." Meanwhile, the report also said that Ukraine had realistic expectations for the alliances upcoming summit in Vilnius. The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius will host the NATO summit from July 11-12. On June 19, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the summit would not discuss a formal invitation, but rather ways to "move Ukraine closer to NATO." Ukraine applied for accelerated NATO membership in September 2022 following the start of the Russian military operation in February of that year. Stoltenberg has on numerous occasions said that the 31-nation alliance was supportive of Kiev's aspirations but was not ready to approve its application right away.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/germany-set-against-ukraines-bid-for-nato-membership---reports-1111759298.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/nato-secretary-general-to-hold-meeting-between-turkish-swedish-leaders-on-monday-1111781877.html

NATO Secretary General to Hold Meeting Between Turkish, Swedish Leaders on Monday

NATO Secretary General to Hold Meeting Between Turkish, Swedish Leaders on Monday

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will hold a meeting in Vilnius on Monday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Sweden's membership in the alliance.

2023-07-10T05:35+0000

2023-07-10T05:35+0000

2023-07-10T05:35+0000

world

jens stoltenberg

recep tayyip erdogan

finland

sweden

nato

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The secretary general has expressed hope that the sides will reach a political decision on the matter before the upcoming NATO summit. Vilnius will host the NATO summit from July 11-12. Stoltenberg will chair the meeting. Discussions on Ukraine's NATO prospects, strengthening the alliance's eastern flank and defense spending are expected to top the summit agenda.Sweden and Finland submitted their applications to join the alliance in May 2022, soon after Russia launched the special military operation in Ukraine. In April, Finland's application was ratified by all 30 members of the alliance. Sweden's application is still pending approval by Hungary and Turkey, with the accession process stalled in part due to two controversial Quran-burning demonstrations in Stockholm. The latest took place on June 28, the first day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, when a copy of the Quran was burned outside Stockholm's main mosque.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230706/swedens-nato-membership-final-piece-us-arctic-gamble--1111701607.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/north-korea-calls-uss-plan-to-send-nuclear-submarine-to-peninsula-blackmail-1111782565.html

North Korea Calls US's Plan to Send Nuclear Submarine to Peninsula 'Blackmail'

North Korea Calls US's Plan to Send Nuclear Submarine to Peninsula 'Blackmail'

Pyongyang has slammed Washington's plan to send a nuclear-armed submarine to the Korean Peninsula, calling the move an "undisguised nuclear blackmail" that may push the regional tensions to the brink of a nuclear conflict, the North Korean Defense Ministry said on Monday.

2023-07-10T06:09+0000

2023-07-10T06:09+0000

2023-07-10T06:09+0000

military

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Pyongyang has slammed Washington's plan to send a nuclear-armed submarine to the Korean Peninsula, calling the move an "undisguised nuclear blackmail" that may push the regional tensions to the brink of a nuclear conflict, the North Korean Defense Ministry said on Monday. The defense ministry also said that the recent developments clearly proved that "the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the US provocative military action," as quoted by media. US President Joe Biden said during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, in Washington in April that he would send a nuclear submarine to South Korea to enhance the "regular visibility" of US strategic assets on the Korean peninsula. The United States has been building up its military presence in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea to counter China. Beijing sees US warships in the area as a potential threat to its sovereignty and security.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/us-nuclear-powered-submarine-conducts-joint-drills-with-south-korean-navy--reports-1111381470.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/not-in-my-backyard-most-finns-oppose-hosting-nato-nuclear-arms-1111783380.html

Not in My Backyard? Most Finns Oppose Hosting NATO Nuclear Arms

Not in My Backyard? Most Finns Oppose Hosting NATO Nuclear Arms

Finns have been consistently averse to placing nuclear arms on their soil  a policy confirmed by Helsinki despite reversing the decades-old policy of non-alignment.

2023-07-10T13:16+0000

2023-07-10T13:16+0000

2023-07-10T13:16+0000

military

alexander grushko

finland

helsinki

nato

defense ministry

nuclear

nuclear weapons

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The majority of Finns don't support either the transportation or storage of NATO nuclear arms in their country, according to a fresh survey by the University of Helsinki and the University of Turku.61 percent firmly opposed allowing the transportation of nuclear weapons through Finland, while storing nuclear weapons on Finnish ground appeared to be an even bigger no-no, with some 77 percent against.Finland filed a bid to join the alliance in the spring of 2022, citing a change in Europe's security landscape, and joined the alliance in April 2023, upending decades of non-alignment. However, membership in the bloc is not a free ride, as its leadership has been pushing members to boost military expenditure, ensure costly upgrades of gear, and take part in overseas operations  which the population may be even less eager to do.Finns have long had a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons, and Finnish law openly prohibits them. So far, the Finnish leadership has largely maintained its historic line on nuclear arms, despite breaching the decades-old tradition of non-alignment. Former Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin, under whose watch Finland filed a bid for NATO and entered the alliance, called it "very unlikely" that nuclear weapons would be situated on Finnish soil. At the same time, she called it important not to set any kinds of preconditions that would limit Finland's room for maneuvering.Earlier this year, NATO's newly-fledged member Finland announced that while the Defense Ministry had decided not to allow any nuclear arms on its soil, it is nevertheless going to participate in the Western military alliance's nuclear planning and support operationsRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Finland and Sweden must understand that Russia will certainly take into account "the growing threats associated with the possible deployment of military potentials on their territories in its defense planning." He also cited the elevated risks of a clash between the forces of Russia and NATO and lamented how the the Baltic region, which used to be "most calm" in the military and political sense, has been turned into a zone of rivalry.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230519/finland-urged-to-maintain-nuclear-bans-despite-nato-membership-1110455270.html

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Igor Kuznetsov

nuclear arms, finland's nato membership, finland's military, nuclear threat, nuclear weapons, abandoned non-alignment
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/oh-no-joe-us-low-on-ammo-biden-skewered-for-letting-cat-out-of-the-bag-1111786601.html

Oh, No Joe! US Low on Ammo! Biden Skewered For Letting 'Cat Out of The Bag'

Oh, No Joe! US Low on Ammo! Biden Skewered For Letting 'Cat Out of The Bag'

President Joe Biden has been torched on the internet for letting the cat out of the bag, and revealing that the United States is running low on ammo.

2023-07-10T17:26+0000

2023-07-10T17:26+0000

2023-07-10T17:26+0000

americas

us

viral

joe biden

cluster bombs

cluster munitions

ukraine

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President Biden has been savaged for letting the cat out of the bag, and revealing that the United States is running low on ammo.When sitting down for a US media interview ahead of his visit to the UK, and, subsequently, to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania, the Democratic POTUS doubled down on the importance of transferring lethal cluster munitions to Ukraine.The Pentagon had announced the planned provision of cluster bombs as part of a new $800 million-worth military assistance package for the Kiev authorities on Friday.Amid the growing chorus of voices criticizing the decision, ranging from NATO allies to his own key top Democrats, Biden defended sending the bombs banned by over 100 countries to the conflagration zone in Ukraine, blurting out:The 80-year-old commander-in-chief then added:The remark opened the floodgates to a plethora of wide-ranging remarks on social media. Some sarcastically commented that it was mind-boggling how the president was announcing the US shortage during a nationally televised interview.Some on social media joked that the President of the United States had said the quiet part out loud: We've run out of ammunition.If the whole point of the ongoing American-led proxy war against Russia being fought in Ukraine was to weaken Russia," tech entrepreneur David Sacks tweeted, then how is it that the US ran out of ammo first. So whos weakening whom?Others on social media ripped Joe Biden for funding "a war we shouldn't be in."Robert F Kennedy Jr, the present 2024 presidential hopeful and nephew of assassinated former US President John F Kennedy, slammed the cluster munitions decision by Biden as a "pretext for more military spending."US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters after a trip to Ukraine in April last year that Washington's goal was "to see Russia weakened." But despite the US and its NATO allies funneling military assistance to Ukraine, the latter's much-heralded counteroffensive has so far been a disappointment to Kiev's handlers. The US announced Friday that it would send the controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine to help shore up Ukraine's military, which has run up against stiff resistance from Russian forces backed by heavy artillery and air power. The Ukrainian forces do not have enough tanks, armored vehicles or ammo, US business media reported, citing senior Ukrainian officials and frontline commanders. The 155mm artillery dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) rounds, the M864, stated Washington, would be an emergency stop-gap measure designed to allow Kiev to sustain its planned rate of fire until US and European production of 155mm artillery could be boosted to meet Ukraines operational needs. The announcement was met with a chorus of condemnation, as much of the world views cluster munitions as presenting an unacceptable risk to civilian life due to the high occurrence of dud munitions (i.e., munitions that fail to detonate on impact). Such munitions continue to kill long after, in cases when civilians stumble upon them.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/kiev-reportedly-pulls-leopard-2s-from-front-low-on-armor-ammo-as-offensive-stalls-1111770462.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230708/us-congressman-on-decision-to-send-cluster-bombs-no-one-in-biden-admin-seeks-peace-in-ukraine-1111755892.html

americas

ukraine

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2023

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

joe biden; cluster munitions; low on ammunition, running low on ammo, aid for kiev, cluster bombs for ukraine,
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/russian-intel-us-instructing-telecoms-to-spread-enmity-against-russian-govt-1111784343.html

Russian Intel Exposes US 'Ministry of Truth' Telecom Plot to Sow Enmity Against Kremlin

Russian Intel Exposes US 'Ministry of Truth' Telecom Plot to Sow Enmity Against Kremlin

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Department of State has issued instructions to national telecom companies on covering events around Russia, with the goal of pushing... 10.07.2023, Sputnik International

2023-07-10T07:56+0000

2023-07-10T07:56+0000

2023-07-10T08:36+0000

russia

russia

department of state

svr

us

telecom

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"The US Department of State has finally turned into the 'Ministry of Truth' predicted by George Orwell and actually dictates to the American media what exactly they should write and say. In June, the Department of State issued instructions to major telecommunications holdings such as AT&T, Comcast Corporation, Graham Media Group, Nash Holdings, Newsweek Publishing, and The New York Times Company to misrepresent events in and around Russia," the SVR said in a statement, adding that the goal is to "introduce into the minds of Russian citizens the idea of the need for a forceful struggle against the authorities up to an armed rebellion." To steer Russian citizens into protests, plans are in store to actively replicate fake news about the weakness of the Russian state, its inability to defend its territories, the inevitability of defeat in the confrontation with the West, the statement added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230703/us-arms-daesh-in-syria-with-chemical-weapons--russian-intel-1111638392.html

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russia, department of state, svr, us, telecom
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/russian-troops-repel-three-ukrainian-attempts-to-attack-1111779944.html

Russian Troops Repel Three Ukrainian Attempts to Attack

Russian Troops Repel Three Ukrainian Attempts to Attack

Russian crews of the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system hit the area where Ukrainian weapons and military equipment were concentrated in the Soledar-Bakhmut direction and destroyed a Ukrainian warehouse.

2023-07-10T04:26+0000

2023-07-10T04:26+0000

2023-07-10T04:26+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

moscow

ukraine

military

russia

defense ministry

tornado-s

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"During the day, units of the [Russian] Yug Group of Forces continued to repel attempts by assault units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break through the defenses in the Lisichansk, Soledar-Artemovsk [Bakhmut] and Aleksandr-Kalinovsk directions. The group's aviation carried out missile and bomb strikes against concentrations of enemy manpower and firepower," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that accumulations of weapons and equipment of Ukrainian forces were hit in Avdeevka. Moreover, Russian crews of the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system hit the area where Ukrainian weapons and military equipment were concentrated in the Soledar-Artemovsk direction and destroyed a Ukrainian warehouse. Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russias operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia. Ukraine launched its long-advertised counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian troops continue to try but are failing to advance along three directions: South Donetsk, Artemovsk and Zaporozhye, the latter being of primary focus.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230708/russian-troops-thwart-attack-by-ukrainian-forces-in-zaporozhye-direction-1111746101.html

moscow

ukraine

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

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russia, ukraine, russia's special operation in ukraine, military, russian military
Brunei launches 1st direct container shipping route to China

Xinhua) 10:56, July 10, 2023

Officials attend the launch ceremony for the maiden container ship voyage from Brunei to China, in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei, July 8, 2023. Brunei opened a container shipping route between Muara Port, its sole deep-water port, and Beibu Gulf Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking the first such route between the Southeast Asian country and China.(Photo by Jeffrey Wong/Xinhua)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Brunei opened a container shipping route between Muara Port, its sole deep-water port, and Beibu Gulf Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking the first such route between the Southeast Asian country and China.

At the ceremony to launch the maiden container ship voyage on the route, Haji Mohd Amin Liew, Brunei's minister at the Prime Minister's office and second minister of finance and economy, said the new container shipping line is crucial to the development of the Brunei economy and to the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as it will facilitate import and export, and open new markets.

Cai Lixin, visiting vice governor of Guangxi, said opening the new route is an important event in strengthening China's cooperation with the BIMP-EAGA region and for speeding up the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

The new route is of great significance to furthering trade and economic cooperation between China and Brunei, she noted.

"In February 2017, Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Company Ltd. and Brunei's Darussalam Assets formed a joint venture company to operate the Muara Port container terminal, injecting new vitality into the port," Xiao Jianguo, Chinese ambassador to Brunei, told the ceremony.

The opening of the new container shipping route marks another step forward in infrastructure connectivity and trade flow between China and Brunei, which will facilitate bilateral economic and trade relations and help Brunei's economic diversification efforts, the ambassador added.

The ceremony was attended by about 150 people including senior officials of the Brunei government, representatives of Chinese enterprises and personalities from all walks of life in Brunei.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said he is willing to hold an in-depth discussion on the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund after a survey showed Filipinos were divided on the new law, while some said they don't know enough about it.

Mabuti naman na ina-admit na di nila maintindihan. Mahirap siya intindihin (It's good they admitted that they don't understand it. It is hard to understand). I suggest now that its available, you read it, he said during a weekly interview with reporters over the weekend.

Based on a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey conducted in March, 51% of the respondents said they expect little or no benefit from the MIF, while 56% expect much benefit from it.

The poll also found that only 20% of Filipinos believe they were sufficiently informed about the sovereign wealth fund.

READ: Filipinos split on Maharlika fund's benefits  SWS

Diokno also said there was so much distrust in the Maharlika bill.

But we can live with it Im willing to be interviewed in-depth kahit ilang oras (even for hours), he said.

Earlier last month, the finance chief said the Maharlika fund can be up and running before the year ends as they expect President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign it into law before his second state of the nation address on July 24.

Just last week, Diokno said the drafting of the Maharlika funds implementing rules was already in its final phase.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/russias-upper-house-speaker-meets-with-chinese-president-in-beijing-1111787439.html

Russias Upper House Speaker Meets With Chinese President in Beijing

Russias Upper House Speaker Meets With Chinese President in Beijing

Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko is holding a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit of the Russian parliament delegation to Beijing.

2023-07-10T09:59+0000

2023-07-10T09:59+0000

2023-07-10T12:32+0000

world

valentina matviyenko

china

russia

beijing

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Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko is holding a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit of the Russian parliament delegation to Beijing.During the meeting, Matviyenko delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chinese president.Neither Russia, nor China will allow anyone to talk to use force and threats in relations with them, the speaker added."We have discussed many issues of Russian-Chinese cooperation. Despite the new conditions in which we all live, I am convinced that China, as a very responsible serious state, never adapts to anyone, our relations are not subject to any conjuncture, no external political influence," Matvienko added.Trade between Russia and China can exceed $200 billion in 2023, Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko said."Despite all the difficulties, illegal restrictions, attempts to restrain the development of our countries, trade is growing steadily, even at a pace higher than before. There is every reason to believe that by the end of this year, we will cross the bar of $200 billion in mutual trade," Matvienko told reporters.Earlier, at a meeting with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji, Matviyenko noted that the invitation of a delegation of the Russian parliament to China speaks of the mood to intensify Russian-Chinese cooperation.Xi paid a state visit to Russia from March 20-22, during which he had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders signed a joint statement on a plan to develop key areas of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation by 2030.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230709/russias-upper-house-speaker-matvienko-to-visit-china---reports-1111760417.html

china

russia

beijing

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russian upper house speaker valentina matvienko, chinese president xi jinping, russian parliament delegation to beijing
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/seven-times-biden-lied-on-ukraine-1111793218.html

Seven Times Biden Lied on Ukraine

Seven Times Biden Lied on Ukraine

The US announced last week that it would expedite the delivery of 155mm howitzer-launched cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite earlier characterizing the use of such weapons as a war crime, and promising to remove them from US inventories. What other Ukraine-related promises has the Biden administration broken?

2023-07-10T15:19+0000

2023-07-10T15:19+0000

2023-07-10T19:28+0000

analysis

joe biden

jen psaki

liz truss

ukraine

russia

nato

burisma

pentagon

high mobility artillery rocket system (himars)

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https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/15/1111372544_0:7:2970:1678_1920x0_80_0_0_02b936dfac921db57d2f7aadce1a6186.jpg

The fallout from the Biden administrations approval on the transfer of M864 Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) cluster bombs to Ukraine continues to spread, with US allies, dozens of human rights and anti-war groups, and the United Nations condemning the decision, and Moscow warning that it will result in a further escalation of the conflict.Cluster BombsThe US military had previously pledged to eliminate its M864 stocks, and stopped using them in 2016, citing their high dud rate (which can reach up to 20 percent). These particular weapons are reportedly over 20 years old, thus further decreasing their immediate viability as a weapon, but increasing their deadliness to civilians and the surrounding environment over the long term.In February 2022, then-Biden press secretary Jen Psaki characterized the possible use of cluster munitions in Ukraine by Russia as potentiallya war crime. Apparently when the shoe is on the other foot, thats no longer the case.Long-Range MissilesIn May 2022, Biden assured that the US was not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia. Less than a month later, the US announced that it would send M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, to Kiev. These weapons have a range of between 80 and 110 km. A year after that, Washingtons UK allies announced that they would send long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which have a range of more than 250 km. Now, discussions are underway in Washington on the possible delivery to Kiev of a variant of a HIMARS known as the ATACMS, which has a range of over 305 km.Kiev has already demonstrated its readiness to use its HIMARS and Storm Shadows against civilians in the Donbass and infrastructure in Crimea, as well as Belgorod region and Donetsk's border with Rostov region, which everyone in the West (apart from former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, perhaps) definitely recognize as Russian territory.Tanks and Planes and American CrewsWhen the Ukrainian crisis first began, President Biden expressed caution about the types of military equipment that the US would be willing to deploy, and who would operate it.But less than a year later, in January 2023, Biden announced that the US would be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Kiev, with the announcement serving as a palliative to ease the transfer of hundreds of German-made Leopard and Leopard 2 MBTs. In May 2023, the US greenlit the training of Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly F-16s, even though just a few months earlier Biden promised that Washington would not be sending F-16s to Ukraine.As far as American pilots and American crews are concerned, the recently leaked Pentagon assessment on the status of the Ukrainian conflict revealed that NATO countries already have dozens of special forces boots on the ground, including at least 14 American troops. On top of that, thousands of foreign mercenaries, including combat veterans of US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, have flowed steadily into Ukraine over the past 16 months. The Russian military announced Monday that it had information that Kiev is working with CIA-controlled private military companies to expand the recruitment of volunteers from the US and Canada to use as cannon fodder in Ukraine. If these arent the American crews that Biden was talking about, what are they?Defending DemocracyOn the campaign trail in 2019, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden pledged that as president, he would ensure that democracy is once again the watchword of US foreign policy, not to launch some moral crusade, but because its in our enlightened self-interest.Has he kept his word on that foreign policy pledge in Ukraine? Well, to date the Zelensky administration has imposed martial law, canceled presidential elections scheduled for 2024, imprisoned political opponents, banned opposition parties, and gone after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Must be a special US export brand of democracy.Transparency on UkraineIf the president were standing here with me today, he would say he works for the American peopleBut his objective and his commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government  to share the truth, even when its hard to hear, Jen Psaki said at a press conference in the White House in January 2021.An often forgotten facet of the Ukrainian crisis is Bidens intimate involvement in shaping US policy on the country going all the way back to his tenure as Barack Obamas vice president and the 2014 coup in Kiev. At a Council on Foreign Relations event in 2018, Biden bragged about his personal intervention in Ukraines domestic politics to get Viktor Shokhin, a prosecutor investigating a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma on money laundering charges, fired. Biden jovially recalled how he told Ukrainian officials that the US would withhold a $1 billion loan agreement to Ukraine until the prosecutor was let go. Kiev folded, and the prosecutor was gone.Later, it emerged that Bidens son Hunter was sitting on the board of the energy company. Later still, President Trump got impeached for nudging Kiev to reopen the investigation into Burisma. And just last month, it was revealed by investigators in Congress that President Biden and his son allegedly received up to $10 million in bribes from Burismas owner to court favor with the powerful politician.Has Biden met his administrations pledge to be transparent on Ukraine-related issues? Judging by his string of denials, and most US medias blackout silence on the matter, the answer doesn't seem encouraging.Dangerous LiesAs the NATO-Russia proxy war marks its 500+ day anniversary, its anyones guess what the future holds. Washingtons European allies, pouring in nearly $100 billion in weapons and as much or more in economic and humanitarian assistance to Kiev, are growing increasingly weary of continuing to support a conflict that has thrust their economies into a recession and threatens to leave them deindustrialized husks.Perhaps in time Biden, his administration, and the Washington political machine will come to the same realization in Ukraine that it did in Afghanistan in 2021, and pull out of the country, leading to the swift collapse of its puppet government.Or, on the contrary, perhaps the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction, and NATO will entangle itself more deeply in the conflict (as Kiev and some alliance members are seeking), and potentially thrust the world into a global conflagration that could easily go nuclear.Biden has promised repeatedly that the US will not fight a war with Russia in Ukraine, saying he recognizes that direct conflict between NATO and Russia would be World War III. But his track record on other promises and commitments made to date relating to Ukraine leaves much to be desired.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/ukraine-has-stepped-up-recruitment-of-mercenaries-in-us-canada-with-help-of-cia---mod-1111790443.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

joe biden, biden administration, ukraine, russia, commitments, promises, untruth
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/south-koreans-panic-buy-salt-seafood-amid-concerns-over-fukushima-wastewater-dump-1111780060.html

South Koreans Panic Buy Salt, Seafood Sparked by Fukushima Wastewater Fears

South Koreans Panic Buy Salt, Seafood Sparked by Fukushima Wastewater Fears

South Koreans are reportedly hoarding salt, panic-buying seafood ahead of the planned radioactive Fukushima water release into the Pacific ocean.

2023-07-10T06:21+0000

2023-07-10T06:21+0000

2023-07-10T07:43+0000

south korea

fukushima

radioactive

salt

seafood

wastewater

japan

world

international atomic energy agency (iaea)

tokyo electric power company (tepco)

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Salt has reportedly been vanishing from South Korean supermarket shelves, with the cost of the staple item soaring by about 40 percent since April, according to the countrys salt manufacturing association. Stores nationwide are also said to be stocking up on salt out of concern over an imminent supply crisis, as locals hoard up ahead of the planned radioactive Fukushima water release into the ocean. On shelves hosting an array of seasonings, such as garlic powder and chili paste, there are visible gaps where salt used to be, according to media reports. One outlet sited a store sign saying: Salt out of stock.Amid the panic-buying, the government opted to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have also been impacted by inclement weather affecting salt production.Seafood is also being snapped up by residents of the country that holds one of the highest production and consumption rates of 'fruits of the sea' in the world. There is a similar rush to buy more other sea-based staples, like seaweed, according to South Korean social media.Stockpiling sea-based food items has been triggered by fears that they may become contaminated after the impending discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.In the years that followed, some 1.33 million cubic meters of contaminated water ended up being accumulated at the plant - water used to cool the damaged reactors, as well as rainwater and groundwater that seeped into the site. But with the site running out of storage space, Fukushima Daiichis operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) plans to release this water into the ocean after subjecting the contaminated liquid to a treatment by ALPS processing system meant to remove the majority of radioactive elements. The discharge, which is expected to take place over the course of decades, has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The water discharge plans triggered alarm in Japan itself and in neighboring countries such as China and South Korea. There is a growing list of countries that have banned imports of seafood from the Fukushima region. Fishermen and consumers fear that the treated water, albeit highly diluted, might pollute both salt and the various "ocean delicacies" with hazardous hydrogen isotopes. That said, 78 percent of locals were very or somewhat worried about seafood ending up contaminated, a Gallup Korea survey from June showed.Despite the IAEA attempting to alleviate concerns by releasing a post-safety review report that concluded the dumped wastewater would have a negligible impact on people or the environment, worries still persist. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi acknowledged that public fears were very logical, but insisted he was completely convinced of the sound basis of our conclusions in a media interview during a visit to Tokyo on July 7.However, a degree of international skepticism regarding the report's findings exists. Chinese officials have warned that it could cause unpredictable harm. The Chinese National Nuclear Safety Administration criticized the IAEA report, insisting that it "fails to fully reflect the opinions of experts from all parties involved in the assessment, and the conclusions are not unanimously recognized by all experts." The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum published an op-ed as far back as in January voicing grave concerns, and arguing for more data.While the South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEAs findings, Seoul's residents took to the streets and protested, waving banners that lambasted the wastewater release during Grossis visit to the capital.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230705/iaea-boss-tours-fukushima-ahead-of-impending-ocean-release-of-contaminated-water-1111672426.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230707/nuclear-power-lapdog-iaea-to-suffer-reputational-blow-for-fukushima-wastewater-release-1111728525.html

south korea

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/stoltenberg-erdogan-has-agreed-to-forward-swedens-nato-bid-to-parliament-1111798921.html

Stoltenberg: Erdogan Has Agreed to Forward Sweden's NATO Bid to Parliament

Stoltenberg: Erdogan Has Agreed to Forward Sweden's NATO Bid to Parliament

After more than a year of political jockeying, Turkiye has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join the NATO alliance, which it applied to join last year.

2023-07-10T19:32+0000

2023-07-10T19:32+0000

2023-07-10T20:37+0000

world

nato

sweden

turkiye

nato membership

parliament

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In a statement on Monday afternoon, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "has agreed to forward Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all NATO Allies stronger & safer."Stoltenberg said the decision was the result of a meeting he orchestrated between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that is set to begin on Tuesday.Stoltenberg's office said Monday's agreements built on the trilateral memorandum signed last year in Madrid and noted Sweden's moves to abide by that agreement, including amending its constitution, ending its support for the Kurdish YPG and PKK militant groups, and cooperating with Ankara on counter-terrorism efforts. Turkiye and Sweden also agreed to drop all remaining economic barriers between them and work to step up trade and investment cooperation.A source told Sputnik following that news that there were "no specific deadlines" on the Turkish parliament's approval of Sweden's membership application.The Scandinavian state applied to join the NATO alliance in May 2022, but while it met NATO's rigid political and military standards for membership, several allies withheld their support for other reasons, blocking its accession to the alliance, which requires unanimous approval of all member states. Turkiye demanded Stockholm end its support for Kurdish militant groups that Ankara considers to be terrorist organization, and debates inside the Hungarian government about criticisms made of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government by Swedish political figures has prevented a parliamentary vote.After Russia launched its special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, which was triggered in part by the threat of Ukraine joining NATO, Stockholm and Helsinki faced - and eventually acquiesced to - Western pressure to abandon their neutrality and join the Western anti-Russian alliance.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/us-de-facto-confessed-to-war-crimes-in-ukraine---russian-embassy-1111779664.html

US De Facto Confessed to War Crimes in Ukraine - Russian Embassy

US De Facto Confessed to War Crimes in Ukraine - Russian Embassy

Kirby defended the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine in an interview, saying in that interview "we can all agree that more civilians have been and will continue to be killed".

2023-07-10T03:38+0000

2023-07-10T03:38+0000

2023-07-10T03:38+0000

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Kirby defended the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine in an interview with ABC News on Sunday. Kirby said that cluster munitions are being supplied now to make up for how fast Ukrainian forces are using up their other artillery. Kirby told ABC that "we can all agree that more civilians have been and will continue to be killed" during the Ukraine conflict, whether by means of cluster munitions, drones, or missile attacks. "If there is any logic behind the Administration's decision to transfer cluster munitions, it boils down to it won't get any worse. The United States is ready to destroy life far from its own borders with the hands of Ukrainians," the Russian embassy said. The embassy emphasized that the West seeks to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, which, in turn, is defending its own people. On Friday, the US unveiled a new military assistance package for Ukraine that includes cluster munitions. The weapons are banned by the international convention, which has been ratified by 123 countries, excluding the US and Ukraine.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/us-dumping-cluster-bombs-in-ukraine-to-avoid-having-to-dispose-of-them-at-home-1111795754.html

US Dumping Cluster Bombs in Ukraine to Avoid Having to Dispose of Them at Home

US Dumping Cluster Bombs in Ukraine to Avoid Having to Dispose of Them at Home

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby conceded the dangers to civilians posed by the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine, but stressed that Kiev needs the controversial weapons to stay in the fight. Washington has good reason to be so nonchalant, top Russian military observers have told Sputnik.

2023-07-10T19:21+0000

2023-07-10T19:21+0000

2023-07-10T19:45+0000

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john kirby

alexei leonkov

dmiry drozdenko

ukraine

russia

national security council

convention on cluster munitions

cluster bombs

cluster munitions

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We are very mindful of the concerns about civilian casualties and unexploded ordnance being picked up by civilians or children and being hurt, of course were mindful of that, Kirby said in a US media interview on Sunday.But these munitions do provide a useful battlefield capability, Kirby added, claiming that unlike Russia, the Ukrainians will be usingthem to defend their own territory hitting Russian positions.The Russian Embassy in Washington pounced on Kirbys words, pointing out that the official had de facto confessed to the United States committing war crimes during the Ukrainian conflict, and overtly stat[ing] that civilians would fall victims to cluster-type weapons.Kirby also said that the decision to transfer cluster munitions was about keeping Ukraine in the fight, with Ukraines military expending many thousands of rounds per day across the front and running out of inventory.'Stating the Obvious'Kirby seems to be stating the obvious about the situation in foreign munitions arsenals, veteran Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov, editor of Russian military affairs magazine Arsenal of the Fatherland, told Sputnik.Highlighting the apparent inability of the US military-industrial complex to keep up with the rate at which Ukraine is expending its munitions, and the decision to dip into stocks of shells from the Pentagons own inventories, the observer pointed out that problems with ammo began to show through even last year, when some of the 155 mm shells the US and its allies sent turned out to be duds.The observer pointed out that Washingtons decision is a "precedent" only in the sense that these new cluster munitions are US-made, since in reality, its Ukrainian allies have been using cluster bombs since the very beginning of the conflict, and deliberately targeting civilians.The Ukrainian military has used inhumane tactics, using cluster munitions against civilians in large populated areas like Donetsk and Lugansk. The first shell would damage a civilian target, leaving people trapped under rubble. When the rescue services arrived, 40 minutes later, a cluster munition would arrive and kill those coming to help them. There have been many such cases, and they have been documented by the Joint Center of Control and Coordination, Leonksov said, referring to the Donbass-based watchdog monitoring and documenting shelling attacks on populated areas.Hard TargetDmitri Drozdenko, Arsenal of the Fatherlands editor-in-chief, told Sputnik that part of the problem with cluster munitions is that its essentially impossible to safely shoot down bombs or missiles which are laden with submunitions.Leonkov agreed, saying its essentially pointless to target individual cluster rounds, and that the better strategy is to attack the howitzer that launched it, as well as ammunition dumps storing these munitions.Is US Decision a War Crime?Leonkov says the question of who will carry responsibility for war crimes if and when Kiev ends up using its US-made cluster rounds against civilians is a rhetorical one.For his part, Drozdenko said that formally, the United States probably cant be charged for treaty violations, since its not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (nor is Ukraine). Ukraine has been using cluster munitions made during the Soviet period from the very start of the conflict in 2014. Therefore its an open secret that they will be using them, for the most part, as I understand, against peaceful targets, as they already have, he said.Drozdenko noted that Kiev has also already liberally used deadly Lepestok anti-personnel land mines in civilian areas, in violation of the Anti-Personnel Mine treaty, to which Ukraine is a signatory, and despite commitments to destroy these weapons. What makes cluster munitions even worse is that unlike Lepestoks, which go off when placed under about 12 kg of pressure, with cluster submunitions its enough just to touch themTherefore, their dispersal is even worse than that of a mere mine, the observer said.How Would US React?Asked to speculate on how Washington would respond if it was put in the same position Russia has, and if US civilians were put in harms way by cluster munitions, Leonkov stated bluntly that the Americans would call this a direct threat to their national security and begin a military conflict against the country using these types of weapons against its civilians.Drozdenko agreed, saying that the only factor Washington really seems to understand is force, and that they do not negotiate with any party that doesn't display sufficient strength.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/us-de-facto-confessed-to-war-crimes-in-ukraine---russian-embassy-1111779664.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230707/kievs-terror-shelling-of-donbass-signals-growing-desperation-ahead-of-nato-summit-1111722800.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220415/live-updates-ukrainian-forces-shell-donetsk-firing-six-122-mm-mortars---dpr-1094775648.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/danish-deminers-denounce-deeply-problematic-cluster-bomb-transfer-to-ukraine-1111781329.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221122/kremlin-ukrainian-crisis-and-caribbean-crisis-are-different-but-both-are-russia-west-clash-1104543294.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/us-europeans-depleted-their-weapons-stockpiles-fighting-russia-in-ukraine-1111797051.html

US, Europeans Depleted Their Weapons Stockpile Fighting Russia in Ukraine

US, Europeans Depleted Their Weapons Stockpile Fighting Russia in Ukraine

President Biden and other officials have officially let slip that the US defense industrial base has run into difficulties replenishing the tens of billions of dollars in weapons sent to Ukraine to fight Russia. Asked for comment, retired US Army Major General Paul E. Vallely explained why this is a problem that isnt going to go away anytime soon.

2023-07-10T19:58+0000

2023-07-10T19:58+0000

2023-07-10T20:26+0000

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US President Joe Biden has taken flak over an explanation justifying the deployment of cluster munitions to Ukraine in which he admitted both Kiev and Washington are running out of ordinary 155-millimeter howitzer shells. And so, what I finally did, took the recommendation of the Defense Department, to not permanently, but to allow for, in this transition period, where we have more 155 weapons, these shells for Ukrainians, to provide them with something that has a very low dud rate, Biden said.The presidents comments were echoed by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who said in a Sunday chat show that the US was running low on howitzer rounds.The Ukrainians are using artillery at a very accelerated rate, many thousands of rounds per day. This is literally a gun fight all along - from the Donbass all the way down towards Zaporozhye and Kherson. And so theyre running out of inventory, Kirby said.Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made a similar point on Friday, telling reporters Washington was looking to bridge a gap that exists between Ukrainian artillery round consumption and US and European production using cluster rounds.[Russian President] Vladimir Putin has a theory of victory, okay? His theory of victory is that he will outlast everybody. Hell outlast the Ukrainians, hell outlast the United States, hell outlast the Europeans, a flustered Kahl said. Thats why President Biden has been clear that were going to be with Ukraine as long as it takes and why we are signaling that we will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities that will keep them in the fight.European politicians and weapons industry executives have expressed similar sentiments in recent days, telling business media, mostly anonymously, that they have been flooded with orders and cash but lack the guaranteed state defense orders and subsidies they would like to see before splurging on expanded production capabilities, which would take three to five years to deliver. Some governments have yet to commit to such long-term contracts, questioning whether expanded defense production capabilities will be needed so far down the line.Europes defense sector also faces problems ranging from shortages of skilled workers to component and resource scarcity, bureaucratic red tape and hesitation by banks to give loans to weapons firms out of fears that doing so may impact their environmental, social and governance ratings.Europe reportedly has the capacity to produce about 300,000 155-mm shells per year, but upping production has been throttled, along with the above-mentioned factors, by a lack of propellant powder. Regional defense giant Rheinmetall maintains two production sites and is planning an expansion at two others, one in Hungary and another in Germany. But negotiations on the German production site have reportedly broken down due to the companys request for generous subsidies, which Berlin is hesitant to provide. A Rheinmetall spokesman told media that if the capacity for explosives and for propellant powder in Europe is not expanded soon, the region will have a very difficult time meeting demand.Money Isnt EverythingThe US and Europe may have the military budgets which far outstrip those of their global rivals, but there are multiple factors helping to explain their depletion and inability to expand production, retired. Major General Vallely, the chairman of the Stand Up America Foundation, a US advocacy and non-profit, told Sputnik.And the third reason is the amount that we have sent into Ukraine, including what we called prepositioned equipment in Europe. Those resources are depleted. So the American defense industry cant keep up with demand now. We dont have the manufacturing capability to keep up with whats being used and what is needed in the future. The same goes for the European countries, the senior officer said, pointing out that much of the weapons and equipment given to Kiev over the past year-and-a-half have been destroyed.Vallely also pointed to political, economic and social factors to account for the shortfall, saying many NATO countries, particularly in Europe, are sort of reluctant to keep pumping their military equipment into Ukraine with no end in sight.Major European NATO powers such as Germany, Italy and the UK have spent months warning that the stocks of weapons they have left after splurging on Ukraine would be enough to withstand just 48-72 hours of combat in the event of a surprise invasion or other major conflagration. In the UK, defense officials complained privately back in January that the military had been hollowed out by arms shipments to Kiev, and Londons reluctance to up defense expenditures.In spite of talk among NATO members about record defense budgets, Vallely doesnt expect the alliance to be able to substantially ramp up production capabilities over the coming months and years.On top of that are resource constraints, including the rare-earth minerals the US has come to rely on China for but which Beijing has recently indicated it would be trimming down amid the ongoing trade war with Washington, Vallely said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/oh-no-joe-us-low-on-ammo-biden-skewered-for-letting-cat-out-of-the-bag-1111786601.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230325/putin-wests-weapons-supply-to-ukraine-wont-be-enough-to-outgun-russia-1108787875.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/defense-firms-not-invited-to-nato-industry-reception-claim-unfair-treatment-1111237271.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230312/appalling-state-of-european-defense--its-dependence-on-us-laid-bare-by-ukrainian-conflict-1108303731.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/has-china-just-checkmated-the-us-by-banning-rare-earth-exports-1111663181.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/watch-russian-forces-thwart-ukrainian-attack-in-artemovsk-direction-1111789743.html

Watch Russian Forces Thwart Ukrainian Attack in Artemovsk Direction

Watch Russian Forces Thwart Ukrainian Attack in Artemovsk Direction

The Russian Defense Ministry has released video footage of Ukranian tank blowning up as a result of accurate firing of ATGMs by Russian scouts in the direction of Artemovsk (Bakhmut).

2023-07-10T14:07+0000

2023-07-10T14:07+0000

2023-07-10T14:07+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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The Russian Defense Ministry has released video footage of Ukrainian tank blowing up as a result of accurate firing of ATGMs by Russian scouts in the direction of Artemovsk (Bakhmut).The explosion not only completely destroyed the tank, but also hit the Ukrainian fighters' adjacent vehicles, disrupting their attack.Ukraine's much-touted counteroffensive kicked off in early June after months of delays over a lack of military supplies from Western donors. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian troops kept trying, but were failing to advance. A number of Western media outlets also noted the poor results of Kiev's counteroffensive, in addition to Zelensky himself admitting that progress was "slower than desired."

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Russian forces thwart Ukrainian attack in Artemovsk direction with massive explosion The explosion not only completely destroyed a Ukrainian tank but also laid waste to other military vehicles in the area. 2023-07-10T14:07+0000 true PT0M27S

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/white-house-supports-886bln-us-defense-spending-bill-for-fiscal-year-2024-1111799639.html

White House Supports $886Bln US Defense Spending Bill for Fiscal Year 2024

White House Supports $886Bln US Defense Spending Bill for Fiscal Year 2024

Biden administration support Congress passing the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2024, which provides $886bln in defense-related spending, said the White House OMB on Monday.

2023-07-10T19:40+0000

2023-07-10T19:40+0000

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white house office of management and budget

national defense authorization act (ndaa)

white house

steve scalise

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The US House of Representatives may begin consideration of the NDAA later this week, according to a schedule shared by Majority Leader Steve Scalise. NDAA investments in support of the Pacific and European deterrence initiatives will help address a changing global threat landscape, the OMB statement said.However, the Biden administration opposes some measures included in the NDAA, such as funding for nuclear sea-launched missiles and warheads, the formation of a Space National Guard, and a prohibition on using funds to provide Russia with required New START Treaty notifications, the statement said. Moreover, the administration opposes the establishment of a new inspector general to oversee assistance to Ukraine, as well as an expansion of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstructions authority, the statement said. The Biden administration looks forward to working with Congress to address its concerns, the statement added. Scalise criticized the Biden administrations Defense Department for spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs instead of lethality, noting that one of Congress most important duties is funding national defense ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  A local book publisher revealed how it was handpicked to translate the memoir of K-pop juggernaut BTS, but the process wasn't as smooth as butter.

The anticipated book "Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS" was launched globally on Sunday to coincide with the 10th year anniversary of their fans lovingly called ARMY, who are known for their unwavering support for the global superstars.

In the Philippines, the launch was an all-day affair in different parts of the metro to celebrate the milestone and the unique relationship of BTS and ARMY.

The local edition is handled by Apop Books, a publishing imprint based in the Philippines, which focuses on translating Korean bestsellers for the English-speaking market. Its "Beyond the Story" gig is, however, unique because it is the publisher's first book directly translated to Filipino from the Hangul version written by South Korean journalist Kang Myeongseok.

It is also one of only two dozen translations of the memoir in the world.

It is also a collector's dream since it contains the photocards of all seven members  something that is exclusive to the translated versions.

Apop Books head Agno Almario recalled he began taking notice of BTS during his trip to Seoul, South Korea years before the pandemic. He said he found out about a book celebrated for its positive message of self-healing and self-love. It became popular because BTS' Jung Kook read the Korean version of "I Decided to Live As Me" in their "Bon Voyage" reality show.

The international bestseller was the first book to be published under Apop.

"That's how Apop was born. Now super happy kami kasi three years down the road, meron kaming chance na suklian sila [We are super happy because after three years, we can now give back]," Almario said on Sunday.

He added, "We were able to thank BTS in a way by being their conduit to the Filipino language. This is the first piece of official merchandise in Filipino, designed specifically for the Filipino ARMY. We are super happy we were able to be the bridge towards that."

It was a full circle moment for the publishing house since "I Decided to Live As Me" and several more titles under Apop were the reasons why they were able to bag the deal with BTS' agency HYBE (formerly Big Hit).

"What allowed us to acquire the rights was more our credibility. What I've learned from our Korean partners, they're very trust-based so we were lucky enough to have the credibility, to have the previous experience to be recommended to be the publisher of this book in the Philippines," Almario said.

He added, "Nung sinabi nilang we want a Filipino edition for BTS' autobiography, hindi na ako nagdalawang isip. Yes na lang agad."

[Translation: When HYBE said they want a Filipino edition for the BTS autobiography, I didn't think twice. I had to say yes immediately.]

The tedious process began in May and only two months later, Apop and its partner National Bookstore have received thousands of pre-orders and more onsite sales during the launch.

The journey from dealing with an international mega entertainment label to publishing wasn't smooth sailing, just like the path BTS went through.

"Napakahigpit din kasi ng timeline. Alam niyo naman ang Big Hit pagdating sa pagprotekta sa BTS, pagdating sa pag-alaga nila ng banda nila, wala silang katulad. Sobra nila naging strikto, sobra nilang binantayan galaw namin. Minake sure talaga nila na ang mapo-produce natin na product ay of quality of official merch talaga," Almario noted.

[Translation: We had a tight timeline. Big Hit is known for protecting BTS. They are strict. They were closely monitoring what we were doing to make sure we produce the books that have quality similar to its official merchandise.]

The journey

Apop's team of translators, editors, and Korean language consultants also shared how they worked on the mega project. They told about how they ensured accuracy and how they injected Filipino flavor in the memoir that highlights the group's 10-year journey  from their trainee days to their coveted status now as arguably the biggest musical act to come from South Korea.

Six Filipino translators worked on the book, and ensuring that the book is cohesive was one of the challenges for editor Bernalyn Sastrillo. She said the objective was to make sure that the book was easy to read while it portrays the individuality of its members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook.

"Interview style ang book. Si V nonchalant and chill, si RM very poetic, si SUGA din malalim. So paano natin maka-capture in Filipino? Kailangan faithful sa original Korean context, sa original Korean text," she said.

[Translation: The book was written interview style. V is nonchalant and chill, RM is poetic, while SUGA is deep. The challenge was figuring out how we can capture that in the Filipino language. It needs to be faithful to Korean culture and context.]

Despite guaranteeing that it remains true to the original version, the team also worked on making sure that it will connect with the Filo ARMYs.

"May mga bagay tayong pinasok na very Pinoy. Gumamit tayo ng salita tulad ng 'pang malakasan, bongga, nakakabaliw.' Sinubukan namin pasukan ng ganung kultura natin para mas mapalapit satin ang sinasabi nila," said translator Oliver Quintana.

[Translation: We also incorporated words and phrases that are very Pinoy. We want to bring them closer to us.]

But Korean words like "hyung"  what a younger male calls an older brother or an older man they respect  is retained since this is what the members call their older members.

Korean language consultant Kyung Min Bae said the local version shows the past, present, and future of BTS in 700 pages. She added it will help both the ARMY and even casual fans understand what each member went through to reach their superstar status.

The local edition sells for 1,295, while the US version is sold at 1,795 to 1,999.
A Culpeper woman died last week in a two-vehicle crash in Culpeper County.

Virginia State Police is investigating the wreck that occurred at 11:52 a.m. on July 6 at the intersection of U.S. Route 29 (James Monroe Highway) and Route 643 (South Merrimac Road).

A 2019 Toyota Camry attempted to cross the northbound lanes of Route 29 from a crossover when it collided with a northbound 2012 Nissan Armada, according to a release from VSP spokesman Sgt. Brent Coffey.

The impact caused both vehicles to run off the road.

The driver of the Toyota, Gloria M. Driscoll, 91, died at the scene of the crash due to her injuries. She was not wearing a seatbelt, Coffey said.

The driver of the Nissan, a 56-year-old male of Midland suffered minor injuries in the crash and was transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment. He was wearing a seatbelt.

The crash remains under investigation., Coffey said.
An Eastern View High School student will spend his senior year overseas through a prestigious exchange program of the U.S. Congress and the German Parliament.

Ronnie Nungesser, 17, of Culpeper, was recently selected for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year, according to a release from the the Council on International Educational Exchange, a nonprofit based in Portland, Maine.

For me personally, I felt that the experience was not one that I could just pass up, Nungesser stated in an email to the Star-Exponent.

He learned about the exchange program through his German teacher at Eastern View  one of her classmates had participated in it when she was high school.

Hailing from German descent, I have always been fascinated with the German language and German culture. I knew that participating in the program would allow me to take in both, and become a more well-rounded and educated person, Nungesser said.

He said the fact he is still excited and hopeful for the experience after an arduous application and interview process has given him a strong belief that this is the right path.

Nungesser said he speaks a nominal amount of German.

Ive taken two years of German in high school, and if I were stranded in the country Id definitely be okay, however, I am far from fluent.

The program will start in August when Nungesser travels to Germany for a one month intensive German language program. He is still waiting to hear his home assignment.

The U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has run the exchange program for the past 40 years, through nonprofit implementing partners such as CIEE, according to the release.

Nungesser will spend the academic year in Germany living with a host family and attending high school.

By the time I return in mid-June of 2024, I hope to become not only much more fluent in German, but also have a greater understanding of the environment around me, he said.

Many alumni from the program have talked about becoming much more mature and much more aware of the world after returning. I believe it will be a truly rewarding experience, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity presented to me.

Nungesser admitted it definitely makes him a little sad to be missing graduation and his senior year at Eastern View.

The whole time Ill be missing spending time with my peers, but I think the experience as a whole, and the memories I create will make it all worth it.

His mother, Heather, said she is excited for him and will miss him terribly.

Ronnie is a very good son. Hes always been mature for his age, a natural leader and profoundly smart. I trust that hell make good choices and the most of this opportunity, she said. I may have a different tune in a few months. But I would never want my child to decline an opportunity for something so worthwhile because they thought we would miss them too much.

Over the course of the year, Nungesser will share a bit of Culpeper with his hosts in Germany, according to the release. In addition to their role as citizen diplomats, exchange students will visit the German Bundestag, meet with German government officials and explore the beauty and diversity of Germany.

Upon return to the U.S., participants will meet with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill. While Nungesser is in Germany for his senior year, a group of young German exchange students will spend a year here.

This allows American communities to get to know Germany without leaving home, the release stated. Schools and families who volunteer to host these German youth help strengthen the U.S. relationship with Germany and showcase their community to international audiences.

People interested in the program can contact highschool@ciee.org. To learn more about hosting an international high school exchange student in the Culpeper area for the 2023-24 academic year, see ciee.org/host-families.

Applications for the fully funded 2024-25 academic year will open next month. German language skills are not required to apply for the scholarship.

Alumni of the exchanges comprise over 1 million people globally, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 350 current or former heads of state and government, according to the state department.
A Panhandle native and animation professional comes home every summer in an effort to share opportunities in the arts with kids in the Scottsbluff area.

Erica Larsen-Dockray was born and raised north of Scottsbluff and graduated from Mitchell High School before leaving Nebraska to pursue an education and career as an animator in California. Ten years ago, a relative gave her an idea that quickly grew into an expansive program that connects creative professionals in Los Angeles with creative kids in western Nebraska.

My sister-in-law asked me if I wanted to teach an animation workshop while I was back home visiting. I had been teaching animation in LA where I live for quite a while, so it was a no-brainer, she said.

That first workshop took place in 2013, and its success led to another the following year. Larsen-Dockray began bringing a few more folks along for the ride, which began to solidify a partnership between two states that previously had very little to do with each other.

That brought in a whole other element of introducing western Nebraska rural Nebraska  to folks who had never been to Nebraska. Some of them had never even been to the Midwest, she said. Since then, Ive had over 30 different teaching artists come to Nebraska to teach, and weve expanded to North Platte, Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha.

Though animation has remained the main focus of the Calibraska Arts Initiative, courses have also been offered on acting, creative writing, film, music videos and much more. Larsen-Dockray said that her programs show Nebraska kids that there are careers in these creative fields that they might not have considered due to lack of access in their hometowns.

When I grew up and went to Mitchell, you kind of had to figure out on your own how to pursue a career in the creative industries, she said. Now I work with these kids. I see myself in them. Theyre so excited to learn all of this stuff and theyre so grateful that they can actually talk to someone who does the thing theyre interested in, but so far removed from.

Aside from meeting industry professionals like Larsen-Dockray, Calibraska participants get an opportunity to meet other kids in their community who share their interests. Often, these are students from other schools that they would have no way of encountering and befriending if not for attending a Calibraska program.

Those local connections have remained a personal priority for Larsen-Dockray as well. She said that bringing what she has learned back to the state of Nebraska and contributing to the community she still calls home are a blessing for which shes grateful. Even after spending so many years in California, she sings the praises of the Platte River Valley and the people who live there.

Theres so much creativity in this valley, she said. I often say that some of the most creative people I know are in agriculture. Its not just in the arts here. Everybody finds creative ways to do what they love and get by. There are so many great people here, and every year, I feel like I meet a new person or connection or partnership.
FORT LARAMIE, Wyoming  Fort Laramie National Historic Site will host its annual star gazing program on Saturday, July 15.

Visitors can join guide, Kendall Jacobs for a walk among the stars at 8:30 p.m. on the historic parade ground. Participants are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, insect repellant and a flashlight.

During his program, Jacobs will take participants on a tour of the bright stars, constellations and visible planets. Science fact, sky lore, myths and legends make this a wonderfully informative and entertaining family program.

Weather permitting, visitors will view nebula, star clusters, galaxies, the moon, Jupiter, and Mars through telescopes. Some of the specific deep sky objects visitors are expected look at include the Ring Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, Lagoon Nebula and Albireo. The presentation portion of the program begins at 8:30 p.m., with telescope observation to follow. Observing will continue until the last stargazer falls asleep or the sun comes up.

Jacobs teaches mathematics at Casper College. He presents a monthly star show for the Casper Planetarium and is involved in math and science education in Wyoming.

The park will also host a living history weekend, July 15-16 focused on the early years of the National Park Service at Fort Laramie with an emphasis toward preservation work conducted by the Civilian Conservation Corps. An encampment along with living history interpreters wearing period CCC clothing will be a highlight of the weekend.

Throughout the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, over 2 million young men served within the Civilian Conservation Corps often referred to as the Tree Army.

The CCCs contributed greatly to not only planting trees to fight the Dust Bowl, but also built significant infrastructure in our national parks including Fort Laramie, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Wind Cave, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park.
The food fair will return to Oregon Trail Days on Friday, July 14, with nearly 30 food vendors offering all types of cuisines, including Mexican, Chinese, American and barbecue offerings.

Organizer Jodi Ruzicka said, You can get pretty much anything you want to eat. Theres Chinese food, theres Mexican food for tacos, you can get barbecue. All kinds of ice cream, lemonades. ... Theres a wide variety.

Vendors are coming from near and far to set up trucks and tents for the fair, including local restaurants like China House and Emporium Express as well as some from far out of town, including a barbecue restaurant from Sheridan, Wyoming.

Ruzicka said that while the food fair has been going on for some time, recently they have seen some changes to the structure of the event.

Many, many years ago (they) just set up tents and the food vendors were there, but now we have self-contained food trucks that come in, so its kind of fun, Ruzicka said.

Unlike some other events during the Oregon Trail Days, there is no official competition aspect for the food fair. Ruzicka, however, said that there is somewhat of an unofficial competition among vendors, who always want to sell out of their products.

The fair will run from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 14, and the Oregon Trail Days committee expects a large crowd.

The fair will be set up in downtown Gering and will run concurrent to the Rod and Custom Car Show on the north end of 10th Street in front of the Scotts Bluff County Courthouse.

Vendor registration information can be found on the Oregon Trail Days website, oregontraildays.com, along with the registration form. Information regarding fees is also available on the website.
Car aficionados are surely getting ready for the Oregon Trail Days Rod and Custom Car Show.

The show will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 14, on Gerings 10th Street in front of the Scotts Bluff County Courthouse. It is at the same time as the food fair, which will be just down the road in downtown Gering.

One of the organizers, Doug Mercer, expects a strong turnout this year. He said the event regularly spills out into surrounding blocks when there are no more available spots on the 10th Street block where the event takes place.

We usually have somewhere between 65 and maybe 80-plus cars. We never know whats going to show up, Mercer said.

The competition portion of the show is divided into several categories involving the type of car as well as when it was built and what kind of modifications have been made.

One of the largest divisions is the stock class, which is divided between early and late stock with the dividing line placed at 1942. Mercer said the late stock class includes plenty of well-known entries such as Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaros.

Other classes include street rods, street machines, builders, pickups and tuners. Mercer also said he would not be surprised to sew a few motorcycles at the show as well.

Some categories such as tuners and builders provide some intriguing differences from the other classes. Tuners are usually imported vehicles from overseas factories and tend to be Japanese. Mercer described the builder class as vehicles that are not finished, but its close enough to being finished that you can drive it and its safe.

The Nebraska State Highway Patrol will also continue its annual appearance at the show. Although Mercer was unsure what display is planned for this year, they have usually had something to do with road safety.

Setup for the car show will begin at 3 p.m. that day; there are no registration fees and all are welcome. The first 90 entrants will also receive a commemorative Oregon Trail Days T-shirt. More information can be found on the Oregon Trail Days website, oregontraildays.com.
COUGAR  Driving up a steep two-lane road, Judy Smiths truck grumbled and moaned under the weight of her extended cab and horse trailer.

After releasing an exasperated sigh, she pulled over to let her truck engine cool, patting her legs until the temperature gauge indicated it was safe to drive again. Smith joked that her two Tennessee Walkers  Nine, 20 years old, and Bliss, 9 years old  were wondering what the wait was for.

The ensembles destination, Kalama Horse Camp, seemed to become more distant, and the day wasnt getting any younger. They had nature trails to clear.

Smith was eager to escape into the comforting serenity of trees and sounds of rushing water, even if it meant cutting and dragging a few bothersome branches along the way. Even if it meant facing her trucks woes and groans.

Its a lot of love, Smith chuckled. Its a lifestyle. A love of getting out in the woods, in the wilderness and on the trails.

The Mount St. Helens Back Country Horsemen, a local chapter of a nationwide nonprofit, has maintained the regions backcountry trails for decades, rarely to be seen by the hikers and bikers who benefit from the groups work.

The chapter has already invested more than 1,800 hours of volunteer work in 2023. In 2022, volunteers contributed 2,772 hours of trail and administrative work, at an estimated value of $115,600. Statewide, the Back Country Horsemens 31 chapters provided 61,237 hours to backcountry trails, worth $2.4 million.

If you go What: The Mount St. Helens Back Country Horsemen Annual Fun Ride. When: Saturday. Where: The Kalama Horse Camp in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest just outside the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Cost: Signup donations are $5, which includes a raffle ticket, and breakfast is complimentary. Camping tickets are $21 a night between Friday and Saturday. Info: www.mountsthelens-bchw.org, trailridebuddy@yahoo.com, muleman1951@gmail.com.

Behind the scenes

About 20 minutes later, Smith and a handful of members rolled into Kalama Horse Camp. They saddled up their horses, loading up hand tools, sunscreen and lunches to their packs.

The site, which serves as a home base for the riders, sits in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest just outside the west boundary of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It connects to more than 50 miles of looped trails that weave through expanses blanketed with moss and brush, between clusters of skinny and old-growth trees and along the Kalama River.

The clip-clopping of horses hooves were subdued by soft soil and loose, ashy terrain as they left the graveled campground and stepped onto the trails. Their coarse tails cut through the air, dispelling excess energy and swatting away flies. Canine companions inspected nooks in the forest nearby.

Jim and Teri Anderson took the lead, using a power and hand saw to trim limbs that were hanging over the trail, while Connie and Phil Sari pitched the debris into the woods. Occasionally, the thundering sound of a chain saw would echo from behind a bend, away from the horses to avoid startling them.

I dont think people realize everything we do, Teri Anderson said moments after dragging a fallen tree from the trail.

The collection of riders partners with a mix of federal, state and local agencies to keep parks and forests south of Mount St. Helens clear for recreation. They work with other trail-focused groups, including the Washington Trail Riders Association, Chinook Trails Association and Washington Trails Association.

For hours, Smith, the Andersons and the Saris moved along the trail: Dismounting their horses, cutting and hauling blockages and mounting the steeds again. As the sun rose in the sky, the air became more humid, simple tasks became more arduous and the horses seemed to grow taller  their saddles became harder to reach.

Upon returning to the campsite after trail work, the horses thin layer of hair revealed sweat imprints from where they carried loads. They sighed with relief upon eating whole apples and drinking cold water.

Work parties require chapter members to travel throughout Southwest Washington, notably trails surrounding the Kalama Horse Camp, Rock Creek Campground and Battle Ground Lake State Park.

Smith co-founded the local Backcountry Horsemen chapter and Kalama campsite in the early 1990s to address a need for local land and trail stewardship. In the years that followed, the chapter made additions to the campsite: corrals, trails, a log shelter, picnic tables and fire rings.

Its something to be proud of, she said, taking a last look at the site before driving back to her Battle Ground home.

Its a lifestyle

Riders provide their own equipment for this work, including hand and power tools and spare parts for fixing corrals. They drive their own vehicles, only asking for reimbursements for mileage after a long trip. Owning a single horse itself costs thousands of dollars a year.

Yet several Mount St. Helens Backcountry Horsemen members say that its worth it.

The chapters camaraderie and care for local lands are palpable, as evidenced by their unwavering devotion to joining work parties and investing their own supplies, said member Nancy Rust, who joined in 1996.

We do it for the love of the work, she said.

But theyre an aging organization.

We need more young blood on the trails, because most of us are in our 70s, Jim Anderson said, laughing. People wont have any trails if the backcountry folks dont come and work on them.

Chapters nationwide are attempting to connect with new recruits by hosting fun rides and clinics for younger riders. They can learn how to use high lines for trail work, a method of moving large objects without damaging habitat, or simply how to set up trailers for camping.

Smith acknowledged horse riding is an expensive hobby, and one that requires time, a commodity that can be hard for people to come by if they have families or a full-time job. Yet she remained adamant that its worth doing despite the cost.

Southwest Washingtons backcountry is bound to spark an interest in those who wander within it, even those who are uneasy about the adventure. Its where people learn how capable they are.

Its just magic, Rust said. I think because we have so many years invested. It makes the trails more special.
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OTV, a private satellite news channel, made a remarkable entrance into the regional television broadcasting landscape in Odisha by introducing the state's first virtual news presenter, Lisa, created using artificial intelligence (AI). The unveiling ceremony took place in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

Dressed in an exquisite Odisha handloom saree, the AI-powered news anchor will deliver news in both Odia and English languages across OTV Network's television and digital platforms. During the event, Jagi Mangat Panda, the Managing Director of OTV, expressed her excitement about the channel's latest achievement in television journalism. She stated, "With the introduction of Odisha's first AI news anchor, we have set another milestone. AI will assist us in performing repetitive tasks and analyzing vast amounts of data."

Litisha Mangat Panda, the Head of Digital Business at OTV, highlighted the extensive and collaborative effort involved in developing this groundbreaking technology. She acknowledged that while the AI news anchor might not be as fluent as a human presenter, it surpasses the capabilities of platforms like Google Translate. Panda added, "Lisa leverages the power of AI and LLM to deliver news accurately and efficiently. By combining cutting-edge machine learning algorithms with a lifelike virtual presenter, Lisa aims to be the perfect fusion of technology and journalistic excellence. As we embrace this transformation, we are committed to responsible and inclusive practices, ensuring fairness and transparency."

Previously launched AI News Anchors

The introduction of AI news anchors has previously sparked discussions in India. In March, Kalli Purie, Vice-Chairperson of India Today, launched Sana, the first AI anchor for Aaj Tak, generating both curiosity and debates about the emergence of computer-generated avatars in news broadcasting. Following suit, 'Fedha' made its debut on Kuwait News' Twitter handle, affiliated with the Kuwait Times, the following month.

It is worth noting that China's Xinhua news agency pioneered the world's first AI-powered male news anchor in 2018. By blending AI technology with the images and voices of human anchors, they created a seamless virtual presenter. Additionally, Ren Xiaorong, an AI-powered host, allowed users to ask questions related to the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, held in March of this year.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  The military is closely monitoring the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea after a swarm of over 48 Chinese fishing vessels were reported near the Iroquois Reef, south of the Recto bank, on June 30.

The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) in coordination with other government agencies under Area Task Force (ATF)-West is actively monitoring developments in the Kalayaan Island Group, the AFP told CNN Philippines.

The case is being handled by the NTF-WPS [National Task Force-West Philippine Sea], it added. The ATF-West falls under the task force.

It said three China Coast Guard (CCG) ships and two Peoples Liberation Army Navy vessels were also seen regularly loitering at Sabina Shoal.

READ: AFP alarmed over 48 Chinese vessels swarming near Recto Bank

Created in 2016, the NTF-WPS is chaired by the National Security Adviser. It has representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Energy.

It also has members from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority, National Coast Watch System, Philippine National PoliceMaritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Meanwhile, recent instances of Chinese harassment towards Filipino vessels in Philippine waters have prompted foreign envoys to condemn Beijing's actions.

READ: Lawmakers slam anew China's 'dangerous maneuvers' vs PCG ships in WPS

We are concerned by the unprofessional maneuvers of the CCG against the PCG. The PRCs (Peoples Republic of China) irresponsible behavior in the South China Sea threatens the security and legal rights of our treaty ally, the Philippines, United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said.

We call on the PRC to comply with international law, including implementing the legally binding 2016 award in the Philippines v. China Law of the Sea Convention arbitration as a starting point to achieve a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific, she continued.

German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel said that such aggressive behavior has no place in the #SouthChinaSea. The rules based international maritime order, with the 2016 Arbitration Ruling as its center, must be respected.

We are resolutely opposed to any use of force or threat to do so. We recall, in this regard, the Arbitration award rendered under UNCLOS on the 12th of July 2016, the French Embassy in the Philippines said.

In 2016, the Hague unanimously ruled in favor of the Philippines and nullified Chinas claim over the South China Sea, a decision Beijing continues to reject.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  An oil spill was detected in the vicinity waters off Barangay Benit, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard reported Monday.

The PCG said the incident occurred approximately 500 meters from LCT Georgia-1  one of the two suspected vessels that caused the oil slick.

The ship captain, Dioel Ganuhay, said the crew saw the oil spill 13 minutes after docking at the Port of Benit. LCT Georgia-1 came from the Port of Lipata, Surigao del Norte.

At around 5 p.m. on Friday, Donna Liza Ramacho, Coast Guard Station Southern Leyte commander, reported minimal traces of oil in the water.

Ramacho said while theres no need for an oil spill boom for containment, clean-up operations were conducted along the shoreline.

The PCG collected five sacks of oily debris at around 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The PCG Marine Environmental Protection Group-Southern Leyte also conducted oily water mixture sampling on LCT Georgia-1 and MV San Ric Ferry 20.

Latest report from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed that the oil spill affected 297 families or 1,118 people from the two barangays.
American Financial Group (NYSE:AFG  Free Report) had its target price trimmed by Piper Sandler from $162.00 to $150.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on American Financial Group in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company.

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American Financial Group Stock Performance

American Financial Group stock opened at $119.43 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.41 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $116.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $125.36. American Financial Group has a 52 week low of $111.54 and a 52 week high of $150.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

American Financial Group Cuts Dividend

American Financial Group ( NYSE:AFG Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The insurance provider reported $2.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. American Financial Group had a return on equity of 23.44% and a net margin of 11.40%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.56 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Financial Group will post 11.52 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. American Financial Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.20%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Terry S. Jacobs sold 761 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.84, for a total value of $88,154.24. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 7,500 shares in the company, valued at $868,800. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other American Financial Group news, Director Lehman John I. Von sold 1,479 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.39, for a total transaction of $173,619.81. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,116 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,657,077.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Terry S. Jacobs sold 761 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.84, for a total value of $88,154.24. Following the sale, the director now owns 7,500 shares in the company, valued at $868,800. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 14.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of American Financial Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in American Financial Group by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 10,614 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,456,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC increased its position in American Financial Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC now owns 2,272 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Utah Retirement Systems increased its position in American Financial Group by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 12,117 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,490,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 18,700 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,567,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of American Financial Group by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 4,950 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $680,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. 63.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About American Financial Group

(Free Report)

American Financial Group, Inc, an insurance holding company, provides specialty property and casualty insurance products in the United States. It offers property and transportation insurance products, such as physical damage and liability coverage for buses and trucks, inland and ocean marine, agricultural-related products, and other commercial property and specialty transportation coverages; specialty casualty insurance, including primarily excess and surplus, executive and professional liability, general liability, umbrella and excess liability, and specialty coverage in targeted markets, as well as customized programs for small to mid-sized businesses and workers' compensation insurance; and specialty financial insurance products comprising risk management insurance programs for lending and leasing institutions, fidelity and surety products, and trade credit insurance.

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Bank of Queensland (OTCMKTS:BKQNY  Free Report) is one of 284 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Bank of Queensland to related companies based on the strength of its valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and profitability.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Bank of Queensland and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Bank of Queensland N/A N/A 4.82 Bank of Queensland Competitors $3.12 billion $857.05 million 256.99

Bank of Queenslands rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Bank of Queensland. Bank of Queensland is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

Profitability

Bank of Queensland pays an annual dividend of $1.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 15.6%. Bank of Queensland pays out 75.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

This table compares Bank of Queensland and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bank of Queensland N/A N/A N/A Bank of Queensland Competitors 35.21% 12.33% 1.07%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

37.9% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 13.7% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Bank of Queensland and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bank of Queensland 0 4 0 0 2.00 Bank of Queensland Competitors 1163 3388 3424 30 2.29

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 336.40%. Given Bank of Queenslands rivals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Bank of Queensland has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Summary

Bank of Queensland rivals beat Bank of Queensland on 12 of the 13 factors compared.

About Bank of Queensland

(Free Report)

Bank of Queensland Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Australia. The company operates in Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other segments. It offers personal banking services comprises savings and term deposits, and transactional accounts; debit and credit cards; home, personal, and car loans; and travel, home and content, landlord, and car insurance, as well as investment services comprising online share trading services, and self-managed superannuation funds. The company's business banking services include transaction accounts, and savings and investment accounts; loans and finance products, such as business loans, equipment and vehicle finance, and dealer finance; merchant and payment products; and financial market and international services. It also offers Internet and mobile banking services. It operates corporate branches, owner managed branches, and transaction centers. Bank of Queensland Limited was founded in 1874 and is based in Newstead, Australia.

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Canoe EIT Income Fund (OTCMKTS:ENDTF  Free Report) is one of 1,192 publicly-traded companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Canoe EIT Income Fund to related companies based on the strength of its valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Canoe EIT Income Fund and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Canoe EIT Income Fund 0 0 0 0 N/A Canoe EIT Income Fund Competitors 1043 4577 6008 85 2.44

As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 91.19%. Given Canoe EIT Income Funds peers higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Canoe EIT Income Fund has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Earnings & Valuation

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Canoe EIT Income Fund -$44.08 million N/A 2.67 Canoe EIT Income Fund Competitors $227.31 million -$7.29 million -11.24

This table compares Canoe EIT Income Fund and its peers revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Canoe EIT Income Funds peers have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Canoe EIT Income Fund. Canoe EIT Income Fund is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.4% of Canoe EIT Income Fund shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.6% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 18.3% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Canoe EIT Income Fund pays an annual dividend of C$0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.4%. Canoe EIT Income Fund pays out 17.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.1% and pay out 642.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Canoe EIT Income Fund and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Canoe EIT Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Canoe EIT Income Fund Competitors 383.36% 8.19% 5.02%

Summary

Canoe EIT Income Fund peers beat Canoe EIT Income Fund on 8 of the 10 factors compared.

Canoe EIT Income Fund Company Profile

(Free Report)

Canoe EIT Income Fund is a closed-ended balanced fund launched and managed by Canoe Financial LP. It is co-managed by Haber Trilix Advisors, LP. The fund invests in the public equity and fixed income markets of Canada and the United States. Its equity portion seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in growth and value stocks of mid-cap and large-cap companies. It invests in equity and debt securities of royalty and income trusts, corporations, partnerships, or other issuers. The fund was formerly known as EnerVest Diversified Income Trust. Canoe EIT Income Fund was formed on August 5, 1997 and is domiciled in Canada.

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Randstad (OTCMKTS:RANJF  Free Report) and Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY  Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

24.0% of Randstad shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.9% of Korn Ferry shares are held by institutional investors. 1.7% of Korn Ferry shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

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Profitability

This table compares Randstad and Korn Ferrys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Randstad N/A N/A N/A Korn Ferry 7.32% 16.33% 7.80%

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Randstad 0 0 0 0 N/A Korn Ferry 0 1 2 0 2.67

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Randstad and Korn Ferry, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Korn Ferry has a consensus price target of $62.67, suggesting a potential upside of 25.53%. Given Korn Ferrys higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Korn Ferry is more favorable than Randstad.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Randstad and Korn Ferrys top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Randstad N/A N/A N/A $1.60 33.15 Korn Ferry $2.86 billion 0.91 $326.36 million $3.95 12.64

Korn Ferry has higher revenue and earnings than Randstad. Korn Ferry is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Randstad, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Korn Ferry beats Randstad on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Randstad

(Free Report)

Randstad N.V. provides solutions in the field of work and human resources (HR) services. It offers temporary staffing and permanent placement services for the light industrial, office and administrative, manufacturing and logistics, and other specialty areas, as well as payroll services. The company also offers on-site solutions for managing a client's workforce with specific skill sets and a fluctuating level of demand for the fast-moving consumer goods, automotive, life sciences, contact centers, manufacturing, and logistics, as well as the administrative and professional segments. In addition, it recruits experienced staff for managerial and professional roles in a range of sectors and disciplines, including IT, engineering, finance, healthcare, HR, education, legal affairs, sales and marketing and communications. Further, the company provides managed services programs, recruitment process outsourcing, outplacement and career development, and online talent acquisition. It has operations in North America, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Iberia, other European countries, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Randstad Holding NV and changed its name to Randstad N.V. in April 2018. Randstad N.V. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands.

About Korn Ferry

(Free Report)

Korn Ferry, together with its subsidiaries, provides organizational consulting services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consulting, Digital, Executive Search, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) & Professional Search. The company provides executive search services to recruit board level, chief executive, other senior executive, and general management talent of organizations. It also offers organizational strategy, assessment and succession, leadership and professional development, and total reward services. In addition, the company provides RPO, business project, professional search, and outsource recruiting solutions. Further, the company offers tech-enabled solutions that identify structures, roles, capabilities, and behaviors to drive businesses. It serves public and private companies, and middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and non-profit organizations. The company was formerly known as Korn/Ferry International and changed its name to Korn Ferry in January 2019. Korn Ferry was founded in 1969 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

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1st Colonial Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FCOB  Free Report) and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends, profitability, risk and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for 1st Colonial Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Company, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score 1st Colonial Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A Wells Fargo & Company 0 7 8 1 2.63

Wells Fargo & Company has a consensus target price of $49.04, suggesting a potential upside of 14.66%. Given Wells Fargo & Companys higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Wells Fargo & Company is more favorable than 1st Colonial Bancorp.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Volatility and Risk

16.9% of 1st Colonial Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.1% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

1st Colonial Bancorp has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its share price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Wells Fargo & Company has a beta of 1.12, indicating that its share price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares 1st Colonial Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Companys revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio 1st Colonial Bancorp $35.44 million 1.33 $8.50 million $1.73 5.78 Wells Fargo & Company $82.86 billion 1.94 $13.18 billion $3.49 12.26

Wells Fargo & Company has higher revenue and earnings than 1st Colonial Bancorp. 1st Colonial Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Wells Fargo & Company, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares 1st Colonial Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Companys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets 1st Colonial Bancorp 22.57% 13.03% 0.99% Wells Fargo & Company 15.93% 10.07% 0.86%

Summary

Wells Fargo & Company beats 1st Colonial Bancorp on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About 1st Colonial Bancorp

(Free Report)

1st Colonial Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for 1st Colonial Community Bank that provides a range of business and consumer financial services in New Jersey. The company offers various deposit products, including savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, club accounts, and business and personal checking accounts. It also provides home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, personal and vehicle loans, residential and commercial mortgages, construction loans, business lines of credit, equipment and vehicle financing, real estate loans, working capital line of credit, and business acquisition loans, as well as small business administration loans. In addition, the company offers a range of merchant services comprising remote deposit capture, ACH/wire transfer, night deposit drop, and other merchant services; safe deposit boxes; and coin counting, online and mobile banking, debit card, and ATM services. 1st Colonial Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

About Wells Fargo & Company

(Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. The Consumer Banking and Lending segment offers diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses. Its financial products and services include checking and savings accounts, and credit and debit cards, as well as home, auto, personal, and small business lending services. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial solutions to private, family owned, and certain public companies. Its products and services include banking and credit products across various industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management services. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment offers a suite of capital markets, banking, and financial products and services to corporate, commercial real estate, government, and institutional clients. Its products and services comprise corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity, and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities services. The Wealth and Investment Management segment provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, and trust and fiduciary products and services to affluent, high-net worth, and ultra-high-net worth clients. It also operates through financial advisors. Its serves to independent offices and consumer banks. The company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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White Mountains Insurance Group (NYSE:WTM  Free Report) and PICC Property and Casualty (OTCMKTS:PPCCY  Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for White Mountains Insurance Group and PICC Property and Casualty, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score White Mountains Insurance Group 0 0 0 0 N/A PICC Property and Casualty 0 0 0 0 N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Earnings & Valuation

86.0% of White Mountains Insurance Group shares are held by institutional investors. 2.6% of White Mountains Insurance Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares White Mountains Insurance Group and PICC Property and Casualtys gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio White Mountains Insurance Group $1.16 billion 3.09 $792.80 million $335.65 4.16 PICC Property and Casualty N/A N/A N/A $19.70 1.40

White Mountains Insurance Group has higher revenue and earnings than PICC Property and Casualty. PICC Property and Casualty is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than White Mountains Insurance Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

White Mountains Insurance Group pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.1%. PICC Property and Casualty pays an annual dividend of $9.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 35.6%. White Mountains Insurance Group pays out 0.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. PICC Property and Casualty pays out 49.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Profitability

This table compares White Mountains Insurance Group and PICC Property and Casualtys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets White Mountains Insurance Group 65.68% -0.70% -0.35% PICC Property and Casualty N/A N/A N/A

Summary

White Mountains Insurance Group beats PICC Property and Casualty on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About White Mountains Insurance Group

(Free Report)

White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides insurance and other financial services in the United States. The company operates through five segments: HG Global/BAM, Ark, NSM, Kudu, and Other Operations. The HG Global/BAM segment provides insurance on municipal bonds issued to finance public purposes, such as schools, utilities, and transportation facilities, as well as reinsurance protection services. The Ark segment writes a portfolio of reinsurance and insurance, including property, marine and energy, accident and health, casualty, and specialty products. The NSM segment operates as a managing general agent and program administrator for specialty property and casualty insurance to various sectors comprising specialty transportation, real estate, social services, and pet. The Kudu segment provides capital solutions to boutique asset and wealth managers for generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisitions and growth finances, and legacy partner liquidity, as well as strategic assistance to investees. The Other Operations segment offers insurance solutions to travel industry through broker channel and on a direct-to-consumer basis; and manages separate accounts and pooled investment vehicles for insurance-linked securities sectors, including catastrophe bonds, collateralized reinsurance investments, and industry loss warranties of third-party clients. White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

About PICC Property and Casualty

(Free Report)

PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a property and casualty insurance company in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Motor Vehicle; Commercial Property; Cargo; Liability; Accidental Injury and Health; Agriculture; Credit and Surety; and Others segments. It also offers accidental injury and medical expenses, short-term health, homeowners, special risk, marine hull, construction, and other insurance products. In addition, the company provides reinsurance, investment and funds application, insurance and claim handling agency, training, information technology and business, and property management services. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Beijing, China. PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited is a subsidiary of The People's Insurance Company (Group) of China Limited.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit the Philippines either this year or in early 2024, the country's ambassador-designate Lee Sang-Hwa said Monday, as cited by the Presidential Communications Office.

"He [Yoon] really, really looks forward to visiting this very country Philippines. But if not this year, I'm sure sometime in the first half of next year as we mark our 75th anniversary," Lee was quoted as telling President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a meeting in Malacanang.

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kin Jin-Pyo and Foreign Minister Park Jin are also set to visit the country in 2023 to meet with their Filipino counterparts in the legislature and the Department of Foreign Affairs, the envoy said.

The visits are eyed to strengthen the alliance between the two nations.

Lee told Marcos "we look forward to elevating our relationship formally to strategic partnership at an appropriate time including many, many areas security and defense cooperation, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges."

The South Korean envoy also agreed with Marcos' sentiment that improved Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) alliances would strengthen security and defense in the Asia Pacific region.

"There are comprehensive regional strategy as ASEAN takes a centerstage and the Philippines strategic importance has heightened significantly," Lee said.

He also said that South Korea was interested in the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and its possible energy generation, adding that Seoul had submitted a "proposal for a joint feasibility study."

Meanwhile, Marcos said he hopes to meet with Yeol at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in the United States this November alongside the 19 other member economies.
Shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL  Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Buy from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.68.

DAL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Delta Air Lines from $47.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. 22nd Century Group reissued a maintains rating on shares of Delta Air Lines in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Delta Air Lines from $40.00 to $48.00 in a research note on Monday, June 26th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Delta Air Lines from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director David S. Taylor acquired 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $32.83 per share, for a total transaction of $164,150.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 25,360 shares in the company, valued at $832,568.80. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Director David S. Taylor acquired 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $32.83 per share, for a total transaction of $164,150.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 25,360 shares in the company, valued at $832,568.80. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Joanne D. Smith sold 7,513 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.90, for a total transaction of $277,229.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 107,782 shares in the company, valued at $3,977,155.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have bought 15,000 shares of company stock worth $503,250. Insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 1.2 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the first quarter valued at about $217,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 41.8% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 25,838 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,022,000 after purchasing an additional 7,616 shares during the period. APG Asset Management N.V. bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines during the first quarter worth about $243,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 20.7% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,918 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its position in Delta Air Lines by 3.1% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 29,508 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,168,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares during the period. 68.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Shares of NYSE:DAL opened at $47.88 on Wednesday. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $27.20 and a one year high of $48.81. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.16 and a 200-day moving average of $37.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.17, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $30.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.23, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 1.31.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 13th. The transportation company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.04). Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 56.49% and a net margin of 3.51%. The business had revenue of $12.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.23) EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 36.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Delta Air Lines Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 7th. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%.

About Delta Air Lines

(Free Report

Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Seoul-Incheon.

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EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE:EME  Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as $186.82 and last traded at $186.52, with a volume of 13816 shares. The stock had previously closed at $184.35.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, July 20th will be issued a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.39%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 19th. EMCOR Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.91%.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on EMCOR Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company.

EMCOR Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The companys 50-day moving average price is $172.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $160.69. The company has a market capitalization of $8.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26 and a beta of 1.10.

EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The construction company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.87 billion. EMCOR Group had a net margin of 3.91% and a return on equity of 22.68%. The businesss revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.39 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that EMCOR Group, Inc. will post 9.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at EMCOR Group

In related news, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.52, for a total value of $1,820,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 257,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,647,055.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other EMCOR Group news, CFO Mark A. Pompa sold 25,000 shares of EMCOR Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $4,250,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 58,758 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,988,860. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 11,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.52, for a total transaction of $1,820,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 257,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,647,055.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 57,203 shares of company stock valued at $9,730,382 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of EMCOR Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in EMCOR Group by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,426 shares of the construction companys stock worth $273,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in EMCOR Group by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,156 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $580,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in shares of EMCOR Group by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,037 shares of the construction companys stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of EMCOR Group by 160.4% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,828 shares of the construction companys stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in shares of EMCOR Group by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 19,561 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,203,000 after purchasing an additional 1,865 shares during the last quarter. 96.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EMCOR Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

EMCOR Group, Inc provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, start-up, operation, and maintenance services related to electrical power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, and food processing industries; low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services.

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Fruth Investment Management trimmed its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR  Free Report) by 7.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,632 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 1,128 shares during the quarter. Fruth Investment Managements holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $2,144,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisor Resource Council acquired a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $868,000. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $238,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $372,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 15,912.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 29,943 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,389,000 after purchasing an additional 29,756 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. increased its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. now owns 5,032 shares of the business services providers stock worth $738,000 after purchasing an additional 589 shares in the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of BR stock traded up $1.40 during trading on Monday, hitting $164.70. The companys stock had a trading volume of 73,868 shares, compared to its average volume of 569,309. The company has a market cap of $19.43 billion, a PE ratio of 35.04 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The business has a fifty day moving average of $155.60 and a 200-day moving average of $147.03. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a 52 week low of $131.35 and a 52 week high of $183.33.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement

Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The business services provider reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a return on equity of 40.29% and a net margin of 9.33%. Broadridge Financial Solutionss quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.725 per share. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Broadridge Financial Solutions

In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total transaction of $1,027,962.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 59,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,926,285.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Broadridge Financial Solutions news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total transaction of $1,027,962.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 59,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,926,285.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert Schifellite sold 15,695 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.59, for a total value of $2,394,900.05. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 50,314 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,677,413.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 27,397 shares of company stock valued at $4,162,229. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Monday, April 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $169.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.40.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Profile

(Free Report)

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions.

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Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lessened its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Free Report) by 1.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,621,081 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 20,753 shares during the period. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF comprises about 4.3% of Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.26% of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF worth $63,968,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 125,500.5% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 144,937,968 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $5,493,149,000 after acquiring an additional 144,822,572 shares in the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 112.2% during the 4th quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,244,119 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $47,152,000 after buying an additional 11,466,025 shares during the period. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $324,358,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 779.9% during the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 8,239,022 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $325,111,000 after buying an additional 7,302,610 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 20.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 39,172,754 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,484,647,000 after buying an additional 6,765,030 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSEARCA:EEM traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $39.34. The company had a trading volume of 4,924,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 31,911,279. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 12-month low of $33.49 and a 12-month high of $42.53. The company has a fifty day moving average of $39.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.48.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index).

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Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Guggenheim from $39.00 to $37.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Hawaiian Electric Industries in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

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Hawaiian Electric Industries Price Performance

NYSE:HE opened at $36.24 on Friday. Hawaiian Electric Industries has a 12 month low of $33.18 and a 12 month high of $44.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $36.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market cap of $3.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.41.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Dividend Announcement

Hawaiian Electric Industries ( NYSE:HE Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.06). Hawaiian Electric Industries had a net margin of 5.88% and a return on equity of 10.35%. The business had revenue of $928.24 million during the quarter. On average, analysts expect that Hawaiian Electric Industries will post 2.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th were given a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.97%. Hawaiian Electric Industriess payout ratio is currently 69.57%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawaiian Electric Industries

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 7.5% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 15,301 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $647,000 after acquiring an additional 1,065 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 17.8% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,808 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $669,000 after buying an additional 2,388 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $465,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 13,673 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $584,000 after buying an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in Hawaiian Electric Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $757,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.15% of the companys stock.

About Hawaiian Electric Industries

(Free Report)

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and non-regulated renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates through three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.

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Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB  Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday after Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on the stock from $287.00 to $318.00. The stock traded as high as $333.88 and last traded at $333.31, with a volume of 46444 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $327.80.

Several other brokerages have also commented on HUBB. StockNews.com lowered Hubbell from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 23rd. Mizuho upped their price target on Hubbell from $252.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $253.50.

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Insider Activity at Hubbell

In related news, Director Carlos M. Cardoso sold 560 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $273.16, for a total transaction of $152,969.60. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,711 shares in the company, valued at approximately $467,376.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.66% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hubbell Stock Up 1.4 %

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in shares of Hubbell by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 61,284 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $14,382,000 after acquiring an additional 3,110 shares in the last quarter. Avestar Capital LLC boosted its position in Hubbell by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 1,198 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. FDx Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Hubbell by 311.2% during the 4th quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. now owns 5,678 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,333,000 after purchasing an additional 4,297 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale boosted its position in Hubbell by 15.5% during the 4th quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 35,207 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $8,191,000 after purchasing an additional 4,719 shares during the period. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Hubbell during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $770,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.67% of the companys stock.

The firm has a market cap of $17.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $298.36 and a 200-day moving average of $259.45.

Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $3.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $1.15. Hubbell had a return on equity of 27.72% and a net margin of 11.15%. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.12 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Hubbell Incorporated will post 13.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hubbell Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st were given a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.35%. Hubbells dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.79%.

About Hubbell

(Free Report)

Hubbell Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells electrical and utility solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Electrical Solutions and Utility Solutions. The Electrical Solution segment offers standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures, and other electrical equipment for use in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians, utilities, and telecommunications companies, as well as components and assemblies.

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Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) had its price objective lifted by Morgan Stanley from $44.00 to $47.00 in a report released on Friday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

WFC has been the subject of several other research reports. Wolfe Research cut Wells Fargo & Company from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Friday. Raymond James lifted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $46.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $41.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 15th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $49.04.

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Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:WFC opened at $42.77 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Wells Fargo & Company has a twelve month low of $35.25 and a twelve month high of $48.84. The company has a market capitalization of $160.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.26, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.06 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 15.93%. The businesss revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.88 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 5th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 4th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.81%. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is currently 34.38%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dodge & Cox grew its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 120,385,253 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,500,001,000 after buying an additional 1,662,877 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 68,746,622 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,564,588,000 after purchasing an additional 929,727 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,049,693,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 129,312.1% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 26,287,479 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,085,410,000 after purchasing an additional 26,267,166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,079,196 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $862,700,000 after acquiring an additional 304,269 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.11% of the companys stock.

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

(Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management.

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Mount Logan Capital (OTCMKTS:PYCFF  Free Report) is one of 1,205 public companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Mount Logan Capital to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, risk and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Mount Logan Capital and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mount Logan Capital 0 0 0 0 N/A Mount Logan Capital Competitors 1116 4928 6257 88 2.43

As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 89.91%. Given Mount Logan Capitals competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Mount Logan Capital has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Mount Logan Capital N/A N/A 12.43 Mount Logan Capital Competitors $240.47 million -$3.43 million -11.21

This table compares Mount Logan Capital and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Mount Logan Capitals competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Mount Logan Capital. Mount Logan Capital is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

Mount Logan Capital pays an annual dividend of $0.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.9%. Mount Logan Capital pays out 134.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.1% and pay out 639.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Mount Logan Capital is clearly a better dividend stock than its competitors, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

32.5% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 18.0% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Mount Logan Capital and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mount Logan Capital N/A N/A N/A Mount Logan Capital Competitors 378.92% 8.28% 5.07%

Summary

Mount Logan Capital competitors beat Mount Logan Capital on 7 of the 10 factors compared.

Mount Logan Capital Company Profile

(Free Report)

Mount Logan Capital Inc.is an investment firm primarily focused on investing in public and private debt securities. The Company holds and actively manages and monitors a seed portfolio of loans and other investments with credit-oriented characteristics. The company was formerly known as Marret Resource Corp. and changed its name to Mount Logan Capital Inc. in October 2018. Mount Logan Capital Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada with an additional office in New York City.

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Peterson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI  Free Report) by 180.4% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 37,976 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 24,433 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc.s holdings in NiSource were worth $1,062,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NI. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in shares of NiSource by 16.3% in the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 18,625 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $593,000 after acquiring an additional 2,614 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its stake in NiSource by 23.1% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 106,827 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,397,000 after purchasing an additional 20,064 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of NiSource by 66.2% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 146,548 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,660,000 after purchasing an additional 58,398 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of NiSource by 29.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,952,676 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $62,093,000 after buying an additional 447,102 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 1st quarter worth $472,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.18% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at NiSource

In related news, SVP Kimberly S. Cuccia sold 11,157 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total value of $318,420.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 20,329 shares of the companys stock, valued at $580,189.66. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock.

NiSource Stock Performance

NiSource stock opened at $27.34 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.60. NiSource Inc. has a one year low of $23.78 and a one year high of $31.87. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $27.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $27.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a PE ratio of 18.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.47.

NiSource (NYSE:NI  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.77. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.94 billion. NiSource had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 11.14%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.75 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that NiSource Inc. will post 1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NiSource Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 28th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. NiSources dividend payout ratio is presently 68.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on NI shares. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on NiSource from $31.00 to $30.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. Bank of America reduced their price objective on NiSource from $32.00 to $31.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of NiSource from $31.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of NiSource in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of NiSource from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $31.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $30.25.

About NiSource

(Free Report)

NiSource Inc, an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 859,000 customers in northern Indiana, as well as approximately 2.4 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland.

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Peterson Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC  Free Report) by 166.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,599 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,876 shares during the quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc.s holdings in AmerisourceBergen were worth $736,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ABC. RFP Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 92.64% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ABC. Bank of America upped their price target on AmerisourceBergen from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Barclays increased their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $182.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on AmerisourceBergen in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. TheStreet upgraded AmerisourceBergen from a c rating to a b+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on AmerisourceBergen in a research note on Friday, March 31st. They set a buy rating and a $185.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $184.00.

AmerisourceBergen Price Performance

Shares of ABC traded up $1.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $192.35. The company had a trading volume of 44,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,295,756. AmerisourceBergen Co. has a twelve month low of $135.14 and a twelve month high of $193.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.13, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The companys 50-day moving average is $177.51 and its 200-day moving average is $166.95. The company has a market capitalization of $38.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.56.

AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC  Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.29 by $0.21. AmerisourceBergen had a return on equity of 809.53% and a net margin of 0.65%. The business had revenue of $63.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $60.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.22 EPS. AmerisourceBergens quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AmerisourceBergen Co. will post 11.88 EPS for the current year.

AmerisourceBergen Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. AmerisourceBergens dividend payout ratio is 24.94%.

Insider Activity at AmerisourceBergen

In related news, major shareholder Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. sold 292,792 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.77, for a total transaction of $50,000,089.84. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 33,366,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,697,978,078.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. sold 292,792 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.77, for a total transaction of $50,000,089.84. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 33,366,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,697,978,078.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Gina Clark sold 27,542 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.84, for a total value of $5,145,947.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,733 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,994,793.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 627,815 shares of company stock valued at $110,556,193 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 20.10% of the companys stock.

AmerisourceBergen Profile

(Free Report)

AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products. Its U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9)  Sen. Imee Marcos on Sunday urged defense and foreign affairs officials to increase monitoring of US military planes at Philippine airports to "determine if covert US military flights aggravated the already tense situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait" and to "weigh the risks to public safety."

RELATED: What's at stake for PH in US-China tensions over Taiwan

"Too little is known about ongoing US military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea," said Marcos, chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations.

"I am aware of ongoing exercises with foreign militaries this month. But the same zeal in tracking any violations in our maritime territory and EEZ (exclusive economic zone) must also apply where Philippine air traffic rules and joint military agreements with the U.S. are concerned," she added.

Marcos said passengers on commercial flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) noticed two US military planes near the runway and shared the pictures to her office.

Citing data from global flight tracker AirNav Systems, Marcos said a US Air Force C-17 with flight code MC244/RCH244 landed in Manila at 6:03 a.m. on July 7. It came from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft then flew to Palawan before 1 p.m. and headed to Yokota Air Base in Fussa City in Japan later in the afternoon.

"Although the plane's call signal was repeatedly out of coverage during its journey, flight tracker Flightradar24 recorded its departure from Palawan shortly before 4 p.m., Manila time, and its arrival at Yokota Air Base at around 9:30 p.m., Japan time," she said.

"The flight route from Palawan showed the plane passing over Pampanga, Cagayan, and off the eastern coasts of Batanes and Taiwan before it landed at the Yokota Air Base," she added.

Marcos also said another Boeing C-17 plane with flight code RCH323 was spotted north of Busuanga town, Palawan past 10 a.m. on July 8. She said it took off from Tokyo the night before.

"[It] was off the radar until late afternoon when it again appeared in the same vicinity flying toward Polillo Island before exiting the Philippine territory past 6 p.m.," she added.

Earlier, Marcos flagged the "unadvised" landing of a US military plane reportedly from Guam at NAIA on June 26.

On Friday, the senator said she received a letter from the US Embassy a day prior explaining the incident, saying it had diplomatic clearance as it was heading to a bilateral military exercise in Palawan.

The US embassy also admitted the lack of coordination with ground handlers on the plane's arrival, which caused hours of delay at the airport.

READ: US says military plane landed in NAIA to comply with rules, admits 'lack of coordination' Sen. Marcos
Peterson Financial Group Inc. cut its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Free Report) by 3.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,886 shares of the companys stock after selling 486 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $722,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 5.8% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 41,773 shares of the companys stock worth $2,100,000 after purchasing an additional 2,299 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 12.3% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 15,000 shares of the companys stock worth $754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,640 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 78.1% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 38,808 shares of the companys stock worth $1,951,000 after purchasing an additional 17,015 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF in the first quarter worth approximately $16,807,000. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 13.9% in the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 450,991 shares of the companys stock worth $22,667,000 after purchasing an additional 55,103 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Price Performance

Shares of BATS EFV opened at $48.21 on Monday. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a one year low of $49.15 and a one year high of $59.57. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $48.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.84.

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG  Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday. The firm issued a hold rating on the information services providers stock.

Phoenix New Media Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of Phoenix New Media stock opened at $1.82 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $2.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2.35. Phoenix New Media has a 52 week low of $1.74 and a 52 week high of $5.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a current ratio of 2.51.

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Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 15th. The information services provider reported ($0.69) earnings per share for the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative return on equity of 7.46% and a negative net margin of 12.10%. The company had revenue of $21.31 million for the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Phoenix New Media

Phoenix New Media Company Profile

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Phoenix New Media stock. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Phoenix New Media Limited ( NYSE:FENG Free Report ) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 21,805 shares of the information services providers stock, valued at approximately $58,000.

(Free Report)

Phoenix New Media Limited provides content on an integrated Internet platform in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through two segments, Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. It offers content and services through PC channel, mobile channel, and telecom operators, as well as transmits content to TV viewers, primarily through Phoenix TV.

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Guangdong Investment (OTCMKTS:GGDVY  Free Report) and Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRF  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, earnings and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Guangdong Investment and Pennon Groups revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A $35.70 1.19 Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.29 32.13

Guangdong Investment is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pennon Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Profitability

0.0% of Guangdong Investment shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 44.0% of Pennon Group shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares Guangdong Investment and Pennon Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

Guangdong Investment pays an annual dividend of $10.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 25.3%. Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. Guangdong Investment pays out 30.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Pennon Group pays out 104.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Guangdong Investment is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Guangdong Investment and Pennon Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Guangdong Investment 0 0 2 0 3.00 Pennon Group 0 1 1 0 2.50

Pennon Group has a consensus price target of $815.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8,641.35%. Given Pennon Groups higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Pennon Group is more favorable than Guangdong Investment.

Summary

Guangdong Investment beats Pennon Group on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Guangdong Investment

(Free Report)

Guangdong Investment Limited, an investment holding company, engages in water resources, property investment and development, department store operation, hotel ownership, energy project operation and management, and road and bridge operation businesses. The company's Water Resources segment provides water distribution, sewage treatment, water pipeline installation and consultancy services, constructs water supply and sewage treatment infrastructure, and sells machineries in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Its Property Investment and Development segment invests in and rents various properties in Hong Kong and Mainland China; and develops and sells properties in Mainland China. This segment also provides property management services for various commercial properties. The company's Department Stores Operation segment operates department stores in Mainland China. Its Electric Power Generation segment operates coal-fired power plants that supply electricity and steam in the Guangdong province, Mainland China. The company's Hotel Operation and Management segment operate hotels and provides hotel management services to third parties in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Its Road and Bridge segment invests in various road and bridge projects, which engages in the toll road operation and road management in Mainland China. The company's Others segment provides treasury services in Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as corporate and other related services. It also offers financing, marketing management, environmental engineering, and water technology development and consultation services. The company was formerly known as Union Globe Development Limited and changed its name to Guangdong Investment Limited in January 1987. The company was incorporated in 1973 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Guangdong Investment Limited operates as a subsidiary of GDH Limited.

About Pennon Group

(Free Report)

Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom.

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StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 12.2 %

Ampio Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $0.25 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.14 and a beta of 1.48. The firms fifty day moving average is $0.25 and its 200 day moving average is $0.26. Ampio Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $0.18 and a 52-week high of $2.83.

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Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ampio Pharmaceuticals

About Ampio Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,996,074 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $6,578,000 after purchasing an additional 61,269 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 20.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,954,092 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 1,662,127 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 2.0% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,430,770 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,612,000 after acquiring an additional 66,375 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 998.6% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,035,413 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $342,000 after buying an additional 1,850,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 304.3% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 432,216 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 325,300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.82% of the companys stock.

(Free Report)

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain. It focuses on the preclinical development of AR-300, a novel proprietary, small molecule formulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The company is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

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Stone House Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,067 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock, valued at approximately $84,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. IRON Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of TJX Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $205,000. Everhart Financial Group Inc. grew its position in TJX Companies by 8.5% in the first quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,768 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in TJX Companies in the first quarter worth about $1,285,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in TJX Companies by 1,107.1% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 126,001 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $9,874,000 after acquiring an additional 115,563 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JB Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of TJX Companies by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 127,438 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $9,986,000 after purchasing an additional 6,373 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.26% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at TJX Companies

In related news, EVP Scott Goldenberg sold 26,271 shares of TJX Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.91, for a total value of $2,073,044.61. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,580 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,727,287.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TJX Companies Stock Up 0.8 %

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on TJX Companies from $90.00 to $93.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. They set an overweight rating and a $110.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on TJX Companies from $85.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $87.88.

TJX Companies stock traded up $0.70 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $83.40. The stock had a trading volume of 1,112,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,009,725. The company has a market cap of $95.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.45, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $79.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.01. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $57.76 and a 52 week high of $85.22.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 17th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $11.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.82 billion. TJX Companies had a net margin of 7.56% and a return on equity of 62.78%. TJX Companiess revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 3.56 EPS for the current year.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.3325 per share. This represents a $1.33 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 9th. TJX Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 40.92%.

About TJX Companies

(Free Report)

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, kids, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.

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Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 0.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,465 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 181 shares during the period. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $1,349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, First Personal Financial Services raised its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 67.8% in the 1st quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 495 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 74.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,202,182.06. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Down 0.3 %

Several research analysts have issued reports on BMY shares. 51job restated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. They issued an outperform rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. SVB Securities started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday. They issued a market perform rating and a $66.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $77.20.

BMY traded down $0.18 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $62.47. 2,359,029 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,069,462. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $131.24 billion, a PE ratio of 18.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $65.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.84. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $62.30 and a 1 year high of $81.43.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 EPS for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.65%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 66.47%.

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, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE:KRG  Free Report) and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (OTCMKTS:UNBLF  Free Report) are both real estate companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, earnings, risk and valuation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

94.5% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 41.2% of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield shares are held by institutional investors. 1.7% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Profitability

This table compares Kite Realty Group Trust and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfields net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Kite Realty Group Trust 1.17% 0.25% 0.13% Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield N/A N/A N/A

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Kite Realty Group Trust $802.00 million 6.07 -$12.64 million $0.03 740.58 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield N/A N/A N/A $11.15 4.73

This table compares Kite Realty Group Trust and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfields gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Kite Realty Group Trust. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kite Realty Group Trust, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Kite Realty Group Trust and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Kite Realty Group Trust 1 2 4 1 2.63 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield 2 0 2 0 2.00

Kite Realty Group Trust presently has a consensus price target of $24.63, suggesting a potential upside of 10.87%. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has a consensus price target of $56.50, suggesting a potential upside of 7.21%. Given Kite Realty Group Trusts stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Kite Realty Group Trust is more favorable than Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

Dividends

Kite Realty Group Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield pays an annual dividend of $8.90 per share and has a dividend yield of 16.9%. Kite Realty Group Trust pays out 3,201.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield pays out 79.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Kite Realty Group Trust has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Kite Realty Group Trust beats Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kite Realty Group Trust

(Free Report)

Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE: KRG) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Indianapolis, IN that is one of the largest publicly traded owners and operators of open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets. The Company's primarily grocery-anchored portfolio is located in high-growth Sun Belt and select strategic gateway markets. The combination of necessity-based grocery-anchored neighborhood and community centers, along with vibrant mixed-use assets makes the KRG portfolio an ideal mix for both retailers and consumers. Publicly listed since 2004, KRG has nearly 60 years of experience in developing, constructing and operating real estate. Using operational, investment, development, and redevelopment expertise, KRG continuously optimizes its portfolio to maximize value and return to shareholders. As of March 31, 2023, the Company owned interests in 181 U.S. open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets, comprising approximately 28.5 million square feet of gross leasable space.

About Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

(Free Report)

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is an owner, developer and operator of sustainable, high-quality real estate assets in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States. The Group operates 78 shopping centres in 12 countries, including 45 which carry the iconic Westfield brand. These centres attract over 900 million visits annually and provide a unique platform for retailers and brands to connect with consumers. URW also has a portfolio of high-quality offices, 10 convention and exhibition venues in Paris, and a 3 Bn development pipeline of mainly mixed-use assets. Currently, its 52 Bn portfolio is 87% in retail, 6% in offices, 5% in convention and exhibition venues, and 2% in services (as at December 31, 2022). URW is a committed partner to major cities on urban regeneration projects, through both mixed-use development and the retrofitting of buildings to industry-leading sustainability standards. These commitments are enhanced by the Group's Better Places 2030 agenda, which strives to make a positive environmental, social and economic impact on the cities and communities where URW operates. URW's stapled shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris (Ticker: URW), with a secondary listing in Australia through Chess Depositary Interests. The Group benefits from a BBB+ rating from Standard & Poor's and from a Baa2 rating from Moody's.

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ATLANTA  University of Nebraska at Kearney students won 10 awards at the Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate National Leadership Conference.

Hosted June 22-25 in Atlanta, Georgia, the annual conference gives FBLA members from colleges and universities across the country an opportunity to network, attend leadership workshops and compete in events testing their business knowledge and skills. The top 10 performers in each event were recognized June 25 during the Awards of Excellence Ceremony.

Nine UNK students attended the national conference, and eight placed inside the top 10 in at least one event. The Lopers were national champions in four categories and national runner-up in two events. UNK also received a Gold Seal Award of Merit, which recognizes chapters that have actively participated in projects and programs identified with the goals of FBLA.

Students participating in the conference were Courtney Cox of Alliance, Olivia Lawless of Aurora, Jake Elliott of Burwell, Maritza Calmo Martin of Lexington, Trista Marx of Limon, Colorado, Joseph Hiatt of Spencer, Megan Wallman of Syracuse, Ella ONeil of Wauneta and Jackie Kalkwarf of Wilber.

FBLA is the largest business career and technical student organization in the world. The collegiate division is dedicated to inspiring and developing the next generation of leaders by preparing members for careers in business-related fields.

UNK results

First place: Joseph Hiatt and Olivia Lawless, Emerging Business Issues; Courtney Cox, Foundations of Finance; Jackie Kalkwarf, Future Business Educator; Joseph Hiatt, Future Business Executive.

Second place: Maritza Calmo Martin, Help Desk; Joseph Hiatt and Olivia Lawless, State of the Chapter.

Fourth place: Courtney Cox, Finance Case Competition.

Fifth place: Jake Elliott, Administrative Support Technology.

Eighth place: Trista Marx, Retail Management.

Ninth place: Ella ONeil, Microeconomics.
La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten has been suspended without pay in connection with a March speeding incident in Mills County, Iowa, but officials there have decided not to charge him with a crime.

La Vista City Administrator Brenda Gunn said in an email that Laustens suspension began Thursday and will continue for 30 days. After that, she said, he will be working in a transitionary role.

Lausten has been La Vistas police chief since 2002.

His troubles began March 19 when a Mills County sheriffs deputy clocked a truck registered to Lausten going 100 mph westbound on Highway 34 about half a mile from the Nebraska border.

The deputy turned on his lights and expected the truck would stop, Sheriff Travis Oetter said at the time. Instead, it sped up and crossed the bridge into Nebraska.

The deputy chose not to pursue the truck across the state line. But the license number was passed on to law enforcement in Cass and Sarpy counties.

Because of darkness and the trucks speed, Oetter said, it couldnt be determined whether Lausten was actually driving.

The following day, Lausten reported the incident to La Vista city officials, which triggered a mandatory investigation under the citys code. He was placed on paid administrative leave. Capt. D.J. Barcal was appointed as acting chief.

Gunn said the investigation was completed April 27. She declined to comment on the findings because it is a personnel matter, but she said appropriate disciplinary action has been taken.

He has my trust, she added.

Attempts to reach Lausten by cellphone and through his city email address werent successful. According to WOWT, Lausten said he plans to retire by the end of the year.

Mills County Attorney DeShawne Bird-Sell said in an email that her office did not have sufficient information to file charges in connection with the incident.

We reviewed this like we do every case  without regards to the defendant, she said.

Top Journal Star photos for July 2023
An early-morning homicide in Omaha's Regency neighborhood led to a manhunt, an armed carjacking and a high-speed chase before the alleged culprit was shot and killed later Saturday by police officers in Council Bluffs.

"This was a very volatile situation," said Omaha Police Capt. Jeremy Christensen.

Michael Briggs, 42, was being pursued as a person of interest in the killing of Steven Greg Donsbach and in a related domestic assault report from a separate location, authorities said.

The day's events began about 5:40 a.m. with a report of a domestic assault at a residence in southwest Omaha, Christensen said. As a result of that investigation, he said, police went to check on the well-being of a resident at 9927 Essex Dr. in Regency.

Donsbach, 52, was found shot dead inside the Regency home he had owned for the past decade. There were signs of forced entry, according to Christensen, and preliminary investigation suggests that Donsbach was the only person in the home at the time of the killing.

Christensen said police are still investigating what relationship, if any, existed between Donsbach and Briggs.

A car reportedly belonging to Briggs, a red 2005 Buick Century sedan, was seen on a security camera in Regency and was discovered Saturday afternoon at Mandan Park in southeast Omaha.

About 3:30 p.m., a blue Toyota Camry was carjacked just south of Mandan Park. Christensen said he believes Briggs used a firearm in taking the vehicle.

Law enforcement responded to the incident and eventually chased the Camry across the Missouri River in Iowa. Council Bluffs police became involved in the chase, which ended when the Camry crashed near College Road and Valley View Drive on the east end of the city, near Iowa Western Community College.

Two officers shot at Briggs multiple times. Omaha police could not say how many shots were fired. Nor did they identify the officers who shot him. Briggs was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Christensen expressed gratitude to the other jurisdictions that helped respond to Saturday's events, including Council Bluffs police, Iowa state troopers and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

"Everybody involved has done a phenomenal job," he said.

Top Journal Star photos for July 2023
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9)  Quiapo Church is now the National Shrine of the Black Nazarene with the blessing of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The CBCP announced on Sunday it has elevated the church canonically known as the Saint John the Baptist Parish from its archdiocesan shrine status during the bishops 126th plenary assembly in Kalibo, Aklan.

For many years, the home of the centuries-old and revered image of the Black Nazarene has served as a prominent landmark for pilgrims from all corners of the country, the CBCP said in a statement.

Located in the heart of Manila, Quiapo Church has become a place of worship for Filipinos since the "traslacion" or movement of the image from Intramuros to Quiapo began in 1787, according to the CBCP.

What was once a parochial feast held every January 9 has also now extended its reach and is celebrated by devotees in various parts of the country and even abroad, the CBCP added.

On May 10, Quiapo Church received its archdiocesan shrine status.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II granted its recognition as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene for its cultural impact on the religious practices of Filipinos.
Data centers set to soar as Vietnam digital economy takes big strides

By Nguyen Tuong Mon, July 10, 2023 | 5:32 pm GTM+7

The number of data centers (DCs) is set to rise exponentially in Vietnam as both domestic and foreign companies look to boost capacity and meet rising demand, a new report says.

The report, released last Friday by U.S. market research and consulting company Arizton, says the Vietnamese DC market size is expected to nearly double to $1.04 billion by 2028 from $561 million last year, meaning a compound annual growth (CAG) rate of nearly 10.8%.

There are 27 DCs at present in Vietnam.

VNG Corporation, Vietnams first technology unicorn, will set up more DC and cloud investments this year after spending almost VND1 trillion ($42.3 million) on its tier-III VNG Data Center in Ho Chi Minh City, the company announced at its shareholders annual general meeting last week.

VNG opened the facility, located at the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, last December as one of the top three most modern DCs in the country that can provide flexible, secure, and reliable access to data storage and data solutions to local and global businesses.

The facility has 410 racks for installing servers with a designed capacity of up to 10 kW per rack and will increase to this to 1,600 racks, the meeting heard.

Viettel technicians work at a data center operated by the military-run technology group in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency.

The Vietnamese governments Decree 53, issued last October to provide guidance on implementing the nations 2018 Cybersecurity Law, mandates that both domestic and foreign firms that provide services in areas like telecommunications, e-commerce and online payments have to store specific types of data in Vietnam for at least 24 months.

At a National Assembly session last month, Information and Communication Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said the ministry was pursuing a soft management approach for data center services and cloud computing. The aim was to promote the sectors development while ensuring national security, he said.

At present, Vietnam has five undersea cables that face regular problems and long repair times as they pass through other countries territories.

Vietnamese tech giant FPT announced this April an $87 million investment plan to participate in the Asia Link Cable (ALC) project that will connect Vietnam to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei via a 6,000 km undersea fiber optic cable.

FPT Telecom will set up a connecting station in the central coastal city of Danang to join the ALC.

Military-run telecom giant Viettel is also set to lay an undersea cable this year or the next to hook up with the Asia Direct Cable system. This project is estimated to cost $290 million.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) expects to join the South East Asia - Japan 2 Cable System (SJC 2) later this year.

These cable networks are expected to support high-speed Internet connection and large amounts of data transmission from Vietnam to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

In April 2022, Viettel announced it would build Vietnams largest DC in Ho Chi Minh City with an estimated investment of VND6 trillion ($254 million).

Two months later, Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital Partners announced it had completed acquisition of a 6,056 square-meter greenfield plot within a data center cluster at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park with plans to develop a facility with an IT capacity of 20 megawatts (MW).

The real estate private equity firm said the new Vietnam project would give it a strong foothold in a market with great potential.

In August 2022, the CMC Corporation inaugurated a 1,200-rack DC, also in HCMC, with a total investment of VND1.5 trillion (nearly $64 million).

Global players

Vietnam's digital economy expanded 28% year-on-year to reach $23 billion in 2022, according to a report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company. It said Vietnam was set to become the fastest-growing digital economy in the region with an annual growth rate of 31% between 2022 and 2025, reaching a value of $49 billion.

Global tech giants like Apple, Google and Facebook have installed servers at various DCs in Vietnam.

In August 2022, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of cutting edge data centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. AWS joined the largest-ever U.S. business mission to Vietnam in March that was organized by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council to explore investment opportunities.

AWS said in an interview with Nikkei Asia this March that it would build 10 DCs in Vietnam and five other Asia-Pacific countries, including Thailand and the Philippines.

Gary McKinnon, a senior director at VNG Corporation, had said earlier that foreign companies were looking to either build their own DC in Vietnam or co-locate with a local data center.

We expect that international business will make up a major component of our business within two or three years.

Japan-based NTT Global Data Centers is building its second data center in Vietnam in partnership with domestic firm QD.Tek.

An artists impression of the NTT Global Data Center HCMC1 built at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park. Photo courtesy of NTT.

NTT Global Data Center HCMC1, located in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, is set to open next year. The five-story building will have an IT capacity of 6 MW across 3,100 square meters of server rooms, equivalent to 1,200 racks. The projects total investment has not been disclosed.

Vietnamese players currently dominate the market but foreign companies are taking a greater share now, Tony Picon, Vietnam executive director for commercial real estate brokerage firm NAI Global, had told The Investor in March 2022.

Overall, data centers are part of the push for Vietnam to develop as a digital hub, and finding skilled staff will likely be a constant challenge for most countries embracing rapidly changing technology.

He said that the rapid increase in digital start-ups in Vietnam will be underpinned by dynamic entrepreneurism, but more work needs to be done on training.
PM requests extensions to 500kV national transmission lines be put into operation next June

By Huong Dung Mon, July 10, 2023 | 2:17 pm GTM+7

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demanded extentions to the 500kV national transmission lines to be completed and put into operation by June 2024, according to Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.

The extension lines, once operational, will increase the supply of electricity from the South to the North, he said at a meeting on Saturday.

The 514-kilometer lines, running from Quang Trach district, Quang Binh province in central Vietnam to Pho Noi in the northern province of Hung Yen, will be built at a total cost of VND23 trillion ($973.85 million).

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. Photo coutesy of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Included in the Power Development Plan VIII (PDP VIII), the project, consisting of four sub-projects, is expected to be put into operation in 2025-2026. However, in order to increase supply and ease power shortages in the North, the prime minister has brought forward the deadline to June 2024, Dien noted.

Minister Dien asked the state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and its subsidiary National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) to complete the project's documents in July and submit them to competent authorities for approval in August.

"After the project is approved, EVN and EVNNPT will work with localities to accelerate site clearance," Dien said.

Localities the lines run through such as Quang Binh, Thai Binh and Hung Yen need to complete procedures for converting rice and forest land as soon as the project is approved and hand it over as early as possible, he said.

Speaking at the ministrys conference to review the six-month performance on Friday, EVN general director Tran Dinh Nhan said that the electricity supply in the northern region in the coming period will still face many difficulties, especially in 2024-2025.

He said his group will focus on building the extended 500kV transmission lines from the South and Central to the North and is determined to complete them by May 2025.

Meeting the deadline of June 2024 set by the PM will be a huge challenge, Nhan said, adding that EVN and EVNNPT will mobilize their maximum resources to complete the project on schedule.

In order to ensure the progress, EVNNPT - the project's investor - proposed competent authorities approve the Quang Trach-Pho Noi 500kV transmission lines as an urgent part of the PDP VIII with special mechanisms.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment should verify the project's documents for their investment plans to be approved by the prime minister in July, it said.

Last year, EVNNPT put into operation the Vung Ang-Quang Trach-Doc Soi-Pleiku 2 500 kV transmission line, contributing to supplying 2,200 megawatts of electricity from the South to the North.

Once completed, the extended 500 kV transmission lines are expected to increase the power supply capacity from the South to the North to 5,000 megawatts, it said.
Tax on alcoholic beverages should only be raised after 2025: businessman

By Dinh Vu, Huong Dung Mon, July 10, 2023 | 11:10 am GTM+7

Any changes to the special consumption tax (SCT) on alcohol and beer should only be made after 2025 when the Vietnamese economy and businesses bounce back, said Phan Dang Tuat, president of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Industries (VASI) and former chairman of top Vietnamese brewer Sabeco.

Developing the draft revised Law on Special Consumption Tax, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has proposed an increase to SCT rates on alcohol and beer products and changes to the taxation method. From the perspective of a person with many years of experience in the beverage market, what do you think about this?

Beer and alcohol are consumer goods so they play the same role as everyday foods such as chili and sugar. Their harmful effects only arise when they are abused, so the thing here is to guide consumers on how to use them in moderation.

Since the country's integration and reform, people's living standards have improved, tourism has developed, and the alcoholic beverage industry has boomed. Local breweries produce Vietnamese-branded beers with good quality and affordable prices, making them popular among foreign tourists.

The alcoholic beverage industry has proved its increasingly important role in promoting socio-economic development and creating jobs for local laborers. On average, each year, breweries contribute VND50-56 trillion ($2.1-2.4 billion) to the state budget and created jobs for about 79,000 people from 2010-2020. Accompanying the development of the industry are ecosystems in the fields of agriculture, logistics, mechanics, biochemistry, packaging, and services. These sectors employ millions of workers.

However, after being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and a number of related mechanisms and policies, the beverage industry is currently dealing with many difficulties.

This industrys production and sales in 2022 decreased 6% and 8%, respectively, compared to 2020-2021. With revenue falling sharply, businesses have been forced to cut jobs.

While the economy and businesses are struggling, tax increases will push this industry into a difficult situation. Brewers are part of the economy. When they are in trouble, the economy is also on edge. Therefore, at present, the SCT hike should be carefully considered.

The SCT should not be increased at the moment but at least a few years after Vietnam has overcome current hurdles. Some international organizations forecast that the Vietnamese economy will drop in late 2024 and early 2025, and regain growth momentum in 2026.

How do you evaluate the MoFs proposal to change the taxation method from an ad valorem tax to a hybrid tax which is a combination of an ad valorem tax and a specific tax?

At present, some countries in the world apply a specific tax rate or a hybrid tax rate on alcohol and beer products. However, the beverage markets in these countries have a long history of development, with prices of beer products almost the same. Meanwhile, the situation in Vietnam is completely different, so a specific tax rate is unreasonable.

There are five reasons why a specific tax rate or a hybrid tax rate should not be applied on beer products in Vietnam.

Firstly, tax is a value indicator, it must be calculated based on the products value, not output. For example, we cannot impose the same import tax rates on gold and steel because their values are very different. In Vietnam, the highest price for a cup of beer can be 30-40 times higher than the lowest. Output-based taxation will make manufacturers of low-priced beer lose out to those producing high-priced beer. This creates unfair competition among businesses.

The second is consumer interest. Vietnam's per capita income remains low, while 80% of the market share is held by cheap local beers. If producers are hit, Vietnamese consumers will no longer have the opportunity to enjoy beer.

Thirdly, there is a risk of a monopoly. When applying a specific tax rate, high-priced beer will see a decrease in price, while low-priced beer will have its price hiked and production reduced. As a result, the market share of high-priced beer will expand. It may dominate the market and exceed the criteria set in the Competition Law, thus affecting Vietnam's anti-monopoly campaign. Therefore, for a developing economy where there is a big difference in beer prices like Vietnam, output-based taxation is unsuitable.

Fourthly, most businesses will "die" after a tax hike, leading to loss in state budget revenue. With my understanding of this industry, I confirm that if the output-based taxation method is applied, the state budget will lose tax revenue.

Finally, this is not the right time to change the SCT policy on alcohol and beer, both economically and socially. Perhaps, we should discuss the SCT hike in about 2026 when businesses and the economy have survived this period of hardship.
On this set of episodes, we sift through many details of the 2012 disappearance and death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 2014 kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez.

Youll be hearing from Arizona Daily Star reporter Caitlin Schmidt.

In this episode, host Natalie Cardona and Caitlin Schmidt examine the trials of the man accused of the killings for both girls.

Past episodes from this season

More on the case

Isabel was last seen by her parents at 11 p.m. on April 21 when she was put to bed. Her father discovered she was missing the next morning, police said. Police completed a search of the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road, at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday but would not comment on what was found.

Thousands of fliers were passed out. Landfills were searched as well as lakes and basins. Isabels parents Sergio and Becky Celis had come under some criticism for not speaking to the media or the public in the effort to find their daughter. More money poured into the search effort, but no more leads for years.

Then on June 3, 2014  two years after Isabel Celis first went missing  another young girl, Maribel Gonzalez, 13, told her mother she was going to a friends house. Three days later her body was found near West Avra Valley Road by a Pima County sheriffs deputy responding to a call about suspicious activity. A few days after her body was discovered, a Pima County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by unspecified means.

In March 2017, Isabels body was in a rural area of Pima County nearly five years after she disappeared. Police Chief Chris Magnus said it wasnt happenstance. An autopsy later that year confirmed it was a homicide. The bones that were recovered were redacted from the report, but an included chart of a human skeleton show part of a pelvis and several skull bones that are a darker color than the rest of the body.

Christopher Clements was charged with both crimes and in September of 2022 the first of his two trials began on the charges of kidnapping and murdering Maribel Gonzalez.

Then, in February of 2023, Clements' trial for Isabel Celis began.

If you like what we do here at Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles, please be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

More episodes and seasons
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) in South Carolina is hosting county committee elections informational meetings across the state.

Meetings in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties are upcoming. Bamberg County's meeting was held in late June.

FSA county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

Farmers and ranchers who are elected to serve on FSA county committees apply their judgment and knowledge to help with the decisions necessary to administer FSA programs in their counties, ensuring the needs of local producers are met. FSA county committees operate within official federal regulations and provide local input on:

Income safety-net loans and payments, including setting county average yields for commodities.

Conservation programs.

Incentive, indemnity, and disaster payments for some commodities.

Emergency programs.

Payment eligibility.

Nominations for county committee members began on June 15 and must be received by Aug. 1.

Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. This may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages all eligible producers with farming or ranching operations to vote or hold office as county committee members, including new and beginning, veteran, women, and minority producers.

County meetings are:

Calhoun/Richland: July 11, at 10 a.m., Calhoun Service Center, 904 F. R. Huff Dr., St. Matthews, SC 29135. For more information, call 803-874-3379.

Orangeburg: July 19, from 5 to 6 p.m.. Orangeburg Service Center, 1550 Henley St., Orangeburg, SC 29115. For more information, call 803-534-2409.

Corn field day July 27

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service will hold a corn field day at the Edisto Research and Education Center on Thursday, July 27.

The field day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch will be provided at the conclusion of the event.

The Edisto REC is located at 64 Research Road in Blackville.

Topics will include:

Fungicides for foliar diseases

Nematode management

Agronomics

Weed/insect management

Economics

Fertility

Pesticide and certified crop advisor credits will be available.

For more information contact: Dr. Michael Plumblee at 803-284-3343 or email mplumbl@clemson.edu
Joseph Aaron Veliz, 23, of 105 Axxon Road, North, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery.

He was initially charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under age 11, but pleaded guilty to assault and battery instead.

Circuit Judge Heath Taylor sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed six years. Because Veliz already served 26 days in jail, the remainder of his term was suspended to two years of probation.

In other recent guilty pleas at the Orangeburg County Courthouse:

 Alexis Reed Lynn Greene, 28, of 805 Horne St., St. George, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.

Taylor sentenced her to three years in prison.

Because shed already served one day in jail, the remainder of her term was suspended to two years of probation.

He also ordered her to undergo random drug/alcohol testing and to continue drug treatment while on probation.

 George Robert Reeves Jr., 47, of 61 Indigo Lane, Goose Creek, pleaded guilty to first-offense third-degree burglary and receiving stolen goods valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.

Taylor sentenced him to five years in prison. Because Reeves already served one day in jail, the remainder of his term is suspended to three years of probation.

He also ordered Reeves to pay restitution and undergo random drug/alcohol testing.

Reeves following charges were dropped: two counts of receiving stolen goods valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 and one count each of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of a violent felony, grand larceny valued $10,000 or more and criminal conspiracy.

 Ryan Edward Stevens, 51, of 1217 Gray Road, Summerton, pleaded guilty to third-degree domestic violence.

Taylor sentenced him to 90 days in prison. Because Stevens already served one day in jail, the remainder of his term is suspended to two years of probation.

He also ordered Stevens to complete a domestic violence intervention program.

 Dantonio D. Washington, 44, of 142 Gerber Lane, Santee, pleaded guilty to first-degree domestic violence and third-degree assault and battery.

Taylor sentenced him to three years in prison. Because Washington already served two days in jail, the remainder of his term was suspended to two years of probation.

He also ordered Washington to complete a domestic violence intervention program.

 Brittany Letricia Brown, 41, of 152 Laquinta Drive, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to shoplifting valued $2,000 or less with enhancement.

Circuit Judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. sentenced her to 11 days in jail and gave her credit for time served.

 Rakeem Lamonte Brown, 30, of 137 Trell Lane, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to use of vehicle without permission with intent to deprive owner.

He was originally charged with possession of a stolen vehicle valued at $10,000 or more, but pleaded guilty to use of vehicle without permission instead.

Griffith sentenced him to one day in jail and gave him credit for time served.

Browns following charges were dismissed: grand larceny valued $10,000 or more, criminal conspiracy and malicious injury to personal property valued at $2,000 or less.

 Milton Ronald Byrd III, 26, of 2254 Vance Road, Vance, pleaded guilty to grand larceny valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.

He was originally charged with grand larceny valued $10,000 or more, but instead pleaded guilty to grand larceny valued at less than $10,000.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle valued $10,000 or more.

Griffith sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed five years, suspended to five years of probation.

He also ordered Byrd to pay restitution.

Byrds charge of unlawful operation of a chop shop was dismissed.

 Heyward Dalton, 62, of 130 Weeks Ave., Goose Creek, pleaded guilty to use of a vehicle without permission with intent to deprive owner and third-degree domestic violence.

Griffith sentenced him to jail for 10 days but gave him credit for time served.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson announced a partnership to support the creation of educational resources around the topic of human trafficking.

TraffickProofSC, a statewide prevention education initiative of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, will highlight the importance of educating young people and their families on the realities of human trafficking.

The crime of human trafficking continues to impact young people across our state. The State Task Force recognized the critical need to launch a statewide prevention education initiative. Our goal is to prevent the crime from happening while continuing to prosecute those who have committed the crime, Wilson said.

TraffickProofSC is the overarching prevention education initiative that will begin with a four-part curriculum specifically for high school students. It is designed as an age-appropriate tool to educate and empower youth. The high school curricula will be available beginning Sept. 1.

This initiative will use the powers of public media and SCETVs statewide reach to share information and educational tools. SCETV partnered with the Task Force to develop videos and curricula that align with middle and high school health education standards and supports the work of school counselors.

The learning media will be focused on the broader issue of human trafficking as well as specifically focusing on sex trafficking, labor trafficking and the dangers of social media. SCETV will also create professional learning experiences for the educators who will have an opportunity to implement this curriculum.

Throughout the summer, each of the 10 regional human trafficking task forces will collaborate with community partners to hold backpack giveaways at back-to-school events to bring awareness to the TraffickProofSC initiative. Please visit humantrafficking.scag.gov for more information or the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force social media accounts.

To report human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733. In case of an emergency, please call 911.
DENMARK -- God Can Use A Woman to Be Blessed and To Be a Blessing is the theme for the One Day Citywide Womens Conference scheduled for July 22.

The conference will begin at 10 a.m. at Voorhees Universitys Gymnasium. Registration begins at 9 a.m.

The committee invites and encourages women, no matter where they live, to register to attend the Citywide Women's Conference today. Registration ends on July 10.

Women persevere in the face of difficulty, pain, and life-changing events. During trials and tribulations, women continue to bless others. The concept of blessed to be a blessing" is an expectation from God that gives us purpose. He expects us to pass His blessings on to others. The purpose of this conference is to empower women to continue to do all that God has called them to do. The theme is based on the scripture, The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed. Those who help others are helped. (Proverbs 11:25 MSG)

Learn from guest speaker, Associate Pastor Willie Mae Jackson, Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, Columbia. Her motto is, Wherever the Lord leads me, wherever the Lord says go, and whatever the Lord blesses me with, I will give Him all of the Glory! Pastor Willie Mae will offer words of inspiration and guidance to living Blessed and Being a Blessing!

The Citywide Womens Conference Committee has been working diligently to bring this conference to Denmark. They have worked tirelessly to blend a day of faith-filled prayers, Gods Word, worship, music, song, and fellowship to create a mighty move from God. The committee is also asking businesses, organizations, individuals to be a blessing by donating full or partial registration scholarships. The scholarships will be used to financially assist women, who may find it difficult to participate in the conference.

Vendor opportunities are available, and a limited number of partial registration scholarships are available. To register, to assist with providing registration scholarships or request additional information, please email citywidewomenconference@gmail.com.

Questions can be directed to any committee members; Sister Carrie Acosta, Sister Dianna Bailey, Sister LaFaye Bias, Sister Anna Chappelle, Sister Harriett Hammond, or Sister Clara Thomas.

Registrations can be mailed to Citywide Womens Conference, PO Box 51, Denmark, SC, 29042. Please make checks payable to Citywide City Conference. The registration fee is $50 and will include morning and afternoon snacks, lunch, and a T-shirt. Each person in attendance will be gifted with a 5 x 7 photo and a special gift. Do not miss this life-changing Citywide Conference that is designed to bless your heart, impact your life, and bring you peace. Register today!
Late last year, Chinas President Xi Jinping celebrated his 10th year in office by defying a longstanding two-term limit after Mao Zedong died in 1976. The glory of Xis power play was tainted by two events: the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns and the Ukraine war.

As it struggles to recover, Beijing has launched an international charm offensive. Xi aims to create enough calm to allow Chinas economy to rebound. But Western policymakers shouldnt be fooled  the change in tone is temporary. Xi hasnt altered his long-term intentions: to seize a larger role for China on the world stage and to recast international norms and institutions in its favor. And as soon as he deems China recovered, hell return to the combative path hes followed for years.

To understand why Beijing is suddenly playing nice, recall how rough last year was for China. Beijing hoped tensions with Washington would be reduced when President Biden took office, but the opposite happened. In response to the intensified competition with the United States, China strengthened its alignment with Russia  a no limits partnership that Moscow immediately tested by invading Ukraine. Russias aggression triggered international outrage, putting China in an awkward position and casting doubt on Xis judgment. Beijings moral ambiguity on the war and its trade support for Russia led to growing anger in Western capitals.

Meanwhile, Beijings zero COVID lockdowns caused profound misery at home. As both domestic consumption and foreign demand fell, Chinas annual gross domestic product growth rate slowed to 3 percent, according to official statistics the lowest rate since the beginning of Chinas economic opening in 1979. The restrictions sparked massive protests and left Beijing with a budget crunch: While government revenue increased by only 0.6 percent in 2022, government spending grew by 10 times that rate (6.1 percent).

The budget shortfall deprived Beijing of a key foreign-policy tool: the ability to use aid, loans and business deals to expand its influence. With cash running low, the country was forced to cut its overseas spending. The squeeze was most evident in the Belt and Road Initiative, Xis signature foreign policy program. Last year, Chinese investment in sub-Saharan Africa decreased by 65 percent.

To turn things around, Xi set out to improve Chinas relations with the West. Beijing increased its budget for diplomatic activities by 12.2 percent, and Chinese officials set out vigorously to reengage with the world. In November, Xi held his first face-to-face meeting with Biden since 2017. The next month, Xi traveled to Saudi Arabia, and the Chinese government facilitated a peace deal between Riyadh and Tehran. In recent months, China has hosted visits from the leaders of Brazil, France, Germany and the European Commission.

China is also working the developing world. Despite its budget crunch, it remains a key financier of international development, especially since other funding sources have dried up. China hosted two major development forums this spring; in May, it also convened the China-Central Asia Summit, and a third Belt and Road Initiative forum is scheduled for later this year.

Beijing even hopes to improve its ties with Washington. However, the likelihood that it will succeed seems low thanks to the balloon incident earlier this year. Indeed, the most striking aspect of Chinas new foreign policy is the wishful thinking it entails. Beijing might genuinely want to mend ties, but the damage it has done through its wolf warrior diplomacy and other provocations wont be easy to repair. Especially since China has done little to stop the incendiary conduct from military maneuvers at sea to unfair trade practices to its coercion of Taiwan  that has earned it so much ill will.

Meanwhile, the bipartisan consensus in the United States about Chinas strategic challenge remains as strong as ever. Without making profound shifts to its ambitions and system of government, China cannot resolve the conflicts of national interest that separate it from the United States and many others.

And thats not going to happen. Xi remains the leader who abandoned Chinas longtime policy of keeping a low international profile. He aims to rejuvenate the Chinese nation, which means reclaiming a larger and more dominant place in world affairs.

This means for the United States that great power competition with China will only escalate. Winning that contest will take national strength and resilience. So Washington should use the opportunity created by Beijings current problems to consolidate its advantage and broaden its lead.
(CNN)  Pondering on the cleanliness of airplanes is not something most of us like to think about when flying.

But while you might think your neighbor using a sick bag is as bad as things can get, one man was confronted by bodily fluids of a different kind when he found his feet on an airplane carpet still wet with a previous passengers blood and diarrhea.

Habib Battah was flying from Paris to Toronto on Air France on June 30 when he noticed a strange smell coming from the footwell under his and his wifes seats shortly after takeoff.

It smelled like manure, he told CNN.

The pair were traveling on the Boeing 777 with their two cats  each in a separate carrier, in the footwell in front of the couple. They were moving temporarily from Lebanon to the US, where Battah, a Beirut-based journalist, will spend a stint as a university lecturer.

It was our first time traveling with the cats, and I was thinking, Oh god, theyve had an accident, Im so embarrassed.

Then I thought, maybe its someones body odor. I was sniffing and sniffing, then said, let me get the cats out.

He crouched on the floor to check on the animals on his hands and knees. I looked at the cats  the poor cats were totally fine, he says.

The gruesome discovery

But what he did notice beneath the cat carriers was a wet stain on the floor  about 20 inches long and wide, he says. He flagged down a passing flight attendant.

I said it smells like merde  s**t. She handed me wet wipes. I started wiping and it was red  blood red. And it kept coming up red. I was like, What the hell is this? I just wanted to see what it was. After a while, one of the flight attendants said, Youd better go wash your hands, and here are some gloves.

As Battah was cleaning, the flight attendant had passed the message on to her coworkers, and the captain was radioing Paris, asking what on earth was the blood red stain under seats 30A and 30B.

The news came back from Air France HQ: it was human blood. The day before, on a Paris -Boston flight, a male passenger had suffered what Battah says the crew called a hemorrhage.

The passenger had survived, and the captain of that flight had requested that the area be cleaned for the aircrafts next flight back to Paris  but seemingly the cleaners had forgotten about the floor.

I didnt know it was blood until a flight attendant said, casually, Oh, we heard another passenger had a hemorrhage, says Battah. Then I noticed the cat carrier was stained as well. The blood had soaked through to the carrier, which doubles as a backpack.

In a frenzy, he wanted to clean the bag  the cat still inside it. He moved to the galley area to keep cleaning, trying to furiously get rid of this awfulness. I used a whole pack of wet wipes.

He says that only one flight attendant seemed angry [on Battahs behalf], he was apologizing but the others didnt react. Its also a threat to the flight crew. I asked, whats your protocol for this, but they said nothing. Im pretty sure there is none.

I thought Id seen it all until now

It was a long flight for the couple, who say they were offered two small bottles of Evian water as recompense, and were given two blankets from business class to put on the floor, with powder to soak up the blood. The flight was full and they couldnt be moved. We had to sit there smelling the blood for the next seven hours, he says. The smell of rotten blood is like manure. Id taken my shoes off at the start of the flight, and there was blood on my socks.

Actually, it was manure, kind of. Three days later, he was called by Air France and told that the blood had been mixed with feces.

Air France said in a statement to CNN that a passenger had been unwell on a June 29 flight from Paris to Boston and was treated by medics on arrival.

As per procedure in this type of situation, a complete clean-up of the area was requested and the row of seats was made unavailable on the return flight [from Boston to Paris], the statement said.

A customer travelling on the next flight from Paris (CDG) to Toronto (YYZ) reported residual traces of blood on the floor, soiling his personal belongings. The crew immediately assisted him in cleaning his belongings, providing him with suitable equipment such as sterile gloves and disinfectant wipes.

As the flight was fully booked, it was not possible to move the passenger.

An internal investigation has been launched to understand the reasons for this situation.

Air France said it understands and regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation and that it was in touch with Battah.

The risk of exposure to residual traces of blood on the carpet is low, if not non-existent.

Battah says: Ive been covering Beirut for 20 years as a journalist. Ive lived through wars, airstrikes, seen assassinations, car bombs, and narrowly survived the port explosion. I thought Id seen it all. I didnt expect to find more blood than Ive seen in Beirut on an Air France plane.

I brought that blood home

In a state of shock on arrival, and unable to remove the cats, hed picked up the carrier, slung it on his back as a backpack, and taken it with him to Toronto, where the pair are currently visiting Annas family.

I brought that blood home. They sent me home with a biohazard. They never stopped me and said, Hey, we dont know what this patient had [wrong with him]. It was so negligent, he says.

[The incident] was two flights before ours, so in Boston the clean-up didnt happen. The plane returned to Paris, this bloody, dirty, sh**ty plane. And we got on it. That means other passengers were also exposed to it. I think they endangered their passengers wellbeing.

I started to ask, How do you not check? What are the protocols for biohazards? I couldnt get them to tell me. It was as if there were none.

Air France confirmed to CNN that the liquid appears to be blood and feces. When asked about their procedure for deep-cleaning biohazardous waste on board, they said that specific products are used.

It did not confirm whether the initial cleaning was done in Boston, or in Paris  after the plane flew back to France following the incident. However, it added that the cleaning has been done, and the seat cushions had to be removed, resulting in the decommercialization of the row of seats  suggesting that the plane was initially cleaned in Boston, with the cushions replaced in Paris. At neither point did cleaning crew notice that the floor was also soaked.

Clearly it was an error

Is a carpet drenched in blood and feces really a low-to-nonexistent risk to passengers? Not according to Dr Richard Dawood, specialist in travel medicine at Londons Fleet Street Clinic.

I dont agree with that, he says. This is a very unhygienic situation, and we dont know what the passenger was suffering from, or whether it was infective.

It could have been blood and diarrhea from an infection, or from something like colitis, but either way, in a hospital setting this would have been treated as contamination and a biohazard.

There are lots of blood-borne viral infections  hepatitis B, C, HIV  but mostly they require contact with broken skin, or a penetrating injury. All these things are of low incidence in the population, so the starting position is that the risk is relatively small, and the chances of it going through intact skin is incredibly small. But thats not the point  it shouldnt have happened.

Whats more, he says that the way passengers behave on a plane could have added to the risk. There lots of things passengers do on planes that involve eating and using their hands, and its not very easy to wash hands on a plane, its crowded, and its very easy for people to contaminate surfaces.

In fact, the diarrhea may have been more hazardous than the blood. Dawood says that cleaning diarrhea without disinfecting it  as Battah ended up doing in the galley, near the food preparation area  can aerosolize its particles.

The airline may only be considering the blood hazard, but mixed blood and stool is nasty, it gets everywhere. Its easy to contaminate peoples hands and surfaces  Id regard it as hazardous.

The plane should have been taken out of service until properly cleaned. Obviously they took the seats out of service, so they knew there was a problem and it should have been acted upon on the ground. Airlines should be good at this  clearly there was an error.

However, as long as Battah and his wife remain symptom-free, he wouldnt expect them to be tested for possible diseases.

Mind your hands onboard

Has the idea of what Battah went through put you off flying? Dawood says we should all be minding our hand hygiene in the air.

People often think about the risks on a plane, but the process of getting to the airport  holding onto handles on public transport, touching surfaces, going through security, taking your shoes off and getting the bus to the plane by the time you board, your hands are pretty filthy, and the first thing everyone wants to do after the ordeal of going through an airport is to relax into their seat, and be offered something to eat or drink.

He suggests washing or sanitizing hands once you sit down.

Meanwhile, Battah  who is currently talking to lawyers, and posted gruesome photos in a Twitter thread  says Air France called him three days after the flight, offered to have the cats washed and suggested a $500 voucher. He declined their offer.

I dont think its right, I think its a serious biohazard and should be investigated thoroughly. I dont want to be shushed with some change. Our airfare cost $2,500  is a 20% discount worth sitting in blood and feces for? I think it was gross negligence and someone should be held accountable.

Incidents happen  were human, we bleed  but once that plane lands, youve got to clean the aircraft. Its egregious that it didnt happen.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Airline passenger finds plane floor soaked in blood."
(TBTCO) - Sau qua trinh chuan bi khan truong, quyet liet, nhat la sau 3 ot kiem thu a cho thay he thong ang ky, luu ky va thanh toan giao dich trai phieu doanh nghiep phat hanh rieng le (TPDNRL) tai Trung tam Luu ky Chung khoan Viet Nam (VSD) hoan thanh ve mat chuc nang va tich hop thong suot voi he thong cua cac ben lien quan. Theo o, en nay he thong ang ky, luu ky va thanh toan giao dich a san sang hoat ong theo ung ke hoach van hanh chinh thuc thi truong giao dich thu cap TPDNRL ma co quan quan ly giao nhiem vu
BEIRUT  The commander of the United Nations' peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Aroldo Lazaro, relayed an Israeli demand to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Bou Habib on Monday to remove a tent recently set up by Hezbollah along the Lebanese-Israeli border, the state-run National News Agency reported.

In a meeting at the Serail on Monday, the three officials discussed the security situation, which escalated last with cross-border rocket fire.

On June 20, Hezbollah set up at least one tent at the border village of Kfar Shuba. A spokesperson for Hezbollah did not respond to L'Orient Today's request for comment.

"The security situation in the south was discussed, and they [UNIFIL] conveyed to us the demand of the Israeli side, which is to remove the tent," Bou Habib said in a statement following Monday's meeting. "Our response was that we want them to retreat from northern Ghajar, which is considered Lebanese territory."

"From our side, we have recorded around 18 Israeli violations on the borders," Bou Habib added, without indicating the exact time period of those violations.

Thursday saw the launch of at least one unclaimed mortar round from Lebanon towards Israeli-controlled territory. The Israeli army responded by shelling the area around the Lebanese villages of Kfar Shuba and Mazraat Halta with around 15 rockets. No injuries were reported.

Over the last weekend, Israel effectively cut off the northern part of the village of Ghajar from Lebanese territory by erecting a fence around it. The Alawite-majority village, which is split in two by the UN-drawn Blue Line, straddles Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.





Commenting on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and its imminent renewal, Bou Habib said on Monday: "The report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations will be discussed on July 20, and the UNIFIL mandate renewal will take place in the last week of August."

UNFIL's mandate is renewed on an annual basis.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also met on Monday with Lazaro in Ain al-Tineh, Beirut, according to the NNA.

"The tents are located on Lebanese land," Berri said in a statement following the meeting. "What is required of the international community is to compel Israel to implement Resolution 1701 and to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, the Shebaa farms, and the Kfar Shuba hills."

On Thursday, Hezbollah called on the Lebanese government and people to act against Israeli violations in Ghajar.

In a statement, Hezbollah described the Israeli fence as "dangerous" and said that this development was a "full occupation of the Lebanese side of Ghajar village by military force in order to force a reality, not just the kind of periodic violation which Israel is used to every now and then."
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For nearly a year, a local group has been working on putting together a clearer picture of homelessness in Casper.

Representatives of social services agencies speak of people living on the streets for a decade or more, suffering from untreated mental health problems and substance abuse disorders.

Business owners note an increase of vandalism and disorderly behavior downtown, which they say has terrorized them, their employees and customers. (While its impossible to know whether Caspers homeless population is solely responsible for that trend, police say a significant portion of people being booked into the Natrona County Detention Center in recent months self-identify as homeless.)

Now, in a significant win for Caspers Homeless Coalition, the City Council in late June gave the group its blessing to start inching toward solutions.

The road forward will likely be a convoluted one.

In previous meetings, members have often stalemated over exactly what the groups philosophy on homelessness should be. Social workers have called for solutions that strengthen the social safety net for homeless people, while business owners say the citys first priority should be cracking down on the homeless presence downtown.

For now, the group is trying to address both concerns at once.

City staff is interested in amending Casper municipal code and internal policies and procedures to reduce urban camping and squatting, which officials say pose a significant public health threat.

A subgroup within the coalition is working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to strengthen Caspers relationship with the agency, with the hope that the city can secure more federal support for local homeless relief and prevention efforts.

The subgroup is trying to create a local affiliate of HUDs Continuum of Care program, one of the main federal programs aimed at helping the homeless. Simply put, local and state-level organizations that are part of the Continuum of Care receive funding from HUD to care for people facing housing instability in their communities.

Wyoming already has one state-level Continuum of Care organization, the Wyoming Homeless Collaborative.

But several members of the Homeless Coalition have voiced concerns that Wyoming communities arent taking full advantage of all the support HUD has to offer. For fiscal year 2022, Wyoming received $816,329 in federal grant money for its state Continuum of Care program. In proportion to population, that was the second lowest allocation in the country  behind only Arkansas.

Thats why the subgroups working to create a Continuum of Care affiliate for Casper.

Its not just about the people that are experiencing homelessness, but its about the community that is being affected by the issue of homelessness, Casper Housing Authority Executive Director Kim Summerall-Wright told city council last month. We need that federal funding to come here to Casper.

In a June 28 meeting, the coalition created a new subgroup to explore ways the state might be able to better support Casper as one of Wyomings resource hubs for social services.

We receive folks from all over and they come to Casper because we have facilities and services that other Wyoming communities in particular do not, City Attorney Eric Nelson said.

Sometimes people from out of town are ordered by the state to receive mental health services in Casper. The city also suspects organizations in other parts of the state habitually send homeless people to Casper to receive better care, Nelson said.

But theres not a robust system in place to ensure those people get home afterwards.

Nelson said standing up such a system would, at least in part, require changes to Wyoming Statutes Title 25, which address involuntary behavioral health hospitalizations.

If youre on title and youre in the custody of the state, then I think our position would be its the states responsibility to make sure that that individual gets home, Nelson said.

Its unclear whether the statehouse would have the appetite to take up amending Title 25 anytime soon, though, Nelson said. Lawmakers have unsuccessfully floated Title 25 reforms multiple times over the last several years.

I think theres a little bit of Title 25 burnout, he said. As far as folks that arent in custody, then its gonna have to be working with our nonprofits and collaborating throughout the state.

The citys also planning to work with Natrona County to combine some of their settlement money from opioid manufacturers and distributers to provide support for substance abuse and prevention.

That effort isnt being spearheaded by coalition, but Nelson said itll still be a crucial part of addressing housing instability in the Casper area.
The confidential documents stolen from schools and dumped online by ransomware gangs are raw, intimate and graphic. They describe student sexual assaults, psychiatric hospitalizations, abusive parents, truancy  even suicide attempts.

Please do something, begged a student in one leaked file, recalling the trauma of continually bumping into an ex-abuser at a school in Minneapolis. Other victims talked about wetting the bed or crying themselves to sleep.

Complete sexual assault case folios containing these details were among more than 300,000 files dumped online in March after the 36,000-student Minneapolis Public Schools refused to pay a $1 million ransom. Other exposed data included medical records and discrimination complaints.

Rich in digitized data, the nations schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files.

Often strapped for cash, districts are grossly ill-equipped not just to defend themselves but to respond diligently and transparently when attacked, especially as they struggle to help kids catch up from the pandemic and grapple with shrinking budgets.

Months after the Minneapolis attack, administrators have not delivered on their promise to inform individual victims. Unlike for hospitals, no federal law exists to require this notification from schools.

The Associated Press reached families of six students whose sexual assault case files were exposed. The message from a reporter was the first time anyone had alerted them.

Truth is, they didnt notify us about anything, said a mother whose sons case file has 80 documents.

Even when schools catch a ransomware attack in progress, the data are typically already gone. That was what Los Angeles Unified School District did last Labor Day weekend, only to see the private paperwork of more than 1,900 former students  including psychological evaluations and medical records  leaked online. Not until February did district officials disclose the breachs full dimensions.

The lasting legacy of school ransomware attacks, it turns out, is not in school closures, recovery costs or even soaring cyberinsurance premiums. It is the trauma for staff, students and parents from the online exposure of private records  which the AP found on the open internet and dark web.

A massive amount of information is being posted online, and nobody is looking to see just how bad it all is. Or, if somebody is looking, theyre not making the results public, said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.

Other big districts recently stung by data theft include San Diego, Des Moines and Tucson, Arizona. While the severity of those hacks remains unclear, all have been criticized either for being slow to admit to being hit by ransomware, dragging their feet on notifying victims  or both.

While other ransomware targets have fortified and segmented networks, encrypting data and mandating multi-factor authentication, school systems have been slower to react.

Ransomware likely has affected well over 5 million U.S. students by now, with district attacks on track to rise this year, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Nearly one in three U.S. districts had been breached by the end of 2021, according to a survey by the Center for Internet Security, a federally funded nonprofit.

Just three years ago, criminals did not routinely grab data in ransomware attacks, said TJ Sayers, cyberthreat intelligence manager at the Center for Internet Security. Now, its common, he said, with much of it sold on the dark web.

The criminals in the Minneapolis theft were especially aggressive. They shared links to the stolen data on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and the dark web, which standard browsers cant access.

The Minneapolis parents informed by the AP of the leaked sexual assault complaints feel doubly victimized. Their children have battled PTSD, and some even left their schools. Now this.

The family is beyond horrified to learn that this highly sensitive information is now available in perpetuity on the internet for the childs future friends, romantic interests, employers and others to discover, said Jeff Storms, an attorney for one of the families. It is AP policy not to identify sexual abuse victims.

Minneapolis Schools spokeswoman Crystina Lugo-Beach would not say how many people have been contacted so far or answer other AP questions about the attack.

Despite parents' and teachers' frustration, schools are routinely advised by incident response teams concerned about legal liability issues and ransom negotiations against being more transparent, said Callow of Emsisoft. Minneapolis school officials apparently followed that playbook, initially describing the Feb. 17 attack cryptically as a system incident, then as technical difficulties and later an encryption event.

The extent of the breach became clear though when a ransomware group posted video of stolen data, giving the district 10 days to pay the ransom before leaking files.

The district declined to pay, following the standing advice of the FBI, which says ransoms encourage criminals to target more victims.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, districts prioritized spending on internet connectivity and remote learning. Security got short shrift as IT departments invested in software to track student engagement and performance, often at the expense of privacy and safety, University of Chicago and New York University researchers found.

Cybersecurity money for public schools is limited. As it stands, districts can only expect slivers of the $1 billion in cybersecurity grants that the federal government is distributing over four years.

Minnesotas chief information security officer, John Israel, said his state got $18 million of it this year to divvy among 3,600 entities. State lawmakers provided an additional $22.5 million in grants for cyber and physical security in schools.

Infrastructure sectors hit hardest by ransomware Infrastructure sectors hit hardest by ransomware #10. Communications #9. Energy #8. Transportation #7. Food and agriculture #6. Commercial facilities #5. Government facilities #4. Critical manufacturing #3. Information technology #2. Financial services #1. Health care and public health
The University of Wyoming continues to struggle with falling enrollment and retention rates as fewer students seek out and stay in Laramie for their college education.

UW Provost Kevin Carman addressed ongoing enrollment concerns at Wyomings only four-year university in an email last week to university staff and announced a schoolwide effort to solve what he described as the schools enrollment challenges.

Forecasts suggest the schools total enrollment at the start of the fall semester will be down 5% from 2022, while the schools fall 2023 freshman class projects to be 15% smaller. At the same time, the universitys estimates show significant year-over-year drops in both non-resident transfer students and continuing students, Carman told staff. The number of graduate students is also down.

While our enrollment challenges are largely linked to a decline in new incoming students, we clearly have challenges in retaining our students once they are here, he wrote.

Carmans announcement is yet another sign that Wyomings flagship school has been unable to reverse its recent enrollment trend. For decades, UWs student population has largely fluctuated between 12,000 and 13,000 students. But total enrollment at UW has declined by 11% since 2018, Carman said. The 11,100 students UW counted at the start of the fall 2022 semester mark the universitys lowest attendance since the 1997-1998 school year, according to school data.

The biggest issues with student recruitment since the pandemic have been with nonresident recruitment, Chad Baldwin, a spokesperson for UW, said in an email.

UW is not alone. Colleges across the country have been slow to recover their pre-pandemic numbers. Though declines have begun to level off, schools have roughly 1 million fewer students than they did in spring 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The recent pandemic drops are only a continuation of a broader trend as fewer students pursue traditional higher education. Undergraduate enrollment fell by 9% between 2009 and 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

At UW, student declines have not been ubiquitous. In 2018 and 2019, the university counted its biggest freshman classes in history, Baldwin said. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Kyle Moore also said in a press release last September that UWs fall 2022 in-state freshman class was larger than the university has been recording over the last decade.

Retention has been a particular issue, especially during and since the pandemic, Baldwin said. Another challenging issue is the fact that the number of Wyoming high school graduates has been and is expected to be relatively flat.

To address the universitys contraction, Carman told staff that the schools Enrollment Management, Student Affairs and Academic Affairs departments, as well as President Ed Seidels Cabinet, were working with Ruffalo Noel Levitz, a national higher education consulting firm, to develop a strategic enrollment plan.

The group will dissect everything from individual programs within the university to the student populations that the school attracts, Carman said. UW will start on the plan early this fall with school officials eyeing April 2024 for its finish. In the meantime, the university will look for ways to begin improving its enrollment.

There are many factors that determine a students decision to enroll and ultimately to stay and continue their education at UW, Carman wrote. We will be looking comprehensively at all of them and making strategic adjustments that will help us enhance enrollment while simultaneously fulfilling our fundamental mission of helping students achieve their goals.

UWs shrinking student population has been a consistent topic for school officials this year. During the UW Board of Trustees January meeting, Carman told trustees that the school needed to find a way to incentivize university programs that grow their enrollment. In March, board appointees David Fall, Kermit Brown, Laura Schmid-Pizzato and Jim Mathis told the Senate Education Committee that building up UWs student body was part of their formula to make the school more financially independent from the state.

In his email, Carman shared concern about the position UW is in, but he also expressed optimism that the school could address its enrollment problems.

As we go forward, its important that the campus community knows the challenges we face, while also recognizing the opportunities before us, he wrote. If we come together as a campus community  faculty, staff, and administration  I am confident that we will set UW on a path for prosperity.
A bill passed by the Wyoming Legislature in 2020 that targets development of state lands in Teton County alone is unconstitutional because it does not treat state lands uniformly, county leaders claim in a new court filing.

The dust-up continues confrontations between the state and county where the average annual per-capita income in 2021 soared to the nations highest and residents feel conservative lawmakers and state officials discriminate against them and their liberal bent.

The assertion that House Bill 162  State trust lands proposals and study  is unconstitutional came in a counterclaim Teton County Commissioners made Monday in Laramie County District Court. The county filed the claim in response to a suit the State Board of Land Commissioners brought against it seeking to block enforcement of county land-use regulations.

The conflict has been raging since the bill was introduced, then amended to apply exclusively to Teton County, and ultimately passed. The legislation stems from lawmakers desire to increase revenue from state property in an area where land values are stratospheric: An advertisement in todays Jackson Hole Daily listed a 2,206-square foot historic cabin and guest cottage in Jackson on 0.24 acres for $5.65 million.

As a result of the law, the Board of Land Commissioners approved new leases on a 640-acre Wyoming school trust section near Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, including a 17-unit glamping resort and a self-storage operation. Other industrial and commercial operations also take place on leases on the property, including livestock grazing.

County residents, commissioners and local legislators believe some of the developments and uses are harmful to the county, its water quality, environment, land values and other assets. The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments improperly approved some of the leases as temporary ones, contrary to state rules and regulations, Teton County argues.

The new filing asserts that all state trust lands are to be treated equally in the Constitution and state law [must] be applied equally to all state trust lands.

Some counties less equal?

State lands are not being treated equally, the claim states, because the Legislature passed a special or local law in HB 162 regarding Teton County. Thats not allowed, the filling says, because the Wyoming Constitution requires that in all of the cases where a general law can be made applicable, no special law may be enacted.

The Wyoming Legislature is not using a general law, but instead passed special legislation to target Teton County with a different standard, as to how lease revenues shall be realized, the filing states.

The goal of the 2020 law was to maximize the value of the parcel[s] to the greatest extent possible, Teton Countys counterclaim states. But the law for all other counties it is to lease land for at least the fair market value.

A new standard was adopted for Teton county, and no other counties, the filing states.

In issuing temporary, five-year leases, as opposed to longer-term ones, the state evaded its own standards and broke its own rules, Teton County also says in the 38-page filing titled Motion for a More Definitive Statement or in the alternative Defendants Answer and Counterclaims, including Injunctive Relief.

Teton County wants the court to declare the 2020 laws null, void and unconstitutional and that the land commissioners improperly issued temporary use permits to Wilson Investments, LLC, the storage company, and Basecamp Hospitality LLC, the glamping operator.
THE prospect of opportunities and growth were the two recurring themes of participants of the Trade and Investment Convention at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya, yesterday.

Over 200 participants from a wide range of industries took to their respective booths on what would have been the first day of the convention.

Some told the Express they hoped to form partnerships while others simply came intending to generate sales of their products and services.

Anil Ramsaran of SAP Electrical Services Limited said the company does domestic and commercial wiring.

The company also imports light-emitting diode (LED) lights, solar lights and solar fans, he said.

For those who may own a hybrid vehicle, he said, the company also sells and installs electric vehicle chargers.

Kemby Ross-Jones of Rent My Tutor at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy said it offers online classes at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. She stressed, What makes us different is that we offer personalised services to students. She said, We have had 100 per cent success at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examinations level.

She said the academy was started at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 because students were falling behind in their academics due to the switch from the physical classroom to the virtual classroom.

Representing Nestles Natures Heart brand was Michelle Stanisclaus, who said the brand offered products such as almond milk and juices. She said even though the brand was an international one all the products offered locally were produced locally.

Stanisclaus said the newest product in the almond milk line of products was the almond-coffee flavour with was launched last month.

Promoting compressed natural gas (CNG) upgrades to vehicles was Dumore Enterprises Ltd.

One of the booths representatives Rajiv Ramessar said the company offered conversions on both gasoline and diesel vehicles. He added that his company hoped through their booth to promote CNG as the cheapest, cleanest fuel in the country. He said the company also hoped to make business-to-business connections and to encourage companies to convert their fleet of vehicles to CNG so that they could save on their transportation costs. He noted that he had attended the convention for the past five years and that this year generated the greatest number of people on the first day.

Attendee Nalini Akal a dancer, actress, artist and filmmaker said she attended in hopes of networking and soliciting sponsorship for her art form.

She said she believed it was important for those involved in the arts to go to events such as the convention because of the sponsorship potential and other service suppliers that could be interested in promoting their products at events.

People bypass the arts as something they put into events but really and truly the art really encompasses the culture of Trinidad and Tobago.

The thing is we are not even using an iota of our potential for the arts, she said.

Akal said she hoped by networking she could find opportunities for the exportation of the arts.
(CNN)  Ukrainian commanders who were captured by Russia after leading the defense of Mariupol from the Azovstal steel plant last year have vowed to return to the battlefield following their return home Saturday evening.

The men are among the highest profile fighters to have fallen into Russian hands since the start of the war. They announced their intentions at a news conference held shortly after their arrival in Ukraines western city of Lviv, accompanied by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

They had been flown back from Turkey  where they had been held since September under an agreement reached with Russia  in the same plane that carried Zelensky back from his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Under the terms of their transfer 10 months ago, Turkey had agreed the men would not be handed over to Ukraine until the wars end. It was not immediately clear why Erdogan had apparently violated that agreement with Moscow.

For Zelensky, it appeared to mark another significant achievement from his Istanbul trip, after he had earlier secured strong support from his Turkish host for Ukraines eventual membership of NATO.

The Azovstal siege lasted weeks and made heroes in Ukraine of the men and women who held out for months from February until the end of May 2022. The Russian military has claimed that over 2,000 Ukrainian service members surrendered there.

At the press briefing in Lviv Saturday night, some of the fighters spoke about their experiences in Turkey and shared their expectations of the future.

Denys Prokopenko, a commander of Azov regiment, said: The most important thing for today is that the Ukrainian army has seized the strategic initiative on the front line and is moving forward every day.

Prokopenko said returning to the front line was the reason he and others had returned to Ukraine.

Video footage showed large crowds that gathered in Lviv to greet the leaders.

Azov deputy commander Svyatoslav Palamar described his experience in Turkey using a poem by famed Ukrainian writer Lesya Ukrainka.

We are paraplegics with sparkling eyes, with a strong soul and a weak will. Eagle wings are growing behind our backs but we were shackled to the Turkish soil, he said, adding that Zelensky and his team found the key to take their shackles off.

We will continue to do our job. We are military men. We took an oath, Palamar added.

Zelensky thanked his team and Erdogan in particular for helping to bring the Azovstal leaders home.

The Ukrainian president also announced his appointment of Oleksandr Pivnenko as new commander of the National Guard.

Zelensky described him as a powerful soldier and combat officer who distinguished himself in the battles against Russian invaders, in particular, in the battles for Bakhmut in his address to the Ukraines National Guard later on Saturday.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Azovstal leaders freed in prisoner swap promise to return to the battlefield in Ukraine"
PRIME MINISTER Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday he has been abused by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and in seeking legal advice, will leave no stone unturned to determine whether he is guilty of witness tampering.

Rowley announced at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Anns, that he is now receiving legal advice and has instructed Attorney General Reginald Armour to look into whether Augustine acted outside the Constitution on Wednesday.
PHOENIX  Zion Gastelum was 2 years old when he died days after receiving root canals on his baby teeth during a visit to a dentist in Yuma in 2017.

Lizeth Lares was just 4 when she died after getting a tooth pulled a year prior at the same dental office.

And two more people died after visiting the dentist this year, meeting minutes of the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners show.

Yet, Arizonans would have a hard time learning about these cases from the state dental board, the 110-year-old agency that regulates the dental industry, licenses dental professionals and investigates complaints against them.

Details about problem dentists are hidden under layers of bureaucracy, a tangled complaint system and a public-facing website that is virtually unnavigable, an investigation by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found.

And in rare instances when patients die or are seriously injured during a procedure, the board does little to hold dentists accountable, the investigation found.

State audits chronicle similar failures stretching back nearly half a century.

Ryan Edmonson, the boards executive director, told the Howard Center in an interview that the board was the worst-run hed ever been a part of when he joined in 2019, but that it had made significant strides in performance since then.

In recent years, the board has undergone several big shake-ups. In 2018, the boards executive director retired after an investigation by ABC15 uncovered she ignored warnings about a dentist who falsified anesthesia credentials.

State laws that protect dentists and limit public disclosure of misconduct govern some of the boards actions. But the board has leeway to develop best practices.

The state board is made up of 11 people appointed by the governor: six dentists, two dental hygienists, two members of the public and one business member. They are each allowed to serve two consecutive four-year terms.

The boards preponderance of dental professionals leads to decisions that are intended to help dentists learn from their mistakes but can outrage patients families.

You cant have a much worse consequence than a dead baby, said Mike Poli, who settled a malpractice lawsuit against the dentists and dental office on behalf of Zions family. If that doesnt motivate (the board) to get busy with regulatory oversight, then I dont know what would.

In 2017, Zion was placed under anesthesia for his root canals. He never regained consciousness. The oxygen tanks meant to supplement his breathing were empty or not working properly, the dental board found, according to its records. At the hospital, he was diagnosed as brain dead, and he died four days later.

The boards leniency

The board faulted Dr. Aaron Roberts, Zions anesthesiologist, for failing to follow proper procedures and gave him three years of probation that still let him practice under the supervision of another licensed anesthesiologist. Roberts did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Zions dentist, Stephen Montoya, signed a non-disciplinary consent agreement with the board. The board found his mistakes were less serious and didnt fall outside the standard of care. The board required him to take 10 hours of continuing education.

It just wasnt an ideal situation. So now that its been so long, I look back on it and I mostly feel that the board handled it fairly, Montoya told a Howard Center reporter.

Veronica Gastelum, Zions mother, said she was expecting harsher consequences.

This was a child, she said.

Board-ordered continuing education courses are offered through groups such as the Arizona Dental Association or at a dental school. Some involve an in-person seminar; others are online webinars. All courses must be approved by the board to ensure their syllabi meet the consent agreement requirements. According to the boards policy, its meant to help dental professionals understand the current best practices for procedures and treatments.

But requiring continuing education is the boards default punishment, said Craigg Voightmann, a dental malpractice attorney who has handled hundreds of lawsuits over 15 years of practice.

Dentists have this perception that the boards going to come out and hammer them, and I think it rarely happens, said Voightmann. Really, whats happening is theyre just getting a public reprimand by a letter in their file and continuing education.

On rare occasions, the board restricts someones ability to practice, as it did with Zions anesthesiologist.

Lizeth, the 4-year-old, died the year before Zion after visiting the same dental practice. According to media reports, she developed a fever after Chris Ha and Long Ngoc Phung, her dentists, extracted her tooth to treat an abscess. She died several days later, according to a wrongful death complaint her family filed against the practice and Lizeths caregivers. The parties settled the case in October 2019, four months before the case was scheduled to go to trial, according to court records.

The board did not revoke the licenses of Ha or Phung, the two dentists who treated Lizeth.

In her case, there is no public record that the board took any action against the dentists involved.

Ha and Phung did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Both their licenses have expired in the state.

In another case, a dentist wrote prescriptions for controlled substances for his wife, his dental assistant and his dental assistants daughter for more than a year, according to a decision from a judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings, which sometimes reviews cases from the board.

It took the dentist almost three years to comply with the boards order to receive an in-patient evaluation for substance abuse. The board subsequently ordered him to receive treatment for substance abuse. He had not received the treatment by the time his case appeared before the OAH in 2018, according to OAH records.

During that time, the dentist removed 13 teeth, replacing some with implants, from a patient without reason and gave them local anesthesia that exceeded the maximum dosage, according to the chronology outlined in OAH documents.

It is unclear if the dentist faced consequences for that procedure, but he kept his license before the board revoked it after his failure to receive treatment.

Open season  in Arizona

Dr. Anthony Caputo, chair of the boards investigations committee, defended some of the boards decisions in serious cases.

Although he was not on the board when it gave Zions anesthesiologist probation, he advised the board on best practices and policy. Later, Caputo supervised the anesthesiologist while on probation.

He said he believed it would have been unfair to revoke the anesthesiologists license, the most serious punishment the board can issue because he considered the dental company the anesthesiologist worked for to be at greater fault.

He learned from that, as sad as the situation was and as unfortunate as it was, Caputo said. So, I think the outcome for him was good.

The concern of board members for the damage a serious consequence can do to a dentists career, Caputo said, also contributes to its reluctance to give harsh punishments.

Were sort of regulating ourselves, he said.

Self-regulation can also lead dentists to interpret state requirements in ways that benefit themselves.

For example, state law requires dentists to report adverse outcomes in their practices to the board within 10 days.

Sometimes, they dont.

An audit of the dental board from September 2022 highlights one case in which a female patient died after receiving 10 times the proper dosage of anesthesia. The board was unaware of the death until the patients family submitted a complaint four months later.

Dentists may be reluctant to report bad outcomes in their offices because they feel the process is punitive, Caputo said. He added that they are not necessarily violating the law because it is broadly written.

Patients on the receiving end of a dentists poor treatment have turned to the courts to hold their caregivers accountable.

Voightmann, the dental malpractice attorney, said the boards slap on the wrist strategy doesnt deter bad behavior, particularly for frequent fliers, dentists who repeatedly make mistakes in their practice.

The reason we have so much work is because (the board members) dont stop these people, said Voightmann.

Still, there is only so much a lawsuit can do.

The most common consequence resulting from lawsuits are restitution payments, which require the dentist to pay back their patient the money for their botched procedure, Voightmann said. Unlike the board, lawsuits cant revoke licenses to practice.

Its open season, said Voightmann. The only consequence is really going to be a letter, a public reprimand or something.

An opaque regulatory system

State auditors have criticized the board for not following important procedures such as ensuring dentists meet licensing requirements, processing complaints within 180 days of their submission, and providing information to the public.

The result is an opaque and dysfunctional regulatory system, critics said.

The main function of the board is to issue and renew dental licenses, requiring applicants to meet Arizonas requirements. But the board has repeatedly failed to ensure people practicing in the state are licensed, according to a 2022 state audit.

Melissa Pavey and Jolene Houchens practiced at Desert Valley Dental without licenses and frequently performed dental procedures without any medical training from 2016 to 2017, according to court documents.

The dental board ultimately became aware of the two and referred the alleged misconduct to the Arizona Attorney Generals Office.

The two women were arrested on charges of fraud, aggravated assault and unlawfully using a dentists prescription pad. Pavey was convicted for several of those charges, according to her case file in Maricopa County Superior Court. Houchens pleaded guilty to theft, according to her case file.

The board does little to warn the public about situations such as these, putting the onus on Arizonans to search for information about whether a dentist holds a valid license or has complaints against them.

The websites for Texas and Californias boards prominently display where the public can access a list of dental professionals who are facing complaints, are on probation or have had their licenses suspended.

In Arizona, a similar public list of dentists facing disciplinary action doesnt exist. To access details on dentists involved in bad outcomes, someone would have to search for individual names in the boards directory.

Even then, the list only shows if the board acted against the dentist. Details of any allegations against the dentist and what the board did are buried in documents that may or may not be accessible.

The information the board does list only goes back five years. State law specifies the board is only required to maintain online public records of complaints or disciplinary action for five years. After that, someone seeking details about a dentist needs to request it from the board.

Its a dumb statute, said Edmonson. Its not protecting (the public). It does exactly the opposite of what a board is supposed to do.

Because of the five-year limit, the public could learn that one Arizona dental surgeon, Victor Trujillo, was the subject of four complaints but not the subject of 22 others.

Trujillo declined to comment in a brief phone call with reporters.

Even the board, which is charged with issuing repercussions for substantiated complaints against dentists, doesnt always know problems in a dentists past, Edmonson said.

Board members cant access the boards database to see a dentists complaint history or any subsequent action. During board meetings, Edmonson said he cannot provide information of pending or previous complaints against a dentist unless a member asks.

A backlog of complaints

Fundamental and structural problems hinder the boards ability to handle complaints thoroughly and quickly. Of the 11 seats on the board, five were vacant as of March 2023, according to the official list of board vacancies maintained by the Governors Office. Edmonson, however, said they did not have vacancies and still dont. Nonetheless, monthly board meetings sometimes lack a quorum for business. When that happens, meetings are canceled, complaints pile up and all agenda items are moved to the following month.

In 2022, complaints were tabled or carried over 140 times from meetings throughout the year, according to meeting minutes.

Cases are supposed to be resolved within 180 days, but the vast majority are not, the Arizona Auditor General found. According to its 2022 Sunset report, one case took over 650 days to resolve or receive a formal hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Even if a persons case is heard quickly, the most involvement they get is a three to five-minute public statement, Voightmann said.

The Howard Center investigation found one instance from Dec. 2, 2022, when a witness to a complaint was skipped over during a board meeting held on Zoom because he couldnt be heard. The witness ultimately had a chance to speak later in the meeting, according to the audio transcript of the meeting.

People caught in the boards backlog have little insight into how their complaints are progressing. They do not know the status of the case until its conclusion, which may be months or even years, and sometimes beyond the required 180-day timeline for resolution.

Edmonson attributed some of the backlog to the number of people the board contracts to investigate complaints. When Edmonson took his position the boards executive director in 2019, only one person was contracted to investigate complaints.

When you average 350 complaints a year, one person is not a whole lot, he said.

Until last year, the board did not have a formal investigative committee to look into complaints. Caputo, its first chair, said the group had cleared most of the backlog.

If Im guessing, were maybe four to six months backlogged versus one to two years, which I think is significant, he said.

But there is no timeline for when the backlog will be cleared. The board now has five investigators.

History of chronic failures

The boards problems have been the target of the Arizona State Auditor General for over 40 years.

A 1979 audit first identified the boards failure to protect the public, its biases in dealing with the Arizona Dental Association, a slow complaint processing system and nontransparent meeting rules and regulations.

Audits from 1981, 1999, 2014 and 2022 list similar issues, such as the boards continued failure to inform the public of its meetings and to ensure dental professionals are held accountable when fulfilling continuing education requirements.

The 1981 report noted that the board improved its complaint process, but did not do enough to serve the public:

We also found, however, that the board still is not completely fulfilling its statutory responsibility to protect the citizens of Arizona from incompetent dental practitioners, and there is increased complainant dissatisfaction with the boards handling of complaints.

The 2022 audit similarly addressed the slow complaint process. The report found that the board did not resolve 32 of 35 complaints within the 180-day requirement.

At a January 2023 Health and Human Services Committee meeting in the Arizona Legislature, executive director Edmonson said the board needs more money to pay investigators appropriately.

The Arizona Legislature gave the board two years to improve.

Voightmann said the board is better than it used to be but still must do more to protect the public.
Actors from the movie "Killers of the Flower Moon" gathered in Oklahoma this weekend for a screening attended by members of the Osage Nation.

The screening occurred at AMC theater at 41st Street and Yale Avenue. The screening was exclusive for members of the tribe.

The shot-in-Oklahoma movie will be released to theaters and on Apple TV in October.

A Scene story later this week will include responses from Osage people who saw the movie for the first time during the Oklahoma screening.

A second trailer was released last week for the shot-in-Oklahoma film Killers of the Flower Moon.

A Martin Scorsese film starring Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon is based on David Granns bestselling book about the serial murders of the oil-wealthy Osage in 1920s Oklahoma.

A teaser trailer was previously released.

The new, full-length trailer begins with De Niros character, William Hale, engaging in conversation with DiCaprios character, Ernest Burkhart.

Hale: The Osage, they have the worst land possible. But they outsmarted everybody. The land had oil on it. Black gold. Money flows freely here now.

Burkhart: I do love that money, sir.

Hale: This wealth should come to us. Their time is over.

The trailer lasts almost two and a half minutes and includes a clip of Jesse Plemons character, Tom White, introducing himself to DiCaprios character.

White: I was sent down from Washington, D.C., to see about these murders.

Burkhart: See what about em?

White: See who is doing it?
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recently announced that 19 cadets have graduated from its 71st Academy.

Trooper Luke Hall, a former Collinsville police officer, was among the latest group of graduates to earn their badges from the statewide law enforcement organization.

The 71st Academy was OHPs second lateral academy, meaning all cadets were already full-time, certified law enforcement officers with at least two years of experience. The 19 graduates come from different backgrounds in law enforcement, including police and sheriffs departments.

We are proud of these cadets and all they have accomplished during the 13 weeks of the 71st Academy, OHP Chief Colonel Pat Mays said in a news release. All of these cadets will bring prior law enforcement experience, along with everything they learned in the academy, to their various assignments across the state.

Before his four-year tenure at Collinsville Police Department, Hall served at the Tulsa county jail for three years and then as a deputy in Union County New Mexico for two years.

While at Collinsville PD, Hall was awarded Officer of the Year in both 2019 and 2021, and has received four Buckledown awards for occupant protection and traffic safety enforcement. He also served as a field training officer while on the force in Collinsville.

All the cadets underwent 13 weeks of intense training that included traffic and criminal law, arrest procedures, accident reconstruction, first aid and Spanish. They also received training in use of force, communication skills and de-escalation tactics, firearms, driving, criminal interdiction and physical fitness.

I am incredibly grateful to be a member of the OHP family, Hall told the Owasso Reporter, and look forward to a long career with the patrol and the many opportunities available to further my skills as a trooper to better serve Oklahoma.

Graduating cadets next enter the field training phase. They will ride with another trooper for 13 weeks before working the roads on their own. The 19 cadets are assigned to troops all across the state.

The graduation ceremony was held on Friday, June 30, at the Midwest City High School Performing Arts Center in Midwest City. Frank Keating, former governor of Oklahoma, delivered the keynote address.

Owasso Reporter Editor Art Haddaway contributed to this story.
Kitchens back open:

After taking a week off for the Independence Day holiday, summer meal service has resumed at sites operated by school districts child nutrition programs at Bartlesville, Bixby, Claremore, Glenpool and Union.

School supply help: The Washington County School Supply Drive is accepting 2023-24 assistance applications in person from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday and Tuesday at Mary Martha Outreach, 1845 S.W. Fourth St. in Bartlesville, and from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday and Friday at Agape Mission, 555 S. Cass Ave. in Bartlesville. Students in any grade attending Bartlesville, Bowring, Caney Valley, Copan, Dewey or Osage Hills are eligible to apply for help with school supplies.

Applications may also be filled out online at packthebackpacks.org through July 21.

Federal appointees: Two Oklahomans were recently sworn in to the U.S. Department of Educations National Advisory Council on Indian Education.

A citizen of the Navajo Nation, Lucyann Harjo, is the Indian education coordinator for Norman Public Schools and is an appointee to the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education, which provides guidance to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Sedelta Oosahwee works for the National Education Association as a policy analyst and program specialist. A board member for the National Indian Education Association, the Tahlequah native is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and is of Cherokee descent.

The pair of presidential appointees join Okmulgee resident Virginia Thomas on the 15-member board, which works with both the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior to provide funding and administrative recommendations for programs established under Title VI, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Allen Bowden, Berryhill, Claremore Sequoyah, Collinsville, Coweta, Jenks, Mannford, Sapulpa, Skiatook, Sperry, Tulsa, Union and Verdigris are scheduled to meet Monday.

Pretty Waters board is scheduled to meet Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Boards previously scheduled meeting for Tuesday has been canceled.

The boards of education for Keystone and Epic Charter Schools are scheduled to meet Wednesday.

The Bixby and Claremore boards are scheduled to meet Thursday.







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Attorneys for Broken Arrow Public Schools filed a motion Friday seeking to have two individually named employees dismissed from a civil lawsuit stemming from a 2022 graduation day confrontation over an eagle feather.

According to the motion for summary judgment, filed in Tulsa County District Court, the school districts attorneys maintain that the two employees had no interaction with any students with an eagle plume attached to their mortarboards before, during or after Broken Arrow High Schools 2022 graduation ceremony.

Claiming a violation of both the First Amendment and the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act, graduate Lena Black sued Broken Arrow Public Schools and the two then-employees on May 15, stating that the two physically attempted to remove an eagle plume from her mortarboard prior to the districts May 2022 graduation ceremony. Black is a citizen of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and of Osage descent.

One of the two women named in the suit is still employed by the district, while the other retired at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Fridays filing includes affidavits from both women attesting that they do not know Black and did not have any contact with her on her graduation day.

As published on the districts website, BAPS graduation dress code prohibits seniors from decorating their mortarboards and requires students to fill out an application if they intend to make any additions to the standard cap and gown.

Because the Indian education resource adviser for Broken Arrow High School was on leave at the time, Black asked a teacher prior to graduation day and was told that her plume did not count as a decoration due to its cultural and religious significance, she said earlier. However, no mention was made of filling out a form or seeking additional permission to wear the plume.

Black left the ceremony due to an anxiety attack brought on by the incident, which, according to court documents, damaged the eagle plume. She eventually returned and held the plume in her hand while receiving her diploma.

As of Friday afternoon, no hearings had been scheduled in the litigation.
(CNN)  France has banned the sale, possession and transport of fireworks over the Bastille Day weekend next week amid fears of renewed riots.

Protesters have been filmed launching fireworks during the wave of violent riots that gripped the country following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old teenager by a police officer in late June.

In order to prevent the risk of serious public disorder during the July 14th festivities, the sale, carrying, transport and use of pyrotechnic articles and fireworks are prohibited throughout France until July 15th inclusive, according to the decree published in the official French government journal on Sunday.

Bastille Day, which is Frances national day, is celebrated annually on July 14 with spectacular firework displays organized countrywide.

The decree, which came into effect immediately, does not apply to professionals or local areas organizing firework displays for the holiday.

Frances Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, had promised massive measures to protect French people during July 13-14 which she described as sensitive days in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, published Saturday.

In the same interview, Borne confirmed that the French government is considering fining the parents of minors involved in rioting, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed imposing a sort of minimum tariff from the first stupid act on the parents of minors, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

Borne told Le Parisien that the government is looking into the measure and is ready to evolve the law if needed, according to BFMTV.

Today, when an adult commits an act of this nature, we can have recourse through a fixed fine. Its fast and efficient. This is not possible for minors. We are thus going to construct a provision that permits this, Borne said.

Minors as young as 12 and 13 years old were detained by police during the recent riots, according to the countrys Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin.

Darmanin told journalists last weekend that the average age of thousands of people detained by French police was 17.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "France bans fireworks sales amid fears of renewed violence over Bastille Day weekend"
Tulsa Race Massacre / The Tulsa World Library: See all of the coverage of the race massacre in this special report.

"The first time Americans were terrorized by an aerial assault was not Pearl Harbor," a CBS News story says leading up to coverage this weekend of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

"Scott Pelley reports on a race massacre in which an estimated 300 people, mostly African American men, women and children, were killed, and aircraft were used to drop incendiary devices on a black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Greenwood Massacre of 1921 has been largely ignored by history, but Pelley finds a Tulsa community seeking to shed more light on what's been called the worst race massacre in history," a preview reads for a "60 Minutes" story airing 6 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Context for viewers: Six airplanes circled the Greenwood area during the morning hours of June 1.

What they were doing, and why there were so many, has long been a matter of passionate debate. Many people believe they were used to shoot at people on the ground and bomb Greenwood.

Officials said the small craft, generally thought to be two-seat, single-engine Curtis Jenny biplanes, were merely keeping track of activities on the ground and relaying the information through written messages dropped in weighted metal cylinders attached to streamers.

To what extent this explanation was initially challenged is unclear, but in October 1921 the Chicago Defender published a story in which it said Greenwood had been bombed under orders of prominent city officials.

The story cited a Van B. Hurley, who the newspaper said had given a signed statement to Elisha Scott, a Kansas attorney.

Scott filed dozens of lawsuits on behalf of victims but doesnt seem to have ever entered the Hurley affidavit into the record. There is no record of a Van B. Hurley living in Tulsa around the time of the massacre or that anyone by that name ever belonged to the Tulsa police force.

But that doesnt mean the story did not have substance. Many people believed city officials were behind the burning of Greenwood, and the explanation that the squadron of planes was only used for surveillance struck some as suspiciously thin.

Certainly the planes had a great psychological impact on many. For example, Mary Jones Parrish wrote about them in her account, as did prominent attorney B.C. Franklin in his.

The Defender story said the planes dropped nitroglycerin on buildings, setting them afire.

But nitroglycerin is an explosive, not an incendiary. It is also highly unstable and dangerous.

That has caused some to speculate that something like Molotov cocktails might have been used, or turpentine balls  rags soaked in flammable liquid and wrapped around the head of a stick.

There are several practical reasons why trying to light and throw incendiary devices from an open cockpit airplane of that era would seem a difficult, dangerous and even foolish idea.

But that doesnt mean it wasnt done.

Tulsa Race Massacre / The Tulsa World Library: See all of the coverage of the race massacre in this special report.

Tulsa Race Massacre: This is what happened in Tulsa in 1921
OKLAHOMA CITY  Edmond resident Hannah Dangle registered to vote as soon as she turned 18 years old and was eager to cast her first ballot.

But a few years later, the 23-year-old regular voter unexpectedly lost her sight as a result of radiation treatments she received after being diagnosed with cancer.

She hasnt cast a ballot since.

Im scared to go and vote, she said. Just asking for assistance, theres a level of independency thats just not there. I want to boldly and independently cast my ballot without having the whole world, or even just one other person, know.

Dangle, an assistive technology trainer at the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, said shes thrilled about a new law that will allow her to receive an electronic ballot at home that she can fill out using software that will read the text out loud.

The change will allow her to privately and independently mark her ballot. Dangle said she would need help from her husband if she were to request a traditional paper absentee ballot.

Dangle said shes lucky to have family nearby who could help her fill out a paper ballot, but not everyone who is blind has that kind of local support network, she said.

Oklahoma lawmakers last year passed House Bill 1711, which allows legally blind voters to request the electronic delivery of an absentee ballot. That measure is one of more than 50 new laws that took effect July 1.

More than 130,000 Oklahomans are visually impaired or legally blind, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. How many of those residents are eligible to vote is not known.

The Oklahoma State Election Board is still working on implementing the new law, and agency spokeswoman Misha Mohr couldnt say how soon blind voters will be able to request electronic ballots.

Were in the process of looking at how that procedure will work, so were just a little ways out from getting that system implemented, Mohr said.

Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, co-authored the legislation, which was requested by a blind voter from Mustang.

Rosino said the time was also right for the change because theres a national push to make voting more accessible for visually impaired citizens.

We want everybody to vote, he said. We want everybody to have that access, and you try to remove as many barriers as you can for people with disabilities.

A retired U.S. Navy officer, Rosino compared the new system to the process in which absentee ballots are sent to members of the military who are serving overseas.

Once a blind voter completes an electronic ballot with the help of screen reader software, the voter will print the marked ballot and mail it to the county election board, Rosino said.

Ultimately, the new law gives blind voters the ability and dignity to cast a ballot on their own, he said.

Nobody wants to go into a voting booth or get their ballot and they cant read it and somebody has to tell them how to do it, Rosino said.

When it comes to in-person voting, visually impaired voters are allowed to have someone assist them in the voting booth. All Oklahoma polling places are also equipped with assistive technology that reads ballot choices to blind voters.

Some voters take for granted that they have the ability to easily walk into their polling place, check boxes on a ballot, scan their ballot and walk out, Dangle said.

For blind people, being able to cast an electronic ballot means more than numbers on a vote tally at the end of election night.

Its so much more than that, Dangle said. Its independency.







The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today.(tncms-asset)83950bb9-d5df-5053-99d9-dab09ad645b0[0](/tncms-asset)
Vietnam imported meat and meat by-products worth US$626 million in the first half of the year, down four percent year on year, the Department of Livestock Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told a conference held in Hanoi on Monday.

The country mainly imported pork, chicken, beef, and frozen buffalo meat during the six-month period.

In May alone, 57,000 metric tons of meat products worth $109 million was imported into Vietnam, up 10 percent in volume, but down 10 percent in value from the year-ago period.

As for pork imports, Vietnam bought 29,000 metric tons of frozen pork worth $74 million in the first five months of the year, down 10 percent in volume and six percent in value year on year.

Russia, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada were among Vietnams major pork suppliers during the time frame.

Many foreign meat products are rampantly being sold at cheap prices in the local market.

Specifically, American and Australian beef are on sale on the website of H.N. Import Export Company, located in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 12, at prices ranging from VND50,000 ($2.1) to VND350,000 ($14.9) per kilogram, depending each type.

The company quotes the prices of Indian buffalo meat at VND60,000-140,000 ($2.6-6) a kilogram.

Imported pork sells for VND30,000-200,000 ($1.3-8.5) per kilogram on the website.

Livestock firms were in turmoil in the first half of the year due to higher prices of input materials, unstable prices for live pigs, and diseases, according to the Department of Livestock Production.

Live swine prices remained low in the first quarter of 2023, plaguing farmers. However, the rates trended up in the second quarter.

The price of live pigs is hovering around VND65,000 ($2.8) a kilogram.

However, many small farming households have shut down their farms due to huge losses caused by the soaring prices of input materials.

As of late June, Vietnam had farmed 26 million live hogs, up 2.5 percent year on year.

On the export side, Vietnams outbound shipments of meat and meat by-products fetched $68 million in the January-June period, up 39 percent year on year.

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MADRID -- At least 300 people who were traveling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain's Canary Islands have disappeared, migrant aid group Walking Borders said on Sunday.

Two boats, one carrying about 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, have been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal to try to reach Spain, Helena Maleno of Walking Borders told Reuters.

A third boat left Senegal on June 27 with about 200 people aboard.

The families of those on board have not heard from them since they left, Maleno said.

All three boats left Kafountine in the south of Senegal, which is about 1,700 kilometres (1,057 miles) from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.

"The families are very worried. There about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left because of the instability in Senegal," Maleno said.

The Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, with a much smaller number also seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish mainland. Summer is the busiest period for all attempted crossings.

The Atlantic migration route, one of the deadliest in the world, is typically used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. At least 559 people - including 22 children - died in 2022 in attempts to reach the Canary Islands, according to data from the U.N.'s International Organisation for Migration.
Governments will soon likely be able to apply for deep sea mining contracts in international waters, a plunge into the unknown that is worrying conservationists as calls for a moratorium on such digging grow.

States have for ten years been negotiating a mining code to set rules for the possible exploitation of nickel, cobalt and copper in deep seabed areas that fall outside of national jurisdictions.

But agreement has so far been elusive, and on Sunday a clause is set to expire that allows governments to apply for contracts while negotiations continue.

"I think it's a very real possibility that we see an application submitted this year," Emma Wilson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition told AFP.

"So it's crucial for states to be bold and implement the necessary measures to protect our ocean," she said, adding that the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is entering "the most critical decision-making period in the history of its existence."

The ISA was established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is responsible for protecting the seabed in the high seas as well as regulating activities related to coveted minerals.

Presently, the Jamaica-based body only grants exploration permits for these areas, which the UN convention classifies as "the common heritage of mankind."

In the summer of 2021, the small Pacific island state of Nauru threw a spanner into the works of the decade-long negotiations for the mining code by triggering a clause demanding that agreement be reached within two years.

With that timeframe now up, if Nauru were to apply for a contract for Naura Ocean Resources (Nori), a subsidiary of Canadian firm The Metals Company, then ISA would have to consider the request -- but may not necessarily give the green light.

The Nauru authorities have given assurances that they will not act immediately, but other companies sponsoring states' underwater mining ventures could take advantage of the opportunity, experts say.

"I'm not too concerned," Pradeep Singh, a laws of the sea expert at the Research Institute for Sustainability in Potsdam, Germany, told AFP.

"I think it would be a mistake to submit an application anytime soon, seeing that states are still negotiating and working towards completing the regulation.

"The indication is quite clear that states are very reluctant and hesitant to allow mining to commence without regulations," he added.

'Question of credibility'

In March, the 36 member states of the ISA Council, the decision-making body on contracts, noted that commercial exploitation "should not be carried out" until the mining code was in place.

But they were unable to agree on the process for examining a possible application, or on the precise interpretation of the clause triggered by Nauru.

NGOs fearing that companies may exploit the legal vacuum hope that the Council will make a much clearer decision when it meets in Kingston from July 10 to 21.

Meanwhile, Chile, France, Palau and Vanuatu have chosen to take the debate to the political level.

At their request, and for the first time, the assembly of ISA's 167 member states will discuss a "precautionary pause" in mining when it meets between July 24 and 28.

"The aim is to put the issue on the table, to have a debate that has never taken place before", French Secretary of State for the Sea Herve Berville told AFP, hoping that this will "encourage other countries to follow suit."

The coalition supporting the moratorium, although gaining ground, currently comprises just under 20 countries.

"The aim is that by 2024, it will be clear to a majority of countries that a precautionary pause in the exploitation of the seabed is the right thing to do if we are to meet the challenges of climate change and biodiversity," Berville added.

He insists it's a "question of credibility" at a time when the world has just adopted the first treaty to protect the high seas and has set itself the target of preserving 30 percent of land and oceans by 2030.

NGOs and scientists say that deep sea mining could destroy habitats and species that may still be unknown but are potentially vital to ecosystems.

They also say it risks disrupting the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide emitted by human activities, and that its noise interferes with the communication of species such as whales.

"We have the opportunity to anticipate this new extractive industry and stop it before it can do any damage to our planet," said Louisa Casson of Greenpeace.
The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee proposed a plan to build a school cluster and a park on the land currently occupied by Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery in Binh Tan District at a total cost of nearly VND1.5 trillion (US$64 million) to the municipal Peoples Council at the 10th sitting held by the latter on Monday.

The project, set to be funded by the citys budget, will be implemented in the 2023-26 period, according to the Ho Chi Minh City administrations proposal.

The Binh Tan District Construction Investment Project Management Board will be in charge of the project, which will span an area of over 17 hectares.

Among key components of the project are constructing a middle school cluster, leveling sites, developing traffic infrastructure, installing drainage, lighting and electricity systems, building a promenade, and growing trees, according to the municipal Peoples Committee.

Situated some 12 kilometers from the heart of the city, Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery was opened before 1975, the milestone when Vietnam was reunified. It was home to some 70,000 graves.

In early 2011, the cemetery was shut for relocation due to concerns over environmental pollution.

The project to build a school cluster and a park is part of the citys Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery relocation plan.

The 44.5-hectare relocation project was carried out in three phases, starting from 2014.

During the first phase, 13,610 graves were relocated, meeting 88 percent of the target, while the second phase in 2017 saw over 10,830 graves were relocated, reaching more than 64 percent of the target.

Accelerating work on the school and park project on the land of the cemetery is a need, helping improve the living environment for over 300,000 households residing near the site, embellish the cityscape, and address environmental pollution, according to the municipal Peoples Committee.

Moreover, building a school cluster on the land lot of the cemetery will help the city fulfill its target of offering 700-1,000 classrooms in 2025.

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A Hanoi Highway section stretching from Saigon Bridge to Thu Duc Intersection, located in Ho Chi Minh Citys Thu Duc City, is likely to be renamed after late General Vo Nguyen Giap.

The municipal Peoples Council, a legislative body, will consider and pass the municipal administrations proposal on the renaming of the road at a meeting scheduled for Monday.

The Hanoi Highway is the main route connecting the center of Ho Chi Minh City to Thu Duc City and neighboring southern provinces such as Dong Nai and Binh Duong.

The road section in question is 7.79 kilometers long, according to the proposal.

The remaining section of the Hanoi Highway runs from Thu Duc Intersection to Bien Hoa City in Dong Nai Province.

The street renaming is aimed at recognizing and honoring the great contributions of late General Giap toward Vietnams liberation and unification, said the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

The Thu Duc City administration collected feedback on the proposal from local people residing along the route and more than 90 percent of them endorsed the renaming.

The renaming will help form a line of three connected major roads, namely Hanoi Highway, Vo Nguyen Giap, and Dien Bien Phu, in association with General Giap and the historic Dien Bien Phu victory under his command in 1954.

Vo Nguyen Giap was born on August 25, 1911 in Le Thuy District, Quang Binh Province, located in the central region of Vietnam.

He started his career as a history teacher before joining the army to become a legendary general who led the Vietnam Army to defeat French and U.S. invaders in 1954 and 1975, respectively.

He directly commanded major operations including the Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and Ho Chi Minh campaigns in 1975.

General Giap served as deputy prime minister and national defense minister since national reunification in 1975 till 1980.

In 1981-1991, he was deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers.

The general is credited as one of the great men in the world in encyclopedias of many countries, including the U.S..

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The Consulate General of New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City has donated 2.7 metric tons of apples, 25 boxes of kiwi, and 420 liters of milk to underprivileged individuals at Maison Chance in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

The donation was made by ten leading fruit and dairy product exporters from New Zealand.

The newly-appointed New Zealand Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Scott James, presented the donation to the disadvantaged children, people with disabilities, and their families living at Maison Chance on Thursday last week.

Answering Tuoi Tre News, James expressed his appreciation for the charitys work in the community with underprivileged children and families.

New Zealand Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Scott James gives fruit to people with disabilities at Maison Chance in the city's Binh Tan District. Photo: Ngoc Duc / Tuoi Tre News

He said that it was heartening to see them talk about being a big family.

The diplomat added that New Zealand is lucky to have an abundance of these products and that they hope the recipients would enjoy the fruit and dairy products.

James also talked about returning to Vietnam in a new position.

Ive been to Vietnam as a tourist twice and I really enjoyed my time here. The last time I was here was about 11 years ago, and the first thing that struck me upon returning was the change, he said.

The country has really developed and moved forward. The skyline has changed. The buildings have become bigger.

"But the thing that hasnt changed is the people. Everybody has been very warm and friendly to me and my family. Were really looking forward to the next few years."

James has held the position for about three weeks.

Scott James (L, sitting) poses for a photo with employees of Maison Chance and the donators in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Duc / Tuoi Tre News

According to Dinh Cong Duy, an employee at Maison Chance who has lived there since 1999, this was the second year the complex had received gifts from New Zealand.

This showed the trust and understanding of the Consulate General of New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City for this special place.

In addition to the donation to Maison Chance, the New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General of New Zealand in Ho Chi Minh City will also donate fruit and milk portions to three other charities, including a charity that provides free surgeries for children and teenagers with facial deformities called Operation Smile, the Vinacapital Foundation, and a non-governmental organization that rescues children from sex trafficking and forced labor named Blue Dragon.

The donations amount to 350 boxes (around seven metric tons) of fruit and 1,000 liters of milk.

'Lucky village' for the less fortunate Maison Chance is a complex consisting of dormitories, schools, and vocational training schools for disadvantaged children, the disabled, and their families. This complex is part of the Maison Chance Foundation, founded in 1993 by the Swiss social activist Aline 'Tim' Rebeaud. Over 30 years, the 'small villages' of Maison Chance have not only provided homes but also medical care and educational opportunities to many orphans, poor children, people with disabilities, and their families.

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The Vietnam Cinema Department on Sunday officially required Netflix and FPT Play to take down the drama 'Flight to You' due to the inclusion of the illegal 'nine-dash line' that China uses to assert its unlawful sovereignty over a large part of the East Vietnam Sea.

The department told Netflix and FPT Play to remove the drama within 24 hours from midnight on Saturday and report the results to the department before Wednesday.

In its official dispatch sent to Netflix, the department said it had reviewed all 39 episodes of the drama screened on the streaming service providers website and app.

It found that a map depicting the nine-dash line appeared in many episodes of the drama, including episodes 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 38.

The nine-dash line was clearly featured in the second minute of episode 30, together with subtitles one day, this map will be spread to many places around the world," as well as from the 18th to 55th second of the 41st minute of episode 18.

The illegal nine-dash line and the content of the dialogue and subtitles of the drama violate Vietnam's sovereignty and the Law on Cinematography, according to the official dispatch sent to Netflix.

In an official dispatch sent to FPT Play, the Vietnam Cinema Department said FPT Play showed 39 episodes of the drama 'Flight to You' on its website and app.

FPT Play blurred the image of the illicit nine-dash line map in episodes 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 38.

However, the dramas content violates Vietnam's sovereignty, so it is not appropriate to be showed in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Cinema Department.

FPT Play's representative confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that it employs a serious censorship process for the content of products on its platform before screening them.

As for the drama 'Flight to You,' it had blurred and cut inappropriate images before screening it.

When receiving the authorities request to remove the drama, we have complied with it.

FPT Play confirmed that it had removed the drama from its app and other platforms and is waiting for further instructions from the local authorities.

Just days ago, the Vietnam Cinema Department banned the live-action feature film Barbie from screening in Vietnam for featuring a map depicting the illicit nine-dash line.

The organizer of K-pop girl group BlackPinks concert, slated for late this month in Hanoi, has also faced the protest of Vietnamese residents for using a map including the illegitimate nine-dash line on its website. It later made an apology for using the map.

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New 10 part SBS series Great Australian Walks with Julia Zemiro sees Julia Zemiro (Fisk, RocKwiz. Julia Zemiros Home Delivery) exploring ten of Australias most stunning and historically significant walks.

Her treks take her through NSW, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania, from Byron Bay, Kiama, Bondi, and Point Nepean to kunanyi / Mt. Wellington, Blue Mountains, Melbournes Yarra Trail and beyond.

Presenter and Executive Producer Julia Zemiro said: Its truly a beautiful feeling to have experienced these walks after the pandemic. They encompass the grandness of our landscapes right down to the tiny details  from high above rainforest canopies down to the tiny insects on the ground that sustain life itself. We explore coast, inland, country and urban walks and I am so thrilled to share them with you. Remember: Everything is in walking distance, if you make the time.

Bernadine Lim, SBS Senior Commissioning Editor for Documentaries said: Great Australian Walks celebrates Australias breathtaking landscapes and extraordinary people, exemplifying SBSs role in connecting audiences to the stories that have shaped our rich multicultural history.

Spearheaded by Julia Zemiros characteristic charm and natural curiosity, the series invites viewers along for an unforgettable 10-part cross-country journey that can be enjoyed from the comfort of living rooms across the nation.

Series Producer and Mint Pictures Creative Director Dan Goldberg said: Conceived during Covid-19 lockdowns when our freedom of movement was so restricted, this alluring series not only offers viewers the luxury of being armchair travellers but encourages them to follow in Julias footsteps on some Great Australian Walks.

Each stunning journey features a variety of guests spanning historians, local legends, First Australians, and new Australians, who all reveal surprising and inspiring stories about Australias vibrant landscapes.

Familiar faces include actor Tasma Walton (Mystery Road, Cleverman, Blue Heelers); former Wallabies Captain and Independent Senator for the ACT David Pocock; Bassist for the Violent Femmes & Mona Music, Brian Ritchie; Mental as Anything bass guitarist and vocalist Pete ODoherty; former Masterchef AU Contestant and restaurateur Mindy Woods; World Champion Surfer Pauline Menczer; and author and journalist Brigid Delaney.

Using nostalgic archival footage, the series breathes life into the history behind each walk and spotlights stories that define our multicultural country: from those who have kept the fire burning at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra to those who maintain the oldest synagogue in Australia and the World Champion female surfer whose trailblazing story was featured in AACTA nominated documentary Girls Cant Surf.

Each episode will feature a separate, accessible and achievable one-day walk selected in collaboration with veteran walks expert and former Sydney Morning Herald travel journalist Bruce Elder.

Great Australian Walks with Julia Zemiro will be subtitled in languages, streaming on SBS On Demand in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.

7.30pm Thursday 10 August on SBS.
Conference on minimally invasive and non-invasive medicine held in China's Chongqing

Xinhua) 11:23, July 10, 2023

This photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows guests attending the Fifth Yangtze International Summit of Minimally Invasive and Noninvasive Medicine in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.(Xinhua)

CHONGQING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A conference on minimally invasive and non-invasive medicine was held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Over 500 experts from more than 20 countries and regions have been invited to share their insights, firsthand experiences, and achievements at the Fifth Yangtze International Summit of Minimally Invasive and Noninvasive Medicine, which opened on Saturday.

The two-day event is organized by the International Society of Minimally Invasive and Virtual Surgery and Chongqing Medical University.

The event aims to delve into cutting-edge progress, practical implementations, and wide possibilities of minimally invasive and non-invasive treatment, according to the organizers.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Jerusalem (CNN)  Large crowds of protesters across Israel have come out in the 27th consecutive week of demonstrations against the governments judicial overhaul plans.

Organizers say protesters are out in force and estimate 365,000 people have come out in cities around the country, with 180,000 people in the streets of central Tel Aviv alone, among the largest protests so far.

The protests come just before the bill to lessen judicial oversight of the executive and legislative branches will get its first reading in the Knesset, the national legislature, on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government has renewed its efforts to pass judicial overhaul, this time in stages, after six months of fierce opposition from center, left and even right-wing citizens, military reservists, and political parties.

This second effort is galvanizing protesters across the country, with a spokesman for the national protest movement promising an all nighter.

At the end of June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one the most controversial aspects of his governments proposed judicial reform, a provision allowing the Knesset to overturn Supreme Court rulings, has been dropped.

Israel has no check on the power of the Knesset other than the Supreme Court.

As the protests reached their peak this Saturday, social media videos and Israeli press reported Israeli police using water cannons to clear demonstrators from blocking one of Tel Avivs main highways.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Protests across Israel ahead of vote on judicial overhaul bill vote"
An impressive roll-call of television executives will join an industry-first round table this Friday, for a discussion about improving diversity, inclusion and equity.

Convened by Media Diversity Australia at SBSs headquarters in Artarmon, the event sees Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, joined by all eleven MDA members, which include Free to Air public and commercial broadcasters.

Attending are:

SBSs Managing Director James Taylor

Nines CEO Mike Sneesby

10s Executive Vice President, Chief Content Officer & Head of Paramount, Beverley McGarvey

Sevens Chief People and Culture Officer Lucinda Gemmell

ABCs Chief Content Officer, Chris Oliver-Taylor

Plus: News Corp Australias Chief Financial Officer, Michael Murphy, AAPs editor Andrew Drummond, The Guardian Australias editor Lenore Taylor, Private Media Groups CEO Will Hayward, The Conversation Groups CEO Lisa Watts and The Daily Aus Co Founders Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski.

Also attending are MDA Founder and Chair, Isabel Lo, and executives from Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network, Diversity Arts Australia and Free TV to commit to a path forward to deliver change needed as an industry.

The event will provide a platform for robust discussion about where improvements are most needed in diversity, around barriers to equity and inclusion, the importance of workplaces providing culturally and psychologically safe environments for talent, how to better cater to underserved audiences, opportunities for industry collaboration, and action to drive progress for a more inclusive media that better reflects and serves contemporary Australia.

The group will also discuss uniform measurement and tracking of progress across all parts of the industry, building on current measurement being implemented through MDA as well as organisations like Screen Diversity Inclusion Network for the production sector, to ensure greater accountability as an industry.

Mariam Veiszadeh, CEO of Media Diversity Australia said, For the first time, these leaders are coming together for an authentic and frank conversation about the issues and ways to tackle the challenges. As individual media organisations and MDA members, each member has the power to have a meaningful impact, but as a collective making a shared commitment to have honest and important discussions and take action, we have the potential to move on from discussions and truly shift the dial on diversity, inclusion and equity in Australian media.

But it is critical that this is more than a discussion  all MDA members recognise the need for and value of greater diversity, but the pace of industry-wide change is slow and inconsistent. We are coming together to make the strongest commitment yet as an industry. This is a collective call to action for Australias media industry and I look forward to sharing the commitments made as we begin this next stage of the journey.

Whilst the event will be conducted under Chatham House rules, a press release will outline high-level outcomes.
Another week, another Sam Pang rumour, but this time one he has shot down.

Speaking on Have You Been Paying Attention? last night the ever-popular comedian denied a magazine rumour he will replace Dr. Chris Brown on 10s Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Asked if he was a fan of the show, Pang said, A lot of my friends are on that show and host that show. So I want to be diplomatic and say no.

Obviously, it seems unlikely.

Ive gone off South Africa ever since they ended apartheid, he joked.

HYBPA? host Tom Glesiner checked, Just to confirm, no truth to the rumour?

None! Pang insisted.
(Bloomberg) -- North Korea accused US spy planes of violating its air space and threatened to shoot them down, ramping up tensions just before NATO leaders meet this week in Lithuania for their annual summit.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A spokesman for North Koreas Defense Ministry said the US was engaging in the most undisguised nuclear blackmail by planning to bring a nuclear-armed submarine to the peninsula and conducting hostile espionage activities by flying spy planes off its east and west coasts, the Korean Central News Agency reported Monday.

North Korea claimed that drones and spy planes flew for eight straight days along its coasts, with aircraft violating its airspace. There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen, it quoted the spokesman as saying.

That appeared to be a reference to North Koreas 1969 downing of a US Navy reconnaissance plane the Americans said was in international airspace between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, killing all 31 people aboard.

The Defense Ministry spokesman added that Pyongyang will take actions to prevent Washingtons reckless acts.

NATO Meeting

Kim Jong Uns regime has at times fired off ballistic missiles in a show of anger shortly after making threats. Last month, it launched two short-range nuclear-capable rockets just minutes after KCNA issued a dispatch from a Defense Ministry spokesman denouncing joint US-South Korean military exercises and threatening retaliation.

The latest threats stoke concerns just as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit. Yoon said in an interview with the Associated Press that he will seek help from NATO leaders on how to deter Pyongyang from increasing its atomic ambition.

South Korea is not a NATO member but Yoon and other leaders will be attending as the bloc and its partners focus attention on support of Ukraine.

South Koreas military dismissed the latest accusations, saying North Koreas claim that the aerial reconnaissance aircraft violated its airspace are not true. The US has flown aerial reconnaissance flights near North Korea for decades and has a network of spy satellites watching its major facilities.

Yoon and President Joe Biden at a summit in April in Washington agreed to deploy more US nuclear assets to the region. The American president warned Kim that if he conducted a nuclear strike, it would mean the end of his regime.

Six Takeaways from White House Visit by South Koreas Yoon

The US in June sent a nuclear-powered, guided-missile submarine to South Korea for the first time in six years in a show of force meant to deter North Korea from military strikes. It plans to send another one soon, Yonhap News Agency reported.

North Korea has fired off more than 90 ballistic missiles over the past 18 months as Kim rolls out new weapons to deliver a nuclear attack on the US mainland and Americas key allies in the region, South Korea and Japan.

--With assistance from Shinhye Kang, Eunkyung Seo and Seyoon Kim.

(Updates with South Korea saying Pyongyang is making false claims)

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Westerwood Global to Rebrand as WGNSTAR Following Acquisition of NSTAR

WGNSTAR

Unveiling New Solutions for Advanced Workforce and Asset Lifecycle Management

DUBLIN, Ireland and GARNER, N.C., July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westerwood Global, a leading provider of managed service solutions, today announced its transformation and rebranding as WGNSTAR, following the acquisition of NSTAR Global Services (NSTAR), a renowned leader in facility and equipment services and workforce management. This strategic move will leverage the powerful synergies between the two organizations and provide a more unified global infrastructure.

We are thrilled to announce the coming together of Westerwood Global and NSTAR under the singular WGNSTAR brand. This strategic move marks a significant milestone for our company, solidifying our commitment to our combined teams as well as to future growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional value to our customers, said Nigel Wenden, CEO of WGNSTAR. With our new brand identity and unified global infrastructure, we are poised to redefine our industry and strengthen our position as a leader in the semiconductor market.

WGNSTAR will leverage its combined capabilities to offer clients a broader range of exceptional services, including the following service offerings:

NVOLVE SM Managed Workforce Services: Fully managed teams of specialists that deliver complete solutions to existing functional scopes within your operation.

NSURE SM Equipment Relocation & Asset Management Services: A comprehensive set of installation and relocation services, from single tool transfers to full-fab deinstallations.

NSOURCE SM Flexible Staffing & Direct Hire Services: A prequalified network of skilled technical workers and engineers who are readily available to assist with your internal hiring needs.

NFAB SM Equipment Support Services: Equipment support services including routine preventative maintenance, parts cleaning and kitting, electrical testing and calibration, and OEM partnering.

NFORM SM Training & Fabrication Services: A hands-on training center and maintenance shop that equips your workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in our ever-evolving industry.

NSITESM SubFab & Facilities Services: Skilled resources to keep your SubFab and facilities safely operating and maintained.

The inception of WGNSTAR successfully completes the unification of our two remarkable companies, commented Darrell McDaniel, SVP North American Business Development for WGNSTAR. We are committed to maintaining our operational excellence and are confident that this transformation will pave the way for even greater success and value to our partners.

With its new identity, WGNSTAR is committed to providing leading workforce management and asset lifecycle management solutions that meet customers changing needs in todays high-tech and semiconductor environments. For more information, visit https://wgnstar.com/.

About WGNSTAR

WGNSTAR, formerly Westerwood Global and NSTAR Global Services, is a trusted partner to many of the worlds leading semiconductor manufacturers, providing innovative and cost-efficient managed workforce services and asset lifecycle management solutions. We partner with our clients to build a custom approach which ensures we deliver a workforce solutions plan that is tailored to their specific operations and ultimate business goals. Our service offerings include managed workforce, equipment relocation, asset lifecycle management, flexible staffing, direct hire, facilities support, training, and fabrication. With headquarters in Ireland and regional offices throughout the United States, we are strategically located where our clients need us most.

Media Contact:

Alyssa Lundeen

Kiterocket

+1.218.398.0776 | ALundeen@kiterocket.com

Company Contact:

Geoffrey Stoddart

SVP Global Business Development, WGNSTAR

+44.7788.18.4463 | Geoffrey.Stoddart@WGNSTAR.com




(Bloomberg) -- Southeast Asian nations still struggling to clear cluster munitions dropped on them by US forces during the Vietnam War are pleading with the Americans to back away from sending the deadly bombs to Ukraine.

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In a rare statement posted online Monday by the Laotian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government called on unspecified states or actors from all use, transfer or production of such munitions so that no one in the world would be victimized by such weapons.

As the worlds largest victim of cluster munitions and a state party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic expresses its profound concern over the announcement and the possible use of cluster munitions, according to the statement.

The Biden administration has said it will send cluster bombs to Ukraine as part of a new push to support the countrys counteroffensive and boost its dwindling stocks of ammunition, overruling concerns that the weapons often fail to explode and pose a grave danger to civilians.

President Joe Biden called the move to send cluster bombs to Ukraine a difficult decision given the risk to civilians posed by the weapons, but said Russia has been raining the munitions down on Ukraine for months.

Read More: Europe Cant Supply Ukraine With Weapons Fast Enough, Heres Why

Unexploded ordinances dating back half a century are still being discovered in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, after causing tens of thousands of deaths and injuries during and after the war. The US has contributed more than $750 million in those countries for conventional weapons destruction over the last three decades.

It would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years if cluster bombs are used in Russian-occupied areas in the territory of Ukraine, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen tweeted on Sunday. I appeal to the US president as the supplier and the Ukrainian president as the recipient not to use cluster bombs in the war because the real victims will be Ukrainians.

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A former CNN reporter is suing the network for racial discrimination, alleging she was told she didn't have 'the look' for presenting

A photo illustration of a CNN logo displayed on a smartphone. SOPA Images/Getty Images

A former CNN reporter is suing the company for discrimination and improper dismissal.

Saima Mohsin was injured on assignment in Israel and requested reassignment as an on-air presenter.

Her lawsuit claims that she was told she didn't have "the look" for presenting.

A former CNN reporter is suing the network for racial discrimination and improper dismissal.

Saima Mohsin, a former international correspondent for CNN, broke her foot in 2014 while on assignment covering the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The injury left her partially disabled and unable to do the kind of physically demanding reporting work she had done previously. Mohsin held ongoing discussions with CNN over the subsequent years about alternative work, she alleges in the lawsuit, according to The Guadian.

One possibility was to work as a presenter, but CNN denied her request, and she was told, "You don't have the look we are looking for," according to The Guardian.

Mohsin alleges in the claim that CNN denied her on-air opportunities in favor of white American correspondents, even when she was on the ground reporting and ready to go.

CNN terminated Mohsin's contract in 2017.

"We risk our lives in the field trusting we'll be taken care of," Mohsin said in a tweet on Monday.

"I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN," Mohsin says in the claim, according to The Guardian. "I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not."

Mohsin's case is expected to be heard by a tribunal in London on Monday, The Guardian reported.

CNN has had a tumultuous few months.

Its longtime presenter and "CNN This Morning" anchor, Don Lemon, was ousted from the company in April after 17 years on the air. Lemon said on Twitter that he was "stunned" by the decision and said it was "clear that there were some larger issues at play."

"At no time was I ever given the indication that I would not be able to do the work that I have loved at the network," he said in the statement.

Then, on June 7, CNN announced that CEO Chris Licht would be stepping down, days after The Atlantic published a brutal profile of his leadership.

The profile explored CNN's hosting of a Trump Town Hall in May, which pulled in millions of viewers but was marred by public criticism of Licht's decision to air the event by the network's reporters.

"My management believes they did the right thing as service to the American people," Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, said in a Columbia Journalism School commencement speech. "I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format."

Even with the boost in viewership from the town hall, CNN saw a 25% decline in primetime viewership in May compared to 2022, according to The New York Post.

CNN declined to comment when reached by Insider on Monday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(CNN)  North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.

The just international community must not sit and watch the evil, anti-humanitarian and belligerent action by the corrupt force that is trying to disrupt humanitys home of the blue planet  and must unite to thoroughly stop and destroy them, the countrys Land and Environment Protection Department said.

Its statement, reported by state media outlet KCNA on Sunday, comes after the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that Tokyos plan was safe and in line with international standards for environmental safety.

Japan plans to release the wastewater sometime this summer.

Pyongyangs statement is the latest in a series of concerns voiced by neighboring countries like South Korea, China and the Pacific Islands  all of which have raised fears about potential harm to the environment and public health.

Chinese custom authorities on Friday announced that a ban on food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima would remain in place and that it would strengthen inspections to monitor for radioactive substances, to ensure the safety of Japanese food imports to China.

The UNs approval has done little to reassure fishermen and residents still affected by the 2011 disaster.

Speaking to CNN in a recent interview in Tokyo, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he had met with Japanese fishing groups and local mayors and acknowledged their fears.

My disposition  is one of listening, and explaining in a way that addresses all these concerns they have, he said. When one visits Fukushima, it is quite impressive, I will even say ominous, to look at all these tanks, more than a million tons of water that contains radionuclides  imagining that this is going to be discharged into the ocean. So all sorts of fears kick in, and one has to take them seriously, to address and to explain.

The IAEA has said that there was no better option to deal with the massive buildup of wastewater collected since the disaster.

We have been looking at this basic policy for more than two years. We have been assessing it against  the most stringent standards that exist, Grossi said. And we are quite certain of what we are saying, and the scheme we have proposed.

The 2011 disaster caused the plants reactor cores to overheat and contaminate water within the facility with highly radioactive material.

Since then, new water has been pumped in to cool fuel debris in the reactors. Ground and rainwater have also leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater now measuring 1.32 million metric tons  enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Necessary move

Japanese authorities have maintained that the release is necessary as space runs out to contain the contaminated material  and the move would allow the full decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

International scientists have expressed concern to CNN, saying that there is insufficient evidence of long-term safety and arguing that the release could cause tritium  a radioactive hydrogen isotope that cannot be removed from the wastewater  to gradually build up in marine ecosystems and food chains, a process called bioaccumulation.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "North Korea calls on international community to stop Japans release of treated Fukushima wastewater"
Human Rights Watch has urged a halt to a major East African oil project led by French giant TotalEnergies, warning of dire consequences for the environment and local communities.

Last year, TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation signed a $10-billion agreement to develop Ugandan oilfields and ship the crude through a 1,445-kilometre pipeline to Tanzania's Indian Ocean port of Tanga.

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has run into strong opposition from rights activists and environmental groups, and has faced legal action in France and criticism in the European Parliament.

TotalEnergies says those displaced by the project have been fairly compensated for their land, while measures have been taken to protect the environment.

In a report published this Monday however, Human Rights Watch says the mega-project will irreparably harm fragile ecosystems, and alleges that some of the 100,000 people expected to be displaced by its development have been poorly treated.

Researchers for the NGO conducted over 90 interviews in March and April this year  including interviews with 75 displaced families  many of whom said they had received delayed or inadequate compensation.

Others told HRW they were pressured into selling their land.

Farmers told HRW they went into debt waiting years for compensation, with campaigners documenting 37 cases where children were allegedly forced to drop out of school because their families could not pay fees.

(With newswires)



Read more on RFI English
Flag of the country of Nepal with a mountain in the background. Nepal recently became the second Asian country to recognise same-sex marriages. Samrat Khadka via Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/VaeXuio0rn0

In a historic ruling on 28 June, the Supreme Court of Nepal requested that the countrys government begin registering same-sex marriages, making Nepal the second country in Asia and the first country in South Asia to register LGBTQ+ unions.

The temporary injunction from Justice Til Pradad Shrestha allows same-sex couples to achieve legal recognition of their marriage while the Court presses the countrys legislature to permanently amend Nepals marriage law, which currently defines marriage as strictly heterosexual.

The court has historically been progressive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, ruling in 2007 and 2015 that the government should legalise same-sex marriage. Last weeks ruling indicates that the Supreme Court is standing firm on its commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and equality.

Openly-gay legislator Sunil Pant, who has been at the centre of the campaign for marriage equality in the country, said that over 200 queer couples are rushing back to their villages to collect documents for their marriages after news of the ruling broke. Many of these couples have one or both partners identifying as third gender, a category broadly defining people who identify as transgender or with an indigenous third gender commonly referred to in Nepal as Meti. Previously, the legal status as a third gender prevented them from registering their same-sex marriages.

Many people took to the streets of Nepals capital, Kathmandu, to mark the ruling, with Shrestha commenting that people are already celebrating. The countrys legislature must now act to codify same-sex marriage into law and amend the previous definitions of marriage found in Nepals legal codes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blue Diamond Society (@bdsnepal_)

At the time of the ruling, Taiwan stood as the only other Asian country that has legalised same-sex marriages. India began hearing cases for marriage equality within its Supreme Court a few months ago, but the fate of this historic case has yet to be decided.

Although the ruling in Nepal hasnt changed the countrys legal codes on same-sex marriages, its still a significant step closer to achieving LGBTQ+ equality in Asia.

The post Nepal recognises same-sex marriages in historic ruling appeared first on GCN.
(Bloomberg) -- Dutch Prime Minister Mark Ruttes government abruptly collapsed on Friday amid infighting over migration policy. Rutte, whos led the Netherlands since 2010, effectively brought his fourth administration to an end after he gave his coalition partners an ultimatum to limit the right to family reunions for refugees from war zones.

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The coalition partners  Ruttes VVD, the Christian Democrats, progressive D66 and the smaller Christian Union  had been in talks over asylum policy for weeks. Though they were close to a deal, the conflict escalated Wednesday when Rutte abruptly introduced non-negotiable demands. The troubles snowballed from there.

Read more: Mark Rutte Bets on Hard Migration Stance for New Dutch Election

Migration is a large and important subject, both politically and socially, Rutte told reporters in the Hague Friday night. Now that we cannot come to an agreement on this subject, we have jointly decided that the political support disappeared.

1. Whats next?

Rutte offered the governments resignation to King Willem-Alexander. A debate on the collapse of the cabinet will be held Monday at the lower house of the Dutch parliament, with lawmakers pulled back from their summer recess to attend. Rutte will kick off the discussion, scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m., with a statement. Dutch opposition parties have called a vote of no confidence in Rutte in an attempt to oust him as caretaker premier until the next election. The opposition will submit the motion during the parliamentary debate.

2. When is the election?

A vote will be held mid-November at the earliest, the countrys Electoral Council said Friday, given Dutch law that allows time for new parties to register and polling stations to be organized, among other factors. Until then, the cabinet will stay on in a caretaker capacity.

3. Will Rutte run again?

Theres a good chance Rutte, 56, will run again in pursuit of a fifth term. Hes the nations longest-serving Dutch prime minister and remains broadly popular, with an ability to shake off troubles, earning him the nickname Teflon Mark.

Rutte hinted last year that hes nowhere near done. I do feel that Im halfway through my time as prime minister, Rutte said, calling the role the most beautiful job in the world.

4. What are his chances?

Some polls suggest Ruttes party remains in the lead and that he might secure a new term by stitching together a different coalition. But Rutte also oversaw the worst Senate election result of his premiership this year as the Farmer-Citizen Movement, or BBB, became the biggest party in the Dutch upper house after opposing a government push to halve nitrogen emissions.

Rutte may turn to the right wing for coalition partners more in sync with his new stance on migration. Environmental policies, including the nitrogen crisis, will also be important topics for any deal.

5. What will it mean for policy?

Policymaking is likely to be at a standstill, putting decisions on hot-button issues like the housing market, climate and nitrogen targets on ice. Still, the caretaker cabinet must come up with a new budget for next year and unveil it in September during Budget Day, or Prinsjesdag. The budget is likely to lean heavily on pre-existing policies.

Rutte pledged that the caretaker cabinet will continue to support Ukraine in its military response to Russias invasion. He spoke on Saturday with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

6. What will the campaign look like?

Ruttes move to splinter his coalition over migration raised the possibility he was deliberately pushing his party to the right at a time when populism appears on the rise in Europe. Therefore, its likely that Rutte will try to keep the migration debate at center stage.

The coalitions collapse comes amid a rise of anti-migration sentiment, often stoked by the Freedom Partys Geert Wilders, who came to prominence for his anti-Islamic positions. Wilders has signaled hes willing to work with Rutte.

Although Rutte may be betting on a hard migration stance going into the next election, other challenges abound. The government has been dealing with issues including a lack of affordable housing and deterioration in health care and education amid a chronic labor shortage. Rutte also faces the fury of Dutch farmers over the governments goal of halving nitrogen output by by 2030. Thousands of farmers are likely to be forced out of business, and theyve formed a movement thats pushed the BBB to the forefront of Dutch politics.

7. Is there an impact on the upcoming export controls on ASMLs sales to China?

The US pressed the Netherlands and other nations to help stop China from further developing its own chip industry. Dutch and Japanese officials agreed in principle to join the US campaign. Export controls that will restrict more of ASML Holding NVs chipmaking machines from being sent to China are due to come into effect on Sept. 1 despite the domestic turmoil. The regulations will force ASML, the largest European tech firm by market valuation, to apply for licenses to ship some advanced deep ultraviolet lithography, or DUV, systems.

Rutte Coalition Falls Over Asylum Crisis as Dutch Face Vote

Ruttes Gambit Risks Unraveling as Dutch Rivals Seek His Ouster

Dutch Coalition at Risk With Farm Party Fighting Climate Targets

Angry Rebel Farmers Have Become the Worlds Latest Climate Enemy

ASML, Europes Most Valuable Tech Firm, Defines Global Chip War

ASML Hit With New Dutch Limits on Chip Gear Exports to China

(Updates with vote of no confidence in the fourth paragraph)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(CNN)  The BBC has suspended a male member of staff following allegations of sexual misconduct.

UK tabloid The Sun first reported Friday that a woman had accused an unnamed male BBC presenter of paying her teen child for sexually explicit photographs.

This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps, a BBC spokesperson said in a statement to CNN on Sunday, adding that it is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.

The BBC said in the statement that it first became aware of a complaint in May.

New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols, it said.

We have been clear that if  at any point  new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up, it added.

The broadcaster said that it would provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. It has not confirmed the identity of the presenter in question or their current status at the organization.

The Sun report has led to several BBC presenters releasing public statements on Twitter denying that they were the subject of the article.

Deeply concerning allegations

In a statement sent to CNN earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the United Kingdoms Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) stressed the need for the department to be kept informed of the progress of the investigation in light of the BBCs status as a public service broadcaster in receipt of public funding.

These allegations are deeply concerning, DCMS said in the statement.

The UK culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, also responded to the report Sunday, saying she has been assured by the head of the BBC that the broadcaster is investigating the allegations.

Frazer spoke to BBC Director-General Tim Davie on Sunday. In a tweet posted after the conversation, Frazer said Davie had assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively.

Given the nature of the allegations it is important that the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action. I will be kept updated, Frazer continued.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "BBC looking into allegations of presenters sexual misconduct."
HA NOI  Secutech Vietnam 2023, an international exhibition on security technology and fire safety and rescue, will be held in the capital city from July 19-21.

The exhibition will be jointly organised by the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, the Vietnam Advertisement and Fair Exhibition JSC (VIETFAIR) and the Messe Frankfurt Group from Germany.

The upcoming event attracts over 350 exhibitors from 23 countries and territories, including the UK, the US, France, Germany, India, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Viet Nam among others.

It will introduce advanced products and technologies in the field of fire-fighting, security, safety, prevention and rescue, and equipment used in industrial zones, roads, banks, buildings and smart houses.

During the press conference in Ha Noi late last week, the exhibition's organisers said they hoped that the event will help facilitate the application of new technologies, equipment and materials in firefighting, rescue, security and protection.

Organisers described Secutech Vietnam 2023 as a good chance for manufacturers and businesses to exchange information, share experiences, and find markets.

They added that it will also offer opportunities for functional units of State management in the field of security, safety, fire prevention and fighting and domestic enterprises to access advanced technologies, solutions and products and potential partners to contribute to effectively serving socio-economic development in a period of international integration, as well as protect the safety and lives of the people.

The event will feature a dialogue between the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, functional units of the Ministry of Construction, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and domestic and foreign enterprises to solve difficulties and obstacles in the field of fire prevention and fighting.

It will also include a seminar discussing fire prevention means and smart fire fighting technology applying the achievements of the industrial revolution 4.0.

Secutech Vietnam 2022 held in HCM City featured more than 250 booths of agencies, organisations, manufacturers and suppliers in the industry from many countries in the world.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam imported more than 239,000 tonnes of meat and meat products worth US$480 million in the first five months of this year.

The number climbed by roughly 1.6 per cent in terms of quantity but declined by 9.1 per cent in terms of value, according to the General Department of Customs of Viet Nam.

In May, Viet Nam imported 57.62 thousand tonnes of meat, worth $108.8 million, up 9.5 per cent in volume but down 10.2 per cent in value year-on-year. This marked its fourth monthly growth in import volume of meat and meat products.

During the period, the country imported from more than 36 markets, with the five largest suppliers being the US, India, Russia, Brazil, and Poland.

In particular, meat imports from Russia have steadily soared after decreasing in 2022.

The main types of imported meat and include poultry and offal, fresh chilled or frozen pork, and fresh chilled or frozen beef.

Imports of chilled or frozen poultry, offal of pigs, buffaloes, and cows were on the uptrend, while pork and beef imports decreased year-on-year.

In the first five months of 2023, Viet Nam imported 29,610 tonnes of fresh chilled or frozen pork, worth $73.62 million, down 19.9 per cent in volume and 5.7 per cent in value.  VNS
Jakarta  Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son leads a Vietnamese delegation to the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-56) in Jakarta, Indonesia from July 10-14, demonstrating the continuation of Viet Nam's commitments to and responsibilities for the region and the common work of ASEAN, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to ASEAN Nguyen Hai Bang.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Jakarta, Bang said that from the beginning of 2023, when Indonesia assumed its role as ASEAN Chair, Viet Nam has prepared thoroughly to be able to participate in and effectively contribute to all ASEAN activities.

At this meeting, the Vietnamese delegation will attend more than 20 meetings, contributing to strengthening solidarity and consensus in ASEAN and tightening cooperation between the bloc and its partners, thereby enhancing Viet Nams position and role in the bloc and at international forums.

Tasked with negotiating several documents of this meeting, the Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN has actively contributed to initiatives proposed by Viet Nam. Many major documents such as the joint statement expected to be adopted at this meeting have seen the contributions by the Vietnamese Delegation, and the Delegations of ASEAN countries and their partners.

According to the diplomat, the AMM-56 and related meetings are opportunities for participating countries to focus on discussing current issues such as economic recovery, trade and investment and supply chain stabilisation; and responding to such challenges as climate change, the development gap, the environment, diseases, energy security and food security.

As usual, this is an opportunity for ASEAN and its partners to discuss regional and global situations, and to affirm the strategic role and value of ASEAN-led mechanisms in promoting dialogue and cooperation. It also creates a forum for countries to exchange views and contribute to improving mutual understanding, narrowing differences, and fostering trust.  VNS
KIEN GIANG  The 14th AIPA Advisory Group Meeting (AIPA Caucus 14) commenced in Phu Quoc City, southern Kien Giang Province, with the theme "Promoting Innovation, Technology Transfer, Application, and Sustainable Development."

The conference is being chaired and hosted by the National Assembly of Viet Nam.

In his opening speech, Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Viet Nam Tran Thanh Man acknowledged the choice of the conference's discussion topic, emphasising the importance of promoting innovation, technology transfer, application, and development for sustainable growth. This theme reflects AIPA's sense of responsibility and initiatives in addressing regional challenges within the current global context and the unique conditions of each country.

During the 43rd AIPA General Assembly, several significant resolutions were adopted, providing practical solutions to contribute to ASEAN's shared goals. This conference presents an opportunity to review the implementation of those resolutions, ensuring their effective execution in line with the corresponding legal frameworks, Man said.

After 46 years of establishment and growth, and as the ASEAN community enters its 8th year of development, AIPA has made remarkable progress in multiple domains, solidifying its pivotal role within the regional organisation.

AIPA has contributed to the peace, stability, and security of the region, fostering a dynamic and highly integrated economy, as well as an inclusive, people-oriented, and people-centered community. Moreover, AIPA has become a trusted partner for countries and organisations within the region and beyond.

Man proposed that AIPA members engage in candid and open exchanges, sharing their practical experiences on topics of common interest within AIPA/ASEAN and related conference themes. These discussions would contribute to the Conference Report, which would be submitted to the General Assembly of AIPA-44.

During this event, the National Assembly of Viet Nam wants to showcase the country, its people, culture, and socio-economic achievements to international friends. It sought to strengthen and promote relations with parliamentarians from AIPA member countries, demonstrating their proactive spirit and willingness to cooperate for the stability, sustainable development, and prosperity of the ASEAN Community and the region.

The hosting of the 14th AIPA Advisory Group Meeting by the National Assembly of Viet Nam reflects the practical implementation of the Party and State's foreign policy, which aims to promote and elevate multilateral external relations until 2030.

This initiative also serves to enhance the role and position of the National Assembly of Viet Nam in regional and international inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanisms, particularly AIPA. Through these efforts, the National Assembly of Viet Nam reaffirms its active, responsible, and proactive participation within AIPA.

During the conference, the Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the Kien Giang Province's NA delegation highlighted the province's favourable natural conditions and potential for agro-forestry-fishery and economic development, including the marine economy, construction material production industry, processing industry, and trade, service, and tourism sectors.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam's new visa policy may help the country welcome 12 million foreign tourists this year, far surpassing the target of 8 million set previously, said Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretariat Director of the Viet Nam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB).

On June 24, the Vietnamese National Assembly approved the Law amending a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens, as well as the Law on Foreigners Entry into, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Viet Nam.

Per the new rules, upon being granted an e-visa, a foreigner can enter and leave the country an unlimited number of times within 90 days, without having to go through procedures for obtaining a new visa.

Citizens of countries that are unilaterally exempted from visas by Viet Nam will be allowed to stay visa-free for 45 days (up from 15 days) and can be considered for visa issuance and temporary residence according to regulations.

Currently, the e-visa issued by the Immigration Department to foreigners through the electronic transaction system is only valid once.

Chinh affirmed that Viet Nam's new visa policy is more favourable, which will give a very strong push to the tourism industry when the peak season of international tourism at the end of the year comes.

The more favourable policy will help the tourism sector diversify markets, increase the number of visitors to Viet Nam, prolong their stays, and increase their spending. In addition, this policy will help raise the number of air passengers, facilitate international trade exchanges, and attract more foreign investors to the country, Chinh stressed.

However, he noted that Viet Nam currently allows citizens of only 80 countries to apply for an e-visa, and applies visa exemption for international visitors from just 24 countries, a shorter list than other countries in the region such as Thailand (76), Malaysia (156) and Singapore (162).

Therefore, the list of visa-free countries, if quickly expanded, will create a great opportunity to attract more visitors to Viet Nam from the third quarter of this year, he said, adding that the more foreign visitors come, the sooner the country's tourism will recover fully.

At present, Viet Nam is applying the unilateral visa exemption policy to 13 countries, namely Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Belarus, the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

The TAB is proposing the Government expand the application of this policy from August to 33 other countries that include the remaining 20 countries of the European Union, and some other countries with large numbers of visitors to Viet Nam, such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland, Chinh added.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Lan, Head of the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said that the openness in visa policy will bring about dual benefits, as whether or not foreign visitors evaluate Viet Nam as an attractive destination depends on this policy.

According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a favourable visa policy can increase the number of foreign visitors by 5-25 per cent each year.

However, to make the most of this policy, the industry is advised to take concerted measures, including speeding up promotion activities, developing more typical and attractive products, managing destinations well and developing high-quality service staff.

Viet Nam welcomed over 5.57 million foreign tourists in the first six months of 2023, according to the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism.  VNS
Hong at - Thanh Liem - Nhut An *

According to experts and officials, human intervention such as excessive sand mining and the construction of hydropower dams that trap sediment from travelling downstream are primary factors contributing to rampant coastal and riverbank erosion in Viet Nams Mekong Delta region.

Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy General Director of the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said that erosion has been occurring with alarming severity.

He noted that this is a complicated matter, and knowledge of the specific conditions of rivers is needed to identify the causes of erosion. Tien said that adequate research and documentation are necessary for each river and coastal section.

He noted that: "Sand mining and storage, as well as hydroelectric dams, lead to the loss of the natural balance of sand and are major causes of current erosion in both riverbank and coastal areas.

Deputy Director of ong Thap Provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vo Thanh Ngoan said that the main cause of erosion in the area is the dynamics of the flow affecting the river bed's soft geological structure.

At the same time, rising sand dunes in the river bed also cause a change in the flow, leading to erosion.

Other factors include human activities like aquaculture and house construction and the impacts of climate change like rainfall fluctuations.

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent researcher, said the low-lying topographical features of the Mekong Delta region create more risk of erosion, especially during high tide in the coastal area, and heavy rainfall and in the wet season.

Diminishing sediment and sand triggered by illegal mining

Once a large source of sand, many areas in the Mekong Delta are now facing a critical shortage due to illegal mining that exhausts resources and destroys natural habitats in rivers.

Erosion on the banks of the Tien and Hau rivers in the Mekong Delta region has increased in both frequency and scale. A survey of sections of Tien River using the high-resolution shallow seismic method showed that its riverbed topography in has changed significantly in depth and material composition due to strong human impacts, mainly from riverbed sand mining.

Sand mining creates deep holes, changing the direction of riverbed flow and creating large whirlpools. This has a huge impact on the two sides of the river bank.

Overexploitation of river sand also leads to loss of riparian and aquatic habitats, destruction of local flora and fauna, and loss of habitat and cover for river beds. Mining sand directly from a riverbed also affects the density of fish and invertebrate populations. The noise and vibrations of heavy industrial equipment during sand mining can also drive away wild animals close to the river.

Researcher Thien said the Mekong Delta used to carry massive amounts of sediment and sand downstream. However, from 1992 onwards the amount has been decreasing while landslides have been on the rise.

The main reason is imbalances throughout the river system triggered by a lack of sand and sediment. It is also due to hydroelectric dams that block the flow of sediment downstream (Viet Nams Mekong Delta region is downstream of the Mekong River) and sand mining on the Mekong in all countries including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam.

According to Ha Huy Anh, Project Manager of Sustainable Sand Management in the Mekong Delta of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta is suffering a net loss of between 27.5 to 39.5 million tonnes of sand each year.

A survey of the project showed that the amount of sand recorded in Tan Chau Town (in An Giang Province), considered the largest sand mine in the Mekong Delta, is currently about 15 to 20 per cent of the amount of sand poured into the Delta 30 years ago.

River sand has long been classified as a common construction material under the 2010 Mineral Law. Sand mining conducted in a locality must be approved by the People's Committee of that locality.

However, illegal sand mining in the Mekong Delta region still occurs due to the increasing demand, even though the licensing of mining is limited. This is an alarming trend, contributing to the serious landslides that have been taking place throughout the region.

According to ang Trong Hai from the Centre for Environmental Information and Data (under the Vietnam Environment Administration ), river sand mining is increasingly common in the Mekong Delta.

Currently, there are 82 companies licensed to exploit 28 million tonnes of river sand per year. However, the reported amount of sand and the actual amount of sand extracted is difficult to control and illegal mining is still common.

The Ministry of Construction has warned that Viet Nams natural sand and gravel resources may be exhausted in the next 10 years.

The increasing demand for construction materials and levelling sand lead to illegal mining in many localities. The violators use many methods to bypass the authorities including exploiting at night or early in the morning, even organising night watches to notify each other when the authorities arrive.

In addition, many licensed firms fail to comply with the provisions of the granted license, including terms, mining capacity and locations.

ong Thap Provinces police stopped 20 cases of illegal mining with total fines of VN550 million since 2022.

Hoang Viet, Director of the project, said that although current sand mining activities are not sustainable, it is not feasible to stop sand mining immediately. Therefore, it is necessary to build a "sand budget".

The calculation of the resources needed will provide policymakers with an understanding of the amount of sand that can be exploited and the location of mining without causing negative impacts, he said.  VNS

* This is part of a four-episode series by Vietnam News Agency reporters on erosion in the Mekong Delta region.
For resident doctor Phan Kim Le, 28, day and night just blend into one.

She performed a procedure for a new patient admitted at in Bach Mai Hospital's Intensive Care Unit in Ha Noi when the clock struck 3am.

Bach Mai Hospital has around 150 emergency beds, with 73 of them located in the Intensive Care Unit, and always occupied by patients. Most are transferred here from other departments or lower-level hospitals in critical or life-threatening conditions. That's why the Intensive Care Unit at Bach Mai Hospital is likened to the "last fortress," or the "final line of defence."

At 5.30pm, Le, among a team of 30 medical professionals including specialists, resident doctors, and nurses, begin their night shift.

On average, each patient requires 50-70 tasks per day. This is a completely isolated area, so family members can not enter to provide care. From eating, changing clothes, personal hygiene, to X-rays, surgeries, and medication administration  when in critical condition, patients are immobile, entirely dependent on the nursing and medical staff. Communication with the patients is severely limited due to unconsciousness or weakened health. If they are able to interact, some may be delirious and not lucid. The doctors and nurses must pay close attention to meet the patients' needs, online newspaper Vietnamnet reported.

The job consumes lots of time. By 9pm, some doctors haven't even had dinner. Outside the MRI room, family members and patients are queuing, waiting anxiously.

A nurse flipped through the newly received medical records and quickly informed Doctor Le about the patient's deteriorating condition.

After completing medical training at Hanoi Medical University, Le passed the residency selection exam. Since 2021, she has been working dedicatedly as a resident doctor at the Intensive Care Unit of Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi.

"Nam, please help me," Le called out, poking her head out of the room. Several nurses left their unfinished tasks and rushed in but they couldn't restrain him as the elderly man continued to struggle and was uncooperative.

"It's even difficult to draw blood like this. Xuan, prepare a sedative for me. uc, prepare the paperwork for the patient's family to sign. First, I'll suction out the phlegm. There are signs of bleeding, so I'll perform a tracheal intubation procedure afterward." Taking charge of the case, Le became the attending physician directly responsible for treating this patient. She quickly delegated tasks to her colleagues for support, while preparing the necessary equipment. The entire team was busy at until 2.30am.

After completing the initial tasks for the newly admitted patient, Kim Le sat back at her desk. She suddenly remembered that she had forgot to call her parents tonight. Born in Nghe An, she moved to Hanoi for education, far away from home like many of her peers. When she was still a student, she would always call her parents every evening, and she would travel back to her hometown by train or bus on weekends. However, this habit gradually changed after she became a resident doctor.

"Coming and going at odd hours, there's no fixed schedule that matches my parents' activities, so the phone calls became less frequent," Kim Le said.

Most of her time during the day is for the patients. Le takes a minimum of two night shifts per week, along with day shifts, and occasionally additional night shifts. A night shift lasts from 5.30pm to 7am the next morning, followed by a meeting and continued work until the afternoon. Then she gets some rest and starts the cycle again. Being at the hospital frequently means having less time for other relationships.

"We joke that we visit our rented rooms to see our homes. As for our parents' homes in the countryside, it takes several months to visit family. It's no wonder that being single matches our real capabilities. When we are free, we prefer sleeping over having a date," she joked.

In reality, most of her peers have already married and have children at her age. However, her parents never pressure her because they know their daughter is too busy.

"I knew being a resident doctor would be tough, and everyone who has gone through it says the same. But it's only when you step into it that you truly understand what 'tough' means. Initially, everyone struggles with the intensity of this work, then, we adapt and it becomes a routine."

After deciding to pursue a career as a resident doctor, Le has temporarily set aside her personal life. She accepted that her parents have to take care of her tuition fees, and she relies on a meager subsidy for her living expenses. She shares that her main concerns are rent and food, but even the food expenses are minimal since she eats at the hospital. She doesnt spend any money on clothes, shoes, or cosmetics because "I'm in the hospital all day and don't need them."

"Next year, the tuition fees will increase, over forty million Vietnamese dong for a year. I only worry about how hard it is for my parents I can adapt to new challenges anyway." Le said hesitatingly. For her, being a resident doctor is the shortest path to improve her skills, and she's willing to sacrifice three years. She just feels a pang of guilt about not being able to repay her parents.

After 3am, the female resident doctor finally slumps onto her desk to rest her eyes after 11 hours of work. It was not even 15 minutes until she was awakened by an unexpected situation. Admitted to the department in critical condition, the treatment process faced many difficulties due to the patient's paralysed legs and a body weight of 100kg. During the night, the patient's heart rate dropped significantly, indicating a deteriorating condition and challenging progress. The continuous renal replacement therapy machine beside the bed operated non-stop. Meanwhile, the nurses continuously administered medication to stabilise the vital signs.

The family members outside had been informed about the high risk of death. After 30 minutes, the situation continued to worsen. Le and Doctor Kien were sent out to meet the family and report on the condition again, seeking their opinion. Holding the folded medical records, she took a deep breath and regained a calm demeanor before pushing the door to step out. Le articulated the current condition of the patient to the family so that they could understand clearly. "We deeply regret the worsening condition of your loved one," she said.

At this point, the family chose to sign the document to allow the patient to pass away peacefully without emergency measures.

Around 4am, the heart rate reached zero, the doctors removed the breathing tube, and they helped the family complete the procedures and call for a vehicle to transport the patient's body to the funeral home. An hour later, the vehicle arrived and they helped each other to carry the body down to the ground floor.

In reality, "the last line of defense" means every second and minute is a battle for life.

At 7am, a new working day continues with a tremendous workload. It's slightly easier compared to the night shift due to the addition of a team of high-quality medical interns. Each internship period, the department receives hundreds of students because training at the Intensive Care Center of Bach Mai Hospital is always the top choice for many young people.

Pham The Thach, Deputy Director of the Intensive Care Center, has been dedicated to his profession for 17 years. He wonders if it is due to the challenging difficulties that many students come to study, but they seem to disappear after graduation.

Thach doesn't deny the hardships that a doctor has to face. However, for him, every profession in society has its own difficulties so it is difficult to compare experiences.

"For me, the harder it gets, the more relentless efforts it brings forth. Progress can only be achieved through continuous exertion. If one is content with comfort and ease, then there's no need to strive for anything," he said. VNS
"Studying well does not mean working well" - This saying of Ms. Le Diep Kieu Trang is not only true for salaried people but also for startups; the fact that a CEO or Founder has a high degree or a beautiful profile (profile) does not guarantee the project will be successful.

WeFit - "Uber of the Fitness World"

In May 2020, Onaclover Technology Joint Stock Company - WeWow notified customers that it was forced to stop operating from May 11, 2020, because the company's operating capital was completely exhausted.

According to a WeWow representative, the company regrets to announce that after the crises encountered since the beginning of 2020, although it has made great efforts to reform, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, WeWow encountered other problems and unforeseen business and financial difficulties.

WeWow's WeFit - an application that allows users to participate in the system of hundreds of gyms in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City used to be a famous name in the startup village, considered the "Uber of the Fitness world".

Wefit started 2016 with a team of 12 people. At its launch, WeFit, with Founder Khoi Nguyen, emerged as a phenomenon.

Khoi Nguyen once entered the top 10 typical young faces of Vietnam in 2017, the top 3 potential CEOs in 2016 at the Startup Festival program organized by VTV, the Top 16 young faces in the capital of excellent startups in 2017, and once on the list of "30 under 30 Vietnam" voted by Forbes.

In 2017, WeFit announced it had received a $155,000 investment in a funding round led by venture capital fund ESP Capital. At that time, this startup was the 6th investment of ESP Capital - a Singapore-based investment fund that specializes in pouring capital into early-stage technology startups. Previously, WeFit received other investments from Vietnam Startup Accelerator Fund (VIISA) and angel investor Nhan Nguyen.

2019 was the peak year for WeFit when at the beginning of the year, this startup announced successfully raising $ 1 million from CyberAgent Capital. In July 2019, the registered capital of Onaclover (the company that owns Wefit) increased from 1.66 billion VND to 27.7 billion VND. More than 26 billion dong is foreign investment capital from WeLife Holding PTE.LTD of Singapore, accounting for 94% of the shares.

At that time, this startup set an expectation of one million app users in 2019 and continued to raise capital for series A.

However, the model of WeFit at the time exposed many vulnerabilities, in the sense of providing "an unlimited buffet" to all users and paying "turn-by-turn" to gym partners. In a word, the more enthusiastic users practice, the less profit the intermediary units make, even compensating for losses to survive.

Entering the first Covid year, cash flow difficulties became severe. The crisis officially broke out on the media front. Gym partners such as Salsa Spring, Beso Latino, F&P Dance Studio, GymPlus, and Divine Yoga & Dance Studio announced publicly to stop cooperating with WeFit. The main reason is not paying debts as committed; in some places, the debt is up to 100 million VND.

The KAfe and "million dollar girl" Dao Chi Anh

Dao Chi Anh (born in 1984) is a famous startup face in the F&B village. She was born in Russia, lived for a long time in Germany, Taiwan, then worked in Singapore for almost 8 years

Leaving a job earning thousands of dollars, Chi Anh opened a small kitchen studio on Xuan Dieu Street with a passion for cooking; soon, the model was expanded, and the name The Kafe became famous for its Asian style. Europe serves young people.

Modern space and beautifully prepared food made The KAfe emerge as a check-in phenomenon for young people then.

In October 2015, Dao Chi Anh successfully raised $5.5 million in the first round of funding from investment funds in London and Hong Kong, including famous investor Cassia Investments.

This brand has expanded its business scope with 26 branches in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City but then, starting in June 2016; The KAfe was accused of "misappropriating capital, delaying, not paying debts worth of value. up to VND 4 billion." However, the former CEO of KAfe Group denied it and said that "the two sides did not agree on the amount of debt, so it has not been resolved".

In mid-March 2017, information about the change of ownership of Kafe Cuisine Co., Ltd - KAfe Group was officially announced. Accordingly, the new owner of Kafe Group is KAFE Hong Kong Limited. Along with the change of owner, many stores of KAfe Group have closed or "disappeared", instead being rented and operated by other units.

Read more: After the failure of The KAfe, Dao Chi Anh started a new project  Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam

Prozy - a startup invested in by SoftBank, had to dissolve a service company in mid-2022

Propzy, a startup in prop-tech (application of technology in real estate), was founded in 2015 by Mr. John Le. The company is headquartered in Singapore.

The company was once considered a bright star in real estate technology when it received large investments from foreign investment funds. As of 2020, the company has raised $37 million in 3 funding rounds, with the participation of popular investment funds. Of which, $25 million came from Gaw Capital and SoftBank Ventures.

However, Propzy then continuously made moves to narrow its operations. They started laying off 50% of staff in September 2021 to restructure the business model.

On May 25, 2022, Propzy Service Co., Ltd. sent a notice of dissolution to the Department of Planning and Investment of Ho Chi Minh City. The cause of the dissolution is that the enterprise changes its business plan.

Prozy CEO and Founder Mr. John Le has an impressive resume. While in the US, in his early career years, Mr. John Le experienced many positions in the financial industry - capital markets of ContiFinancial and JP Morgan Chase. From 1998 to 2008, he founded startups Dotcom (LoanTrader), enterprise software (Portellus) and Mozaik Investment Fund in applying modern technology for financial management.

In the late 90s, John Le decided to found LoanTrader, the internet mortgage marketplace. LoanTrader raised more than $38 million, the largest private funding in Southern California for a financial technology company to that point, with leading equity firms such as Goldman Sachs, IAC, GE Capital, CitiGroup, Capital Z (Zurich), FBR Capital and OMERS. The company was eventually acquired by Fidelity (NYSE: FIS).

A year later, John Le started a startup again, founding Portellus in fintech. John Le has grown Portellus from 5 members into a company with over 300 employees, spanning 3 continents with clients such as Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, Lehman Bros, Bear Stearns, Fiserv, Deutsche Bank, and Discover Financial. Portellus was acquired by Fiserv in 2007.

Then, John and Mozaik jointly established TransUnion Vietnam in 2009. TransUnion Vietnam is the first private international credit information company in the Vietnam market.

Read more: Startup Shutdown: Vietnamese Proptech Startup Propzy Ceases Operations  Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam
Vietnam tourism grows beyond expectations



The number of international visitors increased sharply in the first 6 months of 2023

According to the Google Destination Insights report, Vietnam tourism was the 7th most searched destination in the period from March to June 2023. Vietnam is the only country in Southeast Asia made the top 20.

The number of international visitors to Vietnam is increasing day by day. According to the announcement of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the whole country welcomed more than 5.5 million international visitors in the first 6 months of 2023, reaching about 69% of the annual target (8 million visitors).







Particularly in June 2023, the number of international visitors to Vietnam reached 975,010 arrivals, up 6.4% compared to May 2023. Total revenue from tourists in the first 6 months of the year is estimated at 343.1 billion VND.

Most international tourists are from South Korea, followed by China, Taiwan, the US, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, and Australia.



Reasons why Vietnam tourism is becoming a 'hot spot'



Firstly, the diverse landscapes in Vietnam such as sea and islands, hills, terraced fields, and bustling urban areas must be mentioned. There are places such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An ancient town, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ha Giang,... Each location has its unique beauty and culture, attracting visitors.

Secondly, tourism services are increasingly improved, ensuring to bring the best experiences for tourists: diverse travel, dining, and resting services, making it easier for guests to understand Vietnam. 103 Vietnamese restaurants/restaurants have just been honored by Michelin on the world culinary map, contributing to promoting Vietnamese cuisine to international friends and attracting tourists to explore.

Thirdly, prices for traveling are affordable. According to Canadian travel site The Travel, Vietnam is one of the top 10 most affordable countries to work remotely worldwide. The cost of a trip to Vietnam is suitable for many tourists around the world.







The spread of social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google ads, and tourism-loving communities also help bring Vietnam's image closer to international friends. Many idols also choose Vietnam as a destination to perform, which also contributes to a large number of foreign visitors to Vietnam to see performances as well as travel to Vietnam.

It can be seen that, for many different reasons, Vietnam is chosen by many international tourists to travel.

Vietnam improves visa policy to promote tourism



To help Vietnam's tourism development, the government also needs to have policies so that tourists can easily enter Vietnam.

Accordingly, a new visa policy for international visitors has been approved. The visa exemption period increased from 15 days to 45 days for some countries. From August 15, visitors from countries eligible to apply for an e-visa to enter Vietnam will be valid for up to 90 days with one or more entries.

These visa changes will promote the development of Vietnam's tourism industry, attracting more international visitors to learn about Vietnam's culture, cuisine, and beautiful scenery.







It is hoped that inherent natural conditions, and positive changes in services and policies, will help Vietnam's tourism grow strongly, the image of a beautiful country, with many things to explore will be known by many people worldwide.





See more:

All tips for a trip to Ly Son Island, Vietnam 2023

Travel guide to Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark Vietnam for foreigners

Vietnam: Admire the outstanding scenery of Trang An Landscape Complex


The groundbreaking ceremony for Gia Binh II Industrial Park (IP), coupled with the announcement of a tech transfer cooperation contract for transmission transformer production and the signing of a construction contract, signified a significant milestone in the strategic collaboration between Hanaka Group and Takaoka Toko Corporation of Japan.

Eco-IP to transform Bac Ninhs fortunes

According to Hanaka chairman Man Ngoc Anh, the occasion not only solidifies Hanakas enduring commitment to present and future development but also presents a favourable opportunity to attract investors to Bac Ninh province, which is approximately 45km southwest of Hanoi.

The group has capitalised on its geographical advantages to conceive an idea, develop a project, and submit a comprehensive report to Bac Ninh Peoples Committee, seeking to act as the investor for the project.

The construction project for Gia Binh II adheres to a 1/2000 scale and aims to achieve sustainability by leveraging solar energy and wind power, as well as by implementing wastewater reuse in production processes to drive economic prosperity.

The project encompasses an ecopark model that emphasises circular economic principles, asset conservation, and the creation of a green, clean, and aesthetically pleasing environment. Spanning 261.8 hectares, the venture will designate 250ha for Hanaka Group.

The project will be strategically situated across the four communes of Nhan Thang, Binh Duong, Thai Bao, and Van Ninh in the district of Gia Binh.

With the aim of implementing the approved construction planning adjustments in Bac Ninh province before 2035 and with a vision to 2050, the project is focusing on constructing concentrated industrial areas that prioritise modern, clean industries to stimulate economic growth in the south Song Duong area and in the province itself.

The centralised IP is equipped with a comprehensive technical infrastructure system, attracting potential investors and accommodating current production and business ventures. The utilisation of modern, advanced technology assures a clean industry that minimises environmental pollution.

Furthermore, the project emphasises functional zoning and the appropriate spatial organisation of landscape architecture to align with the planning objectives. Notably, the architectural design of the facilities adheres to a modern and sophisticated style, suitable for industrial, administrative, and service purposes.

It also encompasses the organisation of green spaces, water surfaces, parking facilities, and technical infrastructure to ensure a harmonious landscape, a favourable environment, and convenient usage.

Benefiting from its strategic location in the southeastern region of Bac Ninh, Gia Binh boasts a rich historical heritage spanning thousands of years. The area benefits from well-established transportation networks, and is conveniently situated just 3km from National Highway 18 and 6km from Que Vo II IP.

Furthermore, Gia Binh is renowned for its traditional craft villages, such as Dai Bai bronze casting and Dong Ho painting, which further enhance connectivity with Bac Ninh city, as well as key economic centres in the northern region like Hanoi, Hai Duong, and Quang Ninh.

Notwithstanding its relatively late inception among the 16 concentrated industrial zones in Bac Ninh province, Gia Binh II has demonstrated exceptional efficiency in terms of land clearance and compensation. Presently, 248 out of the designated 250ha have been successfully cleared, and all the necessary procedures and conditions for commencing construction have been satisfactorily fulfilled.

The estimated capital for the project amounts to $167.18 million, with the investor contributing $50.76 million for its implementation. The project encompasses various essential components, including land clearance, levelling, the establishment of a comprehensive road network, water supply systems, communication facilities, tree planting, rainwater management, and the implementation of a wastewater drainage system.

The project also incorporates a centralised wastewater treatment system with a capacity of 7,000 cu.m daily, consisting of two modules, each with a capacity of 3,500 cu.m per day. Additionally, there are two lakes within the centralised wastewater treatment system, and each corresponds to a wastewater treatment module and possesses a capacity of 10,500 cu.m.

The industrial park is designed to engage investment in various sectors, including processing, manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing, as well as ICT.

The introduction of an eco-IP model in Bac Ninh represents a significant milestone. By incorporating cutting-edge technologies from developed nations, the initiative is poised to attract both domestic and international investors in high-tech and environmentally friendly industries, Hanaka said.

Consequently, the project will generate numerous job opportunities, ensuring stable incomes for a substantial workforce while bolstering the local economy. Moreover, it will create a pristine, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally sustainable landscape that holds great allure for potential investors, the company added.

Throughout the implementation phase, the project has obtained the necessary approvals from the Peoples Committee of Bac Ninh province, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the provincial Department of Construction, and other relevant agencies.

Bac Ninh IPs lure nearly 60 million USD in investment in July The total newly registered and adjusted investment capital that poured into the northern province of Bac Ninhs industrial parks (IPs) in July hit 59.96 million USD. Of the sum, 36.41 million USD was foreign direct investment (FDI).

Bac Ninh province seeks stronger cooperation with Gumi city of RoK The northern province of Bac Ninh and Gumi city of the Republic of Korea co-held a business forum in Bac Ninh city on October 20, aiming to intensify cooperation between the two localities as well as the two countries.

Foreign diplomats, businessmen gather to learn about Bac Ninhs charms The authorities of Bac Ninh and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on April 7 co-organised an event on learning about the northern provinces charming features, which gathered close to 150 foreign and domestic diplomats and representatives of foreign organisations and business associations in Vietnam.
(CNN)  President Joe Biden told CNN in an exclusive interview that Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership, saying that Russias war in Ukraine needs to end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks.

Biden told CNNs Fareed Zakaria that while discussion of Ukraines imminent membership in NATO was premature, the US and its allies in NATO would continue to provide President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.

Biden spoke to Zakaria ahead of his weeklong trip to Europe, which includes a NATO summit in Lithuania where Russias war in Ukraine and Zelenskys push for NATO membership will be among the key issues looming over the gathering.

I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, Biden said. For example, if you did that, then, you know  and I mean what I say  were determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in war. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case.

Biden said that hes spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that hes told the Ukrainian president the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.

I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO, Biden said, noting that he refused Russian President Vladimir Putins demands before the war for a commitment not to admit Ukraine because the alliance has an open-door policy.

But I think its premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because theres other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues, Biden said.

On Friday, the White House announced that the US was sending Ukraine cluster munitions for the first time, a step taken to help bolster Ukraines ammunition as it mounts a counteroffensive against Russia. Biden told Zakaria that it was a difficult decision to give Ukraine the controversial ammunition, but that he was convinced it was necessary because Ukraine was running out of ammunition.

The NATO meeting also comes as Sweden is seeking to join the Western alliance, a move that has faced resistance from Turkey and Hungary. Biden told Zakaria he was optimistic that Sweden would eventually be admitted to NATO, noting the key holdout, Turkey, is seeking to modernize its F-16 fleet, along with Greece, which has voted to admit Sweden.

Turkey is looking for modernization of F-16 aircraft. And (Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos) Mitsotakis in Greece is also looking for some help, Biden said. And so, what Im trying to, quite frankly, put together is a little bit of a consortium here, where were strengthening NATO in terms of military capacity of both Greece as well as Turkey, and allow Sweden to come in. But its in play. Its not done.

In the wide-ranging interview, Biden and Zakaria also discussed other key foreign policy challenges, including China, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Biden said that hes confident Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to replace the US as the country with the largest economy and military capacity in the world, but he said that he believes the US can have a working relationship with Beijing.

I think there is a way to resolve, to establish a working relationship with China that benefits them and us, Biden said. And the last thing Ill tell you, I also called him after he had that meeting with the Russians about this new relationship, etc. And I said, This is not a threat. Its an observation. I said, Since Russia went into Ukraine, 600 American corporations have pulled out of Russia. And youve told me that your economy depends on investment from Europe and the United States. And be careful. Be careful.

Biden said Xi didnt argue with him and noted that China has not gone full bore on Russia.

He talks about nuclear war being a disaster, there is such a thing as security thats needed, Biden said of the Chinese leader. So, I think theres a way we can work through this.

Asked whether he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, Biden said that Israels President Isaac Herzog was coming soon to the White House for a visit.

In March, Biden criticized Netanyahu for his now-scrapped plan to overhaul the countrys judiciary, a rare public instance where the two allies were publicly at odds.

Biden told Zakaria that he continued to believe a two-state solution was the correct path forward in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and he criticized some members of Netanyahus cabinet for their views on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Its not all Israel now in the West Bank, all Israels problem, but they are a part of the problem, and particularly those individuals in the cabinet who say, We can settle anywhere we want. They have no right to be here, etc., Biden said. And I think we were talking with them regularly, trying to tamp down whats going on and hopefully, Bibi will continue to move toward moderation and change.

Biden also defended his trip to Saudi Arabia last year, telling Zakaria a number of successes came from the visit, such as establishing Israeli overflights over Saudi Arabia. Asked whether the US would provide the Saudis with a defense treaty and civilian nuclear capacity, as Riyadh has requested, Biden said, Were a long way from there.

Whether or not we would provide a means by which they can have civilian nuclear power, and/or be a guarantor of their security  I think thats a little way off, Biden said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "CNN Exclusive: Biden says war with Russia must end before NATO can consider membership for Ukraine."
The dialogue featured Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Republic of Singapore, Dr. Tan See Leng; Vietnams Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung; executive chairman of Pacific International Lines Teo Siong Seng; chairman of FPT Corporation Dr. Truong Gia Binh; and former president of European Chamber of Commerce Singapore Federico Donato.

FPT joined a dialogue with ministers at the Singapore Regional Business Forum

During the conversation session, as a key highlight of the forum, they exchanged robust views on topics such as the energy transition, digital interoperability, business development and the tensions as well as prospects of building a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable future for the region.

Minister Dung emphasised the expansion of the cooperation space within the framework of the Vietnam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Agreement and the digital economy - green economy partnership, with a focus on areas in which Vietnam and Singapore have strengths and complement each other, such as digital transformation, energy transformation, green finance, as well as science and technology.

The FPT chairman said that digital transformation and green transformation must go hand in hand. Digital technology can make an important contribution to reducing emissions globally, towards green economic development.

He also mentioned popular green apps developed by FPT and its partners, such as iChangi, Parkway MyHealth360, Singapore Airlines Kris+, and MyStarhub.

Binh, however, noted that the most important thing in digital transformation and green transformation was to change the perception and thinking of state managers as well as businesses.

FPT's booth attracted the attention of many Singaporean business representatives

Also at the event, FPT's booth attracted the attention of many Singaporean business representatives. Singapore and Asia Pacific are one of FPT Software's three major markets. In 2020 and 2021, FPT in Singapore (FPT Asia Pacific) was honoured by Gartner as the top 40 out of more than 2,000 major technology service providers here.

In Singapore, FPT provides multi-sector services such as transportation, aviation, real estate, commerce, finance and banking, healthcare and telecommunications.

This was the first time Singapore Business Federation (SBF) had chosen to hold an overseas edition of this forum. Besides the conversation with Ministers segment, there were three other plenaries covering topics such as regional sustainability, opportunities for investors, tech innovation in ASEANs digitalisation development, and the future of human capital. A series of side activities included MOU signings, a launch ceremony, presentations by Vietnamese provincial leaders, online and offline business matching, an exhibition and industrial visits.

The choice of organising the first inaugural edition of SRBF in Vietnam reflects the importance Singapore places on its relationship with the country, with a focus on expanding cooperation to new growth areas such as the digital economy, cybersecurity, clean energy, sustainable development, and smart cities.

The seventh SRBF is one of the activities to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations and 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Vietnam. The event attracted over 800 business leaders, senior government officials and diplomats from more than 420 companies and organisations across 32 countries and economies.

FPT and Mila expand strategic partnership to advance responsible AI On June 2, Vietnams largest IT service provider, FPT, and Mila - Quebec AI Institute announced the renewal of a three-year strategic partnership agreement to promote responsible AI.

FPT Software Japan, Honda expand cooperation FPT Software Japan Co., Ltd. (FPT Softwares subsidiary in Japan) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement to expand cooperation in IT service management.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, PLE has firmly established itself in the global construction arena. Since its inception in 1988, the company has evolved from a purveyor of electromechanical contracts to a full-service construction and engineering firm involved in a multitude of high-profile projects, both domestically and internationally.

PLE's contributions to the Bangkok skyline stand as testament to its expansive reach and capabilities, with several landmark constructions under its belt. Notable projects include the 2007 mixed-use SOHO building, encompassing five subterranean levels, and the sprawling Chamchuri Square project, completed in 2008. Bolstering its portfolio are contributions to various prestigious office buildings, including the MEA and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission's new office.

The crowning achievement of PLE has been its role as the electromechanical contractor for the Thai Parliament House project, currently the largest parliamentary structure in the world.

2020 marked another milestone for PLE with the successful completion of a satellite airport in Bangkok, valued at approximately $404 million. The challenging project necessitated the installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, along with an ICT network within a vast 220,000 square meter area. Despite the demanding requirements, PLE's skilled 4,000-strong team was able to complete the project, further cementing its reputation for technical prowess.

PLE's expertise in managing intricate electromechanical systems significantly strengthens the Hoa Lu consortium's competitive position for the airport project bid. The company's addition to the consortium boosts the alliance's collective capabilities, thereby increasing the probability of securing the prestigious contract.

Discussing PLE's participation in the consortium, chairman Swake Srisuchart said, The Long Thanh International Airport project, which is approximately 1.5 times larger than PLE's recently completed satellite airport project, presents an opportunity for the company to leverage its expertise in electromechanical work, so it's a new challenge for us.

However, we are seasoned professionals, unequivocal leaders in the electromechanical sector in Thailand, and given PLE's extensive experience, we are fully equipped to navigate the complexity of this assignment with considerable finesse, he added.

Srisuchart further noted that the magnitude of a venture like the Long Thanh International Airport necessitates collaboration from multiple parties.

"It demands an array of resources, significant manpower, and substantial finances, all of which are beyond the capacity of a single contractor. Each member will bring its own unique strengths and expertise as the consortium strives to meet the ambitious 36-month construction deadline," he said.

The geographical proximity between Thailand and the Long Thanh project, with only a one-hour flight away, was a decisive factor in PLEs decision to participate.

In addition to delivering the new terminal at Suvarnabhumi on time and to standard, PLE successfully met the challenge of integrating operations of the new and the old terminal, built 20 years apart.

Bolat Duisenov, chairman of Coteccons Group, stressed the strategic significance of their alliance with PLE.

"The consortium is not an exercise in optics, it is a meticulously considered partnership, grounded in a rigorous evaluation of potential partners' credentials, capabilities, and a compatible work culture," he said.

Our approach is to foster a symbiotic relationship between domestic and international expertise. The vision for the passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport is a complex yet rewarding challenge. Therefore, we endeavour to find partners with proven track records and work cultures that embraces and celebrate diversity and mutual respect, Duisenov added.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) unveiled plans on July 5 for the construction of the $1.46 billion passenger terminal for Long Thanh International Airport to commence in August. The plans, known as 'Package 5.10', mark a significant milestone in the nation's ambitious three-phase airport project.

Tran Quang Tuan, chairman and CEO of Central Construction JSC, is optimistic that securing Package 5.10 would represent another significant leap in the international trajectory of Vietnamese construction companies. This breakthrough, he believes, will inspire other Vietnamese enterprises to compete on a global level, further highlighting the nation's economic and industrial potential.

Le Viet Hai, chairman of Hoa Binh Group, a member of the Hoa Lu consortium, emphatically stated his belief in the consortium's capabilities, saying, "We have the utmost confidence in the consortium's unrivalled expertise. We possess a wealth of local insights and a remarkable track record of delivering complex projects. Our fusion of local know-how and international expertise positions us perfectly to excel in the Long Thanh project."

The Hoa Lu consortium, comprises Coteccons JSC, UNICONS Investment LLC, Thanh An General Company, DELTA Construction Group LLC, Central Construction JSC, An Phong Construction JSC, Hoa Binh Construction Group JSC, and PLE.

It's one of three groups bidding for Package 5.10, a part of the first phase of an ambitious project overseen by the ACV, with Hoa Lu the only consortium headed by a Vietnamese firm.

The winners of the bid are expected to be announced at the end of this month.
According to Pham Truong Tam, director of Hung Yen Industrial Zones Management Authority, in the first half of this year, the authority received 26 projects, including eight domestic and 18 international ones, worth $272.6 million. Besides that, 25 existing projects acquired $102.1 million in supplemental capital during the period.

The authority has been collaborating with investors to increase marketing activities in order to attract more activity in the industrial zones (IZs).

Signing ceremony for high-tech funding at Industrial Park 5 in Hung Yen

The majority of investment is for high-tech sectors such as mobile device and electronic component manufacturing, and IT. Other manufacturing sectors are also well-represented, such as aluminium refactoring and food processing, among others.

Hung Yen is currently home to 17 planned IZs, covering a total area of 5,000 hectares, of which 11 have seen $1.02 billion of funding.

With focus on infrastructure and facilities, nine IZs have been put in operation, with occupancy rate currently ranging from 15 per cent to 84.5 per cent.

Among 22 countries who have landed ventures into the zones, Japan sits atop with 142 projects, representing $3.32 billion in value, accounting for over half of the projects and 61 per cent of total investment.

Production line of Daikin Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Hung Yen

In second place is China with 49 projects, worth $728 million in total registered capital, and South Korea in third with 52 projects valued $575 million.

Other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, and Thailand have a total of 37 projects, collectively accounting for 12.9 per cent of projects and 15 per cent of investment.

During operation, all investors have appreciated the advantages of investing in Hung Yen. In 2006, Sumitomo Corporation invested in Thang Long II IZ to allure secondary businesses.

Meanwhile, Long Thanh II IZ is currently in its third phase. Established by Sumitomo Corporation in 2006, the project has enticed six businesses who have registered around $500 million.

The occupancy rate in Thang Long II IP reached 68 per cent

Hiroyoshi Masuoka, director of Thang Long II IZ Co. Ltd. said, Hung Yen has provided timely support for businesses. There have been discussions with the investors and the labourers in the IZ to bolster mutual understanding. We highly appreciate the support of the local authority and hope that Hung Yen will keep on this level of support in the future.

Aside from the advantages of facilities and investment environments, Hung Yen has paid heed to feedback from businesses and their investors.

Hung Yens investment environment has been constantly improved, mirrored by the Provincial Competitiveness Index, which has seen Hung Yen jump 28 ranks in 2022, sitting at 14th out of all localities across the country.

In addition, the index that ranks the level of environmental friendliness from a market point of view has also put Hung Yen in 14th position.

Aside from the advantages of facilities and investment environments, Hung Yen has paid heed to feedback from businesses and their investors. In April, the province held a conference to gather opinions in an attempt to find resolutions to ease business operations.

Overseas investors boosting rooftop solar presence at IZs Many foreign investors are funding rooftop solar panels in Vietnam to meet the increasing demands of industrial zone developers and transition towards sustainable energy sources.

Hung Yen creates momentum to improve investment environment The northern province of Hung Yen has taken drastic actions to improve its business and investment environment, and its efforts have paid off.

Hung Yen boasts FDI investment appeal Foreign direct investment (FDI) has become Hung Yens highlight, making significant contributions to the provinces socioeconomic development by creating jobs and increasing revenue for the provincial budget.
Singaporean interest in Vietnam flourishes

Visiting Vietnam last week to attend the Singapore Regional Business Forum (SRBF) on July 7, Ashleigh Toh, Strategy and Innovation manager at tech service provider NCS, said it felt different to her previous visits, and this time she expected to seek partners and business opportunities.

Its great to see a bit more focus on building up capabilities within the country and the use of technology, and I was very excited, she said. We want to continue to expand within APEC, with Vietnam being one of the markets.

NCS, which is a member company of Singtel Group, has a huge presence in Singapore. It also has a small team in Hanoi, serving various clients.

BIPO Service Singapore was also at the forum, and has had an office in Hanoi for six years. We seek to collaborate with Vietnamese companies to go out into the wider global market to go beyond Vietnam, Albert Liew, managing director for Singapore and Indochina, told VIR.

We hope we can serve as a catalyst to help drive this because we provide a piece of software that can be applied across multiple geographic domains.

Technology and digital transformation are among new growth areas Vietnam and Singapore are targeting to boost ties. The others are clean energy, sustainable development, and smart cities. This trend is being enforced by Singapore and Vietnams Green Digital Economic Partnership MoU signed in February this year, and a number of MoUs and commitments made at the SRBF.

Twelve MoUs in sustainability, digitalisation, financial services, and human capital development were signed at the event between public and private sector organisations from Singapore and Vietnam, including between trade associations and business chambers, as well as higher education institutions and financial institutions. They will deepen collaboration opportunities between Singapore and Vietnam.

In the banking field, during the forum, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and UOB launched a joint corporate social responsibility initiative to nurture young talent in finance, technology, and innovation.

Kok Ping Soon, SBF CEO said, The region is ripe for an acceleration of regional collaboration and growth. The agreements signed today are reflective of the keen interest in deeper collaboration to seize regional opportunities and build stronger businesses and economies. SBF will support our companies to be part of the regions growth.

As part of the event, 24 Singapore businesses in services, manufacturing, and lifestyle/consumer industries took a tour of key economic sites in northeastern province of Quang Ninh to learn about potential business opportunities there. They also learned about the emerging business landscape and investment opportunities in Haiphong, Hung Yen, and Nghe An.

Separately, the Singapore Furniture Industries Council also led a delegation of 20 business leaders from 15 member companies to explore potential collaborations with Vietnamese companies.

Singapore is the second-biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total number of 3,200 projects and accumulative registered capital of $73.4 billion, according to Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment. Singaporean businesses have joined almost all of Vietnams business sectors.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese investors have poured money into about 150 projects in Singapore with the total registered capital of $700 million, mostly focusing on professional activities and sci-tech.

Singapore is also a leading trade partner of Vietnam in the region, with total two-way trade turnover reaching $9.2 billion in 2022, up 11.6 per cent from 2021.

According to the Ministry for Manpower and Ministry for Trade and Industry in Singapore, the digital economy and green economy are two emerging areas presenting vast opportunities for Southeast Asia. The ministries have proposed three areas where Singapore and Vietnam can work hand-in-hand to seize the opportunities of the next decade and deepen bilateral cooperation: innovation, energy connectivity, and sustainability.

There is significant growth potential in green economic growth in Southeast Asia. An estimated $1 trillion of green economic opportunities is expected to be generated by 2030, and governments within the region have demonstrated increasing commitment to address climate change.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said, Vietnam is promoting green growth and action towards achieving the net-zero commitment by 2050. And the country welcomes businesses who have strong expertise, and a powerful finance capacity to join the effort.

Similarly, Southeast Asias digital economy is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. Southeast Asian countries are strengthening digital economy cooperation through regional agreements such as the ASEAN E-Commerce Agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the proposed ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, in which negotiations will be launched later this year.

Deals signed at the Singapore Regional Business Forum - Singapore Business Federation and the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment - Singapore Business Federation and Techcombank - Techcombank, Kyriba Singapore, and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu - PSA Vietnam and Saigon Newport Corporation - UOB Limited and the FIA - UOB FinLab, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Foreign Trade University, and Vietnam National Innovation Centre - Keppel, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Vietnam National Innovation Centre - National University of Singapore and Vietnam National Innovation Centre - Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park - Forte Biotech Vietnam and College of Aquaculture and Fisheries of Can Tho University

Le Minh Khai - Deputy Prime Minister The Vietnam-Singapore relationship has never been as good and comprehensive as it is today, to be considered a typical example of a dynamic and effective relationship in ASEAN, becoming a model to promote cooperation mechanisms in the region and beyond. Specifically, 12 Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks across nine cities and provinces of Vietnam are operating effectively, becoming symbols of economic cooperation between the two countries. This bilateral cooperation is good, but still not really commensurate with the cooperation potential of the two sides. A new development context includes some challenges, but also opens up great opportunities to continue to reach new heights. Therefore, I suggest some orientations. Firstly, businesses of the two countries need to be more proactive, utilising the most of each others capabilities and comparative advantages, dynamism, and creativity. Businesses should do all to deliver on commitments, performance and efficiency should be good, and legal regulations should be adhered to. The government of Vietnam commits to create the best environment for businesses of the two countries to cooperate in favourable business, such as maintaining socio-political and macroeconomic stability; removing bottlenecks of the economy in terms of legal institutions, infrastructure, and human resources; developing supply chains and reducing transaction costs, especially logistics and administrative costs; and building an environment-policy stability with high predictability and transparent implementation. Secondly, we are both members of new-generation free trade agreements, so I suggest businesses of the two countries to make effective use of the benefits brought by them, contributing to the multilateral trading system and to the economic recovery of the two countries and the region. Thirdly, Singapore is known as the leading financial centre in the region. Vietnam welcomes the Singaporean business community to continue to support Vietnam in accessing shifting investment sources, green finance, and serving the needs of sustainable development in such emerging fields as innovation, smart infrastructure, green transport, startups, high-quality human resource training, and climate change response. Fourth, the two sides should promote investment and cooperation in the areas that Singapore has experience and strengths, and Vietnam has needs and potential for development, especially eco-industrial parks in associated with smart cities, eco-urban areas, high-quality services to develop urban-industrial ecosystems, digital transformation, energy transformation, and training high-quality human resources. Fifthly, we should continue to expand the scope of cooperation, and promote the role and effectiveness of the cooperation framework connecting the two economies of Vietnam-Singapore and the digital economy and green economy partnership framework, which was approved by the two countries in February. In particular, it is necessary to maximise the effectiveness of the Vietnam-Singapore joint working group on innovation to strongly promote comprehensive cooperation in innovation and startup support. Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment In the coming time, in order to take advantage of the opportunities of the global economic recovery and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the two sides need to expand the cooperation space within the framework of the agreement to connect the two economies and the economic relationship in digital and green economy, focusing on areas such as innovation, digital transformation, energy transformation, green transformation, green finance, and sci-tech. Regarding green growth and sustainable development goals, Vietnam realises that these are ambitious goals, but an inevitable development direction, requiring resources and a breakthrough development strategy, especially need the active support of the international community throughout the implementation process. Vietnam wants Singapore and foreign partners to continue to cooperate and support Vietnam in policy consultation, transfer of modern technology and new economic models, and in attracting investment, funds, financial institutions, and especially multinational corporations. Green growth is a general trend globally, and Vietnam is well aware of this issue. So we want to access specific experiences, solutions, and green financial resources. Regarding the digital and green economy, the Vietnamese government is transforming the growth model to a sustainable direction, not only in terms of environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation but also covering culture, energy, food, and population. In the field of energy, the MPI is advising the government on four priority areas for development in the coming years as a new driving force, including innovation, an international financial centre in Ho Chi Minh City, semiconductor chips, and hydrogen. Innovation and entrepreneurship are among the important driving forces and resources in economic development in Vietnam. The National Innovation Centre under the MPI, which will be launched in Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in October, expects to be one of the top centres in the region and welcomes Singaporean organisations and businesses to join, support, and cooperate. We do hope that foreign enterprises, including Singaporean ones, continue to pay attention to Vietnams investment environment. The Vietnamese government has been making great efforts in the reform process, boosting competitiveness, and reducing costs to support businesses. Edwin Tan - Deputy CEO Frasers Property Vietnam Singapore and Vietnam have strong bilateral ties, and Singapore has always been known as a strategic partner, the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam. It is understood that to date, Singapores foreign direct capital in Vietnam has accumulated to exceed $73 billion. Much of these investments were riding on regional free trade agreements between both countries. Moreover, Vietnam has strong macro-fundamentals and a relatively stable political environment, which supports investment growth. Frasers Property has been investing in Vietnam for more than 25 years and has viewed the Vietnamese market as a key one for our development and investment portfolio, including the Grade A office Me Linh Point in the central business district of Ho Chi Minh City, a mixed-use residential development in District 2. More than 180 hectares of industrial land area, within strategic locations in both north and south of Vietnam, has been acquired and we expect that over the next 3-5 years, close to a million square metres of international grade and green certified industrial facilities will be developed to support the countrys growing manufacturing economy. The ramping up of our real estate portfolio and our focus on delivering quality products stand as a strong testament of our commitment to Vietnam for the long run. We are focused on placemaking to create value for the community and all stakeholders. Sustainability is at the core of our development strategy and we are very glad that Vietnam as a country is increasingly committed to the environmental, social, and governance agenda. We have heard directly from Vietnams leadership at international summits regarding the countrys green targets, which aligns with our group-wide sustainability goal of attaining net-zero by 2050. With such alignment, we think we are in a good position to continue to grow our investments and support the countrys growth. Joseph Low - President, Real Estate Division Keppel (Vietnam) Singapore and Vietnam enjoy strong economic ties and bilateral trade continues to grow steadily. Since entering Vietnam more than three decades ago, Keppel has grown with Vietnam and is today one of the largest foreign real estate investors in the country. As Vietnam continues to undergo rapid urbanisation, future investment flows from Singapore to Vietnam are expected to remain positive, underpinned by economic growth and an expanding middle class, as well as the governments efforts. We are well-placed to continue contributing towards Vietnams sustainable development. In particular, it can bring in investors to fund the creation of high-quality projects through our quality investment platforms and asset portfolios. A good example is the Keppel Vietnam Fund, our private fund which combines capital from Keppel and global institutional investors to co-invest in residential developments, commercial properties as well as mixed-use projects and townships in Vietnam. To date, the fund has invested in five high-quality residential projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. When fully leveraged and invested, the fund will potentially have assets under management of approximately $1 billion. Wee Ee Cheong - Deputy chairman and CEO, UOB Vietnams GDP growth in recent years has been one of the strongest in the region. With our extensive network in ASEAN, UOB is well-positioned to connect global companies to this fast-growing region. We are pleased to extend our MoU with Vietnams Foreign Investment Agency to further facilitate overseas funding inflows, which will in turn create more jobs. Since our first MoU with the agency in 2015, our foreign direct investment advisory unit has helped over 250 companies expand into Vietnam. With this MoU renewal, we will promote quality foreign funding into Vietnam, with a focus on technology, digitalisation, sustainability, renewable energy, semiconductors, and financial services. Separately, we will also sign five MoUs between UOB FinLab Vietnam and several government agencies and higher institutes of learning in both Vietnam and Singapore. There will be regional internship opportunities for the students, as part of the Global Entrepreneurial Internship Programme. In addition, UOB and the SBF will make a contribution to the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City. The contribution will equip their students with skills and hands-on experience so that they can be future-ready in the digital era.

Singapore Regional Business Forum: Techcombank commits to further partnerships The Singapore Regional Business Forum in Hanoi on June 7 attracted great attention from Singaporean fintech companies looking for new opportunities.
The Improve Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Yen Bai province launch workshop attracted the participation of more than 70 delegates, including leaders of Save the Children International (SCI), representatives of donor Daiichi Sankyo, deputy director of the department of Health, department of Education and Training, Provincial Women's Union, Yen Bai Provincial Youth Union, Department of Finance and others.

The project launching workshop in Yen Bai province on July 4

This project aims to prevent child marriage, early childbearing and childbirth, and to protect maternal and child health through the provision of child-friendly visual aids and training guidelines.

Activities that strengthen education on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) care and support the provision and management of hygiene products for ASRH care services are to be conducted, thereby improving access and quality of the sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents (15 to 19 years old).

At the launch workshop, participants discussed the coordination between stakeholders, the current situation and difficulties encountered in the project, implementation methods with the highest efficiency, and the role of the project to the community.

The participants discussed the coordination between stakeholders

According to Yen Bai Department of Health, the pregnancy rate among adolescents aged 15-19 in 2021 was 15.5 per cent in Mu Cang Chai district and 9.6 per cent in Van Chan district.

Also, this year, the rate of home delivery (without support of trained health workers) was respectively 63.1 per cent and 13.5 per cent in Mu Cang Chai and Van Chan. In addition, there are numerous other issues concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) such as non-consensual sex, child marriage, unsafe abortions, and the high risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

The Vietnamese government has made great efforts to improve the situation regarding adolescents SRHR and has encouraged people to be equipped with sexual and reproductive knowledge and skills, but for ethnic groups living in the mountainous regions, further interventions are a pressing need.

The project will contribute to the achievement of Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages and Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As a pharmaceutical company aiming to contribute to the enrichment of the quality of life around the world, the Daiichi Sankyo Group is committed to continuously creating innovative medicine and resolving healthcare access issues in regions with weak healthcare infrastructure.

Lack of health services hit the elderly Despite possessing a promising market with about 20 million potential customers in the near future, health and wellness services specifically for elderly people in Vietnam have not developed in line, or met their increasingly diverse needs.

Healthcare pros call for legal advances in telehealth Despite strong interest among medtech businesses and hospitals, the legal framework for telehealth performance in Vietnam remains incomplete, making the amendment to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment an ever-urgent need.
Thi Vai Terminal received its first LNG vessel on July 10, with a shipment of nearly 70,000 tonnes from the Indonesian port of Bontang. PV Gas, the first organisation in Vietnam eligible for LNG import and export, announced the ship's arrival last week.

Pham Van Phong, general manager of PV Gas, met with Marion Powell-Wust, executive for business development at United States ExxonMobil, in Hanoi to discuss the Thi Vai project's commercial operations.

Several additional energy suppliers are actively pursuing opportunities to sell LNG to Vietnam. Elena Golm, head of Oil and Gas Coverage at Novatek, previously came to Hanoi to discuss the potential of selling LNG with PV Gas executives. The two parties also reviewed investment partnership opportunities in LNG projects in Vietnam.

Vietnam is progressively transitioning its dependence from coal imports to LNG imports. According to the country's Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), the demand for LNG imports is expected to reach 14.46 million tonnes per year by 2030 and grow by 1.92 million tonnes per year by 2035. LNG use is currently growing at a rate of 26 per cent a year, the highest rate among primary power sources, and now accounts for 27 per cent of total power capacity, as outlined in PDP8.

"Vietnam is speeding up its energy transition from coal to gas power generation," said Yoon Hee-seong, director general of the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) last month. "KEXIM is going to promote South Korean engineering, procurement, and construction firms that are involved in such projects."

Hee-seong reported that at the end of June, KEXIM signed a MoU on a credit issue to Long An Energy Corporation, a joint venture between VinaCapital and GS Energy, for the development of two combined cycle gas turbine plants and a $3.13 billion LNG storage system in Long An province.

PDP8 calls for the construction of 13 LNG-fired power stations with a combined capacity of 22.4 GW by 2030, the first of which is anticipated to enter service by the end of 2024. Gas power, with its ability to operate in the background and be ready to supplement power to the system quickly when renewable energy resources underperform, is favoured by Vietnamese authorities.

PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) is one of the businesses that has benefited from gas-to-thermal power development. The corporation implemented the Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 thermal power plant projects in 2019, the first LNG-fired thermal power venture in Vietnam, with a capacity of 1,500 MW and a total investment of $1.4 billion.

However, the majority of domestic energy developers argue that policies around output and the purchase price of electricity will be the determining factors in whether LNG becomes a primary power source within the current decade.

According to Vu Van Loi, chief of PV Power's Investment and Construction Department, Vietnam lacks a sufficient structure for LNG electricity tariffs.

"The country requires regulations and technical guidelines on the design, construction, transportation, operation, and maintenance of import terminals, as well as on the safety of fuel transportation, loading, offloading, and storage," Vu said.

However, Pham Quang Huy, deputy director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam said, "Negotiation of a gas power purchase agreement can be challenging because each plant requires a high commitment rate of 60 per cent or more of contracted power output to borrow capital for project implementation and sign long-term gas purchase contracts."

According to Huy, Electricity of Vietnam only negotiates contracted power output based on the actual demand and the facility's electricity pricing on the electricity market.

Vietnam needs new regulations to develop agri-tourism real estate: experts Vietnam needs to issue regulations and an overall strategy for developing the agri-tourism real estate market, according to experts.

AC Energy makes $165 million acquisition of Super Energy projects AC Energy's strategic acquisition of Super Energy's solar energy business in Vietnam exemplifies the growing momentum behind Southeast Asia's renewable energy landscape.
In a recent working visit to Belgium, Vietnamese Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, along with his delegation, engaged in significant dialogue with the Belgian authorities to fortify mutual ties and cooperation.

During a meeting on July 4, Minister Phoc and his team engaged with Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Vincent Van Peterghem on discussions about Vietnam's economy, where Belgium's support for Vietnam's initiatives took centre stage.

Vietnam's macroeconomic situation has seen steady progression in the first six months of the year. This growth is underscored by a consistent positive trend in production, export, enterprise development, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows.

The country has managed to control its debt safety indicators, driving a marked improvement in its public and government debt portfolios by increasing domestic debt proportions and reducing foreign ones.

The Belgian DPM welcomed the efforts made by Vietnam and vowed to extend the country's support in various areas where Belgium possesses notable strengths.

Minister Phoc requested the Belgian government to augment its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam by adopting direct budget support methods and providing more autonomy to the beneficiaries.

Vietnam is keenly exploring the introduction of a global minimum tax policy and appreciates Belgium's guidance in this matter.

"Given the complexity of implementing the GMT, as outlined in the EU Directive which takes effect on January 1, 2024, we look forward to leveraging Belgium's experience in its adoption," he said.

DPM Van Peterghem indicated his intent to instruct specialised agencies to continue research, coordination, and support for Vietnam in the future. He also promised to address Vietnam's proposals related to ODA loans and grants.

During his visit, Minister Phoc met Jean-Paul Servais, chairman of Belgium's Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA), who concurrently heads the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Minister Phoc highlighted the successes of Vietnam's securities market and its future development direction.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance is in the process of formulating a strategy to evolve its securities market by 2030, centred around four key pillars: commodities, trading markets, intermediaries, and investors. Special emphasis will be placed on the significant expansion of the network of institutional investors, adhering to the direction of green financial development, serving the goal of sustainable growth.

The minister suggested multiple strategies to propel the collaboration between both sides, with the State Securities Commission participating as a full member of IOSCO.

"We wish to continue receiving extended support from you as chairman of the FSMA and IOSCO for the development of Vietnam's securities market," he proposed.

He also called for technical assistance in developing a modern, effective market surveillance system capable of early detection of market violations.

Additionally, Minister Phoc expressed his desire for Vietnam to host an upcoming annual IOSCO conference, seeking Servais's backing for the proposal.

Servais, impressed with Vietnam's stock market development direction, pledged his support and encouraged Vietnam to apply to host a future IOSCO conference.

Vietnam, Belgium promote partnership in seaport, logistics There are great opportunities for Belgian investors in the development of seaports in Vietnam, a country owning a coastline of over 3,200km, heard a conference held in Anvers city of Belgium on June 12.

Vietnam mitigates global minimum tax issues for foreign investors Vietnamese tax officials are strategising resource allocation and customised support mechanisms to alleviate the consequences of the global minimum tax (GMT) on foreign enterprises, ensuring an appealing investment climate.

Lessons for Vietnam in global corporate tax transformation Countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and others have announced many drastic moves to find solutions to deal with and retain investors in anticipation of possible impacts of the global minimum tax (GMT).
Robinson leaders for the past decade have ballyhooed a 630-acre tract at Loop 340 and Interstate 35 as a prime attraction for industrial prospects, and in recent months they have sweetened the pot by starting a major road project down the middle of it.

The hype was not misguided, City Manager Craig Lemin said in an interview, and some large prospects are eyeing the site owned by the Waco Industrial Foundation.

But he swatted away rumors that the recent road construction has generated, including speculation that a giant Costco store was coming. In fact, no business has announced plans to build there, he said, and most of the interest has been in industrial rather than retail development.

Were compiling information, Lemin said. They have asked for non-disclosure agreements, and all are pretty picky. They say if their names get out, they will look elsewhere.

The mile-long roadway now under construction will connect the Interstate 35 frontage road and Greig Drive in Robinson, creating access to the innards of a tract that despite its size and prime location have gone undeveloped.

Over the years, talks with businesses looking at the site would create excitement then disappointment as prospects vaporized, Lemin said.

They would show interest for a while, then having no road would become a sticking point. When will it be there? they would ask, he said. That objection can be taken off the table.

Though only half finished, the link from I-35 offers significant access, Lemin said. Prospects have noticed, and he now fields inquires almost every week.

The $5.4 million first phase launched in January, with officials hoping crews would complete the first 3,000 feet of roadway by April. That timetable has been altered as rainfall delayed drainage work, but Lemin said the work is now winding down. Crews with Gage & Cade Construction are building a 48-foot-wide roadway with lighting and a deceleration lane primarily for truckers, as the Texas Department of Transportation mandated.

Robinson is not alone in shouldering the financial burden, though its $3.3 million commitment represents the lions share. McLennan County has pledged about a half million dollars, while the Waco Industrial Foundation will kick in nearly $1.6 million, Lemin said.

Kris Collins, senior vice president for economic development at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, said she knows the Robinson tract has generated interest, as it is really visible on the interstate and has great access between Interstate 35 and State Highway 6.

Collins said the Waco Industrial Foundation does not necessarily have veto power over projects, but its opinion and resources carry clout.

The foundation has a mission of job creation, prosperity for all citizens, and expansion of the tax base, she said. Its litmus test includes making sure anyone coming into the community sees longevity as a priority.

Lemin said the cost and timetable for completing the link all the way to Greig Drive are questions without firm answers.

The origin of the Costco rumors are unknown, but the retail giant has been on the move in other parts of Texas. The company has recently announced plans to build its signature members-only wholesale stores in Prosper north of Dallas and in Tomball near Houston.

A store that it will open Friday in Georgetown will be the closest one to Waco.
Waco police arrested a man Friday on an indecency with a child charge after a Child Protective Services referral about a recently reported incident from nine years ago.

Jairo Puebla-Perez, 40, was booked into McLennan County Jail Friday on a second-degree felony charge of indecency with a child.

According to an arrest warrant issued for Puebla-Perezs May 10, Waco police were first notified of the abuse report in July 2022, after investigators received a referral from Child Protective Services. According to the warrant, the child reported the abuse to a therapist.

During an interview in September, the child told investigators Puebla-Perez sexually abused her in 2014, when she was 8 years old, the warrant says. Investigators were able to determine that Puebla-Perez had direct access to the child at the time, the warrant says.

Puebla-Perez remained in the jail Monday on $10,000 bond. He was also being held on a federal immigration detainer.
Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth  something that hasnt been required in more than three years.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed doctors and other health care providers to prescribe controlled medicine during telehealth appointments without examining the patient in person. The emergency declaration ended May 13, and in February, the agency proposed new rules that would require providers to see patients at least once in person before prescribing many of those drugs during telehealth visits.

Controlled medications include many stimulants, sedatives, opioid painkillers and anabolic steroids.

Regulators said they decided to extend the current regulations  which dont require an in-person appointment  until Nov. 11 after receiving more than 38,000 comments on the proposed changes, a record amount of feedback. They also said patients who receive controlled medications from prescribers theyve never met in person will have until Nov. 11, 2024, to come into compliance with the agencys future rules.

The public comments discuss the potential effects on a variety of patients, including people being treated for mental health disorders, opioid addiction, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Thousands of commenters also mentioned possible impacts on rural patients.

Opponents wrote that health care providers, not a law enforcement agency, should decide which patients need in-person appointments. They said the rules would make it difficult for some patients to receive care.

Other commenters called for exemptions for specific medications and conditions.

Supporters wrote that the proposal would balance the goals of increasing access to health care and helping prevent medication misuse.

Zola Coogan, 85, lives in Washington, Maine, a town of about 1,600 residents northeast of Portland. Coogan has volunteered with hospice patients and said its important for very sick and terminally ill people in rural areas to have access to opioids to ease their pain. But she said it can be hard to see a doctor in person if they lack transportation or are too debilitated to travel.

Coogan said she supports the DEAs proposed rules because of a provision that could help patients who cant travel to meet their telehealth prescriber. Instead, they could visit a local health care provider, who then could write a special referral to the telehealth prescriber. But she said accessing controlled medications would still be difficult for some rural residents.

It could end up being a very sticky wicket for some patients to access care, she said. Its not going to be easy, but it sounds like its doable.

Some health care providers may hesitate to offer those referrals, said Stefan Kertesz, a physician and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham whose expertise includes addiction treatment. Kertesz said the proposed referral process is confusing and would require burdensome record-keeping.

Ateev Mehrotra, a physician and Harvard professor who has studied telehealth in rural areas, said different controlled drugs come with different risks. But overall, he finds the proposed rules too restrictive. Hes worried people who started receiving telehealth prescriptions during the pandemic would be cut off from medicine that helps them.

The proposed federal rules also have a special allowance for buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, and for most categories of non-narcotic controlled substances, such as testosterone, ketamine, and Xanax.

Providers could prescribe 30 days worth of these medications after telehealth appointments before requiring patients to have an in-person appointment to extend the prescription. Tribal health care practitioners would be exempt from the proposed regulations, as would Department of Veterans Affairs providers in emergency situations.

Many people who work in health care were surprised by the proposed rules, Kertesz said. He said they expected the DEA to let prescribers apply for special permission to provide controlled medicine without in-person appointments. Congress ordered the agency to create such a program in 2008, but it has not done so.

Agency officials said they considered creating a version of that program for rural patients but decided against it.

The physicians organization said the in-person rule should be eliminated for most categories of controlled medication. Even telehealth prescriptions for drugs with a higher risk of misuse, such as Adderall and oxycodone, should be exempt when medically necessary, the group said.

Some states already have laws that are stricter than the DEAs proposed rules. Amelia Burgess said Alabamas annual exam requirement, which went into effect last summer, burdened some patients. The Minnesota doctor works at Bicycle Health, a telehealth company that prescribes buprenorphine.

Burgess said hundreds of the companys patients in Alabama couldnt switch to in-state prescribers because many werent taking new patients, were too far away, or were more expensive than the telehealth service.

Critics of the federal proposal are lobbying for exemptions for medications that can be difficult to obtain due to a lack of specialists in rural areas.

State-by-state breakdown of the more than 34 million living in primary care deserts with limited telehealth access #41. California #40. Nebraska #39. Nevada #38. Maryland #37. Wisconsin #36. Utah #35. Alabama #34. Colorado #33. New York #32. Minnesota #31. Indiana #30. Ohio #29. Florida #28. Iowa #27. Michigan #26. Oregon #25. Washington #24. Wyoming #23. Illinois #22. Texas #21. Arkansas #20. Delaware #19. Hawaii #18. Kansas #17. North Dakota #16. Virginia #15. Tennessee #14. Georgia #13. South Dakota #12. Kentucky #11. Montana #10. Missouri #9. North Carolina #8. Louisiana #7. Idaho #6. South Carolina #5. Alaska #4. New Mexico #3. Oklahoma #2. Mississippi #1. West Virginia
During the culmination of his extensive farewell tour in Stockholm, Elton John expressed his gratitude to his numerous followers, assuring them that they would continue to hold an important place within his thoughts, emotions, and innermost being. This sentiment was conveyed as he performed one of his most famous songs, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," concluding the event on Saturday evening.

In a captivating exhibition of sincere artistry, Elton John delivered a profound farewell to his numerous admirers on Saturday evening. The maestro's resplendent farewell tour reached its pinnacle in Stockholm, leaving an indelible imprint on the souls of his adoring masses. At the pinnacle of his performance, as the crescendo swelled to its peak, he took to the stage with a breathtaking interpretation of one of his most well-known theme songs - the enduring opus "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." In this monumental conclusion, Elton John has ensured that loyal fans shall eternally inhabit the hallowed recesses of his consciousness, emotions, and very being.

The venerable singer, aged 76, has garnered an impressive collection of accolades, including five prestigious Grammy awards. Over an illustrious career that has endured for half a century, this remarkable artist has graced the stage with nearly 4,600 captivating performances, captivating audiences across the globe.

He expressed, "Playing for all of you has been the essence of my existence, and your unwavering support has been nothing short of extraordinary," as he addressed the captivated crowd within Sweden's esteemed Tele2 Arena.

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Elton John delivered a poignant homage to his present band and crew, a dedicated group of individuals who have accompanied him on numerous tours, some of whom have remained steadfastly by his side for an extended time.

They possess remarkable qualities," he proclaimed, "undoubtedly surpassing all others. I assure you, they are unparalleled in their excellence.

The commencement of his show was marked by the lively rendition of "Bennie and the Jets," followed by a captivating series of performances that encompassed a multitude of beloved hits such as "Philadelphia Freedom," "Tiny Dancer," "Rocket Man," and "Candle in the Wind."

The commencement of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour occurred in North America in 2018, and the occasion at hand marked his second evening of enthralling performances in Stockholm.

The tour encompassed various continents, captivating an audience of over six million fervent supporters. Undoubtedly, one of the pinnacle moments of this musical journey was his prestigious headlining performance at the renowned Glastonbury Festival just last month.

The concert garnered an immense turnout, ranking among the largest in the festival's illustrious history. Additionally, it captivated a vast television viewership in the millions across the United Kingdom.

During his performance in Stockholm, an extraordinary addition to the event was a video message from the renowned band Coldplay, coincidentally performing in the neighboring Swedish city of Gothenburg simultaneously.

Chris Martin, the band member, conveyed heartfelt sentiments to the renowned Elton, expressing profound admiration and gratitude. He acknowledged Elton's remarkable contributions in nurturing and inspiring countless bands and artists, emphasizing their profound affection for him. Furthermore, Chris Martin expressed immense appreciation for Elton's unwavering support towards the Aids Foundation and his consistent acts of kindness toward needy individuals.

According to Billboard magazine, this concert tour has achieved remarkable success, ranking among the highest-grossing in history. Notably, it has become the inaugural tour to surpass an impressive milestone of $900 million (701 million) in ticket sales.

In the twilight of his grand finale, Elton engaged in introspection, offering the audience a glimpse into the tapestry of his existence. With heartfelt sincerity, he shared the profound impact of his "52 years of unadulterated bliss dedicated to the art of music."

The individual in question has unequivocally stated that they will not engage in future touring endeavors. However, they expressed the possibility of participating in a singular event at some point.

I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support and love that my family, including my sons and husband, has bestowed upon me. Their presence and contributions have enriched my life in countless ways, and I truly appreciate everything they bring to my world. "I have earned it," he declared.

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by Adam Estes

Famed collector and former aerobatics champion Kermit Weeks has many projects scattered not only across the United States, but around the world, from a Ford-Tri Motor in Michigan and a Boeing 100 in Nevada to a CAC Boomerang in Australia, but one of the larger projects may finally be coming home to Florida sometime this year; that being his Douglas A-26B Invader, 41-39401, currently being finished at Aero Trader in Chino, California.

Weeks Invader was built as an A-26B-30-DL at Douglas factory in Long Beach, California in November 1944, and accepted into the USAAF on November 28. During WWII, 41-39401 served with the 643rd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, and flew 30 combat missions, being stationed in France from December 11, 1944 to July 15, 1945 when it was flown back to the States and stored at Hobbs Army Airfield, New Mexico, before being transferred to Hill Air Force, Utah on September 1, 1947.

In July 1952, it was converted to become a C model, and was one of three long nose Pathfinder variants equipped with an experimental infrared detection system for night operations, and would see combat in Korea with the 13th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Wing, 5th Air Force, stationed at Kunsan Air Base in modern South Korea. During this time, 41-39401 would also be flown to the repair depot at Miho Air Base, Japan. On March 21, 1953, the aircraft was reassigned to Iwakuni Air Base, Japan, before returning to the United States to be assigned once again to Hill AFB in April 1954. During this time, its IR equipment was removed, and it was given a hard nose once again. It was then struck from the USAF inventory in February 1955.

In 1959, John R. Moore acquired the aircraft and flew it with the name Whistlers Mother, along with nose art depicting the eponymous sitting figure with a mug of beer, which was applied for a war movie that was never filmed. Eventually, however, the aircraft became dormant at Van Nuys Airport near Los Angeles until it was acquired by Challenger Publications in November 1982. On August 18, 1983, 41-39401 made its first post-restoration flight, and from 1985 to 1987, it was operated by the American Aeronautical Foundation, retaining the name Whistlers Mother, making appearances at numerous airshows on the West Coast.

Acquired by Kermit Weeks in 1987, 41-39401 was flown back to the Weeks Air Museum at Tamiami Airport, where it was maintained in flying condition while Kermit sought to re-establish his base of operations at what would become Fantasy of Flight in Polk City to accommodate his growing collection that was becoming too big for the current facilities at Tamiami. However, disaster struck on August 24, 1992, when Hurricane Andrew made landfall. One of the most devastating hurricanes of the twentieth century, 41-39401 was inside the hangar when the strong winds caused a structural collapse, severely damaging many aircraft. While 41-39401 came out of Hurricane Andrew in better shape than other aircraft in the collection, the roof of the hangar had still collapsed on it, and in 1997, the aircraft was trucked to Aero Trader to begin the painstaking effort of returning the aircraft back to the air. Not being one to miss out on an opportunity, however, Kermit decided to use the restoration to add further details to make 41-39401 as authentic as possible, both livery-wise and equipment-wise, with the notable exception of some new nose art to replace Whistlers Mother and a new name; Pistol Packing Princess. In May 2022, 41-39401, the Pistol Packing Princess, was flown for the first time since 1992 with Steve Hinton and Mark Moody at the controls. However, during the flight, the canopy latches came loose, prompting a hasty end to the test flight. As Kermit related on his social media pages, this was not an unheard of occurrence on Invaders during the Second World War, and even the previous owners, Challenger Publications, had a similar issue with this very aircraft. The canopy issue has since been fixed, and the aircraft has now completed several successful test flights over the previous spring, with additional flight time planned in the coming weeks.

The caliber of the restoration is typical of Aero Trader projects. We wish Kermit blue skies and fair winds for 41-39401, and hope to see him grace the skies over AirVenture in 2024 in the Pistol Packing Princess! Special thanks to Tucker Yamada of Aero Trader, who has provided very insightful information and whose tireless work on restoring the Pistol Packing Princess is second to none.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into the former Courier newspaper building over the weekend.

The man was apparently searching for metal fixtures to sell as scrap, according to police accounts.

Officers were called to the vacant building at 501 Commercial St. around 2:20 p.m. Sunday after someone spotted an open door and noticed a man inside who was wearing a headlamp and carrying a duffel bag.

Police found Donald Henry VanWie Jr., 51, a block away. His bag contained a reciprocating saw, metal snips, flashlights and a box cutter. They also found a second bag that contained wires and copper, according to court records.

VanWie was arrested for third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. Bond was set at $10,000.

The arrest came two days after firefighters rescued a contractor whose leg became trapped when part of a second-story floor gave way while a crew was surveying the condition of the building.

The property has been vacant since The Courier moved offices in December 2011 and the structure was sold.

Court records show VanWie has a prior conviction for attempted burglary for a 2018 incident where police found him with a bag of tools inside a garage at 1332 Walker St., which is a vacant home the city owned.

He is also on probation for a February 2021 incident where he and another person had allegedly cut through a chain link fence at Century Link, 1010 Stratford Ave., and removed pieces of ground communication wire.
WATERLOO  Library patrons have the opportunity to experience a glimpse of the African American Museum of Iowa through the end of the month.

The traveling exhibit Suspended: Systemic Oppression in Our Schools has been housed on the second floor of the library since the beginning of May. The three 8-foot-by-8-foot panels can be viewed any time during the librarys operating hours.

The exhibit addresses the issue of segregation in the public school system. While Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in schools in 1954, the exhibit aims to show how the practice has continued in the form of surveillance, zero tolerance policies and the policing of students. The display includes a timeline, numerical data and specific examples from Iowa school districts.

In the bigger cities like Des Moines or Cedar Rapids, there has been a lot of talk and controversy over school resource officers and the disproportionate amount of Black students who are being punished and suspended, said Felicite Wolfe, curator and collections manager at the African American Museum of Iowa.

We wanted to show what this talk is about and how it is affecting communities in Iowa, she said.

Waterloos display is one of six traveling versions of the exhibit that have found their way into museums, universities, businesses and city buildings around the state and the country. Sites include North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Sioux Citys City Hall, Iowa Citys Old Capitol Museum and Collins Community Credit Union headquarters in Cedar Rapids.

The museum also recently had traveling exhibits sent to locations in North Carolina and Texas.

The museum, located in Cedar Rapids, is currently undergoing renovations due in part to the citys efforts to update its flood control system. It has been closed to the public since September 2022 and plans to reopen in January or February.

In the meantime, the museum has had to make due fulfilling its mission of exhibiting and teaching the African American heritage of Iowa without having access to its own building.

The main installation of the Suspended exhibit opened at the Cedar Rapids Public Library last October, and will remain there until October of this year. The museum initially reached out to potential hosts for the traveling exhibits in May 2022.

We were fortunate to be asked if we would host it here for a few months, said Jillian Rutledge, assistant director of the Waterloo Public Library. We just thought it was important while the museum is closed to still get the information out.

Since its opening, the exhibit has garnered positive responses from the community.

Theyre thankful that we have it, Rutledge said. She described an email the library received from a community member who said they were thrilled and stunned by the display.

Mayor Quentin Hart visited the display and posted about it on Facebook shortly after it was installed, calling it incredible.

The library is no stranger to traveling exhibits. Some of the most memorable to the staff were past exhibits on Abraham Lincoln and the Holocaust. They also previously housed another exhibit from the African American museum on Buxton, Iowa, a majority-Black town that only existed for two decades.

We get a lot of solicitors, and we try to host all of the (exhibits) that we can, said Amy Rousselow, marketing and volunteer services manager at the library.

While the exhibit will leave at the end of July, the library is working to continue its relationship with the museum. When the museum opens again, the library plans to include it in their Adventure Pass program so library card-holders will be able to reserve free passes.

Were always so grateful when any institution  be it a library, be it a business  wants to engage in our material. Because the more people that read about Black history, the more people exposed to Black history the more change that can happen, even if its just in yourself, Wolfe said.

Nobody can change the entire world. But when youre more educated on what is involved in Black history, what issues there are and what problems there are, it will really make a difference in the long run.

Close No one will stop the shootings It's time the American people wake up. Politicians won't do anything about gun control. The president won't make an executive order to pull assault weapons off the shelves. This is legal. People in Washington want less spending, but they won't cut their wages and benefits by 15%. No one can stop the shootings. It is sad that people get away with a slap on the hands, and then law enforcement go to jail for doing their job. The people have to learn respect. Francis Murphy, Waterloo Salvation Army's Night at the Ballpark was a success The Salvation Army of Waterloo/Cedar Falls Development Committee would like to thank all who supported our annual Night at the Ballpark fundraiser. Because of our generous sponsors, ticket purchases, and donations made at the June 16 game, we raised more than $4,000 for our programs, benefiting many in need in our community. This was my first fundraising event with The Salvation Army, and I wasnt sure what to expect, said Jake Meyers, advisory board and development committee member. We had about the best weather we could have hoped for, the Waterloo Bucks played phenomenally, and the crowd was supportive of our cause. Im already looking forward to next years fundraiser. Thank you 2023 night at the ballpark sponsors: Gold Level: Peoples Community Health Clinic, The Weekly Connection, and Tyson Prepared Foods. Silver Level: BankIowa, BerganKDV, Bergen Plumbing, Inc., and Elvir Begic Real Estate. Bronze Level: Hansens Dairy, Home Instead, Julie Facion, Loftys Lounge, SERVPRO of Black Hawk County, TJ's Christian Book Store, U. S. Bank, and VGM Group. Katie Harn, volunteer and community relations coordinator Two-tiered justice in a banana republic Commenting on his June 8 indictment, Donald Trump remarked: These charges against me came down the very same day evidence revealed that Joe Biden took a $5 million dollar bribe from Ukraine. Big Three networks devoted 491 news minutes to Trumps indictment, 0 minutes to the explosive cascade of bribery allegations facing Biden. More recently, son Hunter -- after a five-year slow-walked investigation, essentially walked for his gun and tax crimes. Not a minute in jail. Joe Biden himself has said: No one (expletive) with a Biden. Its nice to be king. Bidens corrupt FBI and Justice Department know their assignment: Destroy Trump through prosecutorial harassment in order to win in 2024. Democrats dont play by Queensbury Rules. They play to win. Character assassination, the Russia collusion lie, government intimidation efforts against pro-life Catholics -- Machiavelli would be proud. Alternatively, Republicans make Pee-Wee Herman look like Chuck Norris. Weaponizing government against political opponents is standard fare in Communist countries. Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn warned that America was not immune from a future similar fate. Bidens cynical, open bastardization of our justice system confirms that prophetic warning. Sham justice is banana republic justice, which is to say, injustice. Your country is dying. Steve Kapler, Waterloo Public education is the best option I suspect the tax dollars Forest Dillavou (The Courier, June 27) paid toward public schools was a very tiny amount compared to the $7,600 Gov. Kim Reynolds is paying parents for religious and private classes. Our children need: separation of church and state, exposure to students of all culture levels, educated teachers, extra curricular activities they may not get away from our established institutions. If a parent decides against public school, he should pay for elsewhere. School is for learning to think, not for learning from just certain books. Give children freedom to learn. They may find the Bible Belt politics is not the best for them after all. Linda Kofoed, Cedar Falls Waterloo and Cedar Falls speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jul. 7, 2023 Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Courier. No one will stop the shootings It's time the American people wake up. Politicians won't do anything about gun control. The president won't make an executive order to pull assault weapons off the shelves. This is legal. People in Washington want less spending, but they won't cut their wages and benefits by 15%. No one can stop the shootings. It is sad that people get away with a slap on the hands, and then law enforcement go to jail for doing their job. The people have to learn respect. Francis Murphy, Waterloo Salvation Army's Night at the Ballpark was a success The Salvation Army of Waterloo/Cedar Falls Development Committee would like to thank all who supported our annual Night at the Ballpark fundraiser. Because of our generous sponsors, ticket purchases, and donations made at the June 16 game, we raised more than $4,000 for our programs, benefiting many in need in our community. This was my first fundraising event with The Salvation Army, and I wasnt sure what to expect, said Jake Meyers, advisory board and development committee member. We had about the best weather we could have hoped for, the Waterloo Bucks played phenomenally, and the crowd was supportive of our cause. Im already looking forward to next years fundraiser. Thank you 2023 night at the ballpark sponsors: Gold Level: Peoples Community Health Clinic, The Weekly Connection, and Tyson Prepared Foods. Silver Level: BankIowa, BerganKDV, Bergen Plumbing, Inc., and Elvir Begic Real Estate. Bronze Level: Hansens Dairy, Home Instead, Julie Facion, Loftys Lounge, SERVPRO of Black Hawk County, TJ's Christian Book Store, U. S. Bank, and VGM Group. Katie Harn, volunteer and community relations coordinator Two-tiered justice in a banana republic Commenting on his June 8 indictment, Donald Trump remarked: These charges against me came down the very same day evidence revealed that Joe Biden took a $5 million dollar bribe from Ukraine. Big Three networks devoted 491 news minutes to Trumps indictment, 0 minutes to the explosive cascade of bribery allegations facing Biden. More recently, son Hunter -- after a five-year slow-walked investigation, essentially walked for his gun and tax crimes. Not a minute in jail. Joe Biden himself has said: No one (expletive) with a Biden. Its nice to be king. Bidens corrupt FBI and Justice Department know their assignment: Destroy Trump through prosecutorial harassment in order to win in 2024. Democrats dont play by Queensbury Rules. They play to win. Character assassination, the Russia collusion lie, government intimidation efforts against pro-life Catholics -- Machiavelli would be proud. Alternatively, Republicans make Pee-Wee Herman look like Chuck Norris. Weaponizing government against political opponents is standard fare in Communist countries. Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn warned that America was not immune from a future similar fate. Bidens cynical, open bastardization of our justice system confirms that prophetic warning. Sham justice is banana republic justice, which is to say, injustice. Your country is dying. Steve Kapler, Waterloo Public education is the best option I suspect the tax dollars Forest Dillavou (The Courier, June 27) paid toward public schools was a very tiny amount compared to the $7,600 Gov. Kim Reynolds is paying parents for religious and private classes. Our children need: separation of church and state, exposure to students of all culture levels, educated teachers, extra curricular activities they may not get away from our established institutions. If a parent decides against public school, he should pay for elsewhere. School is for learning to think, not for learning from just certain books. Give children freedom to learn. They may find the Bible Belt politics is not the best for them after all. Linda Kofoed, Cedar Falls
Third in a series on The Couriers Eight Over 80 winners.

WATERLOO  Everyone at the Friendship Village independent living center knows Mary Ann Burk  or so it seems. Anyone who sees her waves and greets her by name, sometimes pausing to share a story or two.

Burk, who smiles and acknowledges every greeting, is enjoying a good life built on a strong foundation of family and friends, community engagement and a rewarding career. Now 80, she retired in 2012 as chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Over the years, Burk received numerous awards, including the Salute Award for Women, Nonprofit Leader of the Year, and the Women of Persimmon award.

Now she can claim another accolade as one of The Couriers Eight Over 80 honorees for 2023.

Im so honored to be recognized. Ive had such a full life and Im proud of what we were able to accomplish, said Burk.

Mary Ann has always been an outstanding Cedar Valley citizen. Shes a strong supporter of the community and an advocate for those in need of a hand up, said Gary Bertch, one of nine individuals who nominated her for the award. Bertch served on the foundations board of directors.

She always proved herself to be not only a highly competent leader but also a humble, passionate, warm and deeply caring human being. This came through time and again in her daily dealings, not only with the organizations and individuals that were served by the Community Foundation but also in her interactions and relationship-building efforts with donors, Bertch said.

Camille Hogan described Burk as a trailblazer in her letter nominating her friend and colleague for the award, praising her for identifying unaddressed stumbling blocks for the underprivileged. Mary Ann then developed not only support but, more importantly, provided the leadership to address, change, expand, and improve the basic conditions that brought countless effective and sustainable solutions to our community.

Burk and her husband, Peter W. Burk, moved to Waterloo in 1964 when he accepted a position as an attorney for the Gallagher law firm. He started his own law firm in 1976, and later served as attorney for the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors. He died in 2021.

They were married for 56 years and have two children, Colleen and Patrick, four grandchildren and two-great-grandchildren.

It was difficult, no question, Mary Ann Burk said about being a wife, mom and working woman at a time when women werent encouraged to work outside the home. I worked hard at being a wife and mother, and my husband was very supportive. I shared what I was doing with my family.

In her lengthy career, Burk served as executive director of Leadership Investment for Tomorrow, the Waterloo Chamber of Commerces Black Hawk County leadership program for young adults. She also founded Young Leaders in Action and, later, the Partners in Education program at Waterloo Community Schools. She served as president of the National Partners in Education Association, launched the Golden Apple Club, and created a partnership between RSVP and the schools to bring senior citizens as volunteers to mentor students. She also created a similar partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Ross Christensen recruited Burk to lead the fledging Waterloo Civic Foundation, overseeing about $500,000 in funds for various organizations. During Burks 20-year tenure, the Community Foundation became the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, with assets of more than $56 million and awarding $5 million in annual grants at her retirement. It was one of the first community foundations in the nation to meet national standards of the national Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C.

It was an unbelievable experience. It took a while to get people interested in investing, but people knew me and trusted me. It was important to build trust, and let people know that they were making investment in the community, in people, said Burk.

She started the Teen Trust program, co-founded the Iowa Council of Foundations, serving as president and working with a group to create Endow Iowa legislation which allowed nongaming counties to receive gaming dollars from the state. She also formed the Woman Philanthropy program, now known as Women for Good.

In her nominating letter, Carol Hoth addressed Burks special qualities.

Mary Ann is a real champion for her family, friends and community. She is a most effective facilitator and leader. She is gifted with people skills, a collaborative spirit and an ability to create, plan and accomplish goals, she said.

The Rev. Cathy Young said Burk is a selfless woman whose volunteer contributions are legend. She was key in developing our local network, Cedar Valleys Promise, committed to helping all our children develop their full potential.

In addition, Burk served on the Waterloo Recreation and Arts Commission and later, the Cultural and Arts Commission, presiding over the commission during the successful campaign to build the Phelps Youth Pavilion. She still sits on the Waterloo Center for the Arts Collections and Exhibitions committee.

When Mary Ann and I both retired we vowed to stay in touch and to continue our long friendship and have done so, said Cammie Scully, retired director of the Waterloo Center for the Arts. No one deserves this recognition more than Mary Ann Burk who has tirelessly worked to support our community in so many significant ways.

Close Winners of The Courier's 2023 Eight Over 80 Awards honored at the Wednesday banquet were, from left, Mary Ann Burk, Rex Boatman, Catharine Wieck, David Buck, Barbara Zemke, the Rev. Chuck Lane, Herstine Ferguson, Jerry Kramer and JoAnn Kramer. Matt Tranquill Rex Boatman David Buck Mary Ann Burk Herstine Ferguson Jerry Kramer and JoAnn Kramer Chuck Lane Catharine Wieck Barbara Zemke Eight over 80 awards 2023 Winners of The Courier's 2023 Eight Over 80 Awards honored at the Wednesday banquet were, from left, Mary Ann Burk, Rex Boatman, Catharine Wieck, David Buck, Barbara Zemke, the Rev. Chuck Lane, Herstine Ferguson, Jerry Kramer and JoAnn Kramer. Matt Tranquill Rex Boatman David Buck Mary Ann Burk Herstine Ferguson Jerry Kramer and JoAnn Kramer Chuck Lane Catharine Wieck Barbara Zemke
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures up to 100-106 degrees expected. * WHERE...Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties, Greater Reno- Carson City-Minden Area, Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake and Northern Washoe County. * WHEN...From 11 AM to 9 PM PDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...There will be some relief at night as low temperatures drop into the upper 50s and 60s overnight. However, high temperatures are still close to 10 degrees above average for this time of year and close to daily records. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Authorities say a Northern California homicide suspect who was on the run was captured Monday afternoon.

The Placer County Sheriffs Office wrote in a Facebook post that Eric Abril is back in custody.

The post provided no additional details.

Abril had been at large for more than 24 hours after escaping a local hospital.

He was arrested in April in the shooting of a California Highway Patrol officer and two hostages.

One person was killed in the attack, which happened at a park in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville.

---

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Placer County Sheriff's Office, Reno Police, and other law enforcement agencies are searching for an inmate who escaped from Sutter Roseville Medical Center early Sunday morning.

35-year-old Eric Abril was last seen in the area of Rainier Court in Rocklin around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday. The search has been expanded to parts of Rocklin and Roseville.

Abril was originally arrested on April 6, 2023 and charged with murder and attempted murder, along with several other related charges.

Deputies say they have over 70 law enforcement personnel working to find Abril.

"We have combed through and thoroughly investigated 64 tips since the beginning of the manhunt. Today, we continue to saturate and focus on the eastern Roseville and Rocklin areas as the most reliable source of evidence points to Rainier Court in Rocklin as the last known location for Abril."

Abril is 6' tall, weighs 175 pounds and has brown hair. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder of what looks like a picture of ocean waves and bamboo.

The Sheriff's Office released this photo taken of the suspect on a security camera Sunday morning:

Investigators found out that Abril was not wearing a shirt and was not shackled when he escaped the medical center. They believe he is wearing orange jail pants.

The public is urged to take cautious if you come into contact with the suspect and you should call 911 immediately if you see him.

The Sheriff's Office is also asking all residents in the area to check security cameras for possible sightings of Abril.

All information should be reported to the tip line by clicking here. You can also call (916) 409-1257.
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The 'Drivers License' hitmaker is racing to the top of the charts with her highly-awaited single 'Vampire' released ahead of her equally-anticipated new album 'Guts'.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Olivia Rodrigo has once again captured the attention of fans with the release of her much-anticipated single, "Vampire". The track, which was unleashed on June 30, serves as the lead single for her upcoming album "Guts" due to come out on September 8.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the single is the rumor that it is about Olivia's alleged feud with estranged pal Taylor Swift. Fans have been speculating about the meaning behind the lyrics, trying to decipher if there is any truth to these claims.

Despite the controversy surrounding the song, "Vampire" has been making splashes in the music industry. It has entered the top 30 on the Official Pop Radio Chart, landing at number 28. During the tracking period from June 25 to July 1, the track impressively raked in over 2,000 spins.

While it fell short of entering the top 30 on the hot adult contemporary chart, the song has still managed to garner attention. It debuted at number one on both the US and global Spotify streaming charts, showcasing the immense popularity of the track.

Additionally, the newly-released track is expected to make a strong debut on the UK all-genre songs chart. It currently sits at number two on the midweek singles survey, racing to the top spot against Dave and Central Cee's "Sprinter".

The success of "Vampire" can also be attributed to its impressive streaming numbers in the US. On its opening day alone, the song co-written by Olivia accumulated more than three million streams Stateside, propelling it to the top of the charts.

As fans eagerly await the release of Olivia Rodrigo's new album "Guts", "Vampire" has given them a taste of what's to come. With its catchy melody and thought-provoking lyrics, the single has already established itself as a standout track in her discography. As Olivia continues to make her mark on the music industry, it's clear that she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

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Aside from her co-star, the 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' actress notes in an interview that she sees 'Mission Impossible' director, Chris McQuarrie, as an uncle as well.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Hayley Atwell has opened up more about how "upsetting" it was to be linked romantically to her "colleague and boss" Tom Cruise. In an interview with The Independent, the "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" actress revealed the advice she got from her co-star while facing dating rumors between the two.

The 41-year-old star first noted that she sees Tom and "Mission Impossible" director, Chris McQuarrie, as "sort of two uncles." That's why she's annoyed by the chatter surrounding her and her co-star.

"I would be like, 'Ooh, there's some weird rumors, and it feels base, it feels a little dirty, it feels grubby, it's not what I'm about. Why are things being assumed or projected onto me about my relationship with my work colleague and boss?" Hayley argued. She added that the situation was "upsetting" because "it's involving people in my actual life, my personal life, who have to be on the receiving end of that. It becomes invasive."

Hayley went on to recall, "When I've talked to him about it, he'd be like, 'You know exactly who you are. You know what you're about. And that is the only thing that matters." The London-born star continued quoting Tom as saying, "It doesn't matter what people think of you, if you are in integrity with yourself, if you know what your value system is."

Hayley previously addressed the matter when speaking to the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "[It's] part of the machine that's beyond my control. It doesn't surprise me but it's disappointing," she said.

Hayley, who recently got engaged to Ned "Wolfgang" Kelly, also sang praise to Tom for being "polite" and very comfortable with himself. "It's agreed across the board how polite he is, how well mannered - he's just got extraordinary charisma. His intensity is like passion. He has this childlike energy, he's like Peter Pan in a pinball machine. He's a natural extrovert and he's clearly very comfortable with who he is," she gushed.

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It's revealed by TimeOut New York theatre editor Adam Feldman that the actor who was best known for his portrayal of Zoe on the U.S. daytime series, has passed away at the age of 48.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jeffrey Carlson has died at the age of 48. The "All My Children" star, who was best known for his portrayal of Zoe, the first trans character on a U.S. daytime series, was revealed to have passed away by TimeOut New York theatre editor Adam Feldman, who hailed him a "powerful actor."

Adam posted, "RIP Jeffrey Carlson, 48, exposed-nerve star of Broadway (Billy in The Goat, Marilyn in Taboo) and TV (the groundbreaking trans character Zoe on All My Children). A powerful actor and a painful loss.(sic)"

Adam Feldman announced Jeffrey Carlson's death.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company also shared a tribute to the late star, noting his memorable performances on stage over the years. They wrote on Facebook, "STC is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jeffrey Carlson. Jeffrey gave beautiful and nuanced performances during his career which took him from television and film to Broadway and, fortunately for us, to STC."

They added, "His memorable performances include Lorenzaccio (2005), Hamlet (2007, and 2008's Free For All), and Romeo and Juliet (2016, and 2017s Free For All). We send our love to Jeffrey's friends, family, and colleagues, those who knew and loved him dearest."

Susan Hart the former lead actress at Chicago's Shakespeare Theatre said the news had left her unable to "breathe or function." She posted, "Good night my sweet sweet sweet prince among men. No words for our despair at losing you Jeffrey Carlson. You were  oh God no words so so loved and adored. For those of you that don't know, I'm very sorry to share the news that Jeffrey passed away yesterday. I have been respectful of his family's privacy in not sharing the news sooner also could not breathe or function still can't love to all just devastated.(sic)"

Jeffrey was a graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 2003 in "The Goat or Who Is Sylvia". He joined "All My Children" as a musician character named Zarf in August 2006 then returned that November as trans woman Zoe, staying on the show until April the following year. In addition, he was also known for portraying 80s pop icon Marilyn in short-lived Boy George musical "Taboo" from 2003 to 2004.

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The former 'One Tree Hill' star takes to Instagram to announce he and Sarah Roemer are expecting their third child together before letting slip the sex of the baby just hours later.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Chad Michael Murray and his wife are expecting a baby girl. The former "One Tree Hill" star took to Instagram on Saturday, July 8, to announce he and Sarah Roemer are expecting their third child together and hours later, he let slip the sex of the baby.

He gave away the gender of his unborn child in a video of family moments. It featured their eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter as they travelled to a variety of locations including an elephant sanctuary and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

In the caption to the video, which was soundtracked by Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", Chad wrote, "We travel this world as a little wolf pack- this baby's been everywhere already and she's not even on the outside yet:) Thank you mama for carrying our pack- literally[strength and heart emojis] Coming to an airport near you- this family of 5. I can hear it now- 'Uhoh, here come the Murray's' [cry-laughing emojis] #babynews #baby #baby#3.(sic)"

Chad had shared the baby news with a grainy photo of Sarah, who he married in 2015, and joked that they had forgotten what it was like to have a baby in the house, while also explaining the poor quality of the picture

He wrote, "Baby #3 loading [heart emoji] Anyone know any new gadgets for babies? It's been a bit since we had one. Ps- forgive the quality of the photo- alas I'm still on IPhone 8 becoz I love the button and won't trade it away. Sometimes I see ppl staring at my phone with button envy and I get it."

He also posted the picture on his Instagram Stories and wrote, "Third little one on the way. Gonna need a bigger car. Minivan time."

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The 'You People' actor was revealed to be selling a tote bag with 'Complete Unrelenting Control' graphics a few days before Sarah Brady accused him of being emotionally abusive.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jonah Hill has released interesting new merchandise. Amid accusation of him being emotionally abusive to former girlfriend Sarah Brady, the actor playing Ezra in "You People" was revealed to be selling a "Complete Unrelenting Control" bag.

On Tuesday, July 4, the 39-year-old actor's clothing and lifestyle brand called Meaningful Existence uploaded via Instagram a video of its new product. In the clip, a dark red tote bag with bright pink graphics on it that read, "Complete Unrelenting Control," could be seen being promoted.

The "Complete Unrelenting Control" graphics were big enough to nearly cover the whole front side of the bag, whereas the other side displayed the brand's logo in lime green color. Over the footage, Meaningful Existence noted, "The emotional baggage tote."

Along with the clip, Meaningful Existence encouraged its customers to buy the product by writing in the caption, "Normal bags can carry all sorts of things, but they can't hold your emotions. Zip all your problems away with our Emotional Baggage Tote, adding bag, crying face and zipper-mouth face emojis. Shop now via link in bio. #meaningfulexistence."

A few days after releasing the "Emotional Baggage Tote," Jonah was accused by his ex-girlfriend Sarah of being emotionally abusive during their relationship. On Friday, July 7, Sarah uploaded a series of screenshots displaying text exchanges between them. "This is a warning to all girls. If your partner is talking to you like this, make an exit plan. Call me if you need an ear," she noted over one of the snaps.

In the texts, Jonah could be seen asking Sarah to delete Instagram photos that showed her "a** in a thong." Once Sarah informed him that she had done so, Jonah allegedly replied, "Good start. You don't seem to get it. But it's not my place to teach you. I've made my boundaries clear. You refuse to let go of some of them and you've made that clear and I hope it makes you happy."

Sarah additionally shared her healing process. "It's been a year of healing & growth with the help of loved ones and doctors to get back to living my life without guilt, shame and self-judgment for things as small as surfing in a swimsuit rather than a more conservative wetsuit," she said. "And I'm sure there's still much more healing from this abuse ahead of me."

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The famed director, who teamed up with the 'Batman' actor in the 2020 sci-fi flick 'Tenet', also explains in a new interview how Robert contributes to the upcoming war biopic.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Robert Pattinson helped inspire Christopher Nolan to helm "Oppenheimer", but was too "busy" to star in the film. The pair teamed up on the 2020 sci-fi flick "Tenet" and despite the movie having a link to the 2023 war biopic, the 37-year-old actor didn't have enough time in his schedule to take on a role in the latter film.

Speaking in an interview with Tara Hitchcock, Nolan spilled, "Yeah, Rob, off the back of 'Tenet', where we refer to Oppenheimer, and I had wrote a thing about this incredible moment that Oppenheimer and the scientist of the Manhattan Project had where they could not completely eliminate the possibility that when they triggered that first gadget, that first atomic device, they might start the chain reaction that would destroy the world."

However, a special gift he gave the director got him "hooked" on the story of "Oppenheimer". Nolan, 52, continued, "We used that as a metaphor for 'Tenet', which Rob was in. As a wrap gift, he gave me a book of Oppenheimer's speeches from the 1950s, where you're reading these great intellects trying to deal with the massive consequences of the way in which they've changed life forever, for all of us." He said, "I really got hooked and got hooked on the story."

The filmmaker added that Pattinson was too "busy" to take on a role in the flick as he's "very much in demand these days." The motion picture is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the atomic bomb, and has an all-star cast featuring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh.

Nolan recently confessed that he was "relieved" to have completed the movie as it had left him emotionally drained. He explained in an interview with Wired magazine, "I was relieved to be finished with it, actually. But I enjoy watching the film tremendously. I think you'll understand when you see the film. It's a complicated set of feelings to be entertained by awful things, you know? Which is where the horror dimension comes in."

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The 'Jon and Kate Plus 8' star previously excluded his famous mom from his celebratory graduation post after it was reported that she 'coldly snubbed' him at the ceremony.

Jul 10, 2023

AceShowbiz - Collin Gosselin recalls what his life looked like when he lived with mom Kate Gosselin. In a new interview, the former "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star talked about events which eventually led to his estrangement from his mom.

"I know my mother was going through a lot of things. I mean, a divorce, and plenty of different things that can't be easy to go through," Collin told VICE TV in an excerpt of its upcoming series "Dark Side of the 2000s" that was shared on its Twitter page on July 7. "And, you know, I want to think that she needed someone to take out her anger and frustration on, and it was just kind of me. I was in the way and I was there. So, she chose me."

Collin, who is now living with dad Jon Gosselin alongside his twin sister Hannah Gosselin, also addressed being enrolled in an out-of-home institution by his mom. "I'm not going to say I was a perfect child. But I'd say my misbehaving was no different than from my siblings," Collin said.

Hannah also talked about how Collin was treated unfairly. "He would be separated from us," she recounted. "Like, he would not get to come and play outside with us. He would eat dinner at different times than us."

Criticizing her mom's parenting, Hannah added, "I don't think effort was made in the home to help him learn what behavior is acceptable and what behavior is not acceptable."

The new interview arrived after Collin excluded Kate from his celebratory graduation post after it was reported that she "coldly snubbed" him at the ceremony. Last month, the 17-year-old took to his Instagram account to let out some pictures from the event. One picture saw Collin posing with his sister Hannah in the car, while dad Jon Gosselin was in the driver seat.

"Better late than never! Graduation [check emoji]. I wasn't totally sold on the idea of making a graduation post, as most students graduate, therefore making it not such a big deal," he wrote in the caption. "So I decided to anchor this post more towards gratitude for mentors, friends, and of course family I want to first thank my amazing sister, Hannah, for standing by me and supporting me, she is my number 1."

In the post, Collin also expressed gratitude towards his dad "for always supporting my decisions, and having my back when I bite off more than I can chew" and Jon's ex-girlfriend Colleen Conrad "for rooting for me day in and day out." While he paid tribute to his Army Junior ROTC instructors, Collin did not mention Kate.

Prior to that, Kate allegedly "coldly snubbed" Collin as she attended Hannah and Collin's high school graduation. A source claimed that gave "only Hannah love" at the ceremony. "Kate did end up taking photos with Hannah, but never spoke to Collin and never took photos with him," the insider added. It was also said that the 48-year-old "didn't even clap" for the teens.

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Everymedia Technologies Private Limited, a digital media tech company, has bagged the digital and PR mandate for Blooume, one of India's leading GMP-certified homeopathic medicine manufacturing companies. The agency, which has been in the industry for more than a decade, will be in charge of their communication strategy that helps the positioning of the brand. The agency will handle Blooume's corporate reputation, enhance brand recognition, increase exposure through media campaigns, provide strategic communication guidance, and oversee all public and media relations aspects.

Gautam Thakker, the CEO and Founder of Everymedia Technologies said, "We are thrilled to have secured the PR and digital mandate for one of the esteemed brands in the homeopathic sector. Utilizing our vast knowledge of media and understanding of the consumer journey, bolstered by strong data capabilities, our aim is to deliver par results for our client."

Pranav Batra, Managing Director of Blooume, commented on this when he said, "Blooume as a brand matches our ideologies with Everymedia Technologies, a company that has achieved its reputation over the years. I am optimistic about this collaboration as it caters to a 360-degree integrated marketing approach that Blooume as a brand aspires to achieve."

Over a period, Everymedia Technologies has consistently generated and executed whirring campaigns for films, production houses, talents, and brands. Their list of clients includes renowned brands such as Hyundai, Raymond, Myntra, Siemens, ICICI Securities, Revlon, and many others. Interestingly, Blooume also conducted a Free Health camp in Colaba, Mumbai, which witnessed over a thousand citizens benefitted.
A recent report by Adalytics has raised concerns about the misalignment between Googles TrueView skippable in-stream video ads and the actual delivery experienced by advertisers. The report suggests that advertisers, including Fortune 500 brands, the US federal government, and numerous small businesses, may have been misled for years about the nature of TrueView ads. This misalignment may have led to the misallocation of billions of dollars in digital ad spending.

TrueView is Googles proprietary ad format that allows advertisers to pay for actual views of their ads rather than impressions. However, the research report reveals that significant quantities of TrueView skippable in-stream ads were served on websites and apps that did not meet Googles quality standards. Many of these ads were muted, auto-playing as out-stream videos, or appeared as obscured video players on independent sites. The report highlights the misallocation of ad budgets to the Google Video Partner (GVP) network, where many placements did not adhere to the TrueView or skippable in-stream ad format.

The Adalytics reports findings have sparked discussions about Googles monopoly in the digital advertising market and the need for alternative publisher options. To know more about the concerns and issues that advertisers have and how this can be resolved, Adgully reached out to a cross-section of industry experts to understand the entire dynamics in a better manner.

Nikita Bhate, Senior Business Director - Digital Integration Strategy at Chimp&z Inc, pointed out that the report indicates a significant misalignment between Googles stated quality standards and the actual delivery of TrueView skippable in-stream ads.

Nikita noted, The report indicates that a substantial number of TrueView skippable in-stream ads were served on websites and apps that did not meet Googles stated quality standards. This includes ads being muted, auto-playing as out-stream video, or appearing as obscured video players. Advertisers expected their ads to be skippable, audible, and initiated by viewer action, which was contrary to what was observed in many cases.

The Adalytics research report reveals that a significant portion of ad budgets for TrueView skippable in-stream ads was spent on the Google Video Partner (GVP) network, which consists of numerous third-party websites and mobile apps. However, Nikita stated, The majority of these placements did not adhere to the TrueView or skippable in-stream ad format. Advertisers may have unknowingly allocated their budgets to placements that did not meet their expectations or provide the intended reach and engagement.

She also shared that the advertisers have expressed that they would not have purchased TrueView skippable in-stream inventory on third-party environments if they had been aware of the issues highlighted in the report. This indicates a lack of transparency from Google, as advertisers were not provided with clear information about the placements and the discrepancies between stated standards and actual execution, she noted.

The report suggests that the quality issues with TrueView skippable in-stream placements, such as muted or auto-playing ads, may have negatively affected the effectiveness of the ads. Nikita added, Advertisers expect their video ads to be engaging, audible, and in compliance with industry standards. The inconsistencies identified in the report raise concerns whether the ads delivered the desired impact and whether the reported completion rates accurately reflect user engagement.

If the allegations in the report hold true, advertisers may have incurred significant financial losses. The misalignment between what advertisers believed they were purchasing and the actual delivery of TrueView skippable in-stream ads may have resulted in the misallocation of ad spends, potentially costing media buyers billions of digital ad dollars, she concluded.

Google maintains dominance in the adtech market by exerting control over both the buying and selling aspects. Prominent brands and publishers widely assert that engaging in Internet advertising transactions without relying on Googles products has become extremely difficult or nearly impossible. Presently, Google holds authority over advertisers who display ads on its search platform, as well as manages the auction process for securing ad placements on publisher websites.

Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy, emphasised the dominance of Google in the digital advertising market. Google controls the majority of the worlds digital advertising inventory, and it is the only major player that offers a truly global reach. This means that advertisers have little choice but to use Googles platform if they want to reach a large audience, she added.

Sharma noted, While Googles monopoly has some benefits for advertisers, it also has some drawbacks. For example, Google has been accused of using its monopoly power to extract higher prices from advertisers. Additionally, Googles control over the digital advertising market makes it difficult for new competitors to enter the market.

As for whether advertisers have full control over ad displays, the answer is no. Google has a great deal of control over where and how ads are displayed. Advertisers can choose to target their ads to specific demographics and interests, but they cannot control the specific websites or apps where their ads will appear, said Sharma.

Invalid traffic is indeed a persistent issue in the digital ecosystem, but there are several steps that can be taken to tackle this effectively.

Implement Traffic Verification Tools : Utilise tools and services that detect and filter out invalid traffic through IP filtering, device fingerprinting, and user behaviour analysis.

: Utilise tools and services that detect and filter out invalid traffic through IP filtering, device fingerprinting, and user behaviour analysis. Adhere to Industry Standards: Follow industry standards outlined by organizations like the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Media Rating Council (MRC) to combat invalid traffic.

Follow industry standards outlined by organizations like the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Media Rating Council (MRC) to combat invalid traffic. Bot Detection and Prevention: Deploy robust bot detection and prevention mechanisms that leverage advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze traffic patterns and identify anomalies indicating bot activity.

Deploy robust bot detection and prevention mechanisms that leverage advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze traffic patterns and identify anomalies indicating bot activity. Ad Fraud Monitoring : Implement ad fraud monitoring systems that continuously analyze metrics to detect irregularities or suspicious patterns.

: Implement ad fraud monitoring systems that continuously analyze metrics to detect irregularities or suspicious patterns. Collaboration and Information Sharing: Foster collaboration among industry stakeholders to collectively combat invalid traffic through the sharing of insights and information.

Foster collaboration among industry stakeholders to collectively combat invalid traffic through the sharing of insights and information. Regular Auditing and Reporting: Conduct regular audits, performance reviews, and site visits to assess traffic quality and verify compliance.

According to Ramya Ramachandran, Founder CEO of Whoppl, Invalid traffic is a well-known problem in the digital ecosystem, and it is not exclusive to Google or its Meta platform. A possible solution could involve implementing a verification service to enhance accuracy, although identifying the best approach is challenging.

As the field of digital advertising undergoes constant changes, it is crucial for marketers to venture into diverse platforms and conduct experiments to discover the optimal blend that aligns with their specific objectives, target audience, and financial resources. By expanding their advertising endeavors beyond Facebook and YouTube, companies can harness the distinct advantages offered by each platform and enhance their reach and effectiveness in the ad view business.

Ramachandran noted that various platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and others play a significant role in online advertising. Instagram and Facebook, being under the same ownership, offer substantial advertising opportunities. Additionally, Snapchat has emerged as a platform where brands can promote ads. Furthermore, LinkedIn and Twitter are also viable spaces for advertising, presenting alternative avenues to explore, she added.
Nitesh Tiwaris new film Bawaal starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor is all set to release on Amazon Prime video on 21st July. The films trailer got released in Dubai and the principal cast of the film was present along with Sajid Nadiawala and Warda Nadiawala. Director couple Ashwini and Nitesh Tiwari were also present in the press conference. This will be the audiences first time seeing Janhvi and Varun together on screen. Speaking about that Varun says,It was great working with Janhvi and I would say the chemistry has been the best with her so far. I would like to also mention here that I have never been so confident about any films prediction than Baawal in my career. I have always tried unconventional characters in my career, but what I am playing in Baawal is completely opposite to the real me. A film which you will watch and recommend to your friends and family as well.

Varun also adds,Nitesh Tiwari is one of the best directors in our country and he has been in my desired director list for long. I remember I met Nitesh Sir during covid time and told him how badly I wanted to work with him. After 7-8 months I got a call from him. He told me that he has a script but he needs to see if I am fit for the role or not! On the other hand Janhvi Kapoor says,Everyday on set I was pinching myself to realise that I am truly a part of this film. We had some great shooting locations for Baawal and had a great time on set. If one would ask me whats my Baawal moment, it has to be this film. Varun adds,His Baawal moment would be every time I clean my pet dog Joyes poop because I maybe a star outside my home but inside my home every moment is Baawal with Joye.
PepsiCo India, a leading global consumer packaged goods company, reinforced its commitment towards sustainability and plastic circularity by introducing Indias first 100% rPET (recycled plastic) bottles* in the Carbonated Beverage category with Pepsi Black. This launch is part of PepsiCo Indias mission to build a positive value chain through a circular, inclusive economy where packaging never becomes waste.

George Kovoor, Senior Vice President, Beverages and Sustainability, PepsiCo India said, "We are encouraged by the measures taken by the Government to promote a circular economy in India. We are proud to launch the 100% rPET bottles of Pepsi Black. This an important milestone in our sustainability journey, backed by our intent to create a positive value chain and this launch is yet another step in that direction. We shall learn and evolve as we continue our endeavors to build a robust ecosystem while expanding the use of recycled content in our packaging.

The Pepsi Black rPET bottles* are made from 100% recycled plastic and are manufactured in India in partnership with Srichakra Polyplast (India) Private Limited with the bottling partner, Varun Beverages.

Driven by its Winning with pep+ philosophy, the company recognizes the importance of taking comprehensive efforts to reduce, recycle and re-invent its packaging. PepsiCo India is dedicated to developing innovative solutions, reducing its carbon footprint, and embracing sustainable practices like reuse and refill, that will inspire consumers, aligning with its long-term commitments to protect the environment.
Verve Media launched the Har Broker Ka Saathi campaign for Syndicate by PropertyPistol, a modern tech-based platform developed for brokers to smoothen the selling process. The brand wanted a campaign that reaches out to brokers around the country and raises awareness about its new platform. The challenge was to achieve this while keeping the overall tone light-hearted in order to keep the content relatable.

Verve Media added an amusing twist to this idea by conceptualizing 3 brand films that built the character of Manav Mehta, aka Mehtaji, as a modern broker registered on the Syndicate platform. The agency roped in Kunal Kumar to be the face of this character. The films are also backed by teasers that will be posted on the brand's social media channels.

The storyline of these films revolves around 3 brokers, two of which are struggling to maintain their brokerage business due to the problems that the traditional process brings. The protagonist (Mehtaji), on the other hand, is managing his leads and generating revenue easily. The catchphrase - Kaise Kar Lete Ho Mehtaji aims to capture the frustration of the 2 brokers in a quirky way.





Mayur Gole, Co-Founder of Verve Media, commented, The idea behind the campaign comes from a simple insight that anyone who manages a business looks for a partner that can help make things easy. Brokers are no different, and that's why our team used the campaign tagline Har Broker Ka Saathi, backed by the ad films, to bring through a series of emotions like frustration, curiosity and happiness that Syndicate's audience can relate to. The campaign was brought to life through a number of elements, including social media posts and ad films."

Ashish Narain Agarwal, Founder & CEO, PropertyPistol said, We are dedicated to empowering individual real estate brokers and are tirelessly working towards propelling further with this objective. We aim to connect with brokers nationwide and make them understand the seamless assistance Syndicate by PropertyPistol offers. What better way than to connect with them through these compelling commercial films. These films will enable the brokers to recognize the true value Syndicate by PropertyPistol brings to them, helping them to unlock the full potential of their business."






By Anne Dachel



In 2011, the book, The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic, by Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill was published.

Back in 2011 when this book came out, the official autism rate was one in every 110 U.S. children. Wed seen that number dramatically increase before. It was one in 150 in 2009, and by 2012, it would be one in every 88 kids. And it really wasnt a big news story when in March 2023, it became one in every 36. (And if you live in California, its one in every 22.)

How prophetic for Dan and Mark to name their book, Age of Autism, because we truly do live in an age when autism is everywhere, accepted as a fact of life.

Over the last two decades Ive covered how autism is presented in the media. The main message about autism has been that its a mystery, but its nothing to worry about. The only point everyone agrees on when it comes it autism is that there is no link to the ever-increasing battery of vaccines children are required to get in order to go to school.

Beyond that, its anyones guess. Experts have been scratching their collective heads for decades now, at the same time no U.S. official has ever used the word CRISIS when speaking about autism. (Im sure that order was right from the top.)

For years, we were told that autism was a mysterious condition that experts were working on diligently, despite never coming up with any real findings on this disorder.

NOW with almost all of us related to someone with autism in our immediate or extended families, theres a new message in town: autism is not a disability.

Ive been seeing it in so many recent stories.

July 6, 2023, Psychology Today: Is Autism a Superpower? By Jessica Penot LPC

It is important to understand the beauty and complexity of autistic strengths.

These were listed as key points in the article:

Many autism advocates describe autism as a superpower.

Autistic people are unique and diverse. Autism can be a superpower, but it can come with struggles.

Accepting autism as a different way of being that is diverse and beautiful is the goal.

The absurd piece made a passing reference profound deficits in some people, but mostly autism is an asset. The author tells us that she is herself autistic, but hardly the head-banging, hand-flapping, nonverbal, non-potty trained variety.

Autism can be a superpower and if you have superpowers or gifts, celebrate them. Even if the gifts are small, they are worth celebrating. As we move forward in our understanding of autism, it is important to remember that it is both a blessing and a disability. Those of us with autism are different and there is infinite beauty in our variation. Sometimes this variation can look like a superpower and sometimes it can look like a disability. We are all unique. That is the story we need to tell. As Devon Price states, "My point is to say that Autism is a way of being, neither inferior nor superior to neurotypical ways of being."

Im sure most parents whose lives are consumed caring for a severely autistic child wonder if this lady has ever looked at the other end of the spectrum.

Then there was the story on July 6, 2023, about Dr. Stephen Mark Shore from Adelphi University in New York. The title was Society must stop seeing autism as a handicap, says expert.

It seems we have to rethink autism.

According to Dr. Shore:

In a world where society still sees autism as a handicap, knowing and understanding the disability can change this mindset, according to Dr. Stephen Mark Shore, Clinical Associate Professor, Adelphi University, New York.

Speaking on the second day of the three-day International Conference on Comprehensive Education (ICCE) for Children with Special Needs, at the Different Art Centre here on Thursday, he said that understanding the abilities of the autism-affected and guiding them according to their interests, would open up vast possibilities for them. Society needs to stop seeing them as lesser humans or disabled, he added.

Autism is not a medical condition. Rather, we need to accept their differences and prepare a place for them in society. Autistic children have different abilities. They can be brought to the forefront of society by identifying these abilities and training them in a focused manner, Dr. Shore said. 

Parents of differently abled children need to come together so as to devise projects for such children, and get them implemented through government intervention, said Anita Frey, Clinical Associate Professor at Adelphi University, New York. Participating in a discussion held as part of the conference, Ms. Frey spoke about the impact of family environment on the development of differently abled children and called for forming special teacher-parent associations for the parents of differently abled children in schools. Such organisations should jointly devise economic and social assistance schemes, she proposed.

On July 3, 2023, Geraldine Dawson had her views in Psychology Today. Dawson, if you recall, was the chief science officer at Autism Speaks for five years, where nothing was done to really address the autism epidemic, but Im sure she was well paid for her time.

The title was Reshaping the Narrative About AutismAsset framing defines autistic people by their assets, reshaping expectations. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-autism/202307/reshaping-the-narrative-about-autism

Here were Dawsons key points:

Focusing on deficits is associated with stigma and diminishes our ability to see a person's capabilities.

Our words form a powerful narrative that can expand or minimize our expectations about a persons abilities.

We can harness the power of asset-framing by defining autistic people by their assets before their challenges.

Strengths-based approaches are associated with better health and well-being, and higher self-confidence.

This is Dawsons vision of autism:

Now lets consider this area of research from an asset-framing point of view. As I mentioned, autistic people tend to focus more on individual features of the face. Interestingly, when this unique visual processing strategy is used in other contexts, such as solving visual puzzles, autistic people are superior to non-autistic people. For example, autistic people tend to score extremely high on the block design task, a visual-spatial task that is part of most IQ tests. As early as 9 months of age, infants who are later diagnosed with autism have been found to have superior visual search skills. Thus, the unique visual processing skills of autistic people are advantageous in certain contexts, and in fact, help explain why some autistic people do well in fields such as math and engineering. Once again, what is viewed as a deficit is often the flip side of a strength. 

How we describe people is important because our words form a powerful narrative that can either expand or minimize our expectations and beliefs about a persons potential abilities, aspirations, and contributions to society. Lets change the narrative about autism by applying asset-framing in our conversations, publications, and other settings, defining autistic people by their strengths before describing their challenges and difficulties.

The truth is, whatever is causing autism is something we just dont want to deal with. Autism isnt going away; we have to learn to live with it.

So theres a new narrative about autism out there: Its time to be inclusive. Remember, were all differently-abled.

Autism Friendly

Thats why there are now lots of stories out there about businesses, organizations, services and even whole cities becoming autism certified.

You can see all the stories Ive posted on Loss of Brain Trust

about places doing this. All the folks at these places have been trained to deal with people on the spectrum. Its good for business and it shows just how pervasive a once rare disorder has become.

Age of Autism (LIES)

With autism being seen today a naturally occurring part of childhood, something to be celebrated every April and a fact of life for anyone dealing with kids, its important that we dismiss those with any real concerns about autism.

There are certain things we dont want to talk about, certain questions we cant ask because, remember, this is the Age of Autism (LIES).

HERE ARE THE LIES:

Higher autism rates dont mean theres more autism.

No one is allowed to ask when the increases will stop. In truth we just have to expect that one in every 36 children with autism is only temporary. By next year things will probably be worse, but remember, its all better and better diagnosing.

Children are born with autism, therefore early diagnosing is important.

We never bring up the fact that, as NIH reports on their website, 32% of children on the autism spectrum experience skill loss, known as autistic regression. So normally developing kids, potty-trained and talking who suddenly lose learned skills are not worth looking at.

Autistic kids dont have a disability. Theyre differently abled, in the words of Dr. Stephen Shore.

As we pretend that autism is just an inability at social interaction and a lack of communication skills, we dont mention the fact that 25 to 30 percent of kids with autism are considered nonverbal. We dont want to talk about this because it would be hard to explain how generations of parents, doctors and teachers could have missed all these non-speaking children.

The rate for eight year olds is the same for everyone across the population.

When we claim that autism has always been this prevalent, we never want to actually look for the adults with autism demonstrating the same signs we see in our children. No study has ever been able to find them, but take our word for it, theyre out there.

These lies have worked for years. Health officials have them well-memorized. Doctors are taught them in med school. The media faithfully and endlessly tell everyone.



Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.



###

Order today, from Skyhorse Publishing.





The Wuhan Cover Up How Health Officials Conspired with the Chinese Military to Hide the Origins of COVID-19 (Childrens Health Defense)

The Wuhan Cover-Up pulls back the curtain on how the US government's increase in biosecurity spending after the 2001 terror attacksfacilitated by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)set in motion a plan to transform the NIAID into a de facto Defense Department agency.



While Dr. Fauci zealously funded and pursued gain-of-function research, concern grew among some scientists and government officials about the potential for accidental or deliberate release of weaponized viruses from labs that might trigger worldwide pandemics. A moratorium was placed on this research, but true to form, Dr. Fauci found ways to continue unperturbedoutsourcing some of the most controversial experiments offshore to China and providing federal funding to Wuhan Institute of Virology's (WIV's) leading researchers for gain-of-function studies in partnership with the Chinese military and the Chinese Communist Party.



Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak (Childrens Health Defense) Hardcover  Illustrated, August 15, 2023 by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Author), Brian Hooker (Author)

Based on over one hundred studies in the peer-reviewed literature that consider vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations. Each of these studies is analyzed and put in context of the difference in health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinated infants, children, and adults. Given the massive push to vaccinate the entire global population, this book is timely and necessary for individuals to make informed choices for themselves and their families.
A man who spent two years in prison for raping a child was found at a Mobile motel, where he had spent the night with a minor under the age of 18, Mobile police said Monday.

Officers were dispatched to the Baymont Motel on the I-65 South Service Road about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in response to an incident with a sex offender. Police were told 45-year-old Christopher Curtis Causey Sr. had spent the previous night at the motel with the minor.

Causey was arrested and charged with 2nd degree rape of a child in March 2015. He entered a guilty plea in September 2016 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with eight years suspended, as well as three years probation, according to Alabama court records.

Causeys probation required him to register as a sex offender, including notifying county authorities of a change or termination of employment, which Causey had failed to do with the Mobile County Sheriffs Office, according to a court filing.

According to the Mobile Metro Jail docket, Causey is charged with two counts of violating the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act (SORNA) and 3rd degree domestic violence. Details related to the domestic violence charge were not immediately available.

Causey had previously been charged with a SORNA violation in March and was also charged with probation violation in January 2019.

Causey remained in the Mobile Metro Jail as of Monday afternoon under $7,000 bond.
Mac and cheese is a vegetable. Rice is a vegetable. Under certain circumstances, strawberry pretzel salad is a vegetable. Parmesan grit cake? Yep, thats a vegetable, too.

If you agree with all of these statements, youre probably a fan of meat-and-three restaurants in Alabama. And thats a very good thing. Meat-and-three is the ultimate comfort food, meant for folks who like to fill their plates with hearty and satisfying fare.

Birmingham is blessed with a plethora of eateries that specialize in meat-and-three, served cafeteria style or via table service. Meat-and-three joints arent fancy, as a rule, but the food they serve reminds aficionados of a Southern moms home cooking.

If youve never tried a meat-and-three  and boy, are you missing out!  know that these restaurants offer a daily choice of meats (chicken, beef, pork, fish) and a range of side dishes (collectively known as vegetables). Select your main protein and sides, and youre good to go. You can opt for a four-vegetable plate, as well. And lets not forget the scrumptious desserts.

Here are our picks for the top five meat-and-three restaurants in Birmingham. And if youre not feeling hungry yet, just wait until you finish reading about them.

READ: AL.coms top 5 picks for barbecue, pizza, burgers, ice cream and hot dogs in Birmingham.

A meat-and-three plate at Bluff Park Diner in Hoover, with chicken pot pie, fried okra, black-eyed peas and sweet potato casserole. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)

5. BLUFF PARK DINER

591 Shades Crest Road in Hoover. www.bluffparkdiner.com

Tucked into a quaint little shopping center in Hoover, the Bluff Park Diner is worth the trip. Park across the street  this place gets busy at lunch and dinnertime  and soak in the view from Shades Mountain before heading inside for some flavorful and nicely prepared food. We really like the options for main dishes here, which range from fried shrimp to stuffed bell peppers to country ham to turkey and dressing. The diner also has meat-and-three standards, such as country fried steak, pot roast and fried chicken. Exceptional sides include fried okra, sweet potato casserole, turnip greens, hushpuppies, cinnamon apples and black-eyes peas. If you crave creamed corn, yams, mashed potatoes or baby lima beans, theyve got those, too.

Order this: Chicken dishes abound at the Bluff Park Diner. Take your pick among chicken fingers, chicken pot pie, baked chicken, chicken and dumplings, barbecue chicken or boneless fried chicken. You cant go wrong with any of them.

MORE: AL.coms picks for the best eats in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and across Alabama.

The famous fried green tomatoes at the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Alabama. (The Birmingham News / Michelle Campbell)BN FTP

4. IRONDALE CAFE

1906 First Ave. North in Irondale. www.irondalecafe.com

The Irondale Cafe is a mighty special place, and not just for the quality of its food. This restaurant was the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Cafe, the setting of Fannie Flaggs 1987 novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. The book was later adapted into a popular movie, titled simply Fried Green Tomatoes. Flaggs aunt, Bess Fortenberry, bought the real-life cafe in 1932 and spent about 40 years running the place with the help of two friends, Sue Lovelace and Lizzie Cunningham. The current owner, Jim Dolan, bought the cafe in 2000, and has retained its down-home appeal. The delectable lunch menu includes buttermilk fried chicken, fried catfish filet with jalapeno hushpuppies, fried chicken livers and country fried steak with brown gravy. Sides include creamed corn, carrot and raisin salad, butter beans, cole slaw, stewed cabbage, green beans and mashed potatoes. One word: Yum!

Order this: Fried green tomatoes, of course. Theyre a crispy reminder of the restaurants colorful history. According to the Irondale Cafes website, they serve about 600-800 slices daily.

READ: 23 deep-fried facts about Fried Green Tomatoes

Eagle's Restaurant in Birmingham is famous for such soul food favorites as oxtails, neck bones, turnip greens and candied yams.(Tamika Moore/tmoore@al.com)

3. EAGLES RESTAURANT

2610 16th St. North in Birmingham. eaglesrestaurant.com

Eagles, founded in 1951, is a haven for authentic soul food. There are no frills here, to be sure, but Eagles is legendary among people who love meat-and-three. In fact, regulars tend to arrive early on Sunday mornings, to beat the crowd  and the line  that forms at the restaurant. Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern is an enthusiastic fan, too, including Eagles in a 2022 list of his favorite places to eat in Birmingham. Favorite main dishes include oxtails, beef tips with rice, baked chicken and dressing, barbecue chicken and fried pork chops. And were all about the sides, especially greens (turnip or collard), black-eyed peas, candied yams and fried corn. Get a vegetable plate here, and you wont be disappointed.

Order this: Oxtails! If you adore this savory dish, its a must-have at Eagles. And if youre trying oxtails for the first time, Eagles is the place to do it. (Confession: We have yet to sample another house specialty  neckbones with potatoes  but folks rave about that dish, too.)

MORE: Southern Food Draft: Did we build the perfect meat-and-three plates?

This lunch plate at Johnny's Restaurant in Homewood, Ala., features two Greek meatballs (or "keftedes") with tzatziki sauce, collard greens, purple hull peas and a cornbread muffin.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

2. JOHNNYS RESTAURANT

2902 18th St. South, Suite 200 in Homewood. www.johnnyshomewood.com

Johnnys opened in 2012 and immediately earned a stellar reputation for combining tradition and innovation. Chef Timothy Hontzas likes to call his restaurant a Greek and three, reflecting the menus fusion of Greek and Southern cuisine. We admire the creativity and care that goes into the food at Johnnys, along with the fresh ingredients. Mouth-watering main dishes range from chicken pot pie to fried catfish to meatloaf with chipotle BBQ. Standout sides include parmesan grit cake, fried green tomatoes, spinach and chickpeas and sweet potato puree with cinnamon maple butter. Its no wonder that Hontzas has been nominated for Best Chef in the South by the James Beard Awards, reaching the semifinals in 2017-2020 and the finals in 2022 and 2023. (Note: A controversy erupted this year when Hontzas was disqualified by the Beard Awards for yelling at employees and restaurant guests, but weve never experienced that at Johnnys.)

Order this: The Greek meatballs are delicious, especially when dipped in a creamy tzatziki sauce. This main dish, also known as keftedes, inspires raves from regulars  and rightly so.

Tony Pettus works the steam table line at Niki's West in Birmingham, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

1. NIKIS WEST STEAK & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

233 Finley Ave. West in Birmingham. www.nikiswest.com

Nikis West is the undeniable king of meat-and-three restaurants in Birmingham. Its also a beloved institution here, open since 1957. Regulars flock to the place for a daily lunch fix, and plenty of folks who move away say Nikis is a must when they return to the city for visits. Nikis extensive menu features several main dishes, from hamburger steak to Greek chicken to liver and onions to fried pork chops. There are more than 20 sides, including yams, fried okra, field peas, broccoli rice and cheese, pinto beans, creamed potatoes and turnip greens. Everything at Nikis hits the spot, so diners can mix and match at will. Heres a pro tip for newcomers: Be ready with your order as you approach the line at the steam table, or youre likely to get fussed at by the employees on duty. Staffers at Nikis are welcoming, but they like to keep things moving.

Order this: Goodness, how to choose? Lets just say that were fond of the lemon pepper catfish, which is on the menu most days. Also, the macaroni and cheese is so wonderfully gooey, its become a guilty pleasure.

MORE ON MEAT-AND-THREE IN BIRMINGHAM:

Nikis West: The story behind a classic Alabama restaurant

Fannie Flagg on the Alabama meat-and-three that inspired beloved Fried Green Tomatoes

The story behind Eagles, an essential Alabama soul food restaurant

Johnnys Restaurant redefines the meat-and-three in Homewood
Jamie Foxx has been spotted in public for the first time since he was hospitalized with a mystery health complication in the spring.

TMZ first reported the public sighting.

The gossip site obtained video recorded sometime Sunday afternoon showing Foxx waving from a mega-boat cruising on the Chicago River. He was seen waving to a passing vessel that gave him a cheer.

The stars family members have been visiting him as he continues to rehabilitate in Chicago.

Foxx was hospitalized for several weeks after suffering a medical issue while in Georgia filming a movie for Netflix.

The reason for Foxxs hospitalization sudden has not been released.

We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday, Corinne Foxx, the actors daughter, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram in April.

Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers, the statement continued. The family asks for privacy during this time.

Earlier this month, word began to spread that Foxx was on the mend.

John Boyega, Foxxs co-star in They Cloned Tyrone, told E! Canada that the actor was doing fine.

Yeah. Hes all good. Hes all good, Boyega said. So were just going to wait for him to reappear when he wants to. You know, privacy and all.



2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Growing up in the Philippines, Mary Chappell watched a lot of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Baywatch. From those sunny and glamourous TV depictions of Southern California, she assumed thats what life was like in all the United States. In the early 90s, Chappell experienced culture shock when, at age 12, her family moved to Baldwin County, Alabama, after the U.S. military base her mom worked at closed.

Baldwin County was mainly farms back in the day, Chappell recalls now, so I was rather disappointed that it wasnt like 90210. After a good-natured laugh, she adds, But thank goodness we didnt live far from Gulf Shores, so her family got to enjoy frequent beach trips together. And even in rural Alabama, living conditions were far better than theyd been in Chappells homeland.

Decades later, Chappell is carving her own trailer-sized slice of the American Dream. Her mobile food business, Flippin Filipino, which rootsy dishes she grew up with, has become a local standout and received national recognition.

In late 2022, prestigious culinary magazine Food & Wine, highlighted Flippin Filipino as the Alabama entry in its The Best Places to Eat Filipino Food in Every State list. Since Alabama lands first alphabetically among U.S. states, the blurb on Chappells business had the prime spot of first selection in Food & Wines list, compiled and written by Nicole Adrienne Ponseca and Danielle Muzones.

Chappell is grateful for the recognition, which she says came about after Food & Wines writers read a piece a local business writer had done on Flippin Filipino. This is my dream being filled, she says of her business. And not just mine, but also for my family.

Formerly a medical assistant by trade, Chappell started Flippin Filipino in May 2021. During the pandemic, the dermatology clinic where she worked cut her hours to 20 each week. As a single mom of two young girls, those financials werent going to cut it. It really gave me the drive to pursue something to supplement the extra income, she says.

Flippin Filipino food truck owner Mary Chappell, left, and her assistant, Marilou Miller. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

At first, shed cook for her medical coworkers, bringing in lunches. Then people started placing orders with her for lunches. She increased her side-hustle with a table and a tent at Greene Street Market, a popular farmers market held Thursday evenings in downtown Huntsville. Shed cook and bring in traditional fare in heated aluminum pans. Dishes like pancit, caldereta, pork kabobs, lumpias, adobo.

The reaction was hot. At Greene Street, shed often sell-out of food and Flippin Filipino quickly developed regulars, crucial currencies in building any business. When pandemic stimulus checks arrived, she put those funds towards building up from a farmers market vendor to a food truck biz.

The dermatology clinic let her do her hours there within three days a week. The other two weekdays, she poured her energy into Flippin Filipino. She did that for about three months.

And I saw what I was making in those couple of days was more than what I would make for the whole month [working parttime at the clinic], Chappell says. And so it was no brainer for me to hang-up, you know, the medical business. Id said a lot of prayers, and it really was the best decision Ive ever made.

After renting a trailer for a while, Chappell invested in her own, which she tows with a pickup truck.

The first time I tried to check out Flippin Filipino, about a month ago during a lunch service at local engineer firm Northrop Grumman, they were sold out by the time I got there. The next time, I made sure to call in my order ahead of time and get there at the beginning of service.

The food more than met my expectations. Flippin Filipino sells combos in one, two and three item configurations, in which you pick from five or so entrees. If you know and love Filipino food, this allows you to click your greatest-hits. If youre a newbie, like yours truly, its a fantastic way to try things on for size. In the current Huntsville market, the pricings in the average range for mom-and-pops, but the flavor and value are excellent.

A three-item combo (combo #3") from Huntsville food truck Flippin Filipino. Items, clockwise from bottom right: caldereta, pork inihaw, chicken adobo, lumpias and rice. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

The caldereta was probably my fave. A savory/zesty stew of pork, carrots, potatoes, peas and peppers in tomato-sauce. Some easy heat to it. Accessible international comfort food.

Also loved the pork inihaw. Slices of braised pig with smoky and sweet notes that accent the natural-forward flavors, which also include serrano pepper and onions. The chicken adobo, you can also get pork, was super tender garlic-and-vinegar-kissed and served with a side of steamed rice.

The combos also include a couple lumpias. These are crunchy and crushable -- jammed with seasoned pork, minced onion, celery, garlic, carrots. Basically, meatier, Mr. Fantastic-elongated, cigarillo-like improvements on Asian eggrolls. Also loved the Filipino barbecue skewers. More natural sapors and grilled goodness, and a child-friendly order in both flavor and presentation. Meanwhile, pancit is a soulful Filipino rice noodle mainstay with garlic and veggies.

A two-item combo (combo #2") from Flippin Filipino. Items, from top left, lumpias, Filipino BBQ skewer and pancit. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

Besides their food, an appeal of Flippin Filipino is theyre not overexposed. They usually only do a couple of public-facing services each week, including business-parking lot lunches, festivals, nearby orchards, etc. Before services, the cook their food at a commissary on Highway 72 East. Most weeks Flippin Filipino do three or so lunch services at Redstone Arsenals NASA Food Truck Corral, a vital gig for a mobile food vendor, as its year-round.

Chappell says she sometimes thinks about growing Flippin Filipino into a brick-and-mortar restaurant someday. But shes in no rush. The food truck industry gives you the flexibility that brick-and-mortar doesnt give, she says. You go to your customers, as opposed to having to wait for customers to come to you. I like to go to a place where I am expected. And I dont want to be waiting.

As a child back in the Philippines, Chappell learned to love cooking at age 9 by helping her auntie Maribel, who supplemented the family income with her own street-food business. Chappell says Filipino food is family oriented. I really had a humble upbringing. It was very tight knit. He would sit around and roll hundreds of lumpias together.

Her auntie cooked barbecue pork, like the kind Chappell now serves on skewers with Flippin Filipino, and chicken feet, slow-braised for crispy exterior, tender interior and full of flavor.

Besides Filipino, Chappells favorite stuff to eat includes the warming, satisfying pho soups of Vietnamese cuisines. Now engaged to be married, when off work and at home Chappell cooks extra-trad Filipino like pinakbet, a vegetable dish, and dinuguan, a pork blood stew.

Flippin Filipino food truck owner Mary Chappell, left, and her assistant, Marilou Miller. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

About a year ago, she was able to hire an employee, Marilou Miller, another native of the Philippines, and shes been the perfect sidekick. I wanted somebody that was familiar with the food, had experience cooking and new exactly is needed to be done.

Asked about other interests or hobbies, Chappell says, To tell you the truth, my friends and I my family and I we love to gather and eat, so Im always cooking regardless of where I am. Thats what I love.

For Flippin Filipinos hours of operation, which change weekly, and more info, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

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The Air Force is delaying certain pay and bonuses and extending deployments citing higher-than-projected personnel costs in a move reports are linking to Alabama lawmakers freeze on some Air Force spending amid the ongoing battle over the U.S. Space Command headquarters.

The Air Force announced today it is suspending the fiscal year selective reenlistment bonus, pausing the Aviation Bonus program until that program can be restructured, and pausing new Assignment Incentive Pay.

Also, the Air Force says, airmen on overseas long tours with a DEROS between October-December 2023 will have their DREOS extended to January. A DEROS date is the day an Air Force employee is expected to return from deployment overseas.

The Air Force continues to work through additional options to avoid the funding shortfall and will provide more information when available, the announcement said. The service said the cuts were driven by higher-than-projected personnel costs.

Some national media reports headlines say the spending cuts are coming amid (the political feud) over the (Space) commands permanent headquarters. But those reports note that the Air Force did not mention recent moves in Congress to curtail funding in its announcement today.

Alabama lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated at spending by the Air Force on the startup Space Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.. This is happening, Alabama lawmakers say, while there has been no acknowledgment that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville ranked higher than Colorado Springs in the official review of permanent headquarters locations.

Two of those representatives, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, have moved to stop any further spending in Colorado until a permanent headquarters is named. Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee and added this measure to its version of the FY 2024 budget: This section would limit the use of funds to construct or modify facilities for temporary or permanent use by United States Space Command for headquarter operations until the Secretary of the Air Force delivers a report on the selection of a permanent location to the congressional defense committees.
An Alabama man was found guilty of murder in connection with a 2021 car chase and shocking gunbattle that injured three Georgia officers, one of whom spent three months in the hospital after being shot in the head, prosecutors said.

While 25-year-old Aaron JuJuan Shelton didnt fire any shots, a Carroll County jury found he was the driver and participated in the crimes with his cousin Pier Shelton, who fired an AK-47-style rifle at law enforcement several times. Pier Shelton was eventually killed during the rampage that shook three separate agencies to the core and horrified both families and local communities.

Aaron Shelton was convicted of multiple crimes, including felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery on law enforcement officers, felony fleeing and attempting to elude, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after the jury rejected his claims that his cousin coerced him. He is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

This case demonstrates the importance and value of Georgias felony murder statute, Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford said in a news release Saturday. It is just that Aaron Shelton face a mandatory life sentence for felony murder as a consequence of his being a party to the crime of Pier Sheltons attempts to kill numerous police officers.

On April 12, 2021, Georgia State Patrol Trooper Zack Pruitt tried to pull over a 2015 Nissan Sentra that was clocked going 111 mph on I-20 in Carroll County, according to the DAs office. At about 3:30 a.m., Pruitt attempted a traffic stop, but Shelton sped away as his cousin fired the rifle out of the passenger-side window. The bullets struck Pruitts vehicle and disabled it, prosecutors said, leading other agencies to be notified. The trooper was not injured.

Roughly 30 minutes later, local authorities joined the chase that was now led by Carrollton police Sgt. Rob Holloway and Cpl. Richard Cheatwood. The Nissan again reached high speeds on Ga. 61 as Pier Shelton fired at the officers and Carroll County deputies, who had joined the pursuit. A bullet went through the windshield of Holloways patrol vehicle and struck him in the head, causing him to lose control and strike a utility pole.

Holloway was taken to the intensive care unit at Grady Memorial Hospital and transferred weeks later to a metro Atlanta rehabilitation center for a brain injury. He eventually walked out of the Shepherd Center in what the sheriffs office called a true miracle. The officer received a heros welcome and a police escort back home to Carrollton.

After the officer was struck, the Nissan approached Villa Rica and both suspects ran away. Authorities then established a perimeter. Villa Rica police Officer Chase Gordy was guarding the northern side about 25 minutes later when Pier Shelton approached and shot him in the arm and leg. Gordy underwent surgery at Grady before being released the next morning.

Soon after, Carroll County sheriffs Cpl. Jamison Troutt and his partner, Deputy Jay Repetto, drove to the injured officers location. Terrifying video released by the sheriffs office showed Pier Shelton stepping out of the darkness, walking toward the deputies car with the rifle and opening fire.

Repetto was struck in the arm before both deputies returned fire and killed the suspect. The injured deputy was taken to Atlanta Medical Center and released later in the day, authorities said.

Photos showed at least 12 bullet holes in the windshield of Troutts patrol vehicle and several more in its hood. A couple who lived in a nearby house were at home during the incident and were traumatized, Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langley said.

Aaron Shelton ran from law enforcement, hid in the woods and was eventually taken into custody by members of the state patrols SWAT team, prosecutors said.

These crimes affected the officers involved, their families, their agencies and our entire community, and it will continue to, Cranford said.

2023 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Its not as noteworthy as, say, a tax decrease or more school funding, so when the Alabama legislature passed the states so-called purple paint law in 2016, it received little fanfare.

Officials with organizations such as the Alabama Farmers Federation (AFF) or the Mobile County Sheriffs Office did their best to get the word out, but few likely paid much attention.

So what is a purple paint law?

Simply put, it gives property owners an alternative way of marking their property in a way that legally informs would-be trespassers to keep out. Under the law, it carries the same weight as a NO TRESPASSING sign.

This graphic from the Alabama Farmers Federation explains the requirements for using the state's so-called "purple paint law."

The legislature adopted the law as a low-cost alternative to posting no trespassing signs. The purple paint also has the advantages of high visibility and difficulty of removal.

Prior to the adoption of the purple paint law, an intruder on private property was not necessarily a trespasser unless notice against trespass is personally communicated to him by the owner of such land or another authorized person, or unless such notice is given by posting in a conspicuous manner, under Alabama law.

The purple paint addition gives landowners a second means of meeting the conspicuous manner requirement.

The law, found in Alabama code 13A-7-1, reads: A sign or signs posted on the property, reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders, indicating that entry is forbidden or the placement of identifying purple paint marks on trees or posts on the property.

In order for those purple marks to be valid, the following conditions must be met:

They must be vertical lines of not less than eight inches in length and not less than one inch in width.

They are placed so that the bottom of the mark is not less than three feet from the ground or more than five feet from the ground.

The are placed at locations that are readily visible to any person approaching the property and are no more than 100 feet apart on forest land or 1,000 feet apart on land other than forest land.

Its important to remember that not every state has purple paint laws. Other states with purple paint laws are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

So purple paint markings on a property in Mississippi, for example, would have no legal significance.

Additionally, although called purple paint laws, not every state with such laws on the books actually requires purple paint. Idaho and Montana requires orange paint, while Maryland requires blue. Also, in North Carolina, purple paint does not denote no trespassing, but instead signifies no hunting, fishing or trapping on the property.
Alabama has fewer gun sellers than it used to. Licensed ones, at least.

According to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the number of federally licensed gun sellers in Alabama - including firearms dealers, gunsmiths, pawnshops and others - has declined in each of the last four years. Thats after the state experienced steady growth in licenses during the second half of the last decade.

Alabama was home to 1,077 such gun dealers as of June 2023, the last month for which data was available. That was a slight decline from the previous June, when there were 1,096 gun sellers in the state. The number has gone done each year since 2019.

[Cant see the chart? Click here.]

Back then there were 1,164 gun sellers in the state, meaning Alabama has seen a 7% decline in gun sellers. But the Yellowhammer state is hardly alone. In fact, the trend here nearly perfectly matches that of the nation as a whole, which has also seen a 7% decline in gun seller licenses since 2019.

Some states have seen even bigger declines - Illinois, for instance, has seen a decline in licenses of around 39%. Thats by far the fastest decline in the nation. Illinois is also one of the fastest shrinking states in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But its population decline doesnt fully explain the rapid decline in gun sellers.

Only five states actually saw growth in the gun seller marketplace. They were South Carolina (1%), Florida (2%), Arizona (3%), Utah (4%) and Maryland (5%). Every other state saw a decline or no change.

When controlling for population, Alabama was firmly in the middle of the pack as of June. The state had 2.1 licensed gun sellers per 10,000 residents, which ranked 26th out of all states and the District of Columbia.

[Cant see the map? Click here.]

Wyoming and a handful of other low-population, gun-loving states in Big Sky Country led the way in that category. There were 9.5 gun sellers per 10,000 residents in Wyoming as of June, and 7.9 in neighboring Montana. Alaska also ranked high, and both Dakotas rounded out the top 5.

Gun sellers in this story were based on license categories 1, 2 and 9 from the ATF, which includes dealers in firearms other than destructive devices, including gunsmiths; pawnbrokers that sell firearms other than destructive devices; and dealers of destructive devices.

Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Or questions about Alabama that data may be able to answer? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories here.
Alabama announced details of when it plans to execute James Barber next week.

The execution is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, according to a statement Monday from the Alabama Department of Corrections. Barber was sentenced to death in 2004 for the murder of Dorothy Epps in 2001. Barber beat the 75-year-old woman to death with his fists and a claw hammer in her home in Madison County.

Until now, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey had only released the general time frame for the lethal injection execution of Barber, who is still fighting a legal battle to halt it.

Barbers execution would be the first to occur under a new rule adopted by the Alabama Supreme Court that gives the state more time to put inmates to death. Instead of being limited by the death warrant to a single day, the governor is allowed to pick a time frame within the 30-day window set by the court.

In May, the governor announced Barbers execution, would happen within a 30-hour period that begins at 12 a.m. on July 20 and ends at 6 a.m. on July 21.

The change to a longer time period will allow the prison system more time to prepare the intravenous lines into the veins of an inmate. Alabama had to call off two executions last year - Alan Eugene Miller in September and Kenneth Eugene Smith in November - because of concerns they would not be finished when the execution warrants expired at midnight.

Alabama, in part, has blamed the inability to get IV lines set by midnight on last-minute legal maneuvering by the inmates and their attorneys that cause a delay in beginning the preparations. Attorneys for the inmates have called the prolonged prodding and sticking to find veins over several hours cruel and unusual punishment and a constitutional violation. The state claims that doesnt constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

New rules came after Ivey called for a moratorium late last year following the failed attempts of Miller and Smith and prolonged execution in July 2022 of Joe Nathan James Jr.
An Alabama woman who claimed she was in an online relationship with the prosecutor who was handling her case is back in jail.

Jamie Connolly, 53, was booked into the Coffee County Jail Saturday after authorities filed a motion seeking sanctions against her, claiming she violated conditions of the Community Corrections program to which she was sentenced instead of prison.

Connolly, Coffee County prosecutors say, was dismissed from the Starting Point Recovery Center for failing to her medications as directed and snorting them instead.

Prosecutors are seeking to revoke her sentence.

Initially charged in Houston County with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession/receipt of a controlled substance, the Enterprise woman pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of possession with intent to distribute.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with four to actually serve, but a judge earlier this year instead sentenced her to a drug rehabilitation work release program.

Connolly claimed she was in an online relationship, with ex-Houston County Assistant District Attorney Mark David Johnson, whom she alleged friended her on Facebook.

Johnson, 54, was overseeing charges against Connolly in 2019. He has since been fired from the district attorneys office and is facing multiple ethics charges, including soliciting for sex and pictures.

Johnson is charged with three counts of soliciting anything for the purpose of corruptly influencing official action, and three counts of using his official position or office for personal gain.

Investigators alleged Johnson solicited a female companion or escort from a criminal defendant for the purpose of corruptly influencing official action in her case.

In two other charges, Johnson is accused of soliciting picture(s), or female companionship, or sexual contact from two other women to influence their cases.

In three additional charges, Johnson is accusing of using his position as an assistant district attorney to obtain a female companion or escort, sexual pictures, and sexual contact or pictures from the women.

Johnson last month entered a plea of not guilty on the charges against him. His trial is set for Oct. 30.
Friends and family gathered Sunday to celebrate Sky Moores second birthday.

There was cake with her mommys picture, balloons, juice, Cocomelon decorations and presents. A lot of presents.

But there was also sadness.

Just two days ago, 2-year-old Sky was in the arms of her mother, 36-year-old Justina Wallace, when police say another woman fired a fatal gunshot.

Not only was Sky in her mothers arms, but two of Wallaces sons were just feet away. Wallace was pregnant when she died, leaving behind a total of five children. Sky and her siblings were uninjured in the shooting.

The decision to go forward with Skys birthday party was a tough one, Wallaces friends said, but they believe it was what Wallace would have wanted.

Its bittersweet, said Angel Weatherspoon, who helped put together the party.

Justina did everything big and were just trying to keep that going, said another friend, Charkelia Parker. Were trying to keep them uplifted. Its basically about the kids right now.

Justina Wallace, a 36-year-old mother pregnant with her sixth child, was shot to death in Birmingham on July 7, 2023, while holding her toddler daughter. Friends threw 2-year-old Sky a birthday part on Sunday.

The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. Friday in the 3200 block of 17th Avenue North. Wallace was taken to UAB Hospital where she was pronounced dead on Saturday.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the preliminary investigation revealed Wallace was involved in an argument with another woman  now identified as 21-year-old Aaniyah Nowden.

Both women had children fathered by the same man.

Photos and videos posted to social media showed Nowden  who friends say is also pregnant - pointing a gun at Wallace, who was seen in the images holding Sky.

Birmingham police on Sunday announced a capital murder charge against Nowden. The charge is capital because Wallace was killed in the presence of her children.

Aaniyah Nowden, 21, is charged with capital murder in the July 7, 2023, shooting death of 36-year-old Justina Wallace. Police said both women had children by the same man. (Jefferson County Jail)

Nowden was taken into custody at Fridays crime scene and held in the Birmingham City Jail until the formal warrant against her was obtained on Sunday. She was then booked into the Jefferson County Jail without bond at 5:41 p.m. Sunday, just 20 minutes before Skys birthday party began.

Its just mind-blowing. Everything happened so fast, said Glamorus Mullen, a close friend of Wallace who is now taking care of her children. I have yet to wrap my head around anything. It definitely doesnt feel right.

Mullen met Wallace two years ago and they quickly became close.

Justina Wallace, a 36-year-old mother pregnant with her sixth child, was shot to death in Birmingham on July 7, 2023, while holding her toddler daughter. Friends threw 2-year-old Sky a birthday part on Sunday.

Wallace was from Florida but moved to Alabama attend Miles College and stayed.

Though she never finished college, she had just re-enrolled at Miles in the fall with plans to pursue a degree in business management. She wanted her own boutique.

I just gravitated to her. She was a sweet girl, Mullen said. She was like my own sister.

Mullen said the children are struggling with their moms death, even Sky as young as she is.

James Lockhart was also close to Wallace. We talked on the phone every day all day, he said. I just wanted to talk to her all day.

She was outgoing. She was loud, he said. She was a good mother. She went above and beyond for her kids.

She was loved, Lockhart said. I hate this happened.

Justina Wallace, a 36-year-old mother pregnant with her sixth child, was shot to death in Birmingham on July 7, 2023, while holding her toddler daughter. Friends threw 2-year-old Sky a birthday part on Sunday.

Parker said Wallace was a loyal friend.

To know her was to love her, Parker said. She was her own person. She didnt follow the crowd. No matter what, she was always herself.

She was a great mom. She had it rough, but she did great as a mom, Parker said. Her kids, all of them loved her and she did a good job raising them.

Parker said Wallaces friends are still trying to absorb the shock of what happened to her.

Its indescribable, unbelievable, she said. Its real shocking.

Wallaces friends said theyre concerned about the children  especially the three who witnessed the killing.

Im worried for their state of mind but shes got good friends and with all of us together, theyre going to be OK, she said. We have to keep our smiles on for all of her kids. Its just a sad situation.
Authorities are asking for the publics help in finding family members for a man who died in Birmingham last week.

Brooks Seaborn Langley, 56, died July 5 at a boarding home where he lived in the 4300 block of Jackson Street, according to the Jefferson County Coroners Office.

Langley was found dead in his bedroom at about 6:15 p.m. that Wednesday by boarding home staff.

The cause of his death is pending additional laboratory studies.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said all attempts to identify and locate family have failed. Langley is believed to have originally been from Florida.

Family members or those with information on relatives asked to call the coroners office at 205-930-3603.
This story is republished with permission from The Birmingham Times

When she began practicing yoga about 10 years ago, it was a very lonely experience, Kim Richardson said.

She picked up a DVD from Walmart enabling her to practice along with a celebrity she cant remember and occasionally went to a class at the now-closed YMCA in downtown Birmingham. The other venues she knew of just didnt feel right, Richardson said.

The practice of yoga, however, promised peace, and Richardson said she found that even in her early experiences. I did feel that by the end of the practice, that I felt calmer, I felt more relaxed  less tense, all of the things that I was looking for, she said.

Today, Richardson, a certified yoga teacher since 2017, has found a way to practice without being so alone, bringing yoga to communities across the city of Birmingham.

Last month, Richardson was named among the nations leaders in providing service through yoga as she received recognition as a finalist for the 2023 John Kepner Seva Award for service to under-resourced communities. She accepted the honor at the 2023 Symposium for Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR), in Reston, Virginia.

My whole goal when I became first a yoga teacherwas that I wanted to create a community-based yoga model, that instead of expecting people to come into yoga studios, you can take yoga into communities and meet people where they are, she said.

Richardson, founder of Yes You, Yoga, which works to encourage yoga as a vital community resource, first hosted weekly yoga classes at the downtown branch of the Birmingham Public Library where she was a board member from 2013 through 2022.

The classes began in 2018. At the first class, there were about 15 people, which Richardson found inspiring.

Honestly, it was primarily a group of African American people doing yoga, which I had never seen before in Birmingham, so to have people be receptive  to create inclusive yoga spaces I felt like I had achieved that.

In 2019, Richardson worked with the Prison Yoga Project, an international nonprofit that seeks to promote and teach yoga to incarcerated people and was part of a team that sought to establish a pilot project in Alabama.

She taught in William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County, while another teacher taught at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka. I had never been inside a prison before, Richardson said. She was taken aback by the dedication of those in her class.

I have the convenience of going in my room at home and sitting on my yoga mat and making everything quiet and peaceful and sitting downBut its very hard to say youre going to be committed to a yoga practice if you are set up in a space with bunk beds, [where if] you reach your arm out, youre nearly touching the person next to you, Richardson said.

It was very inspiring to see that there were people who were willing and wanted to practice yoga, even in those conditions, she added.

In 2021, Richardson was among a number of Black yoga instructors who presented a proposal to Birmingham City Schools to create a yoga pilot project.

That project began last year in West End Academy, as well as Oxmoor Valley and Richard Arrington Jr. Elementary Schools.

Richardson teaches a free yoga program at the Don Hawkins Park Recreation Center in Birminghams Roebuck neighborhood and teaches yoga to kids who are admitted to Childrens of Alabama for mental health concerns.

Richardsons next step is to become a certified yoga therapist who works one-on-one with clients to determine how best they can accomplish goals related to physical, mental, or emotional challenges that impact health.

A Life in Service

Raised by her grandparents Ralph and Henrietta Carter, Richardson, 51, grew up in Clevelands Glenville neighborhood with her older sister Marian. In Richardsons youth, Mrs. Carter cleaned houses in the Cleveland suburbs and Mr. Carter was a retired Pullman porter who assisted passengers on sleeper train cars.

It was definitely a lower-income community but a very tight-knit community, where you knew everyone in the neighborhood. Everyone knew me, and everyone knew us. The school I went to was at the end of our street. We walked together with my friends to school every day, so it was very much a positive upbringing, Richardson recalled.

After Richardson graduated from Glenville High School in 1990, she spent two years at the College of Wooster in Ohio, before transferring to Baldwin-College, now Baldwin Wallace University, in Berea, Ohio.

Her first plan was to be an accountant, but she found the general economics and business classes boring, she said.

She decided to test out a course in the schools urban studies program, which combines economics, sociology, and political science. The course sparked her interest in understanding what she had seen around her, growing up in a low-income neighborhood.

All of our needs were metThere was food on the table. Our lights were on. The heat was on  so in a childs mind, thats wealth. You dont really sort of begin to see the inequities until you get outside, Richardson said.

Taking the urban studies course motivated her academic interest, as well as her desire to do work around social justice. In 1994, she graduated from Baldwin-Wallace with a bachelors degree in urban studies, and in the fall, began a masters program at Cleveland State University, which she completed in 1996.

After finishing up her masters, Richardson moved into a role with the Cleveland Department of Public Health, working on the evaluation team for a program called Healthy Start, which worked to reduce infant mortality rates.

It didnt even cross my mind that babies werent surviving birth, that babies werent surviving their first year of life. Its something that no one was talking about, Richardson said.

That job opened my eyes to the health-related issues that urban populations, particularly African Americans, experience, she said.

All of that has sort of informed the work that I do today around saying that these things continue to plague our communities, and yoga can be just one tool for helping us address that, that can be accessible if we remove the barriers Richardson said.

In 2003 that Richardson moved to Birmingham. Her mother, Patricia Wilson, who grew up in the Magic City, moved back previously, and Richardson followed and got a job as the grants management coordinator for the Birmingham Department of Community Development.

Richardson left her job with the city and started her own firm, Kimberly Richardson Consulting which she paused in 2022.

Meaningful Practice

As she studies to become a certified yoga therapist, Richardson said shes worked one-on-one with a client who uses a wheelchair for several months. In their time working together, he has become more confident in other health care environments, Richardson said.

Ive seen him become empowered, not just in a physical practice, but in a way, hes addressing his own health issues, the way hes able to better advocate for himself in medical settings, Richardson said.

As for her practice of yoga, Richardson said her favorite poses are the warrior poses. Some of the most recognizable yoga poses, Richardson said the warrior poses hold significant meaning for her.

Youve got your arms spread out, one arm stretching forward, one arm stretching backward, and the story behind that is that its representative of letting go of whats in our past. Its us stretching forward, looking forward to our future but also standing in the middle and being present in the present moment, so its really a great metaphor for life, Richardson said.

Richardson hosts free yoga classes at Don Hawkins Recreation Center, located at 8920 Roebuck Blvd. every Wednesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. Follow Richardson on Instagram @yesyouyoga_wellness.
A man tried to rob a Georgia nail salon, but things didnt go so smoothly, security video shows.

It happened Monday, July 3, at Nail First in Atlantas Buckhead community, according to the citys police department.

Witnesses told police a man wearing a hat, sunglasses and blue jeans came in and demanded they get on the ground and empty their pockets.

His orders went largely ignored, however.

Give me all your money! he shouts, according to the video. Get down! Wheres the money?

Many of the shops patrons appeared unfazed by the would-be thief, who had one hand hidden inside a bag, video shows. A woman briefly put her hands up and left as the man continued shouting commands.

The man demanded peoples cash once more before awkwardly turning to leave the shop  empty-handed. Investigators said he drove away in a silver-colored sedan.

No injuries were reported.

Authorities are offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest of the would-be thief.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online here.

2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Muscle Shoals police say a woman was killed early Sunday morning in a single-vehicle crash.

According to police, the incident happened at about 1:38 a.m. at the TVA Hydro Plant at Wilson Dam Road.

Isabella Dawn Wilson, 27, of Florence, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Wilson was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, a 2002 Jeep Liberty, traveling south on Wilson Dam Road. The Jeep crashed into the Hydro Plants concrete wall.

The incident is under investigation.
A security guard is recovering after police say he was shot at a Hueytown business.

Police were dispatched about 2:30 a.m. Saturday to a report of a shooting at an unnamed business on Meadland Circle.

It appears, police said, that the security guard was checking the business when he encountered several people. Shots were fired, and the guard was struck in the leg.

He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was treated and released.

Hueytown police and Jefferson County sheriffs deputies used tracking dogs and a drone to search for the suspects, but they were not located.

Police said it appears the victim was targeted.

Anyone with information is asked to call Hueytown police at 205-491-3523 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
The head of an Alabama rescue squad said he doesnt know that anyone in the state has died from a boat jumping TikTok challenge, despite numerous published reports quoting him as saying otherwise.

Childersburg Rescue Squad Capt. Jim Dennis said statements attributed to him citing four deaths in the past six months were taken out of context during interviews he gave promoting boating safety.

Weve had four drownings in the last six to eight months (that the Childersburg Rescue Squad worked) and some of those were just drownings, Dennis said.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Monday issued this statement regarding the issue.

On Monday, July 3, a news story was shared regarding first responders warning against a deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings in Alabama. However, please be advised the information released to the news outlet was incorrect. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division does not have any record(s) of boating or marine-related fatalities in Alabama that can be directly linked to TikTok or a trend on TikTok. One individual was fatality injured after jumping from a moving vessel in 2020 and a similar marine-related fatality occurred in 2021, however, both fatalities cannot be linked to TikTok.

Dennis said he worked one death of someone jumping from a boat. To say thats the reason they died, I cant say that, he said. That would be a matter of opinion.

In one of the deaths his squad worked, he said, one of the victims did jump from a moving boat. Dennis said he has no idea if it was linked to any TikTok challenge.

A second person also died after having jumped off a boat, but he said there were conflicting statements as to whether the boat was moving or stationary.

It got blown way out of proportion, Dennis said of the publicity, which was even a topic of discussion Monday on the Today Show. If theres data supporting that (boat jumping deaths in Alabama), I dont have that.

From me, on my side, I cannot say because it takes so long to get coroners reports back and they to ALEA, he said. We dont see coroners reports.

If we have a drowning, we may know unofficially what it is but to make an official statement, that would have to come from ALEA. Sometimes its a year or two before they get the final coroners report.

Dennis is quick to say, however, that boat jumping is dangerous and can definitely be deadly.

Just from growing up around water, when youre jumping off boats that are moving at a high rate of speed, things can happen, he said.

Water is the hardest surface known to man. We cut diamonds and steel with it, he said. When youre moving at a high rate of speed and you hit the water wrong, its like hitting a brick wall. Your neck is the weakest part and you run the risk of breaking it.

There is a TikTok challenge, but I do know jumping off of a moving boat is nothing new, he said.

As far as TikTok, theres not a challenge on there thats any good.
Sen. Tommy Tubervilles hold on military nominations means the Biden Administration wont be able to permanently replace a top leader in the Marine Corps who is required by law to leave his post on Monday.

Commandant Gen. David Berger must step down Monday from his four-year tour, a term of service that cannot be extended unless the U.S. is at war or in the event of a national emergency.

President Joe Biden nominated Gen. Eric Smith to replace Berger. But for now Smiths appointment will be on a temporary basis, as Tuberville, Alabamas senior Senator, has placed a hold on all Defense Department appointments.

Spokespeople for Sen. Tuberville did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.

The senator placed the hold on nominations in mid-February in response to the Department announcing policies to give assistance for service members seeking abortions. The policies allow them to request administrative absence for non-covered reproductive health services, including elective abortions and IVF, for themselves of their partners. The policies also offer transportation allowances for travel to states that offer abortions.

Other top military positions are slated to become vacant soon and could be impacted if Tubervilles continues his blockade of appointments.

Speaking about his hold on the appointments in February, Sen. Tuberville said he would hold all officer nominations unless Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seeks Congressional permission for abortion services for service members.

This is an illegal expansion of DoD authority and gross misuse of taxpayer dollars and I will hold him accountable. The American people want a military focused on national defense, not facilitating a progressive political agenda, Tuberville said in a statement to Fox News in February.

In June, the White House called Sen. Tubervilles hold on military nominations a threat to national security, and said his position is risking military readiness and harming military families.

The Senator has disagreed. He tweeted in June that he does not believe the situation is preventing military officials from doing their jobs.

All of these jobs are being done, he said.
The U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century as Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday and a Republican senator is blocking approval of his successor.

Berger took over as the 38th commandant in July 2019, and is required to leave the job after four years. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the assistant commandant, has been nominated to be the next leader, but will serve in an acting capacity because he hasnt been confirmed by the Senate.

Under the law, Smith can serve as the acting commandant, but he can do nothing that would presume confirmation. As a result, he cant move into the main residence or the commandants office, or issue any new formal commandants planning guidance, which is traditional for a new leader. He has the authority to implement new policies such as budget, training and other personnel decisions.

Smiths promotion delay is the first of what could be many top level military officers held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

Tuberville has stalled all nominations for senior military jobs because he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Abortion is now illegal in Alabama.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington, just down the street from Capitol Hill, Austin and Berger called on the Senate to take action.

We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant thats appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied, said Berger, with a nod to the commandants quarters at the edge of the parade field.

Austin and other Pentagon officials have pressed the Senate to move forward, saying that delays are already impacting more than 200 military officers, and many key leaders.

You know, its been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate confirmed commandant, Austin said during the ceremony.

Because of Bergers requirement to step down in July, the Marine job is the first of the military chiefs to be affected by Tuberville. The Army, Navy and Air Force are all expected to face the same delay later this year, as could the nomination of the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The current chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley, leaves his job at the end of September. Gen. CQ Brown, the current chief of the Air Force, has been nominated to replace Milley, and is scheduled to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his hearing on Tuesday.

The hold, however, is also impacting scores of one, two and three-star officers who are assigned to new commands but cant move on. It also affects their families, who usually relocate over the summer to their new military communities so school-age children can settle in before fall.

Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history, said Austin. Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And theyre crucial for our military readiness.

Smith hit the thorny issue head on during his remarks at the ceremony Monday  saying he wanted to get one thing out fast.

If youre saying, what am I supposed to call you? ACMC. That is my title, and one that Im proud of, said Smith, using the shorthand for his assistant commandant role. But he quickly added, to make sure that there is no confusion  all orders, directives and guidance, which were in effect this morning remain in effect, unless I direct otherwise. Further guidance to the force will follow.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Monday that as of last Friday, there were 265 senior officers whose promotions have been held up by Tuberville, and that number could leap to 650 by the end of the year if the issue isnt corrected. She noted that in more than 100 cases, officers  like Smith  would be forced to do two jobs at the same time because no one can move up.

She said the Pentagon is asking officers to delay planned retirements and stay on, while in other cases officers are doing more senior ranking jobs without getting the pay for that new rank.

The last time the Corps was led by an acting commandant was in 1910. Then-Maj. Gen. George Elliott, who was the commandant, reached the required retirement age in November 1910 and left the office. Col. William Biddle served as the acting commandant until he was promoted to major general and became commandant in February 1911.

Berger, a native of Woodbine, Maryland, graduated from Tulane University and was commissioned in 1981. He commanded at every level including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his tenure, he spearheaded a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China.

Smith, a career infantry officer, is a highly decorated Marine who served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 2004 and 2005 in Operation Iraq Freedom. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and in 2019 took over as the deputy commandant for combat development.
Is it Monday already? Lets catch up on some weekend news. Also, check out the weekly quiz near the bottom of this post. It might veer a little more obscure than last weeks.

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Urban rafting

The Montgomery Whitewater park opened over the weekend near Maxwell Air Force Base, reports AL.coms Mike Cason.

This is a project that went up against some political resistance. It began with an estimated $50 million price tag but -- stop me if youve heard similar stories before -- ended up costing $90 million to build.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey had proposed using $25 million out of a huge education-budget surplus, but the state Legislature instead allocated $5 million from the General Fund.

The park is free to enter, but there are fees for rafting and kayaking the two whitewater channels. Reportedly, you end up spending about an hour on the water for a guided trip.

Besides the water fun, theres a restaurant, a bar, yoga, and of course more people there to sell you stuff.

GOP debate in Alabama?

A spokeswoman for the Alabama Republican Party has said a primary presidential debate in the state has not been confirmed, reports AL.coms Jeremy Gray.

A CNN producer last week quoted GOP hopeful Nikki Haley saying that after the Republicans August debate in Wisconsin, theyll do it again in September at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, and then in October in Alabama.

So well have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, frontrunner and former President Donald Trump has said he might sit out the Milwaukee debate and compete against it with his own event.

Avoiding debates seems to be a trend amoung political frontrunners, who may feel they have more to lose than gain by being challenged by the other candidates.

Also, as the Associated Press reports, the Republican National Committee wants candidates to promise to support the eventual party nominee.

Ever had the Highway 431 blues?

Florida-based Gunther Mitsubishi did a recent survey to find out on which roads U.S. drivers most feared breaking down.

For example, the overall worst was found to be U.S. 285 in New Mexico with its long stretches of desert road with nowhere to get gas or vehicle service or cold Yoo-hoos or anything.

AL.coms William Thornton reports that, in Alabama, it was Highway 431, which runs north and south, mostly on the eastern edge of the state near the Georgia line. Even though it touches cities such as Huntsville, Gadsden, Anniston, Opelika, Eufala and Dothan, 431 has stretches thatll make you nervous if your low fuel light comes on.

The survey also points out the Alabama summer temperatures that can make being stuck on the side of the road downright dangerous.

State of confusion

A billboard went up recently in Macon, reports AL.coms William Thornton, that had a picture of a Miller Lite can, the state outline of Alabama, and the words Tastes Like Miller Time, Alabama.

We dont mean it went up in Macon Quarters in Alabamas Calhoun County. And we dont mean it went up in Macon County, Alabama, home of the Tuskegee Golden Tigers.

We mean it went up in Macon, Georgia. Many geography majors will tell you that Macon, Georgia, is not in Alabama. As a matter of fact, its a 1-hour, 45-minute drive from Phenix City if you keep it near the speed limit.

Finding yourself in the wrong state when you put up a beer sign tastes like too much Miller Time. As a matter of fact, at that point you could be into Miller Overtime.

Local folks in Macon did notice the issue, and the sign was quickly taken down on Friday.

Quoting

Whether its alligators or sharks or jellyfish, we know they are there.

-- Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier, on this summers number of reports of wildlife visiting the beach

Road trips

Little Debbie Park in Collegedale, Tennessee boasts pavilions, swings, picnic tables and playgrounds equipment with sculptures that look like Little Debbie snack cakes such as Christmas Tree cakes and Oatmeal Cream Pies.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1911, jazz trumpet player Cootie Williams of Mobile. He played with Duke Ellingtons and Benny Goodmans orchestras.

The weekly quiz

For the third Monday in a row (thats almost a pattern and flirting with consistency), we have a quick five-question quiz on topics that, for one reason or another, have been in the news. This weeks version is heavy on history.

The podcast

The newsletter
Erin Jackson was recently walking on the shore in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. when the luster of a washed up sea creature caught her eye.

The pink-and-purple translucent sheen was from a Portuguese man o war  one of the oceans most distinctive creatures commonly mistaken as a type of jellyfish.

Here are a few things to know about jellyfish and their close cousins, the man o war, which globally sting about 150 million people a year.

1. Lets get it out of the way. Dont pee on that sting.

Perhaps one of the greatest urban myths of all time, urinating on a jellyfish sting actually makes things worse by releasing even more venom into the victim.

The Cleveland Clinic, which Myrtle Beach officials referenced in a recent Facebook post addressing jellyfish safety, offers these tips to alleviate the pain safely.

 Remove any tentacles immediately, but dont rub the affected area. That stimulates the venomous barbs even more.

 Use only seawater to help remove the barbs.

 Gently scrape the affected area with the edge of credit card or similarly shaped plastic object to remove all barbs

 Apply vinegar or rubbing alcohol to the affected area. That cuts down on pain and helps release any toxins.

 Entering a hot bath or shower with water temperatures between 104 and 113 degrees can also help, if youre able to tolerate it.

2. Most jellyfish found are harmless.

Researchers estimate there could be up to 300,000 species of jellyfish  a staggering figure for an organism with no brain, heart or lungs. Most of those are harmless, but there are a few types that swimmers should be on the lookout for.

Cannonball

Although they dont much more than 10 inches in diameter, cannonball jellies cluster near the coast and in estuaries and can slow down commercial fishing by clogging nets and damaging nets.

Lions Mane

Typically active in colder months, its saucer-shaped and has up to eight clusters of arms. Pain is relatively mild and often described as burning rather than stinging, S.C. DNRs website says.

Sea Wasp

Also called the box jelly due to its cube-shaped bell, sea wasps are the most venomous type of jellyfish found, with its sting sometimes being severe enough to require hospitalization.

Man o war

While mostly found in tropical climates, wind and ocean currents can send them into coastal areas.

Sting symptoms include severe shooting pain described as a shock-like sensation, and intense joint and muscle pain, accompanied by headaches, shock, collapse, faintness, hysteria, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting.

Initial contact with a man-of-war may produce only a small number of stings. But trying to escape from the tentacles may greatly increase stings. Severe stings can occur even when the animal is beached or dead, S.C. DNR warns.

3. Sharks get the headlines, but jellyfish are notorious subterranean villains.

The National Ocean Service puts jellyfish on its list of the most hazardous seafaring creatures, joining sea urchins, lionfish, stingrays and sharks.

These squishy critters injure beach-goers far more often than any other type of sea life. Since a sting from jellyfish tentacles can prove painful even when the creature is dead, smart beach-goers everywhere give them a wide berth both in the water and along the shore, the agency says on its website.

___

(c)2023 The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

Visit The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) at www.thesunnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This is a guest opinion

On May 30, Governor Kay Ivey sent a letter to the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), ordering the execution of James Barber by lethal injection this month. Barbers execution will be the first since November of 2022 when the Governor paused capital punishment and promised a top to bottom review of the states execution protocol. The pause was triggered by three consecutive botched executions, in a year that the Death Penalty Information Center dubbed the Year of the Botched Execution. All three of these executions involved lethal injection, the same method by which Barber is set to be executed.

The Alabama People of Faith Death Penalty Coalition is composed of dozens of individuals, representing a diversity of faith traditions and geographic areas of Alabama. While members of our coalition are opposed to the use of the death penalty and believe that all life is sacred and all people deserve dignity, we understand that it is currently part of the Alabama justice system. However, there are several issues of great concern about Mr. Barbers scheduled execution.

In 2022, the state of Alabama botched three consecutive executions by lethal injection. One man died after three hours of apparent torture, while two others lived. Journalist Elizabeth Bruenig, writing in The Atlantic, called the states incompetence in these executions a civil rights crisis. ADOC spent hours attempting to find a vein, a suitable vein for the injection. In practice, this meant that these men, lying on their deathbeds, were poked, and prodded with needles for hours.

When other states, such as Tennessee and Oklahoma, have faced similar problems with lethal injection protocols and botched execution attempts, commissions were appointed by the states governors to conduct independent reviews and recommend changes for improvement.

In early 2023, Governor Ivey, rather than appointing an independent commission as in other states, tasked the ADOC to review its own protocols and practices. In response to this internal review, over 150 clergy from around the state, wrote a letter to the governor, requesting a comprehensive, independent, and external review of Alabamas death penalty procedures that should not be shrouded in secrecy. In the letter, clergy asked for transparency, accountability, and humility in how the state of Alabama undertakes its responsibilities.

Rather than organizing an independent commission to conduct the review, Governor Ivey had the ADOC conduct its own internal review and now plans to execute Mr. Barber at any time between midnight on July 20 and 6:00 am on July 21. Ivey sought to reverse the longstanding precedent which limited execution warrants to a single date consisting of a 24-hour period. The Alabama Supreme Court complied and granted the Governor unrestricted discretion over the timeframe of executions.

While the alteration of the twenty-four hour execution window is one change to Alabamas execution protocol during the pause  changes have occurred in staffing, rehearsals, and equipment  Barbers execution is still at risk of mirroring the conditions which surrounded Alabamas three preceding executions under conditions that are indicative of cruel and unusual punishment, thus violating the Eighth Amendment.

Governor Iveys order to execute Mr. Barber was issued on May 31 and released to the media on the same day. Representatives of the ADOC, including the Warden of the Holman Correctional Facility, did not notify Mr. Barber or his counsel until the following day, after it had already been announced in the media. This was in violation of the Departments own procedures.

While the wisdom and morality of the death penalty may be debated, we believe that the citizens of Alabama deserve that such a weighty act as execution must follow rules and laws, that no execution should include any possibility of torture, and that the activities of the State should always be transparent, just, ethical, and carried out as competently as possible.

We urge our fellow citizens to be informed about how the death penalty is implemented in the state of Alabama and to join us in continuing to ask Governor Ivey to work to ensure competence and openness in its implementation.

If you have concerns, as we do, please contact the Governors office to voice those concerns at 334.242.7100 or email.

We also invite you to join the Alabama People of Faith Death Penalty Coalition at a multi-faith vigil at Resurrection Catholic Church in Montgomery on Wednesday, July 12 at 1pm CT.

Cynthia Carter is an Episcopal priest who recently retired from full-time parish ministry. Prior to her ordination, she worked for more than twenty years as a university faculty member in graduate health administration programs. She currently resides in Birmingham.

Luke Collins graduated from Yale College in 2022 . He is currently a legal assistant for a civil rights lawyer in Birmingham. He plans to attend law school in 2024.
No matter how many crimes occur in Chicago every day  carjackings, muggings, drug deals, political corruption  these rarely make the news, other than in reports of crime statistics. We hear numbers; we rarely learn the victims names. There are just too many of them.

Its the rarest of crimes  the incidents of severe police misconduct - that make the news.

And the news of the day is a particularly disturbing story.

The story broke on Thursday, July 6 that at least one Chicago police officer was being investigated for having sexual contact with illegal aliens (the press calls them undocumented migrants, but we know what they mean), who were being housed in a police station in the North Lawndale neighborhood.

The story grew by the hour, and by Friday, it was admitted that internal affairs was investigating at least four officers at the station in question, for sexual relationships with (allegedly) multiple girls sheltering there, at least one of whom is a minor, reportedly pregnant with a police officers child.

Within 24 hours, at least sixty primarily Spanish-speaking aliens were moved out of this police station, where they had resided for months (?!), and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability had opened its own separate investigation, eager to delve into, this time, an apparently legitimate case against the police.

The mainstream media guide the discussion in the direction one would expect:

Its a violation of the public trust for public employees, the police, to take advantage of these poor people in this way. Its a crime if these police used their power as authority figures to abuse these poor people. And if the reports are correct that one or more are underage, then its worse still; it constitutes statutory rape.

And all these points are valid. If everything about the story is true, then these abuses by these individual officers are indeed improper, likely criminal, and certainly grounds for termination.

However theres more to the story that the mainstream press isnt talking about.

First, is this consensual? The story was presented as sexual relationships, but one must ask if the girls were really willing, or if these incidents constitute rape.

The first possibility is obvious: if one or more of the girls are underage, its statutory rape; an underage person cannot legally give consent, period.

But even if they werent underage, even adult women, living as illegal aliens in a police station in a country foreign to them, are in a position in which consent would be questionable. Like teachers or bosses, the police are in a position of authority. Police officers at such a station would have been presented as guardians, but would seem like their own prison guards in reality. To the migrants, the thought process may be its their place; they set the rules. If sexual favors are the price of living here for this stage of the process, that must just be the way this awful life is.

And what if theres even more to it? What if there are city employees running a prostitution ring out of the jail, with the services provided by these poor girls, who may have had a say in the matter, but who also may have had no say at all? When theres sexual activity in these conditions, even if it doesnt start out as prostitution, we know thats often the direction it all ends up.

Quite a situation we have here. And while the Right has talked about this risk for years, this isnt how our nations Democrat politicians are presenting the migrant situation, is it?

We are told to feel sorry for these untold millions of illegal aliens. We are told that conditions are so awful in their home countries, we must consider them to be legitimate seekers of asylum. We are told that we have a duty to welcome them in, to spend taxpayer dollars to feed and clothe and house them, and to cover their healthcare when theyre sick, and their education and job training, even to cover their legal bills.

We are told that if we feel otherwise, if we dont believe that American taxpayers should be forced to cover these unlimited, geometrically-increasing costs, then we are heartless cruel un-American.

But what, then, are the Democrats who created this situation in the first place?

Under the guise of compassion, Democrat politicians encouraged people to leave other countries, to join caravans, and show up at our border to demand this compassionate welcome.

And then what is the compassionate welcome we give them? Two or three days transportation to an unknown place, where they will sit and cower in condemned school rooms, or bankrupt motels, or overcrowded police stations, for months and months, without legal status to get an honest job or live an honest life, at risk 24/7 of assault by their fellow aliens, or by their alleged caretakers, or in this case, perhaps even at the hands of the police.

These new immigrants must get a much different idea of our police than we native-born Americans have. And perhaps thats by design.

The politicians of Chicago  and of other big cities as well  have lured these millions of denizens into the country, knowing that this would be the situation in which theyd end up. These big city politicians pose a danger to these illegals far worse than the illegals realize, because this is now a permanent condition for them. They will now forever be people without a country, always dodging the law when they apply for jobs or aid or help, always afraid to call the police when crimes are committed against them.

And might this be the plan?

These millions of undocumented migrants are poor, uneducated, desperate. They are entirely out of their element, dependent on the largesse of the new host government for everything. They are scared, defenseless, lost, confused. Landless, powerless, friendless. They are prime candidates for control and abuse by the powers that be, whether those powers are the Democrat party machine or the government-supplied social workers or the politically-connected nonprofits that will start out looking helpful and then activate them as political pawns, ready to provide numbers whenever parades, strikes, demonstrations, or even illegal votes on election day are needed.

They are here on purpose; the conditions are known. So it only follows: the Democratic Party wants these immigrants to be in this condition, and wants there to be as many of them as possible.

Perhaps thats because thats how the modern Democrat politicians likes all its subjects: weak, scared, hungry, dependent, and obedient. They wish we were all like that. They are the party of government, and only when the voters are in this condition do the voters feel they need government.

One more interesting note, just as a coincidence, perhaps (unless its true that there is no such thing as a coincidence): This story happened to break during the week of Independence Day.

On Independence Day, we celebrate our Founding Fathers throwing off the yoke of the British Crown, daringly declaring an end to the Crowns tyrannical rules one of which was the stationing of British military men in civilian homes. This quartering policy horrified Americans, because if a family had to host a British soldier, they might be at risk of the very kind of abuse that these migrants appear to be suffering in government-run temporary housing all over the country today.

Our Founding Fathers knew human nature. They knew that allowing a government to force strangers to live together with disparities in power and position was creating a level of risk that no government should inflict upon its citizens. Our Founders knew such conditions were not to be tolerated.

And so too should we today understand that this business of having the government force the responsibility of caring for millions of foreigners under our roofs and with our tax dollars is simply a tyrannical outrage that cannot be tolerated. The conditions it creates are simply too rife with possible risks.

One cannot help but wonder: was this perhaps the Democrat Partys plan all along? American voters arent gullible enough, obedient enough; we never were. So bring in millions of outsiders, weak and scared, ignorant of our history and our libertarian principles, grateful for whatever scraps we give them, willing to put up with our abuse because they know nothing different?

That will make for quite the future electorate, wont it?

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based international transportation professional and consultant. A onetime Milwaukee County Republican Party chairman, he has been writing a regular column for Illinois Review since 2009. His book on vote fraud (The Tales of Little Pavel) and his political satires on the current administration (Evening Soup with Basement Joe, Volumes I and II) are available on Amazon.

Image: Screen shot from ABC 7 Chicago video, via YouTube
The propaganda ministry is in full spin mode, trying to explain why Joe Biden is parading around the world with Hunter in tow. The two are together for state dinners, overseas junkets, and weekends at Camp David. As the narrative goes, Hunter is a troubled man, victimized by the demon of addiction. Any appearance of presidential impropriety is simply a loving father concerned about his son, holding him close to keep him out of trouble.

I say hogwash.

Organized crime bosses protect themselves from legal jeopardy by insulating themselves from the dirty work. They use underlings to sell their product, collect the money, launder the money, and if necessary take the fall. If a legal price is to be paid, it's paid by the expendables. The boss keeps them quiet with hush money, legal assistance, and witness intimidation.

Does anyone believe that a cartel boss helps an arrested underling out of love? Nope. He does it in service to his own selfish interests  which brings me to Hunter Biden's loving father, Joe.

We've learned a great deal about the Biden family business in the last three years from abandoned laptops, congressional investigations, and federal whistleblowers.

We know that Hunter was working on a deal with a Chinese energy company in which 10 percent would go to the "big guy." We learned from Hunter's business partner, Tony Bobulinski, that the "big guy" was Hunter's code name for his dad, Joe Biden. Oddly, Bobulinski was never interviewed by Biden's consigliere or his crew, the Department of Justice.

What was Hunter selling to the Chinese? We've learned that from WhatsApp text messages to Henry Zhao, the group chairman of China's Harvest Fund Management. He texted:

The Bidens are the best I know at doing exactly what the chairman wants from this [partnership].

Oddly, Hunter's communications with the Chinese never discuss any product or service other than access to Joe. I'm sure what "the Bidens are the best ... at" doesn't involve anything harmful to America  like granting his pal Xi Jinping permission to fly reconnaissance balloons over America.

But Hunter was involved in not only the sales side of the family business. He also did the dirty work of collections. In another message to Zhao, he texted:

I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.

That was Hunter Biden giving a Chinese businessman, with ties to Chinese intelligence, an "or else" if they didn't pay up. Five million bucks arrived in the next few days.

But the Chinese weren't the only clients of Biden Inc. They also did extensive work (I'm using the term loosely) with Burisma in Ukraine. A whistleblower has come forward identifying evidence in FBI possession that the Bidens were working a side deal, while Joe was the vice president, to help Burisma Holdings out of some legal difficulties.

It seems Burisma needed a Ukrainian investigation to go away. Joe helped by threatening to withhold a billion dollars of U.S. aid if the Ukrainians didn't fire the prosecutor investigating Burisma. The Ukrainians complied, the investigation was terminated, and Hunter and Joe each received $5 million.

The whistleblower claims that the president of Burisma told him that he has audio recordings of his conversation with Joe  presumably as insurance to make sure the bribed stay bribed. We know that Joe did the deed, because he bragged about it at a Council for Foreign Relations meeting  on video. Maybe now we have a better idea about why he did the deed.

The Bidens created a vast network of shell companies to launder the money received. But ill gotten gains are still gains, and subject to taxation. Therefore, the IRS was following the money.

Investigators had to work their way through the maze of shell companies, which received money, divided it up, moved it around, and eventually deposited it in Biden family bank accounts. The investigation was a time-consuming process of subpoenaing records, fighting legal resistance, and moving to the next link in the money chain  hoping to reach the end before the statute of limitations expired. The investigators almost pulled it off  until they were told to stand down, ignore leads associated Joe Biden or the "big guy," and let Hunter off with a couple of misdemeanors for defrauding taxpayers of millions of dollars.

This is all ample evidence that in the Biden family business, Joe had the product, and Hunter took care of sales, collections, and distribution of the proceeds.

Does Joe love Hunter? Maybe so, but demonstrably not as much as Joe loves Joe.

Would a father who loves a son more than himself involve that son in a criminal enterprise that could land him in jail for decades?

Would a father who's concerned about his troubled son facilitate his access to easy money for drugs, strippers, and hookers?

Wouldn't a loving father try to separate his troubled son from the influences that corrupted him  rather than increase his exposure to temptations at state dinners, West Wing meetings, and overseas travel to meet with foreign businessmen?

Wouldn't a concerned father be able to keep drugs away from his addicted son in the most secure building in the world  the White House? However, we've learned that the White House was evacuated because a bag of cocaine was found in the West Wing. We've also learned that the Bidens have directed the White House staff to "lay off" Hunter Biden. Just how extensive was that directive? Did it include "laying off" stopping the first son from snorting cocaine in the West Wing?

Those are rhetorical questions. We know the answers, so spare me the "loving father" nonsense. Joe is the head of a criminal enterprise, selling government influence to the highest bidder, with complete disregard for America's interests. He used his son and other family members to do the dirty work of

selling the product (influence),

collecting the proceeds, and

laundering the money for use by the first family.

While they did that, Joe smiled for the cameras and worked to maintain the facade of returning normalcy to the White House.

But Hunter is no criminal mastermind, and he left far too much evidence of family misdeeds for the public to ignore. Now that Hunter has been caught, Joe is suddenly concerned about his troubled son? Baloney. Joe is running interference with the DOJ and keeping Hunter close to keep him quiet.

Nothing Joe Biden is doing is being done out of affection for his son. It's being done to save his own skin. He's doing what any other mob boss would do with an underling when the truth starts bubbling to the surface: keep him quiet at all costs. Some loving father.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker and American Free News Network. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
American Jews are overwhelmingly Democrat in orientation. Theyre also, sensibly, extremely worried about antisemitism. The problem is that these same Democrat Jews are blind to the fact that antisemitism is the growing rot at the heart of their own party.

There are lots of reasons Jews are leftists. The main reason, probably, is that American Jews are dedicated to college degrees. There were already jokes in the 1930s showing a lady smiling down at a brand new baby swaddled in a white blanket and asking, So, what is it? A doctor or a lawyer? For American Jews, the journey from shtetl to tenement to the middle class was a short one if you could see your son (and, later, your daughter) through college. They are one of the most credentialed religious groups in America.

Jews are also leftists because (probably thanks to college) many of them have bought into the fraud that the Nazis were right-wing. Of course, the National Socialists were from the left. One of the great party tricks of the second half of the 20th century was how communists in America and Europe manage to indoctrinate the world into believing that fascism was a right-wing ideology.

Image: NEA headquarters, located three minutes from the White House. Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid. CC BY-SA 4.0.

And, of course, there were the legions of Jewish red diaper babies in the first half of the 20th century. These were Jews from Russia who, having suffered horrendous, murderous antisemitism at the hands of Tzarist forces, assumed that, if communists hated the Tzar, they must be friends to the Jews. Bernie Sanders comes from that class. These are committed leftists who, having drunk the Kool-Aid, turn a blind eye to the Soviet Unions antisemitism, as well as the Nazis socialist Holocaust.

Bred on fallacies from communists and colleges (but I repeat myself), Americas Jews fear the right. Thats why, as of 2021, 68% of observant Jews and 77% of non-observant Jews are Democrats, for a total of 76%.

Its worth noting, by the way, that observant Democrat Jews tend to be more form than substance. They are rigorous about the High Holy Days, send their kids to Hebrew school, and like to throw around Yiddish phrases. However, their values are formed by the Democrat party platform and their college curricula rather than by the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) or the Talmud (the main and ancient rabbinic text interpreting the Torah and creating rules for daily life).

So, in sum: For myriad reasons, 76% of American Jews hew left and fear the right, but all Jews fear murderous anti-Jewish hatred. The problem is that 76% of American Jews think that hatred comes only from conservative Christians and their fellow travelers on the right. Theyre embarrassed to admit that it also comes from Islam (it lies at the heart of the Koran) and are ignorant of the fact that Karl Marx put it at the heart of socialism, where it created the Holocaust, Soviet programs, and, in America, the National Education Association.

Yup, Im finally at the story that led to this post. First, lets talk about the National Education Association, which is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents taxpayer-funded educators and staff from kindergarten up. Its also fanatically Democrat, sending millions every year to Democrat politicians and initiatives while reserving statistically insignificant amounts for Republicans. It just had its annual convention, where this happened:

For several years, Jewish issues  more specifically, anti-Jewish issues  have been brought up by NEA members from Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. There is a tiny Jewish caucus within the NEA, but it is relatively inactive. Unlike past years, the Jewish caucus was able to introduce some pro-Israel and pro-Jewish resolutions. The delegates voted to support the following new business items: NBI 3: NEA will use existing print and digital communication tools to educate members and the general public about the history, culture, and struggles of Palestinians. NBI 7: The NEA will recognize Palestinian-American students and members by using existing digital communications to highlight their personal narratives and stories. And the NEA delegates rejected (albeit narrowly) the following new business item: NBI ??: The NEA will post the blue square emoji on its website during the month of January in honor of Holocaust Remembrance, to show that NEA stands against hate towards Jewish people.

A friend of mine constantly says that Jews are building their own cattle cars. Looking at the antisemitism at the heart of the Democrat party, Im very sorry to say this, but shes right.
At this very odd moment in US history, with a cognitively impaired president controlled by a shadowy group of unelected and unaccountable advisors, an important line in the sand may be crossed. The United State is openly discussing sending cluster munitions (AKA "cluster bombs") to Ukraine for use there in its war against Russia. These weapons, which contain multiple bombs that separate and scatter, are a grave danger to civilians since the munitions are designed to scatter over a wide area and may remain unexploded and pose a danger over time to innocent non-combatants.

For this reason, 123 nations are committed to the goals of the Convention on Cluster Munitions that prohibits all use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of these weapons. Notably, the United States (which employed cluster munitions in Vietnam and Iraq), along with Russia, China, Brazil, Pakistan, and Israel, has not signed on.



U.S. "Honest John" missile warhead with M134 bomblets containing sarin gas, at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, circa 1960. Public Domain photo.

Recall that Joe Biden was installed in the presidency on the promise to return to some sort of pre-Trump "normality," which would "restore confidence" among our allies in our leadership. But now, after decades of refraining from these widely banned weapons, the U.S. is openly considering supplying them to Ukraine out of desperation, because we have so depleted our stockpiles of munitions that the cupboard is bare.

Not too long ago, the use of cluster munitions was called a "war crime" by then-spokeswoman for the Biden clique Jen Psaki:

BREAKING: Here is Jen Psaki in 2022 saying that using cluster bombs is a war crime



The Biden Admin is sending cluster bomber to Ukraine today pic.twitter.com/dSMKqumDm1  Jack Poso  (@JackPosobiec) July 7, 2023

Consider the source below  the New York Times  which has been both pro-Biden and prowar in Ukraine:

Biden Weighs Giving Ukraine Weapons Banned by Many U.S. Allies Ukraine is seeking cluster munitions, which are known to cause grievous injuries to civilians, as its ammunition supply runs low. For more than six months, President Biden and his aides have been wrestling with one of the most vexing questions in the war in Ukraine: whether to risk letting Ukrainian forces run out of the artillery rounds they desperately need to fight Russia, or agree to ship them cluster munitions  widely banned weapons known to cause grievous injury to civilians, especially children. On Thursday, Mr. Biden appeared on the verge of providing the cluster munitions to Ukraine, a step that would sharply separate him from many of his closest allies, who have signed an international treaty banning the use, stockpiling or transfer of such weapons. Several of Mr. Biden's top aides, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, recommended he make the move at a meeting of top national security officials last week, despite what they have described as their own deep reservations, people familiar with the discussions said. They requested anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations. The State Department had been the last holdout, both because of humanitarian concerns and worries that the United States would be drastically out of step with its allies.

"Out of step" is a gentle way of expressing the fear and outrage that allies who have been pressured into supporting the Ukraine war are feeling. Via ZeroHedge:

"Germany opposes sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, its foreign minister said on Friday, a day after U.S. officials said Washington was planning to provide Kyiv with the weapons, widely denounced for killing and maiming civilians," Reuters reports. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters in Vienna: "I have followed the media reports. For us, as a state party, the Oslo agreement applies." [emphasis in the original]

Via Breitbart:

The United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain have called upon U.S. President Joe Biden to not send cluster bombs to Ukraine amid concerns over the danger they pose to civilian populations. (snip) Both the UK and Spain are signatories of the International Convention on Cluster Munitions....

David Sacks sardonically tweets:

Rules-Based International Order v23.7.7



This update contains the following enhancements and bug fixes:



 Cluster bombs have been upgraded from war crime to important tool to bring the killing to an end.



All countries should update as soon as possible.  David Sacks (@DavidSacks) July 7, 2023

It is reasonable to suppose that should these U.S.-supplied weapons be deployed by Ukraine against Russian troops (and victimizing Russian-speaking civilians in Ukraine, most likely, sooner or later), Russia will respond with a counter-escalation. Given the horrific nature of the weapons, affecting civilians, that retaliation could involve not just civilians in Ukraine (already victimized by conventional munitions hitting apartment blocks and supermarkets, for instance), but possibly elsewhere.

Do we really want to start supplying weapons that we called "war crimes" a year ago?
Christianity Today 2024 Book Awards

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Christianity Today

July 10, 2023

CAROL STREAM, Ill., July 10, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- Christianity Today is calling for submissions for the 2024 Christianity Today Book Awards. The CT Book Awards, along with our "Beautiful Orthodoxy" Book of the Year, will be announced in December at ChristianityToday.com.

Winners will be featured prominently in the January/February 2024 issue of CT and widely promoted in CT newsletters and on the site. Publishers of the winning books will also have the opportunity to participate in a promotion organized by CT's marketing team.

Here are this year's awards categories:

1. Apologetics/Evangelism 2a. Biblical Studies 2b. Bible and Devotional 3a. Children 3b. Young Adults 4. Christian Living/Spiritual Formation 5. The Church/Pastoral Leadership 6. Culture and the Arts 7. Fiction 8. History/Biography 9. Marriage and Family 10. Missions/The Global Church 11. Politics and Public Life 12a. Theology (popular) 12b. Theology (academic)

Nominations:

To be eligible for nomination, a book must be published between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. We are looking for scholarly and popular-level works, and everything in between. A diverse panel of scholars, pastors, and other informed readers will evaluate the books.

Publishers can nominate as many books as they wish, and each nominee can be submitted in multiple categories. There is a $40 entry fee for each title submitted in each category. To enter your nominations, please click the following and follow the prompts. (Note: You will be directed to upload a PDF of each book you wish to nominate.) https://christianitytoday.typeform.com/to/ZXV3MKdW

Finalist Books:

If your book is chosen as one of the four finalists in any category, we will contact you and ask that you send a copy of the book directly to the four judges assigned to that category. We will provide mailing addresses for each judge.

Deadline:

The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, July 31, 2023.

Any questions about any aspect of the process? Email us at bookawards@christianitytoday.com.

Thank you!

Christianity Today editors

SOURCE Christianity Today

CONTACT: Jordyn Hibdon, jhibdon@christianitytoday.com


China's eastern city builds better environment for software industry

13:19, July 10, 2023 By Yao Xueqing ( People's Daily

At 10:00 am, a new demand popped up on freight dispatching platform Yunmanman, asking to send a batch of auto parts to Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from Yuhuatai district in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu province.

In less than two minutes, the order was taken, and relevant information was simultaneously sent to the truck driver.

A robot teaching platform is exhibited at the 2022 China (Nanjing) International Software Product and Information Service Expo held in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu province, Nov. 23, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Li Wenbao)

"The scheduling system for car-hailing services works to find available drivers near passengers, but that for freight services must rely on big data and cloud computing to match the demand and supply sides in a more targeted manner. It acts intelligently in a wider geographical range," said Wang Dong, chief technology officer of Yunmanman.

Wang took the Jiangsu-Xinjiang order as an example. After the platform received the consignor's demand, it checked the length, load capacity, compartment type and other information of trucks available at that time to see whether they were capable of shipping auto parts. It then made matching and recommendations based on truck drivers' experiences and the consignor's preference.

Thanks to the application of big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other technologies, it takes just minutes to match a truck driver with a consignor on Yunmanman.

As a homegrown firm in Nanjing, Yunmanman has extended its services to more than 300 cities and connected over 100,000 logistics routes. By reducing empty miles of trucks, the platform makes the logistics industry more efficient and cuts energy consumption and carbon emission, gaining both economic and social benefits.

Benefiting from sci-tech innovation funds, office rental assistance and other favorable policies, Yunmanman has attracted more talents and upgraded its technologies, Wang told People's Daily.

This year, the R&D team of the firm, making innovations in both business models and technological development, has realized minute-level matchmaking. It has improved the informatization and efficiency of the freight logistics sector and lowered the sector's general cost and rate of empty miles, Wang added.

"Software and information technology services is a main battlefield for the innovation of a new generation of information technologies, as well as a core engine driving digital economy," said an official with Nanjing's municipal bureau of industry and information technology.

Cargo ships navigate on the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River, east China's Jiangsu province, July 4, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Fang Dongxu)

As a renowned hub of the software industry, Nanjing is part of a national-level advanced manufacturing cluster for software and information technology services, witnessing robust growth in the industry, the official added. In the first quarter of this year, the revenue of software businesses in the city grew 13.6 percent to 175.84 billion yuan ($24.31 billion).

Currently, leading enterprises are driving the development of the whole industrial chain in Nanjing, which helps expand the coverage of application fields and enhance the cluster effect, the official said.

Recently, an automobile manufacturer in Jiangning district of Nanjing kicked off digital transformation by introducing a digital platform that helps promote interdisciplinary research and development from Nanjing-based software company Glaway Soft.

"As industries develop, intelligent upgrading and digital transformation remains an important way for enterprises to boost high-quality development," said general manager Yu Dingfang of Glaway Soft.

According to him, with the help of a series of policies, the company has developed some 20 industrial software products that cover the full life cycle of products to mobilize small- and medium-sized enterprises to achieve digital, auto, and intelligent upgrading.

Nanjing has rolled off a series of supporting policies to build a better environment for the development of the software industry. So far, the market of the industry has reached 740.8 billion yuan in Nanjing, or 56.3 percent of Jiangsu province's total.

The city is now home to about 4,000 major software enterprises and has built a cluster with national-level industrial parks as the core and supported by provincial-level software parks.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
A common trope on the left is that the great crowds President Trump attracts are "all white." Sometimes they are  in places like Iowa and Vermont, where there is no significant minority population in the first place.

Here's a typical leftist:

I look at these Trump supporters and see ignorant white trash.



I don't necessarily like that and wonder how ..... We got here. pic.twitter.com/GU6wNWBK7D  Robert Smart  (@RobertSSSmart) July 1, 2023

But now let's look at the crowds coming to greet President Trump in Los Angeles, where whites are not in the majority:

HAPPENING NOW at Los Angeles International Airport. #LAX pic.twitter.com/2uAhgVVBS0  Dan Scavino Jr. (@DanScavino) July 9, 2023

Some screen shots:

It's probably not super-surprising that law enforcement supports President Trump, although there are definitely left-wing cops out there. What is interesting is that the cops in this crowd are huge majority-minority, and what's more, they are young, vital, and in their prime working years, not the fat donut-eating desk jockeys of police lore.

As I noted earlier  the LAPD, to mention but one well represented group in this crowd, is about 30% white. Does that crowd look 30% white?

It's also about 48% Hispanic; 10% black; and 10% Asian, including Filipino. Those numbers are pretty obvious in that crowd.

You can count the whites in that picture on one hand.

This tells us a lot about where President Trump's support is in Los Angeles, which syncs exactly with recent polling about the collapse of Latino and Asian and even African-American support for Democrats. That's the future, pals.

Let's see the scolding racial bean-counters on the left explain that one.

Hat tip: GatewayPundit.

Image: Twitter screen shot.
New survey data published in Brown University's student newspaper provides further evidence that the recent rapid increase in LGBT identification is driven by social pressures. The Brown Daily Herald reported:

Over the past decade, LGBTQ+ identification has increased across the nation, with especially sharp growth at Brown. The Herald's Spring 2023 poll found that 38% of students do not identify as straight  over five times the national rate.

In 2010, "just" 14% of the student body at Brown said they were not heterosexual. Today, 38% proudly assert their non-heterosexuality...almost triple the rate of a mere 13 years ago. This does not bode well for Brown, the Ivy League...or America.



Brown University file photo.

This trend of an exponentially increasing number of young people identifying as LGBTQIIA+ is startling, sobering...and clearly being driven by peer pressure and the fact that it is hip to be woke in our culture. And almost mandatory to be so on campus. Straight white males are persona non grata, "not welcome here." Christianity is often openly shunned, mocked...or worse.

At this rate, the LGBT "community" will soon be a majority at Brown  and elsewhere. This will render its incessant pleas to be safe and accepted moot. Should LGBTers become the majority, either locally or nationally, will they treat the straight, cis, binary, Christian community at all different from how they do now, which is effectively as an enemy to be defeated? Not likely.

If straight, cis, binary Christians become a minority  even an oppressed one  will they have Pride! parades during which some expose their genitals in public? Will they be granted a month of their own to celebrate  and during which everyone else must bend a knee in deference to their fabulousness while donning "Hetero Pride" apparel"? Will their allies flood the nation's streets and public areas carrying signs saying, "You are seen, you are heard, you are respected...and you are loved"? Not likely. Will the Heterosexual Pride Flag be boldly and proudly flown over U.S. embassies around the world? Not likely.

No decent person advocates harming members of the LGBT community  or discriminating against them. But neither should anyone mock, shame, dismiss, or assault heterosexual Christians who truly and deeply believe in the biblical concept of two complementary sexes...created by God...for a reason.

Do a majority of folks truly believe that society is unquestionably benefited by an ever-increasing number of people identifying as homosexual and non-binary?

Photo credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the leading Democrat challenger to President Biden for the Democrats' 2024 presidential nomination, will appear live for an interview tonight with Jesse Watters on the FOX News channel. The program airs live from 7 to 8 P.M. E.T./4-5 P.M. P.T. Readers who have cut the cord or who are boycotting FOX News can probably find clips online afterward, and this writer will provide a review of the highlights with links here at American Thinker tomorrow.

Kennedy has appeared multiple times on FOX News since he declared his candidacy on April 19 and appeared that night on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Many of Kennedy's positions expressed on that program, and others on FOX News since then (including on Hannity on May 8), run counter to the current Democrat party's far-left party line and have intrigued voters from beyond the Democrat-Progressive base.

Kennedy scored additional favor with his comments on NewsNation's 90-minute town hall broadcast two weeks ago. However, that Q&A, with NewsNation host Elizabeth Vargas and voters in three different locations, avoided several hot-button issues that Kennedy later tweeted opinions about after the SCOTUS rulings several days later. These included affirmative action and Biden's executive order to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt. Kennedy tweeted in support of continuing affirmative action, which the Supreme Court struck down in college admissions (logging on to a Twitter account is now required to access tweets), and also supported the canceling of students' college debt, which the Court also said was unconstitutional.

One hopes that Watters might question RFK Jr. on these and other issues in order to give viewers  including conservatives  a more comprehensive picture of exactly where Kennedy stands. So far, his positions on COVID-19, the U.S.'s essentially blank-check military support of war in Ukraine (and apparent disinterest in finding a peaceful solution), open borders and illegal immigration, and censorship have been intriguing, if not downright appealing, to many independents and a number of Republicans.

Kennedy's apparently sincere advocacy of truly trying to unify the country  an appealing echo of his late father's positions in an increasingly divided nation before he was assassinated in 1968  represent an additional feather in his cap, so to speak.



Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., age seven, in the White House Oval Office, March 11, 1961, with his uncle, President John F. Kennedy. Photographer: Abbie Rowe. Public domain.

It should also be noted that a person can be judged to a great extent by his enemies and his friends. RFK Jr. has proven to be a prominent persona non grata and a bete noire in the eyes of the American political establishment and the mainstream media, which has blacklisted his appearances and any fair coverage of his campaign.

Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump, who is also facing uniform MSM dismissal and criticism, has spoken approvingly of RFK Jr.'s candidacy, and Bobby, as his friends and colleagues call him, has declined to criticize the former president when asked for his opinion by Elizabeth Vargas and others. In the NewsNation town hall, Kennedy added that he was "proud" to have Donald Trump's support after the former president referred to him as a "commonsense guy."

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics and the politics and economics of health care, popular culture, and media for over five decades. He is a regular contributor to the BBC Radio and Television. His web page with links to his work is http://peter.media. Peter's extensive American Thinker archive: http://tinyurl.com/pcathinker. Peter's Twitter account is @pchowka.
We are sending very deadly cluster bombs to Ukraine this year because, as Biden disclosed, we are essentially running low on other ammunition.

The Biden administration assures everyone that Ukraine can be trusted to use these deadly and internationally condemned bombs safely.

But somehow, according to this same Biden administration, Americans can't be trusted to use their legal and constitutionally protected guns "safely."

Gun ownership in the states is common, and around 99.99% of those guns were not involved in any deaths in 2021, but Biden, the media, and other Democrats say we have to significantly reduce gun ownership for safety's sake, despite the Second Amendment.

Americans own almost 400 million guns.

How many people die from gun-related injuries in the U.S. each year?

In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S., according to the CDC. That figure includes gun murders and gun suicides, along with three less common types of gun-related deaths tracked by the CDC: those that were accidental, those that involved law enforcement and those whose circumstances could not be determined.

Let's assume that around 40,000 guns were used in those deaths. That means one hundredth of one percent of guns were improperly used in 2021.

The Biden administration also seems to care more about a secure border in Ukraine than in the U.S.

So here are the questions I'd ask him:

Why are you so adamant about reducing gun ownership when only one hundredth of one percent seem to be involved in deaths, and many of those are self-inflicted? Won't suicidal people use other options if guns are unavailable? Won't murderers also use other weapons if they don't have guns?

Wouldn't it be more appropriate to focus on career criminals and soft-on-crime prosecutors instead of law-abiding citizens? Why don't you ever say anything against prosecutors when a criminal who has been released kills or maims people?

Do you think America would have become free if only the British loyalists owned the guns?

Why do you put so much emphasis on securing Ukraine's border and so little on ours?

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
This is hilarious. Ben & Jerry, the ice cream men of New England, spent Independence Day claiming that Mt. Rushmore exists on stolen land.

They could have chosen to celebrate July 4 with a burger and watching the Red Sox take two of three from the Rangers. Or they could have offered ice cream to anyone who dressed his baby as a Native American. Or they could have gone to a reservation and offered ice cream to everyone.

Ben & Jerry went woke, and a local tribe called their bluff. This is the story:

Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation Chief Don Stevens informed Newsweek hes very interested in getting the land Ben & Jerrys headquarters is on because it originally belonged to his tribe. He told the publication the tribe was always interested in reclaiming the stewardship of our lands. However, Ben & Jerrys doesnt seem interested in playing ball. As of Friday, the company had not reached out to Stevens to broker a deal that would see the land return to the original owners. Ben & Jerrys demanded land be returned to Native American people. Well, it might be time for the ice cream company to put its money where its mouth is.

Are you laughing? I am. It could not happen to a nicer couple of people.

I am not sure where this "occupied land" story ranks in the recent episodes of woke business losses. Anheuser-Busch was stupid and did not know its customers. Target did not have the common sense to anticipate that some women would be offended by a swimsuit designed for parts that real women do not have.

The Ben & Jerry story reflects bad faith and hatred of the country. How do two people blessed by our economy think so poorly of their country? I don't get it, but I'd love to see Ben & Jerry close their doors, give the land back, and pay reparations as well.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: Ben & Jerry's.
Nearly 150 years have passed since the groundbreaking contributions of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch helped lay the foundation of the germ theory of disease. Yet, its still a challenge to persuade healthcare providers to take hand-washing seriously. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that improper sanitization practices and cross contamination in hospitals results in roughly 1.7 million infections in the US alone, contributing to nearly 99,000 deaths each year. Hand hygiene is the single most important measure to reduce such infections.

The importance of hand washing for human health was first recognized in the mid 19th century by a Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis.

Photo credit: freepik

In 1846, Ignaz Semmelweis, who had recently received his medical degree from the University of Vienna, was appointed assistant at the maternity clinic of the Vienna General Hospital. His duties included examining patients each morning in preparation for the professor's rounds, supervising difficult deliveries, teaching students of obstetrics, as well as maintaining records.

The hospital had two maternity clinics. One was staffed by all male doctors and medical students, and the other by female midwives. Semmelweis noticed that mortality among the patients in the clinic staffed by male doctors and medical students was two to three times higher than that in the midwives clinic. This puzzled Semmelweis. Surely, the doctors and the students were as trained as the midwives, if not better, in handling deliveries. So why are so many women in the first clinic dying of puerperal fever (also known as childbed fever)?

Semmelweis set out to investigate. He examined all the similarities and differences of the two clinics to rule out possible causes. The first difference he discovered was that midwives gave birth to women on their sides, while in the doctors clinic, women gave birth on their backs. So he had women in the doctors' clinic give birth on their sides, but to no avail.

Semmelweis then noticed that whenever someone on the ward died of childbed fever, a priest would walk slowly through the doctors' clinic, past the women's beds with an attendant ringing a bell. Semmelweis theorized that the priest and the bell ringing so terrified the women after birth that they got sick, developed a fever and died. So Semmelweis had the priest change his route and took away his bell, but still it had no effect.

Ignaz Semmelweis.

Semmelweis' breakthrough occurred in 1847 when his friend Jakob Kolletschka died after accidentally poking himself with a scalpel while performing autopsy on a patient who had died of childbirth fever. An autopsy of Kolletschka revealed a pathology similar to that of the women who were dying from puerperal fever. Semmelweis could immediately see a connection.

Semmelweis realized that there was one major difference between the two clinics that he had overlooked. Doctors and students started their day by doing autopsies on women who had died on the previous night. From the autopsy room, they proceeded directly to labor room, rarely washing their hands in between, and delivered babies for the rest of the day. The midwives, on the other hand, did no autopsies.

Semmelweis proposed that certain cadaverous particles stuck to the hands of doctors and medical students when they performed autopsies, which were then transferred to healthy women in labor, causing them to develop puerperal fever.

Semmelweiss solution was simplehe mandated hand-washing across his department. Before they entered labor room, doctors and medical students were forced to brush under their fingernails and wash their hands in chlorine water. Chlorine is a powerful disinfectant, although Semmelweis wouldnt have known that. He chose chlorine simply because it was effective in removing the putrid smell of infected autopsy tissue.

After he imposed hand-washing, the rate of childbed fever fell by ninety percent, and for a period of two months, there was no deaths in his division.

Ignaz Semmelweis washing his hands in chlorinated lime water before operating.

But not everyone was thrilled by this dramatic discovery, especially his seniors, because Semmelweis' hypothesis put the doctors lack of hygiene in bad light. Doctors were offended at the suggestion that they should wash their hands, feeling that their social status as gentlemen was inconsistent with the idea that their hands could be unclean. Besides, the theory of cadaverous particles transmitting diseases went against the prevalent theory that diseases were caused by an imbalance of the basic four humours in the body.

The medical community largely ignored, rejected, and sometimes ridiculed Semmelweis for his dirty hands theory. Semmelweis was outraged by the indifference of the medical profession and began writing open and increasingly angry letters to prominent European obstetricians, at times denouncing them as irresponsible murderers or ignoramuses. Semmelweiss lack of tact made him many enemies forcing him to leave Vienna for Budapest. In Budapest, Semmelweis became the head-physician of the obstetric ward of a small hospital. After mandating hand-washing there, Semmelweis virtually eliminated the disease. In 1855, Semmelweis became the professor of obstetrics at University of Pest. He instituted chlorine washings at the University of Pest maternity clinic, and once again the results were impressive.

In 1860, he published The Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever describing his findings and lamenting the slow adoption of his ideas. The book was heavily criticized, and Semmelweis spiraled deeper into depression, rage and frustration. He ended up in a mental asylum in 1865, where the guards subjected him to severe beatings. He died two weeks later from a gangrenous wound he received from the beatings. An autopsy revealed that he had died of the same disease against which he had struggled all his professional life.

His death received few mentions in medical periodicals in Vienna and Budapest. The Hungarian Association of Physicians and Natural Scientists had a rule that a commemorative address be delivered in honor of a member who had died in the preceding year. There was no address for Semmelweis. His death was never even mentioned.

After his death, Janos Diescher was appointed Semmelweis's successor at the Pest University maternity clinic. Immediately, mortality rates increased sixfold, but the physicians of Budapest said nothing. There were no inquiries and no protests. Almost no oneeither in Vienna or in Budapestseems to have been willing to acknowledge Semmelweis's life and work, wrote Codell and Barbara Carter in Childbed Fever: A Scientific Biography of Ignaz Semmelweis.

It would take another 20 years after his death for the germ theory of disease to be acknowledged by the medical community. Today he is recognized as the pioneer of antiseptic procedures, and hailed as the Father of hand hygiene, and Savior of mothers.

References:

# Ignaz Semmelweis, Britannica

# The Doctor Who Championed Hand-Washing And Briefly Saved Lives, NPR

# Ignac SemmelweisFather of Hand Hygiene, National Library of Medicine
Google Messages is a fun place to chat with friends, and the coming animated emojis will make it more fun. Some users of the messaging app are already getting the opportunity to try out this feature. You can say that it is currently in its testing phase, and it aims to improve upon the overall user experience.

This new feature will add some motion to your emojis. However, there are certain conditions to be met before emojis move within the chat. With this feature in place, emojis act as though they are motion stickers and are fun to watch.

Google aims to improve the user experience while chatting with friends on the Google Messages app. Some users of the app have got to use this feature and have shared details on how it works with others. Here is all you need to know regarding this new animated emoji feature that is making its way to the Google Messages app.

How the new animated emoji feature on Google Messages app works

While most users might be excited and eager to make use of this new feature, there are some things to take to mind. First on the list is that the new animated emoji feature is only available to some users at this time. Next is that there are certain conditions to be met before emojis you send to friends would be animated.

Emojis are a part of lots of chats between friends, family members, and even workmates. For this reason, Google is adding some life to certain emojis you send to others while using RCS chat on the Messages app. By animating some emojis, Google is adding motion to them to sprinkle some life to the chat.

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However, not all emojis are animated, as the available information shows off only the smiley collection. Also, to get these emojis to move within the chat, users will need to send them alone without any follow-up message or emoji. This means that a user should only send one smiley emoji before they can see its animated effect.

For the animations, the laughing emoji rolls, the crying emoji bursts into tears and so on. For now, there is a lot more to play around with and the source of this information only showed off the animations of two emojis. Other emojis in the smiley collection will have their unique animations, which will help spice up the chat.

Once this feature rolls out to more users, everyone will get the opportunity to use them while chatting. This new feature will join a host of other features that are rolling out to the Google Messages app. Users will be able to get this feature alongside others in future updates to the app.
Ever since its announcement, the Apple Vision Pro headset has been all over the news, thanks in part due to the companys implementation of spatial computing and immersive movie experience. And although Apple isnt the only one developing AR devices, the Vision Pros launch has had such an impact that Samsung has now reportedly gone back to the drawing board on its XR headset.

According to a report by SBS Biz, the Samsung XR headset, originally planned for release in February 2024, will now launch at least six months later, pushing it to mid-2024. Sources suggest that this delay is mainly due to the influence of Apples Vision Pro headset, which has prompted significant changes in design, internal specifications, and performance. However, one of the key reasons for the delay is Samsungs decision to incorporate higher-resolution displays in its headsets compared to Apples.

I understand that the decision was made considering the specifications of Apples mixed reality (MR) headset Vision Pro, a competitor. We decided to reconsider, states the report.

Partnering with Google and Qualcomm

Although the Samsung XR headset is still a Samsung product, Google has reportedly abandoned its plans to develop its headset and is now partnering with Samsung to develop the software. This decision highlights the shared objective of Samsung and Google to position XR as a platform rather than creating a direct rival to the upcoming Meta Quest 3 headset or the Apple Vision Pro. Additionally, Samsung has joined forces with Qualcomm to develop a chipset for the upcoming device, although specific details remain unclear.

However, similar to Apples production challenges, developing a platform like this comes with its own set of difficulties, such as the need to establish entirely new production lines. Furthermore, unlike Apple, which has already generated widespread interest in its headset, Samsungs success will depend on its ability to offer a more affordable price while delivering a comparable user experience.
California lawmakers are working on the AB 886 bill. This obligates Big Tech companies like Google and Meta to pay a fee to news publishers for using their content. The bill can transform journalism in California, but its already facing setbacks from companies.

Publishers worldwide are raising their voices against free content usage by major platforms. The big social platforms consume the publishers content without paying anything. The news organizations claim this way of business is leading to their bankruptcy. They need to make money from their content to cover regular expenses. In response, tech companies argue that theyre sending viewers to the publishers website for free.

So far, the European Union could successfully force Google to settle with publishers in the continent. In another case, the Australian Parliament obligated Big Tech to pay $200 million to news publishers. Of course, objections are also there. Meta threatened to pull news from Facebook and Instagram in Canada if the country ever force them to pay publishers for consuming their content.

Meta and Google must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to news organizations in California if AB 886 bill passes

The AB 886 bill in California now aims to make Big Tech settle with news outlets in the state. The bill requires major social platforms to share their advertising revenue with the outlets they get the news from. The money goes into a pool, and each news outlet gets a fair share through arbitration.

The bill is supported by the Media Guild of the West and the Pacific Media Workers Guild, two major California newsroom unions. Other media organizations in the state would certainly support the bill as it drives new money to their business. The AB 886 bill goes for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on July 11, while it already passed Assembly with bipartisan support on June 1.

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The news outlets that are eligible to get the fund must spend 70% of the money on newsroom jobs. This means no journalist will be laid off to cut costs, and new jobs might also be created. Additionally, the outlets must be transparent about how much funds they receive and how its spent.

As expected, Big Tech is not happy with AB 886 and similar bills. They argue that the bill could create a slush fund for big media enterprises outside of California and lead to a conflict of interest. The critics also claim the bill could tempt news outlets to promote clickbait stories to drive more traffic to their websites in order to make more money.

It remains to be seen how AB 886 takes effect in California and whether Big Tech agrees to pay a fair share to news outlets. However, news organizations in California are suffering from a lack of necessary funds to stay operational, and AB 886 could be a solution to it.
Evernote is a popular note-taking platform thats been around for quite some time. The company has been doing pretty well over the past couple of years, but that doesnt mean that its not safe from lay-offs. According to a new report, Evernote laid off most of its US-based employees.

Evernote is one of the oldest note-taking platforms still around. It launched back in 2008, and it offered some amazing features for the time. Now, theres a lot more competition out there like Google Keep Notes and Bundled Notes. However, Evernote has been able to drag itself out of its mid-2010s slump.

Evernote laid off most of its US employees

Evernote was created in America, but it was sold to the Italian company Bending Spoons in November of last year. Bending Spoons is a mobile developer, and Evernote stated that it will use Bending Spoons app expertise to bring in new features.

In February, Evernote laid off 129 employees, and Bendy Spoons stated that the companys way of business was unsustainable in the long term. Now, a few months later, more people at Evernote are finding themselves without a job.

Evernote states that its now-former employees were told on July 5th that they were laid off. While thats a bummer, the company provided them a severance package. Those laid-off employees will get 16 weeks of severance pay along with a performance bonus and a years worth of health insurance. This will help them stay afloat while they pursue other jobs.

This mass layoff only affected the companys US and Chile-based employees, it seems. The reason behind this might not be completely driven by the current economic situation. It appears that Bending Spoons is most likely doing this to strengthen its European workforce. If thats the case, then it might hire more people in European countries.

At this point, we dont know how many people were laid off, and we dont know how many people are still in the States. Only time will tell if this is going to help the brand.
An aspiring actor broke down as he told police that two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey performed a sex act on him as he woke up in the stars flat.

The alleged victim said he had been warned that Spacey liked young straight men but did not know at that point he was a predator, a jury panel heard.

He told a police officer he had written a letter to the Hollywood star asking for help, which later led to the alleged incident  a move he said seemed quite tactical.

The alleged victim said he woke up to Kevin Spacey performing a sex act on him (Lucy North/PA)

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard the night had ended with him crying at a bus stop when Spacey asked him to leave following his rejection of the stars alleged sexual advances.

He told the officer he did not leave when Spacey had put his head in his crotch because you just dont want to annoy someone whos that powerful in the business youre trying to break in to.

Nothing happened that was consensual, the man told police.

In the complainants police interview, which was played to the court on Monday, the man said Spacey had called him a few weeks after his letter.

He told the officer: He said Do you want to meet for a beer?.

I was quite dumbstruck, starstruck by the idea of essentially meeting an idol.

Addressing how he felt that the actor had made time to meet him, the man said: It made me feel weirdly special because it was someone saying Hey, Im going to clear out time for you this evening.

I thought it would be getting a calendar and booking something for four weeks time.

He recalled being taken to Spaceys address, saying: He said This is my place, do you want to come up?, to which I said Of course, because its Kevin Spacey.

There was some leftover pizza on the table so we had a bit of pizza, smoked some weed, which I was more into then.

Describing what happened later, the man said: He kind of opened up his arms and said Come here.

Then he started to nuzzle his head  he was just rubbing his head into my crotch  I thought This is incredibly weird.

I was very nervous at this point, I was just flicking through TV channels.

I was going through films asking if he knew the actors  he didnt really want to have much of a conversation.

Speaking about the allegation of the sex act, the man told the officer he began to feel woozy before saying: Going to sleep isnt something I would normally do  it is unusual in my behaviour just to conk out.

I remember four to five hours later waking up  my belt was still together but my button and my zip were down and hes just performed (a sex act) on me.

The man said he reacted by saying No, before adding: Then he stopped and asked me to leave straight away.

He said I shouldnt talk to anyone about what had happened.

The man told the officer that others had told him Spacey liked the young straight guys.

He said: I didnt know at that point he was a predator.

Asked if he had thought of leaving when Spacey had put his head in his crotch, the man said he had a niggling thought that maybe this is OK.

The alleged victim added: You just dont want to annoy someone who is that powerful in the business you are trying to break in to.

The social sway he had was massive.

After the interview was played to the jury, Spaceys lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, took the witness through phone logs which showed the star had sent text messages to him a number of times after the incident.

The man said he had not received or seen any of the messages.

The complainant said he had messaged Spacey once after the encounter as he wanted to meet up and get him to say something about the truth so he could record it.

Spacey, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a sexual bully as he stands trial accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013.

The defendant pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The trial continues.
Nicky Campbell has spoken about his distressing weekend after he was falsely named as the BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit pictures.

The broadcaster, 62, was among the famous faces forced to clear their name after allegations that a BBC presenter paid 35,000 for explicit photographs.

Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Campbell said: Obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and family.

So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, I cant deny it, for me and others falsely named.

Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.

It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

Nicky Campbell says he is talking to lawyers about defamation (Andrew Milligan/PA)

He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.

I think its important to take a stand. Theres just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends, he wrote.

On his BBC radio show, a caller rang to say she was so angry and cross that Campbell and others had to come forward and clear their names.

Campbell responded: Im all good, Jeremy (Vine) and also others involved as well, Rylan (Clark) and also Gary (Lineker), yeah its uncomfortable but as I said earlier worse things happen at sea.

Were big boys.

Hate to disappoint the haters but its not me.  Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 8, 2023

Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Jeremy Vine stated they are not the presenter in question, with Lineker tweeting: Hate to disappoint the haters but its not me.

Clark wrote: Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the Sun  that aint me babe. Im currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.

Vine also said: Just to say Im very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday  whoever the BBC Presenter in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly aint me.

Enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so no need to set my alarm clock tomorrow morning. Back on the red sofa with my BBC Breakfast family in Salford in two weeks time   Jon Kay  (@jonkay01) July 9, 2023

Meanwhile, Jon Kay explained his absence from the BBC Breakfast sofa tweeting: Enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so no need to set my alarm clock tomorrow morning.

Back on the red sofa with my BBC Breakfast family in Salford in two weeks time.

The Metropolitan police has been contacted for comment.
Joe Biden has hailed the rock-solid relationship between the US and the UK as he met Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.

The US President praised the closeness of ties between the two countries as he and the Prime Minister held talks in the garden of No 10.

Mr Biden, whose short layover in London comes ahead of a crunch Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, said the relationship is rock solid.

He said he couldnt be meeting with a closer friend and a greater ally, while Mr Sunak hailed the US and UK as two of the firmest allies in Nato.

But the issue of support for Ukraines ambitions for Nato membership and the US decision to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions are signs that Westminster and Washington are not entirely on the same page.

The president in recent days defended the difficult decision to send the weapons to Ukraine, with Mr Sunak responding by saying Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs

The King and the US President inspect the Guard of Honour from the Prince of Waless Company of the Welsh Guards in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA)

No 10 confirmed that the issue was discussed in the meeting between the leaders, which lasted around 40 minutes and was also attended by US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said providing the weapons was a difficult choice for the US that had been forced on them by Russias war of aggression.

The two leaders discussed the commitments that UK has under that convention, both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use.

The UK is signed up to an international convention to ban the weapons, placing Mr Sunak under a duty to speak out against their use, but the US is not signed up to that agreement.

The spokesman said that Mr Sunak complied with the UKs international commitments and that the two men discussed the requirements the Prime Minister is under because of this convention, and the UK is upholding that.

Mr Sunak and Mr Biden posed for pictures in the Downing Street garden (Suzanne Plunkett/AP)

The Nato summit is also likely to see wrangling between allies over Ukraines path to membership of the alliance.

Though all attendees at the summit in Vilnius on Tuesday agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war, a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia, the US is seen as most hesitant over its membership.

Downing Street played down reports that the UK and US were split over the extent of commitments to offer Ukraine on Nato membership.

Mr Biden has described Kyivs bid as premature, telling CNN: I dont think its ready for membership in Nato.

Britain, on the other hand, has indicated support for a fast-track approach for Ukraine.

The Prime Ministers spokesman said it would be a topic for discussion at the Nato gathering.

Certainly, we do want to support Ukraine on the pathway to joining the alliance, the exact mechanisms for that are for discussion with Nato allies, the spokesman said.

The spokesman rejected suggestions there was a difference between the US and UK positions on the issue.

The convoy of cars, including the armoured state car dubbed The Beast, carrying Mr Biden (James Manning/PA)

Mr Biden, who appeared relaxed in the Downing Street garden, ignored shouted questions from reporters and kept the conversation focused on the sunny relationship between the two countries.

The latest meeting comes weeks after Mr Sunak travelled to Washington, where the US and UK announced the Atlantic Declaration to bolster economic security.

Mr Biden also made a brief trip to Northern Ireland earlier this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

His administration has not been shy in the past in expressing concern about the impact of Brexit on the peace process, with the leaders briefly discussing the importance of the 1998 peace accord during Mondays talks.

A White House readout of the meeting said that the pair discussed the Atlantic Declaration on economic partnership they launched in June, including next steps to drive toward key outcomes in the months ahead.

They also reviewed developments in Northern Ireland and efforts to ensure continued progress there.

Though it is not a full-blown state visit, Mr Biden was also been treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle, where he received a warm welcome from the King.

From there he left for Stansted Airport, which he departed from mid-afternoon on his way to the Vilnius summit.
Joe Biden will meet Rishi Sunak in Downing Street for discussions that could touch on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato before joining the King for tea and talks on the climate crisis at Windsor Castle.

Air Force One touched down at London Stansted on Sunday evening before the pomp and politics gets under way during the US presidents layover on the way to the Nato summit in Lithuania.

Mr Biden will first meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street on Monday morning after defending the difficult decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv.

Mr Sunak responded by saying Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs, but No 10 would not say whether he will raise the issue.

The White House said the pair will compare notes on the Ukrainian counter-offensive as it makes slow but steady progress in driving out the Russian forces.

Though all allies at the summit in Vilnius on Tuesday agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war, a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia, the US is seen as most hesitant over its membership.

Mr Biden has described Kyivs bid as premature, telling CNN: I dont think its ready for membership in Nato.

Britain on the other hand has indicated support for a fast-track approach for Ukraine.

Meeting Mr Sunak, the president is likely to raise his concerns over post-Brexit challenges to the peace process in Northern Ireland during their fifth meeting in as many months, a US official said.

Mr Bidens special climate envoy John Kerry told the BBC the environment will be a critical component of their talks. Artificial intelligence and trade are also likely points of discussion.

Though it is not a full-blown state visit, Mr Biden will then be treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle.

He will receive a royal salute and hear the US national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards, before having tea with Charles.

The King and Mr Biden will discuss the climate crisis (Jane Barlow/PA)

They will meet with attendees of a climate finance mobilisation forum, where finance and philanthropic leaders will have discussed the support they can offer to poorer nations.

Starting Tuesday, Mr Biden and Mr Sunak will both be at the Nato talks centring on Ukraine and its bid to join the defence alliance.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US president Joe Biden met as recently as last month (Niall Carson/PA)

The president is also likely to face questions from allies on why he is sending cluster munitions to Kyiv when two thirds of Nato members have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

It prohibits the use, stockpiling or transfer of the munitions, which deploy a large number of bomblets across a wide area, because of the enduring danger they pose to civilians.

Defending the move, Mr Biden sought to justify the bombs as needed to fortify Ukraines depleting ammunition stocks after receiving assurances about their use from Kyiv.
The mother of Stephen Lawrence has told the Home Secretary she remains profoundly concerned about the slow pace of reforms regarding serving police officers who commit serious crimes.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence said the existing police misconduct and performance processes do not command the trust and confidence of the police or the public, adding that their application can be inconsistent and confusing.

Earlier this year, the head of Britains biggest police force said it is nonsensical he cannot sack police officers after he moved to clean up the workforce.

Suella Braverman (Victoria Jones/PA)

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he believes hundreds of corrupt officers serving in the force should not be in the job.

In a letter to Suella Braverman, Baroness Lawrence said: I remain profoundly concerned about the slow pace of reforms to the national regulations, and I believe this concern is shared across the political spectrum.

Vital changes to the legislative framework are needed to empower Police Chiefs and give them the tools they need to take fair and effective action to remove anyone falling short of the high standards the public rightly expect of the Police.

I firmly believe that police accountability should not take place behind closed doors, and I hope you would agree.

Baroness Lawrence said for the Metropolitan Police to truly reform and to gain the trust and confidence of Londons diverse communities, there must be urgent changes to police misconduct and performance legislation.

She said she supports a package of legislative reforms ready to be introduced to Parliament including automatically dismissing a serving officer who is convicted of a serious criminal offence, automatically suspending an officer charged with a serious criminal offence, and automatically dismissing a serving officer who fails vetting.

Other reforms include giving chief constables the power to reopen misconduct investigations and introducing a Duty of Candour, which would require an officer to proactively report any known wrongdoing (by self or others).

Baroness Lawrence concluded her letter by saying: Together we can fundamentally improve the police disciplinary and performance processes, and I urge you to support these important measures.

I have sadly felt the institutional failings of the Metropolitan Police Service first-hand, and we must work together so other Londoners are not failed by those who seek to protect them.

Stephen Lawrence (Family handout)

Mr Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 as he made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks.

Only two of his killers have faced justice  Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally jailed for life in 2012 after a trial hingeing on tiny traces of forensic evidence.

Last month, the BBC named a sixth suspect in the case for the first time, a man called Matthew White, and outlined the bungled handling of the evidence against him.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: As I have been saying for some time current legislation simply isnt fit for purpose when it comes to rooting out and dismissing corrupt police officers.

Powers to swiftly dismiss officers who fall short of the high standards expected by the public will be key to restoring trust and faith in the police.

As Doreen Lawrence has outlined it is absolutely crucial that the scale of police reform is bold and far-reaching. Thats exactly why Harriet Harman and I have brought forward draft legislation that would see those convicted of a serious criminal offence be automatically dismissed with a new Duty of Candour brought in requiring officers to proactively report wrongdoing.

Government proposals promised long ago still havent materialised. The public and those thousands of decent officers are being let down in the meantime.

To implement the radical changes we need in police forces across the country, there is simply no time for further dither and delay.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called on social media companies to do more after one of his MPs was subjected to appalling abuse.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart was targeted after she appeared on the BBCs Sunday Politics programme.

The abuse was also condemned by UUP leader Doug Beattie as appalling, and he urged Twitter to deal with anonymous troll and hate accounts.

The abuse levelled at @carlalockhart is appalling. Some of these anonymous trolls and hate accounts really do need to be dealt with by @Twitter https://t.co/2wZTUCJkls  Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) July 10, 2023

Ms Lockhart issued a tweet earlier where she accused those targeting her as having lost their argument.

Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me, she said.

Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you do down that route, youve lost your argument, and I will still be here.

Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me. Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you do down that route, youve lost your argument, and I will still be here.  Carla Lockhart MP (@carlalockhart) July 10, 2023

Sir Jeffrey said Ms Lockhart had recently been through a difficult time following a family bereavement.

Shes only getting back into the full swing of work again, and to receive the level of abuse that Carla received over the weekend is utterly appalling, he told BBC Radio Ulster.

I would say to those, particularly Irish Republicans who seem to target female unionist public representatives, there is a pattern here, a very clear pattern that we have observed and monitored.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (Liam McBurney/PA)

I would say to them, if you want to have respect for your argument and your point of view and your aspirations, then it is time to stop disrespecting unionists and particularly female unionist representatives who you target in the most cowardly and defensive way.

It is wrong, it should stop and frankly social media and Twitter in particular should do more to protect people who are doing their job, trying to represent the community and subject to the most vile abuse at times online.
An aristocrat and her partner are facing two more charges after their baby daughters death.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were charged with manslaughter by gross negligence on March 2 after the body of two-month-old Victoria was found in Brighton.

They were also charged with concealing a childs birth and perverting the course of justice.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon (Greater Manchester Police/PA)

Ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday, it emerged that the defendants face new charges of child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.

It is claimed they caused the babys death by their own unlawful act or failed to take such steps as could reasonably have been expected to protect the baby.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place between January 4 and February 27.

Marten, 36, and Gordon, 49, of no fixed address, appeared from custody before Judge Mark Lucraft KC.

Marten appeared by video link from Bronzefield prison and Gordon from Belmarsh jail and spoke only to confirm their identities.

Marten wore a pink and white floral print shirt and Gordon a grey tracksuit for the short hearing.

Tributes left for baby Victoria in Brighton (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Judge Lucraft put a plea and case management hearing back from August 18 to September 22 and confirmed the provisional trial has been set for January 2 next year.

A further mention hearing was set for August 25.

Victorias remains were found in a plastic bag in a locked shed at an overgrown allotment in the Hollingbury area of Brighton on March 1.

The discovery came after Marten and Gordon were arrested in Stanmer Villas in the city.

An initial post-mortem examination was unable to establish a cause of death.

Police had been trying to find the defendants for several weeks.
The Government has changed its Illegal Migration Bill to limit detentions for unaccompanied children in a bid to prevent further setbacks to its draft stop the boats legislation.

The Home Office said it had introduced safeguards following scrutiny in the House of Lords  where peers inflicted 20 defeats against the controversial reforms.

Ahead of the Bills return to the Commons on Tuesday, an amendment has been tabled to allow immigration bail to be granted after eight days to unaccompanied children in detention, rather than the current proposed 28 days.

Another change will prevent people who have already entered the UK without permission from being removed retrospectively after the legislation receives royal assent, the Home Office said.

Measures will also be put in place to ensure the list of definitions of serious and reversible harm cannot be amended by secondary legislation, the department said.

A further amendment will mean that the Government keeps the current rules on the detention of pregnant women, which will mean they can only be detained for a maximum of 72 hours  though this can be extended to seven days on the authorisation of a minister.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: This Bill forms a crucial part of our action to stop the boats and ensure people do not risk their lives by making illegal and unnecessary journeys to the UK.

Todays amendments will help this crucial legislation pass through Parliament swiftly, whilst continuing to send a clear message that the exploitation of children and vulnerable people, used by criminals and ferried across the Channel, cannot continue.

It comes after peers demanded a series of changes to the Bill, such as reinstating right of appeal against age assessments for migrants claiming to be children and putting a legal duty on ministers to create safe and legal routes to the UK for refugees.

The upper chamber had already backed other revisions including modern slavery safeguards, a bar on backdating deportations and asylum help for unaccompanied children.

The latest defeats raised the prospect of a prolonged stand-off between peers and the Government during so-called parliamentary ping-pong, when legislation is batted between the Lords and Commons.

The Government is expected to seek to overturn many of the called-for changes, but it has now offered several concessions in an attempt to ease the Bills passage through Parliament.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to stop the boats (Yui Mok/PA)

The Bill is central to Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats  one of five key commitments for his leadership  which remains mired in difficulties.

Some 686 migrants were detected on Friday, the highest daily total this year, followed by 384 on Saturday and 269 on Sunday, with crossings continuing on Monday.

The provisional total for 2023 so far is about 4% lower than this time last year when around 13,200 crossings had been recorded.

Efforts to house asylum seekers on a barge moored in Portland, Dorset, have also been delayed  five weeks after Ms Braverman promised MPs it would be in place within a fortnight, the Bibby Stockholm vessel was still in Cornwall where it had been undergoing refurbishment work.

MPs also heard on Monday the Home Office is paying for thousands of empty hotel beds reserved for migrants to avoid overcrowding at processing centres.

Officials said the department keeps a buffer of about 5,000 beds across the country in case of a sudden influx of Channel crossings.

And the Governments policy of sending some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is set for a legal battle in the Supreme Court.

Mr Sunak has said he is throwing everything at the pledge and insisted the Government remains confident that the plan is the fair and right way forward.
Ministers say significant progress has been made in ensuring better support for rape victims, but campaigners believe the Government has been too quick to make claims about tangible improvements.

The Home Office and Ministry of Justice said a progress report shows the Government has already met two key ambitions ahead of schedule  restoring both the number of police referrals and cases reaching court to 2016 levels.

The report, published on Monday, comes as all 43 police forces across England and Wales, and all rape prosecutors, begin implementing a new approach to dealing with rape and other serious sexual offences.

Known as Operation Soteria and piloted in 19 police forces and nine Crown Prosecution Service areas already, the programme brings together police forces and academics, with the aim of using evidence and new insight to enable police and prosecutors to transform their response to rape and serious sexual offences.

The Government departments said there are early signs of improvements in the police forces and CPS areas already participating in the Operation Soteria programme.

They said the progress report shows improvements have been made in response to rape across every stage of the criminal justice system, adding that data suggests more victims are reporting these crimes to the police.

They said the number of cases being referred to the CPS has more than doubled from West Midlands and Durham police forces, while the number of cases being prosecuted by the CPS from Avon and Somerset have more than tripled.

But Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: While we have seen some progress, the Government have been too quick to claim that theyve tangibly changed the justice system for rape survivors.

Were barely off the starting blocks, but we now have a roadmap which is going to need a lot of support to realise its ambitions.

It still remains the case that the vast majority of rape survivors dont report to the police, and the majority who do will leave the system altogether due to the barriers to justice they find themselves up against.

Ms Simon added: Ultimately, given that the majority of survivors do not report to the police, we need to make sure action to address sexual violence looks beyond the criminal justice system and prioritises prevention work with young people in schools and through wider public information campaigns.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk KC said: Rape and sexual violence are horrific crimes that can impact victims for the rest of their lives. Thats why we launched an action plan in the 2021 Rape Review to drive up prosecutions.

Weve made significant progress, hitting two of our Rape Review ambitions ahead of schedule, and there are more rape cases before the courts today than in 2010.

Now we are going further, extending our action plan with more support for victims, encouraging survivors to come forward and see justice done.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: As a society, too often we have failed the victims of sexual violence.

I have been clear that we must transform the way these investigations are handled, to make sure that all victims have the best support possible throughout the entire process.

This is a vital step in delivering on that promise.

It will help ensure investigations focus on the suspect, and never on seeking to undermine the account of the victim, as well as placing the utmost importance on their rights and needs.

Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, and Steve Reed, shadow justice secretary, said: After 13 years, the Conservatives have broken the criminal justice system leaving survivors traumatised and rapists to go unpunished.

On their watch, rape charges have plummeted while reported rapes soar. Trials are delayed for years and 70% of survivors drop out of the system all together.

The next Labour government will introduce rape courts and specialist rape investigation units in every police force. Thats how we will speed up justice and punish rapists.
A health board has been fined 235,000 over a health and safety breach after a patient took his own life while in its care at a hospital.

The 36-year-old man, a father of four, died two days after he was admitted to the South Ward at Dykebar Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on January 22 2020.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that some of the fixtures and fittings on the ward were not of an anti-ligature design, prosecutors said.

HSE also found failures by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) to ensure that the existing ligature points at Dykebar Hospital were suitably and sufficiently risk assessed.

NHSGGC last month pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety regulations committed between January 1 and March 23 2020.

The health board was fined 235,000 with an additional victim surcharge of 17,625 when the case called for sentencing at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said.

Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for COPFS, said: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had a duty to keep their patient safe.

Had they implemented all reasonably practicable measures they could have prevented him from taking his own life in the way he did.

Their failure to ensure that ligature points within the hospital were suitably and sufficiently risk-assessed and that patients were not exposed to those ligature points led to the death of a man in their care.

This prosecution should remind duty holders that a failure to manage and implement effective measures can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.

Prosecutors said that following the death, remedial work was started but the failings continued until March 23 2020.

The health board managed the existing ligature risks by placing at risk patients on enhanced observations by nursing staff.

An NHSGGC spokesman said: We would once again offer our sincere sympathy to this patients family and friends for their loss.

NHSGGC has identified and commenced a programme of work to remove ligature points.

Completion of this work was impacted by Covid and by the demands on services, however, it continues and, working within the context of current operational service demands, is being managed to completion.
The world has had its hottest week on record according to preliminary figures, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said.

It is the latest in a string of records that has concerned scientists about how quickly the planet is heating up on the back of human-driven climate change.

Last month was the hottest June on record, globally and for the UK, while ocean temperatures have been at their highest ever recorded since March, driven by El Nino in the Pacific and a severe marine heatwave in the North Atlantic.

The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data. It follows the hottest June on record, with unprecedented sea surface temperatures and record-low Antarctic sea ice extent. #StateOfClimate  https://t.co/NbYM6Nllii pic.twitter.com/5Vaw3ISs8A  World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 10, 2023

Canada has been suffering from its worst ever wildfire season which has poured toxic smoke into US cities, while punishing heatwaves have swept over India, China and southern Europe, with temperatures predicted to rise to 44C in southern Spain this week.

Professor Christopher Hewitt, WMO director of climate services, said: The exceptional warmth in June and at the start of July occurred at the onset of the development of El Nino, which is expected to further fuel the heat both on land and in the oceans and lead to more extreme temperatures and marine heatwaves.

We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall as El Nino develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024. This is worrying news for the planet.

Provisional assessments, based on reanalysis data from Japan known as JRA-3Q, shows the global average temperature on July 7 was 17.24C, which is 0.3C above the previous record set on August 16 2016  the last time El Nino was present.

Various climate models show that temperatures have risen in line with greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial era (C3S/ECMWF/PA)

A reanalysis is a combination of data from satellites and computer model simulations and is typically the only available way of seeing daily global mean temperatures.

The WMO said it had not yet confirmed the Japanese reanalysis data but said it was consistent with the European Unions climate observation satellite programme Copernicus.

Scientists from Copernicus said the North Atlantic temperature had been off the charts, with the Met Office saying the marine heatwave around the UK had amplified land temperatures to create the record-breaking June.

The Met Office also calculated that the chance of beating the previous June record had at least doubled since the 1940s and that the record could end up surpassing itself every other year by the 2050s.

The North Atlantic has been subject to a severe marine heatwave since March (Copernicus Climate Change Service/ECMWF/PA)

Dr Michael Sparrow, head of WMOs World Climate Research Department, said: The temperatures in the North Atlantic are unprecedented and of great concern.

They are much higher than anything the models predicted. This will have a knock-on effect on ecosystems and fisheries and on our weather.

Antarctic sea ice is also at a record low, 17% below average, which has broken the previous June record by a substantial margin, the WMO said.

There was 2.6 million km2 of ice lost compared to the long-term average since 1979 and almost 1.2 million km2 less than the previous record set last year.

This is thought to be partly down to unusually low atmospheric pressure and El Nino combining with another meteorological effect, the Southern Annular Mode, which both exert strong influence on Antarctic sea ice extent via surface winds and sea surface temperatures, the Met Office has said.
The King will meet with US President Joe Biden for tea and will be briefed on climate discussions on Monday.

Mr Biden arrived in London on Sunday night and will meet with the Prime Minister in the morning before he heads to Windsor Castle.

There Mr Biden will receive a royal salute, hear the US national anthem performed by the Welsh Guards and will then have a cup of tea with Charles.

They are to then meet with financial and philanthropic leaders who will have attended the climate finance mobilisation forum.

Charles and Mr Biden will then be briefed on the outcomes of the meeting, mainly around the support they can offer poorer countries.

The then Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) with President of the United States Joe Biden in 2021 (Jane Barlow/ PA)

It is the first time the pair have met since the coronation as First Lady Jill Biden was in attendance to represent the US.

Mr Biden was in attendance at the Heads of State Reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the late Queens funeral before he and Mrs Biden attended the funeral service in September last year.

They had previously met at the G7 Leaders Summit in June 2021 and Cop26 in Glasgow later that year.

They shared a handshake at Cop26 and Mr Biden expressed his like for Charles passion for combatting climate change and his environmental activism.

Mr Biden will meet Rishi Sunak in Downing Street earlier on Monday for discussions that could touch on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato.

The White House said they will compare notes on the Ukrainian counter-offensive as it makes slow but steady progress in driving out the Russian forces.

The UK visit is a layover before Mr Biden heads to the Nato summit in Lithuania.
More than 100,000 holidaymakers have been hit by easyJet summer flight cancellations.

The airline has axed around 1,700 flights scheduled between July and September due to air traffic control (ATC) restrictions, the PA news agency understands.

Most of the flights are at Gatwick airport, west Sussex.

The decision to cancel the flights will affect 180,000 passengers, the Independent reported.

ATC restrictions due to strikes, staff shortages and airspace closures related to the war in Ukraine are expected to be among the biggest problems facing airlines this summer.

Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, recently warned that demand from airlines might get close to capacity for ATC in large parts of Europe, including London, Brussels and Madrid.

Fridays and weekends are expected to be most at risk of disruption.

A statement from easyJet said: We are currently operating up to around 1,800 flights and carrying around 250,000 customers per day with more crew and pilots flying than ever before and like all airlines, we review our flights on an ongoing basis.

As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action.

We have therefore made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies, in order to help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers, and we continue to operate around 90,000 flights over this period.

Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95% of customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

Have you been affected by a flight delay or cancellation? Find out more about your rights  https://t.co/ubDxdslIGx pic.twitter.com/hJAVzyE6Wk  UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) July 7, 2023

The airline insisted the delays are not due to staff shortages, which plagued the aviation sector last year.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: Ive been warning for some time that our UK airport infrastructure, along with continuing people shortages at airlines and ground handlers, cannot cope with the massive summer demand.

Just when you thought you had secured a flight to your summer holiday paradise, it gets changed and causes more inconvenience and stress.

Airlines have to get better at planning and delivering, not letting down customers at short notice.

EasyJet arent the first and wont be the last to take such action this summer.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said: Hearing your flight has been cancelled will be devasting news for all those who have made their summer travel plans and are beginning to get excited about their holidays.

Changes to travel plans late in the day can be stressful, and those impacted by the easyJet cancellations will be having to seek alternative flight arrangements now.

However, for context, these cancellations only represent a small percentage of the total summer departures and of course, many will depart for their holidays as planned.

Disruption because of congested airspace is an issue facing the airline industry during this very busy period but its essential that airlines do all they can to ensure that there is as little disruption to travellers as possible and work to ensure that consumer confidence in the travel industry remains high.
Thames Water has secured another 750 million in emergency funding from its shareholders as it seeks to stave off the threat of nationalisation, but warned significantly more investment will be needed in future years.

Britains biggest water supplier said the initial funding agreement to the end of March 2025 is a major milestone, although it is short of the firms 1 billion funding goal.

And the troubled utility admitted it will likely need around a further 2.5 billion between 2025 and 2030 as it struggles amid a 14 billion debt pile and is under pressure to spend heavily to tackle sewage releases into UK waterways and seas.

The crisis funding deal comes after weeks of speculation over its financial resilience, with the Government having been on standby to place the firm into a special administration regime, which was the insolvency process used when energy supplier Bulb collapsed in 2021.

It sparked fears over the future of Thames Water, which has 15 million customers and serves households across London and the South East, as well as worries over the balance sheets of firms across the sector.

But Thames Waters interim co-chief executive, Cathryn Ross, insisted the utility company was absolutely not close to being placed into special administration by the Government.

She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We have a 4.4 billion liquidity pile that were sitting on, which means we can access 4.4 billion of cash and credit facilities.

Theyre right there if we need it. Thats absolutely enough to pay everything we think we need to pay this year, next year and into the future.

She added the Government has a very high bar before putting a firm into special administration and we are not close to it.

Shares of listed water firms lifted in morning trading on Monday as industry worries receded, with South West Water owner Pennon up 2%, United Utilities ahead 1% and Severn Trent 2% higher.

Thames Waters newly appointed chairman Ian Marchant said the new deal is the largest equity support package ever seen in the UK water sector, adding to 500 million already injected in March this year by its investors.

But Thames Water revealed its shareholder support is dependent on a raft of conditions being met, including a business plan that underpins a more focused turnround, as well as appropriate regulatory arrangements, suggesting a focus also on how much Ofwat will allow it to raise customer bills.

It added that further support from shareholders for the 2025-2030 period will depend on the finalisation of the business plan and the regulatory framework that will apply.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown, said: This is very much an emergency pumping operation, rather than shoring up Thames Waters finances for the longer term.

The sum agreed to be paid is less than the 1 billion Thames Water said it initially needed, so there is a shortfall in financial lifeline.

In addition, the investors will be staring at the huge bill for the infrastructure work needed to mend the leaks and sewage discharges which the company keeps being fined for.

Thames Waters annual results also published on Monday laid bare the financial woes at the group, with debts swelling to 14 billion from 12.9 billion the previous year and remaining in the red with underlying pre-tax losses of 82.6 million for the year to March 31.

Check out our new ad showing the efforts at Thames Water to future-proof the network. Were busy upgrading our pipes so our 15 million customers can enjoy a supply fit for the future. See what were doing at https://t.co/sKxrPn1hrg#thameswater #itseveryoneswater #otistheotter pic.twitter.com/BKunvJPGz9  Thames Water  (@thameswater) June 26, 2023

The group  owned by a consortium of pension funds and sovereign wealth funds  has become a casualty of higher interest rates and inflation, with more than half of its debts linked to the Retail Prices Index. Its financing costs jumped to 700.2 million from 513.3 million the year before.

It has the highest gearing level of all water companies  a key measure of a companys financial risk  at 77.4%, though it said on Monday that this has eased back from 80% thanks to the 500 million funding it received earlier this year.

Underlying earnings fell 3% to 1.1 billion as inflation sent its costs soaring, but revenues lifted 4% to 2.3 billion.

Thames Water has come under pressure in recent years over its poor performance in tackling leaks and sewage contamination and was fined 3.3 million just last week after sewage was pumped into rivers near Gatwick Airport in 2017.

It has also faced criticism for handing out big rewards to top bosses and shareholders.

Its former chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down abruptly last month amid mounting worries over the financial stability of the company.
Unite has voted to maintain its historic links with Labour  as its chief warned party leader Sir Keir Starmer to listen to the unions demands amid a rift between the two organisations.

General secretary Sharon Graham told a debate at Unites rules conference in Brighton on Monday it is not the time for disaffiliation as it seeks to influence the party if it wins power at the next general election, expected next year.

But Ms Graham said there will be no blank cheques for the Labour leader as she urged him to deliver on jobs, pay and conditions.

Unite Rules Conference votes overwhelmingly to stay affiliated to Labour but General Secretary Sharon Graham puts Keir Starmer on notice, he must deliver on jobs, pay and conditions if he wins power at the next election.  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) July 10, 2023

Delegates chose overwhelmingly to remain affiliated with Labour after a passionate and well-tempered debate, the union said.

Had they chosen to sever ties, it would have allowed Unite  Labours biggest donor  to change its rules to be able to donate to other parties or candidates.

Ms Graham told the debate: This is the moment of maximum leverage for the union where we can hold Labour to account. Now cannot be the time to walk away. We would be weakening our own arm.

It would be the worst time to leave the Labour Party when they are in touching distance of power. If we leave we wouldnt influence that power.

Labour must be Labour and the union must push them into that position. We must make them take different choices. We will not make the same mistakes of the past. There will be no blank cheques for Labour until we see tangible results.

General secretary Sharon Graham said Unite must hold Labour to account (PA)

Unite said on Twitter: Unite Rules Conference votes overwhelmingly to stay affiliated to Labour but General Secretary Sharon Graham puts Keir Starmer on notice, he must deliver on jobs, pay and conditions if he wins power at the next election.

Ms Graham told the PA news agency that the prospect of disaffiliation, although rejected for now, should be a wake-up call for Sir Keir that workers are not happy.

If the Labour leader gets the keys to No 10 workers want a proper voice in Parliament, with businesses already represented by the Conservatives, she said.

Asked about reports of frosty relations between her and Sir Keir, Ms Graham, who made clear when she was elected in 2021 that Westminster politics would not be a priority, said it was not about their personal relationship but about holding Labour to account, including on the renationalisation of energy.

Sir Keir has drawn trade union ire for moves to sideline left-wingers, and Ms Graham slammed the recent exclusion of Jamie Driscoll from the North East mayoral contest as a major mistake.

The Unite boss has also urged him to stick up for striking workers amid a wave of industrial action across the country in recent months.

She criticised as beyond belief shadow chancellor Rachel Reevess refusal on Sunday to commit to endorsing the recommendations of the pay review bodies on public sector pay as workers struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

With about 1.4 million members, Unite is the UKs largest trade union.

It has been involved in more than 800 separate disputes in 20 months, revealing the scale of industrial unrest by workers.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius.

"I'm glad to announce ... that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

Stoltenberg declined to give a date for when Sweden's accession would be ratified by the Turkish parliament, the grand national assembly, which would decide on the exact timing.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year, casting aside policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reframed security considerations.

Applications to the alliance must be approved by all NATO members and while Finland's was given the go-ahead in April, Turkey and Hungary have held off on clearing Sweden's bid.

Stockholm has been working hard at its bid ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, together with the United States and its allies, urging Turkey to abandon its opposition.

Erdogan has said Sweden harbours members of militant groups, mainly supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who he accuses of organising demonstrations and financing terrorist groups, while anti-Turkish protests in Stockholm have also raised his ire.

Meanwhile, Sweden has said it has fulfilled all the demands agreed upon in negotiations with Turkey last year, including introducing a new bill that makes being a member of a terrorist organization illegal, and stressed freedom of speech is protected in its constitution.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would not block Sweden's NATO membership ratification.
The parents of one of two Dublin school leavers who died on a Greek island holiday have paid tribute to their fabulous son at his funeral.

Max Wall died on the island of Ios last weekend.

The 18-year-old, who underwent major heart surgery three years ago, fell ill at the islands port as he was about to board a ferry.

Hours earlier, the body of fellow pupil at St Michaels College in south Dublin, Andrew ODonnell, was found on a rocky hill on the island.

Mr ODonnell, who was also 18, is believed to have fallen while walking back from a night out.

Flowers outside St Michaels College in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

The teenagers were among a large group of young people from St Michaels and other Dublin schools who travelled to the island to celebrate the end of their Leaving Certificate examinations.

Mondays funeral service at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook in south Dublin was told Mr Wall was speaking on the phone to his father Niall shortly before he died.

One second Max was living and the next he was not, it was as quick as that, Fr Paddy Moran told mourners.

Max did not suffer. He was not afraid. He died listening to the voice of a father who loved him. There is consolation in that.

Mr Walls father and mother Fiona both delivered tributes at the service.

Today marks the end of an eight-day journey for us that with the most profound cruelty has not only taken Max from us but has robbed him of a bright future. And the sense of loss that we feel is so deep because of what he has lost, said his father.

Today is a day to remember Max, of course to mourn his premature death, but also to mark his short but very full life. Max was full of life. He brightened the life of others. He was the best craic. He was full of fun. The best kind.

He spoke of his sons ambitious nature, his generosity, independence and polite, kind and respectful demeanour.

The most important thing about Max is that he simply was our fabulous son and we will love him forever, Mr Wall added.

He also extended his condolences to Mr ODonnells parents Bebhinn and Gavin.

We forged the closest of friendships through our joint journey through what has only been a nightmare over the last week, he said.

Mr ODonnells funeral will be held in the same church on Wednesday.

Mrs Wall read the poem Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden at Mondays service.

A photo of 18-year-old Max Wall on the order of service at his funeral (Niall Carson/PA)

She then delivered her own tribute to her son.

Max, our darling boy, we love you forever. We miss you dreadfully. You were a force of nature and your memory will live on, she said.

There was sustained applause from mourners after Mr Walls parents delivered their tributes.

Earlier, his classmates took symbols to the front of the church to represent his life. They included a Manchester United shirt with his name on the back, a signed Leinster rugby jersey and a pool cue.

A megaphone symbolising the passion with which he supported the teams he loved was also taken forward.

The teenagers parents took religious symbols forward to signify their sons strong faith, while his brother Charlie delivered a reading.

St Michaels College chaplain, Fr Moran  who celebrated the graduation ceremony attended by Mr Wall two months ago, was the principal celebrant at his requiem mass.

He reflected on the ceremony for the school leavers who had completed their Leaving Certificates and were preparing for a new chapter in their lives.

It was a joyous occasion, he said.

I looked out at this sea of faces ready to embark on the next stage of their lives as young adults  young, energetic men ready to take on the world.

It never occurred to me that we would be gathered two months later for the funeral of Max. It is heartbreaking to be gathered in this most tragic of circumstances.

Our hearts are broken.
Police have made a public appeal to find 23-year-old Sam Gray in connection to a serious assault in Uxbridge on Friday night.

Metropolitan Police detectives said they were called to an address on Arklay Close in Uxbridge at around 10.40pm.

They said officers found a 19-year-old man with multiple stab wounds who was taken to hospital with non life-changing injuries while a 24-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

Detectives urgently want to trace Sam Gray in connection with a serious assault in Uxbridge on Friday night. It is believed he may have fled to Eastleigh in Hampshire. Anyone with information should call 999 (REF9153/07JUL)https://t.co/xEoKgm3AGR  Hillingdon Police (@MPSHillingdon) July 9, 2023

Police said the suspect Sam Gray is known to the two people who were allegedly assaulted in Uxbridge but left the scene before police arrived.

A statement from the Met Police said: It is believed Gray made off in a Peugeot with the registration KT13 KNW and detectives believe he may now have left the London area.

He has links to Eastleigh in Hampshire and it is believed he may have returned to that area.

Members of the public with any information on Mr Grays whereabouts are urged not to approach him but to contact police immediately.
Rishi Sunak is not expected to attend a Commons debate about the Privileges Committee report that rebuked the conduct of allies of Boris Johnson.

Opposition MPs have called for a follow-up investigation into those accused by the committee of having waged a co-ordinated attack on its initial inquiry into the former prime ministers partygate denials to Parliament.

Mr Sunak, who is due to fly to a crunch Nato summit in Vilnius, in Lithuania, is not expected in the Commons on Tuesday for the debate and any potential vote.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said that Mr Sunak was fully aware of the findings of the report.

It is rightly a matter for the House and for the House to consider. For the Governments part, we have facilitated a debate quickly so MPs can respond and express their views if they wish, he said.

We will monitor developments in the House and see whether there is a vote moved on this.

The Lib Dems have laid down an amendment that would see the Boris Johnson loyalists referred back to the Privileges Committee (Andrew Boyers/PA)

Mr Sunak had been forced to defend his decision not to attend the debate on the committees initial inquiry which found that the former prime minister had lied to MPs about pandemic-era events in Downing Street, saying he had instead been at a charity dinner.

The Liberal Democrats have called on Mr Sunak to support potential sanctions against the MPs named in the report, including Nadine Dorries and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The party has laid down an amendment that would see the Johnson loyalists referred back to the Privileges Committee to decide if their conduct amounted to contempt.

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: Nadine Dorries, Jacob-Rees Mogg and these other Conservative MPs launched a Trumpian attack against our Parliament and its independent report into Boris Johnsons partygate lies.

Rishi Sunak must confirm he will back referring these Conservative MPs for potential sanctions. There must be consequences for their shameful actions.

Every time there is a vote on Boris Johnsons lies and Conservative sleaze, Sunak is too weak to take a stand.

This time must be different if he wants to show he has any shred of integrity left.
US President Joe Biden has arrived in Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak which could include discussions on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato.

The American leader will then head to Windsor Castle for tea and talks on the climate crisis with the King.

There was a heavy security presence in Whitehall ahead of Mr Bidens arrival.

US President Joe Biden arrives in Downing Street (James Manning/PA)

The talks kick off a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

It comes after he defended the difficult decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv.

Mr Sunak responded by saying Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs, but No 10 would not say whether he will raise the issue on Monday.

The White House said the two men will compare notes on the Ukrainian counter-offensive as it makes slow but steady progress in driving out the Russian forces.

Mr Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, said the talks will be a continuation of a long-running conversation.

They will have the chance to compare notes going into the Vilnius summit to talk about the issues on the agenda in Vilnius, to talk about progress in the war in Ukraine, and, of course, to talk about a range of other issues from China to climate to technology to artificial intelligence, he said.

The meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden is their fifth in as many months (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The Nato summit is likely to see wrangling over Ukraines path to membership of the alliance.

Though all allies at the summit in Vilnius on Tuesday agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war, a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia, the US is seen as most hesitant over its membership.

Mr Biden has described Kyivs bid as premature, telling CNN: I dont think its ready for membership in Nato.

Britain, on the other hand, has indicated support for a fast-track approach for Ukraine.

At his meeting with Mr Sunak, the fifth in as many months, the president is likely to raise his concerns over post-Brexit challenges to the peace process in Northern Ireland, a US official said.

Mr Bidens special climate envoy, John Kerry, told the BBC the environment will be a critical component of their talks.

Artificial intelligence and trade are also likely topics of discussion.

Members of the media gather outside 10 Downing Street ahead of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (James Manning/PA)

Though it is not a full-blown state visit, Mr Biden will be treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle.

He will receive a royal salute and hear the US national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards, before having tea with Charles.

They will also meet attendees of a climate finance mobilisation forum, where finance and philanthropic leaders will have discussed the support they can offer to poorer nations.
Families and well-wishers have lined the harbour walls to wave off the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as it set sail for training exercises.

The fleet flagship left Portsmouth Naval Base for two weeks of sea trials which involve the ships helicopters and jets.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Portsmouth Harbour for sea trials (Ben Mitchell/PA)

Loved ones cheered from the Round Tower and sea walls as sailors on board looked out from hatches on the side of the 65,000 tonne warship.

The first female FDO on a QE Class carrier has brought on the first of our aircraft as we make preparations to sail. Flying jets and helos, the next two weeks will prove our Carrier Strike capability as we prepare for our #CSG23 deployment. #KingsFlagship #GlobalModernReady pic.twitter.com/hhsoFfSLLw  HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) July 10, 2023

Ahead of sailing, the ship posted on Twitter: The first female FDO (Flight Deck Officer) on a QE Class carrier has brought on the first of our aircraft as we make preparations to sail. Flying jets and helos, the next two weeks will prove our Carrier Strike capability as we prepare for our #CSG23 deployment.

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to leave His Majestys Naval Base Portsmouth to embark on her next stage of training and trials.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Portsmouth Harbour (Ben Mitchell/PA)

The ship will remain in UK waters for these trials which are in preparation for her Carrier Strike deployment later in the year.

The departure comes as sister ship HMS Prince of Wales has been undergoing repairs in Rosyth after it suffered a driveshaft failure off the Isle of Wight last August.

The MoD has denied the ship has been cannibalised for parts for HMS Queen Elizabeth, and said it is expected to return to its operational programme in the autumn.
Actor Jeffrey Carlson is dead at 48. He was best known for his groundbreaking role as the daytime TVs first transgender character on All My Children.

Time Out New York theater critic Adam Feldman was first to share the news on Twitter on Sunday, July 9. A cause of death was not reported.

All My Children alum Eden Riegel was among the first to pay tribute to Carlson after his death. Devastated beyond measure to hear of the passing of the beautiful and gifted Jeffrey Carlson, Riegel wrote via Twitter on Sunday. I feel fortunate to have called this kind soul a friend and see his brilliant work up close. Gone far too soon  an unimaginable loss. Love you, Jeffrey. Rest friend.

Journey Guitarist George Tickner Dead at 76

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A Long Beach, California, native, Carlson studied acting at The University of California Davis, graduating in 1997, training in New York City at The Juilliard School. He appeared in several Broadway shows  including Tartuffe and Taboo  before making the jump to the screen. He had a guest spot on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as well as a small role in the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch before he scored his role on All My Children.

Heidi Gutman/Abc Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock

Carlson initially had a one-day job on the soap opera as flamboyant British rockstar Zarf. Producers decided the theater veteran was perfect to take on the upcoming story arc for a trans character. Zarf returned to Pine Valley and developed feelings for Bianca (Riegel) and revealed that she actually identified as a woman. Zarf went on to change her name to Zoe.

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I was very moved by it, Carlson told the Los Angeles Times of the story line in 2006. If it creates a conversation, I think weve done our job.

The story earned All My Children a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Daily Drama in 2007. Carlson wrapped up his run on the ABC soap later that year before returning to theater work.
Three children were among six people killed in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Chinas south-eastern province of Guangdong on Monday.

A 25-year-old man surnamed Wu has been arrested from Lianjiang, the local police said, adding they were investigating the incident.

A teacher, two parents and three students were identified as the victims of the attack that took place at 7.40am local time in the downtown area of Hengshan township, a government spokesperson said.

An unverified video making rounds on social media showed two of the victims lying in a pool of blood outside the school.

The surrounding area has been sealed for investigation, a storeowner who works near the kindergarten told BBC.

Chinese citizens took to social media platform Weibo to express shock over the mass stabbing incident. The attack was the top-trending discussion on the social media platform, with 130 million views as of 12.20pm local time.

Mass violent crimes are rare in China but there has been a spate of mass knife attacks in the country, where access to firearms is tightly regulated by the government.

Two school stabbings in 2010 prompted officials to beef up security

10:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

In 2010, two high-profile mass stabbings at schools  in which 15 children died in total  occurred in the span of three months, spurring Chinese government officials to step up security at schools.

At least eight elementary school students in Fujian province were killed in a knife attack in March that year, sparking fears at the time of copycat crimes.

Later in May, a 48-year-old man killed seven children and injured 11 others with a cleaver at a kindergarten in Shaanxi province.

However, despite the government upgrading school security after these two incidents, such attacks have continued.

Area around kindergarten cordoned off after stabbing attack

10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A police cordon is placed in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county (Video obtained via REUTERS)

Man killed self and others in an attack outside kindergarten in 2017

08:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Attacks on children have also thrown a spotlight on mental health, which often goes under the radar due to cultural stigma.

In 2017, a 22-year-old man set off an explosive device outside a kindergarten in Jiangsu province, killing himself and a several others while wounding dozens.

The man had a neurological disorder and had scrawled words for death on the walls of his home, according to state media.

Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all

07:32 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Chinese citizens took to social media to express their shock over the stabbing attack where six people, including three children, were killed on Monday.

The incident sparked emotive debate on the Weibo social media platform. By 1.50pm local time, it was the top-trending discussion, with 290 million views.

Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this ... I support the death penalty, one Weibo user said.

Another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks. Why do such cases still continue to emerge?

Stabbing attack in Chinas Guangdong province

07:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

China stabbing attack (The Independent)

Kindergarten attack shines light on Chinas lone wolf stabbings problem

06:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A knife attack at a kindergarten in China today has shone a spotlight on the increasing number of such attacks that have led to 100 deaths in the past decade, according to one estimate.

While the US struggles with gun violence, China has borne witness to a rise in targeted crimes using blades and knives.

Around 100 children and adults have been killed and hundreds more injured over the past decade in apparently uncoordinated, lone wolf attacks, according to Reuters.

More here.

Kindergarten knife attack shines spotlight on Chinas lone wolf stabbing problem

Rise in copycat knife attacks in China

06:47 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

There has been a rise of similar stabbing attacks, targetting kindergarten schools in China, with at least one major incident reported each year since 2021.

In August last year, a 48-year-old man barged into a kindergarten in southeastern Jianxi province, killing three people and injuring another six.

Two children were killed and 16 others wounded in a similar knife attack at a kindergarten in southern China in 2021.

In October 2018, 14 children were injured in a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Chongqing

Six killed in stabbing attack at China kindergarten

06:43 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Six people, including three children, have been killed in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Chinas Guangdong province.

The suspect, identified as a 25-year-old man surnamed Wu, has been arrested by the local police.

More here.

Six killed in stabbing attack at China kindergarten

06:25 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independents live blog on the latest stabbing attack in China.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss weaker-than-expected campaign is prompting other Republicans, such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, to take a new look at running for president, GOP strategists say.

These Republicans argue that DeSantis, long seen as the strongest potential challenger in a GOP primary to former President Trump, has failed to establish himself as the clear alternative.

I think his high point was right after the last election, when he was the brightest spot on an otherwise somewhat disappointing night for Republicans, said GOP strategist Vin Weber, commenting on the big DeSantis reelection victory for governor in 2022.

Since then, he hasnt come on as strong. It looks to me people are looking at it because hes not as strong as he was before, added Weber, who advised Republican presidential campaigns in 1996, 2004 and 2008.

Weber argued Trump also looks vulnerable, despite his massive polling lead, because of his mounting legal problems, which could make the race look more attractive to Youngkin and Kemp.

The fading of a guy who was never the front-runner is not in and of itself a good reason for someone to take a look at running, Weber said. They have to perceive vulnerability in the front-runner. I think those two factors play into it together.

John Merrill, who served two terms as Alabamas secretary of state, said, Gov. DeSantis is in trouble.

There were high expectations for Gov. DeSantis and his team when they entered the race. I think they were confident they were going to be the Trump-lite alternative, he said. What I mean by that is having the same emphasis that President Trump had, having the same following that President Trump [had].

But the problem is he didnt have a ground game in place that was able to allow him to continuously mature [Trump-inclined supporters] to make them the kind of supporters that he had to have, Merrill added. Its a major problem for him.

He waited too long because I think that he anticipated that people were just waiting on him to be the guy to come out and beat Trump and that is obviously not the case, added Merrill, who hasnt endorsed a candidate but plans to support Trump.

Republican strategists have pointed to other DeSantis missteps, such as his glitch-riddled campaign launch on Twitter Spaces, which was marred by audio feedback and stretches of dead air.

More recently, DeSantis drew sharp criticism after his campaign posted what LGBTQ Republicans blasted as a homophobic video highlighting Trumps past statements supporting LGBTQ rights.

Even though a lot of the Republican base would agree with him on those issues, it looks bad. It looks like hes scapegoating a group of people. If thats part of his effort to get to the right of Trump, it was a mistake, Weber said of the video.

Other Republican strategists say DeSantis simply hasnt been able to connect with GOP primary voters on a personal level.

DeSantis Thursday blamed his sagging poll numbers on the media.

Well, I think if you look at the people like the corporate media, who are they going after? he told Fox News. Who do they not want to be the nominee? Theyre going after me.

Steve Cortes, a spokesman for a super PAC supporting DeSantis, acknowledged recently that the Florida governor is way behind in the polls and faces an uphill battle against Trump.

Trump leads DeSantis by an average of 32 points in recent national polls.

Former New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg (R) said its not too late for Youngkin or Kemp to enter the race and win the New Hampshire primary, which will take place a week after the Iowa caucuses next year.

I dont think its too late at all. Nobodys getting traction, said Gregg, who argued Trumps lead is superficial and based on name recognition. Gregg did acknowledge Trumps base, which GOP strategists estimate comprises a solid 30 percent of the Republican primary electorate, remains solidly behind him.

If somebody wanted to get into this race and come to New Hampshire once a week for the next 16 weeks, they would be a force if they connected with people, he said. Youngkin seems to be a very strong guy.

Gregg suggested a candidate like Youngkin could enter the race late and still have a chance of beating Trump in New Hampshire for two reasons.

New Hampshire is notoriously late deciding. We can be two weeks from a major election, especially the primaries, and we dont know whos going to win. Very late-deciding voters, he said.

The second is there isnt going to be a serious Democratic [presidential primary] race up here  That means were going to have a huge independent vote in the Republican Primary, huge. Independents outnumber both the Democrats and Republicans up here, he said. So a late entrant, whos a legitimate, viable person who comes here and takes the time to meet people, I think theyre still viable.

Republican strategists think DeSantiss weakness has spurred Youngkin and Kemp to take a second look at running for president.

I think the fact that people are taking a second look at the race speaks more to DeSantis faltering out of the candidate than anything else, said Ford OConnell, a GOP strategist.

But he predicted others wont get into the race because of the appearance Trump is gaining steam.

A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,584 registered voters conducted from June 22-26 in Pennsylvania, a key swing state, showed Trump leading Biden in a hypothetical general election matchup, 47 percent to 46 percent.

An Echelon Insights poll of 1,020 likely voters in several presidential swing states showed Trump ahead of Biden 48 percent to 41 percent.

I think at this point Trump is far and away the front-runner. That people are looking at [the race] for a second time really speaks to DeSantiss weakness out of the gate, OConnell said.

Republican strategists who have been in touch with Youngkins and Kemps advisers say the Virginia governor is more likely to jump into the race but caution it wont be easy for anyone to position themselves as a viable alternative to Trump, despite DeSantiss struggles.

Youngkin has sent mixed signals about running for the White House despite only being in the second year of his gubernatorial term.

One Republican strategist said Youngkins camp isnt ruling anything out yet, despite his statement in early May that he wouldnt be running for president this year.

Kemp, meanwhile, hasnt ruled out running for president, though he insists hes staying focused on the state of Georgia.

In politics, theres always doors opening and closing and everything else, he told CBS News recently.

A Republican strategist who keeps in regular contact with several Republican presidential campaigns predicted DeSantis will retool his super PAC in the next few weeks.

They probably got another month to turn this thing around and if they dont theyre going to have to bring someone and do a major retooling, the source said.

The strategist said its very likely Youngkin could get in, adding that hes appealing to all stripes of Republicans and hes actually appealing to some of the softer, more moderate elements  if you can call them that  of MAGA.

The DeSantis campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

David Paleologos, director of the Political Research Center at Suffolk University, said DeSantis or any candidate seeking to win the GOP nomination faces a math problem because Trump is dominating among Tier 1 voters who are sure about whom they will support in next years primary.

The problem for DeSantis, Youngkin or any of the other 13 announced candidates is that Trump owns [many] of the first-tier voters and the second tier is split 13 ways, he said. I dont think theres a pathway for anyone else getting in the race.

Trumps got a lock on that first, biggest chunk of votes and 13 other people are splitting second tier, so the math is very challenging, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
As soon as Donald Trump Jr. walked into the Pueblo Bank and Trust pavilion at the Colorado State Fairgrounds Saturday evening, dozens of people started chanting Trump! and lined up to snap a photo with him.

Trump Jr. and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert were the keynote speakers at Freedom Fest, a fundraising event hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party. Tickets were $75.

Also featured at the event were conservative documentarian Deborah Flora and local state representatives Ty Winter and Stephanie Luck. Country music star Cody Cozz performed an acoustic set to end the evening.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and Donald Trump Jr. wave to the crowd at Saturday's Freedom Fest fundraiser hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the Colorado State Fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Donald Trump Jr. fills in after original keynote speaker bows out

Boebert thanked Trump Jr. during her speech for coming to the event on short notice.

At a moment's notice, Donald Trump Jr. got the call that said, 'Pueblo wants you,' Boebert said. And without hesitation, he said, 'I'll be there.'

Michelle Grey, chair of the Pueblo County Republican Party, confirmed that a keynote speaker canceled shortly before the event but declined to share any details.

State Rep. Ty Winter poses for a photo with U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and Donald Trump Jr. at the Freedom Fest fundraiser hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the state fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Boebert talks 2024 election, 'the most contested race in America'

Boebert told the crowd they should get involved in the 2024 race, which is the most contested race in America in the House of Representatives. She said she is the number one target of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

You, Pueblo, have a part in history. You have a part in securing this seat and your representation, and making sure the Democrats don't buy it, she said.

The second-term U.S. representative narrowly won reelection in November 2022 by 546 votes after the Democratic candidate, Adam Frisch, performed better than most people expected.

This is the most contested race in America, for the House, Boebert told the crowd.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert speaking at Freedom Fest, a fundraiser hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the state fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Boebert lives in Silt and was first elected to Congress in 2020. She represents Colorados 3rd Congressional District, which includes Pueblo and some neighboring counties as well as most of the Western Slope.

She told reporters Saturday before her speech she thinks she spends more time in Pueblo than any other part of her district and said Pueblos values align with whats important to her.

No matter if you're Republican or Democrat, there is a pride for American values here in Pueblo County that no one can counter, Boebert said during her speech.

U.S. Rep Lauren Boebert poses for a selfie with Cyndra Shisler (left) and Sophia Bono at Freedom Fest on July 8, 2023.

Trump Jr., Boebert rail against Hunter Biden, news media and the FBI

Boebert said she will expose longtime corruption with the Bidens in her position on the House Oversight Committee.

Corruption has been going on for years and the FBI has known it, she said.

Boebert also mentioned a resolution she introduced bringing articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden in an attempt to force Republicans to take a side. The House voted along party lines to refer the matter to committee in June.

Trump Jr. declined to speak with local media who covered the event, but said the press does not do enough digging into Hunter Biden. He implied other countries have dirt on Biden.

If we had journalists  if we had media that were something other than regime propagandists, if they were something other than the marketing arm of the Democratic Party  you'd say, Hey, Joe Biden, do you think you're making this decision because China has some other stuff on Hunter?'"

Trump Jr. criticized the Pentagon for sending billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine. He also said that hiring a drag queen to market for the U.S. Navy is hurting recruitment efforts.

Donald Trump Jr. speaking at the Freedom Fest hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the state fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Both Boebert and Trump Jr. mentioned gender-affirming care for transgender people, drawing boos from the audience when they spoke against chemical castration.

Boebert said she and her colleagues in the House are working to defund every woke program in the federal government in the appropriations bill, such as gender-affirming care and any funding for abortions, including in the military.

The things that they're trying to do to my father and trying to do to our family, that's the stuff that if it happened in third-world banana republics, we'd be calling for regime change." Donald Trump Jr.

What Trump Jr. said about his dads criminal proceedings

Trump Jr.s father, Donald Trump, is the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary for president. But hes also facing indictments for allegedly retaining classified documents and making hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

"My father  they're trying to throw him away for 450 years, Trump Jr. told the crowd in Pueblo. That's long. Although, they did want to try me for treason, which is a crime punishable by death.

Guys, that's what's going on in our country. The things that they're trying to do to my father and trying to do to our family, that's the stuff that if it happened in third-world banana republics, we'd be calling for regime change, he added.

Trump Jr.'s call to action: talk to Democrats

Trump Jr. told attendees that they should reach out and talk with their neighbors who are on the other side of the aisle  Democrats in Pueblo are different from Democrats in D.C., he said.

In a place like this, where you have the history of great blue collar, Democratic voters, people who still believe in work and handouts, you can cross that line, Trump Jr. said. Because whether it's you or your kids, if you don't, one day, everything you believe in will be gone. And that's why we're fighting.

A blow-up of Uncle Sam is seen at the Freedom Fest hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the state fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Donald Trump Jr., Lauren Boebert talk Bidens, FBI and indictments in Pueblo
Jamie Foxx has been spotted in public for the first time since he was hospitalized with a mystery health complication in the spring.

TMZ first reported the public sighting.

The gossip site obtained video recorded sometime Sunday afternoon showing Foxx waving from a mega-boat cruising on the Chicago River. He was seen waving to a passing vessel that gave him a cheer.

The stars family members have been visiting him as he continues to rehabilitate in Chicago.

Foxx was hospitalized for several weeks after suffering a medical issue while in Georgia filming a movie for Netflix.

The reason for Foxxs hospitalization sudden has not been released.

We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday, Corinne Foxx, the actors daughter, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram in April.

Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers, the statement continued. The family asks for privacy during this time.

Earlier this month, word began to spread that Foxx was on the mend.

John Boyega, Foxxs co-star in They Cloned Tyrone, told E! Canada that the actor was doing fine.

Yeah. Hes all good. Hes all good, Boyega said. So were just going to wait for him to reappear when he wants to. You know, privacy and all.


August 5, 2022 was a day like many others in Ukraine. First light revealed the devastation from a night of Russian bombing.

Russian attacks on a residential neighborhood of Mykolaiv that morning brought significant destruction, the governor of the region said at the time, injuring at least 10.

On that same day, in Moscow, bureaucrats in President Vladimir Putins office were preoccupied by an issue far removed from the brutal war in Ukraine.

The Transportation Administration has received an appeal, a Kremlin official wrote, about the need to install gym equipment Hoist HD-3800 and Hoist HD-3200 instead of Abductor-Standard and Abductor-Technogym in the sports-health wagon No 021-78630.

Recently leaked documents suggest that the sports-health wagon is used by none other than Putin himself.

Remarkably little is known about Putins private life. His public image is carefully manicured, as has been evident in the days since Yevgeny Prigozhins short-lived mutiny. But a trove of paperwork and photographs obtained exclusively by the London-based Russian investigations group the Dossier Center, and shared with CNN, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and German public broadcaster NDR and WDR, reveals details the Kremlin shrouds from public view, and the extent to which Putins paranoia has created a cloistered existence.

The Dossier Center is backed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former Russian oil tycoon turned Kremlin critic.

The fact that Putin uses a train is well known. The Kremlin itself has released images of meetings held on board, in an ornately decorated boardroom. The contents of the trains other 20-odd cars, however, have been a closely guarded state secret.

The Dossier Center says the leaked documents came from an insider at Zircon Service, a Russian company tasked by Russian Railways, the state-owned rail operator, with outfitting the cars intended for the office of the Russian president.

Among the parts of the train detailed is car number 021-78630. A glossy brochure made by Zircon itself shows a luxurious gym and spa on wheels designed for Putin, the Dossier Center says.

The car was completed in 2018. At the time the photos were taken, it was outfitted with Italian-made Technogym weights and resistance equipment  later to be replaced, it would seem, by Hoist machines made by a US-based company.

Through the door, further down the car, a full cosmetology center is furnished with a massage table and all manner of high-end beauty equipment  including, according to a leaked document, a radio-frequency machine used to enhance the tautness of skin. The room itself, documents from the Dossier Center suggest, is outfitted to help prevent the use of listening devices.

Finally, a tiled bathroom features a full Turkish steam bath and shower.

Among the documents obtained by the Dossier Center are letters tying the outfitting of the rail cars, including the gym car, directly to officials at the highest levels of Putins administration.

The Kremlin flatly denies the Dossier Centers findings, telling CNN: President Putin does not have such a car in his use or in his ownership.

CNN also reached out to Zircon Service and Russian Railways for comment but has not heard back.

On November 2, 2018, a meeting was held to assess the work remaining to be done on the gym car, number 021-78630. The minutes of that meeting, also obtained by the Dossier Center, show that in addition to executives from Zircon Service and Russian Railways, there were 10 officials in attendance from the Federal Security Service (FSO), the organization tasked with protecting the Russian president.

Dozens of maintenance contracts leaked to the Dossier Center, some of which list the gym car number 021-78630, say that any work on the train cars must be coordinated with the FSO.

In 2020, a top official at Russian Railways, Dmitry Pegov, wrote to the deputy director of the FSO, Oleg Klimentiev, pleading with him to review proposals he had sent for living quarters to be constructed on two rail cars.

To date, the approval of any of the options has not been received from the FSO, which does not allow us to start the procedure for concluding a contract and begin the construction of wagons, Pegov wrote. I ask you, dear Oleg Ateistovich, to review the proposed concepts and inform us about the decision made.

CNNs attempts to reach Pegov and Klimentiev for comment were unsuccessful.

According to a former engineer and captain in the FSO, Gleb Karakulov, who defected from the country last year and was interviewed by the Dossier Center under extreme secrecy, Putin has increasingly turned to train travel as a way to avoid being tracked.

The plane, as soon as it takes off, it immediately crosses flight radar, Karakulov said in the interview, which was recorded last December. The train, it is used in order to somehow hide these movements.

Karakulov said that he first began working on the train, installing communications equipment, around 2014. It came into much more frequent use, according to his account, in the second half of 2021, as Russia was gearing up for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to Karakulov, Putins train has since the beginning of the war spent considerable time parked near Valdai, a remote Russian region between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Putin maintains a large residence in the area, known for its bucolic lake and forests.

Our employees were in quarantine specifically for this special train, Karakulov told the Dossier Center. Since the beginning of the war, guys said that they left to somewhere in the direction of Valdai for 40 or even 45 days.

Maybe there will be no train departure on a particular watch, but people are always ready.

Privacy, though, has not been total. The vulnerability has come in the form of amateur trainspotters.

There is a ghost train on the railways of our country, one trainspotter wrote alongside an image of what appears to be Putins train he posted on rutrain.com. It is not in the timetables or in the Russian Railways systems.

Another image from an amateur Russian trainspotting website appears to show Putin's train. Trainspotters say it doesn't appear in the timetables or Russian Railways systems. Photo credit: Obtained by CNN.

They are able to identify the train in part through its use of two locomotives, and in part by a feature identified in the brochure made by Zircon Service. A characteristic white dome, said by the Dossier Center to contain advanced communications antennae, is plain to see on one of the carriages.

The domes do not appear on ordinary Russian trains. But they were visible in an official video released by the Kremlin in 2019, on one carriage of a specially-chartered Russian Railways train, as Putin rode along over the newly constructed Kerch Bridge between mainland Russia and occupied Crimea.

It is through the image of those domes that we know that Putins train carries the ordinary external markings of a Russian train. It has been spotted  and photographed  repeatedly over the years by amateur trainspotters.

Trying to understand Putins mindset is an inherently speculative affair. The best one can do is turn to those who have spent time with him.

Abbas Gallyamov is among them, having for years served as one of Putins speechwriters.

His feeling of political insecurity I think led to him start feeling more and more physically insecure, Gallyamov said from Israel, where he now lives. There are a lot of people who are very close to him and who are choosing this insecurity for their own advantage, by him, look, there is a threat here, threat here, threat here.

The paranoia, as Gallyamov describes it, has caused the Russian leader to build more and more walls around himself.

He is losing the war, he is losing in politics, he is losing in popularity, Gallyamov says. He is getting more and more enemies, committing more and more crimes. He feels this that he is surrounded by enemies. And psychologically he wants to feel protected against all these things.

The distance created by those protections, Gallyamov speculates, may be among Putins most immediate problems. And, ironically, might be a reason for the extreme comforts built for his train.

He is traveling very little, Gallyamov said. He is losing touch with the country. People in his administration, they worry about this.

They (officials in the Kremlin) understand that this is one of the problems which leads to a decline in his popularity. So, they are probably trying to make (things) for to him to be able to leave his residence and travel somewhere as comfortably as possible.

That approach of near-seclusion was shaken up by the short-lived Wagner mutiny. In the days following the rebellion, Putin attended an unusually high number of meetings and was even seen greeting members of the public.

Its not known whether he used his special train to get around  but the turmoil is likely to have done little to ease his reported paranoia.

CNNs Katharina Krebs contributed to this report. Graphics by Alicia Johnson, CNN.

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The sole suspect investigators believed was responsible for the 1982 Tylenol murders in Chicago has died, police said Monday.

James Lewis, 76, who was never charged in the seven murders, was the only person law enforcement targeted as a suspect for more than 40 years.

Police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, confirmed that the police department and EMS workers responded to Lewis' suburban Boston home for a call of an unresponsive person Sunday afternoon. He was later declared dead.

"Following an investigation, Lewis death was determined to be not suspicious," the police department said.

Seven people ages 12 to 35 were killed in the Chicago area after they ingested extra-strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. Lewis, who was in his 30s at the time, denied any involvement.

James W. Lewis holds documents at federal court in Kansas City, Mo., on June 5, 1984. (Keith Myers / AP file)

But he was convicted of attempted extortion after he wrote a ransom note to Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures Tylenol. Lewis demanded $1 million "if you want to stop the killing," according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune revisited the case last year in an eight-episode podcast series, which included a review of documents and video evidence sourced by law enforcement. NBC News has not reviewed that evidence.

The postmark on the letter appeared to show Lewis wrote the letter before the public knew the deaths were linked to the tainted Tylenol pills, the Tribune reported.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who successfully prosecuted the extortion case, told the Tribune he regrets that Lewis was never brought to justice for the deaths.

I was saddened to learn of James Lewis death, Margolis said in a statement to the Tribune. Not because hes dead, but because he didnt die in prison."

Even 40 years later, the impact of the Tylenol murders is still obvious in homes and on pharmacy shelves across the country. The Food and Drug Administration approved regulations on tamper-proof packaging as a direct response to the 1982 deaths, according to the agency's website.

And in 1983 Congress passed the Federal Anti-Tampering Act, which made tampering with consumer products punishable up to 20 years in prison. The sentence increases to a lifetime maximum if someone dies as a result.
ALL YOU NEEDED to do to find the backdoor to Hell was to search underneath what is known as the ancient Church Group site. Long thought to be nothing more than local legend, the lore proved correct. The Project Lyobaa research team discovered a system of caves and passageways believed to be the hellish entrance, also known as the temple of Lyobaa, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca at the famed Mitla ruins.

Project Lyobaaa collaboration between the nonprofit Archeology Research and Exploration (ARX) Project, the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH), and the National Autonomous University of Mexicomade use of a mixture of ancient legend and modern-day technology.

In 1674, Francisco de Burgoaa 17th century Dominican chroniclergave an account of exploring subterranean temples containing four interconnected chambers with a group of Spanish missionaries. They found tombs of priests and kings of Teozepotlan. And then came the most intriguinga stone door that led to a cavern as deep as 90 miles (yeah, were not sure how thats possible either) into the Earth, complete with intersecting passages and a pillar-supported roof.

Fearing that this was a literal backdoor to Hell, the missionaries reportedly had the underground labyrinth sealed off.

Finding this site hundreds of years later took the combined powers of ground-penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography, and seismic noise tomography. For the first time in Mexico, according to the group, the three methods combined for an accurate 3D model of what lies beneath the ground.

The teams says that the findings confirm the existence of extensive underground chambers and tunnels underneath the Church Group of the ancient site, in the same location claimed by colonial documents and the local tradition to be the entrance to the great subterranean temple of Lyobaa.

The team believes that the findingswhich also included evidence of an earlier construction stage of the Palace of the Columnswill help rewrite the history of the Mitla ruins in Mexico, a site known for five distinct groupings of buildings. The Columns Group and Church Group have been extensively excavated, restored, and now open to the public.

Searching under the main altar of the Catholic church, the team found a large void that appeared to connect with an additional geophysical anomaly to the north of the church. The data then revealed two east-west passages 16 to 26 feet below ground, and opened a view into the underground construction.

The arrangement of chambers and tunnels underneath the church displays a far greater and more complex articulation than the relatively simple cruciform chambers that exist under the Columns Group and in other parts of the site, the team writes. Both the depth and orientation of the newly identified chambers suggest that they may not have been originally connected to the buildings above ground.

The search isnt over. The ARX Project plans to return in September to research additional groups of buildings at Mitla, hoping to find further subterranean chambers. At least for the time being, theres no plan to dive deep and physically explore this backdoor to Hell.

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By Krishn Kaushik and David Brunnstrom

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Indias multi-billion-dollar purchases of U.S. arms are less about shifting its reliance on Russian defence equipment and moving towards the West - it's more about developing its own domestic weapons industry, security officials and analysts say.

India is the world's biggest arms importer but almost all of its major weapons purchases now include provisions for joint manufacture or technology transfer, irrespective of which country it is dealing with.

Also, Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted some military supplies to India, reinforcing New Delhi's long-term desire to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware, Indian defence officials said.

India bought weapons worth over $60 billion in the last 20 years, of which 65% or nearly $39 billion were from Russia, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India intends to order weapons from the domestic arms industry worth over $100 billion over the next decade.

"It is a reality, that we have to reduce dependence on Russia," said a senior Indian defence officer working on future capabilities of the Indian military, who declined to be identified. "But that is part two. The part one is the effort to get out of the import business."

India announced significant purchases of U.S. defence equipment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington last month, including an over one billion dollar order for GE engines for fighter jets. A possible $3 billion deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones is also being discussed.

In line with New Delhi's desire for self-reliance in defence and Modi's flagship "Make in India" policy, the jet engine deal includes joint manufacturing in the future, while the assembly and maintenance of the SeaGuardians will likely be in India.

Eric Garcetti, the U.S. ambassador to India, said Washington had earlier paid "lip service" but was now easing India's access to military technologies. He said the U.S. was "leaning in with technology" sharing more with India than it had with some its closest allies.

However, the moves so far will not be sufficient to end New Delhi's reliance on Russia while stringent U.S. rules governing the sharing of military technology limit future possibilities for now.

"Nobody gives you everything. They keep you at least a screwdriver away from having it fully," said a second senior official from India's defence ministry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Arzan Tarapore, an Indian security expert at Stanford University, said the deals announced during Modi's visit "do not in themselves represent an Indian shift away from Russia."

"A big shift away from Russia will take multiple decades," he said.

GAP WITH CHINA

India still uses mostly Russian technology for traditional arms. Tarapore said that the biggest potential for U.S.-India collaboration should be on new systems that India doesnt already have.

India's main aim is to narrow the technological gap with better-armed arch-rival China, with which it has a tense relationship, and which is also closely allied with traditional foe Pakistan.

One problem for India is that Russia's war in Ukraine has severely dented Moscow's ability to deliver weapons and equipment.

India's air force recently informed a parliamentary panel that Russia would delay deliveries of spares for Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 jet fighter planes. A big-ticket item, believed to be the remaining two of the five Russian S-400 air defence systems India bought for nearly $5.5 billion in 2018, has also been delayed, it said.

India has also been expecting to receive two nuclear-powered attack submarines from Russia over the next few years, but these might also be delayed, defence officials said.

Such problems have reinforced India's resolve to become less dependent on Russia, but it does not want to rely on any one nation for its weapons purchases, they said.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones, American jet engines and potentially German submarines. Over time these purchases will reduce the share of Russian military technology used by India, but this would take at least two decades, Indian officials said.

LEAST LIMITATIONS

Bill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said the days of U.S. and Russian domination of the global defence market and being able to control defence technology was coming to end, but what would replace it was "still a work in progress."

He said India could become frustrated by the strict U.S. export control system for armaments and the restrictions it places both on technology sharing and its ability to develop systems it acquires.

"I expect India will pursue cooperation with the West with those countries that can transfer technology ... with the least amount of limitations on their use," he said.

Exports to India must satisfy stringent U.S. International Trafficking in Arms (ITAR) regulations and the two countries are not treaty allies - which for instance means the level of technology sharing provided under the AUKUS deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is not on the cards.

Even so, Modi's U.S. visit has been hailed by both sides as bringing the relationship to a new level. Besides the defence deals, the two countries also signed agreements on chips, space, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

India is also a member of the QUAD alliance with the U.S., Japan and Australia, which deepens its ties with the West, but does not replace its decades-old relationship with Russia.

Derek Grossman, a Rand Corporation defence analyst, said the U.S. would always be cautious in what military hardware and technology it shares with India because of this.

Even if India can transition away from Moscow over the next few decades, Grossman said, "the U.S. will still have suspicions about how their systems are being used and how that might help the Russians in some sort of way, because of that close India-Russia partnership."

"India is going to be opportunistic in this situation and accept whatever the U.S. is willing to offer. But I dont think they are willing to give up what they have with Russia."

(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in NEW DELHI, David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  An unidentified armed group attacked a U.N. peacekeeping patrol Monday in the Central African Republic, killing a peacekeeper from Rwanda, the United Nations said.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said initial reports indicated the U.N. patrol returned fire and killed three of the assailants.

The attack happened as the peacekeepers were providing a protective presence around the town of Sam-Ouandja, in the Haute Kotto prefecture in the Central African Republic's east, Dujarric said.

Peacekeepers were deployed to Sam-Ouandja last week in response to an attack on the town by an armed group, which fled after the peacekeepers intervened, he said. He said the U.N. mission had expanded the security perimeter around the town over the past five days to protect the community and support aid deliveries.

Valentine Rugwabiza, head of the U.N. mission, strongly condemned the attack. She said the peacekeepers will remain in Sam-Ouandja and the mission is engaging with authorities to deploy national forces to the area, according to Dujarric.

The mineral-rich but impoverished Central African Republic has faced deadly intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. Untold thousands were killed, and most of the capitals Muslims fled in fear.

A U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MINUSCA was deployed in 2014 and now has nearly 17,500 uniformed personnel in the country. Its mandate was extended for 12 months until November.

After the constitutional court rejected Bozizes candidacy to run for president in December 2020, President Faustin-Archange Touadera won a second term with 53% of the vote. But he continues to face opposition from a rebel coalition linked to Bozize.

Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, whose leader led a short-lived mutiny in Russia last month, have helped keep Touadera in power. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the state-run RT television network after the mutiny that hundreds of Russian fighters would remain in Central African Republic.
DAKAR (Reuters) - A United Nations peacekeeper from Rwanda was killed on Monday in an attack on their patrol in northeast Central African Republic (CAR), the U.N. said.

The attack took place 3 km (1.86 miles) from the town of Sam-Ouandja. Three of the assailants were killed and one captured during the attack, it said in a statement.

U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to CAR in 2014 to help curb violence that broke out a year earlier when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted then president Francois Bozize, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militias.

No militia was directly blamed for the latest attack, which the peacekeeping mission MINUSCA said was carried out by armed elements.

"Despicable attack on a (U.N.) patrol aimed at protecting civilians & humanitarians in #CAR led to the death of a peacekeeper," the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Twitter.

Violence waned in CAR after a shaky peace accord was signed in February 2019 between the government and 14 armed groups, but the situation remains volatile as swathes of territory are still outside government control in one of the world's poorest countries.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Sandra Maler)
BERLIN (Reuters) -Australia will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft to Germany to support Ukraine by protecting a humanitarian and military gateway outside its territory, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday.

The deployment of the E-7A Wedgetail aircraft for six months will include up to 100 Australian crew and support personnel, Albanese told a press conference in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The aircraft, a show of Australia's commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, will help protect the multinational logistics hubs "essential to the flow of military and humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine," he said.

"This contribution is very significant, both for what it will do but also for what it symbolizes, which is Australia's commitment to doing what we can to provide the appropriate resources" that will maximize the country's support for Ukraine.

The aircraft will not enter Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian airspace, according to a statement issued by Albanese's office.

The Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical voice and data communications systems to provide airborne early warning and control, Australia's defence force said.

While in Berlin, Albanese also attended the signing of an in-principle agreement to deliver more than 100 Australian-made Boxer armed carriers to Germany in one of Canberra's largest defence export deals.

On Tuesday, Albanese will attend a summit of NATO leaders in Lithuania, to which Australia has been invited as an Indo-Pacific Four partner, along with Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

He will address the NATO summit on Wednesday.

A NATO partner since 2014, after contributing to NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Australia has agreed a new three-year partnership programme, Australian officials said.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham and Miranda Murray; Editing by Christina Fincher, Friederike Heine, William Maclean)
(Reuters) - Australia's competition watchdog on Monday asked consumers, businesses and other relevant stakeholders to provide their views about the business practices of data brokers in an attempt to regulate the country's digital platform services sector.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will consider products and services supplied by major data brokers including Oracle, Equifax, Ireland headquartered Experian and global tech firm LiveRamp among other several providers to make a report on the sector.

"There is little transparency and awareness of how data brokers operate in Australia despite the vast amounts of information they collect about Australian consumers and the central role they play in enabling the exchange of information between businesses," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

Data brokers generally gather information like personal details of customers including their browsing and purchasing behaviour from a wide range of sources such as mobile applications, social media sites and card payment providers.

The report will explore how third-party data brokers collect and use information to create products and services and if there may be competition and consumer issues arising from this, the ACCC said in a statement.

The regulator's digital platforms branch has been conducting a five-year inquiry till 2025 to inquire into the markets for the supply of digital services.

The report will focus on businesses that collect information from third-party sources and share or sell data to other organisations and, on the off chance that there might be competition and customer issues emerging from it. It will be handed over to the treasurer in March 2024, the ACCC added.

(Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
The pink carpet was rolled out last night (9 July) in Los Angeles for the world premiere of the Barbie movie, and the first reactions from critics have hit social media.

Made by indie film prodigy Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, Barbie has received overwhelmingly positive early reviews after a screening attended by stars including Nicki Minaj and Dua Lipa.

ScreenRant writer Joseph Deckelmeier called the film funny, bombastic and very smart, adding: Greta Gerwig aims for the fences and hits a home run.

It is ComicBook.com writer Jamie Jiraks favourite film of the year. She wrote: Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, Im dead serious!

Gosling was singled out for praise by numerous people, with Pay or Wait host Sharronda Williams calling the actor a scene stealer delivering most of the laughs.

This Week Media editor Eze Baum said: Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances  particularly from Ryan Gosling  turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3.

Varietys social media editor Katcy Stephan wrote: Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.

Colliders Perri Nemiroff, meanwhile, enjoyed the costume and production design in the movie, but wasnt quite as convinced on story. I think the film serves Margot Robbies Barbie and her journey especially well, she wrote, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest.

The first reactions to Greta Gerwigs #Barbie are out following its world premiere.



Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, Im dead serious! pic.twitter.com/QvdxC0CcDC  Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 10, 2023

Warner Bros was last week forced to defend a doodle of a map in the Barbie movie, after the film was banned in Vietnam.

One scene in the film includes a map showing what appears to be the nine dash line.

The line is a representation of Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

China and Vietnam have long been in a stand-off over the region, while Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia all make claims to parts of the sea.

According to local Vietnamese outlets, the drawing is deemed an illegal image and has therefore prompted the national ban.

Barbie is due for release in the UK on 21 July.
LONDON (AP)  President Bidens itinerary this week in Europe is dominated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and his continued efforts to rally an international coalition against Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

But first, some tea.

The presidents initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where hell meet with King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May. Biden did not attend Charless coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead, and Mondays visit will be marked by a bit of royal pomp  including a royal salute, a viewing of U.S.-related artifacts at Windsor Castle and teatime for the two men.

Biden and Charles will also use their visit to bring attention to climate issues, hosting a forum that will focus on how to encourage private companies to engage in more clean energy efforts, specifically in developing economies.

The president has huge respect for the kings commitment on the climate issue in particular, that he has been a clarion voice on this issue and more than that, has been an actor, someone whos mobilized action and effort, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told reporters on Air Force One as Biden traveled to London. So the president comes at this with enormous goodwill.

That visit will be paired with what will be the sixth meeting between Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since he assumed his role in October. It's all meant to highlight the so-called enduring special relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. When Biden declined to attend Charless coronation, he promised the king in a phone call that he would visit soon.

President Joe Biden waves as he walks down the steps of Air Force One at Stansted Airport in Stansted, England, Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Biden last had formal talks with Charles, then prince, at the COP26 U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. The U.S. president also attended the state funeral of Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September as well as a reception for heads of state at Buckingham Palace the night before the service.

The climate portion of Biden and the kings visit on Monday also underscores the high priority that the environment has been for the 74-year-old Charles, who has long fought to protect wildlife and battle climate change. Formally called the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum, Biden and Charles will be briefed by officials from the financial and philanthropic sectors on their discussions about expanding clean energy initiatives in developing nations.

Before making his way to Windsor Castle, Biden will sit down with Sunak in a session that the White House says will focus on a range of global issues but is sure to be dominated by their continued efforts to back Ukraine. The two nations have been among the most stalwart defenders of Kyiv, and the U.K. has pushed the White House to take more aggressive steps in providing military aid to Ukraine.

But now its the Biden administration that has taken steps that 10 Downing Street feels go too far, with the U.S. presidents decision this week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a weapon that more than two-thirds of the members of the NATO military alliance have barred for their potential threat to civilian life.

Biden has acknowledged that providing the bombs  which open mid-air and release smaller bomblets across a broad swath of land  was a difficult decision but he noted that the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and that the weapons were necessary for them to continue their fight against Russian forces.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, Biden said in a CNN interview ahead of his trip to Europe. But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians ... from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont. And I think they needed them.

Britain's then-Prince Charles greets President Biden ahead of their bilateral meeting during the Cop26 summit at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 2, 2021. (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Sunak, for his part, has distanced himself from the U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The U.K. is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use, he told broadcasters on Saturday. The U.S. is not a party to that agreement.

We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russias illegal and unprovoked invasion, but weve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine, Sunak added.

Sullivan downplayed the disagreement over cluster munitions, saying that I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what we're trying to accomplish and as united as ever  both in this conflict and writ large.

The prime ministers office said his meeting with Biden on Monday will be an opportunity to monitor progress on measures and initiatives under the Atlantic Declaration, which the two leaders signed when Sunak visited the White House last month.

This includes negotiations which have now begun on a U.K.-U.S. Critical Minerals Agreement, which will support the UK and US shared leadership in green technology, the statement said.
By Andrius Sytas

VILNIUS (Reuters) -Canada pledged to double its NATO-mandated deployment in Latvia with up to 1,200 more troops in an effort to secure the vulnerable Baltic region against any Russian aggression.

NATO has set up multinational battlegroups of about 1,000 troops in each of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The battlegroups are configured to act as a tripwire for larger forces in case of a conflict.

Since Russia's full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the battlegroups have been reinforced, and the Baltics - all of which have borders with Russia - have been calling for them to be beefed up further into battle-ready brigades of about 3,000-5,000 troops.

Germany announced in June it would keep 4,000 troops in Lithuania permanently. Estonian officials said their defence needs had been met by a British fighting force based outside Estonia but which can be deployed there within days in a crisis.

"We are going to more than double our presence ... to serve and defend democracy and the rule of law," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a joint press conference with his Latvian counterpart Krisjanis Karins at the Adazi military base in Latvia, after an agreement was signed.

"Our presence in Latvia will be strengthened and it will become a brigade," added Trudeau, who was visiting Latvia ahead of a NATO summit in neighbouring Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The three Baltic republics have sharply increased military spending since 2014 but their economies are small and so are their militaries.

Canada commands the NATO battlegroup in Latvia, currently 1,700 strong, a number including troops from nine other NATO members. It is the largest overseas military engagement for Canada.

Trudeau said the added Canadian personnel "will reinforce and enhance our land, maritime and air capabilities and support special operations in central and eastern Europe" and the other nations will increase their presence in the battlegroup too.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas and Johan Ahlander; editing by Anna Ringstrom, Kevin Liffey amd Mark Heinrich)
BEIJING (Reuters) -China and the Solomon Islands on Monday signed a deal on police cooperation as part of an upgrade of their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", four years after the Pacific nation switched ties from Taiwan to China.

The police cooperation pact was among nine deals signed after Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, underlining his nation's foreign policy shift.

Sogavare arrived in China on Sunday for his first visit since the two countries struck a security pact last year, to the alarm of the United States and neighbours including Australia.

"In just four years, the relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful," Li told Sogavare.

Sogavare, in turn, thanked China for its role in addressing global challenges including peace and sustainable development. He added that his country had "a lot to learn" from China's experience.

Sogavare switched his nation's diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing when he came to power in 2019. Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as part of its own territory.

Last month, Sogavare called for a review of a 2017 security treaty with Australia in a meeting with the Australian defence minister.

Australia has historically provided policing support to the Solomon Islands, including the rapid deployment of police in 2021 to quell riots, although China has increased its police training there.

China will continue to provide support and assistance to the Solomon Islands to enhance its law enforcement capacity, according to a joint statement released by China's official Xinhua news agency.

The statement urged "relevant countries" to "prudently" handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and cooperation on nuclear submarines, in a thinly veiled swipe at Japan and AUKUS, the alliance among Australia, the United States and Britain.

'TRUSTWORTHY FRIENDS'

Sogavare also met China's President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon and the two agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, according to Chinese state television.

"China and Pacific island countries are both developing countries and should strengthen mutual assistance within the framework of South-South cooperation," Xi said in his meeting with Sogavare.

China has long supported so-called South-South cooperation, which refers to cooperation between developing nations as equals for mutual benefit.

Describing the two countries as "trustworthy friends and reliable brothers", Xi said China-Solomon Islands ties have set a "good example of solidarity and cooperation" between countries of different sizes and between developing nations.

Xi told Sogavare that China supports more of its firms investing in the Solomon Islands and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance "without political strings attached".

In a statement, Sogavare's office highlighted "quality infrastructure" as an area that the country needs for economic empowerment to eradicate poverty.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is already building a cellular network in the island nation, financed by a $66 million Chinese EXIM bank loan. A Chinese state company will also redevelop the port in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara.

Xi also pledged support for a 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, referring to a grand blueprint agreed among Pacific nations on advancing the region's strategic goals over the next three decades.

The two countries also reached agreements in civil aviation, trade, economy, technology and sports, including a deal on "Sports Technical Assistance Project" as Honiara is hosting the Pacific Games in November. China has constructed the stadium for the Games.

Sogavare will be in China until Saturday and will officially open his country's embassy in Beijing.

(Reporting by Ethan Wang, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel and Mark Heinrich)
Joe Biden disembarks Air Force One

The context of this presidential visit can be summarised in two numbers.

President Biden was last in the UK three months ago.

And this visit is the fifth time in five months Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Biden have met.

And you only need one word to describe this trip.

Short, just like the last one.

President Biden was in Belfast in April en route to the Republic of Ireland for a longer trip.

This time, he is en route to the summit of the defence alliance Nato, which is taking place in Vilnius in Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is not a State visit, but a splash of the razzmatazz associated with one will be laid on.

Air Force One arrived at Stansted Airport in Essex on Sunday night.

The president's day in the UK is expected to begin in Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak.

As you can read here, the immediate diplomatic backdrop, ahead of the Nato summit, is the public disagreement within the alliance over the US's decision to give Ukraine what are known as cluster bombs.

They are also expected to talk about the so-called Atlantic Declaration  the arrangement well short of a trade deal announced in Washington last month - that aims to smoothen trade, to a degree at least, between the US and UK.

Another focus of this visit will be the environment and climate change.

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and the President's Climate Envoy John Kerry will lead talks of the not very catchily titled US/UK Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum.

It's about trying to help poorer countries tackle climate change.

Members of the forum will brief the King and the President at Windsor Castle at lunchtime.

While President Biden was at the Queen's funeral, he wasn't at the King's Coronation.

He sent his wife, the First Lady Jill Biden in his place.

So it is the first time the two will have met since the Coronation.

Prior to their formal meeting there will be a spot of pageantry.

There will be a marching band and there will be a Guard of Honour, provided by the Welsh Guards.

Like the visit to Downing Street, this element of the trip will also be brief.

It's expected the president will be at Windsor Castle for an hour or two, before he heads off to Lithuania.

The prime minister heads there on Tuesday morning.
Paula Dotson has been buying two tickets in every Powerball drawing for 15 years.

Thats how long its been since Dotson and two of her co-workers made a pact, the Mocksville woman told North Carolina Education Lottery officials in a July 10 news release.

We decided 15 years ago that if we won a big prize we would all split it, Dotson told officials. We each buy two tickets in every drawing.

Dotson recently bought a $3 Quick Pick ticket online, according to officials. She matched four white numbers and the red Powerball, and then doubled her prize to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier hit.

When I saw it, I thought I was dreaming, Dotson said, according to the release. But I wasnt.

Now, the trio of co-workers will finally see their promise come into fruition, Dotson told officials.

They thought I was joking, she said in the release.

After taxes, Dotson took home $71,251, according to officials. She said she plans to use her portion of the prize to pay bills and do some repairs at home.

Mocksville is about 60 miles northeast of Charlotte.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Mom always envisioned winning big  then scratched her lucky number in NC lottery

Chuck E. Cheese coin led man to NC lottery prize so big, it left him bawling

Lottery player follows moms advice  and wins huge NC prize. Mama is always right
By Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba on Monday accused the U.S. government of bearing "direct responsibility" for the protests that rocked the Caribbean island two years ago, marking the largest demonstrations since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.

"The United States has a direct responsibility for the disturbances of July 11 and 12, 2021," the Communist Party-run Granma newspaper said in a front-page editorial ahead of the anniversary of the protests. It provided no evidence to back the accusations.

The newspaper said people were openly incited and provided with funds from the United States to break the law in acts of robbery and assault - even as Washington strengthened its sanctions while Cuba's economy struggled due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The editorial also denounced a "campaign of disinformation and slander" through social networks.

"Slander promoted by the White House, related to events it sponsored in 2021, is used as a pretext to maintain a policy of maximum pressure against Cuba," it said.

This policy, designed by the administration of Donald Trump, was being "severely applied" by the current administration of President Joe Biden, it added.

In July 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets across nearly 50 cities in the country shouting "freedom" to protest a deepening economic crisis, the worst in three decades.

Frustrated by long lines for food, public transport, fuel and medicine, more than 140,000 Cubans have since October 2021 migrated to the United States, according to U.S. government figures.

The protests were short-lived and Cuban authorities have since sentenced hundreds to prison on charges ranging from public disorder to sedition, prompting calls of human rights violations from activists.

The U.S. State Department said it was not behind the 2021 protests and reiterated calls for the immediate release of some 700 Cuban political prisoners.

"As the entire world knows, the Cuban people protested for themselves," a U.S. State Department official said, adding that "the regime continues to violently repress virtually any kind of peaceful public dissent and detains, harasses, and threatens families of detained protesters who dare speak publicly about their detained family members."

The European Union has also urged the Cuban government to release the protesters.

"More than anything, this editorial reflects the state of relations between the United States and Cuba," said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a foreign relations expert at the Autonomous University of Madrid. "A climate conducive to at least reducing tensions over the issue has not been built."

Lopez-Levy said the release of prisoners would be "very difficult" as long as the U.S. maintains hostile policies on some fundamental matters.

Two years after the protests, some Cuban emigres have called for events to commemorate the date. Though additional plain-clothed security officials were seen in some parts of the capital on Monday, Havana's streets remained quiet.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Additional reporting by Sarah Morland and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 presidential candidate, said Sunday that he thinks the media doesnt want him to be his partys nominee as reports suggest his presidential campaign is stalled.

The media does not want me to be the nominee. I think thats very, very clear. Why? Because they know I will beat Biden. But, even more importantly, they know I will actually deliver on all these things, DeSantis said in response to such a report on Sunday Morning Futures.

We will stop the invasion at the border. We will take on the drug cartels. We will curtail the administrative state. We will get spending under control. We will do all the things that they dont want to see done, and so theyre going to continue doing the type of narrative, he said.

The Florida governor was responding to a Saturday headline in Politico Playbook: Failure to launch  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss campaign to topple Donald Trump has stalled.

He shrugged off the reporting, saying, These are narratives.

Former President Trump, who is running for another four years in the White House, is steadily polling at the front of a field of a dozen GOP candidates, but DeSantis has consistently polled as the top contender behind Trump.

DeSantis Sunday touted his reelection victory in Florida, noting that a few months before the election, I had media saying that somehow my reelection campaign was stalling, that we werent doing anything. He also highlighted his recent fundraising.

If you look at what was reported, it was about $150 million, and that hasnt even been deployed yet. So we have got a long way to go. Im looking forward to being able to participate in the debates, but this is not something that I ever expected to just snap fingers and, all of a sudden, you win seven months before anything happens, the candidate said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Dawit Endeshaw

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An eastern African bloc called on Monday for a regional summit to consider deploying troops into Sudan to protect civilians, after nearly three months of violence between the army and a paramilitary faction.

Fighting that erupted on April 15 in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, has spread to other parts of the country and driven more than 2.9 million people from their homes.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), made up of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to kick-start a peace process for the conflict in Sudan.

But the initiative faced a setback as a delegation from Sudan's army failed to attend the first day of meetings, having rejected Kenya's president as head of the committee facilitating the talks.

IGAD said in a statement it had agreed to request a summit of another regional body, the 10-member Eastern Africa Standby Force, "to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access".

Sudan is a member of both bodies, as are Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

Diplomatic efforts to halt fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have so far proved ineffective, with competing initiatives creating confusion over how the warring parties might be brought to negotiate.

IGAD said it regretted the absence of a delegation from the Sudan army, which it said had earlier confirmed attendance.

Sudan's foreign affairs ministry, which is controlled by the army, said the delegation did not turn up because IGAD had ignored its request to replace Kenya's President William Ruto as head of the committee spearheading the talks.

Ruto "lacks impartiality in the ongoing crisis," the ministry said through the state news agency. Last month it accused Kenya of harbouring the RSF.

Neither Ruto's office nor the Kenyan ministry of foreign affairs responded immediately when Reuters sought comment. The Kenyan government said last month the president was a neutral arbiter who was duly appointed by the IGAD summit.

Following the meeting, Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone  spanning a radius of 30 kilometres in Khartoum  to aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Talks hosted in Jeddah and sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia were suspended last month. Egypt has said it would host a separate summit of Sudan's neighbours on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict.

Unlike the talks in Jeddah, the meeting in Addis Ababa was attended by members of a civilian coalition that shared power with the military in Sudan before a coup in 2021.

IGAD said that along with the African Union, it would immediately start a "civilian engagement process" aimed at delivering peace.

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw and Hereward Holland; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Peter Graff)
By Huseyin Hayatsever and Ece Toksabay

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in an unexpected move, said on Monday the European Union should open the way for Ankara's accession to the bloc before Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance.

Turkey's bid to join the EU has been frozen for years after membership talks were launched in 2005 under Erdogan's first term as prime minister.

The ties between Ankara and members of the bloc soured several years ago, especially after a 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, but have since improved. The bloc depends on the help of NATO ally Ankara, particularly on migration.

In a surprise change of tack, Erdogan on Monday linked Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey finally joining the EU.

"I am calling from here on these countries that are making Turkey wait at the door of the European Union for more than 50 years," Erdogan said, speaking ahead of his departure for the NATO summit in Vilnius.

"First, come and open the way for Turkey at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland," he said, adding that he would repeat his call during the summit.

A European Commission spokesperson said NATO and EU enlargement were "separate processes."

"The accession process for each candidate country is based on the merits of each country," the spokesperson said, adding that the two processes cannot be linked.

Asked about Erdogan's comments, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said while he backs Ankara's membership of the EU, as far as he was concerned Sweden had already met the conditions required to join NATO.

"It is still possible to have a positive decision on Sweden in Vilnius," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

VILNIUS SUMMIT

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Stockholm has been working to join the bloc at the summit in Vilnius.

Erdogan said Sweden's accession hinged on the implementation of a deal reached last summer during the alliance's summit in Madrid, adding that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.

Ankara says Sweden has not done enough against people Turkey sees as terrorists, mainly members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the United States.

Sinan Ulgen, former diplomat and director of the Istanbul-based Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies, said Erdogan's move would not strengthen Turkey's hand at the Vilnius summit.

"The positive side of this surprise move is that it showed Turkey still has an EU membership perspective. But it is hard to say it would help any progress on Turkey's EU membership bid," he said.

Erdogan also said that an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia would ease Kyiv's NATO membership process.

(Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever; Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinspop in Brussels, Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson, Peter Graff)
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP)  Sweden's membership of NATO took a big step forward on Monday after Turkey agreed to remove one of the last major roadblocks in return for help in reviving Turkey's own chances of joining the European Union.

At talks in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are meeting for a two-day summit starting Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan committed to put the Nordic countrys accession protocol before Parliament as soon as possible," the head of NATO said.

This is an historic day because we have a clear commitment by Turkey to submit the ratification documents to the Grand National Assembly, and to work also with the assembly to ensure ratification, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after a series of high-stakes meetings.

Swedens NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year. The Turkish parliament's ratification of the accession protocol is one of the last steps in the process.

Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania.

Today we took a very big step on the road toward complete ratification, Kristersson said.

There was no comment from Erdogan on the move, which many saw as linked in part to Turkey's demands on other issues, particularly Erdogan's desire for support for European Union membership from European leaders and for F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

It's unclear when the Nordic countrys membership might be approved, but the agreement appears to have taken the issue off the agenda of the summit, which was meant to focus uniquely on the war in Ukraine and Kyiv's own membership aspirations.

In a statement, Biden welcomed the agreement and said he will work with Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.

Biden's reference to enhancing Turkeys defense capability was a nod to Bidens commitment to help Turkey acquire new F-16s, according to a U.S. administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.

The Biden administration has backed Turkeys desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S. Its a move some in Congress, most notably Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J, have opposed over Turkey blocking NATO membership for Sweden, its human rights record, its relations with Greece and other concerns.

In Washington, however, Menendez said he was continuing to have my reservations on providing the planes to Turkey. If the Biden administration can show that Turkey wouldn't use the F-16s belligerently against other NATO members, particularly its neighbor Greece, then there may be a way forward," Menendez told reporters.

In exchange for Turkey's help with NATO, Sweden has agreed to help unblock Turkey's progress towards joining the European Union, which has been on hold since 2018.

Stoltenberg said that Turkeys relationship with the EU was not an issue for NATO, its an issue for the European Union. But he told reporters that what Sweden agreed today as an EU member was to support actively the efforts to reinvigorate Turkeys EU accession process.

Earlier Monday, Erdogan had warned that he would block Swedens attempt to become the 32nd NATO ally unless European members of the military organization pave the way for Turkey to join the worlds biggest trading bloc.

It was the first time that he had linked the two countries' aspirations in this way.

Come and open the way for Turkeys membership in the European Union," Erdogan told reporters before flying to Vilnius. "When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden, as we did for Finland.

Turkey was blocking Sweden's accession because Erdogan believes that Sweden has been too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that he considers to be security threats.

On arriving in Vilnius, Erdogan first met with Kristersson, before breaking off for separate talks with European Council President Charles Michel.

Michel tweeted that he and Erdogan had explored opportunities ahead to bring cooperation back to the forefront and re-energise our relations. Michel said he has tasked the European Commission to draw up a report with a view to proceed in strategic and forward-looking manner.

Turkey first applied to join what is now the EU in 1987, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogans presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

Of the 31 NATO member countries, 22 are also members of the EU, like Sweden.

Stoltenberg and Kristersson said that Sweden would also help Turkey to improve its customs arrangements with the EU, and to try to obtain visa-free travel in Europe for its citizens. Turkey tried to achieve these goals in recent years but failed to meet the trading bloc's standards.

Earlier, Erdogan's office said he told Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkeys EU ambitions from NATO leaders. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish EU membership.

Turkeys delaying tactics have irritated other NATO allies, including the United States. Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had discussed Swedens NATO membership, among other issues, and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks.

Sullivan said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

We dont regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better, he said.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Another key issue at the summit in Vilnius will be how to bring Ukraine closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesnt invade again after the war ends. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky will join the summit in person on Wednesday.

Stoltenberg said the most important thing was to continue to support Ukraines efforts to resist the Russian invasion.

Unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership issue to discuss at all, he said.

-

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. AP White House reporter Chris Megerian in London and reporters Aamer Madhani and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP)  The European Union signed off Monday on a new agreement over the privacy of people's personal information that gets pinged across the Atlantic, aiming to ease European concerns about electronic spying by American intelligence agencies.

The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework has an adequate level of protection for personal data, the EUs executive commission said. That means it's comparable to the 27-nation's own stringent data protection standards, so companies can use it to move information from Europe to the United States without adding extra security.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October to implement the deal after reaching a preliminary agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Washington and Brussels made an effort to resolve their yearslong battle over the safety of EU citizens data that tech companies store in the U.S. after two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out.

Personal data can now flow freely and safely from the European Economic Area to the United States without any further conditions or authorizations, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said at a press briefing in Brussels.

Washington and Brussels long have clashed over differences between the EUs stringent data privacy rules and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law. That created uncertainty for tech giants including Google and Facebook parent Meta, raising the prospect that U.S. tech firms might need to keep European data that is used for targeted ads out of the United States.

The European privacy campaigner who triggered legal challenges over the practice, however, dismissed the latest deal. Max Schrems said the new agreement failed to resolve core issues and vowed to challenge it to the EUs top court.

Schrems kicked off the legal saga by filing a complaint about the handling of his Facebook data after whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations a decade ago about how the U.S. government eavesdropped on people's online data and communications.

Calling the new agreement a copy of the previous one, Schrems said his Vienna-based group, NOYB, was readying a legal challenge and expected the case to be back in the European Court of Justice by the end of the year.

Just announcing that something is new, robust or effective does not cut it before the Court of Justice, Schrems said. We would need changes in U.S. surveillance law to make this work  and we simply dont have it.

The framework, which takes effect Tuesday, promises strengthened safeguards against data collection abuses and provides multiple avenues for redress.

Under the deal, U.S. intelligence agencies' access to data is limited to what's necessary and proportionate" to protect national security.

Europeans who suspect U.S. authorities have accessed their data will be able to complain to a new Data Protection Review Court, made up of judges appointed from outside the U.S. government. The threshold to file a complaint will be very low" and won't require people to prove their data has been accessed, Reynders said.

Business groups welcomed the decision, which clears a legal path for companies to continue cross-border data flows.

This is a major breakthrough," said Alexandre Roure, public policy director at the Brussels office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google and Meta.

"After waiting for years, companies and organisations of all sizes on both sides of the Atlantic finally have the certainty of a durable legal framework that allows for transfers of personal data from the EU to the United States, Roure said.

In an echo of Schrems' original complaint, Meta Platforms was hit in May with a record $1.3 billion EU privacy fine for relying on legal tools deemed invalid to transfer data across the Atlantic.

Meta had warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it would be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
By Brad Brooks

(Reuters) -The last three known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa massacre on Monday decried a judge's dismissal of a lawsuit seeking reparations for the racist violence in Oklahoma.

In a statement read by their lawyer at a news conference in Tulsa, the three, each over 100 years old, said Tulsa County District Court Judge Caroline Wall had "condemned" them to languish on Oklahoma's appellate docket with her brief order late on Friday tossing out their case.

"But we will not go quietly," they said. "We will continue to fight until our last breath."

The three are Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108, who is named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit; Viola Fletcher, 109; and Hughes Van Ellis, 102.

Damario Solomon-Simmons, their lead attorney and founder of the Justice for Greenwood Foundation, said at a Monday news conference in which he read the statement that he had not seen any document laying out Wall's reasoning for her dismissal, the basis of which was not made clear in her brief order posted on the court website. He called the dismissal a "hurtful blow to our quest for justice" and asked the federal government to open an investigation into the massacre.

The lawsuit against the City of Tulsa seeks financial and other reparations, including a 99-year tax holiday for Tulsa residents who are descendants of victims of the massacre in the north Tulsa neighborhood of Greenwood.

Also named in the lawsuit are five government entities and Tulsa County's sheriff in his official capacity.

It is estimated that as many as 300 people, most of them Black, died in the massacre.

The violence erupted after a white woman told police that a Black man had grabbed her arm in an elevator in a downtown Tulsa commercial building on May 30, 1921, according to an account by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The following day, police arrested the man, whom the Tulsa Tribune reported had tried to assault the woman. Whites surrounded the courthouse, demanding the man be handed over. World War One veterans were among Black men who went to the courthouse to face the mob. A white man tried to disarm a Black veteran and a shot rang out, touching off further violence.

Whites looted and burned buildings and dragged Blacks from their beds and beat them, according to historical accounts. Whites were deputized by authorities and instructed to shoot Blacks. No one was ever charged in the violence.

Deep economic and health disparities remain between Blacks, who still live for the most part in north Tulsa, and whites.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, TexasEditing by Donna Bryson and Matthew Lewis)
NEW YORK (AP)  A Brooklyn man accused of killing an 86-year-old and injuring three other men in a series of shootings while riding a scooter in New York City is charged with murder and attempted murder, police said Sunday.

In all, six apparently random shootings occurred in Brooklyn and Queens on Saturday, according to police.

The motive of the alleged gunman, identified Sunday as 25-year-old Thomas Abreu, was unknown, police said.

Police arrested Abreu without incident Saturday. The New York Police Department pulled an image of the gunman from video and sent it to officers, who spotted him a couple hours after the first shooting, police said.

Police confiscated a scooter and a 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine. Abreu was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and six counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

The shootings began around 11:10 a.m., when the gunman shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder in Brooklyn. The man was brought to a hospital and was expected to survive, police said.

Soon after, Abreu allegedly shot Hamod Saeidi, 86, of Queens, in the Richmond Hill area of Queens. Saeidi later died at a hospital.

Shortly afterward in Queens, witnesses reported a man on a scooter firing randomly into a group of people, although nobody was hurt.

Eight minutes later, a 44-year-old man was shot in the face. He was in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

About one minute later, a 63-year-old man was shot in the torso. He was in stable condition at a hospital.

On Sunday, police reported a sixth related shooting at an intersection in Queens. A 40-year-old man fired upon was unhurt.

Killings in the nations most populous city have risen in recent years to about where they were a decade ago but still well below an early-1990s peak. Gunfire injuries surged in New York City during the pandemic and remain stubbornly high. The city has confronted a series of high-profile crimes.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former New York City police captain, has called for getting more guns off the streets.

___

This story was first published on July 9, 2023. It was updated on July 10, 2023, to correct a victims name. The Associated Press, quoting New York City police, erroneously identified one of the victims. New court documents show his correct name is Hamod Saedi, not Hamoo Saedi.
By Brendan O'Brien and Rich McKay

(Reuters) - Torrential downpours unleashed flash floods on the U.S. Northeast on Monday that washed out roadways, overwhelmed rivers, forced numerous boat rescues and killed a woman who was swept away in front of her fiance, officials said.

More than 13 million Americans were under flood watches and warnings from Eastern New York state to Boston and Western Maine to the northeast, the National Weather Service said in its forecast Monday, after storms that began over the weekend inundated rivers and streams.

Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated damages and economic loss at $3 billion to $5 billion, preliminarily, based on its own method of evaluation.

More than 1,000 flights to and from airports across the region, including New York's LaGuardia and Boston's Logan, were delayed or canceled on Monday due to the rains.

Amtrak suspended passenger train service between the state capital Albany and New York City after flooding damaged tracks. Amtrak shares some of that route's track with the Metro-North commuter railroad into New York, which suspended some service on that line and another.

New York and Vermont were the hardest hit states. More precipitation was expected overnight and into Tuesday, creating further flood hazards, the service said.

Parts of Vermont had already received between 7 and 8 inches (17 and 20 cm) of rain, turning streets into raging rivers.

"Widespread flash flooding has occurred throughout the day, and now we're seeing rivers are rising rapidly, and we're expecting them to crest overnight tonight into tomorrow morning," said Peter Banacos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont.

About two dozen state roads were closed, Vermont State Police said.

Swift boat crews rescued about a dozen campers in Andover, said Jeanette Haight, the town's clerk.

"A bridge washed out, and that was the only way in or out," she said. "The call for help went out at 4 a.m., and they set up a swift-boat rescue. Everyone is safe this morning."

More boat crews, including some from North Carolina, were on their way to Vermont to help with other rescues, officials said.

"This is an all-hands-on-deck" event, Vermont Governor Phil Scott told news conference.

In New York, more than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain fell from Sunday to Monday in Stormville, a small town just over 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City.

The weather claimed the life of an Orange County, New York, woman, swept away by floodwaters as she tried to leave her home with her dog on Sunday, officials said.

"Her fiance literally saw her swept away," New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press conference in the town of Highland Falls.

Much of the New York flooding was along the Hudson River north of New York City including the Orange County town of West Point, home to the Army's U.S. Military Academy.

Video and photos posted on social media showed washed-out roadways and raging floodwaters reaching houses on Sunday and early Monday morning.

"Oh my God. It's up to my knees," Melissa Roberts said in a video showing floodwaters rushing past her and several vehicles and up to homes in Orange County.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Rich McKay in Atlanta and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Ed Osmond, Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio)
A murder suspect who escaped police custody in the Sacramento area over the weekend has been found and taken into custody, according to the Placer County Sheriff, who shared the update via social media.

Eric J. Abril, who escaped Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Placer County early Sunday morning, was discovered after a homeowner walking his dog alerted deputies when he noticed his dog barked at some movements in a nearby brush area, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said Monday.

When he was taken into custody, he was clothed in only his jail boxers and he still had the belly chains around his waist, although his hands were no longer affixed in the handcuffs, Woo said. Abril also had numerous abrasions on his body, Woo added.

California authorities had launched a manhunt after the 35-year-old escaped early Sunday morning.

Eric Abril last seen on surveillance video. - Placer County Sheriff's Office

Abril was facing numerous charges, including murder, kidnapping causing bodily harm, and attempted murder of a police officer, related to a shooting in April at a Roseville park, the Placer County District Attorneys Office said in an April news release.

On the East Coast, authorities issued a similar warning to the public after they discovered small stockpiles or campsites in wooded areas they believe are associated with a self-taught survivalist and prison escapee.

Abrils court docket says hes also facing personal discharge of a firearm charges along with several others.

Specifically, it is alleged the defendant attempted to murder a peace officer in a local Roseville park, which resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality. The complaint also alleges Abril kidnapped a victim causing bodily harm and murdered another victim in the commission of a kidnapping. The complaint also includes a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon, and allegations that he was previously convicted of a prior serious or violent felony, the DAs office said in April.

CNN has reached out to an attorney for Abril for comment.

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DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander accused the U.S. Navy on Monday of defending fuel smuggling in the Gulf by trying to interfere when Iran intercepted a ship last week.

"On July 6th, Revolutionary Guards' Navy personnel were inspecting a ship with the name NADA 2 that was involved in smuggling Iranian oil and gas in the Persian Gulf, which the Americans sought to prevent through a series of unprofessional and risky actions," IRGC Commander Ramazan Zirrahi said in comments reported by Iran's Tasnim news agency.

On July 7th, Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guards had seized a vessel carrying 900 tons of smuggled fuel with 12 crew members, following a court order.

"The Americans flew several aircraft, including two A-10 fighters, and tried until the last moment to prevent the seizure of the vessel, but it was eventually brought to Bushehr port for legal procedures," he added.

U.S. 5th Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins had said last week that the U.S. Navy had monitored the interception of the ship in international waters but had decided not to make any further response.

The incident was one of several involving Iranian forces and Gulf shipping last week.

In another incident, the U.S. Navy said Iranian naval personnel had fired multiple, long bursts at the Bahamas-flagged Richmond Voyager managed by U.S. oil major Chevron , following Tehran's claims that the ship was involved in a collision which injured 5 crew members from an Iranian ship.

Chevron denied the tanker was involved in a collision and said it had not been notified of legal proceedings or court orders by Iran regarding the ship.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Peter Graff)
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday allowed two members of the right-wing militia Oath Keepers to waive their right to a jury trial, kicking forward closing arguments and a possible verdict in the case related to Jan. 6 by a day.

James Beeks and Donovan Crowl each formally agreed to a stipulated bench trial on two felony counts  conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder  in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Justice Department prosecutors agreed to dismiss three other felony counts and a misdemeanor at the end of the proceedings.

Instead of a federal jury in Washington, D.C., deciding the pairs fate, Mehta will issue a verdict after hearing closing arguments expected Tuesday, based on a set of agreed-upon facts. Prosecutors and defense attorneys were still finalizing those details Monday.

Because the defendants will agree to stipulations, they could argue that a reduced sentence is warranted if convicted.

Beeks, an ex-Broadway star who is representing himself but has access to standby counsel, arrived at court Monday wearing a maroon suit over a black T-shirt showing a dog superimposed over an American flag.

Beeks requested a type of judgment by the court be made in favor of one party without a full trial but was informed that wasnt available in federal criminal cases.

He also questioned whether the court has jurisdiction over him, signaling ties to the sovereign citizen movement he has referenced in court documents.

Adherents to that movement believe that the U.S. government is illegitimate and use that as reasoning to evade laws, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Carmen Hernandez, Crowls defense attorney, asked the court to reconsider whether statements made by Oath Keepers leaders like founder Stewart Rhodes or top deputy Kelly Meggs are relevant to Crowls case, which Mehta declined.

Theyve written the First Amendment out of the Constitution, Hernandez quipped to reporters after Mondays proceedings.

Closing arguments are set to begin Tuesday morning, where prosecutors said they intend to show some 20 exhibits in remarks lasting around 45 minutes. Defense attorneys also said their closing arguments would last under an hour. A verdict is also expected Tuesday.

On Jan. 6, Beeks tried to push through a line of law enforcement officers guarding the hallway leading to the Senate chamber, according to court filings.

Before he was arrested in connection with the riot, Beeks was playing Judas in a national tour of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The Florida native was also a Michael Jackson impersonator described on his YouTube page as one of the Top Michael Jackson Tribute artists in the US, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors say he wore a Michael Jackson BAD world tour jacket that day, standing out from other Oath Keepers donning camouflage paramilitary gear.

Crowl, an ex-Marine, came to Washington in January 2021 with the Ohio State Regular Militia, a dues-paying subset of the Oath Keepers, according to court documents.

Hernandez said in court Monday that Crowl was not a card-carrying member of the Oath Keepers.

Jessica Watkins, an Oath Keepers leader tried for seditious conspiracy last year alongside Rhodes, the groups founder, led that group. She was acquitted of sedition but convicted of several other serious felonies and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Prosecutors claim that Crowl and Watkins equipped themselves for battle Jan. 6, wearing reinforced vests, camouflage helmets and goggles. Crowl filmed himself inside the Capitol saying, We took on the Capitol! We overran the Capitol! according to court filings.

In an interview days after the riot, Crowl told the New Yorker that he had entered the Capitol.

He also said he was in Washington to do security for unnamed VIPs, an argument made by other Oath Keepers during their trials. In court Monday, Hernandez said the individual Crowl expected to perform security for was longtime Trump ally Roger Stone.

Both defendants are accused of joining with other Oath Keepers in military-style stack formations to enter the Capitol.

A third co-defendant, former Oath Keepers lawyer Kellye SoRelle, was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. Until SoRelle is determined to be competent to stand trial, Beeks and Crowls trial marks the last high-profile Oath Keepers case in connection with the riot.

Six Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in plotting to stop the certification of the 2020 election, including Rhodes, the founder.

Several other members have been convicted of additional serious felonies. More than 1,000 rioters across the country have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, according to the Justice Departments most recent count.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Cipollina Catanese from Funke restaurant in Beverly Hills. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Some foods warrant a loud burst of expletives. The first bite of fried chicken at Willie Maes. Nancy Silvertons focaccia di recco at Chi Spacca. Genet Agonafers doro wat pinched between injera. Its unavoidable.

We all have those dishes that prompt a holy s, thats good. And sometimes, the very best stuff gets an extra WTF!

Cipollina Catanese and Sfincione Palermitano from Funke

Sfincione Palermitano from Funke restaurant in Beverly Hills. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

When Evan Funke, chef at Felix, Mother Wolf and the new Funke in Beverly Hills, tried the cipollina Catanese at Caffe Europa in Catania, he let out a loud wtf!

It was so satisfying and simple and one of the most amazing things in Italy, he said during a recent call. I ate it and was like, what the f is this?

It was a buttery, flaky pastry stuffed with mozzarella, tomato and ham. And it was something he knew he had to make for his new restaurant.

Read more:The new L.A. sandwiches I can't stop eating

The Funke version is served as a golden square of dough folded into a loose envelope. When it hits the table, the smell of butter is all encompassing. Its the kind of pastry that gets everywhere, with an extra crisp, puffy croissant-like dough that explodes on contact.

I worked really heavily with Shannon [Swindle] to get it to the right flakiness, he said, referencing the restaurant's pastry chef. I love croissant like nobodys business and I like the ones that when you eat them, there is shrapnel that comes off.

As designed, theres plenty of shrapnel to collect with your fingers.

Inside is a molten tomato sauce buttressed with a sun-dried tomato paste Funke imports from Sicily, wild oregano and sweet onion. It melds with a blend of cheeses that includes Ragusano, a piquant Italian cow's milk cheese and a smoked Scamortza that tastes like a super concentrated, smokey mozzarella.

Imagine your favorite flaky croissant, served hot, filled with French onion soup pizza.

But when Funke first opened the restaurant in early May, no one ordered it.

I just started sending it out compliments to people, he said. Same story when I first started making cacio e pepe in 08. Now we sell out every night. Its wild. So simple and familiar but you dont know what the f this thing is.

Order one and decide for yourself. Then insert your favorite expletive here.

Read more:What is cacio e pepe and how did it take over the world?

Like the cipollina Catanese and the various pastas on his menu, the sfincione Palermitano was inspired by something Funke fell in love with in Italy and wanted to preserve.

This sfincione, which means sponge, is the closest Ive come to the best pizza Ive ever tasted. It was made by a Caserta chef named Francesco Martucci at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas earlier this year. Steamed, fried and baked, Martuccis dough was at first crisp, then disappeared like cotton candy. He topped it simply with roasted cherry tomato, capers, olives, oregano, garlic and anchovy.

Funkes sfincione has a similar texture, with a dough that starts crisp then fades into an airy pillow. Inspired by a sfincione rosso he had in Sicily, Funke serves his bread with a tomato and onion sauce, shaved Ragusano and Sicilian provolone, wild oregano and breadcrumbs.

Read more:Let's never call L.A. a mediocre pizza town again

He paints the unbaked dough with a thin layer of the sauce, then again with more sauce before the bread is finished for service, fusing the now jammy tomato to the dough. The cheeses are salty and racy. The entire surface is covered in breadcrumbs intended as an "exclamation point" for the dish.

I wanted the breadcrumbs to be rowdy, he said.

To make them, he pulverizes day-old pizza dough and fries the crumbs in olive oil with a smashed clove of garlic.

Funke calls this sfincione a labor of love. A dish so special it deserves a fitting presentation.

We serve it on a pedestal, he said.

Really, it comes on a pedestal. As it should.

The Special pizza from Schellz Pizza Co.

The Special pizza from Schellz Pizza Co. made with Hokkaidough. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Schellz Pizza Co. is another COVID lockdown pan pizza side-hustle success story that resulted in a brand new style of pizza called Hokkaidough.

During the first weeks of March 2020, Michael Schell and his wife, Bohan Li, started making sourdough pizzas out of their downtown loft for themselves and friends. Without their knowledge, a friend created a fake Yelp profile for Schells pizzas under the name Schellz Pizza Hole. The profile managed to attract the attention of Eater L.A. editor Farley Elliott.

I didnt know who he was, but he got in touch with me and I made him a pizza, Schell said. He wrote about us and he told me to keep doing it if I felt like I had a passion for it. That really had an impact on me.

After the encouragement and media coverage, Schell decided to turn his pandemic hobby into a business. He set up a Toast account and started selling pizzas on weekends.

Read more:Yes, you can eat onion rings for dinner. Three to try now

We would run down the stairs and drop them off in the alleyway, he said. People would just have us put pizza in the trunk of their car. Thats about as formal as it got.

When Schells full-time job in enterprise sales for a cybersecurity business picked up in 2021, he shut down the weekend pizza business, but continued to work on his dough and make pizza for friends. Inspired by a pre-pandemic trip to Japan and some harsh words from his wifes uncle about his sourdough, Schell created Hokkaidough.

Her uncle was like, this pizza is not very good, he said with a laugh My sourdough may have been a little too sour.

Schell took some bread-making classes and settled on a poolish method that involves adding a pre-ferment to his dough. The result was something close to the texture of the shokupan hed eaten in Hokkaido.

I accidentally put too much sugar in one day and here we are, he said. I might have been drinking, making the dough. That one really stood out and thats the version that we have today.

After a few pop-ups last summer, Schell and Li started selling their Hokkaidough pizzas and loaves of bread out of a rented kitchen space in Hyde Park in December.

Despite the appearance of browned edges around the pizza, the bottom remains a pale golden. It has the familiar milky, buttery, rich quality of shokupan, but its more squishy than soft. The texture made me think of a children's plush toy or cartoon pizza. A hunk of Flintstonian dough.

The Special pizza features the same toppings as Schells first pandemic pizza, but with the Hokkaidough crust in place of the sourdough. Its crowded with smoky bacon, chopped pepperoni, roasted pineapple, jalapeno, serrano, sliced red onion and fresh garlic. Schell uses a small torch to add some extra color to the pizza before he closes the box and hands it over.

If you prefer a crispier pie, you can nudge the pizza toward its full potential with a couple of minutes in the air fryer or oven. But if you want to go full squish, Li suggests putting the pizza in the microwave when you get home. Thats how she likes it.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NEW YORK (AP)  A man accused of killing an 86-year-old and injuring three other people in a series of apparently random shootings while riding a scooter in New York City was arraigned Monday on charges including murder and attempted murder, prosecutors said.

Thomas Abreu, 25, was arraigned in a hospital in five shootings that occurred in Queens over about 10 minutes late Saturday morning, a spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. An additional person was shot and injured in Brooklyn.

The streets of two boroughs were turned into scenes of terror as this defendant allegedly rode his scooter, shooting indiscriminately at pedestrians and others," Katz said in a statement.

Police have said they are not sure what the motive for the attack was.

Abreu did not enter a plea. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.

Witnesses identified Abreu as the gunman who shot Hamod Saeidi, 86, just before 11:30 a.m., prosecutors said. Family members said Saeidi, who died, had been on his way to the mosque to pray.

Another victim shot in Queens was struck in the head when Abreu fired into a parked minivan and is in intensive care at a hospital, according to the criminal complaint, while a third victim was shot in the shoulder.

Prosecutors said Abreu shot at two other people in Queens and did not hit them.

Abreu was arrested later Saturday based on witness statements and surveillance footage, prosecutors said.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP)  Police arrested a man Monday suspected of shooting and injuring an investigator with a metro Atlanta prosecutor's office while both were driving.

The investigator with the Gwinnett County district attorney's office was not on duty when he was shot in the leg around 6 p.m. Friday by another driver, police said. The motive was not immediately known and the investigator's injuries were not considered to be life threatening.

Over the weekend, detectives determined that the suspected shooter was driving a 2019 Jeep Cherokee and identified him as Tyler Dewayne Moore, 27, Sgt. Michele Pihera, a county police spokesperson, said in an email. When officers went to his house in Auburn late Sunday, Moore was not home, but the officers impounded his vehicle.

Early Monday, officers were sent to the county jail, where Moore was waiting at the main entrance, Pihera said. He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes, and second-degree criminal damage to property.

Moore was booked into the Gwinnett County jail, and it wasn't immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment.

Police said Friday that they didn't know whether the shooting resulted from road rage or whether the investigator was targeted. There were no markings on the investigator's vehicle to indicate that he was with the district attorney's office, Pihera said.

Gwinnett County, just northeast of Atlanta, is Georgias second-most populous county, with more than 950,000 people.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos president has vowed to continue campaigning against the opposition front-runner for the 2024 presidential elections, breaking a longstanding tradition of Mexican presidents keeping out of the race to succeed them.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's target is Xochitl Galvez, a plain-talking senator and former indigenous affairs official. Galvez hasnt been nominated yet by opposition parties, but has been gaining momentum.

Parties are still in primary season and the official campaigns do not formally start until September, so Lopez Obradors criticism of Galvezs potential candidacy may not be technically illegal. But Lopez Obrador suggested last week that he may continue even after campaigns start in September.

The electoral process doesnt start until September, in September well see what we can say, the president said. Clearly, if justice and democracy are at stake, well have to continue speaking out.

That could violate Article 134 of the Constitution, which says government media, advertising and public relations must only be used for informative or educational purposes, not for or against any politician.

Galvez, for her part, has said it is reprehensible that the president is using government funds and social media accounts to criticize her.

She is the candidate of the mafia of power, Lopez Obrador said last week. Although Galvez serves in the Senate for the conservative National Action party, she comes from a small-town, partly indigenous background, and has often taken more progressive stances than her party.

On Monday, he went after her again, spending at least 20 minutes on the subject:

They want to fool the people again with this, he said of Galvezs candidacy. They are promoting her, but shes not gaining ground, no, no, no, she is not gaining ground.

To put Lopez Obrador's behavior in perspective, it would be similar to Barack Obama lashing Donald Trump regularly and at length at White House press briefings in 2016, or George W. Bush using such briefings to regularly attack Obama in 2008.

Lopez Obrador has already run afoul of electoral courts on precisely this issue.

On Thursday, a federal electoral tribunal ruled that Lopez Obrador had violated rules prohibiting the use of government resources in campaigns, related to comments he made during the run-up to two state elections held in Mexico in June.

The complaint in that case  filed in March  was similar to the presidents use of his morning press briefing Friday to criticize Galvez. In March, Lopez Obrador used his morning press briefing to urge Mexicans not to vote for opposition candidates in the two state races, saying dont vote for the conservative Alliance  not one vote for the conservatives.

A panel of the Federal Electoral Tribunal ruled that constituted the violation of the principles of impartiality, neutrality and equity, as well as the improper use of public funds, given that the government pays to hold, record and distribute the presidents press briefings at the lavish National Palace, where he lives.

Galvez has asked to be allowed to respond to the presidents comments at the daily press briefing, and even got a court injunction allowing her to do so, but Lopez Obrador refused, saying she wanted to play politics at the briefing.

From you I only want one thing, to treat me with respect, Galvez said in a taped message to Lopez Obrador posted on social media, one of the only ways she has to rebut the president.

For example, on Friday, Lopez Obrador claimed Galvez had never been to the impoverished, largely indigenous highlands of Chiapas. Galvez shot back the president is lying, and posted a photo of a road-building project in the area she had overseen as head of indigenous development in 2004.

It is reprehensible that they are using government money and official (social media) accounts to insult me and whip up hate, Galvez wrote. Theyre desperate.

For several decades, Mexican presidents have avoided  and in recent years, been legally prohibited from  making openly partisan campaign statements. That is in part because Mexico is a highly centralized country where the president wields enormous power, both political and financial.

Mexican presidents have strong reasons to care who succeeds them: They cannot seek re-election and serve only one six-year term, they always rely on their partys candidate to secure their legacy, or in the worst case, get someone elected who wont investigate any corruption during their administration.

Thats not to say that past presidents have not jockeyed behind the scenes to tilt elections. In 2006, ex-president Vicente Fox was widely seen to have encouraged the use of obscure legal technicalities to try to get Lopez Obrador disqualified from the presidential race, which he eventually was allowed to enter. He lost by the narrowest of margins after the court case was dropped, and has complained he was robbed of the presidency ever since.

But while Fox never disguised his dislike for Lopez Obrador, he never openly criticized him or mentioned him by name. The closest Fox came to any public campaign statement was in 2005, when he told a crowd You dont change horses in the middle of the river, suggesting his party should stay in power.

Political analyst Jose Antonio Crespo said that Foxs comments didnt come close to Lopez Obradors. They were about 5% of what is going on now, Crespo said. It is tiny in comparison.

He noted that an electoral court ruled in 2006 that Foxs intervention may have unduly influenced that election.

If the tribunal said in 2006 that Foxs tiny participation  he didnt even mention Lopez Obrador by name  put the election at risk, then by that standard, what are we going to say about Lopez Obradors participation? Would Morenas victory have to be overturned if they win? Because hes done it a thousand times more, Crespo said.

Some Mexicans think that trying to limit what Lopez Obrador can say is overly restrictive.

Its just stupid. Let him talk. Who cares? said Federico Estevez, a retired political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Thats not a serious accusation. Of course its true, and its illegal, on the face of it. But its a stupid law. And its a law that actually cant be enforced.

That is true enough: Lopez Obrador himself openly plays with the legal restraints, saying you-know-who instead of mentioning individual politicians or parties.

Crespo, the analyst, said that situation almost ensures that Lopez Obrador will continue the partisan comments after September.

He is going to continue campaigning, even though the law prohibits it, he doesnt care, because he knows that in the end, there will be no consequences, he said.


Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting in Kyiv in May 2023

Nato, the West's defensive alliance, has confirmed Ukraine can join, but has not said when.

Speaking during the Nato summit in Lithuania, the Ukrainian President Zelensky said the lack of clarity was "unprecedented and absurd".

Which countries are in Nato?

Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France.

The organisation has two official languages, English and French. In French, the alliance is known as Otan, Organisation du Traite de l'Atlantique Nord.

It currently has 31 members across Europe and North America.

They agree to help one another if they are attacked.

Nato member states, including those which have joined since 1997 (Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and those applying to join now (Sweden, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia & Herzegovina) (map used from July 2022)

Nato's original goal was to block Soviet expansion in Europe after World War Two.

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, many Eastern European countries joined the alliance: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Will Ukraine join Nato?

Nato said in 2008 that Ukraine could join at a future date, but declined its September 2022 request for "fast-track" membership.

Under article 5 of Nato's charter, if one member is attacked, the others must come to its defence.

Were Ukraine to join during the current conflict with Russia, all Nato member countries would also have to declare war on Russia.

At the Vilnius summit in July, Nato said that it will invite Ukraine to become a member "when allies agree and conditions are met".

It also said that Ukraine could skip a step in the entry process called the Membership Action Plan.

However, Nato has not set out a timeframe for Ukraine's entry.

Ukrainian President Zelensky accepts his country cannot join Nato while it is at war with Russia, but wants it to happen as soon as possible after fighting ends: "Nato will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make the alliance stronger."

Russia has consistently and strongly opposed the idea of Ukraine joining Nato, fearing it would bring the alliance's forces too close to its own territory.

Which other countries are joining Nato?

Sweden applied to join Nato in April 2022, along with Finland.

Finland has a 1,340km (832 mile) land border with Russia. Both countries were concerned about growing Russian aggression following the Ukrainian invasion.

Map of Sweden and Finland with 1,340km (830 mile) border highlighter (July 2023)

Finland joined Nato in April 2023, but for many months Turkey and Hungary refused to approve Sweden's application.

Turkey accused it of hosting its enemies, including pro-Kurdish groups.

However, before the latest summit, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said that Sweden had addressed "Turkey's legitimate security concerns", and that the Turkish government would ask its parliament to approve membership.

He said Hungary would do the same.

However, it is not known when the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments will vote, or when Sweden might officially be admitted.

What weapons are Nato countries supplying to Ukraine?

The US is sending Ukraine cluster bombs - weapons containing so-called "bomblets" which explode across a wide area.

The bombs are controversial, because of the harm they might do to civilians.

The US is also supplying Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks. The UK has sent 14 Challenger 2 tanks, while Germany and other Nato countries have donated dozens of Leopard 2 tanks.

The US and UK have provided missiles such as Himars, which have been used to hit targets behind Russia's front lines.

A Himars launcher under tree cover in eastern Ukraine

Nato countries are also supplying air defence systems to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones over Ukraine.

The US has said it will support the delivery of American fighter jets, such as F-16s, to Ukraine by Nato allies. Nato countries are teaching Ukrainian pilots how to fly them.

However, the US is not providing its longer-range missiles, called Advanced Tactical Missile Systems. It thinks these could be used to attack targets inside Russia - which could provoke a direct conflict between Russia and the West.

For the same reason, Nato countries are not sending troops to Ukraine, nor using their air forces to impose a no-fly zone.

At the Nato summit, the G7 members ratified a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine, which will deliver more defence equipment, training and intelligence sharing.

What is Nato's defence plan against Russia?

Nato commanders have agreed a new plan for countering Russian aggression.

It spells out how forces should be deployed if Russia attacks in any of three zones: the Arctic and north Atlantic; central Europe; or the Mediterranean region.

Nato currently has 40,000 troops which can be mobilised at short notice. There is a proposal to have 300,000 troops ready for action within 30 days.

Nato also wants member countries to update their military equipment, to stockpile more ammunition, and to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defence.
LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's state-owned oil firm NNPC Ltd said on Monday an 800,000-litre (211,338-U.S. gallon) vessel carrying stolen crude had been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon and would be destroyed as a deterrent to oil theft.

Crude theft from pipelines and wells in the Niger Delta has hobbled the country's output in recent years and is one of the biggest challenges to confront new President Bola Tinubu.

NNPC said the oil was stolen from a well in south western Ondo state. The MT Tura II vessel was owned by locally registered Holab Maritime Services Limited and had no valid documentation for the oil, the company said.

Holab could not be reached for comment on numbers listed on its website.

"Destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent," NNPC said.

NNPC circulated a video showing the vessel surrounded by armed Nigerian security agents.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Sandra Maler)
SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Tuesday accused a U.S. military spy plane of entering the country's Exclusive Economic Zone eight times, state media KCNA reported.

Kim warned that the U.S. forces will face a "very critical flight" if they continue what it called "illegal intrusion," repeating an accusation it made on Monday that the U.S. had violated its airspace by conducting surveillance flights. It also warned such flights may be shot down.

The Pentagon earlier brushed aside Pyongyang's accusations of airspace violations and said the U.S. military had adhered to international law.

"So those accusations are just accusations," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Kim accused the U.S. Air Force of intruding into the North's "economic water zone" on Monday off the east coast of the Korean peninsula in the sky above the sea 435 km (270 miles) east of Tongchon of Gangwon Province and 276 km southeast of Uljin of North Gyeongsang Province.

A country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - which extends 200 nautical miles from the 12 nautical-mile territorial zone around the coast - is a right to exploit marine resources within but does not confer sovereignty over the water's surface or the airspace above it.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged North Korea "to refrain from escalatory actions" and reiterated a call for it "to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy" when asked about the North Korean statements at a regular news briefing on Monday.

Calling the issue "one between the Korean People's Army and the U.S. forces," she told South Korea to refrain from getting involved in a statement carried by KCNA.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Pyongyang was escalating tensions by using threats over what it said was "normal flight activity" by the South Korea-U.S. alliance in a statement Monday night.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Additional Reporting by Kanishka Singh in WashingtonEditing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
Iran's pincer war on Israel is no intifada By Dan Diker

web posted July 10, 2023 There has been a tendency in the West to categorise Palestinian terror assaults on Israel as "intifadas". The nomenclature derives from the 1987 violence that raged across Palestinian Arab cities in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which were triggered initially by local Arab demands for greater socioeconomic freedom and a higher standard of living, similar to those of Israeli Arabs. Within months, the intifada was co-opted by Tunis-based Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat as a continuation of his decades-long commitment to total warfare to destroy the Jewish and democratic state, as stated in the 1968 PLO charter. The brand "intifada" would be carved into the consciousness of the international media. It would also be misapplied to future suicide terror campaigns by Hamas, Fatah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the 2001 to 2004 Second Intifada. That campaign was known as the "Al-Aqsa Intifada"  an Islamic war centred on the 100-year old Palestinian claim that the Jews were defiling the Al-Aqsa mosque, as the first Palestinian clerical leader, Haj Amin al-Husseini, had declared in the 1920s. In 2023, the latest upsurge in Palestinian terror in the northern Samarian cities of Jenin and Nablus is easier to recognise. That's because Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has openly called for the regime's Islamic revolution to be exported to the hills of northern Samaria. This is no intifada. It's a premeditated Iranian regime "pincer" war now executed from the northern Samarian hills. Iran now outflanks Israel on three sides: from Gaza in the south, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives Hamas and PIJ have targeted Israel with tens of thousands of rockets and terror tunnels. From Israel's northern neighbours Lebanon and Syria, IRGC Quds forces and Hezbollah's proxy terror army has about 180 000 rockets and laser-guided missiles directed at Israeli cities. Hezbollah has even set up outposts on Israel's side of the blue line with Lebanon. Now, the Iranian regime has taken its 44-year-old war to Israel's Samarian hills that overlook Ben Gurion Airport and Israel's main cities along the Mediterranean coast. The evidence is overwhelming. The week of 18 June 2023, Hamas and PIJ leadership visited Tehran for a meeting with the Quds force, the foreign arm of the IRGC, to discuss the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) operation Shield and Arrow in Gaza, and to co-ordinate militant actions against Israel, continuing the multi-arena strategy devised by former IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a United States drone strike in 2020, but whose strategic legacy remains. The high-level meetings coincided with a surge of terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria, including some perpetrated by PIJ and Hamas. It encouraged Iran, which seeks to establish the West Bank as an additional battleground in its escalating war against Israel, a country they wish to encircle and destroy. A recent terror attack which killed four Israeli diners at the entrance to the Eli community in Samaria in the northern West Bank is just the latest Iran-backed assault. Since January 2023, about 30 Israelis have been killed in Iranian-backed terror attacks. Iran's terror campaign isn't occurring in a vacuum. Historical context is important. Since 1979, Iranian leaders have branded Israel "the Little Satan", and vowed its destruction. The Iranian regime has persisted in that aim. For years, the IRGC has supplied weapons and directed PIJ and Hamas. The IRGC weapons ships Karine A (2002); Calypso (2003); and Klos (2014), sent to supply the PLO and Hamas in Gaza with thousands of tons of weaponry, were soon forgotten by the international community. Until recently, the Iranian regime's IRGC and its Quds terror-export force had mostly focused their presence in the Gaza strip, where IRGC agents have been on the ground since the 2014 Gaza war, assisting Hamas in drone and rocket production. Former IRGC Chief Qassem Suleimani advised Hamas on its Great March of Return campaign, paying Gazan teens thousands of dollars to commit suicide by storming the Gaza-Israel border fence, drawing Israeli fire. IRGC terror operatives were also involved in the building of Hamas' terror tunnels, built to kill or capture Israelis, of which it currently holds four in captivity. Significantly, Iran views the collapse of the secular, Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority's (PA's) governance  a competitor to the two Islamist militant organisations its regime backs, PIJ and Hamas  as an opportunity to pounce on the northern West Bank. Ironically, recent Palestinian polls reflect public support for Iranian-backed local terror militias such as Lion's Den as a function of public frustration with the highly corrupt PA. Since the aging Abbas is unlikely to have a clear successor, chaos will ensue as these armed groups vie for control, while Iran will exploit the power vacuum to its own advantage. The Iranian penetration in northern Samaria in the West Bank marks the most far-reaching sign that Iranian terror forces have penetrated Israeli territory and pose a strategic threat. IRGC officials assured PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah that Iran would smuggle additional weapons to the West Bank through Jordan, and that PIJ would receive more financial support. Iran also demanded the establishment of rocket production facilities in northern Samaria. Nakhalah praised Iran's unwavering support for Palestinians, saying, "No other country in the world takes such a stance so explicitly", "a testament to Tehran's support for the Palestinian resistance factions" that also "highlights strong ties between PIJ, Hamas, and the Islamic Republic." Nakhalah also met Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Majlis (Iranian parliament) speaker, on 17 June. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh also met both Supreme Leader Khamenei and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Haniyeh stated that the June terror attack in Eli that killed four was "just the beginning" of a renewed campaign against Israel. Haniyeh's deputy, Saleh al-Arouri, the head of Hamas' military wing in Judea and Samaria responsible for the attack, was also in Tehran. In Iran, Hamas official Osama Hamdan also mentioned the important role of Israeli Arabs in the battle against Israel, evidenced in events during the IDF's Guardian of the Walls operation in May 2021. He said the West Bank was entering a new stage of resistance, referring to Iran's creation of 20 to 30 new "battalions" of 2 000 militants in northern Samaria, which aims to spread to central Judea and Samaria, around Ramallah. As Iran intelligence analyst Micky Segal has noted in a recent Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs analysis, Khamenei reiterated the importance of the West Bank, saying that "Gaza is the centre of resistance, while the point that will bring the enemy to its knees is the West Bank". Khamenei, who meets often with PIJ, said, "The growing power of the resistance groups in the West Bank is the key that can bring the Zionist enemy to its knees, and it's crucial that we continue along this path." Iran's pincer war on the Jewish state has been a long time coming since 1979, with the violent takeover of Iran by the ayatollahs. In 2014, Khamenei declared, "I believe the West Bank should be armed just like Gaza." General Soleimani's IRGC Quds Force has made an effort since then to arm Palestinians in the West Bank on orders from Khamenei. Israel isn't standing idly by. The Israel Defense Forces has been planning for the IRGC terror encampment and campaign on its three borders. The IRGC's penetration into the hills above central Israel will probably be met in the near term with a massive, uncompromising counterterror campaign to secure Israel's major cities and protect its citizens from Iran's jihad. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, is the longtime Director of its Counter-Political Warfare Project. He is former Secretary-General of the World Jewish Congress and a Research Fellow of the International Institute for Counter Terrorism at Reichman University (formerly IDC, Herzliya). He has written six books exposing the "apartheid antisemitism" phenomenon in North America, and has authored studies on Iran's race for regional supremacy and Israel's need for defensible borders. Home
By Jack Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea denounced on Monday what it called a move by the United States to introduce a nuclear missile submarine to waters near the Korean peninsula, saying it creates a situation that brings a nuclear conflict closer to reality.

North Korea also claimed U.S. reconnaissance planes recently violated its air space near the east coast, quoting an unnamed spokesperson of its Ministry of National Defence in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"There is no guarantee that a shocking incident where a U.S. air force strategic reconnaissance plane is shot down over the East Sea will not happen," the spokesperson said.

The statement cited past incidents of the North shooting down or intercepting U.S. aircraft at the border with South Korea and off the coast. North Korea has often complained about U.S. surveillance flights near the peninsula.

The moves by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula is a blatant nuclear blackmail against North Korea and regional countries and presents a grave threat to peace, KCNA said.

"It is up to future U.S. actions whether an extreme situation arises in the Korean peninsula region that nobody wants, and the United States will be held fully responsible if any unexpected situation occurs," it said.

A U.S. nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine arrived at the port of Busan in South Korea last month.

In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will visit South Korea for the first time since the 1980s but no timetable has been given for such a visit.

It was part of a plan to boost the deployment of American strategic assets aimed at a more effective response to North Korea's threats and weapons tests in defence of its ally South Korea, as agreed by the two leaders.

The move to sail nuclear submarines has created a "very dangerous situation that makes it impossible for us not to realistically accept the worst-case scenario of a nuclear confrontation," the North Korean statement said.

In June, a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber took part in air military drills with South Korea in a show of force following North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite at the end of May.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Diane Craft and Lisa Shumaker)
North Korea is warning Monday that it may start shooting down U.S. Air Force spy planes after accusing an American military aircraft of "illegally" intruding into its airspace "several times."

The threat published in North Korean state media was attributed to a spokesman for the countrys Ministry of National Defense and comes after U.S. Forces Korea said it conducted joint aerial drills with South Korea in late June.

"This month alone, RC-135, U-2S and RQ-4B, strategic reconnaissance planes and reconnaissance drone belonging to the U.S. Air Force, flew over the East and West seas of Korea in turn for eight straight days from July 2 to 9 to conduct provocative aerial espionage on the DPRK's strategic interior," read the statement posted by the Korean Central News Agency.

"In particular, a strategic reconnaissance plane of the U.S. Air Force illegally intruded into the inviolable airspace of the DPRK over its East Sea tens of kilometers several times," it added, without elaborating.

HARD-LIVING KIM JONG UN EARNS UNFLATTERING NICKNAME OVER MASSIVE APPETITE FOR EUROPEAN BOOZE, FOOD: EXPERT

The spokesman said North Korea is "now maintaining our utmost patience and self-control, but everything has its limit."

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"There is no guarantee that such [a] shocking accident as [a] downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea," he reportedly added.

Kim Yo Jong, who is Kim Jong Un's sister, later accused the U.S. of sending spy planes over the Norths exclusive economic zone, the area within 200 nautical miles of its territory where it controls rights to natural resources.

Kim said a U.S. spy plane crossed the eastern sea boundary between the Koreas at around 5 a.m. Monday and conducted reconnaissance activities over the Norths exclusive economic zone before being chased away by North Korean warplanes. She said the U.S. aircraft crossed the eastern sea boundary again at around 8:50 a.m., prompting North Koreas military to issue an unspecified "strong warning" toward the United States.

"A shocking incident would occur in the long run in the 20-40 kilometer section in which the U.S. spy planes habitually intrude into the sky above the economic water zone," she said, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond Monday to a request by Fox News Digital for its reaction. South Koreas military did tell Reuters that the Norths claims of airspace violations are not true, and that the U.S., a key ally, often conducts reconnaissance flights in the region.

Apparently in response to that comment, Kim accused South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff of acting like a "spokesperson" for the U.S. military and said the U.S. has been intensifying its reconnaissance activities in a serious infringement of North Korea's sovereignty and safety.

Troops fire a gun salute during a military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea's army, in Pyongyang, on Feb. 8, 2023.

U.S. FLIES NUCLEAR-CAPABLE BOMBERS TO KOREAN PENINSULA AS NORTH KOREA PUSHES TO EXPAND NUCLEAR ARSENAL

On June 30, U.S. Forces Korea said the "Republic of Korea Air Force and the United States Air Force conducted a combined aerial training event with U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortresses over the Korean Peninsula."

"The ROK-U.S. combined aerial training event consisted of ROK Air Force F-35s, KF-16's and U.S. Air Force F-16s and F-15's escorting the U.S. B-52 strategic bombers as they entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone to conduct a combined flight training," they said.

U.S. Forces Korea added that the training "offered the alliance an opportunity to further strengthen its interoperability by demonstrating a combined defense capability, rapid deployment, and extended deterrence in the defense of the Korean Peninsula."

The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan is anchored at a port in Busan, South Korea, on June 16, 2023.

In mid-June, the U.S. also deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying around 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korean waters, according to The Associated Press.

The North Korean defense spokesman on Monday called that deployment "a very dangerous situation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A day before killing four people in a mass shooting in Philadelphia last week, authorities say the gunman went to his first victims door wearing a dark mask, shot through it and yelled that he was law enforcement before entering the home and continuing to shoot, police officials said at a news conference Monday.

The details were revealed a day after police announced that it was likely Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, had been killed in the early hours of July 2, and not during the larger July 3 attack, as police had initially thought, and that a 911 call reporting the gunshots had been misrouted to the wrong neighborhood.

Officials said they have not found a connection between Wamah and the suspected shooter, Kimbrady Carriker. Authorities believe Carriker, 40, fatally shot Wamah in the early hours of July 2 and then, about 44 hours later, opened fire randomly with an AR-15-style rifle, killing four others and wounding four more in a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood.

Wamah was killed in a row house on South 56th Street, but Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Monday that officers were dispatched several miles away to North 56th Street instead. Upon not finding any evidence of a shooting there, Outlaw said the officers asked dispatch to call back the 911 caller. She declined to discuss details of that follow-up call.

I will abstain from providing the details of that interaction as they are currently under internal investigation," Outlaw said.

Outlaw said the call came in to dispatch about 2 a.m., nearly 90 minutes after the shooting was believed to have happened early July 2. When asked how she would respond to people in the neighborhood suggesting that if officers had gone to the correct address, it might have prevented the shooting Monday, Outlaw pushed back against the line of thinking.

I caution individuals to go down that rabbit hole. We can coulda, shoulda, woulda all day ... That doesnt make anyone feel better, Outlaw said. Its tragic, its unfortunate. We dont like the fact that we are adding to the atrocities that occurred, she added.

Outlaw said because the injuries Wamah sustained were so extensive, she did not believe officers could have saved Wamah's life if they had been correctly routed.

Calls and emails to Wamah's family members seeking comment were not immediately returned Monday.

Meanwhile, while the dispatch response is being investigated, Outlaw said the department has instituted another failsafe to try to prevent calls from being wrongly marked as unfounded. She said a higher level of supervisor will have to review and OK it before a call is dismissed.

Deputy Commissioner Krista Dahl-Campbell said when 911 calls are received, the system identifies a location for the caller. Dispatchers have the option of automatically transferring that location to dispatchers, but in this case and in most cases, the operator inputs the location by hand.

Oftentimes you are not calling about yourself ... so they end up inputting the reported information instead, she said.

Outlaw and others said several times that the caller did not specify north or south during the report. Once officers checked the location they were routed to, asked for the callback, and checked again, the call was reported to be unfounded in the system.

Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said police are still investigating a motive in both shootings. Carriker has been charged with five counts of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges.

Vanore said it appeared the same weapon was used in the attacks. He had previously said both the AR-15-style weapon and a handgun found on Carriker after the shootings were self-manufactured weapons also known as ghost guns.

Vanore also said if he had not been familiar with Carriker since he was taken into custody, he would not have been able to identify him from the surveillance video gathered in Wamah's shooting because he was wearing dark clothing and a mask covering his face.

A representative of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Carriker, said Monday they did not have a comment on the timeline changes or allegations from police.

Police called to the Kingsessing neighborhood on July 3 around 8:30 p.m. found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire.

Officers said witnesses and video of the attack indicated the suspect went to several locations while wearing a ski mask and body armor, carrying the AR-15-style rifle and shooting people and moving cars at random.

Cornered in an alley, Carriker surrendered and was found to have two guns, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said.

Lashyd Merritt, 21; Dymire Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; and DaJuan Brown, 15, were all killed in the July 3 attack. A 13-year-old and 2-year-old also suffered gunshot wounds and two others, including a 2-year-old, suffered wounds from shattered glass, police said.

___

Associated Press reporter Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the attempted mutiny against the Kremlin last month, just days after the march on Moscow was thwarted.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday the meeting lasted some three hours on June 29, just five days after the attempted mutiny.

Peskov released few details on the hours-long meeting but said that Putin provided an "assessment" of Wagners actions on the battlefield as well as "the events of June 24."

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Rostelecom, Russia's largest telecommunications provider, president at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 7, 2023.

NEARLY 50K RUSSIAN MEN HAVE DIED IN UKRAINE WAR, NEARLY 9X LARGER THAN RUSSIA'S OFFICIAL FIGURE: NEW STUDY

"The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," the spokesman said.

Putin had spent the days following the mutiny by discrediting Prigozhin and claiming that the Russian people did not support his mutinous takeover of Rostov-on-Don and subsequent march toward Moscow.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Though Putins claims are in contrast to the seemingly jovial images that surfaced following Wagners bloodless takeover of the southern city, which also serves as headquarters of the Russian southern military district command whose 58th Combined Arms Army is fighting in southern Ukraine.

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District amid the group's pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023.

REBELLIOUS WARLORD STILL ON PUTIN'S DOORSTEP DESPITE REPORTS HE FLED COUNTRY: 'NOT EASY TO GET RID OF HIM'

Approximately 35 people attended the Prigozhin-Putin meeting late last month, including top commanders in the Wagner mercenary group, though it is unclear if ranking Ministry of Defense officials were in attendance.

Prigozhin has repeatedly claimed he was not rebelling against Putin but against his top military commanders, including Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Gen.Valery Gerasimov, who he says mistreated Wagner forces in Ukraine.

The mutiny, which Prigozhin dubbed a "march for justice," was allegedly ended by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko who brokered a deal between the mercenary leader and Putin, though the details of this agreement remain unknown.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, embraces his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting in Moscow on Dec. 29, 2018.

It was originally believed that Prigozhin agreed to end his mutiny even as his men rapidly approached Moscow and reversed course just 125 miles out from the capital city after he and his men were granted safe haven in Belarus in exchange for their exile from Russia.

However, this agreement appears to either not have been the case or has yet to be realized, as sources have told Fox News Digital that Prigozhin was spotted in his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month  reports that were echoed by Lukashenko Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the army's top brass, Putin's spokesman said on Monday.

The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin.

The meeting, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was held on June 29, five days after the aborted mutiny, which is widely regarded to have posed the most serious challenge to Putin since he came to power on the last day of 1999.

Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours.

"The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company's (Wagner's) actions at the front during the Special Military Operation (in Ukraine) and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June (the day of the mutiny)," Peskov told reporters.

He said Putin had listened to the commanders' own explanations of what had happened and had offered them further options for employment and combat.

"The commanders outlined their version of what happened (on June 24). They emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland," said Peskov.

The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin, who likened the events to the turmoil which engulfed Russia in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, has since thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war.

Prigozhin has said the mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing the government but at "bringing to justice" the army and defence chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

Putin has so far kept Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in place, judging by appearances by both men on state TV - rejecting Prigozhin's appeals to sack them.

Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny. But Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up an offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow, Mark Trevelyan in London and Caleb Davis in Gdansk)
ANDOVER, Vt. (AP)  Rescue teams raced into Vermont on Monday after heavy rain drenched parts of the Northeast, washing out roads, forcing evacuations and halting some airline travel. One person was killed in New York's Hudson Valley as she tried to escape her flooded home.

Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue said crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping to get to towns that have been unreachable since torrents of rain belted the state. The towns of Londonderry and Weston were inaccessible, Cannon said, and rescuers were heading there to do welfare checks. Water levels at several dams were being closely monitored.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers said late Monday they expected two dams to release water overnight, causing severe flooding downstream likely to affect multiple towns.

Flooding hit Vermonts state capital, with Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser estimating Monday night that knee-high waters had reached much of downtown and were expected to rise a couple more feet during the night. Montpelier had largely been spared during Tropical Storm Irene, which struck the region in 2011.

For us, this is far worse than Irene. We got water but it went up and down. There were some basements flooded but it didnt last long, Fraser said, comparing this flooding to the Montpelier Ice Jams in 1992. We are completely inundated. The water is way, way higher than it ever got during Irene.

During Irene, Vermont got 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain in 24 hours. Irene killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to the latest flooding in Vermont, according to state emergency officials. Roads were closed across the state, including many along the spine of the Green Mountains.

Some people canoed their way to the Cavendish Baptist Church in Vermont, which had turned into a shelter. About 30 people waited it out, some of them making cookies for firefighters who were working to evacuate and rescue others.

People are doing OK. It's just stressful, shelter volunteer Amanda Gross said.

Vermont Rep. Kelly Pajala said she and about half dozen others had to evacuate early Monday from a four-unit apartment building on the West River in Londonderry.

The river was at our doorstep, said Pajala. We threw some dry clothes and our cats into the car and drove to higher ground."

The slow-moving storm reached New England in the morning after hitting parts of New York and Connecticut on Sunday. Additional downpours in the region raised the potential for flash flooding; rainfall in certain parts of Vermont had exceeded 7 inches ( 18 centimeters), the National Weather Service in Burlington said.

One of the worst-hit places was New Yorks Hudson Valley, where a woman identified by police as Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to escape her flooded home in the hamlet of Fort Montgomery.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed into the womans house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press. Two other people escaped.

She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, Neuhaus said, and she was overwhelmed by tidal wave-type waves.

Officials say the storm has already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference Monday the storm sent cars swirling in our streets and dumped a historic amount of rain.

Nine inches of rain in this community, Hochul said during a briefing on a muddy street in Highland Falls. Theyre calling this a 1,000 year event.

As of Monday evening, several washed-out streets in Highland Falls remained impassable, leaving some residents stuck in their homes but otherwise OK, Police Chief Frank Basile said in a telephone interview.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said there were reports of flooding in central and western Massachusetts and that state emergency management officials were in touch with local authorities.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was pounded with more than 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) of rain that sent debris sliding onto some roads and washed others out. Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland said recently arrived new cadets and others at the historic academy on the Hudson River were safe, but that assessing the damage will take time.

Atmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events across the globe have this in common: Storms are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall a reality right now. The additional warming that scientists predict is coming will only make it worse.

The storm also interrupted air and rail travel. There were hundreds of flight cancellations at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports and more than 200 canceled at Boston's Logan Airport in the last 24 hours, according to the Flightaware website. Amtrak temporarily suspended service between Albany and New York.

Swift water rescue teams in Vermont have done more than 50 rescues, mainly in the southern and central areas of the state, Vermont Emergency Management said Monday night.

Among the buildings flooded Monday was the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont, which had been performing Buddy -- The Buddy Holly Story to sold-out audiences.

The Weston Theater Companys executive artistic director Susanna Gellert said the call was made at around 4 a.m. to evacuate 11 people associated with the production to higher ground and another 15 in nearby Ludlow. The three-floor playhouse, which had been damaged during Irene, was also flooded, with the dressing room and props room under water.

As a theater, we were just starting to get back from the COVID shutdown," Gellert said. "To have this happen right now is painfully heartbreaking.

Cara Philbin, 37, of Ludlow, Vermont, was awakened by a neighbor early Monday and told to clear out of her second-floor apartment because the parking lot was already flooded.

He told me me, You need to get out of here ... your car is going to float away, and I suggest you do not stay, said Philbin. The neighbor took her car keys and moved her car to a higher spot, while she called her parents and then drove to their home to ride out the storm, she said.

Ross Andrews and his wife were driving back home to Calais, Vermont, on Monday when he saw trucks parked at a 230-year-old dam with crews trying to keep it from failing. There were trees down everywhere.

The interstate was closed right at our exit. Our road was closed right at our driveway. We managed to thread our way back just in the nick of time, he said.

___

Minchillo reported from Highland Falls, New York. Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; and Mark Pratt and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century as Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday and a Republican senator is blocking approval of his successor.

Berger took over as the 38th commandant in July 2019, and is required to leave the job after four years. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the assistant commandant, has been nominated to be the next leader, but will serve in an acting capacity because he hasn't been confirmed by the Senate.

Under the law, Smith can serve as the acting commandant, but he can do nothing that would presume confirmation. As a result, he cant move into the main residence or the commandant's office, or issue any new formal commandants planning guidance, which is traditional for a new leader. He has the authority to implement new policies such as budget, training and other personnel decisions.

Smith's promotion delay is the first of what could be many top level military officers held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Tuberville has stalled all nominations for senior military jobs because he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Abortion is now illegal in Alabama.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington, just down the street from Capitol Hill, Austin and Berger called on the Senate to take action.

We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant thats appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied, said Berger, with a nod to the commandant's quarters at the edge of the parade field.

Austin and other Pentagon officials have pressed the Senate to move forward, saying that delays are already impacting more than 200 military officers, and many key leaders.

You know, its been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate confirmed commandant, Austin said during the ceremony.

Because of Bergers requirement to step down in July, the Marine job is the first of the military chiefs to be affected by Tuberville. The Army, Navy and Air Force are all expected to face the same delay later this year, as could the nomination of the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The current chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley, leaves his job at the end of September. Gen. CQ Brown, the current chief of the Air Force, has been nominated to replace Milley, and is scheduled to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his hearing on Tuesday.

The hold, however, is also impacting scores of one, two and three-star officers who are assigned to new commands but can't move on. It also affects their families, who usually relocate over the summer to their new military communities so school-age children can settle in before fall.

Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history, said Austin. Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And theyre crucial for our military readiness.

Smith hit the thorny issue head on during his remarks at the ceremony Monday  saying he wanted to get one thing out fast.

If youre saying, what am I supposed to call you? ACMC. That is my title, and one that Im proud of, said Smith, using the shorthand for his assistant commandant role. But he quickly added, to make sure that there is no confusion  all orders, directives and guidance, which were in effect this morning remain in effect, unless I direct otherwise. Further guidance to the force will follow.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Monday that as of last Friday, there were 265 senior officers whose promotions have been held up by Tuberville, and that number could leap to 650 by the end of the year if the issue isn't corrected. She noted that in more than 100 cases, officers  like Smith  would be forced to do two jobs at the same time because no one can move up.

She said the Pentagon is asking officers to delay planned retirements and stay on, while in other cases officers are doing more senior ranking jobs without getting the pay for that new rank.

The last time the Corps was led by an acting commandant was in 1910. Then-Maj. Gen. George Elliott, who was the commandant, reached the required retirement age in November 1910 and left the office. Col. William Biddle served as the acting commandant until he was promoted to major general and became commandant in February 1911.

Berger, a native of Woodbine, Maryland, graduated from Tulane University and was commissioned in 1981. He commanded at every level including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his tenure, he spearheaded a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China.

Smith, a career infantry officer, is a highly decorated Marine who served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 2004 and 2005 in Operation Iraq Freedom. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and in 2019 took over as the deputy commandant for combat development.
By Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's top general, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, was shown ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites in a video released on Monday, his first appearance in public since a failed June 24 mercenary mutiny.

The footage indicates that President Vladimir Putin has kept his two most powerful military men, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov, in their posts despite demands from mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to sack them over alleged incompetence in running military operations in Ukraine.

Sitting in a military command centre on a white leather seat chairing a meeting with top generals, Gerasimov, 67, asked for and then listened to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy in the aerospace forces to General Sergei Surovikin, who has not been since in public since the mutiny.

The defence ministry said the footage showed Gerasimov at a meeting on Sunday. It described him as chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the positions he held before the mutiny.

Gerasimov was told that a Ukrainian missile attack on Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and on the Rostov and Kaluga regions had been thwarted on Sunday, and he was shown ordering how Russia should respond.

"We note that the aerospace forces have coped with the task (of shooting down the missiles)," Gerasimov said.

He then asked the aerospace forces and GRU military intelligence to identify "the storage sites and launch positions of the missiles and other enemy strike weapons to plan a preemptive strike".

Putin said the mutiny by Wagner mercenaries was treason, compared it to the turmoil in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution and praised loyal troops for averting what he said could have been a civil war.

Since a deal was brokered to defuse the mutiny, Putin and the Kremlin have sought to project a business-as-usual image, with the president chairing a range of meetings, visiting crowds in Dagestan and even hosting a young girl for a guided tour of the Kremlin.

RUSSIAN GENERALS

The survival of Shoigu and Gerasimov means that Prigozhin's attempt to topple Putin's top military brass has failed, at least for now.

For months before the mutiny, Prigozhin had been openly insulting them, using a variety of crude expletives and prison slang that shocked top Russian officials, but which was left unanswered in public by Putin, Shoigu and Gerasimov.

Prigozhin said Putin's top military men would be forced to eat the guts of fallen soldiers in hell for what he said was the incompetent and treasonous way he alleged they were running what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

In the week leading up to the mutiny, Prigozhin stepped up his attacks on Shoigu, dissecting the Russian justification for the war and accusing the defence ministry of lying to Putin about both the causes and conduct of the war.

Prigozhin said his mutiny was aimed at settling scores with Shoigu and Gerasimov, not at seizing power or challenging Putin.

In the footage released on Monday, the faces of most of the participants in the video call were blurred out, though Surovikin's deputy, Afzalov, was shown.

The whereabouts of Surovikin, who before the rebellion was deputy commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine and who was repeatedly praised by Prigozhin, were unclear.

Nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian media for his reputed ruthlessness, Surovikin is formally commander in chief of the aerospace forces.

Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoi and Colonel-General Alexei Kim, two of Gerasimov's subordinates, were shown in the same video.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson and Mark Heinrich)
Will Smith has teased his son Jaden Smith on his 25th birthday for not having any children.

Happy Birthday, J-Diggy. Its crazy that youre 25?!?! When I was 25 I had a 2 yr. old Im just sayin, the King Richard actor, 54, wrote on Instagram, sharing a black and white photo of him embracing his son.

Whas up? What you doin over there? he added.

Fans were quick to remark that Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor is keen to become a grandfather.

He said give me a grandchild now!!! Lol, wrote one fan.

Will wants grandkids. People wait til 40 to have kids now, commented a fan, as another added: Parents are all the same.

Smith welcomed his first son, Trey, when he was 24 years old, with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino.

In 1997, the rapper wed actor and singer Jada Pinkett Smith, and the pair had their first child together, actor and rapper Jaden, the following July.

Two years later, they welcomed daughter Willow, 22, in October 2000. She has since forged her own career as a musician.

Pinkett Smith, 51, also shared a tribute to mark her sons 25th birthday.

Happy 25th Birthday my sweet, sweet Jaden!, the Red Table Talk host wrote via Instagram, accompanied by a black and white picture of a younger Jada kissing her son when he was a baby.

While it is not clear if Jaden is dating or wants to become a father anytime soon, the Icon rapper recently opened up about how taking psychedelics has helped him deepen his emotional connections with his siblings.

While speaking at the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver, Colorado, last month, Jaden revealed that his mother had introduced the rest of the Smith family to psychedelics.

I think it was my mom, actually, that was really the first one to make that step for the family, Jaden said. It was just her for a really, really long time and then eventually it just trickled and evolved, and everybody found it in their own ways.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith with his sons Trey Smith and Jaden Smith and daughter Willow Smith (Doug Peters/PA) (PA Wire)

Siblings can argue so much and fight so much, and lord knows me and my siblings have done so much of that in the past, he said. But the level of love and empathy that I can feel for them inside of the [psychedelic] experiences and outside of the experiences has been something thats profound and beautiful.

Psychedelic drugs are still illegal in the majority of the United States, with only Colorado and Oregon partially legalising them. In Colorado, magic mushrooms are legal for recreational use.

Pinkett Smith, 51, previously discussed her experience with psychedelics in a November 2021 episode of Red Table Talk, the former Facebook Watch talk show she hosted with her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow.

I struggled with depression for so long. And the thing about the plant medicine is it helps you feel better but also solves the problems of how you got there in the first place, she said.
Experts at global eco forum discuss China's green development

Xinhua) 13:26, July 10, 2023

GUIYANG, China, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Experts on Sunday called for international cooperation while discussing climate change, biodiversity and China's green development at the just-concluded Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023.

As China's only national-level global forum themed ecological civilization, the event, held online and on-site this year, attracted over 3,200 participants to southwest China's Guizhou Province from government, business and academic sectors.

Michia Moncho, a full-time national community member of the Young Communist League of South Africa responsible for international relations, told the media that what impressed her the most during this trip was the commitment that the people in the country have shown to ecological civilization.

"I saw people taking care of the environment and the environment taking care of them ... I'll take home what I saw here, how China is implementing measures with Chinese characteristics, and we as South Africans can implement them with our characteristics," she said.

Solutions in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals provide a global roadmap that protects the planet, reduces poverty and leaves no one behind, James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, told Xinhua.

"We are working closely together with China and all partners globally to develop new innovative development actions. Let us utilize this opportunity to share the best practices and new innovative approaches in China that we can share with the rest of the world for mutual exchange and learning for a better planet for everyone," he said.

Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China and head of the OECD Beijing Office, told Xinhua that China's role in tackling climate change is vital. The country is a world leader in the application of renewable energies.

He also mentioned the importance of international cooperation when addressing environmental issues. "It's very important that we measure biodiversity loss and exchange information and data with each other, and this is the way how we improve our own policies."

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said in a keynote speech at the forum that China has several companies dominating future green industries, some even being established in third-tier small cities.

"Global green competition quite often is good," he noted, recalling his experience inviting U.S., Japanese and European car industry representatives to a Chinese auto fair in Shanghai earlier this year. "They saw how far all the Chinese electric vehicle companies have come ... and that creates good green competition."

Deputy Managing Director of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research Thorjorn Larssen told Xinhua that he first visited Guizhou some 30 years ago.

"It's very impressive to see how the air quality has improved and how fast measures are taken to improve," he said, adding "I think China can take an even larger role in global environmental cooperation."

The scientist also mentioned the project he was quite proud of -- the Sino-Norwegian collaboration project on mercury. "We have done a lot of work to map the extent of mercury pollution in China both at the national level and at the local level," he said, noting they collected data and developed methods to understand the situation.

"I hope China can take a leading role in integrating nature and biodiversity on the international agenda," said the expert.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Mao Tse-Tung denies that "All Whites Are Racist" By Thomas M. Sipos

web posted July 10, 2023 As I was reading Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (aka The Little Red Book), I came across a particularly stunning quote in Chapter 2: Classes and Class Struggle: In the final analysis, national struggle is a matter of class struggle. Among the whites in the United States, it is only the reactionary ruling circles that oppress the black people. They can in no way represent the workers, farmers, revolutionary intellectuals and other enlightened persons who comprise the overwhelming majority of the white people. "Statement Supporting the American Negroes in Their Just Struggle Against Racial Discrimination by U.S. Imperialism" (August 8, 1963), People of the World, Unite and Defeat the U.S. Aggressors and All Their Lackeys, 2nd ed., pp. 3-4. Wow. So the "overwhelming majority of white people" are not racist? And that's according to Mao! Yet his statement contradicts what today is a familiar accusation from the Left. Search the phrase "all whites are racist" on the internet. You'll come up with much. For instance, an article by Elena Guthrie on Huff Post, "Are All White People Racist?" [February 10, 2017], in which she concludes: "All white people are racist, because all white people exist in a racist power structure that we aren't actively fighting to dismantle. Racists don't just wear white pointy hats and say the 'n' word, by doing nothing, any and every white person is still taking advantage of a power structure that favours us. Don't be more upset with being called racist than actual racism." It seems today's Left has moved so far to the Left that the late Communist dictator of Red China now stands on "the wrong side of history." Yet back in his heyday, Mao was as radical as you could get. He was an icon for Leftists who thought the Soviet Union under Khrushchev and Brezhnev had turned soft and compromised. Mao was unlike the "tired, old white men" of the USSR. Mao was cool. He was authentic. His face adorned the walls of college dorms. Women wanted to sleep with him and guys wanted to be him. But how does The Great Helmsman measure up to the woke standards of today's intersectional Left? Well, in his Little Red Book, Mao talks a lot about economic class struggle. He denounces imperialism and advocates for "national liberation movements." But he never makes it about race. And although it's not a term he uses, he might justifiably be described as "color blind." That makes him old-fashioned. A dinosaur among today's Left. Perhaps even a running dog reactionary! I'm no Maoist. The man was a monster, as were and are all Communist dictators. More innocent people died under Mao's regime than even under Stalin or Hitler. Which is why Mao's above quote should give conservatives pause for thought. When even a man of Mao's Communist street cred is guilty of such a cancel-worthy statement, it shows just how far leftward our own culture has moved. Thomas M. Sipos writes satirical novels and film criticism. His website is CommunistVampires.com . Home
Tylenol murders suspect James Lewis, pictured in 1992, has died at his Massachusetts home (ABC7 / Screengrab)

The sole suspect in the Tylenol poisoning murders that claimed seven lives and led to changes in how over-the-counter prescription drugs are manufactured and sold has died.

James Lewis, 76, was found unresponsive at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Sunday, and pronounced dead soon after, authorities said.

His death has frustrated law enforcement who had continued to pursue Lewis over the indiscriminate 1982 killing spree in the Chicago area that left six adults and a 12-year-old girl dead from cyanide poisoning.

Lewis was convicted of attempting to extort manufacturer Johnson & Johnson after sending a letter claiming responsibility for the deaths and demanding $1m to stop the killing.

He was questioned as recently as September over the poisonings, in which a suspect laced bottles of Tylenol with potassium cyanide.

But no-one has ever been charged over the deaths, which led to widespread panic and sweeping changes to the way prescription drugs were bought and sold.

Lewis was arrested in 1982 after a nationwide manhunt, and served 12 years in federal prison for trying to extort the drug manufacturer.

He later admitted sending the letter, but said he never intended to collect the ransom fee.

In a 1992 jailhouse interview with ABC 7 Chicago, he described how the killer would have used a pegboard to drill holes into the Tylenol capsules and inject them with deadly cyanide.

Lewis always denied he had carried out the poisonings.

Former US Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who prosecuted Lewis for extortion, expressed regret he had avoided being held accountable for the murders.

Lewis described how the killer would have carried out the deadly poisoning plot in a jailhouse interview (Associated Press)

I was saddened to learn of James Lewis death. Not because hes dead, but because he didnt die in prison, Mr Margolis said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune.

Another who worked on the case, retired FBI special agent Roy Lane, told the news site that justice had been short-circuited by Lewis death.

Victims Mary Kellerman, 12, Mary McFarland, 31, Mary Lynn Reiner, 27, Paula Prince, 35, and Adam Janus, 27, his brother Stanley Janus, 25, and sister-n-law Theresa Janus, 20, all lived in the Chicago area.

They were hospitalised and died within the space of a few days in late September and early October 1982, triggering a nationwide scare.

Their deaths led the Food and Drug Adminstration to introduce anti-tampering features such as foil seals to packaging that remain standard.

Congress passed the Tylenol bill in 1983 which made it a federal offence to tamper with packaging.

Police long suspected revenge as a potential motive for the killings.

Lewis five-year-old daughter Toni had died in 1974 after sutures made by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary that were used to fix her congenital heart defect had torn.

After his release from prison in 1995, Lewis moved to Massachusetts where he lived with his wife.

According to the Chicago Tribune, he met with investigators from the Illinois State Police for several hours in September last year.

The interview was described as the most significant activity in the case in a decade, but failed to lead to an arrest or charges.

Cambridge police superintendent Fred Cabral said officers had found Lewis body after being asked to perform wellness check by his wife, who was out of town.

A cause of death was not immediately available, but police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
By Pietro Lombardi

MADRID (Reuters) - The European Union environment commissioner and Spain's energy minister increased pressure on European lawmakers on Monday to support a flagship law to restore nature so that negotiations among the bloc's institutions can start.

The European Parliament will vote on Wednesday on a European Commission proposal for a law to restore damaged environments.

The vote is expected to be close. The parliament's largest group, the conservative European People's Party, opposes it, saying that it would threaten food security. That claim was rejected by the European Commission and scientists.

"It looks like it will be a tight vote, but I hope that, at the end of the day, responsibility for the future wins," EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told a press conference.

He warned that, should the lawmakers vote down the proposal, the EU's executive arm would not table a new one as there would not be enough time before the EU Parliament election next June, adding that a rejection would "put a great shadow on our credibility" internationally.

On Tuesday, Sinkevicius will participate in a parliamentary debate on the proposal.

"I hope there will be those who want to listen, who want to engage," he said.

Sinkevicius' words echoed those of the Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera, who earlier on Monday said she hoped "the parliament reaches a position that supports this file".

Spain holds the EU rotating presidency until the end of the year, and on Monday Ribera kicked off an informal meeting of environment and energy ministers in Valladolid, northwest of Spain.

"It is very important not only to conserve but also to restore nature... There will be time to improve what we have on the table but for the time being, the best thing we can do is to achieve an agreement," Ribera said.

(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; Editing by Andrei Khalip, and Alex Richardson)
BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian Kurdish fighters carried out an attack early Monday in northern Syria, killing at least five members of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces, activists said.

The attack south of the northern town of Afrin, which is held by the Turkey-backed forces, took place shortly after midnight on Sunday, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Turkeys Defense Ministry confirmed that two Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack on Sunday by members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq. One of the soldiers died of his wounds in hospital.

The violence is the latest in a monthslong escalation between Turkey and Turkish-backed groups, and Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq. Ankara says the main Syrian Kurdish militia is allied to the outlawed Kurdish group. PKK has led an insurgency against Turkey since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The Observatory, an opposition war monitor, said Monday's attack was carried out by the Afrin Liberation Forces, a Kurdish faction allied with the main Kurdish militia in Syria known as the Peoples Protection Units or YPG. The group has claimed scores of attacks against Turkey-backed Syrian fighters.

Syria-based opposition activist Taher al-Omar said the attack took place about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Afrin. According to al-Omar, five members of the Turkey-backed faction Failaq al-Sham were killed. The Observatory said six died, but different tolls are not uncommon in the immediate aftermath of such attacks.

Afrin has been under the control of Turkey and its allied Syrian opposition fighters since 2018, following a Turkey-backed military operation that pushed Syrian Kurdish fighters and thousands of Kurdish residents from the area.

Since then, the town and surrounding villages have been the site of attacks on Turkish and Turkey-backed targets. Ankara considers Syrian Kurdish fighters who control a swath of Syrian territory along Turkeys border to be terrorists, allied with Kurdish insurgents within Turkey.

Also Monday in northern Syria, Kurdish fighters fired several rockets at a Turkish army base near the town of Azaz, the Observatory and al-Omar said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said at least nine rockets were fired at Azaz from Kurdish positions in nearby town of Tal Rifaat. The attack caused damage, Anadolu said, but did not report any casualties.

The violence comes a day after two explosions in northern Syria killed eight people, including three members of a Syrian Kurdish-led group in the town of Manbij.

___

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Abdul-Rahman Zeyad in Baghdad contributed to this report.
Turkey on Monday agreed to move forward on allowing Sweden into NATO after delaying Stockholms accession to the defensive alliance for more than a year.

The breakthrough was announced by NATO Secretary-General Jans Stoltenberg, who said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to forward Swedens accession protocol for ratification in the Turkish parliament.

This is a historic step which makes all NATO allies stronger and safer, Stoltenberg tweeted.

The question of Swedens membership was among the biggest issues on the agenda at this weeks NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The 31-member alliance is seeking to project unity and solidarity as one of Ukraines most important supporters as it pushes back Russia 16 months into the war.

Turkey was the last hurdle facing Swedens bid to join the alliance after Hungary last week signaled it would not stand in the way once Ankara approved.

The announcement of the agreement followed a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who were photographed shaking hands.

The Turkish president had held back on moving forward with Swedens accession to NATO as late as Monday morning, saying that Turkey would not move forward on admitting Stockholm to the alliance until assurances were made to admit Ankara to the European Union.

The U.S. had pushed back on linking Turkeys efforts to join the EU with Swedens admittance to the alliance. President Biden and his top officials had engaged in intensive lobbying with Erdogan and Turkish officials in the lead up to the Vilnius Summit, which will run from July 11 and 12.

Erdogan had long protested what he said was Swedens leniency toward the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., EU and Turkey.

The agreement reached Monday includes an enforcement of a trilateral memorandum, first announced last year, between Finland, Turkey and Sweden, to jointly cooperate on combating terrorism.

As part of the reformation commitment to join the alliance, Sweden has also agreed to expand counter-terrorism operations against the PKK and resume the sale of arms to Turkey.

Turkey and Sweden will also increase economic cooperation and trade, while Stockholm will support Ankaras accession to the EU, according to a press release on the agreement.

Sweden first applied last year along with Finland after the Russian invasion of Ukraine sparked international concern about security. Finland was ratified to the alliance in March 2023.

Biden welcomed the agreement on Monday, saying that he stands ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area, using the formal name for Turkey.

I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally. And I thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership.

President Biden touched down in Lithuanias capital on Monday.

Brad Dress contributed reporting

Updated: 4:32 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Andrius Sytas, Sabine Siebold and John Irish

VILNIUS (Reuters) -NATO members remained divided on Monday over how to put Ukraine on a path to membership on the eve of a summit in Lithuania, but appeared to remove one key hurdle to Kyiv joining the alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had put forward a package that included the removal of the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) - a list of political, economic and military goals that other eastern European nations had to meet before joining the alliance.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is expected to attend the summit, wants a clear invitation in Vilnius to join the alliance after Russia's war on Ukraine ends, and security guarantees until that time.

NATO members in Eastern Europe, under Moscow's thumb for decades in the last century, have backed Ukraine's stance. But others, such as the United States and Germany, have been more cautious, wary of any move that they fear could draw NATO into a direct conflict with Russia, and potentially spark a global war.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that there had been a consensus among allies to drop MAP, but added: "It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become member."

Stoltenberg told a news conference there would be more meetings on Monday: "No final decision has been made but at the summit I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine."

President Vladimir Putin has cited NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders over the past two decades as a reason for his decision to send his armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Assertions that "Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO" and that it will join "when conditions allow" are among the phrases being discussed, diplomats say, as they try to find wording acceptable to all NATO's 31 members.

At a summit in Bucharest in April 2008, after much wrangling, NATO declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the U.S.-led alliance - but gave them no plan for how to get there.

Some of Ukraine's eastern allies demand that Vilnius go beyond the 2008 declaration and want a mention of "invitation" or "invite" in the final declaration with the negotiations also focusing on what conditions to attach and how its progress should be tracked.

Diplomats were expected to negotiate late into the night in the hope of breaking the deadlock before leaders convene on Tuesday to avoid leaving it to them as they did in 2008.

TURKEY, SWEDEN, NATO LOCKED IN TALKS

Standing beside Stoltenberg, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said a prospect of membership was extremely important to Ukraine, which had been "heroically fighting the Russian monster for almost one and a half years".

"We must avoid Ukraine membership ... becoming a horizon," he said. "The more you walk towards it, the farther it is."

Ukraine's largest Western backers were also still finalising a joint framework to enable long-term security assurances for Kyiv from individual allies, but may wait until after the summit to announce them - to make clear they do not come from NATO - European diplomats say.

Stoltenberg was also hoping to break the deadlock over Sweden's NATO membership. Turkey has been the main obstacle to Sweden's bid, which requires unanimous approval by all NATO members.

In an unexpected move, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the European Union should open the way for Ankara's accession to the bloc before Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's bid to join NATO.

Stoltenberg held more than two hours of talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson with further discussions expected to stretch late into the evening.

He had earlier said it was still possible Ankara's reticence could be overcome during the summit, where Erdogan would hold face-to-face talks with U.S. President Joe Biden.

With the war in Ukraine casting its shadow, the summit will be guarded by Patriot missile batteries from Germany, fighter jets, and forces from 17 nations.

NATO allies did agree on Monday regional plans detailing how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack, overcoming a Turkish blockage, three diplomats told Reuters. The revival of the plans is a major shift as it is the first time NATO has drawn up such plans since the Cold War ended three decades ago.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Vilnius and Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv Newsroom; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Timothy Heritage, William Maclean)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A U.N. agency tasked with regulating the deep sea is debating whether to open the Earths watery depths to countries and companies that as of Monday were allowed to start applying for provisional mining licenses.

The International Seabed Authority, based in Jamaica, launched a two-week conference on the issue Monday, a day after it missed a deadline to approve a set of rules and regulations to govern deep sea mining in international waters.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, said Juan Jose Gonzalez, the authoritys council president.

The authority has issued more than 30 exploration licenses but no provisional licenses  so far.

The debate on whether to allow companies to extract precious metals from the deep sea that are used in electric car batteries and other green technology comes as more than a dozen countries call for a ban or moratorium given environmental concerns.

Scientists have said that minerals in the deep sea take millions of years to form, and that mining could unleash noise, light and suffocating dust storms. However, companies have argued that deep sea mining is cheaper and has less of an impact than land mining.

Most of the current exploration is focused in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. It is occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters).

On Monday, Canada announced that it supported a moratorium because there is no regulatory framework in place nor a deep understanding of the environmental impacts of deep sea mining.

It is critical that the international community recognize its collective responsibility to safeguard the health and integrity of our shared global ocean for future generations, the government said in a statement.

The 36-member council of the International Seabed Authority is expected to debate the issue on Friday. But its unclear when or if it would actually vote on whether to allow mining in deep international waters given sharp divisions over the issue.

Theres really no appetite to vote, said Duncan Currie, an international and environmental lawyer and legal adviser to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, a Netherlands-based alliance of environmental groups.

Currie, who was at the conference, said in a phone interview that he envisioned three scenarios: the authority agrees on a legal and technical framework by the end of the year; the issue goes to Germanys International Tribunal for Law of the Sea if there's no consensus; or, a metals company submits a work plan to one of the authoritys commissions, which would then have to submit it to the council for a vote.

Gonzalez, the president of the council, urged members to stay open and attempt to reach consensus as he began the conference.

Hopefully, well be able to reach a decision at the end of the two weeks, he said.
BEIRUT (AP)  The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed on the tense Lebanon-Israel border relayed Monday an Israeli request to remove a tent set up by the militant Hezbollah group in a disputed area.

The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, met Monday in Beirut with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Lebanon Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib said Lebanese leaders told the U.N. commander that Israel should withdraw its troops from the Lebanese part of the town of Ghajar that was captured by Israeli troops in 2006.

Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations in June claiming that Hezbollah had set up tents several dozen meters (yards) inside of Israeli territory. It's unclear what was inside the tents or what they were for.

The area where the tents were erected in Chebaa Farms and the Kfar Chouba hills were captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and are part of Syrias Golan Heights that Israel annexed in 1981. The Lebanese government says the area belongs to Lebanon.

Israeli media reported earlier this month that Hezbollah evacuated one of the two tents but there has been no confirmation from the Iran-backed Lebanese group.

After the meeting between Mikati and Lazaro, Bouhabib told reporters that the U.N. team has relayed the Israeli request that the tent be removed. He added that Lebanese officials told Lazaro that we want them (Israelis) to withdraw from Ghajar that is considered Lebanese territory.

Israel captured Ghajar from Syria in the 1967 war when it took the Golan Heights. After the Israeli military ended an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000, U.N. surveyors split Ghajar between Lebanon and the Israeli-controlled Golan, but Israel reoccupied the northern half during the 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006.

In recent weeks, Lebanese officials said that Israel has built a wall around the Lebanese part of Ghajar warning that Israel might annex it to the Israeli part of the town.

Hezbollah last week issued a harsh statement calling Israels works around the Lebanese part of Ghajar as dangerous adding that the wall is separating the town from its natural and historic surroundings in Lebanon.

Almost at the same time that the Hezbollah statement on Ghajar was issue, an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon near Ghajar  with some fragments landing in Lebanon and others inside Israeli territory. Israel fired shells on the outskirts of the nearby village of Kfar Chouba.

Israel and Hezbollah fought to a draw in a monthlong war in Lebanon in 2006. Late last month, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israel drone flying over a village in southern Lebanon.

Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
Stop calling everyone RINOs By Rachel Alexander

web posted July 10, 2023 I've written about a disturbing trend on the right calling fellow conservatives "grifters" who really aren't, and it's not the only trend like this occurring on our side. Some are expanding the definition of the acronym RINO to include solid conservatives, merely because they disagree with them about strategy. Lawmakers with 100% or close to 100% lifetime ratings from the American Conservative Union are finding themselves accused of this label. As with the grifter accusation, much of this criticism is coming from activists new to the movement, who don't understand how difficult it is to change the political infrastructure due to laws, rules and the difficulty of getting all of the compromising personalities out of office. Additionally, as one member of Congress told me after I said term limits were a good idea, "Wouldn't make as big of a difference as you think; many congressional staffers stick around for years, they actually run much of the place." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.-14) has a 100% lifetime rating so far from the ACU, but now some of these critics are turning their sights on her. They disagreed with her support of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.-20); they wanted to oust him. Sources tell me it came down to a strategic difference; Greene believed that the compromises McCarthy had figured out how to entice the Democrats into were worth more than replacing him with someone who might not have the connections to do that. Greene was apparently just ousted from the House Freedom Caucus over that and some other issues. On the other hand, many conservatives wanted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio-04) as speaker, who also has a lifetime 100% rating from the ACU. When you're pitting two people with the top conservative scores against each other  as much as we love Jordan  could there possibly be merely a strategic difference? Some of these elected officials accused of being RINOs represent swing districts. If they show up at Trump rallies and constantly talk about him, the left will target their districts and it will be far easier to take them out with carefully crafted ads tying them to Trump. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.-06) is a classic example. He has a respectable 94% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union (ACU), but since he doesn't campaign with Trump, some label him a RINO. There are "show horses" in Congress, who rally up the conservative base, stump with Trump, and rake in fundraising, but it often means they must sacrifice being effective and getting legislation passed. There is a need and place for them; when Rep. Ron Paul was in Congress, he only got one bill passed, but in other ways he was considered one of the most effective elected officials due to his strong principled stances which accomplished the right-leaning agenda in other ways. In contrast, there are "work horses" like Schweikert, who work tirelessly behind the scenes where they can be truly effective. The only time he really steps out into the public eye is to deliver one of his epic speeches on the U.S. debt crisis, one of few members of Congress who repeatedly crunches the numbers and exposes how bad it's getting. His district was a swing district when he first won in 2010. By carefully crafted campaigning, he defeated incumbent Democrat Harry Mitchell, who was so legendary in the district after serving as Tempe mayor that a statue was erected of him. After redistricting in 2022, the district leaned even more Democratic, and Schweikert barely won reelection by less than 4,000 votes. Also in Arizona, State Sen. Warren Petersen (R-Mesa), the Senate Majority Leader, was censured by some Republican precinct committeemen this year for allegedly not being aggressive enough on election integrity measures. However, Petersen has a lifetime rating of 97% from the ACU, and is widely considered to run the Senate under conservative leadership. Petersen merely disagreed with a strategy that some Republicans proposed, which was to hold off on approving a budget until Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed three election integrity bills. According to sources, Petersen knew Hobbs was unlikely to sign them, and so thought it was better to focus on getting concessions in the budget bill. The RINO label has popped up a lot lately in the election integrity area. Newcomers with no expertise in the area are suddenly appearing who were never involved in politics until after the corrupt 2020 election, claiming they know how to fix the problem and declaring that anyone who doesn't adopt their strategy immediately is a RINO. Some of them are gradually being discredited, since their sloppy research is being exposed. Those ones are not helpful for solving the election fraud problem, because the courts will be easily able to dismiss their efforts based on obvious and embarrassing mistakes. While this issue needs as many eyes as possible on it, it's self-serving to claim that your own solution is the only way. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who not only served on the J6 Committee but voted to impeach Trump, and who earned a 72% lifetime rating from the ACU, is clearly a RINO. The late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had an 81% lifetime rating from the ACU and was also clearly a RINO. So why aren't all the members of Congress with ratings in the 80s being called out too? Or low 90s? Could it be because there's more going on than judging them by conservative principles? The label RINO should be applied to someone who doesn't adhere to fundamental conservative principles. The America First and MAGA platforms are built on those principles. They include pro-life, Second Amendment, lower taxes, lower regulations, smaller government, no extreme LGBTQ agenda, anti-globalism, family values, etc. These are what we should use to judge our elected officials and fellow activists. Whereas strategic differences should be open to a healthy, polite debate. Look at someone's actions. Are they speaking to lots of lefty and RINO groups? Are they allowing those groups to use their names for promotional purposes? There are behaviors that are much more revealing about someone's character than procedural differences. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Monday that her government has full confidence in the IAEA's advice on the proposed Fukushima treated water release.

"I also felt it was important to draw attention to the Pacific's traumatic experience with nuclear testing and asked directly that meaningful engagement continue with the Pacific region on the proposed release," she said in a statement following the meeting with Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

After a two-year review, the IAEA said Japan's plans to release some 500 Olympic size swimming pools worth of water from the Fukushimi plant wrecked by a tsunami more than a decade ago were consistent with global safety standards and that they would have a "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment".

Following the release of the report, Grossi visited South Korea. He is currently in New Zealand before travelling to the Cook Islands where he will meet with Pacific Islands Forum chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.

The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc of 17 island nations, has raised significant concerns about the release of the water fearing among other things the impact on fisheries.

Mahuta said New Zealand acutely understands the effects nuclear testing has had on its Pacific neighbours in the past, and the government would continue to call for the release of the water to be dealt with through transparency and meaningful dialogue.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Lincoln Feast.)
A rare flash flood warning was in place for much of New York City into the early hours of Monday after heavy rains in the Northeast caused at least one death.

The warning, issued by federal forecasters Sunday night, applied to the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. In social media bulletins published in multiple languages, New York City Emergency Management warned residents in basements to seek higher ground.

Follow along for live coverage here

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County, 60 miles north of New York City, where a woman identified as 43-year-old Pamela Nugent of Fort Montgomery was swept away by rapid waters as she sought higher ground with her dog, authorities said. Officials initially said Nugent was in her 30s.

The woman's identity was unavailable.

Neuhaus said the hardest-hit communities include the village of Highland Falls, where the woman died, Fort Montgomery and West Point. First responders have received numerous reports of property damage and people trapped in vehicles, he said.

A vehicle on its side blocks a road Sunday in Orange County, N.Y. (Kristen Dyroff O'Dell)

The town of Cornwall, on the western shore of the Hudson River, declared a state of emergency and said in a statement that travel will be restricted to emergency vehicles.

Hochul's office said in a statement that 13,000 utility customers in the state were without power. Many were in the Hudson Valley, which includes Orange County.

Fort Montgomery resident Kristen Dyroff O'Dell said she was outside the town, cut off from her husband and three young boys without a way in. She said the National Guard was needed to restore access.

"Our town is completely cut off from the rest of the world right now due to mudslides, sinkholes, washed away roads, flooding, brick walls crumbling and more," she said. "Im separated from my kids right now in Monroe at a friend's house after spending five hours trying multiple ways to get to Fort Montgomery. Every route was impassable.

Elsewhere, water rescues were made amid flooding in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, according to drone-based video from the area. Flooding was also reported in Reading, Pennsylvania.

While the National Weather Service office that serves Washington, D.C., and Baltimore said the storm had nearly cleared its area Sunday evening, the office that covers the Philadelphia region warned of possible hail and waterspouts along the New Jersey coast.

Cars were left stranded by flooding Sunday near Woodbury and Harriman in Orange County, N.Y. (Manny Casais / NBC News)

Air travelers in the Northeast were likely to face delays. La Guardia Airport in New York said the weather has caused flight disruptions. Boston Logan International Airport listed multiple flight delays and cancellations.

Airport officials advised travelers to reach out to their airlines to determine flight statuses.

Amtrak said late Sunday that train service between New York City and Albany, New York, had been suspended because of the weather.

The weather service said in a forecast discussion that the heavy rain was being produced by the clash of a relatively strong summer cold front with an unusual plume of tropical moisture.

It said the threat of flooding in Pennsylvania and New York on Sunday night would extend Monday to New England.
With brightly colored bottles, a range of sweet flavors and backing by popular YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, PRIME energy drinks are hugely popular among children and teens. They are vegan and low calorie and contain electrolytes  and more than six times the amount of caffeine as a Coke.

That last part is worrying lawmakers.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the Food and Drug Administration on Sunday to investigate PRIME because of dangerously high caffeine levels. In a letter, Schumer alleges that unclear marketing targeting young people leads parents to purchase a cauldron of caffeine" for their kids, The Associated Press reported.

One of the summers hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toy  its a beverage, Schumer said. But buyers and parents beware because its a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.

PRIME, an energy drink that was launched by the two influencers last year, says it aims to "refresh, replenish and refuel" customers with the signature bottled drinks, according to the company's website. Representatives for PRIME said consumer safety is their top priority in a comment to USA TODAY.

"PRIME Energy, sold in a can, dropped in 2023 and contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top-selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries its sold in," said public relations representatives for PRIME. "It complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18."

A bright orange PRIME bottle, part of the brand launched by Logan Paul and KSI

Whats in PRIME? Here are the ingredients

PRIME self-advertises as having 300mg of electrolytes and zero sugar.

However, each 12 oz. PRIME bottle also has 200 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to about half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls, AP reported.

That high content prompted bans from some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia where some pediatricians warned of possible health impacts on young children such as heart problems, anxiety and digestive issues.

The company claims it clearly advertises the drink as for consumers 18 years and older. The company also sells a drink called PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine.

Schumer claimed the marketing and branding of the two drinks are not distinguished enough, leading many parents to unknowingly buy the highly caffeinated drinks for their children.

A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising, he wrote. This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.

Why has the drink gone viral?

Backed by two of YouTubes best-known stars, PRIME was an immediate sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines in grocery stores and reports of school yard resale markets, AP reported.

TikTok videos show parents surprising their elated children with PRIME drinks.

PRIMEs website is completely sold out of all products, including the PRIME energy, hydration and hydration powder packs. It instead offers customers suggestions of stores where they can purchase PRIME in person.

PRIME bottles themselves have become status symbols, and fans list clean/empty bottles on eBay.

The marketing for the influencer-backed drink contributes to the status symbol: One TikTok from Paul suggests different outfits to go with the colorful bottles.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FDA asked to investigate caffeine content of Logan Pauls PRIME drink
Three MQ-9 Reaper drones that the U.S. military said had been "harassed" by Russian fighter jets over Syria on Friday were the same drones that later carried out an airstrike that killed a top Islamic State group leader, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday.

Usamah al-Muhajir was killed on Friday, CENTCOM said.

A defense official told ABC News that he was killed while riding a motorcycle in northwestern Syria in an area where the U.S. has carried out other strikes against terrorist leaders who operate in an area under Syrian government control and where the Russian military also conducts flight operations in support of the Syrian regime.

MORE: Russian jets 'harass' US drones for 2nd straight day, Pentagon says

News of the strike capped three straight days of tense encounters as the U.S. criticized Russian pilots for "unsafe and unprofessional" behavior with its drones flying over Syria.

"The strike on Friday was conducted by the same MQ-9s that had, earlier in the day, been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours," CENTCOM said in Sunday's statement.

PHOTO: Russian SU-35 fighter aircraft close in on U.S. MQ-9 aircraft, July 5, 2023, over Syria. (United States Air Force)

The U.S. military had also called out the behavior of Russian fighter pilots it said "harassed" the Reaper drones that were flying anti-terrorism missions over Syria in two separate incidents on Wednesday and Thursday.

To highlight that behavior, the Pentagon declassified two videos that showed Russian fighter jets dropping parachute flares in front of the drones and one of the jets engaging its afterburners, all actions that led the drones to have to take evasive maneuvers.

There was a third straight day of interactions between Russian fighters and U.S. drones on Friday when U.S. Air Forces Central said "Russian aircraft flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations."

"We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement Sunday. "ISIS is a threat, not only to the region but well beyond."

PHOTO: Russian military SU-34 and SU-35 aircraft employ flares in the flight path of a U.S. MQ-9 aircraft, July 6, 2023, over Syria. (United States Air Force)

CENTCOM said that while there "are no indications that any civilians were killed in this strike," officials were "assessing reports of a civilian injury."

U.S. aircraft normally operate in eastern Syria where 900 U.S. troops are involved in counter-IS operations, while Russian troops and aircraft operate in western Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

That the airstrike occurred near Aleppo in northwestern Syria may help explain why the U.S. drones were coming into frequent contact with Russian fighter jets that fly out of the nearby air base at Khmeimim.

MORE: Dramatic video released of Russian fighter jets 'harassing' US drones over Syria

Last week, a Pentagon spokesman discounted Russian Defense Ministry claims that American drones had been flying in areas where Russian aircraft operate, suggesting the U.S. was to blame for the altercations.

However, on previous occasions, U.S. aircraft have operated in northwestern Syria to undertake airstrikes targeting senior IS leaders.

For years, both militaries have regularly used a deconfliction safety line to provide advance notifications of where their aircraft would be operating over Syria to prevent any unsafe interactions.

U.S. officials have said that, in recent months, Russia is no longer using that line regularly.

Islamic State leader killed while on motorcycle by US drones Russia had 'harassed': Officials originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. On July 10, at 12:25 p.m., Azerbaijan again opened fire at the workers of the metal smelting plant under construction in Yeraskh, ARMENPRESS reports, "GTB Steel" company spread a message about this, publishing an attached video.

The report states that there are no casualties or injuries.
It is from the Magna Carta that the English writ of habeas corpus evolved.

We now take our liberties and rights for granted, and the way of life it guarantees us as inherent. But what we now have has come after a long evolution process, and often they flowed out of something else quite unintended. The Magna Carta is a case in point. The English-speaking world recently celebrated over 800 years of the Magna Carta, or Great Charter, that is synonymous with fundamental rights and rule of law that are the cornerstones of modern democracy. Much of the world believes the Magna Carta came out of an eruption of a long-suppressed yearning among ordinary people for protection against the monarch and nobility. But it is not so.

It came out of an intra-elite struggle between 40 barons and their ruler. Englands King John had emptied the royal treasuries in a fruitless war with France, and the barons were unwilling to meet his demands for higher taxes. The consequence was the Magna Carta  to protect the barons from the Kings demands. The demand to be judged by their peers was another protection. It was not meant for ordinary people, but only for barons. The Magna Carta was thus not a grand demand for equality, basic freedoms or the rule of law, but just a narrow demand for restricting the rulers powers, to ring-fence the interests of the elite.

But the Magna Cartas myth endured and was invoked whenever and wherever people struggled against injustice and freedom. Mahatma Gandhi invoked it in South Africa when he fought for racial equality, and emancipators and freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and Martin Luther King Jr invoked it when they were being tried for sedition by oppressive regimes. Like the English barons, they too were arguing for limiting the oppressive and unjust powers of rulers, but not just for themselves and their peers, but for all their peoples. The story of modern democracy is about the long journey from the rights of a few to the rights of all.

Another myth that endures is that the twin notions democracy and the rule of law somehow originated with the Magna Carta. The fact is that the King rejected the Magna Carta soon after it was presented to him. But John avoided the consequences of the barons indignation by dying and thereby perpetuating the myth.

The first democracies long preceded the 1215 Magna Carta. As early as sixth century BC several independent republics existed in India as sanghas and ganas. Their main characteristics were a raja, elected or hereditary, and a deliberative assembly. These assemblies met regularly and passed laws pertaining to finances, administration and justice. The raja and other officials obeyed the decisions of these assemblies. While these assemblies mostly comprised the nobility and landowners, in some cases they included all free men. But the Brahminical system prevailed, in that the monarch always had to be a Kshatriya. While Licchavis, who held sway over the Kathmandu Valley in todays Nepal and a major part of northern Bihar, were governed by an assembly of about 7,000 rajas, who in turn were the heads of all major families, others like the Shakyas, the clan to which Gautama Buddha belonged, had assemblies open to all people, rich or poor, and noble or common.

The greatest contribution to the evolution of democracy as a philosophy was in Athens, where great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle lit up public discourse with their brilliance and original thinking. Socrates and his pupil, Plato, deliberated and expounded on the role of a citizen within a community and laid down the foundations of the political philosophy that flourished in Athens and spread to most of the world in the next two and a half millennia. Aristotle, who counted among his students Alexander the Great, dwelt more on systems of government and who first qualified liberty as the fundamental principle of democracy.

Aristotle wrote in Politics: Now a fundamental principle of the democratic form of constitution is liberty  that is what is usually asserted, implying that only under this constitution do men participate in liberty, for they assert this as the aim of every democracy. But one factor of liberty is to govern and be governed in turn; for the popular principle of justice is to have equality according to number, not worth, and if this is the principle of justice prevailing, the multitude must of necessity be sovereign and the decision of the majority must be final and must constitute justice, for they say that each citizen must have an equal share; so it results that in democracies the poor are more powerful than the rich, because there are more of them, and whatever is decided by the majority is sovereign.

This principle that whatever is decided by the majority is sovereign has always had to contend with the rights of individuals. In the US, created after a great debate among the founding fathers as a democracy, it was by majority will that slavery flourished till the Civil War. It took another century before equal rights for black people became the majority will. This constant struggle for individual rights against the will of the collective has been the central story of the evolution of the modern democratic state. Free India, by contrast, provided for all these rights and liberties from the beginning in its Constitution. The Magna Carta, because it sought to limit the powers of the ruler, perhaps still has a place in our hearts and minds. To most citizens in democratic states, our life is also a constant struggle against the assertion of collective will to trample individual liberties or the rights of smaller groups.

The rise of democratic, elected Parliaments in England and Scotland just 50 years after the Magna Carta is not a coincidence but a consequence of that demand to share power. It is from the Magna Carta that the English writ of habeas corpus evolved, safeguarding individuals and their freedoms against unjust and unlawful imprisonment with the right to appeal. It is from this emergence of petitioning for the production of the body that Parliaments in due course became to be increasingly used as a forum to address all the concerns and grievances of ordinary people.

Thus, whatever be Magna Cartas first intent, its consequences greatly expanded over centuries into a charter, which guarantees individual liberties, equality and justice to all, irrespective of race, religion and class. But that struggle is far from over. It goes on, and only its forms change as human values and means change.
Like Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia is still reeling from the devastating effects of unexploded ordnance. Both Russia and Ukraine have already used this type of weaponry. US President Joe Biden announced supplies for Ukraine. Human Rights Watch reports that China and Russia are both actively researching and developing new types of cluster munitions.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews)  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged Ukraine not to use cluster bombs after the United States said that it was providing a military aid package worth US$ 800 million that included cluster munitions to help the East European country fight off the Russian invasion.

Following US President Joe Biden's decision, several humanitarian groups have warned that undetonated ordnance will pose a deadly threat for decades.

It would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years if cluster bombs are used in Russian-occupied areas in the territory of Ukraine, the Cambodian leader tweeted.

Citing Cambodias painful experience" of US cluster munitions dropped in the early 1970s, a foreign legacy that has left tens of thousands maimed or killed, Cambodias strongman added an appeal to the US president as the supplier and the Ukrainian president as the recipient not to use cluster bombs in the war because the real victims will be Ukrainians.

Like Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia is one of the countries with the highest concentration of unexploded ordnance after the United States dropped millions of bombs in the 1960s and 1970s against communist bases during the Vietnam War.

In Laos alone, some 260 million bombs were dropped between 1964 and 1973 with less than 0.5 per cent removed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that risks to civilians will be kept to a minimum, but such a promise will be hard to keep, given the weapons volatility.

Cluster bombs are designed to explode in the air and eject bomblets that spread over a vast area, exploding on contact with the ground. Or at least, that is what they are supposed to do.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, in recent conflicts, an average of 40 per cent of ordnance remains unexploded, with a high risk to civilians and causing indiscriminate destruction in violation of international humanitarian law.

In Cambodia, in the past 40 years alone, at least 20,000 people have died from unexploded mines or ordnance.

In neighbouring Laos at least 11,000 have died this way, one third of them children; in 60 per cent of the cases, the victims were carrying out normal daily activities, according to different sources.

A report released last year by the monitoring group Cluster Munition Coalition found that in 2022, 97 per cent of casualties were civilians and 66 per cent were children.

In January, a group of Ukrainian deminers visited Cambodian minefields.

In the war between Russia and Ukraine, both sides used cluster bombs last autumn (extensively by Russia, more limited by Ukraine), causing dozens of deaths even among non-combatants.

Russian bombing and shelling have hit medical facilities and civilian infrastructure, killing more than 200 people.

According to some probes, in the city of Izium, Ukrainian attacks with cluster bombs between March and September 2022, during the Russian occupation, killed at least eight civilians and wounded 15; based on eyewitness accounts, Human Rights Watch says that the real number is much higher. Ukraine has used Turkish-made cluster munitions.

Although most production is concentrated in Asia, the Cluster Munition Coalition notes that the main manufacturers are Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States.

More than 120 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of this type of weapon. However, Russia, Ukraine, the United States, as well as China, India and Pakistan have refused to sign the treaty.

Russia has used old stockpiles and new cluster bombs in Ukraine, and bought back weapons already sold to India and military-ruled Myanmar.

Human Rights Watch stressed that China and Russia are both actively researching and developing new types of cluster munitions.

China has not commented on the use of cluster bombs against civilians in Ukraine, but in May 2022, a Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the use of this weapon by the United States in Southeast Asia.

China has reiterated that it has never used cluster munitions anywhere in the world, but has acknowledged that it makes, stores, and sells it, although little is known of Chinas exports and transfers.

We do not export military products to countries under Security Council embargoes and sanctions and do not provide weapons to non-state actors or individuals, China told States Parties in 2019. However, fragments of Chinese-made cluster munitions have been found in Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, and Sudan.
Violence and the civilized society: Conformity and dissidence in different societies (Part Five) By Mark Wegierski

web posted July 10, 2023 (Initial drafts of this essay date back to 1988.  author's note) Liberalism appears to be perennially characterized by its "sqeamishness" when it comes to dealing to threats to its "social order" and even "civil order." It is only so squeamish, one could argue, when the threat is posed, for example, from the Far Left, or by clearly criminal elements. But any possible crimes that can be attributed to an unfairly generalized "right-wing," such as the bombing of abortion clinics or shootings of doctors who provide abortion services (which are clearly carried out by some obviously disturbed individuals), are met with the strictest of severity, and by the further attempt to extend permanent blame onto the entire right-wing. One can certainly perceive a curious unevenness in the administration of justice in contemporary America. For example, Ollie North (Colonel Oliver North) was harshly treated  especially by the media -- for an offence, which -- in many conservatives' eyes -- consisted of nothing more than of upholding and fighting for America's interests, when Congress had manifestly abandoned them. During North's Senate race, how often was the phrase that he would become "the first convicted felon ever elected to the Senate", gleefully repeated. A curious word, "felon." It might be argued that even in a predominantly left- liberal society, it is mainly those who are to some extent socially conservative who most strongly care about their society. Thus, some might argue, a predominantly left-liberal society survives only because there are socially-conservative soldiers and police who defend it, and socially-conservative parents who tend to have children and bring them up (relatively) decently, in usually more intact households. But some might think that the very "essence" of liberalism is to stand against what, in this sense, may be termed "society" or "the social." Interestingly enough, all the regimes which could be called Leninist have had the tendency to call their armed opponents "bandits," -- i.e., to see them as criminals, pure and simple, implying that they are a threat not to the "social regime," but to the "civil order" itself. For example, RENAMO in Mozambique were called "bandits" by the Mozambique Marxists (and also by much of the Canadian press). Some Canadian reporters were talking about how RENAMO could not be genuine partisans because they massively murdered their own people. Accepting the Marxist government's appraisal of the actions of RENAMO  which was probably far from the truth itself -- the Canadian press appeared to have forgotten that virtually every left-wing revolutionary movement had been far more murderous towards the societies and nations in which it had existed  but had nevertheless been enthusiastically supported by most Western left-liberals. There was an article in the Toronto Star raging against the fact that a "terrorist leader" of RENAMO had been allowed refugee status in Canada - a good example of liberal "resolve" - in the face of a generalized "right-wing." This characterization of armed opponents as "bandits" was also a standard Nazi tactic, as exemplified by the sign, "Achtung! Banditten!", often seen by the railways of German-occupied Poland. So what was the main point about violence to be? It is largely to say that organized state or social violence within a given society, can, to a certain extent, be viewed as a "tactical problem" for every ruling group. It is part of the panoply of normative, utilitarian, and lesser coercive instrumentalities it has at its disposal. The amount of violence to be carried out by the ruling group in traditionalist as well as liberal democratic societies could be optimally defined as that which most effectively maintains (or does the least damage to) the prevailing worldview of that society. It should also be pointed out that when a hyper-aggressive ideology too vociferously embraces violence, it then very often sows the seeds for its own destruction  as most of the rest of the world is thrown into an alliance against it. The most obvious example of this was Nazi Germany. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher.

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by Gianni Criveller *

In mainland China, Catholic communities have expressed joy at Pope Franciss choice. For PIME missionary and China expert Fr Gianni Criveller, this is a sign of the popes closeness to the suffering caused by Chinas national security law. With Zen and John Tong (respectively in their nineties and eighties), Hong Kong will now have three cardinals.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  Yesterday, after the Angelus, Pope Francis announced the appointment of Bishop Stephen Chow as cardinal, a choice welcomed with joy in Hong Kong as well as in many Catholic communities in mainland China.

Following the papal announcement, the Diocese of Hong Kong issued a statement in the evening that read: Bishop Chow urges the faithful to keep praying for him and the Diocese of Hong Kong.

Speaking to reporters this morning outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the new cardinal described the appointment as a new mission. I continue to hope that there will be more reconciliation and more hopes for young people, especially those who have been in jail, so they have a future. That's very important," he said.

The Xinde website, a point of reference for mainland Chinas Catholic communities, reported the bishop of Hong Kongs cardinalship, with a title that describes the decision as double happiness. Only a few days ago, Pope Francis made the prelate a member of the synod, an important step considering that  unlike 2018  no mainland Chinese prelate will be able to travel to Rome for this event.

In addition to a picture of Bishop Chow from his recent trip to Beijing (the first official visit by a bishop of Hong Kong since the territory was handed back to China in 1997), Xinde also posted two pictures of other meetings involving the new cardinal before he was appointed bishop of Hong Kong, a sign that, as Jesuit provincial, he was always close to the Church in China. By contrast, the official website of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association has not reported the news.

Chow will be the fourth cardinal in Hong Kongs history. Two are still alive: Card Joseph Zen (91) and Card John Tong (who will turn 84 in a few days). The first, Card John Baptist Wu, who was created cardinal by John Paul II in 1988, passed away in 2002.

The incumbent bishop of Hong Kong called to be part of the College of Cardinals is 63 years old, starting his episcopal ministry on 4 December 2021, against the difficult background created in Hong Kong by the national security law imposed by Beijing to crush the pro-democracy movement.

Cautious by nature, Bishop Chow is firmly convinced of the importance of avoiding divisions. Yet, in recent months, he has not shied away from the difficulties Hong Kong is facing today. In an article published in the summer 2022 by the diocesan weekly Sunday Examiner, he acknowledged the changed situation, urging the faithful to be as resilient as grass breaking through the cracks.

in his last Easter message, he mentioned the more than 6,000 arrests in connection with the 2019 pro-democracy protests, and courageously expressed hope that those in prison [may] see the light one day.

Also in view of this, his appointment takes on a particular significance for Hong Kong, as Fr Gianni Criveller, PIME missionary and sinologist, notes in the commentary below.

The announcement of the appointment of Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kong as a cardinal is important because the city and the diocese of Hong Kong are in one of the most difficult moments of their history. This appointment indicates that the pope and the Holy See are close and attentive to the bishop, the diocese and the people of Hong Kong.

Since pro-democracy demonstrations that began in 2019 were suppressed with the introduction of a national security law on 1 July 2020, the pope has never spoken out. Yet many pro-democracy leaders arrested are practising Catholics and Card Joseph Zen, who supported the pro-democracy movement, was among the arrested and convicted (but not jailed).

The pope's silence had aggrieved many Catholics. Even the long hiatus before the appointment of the new bishop (the diocese of Hong Kong had been vacant for almost three years) was experienced with concern by the Catholic community. With his latest choice, the pontiff is saying that Hong Kong holds an important place among his concerns, as did the important and warm meeting with Card Zen on 6 January.

Francis has elevated a Chinese bishop to the cardinalship, the only one he could pick without immediate political complications. With Bishop Chows elevation, Hong Kong becomes a city with three cardinals, perhaps the most after Rome.

Last April, along with his closest aides, Bishop Chow travelled to Beijing where he met Bishop Joseph Li Shan and the local Catholic community, in remembrance of Fr Matteo Ricci, now a venerable. It is possible that with this appointment, the pope wants the bishop of Hong Kong  who moves with great caution and always uses moderate words in a truly difficult situation  to bridge the gap between the universal Church, the Holy See and the Chinese Church.

After all, a bridge  a real one, the modern Tsing-Ma Bridge which connects Hong Kongs Tsing Yi Island to the mainland  stands out in the episcopal coat of arms Chow chose two years ago together with the Jesuit motto Ad maiorem Dei gloriam. Indeed, the Mission of our Church is to be a bridge for different parties to meet by moving over it, reads the coats description.

* PIME missionary and China expert
by Santosh Digal

Religious groups, government officials and NGOs met in Manila, Philippines on 7 July, to formulate new strategies to fight online child sexual exploitation, and appeal to the heads of state or government meeting in New Delhi in September.

Manila (AsiaNews)  The Regional G20 Interfaith (IF20) Meeting was held in the Philippines with over 80 delegates from government, religious communities, and private sector to discuss new strategies to prevent online sexual exploitation of children, youth and women.

The forum is the main interfaith body to promote global cooperation and action on significant international issues.

At the Manila meeting, participants issued an appeal ahead of the G20 summit of heads of state and government scheduled next September in New Delhi, calling for stronger institutions to fight child pornography and online sexual exploitation of women and children.

Since India will chair the G20 summit, the chosen theme for the forum was One Earth, One Family, One Future", based on the Hindu tradition in the Maha Upanishad: "The world is a family.

The Philippine meeting is the ninth IF20, after the first meeting in Australia in 2014, organised by the G20 Interfaith Forum, the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, the International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines, and Religions for Peace (RfP) Philippines.

Sister Evelyn Jose, a member of the congregation of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit and coordinator of Talitha Kum Philippines, addressed the meeting, explaining the latters work at the national, regional and continental levels, its active support for victims, survivors and people at risk of human trafficking, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

She highlighted the need to boost prevention and awareness programmes in collaboration with public schools so more children and youth do not get caught up in this traffic.

In regions like Southeast Asia, families are often forced by debt to have their children perform sex acts for money, or sell them.

According to a 2020 report by International Justice Mission, a US-based NGO that fights trafficking and sexual exploitation, the Philippines ranks first in the world for online child pornographic content.

According to the NGOs study, endemic poverty in the Philippines is contributing to a rise in this kind of abuse. Some 20 million Filipinos out of 115 million live below the poverty line.

A UNICEF report released in 2022 estimates that two million Philippine children were victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation last year.

Compared to other countries in the region, easy and affordable Internet access, strong money transfer infrastructure, and extensive English language fluency have sadly made the Philippines a hub in child sex trafficking.

In the meantime, Sister Evelyn noted that networking at venues like the IF20 and by Catholic and Protestant groups in the Philippines, as well as working with government agencies, NGOs and other groups can curb violence against minors, starting with online sexual exploitation.
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United States President Joe Biden said that it was too early for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance, noting that its war with Russia must end first before such proceedings can take place.

United States President Joe Biden said during an interview aired on Sunday that it was too early for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance, arguing that its war with Russia must end before such proceedings can take place.

The Democratic leader said that he believes there is unanimity within NATO regarding whether or not to bring Ukraine into the group right now. He noted that the process can only progress after reaching a peace agreement with Moscow.

Ukraine's Potential NATO Membership

Biden said that if the war between Russia and Ukraine is going on, then it means that they are all at war. His remarks referred to NATO's commitment to mutual defense for its members. The American leader added that there would be other qualifications that Ukraine needs to meet, which includes democratization.

The US president's remarks came as he began his trip to Europe on Sunday, including attending a NATO summit in Lithuania. The summit will likely have Russia's war with Ukraine, and a decision last week to supply Kyiv with cluster munitions will be priority topics, as per the New York Times.

During the interview, Biden added that he had warned Chinese President Xi Jinping about the latter's growing relationship with Russia. He also said that after Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he reminded the former that various American corporations had already pulled out of Russia since the beginning of the war.

Biden said that Xi did not argue any of the points that he made during their conversation, highlighting that the Chinese president has not gone "full-bore" on Russia. The American president also defended his decision to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, which are outlawed by many of the US's closest allies.

The Democrat said that while it was a difficult decision, the fact that Ukraine had dwindling artillery supplies forced a choice between supplying the armaments or leaving Kyiv defenseless.

Read Also: Prigozhin Returns to Russia, Says Lukashenko

Ukraine Accession 'Too Premature'

Biden's remarks regarding Ukraine's NATO potential come as he had previously talked with President Volodymyr Zelensky about the prospect. According to the Washington Post, he said that the two leaders have to lay out a "rational path" so that Kyiv can qualify for the alliance's membership.

On the other hand, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul, said that talk of Ukraine's NATO membership was "too premature." He said during an interview on Sunday that Kyiv first has to win the counteroffensive against Mocow, secure a cease-fire, and negotiate a peace settlement before it should be allowed to join the military alliance, echoing what Biden said.

Despite calls by some NATO members to work on Ukraine's membership with the alliance, Germany has also taken a "conservative" stance. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country did not support a swift Ukrainian accession to NATO.

He noted that we need to look at the current situation very carefully, adding that they should focus on the top priority during the summit in Vilnius, which he said was strengthening Kyiv's combat power, said the Financial Times.

Related Article: Sweden's NATO Membership Back on Track as Erdogan Enters Last-Ditch Negotiations

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SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is no good if aviation operators don't actually use it. Airlines need to be encouraged to use increasingly larger quantities of SAF in the long run. Both legislative initiatives and industry strategies play an important role in this. As a global leader in the research and use of alternative fuel, Airbus is doing its part in an innovative way.

Green jet fuel is almost unanimously considered the best solution for lowering emissions that is available right now, and that doesn't require modifications to the aircraft or engine. At the same time, SAF currently has two major drawbacks  limited supply and high costs. The SAF industry is still at the beginning, with only a handful of producers worldwide, which makes this alternative fuel an expensive option for most airlines.Airbus is tackling these issues through various projects. The most recent one focuses on ferry flights. Before starting commercial operations, a new airliner uses a significant amount of fuel (with a negative environmental footprint) just to travel from the production facility to its new home.This journey can be very long, as was the case for Indigo, whose new Airbus A320neo had to fly from Toulouse, France, to Delhi, India. This flight took place at the beginning of this month and was special because it marked the launch of a new Airbus project. The Airbus delivery team supplied 5% pure SAF for this Indigo ferry flight and will do the same for all customers taking their new aircraft from Toulouse.This isn't a first for the aviation giant. Its delivery centers in Mobile, Alabama, and Tianjin, China, have been offering SAF in different concentrations to the customers ferrying new aircraft from those locations.Things worked so well that Airbus is now extending this offer to its European delivery centers. Toulouse already joined the club earlier this month, with the Indigo ferry flight on July 3. Hamburg, Germany, will be next, starting in September. All customers taking their aircraft home from these locations will have access to 5% pure SAF, free of charge, offered by Airbus.By the end of this year, Airbus wants to reach 10% pure SAF in the fuel mix for all of its operations. Over the next years, it plans to supply customers with SAF at all of its delivery centers, powering all ferry flights with clean fuel.At the same time, Airbus is working with various SAF producers to ensure this supply. One of them is LanzaJet , a bioenergy tech company that will build a brand-new production facility in Queensland, Australia. The other one is Neste, claiming to be the largest SAF producer in the world right now.The entire Airbus range is already certified for a 50% SAF blend . By the end of this decade, it's set to become officially compatible with 100% unblended SAF.
We all know about BMW's plans for a fully electric future, and the company's fast-paced march to electrification continues with the introduction of a new electric vehicle for urban operations - the CE 02. With the introduction of this new two-wheeler, the German brand strays away from conventional categorization, touting it as a nimble eParkourer targeted at younger riders.

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Photo: BMW Group

The newly unveiled BMW CE 02 is basically a new breed of e-vehicle, as the company says it's neither an e-scooter nor an e-motorcycle. So what is it, then? It's an innovative, daring proposition for urban rides that boasts a minimalist, practical design centered around proportionality and offers robustness, agility, and a thrilling riding experience on various types of terrain.The unveiling of the new electric two-wheeler comes two years after the introduction of the CE 04 high-speed maxiscooter, another electrifying and evolutionary vehicle for city travel. Now, BMW Motorrad takes another step toward the promised fully electric future with this so-called eParkourer, a light electric motorbike meant to redefine how people perceive and experience urban mobility. However, the CE 02 is not a utility bike but one for sport or leisure activity, designed as an urban playbike more than anything.Edgar Heinrich, Head of BMW Motorrad Design, explains it better, saying that "With the CE 02, we are striving for something new at BMW Motorrad and want to be pioneers once again. Thanks to its unusual proportions and striking graphics, the new CE 02 is an uncomplicated, youthful form of single-track mobility. The reduced design language stands for lightness and fun. The focus is not on utility but on emotional appeal, riding pleasure, and uncomplicated, almost intuitive use."With this in mind, let's look at the specs of the new BMW CE 02 'eParkourer.' Designed with young and adventurous riders in mind, the new motorbike will be offered in two variants, one offering 11(15 hp) of power and the other a more modest 4kW (5 hp). BMW says the 11 kW version, equipped with two 48V, 1.96lithium-ion batteries, will offer a range of over 55 miles (90 km) and a top speed of about 59 miles per hour (95 kph), which should be enough for regular urban or suburban rides, but not exactly fitted for highway use.In terms of looks, the CE 02 boasts an eye-catching retro-inspired design with a sleek, no-frills frame and a low seat. Black is the dominant color on the e-motorbike - used on the frame, wheels, front fender, and triple clamp fairing - but is contrasted by a granite grey metallic matte for the engine cover. The large wheels it rides on make it look robust and ensure its ability to ride on many terrains. The minimalist design means that future owners of the CE 02 can customize it to put their personal stamp on the two-wheeler.The e-motorbike features an inverted front fork, a single-sided rear swingarm, and disk-style cast wheels. The reverse gear, adjustable-reach hand brake levers, combined with the compact frame, low weight of only 291 pounds (262 pounds for the 4 kW version), and low seat height of 29.5 inches make the CE 02 an easy-to-maneuver and handle bike in city traffic.Two standard riding modes are available - Flow and Surf - the first of which offers a relaxed urban ride, while the latter provides a more dynamic experience for riders who want to venture outside city limits. There is also a Flash riding mode offered as part of the optional Highline package, which promises a more responsive and sporty riding experience.A 3.5" TFT display showing essential ride information and a USB-C charging port are also part of the package, and the BMW Motorrad Connected app will offer riders real-time information on charging status and ride data.Those interested in this new urban mobility proposition can have some fun with it in the BMW Motorrad MetaRide, a digital brand space of virtual reality in which riders can experience the CE 02 in the form of an avatar.The BMW CE 02 electric motorbike will be made available in the spring of 2024. Riders in the US can have it for an MSRP of $7,599 (before destination charges), which makes it BMW's lowest-priced electric two-wheeler to date.
The vehicle mirror selection button, which allows users to select a specific mirror for quick adjustments, could soon go dark if General Motors starts the mass production of a recently patented system.

Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution

Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution

Correctly setting the side mirrors is critical for every driver, mainly because eliminating blind spots improves safety behind the wheel.Most cars already have power mirrors, so users must select a mirror to adjust (typically with a dedicated button on the driver's door) and then make the necessary adjustments to obtain the perfect angle and position for maximum visibility.Older cars or low-budget models not boasting power mirrors come with a joystick for manual adjustments, whereas other vehicles sport a direction control button for more convenient settings.General Motors wants to get rid of the dedicated button used for selecting a mirror to adjust, and to do this, the company proposes a new-generation system that involves zero driver input.The company explains in a patent called "vehicle mirror selection based on head pose and gaze direction" that drivers could select the mirror the adjust by simply looking at it. The button would become redundant, and General Motors says it could make the operation more straightforward (and also get more space on the driver's door).General Motors explains in the patent filing that the technology required for such a system is already present in modern cars. Cameras used to track the head pose and the gaze direction power driver monitoring systems to prevent falling asleep or distracted driving. The same hardware should determine values that General Motors could use to detect when the driver looks at either mirror, eventually letting them conduct the typical adjustments.The American carmaker says it can train a machine learning system to combine data from the head pose and gaze direction, with the algorithm eventually determining if the driver wants to adjust a mirror. A check is determined almost in real-time, and General Motors' technology can activate the control buttons for the corresponding mirror. If the driver doesnt look at the mirror, but their head turns towards either side, the mirror adjustments are blocked until the driver manually triggers the control buttons.General Motors' approach should help prevent false positives, allowing drivers to adjust buttons even when the system doesnt accurately detect the head pose and the gaze.The main benefit of such a mirror-adjusting system applies to cars with multiple drivers. A driver might require different mirror settings depending on the seat adjustments and their height. If it gets the green light, GM's idea would allow more convenient mirror adjustments from one driver to another.While the company doesnt seem interested in giving up on the control buttons, future versions of the same concept could also allow for automatic adjustment.A camera integrated into the side mirror could help determine the correct settings according to the driver's position behind the wheel based solely on their head pose and gaze direction. This method would allow for on-the-fly adjustments without any driver intervention. The main shortcoming is the added hardware cost, as an upgraded system version would involve more cameras integrated into the side mirrors.The current proposal relies entirely on hardware already available in cars, such as the driver monitoring systems mentioned above. General Motors could, therefore, bring this system only to top-of-the-range models where such technology is available.The American carmaker looks committed to bringing new-generation technology to its cars, and the transition from phone projection systems to an embedded operating system powered by Google is living proof. The company will block Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars. Starting with the 2024 Blazer EV , GM's zero-emission vehicles would run Android Automotive exclusively.In theory, Android Automotive is a fully featured operating system that can also run Android Auto and CarPlay. General Motors says it'll block screen mirroring in its cars to provide drivers with an upgraded experience that wouldnt otherwise be possible without Android Automotive. Other carmakers, including Polestar, installed Android Automotive in their vehicles without blocking phone projection like CarPlay.Critics believe General Motors' transition from Android Auto and CarPlay to Android Automotive paves the company's strategy of turning subscriptions into a money-making machine. The carmaker claims it won't charge customers for Android Automotive access in the first eight years after the purchase. Eventually, the company might only allow certain services based on a monthly fee.Potential customers received GM's decision with much criticism, especially as the adoption of screen mirroring systems has reached record levels. Apple data indicates that nearly 80 percent of new-car buyers in the United States wouldnt even think of getting a vehicle without CarPlay, as the system is considered a must-have piece of equipment for modern drivers.You can check out GM's new idea in the patent embedded below, but considering it's still in the patent stage, you'd better not hold your breath for a production version.
ICE

Photo: Geely

Photo: Horse

The safest bet is on hybrids or plug-in hybrids with a generous all-electric range. Geely could sell them in Latin America or Europe under several brands, but the company's own badge is the most likely. The Chinese automaker tried to establish itself in Brazil and a few other South American markets in the past. However, the plan did not unfold as expected  primarily because it depended on imported cars or components. Making them locally may turn them into a more attractive option. For hybrids and plug-in hybrids, that would also demand the local production of battery packs . Considering how bad the market is for new cars in South America, only Europe should see Horse factories become Troyan horses  at least in the short term.The division's website states that it has a production capacity of 3.2 million engines per year and that "Horse is born to unlock the potential of combustion technology to be a motor for transition." Interestingly, the joint venture does not point to the final destination of this process. Although Renault assumed it would be battery electric vehicles (BEVs)  hence its other division being called Ampere  the page notes that "the reality is that it's not just one solution that will take us on the journey to better mobility." In other words, it is betting on hybrids.Horse's page also clarifies what Aramco's role will be in the joint venture. Although the Saudi Arabian giant lives from oil, it will help Horse with synthetic fuels. Some ICE fans believe that these fuels will keep these mills alive, but their most rational use would be as a means for hydrogen storage and to keep older vehicles running without the same impacts. Synthetic fuels may not add carbon to the atmosphere as fossil fuels do, but they will still produce pollutants such as nitrogen oxides if they are burned. In other words, they may not increase climate change, but they will keep on harming people's health.Although all its facilities have existed for several years already, Horse has only started its activities. The division is now sharing images and videos of its teams worldwide wearing new uniforms that make them Horse employees, not Renault's or Dacia's. These brands should still produce ICE vehicles, even if that makes the company's division into two branches more challenging to understand. Besides, these automobiles would not exist without engines and gearboxes.If things go according to Renault's plan, the French carmaker should eventually sell its 50% stake in Horse to Geely, which will become a business case people will study for years on how to get rid of investments in technology being disrupted. However, Geely never made its plans for Horse as clear as Renault did. If the tides turn and ICE remains in production for longer than most governments want, the French automaker will have to pay a competitor to keep selling what it has been delivering for more than one hundred years. It may also see this competitor enter new markets with the engines it used to produce. Whatever the result is, it will be enlightening to watch it develop.
Even in 2023, when people think of a hybrid, they immediately think of the Toyota Prius and probably not much else. But at its root, a hybrid drivetrain isn't bound to mundane Lithium-ion batteries and pitiful little gas engines they assist. In the dog days of World War II, the U.S. Navy had an entirely different, considerably more badass take on a hybrid drivetrain. Not in a car, mind you, but in an airplane. This is the story of the Ryan FR-1 Fireball, the U.S. Navy's piston-jet hybrid.

Photo: U.S. Navy Archives

Photo: U.S. Navy Archives

Allow us to paint the scene for you. The year is 1943, and as we speak, the Brits, Americans, Free French, Canadians, and a handful of others are huddled together in a building in England, planning the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Meanwhile, U.S. forces and their allies in the Pacific Theater were gearing up for a massive counteroffensive island-hopping campaign in the wake of their victory over Imperial Japan at the Battle of Midway. While all this chaos was taking place, a Navy Admiral by the name of John S. McCain Sr, the grandfather of the future U.S. Senator from Arizona, John McCain III, was facing a peculiar dilemma.Admiral McCain couldn't help but be intrigued by rapidly developing advancements in gas turbine engine technology spurred on by the British aero engineer Sir Frank Whittle. It was Whittle, through his self-founded Power Jets company, who supplied the blueprints to U.S. engineers to allow the Yanks to begin their own domestic jet engine program. It was because of the Power Jets W.1 and the upgraded W.2 that the U.S. was able to manufacture its first jet engine, the General Electric I-A. Over time, the prototype I-A became the General Electric J-31 engine, America's first production-scale turbojet engine.But there was a problem, specifically when it came to the application of jet-powered aircraft in an aircraft carrier setting. You see, early jet engines weren't exactly powerhouses in terms of raw thrust generated. Considerable time was needed for early turbine engines to spool up to maximum power output. That's a real issue when you only have a few hundred feet of carrier deck and a meager hydraulic catapult to help coax an airplane into the sky. What Admiral McCain desired most of all was a Navy-specific aircraft with the traditional takeoff, landing, and cruising characteristics of a piston airplane, with the ability to quite literally turn on the jet when the time came for combat.In the end, the Navy selected the Ryan Aeronautical firm of San Diego, California, to develop and manufacture this novel jet-piston hybrid airplane for the sole purpose of being trialed onboard American aircraft carriers. What resulted was initially dubbed the XFR-1. In some ways, this new bird appeared similar to contemporary piston fighters of the day but radically different in others. For starters, the XFR-1's tricycle landing gear might appear normal by modern standards. But in the 1940s, only a handful of airframes utilized this format. With dimensions of just over 32 feet (9.7 m) long with a 40-foot even (12.2 m) wingspan, the XFR-1 was similar in size to contemporary piston Navy fighters of the day like the Grumman Hellcat, Vaught Corsair, and Supermarine Seafire.As for the drivetrain, the XFR-1 utilized a single Wright R-1820 Cyclone nine-cylinder radial engine cranking 1,350 horsepower for takeoff, cruising, and landing purposes. Had the type ever seen combat, the rear-mounted General Electric J-31 would've been switched on, giving a considerable 1,600 lb (7.1 kN) thrust boost to the aircraft. With the benefit of using the same type of aviation gasoline, both engines were fed from the same twin self-sealing fuel tanks, reducing the need for wing-mounted drop tanks in most situations. That said, Ryan Fireballs often flew with at least one underwing drop tank, which could be replaced with up to two 1000-lb (454-kg) bombs or eight five-inch unguided rockets to compliment a suit of four M2 Browning machine guns mounted in sets of two in either wing.Speaking of the wings, the XFR-1s were the first to be designed with a laminar flow in a carrier-based setting. Similarly to land-based fighters like the North American P-51 Mustang, these wings were designed to cut through turbulent high-speed air with minimal resistance. This translated to a top speed of 404 mph (650 kph, 351 kn) with both engines at full throttle and an impressive service ceiling of 43,100 ft (13,100 m), which was verified during the XFR-1's flight testing.Testing began in earnest when the first FR-1 made its inaugural flight on June 25th, 1944, less than 20 days after the successful D-Day invasion. But almost immediately, problems with the rivets on the wings put the program in jeopardy. As was discovered, the wing rivets on all three FR-1 Fireballs from the first production batch were wholly inadequate and resulted in the loss of all three airframes. With an order from the U.S. Navy for 700 FR-1s pending, this was an issue on a number of levels. This potentially catastrophic issue was resolved only after the number of rivets on each wing was effectively doubled.Upgraded variants of the FR-1 came in short order after the type's first flight. The first upgrade dubbed the XFR-2, utilized a more powerful 74W variant of the Wright Cyclone engine, making 1,425 hp with a single example manufactured. Further upgrades came with the XFR-4, with the J31 turbojet replaced with a more powerful Westinghouse J34. The resulting engine swap added an extra 100 mph (161 kph) to the airframe's top speed, bringing its performance more in line with contemporary pure-jet fighters of the day like the German Me-262 and Gloster Meteor, at least on paper.A new, bespoke U.S. Navy fighter squadron was formed on New Year's Day 1945, dubbed the Fighter Squadron 66 (VF-66), for the purpose of trialing the Fireball. The squadron received the first of their aircraft in March of that year and potentially even conducted the first jet engine-only carrier landing when one of Fireball's Cyclone piston engines failed. This feat is widely disputed, as it's unknown whether any residual power from the piston engine was still propelling the aircraft. Had twin atomic bombings by the Americans and concurrent invasion by the Soviets not brought an end to the Pacific War, it's possible that FR-1s could have engaged Japanese fighters over the skies of an invasion of the Japanese mainland.But alas, for the Fireball, the war ended before such an event could take place. At the same time as the end of the war, work was beginning on the first generation of pure-jet fighters designed specifically for aircraft carrier service in the form of the McDonnell F-2 Banshee and the Grumman F9F Panther. There was at least one more attempt to bring the Fireball airframe back into relevancy by replacing its piston engine outright with a General Electric T31 turboprop engine and calling it the XF2R Dark Shark. Only a single example was produced, as the Dark Shark was unable to match the performance of the Banshee and Panther, respectively.By 1947, the Ryan FR Fireball platform and all its variations had been retired. Today, only a single example of an FR-1 Fireball remains on display at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California , less than a two-hour drive away from where this novelty of an airplane left the factory almost eight decades ago. Though not all that successful in its own right, the Ryan Fireball did at least prove in no uncertain terms that the era of piston engine dominance in the skies over a battlefield was well and truly at its end. For this reason, it's safe to claim the residual effects from the Ryan Fireball program were far more long-lasting and considerably more memorable than the plane itself was. Sometimes, that's just how the cookie crumbles.
The Audi EP4 is this cute 1970s-inspired car that marks the 150th anniversary of the Neckarsulm site in Germany. For the project, the trainees team used e-tron and Q7 TFSI e Quattro components.

A team of 12 apprentices worked on the Audi EP4, where the E stands for electric drive, while the P4 is a reference to the NSU Prinz 4, a car that was produced in Neckarsulm by NSU Motorenwerke between 1961 and 1973. Audi has been manufacturing cars over there for around 100 years.The trainees wanted to build a car that looked cool, but would, at the same time,o be appropriate to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the production center. So they chose a 1971 NSU Prinz 4 as a base.The project launched back in January with team meetings between trainees, trainers, and project managers, exchanging views on what they were planning to do. The trainees were first tasked to build a solid foundation for the conversion. One of the challenges they came across was the rust that affected the over 50-year old NSU Prinz 4.The body and paint specialists managed to get rid of it and painted the car in Suzuka Grey and Brilliant Black, also fitting the lettering 150 to the sides. Meanwhile, the future mechanics worked on the powertrain, battery, and suspension, which had to be retuned to fit the new powertrain.They extracted the original two-cylinder 30-horsepower (30-PS) gasoline engine and replaced it with a 236-horsepower (239-PS) electric motor coming from a 2020 Audi e-tron. The donor of the battery was a plug-in hybrid Audi Q7 TFSI e Quattro. The unit found room under the front hood of the EP4, where the old boxy NSU Prinz used to have the fuel tank. It obviously doesnt need it anymore.They fitted a wide air intake at the bottom of the bumper, while the tailgate also helps with the cooling.Modifying the design of the retro-styled Prinz was tricky for the trainees. They had to make it clear that the new car was based on it, but also make it look futuristic. A modified floor pan from an Audi A1, including brakes and axles, did the base trick. Using 3D printing, they widened the body, fitted muscular fenders, and mounted wide wheels with modern performance tires. The hood is made of carbon fiber. At the rear, there is a wing that is not attached to the bodywork, but directly to the roll cage.As for the roll cage, it was painted in Signal Yellow, contrasting with the surfaces in black. There are Recaro Podium bucket seats on board as well, and the cabin has been stripped down to minimum. It is, after all a 1970s motor racing -inspired futuristic Audi.
Downsizing is all about cutting costs and ridding yourself of unnecessary clutter in order to live a happier, more relaxed, and more intentional life. But there's no rule saying that downsizing can't be luxurious too.

Photo: Nestron

Photo: Nestron

Photo: Nestron

Even if one downsizing option would count as upsizing for the rest of us, both on considerations of size and pricing, it's still downsizing for someone who chooses it over a mansion with a dozen bedrooms. But this unit is different in that it's still fairly affordable. Think of it as affordable but luxurious downsizing , which is how manufacturer Nestron often describes it. Nestron is a relatively new name to the market of tiny houses, but a very popular one. It's a Singapore-based company that deals in prefabs that took off during the 2020 international health crisis. Not that anyone still needed reminding, but 2020 marked a shift in perspective on various issues, including working from home, traveling more, affordable housing, and re-prioritizing personal life over work.Nestron makes very futuristic, shipping container-like prefab homes under $100,000. There's an asterisk to that, but more on it later.The Nestron prefabs are not just prefabs but smart tinies that promise a healthier, more sustainable, and more stress-free life. An attractive price, smart tech, and the promise of extra-durability, if not a particularly high degree of mobility, add to the appeal of Nestron prefabs, which are grouped under two ranges of models: the Cube and the Legend.The main difference between the two is that the Legend series is slightly more traditional-looking. The premium model of the Legend series is the Legend Two X, which comes with three options as regards finishes: Folksy, Opulent, and Lux. Introduced as a concept a couple of years ago, the Legend Two X is the fanciest take on downsizing from a prefab maker, but with a price tag still affordable by comparison to other prefabs and tinies: the Two X starts at $88,000.The Two X is the larger, flashier, and more expensive big brother of the Legend Two , the first showcase unit of which arrived in North America in May this year. Units from Nestron were already available for shipping here, but the arrival of the display model in Canada meant that potential buyers could now see the house before paying for it or that they no longer had to fly to Singapore for a viewing. This marked the first step in a planned international expansion for Nestron and a much-needed strategic move since demand for all its prefabs had skyrocketed.There is no showcase unit for the Legend Two X outside of South-East Asia as far as we know, so today's tour is more like window shopping. But at least it's fancy window shopping because Nestron promises a unique and very elegant take on downsizing.Living in a shipping container conversion may be a lot of things, but perhaps words like elegant or fancy don't exactly come first when describing it. Shipping container homes have also seen a rise in popularity in recent years, which, in turn, has led to more creative and nicer interiors. But even in this context, the Legend Two X stands out.Measuring 9.5 meters in length (31.3 feet) and 2.8 meters in height (9.19 feet), this prefab offers 33.4 square meters (359.5 square feet) of living space divided across two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a lounge. Like the other Nestron homes , this one, too, is wrapped in glazing with automatic tinting for privacy reasons and is described as ready-to-live because it's shipped furnished.Do take that last part with a grain of salt. The Two X ships with stuff like a bed frame in the bedroom and a sofa in the living, but you don't get any kitchen appliances (no fridge or dishwasher for you!) or, for that matter, stuff like air-conditioning or solar options. In return, you get Canny, the Nestron AI assistant , and stuff like a smart toilet, adjustable lights, and the possibility to control features and monitor consumption on a single control panel or on your phone.The styling of Two X is what sets it apart from other Nestron prefabs. The Folksy model, for instance, is inspired by classic American architecture, while the Opulent is "modest, extravagant, and timeless," even though common sense would say at least two of these descriptors are mutually exclusive. The Lux model is all about black (probably fake) stone with dark woods, golden accents, and premium fabrics like silk. Youll still be living in a very compact home, where downsizing is a must, but at least it'll be a looker.The Legend Two X is available for pre-order only, so you have to register to get on the waitlist if this kind of fancy compact living falls within your take on downsizing  and your budget.
It's 2023, and finding someone's location is still a challenge, including for emergency services, who must know precisely where you are for reduced reaction times.

Many people rely on the likes of Google Maps to determine their location and share it with dispatchers, but occasionally, these applications can't provide 100 percent accurate data, such as building numbers and other details, to help the first responders locate you.This is why the United Kingdom emergency teams and the AA have worked together on a public service announcement that could eventually save your life: install what3words on your phone, so when you call 999 (this is the 911 sibling in the UK), you can provide the operator with very accurate information on your location.As it turns out, authorities expect over 60 percent of UK adults aged 25-34 to leave on a trip this summer, many of them to an unfamiliar destination. 85 percent of these people will travel by car, and 42 percent said they might have a hard time telling emergency services where they are, given they don't know the location.This is why what3words is such a valuable tool.Compared to traditional navigation apps , what3words divides the entire word into a grid made of 3-meter squares. Each of these squares is assigned an address using three random words, so when you enter them in the search box, you'll be pointed precisely to that square.In other words, someone with a specific address made from the three random words would be able to find your location on the map within a 3-meter radius. Using this method, location accuracy is incredibly improved, as emergency teams can find not only a specific build number or point on the street but also entrances and even locations in a large parking place.When you dial 999 in the United Kingdom (or 911 in the United States), you can provide the operators with the random address generated by what3words. The dispatcher then sends your exact address to the first responders, so they should be able to arrive at the scene much faster, as they know precisely where you're located. The application is free for both iOS and Android devices and can be used in over 50 languages.Emergency services in several other countries have also adopted what3words, including the United States, Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, Germany, France, and Austria. As such, when you reach out for help in any of these countries, the operator might ask for your what3words location to determine your location faster and more accurately. The information is then forwarded to the first responders, be they medics, police, or the fire rescue teams, who are already on their way to your address.
Living in a box that was meant to carry cargo across large distances seems like the opposite of luxury in every way. Still, contemporary tiny home startups have proven that the two concepts are perfectly compatible. The Australian Nook Tiny Homes turned a basic new container into a surprisingly modern two-bedroom home for urban travelers.

Photo: Nook Tiny Homes/Instagram

Photo: Nook Tiny Homes/Instagram

Photo: Nook Tiny Homes/Instagram

The original version of the Soho container home by Nook Tiny Homes is the Soho Modern, designed to operate as the perfect vacation home . The 20-foot-long (six meters) high cube container offered one bedroom, a kitchenette, and a luxurious separate bathroom. Despite the modest size, what made the Soho Modern stand out were the high-end finishes, materials, and appliances.The 2-Bed Soho Modern doubles the fun with a length of 40 feet (12 meters) and a total surface of just under 30 square meters (312 square feet). The builder applied the success formula from the previous version in the form of top-quality materials and appliances, also adding enough space for a second room. This was mainly designed to become a second bedroom. Still, it's versatile enough to adapt to the needs of future owners, who can decide to configure it as a dining room or home office instead.Industrial containers are synonymous with confined spaces, which is why maximizing luminosity and spaciousness is always the main goal when turning them into homes. The 40-foot Soho Modern does that by opening to the outdoors as much as possible. The large glass sliding doors and windows keep the entire area bathed in natural light while delighting those inside with panoramic views.In addition to this, one of the trademarks of Nook Tiny Homes comes in the form of cargo doors that create a direct connection to the natural surroundings. In the case of Soho Modern, a large picture window is placed behind the cargo doors. When these doors are opened, the bedroom gets a gorgeous view through this large window  a perfect way to enjoy the sunrise or the sunset.The high-end finishes include timber and concrete paneling, high ceiling panels, designer fittings, oak timber kitchen countertops, and custom LED lighting. The kitchen looks ultra-modern with its elegant countertops and black sink. It comes with an under-countertop oven and cooktop.The sink cabinet integrates a practical breakfast bar that doesn't take up too much space. Ample storage adds another touch of luxury  in addition to two overhead cabinets and two drawer cabinets with soft close, this premium kitchen boasts a full-size pantry.The bathroom is also remarkably stylish. The LED-backlit wall mirror and black frame of the shower add a touch of glam. The back-to-wall toilet and large shower cabin are perfectly integrated, with enough space left for additional cabinetry.The kitchen, the bathroom, and each of the bedrooms have their own large window. The Soho Modern also comes with custom LED lighting and exterior lights, TV points, laundry facilities, and safety switches.Like all the Nook Tiny Homes designs, the 2-bed Soho Modern feels as great as its looks, and this has a lot to do with the perfect temperature. All self-contained homes built by this brand are fully insulated, including a moisture barrier, and can be fitted with reverse-cycle air conditioning units for heating and cooling (not included in the standard features).The Soho Modern is not only beautifully designed and styled but also remarkably functional for a container home. The designer kitchen with modern fittings, the generous storage, and the main bedroom with a large window behind cargo doors turn this apparently simple dwelling into an urban haven that stays connected to nature.This Australian builder focuses on converting new shipping containers into luxury living spaces that are also highly versatile, ranging from smaller home offices to generous-sized two-bedroom homes like the Soho Modern. Just like regular tiny homes, container homes can also be adapted for off-grid living by adding solar panels, grey water tanks, and an eco-friendly toilet alternative.Container homes come with the added benefit of extreme ruggedness. Built to ship cargo across the ocean while facing extreme conditions, these containers provide a highly reliable frame for future homes. It makes them particularly suitable for areas with lots of snow, storms, or even cyclones (they can withstand winds of more than 200 kph/124 mph). At the same time, container homes are easy to move from one location to another, which makes them an excellent option for vacation rentals.This two-bedroom self-contained home comes with an AUD 109,000 ($72,700) price tag, plus taxes. It's more affordable than tiny homes on wheels with a similar configuration, and it certainly looks much more expensive due to the modern finishes. In addition to being eco-friendly and highly resistant, a container home like the Soho Modern is also a time-saving housing solution since it takes less time to be completed without sacrificing long-term comfort.
The maverick activist, Karapet Poghosian, said that the officer verbally abused and hit him after a tense conversation in a local grocery store during which he told the latter to stay away from him.

It was really a surprise to me, and I will definitely try to evaluate this as a clearly deliberate act, Poghosian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. He did not specify why he warned the policeman moments before the alleged assault.

Poghosian, who is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, claimed that he was attacked because of his political activities. This is not the first time in recent years that they resorted to violence or fabricated criminal cases against me, he said.

Armenias human rights ombudswoman, Anahit Manasian, expressed concern over the allegations, saying that law-enforcement authorities must investigate them in a detailed and comprehensive manner.

The human rights defender once again emphasizes that violence is totally unacceptable and condemnable, read a statement released by Manasians office.

The police told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that they have already launched an internal inquiry into the incident. Another law-enforcement body, the Investigative Committee, said it is conducting a separate probe based on the policemans claim that he himself was attacked by the oppositionist.

The Gyumri incident was reported two weeks after scores of Armenian lawyers went on strike to show support for their colleagues allegedly beaten up by police officers.

One of the lawyers, Karen Alaverdian, claimed to have been subjected to undue physical force after trying to stop several policemen kicking and punching his client at a police station in Yerevan earlier in June. The Investigative Committee effectively denied the allegations on June 13, saying that Alaverdian himself shoved and even hit the officers in a bid to free the criminal suspect.

Human rights activists say that ill-treatment of criminal suspects remains widespread in Armenia despite sweeping law-enforcement reforms promised by Pashinians government. Law-enforcement officers are still rarely prosecuted or fired for such offenses.

As recently as on June 22, a man in Yerevan claimed that the Investigative Committee chief, Argishti Kyaramian, personally tortured and threatened to kill him following his arrest on June 17. A spokesman for Kyaramian denied the allegations.
(Photo : NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian authorities criticized Turkey after the latter send Ukrainian commanders home in what Moscow said was a violation of a prisoner exchange deal.

Russian and Turkish foreign ministers spoke on the telephone by Sunday, a day after Ankara prompted criticism from Moscow by sending home five Ukrainian commanders in what Russian officials call a violation of a prisoner exchange deal.

The two ministries said that Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan discussed the recent developments in Ukraine and a Black Sea grain export agreement that lifted a Russian de facto blockade of Kyiv's ports last year.

Russia Criticizes Turkey Over Prisoner Exchange Deal

Russian officials have recently threatened to quit the great export deal as it is set to be renewed on July 17, arguing that its demands to facilitate sales of its grain and fertilizer have not yet been met.

On the other hand, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said that he was trying to press Russia to extend the grain export deal, which was brokered last year by Ankara and the United Nations, by at least three more months, as per Reuters.

But the Russian ministry said that the two sides had focused on recent developments around Ukraine, which includes Ankara's latest move to return detained commanders of Ukraine's Azov unit. The troops in question were responsible for defending a steelworks located in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol last year.

Moscow captured the city after laying the area to waste, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths after a three-month-long siege. The Azov unit led the city's defense and held out in the steelworks for several weeks before Kyiv ordered them to surrender to Russian forces.

The unit commanders, who were considered heroes in Ukraine while being criticized in Russia, were later released in a prisoner swap in September. However, their release was under the terms that they remain in Turkey until the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Read Also: Sweden's NATO Membership Back on Track as Erdogan Enters Last-Ditch Negotiations

Turkey's Neutral Stance in the Russia-Ukraine War

Another topic that Russia and Turkey talked about is the court of continuing weapons supplies to Ukraine, which Moscow officials said was "destructive." The Russian ministry added that Ankara's attention was drawn to the destructiveness of the course of continuing to supply weapons to the Kyiv regime, according to Alarabiya News.

The situation comes as Turkey shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and has good ties with both nations. Ankara officials have tried to remain as neutral as possible amid the war and have maintained a delicate balance with diplomatic ties with Moscow while also supplying Kyiv with weapons.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the news about the commanders being sent home, greeting them at Istanbul airport while he was on a trip to Turkey. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that sending the commanders home was nothing but a "direct violation" of the terms of existing agreements.

Peskov also compared the situation to the "failure of the counteroffensive" that Ukraine launched and Turkey's attempt to show its "solidarity" ahead of a NATO summit scheduled for July 11 to July 12 in Vilnius, said The Moscow Times.

Related Article: Ukraine NATO Bid: Biden Says War With Russia Must End First

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10 July 2023 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

The history of Islam includes many complex stages. For some reason, the religion of Islam, which began to spread to the world from Mecca, the holy city of Muslims, in the VI-VII centuries, began to shake European countries first. It is no coincidence that the power of Islam was able to penetrate the ancient Spanish kingdom of Cordoba (city in Andalusia) by crossing the seas.

Europe never slept and prepared a huge army to push back the Islamic army and thus began many attacks in history called the Crusades. Europe continued an intensive counterattack in 1096-1099 and finally occupied the holy city of Jerusalem after 3 years of intense fighting, during which its residents were ruthlessly massacred.

Over time, states' entry into civilization eliminates religious differences and wars in this direction. Religion begins to spread by free choice, not by force of arms, but by conquering people's hearts. Although Europe has organized 8 Crusades against Islam, today Muslims live in all European countries, mosques call out for prayer, and masses freely perform their religious rituals. However, despite the fact that we live in the 21st century, anti-Islamic, Islamophobic and racist tendencies continue to exist in France, Sweden and other countries like this.

Recently, the events in France, which have caused more noise on the agenda, have risen to a particularly noticeable level. Racial incidents and even killings of people have started to increase in the country. Some of the diplomatic forces at the top of power in France and around it are still trying to express their hatred towards Islam through various means and apply a mechanism of pressure on people.

It is no coincidence that the former French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour voiced some fiery opinions about Islam in an interview to a Spanish media outlet. He emphasized that the laws guided by the Islamic religion will prevail over secular laws one day, and condemned the opening of mosques in European countries, saying that this will be a problem for Europe in the future.

"For example, most young Muslims believe that Islamic laws take precedence over the laws of the republic. And what are our leaders doing to combat what they call Islamism? They keep offering more Islam, more mosques, more imams."

The French politician Zemmour, who could not hide his ideology and hatred for Islam, strongly condemned the current "democratic" approach to Islam in Europe. At the same time, he called on the French authorities to take stricter measures against the Islamic religion and the nations of Muslim origin.

"If we continue in this direction, because of demographics and democracy, France could one day become an Islamic republic. We must not forget that Islam is a religion of conquest. This trend can be changed if the French want it."

Thus, France once again demonstrates its unchanging policy to the world by publicly expressing such views. This is not only a policy of colonialism, but also a disrespect for the rules of international law and leading Europe as a whole to ignorance.

It should be recalled that last week, the Non-Aligned movement held at the ministerial level in Baku made statements demanding France to stop such dirty deeds and unanimously formed the Baku Initiative group against France's colonial policy. The NAM ministerial conference was able to convey to the world that France is a harmful force for democracy, in addition to condemning France's tyranny in the 21st century.

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Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

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10 July 2023 17:30 (UTC+04:00)

The telegram channel "Bakinskiy Burila " posted a publication about how the Russian billionaire of Armenian origin Ruben Vardanyan helped the former high-ranking Russian official Anatoly Chubais to launder money. Here is the text of the publication: The Russian media published a recording of a wiretap of one of Anatoly Chubais' conversations with Ilya Suchkov, an entrepreneur who helped build Chubais's palace in the Moscow district. In this conversation, Chubais informs Suchkov that he instructed Ruben Vardanyan to develop and run a money laundering scheme through the sale of a mansion in Peredelkino near Moscow.

The main task set by Chubais to Vardanyan was to carry out "bewitching diplomacy" by Ruben to modernize the scheme in order to reduce taxes. The $35-36 million mansion was to be sold to Chubais' associates, Boris Mints and his son, for $7-8 million through a Swiss shell company also owned by Chubais. The company then went bankrupt and voila.

But in the process of negotiations, something went wrong, and Ruben Vardanyan had to be involved. Here is a piece of the transcript of the talks between Chubais and Suchkov:

Ilya Suchkov: I did not expect this when we negotiate in the presence of you, but Dima (Dmitry Mints) says no to me. That is, I'm sorry, but we do it this way and nothing else

Anatoly Chubais: let's do this, then, as I understand the picture now. We have changes in the "scheme" from Dima, which are not accepted by you. So it is necessary to set the task of developing a "scheme" not before Dima, but before Ruben (Ruben Vardanyan). Reuben comes back next week, I tell him that you have a proposal for your "scheme". Then he meets with you, listens to you, maybe he wont accept it, he will give you some third, fourth.

Ilya Suchkov: Anatoly Borisovich is, in fact, not my "scheme", this is a "scheme" that was agreed with Ruben Karlenovich and Dmitry Borisovich.

Anatoly Chubais: For me, Ruben is responsible for the entire "scheme" all the same.

...

Anatoly Chubais: Of course, I also don't want to pay a triple tax out of nothing. I set a task for Ruben, on Tuesday-Wednesday he arrives, I meet with him so that he gets you also involved in the topic and set the task for him (Ruben Vardanyan) to carry out such "charming diplomacy".

Here is such an Armenian "businessman" and "innovator". Mintz, mentioned in the conversation, by the way, like Vardanyan, got rich on murky schemes with the money of Russian pensioners. They have a lot in common.

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10 July 2023 18:07 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikail Jabbarov met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

At the meeting, information was given on Azerbaijan's socio-economic goals and the work done to achieve them, the results achieved, the favorable business environment of our country, the increased transport and transit potential under the new realities, as well as the opportunities created for investors, Azernews reports, citing the meeting.

The ministry told that the growing dynamics of relations with Hungary, mutual official visits, high-level meetings, events held, and wide legal and contractual framework are of great importance in expanding economic relations. It was noted that our countries cooperate not only on bilateral platforms but also at the multilateral level. Besides, the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Hungary plays an important role in strengthening trade and economic relations and the implementation of projects in various fields.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto emphasized that his country attaches great importance to the expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan, expressed the interest of Hungarian companies in participating in projects implemented in our liberated territories, and spoke about the expansion of economic ties.

The ministers also discussed strengthening economic and trade cooperation, investments, stimulation of trade, and opportunities for the implementation of joint projects. In addition, the Hungarian minister said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will pay an official visit to Hungary at the end of January.

The two countries have signed documents aimed at further strengthening ties, and Azerbaijan intends to use its transit potential in favor of Hungarian companies. Thanks to the expansion of cooperation between the two countries, Azerbaijan and Hungary have every chance to strengthen their relations and create a mutually beneficial partnership.

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10 July 2023 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijan's young talents have captivated the audience at the State Philharmonic Hall.

At the concert, laureates of national and international competitions Nargiz Kangarli (piano), Eldeniz Alekbarzade (piano) and Kamal Gadirov (trombone) performed Launy Grondahl's Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra and Francis Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Azernews reports.

The musicians were accompanied by Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Mustafa Mehmandarov.

The concert was organized by the Culture Ministry within "New Names" project, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

Launched by the Culture Ministry, the project "New Names" contributes to the preservation of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage and promotion of the performing arts.

Within the project, young talents perform concert programs, accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra, the State Chamber Orchestra, and the State Orchestra of Folk Instruments.

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10 July 2023 09:30 (UTC+04:00)

NATO is poised to defer its decision on establishing a liaison office in Tokyo until autumn or later, Nikkei has learned, Azernews reports.

The North Atlantic military alliance initially planned to enshrine the establishment of the Tokyo office in documents to be adopted at NATO's two-day summit beginning Tuesday in Lithuania.

But France has opposed the idea, caring for relations with China, and the unanimous agreement of all 31 members needed for the decision appears unlikely. The bloc will work to finalize the decision by the year-end.

The proposal for the Tokyo office was spearheaded by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The U.S.-led alliance wants to have a liaison site in Japan -- NATO's partner in Asia -- and deepen security cooperation with democratic countries such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

A source close to the French presidential office told reporters on Friday it would be inappropriate for the bloc -- the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, created to provide collective defense in Europe and North America -- to open an office in the Indo-Pacific region.

But some NATO leaders including Stoltenberg and U.S. President Joe Biden regard countering China -- which is seen as strengthening its military by deepening ties with Russia -- as crucial for their security. In newer areas of security such as cyberwarfare and disinformation, China could threaten the U.S. and Europe.

Such concerns are pushing NATO to enhance cooperation with U.S. allies Japan and South Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the NATO summit this week.

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10 July 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

On July 10, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The head of state congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his landslide victory in the snap presidential election held in Uzbekistan, and wished him success in his activities. President Ilham Aliyev described this victory as the people`s support for the policy implemented in Uzbekistan under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and expressed his confidence that Uzbekistan will continue the path of comprehensive development under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the coming years.

The President of Uzbekistan thanked for the congratulations and attention.

During the phone conversation, the presidents hailed the successful development of friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries in various areas, stressed the importance of reciprocal visits and contacts at the heads of state and other levels, and expressed their satisfaction with the high level implementation of the agreements reached and decisions made regarding the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

The heads of state exchanged views on the bilateral ties and other issues of mutual interest.

President Ilham Aliyev invited Shavkat Mirziyoyev to pay a state visit to Azerbaijan. The invitation was gratefully accepted.

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10 July 2023 13:57 (UTC+04:00)

"I do not remember such a conference between the countries. This is an example of friendship and brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkiye," Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said, speaking at the conference on cross-border cooperation between the prosecutor's offices of Azerbaijan and Turkiye held in Nakhchivan, Azernews reports.

The Prosecutor General noted that a number of issues were discussed with Turkish colleagues during his stay in Nakhchivan.

"The most discussed issue is Armenia's offense in the border region. The degree of pollution of the Araz River is obvious, and the construction of a factory there has resulted in an environmental crime. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev also raised this issue at the Non-Aligned Movement and once again pointed out Armenia's crimes out loud."

"The construction of the plant creates huge problems for both Turkiye and Azerbaijan, and we have brought this to the attention of the international community as an environmental crime. Given that the Okchuchay flows into the second largest river in the South Caucasus, the Araz, its pollution affects the water reserves of the Araz River," the Prosecutor General added.

The Okchu River in Azerbaijan has become a target of environmental terror in the form of heavy pollution and waste from Armenia's chemical plants.

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, the pollution of the river has reached catastrophic proportions and has led to the death of flora and fauna and jeopardized its continued existence.

"There are two major mining and processing plants in Armenia in the Okchu River basin. These are the Gajaran-Zangazur copper-molybdenum combined and the Gafan iron ore combines. Water contaminated with heavy metals during the production process at these enterprises is discharged into the Okchu River without filtration, which leads to serious environmental disasters in the river basin," Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Vugar Kerimov said.

The Okchuchay is the left branch of the second largest Azerbaijani river Araz on the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border. The Ohchu River is 85 km long and flows through the territory of the Gafan region of Armenia and the Zangilan region of Azerbaijan. It originates at an altitude of 3.285k meters above sea level on the Gapijig Mountain, the highest point of the Zangazur Range, which forms the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Okchu River is one of eleven rivers located in the liberated Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where more than 30 percent of the country's water resources are concentrated. During the nearly 30-year illegal Armenian occupation of the Karabakh region, environmental crimes, including deforestation, illegal trade in natural resources, and pollution of water reserves, have become commonplace.

Azerbaijani authorities are convinced that Armenians are purposely polluting rivers to cause an agricultural, environmental, and humanitarian catastrophe in Azerbaijan. The Okchu River is believed to be used by Armenian producers as a "collector" to transport industrial waste out of the country.

"Water has been called "the most common victim of mining". An environmental disaster is unfolding on the Okchu River, which flows from Armenia to Azerbaijan. Severe chemical pollution is the result of Armenia's mining industry. Responsible companies must stop their activities," Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, wrote on his Twitter page.

The Karabakh region water study took place against the backdrop of the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from 30 years of illegal occupation by Armenia.

During a counter-offensive operation conducted between 27 September and 9 November 2020, Azerbaijani forces forced the Armenian military out of more than 300 settlements in the Karabakh region, including the towns of Jabrail, Fizuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha. The war ended with a trilateral statement signed on 10 November by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. According to the statement, Armenia also returned the occupied districts of Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin to Azerbaijan by 1 December.

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10 July 2023 17:15 (UTC+04:00)

At the invitation of the Union of Turkiye Municipalities, representatives of East Zangazur and Karabakh economic regions of Azerbaijan paid a working visit to Ankara, Azernews reports.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation met with heads of departments in the building of the Union of Turkiye Municipalities.

The main purpose of the visit was to exchange experiences related to the formation of municipal revenues and the application of other management models.

The delegation also met with Turgut Altinok, Chairman of Kechioren Municipality, and Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin.

The members of the Azerbaijani delegation also met with Sukru Karatepe, Chief Advisor to the President of Turkiye. During the meeting, a number of opinions were expressed on further directions of activity of the two friendly, brotherly countries in the territories liberated from occupation.

Note that the East Zangazur and Karabakh economic regions of Azerbaijan were established in 2021 as part of the reform of the system of economic regions of Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the ensuing dispute between the first republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1918-1920.

The East Zangazur region includes Jabrail, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, and Zangilan districts, while the Karabakh region includes Aghdam, Shusha, Fizuli, Khojali, Khojavand, and Tartar districts, as well as the city of Khankendi. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen ties between the two countries and discuss the potential for economic development of the newly created regions.

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10 July 2023 17:17 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in connection with his victory in presidential elections, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

Dear Shavkat Miromonovich,

I sincerely congratulate you on your brilliant victory in the snap election to the post of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The results of the voting are an expression of the national will, a clear manifestation of the unlimited trust and confidence in and respect of the citizens of Uzbekistan to your personality, and the broad popular support for the political line you are pursuing for the comprehensive development, prosperity and progress of your country.

We attach great importance to the comprehensive development of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations built on solid foundations such as common historical and cultural roots and brotherhood. We are particularly satisfied with the present level of interstate relations, which stem from the will and intention of our people and are based on mutual belief and support, and with steady development of our partnership.

It is gratifying that our bilateral ties have reached a totally new level, and new directions have been defined for development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in recent times. I am confident that thanks to our joint efforts, we will achieve the development of traditional friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as brotherly and reliable partners, expansion of multifaceted cooperation and further deepening of strategic partnership.

Dear Shavkat Mirziyoyev, I wish You robust health, happiness, and new successes in your responsible state activities for the peace and prosperity of the brotherly Republic of Uzbekistan and its people.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 10 July 2023

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10 July 2023 17:22 (UTC+04:00)

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the State Secretary of the Holy See, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Honor and the Alley of Martyrs today. Pietro Parolin visited the grave of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honor, Azernews reports.

The State Secretary of the Holy See also visited the graves of Azerbaijani citizens who were martyred for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and laid a bouquet of flowers in front of the Eternal Torch monument.

Later, the guest visited the Heydar Aliyev Center. Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center, Anar Alakbarov, gave detailed information to the guest about the activities of the Center and the exhibitions displayed here.

The Azerbaijani Culture Minister Adil Karimli and the Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Paroli had a meeting at the center. The meeting discussed the current relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, projects in the field of culture, including cooperation between museums and libraries.

During the meeting, the State Secretary of the Holy See was invited to the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum to be held in Baku in 2023.

It is worth noting that Pietro Parolin also visited Mother Teresa's Sisters of Mercy shelter and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Baku.

During the visit, which will last until July 11, the state secretary of the Holy See will also hold meetings with representatives of religious communities.

Azerbaijan-Holy See relations, based on mutual respect, have made great progress, and now the political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Holy See is at a high level.

Effective cooperative relations have been established between the Holy See and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. On the initiative of Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the restoration of a number of historical monuments of human importance in the Vatican by the Foundation is an important contribution to the protection of cultural heritage. Those projects confirm once again the role of Azerbaijan in the development of intercultural and religious relations, along with the protection of the world's cultural, historical and religious heritage.

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(Photo : Ricky Rhodes/Getty Images)

A Cleveland shooting resulted in the injury of nine people, prompting a manhunt for the gunman and a $5,000 reward for any information that could help the case.

Cleveland law enforcement personnel are searching for the suspect of a shooting that left nine people injured early Sunday morning.

During a press conference, officials revealed that the mass shooting incident occurred around 2:25 a.m. in downtown Cleveland on West 6th and Johnson Court. Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond added that two uniformed officers and their marked cars were "right at the corner" of West St. Clair and West 6th when someone started firing into a crowd.

Cleveland Shooting Injures 9 People

Drummond added that additional officers were also in the immediate area of the shooting, saying that the personnel quickly ran toward the gunfire and found the victims, rendering first aid for their injuries.

Authorities said that seven of the victims were men, and the other two were women, ranging in age from 23 to 38. Officials found that one of the male victims was in serious condition after the incident, while the others suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as per The Blaze.

The Cleveland police chief added that the situation was not a matter of police response but police visibility. He explained that police officers were assigned to where the shooting occurred as part of their regular detail and were readily visible.

Drummond said that the suspect in the mass shooting was a Black male who may have had a gold grill in his mouth. He added that officials do have some leads regarding the shooter but noted that they had indications from investigators regarding what led to the shooting.

On the other hand, Democratic Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb criticized Ohio Republicans following the shooting, blaming the GOP, to some extent, for the suspect's actions. He said that last summer, the Republican-led legislature in Columbus passed Senate Bill 215, followed by an uptick in shootings across his state.

Bibb said that it was a "tragic and sad day" that he argued showed the massive gun problem that currently exists, not only in Cleveland but across the United States. According to Aljazeera, he called on American legislators to give city leaders more tools to address the proliferation of firearms.

Read Also: Jan. 6 Rioter Arrested Near Obama Home Possessing Guns, Ammunition

Addressing Surging Violent Crime

A police statement said that investigators handling the case were currently reviewing evidence and video footage and interviewing the victims at MetroHealth Medical Center.

Drummond said that initial investigation suggested that the shooting came suddenly, without warning, and had no apparent provocation. He added that investigators had not indicated any issues or concerns in the area before the suspect began firing at the victims.

Authorities have now put up a $5,000 reward for any useful information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the shooter. The Cleveland police chief noted they were also investigating another shooting at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday.

That incident injured three people, and Drummond said that investigators found no evidence that connected the two shootings. The police chief added that before the first shooting, there was a street party followed by an argument, said ABC News.

Related Article: El Paso Gunman Handed With 90 Consecutive Life Sentences for Killing 23 People

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
10 July 2023 15:25 (UTC+04:00)

The French company TotalEnergies in cooperation with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has announced the start of gas production in the first phase of the development of the Absheron gas condensate field in the Caspian Sea, some 100 km southeast of Baku, Azernews reports

The first phase connects an underwater production well with a new gas processing platform linked to SOCAR's existing facilities at Oil Rocks. The platform has a production capacity of 4 million cubic meters of gas per day and 12k barrels per day of condensate. Gas will be sold on the domestic market in Azerbaijan.

The development of the Absheron field provides additional gas supply to meet growing demand at competitive technical cost and low GHG intensity, in line with TotalEnergies' strategy.

TotalEnergies and SOCAR have a 50% stake in the project, which is operated by the Joint Operating Company of Absheron Petroleum (JOCAP).

"We are very pleased to announce the start of production at the Absheron gas field as a result of the successful work of our exploration team. This project is in line with the company's strategy to meet the growing demand for gas and strengthens our partnership with the national company SOCAR," said Nicolas Terraz, president of TotalEnergies Exploration & Production.

TotalEnergies has been present in Azerbaijan since 1996, where it is SOCAR's 50% partner in the Absheron gas condensate field and has a 5% stake in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and sells energy: oil and biofuels, natural gas and clean gases, renewable energy, and electricity. More than 100,000 employees are committed to making energy increasingly available, clean, reliable, and affordable for as many people as possible. Operating in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all aspects at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to people's well-being" says on the ompany website

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10 July 2023 18:49 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish President Erdogan on Monday said he will urge the NATO summit to open a path for Ankara's EU membership so Turkiye paves the way for Sweden's NATO membership, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

"Almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the EU. I am calling out to these countries that have kept Turkiye waiting at the door of the EU for more than 50 years, but I will also call out to Vilnius.

"First, let's pave the way for Turkiye in the EU, and then we will pave the way for Sweden just as we did for Finland," Erdogan said at a news conference in Istanbul before heading to Lithuania's capital Vilnius to attend a NATO summit.

Erdogan said he will express these views and make the demands while meeting with leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Later on Monday, Erdogan said he will have a trilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, adding: "As for Sweden, the process continues. Our relevant institutions maintain their contacts with their Swedish counterparts with a transparent and well-intentioned manner."

However, the president also reiterated that Sweden's NATO membership is contingent on the fulfillment of issues outlined in a tripartite agreement signed last year in Madrid during a NATO summit.

"As Turkiye, we are tired of repeating that we need to fight terrorist organizations and their extensions indiscriminately," he added.

In a situation where Turkish soldiers, police officers, and civilians citizens have been martyred by the terror groups, no one should expect Ankara to show concessions and understanding, Erdogan added.

Stockholm's accession to NATO is also at the discretion of the Turkish parliament, he stressed.

During the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, the leaders will address ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, its challenges to NATO, and steps to strengthen the military alliance's defense and deterrence. Sweden's bid to join NATO bid will be also on the agenda.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched war on Ukraine in February 2022.

Although Turkiye approved Finland's membership to NATO, it is waiting for Sweden to fulfill its commitments under the deal.

Previously, Erdogan underlined that Sweden cannot hope to join NATO as long as it gives shelter and a green light for terrorists and supporters of terrorists.

To join NATO, Sweden needs the approval of all of its current members, including Turkiye, which has been in the alliance for over 70 years and boasts its second-largest army.

'Sweden's NATO bid, Ankara's F-16 purchase from US not linked'

Erdogan also said Sweden's NATO bid and Turkiye's F-16 purchase from the US are not linked to each other.

Ankara requested F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits in October 2021. The $6-billion deal would include the sale of 40 jets as well as modernization kits for 79 warplanes already in the Turkish Air Forces inventory. The State Department has informally notified Congress of the potential sale.

However, key lawmakers at Capitol Hill have vowed to nix the deal over several demands, including making the purchase contingent on Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid.

Ankara maintains that the jets would strengthen not only Turkiye but also NATO.

"While we continue to fight against terrorism, especially Daesh, in the world, we brought the Finland issue to our parliament, since Finland is not involved in terrorism in this regard. At this point, our parliament paved the way for its membership. And we're done. But the F-16 issue is not like that," the president said.

He added that he will hold further talks with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit, saying: "With this meeting, I hope that we will overcome this problem. It also saddens us that this is associated with Sweden. This is something different. We will reiterate this to them."

During the summit, Erdogan said the leaders will review the decisions made at the Madrid Summit to support the partners, especially Ukraine, and to strengthen the deterrence and defense structure of the alliance.

"We believe that ending the war with a fair and lasting peace as soon as possible will further facilitate Ukraine's NATO membership process," he added.

He also said he will reiterate Ankara's call to the allies who have imposed sanctions and restrictions on Turkiye to swiftly reverse the mistake.

"The restrictions and obstructions that some of our allies have unfairly imposed on our country are limiting us. Our country, which saw almost 2% in 2019 defense expenditures, has now decreased to 1.30%," he added.

Black Sea grain deal

Regarding the last years landmark Black Sea grain deal, which is set to expire on July 17, Erdogan said Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Turkiye next month.

"If Putin's visit to Turkiye takes place, of course, we will discuss it 100%, and we will discuss this issue in face-to-face meetings. Ukraine said: 'We are ready to do our part.'," he said, adding in the upcoming meeting with Putin he does not expect anything different.

Last June, Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which had been paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

More than 33 million tons of grain have been transported to people in need, according to Turkish officials.

Russian officials have strongly hinted that Moscow could block the extension of the deal this month, complaining that parts of it to allow Russian exports have gone unfulfilled.

Turkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has repeatedly urged Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through talks.

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10 July 2023 19:40 (UTC+04:00)

Incumbent Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was re-elected in Sundays early presidential election, the Central Asian countrys election chief, Zainiddin Nizamkhodzhayev, said at a news briefing on Monday, Azernews reports, citing TASS.

"As Shavkat Mirziyoyev garnered 87.05% of the vote, according to preliminary data, he was legally elected president," he said.

Mirziyoyev won a landslide victory, pulling far ahead of rivals Robakhon Makhmudova, first deputy chairperson of the Supreme Court, and Ulugbek Inoyatov, leader of the Uzbekistan Peoples Democratic Party, who scored 4.43 and 4.02%, respectively, of the vote. Abdushukur Khamzayev, leader of the Ecological Party, finished fourth with 3.74% of the vote.

The voter turnout was 79.8%, the Uzbek election chief said, describing the election as open, transparent and democratic.
10 July 2023 22:50 (UTC+04:00)

Farruh Hashimov, the Director of Business Development at m&i, a company running networking events in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions tourism industry, summarised an international forum hosted in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi last week by noting it had hosted top companies from across Europe, Azernews reports, citing Agenda.

The Georgian National Tourism Administration on Monday cited Hashimov with the comment, and noted the company representative also said Georgia was a favourite destination for many.

We worked very hard to hold this forum in Georgia, which is a favourite tourist destination for many. We brought top companies from all over Europe to Georgia. I think we will get a good result", Hashimov said.

Irma Kodua, the founder of Grata destination management company, said the forum was very important for the development of business tourism in Georgia.

Those in the business tourism industry who come here are interested in special places and special products that they can offer their high-spending corporate tourists. For the development of business tourism, holding this type of event is of particular importance, because participants get to know our tourist potential directly, get experience and better offer the direction of Georgia to their customers", she said.

About 60 buyers from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other countries visited Georgia as part of the forum that ran between July 5-6 and was organised by the Convention and Exhibition Bureau of the GNTA. Heri Kashema, the Commercial Director of m&i, said the forum was bringing the best client companies from Europe in the field of business tourism.

GNTA Head Maia Omiadze told Agenda.ge the Bureau had been involved in the bidding to get this event off the ground, adding a successful hosting of the event would bring 500 buyers next year to Georgia.

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10 July 2023 23:55 (UTC+04:00)

The process of demarcation of the state border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has been fully completed, according to Official Spokesperson of the Kazakh MFA Aibek Smadyarov, Azernews reports, citing Kazinform.

On July 4, 2023, the Treaty between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan on demarcation of the Kazakh-Uzbek state border entered into force. The Treaty was signed on December 2, 2022 in Tashkent, by the two countries presidents and ratified by the parliaments. The enactment of the document means full completion of 19-year-long process of demarcation of the state border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Smadyarov said at a briefing.

The length of the Kazakh-Uzbek state border is 2,357 kilometers.

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You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.
https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/technology.html

Fishing Techniques

Image A smartphone is a valuable tool for helping you catch more fish. They can help you find bass fishing hotspots on the water or at home.

There's no denying that technology has drastically changed our world. Of course, some good and bad things have come from it, but it has made our lives easier when finding information. Everything you need to know is right in your hands when you are holding a smartphone, including plenty of great fishing information.

Finding your next best fishing hot spots is right on your phone and online. Here are a few ways to harness technology's power to catch more bass.

Mapping Apps

The days of paper maps are long gone, and while they are still relevant and helpful, mapping software is much more convenient and efficient. There are several options for those looking to add a mapping card to the electronics mounted on their boat, but you can also do it right from your phone.

The Navionics Boating app and Humminbird's One-Boat Network app have powerful maps and tools built into the program. They offer everything you need to look for areas to fish, mark them, and head to them when you hit the water. Instead of scrolling social media during downtime in the evenings, you can use your phone to find some great new fishing areas.

Image The Humminbird One-Boat Network app is easy to use and has the same excellent mapping detail as their LakeMaster mapping cards.

In addition to just seeing lake contours, you can also use these apps to find marinas, which often hold fish and can also provide access points to fish. The data included here will show boat launches and give you a place to launch your boat if you are unfamiliar with a body of water.

Another great tool included in these apps is that they show where docks are located, which are prime locations for bass in all seasons. You can easily see the most prominent groups of docks, which come out into deeper water, and also find the secluded docks likely to hold several bass if they are the only ones in an area.

Google Earth

One of the most powerful tools to scout out new waters is Google Earth, both on your computer or smartphone. The satellite images collected are some of the most valuable ways to find new bodies of water and learn more about your home waters.

The tool can be accessed on your phone, but the best option is to view it on a laptop or desktop computer through the Google Earth Pro program. This allows you to view historical images over the years. This is especially useful if the lake has been drawn down or went through low water cycles because underwater islands, humps, and points shown in low water images can be excellent spots when the water returns to higher levels.

Image The aptly named "Sometimes Island" can be seen here during low water years and will be underwater during higher water levels. Google Earth Pro shows this island at varying stages depending on when the satellite image was taken.

Another valuable way to use Google Earth is to scout for backwaters on lakes and rivers. These small areas off of the mainlake will be easy to see with the satellite images, and you can gain knowledge about them from the pictures, seeing what type of structure and cover is there and the best way to access them.

Another way to utilize Google Earth is to look through historical images to understand where grass typically grows during different times of the year. It can also be helpful to see what areas of the lake have dirtier water and places with cleaner water. These clues will help you find new fishing hotspots and can be a very effective way to prepare for a road trip or tournament on a new body of water.

Image The same area shows a drastically different picture a few years later.

YouTube and Social Media

Social media and YouTube are full of good and bad information, but they are practical tools for learning about fishing and finding new fishing areas. Watching videos from trusted and reputable channels, such as Bass Resource, is a great way to learn about new products and fishing techniques, but you can learn something from any video posted online.

For videos filmed on specific bodies of water, you can learn a great deal about seasonal patterns and types of places to fish. This is not to steal spots, but seeing an angler catch fish along a rocky bank with a crankbait for a video posted in the spring can help point you in the right direction for things to look for. With the advent of live cameras in professional bass tournaments over the years, you can also rewatch these videos and learn a great deal about the techniques and types of areas to look for.

Social media and online forums are great tools for getting tidbits about lakes. Lake-specific groups will showcase what the fish are biting and the size of the fish being produced. You can also scour tournament results to understand the winning weights and what the lake can kick out. The more you read and see about a specific lake, will give you more data points, and once you start seeing areas, techniques, and keywords popping up more than once, it makes it even more credible and something you can use to help you catch more fish.

Love it or hate it, technology is here to stay. It continues to be a bigger part of our lives, and fishing is no different. The great thing about fishing is that you can take a simple approach and head to the shore of a pond and catch fish, or you can use technology to make yourself more efficient on the water. There is no wrong way to do it as long as you are having fun.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken a firm stance against former United States (US) President Donald Trump's audacious claim that he could have single-handedly ended the Ukraine-Russia war within 24 hours.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last February 2022.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky Mocks Donald Trump's Claim

Zelensky wasted no time dismissing Trump's bold assertion, claiming he could have put an end to the war with Russia in merely a day.

According to Newsweek, the Ukraine President has finally spoken up on Trump's claim during his recent interview on ABC News on July 9, Sunday. During his appearance on 'This Week' on the news channel, he pointed out that the former US President "already" had the chance to end the war during his presidency, which spanned between 2017 and 2021.

Zelensky, in his translated comments, says, "It seems to me that the sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful." Yet, the Ukrainian leader told ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz that the "desire should be based on some real-life experience."

The Ukraine President reiterated, "It looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time." He also noted that Ukraine was already at war with Russia during Trump's US presidency, but not in a full-scale conflict. However, Zelensky assumes that the ex-POTUS "must have had some other priorities."

On top of that, the Ukrainian leader argued that US President Joe Biden and Trump could end the war in a shorter span of less than a day. He says they only had to force Ukraine to surrender their territory to Moscow. Yet, he notes that the conflicted country's leadership "would not agree" to such a move.

Zelensky blurts out, "Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree."

Read Also: Pence Meets Zelensky During a Surprise Visit to Ukraine, Setting Himself Apart From GOP

Donald Trump Boasts He Could End Russia-Ukraine War in 'One Day'

As per The Daily Beast, Trump has repeatedly expressed his claims to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine if ever re-elected to his seat in the White House.

The former US President blamed President Biden for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin last February 2022. He claims that his relationship with Putin could easily end the conflict in "one day," if only he was in charge.

As the Rolling Stone reports, the MAGA leader previously said, "I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours." Trump also boasted that his "personality kept us out of war," adding that the invasion was "horrible."

Related Article: Ukraine's Zelensky Warns About Russia Plans to Attack Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

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Oregon Coast Campsites Now Open to Same-Day Reservations

Published 07/05/23 at 6:51 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  Last-minute availability of Oregon coast campsites is a bit rare this time of year, but not impossible. Yet until now, that was virtually impossible to know much less snag. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) just announced that you can check online for same-day openings and even book them. (Above: camping at Cape Lookout State Park. All photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection unless otherwise noted)

Previously, you had to make online reservations a good 24 hours ahead of time, if not significantly more. With this new feature, those heading to the Oregon coast can actually book a spot beneath the stars on the same day, just before they arrive.

OPRD said this is a pilot program.

The goal is to offer campers the security of knowing they have a site booked before they leave home, and to give park staff more time to offer interpretive opportunities and maintain park facilities and landscapes and provide a safe camping experience, said Coastal Region Director Dennis Comfort.



Harris Beach State Park, south coast (courtesy OPRD)

This gives the traveler some peace of mind, he said. Visitors will have less uncertainty about finding a place to camp in any of the region's 362 miles  from Brookings through to Astoria.

When they say last-minute they're not kidding. Campers can make a same-day reservation online right up until 11:59 p.m. on the day they make it to the Oregon coastline. However, yurt and cabin reservations must be made before 6 p.m. on the day of arrival because of staff that are needed to hand over keys or codes.

To make a reservation, see https://oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. You can also call (800) 452-5687 Monday through Friday.

OPRD will waive the $8 reservation fee for all same-day reservations at the coast during the pilot program.

Oregon's coastline is by far the busiest in the Oregon State Parks system, serving up some 1.9 million camper nights each year  across a mere 17 campgrounds. Those stats are based on one camper counting as one camper night, but a group of four staying two nights counts as eight camper nights.

You can also make same-day reservations while you're at the park if there are campsites available. OPRD is installing free limited Wi-Fi for reservation access at all beach campground registration booths. Look for the reservation signs for login information. Those who wish to pay with cash or check must find a ranger during booth operating hours. Ranger availability is limited depending on time and location.

For more information about the new option, see the state park's online FAQs. If visitors have any additional questions or concerns about the new option, they can contact the information center at park.info@oregon.gov. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

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Hiking, Painting, Tidepool Events at N. Oregon Coast's Netarts Area

Published 07/07/23 at 6:21 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Netarts, Oregon)  The tiny burgh of Netarts is brimming with outdoors activities in July, as the Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea (WEBS) host three more events in the area. There's a rather intensive guided hike, a laidback painting experience or an educational walk through a different kind of Oregon coast environment. (All photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Then in August there's a run of tidepool walks that include freaky stuff like clone wars going in those oceanside pools of water and other unseen events under that thin layer of ocean.

All events are free, but a donation made to the group is highly appreciated.

Hike Netarts Spit. Saturday; July 8th; 8:00 am - 3:30 pm. Take a hike, they tell you. And what a hike it is. The folks at WEBS join forces with Portland Audubons Plover Patrol Program for a hike up the Netarts Spit with the goal of checking out snowy plover habitats and other aspects of this part of the north Oregon coast.

Guides will point out the ecology of the area, its rather startling geology (there are some ghost forests here as old as 80,000 years), and plenty of birds. There's 13 miles roundtrip involved, and WEBS said while the pace is slow that's still rather intense. You'll want to bring water, comfortable shoes and a good lunch.





They added:

Unsure if you want to commit to the full hike? This hike includes multiple stops with opportunities to hike shorter distances. WEBS volunteers will be on hand to help lead participants back to their cars..

Salt Marsh Walk. Wednesday; July 19; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. WEBS takes on a guided tour of the salt marsh at the end of Netarts Bay.

There, they'll drop knowledge about the animals and plants that live in this unique environment, a habitat that's ecologically important to both the water's edge and the forest. Every wonder how plants survive in a salty world along the Oregon coast? Guides will show you that in the way vegetation exists on both the bay and the dunes of the Netarts Spit area.

This program includes two parts: a presentation followed by a walking tour. Best for ages 12 and over. It is free.

Painting on the Bay. Saturday; July 29; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Happening at Netarts' Schooner Restaurant and Lounge, you'll get to discover your inner artist and capture the stunning beauty of this north Oregon coast treasure.

It's open to participants of all skill levels, and it takes you down the road of acrylic painting. Breanna Gill of Paletteable.art leads the group for two to three hours, where everyone paints this unique landscape and brings out its essence. Supplies will be provided.

Drinks and food will be available for purchase at the Schooner. The WEBS group asks you to consider supporting the Schooner by staying for lunch or enjoying a snack while you are painting. The event is free.

Tidepool Discovery Days: Wednesday, August 2nd; 8:00am; Thursday, August 3rd; 8:00am; Friday, August 4th; 8:30am.

What amazing creatures are lurking at the waters edge? Come out to Oceanside and see.

Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS staff and volunteers will be onsite in the tide pools sharing about what is living along the coastal edge. Learn about anemone clone wars, how a sea star eats, or how hermit crabs steal shell homes from other crabs! From seaweeds to sculpin fish, there is an amazing world to discover. Come out and enjoy.



Learn more and find links to register for these events at: https://www.netartsbaywebs.org/events

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CoastWatch Volunteers Catch Run of the Illegal and Extremely Dangerous on Oregon Coast

Published 07/07/23 at 5:01 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  Oregon's CoastWatch group is a case of something you didn't know you needed until it was invented. To this day, lots of Oregonians and fans of the Oregon coast don't know it exists, and how it's helping keep this coastline pristine. (Above: courtesy CoastWatch's SallyG. Children dig a dangerous hole in soft cliffs at Lincoln City)

Volunteers with the group make special beach reports periodically, adopting a coast mile and sending in observations when they can. They can make finds on these beaches that are important  and just that happened recently. However, there were some interesting finds, like signs of a sea star return and an octopus just hanging out.

CoastWatchers came across a fair amount of illegal and sometimes extremely dangerous behavior in the last month or two, including two youngsters carving out walls of a very dicey cave and people walking on national refuge areas.



Courtesy CoastWatch's SallyG

Earlier in April, CoastWatch volunteer SallyG discovered a small cave had been dug out of the soft cliff wall at the end of Roads End State Park in Lincoln City. In fact, she snapped a pic of two young children digging even more out of the cliff. She said she thought this seems like a bad idea to me, but that's an understatement.

There was also what appeared to be a homeless encampment inside a soft rock overhang in a cliff.

On July 5, SallyG returned to this part of Lincoln City and discovered even further damage to the cliffs.

The rock cliff near Roads End, with a cave dug out by beachgoers, now has a tunnel. People are using the rock wall to carve their names and romances.



Courtesy CoastWatch's SallyG

There's a lot going on in those few words, and the picture is a frightening one to any who understand the fragility of this material. First, it is illegal to dig into a cliff on seashore area. Secondly, it is extremely dangerous. Those kids were in a fair amount of danger digging in there, as this weakens the structure and greatly increases the chance part of this will fall. The fact you can carve your name or dig more out of a manmade beach cave should be telling how unsafe it is.

Now, someone has turned that into a tunnel, which is doubly dangerous.

According to Oregon State law: A person may not place items such as logs, rocks, ropes, structural members or other objects; remove, bury, roll stones or other objects; carve, dig caves or sculpt in sand dunes or sea cliffs, in a way that endangers visitors or damages ocean shore resources.

If you see a cave like this made of softer material than rock, do not think about entering.

Graffitti in cliffs is not only illegal but it's ultimately quite an eyesore, no matter how in love you are.

On the Fourth of July, another CoastWatcher caught even more illegal activity involving climbing on rocks that are part of national bird refuges as well as dogs chasing wildlife.



Courtesy CoastWatch's tabeag



The CoastWatcher was wandering the Ecola Point area (just below the point and part of Crescent Beach).

A group of five climbed the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge rocks to the back area of Ecola Point, disturbing nesting seabirds. Four separate locals notified them that it was illegal, and they said someone from the area told them differently.

The CoastWatcher known as tabeag also noted more than one dog running after birds, as well as two of the pet owners walking on the rocks that are off-limits.

Allowing your animal to chase wildlife is illegal. State law says: Handlers must prevent their animals from harassing people, wildlife and other domestic animals.

These refuges fall under federal jurisdiction, which could make the crime of disturbing sea birds even more serious.

Other CoastWatchers discovered more lingering beach fires, which they had to put out themselves. This is a big no-no. Several years ago there was an incident on the Oregon coast where a woman severely burned her foot walking on a thin layer of sand that covered a smoldering beach fire. It had not been put out but only lightly covered.

One of these fires was near Cape Kiwanda, and there were numerous beer cans littering the area as well.



At Ocean Beach Picnic Area near Florence, back in May one CoastWatcher caught a scary moment with a dog and its owner.

One person was in the surf playing until her dog almost got swept out. She was very shaken and the dog was too. Another reminder to keep dogs leashed and pay attention to the ocean. You can never be sure about the waves.

Oregon law doesn't say you have to have a leash on your pet all the time, although some beaches and all trails in the state will declare the need for a leash. However, if your dog isn't responding well to commands while on the beach you should put a leash on to prevent moments like this.



Courtesy CoastWatch's Angela Whitlock

On the good news side, sea stars are definitely making a comeback. On June 17, also at Ecola Point, one Coastwatcher noticed a cave wall there had six juvenile sea stars. A fair amount of young sea stars was also noticed in recent weeks in other Oregon coast spots by CoastWatchers.



Courtesy CoastWatch's krallfamily

Also intriguing was a live octopus found at Oceanside last month that had been hiding in a tidepool for more than a week, according to the CoastWatcher.

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If the bad reviews weren't enough, now comes word of VinFast's recall of all 999 VF8 2023 vehicles sent to the U.S. due to safety concerns. The Vietnamese-based electric vehicle maker was awarded an incentive package by the state and Chatham County to build a $4 billion EV production plant in Moncure.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued the recall due to a multifunction head unit display caused by a software error that may cause it to go blank while driving, increasing the chances of a crash. The error was talked about in-depth in many critical reviews in the past month.according to jalopnik.com.That includes the speedometer and warning lights.This isn't the first recall for the VF8. According to Insideevs.com, 2,781 VF8 SUVs sold in Vietnam were recalled over an issue with the front brakes. The article said that VinFast would also check for the issue in all of the vehicles being sent to the U.S.The NHTSA said the problem had been documented 18 times but estimates 1,263 VF8s are affected, with 999 potentially dealing with the issue, including 153 fleet vehicles and 111 in customer vehicles. VinFast has possession of the remaining vehicles.The company is said to be fixing the issue with an over-the-air (OTA) update to fix the glitch, free of charge, and will notify owners through the mail starting May 29.Reviews of the vehicle sparked words like abysmal,andincluding from the highly respected MotorTrend, which said VinFast had the right idea, but the VF8 is nowhere near ready for customer deliveries that are already taking place.said MotorTrend writer Scott Evans describing the other issues with the vehicle.Evans also said, while adaptive cruise control and lane-centering steering assist work well, there are no apparent safeguards, and can be activated on any road at any time.Road & Track says,The site's test driverriding in the passenger's seat.In addition to the bad reviews, questions are being raised about the company having enough money to operate in the U.S.According to a December filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), VinFast lost $1.3 billion in 2021 and close to $1.5 billion in the first three quarters of 2022.The company recently announced that it would merge with special-purpose-acquisition company (SPAC) Black Spade Acquisition Company, allowing it to go public through a stock offering in the U.S.The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023 and will value VinFast at approximately $27 billion with an equity value of $23 billion. After the transaction, existing shareholders of VinFast will hold approximately 99% shares of the combined company.Parent company Vingroup, Vietnam's biggest conglomerate, and founder Pham Nhat Vuong pledged the startup company $2.5 billion in funding last month.These issues raise concerns about the plant scheduled to be built at the Triangle Innovation Point in Moncure and slated to open in 2025.To attract the newly formed company, the state, and Chatham County committed to spending nearly $1.2 billion in incentives over the next 32 years.Using the state's Transformative Job Development and Investment Grant program (JDIG), VinFast could get up to $316.1 million in reimbursement from the state over three decades if the company meets hiring goals.The total state appropriation is estimated at $766 million, with Chatham County giving VinFast another $400 million incentive package.All of these and other issues have led to the question of whether or not the plant will even be built, which would be of small comfort to those losing their homes, businesses, and church to eminent domain in order to build new roads leading to the proposed plant.VinFast's woes were discussed in-depth on Carolina Journal's The Debrief this week.
Since Monday, criticism of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has escalated after his decision to formally declare a state of emergency over an education bill with which he disagrees.Cooper, a longtime opponent of school choice, released a video statement Monday declaring aHowever, the governor said he would not be filing an executive order to go along with it.Cooper's political stunt comes days after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch issued a warning for officialsAfter Cooper's declaration, U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley implied that the state of emergency was not legitimate.Influential conservative commentator, Ben Shapiro, shared Haley's post.U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, R-NC, released a scorching statement about Cooper's antics on Wednesday.Tillis said.Tillis went on to compare Cooper'sto President Biden'sTillis said he wasCorey DeAngelis, a self-professedand Senior Fellow for the American Federation for Children, criticized Cooper's opposition to school choice.DeAngelis said.Cooper's decision to enroll his daughter in a private school in Raleigh has sparked criticism from school choice advocates, who question his reluctance to extend the same opportunity to less privileged children.DeAngelis said.In an article for National Review, Donald Bryson, President of the John Locke Foundation, called Cooper's publicity stuntBryson went on to list those reasons.Bryson said.Bryson argued it is incumbent upon elected leaders to reserve emergency declarations for actual emergencies.Bryson said.School choice bills are sponsored by 60 percent of lawmakers in the House and Senate, meaning there is enough support for the policy to override Cooper's anticipated veto.The state legislature successfully overrode both of Cooper's vetos this year: once on a bill that bans elective abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy and another that removed an extra permit requirement to purchase a pistol.Cooper conducted a similar campaign in the Tarheel state just a few weeks ago, opposing a bill aimed at reducing abortions after the first trimester. Cooper's efforts to stop the bill failed.Over the past few years, North Carolina Democrats have maintained a legislative strategy around Cooper's ability to maintain a veto. However, now that Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, Cooper has no power to affect public policy.Additionally, Cooper has neglected to maintain or cultivate relationships with any Republican lawmakers-a decision that appears to have come back to bite him.Cooper differs significantly from former Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt in strategy. Lawmakers say Hunt would walk down to the legislature and meet with them in person if he wanted lawmakers to reconsider part of a bill.According to current lawmakers, Cooper has not taken this approach.
Esther Olajide graduated from East Carolina University's College of Nursing's Bachelor of Nursing program after spending nearly a year deployed with the Navy. (ECU photo by Rhett Butler)

This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Benjamin Abel In May, Esther Olajide walked across the stage as Pirate nurse, having completed all the requirements of her bachelor's in nursing science degree: research papers, end-of-semester exams and day after day of clinical rotations.However, before Olajide graduated, she had an extra challenge that none of her peers shared before being able to turn her tassel - nearly a year in military uniform supporting counter-terrorism missions on the east coast of Africa.Esther Olajide and her family moved from Nigeria to Charlotte when she was old enough to be completely culture shocked by the change in just about every part of her life.she recalled. That she had her little sister, just a year younger, as a partner for the adventure was a blessing. The young women remain very close, as siblings who meet the challenges of new worlds together often do.Language wasn't an issue, though. Olajide grew up speaking both English and Yoruba, the language of the more than 5 million Yoruba people who live mostly in Nigeria, but some in the U.S. as well. Becoming an American citizen wasn't an issue either - her father zealously applied himself to the naturalization process and, because Olajide and her sister were under 18 when he took the citizenship oath, they automatically were naturalized as well.While her family has all returned to Nigeria to visit since emigrating to the US, she has yet to. Commitments always got in the way of opportunities to return to her childhood home.Olajide studied at an early middle college during her junior and senior years of high school, and then completed aWhen she graduated from the program, she had two full years of college completed.Like many young people, Olajide wasn't ready for a full-time college experience immediately after graduation - she had some things to figure out, a bit of life to live. She was the last person that her friends and family would have expected to join the military, but something about the ability to help others in uniform called to her. She considered the Marines, but that wasn't the right fit. The Navy was. She enlisted with the hopes of training to be a corpsman - a medic - to get on the path to being a Navy nurse, but was trained as a logistician, instead, and graduated at the top of her class.she said.After a few cold months of boot camp in Chicago, Olajide was back in Charlotte bouncing between jobs and looking for the next step in her adventure. A friend said she was going to East Carolina University in the fall of 2019, which sounded like a good idea. With two years of college classes already under her belt, nursing school seemed well in hand.Education, interruptedBy the fall of 2020, Olajide was accepted to the College of Nursing and taking courses in Greenville. The university was in the fluctuating transition between distance education and in-person classes, masks and fervent use of hand sanitizer.Olajide said.Being in school at home was weird, but things were about to get weirder.In the summer of 2019, the Navy told her to get ready for a possible deployment. In the fall of 2021, her third semester of nursing school, the orders came through. She would spend the next 10 months in Djibouti, where the U.S. military was pushing back against insurgents who were disrupting the fragile ecosystem of developing nations in coastal East Africa.Olajide joked.Olajide worked to wrap up her coursework before lacing up her boots. Instructors provided pre-recorded lectures to listen to and exams were scheduled and taken before her mobilization. One of her clinical instructors, Kelli Jones, praised Olajide's responsibility in getting the work done early.Jones said.In April, Olajide was presented the DAISY award for her academic achievements. The DAISY award was created by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died of an immune system disorder and was cared for by competent and caring nurses.Because she is a logistics specialist, Olajide said that the deployment was unremarkable, morethan a whirlwind of combat. One event stood out that reinforced her path to a nursing career. The medical staff at her base pressed her into service as a role player in a mock mass casualty training event, which reinforced her appreciation for being well-trained and level-headed under the stress of an emergent medical situation.she said.While the deployment was unremarkable, Olajide said that being back in Africa was a blessing, even if it was on the opposite side of the continent and a universe away from her family in Nigeria.Olajide said.Back on trackThe 10 months flew by and a return to the States meant the need to get in gear for nursing school. Olajide said the faculty and staff at the College of Nursing made the transition back to civilian life smooth.she said.Not being in student mode for most of a year and shifting back to campus life was challenging, but Olajide said she wanted to come back to ECU and push through, which she did.Olajide has already spoken to recruiters to explore being a nurse in the Navy as a commissioned officer. She raised her hand to serve in uniform because it was a way to help others, which she's be even more qualified to do after officially joining Pirate nurse nation.she said.Olajide said the mentoring and friendship that she received from her clinical instructors, Kelli Jones, Liz Mizelle, Laura Batson, Erin Beaman and Susan Lally, and advisor Amy Bradshaw will help her model how to be a nurse once she graduates.Olajide said.Lally said that Olajide's positive attitude, determination and caring nature carried her through the challenge of a disruptive break in the middle of her nursing education.Lally said.
Forty-six Christians were killed over two days after terrorists in Nigeria targeted Christian villages, according to a new report.The killings happened on June 3 and 4 in the southern Nigerian villages of Michihe, Achamegh and Mbagene Kpav, and Imande Mbakange, Morning Star News reported. In the wake of the killings, local leaders have accused Nigeria's government of turning a blind eye to the violence.a statement from the Shitile Development Association (SDA) said.Militant Islamic Fulani herdsmen, a nomadic group that is known to frequently attack Christians in the African country, have been accused of orchestrating the attacks. The recent attack comes as some religious freedom advocates have said that the persecution of Christians in the African nation should be seen as genocide.the statement from the SDA said.Local council official Alfred Atera condemned the attacks, calling on the security agencies to end the violence.Atera said.Police in Benue, the state where the attacks took place, said that they had sent police and security personnel to the area to stop the violence.The attack in Benue follows weeks of recent attacks in the Plateau state, where 28 Christian churches were destroyed and a reported 300 Christians killed. The destruction reportedly led to the displacement of about 30,000 Christians in the state.A recent report put out by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) estimated that over 5,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2022 while over 3,000 were kidnapped.The perpetrators are believed to be members of radical Islamic terror groups, including Fulani herdsmen groups, Boko Haram, and ISAWP (Islamic State West Africa Province).
A biological man who served 30 years in prison for attempted murder, and now dresses as a woman and calls himself Sarah Jane Baker, speaking from the podium at a Trans Pride rally in London, called upon transgender activisits to assault femimists on sight. "If you see a TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist), punch them in the face" Baker told the crowd. Given Baker's criminal record, there is little doubt that he meant it literally.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12280305/Transgender-activist-tells-crowd-Trans-Pride-march-TERF-punch-face.html

This is one more instance of the violent nature of transgender activists. The tranny shooting children and staff members at a school in Nashville was the first warning.
(Photo : Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Billionaire entrepreneur Jack Ma's companies, Ant and Alibaba, have spent more than $1.14 trillion amid the businessman's conflict with the Chinese government.

Billionaire Jack Ma's conflict with the Chinese government has cost the businessman's companies, Alibaba and Ant, more than $1.14 trillion.

On Friday, Beijing authorities said they would finish an investigation into Ant, as the financial technology company was fined nearly $1 billion. The probe started after Ma criticized Beijing's regulation of the financial sector in 2020, which forced Ant to pull the plug on what could have been the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history.

Jack Ma's Conflict With The Chinese Government

The costs that Ma's companies incurred go far beyond just the latest fine as the crackdown also added to the erosion of confidence in the private sector in China as the Asian country is suffering from a growing weakness from a range of issues, such as consumer spending, the housing market, to investments in exports and infrastructure.

Furthermore, Ant was forced to overhaul its entire business model, promptly pulling back from sensitive sectors and choosing to ease up on competition with state-backed banks. The company's valuation, estimated to be about $315 billion following the IPO, has dropped to roughly $78.5 billion, as per the Straits Times.

Ant also proposed on Saturday to buy back as much as 7.6% of shares in an attempt to provide a chance to cut stakes for investors who were ensnared by a years-long regulatory crackdown. On the other hand, Ma's other company, Alibaba, was considering whether or not to offer up some of its shares with Ant to the buyback, said company officials on Sunday in an exchange filing.

Alibaba was not any better compared to Ant as Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration targeted the company in a crackdown on leading internet platforms. Earlier this year, Alibaba officials planned to split the company into six major businesses.

Even after an 8% rally in shares on Friday, Alibaba's market value was $234 billion after the probe on Ant. This was a massive drop compared to its previous $620 billion estimation, off its peak in 2020.

The Communist Party boss at the People's Bank of China, Guo Shuqing, said in January that the Chinese government's crackdown was essentially over. He noted that it was meant to boost economic growth, jobs, and the nation's competitiveness abroad, according to CNN.

Read Also: Netherlands Prime Minister Struggles To Unite Government Over Immigration Policy

Crackdown on the Private Sector

China's financial regulators also announced a nearly $415 million fine for Tenpay, Tencent's (TCEHY) online payment platform. It was seen as part of the Chinese government's broader attempt to curb the nation's private enterprise, which the ruling Communist Party has deemed has become too powerful.

The situation comes after Ma was thought to have gone missing after being out of the public eye for several months. But in 2021, it was reported that the billionaire entrepreneur was lying low amid the flurry of new, restrictive regulations.

On Thursday, Alibaba said Ma was "alive" and "happy" after continued speculation regarding his activities. The remarks were made by the company's President, Michael Evans, which were made in response to a question regarding the billionaire's condition. CNBC said the statement underscored the continued interest in Ma's whereabouts recently.

Related Article: Ukraine NATO Bid: Biden Says War With Russia Must End First

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Pierre Brouchard, former chief of the powerful French intelligence agency the DGSE, has issued a warning that the ideology behind decades of "colonizing mass immigration" was responsible for the recent massive race riots by Muslim North African youths that caused a billion euros in damage. He further warned that this ideology could bring a collapse of the French nation.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/ex-spy-boss-on-race-riots-nothing-comparable-has-happened-since-the-french-revolution/

https://rmx.news/france/former-head-of-french-counter-intelligence-agency-blasts-decades-of-mass-colonizing-immigration/

Meanwhile former Socialist French president Hollande claimed that race and immigration status had nothing to do with the riots. The Interior Minister in current President Macron's government also claimed immigration status and race were not factors. On the other hand, the Senate leader of the traditional conservative Les Republicains, Senator Bruno Retailleau disputed those claims, saying "of course, there is a link between immigration and the riots". He continued in describing who the rioters were, declaring "I've asked many mayors, They all tell you that it is in the neighborhoods where there are migratory ghettos."

https://rmx.news/crime/french-riots-top-politician-says-of-course-there-is-a-link-between-immigration-and-devastating-riots-across-france/

Polling shows that the French people are mostly inclined toward the position of spy chief Brouchard rather than the political establishment. A poll for the left of center establishment newspaper Le Figaro of Paris found that 59% of French voters blamed the riots on French immigration policy, while 71% said there should be a reduction in immigration into the country, and 89% said they feared for the future of France as a result of the riots.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/07/09/majority-of-the-french-blame-riots-on-mass-migration-as-establishment-attempts-to-downplay-impact/

Now, an interview with Canada's Rebel News in which an Algerian Muslim in Marseilles tells a reporter that Muslims are colonizing France and will continue to do so "until death, until the end of time" has gone viral with 4.5 million views.

America under Biden is making the very same mistake.
Matthew Meyer, MD, associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, spoke with Becker's to answer, "What do current anesthesia employment trends mean for independent ASCs?"

Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Dr. Matthew Meyer: I think [current anesthesia employment trends] could be really good for independent ASCs. I think it's a matter of ASCs putting themselves out there and leaning into what makes an independent ambulatory surgery center special. Anesthesiologists tend to work in large groups, whether it's a nationalized conglomerate or a large healthcare system, and these places are hiring people all the time. Essentially, there's always employment at some of these institutions because they know that they're gonna have churn and they're always hiring people. [Anesthesiologists] are essentially viewed as commodities in a lot of these institutions.

At an independent ASC, you have one to maybe as many as 10 operating rooms  which would be huge  and anesthesiologists are not a commodity; they are an essential part of your system, and you need that anesthesiologist to show up. You need them to be good with the patients, and you have the opportunity to show them how valuable they are in the system. I think, when you might be treated as a commodity at other institutions, it's all the more important for a place that doesn't see you as a commodity and sees you as an incredibly valuable part

of the team to put that into their marketing. What does anyone want out of a job other than to be respected? That at the base is something that people really want. They'll take a pay cut if they feel like they're really important and their opinion is respected.
Here are five physician kickback cases Becker's reported on in June:

1. Eleven people were indicted in a $2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme focused on orthotic braces and pain creams. The CEO and vice president of business development of a software and services company are accused of selling templated physician orders for orthotic braces and pain creams in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. Several individuals were involved in a telemarketing operation across the U.S. and abroad to target elderly and disabled people with direct advertising to sell medically unnecessary medical equipment and prescriptions

2. David Copeland, part owner and sales manager of a pharmacy in Florida selling compounded prescription drugs, paid physicians who treated Tricare beneficiaries bribes and kickbacks in exchange for prescription referrals. He took them on hunting trips and "expensive dinners" as well, according to the Justice Department

3. Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre, a skilled nursing facility in Riverside, Calif., and its management company, Rockport Healthcare Services, agreed to pay the U.S. and California $3.825 million to resolve physician kickback allegations.

4. Columbia, S.C.-based Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, St. Francis Hospital and St. Francis Physician Services agreed to pay $36.5 million to resolve allegations that it made illegal kickback payments to surgeons tied to the volume or value of referrals.

5. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, Detroit Medical Center and Vanguard Health Systems agreed to pay $29.7 million to the federal government to resolve a whistleblower's allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by providing kickbacks to referring physicians.
South Dakota  the best state to practice medicine, according to financial advisory group Physicians Thrive  has 15 ASCs.

In May, Physicians Thrive released its ranking of the top 10 states to practice medicine. To create the ranking, Physicians Thrive examined each state's compensation, cost of living, physician density and more. Read more about the methodology here.

The number of ASCs provided comes from December 2022 data from ASCA.

Here are the 10 best states to practice medicine and their number of ASCs:

1. South Dakota: 15

2. Idaho: 54

3. Iowa: 30

4. North Dakota: 13

5. Wisconsin: 75

6. Utah: 48

7. Nebraska: 48

8. Colorado: 141

9. Minnesota: 83

10. New Hampshire: 28
SCA Health, an affiliate of Optum, has had a slow year of ASC activity since the company rebranded last May and expanded its focus beyond surgery centers.

"When I joined the organization in 2015, we were an ambulatory surgery center company singularly focused on partnering with surgeons in their ASCs," SCA Health's CEO Caitlin Zulla told Becker's last year. "Since then, we've evolved to support physician specialists more holistically across the specialty care continuum."

Here are three notes on where SCA Health stands today:

1. SCA Health has more than 320 ASCs  making it one of the largest ASC chains in the U.S.

2. The company has 9,200 physicians in its network.

3. SCA Health serves 1.43 million patients annually.
Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry has a 29.4 percent acceptance rate  the highest among U.S. dental schools  according to academic consulting website BeMo.

Here are the schools with the 10 highest acceptance rates and their number of applicants in 2023:

1. University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry (Jackson): 29.4 percent acceptance rate; 136 applicants

2. East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (Greenville, N.C.): 15.8 percent acceptance rate; 328 applicants

3. A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (Mesa): 13.08 percent acceptance rate; 2,323 applicants

4. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (Kansas City): 12.8 percent acceptance rate; 851 applicants

5. Ohio State University College of Dentistry (Columbus): 12.55 percent acceptance rate; 956 applicants

6. Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University (Augusta): 11.3 percent acceptance rate; 852 applicants

7. New York University College of Dentistry (New York City): 11 percent acceptance rate; 3,400 applicants

8. University of Utah School of Dentistry (Salt Lake City): 10.44 percent acceptance rate; 479 applicants

9. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry (Minneapolis): 10.21 percent acceptance rate; 1,009 applicants

10. University of Washington School of Dentistry (Seattle): 10.08 percent acceptance rate; 625 applicants
Minneapolis-based Allina Health has now put its planned Cambridge (Minn.) Medical Center replacement hospital project on indefinite hold as the 13-hospital system deals with persistent financial challenges.

"Like many non-profit health care delivery systems, Allina Health is experiencing significant financial challenges and needs to take prudent steps at this time," the system said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We remain strongly committed to being the provider partner for the Cambridge community and surrounding areas."

Allina Health first delayed the Cambridge Medical Center project in February, citing concerns about rising costs.

An updated budget and timeline for the project, about 50 miles north of Minneapolis, were due to be publicized in the summer.

Now it appears the project may only be continued at some uncertain future date.

"We are grateful for all those who entrust us with their care, and we are confident we will have a new Cambridge Medical Center when the time is right," Allina Health said.
After a small drop in ransomware attacks early in 2023, hospitals have recently been experiencing more of the hacks, Chief Healthcare Executive reported July 10.

"I have seen, unfortunately, an increase in high-impact ransomware attacks just in the past six weeks, and with multiple facilities being hit," John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk for the American Hospital Association, told the news outlet.

More than 36 million people have been affected by hospital and health system cyberattacks as of late June, compared to 44 million for all of 2022, according to the story.

Some of the recent IT security events have also affected patient care. "We've seen so many ransomware attacks, even some in the last 60 days, at hospitals that have forced those hospitals to shut down their systems, canceled surgeries, ambulances diverted from emergency rooms, test results that are just not available," Steve Cagle, CEO of cybersecurity firm Clearwater, told Chief Healthcare Executive.

Hospitals and health systems must strengthen their cyber defenses, including setting up a governance structure around patient safety risk and coordinating with other healthcare organizations in their regions, experts told the news outlet. Mr. Riggi said IT leaders have to help staff realize that "cyber hygiene is as important as medical hygiene to protect the patients."
(Photo : JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

US Central Command revealed on Sunday that an American military drone strike in eastern Syria on Friday resulted in the death of an ISIS leader.

The US forces utilized the same drones that Russian aircraft have been targeting in recent days to eliminate an ISIS leader in Syria.

The United States Central Command announced on Sunday that three MQ-9 Reaper drones had eliminated Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike two days prior.

ISIS Leader Killed by US Drone Strike

There are no indications that any civilians were slain in the strike, according to CENTCOM, though the United States and its allies are evaluating allegations of civilian injury. However, the strike did not occur until 18 unprofessional near passes by Russian forces prompted the MQ-9s to avoid hazardous situations.

A Defense Department official told the Associated Press on Sunday that three Reaper drones were harassed by Russian forces for approximately two hours while searching for a militant on Friday.

Drones were forced to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid a potentially hazardous situation. Once the area was cleared, the drones could strike Muhajir, who was traveling on a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, according to the anonymous official.

Although he was slain near Aleppo, al-Muhajir predominantly operated in the country's east as the terrorist organization seeks to reclaim a large portion of Syria and Iraq. In 2014, it controlled one-third of Syria and Iraq. The group adheres to an extreme interpretation of Islam, perpetrating atrocities such as the massacre of thousands of Yazidis.

Since the collapse of the jihadist group's "caliphate" in 2019, three ISIS leaders have been eliminated, including its creator Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The latest death occurred in October.

About 900 American troops remain in Syria to assist the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against Islamic State extremists. It is unknown what function al-Muhajir played within the terrorist organization.

Read Also: US Defends Decision To Send Cluster Munition to Ukraine; EU Reveals $545 Million Support Agreement for Kyiv

US Drones Harrassed by Russian Forces

Russian forces attacked US drones in the region for the third day on Friday, alleging that the United States violated protocol in Syrian airspace. However, a Pentagon spokesperson refuted these allegations. Per NY Post, the successful strike comes after the drones engaged in a series of fraught standoffs with Russian fighter aircraft over Syria last week.

During the encounter, which occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, Russian aircraft dropped a series of flares in front of the drones. They flew dangerously near, jeopardizing the safety of all aircraft involved, according to Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich.

According to Grynkewich, approximately twenty-four hours earlier, Russian aircraft deployed parachute flares in front of the drones, compelling them to perform evasive maneuvers.

At one point, a Russian jet cut in front of one of the drones and activated its afterburners, reducing "the operator's capacity to securely operate the aircraft," according to the officer. Russian aircraft in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad harassed US drones participating in the anti-ISIS mission in Syria three times as many days during the previous week.

Related Article: VIDEO: Russian Fighter Jets Harrass US Drones Over Syria

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A data breach at Asheville, N.C.-based Charles George VA Medical Center has compromised the protected health information of 1,541 patients, Fox Carolina reported July 9.

On May 12, the center learned that an email correspondence, which included attachments of patients' protected health information, was sent through secure messaging to three patients, with two of the three having opened the emails.

The center worked to delete the information from the patient who had not yet opened the email, according to the publication.

Charles George VA Medical Center did not disclose what kinds of information may have been compromised.

The center is notifying all affected individuals.
Epic has a two-hour meeting with its 13,000 employees from across the globe on the third Monday of each month, founder and CEO Judy Faulkner wrote July 10.

The roughly 11,500 employees at the EHR vendor's Verona, Wis., headquarters attend in person, while the remainder log in virtually (unless it's nighttime where they're located), according to the blog post. To miss the meeting, staffers have to get written permission from their team lead, president and CEO.

"Several times I've been told by customers that they are jealous of our staff meetings and our ability to get everyone together," Ms. Faulkner wrote. "It plays an important part in disseminating information, helping people stay aligned and be 'in the know,' and maintaining a culture. What they are particularly envious of, they've told us, is that sometimes they overhear our staff saying it's their favorite day of the month."

Employees discuss projects they're working on and industry trends such as artificial intelligence and virtual care, according to the post. "In WWDWWD (Why We Do What We Do), staff share meaningful stories about how our software helped patients and sometimes how our software saved lives," Ms. Faulkner wrote. "New customers are introduced, new go-lives are celebrated, and we commemorate our milestone anniversaries  folks who have been with Epic for 10, 15, 20, 25 years, and beyond."

Company leaders also talk about their "Hills"  areas where it excels and is the only one on said "Hill," with "no unsupported superlatives allowed"  as well as their challenges, she wrote. There's also a grammar section: "Me and I. Who, whom, and that."

Ms. Faulkner wrote that Epic is running out of room, as its five-story, underground Deep Space auditorium only fits 11,400 people. But she noted: "no, we're not going to build an auditorium for 22,000."
CMS is proposing a $9 billion lump sum payment to hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program to make them whole from unlawful payment cuts from 2018 to 2022.

The proposal comes after the Supreme Court in June 2022 sided with hospital groups challenging the payment cuts. The case centered around whether CMS has the authority to make cuts to the program under its Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System. Under the payment rule, HHS cut the reimbursement rate for covered drugs by 28.5 percent in 2018, but it later lowered the reimbursement rate cut to 22.5 percent.

CMS estimated that unlawful cuts resulted in 340B providers receiving $10.5 billion less in drug payments between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022, according to a July 7 CMS fact sheet. The agency said many drug claims have been reprocessed at the higher default payment rate since the policy was vacated, resulting in 340B providers already receiving $1.5 billion of that total.

CMS said it is proposing to maintain budget neutrality, as required by statute, according to the fact sheet. The agency estimates that hospitals were paid $7.8 billion more for non-drug items and services during the affected time period than they would have been in the absence of the 340B payment policy. To carry out the $7.8 billion budget neutrality adjustment, CMS is proposing to reduce future non-drug item and service payments by adjusting the OPPS conversion factor by -0.5 percent starting in 2025. The full adjustment is estimated to take 16 years.

Comments for the proposed rule are due by Sept. 5.

Reaction

American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollock said in a July 7 statement that the group is gratified that hospitals are being paid promptly with a single lump sum payment but is disappointed HHS has "chosen to recoup funds from other hospitals that cannot afford additional Medicare payment cuts, including rural sole community, cancer and children's hospitals that were initially exempted from HHS' illegal policy."

America's Essential Hospitals CEO Bruce Siegel, MD, said in a July 7 statement that the organization is pleased with the proposed lump sum reimbursement but is disappointed that the remedy does not include interest and is budget neutral.

"The proposed remedy is a positive step to compensate hospitals for the difference between the cuts and what they would have received otherwise," Dr. Siegel said. "We urge CMS to reconsider its proposed budget neutrality policy and make the remedy payments as soon as possible."

340B Health said it appreciates CMS' recognition of the need for accountability and their commitment to providing lump sum reimbursements but is urging the agency to "reconsider its proposed remedy of rate decreases for non-drug items, which would represent a financial penalty for many hospitals that had no option for avoiding those payments." The organization said it is also seeking repayments with interest.










Following an evaluation of leadership structure, Farmington, Conn.-based UConn Health will begin a national search for a CEO in the coming weeks.

This message came July 10 from University of Connecticut President Radenka Maric, PhD.

Dr. Maric told the university community that she evaluated the leadership structure of UConn Health and sought input from various sources, including senior leaders, faculty, staff and board members.

She said nearly every person she spoke with or who provided input to her office expressed that combining the roles of the medical school dean and CEO/executive vice president of the health system would pose significant challenges and limitations.

"When we consider the complexities of managing a healthcare system with the concurrent goal of significantly growing the academic, clinical and research missions of our schools of medicine and dental medicine, it became clear to me that having clearly delineated and dedicated leadership is critical," said Dr. Maric. "Thus, after a period of careful consideration and consultation, I have decided that UConn Health is best served by keeping the roles of CEO and dean of the school of medicine as two separate positions."

Currently, Bruce Liang, MD, serves as interim CEO of UConn Health and dean of UConn School of Medicine.

However, keeping the roles separate, which was in place under Andy Agwunobi, MD, former interim University of Connecticut president and former CEO of UConn Health, "allowed the dean to focus their full attention on the school, and gave the CEO/EVP the ability to focus on the full scope of the health center's operations," Dr. Maric said.

She also thanked Dr. Liang for providing "essential steadiness and continuity for the leadership team, as well as all our faculty, staff, students and patients at UConn Health."

Dr. Liang will continue serving as dean and interim CEO while a CEO search is conducted.
In a break from most hospitals' stance on mandating staffing standards, Penn Medicine is urging state legislators to pass a bill that would require hospitals to follow minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

On June 28, the Pennsylvania House approved House Bill 106. The Patient Safety Act sets limits on the number of patients nurses can be assigned in different units. For example, intensive care unit nurses would be assigned no more than two patients at a time. The legislation now heads to the state Senate.

Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, based in Philadelphia, expressed support for the legislation in an opinion piece published July 9 in Penn Live.

"As CEO of Pennsylvania's leading health system and as a leading nurse staffing researcher, we believe safe staffing standards will help to relieve nurse burnout, improve care for patients and create better work environments to attract and retain dedicated frontline caregivers," Mr. Mahoney wrote. "Pennsylvania should implement evidence-based staffing standards."

Mr. Mahoney co-authored the article with Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, founding director of Penn Nursing's center for health outcomes and policy research. While "no piece of legislation is a perfect solution" for burnout or staffing issues, staffing ratios are a part of evidence-based medicine, the leaders said. In addition to studies indicating nurse-to-patient ratios have positive effects on patient outcomes, they cited research linking better staffing to significantly less burnout and turnover, as well as surveys indicating patients' support for staffing standards.

"Opposition to the Patient Safety Act has frequently hinged on whether hospitals could comply, especially as the entire industry is under significant financial strain. These concerns are valid and well-meaning, and efforts to apply safe staffing standards should be coupled with initiatives to strengthen Pennsylvania's nursing workforce and ensure the long-term sustainability of hospital care in our communities," Mr. Mahoney and Dr. Aiken wrote.

Mr. Mahoney also made headlines in late June when he announced Penn Medicine would stop submitting data to the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospital" rankings.

"We had simply had enough with a for-profit, external ranking that really was not advancing our core mission," Mr. Mahoney told Becker's at the time. Read more of that story here.
Nurses at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., have voted to join the District of Columbia Nurses Association, the union said in a news release on its Facebook page.

The union, an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, represents about 2,000 nurses and licensed professional healthcare workers in Washington, D.C., according to the July 1 release. George Washington University Hospital is part of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services.

Nurses voted 310-207 in favor of unionization, according to the DCNA.

Nurse organizers stated in the release: "We won a legally protected, unified voice. This is a victory for nurses and patients everywhere. We are grateful for our community at GW and look forward to continuing to work together for positive change."

Becker's reached out to George Washington University Hospital and will update this story if comment is received.
Kidney stones  once an issue primarily affecting middle-aged men  are becoming more common in children and teen girls specifically, according to a July 8 report from NBC News.

Large scale lifestyle changes including eating processed foods, receiving more antibiotics earlier in life, climate change and related dehydration may all be contributing factors, clinicians speculate.

Physicians also report seeing pediatric patient cases of kidney stones more often during the summer, as well, NBC reported.

For traditional kidney stone cases in older individuals, conditions like diabetes, obesity and hypertension are typically to blame, but that is not what physicians are finding in pediatric cases, they told the outlet.

"In children, we're not seeing that," Gregory Tasian, MD, pediatric urologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told NBC. "They're otherwise healthy and simply come in with their first kidney stone for unclear reasons."

Research into this is ongoing, but kidney stones have been found in children as young as 5 years old, clinicians say.
In the first half of the year, The Joint Commission has overhauled accreditation standards, elevated health equity to a national patient safety goal, launched a new certification program and more.

Below are seventeen actions and updates from the accrediting body Becker's has covered since the start of the year, starting with the most recent.

1. On July 5, the accrediting body said it will no longer require hospitals to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccine compliance, effective immediately.

2. CMS will remove the perinatal care electronic clinical quality measure ePC-05 (exclusive breast milk feeding during the newborn's entire hospitalization) from the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program on Jan. 1, 2024. The Joint Commission said it will continue to support "exclusive breast milk feeding for the first six months of neonatal life," and maintain the measure for optional use "in ORYX reporting."

3. The Joint Commission identified the most challenging compliance standards  those most frequently listed as "not compliant" in hospitals  in 2022, according to surveys completed from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2022. Implementation of infection prevention protocols for disinfection and sterilization of medical equipment, devices and supplies was the number one challenge. Read more here.

4. The Joint Commission launched a voluntary Health Care Equity Certification Program, which opened by application to all of its accredited hospitals as well as critical access hospitals July 1.

5. The patient safety organization elevated health equity from a leadership standard to a national patient safety goal. The change took effect July 1.

6. Ahead of National Time Out Day on June 14, the accrediting body shared ways to make surgical time outs more effective and engaging. The tips are focused on the site marking process, given errors in this step are often the cause of wrong site surgery.

7. Several of The Joint Commission's elements of performance for critical access hospitals will be added or revised to align with CMS' final rule published in the Federal Register in November. regarding restraint and seclusion as well as the complaint process

8. The Joint Commission named three people to its executive leadership team May 1, each of whom will report to the organization's president and CEO, Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD.

9. Orthopedic services are the most frequently cited in wrong-site surgery claims, according to an analysis of closed claims data published in the May edition of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Read more findings from the study that explored wrong-site surgery risk factors here.

10. In a quick safety advisory published April 10, The Joint Commission shared recommendations on how to prevent light source-related burns that can occur during laparoscopic or arthroscopic procedures.

11. The Joint Commission published its 2022 review of sentinel event data April 4. There were 1,441 sentinel events reported last year and the most prevalent types were falls, delay in treatment, unintended retention of foreign object, wrong surgery, and suicide.

12. In April, the organization published an updated version of its "Big Book of Checklists," which provides health systems with tools that can be used to prepare in advance of the surveyors' arrival. The latest edition of the book covers topics including healthcare equity, worker safety, cybersecurity, workplace violence prevention and telehealth.

13. In late March, the accrediting body issued a quick safety advisory with best practices and guidelines related to suicide risk screening.

14. The Joint Commission partnered with Manchester Specialty Programs to provide insurance pricing benefits to Joint Commission-accredited nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home care, hospice and medical staffing firms.

15. In January, the patient safety group published two new alerts to reduce morbidity and mortality in pregnant and postpartum patients: a sentinel alert on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, and a safety advisory on mental health conditions as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths.

16. In January, The Joint Commission named three new members to its board of commissioners, including Susan Fox, president and CEO of White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital.

17. The organization is eliminating 168 standards (14 percent) and revising another 14 standards in an effort to make its accreditation programs as "efficient and impactful on patient safety, quality and equity as possible." Read more on the overhaul of quality metrics here.
SSM Health, a 23-hospital health system based in St. Louis, has added an on-demand workforce platform to fill staffing gaps and improve employee retention.

The new platform stems from SSM Health's new agreement with ShiftMed, a staffing platform that connects about 350,000 healthcare professionals with jobs at healthcare facilities each quarter, the Catholic health system said in a news release shared with Becker's July 10.

"This is another example of how we're developing new ways to meet the needs of a changing workforce," Seth Lovell, BSN, RN, SSM Health system vice president of nursing operations, said in the release. "This move will ensure we're able to fulfill our mission, to reveal the healing presence of God through our exceptional healthcare services. It also demonstrates our commitment to provide a premier culture and employee experience."

SSM Health has 40,000 team members and care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. With ShiftMed, the health system will have access to credentialed, local professionals who can fill open shifts at hospitals.

SSM Health said on-demand, full-time equivalent workers make up 5 percent of the health system's workforce in its care facilities. The health system said it will integrate ShiftMed's technology into facilities in phases.
Charges were dropped against orthopedic surgeon Grant Robicheaux, MD, and his girlfriend, who were accused of drugging and assaulting several women, the Los Angeles Times reported July 7.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael Leversen dropped the last remaining sex charges in the case, ruling there was not enough evidence to send the defendants to trial, the report said. The duo still face felony charges for allegedly drugging a woman's drink. Dr. Robicheaux also faces felony counts of illegal possession of assault weapons and misdemeanor charges for alleged illegal drug possession.

Authorities began investigating the couple in 2016, and they were arrested in 2018. Investigators found drugs and weapons in Dr. Robicheaux's home, along with photos and videos of victims on his and his girlfriend's phones.
(Photo : GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)

A few hundred members of Canada's Sikh community demonstrated in front of the Indian Consulate in Toronto.

On Saturday, 250 pro-Khalistani demonstrators congregated across the street from the Indian consulate in Toronto, Canada.

After violence broke out at the rally, the police arrested two demonstrators. A pro-India rally countered the rally that attempted to defend their diplomats and consulate.

Sikh Leader's Death in Canada Sparks Dueling Protests

The pro-Khalistani demonstration was supported by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice, infamous for its 'Destroy India' posters targeting senior Indian envoys in Canada. The pro-Khalistani and pro-India factions blocked traffic on Bloor Street in Toronto by facing off near the Indian consulate.

A police line separated the two groups, and barricades were erected to prevent the protestors from engaging in violent behavior. The pro-Khalistan group reportedly attempted to assault the pro-India contingent by destroying the barricade, but the police drove them back, as per Outlook India.

One individual who escaped police restraints was apprehended and taken away by police. While a second individual was arrested for assaulting a police officer. According to reports, the two were subsequently released without prosecution.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the SFJ, was slain on June 18, and his supporters held posters of him during the rally while accusing India of being responsible for his death. The concerned posters also promoted the next phase of the referendum in the Greater Toronto Area on July 16, and some demonstrators wore AK47-emblazoned vests bearing the legend of the Republic of Khalistan.

According to Big News Network, the Sikh community blamed the Indian government for the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which supporters hope to call Khalistan. Nijjar advocated separating portions of northern India and possibly Pakistan to form an independent Sikh state. India accused Nijjar of conducting terrorist attacks within India, which he denied.

The demonstrators, who were almost exclusively males, carried yellow flags with blue separatist movement insignia and chanted, "Khalistan! Khalistan!"

They departed from the suburbs of Toronto and arrived in front of the Indian Consulate, greeted by approximately 50 diaspora supporters of the Indian government.

They have a poster advocating for the murder of Indian diplomats. One of the counterdemonstrators, Vijay Jain, an IT consultant, told AFP, "We are concerned because these organizations have committed terrorist acts in the past, but legislators are not taking action."

Twenty police officers intervened to separate the two groups, and one Sikh protester was detained after breaking down a barrier and fleeing to the other side. Since the murder of the Sikh leader, tensions between Canada and India have increased. New Delhi routinely accuses Ottawa of indifference toward Sikh demonstrators in Canada.

Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India's foreign minister, said on Thursday, "We've asked the Canadian government to take all necessary steps to secure the protection of our diplomats."

Canada has the highest concentration of Sikhs outside of Punjab, India. There have been reports of pro-Khalistani groups demonstrating in front of the Indian High Commission in several countries. This comprises the Indian High Commissions in Australia, the United States, and Canada.

Multiple reports corroborate that the pro-Khalistani protesters displayed controversial posters. PTI reported that controversial posters inciting violence at the rally featured images of the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and the Consul General of India in Birmingham, Dr. Shashank Vikram.

Read Also: US Says Drone Attack Kills ISIS Leader Usamah al-Muhajir in Syria

India's Foreign Relations

Nevertheless, it should be noted that all disturbances have dissipated sooner than anticipated, also due to the visible police presence in all countries. Amritpal Singh, the chief of the pro-Khalistan group and a fugitive in India became the focus of the protests after the Punjab government launched a crackdown to capture him.

In light of the anti-India attacks and social media posters by Khalistani extremists, the British government has declared that any direct attacks on the High Commission of India in London are impermissible. Local media reported that in January of this year, a brawl broke out between the Indian diaspora and Khalistan supporters in Australia during a referendum called by the proscribed Sikhs For Justice to establish an independent Sikh state.

Further in the month of March, Khalistan supporters congregated in front of the Australian parliament in Canberra to protest the police crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his cohorts in Punjab. In March 2023, pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, prompting India-Americans to demand immediate action against the perpetrators.

Protesters, chanting pro-Khalistan slogans, breached the improvised security barriers erected by the municipal police and erected two so-called Khalistani flags within the Consulate grounds. Two consular staff members quickly removed these emblems. Per Mint, furious protestors entered the consulate and began striking the door and windows with iron rods shortly thereafter.

Related Article: WATCH: France Protests Flare Up, 77 Arrested as Nael M's Death Sparks Fury in Parisian Suburbs

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A TikToker who went viral for his historic tours around Belfast has now launched a Guinness tour of the city.

Conchur Moore is the man behind Document Belfast, a social media account which has nearly 50,000 followers.

Conchurs short videos provide a look at some of Belfasts most historic buildings, accompanied by interesting and lesser-known details about them.

Now, the amateur historian (35), from Belfast, is taking his knowledge further and is launching the citys first Guinness tour.

He promises it will be filled with plenty of enjoyment of the stout, but will also peek behind the curtains of some of Belfasts historic pubs.

Ive always had an interest in Belfast and Irish history, said Conchur, explaining why he started his social media account.

I used to walk around the city and look at the old buildings and I would wonder what they were in the past.

I ended up spending ages looking up the history and it sort of just took off from there.

The tour promises a historical look at Belfast's relationship with Guinness

Conchur said he wants to make Belfast appeal in a historical sense  but not in the typical way most people would be aware of.

Belfast gets a bad rap sometimes, he explained.

I think that its good to get the word out about the city: were a good place to come from and were now well away from the Troubles and are filled with nice restaurants and great bars.

I want to promote history and tourism.

Conchur said the Guinness tour idea was born out of his love for the black stuff and that he has reviewed and filmed videos in bars detailing the best places to grab a pint.

I actually started doing some historical walking tours in April  although Im very much an amateur in the community, he added.

Guinness has such a history here as well, and we do have some of the best bars serving it.

The bars are historical and I wanted to do something different than a usual pub crawl.

I wanted to provide a bit of an education, with this mixed into it as well.

Pressed on which bars he believes serve the best pint of Guinness, Conchur caveats his response with a disclaimer that he has a great relationship with many bars, all of whom serve great Guinness.

If I had to pick, I would say Bittles and Maddens Bar.

But there are a lot of close ones. Whites Tavern does a great pint as well, he adds, laughing.

But given Dublin is commonly associated with Guinness, what is the appeal of launching a dedicated tour just over 100 miles from the stouts birthplace?

Belfast is very underrated when it comes to Guinness, Conchur insists.

A lot of the attention gets drawn to Dublin, because its the home.

But in most other places, if you were 100 miles away from the brewery, you would be considered a part of where the drink is from.

I just want people to realise we do a great pint up here.

We also have some of the best history, which isnt just Troubles-focused  not that there arent mentions of the Troubles, because, of course, it has to be remembered.

But we have other parts of history spanning hundreds and hundreds of years.

Conchurs tour comes as Belfast is increasing its Guinness profile.

In June, The Guinness Reviewer named Bittles Bar the best place for a pint in Northern Ireland.
Mexican restaurant Tortilla will open in Belfast for the first time next week.

Located at 9 Arthur Square, near Victoria Square Shopping Centre, the new restaurant will create up to 30 new jobs across front-of-house, kitchen, and management.

The Belfast store will open on Friday, July 21, when free burritos will be given away to celebrate the occasion.

Tortilla was founded in October 2007 by husband-and-wife duo Brandon and Jen, when they moved to the UK and found that they missed the authentic Mexican food of their local taquerias in San Francisco.

Tortilla is now the UKs largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand operating more than 80 eat in and take away locations across the UK and through partnerships with SSP Group plc, Compass UK & Ireland, Growth Kitchens & Karma Kitchens.

Internationally, it also operates in the Middle East, with 10 stores in Dubai and Saudi Arabia through an exclusive franchise partnership.

Fresh food quality and value are said to be the core to the brand.

Richard Morris, CEO at Tortilla, said: Were thrilled to finally be opening in the city of Belfast.

"Weve got a fantastic location in the city centre and a passionate team who embody the values of our friendly local brand.

Tortilla exists to make life better with burritos, and the response weve had from locals in the lead-up to opening has been overwhelmingly positive.

Belfast, were excited to introduce you to our fresh Cali-Mex food and maybe a few too many margaritas, this summer!
Unite has voted to maintain its historic links with Labour  as its chief warned party leader Sir Keir Starmer to listen to the unions demands amid a rift between the two organisations (PA)

Unite has voted to maintain its historic links with Labour  as its chief warned party leader Sir Keir Starmer to listen to the unions demands amid a rift between the two organisations.

General secretary Sharon Graham told a debate at Unites rules conference in Brighton on Monday it is not the time for disaffiliation as it seeks to influence the party if it wins power at the next general election, expected next year.

But Ms Graham said there will be no blank cheques for the Labour leader as she urged him to deliver on jobs, pay and conditions.

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Delegates chose overwhelmingly to remain affiliated with Labour after a passionate and well-tempered debate, the union said.

Had they chosen to sever ties, it would have allowed Unite  Labours biggest donor  to change its rules to be able to donate to other parties or candidates.

Ms Graham told the debate: This is the moment of maximum leverage for the union where we can hold Labour to account. Now cannot be the time to walk away. We would be weakening our own arm.

It would be the worst time to leave the Labour Party when they are in touching distance of power. If we leave we wouldnt influence that power.

Labour must be Labour and the union must push them into that position. We must make them take different choices. We will not make the same mistakes of the past. There will be no blank cheques for Labour until we see tangible results.

General secretary Sharon Graham said Unite must hold Labour to account (PA)

Unite said on Twitter: Unite Rules Conference votes overwhelmingly to stay affiliated to Labour but General Secretary Sharon Graham puts Keir Starmer on notice, he must deliver on jobs, pay and conditions if he wins power at the next election.

Ms Graham told the PA news agency that the prospect of disaffiliation, although rejected for now, should be a wake-up call for Sir Keir that workers are not happy.

If the Labour leader gets the keys to No 10 workers want a proper voice in Parliament, with businesses already represented by the Conservatives, she said.

Asked about reports of frosty relations between her and Sir Keir, Ms Graham, who made clear when she was elected in 2021 that Westminster politics would not be a priority, said it was not about their personal relationship but about holding Labour to account, including on the renationalisation of energy.

Sir Keir has drawn trade union ire for moves to sideline left-wingers, and Ms Graham slammed the recent exclusion of Jamie Driscoll from the North East mayoral contest as a major mistake.

The Unite boss has also urged him to stick up for striking workers amid a wave of industrial action across the country in recent months.

She criticised as beyond belief shadow chancellor Rachel Reevess refusal on Sunday to commit to endorsing the recommendations of the pay review bodies on public sector pay as workers struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

With about 1.4 million members, Unite is the UKs largest trade union.

It has been involved in more than 800 separate disputes in 20 months, revealing the scale of industrial unrest by workers.
When it comes to term time trends, are there bargains to be had?

While not a complete overview, the below table gives an idea of several supermarkets and stores and the deals available  though others are available. Please note too that weve chosen the least expensive of deals, so items made from different fabrics or related to different age groups may be more costly.

We found great deals on foldaway pack-a-macs, perfect for those rainy days (and we get a lot of those in Northern Ireland), and in PE kits.

Though uniforms are a necessity, the companies have developed clever ways to help homes get more prepared  after all, no one wants to iron umpteen shirts each Sunday afternoon. Many offer stain-resistant pinafores and easy iron dresses and blouses, with more fashionable  but still school appropriate  trouser cuts. Gone are the days of itchy jumpers and trousers in uncomfortable fabrics.

Sainsburys is offering this years uniform at last years prices, keeping to its 2022 costings. This offer is available in selected larger stores and online and subject to availability. It excludes school socks, schoolbags, selected school shoes and tights.

Asda has a range called Easy On Easy Wear, designed to support independent dressing and sensory needs. The items ensure school children are feeling comfortable throughout the day. The sensory kind range includes easy fastening hooks and loops on polo shirts, hidden popper fastenings on jumpers and pull-on style trousers with mock fly. Asda also has online exclusive deals such as pleated skirts and trousers in a range of fit.

Lidls school uniforms went on sale last Monday so we cannot guarantee if or what will still be available. It was offering a Back to School uniform bundle for just 5 (option of trousers or skirts, two polo shirts and a school sweatshirt) and uniforms were available in a range of colours and sizes from four to 12 year olds. If you manage to pick up this deal, we congratulate you!

Weve also gone for Next as an option for school uniform purchasing though the prices are more expensive than other shops. Of course, Next offers a range of brands, not just its own, perfect for term time.

There are a few online exclusives in Dunnes Stores as regards uniform pieces and is also offers longer leg length in some of its trouser ranges. Theres also the chance of securing a 5 voucher off groceries if you spend over 25 in the shops other departments.

M&S currently has 20% off its school uniform offering  though the prices in the table are not reflective of the discount  and its clothing is designed to last longer and stay cleaner. Expect repellent finishes for added durability, scuff-resistant shoes and crease-resistant fabrics. The discount does not include school bags, lunch boxes, footwear, outerwear or hosiery.

The brand has also a new initiative that could help families. Through its Back-to-School Shwopping boxes, any donated pre-loved school uniform that passes the quality test8 will be given a second life in an Oxfam shop. Itll also be made available on a pre-loved school uniform shop on eBay.

M&S, which sells close to seven million pieces of school uniform per year, has protected the price on school uniforms for the third year in a row.

M&S Shwopping boxes for school uniforms

We know our customers frequently hand down our school uniform to friends and family and this season, were encouraging them to drop school uniform which they no longer need into one of our new Shwopping boxes where it will be resold in Oxfam shops and through our exciting pilot shop with eBay, says kidswear director Alexandra Dimitriu.

Its one of the many ways were trying to make our best-in-class school uniform accessible to all families, however and whenever they choose to shop.

Sparks customers donating their pre-loved school uniform into a Shwop box will also receive 20% off selected kids clothing in M&S. This offer cannot be used on discounted items and selected departments such as footwear and nightwear. It also is not valid in outlets.
Owner of Pulse PR & Marketing Grainne McGarvey is used to budgeting at work and at home

I would say I am a little bit of both. I am good at saving for big purchases like a house or a new car, but I would never say no to picking up a new dress or lippy for a night out.

How much is in your wallet?

I streamlined my purse recently and only have the essential cards but always carry a bit of cash. To be honest, its mostly for leaving tips in coffee shops or the hairdressers.

Do you adhere to a budget?

When it comes to a clients budget, yes! I am probably overcautious when it comes to spending money that isnt mine especially when it comes to events  there is always something you havent budgeted for that comes up last minute.

When it comes to my own household I really dont stick to an exact budget.

That said, the cost of groceries has shot up so much so I have been a bit more careful when it comes to shopping, especially when I have a husband and son to eat me out of house and home!

I have gone back to doing a big shop to buy in bulk and freeze it or keep non-perishable things on offer even if I dont need to use it there and then.

Do you have (m)any loyalty cards?

Yes! Sparks from M&S and Tesco are probably the ones I use the most. Ive never been a tea or coffee drinker so my Hotel Chocolat loyalty card always gets used when Ive a meeting in town.

Cash or card: whats your preference?

I pay for everything on my credit card and pay off the full balance at the end of the month. I still believe that cash is king so like to leave cash in my bank account for as long as possible.

Whats the best deal youve ever gotten?

I bought my first house at auction seven years ago and got it for slightly less than it was originally listed with the estate agent.

After doing a couple months of renovations I got it valued and it was worth twice what I originally paid for it. I now understand what people mean when they say property is a sound investment.

Whats the most important financial lesson youve learned?

Dont bank on the money until the money is in the bank.

I have been running my own business for 13 years and in the early days I believed everything people said when it came to payments coming through.

Now I am a bit savvier and thankfully all my clients are great and there are never any issues.

Whats the most expensive thing youve bought?

Houses aside, I have a MacBook Air which literally never leaves my side so if it was based on cost per use it was worth the investment.

I am also a big fan of Mulberry handbags  I think they are classics that never lose their style.

If money was no object, Id buy

A house in all my favourite places  Manhattan, Ibiza and Paris for example. As long as I have a mobile and a laptop I can pretty much work anywhere. Well, thats my excuse and Im sticking to it!

For more information Pulse PR & Marketing, see www.pulseprni.com
In April of last year the NIAS apologised after Newry woman Jody Keenan died while waiting more than 45 minutes for an ambulance after she collapsed while on a night out in the city.

Ms Keenan was on her way home following a night with friends and family when she became ill and collapsed.

The 39-year-old classroom assistants friends called 999 and were told there would be a wait for an ambulance as the only available crew was in Belfast.

Two ambulances eventually arrived, including one from Belfast, 45 minutes later. Sadly Jody died despite efforts to resuscitate her, including by her own mother, who gave her CPR.

Slieve Gullion councillor Aoife Finnegan is Jodys cousin. She spoke about the devastating impact Jodys death has had on the family, especially the circumstances of her death, when she died on the street while waiting for an ambulance.

Jodys death came as such a shock to us and she is sorely missed to this day by her family, friends and the whole community, she said.

Read more NI Ambulance Service failing monthly to meet response-time targets to 999 calls

Its left a painful void not only with us as her family but with everyone she knew and its one that cant be filled.

She was just the best, even though she had a health condition she still faced every day with a smile and lived her life to the fullest.

Wherever she went, everyone always said that what stood out about her was her kindness and just how caring she was.

"No one should have to lose a loved one in the way that we lost Jody, what happened to her is the very real cost to families everywhere of cuts to our Health Service.

Speaking about the tragic case at meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in March, NIAS Assistant Director Mark Cochrane addressed Ms Finnegan.

I know this is something that your family will never get over, he said.

We know that things could have been better and learning from what has happened is very important.

Hopefully now we know what happened, we can do better and those aspects that needed to be changed have done so.
Caoimhin Adams with his family, parents Caitriona and Kevin, sister, Aimee and brothers, Aodhan and Dylan in Newtownabbey. Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX

The funeral details for Caoimhin Adams, the 8-year-old boy who passed away on Sunday morning, have been announced by his family on social media.

The young boy from Newtownabbey had been terminally ill.

Caoimhin passed away just hours after a cross-community party was held in his honour with friends and family and the local community all coming together.

On Sunday, mum Caitriona Adams said it was with a very heavy heart that the family was announcing that Caoimhin gained his angel wings this morning.

She added: "Thank you for all the love.

The family has now announced his funeral will be held on July 11. It will begin at the family home, before going on to St Bernards Church for Requiem Mass at 1pm.

Earlier this year, Caoimhin Adams became the first person on the island of Ireland to be diagnosed with ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation).

It is a rare, incurable disease, with a mortality rate of about 50% due to cardiorespiratory arrest.

On Saturday, a cross-community fun day for Caoimhin took place at his Newtownabbey home with the young boy also surrounded by friends and family.

Residents in the area hosted a barbeque with businesses donating balloons, banners and takeaway food vans to make the day particularly special.

Police and firefighters attended the little boys party and he was also pictured meeting Buzz Lightyear, one of the characters from animated film Toy Story.

Following his passing in the early hours of the morning, brother Dylan paid tribute to the brave child on social media.

He said: Im going to be completely lost without you, wee man. You didnt deserve any of this. You were the strongest, bravest and toughest eight-year-old ever.

Ill miss you so much Caoimhin.

Hill Croft Primary School in Newtownabbey said he always had a ready smile and a sense of fun and adventure and described him as an inspiration to all.

It is with deep sadness that we inform our school community of the sad loss of one of our pupils Caoimhin Adams, they wrote.

Caoimhin was a pupil with us from 2018-2023. He has always struggled with very complex health needs, but he never let them hold him back. Caoimhin always had a ready smile and a sense of fun and adventure.

"He greeted his staff team and friends with a huge, Hey guys! when he arrived at school each day. He loved dressing up; role play and especially messy play. He loved the busyness and bustle of the classroom and being surrounded by his friends.

Caoimhins health significantly deteriorated over the last year, and he had been unable to attend school. He was a much-loved pupil who stole the hearts of all who worked with him. His bravery and determination despite all he faced each day, is an inspiration to us all.
Patrick Costello believes making the Twelfth a public holiday in the Republic would help honour the Good Friday Agreement

A suggestion from a Green Party TD for the Twelfth to be made a public holiday in the Republic has been welcomed.

Patrick Costellos suggestion was described by one SDLP councillor as a wonderful idea.

On Monday Mr Costello said it should be a joint holiday north and south, similar to St Patricks Day.

The Green Party TD, who is a member of the Good Friday Agreement Irish parliamentary committee, said people who wish to celebrate the Twelfth should be able to do so either side of the border.

This day is an extremely important one historically for the island, and culturally for many people who live here, he said.

Supporting the call, SDLP councillor Denise Johnston said: What a wonderful idea. Ive no doubt this would be welcomed across the island. This is the important reconciliatory works that needs to be done.

Belfast Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said: It doesn't mean a bonfire on Grafton St, but (it) could be a day of reflection?

In a statement, Mr Costello had said making the Twelfth a public holiday would help honour the Good Friday Agreement.

He added: As part of the peace process we have made a number of gestures, such as amending Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution.

The new Article 3 specifies that the state will work to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions.

I believe my proposal would see us living up to our constitutional obligation.

Efforts such as this would reaffirm that commitment to a sense of shared ownership and history of the island.

Mr Costello pointed out that both sides of the community can celebrate their own public holidays in Northern Ireland and said making the Twelfth a holiday in the Republic would help boost the economy.

In Northern Ireland both the Twelfth and St Patrick's Day are designated as public holidays, this too should be replicated here, he added.

Aside from the symbolic effects this would also bring benefits for the tourism industry. For tourism there is huge untapped potential relating to the Jacobite-Williamite War.

Rossnowlagh in Co Donegal is the only place in the Republic that hosts an annual parade around the Twelfth, however Mr Costello feels that if the Twelfth was made a public holiday, more areas would celebrate it.

He also argued the establishing of an all-island public holiday would help unite people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

In particular I think of the Battle of the Boyne site itself where the OPW [Office of Public Works] run a fantastic visitor site, he added in his post.

This could become a site of annual pilgrimage for many from the north.

Read more 23 unusual facts about the 2023 Twelfth and the Orange Order

In Limerick we could capitalise on the Treaty stone and in Galway on the Battle of Aughrim site.

If the Irish state truly aspires to unite all the peoples of this island, then all of those people need to feel represented and included.

Designating the Twelfth as a public holiday would be a major step for that process.

Mr Costello is not the first politician to call for the Twelfth to be celebrated as a holiday in the Republic.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald previously mooted the idea, saying in 2021 that it would be a good idea.

Speaking at a Good Summit seminar event in Dublin at the time alongside Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Ms McDonald said: What about the anthem? What about the flag? What about a public holiday for the Twelfth of July, which I think is a good idea.
Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs march on Weavers Grange in Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs march on Weavers Grange in Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs march on Weavers Grange in Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Police search a property in the Weavers Grange area of Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Police search a property in the Weavers Grange area of Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

A parade has taken place in Newtownards in opposition to criminal gangs in the area.

Around 600 people took part in the procession which was led by women from the local community holding signs that read stand up to criminal intimidation and stop facilitating drug gangs.

The parade finished to huge applause by those who gathered in support.

It came as police carried out searches in Weavers Grange shortly before the protest.

Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force carried out two searches in the Weavers Grange area of Newtownards on Monday.

The searches were part of an ongoing investigation into criminal activity linked to a feud between drugs gangs in north Down.

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Detective Inspector Corrigan said: A sum of cash and a small quantity of suspected Class A drugs were recovered from one of the properties.

The PCTF remains committed to tackling all types of criminality linked to paramilitaries.

The search operation came just two hours before a protest organised by a group calling themselves Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs.

The march was due to start outside Ards Rangers FC at 7pm before making its way to a stopping point on Comber Road where five representatives from a Womens Group handed a letter to police around 8pm.

The Parades Commission ruled that the protest march in Newtownards should be banned from the area around Weavers Grange.

It came as members of the so-called Real UFF threatened to shoot and bomb women and children should the protest proceed along the planned route.

Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs march on Weavers Grange in Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

The commission had postponed giving a determination on the parade to allow for further community engagement on the issue.

However, an intermediary, who was trying to negotiate between the gang - centred in and around the Newtownards housing estate - parade organisers and police, was told that should it go ahead there was a threat against participants, including women and children taking part.

This threat was contained in submissions lodged with the commission and seen by the Belfast Telegraph.

Ards and North Down Against Criminal Gangs march on Weavers Grange in Newtownards on July 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

The parade at first proposed entering Weavers Grange  the area at the centre of much of the loyalist infighting.

That was updated to an alternative proposal for five members of a womens group to go to the entrance of Weavers Grange and hand over a letter to police.

The notified number of participants was 400, with one band to start at 7pm on Monday, July 10.
Craigyhill Bonfire in Larne has been completed (Picture by Aodhan Roberts for Belfast Telegraph)

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has tabled a Parliamentary motion congratulating the people of Craigyhill in Larne for their efforts in building the worlds tallest bonfire.

Organisers behind the Larne Craigyhill bonfire have confirmed the huge pyre has now officially been completed ahead of the Eleventh night when the area will welcome thousands of spectators.

Mr Wilson said: The efforts of the people in Craigyhill are an example of what is best in Northern Ireland.

"This is truly a community venture, and one which has involved people from right across the community and it is a demonstration of how positive engagement in our history and culture can bring people together.

It is disappointing that Council officers have not been co-operative in providing bins for the site, but again the organisers have stepped in and ensured that the entire site has been kept both safe and tidy.

He added: The bonfire has brought people to Larne from across Northern Ireland and further afield, and I hope that the efforts are now rightly included within the Guinness Book of Records.

The Craigyhill bonfire has captured the imagination over the last few years and it is a powerful way to mark the July celebrations in a positive manner.

"The Glorious Revolution and the Williamite era which the bonfire tradition springs from are not just something from our past, but they are also the foundation on which our modern-day democratic institutions are built.

In a social media post those behind the pyre confirmed the finishing touches were put on the bonfire on Sunday, as the area kicked off a two day festival culminating in the igniting of the structure.

Watch: Drone footage shows Craigyhill bonfire largest in the world' ahead of Eleventh night

The organisers said they were speechless at the amount of people who turned up, and thanked all who helped complete the bonfire.

Its constructors say it is the largest bonfire in the world but last month it was confirmed the Guinness World Records said they were not planning to send an adjudicator to officially confirm the pyres record.

The pyre at Craigyhill in Larne reached a height of more than 202 feet last year, beating the previous world record of 198 feet set in Lustenau, Austria, in March 2019.

With no official Guinness World Records adjudicator to verify the record in 2022, organisers had hoped one could attend this years event.

A crowdfunding page set up last August in an attempt to raise the 9,000 required for the adjudication began to circulate online again this year.

A festival surrounding the bonfire is welcoming a number of DJs and other musical acts, with food and bouncy castles also being set up in the Larne estate.
IAEA chief 's visit to ROK sparks protests

China Daily) 14:31, July 10, 2023

Opposition party slams govt, UN nuclear agency report over Japan discharge plans

SEOUL  Hundreds of people marched in the Republic of Korea's capital on Saturday demanding Japan scrap its plans to release nuclear-contaminated water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, as the head of the UN nuclear agency met with senior officials in Seoul.

The protests came a day after the ROK's government formally endorsed the safety of the Japanese plans despite concerns over safety in many countries and signs of a consumer backlash at home. The announcement aligned with the views of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which gave its green light to the Japanese discharge plans last week.

Braving blistering summer heat and closely watched by police, the protesters walked in long lines through a commercial district in downtown Seoul, holding signs reading: "We denounce the sea disposal of Fukushima's nuclear wastewater!" and "We oppose with our lives the sea discharge." The marches proceeded peacefully and there were no immediate reports of major clashes or injuries.

"Other than discharging the water into the sea, there is an option to store the water on their land, and there are other options being suggested," said Han Sang-jin, spokesman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, whose members accounted for many of the marchers.

He said that allowing Japan to discharge the water "is like an international crime".

The protests provided a tense backdrop to a meeting between IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and ROK's Foreign Minister Park Jin to discuss the assessment.

Grossi on Sunday met with lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Party, which has harshly criticized the Japanese discharge plans and accused the conservative government of the ROK of putting people's health at risk while desperately trying to improve relations with Tokyo.

Health impacts neglected

The lawmakers harshly criticized IAEA's review, saying the report neglected the long-term environmental and health impacts of the nuclear wastewater release and threatens to set a bad precedent that may encourage other countries to dispose of nuclear waste into sea.

They called for Japan to scrap the discharge plans and work with neighboring countries to find safer ways to handle the nuclear wastewater, including a possible pursuit of long-term storage on land.

The party has also criticized the government of Yoon Suk-yeol, the ROK president, for putting people's health at risk while trying to improve relations with Japan.

"If you think (the nuclear-contaminated wastewater) is safe, I wonder whether you would be willing to suggest the Japanese government use that water for drinking or for industrial and agricultural purposes, rather than dumping it in the sea," Woo Wonshik, a Democratic Party lawmaker who attended the meeting, told Grossi. The party said Woo has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days to protest against Japan's discharge plans.

In a statement released by state media on Sunday, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea also criticized the Japanese discharge plans, warning against a "fatal adverse impact on the human lives and security and ecological environment" resulting from the discharge of "nuclear-polluted water".

The statement, which was attributed to an unidentified official in the DPRK's Ministry of Land and Environment Protection, also criticized Washington and Seoul for backing the Japanese plans.

In Japan, several nonprofit organizations announced on Friday the launch of a marine protection project aimed at preventing the government's discharge plan.

The organizations, including the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center and the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, will start the project titled "Future of the Ocean" on July 17, which is recognized as "Marine Day" in Japan.

Through channels such as collecting signatures, creating websites and producing short videos, organizers hope the project will help spread opposition to the wastewater dumping plan both within and outside Japan, according to Masashi Tani, secretary-general of the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs.

He stated that even if the government proceeds with the discharge into the sea, it will continue for several decades. "It shouldn't be assumed that once the discharge starts, there is no other option and giving up is the only choice," he added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Vatican official in charge of ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, who was appointed by Pope Francis, admitted Sunday that he handled a case of a priest suspected of sexually abusing minors in 2019 incorrectly.

Trying to Protect the Priest?

Critics of the case have asserted that Fernandez tried to shield the priest, a claim he has refuted.

On July 1, Pope Francis named Fernandez to lead the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which ensures doctrinal orthodoxy and deals with claims of clerical sexual abuse as one of its areas of responsibility. Along with approximately two dozen other religious, he was also named a cardinal Sunday, as reported by The Associated Press.

A U.S. organization called BishopAccountability.org has questioned the archbishop's choice to lead the dicastery and maintains an online record of abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Eduardo Lorenzo's Case

According to the report, Eduardo Lorenzo, a priest in the archdiocese of La Plata, was accused of molesting youngsters, and Fernandez refused to trust their claims.

(Photo: by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images) Picture of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, taken on April 3, 2023. - From 1998 until his consecration as Supreme Pontiff on March 19, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral. Pope Francis thanked those who prayed for him during his illness on April 2, 2023, as he kicked off the holiest week in the Christian calendar just a day after leaving the hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

The allegations against Lorenzo first surfaced in 2008, when a teenage boy living in a group home accused Lorenzo of abusing him for nearly two years. The boy's sponsor filed a criminal complaint against Lorenzo, but the case was eventually archived due to lack of evidence.

In 2019, two more men came forward with allegations of abuse against Lorenzo. These men claimed that Lorenzo had abused them when they were teenagers. The allegations against Lorenzo led to his removal from ministry by the Archdiocese of La Plata.

In December 2019, Lorenzo was arrested and charged with corruption of minors and sexual abuse of at least five adolescents between 1990 and 2008. He committed suicide hours after a judge issued an arrest warrant for him.

Lorenzo was discovered dead in what was later determined to be a suicide at the end of 2019. He had only learned hours earlier that an Argentine judge had ordered his arrest for allegedly sexually abusing five youngsters.

Read also: Quiapo Church Elevated to National Shrine, a Major Milestone for Filipino Catholics

Fernandez's Response

In response to the criticism from the American group, Fernandez said that he never claimed not to believe the accusations and that he took action to put the priest in a different position than the alleged victims.

On Sunday, though, he was more critical of his behavior, which he blamed on coming to La Plata in 2018 as archbishop "without any experience in another diocese" and on the fact that at the time, church policies for handling claims of clergy abuse "were less clear."

Fernandez stated that he ought to have "treated the victims more closely" and taken action "a little earlier" by removing Lorenzo from his clerical duties while he was under investigation.

Fernandez, a trusted advisor to the Argentine-born pope, has earned the moniker "pope's theologian" since it is widely accepted that he contributed to the writing of several of Francis' most significant writings. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed him to lead the La Plata archdiocese.

Lorenzo's case has raised questions about the Catholic Church's handling of abuse allegations.

The case of Eduardo Lorenzo is a reminder of the ongoing problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It is also a reminder of the importance of holding abusers accountable for their crimes.

Related article: Vatican Diary Could Shed Light on Decades of Priestly Abuse in Bolivia

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called on social media companies to "do more" after one of his MPs was subjected to "appalling abuse".

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart was targeted after she appeared on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme.

The abuse was also condemned by UUP leader Doug Beattie as "appalling", and he urged Twitter to deal with "anonymous troll and hate accounts".

Sir Jeffrey said Ms Lockhart had recently been through a difficult time following a family bereavement.

"She's only getting back into the full swing of work again, and to receive the level of abuse that Carla received over the weekend is utterly appalling," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

"I would say to those, particularly Irish Republicans who seem to target female unionist public representatives, there is a pattern here, a very clear pattern that we have observed and monitored.

"I would say to them, if you want to have respect for your argument and your point of view and your aspirations, then it is time to stop disrespecting unionists and particularly female unionist representatives who you target in the most cowardly and defensive way.

"It is wrong, it should stop and frankly social media and Twitter in particular should do more to protect people who are doing their job, trying to represent the community and subject to the most vile abuse at times online."

Earlier, Ms Lockhart criticised faceless trolls who abused her online following an appearance on the BBCs Sunday Politics show.

The Upper Bann politician responded after being targeted following comments she made regarding effigies being burnt on bonfires.

She said trolls targeted her on a daily basis, based on her looks instead of her politics.

"Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me. Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look, she said on Twitter.

When you go down that route, youve lost your argument, and I will still be here.

On Sunday, the MP appeared on the politics programme and said that she disagreed with effigies being burnt on bonfires.

Speaking to host Mark Carruthers, Ms Lockhart said: I have always been clear I dont want to see bonfires with effigies or flags on them.

I want to see bonfires that represent the very historic nature of them when they were lit to welcome King William to Northern Ireland. I dont agree with it (use of effigies) and I want to see that move on.

In my own constituency (Upper Bann), significant strides have been made with bonfires and that is what I want to see in the future.

Her comments came after controversy regarding a bonfire in Moygashel. The bonfire was lit on Saturday with a tricolour and a picture of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on top.

The PSNI have said they are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Ms Lockhart was supported by party colleague Emma Little-Pengelly who branded the abuse beyond repulsive.

"The level of toxic, nasty abuse Carla Lockhart MP gets on this forum is beyond repulsive, she posted.

"It's a terrible reflection of all who partake in it. Disagree with politics all you like, but to descend into the mocking, personal, degrading and demeaning shames all who take part.

UUP MLA Robbie Butler called the abuse sick.

"The abuse and hateful trolling that @carlalockhart and other female politicians get on this platform, and other areas of life, is absolutely sick, he said.

"Fair play to you Carla for not giving Im to small minded When they cant play the ball, they should leave the pitch.

Ms Lockhart has campaigned in the past to tackle online social media abuse, particularly against female politicians.

In 2021 the MP told the House of Commons that women in public life are being bombarded by abuse on a daily basis.
An air bridge collapsed at Dublin Airport earlier today, causing damage to an aircraft, Dublin Airport operator has confirmed.

In a statement issued to the Irish Independent, a spokesperson for the DAA said the incident, which damaged an American Airlines aircraft, occurred this morning at Terminal 2.

"DAA can confirm an incident which resulted in damage to American Airlines aircraft by an air bridge at Dublin Airport this morning, the spokesperson said.

"There were no reports of any injuries to any passengers or crew.

Dublin Airport confirmed that the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) did not need to attend the incident.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit is part of the Department of Transport and is responsible for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents that occur within Ireland.

In addition, the AAIU provides assistance to foreign safety investigation authorities who conduct investigations into occurrences involving Irish registered and/or operated aircraft abroad.

Furthermore, in some cases Foreign States may delegate Investigations back to the AAIU.

The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents reports directly to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.

Meanwhile, Dublin Airport has advised passengers that all of its car parks are fully booked over the coming days during the busy summer holiday period.

The airport said those without a booking should plan to travel to the airport via an alternate method such as by bus, taxi or drop-off by a friend or relative.

The Irish Independent has contacted the Department of Transport for comment.
The King is expected to visit the Republic in the autumn (Chris Jackson/PA)

King Charles hopes to visit the Republic of Ireland early in the autumn in what would be only the second state visit by a British monarch in a century.

Negotiations over the proposed visit are still under way and outline details are a closely guarded secret between Dublin and London.

Charles has privately indicated he would like his first official overseas visit to include the Republic as a personal gesture towards the importance of good Anglo-Irish relations.

The King had been expected to visit Ireland this summer, but the trip was postponed because of his hectic domestic agenda.

Now that he has completed a visit to Edinburgh to formally accept the Scottish crown, preparations will be stepped up for an Irish visit.

It is expected he will stay in the Republic of Ireland for three or four days and his visit will include elements to promote cultural exchanges, education and the arts.

However, while the primary focus of the royal visit will be on Dublin and various state functions, Charles has expressed an eagerness to visit areas outside the capital.

As Prince of Wales he visited all six counties in Northern Ireland and has already visited Northern Ireland twice as monarch, the most recent trip being a two-day stay last May with Queen Camilla.

He has only a dozen countries yet to visit in the Republic after high profile public and private trips to Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford, Wicklow and Sligo since 2018. During his last visit to Ireland, when he visited Waterford and Tipperary in March last year, the royal said he wanted to see all the counties of Ireland.

In 2019 the then Prince Charles visited the Irish Embassy in London and said he wanted to visit every Irish county.

I must say Im slightly amazed to find that weve managed to visit 15 counties already, he said at the time.

I am quite determined before I drop dead and finally lose my marbles that I should get around to the remaining 17.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth, made the first visit by a UK monarch to Ireland in over a century when she visited Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary and Cork in May 2011.

That visit proved an enormous diplomatic triumph for both Ireland and the UK and delivered a huge tourism boom for Ireland and specific sites visited by the Queen, including the Rock of Cashel and the English Market in Cork.

Prince Charles paid a private visit to Lismore in Waterford in 2004 with Lismore Castle owned by his good friend the Duke of Devonshire.

Now several counties are vying to be included on the royal itinerary including Cork, Tipperary and Galway. Despite hosting the then Prince Charles just last year, Tipperary is determined to secure a second visit by Charles as monarch.

Local councillor Jim Ryan has urged Tipperary County Council to issue a formal invite to Buckingham Palace  and pointed out that the new king has a direct familial connection to the Premier County through his ancestor Lady Elizabeth Poyntz who lived in Blackcastle in the 17th century.

We should have an open invitation to the King to come visit Thurles, to visit his direct relative who is buried in the town, Mr Ryan told Tipp FM.

I think that this would be a huge economic boost and a tourism boost for Thurles. We have seen the very positive benefits that the recent royal visits have had on the towns of Cashel and Cahir. So I think the fact that there is a direct link means we would invite him over here.
Two men have been hailed as heroes after they saved a swimmer who got into difficulty off the Co Waterford coast today.

The drama unfolded at Stage Cove at Bonmahon when a man got into difficulty while swimming in the sea early this afternoon.

A Bonmahon Lifeboat volunteer, Daniel Dwan, who happened to be out kayaking, spotted the man and managed to alert lifeguard Ben Maher to the dramatic events which were unfolding.

The swimmers wife, Chris Burns, wrote on social media of her thanks to all those involved in the rescue of her husband Lenny, and in particular to thank Mr Maher and Mr Dwan.

She wrote: From my husband Lenny who was rescued today - a huge thank you to everyone involved, a very special thanks to Ben the lifeguard and Daniel Dwan, wouldnt be having this cuppa without you guys.

It is understood that Mr Dwan managed to keep the man afloat until Mr Maher reached them in the water by paddling out to them.

Ill never forget your bravery, big thanks to Rescue 117 and the Coast Guard were so lucky to have such amazing services looking out for us, wrote Ms Burns.

In a statement the Bonmahon Lifeboat crew said: We alerted the lifeguards on duty. Lifeguard Ben Maher immediately went to the location and rescued the man. On scene also were Rescue 117 and Bonmahon Coast Guard Unit who provided aftercare.

We did not launch as the lifeguard option was the quickest. Well done to all involved. Swimming conditions are not idealplease be careful.

The two rescuers acts of bravery were also commended by Tramore Sea Rescue Association which added: Well done to all who responded and assisted today. A great outcome and a job well done.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to travel to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss support for Ukraine (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Rishi Sunak will head to the Nato summit in Lithuania with a renewed call for all members of the alliance to commit to spending 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence.

The Prime Minister will tell allies in Vilnius that plans to make Natos armed forces more lethal and more deployable start with meeting the 2% commitment.

Downing Street said that last year, fewer than half of those in the alliance were meeting the expenditure target in relation to their national GDP  a measure of the health of an economy  with nine out of 30 members spending at least 2%.

While this is projected to rise to two-thirds of allies by 2024  the 10th anniversary of the goal being set at the Wales summit  Government sources said Mr Sunak hoped to leave eastern Europe on Wednesday with a plan in place for all members to start meeting the target.

No 10 said the Prime Minister will travel to Vilnius with the dual message of strengthening Nato and stressing the need to continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russias invading troops.

Speaking ahead of his trip, Mr Sunak said: When thousands of Russian troops crossed the border in February last year, it marked a grim new chapter in Europe and Natos history.

In the 500 days that have elapsed since, we have witnessed the most terrible crimes and human tragedies in Ukraine.

But we have also seen the Nato alliance come together like never before in support of Ukraine and with firm determination that Russia cannot succeed.

That is work we need to continue this week. We cannot let the fog of war obscure the clear lessons our alliance must learn if we are going to outpace and outmanoeuvre those who seek to do us harm.

That is why the UK is investing record amounts in defence, to make our armed forces more lethal and more deployable, and to ready our defence industry for the challenges ahead.

And thats something we need to see across Nato  starting with meeting the 2% commitment.

In a sign that Mr Sunak wants the UK to lead from the front, the Ministry of Defence is set to publish a new command paper setting out the measures the UK is taking to improve the lethality and deployability of our own armed forces, No 10 said.

The paper will include plans to establish a new Global Response Force which defence chiefs hope will dramatically increase the ability to physically respond to crises at short notice, either by being already present or deploying more rapidly.

Other issues that are expected to dominate the two-day gathering in the Lithuanian capital include Swedens accession to Nato, agreement on how Ukraine might eventually become a member of the alliance and the US offer to provide cluster bombs to Kyiv.

The Telegraph reported that Britain, the US, France and Germany are planning to offer Israel-style security guarantees to the war-torn country.

The scheme, which would involve commitments on military support and intelligence-sharing, are expected to be finalised in Kyiv in the coming days and could be offered as a stepping stone to membership, the paper reports.

Sweden and Finland dropped their long-held policy of neutrality following Russian president Vladimir Putins invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last year and signalled their intention to join Nato.

Finland joined in April but Turkeys objections have held up Stockholms accession, although there appeared to have been a breakthrough on the eve of the summit.

The Nordic nations proximity to membership took a big step forward on Monday as Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan committed to put its accession protocol before Parliament as soon as possible in return for help in reviving Ankaras own chances of joining the European Union.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is due in Vilnius on Wednesday, spent last week lobbying for Nato to admit his war-torn country into Nato.

During a visit to Prague, he said the ideal result of the summit would be an invitation for his country to join the alliance.

A spokeswoman for Mr Sunak highlighted that, as the British leader has previously stated, he thinks Ukraines rightful place is in Nato.

But with its membership unlikely to be granted while its fight against Moscow continues  with Mr Zelenskys troops currently engaged in counter offensive operations, Mr Sunak will push for Nato to provide long-term security assistance to Kyiv to guarantee they can win the war, according to his spokeswoman.

There is expected to be a diplomatic tussle over the wording of any statement released after the summit about the pace at which Kyiv might be admitted, with London calling for its membership to be fast-tracked.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Nato leaders to approve Kyivs application for Nato membership at Vilnius (Carl Court/PA)

Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said he wanted to see Britain show leadership on strengthening support for Ukraine in Vilnius.

He said: If UK military support for Ukraine is accelerated, this will have Labours total backing.

Mr Sunak welcomed Joe Biden to No 10 for the first time on Monday as the US president made a layover visit to the UK on his way to the summit.

Mr Biden said the trans-Atlantic relationship is rock solid, while Mr Sunak hailed the US and UK as two of the firmest allies in Nato.

But the issue of support for Ukraines ambitions for Nato membership and the US decision to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions are signs that Westminster and Washington are not entirely on the same page.

Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the weapons.

Separately, Conservative Party leader Mr Sunak will use day-one of his trip to confirm an eight-fold increase in the UKs production capacity of 155mm artillery ammunition, No 10 officials said.

With most Nato armies using the ammunition as standard, a new 190 million BAE Systems contract is expected to lead to the production of more artillery shells for use by the UK and other allied forces.

No 10 said the deal would create more than 100 jobs at BAE Systems sites in the North of England and South Wales, adding to the firms existing 1,200-strong UK munitions workforce.
The Wagner Group mutiny took place last month (Prigozhin Press Service via AP, File)

Wagner Group commanders under Yevgeny Prigozhin pledged loyalty to the Russian government in meeting with President Vladimir Putin, five days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a Moscow official has said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the three-hour meeting took place June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Mr Prigozhin founded.

Mr Peskov said: The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland.

Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.

Mr Prigozhin has a long-simmering conflict with the Russian militarys top brass, culminating in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia on June 24.

The Wagner Group chief ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled in Belarus.

Mr Prigozhin was denounced by Mr Putin on the day of the rebellion (Prigozhin Press Service via AP, File)

The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin, who had branded Mr Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief.

Prigozhin has not commented on the Kremlin meeting, and his ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Mondays announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors.

The criminal case against him on rebellion charges has been dropped but he could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

The rebellion severely weakened Mr Putins authority.

Mr Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Mr Putin offered an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and of the events of June 24.

The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underlined that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Mr Peskov said.

Mr Prigozhins exact whereabouts are still unknown (AP)

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company  namely, Mr Prigozhin himself, Mr Peskov said.

Also on Monday, Russias defence ministry published a video featuring the countrys military chief  the first time Gen Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebelling aimed to oust him.

During last months revolt, Mr Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gen Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and defence minister Sergei Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition.

Mondays updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country could approve Swedens membership of Nato if European nations open the way to Turkeys bid to join the European Union.

Mr Erdogan, whose country has been holding off its final approval to Swedens Nato membership, made the comments in Ankara on Monday before departing to the alliances summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but its membership bid has stalled due to Ankaras democratic backsliding and disputes with EU member Cyprus.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shake hands next to Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg prior to their meeting on the eve of a Nato summit in Vilnius (Henrik Montgomery/TT News Agency/AP)

Mr Erdogan said: Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the Nato member countries are now members of the European Union.

I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.

Come and open the way for Turkeys membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland.

Earlier on Monday, Swedens foreign minister had expressed optimism that Turkey would drop its objections to Swedish Nato membership, saying the Nordics countrys accession is a question of when, not if.

Mr Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson are expected to meet later on Monday in Vilnius ahead of the two-day Nato summit.

Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom told public broadcaster SVT that he expects Turkey will eventually signal that it will let Sweden join the alliance, though he could not say whether that would happen at the annual summit.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light  a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Mr Billstrom said.

Swedens top diplomat Tobias Billstrom has expressed optimism that Turkey will drop its objections to Swedish Nato membership (AP)

Turkey has stalled Swedens Nato accession, saying it needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers as threats to its national security.

Anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Stockholm raised doubts that an agreement could be reached before the alliances summit.

Mr Billstrom said Sweden has fulfilled its part of a tri-partite deal that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last years Nato summit in Madrid.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if, he said.

In connection with the Nato summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to Nato. It is therefore a question of when.

Mr Billstrom said he expects Hungary, which also has not ratified Swedens accession, to do so before Turkey.

Leaders of Nato countries are meeting in Vilnius (AP)

In a statement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Finnish  and soon Swedish  membership of the alliance is a historic milestone for Nato, the Nordic region and Denmarks security. And there is no doubt that they will strengthen the security of all allies.

Previously, non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for Nato membership last year following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April this year.

Another key issue discussed in Vilnius will be how to bring Ukraine closer to Nato without it actually joining, as well as any security guarantees that Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesnt invade again after the war ends.

Mr Stoltenberg said that the most important thing was to continue to support Ukraines efforts to resist the Russian invasion.

Unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership issue to discuss at all, he said.
The 51-year-old married Gareth Brisbane, from Whitehead, in Bali in 2018. They have a daughter together, eight-year-old Maddie.

The Married at First Sight Australia and UK star told us at the Spirit of NI Awards: We met online. Hes from Whitehead, but he was living in Adelaide and I was in Melbourne.

We did long distance for six weeks, which was really pivotal in the success of our relationship because we didnt physically meet for those six weeks, but we were communicating every day.

Theres so much heart here. I am very connected to Northern Ireland because of my hubby and my little girl. My hubby will be Tim McGarry in about 10 years.

Schilling has been a romance coach on the explosive Aussie edition of Married At First Sight since 2016, and was drafted in to help with the UK version in 2021.

The love guru has worked as a qualified specialist in human behavioural performance and purpose for over two decades.

Speaking previously about how she met her Northern Irish husband, who she married in Bali in July 2018, she told of her struggles on the dating scene.

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I was single for my entire thirties. I wasnt interested in anyone, she recalled previously.

I was busy travelling the world and working overseas. I was all about building my business and just living a great life. We were both nearly 40 when we met, and he just turned my world upside down. I was not expecting that.

We met on [the dating website] Eharmony. Hes from Whitehead in Northern Ireland, but he was living in Adelaide and I was in Melbourne. We did long distance for six weeks, which was really pivotal in the success of our relationship, because we didnt physically meet for those six weeks, but we were communicating every day.

"It was mostly email and next  I couldnt talk to him on the phone at first because I couldnt understand his accent.

It was almost like a throwback to that retro style of dating where it was a phone call, [only] more instant with texting and social media. But I felt like that was a great way to build a solid foundation for a relationship before you complicate it with chemistry and sex.

"Once we got together, it was very quick.
Its so nice to know that youre making a difference to someones life: Social care worker on how rewarding job can be
With a plant that could produce four cars a day, Siam Motors of Thailand teamed up with Nissan Motor in 1962, beginning a successful, long-lasting partnership with Japanese firms that turned it from a car dealer to an automotive pioneer.

However, the Thai family-owned firm is now looking at opportunities elsewhere after growing annual revenues to $7 billion as a result of that achievement, as reported by Reuters.

Vice president Sebastien Dupuy stated in an interview that Siam Motors is in conversations with numerous Chinese automakers about prospective partnerships, notably for high-end electric vehicles.

In Thailand, where Chinese investments totaling $1.44 billion since 2020, including those of BYD and Great Wall Motor, have opened a new front in a market that Japanese automakers have previously controlled, Siam Motors' position underscores a rapid transformation that is currently under place.

The Change in EVs in Thailand

Siam Motors' position illustrates the swift change that has taken place in Thailand since 2020, when Chinese investments totaling $1.44 billion, including those made by BYD and Great Wall Motor, opened a new front in a market that was previously dominated by Japanese manufacturers.

(Photo: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images) Japanese automaker Nissan Motor executive Hideaki Watanabe demonstrates how to use an electricity supply for the company's electric vehicle "Leaf" to a "smart house" near Nissan's headquarters (seen behind) in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo on August 2, 2011.

Japanese automakers are now in a fight for another important Asian market as a result of their cautious approach to EVs, according to registration data, industry officials, and analysts, which comes just after a sales crisis in China.

Thailand's car sector is already beginning to change as Chinese EV manufacturers bring in their suppliers and local Thai businesses, particularly those with strong ties to Japanese enterprises like Siam Motors, look for new collaborations.

Following Indonesia as the largest sales market, Thailand is Southeast Asia's top producer and exporter of automobiles. Due to their overwhelming market share, Japanese automakers have treated it nearly as an extension of their own market for decades.

But because of BYD's investment in a new facility scheduled to open in 2024 and the government of Thailand's aggressive efforts to attract Chinese EV companies, China eclipsed Japan as the country with the largest foreign investment in Thailand last year.

As Chinese automakers boost exports and create overseas production hubs, partially in reaction to a hypercompetitive domestic market for electric cars, Thailand's transition provides a test case for other economies.

With intentions to become the primary regional production base, Thailand is aggressively pursuing investment in order to convert about 30% of its 2.5 million annual car production to EVs by 2030.

Read also: France Takes Step Towards Electric Vehicle Future with Inauguration of First Gigafactory

What Thailand is Doing

Thailand has been luring Chinese EV manufacturers with its ready subsidies and established supply infrastructure, which was mostly created for Japanese automakers.

These include reduced import duties in exchange for subsequent local assembly and a few tax advantages for EV production.

As of May 31, the 14 projects from 13 firms that have received approval from the BOI have a combined yearly production capacity of 276,640 EVs.

According to Narong Sritalayon, managing director of its Thailand division, Great Wall chose Thailand as a regional hub for EVs due to the nation's excellent infrastructure, supply, and skill base, as well as its growth prospects.

Related article: China to Offer $72 Billion Tax Break for EVs to Boost Demand

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Now comes the hard part.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the 42-year-old leader of the opposition Move Forward Party, is the prime ministerial frontrunner as Thailands new parliament convenes to vote for a new PM this week.

His party won big in the May 14 general election, but Pita and Move Forward face a steep final push as they try to clinch the magic 376 via the vote on July 13. Thats the number of parliamentary seats needed to form the next ruling coalition, after more than nine years of rule by an administration with deep military ties.

To secure the top office  and as stipulated in new electoral rules enshrined in the 2017 military-drafted constitution  Pita will need support from the upper house Senate. It is stacked with pro-royalist senators appointed by the junta, many of whom oppose his plans to amend a draconian law against defaming the monarchy.
Family members and human rights groups supporting Thol Samnang, a member of the Cambodian opposition Candlelight Party seen here in this undated photo, are calling on the Thai government to not send him back to Cambodia.

The mother of a Cambodian activist arrested in Thailand has pleaded to authorities not to deport her son to Cambodia, where he could face persecution under strongman ruler Hun Sens sweeping campaign against political opponents.

Thol Samnang, a member of the opposition Candlelight Party, was snatched off the streets of Bangkok by men in plainclothes before dawn on Friday as he made his way to the office of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, according to an eyewitness and human rights advocacy groups.

The arrest is the latest in a series of incidents where foreign activists fleeing repression in their home countries have been detained on Thai soil.

Im afraid officials in Thailand may send him to Cambodian officials to be punished, Chaet Lak, his mother who lives in Cambodia, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews. I want human rights organizations to help prevent his deportation.

Samnang fled Cambodia on July 4, a day after police and government authorities visited his home to detain him without a warrant.

The 34-year-old had criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen and the governing Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) on Facebook in the weeks leading up to his departure, his mother told RFA Khmer in an interview on Sunday.

Cham Chit, a Cambodian citizen who left the country with Samnang, said the two were seeking asylum in Thailand.

But on July 7, plainclothes Thai officials arrested him and took him away on a motorcycle as we were leaving our residence near the Victory Monument, he told RFA, referring to a military memorial at the heart of Bangkok.

Anti-junta demonstrators rally at the Victory Monument in Bangkok to protest the military coup two days earlier, May 24, 2014. [RFA file photo]

Samnang was being held at an immigration detention center in the Thai capital, said Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, director of the Cross Cultural Foundation, a local NGO providing legal aid and advocacy for victims of human rights abuses.

We received an assurance from the immigration officials that there will not be an immediate deportation, she told BenarNews on Monday. Our lawyer is processing him to gain protection through the UNHCR or the Thai government.

She said Thailands recently enacted Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act prohibited the deportation of anyone who faces a serious threat to life or freedom  a key principal of the U.N. Refugee Convention known as non-refoulement.

Samnang would face an uncertain fate if forcibly sent back to Cambodia.

Hun Sen, who has ruled the Southeast Asian nation of 16 million for nearly four decades, has clamped down on democratic freedoms, jailed or exiled political rivals, and shut independent media outlets.

In May, the National Election Committee disqualified the Candlelight Party from competing in Cambodias July 23 parliamentary elections, leaving no credible challenger to the CPP.

Well-founded fear of persecution

Human Rights Watch called on Thailand to protect Samnang.

It is absolutely urgent that UNHCR be granted immediate access to Thol Samnang so he can explain his very serious, well-founded fear of persecution if he is forced to return to Cambodia, and receive refugee protection, Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, told BenarNews on Monday.

Quite clearly, the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and key officials are turning up the heat against anyone who dares criticize government policies or questions the upcoming election, which Human Rights Watch believes will be neither free nor fair.

Thailand should refuse to participate in Phnom Penhs efforts at transnational repression against opposition political activists.

A UNHCR spokeswoman said she could not comment on the details or even confirm the existence of individual cases. The Thai Immigration Bureau did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.

Thailand has hosted thousands of refugees from neighboring countries who fled war, natural disasters and human rights violations.

Still, rights advocates have criticized Thailands pro-military government for recent cases where refugees and asylum seekers have been deported to face prosecution and other rights abuses in their home countries.

Khoukham Keomanivong, a Lao activist living in Thailand as a U.N.-recognized refugee, was arrested by Thai police in Bangkok on Jan. 29, 2022, for overstaying his visa. He was released on bail on Feb. 1 with the help of a human rights lawyer, narrowly avoiding deportation.

In November 2021, Thai authorities deported to Cambodia two activists from a banned opposition party after Hun Sen ordered one of them arrested for a poem that criticized him on Facebook.

In August 2019, Lao democracy activist Od Sayavong, who was 34, vanished under mysterious circumstances in Thailand after posting a video clip online criticizing the Lao government. Listed as a person of concern by the UNHCR because of his advocacy for democracy and human rights in Laos, his whereabouts remain unknown.

RFA Khmer contributed to this report.
Nuraining Deromae (center, wearing a hijab), the widow of Yahree Dueloh, talks to soldiers who asked to exhume his body at the Pahong Guepus cemetery in Su-ngai Padi in Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, Dec. 10, 2022.

A court in Thailands Deep South has fined the mother and widow of an alleged rebel and handed them suspended one-month jail terms in connection with the bizarre case of a corpse that was found in a river last year.

The two women were put on trial and convicted last week for having prevented authorities from exhuming the body of their loved one from a local cemetery to identify the remains, according to a military source. The mans widow had identified her husband by a scar on the leg of the corpse retrieved from the river, but no DNA test was done on it for confirmation.

[We] have to keep fighting. I am consulting with a lawyer on whether to appeal the case, Tuanmo Tuandueseh, the mother of Yahree Dueloh (also known as Zahri Bin Abdullah), 42, told BenarNews on Monday.

Barisan Revolusi Nasional, the armed separatist group, had claimed that Yahree was one of its members and that his was the bloated body found floating in the Kolok River  along the Thai-Malaysia border  in September 2022.

BRN also accused Thai officials of kidnapping Yahree from the Malaysian side of the frontier and killing him, allegations which Thai authorities deny. Officials said the corpse did not undergo a proper autopsy and that DNA testing needed to be done.

On Friday, the court in Narathiwat province fined Yahrees widow, Nuraining Deromae, and his mother 5,000 baht each (U.S. $142), according to the military source who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the trial.

The women were convicted on charges of obstructing officials in carrying out the exhumation of the body to prove the persons identity.

On Oct. 3, four days after the body was pulled out the river, Nuraining pointed to a distinctive scar on its leg to identify her husband.

The family buried the body at the Pahong Guepus cemetery in Su-ngai Padi, a district in Narathiwat province, before a proper DNA test could be performed, officials said.

In December, military, police and forensic experts had to leave the cemetery because Yahrees survivors barred them from digging up the body for DNA testing.

In response, Lt. Gen. Santi Sakuntanak, the Thai armys army commander in the south, said the law requires that a dead person must be processed and identified using proper forensic science techniques. In October, he had said that fingerprints taken from the corpse showed it was not Yahree, so he would like to perform an additional DNA test.

According to the law we have to dig up the corpse and identify to whom it belongs  just in case his relatives might be looking for him, Santi said at the time. I dont know why they rejected our request. If it was not her husband  I dont know why they want to keep the body.

Col. Prushaya Baiteh, the police chief in Sungai Kolok, said examiners needed a bone marrow sample to conduct a proper DNA test because tissue from the bloated body was too damaged.

Backlash

Following the trial, Chalita Buntuwong, a lecturer at Kasetsart University, criticized the military in a post on her Facebook page.

So proud to show your power, unite the strength from all state sides, including the military, the police, the judicial process to defeat two defenseless village women, she wrote. Do anything without thinking about the hearts of the villagers.

A military officer who asked to remain anonymous because he said he did not wish to escalate the backlash, supported the ruling.

Everything is in accordance with the judicial process, the officer told BenarNews.

Authorities said Yahree had gone into hiding in Malaysia last year because he was wanted on charges related to a series of crimes including arson and carjacking in Narathiwat four or five years earlier.

BRN alleged that Yahree was abducted by a group of Thai security forces from a small town in Rantau Panjang, a subdistrict in the Malaysian state of Kelantan near the Thai border. The Thai military denied having a role in the abduction while police have largely kept quiet about the investigation.
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World Population Day 2023, observed every July 11, is dedicated to shedding light on the ever-growing global population and the challenges it brings to our planet.

It is worth noting that the world's population surpassed a staggering 7.9 billion in 2021.

World Population Day: Here's What You Need to Know

According to the United Nations, the theme for this year's World Population Day is "Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities." It is quite a mouthful. But in other words, the UN wants to focus on the wants and needs of girls and women across the globe.

The UN says that nearly half of the global population turns out to be women, or roughly 49.7 percent, to be precise. But despite these striking numbers, they are most often ignored in various demographic discussions, the intergovernmental organization stresses.

The organization seeks to focus on the women population for this year's celebration, urging everyone to push for gender equality.

The UN says that it should help produce a world that is not only more just and resilient but much more sustainable as well. The org further stresses that the ingenuity and sheer power of women could help us fight the pressing issues our home planet is grappling with these days, such as war and climate change.

A crucial aspect of managing population growth is empowering women and ensuring their access to education and reproductive healthcare. And by empowering women, it enables them to make informed decisions about family planning, which directly impacts population growth.

As per National Today, the Governing Council of the United States Development Programme (UNDP) established World Population Day more than 30 years ago, or in 1989, to be precise.

Its roots stretch back to 1987, when the entire human population reached a whopping five billion on July 11 that year. And since then, the special day has been celebrated for the next following years.

The special day dives into various population issues the world suffers from, including environmental impact, gender equality, and family planning. It further urges us to strike a balance between population growth and the planet's resource preservation.

Read Also: South Korea's Aging Population Forces Shift in Care Priorities

World Population Facts

The current 8 billion global population is an increase of 2 billion people from 1999. Notably, the rapid growth of the world's population is putting a strain on resources such as food, water, and energy. Not to mention it is contributing to climate change.

UN data estimates that the population on Earth is about to shoot up to a staggering 8.5 billion in the next decade or 2030. In 2050, the figures will keep rising to a whopping 9.7 billion. Fast forward to 2100, it could go as high as 10.9 billion.

Last April, Al Jazeera reported that a UNFPA study predicted that India's population could likely balloon to a whopping 1.42 billion, parallel to China's number by the middle of 2023.

Related Article: World Population 2023: This Country Will Surpass China as the Most Populous Nation Next Year

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Albro T. Gaul's explanation and recording of the special two-toned buzz of a bumblebee in flight can be heard on his record.
A collection of local dignitaries stood alongside Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday on the corner of Morgan and State street in North Adams in front of a hole in the road where a manhole culvert failed. Im committed to working to try to find ways to make sure we meet the moment and meet the need, Healey said.
 Talking Points Memo: The failure of the Biden administration is only getting more and more obvious by the day. Heres three major agencies that are falling apart.

 President Biden snaps at reporter for asking about Hunters text messages.

 SCOTUS rules on states control over elections and agrees to hear case on wealth tax.

 Bill renews calls for investigation into Zuckerbergs efforts into the 2020 presidential election.

 Former Prosecutor Cully Stimson on his new book Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers are Destroying Americas Communities.

 Reuters releases report that says all living US Presidents descended from slaveholders  all expect Donald Trump.

 Smart Life: pickleball injuries

 This Day in History: International Body Piercing Day

 Final Thought: Leaving money to kids, charities & friends

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(Photo : FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

A former Louisiana priest admitted to drugging and assaulting 17 men he met in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

A former Louisiana priest was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to drugging and assaulting 17 men he met in the French Quarter as a priest.

Stephen Sauer, 61, of Metairie, confessed that he targeted males who appeared disoriented or intoxicated. Then, as he offered them help, he would drug them, sometimes slipping narcotics into their beverages at taverns.

Former Louisiana Priest Receives 25-Year Sentence

According to a press release from Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul D. Connick, Jr., the former Catholic priest also used an eyedropper to administer sleep-inducing substances to men who had become intoxicated.

Per Fox News, Sauer brought the incapacitated victims to his residence, where he filmed or photographed them while they were unconscious. He confessed to molesting some men and drove them to their lodgings or other locations the following morning.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office's investigators discovered that Sauer shared the images on a website and occasionally traded images via email. According to the district attorney's office, many of Sauer's victims were out-of-state, separated from their companions, or disoriented when he accosted them.

All of the incidents with which Sauer was charged and connected occurred between 2019 and 2021. According to court documents, Sauer was investigated in June 2021 after he sent a computer hard drive to a New York electronics repair company. A data recovery specialist discovered hundreds of sexually explicit images.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office was notified by the New York law enforcement officials who determined that the images were captured in Louisiana, as per CBS42.

Read Also: Pro-Khalistani Protests: Sikh Leader's Death Sparks Demonstrations in Canada; Will This Strain India's Foreign Ties?

Judge Orders Suspect to Register as Sexual Offender

Numerous victims were identified by detectives using photographs of their driver's licenses or other forms of identification taken by Sauer. Detectives believe that over fifty victims remain unidentified.

Sauer was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to 13 counts of sexual battery, nine counts of third-degree rape, 17 counts of video voyeurism, and 16 misdemeanor counts of unlawfully possessing narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

Judge Shayna Beevers Morvant ordered Sauer to register as a sexual offender, and prohibited him from communicating with 12 victims.

During its investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office discovered that Sauer spread the images via a website or email.

Sauer was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to 13 counts of sexual battery, nine counts of third-degree rape, 17 counts of video voyeurism, and 16 misdemeanor counts of unlawfully possessing narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

Per Fox8, Connick stated that many victims were identified by police because Sauer photographed their driver's licenses or other forms of identification.

Related Article: Ohio Man Gets Life Sentence for Raping Girl Who Drew National Attention Over Getting Legal Abortion

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Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme countries Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will receive doses to continue vaccinations in pilot areas

Twelve countries across different regions in Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine over the next two years. The roll out is a critical step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of death in the continent.

The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, developed by a publicprivate partnership in 2001 between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health or PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to PATH, has been administered to more than 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective, resulting in a substantial reduction in severe malaria and a fall in child deaths. At least 28 African countries have expressed interest in receiving the malaria vaccine.

In addition to Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the initial 18 million dose allocation will enable nine more countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda, to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunisation programmes for the first time. This allocation round makes use of the supply of vaccine doses available to Gavi, Vaccine Alliance via UNICEF. The first doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in countries during the last quarter of 2023, with countries starting to roll them out by early 2024.
Bayer and Peking University (PKU) have partnered to advance pharmaceutical research translation, drug discovery, and development, while fostering cutting-edge scientific investigations.

Source: Supplied.

The collaboration will focus on selected key areas of interests, such as oncology, cardiorenal, immunology, as well as cell- and gene therapy. Under the agreement, Bayer will provide funding and support for joint research projects, as well as to scientists at PKU in recognition of their research excellence in life sciences and drug innovation.

This new agreement builds on a strategic academic partnership between Bayer and PKU under which a joint research centre at Peking University has been founded to advance the translation of drug discovery and research.

We look forward to a new chapter of the partnership between Bayer and Peking University moving forward, said Friedemann Janus, acting head of business development and licensing and open innovation at Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Fostering collaborative innovation

This partnership reflects Bayers consistent commitment to China as we see more exciting and disruptive innovation coming from China. We will continue to reinforce our collaboration with Peking University and to explore open innovation models. These could translate scientific breakthroughs into innovative treatments, thus making a meaningful impact to lives of patients.

Peking University has been actively integrating internal and external resources and undertaking the important task of scientific and technological innovation through discipline construction and personnel training.

"I look forward to working together with Bayer to promote the development of life sciences and medical technology, to achieve a win-win situation for both academia and industry, and to ultimately benefit patients in China and around the world, said Hong Wu, chair professor of School of Life Sciences in Peking University and senior investigator of Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences.

Academic collaborations have been an integral part of Bayers long-standing commitment to fostering drug innovation originated in China and the translation of drug discovery and research.

Bayer established strategic collaborations with Peking University and Tsinghua University respectively. Bayer and the two prestigious universities are carrying out joint research projects, including discovery and structural analysis of novel targets, pathogenesis and drug mechanism of action research, drug screening, efficacy evaluation as well as exploration on new modalities, new synthetic methods, and innovative formulations.
A group of linguistics and language practice students from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) recently attended an online workshop with staff from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) to learn more about the career possibilities in the field of digital humanities. This one-day externship, which took place on 14 June 2023 via Zoom, offered the students a different perspective on the types of careers they could follow, once qualified.

Programme coordinator Dr Benito Trollip (right) with Nomkhuleko Ngubane during the online externship event with UJ students

"Our main goal was to provide students with a short-term professional learning experience in digital humanities and language development, says Dr Benito Trollip, digital humanities researcher for Afrikaans at SADiLaR and the main organiser of the externship. We did this by introducing the students to SADiLaR and its different research nodes; demonstrating some of the tools we use to analyse, annotate, translate or otherwise interact with language in the digital space; and having staff members give personal accounts of their work at SADiLaR.

The idea for an externship originated when Laurinda van Tonder, lecturer in Applied Linguistics at UJs Department of Languages, Cultural Studies and Applied Linguistics, contacted Trollip to find out whether an externship for the final-year Linguistics and Language Practice students would be possible at SADiLaR.

Laurinda explained to me that the students normally have one-day internships at institutions such as banks and local government offices (where language practitioners are also working), but she thought that introducing the students to SADiLaR would enhance their view on the available careers within language, Trollip recalls. She also had to explain to me what an externship is  which is basically an online internship, he adds.

Informative and thought-provoking

According to Trollip, SADiLaRs very first externship was a huge success. We received very positive feedback from the participants as well as the SADiLaR team members that took part. The students engaged a lot and I feel the interactions between them and the team from SADiLaR were natural, informative and thought-provoking.

We spent a lot of time going through the website and showing the students how to find the information, resources and tools they could possibly need. Our tutorials on the various tools illustrated to students what is available and how it could assist them with their work and studies in the different linguistic and applied linguistic areas they are busy with or planning to pursue, he says. Two tools that especially peaked the interest and interaction of the students were the Autshumato machine translation (translating a sentence from English to isiZulu), and searching for words in the Corpus portal.

According to Rooweither Mabuya, digital humanities researcher for isiZulu at SADiLaR, who joined the externship's afternoon session, the students were very keen to learn more about the research happening at SADiLaR. I shared my research interests with the students and explained how I was introduced to digital humanities and digital scholarship when I joined SADiLaR. I also highlighted how attending various workshops and training opportunities helped me to understand how I could use Digital Humanities in my research. Rooweither, who is a PhD candidate, was pleased when a student asked her to share the tools she is using for her research.

Another SADiLaR digital humanities researcher, Mmasibidi Setaka (who specialises in Sesotho), was impressed with how engaging the students were. They asked many questions related to what we do at SADiLaR. Since Digital Humanities is still a young field in South Africa, they found it interesting to learn more about the work we are doing in digitising and creating language resources for the 11 official languages. I also shared how we host different workshops to share the knowledge we have acquired with others. Based on the success of this externship, I would like us to extend it to other institutions too.

The below student feedback speaks for itself and more externships are sure to follow in the future:

Thank you so much guys. This was very informative. Continue to host more of these please. Other people would really appreciate it too.

Thank you to everyone. This was productive, exciting, and very much needed to us as students.

I just want to say thank you to the whole SADiLaR team for this experience today. We all learned a lot, and we are motivated to further in this field and maybe one day join you all. Everyone had a great spirit.

About SADiLaR

Hosted by the North-West University, the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) is a national centre supported by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) as part of the new South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR).

SADiLaR has an enabling function, with a focus on all official languages of South Africa, supporting research and development in the domains of language technologies and language-related studies in the humanities and social sciences. The Centre supports the creation, management and distribution of digital language resources, as well as applicable software, which are freely available for research purposes through the Language Resource Catalogue.

SADiLaR clients include academic scholars and professionals in all domains of Humanities and Social Sciences, Language Technologies, Natural Language Processing, Computer Science, as well as potential end-users in education, business and industry.





Caption: Programme Coordinator Dr Benito Trollip with Miss Nomkhuleko Ngubane during the online externship event with UJ students
Digify Africa, in partnership with Stanlib, has announced that the Digital General Practitioner programme (Digify GPs) applications are open and are calling the youth in the Northern Cape to apply. Digify GPs is an initiative developed by Digify Africa and Stanlib, as part of its social investment, launched in 2022.

The programme aims to upskill youth in Northern Cape with in-demand skills they can use to access earning opportunities in digital marketing. Its objectives are to alleviate skills shortages by providing free quality education that supports meaningful youth participation in the digital economy.

This free digital marketing programme is aimed at unemployed youth aged 18-30 years, and covers critical digital marketing skills such as social media management, content marketing, paid advertising, digital entrepreneurship, and more.

We are pleased to partner with Stanlib to deliver Digify GPs, an initiative created to address youth skills gaps in Kimberly. Our goal with Digify GPs is to impart sought-after skills that build young people's capacity to connect to opportunities in digital industries, said Qhakaza Mohare, chief operating officer, Digify Africa.

Digify GPs combines theoretical and practical training to build competency in various areas of digital marketing. Expert trainers will deliver the training over eight weeks through in-person and online sessions. Participants will be tested through weekly assessments and get to work on live briefs to test their knowledge. At the end of their training, participants must write an exam to earn their digital marketing certificate of completion.

The programme includes a two-week focus on job readiness, where graduates receive further training to prepare them for the job market. This is followed by a six-week post-training support initiative where graduates will receive assistance securing internships and freelancing opportunities with potential employers, through Digify Africas Marketplace platform.

Digital skills are a necessity for every young person looking for economic opportunities. We are invested in our continued partnership with Digify Africa to ensure we transfer real skills and uplift communities in an increasingly digital world. We know that participants will gain valuable skills that will enable them for future-fit employment and create entrepreneurial opportunities, said Nomaxabiso Matjila, CSI lead specialist at Stanlib.

Applications for Digify GPs close on Wednesday, 12 July 2023. Unemployed youth residing in Kimberley between the ages of 18-30 are urged to apply here.

Digify GPs training will run from 7 August-20 October 2023.
The New Development Bank, founded by the Brics countries in 2015 and headquartered in Shanghai, marked its seventh anniversary on Friday, 7 July.

Source: New Development Bank.

In line with the milestone, Leslie Maasdorp, vice president and chief financial officer of the bank, affirmed the banks dedication to increasing the utilisation of local currencies among member states Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Despite the US dollar continuing to serve as the trading currency, Maasdorp highlighted that the bank has already started incorporating various currencies into its operations.

"As far as the Bank is concerned we will be continuing to lend in US dollars and also in South African rand, in Brazilian Real, in Indian Rupee, Chinese Renminbi and so on, Maasdorp said.

These nations are actively advocating for enhanced intra-Brics trade conducted in their respective currencies," he concluded.

Shareholders from the Brics countries are currently discussing the best-practice approach to currency usage for the future.
Companies across the globe grapple with sprawling data, complex processes, and rapidly evolving markets. In this dynamic environment, the utilisation of business software has become a cornerstone of success. Sophisticated, integrated software solutions empower businesses to streamline operations, enhance data accuracy, foster informed decision-making, and ultimately, drive competitive advantage.

Businesses, particularly those dealing with complex processes, have traditionally relied on a range of standalone systems to manage their operations. These include sales and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, separate estimating and quotes systems, production systems, accounting systems, and often an offline business intelligence (BI) or reports system. While these systems have their strengths, they also pose significant challenges when it comes to integration and cohesion.

The current landscape of standalone systems

To understand the current landscape, it's helpful to consider some of the popular standalone systems businesses use.

Sales and CRM

Most sales and CRM platforms offer a wide array of features.

Contact and account management: A complete view of your customers, including activity history, key contacts, customer communications, and internal account discussions.



A complete view of your customers, including activity history, key contacts, customer communications, and internal account discussions. Sales forecasting: Its sophisticated sales forecasting tools offer a real-time view of your entire business.



Its sophisticated sales forecasting tools offer a real-time view of your entire business. Collaboration: This allows users to bring colleagues into project discussions, no matter where they're located.



This allows users to bring colleagues into project discussions, no matter where they're located. Sales analytics: This provides pre-built analytic templates, dynamic dashboards, and reports to help track business performance.

Estimating and quotes

This specialised software is used for creating sales quotes and proposals.

Quote creation: You can create detailed, professional quotes in minutes.



You can create detailed, professional quotes in minutes. Integrations: It can integrate with your CRM and accounting systems to simplify quote and proposal processes.



It can integrate with your CRM and accounting systems to simplify quote and proposal processes. Electronic signatures: This offers built-in electronic signature functionality, so your customers can legally sign documents electronically.



This offers built-in electronic signature functionality, so your customers can legally sign documents electronically. Supplier management: It lets you manage your supplier's details and performances.



It lets you manage your supplier's details and performances. Estimating and quoting: It offers tools for quick and easy estimating and quoting.



It offers tools for quick and easy estimating and quoting. Job tracking: With these platforms, you can track job status and store documents in one place.

Production and MRP systems

There are versatile platforms that teams use to plan, track, and deliver their work.

Work OS: Its a customisable system that helps teams create their own workflows and manage their projects and tasks.



Its a customisable system that helps teams create their own workflows and manage their projects and tasks. Automations: Automate routine work and focus on what matters most.



Automate routine work and focus on what matters most. Integrations: You can integrate with your favourite tools and centralise your data in one place.



You can integrate with your favourite tools and centralise your data in one place. Shop management: It helps manage every aspect of your shop from quoting, order processing, and scheduling to real-time data collection, quality, and shipping.



It helps manage every aspect of your shop from quoting, order processing, and scheduling to real-time data collection, quality, and shipping. Flexibility: It allows customisation to fit your needs and workflows.



It allows customisation to fit your needs and workflows. Real-time data: It provides real-time data for better decision-making.

Accounting

There are many comprehensive accounting solutions.

Invoice generation: It helps create professional invoices and keep track of them.



It helps create professional invoices and keep track of them. Expense tracking: It simplifies expense tracking by connecting to your bank accounts and credit cards.



It simplifies expense tracking by connecting to your bank accounts and credit cards. Inventory management: It helps keep track of what's in stock and what's selling.



It helps keep track of what's in stock and what's selling. Online accounting: See your cash flow in real-time with online billing, banking, and accounting.



See your cash flow in real-time with online billing, banking, and accounting. Inventory management: It allows you to track the quantity and value of your inventory items.



It allows you to track the quantity and value of your inventory items. Invoicing: You can create and send professional invoices and get paid online.

BI or Reports

There are suites of business analytics tools.

Real-time dashboards: Get a real-time view of your business with live dashboards.



Get a real-time view of your business with live dashboards. Data integration: It allows you to connect to hundreds of data sources, simplify data prep, and drive ad hoc analysis.



It allows you to connect to hundreds of data sources, simplify data prep, and drive ad hoc analysis. Reports: Publish reports and share dashboards.



Publish reports and share dashboards. Data connection: Connect easily to nearly any data source, be it corporate data warehouse, web-based data, or Microsoft Excel.



Connect easily to nearly any data source, be it corporate data warehouse, web-based data, or Microsoft Excel. Data visualisation: Create interactive dashboards to uncover hidden insights.



Create interactive dashboards to uncover hidden insights. Collaboration: Share dashboards with your entire team and make data-driven decisions together.

Integration seems fair

With all of these great features, it makes sense that each of these fills a vital need in a business. Why not use multiple stand-alone systems and just integrate them?

Challenges of manually integrating standalone systems

Each of these systems may perform excellently in isolation. However, the main issue arises when they need to function cohesively as a unified whole. Manual integration of these systems brings about several significant challenges:

Data integrity loss: When data is transferred from one system to another, there's a risk of information loss or corruption. This can result in inaccurate data, leading to poor decision-making.



When data is transferred from one system to another, there's a risk of information loss or corruption. This can result in inaccurate data, leading to poor decision-making. Delays: With multiple systems, data transfer isn't always instantaneous. Delays can slow down the decision-making process, leading to inefficiencies and lost opportunities.



With multiple systems, data transfer isn't always instantaneous. Delays can slow down the decision-making process, leading to inefficiencies and lost opportunities. Cost: Maintaining multiple systems and manually integrating them can be expensive. These costs include not only software and hardware expenses but also the human resources needed for managing and troubleshooting these systems.

The alternative: All of the above in one system

The good news is that businesses don't have to face these challenges. And, they can still have all the functionality  the contact management, automation, quoting and estimating, supplier management, job tracking, inventory control, flexibility, accounting, and reports, without breaking a sweat.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems offer a one-stop solution. Instead of the headache and costs involved with the integration of multiple standalone systems into one patchwork system, an ERP solution has all of these functions under one roof. That means it is truly integrated: one hand knows what the other hand is doing. In real-time. All the time.

Modular ERP vs integrated ERP

Just as we were about to heave a sigh of relief that you can get all of the above in one system, we need to expand a little bit on what many ERP systems offer.

Yes, you can get all of these in one system, however many ERP systems offer stand-alone modules that you need to purchase additional to the centralised database at an extra cost.

QuickEasy ERP is Authentically Integrated ERP

QuickEasy ERP is one of the more popular ERP software solutions that is 100% South African. It provides comprehensive solutions for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Finance and accounting: BOS provides real-time data from the finance team, with full-stack financial reports, financial close, general ledger, invoicing, and bank recon, enabling a company to enhance its financial performance and make more strategic decisions.



BOS provides real-time data from the finance team, with full-stack financial reports, financial close, general ledger, invoicing, and bank recon, enabling a company to enhance its financial performance and make more strategic decisions. Quoting and estimates: Save time, reduce errors, and improve customer satisfaction with estimating and quoting functionality that automates much of this traditionally lengthy process.



Save time, reduce errors, and improve customer satisfaction with estimating and quoting functionality that automates much of this traditionally lengthy process. Supply chain management: The system facilitates end-to-end management of the supply chain, including procurement, inventory, logistics, and order fulfilment.



The system facilitates end-to-end management of the supply chain, including procurement, inventory, logistics, and order fulfilment. Human resources: QuickEasy ERP provides tools for HR management, including time tracker, employee details and contact management.



QuickEasy ERP provides tools for HR management, including time tracker, employee details and contact management. Customer relationship management (CRM): QuickEasy helps businesses manage their customer interactions, providing a single view of the customer for improved decision-making. Unlimited customer data listings allows sales and customer service staff to give personalised service. Service tracking and ticketing functionality is also included for helpdesks and customer queries.



QuickEasy helps businesses manage their customer interactions, providing a single view of the customer for improved decision-making. Unlimited customer data listings allows sales and customer service staff to give personalised service. Service tracking and ticketing functionality is also included for helpdesks and customer queries. Data analytics: QuickEasy offers real-time analytics capabilities to help make sense of complex business data.



QuickEasy offers real-time analytics capabilities to help make sense of complex business data. Supply chain and manufacturing: QuickEasy offers tools for procurement, product lifecycle management, order management, and logistics.



QuickEasy offers tools for procurement, product lifecycle management, order management, and logistics. Project management: This solution enables project planning, costing, and billing.



This solution enables project planning, costing, and billing. Risk management: The software provides automated controls to help businesses manage risk and ensure compliance.

QuickEasy BOS: Truly integrated at no extra cost

QuickEasy BOS is an integrated solution that's safe, secure, streamlined, astonishingly flexible, and easy to use. It combines sales, CRM, estimates, production, accounting, and reporting into one unified system.

Integrated modules: QuickEasy BOS' modules are fully integrated, ensuring seamless operation across all business processes. This reduces the need for multiple entries, saves time, and reduces the risk of errors. Sales, project management, stock control, production management, full-house accounting, and intelligent BI are all included with every subscription.

Security and safety: With advanced data security measures, QuickEasy BOS ensures your business data remains safe and protected.

Simplicity and usability: Despite its comprehensive features, QuickEasy BOS has been designed with simplicity in mind, making it user-friendly even for those without extensive technical expertise.

Centralised database: By keeping all your data in one place, QuickEasy BOS simplifies data management, eliminates duplication, and provides quick, easy access to essential information.

Flexible and scalable: This system is highly flexible and can accommodate your businesss unique functionality requirements.



This is why companies use ERP systems like QuickEasy BOS: a unified system that has all the functionality of individual apps, combined into one.

Here are the key advantages of this approach

Data consistency and accuracy: With one integrated system, all data is stored in a single database, eliminating the risk of data loss or corruption during transfers.



With one integrated system, all data is stored in a single database, eliminating the risk of data loss or corruption during transfers. Speed and efficiency: Real-time data access across all modules improves decision-making speed and operational efficiency. Businesses can respond more rapidly to changes and opportunities.



Real-time data access across all modules improves decision-making speed and operational efficiency. Businesses can respond more rapidly to changes and opportunities. Cost-effective: By consolidating various functions into one system, businesses can significantly cut down on both direct costs (such as software licences) and indirect costs (such as maintenance and manpower).



By consolidating various functions into one system, businesses can significantly cut down on both direct costs (such as software licences) and indirect costs (such as maintenance and manpower). Streamlined operations: A single, unified system enhances workflow, improves collaboration, and reduces the risk of errors, resulting in smoother operations.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, an integrated ERP system is a robust, effective solution for modern businesses. It helps avoid the pitfalls of manually integrating separate systems, or the costly modular-based ERP systems, and offers a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective alternative. It truly embodies the principle of 'integrated, not just integration'.

These tools transform raw data into actionable insights, automate routine tasks, and seamlessly connect disparate business functions. By adopting the right business software, companies can navigate the intricate demands of the 21st century marketplace with agility, precision, and confidence.




East Coast Radio (ECR) is delighted to introduce a new addition to the Breakfast Show team - Carmen Reddy.

A proud native of KwaZulu-Natal, Carmen brings with her a wealth of experience in radio and journalism that spans 15 years.

Carmen's journey with Darren and Sky began a month ago when she joined the duo as a Friday guest co-host. The chemistry and energy she brought to the show were undeniable, and the response from the listeners was overwhelmingly positive. It was clear that Carmen was the perfect fit for the team.

ECR's programming manager, Travis Bussiahn, believes the addition of Carmen to the East Coast Breakfast team will further strengthen the already hugely successful show.

Carmen's broad experience, inquiring mind, and passion for radio is truly exceptional. We couldn't be more excited to have her come home, join the station, and contribute her talent and caliber to our already incredible lineup. he said.

The official announcement was made on Monday, 10 July, during an on-air segment with current Breakfast host, Darren Maule and co-host Sky Tshabalala, who called Carmen to let her know that they would like her to become a permanent co-host.

In true Darren and Sky fashion, they then left ECRs headquarters in Umhlanga and headed to Johannesburg to personally bring Carmen back to Durban.

Over the next few days, the Breakfast team will embark on an exciting road trip with their new co-host in tow. They will broadcast from various locations along the route as they journey home together.

The road trip presents an excellent opportunity for the team to get better acquainted with Carmen and to allow her to reconnect with the beauty of her home province.

Bussiahn also emphasised that while Carmen is a fresh face, the station remains committed to retaining KwaZulu-Natal's favourite radio personalities.

As a station, we take pride in recruiting and nurturing the best talent South Africa has to offer. We only make changes to our lineup when necessary, and this time around, we're keeping KZN's favourites.

Heres a look at the East Coast Radio lineup:

East Coast Breakfast  with Darren, Sky, and Carmen: Weekdays from 6am to 9am



Daytime Carol Ofori: Weekdays from 9am to 12pm



Daytime Vic Naidoo: Weekdays from 12pm to 3pm



Stacey & J Sbu on afternoon drive: Weekdays from 3pm to 6pm



Tee Xaba: Monday to Thursday from 6pm to 9pm



Deon Govender: Monday to Thursday from 9pm to 11pm and Party People on Fridays from 6pm to 9pm



Mike V: Weekdays from 4am to 6pm and Sundays from 6pm to 10pm



Sam Cele: Weekends, Friday from 9pm to 1am, Saturday from 6pm to 10pm and Sunday from 10pm to 2am



Danny Guselli: Weekends from 10am to 2pm



Styles Mbatha: Weekends from 6am to 10am



Jane Linley Thomas: Weekends from 2pm to 6pm



Gordon Graham: Sundays from 10pm to 2am

East Coast Radio remains committed to providing the highest quality and most enjoyable radio experience for its listeners.

The station looks forward to the journey ahead with Carmen as part of the Breakfast Show team.

Listen to East Coast Radios award-winning content via the ECR App (iOS/Android) or on www.ecr.co.za/shows/listen-live.

You can also listen via DStv channel 836.




It is estimated that groundwater constitutes 13% of South Africa's water supply. This seems like a relatively small amount compared to the supply from surface water resources. However, this 'mere' 13% provides water to 56% of the population, either as a sole source or combined with surface water. That is just over 34 million people within 23,746 settlements (78.5% of all settlements in the country).

Dr Shafick Adams, executive manager, Water Research Commission. Source: Supplied

Groundwater is a strategic water resource used to meet the water security needs for more than half the South African population. On average, groundwater is underutilised in South Africa, with considerable opportunity for expansion. Expanding the use of groundwater can help communities and the state build resilience to the impacts of climate change and other drivers of water demand, such as urbanisation, population growth, industrialisation, and agricultural expansion.

In South Africa, groundwater is mainly found in complex geological formations and is typically a local resource. Hydrogeologists play a vital role in the exploration and sustainable management of groundwater resources. These geoscientists specialise in studying groundwater, including its properties, distribution, and movement through rocks and sediments beneath Earth's surface. In addition, they design and manage wellfields, develop, and implement operating rules to ensure that these systems are operated and maintained as efficiently as possible.

South Africa has a competent core of hydrogeologists across the public and private sectors  except where it matters the most. One would think that with the strategic nature of this resource for meeting water security needs and the complexity of our aquifer systems, that most water service providers and municipalities would have in their employ hydrogeologists.

Unfortunately, as far as we can establish, only one metro employs three hydrogeologists and one in a single district municipality, two out of the 254 municipalities have in their employ skilled groundwater personnel. It is thus no surprise that groundwater is being labelled unreliable and dirty by decision-makers that do not ensure that these strategic water supply schemes are adequately resourced.

Competent management of groundwater schemes essential

Groundwater is the invisible resource on which many people rely, across the world, for water and food security. It is the resources preferred where no bulk pipeline can and will reach. Competent management of groundwater schemes is essential to ensure that they provide safe and reliable water supplies, protect the environment, and promote sustainable use of groundwater resources.

This is especially true for the complex fractured aquifers that characterise the South African landscape. Our understanding, development and management of these complex systems are well supported by excellent research products. These aquifer systems, because of the fractured characteristics, require systematic exploration and development at the wellfield or borehole scale. This is an intense activity but, done right, can provide sustainable water supplies.

Lets take a quick detour. Water stored in surface reservoirs is easy to visualise and understand. As an example, a dam that is at 100% of full storage capacity is easy to visualise (a full bucket). Now try to visualise a body of rock with complex porosity systems (fractures and/or pore spaces). If we saturate these with water, the complexity of determining (or visualising) how full it is, is much more difficult. To unravel this complexity, hydrogeologists use various indirect and direct methods to determine the volume of water within these systems, including the flow through these bodies of rock. It is not something that anyone can do.

Once these aquifers (an aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rock, soil, or sediment that contains and transmits water) are explored and developed, it needs more direct and indirect measurements to maintain reliable and clean supplies. Incompetent management of groundwater schemes can lead to inefficiencies, increased costs, and reduced performance. Competent management, on the other hand, can help optimise operation and maintenance costs, ensure efficient use of resources, and maximise the lifespan of groundwater schemes.

Suitable permanent skills required

If we hope to improve water and food security while becoming climate resilient, then we must insist on adequate resources to manage and develop local groundwater systems. It requires suitable permanent skills at municipalities that use groundwater as a sole or conjunctive resource. In some municipalities, there is a glimmer of hope as they explore alternative ways to improve the development and management of their groundwater resources. In a few instances, there are excellent champions for groundwater  the institutional entrepreneurs.

Institutional entrepreneurs are characterised by their ability to identify and exploit opportunities for change, challenge existing practices and norms, and mobilise support for their initiatives. They achieve this through proper planning and budgeting for help. This help comes from the private sector. National and provincial water and sanitation hydrogeologists assist where they can. Locally and globally, hydrogeological experience has moved away from the public sector into the private sector.

Highly sought-after experts

In the South African context, as interest in groundwater waned, many of these sought-after experts simply left the country. Hydrogeologists trained on these complex aquifer settings are indeed sought after internationally and generally neglected locally. In September, South Africa will host a global groundwater congress where the latest developments will be discussed and showcased. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, no municipal official has registered for this event.

The role of hydrogeologists is essential for ensuring the sustainable management of groundwater resources, which are critical for human survival and economic development. If we are indeed serious about making communities resilient while continuing to adapt to a hotter and drier climate, we need to correct this mismanagement of groundwater, especially in the municipal arena. The strategies, plans, tools, and expertise exist to do this.
Johannesburg Labour Court has upheld a CCMA ruling that her dismissal was fair and correct.

The firing of a waitress at Chefs Warehouse for not pooling her tips has been upheld by the Johannesburg Labour Court.



Judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje said her actions were self-serving and bordered on greed.



The judge ruled that the CCMAs finding  that her dismissal for misconduct and gross dishonesty was fair  was correct.

A waitress, who was fired for not declaring that she had received a R150 cash tip, has failed in her Labour Court bid to challenge this.

Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje ruled that the dismissal of Nyaradzo Taguzu and the subsequent confirmation of this at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) was fair and reasonable.

Her actions, the judge said, were self-serving and bordered on greed.

Taguzu was employed at Chefs Warehouse, Maison Estate, in 2016. She was fired in 2018 after a disciplinary process into allegations of misconduct relating to dishonesty for failing to declare her tips.

She referred the dispute to the CCMA, where it was heard by Commissioner Richard Heath.

At the CCMA, the company said it had implemented a policy in December 2017 after consulting with staff, in terms of which all waiters would be required to disclose all their cash tips.

The purpose of this was to ensure that at least 25% of tips were shared amongst all back house staff, who also contributed to customer service and experience.

Liam Tomlin, one of the owners, said that staff had been consulted, but he conceded that Taguzu had refused to sign the policy.

He said, however, she had verbally undertaken to follow it and she had declared her tips on the same day the policy was implemented.

However, it was discovered that she had not done so on 10 and 11 February. Tomlin had asked three customers who confirmed they had tipped her in cash.

He was of the view that she had acted dishonestly, broken the trust relationship, and effectively stolen from her fellow employees.

A customer, Carol Grassman, also testified at the hearing. She conceded to having a business relationship with the restaurant. She said she had dined at the restaurant with her husband. She had paid the bill with a credit card and tipped Taguzu R150 in cash.

Taguzu denied the allegations. She disputed that there had been proper consultation and said the new policy had been forced on her and other waitresses.

Grassman, she said, had fabricated her version.

But Heath said if Taguzu had concerns about the policy, she should have referred a dispute to the CCMA.

He found Grassman to be a credible witness and that Taguzu had been deceitful and dishonest.

Taguzu, in her review before the Labour Court, said the commissioner had not properly applied his mind to the facts and had reached an unfair and unreasonable decision.

However, Judge Tlhotlhalemaje said he could find no fault with the commissioners findings.

He said the policy was meant to benefit all for their collective effort.

Given the applicants unreasonable resistance to the policy, her conduct in my view was not only self-serving but equally bordered on greed.

He said it was not clear if she had benefited from the general pool of tips while failing to make her own declarations but, if indeed she did, it fortifies the conclusions that she was indeed greedy.

It also appears that she sought to comply with the policy as and when it suited her, he said.

The commissioner had correctly found there was nothing invalid about the policy, the judge ruled.

As regarded the allegation that Grassman had fabricated her version, the judge said the commissioner would have noted the record of the disciplinary hearing during which other witnesses testified that they had given her cash tips.

The judge said the commissioners conclusions clearly fall within a band of reasonableness, and dismissed the review.

This article was originally published on GroundUp.
Telkom said on Friday, 7 July, it had rejected an offer led by its former CEO to buy a majority stake in South Africa's third biggest telecoms company, sending its shares down 7%.

Customers are served at a branch of South Africa's mobile operator, Telkom, in Johannesburg, South Africa on 2 March 2022. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

Last month Telkom confirmed it had received an unsolicited offer led by former CEO Sipho Maseko and the South African Government Employees Pension Fund to buy a substantial stake in the partly government-owned telecoms firm.

Telkom's current CEO Serame Taukobong said at the time that the company did not need "a knight in shining armour" in an indication that he did not see the offer as an appealing one.

"The Indicative Proposal is not in the best interest of shareholders," Telkom said in Friday's statement.

The company said it will not continue talks with the consortium led by the former CEO as it believes its current strategy would yield better value for shareholders.

As well as the recent bid, Telkom has been a potential target for Africa's biggest telecom player MTN while smaller rival Rain also considered it for a merger.

Once a favourite among investors, Telkom has lost more than half of its stock market value as it tried to sell its towers and masts, and fibre businesses in a bid to shore up profits and cut costs over the last two years.
In anticipation of the upcoming Bastille Day weekend, France has outlawed the sale, possession, and transportation of fireworks.

During the wave of violent rioting that engulfed the nation when a police officer fatally shot a 17-year-old teen in late June, protesters have been seen setting off fireworks.

France's national holiday, Bastille Day, is observed every year on July 14 with spectacular fireworks displays staged all around the nation.

The decree, which took effect right away, does not apply to individuals or localities planning professional or community fireworks displays, according to CNN.

Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister of France, stated in an interview with the Le Parisien newspaper that she would take "massive measures to protect the French people" on the "sensitive days" of July 13 and 14.

Borne said in the same interview that the French government is thinking about fining the parents of children who participated in riots.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday suggested imposing "a sort of minimum tariff from the first stupid act" on parents of adolescents.

Borne told Le Parisien that the administration is considering the move and is prepared to "evolve the law" if necessary.

According to Gerald Darmanin, the nation's interior minister, police apprehended children as young as 12 and 13 years old during the most recent disturbances.

The average age of the thousands of persons held by French police, according to Darmanin, who spoke to journalists over the weekend, was 17.

Read also: Dutch Schools to Ban Mobile Phones in Bid to Curb Distractions

Bastille Day

Bastille Day, also known as La Fete Nationale or 14 Juillet, is a national holiday in France that commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille was a symbolic event that marked the beginning of the end of the absolute monarchy in France.

(Photo: by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - This picture taken on July 14, 2022, shows fireworks explode as part of the annual Bastille Day celebrations in Menton, southeastern France, on July 14, 2022.

Bastille Day is celebrated with a military parade in Paris, as well as fireworks, concerts, and other festivities. The French national flag, the Tricolore, is flown everywhere, and people often wear red, white, and blue clothing.

In addition to being a national holiday, Bastille Day is also a public holiday in many other countries, including Belgium, Canada, and the United States.

The highlight of Bastille Day is the military parade in Paris, which is attended by the President of France and other dignitaries. The parade features marching soldiers, tanks, and other military equipment.

There are often concerts and other performances held on Bastille Day. These events feature French music and culture, and they are a great way to celebrate the holiday.

Bastille Day is a time for people to come together and celebrate French culture and history. It is a day of national pride, and it is a time to reflect on the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity that inspired the French Revolution.

Related article: EU Set to Approve 'Disturbing' New Media Surveillance Law

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Italy has lifted a 10-year-long ban on Libyan civil aviation using Italian airspace, with flights due to resume from September, the Libyan government said on Sunday, 9 July.

Source: Reuters.

There are currently few airlines operating flights in and out of Libya, a country that has suffered more than a decade of chaos and conflict since Muammar Gaddafi's downfall in 2011.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni informed her Libyan counterpart Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah of the decision on Sunday, the Libyan government said in a statement.

The decision was announced after a meeting between Libyan and Italian officials and after technical teams from both sides had discussed the results of a field visit in May related "to checking safety procedures at Libyan airports," it said.

Flights out of Libya have long been limited to destinations such as Tunisia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Sudan, with the European Union banning Libyan civil aviation from its airspace.

Libyan and Italian authorities agreed that flights would be operated by one carrier from each country, the statement said.
SME South Africa is launching a new, digital community that aims to help early stage entrepreneurs to connect with experienced founders of startups and business owners.

Founders.co.za is an online platform that provides individuals the opportunity to get feedback from experienced founders on business aspects like fine-tuning a business plan or funding proposal, and validating a business idea, says Velly Bosega, founder of online resources platform for small business owners, SME South Africa, and Founders.co.za, the online membership community for startup entrepreneurs.

This membership community will provide founders an opportunity to gain insights from each other, help them grow their businesses together, and expand their network."

Learning from the past

One of the lessons learned from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is the importance of collaboration; many entrepreneurs had to collaborate to leverage each other's resources including office space and/or manpower, says Bosega.

The findings of the NYDA Small Business Impact Survey on the impact of Covid-19 on small, medium and micro enterprises since lockdown, were that more businesses will operate virtually and use coworking structures, and that online learning and telecommunications will increase.

The report gathered evidence from 54 youth-owned small businesses across South Africa, sampled from the 1000 Business in 100 Days beneficiarys initiative pronounced by the president during the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

It was revealed that the pandemic has affected 88% of the respondents. According to the report, more than half of survey respondents found it difficult or very difficult to access information and benefits from government Covid-19-related assistance packages.

Another report, Impact of Covid-19 on micro and informal businesses, South Africa 2021, revealed that 38% of business owners state that they have no formal education or taught themselves, 24% of business owners learn from family members and 11% from a mentor. Only 9% stated that they learned on the job, 2% in learnerships, whereas only 6% went to college and 2% to university and 9% also gained skills in short courses. The report's findings were that the more employment the business creates, the more likely the owner has a formal education.

The report that was released by the UNDP South Africa, revealed that the total number of businesses that were part of this study was 3,746 with an average age of the business just under six years.

"The Founders community will provide a platform for small business owners and freelancers to make connections and find ways to collaborate with each other. It will be a way for them to share useful knowledge with each other, generate ideas, find solutions to challenges, and achieve common goals for their business," says Bosega.

Founders.co.za will offer small, monthly group sessions for its community members, which includes a series of masterclasses that provides business skills training, and entrepreneurs can be part of strategic discussions.

You also get to learn from industry leaders who will come in as guest speakers, says Bosega.

If the following applies to you, join today:

You intend to build and grow your company or learn from other entrepreneurs.



You're building a technology or consumer startup or you run a B2B services company.



You are a high-performing operator or business leader.



Youre ready to participate in our active community.

Find your ideal business partner

Promising to be a community of like-minded individuals, the platform can be used by small business owners and freelancers to find someone to help carry the load when it comes to their business ideas or overcoming challenges that they face, says Bosega. You can even find a co-founder for your business in this community! Members will make connections with each other and can look for founding team members based on their interests, skills and location.

How a co-founder can help you succeed:

They can act as a sounding board to bounce off your ideas.



You have someone other than yourself to be accountable to.



They can help increase productivity, because you don't have to do everything yourself.



You get access to a wider range of expertise.

Get on the waitlist to be notified of the Founders launch.

More about SME South Africa

The SME South Africa is a one-stop-shop for business owners that not only gives the latest business news and industry trends, it also provides multiple business guides with information that can help small businesses thrive. "We also want to help small businesses find more funding options which is why the SME South Africa funding page was created," says Bosega.

Click here to find out more about SME South Africas funding solutions.




Transgender model and actor Rikkie Valerie Kolle became the first male-born winner of the Miss Netherlands pageant on Saturday, held at the AFAS Theater in the town of Leusden. Kolle defeated nine female-born contestants to take home the crown for 2023, succeeding last years winner Ona Moody.

The 22-year-old will represent the Netherlands at the 72nd Miss Universe contest in El Salvador later this year, becoming only the second transgender contestant to advance to the international pageant. The first male-born Miss Universe contestant was Angela Ponce of Spain, who competed in 2018 but failed to advance to the final round.

In a sponsored Miss Universe Instagram post for Pride month, Kolle opted for victory as a one-word self-description, explaining as a little boy, I conquered all the things that came through my path. And look at me now, standing here as a strong, empowering, and confident trans woman.

Love is love, be who you wanna be, and never forget, always celebrate your pride, exclaimed the beauty queen, who has expressed a desire to be a role model for the queer community.

Biological male wins Miss Universe Netherlands, womens beauty pageant. pic.twitter.com/kFlKqykdPT  Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 9, 2023

Another Instagram post explains that while Kolle wasnt born as the woman I wanted to be, the young model fixed that just four months ago with surgery. For ME, it completed the circle and brought me happiness, Kolle concluded, without mentioning the exact nature of the procedure(s).

Former US president Donald Trump famously lifted the Miss Universe organizations ban on transgender contestants in 2012 when he owned the competition. Canadian regional pageant winner Jenna Talackova had threatened a lawsuit after she was barred from the national Canadian pageant when it was discovered she was not a naturally born female, calling her exclusion unjust and demanding she be allowed to compete. Trump, after consulting with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (now simply called GLAAD), welcomed Talackova into the 2012 Miss Universe pageant and changed the rules so all transgender women could compete from 2013 forward.

Last year, 19-year-old Brian Nguyen became the first male-born contestant to win a Miss America pageant  specifically Miss Greater Derry, in the state of New Hampshire. The similarly-named Miss United States of America pageant, however, recently won a court victory affirming its First Amendment right to determine who competes in its events, including by rejecting trans applicants. It already bars contestants with felony convictions and those who have posed nude.
A 2016 film titled Genetically Modified Children exposed how Philip Morris and Monsanto have exploited impoverished farmers since 1966 when the Argentinian government authorised the use of genetically modified (GM) crops to withstand Monsantos Roundup weedkiller. As a result, an increasing number of children are being born with severe birth defects and deformities in Argentina. Low-income tobacco farmers face skyrocketing cancer rates with more devastating repercussions affecting their children: severe physical deformities and mental disabilities. Choosing between poverty or poison, Latin American growers have no choice but to use harmful chemicals such as glyphosate, in Monsantos Roundup, and Bayers Confidor, if they want to certify and sell their crops to Big Tobacco. As patent and regulatory laws continue to favour the profits of Monsanto and chemical companies, the tobacco makes its way into the hands and mouths of consumers worldwide in Philip Morris tobacco products, while the poisons used to harvest the crops contaminate the farmers blood and are modifying the human genome, creating genetically modified children. The film interviews Dr. Hugo Gomez Demaio and Dr. Mario Barrera, who are dedicated to highlighting and treating the link between agrochemicals and birth defects. It features anti-agrochemical activist Sofia Gatica, who is renowned for her work in tracking abnormal rates of cancer, kidney disease and other ailments linked to aerial spraying of glyphosate on GM soy crops. Genetically Modified Children (Documentary, 2016) (55 mins) Further resources: Genetically Modified Children (films website)

There is a growing awareness that glyphosate is much more toxic than we have been led to believe, and I am confident that in time it will be banned worldwide, just like DDT, GreenMedInfo, 2 October 2018

Agrochemical Exposure Causes Deformities in Argentinian Children, Natural Mentor GM Children: Film Unveils Monstrous Child Deformities By Dr. Joseph Mercola Note: This article was originally published on 25 August 2018. The shocking film Genetically Modified Children unveils the horrors of decades of chemical-intensive agricultural practices in Argentina, where the majority of crops are genetically modified (GM) and routinely doused in dangerous agrochemicals, and the chokehold big tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and chemical and seed giants have on poverty-stricken farmers desperate to earn a living. The film, produced by Juliette Igier and Stephanie Lebrun, shows the devastating health effects the regions agricultural sector is having on children,1 an increasing number of whom are being born with monstrous physical deformities. Some of the childrens cases are so severe that, without medical intervention, will result in death before the age of 5. The film begins with the crew travelling from North Argentina in the Province of Misiones to the Brazilian frontier, an agricultural region that was one of the nations first to begin growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the mid-1990s. Featured in the film is Ricardo Rivero, the regional head of the local electricity company. He learned that the reason families cannot pay their bills is because often they are taking care of a sick or handicapped child, and receiving no assistance from the Argentinian government. The film shows them visiting the humble home of a tobacco farmer where they meet Lucas Texeira, a 5-year-old boy with an incurable genetic skin disease. The family believes it was caused by the mothers exposure to Monsantos Roundup weedkiller early on in her pregnancy. No one told her it was toxic, she says. The genetic mutation that caused her sons condition left him with no pores in his skin, which means he doesnt perspire. The heat from his body stays inside, causing him severe and painful itching that leads to frequent crying spells. Mr. Texeira expresses his sadness over Lucas condition, as well as his fears that he could have another child in the future with a similar deformity. Agrochemicals Lead to Rise in Birth Defects, Deformities Like many families in rural Argentina, the Texeiras have grown GM tobacco on their land for years, using a number of various agrochemicals required to produce a crop thats certifiable by Philip Morris, an American multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company (a division of Altria Company since 2003). Philip Morris provides farmers with GM burley tobacco seeds for the manufacturer of light tobacco cigarettes. Each year, Argentinian farmers are forced to use more than 100 different chemicals in order to grow the perfect-looking tobacco crop  that is, if they hope to make any money. The Texeira family is no exception. For more than a decade, they have treated their tobacco plants with glyphosate and other agrochemicals  and without any protection. However, after seeing a rise in birth defects among the communitys children, including in their own child, they began to fear for their safety and moved off their farmland, away from the toxic chemicals. Its not easy, but you have to live the life you have, said Mr. Texeira. Thank God, Lucas problem is just his skin. Hes healthy and can eat. He eats almost anything. Lucas is a miracle, says the films narrator. In this region, theres a disproportionate number of children born with deformities. 300 million Litres of Glyphosate Are Applied Each Year GM crops first entered the country through the Misiones Province of Argentina after the government authorised their use from 1996 onward, a decision based solely on studies conducted by Monsanto, and with no contradicting research. For more than two decades the land was sprayed with glyphosate and other agrochemicals, contaminating the regions soil and water. By 2013, more than 24 million hectares2 (59.3 million acres) of GM crops were grown in Argentina, including soy, maize, cotton and tobacco. Mounting scientific evidence connecting the rise in miscarriages, birth defects and cancer to GMOs and agrochemicals did not dissuade the Argentinian government from subsidising GM crops. Perhaps, that decision is due in part to the 35% in taxes Argentina receives from GMO soy exports. Despite the dangers, no one warned tobacco farmers of the risks. In fact, the opposite was true. Farmers in the Misiones province were inundated with various forms of marketing, including commercials from chemical companies insisting agrochemicals were the key to prosperity. Television advertisements touted the benefits of Monsantos Roundup weedkiller, including its ability to kill everything except for GMOs. The marketing worked. Today, more than 300 million litres (79.2 million gallons) of glyphosate are dumped each year onto more than 28 million hectares (69.1 million acres) of land in Argentina.3 Total Desertion The film shows the crew visiting the home of another sick child. Lucas Krauss was born with congenital microcephaly. He suffers from epilepsy, delayed motor and mental development, multiple muscular atrophy and numerous other related pathologies. The first doctor the family consulted said their sons condition was due to a lack of oxygen; however, the neurologist had a different opinion. At first, he agreed and said it was due to a lack of oxygen; however, when they pressed him further he admitted that a lack of oxygen was not the only cause, but he refused to say what he believed the true cause was of Lucas condition. They wouldnt even run medical tests, said the boys mother. The family understands that Lucas condition, as well as many others in the community, is likely tied to the agrochemicals used to farm tobacco. But the family cant quit the trade because its the main source of income in their area, and most importantly, its the only sector that provides social security for its workers. Without the financial aid of the tobacco industry, the father fears he will be unable to care for his special needs son. The whole family feels discriminated against because it seems that society doesnt want to see their reality, said Rivero. His parents dont ask anything for themselves. Theyre not asking for anything out of the ordinary. Its just that the responsible parties  the state is the responsible one for these childrens problems  and its not taking responsibility and theres total desertion. In 2010, things started to move. Lawyers from the US travelled to Misiones to visit the families of severely handicapped children. One of their stops included the home of 17-year-old William Nunez, who was born severely handicapped. He cant walk or talk and has to be fed through a feeding tube in his stomach. The family has received no aid from the government for the medical treatment William needs. Instead, they have learned on their own how to care for their disabled child. Ignorance and Exploitation The Nunez family says they were visited by American lawyers four or five times in a sixth-month period, as well as a handful of doctors from the US and Mexico. The Nunez family were told that they were not at fault for using agrochemicals and that they could be awarded up to $3 million for Williams case. The attorneys asked the family to sign a contract with a commitment not to discuss their case with anyone. Up until now, they have respected the contract. But they havent heard from the lawyers in over four years and dont want to keep quiet any longer. Next the film introduces a man named Emilio, the son of a tobacco farmer who has created an independent labour union to contend with the two tobacco companies in the region, which often take the side of Big Tobacco. Tobacco farming is a tough job, says Emilio, adding that people suffer a lot because they work all year long, and the financial incentive is not great. Emilio describes the tobacco industry in San Jacinto, Argentina as a slavery system, one encapsulated by ignorance and exploitation. The film crew visits a warehouse where all of the regions tobacco farmers come to sell their product. The farmers tobacco crop is transported here at the end of the growing cycle, which includes the sowing, treating, harvesting, drying and sorting. This is the only place they can sell their crop, says Emilio. The film crew is there on the day the farmers learn the value of their years work. Its when you get happy or get angry because if it went well, you know that youll be able to buy what you need or what you dreamed about when you were working for it. So, youll find out here, says Emilio. The crop must meet strict standards set by the cooperative, which inspects each bale in the blink of an eye. They examine the texture, breadth and the colour of the leaves. Tobacco in its natural state would never pass the test  only the use of agrochemicals can ensure a good result. Big Tobacco Dominates the Industry The film interviews one of the farmers about his feelings on his earnings. He says he received 11,575 Mexican pesos (or about $610 U.S. dollars) for 975 kilos of tobacco. Thats about $3.50 per pound of tobacco. Its a low price, he says. To me, it seems like a total rip-off. Its unfair. The farmers say their income was especially low this year as result of the expensive chemical inputs they are forced to use. The chemical companies charge them in US dollars, but they pay in pesos, says one frustrated farmer, adding that he has no way out of the business because he cant risk losing his social security. Big Tobacco dominates the industry in San Jacinto, Argentina. It dominates to such an extent that companies like Philip Morris have completely changed tobacco farming. Today, farmers are enslaved by the companies that produce and sell the agrochemicals required to grow a crop that can be certified by Philip Morris. The film crew manages to capture footage inside a warehouse where farmers go to buy pesticides. Tall stacks of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides line the walls  all of it handled with bare hands. Among the insecticides is a chemical manufactured by Bayer called Confidor, which contains the insecticides clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and methiocarb,4 all of which, except for methiocarb, belong to a class of bee-killing pesticides known as neonicotinoids, which were banned on all crops grown outdoors in Europe.5 Poison is a Recurrent Word in Argentina Before leaving the region, the film crew makes one last stop to visit 50-year-old Raul Gomez, who has created a list of all the chemicals he has had to handle over the past two decades, most of which are now banned due to their toxicity. Gomez is concerned about having to keep the chemicals on his property, most of which are too dangerous for him to dispose of. He says he was told someone would come and take them, but no one has, so he built shacks to store them. Gomez says he believes he was definitely a guinea pig in that he was forced to work with such dangerous poisons without any knowledge of the implication to his or his familys health. He and other farmers say the question isnt if they will become ill, but when. Everyone in this region has poison running through their bodies, he says, and while he doesnt feel it now, in a few years he may. Thats how it is. The consequences come later. Next the film crew travels to Posadas, the capital of the Province of Misiones, where doctors are considering a terrifying hypothesis: Exposure to agrochemicals may actually modify the human genome. They meet 73-year-old Dr. Hugo Gomez Demaio, head of the neurosurgery service at the Paediatric Hospital of Posadas, and Dr. Mario Barrera, neurosurgeon at the Medical School of Nordeste. Both institutions are in Buenos Aries. The doctors are dedicated to highlighting and treating the link between glyphosate exposure and other agrochemicals and birth defects caused by DNA damage. Over the years, Demaio has witnessed an increasing number of children suffering from malformations. These are no more empirical observations, but an inescapable statistic that he has drawn up with his successor, Dr. Barrera, says the films narrator. One hundred per cent of these children with severe deformities will die before the age of 5 if they do not have a medical intervention, says Demaio. The film shows two little girls suffering from hydrocephalus, a condition linked to an abnormality affecting the X chromosome. Hydrocephalus is the buildup of fluids deep within the brain. The excess fluids put pressure on the brain causing damage to brain tissue. Symptoms of hydrocephalus include an unusually large head, a rapid increase in the size of the head and a bulging spot on top.6 They Have the Money and We Have the Illness The mothers of the two little girls with hydrocephalus say they were exposed to agrochemicals, but indirectly. While agrochemicals were not stored in their home, they say they were exposed to them through the contaminated clothing of their male family members who farm tobacco. The women would wash the mens clothing in a nearby creek, which also served as their source of drinking water. Demaio says exposure to agrochemicals may cause genetic damage thats transmitted to an individuals offspring, causing a modification of genetic heritage. Barrera explains: Even if the entire local environment is contaminated, it does not mean that all children will become sick. But when the father is exposed to herbicides, they are absorbed into the body and alter his DNA. He then passes that genetic mutation on to his children. In the beginning, Demaio and Barrera worked alone, but soon other doctors who had made similar observations joined them in their work. In 2009, they published results showing miscarriages and congenital defects among newborns were six times higher than normal, and cancers in small children were five times more common than elsewhere.7 The doctors say the agrochemicals pass from mother to child and cause damage within the first 28 days of pregnancy, resulting in monstrous deformities that are difficult to repair. The most common expression is myelomeningocele,8 a birth defect of the backbone and spinal cord. Its the most severe lesion of the central nervous system that one can still live with. Demaio says the Argentinian government refuses to listen to him, so he has dedicated his time to educating young people at universities, many of whom have grown up in tobacco farming families and around pesticides, but know very little about them. They were told agrochemicals are safe, and necessary, to feed people. They have the money and we have the illness, says Demaio, referring to the chemical companies and the profits theyve earned on unsuspecting farmers forced into a chemical-reliant trade. A David Versus Goliath Battle The film crew visits the lawyers in their office in Bueno Aires, the ones who never followed up after visiting the families four years ago. They were not very knowledgeable about the case, so the film crew visits the New York office for which the attorneys had worked on the file years ago. They speak with Steven J. Phillips of the Phillips & Paolicelli LLP office, which specialises in defending children from toxic products. Phillips says he believes he has a strong case against Monsanto and Philip Morris. Monsanto designed and sold glyphosate to people in South America under conditions in which it knew there would be pregnant women mixing the chemicals. Monsanto knew it was extremely dangerous but sold the stuff anyway and made a ton of money, said Phillips. Philip Morris insisted the farmers grow the tobacco in a specific way that included the use of glyphosate, and if they didnt, Philip Morris wouldnt buy the tobacco. So, the farmers had no choice. If you force someone to behave in a way thats dangerous, mislead them about it, and then their children get hurt, then thats a reason to bring them to court, said Phillips. While the attorneys recognise the battle as being a David versus Goliath type, they also know that the truth is on their side. The truth often prevails, as is the case in the guilty verdict in the landmark Monsanto trial. A jury in San Francisco, California, awarded plaintiff Dewayne Johnson $289 million in damages after determining his cancer was caused by exposure to Monsantos Roundup weedkiller.9 Organic Consumers Association (OCA) reports: The jurys decision was unanimous: Monsanto was guilty of manufacturing and selling a product that caused Johnsons cancer. Whats more, the company knew its product could cause cancer  and yet it intentionally hid that fact from Johnson and the public. The case is eerily similar to that of the farmers and their families who are suffering from exposure to agrochemicals, including glyphosate, in Argentina. And the tobacco farmers arent alone in their battle. Theres another region in Argentina that has become the symbol in the fight against agrochemicals. Cordoba, the Realm of the Transgenic Soybean The film crew travels to Cordoba, Argentinas second most important city, and the last stop in their investigation. Cordoba is characterised for its planting of transgenic soy and where glyphosate is applied from above through aerial spraying. The town is littered with anti-Monsanto graffiti. In 2012, a historical verdict10 was delivered in Cordoba when a farmer and the owner of a crop-dusting plane were sentenced to three years in prison for illegal aerial spraying. They had been spraying glyphosate within 2,500 meters of a densely, populated area. The film introduces anti-agrochemical activist Sofia Gatica, who co-founded Mothers of Ituzaingo,11 a group of moms working to stop the indiscriminate agrochemical use that has poisoned the regions children. Gatica lost her own infant daughter to kidney malformation, and her son lost his ability to walk following exposure to a local agrochemical fumigation. Gatica is recognised for her work in tracking the abnormal rates of cancer, kidney disease and other conditions in areas close to where glyphosate was applied to GMO soy crops. The Mothers of Ituzaingo had blood tests done on their kids and found that 3 in 4 children living in their community had agrochemicals in their blood, including pesticides, chromium, lead and arsenic. Hoping to get help from the government, the group presented the results to Argentinian officials, who told them they would only improve the water if the families signed away their right to sue for the water contamination. Gatica has repeatedly been threatened and physically assaulted for her efforts in fighting the chemical companies. On one occasion in 2014, she was threatened with a gun and told by a man that if she didnt stop protesting against Monsanto, he would blow her brains out. Making Progress Despite the uphill battle, Mothers of Ituzaingo and other activists have made good progress. As the OCA reports:12 In 2008, Argentinas president ordered the minister of health to investigate the impact of pesticide use in Ituzaingo. A study was conducted by the Department of Medicine at Buenos Aires University and the results corroborated with the research the mothers had done linking pesticide exposure to the many health issues experienced by people in the community. Gatica also succeeded in getting a municipal ordinance passed that prohibited aerial spraying in Ituzaingo at distances of less than 2,500 meters from residences. And, in a huge victory, a 2010 Supreme Court ruling banned agrochemical spraying near populated areas and reversed the burden of proof  now the government and soy producers have to prove the chemicals they are using are safe, instead of residents having to prove that the spraying is making them sick. Despite the victories, people living in Argentina and other regions saturated with GMOs and agrochemicals have a long, hard road ahead. In 2021, according to a systematic review of the scientific literature published between 2006 and 2018, it was estimated that 385 million cases of unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning (UAPP) occur annually worldwide.13 But agrochemicals are worth $40 billion per year, and are projected to reach $308 billion in value by the year 2025.14 Will the worlds multinational chemical companies ever sacrifice profits to protect public health? Only time will tell; however, the solution likely lies in the legal system, which is making strides around the world to protect the public from harmful agrochemicals. Sources and References 1 CBS News October 22, 2013

CBS News October 22, 2013 2 GM Watch February 18, 2015

GM Watch February 18, 2015 3 Buenos Aires Times January 13, 2018

Buenos Aires Times January 13, 2018 4 Change.org July 9, 2017

Change.org July 9, 2017 5 Nature International Journal of Science April 27, 2018

Nature International Journal of Science April 27, 2018 6 Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic 7 Inter Press Service August 16, 2008

Inter Press Service August 16, 2008 8 NIH Stat Pearls. Meningocele

NIH Stat Pearls. Meningocele 9 Organic Consumers Association August 14, 2018

Organic Consumers Association August 14, 2018 10 Bloomberg Law August 23, 2012

Bloomberg Law August 23, 2012 11 Madres de Ituzaingo blog July 30, 2011

Madres de Ituzaingo blog July 30, 2011 12 Organic Consumers Association July 17, 2018

Organic Consumers Association July 17, 2018 13 BMC Public Health. The Global Distribution of Acute Unintentional Pesticide Poisoning: Estimations Based on a Systematic Review. October 27, 2021

BMC Public Health. The Global Distribution of Acute Unintentional Pesticide Poisoning: Estimations Based on a Systematic Review. October 27, 2021 14 Grand View Research June 2017 About the Author Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder and owner of Mercola.com, a Board-Certified Family Medicine Osteopathic Physician, a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a New York Times bestselling author. He publishes multiple articles a day covering a wide range of topics on his website Mercola.com.

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Friday, April 21, 2023 - Big Ag Panicking Over Bill to Require Labeling of Gene-Altering Products

The pushback by Big Ag lobbyists against this bill to require industry transparency on this important issue has been enormous, and one potential reason for that is because theyd have to admit that all sorts of foods may have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, have genetic modifications, or be modified to serve as vaccinations for humans.

I have been talking about gene therapy vaccines being introduced into the food supply without providing people informed consent on my Twitter account (@RenzTom) as well as pushing Missouri HB1169 which is our best bet of stopping this happening. This is a nightmare scenario whereby peoples genetics are potentially altered with factory foods without them even knowing.

Despite legal threats from the U.S. government, Mexicos government plans to go forward with a partial ban on imports of genetically modified corn. On Wednesday Mexicos National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) hosted an online webinar laying out the science behind the nations decision to ban imports of genetically modified corn. The webinar itself is a response to repeated claims by the U.S. government that Mexicos GM corn ban is not based on science.

If youve been paying attention, you mightve noticed a corporate-state media blitzkrieg pushing meat alternatives for the past year or so.
For months now, the largest federally-insured bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase, represented by WilmerHale, a law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys, has been attempting to bamboozle the American people with the narrative that it engaged in no wrongdoing when it provided millions of dollars in cold, hard cash to child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein for more than a decade  without following the legal mandate of reporting this suspicious account activity to law enforcement. Internal emails produced in discovery in two lawsuits against the bank in federal court in Manhattan show that the bank was well aware that Epstein was a known sexual predator of children as it doled out all of this cash  at times reaching $40,000 to $80,000 per month.

The legal narrative that the WilmerHale attorneys crafted for the public and the media is this: a sole former employee of the bank  Jes Staley  is responsible for all of the banks wrongdoing involving Epstein, never mind that the bank was all too willing to take the lucrative business deals and clients that came its way from Epstein via Staley, as also documented in internal emails. To get headlines promoting this narrative, the bank has made a big deal of suing Staley on the premise that it wants to recover its legal costs by clawing back his compensation.

Victims of Epstein had filed a class action lawsuit against the bank last year. The bank offered a settlement of $290 million in that matter in June, which is pending a final fairness hearing. The bank did not acknowledge wrongdoing. (See our report here for the $87 million in legal fees under the settlement for the plaintiffs attorneys and the onerous terms for Epsteins victims.) The second Epstein-related lawsuit against the bank, which is ongoing, was filed by the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein built a private island compound and engaged in sex trafficking of underage girls.

Given how much time and space media outlets in New York and London have devoted to spinning this tale about Staley (who is certainly not an innocent character by any means, but hardly the mastermind), thinking Americans must ask themselves, why is there now a total news blackouts when a new lawsuit has been filed against JPMorgan Chase with a highly credible bombshell theory of the case: that the same members of JPMorgans Board of Directors who brought its Chairman and CEO to power, Jamie Dimon, were also, verifiably, engaged in business with Jeffrey Epstein. (This is not the first time that a major scandal involving JPMorgan Chase has received a news blackout by mainstream media.)

This latest lawsuit brought by two pension funds that owned shares of JPMorgan Chase names both Dimon and Staley as defendants, as well as current and former members of JPMorgan Chases Board of Directors. It has been brought by a prominent class action law firm on behalf of shareholders of the bank. The lawsuits theory of the case is that specific members of the Board of JPMorgan Chase put their heads in the sand and ignored that the bank had become a cash conduit for Jeffrey Epsteins child sex trafficking ring because they were hoping that their own business ties to Epstein would go unnoticed. (We might add an attendant thesis: that Dimon takes very good care of his Board in return for them taking very good care of him.)


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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has decided not to contest in the next general elections later this year after handing over his resignation to King Williem-Alexander Saturday (July 8). The decision came after the coalition government led by his Freedom and Democracy (VVD) party collapsed over strict migration policies.

The four-party coalition was composed of the VVD, Democrats 66 (D66), Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), and the Christian Union (CU), and was only functional for 18 months. This coalition would continue in government in a caretaker capacity during the campaign period, meaning no new laws would be enacted at that time.

Torn Asunder over Two-Tier Asylum System

The fourth Rutte government became divided over bitter migration policy disputes which called for a two-tier asylum classification system, with the VVD and the CDA favoring tougher measures, while D66 and CU are opposed to such. Such a deadlock went on for months before Rutte's decision to resign.

Proposals on the policy included the creation of two classes of asylum: a temporary one for those fleeing conflicts, and a permanent one for those escaping persecution. Rutte also planned for the government to reduce the number of family members allowed to join asylum seekers in the Netherlands, which the CU strongly opposed.

The VVD and CDA also demanded the limit for children of war refugees already present in the country to enter, as well as to make families wait for two years before they could be reunited.

Former CDA leader Pieter Heerma called Rutte's approach in the talks "almost reckless" given the larger context of migration being a hot-button topic across the European Union.

Talks about migration would be expected as a major issue to be tackled during the campaign period.

Read Also: HNGN Weekly Wrap-Up: Biden on Sweden's NATO Bid, China's New Trade Policies, Coco Lee's Death

Het is geen geheim dat de coalitiepartners heel verschillend denken over het migratiebeleid. En vandaag moeten we helaas de conclusie trekken dat die verschillen onoverbrugbaar zijn. Daarom heb ik het ontslag van het voltallige kabinet aangeboden aan de Koning.



Volledig pic.twitter.com/iIbxtichRh  Mark Rutte (@MinPres) July 7, 2023

What's Next for 'Teflon Mark' Rutte?

Meanwhile, Dutch opposition parties have called for a vote of no confidence at an emergency parliamentary debate Monday (July 10) in an attempt to oust Rutte as caretaker prime minister until the next election. Members of parliament (MPs) were pulled back from their summer recess to attend the emergency session.

While earlier speculations say he would continue to be in politics and would participate in his party's campaign in the next general elections, Rutte surprisingly announced he would step down as leader of the VVD and would not lead the party in election campaigns slated for mid-November. He has also decided to leave politics after the vote.

His decision, which he clarified was "independent of developments over the last few weeks," meant the end of more than 13 years in power for the conservative leader sometimes called "Teflon Mark" since the scandals that plagued his four different governments did not stick to him.

"In the past few days, people have speculated about what motivates me, and the only answer is: the Netherlands," he told parliamentary colleagues. "My position in this regard is now completely unsuitable."

Reactions from Other Parties

CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra also announced he would step down from his seat in parliament after the general election.

As the caretaker period was announced, opposition parties such as Geert Wilders's Party for Freedom (PVV) and Caroline van der Plas's Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) have begun campaigning for their parties to gain a headstart for public support in the polls.

On the other hand, several MPs and politicians responded to Rutte's shock announcement as a pleasant matter.

GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver said on Twitter that "[t]he Rutte era is now really over" and was the "only right decision." Dutch Socialist Party head Lilian Marijnissen added his resignation was a "wise decision" that was "[g]ood for the Netherlands."

Related Article: Dutch Government Collapses After Lawmakers Failed To Reach an Agreement Over Immigration Policy

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Postal Code
The shareholder and director of a gold and silver investment company has been disqualified from holding a directorship for seven years after a judge found he presents a danger to creditors.

The High Court heard a liquidator believes the Irish Gold and Silver Bullion Limited defrauded its customers and operated as a Ponzi scheme.

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In a ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Brian OMoore said Nicholas Wickham was not honest to investors and his behaviour makes it clear he presents a danger to creditors.

He was not honest with investors in the company and his business model involved repeated misrepresentation to the firms customers about how their funds were being used, the judge said.

He gave a headline sanction of 14 years. This was halved based on mitigating factors such as Mr Wickhams acceptance of a disqualification order and his 310,000 payment to the liquidator in settlement of proceedings, said the judge.

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The court also noted Mr Wickham (61) reversed his original policy of not cooperating with the liquidator.

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The disqualification order, made under section 838 of the 2014 Companies Act, came in response to an application by Miles Kirby, the liquidator of the firm, which has an address at The Crescent, Monkstown, in south Co Dublin.

Mr Kirby, as liquidator, secured court orders in July 2022 to freeze assets of Mr Wickham and a firm he owns and controls called Hamden Development Homes UK Ltd.

Mr Kirbys counsel, Arthur Cunningham, later informed the court in May that Mr Wickham had begun to cooperate with the liquidator.

The proceedings, seeking various orders including judgment of 1 million against Mr Wickham and Hamden, had settled, he said. All previous court orders were lifted.

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Mr Justice OMoore said in his judgment that the liquidators investigations found Mr Wickham pooled customer funds, which should have been used to purchase precious metals as investments, with company money. This pooling enabled Mr Wickham to operate what Mr Kirby described as a Ponzi scheme over several years.

By the time Mr Kirby was appointed, there was no stock of metal and the companys bank account contained 3,900. The firms deficit was 1 million, the judge said.

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Mr Justice OMoore pointed to the companys wholly inadequate books and records, the concealing of the firms deficit and the diversion of company funds for improper purposes. These, he said, were reasons enough to warrant imposing a period of disqualification on Mr Wickham.

Mr Justice OMoore said Mr Wickhams payment of 310,000 to the liquidator, as part of the settlement, was significant but nonetheless inadequate, given the companys deficit and the cost of the court proceedings.

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It was slightly arch of Mr Wickham to claim he willingly forwarded all of his assets to the liquidator when the settlement of the claim came after six months of litigation being strongly pursued by Mr Kirby, Mr Justice OMoore added.

He noted Mr Wickham has stated his intention to set up a new business, yet he does not express regret for his actions.

Instead, the thrust of Mr Wickhams submission is that he is left in a very difficult position as a result of the discovery of his dishonesty, and that his ability to support his son at college will be impacted.

The judge had no evidence about the effect the loss of money has had on investors, but it could be that some, such as those who lost their life savings, are now facing real grinding hardship because of the behaviour of Mr Wickham.

His conduct puts him into the category of particularly serious cases, warranting consideration of a disqualification period exceeding 10 years.

As creditors are ultimately most interested in reducing their losses, the return of some money to the liquidator should reduce the overall disqualification period.

The judge imposed a seven-year disqualification.
A former civilian employee of An Garda Siochana gave out information, including the locations of garda Covid-19 checkpoints, in return for cocaine, a court has heard.

Holly Hayden (27), of Bayview Terrace, Bray, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to one count of disclosing confidential information from the Pulse system obtained in the course of her employment on October 29th, 2019.

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She further pleaded to two counts of accessing confidential information from the Pulse system for the purpose of corruptly obtaining a gift, consideration or advantage for herself at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station on September 9th, 2019, and on dates between April 28th, 2020, and May 11th, 2020. She has no previous convictions.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Monday that from 2017, Hayden was a civilian employee of An Garda Siochana in an administrative role for two years.

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Gardai received confidential information that Hayden, working at the Dun Laoghaire District Office, was associated with criminal elements in Wicklow.

The investigating garda told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that Hayden admitted that she relayed information from the Pulse system about a named individual, referred to in court as 'SN'.

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Cocaine exchange

On October 29th, 2019, Hayden searched information about 'SN' and relayed it outside the organisation. When interviewed, she told gardai that she received a small amount of cocaine in exchange for the information.

Following analysis of her phone, it was identified that Hayden sent a document containing information from the Pulse system about another individual on September 9th, 2019, to a person known to her.

On the same day, she provided a synopsis of information from the Pulse system about a person, referred to in court as 'WD'. The court heard 'WD' instructed Hayden what information to download via the messaging app Telegram. She received cocaine in exchange for providing information on both of these occasions.

The court heard that on a date between April 28th and May 11th, 2020, Hayden sent a Whatsapp message with five pictures attached, containing the locations of garda Covid-19 checkpoints.

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In a message, Hayden said if she is able to get information, she never minds doing it, all for the cause. A person referred to as 'CE' replied "last thing I need is a problem with supply chains".

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The court heard Hayden and 'CE' were in a relationship at the time.

Hayden also took a photo of checkpoint locations on May 5th, 2020, and when 'CE' asked for more information, Hayden provided it to him. She also sent a message containing seven images of checkpoint locations on May 11th, which 'CE' then told her to delete.

When interviewed, Hayden made admissions to gardai and outlined that she had an addiction to alcohol and drugs.

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'Nuclear secrets'

She told gardai she felt like she was disclosing nuclear secrets. She said she loved her job and accepted she was going to be caught, but when you owe a drug dealer money, you don't have a choice.

The investigating garda agreed with Paul Murray SC, defending, that his client was a person of unblemished character prior to her offending.

He accepted that Hayden told gardai she received cash, cocaine or a reduction of 80 on her drugs debt of approximately 5,000 for providing information.

The garda agreed with Mr Murray that his client said she was in fear. It was further accepted that she used her own details to carry out the searches on the Pulse system and told gardai she was not aware this information would appear on-screen.

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The witness agreed that Hayden's admissions were helpful to the investigation.

Her mother told the court that Hayden's life was chaotic and messy during 2019 due to her addiction issues. She said the family paid off Hayden's debts.

Her daughter has mental health difficulties, epilepsy and a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. She said her daughter has engaged with addiction treatment services and now helps to care for her grandmother.

Remorse

Mr Murray told the court that his client apologised for her actions. He noted that she expressed shame and remorse while speaking with the Probation Services and acknowledged her offending was gross disloyalty to her employer.

His client had a serious addiction to alcohol and drugs during 2019. Her father died when she was young and her mother and stepfather were in court to support her.

Defence counsel noted that this case has been hanging over his client for two years and there had been considerable publicity in the past. He said that she has worked since these offences occurred, but lost her job and may find it difficult to find employment in future.

Mr Murray asked the court to consider adjourning the case to allow urine analysis to be undertaken.

Judge Orla Crowe said urine analysis would be relevant, given that Hayden's offending was linked to her cocaine addiction.

Adjourning the case to November 6th, Judge Crowe told Mr Murray to impress on his client the seriousness of the situation.
A man whose 18-month jail sentence for the repeated rape of his highly vulnerable foster brother and the sexual assault of another foster sibling was found to be too lenient will not be returned to prison, after the Court of Appeal found it would be "unjust" to do so.

In a judgement delivered on Monday by Ms Justice Tara Burns, the three-judge court said returning the man to prison following his release last December would be an additional punishment.

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The 43-year-old man was jailed for 18 months after a trial at the Central Criminal Court, where he contested four counts of oral rape and 12 sexual assaults of the two boys on dates between May 1995 and December 1998.

The man, who was aged between 15 and 18 at the time of the offending, was convicted by a jury of four counts of oral rape and seven counts of sexual assault of one victim, who was then aged between 11 and 14.

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He was also convicted of four sexual assaults of the victims older brother, who was aged between 12 and 13, on dates in 1995 and 1996.

The man had pleaded not guilty to all charges but accepted the verdict of a jury who found him guilty on all counts bar one sexual assault over which they disagreed.

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Unduly lenient

The Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence for oral rape against the younger of the two boys and re-sentenced the man to four years for the same offences, suspending the remainder of the time to be served for a period of two-and-a-half years.

The judges noted the man has undertaken courses since his release from prison and is attempting to regain employment. Ms Justice Burns said six months have elapsed since his release from prison, and he is in the process of attempting to reintegrate into society.

While the court is of the view that the original sentence was unduly lenient, it is also of the view that it would be unjust to return the respondent to prison at this stage, she said.

The trial judge, Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, had set the headline sentences at four years for the rapes and 18 months for the sexual assaults.

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She then imposed a term of 18 months imprisonment on seven counts of sexual assault of the younger brother, four years imprisonment for four offences of oral rape against the same boy and 18 months imprisonment on four further counts of sexual assault against the first boys older brother.

All sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the final two years and six months of the term of imprisonment suspended for a period of two years and six months. The sentence was backdated to November 2021 when the man had entered custody.

Delivering judgement on Monday, Ms Justice Burns noted that the offending behaviour, particularly the oral rape offences, was of a very serious kind and that when it began the child was only 11, four years younger than the teenage perpetrator.

He also occupied a position of trust as an older foster brother within the family the victims had been placed with.

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The three-judge court also noted that whilst he was a child at the commencement of and during a significant period of the offending, the defendant came of age and continued to offend against the younger brother for a period of nine months.

In addition, the offending behaviour came about and developed as a result of the boy being groomed by the man, the judgement said.

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During the trial, the jury heard the two boys and their younger brother hand been placed in foster care with the mans parents in 1995. The brothers were vulnerable children who had come from a difficult family background.

Truth or dare

The sexual offending against the younger of the two brothers started in the summer of 1995 when the man started playing a game of truth of dare with the boy, the dare being that the boy had to kiss his teenage foster brother.

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Dares developed to intimate touching in future games, the court heard.

Wrestling games were also partaken in by the respondent and the younger brother which ended with kissing and mutual intimate touching. The offending behaviour progressed with the then teenager asking the young boy to perform oral sex on him.

This offending behaviour continued over a three and a half year period, ceasing when the child was removed from the foster care of the family in January 1999.

The offending against the older brother, which also involved wrestling games, began in 1995 and ceased in December 1996.

Trial judge Ms Justice Murphy said the court must sentence the man not as an adult, but as the 15- to 17-year-old who committed the offences. The judge said the fact of him being a juvenile at the time and his intellectual functioning being in the low range reduced his culpability.

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In mitigation, the trial judge said the man's acknowledgement of guilt post-conviction had some weight, as there could be no whispering that the jury got it wrong.

The judge said the court considered there to be a further mitigating factor in the failure of the authorities to deal with the matter when a complaint was first made to the HSE by one of the victims in 2001.

She said it would have spared the victim distress which led to him feeling unable to go to gardai until 2014.

Vulnerable

The State had argued that the sentences imposed constituted a substantial departure from the appropriate sentences and were unduly lenient, particularly in respect of the oral rape offences.

Eilis Brennan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that an element of consent had been argued at the trial but that neither boy could have consented in law due to their young ages.

Counsel said it had been accepted by the accused that he groomed the younger brother who had been "very vulnerable and had a lot of difficulties".

Ms Brennan said the younger victim was "grappling with his sexuality in that he was the woman" and that the accused had discussed him transitioning. "There was a high level of grooming in view of this vulnerability," said Ms Brennan, who added that the victim was only 11 years old and coming into puberty.

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She said the trial judge erred in not setting the pre-mitigation headline sentence between 10 and 15 years.

Counsel also said the two-and-a-half-year discount applied by the trial judge on the sentences, which were all run concurrently, was too high.

In Monday's judgement, the court said it was of the view that the headline sentence imposed by the sentencing judge on the rape offences was a gross departure from the appropriate headline sentence in the particular circumstances of the case.

The three-judge court said that having regard to his age and immaturity at the time of the offending whilst also acknowledging the fact that nine months of the offending behaviour occurred while the respondent was an adult, the appropriate headline sentence in this matter was one of six years.

The judges acknowledged the personal circumstances of the respondent to include his familial circumstances and his good work history as mitigating factors. They said the mitigating factors in the case merited a reduction in the headline sentence of two years.

However, that is not the end of the matter, Ms Burns said noting that the respondent was released from prison in December 2022. The question that arises is should he be returned to prison after he has already served the term of imprisonment initially imposed.

She said this was an extremely difficult question for the court.

The court noted it would have been preferable that this matter came on for hearing before the mans release from prison and said expedited transcripts and an early hearing date should have been sought.

Ms Justice Burns said the court was of the view that it would be an additional punishment and unjust to return the man to prison.

Accordingly, the court imposed an 18-month term of imprisonment for the charges of sexual assault and imposed a four-year term of imprisonment for the charges of oral rape, suspending the remainder of the time to be served for a period of two and a half years.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has welcomed the decision by the new director general of RTE to stand down the broadcaster's executive board.

A new brush sweeps clean, Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley told Newstalk radio.

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Mr Stanley said he had been calling for some time for the board to step aside and following the resignation of Rory Coveney this was inevitable.

It was clear that the executive team had been kept in the dark about the deals being made, but in some ways the board had been lax, said Mr Stanley.

The standing down of the executive was necessary and it was a sign of decisive action by Mr Bakhurst. It was clear that there had been no proper relationship between the board and the management team and that was not acceptable.

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It's clear that the oversight board was kept in the dark. It's clear that they weren't being given full information and properly informed. And what we need to see now is, is we need to see these actions followed through. And I think the register of interests is very important. And it's good to see that being put in place.

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Mr Stanley said there was now a lot of weight on Kevin Bakhursts shoulders and his statement on Monday morning was a good start. There were signs that the oversight board had been lax in some ways or lacklustre in the attention paid to the issue of remuneration to some staff.

Having served on a number of boards, Mr Stanley said he knew that managers had a way of keeping things from their boards.

The oversight board had to have trust in the management team and it was clear that in RTE that had not been the case for a considerable period of time.

'Corporate and financial mess'

There's huge work to be done here. Make no mistake about it. What we have seen over the last two and a half weeks is an absolute corporate and financial mess that I've never seen anything like it before.

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Confidence had to be restored in RTE, when that was done people would then pay their licence fee, he added. However, there also needed to be reform of the TV licence system.

I think when people see that change is coming and change is coming very quickly over the next couple of months, that's the process that has to happen.

Meanwhile, the chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee, Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth, said the new director general was demonstrating a willingness to be answerable to both the public and staff at RTE.

That was very welcome, Ms Smyth told RTE radios Morning Ireland. A radical plan was also needed and he had laid out the key steps of how he intends to do that, most of which were terms that the Media Committee had been trying to establish.

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We wish him the very best of luck, him and his new team that he puts in place, she said.

'Dossier of documents'

When asked if the members of the committee had yet received the documentation they had been promised in a legal letter from representatives of Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly, Ms Smyth said not yet. It was fascinating and unusual to receive a letter promising a dossier of documents which she hoped they would receive as early as possible so they could be scrutinised.

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There are a lot of unanswered questions about who made the decision to seek the payments and why, and we really haven't got any clarity around that. But there'll be bigger questions too that lingered in relation to the commercial deal with Renault.

She said the key question will be how such an arrangement came about  did Noel Kelly ask RTE to underwrite the agreement and did Ryan Tubridy sanction it?

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We need to know who made the proposal. We can only assume it came from Kelly management, but more importantly, who agreed to it in RTE? As we know, there was significant pushback from the executives up to the point of gridlock. But something certainly changed in between, which arguably has cost RTE dearly in terms of reputational damage.

Noel Kelly and Ryan Tubridy. Photo: Collins

The other key question for Ryan Tubridy would about his moral compass knowing that the figures being disclosed to the public were not accurate. She said it would be better if he were to come in and be open and transparent with the committee instead of the committee having to drag information.

Ms Smyth said as chair of the committee she wanted to ensure that both sides get fairness, that there is respect with a measured and considered approach to questioning.

I will try to maintain that level of dignity at the hearing tomorrow, I realise there's huge interest in this.

Ms Smyth said she understood the publics interest in the issue, and as TV licence payers they had a stake.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has said he believes the overwhelming majority of unionists oppose the placing of an Irish flag and a picture of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on a loyalist bonfire.

Police are investigating the incident at the bonfire in Co Tyrone at the weekend as a hate crime.

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The towering pyre in Moygashel, themed as an anti-Northern Ireland Protocol bonfire, attracted attention online after a boat was placed on the top of it.

By Saturday evening, an Irish tricolour and a republican flag, as well as a picture of Mr Varadkar, had been added on the boat.

Leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson condemned the burning of an Irish flag and a picture of Leo Varadkar on a weekend bonfire (Liam McBurney/PA)

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Mr Donaldson said the actions were wrong, regardless of opinions on the protocol.

I think that what happened in burning the flag of our neighbouring state and burning the poster of Leo Varadkar was wrong, he told RTE.

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It is disrespectful. If people want to earn respect and have respect for their own identity and culture then they have got to show respect for others and I dont think that what happened and these things that were burned on the bonfire are right.

I think that is the view of the overwhelming majority of unionists.

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Mr Donaldson said: I know there are differing views on the Northern Ireland Protocol and its impact on community relations and on the politics of Northern Ireland, I have spoken myself about that.

I believe that the protocol undermines some of the principles at the heart of the Belfast agreement, but I am working alongside my political colleagues to address and resolve those issues.

We recognise at the end of the day that Northern Ireland prospers when there is political stability.

I think the overwhelming majority of people want to see forward movement. We have got to resolve the issues which are at the heart of the current political situation.

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Asked if bonfires should ever have effigies or flags placed upon them, Sir Jeffrey said: Personally, I dont think they should. Perhaps some may in a historical context, but this is not a historical context.

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To do things that I believe are disrespectful to others and are not set in a historical context, I think that is wrong.

On the side of the boat on the bonfire, a banner reading Good Friday Agreement? That ship has sailed was attached, with a mock copy of the 1998 accord across which the words null and void were printed.

It was given the title No Irish Sea Border Bonfire, in reference to opposition in unionist and loyalist communities to post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Most of the bonfires to mark Northern Irelands traditional July 12 celebrations will be lit on July 11th.

The Twelfth marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, an act that secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown.

There has been controversy around bonfires in previous years, with election posters and Irish flags hung from the stacks of wood, with some towering more than 100ft high.

The Orange Order held a protest at the 25th anniversary Drumcree parade in Portadown, Co Armagh (Niall Carson/PA)

The DUP leader also rejected suggestions that there was any prospect of violence following an annual protest staged by the Orange Order at Drumcree in Portadown.

The Parades Commission refused permission for the orders return route to proceed along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road, a ruling maintained since 1998.

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Orange Order members on Sunday held a short protest at the police lines barring them from the return route.

Mr Donaldson said: We will always work to avoid situations becoming violent, I dont think there is any prospect of that happening in this situation.

No-one is talking about violence in relation to Drumcree and the Orangemen yesterday had their church service, they did so respectfully, they did so peacefully, they are seeking to exercise what they believe is their democratic right to peaceful assembly.
(Photo : Tenn. Dem (Ind.)/ Twitter)

The longtime Democratic lawmaker had been hospitalized since a July 1 .



Longtime Tennessee lawmaker and former state Democratic Party chairman Roy Herron passed away on Sunday due to injuries sustained in a jet ski accident. He was 69.

Herron passed away at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, according to a family statement.

Roy Herron Dies From Jet Ski Accident Injuries

According to his family's Caring Bridge website, he had been hospitalized since his July 1 collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake, in which he sustained internal bleeding and extensive limb and pelvic injuries.

Per NBC News, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was conducting an investigation into the collision, the specifics of which were unknown at the time. Herron, a lawyer from Dresden, Tennessee, served 26 years in the state's House and Senate, where he rose to become the Democrats' floor leader and caucus chief.

According to his website, he never missed a day of class, except when his youngest son was delivered. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the state Democratic Party's chairman.

Herron, a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, was among the first students at Vanderbilt University to receive joint degrees in divinity and law. Herron is an ordained Methodist minister and the author of three volumes, including 'God and Politics: How Can a Christian Be in Politics?'

Saturday funeral services were scheduled at the First United Methodist Church in Martin. On Sunday, an influx of condolences was received. Former Vice President Al Gore referred to his fellow Tennessee Democrat on Twitter as "a beloved friend and one of Tennessee's most devoted citizens."

Read Also: Video: New York 'Monster Storm' Causes Extreme Flooding in Roadways, Kills 1 Person

Tributes Pour for Tennessee Lawmaker Roy Herron

Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat, described Herron as "intelligent, meticulous, and honest." A politician who will achieve distinction."

Rep. David Kustoff, a Republican, stated that Herron "dedicated his entire existence to serving West Tennessee and the entire Volunteer State."

Jeremy Faison, chairman of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, stated on Twitter that he was "the kind of person you couldn't help but like."

Longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative Joe Hill, who worked with Herron on multiple campaigns, stated that when Herron was elected to the state legislature, he "brought a passion for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans."

Hill said Herron also brought this dedication to "education, victims' rights, environmental quality, and many other issues affecting the average person."

Hill stated that Herron's disposition applied to his connections as well. Hill recalled how Herron traveled 225 kilometers (140 miles) to be with him and his family in Memphis after one of Hill's children was involved in an automobile accident.

In 2010, after a fleeting bid for governor, Herron became the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 8th Congressional District when incumbent Representative John Tanner announced his retirement after more than two decades in office. Herron ultimately fell to Republican Stephen Fincher in the general election.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, expressed her sadness over the departure of her former Tennessee State Senate colleague. Jeremy Faison, chairman of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, stated on Twitter that he was "the kind of person you couldn't help but like."

Herron, a lawyer from Dresden, Tennessee, served 26 years in the state's House and Senate, where he rose to become the Democrats' floor leader and caucus chief.

After a cyclone ravaged his hometown of Dresden just before Christmas in 2021, Herron organized a fundraising campaign and raised more than $100,000 to assist with recovery efforts. Saturday funeral services are scheduled at the First United Methodist Church in Martin, Daily Mail reported.



Related Article: Joe Biden Bribery Claims: GOP Allegedly Had Evidence Disproving Accusations





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The parents of one of two Dublin teenagers who died on a Greek island holiday have paid tribute to their fabulous son at his funeral.

Max Wall died on the island of Ios last weekend.

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The 18-year-old, who underwent major heart surgery three years ago, fell ill at the islands port as he was about to board a ferry.

Hours earlier, the body of fellow pupil at St Michaels College in south Dublin, Andrew ODonnell, was found on a rocky hill on the island.

Mr ODonnell, who was also 18, is believed to have fallen while walking back from a night out.

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Flowers outside St Michaels College in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

The teenagers were among a large group from St Michaels and other Dublin schools who travelled to the island to celebrate the end of their Leaving Certificate examinations.

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Mondays funeral service at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook in south Dublin was told Mr Wall was speaking on the phone to his father Niall shortly before he died.

His father and mother Fiona both delivered tributes at the service.

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Today marks the end of an eight-day journey for us that with the most profound cruelty has not only taken Max from us but has robbed him of a bright future. And the sense of loss that we feel is so deep because of what he has lost, said his father.

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Today is a day to remember Max, of course to mourn his premature death, but also to mark his short but very full life. Max was full of life. He brightened the life of others. He was the best craic. He was full of fun. The best kind.

He spoke of his sons ambitious nature, his generosity, independence and polite, kind and respectful demeanour.

The most important thing about Max is that he simply was our fabulous son and we will love him forever, Mr Wall added.

He also extended his condolences to Mr ODonnells parents, Bebhinn and Gavin.

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We forged the closest of friendships through our joint journey through what has only been a nightmare over the last week, he said.

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Mr ODonnells funeral will be held in the same church on Wednesday.

Mrs Wall read the poem Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden at Mondays service.

A photo of 18-year-old Max Wall on the order of service at his funeral (Niall Carson/PA)

She then delivered her own tribute to her son.

Max, our darling boy, we love you forever. We miss you dreadfully. You were a force of nature and your memory will live on, she said.

There was sustained applause from mourners after Mr Walls parents delivered their tributes.

Earlier, his classmates took symbols to the front of the church to represent his life. They included a Manchester United shirt with his name on the back, a signed Leinster rugby jersey and a pool cue.

A megaphone symbolising the passion with which he supported the teams he loved was also taken forward.

The teenagers parents took religious symbols forward to signify their sons strong faith, while his brother Charlie delivered a reading.

St Michaels College chaplain, Fr Paddy Moran, who celebrated the graduation ceremony attended by Mr Wall two months ago, was the principal celebrant at his requiem mass.

He reflected on the ceremony for the students who had completed their Leaving Certificates and were preparing for a new chapter in their lives.

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It was a joyous occasion, he said.

I looked out at this sea of faces ready to embark on the next stage of their lives as young adults  young, energetic men ready to take on the world.

It never occurred to me that we would be gathered two months later for the funeral of Max. It is heartbreaking to be gathered in this most tragic of circumstances.

Our hearts are broken.
RTE's new director general has entered into the role during a full-blown crisis for the organisation.

The public service broadcaster has been reeling since it emerged last month that it under-reported the earnings of star presenter Ryan Tubridy and failed to disclose 345,000 of additional payments to him between 2017 and 2022.

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The crisis has since widened amid new revelations about spending through a "slush fund" and commercial conflicts of interest, furthering shattering trust in RTE.

On his first day in the job, Kevin Bakhurst made the decision to "stand down" the RTE executive board and pledged to be "open and transparent" with staff about future changes.

So what are the immediate and long-term challenges now facing the broadcaster and its new boss?

Ryan Tubridy and top presenter pay

Public outrage over secret payments to the former Late Late Show presenter is what triggered the wider RTE crisis, and yet this issue remains unresolved.

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Despite several weeks of statements and Oireachtas committee hearings, the full details of the arrangement are still unclear.

Criticism has focused on two 75,000 payments to Tubridy in 2021 and 2022, which bumped his total annual fee up to 515,000.

A commitment was made in 2020 that RTE would underwrite annual commercial payments due to Tubridy over a five-year period.

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Tubridy, who is off-air from his weekday radio programme, has admitted he should have questioned the accuracy of published figures on his salary.

Former director general Dee Forbes, who resigned on June 26th, said she did not act contrary to advice in underwriting commercial fees to Tubridy during a May 2020 meeting with his agent, Noel Kelly.

Tubridy and Kelly are set to face Oireachtas committees this week  the new director general will hope their evidence brings some closure to the issue.

However, it remains unclear why RTE understated Tubridy's pay between 2017 and 2019  a further external review is looking into that.

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All this means the debate around presenters' earnings will be contentious for the broadcaster in the years to come.

The RTE top brass will be under pressure to take pay cuts or freezes  a hard sell after the revelations about Tubridy's payments.

Dee Forbes had previously pledged to reduce the fees paid to top contracted on-air presenters by 15 per cent, which was in addition to cuts of over 30 per cent agreed in previous years.

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For now, Bakhurst has promised to publish the salaries of the senior executive team along with the earnings of RTE's 10 highest paid presenters in the annual report every year, starting from 2023. A register of interests for staff and contractors will also be established.

Licence fee and future funding

A longer term problem facing the new director general is how RTE is funded and who pays for it.

Currently RTE gets about 200 million a year in TV licence fee income, though the station has long complained that the rate of evasion costs it about 50 million a year.

There is a legal obligation to have a TV licence, which costs 160, for having a television in a home or business.

Roughly 140 million of RTE's 340 million annual budget comes from commercial activities, principally advertising.

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RTE's finances have been under strain since the financial crash in 2008. The broadcaster posted large deficits during the recession when advertising and licence fee income plummeted and the government was making cuts to public services.

Commercial funding at RTE has not returned to Celtic Tiger-levels and the shift towards digital advertising means those revenues are unlikely to grow.

The organisation sold part of its Dublin campus for 107 million in 2017 in a bid to stabilise its finances, but successive RTE bosses and chairs have continued to call for reform of the funding model.

A report on the future of Irish media published last summer recommended that public service broadcasting is paid for directly out of taxation and that the licence fee is abolished.

At the time the Government welcomed the Future of Media Commission's findings, but proposed "an alternative approach to the commissions recommendation on a new funding model".

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However, senior Government sources told the Sunday Independent last week that a household media tax, which was last proposed a decade ago, could be now considered, as could funding RTE directly from the exchequer.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted last week that the licence fee is currently being collected in an inefficient or "wasteful" way.

"I think reform of the TV licence is long overdue and I want that to happen during this Government," he said.

"I can see the political temptation to put it off for another government or another Dail, but I do not want to do that, and I want to make sure we have a new system up and running during the lifetime of this Government."

He also said RTE may have to change the way it manages its accounts, potentially separating out its public and private sector funding streams.

In any case, Bakhurst is likely to oversee a major shift in how RTE generates and spends cash to fulfil its public service broadcasting mandate.

Corporate governance

RTE's internal financial, accounting and governance practices have been scrutinised like never before in recent weeks.

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The management culture of RTE was under the spotlight when senior staff faced intensive questions at Oireachtas committees over the secret Tubridy payments.

In response the Government has set up two "root and branch" reviews of the broadcaster  the first will look at governance and the organisational culture in RTE, and the second will examine human resources and how external contractors are engaged.

One of Bakhurst's first moves as director general was to "stand down" the RTE executive board in response to what he described as the "shameful" revelations that have emerged in recent weeks.

The executive has been replaced with a new "interim leadership team", with all significant decisions now having to be agreed by the whole leadership team.

"There can be no repeat of the siloed and, at times, secretive decision-making that has been at the root of the shameful events of the past weeks. As custodians of public money, our financial integrity must be on a par with our editorial integrity," Bakhurst said.

Trust

Public trust in RTE is undoubtedly weaker after weeks of negative headlines  rebuilding that trust will be key if Bakhurst is to be successful in reforming the organisation.

Before the recent controversy came to light, trust in Irish news media was relatively high compared to other European countries. RTE is also recognised as the most trusted news brand in the country, according to the most recent Reuters Digital News report.

But maintaining that level of approval will be challenging, with Bakhurst himself saying trust in RTE had been "severely diminished".

"Its been a highly damaging two weeks for RTE and its been painful to watch," he said last week.

On his first morning on the job, Bakhurst said change would "be essential if we are to rebuild trust in public service broadcasting in Ireland and in RTE."
A solicitor who allegedly used client money to fund his gaming addiction has been struck off the rolls of solicitors by the President of the High Court.

Patrick Delaney, who at one time practised out of Castleknock, Dublin, was found by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal last March to be guilty of professional misconduct for causing a deficit in client funds of more than 1.53 million.

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Mr Justice David Barniville was told of a further potential deficit in client funds of over 767,401, making a total apparent deficit in the client funds in the region of 2.29 million as of September 2019.

Law Society of Ireland solicitor Mary Fenelon, who applied to the High Court for various orders including a strike-off against the solicitor, told the court that the disciplinary tribunal had found Mr Delaney guilty of professional misconduct on 14 different allegations, including that he misappropriated client funds by engaging in a process of teeming and lading and misappropriated money belonging to clients on gambling websites.

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Ms Fenelon said the tribunal also found that Mr Delaney had caused claims of over 3.4 million to be made on the Law Society Compensation Fund to May 2020, with over 925,000 discharged as of that date.

The tribunal, which heard evidence from the Law Society investigating accountant, also found Mr Delaney guilty of professional misconduct in relation to unauthorised cash withdrawals totalling 28,870 from the client bank account, transferring professional fees when not in funds to do so, delaying in redeeming mortgages and failing to keep proper books of accounts.

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Ms Fenelon said that the last practising certificate for Mr Delaney was for 2019. He had been admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1995 and carried on a practice as Patrick Delaney Solicitors, at Parkside House, Castleknock, Dublin.

She said the disciplinary tribunal was urged to recommend a strike-off to the High Court and was told that Mr Delaney engaged in a dishonest practice, took clients monies and used client monies to fund his gaming addiction.

Mr Justice David Barniville, granting all the orders sought, said the sanctions were there to ensure the protection of the public and maintain the reputation of the solicitors' profession.

He also granted the further sanctions recommended and ordered Mr Delaney to pay a total of 11,000 fines to the Law Society Compensation Fund, as well as 1.5 million as restitution to the society.

He was further ordered to pay over 12,000 towards the societys costs.
A teenage boy from Dublin who is accused of twice ramming a Garda vehicle carrying two gardai with a stolen car will face a Circuit Court trial.

Videos of the incident at Cherry Orchard Avenue in Ballyfermot, Dublin, went viral on social media last year.

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The Dublin Children's Court heard a stolen silver Toyota Aqua collided head-on twice with the garda car, which was also "side-swiped" once by another stolen car on the evening of September 19, 2022.

The boy (16), who cannot be named because he is a minor, was initially accused of driving two stolen Toyota Aquas, dangerous driving and criminal damage to a garda car. The teenager "maintains his innocence", the court heard.

The case was later upgraded with two additional counts of endangerment of the lives of the two gardai.

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The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had recommended the case be sent to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. The boy, who was 15 at the time of the incident, faced a preliminary hearing to consider his trial venue.

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Judge Brendan Toale heard an outline of the evidence from Garda Daniel Matthewson and viewed a compilation of video evidence showing that the two stolen cars were parked at another location beforehand.

Gardai obtained CCTV footage from various locations, including a double-decker bus, showing the car with screeching tyres, performing hand brake turns and "driving with total disregard for other road users and pedestrians".

Garda Matthewson, narrating the video evidence, said the cars were driven in convoy from Cedarbrook Walk.

The defendant allegedly drove a silver 2016-reg Toyota Aqua that sped to Cherry Orchard Avenue and there were "numerous" incidents of dangerous driving.

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"On-coming cars had to slow down to get out of the way," Garda Matthewson said. Traffic was "reasonably heavy", and pedestrians were on the footpath, he added

At one point, other drivers "had to go around a roundabout the wrong way to avoid interacting with both vehicles".

People started to watch from the roadside, cheering at them to ram gardai, who had responded to an alert. It was alleged the defendant rammed the marked patrol car twice as a large crowd of on-lookers "shouted encouragement".

Damage

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"At one point, the patrol car is trying to get out of there, and they were unable to do that because the silver [Toyota] Aqua hit them head-on again".

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The court heard that the second car, a white Toyota Aqua, drove past and side-swiped the patrol car.

The two gardai in the patrol car were sore and in pain afterwards, and both attended their GP.

"They also sought assistance for the mental trauma of being the target of the ramming as they were going about their business and carrying out their duty", Garda Matthewson said.

Questioned by defence counsel Doireann McDonagh, he accepted that there were no permanent injuries but added: "Maybe not physically, but mentally."

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The barrister pleaded with the judge to keep the case in the Children's Court and submitted that it was an impulsive and not prolonged incident.

Ms McDonagh added the boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, "maintains his innocence".

The barrister said the teenager, who has Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, came from a stable, loving home.

The State urged the judge to note the aggravating factors and to rule that the matter was unsuitable for the Children's Court.

Judge Toale said that it was clear the two cars had been "parked up for a period of time" before being driven to the location, and there was an element of planning.

He concluded that the case was not fit to be tried at Children's Court level and should be sent forward to the higher level.

After refusing jurisdiction, he remanded the boy on bail to appear again in August to be served with a book of evidence.

The trial venue of the second alleged driver, a 15-year-old boy, has yet to be confirmed. His case was adjourned until September for the defence to obtain a psychological assessment report.

A 15-year-old boy who has admitted to being a passenger in one of the stolen cars is awaiting sentence at the Children's Court, and his case resumes later this week.
The European Union signed off on a new agreement over the privacy of personal information that is pinged across the Atlantic, aiming to ease European concerns about electronic spying by American intelligence agencies.

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework has an adequate level of protection for personal data, the EUs executive commission said.

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This means that its comparable to the 27-nations own stringent data protection standards, so companies can use it to move information from Europe to the United States without adding extra security.

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October to implement the deal after reaching a preliminary agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.



US President Joe Biden signed off on the agreement back in October (James Manning/PA)

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Washington and Brussels made an effort to resolve their years-long battle over the safety of EU citizens data that tech companies store in the US after two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out.

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Speaking in Brussels, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said: Personal data can now flow freely and safely from the European Economic Area to the United States without any further conditions or authorisations.

Washington and Brussels have clashed over differences between the EUs stringent data privacy rules and the comparatively lax regime in the US, which lacks a federal privacy law.

This has created uncertainty for tech giants, including Google and Facebook parent Meta, raising the prospect that US tech firms might need to keep European data that is used for targeted ads out of the United States.

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The European privacy campaigner who triggered legal challenges over the practice, however, dismissed the latest deal.

Max Schrems said the new agreement failed to resolve core issues and vowed to challenge it to the EUs top court.



Campaigner Max Schrems says the new agreement failed to resolve core issues (Brian Lawless/PA)

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Mr Schrems kicked off the legal saga by filing a complaint about the handling of his Facebook data after whistle-blower Edward Snowdens revelations a decade ago about how the US government eavesdropped on peoples online data and communications.

Calling the new agreement a copy of the previous one, Mr Schrems said his Vienna-based group, NOYB, was readying a legal challenge and expected the case to be back in the European Court of Justice by the end of the year.

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Just announcing that something is new, robust or effective does not cut it before the Court of Justice, Mr Schrems said. We would need changes in US surveillance law to make this work  and we simply dont have it.

The framework, which will take effect on Tuesday, promises strengthened safeguards against data collection abuses and provides multiple avenues for redress.

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Under the deal, US intelligence agencies access to data is limited to what is necessary and proportionate to protect national security.

Europeans who suspect US authorities have accessed their data will be able to complain to a new Data Protection Review Court, made up of judges appointed from outside the US government.

The threshold to file a complaint will be very low and will not require people to prove their data has been accessed, Mr Reynders said.



Meta had warned that without a legal basis for data transfers, it would have to withdraw its services in Europe (Brian Lawless/PA)

Business groups welcomed the decision, which clears a legal path for companies to continue cross-border data flows.

This is a major breakthrough, said Alexandre Roure, public policy director at the Brussels office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google and Meta.

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After waiting for years, companies and organisations of all sizes on both sides of the Atlantic finally have the certainty of a durable legal framework that allows for transfers of personal data from the EU to the United States, Mr Roure said.

In an echo of Mr Schrems original complaint, Meta Platforms was hit with a record $1.3 billion EU privacy fine in May for relying on legal tools deemed invalid to transfer data across the Atlantic.

Meta had warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it would be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Boris Johnsons notebooks, WhatsApp messages and diaries have been handed over to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry after the British government lost its bid to prevent their release.

The UK Cabinet Office had been given until 4pm to comply with a High Court ruling to hand over the unredacted documents.

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The British prime ministers official spokesman said: All requisite material has been handed over.

Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett had demanded the documents relating to Boris Johnsons time in No 10 (James Manning/PA)

The UK government had fought the request from inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett to release the documents, arguing it should not have to hand over material that is unambiguously irrelevant.

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But the Cabinet Offices argument was dismissed by Lord Justice Dingemans and Mr Justice Garnham last week, who said the fact an order for material would produce some irrelevant documents did not invalidate it or mean it cannot be lawfully exercised.

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They said Lady Hallett should be able to examine the documents and if she agrees they are obviously irrelevant to her inquiry, she will return them.

One complication has been the WhatsApp messages on the former UK prime ministers old phone.

He was advised to stop using it on security grounds in May 2021 after it emerged his number had been freely available online for 15 years.

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Heavy rain has led to extreme flooding in New Yorks Hudson Valley that killed at least one person, swamped roadways and forced road closures, as much of the rest of the north-east US began bracing for a deluge.

As the storm moved east, the US National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts.

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Forecasters said some areas could see as much as 5in of rain.





A considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England on Monday. Organized areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to produce intense rain rates, especially in the high risk area of Vermont and northeastern New York. pic.twitter.com/59OX6kEqJo  National Weather Service (@NWS) July 9, 2023 Advertisement

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In New Yorks Hudson Valley, rescue teams are attempting to retrieve the body of a woman in her 30s who drowned after being swept away while trying to evacuate her home. Two other people escaped.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed the womans house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press.

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Her house was completely surrounded by water, he said.

She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, he added, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.





I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours.



We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts.  Advertisement  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 10, 2023

The extent of the destruction from the slow moving storm, which pounded the area with up to 8in of rain, will not be known until later, when residents and officials can begin surveying the damage.

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Officials said the storm had already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.

New York governor Kathy Hochul confirmed to WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home was washed away.

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The rains have hit some parts of New York harder than others, but officials said communities to the east of the state should brace for torrential rains and possible flash flooding.





I am expanding our State of Emergency, effective immediately, to include Ontario County due to significant flooding over the past two hours.



This declaration will allow State resources to provide additional support.



Please, take precautions and stay safe.  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 10, 2023

Officials urged residents in the line of the storm to stay off the roads.

The amount of water is extraordinary and its still a very dangerous situation, Ms Hochul said.

Well get through this, she said, but added its going to be a rough night.

The governor declared a state of emergency Sunday for Orange County, about 60 miles north of New York City. She later extended the state of emergency to Ontario County in western New York, south-east of Rochester.

We are in close communication with local officials and state agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts, she said.





Rainfall amounts (just over the past 6 hours, ending at 6 PM). Note the heaviest amounts of 3-5" across portions of southeast PA and northwest NJ. Go here to see more detail: https://t.co/dJG9GENz02 pic.twitter.com/TmnxLs3lWX Advertisement  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) July 9, 2023

The storm also interrupted air travel with hundreds of flight cancellations at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports and more than 200 flights cancelled at Bostons Logan Airport, according to Flightaware.

The state deployed five swift-water rescue teams and a high-axle vehicle to help with rescues in flooded areas.

Vermont governor Phil Scott said: This is an all-hands-on-deck response. We have not seen rainfall like this since (Hurricane) Irene (in 2011), and in some places, it will surpass even that.

Some video posted on social media showed the extent of flooding, with streams of water rushing right next to homes, and roadways washed away by fast-moving cascading flows.

West Point, home to the US Military Academy, was severely flooded. Officials worry some historic buildings might have water damage.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings across parts of south-eastern New York, describing it as life threatening, as well as warnings in north-eastern New Jersey.

By Monday, a considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England, NWS said in a tweet.

Intense rain may be especially strong in Vermont and north-eastern New York.
A teenager in the UK has been arrested after a teacher was stabbed at a secondary school.

Gloucestershire Police said an adult has been taken to hospital with a suspected stab wound after Tewkesbury School in Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, was placed on lockdown.

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The force said officers were called at around 9.10am on Monday to reports a pupil had stabbed a teacher and a teenage boy has been arrested.

An adult has been taken to hospital with a suspected stab wound following an incident at Tewkesbury School. We were called around 9.10am today (Monday) with a report a pupil had stabbed a teacher. A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with the incident. https://t.co/qe2pln7c8n  Gloucestershire Constabulary (@Glos_Police) July 10, 2023 Advertisement

Earlier on Monday teachers at the nearby Tirlebrook Primary School posted a message on Facebook saying its school had also been locked down on police advice and urged parents not to come to the school.

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An incident has occurred this morning at Tewkesbury Academy and we have been advised by Tewkesbury Police to put in place a lock down, they said.

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We have a police presence at school and are being fully supported at this time. We would like to reassure all families that children at Tirlebrook and Little Oaks are safe and well.

We must ask that families do not come to school during this time as this could compromise the police operation currently underway and also compromise the safety of the children.

During this situation all school staff will be supporting the children and liaising with the police so we would ask that you do not attempt to communicate with the school office.

We thank you all for your support and will update you as soon as possible when we know more.

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Russian president Vladimir Putin held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after denouncing an armed mutiny he had led as treasonous, Putin's spokesman said on Monday, as Russia's top general resurfaced for the first time.

The meeting with Prigozhin, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was held on June 29th, five days after the aborted mutiny, which is widely regarded to have posed the most serious challenge to Putin since he assumed the presidency on the last day of 1999.

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Much of what happened on June 24th, the day of the mutiny, and how the authorities are handling its aftermath remains unclear.

One of the biggest mysteries is why Prigozhin does not yet appear to have fulfilled the terms of the deal which ended the standoff, what his future plans and those of his fighters are, and why he does not appear to have been punished by the Kremlin.

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The fact that Prigozhin and his top field commanders sat down with Putin in the Kremlin days after the Russian leader called their actions a treasonous "stab in the back" which could have pushed Russia into a chaotic civil war is certain to raise more questions about what is going on behind the scenes.

Peskov, Putin's spokesman, told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the three-hour meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit field commanders.

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"The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company's (Wagner's) actions at the front during the Special Military Operation (in Ukraine) and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June (the day of the mutiny)," Peskov told reporters.

He said Putin had listened to the commanders' own explanations of what had happened and had offered them further options for employment and combat.

The brief mutiny saw Wagner fighters seize control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don along with its military headquarters building and shoot down an unspecified number of military helicopters, killing their pilots.

Peskov said Wagner commanders had reaffirmed their loyalty to Putin at the Kremlin meeting.

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"They (the commanders) emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland," said Peskov.

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The mutiny, which Putin had compared to the turmoil in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin and the Kremlin have since sought to project a business-as-usual image, with the president chairing a range of meetings, visiting crowds in Dagestan and even hosting a young girl for a guided tour of the Kremlin.

Top general resurfaces

In another twist, Russia's top general, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov, made his first appearance in public since the failed mutiny.

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Footage released by the defence ministry on Monday but apparently shot a day earlier showed Gerasimov ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites.

The footage indicates that Putin has for now kept his two most powerful military men, defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov, in their posts despite demands from Prigozhin to sack them over alleged incompetence.

Sitting in a military command centre on a white leather seat chairing a meeting with top generals, Gerasimov, 67, was shown asking for and then listening to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy in the aerospace forces to general Sergei Surovikin.

Mutiny

Surovikin has not been since in public since the mutiny amid unconfirmed reports he had been detained for questioning.

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Gerasimov was shown being told that a Ukrainian missile attack on Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and on the Rostov and Kaluga regions had been thwarted on Sunday, and shown ordering how Russia should respond.

He asked the aerospace forces and GRU military intelligence to identify "the storage sites and launch positions of the missiles and other enemy strike weapons to plan a preemptive strike".

For months before the mutiny, Prigozhin had been openly insulting Gerasimov and Shoigu, using a variety of crude expletives that shocked top Russian officials, but which were left unanswered in public by Putin, Shoigu and Gerasimov.

Prigozhin said Putin's top military men would be forced to eat the guts of fallen soldiers in hell for what he alleged was the incompetent and treasonous way they were running what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

In the week leading up to the mutiny, Prigozhin stepped up his attacks on Shoigu, dissecting the Russian justification for the war and accusing the defence ministry of lying to Putin about both the causes and conduct of the war.

Prigozhin said his mutiny was aimed at settling scores with Shoigu and Gerasimov, not at seizing power or challenging Putin.
Wagner Group commanders under Yevgeny Prigozhin pledged loyalty to the Russian government in meeting with President Vladimir Putin, five days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a Moscow official has said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the three-hour meeting took place June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Mr Prigozhin founded.

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Mr Peskov said: The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland.

Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.

Mr Prigozhin has a long-simmering conflict with the Russian militarys top brass, culminating in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia on June 24.

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The Wagner Group chief ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled in Belarus.

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Mr Prigozhin was denounced by Mr Putin on the day of the rebellion (Prigozhin Press Service via AP, File)

The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin, who had branded Mr Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief.

Prigozhin has not commented on the Kremlin meeting, and his ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Mondays announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors.

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The criminal case against him on rebellion charges has been dropped but he could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

The rebellion severely weakened Mr Putins authority.

Mr Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Mr Putin offered an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and of the events of June 24.

The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

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The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underlined that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Mr Peskov said.

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Mr Prigozhins exact whereabouts are still unknown (AP)

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company  namely, Mr Prigozhin himself, Mr Peskov said.

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Also on Monday, Russias defence ministry published a video featuring the countrys military chief  the first time Gen Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebelling aimed to oust him.

During last months revolt, Mr Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gen Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and defence minister Sergei Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition.

Mondays updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period.
China has been tightening controls on independent content creators in its latest regulatory guidelines for tech companies after the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published a notice Monday (July 10).

According to Bloomberg, online platforms must take timely action to monitor and suspend user accounts spreading false information or weighing in on hot-button topics in a harmful manner, among other steps required by the CAC.

There are 13 guidelines in the notice dated last week, but it did not outline specifics about the type of content considered illegal or harmful. The CAC instead stated it would be the responsibility of platform providers to strengthen their management of so-called self-made accounts.

Read Also: Instagram's Threads Nears 100 Million Users, 5 Days Since the Twitter Rival Debuts

China's Curbs on Content Creation

Among the requirements, the CAC provided are better verification of accounts and labeling of rumors or controversial content, as well as streamlining the algorithm to promote more content that dispels rumors. The document also called on platform operators to strictly verify content creators producing information in realms including finance, education, media, and public health.

The curbs came after China released draft guidelines last week requiring online service providers to clamp down on cyberbullying content under threat of fines under existing laws for online security and personal data protection.

This week's updates were the latest in a string of CAC measures aimed at tightening the Chinese government's grip over tech platforms like Tencent Holdings, ByteDance, and Weibo.

Related Article: China Warns of Potential Crop Damage, Power Disruptions Due to Increasing Heat, Floods

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Climate-focused investment firm Wollemi Capital is betting that agriculture and food are among the industries next in line to be transformed by lowering their carbon footprint, after raising $220 million in fresh capital.

Wollemi, co-founded by former senior Macquarie Group executive Tim Bishop, said on Monday it had finalised a Series A raising for the company, after demand to invest more than doubled the companys initial target.

Paul Hunyor (left) and Tim Bishop, co-founders of Wollemi Capital. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

The raising  which included an equity investment from the Commonwealth Bank  comes as big investors such as super funds are keen to fund decarbonisation projects, eyeing off the potential long-term returns. Wollemi will use the funds to expand the companys operations and to help fund its pipeline of green investments.

Bishop signalled the company was targeting projects where it believed it could make investments that banks would not be prepared to finance  and farming and food were high on its list of priorities.
Australian publishers are watching closely as Facebooks parent company, Meta, clashes with the Canadian government over its new Online News Act, a copycat policy of Australias world-first news media bargaining code, ahead of renegotiations in the coming year.

The Canadian government announced last week it would stop purchasing advertisements across Facebook and Instagram in response to Metas plan to end news availability on its platforms in the country. The move mirrors Facebooks move in Australia two years ago to ban publishers and users from sharing or viewing news articles on its platform in response to the then-Morrison governments proposed media bargaining laws.

Meta and the Canadian government have clashed over new legislation. Credit: Bloomberg

Canada passed the Online News Act last month requiring Meta and Alphabet (owner of Google) to negotiate deals with the nations publishers over displaying news content, similar to the requirements in the news media bargaining code, which passed into law domestically in 2021.

Both companies subsequently signalled their intent to block all news on their key platforms in Canada by the time the law comes into effect this year, according to Bloomberg.
It began as a farmers experiment with a single pond. In 2012, agronomist Mathew Ryan wanted out of the volatile wheat market and turned his sights to the seafood industry, trying his hand at growing Murray cod in Griffith, NSW.

Back then, the Murray cod was virtually unheard of among most consumers and the restaurant industry.

Aqunas Murray cod served at Bistro Moncur in Woolahra, Sydney. Credit: Edwina Pickles

Partly through scientific due diligence and partly by accident, [Ryan] made some discoveries about how to produce them as a really clean, white pristine flesh ... with a crystal-clear taste to it, said Aquna Murray Cod executive chairman Ross Anderson.

Anderson recalls dining at a Griffith restaurant that served Murray cod from Ryans pond. It wasnt his first time eating the fish, but it was the first time he remembers actually enjoying it.
Many great composers turn suffering into beauty in their music, but few endured more and expressed it more powerfully than French composer and organist Louis Vierne.

Vierne is noted for his six fantastically complicated symphonies. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Born nearly blind, he suffered professional setbacks and personal despair throughout his 66 years. He died in 1937 at the console of the organ at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, where he had been organist since 1900. As he collapsed, his foot stuck on the organs low E pedal  a doom-laden toll. It was his 1750th recital there.

His life is just littered, like Mahlers, with torture, so people can feel the passion in his music, says Perth-based Joseph Nolan, one of the worlds leading organists. Yet, Nolan says, Vierne became one of the four greatest composers for the instrument, behind Bach and along with Widor and Messiaen.

He was overlooked for positions he knew he deserved, nearly lost a leg in an accident and divorced his wife over her infidelity. His mother and one son died of tuberculosis; another son and his brother died in World War I. He had a strained relationship with his famous pupil, Marcel Dupre, who toured the US when Vierne was ill and claimed that it was actually he who was the organist of Notre Dame. Vierne never spoke to Dupre again.
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Review Eating outPenshurst This hole-in-the-wall pizzeria slings beautifully chewy sourdough slices from a surprising suburban spot The six-item menu at the spinningly popular Bsperia is perfectly formed but youll need to hit the phones early to lock in your order. (Pro tip: Nab a milk crate on the footpath for the genuine street-side dining experience.) Lenny Ann Low July 10, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

1 / 8 Bsperia opened in March next to Penshurst station. Supplied 2 / 8 Supplied 3 / 8 Margherita pizza. Janie Barrett 4 / 8 Vegana pizza. Janie Barrett 5 / 8 Janie Barrett 6 / 8 Gamberi pizza. Janie Barrett 7 / 8 Whipped ricotta dip. Janie Barrett 8 / 8 Rocket salad. Janie Barrett Previous Slide Next Slide Italian$$$ There is a lot of wit inside a visit to Bsperia. First, Bsperia is not a cross between a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film and an Italian word for dough-based flatbread from rustic street vendor carts in 1700s Naples, however it may sound. It is short for Bridge Street Pizzeria. Tiny and buzzing, this four-month-old dark-honey-brick pizzeria, as wide as a garage and backing onto train tracks in southern Sydney, sits on a road snaking up from Penshursts main shopping street and over a railway bridge. You can see its glow on approach. The door, street window and red cloth awning frame silhouettes of staff and chefs feverishly making pizza in a small industrial kitchen edged by waiting customers and passing cars wondering what all the fuss is about.

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Margherita pizza. Janie Barrett Bsperia is spinningly popular. Its also, in the wit vein, necessary via its phone-only ordering, to say the word vegana, a pizza featuring roasted potato, garlic, rosemary, balsamic and onion, out loud. Try it now. Vegana. I say it to a cheery man who answers Bsperias phone five minutes after opening and 45 re-rings reaching an engaged tone. I know, he says. The vegana. Its a tricky one. Bsperia has six pizzas, ranging from a margherita to the Funguy (truffle cream, mixed mushroom, mozzarella and thyme), hot pepperoni (with hot maple and pecorino), Uncle Charlie (mozzarella, nduja, ricotta, honey and parsley), gamberi (prawn, stracciatella cheese and tomato) and the good old vegana (roasted potato), which is vegan.

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There is also dessert pizza, the Dolce Life, which melds Nutella with poached pear; antipasti including olives, whipped ricotta dip and stracciatella with grape tomato, anchovy and basil; and a rocket salad with grana cheese and pear. Michael Sgourdas, who opened Bsperia with business partner Mick Abboud in late March, says he consulted good friend Stefano de Caro, co-owner of Surry Hills restaurant Cicerone Cucina Romana, on the menu, process, staff and recipes. Were doing a Neapolitan-style, which is like a woodfire-style, but we use a sourdough pizza base, he says. Its got a really nice crunch, a lovely doughy feel to it. Its a small menu so we can control the quality. Vegana pizza. Janie Barrett

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Everything outside of supplied cheeses and meats is made inside the shop, including the dough. There are plans to introduce specials, and an online ordering system, but for now, its a matter of repeat-calling to get through. Friday, Saturday, its quite intense, Sgourdas says. It doesnt stop. The phone goes up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, for a solid two hours. Its a lot of talking, a lot of stress, a lot of trying to find gaps so people can get the pizzas. We do our best to accommodate everyone. Calling at 5.05pm on a Friday night means a 7.15pm pick-up, such is demand. On arrival, our order for margherita, vegana and gamberi pizzas, along with rocket salad, whipped ricotta dip and stracciatella, grape tomato, anchovy and basil salad, is running five minutes late. We could eat-in using Bsperias collection of 10 stools and milk crates resting in a footpath alcove to the left. There are toilets, a public block, next door and parking is fine, particularly if you use the station walkover bridge to neighbouring streets.

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Whipped ricotta dip. Janie Barrett Cars honk, people get off the train to collect their pizza and we stand beside Bsperias open window chatting to staff, some moulding dough with tattooed arms, others with wide grins, olive skin and dark ponytailed hair arranging basil leaves and mozzarella cheese on plates of dough. Its like were all in an episode of Chicago sandwich shop comedy drama The Bear, except everyone working is cheerful and laughing despite the unrelenting speed of their job. The pizzas, walked out to us on the footpath in yellow red letter-stamped boxes, do not even make it home. Driving in the car, two of our party in pyjamas eat the silky, bowing slices of beautifully chewy, char-speckled pizza, laden with good oozing cheese, fat prawns, fresh basil, rosemary flecks, golden roasted potato and fragrantly herby sauce.

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Everyone says vegana loudly with the windows down. No regrets. The low-down Vibe: Tiny pizzeria beside suburban railway station serving good Neapolitan-style pizza with break-neck pep and casual footpath seating. Go-to dish: Vegana pizza with roasted potato, garlic, rosemary, balsamic and onion, with whipped ricotta and hot maple dip for the crusts 10 of Sydneys best pizza joints (and the nicest slice at each)
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I was fortunate in that my dad started his career as an accountant and worked his way up to being a CFO of a small company. My brother was also a financial planner and my grandmother invested in property. They had very different views on money though, so I had a wide range of discussions and opinions about money to hear. I could always ask questions about tax or super. Then at about 12, my dad taught me how to trade on the ASX  although I didnt buy my own shares until I was 29. I feel very fortunate because I feel relatively financially literate and have a great base of people to ask questions when I need them. What was your first job and why did you get it? McDonalds when I was 14 and 9 months old. I wanted a job so bad. I thought my friends who had one were so cool and I wanted to save money for myself  although my parents encouraged me not to rush and told me Id have the rest of my life to work!

Did you worry about money growing up? No. My parents didnt buy a house until I was about 12, so we moved through rentals heaps growing up. So we werent flush with money, but it was never an issue. Do you worry about money now? No. I am very comfortable and grateful for my situation. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself, and do you have a financial safety net?

Even from 15, I have always tried to pay my way, but realistically I wasnt truly financially responsible for myself until I was about 23, when I was working my first proper job and finishing uni. Throughout uni, Mum would give me a few hundred dollars a month to help with living out of home costs. I lived in a share house and still worked 20-hour weeks in bottle shops and did about 20 hours of uni, so the extra money really helped me live a little and cover costs. I absolutely know if I ever needed it, I could ask my folks for money, or even my siblings, which is fantastic. But I dont need to and like the feeling of being responsible and mature. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. I get some minor dividends on my investments that I reinvest. My interest is pretty good right now  Im getting about $110 a month. Day 1

8:15am  I wake up in Sydney as Im here visiting my partner and I have the day off (its a public holiday back in the ACT). I laze in bed and check my emails. I see I have a $20 voucher for the new MILKRUN app (bought out by Woolies) which they dont have back in the Bush Capital. My partner is working long hours at the moment and has no groceries and I want some for the week ahead. Oh, and as youll come to learn about me, I love a bargain. Loading 8:47am  I buy us $33.10 worth of groceries ($13.10 after the voucher), including a bunch of vegies I can take home for the week and bacon for breakfast which we can cook with eggs and bread we bought at the farmers market on the weekend. Full list: bacon, milk, two tins of tomatoes, spaghetti, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, capsicum, cauliflower, sweet potato and two mandarins. $13.10 10:00am  I head to my sister-in-laws place for a belated birthday massage (shes a massage therapist). We catch up because it has been ages. 11:30am  Afterwards, we head to the cafe around the corner and I buy her a tea and myself a coffee ($10.50). We talk about her plans for going to Dark Mofo. $10.50

12:35pm  I head to my favourite Sydney op-shop and have a poke around but dont end up buying anything. I head to the bookshop close by where I buy The Saturday Paper ($4.80). I head back to the boys house and lie around in his loungeroom reading the paper while he works. We sadly dont get to hang out much as he has a huge workday. Then, before I know it, I have to head back to Canberra at 4:40pm. $4.80 6:00pm  I stop and buy an ice cream and snacks! Its unusual for me, but Ive been stuck in a traffic jam and Im grumpy. $10.50 7:55pm  I crawl into Canberra with five litres left in the tank. I fill up at my local before heading home. $73.46 8:20pm  At least I have leftover lamb curry! Its all I could think about while driving home. Its frozen so I reheat it and read the paper before getting an early night. Daily Total: $101.86

Day 2 6:00am  Wake up to the alarm, have a shower, read The Guardian and The New York Times on my couch while drinking black coffee. Oh, how bohemian. Then I get ready for work. 8:20am  Eat toast for breakfast before walking to work, On the way, I stop and get a soy flat white ($0 with a loyalty card, hooray for freebies!). 12:37pm  Work away until lunch. Ive brought my own lunch from home (vegetable soup). 2:09pm  Time for an arvo pick-me-up. My boss and I walk to the nice cafe around the corner and I buy us a coffee ($11). Hell get me back later  this is part of our weekly tradition. I catch up on the goss, and its well worth it. $11

3:40pm  Leave work a bit early to head to the dentist for my post-wisdom teeth check-up. Its been two weeks since the operation and its flared up a bit these last few days. He says its not healing great, so I walk out with a huge script to fill. 5:02pm  Fill the script, which includes two types of antibiotics, a probiotic and Panadeine Forte. Eep. $91.10 5:48pm  Head home and heat up some batch leftovers from the freezer (bolognese) and watch MasterChef. Then I take all of my new prescription drugs, read and go to bed at about 10pm. Daily Total: $102.10 Day 3

6:10am  Let my alarm go off for ten minutes before eventually pulling myself out of bed and into the shower. I scroll through the news while I make myself a black coffee and get dressed. 8:41am  Eat toast for breakfast before getting the tram to work ($3.22, prepaid). As usual, I stop and get a soy flat white ($5.30). $5.30 10:52am  Im feeling a bit queasy from all the antibiotics, so I feel like I need to eat more food. I head downstairs to the cafe in my building and buy a piece of banana bread ($7). Luckily, the feeling subsides after eating, and I get back to work. $7 1:42pm  Brought my own lunch from home. Its soup  again! Im working my way through all my frozen batch meals. I eat it at my desk because Ive got a busy day of meetings. 4:59pm  Having left the office a little early, I stop at the convenience store to buy some oat milk ($3.73) so I can make porridge for breakfast. Its been getting really cold in Canberra, and this is such a nice way to start the morning. $3.73

5:04pm  I walk to the tram stop and top up my card with $20 before tapping on and going three stops to head home ($3.22, prepaid). $20 Loading 5:48pm  I heat up some more batch leftovers from the freezer (bolognese again) and watch MasterChef before reading and going to bed. Im a bit of a routine creature and during the early part of my work week, I love my introverted nights. My work requires a lot of stakeholder engagement and negotiations, so Im pretty much a hermit during the week in order to recover. And cold Canberra is great for that too! I am also a seller on Depop. This year, I expect to make $5000. Last financial year, I made $20,000 off the back of lockdown. But this years been harder and I dont need the money as badly, so Im slowly trying to get rid of all my stock and get my time back. I get two notifications for sales  a bag (+$18.45) and a skirt (+$22.50). Rent also comes out today ($1000) and monthly payment for a time-management app I use ($30.82)  both covered under my monthly expenses. Daily Total: $36.03

Day 4 8:32am  I snooze my alarm from 6am. Eventually, I get up and into the shower. 9:07am  I work from home on Thursdays and Fridays so I make coffee at home today (black). I also make some porridge with frozen raspberries for sweetness. 12:33pm  During my lunch break, I pack my two Depop packages ready for drop off on Saturday. I also make a fried egg focaccia sandwich for lunch. 5:16pm  After work, I go to the gym downstairs and do a weight workout. I listen to the latest Imperfects podcast and take it easy because my face is still healing.

6:55pm  I head to the shops. I go to BWS to buy an alcohol-free wine to drink at a friends dinner tomorrow night ($15). Im still trying to find a good one and havent had any luck. $15 7:12pm  Off to Woolies to buy groceries. Tomorrow night, Im making some Mexican tacos for a group of about eight. I also need to pick up some other things, including canned chipotle, two soy milk cartons, floor cleaner, olive oil, tomato relish, tortillas, pork sausages, beef mince, coriander, Turkish bread, and a mop. $59.91 7:35pm  Recently Ive been buying lots of end-of-day discount meats from Woolies and freezing them, which is absolutely not glamorous but as I mentioned earlier, I am a sucker for a bargain. So tonight, I pull out a piece of salmon and make a delish salmon filet with mashed potato and peas for dinner while  you guessed it  I watch MasterChef. From memory, it was about $3 for four filets. I pour a glass of that wine, and as expected, its not great, but not terrible. 10:00pm  Sleep time! Daily Total: $74.91
The law firm behind the class action lawsuit which recovered $1.8 billion for victims of the federal governments robo-debt scheme says there is good legal grounds for the most serious victims to receive further compensation.

Commissioner Catherine Holmes said elements of the little-known tort of misfeasance, which relates to misconduct or dishonesty by a public official, appear to exist in the scheme, a finding Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said could open up the prospect of victims suing ministers who presided over the illegal welfare crackdown.

Bill Shorten (left) and Peter Gordon (right) at the 2019 launch of the class action against the then-government on behalf of robo-debt victims. Credit: Justin McManus

Peter Gordon, senior partner at Gordon Legal, confirmed the firm was closely examining the royal commission findings and would decide on whether to pursue further legal action on behalf of its clients in the next couple of weeks.

Misconduct is set out in the report across a broad range of people, he told the ABCs Afternoon Briefing program this afternoon. Sadly, it includes people in the cabinet but also some of the most senior public servants in the country.

In June 2021, the Commonwealth agreed to pay more than $1.8 billion in benefits to robo-debt victims in a settlement reached on the scheduled first day of trial. The settlement included $112 million in compensation, the repayment of $751 million in debts collected through the scheme, and an agreement to drop around $1 billion in partially or unpaid debts.
Sydneys councils hope an independent review of the funding model for local governments will come up with a simpler scheme that ensures they are more financially sustainable in the long term.

However, the NSW Greens warn the probe risks becoming the latest in a series of attacks they say Labor has launched on local councils since winning government.

Many NSW councils have struggled to rebound from drought, floods and years of pandemic restrictions. Credit: Brook Mitchell

Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig last week promised the state government would commission an independent investigation of the financial model for the states 128 councils, following a push from the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal in response to surging rates.

Councils have voiced their concerns about state government cost-shifting, and budgetary pressures exacerbated by years of floods, bushfires, high inflation, wage hikes and pandemic restrictions.
Indigenous leader Noel Pearson has called on his fellow Queenslanders to support the Yes case being put before them, noting the precedent of Eddie Mabo creating history from the state.

In a speech to the Queensland Media Club after the federal government last month passed legislation authorising a referendum, Pearson argued 80 per cent of Indigenous Australians supported the Voice and white Australians should support them.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson called on Queenslanders to remember the spirt for change that Queenslander Eddie Mabo encouraged. Mabos grandson was in the room to listen. Credit: Tony Moore

Pearson, a lawyer who founded the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, told a lunch in Brisbane whitefellas have got to take responsibility for this.

It is your Constitution, this is your nation, and it is your childrens future that depends on this: to get it right, Pearson said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering delaying a highly anticipated trip to Beijing until next year as the government prepares the crucial appointment of a new ambassador to China.

Turning down an invitation to meet Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in Beijing this year would be regarded as a snub by Australias largest trading partner, but there is growing concern among officials in Canberra that the conditions may not be right for such a visit in coming months.

Australias outgoing ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher, outside a Beijing court for the trial last year of jailed Australian journalist Cheng Lei. Credit: Fairfax Media

Foreign Affairs Department representatives last week sounded out business leaders with close ties to China about the possibility Albanese would not travel to Beijing this year, as had been widely expected.

Strategising about the visit comes with Graham Fletchers fraught four-year term as Australias top representative in Beijing due to end in August.
Unfortunately, because the recommendations are sealed, were now engaging in speculation, said Geoffrey Watson, SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity who was counsel assisting a series of high-profile NSW corruption inquiries. Geoffrey Watson from the Centre for Public Integrity says it is a pity the recommendations for criminal and civil prosecution have been sealed from public view. Credit: Rob Homer Abuse of public office involves a Commonwealth public official exercising influence or engaging in conduct in their official capacity with the intention of dishonestly obtaining a benefit for themselves or a third party or dishonestly causing a detriment to another person. The meaning of benefit and detriment in those provisions is very wide, and certainly not limited to financial benefits and detriments, Watson said. The Commonwealth Criminal Code states explicitly that a benefit includes any advantage and is not limited to property. This could include political or employment-related benefits.

The Commonwealth statutory offence is designed to cover the same territory as the common law state offences of misconduct in public office, and will probably operate in a more or less identical fashion, Watson said. Former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald were convicted of the state-based offence, he said. Gordon Legal senior partner Peter Gordon acted for robo-debt victims in a successful $1.8 billion class action settled in June 2021. Under the settlement, the Commonwealth agreed to pay $112 million in compensation to about 400,000 class group members, including legal costs. Gordon said there were grounds for examining whether the offence of abuse of public office applied, noting there would be questions about whether there was the requisite criminal intent.

I dont think theres much doubt that the Criminal Code ... would cover politicians as well as senior public servants, Gordon said. He said that in this case clearly there was detriment not just to a person, but to hundreds of thousands of persons. That detriment is at the very least withholding their money or taking their money ... even if it was returned, he said. In tens of thousands of cases, it caused other forms of loss. He said there appeared to be a reasonable case to be made that a political benefit also flowed from the robo-debt scheme, including being able to point to the significant amounts of money recovered as evidence of strong economic management. A potential promotion for a public servant might also be legally capable of being construed as a personal benefit, Gordon said. Separately, the Royal Commission Act makes it an offence to intentionally give evidence that the person knows to be false or misleading.

Secrecy condemned Watson said that in an otherwise superbly conducted royal commission, I think its regrettable that the recommendations for further action were sealed. The royal commission was conducted in public; the personalities involved are publicly known. Without knowing what the recommendations are, or to whom they were made, we will have no way of knowing if the body to whom the referrals were made have done their job, Watson said. National Anti-Corruption Commission The sealed section of the report was submitted to the newly created National Anti-Corruption Commission, which started operations on July 1.

This raises the prospect that the NACC will consider whether any of the conduct identified in the report amounts to corruption, which might also involve the commission of a criminal offence. Law Society of the ACT The referral of the sealed section to the Law Society of the ACT suggests the royal commission may have recommended the professional body consider whether disciplinary action should be taken against any solicitor as a result of its findings. The commission noted the professional independence of in-house lawyers at the Department of Human Services and the Department of Social Services was compromised in relation to the scheme and lawyers involved in providing advice did not uniformly display a professional ethos. Bill Shorten, in opposition in 2019, with Peter Gordon of Gordon Legal. Credit: Justin McManus

Additional civil redress Gordon said his firm was exploring new areas of redress for members of the robo-debt class action, as a result of evidence that had come to light during the royal commission. Loading We were never given access to some critical evidence which demonstrates dishonesty and misconduct on anything like the scale which has been revealed by this royal commission, he said. If we had been given access to that evidence, then many other areas of redress would have been open to this class, including damages for their pain and their distress and also punitive damages. That may have sounded in hundreds of millions of dollars.
Buildings in Victoria are generally designed to withstand a one-in-100-year rainstorm, but Kirkwood said many of the buildings he investigated flooded catastrophically in a once-in-one-year event. Kirkwood saw roofs every single day, over and over again approved by VBA inspectors who did not get on the roof to check workmanship. Kirkwood said the result was homes full of mould that cant be tenanted out, that people are really in financial distress over. Its just unacceptable that the regulator allows this to happen. Former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu was part of the Andrews governments cladding taskforce. The former architect has strong views on issues in building regulation. Credit: Simon Schluter The failure to physically inspect roofs was among a litany of new complaints to The Age and Today about the VBA. Victims of faulty builds and construction industry experts said the authoritys failure to properly police the industry encouraged rogues to thrive. In May, The Age and 60 Minutes revealed VBA inspectors were completing hundreds of virtual plumbing audits each year rather than physically attending construction sites.

These inspections by iPhone  done in a bid to hit housing inspection targets set by the state government  raised questions about whether they breached the states Building Act. The VBAs then chief executive, Sue Eddy, resigned two days after the stories were published. Loading Her replacement is Anna Cronin, the Andrews governments former commissioner for better regulation, who from 2020 led a review of Victorias building system. Cronin started work at the VBA last Monday and declined to be interviewed for this story. Former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu, once an architect, said inspectors who did not get onto roofs would not find faults and consumers would lose out. If you dont go yourself where the tradies go, you are going to lose. You cant pick a plumbing fault with a drone. I understand why this is being done  there is a shortage of inspectors, and they want to speed up the process.

The Andrews government commissioned Baillieu in 2017 to co-chair a taskforce with former Labor deputy premier John Thwaites investigating flammable cladding on apartments. Loading Baillieu has since taken a wider interest in Victorias building regulation problems and said reform was needed. The Victorian Building Authority needs to be overhauled, he said, also adding that wider cultural change and education were needed in the industry. We need accountability. Theres an acute shortage of inspectors. Theres an acute shortage of building surveyors. Even those with years of development experience can be hit by roof faults leading to catastrophic leaks. Chay Ryan is a developer behind a group of apartments in south-east Melbourne where roof leaks have badly affected one part of the project.

Ryan said the VBA inspected the leaks nine months ago but took no action to direct the builder to address any problems since then. He said chasing the builder through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal had been prohibitively expensive. Darren Manolis-Cox, whose inner Melbourne apartment was left half-built by the unregistered builder he and his partner unwittingly hired to do their renovations. Credit: Wayne Taylor The process, its fundamentally flawed and broken, he said. Also frustrated is Darren Manolis-Cox, who with his partner last year hired a builder to renovate their inner Melbourne apartment.

The construction company has an inner-suburbs showroom promoting its dream kitchens, bathrooms and homes. Loading After work had started, Manolis-Cox discovered the builder was not registered  although there was a registered builder with an almost identical name. Work stopped after Manolis-Cox and his partner asked the builder for evidence he was registered. Weve spent over $120,000 to date, and you can see what weve weve got for that, he said, pointing to building errors needing rectification in the partially built apartment. An authority spokesman said it could not comment as the complaint was under investigation. After The Age and Today made inquiries about the VBAs investigation, however, the authoritys staff rang Manolis-Cox and appeared to fast-track their work last week.
Brussels: Australian farmers are urging Trade Minister Don Farrell to walk away from negotiations with the EU if the bloc offers a deal akin to the one signed with New Zealand in Brussels overnight.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins inked the agreement in a ceremony alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday (local time).

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: AP

New Zealand says the deal will eventually allow its producers tariff-free access for 97 per cent of goods.

But the EU retained the use of quotas for some Kiwi dairy products, beef and sheep meat, ethanol and sweetcorn.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at last years NATO summit. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen It was, said the statement, the second time Australia had been invited to a NATO summit as one of four Indo-Pacific partners. The other members of the so-called IP4 are Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. This Atlantic-Pacific embrace is becoming routine. A direct quote from Albanese was attached: Australias presence at this forum is firmly in our national interest as we work together towards a peaceful and stable world. And Keating must have noted media reports that Australia and NATO were about to unveil an upgraded partnership in Vilnius. It was on Sunday afternoon that Keating pressed send on his malediction, as the prime minister was winging towards Europe.

Keating unleashed a tirade against Stoltenberg, against NATO, against the US, against Europe and against three centuries of European history, for good measure. Keatings curses seem disproportionate to events. The Liberals home affairs spokesman, James Paterson, called his statement an unhinged spray. But Keating reacted so strongly for two understandable reasons. One, he has identified a profound change in global strategy. The autocratic partnership between China and Russia is a threat to democracy everywhere, and democracies have realised that they need to confront it everywhere. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised Paul Keatings attack on NATO and its leader Jens Stoltenberg. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen and Supplied Lines on maps do not contain the threat. For example, Richard Marles explains why Ukraines fight is Australias fight: Theres a degree to which they are doing it for us. From an Australian point of view, this is about the sanctity of the rules-based order  Russias flagrant disregard for it cannot be allowed to stand.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last year put it pithily: Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow. And his chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday that the Japanese leaders decision to join the NATO summit shows that security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe is inseparable. This concept increasingly is accepted as the new orthodoxy in Europe. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last month said: We must defend the rules-based order wherever it is challenged, and we must stand up for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is the convention that Beijing trampled in asserting its unlawful claim to ownership of South China Sea maritime territories also claimed by its neighbours. In 2019, the European Union made headlines when it defined China as a systemic rival promoting an alternative vision of the world order. And NATO last year crossed a threshold by publishing a strategy that said, the Peoples Republic of Chinas stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values.

Loading This year, the EUs de facto foreign affairs minister, Josep Borrell, said: Yes, in Europe we have a war in our borders, but the epicentre  the core of the global competition  is in the Indo-Pacific; its here. As Keating noted, Stoltenberg in February said that war in Ukraine has made clear the danger of over-reliance on authoritarian regimes and that we should not make the same mistakes with China. The number of NATO nations deploying some naval assets to the Indo-Pacific continues to grow. Patrols by Britain, France and Germany are about to be joined by Canadian vessels. NATO, in other words, is giving concrete expression to a new conceptualisation of its security as indivisible from that of the Indo-Pacific. And, two, Paul Keating is incensed by it. In the 1990s he was captivated by the vision that China inevitably must rise to assume mastery of the Asia-Pacific and force the US out of the western Pacific. He has predicted it, advocated it, cheered it for decades.

Loading This explains his frantic attacks on the US and Australia and now on Europe in general and NATO in particular. The Europeans have been fighting each other for the better part of three hundred years, wrote Keating on Sunday, and exporting that malicious poison to Asia would be akin to Asia welcoming the plague upon itself. He contrasted these fratricidal Euro-berserkers with a romantic fiction of China which, he said, has no record of attacking other states. Keating may have understandable reasons for his reactions to world affairs, but that does not give him license to make up his own version of history. Postwar Europe has been an exemplar of peace. It bears no resemblance to the Europe of centuries past. As for a China that has no record of attacking other states, Keating is spouting Chinese Communist Party propaganda which also happens to be false. Two words and two dates for starters, Paul  Vietnam, 1979 and India, 1962. Keating reliably defends the Chinese Communist Party over the Australian Labor Party, but at the very least youd think hed try to stick broadly with the facts.
Latest News Five more SMSF auditors disqualified Three others were imposed with additional conditions

Mortgage Choice works hard to increase female broker numbers Women make up 35% of brokers but more to be done

The FBAA has criticised the Commonwealth Bank's decision to extend clawbacks to 24 months amid mounting concerns about how the changes to the bank's clawback policy could negatively impact brokers.

The comments arrive just when the FBAA has celebrated its 30-year anniversary, with FBAA managing director Peter White AM (pictured above left) saying that industry advocacy is more important now than ever.

Speaking to Australian Brokers sister publication MPA, a CBA spokesperson confirmed the clawback changes that will come into effect from October 1.

While the first-year clawback for new applications will remain unchanged, brokers will still receive 50% of the upfront commission in the first year, with the remaining 50% distributed monthly over the second year in a gradual straight-line approach.

The clawback percentage will decrease every month until month 24. The CBA spokesperson confirmed that the changes were implemented based on feedback from brokers and aggregator partners.

White said he did not know of any broker who would advocate for 24-month clawback terms.

What I do know, is that when the major banks change their policies, it is almost always to increase their own profits, and I suspect this is no different, White said.

My position on clawbacks has not changed. I believe they should be eliminated where the broker is acting in the best interests of the borrower. At worst they should be capped at 12 months. Therefore, despite the attempted spin around the announcement from the CBA, it is unacceptable to extend clawbacks to 24 months.

With the market becoming increasingly competitive, borrowers and brokers now have many more lending options.

There are over 110 home loan companies in Australia, according to Rate City, with mortgage brokers holding almost 70% of the residential loan market share.

White said the reason brokers arranged the overwhelming majority of home loans in Australia was because brokers could offer customers a wide range of options and act in their best interests at all times.

There are many lenders that are highly competitive and are introducing products that are great for borrowers, while also valuing the broking channel, White said.

A call for advocacy and engagement

The FBAA hit the 11,000 member mark by the end of the 2022-23 financial year, marking its 30-year anniversary.

As of June 30, the association has 11,044 members, experiencing a net growth of 951 compared to the previous year. Customer-facing brokers make up nearly 93% of the membership.

White said the association had come a long way in 30 years and revealed that independent research showed that the FBAA now represented around 68% of all Australian credit representatives who were customer-facing brokers.

I am immensely proud of our record of advocacy over the past three decades and of the gains that finance brokers have achieved through the work of the FBAA, White said. Weve had wonderful directors, managers, staff, sponsors and supporters who have demonstrated that they are prepared to go above and beyond to ensure that our industry thrives.

Emmanuel Marios (pictured above right), director of Hobart-based mortgage brokerage Derwent Finance, said he backed industry bodies that advocated and supported the industry and urged brokers to engage as much as possible.

It's so amazing having these industry bodies that provide value to us brokers and its great for us to be able to contact them directly and they will actually respond back instead of getting some sort of generic email, Marios said.

For example, you can message Peter White on LinkedIn and I assure you will get a response back from him.

Marios urged brokers to contact their association if they had industry issues, from channel conflict to clawbacks.

We can sit there and whinge about it but something I've learned that, especially in this industry, whingeing doesn't get you anywhere in life at times, Marios said.

Despite the progress, White said that the FBAA would not stop its trajectory of growth.

There is still much to do and achieve and there always will be, White said. The industry is growing, technology is advancing, banking is changing, and we must ensure that brokers continue to evolve and succeed. Our promise to members is that we will always stand beside you and work for you.

What do you think about the FBAAs advocacy? Comment below.
Newly Updated Fitbit Charge 5 smartwatches might not work as intended.

Fitbit customers have recently raised the alarm about the latest update's negative and fatal effects on their Fitbit Charge 5.

The Fitbit Charge 5 helps people m keep in shape and maintain their good health by tracking the wearer's sleep, heart rate, and sleep - even the quality of their sleep.

Fitbit Charge 5 v194.61 Update Issue Details

Fitbit's v194.61 update for its Charge 5 smartwatch is quite a hefty one. According to Fitbit's changelog, the update made all exercise modes available in the Exercise app, with it putting the most recent ones users opened at the top.

It also provides new clock faces for users to enjoy in the Fitbit app's Gallery and a premium-only feature that lets users view their readiness score on the watch's tracker. Last but not least, v194.61 comes with language support for Arabic, Hebrew, Thai, Hindi, and Vietnamese, along with bug fixes and improvements, enhancing the smartwatch's accessibility and overall performance.

However, Fitbit's update did more than what the changelog said it would. According to Android Authority, Fitbit customers have published multiple reports on the Fitbit Forums stating that their Fitbit Charge 5 became unresponsive after they installed the smartwatch's latest update, essentially bricking them and making them unusable.

Other users mentioned that their Fitbit Charge 5 smartwatch drained their battery excessively, eventually leading to a black screen. Regardless, all issues seem to be connected to users updating their Charge 5 smartwatch with Fitbit's v194.61 update, and therein lies the problem.

Read More: HoYoverse Launches HoYo FEST 2023 - Here's What You Need To Know

There doesn't seem to be any way to stop Charge 5 smartwatches from auto-updating, meaning that unaffected users will eventually suffer the same problem others experienced. Whether Fitbit had paused the update's rollout is still unknown, as new Charge 5 bricking reports are still coming as of press time.

The only solution Fitbit presented so far for customers is buying a new Charge 5 from its store to replace their defective smartwatch if it is still under warranty. Charge 5 users who intend to take Fitbit's advice need not worry about shelling out money. The company's customer support said that Fitbit is allegedly offering a 35% discount code so people can replace their Charge 5 with a new device from their store.

Whether Fitbit and/or Google, Fitbit's parent company, is working on a solution that would fix the problem is still up for debate - the company has yet to address the situation officially.

Fitbit Charge 5 Features, Uses

Fitbit's Charge 5 smartwatch is Google's "most advanced health and fitness tracker" that helps its user track their fitness, stress, heart health, sleep, and overall well-being.

The smartwatch is capable of providing a score based on users' fitness fatigue, heart rate variability, and recent sleep. Users will also get an analysis of what impacted their score, and suggestions like a recommended target Active Zone Minutes goal, along with Premium content to help them make the best decisions for their body.

The smartwatch can also gauge how ready users are to face their daily challenges through the Stress Management Score found in the Fitbit app. A Premium user can get access to more than 300 meditation and mindfulness sessions from brands and experts to help them manage their stress.

Related Article: Gifts Ideas To Give Your (Techy) Mom on Mother's Day 2023
International audit students thank Xi for letter

14:38, July 10, 2023 By MO JINGXI in Beijing and CANG WEI in Nanjing ( Chinadaily.com.cn

File photo of Nanjing Audit University [Photo/nau.edu.cn]

Letter: Xi encourages students to step up exchanges

For Seabelo Tumpane, who is about to return to her hometown in Botswana after obtaining a master's degree from a university in Jiangsu province, a letter from President Xi Jinping is the best thing to have happened to commemorate the two years she has spent in China.

In a recent letter replying to Tumpane and 36 other international students pursuing master's degrees in auditing at Nanjing Audit University, Xi encouraged them to use auditing as a window to better understand China and make contributions to deepen the friendship and cooperation between China and their own countries.

"We really appreciated that. Thank you, President Xi," Tumpane said.

Tumpane worked as an external auditor for the Supreme Audit Institution in Botswana before coming to China in 2021 for the international master's program in auditing.

Launched in 2016, the program has since provided training to more than 280 people working for auditing agencies in 76 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Graduates from the program have since returned to their countries and continued to engage in auditing.

"The first thing that I learned in China was the use of technology (in auditing). I found technology here very advanced, and I feel that our countries can also adopt the technologies that China uses," Tumpane said.

The idea of writing a letter to the Chinese president came up after the international students visited Lan-kao county in Henan province in April.

During the trip, the students got to see how China's progress in auditing has helped in poverty alleviation. In the once-impoverished county, they learned how the Communist Party of China has led people to combat poverty and boost local development.

The students, from 18 countries, told Xi in their letter that they would keep in mind their experiences in China, cherish their emotional connections with China forever, and strive to act as ambassadors in enhancing friendship between China and their own countries.

In the reply letter, Xi expressed the hope that the students would step up exchanges and mutual learning with their Chinese counterparts.

He also said that China has established a socialist auditing system with Chinese characteristics after years of exploration, and a centralized, comprehensive and efficient auditing supervision system has been formed.

Sunday Francisco Moloseni, from Malawi, got admitted to the program in September. "I was greatly motivated by Xi's reply letter," he said, adding that he wishes to take home to Malawi the excellent experience of Chinese auditing.

Moloseni said he was impressed by how China is utilizing big data in auditing, which is still a new area in his country. "With the help of big data technologies, auditors can save a lot of time by quickly identifying possible problems," he said.

Bubacarr M. Jallow said he learned a lot about Chinese culture, people, food and everything else about the country after coming to China in December from Gambia.

"It (the reply) was great news. We were not expecting it to come so soon. We are very appreciative of it because this is one of a kind. I believe we will use this opportunity to take back home what we have learned here and then share it with our people," he said.

Tumpane said she enjoys talking to the Chinese people, who are always very accommodating, and she expects relations between her country and China to grow further through people-to-people exchanges.

Yao Jinxiang, an assistant researcher at the China Institute of International Studies' Institute of Developing Countries, said, "A severe shortage of skilled personnel is the most pressing issue faced by developing countries in their current industrialization and modernization efforts."

Therefore, a key aspect of China's cooperation with other developing countries is to help them cultivate technical talent, he said.

Yao said that such cooperation is part of China's efforts to implement the Global Development Initiative, which aims to solve the pressing problems that developing countries face in areas such as poverty alleviation, green development and the digital economy.

In the long run, the experience in China will also enable the technical experts or officials from foreign countries to understand China through their own eyes instead of through Western propaganda against China, Yao added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The action series "Moving" will be released on Aug. 9. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea



By Lee Gyu-lee



Disney+ shared the lineup of its upcoming Korean originals for the second half of this year, including the star-studded action series "Moving" and K-pop juggernaut BTS' music documentary, "BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star."





Disney+ new music documentary, "BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star," will premiere this year. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

"As audiences around the world continue to be drawn to stories from Korea, we believe our curated selection of originals in the second half of the year will captivate viewers at home and abroad," Kim So-youn, managing director of The Walt Disney Company Korea, said in a press release, Monday.



"We look forward to working with Korea's creative community and leading production houses to spotlight storytelling excellence from Korea on Disney+."



Based on the popular webcomics of the same name by Kang Full, "Moving," starring Zo In-sung, Han Hyo-joo, and Ryu Seung-ryong, follows a group of teenagers with supernatural powers. Along with their parents, who have been keeping a painful secret, they fight against dark forces and a mysterious assassin.



The series, set to debut on Aug. 9, is led by director Park In-je, who helmed the second season of Netflix's hit series "Kingdom."



The streaming platform will also roll out three more action series  "The Worst of Evil," "Vigilante," and "Han River Police."



Set in the 1990s in Seoul, "The Worst of Evil" revolves around a police officer named Park Joon-mo (Ji Chang-wook) who goes undercover to bring down the source of a new drug that has been circulating around the city's nightclubs. Wi Ha-jun will play the role of the new boss of the gang behind the drug.



This will be a series debut for filmmaker Han Dong-wook, whose previous work includes the romance film, "Man in Love."





A scene from the Disney+ original series, "The Worst of Evil" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea


Authorities plan to strengthen independent stock research firms



By Anna J. Park



Only a fraction of stock analysis reports published by Korean securities companies advise investors to take a "sell" position, while the overwhelming majority of them offer "buy" recommendations.



According to data revealed by Rep. Kang Byung-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, out of 4,344 stock analysis reports published by 32 local securities firms from July 2021 to June 2022, only three  or 0.07 percent  contained sell recommendations. In contrast, 92.2 percent of the reports had buy ratings, while another 7.8 percent of the reports recommended hold.



The lopsided proportion of buy positions was in stark contrast to the actual bearish market sentiment during the surveyed period. The benchmark KOSPI index fell by nearly 30 percent and the tech-heavy Kosdaq index declined by about 28 percent as investors took profits after a bull market in 2020.



The skewed pattern has not changed at all this year.



According to Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) data, the proportion of sell ratings accounted for only 0.1 percent of stock analyst reports published by over 30 local brokerages at the end of the first quarter. Buy reports accounted for 93.7 percent, while the proportion of hold recommendations stood at only 6.2 percent.



Global financial firms, in contrast, display a lot more leeway in publishing diverse ratings.



On average, sell reports constitute about 13.5 percent of global financial firms' stock reports. Buy recommendations account for about 55 percent, while hold ratings take up 32 percent.



Against this backdrop, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) called on local securities companies earlier this month to overhaul their research departments to make improvements in stock recommendation practices, pointing out the skewed proportion of buy positions in their stock analysis reports.



One of the reasons that prompted the state-run watchdog to call for the changes was a high-profile stock manipulation case involving eight issues whose share prices tanked in April. Out of the eight stocks that plunged that month, four of them received "buy" recommendations, with analysts failing to perceive the excessive discrepancy between the companies' stock prices and their corporate valuations.



"While Korea's capital market has grown much (over the decades), the FSS views that the current practices of stock research papers should stop if the country aims to develop further into a truly advanced market," Hahm Yong-il, senior deputy governor at the FSS, stressed.



As a way to improve the skewed ratings of stock analysis reports, the FSS said it is mulling over the issuance of licenses to firms that focus on conducting independent stock research so they can be recognized as financial investment firms.



"No definitive decisions have been made on such considerations. We will continue to consult with securities companies as well as other financial authorities to draw up more specific measures," an official from the FSS told The Korea Times.



Structural setbacks borne by local stock analysts



However, there are doubts as to whether the chronic problem could be solved even if the presence of independent research firms is further promoted. Stock analysts say there are many factors resulting in the current stock research practices at local securities firms.



Analysts primarily blame a widespread perception among Korean retail investors who regard stock analysis reports as part of the public domain instead of the intellectual property of brokerages. In Korea, stock analysts' research papers are distributed freely to retail investors, in contrast to global investment firms that disclose stock analyst reports only to a small number of institutional investors.



"Stock recommendation reports are obviously intellectual property owned by securities companies. But the reports are freely and ubiquitously shared online, although it is illegal to share them with individuals who do not hold the property rights over the reports," a stock analyst told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. "Securities firms can sue them, but they opt not to do so, as legal fees outweigh the actual benefits of pursuing such legal suits," he added.



Stock reports can be widely read free of charge by almost every retail investor in the country, which generates another problem. Retail investors target analysts who recommend sell ratings on stocks they have invested in, due to fears of negative effects on the prices of shares they own. Some individual investors even file complaints against such analysts to financial authorities.



"It is a vicious cycle," another stock analyst, wishing to remain anonymous, said. "As reports of sell recommendations are rare, analysts who write such reports receive an extreme amount of market attention, drawing protests from retail investors. In addition, stock analysts who write negative views of some listed companies also face other forms of pressure."



He explained that stock analysts who write negative views of listed companies could be limited from accessing further information by firms that refuse to give out necessary information. Securities firms cannot remain independent from listed companies either. Securities firms have investment banking (IB) businesses, which handle mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and bond issuances. As a result, negative stock reports published by research departments of securities firms on a particular listed company can impair a securities firm's relationship with potential clients for its IB business.



"Consequently, analysts do not have any incentives to publish sell recommendations," the analyst said.



Regulatory improvements needed to address conflicts of interest



Such views are shared by NH Investment & Securities CEO Chung Young-chae.



"As many local companies fail to provide earnings guidance, it is very detrimental for analysts, who should maintain access to such information, to sour their relationships with companies by publishing negative views. Strong protests by retail investors are another factor that hamper analysts' sell recommendations," Chung told reporters earlier this month.



As a result, stock analysts hope financial authorities will focus on regulating the illegal distribution of research papers and monitoring the influence listed companies have on analysts if the authorities wish to improve the country's stock research practices.



Lee Hyo-seob, a senior research fellow at Korea Capital Market Institute (KCMI), ascribes the general lack of a long-short strategy in the local stock markets  seeking to take profits from both stock price gains and declines  to the scarcity of analysts' sell reports.



"From the perspective of economics, there's little demand for sell reports in Korean stock markets. Those who need stock analysts' sell reports the most would be hedge funds who use long-short strategies. As most institutional investors in Korea rely on long-only strategies, the demand for buy reports is much stronger than that for sell reports in the country," Lee explained.



"Another issue is the conflict of interest within local securities firms. Even if analysts write a sell report, it could hamper the brokerages' investment banking profits by losing potential clients. Thus, we need to systemically overhaul regulations to solve the issue of conflict of interest," the senior researcher added.



In the U.S., the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) jointly drew up rules in 2002 governing analysts and research reports to address problems, including conflict of interest.



For instance, the rule prohibits retaliation against analysts who write negative research reports on listed companies. The rule also required securities companies to disclose the proportion of buy recommendations among their entire reports. This regulation made securities firms increase the proportion of sell recommendations to raise the credibility of their stock reports.



Since adopting the rule, the percentage of buy reports drastically fell, while the proportion of sell reports also skyrocketed from the single to the double-digits. That demonstrated that appropriate systemic enhancements by supervisory authorities successfully brings about positive changes in research practices.


This file photo, taken Jan. 4, shows the U.S. U-2S reconnaissance aircraft flying over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. Yonhap



North Korea denounced on Monday a plan by the United States to send a strategic nuclear submarine to South Korea, warning it "may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice."



The U.S. had pledged to send a nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in the Washington Declaration issued by President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit in Washington in April to further enhance the "regular visibility" of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula.



"The deployment of the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine carrying nuclear warheads in the Korean peninsula means that the U.S. strategic nuclear weapons will appear in the peninsula for the first time since 1981," a spokesperson of the North's defense ministry said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



"This is a very dangerous situation as it will bring the regional military tension to a more critical state and may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice," the unnamed spokesperson said.



The spokesperson called the U.S. plan to send a strategic nuclear submarine to the peninsula "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail against" North Korea.



North Korea "should show in the clearest way how it will take counteraction, in order to prevent the U.S. from doing such reckless acts with ease," the spokesperson said.



Also, the spokesperson accused a U.S. spy aircraft of intruding in its airspace recently, threatening that there is no guarantee such aircraft will not be shot down.



"In particular, a strategic reconnaissance plane of the U.S. Air Force illegally intruded into the inviolable airspace of the DPRK over its East Sea tens of kilometers several times," the spokesperson said.



DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



"There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea," the spokesperson said.



The official cited past incidents when the North shot down U.S. aircraft, including an EC-121 reconnaissance aircraft in 1969 and a military helicopter in 1994.



Later in the day, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, also issued a statement alleging that a U.S. spy aircraft intruded in the North's eastern airspace twice at around 5 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., respectively, on Monday.

In a statement carried by the KCNA, she said the U.S. is "engaging in a serious military provocation by conducting aerial surveillance."



Kim Yo-jong added that the North will not respond directly to the U.S. reconnaissance activities outside of the country's exclusive economic zone, but warned that it will take "decisive action" if the U.S. military again crosses its maritime military demarcation line.



Meanwhile, South Korea's military rejected the North's claim of its airspace being violated as "not true" and described flights by U.S. aerial surveillance assets around the peninsula as part of regular surveillance activities.



"(We) sternly urge an immediate halt to acts that create tension through such false claims," Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun told reporters. (Yonhap)
The results of the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) for the year 2023 will be announced today by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Bhubaneswar and the Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) in Mumbai. The long-awaited NEST 2023 findings will be made public on Monday, July 10, at 12 p.m. Candidates who have taken the entrance exams can view their results by going to the official exam website, nestexam.in.

Result

Every year, the National Institute of Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences Mumbai hold a national-level exam for admission. The NEST Result 2023 will be available today and may be accessed by using the exam roll number. Stay tuned to this page for further information and updates on the NEST Score Card 2023

How to Check the NEST Result 2023?

Step 1: Navigate to www.nestexam.in, the official website.

Step 2: Candidates must go to the NISER and CEBS Result page.

Step 3: Enter the NEST 2023 roll number as well as the application number.

Step 4: Select the View Scorecard option.

Step 5: Open the NEST 2023 PDF file, download it, and save it.

Details Mentioned on the NEST Scorecard 2023

Name

Roll number

Application Number

Date of Birth

Photograph

Section-wise obtained marks

Total marks

Qualifying status

percentile scores

Merit rankings

Scorecard

Candidates must keep their NEST Result 2023 Scorecard. Candidates were needed to present the NEST Scorecard 2023 at the time of counselling. The candidate's name, marks, category, qualifying percentile rank and merit were all included in the NEST result 2023. Students must examine the information presented in the NEST 2023 result after receiving the scorecard. In the event of an issue, they should alert NEST management as soon as possible
Rajasthan Pre DElEd 2023 Exam Registration Begins Today

The registration process for the Rajasthan Pre DElEd Exam will begin on July 10, 2023. Candidates who want to register for the Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed test can do so by visiting the official website at panjiakpredeled.in.

Rajasthan Pre DLED exam registration will begin on July 10th and will come to an end on July 30th, 2023. Candidates with a Class 12 degree or its equivalent can apply for the Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed Exam 2023. Explain that candidates must have at least 50% in their 12th grade. Candidates must be at least 28 years old to apply for the exam.

For the Rajasthan Pre D.El.D Exam 2023, candidates must pay the cost for both papers 1 and paper 2. The application fee for Rajasthan Paper 1 is Rs 450, and if the candidate wishes to sit in both Papers 1 and 2, the application fee is Rs 500. Please make yourself informed that the application is only available online.

Steps to Apply for the Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2023 Exam:

Step 1: To apply for Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2023 exam candidates visit panjiakpredeled.in.

Step 2: Click on the link 'Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2023 Exam' appears on the page after the link is activated on the official website.

Step 3: Complete the registration process by entering your name, mobile number, email id, and other required details.

Step 4: Complete the registration process and upload the educational qualification and all required documents in the application form.

Step 5: Now, pay the application fee and submit the application form.

Step 6: Candidates take a print of the application form and make a PDF of it for future reference.

The Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2023 exam will be a total of 200 points. The exam will consist of multiple-choice questions. Let us add mention that there is a negative marking in the exam, with 1/4 of the candidate's score lost for each incorrect response. Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2023 exam dates are scheduled to be issued following the end of the application procedure.
North Korean defectors attend a bakery class at Hanawon, a government-run adjustment and education center for North Koreans, in Anseong, Gyeonggi province, Monday. Joint Press Corps



'If there was safe route to South Korea, everyone would come here,' escapee says



By Jung Min-ho



ANSEONG, Gyeonggi Province  As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted countries around the world to tighten their borders, the number of North Korean escapees arriving in South Korea plummeted from more than 1,000 a year to 63 in 2021 and has remained at that level since.



The number is expected to swell this year as the world, particularly China, emerges from the health crisis. According to three North Korean women who shared their stories on Monday, leaving China became imaginable only because it started easing draconian virus restrictions, which had largely kept them away from public places over the past three years.



Life was tough for everyone during the pandemic, but it was especially so for North Koreans living in China, where officials can deport them back to North Korea against their will. The women  who all arrived this year after living in China for years  said they had been living in constant fear without being able to go to a hospital or use public transportation there.



"If there was a safe route to South Korea, everyone would come here," one of the women said during a media event at Hanawon, a government-run adjustment and education center for North Korean escapees. "Many don't try because they do not know what will happen to them and not because they don't want to come here."



Another woman, who had lived in China for nearly 20 years until recently, said she knew her life was at stake when she decided to come to South Korea in search of freedom.



"I succeeded after risking my life, but many don't even try because of the danger (of being sent back)," she said.



For years, human rights activists have criticized China for deporting North Korean defectors, whom it treats as illegal migrants searching for economic opportunities instead of refugees.



Seoul has long asked Beijing to give such North Koreans the option of returning to the North or heading to the South. Despite South Korean diplomatic efforts, however, Beijing has maintained the policy, Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said.





Unification Minister Kwon Young-se speaks to reporters at Hanawon, a government-run adjustment and education center for North Koreans, at Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Joint Press Corps
Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, is the Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. She is one of the nations top health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans health and safety.

Dr. Cohen is an internal medicine physician and led the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, where she was lauded for her outstanding leadership during the COVID crisis, focusing on equity, data accountability, and transparent communication. She also transformed the North Carolina Medicaid program, through the states Medicaid expansion and her focus on whole person health with the launch of the countrys first statewide coordination platform, NCCARE360.

Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Cohen served as the Executive Vice President at Aledade and CEO of Aledade Care Solution, which helps independent primary care practices, health centers, and clinics deliver better care to their patients and thrive in value-based care.

Dr. Cohen previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and served as Acting Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. Dr. Cohen was involved in many aspects of the Affordable Care Act policy development and implementation, including the expansion of coverage, insurance protections, and new provider payment models.

In February 2019, Modern Healthcare named Dr. Cohen one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare. In September of 2020, Dr. Cohen was awarded the Leadership in Public Health Practice Award from Harvard Universitys T.H. Chan School of Public Health for her outstanding leadership through the COVID pandemic and Dr. Cohen was named Tar Heel of the Year for 2020. She has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Cohen received her bachelors degree from Cornell University, her Doctor of Medicine from the Yale School of Medicine, and her Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Cohen is married and has two daughters.
Na Soon-ja, second from left, who heads the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union, speaks during a media conference at the union's office in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Monday. Yonhap



Essential workers for ER, ICU and surgery to stay on



By Jun Ji-hye



The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU), comprised of nurses, caregivers and other healthcare workers, will go on an indefinite general strike beginning Thursday, calling on the government to hire more medical personnel and improve their working conditions, the union announced, Monday.



If the walkout takes place, it will mark the first general strike by the union in 19 years, after its members walked out in 2004 calling for a five-day workweek.



The planned strike will inevitably cause disruptions in the medical industry, considering that 85,000 members of the union work in a variety of medical fields across the country.



The representatives of the union said during a media conference that 92 percent of its members agreed with the need to stage a strike in a vote that was carried out from June 28 to last Friday. The turnout was 83 percent.



The union criticized the government for not delivering on a 2021 agreement, in which it promised to reduce the number of patients per nurse, expand public health services and infrastructure and improve the working conditions of healthcare workers.



The union  affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country's largest umbrella labor groups  renewed those requests in addition to the clarification of roles and duties of each profession and the expansion of support for hospitals that were designated to treat COVID-19 patients during the pandemic.



"If the government does not change its irresponsible attitude, we will push ahead with our strike beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday," Na Soon-ja, head of the union, said.





gettyimagesbank
A woman on W. Main Street Court told police a man and woman had been staying at her residence for approximately two weeks and she wanted them to leave. Because the man and other woman didnt have any proof of residency, they were instructed to leave. They had a large amount of personal items and agreed to return during day time hours on another date with police presence in order to retrieve the rest of their property.

* * *

Police responded to Walgreens at 110 N. Market St. where employees provided video footage of two black males shoplifting. They were approached by a Walgreens employee and asked if they were going to pay for the merchandise in their arms. They both proceeded to walk out the door laughing. Police are not familiar with the suspects. Attempts will be made to identify them.

* * *

While on patrol, an officer saw a man messing around with the window of Fisher Trucking LLC at 2704 E. 28th St. The man said he was an employee and that he was prepping it to be replaced. The officer was able to make speak with the business owner who confirmed the man's employment.

* * *

While on patrol, an officer encountered two females at Woolfson Eye Institute at 7320 Shallowford Road. The women, who were not associated with each other, were on private property trespassing. The officer informed both women of the signs posted and they left the area without incident.

* * *

A stolen gun was recovered by an officer at a traffic stop that took place at 921 Dayton Mountain Highway. The officer that conducted the stop was with the Rhea County Sheriffs office. The gun was placed into evidence.

* * *

An officer saw a Honda Accord on Jeffery Lane with an alarm going off. A woman exited the car and said it belonged to her. The officer ran the VIN and confirmed it was not stolen.

* * *

A woman in the driver seat of a green F150 parked in front of Fast Stop at 2285 Wilcox Blvd. was acting suspiciously. She told police she was just sitting in her vehicle and was not doing anything. She had a suspended drivers license and was transported to her residence. Her truck was approved to stay at the Fast Stop and a park and lock sheet was completed. The woman said she would return later to get the vehicle with her boyfriend.

* * *

An employee at Mapco at 4600 Highway 58 told police some people stole numerous packs of cigarettes and left the store. An officer was able to view video footage of the incident. A black female wearing a pink shirt and black bottoms was at the counter playing the lottery. A black female wearing a purple shirt and white hat came inside the store and was standing at the counter near the cigarettes and began filling out an application. Shortly after, an older black male wearing a black shirt, jeans, and with a white beard, entered the store and passed the woman in the purple shirt a bag as she continued to fill out an application. As the cashier continued to help customers, the woman and man began grabbing cigarettes and putting them into their bags. The woman then handed the cashier the application and left with the man.

* * *

A woman on S. Lyerly Street called police because her vehicle was missing. She thought it might have been repossessed because she was well behind in her payments. She had seen a black tow truck driving around the area. Police checked with dispatch for the tow logs and no reports had been made with this vehicle being recovered. Police think the vehicle may have been stolen.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, right and first lady Kim Keon Hee are about to board the plane to depart for Lithuania where the NATO summit will take place, at an airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, July 10. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for Lithuania on Monday for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on a six-day trip that will later take him to Poland for an official visit.



This will be Yoon's second time attending a NATO summit after the previous one held in Spain last year, demonstrating his commitment to building solidarity with like-minded nations to promote values, such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law.



The NATO gathering will be held in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing together leaders from the 31 member states and partner nations, such as South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Topics of discussion will include the war in Ukraine, cooperation between the military alliance and the Indo-Pacific region, and emerging security threats, according to the presidential office.



Yoon will hold at least 10 bilateral summits on the sidelines, including with the leaders of Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland and Hungary. He will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.



A highlight will likely be Yoon's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which will come in the wake of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's conclusion that the planned release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea meets international safety standards.



The report triggered a heated response in South Korea, with protesters opposing the discharge blocking the entryway of the Seoul airport through which International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi was due to arrive last Friday.



The presidential office has said Yoon will deliver the government's position to Kishida if the issue of the water discharge comes up during their meeting.



"If the Japanese side mentions it, (Yoon) will say what's necessary in keeping with the principle that we will place top priority on our people's health," a presidential official told reporters last week.



Yoon's attendance at the NATO summit will help strengthen cooperation with the alliance against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, and send a united message that North Korea's illegal acts will not be tolerated, according to Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo.









Moreover, South Korea and NATO will adopt documents for bilateral cooperation across 11 sectors, including nonproliferation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.





Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol, center, arrives for the NATO summit at the Ifema congress centre in Madrid, on June 30, 2022. AFP-Yonhap
My wife and I have a bird feeder in our front yard and enjoy watching the variety of cardinals, wrens, robins, chickadees, doves and other feathered folks enjoying their free nibbles. Ive noticed theyre very skittish  with eyes situated on the sides of their heads, when they notice movement in front, to the side or even behind them, theyre quick to flit away until the perceived peril is gone.

Weve also had owls take up residence in our back yard. While they prefer to stay out of sight, occasionally we get a glimpse of them. Even though their eyes are in front, weve observed them turning their heads nearly 360 degrees. (Makes my neck hurt just thinking about it.)

In contrast to the biological construction of members of the fowl family, we humans have our eyes located in the front of our faces and are anatomically restricted in how far we can turn our heads. As a result, we tend to be forward-looking  focusing on whats ahead of us. When driving, thats why rear-view and side-view mirrors are so helpful. We can remain facing ahead and watching where were going, while still keeping tabs on what may be alongside or behind us.

For the most part, thats as it should be. Dwelling on the past, especially painful times, can be self-destructive and hinder our growth as individuals. Theres something to be said about concentrating on where were going in life rather than agonizing over where weve been. However, there are times when a right perspective on the past can enhance our present and future.

It was American philosopher George Santayana who first declared, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Thats why its troublesome when some advocate revising history or even erasing it. Even with its flaws and tragedies, an accurate knowledge of history can help us avoid repetition of grievous errors and heinous sins.

But theres another reason for having a healthy appreciation of the past. Sometimes lifes present hardships and struggles can only be understood when viewed in reverse. Vernon Grounds, the late American theologian and educator, observed, Like the Chinese philosopher riding backwards on a donkey, we only understand life looking back.

Many times during my career as a writer and journalist, as well as being a husband, father and grandfather, things didnt make much sense while I was experiencing them. But through the lens of hindsight, I can see how those times proved beneficial for me and my loved ones.

As oft-quoted Romans 8:28 tells us, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Sometimes we wonder, Lord, how can You possibly use this for good? His response might be, Just wait and see.

In his devotional book Grace Notes, author Philip Yancey states, What is faith, after all, but believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse? When we first come to Christ in saving faith, we might take a leap that defies reason. But as we advance in our faith journey, hindsight  being able to remember what God has done in our lives  enables our faith to grow stronger.

Numerous times in the Old Testament the ancient Israelites, an amazingly forgetful lot, were admonished to remember what God had done: freeing them after 400 years of slavery in Egypt; parting the Red Sea so they could escape the pursuing Egyptian army; being provided water, manna and quail to feed and sustain them during their wanderings in the wilderness; receiving Gods laws designed for successful living, and many other things. Whenever they forgot that hindsight can be the best sight, they fell back into their sinful ways.

Perhaps this is one reason Ive come to embrace Proverbs 3:5-6 as my life verse. It says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Ive lost count of the times when I couldnt understand the circumstances I was going through. But meditating on this passage has reminded of the importance of knowing that through His power and sovereignty, God can straighten even the most crooked path.

I may not have the capacity for spinning my head around like an owl to check out whats behind me, but when I do pause to look back and ponder how the Lord has worked in my life, it gives me renewed hope and confidence in what the future holds.

* * *



Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.
In late May I was informed that the principal of East Ridge High School had directed all teachers to implement a strategy of no grade lower than 50 in October 2022. Teachers were directed to revise all first quarter grades to a minimum of 50. Students would also receive a minimum grade of 50 on all quarterly and semester grades for the 2022-23 school year, regardless of the actual grade earned.

Since that revelation I have met and discussed this issue with Superintendent Justin Robertson and central office staff. Dr. Robertsons official title is the director of schools. After our first meeting on June 12, 2023, I requested all documentation regarding his grading strategy. Dr. Robertson responded with the following email message,

We do not have a list of schools that implemented the grading strategy [the grade of 50]. This is a school level decision and there are other strategies that have also been implemented at schools.

I do not have the document that provided optional strategies to schools. I will see if a copy of that document can be located.

It was pointed out to me that the Class of 2023 was in the ninth grade during the 2019-2020 school year. However, this grade policy change also awarded grades of 50 for all students at East Ridge High School during the 2022-23 school year. The class of 2024 was in the 8th grade and the class of 2032 was in kindergarten during the COVID year. When will the excuse of COVID finally be over?

On June 23rd I received an email with the Grading Guidance Hamilton County Schools (HCS) document from October 2020. This document included six strategies which could be implemented during the 2020-21 school year.

The following options are presented as immediate strategies to address student failure rates, in the wake of school reopening after 10 weeks of school disruption last spring due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Each school is expected to implement one (1) or more of these strategies to address failing grades for the first quarter and over the course of the school year.

One of the options was the "Baseline of 59" for 2020-2021. The stragegy stated, "All gradebooks set the lowest grade possible to a 59 for all assignments. Give students the opportunity to submit an assignment to earn the baseline grade, rather than a zero."



This of course begs the question of how the strategy changed from Baseline of 59 to no grade lower than 50. Supt. Robertson claimed HCS policy gives the director of schools the authority to approve this grading policy option because it is an operational decision, not a policy decision because the policy was already in place for principals to select.



HCS Grading System Policy 4.601 states, The Director of Schools shall develop an administrative procedure to establish a system of grading and assessment for evaluating and recording student progress and to measure student performance in conjunction with board-adopted content standards.

In addition, HCS Policy 4.200 under Curriculum Development-Implementation states, The primary responsibility for the effective operation of the curriculum program and activities shall be delegated to the director of schools and/or his designee.

Assistant Supt. Sonia Stewart oversees community superintendents and K-12 learning.

Policy 4.601 also states, The grading/assessment system shall be uniform district-wide at comparable grade levels. The Director of Schools shall submit a copy of the grading, reporting, and assessment systems to the Board before the system is implemented. These approved guidelines shall be communicated annually to students and parents/guardians.

This connects to Tennessee Board of Education Policy (TN BOE) 2.103 Section VI Credit Recovery which states students must receive a grade of at least 50 to qualify for credit remediation by taking an online course. Edgenuity is the company which supplies the TN BOE with online courses for every subject taught in Tennessee high schools. The policy also states that students who mastered below 50% of the course standards ... must re-take the course.

Implementing a strategy of no grade lower than 50 rewards some students who make marginal, if any, attempts on course work, but nothing substantial to warrant even a grade of 50 as directed by TN BOE policy. What about the students who do their best and earn a grade of 50 over the course of a semester?

The HCS Board of Education and the TN BOE have established a standard of proof regarding assessment and grading. The Baseline of 59 and the no grade lower than 50 implements a different standard of proof for mastery of coursework. It damages grading integrity and lowers curriculum standards.

The Directors of Schools did not follow the districts policy under 4.601 which requires approval before the system is implemented. It is the school board, and only the school board, which is empowered to decide whether a significant change in grading guidelines is an operational decision or a policy decision.

Larry Grohn

Hamilton County School Board

District 8

* * *

I read Larry Grohn's piece entitled 'Hamilton County Schools Lowers Academic Standards Due To COVID 19'.

It could have stopped before 'Due To COVID 19'. The double-speak responses Mr. Grohn received from the school system's representatives leaves very little doubt that there is a tendency by our "educators" to sacrifice any semblance of educational integrity in favor of political expediency.

As was the case in virtually every governmental agency during 2020, the school system buckled under to the pressure created by the 'COVID hysteria'.

Also, like many other entities (governmental and otherwise), the school system has chosen to lower standards to the point that we'll have far more uneducated graduates than ever before.

I can only hope that our School Board will insist that the so-called educators do the jobs for which they were hired, instead of choosing to be babysitters.

Thanks to Larry Grohn for telling the taxpayers what's really going on.

Dennis Massengale

* * *

Actually, the pandemic really ended before the most recent school year and the untruth in grading policy continues with no sign of reversion to the previous standard.

The policy appears to have been implemented under Assistant Superintendent Sonia Stewart who, as principal at Pearl Cohn High School in Nashville, implemented her own unilateral grading policy without proper authorization from higher, accountable authority. As school board member Grohn points out, the grading policy is required to be uniform throughout the system. But when you treat those who tried but failed the same as those who didnt try at all, what message does that send to students throughout not only East Ridge High School, but throughout the system?

Like inflation devalues the dollar, such grade manipulation devalues the quality of education at the Hamilton County Schools. Standards should be clear and consistently enforced to mean anything.

The bottom line is this perfunctory, unapproved standard also lets maladministrators off the hook  which to this cynical but veteran observer was likely the point.

The question is, what is the elected school board going to do about it? The boards response will tell us a lot about the boards own standards of excellence. Or mediocrity.

Brendan Jennings

* * *

I can remember when the Chattanooga schools were close to the top in a list of other public school systems in the south. I do not think that lowering the standards is what needs to be done, I would raise them and if students need to be held back, so be it. They certainly held them back when I was in the system from 1948 to 1960. If students need to learn reading, promote reading, but let them read in subjects in which they are truly interested. If they need to learn math, that is where the parents come in to play. The real board of education is the dining room table and it is there where parents and students need to sit down and go over homework.

Parents in many systems have taken over the education of their children and that is not how the system is supposed to work. Some parents are going to teacher/parent meeting to scream and holler, some have taken guns. What those parents are doing is chasing good teachers out of the classrooms. Florida teachers are leaving the profession in the public schools and because of DeSantis, laws, state college and university professors are leaving and finding jobs in other states. In the 60s and 70s that was called a brain drain and Florida, at that time, was hiring very good professors out of Mississippi during the 60s because of the race problem. Now professors of that quality are leaving Florida. Let the teachers and professors teach and leave them alone. Let the teachers teach. It is the parents' role to teach morals, ethics and religion to their children.

I graduated City High School in 1960. The graduating class was large, I think 625 students, and it outperformed all of the private schools in the city. Not much good at football, pretty good at basketball, those things did not interest me much. I went there to learn and was accepted at every college and university that I applied for.

When you allow parents to control the schools, you are putting the fox in the hen house.

Raleigh C. Perry

* * *

"When you allow parents to control the schools, you are putting the fox in the hen house" reminded of the old days when the school board meetings were held in secret. The public (that's us, folks. You know, the ones that pay for everything) was not allowed to attend. When the Sunshine Law was put into effect, they fought it tooth and nail to get them excluded from having to comply. Perhaps they were designing nuclear weapons or strategies to win the cold war, I don't know. I do know this: when the hens aren't doing what they are elected to do, maybe a fox needs to bring them back in line.

I also don't think that inquiring about the grading system is either prying or out of order. The teachers and administrators are paid with tax dollars. The schools are funded and maintained by tax dollars. And who pays those tax dollars? Parents. And we have a right to be concerned about our children and their time at school. And I truly believe that most parents feel the same way.

Ed Bradley

* * *

I don't know what parallel universe Raleigh Perry lives in if he thinks one can compare our local schools to the 50s. I also graduated from Chattanooga High School in 65 and the only students I saw at UT as well prepared for college as I were the ones from Oak Ridge.

Here are some of the differences. We had two sexes, male and female. We had one language, English. But we were also offered Spanish, French and I believe the only public school in the state to do so, Russian. Remarkably every kid paid for his/her own lunch. We also had a principal named Creed Bates who was 6'4" and was a Colonel in WW ll. Therefore we had very few discipline problems; skipping school, smoking in the bathroom (cigarettes) and an occasional fist fight that were resolved very quickly.

But the biggest difference was that 95 percent of us from all over the city went home to a two parent family. The problem today is not the parents, but the parent. Did you know seven out of every 10 babies in the black community are born to a single mother. How about 52 percent of Hispanics and 28 percent for whites. And a paltry 12 percent to Asians.

Did you know there is almost a 100 percent correlation for babies born to a single mother and scoring last in educational achievement? You ever drive by an engineering school and see how many Asian students there are? And after last weeks SCOTUS ruling there will be a lot more. Imagine that, actually admitting the most qualified students. What a novel concept.

Douglas Jones

* * *

Douglas, your sudden love for Asians falls flat. After all during the height of the Covid crisis, weren't you one of the many jumping all around, bumping into one another with your chants of Wuhan! Wuhan! Sending out dog whistles all over and every that led to attacks against people with Asians features? My Asian kinfolk and friends aren't buying into this sudden love coming from your side. Neither are my MiddleEastern kinfolk and friends. They still have carved memories of all the attacks many endured during the height of the hate spewed against them, during those periods of attacks and "hate anyone who even remotely looks MiddleEastern." Footages of being chased from Walmart were the least of what took place, And then my kinfolks and friends mistaken for recent immigrants crossing from south of the border. Although their American lineage often dates back to well over a century. They're not buying into sudden love just because the hate has returned full circle to the original group so often targeted for hate. They realize it all could change in a second without notice, and they'll once again be the crosshairs of hate.





And thank the universe for the Sonia Stewarts in the educational fields. Because school rules, specifically the ones surrounding discipline, aren't applied across the board. Be they school rules or school board rules.





My two sons attended a predominately white school locally. No white student caught with drugs on campus, caught openly smoking weed, or even openly seen with a weapon was ever suspended or expelled. However, the school did once try t o suspend a busload of out of zone black students when the school bus was running off schedule and the bus arrived at the school late. My sons weren't out of zone to attend the school but, being black and male, they were often mistaken for it.





When the counselor, a black woman, noticed white students showing up at school high, hungover, and reported it, you'd think the school would address the problem. The school addressed it alright, by having the black school counselor transferred to another school.





Long before the recent school mass shootings that so paralyzed the nation took place, there was a planned shootout by some of the white students, with their parents' approval, who allowed them to use their cars to drive to school with the weapons in the trunk of their cars. Even some of the school staff was aware of what was going to take place. Their targets were meant to be the handful of black students who attended the school at the time. Again, thank the universe, it was thwarted before it could be carried out. And thank too, the white students and a few teachers who dared take a stand at the expense of themselves becoming targets. A special thanks to Mr. Crawford, now deceased. Shelley, a student and the others who openly stood up, risking their own safety.





But that's the hate that hate breeds, and spreads like wildfire, engulfing and consuming everyone and everything in sight, even the haters.





Brenda Washington

* * *

In my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions, this "no grade lower than 50" policy sounds a lot like a "no bail" policy or a "pre-arrest diversion" program, but why are we shocked?

Thank you, Larry Grohn. This week you get the award for most effective school board member in Hamilton County, Tn. You are using your position to inform the public, bring the truth to the public square, and allow taxpayers to have a little peek into the scheme that Hamilton County Schools likes to call education. Bravo, Larry.

Thank you, Larry, for letting us know that Assistant Superintendent Sonia Stewart oversees community superintendents and K-12 learning. I wonder why she chose Hamilton County.

Sonia wrote a book. It's 93 pages of restorative practices, social justice, equity, and holistic care. It contains her thoughts on "increased school counselors." Didn't the Hamilton County school board just commit millions in taxpayer dollars by approving 76 SEAD coach positions and many more social workers and school counselors? Hey Hamilton County Commissioners, I think you have been duped.

Sonia's book is filled with race-baiting quotes like "It feels like a white school," "Most white families in America do not want to send their students to school with black students," and "Our society does not believe that black kids can be responsible with the freedom to choose where to go, with whom to sit and how to spend their time." I just checked the profile data on the TN State Board of Education site, and in 2022 in Hamilton County, 49 percent of the students were listed as black, Hispanic, Native American, ect. Someone, please help me understand why the deputy superintendent of Hamilton County Schools is allowed to attack 49 percent of the student body in Hamilton County Schools.

Deputy Superintendent Sonia Stewart's book is called "All Children Are Our Children, A Pearl in the Heart of the City," and you can purchase it on Amazon.



On pages 67-69, in a chapter titled "Breaking the Law," Sonia writes, "This is a story about a time when I broke the law. I could say that this is the only time I broke the law as a principal in a situation like this one, and that may or may not be true." She goes on to explain how she violated TN State law because, after a student's second offense in possession of marijuana, she was required to expel him for a full calendar year, but instead, she chose to break the law. She ends the story with this heartwarming line, "I suppose some laws may just be meant to be broken."

Is this the type of person we want leading our taxpayer-funded schools? Do you go to work and bust your rump every day, making money that will be paid to the county for your property taxes? Well, if you do, just know that these taxes will be given to the public school by our county commission and used, in part, to pay the salary of Sonia Stewart.

The next school board meeting is Thursday, July 20. I hope to see you there.

Feel free to do your research. You can find out a lot about a person by what they choose to list on their publicly available resume.

Sonia Stewart's Employers:

HCDE - Deputy Superintendent - Jan 2022 Present - Annual Salary - $143,303 - Funded by your precious property tax dollars.

HCDE - Community Superintendent - July 2020 - Jan 2022

Green Bay, Wisconsin - Superintendent Candidate - February 2020 - Was not hired

Metro Nashville Public Schools -

 Executive Officer of Organizational Development - Dec 2019 - 2020

 Pearl-Cohen High School - Executive Principal - Jun 2012 - ???

 Glencliff High School - Freshman academy administrator - 2009 - 2012

 The Oaks Community Development Corporation, Chicago, IL - Founder and Executive Director - 2007- 2009

 Washington Prep High School, Los Angeles, CA - Math Teacher and SLC Lead Teacher; 2006-2007

 Brentwood Academy, Brentwood, TN - World Religions Teacher and Community School Liaison; 2003-2005

 Antioch High School, Nashville, TN - Math Teacher and Head Girls Varsity Basketball Coach; 1997-1999



Sonia Stewart's Education:

Vanderbilt - 2012 - 2015

 Received Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.), Education, Leadership and Policy in 2015

Trevecca Nazarene University - 2010 - 2011

 Received Master's Degree, Educational Administration

Biola University - 1994 - 1997

 Bachelor of Science (BS), Mathematics

Northern Arizona University



Sonia Stewart's Professional Experience and Training:

 ESSA Leadership Learning Community TN Representative  Council of Great City

 Schools Wallace Foundation (September 2017  Present)

 Leading for Equity Panelist - National Urban League (2017)

 SEAD Educational Commission Member  Aspen Institute (September 2017  Present)

 Leadership Talent Development Panelist Nashville Public Education Foundation (2017)

 Schools That Work Feature  Edutopia (2017)

 Equity and Chronic Absenteeism  TN Equity Coalition (2016)

 Principal Advisory Fellow  US Department of Education (2015)

 Principal Advisory Council  MNPS (2016  Present)

 Mayor's Youth Violence Prevention Council  (2017  Present)

 Linked Learning and High School Redesign  ConnectEd (2016  2017)

 TN Lead Conference Panelist  TN Department of Education (2016, 2017)

 Chiefs for Change

 ASCD National Conferences (2009, 2011)

 Association of Urban School Leadership Training (2008)

 Christian Community Development Association Conferences (2005, 2007, 2008, 2010,

2012, 2014, 2015)

 Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Training (2013, 2014)

 Collation of Community Schools Conferences (2012, 2014, 2016)

 College Board National Conferences (2013)

 National Conference on Urban Education (2013)

 Rutherford Instructional Coaching Trainings (2013-2015)

 Safe and Civil Schools Training (2015)

 The Multigenerational Workplace Training (2014)

 Turnaround School Leadership Training (2011-2015)

Rebecca Howard

* * *

School Board Member, Larry Grohn, I so much appreciate your willingness to shed light on a topic that most want to keep in the dark. As a former teacher, this was one of the most disheartening policies put into place while I was teaching.

Although this was a policy in some schools already before COVID, the hammer definitely came down on teachers afterwards. We were told to give students grades of 59, even if they did nothing. I was reprimanded for grading work for not only completion, but also correction. I always gave my students an opportunity to redo the assignment, even up until the day that grades were to be turned in for report cards or progress reports.

I have read some responses to your documentation that you have shared and see that people are making this a race issue. I want to make sure that everyone knows I have taught students from every race, socio-economic background, and home life. Regardless of those, when I had expectations set clearly for my students, almost all rose to the occasion. Not having any standard of merit for students is failing them in every way, and when I was reprimanded for holding students accountable, I realized I was in the wrong environment.

I always wanted to be a teacher and I was happy to do it, but when policy makers and bureaucrats change everything to pass students along so that they will have high graduation and passing rates in a district, they are not holding to their idea of no child left behind, they are actually leaving every child behind; the ones who are gifted and need to be held to a higher standard but are not, the ones on grade level and need to stay on the course outlined but not being held accountable to do so, and the ones who are behind who need some extra encouragement to spend extra time catching up so that they can get on grade level but are not receiving this because teachers have been told not to do it.

I once had a student who came to me speaking barely any English and was on a kindergarten level in 7th grade math. By the end of the school year, he was on a 4th grade level. You can not tell me that obstacles in life are not what makes us stronger when we have someone who encourages us and helps us to reach our best potential. I have seen it happen too many times with students from all walks of life.

When the ability to hold students responsible for their school work was taken from me as a teacher, it deflated my love of teaching and aspiration to inspire students to learn and grow. Again, this policy is failing all of the students and I truly appreciate Mr. Grohns willingness and backbone to share the truth with parents of students of Hamilton County Schools.

Tonya Dodd

* * *

I have known Larry Grohn since he first moved to Chattanooga and joined our softball team. I have always supported his political endeavors, because of his servanthood and integrity. About everything has been said to reply to his opinion and I have not been surprised by any of them.

Brenda Washington, our resident apologist, has once again masterfully twisted other opinions to add credibility to her own opinion. Brenda, you amaze me, as you have done, seen or been exposed to every injustice known to man, yet you have managed to rise above it all. If only your memories were correct, you could write a great book. Well, I guess you could still do it and just label it as fiction.

What our Hamilton County School System has done was explained to me by my Papaw when I was 6-years-old. He had me in his back yard in my home town of Somerset, Ky., teaching me how to shoot a BB gun. He put a large piece of cardboard up against a tree and had me shoot at it several times. After doing so, he drew several circles around where my BBs had hit and several were right in the smaller center circle.

Then he took me inside to show Nanny how great a shot I was, and he taught me. I think we are doing the same thing now and we are harming our children. The divide between the private schools and government run schools is greater than ever, yet the government run schools are hitting their new mark, when you use the results to create the target. I miss the wisdom of my Papaw and I lost him way too early.

J. Pat Williams

* * *

Lower the standards all you want. Math is not essential, neither is reading. Dont worry about writing, that is not all that important either.

The ACT and the SAT are becoming less used by universities and college and these students who have passed through Chattanooga schools with lower academic standards will find themselves in remedial classes in junior colleges or community colleges. When it comes to writing, hopefully they do not go the university in Tennessee that I did and have to take an English Proficiency Test before they graduate.

What I am saying is that they can have very high grades in all of the courses that they took but, if they cannot write English correctly, (you have three chances) you have to take all of your English courses over and take the test again after that. I knew one man who made very good grades for the four years in college but never got his degree.



Most of the colleges and universities that have dropped the ACT and the SAT have replaced it with an essay.



Raleigh C. Perry




Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report:

AGUSTIN-LOPEZ, FAUSTINO JOEL

1905 WILLOW ST CHATTANOOGA, 37403

Age at Arrest: 24 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT

CHILD RESTRAINT LAW VIOLATION

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE



APPLEBERRY, DAVORIUS ANTOINE

2709 Citico Ave Chattanooga, 374063408

Age at Arrest: 22 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE



APPLEBERRY, TRAVION

5420 CONNELL STREET EAST RIDGE, 37412

Age at Arrest: 18 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE)



ARCHER BRAUNS, CHERYL SHEREE

008 HILL CREST RD HIXSON, 37343

Age at Arrest: 67 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF PROTECTION ORDER OR RESTRAINING ORDER



BRASSWELL, CHANNECK DEQUAWN

2627 HIXSON PIKE CHATTANOOGA, 374155969

Age at Arrest: 38 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE



CAMPBELL, PERRY L

14 JANICE AVE PARIS, 61944

Age at Arrest: 48 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

POSS.

OF HANDGUN WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCEPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (SIMPLE POSSESSCARVER, JEFFREY PAUL7213 IGOU GAP RD CHATTANOOGA, 374213033Age at Arrest: 42 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVIOLATION OF PROBATIONCORBETT, MATTHEW C185 LP BRADFORD ROAD ESTILL SPRINGS, 37330Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)DILLINGHAM, SUMMER MARIEHOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37403Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDRESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESSDISORDERLY CONDUCT911 VIOLATION (IMPROPER USE)EMEKLI, IPEK349 WALNUT STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37403Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTPUBLIC INTOXICATIONGABBIDON, AMARI ELIJAH10047 FORREST DR OOLTEWAH, 373638301Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDRECKLESS ENDANGERMENTGRAY, JEFFERY REID1424 AUGUST DR HIXSON, 37343Age at Arrest: 43 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)HAYES, DENNIS DAY2511 WILDER ST. APT.B CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 40 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDSPEEDINGDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEHECTOR, XILOJ CUYUCH412 WILLOW ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 23 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEHERNANDEZ, JUAN2200 BENNETT AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTHOOD, LAKADA LASHAWN404 TUNNEL BLVD CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffDOMESTIC ASSAULTJENKINS, PAUL ANTHONY3210 13TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 56 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDFAILURE TO APPEARMATTHEWS, ZACHARY THOMAS456 ROSE CIRCLE OLD FORT, 37362Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: CollegedaleBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)MAZARIEGOS- GODINEZ, LEBIT E1515 S GREENWOOD DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffTINTED WINDOWS VIOLATIONSPEEDINGDRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSEMIDDLETON, JAMES BRIAN273 SOUTH SEMINOLE MAIL ONLY HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 54 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTMOORE, SHENIKA REENE1400 N CHAMBERLAIN AVE, APT 56 CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 38 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTMORRIS, BRIANA DESHAE1664 GREENDALE WAY HIXSON, 373434851Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffTHEFT OF PROPERTY UNDER $1,000.00PENN, TIMOTHY LAMARHOMELESS LIVES IN CAR NEAR BRAINERD WALGREENS CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 64 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeASSAULT (SIMPLE ASSAULT)PEREZ, MEKAHI A14 B ESTATE PLESSEN ST. CROIX, 00816Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeRECKLESS ENDANGERMENTPEREZ, OBADEAS OCTAVIO VELAQUEZ669 KINSER CIRCLE CHATTANOOGA, 27421Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffLICENSE, EXPIRED DRIVER LICENSEEVADING ARRESTLIGHT LAW VIOLATION (FAILURE TO DIM LIGHTS)PHELAN, LAURA MARIE5344 BENNETT ROAD EAST RIDGE, 37412Age at Arrest: 44 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATIONSPURGEON, ADAM LEBRON9404 OAK STREET OOLTEWAH, 37363Age at Arrest: 41 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffDOMESTIC ASSAULTSWANSON, DEVIN CRAIG5608 OLD DAYTON PIKE RED BANK, 37415Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: Soddy DaisySPEEDINGPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIACONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN SCHEDULE I 39170406TAYLOR, JAMES ALBERT2011 WILSON ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 55 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTTHOMPSON, TRISTAN DOUGLAS3707 DODDS AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 32 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffFUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE)VALDEZ JIMENEZ, TIMOTEO BALDES2022 E 20TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37304Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDPUBLIC INTOXICATIONVELAZQUES SANDOVAL, DENNY F1718 FOUST ST CHATTANOOGA, 374071053Age at Arrest: 20 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDISORDERLY CONDUCTWATTS, THOMAS BLAKE9411 WEST RIDGE TRAIL SODDY DAISY, 37379Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: TWRA Game/FishBOATING RULES AND REGULATIONSBOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCEWORBINGTON, COLIS LACALE917 W 39TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 374101501Age at Arrest: 51 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDTHEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE)YOUNG, SARAH JANE528 SECOND STREET CLEVELAND, 37312Age at Arrest: 40 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

Here are the mug shots:
Dr. Yancy Freeman, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga vice chancellor for enrollment management and student affairs, will be recommended by UT System President Randy Boyd to the UT Board of Trustees as the next chancellor of UT Martin.The UT Board of Trustees will consider the recommendation at a special meeting at 8:45 a.m. EDT on Friday. Pending board approval, Dr. Freemans first day at UT Martin will be Aug. 9.This is exciting news for the Freeman family, the UTM campus and community and all of us at UTC, UTC Chancellor Steven R.Angle said. I believe that President Boyd has made an inspired choice, and I look forward to working with Chancellor Freeman in his new capacity.Of course, Yancys departure also leaves a tremendous legacyand a big gap to fillhere in Chattanooga. He is a three-time UTC alumnus and has been in some way affiliated with us for over three decades. While his move to Martin is in many ways a return to his West Tennessee roots, Yancy and his family have meant a great deal to our campus and our community over many years. I have enjoyed working with Yancy and will miss him.Dr. Freeman is a 1987 graduate of Memphis Central High School and the recipient of a bachelors degree in political science, a masters degree in public administration and a doctorate in learning and leadership from UTC. He began working for the University after earning his undergraduate degree in 1992.His wife, Rafielle, is an alumna of UT Martin.From my arrival as a first-gen undergraduate on campus more than 30 years ago to being entrusted with responsibility as a member of administration, UTC is the place where Ive had opportunity after opportunity to succeed and grow, Dr. Freeman said. I am grateful to have had opportunities to make an impact at UTC; for warm relationships with countless students over the years; and for all that my time at UTC has helped prepare me to assume this new role at UT Martin.Chattanooga has been home for longer than anywhere else Ive lived, and leaving Chattanooga and UTC, physically, will be tough; but this University and this city will always hold a special place in my heart and with my family.Chancellor Angle has appointed Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Jerold Hale to chair the search committee to fill the position being vacated by Freeman. The search committee will work closely with an external recruiting firm to initiate an immediate search for a permanent successor.As we prepare to sustain and build upon the momentum that Dr. Freeman has helped to create here in Chattanooga, we will move with a sense of strategic urgency to identify our next vice chancellor for enrollment management and student affairs, Angle said. I will be appointing an interim vice chancellor for EMSA in the next one to two weeks.Dr. Freeman currently serves on the board of the Public Education Foundation of Chattanooga and has previously served as a member of 100 Black Men of Chattanooga and on the boards of Chattanooga Christian School and Youth YMCA Leadership Council. He was named a 2018 Top 30 Influential Leader in Chattanooga by City Scope Magazine, and he holds active memberships within several honor societies, including Golden Key, Alpha Society and Phi Eta Sigma. He is a 2020 UT System Executive Leadership Institute graduate.At UT Martin, Dr. Freeman will succeed former Chancellor Keith Carver, who moved to senior vice chancellor/senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture earlier in the year.
The American Red Cross continues to see a concerning trend  blood donations are being sent to hospitals faster than they are coming in. The Red Cross has collected about 50,000 fewer blood donations than needed over the last two months. Donors are asked to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now to avoid a looming blood shortage.

To help head off a more serious situation, the Red Cross is teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery for the 35th anniversary of Shark Week and the theatrical release of Meg 2: The Trench. The public is encouraged to celebrate a summer of sharks and help shore up the national blood supply by giving in July.

In thanks for helping, the Red Cross is offering several incentives to donors who come out to give blood or platelets in the coming weeks. Additionally, in response to the great need for blood, those who hurry in to help by coming to give July 1-16 will receive a limited-time bonus $15 gift card by email to a merchant of their choice.

 July 1-11: All who come to give will get an exclusive Red Cross dry bag, while supplies last. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Gifts.

 July 12-Aug 12: Those who come to give will be automatically entered for a chance to win a three-night New York getaway for two with a private shark dive adventure at Long Island Aquarium. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Shark.

 July 17-31: Presenting donors will receive an officially licensed Shark Week T-shirt, while supplies last. Donors will also be automatically entered for a chance to win a three-night New York getaway for two with a private shark dive adventure at Long Island Aquarium. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Shark.

By scheduling and keeping appointments in July, donors can help provide for those in immediate need of lifesaving care. To schedule an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).



Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 11-31:



July 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Southeast Tennessee American Red Cross Blood Drive, 4115 S. Access Road

July 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Southeast Tennessee American Red Cross Blood Drive, 4115 S. Access Road
James "Joe" Zielinski, a cherished partner, son, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away on July 1, 2023, at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He was born in Atlanta, on June 14, 1982, and had recently celebrated his 41st birthday.

The loss of Joe leaves a void that cannot be filled. His light, laughter, and unconditional love will forever be cherished by his family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Joe was fiercely loving and kind, and he never met a stranger. Joe had a deep passion for spreading joy, and, most of all, making people laugh. Joe pursued his dreams as a stand-up comedian, and he fulfilled a lifelong goal by performing at Caroline's on Broadway in New York City. He left a lasting impression on those who had the privilege of witnessing his talent and wit in action, and his humor brought joy and laughter to countless lives.

Joe was also a proud member of the United States Navy where he served his country with honor and dedication. His commitment to the Navy and his fellow service members will be remembered and appreciated.

Joe was also passionate about music and sports. He found solace in playing the guitar, and he shared his love for music with others, often brightening their days with his melodies. Joe was an avid Braves and Bruins fan, and he enjoyed watching and attending games.

Above all, Joe treasured his family. He cherished every moment spent with them and embraced every opportunity to create lasting memories. His family was a source of strength and joy, and his unconditional love for them knew no bounds. They will miss him dearly.

Joe was a beloved partner to his greatest love, Chandler Dutton. They shared countless adventures and never stopped laughing.

Joe had a special bond with his parents, Mary Zielinski-Addison and Robert Addison, as well as his father, Jerry Zielinski.

Joe shared deep bonds with his four older siblings: Stacey Zielinski and brother-in-law Lorenzo Mattii, Jerry Zielinski and sister-in-law Natasha Zielinski, Bettina Schuman and brother-in-law Aaron Kalosis, and Jennifer Childs and brother-in-law Dustin Childs. And he was a loving big brother to his younger sister, Sydney Addison, and her partner, Abby Coker.

Finally, Joe was a fun-loving and caring uncle to a host of nieces and nephews: Stella Mattii, Isabella Zielinski, Sofia Zielinski, Chloe Schuman, Tyler Schuman, Ethan Childs, Sammy Childs, Amelia Childs, and Lena Childs. He loved and adored each of them dearly.

Joe's infectious laughter, comedic spirit, and zany antics will be remembered by all who knew him. He had a remarkable ability to bring joy to those around him, and we know that he continues to spread laughter and happiness wherever he may be.

A viewing and visitation with the family will be held on Wednesday, July 12, from 1-3 p.m. at the Chattanooga Funeral Home, at 404 S Moore Road, East Ridge, Tn. 37412. A gathering to celebrate Joes life will be held at one of his favorite local spots, East Lake Park, at 3101 E 34th St. Chattanooga, Tn. 37407, from 3-6 p.m. on July 12.

In honor of Joe's memory, the family kindly requests that donations be made to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as he believed in the importance of mental health and supporting those in need.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaEastChapel.com

Arrangements are under the care of Chattanooga Funeral Home Crematory and Florist East Chapel, 404 South Moore Rd. East Ridge, TN 37412.
Captain Larry Taylor of Signal Mountain, Tennessee will receive the Congressional Medal of Honor to be awarded within 30 days by President Joe Biden. The President called Captain Taylor on Saturday morning congratulating him on being the recipient of the highest military award given to a soldier.

Captain Taylor graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in June 1966 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in armor. After completion of the armor officers basic course, he concluded being on the ground was not in his future. He attended flight training and was later assigned to one of the Armys first Cobra companies in Vietnam.

With the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, Taylor flew well over 2,000 combat missions in the UH-1 and Cobra helicopters. He was engaged by enemy fire 340 times and was forced down five times. He was awarded 61 combat decorations, including 44 Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Bronze Stars, and four Distinguished Flying Crosses.

There were many harrowing operations, but one in particular rises above the others. On June 18, 1968, Taylor rescued a four-man long range reconnaissance patrol at significant risk to his life. For his heroic actions that night, he was awarded the Silver Star. That award has now been upgraded by the White House to Congressional Medal of Honor. President Biden plans a public ceremony with Taylor and some of his friends. Captain Taylor concluded his military service with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in West Germany.

After leaving the Army, Taylor operated a roofing and sheet metal company in Chattanooga. He has been involved in several veterans organizations including the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 203 in Chattanooga.

Captain Taylors story and a full display will be added to the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga. It was noted that retired Four Star General B.B. Bell of Chattanooga. Retired General Bill Raines, Tennessees two senators and a host of others have been working with the Pentagon on this honor for some time. The White House said, General Bell gave it his full attention and endorsement. Close friend, retired Army LTC Ray Adkins said, This is one soldier that is well deserving of the honor which is long overdue. Adkins plans to accompany Taylor to Washington for the ceremony.

In an interview earlier with the writer, Captain Taylor said, I never lost a man because it was my job not to leave a soldier behind. One of the four men saved by Captain Taylor was SSG David Hill who now lives in Nevada. Hill visited Chattanooga two years ago and told Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 203, Im alive today because Captain Taylor saved my life. Hill is the only one of the four still alive.

The last person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor from Southeast Tennessee was Marion Countys Ray Duke. That was in 1954.

Taylor and his wife, Toni, reside at Signal Mountain.

(Portions of this story are from the White House Press Room and University of Tennessee press office.)




Have you ever caught one of your partners in the act of cheating? I cant imagine what that moment must feel like, and its probably one of the most heartbreaking things to witness.

One man is torn up after coming home from a work trip and discovering his wife cheating on him with two of her coworkers.

Hes 34 and lives with his 32-year-old wife in North Carolina. He and his wife have been together for eight years. They met in high school, and he always believed she was the most amazing woman he had ever seen.

He works a job that requires him to take the occasional work trip. Recently, he had to go all the way to New York for a week to attend a convention.

In the days leading up to his trip, he noticed his wife was behaving suspiciously. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of red flags that were popping up he shouldve paid attention to.

In the days prior to me leaving, my wife was always on her phone, he recalled.

Whether we were having dinner, watching a movie, or just supposed to be having us time, she would always be on her phone.

When I would ask her what she was so fascinated with on her phone when we were supposed to be hanging out, she would brush it off and say it was work or just some friends.

On the day he left for his trip, his wife was still being very dismissive of him and spent a lot of time on her phone.

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This 30-year-old woman is married to her husband, who is 33, and they kind of ended up together in an interesting way.

She used to date her husband Sam back in high school, but then they broke up. Fast forward to her junior year of college, and she was really having a tough time.

She had just broken up with her college boyfriend, and she also was failing an entire semesters worth of her classes.

Additionally, her mom and stepdad were in the middle of a divorce, which meant they were too preoccupied with their own struggles to try to help her.

She came home from college that summer, and she ended up running into Sam.

Sam use to call me the love of his life, his future, his everything, but I was stupid and ended things, and when he started dating, I realized I wasnt ready to move on, she explained.

Nothing I did could convince him to try again, so he found a new girlfriend, and I went to college.

Meeting up that summer, things werent bitter or anything. He had ghosted me before, so I was a little confused, but our talk went well, and I asked if we could be friends since I needed someone. He said sure. He told me right away he was still dating the same girl, and I said okay.

A few days after her interaction with Sam, she ended up phoning him up because she was incredibly beside herself, and she was hoping he could provide her with some kind of comfort.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a government meeting at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, July 4. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol has said the international community needs to show that its resolve to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons program is stronger than the regime's desire to develop such weapons, according to an interview published Monday.



Yoon made the remark in a written interview with the Associated Press (AP) ahead of his participation in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday.



"Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the international community's determination to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea's desire to develop nuclear weapons," he said, adding South Korea will stress the importance of international cooperation against "North Korea's illegal acts" during the summit.



North Korea has advanced its nuclear and missile programs in defiance of international sanctions and vowed to carry out another launch of what it calls a military reconnaissance satellite after the previous launch in May failed. South Korea and its allies view the launch as a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test.






The Congolese government is holding a Christian leader in prison and not releasing any information about where he is or what hes charged with. Lazare Sebitereko Rukundwa does not have access to medication, and the Red Cross has not been allowed to see him, according to several people close to the situation.

Rukundwas arrest came after a United Nations report stated he led a campaign encouraging people from his ethnic group to take up arms. He has long been an advocate for peace in the region and categorically denies the report, which he says is based on a false accusation.

Its obvious that this group of UN experts have made an error by its informants with malicious intentions aimed at tarnishing my name and endangering my life, he wrote in a statement. Sharing false information is a weapon that destroys innocent lives.

After a previous arrest, Rukundwa was released for lack of any evidence to substantiate the allegations. But some officials complained, and he was arrested again.

Rukundwa is president of Eben-Ezer University of Minembwe and has dedicated his life to education, development, and empowering churches in Eastern Congo. He played a critical role in bringing solar power to the region.

Lazare is among few people in those mountains who is respected and loved across the tribal lines, even from communities in constant conflicts and fighting, says his friend of 25 years, Freddy Kaniki.

CT Global managing editor Morgan Lee spoke with him before his arrest about the challenges currently facing Christians in Congo and the hope he holds for change.

How have your life and work been impacted by the persistent unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

More than 80 percent of our region has been destroyed, and very few places now remain. We have had a lot of killings. We have conflicts with bullets. We have a humanitarian crisis.

The conflict that has lasted from 2017 up to now has been 100 percent manipulated by politicians and from there become tribal. Its destroyed villages, livestock, and crops and caused people to flee their homes. Starting in 2019, we started hosting thousands and thousands of internally displaced people who were coming in with no help at all.

We turned our university into a humanitarian agency and turned churches and schools into shelters for these displaced people, and every house became a shelter for up to five families. We have shared food, clothes, and whatever weve had.

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We have gone out to talk with the government. I have met the president, many ministers, ambassadors, and humanitarian agencies in and out of the country. We are accredited in Kinshasa, the capital. We have written reports and shared letters looking for help. But the government hasnt helped and neither have UN agencies. No one wanted to come and help.

Currently, we dont see prophetic voices coming from the ground standing against what is happening. We hear a few voices, either in the social media or in some churches, but we dont see the body of Christ going to the media, using radio or television, or even visiting the areas that have been affected.

Where are you in the DRC?

We live in the eastern part of Congo, which borders Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Before the partition of Africa, people were scattered all over the area. So drawing national boundaries divided families between those countries.

Within eastern Congo, we live in Minembwe, a very mountainous region and very remote place. We live in the heart of villages, a small area that has been developed by the locals themselves. Our university is actually in the middle of all these villages. We have several different tribes, including the Banyamulenge who are Congolese Tutsis, the Bembe, the Bafuliru, the Banyindu, the Bashi, and many other small groups. This is an area that draws people from different races because of agriculture and livestock.

It is very difficult to reach the area. There are no roads and very limited ways of communication. In the past, we had bad roads, but around 2017, when the wars started, it limited the number of cars arriving.

Now, the only way we really have out of the area is by air. We have a small airstrip.

My university was the first ever to be introduced in the area, which was quite an adventure. But of course, when you dont have any person to do it for you, you create with God. In Minembwe, God worked with churches and local NGOs and individuals to actually replace the government and bring the development that they want.

How did Christianity arrive in Minembwe?

British Assemblies of God missionaries first came in the area and then were followed by the Swedish and Norwegian Pentecostal churches and by the Catholics.

The Banyamulenge, who were the majority ethnic group living in the area, were actually the last to convert to Christianity. The Banyamulenge resisted until the early 50s when there was a big wind of revival and they started converting by themselves.

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We asked the old people who were there what happened, and they told us they didnt understand. There was this wind of revival, the Spirit of God moved across the forests and the savanna where they were living, and people just moved from one place to the other, looking for the church or for a pastor or an evangelist to pray for them.

Today, about 90 percent of the whole area are Christians.

Now, the question that you probably ask me is If 90 percent of Congolese are Christians, how is there a war?

Yes, exactly. Thats the question I had.

Just after independence, we had all this war, conflict created by the greedy Europeans who had colonized Africa. In Congo, we had the Belgians and King Leopold. Almost 10 million Congolese were killed by the brutality of colonialism.

There is a trend of conflicts and killings, which dont necessarily come because of the Congolese themselves but are an inheritance from the colonial past. And since independence, we have not been very lucky to have good leaders or good governance.

Probably the other issue is Congo has deep reserves of all minerals that are needed in the world. Everyone would like to come and have them for themselves. It brings me back to the Bible where it says that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

But this is not just an issue for the Congolese. Anyone who is using a phone, a laptop, an electric car today, anything solar powered, anyone who is using material that is originally coming from these troubled countries should also be reflecting on this.

Sure, we can take it and use it to get rich. But if we have the Spirit of God in us, we should reflect on this reality.

Is the violence targeting Christians?

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant Islamic group, is targeting churches in the western province of North Kivu. This is a very recent development. The ADF will kill people without any distinction.

Churches have also been destroyed with villages by the armed groups of Mai-Mai. The Mai-Mai will come, kill, and destroy the village, properties, and community infrastructure, including churches, schools, and clinics.

Recently, churches that belonged to Banyamulenge in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, were completely destroyedonly because the people who pray there belong to the Banyamulenge community or Tutsi communities.

Are evangelicals participating in the violence?

If 90 percent of the population of Congo profess to be Christians, then all the problems that are happening are being done by Christians.

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There is insecurity everywhere, people fear for their lives, and we dont see prophetic voices. When you know that you are in an area controlled by armed groups and if you dare to tell them to stop, you will be the victim. Its not everyone who is willing to give his or her life for others. So you find that there are many people who see what is happening as evil, but they fail to denounce it.

Ive talked to bishops and pastors in different regions and countries, but everyone seems to be not very interested. The rebels are working together. But we fail to see the church working together.

How has your university helped bring peace in this current conflict?

Our university has become one of the pillars of hope in this area. We have been able to not only work with others to provide food, but we have also been able to provide education. We have been able to give our conference hall to the displaced churches.

Many of the members of those churches have received food and seeds. I was encouraged to see them bringing the harvest to the church and sharing seeds with others who dont have any.

You create a space for people to come and feel the peace that comes from God. You create a community within the crisisa community that works together, a community that supports one another. They share not only food; they also share laughter.

One way of giving hope  is to be the church in the midst of wars and crisis and conflict, where now we can say, I was sick; you gave me medicine. I was hungry; you gave me food. I was bereaved; you gave me condolences. I was naked, and you clothed me. This is the church that God wants to see.

The world we live in has conflict everywhere. But the church is here to be the salt and to be the light, where we may not do everything, but at least we play our part.

How can readers help your situation?

There is definitely a range of things for those who want to intervene.

We have hundreds of widows anyone can help. We also have our clinic, where anyone who wants to can pay for salaries of nurses or doctors or provide medical supplies. You can contribute seeds or agriculture or livestock or help us find another water source.

We have a primary school, a secondary school, and vocational training for those who cannot go through the university or those who cannot finish high school. We have single mothers, many of [whom] were raped or got pregnant in some other hard circumstance, some of whom are minors. We bring them through vocational training.

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There are also Christians all over the world who can lobby for peace. They can speak on behalf of the thousands of those who cannot speak and ask their governments to learn about the crisis of Congo.

We need to ask the humanitarian world why they are not helping Minembwe.

For those who want to intervene in prayers, we need peace. It feels like the powers of darkness are hovering over the eastern Congo. Pray for our leaders. It is absolutely vital that God fill our leaders with the Spirit of God and the spirit of leadership and lead them to end this war. Pray for our neighbors, that God will give them goodwill in contributing solutions to the Congo rather than fueling the conflict.

Pray that maybe the national companies that are involved with or envy the minerals of Congo, that God can talk to them. The Congolese need to become shareholders in the mining to end poverty.

Does the conflict challenge your faith?

Yes and no.

Today, the displaced churches from at least six different denominations have come together to form a church called Umoja, the word for unity. They pray together in the same building, and we have actually left it for them.

All of this work has been done by local people helping the internally displaced people. The local people themselves worked together and supported one another. Now we have about 10 villages that have been rebuilt around Minembwe.

Today, I can say many people have chosen to work together, not waiting for anyone else to come and do it on their behalf. The government is absent; humanitarian agencies are absent; politicians are absent. But I see hope coming. I see peace, and the possibility of rehabilitation, reconciliation, and stability.

There are those that through the conflict, through difficulties, through all these challenges, faith becomes firm.

But we also see others have actually lost their faith. We see Christians who were stealing other peoples cows. We have seen them getting involved in violence and destroying the houses of others. We have seen them killing other people.

Faith can be strengthened through conflict and through difficult times, but we see also that it can actually be weakened.

[ This article is also available in Francais. ]
Earlier this year, Southern Baptists expelled five churches from the nations largest Protestant denomination for having women as pastors.

Now, the leader of a fellowship of African American Southern Baptist pastors wonders if their churches will be next.

In a letter last week, the president of the Southern Baptist Conventions National African American Fellowship asked to meet with the denominations president, saying the SBCs recent decisions to expel churches with women pastors had caused division within the SBC and may disproportionately impact NAAF affiliated congregations.

Many of our churches assign the title pastor to women who oversee ministries of the church under the authority of a male Senior Pastor, i.e., Childrens Pastor, Worship Pastor, Discipleship Pastor, etc., wrote the Rev. Gregory Perkins, pastor of The View Church in Menifee, California, and president of the NAAF.

He also said a proposed amendment to the SBCs constitution to bar churches with women pastors violated the autonomy of local churchesa vital Baptist belief.

During the recent SBC annual meeting, local church delegates, known as messengers, voted to affirm the decision to expel Saddleback Church in Southern Californiaone of the denominations largest churchesand Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville. Those two churches had appealed an earlier decision made by the SBCs Executive Committee that they were no longer in friendly cooperation with the convention.

Three other expelled churchesincluding two predominantly Black churches where women had succeeded their late husbands as pastorsdid not appeal.

Messengers also voted to change the SBCs constitution to bar churches with women pastors. That proposed change would only allow churches to be part of the convention that affirm, appoint or employ only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The change must be ratified at the SBCs 2024 annual meeting in order to take effect.

This may signal to churches in the SBC that do not believe that women should be the Senior Pastor but allow women the usage of a pastoral title, or appoints a woman to a pastoral role, are no longer welcome in the SBC, wrote Perkins.

Among the churches that hold the belief that women can lead in non-senior pastor roles is the church Perkins pastors, which has one woman on staff with the title of pastor. He wrote that many of the more than 4,000 congregations in the NAAF hold that view as well.

Perkins said that leaders of the NAAF respected the SBCs democratic process and that messengers had the right to vote their conscience. However, they asked for a time of prayer and dialogue to discuss the consequences of the votes at the SBC meeting.

The letter, sent by email, was also posted on the NAAF website. That website also includes a link to a document with more details about how the decisions made by the SBC could affect churches. That document urges pastors to take an active role in the discussion over the issue of women pastors.

You must be an active participant in this conversation and decision-making process as it has long-term implications for your church and other NAAF affiliated congregations, the document advises.

While SBC churches cooperate to fund missions, seminaries and other ministries, each local church is autonomous. They choose their own pastors, own their own buildings and control their own finances.

Perkins said that Christians who believe the Bible may come to different conclusions about how to apply its teachings. He said churches should engage in a vigorous, yet constructive dialogue.

To disfellowship like-minded churches who share our faith in Jesus Christ, our belief in the authority of Scripture, our mandate to carry out the Great Commission, and our agreement to give cooperatively based upon a local-church governance decision dishonors the spirit of cooperation and the guiding tenets of our denomination, he wrote.

The letter was addressed to SBC president and Texas pastor Bart Barber and copied to board members and officers of the NAAF, as well as staff at the SBCs Executive Committee.

Barber confirmed he had received the letter.

In recent years, the SBC has touted the growth of Black, Hispanic and other diverse congregations in the convention. However, a number of high-profile Black churches have left the SBC in recent years over issues of race and politics.
5 more Jehovahs Witnesses arrested for sexual assault, exploitation of children

Following the filing of sexual abuse charges against nine members of Jehovahs Witnesses congregations in October 2022 and February 2023, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Friday that she filed charges against five more men in the religious organization for sexual assault and exploitation of children.

The details of these crimes are sad and disturbing, facts which are made even more abhorrent because the defendants used their faith communities or their own families to gain access to victims, Henry said in a statement. Our office will never stop working to seek justice for those who have been victimized, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who harms the most vulnerable in our society.

David Balosa of Philadelphia County; Errol William Hall of Delaware County; Shaun Sheffer of Butler County; Terry Booth of Panama City, Florida; and Luis Ayala-Velasquez of Berks County, Pennsylvania, were all arrested and charged for separate alleged offenses.

Balosa allegedly sexually assaulted a young girl in his congregation when she was just 4, after becoming close with her family. He was charged with aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors.

Hall, who was an elder in his congregation, allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl in his faith group. It is alleged that because of his position, many of the parents trusted him with their children. He has been charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors.

Sheffer has been charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors, for allegedly sexually assaulting a young family member starting when she was 7.

Due to their close relationship, Sheffer was often left alone with her for long periods of time during which he repeatedly raped and assaulted the young girl, Henrys office said in their statement.

Booth is charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors for allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations and inappropriate touching with a 16-year-old boy whom he knew through his Jehovahs Witness congregation when he lived in Allegheny County.

Ayala-Velasquez was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors. He is alleged to have abused a family member for several years, starting when she was 12.

He would allegedly sneak into her bedroom as she slept and when she became an adult, he raped her in his home.

According to Henry, the latest arrests are connected to a 2019 Pennsylvania grand jury investigation into child sex abuse in Jehovahs Witness congregations. She explained that all the alleged perpetrators were men in positions of trust in their respective congregations, according to Lehigh Valley Live. One defendant reportedly took his life before he could be arrested.

Asked about the arrests on Monday, the Jehovahs Witness office in New York told The Christian Post in a statement that while we are not permitted by law to comment on specific matters arising out of the grand jury investigation  the news of someone being sexually abused, whether a child or an adult, sickens us.

Child sexual abuse in particular is a twisted act of evil. That is why for decades Jehovahs Witnesses have gone to great lengths to educate and warn parents through our publications, meetings, and website, about how to protect their children in a variety of circumstances, said denomination officials. We also are quick to support and offer pastoral care to those affected, while working to ensure that unrepentant perpetrators are removed from the congregation. Anyone who has been victimized has the full support of the congregation to report the matter to the authorities.
Gordon Robertson replaces his late father as new chancellor of Regent University

Gordon Robertson has been named the new chancellor of Regent University, replacing his father, the late televangelist and former 700 Club host Pat Robertson.

Regent announced Monday morning that Gordon Robertson had been named the new chancellor of the Virginia Beach, Virginia-based Christian school by the Regent University Board of Trustees.

Phil Walker, chairman of the board of trustees, was quoted in the announcement as saying that Regent leadership was thrilled to appoint Gordon Robertson to the position of chancellor.

He is uniquely equipped to carry on the mission and vision of Regent and the legacy of his father, Dr. Pat Robertson. Under Gordons proven leadership and expertise, Regent will continue to thrive and impact future generations, Walker added.

For his part, Gordon Robertson was quoted in the announcement as saying that he was deeply humbled and honored to accept the distinguished role.

Under the extraordinary leadership of my father, Regent has become one of the great Christian universities in the world, and  by Gods grace  we will continue to build upon its strong foundation with an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and integrity, he stated.

Last month, Pat Robertson, the founder of Regent and the Christian Broadcasting Network, died at the age of 93, having been preceded in death by his wife, Dede Robertson, the year before.

In 2021, Gordon Robertson took over as the host of the long-running CBN program The 700 Club, after his father announced that he was stepping down as lead host. Gordon Robertson had been serving as cohost of the show for the past 24 years.

Gordon Robertson has a history of mission work in the Philippines in the 1990s, having founded Asian Center for Missions in 1995 and helped to launch The 700 Club Asia in 1996.

He has also served as executive producer of CBN Films, and is credited with having produced several Christian documentaries and films through the production company.

In 2017, Gordon Robertson helped to produce and narrate the documentary "In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem," which was released around the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War.

In an interview with The Christian Post about the film, Gordon Robertson discussed and countered the belief of Replacement Theology, which claims that the Christian Church has replaced the Jews as God's chosen people.

Then there's the covenant of the Torah made with Moses, which is a spiritual covenant and is based on obedience to the Torah. Those covenants stand. God does not break His Word. He stands by His Word to perform it, said Robertson back in 2017.

Now, as a Christian, I really like the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ and that's a great one, too, but it doesn't get rid of the earlier covenants.
Iranian pastor who was once sentenced to death faces new charge after recent prison release

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, recently released from detention as part of Iran's national amnesty, is facing new charges of undermining state security along with another pastor, according to the United Kingdom-based charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

The charges against Nadarkhani and Pastor Matthias (Abdulreza Ali) Haghnejad were leveled after a couple within the Church of Iran denomination were allegedly pressured into accusing the pastors of attempting to undermine national security. CSW reports that they could have been under pressure from political police.

Nadarkhani was summoned to appear in court on Saturday for charges of undermining state security. Meanwhile, Pastor Haghnejad is facing the same charge but is detained on charges he was acquitted of in 2014 that have since been reinstated.

Pastor Nadarkhani only has a vague acquaintance with the couple, identified as Ramin Hassanpour and his wife Saeede Sajadpour, due to his recent release after years in detention, CSW contends. Pastor Haghnejad, residing in a different sub-region of Gilan, has never met them.

CSW's Founder President Mervyn Thomas described it as a "long litany of injustices" experienced by the two pastors.

"Moreover, [these charges] reportedly emerged after psychological pressure was exerted on their accusers, who only have a passing acquaintance with one of the pastors," Thomas said in a statement. "This alone should render these allegations unreliable and inadmissible."

Accusations of this nature are rarely initiated by ordinary citizens, and according to a CSW source, the Hassanpour family was allegedly coerced into incriminating the pastors under the threat of their children being taken away.

"The idea is to threaten to take the children away," the CSW source was quoted as saying, indicating that such tactics are being used by certain members of the political police to suppress minority groups.

CSW is calling for "due process" to be observed and the pastors' charges to be dropped.

"These men are clearly being subjected to officially engineered harassment due to their church leadership roles, in contravention of a November 2021 Supreme Court ruling that 'merely preaching Christianity' should not be deemed a threat to national security," Thomas added. "CSW reiterates our call for Iran to respect, protect and fulfil the right to freedom of religion or belief for all citizens as articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a signatory."

Nadarkhani, who was once sentenced to death for apostasy, was pardoned earlier this year as part of the government's annual amnesty marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution. His sentence for leaving Islam, levied in 2010, was commuted after his acquittal of apostasy in September 2012. Nonetheless, he was found guilty of evangelizing and sentenced to three years in prison.

The pastor was arrested again in May 2016, as agents with the Ministry of Intelligence raided Christian homes and house churches in Rasht. Nadarkhani was charged with "crimes against national security" and labeled a Zionist. Nadarkhani, his wife, and two other Christians were subsequently found guilty in June 2017 of acting against national security, propagating house churches, and promoting Zionist Christianity.

Though the pastors' previous sentences were reduced upon review, this new charge underscores a worrying trend of suppression of religious freedom.

Despite a crackdown on house churches in Iran, the 2023 World Watch List from Christian support organization Open Doors states that there has been "phenomenal growth in its underground church movement."

However, Iranian Christians face mounting oppression, especially those who convert from Islam.

"Leaders of Christian convert groups, as well as members of other denominational backgrounds who support them, have been arrested, prosecuted and received long prison sentences for 'crimes against national security,'" the WWL report states.

Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is therefore obliged to respect, protect and fulfill the right to freedom of religion or belief for all citizens, Thomas said, adding, however, that these recent events raise serious concerns about the nation's commitment to these principles.
Jewish bakery faces backlash after refusing synagogue's order for pride-themed treats

A New Jersey kosher bakery is facing backlash from the local Jewish community after canceling two LGBT-themed orders from a local synagogue requesting rainbow-colored cake and cookies for a Pride Shabbat celebration.

The Congregation B'nai Israel in Millburn celebrates pride month each year, a time in June that holds significance for supporters of the LGBT movement. While the West Orange Bake Shop co-owner Yitzy Mittel fulfilled an order for a similarly-themed cake last year, the task made him uncomfortable, and he declined to make the pride-themed goods this year.

As The Jewish Telegraph Agency reported Thursday, Mittel believes that LGBT symbols are "a celebration of something which is against Torah," adding that he "didn't want to be making that cake."

Instead of creating the pride-themed goods for the synagogue, the bakery owner referred them to another store that would sell them kosher LGBT desserts. Mittel insisted that he provided notification within 24 hours that he had canceled the orders.

"There's other bakeries out there that will do it," he said. "Why should I?"

The Jewish baker denied that he was homophobic, stressing that he would not write "I hate gay people" on a cake, even for a significant amount of money. Mittel noted that "[s]ymbols carry a lot of weight."

According to New Jersey Jewish News, Rabbi Julie Schwarzwald, the director of congregational learning at the synagogue, learned the bakery canceled the rainbow cake and 10 cookies when she went to pick them up.

In a statement to JTA, Mittel said he chose not to engage her because the rabbi came to the bakery during peak hours and "wanted to create a scene."

"I was comfortable drawing conclusions that meant that I was going to take my purchasing elsewhere," Schwarzwald told the New Jersey Jewish News. "It seems clear that the bakery has made the decision that pride is not something they want to support. It's their choice, it's their legal right, and I can choose to spend my dollars wherever I want."

She ultimately fulfilled the orders at a different kosher bakery in West Orange.

The West Orange Bake Shop and the Congregation B'nai Israel did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

According to The Times of Israel, multiple rabbis accused the bakery of bigotry, while some local Jewish community members are boycotting the shop. Additionally, a Jewish LGBT advocacy organization launched an "ally training" program in West Orange in response to the bakery's refusal.

Robert Tobin, rabbi of the Conservative B'nai Shalom in West Orange, stressed in a June 22 blog that the Torah holds "humans are created in the image of God with a variety of potential gender identities and with the possibility of gender fluidity."

"The concept of 'pride' in anything as a virtue may contradict 'humility' but given the gross historical oppression of the LGBTQ+ communities by our religious and our social authorities over time, the embrace of 'Pride' is a reasonable over-correction to assert the positive value of each human being," Tobin argued.

While some Jewish communities are affirming of LGBT lifestyles, others are not, as there are specific passages in the Torah that forbid gay sex.

Most recently, the Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva University cited its religious beliefs amid a legal battle over its refusal to recognize an LGBT student group called YU Pride Alliance.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a lower court decision against a Christian bakery couple, Aaron and Melissa Klein, who declined to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.

The court sent the case back to the Court of Appeals of Oregon for consideration in light of its June ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. In a 6-3 ruling, the high court determined that the state of Colorado could not compel graphic designer Lorie Smith to create a website for a same-sex wedding.

"Under Colorado's logic, the government may compel anyone who speaks for pay on a given topic to accept all commissions on that same topic  no matter the underlying message  if the topic somehow implicates a customer's statutorily protected trait," Justice Neil Gorsuch, who authored the court's opinion, wrote.

"Equally, the government could force a male website designer married to another man to design websites for an organization that advocates against same-sex marriage. ... As our precedents recognize, the First Amendment tolerates none of that."

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett joined Gorsuch in his decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Elana Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson filed a dissenting opinion.
Pastor warns churches hoping to leave UMC over 'errant theology' face 'draconian demands'

A California pastor says his church  one of many churches looking to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church due to its ongoing debate over homosexuality  could end up being evicted or forced to pay millions to keep their building.

Pastor Glen Haworth of The Fount, a small congregation located in the Fountain Valley area of Orange County, warned his church about the potential outcomes shortly after attending the UMCs California-Pacific Annual Conference in Los Angeles.

The Fount describes itself as an evangelical and historically Wesleyan community of faith, holding to the historic, orthodox Wesleyan Protestant doctrines of the Christian faith.

In a post on the churchs website last month, Haworth said he and another church leader, Ted Smith, unsuccessfully sought to get the conference trustees to reconsider the terms of disaffiliation, which requires local churches seeking to do so to pay the UMC the equivalent of roughly half the property value of the church.

For The Fount, that amounts to over $3 million, according to Haworth, who told The Christian Post that unlike other UMC disaffiliation fights, this isnt just about homosexuality  its theological in nature.

The main issue we battle is not human sexuality, it is biblical authority, Haworth said. The progressives in the UMC choose to interpret away anything they do not like in the Bible and actually label whats in the Bible as wrong.

We cannot be in [a] denomination that denies basic Christian doctrines and biblical authority.

According to Haworth, those in positions of UMC leadership are ignoring the denominations Book of Discipline, which constitutes the law and doctrine of the UMC.

He says even those bishops and clergy who violate those laws turn a blind eye to them, with no consequences or accountability.

We cannot even hold our bishops accountable, because they are judged by their fellow bishops, who frequently just ignore the complaints or announce a just resolution,' which does little to dissuade further disobedience, he explained.

Another of the main points of contention is whats known as the trust clause, which was instituted by Methodist founder John Wesley to protect theological drift within the denomination.

Instead, as Haworth puts it, the clause is being used by UMC leadership to try and drag local churches into errant theology.

But the question arises, if the UMC is drifting away from the historic teachings of the church (which it most certainly is), is the denomination a suitable trustee in regard to this 'trust clause'? Is the UMC trustworthy? asked Haworth.

The Christian Post reached out to UMC leadership for comment and will update this story upon receiving a response.

A reported 22 UMC churches in the California-Pacific conference are seeking disaffiliation, all of which are blocked because of, as Haworth described it, unreasonable and draconian demands for half of the churches property value.

And, as Haworth explained, if the UMC does not agree to reconsider, either The Fount would have to walk away from the property and find another location for their fellowship, or they could take UMC to court.

Neither of these are attractive options, he added.

Conceding we need a miracle, Haworth called The Founts congregation to a concerted effort in prayer beyond their regular weekly gathering, whether in person or online.

We need a move of God! And we need to get on our knees so that God can have a clear path to do what He will, he said.

In recent decades, the UMC has endured a divisive debate over whether to change its Book of Discipline to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordaining of noncelibate homosexual clergy.

Haworth warned that as more conservative Evangelicals leave the denomination, it will undoubtedly become more and more progressive.

Get out while you can, or else you will find yourself under the authority, officially, of a denomination that teaches contrary to the Bible, he added.

Although efforts to change the rules have always failed, many progressives in the UMC have refused to follow or enforce the rules, prompting many conservatives to leave the denomination.

Over the last four years, according to UM News, over 6,100 congregations have been given the approval to leave the UMC amid a schism within the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States over whether to change its rules against homosexuality.

While the number includes all churches that have disaffiliated from the UMC since 2019, more than 1,800 left in 2022 and over 4,000 have departed thus far this year.
Sean Feucht says man who stole his guitar has repented: 'Only God can write a story like this'

Christian worship artist and activist Sean Feucht has claimed that a man who stole a guitar from his vehicle in Spokane, Washington, has repented and asked for forgiveness.

Feucht took to Instagram Thursday to claim that a man who stole his guitar has been "wrecked" by God's love.

"[My associate] Dean was doing street ministry  when he ran into Zach who confessed to breaking into my car & stealing my guitar."

"He began showing videos of me leading worship & Zach began to repent & ask forgiveness," Feucht added. A picture of Dean playing Zach videos of Feucht leading worship accompanied the post.

Feucht triumphantly declared that "only God can write a story like this," insisting that God "takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it around!"

Additionally, Feucht invited Zach to his "Let Us Worship" event in Spokane next month to "pray over him and celebrate God's redemption." He encouraged his followers to "pray that Zach surrenders His life to Jesus and [the] story will be complete!!"

Feucht first indicated that one of his guitars had been stolen in a June 22 tweet.

"Our car was broken into and my guitar stolen from downtown Spokane last night," he wrote. "It was my '67 Ghallagher that was a gift from Ray Hughes. IRREPLACEABLE! Pray for Justice. Pray for our family. Pray against these constant attacks."

Our car was broken into and my guitar stolen from downtown Spokane last night. ????



It was my 67 Ghallager that was a gift from Ray Hughes. IRREPLACEABLE!!!



Pray for Justice. Pray for our family. Pray against these constant attacks.???????? pic.twitter.com/Weec2nlB1G  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 22, 2023

In addition to sharing an image of the damage sustained by his vehicle, Feucht urged the public to reach out to him if they saw the 1967 Ghallagher acoustic in a black case "showing up online, pawn shop or on the street." Three days later, Feucht got his guitar back as part of what he described as a "SUNDAY MIRACLE."

"It was turned in THIS MORNING after being stolen from my car," he noted on Twitter. He expressed gratitude for the prayers he had received for the guitar's return and clarified that the instrument was "traded in for dope then wound up in a pound shop," where a friend bought it back for him.

ITS SUNDAY MIRACLE: I got my guitar back!! ????????????



It was turned in THIS MORNING after being stolen from my car 5 days ago! Thank you for praying! ??????????????



Were gonna celebrate today in Oceanside!! GOD RESTORES!!! pic.twitter.com/AxSJSrIJnn  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 25, 2023

In a subsequent tweet posted on June 27, Feucht attributed the return of his guitar to his wife's decision to fast for a week. "My guitar is found THE NEXT DAY," he rejoiced.

So my wife feels led to fast for a week (after all the spiritual warfare we've gone through).



My guitar is found THE NEXT DAY.



My son miraculously gets into the school TODAY that we've been praying for (he was #5 on the list!).



Fasting and prayer BRINGS a breakthrough!  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 27, 2023

Feucht cited the return of his guitar as well as his son's acceptance into a school as evidence that "fasting and prayer BRINGS a breakthrough!" In addition to getting his beloved guitar back, Feucht asserted that "God replaced it with 2 new ones (both generously donated)" before proclaiming, "God always RESTORES back better!!"

Feucht's "Let Us Worship" event in Spokane, scheduled for Aug. 20, is one of several slated to take place this summer.

Feucht will also lead rallies in several other cities nationwide this summer.

This is word I am praying TODAY over the remaining cities this summer! ????????????????????



And in that place many believed in Jesus. - John 10:42



Providence, Rhode Island -July 14

Concord, New Hampshire - July 15

Montpelier, Vermont - July 16

Olympia, Washington - July 28th

Salem, Oregon  Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) July 8, 2023

Feucht, a former Bethel Music worship artist, gained widespread notoriety for hosting "Let Us Worship" rallies in the summer of 2020 as restrictions imposed by state and local governments to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented people from gathering for in-person church services and/or established strict restrictions on such services. He looked back on the movement he started in a series of tweets posted Sunday, the third anniversary of the first "Let Us Worship" event.

"3 YEARS AGO TODAY on the Golden Gate Bridge, a Gideon-sized army gathered to release a sound of BOLD WORSHIP over the nation. This was the beginning of #LetUsWorship," Feucht recalled in a tweet.

In another post, Feucht maintained that "the church does not wait for the government to tell us when and how to worship God," adding, "[We've] been doing this for 2000 years through pandemic, persecution & pushback."
Church of England working on guidance for blessing of same-sex unions

The Church of England is working on pastoral guidance after the denomination's recent vote to allow clergy to bless same-sex romantic relationships but not same-sex marriage amid pushback from both sides.

At the Church's General Synod on Saturday, the co-chairs of the steering group overseeing the guidance's implementation provided an update on the work regarding the new policy being created following the February vote to endorse plans for priests to offer prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

London Bishop Sarah Mullally and Truro Bishop Philip Mounstephen said draft work on the "Prayers of Love and Faith" will be ongoing for the next few months.

"We are very grateful to Synod Members for their thoughtful contributions today," said Mullally and Mounstephen in a statement Saturday.

"It has been good to hear their reflections, and we will take these away to feed into the concentrated drafting work that starts now. We look forward to reconvening in November."

According to their report to the General Synod, the "current phase of work seeks to implement the actions agreed in the motion, including refining the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) and developing Pastoral Guidance, together with setting up a Pastoral Consultative Group to take these elements forward beyond this phase of work."

A revised version of the prayers was shared with the House of Bishops in May and the College of Bishops in June based on feedback from Synod and members of the Prayers of Love and Faith working group.

Those tasked with working on the guidance have received 226 official responses to their proposals, 148 positive remarks and 78 negative.

According to the report, 60 of the respondents believe the "Prayers of Love and Faith" document sounded "too much like marriage," while 44 comments argued that the document's words "don't go far enough."

"It will be clear in the final version of the PLF that we want to provide a joyful opportunity to celebrate what is good and holy in a relationship," the report states. "The rubrics guiding the use of the prayers in context will make clear their distinction from the liturgies for Holy Matrimony."

The group hopes to "clear proposals for the House and College of Bishops to consider, both for the authorisation and/or commendation of the prayers and for providing effective reassurance" by the next General Synod meeting scheduled for November.

In February, bishops of the Church of England voted to endorse plans for priests to offer prayers of blessing for same-sex couples while at the same time maintaining the denomination's current stance that marriage is exclusively a union of one man and one woman.

The approved measure also included language calling for the Church of England to "lament and repent" for "the failure of the Church" to welcome LGBT individuals and for the "harm" LGBT communities "have experienced  and continue to experience  in churches."

The decision garnered backlash from many sources  from LGBT activists who believe that the proposal does not go far enough by maintaining a traditional definition of marriage to others who oppose the endorsement of same-sex unions.

The vote has also stirred outrage in many member churches of the global Anglican Communion, of which the Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury serves as "first among equals" of the members.

In April, at the Global Anglican Future Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda and attended by more than 1,300 people, including 300 bishops, conservative Anglicans passed a resolution denouncing the February vote and calling for a new center for the Communion.

"Public statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the Church of England in support of same-sex blessings are a betrayal of their ordination and consecration vows to banish error and to uphold and defend the truth taught in Scripture," stated the resolution, known as the Kigali Commitment.

"We consider that those who refuse to repent have abdicated their right to leadership within the Anglican Communion, and we commit ourselves to working with orthodox Primates and other leaders to reset the Communion on its biblical foundations."
Maya Forstater awarded over $136K after losing job for challenging trans ideology

Maya Forstater, a British tax consultant who lost her job after asserting that biological sex is immutable, has been awarded over $100,000 in damages after an Employment Tribunal found that she had suffered direct discrimination and victimization at the hands of her employer.

The court stated that Forstaters beliefs about biological sex were protected under national equality laws, The Christian Institute said, adding she was awarded 106,404 (about $136,000) after the Employment Tribunal ruled against the Centre for Global Development (CGD), her former employer.

The judges ruled that the CGD compared Forstaters beliefs to bigotry, used oppressive or high-handed conduct during the legal proceedings, and violated employment laws.

Forstater lost her job with the CGDs London office in 2019 after tweeting that biology determines whether people are male or female. She was also accused of using offensive and exclusionary language when she referred to a convicted rapist who identifies as trans as a man.

My case has exposed institutionalized discrimination against, and the routine abuse and smearing of, people with perfectly ordinary beliefs about the material reality of sex, Forstater was quoted as saying. She added that while the judgment offered some closure, it had significantly impacted her family.

After the initial dismissal, Judge James Tayler ruled against Forstater in December 2019, stating that she was absolutist in her view of sex. He commented that her approach was not worthy of respect in a democratic society. However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a government body in England and Wales, disagreed with Taylers decision and sided with Forstater at the time.

The commission contended that Taylers ruling at the Employment Tribunal had misinterpreted the law. It pointed out that the tribunal had wrongly made a value judgment on the validity of Forstaters belief. It further argued that there could not be a justifiable basis in law for distinguishing between religious or philosophical beliefs.

Forstater, whose situation elicited support worldwide, most notably from Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, promised at the time that she would challenge the ruling and had followed through, writing an essay in Medium that the implications of her case were profound.

Last month, the U.K.s lawmakers from various political parties urged the government to restrict the term sex in the Equality Act 2010 to biological sex.

Forstater, who is now the executive director of Sex Matters, said, We think that the only reading of the Equality Act that is consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights is one which maintains biological sex as a clear protected characteristic.

A spokesperson for CGD responded to the tribunals ruling, saying, CGD has and will continue to strive to maintain a workplace that is welcoming, safe, and inclusive to all. The resolution of this case will allow us once again to focus exclusively on our mission: reducing global poverty and inequality through economic research that drives better policy and practice.
Ambassador of Argentina to Korea Alfred Bascou, right, and Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyo-eun listen to Argentine and Korean national anthems during Argentina's Independence Day reception at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, July 6. Courtesy of Embassy of Argentina in Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The Embassy of Argentina in Korea hosted a celebration for Argentina's Independence Day, July 6.



This occasion marks the historic declaration of independence on July 9, 1816, which liberated the united provinces of the Rio de la Plata from the Spanish monarchy.



Argentine Ambassador to Korea Alfred Bascou reflected on Argentina's journey of independence and the global challenges both countries face, specifically climate change, during his speech at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.



"Our world is facing new challenges which are affecting human life in a very negative way. Today I would like to refer to one of them, which I believe is of the utmost importance, climate change," Bascou said.



The Argentine ambassador emphasized the importance of the global community continuing its collaborative efforts to address the complex, multidimensional challenges presented by climate change and the quest for carbon neutrality.



"In particular, Argentina and Korea can develop mutually valuable cooperation, which will strengthen the position of both countries towards a future in which renewable energies and critical minerals will have a broad impact in the dynamics of the world economy," he said.



"In this regard, last week, POSCO Holdings started the construction of its new lithium production plant in the Salar del Hombre Muerto in the north of our country, which will have a production capacity of 25,000 tons per year in 2025," he added, highlighting an example of cooperation between Korea and Argentina in tackling climate change.



Bascou also expressed gratitude, as this was his final celebration of Argentina's Independence Day in Korea before his ambassadorial tenure concludes in July.





Two dancers tango during Argentina's Independence Day reception at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, July 6. Courtesy of Embassy of Argentina in Korea
'Ozark' actress Laura Linney on how 'The Miracle Club' highlights power of forgiveness, spiritual healing

At a time when cancel culture has made the concept of forgiveness all but obscure, The Miracle Club, which follows four Irish women on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, highlights the reality that true healing can only come through reconciliation, mercy and relationship.

Set in 1967 Ireland, "The Miracle Club" follows three generations of close friends living in the Dublin community of Ballygar. Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey) share a common dream: to win a life-changing pilgrimage to the sacred town of Lourdes, renowned for its miracles and drawing millions of faithful devotees annually.

Seizing an unexpected opportunity, the women set out on their quest, each eager to find healing for various ailments: Eileen has a potentially cancerous lump in her breast, Lily is seeking inner peace after meddling in her late sons life, and Dolly desperately wants her mute son to speak.

But the trio is unexpectedly joined by Chrissie (Laura Linney), who arrives in Ballygar for her estranged mother's funeral. Chrissie is grappling with her own wounds, having been banished to America several decades earlier. As the four women embark on the transformative journey, their well-laid plans face a series of unforeseen challenges, stirring up long-forgotten wounds that demand resolution.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Linney, whose impressive career has included award-winning roles in television, film and theater, reflected on forgiveness as a central theme in the film  something she believes is lacking in today's society.

Relationships are not always easy; they're particularly not easy when secrets are involved or when there's a sense of betrayal, particularly when people are young, she said. When you've been wounded by betrayal or secrecy as a young person, it molds and influences the rest of your life.

So, the fact that this story deals with a woman who dealt with all of that and then was able to reconcile with the people who she was so wounded by is very unusual, Linney continued. I doubt it happens as much as I would like it to, but I certainly believe that it's possible. There is something very moving about being healed, emotionally and spiritually healed.

Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, religion  more specifically, Catholicism  plays a central theme in The Miracle Club. Every year, it's estimated that more than 3 million pilgrims visit Lourdes in search of a miracle. According to a 2022 CBS 60 Minutes report, over the last 160 years, bishops from the Catholic church have recognized 70 medical miracles connected to The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Linney said she was previously unfamiliar with the Lourdes phenomenon: It was interesting to see from a cultural point of view what Lourdes is, she said. Its many things: Its a spiritual home, for many, it's a place for reflection and absolution and redemption. And then it's also a commercial venture, with gift shops, things being sold there, tchotchkes here and there. Its a fascinating place to learn about.

While acknowledging the reality of physical healing, The Miracle Club highlights how miracles arent always grandiose or tangible. Theyre often subtle, seen in the mending of a seemingly irrevocably broken relationship or the healing of deep, unseen wounds.

And while the film delves into themes of faith and miracles, it also acknowledges the complexities of life and the realization that miracles don't always unfold as desired. It's in these moments, it reveals, that faith is truly tested.

Sometimes heartbreak is a good thing, Linney said. Sometimes you don't get what you want and it's really for the best, and you just can't see it until you're in the place where you're supposed to be. You can look back at the relationships that failed with someone you wished you had married, and then 10 years later, when you're happily married to someone else, you think, Oh, thank God. I'm very lucky that didn't work out. But at the time, you're heartbroken and you can't see it.

Linney is no stranger to mastering female characters navigating intricate emotional landscapes, from starring as Elizabeth Proctor in Broadways The Crucible to the steely Wendy Byrde in the crime drama "Ozark." Similarly, "The Miracle Club" presents a strong and nuanced portrayal of women, highlighting their resilience in the face of difficult circumstances.

The actress described The Miracle Club as a period piece, highlighting the challenges women faced during the '60s, serving as a reminder of the progress women have made. As a mother herself, Linney said she found resonance in the film's exploration of the complexities and guilt that mothers often experience.

Being a mother has been one of the greatest things that that I've ever been able to do, she said, adding shes thankful for the progress made in valuing women and providing resources to help them navigate the challenges of parenthood.

She expressed hope that viewers, especially women and young girls, will see the close-knit bonds between female friends and the support they can provide one another, whatever their stage of life.

I hope viewers see how close women can become, how much they support each other and help each other and how much we rely on each other, she said. There is certainly a sense of community within the female friends that you have. Those friendships are extremely tight and extremely close and very, very profound for your life.

Though billed as a comedy, The Miracle Club is pensive at turns, grappling with difficult issues including abortion, death and illness. Its rated PG-13 for language and mature themes. But at its core, the films message of overcoming adversity and the power of forgiveness and human connection is supremely relevant.

I think there is something satisfying about watching a bad situation become better, Linney said. Wherever I look, there are bad situations all over the place, and you have a sense of, What in the world is going to happen to us? It is encouraging, I think, to see that the connections between human beings can be powerful, and you can work through what you don't think you could ever work through.

The Miracle Club opens in theaters on July 14.
Man charged with hate crime after toppling Virgin Mary statue at Buffalo church

A man who was recorded toppling a statue of the Virgin Mary at the St. Rose of Lima Church in Buffalo, New York, has been arrested and charged with a hate crime.

The Buffalo Police Department announced in a news release Sunday, that they arrested 40-year-old Michael Manns and charged him with one count of criminal mischief in the third degree, designated as a hate crime, which is a class D felony, as well as criminal mischief in the third degree, a class E felony.

Manns arrest comes less than two weeks after the June 28 attack on the church which detectives say was targeted and led to him being charged with a hate crime. He was allegedly recorded in a security video cited by WIVB climbing on the statue and pushing it into a bush.

Northwest officers responded to a call after a man was seen knocking over the statue of Mary and leaving the scene. Northwest district detectives immediately began an investigation, and a suspect was identified. During the course of the investigation it was learned the church was specifically targeted, elevating the crime to a hate crime, the Buffalo Police Department said in their statement.

A designated hate crime in New York state is defined as a traditional offense that is motivated by bias.

A person commits a hate crime when one of a specified set of crimes is committed targeting a victim because of a perception or belief regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct, explains the states website. These crimes can target an individual, a group of individuals or public or private property.

A person convicted of a Class D felony could be imprisoned for up to seven years, while a Class E felony carries a jail term of up to four years in jail.

Officials at St. Rose of Lima Church were not immediately available to comment on the attack at the church and Manns subsequent arrest when contacted by The Christian Post on Monday.

Three days before Buffalo Police Department announced the charges against Mann, however, members of the church held a prayer vigil around the statue which was repositioned after Manns first attack.

For those of you who haven't heard through various Facebook posts, someone knocked over the Blessed Mother statue at St. Rose of Lima last week, the church said in a statement on July 5. In solidarity, people have reached out from other parishes, and we have decided to hold a rosary hour around the Blessed Mother.
Our Father in Lords Prayer is problematic for some, says Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has suggested that the word Father in the Lords Prayer can be distressing for some individuals, particularly victims of abuse or those who've suffered under oppressive patriarchy. Cottrell's comments have drawn the ire of some Christians who view his comments as a direct rebuke of Jesus Christ.

The Lords Prayer, the words spoken by Jesus Christ Himself teaching his disciples how followers are to pray, is found in Matthew 6:5-13, and it reads:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Cottrell made this statement during a speech at the General Synod of the Church of England in York, the UK Times reported. He emphasized that using Our Father can be disturbing for those with abusive fathers and those who suffered under an oppressively patriarchal grip on life.

If this God to whom we pray is father ... then those of us who say this prayer together, are sisters and brothers, family members, the household of God, Cottrell said. He elaborated that the visible divisions among Christians, including across different denominations, are detrimental to the promotion of the Gospel.

This statement, which can be read in full here, adds to the ongoing discourse around the gendering of God through the exclusive use of male terms in religious contexts.

According to The Telegraph, this discussion became a point of contention during the previous Synod in February, when proposals were made to consider a project on gendered language referencing God.

Responses to the archbishops comments are varied within the CofE denomination.

Canon Dr. Chris Sugden, a former Synod member, questioned the archbishops intentions, asking if he is implying that Jesus was incorrect or lacked pastoral awareness. He suggested that individuals with challenging relationships with their earthly father should rediscover the true nature of fatherhood through Christ.

Dr. Ian Paul, a Synod member, supported the archbishop, saying that many find the language of father difficult. But he added, God is a good and loving father, so we need to continue to use this language whilst being aware of and alert to the pastoral issues.

The Rev. Christina Rees, a former Synod member and campaigner for female bishops, praised the archbishop for identifying a really live issue. She said that for some, the term father is complex due to layers of abuse from birth fathers and local priests, known as fathers in God.

She questioned the belief system that implies that male human beings bear the image of God more fully and accurately than women. Rees said the long-standing use of father and its effect on people in the church has led to a stalemate situation.

Meanwhile, many conservative Christians have expressed their disapproval, accusing the archbishop of prioritizing cultural cues over Scripture. In contrast, progressive Christian members and feminist clergy within the CofE have voiced their agreement with the archbishops stance on the issue.
Is math racist?

Few subjects seem less political than math. There is little room for subjective judgment because its truths are universal. No matter what you look like or where youre from or how you feel about it, two plus two will always equal four, and the area of a circle will always be  r. Math is so objective, in fact, some scientists have theorized that prime numbers could offer the basis of communication with supposed intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos.

However, even if aliens know that math has no racial or gender bias, some educators on Earth seem to think otherwise. Even amid plummeting math scores in the latest Nations Report Card data, a growing chorus of progressive voices insists that racism and sexism are the biggest problems we face in how to teach math.

A couple years ago, in an article in the Scientific American, Rachel Crowell complained about the racial and gender disparities among those who make a career out of mathematics. She pointed out, for instance, that fewer than 1% of doctorates in math are awarded to African Americans and that only 29.1% were awarded to women. More mathematicians, she writes, have been pushing to discuss these issues and force the field to confront the racism, sexism and other harmful bias it sometimes harbors.

Though, undoubtedly, examples of identity-group bias in all fields exist, Crowell chose to root her complaint in intangibles: Math doctorates are not earned or received or completed; they are awarded, a word choice that not so subtly reinforces her conclusion that something about math education is racist.

Writing at Newsweek, Jason Rantz cited examples of public schools teaching students that math itself, and the way it has always been taught, is oppressive. In Seattle, recently introduced guidelines for K-12 math teachers in several pilot schools claim that mathematical knowledge has been appropriated by Western culture and that math has been and continues to be used to oppress and marginalize people and communities of color.

In 2021, Oregons Department of Education introduced a new toolkit called A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction, created by what Rantz calls a coalition of left-wing educators. The toolkit promises an integrated approach to mathematics that centers Black, Latinx, and [m]ultilingual students in grades 6-8. It also warns teachers that [t]he concept of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false, and that [u]pholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuates objectivity as well as fear of open conflict.

This ideological trend in which everything is read through lenses of oppression and victimhood is not isolated in extreme, left-wing enclaves but has become widespread in education. Given the Critical Theory mood inflicting Western culture today, it is only likely to grow in the coming years.

One of the many problems with this obsession with racism and oppression in math is that it inevitably leaves students worse at math. In the case of the Seattle pilot schools, for example, performance among black students in the state math exam plummeted after implementing the woke curriculum. Bad ideas with good intentions are still bad ideas. In an effort to empower students, they are instead radically disempowered.

The wonder of mathematics lies precisely in its objectivity, as Melissa Cain Travis describes in Thinking Gods Thoughts, in the miraculous way that math corresponds to and describes the world around us. In her book, Travis chronicles how the beauty and objectivity of numbers led 16th century German astronomer Johannes Kepler to discover the three laws of planetary motion and to correctly describe the structure of our solar system. Kepler, as much a student of God as he was a scientist, believed that the truths of numbers were eternal, existing eternally in the mind of God and structuring all of reality. Our minds  as beings made in Gods image  are uniquely suited to unlock those mysteries.

Students who are taught that answers to algebra problems depend on the color of their skin and that calculus professors are oppressors are not only not going to unlock the mysteries of the universe, but they will also believe what is not true about who they are and the world in which they live. Woke educators may hope to liberate students. But by depriving them of objective truths they are subjugating them to bad ideas. Its a tragically ironic and disastrous miscalculation.

Originally published at BreakPoint.
Battle over ownership of Ukrainian monastery heats up again

Orthodox Christians who support their church's historic ties to Moscow prevented the Ukrainian government from taking possession of several buildings at the Monastery of the Caves complex in Kyiv on 4 July, with dozens of protesters surrounding the entrance and blocking officials from entering.

The fate of the 1,000-year-old Pechersk Lavra complex has been in question since Russia's invasion in February 2022 brought increased scrutiny on Ukrainian Orthodox Church clergy, some of whom were accused of spying on behalf of the invaders. Though the UOC has condemned the Russian invasion and declared full administrative independence from Moscow in 2022, it has remained suspect for maintaining what its leaders call a "spiritual tie" to Moscow.

Both Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Christians trace their Slavic Christian roots to a mass baptism in 10th-century Kyiv and claim a special connection to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

In March 2023, the Ukrainian government, which has owned the monastery since the collapse of the U.S.S.R., did not renew the UOC's lease. The Ukrainian Culture Ministry threatened to evict some 700 UOC monks, as well as students and staff at the UOC's main theological academy and a state museum on the grounds and workers at the site's cathedral and other churches.

Though some have left voluntarily, moving to other UOC monasteries to avoid the commotion and media attention, many have defiantly remained. "We're still in the Lavra against all odds," Nikodim Kalonger, a UOC deacon who lives at the monastery, told Religion News Service. "It's our home. We built it to live forever in it."

The lease termination allowed the rival independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, widely recognized in 2019 and associated with Ukrainian nationalism, to celebrate Easter in the cathedral for the first time since Ukraine's independence.

On Tuesday, Maxim Ostapenko, a specialist in protecting historical monuments and the government's acting general director of the site, told Ukrainian Orthodox media that representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were notified of the plan to seal off buildings not being used for religious purposes. He said the UOC representatives had agreed to grant access to the buildings.

A lawyer for the UOC, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, said in a statement on Telegram that the commission's move to seal off the buildings is illegal because a court case over the UOC's eviction is ongoing.

"Under the circumstances set forth, the eviction of the monks, the groundless sealing and restriction of access to the premises contain signs of a criminal offense  arbitrariness," Chekman said.

In its own statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture asked the police to "take preventative measures" against the unknown people who blocked access to the buildings, which had until recently housed workshops where monks make icons and vestments used in religious services. Kalonger said the buildings should be considered religious spaces because they supply the church with necessary items and provide income to the monks, who sell items to pilgrims.

At noon on Wednesday, hundreds gathered to pray outside the buildings, Kalonger said.

The fight over the monastery reflects the larger split between the UOC and OCU, both of which claim they are the largest Orthodox church in Ukraine. Data on individual parish loyalties is difficult to verify. In April, Metropolitan Vladyka Anthony, chancellor of the UOC, told RNS that parishes switching between the two groups had led to violence among their members and priests.

"We have a war now and people are closing down churches, split between which are loyal and unloyal," Anthony said at the time. "This does not help the unification of Ukrainians. How can a soldier fight for Ukraine when he knows his mother is getting beaten up for attending UOC?"

In December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a law had been drafted that could have banned UOC activities, but it was never adopted, evidence that Maksym Vasin, executive director of the Institute for Religious Freedom in Ukraine, offered as proof that the Ukrainian government had not to that point violated the religious freedom of the UOC.

But Metropolitan Pavlo, the former abbot of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, has been under house arrest since April 1 for charges of inciting religious enmity and denying Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and particular priests and hierarchs have been accused of spreading Russian propaganda justifying the war, among other crimes.

 Religion News Service
Christian social worker takes legal action over withdrawn job offer

An employment tribunal is this week hearing the case of a Christian social worker who says his job offer was withdrawn unless he agreed to "embrace and promote" LGBTQ+ rights.

Felix Ngole, 45, applied via Touchstone Support for the position of a mental health support worker at Wakefield Hospital.

After being offered the job, he was told that his Christian beliefs did not "align" with Touchstone's as an "inclusive employer" and that he posed a risk to the organisation's reputation, according to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is supporting his case.

CLC said that the change of heart came after Touchstone learned of Ngole's 2019 landmark court victory in his case against the University of Sheffield. The court ruled that Ngole had been unlawfully removed from a postgraduate social work course at the university for describing homosexuality as a sin in a Facebook post.

Informing him about the withdrawal of the job offer, Touchstone said it had "identified some significant areas for concern regarding your suitability for both the role and Touchstone as an organisation".

The email cited his "very strong views against homosexuality and same sex marriage, which completely go against the views of Touchstone, an organisation committed to actively promoting and supporting LGBTQ+ rights".

Ngole is claiming discrimination, harassment and compensation for injury to feelings and a recommendation from the tribunal that Touchstone amends its recruitment procedures to ensure that Christians are not excluded from its workforce.

Speaking ahead of the hearing at Leeds Employment Tribunal this week, Mr Ngole said he would not deny his faith in order to get a job.

"The reasons they gave for withdrawing the job offer were an attack on me and my faith. They made it seem that 100 per cent of the people I would be helping would be LGBT, and that I had to pledge allegiance to the LGBT flag and forget about my Christian beliefs," he said.

"It is untenable for employers to be allowed to discriminate against Christian beliefs in this way and to force individuals to promote an ideology that goes against their conscience in the workplace.

"There was no mutual respect, and no tolerance and inclusion of me and my beliefs whatsoever.

"If we get to the point where if you don't celebrate and support LGBT you can't have a job, then every Christian out there doesn't have a future. You can study as much as you like, but you will not have a chance.

"The UK is no longer the country I heard about all those years ago when fleeing Cameroon. The UK then was a bastion of free speech and expression.

"I have no choice but to pursue justice again because if this is happening to me it will be happening to Christians and individuals from all beliefs and backgrounds across the country."

CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said: "Telling an employee that they must 'embrace and promote' homosexuality as a condition of employment sets a dark and troubling precedent. If left unchallenged it would see Christians who manifest their beliefs barred from working in the NHS and other institutions.

"What we see here is the confident totalitarianism of an organisation that has been captured by Stonewall and will do anything to keep their Stonewall ranking as high as possible.

"Viewpoint discrimination is escalating in the UK at an alarming rate. We have seen in the recent cases of high street banks denying Christians and free speech advocates the right to a bank account how far organisations captured by Stonewall are prepared to go. Anyone who does not comply and celebrate LGBT ideology must become a 'non-person.'

"The Court of Appeal judgment in Felix's case against the University of Sheffield was a major development of the law and must be upheld and respected in current and future Christian freedom cases."
Confusion to commission: do we accept God's plans for us?

The story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 is a bit strange. Humankind is on the move but then a decision is taken, in unity, to settle and build a city with a great tower. God sees what is happening and the people are cast into confusion as they are scattered around the world.

At least four times in previous chapters of the Bible, God clearly commands people to be fruitful, multiple and fill the earth (Gen 1v28, 8v17, 9v1, 9v7). People, being created in God's image as the pinnacle of His creation, are to bear His image, make Him known and reflect His glory in His world.

But the people had another plan.

They chose to stay put. To build a tower and to make a name for themselves. "We want to be safe and connected. We want to be in control of our own lives and destiny  we don't need God!"

The problem was the people had rejected God and His plans and purpose for them. They rebelled against God and failed to embrace their calling to be His image bearers.

Do we as God's people today better understand and embrace our calling to make God known by pointing people to God's perfect 'image bearer' Jesus Christ?

A recent survey suggests that we do not!

Today, less than 33% of Christians believe that the primary purpose of Church mission work is to share the Christian faith among those who don't know or haven't heard of Jesus. That's 1 out of every 3 followers of Jesus not accepting that our calling is to make God known in His world. Further, nearly half of all UK Christians (42%) told us that they do not feel confident explaining the message of the Gospel.

God has made His plans and purpose clear. We are created in His image (Gen 1v27) and commissioned to fulfil His mission and make Him known. Jesus reminded his friends that this is God's plan that we are to bear or reflect God's image to a broken and hurting world (Mt 5v16, Mt 28v19-20).

However, it would seem, sadly, that this story in Genesis 11, of people choosing confusion (for that's what Babel means) over God's purpose for them to bear His image, is reflective of many people's lives today.

We may feel we have moved from confusion to salvation, but is it possible that we too often still experience confusion and uncertainty in life because we, as followers of Jesus Christ, have failed to embrace the purpose and commission that comes with our salvation?

Do our lives betray the reality that we are too often more interested in settling, building our own lives and 'making a name for ourselves' than allowing God to build and bring glory to His name?

Back in Genesis, God called people to be on the move. We too are called to not settle, but to bear His image. To make known His love, His mercy, His justice and His compassion. We reflect and bring glory to God when we care for the marginalised, the poor, the homeless, the unloved, the lonely and the confused. In this way His Kingdom comes, and His will is done.

At OM, we have seen people from all walks of life from all over the world make the journey from confusion to commission. In Botswana, we met Wawa, a young believer who worked as an assistant teacher in a primary school. He loved God, but he was unsure about his purpose in God's plan.

Wawa said: "I knew nothing about sharing God's love with others, but once I got involved in OM, I heard more and more about the least reached and the great need of God's love around the world. There are countless opportunities to share what you believe, to get involved in different kinds of ministries, to learn, to grow, and to be challenged."

As followers of Jesus, do we need to re-embrace our calling and purpose and encourage others to do the same? Is there a need for repentance and the fresh, daily filling of the Holy Spirit so that we are empowered to witness (Acts 1v8), make disciples and reflect God's image to a broken and hurting world?

Let's refuse to settle in a place of confusion, and embrace the high calling, purpose and Great Commission to which we are called.
'Exceptionally radical': UN report says anti-LGBT religious beliefs not protected human rights

(CP) A key adviser for the United Nations suggested in a recent report that "discriminatory positions of prejudice" are not protected by religious freedom rights, a report one advocacy group said could have "exceptionally radical" implications for Bible-believing Christians.

Costa Rican lawyer Victor Madrigal-Borloz, whose official title is "Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity" for the UN, made the statement in a presentation to the UN Human Rights Council on June 21.

In his report to the council, Madrigal-Borloz blamed "religious communities" for "violence, discrimination and exclusion" toward gays, lesbians, bisexual and trans-identified people.

After receiving testimony from various LGBT-identified people over the last six years, Madrigal-Borloz said he frequently came across similar situations in which someone who wished to "pursue happiness by embracing their sexual orientation or gender identity" was deterred by the prospect that "the religion in which they were born would consider them as sinful, or evil; as inherently immoral, or not worthy of transcendence."

In one of the report's more targeted allegations, Madrigal-Borloz also referenced "dark corners where LGBT people are regarded as sinners," an obvious reference to the biblical teaching of various Christian denominations.

He also blamed such theology for aiding in the denial of the "right to equality" for LGBT-identified people.

"Laws enacted with the aim of mandating standards of conduct purportedly demanded by interpretations of religious dogma effectively deny [LGBT] and other gender diverse persons the right to equality and, often, equal recognition under the law," he wrote.

Madrigal-Borloz equated "hate speech" against LGBT-identified people with "positing [LGBT individuals] as a threat to the traditional family, and interpreting religious doctrines to exclude and promote violence and discrimination against homosexuality and gender nonconformity."

Religious freedoms, he added, are not adequate legal protection for anyone who uses their beliefs for not only violence but also "denial of the human rights of LGBT persons."

"Violent and discriminatory positions of prejudice are beyond the international legal protections of religious or other beliefs," he said.

Madrigal-Borloz is the same UN adviser who, in 2020, called for an international ban on so-called "conversion therapy," which is already banned in several US states.

While the report does not establish any new UN policy or guidelines, the Office of Independent Expert  which works on a voluntary basis  acts as the "eyes and ears" of the body and presents recommendations based on its findings.

Arielle Del Turco, the director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the socially conservative advocacy organization Family Research Council and co-author of Heroic Faith: Hope Amid Global Persecution, called the report "staggering" and warned it could potentially lay the groundwork for more religious interference from the UN.

While purporting to address violence against LGBT-identified groups, Del Turco said the report does not speak to violence but rather "the failure of religious groups to affirm LGBT identity or behaviour."

"So by the UN independent expert making this report and supposedly trying to find a way for LGBT rights and religious freedom to coexist, we see even that at the very core of the report is a huge elevation for LGBT rights," she told The Christian Post.

"And so for [the U.N. adviser], that's a real problem, and he's trying to get religious groups on board for affirming these identities and behaviours."

Another troubling issue, Del Turco said, is that with this report, the UN appears to be acting as a theological or ideological authority for the religions of the world.

"Essentially, this UN expert is telling religious groups that we ourselves are interpreting our own religions incorrectly, and actually, our religions probably do affirm some of these LGBT behaviours, do affirm gender ideology," she said. "That is exceptionally radical."

Del Turco said much of what is at stake here is not merely religious freedom, but freedom of speech.

She pointed to one section of the UN report titled "hate speech and incitement", which includes a discussion on how religious communities discuss LGBT topics.

"For example, when Christian communities talk about sin, according to their reading of the Bible, that's a problem to these LGBT activists who are now running the United Nations," she said.

"I think this is just a recipe for more and more religious freedom violations around the world."

 The Christian Post
Researchers use AI to help translate Bible into very rare languages

Out of the 7,100 languages that exist, the Bible has been translated into more than 700, making it the most-translated book in the world. Yet, those remaining languages  many of them extremely rare  have vexed Bible translators for decades. Two scientists are looking to new advancements in artificial intelligence to help close the gap.

"We want to reach all the languages on earth; the goal is to reach everyone," said Joel Mathew, a research engineer who alongside Ulf Hermjakob recently launched the Greek Room, an AI-powered technology to help streamline the highly technical process of biblical translation.

Combining Hermjakob's long experience with natural language processing technologies and Mathew's field knowledge of Bible translation, the two USC Information Sciences Institute researchers developed the technology with an aim to target "very low-resource languages that are not even in the top 500," said Mathew.

The Greek Room includes three main tools: spell-checking, world alignment that ensures consistency in translation, and Wildebeest, used to detect improper characters in a script.

The two scientists met in 2015 when Mathew joined USC to complete a master's degree in computer science. There, he met Hermjakob in the AI division of the Information Sciences Institute. They bonded over a shared passion for languages and their Christian faith.

Mathew, the son of two Bible translators, has observed firsthand the difficulties that come with manual translation by local church members. In his hometown, New Delhi, he took notes of all the tasks that technology could accomplish.

Spell-checking usually requires many people and time, he explained. In the context of translation into rare languages, only local church members are qualified and they don't have technology to back their work.

"These are not trivial problems; these are very hard problems. But big companies are not interested in solving them; it's not their business model to target very rare languages," he said.

When Mathew shared with him some of the problems Indian translators faced on the ground, Hermjakob jumped at the occasion.

"I always had this feeling to know how, at some point, I could apply my skills to my faith," said Hermjakob, who earned a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Texas.

With their project, Mathew and Hermjakob want to work on languages that do not even have a written system, grammar codes, dictionaries or spell-checkers.

"We are thinking of languages like Uyghur or Oromo (Oromo is spoken in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya)," said Hermjakob.

Recently, they have been approached by an Indian consultant specifically interested in the spell-checking and world-alignment tool for Bible translation in Kolami, a language spoken in western India that counts 130,000 native speakers.

The Greek Room also hopes to change the traditional model of Bible translation. Historically, translations were done by Western missionaries, who could only work on two languages at most in their lifetime, explained Hermjakob. With the Greek Room, the two researchers encourage a local church-driven model.

"Local churches and local language communities are asking for translations of the Bible in their heart language," explained Mathew, adding that in a multilingual context, the heart language is the one in which people express their deepest feelings and is usually their native language.

This first version of the Greek Room focuses on quality control so translators can prioritize other tasks that require more judgment, like finding a way to translate a concept that doesn't exist in a given language. In their next version, the two researchers want the tool to suggest better translations.

Now that their codes and data are available on GitHub, they hope other users will integrate their research into their tools and innovate further.

Their initiative, supported by the Wycliffe Bible Translators USA organisation, is part of a broader programme directed by Every Tribe, Every Nation that hopes to make the Scripture available in every language by 2033.

 Religion News Service
Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun, second from right, joins ministers of eight African countries for a press briefing on the K-rice belt project in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap



Korea launched the "K-rice belt" initiative with eight African nations Monday to provide them with quality rice varieties and share its farming know-how, ensuring their sustainable food security, the agriculture ministry said.



As part of Seoul's official development assistance (ODA), the project calls for supplying high-yield rice varieties and agricultural machines, helping Africa build irrigation and other necessary facilities, and sharing experiences and technologies regarding crop cultivation and distribution.



For the implementation, Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with eight African nations  Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya and Guinea Bissau  in Seoul earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.



The initiative aims to harvest some 2,000 tons of rice varieties in Africa this year, with the figure rising to over 10,000 tons combined per year starting in 2027, a level enough to feed around 30 million people in the underdeveloped nations annually, it added.



In 2020, African nations consumed 301.16 million tons of rice but only produced 210.54 million tons amid the lack of necessary infrastructure and technologies and poor crop yields.



"We signed an MOU with the respective nation to better meet each nation's specific needs given unique circumstances and to achieve tangible results. This goes beyond simple food aid as we seek to let them know how to grow crops on their own," Minister Chung Hwang-keun said during a press briefing.





This photo shows Korea's Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun, center, visiting Guinea to discuss cooperation on food and the agriculture sector, June 27. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he and his wife Kim Keon Hee disembark the presidential jet at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, Monday (local time). Yonhap









By Nam Hyun-woo







VILNIUS  President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Lithuania, Monday (local time), to attend the 2023 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and a slew of diplomatic meetings. Yoon's itinerary includes talks with the Japanese prime minister, during which he will likely demonstrate his administration's position on the safety of Tokyo's plan to release treated wastewater from its damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.







Yoon will kick off his six-day trip to Lithuania and Poland by attending the NATO summit in Vilnius as the leader of an observer country. He will then fly to Poland on Wednesday for an official visit, which will include a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda.







According to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, Yoon will partake in bilateral summits with the leaders of Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Estonia, Slovakia, Finland, Lithuania and Japan on the sidelines of the NATO event.







He will also meet NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and preside over four-way talks of NATO's Asia-Pacific partner countries, called AP4 which comprises Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.







President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21. Yonhap





The summit with Kishida, the sixth of its kind between the two leaders, is gaining the most attention among Yoon's planned events.






NATO's outreach in Asia exposes US' selfishness; will further divide group

14:41, July 10, 2023 By Zhao Yusha ( Global Times

Japan, the first feeder of NATO in Asia. Cartoon: Vitaly Podvitski

Rifts within the NATO alliance over the potential expansion of the bloc's presence in Asia Pacific ahead of the NATO summit next week have been exposed by strong opposition from French President Emmanuel Macron. Chinese experts believe NATO's intention to extend its tentacles into Asia Pacific region not only exposes the selfish purpose of the US, which plays a central role in the alliance, to impose its own hegemonic intention over other NATO members' interests, but will further divide the group as in Europe, France may not stand alone in its opposition.

This year marks the second consecutive year that leaders from both Japan and South Korea will attend the summit. Observers see it as a sign that the two countries are seeking closer ties to better coordinate Washington's strategic moves to contain China. Such a "short-sighted" move will surely trigger China's strong opposition and result in regional countries' heightened vigilance.

NATO leaders will meet in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania from Tuesday to Wednesday. This summit is earmarked as a moment for making progress on the plan to open a liaison office in Japan, which would represent the organization's first outpost in the region.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is scheduled to participate in the summit for the second year in a row, will use the opportunity to stress the need for relations between Japan and NATO to be stronger, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday.

NATO allies are in discussion about a possible statement with four Indo-Pacific countries - Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand - that would set out deeper cooperation and reiterate that security in Europe is interlinked with security in the region, Bloomberg quoted a senior European diplomat as saying on Saturday.

However, according to a report from Politico, Macron has voiced strong opposition, expressing concerns that opening a liaison office in Japan would shift NATO's focus too far from its original mandate in the North Atlantic.

"We are not in favor as a matter of principle," stated an official from the Elysee Palace during a press briefing on Friday. The official further emphasized that the Japanese authorities themselves have not expressed significant interest in the proposed office.

Chinese experts said that French opposition may postpone NATO's move, but it may not be able to deter the alliance's growing tendency of getting more involved in Asia-Pacific matters.

There is a wide consensus within NATO that the alliance should focus primarily on transatlantic security. However, to serve its global hegemonic purpose, the US, who takes center stage of the alliance, is pushing for the organization to shift to the Asia-Pacific region, mainly to contain China, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The US and other NATO members are divided over whether to expand its role in Asia, said Li, pointing out that amid the background of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, some European countries are worried that such a move will dilute the organization' attention on the crisis.

Speaking during a special session at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month, NATO's assistant secretary-general for defense policy and planning Angus Lapsley said that the alliance does not wish to operate or expand in the Indo-Pacific, but it wants to be involved and engaged in the region to gain a better understanding of happenings in this part of the world, the Straits Times reported.

Pushing NATO to extend its role into Asia Pacific not only exposes the US' selfishness of imposing its own hegemonic goals over other members' national security, it will also risk dividing the alliance, as some NATO members may be reluctant to follow suit, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.

It would be a "very hostile move" to open a liaison office in Japan, Chinese experts said. The discussion comes at a time when the US is seeking to keep high-level communication lines open with China as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just concluded her visit to China, who noted that the US does not seek to "decouple" from China.

At the same time that US politicians are uttering sweet words to assure China that US is not to seek decoupling from Beijing, on the other hand, it is sparing no effort to marshal its allies to counter China in the region. These self-contradictory moves are deeply disturbing, Li said. He noted that these actions reveal a lack of sincerity and credibility by Washington to fix China-US relations.

US vassals

Leaders from South Korea and Japan will hold a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania next week, South Korea's presidential office said on Sunday.

Similar to Japan's eagerness to welcome NATO to expand to Asia Pacific, South Korea, which is leaning more closely toward the US, is also allying itself closer to US-led small cliques in order to counter China.

Song pointed out that a meeting between Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to further mend disputes between two countries and forge closer military ties to better serve Washington's goal of a trilateral alliance in the region. However, Song said different from Japan's taking proactive gesture of welcoming NATO, South Korea to some extent has been hijacked by the US to serve the latter's interest.

In January, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of NATO, urged South Korea to "step up" military support for Ukraine, citing other governments that have changed their policies on exporting weapons to Ukraine. Ever since the start of the Ukraine war, pressure has been building on Seoul to send its arms to Kiev, from the US, UK and EU member states.

Lu Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, described South Korea and Japan's attaching themselves to the US' chariot as a "short-sighted and dangerous" move, as standing at the front line of US containment of China will also put themselves on the front line of China's countermeasures.

Moreover, inviting extraterritorial military alliances into the Asia-Pacific region arouses heightened vigilance by regional countries, which crave stability, Lu said.

Speaking in June at a graduation ceremony for students, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "NATO only exists in the West, and now it seems to be involved in the Asia-Pacific region in various activities, bringing concerns for ASEAN," Cambodian media reported.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
New Korea International Cooperation Agency head Chang Won-sam speaks during his inauguration event at the agency's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of Korea International Cooperation Agency



Chang Won-sam, a former career diplomat, was inaugurated as the new head of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on Monday for a three-year term.



Chang, a former secretary general of the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF), took office as the 14th president of agency to succeed Sohn Hyuk-sang, who quit last December.



Having entered the foreign service in 1984, Chang served in a wide range of key diplomatic posts, including as ambassador to Sri Lanka, the consul general in New York and the chief negotiator in defense cost-sharing negotiations with the United States.



He retired from the foreign ministry in December 2021 and then served as the secretary general of the NAHF.



"Amid a rapidly changing international environment, I will reinforce KOICA in taking a leap forward as an eminent development cooperation organization in line with our foreign policy goal of the Global Pivotal State," Chang said in his inauguration speech at the agency's headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)


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Ukrainian servicemen of the 57th Kost Hordiienko Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade prepare to fire a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a position near the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, July 5. Reuters-Yonhap



South Korea has dispatched a military transport aircraft to send additional military supplies to Ukraine, a defense official here said Monday.



The defense ministry made the decision to provide the supplies at Kyiv's request, the official said, noting that Seoul has offered humanitarian and military logistics support to help "defend Ukraine's freedom."



"We decided to send additional military supplies in consideration of Ukraine's request, and have sent a military transport aircraft to transport related materials," the official said without elaborating on the plane's destination and other details.



The move came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for Lithuania on Monday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit later this week, where the protracted war in Ukraine is expected to be a prominent agenda item.



South Korea has sent various forms of nonlethal aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion but has rejected Kyiv's requests for lethal weapons. (Yonhap)




The company ended up going with an alternate product that performed the same tasks much better, for much less. The executive in question did not resign, but he was forced to publicly apologize. He was later fired for other reasons.

The moral of this story is that vendors sell sizzle, CIOs buy substance, says Friedman. Business and IT should be equally trusted partners. But when push comes to shove, to thine own self be true.

The Technophobe

Some executives have exactly zero aptitude when it comes to the technology that enables them to run their businesses. And you probably shouldnt expect them to, says Bob Stevens (not his real name), former CISO for a large retail operation. After all, theyre not being paid to think about technology; theyre being paid to sell products.

The CEO at that retail company was not a technologist, says Stevens. He found it totally uninteresting. So when the IT and security teams would present, his attention would quickly wane and he would start answering texts and reading email. Hed say, Unfortunately, technology means nothing to me. I get that it is important to the company and that we have to have it. So I will manage the business value against the cost. Just dont try to make me understand it.

It can be demoralizing, Stevens adds. Worse, because senior leadership doesnt fully understand the issues in play or the threats to the business, they may not prioritize investments appropriately. And when you try to persuade them that its important they pay more attention, they often get defensive, since you are not playing to their strengths.

You need to realize its not an indictment of you or your team, but a vote of confidence, says Stevens. The CEO has empowered you to provide options that balance the needs of the company against business risks.

This is not an uncommon scenario, notes Deb Gildersleeve, CIO at First, a global brand experience agency.

There are definitely leaders who still believe that everything about the tech is the CIOs responsibility, with no ownership in the department using the tech, she says. You end up spending a lot of time educating them about why they need to take more ownership, over and over in different ways.

Sometimes executives need to experience the consequences of not paying enough attention to the right things, or see the impact of that on a competitor. And sometimes you have to bypass the decision makers and enlist the support of people who actually work with the technology, says Gildersleeve.

Thats probably been the most effective way for me, she adds. There are usually people in the organization who get it and want ownership of these things. They want their lives to be made easier, so theyre willing to put in the effort. Its my job to back them up when their manager asks, Why are you working on that?

The Excessively Entitled

In addition to managing a companys IT infrastructure and driving innovation initiatives, many tech leaders are also asked to tend to their bosss personal IT needs  and sometimes, those of their family.

Many CEOs expect concierge-level tech support, and most of the time they get it, says Len Tateyama, director of IT for Alvaka Networks, a managed services IT provider.

For many executives, theres no real boundary between work life and personal life, he says. Theyre working 24-7. So its reasonable to expect you to support the machines they use for work at home. The difference is when they start asking you for help with family stuff.

The key, adds Tateyama, is establishing boundaries between support calls that serve a business purpose, and those that are purely personal. At three different companies in his career, he has set up systems where requests beyond the scope of the job were handled outside his IT budget.

I would ask my teams, Who wants to make a little money on the side? and then connect my highest performers with the CEOs personal assistant to work out the payment details, he says. We were able to still provide that white-glove treatment, while also putting limits around it. You never just say no to the boss. But you can say, Yes, and here it is what it will cost you, and then maybe they will decide to take a different route.

(Tateyama adds that occasionally executives further down the chain asked for similar treatment. They didnt get it.)

But going the extra mile and establishing a closer connection to the C-suite can be good for ones career, notes Dion Hinchcliffe, VP and principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Junior IT people can become trusted associates of C-suite leaders, and both sides learn and benefit, he notes. Thirty-five years ago, my super IT bedside manner landed me the job of supporting the whole C-suite of a Fortune 1000 company. I fixed problems on their business and personal devices, and even babysat their kids when they brought them to the office. I learned the business from their POV, and it fast-tracked my career in IT.

The Conflict Avoider

When business leaders never want to hear bad news, small problems become big ones, and big problems can derail or even destroy an organization.

Honestly, the most difficult executives to deal with are the conflict-avoidant ones, says Jonathan Feldman, CIO for Wake County, N.C. I can solve a problem if we can have a constructive conflict, but I can do nothing if we dont even know about it.

One common difficulty is executives who see no difference between constructive conflict and destructive conflict, or who take well-meaning criticism personally, Feldman adds.

When people dont conflict, they end up doing workarounds that are incredibly frustrating, like wasting money on projects that then have to be redone, or forcing people to work late nights and weekends because no one was brave enough to say, This plan is crap, he adds. It gets in the way of making things better.

Constructive conflicts are always about problems, not personalities, Feldman says. Everyone should get the chance to tell their story about what happened without worrying about getting their heads chopped off.

Anyone who kills the bearer of bad news quickly joins the ranks of the uniformed, he adds. Bad stuff gets buried much deeper, because as a leader youve taught people through your behavior that making a unique mistake is not OK. In this scenario, executives whose only source of input is their direct reports are likely to hear roses and sunshine at all times, and it prevents them from taking corrective action when needed.

The Screamer

Then there are the executives desperately in need of anger management training. Campbell once worked at a well-known global company for an executive, well call him Darryl, notorious for blowing up and screaming at people.

Calling him abrasive would be like calling a great white shark a nibbler, says Campbell. Were talking spittle forming at the corners of his mouth and veins throbbing in his forehead, just because you used they too many times in a sentence.

When he joined the program, Campbell was the newest member on a team of 24. Then one of the data centers crashed, and Darryl started chopping off heads. Before the year was out, Campbell was the senior staffer. Everyone else had been fired, transferred, or quit.

The reason I survived wasnt my business acumen, adds Campbell. Id only been there a few weeks when the data center crashed, and nobody knew who the hell I was. If they had, Im sure Id have been fired, too.

Because he had managed to survive, the company asked Campbell to put together a training program (called Darryl University) that everyone on the team had to go through before they were allowed to talk to Darryl  words that triggered him, topics to avoid, how to phrase bad news, and so on.

So many hours wasted, so many talented people, so many antacids, adds Campbell.

There are always two sides to every relationship, adds Feldman. If you dont like your boss, odds are your boss doesnt like you. And if you cant manage to repair your relationship (or if your boss is a sociopath) your only viable option may be the door.

Youve got to take care of yourself first, he says. That means there are times youre going to have to go.

Fortunately, Screamers (like Dreamers, Suckers, and Conflict Avoiders) tend to be the exception, not the rule, says Campbell.

Theres a ton of bad executives out there. But the ethical, brilliant, hardworking, and moral ones are far and away the most successful.
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, US Signal is the largest privately-held data center services provider in the Midwest. With 8 high-performance data centers strategically located across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the company offers maximum redundancy and isolation from natural disasters with a full portfolio of cloud services that meet enterprises most demanding compute, storage, and networking requirements.

Connected by its own 9,500-mile lit fiber network designed to optimize edge computing and deliver fast access to 225 additional data centers and POPs, US Signal enables organizations of all kinds to benefit from a wide range of low-latency, exceptionally fast, and reliable IT solutions and services. These include high-performance private, hybrid, and multi-cloud services, as well as seamless integrations with the largest hyperscalersall in data centers audited for compliance with leading certifications like HIPAA, HITECH, PCI DSS, and the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework.

We recently connected with Katie McCormick, director of marketing at US Signal, to learn more about the companys aggressive efforts to encourage sustainable business operations. We also took the opportunity to learn why it was important for US Signal to participate in VMwares Zero Carbon Committed initiative.

Our fiber network, advanced data centers, and extensive IT services help organizations of all sizes stay connected to their employees and their customers, whether its across town or across the country, says McCormick. Now in addition to providing the IT infrastructureincluding Infrastructure-as-a-Serviceendpoint monitoring, security, and disaster recovery solutions that help customers transform their businesses, we are also offering an opportunity to reduce the emissions associated with their IT operations.

McCormick notes that while cloud solutions inherently help reduce businesses carbon footprints, US Signal is committed to doing far more. Becoming a partner in VMwares Zero Carbon Committed initiatives was a natural step that aligns with the companys broader sustainability goals and ideals.

At US Signal, we believe sustainability isnt just a buzzword or a trend, but rather a crucial aspect of doing business that we take extremely seriously, she says. Our sustainability goals reflect this belief, and were committed to reducing our carbon footprint in order to be a responsible corporate citizen and safeguard the environment for future generations. Efforts like the VMware Zero Carbon Committed initiative are a critical step in reducing the environmental impact of our industry.

US Signal is already hard at work in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, with a comprehensive roadmap in place to operate its four state-of-the-art data centers in Michigan with 100% renewable energy by 2026.

We believe its possible to build and operate data centers in a scalable, environmentally friendly way, adds McCormick. Not only will this help us reduce our carbon footprint, but by hosting their data in our green data centers our clients can meet more of their own sustainability goals.

McCormick says this added benefit already resonates with customers. This includes the leading healthcare providers, financial services companies, manufacturers, universities, and retailers in the Midwest that rely on US Signal, as well as the national stalwarts that want the peace of mind that comes with US Signals service-level guarantees, robust network, and proven history of first-class customer service.

We are seeing growing interest in sustainable business practices within the markets and industries we serve, she says. Customers are seeking out partners who share their values. They want to work with companies that are committed to making a positive impact on the environment and that are willing to change how they do business and invest time, energy, and resources into achieving their sustainability goals. Its not always the deciding factor, but it is increasingly a major factor in building long-term relationships.

We dont see sustainability as a box to be checked or a trend to follow, she says. We see it as an essential aspect of doing business. We have a shared responsibility to create a healthier and sustainable planet for future generations in our personal and professional lives.

Learn more about US Signal and its partnership with VMware here.
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, left, speaks during a meeting with foreign workers at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Monday. Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan



Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said, Monday, that the government seeks to increase the number of visas for foreign skilled workers to 35,000 this year from 2,000 in 2022  marking a seventeen-fold growth  to address labor shortages.



The plan was announced during Han's visit to local shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, where 21 percent of its 13,000 employees are foreigners.



Korea has traditionally been a powerhouse in the shipbuilding industry. But the sector is also struggling to find skilled workers.



Han said the justice ministry will open the doors further to talented foreigners who can contribute to Korea's economy.



"The Ministry of Justice has changed its approach to authorizing foreign workers and is making efforts to increase the quota for skilled workers (E-7) by about 17 times from 2,000 last year to 35,000," Han said during his meeting with industry officials.



"We will create a flexible system that can contribute to our economy and society by accepting a wide range of talented foreign workers who can voluntarily contribute and assimilate to Korea."



The minister also met eight foreign employees of the shipbuilder who are from Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Thailand. Five of them were E-7 skilled worker visa holders and the rest came here on E-9 unskilled worker permits.



During a meeting with the minister, the foreign workers suggested expanding job opportunities in Korea, increasing access to Korean culture and improving negative perceptions about foreign workers.



"I saw here today how the ministry's recently updated visa policies are taking effect and what is still lacking," the minister said. "I will implement today's lesson into shaping the country's visa policies in the second-half of this year so that key industries can receive the necessary volume of workers from overseas before it's too late."



Shin Hyun-dae, CEO of Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, said the ministry's recent adjustments in visa policies helped the shipbuilder secure enough laborers and thanked the minister.



The minister's visit to Yeongam on Monday, the first of his two-day trip to South Jeolla Province, came after the ministry announced on June 25 that it will ease requirements for E-7 visas that guarantee long-term employment and will also increase the quota for the work permits.



The move was the ministry's response to calls by local industries and local governments for the need to ease visa requirements for foreign technicians amid a deepening labor shortage.



Under the current rules, foreign employees who have worked legally in Korea for five years can apply for the E-7 visa. The ministry said this requirement will now be reduced to four years.


Termen extins pentru angajarea unui consultant/a privind Crearea si abilitarea Grupurilor de Initiativa in rindul romilor la nivel local in 3 localitati dens populate de persoanele de etnie Roma din Republica Moldova (mun. Edinet; or. Otaci; mun. Soroca)
Stockfotos-MG / Adobe

In Europe, there are no requirements for endowed foundations to donate or pay out a proportion of their assets each year. But should there be?

Back in 2016, Civil Society reported on a proposal from British politician Lord Rooker for foundations to pay out a minimum of 1.5% of their capital annually. That plan was vigorously resisted at the time. The UKs Association of Charitable Foundations described it as an attack on the independence of trustees to decide how best to use their resources. The Charities Aid Foundation, perhaps conscious that demands for mandatory payouts for individual donor-advised funds could be next, was also dismissive. Its then CEO John Low evoked a British tradition to preserve the endowment adding that such a tradition was one which has served us very well.
Rosa celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Before Rosa was set up, no UK-wide organisation existed specifically to channel funding into the women and girls sector. Since 2008 Rosa has awarded nearly 9m in more than 600 grants, reaching over 115,000 women and girls. We have a vision of a society in which women and girls are safe, healthy and have equality. We work to achieve this by drawing in and distributing funding and resources, by strengthening organisations, and by using our voice to make change.

We are a fundraising grantmaker which certainly has benefits  we are agile and can react quickly to the sectors needs. The challenge is that we have to raise every single penny we distribute, as we dont have a trust or endowment.
In recent times, the landscape of philanthropy has undergone a significant transformation, driven by the power of the internet and technology.

Throughout history, governments have played a crucial role in providing assistance through welfare, health and education programmes. These initiatives aim to uplift living standards, alleviate poverty, and address the barriers that hinder a fulfilling life. However, as wealth disparities persist, the affluent class has stepped forward with substantial charitable contributions targeting specific causes. Yet, an inspiring shift has occurred, as ordinary individuals yearn to make a difference. They have discovered that their collective efforts, no matter how small, can yield significant change.
New CEO for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Andrew McLaughlin has been appointed the new chief executive of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. He will join the trust in September.

The former National Trust general manager of Kingston Lacy worked for the trust for over eight years in several senior leadership roles. Since then, he was chief executive of the University of Bath student union for over four years.

He joins the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust from South Gloucestershire Council, where he is service director, communications, strategy and innovation.

McLaughlin said: My family and I have deep connections with Gloucestershire and Im thrilled to be joining the countys largest membership organisation as their new CEO. Like many people, Ive become increasingly alarmed at the decline of nature both here in our county and across the UK and see my role as CEO as ensuring we have everything in place to make our ambitious strategy a reality, for the wildlife and people of Gloucestershire. I cant wait to get started.

Interim CEO appointed at St Georges Hospital Charity

Alex Botha has been appointed as new interim chief executive of St Georges Hospital Charity. He succeeds Amerjit Chohan, who stepped down last month after five years at the helm.

Botha is a chartered accountant with PwC. He has had roles as an executive consultant for a construction company and at Deloitte. He has been a trustee for several charities.

The trustees will begin recruiting for a permanent lead this autumn.

New senior leaders for Causeway

The modern slavery charity Causeway has appointed Amy Bond as its new chief operating officer and Deepa Mistry as chief finance officer.

Bond replaces Steve Watson who held the role for six years. She moves from being chief engagement officer at the charity, a role she has occupied since joining the charity in 2015. Before this, she had a career in the NHS.

As COO she will oversee the services, people and culture, fundraising, business development and communications and engagement departments.

Bond said: Im honoured to be moving into this role. During my time at Causeway Ive seen thousands of lives positively impacted as a result of the teams hard work. Steve Watson leaves big shoes to fill, and Im looking forward to building on all that has been developed and continuing our mission to create lasting change.

Mistry has held a number of senior finance and operations roles at organisations like Credit Suisse, Lloyd Banking Group and Cleft Lip and Palate Association.

In her new role, Mistry will oversee finance, governance, risk and procurement at the charity.

On her appointment, she said: I am looking forward to working with the dedicated and deeply compassionate team at Causeway. In a post-pandemic era, the world is waking up to the injustices faced by the marginalised and vulnerable, and I was drawn to Causeway to help sustain the crucial support, freedoms and fair experiences essential to survivors of modern slavery and those caught up in cycles of crime and exploitation.

Announced earlier this year was that Causeways CEO, Ed Newton, will be stepping down in November after 11 years. Recruitment for a new lead is currently underway.

Wellcome appoints two directors

Wellcome has appointed Jimmy Volmink as its first chief equity, diversity and inclusion officer. The newly-created role caused controversy earlier this year after it was advertised with a salary of 211,500.

He joins from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where he was dean of medicine and health sciences and is emeritus professor of global health. He began his career as a general practitioner in disadvantaged communities in rural Eswatini and Cape Town. Volmink is the founding director of Cochrane South Africa, part of a network that works to support evidence-based health care.

He will lead Wellcome's EDI strategy and lead its work on becoming an inclusive funder and employer. Volmink will take up post in October.

Beth Thompson has been appointed as the charity's chief strategy officer. She joined Wellcome as a policy officer in 2009 and has had several leadership roles in policy and strategy at the charity since. Before this, she worked at the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Academy of Medical Sciences in policy roles.

The role, which Thompson took up this month, oversees the charity's policy, government relations and strategic partnerships teams.

Paul Schreier, interim chief executive at Wellcome, said: As a global organisation, we need leaders highly skilled at working with others to drive change and create impact.

Jimmys expertise in health and medicine including in disadvantaged communities will be invaluable in ensuring the broadest possible impact and reach for our mission of solving urgent health challenges around the world.

Beth is a highly respected advocate for Wellcomes work in the UK and beyond. Her depth of experience both of Wellcome and the global health landscape will be a great asset as we increasingly partner with others globally to help deliver our goals.

British Red Cross appoints communications director

Sal Copley is the British Red Cross new executive director for communications and external affairs. She will take up the post in September.

She joins from Sustrans where she was director of external affairs. Before this, she worked in senior roles for Alzheimers Society, Oxfam GB and Asylum Reform Initiative.

On her appointment, she said: The British Red Cross' strategic priorities  disasters and emergencies, health inequalities, displacement and migration  are all urgent, humanitarian issues that I feel passionately about. I am incredibly excited to be joining the British Red Cross talented team and the global Red Cross Red Crescent movement. I am really looking forward to working together to make a difference."

StepChange welcomes three trustees

The debt charity StepChange has appointed Liz Harding, Mike Ashley and Sue Acton as its new trustees. They will join the board on 1 July.

Harding brings lived experience to the board as a previous beneficiary of StepChanges services. She is CEO of Hearts Together, a Devon-based charity.

Most recently, Ashley was non-executive director and chair of the audit committee of Barclays Plc. Before this, he worked as an audit committee for KPMG. He is currently a member of the cabinet office board and chair of its audit and risk committee. He is a trustee of Charities Aid Foundation and Scout Association.

Acton is a freelance consultant who specialises in financial services and gambling-related harm and lived experience of financial difficulty.

John Griffith-Jones, chair of StepChange of Debt Charity said: The whole Board is delighted to welcome Liz, Mike and Sue, as trustees. These appointments will bring diverse insight from both the third and private sector as well as lived experience of problem debt. Their expertise will be vital as the charity charts its path during a once-in-a-generation cost of living crisis as well as a new funding landscape.

New trustee for National House Project

The National House Project, a charity that supports young people leaving care, has appointed Jamie Roberts to its board of trustees.

Roberts is director of managed accounts at technology company Reconomy Group.

Roberts said: NHP provides a radical housing solution to the problems that many young people face after leaving the care system. It is vital that we support these people with the community support they need to develop the practical and emotional skills required to live interdependent, happy lives.

NCVO boss among five additions to Trussell Trusts board

Sarah Vibert has joined the Trussell Trusts board as part of the charitys appointment of five trustees, who have also become company directors.

Fellow charity sector figures Duncan Shrubsole, director of policy, communications and research at Lloyds Bank Foundation and Tom Gibbs, finance director at National Trust, were appointed alongside NCVOs chief executive at the organisation on 30 May.

The foodbank charity also appointed Sasha Morgan, director at Social Mobility Commission, and Suresh Ariaratnam, founder of Sprung Sultan.

Vibert said: As CEO at NCVO, I am regularly asked: Would you like to see more or fewer charities?

My answer to this question embodies the mission of the Trussell Trust to end the need for food banks: Id like to see fewer charities needed to provide essential items.

I firmly believe that poverty is unacceptable and am delighted to be joining the board to support the organisation in working towards a society where no one should have to access a food bank to get by.

Writing on LinkedIn, Gibbs said: Im delighted to be joining the Trussell Trust as a member of the board of trustees. Really excited about the opportunity to support the amazing people at TT and the food banks they support, in their mission to end the need for food banks in the UK.

He became the National Trusts finance director in May after its chief financial officer Peter Vermeulen left after seven years to join the University of Bristol.

Gibbs previously held several roles at Barnardos, including director of business services.

King appoints National Citizen Service Trust chair

King Charles III has appointed Harris Bokhari as chair of the National Citizen Service Trust for a three-year term.

Harris is a social entrepreneur, public engagement advisor and chartered accountant who founded the Patchwork Foundation in 2010.

He will be paid a day rate of 400 for the role, up to a maximum of 40,000 a year.

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Taiwan will elect a new leader early next year, and the current president, Tsai Ing-wen, is worried that China will try to manipulate the process. Taiwan has exceeded every other country in the world on the amount of false information other governments disseminate within its borders, Tsai noted in a recent speech. Chinas information operations, which seek to polarize Taiwanese society, undermine trust, and erode faith in the government, are linked to its broader strategy of global military intimidation.

Indeed, the threat of misinformation as an instrument of a disruptive state power was on everyones mind as journalists from around the globe came to Taipei for the World News Media Congress, where Tsai spoke. How do we counter disinformation while safeguarding the right to free speech? Tsai asked. No one had easy answers. Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, who opened the conference, noted that the the corruption of our information system leads to the corruption of our democracy. Panelists (including me) discussed strategies to expose disinformation, expand fact-checking, counter government propaganda, and reach skeptical audiences.

The issue is very real in a Taiwanese context; as a recent report from the Council of Foreign Relations noted, Taiwans democracy is a strategic asset, deepening and strengthening its alliance with the US and increasing the likelihood that the US will stand firm if Taiwan comes under attack. Chinese disinformation, the report noted, seeks to erode confidence in US support, undermine Taiwans elected government, and convince Taiwanese people that unification withand submission toChina is inevitable and therefore resistance is dangerous and ultimately futile.

For decades, Chinese propaganda also sought to build a more positive narrative, making the argument that unification will restore cultural ties and bring enormous economic benefits to Taiwan. But as support for the one country, two systems model has faded in Taiwan amid the escalating crackdown in Hong Kong, Chinas propaganda tactics have shifted to sowing chaos.

Ethan Tu, a former Microsoft executive and founder of the Taipei-based AI Labs, a privately funded research organization that tracks disinformation, believes that Beijing is mounting a multifaceted effort that relies on troll farms to flood social media. The evidence, according to Tu, is a concentration of disinformation during the Chinese workday, with posts dropping precipitously once the paid trolls log out. No issue is too insignificant. A recent campaign highlighted an egg shortage that hit Taiwan earlier this year, blaming it on government mismanagement.

But journalists I spoke to in Taipei said that, outside of such blatant attempts at manipulation, discerning the hand of China in the information space can be exceedingly difficult given the nature of Taiwanese politics and the structure of its media. In the color-coded continuum running from support for independence (green) to support for unification (blue), Tsais Democratic Progressive Party is firmly on the green end of the spectrum. A swath of the private media clearly aligns with her agenda and echoes her perspective.

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The opposition KMT, heir to the hardline nationalism of Chiang Kai-shek, but now espousing a center-right ideology, is backed by its own blue media, which supports greater integration with China. There is also what is termed red media, outlets backed by business owners whobecause of direct relationships, hidden investments from the mainland, or their own business interestssupport deepening economic ties and often echo Beijings talking points.

Journalists say its impossible to know where Chinese manipulation ends and Taiwanese democratic politics begin, since some KMT positions clearly align with Beijing. Journalists also acknowledge that by framing political positions taken by the KMT as disinformation, the DPP and President Tsai have secured a political advantage.

Jennifer Huang, the editor of the leading English-language daily the Taipei Times, notes a related challenge for the Taiwanese media: how to cover Chinese military exercises when its impossible to fully know Beijings intentions. Is the Chinese fighter jet buzzing the island a genuine security threat or an information operation intended to influence Taiwanese politics by manufacturing fear? Aggressive military action cant be ignoredits newsbut coverage inevitably serves Beijings propaganda goals. Its the same dilemma the US media confront in covering Donald Trump.

One unique feature of the Taiwanese media is the Central News Agency, a state-funded wire service that, in a polarized media environment, distinguishes itself with its just-the-facts style of coverage. Executive editor Chris Wang says that even though his board is appointed by the party in power, he has not experienced interference in his newsroom. He believes CNAs approach to the news produces a consensus around basic facts within the political class, something thats been hard to achieve in the US.

Last year, the DPP put forward a new law called the Digital Services Intermediary Act, modeled on the European Digital Services Act. The law was intended to combat disinformation by creating accountability for social media companies about information circulating on their platforms. But the bill stalled amid political opposition and civil society concerns about its possible impact on free expression.

In her speech to the World News Media Congress, President Tsai did not mention the new law and instead emphasized simple, common-sense approaches to combating disinformation, such as improving government communication, expanding media literacy education, increasing research, and supporting civil society and tech community. Such efforts, while uncontroversial, are unlikely to move the needle.

But its the right approach, said Cheryl Lai, the chair of Taiwan Radio International, which seeks to counter Chinese propaganda by telling Taiwans story abroad in twenty different languages. Over a sushi lunch, Lai made the case that there are no shortcuts or easy solutions to the fight against misinformation and that the best response to Chinas propaganda is simply to strengthen Taiwans democracy.

Its the only way, Lai said.

Deep concern about the role of disinformation in US politics is also understandable, particularly around attempts by foreign governments to influence US elections. But the Taiwanese example shows that even when the stakes are existential, the best response may be to recognize that there are no short-term solutions and instead follow the guiding principle that has allowed Taiwan to survive and thrive in Chinas shadow: strategic patience.

Joel Simon is the founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
Students wearing masks of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi perform during a rally in Seoul, Friday, opposing the Japanese government's plan to release radioactive water into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. AP-Yonhap



80% of Koreans worried about Tokyo's wastewater release plan



By Kim Yoo-chul



The United Nations nuclear watchdog's green light of Japan's controversial plan to release millions of tons of "treated" radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean has clearly sparked anger in both Japan and its key Northeast Asian neighbors including South Korea and China.



Core points at issue include the claim by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the method of disposal is "consistent" with international safety standards, Beijing's opposition to the plan and Seoul's soft-pedaling stance respecting the IAEA's latest findings .



While a majority of the Japanese public may have reached a consensus that the radioactive wastewater has been cleansed of nearly all radioactivity and that releasing it into the Pacific Ocean is, therefore, the most understandable and acceptable course of action, there are many who disagree, particularly in neighboring countries.



In South Korea, for example, opposition politicians protested Tokyo's decision at the National Assembly. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which claimed that the IAEA's findings should not be a "pass" for the water release, plans to hold a nationwide rally. It has asked the Japanese government to set up a consultative body to be operated by environmentalists, marine biologists, medical experts and officials from international organizations.



A recent Gallup Korea poll showed around 80 percent of South Koreans were concerned about the potential impact of Tokyo's plan to discharge the wastewater. The operation is set to begin sometime this summer. About 1,000 people responded in the poll.



Questions included what actions the South Korean government should take and whether President Yoon Suk Yeol should ask Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to hold off on the plan.





A TV screen broadcasting about the release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is seen at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Seoul, July 7. South Korea's government on Friday formally endorsed the safety of Japanese plans to release the wastewater from the damaged nuclear plant into sea as it tried to calm people's fears about food contamination. The letters read "Japanese seafood prohibited zone." AP-Yonhap



Yoon's approval rating level not disastrous



It's highly unlikely President Yoon will take an aggressive stance on the Fukushima water issue, in light of the South Korean government's efforts to improve bilateral ties after Yoon's earlier announcements about setting up a private fund rather than respecting the South Korean Supreme Court's earlier rulings requiring Japanese firms to compensate surviving South Korean victims of forced wartime labor.



"When we look at President Yoon's recent approval rating, the latest IAEA findings and the Japanese government's plan to release the Fukushima wastewater had little impact on his job performance," said Park Seong-min, chief executive at Min, a local political consultancy. "That means that President Yoon and Kishida will focus on navigating the best follow-through measures regarding the issue when they meet on the sidelines of next week's NATO summit in Lithuania."



As of the first week of July, Yoon's job approval rating was 38 percent, up 2 percentage points from a week earlier, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on July 7. The poll added 54 percent of respondents disapproved of Yoon's performance. Of the respondents who expressed dissatisfaction with Yoon's overall state affairs management, 17 percent said they disapproved of the government's "submissive" stance towards the wastewater issue.



A solid and stable job approval rating is of importance to any state leader because public backing offers leaders an both extended and expanded political space, regarded as crucial in terms of driving their strategic foreign policy initiatives. While it's not always evident to say that a state leader's tepid job performance should limit their ability to go for foreign policy objectives, however, when it specifically comes to relations with Japan, China, North Korea and the United States, there is a very high degree of domestic political polarization.



Political analysts in Seoul said if Yoon's approval rating remains low, his foreign policy teams will have to be more cautious in handling key outstanding and pending diplomatic challenges that are politically sensitive.



"Because young voters, considered as swing voters, are taking a less antagonistic view of Japan, as various poll results showed Japan's likeability score among South Koreans remained high with those in their 20s and 30s, which means these swing voters don't seriously care about the IAEA's recent findings. President Yoon is expected to focus on specifying follow-through measures on the Fukushima water issue," said Lee Jae-mook, a political science professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.





Protesters hold signs in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, during a July 5 demonstration against Japan's wastewater dumping plan. Nearly 100 Japanese protesters rallied against the plan to dump radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, expressing their grave concern over the final report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that approved the plan. Xinhua-Yonhap
Fifty-five years ago last month, Robert F. Kennedythe brother of JFK and surging candidate for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, who had just won the California primarywas making his way to a press conference when he was shot dead. Kennedy had been talking to a reporter when the shot was fired; a staffer from ABC News was hit, too, but survived. As Stephen Battaglio, a media reporter at the LA Times, wrote on the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination, it saturated TV in the days that followed, presaging, in a sense, how America would absorb traumatic events in years to come on 24-hour cable news and then social media. On air, journalists opined about the assassination and speculated darkly on what it portended for the countrymodes of TV coverage, Battaglio noted, that are common now but were rare at the time, as the networks privileged a dispassionate tone. Chris Wallace, now a CNN anchor, watched his father, Mike, cover the killing for CBS. That was the moment when I began to wonder if the country was coming apart, Chris Wallace recalled. He was far from alone.

Last month, a smattering of major news organizations reflected on the fifty-fifth anniversary of the assassination and Kennedys legacy (in NPRs words) as a liberal icon. Around the same time, however, it was his son Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who was garnering the greater media attention as he embarked on a Democratic presidential primary campaign of his own. The younger Kennedy is not a liberal iconhe is a conspiracy theorist, most notably on vaccines, whose views range from the esoteric to the dangerous. Despiteor, much more likely, because ofthis, Kennedy has recently sparked chatter everywhere from bullet-point items in political tipsheets to long-form profiles in hallowed magazines, which have typically emphasized both his kookiness and his Kennedyness. He has also made the rounds of right-wing or right-wing-curious podcasts. (If TV framed his fathers 1968 bid, Kennedy has said that the 2024 election will be decided by podcasts.) He suggested to Joe Rogan that the CIA was involved in the assassination of JFK, his uncle, and said that hes aware that he could meet the same end.

Kennedys campaign is far from his first brush with the press; hes danced with it, in some capacity, almost his entire life, as contributor, subject, and antagonist. According to Rebecca Traister, who wrote one of the aforementioned Kennedy profiles for New York magazine, major mainstream outlets, many of whose staffers were personally friendly with Kennedy, published his writings as far back as the 1970s; when Traister asked him how he is getting ready for the presidency, he cited essays that he has written for The Atlantic and (much more recently) Politico as evidence of a lifetime of preparation. In 1980, Kennedy tweaked the press as he worked on his uncle Teds presidential campaign (If we get a little fair treatment from the press, were going to win, he said). In the nineties, New York put Kennedy on the cover with the caption: a New York political player with a future. Then, in 2005, Rolling Stone and Salon jointly ran a long piece by Kennedy about vaccines and autism that garnered significant media buzz but was later debunked and retractedmoves that Kennedy has pinned, baselessly, on media complicity with Big Pharma. As NBCs Brandy Zadrozny put it, sometime after that, he disappeared from most networks and news organizations, a virtual pariah.

Until his current media moment, at least. Kennedys press person told Zadrozny that so many journalists had been assigned to cover his campaign that it wouldnt be possible for her to join him at an official event. (They went hiking together instead.) When coverage of a conspiracy theorist ramps up, discussions about how to responsibly cover them are rarely far behind, and this time was no exception. (Zadrozny herself guest-hosted an insightful On the Media episode that tackled the question.) Media critics chided various outletsABC, CNN, NewsNationfor falling short, for reasons that ranged from refusing to air Kennedys vaccine lies to failing to adequately push back on them. (Also: for devoting airtime to a topless workout video that he posted, and his body even Rocky would admire.) Soon, a familiar debate had taken shape, between those claiming that Kennedy cant be ignored, and those urging us all to do just that.

As I wrote in May after CNNs decision to give Donald Trump a live town hall sparked a previous iteration of this debateto platform a known liar or notthis is, in many ways, a false choice: how one platforms a candidate matters (CNN made some bad editorial choices that blunted its ability to challenge Trumps claims), and it is not censorship for one outlet to deny one politician a certain type of platform, in particular. In some respects, Kennedys candidacy requires us to think along similar lines. But it also poses a different challenge for the press. Trump, at least these days, is an unavoidably massive media object, one that often blacks out the sun; RFKwhile famous and in many ways a known quantityhas, by contrast, only recently conjured himself back into mainstream political relevance by declaring for president. Confoundingly for the press, the answers to the questions Isnt it dangerous to indulge Kennedys efforts to mainstream himself? and Isnt it dangerous to dismiss his views as irrelevant? might both be yes. And both potential paths, it seems to me, constitute a different form of complicity, making the question of which one we should take very complicated indeed.

As I see it, there are a few cases for paying attention to Kennedys candidacy, in addition to the imperative of calling out his noxious views. One is simply that he is running for president; anothercited explicitly as a reason for covering Kennedy by at least one major outletis his polling, which has reached as high as 20 percent support within the Democratic field. He is, in many ways, a ready-made media character. More than just that, he has been presented as an avatar of conspiratorial trendsand attendant anxieties about themthat have become central to American intellectual life, making him, also, a representative of the zeitgeist. (The fact that he is a scion of perhaps the most zeitgeisty political family of all time hasnt hurt this impression.)

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Some of these arguments have more merit than others. As I wrote recently, the idea that a rich and famous person can essentially buy themselves media attention by pouring money into a quixotic presidential bid is troubling for a range of reasons, as is the idea of leaning on polling as the key metric of how we distribute that attention. (Kennedys high numbers, in particular, strike me as soft; as a friend recently put it to me, a trash can with a smiley face drawn on it could get 20 percent in early Democratic primary polls if it was also named Kennedy.) Equally, though, if Kennedys campaign were to catch fire, and the press were to have ignored it to that point, we wouldrightlybe accused of having dropped the ball. Even if his polling bottoms out, Kennedy could, with relatively scant support, still end up running as a third-party candidate and play spoiler in key states in a close election. Nor, importantly, is Kennedy reliant on the mainstream press for oxygen; theres always a podcast for that. If his views are out there anyway, and have a significant audience, isnt it best for us to loudly and clearly debunk them?

Some sharp articles, including Traisters and Zadroznys, have already interrogated Kennedys policies and the sort of damage hed be liable to do as president, not least to the vaccine approval process. And yet, at the same time, even good coverage risks introducing Kennedys ideas to those who might not otherwise have heard about them, and of actively inflating his political relevance; a glut of glossy magazine profiles, even if theyre all insightful on their own terms, can collectively elevate a candidate to discourse centrality. I find it hard to escape the conclusion that while no Kennedy coverage would be too little, the current level of coverage is way too much. To some extent, this is a media collective-action problem that is hard to avoid. There is (thankfully) no centralized bureau of magazine profile assignments.

In its absence, I would perhaps encourage individual reporters and editors to think particularly hard on three big-picture questions before committing to further coverage: Is Kennedy really a zeitgeist figure? If so, what is the nature of that zeitgeist? And is Kennedy really central to it? The answers, as I see them, muddy the premises for his relevance. There is no doubt that the appeal of conspiracy theories is a huge problem in current American life, but it can be easy to overstate their grip on the body politic. (Responding to what he described as the doomed RFK Jr. hype cycle recently, for example, David Wallace-Wells, of the New York Times, pointed to data showing that mRNA Covid vaccines are actually hugely popular.) As The Atlantics Yair Rosenberg wrote in a compelling essay last week, to the extent that Kennedy seems genuinely popular, its likely a function not of his policies but of generalized antiestablishment sentiment. Even if Rosenberg is wrong, lavishing attention on Kennedy is arguably missing the disease for the symptom. If he is right, then Kennedy comes to seem even less central. The story of antiestablishment sentiment dates back not only to his dads day, but much further still. There have been plenty of moments at which the country appeared to be coming apart.

Ultimately, however much coverage you think Kennedy is worth, attention is clearly a currency to people like him. He has been fairly explicit that he entered the race to get more airtimeThere are rules that make it difficult for the public airwaves to censor you, he told Zadrozny, citing a federal law not quite correctlyand even if greater exposure to his views doesnt help him politically, it does enhance him as a political character. At the very least, we need to be self-aware about thatand our role in an ecosystem in which name recognition begets media attention begets more name recognition begets more media attention, and so on.

Where Kennedy came from is central to this, of course. As Traister wrote in her profile for New York, He gets traction where no one else would. His relationship with the political media, which has published him, written about him, and seen him as a full and flawed and interesting human, has always been guided by his core identity as an insider, a member of the family that this country was taught to love above all others and to pity in their many public tragedies.



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Graydon Carter never used to look at websites. Now hes running a digital magazine and e-commerce venture.

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
Torrential downpours pounded the U.S. Northeast on Monday, threatening catastrophic flooding across the region, where rains have washed out roadways, overwhelmed rivers, forced numerous rescues by boat and caused at least one fatality, officials said.

Some 13 million Americans were under flood watches and warnings from Eastern New York state to Boston and Western Maine to the northeast, where up to 7 inches (18 cm) of rain were expected to fall, the National Weather Service said in its forecast, after storms that began over the weekend inundated rivers and streams.

Widespread, heavy rainfall capable of producing considerable to catastrophic flooding is beginning to unfold, road washouts are ongoing, and are expected to increase in extent and severity over the course of the day, the weather service said on Monday.

Hundreds of flights in and out of airports across the region, including New Yorks LaGuardia and Bostons Logan, have been delayed or canceled starting on Sunday due to the rains. On Monday morning, Amtrak suspended passenger train service between Albany and New York after flooding damaged tracks.

The weather claimed the life of an Orange County, New York, woman, who was swept away by floodwaters as she attempted to leave her home with her dog on Sunday, County Executive Steven Neuhaus, said in an interview with ABCs Good Morning America on Monday.

Last night was complete chaos, he said.

Neuhaus said first responders were trying to reach trapped people to make sure they are safe in Highland Falls and the West Point-Fort Montgomery area, which is along the Hudson River north of New York City and is home to the Armys U.S. Military Academy, best known as West Point.

Many roads and bridges have been washed out, he said. So thats basically what our priority is today, to try to get to them and open up these major arteries.

Video footage and photos posted on social media showed washed-out roadways and raging floodwaters reaching houses on Sunday and early Monday morning.

Oh my God. Its up to my knees, Melissa Roberts said in a video showing floodwaters rushing past her and several vehicles and up to homes in Orange County.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued states of emergency for that county and Ontario County to the northwest, and urged residents to watch the forecast closely throughout the day.

In Vermont, life-threatening flash flooding was possible for most of the New England state on Monday, with forecasters saying as much as an inch (2.5 cm) of rain an hour was expected at times during the morning.

About two dozen state roads were closed as life-threatening flooding spread across much of the state from the Massachusetts state line north to the Canadian border, Vermont State Police said.

In central Vermont, the weather services Burlington office declared a flash flood emergency, advising that the area could see the worst flooding since Hurricane Irene hit the state in 2011, when 11 inches (28 cm) fell.

Media reports said the rain had already turned many roads into raging rivers across the state, where Governor Phil Scott declared a state of emergency on Sunday.

Emergency crews in boats rescued about a dozen campers in Andover early Monday said Jeannette Haight, the towns clerk.

A bridge washed out and that was the only way in or out, she said. The call for help went out at 4 a.m., and they set up a swift-boat rescue. Everyone is safe this morning.

More boat crews, including some from North Carolina, were on their way to Vermont to help in other rescues, according to local media reports.
The National Labor Relations Board on Thursday sued Starbucks over the coffee chains refusal to rehire 33 workers as it reorganized three downtown Seattle stores, including its flagship store in Pike Place Market.

In a petition filed in Seattle federal court, the agency called Starbucks plan to reorganize the stores into a Heritage District, and force 73 workers to reapply for their jobs, an illegal response to unionization efforts at one of the stores, at 1st Avenue and Pike Street.

By refusing to rehire 16 of the 22 workers there, Starbucks chilled employees support for the union at the other two stores by sending a clear message about what would happen if they unionized, the NLRB said.

The petition seeks an injunction to block Starbucks from firing or disciplining workers, denying them higher wages and benefits, or forcing them to reapply for jobs because of their union activities.

It also seeks to require Starbucks to offer jobs, with back pay and benefits, to the 33 people it let go.

Starbucks defended its actions, and said workers at the stores can seek to unionize through an NLRB-supervised election.

It said the agencys proposed remedies run contrary to the interests of our (employees) and threaten the hometown experience we offer our customers. We look forward to defending the establishment of our Heritage District.

Starbucks has recently had strained relations with some employees, including last month when workers at dozens of U.S. stores went on strike to protest managers decisions not to let them hang rainbow flags and other Pride month decor.

The company ended its last fiscal year with 15,873 U.S. stores, of which 9,265 were company-operated and 6,608 were licensed. Starbucks company-operated stores employed about 248,000 people.

The case is Hooks v Starbucks Corp, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 23-01000.
VALE, Ore. (AP)  Five people including an infant died when two vehicles collided and burst into flames in eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, according to Oregon State Police.

Police responded to the crash at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday on U.S. Route 20 near Vale, state police said Friday in a statement.

A preliminary investigation found that Lance Lightfoot of Meridian, Idaho, was driving east in a minivan when it crossed into the westbound lane and collided with an oncoming sedan driven by Cecilia Loma of Carson, California, police said.

It`s not known why Lightfoot, 62, crossed into oncoming traffic, police said.

Both vehicles caught fire, and Lightfoot, as well as everyone in the vehicle driven by Loma, 27, died at the scene, police said. The other passengers were identified as 26-year-old Erik Ortiz, also from Carson, as well as a 15-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl.

Also Friday, state police said three people were killed and two others were hurt in a Wednesday crash involving three vehicles west of Eugene on Oregon Route 126.

According to a preliminary investigation, a car driven by Allen Weaver Jr., 51, of Grace, Idaho, was traveling west at about 5:45 p.m. when the car for unknown reasons crossed the median and sideswiped a pickup truck that was pulling a travel trailer.

The car then crashed head-on into another pickup, police said.

Weaver and two people in the second pickup, identified as Lacy Taylor, 28, and Michele Taylor, 58, both of Eugene, died, according to police. The driver and another passenger in the pickup were seriously injured and taken to a hospital.

Neither of the people in the vehicle hauling the trailer were injured.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- Six Bay High School student musicians recently returned from a tour of the United Kingdom, where they performed with the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony (CYWS).

They were accompanied by Darren Allen, Bay High Schools band director and a CYWS conductor; Mark Awad, Bay Middle School band director and also a CYWS conductor; and Bay Middle School Assistant Principal Tom Grodek.

The symphonys information notes that CYWS is the premier youth wind ensemble in Northeast Ohio. The group, formed in 1989, has made lots of tours to Europe and to the prestigious Ohio Music Educators Conference, Allen said.

We are proud to provide an outstanding musical experience, he said.

We enhance what the schools are doing. It is a great band program. We take top kids and give them the all-star experience. They are pulled from about 50 area schools. We have the best kids from each of the bands.

The students in CYWS range in age from 13-18. The instruments range from brass (trumpet, trombone, French horn, euphonium and tuba) to woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto tenor and baritone saxophones and bassoon) and percussion (timpani, snare drum, bass drum and cymbals). There are also the mallet instruments, including bells, marimba, xylophone and chimes.

The tour of cities included Edinburg, York, Cambridge and London.

Our group was there for 11 days. We played with the band of His Majestys Royal Marines Scotland, the Harrogate Band near York, the English University York Brass Band and Regent Brass-English, Allen said.

They have a different sound over there, and dont hear many brass bands from the U.S.

In addition to performing, the students had time to explore the U.K.

We got to tour each city, Allen said. In Cambridge, we did the flat boats. In Edinburg, we toured the castle. York was a medieval city where kids had fun there at a street called the Shambles, such as in Harry Potter.

In London, it was the Royal Albert for me and my family on a free day, while some went on the big London Ferris wheel and some visited Westminster Abbey.

After such an exciting tour, Allen was asked what might be next?

We will be looking forward to the next trip in two years, he said.

The location is yet to be announced, but will probably be just as exciting for both Allen and his family, which includes his wife, Alice, and their daughter.

Read more from the West Shore Sun.
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Mayor Pam Bobst might want to keep an eye on Julia and Katelyn Ballrick. The sisters, who are in sixth and fourth grades, have gotten a taste of what it might be like to hold the citys top job.

The two sisters spent Monday (July 10) as Mayor for a Day.

The girls parents, John and Linda Ballrick, were the winners of the auction item at the Rocky River Education Foundation fundraiser, Bobst said.

The girls enjoyed a full day of tours at Rocky River City Hall and other city departments, as well as a delicious lunch. The day began in the City Hall lobby, where Bobst swore them into office for the day.

Katelyn and Julia Ballrick enjoyed the tour through the Rocky River Fire Department with Fire Chief Aaron Lenart. (Linda Gandee, special to cleveland.com)

Then it was a trip upstairs to the mayors office for photos and some paperwork for them to sign. Mom and Dad oversaw all these important transactions.

Soon, the girls found themselves meeting Police Chief George Lichman, who took them on an extensive tour of the new police station. The girls seemed interested in all the high-tech equipment as the chief explained it all to them.

Best of all, in the chiefs office, he gave them goodie bags of candies.

Then it was off to the Fire Department. Fire Chief Aaron Lenart welcomed the girls and showed them around his office, which has a few unusual accoutrements: an aquarium and pineapple trees.

The Rocky River Senior Center welcomed Julia and Katelyn Ballrick to lunch on the centers patio. (Linda Gandee, special to cleveland.com)

But the big attractions included the rescue squad, which received a 911 call as the girls walked in. Within minutes, the squad was moving fast out of the garage to help someone at their home.

The girls then were able to climb into the departments ladder truck -- with its ladder that can extend to 100 feet high -- as well as a regular fire engine, in which they had more photos taken.

Lunchtime came soon and everyone went over to the nationally accredited Rocky River Senior Center for an outdoor lunch on the centers patio. The center is one of only 100 senior centers in the U.S. to earn the celebrated award.

On the patio on this beautiful summer day, nothing else could beat the girls choice of fresh grilled cheese sandwiches. Senior Center administrative assistant Cindi Williams had lunch with the girls and the mayor, then accompanied them to the Recreation Center for a behind-the-scenes tour and a meeting with ever-popular Safety-Service Director Rich Snyder and Service Commissioner David Arendec, who both introduced the girls to the service department and had a demonstration of vehicles for them in front of the Hamilton Ice Arena.

The girls fiinally returned to City Hall for a wrap-up meeting with Bobst.

It is not likely that Julia and Katelyn will ever forget the day. Someday down the road, they will tell their children how they were Mayor for a Day in Rocky River, Ohio.

Read more from the West Shore Sun.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb ripped Ohio lawmakers hours after a dozen people were shot and injured on West Sixth Street on Sunday morning.

In a statement, Bibb said he fears we likely will continue to see incidents like this occur unless change is made at the Statehouse.

Bibbs words came after nine people were injured when a shooter sprayed a crowd with bullets about 2:30 a.m. in the Warehouse District. Three others were injured in a separate attack. No arrests have been made.

Bibb lambasted Republicans in Columbus for pushing weak gun laws.

We continue to see an uptick in shootings across our city ever since Republican lawmakers passed Senate Bill 215 last year allowing permitless carry, Bibb said in the statement.

Its important we recognize this and hold these lawmakers accountable for passing dangerous gun laws in our state. As a result, mayors cannot pass one piece of legislation aimed at gun reform.

Bibb said his administration has been doing everything we possibly can to address crime in the city through a holistic all-of-government approach that includes investing in technology, our police officers and through numerous violence prevention and intervention efforts to address the root causes of crime.

Councilman Michael Polensek said the violence is out of control. He said many of the citys initiatives will take years to help. He said the city needs immediate assistance to end the attacks.

I dont give a frick if we have to call in the 82nd Airborne, Polensek said in an interview with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer on Sunday night. The administration has to acknowledge that we have a major problem. We have violent predators controlling our streets, and we dont have a game plan to deal with it. We need a coordinated effort to go into our neighborhoods and get these people off our streets.

Bibb, in the statement, said the city has invested in technology through the use of ShotSpotter, which helps police spot gunfire, as well as the addition of more crime analysts to help officers find crime trends.

Through June, 92 people were killed in homicides; about 90% involved firearms. The city is headed for one of its most violent years in decades. It comes at a time when the police department is at 1,242 officers, well below the 1,600 officers the department had in recent years.

The shortage here is no different than the same shortage being felt by every law enforcement agency nationwide, a city spokesman said Friday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Following a violent weekend in Cleveland, the chairman of City Councils Safety Committee is questioning Mayor Justin Bibbs urgency in addressing rising crime.

In an email addressed to Bibb on Sunday, Councilman Michael Polensek cautioned that the mayor was in political quicksand as body counts continue to mount in Cleveland.

Just hours after Bibb and other city officials staged a press conference to address a mass shooting at a downtown nightclub that sent nine to the hospital Sunday morning, a gun battle broke out in the citys Collinwood-Nottingham neighborhood in broad daylight that claimed a teens life, Polensek said.

Under the subject line Gun battle in Collinwood Village today, Polensek described a raging gunfight spanning the border of Ward 10 and Polenseks Ward 8 on Sunday afternoon.

I dont care if you have to bring in the 82nd Airborne, Polensek wrote in the searing email, which he peppered with a couple of expletives. He copied fellow council members and other city leaders, including Safety Director Karrie Howard, Ohio Sen. Nickie Antonio and Ohio Rep. Terrence Upchurch.

During the clash, gang members carved the streets in stolen cars, spraying bullets that flew near children playing and families cooking out, Polensek wrote. The skirmish originated at Mark Tromba Playground and flowed down four separate streets, he said.

Police recovered at least 60 shell casings, including one dislodged in front of Polenseks late mother-in-laws house, he said.

The entire front of her home was a crime scene! he wrote.

Police have released few details about the incident, other than report that a 16-year-old male was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in the area of St. Clair Avenue, London Road and Alhambra Road.

At the years halfway point, homicides in Cleveland are up 30% and shootings are up 13% from last year, according to police data, a trend impacting innocent civilians.

Polensek, who has implored the administration to find ways to hire police officers amid dwindling ranks, told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer that Clevelanders citywide are expressing heightened fears for their safety.

The responsibility, Polensek declared, rests on Bibb.

I dont see any urgency coming out of the administration, he said.

Bibb told The Plain Dealers editorial board Monday that he has put a major emphasis on violence prevention, committing millions of dollars to establish a long-term fund to address root causes of criminal behavior. Separately, he is launching a number of strategies to find and retain more police officers, as some believe a shortage of officers has led to a jump in crime. One way, for instance, is offering those who sign on a cash bonus, something Polensek has pushed.

He called incentives near term solutions to help stem the losses from Clevelands shrinking police force. The department had 1,242 officers earlier this month; it had 1,600 in recent years.

During Sundays press conference, Bibb, a Democrat, blamed rising violence on lax gun laws passed by Republican legislators in Columbus. A bill enacted last summer began allowing most adults to carry a concealed gun without a license, training or background check.

Its important to hold them accountable for passing dangerous gun laws in our state that make it hard for us to keep our community safe and secure, Bibb told reporters.

Bibb told the papers editorial board Monday that the violence is not just the citys to bear, and he plans to host a summit later this month to discuss the issue of violence with residents.

Ill be convening both our judges and inner-ring suburban mayors, police chiefs and specialty departments, as well as key business and philanthropic leaders to figure out how they can all support our (safety) investment efforts to make sure that everyone in our region and community are doing their part to cut down on violent crime in our city, the mayor told the papers editorial board.

On Friday, a city spokesman said: We will continue to look for ways to improve our policing efforts. Safety is our No. 1 priority, and we remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure everyone  residents, workers, and visitors  feels safe in our city.

The Collinwood shooting came on the heels of a mass shooting early Sunday morning in the downtown warehouse district. Police say the gunman fired bullets into a crowd outside of a nightclub at about 2:30 in the morning, then fled. Police have not identified a suspect.

Polensek argues that city officials should prioritize arresting suspects in the short term over longer-term violence prevention strategies.

If crime patterns continue, he warned, Bibb will face political backlash.

You are now in quicksand whether you know it or not my friend, Polensek said in his letter.

I am as serious as a fricken heart attack, he added.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Clevelands police shortage is prompting Mayor Justin Bibb to go back to the negotiating table with two broad aims: offer bonuses and other incentives in hopes of retaining and recruiting more officers, and lengthen officers shifts to 12 hours.

The Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association, the union representing rank-and-file officers that would need to sign off on the changes, already rejected Bibbs idea to institute 12-hour shifts. Union President Jeff Follmer generally supports additional ways to help lure new recruits to Cleveland, but continues to be skeptical of longer shifts.

Bibb, speaking to a meeting of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealers editorial board on Monday, framed the various incentives as possible near term solutions to help stem the losses from Clevelands shrinking police force.

Staffing shortages have been so pervasive in recent years that Cleveland reduced its goal for the size of the force. The city, until this year, aimed to hire more than 1,600 officers, but it now aims to have about 1,500. As of last week, 1,242 were employed.

New recruits are an issue too. Cleveland has been aiming to recruit and train 180 new officers in 2023. But one of the most recent classes, which started in April, tallied just nine cadets  the smallest group of police prospects in a quarter-century. Bibb Monday said the city is no longer expecting to reach its goal of 180 this year.

Clevelands hiring challenges echo national trends in which fewer individuals are seeking to become police officers. And new hires in Cleveland arent keeping pace with the departure of existing officers, who are retiring or leaving in favor of other jobs, including suburban departments with higher pay and quieter shifts.

To better retain and recruit officers, Bibb said he is seeking a variety of new incentives and changes, including:

-Retention bonuses for existing officers, and expanding and increasing longevity pay.

-Increasing pay for cadets going through the police academy, and offering bonuses for those who successfully complete the academy.

-Reimbursing cadets who already graduated from Cuyahoga Community Colleges police academy. (The goal is to incentivize them to go through the citys own academy process, even if theyve already paid for training independently at Tri-C.)

-Establishing a new referral program in which existing officers would receive a bonus if they refer someone to Clevelands police academy (Bibb said this could be $500 for each referral)

-Pushing back the age-cap on new officers. Currently, individuals must be younger than 40 years old when they are appointed. Bibb wants to allow older individuals the option of joining.

-Conducting a survey of police officers, to better understand why many are leaving. Bibb said the goal is to get feedback on whats working and whats not working, on things like compensation, benefits and culture.

-Working with the citys Civil Service Commission to allow cadets with a college degree to enter the force at a higher rank and a higher level of pay than their peers. (Follmer, head of CPPA, said pay increases for cadets with degrees will likely need to be approved through the collective bargaining process, not solely via civil service processes.)

Bibb said he was unable to provide an estimate for how much the incentives would cost taxpayers because the city and union would have to negotiate and come to a consensus on dollar figures for each.

City Council Safety Committee Chair Mike Polensek last month proposed similar incentives. He urged Bibb to institute $10,000 hiring bonuses for recruits who complete the police academy, on the condition they stay with Cleveland police for five years.

On top of incentives, Bibb told The Plain Dealer hes still looking to institute 12-hours shifts  a bump up from the current shifts that run eight or ten hours. The police union rejected that idea once already in February, when some opponents cited health and well-being concerns in whats often a high-stress, high-stakes job.

Bibb on Monday said he was seeking the 12-hour shifts  alongside the proposed incentives -- because we believe that those investments will do a whole lot of work and effectiveness in making sure we can support Cleveland officers.

On top of this latest batch of ideas, Bibb said boosting Cleveland polices wages -- and by extension, to some degree, its staffing levels -- is a long-term task that will require multiple rounds of contract negotiations.

Last years contract negotiations resulted in an 11% pay bump over three years, and wage increases for cadets. Negotiations for the next full contract will happen in 2025, Bibb said. The incentives being proposed are meant to be near term fixes employed between those major rounds of negotiations.

Bibb intends to explore these ideas within the next week or so during a police union leadership summit with CPPAs Follmer, as well as Jim OMalley, head of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8, which represents Cleveland police supervisors.

Follmer, when reached by The Plain Dealer, hadnt heard Bibbs leadership summit phrasing. His understanding is that the meeting is more of a negotiation that will likely focus on top-end wagesand what to pay recruits.

Said Follmer: Were waiting to see what the city has to say. We know the wages are important, and recruit pay is also important. So I need to be able to keep new people, and make our salary worthwhile for people to stay without retiring early and/or young [officers] leaving the department.

Follmer remains skeptical of the move to 12-hour shifts. He said current staffing levels would still lead to shortages under the 12-hour deployment plan Bibb has pitched.

This union and its members are going to have to look at 12 hours in the city of Cleveland -- as violent as it is and what officers see everyday  and ask, is it healthy for them? Follmer said.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio  Groups fighting for and against State Issue 1 are ramping up their attempts to directly urge their sympathetic voters to the polls, going door to door ahead of the start of early voting this week for the Aug. 8 special election.

Over the weekend, a cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer reporter accompanied pro and anti-Issue 1 canvassers working to get their voters to the polls.

Those interactions reinforce that, although Issue 1s backers have downplayed the measures effects on the potential abortion amendment, abortion is perhaps the key driving factor for activists and voters on both sides of the issue.

During a canvass of an affluent neighborhood in north Columbus on Friday, each voter that answered the door for an anti-Issue 1 group proactively brought up abortion when asked whether they plan to vote in August.

Deborah Gray, 72, said shes followed Issue 1 closely, understanding it to be fallout from last years U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

I dont want my life to be dictated by a minority of politicians and voters, Gray said.

And while no voters brought up abortion during a canvas in Chillicothe on Saturday, several Republicans and right-to-life activists segued to abortion after beginning with a broader philosophical argument over why they said the state constitution should be harder to change.

I think decisions that change the constitution need a vetting process, said Jack Everson, a Republican county commissioner, explaining his support for Issue 1. A rushed process leads to bad decisions. I think abortion is a bad decision. Theres an effort coming up in November to undo what we did last year. For me, I think thats a human life.

Issue 1, which would make it harder to amend the Ohio constitution, is the only item appearing on the Aug. 8 ballot. While it would have wide-ranging ramifications if passed, the issue is a proxy fight over abortion, since Republicans set a rare August election, when turnout is expected to be low, to try to foil an expected abortion-rights measure that could appear before voters in November.

Abortion-rights backers saw a series of state-level victories last year following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, although none got more than 59% of the vote in a politically competitive state.

Read more: Coverage of State Issue 1

Constitutional amendments are a popular way for the public to directly pass laws without the involvement of the legislature. But Republican lawmakers, running with arguments that have been circulating around Columbus for more than a decade, say the process is rife for abuse by moneyed special interests and should be made more difficult. Issue 1 would require future amendments to get a 60% supermajority rather than the current 50% simple majority.

If it passes, Ohio would be one of only four states to have a 60% requirement for amendments.

State Issue 1 also would make it harder for potential ballot issues to qualify for the ballot in the first place by expanding mandatory signature-gathering requirements for amendment campaigns. It would be perhaps the toughest standard for ballot access of any of the 17 states where citizens can propose amendments.

Voting yes on the issue would approve the change. A no vote would reject the proposal.

Voter registration for the Aug. 8 election closes Monday, while early voting begins on Tuesday.

Advocates, opponents, hold weekend events

On the pro-Issue 1 side, the Ohio Republican Party and local Republican parties held voting kickoff events across the state over the weekend, including in Columbus and Medina.

The key groups organizing in favor of Issue 1 include the Ohio Republican Party, the Buckeye Firearms Association, Ohio Right to Life and the Center for Christian Virtue, a conservative evangelical organization.

ORP, which has a statewide organization honed by decades of electoral victories, held a rally in Columbus on Saturday featuring Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Attorney General Dave Yost and others. Pro-Issue 1 literature so far emphasizes the measures Republican ties, showing that backers think they will win if they can brand the measure as a GOP priority.

Were the grassroots arm of this broad coalition of people that are coming together, said Alex Triantafilou, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. We see our role as getting out Republican voters and educating Republican voters.

To the general public, the pro-Issue 1 campaign has been quiet, having yet to air any major television or social media advertising, while the campaign against it launched its first ads two weeks ago.

But beyond traditional political campaigning, social conservative organizations are trying to tap into church networks to try to pass Issue 1. Aaron Baer, CCVs president, said his organization has printed 150,000 pamphlets emphasizing Issue 1s connection to the abortion issue, although the main campaign has steered clear of the issue, viewing it as potentially divisive among Republicans. The group hopes it can mobilize enough conservative Christian voters to cast ballots in favor of Issue 1 in what many expect will be a low-participation election.

Evangelicals and Catholics are a key voting bloc, Baer said in a text message. Thats where we are focusing.

The anti-Issue 1 coalition, including Democrats, labor unions and voting-rights groups, meanwhile held their own competing events in Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and elsewhere.

On the anti-Issue 1 side, many of the weekend events were organized by local Democratic Parties and labor unions. David Brock, chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, said an Issue 1 canvas kickoff, organized by The North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor in Clevelands Kamms Corners neighborhood on the West Side, was well attended, rivaling the crowd for a similar event ahead of last years U.S. Senate race.

Were viewing this as carryover with what happened with the reproductive rights petition, Brock said, referring to the 710,000 signatures that abortion-rights backers submitted to the state last Wednesday, 25,000 of which Brock said Cuyahoga County Democrats collected.

With their signatures turned in, the leaders of the abortion-rights campaign have said theyre turning their focus to helping defeat Issue 1.

All of us that were focusing on the petition effort will turn toward making sure people know whats at stake with Issue 1, said Jeff Rusnak, a Democratic political consultant in Cleveland whos involved with the abortion-rights amendment effort. I think youre going to see a very big campaign.

While there is bipartisan opposition to Issue 1, Democrats are hoping that defeating the issue, and then winning the abortion-rights ballot measure in November, will help them build momentum heading into next years election.

State Democrats followed a similar playbook in 2011, when they successful overturned an unpopular law limiting collective bargaining rights for government employees, and 2012, when they won the presidential and U.S. Senate races here.

Everybody you talk to understands this is a power grab, Sen. Sherrod Brown, whos up for reelection next year, told Ohio Democrats during a conference call on Wednesday. The only people who dont want to understand that clearly are Republican and all the anti-abortion crowd out there.

There are a lot more of us than there are of them. And if we get our people to the polls, we win this overwhelmingly. That will give us momentum for the November vote on protecting womens rights and it will give us momentum then for our elections next year, Brown said.

Need to Know: How to register, where to vote, when the polls are open

Going door to door

On Friday evening, Angie Greer knocked on doors in a leafy Columbus subdivision with spacious, 1980s-era homes. Greer, the Columbus field canvas director for Ohio Citizen Action, a left-leaning advocacy group, has been knocking on doors since May, convincing people at their doorstep with surprising ease to film short videos explaining their reasons for opposing Issue 1.

Although their ranks included some young families, residents there described their neighborhood as skewing older, and were surprised to learn that some who lived there supported abortion rights.

Greer said while its not the case for everyone, abortion definitely is on the minds of many people she encounters.

I think most people realize the motivation for Issue 1, Greer said. So its definitely a topic of conversation.

Tony Schilling, 32, said he closely followed Issue 1s progression through the Statehouse and its implication for the abortion ballot measure in November. Its especially concerning to him given the recent birth of his daughter, he said.

Schilling, wearing a Columbus Crew hat and flanked by two black dogs, agreed to film a video for Ohio Citizen Action.

Its a giant government overreach in my opinion, Schilling said. It goes against normal conservative, limited government principles.

In Chillicothe on Saturday morning, a group of roughly 30 activists gathered at a park for a canvassing event organized by the Ross County Republican Party.

Some in the crowd, which included leaders with the local Republican Party, right-to-life groups and elected officials, acknowledged the challenge of explaining what Issue 1 would do, since it involves a ballot initiative process that most voters arent particularly familiar with.

I think it will pass comfortably in Ross County  But its not a single issue, so it requires thoughtfulness and investigation, said Jeff Lehner, the recently elected county auditor. Its not something thats easily sound-bited.

David Glass, the chairman of the Ross County Republican Party, went door to door, targeting reliable Republican voters in a lower middle-class neighborhood he said had begun to swing toward the GOP in recent years.

He said hes still not sure how much the elections existence is sinking in with the general public.

But, he said Republicans are placing a greater emphasis on early voting than normal, since the August special election will mean that many voters may be on vacation. Republicans have to try to convince their skeptical voters, who have been made wary about early voting thanks to falsehoods about widespread voting fraud from ex-President Donald Trump.

Vote early is not typically a Republican message  But especially since this is a summer election, we want people to vote early, he said.

Most voters on Saturday took literature from Glass, but didnt seem familiar with Issue 1 or the August election. An exception was Syvilla Good, a 79-year-old retired nurse.

Good said her daughter, also a nurse at a local prison, had told her that her union was urging its members to vote against Issue 1.

But Good said she doesnt trust the prison employees union, and said she sees Issue 1 as protecting the state constitution from moneyed special interests.

Theyve got a lot of money, and us little folks in the mud, we dont stand a chance, Good said. Money talks.

Andrew Tobias covers state politics and government for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer
Rep. Yun Jae-ok, right, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, speaks during a party meeting in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap



The ruling People Power Party (PPP) struck back at the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Monday over a now-scrapped expressway construction project by raising fresh allegations that a DPK member would benefit if the project goes ahead as originally planned.



The Seoul-Yangpyeong expressway project has emerged one of the biggest political issues after the DPK alleged that its route was changed to give financial benefits to the family of first lady Kim Keon Hee because the new endpoint of the highway is near where Kim's family owns land.



Land Minister Won Hee-ryong rejected the allegations and scrapped the project altogether.



On Monday, the PPP cited a news report that Jeong Dong-gyun, a former governor of Yangpyeong and a DPK member, and his family own land close to the endpoint of the expressway under the original construction plan.



"rather than raising allegations of favors involving first lady Kim Keon Hee's family, the DPK should first investigate self-favoritism allegations involving a former Yangpyeong governor," Rep. Yun Jae-ok, the floor leader of the PPP, said during a party meeting.





Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a party meeting in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State University has acquired the Middough Building in downtown Cleveland from Playhouse Square.

An affiliate of Playhouse Squares real estate wing sold the property at 1901 E. 13th St. to CSUs Board of Trustees for an unlisted amount, Cuyahoga County records show.

CSU has been a tenant in the Middough Building for about 13 years. The university uses the building for classrooms, office space, rehearsal space and costume storage.

Read the full story on cleveland.coms sister site, Cleveland Business Journal.

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CHICAGO  For brides and grooms on a budget, wedding catering just got simple: McDonalds will cater the wedding food for just a little more than $200.

But theres a catch. Youll have to get hitched in Jakarta.

McDonalds Indonesia announced the deal recently on its Instagram page.

McDers, lets make the wedding moment more memorable with Wedding Mekdi package! McDonalds Indonesia said, as translated by CBS News.

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The McDonalds wedding package contains 100 chicken burgers and 100 four-piece servings of Chicken McNuggets. It is available to brides and grooms for 3.5 million Indonesian Rupiahs, or roughly $230, CBS said.

There are other service options as well, where we can also provide food stalls at an additional cost, Rizki Haryadi of McDonalds Indonesia told The Sun. The wedding package is not for holding a wedding at a McD store, but only for food, such as catering.

McDonalds told CBS News couples would save roughly $96 by buying the wedding package. Other options, including apple pies, cheeseburgers and chicken fingers, are also available. French fries arent included.

While the promotion was launched in Indonesias capital city Jakarta and is only available now in that country, it could be expanded around the world and to the United States if it proves successful, Haryadi told The Sun.

This is not McDonalds first venture into the wedding business.

Indonesias brand-new wedding package comes several years after one branch of the company in Hong Kong acknowledged that it performed marriages inside the store, the New York Post said, citing The Sun..

The basic Happiness Party package, launched in 2011, costs about $382 and includes everything from invites, venue, audio equipment and food for an extra $127, the Post said.
This photo shows former Justice Minister Cho Kuk during an event to promote his new book in the southeastern port city of Busan, April 11. Yonhap



The son of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk has decided to relinquish his master's degree following years of controversy over admission irregularities, his lawyer said Monday.



Cho Won, 26, was admitted to Yonsei University Graduate School in 2018 and received a master's degree in political science in 2021. But a court found the internship certificate he submitted during the admission screening had been falsified.



"After long contemplation, Mr. Cho has decided to return his master's degree from Yonsei University Graduate School due to the controversy surrounding the document submitted during his admission process," his lawyer said in a press release.



Cho has already notified the school of that intention, he added.



In 2021, Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea received an eight-month suspended prison term for issuing the false certificate while he was working at a law firm.



On Friday, Cho Kuk's daughter, Min, also announced she would drop lawsuits she filed to reverse the decisions of her two alma maters to revoke her admissions over academic fraud allegations.



The siblings' moves came amid rumors that their disgraced father is planning to return to the political scene ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.



Cho Kuk resigned as justice minister in October 2019, just one month after his appointment, following allegations of academic fraud involving his children.



His wife is currently serving a four-year prison sentence on charges, including document forgery, related to her daughter's admission to a medical school.



In February, a district court sentenced Cho Kuk to a two-year prison term in the same case. (Yonhap)


Panelists participate in the 39th International Society for Animal Genetics Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, July 7. Courtesy of Daejeon Tourism Organization



Over 1,000 animal genetics experts from across the world will gather in Daejeon, central Korea, in 2025 to hold a biennial conference of the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG), the city said Monday.



Daejeon was chosen as the venue of the 2025 ISAG Conference during the society's 39th conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, last week, according to the Daejeon Tourism Organization (DJTO).



The DJTO said it has teamed up with the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korean Society of Animal Breeding Genetics to win the bid to host the ISAG conference after beating out Italy, China and the United States.



It will be the first time that Korea will host the world's most prestigious conference related to animal genetics, the DJTO said, expecting it to serve as an opportunity to further solidify the nation's global status in that field. (Yonhap)


Investors are piling into electric vehicle stocks after the latest Tesla numbers showed it beat expectations for vehicle deliveries. The news lifted Tesla shares even further, with the stock up 124% year-to-date. Rivian shares also got a boost, after it reported deliveries that topped estimates. Vanda Research in a Thursday note said it's seeing signs of some rotation from AI stocks to EVs. "We expect to see more retail demand for EV stocks going forward," the note said, highlighting "laggards" such as Nio , Li and Plug in particular. Morgan Stanley in a July 5 report struck an optimistic tone on China-made EVs, saying a flood of affordable electric vehicles from China and other emerging markets will "meet the need for cheaper EVs." "Just a few years ago, China-made cars were poorly designed with inferior quality, but today they surpass rival foreign models on affordability, quality, and the tech-driven user experience," the bank said. Its base case for China-made EVs implies 38% annual offshore sales growth through 2030. EV stocks with upside To see which EV stocks are expected to continue to rise, CNBC Pro screened two ETFs on FactSet: the KraneShares Electric Vehicles & Future Mobility Index ETF and the Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF . The resulting stocks have at least 10% average upside to price target, 10 or more analysts covering the stock, and a buy rating from at least 50% of the analysts. Chinese EV makers BYD and Geely Automobile got the highest potential upsides to their price targets from analysts, at 31% and 45% respectively. Last week, BYD announced plans to launch a new electric SUV, its most direct competitor yet to Tesla' s Model Y. Stellantis , which is traded in New York, Milan and Paris, has the highest buy rating, from 78% of analysts. Bernstein in a June report forecast that car manufacturers are set to see incremental revenues from greater investment in software. It listed Stellantis as one example, citing the carmaker's forecast of $23 billion in annual revenue by 2030.  CNBC's Michael Bloom, John Melloy and Fred Imbert contributed to this report.
High-rise buildings in downtown Shanghai, China, on March 12, 2018. China cut its benchmark reference rate for mortgages by an unexpectedly wide margin on Friday, its second cut this year as Beijing seeks to revive the ailing housing sector to prop up the economy.

China's central bank on Monday extended its policies to support the real estate market to the end of 2024.

The aim is to increase financial support to ensure home delivery, the People's Bank of China said in a statement.

For newly issued ancillary financing that becomes non-performing, relevant institutions and personnel are exempt from liability if they have exercised due diligence, it added.
A visitor plugs a charger into an electric vehicle on display at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok on March 22, 2023.

Thailand's Siam Motors partnered with Nissan Motors in 1962 with a factory that rolled out four cars a day, leading to a profitable, decades-long relationship with Japanese companies that transformed it from a car dealer to an automotive pioneer.

But the Thai family-owned group that has grown annual revenues to $7 billion on the back of that success is now looking at opportunities elsewhere.

Siam Motors is in talks with several Chinese automakers about potential partnerships, particularly for high-end electric vehicles, vice president Sebastien Dupuy said in an interview, referring to previously unreported discussions.

"EVs will be a nice pocket of growth," he said. "There is a market growing for that, and we want to capture the growth."

Siam Motors' position reflects a rapid shift underway in Thailand, where Chinese investments worth $1.44 billion since 2020, including by BYD and Great Wall Motor , have opened a new front in a market Japanese automakers historically dominated.

Close on the heels of a sales crisis in China, Japanese automakers now face a battle for another key Asian market because of what has been a go-slow approach to EVs, according to registration data, industry officials and analysts.

The Chinese wave is already beginning to reshape Thailand's auto industry, as EV makers from China bring in their suppliers and local Thai firms, including those with longstanding links to Japanese companies, like Siam Motors, seek new partnerships.

Thailand is Southeast Asia's largest car producer and exporter, and its second-largest sales market after Indonesia. Japanese automakers are so dominant that for decades they have treated it almost as an extension of their home market.

But China surpassed Japan as Thailand's top foreign investor last year, boosted by BYD's investment in a new plant set to start up in 2024, amid concerted efforts by Thai officials to draw Chinese EV producers.

Thailand's transition offers a test case for other economies as Chinese automakers ramp up exports and build overseas production hubs, partly in response to a hypercompetitive home market for electric cars.

In Europe, for example, where policies to support local EV production are still taking shape, Chinese automakers are also making a major push in a market where EVs now account for almost a fifth of overall sales.
Mark Rutte said he will not run for a fifth term as the Dutch prime minister.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Monday that he won't run for a fifth term in office after handing in the resignation of his cabinet Friday, bringing an end to the country's fragile four-party coalition government.

Fifty-six-year-old Rutte, who became the country's longest-serving prime minister in history in August last year, said he plans to leave Dutch politics following elections later in the year.

The leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) had served as prime minister since 2010.

"In recent days there's been a lot of speculation about what motivated me. The only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said in a speech in parliament, according to Reuters. His comments came ahead of a scheduled no-confidence vote in The Hague on Monday.

"Yesterday morning I made the decision that I will not again be available as leader of the VVD. Once the new cabinet is formed after the elections, I will leave politics."

Rutte's announcement comes shortly after he last week said that his four-party coalition government had collapsed over "irreconcilable" differences on immigration policy.

The prime minister and his government will remain in post until a new ruling government is chosen. Opposition lawmakers have called for an immediate election. A fragmented political landscape in the Netherlands means it can take months to form a new government after an election.

The four-party coalition government comprises Rutte's VVD, the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal party and two centrist parties: the Democrats 66 and the Christian Union.
Barclays has named several global stocks that are expected to do well as the usage of artificial intelligence-related services evolves. The investment bank acknowledged that hardware and infrastructure giants, most notably Nvidia and Microsoft , are currently seeing the immediate benefits of the AI hype. Still, over the long term, it said businesses in the service sector could cash in significantly. The companies in Barclays' "Global AI Winners" basket include Canada-headquartered TELUS International and France's Capgemini . Shares of the two companies, which provide customer service, digital strategy, and consultancy services, are expected to rise by 67% and 31%, respectively, according to the consensus price target of analysts compiled by FactSet. "We believe that most of the near-term economic value attached to AI will accrue to a handful of key players in the foundational hardware segments of the AI value chain, whereas longer-term innovation and adoption at the software level should ultimately benefit primarily Tech and services-based businesses," Barclays analysts led by Emmanuel Cau said in a note to clients on June 22. Capgemini was also among the companies identified by Goldman Sachs earlier this month as stocks with the potential to be boosted by AI applications over the medium and long term. The below table highlights non-U.S. stocks in Barclays' basket of AI stocks. Japanese and Taiwanese companies dominate the list, with six stocks from each country. Companies in Taiwan included chip makers such as TSMC , Gigabyte , Global Unichip , and Alchip , whereas Japanese firms included high-tech component makers such as Lasertec and Tokyo Electron . Barclays also expects SoftBank Group to be a long-term beneficiary of A.I. thanks to the conglomerate's investments in many startups and technology firms. Barclays identified Germany's SAP and UK's Sage Group as potential long-term beneficiaries in Europe. The two companies have access to vast troves of data  critical for enabling AI  since they provide their customers with several customer support, HR, and accounting tools. Similarly, according to Barclays, Amsterdam-headquartered Adyen stands to benefit from increased A.I. adoption. The fintech and payment services company has previously admitted using AI to improve fraud detection and customer support. Dutch companies ASM and its former subsidiary ASML are also named net beneficiaries of the AI trend. The firms produce tools that enable the manufacture of high-tech semiconductor chips powering chatbots, such as ChatGPT.
While a boom in artificial intelligence demand lifted shares of Nvidia nearly 191% this year, Goldman Sachs anticipates even more gains for the chipmaker as it enters a new growth period. Analyst Toshiya Hari reiterated his buy rating on the chipmaker while upping his price target to $495 from $440 a share on the "key enabler of traditional AI." He cited a "significant runway" for the chipmaker's data center business as new AI models require stronger compute and training. "Supported by its competitive moat founded on consistent investments in hardware and software, Nvidia has been a key enabler and beneficiary of traditional AI for nearly a decade," Hari said in a Sunday note. "The recent step-function increase in the company's Data Center revenue outlook, however, suggests that the company has entered a new phase of growth driven by the emergence and proliferation of Generative AI." NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia shares in 2023 The new price target suggests shares could gain another 16.5% from Friday's close on top of nearly tripling this year. Many on Wall Street label the company a dominant AI beneficiary . Key to Goldman Sachs' target increase is the stronger compute power and greater numbers of graphics processing units needed to train growing large language models. From training alone, the analyst forecasts a $13 billion base case three-year revenue opportunity and a $316 billion bull case scenario. "We recognize that we are presenting a very large range of potential outcomes, but we believe this is fair given how nascent Generative AI is as a technology and the associated difficulty in predicting adoption rates," Hari said. He sees significantly lower but nonetheless lucrative revenue opportunities from inferencing for Nvidia. Inferencing refers to the use of AI models to make predictions and generate content such as text and images. For search, he speculates Nvidia could yield as much as $1 billion in a bull case scenario in 2025 and a $2.1 billion revenue opportunity from enterprise. Social media could yield one of the strongest revenue opportunities, with a base case scenario calling for $1.9 billion in revenue. Along with its target increase on Nvidia, Goldman Sachs upped its price objective on overseas shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing . Analyst Bruce Lu expects marginal revenue upside near term, but projects a "meaningful" uptick medium term as wafer demand increases and the company expands capacity. "While our assumptions are made within the context of a fluid environment, especially on the Inference side as Generative AI continues to evolve, we view TSMC as well positioned to capture the AI mega trend in the coming years and thus remain positive toward its long term growth potential," he wrote.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.
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When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the repeal of her state's abortion ban in April, she framed it in terms of competitiveness  a draw for women and for companies. "If you don't think abortion's about the economy, you might not have a uterus," said Whitmer, a Democrat. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sees it as an economic issue too. But he said his state's abortion ban was drawing companies there. "There's a lot of businesses and a lot of Americans that like the social positions that the state of Texas is taking," Abbott, a Republican, said on CNBC in 2021 after the law was first passed. One year after the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion rights to the states, the truth about abortion and the economy is far murkier than either governor portrayed it. Governors of states that have codified abortion rights are using their laws as a selling point. In an interview, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the pitch is resonating. "We know having heard from employers that this matters to their employees, and Massachusetts is a state where we protect women's access to needed health care," said Healey, a Democrat.

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But there is no evidence yet of an influx of workers or businesses resulting from the state's protections of reproductive rights. In fact, Massachusetts is still dealing with population declines. In New York, where fellow Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an interview that she has been known to "cold call" CEOs and point out the state's abortion rights, she could not point to any individual companies that bought the pitch. "I don't have a specific case to point to, but I get their attention," she said. While some states with abortion restrictions, like Texas, are among the leaders in net in-migration according to Census data, there is no evidence that those laws are a draw.

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How workers feel about abortion-ban state employers

Early research suggests that women  and professional women in particular  are paying close attention to state reproductive freedoms  and access to abortions  in deciding where they are willing to live and work. That is potentially crucial in an era of critical worker shortages. The annual CNBC/Momentive Women at Work Survey, conducted in February, asked 10,728 adults  including 5,420 women  about their views on the developing patchwork of state laws. Younger working women were some of the most motivated by last year's Supreme Court ruling: 32% of working women aged 18-34 said they would not work in a state that limits or bans access to abortion. The survey also said that 18% of working women aged 35-64 and 21% of working women 65 and over were unwilling to move to a state with a ban.

Abortion rights advocates gather in front of the J Marvin Jones Federal Building and Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, on March 15, 2023. Moises Avila | AFP | Getty Images

In addition, the survey said 29% of working women that make $100,000 or more per year said they will not work in a state that limits or bans access to abortion, and 23% of women with incomes of $50,000-$99,999 and 21% of women with incomes under $50,000 agreed. The survey even found that 15% of men would refuse to work in a state with abortion restrictions. Just 8% of working women and 10% of men said they would only work in a state that does ban abortion.

Health-care cost considerations for companies

For companies, locating in a state that bans abortion could have other costs. Following the Supreme Court ruling, several major employers adopted policies to pay the travel expenses for employers who must leave the state to access reproductive care. They include Amazon, Bank of America , Comcast, Disney and Starbucks. It is too early to quantify those costs, and there is no sign yet of companies factoring them into their location decisions. While there is no sign of a mass exodus of companies from abortion-restricting states, some firms are dropping some not-so-subtle hints. After Indiana passed its abortion ban last year, Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly issued a statement saying that it was concerned about its ability to attract diverse talent to the state. "Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state," the statement said. In neighboring Illinois, where abortion remains legal, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker was quick to put out the welcome mat. "I want to make sure that they know they're welcome in Illinois," he said. "We treat workers here well." To make his point in Texas, Abbott specifically called out Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as a supporter of his state's "social policies." Musk attempted to sidestep the political issue.

Elon Musk has expanded a number of his companies within Texas, including Tesla, SpaceX, the Boring Co. and Neuralink. Tesla broke ground on a lithium refinery in Texas earlier this year with Governor Greg Abbott in attendance. Christophe Gateau | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
From left, Reps. Han Jeong-ae, Nam In-soon, Ko Min-jung and Seo Young-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, Seoul City Councilor Kim Ji-hyang and HSI Korea Executive Director Chae Jung-ah hold a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, calling for a legislative ban on the consumption of dog meat. Newsis



By Lee Hae-rin



Lawmakers and animal rights advocates joined forces, Monday, to urge the National Assembly to introduce a legislative bill that will permanently end the consumption of dog meat and eliminate the cruel industry.



The group of four lawmakers, all of whom are from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, one Seoul City councilor and an animal rights advocate delivered their message in a press conference at the Assembly in Seoul, one day ahead of this year's "chobok," which marks the beginning of the hottest part of summer.



Traditionally, Koreans consumed dog meat on the day to replenish their strength against the hot weather, but this practice has been on a sharp decline, and more people opt for samgyetang, a soup containing chicken and ginseng.



The press conference also took place on the sidelines of the Beyond Prejudice exhibition hosted by Humane Society International (HSI) Korea starting the same day. Calling for an end to the dog meat trade, the exhibition features the country's previous legislative measures regarding the ban and the group's work of closing down 18 dog meat farms, rescuing over 2,700 dogs and supporting the farmers' transition to other professions.



Rep. Han Jeong-ae of the DPK, who heads the National Assembly's animal welfare forum and proposed a bill to end the dog meat trade last month, underscored the illegality of the industry.



"Dogs are not classified as livestock under the Livestock Products Sanitary Act and trading dog meat for human consumption is subject to a maximum five-year prison term or 50 million won ($38,300) in fines under the Food Sanitary Act," the lawmaker said, highlighting the need for a legal system to monitor and end the illegal trade more effectively.



Her bill aims to ban the killing and sale of dogs and cats for human consumption and to provide financial aid and professional guidance for people in the industry to transition to another industry. Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) also proposed a similar amendment bill to the Animal Protection Act in April.



Kim Ji-hyang, a PPP member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, also proposed an ordinance in May, which is pending at council due to a "lack of social consensus" and fierce opposition from stakeholders in the dog meat industry.



According to the latest government statistics, 1,156 dog meat farms are raising around 520,000 dogs for human consumption across the country, in connection with 1,666 restaurants.



An overwhelming 87.5 percent of Koreans said they would never consume dog meat while 56 percent agreed the dog meat trade needs to be brought to an end  a whopping leap from 2017's 35 percent, according to Nielsen Korea's survey conducted in October by request of HSI Korea.



The exhibition, also featuring one of the 17 portraits of rescued dogs by award-winning French photographer Sophie Gamand showcased at downtown Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Station during the previous exhibition in May, runs through Friday in the lobby of the National Assembly's Members' Office Building. Admission is free.


JPMorgan has named a raft of European stocks it described as having high yields, strong balance sheets and safe dividends, such as BT Group , Bayer and Sainsbury's . In a July 3 note detailing its outlook for the second half of the year, analysts led by Mislav Matejka stated: "Our pecking order for 2H is: bullish on Staples, Utilities, Telecoms and Healthcare, European Energy could hold up well." The bank said international markets had outperformed the U.S., adding that it sees a "significant valuation discount in International vs US stocks." Its European Sustainable yield basket  made up of 40 "high- and sustainable-yielding European stocks, with safe dividends and strong balance sheets"  include stocks across the bank's preferred sectors. As well as Bayer, JPMorgan's picks in healthcare include Swiss drug company Novartis and French pharmaceuticals company Sanofi . Utility companies in the basket include Italian company Enel and Finnish firm Fortum . Alongside J Sainsbury, it named Norwegian seafood company Mowi as a staples pick. In energy, the bank likes French oil company TotalEnergies , while in telecoms it chose Spanish firm Telefonica , and Swedish company Telia as well as BT Group. The bank conceded that the economic picture for the rest of 2023 is likely to be mixed. "The cushion of consumer excess savings is being eroded, profit margins are peaking and money supply in the US and Europe keeps contracting. Banks are tightening lending standards and the cost of financing continues to rise," its note said. JPMorgan also chose a number of "cheap" global sectors it expects to outperform, including telecoms, energy and staples. - CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
From pet food to liquor and lighting fixtures, global investing firm KKR is putting its money behind a suite of consumer-driven sectors in China, departing from a singular focus on technology.

"We have around $6 billion invested in China. And our core focus has really been around the sweet spot of what we think the market opportunity is  domestic consumption," KKR's co-CEO Joseph Bae told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia."

The company is intending to capitalize and cater to the growing middle class of 400 million people in China as they pursue higher quality food and services. KKR also has an active presence in different parts of China, with offices in capital Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

"We've invested in companies like the largest pet food company in China, the largest lighting fixtures company in China, retail pharmacy chains in China, domestic liquor and alcohol brands in China... All consumer driven," Bae elaborated.

Last month, China's State Council proposed measures to boost the consumption of household products, without going into details. China has also recently reported a slew of weaker-than-expected economic data, pointing to fizzling growth momentum and intensifying calls for more stimulus.
Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street. Citi opens a negative catalyst watch on Estee Lauder Citi opened a negative catalyst watch on the stock and said it's cautious heading into earnings in late August. "At EL, we are opening a 90-day negative catalyst watch as we expect below consensus initial FY'24 guidance. While that is somewhat anticipated by the market, we don't believe investors will view a low guidance as conservative given large cuts over the last two years." Wells Fargo downgrades Fox to underweight from equal weight Wells Fargo downgraded the stock due to continuous cord-cutting risks. " FOXA 's earnings are mostly Fox News earnings, and Fox News is facing viewership and share pressures. With ecosystem risks also elevated we find our estimate outlook more negative and below the Street. We downgrade to Underweight." Loop downgrades Aaron's to neutral from buy Loop downgraded Aaron's on fundamentals and valuation. "While our downgrade is primarily based on valuation, we do have some fundamental concerns given the dramatic pandemic-driven demand pull forwards in furniture, appliances, and consumer electronics, as well as the ongoing BrandsMart integration." Morgan Stanley upgrades Shockwave Medical to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said shares of the cardiovascular medical device company are well-positioned. "We expect a solid improvement in reimbursement to leave street growth expectations for 2024/25 as too low, and with plenty of catalysts, we think SWAV shares are well placed ." Goldman Sachs reiterates Nvidia as buy Goldman Sachs raised its price target on the stock to $495 per share from $440 and said it's in a "new phase of growth." "Supported by its competitive moat founded on consistent investments in hardware and software, Nvidia has been a key enabler and beneficiary of traditional AI for nearly a decade. The recent step-function increase in the company's Data Center revenue outlook, however, suggests that the company has entered a new phase of growth driven by the emergence and proliferation of Generative AI." Read more about this call here . JMP upgrades Charles Schwab to market outperform from market perform JMP said Charles Schwab is an "interesting trade." "Additionally, with the company providing new guidance for the second quarter suggesting weaker performance, we think the market now is better positioned from an earnings perspective with downward revisions behind us. Accordingly, we think Schwab represents an interesting trade into the low $70 range." KBW upgrades BlackRock to outperform from market perform KBW said the asset management company is "delivering good consistent organic growth and profitability." "We are upgrading BlackRock (BLK) to Outperform from Market Perform. BLK is delivering good consistent organic growth and profitability." Bank of America reiterates Amazon as buy Bank of America said it's bullish heading into Amazon's Prime Day on Tuesday. "Based on our projection for $162bn in 3Q'23e Amazon GMV (gross margin value), we estimate Prime Day could represent 7.4% of GMV for the quarter (up slightly from 7.2% last year)." Jefferies reiterates Tesla as hold Jefferies raised its price target on Tesla to $265 per share from $185 but said it's standing by its hold rating. "We join a consensus view that Q2 will be a trough in auto gross margin. We value Tesla first as a superior-ROIC, software-enhanced, manufacturer but recent developments also suggest a shift in valuation drivers, with Tesla's early focus on AI-based autonomy standing out, notably in terms of scalability." UBS reiterates Disney as buy UBS said it's cautious heading into Disney earnings in early August, but it's sticking with its buy rating. "We expect F3Q to show continued pressure in advertising/linear OI (operating income), slightly higher DTC dilution and mixed Parks results." Morgan Stanley reiterates Netflix as equal weight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to $450 per share from $350 and said the risk/reward for Netflix is balanced. "A year ago, nothing was priced in for either paid sharing or the ad-tier as shares traded at ~13x '24E consensus EPS. Today, at ~30x, much is expected. We raise estimates and our PT to reflect our higher expectations and competitor withdrawal, but see a balanced risk/reward here." JPMorgan initiates Cava as overweight JPMorgan said it's long-term bullish on the Mediterranean fast-food restaurant. "After the company's June 14th IPO priced at $22, shares are now 80% above the initial offering price but we believe still have room to grow. We agree with the market's implicit positive view on the medium/long- term story of CAVA ." Read more about this call here . Morgan Stanley reiterates Rivian as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its buy rating on the electric-vehicle company. " Rivian shares are up > 80% in the past 2 weeks on high volume, taking the stock over its 200 day moving average and beyond our $24 price target. The rally appears driven by a mix of fundamental and technical forces." Evercore ISI reiterates Apple as outperform Evercore said gaming is dragging on App Store growth but that it's sticking with its outperform rating on Apple shares. "App Store revenue grew 3% in June, which brings the growth rate to -1% for the June-qtr. Weakness continues to be driven by the gaming market." Bank of America upgrades SEE and Weyerhaeuser to buy from neutral Bank of America upgraded the company formerly known as Sealed Air and said it sees an attractive entry point. The firm also upgraded Weyerhaeuser and says it likes the company's housing exposure. "SEE faces volume headwinds in protective packaging (i.e., bubble wrap) and food (i.e., protein/meat bag) but the stock is already at multi-year relative lows. Our upgrade of wood products and timber company WY adds housing exposure in a risk-averse way given the value of timberlands." Stifel reiterates ServiceNow as buy Stifel raised its price target on the stock to $600 per share from $525 and said it's getting more bullish on the stock. "Net/net, we expect that ServiceNow's expanding platform, growing pipeline, and large deal momentum should enable the company to maintain 20%+ revenue growth and margin expansion in coming years." UBS reiterates Yum! Brands as buy UBS said the stock is a high-quality compounder. "We think less favorable investor positioning can create an opportunity for shares over time, and believe YUM should remain a core holding as a quality compounder supported by contributions from key drivers, incl. Taco Bell strength & KFC Int'l growth consistency." Oppenheimer reiterates Domino's as outperform Oppenheimer raised its price target on the stock to $400 per share from $375 and said it sees an attractive risk/reward. "Following a deep-dive analysis, we believe DPZ now represents an actionable idea with a more attractive risk/reward for rest of year."
Lithuania's president said Monday that establishing a pathway for Ukraine's NATO membership is an "achievable goal," even as lesser security assurances have been touted by members of the military alliance ahead of a two-day summit this week.

Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick in Vilnius, Gitanas Nauseda said various interim security assurances would be discussed when NATO members meet in the Lithuanian capital Tuesday, but he added that Ukraine ultimately had a rightful place in the military alliance.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday that Washington was ready to provide security to Ukraine in a similar way as it does to Israel, offering "the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves." These comments were echoed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"As a temporary solution on the path toward full integration of in NATO, it might be considered. And it is a quite beneficial form of cooperation. But this is not a replacement for the full-fledged membership in NATO," Nauseda said.

"I don't think that this is the final goal for Ukraine. The final destination of Ukraine is to be in the family of NATO alliance," he added.

Asked whether Ukraine would receive a pathway to membership at this week's meeting, Nauseda said it was possible.

"I think it's [an] achievable goal and this is a very important goal, too," he said.

Kyiv applied for fast-track NATO membership in September 2022 in retaliation against Moscow after it said it had annexed four Ukrainian regions amid its full-scale invasion. NATO's European expansion has long been considered a point of provocation by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Novavax shares jump on news of a settlement payment from the Canadian government.

It's unclear how many doses of Novavax's jab  its only commercially available product after 35 years  went unused. Under the amended agreement, Novavax will also provide Canada with fewer doses of its vaccine on a revised delivery schedule. However, Canada can terminate the contract if Novavax fails to receive regulatory approval for vaccine production at the Canadian government's biomanufacturing facility by Dec. 31, 2024, according to the agreement. The announcement is another sign of hope for investors after the cash-strapped company raised doubts about its ability to stay in business earlier this year.
A freshly dug grave sits near tombs of Russian soldiers at a cemetery in the town of Yefremov in the Tula region on March 24, 2023.

At least 47,000 Russian men under the age of 50 years have died so far in the Ukraine invasion, according to a joint study by journalists at Meduza and Mediazona and a data scientist from Germany's Tubingen University.

The publications said they analyzed existing reports about published obituaries, mortality data from the Federal State Statistics Service, and extensive records from the National Probate Registry.

Meduza reported at least 125,000 men were wounded so seriously that they could not return to military service. This estimate excludes missing or captured soldiers or Ukrainian nationals fighting with Russian proxy forces based in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he wasn't aware of the study when asked by the Associated Press during a conference call with reporters on Monday, as the Kremlin had "stopped monitoring" Meduza. Peskov also refused to comment on the number of deaths mentioned in the study, saying only that "the Defense Ministry gives the numbers, and they're the only ones who have that prerogative."

Russia has publicly acknowledged the deaths of just over 6,000 soldiers, according to the AP.

 Melodie Warner
Income is for sale, and with a good eye, you can scoop yields exceeding 4% on the cheap. Dividend-paying exchange-traded funds are at a discount relative to the overall market, with offerings such as the iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) and the SPDR Portfolio S & P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) posting a total return of about -4% this year. In comparison, the S & P 500 is up nearly 15% in 2023. At least some of that disparity can be attributed to the banner year the tech sector is enjoying, up nearly 40% in 2023. Meanwhile, dividend stalwarts such as Coca-Cola , Exxon Mobil and Johnson & Johnson are all negative this year. But whether it's time to back up the truck and stock up on cheap dividend payers will depend on a range of factors, including risk appetite and style. "I think it's something you need to be prudent about," said Ryan Jackson, manager research analyst for passive strategies at Morningstar. "As tempting as it is to say they're down and it's time to pull the trigger, you should exercise some prudence and caution." Nuance around income payers There's a multitude of strategies beneath the dividend-paying ETF umbrella, but Jackson thinks of the universe in three tiers. First, there are strategies that are focused on income but also "lean into cheap and beaten-down stocks," the analyst said. He pointed to DVY as an example. The fund has a 30-day SEC yield of 4.23%. Notable constituents include Altria Group, which has an 8.3% dividend yield, and Verizon , which touts a yield exceeding 7%. Both stocks are down in 2023. The second category combines aspects of growth and income. This would include the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) , which has a total return of about -1.6% this year, and the WisdomTree U.S. Total Dividend ETF (DTD) , with a total return of 2.5%. These names offer modest yield  VYM has a 30-day SEC yield of 3.2%  with slightly better performance compared with its peers that focus on higher paying names that are beat up. Finally, there are dividend-payers with a growth focus, such as the iShares Core Dividend Growth (DGRO) and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (VIG) ETFs. With these names, you're capturing price appreciation, but more modest income. VIG, for instance, has a total return of 6% this year, but offers a 30-day SEC yield of 1.82%. Its constituents include Microsoft and Apple , up 36% and 44% this year, respectively. Both tech giants offer yields below 1%. Finding the right strategy When picking out which strategy is right for you, consider how these funds held up in 2022 and in the first six months of 2023. Portfolio income from steady dividend payers can help blunt the pain of seeing your value decline. "The funds in that higher yielding bucket were the stars of the show in 2022 when the broad market was down nearly 20%," said Jackson. "They had their moment in the sun last year." Whether it's time to snap up these dividend payers will also depend on your risk appetite and your timeline. "Look at the Dow  it isn't really doing anything, but the companies pay dividends and don't really cut them," said Jordan Benold, a certified financial planner at Benold Financial Planning. "It's the equity play in retirement that isn't that aggressive." For income investors who want to shy away from equity exposure in the short term, Benold noted that six-month Treasury bills are yielding more than 5.4%. "In the short run, if you want to save for a wedding or a down payment, throw it into T-bills," he said.
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon holds up a copy of the Financial Times while speaking to members of the media outside US District Court House as his trial for contempt of Congress continues, in Washington, DC, on July 20, 2022.

A judge ordered former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon to pay a New York law firm $480,487 in unpaid legal bills.

And that amount could grow.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth also awarded the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron fees it incurred from having to sue Bannon to collect what it was owed for work performed from November 2020 through November 2022.

Bluth's six-page decision brushed aside Bannon's arguments against the bill, which suggested Davidoff Hutcher's retainer was not entitled to charge for work related to four different legal cases, and that he never "personally received" the firms' bills or paid their invoices himself.

The judge noted that Davidoff Hutcher had been paid $375,000 for work for Bannon before he stopped paying the firm.

"Clearly someone affiliated with defendant was getting these invoices and defendant admits he instructed his team to pay plaintiff," Bluth wrote.

Bannon "cannot receive the benefit of plaintiff's legal representation and then insist he need not for it," the judge wrote.

Bannon's current lawyer, Harlan Protass told CNBC on Monday: "The judge's decision was clearly wrong and we intend to immediately appeal."

The order comes as Bannon  now represented by a different law firm  faces a May 2024 criminal trial in the same court for allegedly defrauding donors to a purported effort to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. He has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Former President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon just before leaving office in January 2021 in connection with a then-pending federal criminal prosecution for the same alleged "We Build the Wall" scam, in which three co-defendants all later pleaded guilty or were convicted.

Bannon also is appealing a Washington, D.C., federal court conviction and related four-month jail sentence for contempt of Congress for refusing to testify to the special House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, after it issued him a subpoena.

Bannon's former lawyer, Davidoff Hutcher partner Robert Costello, told CNBC that if Bannon "appeals, of course, the meter is running" on the unpaid fees he owes the firm.
Goldman Sachs put out its medium-term estimate of the generative artificial intelligence opportunity for Club name Nvidia (NVDA). The number is astounding. The boom in generative AI adoption could generate more than $90 billion in revenue for Nvidia over the next three years, according to Goldman's latest analysis revealed in a note to clients Sunday. For context, in its most recent fiscal year ended in January, Nvidia's Compute and Networking segment  home to sales of data-center GPUs that are used for AI applications  generated around $15 billion in sales. Goldman's estimate underscores the massive growth opportunity ahead for Nvidia, a key reason why Jim Cramer has called it an own-it, don't-trade-it stock. Apple (AAPL) was the first and only other stock to get this designation from Jim. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia YTD performance Nvidia shares have, of course, been a stellar performer so far this year due in large part to its AI dominance. But our belief that even brighter days for its business are ahead  a view shared by Goldman  gives us confidence in the stock's multiyear trajectory. To estimate Nvidia's AI revenue opportunity, Goldman broke it down into two computing categories: training and inference. Training is the larger revenue opportunity over the next few years, and it incorporates the sales of Nvidia's graphics processing units, or GPUs. Nvidia's best-in-class GPUs deliver the accelerated computing power used to "train" large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT. At a high level, the training stage for an AI model is where it is fed large quantities of data to learn and use to make predictions. Inference is the smaller revenue opportunity right now. In the world of AI, inference refers to putting an AI model to work  based on new user inputs, or real-world scenarios it hasn't yet encountered  to make a prediction and complete tasks, such as generating text and images. Here's a chart that shows how Goldman sees Nvidia's AI revenue opportunities shaking out from calendar year 2023 through calendar 2025 in each category. Keep in mind: Goldman's estimate are for calendar years, not fiscal years. Nvidia is among the companies that don't follow the traditional January-through-December year. Its fiscal years usually start in late January. For example, its fiscal 2024 began on Jan. 30, 2023. Those fiscal first-quarter results were delivered in May. To put Goldman's AI computing revenue estimates into perspective: Nvidia's entire companywide revenue over the past three fiscal years totaled $70.5 billion. Just over half of that  $37.06 billion  came from its Graphics segment, which includes GPU sales for PC gaming. The rest of the revenue from that three-year stack comes from Nvidia's other segment Compute and Networking, as noted earlier. While the Compute and Networking division stands to gain immensely from the generative AI boom, as Goldman indicates, investors should be mindful that those analyst estimates don't include revenue contributions from gaming, which is seeing a rebound. Other smaller end markets like automotive  which management has recently called out as one seeing momentum  are not factored in, either. Goldman's estimates reflect Nvidia's standing as the dominant enable of generative AI. Its other revenue streams  while catching less of the spotlight as AI adoption grows  still matter as well. Historically, the majority of inference tasks are completed by central processing units, or CPUs. Goldman expects more inference workloads will be handled by accelerators  think GPUs  in the future. "While small in relation to Training in the near-term, we envision Inferencing becoming the larger and more recurring opportunity for Nvidia and its peers in the long run," according to the Wall Street firm. For its part, Nvidia management is optimistic about the inference opportunity, too, with CEO Jensen Huang arguing in May that GPUs are better suited to handle inference for generative AI applications due to their "size and complexities." In March, Nvidia announced four new inference platforms . Of the roughly $85 billion in training revenue Goldman estimates over the next three years (represented in the second column of our chart above), nearly $11 billion is projected to come from Chinese cloud service providers. The firm acknowledged that further U.S. government export controls on chips to China could put that estimate "at risk." In late June, amid reports that more strict export rules were being considered by the Biden administration, Nvidia said they wouldn't have a near-term hit to its business , given strong demand in countries outside China. However, Nvidia CFO Colette Kress indicated that over the longer term, its future business would feel an impact from such restrictions. Goldman's fresh look at the AI opportunity also served as the basis for boosted earnings estimates for Nvidia. The analysts increased their per-share price target to $495 from $440 while reiterating their buy rating on the stock. The new PT of $495 per share reflects a 17.4% premium from where Nvidia closed on Monday. Goldman now sees Nvidia earning an adjusted $11.99 per share in fiscal 2025 and $14.14 per share in fiscal 2026, which are 17.6% and 13% higher, respectively, than FactSet's consensus analyst estimates. While Wall Street substantially increased its EPS outlook for Nvidia once this year  in late May, after the company's jaw-dropping fiscal 2024 second-quarter guidance  Goldman suggested further bumps from the analyst community are likely ahead. "With our updated estimates sitting comfortably above Street consensus, we envision positive EPS revisions supporting sustained stock price outperformance through the balance of the calendar year," Goldman wrote to clients. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long NVDA. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang (R) speaks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 7, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein | Afp | Getty Images

BEIJING  U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has become the second U.S. Cabinet member to visit China in a month, setting the stage for more high-level communication between the two countries. In coming days, John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate, also plans to visit China, he told the The New York Times. The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. The multiple trips mark a shift from early this year, when an alleged Chinese spy balloon forced U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his Beijing travel plans. He did not visit until June. Geopolitics weighed on the market earlier this year, Yifan Hu, regional chief investment officer and head of macroeconomics Asia Pacific at UBS Global Wealth Management, said Monday in a press briefing about the second-half outlook. "As long as there are talks and communication between China and the U.S., the market will get used to the new normal," she said, noting performance will likely be less volatile. That's according to a CNBC translation of her Mandarin-language remarks.

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Official statements from both the U.S. and Chinese sides indicated plans for further talks. "Differences should not be a reason for estrangement, but rather a driver for strengthening communication and exchanges," China's Ministry of Finance said in a statement Monday about Yellen's visit. That's according to a CNBC translation of the Chinese text.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (4th L) attends a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (3rd R) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 8, 2023. Pedro Pardo | AFP | Getty Images

The finance ministry said that during the meetings, the Chinese side asked the U.S. to remove tariffs on Chinese goods and stop "pressuring" Chinese companies, among other items. Increased talks aside, the bilateral relationship has not improved significantly. Just days before Yellen arrived in China, its Commerce Ministry announced forthcoming export controls on two metals used in the manufacturing of semiconductors. The U.S. is still mulling investment restrictions on high-end Chinese tech, Yellen confirmed in a press briefing Sunday. She said she told her Chinese counterparts that any curbs on U.S. outbound investments would be "very narrowly targeted."

Preventing escalation

Greater communication, however, can help set boundaries for government actions. "My purpose is to make sure we don't engage in a series of unintended escalatory actions that will be harmful to our economic relationship with one another," Yellen said in an interview that aired Saturday on CBS News' "Face the Nation." She noted the pandemic contributed to the lack of contact between U.S. and Chinese senior officials, creating "a situation where misunderstandings can develop." "And I do think my trip has been successful in forging those relationships and creating the opportunity for a deeper set of more frequent contacts at our staff levels."

Yellen's visit this past Thursday to Sunday came about three weeks after Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Yellen met with people close to Xi, including recently promoted Premier Li Qiang.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, right, shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, left, during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Friday, July 7, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein | Pool | via Reuters

"These weren't counterparts that we had seen at tons of meetings before. And so going in and being able to interact with them talk about a lot of substance was the most important thing," a senior Treasury official told reporters in a briefing at the close of Yellen's trip. The official noted that a meeting with He Lifeng, a vice premier, lasted five hours, more than double the originally scheduled time. He also leads China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation efforts, according to a state media report that described his meeting with Yellen as "constructive."

Again, no one meeting will likely yield a breakthrough, but the process will translate into the normalization of direction communication, which itself can help support maintaining a fragile stability Scott Kennedy Center for Strategic and International Studies


Efforts should continue to verify safety of treated water



It's not the end at all. It's just the beginning. Controversy is expected to flare up persistently despite the recent visit here by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi. He met with lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Sunday to highlight the safety of the treated radioactive water Japan is eager to release into the Pacific Ocean. Yet his bid faced fierce repercussions from the DPK members and other civic activists.



Grossi renewed his earlier stance that Japan's release plan is consistent with international standards. He vowed to have IAEA officials stay in Japan for the coming decades to closely watch whether the potential water discharge is made as promised. He said the IAEA has already set up a branch office in Fukushima.



In reaction, DPK members criticized the IAEA for having infringed upon the sovereignty of neighboring countries by attempting to justify Japan's plan to discharge the wastewater. They described the IAEA's report as "tailored for Japan" with the goal of coming up with a "predetermined conclusion."



An increasing number of people are still casting doubts over the safety of the treated water. For starters, a Gallup Korea survey conducted late last month showed 78 percent of the respondents expressed concerns. Of particular note, 53 percent of supporters of the ruling People Power Party were also negative about the release plan. More than 100,000 citizens joined a signature collection campaign in Busan only one month since the drive began.



Grossi also acknowledged that being consistent with international standards is not necessarily enough to dispel possible worries. It is common sense that humans cannot completely control the adverse effects resulting from the discharge of a massive amount of harmful radioactive water, even though it is treated. In addition, it is widely alleged that some radioactive materials cannot be entirely removed even with the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS). No research has so far been made regarding the possible impact the accumulated waste can have on the oceanic ecosystem.



Public opinion in Japan is also divided. Despite the IAEA report, the repercussions from the fishermen in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and civic organizations show no sign of abating. According to a poll conducted by broadcaster Japan News Network early this month, 40 percent of Japanese citizens opposed the discharge plan, while 45 percent approved it. Given this, it is not proper for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration to release the water as planned, starting presumably within August.



Now, Kishida seems to be pressed to have the final say. In 2015, the Japanese government dismissed the possibility of a final decision unless it got concessions from relevant parties during a meeting with Fukushima fishermen. It would be inappropriate for the Japanese government to reverse its pledge.



Japan has been mobilizing all possible means to find a solution to the thorny issue through international diplomatic channels. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been siding with Japan, saying the discharge plan is in line with international standards. Yet, it is somewhat encouraging that the Yoon government stopped there and cited the need to more cautiously assess the properness and feasibility of Japan's release plan, before making a final determination. The Yoon government should more attentively listen to the growing opposition to the discharge.



It is time for the Korean government to clarify its position to its Japanese counterpart. It should not expect the people's concerns to be appeased easily based on the plans submitted and pledged by the Japanese government. It needs to take follow-up measures to tackle the matter effectively. Yoon needs to ask Kishida to take appropriate steps during their envisioned one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, slated for July 11-12. Such measures should include information, data sharing, Korea's participation in the verification processes and so on.








Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  D&L Industries, a listed plastic and food input producer, said its 10-billion Batangas plant has begun commercial operations, allowing the company to enter more foreign markets.

After facing several challenges in the form of a pandemic, strict lockdowns during the construction, and global supply chain bottlenecks, our next generation facility in Batangas has finally started commercial operations, D&L President and CEO Alvin Lao said in a disclosure Monday.

Lao said the facility sits on a 26-hectare property at the First Industrial Township-Special Economic Zone in Batangas.

It is expected to fully operate in the next couple of months, he added.

The executive said the Batangas plant puts D&L in a good position as global demand returns.

The facility increases the groups manufacturing capabilities for food, oleochemicals, and consumer products ODM (original design manufacturer) segments.

D&L reiterated its target of launching a full range of shelf-ready products, made from coconut oil, for its export customers.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  The Philippines is aiming for a solid A investment grade rating for its debt score before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s term, his finance secretary said.

The goal comes as the country embarks on a fiscal consolidation path that will see its debt trimmed to just 51% of the economy from over 60% now  one of the key debt metrics used to gauge a countrys creditworthiness.

The government has been in talks with the three major global ratings agencies  Standard & Poors, Fitch Ratings, and Moodys - with a meeting held recently.

We plan to reduce that [debt-to-GDP ratio] to 51% and thats a combination of lower borrowing and also higher GDP (gross domestic product), Finance Secretary Ben Diokno told reporters.

The Congress-approved bill creating the Philippines' first sovereign wealth fund could help lower borrowings, he added. The measure has been sent to the palace for the president's signature.

Of course baka makatulong ang Maharlika. Yung mga big projects will be funded. For example, that long bridge from Cavite to Bataan. Hindi na namin ilalagay sa budget yun (We will no longer include that in the budget). We do not have to borrow money for that, Diokno explained.

The Maharlika wealth fund is initially funded by seed money from government-run financial institutions, so the UP School of Economics earlier flagged that the financial returns from that sovereign wealth fund must reap at least 10% to compensate for foregone opportunities that are a result of diverting public funds supposed to go to social welfare spending.

Diokno said funds will be invested only in infrastructure projects that are forecast to deliver at least a 10% yield  the benchmark set by the National Economic and Development Authority.

Writing the implementing rules for the proposed Maharlika wealth fund law is almost done, Diokno said.

The law says we have 90 days to prepare the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] we will not use the 90 days, Diokno said.

Writers of the Maharlika fund laws implementing rules would need consultation with the financial institutions that will contribute to the fund.

Meanwhile, the economic team begins this week with another roadshow that takes them to Canada.

Diokno said the roadshow was at the behest of Canadian investors who he said wanted to hear the Philippines' growth story.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 11)  Kris Aquino confirmed that she was in a relationship with Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, but had to put their romance on hold due to her current health condition as she continues treatment in the United States.

On Monday, Kris wrote a "long overdue gratitude post" for Mark in which she said that the politician, who has been accompanying her abroad, is returning to the country to fulfill his duties in Batangas.

"Nobody I've ever been in a relationship with has ever given me as much love and encouragement," the multimedia personality said in an Instagram post.

"He wasn't only my boyfriend, he became my best friend and confidante, talagang maaasahan [really reliable]. The usage of was is correct," Kris stressed.

The Queen of All Media also disclosed that her condition "has gotten progressively worse" as she shared that she has been enduring "excruciating pain" in her legs and swelling in her back that long walks may require the use of a wheelchair.

Kris revealed that she asked Mark for a "pause" due to her present condition and that she believes a long-distance relationship "will be next to impossible" to maintain.

"For the Filipinos working all over the world, I know I'm blessed to have Kuya Josh and Bimb with me, but most moms reading this will agree, we don't want our kids to suffer from anxiety about our health, especially kung solo parent ka [if you're a solo parent] like me," she said.

The Philippines' Queen of Talk further expressed gratitude to Mark as she admitted that the last thing she wants is to "be an obstacle in your career as a public servant."

"We may not have had our 'happily ever after' but being sick has really taught me to look at the glass half full. Thank you for giving me the chance to again experience the magic of Once Upon a Time," Kris said.

The 52-year-old television host and actress is in the US since June last year to undergo treatment for her auto-immune diseases.

Leviste, whom the socialite previously called her "best male friend" after being teased with dating rumors, visited the celebrity and her sons in the US on New Year's Day. He also spent time with Kris on her birthday, which coincided with Valentine's Day.
(CNN)  It was a double helping of Taylors on Friday night, when superstar Taylor Swift welcomed her ex, Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner, on stage at her Eras tour stop in Kansas City.

The occasion was to debut the new music video for I Can See You, one of the songs from the vault (meaning, previously unreleased) off of Speak Now (Taylors Version), Swifts re-recorded issue of her 2010 third studio album, which dropped on Friday.

Countless social media users captured the moment Lautner started doing backflips on stage in Missouri, as Swift warmly welcomed him.

Swift marked the moment on her social media, as well. She introduced the music video to fans on her verified Instagram and shouted out Lautner as incredible, noting he didnt have a stunt double in the music video.

She also tagged Lautners wife, Tay Lautner (previously Taylor Dome), thanking her for being so awesome to hang with on set. The Tale of 3 Taylors.

Swift and Lautner both shared a hilarious photo of all three Taylors pointing at each other, inspired by the iconic comic book image  which has become a notable meme  showing a trio of Spider-Men.

The I Can See You music video stars Lautner, along with Presley Cash and Bullet Train actor Joey King  who were also present on stage Friday night  in a bank heist-inspired storyline directed by Swift.

Judging from the response of the audience in Kansas City on Friday, and the already enthusiastic reception to the new music video, its fair to say that Swifties are definitively Team Jacob.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Taylor Swift invites ex Taylor Lautner on stage to debut music video for Speak Now (Taylors Version)"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  For consistently promoting the values of inclusivity, teamwork, and leadership in the workplace, leading mobile wallet GCash recently earned the Great Place to Work (GPTW) Certification after employees gave high scores to their employer and workplace.

The GPTW annual research represents more than 12 million employees from thousands of organizations in over 50 countries.

Photo from GCash

Here at GCash, our goal is not just financial inclusion, but inclusion in every possible way. This certification proves that GCash employees are highly motivated by the companys ideals. Together, we have created tons of positive impact in the community, but remain humbled as there is always room for growth. A company that nurtures its employees develops a great culture and ultimately, an exceptional business, says GCash CEO Martha Sazon.

GCash scored highly in the categories of inclusivity, teamwork, and leadership behavior with an impressive 88%, 84%, and 82% respectively. From the three categories, employee sentiment revealed that they trust their leaders, are supportive of each other, and at the same time have the liberty to be themselves.

GCash understands the crucial role that leadership behavior plays in shaping the organizational culture and employee experience. By aligning leaders' behavior with the company's strategy and values, GCash inspires and motivates its employees.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that 88% of GCash employees believe that the management promotes inclusive behavior, avoids discrimination, and ensures fair appeals. Notably, 95% of employees stated that people within GCash are treated fairly, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Photo from GCash

GCash has also recently announced its new Life Partner Benefits program which extends its comprehensive benefits to employees with LGBTQIA+ and domestic partners. Employees will only be required to submit minimal documents to enable them to declare their partners as their dependents, excluding a marriage certificate.

Additionally, 92% of GCash employees expressed satisfaction in their contributions to the community through their work. This reaffirms GCashs efforts to effectively communicate its vision and values, creating a sense of purpose and direction among employees.

GCash's dedication to creating an exceptional workplace goes beyond individual rewards. Rather, it revolves around the trust employees have in their leaders, said Robert Gonzales, GCash Chief People Officer.

To learn more, visit https://www.gcash.com/.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  It has been seven years since The Hagues landmark ruling in favor of the Philippines. While it has empowered the country, one of the architects of the countrys arbitration case that nullified Chinas claim over the South China Sea said more could be done to maximize its potential.

READ: What you need to know about the arbitral tribunal's ruling

China knows it is wrong...but for China to understand that and to accept that, we ourselves must be able to make them understand that, Ambassador Henry Bensurto Jr., lead counsel of the Department of Foreign Affairs legal team when it first filed the case against China in 2016, told CNN Philippines in an interview.

The reason why China is not changing its position, even if it knows that it is wrong, is because of their knowledge and their analysis that they can change us, Bensurto added.

China continues to reject the 2016 ruling, at one point describing it as illegal and invalid. It has not stopped its harassment of Filipino vessels - civilian and military - in the West Philippine Sea.

For Bensurto, the Duterte administrations appeasement policy meant to boost economic ties with China was insufficient, and that the government needed to review its strategy.

Maybe that should be the starting point of any fundamental policy on this. We must first understand what is ours and take it to heart and therefore, out of love for the country, and out of love for truth and what is right, we must build the national consciousness and translate that national consensus and consciousness into an effective foreign policy based on a short-term, medium-term, and long-term, he said.

The landmark ruling empowered the Philippines to enforce the rule of law and its sovereignty over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

What that rule of law exactly means, the Arbitral tribunal operationalized that in a very unambiguous way, in very clear terms, Bensurto said.

When our coast guards go there and tell the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) don't come here, don't come to Ayungin Shoal, we wouldn't be able to say that in the past, he continued, adding that its illegal for the CCG to conduct sovereignty patrols within the area.

Without the ruling, Bensurto explained that the Philippines rights over the EEZ would be left ambiguous.

The ambiguity provides a lot of advantage to a big power, a superpower at that, and therefore using all its political, military muscle without clarity by declaring the entire thing theirs, what is our defense? the envoy said.

Without arbitration it would be very difficult for other countries such as the United States, Japan, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, it will be difficult for them to put their opinion and tell China to follow the rule of law, he continued.

For its part, the Philippines has filed nearly 100 diplomatic protests under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and over 200 note verbales against China so far.

Marcos, meanwhile, has vowed not to surrender an inch of Philippine territory.

However, the president has also reiterated that the country was a friend to all and an enemy to none, and that Manila would not shift away from Beijing despite its aggressive actions over the West Philippine Sea.

CNN Philippines correspondent Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  The El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to hit the Philippines by the latter part of 2023, may cause more waterborne and vector-borne illnesses, a health official said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag noted that Maynilad Water Services Inc. announced another wave of water service interruptions, which could affect nearly 600,000 customers beginning July 12.

READ: MWSS: Maynilad customers may see up to 9-hr daily water interruption starting July 12

Kapag El Nino, ang tendency ay mag-igib ng tubig. Maraming water containers na naging breeding places ng mga lamok, he added.

[Translation: During El Nino, the tendency of Filipinos is to fetch water. Many water containers become breeding places for mosquitoes.]

He cited a scenario in 1998 when El Nino hit the country.

Mayroon tayong isang malaking outbreak sa dengue fever. Hindi lang Pilipinas, kundi pati ang karatig-bansa sa Southeast Asia, he said.

[Translation: We had a major outbreak of dengue fever. Not only in the Philippines but also the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.]

Tayag said Filipinos may also get cholera and diarrhea due to contaminated water supply.

Last week, the state weather bureau said a weak El Nino began in the Pacific Ocean.

Rainfall in the country is expected to decrease beginning in October, it added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  The Southern Police District (SPD) announced on Monday a 200,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of those behind the shooting of a lawyer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and her driver in Pasay City last month.

SPD chief PBGen. Kirby John Kraft identified the victims as Maria Rochelle Melliza, 53, of DPWH-Metro Manila, and her 42-year-old driver Deo Decena.

The police also released a photo of one of the culprits. He was seen in a security camera footage before the crime, but has yet to be identified.

"This is the reward for any information that could lead to the identification of this suspect  nasa 200,000. May mga tumulong sa atin na stakeholders para mag-come up sa reward na ito. Ito yung nangyari nung June 5," Kraft told reporters in a press conference at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

[Translation: The reward for any information that could lead to the identification of the suspect is at 200,000. There are stakeholders who helped come up with this reward. The incident happened on June 5.]

Melliza, the chief of the Right of Ways Acquisition and Legal Division, is unconscious in the hospital with gunshot wounds in the head and arms. Authorities are on guard 24/7.

Kraft said the shooting could be related to the victim's work.

Pasay City police chief PCol Froilan Uy said police are hunting down the gunmen and examining security camera footage.

The police can be contacted through their hotline numbers 0998-598-7920 and 0998- 598-7922.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  A Manila court on Monday denied the petition for writ of habeas corpus of Joven Javier, one of the suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

In a decision dated July 5, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 16 stated that Javier's detention is lawful due to pending criminal cases and commitment order.

The court said that the writ of habeas corpus extends to all cases of illegal confinement or detention as it argued that Javier has pending criminal cases for murder and unlawful manufacture, sale, acquisition, disposition, or possession of explosives.

It noted that Javier, who is among the 11 accused in the Degamo killing, is also committed to the Manila City Jail under a commitment order from another Manila court.

The court said the suspect failed to present evidence to rebut or contradict the order.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) welcomed the decision, saying "there was no basis to file the petition in the first place."

"The judiciary is now aware of the dilatory and diversionary tactics of lawyers that seek to further the conspiracy behind the Pamplona Massacre," DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano told reporters.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier accused a legal counsel of five of the 11 defendants of "trifling with the law."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  The Philippines on Monday received commitments from Mexico and the United States to strengthen partnerships in various sectors.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Mexico's Ambassador-designate Daniel Hernandez Joseph agreed to increase cooperation on trade and culture as both countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Hernandez Joseph told Marcos that Mexico and the Philippines are "connectors" between Asia and America as he pointed out that "through that role, there is so much we can do in trade, in culture, in science."

While Mexico is halfway across the globe from the Philippines, Marcos said the COVID-19 pandemic has equipped people how to do business without physical travel. Latest data shows there are at least 1,206 Filipinos in Mexico.

"Much of the work we are doing to transform the economy is to transform the workforce so that the daily technologies are understood. It extends in every field," Marcos said.

"[It] opens new opportunities for furthering the knowledge and exchange of each other today, not only in history, but who we are together and what we can do together today," he added.

US firms commit to boost local health, digital infra, energy efforts

In a press release from the PCO, American business leaders reaffirmed their commitment to boost the cooperation and investment of the United States in health, digital infrastructure, and energy programs in the country.

The Business Executives for National Security made the statement in a meeting with Marcos at Malacanang, where they discussed potential business opportunities.

Marcos mentioned that the government is working on building more hospitals in the far-flung areas of the country as he stressed that Filipinos currently tend to seek professional healthcare only when absolutely necessary.

The chief executive also talked about the administration's efforts on the digitalization of the government and the private sector in a bid to "make investment more attractive in the Philippines."

"It derives from the very clear understanding that many of the challenges that we face today, the solutions lie in new technologies," Marcos said.


By Bernard Rowan



Democracy is hard work, all the time. When colonists came to America, many sought a New Jerusalem, a beachhead on the third rock from the Sun against monarchical ambition, religious warfare and discrimination and servitude. The liberty and equality ideas don't emerge from a piece of paper or instantly. They need work and constant vigilance. They want a citizenry educated and able to select leaders who represent the public good, and to turn out those who don't do so. They must develop economies, local to national and shore up conditions for trade and commerce. The work of democracy never ends. Democracies constantly pursue goals and are works in progress.



These days, when I read about the government of Yoon Suk Yeol, I think of South Korea in much the same way. South Korea came to be from the ferment and turmoil of the Korean War. Its early leaders admired democracy but designed a more authoritarian version than America. Over time, South Koreans have insisted on civilian rule of the military and accented democratic faces of governance.



What I admire most is the Yoon government's dedication to developing trade and commerce through two-way and other agreements. While many advanced democracies languish in a more or less steady state, relying on the system in place, Yoon invigorates the Korean economy. His work builds regional and international bases for Korean trade and proves the agility of the Korean people to work with all comers in peace and for economic development.



Yoon and his ministers will soon visit Poland in tandem with attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, taking nearly 100 leaders of business to work on trade. Recently, Yoon met with the President of the United Arab Emirates to ink 45 agreements for trade, cooperation on nuclear energy, and investments in 21st-century industry and new fields. Korea is mounting a bid for World Expo 2030 to highlight the path to sustainable and peaceful world development and South Korea's leading role. Similarly, Yoon's government continues developments along similar lines with other European nations, including France, and the United States.



Democracy produces growth and concentration of power. Many philosophers have said this wants targeted interventions to avoid excess concentration. While some have questioned his rhetoric, Yoon also is following democratic concerns for equality. I note his comments on "cartels" in many economic sectors. Not to be romantic about Yoon's leadership, he's yet to do a great deal about chaebol excesses, an obvious and long-standing issue.



Yoon's actions show that South Korea will succeed as a "global pivotal state" through openness to making friends with past enemies, in peace, with reason, and for a new era. He recently took 200-plus leaders to Vietnam, signing over 100 memoranda of understanding for trade and economic cooperation. This is a long way from the Vietnam War era. Vietnam is now in the top five of South Korea's trade partners. Yoon also plans to restore Japan's "fast track" trade status with South Korea, as a way to secure global supply chains and reduce overdependence on China.



It's an impressive list, and only likely to grow over the rest of his administration. Long and truly has it been the case that South Korea's tide rises when her people cultivate a wider circle of relations. This avoids over-reliance on strategic partners. It shows syncretism of thinking. South Korea proves this neglected part of democratic reason and prudence. It deserves inclusion as a condition of democracy in theory and practice.



Some scholars such as Sook-Jong Lee (Council on Foreign Relations Blog, Jan. 5, 2022) worry about the nation's reliance on a strong executive, the absence of robust party competition, and social tendencies to mass demonstrations in times of political crisis. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks South Korea in its 2021 Democracy Index as a full democracy. She is the 16th most democratic globally  higher than the United States. The criteria are electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Students of comparative government should note that democracy is not monism, and there are plural paths to free government.



It wouldn't be correct to indict South Korea's ongoing path as a democratic society. The South's achievement is singular and unrivaled among her 20th-century peers. Yoon continues this trend and advances democracy.





Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and a former visiting professor at Hanyang University.




Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  Water concessionaires have started implementing augmentation measures to lessen the impact of long hours of service interruption in Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said Monday.

Patrick Dizon, division manager of site operations management of the MWSS, told CNN Philippines that the agency is asking the concessionaires to implement their new augmentation measures.

So far, the MWSS has approved the construction of additional modular water treatment plants that will be used to treat water from rivers around Metro Manila and nearby areas.

One is located in Anabu in Cavite, which had a soft launch in June. It is expected to produce 5.5 million liters per day, Dizon said.

Another facility in Julian, Cavite can produce 3 million liters per day, while a plant in Marikina can treat around 20 million liters per day, he added.

The MWSS also asked the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to approve the use of standby deep wells, Dizon said.

NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. said the 48 cubic meters per second (CMS) allocation for concessionaires and the 20 CMS for the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) were already implemented as the water level in Angat Dam dipped to 179.99 meters early Saturday morning amid the El Nino phenomenon.

As of Monday morning, Angats water level further dipped to 179.23 meters, way below its normal high-water level of 210 meters and its minimum operating level of 180 meters.

Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, urged the MWSS to take action on the nine-hour service interruption that will affect almost 600,000 customers of Maynilad Water Services Inc. starting July 12.

She also urged authorities to determine whether the water service providers are adhering to their obligations stated in their franchise.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila Council President Francis Zamora told CNN Philippines that mayors in the National Capital Region met to discuss what measures they can implement to address the water supply problem.

Zamora, who is also the mayor of San Juan, said each local government unit formed a task force that will focus on water supply. The local chief executives also passed their own ordinances on regulating the use of water, depending on the situation in their area, he added.

He encouraged the public to immediately report to authorities any leaks in water pipes and to instill discipline in themselves when it comes to using water.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10)  Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said he already knows who hired the dancers at an event attended by personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and wants an explanation "in writing" on the matter.

"Some facts have been revealed to me, which have transpired. We will look at the NBI's disciplinary procedure first, because the investigation is ongoing and we will not pre-empt them from coming up with their own findings," Remulla said at a briefing on Monday.

He said among the facts were where the offer to perform came from, how it happened, and who were present. Remulla said several female NBI agents were also at the event and that he wanted to know if they were offended by what transpired.

Remulla did not reveal the name or rank of the person who hired the performers, but added there was an attempt at an explanation.

"Yes, there's an attempt but I want it in writing. I want the explanation to be in writing," he said.

"When it's a disciplinary matter, you allow the internal rules first to kick in, so they will police themselves. It is not for us to jump into the fray and take over the department when something that they know themselves, something they have a mechanism to do, will work so let them work first but I already know the facts I can tell you that."

Remulla added that no payments were made to the performers.

"Walang bayad, walang bayad [There was no payment]. I was able to ascertain there were no payments made. These were voluntary contributions to an affair of old men who thought they were adolescents," he said.

Remulla said they do not condone what happened.

"Nakakahiya po ang pangyayaring ito. Di po ito, ayaw po namin, di namin gusto yung nangyari. Marahil dapat tingnan natin ang kultura nating mga Pilipino. Sana mga noontime shows, wala nang sumasayaw-sayaw na mga bata. Pati minsan mga batang musmos pinapasayaw-sayaw nila, ginagawang bikini contestant, pinagsusuot ng mga di dapat suotin. Yung ating kulturang bilang Pilipino dapat ibahin natin. Hindi lang po ito sa NBI kundi sa ating lahat mismo. May problema po bansa natin, he said.

[Translation: The incident was embarrassing. We didn't want it to happen. Maybe we should look into our culture. Maybe noontime shows shouldn't feature children who are made to dance. Sometimes even young children are made to dance, become beauty contestants, are made to wear things they shouldn't wear. Maybe our culture should change. Not just at the NBI, but everyone. Our country has a problem.]

The NBI earlier apologized for the incident and vowed to investigate and impose appropriate penalties on officials responsible for the misbehavior.
Cebu (CNN Philippines, July 10)  Seven people were hurt after a mini bus crashed into a sari-sari store along the south highway in Poblacion 1, Carcar City, Cebu on Monday.

According to witnesses, the bus was tailing a motorcycle along the diversion road when the motorcycle suddenly veered to the right, causing the bus driver to lose control of his vehicle, which crashed into the store.

A group of people near the sari-sari store were among the injured, along with the woman tending the store.

Carcar City Police chief PLtCol Mark Gifter Sucalit said all the victims were brought to the Carcar Provincial Hospital.

Sucalit said they are also looking into whether the bus driver was overspeeding when the crash happened.

The bus driver is currently detained at the Carcar City police station and could be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries and damage to property.

Sucalit reminded motorists to be careful when driving along the Carcar City highway, which has a number of narrow points.
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At least 34 dead from heavy rain in India's Uttar Pradesh in past 24 hours

Xinhua) 14:42, July 10, 2023

NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has killed at least 34 people in the past 24 hours, the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said on Monday.

Five people drowned in Raebareli district and four others drowned in Bareilly district, while deaths due to lightning and heavy rain also occurred in Muzaffarnagar, Kaushambi Etah, Kannauj, Budaun, Ghazipur, Jalaun and Kanpur Dehat, AIR said.

The incessant rains threw life out of gear in many districts, particularly in western parts of the Uttar Pradesh state. The weather department already issued an orange alert for some districts, and schools and colleges in some districts have thus been closed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Uttar Pradesh may experience isolated extremely heavy rainfall and heavy to very heavy rainfall from Monday to Wednesday.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The cover image of Hyundai Elevator's 2022-23 ESG report / Courtesy of Hyundai Elevator



By Park Jae-hyuk



Hyundai Elevator pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in a report it released Monday. The report shows the company's efforts between 2022 and 2023 to pursue management with consideration of the principles of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG).



Its recent ESG report is comprised of three parts.



The first part, on ESG management, is related to the current situation of the elevator maker's ESG management and its materiality assessment methods. The second part, on ESG progress, is on qualitative achievements in the company's ESG management, while the last part, ESG fact book, discloses quantitative achievements.



In the report, the Hyundai Group affiliate mentioned its vision and strategies for ESG, as well as its declaration of carbon neutrality by 2050, based on the Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) campaign to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. SBTi is a global body enabling businesses to set emissions reduction targets in line with climate science.



To achieve net zero by 2050, Hyundai Elevator seeks a 71 percent reduction in its carbon emissions by 2040 and a 42 percent reduction by 2030, compared to 2022, the year the company finished building its smart factory in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province.



For this goal, the elevator firm will install additional solar power generation facilities, increase reliance on electric and hybrid vehicles and carry out campaigns to save energy.



"Through transparent ESG management, we will make efforts to be a trustworthy company in the global market, which can take the lead in creating a sustainable future," Hyundai Elevator CEO Cho Jae-cheon said.


Sterlite Technologies. (STL), a global fiber optics provider, has been increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the company's employee recruitment and hiring, conduct staff pulse checks, and gamify worker rewards.

The India-based company employs about 8,000 people across the US, China, Europe, India, and the Middle East. Since rolling out its first AI-based applications three or so years ago, Chief Human Resources Officer Anjali Byce has continued to experiment with new uses for the technology, and is currently eyeing how generative AI tools such as ChatGPT could create chatbots to converse with employees for a variety of purposes.

One of the newer uses of AI has been to automate CV stacking and to match skills inventories with specific use cases inside and outside the company.

Along with gamifying rewards, and recognizing employee accomplishments that might otherwise be overlooked, STL is now looking at AI apps that can recognize skills deficiencies and recommend training for staff. The automation tools are also being deployed to help workers who are laid off find jobs in other companies  even competitors  through an external network where skill sets are highlighted for would-be employers.

The following are excerpts from a Computerworld interview with Byce:

Anjali Byce Anjali Byce, STL's CHRO

When did you begin using AI for various HR purposes and why? "Maybe three years or three-and-a-half years ago. We used it in much smaller ways at that point..., like every employee has a virtual assistant of sorts. You want to apply for leave, you just go into the system and ask it: can you please apply for leave for me for the 29th of June. It will apply for leave for you, send a note to your manager and add it to your calendar, block out time, cancel meetings, or whatever. So we used it in ways to make employee work easier.

Did you initially build your own AI functionality? "Yes. We used simple [bots] and algorithms in the backend. That was a simple, fun, and easy-to-work kind of AI application at the time. We then moved onto gamification applications.

How did you use gamification and how did AI enable that? "We had a high amount of onboarding that needed to be done virtually. When lockdown happened in COVID, we needed to onboard like 800 peoplein multiple batches of 200 people each, things like that. So, we gamified it. We made it a spaceship. You're going to take a tour like astronauts and earn gold coins.

The serious journey in AI started just after that. I would say its now part of the entire employee lifecycle  hire to retire. We had a resume-stack ranking process. What basically happens in that is the world is moving from purely role-based jobs to skills-based jobs. Most progressive organizations are already moving to that. So, when we do large-scale hiring, or even if you need to do very sharp, targeted hiring, it would become impossible to scale with speed unless you went out and use AI.

We have an AI-enabled tool that at any point in time, it'll stack rank all the resumes based on the capability of the skill that you may have identified. ...It makes it very smart for recruiters, because if you're doing mass scaling like we do for some of our businesses, you want, say, 200 or 250 resumes of the right capabilities, set and ready  without it being a manual process. It's a very efficient way of really doing that. And that's what the resume- or CV stack-ranking process is. Its an AI algorithm that runs in the backend.

The other biproduct of this is it mitigates the risk of bias subconsciously creeping into the recruiting process. Because its no longer an individual stack or shortlisting of resumes, its a structure approach. Thats the other fantastic outcome along with speed.

Experts say AI can have baked-in biases, because AI is only as good as the developer who created it. Have you seen that? Its not just the stack-ranking process it can mitigate. One of the things weve done is all of the job descriptions are gender neutral. So, it doesnt take in he, she, or etc. Another thing research has taught the industry at large is there are differences in ways men and women project in their resumes. So, theres a lot more on competence and behavior, etc. But when you stack rank on skills, everybodys listing skills and then you have a level playing field of skills.

"...Does it completely eliminate bias? Of course not, but then you have the next process, which is the screening of interviewers. But youre right, if youre not watchful it then depends entirely on the algorithm.

In what ways is STL increasing its use of AI for HR? We started shifting to really looking at AI coming into the onboarding to offboarding process. It was not so much scale and speed we were seeking alone, but it was a better employee experience. We wanted to be sure that there was a consistent experience for employees or candidates joining us. So, we started the journey asking how can we start engaging with employees from minus 30 days from coming onboard, to day zero joining [the organization], to plus 30 days after day zero. So, it became a very interesting journey using AI in the onboarding process.

"Then we did a check with employees who had joined and asked, 'How was your experience?' We got a fantastic 4.8 out of 5 score, or something like that  a really high score in the candidate experience in the onboarding process.

Can you offer some examples of whats handled by AI in the onboarding process? "For example, lets look at minus 30 days before joining. At different points in time, you want the employee to get access to press releases you're doing, announcements on things happening within the company, some policy documents that they need to get signed up, some confidentiality agreements they need to sign as a part of the preparation for joining, etc.

So, there could be a set of standard things. There could be pulses. There could be newsletters you send out to keep the engagement high  just a whole host of things that you might already configure in the system. It goes in, picks it up and all those who are lined up to join in the minus 30 [group] would get it. It's very personalized. In fact, when the offer goes out, its automated. I don't need to do it.

"It has my picture with a personalized message from the group CHRO: 'Here's your offer. I'm looking forward to you.' Its a high tech, but also high touch experience were building.

Did you build out this AI capability yourself or partner with a third-party vendor? "Its a mixed bag. So for example, the resume stack-ranking tool is [an] off-the-shelf product, but then you configure it for the way you want it to be. The onboarding and offboarding [tool] is also an off-the-shelf solution, but then theres a lot of personalization you have to do, but its really worth it from an experience perspective.

The virtual assistant and the other earlier AI tools were all in-house. We used bots and configured them. Our IT colleagues partnered with HR. We told them the need and then they partnered with us to develop it.

Do you use ChatGPT or the GPT large language model in any way for your HR automation tools? Were not officially using ChatGPT for work, but I know colleagues are having fun with it in different dimensions for different needs. I think what we want to do in the future, where its really going to get interesting is just around the corner for pulse checks. Most organizations do them once in the year  engagement surveys to see hows the culture.

Were going to a chat pulse check. It would say things like, Hi, Im Anjali and Im a cultural assistant and I want to check in with you to see how things are. So you can really get fast check-ins. You could respond to it saying this team seems to be having a really great time, but here there seems to be some concerns. Its real time, and thats something that were really moving toward. Its right around the corner.

And we're getting a lot more gamified. ...Going back to your generative AI question, I think the place that in the mid-term we would most likely use it would be in the learning and development space. We already have some AI that can offer employees prompts, such as have you learned this? This is a need you have identified, etc. But I think that's in future, and I would imagine thats where generative AI is coming in.

What advice can you offer on implementing AI with existing backend HR software? "Change management is a very critical success factor, I think, for any AI enablement and gamification processes. Even simple automation requires good change management. I think one of the things that in my personal experience has worked very well is making sure you have a strong sponsor team that spells out what is required. So you have functional expertise from HR, but then you partner with strong functional expertise on the IT side. And when those two meet together, I think you get a fantastic solution. You also have to ensure a strong user interface, which is critical for the user experience to be great. And most importantly, you have to have strong integration into the existing systems.

Also having clear cadences where you're able to review progress. And most importantly, [know] why you're doing it. So, for our employee onboarding and offboarding, the why was about how to create a good user experience.

What speed bumps did you hit along the way to implementing AI in HR applications? I think we averted some of the speed bumps. There are so many different tools available in the industry. If we didn't have a good process, it would be analysis to the end of time. We have a good team that had a clear idea of why were doing it, and a strong process of evaluating the pros and cons, which would get presented to the sponsorship team. So: have clear sponsors, a good cadence, you stay tight, joined at the hip. Otherwise, yes, it's very easy to run into that trouble.

You mentioned in an email that AI helped reduce the pain from layoffs. How so? "There are two or three different things that we do. The first, we have a very strong employee assistance program. And that's really an online process. We've tied up with an external group. They have trained psychologists and counselors. And thats not just in the case of layoffs. It's for all employees, their families, their kids, every day 24/7. The purpose is to make sure everybody has access to care, has access to counseling and everybody's need is different.

"It could be financial counseling, legal counseling, psychological counseling. It doesn't matter. Then, when were in an unfortunate situation of a transition of an employee, we definitely focus on making this this available if the individual was to need it. Thats a critical caring approach to have.

We also offer outplacement services related to skills. So, weve partnered with agencies that could pick up employees whose skills fit their needs. We also go out and connect with organizations who are hiring. We are very proud of the capabilities we build in our organization. But if there isn't an opportunity inside the company, I think it's very important for organizations to step up and say, 'I'm willing to offer this to the industry at large, because life happens.'

...So, it's very important to build those partnerships. And that's something that we've been doing very, very actively. and when we do have to transition employees.

But how is AI helping in the outplacement services? We haven't yet put all of this into AI, but [we have] a future path for it. Right now, we've got the [skills] catalog in place. The desire is to put all of this into a tool, and what AI will then do islook at industry benchmarks, and say, 'Okay, where is industry in terms of needs? What are the highest demands for skills?' And thats actually very easy to do.

For example, you create a recruiting tool. You know where the maximum hiring is happening. So, you say, oh, the industry is spiking on the following skills. Secondly, we are using AI to input all the skills employees have. ...Where your employees are in competence levels? Do you have more experts or do you have more novices? Do you have some groups of skills that are not [recorded]?

"AI and generative AI would actually go into the system, access your learning capabilities and pop up to the employee saying, Hey, you know, your capability on this skill is low. So, if you want to upscale yourself on the following, here's a training course for you.' AI can be used in many different ways once you have the foundation of skill sets very strong.


A special section in the report, "Indian arms company supporting the Myanmar military", claims that "four Indian companies linked to the Myanmar military are identified by our research, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a state-owned company that has sold military equipment to the junta since the coup."

Stating that India is "a major provider of arms and revenue to the Myanmar military, and BEL is part of Indias attempts to cosy up to the junta", the report quotes the

Since the coup, entities within India, including state-owned entities, have shipped at least $51 million USD of arms, raw materials, and associated supplies to the Myanmar military and known Myanmar arms dealers. A total of 22 unique suppliers based in India shipped arms, dual-use supplies, manufacturing equipment, and raw materials to the Myanmar military.

Stating that in May 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar highlighted that in July 2021, Indian state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited exported a remotecontrolled weapons station (RCWS) / air defence weapon station to Myanmar according to export data, the report quotes the UN official as saying:

Additional research found that shipments continued from India to Myanmar, including state-owned Bharat Electronics transfer of the remote controlled weapons station (RCWS) / air defence weapon station up to September 2022. Further research also identified $28 million USD of shipments direct to the Myanmar military related to a coastal radar surveillance system and $5.2 million USD of unspecified equipment sent from Bharat Electronics at the end of 2021.

"The Special Rapporteur also received information indicating that state-owned Bharat Dynamics, one of Indias ammunition and missile systems manufacturers, received over $7 million USD in payments for unspecified equipment from the Myanmar military since the coup. Given the nature of Bharat Dynamics products, the Special Rapporteur is concerned about the potential impact of these shipments on civilian populations.

"It is striking to note that while BNP Paribas and Banque Postale have divested from BEL since 2021, Credit Agricole has started to invest in it, even though BELs links with the junta have been made public and communicated to the bank", the report says.

Prepared with the support of the International Federation for Human Rights, Reporters Without Borders and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, the report states the six financial institutions support to the Myanmar junta, Credit Agricole, La Banque Postale, the BPCE group, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and the Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites (FRR), have invested over US$6 billion, 75% of which is in the fossil fuel sector. The report also notes that BEL is a leading partner of the Thales Group group,too. A JFM investigation published earlier had revealed that one of Thales' long-time partners, BEL, has a particularly close relationship with the Myanmar junta, and exports military technology to it.A special section in the report, "Indian arms company supporting the Myanmar military", claims that "four Indian companies linked to the Myanmar military are identified by our research, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a state-owned company that has sold military equipment to the junta since the coup."Stating that India is "a major provider of arms and revenue to the Myanmar military, and BEL is part of Indias attempts to cosy up to the junta", the report quotes the UN Special Rapporteur as explaining:Stating that in May 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar highlighted that in July 2021, Indian state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited exported a remotecontrolled weapons station (RCWS) / air defence weapon station to Myanmar according to export data, the report quotes the UN official as saying:"It is striking to note that while BNP Paribas and Banque Postale have divested from BEL since 2021, Credit Agricole has started to invest in it, even though BELs links with the junta have been made public and communicated to the bank", the report says.Prepared with the support of the International Federation for Human Rights, Reporters Without Borders and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, the report states the six financial institutions support to the Myanmar junta, Credit Agricole, La Banque Postale, the BPCE group, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and the Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites (FRR), have invested over US$6 billion, 75% of which is in the fossil fuel sector.





Highlight the connection of these investments to fueling widespread and systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including the imprisonment of 70 journalists and other severe restrictions on press freedom, the report insists, French investments and the partnership between India and France in the field of defence should be rigorously scrutinised in the light of these findings, to prevent French institutions from helping to finance the flow of arms and technology to the junta. Asserting that the investments were made in companies that sell arms to the junta and in companies operating in the telecommunications sector that enables the juntas surveillance, the bank partnering with BEL, Credit Agricole, with US$4 billion investment, accounts for most of the investments.According to the report, the companies in which these six financial institutions are shareholders have been divided into two categories: those with a direct and long-standing relationship with the Myanmar military or with companies controlled by the Myanmar military before the coup (category 1), and those with a direct business relationship with state-owned companies under military control following the coup of February 1, 2021 (category 2).Highlight the connection of these investments to fueling widespread and systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including the imprisonment of 70 journalists and other severe restrictions on press freedom, the report insists, French investments and the partnership between India and France in the field of defence should be rigorously scrutinised in the light of these findings, to prevent French institutions from helping to finance the flow of arms and technology to the junta.



The Info Birmanie's coordinator is quoted as saying that "it is urgent to see Credit Agricole divest from Indian arms manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited, which

According to Yadanar Maung, Justice For Myanmar spokesperson, It is unacceptable that French banks and a pension fund continue to invest in companies with known ties to the Myanmar military junta that is committing atrocity crimes against the people of Myanmar with impunity."

Henrieke Butijn, Climate campaigner & researcher at BankTrack asserts: It is outrageous that these banks have still not taken adequate action to assess and cut ties with companies linked to the Myanmar junta, even after their investments were exposed He adds, "That is two years in which the junta has been able to use the revenues from fossil fuels and the products from companies like Bharat Electronics to terrorise the population. By failing to act on their investments, these five French financiers are not only in breach of the OECD Guidelines and UNGPs, they are also betraying the people of Myanmar." He adds, "These banks must act now to ensure they are in no way supporting the junta. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we urge France to take a firm stance against the flow of arms to the junta, including from India, and push for a global arms embargo.Henrieke Butijn, Climate campaigner & researcher at BankTrack asserts: It is outrageous that these banks have still not taken adequate action to assess and cut ties with companies linked to the Myanmar junta, even after their investments were exposed two years ago ." France must ensure that the Pension Reserve Fund does not invest in companies linked to the Myanmar military, it adds.The Info Birmanie's coordinator is quoted as saying that "it is urgent to see Credit Agricole divest from Indian arms manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited, which Norges Bank Investment Management , a Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, in particular, divested from because of its arms sales to the Myanmar junta."According to Yadanar Maung, Justice For Myanmar spokesperson, It is unacceptable that French banks and a pension fund continue to invest in companies with known ties to the Myanmar military junta that is committing atrocity crimes against the people of Myanmar with impunity." The report calls on the five banks and the pension fund to comply with their obligations under Frances 2017 Duty of Care Law and international standards on business and human rights, urging the financial institutions to divest immediately and responsibly from companies listed in category 1 and to sell their shares in category 2 companies if they do not cease their support for the junta.

A new report, which has named five French banks and a pension fund for supporting Myanmar military junta, has blamed one of them, Credit Agricole, for investing in Indias state-owned company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) that has been implicated in the sale of military equipment to the Myanmar junta since the 2021 coup attempt.The findings by global NGOs Info Birmanie, BankTrack and Justice for Myanmar (JFM) have been published while France is preparing to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a guest of honour at the July 14th Bastille Day parade in Paris, as part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the France-India partnership.
Employees of Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai, promote its autonomous navigation systems for leisure boats at the Miami International Boat Show in Florida, February. HD Hyundai said Monday that it chose five teams for its Dream Cube in-house startup incubation program to create more examples of in-house startups like Avikus. Courtesy of HD Hyundai





By Baek Byung-yeul







HD Hyundai is fostering in-house startups through its Dream Cube incubation program in order to support its employees with creative ideas they wish to pursue, the company said Monday.







The company said it chose five teams to take part in the Dream Cube program, providing support for commercialization of their business idea for one year. Since the company began receiving applications in March, it has collected a total of 239 business ideas.







Over the next year, the five selected teams will further refine their ideas, being provided by metal 3D printing and electronic equipment circuit design, to test the feasibility and potential of their ideas by launching prototypes and pilot services.







HD Hyundai will provide 150 million won ($114,833) per team, as well as independent workspaces with expert mentoring, networking and consulting support.







The company said the Dream Cube program is in line with its President Chung Ki-sun's vision to create a company where every employee can pursue their dreams.







"To realize the new vision, we need a new corporate culture," Chung said during the opening ceremony for HD Hyundai's Pangyo R&D center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, December 2022. "We will actively strive to become a company that employees really want to work for and a company where employees are able to fully realize their dreams."







HD Hyundai has already produced a success story with its first in-house startup, Avikus.







Avikus specializes in autonomous navigation technologies for leisure boats. The company was launched in December 2020 to advance ship autonomous navigation systems. In June 2022, the company succeeded in the world's first autonomous trans-Pacific navigation of a liquefied natural gas carrier.


Jerry Seinfeld hasnt exactly had the best track record when it comes to making feature films, lest we forget the time he unleashed upon the world a kids movie about a human woman becoming unnervingly horned up for a talking honey bee. Still, we would argue that his iconic sitcom has inadvertently predicted the future notable works by a number of renowned directors.

Yes, some critically-acclaimed films, upon closer examination, are not so dissimilar from episodes of everybodys favorite show about nothing, such as how

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4 Bong Joon-hos First Movie Was Not Unlike Elaines Darkest Storyline As evidenced by movies like Parasite, Memories of Murder and Willy Wonka and the Class Warfare Train (aka Snowpiercer), Bong Joon-ho is unquestionably one of the greatest filmmakers working today. But long before he was collecting Oscars like most of us collect stamps and/or empty liquor bottles, Bong made his directorial debut with the black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite. Play The 2000 film concerns an unemployed, struggling academic who lives in an oppressively bleak apartment complex with his pregnant wife. Driven nuts by his neighbors constantly-barking dog, he attempts to get rid of the noisy pooch. Without spoiling too much, lets just say that multiple pets end up dead as a result of his scheming. This is weirdly similar to the Seinfeld episode The Engagement, which featured what was arguably the darkest chapter in the life of Elaine Benes. Tortured by a neighboring canines nocturnal yaps, Elaine turns to Newman to take care of the offending animal. While she briefly considers ordering a straight-up hit, Elaine eventually changes her mind and downgrades the plan from doggycide to mere dognapping. Which is still pretty messed up for a show usually focusing on dating problems and masturbation contests. Play Advertisement Advertisement Elaines canine predicament, and disturbing pivot to criminality, distinctly mirrors the actions of Ko Yun-ju, the protagonist of Barking Dogs Never Bite. Whether or not Elaines dog also represented a suffocating threat of existential anxiety is a little less clear.

3 Force Majeure Was Basically The Fire From Ruben Ostlund, the director of the bodily fluid factory known as Triangle of Sadness, came the Academy Award-nominated Norwegian film Force Majeure, about the worst family vacation since, well, theyre all pretty bad to be honest. In this case, a ski trip takes an awkward turn when a dad bails on his wife and kids to try and save his own ass after misreading the threat of a nearby avalanche. Play Advertisement Advertisement This is all extremely similar to the Seinfeld episode The Fire, in which George panics at the sight of a grease fire during a kids birthday party and bulldozes his way through a sea of children and seniors to get to safety. Play Advertisement The thematic connection between the two stories is so strong that Ostlund has been asked about it in interviews, conceding, Im sure that Seinfeld had an effect on me, as it did on anyone who lived during the time it aired. Oddly enough, the much-maligned American remake of Force Majeure, Downhill, starred Seinfelds Julia Louis-Dreyfus  but sadly not Jason Alexander or Jon Favreau as a disgruntled clown.
There are few film genres as reliable in modern times as spy films, shows and even video games. James Bond led the way to Remington Steele to Ethan Hunt to Solid Snake to Austin Powers. But the somber seriousness of the espionage game makes it a prime target for comedians and comedy writers to mine some humor out of all the professions sternness, violence and ludicrous clandestine nature.

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Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to enjoy these funniest moments from or about the spy genre in pop culture...

14 Johnny English Knocks Out His Boss Secretary Rowan Atkinson, i.e., Mr. Bean himself, tackled the spy genre in the Johnny English franchise, poking fun at the spy gadget pen joke by having English unintentionally knock out his boss secretary and trying to save face. Play

13 The Man Who Knew Too Little Isnt Going to Fall for It You can never be too careful, and you should never presume a dead body is actually dead if youre in the espionage business. Play Advertisement

12 Top Secret! is Self Aware Play Advertisement Advertisement

11 Its Hard to Disarm a Bomb on NTSF:SD:SUV Its difficult to concentrate on making sure a bomb doesnt blow up when friends and coworkers keep blowing up your phone and mentions. Play Advertisement

10 Saturday Night Live Emphasizes the Importance of Strong Wi-Fi If negotiating with terrorists via webchat, please ensure your internet connection is strong enough that a sex cam show doesnt interfere with it. Play Advertisement Advertisement

9 The Swiss Army Crossbow in Get Smart Steve Carell portrays the film version of spy Maxwell Smart as he tries to cut his zip-tied wrists with a special spy crossbow on his spy Swiss Army knife. Why doesnt he just use the knife portion of the gadget? Who knows? Play Advertisement Advertisement

8 A Black Lady Sketch Shows Invisible Spy There is no better spy than one that looks so normal and so unremarkable that even if they are seen, nobody will remember where they saw them from. Or if they just disappeared. Play Advertisement

7 Solid Snake Sneaks Out on His Date Robot Chicken explores how tactical espionage action can happen when trying to depart from a one-night stand. Play Advertisement Advertisement

6 Qs Replacement in The World Is Not Enough Bond meets the new Q (who happens to be John Cleese) in a very Monty Python-esque introduction. Play Advertisement

5 Mr. and Mrs. Smith Have Dinner Its one thing to hide your spy profession from your spouse, but another thing when you find out your spouse is also a spy assassin. Marriage counselors arent ready for anything like this. Play Advertisement Advertisement

4 The Sneeze in Spy If youre threatening the life of the only person who knows where a nuclear device is located, for the love of God, dont sneeze! Play Advertisement

3 Exploding Firework Heads in The Kingsman In the film, Merlin (Mark Strong) triggers Valentines (Samuel L. Jackson) fail-safe, which blows up all of the bad guys heads in a lovely fireworks display (hilarious). Play Advertisement Advertisement

2 Phrasing in Archer This running gag has been a staple of the animated spy comedy since its first season, becoming a superb go-to joke that the show keeps in its back pocket and never disappoints. Play Advertisement
Solar panels installed at a farm in Taean, South Chungcheong Province / Korea Times file





By Lee Kyung-min







About 23,000 employees of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) have signed a statement pledging not to engage in the solar power business, considered a conflict of interest by the state-run energy firm, Monday.







Behind the much-rushed organization-wide mandate is intensifying investigative scrutiny of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) into at least 250 officials of state-run energy firms over suspected use of classified business information to net personal gains under renewable energy projects spearheaded by the previous Moon Jae-in administration.







The BAI said on July 3 that state-run energy projects had 7,626 suspected irregularities amounting to 844 billion won ($646 million) between 2018 and 2022. The figure of 844 billion won is about 10 percent of the total allocated project funds of 11.8 trillion won.







The state-run projects are funded by the taxpayers. Every 3.7 percent of all electricity fees paid by the taxpayers are earmarked for projects, amounting to about 3 trillion won a year.







Among the irregularities were increasing the limit for funds borrowable by forging tax statements, and tax avoidance schemes. Some haphazardly set up fake mushroom and insect farms, to become eligible for the solar business.







Korea Electric Power Corp. headquarters in Naju, South Jeolla Province. Yonhap





KEPCO said the 23,000 employees signed the document between May and June 9.







They made a pledge to comply with the obligation not to seek a position at an organization separate from KEPCO, and that they will mobilize utmost efforts to eradicate corruption in the solar power business.







KEPCO said the employees in principle are prohibited from establishing their own business or engaging in business activities outside the scrutiny of the firm, but suspected irregularities are on the rise, especially in the solar power business established under the name of employees' family members.







The statement read: "I will not own or participate in the solar power business established under the name of others, whether they be family members or simple acquaintances."







Also included is their obligation to report to investigative authorities in the case of suspected gains advanced out of personal interests in the power business.







The employees also agreed not to hold positions without prior approval of KEPCO even when doing so for non-profit purposes.














U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain June 29, 2022. Reuters-Yonhap



U.S. President Joe Biden expressed a desire to see Sweden join NATO "as soon as possible" in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed Sweden's bid to become a member of the Western alliance, the White House said on Sunday.



Turkey, along with Hungary, has been a stumbling block to Sweden's bid, which requires unanimous approval by all NATO members.



Erdogan told Biden that Stockholm has taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to ratify its bid, referring to an anti-terrorism law, but said these steps were not useful as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) supporters continued to hold demonstrations in Sweden, the Turkish presidency's communications directorate said separately on Sunday.



Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement.



The leaders agreed to meet face-to-face in Vilnius, Lithuania, at an upcoming NATO summit and discuss bilateral relations and regional issues in detail, the Turkish presidency also said.



On Thursday, Sweden failed to convince Turkey to lift its block on Stockholm's path to NATO membership in a foreign minister-level meeting, as Ankara requested more action in the fight against terrorism.



NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he would convene a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius on Monday.



Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Stockholm has been working to join at next week's NATO summit in Vilnius.



During their call, Biden and Erdogan also discussed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and Ukraine's aim to join NATO, according to the Turkish presidency's readout. (Reuters)






Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte leaves Huis ten Bosch palace after updating Dutch King Willem-Alexander about the fall of the cabinet in the hague, the Netherlands, July 8. EPA-Yonhap



Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the king Saturday to hand in the resignation of his four-party coalition, setting the deeply divided Netherlands on track for a general election later this year.



King Willem-Alexander flew back from a family vacation in Greece to meet with Rutte, who drove to the palace in his Saab station wagon for the meeting to explain the political crisis that toppled his administration.



Rutte declined to answer reporters' questions as he drove away from the meeting that lasted over an hour, saying the talks with the monarch were private.



The vexed issue of reining in migration that has troubled countries across Europe for years was the final stumbling block that brought down Rutte's government Friday night, exposing the deep ideological differences between the four parties that made up the uneasy coalition.



Now it is likely to dominate campaigning for an election that is still months away.



"We are the party that can ensure a majority to significantly restrict the flow of asylum seekers," said Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, who supported Rutte's first minority coalition 13 years ago, but also ultimately brought it down.



Opposition parties on the left also want to make the election about tackling problems they accuse Rutte of failing to adequately address  from climate change to a chronic housing shortage and the future of the nation's multibillion-euro (-dollar) agricultural sector.



Socialist Party leader Lilian Marijnissen told Dutch broadcaster NOS the collapse of Rutte's government was "good news for the Netherlands. I think that everybody felt that this Cabinet was done. They have created more problems than they solved."



Despite the divisions between the four parties in Rutte's government, it will remain in power as a caretaker administration until a new coalition is formed, but will not pass major new laws.



"Given the challenges of the times, a war on this continent, nobody profits from a political crisis," tweeted Sigrid Kaag, leader of the centrist, pro-Europe D66 party.



Rutte, the Netherlands' longest-serving premier and a veteran consensus builder, appeared to be the one who was prepared to torpedo his fourth coalition government with tough demands in negotiations over how to reduce the number of migrants seeking asylum in his country.



Rutte negotiated for months over a package of measures to reduce the flow of new migrants arriving in the country of nearly 18 million people. Proposals reportedly included creating two classes of asylum  a temporary one for people fleeing conflicts and a permanent one for people trying to escape persecution  and reducing the number of family members who are allowed to join asylum-seekers in the Netherlands. The idea of blocking family members was strongly opposed by minority coalition party ChristenUnie.





Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives to attend a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of a working dinner for NATO leaders at the Catshuis, in The Hague, Netherlands June 27. Reuters-Yonhap
The Oregon Senate voted on June 21 to end a 72-year-long bill which required all gas stations to be serviced by attendants by a vote of 16-9.

The bill, if signed, would end Oregons position as one of two states that prohibit drivers from filling their own cars with gas. It guarantees attendant-serviced gas will still be optional for customers, as half of available pumps at gas stations will be serviced by an attendant.

I know that the new law they're trying to provide is more of an option for people to get self service for themselves if that's what they choose to do, said Tia, a gas station owner at an Oregon Texaco branch in Clackamas County. Because half of the pumps have to be available to customers for self-service, you still have a gas attendant to provide some services. So, I think that's an okay option.

House Bill 2426 passed in the Oregon House on March 20 by a vote of 47-10. The bill has large bipartisan support, with both Democrats and Republicans voting for and against the bill. It would require that gas stations designate the same number of self-service gas pumps as attended service gas pumps.

According to its supporters, House Bill 2426 would partially remove the requirement of gas stations, especially in rural counties, to hire attendants. Oregon previously allowed some eastern Oregon counties to fully offer self-serviced gas, and some coastal Oregon counties to provide self-serviced gas between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, self-serviced gas was temporarily prohibited in rural counties.

The newfound potential of Oregonians being able to pump their own gas has caught on, however; 63% of Oregonians voted in favor of allowing self-serviced gas in a 2021 poll.

Critics state the bill is overcomplicated, will cost jobs and will negatively affect those with disabilities  both drivers and gas station employees.

I am generally supportive of this option for a variety of reasons, Senator Sara Gelser Blouin said in a written vote explanation. However, I cast a No vote due to concerns that the measure does not include sufficient protections to ensure elderly and disabled Oregonians will be able to access an attendant as necessary.

Critics of the bill point to the fact that other states, which have made attendant-serviced gas optional, have faced criticisms regarding the lack of accessibility that comes with self-serve gas for those with disabilities.

Oregon Senate Majority Whip Lew Frederick was one of the primary opponents of the bill. The Northeast Portland state senator also submitted a vote explanation in opposition to the bill.

I have personally had to get out and pump gas for elderly folks in other states whom I witnessed were not able to get the assistance they were legally entitled to, said Senator Frederick.

Representative Julie Fahey, representing west Eugene, is a chief proponent of the bill.

Because of these difficulties, Oregonians in many parts of the state have encountered closed pumps or long lines as they attempt to fill up, said Rep. Fahey in a floor testimony, citing staffing challenges for gas stations in rural areas. Giving stations the option to have some of those closed pumps be open as self-service would benefit consumers, station owners and workers.

The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Tina Kotek, who has yet to announce a position on the bill or whether she will sign it into law.
Is the latest U-turn on policy by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, this time on the expansion of London Mayor Sadiq Khans hated Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez), the most dishonest so far?

Starmer was a staunch supporter of the 12.50 tax on older, more polluting cars until last week when he echoed the call of Danny Beales, the Labour candidate in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, for a delay in the August expansion date.

The Ulez charge, a stealth tax which has raised 400 million in fines in less than 18 months, will hit Uxbridge hard, hence the shift by Beales and Starmer.

But Starmers hypocrisy knows no bounds. Not only did he fail to raise any objections when Ulez was introduced in Central London in April 2019, including his North London constituency, he was conspicuous by his silence when plans were announced to extend it to every London borough.

Despite the fact this move will affect people driving into Greater London as well as residents, Starmers Shadow Cabinet has never had a formal discussion about it. This is for one simple reason: despite Starmers sophistry, the Shadow Cabinet table is unanimously in favour of Ulez.

Is the latest U-turn on policy by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, this time on the expansion of London Mayor Sadiq Khans hated Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez), the most dishonest so far?

Despite the fact this move will affect people driving into Greater London as well as residents, Starmers Shadow Cabinet has never had a formal discussion about it

Labours sisterhood, who have yet to see a woman party leader, are not impressed with the line-up in the three by-elections in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Selby and Ainsty, and Somerton and Frome.

All three Labour candidates are white and male, while the Tories, who have had three women prime ministers, are fielding two female candidates. So much for being the party of inclusivity and equality.

Ann gets out of a peckish pickle

With Oscar winners including Olivia Colman on the red carpet, the National Film Awards should have been a byword for glamour. But it seems the cost of living crisis has hit even the A-list luvvie world.

Guests at the three-hour ceremony at Londons Porchester Hall last week were served not a canape, sausage roll, peanut or crisp in the three hours the awards dragged on. A number of the more resourceful guests at the black-tie event nipped to the Waitrose across the road to stock up on provisions.

With Oscar winners including Olivia Colman on the red carpet, the National Film Awards should have been a byword for glamour

One was the former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, whom I spotted gleefully tucking into a cheese and pickle sarnie.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was watched by hundreds of millions around the world, says Tourism Minister Stuart Andrew. Major royal events such as these provide a significant boost to the UK economy through tourism. Surely the minister isnt suggesting royal deaths are good for business? Orf with his head!

Congratulations to Lord Lexden, 78, Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords, who officiated nearly seven hours of continuous debate on the Illegal Migration Bill, 9.30pm until 4.16am, without a single comfort break.

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp speaks for many over the revelation an unnamed BBC star is facing a sex photos probe. Quite a few people are going to be calling the powers that be at [the] Beeb right now and saying, Sort this out, my name is being destroyed.

In the Commons, Tory MP Sir John Redwood asked: Given corporation tax, carbon taxes, the windfall tax, fuel duties and VAT, is not the bulk of the price at the pump now tax-based? How much is the tax?

In the Commons, Tory MP Sir John Redwood asked: Given corporation tax, carbon taxes, the windfall tax, fuel duties and VAT, is not the bulk of the price at the pump now tax-based? How much is the tax?

Graham Stuart, the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, ducked the question, saying: Tax is a matter for the Chancellor. The actual answer? A huge 54 per cent.

Major was Maggies minor

In a podcast interview, Sir John Major insisted his chivalrous attitude to women explained his reluctance to hit back at Mrs Thatcher when she was criticising his time as prime minister.

Not so says Edwina Currie, the former health minister, who famously had an affair with Major before he became PM. Nobody went easy on Mrs Thatcher, she insists. She dominated the room, the Cabinet, the Commons and the Tory Party, especially from the Falklands until she was challenged in 1989. The claim suggests [Major] was stronger than her. That just wasnt true. He wasnt as good as her either.
There is always much talk of the 'special relationship' when a US President comes to town.

And at Windsor Castle yesterday things were apparently so special that the King didn't raise an eyebrow at Joe Biden's enthusiastically tactile welcome  and tea ran over because the pair enjoyed chatting so much.

The only cloud in the blue skies over the Berkshire residence was the American delegation's decision to attend the meeting  with climate action at the top of its to-do list  in a fleet of five helicopters.

The trip had been billed as 'very much not a state visit', but the hand of friendship from Mr Biden was clearly and warmly extended in the King's direction over almost two hours.

The US President flew to Windsor straight after meeting the Prime Minister.

REBECCA ENGLISH: There is always much talk of the 'special relationship' when a US President comes to town. And at Windsor Castle yesterday things were apparently so special that the King didn't raise an eyebrow at Joe Biden's (right) enthusiastically tactile welcome  and tea ran over because the pair enjoyed chatting so much

REBECCA ENGLISH: At one point Mr Biden appeared reluctant to end a conversation with one of the Welsh Guards lined up at the castle as Charles tried to usher him along

He was greeted by the King, who had been waiting for around five minutes, with the Comptroller of the Royal Household Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon and his equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson.

The politician stepped slowly out of the car and the two men shook hands. As they walked to the dais, Mr Biden placed a hand on the King's back.

The President was seen to do this twice more after inspecting the guard of honour, formed of the Prince of Wales's Company of the Welsh Guards.

He did not make contact when he met the late Queen at Windsor two years ago. A palace source suggested that the idea this was a supposed breach of protocol was 'very old-fashioned'.

REBECCA ENGLISH: The politician stepped slowly out of the car and the two men shook hands. As they walked to the dais, Mr Biden placed a hand on the King's back

At one point Mr Biden appeared reluctant to end a conversation with one of the Welsh Guards lined up at the castle as Charles tried to usher him along.

The 80-year-old President and the King, 74, watched the military march past before going inside for tea.

Their private meeting ran over by around 20 minutes. They later spoke to the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum of financial and philanthropic leaders from the UK and the US.

A spokesman for the King said: 'You will have seen for yourselves the personal warmth between His Majesty and the President.'
A charity that was set up to train dogs to detect illness in humans is marking its 15th anniversary this summer with a series of events where the public can see the animals in action.

Former dog trainer Claire Guest set up Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) in Buckinghamshire in 2008 after realising the potential dogs had for spotting illness.

In the 15 years since then, more than 180 dogs have been trained and sent to live with people with health issues, saving and improving countless lives. This summer, at a series of Super Sniffers Live! events, members of the public can meet these Medical Detection Dogs, watch them work, and hear from clients how their work has changed their lives

Very good boys: Medical Detection Dogs Jake, left, and Casper look after their diabetic owner

Claire discovered that dogs' spectacular sense of smell could detect cancer in humans long before they showed symptoms. She set up (MDD) to train them to do this in a faster, more efficient and less invasive way than traditional testing.

MEDICAL DETECTION DOGS - AND HOW THEY HELP With type 1 diabetes, patients can be at risk of having a 'hypo' (when their blood sugar drops dangerously low), which can cause them to collapse or have seizures without warning. But the Medical Detection Dogs can smell when their owners' levels are dropping and warn them, so they can take action to prevent it or get somewhere safe. Advertisement

It is now known that dogs can sniff not only cancer, but also conditions such as malaria and Parkinson's, as well as Covid-19.

And in another development, they can now alert people with nut allergies, Addison's disease, non-epileptic seizures and other conditions that a medical crisis is imminent - long before they'd normally know.

Currently more than 180 people in the UK have a medical detection dog  they take around six to eight months to train and are funded by the MDD charity through generous donations, such as the 1.7 million they've received from the People's Postcode Lottery.

MDD say it's impossible to say just how many hospital trips their dogs have averted, and how many lives they have saved, but it is life-saving work.

Emily Marston, from Northampton, was essentially a prisoner in her own home until she got her dog Nieve a year ago.

The 29-year-old had developed a rare condition called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome at 15, which caused her body to regularly go into anaphylactic shock.

It meant she needed carers around-the-clock and to always be within 12 minutes of a hospital.

Learning the job: Scent dog Freya (who can identify malaria) in the training lab

The dog's ability to sniff out microscopic particles of a disease's signature odour is already making a difference to thousands of patients

Dogs are trained by using a piece of sock from a malaria sufferer from the Gambia to sniff out the disease at Medical Alert Assistance Dogs near Milton Keynes

It was not only life-threatening but life ruining too  when she married husband Jono in November 2021, they couldn't go on honeymoon.

Then in 2018 she heard about MDD, got in touch, and they offered to help. Covid delayed the process, but in February last year a potential dog was found for Emily. She and her mother, Lisa, drove to the MDD centre in Milton Keynes to meet Nieve, a beautiful black Labrador.

They immediately knew she was the answer to their prayers.

'I called my husband as we drove home and cried so much he couldn't understand me' says Emily, an early years teacher.

Nieve was then trained to specifically recognise Emily's scent changes, before joining her new owner last May.

Emily Marston, 29, and her dog Nieve, who is trained to alert her to imminent health episodes

'The first night she was with us, I had a bad episode and she alerted us,' smiles Emily. 'I burst into happy tears and called my mum who said 'Great, have you taken your meds?'

'I'd forgotten because I was so excited.'

Nieve alerts by first staring at Emily intently, then jumping up or nudging if she doesn't notice. And if she loses consciousness, the dog will go and fetch another human.

'She knows about half an hour before anything happens,' explains her owner. 'So I can take my medications and get somewhere safe. I tend to know within ten minutes if I'll need to go to hospital then I'll dial 999.'

Nieve is currently being trained to press a button to call help.

'She's changed my life,' says Emily. 'I don't worry about it anymore because I know Nieve has got it. She's given me confidence.

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, dogs were trained to be able to sniff out people who had the virus - they could screen a whole plane-ful in just 30 minutes

'We can do more. We've been to the seaside for a few days, theatre trips to London, a friend's wedding in Newcastle. Before I'd have had to research where the nearest hospital was.

'And we're finally going away on honeymoon next year  we've booked a Disney cruise to coincide with my 30th birthday. And - of course - Nieve will be coming!'

*For more information about the Super Sniffers Live events, go to www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk/super-sniffers-live
A woman has revealed the horrifying reason you should never wear glasses during on-screen meetings.

Lanah Jones, from Perth, Australia, took to TikTok to explain the simple error that employees have been making.

She stated that leaving your glasses on could mean anyone on your virtual call would be able to see what you were really doing off-screen due to the reflection.

It comes after a whole host of experts also issued advice to glasses wearers amid the boom in virtual meetings.

Lanah Jones, from Perth, Australia, took to TikTok to explain the simple error that employees have been making

She stated that leaving your glasses on will mean anyone on your virtual call will be able to see what you are really doing off-screen due to the reflection

In the clip, which has so far been viewed more than 242,000 times, Lanah can be seen gazing directly toward the camera with her glasses on.

The overlaid captions read: 'Remember: Take your glasses off if you're scrolling during a [Microsoft] Teams meeting.

'Literally saw my manager on Instagram during my performance review and my boyfriend saw I was scrolling when we FaceTimed.'

She then began to slowly zoom in on her reflective frames.

And, as Lanah got ever closer, it became obvious just how easy it is for those in your meeting to see what you are really looking at off-screen.

The popular content creator then added a second caption that read: 'Has this happened to you?'

She uploaded the lighthearted clip to the video sharing platform and wrote: '4 eyes + a screen = me.'

And she was quickly praised by a fellow user who wrote: 'Important PSA. Thank you hero.'

Lanah, who has gained thousands of followers by sharing an insight into her life as a flying occupational therapist, is not the first to warn against such a situation

Lanah, who has gained thousands of followers by sharing an insight into her life as a flying occupational therapist, is not the first to warn against such a situation.

Following the boom in meetings held online amid the coronavirus pandemic, experts came out in their droves to issue advice for glasses wearers jumping on virtual calls.

Among the guidance to help reduce the glare is to opt for glasses with a non-reflective coating.

Other tips include tilting the eyewear to a different angle and upping the amount of ambient light in the room.
Bombastic Mars brings its visionary, transformative action into gentle and considerate Virgo  which might conjure up images of cats among pigeons, and bulls in china shops. But there's more than one way to skin a cat (or a pigeon, or a bull for that matter)! The energy needed to kick start ambitious projects needs to be sustained. And earthy Virgo provides the fuel to maintain momentum. It's time to put energy into details as well as the big picture.

Read more horoscopes from MailOnline.

ARIES

Mar 21 - Apr 20

There are so many things we don't know. It seems the more problems we solve, the more we face. It's a wonder anyone ever feels certain about anything! Thankfully, being a confident Aries, that's not your normal modus operandi. Now, as your ruler, Mars, moves into earthy Virgo, you can put aside your suspicions about recently acquired information. It's not too good to be true: it's a fact you can use to make an important, informed choice. If you focus on that you'll make a smart decision. Capture the powerful energy of the positively star-filled skies. Call your in-depth, four-minute forecast: 0906 751 5601.

TAURUS

Apr 21 - May 21

We fool ourselves if we think we know exactly what we want. It's like going to eat in a Michelin-starred restaurant, but deciding what we're going to order before we've even looked at the menu. We need to see the options before we can make a good choice. Otherwise, we risk missing out and feeling disappointed. Focus on the info you have today. Even if that means knowing what you don't want, it's good enough. By a process of elimination, if you get as much info as possible, you'll make a satisfying choice. Fulfil your dreams! Let the week's exciting cosmic outlook reveal your heart's true desires. For good news, call 0906 751 5602.

Oscar Cainer, pictured, says: 'The energy needed to kick start ambitious projects needs to be sustained'

GEMINI

May 22 - June 22

If you're not going outside, what's the point of checking the weather forecast? Whether it's sunny or rainy, since it's not going to have an impact on you, who cares whether it's a brolly or a sun hat day? In your world, the emotional climate has been so unpredictable you've withdrawn from the storminess. As your ruler, Mercury, prepares to move into Leo it brings the confidence to override your desire to hide. Step outside. You'll like what you find! Your weather forecast is excellent. In a week of cosmic creativity, you can transform your life. For four minutes of valuable news, call 0906 751 5603.

CANCER

June 23 - July 23

What shade of blue should you choose to paint the sky? Does the tree need to be in the centre of the canvas? Or should it be more towards the left of the picture? Is there someone with more expertise you could consult? Hang on! Your instincts are just as good (if not better) than anyone else's. Stop undermining your own authority and doubting your decisions. You're in the process of developing a new interest (or connection). It's unique to your world. Listen to your heart. You know best. A new week! As a series of thrilling astrological events unfolds, a forecast that could transform your life! Call 0906 751 5604.

LEO

July 24 - Aug 23

Sometimes, we run round like crazy and hardly achieve anything. Sometimes, we stay so still we appear to be doing nothing, yet it's during that time that psychological mountains are transformed into molehills. As power planet, Mars, leaves your sign, you can expect to enjoy the latter: a time of less intensity means you can sit back and trust. You've been busy enough. You've invested a great deal of energy. Now, if you apply clever thought, you can appreciate the fruits of your labours. Capture the powerful energy of the positively star-filled skies. Call your in-depth, four-minute forecast: 0906 751 5605.

VIRGO

Aug 24 - Sep 23

Some people like to strategise and plan. Others prefer to react spontaneously. Some folk follow their hearts, while others only listen to the voice of logic. Virgos though, don't quite fit into these categories. You've got a surprising knack for turning up at the right place at the right time. You're not sure how it works: but you know it works best when you don't try too hard. As dynamic Mars enters your sign, are you about to wander innocently into a great situation? Something in the sky has your best interests at heart. Fulfil your dreams! Let the week's exciting cosmic outlook reveal your heart's true desires. For good news, call 0906 751 5606.

LIBRA

Sep 24 - Oct 23

If you really focus, what are you capable of achieving? Why don't you really focus? Then you'll find out! We all have a tendency to contradict ourselves. One moment, we're brimming with self-confidence. The next, we're overwhelmed by self-doubt. These two opposing emotions feed off each other. When we set our sights too high, and don't achieve our goal, we compensate by setting our sights too low. If you have faith in your abilities and assess your options, you can achieve great things today. In a week of cosmic creativity, you can transform your life. For four minutes of valuable news, call 0906 751 5607.

Bombastic Mars brings its visionary, transformative action into gentle and considerate Virgo  which might conjure up images of cats among pigeons, and bulls in china shops. Stock image used

SCORPIO

Oct 24 - Nov 22

Be gently confident, sensitively powerful, delicately strong-minded and caringly determined. Be conscious of the fact the situation you're dealing with demands resolve and sensitivity. Be aware, too, that there are feelings and uncertainties involved. No matter how other people are behaving, you need to be impeccable. Don't acquiesce to anyone's demands. But don't be too demanding. If you stay true to yourself, and take other views on board, you can find an outcome that works for everyone. A new week! As a series of thrilling astrological events unfolds, a forecast that could transform your life! Call 0906 751 5608.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 23 - Dec 21

You are starting to feel like you're being pulled in different directions. You have a growing desire to follow a dream. But another side of you is urging caution. The voice of common sense is telling you that you're wasting your energy: that the odds are stacked against you. Should you abandon your hope? Absolutely not. With dynamic Mars in earthy Virgo, you can direct your enthusiasm in a pragmatic way that will help you progress. A minor miracle is possible! Capture the powerful energy of the positively star-filled skies. Call your in-depth, four-minute forecast: 0906 751 5609.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 20

It is better to forgive and forget than be consumed with frustration and fury. Even if you're right to feel outraged about a situation, you need to protect yourself from your negative reactions. You're a smart Capricorn and aware of the need to let go of something. But you're worried that in doing so you'll send out the wrong message. So be cautious about what you say and do. If you put this problem behind you, you'll feel more positive. And that will enable you to create a positive plan. Fulfil your dreams! Let the week's exciting cosmic outlook reveal your heart's true desires. For good news, call 0906 751 5610.

AQUARIUS

Jan 21 - Feb 19

They say that where there's a will there's a way. But what if you find yourself facing someone who's equally strong-willed, yet wants to do something different? Do those energies cancel each other out? Or does the stronger will triumph? Fortunately, you don't need to worry about that today. You are clear about what needs to happen. And your determination to see this through is blessing you with an inextinguishable fire. Will you get what you want? If you want it enough, you will. In a week of cosmic creativity, you can transform your life. For four minutes of valuable news, call 0906 751 5611.

PISCES

Feb 20 - Mar 20

Some people are adrenaline junkies. They love watching scary films and riding the latest theme park rides. They seek thrills and excitement. If there's a challenge to face, they're first in the queue. It would be great if you could hand your current situation to one of these folk. Someone, somewhere, would love to take your place. Will the tense situation you're dealing with resolve itself? I don't want to remove the edginess of the drama (which part of you is secretly enjoying!) but the answer is yes. A new week! As a series of thrilling astrological events unfolds, a forecast that could transform your life! Call 0906 751 5612.

Calls cost 80p per minute plus your phone company's access charge. To report a phone line problem, call 0800 138 9789. Go to cainer.com and join the 5 Star Service for personalised messages, audio, video, discounts on full readings, and more!
A woman who was adopted as a baby has broken down in tears on Long Lost Family after discovering 'tough' details about her late birth mother.

Sara Hathaway, 57, who was born in Wales, had a 'lovely, outdoor childhood' with her two siblings, who were also adopted.

Their parents made them feel special because 'they were chosen' and the whole family remained close - but in 2007, tragically, Sara's mother and big brother both passed away.

Wanting to find out more about where she came from, Sara asked ITV's Long Lost Family for help, and on tonight's programme, she discovers more about her late birth mother, Sallie.

She is told by co-presenter Davina McCall how her biological parent suffered a 'bad marriage' with a 'violent' husband and was jailed for fraud. Sara soon becomes emotional after hearing about the 'poor woman's' 'tough' life.

Sara Hathaway, 57, who was adopted as a baby, broke down in tears on Long Lost Family (pictured) after discovering 'tough' details about her late birth mother

Upon meeting Sara, Davina asks how she's coping with the news of her birth mother's passing.

'Nothing prepares you for the news. She was a stranger but she was still absolutely fundamental to who I am,' said the mother-of-two.

The presenter then reveals more details about the parent, who they first believed was also called Sarah: 'So the reason why she was hard to find was because she went by the name Sallie.

'She was in South Africa and she had a bad marriage, he was violent. And so she had a tough time with him, so they had no money and she did spend a stint of time in prison for fraud.'

Becoming emotional, Sara says: 'That's tough. That poor woman.'

Sara sadly lost her adopted mother and brother in 2007, explaining on the programme: 'My family had changed forever, and that's when I thought: I need to find out about my birth mother and who I am and where I come from.'

Applying for her adoption papers, Sara discovered her mother's name  Sarah  and that she had a traumatic life around the time Sara was born. The documents also revealed that after giving up her daughter, she moved to South Africa in 1966.

Long Lost Family could find no trace of her mother Sarah in South Africa. The breakthrough was the discovery that Sarah's real name was in fact Sallie, and she'd reverted to this when she moved abroad.

Sara (pictured left) was adopted and had a 'lovely, outdoor childhood' with her two siblings, who were also adopted

Sara (pictured) is told by co-presenter Davina McCall how her biological parent suffered a 'bad marriage' with a 'violent' husband and was jailed for fraud. Sara soon becomes emotional after hearing about the 'poor woman's' 'tough' life

Sara's parents made her and her siblings feel special because 'they were chosen' and the whole family remained close - but in 2007, tragically, Sara's mother and big brother both passed away. Pictured, Sara as a youngster

The team found Sallie's half-sister, who told them that sadly, Sallie had died in 2014. She also revealed that Sallie had four other children.

A son, Steve, was born in Cardiff a year before Sara. Sallie placed him in care. Then Sallie had a daughter, Kerry, in South Africa, who she also gave up. Sallie then had Jacqui, and another child  both born in South Africa.

Nicky meets up with Steve and Kerry, who now lives in the UK. They met as adults, introduced by their grandmother, and are very close.

They paint a complex picture of their mother. Steve was in a Barnardo's home, then fostered, then joined the Army.

Kerry believes she was born of an affair her mother had. When, in her 20s, she tracked down her mother, Sallie showed little interest in getting to know her children. Kerry says it 'broke my heart'.

Sara (centre) with her half-sister Kerry Sanderson (left) and her half-brother Steve Williams

Long Lost Family could find no trace of her mother Sarah in South Africa. The breakthrough was the discovery that Sarah's real name was in fact Sallie (pictured), and she'd reverted to this when she moved abroad

Jacqui, who also knows Steve and Kerry, joins the conversation via video call from South Africa. Jacqui explains that her father was abusive, and that Sallie was often absent, and spent stints in prison for fraud.

'She went to the grave with all her secrets.' The siblings are delighted to be found and can't wait to welcome Sara into the family.

After hearing the sad news of her mother's death off camera, Sara learns about her mother and her siblings from Davina. Sara's shocked but acknowledges 'my mum was a complex person.' She's delighted to know of her siblings and when they finally meet, tells them: 'Do you know, that's all I've wanted is a big family, and mine got smaller and smaller.'

Kerry replies: 'Well, you've got a humungous family now.' A family camping trip is now in the works.

Long Lost Family airs tonight at 9pm on ITV
Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat gestures during a rally to thank voters in Bangkok, Thailand, July 9. EPA-Yonhap



Hundreds of supporters of Thailand's leading prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat rallied in the capital on Sunday ahead of a parliamentary vote for a new prime minister next week.



Pita, the leader of the progressive Move Forward Party, faces an uncertain path to the premiership despite scoring a stunning victory in May's election that saw Thais reject nearly nine years of military-backed government.



He now needs to secure support from an unelected Senate to become the premier to replace incumbent Prayuth Chan-ocha in the vote set for July 13.



His eight-party alliance together has 312 seats in parliament, but he needs at least 376 votes in a joint sitting of the bicameral legislature, which includes the 250-member upper house appointed during military rule.



Pita said talks with senators were being held and that they should not vote against the will of the people.



"We're asking them to vote for democracy, for the majority, and to return normalcy to Thai politics, so we can finally move forward," he told orange-clad supporters on Sunday.



Supporter Jaturong Soisri, 28, said the voting day "will decide where our future will lead. We have to unite together". (Reuters)




Quaint homeware brands founded by socialites with a 'very traditional, English aesthetic' are racking in big business in the US.

A number of labels set up by socialites selling elegant, British-made ceramics have been captivating American shoppers, according to The Telegraph.

Among them is Mrs Alice, a homeware label set up by Princess Beatrice's Alice Naylor-Leyland in 2019, which has become hot property across the pond.

Meanwhile British pottery company Burleigh, which has been producing earthenware since 1889, has also taken off in the States.

TV presenter Louise Roe, who set up homeware brand Sharland England, said: 'We sell furniture and tabletop with a very traditional, English aesthetic, and we have seen huge growth in the US.'

Quaint homeware brands founded by socialites with a 'very traditional, English aesthetic' are racking in big business in the US

A number of labels set up by socialites putting elegant, British-made ceramics back on the table have been captivating American audiences

She went on to explain how many of her US customers are seeking 'unique design' and hope to find something to 'pass down to generations.

She continued: 'I do believe that right now in the US there is a propensity towards all things English or European when it comes to home decor. Which is great!'

Sharland was set up 18 months ago by Louise, who lived in the LA for 10 years before returning to the UK.

Her furniture and accessories  which includes napkins for 95 and serving plates for 140  have been an instant hit in the US.

Meanwhile, Burleigh has also found success in the states - handmaking thousands of items a week in its Victorian factory saved by King Charles's Regeneration Trust in 2011.

It's thought the boom in popularity in the States could be down to the royal connection - following celebrations for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee and the King's Coronation.

Book into The Chiltern Firehouse, one of London's most upmarket restaurants, and you will be served dinner on the brand's classic dusty blue or pink Asiatic Pheasant plates.

This Eastern-influenced design by Burleigh has been in continuous production for 160 years.

Among them is Mrs Alice, a homeware label set up by Princess Beatrice's Alice Naylor-Leyland in 2019, which has become hot property across the pond

Other brands to be wowing US audiences include Olivia Morris's homeware brand, and Mrs Alice (left and right)

Burleigh's decorative cake stands have been spotted all over the place, from Royal Ascot to The Great British Bake Off.

Meanwhile it's also gained a cool connection thanks to a collaboration with Soho House, with celebrity fans including the Duchess of Sussex and David Beckham.

Sarah Heaton, a designer for Burleigh, previously put fondness of these classic pieces and patterns down to nostalgia.

Meanwhile if you're planning on wowing you dinner guests, you could seldom do without the trained eye of Alice.

A long-time friend of Princess Beatrice who married the heir to the 176m Fitzwilliam fortune family, Alice has been a Vogue columnist, a model and a fashion muse.

TV presenter Louise Roe, who set up homeware brand Sharland England, said she had seen 'huge growth' in the US

Some believe the brands have taken off across the pond as Americans are attracted to 'handmade, one-of-a-kind' items

Named as one of Tatler's 'society swans' of 2018, she Yorkshire's most prized hostess thanks to her tablescaping business, Mrs Alice, which has been thriving in recent years.

Homeware pieces on her site include a set of eight plates costing 520 and tablecloths costing 120.

Another brand which has 'flown off the tables' in the states is Olivia Morris at Home, which sells quilted bedspreads, and vintage embroidered table linens.

She said she felt US clients appreciate 'handmade, one-of-a-kind' items which nobody else could have.
Baroness Floella Benjamin has revealed the sweet exchange she shared with King Charles after the Coronation.

The Baroness, 73, had an important role on the 6 May, as she carried the sceptre into Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Floella, from Beckenham, London, carried the King's sceptre which is also known as the Rod Of Equity and Mercy.

The sceptre represented his spiritual role during the ceremony.

Many may recognise Floella from their childhood, when she presented the television show Play School, which ran between 1964 and 1988.

The Baroness, 73, had an important role on the 6 May, as she carried the sceptre into Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla

Speaking on Lorraine today, she revealed the heartfelt exchange she had with the King at the Coronation concert the following day.

Floella said: 'I saw the King and the Queen and the King gave me a hug and smile and said "Thank you for doing this for us."

She said that when she recieved the phone call, she was shocked and 'couldn't believe it.'

'[I was like] "What?" I couldn't believe it. But I thought when I had to do it, I had to be confident, I'm representing the Windrush generation, as you know we've just celebrated Windrush 75,' Floella said.

'I wanted people to realise when you see yourself, you know you belong. You've got to see yourself to know you belong.

'That was for me the King embracing diversity and inclusion, a glimpse of the future. That people of colour know they can play a part in society.

'I carried it with all of that on my shoulders, knowing that I was doing something to make a difference.'

Floella was born in 1949 in Trinidad and Torbago, before she immigrated to the UK with her parents.

Floella carried the King's sceptre which is also known as the Rod Of Equity and Mercy and it represents his spiritual role during the ceremony

The Baroness carried the King's sceptre which is also known as the Rod Of Equity and Mercy

Floella said the King smiled and hugged her and thanked her for carrying his sceptre during the ceremony. Pictured: The pair talking on June 22

The Baroness is also chair of Windrush Commemoration Committee.

She continued by saying: 'Many people who watched Play School said when they saw me and burst out crying and shouting, "There's that lady from my past!".

'My daughter, when she saw me on the screen, she said, "Mum, I couldn't help but cry because I felt so proud of you."

Floella became a member of the House of Lords in 2010, where she sits as Liberal Democrat life peer.
The King and Queen have been delighting royal fans across the country after sending sweet replies to those who wrote to the couple to celebrate the Coronation.

Recipients of the signed cards have so far ranged from pupils at a school in Walsall, in the West Midlands, to a 91-year-old woman, from Bolton, who penned a poem to mark the monarch's historic crowning.

The royal reply featured the official portrait of King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, taken at Buckingham Palace following the Westminster Abbey service, while the front of the card showed the couple's joint cypher, surrounded by a floral border.

Inside was also a sweet message signed by the King and Queen, which read: 'We were deeply touched by your most kind and thoughtful message following our Coronation.

'We are enormously grateful to everyone who took part in the celebrations, and particularly appreciate that you so generously took the time to write to us on this very special occasion.'

The King and Queen have been delighting royal fans across the country after sending sweet replies (pictured) to those who wrote to the couple to celebrate the Coronation

Mayfield Preparatory School in Walsall, near Birmingham, took to Twitter on Friday to reveal how their students received the reply from the monarch and his wife after the pupils sent a card to the couple to mark the May 6 event.

Sharing images of the card, as well as the letter that accompanied it, they wrote: 'This week the school received a letter and card from His Majesty King Charles and Queen Camilla, thanking the pupils for writing to them on the occasion of their Coronation.

'The Head of the Royal Correspondence, Thomas Claridge, wrote the letter on their behalf. How lovely!'

Mr Claridge wrote in his note: 'The King has asked me to thank you for your charming card, sent in celebration of Their Majesties' Coronation.

'The King was deeply touched that you should have taken the trouble to write, and would have me convey his warmest good wishes to all the pupils and staff at Mayfield Preparatory School.

'I am to thank you once again for your thoughtful message at this time of celebration.'

Elsewhere, Gwyneth Cleworth, 91, from Bolton, was 'thrilled to bits' after receiving her signed card from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

She had penned a poem to the royal couple, which read: 'The Coronation of King Charles III. What an amazing event for us all. A treasure to remember forever, and any time in life to recall.

Recipients of the signed cards (pictured left) have so far ranged from pupils at a school in Walsall, in the West Midlands, to a 91-year-old woman, from Bolton, who penned a poem to mark the monarch's historic crowning

Mayfield Preparatory School in Walsall, near Birmingham, took to Twitter on Friday to reveal how their students received the reply from the monarch and his wife after the pupils sent a card to the couple to mark the May 6 event

'Our United Kingdom  not alone on this day. Support comes from far and wide. Spreading good news in abundance, and sharing happiness by your side.

'We all wish you well as our King. A fantastic time for us all. Your wonderful road ahead now beckons. So, enjoy and follow this call.'

Speaking about the moment she received the card, Mrs Cleworth told The Bolton News: 'I was thrilled to bits when I saw the card, it made my day because it was my birthday when I opened it.'

The King and Queen's joint new cypher was first publicly revealed last month on the cover of Royal Ascot's official 2023 programme. It replaced the late Queen's official royal emblem.

On social media, Royal Ascot shared a photograph of the new look, writing: 'We are delighted to unveil the racecard cover for the opening day of Royal Ascot 2023, the first displaying the joint cypher of Their Majesties The King & Queen.'

Both the King and Queen have individual cyphers. The joint cypher is more similar in design to Queen Camilla's own emblem but adds an additional swirling C to represent the King.

The royal reply featured the official portrait (pictured) of King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, taken at Buckingham Palace following the Westminster Abbey service, while the front of the card showed the couple's joint cypher, surrounded by a floral border

The Queen Consort's official cypher is a swirling 'CR' monogram under a Crown. The entwined letters stand for Camilla Regina  Latin for Queen.

Like Charles's cypher, Camilla's design is based on the Tudor crown but is more elaborate and stylised.

It is the first time in 70 years that the country's most famous horseracing event will carry a new cypher.

The Queen, who passed away in Balmoral Castle last September, had a lifelong association with Royal Ascot, developing a love and passion for horse racing throughout her 70-year reign.

The event paid tribute via renaming a race in the late Queen's honour. The Platinum Jubilee Stakes, a six-furlong sprint which was staged on the Saturday of Ascot's five day meeting, will from now on be known as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Queen Elizabeth II had 24 winners in total, having been a keen racehorse owner, with her final triumph coming by way of Tactical in the Windsor Castle Stakes three years ago.

Choir Boy raced home as her first ever winner during the 1953 Royal Hunt Cup, which occurred during the same week of Her Late Majesty's coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Lady Amelia and Eliza Spencer are celebrating their birthday in style today - as they holiday in a luxury hotel with their partners.

The nieces of the late Princess Diana, both 31, are no strangers to the glitz and glamour of socialite life.

And today was no different as they woke up in the stunning 5* Hotel Cap-Estel, which is in the south of France just 10 minutes drive from Monaco.

The twins were joined by Lady Amelia's new husband Greg Mallett, as well as Lady Eliza's beau Channing Millerd for the holiday at the luxury resort.

The men were quick to share birthday tributes to the twins on Instagram today, with Greg tagging Amelia and writing: 'Being able to love you (and to be loved back) is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.'

Lady Amelia and Eliza Spencer, 31, were celebrating their birthday in style today - as they holidayed in a luxury hotel with their partners

Lady Eliza's beau Channing Millerd posted a gushing tribute to the socialite on his Instagram page

He went on: 'Forever! In this life and next.'

He also shared an image from their wedding on his Instagram page, writing: 'On your first birthday as a wife - I want to quote part of what I said on our wedding day.

'I promise to hold you in the light and encourage your ambitions.

'I promise to love you to the moon and stars and back but allow that love to grow and transform as each cell in my body (and in my heart) does the same.

'Never be afraid: I am your Gory now and forever.' Happy birthday my one and only.'

In a final snap, he posted an image alongside Eliza, saying: 'My sister for 14 years. I love you with all my heart. Happy birthday!'

Meanwhile Channing shared an equally romantic snap of he and Eliza, posting: 'Happy birthday to the love of my life, my rock and my world.

'Thank you for making every second of every day the biggest adventure.'

He went on to post a photo of Eliza and Amelia together, writing: 'Happy birthday to my absolute bests. I could not love you both any more.'

Meanwhile Lady Amelia shared a glimpse into their birthday morning on her own Instagram page.

She went on to share a photograph as she and Greg took a dip in the sea, apparently enjoying an early morning paddle boarding session.

The 31-year-old wrote it had been a 'dream birthday morning.'

Meanwhile Greg Mallett said he felt 'loving Lady Amelia was 'the greatest gift he could ever ask for'

The group's luxury accommodation is described online as a 'boutique hotel in its own gated estate, set amid lush greenery and beautiful trees'

The group's luxury accommodation is described online as a 'boutique hotel in its own gated estate, set amid lush greenery and beautiful trees.'

It's website goes on: 'Cap Estel is secluded and discrete, a quiet oasis where you can escape the crowds and enjoy complete rest and privacy.

'No wonder that International celebrities have been coming here for over 50 years to unwind and enjoy its quiet and relaxed elegance.'

Amelia and Eliza, who moved from Cape Town to London in 2021, are the daughters of Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer and his first wife Victoria Aitken.

Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia grew up between Constantia, South Africa, and their family's seat, Althorp.

Since moving to London full time in 2021, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia finally began stepping out of their eldest sibling Lady Kitty Spencer's shadow.

The twins, who are both signed to Storm Model Management, quickly started appearing in society magazines like Tatler and Hello.

Amelia and Eliza previously said they are looking forward to fulfilling long-held ambitions; Amelia hopes to become a wedding planner and Eliza dreams of being an interior designer.

This summer the twins have already attended a number of high profile fashion and society events - notably the Chelsea Flower Show.

It comes shortly after Amelia's South African wedding in March.

Amelia and her husband Greg Mallett first met through mutual friends in Cape Town 13 years ago. In July 2020, Lady Amelia got engaged to long-term boyfriend Greg following a romantic proposal in South Africa.

The society beauty, who is the cousin of Princes William and Harry, met her real estate beau while they were both studying at the University of Cape Town.

The couple were together for 11 years before Greg, 32, popped the question at the exclusive Clouds Wine & Guest Estate in Stellenbosch.
A retired civil servant has revealed how she was conned out of her life savings after scammers pretended to be her bank, who thankfully refunded her the money.

Linda Leary, 79, from Blackpool, spoke to Alison and Dermot on This Morning today and said it all started when she received an email that a courier service had attempted to deliver a parcel twice.

The fake message stated that if she wanted to have her parcel delivered, she would need to pay fee of 1.99 online.

At the time, Linda checked to see if she was expecting a parcel, and she was, from Amazon.

She was then asked to put her card details in the website, and Linda saw the site had the padlock symbol in the browser URL, which made her think it was safe.

Linda Leary, from the UK, spoke to Alison and Dermot on This Morning today and said it all started with a fake email from a courier service

Afterwards, she called her daughter, who urged her to call the bank to block her card.

They said they had cut off the card and issued her a new one.

But afterwards she got a call from a person who claimed to be a manager at Santander bank.

They told her that although her card was blocked, they still had reason to believe the con artists were trying to access her account.

The man then asked her to transfer her money to a new account in another name to ensure her hard-earned cash would be safe.

But it was not Santander - the scammers had tricked Linda into transferring her life savings to them.

She said: 'I said to him, "How do I know I'm speaking to the manager from Santander?" and he said "Well if you look from the phone number that I'm calling from and look at your bank card, you'll see it's the same number."

Their scam expert, Jenny Radcliffe, later revealed how the scammers are able to imitate the bank's security number.

Dermot and Alison sat down on the This Morning sofa and spoke to Linda about her experience

She said: 'It's a spoofing technology, it's not actually even illegal to do it unless it's for nefarious purposes.'

Linda continued by saying: 'At first I was very anxious because he said somebody had been trying to access the account and he said, "We're doing this to protect you".'

The scammer took her through the steps of opening a new account while on the phone and she then sent the money across.

She said: 'The thing that made me really suspicious was he said "have you got an overdraft account?"

'I said "no" and he said, "We'll start you an overdraft and then you've got it there if you need it".'

Linda questioned why the man was not able to see if she had an overdraft account since he claimed to be a bank manager.

'I put the phone down at that point and turned my computer off.

'I phoned the bank and while I was phoning the bank, I logged back in and everything was gone.

'It was awful. One thing that had worried me as well when we were doing this, you have to get an OTP [one time password] to transfer a lot of money into a different account,' Linda said.

'And there's always warnings on the screens about doing OTPs and I said, "There's a warning about doing this."

Scam expert Jenny Radcliffe gave her top tips on how to spot a scam and the red flags to look out for

'And he said, "That's so no unauthorised people can get access to your account, but I'm from the bank."

Luckily Santander was able to refund Linda all of her money back and she said they 'were lovely' with her.

Dermot read a statement from Santander which said: 'If in doubt whether a service, offer or message is genuine, hang up on someone and get in touch with us before taking any action.

'Your bank will never ask you to withdraw, transfer or send back money from your accounts to Santander.'

Evri said: 'We're sorry to hear this, we'd never ask for bank details from someone who is expecting a delivery.'

Jenny said that Linda experienced was a 'layered con' and that once you initially click on that text message link it 'opens the door' for other scams to take place.

She also added that it tends to be luck with people who fall for trick, 'another day, another script, it could be someone else.'

Alison then asked her for the red flags to look out for, to which Jenny said: 'The big red flag is anything to do with money. Moving money, talking about money being lost, talking about making, sending it, moving it.'

'We don't click on anything like that until we check with our bank, separately.

'Because one of the things that happens is that number is spoofed, we've got to be really sure that when we ring the bank, it is the bank.

'So I always say is if you've been speaking to someone on the phone and they say this is the number, honestly, and I'm super a paranoid security person, I turn that phone off and turn it back on again just in case they are still on the line and can play a recording back to you.'
Jonah Hill 'used therapy speak to control' his ex girlfriend, a US therapist has said in a TikTok video, after some fans said the star was simply setting boundaries in his relationship.

In recent days, the actor's former girlfriend Sarah Brady, who dated the Superbad star for a year in 2021, has claimed that Jonah was emotionally abusive, sharing messages allegedly sent by Jonah, 39, with one reportedly displaying the actor outlining his parameters for a romantic partnership.

This lengthy initial text included a list of unacceptable behaviours from professional surfer Sarah if they were to be together romantically, with the actor saying he did not want his partner doing things including 'surfing with men,' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit'.

At the end of the message, he concluded: 'If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.'

Now therapist Jeff Guenther, known on TikTok as @TherapyJeff, has shared a video in which he says the actor 'was using therapy speak to control his [ex] girlfriend Sarah'.

Jonah Hill's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady has taken to social media to brand the actor a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist (pictured: the couple together in 2021)

Therapist Jeff Guenther (known on TikTok as @TherapyJeff) says that the actor misused the therapeutical language to 'control' his partner

In the clip, Jeff says: 'It's important that we go over this misuse of therapy language, which is kind of a thing these days, and how it can be super problematic.'

This, he explains, is because it 'masks controlling behaviour under a commonly accepted positive concept - in this case, boundaries, making it harder for the person on the receiving end, Sarah to challenge it'.

He notes some of the behaviours Jonah listed, including telling his professional surfer girlfriend that he was not going to be with her if she surfed with men, had boundaryless friendships with men, posted images of herself in a bathing suit, and had friendships with 'women who are in unstable places'.

According to Jeff: 'Jonah' goes on to say that "these are my boundaries for a romantic relationship".

'Jonah's use of the term boundaries in this message is a misuse of the concept.

'A boundary is a healthy limit a person sets for themselves to protect their wellbeing and integrity. It is a rule or guideline that one creates to identify a reasonable, safe and permissible ways for others to behave towards them, and how they'll respond when someone passes those limits.'

However, the therapist notes, these messages are 'not setting boundaries that protect his emotional well being'.

'Instead,' Jeff explains, 'he is dictating what behaviours and friendships Sarah is permitted to have. He's essentially instructing Sarah on who she can be friends with, what she can do professionally, and how she can show up online.

Taking to Instagram late on Friday night, the surfer blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star by sharing screenshots of their past arguments

'This is not an example of healthy boundary setting, but instead reflects an attempt at control. It demonstrates a lack of respect for Sarah's autonomy, and individuality.'

He adds that this message is 'more about restricting Sarah's behaviour to suit his comfort levels and insecurities rather than expressing his feelings or needs in a healthy manner'.

Jeff goes on to explain how Jonah could adopt a 'healthier and less manipulative approach', by expressing how Sarah's actions make him feel without using ultimatums about what she should or should not do.

The therapist concludes: 'Jonah needs to consider Sarah's needs and feelings and not just focus on his own, which it seems like he's selfishly doing.'

Insight: Sarah alleged that while dating Jonah, he had to 'personally approve' her friends

He also references the actor's documentary Stultz, about his own therapist, noting: 'Jonah Hill made a lovely documentary about therapy and it's a shame to see him weaponising what he learned to attempt to manipulate his girlfriend. That sucks.'

Sarah's rollout of damning statements against her movie producer ex began with an Instagram Stories post Brady shared with the caption, 'F*** it' on Friday.

The screenshot showed two messages alleged to be from Jonah on December 2, 2021. The first was the lengthy text apparently from Jonah which described his boundaries.

In another post of his alleged messages, Brady claimed that Hill only wanted her to socialize with friends whom he had 'personally approved.'

He then clarified: 'My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust.'

Sarah wrote online to her nearly 80,000 followers, 'See the misuse of the term "boundaries"?'

Brady spun her posts as a 'warning to all girls.'

Former flames: The couple used to regularly coordinate their outfits

'If your partner is talking to you like this, make an exit plan,' she captioned a screenshot that appeared to show Hill complaining about social media photos featuring her 'a** in a thong.'

'Call me if you need an ear,' she added.

Brady maintained that her ex-boyfriend's critiques were made in an attempt to control her.

She explained that she agreed with his requests in an attempt to keep him from experiencing 'crippling anxiety.'

Sarah said she was 'sharing this publicly now because keeping it to myself was causing more damage to my mental health than sharing it could ever do.'
Meghan Markle can be seen cuddling up with her daughter Lilibet as they attended a 4th of July parade in a video shared by a hotel owned by a friend of the Sussexes, it has emerged today.

Prince Harry, 38, was pictured alongside his two-year-old daughter last week at the event in Montecito.

However in a clip shared by local hotel Rosewood Miramar Beach days later promoting their 4th July celebration, Meghan can be seen alongside her husband and daughter as they wave to passersby.

The luxury 5* hotel is owned by businessman Rick Caruso, who previously revealed how he had first met the couple back in May 2020 to discuss 'charity work' as well as their future plans.

According to The Times, Meghan and Harry have since dined at the exclusive hotel, while the Duchess' ex-husband Trevor also tied the knot at the premises last year.



Meghan Markle can be seen cuddling up with her daughter Lilibet as they attended a 4th of July parade in a video shared by a hotel owned by a friend of the Sussexes, it has emerged today (pictured, Meghan and Lilibet, centre, and right, Harry)

In a clip shared by a local hotel on Instagram, the Duchess can be seen crouching to the ground as she holds her daughter while they watch the parade

The clip shared by the hotel, which has 93K followers on Instagram, shows one car in the parade driving along the road, while those inside waved to parade spectators.

After a clip showing Meghan, Harry and Lilibet, the video moved on to showcasing the BBQ on offer at the hotel for the celebration.

Other clips showed the beachfront bar, as well as a huge sign reading USA which was covered in balloons.

The video, which is less than a minute long, was shared alongside the caption: 'A little Miramar magic for 4th of July!'

Vanity Fair reported back in 2020 that Meghan and Harry had been 'cosying up' to the owner of the hotel.

The couple reportedly held a meeting with the businessman, with Caruso telling Vanity Fair: 'I was just very impressed by both of them. They're surprisingly down-to-earth. We talked about their charity work and the work that my company does.

We just shared a lot of things that we'd like to do to make people's lives better. We're very lucky to have them.'

While Meghan and Lilibet beamed as they waved to the parade, Prince Harry could be seen chatting to others in the group.

The Duke was previously pictured introducing his youngest child to the American holiday, which sees countless US flags, cheering crowds and parties across the nation.

The Duke of Sussex was seen keeping a low profile as he stood among crowds celebrating Independence Day in the US

The Montecito parade saw brightly coloured cars take part with USA-themed decorations

Carrying his precious daughter in his arms, Harry appeared to be trying to keep a low profile as he wore blue jeans, a green shirt, a green cap pulled over his face and sunglasses.

Meanwhile Meghan was dressed in a simple shirt and light-wash jeans for the occasion.

The Duke appeared to underline his retirement from The Firm as he took his daughter to the California celebration on July 4, as the US marked its independence from British rule.

But as he was showing two-year-old Lilibet the Montecito Associations Village Road Show, his father King Charles was preparing for one of the most important moments of his rule: a second Coronation in the country his beloved second son once called home.

Accompanied by family members including Harry's brother Prince William, the King and Queen Camilla were honoured in a prestigious event at St Giles' Cathedral, attended by senior royals. But the Duke himself was nowhere to be seen.

Prince Harry did attend his father's official Coronation, the first in the UK in 70 years, but was only on UK soil for a matter of hours before he returned to the US to celebrate his son Archie's birthday, which fell on the same day.

Meghan and their two children remained in the US at their Montecito home.

The luxury 5* hotel is owned by businessman Rick Caruso, who previously revealed how he had first met the couple back in May 2020 to discuss 'charity work' as well as their future plans

Sources previously said the decision by Meghan to remain in California had come as a relief in some circles, following fears her presence could have heightened family tensions.

MailOnline earlier reported it was not believed the Duke would be in the UK to attend the event in a possible sign of how frosty relations between the two sides of the Atlantic remain.

Charles was last week presented with the crown jewels of Scotland in a historic thanksgiving service, that came eight weeks after his Coronation in London.

The monarch received the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State of the Honours of Scotland at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

In echoes of his Coronation in London in May, crowds of thousands of people gathered to cheer their new monarch as he took part in the sacred celebrations, watched by Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Being born in June 2021, Lilibet has spent her entire life in California where the Sussexes moved after they withdrew from royal life.

She has visited the UK on one occasion for the Jubilee, and also celebrated her first birthday with a picnic at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

In March, the Sussexes confirmed Princess Lilibet had been christened in Montecito, California, after reports of an 'intimate' gathering at the Sussexes' mansion appeared in People Magazine.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously released this picture of Lilibet at Frogmore Cottage where she celebrated her first birthday

Lilibet (right) has visited the UK on one occasion for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022

It was also confirmed that King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales were invited to the event but did not attend.

In May, Prince Harry arrived in the UK for a day to watch his father be crowned amid a high-profile feud between himself and Meghan Markle and the rest of the Royal Family.

The Duke of Sussex seemed keen to put on a jovial display at Westminster Abbey as he chatted to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands Jack Brooksbank and Edo Mapelli Mozzi.

It followed months of turmoil following the publication of Prince Harry's bombshell memoir Spare, which reportedly left some members of the family, most notably his brother William, reeling.

The Prince has demanded an apology from members of his family over the way he says they have treated his wife.
Queen Letizia is known for her highly polished style, but the royal today proved she can pull off a more casual look when she opted for boho chic at a ceremony in Madrid.

The Spanish monarch was attending the BBVA Microfinance Foundation awards in Madrid earlier today, opting for a boho-style blouse with floral embroidery alongside a pair of sophisticated cream trousers.

Her outfit was matched with a pair of espadrille wedges creating the picture-perfect yet practical outfit.

Today's ceremony will provide children from low-income backgrounds with access to higher education by awarding university scholarships.

The event took place at the Zarzuela Palace, which is the residence and working offices of the Spanish monarch.

Queen Letizia glowed as she attended the BBVA Microfinance Foundation awards earlier today in Madrid

The Spanish Monarch opted for a chic look with a relaxed blouse and cream trousers

Letizia's brunette locks were in a side parting and tucked behind her ear on one side, revealing her gorgeous drop earrings.

The queen chose simple accessories alongside her boho-chic outfit, contrasting to her usual glamorous look.

Her face glowed with beauty as she opted for a light and dewy makeup look with a classic nude lip.

Queen Letizia attended the event alongside the 24 winners of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation Scholarship Awards.

The receivers of the scholarship stood proudly in formal attire alongside the elegant royal.

The mother-of-two posed alongside the scholarship winners for photographs, but a small distance was kept between each individual.

As Queen Letizia gleamed in the heart of the photograph, she demonstrated that when it comes to fashion, simple can sometimes be best.

The Spanish royal is frequently involved in charitable events, on top of other royal duties and caring for her two daughters Princess Leanor, 17, and Princess Sofia, 15.

The ceremony provided 24 young people from low income backgrounds with a scholarship to university

The Queen chose to style her hair in a side part to reveal her gorgeous drop down earrings

The wife of King Filipe VI attended the ceremony held by the BBVA bank, which aims to offer education aid to the community.

Carlos Torres Vila, BBVA Chair, said that the initiative aims to help 'reduce the digital education gap' as well as giving out scholarships to 'support access to higher education, initiatives for the development of values and skills, school kits and vocational training.'

It comes just days after the Queen attended the military academy alongside her daughter, Princess Leonor of Spain, 17, who will attend the academy in September after graduating UWC Atlantic College in Wales.

The Spanish palace previously announced that Princess Leonor will attend university to study law once her three years of military training are complete.
McVities has announced a major comeback of one its popular biscuit flavours after almost 20 years.

The popular biscuit brand, which was originally founded in Scotland, has unveiled the return of a mouthwatering digestives flavour.

Fans will be treated to the highly coveted white chocolate Digestives, which has already hit supermarkets.

The tea-dunkable treat is currently available in Sainsbury's, but fret not, because you'll soon be able to snap them up at places like Asda and Morrisons.

A pack of 15 white chocolate digestives will set you back 1.89, and this time around, it's here to stay.

McVities has unveiled the highly coveted white chocolate Digestives, which has already hit supermarkets

The highly-anticipated treats are a welcome addition to the Digestives family says Asl Ozen Turhan, chief marketing officer at pladis UK&I.

Asli, who heads the British confectionery and snack company encompassing McVities added: 'Knowing how much people love white chocolate and having new sweet treats to try, we couldnt wait to make this highly anticipated addition to the digestives family.'

The brand is 'excited' about bringing back the fan favourite to shelves nationwide.

Described as a Digestive with a twist, it still features a succulent crumb base, however the top layer is covered by a sheet of smooth white chocolate.

The news comes after some shoppers have only just realised how Digestives biscuits got its name.

The white chocolate flavour features a succulent crumb base, while the top layer is covered by a sheet of smooth white chocolate

Scottish comedian Gary Meikle shared a video on TikTok explaining the origins of one of the nation's favourite nibbles.

And while people are only just realising how these chocolate-coated goodies got their name, they've been left far from impressed.

In fact, many have said that they will 'never look at a digestive the same again'.

He explained that his American girlfriend did not understand why Britain's beloved biscuits were called Digestives, and after googling the answer, was left in shock.

Holding up a packet, he said: 'In Scotland, it's normal to eat biscuits called digestives - I've never even thought about the name before.

'However, my American girlfriend has just informed me that that is not normal and she demanded to read the ingredients.'

Mr Meikle continued: 'So it turns out in 1839 two Scottish doctors developed these to help with the aid of the digestive system because they've got sodium bicarbonate in them, which is a laxative.

'So, essentially we have been eating biscuits that help make us s**t.

'I feel violated. Why were we not taught this back in school during home economics? Like, am I the only Scottish person that didn't know this was a s**t biscuit?'

Most commonly digestive biscuits are associated with McVities, although they didn't develop their popular recipe for them until 1892.

The first-ever digestives were developed in 1839.

The term digestive is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties around the time the biscuit was first introduced due to the use of sodium bicarbonate as an ingredient.
Femail's Lydia Hawken managed to bag tickets to the Eras tour in just 10 minutes

Since Taylor Swift announced she is bringing her Eras tour to Europe next summer, her UK fans - myself included - have been in total freefall.

Over the past few weeks, my social media feeds have been awash with tips, tricks and so-called 'insider secrets' on how to bag a ticket to one of her must-see shows.

But despite watching countless hours of TikTok tutorials, I was still an anxious wreck going into the first presale this morning - which I only had access to because I'd preordered the Midnights album in October.

Last November, US Taylor fans combined with a staggering number of bot attacks managed to crash the Ticketmaster website - making it a case of pure luck who was allocated a Golden Ticket.

On top of this, the upcoming Sydney shows also sold out within two hours last month - leaving thousands of fans devastated.

Femail's Senior Writer Lydia Hawken dressed up as Taylor Swift from the I Bet You Think About Me music video earlier this year

Pictured: Taylor Swift in the I Bet You Think About Me music video in November 2021. The star will be putting on 48 Europe shows next year

Only last night, I watched in horror as one TikTok user documented her 12-hour battle with a ticketing website - only for it to crash just as she was checking out with her well-deserved tickets.

So you can imagine my utter disbelief when I bagged four floor seats at Taylor's first Wembley show next June just 10 minutes after the sale started.

If you're going to be trying your luck for tickets at one of the 48 Europe shows, here's everything I wish I had known ahead of this morning - including an important detail that I almost missed.

REGISTER WITH TICKETMASTER OR AXS AND SAVE YOUR CARD DETAILS

In order to put less of a strain on the Ticketmaster website, tickets for the UK shows are also being sold through AXS.

If you have qualified for the presale, you will have already received an email informing you which ticketing platform you need to use.

Before the sale starts, it's hugely important that you have a account with either of these websites - as you need to login with your email to access the waiting room.

If it is your first time using either of these platforms, it's worth adding your payment details ahead of time - as this will make the checkout process a whole lot smoother.

Pictured: Lydia Hawken aged 15 at Taylor Swift's Speak Now tour at London's O2. The Swiftie managed to bag four tickets in the presale today

An hour before the presale began this morning, I logged into my account to ensure that there were no teething issues.

In a battle to crack down on bots, they also texted me a login code - which you don't want to be faffing around with when the sale is already underway.

STUDY THE INSTRUCTION EMAIL

Due to the phenomenal demand, it's looking unlikely that Eras tour tickets are going to go on general sale in the normal sense.

Instead, UK fans who have registered for tickets will be split between Ticketmaster and AXS for the foreseeable.

On Thursday, I was sent an email with my unique presale code - but in my excitement, I almost overlooked a key piece of information.

Buried in and around the fine-print, it read: 'Waiting rooms will open 30 minutes before the sale starts.'

It was only when I asked my other half to double check all the information last night that he flagged that I could log in at 10:30 for the 11am sale.

This meant I increased my chances of being ahead of fans who logged in at bang-on 11am.

Last November, US Taylor fans combined with a staggering number of bot attacks managed to crash the Ticketmaster website

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME YOU JOIN THE WAITING ROOM

Following the instruction email to a T, I joined the waiting room this morning at bang-on 10:30am.

On the AXS website, a holding message read: 'When the waiting room opens, you will be assigned a random queue alongside everyone else who also arrives.'

Although this would put you ahead of people logging on at 11am, this doesn't necessarily mean that I had access before those who arrived in the waiting room after me.

But being on the holding page from the moment it started was worth it just for my piece of mind.

To access it on the AXS website, simply click through the website as if you were going to buy tickets and a blue bar should appear that reads 'join the waiting room'.

Pictured: What the AXS waiting room looks like on a desktop. The waiting room opens 30 minutes before the sale

Pictured: What the AXS online queue looks like. The website automatically redirects customers from the virtual waiting room

DON'T REFRESH THE PAGE AT THE END OF THE WAITING ROOM

This is where things got a bit tense. As the clock counted down to zero on the holding page, I wasn't sure whether the waiting room would take my directly to the queue.

As this was the first AXS Taylor sale, I couldn't find any information about it online - so resisted the urge to refresh when 11am hit.

Fortunately, AXS took me straight through to their virtual queue - where you can watch your progress with a ticket icon working its way along a blank bar which gradually turns blue.

It seems obvious to me now but don't refresh the page when the sale actually starts - this runs the risk of the website not registering that you were ever in the waiting room.

YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ENTER THE WEBSITE

Once you reach the front of the queue, AXS users only have five minutes to access the website.

Unfortunately, this means you have to be glued to your screen for when you're granted your in.

With this in mind, I'd recommend trying to get tickets on a laptop or desktop as opposed to a device which automatically locks.

After watching TikToks of people waiting hours to access the website, I was fully-expecting to be in the queue for the long-haul.

Taylor Swift is performing a 3-hour long extravaganzas with songs spanning throughout different eras of her career

Fortunately, I got through to the website at 11:07am and you only have a matter of minutes to pay for your tickets once you add them to your basket, which is pretty standard practice.

DON'T TRY TO GET TICKETS ON MULTIPLE BROWSERS

In the past, I've successfully bagged tickets to shows by logging on from my laptop, phone and iPad all at the same time to increase my odds.

But in an effort to crack down on bots, Ticketmaster have asked that fans only try to buy from a single browser.

Before you're able to join the waiting room, you have to enter your register email address anyhow.

In other words, it's only going to waste valuable time trying to keep an eye on more than one device.

TICKETS START AT 58 FOR WEMBLEY

Going into it today, I was only allowed to buy four tickets with my presale code - but I had no idea how much the tickets could actually cost.

The first type of ticket I saw - the It's Been a Long Time Coming package - cost a staggering 662.

This includes a reserved seating ticket, four prints, exclusive merchandise and lanyard.

Next, the Karma is my Boyfriend package - costing 387 each - gives guests early entry to their standing section as well as VIP merchandise.

The Eras Tour UK and European dates May 9, 2024 - Paris, France - Paris La Defense Arena

May 10, 2024 - Paris, France - Paris La Defense Arena

May 11, 2024 - Paris, France - Paris La Defense Arena

May 12, 2024 - Paris, France - Paris La Defense Arena

May 17, 2024 - Stockholm, Sweden - Friends Arena

May 18, 2024 - Stockholm, Sweden - Friends Arena

May 19, 2024 - Stockholm, Sweden - Friends Arena

May 24, 2024 - Lisbon, Portugal - Estadio da Luz

May 25, 2024 - Lisbon, Portugal - Estadio da Luz

May 30, 2024 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

June 2, 2024 - Lyon, France - Groupama Stadium

June 3, 2024 - Lyon, France - Groupama Stadium

June 7, 2024 - Edinburgh, UK - BT Murrayfield Stadium

June 8, 2024 - Edinburgh, UK - BT Murrayfield Stadium

June 9, 2024 - Edinburgh, UK - BT Murrayfield Stadium

June 13, 2024 - Liverpool, UK - Anfield Stadium

June 14, 2024 - Liverpool, UK - Anfield Stadium

June 15, 2024 - Liverpool, UK - Anfield Stadium

June 18, 2024 - Cardiff, UK - Principality Stadium

June 21, 2024 - London, UK - Wembley Stadium

June 22, 2024 - London, UK - Wembley Stadium

June 23, 2024 - London, UK - Wembley Stadium

June 28, 2024 - Dublin, Ireland - Aviva Stadium

June 29, 2024 - Dublin, Ireland - Aviva Stadium

June 30, 2024 - Dublin, Ireland - Aviva Stadium

July 4, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff ArenA

July 5, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff ArenA

July 6, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff ArenA

July 9, 2024, Zurich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund Zurich

July 10, 2024, Zurich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund Zurich

July 13, 2024, Milan, Italy - San Siro Stadium

July 14, 2024, Milan, Italy - San Siro Stadium

July 17, 2024 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - VELTINS-Arena

July 18, 2024 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - VELTINS-Arena

July 19, 2024 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - VELTINS-Arena

July 23, 2024, Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion

July 24, 2024, Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadio

July 27, 2024, Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion

July 28, 2024, Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion

August 1, 2024, Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy

August 2, 2024, Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy

August 3, 2024, Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy

August 8, 2024, Vienna Austria - Ernst-Happel-Stadion

August 9, 2024, Vienna Austria - Ernst-Happel-Stadion

August 10, 2024, Vienna Austria - Ernst-Happel-Stadion

August 15, 2024, London, UK - Wembley Stadium

August 16, 2024, London, UK - Wembley Stadium

August 17, 2024, London, UK - Wembley Stadium Advertisement

Thirdly, there's the I Remember It All Too Well package - which costs 332 and guarantees a reserved seat as well as four Taylor Swift prints, tote bag and a souvenir concert ticket.

Although there were several more VIP packages, I settled on the 170 standing tickets for myself and three pals. However, the cheapest ones on offer are 58.65 for a seated ticket.

The show is made up of an epic 44-song setlist, as well as two different surprise acoustic songs which she invites guests on stage to perform.

With that in mind, UK Eras Tour tickets will likely be highly in demand when they are released, and unfortunately, may be resold with hefty price tags.

Special guests have supported the artist including Phoebe Bridgers, and Swift has even invited old beaus on stage such as Taylor Lautner.

However, Paramore will be opening for Taylor on this leg of the tour - after Hayley Williams collborated with the pop star on her new song Castles Crumbling.
A man does construction work around the flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, July 6. AP-Yonhap





As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO's much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania.







The world's biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO's next leader forced an extension of the current secretary-general's term for an extra year.







Perhaps the most difficult questions are over how Ukraine should be eased into NATO. Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfill a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict.







"I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview that aired on Sunday. He said joining NATO requires countries to "meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole range of other issues."







He said the United States should provide long-term security assistance to Ukraine  "the capacity to defend themselves"  as it does with Israel.







Bickering among friends is not uncommon, and the current catalogue of disputes pales in comparison with past fears that Donald Trump would turn his back on the alliance during his presidency. But the current challenges come at a moment when Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members.







"Any fissure, any lack of solidarity provides an opportunity for those who would oppose the alliance," said Douglas Lute, U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama.







Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to exploit divisions as he struggles to gain ground in Ukraine and faces political challenges at home, including the aftermath of a brief revolt by the Wagner mercenary group.







"You don't want to present any openings," Lute said. "You don't want to present any gaps or seams."







By some measures, the war in Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, which was created at the beginning of the Cold War as a bulwark against Moscow. NATO members have poured military hardware into Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive, and Finland ended a history of nonalignment to become NATO's 31st member.







"I think it's appropriate to look at all the success," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told The Associated Press. "So I think the invasion has strengthened NATO  exactly the opposite of what Putin anticipated."







He noted Germany's shift toward a more robust defense policy as well as an increase in military spending in other countries.







The latest test of NATO solidarity came Friday with what Biden said was a "difficult decision" to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. More than two-thirds of alliance members have banned the weapon because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. The U.S., Russia and Ukraine are not among the more than 120 countries that have not signed a convention outlawing the use of the bombs.







As for Ukraine's possible entry into NATO, the alliance said in 2008 that Kyiv eventually would become a member. Since then, little action has been taken toward that goal. Putin occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014 and then tried to capture the capital in 2022 with his invasion.







"A gray zone is a green light for Putin," said Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland who is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council.







Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for a unified signal from NATO on Ukraine and for his country to join the alliance.







Banners reading 'Ukraine' and 'NATO' are seen on the NATO Summit venue in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 9, a few days ahead of a July 11-12 NATO Summit. AFP-Yonhap





"It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia," Zelenskyy said through a translator in an ABC interview, when asked whether he would come to Vilnius. "Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. And that is a very important point. Only under these conditions our meeting would be meaningful. Otherwise, it's just another politics."






After multiple flight cancelations, she had to sleep at the Cincinnati airport

Jenna Bush Hager revealed she had to sleep at the airport and take an early morning flight to make it to work on Monday after enjoying a Fourth of July vacation with her family.

The Today with Hoda & Jenna host opened up about her travel woes on the show that day, explaining that she was in Texas over the weekend to drop off her 10-year-old daughter Mila at sleepaway camp.

'Right when I was getting to the airport I got a "flight canceled" notice,' Bush Hager, 41, told her co-star Hoda Kotb, who was also fresh off a week-long vacation.

The Read with Jenna founder said she immediately called their executive producer to let her know what was going on.

Jenna Bush Hager, 41, revealed on the Today show Monday that she had to sleep at the airport and take an early morning flight to make it to work after her multiple flight cancellations

Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, spent a week away with their three children, Mila, Poppy, and Hal, last week

The mom explained she was in Texas over the weekend to drop off her daughter Mila (pictured) at sleepaway camp. She was on her way to the airport when her flight was canceled

'I was like, "Bad news. My flight was just canceled." She's like, "It's OK. Take a deep breath,' she recalled. 'Then I flew from Austin to Dallas. I was going to go from Dallas to Newark, but that flight got canceled. So I ran and got on a flight to Cincinnati.'

'Why would you do that?' Kotb asked.

'It was the only way I could get home this morning,' Bush Hager explained. 'I spent the night in the Cincinnati airport. I was on a 5:58 a.m. flight, which got me here today.'

Kotb was admittedly impressed by her planning, but she wasn't surprised that she made it to work.

'I knew you were going to make it,' she said. 'Because when you're determined, you're kind of scary. If you want to get somewhere, you're gonna get there.'

Kotb noted that she arrived at the studio 'just in time.'

'Don't smell me too close,' Bush Hager joked.

The former first daughter also shared snapshots from her family's vacation last week, although she didn't disclose where they went.

Hoda and Jenna share fun family photos from their Fourth of July vacations! pic.twitter.com/PruBs1ps9U  TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) July 10, 2023

Bush Hager also shared stories from her vacation, saying she accidentally rubbed bird poop all over her face while hanging out on a dock with her daughters

The former first daughter didn't share where they went, but she posted snapshots of her children happily swimming in the ocean

'I hung with everybody. Not my parents, but Henrys mom, my kids. We did some swimming in the ocean,' she said. 'It was really fun'

Bush Hager's co-star Hoda Kotb couldn't get over how big her son, Hal, has gotten. The little boy will turn four years old next month

Bush Hager noted that her twin sister, Barbara Bush, thought Mila was her when she posted this snapshot of her oldest daughter

Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, have three children, Mila, Poppy, seven, and Hal, three.

'I hung with everybody. Not my parents, but Henrys mom, my kids. We did some swimming in the ocean,' she said. 'It was really fun.'

The proud mom posted the images on her Instagram Stories, which led to an awkward moment with her twin sister, Barbara Bush.

'Barbara goes, "Where were you in that sexy picture you posted?" And I was like, "Excuse me?" She thought that Mila was me,' Bush Hager explained. 'And Im like, "Thank you?"'

The Today host also recounted how she accidentally smeared bird poop all over her face after she and her daughters jumped into the ocean and swam to the dock.

'I put my hand down. I bring it up to kind of wipe the water. There is bird poop all over me,' she said. 'I accidentally cussed. I didn't mean to, but, I'm sorry, if you eat bird poop for breakfast...'

Bush Hager said she started 'gagging' while her daughters were crying with laughter.

Kotb, meanwhile, enjoyed the Fourth of July holiday at her beach house on Long Island with her mother, Sameha Kotb; her sister, Hala Kotb; and her daughters, Haley and Hope

'My mom and my sister came, and we just did a beautiful hang,' she told Bush Hager

Kotb also posted photos from her trip, including a heartwarming snapshot of her daughters on the beach with her mother

Kotb, meanwhile, enjoyed the Fourth of July holiday at her beach house on Long Island with her mother, Sameha Kotb; her sister, Hala Kotb; and her daughters, Haley and Hope.

'My mom and my sister came, and we just did a beautiful hang,' she told Bush Hager. 'They were in the parade. There's a little Fourth of July parade in our little town.'

Kotb noted that she had a 'hot hand' when she and her sister went fishing on the dock during the getaway.

'I must have cast that line 10 times. I got five fish. I'm not kidding. There was a guy yelling, "What's your secret?" I'm like, "I don't know,"' she said.

Kotb's added that their co-star Dylan Dreyer, who lives next door to her, saw her pulling a fish in and came running down to see before she threw it back into the water.

The mother of two also hosted a barbeque for friends, but she admitted that she had them bring and cook the food.

'We had so much fun,' she said. 'We just loved it. We loved every second.'
A woman has sparked a massive debate online after she revealed she forced her boyfriend to give up his shirt at the airport to protect her $200 suitcase.

The passenger, named Jen, was flying home to San Diego, California, after enjoying a vacation in Mexico with her boyfriend last month, when she was told by AeroMexico that she'd have to check her brand new BEIS Travel luggage because their wasn't enough room in the overhead bin.

Worried that it might get damaged, Jen then made her boyfriend sacrifice his top so that she could wrap it around the pricey suitcase and ensure it would be safe.

She opened up about the incident on TikTok and it quickly went viral - and it launched a huge argument between viewers, some of whom branded her idea as 'genius' and others who thought it was over the top.

A woman has sparked a massive debate online after she revealed she forced her boyfriend to give up his shirt at the airport to protect her $200 suitcase

The passenger, named Jen, was flying home to San Diego after enjoying a vacation in Mexico with her boyfriend, when she was told she'd have to check her brand new BEIS Travel luggage

Worried that it might get damaged, Jen then made her boyfriend sacrifice his top so that she could wrap it around the pricey suitcase and ensure it would be safe

She opened up about the incident on TikTok and it quickly went viral - and it launched a huge argument between viewers. She's seen with her boyfriend

'When you're forced to check-in your new BEIS carry-on and you decide your boyfriend can buy a new shirt,' she wrote in the video, which has now been viewed more than 789,000 times.

'When you're forced to check-in your new BEIS carry-on and you decide your boyfriend can buy a new shirt,' she wrote in the video, which has now been viewed more than 789,000 times

In the clip, the suitcase - which is priced at $218 on BEIS' website, a lavish luggage company founded by actress Shay Michell - could be seen arriving on the luggage belt with her boyfriend's tee tightly secured around it.

'When your boyfriend gets volun-told to take off this shirt to protect your new BEIS Travel carry-on,' she captioned it.

Many people took to the comment section to share their thoughts, with some slamming Jen for worrying so much about her suitcase.

'It's literally a suitcase,' one person wrote.

'So what? People like to keep their expensive things nice. God forbid,' someone else fired back.

'Why buy a bag that youre afraid to send through the airport?' asked another viewer.

A different user agreed, adding: 'WTF is the point of buying luggage to cry when it gets use?'

In the clip, the suitcase could be seen arriving on the luggage belt with her boyfriend's tee tightly secured around it

The suitcase is priced at $218 on BEIS' website - a lavish luggage company founded by actress Shay Michell

Many people took to the comment section to share their thoughts, with some slamming Jen for worrying so much about her suitcase

Jen responded to one hater, explaining, 'Huge difference between being used by me vs. trashed by airport baggage handlers. You are also forgetting this is a carry-on'

Others praised Jen's 'hack' and said they wished they had thought of doing that before checking their own suitcases

Jen responded to the hater, explaining, 'Huge difference between being used by me vs. trashed by airport baggage handlers. You are also forgetting this is a carry-on.'

Others praised Jen's 'hack' and said they wished they had thought of doing that before checking their own suitcases.

'I'm gonna have my husband do this. I have avoided checking mine in,' read another comment.

'OMG, I shouldve done that. I panicked the whole time,' said someone else.

'Love this,' gushed a different user. A sixth user wrote, 'Now thats what I call innovative thinking.'
A new 'miracle' skincare buy that claims to reduce wrinkles and deliver a 'face lift' effect in as little as 21 days is taking the beauty world by storm.

Selling a bottle every seven minutes across Australia, Murad's Retinal Resculpt has been clinically shown to lift neck and jowl sagging while boosting skin elasticity in a matter of weeks.

It also drastically improves the smoothness of deep set wrinkles and rejuvenates 'crepe-like' skin in women over 50.

While it sits on the higher end of the price spectrum at $170, the vegan-friendly serum goes a long way and is packed full of skin-loving ingredients like kangaroo paw extract which is known for smoothing wrinkles.

Olive, oat and alpha glucan boost moisture and restore skin's barrier over time while the star ingredient, encapsulated retinal (Vitamin A), is two times more effective than regular retinal.

A new 'miracle' skincare product that claims to reduce wrinkles and deliver a 'face lift' effect in as little as 21 days is taking the beauty world by storm

Selling one every seven minutes across Australia, Murad's Retinal Resculpt has been clinically shown to lift neck and jowl sagging while boosting skin elasticity in a matter of weeks

Retinal is all the rage this year, with many beauty studies finding it works far quicker than regular retinol when it comes to cell turnover; it also tends to do so without causing redness, skin sensitivity or flaking.

The delivery system of Murad's Resculpt is adapted from technology used in pharmaceutical applications that allows for enhanced stability and targeted delivery.

In turn it creates transformative results that leaves skin feeling supple, soft, and moisturised.

Positive reviews have flooded in since the launch, with many raving about their newly 'radiant and glowing' complexions.

I am telling you, human to human, this product transformed my skin texture in a matter of weeks.

Retinal is all the rage this year, with many beauty studies finding it works far quicker than regular retinol when it comes to cell turnover; it also tends to do so without causing redness, skin sensitivity or flaking

'I am not an influencer, nor did I receive this product for review. I am telling you, human to human...this product transformed my skin texture in a matter of weeks,' one wrote

'If I could give this product 10 stars I would! This retinal serum out performs all others I've had. Easy one application nightly is all I need for the smoothest, glowing skin. I'm seeing deeper lines recede and firmer skin along my jawline. The claims are real. Waiting for my third bottle,' one wrote.

'I am not an influencer, nor did I receive this product for review. I am telling you, human to human...this product transformed my skin texture in a matter of weeks with barely any irritation. My skin looks as smooth and clear as glass. It's actually insane. This product is going in my permanent product lineup. Astonishing results!'

And the results speak for themselves, with an independent eight-week study clinically finding lifting and smoothing of jowls and wrinkles after two weeks and a boost in elasticity after four.

And the results speak for themselves , with an independent eight-week study clinically finding lifting and smoothing of jowls and wrinkles after two weeks and a boost in elasticity after four

Murad was started in America in 1989 by pharmacist and clinical professor Dr. Howard Murad before he started to research ways in which the body could be encouraged to hold water more efficiently in 2000

To use as part of your skin regime you simply cleanse and apply a thin layer over the face and neck.

As always with Vitamin A it's important to use sunscreen as you will have heightened sensitivity.

Murad was started in America in 1989 by pharmacist and clinical professor Dr. Howard Murad before he started to research ways in which the body could be encouraged to hold water more efficiently in 2000.

He soon established that most common dermatological and health problems relate to cellular hydration and released a range of science-backed products to tackle this head on.

The brand is also committed to conquering what they describe as the global health epidemic of stress.

This gives way to Dr. Murad's key philosophy: 'Stress less. Be imperfect. Live longer'.

Daily Mail Australia may earn commission from some links on this page.
A young Christian couple listed the 'strict' boundaries they have enforced on each other to prevent 'temptation' while they're at university.

Jo and Tucker Sorrell, both 21, from Virginia, mutually decided that they were not allowed to sit beside, reply to discussion posts from, or have professors who were the opposite sex.

They were also 'banned' from texting the opposite sex - with Jo even stating she couldn't speak with her brother without her husband present.

However, after the videos detailing their 'rules' went viral, Jo and Tucker changed their tune and 'came clean', saying they were 'joking' about the boundaries and didn't expect their followers to 'take it seriously'.

Jo posted two clips to her popular TikTok account and listed the 'boundaries' she had with her husband as a married couple still at university.

Scroll down for video

Jo and Tucker Sorrell, both 21, from Virginia, mutually decided that they were not allowed to sit besides, reply to discussion posts from, or have professors who were the opposite sex

'Boundaries' on the young couple's list University classes must be taught by a professor of the same gender

Cannot sit next to someone from the opposite sex

Not allowed to respond to discussion posts from the opposite sex

Can only do group projects with someone of the same gender

Make sure to tell all their classmates and professors that they are married

Cannot call or text the opposite gender without the other spouse present

If they go to the gym alone, they have to remain on Facetime with their spouse Advertisement

'We're not allowed to sit besides the opposite sex during class, and we can only reply to discussion board posts made by the same sex,' she said.

The religious woman revealed that she 'really wasn't comfortable' with her husband responding to another woman's post - even if it made interesting points.

'If we have to do a group project and we're assigned the opposite sex to be our partner, then we always ask the professor to change us just to be safe,' she added.

The couple also 'tried their best' to only have professors who were the same gender as them, but it proved to be difficult on occasion.

'I have one male psychology professor but Tucker sits in that class with me,' Jo said.

She added, 'In the beginning of every semester, during the introductions, we're sure to mention that we're married so that no one tries to cross any boundaries.'

Jo and Tucker always make sure to include each other in conversations when they need to contact the opposite sex via text or call.

'If I have to text my brother, I make sure to include Tucker in the text chain,' she said.

One of the last 'rules' Jo shared was their peculiar gym routine.

'We try not to go to the gym without each other, but if we do, then we always keep the other one on FaceTime for the whole time just to be safe because the gym is a big place for temptation,' Jo said finally.

Thousands who were unaware of the joke were 'horrified' by the 'controlling' relationship

Thousands who were unaware of the joke were 'horrified' by the 'controlling' relationship.

'What are you going to do after university when you have to work with the opposite sex?' a woman asked, incredulous.

'So, you're in a marriage with zero trust,' another wrote.

'This feels more like prison than boundaries,' a third said. 'You seem so insecure.'
Nearly four in five Brits who get anti-wrinkle injections suffer adverse side effects, research suggests.

Common complications of jabs such as 'Botox' seemingly include headaches, pain, dizziness and brain fog.

Campaigners today warned the findings, from a survey of more than 500 patients, lay bare the reality of Britain's booming Botox industry.

Official statistics imply the jabs, which can cost as little as 100 and require no strict qualifications to dish out, are incredibly safe.

Just 188 adverse effects from botulinum toxin were logged between 1991 and 2020, according to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Nearly four in five Brits who get anti-wrinkle injections suffer adverse side effects, research suggests

But the new study, carried out by experts at University College London, challenges widely-held assumptions surrounding the substance.

Patient safety advocate Dawn Knight, an author of the research, said the MHRA data was just the tip of the iceberg.

Under current rules, an aesthetic practitioner in the UK doesn't need any mandatory qualifications.

It means that anyone can go on a training course and then be allowed to perform 'Botox' treatments, though the drug itself must still be prescribed by a qualified medic.

Ministers last year pledged to 'crackdown on unregulated cosmetic procedures'  with plans to introduce a licence for cosmetic procedures like 'Botox' and fillers.

WHAT IS 'BOTOX'? 'Botox' injections relax the muscles in the face to smooth out lines and wrinkles. It's not permanent  it usually lasts for around three months. In the UK, the cost of 'Botox' injections can vary from about 100 to 350 for each treatment, depending on the clinic and the area being treated. 'Botox' injections for cosmetic reasons are not available on the NHS. The procedure, which usually only lasts ten minutes, involves having botulinum toxin injected into the face muscles using a very fine needle. It then takes around two to three days to start working and up to three weeks to see the full effect. Side effects include, headaches, a frozen look, weakness in the face and bruising, swelling and redness where the needles went into the skin. However, 'Botox' can also be used to treat medical conditions. These include abnormal contractions of the eye, conditions that cause muscle pain and stiffness such as cerebral palsy  and excessive sweating. Source: NHS Advertisement

Ms Knight said the Government wasn't moving fast enough to make it reality.

'Everybody wants it to happen faster,' she said.

'We do not know how many people are out there offering these treatments, they are not visible and unregistered.'

UCL researchers, writing in the journal Skin Health and Disease, found anxiety was the most commonly reported problem among 511 patients surveyed, with 85 people claiming they suffered it after the jab.

Pain (83), headaches and migraines (75), panic attacks (45) as well as dizziness and brain fog (33 each), were also common.

Overall, 79 per cent of patients claimed to have suffered side effects.

Volunteers were gathered from a survey that ran for just three months at the start of this year.

More serious conditions, such as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS)  when a patients' heart rate increases rapidly after getting up from sitting or lying down  were also flagged by six people.

Six Brits even claimed to have been left disabled or handicapped because of the anti-wrinkle procedure.

Yet there was no proof 'Botox' was to blame for this, or any other side effects in general. For example, another unrelated medical condition could be to blame.

However, the NHS acknowledges that headaches, bruising and temporary weakness in the face are common complications.

It adds that blurred vision can happen 'very rarely'.

Botox is the most recognised brand of the substance Botulinum toxin, which is used to paralyse facial muscles with the aim of reducing wrinkles.

Survey participants were also asked where they got their injection, as well as who dished them out.

Nearly 15 per cent of participants said they trusted a beautician to give them the shot - with one claiming to have had the procedure done in a supermarket.

There are currently no minimum standards of training for people to dish out Botox jabs, with some providers taking courses that last less than a week, campaigners have warned.

Common complications of the jabs included headaches, pain, dizziness and brain fog, a new study suggests

1 in 4 jabs were dished out by non-doctors and nurses - beauticians were the third most popular choice of administrator

Only half of patients surveyed reported having their jab in an aesthetics clinic, with the rest reporting they had their jab in places likes spas, their workplace, or their home.

The survey also suggests most botulinum toxin providers are not giving the public correct safety information.

Almost all (92 per cent) participants said their injector hadn't provided them with information about how to report potential side effects of the jab to the MHRA.

Survey participants also reported financial losses from their side effects, such as missing time off work or potentially paying for subsequent treatment.

READ MORE: Skin experts warn over 'extremely dangerous' new TikTok trend that claims to give the 'best sun tan ever' Skin experts warn against participating in the new 'beer trend' which users claim gives you the 'best tan ever' Advertisement

Ms Knight said the results suggest the toll of the Britain's botched 'Botox' industry is going unreported and unnoticed.

'The Government really need to think about who has access to this medicine and how it's being used,' she said.

She added that the survey suggested illegal 'Botox' ads, like two-for-one or 'last minute' deals were sadly luring many Brits in to getting the jabs without due consideration of the risks involved.

'We have really bad outcomes and complications associated with members of the public who are responding to ads like that,' she said.

'We get a lot of reports where the patients are walking into a room and the syringes are already drawn up, there's no mention of seeing a prescriber, there's no mention about whether they're suitable, there's no talk of any side effects.'

'Botox', like other prescription only medications, is forbidden from being advertised to the public.

Flouting these rules can result in a fine and/or two years imprisonment.

Ms Knight added that it wasn't just individual patients who are at risk.

She said a lack of official reporting meant the sector was effectively running blind to any wider trends which could explain some of the reported side effects.

'It's the role of regulators to connect the trends between a specific batch, or product, or practitioner, or company or technique, or injection that is potentially causing harm,' she said.

'This survey brings into stark focus that that isn't happening.'

To help combat this Ms Knight wants it to become a legal requirement for Botox providers to report any adverse reactions in patients to that person's GP.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are now taking forward work to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which will strengthen oversight of practitioners and businesses providing these treatments and make it an offence for anyone to carry out specified non-surgical procedures without a licence.

'We will be consulting on the scope of the licensing scheme over the summer.'
Nick Fletcher was forced to travel 100 miles every day for a month to receive life-saving treatment.

The 58-year-old from Malton, North Yorkshire, travelled 50 miles to a hospital in Leeds each morning for radiotherapy.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the Magnolia Centre in York Hospital. Yet Mr Fletcher was left with little choice but to take on the tiring two-and-a-half-hour roundtrip journey to and from St Jamess University Hospital in Leeds.

He said no hospital in York was able to carry out the procedure and the closest which had the machines needed for his radiotherapy treatment was in Leeds.

The media assistant underwent tests in January 2022 and was officially diagnosed around April 2022.

Nick Fletcher, 58, was forced to travel 100 miles every day for a month to receive life-saving treatment

Mr Fletcher said his consultant said he was lucky as it was caught at a relatively early stage and the cancer was still contained to the prostate.

He was almost immediately put on hormone treatment at his local surgery and began radiotherapy in Leeds in September 2022.

He received five back-to-back sessions each week for a month, meaning he had to travel in every day aside from weekends.

Mr Fletcher said: The travelling was a bit tricky. It was about 100 miles a day and I had to go every day but got weekends off.

If it hadnt been for the travelling it wouldve been a lot easier. But having said that, youve got to go where the machines are and I cant praise the staff enough.

There were no machines in York or in Scarborough. It was a case of you had to go where these machines are.

They were telling me at the hospital that there was even somebody coming in from Newcastle.

There was one night I came home late at night at about 8pm, because your treatment times varied a lot, and the next morning I had to be there at 8am.

Luckily, I have a good supportive family, and my sister and my brother took me.

Mr Fletcher, pictured, said that he was fortunate enough to be taken to and from the hospital by car by his family.

And he added that the journey could have been more challenging if he had to take public transport.

He said that he was given the option of either undergoing radiotherapy or having an operation to remove the prostate. But consultants thought the combination of hormone treatment and radiotherapy would be the most effective option.

The 58-year-old from Malton, North Yorkshire, travelled 50 miles to a hospital in Leeds each morning for radiotherapy

Despite the long journeys, he praised the staff at the hospital and said he is glad the treatment seems to have worked.

Mr Fletcher decided to do checks for prostate cancer because there was a pattern in his family as several of his brothers also had the cancer and had been cured.

He underwent biopsies and scans in January 2022, and doctors found that his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level in his blood was at 55ng/ ml  normal levels where there isnt a risk of prostate cancer are usually around or under 4ng/ml.

However, after undergoing radiotherapy and hormone treatment he was pleased to say his test in January this year showed his PSA level was 0.12ng/ml.

Speaking of the distance, he said: That was the only downside. I wish I had something a bit closer.

It was tiring travelling as it was also in late autumn. Maybe they could make more centres for this.

When I was approaching this treatment, I didnt really think much about it. But I went to a pre-treatment plan in Leeds about two weeks before the radiotherapy. I never really thought about it but then one day it hit me, and I thought, hold on a minute, Ive got to go to Leeds every day for the next month.

Im not very good at travelling myself to be honest so it was quite challenging for me and very tiring.

It took me about an hour and a quarter there and an hour and a quarter back. When you got there, youd go about an hour before your treatment and empty your bladder and stuff like that.

But the procedure itself didnt last long, it was mainly travelling that was the problem. If you got everything right, the whole scan and treatment only.'
Taking a five minute 'brain break' can increase performance and productivity in subsequent tasks by over 50 per cent, a study has found.

In the University of Sydney experiment, 72 students undertook a self-taught lesson and two gruelling mental maths tests.

Those who were allowed a five minute break between the tasks averaged 57 per cent higher marks - when other ability factors were taken into account - in the second test than those who powered through without stopping.

Some of the 'rested' students took unstructured breaks while others were asked to watch a relaxing nature video, but both groups performed better in the second challenge than their unrested peers.

Associate Professor in Educational Psychology Paul Ginns said the 'substantial' improvements gained by taking an attention-restoring 'brain break' can apply as much in the office environment as they do in the classroom.

In the University of Sydney experiment, 72 students undertook a self-taught lesson and two gruelling mental maths tests. Those who were allowed a five minute break between the tasks averaged 57 per cent higher marks - when other ability factors were taken into account - in the second test than those who powered through without stopping

'While this study was conducted on university students, I'm pretty confident that these results can be applied to younger people and older people,' he said.

'Having a rest is not just about cognitive function, it's also about recharging your emotional batteries. This is advice we give to children.

'It's an easy productivity hack that is accessible to everyone.'

He said the study provided evidence for the effectiveness of the Pomodoro Technique, which advocates a five-minute break after every 25 minutes of concentrated work.
Court hears unnamed victim got the killer jab from a untrained catering worker

A German man has died following a botched penis enlargement.

The 32-year-old, who wasn't identified, reportedly had silicone oil injected into his genitalia by a catering worker posing as a medic.

He succumbed to sepsis seven months later, after being struck down by a string of health complications.

The man alleged to have carried out the procedure, referred to as Torben K, has no medical qualifications, according to prosecutors.

He advertised his jabs through an online ad, it was claimed.

Prosecutors say a 32-year-old German man died from a penis injection delivered by catering worker in an apartment. The man died after several months of care after initially seeking help from medics ay Giessen University Hospital

Prosecutors claim that the victim received the injection into his penis and scrotum at 46-year-old Torben K's apartment in the city of Solingen in 2019.

The victim reportedly began experiencing breathing problems shortly after returning home from the procedure to his native Hesse, a region in central Germany.

According to local media, he sought aid from Giessen University Hospital and later spent months in agony on an intensive care ward.

Prosecutors claim the injections caused the victim to suffer sepsis, an over-reaction of the body's immune system due to an infection.

High State Prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert told local media: 'Unfortunately, the silicone oil ended up in the person's bloodstream.

READ MORE: Penis enlargement gone wrong: Eye-watering stories of men left suicidal and in agony following 'Frankenstein' surgery that left them misshapen Clinics specialising in such procedures a menu of treatments men seeking a larger package can choose from Advertisement

'This led to severe health complications and, eventually, to his death.'

He added: 'The fact that the man asked for the treatment is irrelevant from our point of view. The defendant acted in a highly immoral manner.'

The trial is currently underway with a verdict expected later this month.

Liquid silicone injections for genital enlargement have been used for years, despite the risks involved.

They work by provoking the body's immune system to react to the foreign substance by forming a thick mass called a granuloma.

This, in theory, increases the size and thickness of the tissue injected, giving men the bigger genitalia they desire.

However, this cosmetic procedure is banned in the UK due to the serious risks involved.

One of the main risks is a condition called siliconoma.

This is where a severe inflammatory reaction to the silicone occurs in the tissues following the injection, which then needs to be removed.

Surgery to excise the silicone is usually the only solution but the damage can often be permanent.

The unnamed German man is just one of dozens who have been maimed in the pursuit of larger or more aesthetically pleasing penis.

MailOnline recently described the story of Matt, a Utah man who sought out a risky genital-enhancement procedure.

The 46-year-old detailed how the resulting procedure left him feeling like a 'broom handle' had been implanted into his now misshapen penis.

In the end the militarily veteran would have to pay about 250,000 to get the left 'Frankenstein' surgery corrected.

He's not alone, with there being many other cases of men suffering similar injuries from undergoing surgery, implants and injections to enhance their genitals.
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More than half of America's beaches contain potentially dangerous levels of feces, according to a new report described as 'troubling' by experts.

Testing carried out at more than 3,000 beaches across the country's coastlines showed that 55 percent had unsafe levels of sewage in their waters on at least one day last year. One in nine beaches had persistently unsafe levels last year.

Experts say around one in 30 people who swim in sewage-contaminated water are at risk of getting sick - either by swallowing water, which can lead to stomach problems, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting, or through infections.

Southern states along the Gulf Coast  including Florida, Texas and Louisiana  were the worst affected, with 84 percent of their beaches having at least one day in 2022 when the water was contaminated with feces.

The above map shows coastal counties in the US by the proportion of days that were unsafe for swimming because of potentially dangerous levels of bacteria in the water. It shows that Oregon had the highest proportion of areas with poor swimming conditions

The above breaks down US coastal areas into regions. It reveals that the Gulf Coast was worst affected, with 84 percent of beaches unsafe for swimming at least once last year, followed by the West Coast and the Great Lakes region

The report showed that beaches along the Gulf Coast, such as in Florida and Texas, were among those that were worst affected. Pictured above is Clearwater, Florida, in May 2020

Americans make 400 million visits to the beach every year, according to The United States Lifesaving Association.

But there have been concerns over the quality of water for years.

Colorado-based pressure group Environment America compiled the data as part of its annual 'Safe for Swimming?' report.

In 2020, the group estimated that 53 percent of beaches had potentially unsafe levels of feces in their water at least once while in 2019, the figure was 56 percent.

Congress cleared $11.7billion for repair work to sewage systems and for constructing new stormwater drainage systems in 2021, although this is yet to help drive down water pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates some $271billion is needed.

John Rumpler, clean water program director at Environment America who led the latest report, told DailyMail.com: 'What we CAN say is that several factors all mean that this beach pollution is likely to continue and perhaps get worse unless bold action is taken to address it.'

He added: 'While the data do not allow us to say whether beach pollution is worse now than in some prior years, there are several troubling trends that increase the likelihood of beach pollution.'

Feces can be swept into the sea after storms, with rainwater causing drains and sewage systems to overflow and spill their contents. It can also be carried into the sea by rivers that pick up manure from industrial farms.

The latest report was based on figures from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which tracks water quality at beaches across the United States.

A total of 3,192 beaches were included in the report. On average, states test the water at their beaches for sewage contamination about once a week.

After the South and Gulf Coast, the second most contaminated beaches in the US were along the West Coast  in California, Oregon and Washington  where 70 percent of beaches were polluted at least once last year.

Beaches surrounding the Great Lakes  like those in Wisconsin and Illinois  were the third most polluted, with 63 percent having feces detected at least once last year.

Oregon had the most polluted beaches in the United States, with half of its counties  three of six  having beaches that were too dirty for swimming from six months to 12 months of the year.

Environment groups say that farming in the state is to blame for the contamination. The EPA has been urging Oregon to clean up its act for years, with a report finding last year that 95 percent of the state's lakes are now too polluted to be used for drinking water.

At the other end of the scale were Alaska and Hawaii, where 24 percent of beaches had unsafe levels of pollution at least once a year.

In the report, the experts have included a graphic on the beach water quality in each state. Shown above are the measures for Oregon (left) and Wisconsin (right) in 2022

The above shows the water quality last year along beaches in New York, including New York City, and Alaska last year

In recent years, there have been warning signs over the deteriorating health of the seas. In March, Florida faced a gigantic 5,000-mile-long blanket of rotting seaweed across its shores. The seaweed deaths were caused by toxic red algae, which proliferate when waters become nutrient-rich  such as when sewage is spilled into them

Earlier this year more than 200 dead dolphins and sea lions washed ashore in California. This was likely caused by an algal bloom out at sea, it has been suggested

There have been several signals of problems with water at beaches across the US just this year.

In July, more than 200 dead dolphins and sea lions washed ashore across beaches in California with hundreds more beached in distress.

Experts believe the disaster was triggered by an algal bloom on the west coast, which can be caused by an explosion of nutrients in the water  such as that caused by sewage.

In March, a gigantic 5,000-mile blanket of rotting seaweed  dubbed the 'red tide'  was washed onto the shores of Florida.

Residents were quick to complain of burning eyes and breathing problems, while dead fish were also reported to have washed up onto the beach.

The area was facing a flare-up of toxic red algae, which had caused the seaweed deaths. The blooms are caused by a build-up of nutrients in the water such as nitrogen, which can also be linked to sewage dumps.

To minimize beach pollution, Environment America recommended boosting investment in systems to prevent or reduce runoff from urban areas.

This could include installing features such as permeable pavement and adding more green space and even 'green roofs' to neighborhoods.

Sewage systems should also be repaired and modernized, they said, to stop them from overflowing and polluting waterways.

The experts also called for more work to be put in to protect wetlands, which can reduce contamination by absorbing flood waters and filtering out pollutants.
It may be dismissed by some as mumbo-jumbo, but trendy mindfulness could help to boost mental health for at least six months.

People who join in-person mindfulness classes are less likely to experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, analysis of 13 scientific studies suggests.

Mindfulness typically involves paying close attention to your body and surroundings in the moment, rather than being distracted by future worries - which is supposed to lead to feelings such as gratitude for being alive and greater calmness.

Researchers looked at studies involving a total of 2,371 people, aged 17 to 76, across eight countries, to determine how mindfulness might affect mental health.

Around half of the study volunteers were randomly assigned to take part in mindfulness programmes lasting eight weeks, including weekly sessions lasting from one hour up to two-and-a-half hours.

Researchers at Cambridge University found those who practised mindfulness were less likely to experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression,

Both those who did mindfulness classes, and those who did not, filled out questionnaires on their psychological distress - unpleasant feelings and mental experiences including anxiety and depression.

People who practised mindfulness scored lower when it came to psychological distress, on average.

This was seen from questionnaires filled out one to six months after people had done mindfulness classes for eight weeks - or after the same time period in people who received no mindfulness training.

It suggests the small to moderate mental health boost seen in those who learned to be more mindful could last for at least six months.

Dr Julieta Galante, who led the research while based at the University of Cambridge, said: This study is the highest quality confirmation so far that the in-person mindfulness courses typically offered in the community do actually work for the average person.

It isnt a lie which has been made up because it is fashionable - it seems mindfulness courses have an effect.

However at least part of the effect may come from doing mindfulness training in a supportive group, with a teacher paying attention to you.

The studies first measured peoples level of distress, including anxiety and depression, using questionnaires when they were recruited.

Taking their original mental health into account showed how much they improved after eight weeks of mindfulness classes, or eight weeks without mindfulness, when they filled out a repeat questionnaire.

The results, based on this method, showed 63 per cent of people who tried mindfulness ended up with below-average psychological distress.

Below-average, as defined by the researchers, meant below the average distress among people not given mindfulness classes.

As 50 per cent of people had a below-average distress score in the non-mindful group, because the average was the middle score, that suggests an extra 13 per cent of people got a mental health boost in the mindful group.

The review, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, found men and women and people of all ages appeared to benefit from mindfulness.

It is suggested to improve wellbeing and boost emotional resilience.

But, importantly, the findings were only for in-person mindfulness sessions, so more evidence is needed on how using fashionable mindfulness apps might affect depression and anxiety.

These digital options may be less helpful because no face-to-face emotional support is involved, and people dont do it in a group.

The scientific review found better rates of psychological distress among people who did mindfulness sessions compared to those who did not.

But four studies also compared people who did mindfulness classes with people who did another type of class which could improve their mental health, such as exercise sessions or a stress management course.

There was no evidence that mindfulness reduced psychological distress compared to these sessions, which suggests it is better than nothing but perhaps not better than other activities.

Previous evidence suggests mindfulness may work better for people who expect it to work, or think positively about it.

Dr Galante, now deputy director of the Contemplative Studies Centre, at the University of Melbourne, said: Weve confirmed that if adults choose to do a mindfulness course in person, with a teacher and offered in a group setting, this will, on average, be beneficial in terms of helping to reduce their psychological distress which will improve their mental health.

However, we are not saying that it should be done by every single person, as research shows that it just doesnt work for some people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap



Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army, the Kremlin's spokesman said Monday.



The three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.



Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Prigozhin has a long-simmering feud with Russia's top military brass which on June 24 culminated in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia.



Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled to Belarus.



The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who has branded Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief. His fate and whereabouts have been unknown since the abortive mutiny, which severely weakened Putin's authority.



Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24." The president also "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat," the Kremlin spokesman said.



"The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," Peskov said.



A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company, namely Prigozhin himself, Peskov said.



Also Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring the country's military chief  the first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebelling aimed to oust him.



During last month's revolt, Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition.



Monday's updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period.



Meanwhile, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the incident "a war crime."



Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in Sunday's attack in the town of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko said.



A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said.



Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.



Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.



In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.



Broad investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those investigations.



Zaporizhzhia province is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, and is one of four regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally annexed last year. Retaking the province is one of the targets of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.



Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine between Sunday and Monday, according to a summary from the Ukrainian presidential office.



In the Donetsk region, the Russians used aircraft, missile systems and heavy artillery to shell residential areas of 6 cities and villages, injuring one person, the office reported.



The Russian army attacked residential areas of Kherson, the regional capital of a province of the same name. A 66-year-old woman was injured, the presidential office said. (AP)


A 33-year-old man who suffered a stroke has revealed the subtle symptom he almost ignored and tried to sleep off.

Alex McKeown, who lives in Chicago, said he woke up one morning in May feeling tired  but pushed through and went to his workout class to avoid a no-show fee.

During the first of three rounds of exercise, however, he lost his balance while lifting weights and had to sit at the side.

Staff gave him water and orange juice, with Mr McKeown saying his light-headedness and dizziness were down to dehydration.

Fifteen minutes after the class had finished, however, and as his condition did not improve  with Mr McKeown now lying on the floor  they called an ambulance.

Alex McKeown, who lives in Chicago, said he woke up in early May feeling tired but pushed on and went to his workout class to avoid a no-show fee. If he had gone back to sleep, he would have likely suffered more severe damage from his stroke

Mr McKeown is shown above at Northwestern Hospital where he was treated. He is with Dr Ali Shaibani, who helped with his treatment

The 33-year-old said: 'I originally told myself to just push through it, but I had two women around me  the fitness instructor and another employee  and Im so thankful they were there and kept a watchful eye on me, because they called 911.

'Without them, I likely would have gone home to sleep it off, and I probably wouldnt be talking or walking right now.'

Because Mr McKeown got rapid treatment, he has made a full recovery and does not appear to have suffered any long-term damage. If he had waited, however, it was possible that he would have been left struggling to walk and talk.

A stroke is when a blockage forms in an artery supplying the brain, cutting off cells from their vital nutrients and oxygen supply and leading them to die rapidly.

The condition is not common in young adults, with only about 10 to 15 percent of cases in people under 45 years old. People over 65 years old are most at risk.

Alex said it was 'fantastical' to be facing a stroke at the age of 33 years

But doctors found that Mr McKeown has an aortic aneurysm, or swelling in one of his arteries, raising the risk that a plaque could break off an artery and cause a blockage. This is normally silent and causes no symptoms until it is advanced.

He also put his body under a lot of stress with his job as an investor, working 65 to 70 hours a week, and as a regular gym goer.

Describing the moment he was told he was having a stroke at 33 years old, he said: 'It's kind of fantastical to get that news at 33. It defied belief.'

Mr McKeown told TODAY that when the paramedics arrived he could no longer stand on his own.

'I couldn't get up or stand without assistance,' he said.

'By the time I got to hospital, I couldn't lift my left arm or my left leg and couldn't really see out of my left eye.'

On the way he called a friend to ask him to bring his ID and insurance card, but over the phone his words were 'slurring' and his friend struggled to understand him.

At the ER, doctors immediately evaluated Mr McKeown for a possible stroke and carried out scans.

These revealed he had what doctors called a 'fairly extensive' clot going all the way from the base of one of his carotid arteries  which run through the neck and supply blood to the face and brain  up to the middle cerebral artery behind his eye socket.

Doctors initially gave him tenecteplase, a medication that can help to dissolve blood clots.

They also carried out a thrombectomy, a type of surgery where doctors insert a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin area and then snake it up to the blood clot. This is then pulled out using suction to clear the arteries and restore normal blood flow.

Dr Ali Shaibani, the chief neurologist for radiology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said they had to 'move quickly'.

'Alex's case is remarkable because we typically don't see strokes in his age group,' he said.

'You lose about 1.9million brain cells per minute with a stroke, so we moved very quickly to clear out a large blood clot that was blocking his artery.'

Mr McKeown showed a major improvement within a few hours of the procedure but spent the next six days in the hospital in case of further complications.

Doctors said his age likely helped him to recover rapidly from the stroke.

He will need to return for another surgery in a few months, however, to repair his aortic aneurysm and head off any potential future problems.

Mr McKeown has also been taking it easy  rowing back on how long he spends at the gym and at work.

His commitment was previously so strong that even while he was in hospital with a stroke he still took a call from work. But doctors told him to get off the phone, saying it was not important.

Asked about his advice for others, he said: 'People think, this won't happen to me, but guess what? I thought that too.

'The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is that if you think something is wrong, seek medical attention right away. Trust me, its worth it.'
Her family is now trying to raise awareness of the infection, which can kill 78%

A mother-of-one has died from a rare fungus that is spreading rapidly across the US.

Sonya Cruz, 31, from Kenosha, Wisconsin, died on July 5 from blastomycosis  an illness caused by the fungus blastomyces, which is mainly found in soil in wooded areas.

The rarity of the condition  with only one or two cases per 100,000 population per year in some states  meant she died after doctors initially failed to recognize the infection.

Her family are now trying to raise awareness of the infection, which can kill up to 78 percent of sufferers, in the hope others will not have to go through their heartbreak.

Mrs Cruz's husband, John Cruz, told Fox 6: 'My life. They took my life away from me. Im not saying the hospital or whoever. Whatever this is, took my wife.'

The fungus is the same one that infected over 100 workers at a Michigan paper mill back in spring.

Sonya Cruz with her husband John Cruz on their wedding day in 2019

Mrs Cruz (second from right) died from blastomycosis on July 5

Deaths by blastomycosis infections are increasing, according to the Minnesota department of health.

In 2021, it reported 82 cases of the infection. Most years, nine percent of people with blastomycosis die from the infection, but in 2021, 23 percent of patients died.

According to Morgan Hughes, Mrs Cruz's sister, a telecom company is digging around Mrs Cruz's home to install an underground cable.

Ms Hughes said the Wisconsin health department has opened up an investigation into her sister's death.

On June 16, Mrs Cruz went to the emergency room at St Katherine's hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin, complaining of difficulty breathing.

Doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia and sent her home with antibiotics.

A week and a half later, things had not improved and she went to her primary care physician.

She was admitted to St Katherine's where staff gave her more antibiotics and fluids. Two days later, she went into respiratory failure.

Mrs Cruz was put on a ventilator and sedated. She was given medication to keep her heart going because her blood pressure was slowly declining.

Doctors did a bronchoscopy and biopsy of her lungs, which came back as positive for blastomycosis.

Surveillance conducted in 2021 showed the hotspots for fungal infections across the US

Mr Cruz had never heard of the illness until his wife caught it.

He said: 'I can walk out here and swallow a bullet, not literally a bullet, but a bullet of that.

'I think this is something that needs to be shared around the world.'

Blastomyces tends to reside in moist soil, rotting wood and leaves. If the ground is disturbed, the spores can be thrown up into the air.

If the spores are inhaled, they can travel down to the lungs and cause a fungal infection.

Symptoms include cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, and chest pain.

It is not spread from person to person, but it can spread within an individual to other parts of the body like the skin or bones.

The fungus can be deadly if not caught early.

Mrs Cruz was given antifungal treatment but she sadly died after being in the hospital for just over a week.

The family set up a GoFundMe for Mrs Cruz, which said: 'We lost a ray of sunshine in this world. TeTe SoSo meant the world to so many around her.

'She was and is surrounded by love with family, friends, her children and amazing husband, John.

'Myself, John and the family are asking if you can contribute to this fund, so we can celebrate her life in the way we feel she deserves.'

Dr Bruce Klein, from the University of Wisconsin Medical School, has studied the infection for almost 40 years.

He said reported cases in Wisconsin are uncommon and the infection is under-reported.

'Thats probably only a fraction of the true occurrence of infection, because we know that at least half of the cases can have mild or asymptomatic illness,' Dr Klein said.

However, the Wisconsin department of health said it has the highest rate of blastomycosis in the US.

Between 2011 and 2020, the department reported 1,412 cases  averaging 116 per year.

Some 61 percent of those patients were hospitalized while 124 died, giving a death rate of 11 percent.
Troubled by earwax? Then you might be tempted by a device that can, it's claimed, remove it in just 35 seconds.

Impacted earwax, a build-up of dead skin, oils and dirt, can be painful and may cause earache, hearing loss and infection.

The OtoSet Ear Cleaning System, which looks and is worn like a pair of headphones, is designed to remove it by gently spraying water into the ear canal before sucking out the waxy debris, according to SafKan Health, its U.S. developer (patients are first given ear drops to soften earwax).

The OtoSet itself consists of an adjustable silicone headband with two containers in each earpiece: a clear plastic container with distilled water and a disposable collecting container.

There is a disposable ear tip in each piece  water flows through these into the ear canal. You can choose to clean one or both ears, pressing a button on the side of the device to activate the automated cleaning process.

The dirty water and wax are then removed by microsuction, draining into the collecting chamber.

The OtoSet Ear Cleaning System, which looks and is worn like a pair of headphones, is designed to remove it by gently spraying water into the ear canal before sucking out the waxy debris, according to SafKan Health

OtoSet is the first ear-cleaning device to be given the green light by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after demonstrating its safety and effectiveness in clinical tests in America.

This might sound like welcome news for the estimated 2.3 million people in the UK who need professional earwax removal each year.

Older people are particularly prone to impacted earwax, as the wax becomes drier with age. Other factors that can cause it are naturally producing a lot of earwax, and having narrow or hairy ear canals.

But could the OtoSet headphones  currently only available in U.S. clinics  really help?

In fact, experts argue we're often best to leave our ears well alone.

'There's an old quote among ear doctors to not put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear, and as a rule it's still very much the case,' says Matthew Trotter, a consultant ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

'We always advise people not to fiddle about with their inner ear.

'Using ear buds or anything else to prod inside your ear can easily cause a lot of damage because it's a delicate area.

'Also, a bud does not remove the impacted wax but usually pushes it further in. It can greatly worsen any existing problem.'

Sophy Magee, an audiologist with Boots Hearingcare, adds that earwax plays an important role in keeping ears clean  and attempts to remove it are more likely to cause an infection.

'Earwax is produced by the ceruminous and sebaceous glands which sit in the outer third of the ear canal,' she explains.

'It acts like a natural barrier for the ear canal to trap things like dust, dirt and bacteria. So if we produce a normal amount, which most of us do, we should not need to remove it. The skin in your ears grows outwards from the middle of your ear drum  this is called epithelial migration and will naturally carry some excess earwax out of your ear canal, which then falls away.'

However, some people do produce greater amounts of earwax that's not removed as effectively, says Mr Trotter.

The wax then tends to become impacted. This can occur following ear surgery, 'but sometimes it's just one of those unfortunate things', he adds.

Mr Trotter advises seeing your GP if you have impacted wax: 'They will usually examine your ears then suggest ear drops, which can often sort out the problem.'

Sophy Magee adds that 'the worst thing you can do is poke around  you could even burst your ear drum.

'Often we look into someone's ear and see wax in the inner two-thirds of the ear canal, so we know instantly that someone has been poking around because it's not produced there.'

There is a safe approach you can try at home, she says. 'We recommend medical-grade olive oil, available from a pharmacy  you use a dropper to put two or three drops in one ear at a time, or use it as a spray. This softens the wax, helping it come out naturally.'

Mr Trotter thinks the OtoSet, which costs clinicians 2,230, could be a good addition in some clinical settings.

'There have been two small studies by its maker and a fair number of patients who have used it since have not identified any particular issues with it,' he says.

'I think it's quite an interesting device and seems to be an upgrade on the way wax was removed from the ear canal by syringing,' adds Mr Trotter, referring to the old practice of inserting water into the ear canal using a large syringe.

In 2018, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said ear syringing should no longer be used due to safety concerns; instead people should first try over-the-counter ear drops.

'If this is unsuccessful, electronic irrigation with water under a constant pressure or ideally microsuction  the gold standard for ear wax removal  is recommended,' says Mr Trotter.

'Microsuction is carried out by a clinician using a microscope to look into the ear canal, so they can see exactly what they're doing. A suction probe is then used to vacuum out the excess wax,' he says.

'But in a non-ENT setting such as a High Street audiologist clinic, I imagine this OtoSet device would remove the wax in a safe manner.'

SafKan Health is now working on a consumer version but Mr Trotter is wary: 'The problem I would see with this is that it presupposes it's being used for the removal of earwax build-up, which may not be the cause of the symptoms, which might need investigation by a specialist.'
Thousands of easyJet customers face travel chaos after the airline cancelled flights from Gatwick this morning - but the good news is that refunds and compensation are available.

Around 180,000 easyJet passengers had their flights cancelled today, meanwhile some flights scheduled for July, August and September are now no longer flying.

The airline has blamed the cancellations on 'unprecedented' air-traffic control delays, and has rebooked 95 per cent of affected travellers onto other flights.

However, around 9,000 customers are still in the lurch and have no replacement flights booked.

These are your rights if your easyJet flight is cancelled.

EasyJet has cancelled flights, causing a headache for those flying now and later in summer

Rebooking your easyjet flight

The first step easyJet will take is attempting to rebook your cancelled flight.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled are allowed to rebook with rival airlines if they have spaces on flights that same day, and easyJet has to pay.

Refund or vouchers

If a replacement flight on the day is not possible, or you just do not want it, the next step is to get a refund or a voucher.

Rules from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulator say that refunds should be given as cash.

But airlines including easyJet also give vouchers, which can be used on any easyJet flight within 12 months.

Compensation for cancelled flights

EasyJet customers can rebook flights or get refunds using the airline's website

Consumers can be entitled to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, as well as either a refund of the cost of the flight or a replacement booking.

A Citizens Advice spokesperson said: 'You can claim up to 520 in compensation if the delay is the airlines fault - depending on the distance and destination of your flight, and how late it arrived.'

However, that compensation has to be claimed - it will not be paid automatically.

You also need to accept a replacement flight in order to get this compensation.

CAA rules say travellers can claim compensation if they had to wait for two or more hours before being put on a replacement flight and they were given less than two week's notice of the cancellation.

But what you can claim depends on how long your cancelled flight was and how much notice you were given.

The maximum compensation for short haul flights between 1,500 and 3,500km is 350 for those arriving at least three hours later than the original flight.

For long haul flights of more than 3,500km, 520 is paid out if they arrive at least four hours after the original flight's scheduled arrival time.

Compensation if your flight was cancelled the week before leaving Trip distance Replacement flight criteria Compensation Less than 1,500km Leaving at least one hour before original flight 110 Less than 1,500km Arriving up to two hours after original flight 110 Less than 1,500km Arriving at least two hours later than original flight 220 1,500km to 3,500km Leaving at least one hour before original flight 175 1,500km to 3,500km Arriving up to three hours after original flight 175 1,500km to 3,500km Arriving at least three hours later than original flight 350 More than 3,500km Leaving at least one hour before original flight 260 More than 3,500km Arriving up to four hours after original flight 260 More than 3,500km Arriving at least four hours later than original flight 520 Source: CAA rules

If your flight was cancelled more than a week before its scheduled departure date, the compensation tariff is slightly different.

Compensation if your flight was cancelled one to two weeks before leaving Trip distance Replacement flight criteria Compensation Less than 1,500km Leaving at least two hours before original flight 110 Less than 1,500km Arriving up to two hours after original flight 110 Less than 1,500km Arriving at least two hours earlier than original flight 220 Less than 1,500km Arriving at least two hours later than original flight 220 1,500km to 3,500km Leaving up to two hours before original flight 175 1,500km to 3,500km Arriving up to three hours after original flight 175 1,500km to 3,500km Leaving up to two hours earlier than original flight 350 1,500km to 3,500km Arriving three to hour hours later than original flight 350 1,500km to 3,500km Arriving at least four hours later than original flight 350 More than 3,500km Leaving up to two hours before original flight 260 More than 3,500km Arriving up to four hours after original flight 260 More than 3,500km Arriving at least four hours later than original flight 520 Source: CAA rules

Travel insurance and airline cancellations

Travel insurance policies normally include cover for cancelled trips as standard.

However, these deals are unlikely to be much use for easyJet customers with the latest round of cancelled flights.

That is because all customers should get payouts or replacement flights from easyJet, meaning there is no need to make a claim.

EasyJet has been approached for comment.
A package of government measures to help support struggling homeowners facing soaring mortgage rates has come into effect today.

Lenders including NatWest, Nationwide, Barclays will now allow home loan customers to switch to interest-only payments or extend the term of their loan for up to six months without impacting their credit score.

For example, someone with a 20-year mortgage term can temporarily switch to a 40-year term, reducing their monthly payments.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said there would be 'no questions asked' of borrowers looking to make this move, as they face the impact of high mortgage rates.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced measures after meeting with mortgage lenders this morning

But borrowers must be aware that shifting their mortgage to different terms could cost them tens of thousands of pounds more over the long run.

Interest-only mortgages are cheaper as they involve only making monthly interest payments, but not repaying any of the debt.

Switching to an interest-only mortgage, even for a short period, will leave the borrower with less time to repay the mortgage balance once they switch back.

As a result, when they switch back to a repayment loan, more will eventually have to be repaid each month to make up for missed time.

The alternative is that they will finish their mortgage term with debt left to clear.

Similarly, extending a mortgage's term - the lifetime of the loan - can reduce monthly repayments but will mean that the debt incurs more interest over time.

Paying back a 200,000 mortgage at 5 per cent over 35 years rather than 25 years, will mean incurring total interest of 224,000 rather than 151,000.

> Mortgage calculator: Compare the cost of interest-only and repayment

Compare true mortgage costs Work out mortgage costs and check what the real best deal taking into account rates and fees. You can either use one part to work out a single mortgage costs, or both to compare loans Mortgage 1 Mortgage 2

Mortgage amount  

Arrangement fees  

Term years years

Interest rate (actual rate not APR) % %

Initial deal period yrs mths yrs mths

Mortgage type Interest only Repayment Interest only Repayment

Mortgage 1 Mortgage 2

Total mortgage charge

Total interest charge

Total monthly payment

Cost over deal period including fees

The Mortgage Charter, introduced last month, also protects homeowners from repossessions for 12 month as of 26 June.

This means lenders will have to give customers at risk of having their home repossessed 12 months' grace, from the point of the first missed payment.

However, there are several loopholes to the scheme.

The new rules only apply to 75 per cent of mortgage lenders, and landlords with buy-to-let mortgages are excluded.

The lenders that have signed up to the agreement also include HSBC, Santander, Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank) and Virgin Money.

This breathing space will be a relief to homeowners worried that their properties will be repossessed if they fall behind on their mortgage payments.

During the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic lenders were prevented from reposessing homes until after the crisis.

Rates have risen sharply in the past few weeks putting more borrowers at the risk of a mortgage shock

Why was the Mortgage Charter launched?

The Mortgage Charter package was introduced after the Chancellor met with lenders to find ways to help homeowners with the spiralling cost of their home loans.

The options available to borrowers, such as shifting to interest-only or extending terms, already exist in many cases, but their credit history can be damaged by doing so.

The new rules protect people from damaging their finances for up to six years and should keep arrears down as bills spiral.

Hunt said: 'There are two groups of people that we are particularly worried about.

'The first are people who are at real risk of losing their homes because they fall behind in their mortgage payments.

'The second are people who are having to change their mortgage because their fixed rate comes to an end, and they're worried about the impact on their family finances of higher mortgage rates.'

Also included in the charter is the right of property owners struggling with payments to talk to their lender about their options without judgement and thsoe coming to the end of a fixed rate can 'lock-in' a new deal up to six months ahead of time.

All these options can be done without hurting a borrower's credit score, Hunt said.

While welcome, these last two measures were widely available for customers before the charter was introduced.

When the charter was first announced Hunt doubled down on his earlier position that the Government will not be giving struggling homeowners any bailouts.

The average two-year fixed mortgage rate for borrowers is now 6.63 per cent, acccording to MoneyFacts. The five-year average is 6.13 per cent.

> Why are mortgage rates rising so quickly?
State pension: Records of millions of Universal Credit claimants are riddled with holes

Up to ten million people who claimed Universal Credit could have shortfalls in their state pension due to a secret computer failure exposed by This is Money.

That includes up to 137,000 people already drawing a state pension, although the exact total is unknown and those potentially being underpaid have not been informed by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The new figures were revealed by the National Audit Office, which confirms that the DWP agreed with HMRC in 2017-18 to stop automatically adding National Insurance credits to claimants' records, but did not tell those affected.

Manual updates were done just before people reached state pension age.

But they could fall through the net and be underpaid as a result, or waste money buying state pension top-ups they didn't need.

'System issues' causing problems in the National Insurance database for the past six years were not fixed until February this year, according to the NAO.

That was the same month our probe exclusively revealed many NI records were riddled with holes due to missing credits towards the state pension, and that the Government had stonewalled Universal Credit claimants and dodged our attempts to uncover the scandal.

The revelations come after the Government also confirmed last week that mums are missing out on an estimated 1billion in state pension due to holes in their child benefit records.

That was after a separate discovery in 2020 that some 237,000 elderly women were underpaid an estimated total of around 1.5billion in state pension.

In the case of Universal Credit claimants, lost NI credits can mean they receive a reduced state pension in retirement unless their records are fixed in time.

We first reported a 'mystery 'glitch' with NI credits last Autumn, and eventually published evidence handed to us by readers that the automated system was broken.

The Government confessed to the problem and admitted it would take another year to fix all the mistakes in March, after Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP demanded answers on pensions and UC in Parliament.

At the time, we reported that nearly 5.9million people were on Universal Credit at the start of this year, but many more could have been affected once those who no longer claim were taken into account.

It is simply unacceptable that the DWPs long-term failures to properly calculate peoples state pension entitlements have still not been resolved. Matt Rodda MP, Labours Shadow Pensions Minister

However, the DWP and HMRC apparently never revealed serious problems with these people's state pension records officially, either to the wider public or MPs.

Hidden scandal of up to TEN MILLION people with missing NI credits

The full scale of the fiasco is now laid bare by the National Audit Office, which scrutinises Government spending, in the DWP's recently published annual report.

The NAO says of the system problems between 2017 and 2023: 'Individuals who claimed Universal Credit during the intervening period have credits missing from their National Insurance record.

'Around 10 million people made a claim to Universal Credit during the affected six-year period.

'Unless these people have a National Insurance credit for some other reason, then their National Insurance record will be incorrect.

'If these people use the governments Check Your State Pension tool, they will see an inaccurate valuation of their state pension.

'There is therefore a risk that some people may have unnecessarily purchased voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions to top-up their state pension.

'DWP has not informed potentially affected claimants about these issues.'

The NAO says if anyone is found to have bought top-ups they did not need, the DWP will ask HMRC to make arrangements for a refund.

Missing NI credits: The Government was forced to admit the problems after Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain MP demanded answers in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the NAO says that of the estimated 137,000 people affected who have now reached state pension age, the DWP does not yet know how many have been underpaid or the level of underpayment.

Some may already have enough NI contributions from employment or other sources to be paid their maximum state pension entitlement, while others need the missing National Insurance credits and are at risk of being underpaid state pension.

The NAO says: 'DWP has been manually updating National Insurance records as people approach state pension age, but cannot begin to check for any state pension underpayments until HMRC provides updated National Insurance records.

'HMRC began correcting records in February 2023 and expects this work to be completed by the end of March 2024.'

'Some people have already retired without the problem being fixed'

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb, who is This is Money's retirement columnist, says: 'These new official figures show the vast number of people who may currently have errors on their NI records.

'It is not good enough for DWP to say that it will all be fixed and it doesnt matter.

'Some people have already retired without the problem being fixed, whilst others may have wasted money paying voluntary NI for those years.'

Webb, who is now a partner at pension consultant LCP, says: 'DWP needs to commit to refund any wasted NI contributions as well as do a thorough check to make sure anyone who has already retired is on the correct pension.'

Wendy Chamberlain MP, of the Liberal Democrats, points out that the Government has known about problems with incorrect NI records for over five years.

'It is absolutely atrocious that it was only in March this year that the Government started trying to fix its systems, and that this wont be finished for another year.

'Thousands of people have already been impacted, either finding themselves short of their full state pension or mistakenly buying unnecessary credits to top up.

'It is clear these delays could led to thousands more pounds being kept by the Government when it should be in pensioners pockets.

Unfortunately, the consequences for some people will be that they lose out on entitlements to state pension and these will usually be the very poorest people Former Pensions Minister Ros Altmann

'The refusal to act quickly, and the refusal to put in an early warning system to find future errors is an absolute dereliction of duty.

'It likely means that other schemes are already accruing errors which will cause more and more losses for pensions under the Conservatives watch.'

Matt Rodda MP, Labours Shadow Pensions Minister, says: 'It is simply unacceptable that the DWPs long-term failures to properly calculate peoples state pension entitlements have still not been resolved.

'The Government has promised to fix the issue time after time and yet thousands of pensioners are being let down.

'Labour believes that if you work hard and contribute to our society, you should receive the pension you are entitled to.

'This Government has proved itself incapable of fulfilling the basic functions of government and ministers must resolve these problems before more damage is done.'

Former Pensions Minister Ros Altmann, who now sits in the House of Lords, says: 'This is yet another example of the complexities of our current benefit system and the inability of those running it to always keep up with the rules.

'Unfortunately, the consequences for some people will be that they lose out on entitlements to state pension and these will usually be the very poorest people, who have least private assets to fall back on and who are most reliant on the state Pension for their retirement wellbeing.

Thousands of people have already been impacted, either finding themselves short of their full state pension or mistakenly buying unnecessary credits to top up Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain MP

'With the advent of computers and technology, it should be easier to manage a complex system, yet it seems that the more the DWP has moved to embracing new computer systems to replace manual benefit processing, the more systemic errors seem to have arisen.'

The DWP and HMRC were asked for comment but did not provide a statement for publication.

In March, Labour MP Rachael Maskell asked the DWP for an estimate of the cost and requirement on staff hours of manually correcting NI contribution records for people within four months of state pension age

Minister of State at the DWP, Guy Opperman - after a five year stint, the UK's longest-serving Pensions Minister before his promotion last year - replied: 'No estimate has been made.

'The Department has been working with HMRC to resolve this issue. We expect NI records will be fully updated by HMRC over the course of 2023/24, any state pension entitlement will be reassessed, and any underpayment addressed accordingly.'
Competition at the top of the best buy savings tables is rife and rates have been ticking upwards almost every day.

Many Britons casting their eye over the best deals will see a large number of smaller banks and building societies they may have never heard of.

That leads to the question that all savers should ask themselves before they put money into any account: is this bank safe? Answering that requires knowing your way around Financial Services Compensation Scheme deposit protection.

Safety net: All deposits held with fully authorised banks are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects savers up to 85,000 per person.

Big returns from small banks

The well-known high street banks are notable absentees from the best buy tables, and many of them continue to get away with paying rock bottom rates to their loyal customers.

The best paying easy-access deals pay more than 4 per cent, and include names such as Chip, RCI Bank, GB Bank, Oxbury Bank and Cynergy Bank.

The best fixed rate deals - now paying as high as 6 per cent, include names such as Recognise Bank, SmartSave, Castle Trust, Oaknorth and Charter Savings.

While they offer far superior rates compared to many of their much larger counterparts, some Britons may be reluctant to join these small banks that are unknown quantities.

This may be partly out of loyalty to their banking provider. To a brand they know and trust. According to a recent study by Shawbrook Bank, nearly half of savers in Britain choose to leave their savings in their bank accounts.

However, it is also likely that Britons are less inclined to entrust their savings to a bank or building society they have never heard of.

And yet, in order to operate in the UK all authorised banks and building societies follow the same rules and the same deposit guarantee to savers.

This means savers' deposits are all protected up to 85,000 with each institution by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in case any bank goes under. In the case of joint accounts, it protects up to 170,000.

Unless Britons intend to hold more than this amount with one particular bank, their money is arguably no less secure if they opt for a smaller lesser known provider.

But of course it begs the next question. How safe is the FSCS - the UK's deposit guarantee scheme?

How is the FSCS able to compensate savers?

Each year, the FSCS forecasts how much it expects to pay in compensation for each type of claim it covers.

This includes compensation claims for savers as well as insurance claims, and life and pension provision among others.

Each year, the FSCS imposes a levy that all firms authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have to pay.

This levy funds the cost of the compensation it pays customers, as well as the costs of running its service and processing claims.

Do some banks pay more than others?

All banks, building societies and credit unions contribute to the savers compensation levy.

They each contribute an amount based on the size of their business compared to the overall size of the deposits market.

This means the amount they pay of the total FSCS requires is proportionate to the size of their deposit business.

How quickly will the FSCS reimburse savers?

In the worst-case scenario where a bank, building society or credit union goes under, and the FSCS has to step in, it claims it will pay compensation within seven days.

However, some complex claims can take up to three months. For example, if there are any claims for temporary high balances.

FSCS protects temporary high balances in a bank account, building society account or credit union account of up to 1 million for six months.

These are permitted for certain life events such as following the sale of a person's home, personal injury compensation or an inheritance.

In the worst-case scenario where a bank, building society or credit union goes under, and the FSCS has to step in, it claims it will pay compensation within seven days.

Is there a limit on what can be paid out at one time?

The FSCS levy firms on a 'pay as you go' basis, based on the amount of compensation it expects to pay out.

This means that it only asks for what it expects to need from them each year.

In total the rules currently allow FSCS to ask for 1.5bn each year from the deposit sector.

It then has a credit facility that matches this 1.5bn so that it can access money quickly to meet the seven-day timescale.

If needed, it could use the credit facility to pay customers, then raise a supplementary levy on banks and building societies to repay these funds.

Beyond that, it is able to borrow from HM Treasury  which is exactly what it had to during the 2008 financial crisis when it paid out 20.9bn in total. The terms of that borrowing would be set by the Treasury.

It's worth noting that following the 2008 crisis, the FSCS recovered 20bn from the estates of those failed banks over time, and the remainder plus interest was repaid via the savings levy, so the industry still funded the compensation ultimately.

During a financial crisis it's easy to conceive of a situation where the FSCS might be swamped by compensation claims and be unable to pay out to everyone. But it proved in 2008 that it was able to cope.

How will the FSCS pay you?

If you have a balance below 500, you will get a letter to get cash over the counter at the Post Office.

To receive payment, you'll need to take the letter to any Post Office counter, with personal identification, as outlined in the letter.

If you have a balance over 500, you will receive a cheque. In both events, the FSCS will contact you by post in an unmarked envelope.

When was the last time the FSCS had to help?

The last deposit failure was Birmingham Inner Circle Community Credit Union last year.

On 26 September 2022, Birmingham Inner Circle Community Credit Union Ltd was placed into administration and ceased trading.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme declared it as failed (in default) on that same day.

The FSCS handled seven credit union failures, with around 6.7m in total paid to their members.
A veteran of an elite police unit has been accused of making up stories about his service, including being sent to Port Arthur on the day of the 1996 massacre.

Chris Glasl has written about his four years in Victoria's feared Special Operations Group (SOG), sometimes known as the 'Sons of God' or 'Men in Black'.

Special Operations Group: The Inside Story of the Most Feared and Fearsome Unit in Australian Policing was described as a behind-the-scenes look at the tactical squad.

But 12 days after the memoir hit the shelves, publisher Hachette has withdrawn it from sale after learning 'some of the content of this book is inaccurate'.

Victoria Police has said he was not at Port Arthur on the day of the massacre - and claims he was not even in Tasmania.

Chris Glasl, a veteran of Victoria's elite Special Operations Group, has been accused of making up stories about his service, including being sent to Port Arthur on the day of the 1996 massacre

Formed in 1977 to counter terrorism, the SOG is called upon to end sieges, rescue hostages and arrest armed offenders in the most dangerous of circumstances.

'The Special Operations Group are ultra-fit, highly trained officers brought in to do the jobs other police cannot,' publicity material for Glasl's book states.

'Since he was a nineteen-year-old recruit with Victoria Police, Chris Glasl aspired to join this elite group - the SOG were untouchable, indestructible and bonded so closely together they were a brotherhood like no other.

'Special Operations Group is Chris's story of his life in the SOG - where solidarity, camaraderie and loyalties were undermined by bullying, bastardisation, drug use, lies and betrayal.

'It is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what went on at the SOG, and a gripping account of major jobs he attended.'

Among the tales Glasl tells is of being sent to Port Arthur on April 28, 1996 after Martin Bryant shot dead 35 tourists and staff at the Tasmanian historic site.

Glasl says he was on call that day when the SOG was asked to support local police who did not have the appropriate experience or training. He then switches to the 'we' pronoun for the rest of the narrative.

'The world's worst mass murder had just occurred in Tasmania,' Glasl writes. 'Our phones rang and we were told to hike it to Essendon Airport for deployment there.

'Never before had an interstate police department requested our assistance, anywhere in Australia. This situation was different.

'We rendezvoused at Essendon Airport at the Police Air Wing hangar, boarded a fixed-wing aircraft that was prepped and ready to go, and flew to Tasmania into the carnage.'

Glasl writes of how an SOG sniper had a chance to kill Bryant when he was holed up in the Seascape Cottages after the massacre but was not allowed to take the shot.

Glasl claimed in his book Special Operations Group he was present when gunman Martin Bryant was arrested at Seascape Cottages (above) but Victoria Police say he wasn't

'Bryant had an excellent vantage point from the second storey of the main residence. A walk-up assault on the premises would leave us exposed and vulnerable,' he writes.

'We began thinking of other options, a tank or armoured vehicle, but nothing was available. One of the team leaders suggested a bulldozer which could act as a giant shield.'

Glasl writes that when a SOG sniper known as Sierra had an opportunity to shoot Bryant, the Tasmanian police commissioner would not allow it.

Instead, the SOG team had to wait until dawn when the main cottage was on fire and Bryant ran from the building with his clothes burning.

'It was a totally surreal scene, flames and smoke billowing from the building, while the night sky was replaced by the rising sun, birds began singing and a picturesque background appeared of the ocean and the forest,' Glasl writes.

Publisher Hachette has withdrawn Glasl's book Special Operations Group from sale

The problem with Glasl's vivid account is that he was not at Port Arthur that day, according to Victoria Police.

A Hachette spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Monday afternoon it had pulled Glasl's book from sale pending further investigation.

'It has come to our attention that some of the content of this book is inaccurate,' the spokeswoman said.

'We have taken the decision to withdraw this book from sale immediately while we undertake further review.'

Just minutes earlier, a spokeswoman for Victoria Police warned media about publishing stories which promoted the book.

'Victoria Police is aware of a newly published book on the Special Operations Group (SOG) written by a former member,' the spokeswoman said.

'We have concerns about the accuracy of the book including some of the author's claims about jobs he attended.

'Of particular concern is chapter 18 which focuses on the author's claimed involvement in the resolution of the Port Arthur massacre.

'To confirm, the former member was not part of the SOG deployment to Port Arthur nor was he even in Tasmania at the time.

'If anyone is planning to promote this book or interview the author, please feel free to contact us beforehand to confirm the validity of the jobs he attended and associated claims.'

Publicity material for the book states Glasl took drugs while serving with the SOG 'to switch off the adrenalin, to sleep at night, to get through his days'.

'And those days involved fatal shootings, a triple murder, a 100-million-dollar drug bust and the Port Arthur massacre, to name just a few.'

Glasl writes in an afterword to his book: 'I have tried to be as honest and open in this book as my memory affords. Is it all true? I will say almost all of it is true.

'Legally, I have to cover myself in the possibility of any ramifications. The reader can make their minds up if I have written the truth. I am sure they know.'
Tesla drivers are much more likely to live in Australia's wealthiest postcodes - but there are a few surprises in a trove of data.

Well-heeled suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane dominate the top 20 list of where electric cars are registered, with the Gold Coast intriguingly having the most per capita.

For the first time ever, a Tesla was Australia's second most popular car, outselling a ute that had topped the monthly sales charts three times this year, with a social researcher describing them as a form of 'virtue signalling'.

When the Tesla list was expanded to include the top 30 areas, Perth and Canberra had a few entries but Adelaide and upmarket beach hotspots like Byron Bay and Noosa were nowhere to be seen.

Sydney had 11 places compared with Melbourne's seven spots, Brisbane's four positions, Canberra's two places and three each for the Gold Coast and Perth.

Tesla drivers are much more likely to live in Australia's wealthiest postcodes but there are a few surprises (pictured is a Model Y in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge)

The well-heeled suburbs of Sydney (map pictured), Melbourne and Brisbane dominate the top 20 list of where the fully-electric cars are registered, with the Gold Coast also particularly enthusiastic (clockwise from top right are the electorates of Mackellar, Warringah, North Sydney, Wentworth, Kingsford Smith, Sydney, Bennelong, Reid, Mitchell, Berowra and Bradfield)

Almost half, or 13 spots on the national top 30 list, were in electorates the Liberal Party lost at the last election to either a Teal independent, the Greens or Labor, in the wealthy postcodes of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

For the first time ever, a Tesla has outsold the Ford Ranger ute to be Australia's second most popular car, and the electric vehicle brand last month had a bigger market share than Mitsubishi, Subaru or Volkswagen.

The Australian Automobile Association has ranked Tesla registrations by federal electorate, using data from the government's Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics.

Data analyst Mitchell Oddy ranked the 151 seats in the House of Representatives, with Teal independents holding four of the top ten seats by Tesla registrations, compared with one for the Greens, three for Labor and two for the Liberal Party.

The Sydney eastern suburbs Teal independent electorate of Wentworth - covering ultra-wealthy Vaucluse, Bondi Beach and Bellevue Hill - was the home of the most Teslas, topping the list with 604 registered there in 2022.

Local member Allegra Spender - the daughter of the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti - last year defeated sitting Liberal MP Dave Sharma in Australia's richest seat, previously held by Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

This electorate is one of four in the top 30 previously held by a prime minister during the past two decades and almost all switched sides at the last election.

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher, the co-founder of The Demographics Group, said buying a Tesla was an act of virtue signalling, made easier in wealthier suburbs where more people lived in a house and could install an electric car charger.

The popularity of Teslas in Sydney is much higher above a certain line running from north of Botany Bay and out to Windsor Road in the city's Hills District.

This resembles the famous Red Rooster line where there are no budget takeaway chicken stores in the city's northern or eastern suburbs.

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher, the co-founder of The Demographics Group, said buying a Tesla was an act of virtue signalling, made easier in wealthier suburbs where more people lived in a house and could install an electric car charger.

'You get to show off a car without having to feel any guilt,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'You could just as well buy a Porsche, a nice speedster, then you fear being seen as a petrol head polluting the planet - so none of the nice virtue signalling bonus points that you get with a Tesla are available to you.'

The Melbourne inner-east seat of Kooyong, which Teal independent Monique Ryan snatched from former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2022, was fifth with 461 registrations in an area covering Kew and Hawthorn. It was one of seven Melbourne electorates in the top 30 (pictured clockwise are the electorates of Menzies, Chisholm, Higgins, Goldstein, Macnamara, Melbourne, Kooyong)

The Gold Coast has three spots on the top 30 list (pictured is a Model Y at Tugun)

Upmarket North Sydney, another Teal electorate stretching from Milsons Point on the harbour to Northbridge on Middle Harbour and Hunters Hill, was second on the list with 581 Teslas registered on the lower north shore.

Australia's top selling cars in June 2023 1. TOYOTA HILUX: 6,142 sales 2. TESLA MODEL Y: 5,560 sales 3. FORD RANGER: 5,334 sales 4. MG ZS: 3,756 sales 5. TOYOTA RAV4: 2,858 sales 6. TOYOTA LANDCRUISER: 2,724 sales 7. HYUNDAI TUCSON: 2,667 sales 8. HYUNDAI i30: 2,523 sales 9. MAZDA BT-50: 2,560 sales 10. ISUZU UTE D-MAX: 2,500 sales Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Advertisement

The Greens electorate of Brisbane - covering New Farm and Teneriffe - was third with 541 registrations in a seat which the Liberal Party lost at the last election.

The Liberal-held seat Bradfield - covering Roseville and Wahroonga on Sydney's upper north shore- was fourth with 499 registrations.

The Melbourne inner-east seat of Kooyong, which Teal independent Monique Ryan snatched from former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2022, was fifth with 461 registrations in an area covering Kew and Hawthorn.

Perth entered the list in sixth place with the Teal independent seat of Curtin, covering beachside Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove on the Swan River, having 457 Teslas.

The local member is Kate Chaney, the daughter of Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney, whose group owns Officeworks and the Bunnings hardware chain.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop was previously the local member in an electorate that is home to billionaires Gina Rinehart, Andrew Forrest and Kerry Stokes.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek's seat of Sydney, covering gentrified inner-city suburbs like Glebe, Surry Hills and Newtown, was seventh with 419 registrations.

The Liberal-held seat of Moncrieff, covering Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, was eighth on the list with 404 registered.

It was one of three Liberal-held seats on the Gold Coast, with 362 registered in Fadden covering Coomera and Hope Island, and another 290 registered in McPherson, taking in Coolangatta.

Sydney (pictured) has 12 places compared with Melbourne's seven spots, Brisbane's four positions, the Gold Coast's three and two each for Canberra and Perth

But the Sunshine Coast didn't make the top 30 with the Nationals-held seat of Wide Bay, covering Noosa, at 76 on the list with 111 Tesla registrations.

Nor did Byron Bay on the New South Wales far north coast, with the Labor-held electorate of Richmond coming in at No. 44 with 169 registrations, even though it overlaps with the Greens-held state seat of Ballina.

Adelaide didn't enter the list until 40th place with the marginal Liberal seat of Sturt having 173 registrations in a city that manufactured Holdens until 2017.

Hobart didn't make the list until 90th spot with the inner-city seat of Clark, held by left-leaning independent Andrew Wilkie, having 95 registrations while Darwin entered the list at No. 145, near the bottom, with 21 registrations in the Labor electorate of Solomon.

Of the top 30 list, four are electorates previously held by a prime minister during the past two decades including Mr Turnbull's old seat of Wentworth, Tony Abbott's old electorate of Warringah on Sydney's lower north shore and northern beaches, John Howard's former seat of Bennelong in Sydney's north-west and former Labor leader Kevin Rudd's old electorate of Griffith.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's seat of Grayndler came in at No. 33 with 191 Telsa registrations, in an area that overlaps with the Greens-held state seats of Balmain and Newtown.

Both sides of politics went to the last election promising to implement a net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.

Brisbane had four spots in the top 30 list, with three of them now held by the Greens (pictured clockwise are the electorates of Brisbane, Griffith, Moreton and Ryan)

Mr Albanese vowed to reduce carbon pollution by 43 per cent by 2030, compared with his Liberal predecessor Scott Morrison's less ambitious 26 to 28 per cent target.

The Tesla Model Y last month outsold the Ford Ranger ute to be Australia's second most popular car after the Toyota HiLux, marking its best-ever monthly sales result for billionaire chief Elon Musk's EV brand.

Only the Toyota HiLux had more sales, with 6,142 leaving the showroom compared with 5,560 for the Model Y and 5,334 for the Ranger, which was Australia's bestseller in January, February and April this year.

In June, 7,018 Teslas were sold with its market share of 5.6 per cent making it Australia's sixth most popular brand, ahead of MG (4.8 per cent), Mitsubishi (4.2 per cent), Volkswagen (4.1 per cent) and Subaru (3.9 per cent).

Australia's most populated state, New South Wales, offers $3,000 rebates for EVs worth up to $68,750, which may explain why Sydney dominates the list of electorates popular with Tesla drivers.

Stamp duty exemptions are also available for EVs worth up to $78,000, potentially saving buyers up to $3,000.

So a buyer of a base model Model Y, drive away for less than $68,750, could be potentially subsidised by $5,540.

Mr Kuestenmacher said Tesla drivers were more likely to be older people with money, likening them to the kind of middle-aged man who bought a Porsche a generation ago.

'If you think back of a middle-aged man in the nineties, they would buy a Porsche,' he said.

'It's just a big power toy to play with, you show off your success but if you do this now, you're seen as a bit of a wanker, this has a negative connotation.

'The electric cars don't have that attached to them at the moment so you get to feel good and also tell a positive story about your consumption pattern.'

There's the feelgood factor, even if Teslas are deriving their power from coal-fired electricity generators.

'You're showing that you buy a clean car, you showcase that you are with it, that you are with the changing times, that you look forward,' he said.

'I call this virtue signalling because it's not necessarily a given that it's a clean car because it will be charged with electricity - unless you create your own electricity by solar panels - depending on where you live, your car might just as well be coal powered which is worse than a gasoline-powered car.'
Rarely a Sunday went by without Raelene Polymiaidis attending church.

Devoted to her faith, the 62-year-old was said to be a respected pillar of the community in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

Friends described her as loyal, and a court heard how she had 'lived a blameless life'.

So how did this devoted church goer - a 'fun-loving' dental nurse employed in aged care - end up being charged with the most wicked of crimes, the double murder of her parents?

Arrested at her home in the northern Adelaide suburb of Craigmore on Tuesday and placed in handcuffs, it is alleged Polymiaidis killed her parents, both aged 94, by injecting them with lethal doses of insulin

Her father's death was allegedly staged a year after she killed her mother.

Raelene Polymiadis (above) loved drinking wine with friends at social occasions, travelling, and enjoying dancing and music, according to her online profiles

Pictured: Lynton Anderson, 94, died in May after allegedly being given a fatal dose of insulin by his daughter

Polymiaidis was denied bail when she appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, and held on remand in Adelaide Women's Prison.

Originally denied bail until at least December, Polymiadis will face another court hearing next Tuesday.

According to her own online posts and pages, Ms Polymiadis has loyal friends with whom she enjoys wine drinking and social functions and lists as her 'Skills' on her Linkedin work profile as: 'Enjoy dancing & music. Like to laugh and enjoy life'.

Ms Polymiadis, who has been married to her Greek Australian husband, a South Australian agronomist since 2012, also says she 'enjoys playing and watching sport'.

Police allege that Raelene Polymiadis drugged her 94-year-old father with insomnia medication then injected him with a fatal amount of insulin in his house (above) where he was found unconscious lying on his kitchen floor

The couple travelled regularly in Australia and to Mr Polymiadis' home country.

As she was arrested on Tuesday and charged with administering lethal doses of insulin to her elderly mother last year, and then her father just over two months ago, a close friend defended her against online trolling saying 'innocent until proven guilty'.

The friend had shared a memory on Facebook from six years ago of a photo of Ms Polymiadis drinking wine during a reunion of the 'train crowd', on which she had responded posting 'Good times! OMG (friend's name), you are such a bad influence'.

The accused's lawyer told Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday that Ms Polymiadis had 'lived an entirely blameless life with an emphasis on her family, her faith and her work.

'She attends church every Sunday and my instructions are her reputation amongst her family and community is reflected in the apparent shock that they've expressed in the allegations levelled against her,' the solicitor said.

However the court heard this week that neither of the accused's parents, Lynton and Brenda Anderson, were diabetic but had been administered insulin 'that had no reason to be in their system'.

Raelene Polymiadis (above in handcuffs) was arrested at her home and taken into custody, appearing in Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with the alleged poisoning murder of her parents

Raelene Polymiadis, a diabetic who suffers from sleep apnoea, is the only known family member who was diagnosed with diabetes and and prescribed insulin, the court heard.

Prosecutor Michael Foundas told the court that Lynton Anderson had been found on April 30 by a carer, unconscious on his kitchen floor in southern Adelaide suburb of Hackham, dying .

Mr Anderson was found with the drug Oxazepam in his system and his prescription anxiety and insomnia medication scattered about him.

Police allege his daughter had drugged him, then administered him with insulin, and scattered the pills to make it look like a suicide.

'The day before her father was found on the kitchen floor with Oxazepam in his system, an examination of the accused's phone reveals that she had been Googling the effects of Oxazepam,' the prosecution said.

Raelene Polymiadis, 62, (pictured) has been charged with two counts of murder after allegedly injecting her parents with insulin

Death notices for Mrs and Mr Anderson reveal the couple are survived by four children and their partners, seven grandchildren and nine great-grand children.

Appearing at this week's court hearing via video link, where she sat emotionless while the evidence against her was outlined, Ms Polymiadis was also denied a home detention suitability report.

Last week, Detective Inspector Mark McEachern said concerns over Mrs Anderson's death were first raised during a coronial investigation, which unearthed alarming toxicology results.

A similarly concerning toxicology report was returned following Mr Anderson's death.

Det Insp McEachern said detectives had no concern with the level of care Mrs Anderson received while in hospital and had also ruled out carers being involved in Mr Anderson's death.
A father from Maine has died after drowning in deep water while trying to save his two daughters, aged 12 and 13, who were struggling to swim in a pond.

Henry Brooks, 46, was spending Saturday with his family at Seven Tree Pond in Union, Maine, when one of his daughters fell into deep water while swimming.

His second daughter, who was already in the water, tried to grab the first but they both got swept by the currents into an even deeper portion of the pond.

Brooks, from Hope, Maine, and his son, 27, raced to save the girls in the water in Ayer Park after hearing their cries for help.

A stock image of Seven Tree Pond in Union, Maine, where the father died on Saturday trying to save his two daughters (file photo)

The 27-year-old, who grabbed a life jacket, caught his sisters and brought them to a nearby dock - but when he looked for his father, he couldn't find him.

A dive team later located Brooks' body about 50 feet from shore at 7.30pm. The water was seven feet deep, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Brooks' daughters and son were brought to PenBay Medical Center for observation following the ordeal.

Brooks' body was taken to Halls Funeral Home in Waldoboro, Maine.

Henry Brooks, 46, and his family were spending the weekend at the pond (file photo)

The local community came together on social media to pay their respects for the father, who died saving his family.

One person wrote: 'Wow super sad..what a great dad to risk his own life to save there's.. that's a true hero...rip.... Condolences to the family.'

Another person added: 'Prayers and my deepest heart felt condolences to the families of this courageous man.'

A third added: 'This is so sad. The son with a life jacket managed to save his sisters. The dad and brother were both heroes.'
A gathering of the Michigan Republican party on Saturday night turned physical when a brawl broke out and one person claimed they were 'kicked in the balls'.

Tensions boiled over at the Doherty Hotel in Clare, Michigan, as the GOP's state committee came together to discuss the party's direction and the leadership under new chairwoman Kristina Karamo.

As they arrived at the venue, some found the door where the meeting was taking place had been locked and was limited to members of the state committee. It left some Republicans frustrated as they were left to stand out in the cold.

James Chapman, a Republican from Wayne County, had traveled to Clare for the meeting only to be forced to listen to it through a locked door. When he tried to get inside, the melee started and included Chapman kicking another member in the groin.

Police were called to the Doherty Hotel in Clare, Michigan, as tensions boiled over as the GOP's state committee came together to discuss the party's direction and leadership

Chapman told The Detroit News how he and others said the Pledge of Allegiance together in the lobby of the hotel - outside of the meeting.

He then attempted to get inside by turning the doorknob of the meeting room. He jiggled the doorknob of the meeting room but found it was locked shut.

Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, came to the door and claimed to have seen someone curse at him through one of the windows.

Upon opening the door, DeYoung said he was instantly attacked.

'He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door,' DeYoung told the outlet, noting how Chapman took a run at him - slamming him into a chair.

James Chapman, a Republican from Wayne County, said he was locked out of the meeting and attempted to get in by jiggling a doorknob to the meeting room

Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, claims he was attacked by Chapman, kicked in the testicles and broke a rib

The force of the kick caused DeYoung to fall to the floor, breaking a rib in the process. He had to be taken to hospital.

Chapman, meanwhile, defended himself and alleged DeYoung swung at him first saying, 'I'll kick your a**.'

DeYoung denied saying the threat.

Chapman said he even removed his glasses before grabbing DeYoung by the legs and knocking him to the floor allegedly saying, 'When you see me taking my glasses off, I'm ready to rock.'

The police were called to the scene following the scuffle. DeYoung said he intends to press charges against Chapman.

'We're so divided. I just wish we could come together,' DeYoung said from hospital.

In June, tensions also boiled over between Michigan GOP members.

'At least four county parties in Michigan have been at open war with themselves, with members suing one another or putting forward competing slates that claim to be in charge. The night before an April state party meeting, two GOP officials got into a physical altercation in a hotel bar over an attempt to expel members,' The Washington Post reported.

Some of the tension comes over disputes surrounding the party's chairwoman, Kristina Karamo, who took on the role in February.

Former President Donald Trump, left, listens as the Michigan Republican Secretary of State candidate was seen during a rally in October 2022 (file photo)

Some of the tension comes from disputes surrounding the party's chairwoman Karamo, who took on the role in February.

The Post gave further details explaining how she had struggled to raise money, left the party's headquarters and had struggled to raise funds.

Karamo, in turn, removed Matt Johnson, the budget committee chairman. Karamo cited 'dereliction of duty and several other grievances.'

Johnson said the party's spending was 'so far out of proportion with income as to put us on the path to bankruptcy'.

In the State as a whole, Democrats currently control the Michigan Senate while Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer comfortably won her reelection by 11 points in November 2022.

The Michigan Republican Party was flattened during the 2022 midterms with Karamo losing her bid for Secretary of State last November by 14 percentage points to her Democrat rival Jocelyn Benson.

It meant the Michigan GOP was out of power in major state branches for the first time in four decades.
The Yes campaigner responded to an ad featuring him

He said there was plenty of misinformation about the Voice

Prominent 'Yes' campaigner and Voice architect Thomas Mayo has slammed the media for publishing 'negative headlines' on 'positive stories' about the Voice to Parliament.

Speaking at a recent event organised by the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Press Club, Mr Mayo expressed his frustration with the detrimental impact of these headlines on the campaign.

'It's been frustrating to see positive stories with negative headlines, and that is something that has been concerning,' he said last week.

'People tend to just read the headlines from time to time, and that doesn't help us.'

Voice to Parliament architect Thomas Mayo (pictured) has slammed 'negative' media headlines on 'positive stories' during a talk at a University of Melbourne and Melbourne Press Club event

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured centre with Mr Mayo on the right) has assured the public this is a 'modest' request which will not impact the lives of most Australians, but make a world of difference to the nation's most vulnerable

The union official also noted the misinformation circulating on social media, which he described as 'terrible'.

He encouraged attendees at the event to speak to everybody they could 'possibly influence' to make them know the Voice is 'about fairness, recognition and a say for people that decisions are made about'.

Mr Mayo gained attention last month when a series of resurfaced tweets from 2018 made headlines, in which he expressed the importance of repatriations, returning land, and providing fair compensation to Indigenous people.

He said the voice could pave the way to make the 'Pay the Rent' campaign a reality and to change the date of Australia Day.

The 'Pay the Rent' movement wants homeowners to voluntarily pay a percentage of their income to Aboriginal elders without any government oversight or intervention.

He also expressed interest in changing the date of Australia Day, but he has since told Daily Mail Australia he does not 'share that particular view about Australia Day anymore'.

'These comments are from a number of years ago, with many of them around the time of reporting about Indigenous deaths in custody,' he said.

'I support celebrating our nation, I'm a proud Australian, and I believe our democracy is important, and it will be enhanced when Indigenous people are given a say on the matters that affect them such as health and education.'

Mr Mayo said he is now of the understanding a Voice will 'focus on practical issues that matter to Indigenous communities such as better employment outcomes and housing'.

During his address, Mr Mayo was asked about a controversial cartoon published in the Australian Financial Review.

This Voice No vote newspaper ad that was run in Thursday's Australian Financial Review has attracted criticism it has a racist depiction of Yes23 activist Thomas Mayo

The cartoon depicted him reaching for a wad of cash labelled '$2M' from Wesfarmer's chair and Yes23 campaign director Michael Chaney.

The Yes campaigner said he was 'too busy' to take notice of the ad and asked the audience, 'who reads The Australian?'

This was despite the fact the cartoon was in the Australian Financial Review. Nine has since apologised for publishing the ad.

Mr Mayo said if the Voice fails, Australia would be perceived in a negative light around the globe.

'I don't think it's the status quo if we fail, as if that status quo isn't bad enough  but it is going to be worse because Australians would have officially said no to recognising our existence, our proud Indigenous heritage and culture,' he said.

'They would have said no to the simple fairness, to listening to the people you make decisions about, and it would be hugely detrimental to all of us'.
Ministers claim to have improved the criminal justice system's dismal handling of rape cases  but critics accused them of 'overstating' their progress.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said 'two of the three key ambitions' set out in the Government's Rape Review published two years ago had been met.

Adult rape cases referred by police to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for early advice or a charging decision hit 1,079 in the last three months of 2022, a report out today reveals. It said this 'exceeded our 2016 ambition of 766'.

Adult rape cases at crown courts hit 605 in the first three months this year, compared with a target of 553, and 472 adult suspects were charged between October and December, 'close to our ambition of 538'.

Mr Chalk said: 'We've made significant progress.'

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (pictured) said 'two of the three key ambitions' set out in the Government's Rape Review published two years ago had been met

But the campaign group End Violence Against Women said the Government had been 'too quick' to claim success.

Director Andrea Simon added: 'The vast majority of rape survivors don't report to the police  the majority who do will leave the system due to the barriers to justice.'
Pictured: Lisa Wilkinson on Thursday

Lisa Wilkinson, Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz can be heard bad-mouthing Linda Reynolds in a resurfaced recording - calling the senator a 'nobody' who was promoted to minister because there was a 'shallow talent pool'.

The audio, obtained by Daily Mail Australia, was captured during a five-hour conversation between Wilkinson, Channel 10 producer Angus Llewellyn, Ms Higgins and her fiance Mr Sharaz in a Sydney hotel room on January 27, 2021.

The purpose of the meeting was to decide how best to approach Ms Higgins' forthcoming interview on The Project, in which she alleged she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Senator Reynolds' office in Parliament House in 2019.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations.

Key parts of the recording were played during a segment on Channel Seven's Spotlight program on Sunday evening, including multiple clips where the group appeared to sledge the former defence minister.

Separately, Senator Reynolds is suing Mr Sharaz for defamation over five social media posts he uploaded in 2022. She also sent a concerns notice to Ms Higgins last week to indicate she may sue her over an Instagram story.

Lisa Wilkinson could be heard bad-mouthing Linda Reynolds during a five-hour recorded conversation

The criticisms started just 12 minutes into the five-hour conversation, when Wilkinson told the group that Senator Reynolds 'stood up in Parliament and said the Liberal Party has a women problem'.

Wilkinson then said another Liberal MP, Julia Banks, previously told her Senator Reynolds was only given the defence portfolio 'as part of that issue being solved'.

'She was promised a portfolio ... in order to be quiet,' she told the group.

Ms Higgins, who was a staffer for Ms Reynolds when she was allegedly assaulted, replied: 'Absolutely.'

'The general sort of notion that there was like a shallow talent pool and who we could foster up, and it likely solved like a temporary short-term issue in the party of who could we elevate to, sort of, mitigate this public image issue.'

A few hours later, Mr Llewellyn told the group he wasn't sure who Senator Reynolds was: 'Sorry, Im ignorant of Reynolds status,' he said.

Mr Sharaz interjected: 'She'd hate that.'

Mr Llewellyn asked: 'Is she a senator? ... She's a senator for WA?'

Ms Higgins had to explain that she was a senator for Western Australia and, in 2019, she was the defence industry minister.

Senator Reynolds was intermittently the topic of conversation throughout the meeting, but it wasn't until the last few hours of the chat that Wilkinson honed in on the former MP.

'And if anybody wants to feel fired-up about zeroing in on Linda Reynolds, I've just found our private messages,' Wilkinson suddenly declared.

Linda Reynolds (pictured) is suing David Sharaz for defamation, and sent a concerns notice to Ms Higgins

David Sharaz is pictured with Brittany Higgins. The pair engaged in a five-hour conversation with Lisa Wilkinson and her producer

Her fury towards the senator appeared to stem from a social media argument between the pair two year earlier, in 2019.

'Oh god,' Ms Higgins replied.

'Did you see our private exchange?' Wilkinson asked.

Ms Higgins, who worked as a media advisor for Senator Reynolds in 2019, said: 'I did, I did, it was very scary.'

Wilkinson said: 'She went for me publicly, and then I tried to come back reasonably, and then I thought, "I'm not going to do this publicly."

'I'm trying to working out who this f**king woman is. Like, I'd never heard of her.'

'She's a nobody.'

Mr Sharaz joked: 'Oh, here's a big fan.'

Wilkinson's producer, Llewellyn, then laughed, 'Huge fan, huge fan, get the T-shirts.

Wilkinson proceeded to read the private back-and-forth between herself and Senator Reynolds, often stopping to gauge reactions from the three other people in the room.

Later in the day, David said he had asked Ms Higgins why she wanted to publicise her allegations on national television - 'I asked Britt, "ultimately, what do you want out of this?",' he said.

'And she goes "well, I want Bruce to forever have it difficult getting a job, like its going to be difficult for me.'

Addressing Ms Higgins directly, he recalled, 'and then you said, best case scenario, Linda Reynolds".'

The group erupted with laughter.

Brittany Higgins alleges Bruce Lehrmann (pictured left, with his lawyer) raped her in Parliament House. He denies the allegation

The resurfaced audio comes just days after Mr Sharaz confirmed he had been served with defamation papers by Senator Reynolds' lawyers.

According to the writ, obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Senator Reynolds claimed she was defamed in three Twitter posts between January and December last year, one Instagram post in April, and one Facebook comment in December.

Mr Sharaz appears to have deactivated his Facebook profile, made his Instagram account private and removed about 2,000 followers recently.

Senator Reynolds is seeking damages and an injunction against Mr Sharaz from publishing the allegedly defamatory material, and costs.

She is also seeking interest on damages at a rate of six per cent from the date of publication to the date of judgement.

Ms Higgins lashed out Ms Reynolds in the post last week after the senator said she would refer the former political staffer's compensation payout from the Commonwealth - reportedly worth up to $3million - to a new federal corruption watchdog.

In her original post, Ms Higgins included screenshots of news articles about Senator Reynolds claiming that Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus had shown prejudice over the inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's prosecution.

On Thursday Ms Higgins posted to Twitter: 'I've just received a concerns notice from Linda Reynolds threatening defamation over an Instagram story. I'm considering my legal options.'

On Thursday afternoon Senator Reynolds issued a statement confirming the legal action and vowed: 'I will not tolerate being defamed by her or anybody else.'

A concerns notice is the first legal step towards a defamation action.

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett said Ms Higgins was yet to formally respond to the concerns notice.
A 14-year-old girl whose family claimed she was sold to a US Marine for sex has been found at Camp Pendleton in California two weeks after she went missing.

The girl was first declared missing on June 13, four days after some relatives said she ran away from her grandmother's house. However, her aunt claims the teen had been sold into sex trafficking.

The teen was found at the San Diego area Marine base on June 28. Days later, a Marine was seen being led from the barracks in handcuffs.

'We can confirm that a Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services on June 28, 2023, as seen on social media July 2, 2023,' Captain Chuck Palmer said. The name of the Marine taken into custody has not been released.

A girl whose family claimed she was sold to a United States Marine for sex was found two weeks after she was first reported missing at the barracks of Camp Pendleton in California. A Marine is seen being brought in for questioning on July 2

'The incident is under investigation, and we will continue to cooperate with NCIS and appropriate authorities,' he told NBC San Diego.

Palmer confirmed the Marine pictured in handcuffs was being detained and questioned about the missing girl.

The victim's grandmother told the authorities she had run away several times before but had always previously returned.

The girl's aunt, Casaundra Perez, told authorities her niece - who she says has learning disabilities - was sold to the Marine for sex.

She posted to her TikTok account on July 6, clearly nervous about what would happen to her as she feared retribution speaking out about what her niece had allegedly gone through.

'I would just like to preface this video, I did not kill myself, if I go missing or end up murdered the people potentially responsible could possibly be located here at Camp Pendleton,' she said.

She claimed the military tried to engage in a cover-up and that everyone at Camp Pendleton allowed the victimization of the 14-year-old.

'The security looked her in the face and allowed this man to bring a minor on to base where he then proceeded to have sex with her' Perez said.

'Due to her age, she could not have given this consent,' she added, then claiming someone referred to her family by the military told them the Marines were trying to keep the story from becoming public.

The girl's aunt, Casaundra Perez, told authorities and said in a TikTok video that her niece - who she says has learning disabilities - was sold to the Marine for sex

She posted to her TikTok account on July 6, clearly nervous about what would happen to her as she feared retribution speaking out about what her niece had allegedly gone through

'I would just like to preface this video, I did not kill myself, if I go missing or end up murdered the people potentially responsible could possibly be located here at Camp Pendleton,' Perez said

Perez added she will release the name of a 'military detective' she believes is behind the coverup if her attorney allows so she can get justice for her niece.

She reiterated as the video ended that she thinks the military will retaliate against her family.

Palmer said the Marine brought in for questioning has not been charged with a crime.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said its investigation is still ongoing, according to a statement.

'Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on, confirm details relating to, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations,' a spokesperson said.
Labour's massive green borrowing spree would cost taxpayers 10billion more than the party has admitted, it is claimed.

Yesterday Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the party remains committed to eventually investing 28billion a year to help the environment if it wins power.

She claimed the huge sum for jobs and technology would be paid for responsibly, having already pushed back its planned introduction in a U-turn last month.

Ms Reeves told the BBC: Ive always been clear that all our policies, including investing in the industries in the future and boosting our energy security, are subject to our fiscal rules.

She said this means paying for day-to-day spending through tax receipts and getting debt down.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) said Labour is still committed to investing up to 28 billion a year in environmental measures

Asked if she was committed to the spending by the end of Labours next term in power, Ms Reeves said: Yes. She added: All our plans will be built on a rock of economic and fiscal responsibility.

If we look at the numbers in the most recent government forecasts, we can get to that total investment of 28billion a year.

But latest research suggests that the total cost to the public purse of the Green Prosperity Plan will be even higher than that.

Conservative party analysis of forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility shows that borrowing up to 28billion over the course of the next Parliament would mean another 10.47billion in debt interest payments.

The Tories say the cost of servicing the extra borrowing would be equivalent to twice the annual budget for the prisons and probation system.

A source told the Mail: This makes a mockery of Rachel Reevess claims she will get a grip of debt.

Last night Labour announced details of one aspect of its proposals, a 6billion scheme to train more workers to insulate houses.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) told the Sunday Times he hates 'tree-huggers' after Ed Miliband (right) set out plans to insulate peoples homes. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves (centre) said 'I love a tree' on being asked about Keir Starmer's comments

Climate spokesman Ed Miliband said the partys Warm Homes Plan would boost job opportunities for almost 4million people needed to retrofit properties plus cut bills.

However it was claimed yesterday that the former Labour leaders enthusiasm for the net zero agenda is not shared by incumbent Sir Keir Starmer.

According to The Sunday Times, after Mr Miliband gave a presentation to the Shadow Cabinet, Sir Keir declared that he was not interested in tree-huggers.

He then allegedly added: In fact, I hate tree-huggers. Asked about this yesterday by Sky News, Ms Reeves said: I love a tree.

But according to the paper, she is among senior Labour figures who fear its focus on the environment is damaging.

A party spokesman accused the Tories of making desperate and inaccurate claims. He added that the plan is ambitious and entirely in line with our fiscal rules.
LA ruled that holding inmates to cash bail when they can't afford it is a violation of their constitutional rights

50 Cent has claimed Los Angeles is 'finished' after the city's zero bail policy was reinstated.

In May, an LA judge ruled holding inmates to cash bail when they can't afford to pay was a violation of their constitutional rights - and now critics have said crime in the nation's second-largest city has got worse because of it.

The hip-hop rapper, 48, wrote on social media: 'LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH [shaking my head].'

He posed the words alongside a Fox 11 segment about the policy. In recent years, Los Angeles has seen a spike in crime was the zero bail policy was put in place.

The overall crime rate jumped 11 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2022, there were a reported 60 crimes per 1,000 residents, up from 54 crimes per 1,000 people in 2021.

Rapper 50 Cent claimed Los Angeles is 'finished' after the city's zero bail policy was reinstated

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County removed cash bail to aid overcrowding issues.

Los Angeles' spiking crime rate has been a problem since the policy was put in place. In the downtown area there was a 25 percent increase in violent crime - such as rape and murder - in 2022 compared to 2019, according to USA Today.

In the Rancho Park neighborhood there was a 114 percent increase in violent crime between 2019 and 2022, according to the data.

Los Angeles police have blamed the rise in mental illness, an increase in drug use and homeliness that has overrun the city.

'But it's not only the unhoused population who is the victim of crime' councilwoman Traci Park told USA Today. 'Every day, people out in the neighborhoods or community, people working in local businesses, have been victimized, whether by assaults or armed robberies. It's pretty commonplace.'

Just weeks ago, LA County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ruled in favor of a group of six activists who brought a lawsuit against the county, alleging that the previous system favored the affluent.

All of the plaintiffs say they have been harmed under the cash bail system.

The plaintiffs testified that because they could not afford their bail, they missed work, causing their families to suffer.

Being jailed for even short periods of time may cause them to lose their jobs, their housing or custody of their children.

They suffer the harms of confinement in a jail cell even though a large portion of them will never be formally charged with any crime, let alone convicted, one section of the suit read.

Riff noted in his decision he felt that it was unconstitutional to keep people behind bars purely for the reason that they are in poverty is not a legal form of punishment.

The current ruling will remain in place for 60 days during which the city and county must develop as 'constitutionally sound, effective, concrete' plan to handle those arrested for minor offenses.

Those who commit a second crime while awaiting trial on other charges will be subjected to cash bail when they're rearrested.

The Yolo County District Attorney's Office said that the effects of the policy have been 'horrific.'

He told Fox News Digital: 'I mean, we have more people being shot at, stabbed, assaulted, robbed, beaten. These are real victims  and the numbers are staggering under zero bail.'

The ruling in May came just as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was accused of letting up to 10,000 cases to pile up and causing numerous prosecutors to quit.
A dozen homes in LA were evacuated on Saturday night after the houses appeared to be on the verge of collapse and about to tumble into the canyon behind them.

The foundations of homes situated along Peartree Lane in Rolling Hills Estates in LA County suddenly shifted following a major landslide.

Police, fire and utility company officials were on the scene Sunday to assist with the evacuation, which saw a total of 16 residents being forced to flee their homes.

The residents had 20 minutes to gather their things and get out, officials warned before access was restricted.

A dozen homes in the Los Angeles suburb of Rolling Hills were evacuated as they appeared to be on the verge of collapsing into a nearby canyon

Police, fire and utility company officials were on scene Sunday morning to assist with the evacuation of 16 residents who had 20 minutes to grab their possessions and leave

Residents in the area say they noticed cracking and popping sounds starting Thursday

Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn puts her hand to her mouth in shock as she surveys the damage

Hahn was on-site late Saturday night when news of the unstable homes came to light

Hahn, left, is seen speaking with residents who were evacuated from their homes

SoCal Edison shut off power in the area, and Southern California Gas Company crews were called in to make sure no gas lines had ruptured.

Residents in the area reported they started hearing cracking and popping noises as early as Thursday. The neighborhood was first built in 1978 and had been solid until this weekend.

'We thought something was amidst because all through the day and night we heard cracks in the house,' said one evacuated, Weber Yen. 'And then, you know, the frequency became more and more frequent.'

By Sunday afternoon, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the homes on Peartree Lane were 'completely destroyed.'

'This is just devastating for these residents,' she said.

By Sunday night the homes were essentially destroyed

A tape reads 'Danger Hazardous Material Do Not Enter' in front of a collapsed house in Rolling Hills Estates in Los Angeles, California

A collapsed house in Rolling Hills Estates in Los Angeles, California

A large landslide in Rolling Hills Estates this weekend forced the evacuation of 12 houses next to a canyon

The ordeal began when cracks were discovered in one of the homes, which then saw crews investigating other nearby structures.

Unfortunately, the damage appeared to spread from one home to the next leading all 12 to be evacuated.

'They discovered cracks along the structure of one building, and upon further investigation they realized that there were some cracks running through one home specifically, and it was progressing to the next home,' LA fire Captain Chiyoshi Hasegawa told KTLA.

'We got additional specialists to assess the situation, and after assessing the situation we realized there were 12 homes that had received damage either inside of their home or outside of the structure.'

Neighbors and firefighters look on at a collapsed house in Rolling Hills Estates in Los Angeles

Homeowners were left homeless after they were forced to evacuate shortly after a water leak was reported at around4pm on Saturday

Neighbors were left standing in shock after the collapse of 12 homes in the area

Other residents in the area are now concerned more evacuations may be enforced in days

Geologists are now conducting an investigation into what caused the landslide and subsequent collapse

'I was up actually, most of the night, worrying about what's going to happen,' said Mimi Borg to ABC 7. 'They told us that they would knock on our door if we had to be evacuated.'

One woman who lives on the street but whose home was not affected because it sits on the side opposite the canyon explained how she was woken up by the commotion.

'I was sleeping[I woke up to] a lot of noises and fire trucks, I was very concerned,' she said. 'Then I was up most of the night worrying about what's going to happen.

'My home is fine; we are on the ocean sideit's the canyon side that's having the problems. They told us they were not going to [evacuate us] if they didn't need to,' she added.

No injuries were reported. Geologists are now conducting an investigation into what caused the landslide.
The simple opening of a freeway extension spiralled into chaos after two Aboriginal elders clashed over who had the right to conduct the smoking ceremony.

Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, who is also Deputy Premier, and other officials were preparing to cut the ribbon at the new stretch of the $232million Mitchell Freeway, in Perth, on Sunday.

A smoking ceremony had been organised for the event with Whadjak Noongar man Steve Jacobs appointed the honour of carrying it out.

The ceremony was abruptly interrupted when another Indigenous man gatecrashed the event with an argument ensuing over who had the right to conduct it.

Footage of the stoush captured Ms Saffioti awkwardly watching on and appearing uncomfortable after a reporter questioned if she had picked the wrong person.

Whadjak Noongar man Steve Jacobs (pictured) was the transport department's choice to host the smoking ceremony

'I don't need these people coming out here thinking you fellas can say this, say that on this land,' the unknown Indigenous man shouted in footage captured by 7News.

'I don't need permission off you or anybody else. This is my country too,' Mr Jacobs replied.

Western Australia's Department of Main Roads said they did not know who the second man was and were unaware there was a potential disagreement.

'We were surprised,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

It was an awkward moment for Ms Saffioti who was seen hurriedly turning away to consult with an official while the two men bickered.

Later she declined to take sides when asked what she made of the row.

'It's very interesting because obviously there are a lot of different Aboriginal groups with history in this area,' she said.

'Did you pick the wrong one for the smoking ceremony?' 7News reporter Geofrey Parry asked.

'I understand that was all handled by the department so we will get through it,' Ms Saffioti replied.

A female Indigenous elder later stepped in to settle the dispute.

'You're included in this, alright?' she said.

'Doesn't seem like it. Nobody told us nothing,' the unknown man replied.

Eventually the ribbon cutting on the 5.6km extension went ahead on the much-anticipated stretch of road that was meant to open in 2022 but ended up well behind schedule because of Covid pandemic delays.

The new stretch of freeway was made ready for use overnight.

'Commuters in the area will be able to start driving in the early hours of the morning and start using this new section,' Ms Saffioti said.

The transport department said it was a surprised when an unknown man (pictured) turned up and disputed that the official smoking ceremony appointee was the correct representative of traditional owners

She said it could cut 15 minutes off the commute into the city from the northern suburbs depending on traffic flow.

The dispute over the smoking ceremony happened as controversial new Aboriginal heritage laws have come into effect in WA.

Under the change, many rivers, creeks and other tributaries will be considered ethnographic sites, requiring the highest level of assessment to change.

Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart in June launched a scathing attack on the legislation, claiming it cause havoc.

She predicted the new regulations will cause 'unintended consequences', with even the addition of a granny flat to a property being subject to delays.

'Many are concerned that some elements of this Act have not been consulted on broadly enough,' Ms Rinehard said in a Brisbane speech.

'There is a risk of unintended consequences, even property developers are raising concerns, not just the mining industry.

West Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti (pictured second from right) declined to weigh in on the smoking ritual conflict

'These unintended consequences could extend further too, with all West Australians who own a block larger than 1100sq/m needing to be aware of their potential obligations under the Act.

'[That] could involve additional assessment, permitting, plans and or approvals for various activities.'

She said anyone wanting to build a granny flat for ageing parents or for teenagers would have to comply with the new regulations if they move more than 20kg of soil.

Mrs Rinehart said the changes were 'carefully tailored' to protect voters of properties under 1000sq/m - the size of a traditional quarter-acre block.

Labor WA Premier Roger Cook defended the change and claimed those opposing, including Coalition member, were 'on the wrong side of history'.
The parents of a young actress who died after her blood clot symptoms were dismissed as 'anxiety' have said the spread of 'physician associates' will spark more tragedies in the future.

Emily Chesterton, 30, was seen by a physician associate (PA) at her appointment at the Vale Practice surgery in north London on October 31, 2022.

Her symptoms included calf pain, a swollen and hot leg, shortness of breath and she was finding it increasingly difficult to walk.

Emily, who was from Greater Manchester but had moved to London to pursue a career in acting, believed she had been seen by a GP - but instead a physician associate prescribed her propranolol medication for anxiety.

She collapsed later that evening and was rushed to hospital. However her heart had stopped beating and doctors could not save her life.

Emily Chesterton (pictured), 30, died after her blood clot symptoms were dismissed as 'anxiety'

A coroner concluded her life could have been saved if she had been to A&E and given a pulmonary embolism.

Emily's parents, Brendan and Marion Chesterton, who are 64 and retired teachers, have called for greater clarity on whether patients are seen by a GP or physician associate.

Mrs Chesterton, who described her daughter as a 'beautiful soul', told The Times that the family wanted 'to protect other families', stating: 'We want this never to happen to any more Emilys.'

Mr Chesterton said: 'We are concerned that patients are seeing physician associates and not realising that they are not doctors, like Emily.'

The role of physician associates is to support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients.

They have been brought in as an attempt to tackle staff shortages in the NHS as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

On the NHS careers website to describe the role, it states 'you'll work under the supervision of a doctor'.

The PA who saw Emily in October last year had not properly introduced herself and her role, leading Emily to believe she had received informed advice from a GP.

Actress Emily (pictured with her castmates) believed she had been seen by a GP - but in fact had discussed her symptoms with a physician associate

The PA's contract has since been terminated and the practice no longer employs PAs.

The coroner said Emily 'should have been immediately referred to a hospital emergency unit'.

They continued: 'If she had been on either occasion, the likelihood is she would have been treated for pulmonary embolism and would have survived.'

An NHS spokesperson said: 'As the Minister outlined in the Commons, patient safety lies at the heart of the NHS long-term workforce plan and the role of physician associates are a vitally important part of our staffing mix, with over 3,000 members of staff working in this role across the health service in England.

'Physician associates are qualified and trained health professionals usually with a bioscience-related degree, working alongside fully trained doctors as part of the care team.'
A senior bishop has hit out at plans to commercialise weddings and warned they will undermine the Christian meaning of marriage.

Bishop of Durham the Rt Rev Paul Butler said Law Commission proposals to modernise the ancient system by giving couples more choice were really aimed at opening up the weddings market.

He claimed they would only benefit people wanting to conduct new-style services for profit.

And he revealed that Church of England officials have already met with the Ministry of Justice, which is currently considering whether or not to implement the reforms, to make their anger clear.

Under the Law Commissions recommendations published a year ago, weddings in England and Wales would for the first time be regulated according to who conducts the services rather than where they take place.

The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, said Law Commission proposals to modernise the ancient system by giving couples more choice were really aimed at opening up the weddings market

It would mean couples could have a religious ceremony without holding it in a place of worship, conducted by an interfaith or atheist celebrant, or could sing hymns in a civil event.

Weddings could take places in forests, parks or on beaches, on expensive cruise ships or cheaper local venues like village halls.

But ministers have been put on notice that they face a clash with the established Anglican Church - which has already suffered a steep decline in wedding services in recent years - if they try to implement the plans.

Asked at this weekends gathering of the churchs parliament, the General Synod, what lobbying was taking place on the Law Commissions proposals, the Bishop of Durham replied: The fundamental problem is that they focused on the law surrounding weddings whilst explicitly refusing to engage with the meaning of marriage.

Consequently, their report was seriously deficient, suggesting, for example, that a wedding must be dignified without any notion of what that would mean or how it could be enforced.

The fundamental shift they called for was to move from a premises-based to a celebrant-based system. Whilst that approach works adequately in Scotland, the recommendations were clearly intended to open the weddings market more widely to commercial celebrants operating for profit.

He went on: However, His Majestys Government wishes to implement the recommendations of the report, and staff from FPL [the Churchs Faith and Public Life department] have already met the Ministry of Justice team and stressed our position.

A view of the Church of England pictured in London last month

We do not believe that every legal change must be resisted, but that the move to commercialise weddings is likely to undermine the Christian understanding of marriage.

In a recent written answer to Parliament, Justice Minister Mike Freer insisted no decisions had been taken yet.

He told MPs: The Law Commission report contains 57 recommendations for legislative reform. We are taking the time to fully consider the reports recommendations.

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. We will publish a response to the report in due course.
For nearly 25 years, the Daily Mail has worked passionately to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

It has been a long and often frustrating road. Of the 52,000 cases recorded each year, a fifth have already reached stage four  meaning it is often incurable.

It remains the most common of all cancers among men, with one in eight likely to be diagnosed at some point.

The reasons these figures are so stubbornly high are not hard to discern.

First, this pernicious disease is largely symptomless which makes it fiendishly difficult to diagnose early.

(Stock Photo) There is effectively a postcode lottery for men's survival prospects, with many hospitals in the South far outperforming those in the North and the Midlands

And despite great strides in breaking down embarrassment surrounding prostate cancer through the years, some men are still reluctant to submit themselves to highly intimate examinations or worry about potential side-effects treatment might bring.

More troublingly, we reveal today that there is effectively a postcode lottery for men's survival prospects, with many hospitals in the South far outperforming those in the North and the Midlands  a shameful imbalance in our health system which is responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths a year.

Which is why our End The Needless Prostate Deaths campaign is supporting the call by Soho House founder Nick Jones in Saturday's Mail for the NHS to offer all men over the age of 50 a free scan which can spot the cancer early.

As recent prostate cancer sufferer Mr Jones pointed out, such routine screening is responsible for huge improvements in breast cancer survival rates, made possible, of course, through increased resources.

That is not to say that a penny less should be spent fighting breast cancer. Quite the opposite, in fact.

But it's time we gave prostate cancer sufferers the same priority  and help prevent thousands of men dying needlessly from this silent killer.

A car crash of a policy

The decision by ministers to force electric cars on us by 2030 is beginning to look ever more reckless by the day.

As our Rethink The 2030 Petrol Car Ban campaign has shown, this ill thought-out policy was rushed through with no regard to either the costs or the logistics required to make such a radical transition.

Meanwhile, Britain's failure to properly invest in its own electric vehicle technology means the UK car market is likely to be flooded with more affordable Chinese imports for the foreseeable future.

By allowing Beijing's totalitarian regime such a hold over our car industry, we would be ceding not only economic power but, as MPs now warn, we may allow China to spy on us as we drive.

This pell-mell dash towards Net Zero may be well intentioned. But the Government must now take its foot off the accelerator.

Cut the tax burden

With a general election on the horizon and the country buckling from the heaviest tax burden in 70 years, a sensible government should be straining every sinew to lighten the load.

Or, at the very least, offer some hope that they plan to do so in the foreseeable future. So when Treasury minister Victoria Atkins announces that there isn't enough headroom even to consider cutting taxes right now, one really does begin to wonder if her party is suffering from some sort of death wish.

Voters aren't stupid. They understand the need for fiscal responsibility and getting our finances in order. But they also need hope that things will improve.

If the Conservatives can't even offer that, then they might as while quit while they're behind.
A landlord is being slammed for charging prospective renters to sleep in a 'studio apartment' without a stove and a bed crammed in the kitchen.

The single-room rental is located 'at the heart' of Melbourne's CBD and is being advertised at an asking price of $255 per week.

Priced at $255 per week, photos of the studio apartment show a double bed squeezed into the kitchen, alongside a sink, microwave, and a small fridge. A table and an office chair are awkwardly positioned at the foot of the bed.

One frustrated tenant took to a Facebook Group for renters to express their outrage, sharing images of the listing and pointing out that the room falls far below the minimum standards expected for rental properties in Melbourne.

The 'studio apartment' located in the heart of Melbourne's CBD has received major backlash after photos show a double bed crammed in the kicthen (pictured)

'Imagine living in a 'house' (room) where the only form of cooking is a microwave and you've got a mini fridge with nowhere for extra food space,' they wrote.

The social media user added they were not sure if the microwave was included and the entire apartment was smaller than their current bedroom.

The Consumer Affairs Victoria website outlines several minimum standards a property must meet before a renter is allowed to move in.

The standards are divided into 14 categories and apply to all rental agreements from March 29, 2021.

Rental properties must meet the standards across all 14 categories including rules for kitchens.

A rental property's kitchen must have a dedicated cooking and food preparation area, a sink in good working order connected to a reasonable supply of hot and cold water and a stovetop in good working order that has two or more burners.

Social media users said the apartment does not meet the minimum standards for rental properties. (pictured, Consumer Affairs Victoria website standards for rental kicthens)

It comes as Australian renters are in the trenches of the country's housing crisis as the number of 'outrageous' rentals increase by the day.

In June, a landlord raised eyebrows after listing a 'renovated' backyard shed for $350 a week.

The shack-like accommodation in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Croydon was advertised on Facebook.

The shed appeared a little worse for wear, despite the claims it had been renovated, and contained a grimy-looking bathroom.

Another particular detail that stuck out in the listing was the fact the new tenant would have to share the shed with another person - despite its tiny size.

Social media users were left stunned by the listing, and questioned who would want to live in it.

A dilapidated backyard shed being advertised as 'bungalow' and being offered for $300 rent per week

The kitchen area appears to be the most spruced-up part of the rental, and according to the ad offers 'all cooking amenities'

In February, a Sydney landlord advertised his enclosed high-rise balcony as a one- bedroom apartment for $300.

The strange ad read: 'New, quiet and clean apartment. Next to World Square, only five minutes' walk to Town Hall Station, China Town, UTS, Paddy's Market, Coles and Woolworths.

'All bills included, fast NBN Wi-Fi and... basic cleaning stuffs and cooking stuffs.'

The landlord then stated the tenant must stay in the cramped room for at least four months, give an $800 deposit and a '$200 bond key'.

National residential property rental vacancy rates remained steady over the month of May at 1.2 per cent, according to SQM Research.

The total number of rental vacancies rose slightly by 112 properties to 36,907 dwellings.

Only Darwin recorded a slight 0.2 per cent fall for the month, while Sydney recorded rises in rental vacancy rates to 1.5 per cent.

Vacancy rates remained steady in, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide at 1.2, 1.0 and 0.6 per cent, respectively.

Similarly, Perth, Canberra, and Hobart also maintained stable rental vacancy rates during the month at 0.6, 2.0 and 1.6 per cent.

Rental vacancy rates in the Sydney CBD, Melbourne CBD and Brisbane CBD also increased rapidly to 5.1, 3.7 and 2.0 per cent over May.

A landlord in Sydney previously asked $300 a week for a balcony he'd turned into a makeshift 'apartment' (Pictured: the Facebook advert for the room)

Over the past 30 days to 12 June, the capital city asking rents rose by 0.6 per cent with the 12- month rise standing at 19.4 per cent.

Managing Director of SQM Research Louis Christopher said Australia's rental industry is 'very much a landlord's market'.

'While there has been some easing in rental conditions especially in regional Australia, it is still very much a landlord's market for most capital cities,' Mr Christopher said.

'We note though the recent increases in CBD rental vacancy rates. Especially for the Sydney CBD. We will keep noting such areas so tenants can continue to understand areas that may now be experiencing relatively less rental stress.'
A frail widow who suffered a fall died after waiting 34 hours to be admitted to hospital, an inquest heard.

Grandmother-of-six Mary Jones, 86, had to wait 26 hours for an ambulance - then spent more than eight hours longer inside the vehicle outside a hospital waiting to be triaged.

Her treatment was branded 'unacceptable in this day and age' by senior coroner for North West Wales, Kate Robertson.

And her son David Jones said the delays by the ambulance service and hospital run by a failing health board were 'a symptom of a system that is broken'.

Ms Robertson recorded a narrative conclusion that Mrs Jones, a retired legal secretary, of Porthmadog, died from natural causes contributed to by a fall.

Grandmother-of-six Mary Jones (pictured), 86, had to wait 26 hours for an ambulance - then spent more than eight hours longer inside the vehicle outside a hospital waiting to be triaged

Gill Pleming, a service manager with the Welsh Ambulance Service, said available ambulances were at incidents or outside hospitals, waiting to hand over patients. There were also 'pressures' on the emergency department at Ysbyty Gwynedd (pictured), Bangor, which led to the wait outside

But she accepted evidence from a doctor that it was 'possible' the huge delay had an adverse impact on Mrs Jones.

Dr Sion Jones, consultant physician, told the inquest the delay 'may have indirectly contributed' to her death.

Ms Robertson said: 'Irrespective of that, a delay of 26 hours is unacceptable in this day and age.

'That's compounded by a further eight hours 23 minutes on the back of an ambulance.

'I would imagine all doctors and nurses would agree treatment on the back of an ambulance isn't optimal and not always comfortable for the particular patient.'

Sending a Prevention of Future Deaths to be issued within the Welsh NHS - and a copy to the Labour Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan - she called for 'long-standing' problems causing the delays, such as hospital capacity, to be addressed.

The coroner added: 'I simply can't ignore the fact we have an over 26 hours delay here to a person in their 80s.'

The inquest, held on Friday in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, heard Mrs Jones had the fall on December 4 and an initial 999 call was made at 10am that day. It took two further calls, that afternoon and the next day, before an ambulance was dispatched.

Gill Pleming, a service manager with the Welsh Ambulance Service, said available ambulances were at incidents or outside hospitals, waiting to hand over patients.

Sending a Prevention of Future Deaths to be issued within the Welsh NHS - and a copy to the Labour Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan (pictured) - she called for 'long-standing' problems causing the delays, such as hospital capacity, to be addressed

There were also 'pressures' on the emergency department at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, which led to the wait outside. The hospital is run by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which was put into special measures five months ago after years of poor performance.

Mrs Jones died at the hospital on January 14. A CT scan had showed she had fractures and her condition had deteriorated, the inquest was told.

Speaking after the inquest, her son David Jones, 56, said: 'I recognise that the health service is under extreme pressure and the delay in the ambulance attending is a symptom of a system that is broken elsewhere.'

He suggested investment in social services would allow patients to be released from hospital and 'unlock the logjam'.

Mr Jones, 56, general manager of a heritage railway, said his mother, who should have been 'a higher priority given the age and frailty' had been in agony at times - when she had to be moved - while waiting for help.
The daughter of a man who died after falling from a shipping container early Sunday morning has revealed her family's despair at losing 'the best man in all our lives'.

Victorian man Troy Kellett, 43, died after falling several metres from the container at a premises on Coghlan Road, Outer Harbor, Adelaide at around 12.30am on Sunday.

'R.I.P dad. My heart's broken,' his daughter Demi Deksnis wrote to social media.

'I keep thinking you're going to pull up in the driveway any minute now.'

Ms Deksnis said Mr Kellett was a great father to her and her siblings.

'Thank you for always being the best man in all our lives I couldn't have asked for a better dad,' she wrote.

Demi Deksnis (pictured), the daughter of a man who died after falling from a shipping container in the early hours of Sunday has written about her despair

Victorian man Troy Kellett (pictured), 43, died after falling several metres from a shipping container around 12.30am on Sunday

'You deserved the world and more and I'm so sorry it all got taken away from you so soon.

'I will look after the boys for you and make sure little man knows he had the best dad. Love you always.'

Mr Kellett's death is not being treated as suspicious by police, who administered first aid at the scene before he was pronounced dead.

It's understood he was not an employee at the site.

The incident happened at a premises on Coghlan Road (pictured), Outer Harbor, Adelaide.

Two men were arrested in the vicinity and charged with firearms offences, but the police said this was 'unrelated' to Mr Kellett's death.

The men were charged with possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing a firearm without a license.

They were refused police bail to appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.
A city centre military parade featuring marching soldiers, tanks and a priest has gone viral online, with some comparing the show of strength to North Korea and others calling it 'terrifying'.

Soldiers from the 1st Armoured Regiment, accompanied by two Abrams battle tanks, marched from the Torrens Parade Ground to St Peters Cathedral in Adelaide on Saturday.

The ceremony marked the transfer of command and the relocation of the regiment's sacred flag from Lone Pine Chapel at Robertson Barracks in Darwin.

The 1st Armoured Regiment transferred last year from the 1st Brigade in the Northern Territory to the 9th Brigade in South Australia.

A 7News report on the parade has been viewed more than 1.3million times already, but some commentators took great offence at the display.

Soldiers from the 1st Armoured Regiment, accompanied by two Abrams battle tanks (pictured), marched from the Torrens Parade Ground to St Peters Cathedral in Adelaide

A city centre military parade (pictured) featuring marching soldiers, tanks and a priest has gone viral online, with some comparing the show of strength to North Korea

'Lovely bit of casually-encountered weekend trauma for anyone who's ever been brutalised by authority. Nice,' author Maxine Beneba Clarke wrote on Twitter.

Researcher and journalist Claire Connelly was so astonished at the military parade, she asked 'Am I the only person who finds this terrifying?'

The Army chaplains who marched alongside the soldiers were slammed in some quarters for doing so.

'Beyond disgusting,' wrote minister and writer Rev Dr Stephanie Dorwick.

'And that priest person marching alongside the tanks?!! Doesn't he know Jesus came to teach inclusion and peace? Military displays have no place in Australia.'

There was also a backlash to the backlash, with one commenter writing 'I guarantee you'll be speaking differently when there's a Chinese soldier knocking on your door.

'You only have the privilege to say those comments because people sacrificed their lives for your freedom.'

Some commenters (such as the one pictured) took great offence at the military display

Others (including the tweet pictured) compared the march to casually encountering trauma

One cleric (pictured) was offended by the presence of other clerics in the Adelaide parade

Another wrote 'I personally find it comforting and hoping they haven't stripped the Lads of all their masculinity cause God help us if war ever comes back to our shores.'

A third said they preferred 'the time of the Crusades. Back then, you couldn't make fun of Christians and get away with it.

'Now it's the only religion you can insult in a comedy skit, and vilify at every turn. So any priest with A1M1 Abrams tanks has my (support).'

The 1st Armoured Regiment transferred last year from the 1st Brigade in the Northern Territory to the 9th Brigade in South Australia

As well as tanks and soldiers, there was also a marching band (pictured) in the parade

But the naysayers did not let up, with one saying 'A priest leads troops and tanks down an Australian street.

'This is horrifying. How dare you promote such nationalism and aggressive behaviour. Shameful.'

Another wrote: 'A ceremony to relocate a regiment's "sacred flags" to Adelaide, with a robed religious figure leading an army parade, complete with tanks rolling down main street.

'Are we in some kind of creeping military theocracy stage of our history? This is just bizarre.'

The ceremony marked the transfer of command and the relocation of the regiment's sacred flag (pictured) from Lone Pine Chapel at Robertson Barracks in Darwin.

The religious aspect to the military parade in Adelaide (pictured) has been criticised by many

The parade's defenders did not let up either, though, insisting the parade should be celebrated, not mocked.

'Needs to be more of this, martial pride makes a nation great in the eyes of its citizens and the world,' one wrote.

Another praised the city where the march was held and wished similar events could be held on the east coast.

'Well done to Adelaide here  we need this in the Sydney CBD  a tank squadron will get a sense of urgency into the very slow light rail that runs down George Street,' said one.
Prince Harry has admitted to past drug use, which could be used to bar US entry

The US government has refused to reveal details of Prince Harry's American visa application due to his 'right to privacy,' documents have revealed.

The Department of Homeland Security for a second time turned down a Freedom of Information Act request to reveal the material.

It was made by the Heritage Foundation think-tank to see if Harry lied in immigration paper-work about past drug-taking.

Harry admitted to consuming illegal substances in his memoir Spare and his Netflix show, a fact that usually bars US entry unless there is special dispensation.

The DHS rejected an initial request. It said even though Harry was a 'public figure' that does not mean he would 'forfeit all rights of privacy.'

Prince Harry appearing at the High Court in London. The US government has now refused to reveal details of Prince Harry's American visa application due to his 'right to privacy,' documents have revealed

This is the section of the visa application that Prince Harry would have had to fill in order to get into the United States

The royal couple- Harry and Meghan Markle, are pictured together in September 2017

Prince Harry declined to comment.

In June, it was reported that Lawyers for the Heritage Foundation went to court to try and force the Department of Homeland Security to speed up its response to their Freedom of Information Act request about the Duke of Sussex.

Judge Carl Nichols refused to issue an injunction, urging the U.S. government to give an answer to the conservative think-tank one way or the other.

Its lead attorney Samuel Dewey shared a letter from DHS senior director Jimmy Wolfrey in which he refused to confirm or deny that had the Duke's papers on file.

In an angry statement posted online, the Heritage Foundation's Nile Gardiner hit out at the decision.

'This argument makes no sense, but is not surprising coming from the zero transparency Biden Administration,' Gardiner said.

Prince Harry admitted to taking drugs in his memoir Spare, which was released at the start of the year

'The Department of Homeland Securitys efforts to stonewall the Heritage Foundations Freedom of Information request are unacceptable, and we will be contesting their position,' the former senior aide to ex-British PM Margaret Thatcher added.

In his book Spare, Harry admitted to previously taking marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have positioned themselves as public figures in the U.S. since stepping back from the British Royal Family in 2020.

An admission of drug use does not automatically ban you from the United States.

Any denial of entry can be overturned after an in-person interview at a US consulate or official immigration office, where a waiver can be issued.

There is a history of authorities releasing immigration documents about public figures.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website has an electronic reading room which contains the files of some celebrities.
A UFO-hunting Harvard astrophysicist who recovered meteor fragments that may prove alien life exists has been accused of stealing it by Papua New Guinea.

Professor Avi Loeb announced last month he and his team had successfully recovered fragments of the IM1 meteor that plunged to the Earth in January 2014 and ended up in the sea off Manus Island 260 miles from Papua New Guinea.

Loeb has mused that the fragments could be 'technological in origin' although other scientists believe the speculation is premature, the Sunday Times reported.

The removal of the scientific marvel has left Papua New Guinea officials enraged many accusing the team of bypassing the conventional licensing channels and removing the foreign object without clear agreement on the benefits such a discovery would have for the country.

UFO chasing Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb (left) and his team including Amir Siraj (right) who recovered meteor fragments that may prove alien life exists has been accused of stealing and not having the correct scientific research permits for retrieval

'We've been cheated,' George Penua Polon, deputy administrator of Manus, Province told the outlet.

'They came here, no one knew about it and now they've gone. What have they found? Does it have value? Do we have rights over it? If it's scientific research, how are our scientific institutions going to benefit?'

Tiny metal fragments recovered from the interstellar object appear 'artificial in origin,' some have claimed.

While new lab analysis of the metal spheres revealed they are 'anomalous' and stronger than any observed meteor produced by nature, according to Loeb.

The meteor was detected by American spy satellites when the kitchen sink-sized foreign body entered the Earth's atmosphere on January 8, 2014.

Loeb was able to narrow the estimated point at which it hit the sea using seismograph readings taken on Manus and spent two weeks trawling the seabed.

The team found 50 spherules  metallic beads measuring 0.1mm to 0.7mm in diameter believed to be from the meteor.

The specimens were taken to be analyzed in the United States. Even if they turn out not to be alien, could be important as the meteor originates from outside our solar system.

'The discovery of material from an interstellar meteor would be an enormous scientific achievement,' Amir Siraj, one of Loeb's collaborators, wrote in the magazine Scientific American.

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb (third from left) and Harvard-trained physicist Amir Siraj (right) worked with their Galileo team to gently removed iron samples from the magnetic sled

'To put it in context, an optimistic estimate for the time it would take to fetch a similar sample from the nearest star system is comparable to the age of our species. By contrast, nature may have delivered an interstellar gift to our cosmic doorstep, which has taken us less than a decade to retrieve.'

The team has been slammed and accused of sidestepping the procedures required to carry out such work.

According to Papua New Guinea's National Research Institute, who coordinates research applications from overseas scientists, Loeb's team did not contact them.

The team arrived on business visas rather than special exemption visas that are typically issued to scientists.

The ocean affairs department of the attorney general's office was allegedly still processing an application from the team after they returned to the U.S., according to Polon.

Rob McCallum, an experienced ocean explorer and expedition leader, said the team had applied for a marine science research permit but this doesn't cover objects from space.

They also tried to submit a document to the cabinet of Papua New Guinea but were redirected to the PNG University of Technology where one of their scientists accompanied the team.

'This is a unique project. It aims to locate, retrieve and study material that literally fell from the sky,' McCallum said.

'Current permitting procedures focus on the extraction of existing biological or geological material, which this is not.

'This research recovered grains of sand that are from outside of the area/PNG/Earth and have no known economic or commercial value.'

PNG National Research Institute's Wilson Thompson said 'It may not have economic value, but it has cultural and intellectual value.'

'It is part of our country's history. If [an alien craft] fell into Papua New Guinea it would be remarkable and very significant for us.'

A senior official from the immigration department speaking to the Sunday Times suggested the team potentially broke the law by removing 'rare objects.'

'It may be illegal,' he said. 'Hence, those scientists can be charged criminally.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Loeb for comment on the matter, but spoke to him previously - when the scientist was ecstatic by the discovery.

With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered 6.2 square-miles (16 sq-km) of ocean near Manus Island, the team was then able to scrape the deep ocean floor with a large magnetic 'sled' (above)  both along IM1's path and several 'control' regions

A Harvard duo recovered 50 unusual iron spheres after tracking down the unidentified object, known as IM1, off the coast of Papua New Guinea last week as part of a $ 1.5 million underwater search mission

He told DailyMail.com in the wake of the extraction: 'This composition is anomalous compared to human-made alloys, known asteroids and familiar astrophysical sources.'

Loeb and Siraj argue their new results support the likelihood that IM1 was 'artificial in origin' - and have refused to rule out that it was part of an 'interstellar spacecraft' made by aliens.

Siraj, who first discovered IM1, told DailyMail.com: 'It's really important to continue pushing the boundary in terms of destigmatizing the search for extraterrestrial life.

'If you don't consider a possibility, you usually won't discover something new.'

IM1 withstood four times the pressure that would typically destroy an ordinary iron-metal meteor  as it hurtled through Earth's atmosphere at 100,215 miles per hour.

Iron is already the principal ingredient in the toughest known kinds of natural meteors, so the Harvard duo has theorized that there must be something highly unusual about how the object came to be made.

And now a battery of tests on the recovered IM1 fragments, conducted at Berkeley, has proven that their chemical make-up is almost entirely iron: strong evidence in favor of the Harvard team's most controversial theories about the object.

Professor Loeb told this website: 'More than 95 percent of all meteorites contain iron-nickel metal. As a consequence, meteorites have concentrations of nickel that are much greater than that of nearly any terrestrial rock.'

The Berkeley lab's new analysis of the IM1 spheres (examples pictured) now shows that the object was likely almost entirely composed of iron, which Harvard astrophysicist and Galileo Project founder Avi Loeb noted is unlike any meteors or asteroids known to man

With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered these 6.2 square-miles of ocean (marked in orange above), the team then scraped the deep ocean floor with a meter-wide magnetic 'sled.' They made 'Runs' (green lines above) along both IM1's path and 'control' areas

In contrast to these standard iron-nickel meteorites, the IM1 fragments contained only 'negligible' amounts of nickel, alongside other 'trace elements,' according to a preliminary statement supplied to DailyMail.com over the weekend.

Trace elements, in this kind of scientific analysis, means any chemical compound or atomic element that is present only in vanishingly small quantities, lower than 100-parts-per-million.

The Harvard team took care to ensure that the 50 spherical iron fragments dredged up from over a mile below the surface of the Pacific were, in fact, actual remnants from IM1.

First, Siraj narrowed down the final trajectory of IM1 as it burst into flames on its way toward the ocean, tracking its airbursts with US Department of Defense satellite data and local seismometers set up to monitor earthquakes and volcanic activity.

With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered 6.2 square-miles (16 sq-km) of ocean near Manus Island, the team was then able to scrape the deep ocean floor with a large magnetic 'sled'  both along IM1's path and several 'control' regions.

The control regions served as a control to make sure more iron spheres spheres had not found their way onto the ocean floor via some event unrelated to IM1's fall to Earth.

'The spherules were mostly found along the expected meteor path,' the Galileo team said in the preliminary statement.

The unusual iron composition of the spheres, they report, 'indicate a common source' which they argue is 'different from background spherules found in control regions.'

The iron composition of IM1's fragments are 'anomalous' according Harvard physicist Avi Loeb compared to human-made alloys, known asteroids and familiar astrophysical sources. IM1 was unlike 95 percent of all meteorites, which contain iron-nickel metal

Siraj  who told DailyMail.com that he traveled 50 hours across four connecting flights to join the expedition from his sister's wedding in the English countryside  said the chances of successfully locating IM1's remains had been quite low.

As IM1 burst into flames above the Pacific in 2014, the unique metallic properties of molten iron raining down through the atmosphere formed 10-700 micron droplets as small or smaller than grains of table salt

'Looking for a needle in a haystack is way easier than what we were trying to do,' Siraj said via phone.

'It's the world's most unforgiving haystack.'

Two factors, however, did play to their advantage, Siraj noted.

First, the ocean depth of the impact zone, about 20 miles north of Manus Island off the coast of Papau New Guinea, raised the likelihood that settled fragments of IM1 could have remained 'unperturbed for a decade' ever since IM1's splashdown on January 8, 2014.

Second, as IM1 burst into flames above the Pacific, the unique properties of molten iron the metal rained down through Earth's atmosphere was scientifically known to form droplets about 10-700 microns thick, as small as, or smaller, than grains of table salt.

Professor Loeb has courted controversy, as well as millions in independent financing, over his quest to identify outer space materials like this  material that could serve as physical evidence or artifacts of an alien civilization probing our solar system.

Last year, in March of 2022, scientists and classified tech with US Space Command confirmed Professor Loeb and Siraj's 2019 calculations on IM1's interstellar trajectory, reporting in an official letter to NASA that they were 99.999 percent sure the object came from outside our solar system.

The Galileo Project's critics in the world of astronomy and astrophysics had expressed skepticism over the notions that IM1 might be interstellar or composed of entirely iron metal, but on both of these details, their skeptics have been proven wrong.

Professor Loeb and his team have learned that iron is the 'dominant constituent' of the IM1 spheres' chemical make-up thanks, first, to some initial on-ship analysis and, now, the new, more thorough analysis conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.

The findings are a solid rebuke to astrophysicists with Canada's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, who argued that their computer modeling of IM1's behavior before impact 'strongly argues against an iron object.'

Siraj expressed confusion at the Canadian institute's approach to their IM1 analysis.

'Instead of concluding that their model might be incomplete,' Siraj told DailyMail.com, 'because it's trained on meteors with much, much lower material strengths, they concluded that the data must be wrong.'

'The logic is a little bit confounding,' he said.

Currently, IM1 is ranked first in terms of material strength out of all 273 fireballs in NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) meteor catalog.

Siraj expressed hope that further work on IM1 will help destigmatize research in new fields of science, not just the search for extraterrestrial life.

'Interstellar objects themselves shouldn't be controversial,' Siraj said, 'but they're sometimes perceived as controversial because it's a new field.'

The new analysis at Berkeley came via the assistance of nuclear scientist Ryan Weed, an active duty US Air Force test pilot whose physics research involves novel propulsion systems.

Galileo's IM1 samples were tested via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to better determine whether or not its ratio of iron isotopes matched what's typically found in our solar system  or if the isotopes were themselves 'anomalous.'

The 50 iron spheres recovered from the Pacific (above) were analyzed at Berkeley in a lab. They were shown to be 'anomalous'

The Berkeley tests also included an analysis of the microscopic shape details, or 'morphology,' of the spheres using a scanning electron microscope; as well as a deeper investigation into the sphere's chemical make-up via energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.

Although more work remains to be done with the data collected from all this equipment, the Galileo team reports that the results, so far, 'hint at the interstellar origin suggested by the measured IM1 velocity,' as first calculated by Siraj in 2019 and proven by US Space Force in 2022.

Although the behavior and fragments of IM1 do not resemble the vast majority of known meteors and asteroids, Professor Loeb and Siraj noted that they must consider at least one possible means by which IM1 could have been naturally made by the cosmos.

Distant supernovae, exploding stars at the end of their existence, have been theorized to launch iron-rich 'bullets,' as suggested by past radio and x-ray observations by astronomers, including Professor Loeb in the early 1990s.

IM1 could still prove to be a highly unusual, but natural iron bullet launched from an exploding star.

'The fundamental question is whether the meteor was natural or technological in origin,' according to Professor Loeb. 'We hope to answer this question by further analysis of its isotopic composition and radioactive dating.'

But IM1 was not the only object that Siraj and Professor Loeb discovered that showed an interstellar trajectory.

Professor Loeb said that either IM1 or the second object, IM2, the third strongest meteor in NASA's CNEOS fireball catalogue, may 'move fast and are tough because they are artificial in origin, namely chemically-propelled interstellar spacecraft.'

The objects, Professor Loeb said, could be 'like our own interstellar probes, but launched a billion years ago.'

Siraj told DailyMail.com that he is even more optimistic about the potential success with their second hunt for physical evidence from an interstellar object.

IM2, he said, was much larger than IM1, at eight-times the mass, and it was traveling much more slowly through Earth's atmosphere when in splashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal.

'There's a higher chance of finding larger fragments from that one,' Siraj said, because less of IM2 had a chance to melt away at its size and speed.

The Galileo Project will 'hopefully' be dredging up samples from this second interstellar object, he said, 'within the next couple of years.'
North Korea has today threatened to shoot down any American spy planes caught violating its airspace and slammed President Joe Biden's plans to dispatch a nuclear-armed submarine near the Korean peninsula.

Against the backdrop of dictator Kim Jong Un's increased nuclear weapons testing programme, a spokesperson for the North's Ministry of National Defense said the US has 'intensified espionage activities beyond the wartime level' with 'provocative' flights made by US spy aircraft over eight straight days this month.

They added that one reconnaissance plane had intruded into its airspace over the East Sea 'several times', with the warning also coming after the US flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers near the peninsular in joint drills with South Korea.

'There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea,' the spokesperson said in a statement, carried by the state Korean Central News Agency.

The spokesperson cited past incidents when Pyongyang shot down US aircraft, and warned the US would pay for its 'frantically staged' air espionage.

North Korea has today threatened to shoot down any American spy planes caught violating its airspace and slammed President Joe Biden's plans to dispatch a nuclear-armed submarine near the Korean peninsula. Pictured: Dictator Kim Jong Un is seen in Pyongyang, April 10

Washington said in April that it would send a nuclear-armed ballistic submarine to make the first visit to a South Korean port in decades, without specifying the timing. Pictured: A nuclear-powered submarine is seen at a naval base in Busan, South Korea, June 16

The statement also slammed the planned deployment of US strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula as 'the most undisguised nuclear blackmail' to North Korea, saying it posed a grave threat to regional and global security.

'The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the U.S. provocative military action,' it read.

Washington said in April that it would send a nuclear-armed ballistic submarine to make the first visit to a South Korean port in decades, without specifying the timing.

North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and in May attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has ramped up defense cooperation with Washington in response, staging joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and high-profile US strategic assets.

North Korea's pursuit of reliable nuclear weapons has taken on new urgency after it test flew more than 100 missiles and openly threatened to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the US since the start of last year

In April, South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and Biden ( who is currently in London, pictured July 10) announced plans to reinforce their countries' deterrence capabilities

Yoon is set to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania this week, seeking stronger cooperation with NATO members over North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, his office said.

Ahead of the visit, he said: 'Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the international community's determination to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is stronger than North Korea's desire to develop nuclear weapons.'

It is the second consecutive year that Mr Yoon will take part in the summit, underscoring his push to deepen ties with the world's biggest military alliance.

South Korea faces a mix of security challenges, including North Korea's nuclear programme and the US-China strategic rivalry.

Last year, he became the first South Korean leader to attend a NATO summit when he took part in Spain.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press ahead of his departure, Mr Yoon said South Korea will stress at the NATO meeting the importance of international co-operation against 'North Korea's illegal acts'.

He also said a new NATO-South Korean document will take effect at the summit to institutionalize co-operation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity.

North Korea has threatened to shoot down any US reconnaissance planes violating its air space (a US U2 reconnaissance plane is pictured landing at a base in South Korea in 2016)

North Korea's pursuit of reliable nuclear weapons has taken on new urgency after it test flew more than 100 missiles and openly threatened to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the US since the start of last year.

In response to North Korea's missile tests, Mr Yoon, a conservative who took office in 2022, took steps to beef up his country's own missile capability and expand military drills with the United States.

In April, Mr Yoon and Biden (who is currently in London) announced plans to reinforce their countries' deterrence capabilities.

This included the periodic docking of a US nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea and the establishment of a new bilateral nuclear consultative group, whose inaugural meeting is slated for next week in Seoul.
Hong Kong's biobank receives int'l accreditation

Xinhua) 15:38, July 10, 2023

HONG KONG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)'s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) on Monday announced that its CU-Med Biobank has received international accreditation, noting the achievement is expected to help Hong Kong become a key regional hub of biomedical research.

The CU-Med Biobank set up in 2019 recently received international accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), which is an endorsement of its high standards, the CUHK said in a statement.

Together with one in South Korea, the CU-Med Biobank is one of only two biobanks that fulfil the required international standards in the Asia-Pacific region, according to it.

The CU-Med Biobank will be a driving force for the development of biomedicine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and lead Hong Kong to become an important biomedical research hub in the region, said the CUHK.

According to it, to develop new drugs or pioneer new diagnostic technologies requires both software and hardware, and one prerequisite is possessing of a biobank.

Francis Chan, dean of medicine and head of the Steering Committee of CU-Med Biobank at CU Medicine, said that the standard of biobanking determines not only the quality of academic research but also the potential capability for new drug development.

"Our achievement can help attract collaborations from top global scientific research teams and multinational pharmaceutical companies. This international accreditation will provide CU Medicine with valuable credibility that will allow us to work with Hong Kong's Hospital Authority and transform Hong Kong into the hub for research and new drug development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Chan said.

The CU-Med Biobank was built at the Prince of Wales Hospital of Hong Kong. A biobank is an essential facility for the systematic storage of clinical data and bio-specimens, which includes a set of strict management systems for handling diverse biological samples and precise multi-omics analysis.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
An 87-year-old man shot dead in New York City by a crazed gunman who fired from a moped was on his way to pray at his local mosque when he was killed.

Homod Ali Saeidi was en route to services in Queens on Saturday morning when he was allegedly shot by Thomas Abreu, 25. Authorities said a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was used in the attack that left three others hurt.

Abreu now faces one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and six other gun charges.

Saeidi's son, Ahmed Alsaedi, described his father as a man who, despite his age, was in terrific physical shape, running three to four miles a day. His death comes as a shock.

'My heart is broken, my family is all devastated,' Alsaedi said Sunday. 'We can't believe something like that would happen to an 86-year-old man. It's terrible.'

Homod Ali Saeidi, 86, was on his way to services in Queens Saturday morning when he was shot on Jamaica Avenue by a gunman since identified as Thomas Abreu

Abreu was pictured in cuffs as he faces one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and six other gun charges

Saedi's daily routine included his run before a visit to a local park and then off to the mosque, his son told the New York Post.

Alsaedi's father emigrated to America from Yemen in 1962 to build a life for himself, eventually bringing over his entire family, his son said.

The father-of-six was set to return to his native Yemen next week for a family trip, Alsaedi said.

He worked in the United States as a farmer before eventually owning grocery stores and working in real estate prior to his retirement.

'He's a cheerful guy,' Alsaedi said. 'He liked to joke a lot. He has a lot of friends.'

The son also criticized New York City's crime problem, believing that officers had their hands tied from stopping Abreu.

'The system right now, it needs to be reevaluated because crime in New York City is just unbelievable,' he said.

'Every day it's deteriorating. So hopefully the mayor, the commissioner or the governor will do something about it and try to get more power to police,' he added. 'Because right now crime is going up, up, up.'

Saedi was killed in the Saturday shooting that left three others hurt

The 9mm pistol used in the shooting was recovered by police (pictured)

Surveillance footage shows the moped-riding gunman who terrorized New York City's neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn on Saturday morning

A broken window is seen in Queens after the gunman rode his moped, opening fire at random

The crashed moped is seen in a NYPD handout

New York City Police are seen at the scene of Saturday's shooting in Queens moments after the gunman opened fire

Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny of the NYPD Detective Bureau said they believe the weapon used in the attack was a 'ghost gun', with its serial number removed.

'We have not found a serial number on the gun,' Kenny said.

'We're trying to determine whether it's defaced, or possibly a ghost gun. That'll come out later on in our investigation.'

Kenny said Abreu was 'not targeting anybody.'

He added: 'He's not following anybody. As he's driving on his scooter, he's randomly shooting people.'

The first shooting happened around 11am on Saturday in the Cypress Hills district of Brooklyn, where the gunman shot and injured a 21-year-old man in the shoulder.

Abreu then crossed over into the borough of Queens, and at 11:30am shot the 86-year-old man in the back near a nail salon in the Richmond Hill district.

Less than ten minutes later, Abreu opened fire again on 134th Street, shooting one man.

The gunman's moped is seen near Jamaica train station in Queens on Saturday afternoon

Abreu shot and wounded his third victim at 11:35am at 126th Street and Hillside Avenue, hitting him in the face and leaving him in a critical condition.

The gunman's fourth and final victim - a 63-year-old man - was shot in the shoulder shortly after.

Abreu was stopped by police just after 1pm near the Jamaica train station, on Sutphin Blvd. and 94th Avenue.

He was recognized after an image of the gunman was sent to every officer's cellphone.

Edward Caban, the acting commissioner of the NYPD, thanked the officers involved in detaining the gunman and said the motive was unclear.

Abreu had one prior arrest for a traffic violation.

'A firearm was recovered in the scooter - a 9 mm pistol and extended magazine,' said Caban.

'Given the violence this person was going to carry out, I want to extend my deepest thanks to all the men and women in the NYPD.'
A Canadian man living in Australia was shocked by how high the wage for retail workers is compared to his home and the US.

In a video on Saturday, the worker said he's been looking for a job in Australia but expected to struggle with low hourly rates.

'Before moving to Australia, I knew the minimum wage was high, but I didn't know it was this high,' he said.

'Right now I'm looking for work, and I went into a retail place, and I was asking how much they get paid.

'For their casual work, they get paid $31 an hour.

'That's insane. That's $28 Canadian or, in US dollars, it's $21 an hour.'

A Canadian worker (above) said he was shocked by how 'high' Australia's minimum wage is

The minimum wage in Australia was lifted this year to AUD$23.23 per hour.

In Canada minimum wage is CAD$16.65 per hour, about AUD$18.80, while in the US federal minimum is USD$7.25 per hour, about AUD$10.90.

'Imagine working at Walmart and making $28 an hour in Canadian [dollars],' he said.

'In Canada, most likely you'd probably be making $15 or $16 an hour.

'I don't know what it is in the US but it's crazy here [in Australia] how much they pay people for labour.

'The whole work around casual and stuff is insane.'

In a second video, he better explained why the wage in Australia is higher than in Canada.

The worker said he applied for a retail job where the hourly pay was $31 per hour, significantly higher than the pay for similar jobs in Canada

'They have a huge labour shortage here in Australia so everyone's working for $28 an hour to $29,' he said.

'In some places, if you have experience, [pay] can be $31 to $33 an hour.

'It's crazy how much you can get if you have experience like as a barista, say.

'Back in Canada, if you're a barista and you have experience you'd maybe be getting $16 to $17 an hour.

'Whereas here if you're an experienced barista and you're good at your job, you can command $30 to $31 an hour which is absolutely crazy.'

However, hundreds of commenters were less than impressed with his explanation with many accusing him of 'not telling the whole story'.

'These wages are nothing compared to cost of living,' one wrote.

'Yeah but our cost of living is about $30 an hour,' another said.

'You have to sell two kidneys to buy a house [in Australia],' a third wrote.

Another commenter said: 'Yes but our cost of living in Australia is significantly high!'

The Canadian replied: 'Actually not too bad. If you lived in Toronto or Vancouver it would be more than Melbourne.'

The Canadian (above) also shot down claims the high wage is evened out by high cost of living prices, arguing living in Toronto or Vancouver is more expensive than Melbourne

Dozens of Aussies agreed with the worker and praised unions for fighting for better pay rates.

'Everyone saying cost of living is high, guess what it's high everywhere!,' one said.

'We have good unions here,' another wrote.

'Probably why they have ads here in Canada for tradesmen over in Australia. Nobody wants to work a hard job if they can just work at Walmart,' a third said.
A senior advisor to the Labor Government on the Voice to Parliament is seeking 'reparations and land' for Indigenous Australians - and declared in January that every Aboriginal elder in NSW should be living 'rent-free'.

Teela Reid, a lawyer, Wiradjuri woman and public speaker, also once described the proposal to change the constitution as a 'journey with all Australians to demolish the systems that continue to oppress us'.

However, Ms Reid - who sits on the government's Voice to Parliament Referendum Engagement Group - says she is not 'radical', despite her views.

Ms Reid has said she is 'concerned by the conservatism of [her] profession' and urged lawyers across Australia to support the Voice in a wide-ranging interview for YouTube.

She also called for strong activism she likened to the push for communism in the 1970s.

In March 2021, Teela Reid participated in a panel alongside fellow Voice architect Thomas Mayo for Search Foundation, a left-wing thinktank that markets itself as the successor group to the Communist Party of Australia

Lawyer Teela Reid, a Wiradjuri woman and public speaker, once described the proposal to change the constitution as a 'journey with all Australians to demolish the systems that continue to oppress us'

In newly unearthed tweets from 2019, Ms Reid said: 'Aboriginal people built the nation and now it's time you pay rent.'

In January this year, Ms Reid demanded 'every Aboriginal elder in NSW should be living rent-free'.

She said such action was the 'bare minimum this state has to offer given the displacement and dispossession'.

'How many white people in NSW are living off land that was given to them for free, and still benefit,' she asked in the post, tagging both Premier Chris Minns and former premier Dominic Perrottet.

In a 2020 tweet, Ms Reid called for 'reckoning, reparations and land back'.

'F**k reconciliation,' she said at the time, before saying 'burn your RAPs' - a reference to reconciliation action plans adopted by more than 2,400 Australian corporations.

In newly unearthed tweets from 2019, Ms Reid says 'Aboriginal people built the nation and now it's time you pay rent'

Ms Reid is one of 40 members of Labor's official Referendum Engagement Group, tasked with working alongside the Referendum Working Group and the government to prepare the question which will be asked of all Australians late this year.

In March 2021, she participated in a panel alongside fellow Voice architect Thomas Mayo for the Search Foundation, a left-wing thinktank that markets itself as the successor group to the Communist Party of Australia.

Ms Reid said 'the onus is absolutely on non-Indigenous people to take ownership and be very honest about what their ancestors did to our people'.

She said it was crucial the Uluru Statement from the Heart is enacted in full.

'In order to get to the important point of an honest conversation about that history and to ensure all First Nations voices are heard in terms of Treaty, it is absolutely critical to get our nation to the point of constitutionally enshrining a First Nations voice,' she said.

'It is not about just listening to the loudest, most influential voices who have access to Canberra.'

Ms Reid maintained that Australians need to be informed that 'legally and politically... the assumption that Australia was peacefully settled is dishonest'.

She described 'shifting that narrative as ... the crux of our struggle'.

Ms Reid said 'the onus is absolutely on non-Indigenous people to take ownership and be very honest about what their ancestors did to our people' during the Search Foundation panel alongside fellow Voice architect Thomas Mayo in March 2021

During that same panel discussion, Mr Mayo discussed making compensation for Indigenous people a reality.

'This is the first step, it's a vital step and it puts all the explanation behind it,' he said.

'"Pay the Rent" for example, how do we do that in a way that is transparent and that actually sees reparations and compensation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people beyond what we say and do at a rally?

'It is a really important campaign and there's a very specific lot of asks and a clear invitation to the Australian people to walk with us.'

The 'Pay the Rent' movement wants homeowners to voluntarily pay a percentage of their income to Aboriginal elders without any government oversight or intervention.

Like Ms Reid, Mr Mayo has also made several comments on social media about his desire to seek reparations, rent and have land returned to First Nations people.

In that same panel, Mr Mayo discussed making compensation for Indigenous people a reality

But their views have occasionally been at odds with the official message coming from the government and Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney.

When Ms Burney said a Voice to Parliament would have no interest in making representations on the date of Australia Day, Ms Reid publicly spoke out.

She said: 'It is truly disingenuous to be claiming mob won't be demanding to #AbolishAustralia day.

'It started decades before the referendum, it'll still be a demand after it.'

In a 2022 opinion piece, Mr Mayo even suggested the new date could be the day the Voice to Parliament referendum passes.

Mr Mayo has since told Daily Mail Australia this is a view he no longer supports, stating he does not 'share that particular view about Australia Day anymore'.

Ms Burney was questioned on Sunday about the 'scope' of the body and how it would delve beyond the four priority areas she outlined.

She claimed that it would be a 'two-way process' between the government and the advisory body and that the 'scope should be a respectful discussion with the Voice'.

'I have identified very clearly what I think the priorities are. But obviously there are other issues like baby birthweights, like life expectancy,' she said.

Daily Mail Australia obtained a series of tweets dating back to 2018 published by Thomas Mayo, an architect of the Voice referendum question and signatory of the Uluru Statement
Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly put an end to the idea

Former president Donald Trump allegedly wanted to 'tap the phones' of White House aides suspected of leaks while he was in the Oval Office, a new book has claimed.

Miles Taylor, in his new book Blowback, said the former president wanted to tap phones in a bid to catch staff.

According to Axios, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly 'quickly nixed the suggestion, knowing it would be illegal.'

Taylor emerged as a hero of the anti-Trump movement with an anonymously published op-ed piece in 2018. At the time, he was an official at the Department of Homeland Security while Trump was in office and described the president as 'impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.'

Taping people in the White House was previously thrust in the national conversation during the Watergate scandal when it was revealed then-president Richard Nixon taped staff and family in the Oval Office.

Donald Trump allegedly wanted to 'tap the phones' of White House aides suspected of leaks while he was President, a new book has claimed

Miles Taylor has become an outspoken critic of Trump since leaving his administration in 2019. He made allegations of Trump wanting to tap phones in his upcoming book

Kelly also confirmed the incident to NBC - telling them Trump 'had wanted to pursue leakers by tapping phones, but that Kelly pushed back and never carried it out.'

Trump's campaign communications director denied the claims, telling Axois: 'Miles Taylor is a loser and a lying sack of s***. His book either belongs in the discount bin of the fiction section or should be repurposed as toilet paper.'

In 2017, Trump found himself amidst a media storm after accusing Obama of wiretapping his phones at Trump Tower before the election. Obama and his administration vehemently denied it.

Trump then backed down, and said he intended the term 'wiretapping to mean surveillance broadly' when he accused Obama of spying on his calls, the White House said.

Press secretary Sean Spicer claimed Trump was referring to 'a whole host of surveillance types' when he made his charge against the previous president.

Trump said in one of the messages that Obama 'was tapping my phone.' Yet Spicer told reporters this afternoon that call monitoring isn't necessarily what the president meant.

Just last week, the Trump campaign dismissed lurid claims in a new book by Taylor that the then president wondered aloud what it might be like to have sex with his own daughter Ivanka.

Richard Nixon announces his resignation from the White House, 9 August 1974, during the Watergate scandal where it was revealed he taped others in the Oval Office

'I'm not going to give the time of day to Miles Taylor,' said campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who added that portions of the book had already been debunked.

'He's a nobody.'

In the book Blowback, Taylor described several incidents that alarmed women in the Trump administration.

'Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump' is set to be published on July 18

'Aides said he talked about Ivanka's breasts, her backside, and what it might be like to have sex with her, remarks that once led John Kelly to remind the president that Ivanka was his daughter,' Taylor writes.

'Afterward, Kelly retold that story to me in visible disgust. Trump, he said, was "a very, very evil man."'

Another excerpt has also triggered a rash of headlines. It claims a senior adviser asked whether the U.S. could target and kill boats of migrants with predator drones.

Taylor said Stephen Miller raised the idea in April 2018.

The excerpt was first reported by Rolling Stone magazine, which said it had reviewed correspondence that supported Taylor's version of events.

Miller dismissed the account as a 'complete fiction.'

And another person present Paul Zukunft, who was then commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said he had 'no recollection' of the episode as described in the book.

Cheung said any of the book's claims should be treated with caution.

'Parts of it have already been disproven,' he said.
Neil Mitchell has labelled Scott Morrison a 'disgrace' and demanded he step away from parliament in the wake of the damning Robodebt royal commission findings.

Mr Morrison is facing calls for his resignation based on his role in the failed debt recovery scheme as uncovered by a royal commission into the government program.

The report was released on Friday and found former coalition ministers, including Mr Morrison, dismissed or ignored concerns about the legality of the scheme.

Mr Morrison has rejected suggestions of wrongdoing or that he misled cabinet.

Calls have been made from both sides of the political aisle for him to resign with Mitchell the latest to join the chorus as he launched into a heated tirade on 3AW.

'This is one of the most disgusting political scandals in the history of this country,' he said on Monday.

Radio presenter Neil Mitchell has joined calls for Scott Morrison (pictured) to resign following the damning Robodebt royal commission findings

'Scott Morrison, he's got to get out of parliament now. He's got to announce he's stepping down.'

He accused Mr Morrison of being the root of the problem saying he had his 'fingerprints' all over the 'grubby scheme'.

Mitchell said it not only 'damned' him but the 'entire political system' as well.

'He should resign, express his deep regret and concern for the people this has hurt,' he said.

The former Coalition government launched the Robodebt scheme to 'detect, investigate and deter suspected welfare fraud and non-compliance' in 2015.

It issued debt notices to people identified through a process called income averaging, which compared reported incomes with tax office data.

But the system issued 460,000 false debt notices which caused significant trauma to recipients and their families.

Former Queensland chief justice Catherine Holmes, who handed down the 990-page royal commission report into Robodebt last Friday, said it was 'responsible for the heartbreak and harm to family members' of victims who took their own lives.

She described the bungled scheme as a 'cruel mechanism' that made vulnerable Australians feel like they were 'criminals'.

Mitchell urged opposition leader Peter Dutton to get rid of Mr Morrison if he wanted to 'lead any type of credible opposition'.

'This is not the type of person we want sitting in the parliament, he's got to go,' he said.

'Mind you why would any be surprised, this was the man who swore himself in various portfolios and didn't bother telling his closest colleagues.'

'He is discredited, disgraced. Get him out and get in somebody who adds something meaningful to the Parliament.'

Mitchell (pictured) labelled Mr Morrison a 'disgrace' and said the failed debt recovery scheme was one of the 'most disgusting political scandals in the history of this country'

He has urged opposition leader Peter Dutton to kick the former prime minister (pictured with wife Jenny Morrison) out of parliament immediately

The royal commission report has recommended senior personnel be referred for civil and criminal prosecution.

The commissioner has also referred parts of her report to the Australian Public Service Commission, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the president of the Law Society of the ACT and the Australian Federal Police.

'It is remarkable how little interest there seems to have been in ensuring the scheme's legality, how rushed its implementation was, how little thought was given to how it would affect welfare recipients and the lengths to which public servants were prepared to go to oblige ministers on a quest for savings,' she wrote.

'Truly dismaying was the revelation of dishonesty and collusion to prevent the scheme's lack of legal foundation coming to light.'

Mr Morrison was found to have 'allowed cabinet to be misled because he did not make that obvious inquiry'.

She said the former prime minister took the proposal to cabinet without the necessary information of what the scheme actually entailed and without the caveat that the use of ATO PAYG data would require legislative and policy change.

'He knew that the proposal still involved income averaging; only a few weeks previously he had been told of that caveat; nothing had changed in the proposal; and he had done nothing to ascertain why the caveat no longer no longer applied.

'He failed to meet his ministerial responsibility to ensure that cabinet was properly informed about what the proposal actually entailed and to ensure that it was lawful.'

In her report, Ms Holmes said it had been 'startling' to uncover the myriad of ways the scheme had failed the public interest.

It found the circumstances faced by the welfare recipients in the program were 'not normal' and that the debts were 'often inexplicable'.

The commission found the circumstances faced by the welfare recipients in the program were 'not normal' and that the debts were 'often inexplicable'

Mr Albanese and Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten spoke to media about the royal commission report during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday

The report also found the government was involved in 'constant misinterpretation' that Robodebt involved no change in income or debt assessment and had 'deliberately misled' the ombudsman.

More than $750 million was wrongfully recovered from 381,000 people under the scheme.

Victims told the royal commission of their trauma and fear as they received notices and debt collectors made contact.

The inquiry also heard evidence of bureaucrats ignoring serious questions and advice about the legality of the scheme.

The scheme was ruled unlawful by the Federal Court in 2019.

A settlement of $1.2 billion was reached between Robodebt victims and the then-government in 2020.

Launched in August last year, the commission issued 200 notices to give information and 180 notices to produce documents.

The federal government produced over 958,000 documents in response.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologised to the victims of the scheme in a press conference on Friday.

Government services Minister Bill Shorten said the royal commission had 'highlighted a broken system under the previous government' during the same conference.
School holiday crowds were evacuated from a busy Sydney shopping centre after a fire broke out.

More than 1,000 people were removed from the Westfield shopping centre in Liverpool, in the city's southwest, at midday on Monday following reports of a fire near the JB Hi-Fi store.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson confirmed the fire was likely caused by faulty lighting electrics inside a shoe shop's storage area.

The shopping centre re-opened shortly after 1.40pm but a small area remains cordoned-off as investigations continue.

More than 1,000 Westfield customers were evacuated from the shopping centre in Liverpool after a fire broke out (pictured, customers outside the centre)

Fire and Rescue NSW believe the fire was caused by faulty lighting electrics in a shoe store (pictured, a firetruck at the scene)

Ambulance NSW said three people were treated for smoke inhalation with two of those taken to Fairfield and Liverpool hospitals.

Seven firetrucks and 28 firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the scene alongside NSW Ambulance and NSW Police.

The fire took about half-an-hour to be brought under control.

Local MP Charishma Kaliyanda asked shoppers to keep clear of the area while investigations continue.

'The shop fire at Westfield Liverpool has been contained - please avoid the area so that Fire and Rescue NSW can continue to secure the area,' she said.
Chaos erupted in the Mission District of San Francisco, where more than 100 people, mostly minors, were arrested at the annual 'Dolores Hill Bomb' skateboarding event.

Hundreds took over Dolores Street to ride their skateboards - or anything with wheels - down a huge hill near Dolores Street.

Officers described the event as unpermitted, non-sanctioned and one that has previously taken over streets and caused mass property damage.

Footage from the Saturday event shows large crowds cheering as children and adults furiously rolled down the steep descent - some flying off their boards and hitting the pavement only to get back up to do it again.

The annual event quickly descended into chaos as reports of vandalism, illegal fireworks, gunfire and violence erupted, causing riot police to storm the gathering.

Chaos erupted in the Mission District of San Francisco where more than 100 people, mostly minors, were charged at the annual 'Dolores Hill Bomb' skateboarding event

Videos of a significant police presence as officers dressed in full riot gear navigated the street and made arrests surfaced from the gathering.

Children vandalizing a light-rail vehicle with graffiti and screaming 'f*** the police' emerged as footage showed the large crowd quickly dispersing as cops closed in.

A pair of young adults pretending to use their skateboards as guns and others jeering and laughing at police were also common themes among the countless videos and pictures that surfaced.

Police arrested 32 adults and 81 minors were cited while multiple firearms, unignited fireworks and narcotics paraphernalia were seized from the crowd.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said that 'this behavior will not be tolerated' thanking responding officers at Saturday's event.

'This behavior will not be tolerated in our city and I thank our officers for taking action to hold those accountable who brazenly engaged in reckless and dangerous behavior and violated the law. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries,' he tweeted in the wake of the event.

Officers noted they first received reports of fireworks being set off and vandalism near Cumberland and Dolores streets at 6:15 pm.

'Officers responded to the area and assisted residents in accessing their homes because they were afraid for their safety,' said police.

SF Mayor London Breed appeared quiet in the wake of the incident as many pointed the finger toward her poor sense of what is important for the city

At 7:10 pm, an officer attempting to assist a resident with entering their home was approached by a 16-year-old boy who allegedly spat in his face.

When the officer tried to detain the boy, a 15-year-old girl allegedly tried to interfere, and the officer received 'lacerations to his face.'

During their arrest, the crowd began to throw ignited fireworks, smoke bombs, glass bottles and metal cans at officers.

Both teens were detained and arrested, and the boy was taken to the hospital for an injury that was not released.

At 7:15 pm, officers made a verbal announcement for the crowd to leave the area, since the 'unlawful assembly' had begun to turn violent.

Police said people continued to light fireworks in Dolores Park sparking fires that saw the San Francisco Fire Department called to the area before the park was closed and people quickly dispersed from the area.

Just 20 minutes later, police responded to reports of a gunshot at 18th and Church streets, where an occupied MUNI light-rail vehicle was stopped in its tracks due to large crowds.

Officers said they saw the light rail vehicle being vandalized, and multiple people allegedly climbed on top of it.

A second MUNI vehicle was also reportedly vandalized at 17th and Church streets, and crowds remained in the area.

Footage from the event shows large crowds cheering as children and adults furiously rolled down the steep descent - some flying off their boards and hitting the pavement only to get back up to do it again

Dolores Park Skate hill bomb is a peaceful thing that happens every year. This year included a little girl on a scooter going down the hill with cheers.



Then the cops showed up in riot gear. Make it make sense. This is violence. pic.twitter.com/eyZiw7whit  it jessi  (@ajessilee) July 9, 2023

Video footage showed children tagging the light-rail vehicle and smirking as they continued to run frantically through the streets.

At 8:12 pm, a group of 200 skaters began removing police barricades at 18th and Dolores streets, and a group of people stopped a third MUNI light rail and vandalized it, according to police.

It was then officers issued a mass arrest of the crowd at Dolores and Guerrero Streets at 8:35 pm.

The 'Dolores Hill Bomb' has had a notorious past with a previous year resulting in a fatality.

Last year's event had a stabbing and in 2019, renowned local skater Tomoko Oikawa fell and suffered a severe brain injury, which required surgery.

Despite the history, some still criticized what has been called 'brute force' by police.

The Harvey Milk Democratic Club was critical of the police response releasing a statement on social media Sunday saying they were 'outraged by the large scale show of force by police in military gear against teenagers at Dolores Park.'

Three light-rail vehicles were vandalized in the incident which quickly turned violent

Yesterday, skaters briefly kicked off the annual Dolores Hill Bomb before getting shut down by SFPD 



 by bsgwilson on IG

 by fazonn_ on IG pic.twitter.com/y7RwVM8oZn  DoTheBay (@DoTheBay) July 10, 2023

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston called the clash an 'attack on our youth' and said the police force was an 'abuse of power, waste of money and trauma for our young people.'

Mayor London Breed appeared quiet in the wake of the incident as many pointed the finger at her poor sense of what is important for the city.

Many took to twitter to condemn the Mayor saying the same crackdown seen at the hill should be implemented when fighting the rampant crime and explosion of drug use in the city.

Last week, a gang of teenagers in ski masks has been attacking mothers and nannies in broad daylight in one of San Francisco's wealthiest neighborhoods, and stealing their cell phones.

The group is believed to be behind 11 thefts in one week at the end of June, said Thomas Harvey, captain of the San Francisco Police Department's Mission District police station.

The attacks are mainly in the Noe Valley area of the city, where the average house is valued at $1.7 million.

One suspect has been arrested, and police are hunting for the others, as robberies city-wide surge 11.9 percent, year on year.

Last month, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey was set to introduce a bill which, if approved, would require every pharmacy to always have in stock at least two nasal sprays containing the drug Narcan or face fines.

A woman in a wheelchair injects drugs at San Francisco's infamous open-air drugs market

The city has struggled for years with rampant fentanyl use and fatal overdoses, and is on pace for its deadliest year yet.

There were 647 accidental drug overdose deaths in San Francisco in 2022, and over 70 percent of those deaths were attributable to fentanyl, according to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

In the first five months of 2023, preliminary reports showed that there were 346 overdose deaths in the city - an increase of more than 40 percent from the same period in 2022.

More than 79 percent of those deaths were attributable to fentanyl, according to data from the medical examiner's office.
A renter has been left horrified after discovering their landlord had installed a security camera in their house.

The tenant had noticed the camera sitting in the corner of a room and facing the laundry/bathroom and loungeroom area in their house in Victoria.

They claimed the landlord had informed them the cameras were installed to keep an eye on the cleanliness of the house, but they felt they were being spied on.

The renter shared a photo to the Don't Rent Me Facebook group on Sunday saying they had become 'uncomfortable' by the intrusiveness.

They revealed the female landlord sent them texts throughout the day, closely watched their movements and even asked if they were still employed because they hadn't left the house in a while.

A renter has been left disturbed after their landlord installed cameras (pictured) inside of their home to spy on their day-to-day lives and send them messages personally about their habits

'She's using them to literally spy on our activities in the house,' they said.

The camera was installed following a cleaning dispute between the landlord and the tenants.

The landlord demanded the tenants pay an extra $60 a month each for a cleaner to visit the house and 'wipe benches' and 'mop the floors'.

The landlord had even requested they stop cleaning the home as the cleaner would be able to do their job for them.

'In (the landlord's) words exactly "in the 10 years I've been doing this, this is the only system that works and she WILL DICTATE how the house runs",' the renter said.

After about a month of 'back and forth' with the landlord, the landlord revealed they had been watching their tenants through the security cameras.

'She went on to tell me that she's been watching me walk about the house the last 3 weeks and asked if I still had a job because she didn't want people like that living in her house,' the renter said.

'It's none of her business if I have a job or what I'm doing home, I pay to live here not be spied on and asked why I'm home? I was on holidays but she doesn't need to know that.

'She's even asked me what am I hiding under my Oodie (wearable blanket) to take to the bathroom.'

They said the tenants at the home were not given access to any of the footage and that it encroached on their 'privacy and our quiet enjoyment within the house we live in.'

According to the tenant, the landlord installed the cameras to make sure the house was clean before it quickly descended into their privacy being breached (stock image)

Social media users were shocked by the post, with many saying the landlord had crossed a privacy boundary with the tenants.

'I'd be emailing the PM and telling them that you will be breaching them for privacy, include all the messages the landlord has sent to you about what's under your Oodie, questioning why your home all the time etc. it's clear breach of privacy,' one wrote.

'What in the actual s**tballs did I just read?! Surely this is a joke?! I have no words, this is absolute insanity,' a second wrote.

'That is insane. Cover them up. Cover the mic on them too chances are she can listen,' another added.
Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident.

Herron died at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. He was 69.

He had been hospitalized since a July 1 collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake, where he suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his family's Caring Bridge website.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is investigating the collision, the details of which were not immediately available.

'Roy loved his family with all his might,' Herron's wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said.

Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident. He was 69

'He passed doing what he loved most - spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free,' the family's statement read.

Condolences poured in on Sunday after news of his passing. On Twitter, former Vice President Al Gore called his fellow Tennessee Democrat 'a dear friend and one of Tennessee's most devoted citizens.'

Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen called Herron 'bright, diligent, and honest. A politician destined for greatness.'

Joe Hill, a longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative who worked with Herron on multiple campaigns, said he 'brought a zeal for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans' when he was elected to the state House.

Hill said Herron also brought that commitment to 'education, victims' rights, environmental quality and so many other things that affect average people.'

'His legacy of advocating for "the least among us: will represent the gold standard of service for Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee's future,' Hill said Sunday.

That nature applied to Herron's friendships as well, Hill said. He recalled how Herron drove 140 miles to be with him and his family in Memphis, after one of Hill's children was involved in a car crash.

'We left home in such a hurry and didn't bring extra clothes,' Hill said. 'My wife, Susan, was freezing in the cold hospital waiting room, and Roy gave her his shirt so she could be warm. That's the kind of genuine human being he was.'

Condolences poured in Sunday for Herron. On Twitter, former Vice President Al Gore called his fellow Tennessee Democrat Herron 'a dear friend and one of Tennessees most devoted citizens'

Republican Rep. David Kustoff said Herron 'dedicated his life to serving West Tennessee, and the entire Volunteer State.'

'Most recently I appreciated Roy for being in the fight for public schools and against vouchers,' said State Representative Gloria Johnson. 'Sending love and strength to his family.'

Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said she was 'saddened to hear of the passing of my former Tennessee State Senate colleague.'

Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said on Twitter he was 'the kind of guy that you couldn't help but like.'

Herron, an attorney from Dresden, Tennessee, served a combined 26 years in the state's House and Senate, where he became floor leader and caucus chair for the Democrats.

He never missed a day of session, except for when his youngest son was born, according to his website. He chaired the state Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Herron was also one of the first students to earn joint degrees in divinity and law from Vanderbilt University.

An ordained Methodist minister, Herron also authored three books, including one titled, 'God and Politics: How Can a Christian Be in Politics?'

Roy Herron hugs and shakes hands with supporters with help from Wesley Warrilow, right, after being defeated by Stephen Fincher for Congress in 2010

He had been hospitalized since a July 1 collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake, in which he suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his family's Caring Bridge website

In 2010, after briefly running for governor, Herron became the Democratic nominee in Tennessee's 8th Congressional District when then-Rep. John Tanner announced his retirement, after more than 20 years in the seat. Herron ultimately lost the general election to Republican Stephen Fincher.

'I was hoping when I retired, that he would win the seat,' Tanner told the AP on Sunday.

After a tornado devastated his hometown of Dresden just before Christmas in 2021, Herron marshaled a fundraising effort, amassing more than $100,000 to aid recovery efforts.

'It's an overused term - that he was a dedicated public servant - but that really was Roy,' Tanner said. 'He worked tirelessly for causes that he took up, and he had a good heart.'

Funeral services are planned for Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Martin.
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Huge swathes of the Northeast are bracing for more catastrophic flooding on Monday after deadly downpours dumped more than eight inches of rain, wiping out entire roads and killing at least one person in a storm that may rival 2011's Hurricane Irene.

In upstate New York, roads across the Hudson Valley were waterlogged Sunday - and some wiped away entirely - by the floods.

Today, the torrential rain will continue in some parts of upstate New York Downpours are also expected in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. This morning, 25million Americans are under flash flood alerts.

One woman drowned yesterday in Highland Falls, Westchester, as she tried to leave her home. The town sits on the banks of the Hudson river, just south of West Point - another of the worst hit towns, which is home to the US Military Academy.

Locals described it as a '1,000 year rain event' that has trapped many in their homes.

Now, meteorologists fear the damage may rival that of the deadly Hurricane Irene in 2011. Forty-nine people were killed by the storm that battered the East Coast and parts of the Caribbean.

Yesterday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare 'high risk' warning in light of the severe storms.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a state of emergency in several counties. As of last night, 13,000 homes were without power.

Emergency teams went house to house yesterday in Stony Point, New York, looking for anyone who needed to be rescued. One woman drowned trying to leave her home with her dog in Highland Falls, near West Point

Vehicles make their way through flood waters on Old Yorktown Rd; in Shrub Oak, N.Y. July 10, 2023. Torrential storms Sunday evening led to flash flooding and at least one fatality in New York's Hudson Valley

Cars drift on the main road into West Point after a '1000 year' rain event drowned the riverside town, leaving at least one dead and destroying homes and roads

The road to Bear Mountain State Park, a popular tourist attraction in the summer months, was a washout yesterday

Storm King Highway/9W in Orange County, New York, has been battered by the storm- with a portion of the road having been washed away

A number of vehicles travel down the stream of rainwater after the deluge hit New York. Cars are seen hitting into one another because of the quick-moving water

Rescue teams have worked throughout the night. Flash flooding is seen on Red Mill Road, Cortlandt Manor, New York

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded the state of emergency across several states. As of last night, 13,000 homes were without power

Several bridges have collapsed and roads are impassable because of the deluge. Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police said the search mission, going into the early hours of Monday, is 'all hands on deck.'

In New York City, federal forecasters issued a rare red weather warning for boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. Basement-level tenants were asked to find higher ground for the night in preparation for flooding.

Officials on Monday said nearly 100 homes in Ontario County have been impacted and that many residents have been displaced, with the American Red Cross operating a shelter inside a town hall.

As the storm moved east, the National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts.

Forecasters said some areas could get as much as 5 inches of rain.

Vehicles come to a standstill near a washed-out and flooded portion of the Palisades Parkway just beyond the traffic circle off the Bear Mountain Bridge

County Executive Steve Neuhaus declared a State of Emergency in Orange County, New York. The town of Cornwall, which is on the western shore of the Hudson River, also declared a State of Emergency on Sunday night

Goat Trail 202 by Bear Mountain Bridge in Hudson Valley is flooded

One woman was killed as floodwaters overwhelmed West Point, home to the US Military Academy, leading to roads turning into rivers and submerged residential areas.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed the woman's house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press. 'Her house was completely surrounded by water,' he said.

'She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog,' he added, 'and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.'

Videos and photos showed flooded roads, including Thayer Road leading to the military base, as state officials say roads in Orange County, New York, were impassable. Officials urged residents in the line of the storm to stay off the roads.

'The amount of water is extraordinary,' Governor Kathy Hochul said. 'We'll get through this,' she said, but added 'it's going to be a rough night.'

The extent of the destruction from the slow moving storm, which pounded the area with up to 8 inches of rain, won't be known until after sunrise, when residents and officials can begin surveying the damage. But officials said the storm had already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.

Hochul confirmed to WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home was washed away.

Commuters were stranded because of the rain that has battered the east coast for much of Sunday. Amtrak train suspended service between New York City and Albany due to the weather conditions.

More than 1,500 flights from New York City, Boston and Philadelphia airports have been delayed because of Sunday's weather.

Areas from North Carolina to the northeast are under watches and warnings as rain pours on the region, hitting the hardest in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the rest of New England.

Rescuers saved a trapped family and wheelchair-bound female from the flood waters in a park in Stony Point. The town's marine unit was then deployed again and safely recovered the stranded victims

Some of the gushing water has been described as a 'war zone'

State Senator James Skoufis confirmed that 'vital infrastructure and homes were washed away,' during the catastrophic weather event

Brave rescuers have worked throughout the night to help those who are stranded

Piermont Fire Department in Stony Point said their underwater rescue squads helped reach an adult male trapped in his home from rushing flood water

County Executive Steve Neuhaus declared a State of Emergency in Orange County, New York. The town of Cornwall, which is on the western shore of the Hudson River, also declared a State of Emergency on Sunday night.

Neuhaus said the village of Highland Falls, near West Point, was the scene of 'an absolute war zone.'

Predicting that repairs to fix the 'massive' water damage would take months, he added; 'It's a tough situation, lots of people are trying to fight their way in to help us.'

State Senator James Skoufis confirmed that 'vital infrastructure and homes were washed away,' during the catastrophic weather event.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said six hikers had to be rescued from the surrounding, flooded location - as well as dozens of drivers - who got caught in the intense downpours.

Day said: 'Orange County and Rockland county fire depts rescued 40 people from their cars at the long mountain circle at the top of the palisades parkway.'

The US Military Academy at West Point on the Hudson River has flooded, leaving cars stranded while homes in the residential area were submerged

Multiple people could be seen standing knee-deep in the water attempting to push the car to safety

The roads heading towards the historic military camp were flooded

Rosemary Willkomm, who lives in Cornwall-on-Hudson, said about the destruction of her home: 'It took our fences down. We had 6 inches of water in our basement, all the way to our den. It undermined our whole property.'

Piermont Fire Department in Stony Point said their underwater rescue squads helped reach an adult male trapped in his home from rushing flood water.

The brave rescuers saved a trapped family and wheelchair-bound female from the flood waters in a park. The town's marine unit was then deployed again and safely recovered the stranded victims.

Hochul said that people in the affected area still have a tough 48 hours ahead of them.

West Point in New York - which was flooded - is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the US Army - and is home to around 4,200 students.

On Sunday, the small town became the epicenter of the flooding disaster with eight inches of rain falling in hours.

The scene led to a string of social media posts from concerned locals. One resident posted a picture of Thayer Road, writing the stark warning: 'Find high ground.'

Another clip from the West Point region showed a road outside the Grant housing area at the military center completely inundated with murky rainwater - with a car stuck in the middle.

Multiple people could be seen standing knee-deep in the water attempting to push the vehicle out of harm's way amid the unrelenting deluge.

Roads were so deluged by the intense rainfall near the military base that the water flowed down the street like a river - sending trash cans and other small objects down the stream.

Stony Point, further down the Hudson from West Point, saw people evacuate their homes because of the torrential downpours. Roads and homes in the area were completely washed out.

Congressman Mike Lawler wrote: 'Significant flooding in Stony Point  homes and cars  and many people evacuated. Thank you to all of our first responders on the scene. Everyone stay off the roads, as the flash flood warning is still in effect and roadways have been flooded and washed out.'

Up to 3.5 inches of rainfall is expected to fall per hour in the New York towns of Kiryas Joel, New City, Woodbury, West Point, and Cold Spring.

Stony Point, further down the Hudson from West Point, saw people evacuate their homes because of the torrential downpours

Cars in Stony Point were nearly completely submerged

Congressman Mike Lawler wrote: 'Significant flooding in Stony Point  homes and cars  and many people evacuated. Thank you to all of our first responders on the scene. Everyone stay off the roads, as the flash flood warning is still in effect and roadways have been flooded and washed out'

The bad weather has also caused major disruption for trains in New York State.

Robert boarded the train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central at 2.50pm, but a journey that is meant to be two hours has turned into four.

Boulders are currently blocking the tracks in both directions caused by the torrential rain - meaning the train is stranded in the middle of its journey.

And staff have said they have no idea when they will be able to get back on track.

Robert said: 'Some people are freaked out. For the most part people are keeping calm.'

Employees on the train were handing out water to begin with, but now they've run out and there is no food or power on board.

He said: 'They don't have a plan, they were going to get buses to come and reach us but the roads are flooded so they can't make it.

'It's a f***ing s**tshow.'

Train staff briefly let the passengers off the train to stand on the side of the tracks in the drizzly conditions because there is no AC on board.

Robert said: 'They've let us off the train on to the tracks for some air because it is so hot in there.'

Passengers on a train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central were forced to disembark after boulders blocked the track

A slow-moving cold front will arrive Sunday evening with more severe thunderstorms and heavy rain stretching from the northeast to North Carolina that could last throughout the next few days, The National Weather Service said.

The weather is already impacting flights - with a total of 1,355 flights within in to or out of the US that have been canceled as of Sunday afternoon.

There have been 250 flights out of New York's LaGuardia that were canceled, 150 flights out of John F. Kennedy and 190 flights out of Newark canceled, according to FlightAware.

In Boston, 115 flights have been canceled and 170 delayed, while Philadelphia has seen 107 cancelations and 161 delays.

It comes just two days after the East Coast was pummeled by storms, which produced mudslides in Vermont and flooding in Northern Virginia where several motorists had to be rescued after driving through flooded streets in Pentagon City.

Now, more severe weather is on the way and about 80 million people from Washington to Portland, Maine, may see a month's worth of rain in just a few hours, Bloomberg reported citing forecasts.

Just outside West Point, NY pic.twitter.com/5HiLYuW6E9  Danielle Vallone (@DanielleV1967) July 9, 2023

Millions of people are under a Flood Watch as drenching rain is set to soak the East Coast from North Carolina to New England just as the work week begins. Pictured: The second round of storms produced mudslides in Vermont, which forced police to close at least one major road

Most major cities along Interstate 95 are under the Flood Watch, including Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

There are several other cites on the East Coast that could be majorly affected by the storms and could see significant flooding.

Some of these areas include Hatteras in North Carolina, Norfolk in Virginia, Binghamton in New York, as well as both Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut.

According to Bryan Ramsey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, New York, because the storm is moving so slowly, accumulations may pile up in harder-hit areas. He added rain may fall at rates of two inches per hour through early Monday in New York.

New Yorkers should be prepared flooding, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

'Throughout the weekend, parts of the state will continue to be at risk for flooding from storms bringing heavy rain, especially in those areas already hard-hit by rains and flooding over the past couple of days.'

But the severe weather is expected all up and down the East Coast, much of which is still soaked from the last round of storms.

'We are going to be looking at some very heavy rainfall, this will include the I-95 corridor,' said Andrew Orrison, a forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center. 'In general, the region up here has been wet, so we are looking at significant impacts.'

In Northern Virginia last week, there were multiple water rescues after drivers ventured into high water floodwaters that had taken over the streets in Pentagon City.

At least three vehicles became stuck in high water along S. Joyce Street between Army Navy Drive and Columbia Pike, with multiple people stranded  including an elderly person with disabilities, either in their vehicles or on the median.

One report suggested that the water was so high that at least one of the vehicles was floating. Everyone was pulled from the waters and no injuries were reported.

And in Vermont, mudslides were reported in the central part of the state, which forced police to close at least one major roadway in Killington.

Nearly 20 feet of debris from a mudslide washed across U.S. Route 4 on Friday afternoon, the primary east-west road through the region, WCVB reported.

Killington selectboard member Jim Haff compared the flooding to Irene, the tropical storm that brought flooding to Vermont, Massachusetts and other parts of New England in 2011.

It's been reported that about 1 to 2 inches of rain will likely fall across the region through Tuesday. But the highest totals are expected in Northeast and New England.

Further north, New York's Hudson Valley and Albany, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire could see 2-3 inches of rain. And some areas could see rain totals of between 3 and 5 inches.

States in the south including Florida and Texas, continue to sizzle in the heat with highs in the mid-90s which is close to record-tying/breaking high temperatures for the Florida Peninsula.

In South Florida, these hot temperatures combined with high humidity will lead to heat indices in the 105-110 degree range, the National Weather Service said.
The killer of a nurse found dying on the floor of her apartment is still on the run - as her husband reveals he doesn't want to leave the unit they shared in order to 'stay close to her'.

Nicholas Gilbert, 38, returned home to his apartment in Merrylands, in western Sydney, at about 11.30pm on Easter Sunday on April 9 to find his wife Erin Gilbert, 42, choking on her own blood.

Mr Gilbert tried frantically to save her life before calling an ambulance, but she died before paramedics arrived.

He spent almost 24 hours in a police cell covered in his wife's blood and was told he was potentially facing charges over her murder, but was released and continues to insist he had absolutely no involvement in her death.

A spokesperson from NSW Police said on Monday the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made - a situation Mr Gilbert told Daily Mail Australia is so stressful that 'I'm losing my mind'.

Two months on from the tragedy, he is still living in the apartment where she died and fears he will get evicted because was involved in a serious car accident a few years ago, sustained a brain injury, and is unable to work enough to pay rent.

The blood stains on the carpet of their home makes him break down whenever he looks at them, Mr Gilbert said.

Nicholas and Erin Gilbert got married in 2020 (pictured). She was murdered in April this year

Nicholas Gilbert (pictured with his wife, Erin Gilbert) said he's about to get evicted from the home they shared together

'I'll be on the street in the next few days, but it's hard enough to stay there because of the (marks) in the carpet - I tear up every time I see them,' he said.

'But then again, it's the only place I feel close to Erin.'

Mr Gilbert said he realised he wanted to spent his life with her a few years ago when he was hit by a car doing 80km/h, rolled three times and broke his neck, cheek, jaw, nose, teeth, shoulder, eight ribs, his hip, leg, and toes, and sustained a brain injury.

'I'm actually lucky to be alive,' he said.

He explained that Ms Gilbert, who was a registered nurse, lost her job because she was looking after him at home.

'That's when I got down on one knee with my walking stick and my neck brace and proposed,' he said.

They married in 2020 and, on their first wedding anniversary, she made him a box filled with photos and love letters.

One letter read: 'I don't want you in my life, I need you in my life. You're not my friend, you're my best friend. I don't like you, I love you and I'm glad I found you because I was absolutely lost without you.'

Another read: 'Because of you all of my other dreams gave changed, now everything I've ever wanted will be only complete [because] you're the one by my side.'

Ms Gilbert made her husband a photo book for their first wedding anniversary (pictured)

Ms Gilbert wrote a series of love letters for her husband for their first wedding anniversary (pictured)

A third letter said: 'I am the luckiest girl alive. To be able to call you my husband and me your wife. I love you, Boo.'

Mr Gilbert said he got goosebumps when he found the letters again.

'It gave me happy tears and I still smile just thinking about it,' he said.

In April, it was revealed that Mr Gilbert lost his keys on the night his wife died - he tried knocking on the door but no one answered, so he used the bin to climb onto their first floor balcony.

He went inside to find the aged care nurse lying on a mattress in their bedroom 'choking on her own blood'.

According to police, the 42-year-old had suffered 'severe' stab wounds to the head with an unknown sharp object.

Police rifled through garbage, inspecting vehicles and inside drains to find clues.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, a police spokesperson said: 'Detectives from the State Crime Commands Homicide Squad  assisted by detectives from Cumberland Police Area Command and the South West Metropolitan Region  are continuing to investigate the murder of Erin Gilbert under Strike Force Trevelyan.

'Anyone who may have information which could assist strike force investigators is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.'
Older female Aussies are defending Jonah Hill claiming the actor was simply 'stating boundaries' after his ex-girlfriend blasted him for his 'controlling' text messages.

Sarah Brady shared private messages allegedly sent by the 39-year-old Superbad star on Instagram, which reveal arguments between the pair in 2021 when they were a couple.

The surf instructor branded Hill a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist' in her multi-tiered social media tirade on June 7 after sharing alleged texts sent by the actor which outline his parameters for a 'romantic partnership'.

In a lengthy text message, apparently from Hill, lists the unacceptable behaviours from his then-girlfriend including 'surfing with men', 'inappropriate friendships with men' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit'.

Jonah Hill's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady (pictured in 2021) has taken to social media to brand the actor a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist'

Brady blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star on social media by sharing screenshots of text messages allegedly sent by the actor outlining his parameters for a 'romantic relationship

Brady received overwhelming support from young women on social media however, some older Australian women defended Hill, claiming there was nothing wrong with the Hollywood actor's text messages as he was simply outlining his boundaries.

'Nothing he said was out of line though. He was stating his boundaries she didn't like it so plays the victim card,' one woman commented.

'I'm failing to see the issue,' another woman chimed. 'He outlined the boundaries he's willing to accept in a relationship/partner... the bitter ex needs to move on.'

'I see nothing wrong with expressing boundaries on either side,' a third wrote.

Others claimed Brady sharing the private messages on social media was in fact abusive.

'Oh God, nothing abusive about those messages. The fact that she's leaking private msgs is worse than what was said in the msg. She clearly has issues with boundaries,' one woman wrote.

'The only abuse I see here is this 'girl' posting private message and making it public! That's abuse of HIS privacy,' another woman commented.

'It is so wrong to publicly blast someone like this. She could potentially affect his career and legacy... just because he's an insecure d**khead? Just leave the man alone,' a third wrote.

A fourth woman added: 'I wouldn't like to be told this by a partner, is it abusive though? I don't feel it is. Pretty close to the time he and the new fiance had a baby in June so maybe spur grapes? Just seems a stretch for me.'

The rollout of damning statements against the movie producer comes less than one month after news broke Hill welcomed a baby with girlfriend Olivia Millar.

Brady began a series of Instagram Stories with screenshots of alleged texts from Hill with the caption 'F**k it'.

The lengthy initial text apparently from Hill included a list of unacceptable behaviors from Sarah if they were to be together romantically.

The new dad allegedly stated that if Sarah 'needed' to 'model,' 'post sexual pictures,' or maintain friendships with women who were part of her 'wild recent past' then he was 'not the right partner' for her.

In another post of his alleged messages, Brady claimed that Hill only wanted her to socialise with friends whom he had 'personally approved.'

The entertainer, whose documentary Stutz came out on Netflix last year, added, 'If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.'

He then clarified, 'My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust.'

Brady wrote on top of the image: 'see the misuse of the term boundaries?'

Brady wrote to her nearly 80,000 followers, the posts are a 'warning to all girls' and urged any woman to give her a call if they are experiencing a similar situation.

'If your partner is talking to you like this, make an exit plan,' she captioned a screenshot that appeared to show Hill complaining about social media photos featuring her 'a** in a thong.'

Brady called her decision to release the private messages a 'warning to all girls'

Brady alleged that while dating Jonah, he had to 'personally approve' her friends

The messages continued with Brady noting she had deleted some of the supposedly offending photos.

However, the Wolf of Wall Street star appeared to tell her it was a 'good start' but that she did not 'seem to get' his point.

'But it's not my place to teach you. I've made my boundaries clear,' he allegedly wrote. 'You refuse to let go of some of them and you've made that clear and I hope it makes you happy.'

Brady maintained that her ex-boyfriend's critiques were made in an attempt to control her.

She explained that she agreed with his requests in an attempt to keep him from experiencing 'crippling anxiety.'

Brady explained she was sharing the emotional abuse she suffered while dating Hill because keeping it to herself was causing damage to her mental health.

'It's been a year of healing & growth with the help of loved ones and doctors to get back to living my life without guilt, shame and self-judgment for things as small as surfing in a swimsuit rather than a more conservative wetsuit,' Brady wrote.

'And I'm sure there's still much more healing from this abuse ahead of me.'

The former duo went public with their romance in August 2021 after Hill approached her online and the pair developed a relationship.

She also explained she used to take the 'blame' for Hill's actions when they would speak with their therapist.

In part of her tirade against her ex, the athlete noted, 'I hope my ex has a daughter, maybe she'll turn him into a real feminist.

'Because the fact that he calls himself a feminist now is laughable.  If I could have one wish for him it would be that he is surrounded by feminist men who can hold him accountable to grow in the ways he has expressed he wants to.'

The law student went on to say, 'I think fame can put people in an echo chamber of viewpoints, which can enable emotionally abusive behaviour.'

The pair dated for about a year in 2021 after Hill contacted her through social media

Brady maintained her ex-boyfriend's critiques were made in an attempt to control her

In other posts, Brady urged her followers to boycott Hill's documentary 'Stutz' which is about his relationship with his therapist.

One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length.'

In June, it was revealed that Hill had welcomed his first child with his current girlfriend Olivia.

Details about the child, including the birth date, were not revealed, but his rep confirmed she gave birth.
Native American groups are now joining the call for reparations centuries after hundreds of tribes had land taken from them by 'land-grab universities and colleges.'

An estimated 10.7 million acres of land was taken from 250 tribes following the signing of the Morrill Act by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.

This law converted tribal lands into initial sites for land-grant higher education institutions in many states.

Institutions such as the University of Minnesota, which received 94,440 acres of land, and Cornell University in New York that received more than 987,000 acres are being targeted. Cornell, in total, received land in 15 states - all at prices far below a fair market value.

Now, as several states and cities consider reparations for black Americans, the movement is serving as the impetus for Native American tribes who also believe they also deserve payment for the stolen land.

Native American groups are joining the movement to demand reparations after numerous tribes had their land taken by 'land-grab universities and colleges'. Pictured, a group of Native American activists and supporters march in Long Beach to support efforts to protect Puvungna land at California State University Long Beach (file photo from May 2021)

As discussions about reparations for black Americans gain traction in several states and cities, the movement is also inspiring Native American tribes to assert their right to reparations

'You have these schools that have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, but they are not looking at any ways they can improve living situations for Indigenous peoples today,' said An Garagiola, a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa to the Washington Post.

'Their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, are only there today because of everything that was taken.'

In response to the demands for reparations from so call 'land-grab universities,' colleges and universities across the nation are now grappling with the need to make amends.

Cornell University, for example, has begun a research project to account for the land it acquired from Native communities.

In 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison displayed the flag of the Ho-Chunk Nation on campus to acknowledge the land taken from the tribe.

Institutions including the University of Minnesota, pictured, which received 94,440 acres of land are being targeted

In 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, pictured, displayed the flag of the Ho-Chunk Nation on campus to acknowledge the land taken from the tribe

Cornell University in New York, pictured, received more than 987,000 acres across 15 states - all at prices far below a fair market value

The University of California has promised to offer free tuition to select Native American students as part its movement to reclaim tribal lands.

A group of Native American activists and supporters previously marched in Long Beach to support efforts to protect Puvungna land at California State University Long Beach.

At the University of Minnesota, the tribes advocating for reparations include the Red Lake Nation and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, however no tribe has so far managed to come up with a specific dollar amount for which they seek restitution.

The challenge lies when it comes to quantifying the extent of the harm inflicted while still asserting that universities bears a responsibility to address the uncomfortable history.

'We welcome the opportunity to examine the university's history. It is important that we work in collaboration with the tribal nations to chart our course from here,' Janie Mayeron, chair of the board of regents for the University of Minnesota stated at a board meeting in May.

Indigenous people dance as they attend the 11th Annual Columbia University Pow Wow during the Earth Day celebrations in New York in April

At Cornell, the university recognized its historical role in the taking of tribal lands.

'Cornell acknowledges our central place in this history. The college is working to build and maintain relationships with North American Indigenous Nations and communities including establishing educational programs and 'partnerships specifically geared to meeting the needs of Indigenous students,' Joel Malina, vice president of university relations at Cornell, said in a statement.

The United States has attempted to provide reparations to Native Americans in the past.

In 1946, Congress established the Indian Claims Commission to compensate federally recognized tribes for stolen land, with a total payout of $1.3 billion.

A Supreme Court ruling in 1980 also ordered the United States to pay more than $105 million to the Sioux nation for the illegal seizure of their land.

Many Native American leaders, however, called for the entire return of sacred lands instead of financial compensation.

The ice cream brand, which has long courted progressive audiences, called for the United States to return 'stolen indigenous land'

The subject of returning land back to Native American tribes was also raised last week by Ben & Jerry's.

In a July 4 tweet the company sparked outrage as they called for the United States to return 'stolen indigenous land' starting with the return of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to be given back to the Lakota Sioux tribe.

The company, which was founded by longtime Bernie Sanders allies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenwood but has since been sold to British multinational Unilever, tweeted the message to its 494,000 followers.

'This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it,' the company's official account wrote before suggesting Mount Rushmore should be handed back to its original owners.

Ben & Jerry's cites treaties that allowed the tribes to keep Mount Rushmore and a Supreme Court decision that ruled the land had, in fact, been stolen from the Lakota tribe after they staged a sit-in in 1970

The company said the Lakota Sioux tribe referred to Mount Rushmore as Tunkasila Sakpe and that the tribe considers the land sacred

The tweet sparked immediate outrage on social media, with many disgusted customers using the #boycottbenandjerrys hashtag to slam the message as anti-American sentiment on a day meant to celebrate the United States.

The company said the Lakota Sioux tribe referred to Mount Rushmore as Tunkasila Sakpe and that the tribe considers the land sacred.

Ben & Jerry's also cites treaties that allowed the tribes to keep Mount Rushmore dating back to the 1920s and a Supreme Court decision that ruled the land had, in fact, been stolen from the Lakota tribe after they staged a sit-in in 1970.

The court ruled the Lakota Sioux were due $105million but the tribes refused payment, demanding their land be returned.
Parents have slammed a secondary school for introducing a puffer jacket featuring the pride and Australian Aboriginal flags.

Cheltenham Secondary College in Melbourne's southeast first offered the jackets for sale for $89.95 in May.

The jackets are non-compulsory and offered as an 'alternate item' of the softshell jacket.

The jacket includes the school emblem and the words 'respect', 'responsibility', 'personal best' and 'community'. One sleeve has the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the other the Rainbow Flag.

The flags, which were 'initiated' by the school's students, have sparked outrage from parents who have attempted to remove them, which the school reportedly said was in breach of its uniform policy.

A Department of Education spokesperson said the student community had suggested the jacket design.

Cheltenham Secondary College in Melbourne has launched a 'non-compulsory' jacket (above) with pride and Aboriginal flags on its sleeves

'The jacket was initiated by the student community and is not a compulsory part of the school uniform,' they said.

'School uniform policies for our schools are determined by school councils.

'Like all our state schools, Cheltenham Secondary College is proud to be a safe and welcoming school.'

Penny, whose son attends Cheltenham Secondary College, spoke with 3AW host Neil Mitchell on Monday and revealed the school would not allow students to remove or black out the flags with a marker.

'I think the fact that they have those flags on a school uniform is disgusting, it's not right,' she said.

'It's a school, it's not a political statement why do specific people get things on the uniform?'

A Department of Education spokesperson said the jacket design (above) was 'initiated by the student community'

Another caller, named John, said he had heard from a source that parents trying to remove the flags were told they were defacing the garment.

'They should stick to educating our kids,' he said.

Another told Mitchell that non-Christian students who removed the flags from the jacket were 'left alone'.

Mitchell called the move 'an attack of woke'.

'I'm all in favour of celebrating diversity and recognising the Indigenous heritage  it's not about that, but it's a step too far to involve the kids in that, and if they are being punished for not wearing it, that's just absurd.'

He also pointed out the Australian flag was missing, which he thought was odd.

Cheltenham SC took to Facebook to unveil its new optional addition to its uniform on May 19.

'The puffer jacket is offered as an additional/alternate item and is not a replacement for the softshell jacket, which is still part of the college uniform,' it said in a post.

Several angry parents from the school (above) said the jacket is too 'woke' with one mother saying: 'It's a school, it's not a political statement'

Two parents commented, one saying it looked 'fantastic'.

'I love it! The flags on the sides are wonderful too!,' said the other.

The school been contacted for comment.
Casino operator Crown could be forced to fork out almost half a billion dollars for failing to guard against money laundering and terrorism financing at its Melbourne and Perth casinos.

The financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC and Crown jointly filed in the Federal Court that the casino operator should pay a $450 million penalty for 546 breaches of anti-money laundering laws.

If paid, the fee - which also relates to breaches in counter-terrorism laws - would be the largest fine paid by a casino globally, and relates to operations at Crown's Melbourne and Perth casinos.

On the first day of a two-day hearing at Sydney's Federal Court, Judge Michael Lee recalled the Watergate scandal in seeking to understand who at Crown 'knew what and when they knew it'.

The court heard that the casinos' former leadership had failed to implement and oversee effective programs despite issues being raised from within the company, and by police, on multiple occasions.

Crown has agreed to pay a $450 million penalty for 546 breaches of anti-money laundering laws (pictured, Melbourne's Crown Casino Towers)

Of particular focus during Monday's proceedings were Crown's junket programs, which allowed the casinos' operators to facilitate gambling by unvetted high-wealth players in private gambling rooms.

The court learned that throughout the program, which ran between March 2016-March, 2020, junkets including Macau-based SunCity ran rooms inside Crown, as well as their own cash desks.

From late-2017 to early-2018, the SunCity room received as many as 58 suspicious matter complaints, with police making a further three inquiries later that same year in regard to SunCity's cash desk.

Police investigated claims two people had made cash deposits of about $700,000 and $1.5 million, and that an employee had handed a third person hundreds of thousands of dollars in the casino's parking lot.

AUSTRAC's lawyer Michael Hodge KC told the court that: 'Cash was brought into the room by unknown persons and exchanged by junket operators with other unknown persons.

'Cash was colourfully carried in paper bags, shoeboxes, and briefcases.'

Mr Hodge told the court it was impossible to determine the full extent of Crown's breaches, owing in part to the fact that improper monitoring impeded accurate documentation and record-keeping.

Justice Lee called into question submissions by Mr Hodge that Crown had not deliberately failed in its obligations and had done so by negligence, despite profiting from impacted programs.

'If there wasn't a deliberate intention to contravene the laws, then what was the reason?' Justice Lee asked.

'People just didn't understand? What am I supposed to take as the reason?'

In response, Mr Hodge said it had not been agreed upon why Crown had 'so egregiously failed' to comply with the laws only that they had not deliberately done so, with the leadership now largely replaced.

Nonetheless, Justice Michael Lee said he was hesitant to label the vast changes to Crown's leadership and Crown's board and leadership team - as well as the cessation of junkets - as being evidence of contrition.

The casino operator was found to have failed to guard against money laundering and terrorism financing at its Melbourne and Perth casinos

If Crown pays the fee set out by financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC, it would be the largest fine ever paid by a casino globally

'One can draw conclusions from the fact it was in Crown's interest to encourage this sought of activity, and the extent of the turn over it facilitated,' Justice Lee said.

'Contrition means more than saying sorry when you get caught. It means a state of mind in people who have done wrong to play with a straight bat in the future.

'It is not people who have done wrong being wept out, and there are new people there.'

As part of the settlement, Crown admitted that it breached laws by failing to assess the risks it faced, and it implements a transaction monitoring program appropriate for the size of its business.

The court heard that on top of its inadequate programs, Crown automatically rated players, including high-wealth spenders, as being of a low-risk of money laundering or criminal activities.

At least 60 high-risk customers were highlighted by AUSTRAC, 43 of whom were junket operators - many classified as 'politically influenced people', whose combined turnover was $69 billion.

At least 40 had been identified as being suspicious by either Crown Melbourne or Crown Perth, while $38 were involved in the transfer of large sums of money totalling approximately $450 million.

A similar approach was also taken by Crown to jurisdictions from which money was being transferred into, or out of, with all areas automatically rated as being at a low risk of money laundering.

The penalty comes after Crown was slapped with a further $120 million fine in November for failing to encourage responsible gambling at its Melbourne casino.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission also fined Crown Melbourne $80 million last May for allowing patrons to use credit or debit cards to access funds.

At least 60 high-risk customers were highlighted by AUSTRAC, 43 of whom were junket operators (pictured, Crown Perth)

The fines come amid a renewed focus by government agencies on casino and gambling operations, with inquiries in three states ruling Crown unfit to hold a casino license.

According to the AFR, Crown was issued only a conditional license expiring in December to operate its $2.2 billion Barangaroo casino after an overhaul of its board and management.

In a statement, AUSTRAC CEO Nicole Rose said the casino sector was at risk of exploitation by organised criminals seeking to clean their dirty money from drug sales or human trafficking.

'Crown's contraventions of the AML/CTF Act meant that a range of obviously high-risk practices, behaviours and customer relationships were allowed to continue unchecked for many years,' she said.

The hearing will resume on Monday where issues around a payment plan for Crown are expected to be discussed, with AUSTRAC proposing Crown pay just $125 million upfront with no interest.

Justice Lee lambasted the plan as 'making the Commonwealth Crown's banker', with the court also learning the consolidated assets of the Crown Group currently totalled $5 billion, posing risks of financial strain.
Six people were killed and one wounded in an attack at a kindergarten in southern China's Guangdong province on Monday, a spokeswoman for the city government said.

'The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students,' she said, in the rampage which unfolded around 7:40am (2340 GMT on Sunday).

She did not offer details about the identities or ages of the victims, nor the weapon used in the attack in the city of Lianjiang, but reports suggested the victims were stabbed.

The suspect, a 25-year-old male surnamed Wu, was arrested according to a local police statement and the city spokeswoman.

It comes amid a wave of violent crime in China, where the economy has grown in recent decades and the gap between rich and poor has widened rapidly.

Videos shot by passersby claiming to show the crime scene were removed from video-sharing platform Douyin and Twitter-like Weibo, with authorities attempting to prevent citizens from sharing the details of the attack.

A police cordon is placed in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, China in this still image obtained from social media video released July 10, 2023

'The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students,' a city spokesperson said

A man and what appears to be his daughter ride a scooter nearby a victim of the attack

While guns are strictly controlled, China has been struggling with a spate of mass stabbings.

Fatal attacks targeting students and schools have occurred nationwide in recent years.

The attacks have forced authorities to step up security and prompted calls for more research into the root causes of such violent acts.

Last August, three people were killed and six others wounded in a knife attack at a kindergarten in southeast China's Jiangxi province.

In April 2021, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China.

In June of the previous year, 37 students and two adults were wounded by a knife-wielding attacker at a primary school in southern China.

And in November 2019, a man climbed a kindergarten wall in southwest Yunnan province and sprayed people with a corrosive liquid, wounding 51 of them, mostly students.

The same year, eight schoolchildren died and two others were wounded in a 'school-related criminal case' in the central Hubei province, with a 40-year-old man arrested.

And in April 2018, a 28-year-old man killed nine college students and injured 12 others outside their school in the northern province of Shaanxi.

The attacker later said he acted out of revenge after being harassed by a student at the same school.
Months after hard launching her latest romance on social media, Sydney socialite Hollie Nasser and her high-flying banker boyfriend have called it quits.

It was only last November that the mum-of-two debuted her relationship with Citibank finance executive James Hodgman.

But Daily Mail Australia understands the pair parted ways after Hodgman was allegedly embroiled in an eastern suburbs brouhaha in February.

The 45-year-old was charged with common assault following an alleged clash at a venue in Rose Bay, prompting Hollie to distance herself from Hodgman.

An inside source has revealed his brush with the law comes as Hollie is the midst of a custody battle with ex-husband Chris Nasser, with whom she shares two children.

Sydney socialite Hollie Nasser shared a loved up photo of herself cosying up to her new ex beau James Hodgman in November

Chris and Hollie Nasser with Ellie and Charlie Aitken

She is now understood to be romantically involved with a new man, as Hodgman's alleged bust-up becomes the talk of the town.

Details of the alleged fight have made their way back to Citi Bank bosses, leading to Hodgman's exit from the wealth management giant.

'I can confirm James Hodgman resigned,' a Citi Bank staffer confirmed in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.

Hollie shocked Sydney's well-heeled social clique in late 2021 after her affair with investment banker Charlie Aitken, husband of her 'best friend Ellie', was made public leading to a spectacular breakdown of two marriages.

Complicating things further was the fact Mr Aitken was in business with Hollie's investor husband, Chris Nasser.

The former friends both sold their positions in Aitken Investment Management and it was eventually rebranded to Constantia Investment Partners.

The society darling and Mr Aitken spent several months in a 'love bubble' before the relationship ended.

Charlie Aitken and his wife Ellie (both pictured) holidayed in Europe months after his split with Hollie came crashing down

Hollie Nasser (left) met with her estranged husband Chris Nasser (right)

The intense public scrutiny of their relationship added a level of pressure the couple didn't expect - or know how to handle.

She was understood to have struggled with the negative attention her scandalous relationship had brought her.

The pair's short-lived romance came to a halt in May last year, confirming the news in a statement to The Sunday Telegraph.

'With regards to my private life; my focus is my daughters, I have chosen not to be in a relationship.

'Chris has always been a loving and devoted father. We are working together to co-parent our children.

'The past nine months have been very difficult and I have expressed my apologies to my family and others involved.'

Hodgman has been going through an estrangement with his wife, Nicole 'Nikki Crebar, whose financiers, JustFund, took a caveat over their Bellevue Hill home in January.

Last week, Crebar, posted a photo of a shower head to Facebook resell group 'Homewares & Furniture Buy, Sell & Swap Sydney' with the caption 'Purchased for renovation which didnt happen'.

Hollie is now understood to be romantically involved with a new man, as Hodgman's alleged bust-up has become the talk of the town
Shocking footage has captured the moment a teenager was allegedly egged on to jump onto a baggage carousel at a busy airport.

A 58-year-old man allegedly encouraged the 14-year-old teenager to jump onto the carousel and enter a restricted area at Canberra Airport on July 2.

The pair were then stopped by police as they tried to board a return flight to Queensland at the airport on Sunday.

Two Queenslanders have been charged with entering a security restricted area after an adult allegedly encouraged a child to do so by riding on a baggage carousel

The AFP will allege CCTV footage showed the man filming the child as he entered a secure area

Australian Federal Police released images of the alleged joyride showing a teenager duck down as he passed into the restricted area.

Police seized a phone which contained footage of the alleged incident and will hold onto the device for examination.

Footage shows the teenager allegedly duck down as they pass into the restricted area while riding the baggage carousel.

Canberra Airport Group had contacted the AFP about the alleged incident on July 2, which was allegedly captured on security cameras, when it happened.

The AFP will allege CCTV footage showed the man filming the child as he entered a secure area.

Detective Acting Inspector Jon Horrocks said the AFP had zero tolerance for this kind of behavior at airports.

'Airport security is no joke and restrictions exist to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public and workers,' he said.

Police, who warned that 'security is no joke', stopped a man, 58, and a 14-year-old at Canberra Airport on Sunday, when they went to board a flight to Queensland

Det Horrocks added the airport, airlines and police 'take any security breaches at airports seriously and people can be prosecuted if they commit a criminal offence'.

The two Queenslanders were charged with entering a security restricted area at a designated airport through access control points.

The 58-year-old is scheduled to appear before ACT Magistrates Court on October 3.
The search for a missing Belgian tourist in Tasmania has been formally suspended after experts advised she could not have survived in poor weather.

Celine Cremer, 31, was last seen in the Philosopher Falls area near Cradle Mountain in the state's northwest on June 17.

She was reported missing by her family on June 26, sparking a major search involving police and SES ground crews, specialist swift water rescue personnel, drones and a helicopter.

Tasmania Police formally suspended search efforts on Monday following a 'comprehensive review'.

Celine Cremer, 31, was last seen in the Philosopher Falls area near Cradle Mountain in the state's northwest on June 17

Police located Ms Cremer's white Honda CRV in a car park at Philosopher Falls Trail

'Considerable search efforts have been undertaken in difficult terrain and treacherous weather conditions but unfortunately Celine has not been located,' Tasmania Police commander Stuart Wilkinson said.

'Expert medical advice has been received that given consideration to poor weather conditions and cool temperatures, Celine could not have survived the conditions she has been exposed to since she was reported missing.'

A car belonging to Ms Cremer was found in the falls car park on June 27. Police believe it had been there since at least June 20, the last time her mobile phone had signal.

It is believed she had set off for a short walk.

Commander Wilkinson said police had been in constant contact with her family.

The last known photo of missing Belgian backpacker Celine Cremer was posted on Facebook in February with the caption 'A little devil in Tasmania'

'It's obviously a distressing situation, and they're understandably devastated,' he said.

' ... I extend our thoughts to Celine's family and loved ones at this difficult time.'

Commander Wilkinson said a missing person investigation in relation to Ms Cremer remained active.

'Any further information relevant to Celine will be thoroughly followed up and we still hope to bring closure to her family and loved ones,' he said.

Searching has failed to uncover any trace of Ms Cremer.

The search in dense bushland has been called off

The family previously made a desperate plea for help finding Ms Cremer, who had previously said she planned to be on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Victoria on June 21.

'If you have any information on my sister, please contact me directly or my mum Ariane,' Celine's sister Amelie wrote on Facebook.

'Please share this post widely and help us find her.' 

Celine's mother confirmed the registration for the abandoned white Honda CRV, which was found roughly 500 metres up an unpaved road, was the backpacker's vehicle.

Police have urged anyone who has been in the Philosopher Falls car park since June 12 to call them.
A tourist hotspot popular among nature lovers and hikers could soon be officially known by its Aboriginal name.

The NSW Geographical Names Board (GNB) will this week consider giving a section of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, the name Gulumada.

The title would appear in conjunction with the current English-given name making the Blue Mountains the latest landmark to adopt a dual title.

The iconic tourist hot spot, The Blue Mountains (pictured), could soon see a name change as the NSW Geographical Names Board considers adding its Aboriginal name 'Gulumada'

Uluru/Ayers Rock, in the Northern Territory, and Fraser Island/K'Gari are among the other natural sites that have dual names.

The Blue Mountains City Council estimated around 4.4million people visited the landmark outside of Sydney between 2020 and 2021.

The GNB will decide if the proposal will pass through to the next step of renaming, where members of the public can voice their opinions.

However, the decision to allow it to enter public commentary can take weeks of deliberation between members of the board, news.com.au reported.

Renaming a feature or place that uses either an Aboriginal language or name must have also have engaged with the local Aboriginal community.

The name must also comply with the GNB's Place Naming Policy and have the support of the local council or administering government department.

'Many geographical features already have traditional names used by the local Aboriginal community prior to European settlement,' the GNB website reads.

'Aboriginal place naming is central to language revitalisation as it helps reawaken, preserve and grow Aboriginal languages in NSW and strengthens NSW First Peoples' connections with culture and identity.

'The New South Wales Government is committed to recognising Aboriginal cultural heritage by registering original place names given by Aboriginal people so that they sit side by side with existing European names.'

A total of 45 have been assigned to places around the state since the government supported a dual naming policy in 2001.

The national park, which is visited by about 4.4million people per year, would join a list of 45 places in the state with an English-Aboriginal name (stock image)

Three place name proposals are currently open to public comment, all for areas in and around Byron Bay, along the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

Two of the proposals suggest Picabeen Park and the headland of Cape Byron, where the famous Byron Bay lighthouse resides, receive the dual name of Walgun which translates to 'shoulder' in the Bundjalung language.

The Byron Bay proposals came just after Queensland's Fraser Island was re-named K'gari at the behest of the local Butchulla people on June 7.

Elders campaigned for decades against the island being named after Captain James Fraser and his wife Eliza, who became shipwrecked on the island in 1836 along with 18 crew and passengers.

'It's really been a long process and now to have that official place name being changed is a big achievement for our people,' Chantel Van Wamelen, Butchulla land and sea ranger coordinator, said.

'We've got such a unique ecosystem over here and there's such rich cultural and environmental values on this island.'
Issue 42 of In Defence of Marxism magazine is available to pre-order now! Alan Woods editorial, which we publish here, looks at the Marxist view of the state and the role of the individual in history  unifying themes in this issue. This issue includes a Marxist critique of Graeber and Wengrows The Dawn of Everything; an analysis of the class struggle in the Roman Republic by Alan Woods; a look at the rise of authoritarian governments and the Marxist view of Bonapartism; a review of Honore de Balzacs Human Comedy; and Trotskys invaluable article, Bonapartism and Fascism.

One day we see the stars here, and tomorrow there; and our mind finds something incongruous in this chaos - something in which it can put no faith, because it believes in order and in a simple, constant, and universal law. Inspired by this belief, the mind has directed its reflection towards the phenomena, and learnt their laws.

In other words, it has established the movement of the heavenly bodies to be in accordance with a universal law from which every change of position may be known and predicted. The case is the same with the influences which make themselves felt in the infinite complexity of human conduct.[1]

Those words of wisdom from Hegel are a very fitting reply to those who claim that history cannot be understood, that it is a mere agglomeration of accidents governed by no law, to quote the words of Arnold Toynbee: just one damn thing after another.

The laws that govern human history are undoubtedly more complex than many other natural phenomena. But the fact that something is more complex does not at all signify that it is impossible to understand. If that were the case, the progress of science would have come to a full stop long ago.

A few years ago, I was in a debate on Russia at Trinity College Cambridge. Until that point, I had forgotten just how bad things were in universities. I immediately noted an interesting fact about the conduct of our middle-class intellectuals. It is as follows:

Nobody is allowed to make any positive statement about anything. Every sentence must be preceded with words like, I think or, it seems to me. It seems to me that these academic ladies and gentlemen would be incapable of even saying, I want to go to the toilet, without first expressing their inner doubts on the subject.

At first sight this may seem merely a triviality, a kind of nervous tic or an irritating habit. On closer inspection, however, it expresses a very pernicious moral and philosophical deviation. What they actually mean, although they may be blissfully unaware of it, is that there is no such thing as objective truth.

This idea is not new. It is neither modern nor even postmodern. It was expressed very well a long time ago by the Greek Sophist, Gorgias, who said: nothing exists and, even if it does, its nature cannot be understood and, even if it could be, one is not able to communicate that understanding to another person.

Our so-called postmodernist friends have not advanced a single step since then. They merely repeat in a clumsy and incoherent way the ideas that Gorgias expressed with admirable clarity 2500 years ago.

The bourgeois academics translate their ignorance from Latin into Greek and call it agnosticism, which means precisely the same: without knowledge. But Marxists reject this empty scepticism that attempts to hide its vacuousness behind a spurious facade of objectivity.

In fact there is, by definition, absolutely nothing objective about a subjective idealism that reduces the entire universe to a mysterious Ego that subordinates all reality to its subjective caprice.

Can historians be objective?

However dispassionate and factual the historian may wish to be, it is impossible to escape having some sort of view on the events described. To claim otherwise is to attempt to defraud the reader. But this cannot hide the fact that in every case they are guided, consciously or unconsciously, by the desire to defend the existing social order and its values.

To prove this assertion, it is only necessary to cast a glance over the mountain of rubbish that has been produced in recent years to prove that the Bolshevik Revolution was, in the best-case scenario, a terrible mistake, and in the worst a crime against humanity.

It is hardly necessary to point out that these scientific works are little more than crude propaganda, full of the most blatant lies and distortions, the sole intention of which is, to quote the words of Thomas Carlyle (referring to the similarly slanderous treatment of Oliver Cromwell by contemporary historians), to bury the October Revolution under a mountain of dead dogs.

When Marxists look at society, we do not pretend to be neutral, but openly espouse the cause of the working class and socialism. However, partisanship does not at all preclude scientific objectivity. A surgeon involved in a delicate operation is also committed to saving the life of his patient. He is far from neutral about the outcome. But for that very reason, he will distinguish with extreme care between the different layers of the organism.

Hegel's words of wisdom are a very fitting reply to those who claim that history cannot be understood / Image: public domain

Genuine Marxists will always strive to obtain the most scientifically exact analysis of social processes, in order to successfully influence the outcome of the class struggle. But we are not dealing here with just a series of facts, one after another, with no more necessary connection than a sack of potatoes, but rather seek to draw out the general processes involved and explain them.

As Hegel said in another work: It is in fact, the wish for rational insight, not the ambition to amass a mere heap of acquisitions, that should be presupposed in every case as possessing the mind of the learner in the study of science. [2]

From this we can see that the flow and direction of history has been  and is  shaped by the struggles of successive social classes to mould society in their own interests and the resulting conflicts between the classes that flow from that.

The state and the class struggle

The question of the state has always been a fundamental issue for Marxists, occupying a central place in some of the most important texts of Marxism, such as The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by Friedrich Engels, and The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Marx.

The Marxist theory of the state and of Bonapartism provides the necessary method to distinguish between the various political regimes that rise and fall in the course of the class struggle, and crucially, it allows us to understand the tumultuous period we are entering, as Ben Gliniecki argues in his article, Demagogues and Dictators: What is Bonapartism? We therefore make no apologies for choosing this important subject as a central theme for the present issue.

Engels explains that the state in all normal periods is an instrument of class oppression controlled by the ruling class, but the historical record shows that there can be exceptional periods in which the class struggle reaches such a point of deadlock that the state apparatus raises itself above the contending parties and rules by the sword, balancing between the different classes.

This form of class rule is known to Marxists as Bonapartism, based on an historical analogy with the regime of Napoleon Bonaparte in France. But it has antecedents that go far further back in time. My book on Rome provides a brief outline of the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, the rise of the slave economy, the decline of the free peasantry, and the phenomenon of Caesarism, which arose on that fertile soil.

Although Caesarism and Bonapartism were based on entirely different modes of production and class relations, and consequently have many differences, they also display very striking similarities. Marx was therefore quite justified in regarding Caesarism as an early precursor of Bonapartism, and at times Trotsky uses the two terms interchangeably, as can be seen in his brilliant article, Bonapartism and Fascism.

The individual in history

Marxists reject the great man interpretation of history, which places the driving force of history in the minds and actions of certain individuals, but it is necessary to emphasise that Marx and Engels never denied the role of the individual in history. In The Holy Family, written before The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels explained that the idea of History, conceived apart from individual men and women, was merely an empty abstraction:

History does nothing, it possesses no immense wealth, it wages no battles. It is man, real, living man who does all that, who possesses and fights; history is not, as it were, a person apart, using man as a means to achieve its own aims; history is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims. [3]

Marx was quite justified in regarding Caesarism as an early precursor of Bonapartism / Image: public domain

But if men and women are not the puppets of blind historical forces, neither are they entirely free agents, able to shape their destiny irrespective of the existing conditions imposed by the level of economic development, science and technique, which, in the last analysis, determine whether a socio-economic system is viable or not. In The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Marx explains:

Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living.[4]

What Marxism does is explain the role of the individual as part of a given society, subject to certain objective laws and, ultimately, as the representative of the interests of a particular class. Ideas have no independent existence, nor their own historical development. Life is not determined by consciousness, Marx writes in The German Ideology, but consciousness by life. [5]

The ideas and actions of people are conditioned by social relations, the development of which does not depend on the subjective will of men and women but takes place according to definite laws, which in the last analysis reflect the development of the productive forces. The interrelations between these factors constitute a complex web that is often difficult to see. The study of these relations is the basis of the Marxist theory of history.

Free will

An excellent example of the way in which bourgeois historians hide behind a pretended impartiality and academic rigour in order to attack Marxism is a book that came out in 2021 claiming to offer a new science of history. A very big claim! But on turning the first few pages, one is forcibly reminded of the old Greek saying:

A mountain was in labour, and Zeus was scared; but it gave birth to a mouse.

Naturally enough, this new science of history rejects all evolutionary approaches to historical development and attacks materialism and Marxism. Instead, social relations are ordered based on concepts about the proper ordering of society: in other words, by the free choice of the societies to decide all questions and ideas.

All very fine. Except for one thing. As Joel Bergman explains in his article, How can we be free? A Marxist critique of the Dawn of Everything, the authors of The Dawn of Everything are unable to explain anything or even answer the question they pose at the beginning of the book, because they take as the starting point of their investigation the very thing they need to explain, and reject the determining role of material factors outside of the mind.

Faithfully following the postmodernist fashion, they try to use single exceptions to disprove well-established facts, like the role of agriculture in the rise of class society and states. Even then, their exceptions prove to be either misrepresentations of the facts, or even reinforce the Marxist position.

One of the most deeply ingrained prejudices of the human mind is the idea of free will  the notion that we are in complete control of our actions. But Sigmund Freud explained long ago that the actions of individuals are not the product of free will but reflect powerful unconscious forces, of which the individual has no knowledge and over which he or she has no control.

In the same way, the participants in history may not always be aware of the objective processes that condition their actions and impose strict limitations on their scope. They are not necessarily conscious of the real forces driving them, seeking instead to rationalise them in one way or another, but those forces exist and have a basis in the real world.

In the English Revolution of the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans he led into battle firmly believed that they were fighting for the victory of the Kingdom of God on Earth. However, subsequent history shows that what they were really doing was overthrowing a form of society that had outlived its historical purpose, thus clearing the ground for the victory, not of the ideal kingdom of God, but of the money grubbing bourgeoisie.

Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans he led into battle firmly believed that they were fighting for the victory of the Kingdom of God on Earth / Image: public domain

Similarly, in the 18th century, Maximilien Robespierre and the leaders of the French Revolution fought the feudal monarchy under the banner of Reason, but behind the slogans of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was hidden the cynical profit motive of the French bourgeoisie that played no role in the revolutionary struggles against the old regime, but simply waited in the wings to pick up the fruits of victory.

In both cases, those who carried out the revolution were inspired by a vision of the future. They were sincerely convinced of what they were fighting for. But their ability to achieve their declared aims ran counter to the existing state of development of the productive forces, which inevitably led  and could only lead  to the victory and consolidation of a capitalist economy.

Honore de Balzac

An interesting example of how great works of literature can have revolutionary significance is The Human Comedy, a lengthy series of novels by the outstanding French writer of the nineteenth century, Honore de Balzac. This important question is the theme of Ben Currys article, The revolutionary dialectic of Balzacs Human Comedy.

Balzac, who was one of Marxs favourite authors, is considered the father of the Realist school of literature and he explicitly sought to give a complete, living representation of all the social species that inhabited the world.

Paradoxically, in his own political ideas, Balzac was a conservative reactionary. But his courageous honesty and absolute dedication to historical truth and realism led him to write works that brilliantly expose the rottenness and degeneracy of the old nobility, and the impossibility of restoring the Old Regime.

He also depicted the brutal nature of bourgeois society, which was developing at this time. As a result, the characters he treats the most favourably are republicans and revolutionaries.

At this time the French working class was scattered and only beginning to become conscious of itself. Consequently, it does not feature in Balzacs work, except as part of the urban poor. But this fact takes nothing away from the colossal value of these works, not just as great literature but as a truthful record of the past.

Balzacs Human Comedy presents a masterful panorama of French society from 1815 to 1848. It was held in the highest regard by Marx and Engels. In the words of Engels: There is the history of France from 1815 to 1848 And what boldness! What a revolutionary dialectic in his poetical justice![6]

There are a few novels written in our own times about which these words could be spoken. I am thinking of The Man Who Loved Dogs by the outstanding Cuban novelist Leonardo Padura, who provides a fascinating account of the last years of Trotsky and his assassination, or the marvellous series of novels by the late Gore Vidal about American history after the Revolution, especially his masterpiece, Lincoln.

There are, no doubt, other honourable exceptions to the rule. But in general, it is clear that in the epoch of the senile decay of capitalism, the bourgeoisie is incapable of rising to the heights of a Balzac or a Dickens, not to speak of a Dante or a Shakespeare. We shall have to wait for a new society to free us from slavery, not just economically and socially, but intellectually and spiritually.

London, May 26, 2023

References

[1] G W F Hegel, The Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences, Oxford University Press, 1963, pg 42

[2] G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History, Dover Publications, 2004, pg 8

[3] K Marx, F Engels, Karl Marx Frederick Engels Collected Works, Vol. 4, Laurence and Wishart, 1975, pg 93

[4] K Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Wellred Books, 2022, pg 2

[5] K Marx, F Engels, The German Ideology in Karl Marx Frederick Engels Collected Works, Vol. 5, Laurence and Wishart, 1976, pg 37

[6] F Engels, Karl Marx Frederick Engels Collected Works, Vol. 49, Lawrence and Wishart, 2001, pg 71
The man accused of murdering young mum Kelly Wilkinson has appeared in court with burns on his face and neck.

Ms Wilkinson's estranged husband, Brian Earl Johnston, is charged with murdering the mother of three in April 2020.

Police allege her burnt body was found at the back of her Arundel home on the Gold Coast.

Mr Johnston was allegedly found by police close by to the home a short time later with serious burns to his hands and airway.

During a short hearing at Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday, Mr Johnson sat quietly in the dock wearing a black suit with visible facial injuries.

Kelly Wilkinson was found dead by police at her Arundel home on the Gold Coast in 2020. Picture: Supplied

The court was told Mr Johnston had recently hired a new legal team, led by defence barrister Kim Bryson.

Ms Bryson told the court she was yet to see the brief of evidence against her client but was expecting to receive it on Monday after the review.

She said she will be meeting with Mr Johnston in August to discuss his defence and the brief of evidence.

Police allege Mr Johnston doused his estranged wife in petrol before setting her alight in the back of her home.

Brian Johnston is accused of murdering Kelly Wilkinson in 2020. Picture: Supplied

Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy KC said he expected the trial against Mr Johnston 'will take somewhere over three weeks'.

He told the court the Crown will be alleging Mr Johnston had a 'history of domestic violence ... that would include sexual violence towards' Ms Wilkinson during the trial.

Justice Callaghan said the closest available date for trial would be early February next year.

He adjourned the matter to September 11 to allow Ms Bryson to speak with her client about his defence case.

The matter was also listed for pre-trial discussion on November 17, where it's expected several applications will be made by both the defence and the prosecution as to how best to proceed with the trial.

Police at the scene following Ms Wilkinson's death

Mr Johnston, who is yet to enter a plea, remains in custody.

Police charged another man, Bradley Bell, with Ms Wilkinson's murder after ongoing police investigations into her death.

Police will allege Mr Bell drove Mr Johnston to Arundel home and helped fill up a jerry can with fuel along the way.

Mr Bell was committed to stand trial in Southport Magistrates Court in May, 2023.

He will face Brisbane Supreme Court at a later date.

Mr Bell remains in custody.

Ms Wilkinson's sister Danielle Carroll and her husband Rhys were seated in court during Monday's mention.

The couple have been taking care of Ms Wilkinson's three children since Mr Johnston's arrest.

It's believed the three children were home at the time their father allegedly murdered their mother.
A 'brave' pet owner heroically stood 'neck deep' in mud as she tried to save her beloved Jack Russell Indi as the pair were mauled by savage dogs - and the pet is now fighting for life.

Elle Booth, 34, was walking Indi at Boggy Well Creek, at Lugarno in south Sydney, at 9am on Sunday when they were set upon by two Irish wolfhounds being walked by another man.

The pair ran into the muddy creek to seek shelter, where they spent around half an hour trying to fight off the vicious dogs until they were rescued by police armed with pepper spray.

Ms Booth was rushed to St George Hospital after suffering injuries to her face, neck, arms, hands and legs, while Indi was rushed to a vet with critical internal injuries, where she remains in intensive care.

Now, friend Tess Hutchinson has recalled how Ms Booth, who had recently moved to the area with her husband Tom to give their pets bush trails to explore, bravely tried to protect Indi after the two aggressive dogs started nipping at her.

Elle Booth, 34 (pictured) bravely tried to save the life of her pooch, Indi, as the pair were mauled by two dogs

Ms Booth (pictured), 34, was rushed to St George hospital in the city's south after suffering injuries to her face, neck, arms, hands and legs in the savage attack at Boggy Well Creek off Booyong Avenue, Lugarno, at 9am on Sunday

'Indi, overwhelmed with fear, darted towards the river in a desperate attempt to escape the relentless assault,' Ms Hutchinson said.

'The dogs chased, followed by Elle and the man who was walking these dogs. Indi was forced beyond the mangroves and into the mudflats beyond. The larger dogs caught Indi once again, pinning her under the mud for a period.

'With no hesitation, Elle charged after Indi, into the mangroves, her own safety abandoned in her unwavering determination to save her loyal companion.

'In a heroic act, Elle managed to pull Indi from the clutches of the attacking dogs, but not without sustaining severe injuries herself.'

Ms Hutchinson said the man walking the dogs blew a whistle and the dogs paused, with Ms Booth taking the opportunity to move further into the mud as she desperately tried to shield her companion from further harm.

Friends have recounted how Ms Booth bravely fought to protect Indi (pictured) as they were attacked

The seven-year-old Jack Russell is now fighting for life in hospital

But when she turned back toward the shore and bush track, the man was nowhere to be seen - and she realised she was all alone.

'For 20 minutes, Elle stood in neck deep mud holding Indi above, trying to clear Indis airway of mud, and continuing to hold the larger dogs off,' Ms Hutchinson said.

Emergency services then arrived at the scene after a family on the other side of the embankment saw the incident unfolding and called for help.

The conditions were so treacherous officers who came to Ms Booth and Indi's aid also got stuck in the mud.

Ms Booth's husband has also shared an update about her condition, saying his wife was 'brave as hell' and he was 'so proud of her'.

'Hey all, a big 36hrs for poor Elle and Indi after they were attacked by two wolfhounds yesterday,' he wrote.

'Elle is currently in surgery for her hands and forearm, she has a whole lot of bites from defending Indi.'

Ms Hutchinson said the event had changed the couple's lives 'forever' and has filled them with 'sorrow, heartache, and unspeakable pain'.

She has launched a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of Indi's medical bills - which have hit $25,000 but are expected to climb as she goes into life-saving surgery.

Tom Dale (pictured) said he is 'proud as hell' of his wife's efforts to save their pet

Ms Booth requires surgery after suffering horrendous injuries

Ms Booth is pictured with Indi, who the couple welcomed into their family in 2016

She said despite receiving the best care possible, there is no guarantee that Indi will survive, but she hopes garnering funds will give her the best chances of pulling through.

'Elle has suffered severe physical injuries and will have a long road to recovery, not to mention the emotional damage experienced,' she said.

'But it is not herself that Elle is concerned about; Indi has suffered horrendous, life-threatening injuries.

'Elle and Indi's road to recovery will be long and arduous, both physically and emotionally. The trauma they have endured has left them with deep scars that will take time to heal,' she said.

'We are humbly reaching out to compassionate individuals like you, seeking your support to help them rebuild their lives and regain their sense of security in our own backyard.'

Indi the Jack Russell Terrier was seriously injured in the mauling and remains in a critical condition at a local vet

Two dogs were seized by police and Georges River council rangers from a nearby home (pictured) Investigations are ongoing

The two dogs were seized by Georges River Council and are believed to have since been put down.

In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson said Georges River Council acknowledges incidents of this nature are very upsetting for everyone in our community.

'We can confirm Council staff worked with police on the day to locate and seize the dogs and will continue to work with police during the investigation.

'Residents are reminded to exercise responsible pet ownership to ensure the safety of our community and the wellbeing and safety of their pets by always walking their dog on a leash, unless in an authorised off-leash area.'

The council would not confirm whether the dogs had been put down, saying: 'As this matter is now under investigation, Council is not in a position to make further comment.'
Hawaiian surfer Mikala Jones has died after suffering a fatal injury out on the waves in Indonesia.

Jones, 44, was surfing off the coast of the Mentawai Islands when he reportedly severed a femoral artery and died due to the blood loss.

Exact details of the death are still unclear but fellow legends of the surfing world have paid tribute to Jones.

Jones' daughter Isabella shared several touching photos of her and her father together, and explained that her 'dad got into a bad surfing accident and didn't make it'.

She added that she was 'in so much disbelief right now, this doesn't feel real' but that she was 'happy he was doing what he loved the most.'

Hawaiian surfer Mikala Jones has died after an accident out on the waves that saw him reportedly sever an artery

Exact details of the death are still unclear, but fellow legends of the surfing world, as well as his own daughter, have paid tribute to Jones

Jones was born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, surf magazine Stab reported, adding that he moved to Bali in the early 2000s

Ms Jones also said: 'I love you so much dad and I wish I could give you one last hug. I wish I could tell you again how much I love you and thank you for being the best dad. I wish you were still here with us, you weren't supposed to leave yet. This is too soon.'

She continued: 'Life will never be the same without you. I miss you so much, I would do anything to get one more moment, even if it was us arguing and then laughing our a**es off.

'Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons, and always being there for me. I wish you were still here with us right now. I will always be thinking about you dad.'

Jones was born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, surf magazine Stab reported, adding that he moved to Bali in the early 2000s.

He was known within the surfing community for discovering unexplored surf locations around the world, and was passionate about their preservation.

Jones was also known for his use of a GoPro, documenting his weaving underneath cascading waves around the world and providing incredible footage.

A number of stills of his footage were splashed on the cover of surfing magazines and journals throughout his career.

Jones' daughter Isabella shared several touching photos of her and her father together on Instagram as she paid tribute to him

Mick Fanning shared a photo on Instagram of Jones and himself, writing that he was 'one of a kind'

Jones was known within the surfing community for discovering unexplored surf locations around the world

Jones, who was born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, was known for his iconic photographs and footage captured beneath the waves

Surfing legend and three-time World Champion, Mick Fanning shared a photo on Instagram of Jones and himself stood together.

'So shattered to hear the news. Mikala you were one of a kind. Funny, mellow, an explorer, a pioneer but most of all loving husband and father. Going to miss your sense of humour and classic one liners. Love how you always kept it real but were a true ambassador of aloha.

'To Emma and the girls sending so much love. Mikala loved you more than anything and would always be showing us pictures and videos with the proudest smile on his face. Grateful to have known you the past 25 years and honoured to go exploring with you in that time. You will be missed. #MJalldayMay you forever get barrelled whilst guiding your family from above. Love you brother.'

Brian Bielmann, a photographer and friend of Jones, wrote on Instagram: 'I put on the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys album Smile, I made a cup of coffee and sat down to make this really sad sad post. Our friend Mikala Jones passed away yesterday in The Mentawais while surfing the waves he loved..

'I'm so sorry and send prayers to his family. He was 44 which is far too young. He was a wonderful person an incredible artist, his Go pro photos were mind blowing. . We're gonna miss him so much.'

Fellow surfing legends shared tributes to Jones following news of his death

Jones was known as a trailblazer for the footage and photographs he captured from surfing under waves

A number of stills of Jones' footage were splashed on the cover of surfing magazines and journals throughout his career

Bielmann continued: 'I've been sitting here all morning trying to grasp this reality. We all will pass on but it's so shocking when it's so unexpected like this. What he packed into his 44 years was astounding. He lived a great life was loved by many and will never be forgotten. He left this world a beautiful soul can any of us ask to live a better life than that. Aloha Mikala We love you buddy.'

Jones is survived by his wife and their three children.
Vladimir Putin held secret talks at the Kremlin with the warlord who staged an armed mutiny against his regime, it has been revealed.

An unnanounced session took place on June 29 - less than a week after the revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary army - and was attended by some 35 people, including top Kremlin brass and several of Prigozhin's commanders, the Kremlin admitted.

French publication Liberation had earlier cited secret service sources claiming the meeting had taken place, but gave the date as July 1.

'The details of the meeting are unknown. But the only thing we can say, the President gave his assessment of the company's [Wagner] actions during the Special Military Operation, and also his assessment of their actions during 24 June,' the report said.

'Putin listened to explanations given by the commanders, and offered them further employment options, and others ways of combat deployment.

'The commanders gave their version of what happened, too. They stressed that they were staunch supporters and footmen of the head of the state and the Supreme Commander [Putin].

'And also said that they were ready to keep fighting for the Motherland.'

Since the meeting, Prigozhin appears to be remaining in Russia rather than forced into exile in neighbouring Belarus as seemed his fate earlier.

Vladimir Putin (L) and Yevgeny Prigozhin are pictured together during a tour of Prigozhin's Concord food processing factory

Prigozhin may seek to carry out 'some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia' to work his way back with the Putin regime, according to Dmitry Muratov

'He must do something that will take away the taste of what Putin called ''a stab in the back of Russia'',' Muratov claimed

Russia's rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin walked free from prosecution for his June 24 armed mutiny

Members of the Wagner Group military company guard an area as others load their tank onto a truck on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023

Prigozhin may attempt to assassinate Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) to curry favour with the Kremlin, it has been claimed

The claims about a sensational head-to-head between Putin and Prigozhin come amid a chilling separate theory that the Wagner boss may be tasked with using his armed force to assassinate Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky - and 'bring his head' to the Kremlin.

Prigozhin may seek to carry out 'some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia' to work his way back in with the Putin regime after his armed revolt aimed at toppling the defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of defence staff Valery Gerasimov, said one of Moscow's most respected editors, Nobel prize-winner Dmitry Muratov.

'I think [Yevgeny Prigozhin] may not ask for forgiveness [from Putin],' said Muratov, who runs pioneering investigative news outlet Novaya Gazeta, told Zhivoy Gvozd YouTube show.

'But he may commit some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia.

'He may try to organise an assassination attempt on [Volodymyr] Zelensky and bring the head of the President of Ukraine to the Kremlin.

'He must do something that will take away the taste of what Putin called ''a stab in the back of Russia''.'

In the wake of the aborted armed mutiny on June 24, Putin swiftly withdrew threats to charge Prigozhin with treason and leading an insurrection.

But the Wagner leader and some 8,000 of his force were supposed to go to Belarus under the terms of an armistice agreement brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.

Instead Prigozhin is widely believed to have remained in Russia - and his Wagner force evidently remains intact.

General Viktor Zolotov, head of the Russian national guard, and Sergei Naryshkin, chief of the SVR Russian foreign intelligence agency, both attended the secret session with Prigozhin along with senior Wagner commanders, according to Liberation.

Putin's spokesman said last week that the Kremlin had 'neither the ability nor the desire' to track Prigozhin who came to prominence running banquets and catering contracts for the Russian dictator, before setting up propagandist 'troll' farms and his private army.

NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg revealed that 'we monitor closely where the Wagner soldiers are moving around, and also where he [Prigozhin] is moving'.

There was no sign of a big movement to Belarus, he said.

Prigozhin pictured entering the Kremlin with Putin

the Wagner leader and some 8,000 of his force were supposed to go to Belarus under the terms of an armistice agreement brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured)

Tents are seen at a newly-built camp on a site previously used by the Belarusian army that could potentially accommodate up to 5,000 Wagner troops, on July 07, 2023, 90 kilometres (approximately 55 miles) southeast of Minsk, in Asipovichy District, Belarus

'I will not go into the details, but we have seen some preparations for hosting large groups of Wagner soldiers in Belarus. So far we haven't seen so many of them going to Belarus.'

He said Prigozhin had been 'moving around a bit', without saying where.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko - who mediated the exile deal to halt the armed mutiny - denied Prigozhin was in Belarus.

'He's in St Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus,' he said.

Camps for Wagner mercenaries have been set up - but are unfilled, and Lukashenko is due to hold talks soon with Putin on the Wagner situation.

'One should not lose such a unit despite all the subtle details,' said Lukashenko, who then indicated Wagner was a superior fighting force to the Russian regular army.

'I wish the entire army fought as well as these guys. But these are the problems of the Russian Federation and President Putin.'

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said the Russian security services 'have the ability to detain Prigozhin or restrict his movements in Russia' but were evidently not doing so.

His 'ability to freely operate in Russia suggests that Prigozhin is still protected by some security guarantees and/or that the Kremlin continues to prioritise undermining his reputation in Russia over targeting [him] physically or legally.'

'Putin can't just dispose of him, which obviously shows the leader's weakness. They are too financially and militarily intertwined to get rid of him right away,' said Theresa Fallon, director of the Brussels-based Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said there is 'no good reason' to disrupt a wedding as she blasted an eco-activist who threw orange confetti at George Osborne and his new bride.

A mystery 'lone wolf' - who Just Stop Oil say was not a member of their group - tipped confetti over the former Tory chancellor and his wife Thea Rogers after a ceremony in Somerset on Saturday afternoon.

The Home Secretary has today said she would 'totally disagree' with any climate change activist who argues that disrupting a wedding is an appropriate form of protest.

Put to her on ITV's Good Morning Britain that some protesters would argue the stunt was legitimate, Ms Braverman said: 'I don't care what your cause is, there really is no good reason to try and interrupt another private citizen's civil liberties, rights, freedoms.

'And the way in which this person has attempted to ruin someone else's wedding day... I'm sure they didn't succeed, incidentally, because their efforts will have been in vain.

'They are only alienating supporters rather than attracting them.

Suella Braverman appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday to discuss various issues

Just Stop Oil has revealed that the woman who disrupted George Osborne's wedding day by showering him and his new bride with orange confetti is not part of their group

The couple looked behind them in some confusion as the confetti was thrown while they left the church

'It is unacceptable, it is deplorable and, as I have made very clear time and time again, the militant, disruptive, selfish tactics of groups like Just Stop Oil, who are causing misery in many cases to the law-abiding majority through slow walking, through various extreme tactics, is totally unacceptable.

'Their approach is not working but I'm very pleased with how the police have been responding.

'We've given them extra powers through our new Public Order Act, they have been able to take swift action and actually in recent weeks since the powers came into force, it has averaged on some days less than 10 minutes for the police to intervene and stop Just Stop Oil from causing serious disruption to the law-abiding majority.'

Her comments came after left-wing Guardian columnist Owen Jones today defended the Just Stop Oil-style protester who disrupted Mr Osborne's wedding.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain this morning, Mr Jones insisted that the stunt had not ruined the day.

In a furious bust-up with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, the columnist for the left-wing newspaper called Mr Osborne's austerity-era measures 'far far worse', adding: 'Genuinely, do you think it [the wedding] was ruined because of some orange confetti? I really don't think so, I'm sorry.

'I don't think that's actually proportionate whatsoever.

Owen Jones (right) told Ed Balls he did not think the wedding day was ruined because of the confetti stunt

Owen Jones spoke about the mystery protester who appeared at George Osborne's wedding

'You said you had a lovely day, you had a great day and it clearly was a happy occasion.'

Susanna Reid raised the question of whether if someone does something you politically disagree with, should they be punished in perpetuity 'and then any good moment that they have needs to be spoiled?'

Mr Jones said: 'It's more the case that I don't think politicians should do very, very terrible things and destroy the lives of huge numbers of people'

He added: 'I just feel over and over again, there are people, like George Osborne, who  I don't think any politician has caused so much ruin in this country than George Osborne.

'The decimation of the welfare state, which plunged huge numbers of people into poverty and misery..'

Mr Jones said: 'Just that one example of a mum who lost her beloved daughter and then had to pay the bedroom tax because she had a spare bedroom, that is far, far, far, far worse than orange confetti on your wedding day.'

He argued 'we don't know anything about the circumstances' of the woman protesting, 'we don't even know who she is.'

Owen Jones told Susanna Reid and Ed Balls he didn't think it was 'proportionate' to suggest Mr Osborne's wedding was ruined because of the confetti protester

The former chancellor married Thea Rogers at a ceremony in Bruton, Somerset

The former chancellor, 52, married Thea Rogers, 40, at a ceremony in Somerset on Saturday afternoon.

After the ceremony a mystery woman, dressed as if she was attending the wedding, tipped bright orange confetti over the couple as they left the churchyard - but Just Stop Oil (JSO) said she was not a member of their group.

JSO, which aims to pressure the Government into abandoning fossil fuels, has recently targeted The Ashes and Wimbledon alongside its six-week campaign of destruction through slow marches in London.

But a mystery unravelled after Just Stop Oil's spokesman James Skeet confirmed the protester at Mr Osborne's wedding was not a member of the group, despite the eco-zealots tweeting that he 'looked good in orange' after.

They also said he 'carries a heavy responsibility for the inability of successive Governments to address the climate crisis'.

Mr Skeet said: 'Unfortunately, we can't claim credit for the orange confetti on this one, but we wish the happy couple well.

He added: 'I neither condemn nor praise it. I don't know who that lady is.'

When quizzed on whether the group welcomed outside protesters taking similar action to Just Stop Oil, the spokesman said: 'As a policy, Just Stop Oil is always accountable for our actions. You will know it is us because we will admit to it.

'The fact that we were vague last night implies that it wasn't really us.

'If orange confetti is the symbol of the revolution then so be it, but obviously you can always guarantee that we will be accountable for any actions that we undertake.'

In a tweet on Sunday, the group, referring to 'confettigate', said: 'The lady who threw confetti in Bruton yesterday was upholding a tradition that is common across many cultures.

'We absolutely defend the right for people to throw confetti (of whatever colour) at weddings and other celebrations.

'If it was a form of protest - which is yet to be established - we applaud it and thank the person concerned. It was peaceful and not especially disruptive, but got massive media attention for Just Stop Oil's demand.'

Former chancellor George Osborne with his wife and former adviser, Thea Rogers, outside St Mary's Church

The group added: 'However, as much as we applaud the use of orange confetti at this wedding, we were not responsible.'

Footage from outside the church showed the mystery woman, who was wearing a floral dress and a suit jacket, approach the couple as they were escorted by a security guard towards a waiting vehicle.

She took a handful of orange confetti from a paper bag with a Union Jack printed on it and threw it over the backs of the newlyweds, before tipping the remnants over Mr Osborne's head and jacket.

The confetti was very similar to that released by activists on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday - although those Just Stop Oil protesters wore t-shirts revealing their affiliation to the group.

The couple looked behind them, puzzled, but the woman did not appear to speak to them.

Their security guard then held out an arm to keep the woman at a distance from them.

* Do YOU know who the mystery protester is? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk
Tories are urging Rishi Sunak to stand up to Joe Biden today amid tensions over Ukraine and the next Nato chief.

The two leaders are set for talks in Downing Street on the eve of a crucial summit of the military alliance in Lithuania.

But frustration is mounting that although it will be their fifth meeting in as many months, Mr Biden is largely ignoring the UK's views - with persistent claims he is 'anti-British'.

More flashpoints have emerged over recent days, with Mr Biden pouring cold water on the idea of Ukraine joining Nato anytime soon.

He has also put Mr Sunak in an awkward position by declaring the US will supply Kyiv with cluster bombs - weapons the UK is committed to shunning.

And the pair could have tricky exchanges over the next head of Nato, after Mr Biden seemingly blocked the ambitions of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and backed the EU's Ursula von der Leyen for the top job.

Tory MP David Jones told MailOnline engagement was useless if there was no 'positive response'. 'The PM should remind him which country is America's strongest ally,' he added.

Joe Biden is in the UK and due to hold talks in Downing Street on the eve of a Nato summit

Tories are urging Rishi Sunak to stand up to Joe Biden amid tensions over Ukraine and the next Nato chief

Mr Biden is said to be pushing for the current European Commission president to take charge of the military alliance.

But MPs complained that he is 'being a d***', after apparently being angered by Britain failing to get his approval to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets.

Conservatives have warned that Ms von der Leyen was the 'worst ever' German defence minister before becoming commission president. On her watch Berlin's troops notoriously trained with broomsticks during Nato exercises because they did not have enough rifles.

Mr Biden told CNN in an interview broadcast as he set off on his journey that Ukraine was not 'ready for membership' in NATO.

'I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,' he said.

He noted that NATO members are committed to every inch of each other's territory, while war is raging inside Ukraine.

'If the war is going on, then we're all in war,' he said.

His tone appeared far more downbeat than the UK, which has urged a positive message on the prospects for Ukraine joining Nato.

Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Telegraph: 'In these circumstances with Ukraine facing literally a life-and-death struggle with Russia, it would be better to give them some positive sense that membership will become a reality at some point rather than emphasising the negative that they are not ready.'

Mr Biden said he took the 'very difficult decision' to supply cluster bombs because Kyiv's forces are running out of ammunition in their fightback against the Russian invasion.

But the PM spoke out to underline that the UK is a signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of the weapons that scatter large numbers of tiny explosives from a rocket or artillery shell.

Yesterday Treasury minister Victoria Atkins insisted in an interview on Sky News: 'We're very pleased that President Biden is coming this week. It's going to be the fifth time that the Prime Minister [and] the President have met in the last five months. And so the relationship is the special relationship is still very much strong and secure.'

But she went on: 'In relation to cluster bombs, we, the UK, have signed the convention that prohibits their use and discourages their use. And of course we stick by that convention and we are trying to do what we can to support Ukraine.'

After the talks in Downing Street Mr Biden will meet the King

Former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts said other western nations were also 'very uncomfortable' with the US's stance on cluster bombs.

He told Sky News: 'We've, all of us, apart from the Americans, signed up to the convention, which means we don't produce or stockpile or use these weapons. I mean, they are indiscriminate weapons, of course.' He admitted Ukraine hasn't had the precision munitions or fighter aircraft it has asked for from the West, and sees cluster bombs as a 'potential game-changer' in its counter-offensive against president Putin's army.

'This admittedly horrible weapon is designed to use against dug-in entrenched forces. And as I say, if they can't break through in this fight, which is going on in their territory, this is weapons for use on their territory, then the risk is it will continue.

'So it's a hard choice for the kind that the countries have to make in wartime. I'm uncomfortable with it. Yes, I wish it wasn't being done, but I think we can understand why they're doing it.'
A British father has been forced to have his leg amputated after being run over by a motorboat driven by his daughter who reportedly mixed up forward gear with reverse in a horrific accident while on holiday in Italy.

The man's daughter was driving the boat in popular tourist spot Cannigione, Sardinia, when she ran over him and left him seriously injured.

Air ambulances descended on the scene and La Maddalena Coast Guard are now investigating what happened, according to Galluraoggi.

The father, left in complete shock, was rushed to Sassari Hospital where doctors found a serious wound on his left leg.

Tragically, medical staff had no choice but to proceed with a semi-amputation because his leg had been completely torn apart, local media reports.

A British father has been forced to have his leg amputated after being run over by a motorboat driven by his daughter who mixed up forward gear with reverse in a horrific accident while on holiday in Italy. Pictured: Cannigione beach in Sardinia

As the man recovers from the severe injury, La Maddalena Coast Guard are now investigating what happened

The horror incident took place close to the beach in Cannigione and L'Unione Sarda reports that the daughter thought she was driving the boat forward but was actually in reverse.

She then ran over her father who was in the water, leaving him with life-changing injuries.

Cannigione is a small seaside village in Sardinia right by the popular Costa Smeralda. It features a picturesque beach with golden sand and crystal clear waters.

The former fishing village in northeastern Sardinia is an incredibly popular spot for snorkelling, scuba diving among other activities.

In May, four people died in Italy after a boat carrying British tourists capsized on the beauty spot Lake Maggiore.

A sudden whirlwind overturned the 52ft boat in the northern Lombardy region, plunging more than 20 tourists and crew into the icy waters of the lake.

Cannigione is a small seaside village in northeastern Sardinia right by the popular Costa Smeralda

Italian firefighters said 19 people, who had been celebrating a birthday on the boat, managed to swim to the shore.

But four, including a 50-year-old Israeli man, were found dead in the waters by rescuers, local television Tgcom24 reported.

The three other victims were an Italian man and woman and the skipper's wife, who was Russian, reports La Repubblica.
Bosses at the BBC are today set to meet with the Met Police as officers consider if the mystery star accused of paying a vulnerable teen 35,000 for sexually explicit photos will face any criminal investigation.

The unnamed broadcaster has been suspended by the corporation almost two months after a complaint was first raised by the alleged victim's family.

The 'well-known' male presenter is accused of handing over tens of thousands of pounds during a three-year period, which helped to fund the 'spiralling' crack-cocaine addiction of the vulnerable youngster, now aged 20.

It is also claimed the mother of the teen reportedly saw a photo of the man stripped down to his boxer shorts for a video, 'leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him'.

The allegations, if proved, could constitute a criminal offence - with one leading obscenity lawyer claiming the BBC star could potentially face a prison sentence if convicted.

Here's all you need to know about what the law says about the allegations.

The BBC has said it has suspended the male star - a household name - as the accusations against him are investigated

What does the law say?

Making, distributing, possessing or showing an indecent image of anyone under the age of 18 is a criminal offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978, even if the image was created with the consent of the young person, or the young person was asked to send a sexual image of themselves.

It carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor who led the case against the Rochdale grooming gangs, said the allegations could also be considered an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

It is a criminal offence to ask a child under 18 to send a sexual image of themselves and inciting sexual exploitation of a child carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

And even though the age of sexual consent in the UK is 16, those aged under 18 legally cannot give consent for sexual images of themselves to be taken.

These laws have been tightened over the years to protect young people aged 16 and 17 from sexual exploitation.

However, the laws would not apply to any explicit images sent when the individual was over the age of 18.

Why has the BBC star not been named?

The answer to this is complex and dogged in legal and editorial issues for news outlets in the UK.

Firstly, the report - if true - is purely an allegation, made initially to The Sun newspaper.

It's not clear what other evidence - if any - may have been seen by the paper. It's also not clear whether the Sun has seen proof of payments or the alleged photograph of the star in underwear.

And this is where the law becomes tricky.

The courts have long recognised it is in the public interest for journalists to unmask 'the fraudulent and the scandalous', to quote one famous case.

However, if there is a lack of reportable evidence that can back up the story, then this is where legal problems start to build.

In this case, the first issue news outlets will have to contend with is the law of defamation, which protects an individual's reputation from the massive harm caused by lies.

This law applies to all, from royals and wealthy BBC stars to an entirely private individual.

Getting it wrong could destroy a person's career, personal life and relationships - so there is significant risk to naming the man involved in this scandal, ethically, editorially and legally.

Tim Davie (pictured), director-general of the BBC, said the corporation was taking the allegations against the unnamed star 'incredibly seriously'

Even inference or innuendo, whether intentional or not, could also create a whole host of problems.

And it's worth noting that anyone speculating on social media about the identity of the presenter could also find themselves being sued for the harm they cause to reputations of other people wrongly identified.

A decade ago, Sally Bercow, wife of the then Speaker of the House of Commons, had to pay damages to the late Lord Robert McAlpine, a Conservative peer after making a brash comment on social media.

HOW BBC PRESENTER 'SEX PICS' SCANDAL CAME TO LIGHT 2020: The BBC presenter allegedly began requesting sexually explicit photographs from the teenager. May 19: Alleged victim's family complained to the BBC, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money. June: The accused host allegedly attended a party alongside BBC senior executives. July 7: The BBC star was said to have been taken off air - but has not been suspended. The alleged victim's family details the accusations in a newspaper interview, claiming the presenter paid for the explicit photographs for three years. The alleged victim's mother also claimed the teenager used the cash to fund their spiralling drug habit. July 8: It is revealed the presenter could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence Several major BBC stars - including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker - confirm they are not the man behind the scandal. July 9: Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds 'urgent talks' with BBC boss Tim Davie. BBC suspends the male staff member whom allegations were made against. Director-general Tim Davie sends an internal email to staff reiterating that the BBC is taking the allegations 'incredibly seriously'. It is understood that the BBC has been in contact with police. July 10: Representatives from the BBC meet with the Metropolitan Police. In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: 'For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are 'rubbish'.' The legal representative also said the young person told The Sun on Friday evening before the newspaper published the story that there was 'no truth to it', the BBC reported. The mother and stepfather of the young person stood by their allegation, and questioned how their child could afford the lawyer, The Sun reported. The newspaper alleged that the mother said: 'It is sad but we stand by our account and we hope they get the help they need. 'We did this to help - and the presenter has got into their head. How did they afford a lawyer?' Advertisement

The High Court ruled that one of her tweets wrongly inferred, by innuendo, that he was a paedophile even though she didn't name him.

Another consideration for not naming the star is a person's inherent right to privacy.

In an email to staff, BBC director-general Tim Davie said the corporation was taking the allegation 'incredibly seriously'.

He added: 'By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.

'I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts.'

Sir Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014.

Sir Cliff was falsely accused of historical sex offences. He denied the allegations and was never arrested and in June 2016 prosecutors announced he would face no charges.

What do the legal experts have to say?

Myles Jackman, a lawyer who has represented individuals accused of similar crimes, said the allegations facing the BBC star could carry a prison sentence.

He told the Guardian that possessing images of a child undertaking sexual acts had a starting sentence of 26 weeks in prison. However, this sentence could increase dramatically if they are found to have shared those images.

Mr Jackman said: 'Any child under 18 that takes a photo of themselves is manufacturing child pornography, they are in possession of it, and they have distributed it. Anyone soliciting photographs from someone under 18 has committed a serious raft of offences.'

Although the age of consent for sexual activity in England and Wales is 16 years old, the law on indecent images treats all under-18s as children, he said: 'The Protection of Children Act 1978 prohibits any production, possession, or distribution of images of a sexual nature of children  and that means under the age of 18.'

Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor who led the case against the Rochdale grooming gangs, claimed the allegations could also be considered an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 - which could carry an even heftier punishment.

Causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child carries a maximum sentence of 14 years' imprisonment.

Mr Afzal told The Sunday Times he was 'surprised that this person was not suspended once they became aware of the gravity of the allegation'. 'They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago.'

Based on the reporting in the Sun, Mr Jackman said any material produced while the teen was 17 could be considered category-B material for legal purposes. Such material would encompass 'possession of images involving non-penetrative sexual activity' by a child.

Mr Jackman, who has also lectured on the topic, said: 'For possession alone, it's 26 weeks' custody as a starting point. There are then aggravating features for establishing what level of guilt and culpability.'
Thames Water has said its shareholders have agreed to pump another 750 million in funding into the utility giant, but warned that another 2.5 billion will be needed by 2030 as it struggles under a 14 billion debt mountain.

The supplier said the initial funding agreement to the end of March 2025 is a 'major milestone', although it is less than the 1 billion expected, and the group admitted that 'significantly' greater support will be needed in following years for its turnaround to be delivered.

It said any further support from shareholders for the 2025-2030 period 'will depend on the finalisation of the business plan and the regulatory framework that will apply'.

Thames Water's latest funding deal comes as the group battles to stave off nationalisation, with the Government working on contingency plans in recent weeks to take control if the firm collapsed.

Its former chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down abruptly last month amid mounting worries over the financial stability of the company.

Ms Bentley's interim replacement, Catheryn Ross, said today there is 'absolutely enough' money for the company to pay for everything it needs in the coming years.

Thames Water has said its shareholders have agreed to pump another 750 million in funding into the utility giant, but warned that another 2.5 billion will be needed by 2030 as it struggles under a 14 billion debt mountain

Thames Water is the UK's biggest water supplier with 15 million customers, serving households across London and the South East.

Its annual results also published on Monday laid bare the financial woes at the group, with debts swelling to 14 billion from 12.9 billion the previous year and remaining in the red with underlying pre-tax losses of 82.6 million for the year to March 31.

Interim co-chief executives Cathryn Ross and Alastair Cochran said: 'This announcement is a major milestone for Thames and all our stakeholders.

'The substantial equity support package announced today will underpin the delivery of a more focused turnaround plan that builds on the foundations that have been put in place over the last two years.'

The funding secured adds to 500 million already injected in March this year by its investors.

Thames Water chairman Ian Marchant said the new deal is 'the largest equity support package ever seen in the UK water sector'.

But the company's shareholders - a consortium of pension funds and sovereign wealth funds - have said the cash is dependent on 'the preparation of a business plan that underpins a more focused turnaround that delivers targeted performance improvements for customers, the environment and other stakeholders over the next three years and is supported by appropriate regulatory arrangements'.

Thames Water has come under pressure in recent years over its poor performance in tackling leaks and sewage contamination, while facing criticism for handing out big rewards to top bosses and shareholders.

Thames Water is the UK's biggest water supplier with 15 million customers, serving households across London and the South East

The group reiterated that it has 4.4 billion of cash and committed funding.

However, it has the highest gearing level of all water companies - a key measure of a company's financial risk - though it said on Monday that this has eased back to its lowest level in 10 years.

It stressed it will 'carefully monitor' its progress on meeting conditions for the shareholder support and 'keep under review pathways to ensure Thames Water's continued financial resilience'.

'In the meantime, Thames Water remains focused on delivering a safe and reliable service to its customers and the environment while work continues on implementing and accelerating the turnaround,' it said.

Asked if there was a hole in the company's finances, Ms Ross told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: 'Not at all. We have a 4.4 billion liquidity pile that we're sitting on, which means we can access 4.4 billion of cash and credit facilities.

'They're right there if we need it. That's absolutely enough to pay everything we think we need to pay this year, next year and into the future.'

When asked about the risk of the Government taking Thames Water into special administration, Ms Ross said: 'You have to remember that all utility companies operate under a regime where there is this - nuclear option if you like - this very extreme safeguard called special administration.

'There's a very, very high bar before the Government puts any company into special administration. The company basically has to be insolvent or persistent in severe breach.'

She also defended Thames Water when asked whether she believes the company misled the Environment Agency following the release of sewage from treatment works in October 2017 which led to the utility giant being fined 3.3 million last week.

The interim co-chief executive told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I don't believe that our people here at Thames Water had a deliberate intention to mislead.

She added: 'I respect, absolutely, the judge's decision in that case, but all I can say is, having read the materials, from my own perspective I don't believe that there was any intention to deliberately mislead, but we have to accept those findings, we have to learn the lessons, we have to improve and move on.'
Furious easyJet passengers were told their flight home was cancelled while they were waiting to take-off as the airline battles with thousands of cancellations and delays from its main Gatwick base.

The airline announced it had axed 1,700 flights during the peak summer months as it grappled with 'unprecedented' air traffic control delays, causing huge travel disruption to thousands of holidaymakers.

Among those to be hit by last minute cancellations is Andy Samu, who was due to fly to London Gatwick from Budapest last night before the captain announced it would not be going ahead as they sat on the tarmac ready for take-off.

Mr Samu told MailOnline that the flight was held up due to air traffic control but the delay meant the aircraft's security check had expired and they had to disembark, forcing passengers to stay in hotels until another flight could be found.

Around 180,000 passengers have had their flights scheduled for July, August and September grounded as a result of 'unprecedented' air-traffic control delays.

Mr Samu was travelling on a flight back to Gatwick from Budapest before the captain announced that it would no longer be running after the aircraft's security check had expired (credit: @andysamu)

Passengers have shared photos of queues headed to hotels at 2am (credit: @andysamu)

Currently, there are approximately 9,000 customers without an alternative route, after the company said it had booked 95 percent of travellers on replacements.

Another passenger told MailOnline how their flight home from Croatia was cancelled with just four hours notice.

Susan Richards, who was on a family holiday in Dubrovnik, famed as the setting for King's Landing in Game of Thrones, said their flight home was cancelled with little warning and they were now having to stay until Tuesday night, in a hotel paid for by the airline.

READ: Holidaymakers face a summer of chaos as air traffic control strike set to delay or cancel thousands of European flights Advertisement

She continued: 'There was a poor lady alone with a 14-month-old baby absolutely distraught at our hotel unable to get home. It's unbelievable!'

In one shocking case, Neil Maslin was forced to spend the night sleeping in a rental car after hotels were full following his flight cancellation.

He old MailOnline: 'The car rental brokered by Easyjet was closed. Hotels full. I found a car that was open in the rental parking and slept in it.

'Yesterday my flight to Munich cancelled, no way to get home except from Heathrow today with Lufthansa. 600 quid out of pocket and counting.'

Meanwhile, the pilot of one Sunday evening flight to Gatwick from Palma in Mallorca came out of his cockpit to apologise to passengers personally.

The already behind-schedule service was blocked from taking off for another 40 minutes by Gatwick air traffic control while they sat on the tarmac.

He told the packed flight of tired Brits that flights bound for the London airport were being throttled at source because it did not have enough staff to track the normal number of flights and was having to spread out scheduled services over a longer period of time.

It is understood that the airline has been suffering problems for up to a week.

One passenger told MailOnline: 'We had been watching the number of delayed flights on the board in Palma rising and thought we had got lucky with our flight.

'But just minutes before we were due to board we were told there would be a 30-minute delay which turned into an hour.

'Then once we had boarded the pilot suddenly appeared to tell us there was going to be a second delay of 40 minutes or so. He said that the problem was down to air traffic control being short-staffed and having to spread out the flights due into Gatwick so they could cope.

'Everyone was pretty frustrated - we were all tired and there were families with small children on board. But it seems like we might have been among the lucky ones.'

Meanwhile, passenger Sally Roberts said she is currently 'stuck in Turkey' with her family.

Mr Samu photographed a number of passengers waiting around the airport in the early hours of the morning for accommodation to be sorted (credit: @andysamu)

Ms Roberts said that their scheduled flight was delayed for hours until passengers were eventually taken to a hotel.

She told MailOnline: 'We have no information on what is happening, no one at the hotel speaks English, given two small cartons of water, nothing else nothing to eat.'

'There are people at the hotel that have now spent two nights. They were taken back to the airport yesterday to then have to leave the airport again.

'At the moment we have no idea how they are going to get everyone on this 16.15 flight.'

Eric Ramswell, 81, had his flight home to Gatwick from Larnaca cancelled via text message just a 'few hours' before takeoff.

READ MORE: easyJet flight removes 19 passengers flying back to Britain from Lanzarote because the plane was TOO HEAVY Advertisement

'There were no reps of EasyJet there, no-one at the airport had any information at all,' he told MailOnline.

'I managed to phone easyJet, who were sympathetic to a degree, said they'd phone back, but didn't! Eventually I phoned our friend in Paphos, (over 100 miles away) and took a cab there (180 euros!), stayed the night and rebooked from Paphos airport. Even with this plane, we sat in on the runway for one hour.'

John Hayes' flight was also cancelled on his birthday with 'no explanation'.

Mr Hayes spent three hours making phone calls to the airline in order to book a flight home from Faro to Bristol.

'We are old age pensions and we're left completely abandoned with no help at all.

'Every phone call led to being given another number to ring with no one wanting to take responsibility.'

After being transferred to a three-star hotel at Faro airport, which didn't meet the needs of Mr Hayes who has a disability, the couple were then told they'd have to pay for their stay, with no correspondence from easyJet on the matter.

He said: 'With meals we are probably 400 out of pocket.'

Holidaymakers are bracing for a summer of chaos due to air traffic control delays, which are three times longer than pre-pandemic levels.

An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline: 'We are currently operating up to around 1,800 flights and carrying around 250,000 customers per day with more crew and pilots flying than ever before and like all airlines, we review our flights on an ongoing basis.

Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, recently warned that demand from airlines 'might get close to capacity' for ATC in large parts of Europe, including London, Brussels and Madrid.

Fridays and weekends are expected to be most at risk of disruption.

The airline has maintained that disruptions are not due to staff shortages, which plagued the aviation sector last year.

The spokesperson from easyJet added: 'As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action.

'We have therefore made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies, in order to help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers and we continue to operate around over 90,000 flights over this period.

'Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95 per cent customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused.'

Around 180,000 easyJet passengers have had their flights cancelled at the last minute

The airline has cited 'unprecedented' air-traffic control delays for the disruption, saying they are three times longer than pre-pandemic levels

Aviation veteran Paul Charles, chief executive of the travel consultancy said: 'I've been warning for some time that our UK airport infrastructure, along with continuing people shortages at airlines and ground handlers, cannot cope with the massive summer demand.

'Just when you thought you had secured a flight to your summer holiday paradise, it gets changed and causes more inconvenience and stress.

'Airlines have to get better at planning and delivering, not letting down customers at short notice. EasyJet aren't the first and won't be the last to take such action this summer.'

Over 40 flights to and from Gatwick were cancelled on Saturday alone, leaving more than 6,000 passengers affected.

Dozens more easyJet flights were axed on Sunday, which included trips to popular summer holiday destinations such as Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante.

A number of passengers had their flights cancelled over the weekend while they were stood waiting at the gate.

Neither Ryanair nor Jet2 made any flight cancellations at London Stansted airport over the weekend, further fuelling rumours that easyJet is understaffed.

Meanwhile, easyjet's rivals at Gatwick cancelled just eight flights between them in comparison.

Disruptions from easyJet come off the back of this week's news that European air traffic controllers have warned they will strike in a dispute over staffing levels, with unions claiming that bosses have not done enough to replace staff who retired during the pandemic.

Putin's war in Ukraine has also had a detrimental impact on the amount of available airspace for commercial flights over the continent.

This could mean continued disruption for holidaymakers looking to take a trip to areas of eastern Europe, such as Poland.

Air traffic management body Eurocontrol warned that many key areas are expected to be hit by high overloads, so air traffic flow and capacity management measures will need to be taken, causing delays and flight cancellations.

There are reports that up to three in ten European flights could be at risk of delay or cancellation this summer, following the warnings from air traffic controllers.

Up to 12,600 flights a day could be disrupted as a result of the walk-outs, an industry source told The Times.

Eurocontrol warned: 'In a full-blown strike, 20 to 30 per cent of flights would be at least delayed. They are big numbers.'

A number of easyJet passengers have received a poor service from the airline over recent months.

One passenger, Gillian Tickle, told MailOnline: 'We came home with EasyJet on Friday. No passenger got their luggage. No luggage was on that flight. We were told by the pilot he had to offload because the runway had changed and he had to fly over a hill.

'We were told by the pilot we would receive our luggage that night or the next day. So far no one from EasyJet has contacted us. No one met us at the airport. No luggage has arrived.'

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said: 'Hearing your flight has been cancelled will be devasting news for all those who have made their summer travel plans and are beginning to get excited about their holidays.

'Changes to travel plans late in the day can be stressful, and those impacted by the easyJet cancellations will be having to seek alternative flight arrangements now.

Popular summer destinations such as Barcelona are likely to face more disruption due to air traffic control restrictions as the summer continues

'However, for context, these cancellations only represent a small percentage of the total summer departures and of course, many will depart for their holidays as planned.

'Disruption because of congested airspace is an issue facing the airline industry during this very busy period but it's essential that airlines do all they can to ensure that there is as little disruption to travellers as possible and work to ensure that consumer confidence in the travel industry remains high.'

Under European laws, which still apply in Britain, passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to travel on alternative airlines that have seats available on the same day, at the expense of the airline initially booked with.

If a flight has been grounded with less than two weeks' notice, passengers are entitled by law to compensation of up to 350.
A British holidaymaker has been arrested at Mallorca's Palma Airport after allegedly raping his girlfriend at their hotel on the island.

The 38-year-old was held as he tried to fly home after his 24-year-old partner went to police to say he had forced himself on her in the bathroom of their hotel room.

The couple are said to have been staying at a three-star hotel near the resort of Magaluf.

The alleged sex attack occurred around 6am yesterday according to local press.

The airport arrest was made by Civil Guard officers around 11am local time the same morning.

A British holidaymaker has been arrested at Mallorca's Palma Airport after allegedly raping his girlfriend at their hotel on the island

The couple are said to have been staying at a three-star hotel near the resort of Magaluf. (file image of Magaluf strip)

The unnamed suspect is expected to appear in court later today following a night in a police cell so a judge can decide how to proceed.

Detectives have not yet made any official comment.

In May a British tourist was arrested and thrown in jail on suspicion of raping a female friend of his son's at a hotel in Magaluf.

The holidaymaker was also held at Palma Airport after allegedly packing his bags and trying to leave the island in a hurry hours later.

The woman, also believed to be British, told detectives she was forced to have sex after falling asleep in her friend's room which had an internal door leading into his dad's room.

The older man is said to have surprised her in the middle of the night after entering the room while his son was out partying.

The alleged rape victim, who is understood to be aged around 20, fled the unnamed hotel and raised the alarm at a Civil Guard office near to the Punta Ballena party strip in Magaluf according to local reports at the time.

Respected Mallorcan daily Ultima Hora said officers took a statement from her before going to the hotel and finding the man they were looking for had already checked out of the hotel.

He was arrested at his flight boarding gate, having allegedly brought his holiday to a premature end by rescheduling his return days before he was originally due to leave by buying a new ticket home.

An investigating magistrate ordered his remand in jail after he was hauled to court for questioning during a closed session in which the alleged victim gave her version of events.

On March 3, a 26-year-old British national was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman at a hotel in the nearby resort of Santa Ponsa.

A friend of the woman said to have suffered the sex attack alerted a receptionist who called police.

The friend told officers at the time the man held had tried to force her into a hotel room after raping her pal.

Reports at the time said the suspect had resisted arrest and headbutted one of the officers called to the scene.
Jeremy Hunt will vow to slash red tape and encourage pension funds to invest in British businesses in a major speech tonight.

The Chancellor, in his annual Mansion House address in the City of London, is expected to promise to axe nearly 100 pieces of 'unnecessary, outdated and protectionist' EU legislation.

He is also set to outline 'evolutionary not revolutionary' reforms to get pension funds making billions of pounds of riskier investments in fast-growing firms to boost economic growth.

Mr Hunt's proposals are due to be dubbed the 'Mansion House reforms' and will come as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks to revive the UK economy in order to fulfil one of his five key pledges.

The Chancellor's proposals seek to encourage the financial sector to 'unlock capital' and increase returns for pensioners.

Jeremy Hunt, pictured with his dog Poppy this morning, will deliver his annual Mansion House speech tonight

The Chancellor, in his address to the City of London, is expected to promise to axe nearly 100 pieces of 'unnecessary, outdated and protectionist' EU legislation

'I want to lay out plans to enable our financial services sector to increase returns for pensioners, improve outcomes for investors and unlock capital for our growth businesses,' he is expected to say.

Alongside regulatory reforms, Mr Hunt will welcome an agreement with leading pensions firms to put 5 per cent of their investments, a sum of up to 50 billion, into high-growth businesses.

Aviva, Legal & General and Phoenix Group are among those understood to be taking part.

Pensions firms welcomed that Mr Hunt was not making the move mandatory, as the industry had been warning against.

The Chancellor will pledge that changes will put the needs of pension savers 'first and foremost'.

'It will be an evolutionary not revolutionary change to our pensions market,' he is expected to say.

Mr Hunt will also promise to prioritise a 'strong and diversified' gilt market, meaning he was not forcing firms to favour riskier investments over the low-risk ones offered by the Government.

He will also set out a 'golden rule' of never making changes that 'compromise' the sector.

The Telegraph reported that Mr Hunt will also vow to scrap laws inherited from the EU which require companies to produce 'excessive' transparency documents.

A Treasury source told the newspaper the Chancellor's speech will focus on 'scrapping outdated EU regulations, abolishing protectionist rules... and repealing almost 100 pieces of unnecessary retained EU law'.

Ahead of Mr Hunt's speech, Nigel Peaple, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association's policy director, said: 'The Chancellor has confirmed today that the pensions sector will keep their freedom to invest in the interest of the individuals whose savings they manage.

'This is the key priority for the pensions sector and we welcome that Mr Hunt has listened to our views on this important matter.

'After the gilt market turmoil of last September, it is reassuring that the Government is committed to a strong and diverse gilt market and that, in consequence, it is seeking evolution not revolution with regard to pensions.

'We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Government on their proposed pensions reforms, seeking always to achieve outcomes that mean a 'win, win, win' for savers, pension schemes and the UK.'

Michael Moore, chief executive of the British Venture Capital Association, said: 'We welcome the Chancellor's recognition of what we have known to be true for a long time, that British pension savers are losing out.'
Elon Musk has further escalated his war of words with Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg by hinting he is a behind parody account calling the Meta boss 'lizard boy'.

Musk, 52, has been feuding with Zuckerberg after they agreed to take each other on in a cage fight. In what became a viral back-and-forth, Musk tweeted on June 20 bragging that he was 'up for a cage match if he is', to which the Meta boss responded on Instagram 'send me the location'.

In the latest installment of their rivalry, a parody account of Musk on Twitter, which recently went viral for criticising Zuckerberg's Threads app, dubbed the Meta boss 'lizard boy'.

The post on July 7 read: 'I spent $44 billion for this app and now Lizard boy just decided to hit copy and paste. It's personal now. See you in the cage, Zuck.'

Responded to the tweet, Musk said: 'So many people think this account is me.'

He accompanied the tweet with a side-eye emoji, prompting speculation that he is behind the proudly anti-Zuckerberg account.

Musk (pictured), 52, and fellow tech billionaires Zuckerberg have seen tensions rise after they agreed to take each other on in a cage fight

Musk has further escalated his war of words with Zuckerberg as he calls the Meta boss 'lizard boy'

In what became a viral back-and-forth, Musk tweeted on June 20 bragging that he was 'up for a cage match if he is', to which Zuckerberg (pictured), 39, responded on Instagram 'send me the location'

He later told YouTube star Mr Beast that he is not behind the account, which has taken to mocking Zuckerberg in recent weeks.

In one tweet, it posted a mocked-up photo of Musk's face on the body of a UFC fighter and added: 'I have a proposal for Mr. Zuckerberg Winner of our fight gets ownership of the other persons social media platform for 24 HOURS. You win, you get Twitter. I win, I get Meta. Let me know. Best, Elon 'your wife drives a Tesla' Musk.'

Another said: 'Lizard boy will be lucky if the fight goes like this. I'm on a mission to break his face.'

Although the identity of the parody account's owner has yet to be confirmed, Musk himself has tweeted similar things about Zuckerberg.

screenshots of Zuckerberg, 39, laughing at burger chain Wendy's telling him to go into space to 'really make Musk mad' by saying: 'Zuck is a cuck.'



Zuckerberg broke his decade-long Twitter silence on July 6 by tweeting a Spider-Man meme to make the launch of Threads. The Twitter-lookalike app, Threads, calls retweets 'reposts' and tweets 'threads.' It allows users to post up to 500 characters of text and up to five minutes of video. Musk has threatened to file a lawsuit over the platform, accusing it of poaching former employees to create a 'copycat' app. Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro wrote in a letter released Thursday: 'Twitter has serious concerns that Meta Platforms (Meta') has engaged in systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property. 'Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information.' He also claimed Meta assigned those staffers to create 'copycat 'Threads' with the intent to use Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property in order to further the development of Twitter's competitor. The decision to create the rival comes after Musk purchased Twitter for $44billion in October last year. Musk has since spearheaded a series of controversial moves - including cutting staff and limiting the number of messages people can see a day. This month he announced the limits around five hours after the platform crashed, with new unverified accounts now only able to see 300 tweets a day. Unverified accounts that are not new will have access to 600 posts a day, while those subscribed to Twitter Blue will be able to view 6000 posts a day. He has also come under scrutiny for some decisions he made before he hired Yaccarino, including the removal of blue-check authentication for those not paying $8 a month for Twitter Blue. That has caused the value of Twitter to plummet, with Fidelity recently estimating Twitter is worth just one-third of what Musk paid. This week the Tesla CEO's official account replied to screenshots of Zuckerberg laughing at burger chain Wendy's telling him to go into space to 'really make Musk mad' by saying: 'Zuck is a cuck' Zuckerberg broke his decade-long Twitter silence on July 6 by tweeting a Spider-Man meme to make the launch of Threads Musk is reportedly training in martial arts ahead of his head to head battle with Zuckerberg - which took the tech world by surprise He hit out at Meta's new platform and claimed it spreads 'false happiness' like Instagram - which is also owned by Meta. Musk responded to news of the potential lawsuit by stating on Twitter that 'Competition is fine, cheating is not.' Zuckerberg has yet to respond to the threat of a lawsuit. Musk first challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight in June. In response to Zuckerberg's plans for Threads, Meta's rival Twitter app, he tweeted: 'I'm sure Earth can't wait to be exclusively under Zuck's thumb', and followed up with 'I'm up for a cage match if he is lol.' Zuckerberg replied on his Instagram story with 'Send me location' along side a screenshot of Musk's challenge. Supporters applauded Musk for taking his training seriously, despite there being no official agreement with Zuckerberg on the proposed cage match that has been claimed could generate 25m pay-per-view purchases. Threads has been nicknamed 'Twitter Killer' online amid animosity between the rival billionaires who agreed recently to take each other on in a cage fight - with the Colosseum in Rome a potential venue as well as Las Vegas. Chef Gordon Ramsay, pop star Shakira and Mark Hoyle, better known as the YouTuber LadBaby, have already joined Threads and made their presence on the app known. Zuckerberg said this week: 'I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will.' Twitter has been in a steep decline since the take over by the former world's richest man - who was keen to take on the project after becoming disillusioned by the site's perceived biases and content moderation policy. Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, has threatened legal action against Meta's newest app Threads Zuckerberg and Musk joked about fighting each other - but now it appears that fight might happen in a courtroom after the launch of Threads Threads has been nicknamed 'Twitter Killer' online amid animosity between the rival billionaires who agreed recently to take each other on in a cage fight. Pictured: Musk during training for sumo wrestling He said he wanted to build a 'common digital town square' where all voices could be heard and debated in a healthy way. Changes to personnel and features, and the release of the 'Twitter Files' took the site in a radical new direction within a matter of weeks. Twitter's revolution became a bloodbath in the process, cutting staff by 80 percent to hone in on the new direction, and then losing users and advertisers as a lean team struggled to manage disinformation, trolling and impersonation online. Musk also recently announced limits on the number of Tweets people can see a day at 600. Users who paid $8 for a blue-check mark were able to see more, but still capped at 6,000 views. Twitter users have proclaimed the site 'dead' since the controversial limits. Musk claimed the restrictions are a temporary measure introduced because 'we were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users'.

Just this week the Tesla CEO's official account replied to
The director-general of the BBC has blamed privacy laws for the secrecy surrounding allegations that one of the broadcaster's top stars is embroiled in a teen sex picture scandal.

Accusations a 'well-known' presenter splashed out 35,000 for sexual images of a 17-year-old over three years triggered lurid speculation on social media over who the household name could be.

Presenters including Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine, Nicky Campbell and Rylan Clark have felt compelled to publicly rule themselves out after social media users wrongly speculated they were the star in question. Mr Vine even threatened legal action against one of his accusers.

And as more of the BBC's top talent found themselves in the firing line over the weekend, Tim Davie, the broadcaster's director-general, wrote to staff on Sunday explaining why the star at the centre of the scandal was not being named.

He said: 'By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.

Tim Davie (pictured), the broadcaster's director-general, wrote to staff on Sunday explaining why the star at the centre of the scandal was not being named

The BBC has said it has suspended the male star - a household name - as the accusations against him are investigated

'We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.'

Media law experts have also said that the media is not reporting the name of the suspended BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager for explicit pictures through fear of defamation and breaching his privacy.

Since news broke that a household name was at the centre of claims he paid more than 35,000 in exchange for sexual images, questions have been asked why the name of the BBC star has not been published.

Mark Stephens, media law expert and partner at Howard Kennedy, told the PA news agency that there was a big change to the way the media approached reporting after Sir Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, after he was falsely accused of historical sex offences.

This was further entrenched when the Supreme Court, the UK's highest court, ruled that a person being investigated for a crime generally has 'a reasonable expectation of privacy'.

The landmark Supreme Court judgment related to a breach of privacy claim by a US citizen known only as ZXC, who was the chief executive of a regional division of a company, referred to as X Ltd.

In the first case on the issue considered by the court last year, five justices dismissed an appeal brought by financial organisation Bloomberg over the publication of information about a person under investigation by a legal enforcement body prior to charge.

On Monday, Mr Stephens said that following the Sir Cliff Richard case '...what was decided was that while an investigation was going on, the balance between right to privacy and freedom of expression or the public's right to know, favoured keeping things private.

'That is why the Sun and no other newspaper has identified the presenter, and part of that was to avoid this social media frenzy with names being bandied about.'

Over the years, several cases including that of ZXC and Sir Cliff have meant it has become much more difficult for the media to name people before they are charged with a criminal offence.

Mr Stephens said there is a second layer of privacy, which is the 'contractual arrangement' between the BBC and its members of staff.

'If there are allegations of inappropriate behaviour, or any other kind of breach of employment practice, they should be investigated confidentially,' he said.

'That's doesn't matter whether you're a celebrity or in the local office or on the building site, the same law applies.

'That's why Tim Davie (the director-general), for example, didn't know because the HR department weren't allowed to tell him because he didn't have a need to know at that point in time.

BBC director-general Tim Davie told staff on Sunday the corporation had been aware of the accusations facing one of its top stars since May

'The problem with the second layer (of privacy) is that because the BBC can't identify the individual. It also means that they can't defend their innocent presenters who are being named.'

According to BBC News, the corporation had been in touch with the Metropolitan Police and is to meet on Monday 'to discuss the matter', alongside carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person's family.

Media law consultant Charlie Moloney said another aspect publishers will be considering when deciding whether to identify the star is defamation.

He said: 'Clearly, this is the kind of allegation that would lower him in the eyes of right-thinking members of society and if you identify him, and you publish that, and he proves that that causes serious harm to his reputation - which I'm sure that we probably all agree that it would - then he could sue you for defamation.

'The only real defences here, firstly would be that it's true, but the publisher who named him would have to prove that it's true. They would have the burden of proof, which is not an easy thing to do, particularly in sexual offences cases.

'But of course, maybe they do have some evidence we don't know about, but even pictures and things like that don't necessarily prove everything.

'The other thing they could argue it's in the public interest to report the allegations, but they would have to show that they've taken every possible step to verify everything and show that they reasonably believed what they were doing is in the public interest.'

Mr Moloney said it is not 'free of risk' to publish the identity of the presenter and it is still a 'huge story' without identifying him.

Following the allegations made over the weekend, there has been speculation over who the BBC presenter could be, with stars including Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Jeremy Vine among those who publicly stated they are not the presenter in question.

Mr Moloney added: 'We're now in this situation which is really unsustainable as people have pointed out, where if he's not named, and other presenters feel the need to come forward and say it's not them, then there's this 'who's who' game where eventually you just knock down who it isn't, until you realise who it is.'
The runner was hit as he tired to film a selfie while the bull chased him

This is the moment a Pamplona thrill-seeker tried to film a selfie in front of rampaging bulls  only to be brutally smashed by one of the animals.

Taking part in the San Fermin bull-running festival in the northern Spanish city, the man whipped out his phone to film himself making a run for it.

With the bull seen charging on behind him, the man appeared to take a severe knock as the camera tumbled the floor out of focus as screams continued to erupt around him.

As the man is hit, someone can be heard crying out 'f***ing hell' as others around him screamed.

The runner appeared not to be seriously injured as he recovered, getting back to his feet, and continuing to flee from the bull.

But as thousands took part in the annual running of the bulls, many were injured, including a 60-year-old man from Wales, local officials confirmed.

DO YOU KNOW THE MAN IN THE VIDEO? Email Christian.Oliver@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com

Taking part in the S an Fermin bull-running festival in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona , the man whipped out his phone to film himself making a run for it

With the bull seen charging on behind him, the man appeared to take a severe knock as the camera tumbled the floor

This morning's San Fermines run was the fourth of this year's event and ended with seven people being taken to hospital.

Officials said the 60-year-old was from Cardiff and had suffered a trauma injury which they were still 'evaluating' this morning.

The incident which led to him being taken to hospital took place in the bullring at the end of the half-mile course. He has not been fully named and has only been identified by his initials - B.H.

The nine-day festival - known in Spain as San Fermin - kicked off last Thursday at midday with the traditional 'chupinazo'.

Revellers wearing traditional red and white were quickly soaked in sangria as the event got underway.

The eight morning runs, called encierros in Spanish, form the highlight of the festival.

Most revellers party all day - and often all night - with many getting little sleep and sometimes none at all before watching the 8am encierros behind the safety of wooden barriers.

Several runners have taken serious knocks and hard falls in the 8am event but no one was gored by the beasts, a frequent feature of the spectacle. However, images still showed many revellers covered in blood.

Bulls charge at a runner during the fourth bull run of Sanfermines in Pamplona

The man in lilac was later seen with blood covering his face after being wounded by a bull during the fourth bull run in Pamplona

A reveler is pushed by a cow at the end of the fourth running of the bulls during the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona, Monday

Revellers stand around the cow as it enters the bull ring at the end of the fourth running of the bulls during the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona

A man is pushed into the air by a bull at the end of the fourth running of the bulls during the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona

Participants run ahead of bulls during the bull-run of the San Fermin festival on Monday

Revelers and bulls arrive at the bullring during the 'encierro' (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain

The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists. Nearly 1.7 million people visited Pamplona for the celebrations in 2022, and forecasts are higher for this year with all COVID-19 constraints ended.

In the run, six bulls guided by six tame oxen charged along a route through Pamplona's streets for around two minutes and 30 seconds before reaching the bull ring.

The festival was made famous by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel 'The Sun Also Rises.' This year marks the 100th anniversary of Hemingway's first visit to the festival.

Four runners were gored in the festival last year. Sixteen people have died in bull runs since 1910. The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino.

The bulls that run each morning are killed in the afternoon by professional bullfighters.

Animal rights activists annually campaign against the festival, claiming it is cruel to animals.

Several foreigners, from Australians to Americans through to Brits and Irish, are normally among the injured as they make the trip to the festival.

A participant is overthrown by a young cow after the 'encierro' (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival on Saturday

Wearing the traditional white with red scarves, participants run ahead of bulls at the San Fermin festival

Hundreds run through the streets with fighting bulls and steers during the second day of the running of the bulls during the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona

Fighting bulls run among revelers during the second day of the running of the bulls during the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday

Participants run ahead of bulls during the 'encierro' (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona

A young cow jumps over participants after the 'encierro' (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival as some try to capture the scenes on their phones

Bullfighter Fernando Robleno is gored by a bull during second bullfighter at the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday

Destino Navarra, an official tour guide group, said visitors from United States and Canada represent 70 per cent of its total bookings for this year's festival.

Expert bull runners, mostly locals, try to sprint at full steam just in the front of the bull horns before peeling off at the last second. The inexperienced, a group that includes most foreigners, do well enough to scramble out of the way, often ending up in piles of fellow runners.

Almost everyone in Pamplona wears the traditional white shirt and pants with red sash and neckerchief during the colorful festival.
Nicky Campbell today spoke out about his 'distressing weekend' after he and other stars at the corporation were wrongly accused of being the presenter at the centre of the teen sex pics scandal.

The broadcaster, 62, was among the famous faces forced to clear their name after allegations that a BBC presenter paid 35,000 for explicit photographs.

Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Campbell said: 'Obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and family. So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, I can't deny it, for me and others falsely named.

'Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.'

It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Mr Campbell said he'd had a 'distressing weekend'

It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: 'Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.'

'I think it's important to take a stand. There's just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends,' he wrote.

On his BBC radio show, a caller rang to say she was 'so angry and cross' that Mr Campbell and others had to come forward and clear their names.

Mr Campbell responded: 'I'm all good, Jeremy (Vine) and also others involved as well, Rylan (Clark) and also Gary (Lineker), yeah it's uncomfortable but as I said earlier worse things happen at sea. We're big boys.'

The BBC is to meet the Metropolitan Police on Monday as the corporation deals with the allegations, after confirming a male staff member has been suspended.

BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay is the latest star to distance himself from the scandal, tweeting last night: 'Enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so no need to set my alarm clock tomorrow morning.

'Back on the red sofa with my BBC Breakfast family in Salford in two weeks' time.'

It came after Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark publicly stated they are not the presenter in question, with Lineker tweeting: 'Hate to disappoint the haters but it's not me.'

Clark also wrote: 'Not sure why my name's floating about but re that story in the Sun - that ain't me babe. I'm currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.'

Jeremy Vine also said: 'Just to say I'm very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday - whoever the 'BBC Presenter' in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain't me.'

Mr Vine, 58, has threatened legal action against a slew of Twitter trolls after they falsely accused him of being the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager 35,000 for sexually explicit images.

He told social media users who allegedly libelled him that he has screenshotted their 'defamatory' tweets and his lawyer 'will be in touch in the coming days'.

The Radio 2 lunchtime programme host, who was one of the first BBC celebrities to deny involvement in the scandal, claims that a defamation lawyer advised him that committing libel is the 'quickest way to lose 20,000.'

BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation's annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event

The corporation has been in touch with the police and confirmed a male member of staff has been suspended, while The Sun reported that the presenter at the centre of the allegations made 'panicked' calls to the young person last week.

The newspaper said the presenter allegedly asked 'What have you done?', adding that it is claimed he asked them to ring their mother to get her to 'stop the investigation'.

According to BBC News, the corporation will meet the Metropolitan Police later 'to discuss the matter'.

The BBC has said it had been investigating a complaint since May, when it was first made aware, and that new allegations of a 'different nature' were brought to it on Thursday.

As well as being in touch with the police, the corporation is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person's family.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Police said: 'The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter, but no formal referral or allegation has been made.

'We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.'

BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation's annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event.

HOW BBC PRESENTER 'SEX PICS' SCANDAL CAME TO LIGHT 2020: The BBC presenter allegedly began requesting sexually explicit photographs from the teenager. May 19: Alleged victim's family complained to the BBC, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money. June: The accused host allegedly attended a party alongside BBC senior executives. July 7: The BBC star was said to have been taken off air - but has not been suspended. The alleged victim's family details the accusations in a newspaper interview, claiming the presenter paid for the explicit photographs for three years. The alleged victim's mother also claimed the teenager used the cash to fund their spiralling drug habit. July 8: It is revealed the presenter could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence Several major BBC stars - including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker - confirm they are not the man behind the scandal. July 9: Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds 'urgent talks' with BBC boss Tim Davie. BBC suspends the male staff member whom allegations were made against. Director-general Tim Davie sends an internal email to staff reiterating that the BBC is taking the allegations 'incredibly seriously'. It is understood that the BBC has been in contact with police. July 10: Representatives from the BBC meet with the Metropolitan Police. In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: 'For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are 'rubbish'.' The legal representative also said the young person told The Sun on Friday evening before the newspaper published the story that there was 'no truth to it', the BBC reported. The mother and stepfather of the young person stood by their allegation, and questioned how their child could afford the lawyer, The Sun reported. The newspaper alleged that the mother said: 'It is sad but we stand by our account and we hope they get the help they need. 'We did this to help - and the presenter has got into their head. How did they afford a lawyer?' Advertisement

Mr Davie has said he is 'wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent' after a host of famous BBC faces were forced to publicly state they are not the individual in question amid heavy speculation about the identity on social media.

In a note sent to staff and seen by the PA news agency, Mr Davie said the corporation takes 'all such allegations incredibly seriously'.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.

'New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

'We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.

'We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date.'

The statement added that the corporation has 'robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations'.

'This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps', the BBC added.

'It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.

'We have been clear that if - at any point - new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.'

The allegations reported by The Sun newspaper claimed the BBC star paid the person, said to have been 17 when the payments began, 35,000 in exchange for the images.

The teenager's mother told The Sun she saw a picture of the presenter on her child's phone 'sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear'.

The mother said she was told it was 'a picture from some kind of video call' and looked like he was 'getting ready for my child to perform for him'.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

Mr Davie's note to staff on Sunday said: 'The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.

'New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

'I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.'

He added: 'By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.

'We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.'

Downing Street warned social media sites to ensure their platforms were 'properly policed' following baseless accusations against various BBC personalities following the reports.

'Both the users of social media sites and the sites themselves have responsibility,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

People 'should understand their responsibilities, and putting baseless accusations online can carry consequences'.

The spokesman added: 'We have been very clear with the sites themselves about their responsibilities on making sure these things are properly policed.'

Downing Street said Rishi Sunak had 'full confidence' in BBC director-general Tim Davie following the allegations made against a male presenter.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer will keep a 'close watch' on the handling of the claims, No 10 said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Obviously these allegations are concerning.

'The Secretary of State (Lucy Frazer) spoke to the director-general yesterday and was assured that the BBC is investigating this matter swiftly.

'The Met themselves have said they have received initial contact as well.

'The Culture Secretary will keep a close watch on how this develops and ensure she is regularly updated as appropriate.'

Asked if the PM had full confidence in Mr Davie, the spokesman said: 'Yes.'
Vladimir Putin's Russian foes who are exiled in the West have been warned of an imminent assassination threat against them, an opposition politician has claimed.

Former MP Dmitry Gudkov, 43, who is staunchly against the the war in Ukraine, says he was issued a specific warning immediately on arrival recently in an unspecified European country.

He claims to be aware of a list of names who are believed to be under threat from Moscow or its agents, and the identity of one other activist who received a similar warning in Turkey.

The chilling warning comes as NATO leaders start a two-day summit in Vilnius tomorrow aiming at solidifying support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Gudkov - whose father Gennady was also a Russian MP - left Moscow before the start of the war after being told by a source close to the Kremlin that he would otherwise face arrest.

Former MP Dmitry Gudkov (pictured) has claimed Vladimir Putin's Russian foes who are exiled in the West have been warned of an imminent assassination threat against them

Gudkov was told to flee Russia as he was strongly opposed to the invasion of Ukraine and Putin (pictured) himself

He is strongly opposed to the war and to Putin - who himself was subject to an assassination attempt in May, according to the Kremlin.

Gudkov said: 'I flew to one of the European countries and immediately at the airport, even before passport control, was taken aside and received recommendations from local law enforcement officers to take precautions.'

'According to them, a wide range of opposition and public figures living abroad, who the Putin regime considers enemies, are now at high-risk.'

He was told of a list of names he was familiar with.

The threat is 'fresh' since he had ten days earlier flown to the same airport and received no such warning from the security services.

'Another opposition figure received a similar warning today - but already in Turkey, where he was directly advised to fly out of the country,' he posted.

This anti-Putin figure was informed Turkey 'would not be able to ensure their security'.

Gudkov said: 'So if you are an opposition or public figure, and not necessarily a very well-known one, then be careful.

'There are now enough people who want to curry favour with Putin.'

The threat is 'fresh' since Gudkov (pictured) had ten days earlier flown to the same airport and received no such warning from the security services

Putin's secret services and agents linked to his ally Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov are known to have carried out killings or attempted assassinations on foreign soil.

Russian GRU agents posed as tourists in Wiltshire while using nerve agent Novichok against double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018.

Dissident Alexander Litvinenko was killed in London by Polonium-21 poisoning in 2006 in a murder blamed on current Russian MP Andrey Lugovoy, 56, who had close links to the Russian secret services.

He remains a wanted man by Britain to face murder charges.

Last month Lugovoy called for Volodymyr Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials to be wiped out.

'I understand that the British and Americans are providing a security system, satellite cover and so on,' he said.

'But they must be destroyed once and for all.'

Fears of an assassination attempt on Putin's foes comes as the Russian despot is reported to have held a secret meeting with Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin to plot killing Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelensky.

Prigozhin, who staged an armed mutiny against Putin's regime last month, was said to have met the Russian leader on July 1 in an unannounced session where they discussed assassinating Zelensky - and 'bringing his head' to the Kremlin.

Lugovoy (pictured) has called for Volodymyr Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials to be wiped out

It comes amid reports Putin and Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured with Putin) held a meeting to discuss the assassination of Volodymr Zelensky

Prigozhin may seek to carry out 'some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia' to work his way back in with the Putin regime after his armed revolt aimed at toppling the defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of defence staff Valery Gerasimov, said one of Moscow's most respected editors, Nobel prize-winner Dmitry Muratov.

It comes after Putin humiliated Prigozhin after his failed uprising in Russia as state media leaked images that appeared to show the Wagner chief wearing a set of laughable disguises.

One disguise showed Prigozhin as an employee of the ministry of defence in Sudan, while in another he is disguised as an assistant diplomat from Abu Dhabi.

Others showed him posing as various military figures from Libya and Syria, and the mercenary leader is seen making odd faces in several selfie shots that appeared on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
A TikTok star became emotional after he admitted to supplying cocaine on two nights in Sydney's ritzy eastern suburbs.

Eessa Abdallah appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Monday after pleading guilty to supplying a prohibited drug and deemed supply of an illegal drug.

The 22-year-old is a well-known social media personality who has clocked up more than 610,000 followers on TikTok with his comedic skits, food videos, and unfiltered opinions.

He was dressed demurely in all black with a long coat, an Armani scarf, and loafers as he sat in the courtroom alongside a supporter.

The Georges Hall resident was at a venue in Darlinghurst at 8.40pm on March 25 last year when he supplied less than a gram of cocaine to a third party.

Eessa Abdallah became upset at media outside Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Monday after pleading guilty to drug charges

Abdallah is a well-known social media personality who has clocked up more than 610,000 followers on TikTok with his comedic skits, food videos, and unfiltered opinions

A month later, he had less than a gram of cocaine in his possession while he was at an establishment in Woollahra just before midnight.

Police say the amount of cocaine showed the TikTok star intended to supply the illicit drug to another person.

The court was told Abdallah was subject to a conditional release order when he committed the offences, which constitutes a breach of the original charges.

Court documents reveal he received the good behaviour bond after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a prohibited drug and driving a motor vehicle when his licence was suspended.

The more recent drug charges didn't stop his social media activity, however, with the social media star posting an irreverent TikTok on the day of the second offence.

Just hours before he was charged with the second offence, Abdallah told his tens of thousands of followers to head to Illawong if they were looking for Sugar Daddies.

'If you want to know where the money's at, it's at Illawong,' he said on his account eessavibe.

'The Sugar Daddies are here. I can smell it.'

Abdallah was expected to be sentenced for supplying cocaine on Monday, one year after he was charged.

However, his lawyer Mohammed Shukur asked the court to adjourn the matter for a month to allow the TikToker to receive mental health treatment.

'It's clear he perhaps requires some psychological assistance,' he said.

Magistrate Greg Grogin agreed to delay the matter until early August.

Abdallah is not restricted by any bail conditions and will continue to reside at home in south western Sydney.

Outside court, he became agitated and upset when asked about the charges.

In 2021 Abdallah made headlines when he broke down in tears describing his anguish at seeing his mother suffer through Covid

'You're ruining my life,' he told a reporter.

Abdallah will return to court next month to face his fate for the drug offences.

He made headlines in 2021 when he broke down in tears while describing his anguish at seeing his mother suffer through Covid.

He admitted to his followers he had previously been sceptical about the virus in the emotional and heartfelt address.
The Met today reopened its investigation into a transgender activist and convicted attempted murderer who told activists at a London march to 'punch TERFs' in the face.

Sarah Jane Baker, whose spent 30 years in jail for kidnap and then the attempted murder of a fellow prisoner, provoked outrage over her inflammatory comments on Saturday against feminists who are critical of trans ideology.

She told the cheering crowd on Saturday: 'I was gonna come here and be really fluffy and be really nice and say yeah be really lovely and queer and gay... Nah, if you see a TERF, punch them in the f****** face.'

Astonishingly, Baker was defended by the organisers of Trans+ Pride, who said Baker 'holds a lot of anger' which she had the 'right to express... through their words'.

She was reported to the police for inciting violence, but a Met officer told a complainant that it was not in the public interest to pursue the case. They said the call for violence was 'hypothetical' and allowed under free speech laws.

However, the Met has since confirmed to MailOnline that the crime report has now been reopened and 'enquiries remain ongoing'.

Sarah Jane Baker provoked outrage for her inflammatory comments at the rally in London on Saturday

Baker - pictured prior to transitioning - was originally jailed for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's brother

A Met spokesman said: 'We are aware of a video filmed in Westminster on Saturday, 8 July showing a speaker making remarks during the Trans Pride event.

'We have received a number of reports in relation to the video. The case was initially closed with no further action.

'This has been reviewed and the crime report has been re-opened. Enquiries remain ongoing.'

Baker, a violinist and artist who is originally from Brixton in South London, was originally jailed for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's brother.

Then, aged 21, she was convicted of attempted murder for breaking into a prisoner's cell and trying to strangle him to death. She later claimed the victim - an alleged child rapist - had bullied her.

Speaking to the Anything Goes with James English podcast in 2020, Baker described how she had always felt uncomfortable in a male body and, in December 2017, resorted to drastic measures by cutting of her own testicles.

'I hated my body and I reached out to the staff and said to them, ''if you don't help me, I will help myself'', and they just laughed,' she remembered.

'I said, ''I will remove my own testicles, that's what I'll do''... I am genuinely a person of my word, if I tell you I'm going to do something then I'm going to do it.

'I've also been diagnosed with a personality disorder and one of my risk factors is being impulsive. It was an impulsive decision that I made to take a prison razor blade at 2 o'clock in the morning and to remove my own testicles.'

She admitted that this had been an incredibly 'dangerous' decision, but said it had felt 'important'.

Baker admitted to getting involved in drug dealing, phone smuggling and sex work while behind bars.

Baker (pictured) was one of the speakers at the Trans+ Pride event in London yesterday and used her speech to call for violence against those critical of trans ideology. She told the crowd: 'I was gonna come here and be really fluffy and be really nice and say yeah be really lovely and queer and gay... Nah, if you see a TERF, punch them in the f****** face'

Baker in February this year at a vigil for Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old trans girl who was stabbed to death

Speaking to the Daily Mirror from inside prison, she complained about being a target for violence after announcing her decision to become a woman. Prison is brutal and it's all about being the hardest and the most macho,' she said.

'If you tell a member of staff you feel threatened, nothing will happen until you are beaten up.

'People are not well educated or liberal in the way they think in jail and the rules are outdated.'

Baker was released in 2019 after being being given oestrogen hormones by the authorities and undergoing a controversial 10,000 taxpayer-funded sex change operation.

Baker learned to read and write in prison and eventually wrote a book: Transgender Behind Prison Walls.

She now campaigns on trans issues - sometimes appearing topless at marches - and is also a supporter of eco groups Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain.

The self-declared 'transanarchist' has also announced her intention to run to become MP for Richmond at the next election.

Her activism has included setting up the Transprisoner Alliance which organises visits to trans people behind bars and provides them with clothes, make-up and legal assistance.

She has also been active in calling for trans people to be moved into a prison that accords with their chosen gender.

Labour MP Lloyd Russell Moyle prepares to speak at a protest at Downing Street on January 18 where Baker (left) was in attendance. Later the MP said he had not known who the activist was

During a 2019 interview with the i, Baker - was previously called Alan Baker - described how she had been born in Brixton before growing up as one of 14 kids in a 'really good' Georgian house in Norwood.

She said her father became abusive after losing his business and 'tortured everyone around him, including my mum, and later on, my step-mums'.

Baker recalled how she went into care before occasionally fleeing and working as an underage male prostitute.

The Trans+ Pride event yesterday saw thousands march through London in what they referred to as the 'biggest ever' call for Trans rights.

Baker took to the stage wearing a red beret - which she is often seen with in public - and holding an Antifa flag.

Her call to punch feminists in the face was widely condemned on social media.

Echoing these criticisms, Labour MP Clive Lewis wrote: 'Advocating violence against others is wrong & this is no exception. But as you'll be aware violent language and actions are not unique to one side on this issue.

'That doesn't justify the above in any way, but it does require we acknowledge the general toxicity & step back from it.'

Alice Sullivan, a professor of sociology at University College London, replied to Mr Lewis saying: 'Male violence against women and girls is not a 'both sides' issue. There are simply no examples of feminists issuing these kinds of violent threats.

'Every time women organise to discuss our rights we are faced with abuse. It shouldn't be hard to condemn that unequivocally.'

She also called on Mr Lewis to provide an example of feminists 'behaving like this'.

However, a London Trans Pride spokesman said: 'Sarah and many others in our community hold a lot of rage and anger and they have the right to express that anger through their words.

'We do not condone violence, we do not back a call to arms for violence of any kind. We do condone righteous anger and the right to the free speech that was expressed yesterday. We have and will continue to march in peace.'

TERF is the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a term often used to refer to critics of trans ideology.

Before Baker's speech, Trans activists and supporters had walked past Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square with signs for the worldwide Pride celebration.
An inmate accused of murdering a man, kidnapping his wife and shooting a police officer is on the run in California after escaping from a medical centre.

Eric Abril, 35, was arrested on April 6 in connection with the shooting and wounding of a Highway Patrol officer at Mahany Park in Roseville.

The gunman, who was later identified as Abril, then allegedly ran toward a greenbelt area where he reportedly took a married couple hostage. James MacEgan, 72, was killed , and his wife Patricia was shot and injured.

Abril was then arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder, as well as several other related charges, officials said. He was held in the Placer County jail without bail.

However, on Sunday morning, Abril escaped from the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, according to Placer County Sheriff's Office.

Eric Abril, 35, was arrested on April 6 in connection with murder, attempted murder and kidnap

Abril allegedly took a married couple hostage. James MacEgan (left), 72, was murdered, and his wife Patricia (right) was shot and injured

Abril escaped from the Sutter Roseville Medical Center early on Sunday morning. He was later seen in Rainier Court and then a few minutes later on Saddletree Lane

A Placer County Sheriff's deputy, joined by two police officers, on patrol on Sunday

He reportedly escaped from the second floor of the building. It has not been confirmed why he was at a medical facility.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, during a news conference on Sunday, vowed that his officers would look into how Abril managed to escape the hospital, where he was under 24-hour surveillance.

CCTV footage of Abril, taken at around 3am in a nearby neighborhood, shows him topless and wearing orange jail pants.

He is described as a six-foot tall white male with brown hair, weighing 175 pounds.

Residents are advised to exercise 'extreme caution' and look out for his tattoo on his left shoulder of what appears to be ocean waves and bamboo.

The department said in a statement: 'We are asking all residents to please review any security cameras for potential sightings of Abril  please send any information to the tip line provided below.

'We have developed new information revealing Abril was last seen on video surveillance walking in the area of Rainier Court in Rocklin at 3:39 a.m., and then northbound a few minutes later on Saddletree Lane. We have expanded our search area to include parts of Rocklin.'

The force added: 'We will continue searching for him throughout the evening and overnight. We will utilize every resource we have to locate Abril and take him back into custody.

'Please remain vigilant and call 911 immediately if you see Abril or any suspicious activity. You can also submit a tip by calling (916) 409-1257 or submit a tip online.'

Abril managed to escape from Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he was under 24-hour surveillance
A healthcare workers has claimed that overcrowding in a western Sydney hospital is leading to patients dying in the waiting room, as a disturbing photo emerges of a woman being treated with a drip on the floor.

The anonymous whistleblower, who works at Westmead Hospital in Parramatta, told 9News the situation is so dire that 'people's lives are at stake'.

'I don't want to look another patient's relative in the eye and say they have died in our waiting room,' the worker said.

'They have died because the emergency department was so overcrowded that patients we have already seen have not moved on and we can't treat new patients.'

A troubling picture of a patient receiving an intravenous drip while lying on the waiting room floor was taken at 5am on Saturday 13 May by another horrified patient - who was forced to wait for almost 15 hours herself

An anonymous whistleblower, who works at Westmead Hospital in Parramatta in Sydney's west, told 9Newsthat overcrowding is so dire that 'people's lives are at stake'

The worker suggested people to drive to Royal North Shore Hospital if they wanted to receive better care.

It comes after the emergence of a troubling picture of a patient receiving an intravenous drip while lying on the waiting room floor.

The picture was taken at 5am on Saturday May 13 by another horrified patient.

Josephine Lord, 67, was admitted to hospital with a fever and breathing problems but was forced to wait for almost 15 hours when she saw a woman under a blanket being treated on the floor.

'It's at that point I'm thinking, am I in trouble here?' Ms Lord told 9News journalist Ruth Wyn Williams.

The Winston Hills grandmother was then moved to a temporary bed and forced to stay in the emergency department for three days after doctors told her they had no beds left.

Westmead Hospital bosses have apologised for long wait times and have sad they had increased staffing levels

Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Graham Loy said Westmead Hospital had experienced high patient loads in the emergency department.

'We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have experienced a long wait time in our emergency department (ED),' Mr Loy told 9News.

'Westmead Hospital has experienced a high volume of patients presenting to the ED in recent months.

"Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) is working hard to improve the way we manage patient demand, increase staffing levels and invest in programs to provide alternative pathways for urgent care and ease pressure on our emergency departments.

Mr Loy said they had increased staffing in the beleaguered hospital and they had been encouraging aged care patients to use the inTouch service to avoid presenting in emergency departments.
Parliament's standards watchdog has warned its complaints system needs a major overhaul to ensure complaints against MP are handled with 'no tolerance' and at a much faster speed.

Daniel Greenberg said that public confidence in MPs would not rise from its current low until Westminster becomes a safe working environment for all staff.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who took up the role in January, spoke out amid fury at the 'predatory' behaviour of some MPs.

Last week one male MP was accused of repeatedly asking a young female aide to 'come sit on my lap', while other MPs are also being investigated over other allegations of sexual misconduct.

And Tory former minister Caroline Nokes revealed she's been subject to around 50 'creepy' incidents in Westminster amid fresh scrutiny of parliamentary sleaze.

Mr Greenberg told the BBC's Westminster Hour: 'What we need to ensure is that the system makes it very clear; there is no tolerance for members who do not provide a safe working environment for their colleagues of all kind and there's no misconduct of any kind.

'The public rightly expects Westminster to be a model workplace.'

Daniel Greenberg said that public confidence in MPs would not rise from its current low until Westminster becomes a safe working environment for all staff.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who took up the role in January, spoke out amid fury at the 'predatory' behaviour of some MPs.

Ms Nokes, the Romsey and Southport North MP, who has been in Parliament since 2010, recalled last week how a member of the House of Lords 'stroked my bare arm'.

She also claimed a Labour MP 'patted me on the backside', other MPs had 'put their hands on my thigh', and admitted she avoids getting into lifts with certain people.

The chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee, spoke about her own experience following a renewed bout of 'Pestminster' allegations.

She demanded Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend the Commons when MPs consider a proposed eight-week suspension for Tamworth MP Chris Pincher, after he was found to have groped two men at a London club last year.

'That would be a really strong signal that he's not going to tolerate it,' Ms Nokes told the BBC's Newsnight show.

Last week Ellie Varley, who works for Tory minister Dehenna Davison, spoke out as she claimed fellow parliamentary staff 'don't have trust in the system' for reporting issues.

The allegations are the latest in a series of 'Pestminster' sleaze claims against MPs and senior political figures.

Recalling an encounter with a male MP on the Parliamentary estate, she said: 'He just kept saying just come sit on my lap. And I was like: "I'm fine, thank you. I don't want to sit on your lap".'

Ms Varley added the MP was so persistent she felt she had no choice, and reluctantly agreed to 'get him off my case'.

The BBC reported the MP is one of a number to be suspended over separate allegations.

Mr Greenberg added: ' There's work needed to be done in ensuring that cases are concluded fast - as fast as it is consistent with balancing the need to have a fair and rigorous investigation with delivering speedy justice.

'If we are going to regain public trust in the way that we would like, it needs to be clear that we will carry on working until we have a safe workplace environment for everybody.
Joe Biden made his first visit to Downing Street today and tried to quell his 'anti-British' reputation - but scooted off after just 42 minutes.

The US president dropped in for tea in the garden on the eve of a crunch Nato summit in Lithuania, telling the PM that Transatlantic ties were 'rock solid' and he could not be meeting a 'closer friend and greater ally'.

The British flag was clearly visible on the US president's 'Beast' as it pulled into the famous street at 10.35am - in stark contrast to its absence when he visited Northern Ireland earlier this year.

Mr Biden - who was in No10 for the first time since taking charge of the White House - and Mr Sunak greeted each other with a warm handshake on the steps before starting their discussions.

But frustration is mounting that although it was their fifth meeting in as many months, Mr Biden is largely ignoring the UK's views.

More flashpoints have emerged over recent days, with Mr Biden pouring cold water on the idea of Ukraine joining Nato anytime soon.

He has also put Mr Sunak in an awkward position by declaring the US will supply Kyiv with cluster bombs - weapons the UK is committed to shunning. The premier brought up the issue, during the talks, but his spokesman admitted Washington is not thinking again.

There had been warnings of tricky exchanges over the next head of Nato, after Mr Biden seemingly blocked the ambitions of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and backed the EU's Ursula von der Leyen for the top job.

However, Mr Sunak simply avoided mentioning the furore. Mr Biden left at 11.17am, having also taken time to sign the visitor's book.

Tory MP David Jones told MailOnline engagement was useless if there was no 'positive response'. 'The PM should remind him which country is America's strongest ally,' he added.

In talks in the Downing Street garden, on the eve of a crunch Nato summit in Lithuania, Joe Biden told the PM the Special Relationship is 'rock solid'

Joe Biden walked up to the steps of the famous building and was greeted with a warm handshake by Rishi Sunak

The Union Jack was clearly visible on the US president's 'Beast' as it pulled into Downing Street - in stark contrast to its absence when he visited Northern Ireland earlier this year

As the leaders sat down on rattan furniture in the Downing Street garden, Mr Biden told Mr Sunak he 'couldn't be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally'.

'Our relationship is rock solid,' he said.

Mr Sunak said the pair would consider 'how do we strengthen our co-operation, joint economic security to the benefit of our citizens'.

He added: 'We stand as two of the firmest allies in that alliance and I know we'll want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.'

Downing Street said after the cameras departed the leaders discussed the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine.

The UK is signed up to an international convention to ban the weapons, placing Mr Sunak under a duty to speak out against their use, but the US is not signed up to that agreement.

The PM's official spokesman said providing the weapons 'was a difficult choice for the US' that had been 'forced on them by Russia's war of aggression'.

The two leaders 'discussed the commitments that UK has under that convention, both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use'.

Asked if Mr Sunak complied with that commitment to discourage the use of the weapons in his talks with Mr Biden, the spokesman said: 'Yes, they discussed the requirements the Prime Minister is under because of this convention, and the UK is upholding that.'

Mr Biden is said to be pushing for the current European Commission president to take charge of the military alliance.

But MPs complained that he is 'being a d***', after apparently being angered by Britain failing to get his approval to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets.

Conservatives have warned that Ms von der Leyen was the 'worst ever' German defence minister before becoming commission president. On her watch Berlin's troops notoriously trained with broomsticks on Nato exercises because they did not have enough rifles.

Mr Biden told CNN in an interview broadcast as he set off on his journey that Ukraine was not 'ready for membership' in NATO.

'I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,' he said.

He noted that NATO members are committed every inch of each other's territory, while war is raging inside Ukraine.

'If the war is going on, then we're all in war,' he said.

His tone appeared far more downbeat than the UK, which has urged a positive message on the prospects for Ukraine joining Nato.

Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Telegraph: 'In these circumstances with Ukraine facing literally a life-and-death struggle with Russia, it would be better to give them some positive sense that membership will become a reality at some point rather than emphasising the negative that they are not ready.'

Downing Street said it would be a topic for discussion at the Nato summit in Lithuania.

'Certainly, we do want to support Ukraine on the pathway to joining the alliance, the exact mechanisms for that are for discussion with Nato allies,' the spokesman said.

The spokesman rejected suggestions there was a difference between the US and UK positions on the issue: 'I have seen that reporting but I don't believe that's accurate.'

The Beast featured the Stars and Stripes and the presidential standard on its bonnet - but no Union Jack - on Mr Biden's brief visit to Northern Ireland in April

After Mr Biden - who often boasts about his Irish heritage - moved on to the Republic the country's flag was proudly on display

Former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts said other western nations were also 'very uncomfortable' with the US's stance on cluster bombs.

He told Sky News: 'We've, all of us, apart from the Americans, signed up to the convention, which means we don't produce or stockpile or use these weapons. I mean, they are indiscriminate weapons, of course.' He admitted Ukraine hasn't had the precision munitions or fighter aircraft it has asked for from the West, and sees cluster bombs as a 'potential game-changer' in its counter-offensive against President Putin's army.

'This admittedly horrible weapon is designed to use against dug-in entrenched forces. And as I say, if they can't break through in this fight, which is going on in their territory, this is weapons for use on their territory, then the risk is it will continue.

'So it's a hard choice for the kind that the countries have to make in wartime. I'm uncomfortable with it. Yes, I wish it wasn't being done, but I think we can understand why they're doing it.'
A teenage girl's entire scalp was ripped off in a horrific workplace accident at a juice factory.

Alexandra Trandafil, 18, was working as a shed hand when her hair became tangled in a machine at Nippy's Waikerie packing and processing plant in South Australia in November 2020.

Ms Trandafil's traumatised co-workers called an ambulance and she was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Paramedics had to retrieve her scalp from the machine but only part of it could be reattached during emergency surgery.

'She thought she was going to die,' wrote Katherine Eaton, deputy president of the SA Employment Tribunal, in her finding.

Alex Trandafil, 18, was a shed hand working in her first job when her hair became tangled in a machine at Nippy's Waikerie packing and processing plant in 2020

Ms Trandafil requires ongoing treatment and suffered permanent hair loss and scar tissue from the 'preventable' accident

'...In an instant, her young and hopeful life flipped into shock, trauma, ongoing pain and disfigurement.'

It was the teenager's first full-time job, taken on during a gap year to save money for an overseas trip.

'Despite the best efforts of the first responders and medical teams at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, attempts to reattach her scalp were only partially successful,' the judgement said.

Three years on, Ms Trandafil still requires treatment, which will continue, and she suffered permanent hair loss and scar tissue.

The tribunal heard that the factory's managers phoned Ms Trandafil's family, apologised and offered them $60,000 as 'reparation' and for the cost of travel to Adelaide for treatment.

Nippy's Waikerie Producers Pty Ltd was fined $120,000, despite pleading guilty to a charge of failing its health and safety duty.

'She endured not only the pain and shock of her physical injury, but the terror of looking up and seeing her hair and scalp hanging from the machine in front of her,' Ms Eaton wrote.

The company was warned about the risks to workers from similar equipment seven years before the accident.

While the warning was not about the same piece of machinery that injured Ms Trandafil, the risks were 'exactly the same', the tribunal's finding said.

Nippy's was warned about the risks to workers seven years before the accident and fined $120,000 after Ms Trandafil's hair became tangled in an 'unguarded machine'

Paramedics had to retrieve her scalp from the machine but only part of it could be reattached during emergency surgery. Pictured: Nippy's Waikerie packing and processing plant in South Australia

Nippy's immediately made safety improvements to the factory and machinery.

But the tribunal found the injury was preventable and that Nippy's failed to maintain a safe work environment and had no signs warning of the potential dangers.

Nippy's also failed to provide any training to Ms Trandafil about the risks of working beside the conveyor belt.

The company was also ordered to pay legal costs.
Rickie Valerie Kolle spread her arms wide and beamed at the crowd as she made history by becoming the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands on Saturday.

The 22-year-old was greeted with rapturous applause, but behind her wide smile was someone who, in her own words, knows better than anyone what it's like to feel alone.

Ms Kolle says becoming a woman was 'not easy for everyone' and she admits that she suffered greatly from it.

She was so determined to become a girl she changed her name from Rik to Rikkie at the age of just 11, convinced she was 'born in the wrong body'. But in her youth, she faced years of bullying which saw her come home from school and cry, day after day.

'I was born little Rik, but I wanted to be a big Rikkie. Transitioning from male to female became something that made me feel at home,' she said on her Instagram.

Rikkie Valerie Kolle looked a picture of confidence when she beamed at the crowd as she became the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands

Ms Kolle (pictured after gender affirmation surgery), who changed her name from Rik to Rikke at 11 and was teased for years, believes she was 'born in the wrong body'

'I endured teasing and would go home crying. I would think, "Why me, why is this happening to me?" But I always had the support of my loving family and friends.'

Ms Kolle was eight when she says her journey started but she was 16 when she started the process of transitioning into a woman, which included taking female hormones.

She then had gender affirmation surgery in January this year - something she described as 'the day I became who I want to be'.

Yesterday, Ms Kolle made history by becoming the first trans woman to win the 94-year-old beauty pageant at the AFAS Theater in Leusden.

The model, who is from Breda in the south of the Netherlands, was understandably overcome by emotion while receiving her crown as she beat Habiba Mostafa, Lou Dirchs and Nathalie Mogbelzada to clinch the title.

When asked to describe herself in one word ahead of the final, Ms Kolle said in a video: 'Victory', adding: 'Because as a little boy I conquered all things that came through my path and look at me now.

'Standing here, as a strong, empowering and confident trans woman. Love is love. Be who you want to be and never forget always celebrate your pride.

The Dutch-Moluccan contestant impressed the jury with her 'iron strong story' and 'clear mission'.

Ms Kolle (pictured) was eight when she says her journey started but she was 16 when she started the process of transitioning into a woman, which included taking female hormones

Having been crowned Miss Netherlands, Ms Kolle will go on to become only the second trans woman to compete at Miss Universe

The Dutch-Moluccan contestant (pictured) impressed the jury with her 'iron strong story' and 'clear mission'

As she now looks ahead to becoming only the second transgender woman ever to compete in Miss Universe later this year, Ms Kolle says 'transitioning made me feel at home'.

In her entry profile, Ms Kolle said that she aspired to be a 'voice and role model', adding: 'I know better than anyone what it's like to feel alone and not be surrounded by only positive thoughts.

'When I was little Rik and came out as transgender, it wasn't easy for everyone and I also suffered from it.'

'Now years later I am stronger today than ever before, that is something I want to pass on to whoever needs it. Because as long as you always remain who you are, there is no one who can stand above you.

'I am only too happy to commit myself to all little Rikkies who face rejection from their family, their transition to the person they desire to be. Help make their self-image and acceptance stronger, untouchable.

'Through my commitment and strength, I hope to bring about change in society.'

Ms Kolle and other transgender contestants have been able to compete in Miss Universe since 2012 - when it was owned by former US President Donald Trump.

This is the moment that Rikkie Kolle was crowned Miss Netherlands 2023 at the finals in Leusden on Saturday

Ms Kolle beamed as she was crowned Miss Netherlands in Leusden. She was the first trans woman to win in the contest's 94-year history

Ten years later, it has been bought by transgender reality star and Thai businesswoman Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip.

Ms Jakrajutatip promised 'not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, but also to evolve the brand for the next generation'.

Earlier this year Daniela Arroyo Gonzalez, who is openly transgender, was also selected to compete in the Puerto Rico competition.

The moment that Ms Kolle spread her arms wide and had a crown placed onto her head is one that will go down in history for the LGBT+ community.

She shared the moment to her now 30,000 followers on Instagram and wrote: 'I DID IT!!!!!

'It's unreal but I can call myself @missnederland 2023. It was an educational and wonderful process, my year can't go wrong anymore. I am so proud and happy I can't describe it with. I made my community proud and showed it can be done.

Sharing the moment of winning to her now 30,000 followers on Instagram, Ms Kolle (pictured) wrote: 'I DID IT!!!!!

Ms Kolle says 'transitioning made me feel at home'. Her journey started from the age of eight

'And yes I am a trans woman and I would like to share my story, but I am also Rikkie and that is what counts for me. I did this on my own strength and enjoyed every moment.'

She added: I want to thank the jury and everyone from the Miss Netherlands team for the trust, this is just the beginning. My dearest fellow finalists, we all put on a show, love you all girls. My dear family and friends, my N1 supporters, you have given me so much extra strength from the hall.

'And wherever you are in the world, I want to be there for you and be the example that I myself missed as a little me. On to many more adventures, let's get @missuniverse ready. So excited!!!

The transgender contestant will now head to El Salvador in December for Miss Universe 2023 where 24 countries will battle it out to claim the title.

Ms Kolle's entry comes after Angela Ponce from Spain became the first trans woman to compete for the acclaimed Miss Universe title in 2018. She told NBC at the time that she 'never could have imagined' that she would make it to the final stage.
His family is holding a memorial for him on Babbitt Beach on July 15

A convicted criminal died after accidentally trapping himself inside a freezer as he attempted to flee the cops last month.

Brandon Lee Buschman, 34, was discovered in the chest freezer of an empty home and had an active warrant for his arrest in Babbitt, Minnesota.

Police say they believe he hid in the ice chest, which was not on at the time they found the body, of his own accord but became trapped inside, which locks automatically once closed.

It is unclear what the active warrant was for, but court records show Buschman has at least six convictions for shoplifting, trespassing, driving a boat while drunk and possession of drugs since 2011.

Police confirmed there was no evidence of trauma or injury to Buschmans' body, according to an autopsy, with a toxicology report ordered.

Brandon Lee Buschman, 34, was discovered in the chest freezer of an empty home on June 26, and had an active warrant for his arrest in Babbitt, Minnesota

Police say they believe he hid in the ice chest, which was not on at the time they found the body, of his own accord but became trapped inside, which locks automatically once closed

Officers were called to reports of a body at 3.30pm on June 26, and are continuing to piece together the timeline in which Buschman, also known as Skippy, was last seen.

Gilbert Police Department said in a release that they discovered a metal lawn ornament rod that was inserted from inside of the freezer towards the latching mechanism.

The rod was jammed between the gasket and the manufactured edge, preventing the rod from being able to manipulate the latching mechanism from the inside.

According to authorities, Buschman ran inside the home, which had not had working electricity or water since April 2022, and had been empty since February.

Sources told cops that Buschman was last seen running from the upstairs part of the house because of the police presence.

It is unclear what the active warrant was for, but court records show Buschman has at least six convictions for shoplifting, trespassing, driving a boat while drunk and possession of drugs since 2011

Gilbert Police Department said in a release that they discovered a metal lawn ornament rod that was inserted from inside of the freezer towards the latching mechanism

According to authorities, Buschman ran inside the home, which had not had working electricity or water since April 2022, and had been empty since February

Police Chief Ty Techar said: 'The chest freezer in which Buschman's body was discovered is an older style freezer that locks automatically when closed and is not capable of being pushed open or unlocked from the inside when closed.

'The reports from the individuals were very unclear to us as to exactly when it was that Buschman had fled.

'We are continuing to work on some additional investigation to narrow if that means it was this year or last year and will provide that information at a later date once it is narrowed to a better timeline.'

Family members of Buschman say that they will hold a memorial for him on Babbitt Beech on July 15.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Gilbert Police Department at (218) 748-2225.

The Minnesota BCA, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the East Range Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
Russian General Sergei 'Armageddon' Surovikin was absent from a senior war meeting again Sunday - fuelling further speculation that he is currently under interrogation over the Wagner uprising.

While uncertainty remains over the fate of the senior general, his boss Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov was seen for the first time in public since the short-lived mutiny, as he conducted the meeting from Russian war command HQ in Rostov-on-Don.

Russia's top general was shown in a video as he sought to prove he is still in charge of the war despite an unholy power struggle at the top of Vladimir Putin's military command.

General Valery Gerasimov, 67, had not been seen since the armed mutiny against Putin's regime on 24 June, where he had been one of the two main targets of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's insurgency.

The footage indicates that Putin has kept his two most powerful military men, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov, in their posts despite demands from Prigozhin to sack them over supposed incompetence in running military operations in Ukraine.

Gerasimov, was shown ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites in a video released on Monday, his first appearance in public since a failed June 24 mercenary mutiny

Sitting in a military command centre on a white leather seat chairing a meeting with top generals, Gerasimov, 67, was shown asking for and then listening to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy in the aerospace forces to General Sergei Surovikin

Surovikin has not been since in public since the mutiny. Surovikin, who had longtime ties with mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, is rumoured to have been detained after the rebellion

Reports had previously swirled that Gerasimov had been relieved of war command while remaining in position as chief of the general staff of the armed forces.

The man reported to have now assumed responsibility for the military operation - Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, 54 - is believed to have attended the meeting.

Sitting in a military command centre on a white leather seat chairing a meeting with top generals, Gerasimov, 67, asked for and then listened to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy in the aerospace forces to Surovikin.

The Russian defence ministry said the footage showed Gerasimov at a meeting on Sunday. It described him as chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the positions he held before the mutiny.

Military-linked 'Z' channels - normally well informed - had spread speculation of Gerasimov's demise fuelled by his absence until today since 24 June when he fled Rostov amid the Wagner revolt, hiding in a safe flat at one point.

Gerasimov's appearance does not necessarily end the speculation since he is Russia's most senior military figure as chief of the general staff - and the rumours did not say he had been removed from this role.

He heard today how Ukraine had launched a weekend strike on the Crimean Bridge and a military airfield along with the claim that Russian air defences had shot down the incoming S-200 missiles.

'The anti-aircraft defence forces destroyed two missiles that attacked the Kerch [Crimean] Bridge, and the Morozovsk airfield - there were no casualties or destruction,' he was told by Afzalov.

The Russian defence ministry said the footage showed Gerasimov at a meeting on Sunday

Gerasimov asked for and then listened to a report by Viktor Afzalov (pictured), deputy in the aerospace forces to Surovikin

Putin is pictured awarding Surovikin with the Order of St. George in December 31, 2022. He has not been seen since the mutiny

Gerasimov barked out orders telling his commanders: 'The Main Directorate will continue to work systematically to identify storage sites and launching positions for missiles and other enemy strike weapons.

'Plan to open fire, maintain air defence and readiness to cover critical infrastructure and industrial facilities within the enemy's reach.

'If necessary, take additional measures to improve the protection of these facilities from air strikes in the shortest possible time.'

The footage was unusual since Gerasimov has rarely sought this type of limelight, and was evidently aimed at showing he is still in charge despite a spate of rumours.

But it raised huge questions over the missing 'General Armageddon', a former Putin favourite now seen as the fall guy for the armed revolt.

Nicknamed 'General Armageddon' by the Russian media for his reputed ruthlessness, Surovikin is formally commander in chief of the aerospace forces.

But Putin, 70, has repeatedly replaced his commanders during the war amid failures to meet his targets of crushing Ukraine.

'A power struggle is underway and whether Gerasimov is actually day to day controlling the war is open to question,' said a Russian military expert.

'Putin has allowed a vacuum to form due to his weakening position.'
Demonstrations outside a top hotel where staff have reportedly been sacked ahead of the arrival of asylum seekers have continued for another night.

Locals living near to the four-star Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, South Wales, are camping out as they continue their campaign to stop the venue being turned into a refugee centre.

Over the weekend there were clashes between police and protesters after officers tried remove a car that was being used as a blockade to stop contractors accessing the site.

Angry demonstrators smeared security vans with animal excrement with locals describing it as a 'siege' with 50 protesters camped outside and being brought food and drink by supporters.

Meanwhile a counter demonstration by pro-refugee activists was seen close by on Monday as the tense situation shows no signs of resolving heading into midweek.

Police officers cuffing a woman as part of the protests on Sunday - she insisted she hadn't 'done anything'

Furious protesters shouted 'shame on you' as officers held a woman on Sunday

Footage shared online shows how the protest outside the hotel in Wales escalated on Sunday

Dramatic footage taken on Sunday had shown tensions mounting as protesters clashed with police as they demonstrated against plans to convert the hotel into an asylum seeker facility.

Horse manure was used to daub door handles of vans from a security company brought in by the Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd, one of Britain's largest providers of housing to the Home Office.

One protester said: 'The hotel is part of the history and fabric of the town - people are angry that this has been foisted upon us.

'I'm not a racist, I feel some sympathy with asylum seekers but the best hotel for miles around is not the place for them.

'It's a bit of siege situation right now - we are organised and will see it out.'

The hotels two main entrances are blocked off by large rocks and protesters are stopping people coming and going.

A new entrance, created by cutting down hedgerow, has become the focus of the stand-off between protesters and Clearsprings.

Four lorry loads of Home Office-approved beds are waiting to be delivered to the landmark hotel which was due to start receiving 241 asylum seekers on July 3.

But protesters are refusing to allow them through the barricades which are being marshalled by police.

One hotel worker was allowed to leave at the weekend after a medical emergency involving one of his family.

In chaotic video which has emerged of the protest in Wales yesterday, a man was heard shouting at other demonstrators: 'Sit on the floor, they need four officers to move you if you sit on the floor.'

Protesters sit and stand outside the Stradey Park Hotel on Monday as they continue demonstrations against plans to turn it into a migrant centre

A police officer speaks to demonstrators outside the hotel on Monday as protests continue for another day

Police guard a hole in a fence at the hotel on Monday to stop protesters from getting onto the hotel site

Supporters of the protesters hand out food and drinks to keep them going on Monday night

A police officer stands guard as protesters continue to gather into Monday night outside the hotel

Locals voice their concern to police officers outside the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, Wales

Police officers lined up outside the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, Wales

'Officers remain at the scene to facilitate peaceful protest, where they are engaging with all parties and offering reassurance to the community'

Riled up crowd members were heard chanting' de-escalation' and 'shame on you, officer' as they cuffed one woman.

The man filming shouts 'so the local police are now standing against the local people'.

Others shout 'oh my God' and 'get off her' as a woman appears to be arrested. Furious protesters yelled at the officers, branding them 'scum' before another man is heard shouting: 'Who's assaulting who now, b*****ds...'

A woman who is being held by police insists 'I'm not doing anything, do you think this is right?'

A man claims: 'She stood in the road and that was it folks.'

Local police were yesterday called to the scene by security staff at around 8.40am and stayed throughout the day as more protesters gathered.

The force later arrested two people for allegedly preventing the movement of a vehicle that was blocking the hotel's entrance before releasing both individuals on bail.

Carmarthenshire County Council lost its bid for a High Court injunction to temporarily block plans to use the 77-bedroom Stradey Park to accommodate asylum seekers.

The council claimed it would mean a 'material change of use from hotel to hostel' and went against planning regulations.

It said handing it over to asylum seekers would result in job losses, impact on tourism and cut the number of hotel beds in the area by 25 per cent.

The blockade is aiming to prevent the hotel from being converted into a facility for housing asylum seekers

Protestors have started blockading the Stradey park Hotel in Llanelli after it fired 95 staff in plans to house up to 241 asylum seekers

Local campaigners have surrounded the hotel in opposition to the Home Office plans

Campaigners say more than 100 jobs are in jeopardy in what is already an employment blackspot.

Lawyers acting for hotel owner Gryphon Leisure Limited said it was helping with a 'clear, pressing and urgent need' for asylum seeker initial accommodation and there was no breach of planning rules.

The court was told that Gryphon director Robert Horwood had warned that, without the 'injection of funds' from a contract with Clearsprings there was 'a serious risk that the use as a hotel would be lost in any event'.

Carmarthenshire County Council on Friday lost its High Court bid to block the plans after claiming the conversion would 'cause harm' to Llannelli's economy.

Judge Gavin Mansfield KC was due to give his reasons for dismissing the council's application for an injunction at the High Court today.

The historic hotel in the village of Furnace, close to the Llanelli rugby club's former Stradey Park stadium has hosted the New Zealand All Blacks and the South African Springboks in its rich history.

It has 'stunning views' of Carmarthen Bay and the Gower peninsula and couples who booked their weddings there are now desperately looking for other venues.

A petition entitled 'Stop the Home Office using Llanelli's Stradey Park Hotel to House Asylum Seekers, with more than 5,000 signatures was sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Robert Lloyd, of the Furnace Action Committee, said: 'We will continue to pursue legal and civil lines to see what we can do.

'We are not directly involved in any demonstration or blockade and will continue to lobby and see what we can do legally to stop this from happening.'

The Home Office plans to convert the hotel into a housing facility for asylum seekers have seen the hotel fire 50 full time staff and another 45 part time workers.

The protestors have claimed the Home Office plans will damage Llanelli's local economy

The plans are set to see the hotel house up 241 asylum seekers as they wait for their claims to be processed.

However, the Home Office's decisions garnered major opposition from local campaigners who are calling for asylum seekers to be more evenly distributed throughout the area.

All events, including weddings at the venue have been cancelled, in line with the aim to convert the spa hotel into a housing facility.

The Stradey Park Hotel and Spa, which sits inside a converted Edwardian mansion, is currently the largest hotel in Llanelli.

The blockade is aiming to prevent the hotel from being converted into a facility for housing asylum seekers.

Local campaigners have said they support 'Carmarthenshire Council's preferred model of distributing asylum seekers throughout the wider community'.

In an online petition, campaign group Furnace Action Committee noted that they 'wish to see' the hotel continue to 'play its vital role in Carmarthenshire's tourism policy'.

Labour MP Dame Nia Griffith yesterday called on local people to remain 'calm' as she said those with 'genuine concerns' about the Home Office plans should come to local representatives.

The MP for Llanelli called on local people to ignore 'unpleasant stuff' posted on social media following concerns about the involvement of far right elements.

'What is important now is to differentiate between where a resident has a genuine concern about something, and some of the horrible stuff that we have seen on social media,' the Labour MP told BBC One Wales.

Police arrested two people accused of preventing the removal of a vehicle that was blocking the entrance to the four-star hotel

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: 'Officers have been at the scene of a protest at Stradey Park Hotel, in Llanelli, yesterday, following several incidents that caused a disturbance at the site.

'Officers initially attended the site at around 8.40am at the request of security staff and remained at the scene to facilitate peaceful protest as the group increased in size.

'Two people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing police following an incident whereby protestors prevented the recovery of a vehicle blocking the entrance to the property. They have been released on police bail.

'Officers remain at the scene to facilitate peaceful protest, where they are engaging with all parties and offering reassurance to the community.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

'We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable  there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer 6million a day.

'The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.'

Stradey Park Hotel and Dyfed-Powys Police were contacted by MailOnline for further comment.
House Republicans are eyeing stripping the salaries of some of their main targets in the Biden administration as impeachment of these officials remains a divisive topic in the caucus.

The Holman Rule dates back to 1876 and is an obscure legislative power that allows lawmakers to reduce, or even strip the salaries of specific federal employees.

Kevin McCarthy decided before becoming House Speaker earlier this year to reinstate the Holman Rule after it remained dormant under the prior Democratic majority Congress. This sets the stage for top leaders to back the move to strip salaries  and effectively fire  members of Biden's team.

The possible targets could see their salaries zeroed-out with use of the Holman Rule are Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and even investigators working for Justice Department's Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is in charge of the classified documents case against Donald Trump.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has already cleared the way for use of the Holman Rule, which could see House Republicans reduce Cabinet officials and other federal government employees' salaries  potentially all the way down to zero

Instead of impeachment, which remains divisive among House Republicans, the salary reduction route is more accepted among the rank and file members of the GOP. On the target list are Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (right)

Garland brought in a salary of $221,400 in 2022, Mayorkas made $203,500 the same year and Wray makes $172,000 per year.

Rep. Andy Biggs agrees with using the Holman Rule as a way to provide oversight of 'negligent behavior' on the part of Cabinet officials.

'Utilizing the Holman Rule, combined with pursuing impeachment articles, will better assist Congress in holding rogue federal actors accountable,' spokesperson for the Arizona congressman Matthew Tragesser told DailyMail.com.

'Congressman Biggs has long called for the implementation of the Holman Rule and believes it is an appropriate tool to exercise given the Biden Administration's negligent behavior.'

The Holman Rule came in response to an exception for another rule so that government workers' salaries can be adjusted without authorization by law. The rule change by Holman would allow legislation to not only raise salaries but cut federal outlays, as well.

There are no restrictions set on the amount of change in salary, so, in theory, Congress could cut federal salaries all the way to $0.

While impeachment remains divisive among House Republicans, the Holman Rule is seen as being a more viable option within the Party. That doesn't necessarily mean it would be successful considering Democrats still control the Senate and Biden would need to sign any appropriations-related legislation.

Some lawmakers are also wary of the alternative, claiming that reinstating and using the Holman Rule is a slippery slope tactic that Democrats could use in the future on Republican administrations.

'Let's say Ron DeSantis happens to be the next president, and now [Democrats] will be cutting off his Cabinet because they don't like his policies,' a centrist Republican lawmaker told Politico. 'This keeps getting worse. We need some sanity.'

Another target of salary reduction could be FBI Director Christopher Wray

Republicans have also floated going after employees of DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the classified documents case against Donald Trump

It's the same tit-for-tat argument Republicans have used against packing the Supreme Court. If Democrats expanded the court in an effort to take a majority on the bench, Republicans could just also expand it again to win back a majority when they have power with the potential of an ever-growing judiciary.

The Holman Rule, when first passed, did so in a Party-line vote. It indicated that the majority expected the change in law would help arm them in battles with the opposing party majorities in the Senate and White House, at the time.

This is the same predicament House Republicans are in now  with a Democratic Senate and White House.

Rep. Kevin Buck of Colorado is not exactly sold on impeaching these officials, but is more willing to look at pursuing the Holman Rule to strip salaries of some Cabinet members and their team.

'It's not what the Constitution says,' Buck told Politico of the prospects of impeaching members of Biden's Cabinet. 'You know, people make all kinds of accusations and say, 'We should impeach!' But I haven't seen documents suggesting that [Garland] has in some way altered the plea offered to Hunter Biden'

'All these things need to be fleshed out.'

He added: 'If we've got a problem, a policy difference  not high crimes and misdemeanors  with Secretary Mayorkas, the proper procedure is to cut his salary in the appropriations process.'
A teacher who was jailed for 25 years for grooming pupils to become terrorists has been banned from the classroom today.

New evidence revealed by teaching watchdogs has found that Umar Haque, who was 25 when he was jailed in 2015, may have been planning an attack on the late Queen.

Haque, who had been 'fanatical' about ISIS, had plans to create a London-based 'death squad' made up of pupils from a fee-paying independent Muslim school in Leyton, east London.

He was jailed for 25 years to life and had to be dragged from the dock in mid-rant about the end of 'Western domination'.

Today, Haque was struck off for life after being allowed to appear before teaching watchdogs for the first day of the misconduct hearing into his behaviour.

ISIS-obsessed teacher, Umar Haque (pictured) was today struck off from entering a classroom again

A Walther P99 pistol (pictured) was found by police when his property was raided

Haque targeted a number of locations in London including Tower Bridge and Parliament

He told the shocked panel: 'It does not bother me an inch that the Teaching Regulation Agency seek to impose upon me a lifetime ban from teaching for indeed I will merely be re-employed by The Islamic Caliphate (The Islamic State) in the future'.

He refused to appear for day two and three of the hearing and refused to be represented so his teaching career was decided as he remained in his prison cell.

In his absence the TRA found: 'It was clear that Mr Haque's conduct demonstrated a lack of tolerance and/or hatred on the grounds of race/religion and/or the undermining of fundamental British values.

'The panel also noted Mr Haque's own statements during the hearing, as well as his letter contained in the bundle which do not align with fundamental British values.

'The panel also considered the evidence in the bundle where references were made to an attack on the Queen together with videos being shown where red passports were being burnt.

In 2018, The Central Criminal Court had been told the teacher tried to raise an army of 'junior jihadis' ready to attack London.

Haque, now 31, formerly of Forest Gate, East London, made children aged between 11 and 14 act out battles between police and the ISIS fighters he idolised while teaching at Ripple Road Mosque in Barking

Haque drew up a list of targets in the capital including Heathrow Airport, Parliament, Big Ben and the Westfield shopping centre to terrorise innocents.

He also noted that gay clubs were 'definitely' among 30 targets and blasted 'mass fornication and illicit behaviour' when questioned by police.

But the hypocrite was also trawling the internet for transsexual prostitutes.

Chilling notes of Haque's plans reveal he hoped to have 100 'fighters' for his terror attacks

He said 'recruitment should be easy across Newham / Tower Hamlets' and needed 10 'soldiers'

Another handwritten note by Haque shows his plans

Today the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found Haque has behaved in an equally shocking way while teaching at The Lantern of Knowledge School, London

He was employed as a Maktab class, Physical Education class and General Supervision Teacher at the Lantern of Knowledge School from around July 2015 to 11 January 2016.

They were shown a video of one lad, referred to only as Pupil A, telling Counter Terrorism Officers how Mr Haque began teaching him when he was in Year 9.

The TRA said: 'He stated that Mr Haque was calm during lessons but would talk about ISIS and terrorism incidents on the news concerning ISIS around once or twice a week.

The youngsters, aged 11 to 14, were radicalised in this marquee next to a mosque in Barking

Haque had this gruesome-looking knife stashed away in his car, wrapped in paper

'Child A described this as unusual, as no other teacher spoke about such topics. Child A also submitted that Mr Haque showed pupils a video on a projector from YouTube but did not explain the video.

'Child A stated that the video started with four to five people with guns and ammunition and included the burning of red passports in a fire.

Timeline of Umar Haque's plot to unleash terror on London's streets Umar Haque had access to 250 children at two independent schools and a mosque over the course of five years. 2012: The administrator and self-styled teacher gets a job at the fee-paying independent Hafs Academy in Newham, east London. It's latest Ofsted report of 2016 says it is 'inadequate' and highlights 'safeguarding' issues and a failure to complete checks on new staff. April 2015 to January 2016: Haque works at the Lantern of Knowledge, fee-paying independent Muslim school in Leyton, east London. It is given an 'outstanding' rating by Ofsted at the time. 2016-2017: Haque is heavily involved in administration and teaching at the Ripple Road mosque in Barking where he trains children for terror attacks and swears them to secrecy. The Charity Commission is investigating. April 11 2016: Haque is stopped at Heathrow Airport attempting to board a flight to Istanbul in Turkey. Counter-terrorism police and MI5 investigate. His phone is seized and found to contain a large number of searches for terrorist attacks and executions. May 11 2016: Haque's passport is revoked under royal prerogative to prevent him travelling abroad. January 24 2017: He is stopped by police for driving with no insurance. March 26 2017: The first evidence arises where Haque, in conversation with Muhammad Abid, boasts about radicalising 16 children. The bugged evidence also reveals he is inspired by the Westminster Bridge attack. May 17 2017: All four defendants are arrested and charged a few days later. June 2017: The Department for Education orders an emergency Ofsted inspection which finds the Lantern of Knowledge 'does not meet all of the independent school standards'. August 3 2017: Haque is found guilty of the driving offence and disqualified from driving. November 21 2017: Haque is further charged with attempting to radicalised children. January-February 2018: Haque and his alleged helpers go on trial at the Old Bailey on a raft of terrorism charges. Police reveal the 25-year-old attempted to radicalise 110 children. Advertisement

'Child A further submitted that the video showed 'people having found someone and chopping his head off with a knife or sword'.

'There was also a black flag, which Child A described as 'the ISIS one', which Mr Haque said he had at home.

'Child A also noted that at one point, a student shouted that someone was coming; Mr Haque then turned the video off and told the pupils not to tell anyone that he showed the video.'

On 25 May 2017, Mr Haque, along with three co-defendants, was charged and subsequently convicted of offences under the Terrorism Act 2006. In summary, over a period of two months between March to May 2017,

Maxine Cole, who chaired the Teaching Regulation Agency hearing in Coventry, said: 'His conduct ran counter to what should have been at the very core of his practice as a teacher with a duty of care towards children.

'By virtue of his position, Mr Haque was in a position of trust and responsibility in relation to his pupils. He abused that position.'

'Mr Haque planned a variety of differing styles of attack with either the direct or indirect assistance of his associates.

'During the course of the police investigation and subsequent criminal trial, evidence was gathered and presented to the court which demonstrated that, whilst employed in a teaching role, Mr Haque had intentionally exposed his pupils to extremist material to inculcate them with the ideology of Islamic State and persuade them into action in due course.

'It is thought that Mr Haque had contact with upwards of 220 children during this time, between the ages of nine to 16 years old.

'Fifty-five children, aged between 11 to 14 years old, were identified as having been exposed to extremism and attempts at radicalisation.'

The watchdogs ruled Mr Haque's actions 'raised obvious and significant public and child protection concerns'.

Ms Cole added: 'The panel also considered the potential consequences of a teacher with extremist views, who should be acting as a role model, being around pupils that are at an age where they are forming their views of how the world behaves.

'Similarly, the panel considered that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Haque was not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.'

Banning him from teaching for life, Marc Cavey, for the Education Secretary, underlined: 'The finding of misconduct is particularly serious as it concerns convictions for engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts and engaging in preparatory acts with the intention of assisting others to commit acts of terrorism.

'They also involve exposing children to extremist material, including video images featuring beheading/

'The panel also noted the evidence in the bundle that suggested some of the children were scared during these lessons and reported having flashbacks which is evidently unacceptable.'

It was also agreed there would be a high risk of Mr Haque repeating this type of behaviour in the future given Haque's comments made to the panel.
AB Hooper, 33, has since left the Navy after getting caught

A 'sex obsessed' Royal Navy sailor hid secret cameras in his bathroom to spy on two women after fantasising about having a threesome with one of them and his wife, a court martial heard.

Able Seaman Anthony Hooper, 33, invited the sisters to stay with him before installing spy cameras around his home which he watched live from his mobile phone.

AB Hooper was only caught out when one victim spotted one of the cameras and alerted her sister.

The two women then recorded a video message on their phone for the sailor's wife to tell her what he had been up to.

As he sentenced the engineering technician to an 18 month service community order, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed told AB Hooper his actions were a 'gross breach of trust and an invasion of privacy'.

Anthony Hooper spied on women by hiding cameras in a bathroom, a court martial heard

The court heard AB Hooper had contacted one of his victims on Facebook before inviting her to stay with him as he wanted her to be part of a 'sexual relationship with him and his wife' at his home in Gosport, near Portsmouth, Hampshire.

AB Hooper and his wife have since divorced and he has now left the Navy, the court was told.

Prosecuting, Lieutenant Commander Jamie Brotherton told Bulford Military Court, Wilts: 'AB Hooper offered to let her stay with him in his house.

'AB Hooper, on Facebook messenger, offered to bring her into a sexual relationship with him and his wife.'

When the woman visited with her sister - both Polish nationals, AB Hooper repeatedly moved cameras around the house to try to film them, the court heard.

AB Hooper pleaded guilty to voyeurism and installing equipment for the purpose

Lt Cdr Brotherton continued: 'He installed a hidden camera in the bathroom and recorded.

'He put one of the hidden cameras in a vent above the shower, sink and toilet area.

'One of the women went to the toilet and he filmed her as she exposed her genitals and bottom.

'Later on, one of the women noticed the hidden camera, and told her sister about it in Polish.

'AB Hooper removed the camera before re-installing it later, as well as one above the curtain pole in his bedroom.

'He was able to see what the camera was recording on his phone.

'After they had left, [his victims] recorded a video message for his wife, telling her they he had been secretly filming.

'AB Hooper reported himself to service police for voyeurism. His home was searched and a small black camera was found.'

In a victim impact statement read to the court, one of AB Hooper's victims said: 'This incident has been terrible for my mental health.

'I felt like a movie, things like this don't happen in real life.

'Everywhere I go in public now I do a search [for hidden cameras].

'It was such a crazy situation.'

The court heard the sailor, who was based at HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, had since been medically discharged from the Navy due to an injury and was now in 'full time engineering employment'.

The sailor was given an 18-month service community order at Bulford Military Court

As he sentenced AB Hooper, Judge Reed said he had demonstrated a 'significant degree of planning'.

He continued: 'You told the probation officer you were obsessed with sex at the time.

'Two friends came to stay with you.

'You installed hidden cameras and recorded them going to the toilet.

'This was a gross breach of trust and an invasion of privacy.'

Having pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, and another of installing equipment for that purpose, AB Hooper, formerly of HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, was handed an 18 month service community order and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

A destruction order was made for his cameras.
Sales of Bud Light have been plummeting since their partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney  with two maps showing how far the King of Beer has fallen since April.

The popularity of the beer has been dropping since brewer Anheuser-Busch teamed up with Mulvaney, 26, and gave her a personalized can.

It has also been dethroned as the top of the beverages by Modelo Especial  another Anheuser-Busch brand  taking more than $27billion in market value.

But the biggest difference come as the beer failed to place as a top choice for any state in the US over the July 4 holiday weekend.

Modelo Especial came out on top, with Coors Light a close second, but both Bud Light and Budweiser were nowhere to be seen across all 50 states.

 Slide me  Bud Light's popularity has been dropping since brewer Anheuser-Busch teamed up with Mulvaney, 26, and gave her a personalized can

The partnership caused Bud Light to be dethroned as the top of the beverages by Modelo Especial  another Anheuser-Busch brand  taking more than $27billion in market value.

A map created by Top Agency in April showed a map that reflected Budweiser as the most popular beer in 16 states, with Bud Light winning eight.

But a new one created by CookoutNews shows a different reflection over the holiday weekend  with Anheuser-Busch products taking a back seat.

Modelo Especial has a stranglehold in the bottom half of the country, stretching from California to Florida  where Gov Ron DeSantis previously slammed Bud Light.

The Mexican imported beer held 12 states, with Coors Light and Miller Lite gaining 11 each, with the final 16 being split equally between Yuengling and Michelob Ultra.

Anheuser-Busch owns Modelo in countries outside of the states after an anti-trust settlement with the Department of Justice in 2013 over fears it would stifle competition.

It means that US sales of Modelo are controlled by rival Constellation Brands and do not count as part of AB InBev's global volumes.

Modelo surpassed Bud Light's $297 million - which was a 22.8 percent fall in sales compared to the same time last year. They reported an 11 percent increase in sales for the second quarter of this year.

It is the first time since 2001 that Bud Light has not been in the top spot, dethroning its sister brand Budweiser for the 'King of Beer' title in 2001.

Mulvaney worked with Bud Light in April as part of their March Madness campaign and was gifted a can of the light beer with her face on it  which sparked outrage

Brendan Whitworth, US CEO, insisted that his priority was the employees and added that they had poured three times the amount of investment into Bud Light for this year

Bud Lights sales dropped 27.9 percent in the week that ended on June 24  a slight improvement from the 28.5 percent drop the previous week, according to data from NielsenIQ and Bump Williams Consulting.

Budweiser was down 12.1 percent compared to 12.3 percent the previous week, according to the consultancy.

But Bud Light was also slammed by tweeting a promotion for July 4  saying enjoy some beer and Never underestimate the power of a makeshift mister.

Packs of the beer are also selling for less than water in some US warehouses, with one retailed claiming a 30-pack was priced at $8.99.

It is also no longer ranked amongst the two ten in the US, with a survey finding that public opinion of the beer fell significantly.

The YouGov poll found that the proportion of Americans who 'liked' Bud Light hadn't changed, the popularity of other rival beers surged, pushing it into 15th place.

Modelo Especial store sales soared past $333 million in the four weeks ending May 28 - a 15.6 percent rise on the same period last year

In a new YouGov poll, which asked 1,468 people, the public approval of the beer slumped so much it fell out of the top ten and into 15th place

The brand's ousted marketing chief Alissa Heinerscheid, 39, said she planned to update the 'fratty' and 'out of touch' branding. VP for Mainstream Brands Daniel Blake, 34, also voluntarily took a leave of absence earlier this year following the controversy

They found that Guinness, Corona and Heineken were the three most liked beers of 2023, with approval from 58 percent, 53 percent and 51 percent of Americans, respectively.

Amongst the ongoing issues, Anheuser-Busch forced two of its top executives to take a leave of absence following the major marketing blunder.

There were claims that both executives had finally been fired over the fiasco - something which the company deny.

VP of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid, 39, and VP for Mainstream Brands Daniel Blake, 34, both took a voluntary leave of absence following the backlash.

But sources told the Daily Caller that both had been official fired following the announcement that they would be stepping back in April.

When approached by DailyMail.com earlier this month, a friend of Heinerscheid's said 'she's not supposed to talk about it, she can't.'

In a statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch said they were still both on a 'leave of absence.'

Mulvaney announced the partnership in a series of videos posted to social media at the start of April

It is unclear if Heinerscheid is on paid leave from the company, but she joined in 2022 and vowed to freshen up its image

When approached by DailyMail.com regarding claims that she had no idea of the campaign, Heinerscheid (left) declined to comment  but a friend said: 'she can't talk about it', before being whisked away

Mulvaney only recently broke her silence on the fiasco and excoriated the troubled brand for not standing by her.

Speaking to her 1.8 million followers, she said: 'was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did. I've been scared to leave my house.

'For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all.

'I have been ridiculed in public I've been followed and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn't wish on anyone.'

After she went public with her criticism, Anheuser-Busch hit back in a statement to say they are 'committed committed to the programs and partnerships' they have forged with the LGBTQ+ community.

The company didn't name Mulvaney directly, but their comments came immediately after she hit out at them for not being supportive of her and the trans community.

In the statement, they said: 'The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority.

Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, has seen its market cap value plummet $27 billion following a disastrous team-up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney

The brand has been hit by plummeting sales since they teamed up with the influencer, who called it a brand deal

The transgender TikTok star has been shrugging off criticism since she entered into a disastrous partnership with Bud Light to celebrate '365 Days of Girlhood'

'As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best  brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.'

Their statement comes after CEO Brendan Whitworth was slammed for refusing to rule out if the company would partner with Mulvaney again - and avoided answering how much the marketing blunder had cost Bud Light.

It is one of the few occasions the company has directly addressed the controversy caused by the partnership with Mulvaney  as bosses initially claimed that an 'outside agency without management awareness or approval made the move to work with Mulvaney.'

Anheuser-Busch said earlier this month it would triple its marketing spending in the US this summer as it attempts to boost ailing sales.
He was denied access to gender-affirming care at Westmead Children's Hospital

A heartbroken mother has spoken out about how her 14-year-old transgender son took his own life after being denied gender-affirming care.

Noah O'Brien died in January this year. The 14-year-old had written his parents a letter six months before telling them he identified as a boy.

Noah's mum Lauren told the ABC's Four Corners of the devastating loss of her son after he was worried about returning to school in his new gender identity following the holidays.

'My husband gave him CPR and the ambulance, and the police arrived about four minutes after we called them and they took him to Westmead Hospital, where he stayed alive until six in the morning,' she said.

'That was from about 11 o'clock. So, we got seven hours to actually say goodbye.'

Ms O'Brien said when Noah first told her about his new gender identity she thought he was being influenced by a friend or someone online.

'But the longer that time went on, we just saw, no, it was definitely just him, who he was,' she told the program.

Noah started to restrict his eating in a bid to delay the onset of puberty.

He was admitted to Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney's west where he was discharged after a day, with a recommendation to seek support for gender issues.

Ms O'Brien went to his GP to get a referral but did not realise that he would be pushed down the waiting list because he had started puberty.

Noah O'Brien (pictured), 14, died in January this year. He had written his parents a letter six months before telling them he identified as a boy but was worried about returning to school after the holidays

His mother, Lauren (pictured), said he was not given access to any gender-affirming care

Noah's grandmother Rose Marsh told the program: 'Lauren rang places, went to the doctors, tried everywhere to get help, but it was just like doors were closing in her face. Nobody was responding to her call for help.'

Noah was again treated for anorexia at Westmead Children's Hospital and was assessed by a social worker who suggested he needed to be seen by staff who could help with his gender dysphoria.

But that was halted by a senior staff member outside the gender clinic who said clinicians needed to focus on dealing with his anorexia in isolation.

Four Corners reported that Noah 'was effectively denied any specialist gender support by the hospital'.

Noah was increasingly anxious about returning to school in his new gender and took his life in January.

Westmead children's hospital's management declined to speak to Four Corners, issuing a statement expressing their 'sincere condolences to Noah's family'

'I feel like he didn't get any help or support in making that transition to become a male,' his grandmother said.

'We did all we could, Lauren did more than anyone ever could, but we just didn't get any help from anywhere that could help us.'

The management at Westmead Children's Hospital declined to speak to Four Corners, issuing a statement expressing their 'sincere condolences to Noah's family'.

'Due to patient privacy and confidentiality, [Sydney Children's Hospitals Network] is unable to provide further information about his specific care,' they added.

NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car said Noah's case was 'unbelievably tragic'.

'No one should feel like they're in that position,' the acting premier told reporters on Monday.

'We obviously need to make sure that what is quite a vulnerable cohort of young people, in particular, is protected and supported,' she added.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on: 13 11 14

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson is being probed by a House of Commons watchdog after he filmed a promo video for his 100,000-a-year TV gig from Parliament's roof.

Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has launched an investigation into the Ashfield MP over 'use of facilities'.

MPs are subject to strict rules over the taxpayer-funded services provided to them by the Commons in support of their parliamentary activities.

Unauthorised photography or filming is also not permitted on the parliamentary estate.

Last month, the Daily Mirror reported how Mr Anderson used the rooftop of one of Parliament's buildings to record a plug for his GB News show.

Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson is being probed by a House of Commons watchdog after he filmed a promo video for his 100,000-a-year TV gig from Parliament's roof.

The Ashfield MP, pictured with fellow presenter Michelle Dewberry, is being paid 100,000 a year from his work for GB News

Mr Anderson's show on GB News is titled 'Lee Anderson's Real World' and its first episode aired on 23 June

The first show saw Mr Anderson spoon-feed a Conservative colleague baked beans and name a 'wokey of the week'.

The 56-year-old, a former coal miner, used a location overlooking Whitehall and Parliament Square for the clip.

'Have you got a problem and got nobody to turn to? Well look no further. Agony Anderson will solve all your problems,' he said.

'Contact me if you've got any problems, whether they are social or personal.'

Mr Anderson's show on GB News is titled 'Lee Anderson's Real World' and its first episode aired on 23 June.

That show saw the Tory MP spoon-feed a Conservative colleague baked beans and name a 'wokey of the week'.

He also featured ex-Labour MP Simon Danczuk - who was suspended by his party in 2015 over claims he exchanged explicit messages with a 17-year-old girl - as a 'token lefty'.

Mr Greenberg is investigating Mr Anderson under Paragraph 8 of MPs' code of conduct.

It states: 'Excepting modest and reasonable personal use, Members must ensure that the use of facilities and services provided to them by Parliament, including an office, is in support of their parliamentary activities, and is in accordance with all relevant rules.'

It was previously revealed how Mr Anderson is being paid 100,000 a year from his work as a presenter and contributor on GB News.

His register of interests states he devotes eight hours a week to working for the TV channel.

Mr Anderson took on the job less than 18 months after he had blasted those MPs who need 'an extra 100,000 a year' on top of their parliamentary salary.

In the wake of the Owen Paterson lobbying row in November 2021, the oustpoken politician said that MPs were 'paid handsomely for the job we do'.

'If you need an extra 100,000 a year on top then you should really be looking for another job,' Mr Anderson added in a Facebook post at the time.

The former Labour councillor, who also earns 84,144 a year for being an MP as well as his TV money, was appointed Tory deputy chair by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in February.

His promotion to a top party position soon attracted controversy and he faced a backlash over his support for the return of the death penalty.

Mr Anderson, who worked as a coal miner for 10 years after leaving school, has previously been dubbed '30p Lee'.

It came after he claimed there's not a 'massive use' for food banks in Britain and offered 'proof' that meals can be cooked for 30p each.

Mr Anderson has been contacted for comment.
The jury in the Lucy Letby trial were sent out to consider their verdicts today on allegations that the 33-year-old neonatal nurse murdered seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and tried to kill a further ten.

Letby, originally from Hereford, has been on trial in Court 7 of Manchester Crown Court for the past nine months. The jury of eight women and four men will now decide whether they see her as guilty or innocent of the 22 indictments against her.

The specially trained ICU nurse has been described by the prosecution as a 'constant malevolent presence' on the unit during a year-long killing spree allegedly carried out between June 2015 and June 2016.

Mr Justice Goss, the trial judge, sent the jury out at 1.02pm. As they filed out, Letby watched them from her seat in the glass-panelled dock.

Letby, 33, is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to murder 10 others

Prosecutors say her alleged victims included two sets of twins and two boys out of a set of identical, naturally-conceived triplets.

She allegedly used night shifts to launch many attacks because she knew parents were less likely to be visiting the unit. Letby repeatedly used Facebook to track the families of babies she is said to have targeted.

Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said at the start of the trial on October 10: 'Sometimes a baby that she succeeded in killing was not killed the first or even the second time she tried.

'Sometimes they were injected with milk or some other fluid. Sometimes it was insulin. But the constant presence was Lucy Letby'.

The jury has seen scribbled notes written by Letby following her removal from the unit in the early summer of 2016. Prosecutors say they indicate her guilt, the defence that they simply illustrate the troubled mind of a diligent and hard-working professional.

Letby denied all the allegations as she gave evidence in the witness box at Manchester Crown Court for 14 days during the trial, which began last October

One message scrawled on a Post-it note read in capital letters: 'I AM EVIL I DID THIS', while another bore a second possible confession: 'I killed them on purpose'. A further message read: 'I don't deserve to liveI am a horrible evil person'.

But other scribbles were protestations of innocence, with Ben Myers KC, defending, telling the jury they were 'a product of despair' and demonstrated his client's 'anguish not guilt'.

They were, he added, the 'outpourings of a young woman when she learnt she was being accused of killing children that she had done her best to care for'.

Police were alerted to an alleged poisoner being at work on the unit after a significant rise in the number of babies on the unit dying or suffering unexplained collapses.

On numerous occasions paediatricians and nurses noticed unusual discolourations on a baby's skin when he or she collapsed. Infants sometimes recovered 'miraculously' or else failed to respond to resuscitation techniques that normally worked.

Mr Justice Goss, the trial judge, began his four-and-a-half day summing-up of the evidence last Monday.

Shortly before noon today he sent the jurors out for a 20-minute break so they could attach name labels to all the confidential documents they will have available to them for their deliberations.
President Joe Biden, behind closed doors, has a temper that sees him yelling at staff and shouting obscenities, a new report on Monday revealed.

In fact, his temper is so bad that some staff try to avoid meting alone with him or bring along a colleague to help defuse the situation, Axios reported.

Underneath his public persona of Joe from Scranton, who likes ice cream and uses folksy language, is a president with a potty mouth and short fuse.

Biden will blast four-letter words during his rages, including: 'God dammit, how the f*** don't you know this?!,' 'Don't f***ing bullsh** me!' and 'Get the f*** out of here!'

He has shown flashes of his temper in public before, including his July 2022 visit to Saudi Arabia, where he snapped at a DailyMail.com reporter for asking about his fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman outside the royal palace in Jeddah.

President Joe Biden, behind closed doors, has a temper, a new report on Monday revealed

It's a 'silly question,' the president said, adding his signature phrase 'God love ya.'

The president also has snapped back at reporters who ask about his son Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine and China and whether he had any role in them.

'No,' he's shouted in response to such inquiries.

Even fellow leaders aren't safe from Biden's bite.

The president lost his temper with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a June 2022 phone call, NBC News reported.

Biden had relayed to Zelensky the latest round of aid the US was sending when the Ukrainian president started listing more items he needed.

Biden snapped, telling Zelensky the American people were being generous, his administration was working hard to help and suggested Zelensky could show a little more gratitude.

Biden's quick temper doesn't bother all of his staff, some of whom think he should show more of it in public to counter perceptions that, at 80, he's too old and disengaged to be president.

And staff at all levels can be subjected to Biden's fury.

'No one is safe,' said one administration official told Axios.

Some aides, however, argue it's a sign Biden respects and feels comfortable enough with his staff to yell at them.

Aides told the news outlet if the president doesn't yell at you, it could be a sign he doesn't respect you.

President Biden has yelled at staff when he doesn't feel prepared for meetings - above the president meets with members of Congress in the Oval Office

Biden has even lost his temper with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki was quoted as saying: 'I said to [Biden] multiple times, 'I'll know we have a really good, trusting relationship when you yell at me the first time.''

Her thoughts on the president's temper were revealed in author Chris Whipple's book: 'The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House.'

'There's no question that the Biden temper is for real. It may not be as volcanic as Bill Clinton's, but it's definitely there,' Whipple said of Biden.

And Biden's temper is also said to be gentler than his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson told the January 6th committee last year that the former president would get so angry he would throw his lunch at the wall.

She described Trump's reaction to then-Attorney General Bill Barr saying there was no evidence of voter fraud in the 202 election: 'The valet was inside the dining room changing the tablecloth off of the dining room table. He motioned for me to come in and then pointed toward the front of the room near the fireplace mantel and the TV.'

'Where I first noticed there was ketchup dripping down the wall,' she continued. 'And there's a shattered porcelain plate on the floor.'

Biden's fury is said to be gentler.

One area where he shows it is in staff briefings, where the president is famous for grilling aides down to the nitty gritty, asking question after question about a topic to both learn all the details and to test aides' knowledge on the subject.

'He has a kind of mantra: 'You can never give me too much detail,' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told The New York Times in a piece on the president's work habits.

Biden gets frustrated - and shows it - when aides offer vague talking points or lace their answers with too much policy minutiae.

He is obsessed with details although some staff say it's just his way of thinking through things before making a final decision and selling that decision to the American people.

'I said to [Biden] multiple times, 'I'll know we have a really good, trusting relationship when you yell at me the first time,'' former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said

'If there is something that's not in the brief, he's going to find it,' Ted Kaufman, Biden's longtime aide who served in his Senate seat, told Axios. 'It's not to embarrass people, it's because he wants to get to the right decision. Most people who have worked for him like the fact that he challenges them and gets them to a better decision.'

And, despite the reports of a temper, aides stay loyal to the commander-in-chief.

Several Biden aides are described as members of the family by Joe and Jill Biden. The president is also famous for his compassion - calling aides when they are going through a rough time - and telling staff to put family events ahead of work.

Those qualities have kept staff working for him for years.
A meeting was held on October 23, 2020 to brief Hunter Biden prosecutors on an alleged 'criminal bribery scheme'

A top attorney prosecuting Hunter Biden was briefed about allegations Joe and his son received $5 million each in bribes, but didn't investigate and left IRS investigators out of the meeting, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has claimed.

According to a letter obtained by DailyMail.com that Grassley sent to Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss - who is prosecuting Hunter Biden for federal gun and tax crimes - the senator alleges obstruction of the Hunter probe by one of his top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf.

Grassley says that according to IRS whistleblowers, Wolf 'prevented investigators from seeking information about Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden's criminal business arrangements.' Whistleblower Gary Shapley specifically stated that Wolf 'discouraged' investigators from pursuing Joe Biden-connected leads, including by thwarting a search warrant request of Biden's Delaware guest house due to bad 'optics,' and that the prosecutor said there was 'no specific criminality.'

The senator references a meeting on October 23, 2020 during which he says Department of Justice and FBI officials from the Pittsburgh Field Office briefed Wolf and agents from the Baltimore Field Office 'with respect to the contents of the FBI-generated FD1023 alleging a criminal bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and Hunter Biden' without any IRS agents present.

Republicans are investigating two alleged $5 million 'bribery' payments from a foreign national to both Joe and Hunter outlined in a FD-1023 form

According to a 'highly credible' whistleblower, an internal FBI FD-1023 memo created in 2020 based on information from a well-paid informant allegedly says then-Vice President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden each got $5 million 'bribe' from a Ukrainian foreign national in exchange for policy decisions. The national, a Burisma executive, also allegedly has phone recordings of Joe and Hunter that he kept as an 'insurance policy.'

'However, the meeting did not include any IRS agents,' added Grassley in the July 9 letter.

The senator writes that 'in light of AUSA Wolf's alleged questionable and obstructive conduct during the course of your investigation,' he's seeking 'clarification' from Weiss with respect to the whistleblower allegations.

Hunter Biden agreed to a plea deal with Weiss last month, pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and entering probation over a gun charge.

However, two IRS whistleblowers - including 14-year agent Gary Shapley - came forward to the House Ways and Means Committee last month and alleged that top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, interfered in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden.

Shapley, who helped oversee the investigation into the president's son, claims that Hunter Biden has been given preferential treatment by investigators looking into his tax affairs and lying on a gun permit application.

Shapley pointed to a WhatsApp message sent on July 30, 2017, by Hunter to Chinese Communist Party official Henry Zhao, threatening him to follow his 'orders' and saying his dad was with him. Shapley alleges he raised concerns about the WhatsApp message to DOJ prosecutors, who rebuffed his concerns.

Shapley also described an October 7, 2022, meeting with top IRS and FBI officials on the investigation into President Joe Biden's son.

'I was there, and I witnessed this personally,' Shapley said during a Fox News interview, noting Weiss started by saying 'he's not the deciding person whether or not charges are filed or not.'

Two IRS whistleblowers - including 14-year agent Gary Shapley - came forward to the House Ways and Means Committee last month and alleged that top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, interfered in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden

Sen. Chuck Grassley says that IRS agents were purposefully left out of a 2020 briefing to Hunter Biden prosecutor an alleged $10 million 'criminal bribery scheme' between Joe, Hunter and a foreign national.

Shapley claimed the final decision was made by officials in Washington, D.C. He noted Weiss meet with the Matthew Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, in March 2022.

'After that occurred, he was no longer looking to charge,' Shapley said.

'I didn't learn that fact until October 7 of 2022, so looking back to March of 2022. And that's when David Weiss, in October 7, 2022, said that the D.C. U.S. attorney's office will not allow us to charge there,' Shapley responded.

Garland has denied interfering in the Hunter Biden probe and insists that Weiss has total authority over the case.

'I don't know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution,' Garland said of Weiss.

'As I said at the outset, Mr. Weiss was appointed by President Trump as the U.S. attorney in Delaware and assigned this matter during the previous administration.'

Garland said Weiss 'would be permitted to continue his investigation and to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to. Mr. Weiss has since sent a letter to the House Judiciary confirming he had that authority.

'I don't know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution, given that he has this authority,' he said.

Sen. Bill Hagerty has raised questions about potential 'political interference' by Garland and Weiss based on their contradictory statements.

Weiss has stated that his charging authority in the Hunter criminal case is limited to his home district of Delaware, contradicting Garland's multiple public assurances that he could bring charges in any district and has total control of the case without influence by DOJ leadership.

Hagerty, R-Tenn., told DailyMail.com in a statement Friday that the contradictions in statements made by the top officials involved in the Hunter probe stink of 'political interference.'
Rudy Farias' mom has been permanently banned from GoFundMe and may face legal action after she raked in thousands of dollars from his eight-year sham disappearance.

Janie Santana raised more than $2,000 using the fundraising platform after claiming her 17-year-old son went out to walk the dogs and never came home in 2015.

Houston Police revealed last week that Farias had actually returned home the very next day.

GoFundMe has now issued a statement saying that Santana has been banned and that it may take legal action against 'those who exploit the generosity of our community'.

The 'Donate to Help Find Rudy Farias IV' page was set up with a goal of $75,000 by a woman named Julissa Bravo, whose relationship to Santana remains unclear, but has now been removed from the website.

Janie Santana, the mother of Rudy Farias, has been permanently banned from GoFundMe after using it to raise money when she claimed her son had gone missing

The 'Donate to Help Find Rudy Farias IV' page was set up with a goal of $75,000 by a woman named Julissa Bravo. Santana was the beneficiary of more than 30 donations

The phony story of the missing boy sensationally unraveled last week when police and a mediator, local activist Quanell X, met with Santana and her son, now 25, at a hotel.

Quanell X would later claim that Farias had been sexually abused and kept at the home like a 'slave.'

Police later disputed this account but they did confirm the disappearance was a sham.

Chief Troy Finner said that they were still investigating but have not announced any charges.

Santana was the beneficiary of more than 30 donations, and received the funds in 2015, GoFundMe confirmed.

Timeline of Rudy Farias' disappearance February 13, 2011: Farias' older brother Charles dies in car accident. August 19, 2014: Farias' father dies of a self-inflected gunshot wound. March 2015: Farias was first reported missing. He had last been seen along Valley Lake Drive, which is north of Tidwell in northeast Houston. He was reportedly walking his two dogs when he disappeared. The dogs were later found, but Farias was not. September 2018: Family members call police to report that Rudy was living behind a relative's home. Houston police searched the property, but did not find him. June 29, 2023: A man, later identified as Farias, was found unresponsive outside Immaculate Heart Church near 76th Street and Avenue K in southeast Houston. July 5, 2023: Community activist Quanell X and Houston Police meet with Rudy Farias at a hotel in Humble, Texas. Quanell X later tells reporters outside the hotel that Farias told him that his mother had been drugging and sexually abusing him for years. July 6, 2023: Houston police reveal Rudy Farias was never missing over the past eight years and say Farias did not report being sexually abused by his mother. Advertisement

'GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,' a company spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek.

'The fundraiser has been removed from the platform and the beneficiary has been banned from using GoFundMe for any future fundraisers.'

A spokesperson for the Houston police department told DailyMail.com on Friday that while there is not an investigation specifically into the donations Santana received, these claims would be part of the ongoing general investigation into the case.

It's also been claimed that another GoFundMe page was created after Rudy was 'found' outside the church last month to solicit money to cover his medical costs and recovery.

Social media users shared grabs of the page and said it was taken down after Santana's story began falling apart. The company has not confirmed this account.

Santana first filed a missing persons report on March 7, 2015, in which she claimed the day prior on March 6 her son Rudy, then 17, went missing while taking their dogs for a walk around their Houston neighborhood.

According to that missing persons report, a few hours later one of the dogs returned home and the next morning the second dog came back. Both were reportedly missing their leashes.

But more recently it was revealed that Farias, who suffered from various mental disabilities, actually returned home the day after going on the walk with the dogs.

Then a couple of weeks later, on March 22, Farias' mother started the GoFundMe page to raise money and coordinate renewed search efforts for her supposedly missing son.

'It has been over a Month and Rudy is still Missing,' it read. 'Please help us find RUDY FARIAS IV!

'Rudy went out to walk his 2 puppies on March 6th 2015 and has not been seen nor heard from since then ! Rudy's 2 puppies WERE FOUND but not Rudy! He suffers from both physical and mental disabilities, so we need to get him home ASAP!

'All ground searches have been pulled back and now we (The Entire Houston Texas Community ) have to get our own ground search together! People say that it takes a village to raise a child. ... NOW... We NEED The Village to Help Find our Child !

'We are asking for donations to be able to offer a reward for Information leading us TO Rudy as well as medical expenses for Rudy since he has been missing since March 6th,and each day that passes...means his health is deteriorating gravelly ...'

Houston Police have now said Farias had never been missing - as had been widely suspected after he reappeared last week, eight years after Santana claimed he had vanished.

They have also said they would not be pressing charges against Rudy and that he was never technically regarded as 'missing'.

On March 22, 25, Santana started a GoFundMe page to raise money and coordinate renewed search efforts for her supposedly missing son

Then 17-year-old Rudy Farias , pictured on Wednesday, had gone missing after going out to walk his dogs in Houston, Texas, in March 2015

Farias was 'found' unresponsive outside the Immaculate Heart Church in Houston at around 10pm on June 29.

A few days later his mother publicly celebrated his discovery.

'My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29th, after being missing for eight years,' she wrote.

'My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.'

On July 5 he met with investigators and a famous civil rights activist Quanell X, who later told the press that Farias had told him Santana had committed sexual and physical abuse of him since his supposed disappearance.

Police then said that Farias was never really missing for more than a day, and that he his mother had attempted to 'deceived' police ever since.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com on Thursday afternoon following the press conference, Quanell stood by his previous allegations and said he believed Rudy was in danger.

'It was crazy to watch the press conference,' he said. 'The detective heard that young man say that she made him be her husband. The detective heard him say that she told him that his name is daddy now, that she called him daddy when she would kiss him in the mouth.'

Quanell insisted that Rudy is a victim and his mother should be charged with a crime.

'I begged them to not let that boy in her custody,' he said. 'I'm gonna try to help Rudy as much as possible and I think the DA needs to press charges against her and that Rudy should be removed from her custody in some type of way, I don't believe he's safe in her custody at all.'
The sole suspect in the Tylenol murders has been found dead in his Cambridge, Massachusetts home, ending officials' hopes of one day convicting him for the killings that changed the way over-the-counter drugs are manufactured and sold.

James Lewis, 76, was the only person to have been convicted in connection to the seven poisonings after he attempted to extort $1million from Tylenol maker's Johnson and Johnson to stop the killings - but he was never found guilty of the actual murders.

The deaths of four women, two men, and a 12-year-old girl, caused worldwide panic and led to reforms in how over-the-counter medicines are packaged as the FDA introduced new tamper-proof packaging like foil seals.

Although he always denied it, police believed he was behind the killing spree and Lewis was questioned as recently as September, as authorities worked to find the person behind the murders 40 years later.

'I was saddened to learn of James Lewis' death. Not because he's dead, but because he didn't die in prison,' said former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who prosecuted Lewis for extortion.

James Lewis, the sole suspect in the 1982 Tylenol murders, has been found dead in his Massachusetts home

Mary Kellerman, Mary McFarland, Mary 'Lynn' Reiner, Paula Prince, and Stanley, Adam and Terri Janus died after taking Tylenol pills that had been laced with potassium cyanide

The murders caused worldwide panic and led to reforms in how over-the-counter medicines are packaged as the FDA introduced new tamper-proof packaging like foil seals

'I was always hoping justice would be served, and this short-circuits it,' added retired FBI special agent Roy Lane.

Chicago residents Mary Kellerman, Mary McFarland, Mary 'Lynn' Reiner, Paula Prince, and Stanley, Adam and Terri Janus died after taking Tylenol pills that had been laced with potassium cyanide.

Someone had opened the capsules and replaced some of the acetaminophen with cyanide and returned them to the shelves. At the time, the pills came in a container guarded only by a cotton ball.

Lewis, a former accountant, was arrested, charged, and convicted for writing extortion letters in which he threatened the killings would continue unless $1 million was wired to a bank account.

In a jailhouse interview, he explained an intricate scheme the killer 'would have used' to poison the pills using a drilled pegboard.

Police have said they believe Lewis acted on revenge against Johnson & Johnson after his five-year-old daughter, Toni, died in 1974. The girl passed away after sutures made by a subsidiary of the company were used to fix her congenital heart defect and they tore.

The first to die from the Tylenol poisonings was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman from Elk Grove Village. Her parents gave her one capsule and by the next morning she was dead.

The same day, Adam Janus of Arlington Heights, Illinois, 27, also mysteriously passed away after taking a Tylenol pill.

When going to mourn the 27-year-old, his brother Stanley, 25, and sister-in-law Theresa, 19, took tablets from the same bottle. Stanley died that day, and Theresa two days later.

After that, three others lost their lives - 35-year-old Mary McFarland of Elmhurst, Illinois, 35-year-old Paula Prince of Chicago, and 27-year-old Mary Weiner of Winfield, Illinois.

It was at this point, early October of 1982, that investigators made the connection between the poisoning deaths and Tylenol, the best-selling, non-prescription pain reliever sold in the United States at that time.

The tampered bottles came from different factories so sabotage in production was ruled out.

Instead, it is thought someone must have gone around drug stores, opening bottles and adding a lethal potassium cyanide compound.

In a jailhouse interview he explained an intricate scheme the killer would have used to poison the pills using a drilled pegboard

Although he always denied being the killer, Lewis was questioned as recently as September

In 1983, the U.S. Congress passed what was called 'the Tylenol bill,' making it a federal offense to tamper with consumer products

DailyMail.com reported back in January that police were collecting DNA evidence from several sources, including relatives of the victims and a family that survived the deadly attack.

The Morgan family were among those who were approached to help in the police investigation.

Laura Morgan was a toddler when her mother Linda bought a tampered bottle of Tylenol from the grocery store for a pain in her leg. She survived but only by chance.

Linda was 35 at the time and told the outlet that she was going to take the Tylenol but opted for an alternative instead.

The Arlington Heights Illinois Police Department (AHPD) has been pushing the investigation as it continues to probe the deaths of three members of the same family - Adam Janus, Teresa Janus, and Stanley Janus.

Joe Janus, who lost his two brothers and sister-in-law, said his dying wish is that DNA will help police arrest the person responsible.

Before the 1982 crisis, Tylenol controlled more than 35 percent of the over-the-counter pain reliever market, only a few weeks after the murders, that number plummeted to less than 8 percent.

The case led to reforms in how over-the-counter medicines are packaged. Working with the FDA they introduced new tamper-proof packaging, which included foil seals and other features consumers are familiar with now.

A new version of the pill was also introduced, known as the caplet, in which a tablet was coated with easy-to-swallow gelatin.

Within a year, and after an investment of more than $100 million, Tylenol's sales rebounded, and it had a renaissance as the nation's favorite over-the-counter pain reliever.

In 1983, the U.S. Congress passed what was called 'the Tylenol bill,' making it a federal offense to tamper with consumer products. In 1989, the FDA established federal guidelines for manufacturers to make all such products tamper-proof.
Former USA gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar is 'lucky to be alive' after being stabbed multiple times by another inmate during an assault in federal prison.

Nassar, 59, was stabbed twice in the neck, twice in the back and six times in the chest at the United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida.

'He has a collapsed lung,' said Joe Rojas' who is the prison guard union chief.

'He is lucky to be alive and the only reason he is alive, in my opinion, is because of the staff members who were there.'

The extent of his injuries is currently unknown, with sources confirming that he suffered a collapsed lung during the attack at 2.35pm on Sunday, and remains in a stable condition in hospital.

He was convicted in 2018 of sexually assaulting members of the US team, including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

Nassar was serving decades in prison after abusing members of the squad under the guise of medical treatment.

Nassar, 59, was attacked on Sunday night at the United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida - where he was serving up to 175 years in prison - by another inmate

Olympian's Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols testified during a Senate Judiciary hearing over the FBI's handling of Nassar's case

The Bureau of Prisons confirmed the assault to DailyMail.com but declined to identify any of the prisoners' involved.

Officials said staff provided life-saving measures and the inmate was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

They added that the FBI was notified, saying in a statement to: 'No staff or other inmates were injured and at no time was the public in danger. An internal investigation is ongoing.'

Nassar admitted to sexually assaulting the athletes when he worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.

He also admitted to possessing child pornography, and more than 100 women sought over $1 billion from the federal government for the FBI's failure to stop the doctor.

The agency had become aware of allegations against him in 2015, and he was arrested by Michigan State University police in 2016, more than a year later.

Michigan State, which was accused of missing chances over many years to stop Nassar, agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by him.

USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made a $380 million settlement with the women.

He also admitted to possessing child pornography, and more than 100 women sought over $1 billion from the federal government for the FBI's failure to stop the doctor

Olympic star Simone Biles was one of hundreds of women who was assaulted by the USA's former physician

The Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com. Pictured: Coleman Federal Prison in Florida where Nassar was attacked

During victim impact statements in 2018, several athletes testified that during Nassar's decades of sexual abuse they had told adults what was happening, including coaches and athletic trainers, but that it went unreported.

In June 2022 Nassar had his final appeal rejected by the Michigan Supreme Court, which was filed on the basis he was 'treated unfairly.'

The filing was based on a judge who told him, 'I just signed your death warrant' when sentencing him.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina called him a 'monster' who would 'wither' in prison like the wicked witch in 'The Wizard of Oz.'

The state Supreme Court said that Nassar's appeal was a 'close question' and that it had 'concerns' over the judge's conduct.

But the court also noted that Aquilina, despite her provocative comments, stuck to the sentencing agreement worked out by lawyers in the case.

In a two-page order, the court said: 'We decline to expend additional judicial resources and further subject the victims in this case to additional trauma where the questions at hand present nothing more than an academic exercise.'

More than 150 victims spoke or submitted statements during an extraordinary seven-day hearing in Aquilina's court more than four years ago.

In June 2022 Nassar had his final appeal rejected by the Michigan Supreme Court, which was filed on the basis he was 'treated unfairly'

Nassar admitted to sexually assaulting the athletes when he worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. Pictured: Nassar with McKayla Maroney

Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar, said: 'It's over. ... Almost six years after I filed the police report, it's finally over.'

Nassar, who had been the main doctor for Olympic gymnasts, was sentenced in federal court in 2017 to 60 years in prison on charges of possessing child sex abuse material.

The following year, he was also sentenced to up to 175 years and up to 125 years, respectively, in two separate Michigan courts for molesting female gymnasts under his care.

He had agreed to serve a minimum sentence of 40 years as part of a plea deal, with that prison time coming after he completes his 60-year federal sentence for child pornography charges.

USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in 2018, after Olympic bronze medalist Jamie Dantzscher had filed a lawsuit and additional claims were filed on behalf of a growing number of Nassar's victims.
Crowds at Disney theme parks have been noticeably thinner this summer with Fourth of July weekend the slowest in nearly a decade.

Travel experts say the park's recent price hikes and changed to operations contributed to the number of people visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Summertime - especially Fourth of July - at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is normally one of the busiest times.

But the holiday weekend one of the slowest compared to past years in nearly a decade, according to data from Touring Plans, a travel company that tracks wait times at amusement parks.

Crowds at Disney theme parks have been noticeably thinner this summer with Fourth of July weekend the slowest in nearly a decade

The holiday weekend one of the slowest compared to past years in nearly a decade, according to data from Touring Plans, a travel company that tracks wait times at amusement parks.

At Disney's Magic Kingdom, the average posted wait time was 27 minutes for the Fourth of July holiday down from 31 minutes in 2022, despite a special fireworks show produced in the park

Park visitors have seen significantly shorter wait times for rides and industry analysts say this generally correlates with smaller crowds.

At Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida, the average posted wait time was 27 minutes this year for the Fourth of July holiday, down from 31 minutes in 2022 and 47 minutes in 2019, according to the Touring Plans data.

This is despite a special fireworks show produced in the park on July 4th every year.

At Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, the holiday was the third-slowest day in the past year.

It's been a rough year for Disney which has been engaged in a massive legal battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the 'Don't Say Gay' law passed in 2022.

At the time, former CEO Chapek spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Bill which bans classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade.

DISNEY ON JULY 4: The park was significantly less crowded over the holiday weekend

Travel experts say the park's recent price hikes and changed to operations contributed to the number of people visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth

Castle Hub grass area blocked off ahead of 4th of July 2023 fireworks display. Visitors are encountering something they haven't seen in a while: elbow room

Park visitors have seen significantly shorter wait times for rides and industry analysts say this generally correlates with smaller crowds

It was reported attendance at the parks was down in 2022 compared to 2019, but experts say Disney had intentionally thinned crowds by using a reservation system it implemented in 2020

Despite all this, experts say the low attendance not what was expected.

'It's something that nobody would have predictedjust unfathomable,' Len Testa, a computer scientist who runs Touring Plans, told the Wall Street Journal.

Some blame Florida's summer heat, humidity and heavy rains on the low attendance as the heat index exceeded 100 degrees on several days in early July.

It was reported that attendance at the parks was down in 2022 compared to 2019, but experts say Disney had also intentionally thinned crowds by using a reservation system it implemented in 2020.

The aim was to improve the park experience for a smaller number of visitors who will spend more money.

Over at the Universal Studios Florida theme park, crowds are also relatively light with the average wait time at 28 minutes on July 4, down from 38 minutes in 2022 but in line with 2019's levels, the data showed.

Visitors also may be opting for less expensive vacations after the Disney raised admission prices and eliminated free amenities, experts said.

Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World closed permanently on January 23, 2023, to be repurposed with a new theme as Tiana's Bayou Adventure

While Magic Kingdom and Epcot cost the same this year as last, single-day tickets for Disneys Hollywood Studios are up $184 and Animal Kingdom have increased to $164

While Magic Kingdom and Epcot cost the same this year as last, single-day tickets for Disneys Hollywood Studios are up $184 and Animal Kingdom have increased to $164.

And over at Disneyland on the West Coast, the company increased the cost of multiday tickets by 9 percent or more in October, with the price of a two-day ticket rising from $255 per adult to $285.

'People might be a little bit fatigued with price increases based on the economy at the moment,' Stephanie Oprea, an Atlanta-based senior planner and director of marketing for Pixie Travel, told WSJ.

In an effort to attract more people back to Disney, the company is offering promotions including discounts for return visits and savings of up to 40% on rooms at some Disney World hotels for annual passholders on certain days in December near Christmas. Other than Fourth of July, Christmas is another busy time.
The woman dubbed 'Poolside Karen' after a rant of her shouting abuse at a group of Latinos has spoken out for the first time  and insists she is no racist.

Blair Featherman told DailyMail.com exclusively that she was goaded into her ill-thought comments by a wannabe model who is desperate for TikTok views.

And she said she was the one who was attacked by a group of women, but the posted video carefully avoided showing that.

'I have been trying to stay silent and not comment about this, but there are things the video doesn't show,' art consultant Featherman, 49, said.

'I'm not a racist. It was deceptively edited and put together to tell a narrative that isn't true.'

Blair Featherman, 49, launched into a racist rant at her luxury apartment complex in Colorado, calling a group of Latinos 'trash'

Featherman told DailyMail.com that she was goaded into her comments by a wannabe model who is desperate for TikTok views

Featherman said she was the one who was attacked by a group of women, but the posted video carefully avoided showing that

In the video posted on TikTok by hairdresser Jada Gallardo, Featherman is shown shouting racist epithets at a group of people sitting around the pool at the Alta Green Mountain apartment complex in Lakewood, Colorado, where units rent for up to $6,500.

She called the group 'trash' and said they should 'go back down to Denver' before berating them for 'not knowing what Hermes is'.

But Featherman, who claims to be an expert in Feng Shui, the Chinese art of furniture arrangement, said she was attacked after complaining that the group was breaking rules about the number of guests a resident at the complex could take to the pool.

She admits she was wrong to take the bait and get involved in an argument but said things had developed to a point of exasperation.

Featherman told DailyMail.com that the group was loud and there were too many people around the pool who did not live at Alta Green Mountain.

That is when things escalated, she claimed, saying members of the group started shouting racial epithets at her and filming her as she sat poolside. 'They were calling me white b***h and white this and white that,' she said.

'I was already having a bad day,' Featherman said. 'But this was too much.'

As she reached for the phone, she claimed she was physically attacked. One woman clawed at her hair so violently that her artificial nails broke off.

In the video posted on TikTok by hairdresser Jada Gallardo (pictured), Featherman is shown shouting racist epithets

Video shows the moment Featherman hurled racial abuse at a Latino group for having a party at a Colorado swimming pool - set in a ritzy apartment complex where she lives

One woman clawed at her hair so violently that her artificial nails broke off, Feartherman said. 'I have heard that people are assuming they're pills that I am holding in my hand, but it's actually her nails that I'm showing her,' she said

She called the group 'trash' and said they should 'go back down to Denver.' The ordeal took place at her apartment complex, where condos cost up to $6,500 a month to rent

The alleged attack is not included in the video that Gallardo, 32, posted on TikTok and Featherman said the video is cut so it then follows on several minutes later from a different angle.

In the chaotic aftermath of the event, she is seen in the video on a lounge chair, furious and frantic, while her boyfriend calls for help and the agitated crowd surrounds her from above. Everyone is seen shouting at each other.

'I couldn't believe what just happened, my heart was racing, and I was so full of adrenaline,' she recalled. 'I couldn't think straight.'

Enraged and disoriented, she still had possession of the woman's nails, and decided to open her hand so the group could see.

'I have heard that people are assuming they're pills that I am holding in my hand, but it's actually her nails that I'm showing her,' she said.

The video ends with police being called to the complex although no one was arrested.

DailyMail.com reached out to Gallardo for comment but she did not respond.

'I'm not a racist. It was deceptively edited and put together to tell a narrative that isn't true,' she said

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show that the mother-of-two filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and had only $100 in her checking account and $20 in cash at the time

In the widely seen video, Featherman, who filed for bankruptcy in 2019 claiming she had only $100 in her checking account and $20 in cash, appears to be angered by the group's presence. You have a f*****g Mexican party in a pool,' she shouts

At this point, she approaches the woman filming, before physically accosting her.

Gallardois a wannabe model who posts on several social media platforms

'You can't do that. You can't just record me,' Featherman says, before hitting the phone out of the hands of the person filming.

Before that, an added commentary from the app's voice feature is heard branding the woman 'racist Karen', while an accompanying caption asked social media users to help identify her.

The spliced footage then jumps to what is presumed to be a few minutes later, with Featherman now being held down by a male member of her own party on one of the pool's sun loungers.

As this is happening, she continues to reprimand the family over their presence.

Several proceed to surround and argue with the woman - all while she continues to shout while attempting to confront the now angry group.

Amid the commotion, she can still be heard uttering xenophobic statements, such as 'Get the f**k out' and 'go back down to Denver'

The woman proceeds to yell and shout for nearly the entire duration of the video, which is just under a minute long.

When asked by one of the victims to leave the pool herself, she is heard responding that she lives in Lakewood  the affluent suburb where the complex is set.

At one point she is heard angrily telling the family, who had been having a poolside bash: 'I live here, nowhere you ever came from, you f****** low-class slime.'
Her family are raising funds to send her to a clinic overseas

It resulted in her being diagnosed with an excruciating disorder

A little girl is suffering from a chronic pain disorder so cruel that even a hug from her doting parents means screaming in agony.

Melbourne's Bella Macey, 10, fights complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) every day, while her exhausted family raises funds for expensive treatment overseas.

CRPS is a rare neurological disorder that causes extreme discomfort and is one of the most painful incurable conditions that humans can experience.

Bella rates the pain as a '10' out of 10.

Melbourne's Bella Macey, 10, fights complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) every day, while her exhausted family desperately explores overseas treatment options

The chronic disorder so cruel that even a hug from her doting parents means screaming in agony

'It's all sharp, it's burning, it's tingly, it's all sore. It's different pain [that] I never knew was possible,' she told A Current Affair.

In the month since Bella was diagnosed she has also lost movement in one leg and even simple tasks have become insufferable.

'I can't have a shower, I can't have a bath,' Bella said.

'I can't put (on) any sheets or anything on  even with a tissue, you can't touch it with anything, otherwise I will scream.'

The trouble began when a small infection appeared on her foot while she was at the beach with her family during a holiday in Fiji.

But the blister soon became agonising and her entire leg starting to hurt.

Upon returning to their home in Melbourne, she was rushed to the emergency room at the Alfred for treatment.

Doctors conducted X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests but were unable to identify what was wrong.

Bella received strong antibiotics in the meantime, which proved to have little-to-no effect on relieving her pain.

After her original infection dissipated and the pain lingered on, Bella was diagnosed with the disorder.

CRPS usually affects just one arm or leg following an earlier injury, such as a fracture or sprain with no nerve damage.

It's unclear what exactly causes CRPS but it's thought it could be due to the nerves in the affected area becoming more sensitive, which may change the pain pathways between the limb and the brain.

Bella Macey, 10, has been fighting complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in hospital - as her family desperately seeks treatment overseas

The condition developed from a blister on holiday in Fiji, which morphed into an infection followed by excruciating pain in her leg

CRPS is a rare neurological disorder causes extreme discomfort and is known as one of the most painful incurable conditions in the world. Pictured, Bella Macey

Since her diagnosis, Bella is primarily bedridden and has lost movement in her leg. She sometimes requires a wheelchair to get around.

The pain in her leg is so severe that she has also developed hypersensitivity - meaning a simple touch can feel agonising.

It has also caused extreme stress and pressure on the family.

Despite being on strong medication daily during her month-long stay in hospital, nothing has helped to alleviate the young girls' pain.

With no effective treatment available in Australia, her parents, Chris and Emma, turned overseas for treatment options.

Through extensive research, they found the Spero Clinic in the US which specialises in CRPS.

Emma has since set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds in order to send Bella to the clinic for treatment and for medical expenses.

'Bella has been in hospital for 4 weeks now and unfortunately, there is no treatment available to her at the RCH or elsewhere in Australia that will treat the cause of the pain,' she wrote.

'She has been on intense medication, none of which have worked and we are desperate to send her to a clinic overseas that is specialized (sic) and has credentials in providing remission for their patients.

'This is where your generosity becomes a lifeline for Bella.'

With no effective treatment available in Australia, Bella's parents, Chris and Emma, turned overseas for treatment options

Young Bella Macey is pictured in happier times

Emma stressed how invaluable every donation to help daughter would be, no matter how small.

'Every donation, no matter the size, will make a significant impact on Bella's journey towards recovery,' she wrote.

'Your support will not only alleviate the financial burden on our family but will also restore hope and strength to Bella and remind her that she is not alone in this fight.'

'Together, we can help Bella overcome CRPS and pave the way for a brighter future.'

'From the bottom of our hearts, we express our deepest gratitude for considering Bella's cause. Your support will bring us one step closer to seeing Bella smile, walk, play, attend school and thrive once again,' she added.

The GoFundMe for Bella can be found here.
The Rwanda deportation scheme should be 'given a chance' to cut Channel boat crossings, former home secretary Ken Clarke said today.

The Tory veteran - long seen as on the left of the party - underlined his support for the plan as the government prepares for the latest battle with peers.

Writing in The Telegraph, Lord Clarke said while he has advocated the benefits that migrants bring to Britain, 'doing nothing about illegal immigration is not an option'.

He said: 'Importantly, in all the debate about the Government's Illegal Migration Bill, no one has advanced an alternative.

'I have listened keenly for an idea of how else we might deal with the mounting problem of irregular migration, but answer has come there none.'

It comes as 1,070 migrants crossed the Channel in 13 boats on Friday and in seven boats on Saturday, according to Home Office figures (pictured, more arrivals yesterday)

The Rwanda deportation scheme should be 'given a chance' to cut Channel boat crossings, former home secretary Ken Clarke said

The flagship legislation passed through the House of Commons but has met fierce opposition in the Lords.

It aims to ensure those who arrive in the UK without permission will be detained and promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda.

The legislation is set for a third reading in the House of Lords later, but the government is set to reverse a host of amendments made by peers - triggering a bout of so-called 'ping pong' between the chambers.

Lord Clarke said he is not making his comments out of 'slavish loyalty' and he has not always been an admirer of the Government.

But he lauded the Government's approach to welcoming in Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.

He said: 'We are not becoming a walled-in, closed country. That is a good British contribution to a tremendous problem for the whole of the Western World.

'Everyone knows that (illegal migration) is a huge problem, and that, if we cannot find a solution, people will die in the Channel in considerable numbers by taking risks as they come here.'

It comes as 1,070 migrants crossed the Channel in 13 boats on Friday and in seven boats on Saturday, according to Home Office figures.

That takes the provisional total for the year so far to over 12,500 people.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been fighting to get her central policy of forcibly removing unauthorised arrivals to Rwanda off the ground after it was blocked by appeal judges.

The Government has lodged a bid to take its legal battle to the Supreme Court.
A celebrity chef burst into tears on live television as he blamed vegans for ruining his relationship.

John Mountain, who runs Perth's Fyre Restaurant, said he lost the woman he thought he would marry after she could no longer cope with the adverse attention animal rights activists were bringing to his swanky establishment.

Fyre has been the target of recent disruptive protests led by notorious vegan activist Tash Peterson after Mountain announced he would ban non-meat eaters from his restaurant last month following a blow-up with a dis-satisfied diner.

'I lost my partner because of this, I lost a relationship, I thought I was going to marry this woman and she just couldn't handle the amount of attention - thanks vegans,' he told A Current Affair, choking back the tears.

Vegan activist Tash Peterson (second from right) has twice protested at John Mountain's (second from left) Fyre restaurant in Connolly, north of Perth

But the UK-born restaurateur vowed to take revenge on the activists, declaring all vegans will remain 'barred for life' from his venues.

'Now I'm going to start opening steak restaurants just to piss you off,' Mountain said.

On Saturday night, Ms Peterson, along with a dozen other activists, barged their way inside Fyre, with a speaker loudly playing the sounds of pigs squealing in distress.

Protestors chanted and showed video of a pig being slaughtered with the audio amplified by a speaker.

Mountain was seen in footage charging out a number of times and scuffling with the demonstrators as he tried to wrestle the loud-speaker from Ms Peterson.

He told the program he 'lost his cool' because of the toll it was taking on him personally and professionally.

'It's really disrupting my business and I could see the look on my customers' faces, my staff  they were all a little scared and a bit nervous and I just stormed out,' said Mountain.

Mountain said police are set to lay charges and that the landowner has put in a trespassing notice to prevent Ms Peterson from coming near his business.

Ms Peterson once worked as a pool lifeguard before deciding to share racy content to OnlyFans where she reportedly made as much as $40,000 per month

Tash Peterson (pictured with boyfriend) has accused meat eaters of being complicit in the largest holocaust in history'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the Western Australia Police force for comment.

Ms Peterson has since sought to justify her form of protest in several social media posts.

'We're not going after this restaurant because they're banning vegans  yes that was maybe a reason that instigated it  but at the end of the day it's because this man is profiting from animal abuse and murder and he's also glamourising it,' she said on Sunday.

Ms Peterson, who goes by the name of 'Vgan Booty' on social media, had performed a similar stunt the weekend before.

Her actions may have backfired as Mountain claims his income has tripled after her protests.

Mountain claims after the clash his income has tripled and he has a lot of support.

'I'm now in her words 'having to murder more animals' because of their actions,' he said.

Ms Peterson once worked as a pool lifeguard before deciding to share racy content to OnlyFans where she reportedly made as much as $40,000 per month.
More than a week after the Secret Service discovered cocaine at the White House it appears Americans are no closer to receiving answers on how the illicit drug made its way into one of the most secure areas in the U.S.

What former officials told DailyMail.com is a 'straightforward' investigation has now entered its second week and the White House continues to brush off questions on the incident as President Joe Biden left the country Sunday for meetings in London ahead of the NATO Summit in Lithuania.

The White House evacuated with a hazmat situation last Sunday, July 2 when a uniformed USSS agent found cocaine in a lockbox for cell phones outside of secure meeting areas.

Since the discovery, there have been few questions answered on how the cocaine made its way into the White House and who the culprit could be.

The investigation into the discovery of cocaine at the White House Sunday is still 'open and active,' USSS Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told DailyMail.com on Monday as President Joe Biden is overseas for meetings in the UK ahead of the NATO Summit in Lithuania

A Secret Service agent found last Sunday a white powder substance that tested positive for cocaine in the West Wing of the White House

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre suggested during a briefing last week that it could have been a guest that left the drug in the cell phone cubby.

When reached by DailyMail.com for an update, the White House had a short response in all lowercase letters: 'usss.'

The Secret Service communications office has remained tight-lipped and repeatedly has said the agency cannot provide comment on the ongoing investigation.

As of Monday morning, the investigation remains 'open and active,' according to USSS Communications Chief Anthony Guglielmi.

Trolls online immediately speculated that the source of cocaine is Biden's addict son Hunter, 52. The White House has not commented on these suggestions and the president was not questioned about these rumors during his sit-down interview with CNN last week.

Former President Donald Trump has put out several Truth Social posts demanding answers as to where the cocaine came from  and suggested last week that the drugs belonged to both Hunter and President Biden.

'The public is demanding to know the White House 'Cocaine Story.' Just like I QUICKLY PROVIDED SECURITY TAPES FROM MAR-a-LAGO on the BOXES HOAX, the White House has Security Cameras (far more than Mar-a-Lago!) all over the place, especially the location in question,' Trump posted on Monday.

'THEY 100% KNOW WHO IT IS,' he insisted. 'If they don't release information, it means they destroyed the tapes & the Cocaine was for use by Hunter, & probably Crooked Joe, in order to give this total disaster of a President a little life and energy!'

USSS released a statement early last week responding to the discovery: 'On Sunday evening, the White House complex went into a precautionary closure as officers from the Secret Service Uniformed Division investigated an unknown item found inside a work area.'

'The DC Fire Department was called to evaluate and quickly determined the item to be non-hazardous,' the statement adds. 'The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending.'

The baggie in which the drug was found was sent out for fingerprint analysis last week.

USSS clarified that the substance was found in the West Wing of the White House after a DC Fire dispatch call suggested the cocaine was discovered in the library of the executive mansion. Pictured: The West Wing lobby of the White House

Trump-era Border Commissioner and longtime FBI agent Mark Morgan told DailyMail.com that the case is cut-and-dry and should be solved already.

He questioned whether the White House really wanted to find who was responsible by suggesting Biden's team might be putting up roadblocks as USSS investigates the matter.

'An investigation like this is pretty straightforward. Everybody that enters the White House is manifested,' he said, adding: 'They know who comes in, they know when they came in, they're checked, and there are video cameras everywhere.'

Initial DC Fire dispatch noted the white powder substance was found in the 'library,' but USSS clarified it was found in a 'West Wing work area.'

Reports later revealed it was specifically left in the cubby of a storage facility where visitors keep their phones in lockboxes.

Morgan explained that permanent White House staff likely would not be using the cubbies, but that it could have been utilized by a senior-level official visiting the White House for a meeting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded his country has membership in the EU in return for him approving Sweden's membership in NATO.

The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing to a NATO summit in Lithuania's capital added new uncertainty to Sweden's bid to become the alliance's 32nd member, which Turkey initially blocked saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.

It was the first time that Erdogan linked his country's ambition to join the EU with Sweden's efforts to become a NATO member.

'Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union,' Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

'I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured at a press conference ahead of his flight to Vilnius for the NATO summit) has demanded his country has membership in the EU

People burn Sweden's flag during a demonstration in Lahore on July 9 in protest

READ MORE HERE: Protester plans to burn a Bible and Torah outside Israeli embassy and another wants to set MORE Korans on fire outside a mosque as Sweden's freedom of speech row risks causing more religious fury Advertisement

When you pave the way for Turkey, we'll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,' he added.

A series of demonstrations in Sweden against Islam and for Kurdish rights have offended Ankara, whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Sweden sought NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. But Turkey - a Muslim majority country - has said Sweden harbours members of what it considers terrorist groups - a charge Sweden denies - and has demanded their extradition as a step toward ratifying Swedish membership.

Earlier, Erdogan's office said he told US President Joe Biden during a telephone call on Sunday that Turkey wanted a 'clear and strong' message of support for Turkey's EU ambitions from the NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius.

The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish membership in the EU.

Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were expected to meet later Monday in Vilnius.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he supports Turkey's ambition to join the EU but noted that it wasn't among the conditions listed in an agreement that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last year's NATO summit in Madrid.

Stoltenberg reiterated that Sweden had met those conditions and said he thinks it is 'still possible to have a positive decision' on the country's pending membership during this week's summit in Lithuania.

EU Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant said that 'you cannot link the two processes in regards to Turkey'.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogan's presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the country's progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.

However, as a member of NATO, Erdogan's government has postponed ratifying Sweden's accession to the alliance, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups.

Activists of right-wing religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party burn Sweden's flag during a demonstration in Multan on July 3 in response to last week's Koran burning

JANUARY 21: Leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs Rasmus Paludan burns a copy of the Koran during a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm

A series of anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Sweden's capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkey's demands could be reached before the alliance's summit.

Turkey's delays on Sweden's accession has irritated other NATO allies including the United States. Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken earlier that day about Sweden's NATO membership among other issues and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks. Sullivan didn't mention the EU membership issue.

He said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

'If it happens after Vilnius - we're confident it will happen,' he said. 'We don't regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better.'

Erdogan's latest comments stunned seasoned Turkey analysts.

'Erdogan has introduced new demands and moved the target repeatedly throughout this process, but trying to put pressure on the EU over a NATO matter is rather spectacular,' said Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.

'However, I think that we should interpret his remarks with caution for now. They could signal everything from setting the stage for a face-saving OK to Sweden, to an attempt to sabotage the NATO enlargement process by raising impossible demands,' Levin added.

'What can be said is that if he were to actually condition Swedish NATO accession on a reboot of the Turkish EU accession process, then Sweden is unlikely to become a NATO ally anytime soon.'

Before Erdogan's comments, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed optimism that Turkey would drop its objections to Stockholm's NATO bid.

'What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light(,) ... a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start,' Billstrom told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

Nato Secretary general Jens Stoltenberg arrives for a joint press conference with Lithuanian President in Vilnius

Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, July 6

He insisted Sweden has fulfilled its part of the deal with Finland and Turkey, which included lifting arms embargoes on Turkey, tightening anti-terror laws and stepping up efforts to prevent the activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s.

'We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when,' he said.

Billstrom said he expected Hungary, which also hasn't ratified Sweden's accession, to do so before Turkey.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Erdogan on Monday repeated that Turkey expected Sweden to fulfill its pledge to crackdown on groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists.

'We are tired of repeatedly saying that (Sweden) needs to fight terrorist organizations and their extensions indiscriminately,' Erdogan said.

It comes as after the burning of a Koran late last month sparked massive outrage across the Muslim world, and even prompted a UN meeting.

An Iraqi man filled a Koran with bacon and burned it in Stockholm on June 28, an event that has angered Turkey as Sweden bids to join NATO.

The inflammatory stunt was carried out by two men outside the city's main mosque on the first day of the Muslim three-day Eid al-Adha holiday.

Some 200 onlookers witnessed one of the two organisers - Salwan Momika - tearing up pages of a copy of the Koran and wiping his shoes with it before putting bacon in it and setting the book on fire, whilst the other protester spoke into a megaphone.

Some of those present shouted 'God is great' in Arabic to protest against the burning, and one man was detained by police after he attempted to throw a rock. A supporter of the demonstration shouted 'let it burn' as the holy book caught on fire.

Iraqi man Salwan Momika holds up a burning Koran during his inflammatory protest in Stockholm today

Police officers intervene amid anger over the Koran-burning protest in Stockholm, Sweden today

It came after police approved a request to allow the man to go ahead with the action, two weeks after a Swedish appeals court rejected a police ban on Koran burning protests which have caused anger among Muslims in Sweden and abroad.

After the burning, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Sweden still wanted to join NATO before or at its summit in Vilnius this month although it was not certain it would be able to do so by then.

He said at a press conference he would not speculate about how the protest could affect Sweden's NATO process. 'It's legal but not appropriate,' he said, adding that it was up to the police to make decisions on Koran burnings.

NATO hopes to welcome Sweden by the time alliance leaders hold the summit in Lithuania this week.
The BBC is once again in the grip of a major scandal amid claims a top presenter paid 35,000 to a vulnerable teenager for sexually explicit photos.

While the star has not yet been named, a slew of lawmakers have come forward to criticise the corporation's handling of the allegations and demand full transparency around the case.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel called the broadcaster's treatment of the complaint 'derisory' and insisted the BBC 'must provide the victim - and family - a full and transparent investigation'.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim's family have complained about the presenter being allowed to stay on air for weeks after they first made their allegations, and claimed that bosses failed to treat their concerns seriously enough.

Amid growing speculation the broadcaster at the centre of the allegations may soon name himself, here are the most pressing questions the BBC must answer -

What did the BBC do after the first complaint in May?

On May 19, the alleged victim's family complained to the BBC - asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money.

The BBC has said it had been investigating a complaint since May and that new allegations of a 'different nature' were brought to it on Thursday.

Knowing the exact details of the initial complaint, and what the BBC did about it, will help to show how seriously it was taken by the corporation.

Was it clear then that potential criminality was involved?

While the BBC has referred to a complaint it received on Thursday being of a 'different nature' to the earlier one, it has not gone into any more detail.

The allegations, if proved, could constitute several criminal offences. The payments are said to have begun when the teenager was 17. This is over the age of sexual consent.

BBC director-general Tim Davie in Westminster last month

But making, distributing, possessing or showing an indecent image of anyone under the age of 18 is a criminal offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978, even if the image was created with the consent of the young person, or the young person was asked to send a sexual image of themselves.

It carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor who led the case against the Rochdale grooming gangs, said the allegations could also be considered an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child carries a maximum sentence of 14 years' imprisonment. If the BBC knew a potential criminal offence could have been committed bosses would be expected to swiftly contact the police.

In a statement on Sunday, the Met said: 'We has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter, but no formal referral or allegation has been made. We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.'

After a virtual meeting today, the Metropolitan Police said it is undertaking further enquiries after meeting the BBC about allegations that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images - but added there is currently no investigation while they 'establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed'.

Did it immediately try to contact the family and, if so, how many times?

The family claim no one from the corporation rang them for a proper interview after the initial complaint.

Tim Davie has since said the BBC is in contact with the family, but any delay between the complaint and a member of staff at the BBC getting in touch for more information would raise concern.

Questions will also be asked about how many times the corporation tried to contact the family to understand how hard they tried.

When did they interview the presenter?

The young person's mother has also claimed no one spoke to the presenter for a month after the initial complaint on May 19.

'It's obvious to me the BBC hadn't spoken to this man between our complaint on May 19 and in June as they thought he was too important,' she said.

'We never wanted an investigation. We just wanted the BBC to tell him to stop.'

Did they consider suspending the presenter?

The presenter had reportedly been taken off air on Friday, pending an investigation, but has now been suspended.

It is claimed that even after the family complained, the star remained on air - before he allegedly attended an awards ceremony and was even partying with BBC bosses.

Questions will be asked as to why the star was allowed to continue working despite facing serious allegations.

A reporter outside the BBC headquarters in London this morning

Is the BBC planning to investigate claims payments to the child continued after the family first contacted them?

The family say the star continued to send money to the child even after the initial complaint.

This suggests that any initial action taken by the BBC was not enough to dissuade the broadcaster.

Will it examine if the presenter contacted the child during working hours?

The alleged victim's mother told of how she saw a photo of the man stripped down to his boxer shorts for a video call 'leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him'.

The star also regularly sent money in return for sexual pictures, it is claimed.

While this behaviour, if proved, would be serious in any case - it will cause additional controversy if any of it took place within working hours.

Did the communications take place on a work phone funded by licence fee payers?

Like other media companies, the BBC regularly provides staff with work phones.

As these are ultimately funded by licence fee payers, the use of one to carry out the alleged offences would cause additional anger.


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Devastating floods and landslides triggered by Japan's 'heaviest rain ever' have left at least two dead with thousands warned their lives are in danger and facing urgent calls to evacuate.

Downpours in southern parts of the country have caused rivers to burst their banks and sodden earth to collapse in deadly landslides, including one that killed a 77-year-old woman.

The woman's home was engulfed overnight in Saga region, the local fire department said. Her husband was recovered conscious and taken to hospital.

A landslide in Kurume city, Fukuoka region, swallowed 10 people. Nine of them survived, but a local man in his 70s was confirmed dead, the city's disaster management official said.

Separately, a male body was discovered also in Kurume, next to rice fields near a flooded river, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun and national broadcaster NHK.

Ohashi Elementary School and surrounding area are inundated after Kosegawa River flooding after torrential rain on July 10

Mud and debris cover a street following a flood in Tanushimarumachi in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture,

A police officer carries a person who is evacuated from a site of a landslide following the heavy rain in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture

Residents are rescued following a flood in their street in Tanushimarumachi in the city of Kurume

A damaged car sits with debris from flooding in the road in Tanushimarumachi in the city of Kurume

In Hirokawa town in Fukuoka, the body of an elderly male was found inside a flooded vehicle trapped in an irrigation channel, the Yomiuri said.

Another woman was feared dead after last being seen clinging to a car in rising floodwaters in neighbouring Oita region, officials there said.

Rain in the region slowed or stopped by Monday afternoon. But earlier in the day, more than 420,000 people were put under a top-level evacuation warning stating: 'Your life is in danger, you need to take action immediately.'

Nearly two million more in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Saga, Yamaguchi and Oita were under a lower-level warning, urging them to evacuate if they were in hazardous areas.

Japan has five levels of evacuation orders, but people cannot be compelled to leave their homes.

'Rain and wind gusts were very, very strong. There was lightning. It was so horrible,' Takashi Onizuka, 62, of Tachiarai town near Kurume in Fukuoka, said.

Photo taken from a helicopter shows the destruction of a mudslide following heavy rain in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture

Pictured is a rescue operation at a site where eight people were saved after a landslide on July 10 in Kurume

Residents clear silt from a road following flooding in the city of Kurume

Driftwood and huge stones are scattered at a site where a landslide hit in Kurume

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the heavy downpours risked flooding and landslides across Fukuoka and Oita.

'This is the heaviest rain ever experienced' by the region, Satoshi Sugimoto of JMA's forecast division told reporters.

'The situation is such that lives are in danger and safety must be secured,' he added.

Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed a gash in the hillside above a home in Karatsu City that had partly collapsed into a river, with many of its traditional roof tiles smashed or sliding off.

Images from elsewhere showed surging rivers washing over bridges that normally sit well above the waterline, and floodwater turning local streets into streams.

The prime minister's office said a task force had been established to coordinate a response to the rains.

'We have received reports that several rivers have flooded... and that landslides have occurred in various parts' of the country, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

'The government is doing its best to get a complete picture of the damage and taking measures under a policy of 'people's lives first',' he added.

A man wades through a flooded street in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture

Pictured is a devastating landslide that has destroyed homes in Kurume

Pictured is a rescue operation after eight people were stuck beneath debris and destroyed homes

He warned torrential rain was forecast across much of the country on Tuesday.

'If you feel your life is in danger, even just a little, don't hesitate to act,' he said.

In Fukuoka's Asakura City, officials said the rain was believed to have peaked but there were still fears about flooding.

'Water levels in rivers are rising so we're vigilant against the possibility of overflowing,' local official Takaaki Harano said.

Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours, and sometimes results in flooding and landslides, as well as casualties.

Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

The weather agency said it had already been raining for more than a week in the region.

'The area is very wet due to intermittent rainfall for over a week,' Yoshiyuki Toyoguchi, land ministry official in charge of rivers, told reporters.

'Even with a little rain, river levels tend to rise quickly, which will increase risk of flooding.'

Landslides are a particular risk in Japan during heavy rains because homes are often built on plains at the bottom of hillsides in the mountainous country.

In 2021, rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people.

And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season.

Ohashi Elementary School and surrounding area are inundated after Kosegawa River flooding

Residents walk past debris from flooding in the road in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, on July 10

Residents inspect a neighbourhood covered in debris following a flood along a street in Tanushimarumachi in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, on July 10
Sam Brown, a retired Army captain who was wounded by an IED in Afghanistan, announced Monday that he will run for Senate in Nevada as a Republican against Democratic incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Brown had tried to secure the Republican nomination for Senate in 2022, but fell short to the Trump-endorsed choice of Adam Laxalt, who comes from political royalty in Nevada.

Laxalt would go on to lose his November election to incument Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, in what was a disappointing showing in the midterms for the GOP.

Now Brown is making a run at the Senate again - in what will be one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 cycle.

'The cat is out of the bag - In the military, no one asks you what party you're in. They just want to know that they can count on you to fight alongside them. I'm ready to lead and fight for Nevadans again,' Brown tweeted Monday.

Sam Brown, a retired U.S. Army captain who served and was wounded in Afghanistan, is making another run at the U.S. Senate

Sam Brown announced Monday he would compete in the Republican primary for the Nevada Senate seat, in an effort to unseat Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen

Rosen reacted to the news by sending out a fundraising plea calling Brown an 'extremist' who would support a 'national abortion ban.'

While Democrats currently hold a one-seat majority in the Senate, 21 in their ranks are up for reelection, versus just 11 for Republicans.

And eight of those seats are considered vulnerable.

Republicans, on the other hand, have no incumbents in hot water.

Three Democrats have to run for reelection in states former President Donald Trump won in 2020 - Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana.

Democrats are trying to hold onto Senate seats in five presidential swing states as well.

There's Rosen's race in Nevada, as well as Sen. Bob Casey's in Pennsylvania, Tammy Baldwin's in Wisconsin, Kyrsten Sinema - an independent who caucuses with the Democrats - in Arizona, and there's an open Senate seat in Michigan, due to the retirement of Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

Nevada's incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen is among the eight Senate Democrats who face challenging reelection bids in 2024

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, actor Hill Harper are vying for Stabenow's seat in Michigan.

Brown will make his run official Monday afternoon with an appearance in Reno.

He's the fourth Republican to enter the race.

Brown is following former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant - a 2020 election denier who lost his 2022 bid to become Nevada's secretary of state - real estate broker Stephanie Phillips and civil rights attorny Ronda Kennedy.

Laxalt is not expected to jump in the race - as he's helping run the pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down.

Before his 2022 Senate run, Brown previously lost a state legislature race in Texas in 2014, before relocating to Nevada in 2018.
Scotland Yard today confirmed that it will investigate 'malicious communications' on social media falsely accusing BBC stars of being the household name who allegedly gave a teenager 35,000 for explicit pictures.

Nicky Campbell has spoken out about his 'distressing weekend' being the target of trolls who have incorrectly pointed the finger at him.

Mr Campbell is in contact with the police and also instructed lawyers in case he sues for defamation over any tweets and Facebook posts erroneously naming him as the suspect.

Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine and Rylan Clark have also felt compelled to publicly rule themselves out after social media users wrongly speculated they were the star in question. Others including BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay have been forced to tweet statements insisting they are on holiday - not suspended - as critics called on the BBC to name the man at the centre of the scandal.

Confirming police involvement following Mr Campbell's complaint, a statement from the Metropolitan Police said: 'On Saturday July 8, police received a report of malicious communication in relation to a post on social media. An investigation is under way and inquiries are ongoing. There have been no arrests.'

It came as the Metropolitan Police said it is undertaking further enquiries after meeting the BBC about allegations that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images - but added there is currently no investigation while they 'establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed'.

Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Mr Campbell said he'd had a 'distressing weekend'

Jeremy Vine has threatened legal action against a slew of Twitter trolls after they falsely accused him of being the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager 35,000 for sexually explicit images

Mr Vine advised Mr Plumb that he had 'passed screenshots of your messages about me to a lawyer'. He added that the messages were 'seriously defamatory' and 'completely and utterly untrue'

Campbell, 62, was among the famous faces forced to clear their name after allegations that a BBC presenter paid 35,000 for explicit photographs. Jeremy Vine has said that a defamation lawyer advised him that committing libel online is the 'quickest way to lose 20,000' - warning that he will also go after people who falsely named him.

HOW BBC PRESENTER 'SEX PICS' SCANDAL CAME TO LIGHT 2020: The BBC presenter allegedly began requesting sexually explicit photographs from the teenager. May 19: Alleged victim's family complained to the BBC, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money. June: The accused host allegedly attended a party alongside BBC senior executives. July 7: The BBC star was said to have been taken off air - but has not been suspended. The alleged victim's family details the accusations in a newspaper interview, claiming the presenter paid for the explicit photographs for three years. The alleged victim's mother also claimed the teenager used the cash to fund their spiralling drug habit. July 8: It is revealed the presenter could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence Several major BBC stars - including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker - confirm they are not the man behind the scandal. July 9: Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds 'urgent talks' with BBC boss Tim Davie. BBC suspends the male staff member whom allegations were made against. Director-general Tim Davie sends an internal email to staff reiterating that the BBC is taking the allegations 'incredibly seriously'. It is understood that the BBC has been in contact with police. July 10: Representatives from the BBC meet with the Metropolitan Police. In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: 'For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are 'rubbish'.' The legal representative also said the young person told The Sun on Friday evening before the newspaper published the story that there was 'no truth to it', the BBC reported. The mother and stepfather of the young person stood by their allegation, and questioned how their child could afford the lawyer, The Sun reported. The newspaper alleged that the mother said: 'It is sad but we stand by our account and we hope they get the help they need. 'We did this to help - and the presenter has got into their head. How did they afford a lawyer?' Advertisement

Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Campbell said: 'Obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and family. So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, I can't deny it, for me and others falsely named.

'Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.'

It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: 'Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.'

'I think it's important to take a stand. There's just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends,' he wrote.

On his BBC radio show, a caller rang to say she was 'so angry and cross' that Mr Campbell and others had to come forward and clear their names.

Mr Campbell responded: 'I'm all good, Jeremy (Vine) and also others involved as well, Rylan (Clark) and also Gary (Lineker), yeah it's uncomfortable but as I said earlier worse things happen at sea. We're big boys.'

The BBC is to meet the Metropolitan Police on Monday as the corporation deals with the allegations, after confirming a male staff member has been suspended.

BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay is the latest star to distance himself from the scandal, tweeting last night: 'Enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so no need to set my alarm clock tomorrow morning.

'Back on the red sofa with my BBC Breakfast family in Salford in two weeks' time.'

It came after Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark publicly stated they are not the presenter in question, with Lineker tweeting: 'Hate to disappoint the haters but it's not me.'

Clark also wrote: 'Not sure why my name's floating about but re that story in the Sun - that ain't me babe. I'm currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.'

Jeremy Vine also said: 'Just to say I'm very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday - whoever the 'BBC Presenter' in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain't me.'

Mr Vine, 58, has threatened legal action against a slew of Twitter trolls after they falsely accused him of being the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager 35,000 for sexually explicit images.

He told social media users who allegedly libelled him that he has screenshotted their 'defamatory' tweets and his lawyer 'will be in touch in the coming days'.

The Radio 2 lunchtime programme host, who was one of the first BBC celebrities to deny involvement in the scandal, claims that a defamation lawyer advised him that committing libel is the 'quickest way to lose 20,000.'

BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation's annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event

The corporation has been in touch with the police and confirmed a male member of staff has been suspended, while The Sun reported that the presenter at the centre of the allegations made 'panicked' calls to the young person last week.

The newspaper said the presenter allegedly asked 'What have you done?', adding that it is claimed he asked them to ring their mother to get her to 'stop the investigation'.

According to BBC News, the corporation will meet the Metropolitan Police later 'to discuss the matter'.

The BBC has said it had been investigating a complaint since May, when it was first made aware, and that new allegations of a 'different nature' were brought to it on Thursday.

As well as being in touch with the police, the corporation is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person's family.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Police said: 'The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter, but no formal referral or allegation has been made.

'We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.'

BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation's annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event.

Mr Davie has said he is 'wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent' after a host of famous BBC faces were forced to publicly state they are not the individual in question amid heavy speculation about the identity on social media.

In a note sent to staff and seen by the PA news agency, Mr Davie said the corporation takes 'all such allegations incredibly seriously'.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.

'New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

'We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.

'We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date.'

The statement added that the corporation has 'robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations'.

'This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps', the BBC added.

'It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.

'We have been clear that if - at any point - new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.'

The allegations reported by The Sun newspaper claimed the BBC star paid the person, said to have been 17 when the payments began, 35,000 in exchange for the images.

The teenager's mother told The Sun she saw a picture of the presenter on her child's phone 'sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear'.

The mother said she was told it was 'a picture from some kind of video call' and looked like he was 'getting ready for my child to perform for him'.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

Mr Davie's note to staff on Sunday said: 'The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.

'New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

'I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.'

He added: 'By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.

'We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.'

Downing Street warned social media sites to ensure their platforms were 'properly policed' following baseless accusations against various BBC personalities following the reports.

'Both the users of social media sites and the sites themselves have responsibility,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

People 'should understand their responsibilities, and putting baseless accusations online can carry consequences'.

The spokesman added: 'We have been very clear with the sites themselves about their responsibilities on making sure these things are properly policed.'

Downing Street said Rishi Sunak had 'full confidence' in BBC director-general Tim Davie following the allegations made against a male presenter.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer will keep a 'close watch' on the handling of the claims, No 10 said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Obviously these allegations are concerning.

'The Secretary of State (Lucy Frazer) spoke to the director-general yesterday and was assured that the BBC is investigating this matter swiftly.

'The Met themselves have said they have received initial contact as well.

'The Culture Secretary will keep a close watch on how this develops and ensure she is regularly updated as appropriate.'

Asked if the PM had full confidence in Mr Davie, the spokesman said: 'Yes.'
A retired grammar school teacher was killed when he was pushed in the street following a row over Welsh independence, a court heard today.

Grandad Peter Ormerod, 75, argued in the pub with Hywel Williams, 39, over whether Wales should be independent from the British state, in September last year.

A court heard the two men 'had opposing views' on the subject before they left the pub at around the same time.

Prosecutor Ian Wright KC told how the row flared after teacher Mr Ormerod and Williams were drinking separately in the Portobello public house in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire.

He said: 'During the course of that Saturday evening they were seated, at one point, in close proximity to each other.

Grandad Peter Ormerod (pictured), 75, was taken to hospital with serious injuries after the alleged attack on. The retired teacher died of his injuries in hospital

Station Road, in Burry Port (pictured), where Mr Ormerod was allegedly attacked on Saturday evening

The court heard how Mr Ormerod (pictured) was pushed by Mr Williams, who remained at the scene until police arrived and he was arrested

'The conversation between them the table turned to Welsh independence and Welsh politics generally.

'Peter Ormerod and Hwyel Williams had opposing views on these topics and expressed these opposing views - and there was something of a disagreement between them in terms of the views being expressed.'

Swansea Crown Court heard Williams left the pub to go and check his phone with Mr Ormerod 'at around the same time' when he walked out with the defendant's mother.

Mr Wright said there was CCTV of the two men coming together outside a coffee shop a short distance from the pub.

'Peter Ormerod can be seen to approach Hywel Williams and point or gesture towards him.

'Following this the two men appear on the CCTV to move towards each other before Hywel Williams pushes Peter Ormerod to the chest.

Mr Ormerod's death shocked his family and former students, who all paid tribute to the beloved and 'well-respected' teacher after his death

'That push caused Peter Ormerod to fall backwards on the back of his head.

'Having hit the ground, having hit his head on the ground, Peter Ormerod did not move again.'

Mr Wright said Williams phoned for an ambulance and remained at the scene until he was arrested by police over the alleged attack.

Retired maths teacher Mr Ormerod died in hospital four days later on September 28 last year having suffered traumatic head and brain injuries.

But despite calling an ambulance, Williams is accused of calling Ormerod 'a fat little c***' or 'f***ing c***' moments after the alleged push.

Williams, of Grangetown, Cardiff, denies manslaughter saying he acted in self defence.

After being arrested, he told police officers: 'He just came at me and I pushed him away.'

The trial, before judge Paul Thomas KC, is expected to last two weeks, continues.

In a tribute following widower Mr Ormerod's death, his family said: 'Peter was a well-respected teacher and member of the community a very loved and loving father, grandfather, brother and friend.'

Mr Ormerod previously taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen, and at the Welsh language school Ysgol Bro Myrddin.
Wizz Air has apologised after a wounded Ukrainian soldier was thrown off one of its flights.

The unnamed combatant had been flying from Tel Aviv where he had received treatment after reportedly losing his leg during fighting with Russian forces.

But after boarding the flight to Warsaw, he was told he wouldn't be able to fly.

Video published on TikTok shows the man standing with crutches at the front of the plane and arguing with airline staff.

At one point he tells them he cannot sit down because of his prosthetic leg, and explains that he is flying to Warsaw to see his family who live in Ukraine.

According to TikTok user Mbbddk who recorded the incident, the man repeatedly asked the Wizz Air crew: 'How am I going to get home?'

The unnamed combatant (pictured with crutches) had been flying from Tel Aviv where he had received treatment after reportedly losing his leg during fighting with Russian forces

The soldier was asked to leave the flight after Wizz Air crew claimed he was not safe to fly

He reportedly showed the stewardesses a backpack containing gifts for his family and according to the TikTok user at one point 'fell down and hurt his hands' before he was 'forced to leave the flight'.

The man who is seen wearing sunglasses and a Burgundy coloured cap was eventually escorted off the flight after an hour and a half of discussion during which he was told 'we are trying to solve this problem'.

According to independent Belarusian media outlet NEXTA said that the man was denied boarding due to his prosthesis because he was unable to sit in his seat properly.

The airline said he was removed because he was unfit to fly for medical reasons.

Following the incident, on Sunday Wizz Air said: 'The passenger concerned was not in a fit state to fly and, in accordance with safety regulations, the crew was unfortunately forced to deny boarding  as much as they wanted to help the passenger get home to his family [the flight crew] acted with the safety of the other passengers on board in mind and in accordance with the required protocol, in consultation with the airport medical staff and the captain of the aircraft.'

The airline later added that it does not discriminate against passengers with disabilities, saying: 'To be clear, we would never discriminate against someone on the grounds of a disability and regularly fly passengers with prosthesis.'

In aTwitter post on Sunday, the airline said: 'We apologise for the upset caused regarding a passenger on our Tel Aviv flight to Warsaw recently.

'Safety is our number one priority and it is our crew's responsibility to ensure that all passengers are fit to fly or are accompanied by someone to support them.'

The airline is said to have now launched in internal investigation.
Some Vermont towns are now totally inaccessibly - with more rain predicted throughout the day

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The deadly storm that drowned a woman in upstate New York and wreaked havoc on the Hudson Valley is now heading for Vermont, where some frightened residents have already begun evacuating.

The lashing rains of the storm soaked New York on Sunday, causing flash flooding near West Point, where the military academy is based, and surrounding towns.

In Highland Falls, which sits on the banks of the Hudson, a woman in her 30s drowned while trying to flee her home with her dog. Rescue teams recovered her body from the bottom of a ravine.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul today warned that while the storm had passed, the damage was catastrophic.

'This was a frightening, life-threatening experience,' she said, adding that she'd spoken with the White House to request federal aid.

Fourteen million people across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Pennsylvania remain subject to flash flood warnings.

Governor Kathy Hochul visited Highland Falls on Monday morning to survey the damage and update residents on the stateAs efforts to respond to SundayAs flooding that devastated the area

The damage in Highland Falls on Monday morning. Hochul called the storms 'frightening' and 'life-threatening'

Residents, journalists, and emergency service workers walk around a flooded Main Street, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, New York, after a 'catastrophic' storm dumped more than nine inches of rain on the town

Flooding surrounds a parking lot, in Highland Falls, Orange County, New York, U.S. The rain has passed the Empire State but the damage is widespread

Pedestrians pass along Main Street damaged by flooding the previous day, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day

Volunteers help clear Main Street of debris after floodwaters subsided, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, New York, where a woman died yesterday trying to save her dog

Police tape crosses Main Street after floodwaters damaged the roadway and adjacent buildings the previous day, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls

In a grave prediction, the National Weather Service in Vermont said the storms could be 'potentially catastrophic' and as bad as those brought by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

'Expect significant to potentially catastrophic widespread flash flooding through Monday evening, with possible impacts not seen since Irene,' the Weather Service said in a forecast on Monday morning.

Vermont State Police say 24 roads have already been closed as a result of the flooding, with more closures expected.

'Serious, life-threatening flooding is occurring today across much of Vermont.

'Emergency crews have conducted rescues in multiple communities. About two dozen state roads are closed as of 10AM.

Roads have been washed away in some parts of Vermont like Killington (above). Many towns are now impassable

Floodwaters pouring over the dam this morning on the Ottauquechee River near Simon Pearce in Quechee. The Vermont State Police is bracing for widespread damage with historic rain on the way

The National Weather Service says the storm is now heading towards Vermont, where experts say it may be worse than Hurricane Irene

Depot Street in Proctorsville, Vermont, where the Black River is overflowing. Some towns in Vermont are now being evacuated

Vermont Governor Phil Scott at a press conference on Monday morning. He warned that the damage may be worse than Irene

'Flash flood warnings are in effect from the Massachusetts line to the Canadian border,' an announcement on the force's Twitter account said.

At a press conference, Vermont Governor Phil Scott warned: 'We have not seen rainfall like this since Irene and in some cases it will surpass that.'

Nineteen people have been rescued by boat in Vermont already.

Some towns in south Londonderry and Ludlow are inaccessible, as is the town of Vermont.

Camp workers in Plymouth are being evacuated and emergency experts are carefully monitoring dams across the state to prevent further flooding.

Hurricane Irene left 49 people dead after tearing through the Caribbean and the East Coast.

West Point, New York: Train tracks were entirely covered by water the military academy in West Point, New York

Emergency teams went house to house yesterday in Stony Point, New York, looking for anyone who needed to be rescued. One woman drowned trying to leave her home with her dog in Highland Falls, near West Point

Cars drift on the main road into West Point after a '1000 year' rain event drowned the riverside town, leaving at least one dead and destroying homes and roads

Vehicles make their way through flood waters on Old Yorktown Rd; in Shrub Oak, N.Y. July 10, 2023. Torrential storms Sunday evening led to flash flooding and at least one fatality in New York's Hudson Valley

In addition to New York and Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and other Northeast states have been placed under flash flood warnings.

'This is an all-hands-on-deck response. We have not seen rainfall like this since Irene, and in some places, it will surpass even that.

'Irene was 24 hours... this is going on for days. That's my initial concern,' said Scott, adding that meteorologists have warned him the damage will be 'worse' than expected.

Hundreds of flights in and out of airports across the region, including New York's LaGuardia and Boston's Logan, have been delayed or canceled starting on Sunday due to the rains.

On Monday morning, Amtrak suspended passenger train service between Albany and New York after flooding damaged tracks.

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus, said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America on Monday: 'Last night was complete chaos.

A damaged car lays on part of a collapsed roadway along Route 32 in the Hudson Valley near Cornwall, N.Y., Monday, July 10, 2023

Debris from overnight flooding along Cedar Pond Brook is pictured in Stony Point, New York, U.S., July 10, 2023

Cindy Byers looks over debris outside her home from overnight flooding along Cedar Pond Brook in Stony Point, New York

Richard Byers looks over debris outside his home from overnight flooding along Cedar Pond Brook in Stony Point, New York

'Many roads and bridges have been washed out. So that's basically what our priority is today, to try to get to them and open up these major arteries,' he added.

The woman who died was trying to battle 'tidal waves' to rescue her dog, he said.

Video footage and photos posted on social media showed washed-out roadways and raging floodwaters reaching houses on Sunday and early Monday morning

'Oh my God. It's up to my knees,' Melissa Roberts said in a video showing floodwaters rushing past her and several vehicles and up to homes in Orange County, New York.

Media reports said the rain had already turned many roads into raging rivers across the state, where Governor Phil Scott declared a state of emergency on Sunday.

Emergency crews in boats rescued about a dozen campers in Andover early Monday and more boat crews, including some from North Carolina, were on their way to Vermont to help, local media reported, citing the state's emergency management office.

By the morning, some towns reported 2 1/2 to 4 inches (6.35 centimeters to 10.16 centimeters) of rain since midnight, and similar totals were expected during the day, said Robert Haynes, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont.

Water gushed down residential streets and wiped out roads near West Point, New York, last night

'We still look like were on track for that potentially significant, locally catastrophic flooding," Haynes said.

'This is one of those unique events that we dont see very often around here,' meteorologist Marlon Verasamy in Burlington said of Monday's storm.

He said the ground was already saturated and rivers were relatively high from recent heavy rains. Parts of southern Vermont had mudslides and road flooding from a storm Friday night into Saturday morning.

'Its the same area being hit today,' he said.

Several communities in western Massachusetts have reported flooded and washed out roads, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said Monday.

The fire departments in Adams, North Adams and Clarksburg in the northwestern part of the state close to the New York and Vermont borders are also assisting homeowners with in pumping out basements, spokesperson Sara Porter said.

A portion of Route 57 in Tolland was also flooded, she said.

In Williamsburg, firefighters were trying to rescue someone who had become trapped in their home by floodwaters, emergency manager Denise Banister said.
The new penalty exceptions are part of Secure 2.0, a package of retirement plan changes that Congress passed late last year

Americans typically have to pay income taxes and a 10 percent federal penalty if they take money out before the age of 59 

Congress has recently added several more reasons where you can avoid paying a tax penalty on early retirement withdrawals

New rules coming into effect this year may help more workers to withdraw their retirement funds early - without incurring a tax penalty.

Dipping into your retirement account before the age of 59  will typically trigger a hefty bill - and the loss of future compounded returns on your savings.

Previously, there have been a few ways that you could avoid the tax penalty, such as if you are divvying up a 401(K) during a divorce, or if you are rolled onto another retirement plan within 60 days.

But Congress has recently added several more caveats which mean you do not have to pay income taxes and a 10 percent federal penalty.

According to retirement expert Liz Weston, it is crucial that Americans know what changes were passed late last year - and which will take effect in the coming years.

Liz Weston said it is crucial that Americans know what changes were passed late last year - and which will take effect in the coming years

Congress has recently added several more caveats which mean you do not have to pay income taxes and a 10 percent federal penalty when you dip into your retirement account

Some of the exceptions, she wrote in NerdWallet, will even allow savers to repay the money they withdrew within three years and get a refund of the taxes they paid.

If possible, you are always better off leaving retirement funds alone, Erin Itkoe, director of financial planning at Tarbox Family Office, told the outlet, as you will miss out on substantial compound interest on the cash.

'Drawing from a retirement account should always be a last resort,' she said.

For example, a 30-year-old who withdraws $1,000 from an IRA or 401(K) could lose more than $11,000 in future retirement money, assuming 7 percent average annual returns.

It comes after a Northwestern Mutual study found that the average person believes they should put aside $1.27 million for a comfortable retirement - but the average American only has $89,300 saved - a mere 7 percent of the target sum.

If you have to raid your retirement accounts early, you can at least limit the damage, according to Certified Financial Planner Weston.

The new exceptions are part of Secure 2.0 - a package of retirement plan changes passed by Congress in December 2022.

A key new exemption is for disasters. People who live in a federally declared disaster area and suffer an economic loss can withdraw up to $22,000 penalty-free from their retirement pot - and this exemption was made retroactive to January 26 2021.

Income taxes still have to be paid on the withdrawal but the income can be spread over three years to reduce the potential tax impact.

Another potential exemption which comes in later this year is for terminal illness.

The 10 percent federal penalty will be waived for people whose doctor certifies that they are expected to die within seven years - and there is no cap on how much they can withdraw.

New parents are also able to take out $5,000 within the first 12 months after a child is born or adopted without paying a penalty charge. They will also be able to repay the money within three years.

From next year, the 10 percent penalty will be waived for victims of domestic abuse who take out less than $10,000 - or 50 percent of the account's value - and can be repaid over three years.

If possible, you are always better off leaving retirement funds alone, Erin Itkoe, director of financial planning at Tarbox Family Office

Penalty-free distribution of up to $1,000 will also be allowed for some emergency expenses from next year. If the money is repaid, Americans can take one withdrawal per year. Otherwise they can only take money out once every three years.

Both of these exceptions are self-certified, said Itkoe, so people can provide a written statement saying that they qualify and do not have to supply other documents or proof.

Secure 2.0 also expanded the 'public safety employee' exception for early withdrawals from workplace plans.

In the past, the 10 percent penalty did not apply for withdrawals from workplace plans if the worker left a job in the year they turn 55 or older, or age 50 for those working in public safety. Now, it also applies to private-sector firefighters and state and local corrections officers after they turn 50.

Public safety employees with at least 25 years of service with the employer sponsoring the plan can now also avoid the federal penalty - regardless of their age.

In 2026, a penalty exception is due to come in for long-term care insurance, which is limited to the lesser of $2,500 or 10 percent of the account balance.

This, however, only applies to workplace 401(K) plans, not IRAs.
Small business owners are glad the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt and place the bill on American taxpayers, a new poll reveals.

The Job Creators Network Small Business survey, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com on Monday, shows that 73 percent of entrepreneurs are opposed to Biden's plan to cancel $400 billion in student loans.

The figure is a rise in recent months as the Supreme Court took on the case challenging Biden's relief plan and ruled against it in late June.

Biden proposed last summer his plan that would wipe clean billions in student loan debt.

Most borrowers with outstanding loans would receive up to $10,000 in relief under the plan  with those who had a Pell Grant qualifying for up to $20,000 in forgiveness.The only exceptions were for individuals making $125,000 or couples making $250,000.

A new Job Creators Network Foundation poll finds that a growing number of small business owners and employers are in favor of the Supreme court ruling striking down Joe Biden's loan forgiveness plan

The Supreme Court ruled late last month against President Biden's plan for widespread relief, which would have stuck American taxpayers with the $400 billion bill

The president directed the Education Department to implement a new rule for forgiveness using the 9/11-era HEROs Act. Immediate challenges to the rule rose the issue up to the Supreme Court with critics arguing the HEROs Act couldn't be used and others saying the rule-making process was improper because there was no public comment period.

'This latest round of polling includes good news and bad news,' JCN Foundation President Elaine Parker said in a statement on the survey results. 'The good news is the Supreme Court recently dealt a blow to government overreach by striking down the White House's student loan bailouta decision that more than 70 percent of entrepreneurs agree with.'

The bad news is that small businesses continue to be sucker punched by an economic riptide that is forcing many employers to pause hiring and wage increases,' she added.

Small businesses, Parker said, aren't 'fooled' by the 'rosy economic picture' the White House is painting.

Only 13 percent of the 400 small business owners surveyed said that they don't agree with the Supreme Court ruling that Biden cannot override the legislative process by awarding mass forgiveness to student loan borrowers.

Another 14 percent of business owners are unsure where they stand on the ruling.

This is a jump in opposition to Biden's proposal from the same poll in May that showed 70 percent thinking taxpayers shouldn't be responsible for student loan debt and 18 percent saying they should be.

The smaller the business, the more opposed to widespread student loan forgiveness the employer was, according to the poll.

Seventy-four percent of those with between two and nine employees agree with the Supreme Court ruling to not burden taxpayers with student loan repayment. Employers with between 10-19 workers agree at the rate of 72 percent and 70 percent of businesses with 20 or more employees are against Biden's plan.

Additionally, the more money the company brings in, the more likely they are to want borrowers to foot their own bill  with the exception of small businesses with revenue over $1 million.

More than eight in 10 small business owners with between $500,000 and $1 million in revenue are in favor of taxpayers not footing the bill. Conversely, only 59 percent of business owners feel the same who have revenue less than $100,000.

The monthly JCN Small Business survey conducted by pollsters John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates and Scott Rasmussen of Rasmussen Reports provides insights into policies impacting small business employers.

Small business owners and employers are increasingly worried about the economic state of the country.

Two-thirds have paused their hiring and wage increases for workers due to current economic conditions in the U.S.  and 53 percent say 'rising prices' are their top business concern at the moment.

Meanwhile, Biden continued last week his tour of the country promoting his newly unveiled 'Bidenomics' plan.
Rapper 50 Cent was reminded on social media about his past run-ins with the law after claiming that Los Angeles is 'finished' now that they've instituted a zero-bail policy that took effect in May.

The 48-year-old first took to Instagram last week to share his views, writing 'LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH,' which drew in comments reminding the rapper of his own criminal past.

One commenter exclaimed that if a 'reformed criminal like 50 Cent says it's gonna get bad -- believe him!'

50 Cent shared a follow-up post on Sunday, calling out media outlet for their report on his stance.

'Hey I understand why Deadline is reporting my opinion,' he wrote. 'I'm a big deal, but why did they write I had run in's with the law? Im a born-again Christian!'

Rapper 50 Cent was reminded on social media about his past run-ins with the law after claiming that Los Angeles is 'finished' now that they've instituted a zero-bail policy

Deadline published a story on Sunday that reminded readers of 50 Cent's own criminal past

He shared a follow-up post on Sunday, calling out media outlet for their report on his stance

In May, an LA judge ruled that holding inmates to cash bail when they can't afford to pay was a violation of their constitutional rights - and now critics have said crime in the nation's second-largest city has got worse because of it.

50 Cent wrote on social media: ' LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH [shaking my head].'

He posed the words alongside a Fox 11 segment about the policy. In recent years, Los Angeles has seen a spike in crime was the zero bail policy was put in place.

The no-bail extends to such crimes as theft, shoplifting, drug use, vandalism, battery and other nonviolent crimes.

Deadline published a story on Sunday that reminded readers of 50 Cent's own criminal past.

'When 50 is disagreeing with crime reform u know theres a serious problem lol,' one person commented on his Instagram post.

Another tweeted: 'Wow...former gang member says it's bad...it must be REALLY bad!'

'When 50 is disagreeing with crime reform u know theres a serious problem lol,' one person commented on his Instagram post

Another tweeted: 'Wow...former gang member says it's bad...it must be REALLY bad!'

In 2016, 50 Cent was arrested for using profanity on stage for using the word 'motherf***er' in front of 40,000 people at his performance on the island of St. Kitts.

It's illegal to use the word 'motherf***er' there.

In 2013, 50 Cent was charged with one count of domestic violence and four counts of vandalism after he was accused kicking his ex-girlfriend and causing $7,100 in property damage at her condominium in Toluca Lake, California.

Back in 1994, 50 Cent was arrested on a direct sale of a controlled substance charge after selling four vials of crack cocaine to an undercover officer, previous media reports stated.

He was arrested just a few weeks later when police raided his home and found drugs and a pistol.

50 was sentenced to up to nine years in prison, but because the charge was a non-violent offense, he opted out to the SHOCK program, which is a a bootcamp-style diversion program for first-time, non-violent offenders.

It wasn't long after his release that he met Jam Master Jay and his music career took off, and he was launched into stardom.

The 48-year-old, pictured here in May 2023, took to Instagram last week to share his views, writing 'LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH'

The overall crime rate in Los Angeles jumped 11 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2022, there were a reported 60 crimes per 1,000 residents, up from 54 crimes per 1,000 people in 2021.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County removed cash bail to aid overcrowding issues.

Los Angeles' spiking crime rate has been a problem since the policy was put in place. In the downtown area there was a 25 percent increase in violent crime - such as rape and murder - in 2022 compared to 2019, according to USA Today.

In the Rancho Park neighborhood there was a 114 percent increase in violent crime between 2019 and 2022, according to the data.

Los Angeles police have blamed the rise in mental illness, an increase in drug use and homeliness that has overrun the city.

'But it's not only the unhoused population who is the victim of crime' councilwoman Traci Park told USA Today. 'Every day, people out in the neighborhoods or community, people working in local businesses, have been victimized, whether by assaults or armed robberies. It's pretty commonplace.'

Just weeks ago, LA County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ruled in favor of a group of six activists who brought a lawsuit against the county, alleging that the previous system favored the affluent.

All of the plaintiffs say they have been harmed under the cash bail system.

The ruling in May came just as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was accused of letting up to 10,000 cases to pile up and causing numerous prosecutors to quit

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County removed cash bail to aid overcrowding issues. Outside view of the Men Central Jail in May 12, 2020

LA County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff ruled in favor of a group of 6 activists who brought a lawsuit against the county, alleging that the previous system favored the affluent

The plaintiffs testified that because they could not afford their bail, they missed work, causing their families to suffer.

Being jailed for even short periods of time may cause them to lose their jobs, their housing or custody of their children.

They suffer the harms of confinement in a jail cell even though a large portion of them will never be formally charged with any crime, let alone convicted, one section of the suit read.

Riff noted in his decision he felt that it was unconstitutional to keep people behind bars purely for the reason that they are in poverty is not a legal form of punishment.

The current ruling will remain in place for 60 days during which the city and county must develop as 'constitutionally sound, effective, concrete' plan to handle those arrested for minor offenses.

Those who commit a second crime while awaiting trial on other charges will be subjected to cash bail when they're rearrested.

The Yolo County District Attorney's Office said that the effects of the policy have been 'horrific.'

He told Fox News Digital: 'I mean, we have more people being shot at, stabbed, assaulted, robbed, beaten. These are real victims  and the numbers are staggering under zero bail.'

The ruling in May came just as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon was accused of letting up to 10,000 cases to pile up and causing numerous prosecutors to quit.
The family of a missing teenager who was found at Camp Pendleton in California claim she was raped on the base by a Marine as a purported logbook from the base shows an 'underage female' was found inside the barracks.

In a video posted to TikTok last week, the 14-year-old girl's aunt claimed she was sold to a Marine as a sex slave  and officials on the base tried to cover it up.

A leaked photo posted online shows what appears to be a handwritten logbook from the San Diego-area base that states that an 'underage female' was found in room 343. It mentions, however, that the girl was 13.

It is unclear why the ages differ. DailyMail.com cannot verify the authenticity of the page.

'The security looked her in the face and allowed this man to bring a minor on to base where he then proceeded to have sex with her,' Casaundra Perez said in the video.

'Due to her age, she could not have given this consent,' she added, claiming someone referred to her family by the military told them the Marines were trying to keep the story from becoming public.

An unidentified Marine with the Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group has since been taken into custody in connection with the girl's disappearance, but NCIS officials say he has not yet been charged with any criminal activity.

The aunt of a 14-year-old girl who was found at Camp Pendleton claims she was sold to a Marine as a sex slave and officials on the base tried to cover it up

An unidentified Marine with the Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group has been taken into custody in connection with the girl's disappearance, but has not yet been charged criminally

A photo posted online showed the Marine being led from the barracks in handcuffs.

'We can confirm that a Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services on June 28, 2023, as seen on social media July 2, 2023,' Captain Chuck Palmer said.

'The incident is under investigation, and we will continue to cooperate with NCIS and appropriate authorities,' he told NBC San Diego.

San Diego's human-trafficking task force and the San Diego County Sheriff's Office are also investigating the incident.

Palmer confirmed the Marine pictured in handcuffs was being detained and questioned about the missing girl.

The teenager, who is said to have a learning disability, was first declared missing on June 13, four days after some relatives said she ran away from her grandmother's house.

She was then found at the San Diego area Marine base on June 28.

The victim's grandmother told the authorities she had run away several times before but had always previously returned.

A leaked photo online shows what appears to be a handwritten logbook from Camp Pendleton that states that an 'underage female' was found in room 343

The 14-year-old girl, who is said to have a learning disability, was located at the base on June 28. An investigation is ongoing

After she was found, detectives with the San Diego sheriff's office interviewed her and offered her family support services.

The girl was not hospitalized, officials said, but it is unclear if she sustained any injuries.

She has since been returned to her grandmother's care, deputies said, but Perez fears military officials may retaliate against her family.

'If I go missing or end up murdered the people potentially responsible could possibly be located here at Camp Pendleton,' she said in her video.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service told DailyMail.com on Monday its investigation is still ongoing.

'Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on, confirm details relating to, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations,' a spokesperson said.
A former Eton College master brutally killed his 84-year-old mother while she was on the phone to 999 trying to get him help for his mental health.

Matthew Corry, inflicted 'horrific' and 'appalling' injuries on his mother Beatrice Corry by kicking and stamping on her head at her home in the Cotswold's town of Chipping Campden.

The 46-year-old had threatened to slash his mother's throat in the presence of call handlers before launching the savage attack while he was having a manic episode on January 6, this year.

Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after midnight, but her injuries were so severe she couldn't be saved, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Corry had been living with his mother after suffering with his mental health to try to get his life back on track, the court was told.

Matthew Corry, pictured here in his police mugshot, has been given a hospital order for killing his mother

The former Eton College master kicked and stamped on the head of Beatrice Corry (pictured) as she rang 999 to get him medical help

He had previously denied murder but entered his amended plea of manslaughter on what would have been the first day of his trial.

Sentencing him to a hospital order today, the Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Peter Blair KC described the injuries he inflicted during a sustained attack were 'appalling and horrific.'

He said Beatrice had phoned the local doctors on 5 January saying Corry had been unwell and was causing concern and making threats to his own life.

READ MORE HERE: Former Eton College master was removed from his last job at top private school because of his 'erratic and unprofessional behaviour' Advertisement

The judge told him: 'You had plainly lost insight again. You went to the surgery and asked them remove you from any list of people to triage that day.

'It was just after midnight on the morning of 6 January when Beatrice phoned 999 telling them you had become manic and had attacked her.

'The call captures much of the attack being launched.'

The judge said Corry could be heard threatening to cut his mother's throat and being verbally abusive to her.

After she was killed, he then filmed a video of the house.

Judge Blair added: 'The police came to arrest you - but sadly it was too late to save your mother.'

Corry was later heard saying he killed her 'in an act of passion' - because she tried to make him attend a doctor's appointment.

The judge said: 'You said you had kicked, stamped and kneed her. She suffered appalling and horrific injuries.

'Those in her chest and abdomen were most in keeping with those involving stamps, kicks and knee drops

'Her injuries were appalling.'

Her cause of death was given as 'multiple blunt force injuries.'

Emergency services rushed to Beatrice's home in Chipping Campden on January 6, this year, but were unable to save her

Judge Blair said that despite her age, Beatrice was 'fit, healthy and sprightly.'

He described her as a 'pillar of the community in Chipping Campden' and was an active volunteer with a generous heart.

He told Corry he was an 'intelligent man and a high achiever' in his working life but his psychiatric history included three stays in a secure facility due to manic episodes. The first of which was 11 years ago with the most recent in 2020 and he had been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder

In May 2022 he moved to Gloucester to live with his mother and returned there after a brief relationship broke down in January 2023.

In a victim impact statement, the defendant's brother and victim's son Nicholas Corry said the family had tried to help him on many occasions.

He added: 'It is hard to convey in words the loss I've experienced since I've lost my mother. My children have lost a grandmother they adored and who dotted on them.

'Whilst dealing with deep personal trauma, I have also had to face the horror of what occurred to my mother.

'I am filled with guilt that I underestimated the risk my brother posed to our mother, who had opened her home to him and provided him a safe environment to pull his life together.

'Matthew's crime was horrific and resulted in the death of an 84-year-old woman.

'Nonetheless, I recognise that if he not been ill and experiencing a manic episode my mother would still be alive.

'In my view he would not ordinarily bring harm to anyone.

'Our family has been wretched and pulled apart by the horrific circumstances surrounding our mother's death.

'I hope he gets the medical support he needs to manage his mental health.'

Corry (pictured) originally denied murder, before admitting to manslaughter on the first day of his trial

Another family member told the court: 'The anger, loss and grief has taken away the heart of the family

'The love and laughter she brought to our lives has been taken away too early.

'My whole family must live with a shadow that gives us sleepless nights, fear and loss, fear that it could happen to another member of our family in years to come.

'Taking a life is the most violent act of hatred. There is no going back. It can never be undone. Will we be, as a family in the future, safe from the acts of Matthew Corry?'

Defending Corry, Mr Wheeler said his client had 'overwhelming remorse for what he has done - and the impact on those he loves and those who love him.'

In a statement read to the court by his solicitor, Mr Corry said: 'I am appalled at the devastation I have reeked on family and friends and most of all my mother.

'I am so sorry for all of that - I want the court to know I am truly remorseful and horrified and deeply saddened towards deep act of violence to my mother.

'I owe it to my family to get better and address the mental health problems which is what I aim to do.'

Mr Wheeler added his client had 'very limited recollection of the incident itself and the lead up to it.

The judge imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act. If he is released, he will be subject to ongoing monitoring and care and if not compliant a return to hospital would be 'immediate.'

A previous hearing heard Corry had been living with his mother in her apartment within a converted grammar school at the time of her death.

The victim had also previously lived in an apartment The Styles in Berkshire that was a former home of crime writer Agatha Christie.

Mrs Corry, a retired teacher and volunteer, was part of the University of the Third Age and was an award winning volunteer at the Campden Home Nursing charity shop.

Corry worked at Eton until 2008 and had been teaching biology at fee-paying Godolphin and Latymer, in West London, until April 2020.
In the past, much would have been made of the touchy feely Presidents eager hands of friendship.

You can almost hear the indignant screams about breaches of protocol because Joe Biden touched the monarch's back or went first when inspecting the Guard of Honour - even though, as guest of honour, that's what hes supposed to do.

This is a different time and a different monarch - and everyone was happy with the warmth and manner of the tactile greeting.

Perhaps some commentators remain lost in Edwardian traditions.

King Charles meets President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle. The President's visit is aimed at strengthening the special relationship and discussing climate change

'Touchy feely' President Biden puts his arm around the King - leaving some to suggest that protocol has been breached. Robert Jobson says this is incorrect

The two men appeared to get on famously well

Who can forget the 'Lizard of Oz' nonsense when Aussie Prime Minister Paul Keating touched the Queen, or the brouhaha when US First Lady Michele Obama did the same?

Then there was the so called 'shocking' breach when President Trump walked in-front of Her Majesty when he was her guest at Windsor in 2018, the year before his state visit.

Most of it was baloney.

The Queen didnt care about Mrs Obama hug - or 'show of affection and respect' as it was described later.

In truth she didnt mind one bit and even reciprocated to show off warmth by placing her hand on Mrs Obamas back.

No wonder her husband, President Obama described the late Queen Elizabeth II as one of his favourite people.

So when Joe Biden extended his hand of friendship to the King - repeatedly it seemed - our King was relaxed.

He is unfazed by physical contact and has even hugged random strangers in crowds on engagements.

In a sign of his tactile nature the president had reached out his hand to touch King Charles several times during the ten minutes of his formal welcome to the castle. So what?

Reporters from the White House press corps confirmed that such behaviour was entirely predictable - and is exactly what Joe Biden did.

We would all be better off concentrating on the fact that King Charles is emerging as a key diplomatic asset for the United Kingdom. He has already charmed the Germans amid choppy post-Brexit waters.

And there are important conversations to be had with President Biden, too, whose rhetoric about Britain has not always been as friendly as we might have hoped.

As the band of the Welsh Guards played the Star Spangled Banner, Biden stood with his hand on his heart, looking somewhat frailer than the 74-year-old King, six years his junior.

President Biden inspects a guard of honour from the Welsh Guards at Windsor Castle

The President arrives at Windsor Castle aboard Marine One

King Charles and President Biden prepare to inspect the Welsh Guards

Author Robert Jobson says we should be concentrating on the diplomacy, not the protocol

President Biden's rhetoric towards Great Britain has not always been friendly

Inside the subject of climate change is bound to have come up as they chatted over tea, quite possibly Ukraine too, a subject on which our monarch has been publicly vocal.

Green champion Charles has been encouraged by Mr Bidens action on climate change and sees him as an ally in his crusade to stop humanity destroying the planet.

They ended the two hour 'special relationship' love in to join the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum which was being held in the aptly named Green Drawing Room of the castle.

The Kings spokesman said it has all gone very well, describing the meeting as 'extremely cordial and successful' covering a range of issues of mutual interest and concern.

'You will have seen for yourselves the personal warmth between His Majesty and the President,' the spokesman added.

Never mind Mad King George, the redcoats or the lingering tensions over the Irish border.

Job done. Special relationship in fine fettle.
A roofer has vowed to take legal action against a vape shop in County Durham over claims an e-cigarette left him with a collapsed lung.

Alex Gittins, 31, is calling for Easi-Vape on Bishop Auckland's Newgate Street to be permanently closed and has hired a lawyer to fight his case.

He claims a vape he bought from the high street shop put him in hospital and saw him forced to undergo multiple operations.

The roofer's injuries have in turn seen him sign off from work, meaning he is now suffering financially due to the nature of his job as a self-employed roofer.

A spokesperson for Easi-Vape confirmed a lawyer had contacted the shop but said there is 'no evidence' its vapes caused Mr Gittins' health condition.

Alex Gittins, 31, (pictured) is calling for Easi-Vape on Bishop Auckland's Newgate Street to be closed over claims an e-cigarette he bought from them caused him to suffer a collapsed lung

The shop's spokesperson instead claimed all the products Easi-Vape sells are legal and approved by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Mr Gittins, who is expecting a child in September, said: 'My major concern is that this could have happened to kids.

'So many of them are running round smoking vapes and yet the government is doing nothing to get them banned.

'You know what a fag does to you; you don't know what a vape does. Something's not right - kids could die.'

Mr Gittins, from Bishop Auckland, says he been buying disposable vapes from the shop for four months.

He was paying 20 for six disposable vapes, and had smoked several without any issue.

But, as he was puffing on a vape on May 25, he claimed he realised something was wrong.

Mr Gittins said: 'I started smoking it when it suddenly didn't create the mist properly. There was a horrible taste in my throat.

'Then five or ten minutes later I was stood there and breathing in, but it felt like I had a massive stitch.

'It started getting worst over the next hour.'

The roofer was driving back from work in Leeds when he began to feel serious pain in his chest

Alex Gittins, 31, (pictured) was forced to undergo multiple operations after his right lung collapsed

He took himself to a walk-in centre in Hartlepool - where he was instructed to go to nearest hospital.

He went to A&E in Darlington, where his breathing continuing to deteriorate.

And when a doctor examined him he was given shocking news: his right lung had collapsed.

He was transferred to a respiratory ward to reinflate his lung.

But what is normally a routine procedure failed and his lung was continuing to leak fluid.

Doctors attempted to the remove the fluid using suction, but after two days, fluid was still in his lung and it had yet to reinflate.

Mr Gittins was then taken by ambulance for emergency surgery in Middlesbrough on 2 June.

Surgeons removed a piece of his lung before stapling it back together, and then inflated it on June 5.

Doctors kept him on the ward until June 9, when he was discharged.

Mr Gittins is continuing to have weekly check-ups but still struggles to fully catch his breath.

And he has been discharged from his work for the next month.

Mr Gittins is adamant that it was the vape, bought from Easi-Vape, which hospitalised him.

He claims NHS staff told him they are seeing more and more incidents where people are hospitalised from vapes.

Alex Gittins has undergone multiple operations and continues to struggle with his breathing

Mr Gittins is in contact with a lawyer who is now working on a case.

He also reported the shop to Trading Standards three weeks ago, he says.

Mr Gittin's partner is expecting a baby on September 12.

Due to being self-employed, he is worried they will have to survive solely on her income from her job at Specsavers.

Easi-Vape confirmed that it had been in contact with a lawyer representing Mr Gittin's case.

A spokesperson said: 'Durham council been out to see us. All of our products have an MHRA number on them and are totally legal.

'Alex can do what he likes, there's no evidence that our vapes caused what happened to him.

'The customer in question has been smoking for the last 15 yeas, we don't know what he wants but we've got all our evidence.'
U.S. Attorney David Weiss said he has not requested special counsel status as part of his investigation into Hunter Biden.

Weiss also said he had been reassured by the Justice Department he would have the authority to file charges outside his Delaware district against President Joe Biden's son should he wish to do so.

The U.S. attorney outlined his powers in a letter to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham after the South Carolina senator wrote his, asking him to clarify allegations from an IRS whistleblower that he was denied special counsel status.

'I have not requested Special Counsel designation,' Weiss noted.

'I was assured that I would be granted this authority if it proved necessary,' Weiss added. 'And this assurance came months before the October 7, 2022, meeting referenced throughout the whistleblowers' allegations.'

U.S. Attorney David Weiss said he has not requested special counsel status as part of his investigation into Hunter Biden

Weiss add that he has 'never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.'

Questions about the extent of Weiss' authority were raised after IRS agent Gary Shapely, a whistleblower, claimed that Weiss had tried to bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington DC, but was blocked by DC's top federal prosecutor Matthew Graves, a Biden appointee.

Federal law requires federal criminal proceedings are held in the district where the crimes were committed. Hunter Biden lived in Washington DC and California at the time of his tax crimes.

That means Weiss would need cooperation from the Central District of California and Washington DC to file charges there.

Shapley said Weiss was denied that permission.

But Weiss said he has been reassured he would have gotten it if he had requested it.

Shapley's lawyers accused Weiss of changing his story.

'U.S. Attorney David Weiss's story continues to change,' Shapley's legal team said in a statement.

'As a practical matter, it makes no difference whether Weiss requested special counsel or special attorney authority. Under no circumstances should 'the process' have included the political appointees of the subject's father, because Congress and the public had been assured it would not - but it did.'

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote to U.S. Attorney David Weiss and asked him to respond to allegations from an IRS whistleblower

Shapley, in an interview with Fox News in June, described an October 7, 2022, meeting with top IRS and FBI officials about the Hunter case.

'I was there, and I witnessed this personally,' Shapley said, noting Weiss started by saying 'he's not the deciding person whether or not charges are filed or not.'

Shapley claimed the final decision was made by officials in Washington DC. He noted Weiss meet with the Matthew Graves, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, in March 2022.

'After that occurred, he was no longer looking to charge,' Shapley said.

Shapley noted Weiss said he had requested special counsel authority and was denied.

'I even had him repeat that, because I knew how important that fact was, and I wanted to make sure I understood it,' he noted.

Shapley said he even documented the details of the meeting in an email and noted that email was in the hands of House investigators.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has consistently said Weiss had full authority.

Garland had said: 'As I said at the outset, Mr. Weiss was appointed by President Trump as the U.S. attorney in Delaware and assigned this matter during the previous administration.'

Garland said Weiss 'would be permitted to continue his investigation and to make a decision to prosecute any way in which he wanted to and in any district in which he wanted to. Mr. Weiss has since sent a letter to the House Judiciary confirming he had that authority.

'I don't know how it would be possible for anybody to block him from bringing a prosecution, given that he has this authority,' he said in June.

He claimed Weiss never asked to be appointed special prosecutor.

'Mr. Weiss had, in fact, more authority than a special counsel would have.'

'He was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own,' he noted.

'Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department by claiming that we do not treat cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy,' Garland said.

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley claimed Trump-appointed US attorney David Weiss told him he was not in charge of deciding whether or not Hunter Biden faced federal charges - and that a Joe Biden-appointed attorney made the call

Hunter Biden, seen in late July with President Joe Biden and his son Beau, has a plea deal with the federal government

Meanwhile Hunter Biden, 53, reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses.

The plea deal would also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as Hunter Biden adheres to conditions agreed to in court at the July 26th hearing.

Weiss announced the plea agreement along and noted he charged Hunter in connection with his purchase of a handgun in 2018 but said he would not prosecute the charge under a two-year pretrial diversion program.

Republicans have questioned why Weiss did not bring more aggressive felony charges and have been conducting their own probes.

Thus far Weiss has not sent GOP investigators any of their requested documents, citing his ongoing probe.

Weiss and Garland are expected to testify before Congress at some point, likely after Hunter Biden's July 26 federal court appearance.

President Joe Biden has said repeatedly he had nothing to do with Hunter's business dealings and the White House has emphasized they are staying out of any Justice Department investigations.

The White House said in a statement that the President and First Lady 'love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.'

The Hunter Biden investigation was initiated by the Trump Justice Department in 2018 and eventually handed to Weiss, who was appointed to his position by Trump.
The families of Britons who died in a plane crash in Ethiopia have accused Boeing of playing 'Russian roulette' with people's lives, an inquest heard.

Humanitarians Joanna Toole, 36, Samuel Pegram, 25, and Oliver Vick, 45, were among 157 people killed onboard flight ET302.

Their families have spent years demanding answers over why the aircraft was allowed to fly despite safety concerns resulting from a previous crash just five months earlier.

At today's inquest, they claimed the lives of these three brits were 'stolen' by the 'greed' of Boeing who put profits before safety.

The crash on 10 March, 2019 occurred six minutes after it took off from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi in Kenya.

Joanna Toole, 36, died onboard a passenger flight from Ethiopia to Kenya in March 2019

Pictured: British humanitarian worker Sam Pegram, 25, who was among the 157 people killed

All 149 passengers and eight crew members died in the crash less than five months after an earlier Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in the Java Sea on 29 October 2018, killing 189.

The dual incidents caused a two-year worldwide long-term grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8, and later resulted in the manufacturer being charged with conspiracy to defraud the US in January 2021.

It's alleged that certain software characteristics of the Max (the MCAS system) were concealed from the regulator during its certification process.

The erroneous activation of the MCAS system has since been blamed for both the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019.

At the West Sussex inquest today the coroner was urged by the families to issue a verdict of unlawful killing to recognise the role Boeing's deceit and neglect had played in the deaths.

Publication of the Air Accident Report was delayed leading to an agonising four year wait for the families for answers.

The report stated there was no fault on behalf of the pilots, no impact to the aircraft from striking birds or any other external event.

Samuel's father Mark Pegrim said: 'How he was lost and that it should have been avoided makes it harder to bare. People who were responsible just carry on with their lives. The dishonesty and deceit they have shown is the complete opposite of Sam's values.'

Mr Pegrim said they wanted to bring justice for all of the families on board the flight.

'It was designed with fatal flaws,' he added. 'Boeing then continued to fly after the first crash. This should not have happened - too many lives have been lost.

'I urge you to reach a verdict of unlawful killing. They were not just negligent but broke the law.'

Humanitarian Oliver Vick was killed on onboard flight ET302

Investigators with the U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) look over debris at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302

He added: 'Boeing lost their way - for profit corners were cut, warnings were ignored and authorities and airlines were deceived.'

Sam's mum Deborah added: 'Boeing played Russian roulette with people's lives and they should be held responsible for the deaths.'

Paying tribute to his son, of Preston, Lancashire, who worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council, Mr Pegrim added: He was a special person to so many people.. He made the world a better place for those lucky enough to know him, to love him and be loved by him.

'He had a strong passion for human rights and hated injustice and inequality. He was a ray of positive energy.

'Our lives changed forever on 10 March and will never be the same. A promising career was ended and he never truly realised the difference he had already made. A light has gone out of our lives.'

Loved ones of Joanna Toole, of Exmouth, Devon, described her as someone who loved animals and 'really cared and was very passionate about conversation.'

Her dad Adrian Toole said: 'All her potential was cut short. I am sure evidence will convince you it was no accident.

'It was a disaster that happened in a faraway place - but shows another crash was inevitable. And another Max 8 could have come down in the UK.'

Joanna was employed to represent the UN and her family said her life's ambition was to improve the lives of animals.

Mr Toole added: 'She had a rare combination of empathy for both animals and people. The death of a child is like losing a part of yourself and I started dying on 10 March 2019.'

He said Joanna was on her way to represent the UN at an environmental assembly in Nairobi.

Wreckage is piled at the crash scene of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302

He added: 'The 149 passengers killed were not a typical cross section of travellers. 22 of the dead were associated with the UN and nine were working in other humanitarian areas.

'It was a disaster that went beyond personal tragedy and set back all the good work those people were engaged in.'

Oliver Vick's mother Cheryl, of Wargrave, Berkshire, said the family had always flown 'without fear' for several generations and always subscribed to the statistics that flying was the safest form of travel.

She added: 'Boeing betrayed them, four generations of trust. And betrayed everyone on those flights.'

She accused those responsible of 'deliberately' putting profit above safety and for causing what she described as a 'devastating and avoidable crash.'

She said her son was 'stolen from us by Boeing fraud and a deep betrayal of the world's flying public.'

Paying tribute, she described Oliver as a devoted father and said his death had left their world 'a sadder, emptier place.'

She added: 'He was a sure believer it was possible to make the world a better place to improve the lives of people near and afar. He had an unwavering focus on making the world a better place for as many people as possible.'

She added: 'We are so proud of the man our boy became. The grief, shock and horror will always be with us. No day can ever be the same again without my beautiful boy.'

The inquest continues.
Joe Biden landed in the Baltic nation of Lithuania on Monday ahead of a key NATO summit as both Ukraine and Sweden eye membership of the 31-member military alliance.

The 80-year-old touched down in the capital, Vilnius, after a fence-mending whistle-stop trip to the United Kingdom where he has faced accusations of being anti-British.

Biden was overheard on arrival claiming that his meeting in London with King Charles 'went well' where the two men discussed climate change and China.

Biden arrived from Britain where he had held talks with King Charles

Biden arrived in Lithuania from the United Kingdom earlier on Monday amid an ongoing row over the U.S. move to send cluster bombs

The commander-in-chief joked with locals after touching down in Vilnius after a short trip to London

After being greeted by his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda on the tarmac in Vilnius, Biden will wade straight into another row.

There has been been uproar over Washington's decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine despite more than 100 nations worldwide banning the highly lethal weapons.

Britain, Canada, Spain and New Zealand have expressed concern about shipping the controversial arms to Kyiv's armed forces, and even top Democrats have hit out at the White House's decision.

But the commander-in-chief was defiant in an interview with CNN, hitting back at his critics of the move.

He said that cluster bombs would help Ukraine expel Russian invaders from its territory and would make up for a shortage of traditional ammunition.

However, the president appeared to accidentally let slip that the U.S. too was running low on shells.

'This is a war relating to munitions. And they're running out of that ammunition, and we're low on it,' Biden said.

'And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to  not permanently  but to allow for this transition period while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians.'

Biden will also hope that Turkey will eventually relent and sign off on Sweden joining the mutual defense club amid a row over the deportation of alleged Kurdish militants.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an unexpected move, demanded that the EU should open the way for Ankara's accession to the bloc before Turkey's parliament approves Sweden's bid to join NATO.

But State Department spokesman Matthew Miller hit back, saying they are 'separate issues' for the Biden administration.

DailyMail.com has approached the European Commission, the EU executive that handles membership talks, for comment.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is also pushing for guarantees that Kyiv will also be granted membership, something that Biden has ruled out - for now - because it was 'in the middle of a war.'

But the country's chances of becoming a member of the world's most important military alliance received a boost earlier.

NATO officials have already agreed on a fast-track application process, announced by Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier on Monday.

It means Ukraine will no longer be required to take part in the club's Membership Action Plan, a process of key reforms demanded of any potential member.

'Following intensive talks, Nato allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine's path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to Nato. It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member,' Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

It marks a diplomatic breakthrough for Ukraine ahead of Zelensky's attendance at the summit in Lithuania.

He told ABC News in an interview that he wants 'effective security guarantees' while it is waiting for full membership.

A senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that 'the time is not right for an invitation to Ukraine' owing to Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of the country.

But the source said the leaders would sketch out 'concrete steps towards membership.'

A paper by ex-NATO chief Ander Fogh Rasmussen and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak last year suggested a Kyiv Security Compact, effectively shadow NATO membership, to protect the country and its people from future Russian aggression.

It said that it should include US, Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Turkey, as well as Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe.

Ukraine was first considered for NATO membership in 2008, but was never offered a formal process to join amid fears that Russia would be provoked by such a move.

Under Article 5 of the alliance's mutual defense treaty, an attack on one NATO ally is considered as an attack on all.

But it is not automatic and the clause requires the approval of all NATO countries to be triggered.

That has happened only once since NATO was founded in 1949; in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and George W. Bush's invasion of Afghanistan.

DailyMail.com understands that British prime minister Rishi Sunak will use the meeting in Vilnius to tell all NATO allies to reach the agreed 2 percent spend of GDP on defense.

Only 11 countries hit that target: the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland Romania, Hungary, Latvia and Slovakia.

But Poland recently announced it would ramp up defense spending to as much as 4 percent by the end of this year in response to Russia's war on Ukraine,
The show may be a hit, but the man behind its inspiration says he's embarrassed about it.

The owner of the Chicago sandwich shop that inspired The Bear has said he has not watched a single episode of the popular FX Hulu series.

Chris Zucchero's beloved eatery Mr. Beef served as the basis for the show, which was written by his childhood friend Christopher Storer.

But, speaking to Variety, Zucchero admitted he's not among the show's passionate fans.

'No, its more embarrassment for me. I just feel weird,' he said when asked if he was a viewer of The Bear, which is now on its second season.

Chris Zucchero's beloved eatery Mr. Beef serves as the basis for FX's The Bear. He is pictured (left) with chef Joshua Weissman

The FX on Hulu series focuses on chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, played by Jeremy Allen White, who leaves his career in a fine dining restaurant to return to his family owned sandwich shop

The Bear was created by Zucchero's childhood friend Christopher Storer

'Food people are not the same as actors or musicians. You know what I mean? Thats the same reason why I dont really promote anything with The Bear. I dont want to be the guy thats like, Look at me. Im the f****** Bear" guy.

Zucchero explained that having had previous famous clients like comedian Jay Leno, the shop was never in need of publicity.

'This might sound a little arrogant, but weve never paid for any advertisement or PR for Mr. Beef, but weve been very lucky. Like Jay Leno and his friendship with my father is really what made Mr. Beef famous,' he explained.

'So over the years Ive been on the Food Network, Travel Channel, Ive talked to reporters  but I never read or watch anything that Mr. Beef is on.'

While he doesn't watch the show, Mr. Beef has catered parties for The Bear, providing Mr. Beef's famous hot Italian beef sandwiches with sweet peppers and spicy giardiniera.

Aside from being the inspiration for the X series, creator Storer shot about 90 percent of the show's pilot in the Chicago shop.

The restaurant was eventually recreated down to the stains on the wall.

Zucchero even appears on the pilot as a guy who sells meat to chef Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White.

Chris Zucchero, who took over the restaurant in 1979, died unexpectedly earlier this year

His father Chris Zucchero, who took over the restaurant in 1979, died unexpectedly earlier this year.

Fortunately, the elder Zucchero got to witness the show's success.

'He was proud of Chris. He was honored, He was humbled,' Zucchero said of his dad.

Although the shop was already known, Zuchero admitted The Bear took its fame to another level.

'I make this dramatic joke that Mr. Beef used to have a true grit and now its like Central Perk from Friends,' he said.

'And Im upset about it, but I love it. I love that people will cause an accident in front of my restaurant just to try to get a picture.'

The FX on Hulu series focuses on young chef, Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, who leaves his career in a fine dining restaurant to return to his family owned sandwich shop after the death of a loved one.
The House Freedom Caucus' 'days are numbered' predicted one conservative lawmaker, as the ouster of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene put the group's problems on full display.

On Thursday, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Andy Harris told Politico that caucus members had voted in favor of expelling Greene, after she had called another member, Rep. Lauren Boebert, a 'little b****' on the House floor.

On Monday, CNN reported on the deep tensions within the Freedom Caucus, which was launched in 2015 by Rep. Jim Jordan, among others, to move House Republican leadership to the right.

Now around 40 members strong, the group has become unwieldy, with members split on how much they should support House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and whether they should officially back the 2024 White House run of former President Donald Trump.

'Days are numbered anyway for the group,' one conservative lawmaker told CNN. 'Because they go in 100 different directions.'

The splintering of the House Freedom Caucus came into public view after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (left) called Rep. Lauren Boebert (right) a 'little b****' on the House floor - and then got kicked out of the conservative group

Factions of the group are holding their own meetings to plot strategy, CNN reported.

One major problem is that two of the group's most prominent members - Jordan and Greene - are in the view of some, going against what the Freedom Caucus stands for, by cozying up to House leadership.

Greene went to bat for McCarthy during January's speakership fight.

And she antagonized some members of the Freedom Caucus for calling them out publicly when they wouldn't get in line.

'The reality is they're mad at her for playing ball with McCarthy and, and still being one of Trump's favorites,' the conservative lawmaker told CNN. 'It's pretty evident. That's what's gone down.'

Greene has already endorsed Trump in the presidential race and recently appeared with him at a rally in South Carolina.

The Georgia lawmaker's most recent spat with Boebert came after the Colorado Republican filed an impeachment bill against President Joe Biden, instead of joining Greene on her impeachment legislation.

The membership is divided on how cozy to get with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as the group started with the aim of moving House Republican leadership further to the right

'I've donated to you, I've defended you. But you've been nothing but a little b**** to me,' Greene told Boebert on the House floor, according to The Daily Beast. 'And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them.'

If an impeachment inquiry got off the ground, it would be assigned to Jordan's House Judiciary Committee.

Jordan has expertly walked the line between the House Freedom Caucus - as a founding member and its first chairman - and House Republican leadership, so much that McCarthy named him chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.

This, however, has ruffled feathers with Freedom Caucus members.

CNN reported that Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, a Freedom Caucus member, has called Jordan behind his back a 'RINO' - short for 'Republican in Name Only' - a hostile term for those deemed as too moderate for the party.

Good's spokesperson denied the claim.

But Greene and Jordan are two of the group's most high-profile members and bring in loads of cash for the House Freedom Fund, which gives money to the caucus.

The conservative lawmaker told CNN that Greene is 'bigger than the group' adding that 'nobody has done more for the cause' than Jordan.

Still, the membership overwhelmingly voted in favor of casting Greene out, a source told the network.

While Harris gabbed about the vote to Politico, the House Freedom Caucus wouldn't officially say that Greene had been expelled.

That's because, according to CNN, Chairman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania had wanted to meet with Greene in person to share the news - but Congress was on Fourth of July recess so he couldn't reach her by phone.

When asked for comment, Greene's office did not deny the reporting, but didn't explicitly mention it in the statement that was sent out.

'In Congress, I serve Northwest Georgia first, and serve no group in Washington,' Greene said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'My America First credentials, guided by my Christian faith, are forged in steel, seared into my character, and will never change,' Greene said. 'I fight every single day in the halls of congress against the hate-America Democrats, who are trying to destroy this country.'

'The GOP has less than two years to show America what a strong, unified Republican-led congress will do when President Trump wins the White House in 2024,' she continued. 'This is my focus, nothing else.'
A 30-year-old Brazilian alleged drug lord who avoided arrest by using a helicopter to flee from a farm in Paraguay is known for flaunting his wealth on social media.

Antonio Mota has been on the run since June 30, a day before authorities raided the property that lies on the Paraguayan border city of Pedro Juan Caballero and the Brazilian town of Ponte Pora.

Mota, who prefers to be called 'Don' and patterned himself after the Corleone family in the book and movie The Godfather, allegedly controls parts of the drug trafficking corridor at the Brazil-Paraguay border, bringing in cocaine from Colombia and Bolivia.

The fugitive, however, lived a different life according to his social media channels, sharing his affinity for luxury watches and fine wine, jet-setting on trips across world and partying aboard yachts.

His girlfriend, an influencer whose name was omitted in the Brazilian media, was also known for flaunting Mota's riches on her social media accounts.

Antonio Mota, who is accused by Brazilian authorities of trafficking cocaine along the Brazil-Paraguay border, is known for sharing his wealth on social media

One of luxury cars that the Brazilian Federal Police confiscated in a May operation in an attempt to arrest Mota

Brazil's Federal Police seized at least two helicopters during a May operation but were not able to apprehend Mota

Brazilian authorities confiscated a cache of weapons, including six grenades, three rifles, four pistols, three revolvers and 40 boxes of ammunition at the farm where alleged drug lord Antonio Mota was hiding out

Brazil's Federal Police interrogated Mota's bodyguard, Iuri da Silva, who confessed that law enforcement contacts in Paraguay warned Mota about the operation to apprehend him.

'He said he would be in a risky situation, we would have to withdraw,' da Silva said.

A helicopter landed on an airstrip on the family farm and whisked him and three other bodyguards away.

Authorities arrested at least eight members of a militia, including an active military police officer and a reserve military police officer, that protected him.

The three mercenaries who escaped with Mota - one Italian, one Romanian and one Greek - had fought in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and against Somali pirates.

Police confiscated six grenades, three rifles, four pistols, three revolvers and 40 boxes of ammunition and a bulletproof vest.

Brazilian alleged drug trafficker Mota parties aboard a yacht. He has been on the run since June 30 after fleeing from a farm in Paraguay

Mota regularly displayed his wealth on social media with videos and photos of parties on yachts

Mota also avoided being arrested in May at another family farm in Pedro Juan Caballero, fleeing two days before cops showed up.

The took place after authorities in Brazil accused him of providing trafficking cocaine to criminal groups at home and abroad.

During that operation, police were able to seize the property, cars and helicopters, which had a combined worth of $6.1 million.

Police records obtained by Brazilian news outlet G1 from a November 2019 operation that led to the arrests of Mota and his parents, Antonio da Mota and Cecy Mota, showed the drug lord employed two women, one in Paraguay and another in Brazil, to administer the criminal organization's finances, using different bank accounts and shell companies to avoid any suspicions.

According to text messages from a phone that was confiscated, Antonio Mota had one of his operators wire about $6,550 for two prostitutes to spend the weekend with him.

Brazilian authorities accuse Mota of transporting drugs from Bolivia and Colombia for distribution at home and abroad

Brazil's Federal Police removed 14 weapons, including a rifle, from the family farm where Antonio Mota fled from June 30

In another conversation, he instructed his brother-in-law to split the payment of $20,000 for two luxury watches his gifted his girlfriend so that the transaction would not be tracked.

On another occasion, plastic surgery for his mother was paid through separate cash deposits and money wired from a shell company.

Police also found Mota once had his brother-in-law purchase a luxury vehicle on his behalf for $80,000.

According to Ponte Pora prosecutor Alexandre Aparizi, the third-generation family's riches derive from trafficking drugs and smuggling goods between Paraguy and Brazil.

'If you look at the history of drug trafficking, if the big drug dealers, the big names, if they weren't from the region, they passed through there,' Aparizi said.
A racist killer who beat his cellmate to death with a table leg and then daubed a swastika on the wall with blood has been granted parole and will be released from prison.

Robert Stewart, then 20, sparked national revulsion and a debate about racism in prisons when he bludgeoned Zahid Mubarek, 19, to death as he slept in 2000.

An inquiry found Feltham Young Offenders Institute in west London was 'institutionally racist' and at fault for Zahid's death.

The landmark case was described as the 'Stephen Lawrence moment' for the Prison Service and criminal justice system.

Stewart, now aged 42, who has served 23 years, had his third parole hearing on 21 June and was told today that the three-person Parole Board panel had recommended that he be released on licence.

Robert Stewart, then 20, sparked national revulsion and a debate about racism in prisons when he bludgeoned Zahid Mubarek, 19, to death as he slept in 2000. Stewart, now aged 42, who has served 23 years, had his third parole hearing on 21 June and was told today that the three person Parole Board panel had recommended that he be released on licence

An inquiry found Feltham Young Offenders institute in west London was 'institutionally racist' and at fault for Zahid's (pictured) death

The panel said that the former skinhead had successfully completed many accredited programmes to address his use of violence and he had demonstrated a 'motivation to move away from his previous behaviours and live a pro-social life.'

A summary of the findings, seen by MailOnline, revealed the decision to order Stewart's release was also influenced by 'the lengthy period of time since Mr Stewart had used any violence towards others...'

The report continued:'Evidence was presented at the hearing and in the dossier regarding Mr Stewart's progress and custodial conduct since the imposition of his life sentence.

'He had undertaken accredited programmes to address his use of violence and to learn about and develop victim empathy.

'He had also completed an extensive amount of other work which had included spending time in a regime designed and supported by psychologists to help people recognise and deal with their problems and the risk they pose to others.'

The landmark case was described as the 'Stephen Lawrence moment' for the Prison Service and criminal justice system

The report went on: 'The panel examined the release plan provided by Mr Stewart's probation officer and weighed its proposals against assessed risk.

'The plan included a requirement to reside in designated accommodation as well as strict limitations on Mr Stewart's contacts, movements and activities.

'The panel concluded that this plan was robust enough to manage Mr Stewart in the community at this stage because of the evidence he had successfully managed his behaviour without aggression or violence over many years, the extensive work he had undertaken to address and reduce his risk to others, and the involvement of specialist probation officers and other professionals to closely monitor and manage him.'

It decided: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made whilst in custody and the very full evidence presented at the hearing and in the dossier, the panel was satisfied that Mr Stewart's imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public.'

The Parole Board underlined the fact that Stewart would be the subject of extensive restrictions when freed, including residing at an agreed address, notifying the authorities of any developing relationships, monitoring, curfews and adhering to 'exclusion zones' to ensure he did not meet the family of the victim.

The Parole Board said it had conducted an extensive review of Stewart's file including 'the inquiry ordered by the House of Lords in 2006 into the circumstances surrounding the murder.'

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said:'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Robert Stewart following an oral hearing.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.'

In January 2000, Zahid was convicted of shoplifting 6 worth of goods from a supermarket and was sentenced to serve 90 days at Feltham YOI (pictured). However, in the early hours of the morning of his scheduled release, he was attacked by Stewart

The decision to release Stewart comes as a surprise as the Parole Board refused to release him - or authorise a move to an open prison - in 2022 as he was still considered a danger to the public.

MailOnline reported in October 2022 that Stewart had a secret hearing under a new surname. He changed the surname in jail, but it is not clear when this happened or if it was legally enacted by deed poll.

The public report published in 2006 exposed multiple failings that allowed vulnerable Asian teenager Zahid to be in a cell with a known racist.

The Keith Report into Zahid's death made 88 recommendations. of which the Home Office unequivocally accepted 55.

In January 2000, Zahid was convicted of shoplifting 6 worth of goods from a supermarket and was sentenced to serve 90 days at Feltham YOI.

However, in the early hours of the morning of his scheduled release, he was attacked by Stewart.

Using a broken-off table leg as a deadly weapon, Stewart hit Zahid eleven times, inflicting terrible head injuries on Zahid as he slept.

Zahid died a week later in hospital, on March 21, 2000.

Stewart summoned prison officers and claimed his cellmate had 'an accident'.

Prison guards reported that when they arrived at Zahid's cell Stewart had been standing over him covered in blood and holding a large table leg.

He had also written a message on the wall of the cell he was moved to which read 'just killed me padmate', signed off with a swastika.

Despite attempting to destroy evidence, he was charged with Zahid's murder.

Stewart, of Hattersley, Greater Manchester, denied murder.

Passing sentence in November 2000, Mr Justice Grigson told Stewart: 'As you are a danger to yourself and a danger to the public, custody for life is wholly appropriate.'

Cell 38 of Swallow Unit at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London after Stewart murdered Zahid in March 2000

Earlier Sir John Nutting QC, for the prosecution, recalled how Stewart had written a series of racist letters to friends before the attack.

In one, he had threatened to resort to killing his cellmate to be transferred to the North West 'to see some old friends, white ones'.

Asked why he attacked Zahid, Stewart denied the assault was racially motivated, telling the jury: 'I don't know, I just felt like it.'

Speaking outside the court, the victim's father told of the 'bright future' his son had had ahead of him and how he had planned to join the army.

Although he expressed his relief at the jury's verdict, he said he did not feel happy because his son could not be replaced.

Zahid's family, originally from Pakistan, said they felt let down by prison staff who had missed countless opportunities to prevent the tragedy.

His father Mubarek Amin said in 2006: 'The real tragedy is that my son's murder could have been avoided if the prison service had done its job properly.

'My son should never have been put in the same cell as him. Why didn't the prison service read the 200-odd letters which are not only abusive and racist but predict my son's murder?'

The public inquiry, which was led by the High Court judge Mr Justice Keith, began in 2004 following an unprecedented decision by the Law Lords.

They ordered the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, to hold a public inquiry into the murder after lawyers for Zahid's family argued that the European Convention on Human Rights entitled them to one.

Three weeks after the beginning of his probe, the judge ruled that previous inquiries had established Feltham was 'institutionally racist' and that he accepted that conclusion.

The inquiry heard allegations that prison officers set up Gladiator-style fights by placing vulnerable inmates in cells with racist prisoners.

The inquiry was told how prison officials missed 15 chances to save Zahid's life.

It also revealed how racial incidents were under-reported and that some white officers hurled racial abuse at black inmates.

Mr Justice Keith published his 700-page report in June 2006 outlining a damning indictment of the authorities and described how they had failed to keep Zahid safe.

He named 19 members of the Prison Service whose professional failings played a part in creating the circumstances leading up to the 19-year-old's death.

The judge also highlighted systematic issues, including racism, Feltham being badly run, lack of information sharing between jails and Stewart even being able to watch the violent Australian neo-Nazi film Romper Stomper.

His recommendations included the ending of enforced cell-sharing and linking the Police National Computer (PNC) to the prison estate to help share security information.
Republican fabulist George Santos compared himself to Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks in another embarrassing display by the lying congressman from New York.

The embattled lawmaker claimed that when GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told him to sit at the back of Congress during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, it was similar to the activist refusing to move from her bus seat in Alabama in 1955.

Santos said he refuses to be silenced by his colleagues as he faces multiple investigations regarding campaign finance laws.

'Rosa Parks didnt sit in the back, and neither am I,' Santos said during the interview from the backseat of a SUV.

The scandal-hit GOP Rep. has been accused of lying about his resume, career and background during the campaign that landed him in public office.

Rep. George Santos compared his experience being told to sit in the back of the congressional chamber to the plights Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks had to face

Rosa Parks was arrested in 198555 for refusing to give up her seat in the 'colored' section of the bus to white passengers after their 'white' section was filled. She became a Civil Rights hero for helping lead the bus boycott

Santos is now awaiting trial after he was arrested in May on 13 charges, including wire fraud and theft of public funds.

Speaking on Mike Crispi's Unafraid program, Rep. Santos ripped into Romney and other establishment Republicans who he claimed have 'gotten away with getting along to get along.'

'It's not going to stay that way anymore,' he insisted in the interview. 'I'm going to call them out. You want to call me a liar, I'll call you a sell out.'

Santos joined the virtual interview from what appeared to be the backseat of an SUV.

He claimed that Romney tried to get him to sit in the back of the chamber for President Joe Biden's State of the Union earlier this year  and slammed the Utah Senator for wearing a Ukraine lapel pin during the speech.

The interaction is what led Santos to compare himself to Rosa Parks.

'I mean, Mitt Romney, the man goes to the State of the Union of the United States wearing a Ukraine lapel pin, tells me, a Latino, gay man that I shouldn't sit in the front  that I should be in the back,' Santos lamented. 'Well, guess what? Rosa Parks didn't sit in the back, and neither am I going to sit in the back. That's just the reality of how it works.'

Parks became a Civil Rights icon in 1955 after refusing to move from her seat on a public bus to make room for white passengers even though she was sitting in the section segregated for 'colored' passengers.

She was arrested for civil disobedience in violation of Alabama segregation laws at the time.

Santos is suggesting that Romney was trying to segregate him  as a minority and LBTQ community member  to the back of the chamber.

'Mitt Romney lives in a very different world. And he needs to buckle up  it's going to be a very bumpy ride for him,' the Long Island-based lawmaker concluded.

Rep. Santos is facing multiple probes and was arrested and put in jail on 13 charges including wire fraud and theft of public funds.

Santos said Sen. Mitt Romney was the lawmaker who asked him to move to the back of the chamber

The congressman's father Fercino dos Santos Jr. (left) is one of the two individuals who brought together the $500,000 to bail out the embattled Republican liar after he was arrested on 13 charges in May

The lawmaker's father Gercino dos Santos Jr. and aunt Elma Preven put together the funds to post his bond and get him out of jail.

Santos has been involved in a slew of problematic  and illegal  behavior since his 2022 campaign for Congress. But the lies were only revealed after he was elected as the new congressman for New York's 3rd Congressional District.

While the New York case against him continues, Santos is also facing an Ethics investigation in Congress.

Following the indictment levied in New York in May, the House Ethics Committee voted to expand the jurisdiction of the probe to include charges noted in New York's case against Santos alleging he fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits.

Allegations against Santos in the indictment claim he applied for unemployment benefits in New York under fraudulent pretenses because he was making $120,000 per year from an investment firm in Florida.

The indictment also notes him spending tens of thousands of dollars that were donated to his congressional campaign on personal expenses like his car payment and designer items, and lying to Congress on financial disclosure forms.

He lied about his education background and work history, as well as claiming that his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Superman star Dean Cain has doled out nearly $4million to purchase his new Las Vegas-area mansion after he fled crime-ridden California.

The actor has previously said he was driven from his $7.25million home in Malibu to Las Vegas, where he said there is less traffic, lower taxes, and less crime.

His new two-story home sits on 0.27 acres in the guard-gated Terracina neighborhood of Seven Hills in Henderson, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

It features an infinity pool, a movie theater, an outdoor waterfall and a game room.

The 6,557-square-foot home, which was built in 2017, offers Cain and his family five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a three-car garage.

Actor Dean Cain (pictured in October) purchased a Las Vegas-area mansion for nearly $4million after fleeing California

His new two-story home sits on 0.27 acres in the guard-gated Terracina neighborhood of Seven Hills in Henderson

The Las Vegas-area mansion has a so-called walk-on-water entrance from the courtyard

To the rear of the home, there is an infinity-edge pool complete with fire pits

The outdoor area also offers a jacuzzi for warming up during the nights

Residents can enjoy the mountain views of the Las Vegas area while relaxing on chaise lounges

Next to the pool, Cain can enjoy putting on his own miniature putting green

It boasts 'custom modern contemporary architecture,' according to its listing from real estate agency Douglas Elliman Nevada, and has a so-called walk-on-water entrance from the courtyard.

A gourmet kitchen offers a walk-in pantry, while the master bedroom offers views of the Las Vegas Strip.

Elsewhere in the home, residents can take in views of the scenic mountains surrounding the city, and the deck outside offers 360-degree views.

Throughout the home there is an open layout with high ceilings, giving the home a spacious feel.

The modern home also features an elevator, allowing easy access to the second floor.

And to the rear of the home, there is an infinity-edge pool, a jacuzzi, a small putting green and fire pits offering warmth while residents can lay down on a chaise lounge.

A built-in outdoor bar and kitchen provides plenty of opportunities to entertain guests enjoying the desert heat.

The listing for the home notes: 'Nevada is a state WITHOUT individual and corporate income taxes, offering significant savings for residents.'

Kristen Routh-Silberman of Douglas Elliman, who held the listing, declined to comment.

Cain is best known for playing Clark Kent in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman between 1993 to 1997

The 6,557-square-foot home has five bedrooms, with the master bedroom offering views of the Las Vegas strip

It also includes seven bathrooms, like the marble-walled one seen here

Throughout the home there is an open layout with high ceilings, giving the home a spacious feel

One of the other amenities of the $4million home is a glass wine cellar right near the kitchen

The kitchen also offers stainless steel appliances and a walk-in pantry, with room around a round table

A stone mantle accentuates the television in the living room, giving the house a modern look

A built-in outdoor bar and kitchen provides plenty of opportunities to entertain guests enjoying the desert heat

Last month, Cain  who is best known for playing Clark Kent in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman between 1993 to 1997  appeared on Fox and Friends to talk about his decision to relocate to the state.

'I love California. It's the most beautiful state. Everything's wonderful about it except for the policies,' Cain told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade. 'The policies are just terrible. The fiscal policies, the soft-on-crime policies, the homelessness policies.'

'The things that our leaders in California have been doing have driven out anybody who can really afford to get out. People are flocking out of there in droves.'

Cain appeared on Fox and Friends last month to say he had been driven from California to escape the high taxes and poor policies

He listed his Malibu home (pictured) in March and sold the property for $7.25 million in May as part of an effort to escape California

When asked if making the move was likely to affect his livelihood as an actor, he suggested the film industry had been spending money elsewhere for a while.

'The business has been leaving there for a long time. The prices to film there are astronomical, that's why people have been filming in Georgia and Louisiana and Texas and other states,' said Cain.

'The cost of doing business is so much less there, on every front,' he added.

'The hard part is because you've got such a great base of workers in California, but everybody that I know who's working there wants to get out as well. I've shot one movie in California in the last, I don't know, four or five years, everything else is somewhere else,' the actor continued.

'I've been here for two weeks now, and I can tell you, smart move,' he said of his relocation to Nevada.

'My son is ten times happier here in Las Vegas. If I wanted to do anything out of Malibu, it took me 45 minutes to an hour to get anywhere. Here, the longest I'm driving is 20 minutes.'
GOP leaders are criticizing President Biden for admitting that the United States is low on its own ammunition stockpile as the administration continues to send more lethal aid, including cluster bombs, to arm Ukraine against Russia.

'This is a war relating to munitions. And they're running out of that ammunition, and we're low on it,' Biden said during an interview with CNN Friday during which he defended his turnaround decision to provide deadly cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told DailyMail.com that Biden rightly acknowledged his administration has not adequately prepared the U.S. for major conflict.

'The president is right: His administration hasn't done enough to prepare the United States for a major conflict, including sufficiently accelerating munitions production,' said Cotton, a former U.S. Army infantry officer who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

This aerial picture taken on December 7, 2022 shows an expert of the prosecutor's office examining collected remnants of shells and missiles used by the Russian army to attack the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv

Rep. Jim Banks also told DailyMail.com that he's 'glad' Biden finally acknowledged the problem, but didn't take responsibility for the reason behind the depletion of ammunition.

'In a hot war with China the U.S. would run out of key ammunition in less than a week,' said Banks, R-Ind., who sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

'I'm glad Joe Biden finally acknowledged that's a problem, but he forgot to mention a main reason for our defenselessness: Democrats took billions in weapons that had been bought by taxpayers over decades and in a year sent them all to Ukraine.'

Banks continued, saying replenishing the U.S. stockpiles 'as fast as possible is a big priority for Republicans this Congress' in order to project strength abroad.

After the CNN interview aired, a White House official seemed to walk back the comment by the president.

'The military has specific requirements for the numbers of weapons systems and ammunition we maintain in our reserves in case of contingencies or military conflict,' a White House official reportedly said in a statement. 'Everything we send to Ukraine is in excess of that. So, the U.S. is not running out of ammunition ourselves.'

Last year, the Biden administration called the use of cluster bombs in the Russia-Ukraine conflict a 'war crime.'

In a full 180 decision, last week the the administration decided to send Kyiv the bombs, and insisted they are essential to Ukraine's defenses.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan defended the decision Friday saying it was 'not easy' but 'we will not leave Ukraine defenseless.'

'We recognize that cluster munitions create a risk to civilians which is why we have deferred decision as much as we could,' he continued.

House Republicans have been vocal about the need to slow the pace at which the United States is providing assistance to Ukraine.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last month that the push for more supplemental aid for Ukraine is 'not going anywhere' in the House and he planned to block moves by the Senate to add additional funding for the country.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., tweeted Sunday that the U.S. should not send more artillery to Ukraine.

'Biden just admitted we're low on artillery ammunition. We cannot be sending any more to Ukraine. America comes first.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, also tweeted about Biden's 'stunning admission' during the interview.

'In this interview is a stunning admission from Biden, something I've been warning about for over a year: He says the Ukrainians are running low on 155mm artillery shells, and so are we. The Ukraine war is a massive drain on our national security,' said Vance.

Biden just admitted were low on artillery ammunition.



We cannot be sending any more to Ukraine.



America comes first. https://t.co/LOmyKArO7L  Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) July 10, 2023

The U.S. has decided to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine in aid of its counteroffensive against Russian forces

President Biden and his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan

U.S. law bans the transfer of cluster munitions that have more than a one percent 'dud' rate - or fail to go off more than one percent of the time. Such bombs that don't go off immediately can create land mines and explode at a later date and harm civilians.

But Sullivan confirmed Biden had signed a waiver allowing a transfer of such weapons with a higher dud rate - but said the rate would be 'not higher than 2.5 percent.'

A group of House and Senate Republican committee leaders praised Biden's new move but went after him for taking too long.

'While no weapons system is a proverbial golden bullet, DPICMs will help fill a key gap for Ukraine's military and will allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to target and eliminate Russian forces more efficiently, including in fortified positions on the battlefield,' said House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch, and Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker.

'Providing DPICMs will also decrease the strain on America's stockpile of unitary warheads.'

However, the move was criticized by more progressive Democrats, including Reps. Barbara Lee, California, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., an Air Force Veteran who serves on the Armed Services and Intel Committees.

'I am alarmed to hear [Biden] is considering sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. Many people are unaware of these dangerous weapons,' Lee said, linking to a Human Rights Watch report about civilian deaths in Ukraine due to cluster munitions.

'The Ukrainian people are engaged in a just struggle for their rights, freedom and humanity. The US and Ukraine don't need to stoop to Putin's level.'
The alleged killer had been acting 'erratically' in the days before the shooting

Officers were dispatched to the wrong address after reports of gunshots

A mass shooter who killed four people actually killed one of his victims at least two days earlier, according to law enforcement.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun as he stalked Kingsessing in Philadelphia, shooting seven and killing five on July 3.

But authorities are now saying that Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, was actually gunned down on July 2, raising questions about how Carriker was allowed to carry on his spree without being apprehended for the first shooting.

Officers say they responded to a 911 call for reports of gunfire South 56th Street  but were dispatched to the 1600 block of North 56th Street and saw no evidence of a shooting.

The call came in 44 hours before the slayings at 8.30pm, with Carriker donning a bulletproof vest to stalk the streets.

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun as he stalked Kingsessing in Philadelphia, shooting seven and killing five on July 3

But authorities are now saying that Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, was actually gunned down on July 2, raising questions about how Carriker was allowed to allegedly kill without being apprehended for the first shooting

Police say cross-dressing Carriker opened fire on occupied cars and passers-by while wearing a ski mask. He remains in prison and was refused bail.

Da'Juan Brown, 15, Lashyd Merritt, 20; Ralph Moralis, 59, Dymir Stanton, 29, and Wamah all died in the mass shooting.

A toddler, aged 2, and a teenage boy, 13, were shot in the legs but survived the deadliest shooting in Philadelphia in more than two decades.

Carriker was arrested on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street when responding officers caught up with him. He had extra magazines and a police scanner on his person.

Authorities have yet to confirm the motive for the killings, claiming he shot them at random, and were unable to confirm why he targeted Wamah 44 hours before.

In a new timeline, officers say that they initially received calls of gunshots art 2am on July 2, around 90 minutes after Wamah was shot.

Neighbours of Wamah claim they heard shots at 12.30am, from the home where he lived alone with his father.

His father discovered him dead on Independence Day after returning home, and refused to leave his side as he was loaded into an ambulance.

The suspected gunman Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of murder and other charges in the shooting. He is being held without bail

Daujan Brown, 15, and Lashyd Merritt, 22, were two of the people killed in the mass shooting

Ralph Moralis, 59, was also gunned down during the shooter's killing spree. Carriker had no apparent connection with any of the victims

Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the suspect, who wore a bullet proof vest and a ski mask during the shooting, may have obtained at least one of his weapons illegally

The random shooting saw Carriker target a mother driving her 2-year-old twins home - one of whom was shot four times in the legs and the other who was hit in the eyes by shattered glass.

Witnesses claim that Carriker had been acting erratically in the days before the shooting, and his roommates had avoided him. It is thought that at least one of his weapons was obtained illegally.

He would shout and regularly brandish his guns and post images of him in women's clothing online.

Carriker was taken into custody 10 minutes after police arrived on the scene on July 3 and was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of murder.

In the hours after his arrest, Carriker told police that the killing spree was his way of helping police address the gun violence problem because 'all these guys are out there killing people.'

He also told officers that they did a good job, before claiming that Yahweh, which is a Hebrew name for God, would be sending more people to help.

Cornered in an alley, the suspect surrendered and was found to have not only the rifle but also a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said

A police officer moves a scooter in the area of a mass shooting incident in the Southern District of Baltimore the morning after gunfire left two dead

A total of 16 mass shootings took place across the nation from Friday evening until Wednesday morning, leaving 15 dead and 94 injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Pictured: A double shooting in the Bronx on Wednesday morning left one teen dead and another hurt

Carriker has been unmasked as a cross-dressing Black Lives Matter supporter who made chilling Facebook posts about 'evil spirits' and 'black massacres.'

District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement Sunday: 'As the DA's Office and the Philadelphia Police Department made clear throughout last week, the investigation of this horrifying tragedy is active, ongoing, and will continue throughout the course of our prosecution of this defendant.'

The alleged killer had a rap sheet dating back to 2003 when he pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm without a license. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $1,000.

Carriker made an appearance in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for an arraignment on charges that also included four counts of attempted murder plus reckless endangerment and aggravated assault charges, court records showed.

A total of 16 mass shootings took place across the nation from Friday evening until Wednesday morning, leaving 15 dead and 94 injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.

As of Wednesday, 351 mass shootings have taken place across the country so far this year.

At that pace, the United States will experience 689 mass shootings in 2023, just shy of the 690 recorded in 2021, the most of any year since 2014, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Reverend Al Sharpton's pastor brother has been jailed for 30 months for a slew of crimes including drug trafficking, income tax evasion and lying to obtain Social Security disability benefits.

Pastor Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow, 58, the half-brother of the civil rights leader, was sentenced to more than two years behind bars on Thursday for his illegal acts. His prison stint begins on August 17.

Glasgow pleaded guilty to embezzling $407,000 from two non-profit organizations he founded including, The Ordinary People Society (TOPS) located in Dothana, Alabama a felon voting rights advocacy organization, and the Prodigal Child Project.

Though the prosecutors allege he may have taken nearly $1 million from the nonprofits without reporting the income, US District Judge R. Austin Huffaker rejected that claim, The Christian Post reported.

After the sentencing hearing Jim Parkman, one of Glasgow's defense attorneys, told the news outlet it was 'a fair sentence.'

Pastor Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow, 58, with his half-brother Rev. Al Sharpton

Glasgow is the son of Sharpton's father, Al Sharpton Sr., and Sharpton's older half-sister, Tina Glasgow, ProPublica reported. Tina Glasgow is one of two children Sharpton's mother, Ada, had during her first marriage in Alabama. Pictured: Al Sharpton speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Glasgow also tried to deceive the Social Security administration in order to collect disability benefits, but was ordered to repay the $376,000 he collected.

Pastor Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow was sentenced to more than two years behind bars on Thursday for his illegal acts. His prison stint begins on August 17

The con-artist pastor, who also runs Kenny Sharpton-Glasgow Ministries International, also pled guilty to conspiring with another man, Willie Frank Peterson, to distribute cocaine. That case is still pending, as per the news outlet.

Previous crimes include an alleged assault on a police officer who reportedly tried to remove the illegal drugs Glasgow had been hiding in his mouth during a traffic stop.

He is scheduled to appear in court later this month regarding the assault charge, but his camp believes that the other charges he is facing will be dropped, News 4 reported.

In March 2018, Glasgow was taken into custody with 26-year-old Jaime Townes after the body of 23-year-old Breunia Jennings was found in a wrecked car in Alabama.

Jennings had been shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they believe Townes was angry at Jennings because he believed she had stolen his car.

Dothan police said several people, including Townes and Glasgow, were arrested at the scene and transported to the department for interviews.

Police then charged Townes and Glasgow with capital murder. According to police, Jennings was shot during a dispute over a car.

The authorities said that 'instead of him (Townes) notifying law enforcement, he took matters in his own hands and jumped in Mr. Glasgow's vehicle to find Breunia Jennings.'

Authorities said numerous shots were fired at the vehicle Jennings was driving and police believe Townes fired those shots.

Glasgow later appeared in court and questioned the murder charge against him.

'I don't know why I am facing capital murder charges,' Glasgow stated, as per The Dothan Eagle.

'I'm not responsible for what someone else does. He just asked me for a ride to take him to look for his car.'

Rev. Al Sharpton's pastor brother Kenneth Glasgow Sharpton (pictured) was jailed for 30 months for drug trafficking, income tax evasion and lying to obtain Social Security benefits

The 23-year-old victim Breunia Jennings was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was found in a wrecked car in Alabama

According to Alabama law, murder committed by or through the use of a deadly weapon while the victim is in a vehicle is considered a capital crime, the Eagle reported.

Glasgow was charged with murder because it's believed he aided or abetted Townes by letting him use his car.

In this case, aiding or abetting is equally liable for the underlying crime, according to the state's complicity statue.

He was eventually cleared of the capital murder charge.

Kenneth and Al Sharpton share the same father, Al Sharpton, Sr. Glasgow served a 14-year-sentence on robbery and drug convictions more than two decades ago. The experience inspired him to launch the nonprofit The Ordinary People's Society, whose mission is to promote a number of social justice initiatives, including felon voting rights

Glasgow, who was born in Brooklyn but raised in Alabama led a different life than his half-brother Al Sharpton. The brothers - Kenneth and Al - share the same father.

Glasgow was born after Al Sharpton Sr., and Sharpton's older half-sister, Tina Glasgow, began a sexual relationship, ProPublica reported.

During an interview with the publication he said: 'I was born messed up. My fingers messed up. It's meant for me to be messed up.'

Glasgow served a 14-year-sentence on robbery and drug convictions more than two decades ago. The experience inspired him to launch the nonprofit The Ordinary People's Society, who mission is to promote a number of social justice initiatives including, felon voting rights.

His community outreach over the years had helped those afflicted with drug addiction, mass incarceration, homelessness, poverty, unemployment and hunger.

Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, testified on Glasgow's behalf and described him as having 'no boundaries of who he will help,' the news outlet reported.

Glasgow's defense team said that the judge took into account Glasgow's community work when deciding on his 30-month prison sentence.
A young woman screamed for help from the balcony of her 14th floor flat moments before she was allegedly strangled to death by her boyfriend, a murder trial has heard.

Liam Cain, 19, went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court today accused of murdering his girlfriend Courtney Boorne, which he denies.

Ms Boorne, 20, was found unresponsive at the couple's flat on Quarry Green Heights in Kirkby, Merseyside, on December 23 last year.

A jury of four men and eight women heard how the pair had been in a relationship for around three years by Christmas 2022.

Gordon Cole KC, prosecuting, described how Ms Boorne, a care worker, was seen leaving for work at 6:30am on the day of her death with Mr Cain subsequently heading out at roughly 10:30am.

Courtney Boorne, 20, was found unresponsive in Kirkby, Merseyside, on December 23 last year

They were then captured on CCTV taking a bus home from Robson Street, Anfield, re-entering their address at 2:45pm.

Shortly after 3.30pm, Mr Boorne phoned her mum, Cheryl, and told her 'if she didn't hear from her within an hour to call the police, because something was going on'.

Mr Cole told the court: 'Courtney was concerned. Concerned that the defendant was going to take her phone from her, and she was concerned about that which the defendant had done to her in strangling her and getting hold of her.'

Just over an hour later, a woman named Maureen Dixon - who lived in an adjacent block of flats - dialled 999 to report that she could see a woman in an apartment opposite 'screaming and climbing onto the window ledge'.

Mr Cole added: 'Maureen Dixon said that the female appeared to be shouting at someone inside the flat. Courtney Boorne was heard to shout "please". She was crying and she was shouting, "he has all the doors locked and he won't let me out".'

Another witness, Ria Green, also called the police to 'report a female shouting out of the window, screaming, shouting "call the police, he's choking me".'

Mr Cole continued: 'She was described by Ria Green as screaming, and the window was then closed. What they couldn't see, of course, was what was going on inside the flat.

'The only two people inside the flat were Courtney Boorne and this defendant.'

Officers then attended the 14th-storey property 'very quickly' and had to force entry upon their arrival shortly before 5pm. They discovered Ms Boorne unconscious on a bed in the bedroom with 'visible marks to her neck'.

Liam Cain, 19, went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court today accused of murdering his girlfriend at their flat (pictured)

She was rushed to Aintree University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 7:02pm. A post-mortem investigation later found that she had suffered a cardiac arrest because, Mr Cole said, 'of the asphyxia, the strangulation, the smothering of her by this defendant'.

Mr Cain was arrested after being found 'crouched down, leaning on an armchair in the living room' with 'scratch marks' on his head and face. The court heard Mr Cain had sent a text to his dad saying: 'I love you the world, everyone.'

Mr Cole concluded the prosecution's opening by saying: 'The defendant seems to be saying that what he did was something that he did in lawful and reasonable self-defence. He is saying he was defending himself from an attack by Courtney Boorne.

'We say, when we look at the facts of the case, it may well be that Courtney was struggling - struggling to get out. She wanted out of the flat. It may be that the question of his intention becomes an issue for your consideration during the trial.

'We say, in very simple terms, that whatever had been going on - whatever argument there may have been - it was this defendant exhibiting aggression and violence, so much so that Courtney Boorne shouted for help from the 14th floor.'

Mr Cain, who is represented by Andrew Radcliffe KC and wore a shirt and tie in the dock, denies murder.

The trial, before Judge Brian Cummings KC, continues.
There have already been 7 fatal shark attacks reported globally this year

As the summer heats up, the United States continues to lead the number of shark attacks in the world.

Last year, the country saw 41 of 57 confirmed cases worldwide, which is a shocking 72 percent of the world's total for 2022, according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF).

More specifically, Florida is by far the shark capital of the world, registering 16 unprovoked nonlethal bites last year - the most attacks of any other state or any single place, for that matter.

The state's Volusia County, known as a shark hot spot, saw 44 percent of the total attacks.

New York saw the next most attacks last year, with eight total. Hawaii was next, with five total bites, one of which was fatal.

Drove mages obtained by DailyMail.com show at least three sharks swimming close to the shore in Southampton on Saturday

The United States continues to register the most shark attacks in the world. Sharks are pictured off the New York coast on Saturday

The total global number of shark attacks last year, however, was less than the average of 70 cases worldwide of the five years prior. The total numbers of cases in the U.S. also went down last year from 2021's 47 reported attacks.

Moreover, 2022 saw five fatal unprovoked shark bites - two in Egypt, two in South Africa, and one in Hawaii.

As of July 10, there have already been seven fatal unprovoked shark attacks this year, including three in Australia and two in Egypt.

ISAF defines an unprovoked shark attack as 'incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the sharks natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.'

And the nation is on track to register the most shark bites worldwide this year again; it has seen 23 of 42 reported attacks globally.

The New York area is particularly on high alert this summer.

Last week a 15-year-old was attacked by a shark off the coast of Fire Island. The surfer said the shark had lodged its teeth into his left heel and toes, but they still remained intact.

Three more people were bitten the next day, including a 47-year-old man swimming in chest-deep water off Quogue Village Beach, police said. He had cuts to his knee.

The two others, a 49-year-old man at Pines Beach and a woman at Cherry Grove, both suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Fire Island will now remain on high alert for the rest of the summer after six shark attacks took place in three weeks in the area last summer.

Drove mages obtained by DailyMail.com show at least three sharks swimming close to the shore in Southampton on Saturday.

Prior to 2022, New York had only recorded a dozen unprovoked bites. Over the last decade, there were just four people bitten by sharks, according to data compiled by the International Shark Attack File, which tracks shark attacks around the world.

Last year, eight people reported being bitten by sharks swimming in the shallows off Long Island's beaches. So far this year, there have already been five bite reports.

According to ISAF, 'Year-to-year variability in oceanographic, socioeconomic and meteorological conditions significantly influences the local abundance of sharks and humans in the water.'

The majority of unprovoked shark attacks were recorded in the USA and Australia last year, however single bites also occurred in New Zealand, Thailand and Brazil

And the nation is on track to register the most shark bites worldwide this year again, with the New York area particularly on high alert. Smith Point Beach in Long Island pictured above

Six shark attacks took place last year along the Long Island coast within just six weeks

Since 2000, the year 2015 holds the record for the most shark attacks in one year, with 111 unprovoked attacks.

The International Shark Attack File has recorded 1,604 unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. since the 16th century. The next country with the most attacks, Australia, has seen less than half than the U.S., 691.

The number of yearly shark attacks has risen over the last 70 years; in 1950, there were 50 reports of shark attacks worldwide, and by 2020 the average number of bites each year had risen to 70.

Just two months ago, governor Kathy Hochul announced the addition of 10 drones to its squadron, bringing the total to 18 that can be used to monitor shark activity along her state's beaches.

'With New Yorkers and visitors alike preparing to enjoy our beautiful Long Island beaches all summer long, their safety is our top priority,' Ms Hochul said in May.

'This year we are taking further action to protect beach-goers by increasing surveillance to monitor for shark activity near beaches off the South Shore.'

An increase in shark sightings might suggest a healthier ecosystem, some say. Cleaner waters allow the small fish that sharks feed on to flourish. More small fish swimming closer to shore means more sharks nipping at their tails.
A federal judge in Louisiana on Monday refused to put a temporary hold on his own order limiting Biden administration officials contacting social media companies, keeping the block in place.

The ruling was a setback for President Joe Biden, whose attorneys had asked U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to stay his own order while they pursued an appeal.

Doughty, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said the administration failed to show any specific contact that is needed.

'Defendants do not identify any specific conduct that they claim is lawful but prevented by the injunction,' the federal judge said in Monday's ruling.

Doughty has been critical of the Biden administration, saying officials tried to create an 'Orwellian Ministry of Truth' by colluding with companies like Meta, YouTube and Twitter to suppress viewpoints in the middle of the pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, who was appointed by Donald Trump, refused to block his own order preventing contact between administration officials and Big Tech

The case was brought by Republican attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.

In the original ruling Doughty barred Biden administration members from meeting executives. And he refused to block his own order while the administration appeals it to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The administration can also ask the appeals court for a stay.

Doughty's injunction, issued last week, barred government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI from talking to social media companies for 'the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech' under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

In his order, Doughty made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, ruling they could meet to discuss national security and criminal activity.

His order marked a win for Republicans who sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government. The GOP has claimed a win for free speech.

Critics, however, said the order was broad, unclear and could chill government efforts to fight misinformation on important topics.

Some worry it could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives as Americans prepare for the 2024 presidential election.

And administration officials argued the tech companies control their own policies regarding misinformation and that the lawsuit casts officials' comments on issues and policy as threats.

Monday's ruling was a setback for President Joe Biden's administration

The administration also said Doughty's original order was too broad and it was unclear about who in the executive branch it covers and what they can or cannot say about important topics discussed on social media platforms. .

Government officials argued the contact was necessary to combat misinformation or thwart criminal activity - particularly when it came to misinformation about the COVID vaccine and the 2020 election.

The case involved President Joe Biden's White House; Google, led by Sundar Pichai; Twitter led by Elon Musk; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, led by Mark Zuckerberg.

Many Republicans, including Donald Trump himself, argued that conservatives were unfairly targeted and had posts removed by social media platforms. They accused Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube of censoring its critics.

In the case, the attorneys general said the government's actions amount to 'the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.'

'Big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day,' wrote Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Twitter. 'I'm proud to have led the fight.'

Doughty agreed, ruling the states 'have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.'

Companies involved in the case include Twitter, headed by Elon Musk

Google, headed by CEO Sudar Pichai

And Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, headed by Mark Zuckerberg

He ruled parts of the government - including the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation - could not talk to social media companies for 'the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.'

Specifically named as being barred from contact were Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and all employees of the Justice Department and FBI.

The judge said the agencies and officials could not flag specific posts to the social media platforms or request content be taken down.

The government argued it did not have the authority to order posts or entire accounts removed.

Officials also noted they have long cooperated with Big Tech to take action against illegal or harmful material, especially in cases criminal activities like child sexual abuse or human trafficking or to track potential terrorist activity.
Turkey backed down on blocking Sweden's bid to join NATO on Monday after talks in Lithuania just hours after Joe Biden landed in the Baltic nation's capital Vilnius.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made the announcement in a joint statement with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Ulf Kristersson.

Erdogan said he would urge Turkish MPs to ratify Sweden's application to join the 31-member mutual defense club 'as soon as possible'.

Biden reacted to the news by indicating that a deal had been done on F-16 fighter jets for Turkey.

'I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area,' he said in a statement released by the White House.

Earlier, the strongman leader had linked dropping his opposition to Stockholm's possible membership to reviving long-dead EU accession talks.

The developments came after the commander-in-chief landed in Lithuania as Ukraine also eyes membership of the 31-member military alliance.

The 80-year-old touched down in the capital, Vilnius, after a fence-mending whistle-stop trip to the United Kingdom where he has faced accusations of being anti-British.

Biden was overheard on arrival claiming that his meeting in London with King Charles 'went well' where the two men discussed climate change and China.

Biden arrived from Britain where he had held talks with King Charles

Biden arrived in Lithuania from the United Kingdom earlier on Monday amid an ongoing row over the U.S. move to send cluster bombs

The commander-in-chief joked with locals after touching down in Vilnius after a short trip to London

After being greeted by his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda on the tarmac in Vilnius, Biden will wade straight into another row.

There has been been uproar over Washington's decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine despite more than 100 nations worldwide banning the highly lethal weapons.

Britain, Canada, Spain and New Zealand have expressed concern about shipping the controversial arms to Kyiv's armed forces, and even top Democrats have hit out at the White House's decision.

But the commander-in-chief was defiant in an interview with CNN, hitting back at his critics of the move.

He said that cluster bombs would help Ukraine expel Russian invaders from its territory and would make up for a shortage of traditional ammunition.

However, the president appeared to accidentally let slip that the U.S. too was running low on shells.

'This is a war relating to munitions. And they're running out of that ammunition, and we're low on it,' Biden said.

'And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to  not permanently  but to allow for this transition period while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians.'

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is also pushing for guarantees that Kyiv will also be granted membership, something that Biden has ruled out - for now - because it was 'in the middle of a war.'

But the country's chances of becoming a member of the world's most important military alliance received a boost earlier.

NATO officials have already agreed on a fast-track application process, announced by Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier on Monday.

It means Ukraine will no longer be required to take part in the club's Membership Action Plan, a process of key reforms demanded of any potential member.

'Following intensive talks, Nato allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine's path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to Nato. It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member,' Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

It marks a diplomatic breakthrough for Ukraine ahead of Zelensky's attendance at the summit in Lithuania.

He told ABC News in an interview that he wants 'effective security guarantees' while it is waiting for full membership.

A senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that 'the time is not right for an invitation to Ukraine' owing to Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of the country.

But the source said the leaders would sketch out 'concrete steps towards membership.'

A paper by ex-NATO chief Ander Fogh Rasmussen and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak last year suggested a Kyiv Security Compact, effectively shadow NATO membership, to protect the country and its people from future Russian aggression.

It said that it should include US, Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Turkey, as well as Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe.

Ukraine was first considered for NATO membership in 2008, but was never offered a formal process to join amid fears that Russia would be provoked by such a move.

Under Article 5 of the alliance's mutual defense treaty, an attack on one NATO ally is considered as an attack on all.

But it is not automatic and the clause requires the approval of all NATO countries to be triggered.

That has happened only once since NATO was founded in 1949; in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and George W. Bush's invasion of Afghanistan.

DailyMail.com understands that British prime minister Rishi Sunak will use the meeting in Vilnius to tell all NATO allies to reach the agreed 2 percent spend of GDP on defense.

Only 11 countries hit that target: the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland Romania, Hungary, Latvia and Slovakia.

But Poland recently announced it would ramp up defense spending to as much as 4 percent by the end of this year in response to Russia's war on Ukraine,
Big names are leaving Twitter in favor of Mark Zuckerberg's new platform Threads.

Among them are highly influential personalities like Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez and AOC - and they're being followed by regular users too.

On Monday morning Zuckerberg claimed that 100 million people had signed up for the new social media platform in just five days, making it the fastest-growing social network ever.

Driving much of the migration away from Twitter is that Musk has alienated the platform's liberal faction with his relaxed approach to content moderation. That also spooked advertisers and cut into the company's revenue, which has dropped by around 40 percent since 2022.

Online traffic monitoring services have also indicated that in just a few days the number of visitors to the twitter.com domain had taken a hit. Data from Cloudflare Radar that showed just weeks ago Twitter ranked as the 34th most visited website. Now, it ranks 39th.

To start the year, just shortly after Musk's takeover of the platform, Twitter ranked as the 32nd most popular website.

The fast-growing popularity of Threads seems to have rattled Musk. On Thursday an attorney for Twitter indicated the company might even sue Meta - its parent company - for hiring former staff with access to its trade secrets.

Elon Musk may have lost around $30billion on his investment in Twitter, from which a number of high-profile users are now fleeing in favor of Zuckerberg's 'kinder' app Threads

Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey were among the first to join Threads

Driving the migration of many users away from Twitter is a hostile political environment on the platform caused in part by Musk's relaxed approach to content moderation

Online data service Quiver Quantitative reported that the app passed 100 million users at 3am EST

Zuckerberg has opted to capitalize on the fact swathes of Twitter's old user base started to feel disenfranchised.

Some Twitter users expressed concern the platform has not done enough to curtail hate speech and that it is descending into a far-right forum are now loudly and proudly jumping ship.

His new platform presents itself as a 'friendly' alternative to Twitter for users that dislike Musk and the direction he is taking the company. Gordon Ramsey and Shakira were among the first to hop on board.

Users can port their Instagram followers to Threads, so Ramsey and Shakira had 1 and 3.4 million followers respectively within days of the platform's launch.

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez - known to have had multiple spats with Musk himself - is now very active on the Threads. Nonetheless, she was still using Twitter on Monday afternoon.

The Washington Post was also among the first 260,000 users, according to the New York Observer, and The New York Times followed suit shortly after.

Other outlets like the Miami Herald and the Charlotte Observer were also on the app. DailyMail.com is also on Threads.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker was also among the first to get on Threads and in her very first post indirectly addressed the politically fraught social media climate.

'@threadsapp might prove to be a platform where folks are kind, thoughtful, don't feel encouraged to be mean, aggressive or hostile, there are other channels for that,' she wrote. 'This could be a new day.'

An interesting exception to the trend was the presence of conservative personality and founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk on Threads.

Investigative journalism non-profit ProPublica was also very active on the app, not only did it create its own profile but it also created a list of its reporters that had also created accounts.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker was also among the first to get on Threads and in her very first post she indirectly addressed the politically fraught social media climate

Jennifer Lopez has posted regularly on Threads within just a few days of its launch

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, known to have had multiple spats with Musk himself, is now very active on Threads

Zuckerberg's foray onto Twitter's turf will not only be an affront to Musk's ego but also affect the value of the company, for which he paid $44billion in October..

After the acquisition, Twitter became a private company and was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in November, meaning it cannot be valued according to market capitalization.

But Fidelity Investments suggested in later May its own stake in the company had plummeted in value since October, implying Twitter was then worth just $15billion - a third of what Musk paid for it.

Daniel McCarthy, an assistant professor of marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and a co-founder of Theta Equity Partners, said the woeful Fidelity valuation was likely driven in part by the fact Musk overpaid for Twitter.

'The marking to market of Twitter by Fidelity was likely driven by a combination of $44B being a high price for the acquisition, coupled with the severe decline in revenue,' he told DailyMail.com in an email.

While Musk may have brought Twitter closer to being profitable through aggressive cost-cutting, most readily cuttable costs have now been cut. That means if revenues drop any more than they have already, profits will be eaten into fast.

McCarthy suggested Twitter revenue is now down around 40 percent from $5.1billion in 2022 to around $3billion annualized. But Musk's costs, he says, are also down a whopping 45 percent, from around $5.5billion to $3billion.

'If Threads takes off, more individuals (like me) will spend more time on Threads than they will on Twitter. Naturally, this will drive a decline in Twitter ad exposures that advertisers could bid on, which would drive a further decline in ad revenue,' he wrote.

Gordon Ramsey and Shakira were among the first to hop on board. Shakira had 3.4million followers on Monday

Users can port their Instagram followers to Threads, so Ramsey had a million followers within days

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, shared a screenshot to Twitter on Sunday of a chart suggesting that traffic on the platform was 'tanking'

'It does not appear that there is much more room for Musk to cut additional operating expenses, so this incremental loss of revenue could translate dollar-for-dollar into loss of profits.'

While Twitter has introduced subscriber-only exclusive features, McCarthy indicated that any extra revenue generated by that means is likely to be negligible.

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, shared a screenshot to Twitter on Sunday of a chart suggesting that traffic on the platform was 'tanking'.

On Monday, CNBC reported that web traffic to Twitter was down five percent for the first two full days Threads was generally available, compared with the previous week.

According to McCarthy such a loss of traffic could represent the beginning of the end for Twitter and noted he wouldn't be surprised if many of those invested in the platform will be starting to think about the possibility of a default.
The trial into the White Island volcanic eruption will finally get underway, three-and-a-half years after 17 Australians lost their lives in the New Zealand disaster.

Forty-seven people were on the island off the coast of Whakatane on December 9 2019, when a volcano erupted, killing 22.

Most of those killed and injured were tourists who had been travelling from Australia aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.

Many survivors were severely injured, including Melbourne woman Stephanie Browitt who suffered horrific burns to 70 per cent of her body.

She also lost her father, Paul and sister Krystal, 21, in the disaster.

Worksafe NZ brought criminal charges against the three brothers who owned the island and 10 other parties.

The judge-only trial which gets underway in Auckland on Tuesday is expected to last four months.

White Island survivor Stephanie Browitt (left) lost her dad Paul and sister Krystal (right) in the tragedy which claimed 17 Aussies

Island owners James, Peter and Andrew Buttle and their company Whakaari Management Limited (WML) will proceed to trial.

Worksafe NZ alleges the Buttle brothers and the company 'failed to obtain expert advice on how WML could ensure that guided tours of Whakaari were conducted safely'.

ID Tours New Zealand and Tauranga Tourism Services will also proceed to trial.

Six other parties charged have pleaded guilty to health and safety failings.

They include three helicopter tour operators which pleaded guilty to amended charges last Friday following a 12 month investigation.

'The survivors, and the family and whanau of those who passed, will be in many people's thoughts today,' NZ WorkSafe chief executive Phil Parkes said.

'Whakaari was an absolute tragedy, and we remember everyone who was impacted. These pleas acknowledge the processes that should have been in place to look after people's health and safety on the day Whakaari erupted.'

Stephanie Browitt (pictured) wore a mask for two-and-a-half years after suffering horrific burns to 70 per cent of her body

The trial into the White Island volcano tragedy (pictured) will finally get underway today

The National Emergency Management Agency had its charge dismissed in 2022.

Closely watching trial proceedings will be many of the Australian survivors and victims' families, including Karen Griffiths.

She lost her son Jason, 33, from Coffs Harbour, NSW in the tragedy.

'It's just something that I want to be over, it's taking forever  it's a nightmare that I'm not waking up from, it just continues and continues,' she told Seven News.

'There's a massive hole, it's a hole that will never be filled. 'If it wasn't for my husband, remaining children and my grandkids I wouldn't be here today  I'd have gone with Jason in a heartbeat.

Stephanie Browitt, now 27 spent two weeks in a coma fighting for life with third-degree burns to the majority to her body.

She unveiled her face for the first time since the tragedy in June 2022.

'I am tougher than I ever thought I would be,' she told 60 Minutes at the time.

'I think I have learnt that the fight for survival is a real thing. I was fighting everyday to survive, just to get back to myself.

'I never knew I had this in me.'

Stephanie Browitt (pictured before the tragedy) spent two weeks in a coma with horrific burns

She paid tribute to her late dad on his birthday last month.

Having you as my daddy was one of the best gifts in life, you were my love and light,' Ms Browitt posted.

'You lived and breathed for your girls, you gave us everything we ever needed or wanted. We couldnt have been more loved by you and mum. I promise to keep your memory alive until the day I die, its the least I can do. I will love, honour and remember you for the rest of my life. You helped give me this second chance at life, you are my hero.'

The coronial inquiry into the deaths in the volcano tragedy is still ongoing.

Once a popular tourist destination, White Island has been closed to visitors since 2019.

White Island owners James, Peter and Andrew Buttle and their company Whakaari Management Limited will proceed to trial, as will two tourist operators
Dame Joan Collins at 90 is never short of spicy anecdotes to pique the interest of fawning interviewers.

She tells the latest one that while filming an episode of the 1986 TV series Sins, her co-star Gene Kelly 'thrust his tongue deep into my mouth', adding that Debbie Reynolds told her 'the old French tongue had been down her throat, too'.

Sadly the old hoofer (1912-1996) isn't around to confirm nor deny it.

Joan Collins (left) and Gene Kelly (right) on the set of the 1987 TV show Sins

Dame Joan Collins, 90, (pictured) said her Sins co-star Gene Kelly 'thrust his tongue deep into my mouth'

Apropos the Collins clan, the 40th anniversary of her sister Jackie's best-selling book Hollywood Wives is marked by Jackie's daughter Rory Lerman.

Clearly an adherent of the family's tell-all tradition, she declares: 'She once sued a magazine distributed by [pornographer] Larry Flynt because they published a nude picture of a woman and claimed it was her.

After she died, we found a letter from Mr Flynt which charmingly opened with the line, 'Get off your high horse you f****** b****'.'

Having fronted the channel's coverage of last week's royal ceremony in Edinburgh, Sky News anchor Jayne Secker, pictured, naughtily tweets: 'Giving myself a special award for saying Crown Jewels repeatedly and not sniggering once.'

President Joe Biden's fleeting visit to London en route to a G7 summit elsewhere isn't surprising.

He's keener on his family's Irish roots than their English ones.

He's unlikely to boast about becoming the first sitting US president to meet two reigning British monarchs.

Noting that family friend Nigel Havers was present when her comedian son, Jack Whitehall (Nigel's godson), was born, actress Hilary Whitehall recalls: 'The only detail I remember is looking up at my feet in the stirrups to see Nigel coming through the door. Which I still haven't really recovered from.'

Gentlemanly Havers says: 'It's one of the highlights of my life.'

Perky Times columnist Caitlin Moran, describing her 'working-class' West Midlands life in Waitrose magazine (of all places), says: 'Growing up, I'd read about pizza but we couldn't afford to order one in.

'So I invented the "Wolverhampton Pizza": Take wholewheat bread, add loads of Cheddar, sliced onion, mushrooms and tomatoes  then put it in the oven for 20 minutes. It's still my favourite pizza.'

She muses: 'If you manage to get from a council estate to being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, there's a huge part of you that's like: "When are they going to make me go back?"'

Times columnist Caitlin Moran (pictured) said she invented the 'Wolverhampton Pizza'

The Royal Household's annual report maintains the illusion that the King and Queen will move into Buck House when the refurbishment work is completed.

But Charles has spent twenty years making nearby Clarence House his ideal home. Why should he be in a rush to leave it?

Nor do anything else to diminish his impressive property portfolio? Besides, moving out would leave Clarence House standing empty, tempting the Prince of Wales to consider housing homeless subjects there.
DPRK condemns U.S. plan to send strategic nuclear submarine to Korean Peninsula

Xinhua) 16:18, July 10, 2023

SEOUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) condemned the U.S. plan to send a strategic nuclear submarine to the Korean Peninsula in a press statement on Monday.

The deployment of the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine carrying nuclear warheads on the Korean Peninsula means that the U.S. strategic nuclear weapons will appear on the peninsula for the first time since 1981, said the statement, quoted by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The statement called the U.S. attempt to introduce strategic nuclear weapons onto the Korean Peninsula "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail against the DPRK and its neighboring countries and a grave threat and challenge to the regional and global peace and security."

It urged the United States to stop at once all the provocative moves.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Police are to speak to the midwife leading the review into what could become the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history.

Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Kate Meynell attended a public meeting yesterday where it was said she had pledged to review cases  paving the way for a potential criminal investigation.

It comes after it emerged the inquiry into baby deaths at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust will be the largest ever carried out in the UK with 1,700 cases now being examined.

Dozens of babies died or were left with serious injuries in maternity units at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital.

Bereaved parents then faced a battle for answers from the hospital which they accused of lacking transparency.

Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Kate Meynell (pictured) attended a public meeting yesterday where it was said she had pledged to review cases  paving the way for a potential criminal investigation

It comes after it emerged the inquiry into baby deaths at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust will be the largest ever carried out in the UK with 1,700 cases now being examined. Dozens of babies died or were left with serious injuries in maternity units at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital (pictured)

The inquiry is being led by Donna Ockenden, the midwifery expert whose report into the scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust found that failures had led to more than 200 deaths of babies. About 1,500 families had their cases investigated.

Nottingham has accepted its maternity services were unsafe and has paid almost 90million in compensation.

The claims related to dozens of deaths, stillbirths and 46 cases of babies left brain damaged after mistakes.

Ms Ockenden began her review in September 2022. At a meeting yesterday she said around 1,700 cases will be examined.

Some families wept as Ms Ockenden pledged to 'do all I can' to make sure no one else suffers the same harm.

She told the audience that behind the numbers are mothers and babies who suffered harm  'often avoidable, life-changing harm made worse by having to fight to be heard'.

She said: 'I know there are local families struggling to provide 24-hour care for babies who have been left severely brain damaged.

'I have heard from a mother whose baby is so poorly she asks herself regularly, "would it have been better if my baby had passed away?"

'I know there are families who never brought their babies home, or babies who did come home but died shortly afterwards.

'I know there are little boys and girls out there in Nottinghamshire today without their mummy as we all celebrate the end of the school year.'

The trust had planned to apologise to the families (like Sarah and Jack Hawkins, with their daughter Lottie (family pictured), who lost their daughter Harriet in childbirth in 2016 due to failings within Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) but those affected said it would be more 'meaningful' if it came after recommendations from Ms Ockenden's review are taken into account

Trust chief Anthony May, who came into office last September, said: 'Since I have been in the trust, I have given a commitment to all the families affected by these tragic events that I will listen to them.

'Some of the stories I have heard will undoubtedly stay with me for a very long time but it pales into insignificance to the pain these families have endured.'

The trust had planned to apologise to the families but those affected said it would be more 'meaningful' if it came after recommendations from Ms Ockenden's review are taken into account.

Nick Carver, NUH's chairman since February 2022, said it has 'failed' families and the community in the past.

Gary Andrews, whose daughter Wynter died 23 minutes after she was born at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre in 2019, asked Mr May and Mr Carver: 'Why is it left to yourselves to pick up the pieces... in Nottingham, when senior leaders in our view abandoned ship to avoid scrutiny?'
Nearly 10,000 small-boat migrants who reached Britain in the past four months were last night handed an 'amnesty' from the Government's tough new immigration measures.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman had previously said any migrants who arrived since March by 'irregular' routes  such as on dinghies across the Channel  would be barred from making asylum claims.

But in a major concession to get the Government's Illegal Migration Bill through Parliament, it will now apply only to migrants who reach the UK after the legislation gains Royal Assent.

Official figures show 9,622 migrants arrived on small boats between March 7 and Sunday.

The Home Secretary's concession means they will now be able to claim asylum under existing rules  meaning many are likely to stay in Britain indefinitely.

Official figures show 9,622 migrants arrived on small boats between March 7 and Sunday

Mrs Braverman said: 'This Bill forms a crucial part of our action to stop the boats and ensure people do not risk their lives by making illegal and unnecessary journeys to the UK. Today's amendments will help this crucial legislation pass through Parliament swiftly, whilst continuing to send a clear message that the exploitation of children and vulnerable people, used by criminals and ferried across the Channel, cannot continue.'

The Government's Bill suffered 20 defeats in the House of Lords as peers sought to water down its measures. It now faces a tortuous series of votes in the Commons as the Government seeks to erase peers' changes.

If it passes the 'ping-pong' stage between the two Houses today and tomorrow, the Bill could gain Royal Assent  and become law  within days.

In a further sop to the Lords, Mrs Braverman tabled further amendments which will increase safeguards around the detention of unaccompanied child migrants. If a child is detained for removal from Britain, an immigration judge will be able to grant bail after eight days instead of the previous proposal of 28 days. In a further concession, the Home Office will be able to detain pregnant women for a maximum of 72 hours, extendable to seven days on a ministers' authorisation.

Migrants who arrived since March 7 will still face bans on re-entering the UK and will be excluded from gaining settlement or citizenship in this country.

Migrants who arrived since March 7 will still face bans on re-entering the UK and will be excluded from gaining settlement or citizenship in this country

The Home Office confirmed that 269 migrants reached Britain across the Channel on Sunday, bringing the total so far this year to 12,772, compared with 13,286 at the same point last year.

It came as former home secretary and chancellor Ken Clarke said the Rwanda deal  which will see migrants sent to claim asylum in the east African nation rather than here  is the only way to stop small-boat crossings. 'We can no longer simply do nothing. We must give the Rwanda scheme a chance to work,' Lord Clarke, who is on the liberal wing of the Tory party, wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

 A man wanted in connection with a tragedy which saw 27 migrants drown in the Channel in 2021 has been extradited to France. Harem Ahmed Abwbaker, 32, was arrested by the National Crime Agency at a hotel in Cheltenham in November.
Former President Donald Trump ripped into Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Monday over her decision to stay 'neutral' in the 2024 Republican primary - yet will appear on the campaign trail with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey.

Trump took to Truth social to air his grievances, pointing out how he had endorsed Reynolds during her 2018 gubernatorial run - crediting himself for her ascent - only to have her appear in photo-ops with his political rivals.

Most recently, Reynolds tagged along Thursday when Casey DeSantis launched her 'Mamas for DeSantis' group outside of Des Moines, amid reports that the Iowa governor is over Trump.

'I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,' Trump posted to Truth Social. 'Now, she wants to remain "NEUTRAL."

While Reynolds was serving as lieutenant governor, Trump tapped Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in 2017 to serve as his ambassador to China, which elevated her to the governor's post.

Former President Donald Trump went after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynold in a Truth Social post Monday, after she appeared with Casey DeSantis on Thursday

The ex-president went on a rant against Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, suggesting that she owed her governorship to him after he nominated Gov. Terry Branstad in 2017 to serve as his ambassador to China, which elevated her to the governor's post.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (left) is staying neutral in the 2024 presidential primary, but team Trump is concerned she's gotten too cozy with Trump's main rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right)

She then ran for a full term in 2018.

'I don't invite her to events!' Trump also offered, adding 'DeSanctus down 45 points!'

That's an abbreviation for the nickname the ex-president has given to the Florida governor, who he considers his chief primary rival.

DeSantis is trailing Trump by 24 points in Iowa, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.

Trump did invite Reynolds to his first event in Iowa of the 2024 cycle, having her introduce him when he spoke to supporters in a historic theater in Davenport in mid-March.

But Reynolds also cleared her calendar to tour DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott and former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, among others, around the state.

Iowa governors typically remain neutral through the Iowa caucuses, which are historically the first presidential contest every election year.

Casey DeSantis (left) poses for a photo Thursday with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds during a Mamas for DeSantis event held outside of Des Moines

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (left) poses at a grilling event in Sioux City, Iowa alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) considered Trump's chief rival for the 2024 GOP nomination

Last week, Republicans settled on January 15 for the Iowa caucuses next year.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Reynolds had privately assured Trump she wouldn't make an endorsement.

But inside Trumpworld, the newspaper reported, 'alarms were blaring' after Thursday's event with Reynolds and Casey DeSantis.

Reynolds' coziness with Ron and Casey DeSantis has been the subject of internal campaign discussions, including that one of her senior political advisers, Ryan Koopmans, is also advising a DeSantis super PAC.

On Monday, Trump's annoyance burst out into the open, though he's hinted at it before.

'I hate to say it, without me, you know, she was not going to win, you know that right?' Trump said about Reynolds during an appearance in Iowa in June.

The remark did not earn applause from the audience.

Reynolds easily won reelection last year, winning 95 of Iowa's 99 counties.

Those familiar with the Iowa governor's thinking told The Times that she's tired of Trump - and was miffed that he believed that she owed him credit for her winning the governorship.
If passed, 37 gas stations would close from midnight to 5am every day

The mayor said the city is seeing violence from nearby Chicago spill over

Hammond, Indiana, is looking to shut down gas stations during overnight hours as gun violence rises

An Indiana city could force gas stations to close after midnight in a bid to curb gun violence following another fatal shooting.

In late June, a 33-year-old Chicago man was shot dead at a Luke's Gas Station on Stateline Avenue in Hammond. That now has city leaders considering a new law that would force the stations to shutter between midnight and 5am every day.

The move comes as Hammond has seen a spike in violent crime cases - going from 315 a year to 590 a year - and some have blamed spillover from Chicago - which is about 20 miles away.

If an ordinance is passed, 37 gas stations in the city would be impacted.

'I can't sit back and see innocent people become victims of violent crime,' Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. said in announcing the proposal.

Hammond, Indiana is considering shutting 37 down gas stations from midnight to 5am each night as violence from nearby Chicago spills into their typically quiet suburb

A June shooting at the Luke's in Hammond (Pictured here) helped spark the new law that could close gas stations in the Indiana town overnight

'I've been out here too long, and it needs to be safer than what it is,' said resident Creacy James

Hammond has seen its violent crime increase with 315 reported cases in 2019, according to FBI data. That figure jumped to 590 cases in 2021 - the latest year figures were available.

Chicago has also seen a massive spike in crime rate, jumping by 43 percent in 2023 compared to the same point in 2022. By mid-May 2023, there were 24,811 crimes reported in the Windy City. That was up from 17,387 reported in the same time span a year earlier.

McDermott pointed the finger at residents of nearby Chicago who enter the Hoosier State for their cheaper gas and items and bring crime with them.

'Cross border crime continues to be one of our greatest police challenges,' McDermott wrote, explaining the push to shut down the stations.

The city council was slated to vote on the measure put forth Monday night.

McDermott J pointed to the June shooting at the Luke's around am that left Ronnie Martin, 33, dead, according to the Chicago Tribune.

No arrests have been made in connection to the shooting.

Martin was allegedly shot in Hammond and drove to a Chicago hospital, where he later died.

'This was just the latest violent crime that took place at a gas station,' McDermott stated, adding that people from Chicago visit their city for cheap gas and cigarettes.

In his statement, the city's mayor said that gas stations have become an all-too-common site for crime to occur late at night.

'We have seen over the last several years violent criminal acts, often involving firearms, occurring at gas stations late and night and in the early morning hours,' McDermott continued.

The mayor said he fully supports the Hammond City Council's efforts to put forth the ordinance shutting down gas stations in the city lines.

'My job as mayor is to ensure the public's safety and this ordinance removes a place where, unfortunately, violent incidents continue to take place,' McDermott wrote.

'I can't sit back and see innocent people become victims of violent crime,' he said.

In a statement, Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. pointed the finger at residents of nearby Chicago who enter the Hoosier State for their cheaper gas and items and bring crime with them

Hammond has seen a spike in crime with 315 reported violent crimes in 2019, according to FBI data. That figure jumped to 590 cases in 2021

Residents of the suburb said they were split on the issue since it impacts potential business for local establishments.

'I think it's a bad idea,' resident Clarence Gorre told CBS Chicago. 'I don't think they should shut this gas station down. I frequent this gas station.'

'I don't think there's that much crime happening like that. There's crime everywhere,' the man explained.

Other residents who spoke with local outlets disagreed vehemently and said they believe it is necessary to end the violence.

'Yes, it needs to be done because the city won't do it, and some gas stations would do it,' Creacy James said.

'But Chicago don't care because I've been out here too long, and it needs to be safer than what it is,' the woman said.

'Crime's going to happen regardless,' Bridgette Wright told ABC. 'I mean, closing it at a certain time could probably, it might could help.'

'My job as mayor is to ensure the public's safety and this ordinance removes a place where, unfortunately, violent incidents continue to take place,' McDermott stated

'I think it's a bad idea,' resident Clarence Gorre (pictured) told CBS Chicago . 'I don't think they should shut this gas station down. I frequent this gas station'

Earlier this year a man was arrested after he allegedly shot another person in a road-rage incident within the city's lines.

The man was driving in a white box truck and began firing shots into a BMW. The driver of the BMW was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

In 2021, a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed while trick-or-treating in his grandmother's Hammond neighborhood.

Thomas Delacruz and another boy were enjoying Halloween when they were both shot near Phrommer Park.

Delacruz was pronounced dead at the scene while the other minor was shot in the leg and taken to the hospital.

'They took the soul, they took my soul, and I have to wake up like this every day,' said Delacruz's mother, Jasmine Anderson.
Jury selection is under way in the trial for a Las Vegas police officer accused of stealing nearly $165,000 in a series of daring casino heists.

Prosecutors have painted Caleb Rogers as a gambling addict who grew increasingly desperate under a crush of debt.

They claim Rogers, 35, carried out three robberies over four months at casinos off the Las Vegas Strip.

In at least one of the heists, he was armed with a weapon issued by the police department he worked for, prosecutors said.

Rogers was a seven-year police veteran employed by the Las Vegas Metro police as an active-duty patrol officer at the time of the robberies.

This photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department allegedly shows police officer Caleb Rogers captured by security cameras during a robbery at the Aliante hotel-casino

Rogers, 35, is accused of committing a series of casino heists and stealing almost $165,000

Rogers is seen during a Las Vegas court hearing from 2022, now he faces trial for his alleged robberies

Rogers' attorney, Richard Pocker, said the government's evidence allegedly tying Rogers to two of the robberies is weak.

He has accused the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detectives of pressuring two people- including Rogers' brother - into identifying him as the suspect in the robberies simply to close out the cases.

Opening statements should begin soon in a trial that is expected to last through the end of the week.

Rogers allegedly made off with more than $85,000 in the first two robberies between November 2021 and January 2022 at hotel casinos in the Red Rock Resort and Aliante Hotel, off the Las Vegas Strip, all while his police colleagues spent months trying to catch the thief, investigators and prosecutors said.

In February 2022, authorities said Rogers bagged an additional $79,000 in a third robbery at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, but security guards detained him outside following a brief struggle.

The robber's approach was essentially the same in all three crimes, authorities said. He wore a face mask, dark clothing and black latex gloves.

After cashiers handed over the money, he placed the cash inside a bag underneath his jacket.

Rogers, who was employed as an active-duty patrol officer at the time of the robbery. He hasn't been fired, but has been stripped of his police duties

Rogers allegedly made off with more than $85,000 in the first two robberies between November 2021 and January 2022 at hotel casinos in the Red Rock Resort, left and Aliante Hotel, right

In February 2022, authorities said Rogers bagged an additional $79,000 in a third robbery at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, pictured, but was apprehended by security guards

Rogers, who was denied bail after his arrest and has been in custody on four charges

Then the suspect with the 'unique gait' ran back to a 'disposable vehicle,' limping 'because of a problem with his leg,' according to a criminal complaint.

Mehmet Erdem, a professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, whose expertise includes hotel and casino operations, said heists are hard to pull off.

'The chances you get caught and are identified is very high,' he said, because of a combination of robust casino security teams with uniformed guards and plainclothes officers and advancements in security technology including facial recognition software and high-definition cameras.

Rogers remains employed at the police department but is on unpaid leave 'without police powers' pending the outcome of the criminal case, a department spokesperson said.

The witness list includes casino cashiers, security guards and Josiah Rogers, who identified his brother on video captured by casino security cameras during the first two robberies. Josiah Rogers has been granted immunity from prosecution.

Caleb Rogers, who was denied bail and has been in custody on four charges since his arrest, used his brother's car in one of the robberies and instructed him to get rid of it shortly thereafter, according to court documents.

In the third alleged robbery, Caleb Rogers parked an unregistered minivan outside the casino and entered just before 7am, while employees at the casino's sportsbook prepared to open.

He wore body armor underneath his clothing and was armed with a department-issued revolver with a yellow sticker covering its serial number, according to a criminal complaint.

He climbed over the counter, shoved one of two cashiers - a woman in her 60s - who was loading cash from a plastic bag containing $119,000 and yelled that he had a gun, the complaint said.

'Get away from the money. I've got a gun. I will shoot you!'he is said to have threatened, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

As he shoveled money into a bag hidden inside his jacket, loose bills floated onto the casino floor.

A group of security guards caught the suspect just after he made it past the casino's exit with about $79,000 in his jacket.

'This isn't your money. It's not worth losing your life over it.' Rogers is alleged to have stated.

He then drew his weapon and asked the guards if they were 'willing to be shot over this' before one of them grabbed the gun, the complaint details.

'Caleb reached into his waistband and removed a silver revolver,' police wrote in their report. 'Caleb had his finger on the trigger and began saying, 'Are you willing to be shot over this? I'm going to shoot you! Go ahead and shoot me now!''

'Caleb had a black drawstring bag with $78,898 in cash he had just stolen from Rio Sportsbook, which was photographed, recovered and released back to Rio Sportsbook,' police wrote.

When police officers arrived, Rogers allegedly announced his department personnel number, which authorities said is 'a way police officers commonly identify themselves to one another.'

A detective later asked Rogers if anything could have been done to prevent the robberies, according to the complaint.

'Nothing,' Rogers said.
When it comes to weapons of war, munitions dont get much uglier than cluster bombs.

Dropped from aircraft, or fired from land or sea, these deadly canisters contain a mix of explosive charges designed to destroy anything in their path.

Some submunitions, as they are called, destroy vehicles, while shells that blow up to scatter razor-sharp blades and ball-bearings lacerate soft targets  thats soldiers, civilians and any other living thing in the target zone.

As the fuse of each bomb is activated as it falls, they detonate above the ground rather than on impact, with the alarming consequence that large numbers of what are often called duds lie unexploded.

These serve as land mines, lying in wait for the unwary to step on them. While this so-called double-tap effect prevents enemy detachments marching back into the area, it also puts off medics and firefighters.

When it comes to weapons of war, munitions dont get much uglier than cluster bombs

Lets be frank: War is about killing. Ukraine is clearly the victim of naked aggression by Russia but even a good war is a very nasty thing

But perhaps the most tragic aspect of cluster bombs is that many of their victims are killed after the war is over, as unexploded ordnance presents a danger to the civilians who return to reoccupy the battlefield in peacetime.

And most poignantly of all, children often make up a disproportionate number of the resulting casualties. Attracted by the coloured ribbons attached to the bomblets by manufacturers in order to make visual identification of different types easier for the soldiers loading the canisters, from Afghanistan to Kosovo, youngsters died in horrifying circumstances.

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So why, you may ask, are the Americans offering cluster bombs to the Ukrainians? President Biden let slip the reason in an interview on Sunday: This is a war relating to munitions. And theyre running out of that ammunition, and were low on it.

Thats the scale of the war in Ukraine: it is so big that it has sucked even the Pentagons arsenal almost dry.

To keep Ukraine fighting, Washington has dug into its one remaining stockpile: Cluster bombs. But these are weapons which Britain and most of the USs other allies have banned as cruel and indiscriminate, just like landmines.

Rishi Sunak has avoided a public rift with the President, but there is no getting around the legal and ethical problems posed by the White Houses decision. Already the Kremlin is playing up Western hypocrisy. Then there is the risk that countries who followed Britains lead in banning cluster munitions and land mines will have second thoughts.

Nations in the many dangerous regions of the world live in a constant state of high anxiety  and it will be tempting for them to say: If Ukraine needs them for defence, so do we.

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of cluster bombs is that many of their victims are killed after the war is over

Most poignantly of all, children often make up a disproportionate number of the resulting casualties

Lets be frank: War is about killing. Ukraine is clearly the victim of naked aggression by Russia but even a good war is a very nasty thing.

Stopping Russian aggression by any means necessary could well prevent the kind of atrocities that Vladimir Putins army has committed in the territory it has occupied but lets not fool ourselves that cluster bombs are a chivalrous way to win.

President Zelensky obviously feels that to save his country, he has to say: No more Mr Nice Guy.

Many of us would come to the same conclusion if our own country was invaded by a brutal, murderous regime.

But giving Ukraine whatever it feels is militarily necessary is not something to be smug about. The Wests decades of complacency about military spending saw our stockpiles of less gruesome weapons shrink dangerously low.

Victory, or at least forcing Putin to accept terms by these terrible means, could save Ukraine from worse, but it shouldnt salve our consciences.
Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes' 11-year federal prison sentence has already been slashed by two years, prison records show.

Holmes' profile on the Bureau of Prisons website now states she has nine years, six months and 29 days on her sentence. Her projected release day is now December 19, 2032.

The mother-of-two was found guilty last year of four fraud-related counts and was sentenced to just over 11 years in prison - a sentence she began on May 30.

According to the website, federal prisoner number 24965-111, i.e. Holmes, will be released from Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, ahead of schedule.

She was jailed more than a year after a jury convicted her on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy in January 2022. She was sentenced in November after defrauding investors out of $945 million.

Holmes and Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani, her business partner and former longtime love interest, were ordered by the court to pay more than $452million in restitution to a number of victims of their fraud.

Elizabeth Holmes arrives at the minimum-security federal women's prison camp after scamming the tech world with her start-up, Theranos

Holmes reports the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas on May 30 to start her decade behind bars

The Bureau of Prisons told DailyMail.com: 'For privacy, safety, and security reasons, our office does not comment on the conditions of confinement for any inmate, including release planning or release plans.'

The BOP explained that release dates are projected, and all inmates can earn up to 54 days of Good Conduct Time each year. They can also participate in programs and productive activities, which can slash days off their sentences.

It's unclear what specifically led to the two years being reduced from her sentence.

The fraudster has appealed her conviction, though she remains in prison while that case works its way through the court system.

Holmes' new residence is hardly Alcatraz and the minimum security prison has instead been dubbed 'Club Fed', where inmates aren't even required to sleep in cells.

Among her possible 'dorm' mates is fellow fraudster and one-time Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah, who reported to Bryan in February to start a six-and-a-half-year sentence for her part in a telemarketing scam.

Bryan prisoners share four-person rooms with bunk beds in a dormitory-style set-up - and are even allowed to buy hobby items including crochet needles from the commissary at $1.30 a pop.

The convicted fraudster spent her final days of freedom soaking up the sun with her family  without any hope or possibility of another last-minute reprieve that allowed her to dodge prison for a month.

Holmes takes a stroll through the prison yard in Bryan, Texas

Holmes is picture in the documentary 'The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley', which detailed one of the biggest frauds in Silicon Valley

The disgraced tech CEO wore a casual outfit as she smiled and walked into prison on May 30

Holmes is serving her sentence out-of-state  miles away from the $9million San Diego mansion she shares with partner Billy Evans and their two children.

After her appeal to stay out of jail pending her court case was denied and she was ordered to prison, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila set a revised prison-reporting date of May 30, meaning Holmes was allowed to spend Memorial Day Weekend with her family before her spell in prison.

Holmes had once modeled herself as the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs and won widespread acclaim - including from Harvard University and Time magazine - for a phony technology, which she claimed would revolutionize blood-testing methods by using miraculously tiny volumes of blood, such as from a finger prick.

The mom-of-two started Theranos when she dropped out of Stanford University at the age of 19.

She had scooped in nearly a billion dollars in funding from some of the world's biggest pockets: Venture capitalist titans including Tim Draper, Donald Lucas and Dixon Doll; wealthy heirs to the founders of Amway, Walmart and Cox Communications; and heavyweights of tech and media such as Larry Ellison and Rupert Murdoch.

Holmes, then 29, is photographed holding a nanotainer of blood at Theranos headquarters in Palo Alto, California, in 2014

Before those lies were uncovered in a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal beginning in October 2015, Holmes had raised a staggering amount of money from some of the biggest names in business and tech.

Holmes' stake in Theranos at one point catapulted her paper wealth to $4.5 billion.

She never sold any of her stock in the company, though trial evidence left no doubt she reveled in the trappings of fame and fortune - so much so that she and the father of her children, William 'Billy' Evans, lived on a palatial Silicon Valley estate during the trial.

The theory that Holmes was running an elaborate scam was buttressed by trial evidence documenting her efforts to prevent the Journal's investigation from being published.

Holmes and partner Billy Evans with their two children William, 2, and 3 month old daughter Invicta walk back from the beach in San Diego, California

That campaign compelled John Carreyrou - the reporter responsible for those bombshell stories - to attend court and position himself in Holmes' line of vision when she took the witness stand.

Holmes also signed off on surveillance aimed at intimidating Theranos employees who helped uncover the flaws with the blood-testing technology.

The whistleblowers included Tyler Shultz, the grandson of former Secretary of State George Shultz, whom Holmes befriended and persuaded to join the Theranos board.

Holmes' supporters still contend she always had good intentions and was unfairly scapegoated by the Justice Department.

They insist she simply deployed the same over-the-top promotion tactics as many other tech executives, including Elon Musk, who has repeatedly made misleading statements about the capabilities of Tesla's self-driving cars.

Holmes steadfastly maintained her innocence during seven often-riveting days of testimony in her own defense - a spectacle that caused people to line up shortly after midnight to secure one of the few dozen seats available in the San Jose courtroom.

But she was ultimately found guilty for the crimes.
A proposal to move the ban on Australian caged eggs from 2046 to 2036 could see the cost of eggs soar to $15 for a dozen, cause nationwide shortages and push farmers to the edge.

A meeting between agricultural ministers on Thursday will determine whether the complete ban on caged eggs sales will be brought forward by 10 years.

A similar ban earlier this year in New Zealand saw egg prices rise up to to $15 per dozen - most Aussies currently pay about $5 per dozen.

'We are being warned that we could pay more for the privilege of having them on your plate with industry insiders warning that yes, a dozen could soon set you back $15 which is just unheard of, especially with the rising cost of living the way it is at the moment,' Sunrise reporter Tamara Bowe says.

An updated version of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry has recommended the ban be enforced from 2036, but industry stakeholders have pleaded for ministers to uphold the 2046 date.

Those stakeholders warned the sudden 10-year date change would drastically reduce the number of eggs Australian farmers can produce and drive price.

The price of eggs could rise to $15 per dozen if the Australian ban on caged egg farming is moved forward by 10 years (pictured, woman shopping for eggs)

Owner of LPC Eggs, an egg farm based in rural NSW town Young, Brett Langfield explained 70 per cent of his chickens are free-range but transitioning the last 30 per cent from caged would cost $20million.

Free-range chickens require three times more staff than caged chickens but only produce half the amount of eggs.

'We have no certainty about the future of our industry, we want some clarity about what we should be doing in the next 12 years,' Mr Langfield told the Daily Telegraph.

'We don't want to be in a situation where we need to import whole eggs because we can't produce enough. We should never do that due to biosecurity reasons.

'I don't believe the consumer is fully aware that their low cost protein source in eggs could substantially get more expensive based on decisions government's make now.'

Woolworths and Coles have pledged to phase out caged hens by 2025, with many farmers struggling to convert their businesses leading to a dip in supply and higher prices.

Pure Foods Eggs chief executive Kate Daley explained that the supply of free-range eggs is lagging because farmers are struggling to keep up with the demand and convert their farms from caged-egg production to free-range.

However, activists argue caged egg farming is inhumane and needs to be banned as soon as possible.

Caged egg farming sees hundreds of hens confined to small spaces, 'cages', inside sheds and factories while free-range egg farming allows chickens to roam free in paddocks.

Ministers will meet on Thursday to decide whether the ban date will remain at the industry-approved 2046 date or be moved forward to 2036 (pictured, free-range chickens near their coop)

'Hens in battery cages are constantly frustrated they can't do the things that come naturally  spread their wings, walk freely, dust bathe, forage, lay their egg in a nest,' RSPCA says on its website.

'Even though there is no room or materials for any of these activities, hens will still try and dust bathe despite the barren wire floor, such is their strong urge to perform this natural behaviour.

'Battery or 'conventional' cages today are much the same as they have been since the 1950s; small, barren and made of wire.

'Battery cages are indefensible from a welfare point of view.'

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty has not commented on whether she will support the ban being moved forward.

The high pressure on ministers could see the final decision tabled for another date.
Australia will deploy a surveillance aircraft for logistical support to Ukraine but it will not enter the war-torn country's airspace.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement during a visit to Germany ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuania.

Mr Albanese is set to meet the leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea on the sidelines of a meeting of the military alliance in Vilnius from Tuesday to discuss the war in Ukraine.

The early warning and control Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft will help protect multinational logistics hubs to ensure the uninterrupted flow of military and humanitarian aid into Ukraine, Mr Albanese said.

The aircraft will be deployed for six months with a base in Germany and will operate within European airspace while avoiding the territory of Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Australia will deploy a surveillance aircraft for logistical support to Ukraine but it will not enter the war-torn country's airspace, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) said

The Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical voice and data communications systems to provide airborne early warning and control, the Australian Defence Force said.

Mr Albanese said the deployment will include up to 100 crew and support personnel from Australia.

'This demonstrates Australia's commitment to upholding the rules-based international order,' he told reporters in Berlin on Monday.

The aircraft will be sent as part of Operation Kudu, the Australian Defence Force's commitment to the training of Ukrainian recruits in the United Kingdom.

Earlier, Mr Albanese announced Australia will sell locally made armoured vehicles to Germany under a $1billion defence export deal.

The prime minister met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin ahead of the NATO summit.

More than 100 Brisbane-made Boxer heavy weapon carriers will be sold to Germany, one of the largest defence export deals in Australia's history.

The Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail (above) will help ensure the uninterrupted flow of military and humanitarian aid into Ukraine

'This is good for our defence, this is good for our national sovereignty but it's also good for our economy,' he told reporters in Berlin.

Mr Albanese said the sale of the vehicles, made by German defence manufacturer Rheinmetall, would be worth more than $1billion to the Australian economy.

Both leaders declined to comment on the United States' decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a type of weapon banned by more than 100 countries including Germany and Australia as part of an international convention.

Mr Scholz called it 'a sovereign decision by the United States of America... we can say that we would not make such deliveries because we have made this commitment, and I won't comment any further on this American decision'.

Mr Albanese said Australia was also a signatory to the international convention.

'We don't have such weapons and we don't intend to change that position, and I agree with the Chancellor about his comments referring to what other nations may do,' he said.

The prime minister reaffirmed Australia's backing for the Ukrainian government and people on Monday.

'This is about the people of Ukraine, struggling to defend their democracy and their sovereignty,' he said.

Australia will also sell more than 100 Brisbane-made Boxer heavy weapon carriers (above) to Germany, one of the largest defence export deals in Australian history

Mr Albanese's three-day visit to Europe will include a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

He'll also meet with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, who have been invited to attend the NATO summit.

Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko thanked Mr Albanese and said Ukraine was grateful for the military and humanitarian aid.
A pair of baby-faced brothers who plotted to join ISIS from their bedroom in Birmingham have admitted terror offences.

Muhammad Abdul Haleem Heyder Khan and younger sibling Muhammad Hamzah Heyder Khan had made preparations to travel to Afghanistan when they were arrested on November 2, last year.

The 21 and 18-year-old were found to have encouraged others to 'shed' the blood of non-believers, as well as threatened former Prime Minister David Cameron.

The pair had initially denied their crimes when brought before a jury at Birmingham Crown Court last week, but the brothers changed their pleas on Monday, July 10.

The court previously heard the pair had 'bought clothes and equipment to travel to Afghanistan' having been radicalised.

Muhammad Hamzah Heyder Khan (pictured), 18, tried to join ISIS from his Birmingham bedroom

Muhammad Abdul Haleem Heyder Khan (pictured), 21, pleaded guilty along with his brother to terror charges

Jurors were told the brothers used encrypted messaging app Telegram and had material on their phones promoting jihad.

The pair, both of St Josephs Road, Ward End, were arrested on November 2 last year by counter-terror police.

A trial began last week but today both defendants pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Harpeet Sandhu, prosecuting, said: 'Until November 2 these two brothers lived with their parents and other siblings at an address in Ward End, here in Birmingham at St Josephs Road. Over the course of 2022 these two brothers became increasingly radicalised.

'They had prepared to travel to Afghanistan so they could join and support terrorist activity. They intended to be part of a terrorist organisation know as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).'

Khorasan is a historic term for a region which included modern-day Afghanistan, with the ISKP said to be a 'regional branch' of Islamic State (IS).

Mr Sandhu added: 'The defendants prepared for joining in and supporting terrorist activity including the purchasing of clothing and equipment, conducting research into how they might travel to Afghanistan, including obtaining travel documents, and their preparations included completing application forms to join Islamic State.'

One image found on Haleem's phone showed the former spokesman of Islamic State wearing a body vest and holding a gun. Another file included a list of equipment 'possibly for a survival trek'.

The brothers had made preparations to go to Afghanistan to join ISIS. Pictured: A masked Islamic State fighter

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Payne, head of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: 'We welcome today's guilty pleas by the pair.

'The weight of evidence against them clearly gave them no choice but to admit they were preparing to join and fight for a terrorist organisation.

'We will continue to protect local communities by working with partners and the CPS to pursue and prosecute all those who show support for terrorism.

'We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area.'

Both men will be sentenced on September 11.
A backpacker who allegedly tried to smuggle a gold-plated handgun into Australia has been spotted grocery shopping for the first time since being released on bail.

Heavily-tattooed US citizen Liliana Goodson, who uses 'they/them' pronouns, was spotted shopping at busy Bondi Beach Metro Woolworths on Sunday afternoon.

Gone was the long dark hair, replaced with a short crop which showed off an array of colourful facial tattoos and piercings.

Goodson - who is also known as River SolDorado Salvatore Chunga - wore bright pink trainers and a matching bum-bag while sporting ultra long eyelashes and long acrylic nails.

One of the most noticeable changes in appearance was the removal of the distinctive horn through the nose.

Lilian Goodson was without the distinctive nose horn and long locks while shopping at Bondi Metro Woolworths

Liliana (pictured) at Bondi Beach Metro Woolies purchasing a block of Cadbury's Marvellous Creations while carrying a large backpack

Goodson's previous look was most noticeable for the distinguishing horn through the septum of the nose.

Goodson, who purchased a block of Cadbury's Marvellous Creations chocolate, struggled when using the self service checkout screen due to having long acrylic nails.

The graphic designer was arrested at Sydney Airport on April 23 after Australian Border Force allegedly found a golden handgun hidden in hand luggage, with the aid of an x-ray machine.

Goodson was flying into Australia from Los Angeles.

The weapon was a gold-plated Colt 45 pistol with pearl handle which is estimated to be valued at more than $2000. It was not loaded when it was seized by authorities.

The 28-year-old was in custody for more than two weeks after being charged with importing an unauthorised illegal firearm.

The undeclared pistol is allegedly unregistered

The x-ray of the hand luggage showed the outline of the pistol

Goodson, who also goes by the alias River Salvatore, is a graphic designer from Alabama, in the US

Goodson was granted bail and released on May 8, with $10,000 bail to be deposited within three days.

On Wednesday 10 May Magistrate Miranda Moody warned the US traveller was in danger of losing her bail if the outstanding $6500 was not paid.

Unlike most tourists living on a shoe-string budget, Goodson is understood to be living at luxury boutique accommodation The Baxley, near Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach.

Weekly rates for the hotel range from $1141 for a compact room with a shared bathroom, to $1820/week for a premium queen room with en-suite bathroom.

On the website, the hotel boasts premium linen, luxurious locally-sourced botanical amenities, communal lounge, kitchenette and laundry facilities.

As part of the bail conditions, Goodson was required to report to Kings Cross police station daily and forced to surrender the passport they used to enter the country - and is prohibited from applying for a replacement.

Goodson grew up in U.S. southern state of Alabama and studied physics at Troy University after finishing high school.

Goodson worked in a range of hospitality jobs after 2016 and had a stint as a tattoo artist in Andalusia for three years before relocating to Los Angeles and moving into freelance graphic design.

Liliana will return to court for a bail review on 12 July.
There's likely still two months to wait until Apple launches the iPhone 15, but rumours about the flagship smartphone are already rife.

A game-changing titanium alloy frame, a larger battery and a USB-C charging port are just some of the many predictions made by tech experts.

Now, a leak suggests that two of the new handsets - the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max - will come in a 'unique' colour.

Together with MacRumors, seasoned tipster, Unknownz21, posted photos of the new shade, which it describes as 'dark blue with a grey tone.'

And while previous rumours suggested Apple could be launching a red version of the iPhone 15, the leaker claims this is unlikely.

Together with MacRumors , seasoned tipster, Unknownz21 , posted photos of the new shade, which it describes as 'dark blue with a grey tone'

While previous rumours suggested Apple could be launching a red version of the iPhone 15, the leaker claims this is unlikely

READ MORE: Is THIS the iPhone 15 Ultra? Advertisement

Unknownz21 posted four photos of the new shade on Twitter, writing 'beautiful in blue.'

According to MacRumors, the blue shade will be available in a new titanium material, and will have a brushed finish 'unlike the stainless steel that Apple has had in the past.'

While Apple has previously launched blue iPhones, MacRumors claims that the colour is darker and more grey to 'better compliment the titanium finish.'

Alongside the new blue, the leaker claims that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available in silver, space grey/space black, and titanium grey.

Previous rumours shared by 9to5Mac reported that Apple was planning a new crimson shade for the iPhone 15 Pro.

However, MacRumors claims that this is unlikely.

'We've seen multiple rumors of a deep red color for the iPhone 15 Pro models, but Unknownz21 has not seen signs that this color is in development,' it said.

'The blue color, however, has been used on iPhone 15 Pro prototype devices, suggesting that the blue could be the final color that Apple is working on.'

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 itself is expected to come in at least three bright colours - pink, blue and green, according to the leaker.

Aside from the new colours, rumours suggest Apple could be planning some huge changes with the iPhone 15.

While Apple has previously launched blue iPhones, MacRumors claims that the colour is darker and more grey to 'better compliment the titanium finish'

An alleged Foxconn worker, the company that manufactures a bulk of Apple's iPhones, told ItHome today that the iPhone 15 family is set to have larger batteries.

The iPhone 15 will feature an 18 per cent larger battery, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro a 14 per cent larger battery, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max a 12 per cent larger battery.

This means the iPhone 15 could have a 3877mAh capacity, iPhone 15 Plus 4912mAh, iPhone 15 Pro 3650mAh and iPhone 15 Pro Max could have 4852mAh.

Meanwhile, dummy units suggest the new smartphones could have a titanium design and a USB-C charging port.

Apple never shares details of its upcoming iPhone before the official unveiling, which is expected to be in September.
Meta Inc's Threads app launched by Instagram that has been called a Twitter-killer has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days.

That is according to data tracking websites on Monday, suggesting the app has smashed the record of AI tool ChatGPT for fastest-growing consumer app.

While ChatGPT took two months to hit the 100 million user mark and video-sharing app TikTok took nine months, Instagram itself took two and a half years to reach that mark after its 2010 launch.

Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries late on Wednesday (July 5), though it is not available in Europe because parent company Meta is unsure how to navigate the European Union's data privacy legislation.

Meanwhile, experts have described the traffic of Elon Musk-owned Twitter as 'tanking' in the face of the new competition.

Meta Inc's Threads app launched by Instagram that has been called a Twitter-killer has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days

Twitter owner Elon Musk (left) is locked in a rivalry with Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg (right), with the two men recently calling each other out for a cage fight.

Twitter is thought to have around 200 million regular users but it has suffered repeated technical failures since Elon Musk bought the platform last year and sacked thousands of staff.

Musk, who also serves as the boss of Tesla and SpaceX, has also alienated many users by introducing charges for previously free services and allowing banned right-wing accounts back on the platform.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince shared a graph on Twitter showing the platform's steady decline in use since January, saying the app's traffic was 'tanking'.

Several rivals have emerged but most are niche platforms without the capacity to grow at the necessary scale to dethrone Twitter.

Threads, however, is finding it easier because it is linked to Instagram, which has more than one billion regular users.

Online data service Quiver Quantitative reported that the app passed 100 million users at 7am GMT on Monday (0300 EST).

Other websites using a count of the 'badges' received by Instagram users who have downloaded Threads reckoned the mark had passed earlier.

Musk has threatened to sue Meta for stealing trade secrets and intellectual property, claims denied by the company, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp.

Threads calls retweets 'reposts' and tweets 'threads.' It allows users to post up to 500 characters of text and up to five minutes of video.

Musk is locked in a rivalry with Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, with the two men recently calling each other out for a cage fight.

In the latest installment of their rivalry, a parody account of Musk on Twitter - which recently went viral for criticizing Threads, dubbed the Meta boss 'lizard boy'.

Online data service Quiver Quantitative reported that the app passed 100 million users at 7am GMT on Monday (0300 EST).

Musk has further escalated his war of words with Zuckerberg as he calls the Meta boss 'lizard boy'

This week the Tesla CEO's official account replied to screenshots of Zuckerberg laughing at burger chain Wendy's telling him to go into space to 'really make Musk mad' by saying: 'Zuck is a cuck'

Zuckerberg broke his decade-long Twitter silence on July 6 by tweeting a Spider-Man meme to make the launch of Threads

The post on July 7 read: 'I spent $44 billion for this app and now Lizard boy just decided to hit copy and paste. It's personal now. See you in the cage, Zuck.'

Responded to the tweet, Musk said: 'So many people think this account is me.'

He accompanied the tweet with a side-eye emoji, prompting speculation that he is behind the proudly anti-Zuckerberg account.

He later told YouTube star Mr Beast that he is not behind the account, which has taken to mocking Zuckerberg in recent weeks.

In one tweet, it posted a mocked-up photo of Musk's face on the body of a UFC fighter and added: 'I have a proposal for Mr. Zuckerberg Winner of our fight gets ownership of the other persons social media platform for 24 HOURS. You win, you get Twitter. I win, I get Meta. Let me know. Best, Elon 'your wife drives a Tesla' Musk.'

Another said: 'Lizard boy will be lucky if the fight goes like this. I'm on a mission to break his face.'

Although the identity of the parody account's owner has yet to be confirmed, Musk himself has tweeted similar things about Zuckerberg.

Just this week the CEO's official account replied to screenshots of Zuckerberg, 39, laughing at burger chain Wendy's telling him to go into space to 'really make Musk mad' by saying: 'Zuck is a cuck.'

Zuckerberg broke his decade-long Twitter silence on July 6 by tweeting a Spider-Man meme to make the launch of Threads.
While homosexuality is often thought of as being unique to humans, several studies have shown that it is widespread in the animal kingdom.

Now, researchers from Imperial College London have revealed how same-sex sexual behaviour is the norm for male macaque monkeys.

The team studied rhesus macaques in Puerto Rico and found that 72 per cent of males engaged in homosexual acts.

'We found most males were behaviourally bisexual, and that variation in same-sex activity was heritable,' said Jackson Clive, an author of the study.

'This means that the behaviour can have an evolutionary underpinning; for example, we also found that males that mounted each other were also more likely to back each other up in conflicts  perhaps this could be one of many social benefits to same-sex sexual activity.'

Researchers from Imperial College London have revealed how same-sex sexual behaviour is the norm for male macaque monkeys

READ MORE: Gay behaviour 'is the norm for most animals' The sexual activity of more than 1,500 different animal species, including lions, has been studied and scientists as part of efforts to find out why homosexuality persists 'despite not having an obvious evolutionary benefit' Advertisement

In the study, the team observed 236 males within a colony of 1,700 rhesus macaques living on the island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.

As well as observing the monkeys, the team also conducted genetic analyses and studied their pedigree records.

Their observations revealed that 72 per cent of males engaged in same-sex mounting, while just 46 per cent engaged in different-sex mounting.

The reason for this behaviour remains unclear, although the team suggests that it may be beneficial for males.

They found that males who regularly engaged in same-sex mounting were more likely to back each other up in fights.

While you might think that regular same-sex behaviours would lead to a reduction in the amount of offspring males have, the team found the opposite was true  these males were actually more successful in reproducing.

Using the pedigree data, the team found that same-sex behaviours were 6.4 per cent heritable  a similar figure to other primate behaviours such as grooming  while there was also some genetic correlation between males who were more often 'mounters' or 'mountees.'

'Our research therefore shows that same-sex sexual behaviours can be common amongst animals and can evolve,' Dr Clive said.

Their observations revealed that 72 per cent of males engaged in same-sex mounting, while just 46 per cent engaged in different-sex mounting

Overall, the findings suggest that some degree of same-sex behaviours can evolve adaptively.

Professor Vincent Savolainen, lead researcher of the study, said: 'Unfortunately there is still a belief amongst some people that same-sex behaviour is "unnatural," and some countries sadly still enforce the death penalty for homosexuality.

'Our research shows that same-sex behaviour is in fact widespread amongst non-human animals.

'Our mission is to advance scientific understanding of same-sex behaviour, including exploring the benefits it brings to nature and within animal societies.

'Amongst the macaques we looked at in this study, more than two-thirds displayed same-sex behaviour and this behaviour strengthened the bonds within the community.'
Whether it's turning off lights when not using them or bringing a reusable water bottle instead of buying a plastic one, many of us try to take measures to reduce our carbon footprint.

Now, there's a new way to help the planet - and it's great news if you're a fan of a cold pint.

Gipsy Hill Brewery in London has created what it claims is the world's first offset-free carbon negative beer.

The Swell Lager and Trail Pale are brewed using barley grown through regenerative farming and hops that have been recaptured and reused.

This means you can enjoy your pint knowing it actually removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it produces.

The Swell Lager and Trail Pale are brewed using barley grown through regenerative farming and hops that have been recaptured and reused

While other breweries such as BrewDog claim to have carbon-negative beers, these have relied on carbon offsetting.

This controversial process sees businesses compensate for their carbon emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere.

For example, BrewDog claims its beers are carbon negative because it plants trees across a 9,308 acre plot of land in the Scottish Highlands.

However, Gipsy Hill's new beers mark the first time a brewery has produced a truly carbon-negative beer, without relying on carbon offsetting.

To create the beers, Gipsy Hill used certified regenrative barley from Wildfarmed.

This company works with farmers to implement regenerative practices, which means the process of farming barley puts away more carbon in the soil than it releases into the atmosphere.

'We're making it easy for people to help solve some of the world's biggest problems  like climate change and food security  by consuming food & drink made with ingredients from healthy, regenerative soil,' said Edd Lees, Co-founder at Wildfarmed.

'Our Wildfarmed barley sequesters carbon, increases biodiversity, and is the gold standard of regen agriculture.'

Gipsy Hill's new beers mark the first time a brewery has produced a truly carbon-negative beer, without relying on carbon offsetting

Overall, a pint of the Swell Lager has a carbon footprint of -40gCO2e, while a pint of the Trail Pale results in -30gCO2e

This regenerative barley is then combined with recaptured hops from previous batches of beer.

These hops are usually thrown away, which means using them results in zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to Gipsy Hill Brewery.

Overall, a pint of the Swell Lager has a carbon footprint of -40gCO2e, while a pint of the Trail Pale results in -30gCO2e.

For comparison, Imperial College London predicts that a pint of internationally produced lager has a carbon footprint of 759gCO2e.

Sam McMeeken, co-founder of Gipsy Hill Brewery, said: 'Making great quality beer has been our obsession for 10 years, but I felt we had to find a way to do it more sustainably.

'Great beer should be guilt-free, and our new Trail Pale and Swell Lager mean that for the first time, our drinkers can enjoy a pint safe in the knowledge it's actively improving the environment and helping solve our climate crisis.'

The carbon-negative beers are available now in a number of locations, including Gipsy Hill's taproom in South London, and a selection of Youngs venues across the UK.

The cost of a pint depends on the venue, but ranges from 6.00 to 7.50.
A mathematician has created an entirely new curse word based on a list of 186 offensive terms - and she said it is 'the world's ultimate swear word.

Sophie Maclean, a student at Kings College London, found 'banger' is the supreme offensive term, or 'ber' for short.

The researcher fed a list of popular 'bad words' to a computer model, which then found the supreme word begins with the letter 'b,' has four letters and ends in '-er.'

Mclean found that when no inputs were given, the model made up words like 'ditwat.'

Most people have their favorite curse word, but a mathematician used their coding skills to create a new one deemed the world's ultimate swear word

Maclean told BBC Science Focus: 'I think neither is as satisfying as a 'f*ck' when you've stubbed your toe, or a 'sh*t' when you realize you've forgotten your parent's birthday. But both feel like they could be quite good insults for people.'

The mathematician used a Markov chain in this work, which is a model describing a sequence of possible events in which the probability of each event depends only on the state attained in the previous event.'

This means results are created based on previous inputs, which is what Mclean performed in the study.

She fed the model a list of English swear words compiled from Ofcom, which commissioned Ipsos MORI to research to help them understand public attitudes towards offensive language on TV and radio.

Mclean manually sifted through the list and narrowed it down to 45 of the most offensive words based on the public's attitude.

The list was fed to the algorithm, which landed on specific inputs she then used to create the new swear word.

The researcher fed a list of 186 offensive terms to a computer model, which then found the supreme word begins with the letter 'b,' has four letters and ends in '-er' (stock)

Some frown upon swearing, but Mclean told BBC that science has found evidence that screaming out 'bad words' can reduce pain, and other studies have found using such words is a sign of intelligence.

READ MORE: Swearing is emotional and creative language say researchers who claim it is GOOD for you Rather than just proving we swear more when we're angry, the psychologists insisted, the study showed profanity can be an emotional coping mechanism that makes us feel more resilient. Advertisement

Researchers from Keele University's School of Psychology determine swearing can have a 'pain-lessening effect.'

The team believes swearing triggers our natural 'fight-or-flight' response.

Volunteers submerged their hands in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating their taboo word of choice.

Researchers found that the volunteers could keep their hands submerged in the ice water for a longer period when repeating the swear word, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

Although numerous studies find benefits of using foul language, some contraindicate such findings.

Profanity has also been linked to honesty and creativity, as people choose powerful words to express their emotions.

Doing so activates an area of the right brain known as the 'creative brain.'

Timothy Jay, professor emeritus of psychology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who has studied swearing for more than 40 years, told CNN: 'The advantages of swearing are many.'

'The benefits of swearing have just emerged in the last two decades, as a result of a lot of research on brain and emotion, along with much better technology to study brain anatomy.'

There has been a myth that such language is the 'poverty of vocabulary,' but in a 2015 study, Jay put this idea to rest.

He and his team also, taboo words positively correlated with the Big Five personality traits of neuroticism and openness and negatively associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Neuroticism and openness have also been found to correlate with honesty, which suggests those who curse may also be the most honest.
More than 1.5 million Androids users are at risk of Chinese hackers after two spyware apps were found in the Google Play Store.

Anyone with the apps File Recovery & Data Recovery and File Manager are being urged to delete them from devices manually, as they are scraping personal information.

This data includes contact lists, pictures, videos and real-time user location.

Cybersecurity firm Pradeo made the discovery and reported the malicious apps to Google - the tech giant has since removed them.

Security researchers have uncovered two spyware apps on Google Play that send user data to China - and more than 1.5 million Android owners downloaded them

Wang Tom is shown as the developer of both apps, mentioning they do not collect users' data.

However, Pradeo found this to be false upon a deeper analysis.

Pradeo also revealed that the two apps hide their home screen icons, making finding and removing them more difficult.

The apps, updated at the end of June, also abuse the permissions the user approves during installation to restart the device and launch in the background.

And the publisher likely bloated the popularity of the apps to get more attention on Google Play, BleepingComputer reports.

Pradeo found the apps can scrape contact lists connected to email accounts, social networks and those stored on the device.

Users' pictures, audio and video are also vulnerable, along with their location, mobile country code and network provider name.

Cybersecurity firm Pradeo made the discovery and reported the malicious apps to Google. This data being collected includes contact lists, pictures, videos and real-time user location.

Google has removed the apps from its Google Play Store, but users now need to delete the apps manually from devices

READ MORE: Google finally fixes 'secret recording' bug for WhatsApp that freaked out Android users Google now claims that a WhatsApp-related bug from May simply 'produced erroneous privacy indicators and notifications' for Android users on their Privacy Dashboard tool. Advertisement

To uninstall the malicious apps, users need to open Settings and then select Apps to see the list of applications running on the device.

Earlier this month, Google warned Android users about a security threat that could steal their bank details.

The security team at ThreatFabric discovered it and is using apps uploaded to the Google Play Store to infect phones with fraudulent Anatsa banking trojan.

Once installed on a device, the money-stealing bug can steal credentials that can be used to authorize users who log into mobile banking.

Hackers can then gain control of someone's account and access credentials, credit card details, bank balance and payment information, and transfer funds with less likelihood of the cardholder notices.

ThreatFabric explains: 'Since transactions are initiated from the same device that targeted bank customers regularly use, it has been reported that it is very challenging for banking anti-fraud systems to detect it.'

According to security researchers at the tech company who have been tracking the activity, the bug has over 30,000 installations via this method alone.
Want to make your next flight more comfortable, stress free and less germ ridden? Then read on.

Brenda Orelus, from Miami, has been a flight attendant for nine years and on her TikTok channel @flightbae.b she reveals a number of insider secrets.

Some of the topics she addresses in her videos include the dirtiest places on the plane, why you should never use toilet paper while in the air, and why compression socks are one of her must-have items.

Take a flight down to load up on some of Brenda's top flight tips.

Brenda Orelus, from Miami, has been a flight attendant for nine years and on her TikTok channel she reveals a number of insider secrets

No need to rush! Give yourself PLENTY of time between connecting flights

In a bid to reduce stress with connecting flights, Brenda recommends leaving two hours between them for domestic travel and three for international trips.

Brenda says that this is because 'the only constant in aviation is change, so it is highly probable that one of your flights will in fact [be delayed].'

The travel pro continues: 'That cushion time will actually end up being your saving grace to allow you to still make your connecting flight.

'I've seen it time and time again, you don't wanna put yourself with a 30-minute or 45-minute window because that's giving you zero time to account for any delays changes in aircraft or even changes in airport. I've seen the craziest things.'

Bathroom talk: NEVER use toilet paper on planes

Brenda recommends using the tissue paper in plane washrooms instead of toilet paper.

She reveals that this is because when turbulence hits 'little boys who are pointing and shooting, they kinda point and shoot everywhere so that usually ends up on the toilet paper.'

So in a bid to avoid soggy, stained toilet paper, Brenda says it's best to reach for the tissue paper that's 'usually up top or yonder' as it is much cleaner.

Brenda advises using the tissue paper in plane washrooms instead of toilet paper

No joking around! These things can get you BANNED from flying

There are various things that can get you banned from flying and placed on a 'no-fly list,' Brenda says.

Firstly she warns that striking any airline employee is a federal offense so 'don't do it.'

The stewardess explains that you get a 'VIP skip line to the top of the no-fly list if you hit a flight attendant, a gate agent, [or] a pilot.'

And if you deal a blow, 'forget about it, you're out of here.'

Next up, Brenda says 'threatening any kind of terroristic activity,' is an absolute no-no.

She tells viewers: 'Come on now, I don't care if it's a joke, it's not funny, we're on a plane. We don't know if you're serious or not.

'If you carry on about having a bomb, transporting a bomb or doing anything of that sort you're going to be on the no-fly list.'

Lastly, Brenda says that transporting illegal things will also see you banned from the skies.

While she says many people assume this just applies to 'guns, drugs, things like that,' certain animals and plants can also cause problems so it's best to check the rules and regulations before jetting off.

Back to basics: The dirtiest part of the plane ISN'T the toilet

Brenda says the dirtiest parts of the plane are the seatback pockets

@flightbae.b Travel Health Advisory  Heres how I encourage blood circulation during my travels @ApollaPerformance #apollapartner Compression socks are a MUST for your long term health. Send to a frequent flyer. xoxo FlightBaeB  original sound - Flight Bae B!

While airplane toilets have a bad reputation for having pee-stained floors, Brenda says the dirtiest parts of the plane are in fact the seatback pockets.

These, she says, are 'dirtier than the lavatories, they're dirtier than the seat cushions and they're dirtier than the tray tables.'

According to the globetrotter, who has visited more than 90 countries during her career, the seatback pockets are 'never cleaned unless somebody vomits or there's something ooey... coming out of there.'

She concludes: 'All the cleaners do is go in and take out the trash so all of those germs have accumulated and there's no real regular maintenance or cleaning of those surfaces whereas lavatories are regularly wiped down and sanitized.'

Lotions and potions: Five must-have items for your in flight bag

In one of her TikToks, Brenda reveals five things that she always has in her flight attendant bag.

One of the first items she whips out is a tube of moisturizing lotion and she says this is essential as 'flying is drying.'

Next up, she always carries perfume with her because she says she doesn't know how long she will go between showers.

Many skincare experts warn that flying increases your UV exposure because of the altitude. For this reason, Brenda says she keeps sunscreen on her 'at all times.'

She tells viewers: 'If you think the sun's bad out in nature, imagine being at 35,000ft.'

Another of the Floridian's top beauty picks is a hydrating mist, as this helps to keep her skin looking fresh and last but not least, she packs a styling gel for her hair.

Circulation booster: Compression socks are a must-have

Along with a concise selection of beauty products, Brenda swears by compression socks.

She explains that socks help 'promote blood circulation,' which is 'critical' to her job as a flight attendant.

Before she used the socks she said she experienced 'extreme swelling.'

But since she's been wearing them, she's seen a 'significant decrease.'

For fashion-conscious travelers, Brenda notes that there are 'no show compression socks' which come to the ankle instead of below the knee.
Home and Away star Lynne McGranger has become one of Australia's most recognisable faces after starring on the show for almost 30 years.

And it looks like her lookalike actress daughter Clancy McWaters, 32, is set to follow in her footsteps.

Lynne shares her daughter with her longtime partner, Paul McWaters and she works as a regular extra in the soap.

Clancy, who also works as a yoga teacher in Sydney, has inherited her mother's sharp facial features and her signature smile.

Lynne has always said her daughter is destined to stardom.

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger has a lookalike daughter Clancy McWaters, 32

'She is a triple threat, she sings, dances and acts, at the moment she seems to be leaning toward more singing and dancing,' she told Sydney Confidential in 2015.

'We were surprised when Clancy announced at the age of 15 or 16 that she wanted to study drama. But we are very happy for her and support all the way.'

According to Clancy's LinkedIn, she's also appeared on a number of other classic Australian shows as an extra, including Packed To The Rafters.

Lynne shares her daughter with her longtime partner, Paul McWaters and she works as a regular extra in the soap

Clancy, who also works as a yoga teacher in Sydney, has inherited her mother's sharp facial features and her signature smile

The blonde has also starred in a number of commercials for KFC, McDonald's, Cancer Council and Tourism Australia.

Lynne made the announcement of Clancy's engagement to boyfriend Luke Dickson via Instagram in October last year.

'So happy for our beautiful daughter and her amazing fiance on their engagement. We love you both so much,' Lynne captioned her post.

Lynne made the announcement of Clancy's engagement to boyfriend Luke Dickson via Instagram in October last year

Lynne has played Irene Roberts on Home and Away since 1993, after taking over the role from actress Jacquy Phillips.

Irene Roberts was initially written as a recurring character but was promoted to regular cast shortly after Lynne joined.

The veteran actress is one of the longest-serving stars on the Australian soap.

In 2021 Lynne published a memoir Acting Up: Me, Myself And Irene in which she revealed her struggles with drugs and an eating disorder.
Australian radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has eviscerated Jonah Hill after the Hollywood star's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady leaked private texts that allegedly reveal their past arguments.

Brady, who dated the Superbad star for a year in 2021, made headlines over the weekend after she accused Hill, 39, of being 'misogynist' and 'narcissistic' in a series of bombshell Instagram posts.

The surfing instructor posted screenshots of their alleged conversations while they were together, in which the actor seemingly criticising her for posting swimsuit photos and surfing with other men.

Discussing the scandal on Monday's Kyle And Jackie O Show, Sandilands admitted he was shocked to see Hill embroiled in a public drama.

'It just seemed like he was just this normal run-of-the mill star,' Sandilands, 52, remarked, before referring to the actor as a 'fat, morbidly obese maniac, telling this hot surfer what to do.'

Australian radio shock-jock Kyle Sandilands, 52, (left) eviscerated Jonah Hill, 39, (right) on Monday after the Hollywood star's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady leaked private texts that allegedly reveal their past arguments

His co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson meanwhile said she wasn't particularly shocked by the scandal, saying: 'There was always something with that guy, Don't you reckon?'

'You could pick it up. Like, it was just a vibe he had it was something weird going on. So it isn't really that surprising.'

Sandilands, who is recently married, then offered some sage relationship advice to his male listeners.

Brady (left), who dated the Superbad star for a year in 2021, made global headlines over the weekend after she accused Hill, 39, of being 'misogynist' and 'narcissistic' in a series of bombshell Instagram posts

Discussing the scandal on Monday's Kyle And Jackie O Show, Sandilands (left) referred to Hill as a 'fat, morbidly obese maniac, telling this hot surfer what to do'. His co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson (right) meanwhile said she wasn't particularly shocked by the scandal, saying: 'There was always something with that guy, Don't you reckon?'

'Men need to realise when you're with a woman, they're not your pet. They're there and you're there out of your own free will,' he said.

'You don't get to tell him off and say, 'You have to do this. That doesn't work.'

Hill has just welcomed a baby with his girlfriend Olivia Millar, and has not publicly commented on Brady's allegations.

The surfer complained that Hill made up the rules after 'sliding into her DM's' for a picture he called an 'a** shot'

Brady made headlines on Saturday after she posted screenshots of alleged conversations with Hill while they were still dating, in which the actor outlined his parameters for a 'romantic partnership.'

She claims that he was angry that she would post images of herself while surfing, and then listed several 'unacceptable behaviours' from her if they were to date.

In a series of messages between her and a friend, Brady said that it was 'absurd' for Hill to have those opinions when he was 'so so into the fact' that she was a 'good surfer'.

The former duo first went public with their romance in August 2021 after their connection was sparked when Jonah approached her online

The messages read: 'He expected me to take down pics of me surfing in one pieces which he called bikinis and thongs which were posted there way before he met me.

'He knew when he met me that I did freelance work as surf talent and as a producer for photos hoots for women surf brands.

'At the start he complimented me and flirted with me over the same surf pic he later called an a** shot, and was angry I didn't take it down. Angry I didn't read his mind'.

Brady also posted several images saying she was 'bored' of who she was with Hill, as well as claiming he 'didn't know how to celebrate' a woman like her

She then added: 'bro you know what you signed up for', before explaining that the worst part for her was Hill allegedly 'blaming it all on his mental health issues'.

The latest posts on her Instagram also claim that she was 'empathetic' to Hill's issues because she suffers from bipolar  saying he was 'so fixated on psychotherapy and acted like the authority on the subject'.

Brady also posted several images saying she was 'bored' of who she was with Hill, as well as claiming he 'didn't know how to celebrate' a woman like her.

His ex, a surfing instructor, posted several screengrabs of their alleged conversations while they were together in which the actor outlines his parameters for a 'romantic partnership'

The rollout of damning statements against the movie producer began with an Instagram Stories post Brady shared with the caption, 'F*** it.'

The screenshot showed two messages alleged to be from Jonah on December 2, 2021.

The lengthy initial text apparently from Jonah included a list of unacceptable behaviors from Sarah if they were to be together romantically.

Brady also posted a few images implying that Hill had lost out, and seemed to say he was 'foolish' for how he treated her

The new dad allegedly mentioned things including 'surfing with men,' 'inappropriate friendships with men,' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit' that were off limits for his then-girlfriend.

He additionally stated if Sarah 'needed' to 'model,' 'post sexual pictures,' or maintain friendships with women who were part of her 'wild recent past' then he was 'not the right partner' for her.

In another post of his alleged messages, Brady claimed that Hill only wanted her to socialize with friends whom he had 'personally approved.'

The trainee lawyer also shared several exchanges between her and friends over the breakdown of the relationship

Taking to Instagram late on Friday night, the surfer blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star by sharing screenshots of their past arguments

The entertainer, whose documentary Stutz came out on Netflix last year, added, 'If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.'

He then clarified, 'My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust.'

The former duo first went public with their romance in August 2021 after their connection was sparked when Jonah approached her online.

Sarah called her decision to release the private messages a 'warning to all girls' during her initial posts

On Friday, Sarah said she was 'sharing this publicly now because keeping it to myself was causing more damage to my mental health than sharing it could ever do.'

She also explained she used to take the 'blame' for Hill's actions when they would speak with their therapist.

In part of her tirade against her ex, the athlete noted, 'I hope my ex has a daughter, maybe she'll turn him into a real feminist.

The new dad allegedly mentioned things including 'surfing with men,' 'inappropriate friendships with men,' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit' that were off limits for his then-girlfriend. Hill and Brady pictured in December 2021

'Because the fact that he calls himself a feminist now is laughable.  If I could have one wish for him it would be that he is surrounded by feminist men who can hold him accountable to grow in the ways he has expressed he wants to.'

The law student went on to say, 'I think fame can put people in an echo chamber of viewpoints, which can enable emotionally abusive behaviour.'

One snippet of conversation appeared to show Hill complaining that his then-girlfriend's 'therapist thinks I suck.'

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length'

Brady seemed to be addressing Hill when she wrote 'Gaslight much?' over one screenshot.

In the text, he appeared to complain that he was 'so lovely' to her, which he didn't feel was being reciprocated.

'I literally am the best boyfriend. On earth,' he added. She mocked the sentiment by sarcastically writing #1 Boyfriend over the screenshot and adding a photo of a smiling dog.

One snippet of conversation appeared to show Hill complaining that his then-girlfriend's 'therapist thinks I suck,' before he called himself 'literally ... the best boyfriend. On earth'

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length.'

She also clarified that just because a person is 'emotionally abusive,' it 'doesn't mean they're a terrible person.'

'At the same time, it doesn't mean it's OK,' she said.

In addition to screenshots of conversations allegedly between her and Hill, Brady also included screenshots that appeared to show her complaining about her ex with another person.

In a screenshot of a conversation with another person, Brady claimed that a therapist had urged her to come up with a 'safe word,' 'pineapple', for 'when Jonah was yelling at me'

The other person said it must have made her 'feel crazy having a licensed professional tell You to Not talk to other men to keep your boyfriend from acting like a f***ing baby.'

Brady claimed the therapist suggested she come up with a 'safe word for when Jonah was yelling at me,' which was 'pineapple.'

Hill released a new movie about his 'friend and therapist' Phil Stutz in November last year, where he lectured how going to therapy made his life 'immeasurably better.'

The star announced that he was stepping away from the spotlight after spending more than two decades dealing with anxiety attacks.

He said he would not be promoting the film in an effort to 'protect himself,' after realising that public appearances were 'exacerbating' his mental health issues.

Hill explained that his decision to take a break was prompted by the 'journey of self-discovery' that he went on while making the documentary.

August marked the first time that Hill publicly spoke out about his struggles with anxiety, however, he has previously detailed his insecurities surrounding his body image, when he asked fans to stop commenting on his weight loss via Instagram.

The star, whose weight has fluctuated dramatically over the years, wrote on the social media app: 'I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body good or bad.

'I want to politely let you know its not helpful and doesnt feel good. Much respect.'
Joanna Page has revealed when her Gavin and Stacey co-stars will 'reunite' for new a new show together.

The actress, 46, is joining forces with her on-screen in-laws Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb - who play Gavin's parents Mick and Pam Shipman - for an upcoming series.

Joanna has done the voiceover for the new travel show that will follow Alison and Larry as they journey from Barry to Billericay.

It's the first hint that a reunion of the full cast could be on the cards as James Corden (Smithy) returns to the UK after several years living in America for The Late Late Show.

Gavin and Stacey followed the love story of Joanna and Mathew Horne's characters as they navigated their family lives in Essex and Wales.

Exciting: Joanna Page has revealed when her Gavin and Stacey co-stars will 'reunite' for new a new show together

Yay! The actress, 46, is joining forces with her on-screen in-laws Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb - who play Gavin's parents Mick and Pam Shipman (left and right) - for an upcoming series

The hit series also starred Ruth Jones and James Corden as Nessa and Smithy and the last episode aired with the Christmas special in 2019.

The special ended on a cliffhanger as Nessa popped the question to Smithy at the end.

Joanna told The Sun of the new travel show and of her hopes it could spark a full reunion: 'That would be so lovely. When we all first started it was like an instant family.

'We're all still constantly in touch with each other, my gosh we send each other so many messages. We struggle to even make time for our own families.

'But then I agree, we have GOT to find out what Smithy says to Nessa!'

The pair will make their TV return as they set off on a 210 mile journey from Billericay in Essex to Barry to revisit filming locations.

In the three-part series Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry, Larry, 75, and Alison, 76, will take a trip down memory lane and include some special guests during their travels.

Speaking about filming the upcoming show, Larry said: 'I am really looking forward to reminiscing with Alison whilst taking the trip from Billericay to Barry, it was such a huge part in the plot of Gavin And Stacey.

They're back: In the three-part series Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry, Larry, 75, and Alison, 76, will take a trip down memory lane and include some special guests during their travels

Iconic: Gavin and Stacey followed the love story of Joanna and Mathew Horne's characters as they navigated their family lives in Essex and Wales

'This journey holds a special place in my heart and I hope the fans are pleased with it.'

Alison added: 'I can't wait to take this trip down memory lane to explore Pam and Mick's neck of the woods, as well as so many other locations precious to me.

'And who better to do it with than Larry! I'm so excited to be reunited.'

While fans can revisit filming locations with Larry and Alison, Mathew Horne shut down speculation last year of a Gavin and Stacey reboot.

The actor, 44, claimed fans desiring the comedy's return 'is not enough of a reason', adding that the writers 'want to make sure that they have a story' first.

During on Graham Norton's Virgin Radio show, Mathew added how difficult it was to get the ensemble together for the 2019 Christmas special, which was later declared the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade.

He said: 'Obviously, the BBC would like more. James [Corden] and Ruth [Jones] have always said that they would only do more if they had a story and a reason to do it.

'Just because people want it is not enough of a reason to do it for them. They want to make sure that they have a story.

'They don't want to let the the piece down and let the audience down. They don't just want to do it for the sake of doing it.

Cast: Mathew Horne recently shut down speculation last year of a Gavin and Stacey reboot (L-R) Mathew as Gavin, Joanna Page as Stacey, James Corden as Smithy and Ruth Jones as Nessa

I genuinely don't know if they're planning on doing more.'

Mathew - who played the titular Gavin in the series - revealed he has an 'allegiance' to the mega-hit, and would return if he were asked.

He said: 'It's quite a large ensemble and one filled with successful people. It was difficult to get everyone together last time, so it would be equally difficult to do it again.

Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry is set to air later this summer on Gold.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was astounded by the value of a poster he rescued from the bin at the famous 1985 Live Aid concert during Sunday's episode of the show.

The instalment of the BBC series, which took place at Newby Hall in Skelton-on-Ure, North Yorkshire, saw a man bring in a piece of memorabilia which he collected after working at the fundraising event.

The large plastic poster showed a white guitar with the main body of the instrument being the continent of Africa.

Across the neck of the guitar was the words 'Live Aid' in white block capital letters.

The multi-venue benefit concert was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, where it was attended by about 72,000 people, and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, where it was attended by 89,484 people.

Shock: An Antiques Roadshow guest was astounded by the value of a poster he rescued from the bin at the famous 1985 Live Aid concert during Sunday's episode of the show

Keepsake: The instalment, which took place at Newby Hall in Skelton-on-Ure, North Yorkshire, saw a man bring in the memorabilia which he collected after working at the fundraising event

It was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the relief of the 19831985 famine in Ethiopia, with the movement being started with the released of the 1984 charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?

The Antiques Roadshow guest said he had found the item when he was looking for his clothes at the concert after they were thrown away.

He said: 'I was feeding the crew, they had been there all week and needed feeding, poor guys.

'I remember during the show going looking for certain items which had been thrown out of my personal laundry, someone threw it out thinking it was rubbish.'

Expert John said: 'So you sent laundry off to be cleaned and someone thought it was junk?'

The man responded: 'At the refuse area, that was where I found this, I didn't find my laundry but I did find this, which did make up for it slightly.'

The expert said he believed the poster was in the background when Bob Geldof gave a television interview when he encouraged people to donate to the cause.

His passionate speech was said to have raised donations to 300 per minute, with millions being raised in total.

Good cause: Live Aid as organised by Bob Geldof (pictured) and Midge Ure to raise funds for the relief of the 19831985 famine in Ethiopia

Saved: The Antiques Roadshow guest said he had found the item when he was looking for his clothes at the concert after they were thrown away

Giving his verdict on how much he thought the item was worth, John told the guest: 'If you ever decided to sell it, I would have thought at auction today you would get between 8,000 to 12,000.

'How much was your washing worth?'

The guest said: 'That's incredible... about 60p!'

Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday on BBC One at 9pm.
A Year On Planet Earth

Rating:

A Spy Among Friends

Rating:

A very versatile fashion item, the anorak. Worn with its hood over the face, it can make the most respectable fellow look like Liam Gallagher in a strop.

Then theres the geeks cagoule, and the scruffy parka festooned with Union flags for a punch-up on Brighton beach.

Stephen Fry was bundled inside his fur-trimmed anorak like he was ready to go trekking with Sir Ernest Shackleton, as he presented A Year On Planet Earth (ITV1). There was so much fluffy insulation, it was hard to tell where his earflaps stopped and his beard began.

In fact, he was on Svalbard on Norways Arctic fringe, explaining in hushed tones how the way our globe tilts on its axis creates the different seasons. Thanks to his long stint on QI, Frys interest in science is well-known, and this was an effective way of bringing a new viewpoint to a wildlife documentary.

That didnt prevent him from speaking in such hushed and reverent tones that I wondered at first if he was sending up Sir David Attenborough. But when he gasped, Oh my! at the sight of a million king penguins, I realised its just the way he always talks.

Stephen Fry was bundled inside his fur-trimmed anorak like he was ready to go trekking with Sir Ernest Shackleton, as he presented A Year On Planet Earth (ITV1)

When he gasped, Oh my! at the sight of a million king penguins, I realised its just the way he always talks

The penguins have an unerring ability to locate their mates in this vast crowd, able to detect a single distinctive squawk amid the cacophony. Its a talent known as the cocktail party effect.

Earlier this year I interviewed series producer Seb Illis, who explained that the camera crew had mastered the same trick. The teams followed individual animals and their families throughout the year, he said. On Marion Island off South Africa, for instance, there is this vast colony of king penguins  but we were able to pick out certain characters and come back to them again and again, becoming engrossed in their stories.

Boyhood hero of the weekend Ahead of the Grand Prix at Silverstone, Damon Hill described Nigel Mansell as the greatest British F1 driver of all time on Williams & Mansell: Red 5 (Sky Documentaries). Hes wrong, and its not Sir Lewis either. Jim Clark will always be king. Advertisement

This is ITVs first foray into the big-budget wildlife epic and, for devotees of the BBCs mega-serials such as Planet Earth, there is little new. But its important to remember that many viewers, especially younger ones, havent seen these stories before, of the courtship of birds of paradise, or the hunting techniques of lions.

And the evolution of technology, including drones with high-definition cameras, is continually surprising us with unique shots, such as an aerial view of a prowling mother polar bear and her cub  the adolescent placing his paws precisely in her footprints.

We have had plenty of previous opportunity to see the series, which has been available via the streaming service ITVX for six months, as has A Spy Among Friends (ITV1).

When it first launched, I gave this retelling of the Kim Philby story, starring Guy Pearce as the traitor, a five-star review. The opening couple of episodes certainly merit that, but Im docking it a star because, regrettably, the series does tail off towards the end. Be warned.

Anyone who relishes the extended interrogations in Line Of Duty, though, will be mesmerised by the opening scenes, which amount to one long cross-examination. It is also steeped in a shamefully enjoyable snobbery, with Philby watching in transfixed horror as his world of privilege and old school ties unravels before his eyes.

When it first launched, I gave this retelling of the Kim Philby story, starring Guy Pearce (pictured) as the traitor, a five-star review

Damian Lewis pictured as Nicholas Elliott in A Spy Among Friends (ITV1)

One moment in a London club sums it up. The smoking room is all boisterous jokes and uproarious laughter as the port decanter is passed around  and then an explosion blows the windows in.

As the screams fade, a calm voice emerges in the smoke: I say, old bean, you couldnt scare us up a couple of pink gins, could you?

At its best, A Spy Among Friends is like a bomb blast  with a lingering and terribly civilised aftertaste.
His co-star and best mate Hamish Blake has once again been nominated for a Gold Logie after nabbing the coveted award last year.

And Andy Lee has revealed how he really feels about being overlooked for the top prize.

The funnyman, who rose to fame thanks to the pair's radio show Hamish & Andy back in 2006, joked that there must have been a mix-up when it came to the nominations.

'It's a huge oversight,' Andy said during an interview on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday.

'I think what's happened is that people continually confuse Hamish and myself.

Andy Lee has revealed how he really feels about missing out on a Gold Logie nomination to his co-host Hamish Blake again

'I get called Hamish in the street, he gets called Andy, and I think they accidentally got the wrong person again.'

Other celebrities in the running for the Gold Logie include Big Brother's Sonia Kruger, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host Julia Morris and The Bachelor's Osher Gunsberg.

The category also features Leigh Sales from ABC's 730 Report, Mark Coles Smith from Mystery Road: Origin and Shaun Micallef from Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell.

Hamish and Andy have been working together since forming a comedy duo in 2003.

The funnyman, who rose to fame thanks to the pair's radio show Hamish & Andy back in 2006, joked that there must have been a mix-up when it came to the nominations

Hamish and Andy have been working together since forming a comedy duo in 2003

The pair continue to top podcast rankings with their Listener, Hamish and Andy podcast, which regularly pulls close to a million listeners a month.

The pair continue to top podcast rankings with their Listener, Hamish and Andy podcast, which regularly pulls close to a million listeners a month.

Seven confirmed the Logies will be held in Sydney this year for the first time since 1986.

The awards show has been held on the Gold Coast since 2018 with support from the Queensland government, but that deal ended in 2022.

The ceremony will be broadcast by Seven network on July 30.
He's the Hollywood who has served as a figurehead for the Church of Scientology for years.

And Tom Cruise, 61, is reportedly opening the door for Australian's hottest young star to join his faith.

According to Woman's Day magazine, Tom wants to recruit zookeeper Robert Irwin, 19, into Scientology after meeting him at the Sydney premiere of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One last week.

Tom is apparently a longtime fan of Robert and sees 'huge potential' in the only son of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin.

'He was taken aback by how much [Robert] looks like his dad', an insider told the magazine on Monday.

Tom Cruise, 61, (left) 'wants to recruit Robert Irwin, 19' (right) into Scientology' after meeting the Sydney premiere of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One last week, reports claim

'But Tom's just not interested in recruiting him for the religion - he wants to work with Rob and thinks he could help his production company break into the TV streaming market,' they added.

The The Golden Globe winner is reportedly hoping to revive Steve's show The Crocodile Hunter with Robert as the star, after watching the program with his adoptive son Connor while he was growing up.

Connor was raised in the Church of Scientology after being adopted by Tom and his mother Nicole Kidman in 1995.

Tom is apparently a longtime fan of Robert and sees 'huge potential' in the only son of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

The The Golden Globe winner is reportedly hoping to revive Steve's show The Crocodile Hunter with Robert as the star, after watching the program with his adoptive son Connor while he was growing up. (Pictured: Steve Irwin)

It comes after Robert and his girlfriend Rorie Buckey, 18, made their red carpet debut at the Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning premiere in Sydney.

Robert looked dashing in a black suit as he wrapped a protective arm around his love and posed for photographers.

Rorie also looked sensational in asymmetric black maxi dress that featured one-shoulder detailing.

Robert and Rorie, who is the niece of legendary Australian actor Heath Ledger, are currently in a long-distance relationship, with Robert based at Australia Zoo in Queensland while Rorie is in Perth.
He is currently living it up in Ibiza with his wife Elsa Pataky and friends.

And in the past the Hollywood star struggled to keep up with partygoers on the world-famous party island.

The actor was once forced to back out of his best mate DJ Paul Fisher's gig after becoming too drunk to attend the event.

Fisher, 36, recently spoke the embarrassing incident on digital radio station Capital Dance.

'Chris came to Ibiza and didn't make my show because he got too pi**ed beforehand. He started spewing everywhere,' he explained.

Chris Hemsworth embarrassing Ibiza fail! Hollywood star was once forced to miss his friend DJ Fisher's gig after getting too drunk at a pre-party

'He's gonna hate you putting that on the air because he's a p**sy,' he jokingly added.

Fisher said Chris had a hilarious comeback for him when he offered to teach the Thor star how to DJ.

'He says, "you just push play and walk away, mate." He's more of an Ed Sheeran kind of guy.'

Hemsworth and Fisher have been good friends for years and frequently hit the gym together to work on their buff bodies.

Back in 2021, Hemsworth shared a video to Instagram of him lifting weights with Fisher.

Fisher, 36, recently spoke the embarrassing incident on digital radio station Capital Dance

Chris was seen cheering on his friend in the clip as Fisher pumped iron, telling him: 'You're a big fish, you're the biggest fish dammit!'

It comes after Chris shared a sweet tribute to his father Craig to mark his 68th birthday.

The Hollywood hunk celebrated the milestone with his parents and best pal Matt Damon on the Greek island of Mykonos.

'Chris came to Ibiza and didn't make my show because he got too pi**ed beforehand. He started spewing everywhere,' he explained

He shared happy snaps of his lookalike father's soiree to Instagram as the Hemsworth family started the birthday celebrations with lunch and cake.

'Happy birthday to my dad the greatest man I know! My hero, my mentor, my inspiration. Love ya dad,' Chris wrote in the captions.

The reel of happy memories began with a joyous video showing Chris, his mother Leonie, and brothers Liam and Luke celebrating Craig's birthday.

The Hemsworth's spent most of the week in Mykonos with Chris' megastar pal Matt Damon, 52, and other family members and guests travelled far and wide to attend the exclusive destination-soiree.

Hemsworth and Fisher have been good friends for years and frequently hit the gym together to work on their buff bodies
Hollywood power couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco are the latest high-profile stars to move to Byron Bay.

Mad Men actress Brie, 40, is in Australia filming her TV mini-series Apples Never Fall, an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty, and has been joined by her 21 Jump Street star husband Franco, 38.

The series also stars Jurassic Park icon Sam Neill and American Beauty star Annette Bening.

Since relocating Down Under in June, the couple have been immersing themselves in the Aussie lifestyle, with Brie sharing snaps of her first time surfing.

The Instagram photos have painted a picturesque narrative of the couple's Aussie adventures.

Hollywood power couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco are the latest high-profile stars to move to Byron Bay

Mad Men actress Brie, 40, is in Australia filming her TV mini-series Apples Never Fall, an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty, and has been joined by her 21 Jump Street star husband Franco, 38

Alongside the thrilling surf photos, there was a glamorous shot of Brie posing in front of the Sydney Opera House.

The couple also took their adventures to Melbourne where they celebrated Franco's 38th birthday.

Now, the duo have settled in Byron Bay, the popular coastal town in NSW which has become a favourite among A-list celebrities.

Since relocating Down Under in June, the couple have been immersing themselves in the Aussie lifestyle, with Brie sharing snaps of her first time surfing

Alongside the thrilling surf photos, there was a glamorous shot of Brie posing in front of the Sydney Opera House

The couple also took their adventures to Melbourne where they celebrated Franco's 38th birthday

Over the weekend the pair were spotted mixing with locals.

Brie and Franco join the ranks of high-profile Byron Bay residents such as fellow Hollywood power couple, Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, The Block's Elyse Knowles, and model Gemma Ward.

Byron Bay has not only drawn in A-list residents, but is also becoming a hot spot for film and television production.

Among the stars to have spent significant time in the town is heartthrob Zac Efron.
Mark Ronson and his wife, Grace Gummer, at the premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The British music producer, 47, put on a stylish display in a lavender blazer over a white scoop-neck T-shirt and teamed with light brown trousers for his red carpet appearance.

The seven-time Grammy-winning songwriter  who produced the original movie soundtrack for the live-action comedy film  finished off his dapper look with a pair of butter yellow loafers lined with a chocolate brown trim.

The record executive  who welcomed his first child with the 37-year-old actress earlier this year  posed with his wife as if they were attached at the hip and shared bright smiles.

At his side, the Dr. Death star looked elegant in a cream ensemble and carried a lavender purse to match his choice of outerwear.

Stylish pair: Mark Ronson and his wife, Grace Gummer, at the premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles on Sunday. The British music producer, 47, put on a stylish display in a purple-gray blazer over a white scoop-neck T-shirt and teamed with light brown trousers for his 'pink' carpet appearance

Gummer  who is the daughter of Meryl Streep  donned a side-buttoned blazer that was cinched at the waist with the matching belt and statement belt buckle.

She also modeled the same-color trousers that concealed her sandal heels as well as a fabric choker that complemented her overall outfit.

The Mr. Robot alum styled her dark brunette tresses in uniform waves that she swept to the side to reveal her gold huggie earrings.

She opted for a minimal makeup look, featuring a baby pink blush and a glossy pink lip, to showcase her natural beauty.

Ahead of the Barbie premiere, Ronson has been unveiling artists and songs that will be featured on the album.

In a recent interview with TIME, he also teased final mystery artist is 'one of the f***ing greatest living artists'.

The film  which will receive its theatrical release on July 21  features original music from Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Charli XCX, Khalid, Nicki Minaj, and Ice Spice.

Ryan Gosling  who stars opposite Margot Robbie as the Ken to her Barbie  even has a song on the star-studded soundtrack.

Soft smiles: The record executive  who welcomed his first child with the 37-year-old actress earlier this year  posed with his wife as if they were attached at the hip and shared bright smiles

Attached at the hip: Gummer  who is the daughter of Meryl Streep  donned a side-buttoned blazer that was cinched at the waist with the matching belt and statement belt buckle

Matching: At his side, the Dr. Death star looked elegant in a cream ensemble and carried a lavender purse to match his choice of outerwear

New parents: Earlier this year, Ronson and Gummer welcomed their first child together

Earlier this year, Ronson and Gummer welcomed their first child together.

The pair have opted to keep the birth relatively private and not much has been revealed to the public except for the fact that they are now the parents of a healthy baby girl.

In June 2021, Ronson had announced their engagement on an episode of his FADER Uncovered podcast just days after Gummer was spotted sporting a large sparkler on her ring finger.

After dating for only about a year, the couple tied the knot during an intimate wedding ceremony in August 2021.
Gal Gadot rocked a rather leggy look while hitting the red carpet at the world premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old Israeli-born beauty was all smiles while hitting the red carpet solo at the premiere, held at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles.

Ironically, just over one month earlier, Barbie star Margot Robbie revealed that Gal Gadot herself was the first choice to play the iconic Mattel character in this movie.

Gadot stepped out in a stunning brown sleeveless dress that showed off some sideboob with white vertical pinstripes, which fashions itself into an elaborate bow, for the event.

She had her dark hair tied back into a ponytail and accessorized with gold hoop earrings and a unique cream-colored handbag.

Leggy Gal: Gal Gadot rocked a rather leggy look while hitting the red carpet at the world premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles

Gal's look: Gadot stepped out in a stunning brown sleeveless dress that showed off some sideboob with white vertical pinstripes, which fashions itself into an elaborate bow, for the event

The Wonder Woman star completed her look with nude heels while walking the red carpet in style.

For her makeup, Gal opted for a 'Bronzed Barbie' look, working with beauty pro Jo Baker to achieve the perfect red carpet glow, using a host of products from Stila Cosmetics, including the All Day Foundation & Concealer, the Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick, and the Heaven's Hue Highlighter.

Finally, the look was finished off with a slick of the brand's Plumping Lip Glaze in Toffee.

Back in late May, Barbie star Margot Robbie - who was attached as a producer before she came aboard to star - revealed her and director Greta Gerwig first eyed Gadot to star as the beloved character.

'Gal Gadot is Barbie energy. Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you dont hate her for being that beautiful, because shes so genuinely sincere, and shes so enthusiastically kind, that its almost dorky. Its like right before being a dork,' Robbie said in an interview with Vogue.

Gadot wasn't available, though, so Robbie took on the role herself in the new film, which hits theaters July 21, with Robbie starring alongside Ryan Gosling.

Just a few months later, Gadot herself spoke with Vogue, though in her interview she opened up about how becoming a mother has shaped her life.

The actress has been married to real estate developer Jaron "Yaron" Varsano since 2008 and they share three children, Alma, 11, Maya, five, and Daniella, one.

'The biggest thing that changed in my life since I became a mother 11 years ago, was learning that its not just about me. Im not the most important thing in the world. They are,' Gadot admitted.

'And theres something just simply healthy about the fact that its not all about you. It puts everything in perspective. And you love, like youve never loved before,' she added.

Red carpet ready: The Wonder Woman star completed her look with nude heels while walking the red carpet in style

First: Back in late May, Barbie star Margot Robbie - who was attached as a producer before she came aboard to star - revealed her and director Greta Gerwig first eyed Gadot to star as the beloved character

Barbie energy: 'Gal Gadot is Barbie energy. Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you dont hate her for being that beautiful, because shes so genuinely sincere, and shes so enthusiastically kind, that its almost dorky. Its like right before being a dork,' Robbie said in an interview with Vogue

Not available: Gadot wasn't available, though, so Robbie took on the role herself in the new film, which hits theaters July 21, with Robbie starring alongside Ryan Gosling

Coming soon: She'll next be seen in Heart of Stone, slated to arrive August 11 on Netflix, and she plays the Evil Queen in Disney's live-action Snow White, arriving March 22, 2024

She added her children are, 'everything' to her, adding, 'Ill do anything for them. Theyve taught me so many things.'

'How to keep on going, even when you were so exhausted and you didnt sleep at night and had to shoot in the morning. They taught me that I can do much more than I thought I could,' Gadot continued.

Gadot is coming off brief, uncredited role in both Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, likely her last performances as Wonder Woman.

She'll next be seen in Heart of Stone, slated to arrive August 11 on Netflix, and she plays the Evil Queen in Disney's live-action Snow White, arriving March 22, 2024.
She made international headlines when she was arrested at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport in 2004 with 4.2kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag and jailed for nine years.

And being locked up in prison for almost a decade has barely aged Schapelle Corby, who looked incredibly youthful as she celebrated her birthday on Monday.

Schapelle's followers were shocked to learn she was turning 46 as she revealed her line-free visage in an Instagram post to mark the special occasion.

The beauty therapist-turned-reality star took a selfie of herself enjoying a margarita.

'Happy birthday to me,' Schapelle wrote in the caption.

Schapelle Corby's followers were shocked by her age when the convicted drug smuggler posted a youthful photo of herself on her birthday on Monday

Schapelle was inundated with messages from her famous friends, including Jackie 'O' Henderson, Arabella Del Busso and Erin McNaught.

'Happy birthday gorgeous girl. Sending you lots of love,' Jackie wrote.

'Happy birthday lovely,' Arabella added, while model ' Erin McNaught wrote 'Happy birthday darling.'

Schapelle was no doubt in a reflective mood after she celebrated her ninth anniversary out of prison in February this year.

The beauty therapist-turned-reality star turned 46 this week

At the time, she addressed her release in an emotional video on Instagram.

Schapelle had served nine years behind bars after being charged of smuggling drugs into the country.

'I felt queasy in my stomach and I felt a kind of regurgitation of trauma just coming in and settling in my stomach and trying to take over my mind,' she said of the gruelling experience.

She revealed she would mark the milestone with having a Pina Colada with her mother, go for a swim and give away one of her custom-made resin clocks to a lucky fan.

'I want to celebrate the day - because it is a good day - with something that really occupies my mind and has been such a healing process for me,' she said.

In October 2004, Schapelle became a household name when the then 27-year-old beauty student was arrested at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport with 4.2kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag, a crime she has always denied committing.

She made international headlines when she was arrested at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport in 2004 with 4.2kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag and jailed for nine years

Seven months later, the world watched on as Schapelle famously broke down in the courtroom while being sentenced to 20 years in prison.

After a series of sentence reductions, she was released on parole in February 2014 after nine years behind bars.

After three years living in Bali, she was deported back to Australia in 2017 and is now a social media influencer on the Gold Coast.
Kim Kardashian risked the wrath of her sister Kourtney Kardashian by copying her 'wedding vibes' again at the Dolce & Gabbana event on Sunday evening.

The 42-year-old reality TV star modeled a dramatic ensemble featuring a black veil over a figure-hugging corset dress to a party after attending the luxury brand's Alta Moda Show in Puglia, Italy.

She donned a striking outfit that resembled the black veil look that her older sister, Kourtney, 44, had worn to a pre-wedding event in Portofino last year.

Recently, the two sisters have been entangled in a contentious feud that played out on season three of their family's hit Hulu series, The Kardashians.

In latter episodes, Kourtney expressed her discontent at her sister working as the creative director of Dolce & Gabbana and said she was 'copying' the designs from her Italian wedding.

On the most recent episode, the SKIMS founder clapped back at her sister's claims and accused her of being a copycat for stealing 'my f*cking wedding country and my wedding performer!'

Daring look: Kim Kardashian risked the wrath of her sister Kourtney Kardashian by copying her 'wedding vibes' again at a Dolce & Gabbana event on Sunday evening

'Copycat' drama: The 42-year-old reality TV star modeled a dramatic ensemble featuring a black veil over a figure-hugging corset dress to a party after attending the luxury brand's Alta Moda Show in Puglia, Italy. The striking outfit resembled the black veil look that her older sister, Kourtney, 44, had worn to a pre-wedding event in Portofino last year

Amid the drama, the entrepreneur made her grand arrival in a very dramatic, all-black ensemble that did look similar to the Poosh founder's wedding to Travis Barker in May 2022.

On Sunday, Kim turned heads in a low-cut corset with sheer panels between the ribbing to accentuate her hourglass figure.

The mother-of-four teamed the look with a figure-hugging, satin skirt and see-through, pointed-toe pumps.

Over the entire ensemble, she draped a sheer, black veil adorned with lace-trim. Kim also accessorized with a gemstone necklace highlighted by a gold, oversized, and star-shaped pendant.

For the special occasion, she fashioned her raven black tresses in a half-up, half-down hairstyle that looked elegant and fit for a wedding.

The socialite was seen arriving at the party escorted by one-half of the Dolce & Gabbana luxury brand, Domenico Dolce.

The newest muse of the Italian high-end fashion company was also accompanied by her mother, Kris Jenner.

Similarly, the Kardashian-Jenner matriarch donned a dazzling, all-black outfit featuring a plunging bodysuit worn underneath a sheer, lace dress.

Dramatic: Amid the drama, the entrepreneur made her grand arrival in a very dramatic, all-black ensemble that did look similar to Kourtney's wedding to Travis Barker in May 2022

On Sunday, Kim turned heads in a low-cut corset with sheer panels between the ribbing to accentuate her hourglass figure. The mother-of-four teamed the look with a figure-hugging, satin skirt and see-through, pointed-toe pumps

Dramatic unveiling: Over the entire ensemble, she draped a sheer, black veil adorned with lace-trim

Bejeweled: Kim also accessorized with a gemstone necklace with a gold, oversized, and star-shaped pendant

Fashion muse: The socialite was seen arriving at the party escorted by one-half of the Dolce & Gabbana luxury brand, Domenico Dolce

All-black theme: The newest muse of the Italian high-end fashion company was also accompanied by her mother, Kris Jenner. Similarly, the Kardashian-Jenner matriarch donned a dazzling, all-black outfit featuring a plunging bodysuit worn underneath a sheer, lace dress

Over a year ago, Kourtney exchanged vows with the Blink-182 drummer at a lavish, star-studded wedding held at L'Olivetta  a villa owned by Dolce & Gabbana  in Portofino, Italy.

As one of the biggest story arcs of the third season of The Kardashians, Kim was recruited to serve as the creative director of Dolce & Gabbana.

In early episodes, Kim admitted in confessionals that she was worried about how her sister would react to the news.

Previously, she even stated that she went out of her way to avoid black veils and nixed them entirely from the show as to not to stir up any drama with her sister.

After Kourtney found out about Kim's latest project, she accused Kim of stealing the looks from the Dolce & Gabbana '90s archives that she curated for her wedding.

In anger, she had called her sister 'greedy' and 'intolerable' for doing so.

Kim then retaliated and called her out for 'copying' her 2014 wedding to her now-ex, Kanye West.

In a confessional, Kim heatedly claimed that it was actually Kourtney who 'stole' her ideas of having performance by Andrea Bocelli at her matrimonial event. She also took issue with Kourtney for having a destination wedding in Italy just like her.

Another dazzling look: Earlier on Sunday, Kim attended the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in celebration of and inspired by the native crafts of Puglia

Fabulous gown: For the event, she donned a glamorous and voluminous plum gown with off-shoulder sleeves and a high-low skirt that flowed into a sweeping train

Stunning photo series: She took to Instagram to document the stunning garment that she modeled with the same hairstyle and high-heeled shoes that she also wore with her black veil outfit that same evening

Dripping in diamonds: To accentuate her decolletage, the SoCal native wore a dazzling necklace featuring a statement sapphire stone and various diamonds along the entirety of the jewelry chain. She also modeled a large diamond ring and eye-catching stud earrings

Sultry makeup: For makeup, she sported a sultry smokey eye with full, fluttering eyelashes as well as a nude pink lip with burgundy lip liner. She looked radiant and subtly flushed in a rosy pink blush highlighting her plump cheeks

Earlier on Sunday, Kim had attended the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in celebration of and inspired by the native crafts of Puglia.

For the event, she donned a glamorous and voluminous plum gown with off-shoulder sleeves and a high-low skirt that flowed into a sweeping train.

She took to Instagram to document the stunning garment that she modeled with the same hairstyle and high-heeled shoes that she also wore with her black veil outfit that same evening.

As part of a stunning series of photos, Kim also shared a snap of herself sitting in the front row with singer Anitta, supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and actress Kerry Washington.

She also posted a group photo of herself posing with the many A-listers that attended the star-studded fashion show  including the Scandal star, Stefano Gabbana, Angela Bassett, Anitta, Huntington-Whiteley, Helen Mirren, Dolce, Fran Drescher, and her mother.

To accentuate her decolletage, the SoCal native wore a dazzling necklace featuring a statement sapphire stone and various diamonds along the entirety of the jewelry chain. She also modeled a large diamond ring and eye-catching stud earrings.

For makeup, she sported a sultry smokey eye with full, fluttering eyelashes as well as a nude pink lip with burgundy lip liner.

She looked radiant and subtly flushed in a rosy pink blush highlighting her plump cheeks.

Glamorous group: As part of a stunning series of photos, Kim also shared a snap of herself sitting in the front row with singer Anitta, supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and actress Kerry Washington

Star-studded group photo: She also posted a group photo of herself posing with the many A-listers that attended the star-studded fashion show  including the Scandal star, Stefano Gabbana, Angela Bassett, Anitta, Huntington-Whiteley, Helen Mirren, Dolce, Fran Drescher, and her mother

Mother-daughter moment: The celebutante was once again joined by her mother  who modeled a satin black gown underneath a floor-sweeping cheetah-print coat with black fur trim

Glamorous duo: The businesswoman  who was later seen with her longtime partner, Corey Gamble  donned a pair of classic black heels with minimal straps. She also accessorized with a statement necklace with a large cross pendant. As usual, Kris rocked her typical jet black pixie cut and smoldered in a dark smokey eye look.

The celebutante was once again joined by her mother  who modeled a satin black gown underneath a floor-sweeping cheetah-print coat with black fur trim.

The businesswoman  who was later seen with her longtime partner, Corey Gamble  donned a pair of classic black heels with minimal straps.

She also accessorized with a statement necklace with a large cross pendant.

As usual, Kris rocked her typical jet black pixie cut and smoldered in a dark smokey eye look as she joined her daughter to attend the fashion event.

At the end of the evening, Kim posted more fun snaps to her Instagram Story to document her glamorous ensemble.

She shared a closer look at her makeup and outfit as one side of her gown slipped off her shoulder to reveal a sexy black bra.

Kim also posted a photo of herself with Drescher and gushed over her 'fashion icon'.

Underneath the sweet snap of the Nanny star beaming and herself puckering up for a kiss, Kim wrote: 'My fashion icon! Always on my mood board! I seriously love this woman! The oh so gorgeous @officialfrandrescher'.

She also shared a photo of herself clinking glasses with the two masterminds behind Dolce & Gabbana as well as award-winning actresses Washington, Bassett, and Mirren.

At the end of the evening, Kim posted more fun snaps to her Instagram Story to document her glamorous ensemble. She shared a closer look at her makeup and outfit as one side of her gown slipped off her shoulder to reveal a sexy black bra

Starstruck: Kim also posted a photo of herself with Drescher. Underneath the sweet snap of the Nanny star beaming and herself puckering up for a kiss, Kim gushed over her 'fashion icon'

Cheers! She also shared a photo of herself clinking glasses with the two masterminds behind Dolce & Gabbana as well as award-winning actresses Washington, Bassett, and Mirren

Enamored: Kim also shared a snap of a supermodel on the runway in one of Dolce & Gabbana's new looks during the open-air fashion show

So chic: Kim also snapped various other sultry, all-black dresses that caught her eye during the fashion show. Alongside a sparkle and an Italian flag emoji, she praised the show and Puglia

At the end of the night: After a fashion-filled day, she took an overhead shot of an overflowing table garnished with opportune snacks and fresh produce she got to enjoy with both her eyes and tastebuds

Kim also shared a snap of a supermodel on the runway in one of Dolce & Gabbana's new looks during the open-air fashion show.

She wrote over the photo: 'The [sic] music and the people from the village apart of the show had me [teary-eyed emoji]'.

Kim also snapped various other sultry, all-black dresses that caught her eye during the fashion show.

Alongside a sparkle and an Italian flag emoji, she praised the show and Puglia: 'This was the most charming town'.

Lastly, she took an overhead shot of an overflowing table garnished with opportune snacks and fresh produce she got to enjoy with both her eyes and tastebuds to end off the fashion-filled day.
The much-anticipated Barbie film, starring Margot Robbie as the iconic Mattel doll and Ryan Gosling as her beloved Ken made its world premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 9.

Billie Eilish, who contributed a song to the soundtrack, was among the stars to attend the event at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.

In recognition of Barbie's favorite color, the cast, crew and high-profile guests walked the pink carpet, instead of red, when posing for promotional photos ahead of the screening.

Eilish, 21, showcased her unique style, and enthusiasm for the first-ever live-action version of a Barbie film, in loose-fitting black slacks that were styled in a high-water design.

She would give a nod of respect to the production's color theme by wearing a pink, pinstripe dress shirt that she matched with a hot pink tie.

Billie Eilish, 21, was among the stars to attend the world premiere of the live-action Barbie film at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hal ln Los Angeles on Sunday

Rouding out her one-of-a-kind look, the Hotline Bling star wore white sneakers with loose laces, matching socks, which were visible due to the high-water slacks, and her dark tresses long, straight and flowing with major bangs and a center part.

Eilish's song What Was I Made For? is slated to be the seventh single off the soundt5rack titled, Barbie: The Album.

Ahead of its release, the seven-time Grammy winner shared a promo on her Instagram page.

'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! What Was I Made For? COMING OUT JULY 13TH AT 7AM PT. !!!!!!!!' she shared in the caption. 'WE MADE THIS SONG FOR BARBIE AND IT MEANS THE ABSOLUTE WORRRRLLLD TO ME. THIS MOVIE IS GONNA CHANGE UR LIVES AND HOPEFULLY THE SONG WILL TOO. GET READY TO SOB @FINNEAS.'

Some of the other musical artists who contributed songs for the sountrack include Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, PinkPantheress, Tame Impala,, the Kid Laroi, as well as cast members Ryan Gosling and Dua Lipa.

Directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach, the storyline has largely been kept under wraps, but Vogue is now reporting that it was inspired by the 1994 book Reviving Ophelia, which Gerwig read as a kid, that details problems girls face when they enter adolescence.

While writing the screenplay Gerwig came to the realization of what the film should ultimately cover.

'How is this journey the same thing that a teenage girl feels?' she thought, adding, 'All of a sudden, she thinks, "Oh, I'm not good enough."'

Pink theme: Going with the pink Barbie theme, the pop star wore a pink pinstripe shirt with a hot pink tie, as she carried a tiny pink purse

Songwriting team: Eilish also shared the spotlight with her brother and song writing partner, Finneas O'Connell, who stepped out in an off-white suit

Playful: The seven-time Grammy winner would also show off her playful side on the pink carpet

Charming: The brother-sister duo showed off their chemistry on the oink carpet

Barbie creation: Directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach, Barbie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken

During a conversation with the publication Robbie also gave a glimpse into the premise by sharing about the time the production team pitched the idea of the film to Mattel.

'We of course would want to honor the 60-year legacy that this brand has. But we have to acknowledge that there are a lot of people who aren't fans of Barbie,' they told company executives.

'And in fact, arent just indifferent to Barbie. They actively hate Barbie. And have a real issue with Barbie. We need to find a way to acknowledge that.'

Promo mode: Eilish promoted her song What Was I Made For? that she contributed to the Barbie soundtrack, which is set to drop on July 13 as the seventh single

Summer ready: Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the UK and the US on July 21

A synopsis on IMDB of the upcoming film reads: 'A doll living in 'Barbieland' is expelled for not being perfect enough and sets off on an adventure in the real world. A Live-action feature film based on the popular line of Barbie toys.'

The film is being touted as 'a fish-out-of-water story about a doll who is ousted from toy society for not being perfect enough', according to a report by Vulture. She then comes to the realization that what's on the inside is more important than her appearance

Along with Robbie playing Barbie and Gosling as Ken, the much-anticipated romantic comedy also stars America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Rhea Pearlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, Connor Swindells, Ritu Aryau, Jamie Demetriou and Marisa Abela.

Barbie is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the UK and the US on July 21.
Hugh Jackman is said to be 'struggling' with the idea of his 18-year-old daughter Ava dating.

According to Woman's Day, the Wolverine star has laid down some hard rules for the teen, and his wife Deborah-Lee Furness has told her she must 'earn her father's trust'.

The issue over Ava dating comes as the teens begins her last year of school.

'There is a prom a year away, so even Hugh knows he can't stop this,' a family friend reportedly told the publication.

'Hugh's struggling with the fact his baby girl is growing up.

Hugh Jackman is said to be 'struggling' with the idea of his 18-year-old daughter Ava dating

According to Woman's Day, the Wolverine star has laid down some hard rules for the teen and his wife Deborah-Lee Furness has told Ava she must 'earn her father's trust'

'Ava's always been a daddy's girl so she knows she has to go easy on him. As her mum wisely told her, "Trust is earned, so don't screw it up''.'

Hugh and Deborra-Lee have one of Hollywood's strongest marriages and are as in love as ever after 27 years together.

Hugh recently revealed he and his wife had 'very different ideas' about parenting when they first adopted kids.

The actor shares adopted children Oscar, 22, and Ava with the fellow Aussie, who he wed in 1996.

Speaking to The Radio Times Hugh said: 'You fall in love with someone and you work out your relationship, it's great! All of a sudden, we had kids'.

'The way I was parented, the way she was parented all of a sudden whoosh! And it wasn't just Deb and I, it was somehow our pasts coming together'.

The actor shares adopted children Oscar, 22, and Ava with the fellow Aussie, Deborra-Lee who he wed in 1996 Pictured: Hugh on the red carpet in Paris, France in Februray, 2023

'We had really different ideas about being a parent. And we never really pre-discussed it.

'We just assumed: we love each other, we don't argue, that's going to be fine!' the star added.

Hugh and Deborah married just one year after meeting on the set of Australian drama Corelli in 1995.

The actor previously said he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with his beloved after just two weeks of knowing her.
Jackie 'O' Henderson enjoyed a topless 'sensual' massage from a male masseuse during her trip to France this month.

Detailing the intimate experience, the radio host revealed the massage took place in his luxury apartment in the centre of Paris.

She first stripped off for an infrared sauna for ten minutes, before having a shower and laying on the massage table.

The star, who was naked outside of a small towel covering her modesty, said the therapist began the treatment by poking her to the beat of piped music in the room.

'He starts poking you. He doesn't start massaging you at this point. [He pokes] But not with much pressure, just ever so slightly,' she explained on The Kyle and Jackie O show on Monday.

Jackie 'O' Henderson enjoyed a topless 'sensual' massage from a male masseuse during her trip to France this month

'He does it to the beat of the music and he does this for the whole song. When the song kicks he just goes poke, poke.'

Despite sounding strange, Jackie described the method as 'incredible' and 'relaxing'.

'It was the most incredible feeling. I don't know. This guy has some kind of magic hands. He pokes in the back, bum, legs, you're just kind of swaying your body,' she said.

'It was just euphoric. My head was through that hole [on the table] and I just had the biggest grin on my face. This guy has something interesting with his energy.'

Jackie said after the poking method was completed he began the massage with oil.

Detailing the intimate experience, the radio host revealed the massage took place in his luxury apartment in the centre of Paris

'It was just very sensual. His body was all into it. It was like he was a dancer,' she said.

'As he is doing your face, he comes down with face. So your face is resting on his face for an entire song.'

But Jackie was at pains to say the massage was 'sensual' but 'not sexual' at all.

'[You've got to] go with it. Just be open,' she said of the experience. 'There's nothing untoward about him.

'It is definitely worth trying if you can It was quite something else. I gotta say. An experience,' she added.

Jackie got the massage on her recent visit to Paris as part of co-host Kyle Sandilands honeymoon. Here with her daughter, Kitty, 12

She added that the masseuse works on famous film stars including Natalie Portman, Kristen Bell and Bradley Cooper.

Jackie said the experience wasn't for the faint-hearted and a lot of trust involved because it is done out of his apartment.

'You go to a fancy apartment, think New York all windows, and you go to the front entrance, you buzz and you get let in,' she said.

'You get told when you come out of the lift go to the very end of the corridor, and the door will be open.'
Skura Style co-owner Eva Mendes might avoid red carpets, but her partner - two-time Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling - found a way to honor her at the world premiere of Barbie held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Canadian 42-year-old wore a custom necklace with the letter 'E' in Barbie font.

Ryan bared his chest in a pink Gucci suit over a lighter pink button-up shirt and white Oxfords selected by stylist Mark Avery.

Hairstylist Camilla Soole gave Gosling a fresh cut and style for the pink carpet ceremony and groomer Shane Thomas made sure his complexion looked bronzed and flawless.

Turns out the Gray Man action star and the Miami-born 49-year-old's two daughters - Esmeralda, 8; and Amada, 7 - were a 'huge inspiration for' playing a real-life Ken doll.

Elusive couple: Skura Style co-owner Eva Mendes (L) might avoid red carpets, but her partner - two-time Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (R) - found a way to honor her at the world premiere of Barbie held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in LA on Sunday

Awwww! The Canadian 42-year-old wore a custom necklace with the letter 'E' in Barbie font

'They've seen a lot pieces of [the film], and helped me a lot with it,' Ryan told ET on Sunday.

'Well, it was, I think, weird enough for them that I played Ken anyway. I might like, you know, just hold off on them seeing the full Ken energy.'

The film has been described as 'perfection', with one critic even calling for Ryan to get an Oscar nomination.

Meanwhile, Eva - who wore a pink dress on Saturday - told Shape magazine back in 2017: 'What people don't know about me is that I love being home. Instead of hitting the red carpet, I'd rather be with our girls.'

Last Wednesday, Mendes shared her favorite quote from Barbie director Greta Gerwig about Gosling's performance: '"It's some combination of Marlon Brando meets Gene Wilder meets John Barrymore meets John Travolta."'

The former Mouseketeer reportedly 'steals' the entire movie thanks, in part, to his character performing an original song called I'm Just Ken in the $100M-budget fantasy flick, which hits US/UK theaters on July 21.

Margot Robbie, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, John Cena, Rhea Perlman, and Emerald Fennell are also featured in Barbie.

The elusive Los Feliz-based couple - who don't employ babysitters or nannies - originally fell in love 'way before' they first worked together on the 2011 set of Derek Cianfrance's crime-drama The Place Beyond the Pines.

And aside from one guest-starring voiceover gig of Bluey in 2021, Eva has completely retired from acting after appearing in Ryan's dismally-reviewed directorial debut Lost River in 2014.

Before Mendes, Gosling romanced his prior leading ladies - The Notebook's Rachel McAdams and Murder By Numbers' Sandra Bullock.

Chic: Ryan bared his chest in a pink Gucci suit over a lighter pink button-up shirt and white Oxfords selected by stylist Mark Avery

Ready for his close-up! Hairstylist Camilla Soole gave Gosling a fresh cut and style for the pink carpet ceremony and groomer Shane Thomas made sure his complexion looked bronzed and flawless

'They helped me a lot with it!' Turns out the Gray Man action star and the Miami-born 49-year-old's two daughters - Esmeralda, 8; and Amada, 7 - were a 'huge inspiration for' playing a real-life Ken doll

Ryan told ET on Sunday: 'Well, it was, I think, weird enough for them that I played Ken anyway. I might like, you know, just hold off on them seeing the full Ken energy'

Meanwhile, Eva - who wore a pink dress on Saturday - told Shape magazine back in 2017: 'What people don't know about me is that I love being home. Instead of hitting the red carpet, I'd rather be with our girls'

'Mi Hombre, Mi Vida, Mi Amor!' Last Wednesday, Mendes shared her favorite quote from Barbie director Greta Gerwig about Gosling's performance: '"It's some combination of Marlon Brando meets Gene Wilder meets John Barrymore meets John Travolta"'

Hitting US/UK theaters on July 21! The former Mouseketeer reportedly 'steals' the entire movie thanks, in part, to his character performing an original song called I'm Just Ken in the $100M-budget fantasy flick

The elusive Los Feliz-based couple - who don't employ babysitters or nannies - originally fell in love 'way before' they first worked together on the 2011 set of Derek Cianfrance's crime-drama The Place Beyond the Pines
Hollyoaks' Jamie Lomas is engaged to dentist girlfriend Jess Bell after two years together.

The actor, 48, best known for playing Warren Fox on Channel 4, announced the happy news on Monday morning, telling OK! Magazine: 'I had been planning it for a while and I wanted it to be perfect.'

He explained: 'We'd been in Lake Como a few weeks earlier but we both adore Mexico and I thought, 'Where better than in our favourite restaurant in our favourite resort in our favourite country?'

'Before I knew it there was this ring there and everyone was clapping and cheering. It was amazing; so wonderful and so very emotional,' said Jess, 34.

Jess, 34, added: 'I wasn't expecting it at all. It was a total shock. Before I knew it there was this ring there and everyone was clapping and cheering. It was amazing; so wonderful and so very emotional,'

Congratulations! Hollyoaks' Jamie Lomas is engaged to dentist girlfriend Jess Bell after two years together

Couple: It was first reported that the two started dating in August of 2021 after meeting through mutual friends

It was first reported that the two started dating in August of 2021 after meeting through mutual friends.

They went public with their relationship when they walked the red carpet together at the Pride of Manchester awards in May, 2022.

A source told The Sun at the time: 'Jamie and Jess met through friends and have been growing close over the past few months.

'It's pretty clear to those around him that Jamie is really into Jess and they make a lovely couple.'

Jamie's last relationship was with Portia Hughes who split in 2019 following their whirlwind romance.

The Sun reported that the former Hollyoaks actor had quickly fallen for Portia who also works on the show behind the scenes.

A source told the publication: 'Jamie was completely smitten with Portia and they grew very close, very quickly.

'He can be quite private but was happy to go to events with her  his friends were even predicting they might get engaged.

'Unfortunately it was all a bit of whirlwind and they just couldnt go the distance. They split amicably and shes already moved on while hes thrown himself into work.'

Following the amicable split, Portia appears to have found happiness Cheshire based property manager Paddy Kennedy, sharing sweet photos on Instagram.

Proving she is happy with her new man her Instagram feed is full with gushing posts about Paddy with snaps of them enjoying lavish dates and romantic getaways.

Jamie had confirmed his former romance last year by sharing a loved-up tribute to the behind the scenes soap worker.

Posting a black and white picture of them together, the soap star wrote: 'Sometimes in life you win the lottery' while she shared an equally loved-up shot of them together on her own personal feed.

The actor, 48, best known for playing Warren Fox on Channel 4 , announced the happy news on Monday morning, telling OK! Magazine : 'I had been planning it for a while and I wanted it to be perfect.'

Ex: Jamie's last relationship was with Portia Hughes who split in 2019 following their whirlwind romance

The British star was married to Corrie star Kym Marsh, 47, and the couple are parents to daughter, Polly. However, the couple split in 2014 after six years together.

The couple tragically lost their son Archie when he was born 18 weeks early in 2009.

The soap duo split 13 months following their wedding when Kym filed for divorce citing unreasonable behaviour.

Meanwhile, the ITV actress split from her personal trainer beau Matt Baker back in April after more than two years together and has now revealed she has found love with Army Major Scott Ratcliff after being introduced by mutual friends.

To read the full interview pick up a copy of OK! magazine, on sale Tuesday July 10, or visit OK.co.uk.
Jonah Hill's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady has taken to social media to brand the actor a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist.'

Ms Brady blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star by taking to Instagram to share messages allegedly sent by him that appear to reveal their past arguments.

The alleged texts from Hill display him outlining his parameters for a 'romantic partnership.' The two dated back in 2021 for about one year.

But who exactly is Sarah Brady? What else did she share about her previous relationship with Jonah Hill?

Read on below for everything you need to know about Sarah Brady.

Exposed? Jonah Hill's ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady has taken to social media to brand the actor a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist'; pictured in 2021

Tense: Taking to Instagram on Friday July 7, Sarah Brady blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star by sharing screenshots of their past arguments

On Friday Sarah said she was 'sharing this publicly now because keeping it to myself was causing more damage to my mental health than sharing it could ever do.'

Who is Sarah Brady?

Sarah Brady grew up in the US, living with her family in Encinitas, California.

Now 25, Brady studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she obtained an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science & Sustainability.

She later studied at the University of California, San Diego, reading a double major in anthropology and climate change.

Since 2017, Brady has been competing as a professional surfer, and she is sponsored by swimwear brand The Sea, as well as Tyler Warren Surfboards.

She has also worked in photography, contributing pictures to Herewith Magazine and other publications. Additionally, Brady has served as a project manager and ambassador for the Changing Tides Foundation (CTF) since 2017.

What did Sarah Brady say about Jonah Hill?

The rollout of damning statements saw Brady share an Instagram Stories post, in which she accused Hill of allegedly disapproving that she was 'surfing with men,' having 'inappropriate friendships with men,' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit'.

Sarah wrote online to her nearly 80,000 followers, 'See the misuse of the term "boundaries"?'

Brady spun her posts as a 'warning to all girls.'

'If your partner is talking to you like this, make an exit plan,' she captioned a screenshot that appeared to show Hill complaining about social media photos featuring her 'a** in a thong.'

'Call me if you need an ear,' she added.

He additionally stated that if Sarah 'needed' to 'model,' 'post sexual pictures,' or maintain friendships with women who were part of her 'wild recent past' then he was 'not the right partner' for her.

In another post of his alleged messages, Brady claimed that Hill only wanted her to socialize with friends whom he had 'personally approved.'

The entertainer, whose documentary Stutz came out on Netflix last year, added, 'If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.'

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length.'

Implicit: Brady used the caption of new Instagram post to air out her ex. She claimed he had requested that she take down the full-clothed photo

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length'

Former flames: The couple used to regularly coordinate their outfits when they were still together

She also clarified that just because a person is 'emotionally abusive,' it 'doesnt mean theyre a terrible person.'

'At the same time, it doesnt mean its OK,' she said.

Ms Brady also claims that Hill forced her to turn down jobs with surfing and swimwear brands  after 'sliding into her DM's' for a picture he called an 'a** shot'.

In June, it was revealed that Hill had welcomed his first child with his current girlfriend Olivia.

Details about the child, including the birth date, were not revealed, but his rep confirmed she gave birth in the spring of 2023.
She is preparing to release her first novel Nineteen Steps.

And Millie Bobby Brown reacquainted herself with the book while soaking up the sun on Sunday.

The Stranger Things star, 19, showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a skimpy white Slate Swim bikini as she relaxed on a plush sun bed.

Millie's two piece boasted a bandeau top and high-cut bottoms as she showcased her toned abs for the camera.

The stunner, who announced her engagement to Jake Bongiovi, 20, back in April, accessorised the look with a gold Louis Vuitton necklace and shielded her eyes behind chic Gigi Hadid x Vogue Eyewear as she flicked through the paperback.

Stunner: Millie Bobby Brown flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a white Slate Swim bikini as she read her OWN book while soaking up the sun in a stunning snap on Sunday

Bookworm: She captioned the snap: 'My summer read'

She showed off her natural beauty by going make-up free and tied her brunette tresses high in a messy bun.

Millie captioned the snap: 'My summer read'.

The star who reportedly turned down a massive payday for a Stranger Things spin-off, announced her venture into writing back in March.

In an Instagram video she said: 'Hi everyone, it's Millie,' the Enola Holmes star said into the camera.

'I'm thrilled to be announcing my debut novel 19 Steps, which be will publishing on twelfth of September, 2023,' she wrote.

Nineteen Steps is a history novel about a courageous 18-year-old woman called Nellie Morris who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, in Londons East End, while the second world war rages on around them.

When a tragic accident occurs during an air raid one night, the consequences are catastrophic - and life will never be the same again for Nellie.

'Writing Nineteen Steps has been a really special project for me. The story is inspired by true events and my own family history,' she explained while showing a photo of herself and her grandmother.

Debut novel: Millie, who reportedly turned down a massive payday for a Stranger Things spin-off , announced her venture into writing back in March

In a statement released via publisher William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, the Screen Actors Guild Award winner revealed a few more details about her personal connection to the tale, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart. I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. Im honored to keep her story alive.'

Millie's grandmother survived the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, an incident responsible for the largest single loss of civilian life in the UK during World War II.

173 people, mostly women and children, were crushed as Londoners tried to get into the Tube station during an air raid.

In April Millie announced she was engaged to boyfriend of two-years and Jon Bonvoi's son Jake.

Congrulations: In April Millie announced she was engaged to boyfriend of two-years and Jon Bonvoi's son Jake

Taking to social media she showed off her glimmering rock with a monochrome picture, the teenage star beamed from ear to ear while in the arms of her new fiance.

She penned in the caption: 'I've loved you three summers now, honey, I want 'em all'.

While Jake also shared an announcement post to his own page, simply writing 'forever' alongside two snaps of the couple.

Celebrating the joyous news, the smitten couple took part in a beachy photoshoot - with Millie dressed in a crochet dress while Jake donned a cream polo shirt.

Their famous friends rushed to the comments to congratulate the happy couple on the news.

Pixie Lott wrote: 'Omg!!!! Congratulations you two so happpy for you eeeee'.

While her Stranger Things co-stars Amybeth McNulty and Jamie Campbell Bower also commented, with Amybeth writing: 'YESSSS!!!!!!!' and Jamie posting a slew of heart emojis.

Tilly Ramsay commented: 'Congratulations!! Xx'

While Jess Wright said: 'Ommmmggggg congratulations!!!!!!!!! @milliebobbybrown this is amazing. So so happy for you darling'.
Samuel L. Jackson has become the latest Hollywood A-lister to sign up for a Warburtons bread advert.

The actor, 74, has signed a six-figure deal with the family-owned business and will follow in the footsteps of its latest face, George Clooney.

Samuel, who is best known for his acting roles in in blockbuster films Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and A Time To Kill, will soon be hitting British TV screens in upcoming months.

An insider told The Sun: 'Shelling out serious cash for huge names is now par for the course for Warburtons, as its ads have proved such a success.'

'Bagging Samuel is another coup.'

New face: Samuel L Jackson, 74, has become the latest Hollywood A-lister to appear in the Warburtons bread advert

Next up: The actor has signed a six-figure deal with the family-owned bread business and will follow in the footsteps of George Clooney, Robert De Niro (pictured) and Sylvester Stallone

'Watching celebs popping up in the companys HQ in drizzly Lancashire when you normally imagine them in Tinseltown captures shoppers imaginations.'

'And the ads are funny and imaginative so the stars keep credibility.'

In the 2021 advert, George is seen trying to get in touch with bakery boss Jonathan Warburton to pitch an idea. Unfortunately, his call comes at snack time - and toast comes first.

The Oscar winner, 62, donated his money to the Clooney Foundation For Justice, which was founded by his wife, Amal, an international human rights lawyer.

Before George, saw Robert De Niro team up with the brand to star in the commercial advert in 2019.

Sylvester Stallone, 77, stole the show in 2015 with his debut on the bread advert.

Warburtons also paired up with The Muppets in a two minute Christmas special.

Samuel was recently spotted filming for the advert in London and appeared to be driving a Warburtons lorry.

A-lister: In 2021 the Oscar winner, 62, appeared on the ad and donated all his funds to Clooney Foundation For Justice

How can you top that? Sylvester Stallone, 77, stole the show in 2015 with his debut on the bread advert

Discussing Clooney's acquisition with the Daily Mail in 2021, Warburtons boss Jonathan Warburton said: Im not being sexist here but who is the major shopper in most families?

If you look at our target audience  women between the ages of 25 and 50  you wont find any woman who hasnt heard of George Clooney, nor will you find anyone with anything bad to say about him.'

And if a red-blooded woman happens to find him attractive, and thinks of him when they are standing in the supermarket when their usual loaf isnt there . . .'

Clooney took the part on one condition: the hefty fee was paid to the charity foundation Clooney runs with his barrister wife Amal.

But while they worked together, Warburton never got to meet the Hollywood actor in person.

Unlikely star: Jonathan Warburton has done five pieces of acting in his life, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Miss Piggy, Peter Kay and George Clooney

Getting involved: Comedian Peter Kay sets the scene in another advert for Warburtons as a woman looks on

Funny: Warburton is manhandled by Miss Piggy in this shot, part of the firm's giant crumpet range

Instead, he was given the opportunity to discuss terms with Amal during a remote chat.

He was busy filming, but I was a bit gobsmacked to be told that she wanted to meet on Zoom,' he recalled.

I think she wanted to know Who on earth are this lot from Bolton, and why on earth would we want to be involved with them?'

He added: We both have twins, although mine are older, so we talked about twin stuff, and general family stuff. She wanted to know about our company, what we stood for.

'I think she liked what she heard about our family values.
Stacey Solomon has shared an adorable snap of her five children after husband Joe Swash revealed the pair are open to fostering.

The Loose Women star, 33, looked radiant as she posed with her brood for sweet snaps on Sunday after returning from a work trip in Scotland.

Clad in a blue ditsy print dress, Stacey colour coordinated with her family as they all opted for white, grey and blue looks.

She beamed broadly for a selfie while posing alongside sons Zachary, 15, and Leighton, 11, who she has from previous relationships as well as son Rex, four, Rose, 21 months, and five-month-old Belle who she shares with Joe.

Stacey captioned the snaps: 'Home Sundays with my whole world So happy to be back from Scotland. Had a lovely lazy morning with this lot! Now we off to my big big sisters 40th birthday Happy Sunday Everyone. Love you all.'

Family: Stacey Solomon shared an adorable snap with sons Zachary, 15, and Leighton, 11,as well as son Rex, four, Rose, 21 months, and five-month-old Belle with Joe Swash on Sunday

Stacey's family snaps comes after her husband Joe revealed they had discussed the idea of fostering children when their kids grow up.

As well as the three children he shares with Stacey, Joe is also stepdad to her eldest two boys and shares son Harry, 16, with his former partner Emma Sophocleous.

The actor, 41, made the decision to foster after making BBC documentary Joe Swash: Teens in Care when he discovered the care system has been underfunded by the government for more than a decade.

Former EastEnders cast member Joe also has a personal connection to the situation - his mother Kiffy has been a foster carer for 15 years.

According to the Mirror, the former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! campmate makes it clear in the documentary that many of the children in care are struggling.

He sighed: 'I wanted to do more for them. Theres not much I can do apart from shining a light on the situation and that was a real struggle.

'I just wanted to take them all home with me, I just wanted to parent them, but I couldnt, which was sad.

'Anyone who met these teenagers would come away and feel guilty and feel like theyve let them down in some way.'

Joe learned about older teens in the care system while making the documentary, with many being unprepared for adulthood with no family or support system at the age of 18.

Sweet: Clad in a blue ditsy print dress, Stacey colour coordinated with her family as they all opted for white, grey and blue looks

Daddy cool: Joe cradled baby Belle in a sweet snap after revealing he plans to foster children later in life

Joe said he and Stacey have been discussing fostering, with the couple planning to do so when their children are older.

He revealed: 'When the kids are old enough, well think about fostering.

'We love kids and Stacey is on the same page as me. She watched my mums journey, shes watched Daniels journey. Shes been a massive support.'

It comes after Stacey said she is taking 'every precaution possible' to ensure she doesn't have a sixth baby.

The star admitted she and her husband Joe are 'really loving each other' even more than usual after returning from a romantic mini break in Austria, but she insisted they are not planning on having another child.

Loose Women panellist Stacey said in an Instagram video: 'We are on a mini-break high and really loving each other.

'We were kissing yesterday and the boys were like, "Urgh! You disgust me!"

'Oh, for those of you messaging me saying is this baby number six - no, no no! Don't worry, we're taking every precaution possible to make sure that doesn't happen!'

Stacey admitted life can get 'a bit tense' at times when they are working and running around at home after their kids, so the couple enjoyed getting away.

She added: 'I got to say, me and Joe had the best time together.

'I think sometimes, when you're in the thick of it and we've got all the kids and I'm working and then he's working and then we're tag teaming it, it all gets a bit tense.

'So yeah, that little 36 hours together has just made me love him so much. Not that I didn't love him before!'

Two's company: Stacey shared a sweet snap of Rose and Rex posing in their denim outfits
Johnny Depp stunned residents of the quiet Welsh surburban street called Cwmdonkin Drive by making a surprise visit to the birthplace of poet Dylan Thomas.

The actor, 60, confessed he was 'still floating' after visiting the home of the hell-raising poet in the Uplands area of Swansea while on tour with his rock band Hollywood Vampires.

Johnny described himself as a Thomas 'fiend' - and said recordings of his work read by Richard Burton gave him 'the best sleep ever'.

Wearing a crocheted hat, shades and dripping with jewellery, Depp toured the tiny house at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive where the writer grew up.

The actor also relied on a crutch after sustaining a 'painful' ankle injury that forced him to postpone his US tour dates last month.

Look who it is! Johnny Depp stunned residents of the quiet Welsh surburban street called Cwmdonkin Drive by making a surprise visit to the birthplace of poet Dylan Thomas

Iconic: The actor confessed he was 'still floating' after visiting the home of the hell-raising poet in the Uplands area of Swansea while on tour with his rock band Hollywood Vampires

Iconic: The property, where poet Thomas was born in 1914, was restored in 2005 to how it would have looked when he lived there, after previously being used as a student bedsit

Thomas was born in Uplands, Swansea, in 1914, and found fame as a poet and storyteller for works such as Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night and Under Milk Wood.

Depp said he had been a fan of Thomas since he was '10 or 12' after his brother gave him a collection of short stories called Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.

And before leaving, Depp signed the visitors' book: 'All respect always, Johnny.'

The Pirates of the Caribbean star revealed he falls asleep listening to Thomas' play Under Milk Wood 'a few times a week'.

He told Nation Cymru: 'I'm still floating a little having been in the room where Under Milk Wood began and so many poems were written. So dumfounded.

'It's such a strong... doing this visit you get to see where his thoughts came from and it's a lot to take in if you're a fiend like I am.

'My older brother when I was a kid, he turned me onto all these writers I wasn't ready for when I was 10, 12.

'Dylan Thomas, the first he gave me as a kid was Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, so that was the first and then of course all the poetry, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, all the stuff that just takes your head apart.

Good spirits! Johnny described himself as a Thomas 'fiend' - and said recordings of his work read by Richard Burton gave him 'the best sleep ever'

Casual: The actor also relied on a crutch after sustaining a 'painful' ankle injury that forced him to postpone his US tour dates last month

Dylan Thomas' childhood home: A shrine to a literary legend Dylan Thomas became one of Wales' best-known poets, and began to pen his iconic works from his childhood home on Cwmdonkin Drive. The Dylan Thomas Birthplace is a 'living museum' and celebrates the life and works of acclaimed Swansea poet and writer. It is run as a 'labour of love' by Geoff, who now owns the house and his family and a small team of volunteers. The house was restored in 2005 to how it would have looked when Thomas lived there, after previously being used as a student bedsit. Thomas was born in 1914 in the front room of the house and has become known for his poems and short stories, including Under Milk Wood. He continued to reside there until 1937 when his parents moved out of the home, which he later described as a 'Glamorgan villa,' overlooking the 'long and splendid curving shore' His home, Number 5, was one of six houses that were built between 1913 and 1915, after planning permission was granted in 1908 to a Mr T Lewis. Dylan's birthplace boasted four bedrooms, including a tiny space where he began his literary career, with his 'box room' including the only working gas lamp in the house and a single bed. His home also included a 'lounge,' which was saved for visitors and special occasions, a study for Dylan's father, a living room for eating, and typical Edwardian kitchen, bathroom and wash house. While Dylan is now renowned for his poetic works, his life was a short one plagued by alcohol and infidelity. He famously cheated on his wife Caitlin with American journalist Pearl Kazin, and their stormy marriage never recovered. Caitlin, who was portrayed by Sienna Miller in the 2008 biopic The Edge of Love, is believed to have never forgiven the poet for his affair with Kazin, who he took on a high-profile trip around Europe at the height of their affair. In Thomas' later life he acquired a reputation, which he encouraged, as a 'roistering, drunken and doomed poet'. Controversy still surrounds the exact cause of his death at the age of 39 in New York in 1953 - whether it was pneumonia or a drink-induced coma during a literary tour. Advertisement

Huge fan: Depp said he had been a fan of Thomas since he was '10 or 12' after his brother gave him a collection of short stories called Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog

Celebrity guest! And before leaving Thomas birthplace, Depp signed the visitors' book: 'All respect always, Johnny'

Candid: The Pirates of the Caribbean star revealed he falls asleep listening to Thomas' play Under Milk Wood 'a few times a week'

Surprise fan! He told Nation Cymru: 'I'm still floating a little having been in the room where Under Milk Wood began and so many poems were written. So dumfounded'

Proud: House owner Geoff Haden said: 'It was amazing. I would say it was the best house tour we've ever done' (pictured far right with expert Alun Gibbard, Johnny and Sarah Haden)

Lauded: The Dylan Thomas Birthplace is a 'living museum' and celebrates the life and works of acclaimed Swansea poet and writer Dylan Thomas

'Then Under Milk Wood, the first time, Under Milk Wood was the one that really grabbed me.

'It was maybe the combination of the brilliance of Dylan Thomas' capabilities with language and words and description and the combination of that with Richard Burton's incredible... that voice, the presence of his voice. Richard Burton could become the entire play.

'He is the one that gets the humour the best I think, he gets the really dry. He was a lovely person.'

Depp also said it was a 'great honour' to tour the house, adding: 'I highly recommend to anyone who has a dilemma in falling to sleep; turn the lights out, put on Richard Burton reading Under Milk Wood and fall asleep to that. It's the best sleep I've had.

'I would do this all the time. For years now. I still do it. Yeah. At least a few times a week. I've walked his steps a little bit. This is going to stick with me for a while.'

House owner Geoff Haden said: 'It was amazing. I would say it was the best house tour we've ever done. He was absolutely delightful, very unassuming and he loved the house.

'He couldn't get over that we'd done so much work here. He was extremely amenable, it was as if someone we knew really well had popped in for a coffee!

'And his knowledge of Dylan was evident. He knew far more about Dylan than most people, he couldn't get over that he was here visiting his birthplace and the place where Dylan wrote two-thirds of his work.'

The Dylan Thomas Birthplace is a 'living museum' and celebrates the life and works of acclaimed Swansea poet and writer Dylan Thomas.

It is run as a 'labour of love' by Geoff and his family and a small team of volunteers.

Author and Dylan Thomas expert Alun Gibbard said: 'He was really enthusiastic, he got a little overwhelmed and emotional at the end when he thought about being in the place where Dylan was born and grew up.

'He was a very warm person which made the whole tour that much more enjoyable.

'He was very appreciative of being able to visit - and he signed our visitors book and left us a donation, but we didn't realise until after when a staff member told us - he didn't make a song and dance of it or anything.'

While Dylan is now renowned for his poetic works, his life was a short one plagued by alcohol and infidelity.

Important: It is run as a 'labour of love' by Geoff and his family and a small team of volunteers

Superstar: Johnny travelled to Wales as part of his tour with his band Hollywood Vampires, and posed for snaps with staff at The Grand Hotel during his trip to Swansea

Where it all began! Dylan's birthplace boasted four bedrooms, including a tiny space where he began his literary career, with his 'box room' including the only working gas lamp in the house

Hard times: While Dylan is now renowned for his poetic works, his life was a short one plagued by alcohol and infidelity, and he died in 1953 at the age of 39

He famously cheated on his wife Caitlin with American journalist Pearl Kazin, and their stormy marriage never recovered.

Caitlin, who was portrayed by Sienna Miller in the 2008 biopic The Edge of Love, is believed to have never forgiven the poet for his affair with Kazin, who he took on a high-profile trip around Europe at the height of their affair.

In Thomas' later life he acquired a reputation, which he encouraged, as a 'roistering, drunken and doomed poet'.

Controversy still surrounds the exact cause of his death at the age of 39 in New York in 1953 - whether it was pneumonia or a drink-induced coma during a literary tour.

Johnny's outing comes after he was forced to postpone the American leg of his band's upcoming tour due to his painful ankle injury.

After tweaking his ankle while promoting his film, Jeanne Du Barry, at the Cannes Film Festival in June, a source revealed to TMZ at the time that the star 'stressed it further while trying to power through' at tribute show for his late friend Jeff Beck.

An insider divulged to the publication that the father-of-two's 'ankle is fractured and his medical team has instructed him not to fly for the foreseeable future.'

This means the Edward Scissorhands actor was unable to perform at the Hollywood Vampires' next three shows, which were scheduled for New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York, in June.
Jonah Hill is selling merchandise branded with the words 'Complete Unrelenting Control' after his ex-girlfriend accused him of emotional abuse.

The actor, 39, launched a satirical lifestyle brand and wellness community called Meaningful Existence under his alter ego Prophet Ezekiel Profit in April.

Meaningful Existence pokes fun at wellness brands that flog pricey merchandise, with the company's goal to 'spread joy throughout the universe by Monetizing Happiness' and joking 'were here to show you how much simpler things can really be when you allow us to take Complete Unrelenting Control.'

Among the items listed are a $30 'emotional baggage tote' that reads, 'Complete Unrelenting Control', while other items bearing the tagline include socks, hats and tops.

Fans were shocked on Saturday when the brand plugged the 'Complete Unrelenting Control' merchandise, writing: 'Ill pass on this'; 'Foul'; 'lil rough this one yeah.'

Ex: Jonah Hill is selling merchandise branded with the words 'Complete Unrelenting Control' after his ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady accused him of emotional abuse (pictured in 2021)

Marketing: Hill's brand Meaningful Existence pokes fun at wellness brands that flog pricey goods, with the their goal to 'spread joy throughout the universe by Monetizing Happiness'

It comes as Hill's ex-girlfriend has launched a fresh attack on the actor after branding him as a 'misogynist' and 'narcissist' in a series of posts.

Sarah Brady, who dated the Superbad star for a year in 2021, claims that he forced her to turn down jobs with surfing and swimwear brands  after 'sliding into her DM's' for a picture he called an 'a** shot'.

Hill has just welcomed a baby with his girlfriend Olivia Millar, and has not publicly commented on the allegations.

His ex, a surfing instructor, posted several screengrabs of their alleged conversations while they were together in which the actor outlines his parameters for a 'romantic partnership.'

She claims that he was angry that she would post images of herself while surfing, and then listed several 'unacceptable behaviors' from her if they were to date.

In a series of messages between her and a friend, Brady said that it was 'absurd' for Hill to have those opinions when he was 'so so into the fact' that she was a 'good surfer'.

DailyMail.com did not immediately receive a response to a request for comment from Hill's representative.

The messages read: 'He expected me to take down pics of me surfing in one pieces which he called bikinis and thongs which were posted there way before he met me.

'He knew when he met me that I did freelance work as surf talent and as a producer for photo shoots for women surf brands.

'At the start he complimented me and flirted with me over the same surf pic he later called an a** shot, and was angry I didn't take it down. Angry I didn't read his mind'.

For sale: Among the items listed are a $30 'emotional baggage tote' that reads, 'Complete Unrelenting Control', while other items bearing the tagline include socks, hats and tops

Timing: Fans were shocked on Saturday when the brand plugged the merchandise amid rumours of his emotional abuse

She then added: 'bro you know what you signed up for', before explaining that the worst part for her was Hill allegedly 'blaming it all on his mental health issues'.

The latest posts on her Instagram also claim that she was 'empathetic' to Hill's issues because she suffers from bipolar  saying he was 'so fixated on psychotherapy and acted like the authority on the subject'.

Brady also posted several images saying she was 'bored' of who she was with Hill, as well as claiming he 'didn't know how to celebrate' a woman like her.

The rollout of damning statements against the movie producer began with an Instagram Stories post Brady shared with the caption, 'F*** it.'

The screenshot showed two messages alleged to be from Jonah on December 2, 2021.

The lengthy initial text apparently from Jonah included a list of unacceptable behaviors from Sarah if they were to be together romantically.

The new dad allegedly mentioned things including 'surfing with men,' 'inappropriate friendships with men,' and 'posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit' that were off limits for his then-girlfriend.

He additionally stated that if Sarah 'needed' to 'model,' 'post sexual pictures,' or maintain friendships with women who were part of her 'wild recent past' then he was 'not the right partner' for her.

In another post of his alleged messages, Brady claimed that Hill only wanted her to socialize with friends whom he had 'personally approved.'

The entertainer, whose documentary Stutz came out on Netflix last year, added, 'If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.'

He then clarified, 'My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust.'

The former duo first went public with their romance in August 2021 after their connection was sparked when Jonah approached her online.

On Friday Sarah said she was 'sharing this publicly now because keeping it to myself was causing more damage to my mental health than sharing it could ever do.'

She also explained she used to take the 'blame' for Hill's actions when they would speak with their therapist.

In part of her tirade against her ex, the athlete noted, 'I hope my ex has a daughter, maybe she'll turn him into a real feminist.

'Because the fact that he calls himself a feminist now is laughable.  If I could have one wish for him it would be that he is surrounded by feminist men who can hold him accountable to grow in the ways he has expressed he wants to.'

The law student went on to say, 'I think fame can put people in an echo chamber of viewpoints, which can enable emotionally abusive behavior.'

One snippet of conversation appeared to show Hill complaining that his then-girlfriend's 'therapist thinks I suck.'

Sarah claims that he forced her to turn down jobs with surfing and swimwear brands during their relationship

The surfer complained that Hill made up the rules after 'sliding into her DM's' for a picture he called an 'a** shot'

The former duo first went public with their romance in August 2021 after their connection was sparked when Jonah approached her online

Brady also posted several images saying she was 'bored' of who she was with Hill, as well as claiming he 'didn't know how to celebrate' a woman like her

In a series of messages between her and a friend, Brady said that it was 'absurd' for Hill to have those opinions when he was 'so so into the fact' that she was a 'good surfer'

His ex, a surfing instructor, posted several screengrabs of their alleged conversations while they were together in which the actor outlines his parameters for a 'romantic partnership'

Brady also posted a few images implying that Hill had lost out, and seemed to say he was 'foolish' for how he treated her

The trainee lawyer also shared several exchanges between her and friends over the breakdown of the relationship

Taking to Instagram late on Friday night, the surfer blasted the 39-year-old Superbad star by sharing screenshots of their past arguments

Sarah called her decision to release the private messages a 'warning to all girls' during her initial posts

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length'

Brady seemed to be addressing Hill when she wrote 'Gaslight much?' over one screenshot.

In the text, he appeared to complain that he was 'so lovely' to her, which he didn't feel was being reciprocated.

'I literally am the best boyfriend. On earth,' he added. She mocked the sentiment by sarcastically writing #1 Boyfriend over the screenshot and adding a photo of a smiling dog.

In other posts, she urged her followers to 'Boycott Stutz,' Hill's documentary about his relationship with his therapist. One included a screenshot of text saying it 'is never appropriate for a therapist to speak about themselves at length.'

She also clarified that just because a person is 'emotionally abusive,' it 'doesn't mean they're a terrible person.'

'At the same time, it doesn't mean it's OK,' she said.

In addition to screenshots of conversations allegedly between her and Hill, Brady also included screenshots that appeared to show her complaining about her ex with another person.

The other person said it must have made her 'feel crazy having a licensed professional tell You to Not talk to other men to keep your boyfriend from acting like a f***ing baby.'

Brady claimed that the therapist suggested she come up with a 'safe word for when Jonah was yelling at me,' which was 'pineapple.'

Hill released a new movie about his 'friend and therapist' Phil Stutz in November last year, where he lectured how going to therapy made his life 'immeasurably better.'

The star announced that he was stepping away from the spotlight after spending more than two decades dealing with anxiety attacks.

He said he would not be promoting the film in an effort to 'protect himself,' after realizing that public appearances were 'exacerbating' his mental health issues.

Hill explained that his decision to take a break was prompted by the 'journey of self-discovery' that he went on while making the documentary.

August marked the first time that Hill publicly spoke out about his struggles with anxiety, however, he has previously detailed his insecurities surrounding his body image, when he asked fans to stop commenting on his weight loss via Instagram.

One snippet of conversation appeared to show Hill complaining that his then-girlfriend's 'therapist thinks I suck,' before he called himself 'literally ... the best boyfriend. On earth'

In a screenshot of a conversation with another person, Brady claimed that a therapist had urged her to come up with a 'safe word'  'pineapple'  for 'when Jonah was yelling at me'

Sarah alleged that while dating Jonah, he had to 'personally approve' her friends

The star, whose weight has fluctuated dramatically over the years, wrote on the social media app: 'I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body good or bad.

'I want to politely let you know its not helpful and doesnt feel good. Much respect.'

In June, it was revealed that Hill had welcomed his first child with his current girlfriend Olivia Millar.

The birth date or details about the child were not revealed, but his rep confirmed she gave birth in the spring of 2023.
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The first trailer for the high anticipated historical film Napoleon was released early on Monday morning.

Joaquin Phoenix was seen in character as Napoleon Bonaparte. The 48-year-old actor looks disturbed as the French military wizard as he pushed his way to the height of power in France.

The trailer opens with chaos. 'You must make an example, or France will fold,' Napoleon is told. Phoenix answers, 'I promise you brilliant successes.'

Next the emperor is seen bloodied during a fierce battle which leads to him trying to blow up the top of a pyramid in Egypt. 'I am destined for greatness,' he says and then it is suggested he become the emperor of France.

More battle scenes are seen as the ruler is criticized for his 'lack of good manners.'

All along the clip glimpses of his comely lady love Josephine Bonaparte are seen as she tells him he is nothing without her.

The film is due to be released in theaters on November 22, 2023 before going to Apple TV+ for streaming at a later date.

He's here! The first trailer for the high anticipated historical film Napoleon was released early on Monday morning. Joaquin Phoenix was seen in character as Napoleon Bonaparte

All eyes on Napoleon: His counsel tells him how he needs to stay in power during the early 1800s

Napoleon Bonaparte, pictured here, succeeded in transforming France into a continent-spanning empire and was well known for his military expertise

Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a Corsican-born French military commander and political leader.

He gained fame during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.

In the trailer he is seen in full military regalia.

And, at 5ft 8in, Phoenix is a couple of inches closer to the 18th century military leader than you might think. Despite rumours of Napoleon's tiny frame, he was actually believed to be closer to 5ft 7in  average height at the time.

He was also seen coming face to face with his wife for the first time, Josephine Bonaparte, who was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

She drops into the trailer now and then, and there is even a kissing scene, as she later warns him that he would collapse without her.

The film explores Napoleon's climb to power through his relationship with his wife Josephine.

It will see Phoenix star opposite Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in The Crown, after Killing Eve star Jodie Comer was forced to pull out.

War lord: The 47-year-old actor looked disturbed as the French emperor as he pushed his way to the height of power in France

War time: The trailer opens with chaos. 'You must make an example, or France will fold,' Napoleon is told. Phoenix answers, 'I promise you brilliant successes'

His lady love: He is seen coming face to face with his wife for the first time, Josephine Bonaparte, who was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810

It is also the first time Phoenix has been reunited with director Sir Ridley Scott since starring in Gladiator in 2000.

The film was previously titled Kitbag which referred to the saying: 'There is a general's staff hidden in every soldier's kitbag.'

The expression means it is possible for any soldier to become a general.

Speaking about the film, Sir Ridley said: 'Napoleon is a man I've always been fascinated by.

'He came out of nowhere to rule everything but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine.

'He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn't, he conquered it to destroy her.

'No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin.'
Dr. Zoe Williams has spoken out about the culture at This Morning, insisting everything is back to 'normal' after the Phillip Schofield scandal.

Phillip stepped down from ITV in May as he admitted to having an affair with a much younger male This Morning colleague in an 'unwise but not illegal' relationship.

Since then his former co-star Holly Willoughby has been working alongside a rotation of presenters, including the likes of Craig Doyle, Josie Gibson, Dermot O'Leary, and Alison Hammond.

ITV instructed a barrister to conduct an external review of the facts surrounding Phillip's departure while CEO Dame Carolyn McCall was among three broadcast bosses grilled by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

During a period of uncertainty on the channel, Dr Zoe admitted staff feared losing their jobs, but were now 'out the other end.'

Business: Dr. Zoe Williams has spoken out about the culture at This Morning, insisting everything is back to 'normal' after the Phillip Schofield scandal

She told HELLO Magazine: 'It feels like everything's back to business as normal now. More than anything, I've really felt for the staff and the people in the production office. It's a big team and we all get on.

'There was a point where I think everybody felt that their jobs were in jeopardy, and there are people who've worked on the show for decades. It's been a really emotional and difficult time, but I think we're out the other end.'

After former Dancing on Ice host Phillip - who has who has daughters Molly, 30, and 27-year-old Ruby with wife Stephanie Lowe - left the broadcaster after almost 20 years, some stars had claimed there is a 'toxic' culture at ITV, but chief executive Dame McCall insisted there have only been two complaints of such an 'issue' in five years, and both were 'taken very seriously'.

When asked what she makes of allegations of there being a 'toxic culture at 'This Morning', Carolyn told a government committee: 'What I would say is that it's not something that we take that seriously.

'What I know is that when we talk about culture it's incredibly important to me, personally and so it deeply disappoints me, right?

'But we do not recognise that in This Morning and the reason for that is that we have tangible evidence to tell you that the vast majority of people at daytime and at 'This Morning' are extremely engaged and very motivated.

'That's not to say we don't take complaints about it seriously. We've had two complaints in five years about that issue. Both of them taken very seriously.'

Meanwhile, This Morning bosses are facing more chaos over its revamp after relations between its two presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary have become increasingly strained.

Moved on: Phillip stepped down from ITV in May as he admitted to having an affair with a much younger male This Morning colleague, with Holly Willoughby remaining alongside a roster of guest presenters (pictured in May)

The Mail on Sunday revealed some executives on the under-fire ITV daytime programme are worried they may have to consider the duo hosting more episodes apart.

Alison, 48, and Dermot, 50, who host This Morning on Fridays and school holidays, were seen as being able to steady the ship following Phillip's departure in May.

Sources claim that Alison is no longer as close as she was to Holly. The pair were being tipped to be the main presenting duo when the programme begins its new season in September.

One insider on the show said: 'Alison and Dermot got off to a tricky start, they had very different levels of experience and came from totally different places but they then did start to rub along quite nicely.

'Recently though things have become strained and it is worrying the bosses, they fear that this couple they put together which they had hoped would carry the show through the tough times it is enduring may have to present apart a bit more.

READ MORE: Fern Britton shares an update on her friendship with This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield after the pair were dogged by feud claims Advertisement

'As for Holly and Alison, they were as thick as thieves. Alison even invited Holly to stay at her house recently, something which Holly then shared with the This Morning viewers, which surprised Alison.'

Dermot, a seasoned presenter with more than two decades of experience, has been anchoring the show with Ms Willoughby in recent weeks.

Holly, 42, and Alison are also of concern to the chiefs. The two had grown close in recent months and Holly had been hoping she would be able to have the former Big Brother host as her sidekick.

But this newspaper has been told that Alison views herself as a star in her own right after being poached to host the popular Channel 4 show The Great British Bake Off.

Meanwhile, bosses are said to be 'thrilled' with how popular Craig Doyle, 52, the former presenter of the BBC's Holiday programme, has become with female viewers after spending a little over a year as a stand-in host, mostly alongside Josie Gibson.

He has been paired with Holly several times since Phillip left the programme and This Morning fans have been enjoying their chemistry hugely.

One source on This Morning said: 'Craig had been out in the wilderness for some time and recently he has made the most fantastic comeback.

'Holly loves him and so do the viewers. Watch this space.'

The Mail on Sunday first told of tensions behind the scenes at This Morning in April which were likely to see the end of Phillip's 21-year reign as host.

He was ousted from the show a month later and latterly revealed he had lied about having a relationship with a much younger This Morning runner and lying about it to this newspaper.

An ITV spokesperson said: 'Alison, Dermot and Holly are all valued members of the This Morning family and all enjoy working together on the show, as well as having friendships outside of the show.'
Melissa McCarthy looked chic as she stepped out in New York City over the weekend.

The 52-year-old Little Mermaid star - who took part in LA's Pride parade last month - stunned as she donned a paisley print jumpsuit.

The longtime actress appeared to be in great spirits as she headed to see Some Like It Hot! at The Shubert Theatre with husband Ben Falcone in tow.

The stunner, who hails from Illinois, pulled her rich brunette hair back and styled it in a center part.

For the outing she donned small gold hoop earrings and cinched her waist with a black Gucci belt.

Looking great: Melissa McCarthy looked ravishing as she stepped out in New York City over the weekend

Onesie: The 52-year-old Little Mermaid star stunned as she donned a paisley print jumpsuit; seen left with a pal, right

McCarthy, who married Falcone in 2005, stacked gold bracelets on her right wrist and wore rings on her manicured hands.

Her dress boasted a ruffled collar and a modest v-neck that flashed a little bit of her chest.

Her stylish belt featured Gucci's signature double G logo embellished with pearls.

The Hollywood fixture rounded out the fashionable ensemble with a pair of black platform sneakers with white accents.

Elevating her look further, the mother-of-two carried an olive green leather handbag with a drawstring strap.

Melissa beamed with her visage made up with flattering makeup, including a glossy red lip.

For his part, Falcone, 49, rocked a pale yellow, short-sleeved, button-up shirt with a pattern.

The actor, who shares teenage daughters Vivian and Georgette with his wife, added dark trousers with colorful comic-like graphics throughout.

Date: Melissa headed to see Some Like It Hot! at The Shubert Theatre with husband Ben Falcone in tow

Good time: The happy couple posed as Melissa held a Playbill booklet

Theatre lover: Back in April Melissa took to Instagram to rave about Sean Hayes' play Good Night, Oscar

Back in April Melissa took to Instagram to rave about Sean Hayes' play Good Night, Oscar.

Engaging her 12.1 million followers on the app, the star shared a selfie holding a Playbill booklet from the production.

She wrote in the caption, '@seanhayes you are MAGIC. I cannot stop talking to anyone and everyone about how incredible Good Night, Oscar is  currently figuring out how to come weekly without seeming crazy?! Congrats!'

Hayes, who used to star on the sitcom Will & Grace, replied in the comments: 'You are the best! So sweet of you guys to check it out. Love you to pieces.'
Mark Wright put his father-in-law Michael Keegan on the spot on Monday as he asked him to name three things he liked about him.

The TV personality, 36, has been married to Michael's daughter, Michelle Keegan, 36, since 2015.

And after Michelle's family jetted over from Tenerife to visit the Wrights, Mark decided to have some fun with him.

Speaking on Heart Feel Good Weekend with Mark Wright, Mark revealed that not only were his wife's family currently in the studio with him, it was also time for a small quiz.

He said: 'Right, now because theyre in the studio and because I like putting my father in-law Michael Keegan on the spot, by the way hes over from Tenerife, hes got a bar called The Bees Knees that I named, I came up with the name and Ill never let him forget that.

Sweet: Mark Wright put his father-in-law Michael Keegan on the spot on Monday as he asked him to name three things he liked about him

'Michael, Im gonna put you on the spot right now, are you ready?'

Michael replied enthusiastically: 'Im ready Mark, bring it on!'

'Three things, you like about me?', Mark asked.

Michael replied: 'Three things I like about you, only three things?'

Laughing, Mark said: 'Dont seem so surprised tell me three main ones.

Getting started, Michelle's father said: 'You look after my daughter, on my behalf.'

'good answer, and now youre stuck for anymore', Mark chimed in.

Michael continued: 'I like your burnt sausages; they were very nice.'

Funny: The TV personality, 36, has been married to Michael's daughter, Michelle Keegan, 36, since 2015

Quiz time! Speaking on Heart Feel Good Weekend with Mark Wright, Mark revealed that not only were his wife's family currently in the studio with him, it was also time for a small quiz

On the spot! Michael was ready for the challenge, telling Mark, 'Im ready Mark, bring it on!'

Amused, Mark said: 'Thats a good father in-law, lying to keep me happy.'

Continuing, Michael clarified: 'no, I liked your burnt sausages, they were very nice, I didnt like the burgers though, they were underdone, all morning Ive had a stomach ache, I think it was your burgers'

Keeping things moving, Mark continued: 'One more thing you like about me, youve got 10 seconds.'

'Youve got beautiful teeth', Michael concluded.

Michael's answer was met by a big studio applause, as Mark continued: ll take that one, thank you very much, that was called father in-law, on the spot.'

Their radio fun comes shortly after Mark hit back at trolls who claimed he and Michelle never see each other, saying they always spend 'quality time together'  they just don't post about it.

The presenter told MailOnline that often the public overreact when there's a photo of him with Michelle despite the fact they have been married for the past seven years and share their newly completed Essex home as a couple.

Relationship: Their radio fun comes shortly after Mark hit back at trolls who claimed he and Michelle never see each other, saying they always spend 'quality time together'  they just don't post about it

Drama: The presenter told MailOnline that often the public overreact when there's a photo of him with Michelle despite the fact they have been married for the past seven years and share their newly completed Essex home as a couple

Their hectic careers, including Mark filming away for a month shooting BBC One's A Wright Family Holiday and presenting The Challenge UK in Argentina, as well as Michelle starring in upcoming Netflix drama Fool Me Once and Ten Pound Poms, gives fans the impression they don't spend enough time in each other's company.

Mark insists the pair make their lifestyles work but like to keep the intimate moments they share, including at home when they're relaxing, off social media.

He said: 'Do you know what whenever there's a picture of us together people will say "rare picture of Mark and Michelle" or "Mark and Michelle reunite after time apart" we just don't tell everyone when we do spend quality time together.

'I could be in the house with Michelle for two weeks, but no one will know that because I'm not necessarily posting about it. We spend plenty of quality time together and we've had plenty of weekends away. We have got stuff booked up.

'We spend quality time together just like any other relationship and I'm not just saying that... we genuinely do.'
Noel Gallagher's ex-wife Meg Mathews has been charged with drink-driving after crashing a car following her own book launch.

The former music executive, former wife of Oasis star Noel Gallagher, allegedly spent the night in a cell in Bodmin police station, near Newquay, last Friday after cops were called to a collision in Nansledan.

She is alleged to have got into her car intoxicated following the book signing before allegedly smashing into a stationary vehicle moments after driving off.

Meg will appear in court at the end of this month.

A police spokeswoman said. 'Police were called around 9:20pm on Friday, July 7 following reports of a two-vehicle collision in Stret Ewyn, Newquay.

Meg Mathews, pictured here on her Instagram, has been charged with drink driving after allegedly crashing a car

The 57-year-old is alleged to have been involved in a crash between her vehicle (pictured) and another on Friday, July 7

It is claimed Mathews crashed her vehicle into a parked car (pictured) after leaving her own book launch

'Units attended and one person was arrested in connection to this matter.

'Following police enquiries, one person has since been charged.

'Meg Mathews, aged 57, of Hilgrove Mews, Newquay, has been charged with driving a motor vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol.

'She is due to appear before Bodmin Magistrates' Court on Friday, July 28.'

Mathews (pictured here in London in 2017) is due to appear at Bodmin Magistrates' Court on July 28

Meg Mathews and Noel Gallagher, 'Snatch' Premiere In Leicester Sq, London, August 2000

Meg had advertised the book launch on her Instagram page in the build up to the event, which she called Cards, Margs & Menopause, in a nod to the Tarot reading, Margarita cocktail making and book signing that was taking place.

The bash was being held at the Teylu homeware and fashion shop in Nansleden.

Organisers described Meg's new book as a 'no-holds-barred guide to menopause designed to entertain and empower women in equal measure.

'It's full of Meg's personal insights as well as the latest information and advice from a wide range of menopause and lifestyle experts.'

Meg was one of the most recognisable faces in the Nineties party scene, courtesy of her relationship with Noel and famous pals including Kate Moss, as part of the infamous 'Primrose Hill Set'.

Her four-year marriage to Noel ended in 2001 but the pair continue to co-parent daughter Anais, 23.

Meg moved to Cornwall in 2021 and has supported a number of local charities, including Surfers Against Sewage.

Meg Mathews and her then-husband Noel Gallagher arriving for a party at No10 Downing Street in 1997
Emily Ratajkowski took to Instagram over the weekend to share a set of new photos with her 30 million followers.

The 32-year-old bombshell - who got cozy with Tom Brady at Michael Rubin's recent party - looked ethereal as she posed in a lavender field in France.

The supermodel donned a crop top and skort co-ord, flashing her flat abs and long legs.

The two-piece set featured a micro black and white checkered pattern throughout and had puffy short sleeves.

There was also a slightly ruffled trim along the neckline, adding an extra feminine element.

New post: Emily Ratajkowski took to Instagram over the weekend to share a set of new photos with her 30 million followers

Angelic: The 32-year-old bombshell looked ethereal as she posed in a lavender field in France

Ratajkowski, who grew up in Encinitas, California, showed off her stunning looks in several eye-catching images.

She didn't use a caption or tag her exact location in the post, but the star was somewhere with a sprawling landscape of wildflowers.

The mother-of-one, who shares 2-year-old son Sly with ex Sebastian Bear-McClard, wore her lustrous brunette hair down.

The locks fell over her chest in a naturally straight style and Emily rocked shaggy bangs.

Her face was lightly made up as she let her natural beauty shine through with just a little blush and a glossy, tinted lip stain.

With her summery look, the High/Low With Emrata podcast host wore delicate hoop earrings.

One outtake from the carousel showed Ratajkowski holding a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses in her hand.

She showed fans all her best angles as she included captures of her side profile as well as her backside.

Fashionista: The supermodel donned a crop top and skort co-ord, flashing her flat abs and long legs

Different view: She showed fans all her best angles as she included captures of her side profile

Joining Emily in one photo shared in the post was her best friend and roommate Babs Jeanne.

Babs, also 32, began her friendship with the multihyphenate before she was famous.

The duo live together in New York City with Emily's son Sylvester, and are often seen out and about.

The My Body author regularly mentions her while chatting about life on her successful podcast.

With the runway regular often tagging her in online posts, Babs has collected more than 40,000 followers.

Beyond living together, the two travel throughout the world and attend swanky events side by side.

Most recently, Babs accompanied Emily to Rubin's high-profile all white Hamptons bash.

Hot stuff: The star's social media followers were treated to a variety of angles

BFF: Joining Emily in one photo shared in the post was her best friend and roommate Babs Jeanne

Babs attended the Grand Prix in Miami with Emily in May, and was with her when she went to Tokyo, Japan in March.

Babs usually documents their outings on her Instagram, sharing a slew of photos from whatever it is they're doing.

Last December she headed to Paris with the iNAMORATA swimwear designer, where they enjoyed escargot and drank champagne on the balcony of their hotel, which boasted views of the Eiffel Tower.

And back in October, they vacationed in Mallorca, Spain, where Emily often spent summers as a child.
Ryan Gosling made a rare comment about his relationship with long-time partner Eva Mendes while he paid tribute to her with a sweet jewelry choice at the Barbie premiere.

The 42-year-old actor was on the red carpet of his highly-anticipated film in Los Angeles on Sunday as he was asked about his 49-year-old partner's constant gushing posts about him on social media about his role as iconic doll Ken.

He told Access Hollywood at the event: 'It means everything. It means everything.'

Ryan and Eva have been notoriously private about their relationship despite sharing two daughters together - born in 2014 and 2016 - but he paid a sweet silent tribute to the mother of his kids at the star-studded event.

The Drive star donned a custom necklace featuring a custom 'E' pendant in the Barbie font at the gala event.

Leading man: Ryan Gosling made a rare comment about his relationship with long-time partner Eva Mendes at the Barbie world premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday

Cute: The 42-year-old Drive star donned a custom necklace featuring a custom 'E' pendant in the Barbie font at the gala event

He was asked about his 49-year-old partner's constant (pictured together in March 2013) gushing posts about him on social media about his role as iconic doll Ken as he told Access Hollywood: 'It means everything. It means everything'

Ryan was certainly in the Barbie spirit at the premiere as he sported a pink Gucci suit over a lighter pink dress shirt buttoned down and white dress shoes.

This came just days after Ryan's longtime partner Eva took to Instagram on Wednesday and Thursday to gush about her man ahead of his Barbie movie debut.

In two back-to-back posts shared with her 4.3 million followers, the 49-year-old Hitch actress referenced Greta Gerwig's recent Rolling Stone interview, in which she praised Gosling.

In the post shared on Thursday, the star uploaded throwback images from her and Ryan's 2012 movie The Place Beyond The Pines.

She wrote, 'Mi Hombre. Mi Vida To say hes the greatest actor Ive ever worked with is an understatement.'

The mother-of-two added, 'Gracias to the brilliant & beautiful Greta Gerwig,' as she included a quote about Ryan from the Barbie director's RS profile.

In Thursday's post, which was a teaser of the upcoming film starring Margot Robbie as the titular character, Mendes shared her favorite Gerwig quote.

'Its some combination of MARLON BRANDO meets GENE WILDER meets JOHN BARRYMORE meets JOHN TRAVOLTA. -Greta Gerwig,' she began the caption.

Dynamic duo: He was joined at the star-studded event by Margot Robbie who plays the titular lead role in the film

Let's go party: Ryan was certainly in the Barbie spirit at the premiere as he sported a pink Gucci suit over a lighter pink dress shirt buttoned down and white dress shoes

Then she added, 'One of my favorite things the insanely talented & beautiful GRETA GERWIG says in @rollingstone about Mi Hombre, Mi Vida, Mi Amor RG.'

The Lost River star's post collected more than 63,000 likes from fans her and Ryan's collective fans.

She used the same quote to place over one of the outtakes from their 2012 drama-crime film, which portrayed them as a struggling family-of-three.

Eva's second post drew more than 46,000 likes in just three hours of being shared.

The two stars, who share daughters Esmeralda, 8, and Amada, 7, are known for keeping details of their relationship under wraps.

Earlier this year Eva interacted with someone online who expressed wanting to get a glimpse of the couple on the red carpet of an upcoming awards show.

Supportive: This came just days after Ryan's longtime partner Eva took to Instagram on Wednesday and Thursday to gush about her man ahead of his Barbie movie debut

Social media: In two back-to-back posts shared with her 4.3 million followers, the 49-year-old Hitch actress referenced Greta Gerwig's recent Rolling Stone interview, in which she praised Gosling

Line: In Thursday's post, which was a teaser of the upcoming film starring Margot Robbie as the titular character, Mendes shared her favorite Gerwig quote

Dialogue: Earlier this year Eva interacted with someone online who expressed wanting to get a glimpse of the couple on the red carpet of an upcoming awards show

Privacy: The couple values their 'very private life' and have opted not to share most details of their family dynamic

'Youre the best,' Eva kindly replied before adding, 'What a cool comment, thank you.

'But we dont do those things together. Like these photos Ive been posting, I'm only comfortable posting because its already out there.'

The Florida-bred beauty clarified: 'By "not comfortable", I mean exposing our very private life that we value.'

And then she teased: 'Im still dying to do another movie with him though'

The star also made sure to preemptively clarify that the duo has made one public appearance together.

'Oh wait - for those who may catch me in a "lie" - we only were on the red carpet together once when promoting [The Place Beyond the Pines].'

In 2020 Eva wrote on Instagram, 'I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids. I'll talk about them of course, with limits, but I won't post pictures of our daily life.'

During a recent interview with GQ, Ryan discussed parenthood with Mendes, and sweetly gushed that before meeting her, 'I was looking for her, you know?' adding that 'it all makes sense now.'

Memories: In the post shared on Thursday, the star uploaded throwback images from her and Ryan's 2012 movie A Place Beyond The Pines

Caption: Eva wrote, 'Mi Hombre. Mi Vida To say hes the greatest actor Ive ever worked with is an understatement'

Proud: The mother-of-two added, 'Gracias to the brilliant & beautiful Greta Gerwig,' as she included a quote about Ryan from the Barbie director's RS profile

He also revealed that he relies on his partner during challenging moments raising their girls.

'I just lean on Eva. She knows whats important, always. She just somehow knows. So if ever Im in my head about it, I just ask her,' he shared.

Gosling admitted that before meeting his partner, 'I wasnt thinking about kids,' but, 'after I met Eva, I realized that I just didnt want to have kids without her.'

The La La Land star continued, 'And there were moments on The Place Beyond The Pines where we were pretending to be a family, and I didnt really want it to be pretend anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have.'
EastEnders viewers were left speculating on the real reason for Lisa Fowler's return to Walford during Monday's episode.

Actress Lucy Benjamin, 52, has reprised her role as Lisa on the BBC One soap, and has returned with her four-year-old granddaughter Peggy Taylor, much to the shock of the little one's father Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).

Lisa's daughter Louise Mitchell (previously Tilly Keeper) gave birth to Peggy at the time Keanu was having an affair with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), the mother of his son Albie.

Following the birth of Peggy, Louise started to struggle with her mental health, and she was under the impression she played a part in Keanu's apparent death, although he is still alive and as things got worse for Louise, she nearly killed her daughter Peggy by smothering the baby with a pillow.

After Lisa made her E20 comeback this week, fans were left wondering if Lisa was back in London to seek revenge against Keanu, or if there was an even more sinister reason for her presence.

Back again: EastEnders viewers were left speculating on the real reason for Lisa Fowler's return to Walford during Monday's episode

Comeback: Actress Lucy Benjamin, 52, has reprised her role as Lisa on the BBC One soap, and has returned with her four-year-old granddaughter Peggy Taylor

With Lisa having arrived in the back of a black cab before making a dash for it, not paying the driver, soap fans took to Twitter to comment on her return.

One person wrote: 'What are Lisa's real intentions? There is more to this then just money??? She'll definitely get custody of Peggy as Louise is too vulnerable following her downward descent with drugs and alcohol.'

While someone else share: 'So Louise has descended down a downward spiral of drugs and alcohol. I wonder if Lisa kidnapped Peggy and accused Lou of being an "Unfit mother".'

Another person posted: 'Keanu really messed Louise up he got her pregnant and pretended he loved her while also knocking up Sharon and lying for months. Plus, it didn't help that she was involved in him getting kidnapped. I think that's why Lisa is back.'

'Lisa is back and she wants revenge on Keanu. I also think that Lisa or Louise might be in financial difficulty with the Bailiffs etc. There is more to her return then just "Revenge" on Keanu,' posted another person.

While someone else asked: 'Is Lisa on the run by any chance?'

Another viewer stated: 'I doubt Lisa will be impressed when she finds Keanu is marrying Sharon.'

Someone else tweeted: 'That Lisa, she were always bad news and now shes stealin from taxi drivers!'

On the run? Lisa arrived in the back of a black cab before making a dash for it, not paying the driver

And another audience member at home wrote: 'Lisa running because she didnt have cash to pay for her taxi fee.'

According to the Metro, soap star Lucy said: 'Shes full of bitterness and anger and hate towards them because of what they [Keanu and Sharon] did to her daughter. Shes absolutely consumed by that.

'I think thats another reason why she feels justified in being all guns blazing and coming hammer and tongs for Keanu.

'And shes angry that they seem to be having a great life together when Louise is in bits back in Portugal. Shes full of resentment towards them.'

After returning to Walford, Lisa bumped into Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) who invited her in for a coffee.

Lisa told Sonia things haven't been going well for them in Portugal, telling her Louise is struggling.

Lucy explained: 'Shes saying that she turned to drink and to drugs and that she would just go missing for weeks on end, so Lisa basically had the responsibility of looking after Peggy.

'When they moved away, through what had gone on with Sharon and Keanu, Louise went to pot really, and everything came crumbling down around her. And so, Lisa had to step up and take responsibility of Peggy.'

Opinion: Viewers took to Twitter during Monday's episode as they speculated why Lisa was back in Albert Square

After an awkward conversation with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Lisa decided to keep her head down before confronting Keanu.

But Reiss Clowell (Jonny Freeman) mistakenly revealed Lisa and Peggy were in Walford, prompting Keanu to seek out Lisa and set things straight so he could see Peggy.

But, after Lisa places financial demands on Keanu, he pulled back as he decided he's not willing to give in.

It was announced in May Lucy would be returning to EastEnders as Lisa.

She told the Daily Mirror at the time: 'I cant wait to return as Lisa after leaving for Portugal with Louise and Peggy in 2019.

'No doubt, in true Lisa fashion, she will bring plenty of drama for many of the characters, which is why playing her is such a delight.'

Lisa was last in Walford in 2019 when she helped Louise flee to Portugal.

The pair thought Louise's ex Keanu had been murdered by Martin Fowler (James Bye), but he faked Keanu's death.

Downfall: Following the birth of Peggy, Louise struggled with her mental health, and she was under the impression she played a part in Keanu's apparent death, although he is still alive (Keanu, played by Danny Walters, pictured right)

EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said: 'We couldnt be more thrilled to have Lisa back for a short while as she and Peggy cause trouble between the happy couple, Sharon and Keanu.'

In January 2020, Lucy - who first played Lisa from 1998 to 2003 and then in brief stints in 2010 and 2017 - refused to rule out another return to Albert Square.

She said on ITV's This Morning: 'I don't even know if I can talk about it! I knew I was going back for a stint, and I've completed that stint.'

Asked about another run in Albert Square, she added: 'Well, possibly. Yeah, I mean, it's so difficult ... Lisa never seems to go away.'
Sofia Vergara seemed to be enjoying la dolce vita in Italy as she dropped some more stunning images to Instagram on Monday.

Vergara celebrated her 51st birthday by dropping another photo dump on her Instagram account.

There were several swimsuit photos of herself while on the coast of Italy.

'What a bday day!!!    ,' the actress and America's Got Talent judge captioned her latest Instagram post.

The first photo from Vergara's latest Instagram photo dump was a selfie of herself laying down on the front deck of a yacht besides a white beach bag.

The star wore a white swimsuit and a pair of sunglasses as she wore her hair down and had it straightened.

Bella: Sofia Vergara seemed to be enjoying la dolce vita in Italy as she dropped some more stunning images to Instagram on Monday

51! Vergara celebrated her 51st birthday by dropping another photo dump on her Instagram account

The second image showed Vergara throwing her hands up in the air as she stood on her knees by the edge of the front deck of the boat.

Behind Vergara were two rock structures which stood on the Italian coast.

In this image, Vergara showed off her stunning figure in the same one shoulder white swimsuit that she wore in the first photo.

The third photo was another selfie of Vergara sitting up and provided a better glimpse of the golden chain choker necklace that she wore.

Meanwhile, the fourth image was a selfie of Vergara, an unidentified female friend, and a male friend who goes by Alejandro A.

They were at a restaurant that trio dined at to have a birthday lunch for the Emmy-nominated actress.

In a separate Instagram post on July 10, the AGT judge shared a 15-second video that showcased the beautiful scenery and view of the restaurant that trio dined at.

Selfie: There were several swimsuit photos of herself while on the coast of Italy. 'What a bday day!!!,' the actress and America's Got Talent judge captioned her latest Instagram post

Trio: One of the images Vergara's latest photo dump was a picture of her (center), an unidentified female friend (right), and a male friend who goes by Alejandro A. (left) at the restaurant with the background showing the clear blue waters of the Italian coast

Both Alejandro A. and the unidentified female friend (both of their Instagrams are set to private) have been featured in several of Vergara's Instagram posts over the last few days that documented her Italian getaway.

The fifth and final photo featured in Vergara's latest photo dump was a picture of the trio at the restaurant with the background showing the clear blue waters of the Italian coast with several boats docked.

In the image, Vergara wore a pair of white pants over her white one shoulder swimsuit.

Meanwhile, the unidentified female wore a bleu and yellow pattered sundress, a pair of sunglasses, and a pair of sandals.

Friendly travels: Both the unidentified female friend right) and Alejandro A. (not featured) have been featured in several of Vergara's (left) Instagram posts over the last few days that documented her Italian getaway

Treat to the fans: After reaching 30 million Instagram followers on July 9, Vergara thank her fans on Instagram that day by posting a set of photos of Instagram where she showed off her fantastic figure in a sexy neon green one piece swimsuit

As for Alejandro A., he kept things simple in a striped short sleeve collar short, a pair of navy blue swim trunks , a pair of sandals, a pair of sunglasses, and a hat that had a leopard in the center of it.

It remains unknown if Vergara's husband, the actor Joe Manganiello, was with the group in Italy to celebrate his wife's birthday.

Vergara's latest Instagram photo dump comes just one day after her fans gave her an an early birthday present: reaching 30 million Instagram followers on the social media platform.

To mark the occasion and to thank her followers, Vergara uploaded a set of photos of Instagram on July 9 where she showed off her fantastic figure in a sexy neon green one piece swimsuit.

'30,000,000 followers!!   Thank u to u all! Thank u for always being there for me! Thank u for always supporting me in everything I do!! Besos from Italy!!    ' Vergara captioned her Instagram post.
Noel Gallagher fans were seen standing in the street after his New York gig was evacuated before he took to the stage due to a 'bomb threat'.

In video taken from outside the event, fans could be seen outside the venue after they fled the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Saturday night 'out of an abundance of caution' after Garbage and Metric had performed.

A message on the screens at the concert read: 'ATTENTION! At this time, we will need to evacuate the venue.

'We ask that you calmly proceed to the nearest EXIT. Please follow directions of staff and police officers. For the safety of everyone, please do NOT rush or push. Thank you for your cooperation.'

Following the threat, officials behind Noel's Twitter shared a message on his behalf explaining that 'an abundance of caution' was taken ahead of the evacuation.

Evacuation: Noel Gallagher fans were seen standing in the street after his New York gig was evacuated before he took to the stage due to a 'bomb threat'

Worrying: The New York gig was evacuated before he took to the stage due to a 'bomb threat' (pictured last month)

Alert: A message on the screens at the concert read: 'ATTENTION! At this time, we will need to evacuate the venue

Safety first: Following the threat, officials behind Noel's Twitter shared a message on his behalf explaining that 'an abundance of caution' was taken ahead of the evacuation

It was later confirmed by New York State Park Police that they were investigating the incident as a potential 'terrorist threat'.

They announced on Facebook: 'Out of an abundance of caution, the concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center was suspended at 9:40 pm and concert attendees were evacuated without incident.

'K9s completed a sweep of the venue after the crowd exited, with negative results.'

A post on Noel's Twitter, which is run by his management, read: 'Unfortunately, on the advice of local authorities Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Centre did not go ahead on Saturday evening...

'The decision was taken out of an abundance of caution to prioritise safety of fans and staff. The tour continues tonight at New York Citys Summer Stage in Central Park and we look forward Ito seeing fans there.'

However, Garbage wrote: 'Our love and concern to all the fans at our show in Saratoga Springs tonight. We pray you are all safe and sound. This is f***ing insane.

'We have no idea what happened tonight. We were just all evacuated and we were concerned for everyone!!!

'Im sorry we have no real information. We were just told there was an emergency evacuation!'

Calling: News reports showed the impact of the threat as fans swarmed the street

Noel, 56, is touring in the US in support of his latest album, Council Skies, on a co-headlining tour with Garbage.

They are due to play the Summerstage In Central Park festival in the Big Apple on Monday.

Last month, they cancelled their concert at Wisconsin's Breese Stevens Field due to poor air quality caused by the Canadian wildfires.

Concert promoter FPC Live said the decision was 'based on the Public Health Madison and Dane Countys Air Quality Advisory'.
Soap star Andrea Evans has passed away at the age of 66 following a battle with breast cancer, it has been confirmed.

The actress was famous for playing the vixen Tina Lord on ABC's One Life to Live - however she famously left the series because the role brought unwanted attention from a stalker.

Evans - who also played Rebecca Hotchkiss on NBC/DirecTV's Passions - died at her home in Pasadena, California on Sunday, casting director Don Carroll told The Hollywood Reporter.

Her role as Tina Lord was considered iconic in the soap world, with PEOPLE Magazine dubbing her character 'Daytime's Diva of Dirt' - which she played from 1979 to 1981 and then again from 1985 to 1990.

In between her stints on the long-running show, she portrayed Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless from 1983 to 1984. Three years after returning to One Life to Live, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

After receiving the nomination, Evans abruptly quit the show and abandoned her career after she was confronted by a stalker inside the lobby of the soap's studio in Manhattan in 1987.

Soap star Andrea Evans dead at 66: Actress who had to quit One Life to Live due to a stalker threat passes away after battle with breast cancer

Soap star: The actress was famous for playing the vixen Tina Lord on ABC's One Life to Live - however she famously left the series because the role brought unwanted attention from a stalker; seen with her co-star and ex-husband Wayne Massey in 1980

The stalker terrorized her until his threats became increasingly violent and, at one point, he had reportedly committed self-harm on the front steps of the studio to get her attention.

When the man was taken to a psychiatric hospital, he allegedly listed Evans as his next of kin and sent her death threats written in blood.

Although she eventually started accepting acting roles again, she avoided participating in any public events thereafter.

In an interview with PEOPLE in 2008, she revealed that it was out of fear that she started to largely remain out of the public eye.

'It forever changed me,' she said at the time. 'There's no way it could not.'

She reprised her role on One Live to Live for a guest appearance that same year and also again in 2011.

'It's time to give the audience what they want,' she said at the time. 'And it's time for me to get closure on why I left in the first place.'

'For many years, both fans of mine and One Life to Live have wanted me to return,' she had addressed her return in a statement. 'Now that the timing is right, I'm thrilled to be returning to the role of Tina, which I've always held near and dear to my heart.'

Tragic news: Evans - who also played Rebecca Hotchkiss on NBC/DirecTV's Passions - died at her home in Pasadena, California on Sunday, casting director Don Carroll told The Hollywood Reporter

Her most famous role: Her role as Tina Lord was considered iconic in the soap world, with PEOPLE Magazine dubbing her character 'Daytime's Diva of Dirt' - which she played from 1979 to 1981 and then again from 1985 to 1990.

Briefly abandoned her career: Evans abruptly quit the show and abandoned her career after she was confronted by a stalker inside the lobby of the soap's studio in Manhattan in 1987

Scary stalker: Although she eventually started accepting acting roles again, she avoided participating in any public events thereafter due to her experience with the stalker

Prominent roles: She is also known for acting in Passions from 2000 to 2008 and, more recently, as Patty and Gillian Walker in The Bay from 2017 to 2020. Evans also starred in 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame, 1995 slasher flick Ice Cream Man, and 2011 action-thriller Hit List

Presently: Evans had completed her forthcoming memoir titled My One Life to Live. She is survived by her husband, Steve Rodriguez  with whom she tied the knot in 1998  and her 19-year-old daughter, Kylie; seen in 2019

In 2015, she received her second Daytime Emmy nomination for her performance as Vivian Price in the web series DeVanity.

She is also known for acting in Passions from 2000 to 2008 and, more recently, as Patty and Gillian Walker in The Bay from 2017 to 2020.

Evans also starred in 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame, 1995 slasher flick Ice Cream Man, and 2011 action-thriller Hit List.

Recently, Evans had completed her forthcoming memoir titled My One Life to Live.

She is survived by her husband, Steve Rodriguez  with whom she tied the knot in 1998  and her 19-year-old daughter, Kylie.

Previously, she was married to her One Life to Live co-star, Wayne Massey from 1981 to 1983.
Kurt Coleman has shared his unique theory about the connection between humans and extraterrestrial life.

The Queensland influencer, 25, posted a video to Instagram on Monday telling fans he had witnessed a paranormal occurrence 12 years ago while strolling with a friend at Broadbeach in the Gold Coast.

'I was walking down the beach at night time with one of my friends... and I literally randomly had a feeling to just sit down,' he explained.

'I said to my friend, 'Let's sit down just for a second. Let's just like sit here... And after 10 seconds of sitting down, literally, the clouds moved so fast and a light came out of the water,' Kurt continued.

He then explained how the mysterious light began swirling before it vanished.

Kurt Coleman, 25, (pictured) shared his unique theory about the connection between humans and extraterrestrial life on Monday

Kurt believes aliens may have told him to sit down at the precise moment, so that he could witness evidence of their existence.

'Ever since then I've always thought, like, [aliens] must be connected somehow to us. Because why would I think and say, 'Let's sit down here' and then it was right in front of us?

In his caption, the socialite admitted he was previously nervous about sharing his experiences.

The Queensland influencer posted a video to Instagram on Monday telling fans he had witnessed a paranormal occurrence 12 years ago while strolling with a friend at Broadbeach in the Gold Coast

In his caption, the socialite admitted he was previously nervous about sharing his experiences

'This one was craaaazy! i'll NEVER EVER forget it. I was scared to even tell anyone because it was full on,' he admitted.

Kurt, who made headlines last week after announcing that he had seen UFOs in the past, said he was feeling more comfortable speaking out again after other people contacted him with their own stories.

'Now that everyone's seeing them, it reaffirms that they are definitely out there. And a lot of people have been messaging me saying they have seen them in the Gold Coast too!' he concluded.

Days earlier, Kurt had posted another Instagram video telling his followers about other instances where he'd witnessed an Unidentified Flying Object in the sky while living in Queensland

Days earlier, Kurt had posted another Instagram video telling his followers about other instances where he'd witnessed an Unidentified Flying Object in the sky while living in Queensland.

'Has anyone else seen UFOs? I have seen over 15 in my life, mainly when I was in the Gold Coast,' he began.

'I have seen them literally just come out of the water and fly out of the sky and I've seen other ones just circle. They go so fast.'

In the comments section, he asked his followers to share their extraterrestrial experiences

In the comments section, he asked his followers to share their extraterrestrial experiences

'Please let me know if you have seen what I'm explaining! I swear on my life everything I am saying is 100% true,' he wrote.

Many of his fans quickly took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the matter.

'I would love to see an alien,' one fan joked and another said: 'There's so much we don't know'.

Coleman has developed a reputation for his controversial comments and back in 2022 he lashed out at an Australian pop culture Twitter account, after they described him as a 'former' influencer.
She will be competing on Dancing With The Stars and has scored countless opportunities ever since getting her heart broken on last season of Vanderpump Rules.

Now Ariana Madix has teased another huge reality TV role.

The Bravo star, 38, revealed she will be making an appearance on the hit dating show Love Island USA.

Ariana took to TikTok to share video of her lip syncing to the iconic Love Island catchphrase, 'This week, a hot new bombshell enters the villa.'

The video ended with Ariana beaming with joy as she danced about wearing a neon green top and cat eyed sunnies.

'This week a hot new bombshell enters the villa': Ariana Madix teased an appearance on Love Island USA

'Islanders: ready to shake things up? Don't worry, I don't bite. #LoveIslandUSA @peacock,' she captioned the post, along with a kissy emoji.

The Love Island gig is just the latest opportunity to come Ariana's way ever since she was betrayed by her former long-term partner Tom Sandoval and best friend Raquel Leviss.

Ariana's nine-year long relationship with Tom came to an end earlier this year after it emerged Sandoval had been engaging in a months-long affair with Raquel.

Nowadays, Ariana has been enjoying massive success - including a new gig on Dancing With The Stars.

She confirmed she would be competing on the show last week on Good Morning America, in a brief clip featuring pro dancer and current judge Derek Hough.

'This season on Dancing With the Stars, we are going absolutely mad  mad for Madix,' Hough said in the clip.

Then Ariana playfully jumped into the frame and added, 'I will be joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars this season!'

The announcement makes Ariana the first contestant who has been confirmed for the upcoming DWTS season.

Hit show: The dating show is just the latest opportunity to come Ariana's way since Scandoval

Making a splash! The video ended with Ariana beaming with joy as she danced about wearing a neon green top and cat eyed sunnies

Ariana wore a lovely magenta mini dress with baggy half-length sleeves and tall open-toe heels, while her long blond hair was swept to the side and cascaded over one shoulder.

Derek opted for a far more casual tight black T-shirt that highlighted his ripped physique, along with jeans.

'That's right! Say goodbye to the drama and hello to the dance floor!' he added after Ariana joined the video.

'Let's dance!' they added.

The full cast of DWTS season 32 will be announced on Good Morning America on September 13.

Betrayal: Ariana's nine-year long relationship with Tom came to an end earlier this year after it emerged Sandoval had been engaging in a months-long affair with Raquel

Dancing past the heartbreak! Madix has also recently signed on for Dancing With The Stars

It's unclear if other cast members will be announced along the way, or if the show if just capitalizing on Ariana's current popularity because of her boosted profile.

The show airs on ABC and streams on Disney+, while also airing on Hulu the following day.

Page Six reported in April 2023 that Ariana was in talks to secure a spot on DWTS, though the announcement on Friday was the first confirmation that she had sealed the deal.

'ABC is in late stage conversations with [Madix] to be a contestant to join DWTS this fall,' a source said at the time, adding that she had 'already received all of the approvals and sign-offs from NBC Universal.'
Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson are reporting for duty in a new crime drama headed for the big screen.

Woody, 61, who was among the A-listers taking in Bruce Springsteen's concert in Rome, is getting ready to walk the beat with Owen, 54, in a movie loosely based on a true story, according to Deadline.

Lips Like Sugar is set during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Two young girls from different walks of life become friends against the backdrop of the West Los Angeles skateboard and punk culture, according to IMDB.

Both Woody and Owen play former detectives. Their lives become intertwined after one of the girls goes missing.

Teaming up: Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson are reporting for duty in a new crime drama headed for the big screen, Lips Like Sugar, set during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

Now that the two big names are attached to the project, casting for the other characters is underway.

The Zombieland star will also produce the project.

The two native Texans have worked together once before on Lost in London.

The 2017 film was Woody's directorial debut.

The biopic was based in the life of music legend Willie Nelson, 90.

Woody can currently be seen in the HBO/MAX drama White House Plumbers, starring as Watergate figure E Howard Hunt, opposite Justin Thoroux's G. Gordon Liddy.

Owen will be seen next in the Disney comedy Haunted Mansion, which is set to open July 26.

Producer: Woody, 61, will also produce the independent film starring as a former detective called in to look for a missing teenage girl

Intertwined: The lives of Owen's and Woody's characters become intertwined as they search for the missing girl against the the backdrop of the West Los Angeles skateboard and punk culture

Brantley Gutierrez, a well known music video director, will helm the independent project.

'Well Its official!!,' the Grammy winner wrote Monday on social media as he shared the news.

'Im so incredibly thrilled and excited to be working with this incredible and mind blowing cast, ' referring to Owen and Woody.

'So blessed to be supported by a team truly talented producers and collaborators to bring this project to the big screen!!

'Off to the races!! LIPS LIKE SUGAR!!'
Claire Danes and husband Hugh Dancy confirmed the arrival of their third child as they enjoyed a summer stroll in New York City on Monday, with their newborn baby in tow.

The 44-year-old mother-of-three - who regularly showed off her maternity style throughout her pregnancy - pushed her tot in a luxury gray and black stroller.

The couple's two other children, sons Cyrus, 10, and Rowan, 5 in August, were not seen with them. The gender and name of the new baby has not been announced.

For the Big Apple outing, the My So-Called Life alum wore a colorful sundress with various patterns.

The new mom went makeup-free underneath a pair of rectangular, black eyeglasses.

Out and about: Claire Danes and husband Hugh Dancy confirmed the arrival of their third child as they enjoyed a summer stroll in New York City on Monday, with their newborn baby in tow

Doting: The 44-year-old mother-of-three - who regularly showed off her maternity style throughout her pregnancy - pushed her tot in a luxury gray and black stroller

Dancy, who tied the knot with the actress in 2009, wore a short-sleeved, navy blue button-up shirt.

He teamed it with a pair of khaki shorts and sneakers and he looked handsome with a full, neatly trimmed beard.

The father-of-three carried a brown paper bag filled with items, and a pack of bottled beverages were set in the undercarriage of the stroller.

Danes, who shared she was expecting in January, wore her blonde bob haircut down.

The locks, which the star famously keeps above shoulder length, were straight and arranged in a side part.

The Fleishman Is In Trouble sensation carried an orange leather bag crossbody-style.

She and her husband conversed while looking adoringly at their newborn throughout their walk.

Notably, there was a blue and white blanket draped over the handle of the stroller, hinting that the infant is a boy.

New addition: The couple's two other children, sons Cyrus, 10, and Rowan, 5 in August, were not seen with them

Claire was last seen at a professional event just one month ago as she and her beau attended the Tribeca Film Festival.

The then-pregnant beauty showed off a maternity glow as she donned a sparkling soft pink dress.

Accompanied by Hugh, Claire was there in support of her new miniseries Full Circle.

The six-episode drama is slated to premiere on Max later this summer on July 13, with the final two episode airing on July 27, per Deadline.

The project was directed by Steven Soderbergh, and additionally stars Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Timothy Olyphant, and Jharrel Jerome.

The show follows 'an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City,' according to an IMDb synopsis.

Earlier this year while on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Claire shared how her sons reacted when they found out she's pregnant.

She said her older son Cyrus 'was sort of resigned to it,' as she joked about her younger son: 'I mean, the worst has already happened  his name is Rowan.'

June 11: Claire was last seen at a professional event just one month ago as she and her beau attended the Tribeca Film Festival

Weeks ago: The then-pregnant beauty showed off a maternity glow as she donned a sparkling soft pink dress in June

The award winning actress then noted, 'But Rowan has more to lose, like, he has more at stake. And he was categorically opposed to the idea.'

The blonde beauty shared that the youngster made a cute suggestion as he told her, 'When it comes out of your tummy, we'll give it to a family that doesn't have a baby because we're done.'

She explained how she was able to sway Rowan by explaining the significance of his role as a big brother.

'He was less than thrilled but then we talked about how when the baby comes out, it's going to be pretty dumb [and] doesn't know a lot, [and will] need assistance and some educating,' she said.

She went on, 'That was interesting to him. He liked the idea of being a condescending presence. So, now he's a little more optimistic.'
Robert Downey Jr. appeared in great spirits in a series of fun social media snaps with his Oppenheimer co-stars in New York City on Sunday.

The actor, 58, was surrounded by Emily Blunt, Cillian Murph and Matt Damon as they enjoyed a break from their press tour.

The group snaps were taken in front of the stunning NYC skyline while Emily's husband John Krasinski made an unexpected appearance.

He captioned the Instagram post: 'Linking up with my Oppenheimer cast mates...wait, is that a Krasinski photo bomb or might there be a surprise cameo???'

Christopher Nolan has claimed that early viewers of Oppenheimer have left the film 'devastated' and 'unable to speak'.

Happy: Robert Downey Jr. appeared in great spirits in a series of fun social media snaps with his Oppenheimer co-stars in New York City on Sunday (Emily Blunt, Robert, John Krasinski, Cillian Murph and Matt Damon pictured L-R)

The upcoming historical thriller centres on the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was director of the Los Alamos Laboratory responsible for the creation of the first atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project.

With its anticipated release scheduled for July 21, the British-American director, 52, has now commented on how early viewers have received the film.

Speaking to Wired magazine , he explained: 'Some people leave the movie absolutely devastated. They can't speak.

'I mean, there's an element of fear that's there in the history and there in the underpinnings. But the love of the characters, the love of the relationships, is as strong as I've ever done.'

The film stars some of the most famous faces in Hollywood, including Peaky Blinders ' Cillian Murphy, 46, as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt , 40, as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer.

Little Women star Florence Pugh , 27, plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock - while Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project.

Nolan said: 'It is an intense experience because it's an intense story. I showed it to a filmmaker recently who said it's kind of a horror movie. I don't disagree.'

The director even admitted he was 'relieved to be finished' with the project due to the emotional toll it took.

'As I started to finish the film, I started to feel this colour that's not in my other films, just darkness. It's there. The film fights against that,' he said.

Written and directed by Nolan, epic thriller Oppenheimer thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.

Pals: The actor, 58, was surrounded by Emily Blunt, Cillian Murph and Matt Damon as they enjoyed a break from their press tour

Nail-biting: With its anticipated release scheduled for July 21, the British-American director, 52, has now commented on how early viewers have received the film

The film centres on the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, responsible for the creation of the first atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project.

In August 1945 the bombs were detonated on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date - to end the Second World War.

It is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.

The three-minute long new trailer is tense, showing the race against time to develop the bomb and the moral dilemmas that come alongside it.

Other famous faces include Robert Downey, Jr who plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission.

Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.

Oppenheimer also stars Rami Malek and reunites Nolan with eight-time Oscar nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh.

It comes after Cillian Murphy said he was 'desperate' to land lead role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming Oppenheimer after five films as a supporting actor.

'I have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I'm available and you want me to be in a movie, I'm there,' he said.

'I don't really care about the size of the part,' Murphy revealed in an interview with AP. 'But deep down, secretly, I was desperate to play a lead for him.'

It turns out Murphy didn't have a clue about getting the lead role in Oppenheimer until Nolan called him up out of the blue and offered him the part.

Coming soon: The IMAX-shot film Oppenheimer is set to hit cinemas from July 21

'He's so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, "Listen, I've written this script, it's about Oppenheimer. Id like you to be my Oppenheimer,"' Murphy recalled, before adding, 'It was a great day.'

The actor decided to focus his pre-shoot preps on learning more about J. Robert Oppenheimer and what inventing the atomic bomb does to the individual, the actor told The Guardian last year.

'You realise this is a huge responsibility. He was complicated and contradictory and so iconic,' Murphy said of Oppenheimer the man, adding, 'But you know you're with one of the great directors of all time.

'I felt confident going into it with Chris. Hes had a profound impact on my life, creatively and professionally. Hes offered me very interesting roles and Ive found all of them really challenging. And I just love being on his sets.'

Oppenheimer will hit cinemas from July 21.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was the epitome of elegance as she sizzled in a white ensemble for the Dolce&Gabbana show in Puglia, Italy, on Monday.

The Victoria's Secret angel, 36, flaunted her jaw-dropping physique in a ruched strappy tulle crop top, teamed with a sparkling beaded skirt.

The sensational top featured a glamorous maxi tulle train, tied behind her back as it cascaded gently while Rosie graciously played with it, giving a stunning effect.

The sophisticated number matched the model's elegance as usual, boosting her lithe physique and her very toned midriff.

The floor-length midi skirt made Rosie dazzle under the hot Italian sunshine - as the bombshell posed up a storm in a slew of sizzling Instagram snaps showing off her look for the fashion show.

Oozing class: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was the epitome of elegance as she sizzled in a white ensemble for the Dolce&Gabbana show in Puglia, Italy, on Instagram on Monday

Elegance: The Victoria's Secret angel, 36, flaunted her jaw-dropping physique in a ruched strappy tulle crop top, teamed with a sparkling beaded skirt

What a look! The sensational top featured a glamorous maxi tulle train, tied behind her back as it cascaded gently while Rosie graciously played with it, giving a stunning effect

The runaway veteran accessorised with a mini white handbag, giving a further touch of class to the ensemble.

She slicked her blonde hair back in a perfectly neat bun, and ditched every sort of jewellery except for dainty earrings.

Rosie appeared to tote the look with white strappy heels, which were barely visible in the dazzling figure-hugging skirt.

The catwalk favourite didn't miss a chance to display a glamorous make up look, flaunting her stunning looks.

The fashion icon donned an eye-catching black smokey eyes that perfectly contrasted the blue colour of her eyes, and donned a bronze blush to enhance her impressively sculpted cheeks.

She finished off with a flawless rouge lipstick - as she posed for a series of snaps both close-up and full body, showing off her designer look.

Rosie penned her sensational carousel: 'Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda in Puglia.'

Alberobello was transformed into an open-air catwalk for the showcase of Dolce & Gabbana's latest women's collection.

Figure: The sophisticated number matched the model's elegance as usual, boosting her lithe physique and her very toned midriff

Commanding attention: The floor-length midi skirt made Rosie dazzle under the hot Italian sunshine - as the bombshell posed up a storm in a slew of sizzling Instagram snaps showing off her look for the fashion show

Sensational: She slicked her blonde hair back in a perfectly neat bun, and ditched every sort of jewellery except for dainty earrings

Stunner: The fashion icon donned an eye-catching black smokey eyes that perfectly contrasted the blue colour of her eyes, and donned a bronze blush to enhance her impressively sculpted cheeks

The venue was outdoors on the streets of the small town, and the show itself paid homage to the native crafts of Puglia, per Vogue.

Her stunning appearance comes after Rosie celebrated her son Jack's sixth birthday in a sweet Instagram post last week, as she shared a glimpse of his colourful decorations.

The model posted a sweet snap of her little boy when he was just a baby, gushing he was her 'favourite human being.'

Another image showed the giant numbered balloons and bunting she'd used to decorate her house for Jack's big day.

She captioned her post: 'Happy Birthday to my favourite human being! Jack.'

Rosie recently spoke of her longing to return to her home county of Devon after living in celebrity enclave Malibu, California for years.

She and Jason Statham - who share son Jack and daughter Isabella, 16 months, together - sold their Malibu mansion for $18.5 million to move to the Chelsea district of London.

Rosie was born in the Devon city of Plymouth before moving to market town Tavistock, also located in the South West English county, and she admits that part of the world is still her favourite.

Speaking to Great British LIFE, she said: 'I'm a country girl at heart. I spend a lot of my time living in LA which is lovely. I spend a lot of time in other major cities too.'

She added: 'There might be the glamour and fun to enjoy in a city but the real beauty is in the countryside and especially in my home county where the people are so nice and ready to volunteer smile for no particular reason.

'The country air smells so fresh and I still love to see the sheep, the pigs, the ducks, chickens and, of course, the horses.

'Whenever I am here and I really don't like to be away for very long, I just find it all so relaxing and lovely. It is home to me.'

Despite being engaged since 2016, Rosie and Jason are in no hurry to rush their wedding preparations.

Adorable! Rosie celebrated her son Jack's sixth birthday in a sweet Instagram post last week, as she shared a glimpse of his colourful decorations

Cute! The model posting an image showing the giant numbered balloons and bunting she'd used to decorate her house for Jack's big day

Welcoming their son, Jack, a year after her beau got down on one knee, Rosie told ET in 2018 that the wedding wasn't a 'huge priority.'

She said: 'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy.

'I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'
Sharad Pawar may have lost the battle against his nephew and a conniving BJP, but can he win the war to reclaim his party and reputation?

The Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar claims he is neither 'tired nor retired' at 82. Undeterred by the recent political crisis in his party, the Grand old man has begun to rebuild his shrinking party after the BJP engineered the division in the NCP. Pawar founded the party in 1999, rebelling against Congress. He is currently facing the very tough challenge of keeping his flock together. Senior Pawar is much older and has health problems.

To add to his woes, almost all his loyalists, including his nephew Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujwal, whom he had groomed for years, have ditched him to join the BJP coalition. The present Sena-BJP government had the numbers and didn't need an NCP faction for survival. The question is why the party lured the NCP rebels when the Shinde government is comfortably placed.

The political drama runs at two levels- one at the regional and the other at the national level. The larger story is not the Maharashtra crisis but its impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Opposition unity. With just 9 months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the electoral future of all parties is at stake. Modi is running for his third term in office.

As for Maharashtra, the elections are due next year. The state accounts for Parliament's second highest Lok Sabha Seats (48), after UP(80).

The BJP wants to improve its position. Pawar is a wily politician who has seen many ups and downs in his more than five decades of political life. He has been chief minister four times, Defence minister and agriculture minister at the Centre. The only thing he could not achieve was his ambition to become Prime Minister. He threw his hat in the ring after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 but lost the opportunity.

The BJP has hit multiple targets in one go successfully. The party took its "revenge" against Sharad Pawar, for in 2019, Sharad had weaned away the Shiv Sena. He persuaded the Congress and put together a Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government. As part of the revenge, the BJP split the Sena and installed Sena rebel Eknath Shinde as chief minister last year. Now it was the turn of the NCP to face a split.

Ajit, nursing chief ministerial ambition, will have to work alongside BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the same position. Chief minister Eknath Shinde apprehends that Ajit Pawar might be made the chief minister. Shinde and the other Sena rebels are facing a disqualification case, and the verdict is expected in August.

After the NCP split, the political dynamics in Maharashtra shifted in favour of the BJP. Broadly, Sharad Pawar was weakened, and Congress got an advantage. The BJP looks to consolidate power and regain Maratha and OBC support base before the polls. The party enjoyed the Marathas' strong support while keeping its traditional vote base of OBCs from 2014 to 2019.

At the national level, the BJP is yet to recover from the recent defeat in the Karnataka state polls. It depends on the potential for improvement in the other poll-bound states of Chattisgarh, Madya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. They comprise almost 50% of the Lok Sabha seats. Congress is ruling in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, while BJP holds Madhya Pradesh.

At another level, the NCP split has sent shock waves to the Opposition camp. It hinders the Opposition's efforts to unite anti-BJP forces ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Sharad Pawar is one of the key players in the unity move.

Recently, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar convened a meeting of non-BJP leaders in Patna, where 16 opposition parties participated. They presented a united front and promised to cooperate to achieve their common objective of defeating the BJP. Another meeting is scheduled for next month but has been postponed twice.

Bihar could be the next to face instability. The JD(U) had been a long-time BJP ally in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the BJP last year and formed a government with the RJD, Congress, the Left, and other parties. If enough JD (U) MLAs defect, the BJP could form a government in Bihar, significantly weakening the Opposition unity move. Bihar has 40 seats.

West Bengal could be another target as the BJP has tried hard to penetrate, only in vain. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is one of the active members of the proposed non-BJP coalition. The ongoing political uncertainty in Maharashtra may prolong due to legal battles in courts and the Election Commission. The decision of Speaker Narwekar could also be delayed. There are speculations that this rebellion might have happened with Pawar's blessings and that Sharad may have a secret plan up his sleeve.

Despite his numerous challenges, Pawar has proven to be a resilient and formidable figure. Pawar may have lost the battle against his nephew and a conniving BJP, but will he eventually win the war to reclaim his party and reputation? Is the fight over? Of course not. It is a no holds barred, winner takes it all war that would be fought in the 2024 polls.

(The writer is a well-known columnist. Views expressed are personal)
BR Ambedkar had said that a UCC is desirable but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus Directive Principles of the State Policy were added in the constitution

It was 187 years back when the Britishers produced a report which emphasized the dire need for uniformity in the codification of Indian laws relating to crimes, evidence and contracts besides making specific recommendations regarding the personal laws of Hindus and Muslims which must be kept outside such codification to ensure stability and harmony in the society.

Due to an increase in legislation dealing with personal laws, British Raj was forced to appoint B N Rau Committee to codify Hindu law in 1941. Based on these recommendations, a bill was then adopted in 1956 as the Hindu Succession Act to amend and codify the law relating to intestate or unwilled succession, among Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. However, there were separate personal laws for Muslims, Christians and Parsis. A spate of Hindu family laws governing marriage, divorce, guardianship, succession and the ownership of property were enacted through the 1950s even as opposition from some quarters persisted.

As a devout and committed activist (Sawamsevak) of RSS and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, prime minister, Narender Modi has fulfilled their dream of abrogation of article 370,35 A and laying the foundation stone of the Ayodhya Ram temple though the issue was settled by the supreme court, now Modi regime has set the rolling to execute the core issue of the Uniform Civil Code(UCC) which will align with Savarkar vision and ideology of Hinduness thereby acting as a guarantor of secularism like moon and space mission would mean embracing the advanced progress in science and technology in India.

The prime minister has recently set the agenda in motion to fulfil the third electoral promise of implementation of the promise of uniform civil code (UCC) made by the BJP/RSS combine which preceded the abrogation of article 370 and the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya though the timing is undoubtedly linked to 2024 parliamentary polls.

As per top BJP leaders in Delhi, a bill about the implementation of UCC in the country may be introduced in the parliament during the ensuing session which begins on July 20 and it may be sent to the Standing Committee of Parliament to ascertain more views from different sections of the society to make it acceptable and less controversial.

In a related development, the Justice Ranjana Desai committee appointed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami one year ago may submit the UCC draft soon which will pave the way for its implementation in the hilly state. But Uttarakhand will become the second state in India to implement UCC which was adopted at the first instance by Goa in 1867 by the then Portuguese rulers and it was Re adopted with some modifications post-independence.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena(Udhav Thakre) and Bahujan Samaj Party have supported UCC whereas the majority of opposition parties and Muslim organizations are opposing it tooth and nail. Opposition parties are convinced that BJP is embarking upon UCC to take advantage of polarization in 2024 polls hence the prime minister made it a central point in his speech on June 27 during one day visit to Gujrat.

PM Modis assertion of Two Laws in a house clearly indicates that UCC will eliminate this discrimination and protect the rights of Muslim women.PM has got clarity about UCC and dubbed the opponents as Anti-Muslim women. PM quoted the supreme court which has favoured UCC which eliminates the chances of opposing it.

The parliamentary committee on personnel, public grievances and law and justice headed by BJP leader, Sushil Kumar Modi tried to inject possible space for keeping tribal communities and northeastern states out of the ambit of UCC as the constitution permitted some exceptions for certain groups which will help in preserving their unique customs and traditional laws. Law commission members sought to make a case that UCC may be examined afresh though the commission in 2018 had described it(UCC) as neither necessary nor desirable ..gave their input about UCC and submitted their proposals to the parliamentary committee. Politicians of northeast states are apprehensive about UCC as they feel that it may pose a threat to their identity.

It may be recalled that B R Ambedkar while formulating the Constitution had said that a UCC is desirable but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus Article 35 of the draft Constitution was added as a part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy in part IV of the Constitution of India as Article 44.

In this scenario, the Modi government is poised to implement UCC and party-ruled states will follow suit thereby dividing the opposition parties which may support or oppose the proposed bill in parliament based on their political exigency and political Will.

(Writer is a political analyst and senior journalist)
The Supreme Court on Monday observed that it should not be exploited as a platform to fuel tensions in Manipur and called upon the warring ethnic groups to exercise restraint during court proceedings.

The court further clarified that it cannot assume the responsibility of law enforcement and security measures to resolve the ongoing ethnic strife and violence in Manipur. The duty to ensure security lies with the Centre and the State Government.

We do not want these proceedings or this court to be misused as a catalyst for escalating violence and exacerbating existing problems in the State. We are not in a position to take control of law and order and security mechanisms. It is the responsibility of the Union of India and the Manipur Government to ensure security. This is a humanitarian issue, said Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, addressing senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the NGO Manipur Tribal Forum.

After reviewing the latest status report submitted by the chief secretary of Manipur, the bench requested Gonsalves and other lawyers from various organisations advocating for the ethnic Kuki and Meitei groups, as well as other concerned entities and the Manipur High Court bar association, to carefully review the updated report.

They were asked to provide constructive suggestions by Tuesday, aimed at bringing an end to the violence.

Gonsalves highlighted that the State Government had previously stated that 10 people lost their lives in the conflict, but the death toll has now risen to 110, with violence continuing unabated.

Your doubts cannot lead us to take control of law and order. That is the responsibility of the Central and State Governments. This is why elected Governments exist. We are very clear about the role of the Supreme Court. At most, we can issue directions to the authorities to ensure security, and for that, we require cooperation from the parties involved, the bench informed the senior lawyer.

The Supreme Court is currently examining a series of petitions filed by various NGOs, including one filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum, which seeks Army protection for the Kuki tribe.

Dinganglung Gangmei, the chairman of the Hills Area Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, has also challenged the high courts decision to designate the Meitei community as a scheduled tribe. Additionally, the high court bar association and other organisations have filed petitions.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the State Government, said that an updated status report had been submitted as per the courts directions. He claimed that the situation is gradually returning to normal due to concerted efforts by the Central and State Governments. When Gonsalves alleged that everyone in the State was against the Kuki tribe, the bench restrained him from further statements, asserting that the court cannot be exploited as a platform to escalate tensions in the State.
Severe rainfall in parts of N India wreaks havoc, 37 killed in 2 days; 50-year record broken in HP

Severe rainfall in parts of north India, particularly Himachal Pradesh, continues to wreak havoc, claiming four more lives in fresh landslides and raising the toll of rain-related incidents in the hill State to 17 fatalities. A total of 37 people have been killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the last two days in north India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held discussions with senior Ministers and officials to assess the gravity of the situation.

The heavy downpour has caused rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, to overflow. Many roads and residential areas across the region are submerged in knee-deep water, overwhelming the strained civic infrastructure.

The record-breaking rainfall on Sunday surpassed the capacity of the local systems to cope.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has urged the Central Government to provide additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for the States affected by the torrential rain. In response, the PMO announced that the Prime Minister has held discussions with senior Ministers and officials to evaluate the impact of the excessive rainfall.

Local administrations, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of those affected.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall broke 50 years record in Himachal Pradesh. Landslides claimed four more lives in Shimla, and the Shimla-Kalka highway remains blocked, causing significant disruption. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 16 to 17 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the state over the past two days.

On Monday morning, a landslide struck a house in Theog subdivision of Shimla, claiming three lives in Pallavi village. The deceased persons have been identified as Deep Bahadur, Devdasi, and Mohan Bahadur. Additionally, the body of an elderly woman, trapped under debris following a landslide in Rajhana village on the outskirts of Shimla city, was recovered on Sunday night, hours after her granddaughters body was found at the site.

The meteorological department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain on Monday morning, following a day of relentless downpour that triggered landslides and caused significant damage to houses. Rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended until Tuesday due to landslides blocking the tracks. Educational institutions across the State have been instructed to remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The Shimla-Kalka National Highway, near Shoghi, located approximately 16 km from the capital city, remains blocked due to a landslide on Monday.

The district reports over 120 blocked roads, and 484 water supply schemes have been affected. Incidents of uprooted trees, roof collapses, and property damage have been reported, with 10 houses and 20 vehicles affected, said Shimla police officials.

Rescue efforts are underway to help those stranded in various parts of the state. On Monday, the Home Guards successfully rescued 20 persons from Manali, while around 300 people remained stranded in different locations.

The 14th battalion of the NDRF conducted a late-night operation on Sunday, employing anchored ropes, harnesses, and cranes to rescue six individuals stranded in Nagwayin village due to rising water levels in the Beas River.

Chief Minister Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the public to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, particularly near rivers and nullahs, and to remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Meteorological Department has warned of continued heavy rainfall.

He also urged all MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and assist the people during this distressing time. The state government has established three helpline numbers (1100, 1070, and 1077) to aid those in distress.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said 4,680 schemes of the Jal Shakti Department have been damaged, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 323.30 crore. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway remains blocked due to landslides and flooding at multiple locations, while the Shimla-Kinnaur road is closed to vehicular traffic due to slides and falling rocks.

Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary confirmed the safety of all stranded individuals, ensuring that food and essential medicines have been arranged. Once the roads are restored, rescue operations will commence. The heavy rains have also severely impacted transportation, with 876 bus routes of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation affected and 403 buses stranded at various locations.

During the monsoon season from July 1 to July 9, Himachal Pradesh received 271.5 mm of rainfall, surpassing the normal rainfall of 160.6 mm by a significant 69 per cent.

In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all concerned departments to remain alert due to the potential swelling of rivers from heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. In a review meeting, officials were instructed to closely monitor the situation, especially river embankments. The NDRF, SDRF, and disaster management teams have been put on high alert.

Punjab and Haryana have also experienced relentless rainfall for the third consecutive day, resulting in widespread flooding. Authorities are actively engaged in rescue operations to relocate people to safer areas. In view of the prevailing situation, the Punjab government has ordered the closure of schools in the state until July 13. Chandigarh, the capital city, has also witnessed record rainfall over the past three days, leading to water accumulation on some roads.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the people of Punjab not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding in certain areas of the state. Among the worst-affected districts are Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula, and Ambala.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar canceled all pre-scheduled programmes and called for an emergency meeting with senior officials from various departments, including Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, to assess the situation.
In a development that is bound to spark a political debate across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share stage with beleaguered NCP chief Shrad Pawar at a function organised in Pune to confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award to the former (Modi) in recognition of his supreme leadership and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens.

Announcing the decision to choose Modi as the nominee for this years Lokmanya Tilak National Award, the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust president Deepak Tilak said in Pune: Our Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) will confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.

The news release announcing Modis nomination for the prestigious award  content of which is bound to trigger a fierce political discourse in the country  said that India climbed the ladder of progress under the supreme leadership of the PM under the concept of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

Prime Minister Modi awakened the feeling of patriotism among citizens and put India on the global map. Considering his perseverance and efforts, and highlighting his work, the trustees of the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust have unanimously selected him for this award, the release said. Deepak Tilak, who is the great grandson of iconic freedom fighter Lokmanya Balgandhar Tilak, said that Sharad Pawar, who has been close to the Tilak family for several years, had been invited to the award ceremony as the chief guest.

Interestingly enough, the other invitees to the August 1 2023 ceremony would include Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

The coming together of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and the likes of his partys rebel leader Ajit Pawar and other key players involved in the recent revolt within the NCP like Fadnavis of the the BJP and Modi who is being seen as the top most leader who is pulling the strings to create disturbances with the Opposition patties is of considerable political significance.

Instituted by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983, the Lokmanya Tilak National Award is given every year to an Indian who has dedicated his life to strengthening the countrys democratic principles and contributed to Tilaks dream of a strong and modern India. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a memento.

The award is annually given on August 1, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak. Several prominent personalities like Indira Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Atal Biharee Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, NR Narayana Murthy, Industrialist Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, senior scientist Tessy Thomas and veteran journalist N Ram have been given this award.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to provide an interim stay on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, which was promulgated by the Centre on May 19 concerning the control of services in the national Capital.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha, issued a notice to the Centre and requested senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the AAP Government, to amend the plea and include the Lieutenant Governor as a party in the case.

We will issue notice, stated the bench, scheduling the hearing for July 17.

In its plea, the Delhi Government argues that the ordinance is an unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat that seeks to override the Supreme Court and the basic structure of the Constitution. Along with seeking the quashing of the ordinance, the Delhi Government has also requested an interim stay on its implementation.

On May 19, the Centre promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, which aims to establish an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. The AAP Government considers this move a contradiction of the Supreme Courts verdict on control of services.

The ordinance was issued a week after the Supreme Court granted control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order, and land, to the elected Government.

It proposes the establishment of a National Capital Civil Service Authority to handle the transfer and disciplinary proceedings of Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre, which includes Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services.
Amid relentless rainfall, the Yamuna River in Delhi surpassed the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Monday, following three consecutive days of heavy downpour in the upper catchment areas. The river exceeded expectations by breaching the danger mark earlier than anticipated, as it was predicted to do so by Tuesday afternoon.

The evacuation of residents in low-lying areas of the Yamuna floodplains began on Monday evening. More than 3,000 people residing near Yamuna Khadar in Mayur Vihar Extension have been instructed to vacate the area as the water level of the Yamuna approaches the danger mark in Delhi.

Presently, the authorities have not communicated any emergency shelter information to the affected individuals, but they have been advised to seek refuge under a nearby flyover.

According to the Central Water Commissions flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge had reached 205.4 metres by 5 pm, following increased water releases from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar, Haryana. The water level is projected to rise to 206.65 metres on Tuesday before receding.

The irrigation and flood control department said the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage increased to 3,05,768 cusecs at 5 am on Monday.

It dropped to 1,90,837 cusecs at 1 pm. Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is 352 cusecs, but heavy rainfall in the catchment areas increases the discharge. One cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litres per second. The water from the barrage takes around two to three days to reach Delhi.

Amid large-scale waterlogging and traffic issues due to heavy rain in the city, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. The LGs office confirmed the meeting but refused to provide further details.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark, while assuring the people that flood situation might not arise in the national Capital now because of Yamunas water level rising after two days of non-stop rain in the Capital.

Earlier, the CM held a meeting with his senior officers, Cabinet Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj and Mayor Shelly Oberoi to review the situation in Delhi.

After the meeting, Kejriwal addressed a Press conference, stating that the Government was closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it.

Delhi received 153 mm of rain in 24 hours after 40 years on July 8-9, before that in 1982 Delhi had received 170 mm of rain. Delhi has handled 100-125 mm of rain over the years, but 153 mm of rain was unexpected, thats why people faced problems, said Kejriwal, adding the Delhi Government is prepared for all emergencies though according to the weather predictions, the intensity of the rain will gradually decrease.

Potholes cannot be repaired during rains, as an immediate measure, potholes will be filled with stones. Roads have caved in at three places, thorough investigation has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind it. Directions issued to stop construction works immediately so that any blocked drains can be cleared out, he said.

Meanwhile, heavy traffic jam was reported on Monday morning after Pragati Maidan tunnel was closed for vehicular movement due to waterlogging on the stretch. The Delhi Police has put up barricades on the entry points of the tunnel to restrict the traffic movement. A 32-year-old parking attendant died while a paan shop owner was injured after a boundary wall collapsed due to heavy rain in Sunder Nagar.

Delhi PWD Minister Atishi inspected different areas of the Yamuna on a motorboat today. Additionally, she assessed the readiness of departments for relief and rescue operations that might be required during heavy rains.

Over 50 motorboats have been deployed in the Yamuna River for rescue and relief operations, equipped with all necessary tools and equipment. Additionally, diving and medical teams are also prepared to deal with the situation, she added.

The Yamuna breached the danger mark twice in September last year, with the water level reaching 206.38 metres.

In 2019, the river witnessed a peak flow rate of 8.28 lakh cusecs on August 18-19 and the water level rose to 206.6 metres. In 2013, it reached a level of 207.32 metres. The river had swollen to an all-time record water level of 207.49 metres in 1978.
Giving a major boost to their bilateral defence and strategic ties, India and France are likely to sign two deals for acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy during Prime Minister Narendra Modis two-day visit to Paris starting July 13.

The total cost of the two deals is over `80,000 crores. Modi is the guest of honour for the French National Day on July 14. The two countries are celebrating 25 years of their strategic partnership.

The Scorpene submarines will be constructed at the Mazagon Docks, Mumbai where the two countries earlier built six Scorpene class submarines now named Kalvari class of submarines. It will be a Government to Government deal, sources said here on Monday.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is likely to approve the Acceptance of Necessity for the two projects in the next few days before the Prime Ministers visit.

The three additional Kalvari class submarines will be fitted with air independent propulsion (AIP), which has been designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) but will be tested and validated by the French Naval Group.

The AIP gives longer endurance to a normal diesel attack submarine and allows it to remain submerged for over a week without the need to surface to charge its batteries.

Sources said the DAC is likely the give the nod for acquisition of 26 Rafale-M aircraft for aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya and the price, terms and conditions will be negotiated after this through the Government-to-Government route with the French Government. The Indian pilots will be trained in France as well as on advanced simulators in Goa.

It was also learnt, the two countries are also likely to ink a defence-industrial road map to push India to scale up its manufacturing of hardware platforms through indigenously developed engines and technologies.

Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will also unveil a bilateral road map for the Indo-Pacific with specific steps to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security for sea lanes in the area contested by a rising China.

The proposed Rafale deal includes 22 single-seater and four double-seater trainer versions, sources said adding the three additional submarines will be part of the Scorpene deal under Project 75.

The Indian Navy is facing a shortage of aircraft and submarines in recent years, emphasising the urgent need to meet their requirements.

France has also offered to co-develop and manufacture higher thrust engines in India to power the future twin engine combat aircraft developed by the DRDO and this issue may also figure during Modis visit, sources said. France has also offered to manufacture top end missiles and loiter ammunition in India under the Atmanirbhar Bharat route.

As regards the French National Day, Indian Air Force Rafale jets will take part in the fly-past in Paris along with the French Air Force jets. Moreover, a nearly 300-strong marching contingent of the three Indian Services will also take part in the marching parade along with the French contingents.
The Special Judge, CBI(Vyapam Cases), Gwalior(Madhya Pradesh) has convicted Balram Yadav(Impersonator) and Akhilesh Kumar (Candidate) in a case related to impersonation in Police Constable Recruitment Exam-2012 and sentenced them to undergo four years Rigorous Imprisonment with fine of Rs 13,100 each.

CBI had registered the instant case on August 05, 2015 on the orders of Supreme Court of India and taken over the investigation of FIR No; 286/14 dated July 10, 2014, earlier registered at Police Station Bhind Dehat(Madhya Pradesh) against Akhilesh, Constable of Police Line Bhind on the allegations of impersonation in the Police Constable Recruitment Examination-2012 conducted by VYAPAM, Bhopal on September 30, 2012. It was alleged that that a police enquiry was conducted by CSP, Bhind, during which signatures, handwritings & thumb impressions on the OMR sheet & RASA attendance sheet, used by candidate Akhilesh Kumar having roll no. 430057 in the written test of Police Constable Recruitment Exam-2012 on 30.09.2012(conducted by Vyapam) did not match with the specimen signatures, thumb impressions & handwritings of Constable Akhilesh Kumar. Earlier, the local police filed two chargesheets against the accused.

During CBI investigation, it was revealed that a middleman organized a Solver Balram Yadav in lieu of money of Rs 70,000 for beneficiary to candidate Akhilesh Kumar through another middleman. Hence, CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against four accused including candiadate, Impersonator/solver & middleman before the Designated Court at Gwalior.

The Trial Court found the said two accused i.e. Candidate & Impersonator/ Solver guilty and convicted them. Two middlemen were acquitted by the Court.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend a BJP meeting in Bhopal on Tuesday, a party office-bearer said.

Shah will arrive at around 7.30 pm. He will remain present in the state BJP office till late hours, the office-bearer said without elaborating.

Shah is scheduled to fly back to Delhi around Tuesday midnight, he said. The visit assumes significance in view of the MP assembly polls due later this year.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren participated in the inauguration programme of the three-day training organised on the subject Process of law making and responsibility of the executive in the auditorium of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on Monday. On this occasion, the CM said that "the process of law making and the responsibility of the executive" is a very important subject. This training programme will prove to be helpful in running the Vidhansabha better in the coming times. On this occasion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto, MLA Lambodar Mahto and other dignitaries were present.

Soren said that the Constitution of the country is such a wonderful mixture where different powers have been given to institutions like legislature, executive and judiciary to run the parliamentary system. Legislature does many things including passing bills for the welfare of the people of the country and the state, bringing amendment proposals, making rules and regulations, policy making. The executive works to implement these rules, policies and programs brought by the government and the judiciary works to interpret the laws and give justice. He said that institutions like the legislature, executive and judiciary need to work as equal partners. They should take each other along and work in the right direction so that the general public can get the full benefit of the work done by them.

The CM said that almost 23 years of Jharkhand State are going to be completed. Being a new state, the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly does not have much experience in the legislature, but now it is necessary that the legislature and the executive work with better coordination and coordination on a permanent basis. He said that we people's representatives come after winning the elections, form the government, but some arrangements work permanently. These permanent systems and institutions should not worry about whose government is in the state, rather there is a need to think about the systems running properly. I understand that some things go on continuously without interruption and this training program is organized for how to run these systems smoothly.

The CM said that in the legislative system, all of us perform many other important tasks, from making rules through the Vidhan Sabha to getting several bills passed. All these rules and regulations have to pass through the executive system. Therefore, it is necessary that better coordination is established between the legislature and the executive, only then all the work can be completed in a smooth and strong manner. When the coordination between the legislature and the executive is not done properly, then many questions arise inside the assembly. It is necessary that all of us should discharge our collective responsibility to run all these tasks smoothly.

Soren said that the basic soul of the democratic system lies in our Constitution. The speed with which new laws are made or amendments are made in the legislative system, in such a situation it is necessary to ensure the compliance of the bill or ordinance passed by the legislature. The CM said that there is a need to revise these subjects after a long gap. Over time, many things start moving in different directions. It is necessary that discussions and seminars should be held on all these things.

On this occasion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam and Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto also threw light on the importance and utility of the subject while keeping their respective views on the subject "Process of law making and responsibility of the executive". On this occasion, emphasis was also laid on how better coordination can be established between the legislature, executive and judiciary.

Former Secretary General of Lok Sabha PDT Acharya, PRS's Chakshu Rai, DGP Ajay Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Vandana Dadel, Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey, Secretary in-charge of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Syed Javed Haider, Senior officers of Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Jharkhand Administrative Service were present.
Govt to establish standardization cell for construction and procurement: Hry CS



Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Monday said that the State Government will establish a Standardization Cell in the government departments involved in major construction and procurement for improvement and monitoring of quality goods used and procured. These cells will coordinate between the state government, industries and Bureau of India Standard (BIS) in relation to standardization activities. Kaushal said this while presiding over the State Level Committee meeting on Monitoring Standardization and Quality Systems of various products here in Chandigarh. Kaushal directed the departments to actively participate in the training programmes organized by BIS at the level of the nodal officers. He also emphasized the procurement of BIS certified products and services by the government departments.



Hry Home Minister inspects Tangri river and surrounding area of the river



Chandigarh: Amid heavy rains in Ambala, Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Monday inspected the Tangri river and its nearby colonies. During this, he gave directions to the officers to deal with the situation of waterlogging. Vij inspected Aman Nagar, Preet Nagar, New Lucky Nagar, Ajit Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Golden Park, Babyal, Ramgarh Majra and other colonies located near Tangri river. During this, he gave directions to the officers that people living around the river should be shifted to safer places. Apart from this, he directed the concerned officers for the accommodation and food arrangements for the rescued people.



Chandigarh schools, colleges to remain closed till July 13 due to heavy rains



Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration on Monday ordered the UT schools and colleges to remain closed till July 13 (Thursday) due to heavy rainfall in the region. Since Sunday morning, UT Chandigarh has experienced heavy and continuous rainfall and there is prediction for rainfall in the coming days as well. In view of the prevailing inclement weather conditions, the District Disaster Management Authority has issued a detailed order and advisories for the general public, private institutions and government/semi-government offices located in Chandigarh for the safety of the public.
A new pharmacy dispensing counter by HLL Amrit pharmacy is started at Dr CV Raman Block, near Oncology OPD of AIIMS Bhopal from Monday.

This pharmacy dispensing counter was inaugurated by Executive Director AIIMS Bhopal Prof (Dr) Ajai Singh in presence of Deputy Director Col Ajit Kumar, Medical Superintendent Dr Shashank Purvar and other faculties of the institute.

This is the 3rd dispensing counter of Amrit pharmacy in the hospital. Amrit pharmacy is run by HLL and is offering heavy discounts on drugs and disposables to the patients. The new dispensing counter will be a great relief to the Cancer OPD patient who visit the hospital, but had to search the market for medication after prescription by the doctors.

Patient and attendants thanked the ED AIIMS Bhopal Prof (Dr) Ajai Singh for opening the Amrit pharmacy dispensing counter in the Cancer OPD.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Monday, directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In a review meeting following heavy rains, the chief minister asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert round the clock.

Following heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, there is a possibility that water levels in various rivers of Uttar Pradesh may rise in the next few days. In such a situation, along with the Irrigation and Water Resources department, those related to relief and rescue should remain alert, the chief minister said. Embankments should be monitored continuously. There should be no delay in relief operations in areas affected by floods or heavy rains. Every necessary help should be made available to the affected families immediately, Yogi Adityanath said.

He also directed officials to deal with the problem of water-logging after talking with local MPs, MLAs, mayors and other public representatives.

The chief minister said, The government of India is also cooperating in the process of installing rain gauges in every village; this work should be completed expeditiously. Maintain dialogue with Revenue and Relief, Agriculture, state disaster management departments and Remote Sensing Authority, the Indian Meteorological Department, and Central Disaster Management Authority and develop such a system, so that common people can get accurate weather information on time.

Continuous monitoring should be done in the event of flood and excessive rainfall. An increase in the water level of the Ganga has been observed in many places. Similarly, continuous monitoring of the water level of all the rivers should be done. Flood units of NDRF, SDRF/PAC, and disaster management teams should be in 24x7 active mode in the affected districts. The help of Aapda Prabandhan Mitra, volunteers of Civil Defence, should be taken as per requirement, the chief minister added.

Chief Minister Yogi further suggested that the joint team of the magistrate, municipal commissioner, executive officer and police should make arrangements according to the local needs to avoid water-logging.

Further, Chief Minister Yogi said, The embankments should be continuously inspected and monitored by the regional officers and employees. Keep an eye on the condition of ratholes/rain cuts during the initial days of rain. Patrolling of embankments should be done continuously.

He also said that there should be no delay in providing relief work to the flood-affected areas.

It should be ensured that there is no shortage/artificial shortage of urea anywhere. Sufficient urea should be available to the farmers on time. In villages facing floods and water-logging, animals should be shifted to a safer place as per the requirement. For this, the place should be selected keeping in mind the condition of the districts. There should be adequate arrangements for animal fodder at these sites, the chief minister added.

Uttar Pradesh on Sunday recorded widespread rains, causing the rivers to swell, hitting traffic movement in cities and inundating farms in rural areas. Of the 75 districts in the state, around 68 received rain. Districts in western Uttar Pradesh adjoining Delhi and Uttarakhand received more rainfall than those in the central and eastern parts of the state. So far this year, 24 districts have received more than average rainfall, while 31 districts have recorded less than average rainfall. However, according to meteorologists, there is a possibility of good rainfall in these districts in the month of July. Constant monitoring of the changing weather conditions should be done.
Concerned over the damage caused by the heavy rains in different parts of Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic interaction with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday. The PM sought information about the damage to life and property, status of roads, Char Dham Yatra and Kanwad Yatra from the CM.

The CM gave a detailed account of the damage caused by the rains in different parts of the State and gave the status of the Char Dham and Kanwad Yatras in the State. He said that the administration, Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the government are working on an alert mode. The administration has deployed JCBs in many places so that the blocked roads are opened promptly. The CM added that he is monitoring the situation. The PM assured that the Union government will provide every possible support to the State government.
Tragedy hit Pratapgarh after a speeding tanker overturned on a tempo resulting in death of nine passengers besides critical injuries to five occupants of the three-wheeler.

The incident took place near Vikrampur turn in Mohanganj Market under Leelapur police station on Monday afternoon.

District Magistrate Prakash Chandra Srivastava, who reached the spot along with senior police and administrative officers, shifted all the injured to district hospital from where they were referred to medical college hospital in Prayagraj.

Srivastava confirmed nine deaths which included three females, five males and a child. He said that technical teams were summoned immediately after the mishap and traffic was restricted on the route as the tanker which overturned was carrying inflammable gas.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief at the deaths in the accident and directed senior officers to extend best medical treatment to those who were injured. He also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who died in the mishap and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

The district magistrate of Pratapgarh claimed that besides the compensation announced by the chief minister, the district administration would also provide additional benefits if the victims included any farmer.

According to reports, the tanker was going at a high speed from Mohanganj area when the driver suddenly took a sharp U-turn following which the tanker overturned on a tempo going towards Pratapgarh. While four persons died on the spot, five others lost their lives on the way to hospital.

Sources said that the inflammable gas started leaking from the tanker after the mishap so the district administration stopped traffic movement and sealed the area till the technical team reached and stopped the leakage.

In another mishap, two people, who had left for Mumbai from Jaunpur district, died after being hit by a train while crossing the railway line in Bhadohi on Monday. Police sources said that Subhash Prasad Kharwar (49) and Vipin Kumar Gautam (25) had left the Mariyahu area of Jaunpur district to go to Mumbai. Both were crossing the railway line when they were hit by a speeding train and died on the spot.

Meanwhile, in a suspected case of lynching in Amethi, the body of a 36-year-old man was found tied to a tree in Bandha village on Monday, police said.

The victim was identified as Arvind (36) of Kotwa.

Additional Superintendent of Police Harendra Kumar said that prima facie, it appeared that Arvind was tied to a tree and then badly beaten up.

Six people have been detained for questioning and an FIR has been registered in this regard. The body was sent for autopsy.
The 'Mukhyamantri Noni Sashaktikaran Sahayata Yojana' of Chhattisgarh provides financial assistance for education, employment and marriage for daughters belonging to labourer families.

An official statement on Monday said a financial assistance of nearly Rs 3.99 crores has been provided to 1,999 beneficiaries under this scheme.

Madhuri Gupta of Dhamtari district, who works as a labourer, has always aspired that her children receive quality education. With the financial help under this scheme, her daughter passed Class 12 and is now studying in ITI.
With the arrest of 23 persons, Chhattisgarh Police on Monday claimed to have busted an inter-state online betting racket operating in six states via Anna Reddy App.

Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal told The Pioneer that nine of them are from Chhattisgarh, five each are from Odisha and Uttarakhand, and one each comes from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan.

They were arrested after one of the accused was detained in an abduction case. The police found high value transactions and web links of online betting via Anna Reddy app on his mobile phone. The police seized 50 mobile phones, eight ATM cards, five laptops, four bank passbooks, four cheque books and betting transaction records worth crores of rupees.

The police froze Rs 45 lakhs in 150 bank accounts.
The programme started with an overview of the course by Dr Girish Bhatt, course coordinator of the programme and highlighted how Indian Academy of pediatrics (IAP) ALS group has developed its own module keeping in mind the local requirements. Prof Shikha Malik, Head Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS Bhopal welcomed the audience and she emphasised for such training's for post graduates and for doctors in District Hospitals. She thanked Prof Dr Ajai Singh, Executive Director, AIIMS Bhopal for felicitating the Basic life support course at AIIMS Bhopal and to see that the health staffs of AIIMS BHOPAL have acquired the skills of BLS.

Dr AK Rawat, national convener of IAP ALS group and Prof Rajesh Malik, Dean Academic AIIMS, Bhopal emphasised the dissemination of such courses to all paediatricians taking care of Sick children. Dr Rajesh Tikkas, Secretary Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), Dr Naresh Grover, President of Bhopal Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr Ashwani Sayal, Executive board member, M.P were present and suggested that these life-saving skills can help in decreasing the infant and child mortality in the state. Vote of thanks was proposed by Prof Mahesh Maheswari. Dr A K Rawat, Dr Atul Jindal, Dr Anant Ketkar, Dr Amber Kumar, Dr Rajesh Tikkas, Dr Bharti, Dr Mahesh Maheswari, Dr Shweta Anand and Dr Girish Bhatt were the lead instructors.

Today, 20 instructor potential candidates, practising pediatric intensivist from different parts of the country such as Kerala, Assam, Maharastra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have participated in course. After training they will disseminate the knowledge of ALS in their respective zones.

Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Advanced life support (ALS) course is a prestigious and well-perceived programme under the flagship of IAP. ALS programme focuses on providing advanced resuscitation skills and knowledge specific to pediatric patients with the ultimate aim of increasing the child survival by systematic evaluation, identification and treatment of sick children in an emergency.

Developed by the American Heart Association (AHA), the PALS course focuses on the knowledge and skills required to effectively recognise and manage pediatric emergencies. This course aims to improve the quality of care for critically ill or injured children by equipping healthcare professionals with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practices.

It was introduced by American Heart Association (AHA) and the first Pediatric advanced life provider course was conducted in Chandigarh in 1995.

The candidate has to secure 84% marks to pass the provider course. The course consists of lectures and skill stations for various procedures such as intraosseous lines, intubation, defibrillation, CPR, oxygen therapy and high-flow nasal oxygen along with team dynamics and coping with death.

IAP ALS group conducts provider and instructor courses to increase the instructor pool in the country.
The Dehradun police booked a priest on Monday on charges of molesting a minor girl who had gone to a temple to offer her prayers on the occasion of the first Somwar of Sawan. The priest who has been identified as Narendra allegedly molested the 14-year-old girl in a temple in the Chukhuwala area on Monday morning. When she protested, the priest allegedly bit her cheek. After the girl reacted in the temple, other devotees and people from Hindu organisations caught the priest and handed him over to the police. The superintendent of police (city) Sarita Dobhal said that a man registered a complaint in the police station that his daughter went to a temple in their neighbourhood in the Chukkhuwala area to offer prayers on the occasion of first Monday of Sawan when a priest there allegedly molested his daughter. She said that the police booked the priest under section 354 (assault to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She said that it is a very shameful act and the police are investigating to verify all the claims made by the complainant. The police will act against the guilty on the basis of the evidence as per the law, added the SP.
To take stock of the situation due to continuous heavy rains across the state and in hilly places and to speed up the relief work in the state, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Monday chaired a high level meeting with the administrative secretaries of the concerned departments and the Deputy Commissioners and SSPs of all the districts through video conferencing.

Verma, during the meeting also attended by the Special Chief Secretary to Chief Minister A Venu Prasad, DGP Gaurav Yadav, and the representatives of the Army and NDRF, said that the Civil and Police Administration of the districts have been promptly deployed in the field, including the DCs, SSPs, SDMs, Tehsildars, BDPOs, Patwari besides field officers of respective departments are involved too.

He said that field officers should maintain constant contact with public representatives and the common people. He said that there is no dearth of funds to deal with the current situation and Rs 33.50 Crore has been released immediately from the disaster relief fund of the state.

Verma insisted that human lives are the most precious and saving them is the top priority. Thus, priority should be given to the safe evacuation of people from low-water areas and flood-prone areas and people should also be made aware, he said.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department was asked to prepare food packets if needed. Necessary government funds should be used in coordination with religious and social organizations for this work. Verma asked the Power and Telecom Department to ensure uninterrupted continuity of its services. The Water Supply Department should also ensure the provision of clean drinking water to the people, while the Health Department should be prepared to fight waterborne diseases.

The Chief Secretary also asked for the immediate release of funds for chlorine tablets. Animal Husbandry Department was asked to make advance arrangements to protect livestock from diseases. The Rural Development and Panchayat and Local Government Departments were asked to be ready to help the people in cities and villages.

The Chief Secretary took stock of the field situation in which the Deputy Commissioners of SAS Nagar, Patiala, Rupnagar, and Sangrur said that the situation is serious in some places in their districts, but the Administration is working promptly. The Chief Secretary told all the districts that the assistance required should be brought to his notice.

NDRF Commandant said that 14 NDRF teams were deployed in Punjab. In Rupnagar, four teams are now deployed, on the request of the Deputy Commissioner. Instructions were also given to deploy another team.

The Chief Secretary spoke to the Commissioners of all the Municipal Corporations and reviewed the status of the corporation cities. He said that it should be ensured that necessary services are provided to the residents of the cities.

The districts of Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, and Moga, where the situation is still under full control, have been asked to monitor the situation by making advance arrangements as the water level in the rivers is rising due to rains in the hilly areas. Similarly, given the current situation, continuous communication is being maintained with the Army.

Drinking Water Supply Situation From Kajauli Water Works Reviewed

Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, chairing another meeting of the officers of Punjab Government, the representatives of the Army and NDRF and Chandigarh Administration, took stock of the situation arisen due to damaged drinking water pipes at Kajauli Water Works in wake of continuous rains.

The Chief Secretary asked the officers to personally visit the site and submit a detailed report to him. It was informed in the meeting that drinking water is provided daily to Tricity through the Kajauli water works from Bhakra main line.

Out of the five pipes with a total capacity of 120 million gallons per day, one belonging to the Punjab Water Supply Department was damaged while other belonging to the Chandigarh Administration was completely damaged. Both the pipes have a capacity of 20 million gallons each per day.

Verma said that even though one of the pipelines in Chandigarh has been completely damaged, keeping in mind the public interest, adequate water should be given to Chandigarh from the available water so that the people do not face any problems. Providing adequate drinking water to Chandigarh, Mohali, and Chandimandir is the top priority of the government, he said.

The Chief Secretary asked the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh that as long as the water supply is low, MC Chandigarh should ensure water supply to Chandimandir from the share of Chandigarh water so that the officers and soldiers of the Army located at the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army have no problem. Along with this, the repair work of the completely damaged water pipe should be done on a war footing.

Verma also asked the Principal Secretary, Water Resources, to visit the Kajauli Water Works site along with the Army and NDRF teams and instructed them to install sandbags for water management and to reduce the water level so that there is no problem in the repair work of the damaged pipes. He asked the Rupnagar District Administration to do this work on a priority basis.

Water Level in Dams, Reservoirs Comfortable

During the meeting, the Water Resources Department informed the Chief Secretary about the state of reservoirs across the State. The water level in Bhakra Dam is 1614.89 feet against the capacity of 1680 feet. Similarly, the water level in Pong Dam is 1350.63 feet against the capacity is 1390 feet, while the water level in Ranjit Sagar Dam is 1706.26 feet against the capacity is 1731.99 feet.

Meanwhile, the water level in Ghaggar and Sultej reported a decline. The Ghaggar at Bhankhapur (near Dera Bassi) shows that the level was 11,555 cusecs  which is lower than Sundays water level that had crossed the danger mark.

In Sutlej river also, the water has receded from 1.79 lakh cusecs at Ropar headworks to 94,000 cusecs on Monday morning. However, the river reported a rise in water level on its way to Phillaur and then Harike Pattan. The authorities have recorded 47,309 cusecs water level at Harike Pattan in the morning against 40,531 cusecs on Sunday evening.

In the states Ujh river, the water flow also reduced from over 95,000 cusecs on Sunday evening to 17,390 cusecs on Monday morning.

Power Affected

Three power grids  IT City, Chandiala in Landran, and Mohi Kalan near Rajpura  remained down since Sunday, plunging vast areas in Mohali, Zirakpur, and Landran areas into darkness. Residents in parts of Aero City, IT City, Sector 109, Sector-105, Kharar remained without power for more than 40 hours. PSPCL officials said that the IT City grid is down due to flooding in Banur area, while Mohi Kalan grid in field areas of Rajpura is inundated with rain, similarly with the Chandiala grid in Landran.

Holidays Declared in Schools, Colleges Till Jul 13

Punjab Government has declared holidays in its schools and colleges till July 13. Earlier, the Government had announced a holiday for Monday in view of the rain situation in the State. The states Education Minister Harjot Bains, in a tweet, said: Due to continuous rains, it has been decided that all the government, aided and private schools will remain closed till July 13.

PPCC Launches Helpline Numbers for Flood-Hit Areas

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Monday launched helpline numbers for people affected by the recent floods in several parts of Punjab. The helpline numbers are : 89682-15758 and 82880-25875.

Extending complete support to those affected with the incessant rains and floods in Punjab, PPCC president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that the helpline numbers launched for the residents will be available 24x7 and will be staffed by party workers, supporters and closely monitored by the leadership. People can call the helpline numbers to seek assistance with food, shelter, medical care, rescue and other essential services.

BOX

 Two teenagers, including a boy in Pojewal and a girl in Khoja, reported to have died after being swept away in Nawanshahr

 Water from Sultej river overflowed in some villages of Phillaur, which were later evacuated

 Punjab Police Academy (PAP), Phillaur, situated along the Sutlej river, inundated

 Buddha Nullah and Sutlej river in Ludhiana on the spate

 Doraha canal overflows in Ludhiana after a breach was reported in Siswan canal in Chamkaur Sahib area

 Halluwal village of Garhshankar inundated with three-four feet water owing to Kandi canal breach

 Travelling between Jalandhar and Chandigarh becomes risky along stretches in Banga, Balachaur, and Ropar villages as areas along Banga highway submerged in water

 Situation worse along highway in Nawanshahr. Vehicles have got turned due to water pressure

 Max hospital light point in Mohali to Ranimajra road blocked after a portion of it got washed away
The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government has directed for the constitution of emergency response teams (ERTs) to deal with accidents in the aftermath of two deaths at different work sites of the agency.

The teams shall submit a preliminary report on such incidents, along with geo-tagged photographs of the sites, to the PWD Secretariat within four hours of the incidents, according to an official communication, which also said that deaths on account of any incident will invite blacklisting of the contractor.

A labourer was electrocuted while working at an under-construction building on the premises of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital here earlier this month.

In another incident reported on June 30, Ajit Sharma (51) was returning home after dropping a passenger in east Delhis Bhajanpura when his autorickshaw got stuck in a ditch filled with water near Waziarabad. When he got out of the vehicle to push it, he fell into the ditch and drowned.

To effectively deal with emergency situations and accidents, Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) shall be constituted immediately in each of the civil and electrical divisions engaged in construction and maintenance of buildings, roads and flyovers etc., a circular issued by PWD Special Secretary Shashanka Ala read.

The ERTs will comprise three members -- the executive engineer, the assistant engineer and the junior engineer concerned.

According to the circular, the first priority of the teams would be to undertake restoration and rehabilitation measures in coordination with other agencies or departments to avoid further damage.

The PWD Secretariat and SE (Works) will be informed over the phone following any such incident.They shall immediately reach the spot of incident (within two hours of report of the incident) and coordinate with other agencies like Delhi Police, Disaster Management, Delhi Fire Services etc. For rehabilitation measures. ERT shall submit a preliminary report along with geo-tagged photographs of the incident to the PWD Secretariat within four hours of the incident, the circular read.

A detailed inquiry is to be conducted by the teams headed by the superintending engineers concerned with other members within 24 hours of such incidents. The inquiry reports have to be submitted to the PWD Secretariat.
The Delhi BJP on Monday protested near the AAP office at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, ITO alleging a scam in desilting of city drains. The BJP has accused the AAP of siphoning off of funds up to Rs 3,000 crore, meant for desilting by the Public Works Department as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) both of which are led by the AAP at the city government and the civic level.

The BJP protesters trying to march from ITO towards the AAP office were stopped at a barricade by the Delhi Police. Those trying to cross the barricade were detained by the security personnel. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged a scam in desilting of drains in the city. It is clear that the drains have not been cleaned and the budget for the same has been misappropriated as roads, colonies and markets in the city are submerged, he said.

Taking a dig at the Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi BJP president addressing the protesters, also attacked AAP convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for doing political campaigning while the city was battling massive waterlogging and traffic mess.

Yesterday when Delhi was struggling with waterlogging, Kejriwal was campaigning in Haryanas Panchkula. He should be ashamed for making people face traffic jams and waterlogging. I had not witnessed such a mess in Delhi before....As is visible across the city in the last two days, he claimed.

Sachdeva said till now Delhi has witnessed Kejriwal governments liquor scam, Sheesh Mahal scam, Jal Board and D.T.C. Delhi was plagued with scams but now Delhi is shocked to see the scams done by the Kejriwal Governments Public Works Department, Jal Board and MCD in the name of pre-monsoon cleaning of colony drains, sewers and large drains.

The Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri also hit out at the Kejriwal government and demanded a high level probe into alleged corruption in desilting of drains.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will inaugurate a day-long mega conclave Strengthening PACS through FPOs in New Delhi on July 14, 2023. The conclave is aimed at discussing ways to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

The conclave will witness participation of experts from the sector as well as members from the FPOs across the country. The mega conclave is being organized by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Cooperation.

Being collective entities formed by farmers, enabling them to pool resources and enhance their bargaining power, the FPOs are one of the major vehicles for agricultural transformation. In order to realize the Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi and with the efforts of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, recently a decision was taken to form 1100 New FPOs in Cooperative Sector.

With an important initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recently allocated additional blocks to NCDC to form and promote 1100 FPOs in Cooperative Sector through strengthening of PACS under the scheme to bolster the cooperative sector and provide comprehensive support to small and marginal farmers.

Under the FPOs Scheme, financial assistance of Rs.33 lakh is provided to each FPO. Further, financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakh per FPO is given to the Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) for promoting and handholding the FPOs.

FPOs are being touted as playing a crucial role in making farming sustainable and in promoting livelihoods and improving overall quality of life of those dependent on agriculture. They help small and marginal farmers/producers access better prices, reduce transportation cost, and enhance overall productivity.

The Government has been pushing for integration of the PACS in the FPO scheme to enable the farmers to expand their business range of activities such as supply of production inputs; agricultural equipments like cultivator, tiller, harvester, etc. and processing and value addition, including cleaning, assaying, sorting, grading, packing, storage, transportation, etc.

The PACS have a huge member base of around 13 crore farmers who are primarily engaged in short-term credit and distribution of seeds, fertilizers, etc. Presently, more than 86% of farmers in the country are small and marginal.

Since, there is a need to facilitate these farmers with access to improved technology, credit, better input and more markets to incentivize them to produce better quality commodities, the Government has already taken steps to encourage the farmers associated with the PACS to form FPOs. In this regard, the Central Sector Scheme "Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) was launched under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and FarmersWelfare.

The NCDC is a statutory organisation under Ministry of Cooperation with the mandate to plan, promote, and finance cooperatives for increasing production and productivity and instituting post-harvest facilities.During the FY 2022-23, the NCDC disbursed Rs. 41,031.39 crore in different sectors including agriculture processing, weaker sections, computerization of cooperatives, service, credit and youth cooperatives and others.
Jharkhand BJP's newly appointed state president Babulal Marandi on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. After meeting the Prime Minister, Marandi tweeted, "Today I had a courtesy meeting with the successful Prime Minister, Respected Narendra Modi. The guidance and blessings of the respected Prime Minister have always been available. Many thanks to the respected Prime Minister for this affection."

Marandi left for Delhi on Sunday. This is his first visit to Delhi after becoming the State president. Marandi will also meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He will meet National President JP Nadda, Central Organization General Secretary BL Santosh and other central leaders and express gratitude for the new responsibility. During this, there will also be a discussion about the Lok Sabha elections.

In fact, BJP is working in a mission mode in preparation for the Lok Sabha and Vidhansabha elections. During this, BJP has also made many major changes in the party. After handing over the command of Jharkhand to Babulal Marandi, Babulal's pace seems to be getting faster.

BJPs new state president Babulal Marandi will take charge on July 15. On this day the party is preparing to organize the program. Officials from other districts will also participate in the programme. Former President Deepak Prakash will complete the formalities of taking over the post of Marandi. State in-charge Laxmikant Vajpayee can also participate in the program. Mr. Marandis supporters can reach Ranchi on this day.

Last week BJP appointed its time-tested tribal faceBabulal Marandi as state BJPs new president replacing Deepak Prakash. Marandis appointment as state BJP president was made by party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda. The appointment was announced by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh.

The appointment of Marandi as BJP president assumes importance as State BJP has seen organisational change ahead of general election and Assembly election both next year.

The JMM, which has a strong base among Santhals in Kolhan and Santhal Pargana will face a match in Babulal Marandi, who happens to be the tallest Santhali leader in the BJP, Besides, he also commands a good support base among non-tribals.

Sources said that Marandi could be the best person to counter the JMM, which won the elections promising the electorates to define locals on the 1932 Khatiyan and hiking reservation to 77 per cent.

Marandi will be given free hand by the BJP central leadership to explore the possibility of weaning away disgruntled tribal votes from the JMM.
In a major accomplishment of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the second state in the country in disposal of cases of crimes against women.

According to an official, until July 6, the Women and Child Protection Organisation had solved 97.80 per cent of cases of crime committed against women.

Uttar Pradesh has also secured second position in the country in disposal of pending cases of crime against women while it ranks fifth in terms of registration of FIRs and investigation of such cases.

It is worth mentioning here that the Yogi government has taken several steps to prevent and control crime against women in the last six years as part of its commitment to eliminate crime from the state and get criminals punished and has also succeeded to a great extent in its effort.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself continuously monitors the law and order situation in the state, including crimes against women, while the chief secretary holds monthly review meetings and the DGP issues guidelines to the police officers from time to time, which have collectively led to considerable decline in such crimes.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently held a high-level meeting on crimes against women and girls under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, harassment of women and POCSO Act, in which he told officers to check such criminals in line with zero tolerance policy of the government and get them punished in the minimum time. On this, the police officials informed Chief Minister Yogi that until July 6, 2023, the state witnessed disposal of 97.80 per cent of FIRs registered under Section 376 of IPC and POCSO Act, bagging second position in the country.

Meanwhile, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu have bagged the first place in solving cases of crime against women with 98.30 per cent disposal of cases and Puducherry the third place, with 97.50 per cent disposals. The worst performance in solving cases of crime against women has been in Bihar with 18.5 per cent disposals. It is followed by Manipur at 20.6 per cent and Assam at 46.7 per cent.

Bhadohi has secured the first position in the state with a total of 230 cases related to crimes against women registered till July 6 there and final reports submitted in all the cases. It is followed by Mau where 659 cases were registered, out of which final reports were submitted in 656 cases (99.54 per cent). Balrampur ranks third with 605 cases registered, out of which final reports were submitted in 601 (99.34 per cent).

Furthermore, Uttar Pradesh ranks second in the country with 0.30 per cent disposal of cases of crimes against women registered under Section 376 of the IPC and POCSO Act, which have been pending for more than two months. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh ranks fifth with investigations completed in 73.10 per cent of cases of crime against women within two months of registration.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed the Home department officials present in the meeting to speed up the investigation process and complete the pending investigation at the earliest. He told the officers to make sure that when the next meeting is held in this regard, Uttar Pradesh is at the top on both counts. According to the chief minister, this will create a good image of the state within the country and also abroad, having a direct impact on investment. Chief Minister Yogi said that it would help the state achieve the $1-trillion economy goal at the earliest.

He instructed the officers to pay special attention to districts whose performance is not up to the mark. He said that the cases related to the POCSO Act should also be reviewed every month at the district level.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced its candidates for the six Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal that will go to polls later this month.

Among these candidates were Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dola Sen. O'Brien, an MP since 2011, is the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha, while Ray who was first sent to the Upper House of Parliament in 2012 is the deputy chief whip, and Sen, a senior leader and trade unionist, became an MP in 2017.

The newcomers on the list were Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam, TMC's Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik, and RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale.

Besides O'Brien, Ray and Sen, the tenures of Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya, TMC's Assam leader Sushmita Dev and its Darjeeling leader Shanta Chhetri's ended, following which these six seats fell vacant.

A seventh Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal is also vacant after former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April. A bypoll will be held in that seat along with the elections to these six seats on July 24.

"We take great pleasure in announcing the candidatures of Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Sukhendu Sekhar, Samirul Islam, Prakash Chik Baraik and Saket Gokhale for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections," the TMC said in a tweet.

"May they persist in their dedication to serving the people and uphold Trinamool's enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIAN. We extend our heartfelt wishes to all," the party tweeted from its official handle on Monday morning," it added.

The TMC has 216 MLAs in the 294-member assembly and enjoys the support of five BJP MLAs, who switched over to the ruling party but are yet to resign from the House. The BJP has a strength of 70 in the assembly.

Along with these seats from West Bengal, elections will be held for four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat and Goa.

According to practice, the counting of votes will take place at 5 pm on July 24 itself, an hour after the conclusion of the poll process.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took a veiled swipe at the Eknath Shinde faction by claiming some people were using the name of Bal Thackeray as they know Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name will not work in Maharashtra.

Addressing his party workers in Nagpur, the former chief minister asked them to reach out to people of the state and apprise them of the misdeeds of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which he claimed was taking the country towards dictatorship.

He also attacked PM Modi for visiting Madhya Pradesh, where polls are to be held at the end of the year, but not touring Manipur, where violence since May 3 has killed over 100 persons, as yet.

Thackeray said the BJP had betrayed Hindutva by including those who had quit other parties, an apparent reference to the Shinde faction and the induction of nine Nationalist Congress Party MLAs in the state government on July 2, and splitting parties.

"Our Hindutva is pure and clean and there is no place for such betrayal in our Hindutva," he said.

Without naming the Shinde faction, he said some persons were taking the name of Bal Thackeray as they know the name of Modi will not work in Maharashtra.

The BJP, which claims to be the world's largest party, and its "supreme leader", referring to Modi, had to garner votes in the Assembly polls in Karnataka in May by invoking Bajrang Bali, Thackeray said. However, it did not work, he added.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after a rebellion by Shinde. Since then both factions have claimed to be the true inheritor of the legacy of the party's founder Bal Thackeray.

He said the BJP must now be called 'Bhrasht (corrupt) Janata Party' as it had levelled allegations against the NCP and was now sharing power with a faction of that party.

An NCRB report speaks of 40,000 girls going missing in Gujarat in the last years but PM Modi talks about investing in efforts for the development of girls when he visits his native state, Thackeray claimed.

Thackeray said Shiv Sena (UBT) workers must hold dialogues with people (houn de charcha) to check if they are getting the benefits of welfare schemes as claimed by the ruling BJP.

Those who had opposed Emergency (1975) had imposed an undeclared one across the country by putting curbs on people and registering fake cases, he alleged.

"You must speak up now or else we will not be able to speak after 2024. Our country is moving towards dictatorship like China, Russia and North Korea. Speak up now and get people to rise," he told his party workers.

Attacking PM Modi over his silence on the violence in Manipur, Thackeray sought to know how rioting mobs there were getting weapons.

"Why is Manipur burning despite there being a double engine government there," he asked.

The fight now was against those defaming Hindutva and to protect democracy, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.

Thackeray also attacked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said the latter was a "taint" on Nagpur as he had aligned with the NCP despite asserting he would never do so.

Playing an old audio clip of Fadnavis stating that he would never join hands with the NCP, Thackeray said the BJP leader's "no means yes".
Lundin Mining (OTCMKTS:LUNMF  Free Report) had its price objective cut by Barclays from C$11.00 to C$10.00 in a report published on Friday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other research firms have also commented on LUNMF. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Lundin Mining from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Lundin Mining in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. TD Securities upgraded shares of Lundin Mining from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Lundin Mining from C$11.00 to C$12.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, CIBC upped their target price on shares of Lundin Mining from C$9.50 to C$10.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $24.19.

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Lundin Mining Trading Up 4.3 %

Shares of LUNMF opened at $8.07 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.26. Lundin Mining has a fifty-two week low of $4.54 and a fifty-two week high of $8.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $7.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.08.

Lundin Mining Cuts Dividend

Lundin Mining ( OTCMKTS:LUNMF Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The basic materials company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $751.34 million during the quarter. Lundin Mining had a return on equity of 5.78% and a net margin of 8.15%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lundin Mining will post 0.61 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.0662 per share. This represents a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 1st. Lundin Minings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.00%.

Lundin Mining Company Profile

(Free Report)

Lundin Mining Corporation, a diversified base metals mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties in Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. It primarily produces copper, zinc, nickel, and gold, as well as lead, silver, and other metals. The company holds 100% interests in the Chapada mine located in Brazil; the Neves-Corvo mine located in Portugal; the Eagle mine located in the United States; and the Zinkgruvan mine located in Sweden.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine (NYSEAMERICAN:CVR  Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock.

Separately, TheStreet downgraded Chicago Rivet & Machine from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, June 6th.

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Chicago Rivet & Machine Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine stock opened at $25.00 on Thursday. Chicago Rivet & Machine has a 1 year low of $23.65 and a 1 year high of $32.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.25 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.42.

Chicago Rivet & Machine Announces Dividend

Chicago Rivet & Machine ( NYSEAMERICAN:CVR Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported ($0.60) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $8.73 million for the quarter. Chicago Rivet & Machine had a return on equity of 9.41% and a net margin of 8.52%.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 5th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 2nd. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.52%. Chicago Rivet & Machines dividend payout ratio is presently 29.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chicago Rivet & Machine

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 68,710 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,771,000 after buying an additional 576 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 49,210 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,402,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine by 91.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,479 shares of the companys stock valued at $746,000 after buying an additional 13,626 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,696 shares of the companys stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 1,005 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. 22.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Chicago Rivet & Machine

(Free Report)

Chicago Rivet & Machine Co operates in the fastener industry in North America. The company operates in two segments, Fasteners and Assembly Equipment. The Fastener segment manufactures and sells rivets, cold-formed fasteners and parts, and screw machine products. The Assembly Equipment segment manufactures and sells automatic rivet setting machines and assembly equipment, as well as parts and tools for related machines.

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Citigroup began coverage on shares of TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $1,042.00 target price on the aerospace companys stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on TransDigm Group from $800.00 to $900.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $725.00 to $840.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Truist Financial raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $840.00 to $870.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $767.00 to $960.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their target price on TransDigm Group from $830.00 to $841.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $848.53.

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TransDigm Group Stock Up 0.5 %

TransDigm Group stock opened at $883.08 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $48.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.39. TransDigm Group has a 52 week low of $499.63 and a 52 week high of $899.56. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $816.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $750.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The aerospace company reported $5.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.98 by $1.00. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. TransDigm Group had a negative return on equity of 34.11% and a net margin of 17.57%. TransDigm Groups revenue for the quarter was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.29 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that TransDigm Group will post 21.49 EPS for the current year.

In other TransDigm Group news, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 9,644 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $775.27, for a total value of $7,476,703.88. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,548 shares in the company, valued at $16,705,517.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other TransDigm Group news, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 9,644 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $775.27, for a total value of $7,476,703.88. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,548 shares in the company, valued at $16,705,517.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Joel Reiss sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $812.68, for a total value of $2,438,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 3,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,925,648. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 37,477 shares of company stock valued at $29,498,594. Insiders own 7.18% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On TransDigm Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,602,332 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $3,650,144,000 after purchasing an additional 117,137 shares during the period. FMR LLC increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 217.5% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,340,675 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $988,145,000 after purchasing an additional 918,393 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,063,539 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $782,086,000 after purchasing an additional 27,365 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 128.1% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 818,757 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $603,465,000 after purchasing an additional 459,787 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in TransDigm Group by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 640,696 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $403,415,000 after purchasing an additional 58,189 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.10% of the companys stock.

About TransDigm Group

(Free Report)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

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China Minsheng Banking (OTCMKTS:CGMBF  Free Report) is one of 279 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare China Minsheng Banking to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for China Minsheng Banking and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score China Minsheng Banking 0 1 0 0 2.00 China Minsheng Banking Competitors 1154 3372 3388 23 2.29

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 337.20%. Given China Minsheng Bankings peers stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe China Minsheng Banking has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio China Minsheng Banking N/A N/A 0.31 China Minsheng Banking Competitors $3.30 billion $907.29 million 262.71

This table compares China Minsheng Banking and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

China Minsheng Bankings peers have higher revenue and earnings than China Minsheng Banking. China Minsheng Banking is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares China Minsheng Banking and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets China Minsheng Banking N/A N/A N/A China Minsheng Banking Competitors 35.58% 10.81% 1.05%

Dividends

China Minsheng Banking pays an annual dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 25.3%. China Minsheng Banking pays out 8.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. China Minsheng Banking is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

3.6% of China Minsheng Banking shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 37.5% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 14.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

China Minsheng Banking peers beat China Minsheng Banking on 11 of the 13 factors compared.

About China Minsheng Banking

(Free Report)

China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. provides various financial products and services to individuals, small and micro-enterprises, corporate customers, government agencies, and financial institutions in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Others segments. Its deposit products include saving accounts, deposit certificates, contracted deposits, agreement deposits, call deposits, corporate term deposits, and corporate current deposits. The company also offers personal housing mortgage, individual automobile purchase, household composite consumption, home, medium and long term, and short-term working capital loans; micro-credit products for individuals; debit and credit cards; and safe deposit boxes. In addition, it provides payment and collection agent, and clearing services, as well as internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. Further, the company offers gross settlement; wages distribution agency and letter of guarantee; cash management; trade finance; industrial chain finance; individual forex settlement, forex remittance, travelers promissory notes, collection, individual deposit certificate, and guarantee letter products; and comprehensive credit granting, forex settlement and sale, financial product investment, and trust financing services. Additionally, it provides convenient finance, investment banking, and asset management services, as well as non-financial services in the education, business travel, traveler, art, luxury life, health, club, and isports areas. The company has branch-level institutions, business outlets, community sub-branches, and small business sub-branches. China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

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Morgan Stanley reiterated their top pick rating on shares of Mondi (LON:MNDI  Free Report) in a research note published on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

MNDI has been the topic of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,680 ($21.32) price objective on shares of Mondi in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Mondi to an overweight rating and decreased their target price for the stock from GBX 1,606 ($20.38) to GBX 1,355 ($17.20) in a research note on Thursday.

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Mondi Stock Performance

Shares of LON:MNDI opened at GBX 1,214.50 ($15.41) on Thursday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is GBX 1,253.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 1,348.93. The stock has a market capitalization of 5.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 575.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.13, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Mondi has a 1 year low of GBX 1,173.59 ($14.90) and a 1 year high of GBX 1,719 ($21.82).

About Mondi

Mondi plc engages in the manufacture and sale of packaging and paper products in Africa, Western Europe, Emerging Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. It operates in Corrugated Packaging, Flexible Packaging, Personal Care Components, and Uncoated Fine Paper segments. The company offers flexible packaging, bags, and pouches; personal care components; release liners; functional films; corrugated solutions; industrial bags; barrier coatings; specialty kraft and sack kraft papers; containerboards; and office and professional printing papers.

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Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB  Free Report) had its price target lowered by Raymond James from $70.00 to $65.00 in a report issued on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on PB. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Prosperity Bancshares from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and raised their target price for the company from $58.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $71.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. DA Davidson upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $79.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 13th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 6th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $76.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Prosperity Bancshares presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $72.10.

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Prosperity Bancshares Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:PB opened at $55.74 on Thursday. Prosperity Bancshares has a 1 year low of $54.45 and a 1 year high of $78.76. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $58.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.26 billion, a PE ratio of 9.66, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.94.

Prosperity Bancshares Announces Dividend

Prosperity Bancshares ( NYSE:PB Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The bank reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.04. Prosperity Bancshares had a net margin of 39.87% and a return on equity of 7.93%. The business had revenue of $365.58 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $285.02 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Prosperity Bancshares will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Prosperity Bancsharess dividend payout ratio is currently 38.13%.

Insider Activity at Prosperity Bancshares

In other news, Director L. Jack Lord purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $62.04 per share, with a total value of $310,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 33,125 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,055,075. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 4.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Prosperity Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Prosperity Bancshares by 0.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,298,310 shares of the banks stock worth $620,011,000 after acquiring an additional 40,530 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,642,426 shares of the banks stock worth $531,682,000 after buying an additional 290,029 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,970,933 shares of the banks stock worth $494,608,000 after buying an additional 678,843 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,753,836 shares of the banks stock worth $353,976,000 after buying an additional 56,920 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,674,487 shares of the banks stock worth $194,382,000 after buying an additional 69,878 shares during the period. 77.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Prosperity Bancshares

(Free Report)

Prosperity Bancshares, Inc operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery.

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Silverlake Axis (OTCMKTS:SLVFF  Free Report) is one of 293 publicly-traded companies in the SoftwareApplication industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Silverlake Axis to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and profitability.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Silverlake Axis and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Silverlake Axis N/A N/A 1.74 Silverlake Axis Competitors $462.65 million $328,294.12 622.00

Silverlake Axis competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Silverlake Axis. Silverlake Axis is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Silverlake Axis N/A N/A N/A Silverlake Axis Competitors -28.62% -240.06% -6.24%

Dividends

This table compares Silverlake Axis and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Silverlake Axis pays an annual dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 49.4%. Silverlake Axis pays out 86.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, SoftwareApplication companies pay a dividend yield of 1.8% and pay out 70.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Silverlake Axis and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Silverlake Axis 0 0 0 0 N/A Silverlake Axis Competitors 397 1614 3645 20 2.58

As a group, SoftwareApplication companies have a potential upside of 30.87%. Given Silverlake Axis competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Silverlake Axis has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

14.6% of Silverlake Axis shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 34.0% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies are held by institutional investors. 29.7% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Silverlake Axis competitors beat Silverlake Axis on 6 of the 10 factors compared.

Silverlake Axis Company Profile

(Free Report)

Silverlake Axis Ltd, an investment holding company, provides software solutions and services to the financial services, retail, and logistics industries. It operates through Software Licensing, Software Project Services, Maintenance and Enhancement Services, Sale of Software and Hardware Products, Insurance Ecosystem Transaction and Services, Retail Transactions Processing, and Others segments. The company offers digital economy solutions; software customization and implementation services; round-the-clock software maintenance support and software enhancement services; cloud computing Software-as-a-Service; and Software-as-a-Service subscription. It operates in South East Asia, North East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, Africa, and Europe. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Singapore. Silverlake Axis Ltd is a subsidiary of Zezz FundQ Pte. Ltd.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY  Free Report) in a report issued on Saturday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the technology companys stock.

WidePoint Stock Performance

Shares of WYY opened at $1.85 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.16 million, a P/E ratio of -1.06 and a beta of 1.04. WidePoint has a one year low of $1.70 and a one year high of $3.06. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.92.

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WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The technology company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $25.27 million during the quarter. WidePoint had a negative net margin of 16.03% and a positive return on equity of 2.98%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

WidePoint Company Profile

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WYY. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in WidePoint by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,757 shares of the technology companys stock worth $833,000 after buying an additional 34,072 shares during the last quarter. Channel Wealth LLC bought a new position in WidePoint during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in WidePoint during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new position in WidePoint during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in WidePoint by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 43,483 shares of the technology companys stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 9,377 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 11.85% of the companys stock.

(Free Report)

WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. The company offers TMaaS solutions through a secure federal government certified proprietary portal and secure enterprise portal that provides ability to manage, analyze, and protect communications assets, as well as deploy identity management solutions that provide secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Free Report) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $86.00 to $94.00 in a report issued on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on HIG. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $78.00 to $77.00 in a report on Monday, April 10th. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $104.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $92.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. They set an equal weight rating and a $71.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $85.46.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of HIG stock opened at $72.73 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $70.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.49. The company has a market cap of $22.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.52, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.85. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 12 month low of $60.17 and a 12 month high of $79.44.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The Hartford Financial Services Group ( NYSE:HIG Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The insurance provider reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 8.33% and a return on equity of 18.45%. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.66 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 7.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a $0.425 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.34%. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 29.26%.

Institutional Trading of The Hartford Financial Services Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HIG. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 24,773,081 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,878,543,000 after buying an additional 5,638,368 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth about $277,618,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,742,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 425.0% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,004,275 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $27,060,000 after purchasing an additional 1,622,525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $88,128,000. 90.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

(Free Report)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.

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BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE:ATGE  Free Report) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has $44.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on ATGE. TheStreet raised shares of Adtalem Global Education from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Adtalem Global Education in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock.

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Adtalem Global Education Price Performance

Shares of ATGE opened at $35.41 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.23, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.95. Adtalem Global Education has a twelve month low of $33.59 and a twelve month high of $44.40. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.69 and a 200-day moving average of $38.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Adtalem Global Education ( NYSE:ATGE Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.92 by $0.21. Adtalem Global Education had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The company had revenue of $369.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $354.47 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Adtalem Global Education will post 4.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Adtalem Global Education news, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 71,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.45, for a total value of $2,888,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 180,034 shares in the company, valued at $7,282,375.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 71,400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.45, for a total transaction of $2,888,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 180,034 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,282,375.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 7,940 shares of Adtalem Global Education stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.24, for a total value of $327,445.60. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 275,528 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,362,774.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Adtalem Global Education

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ATGE. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Adtalem Global Education by 65.2% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 727 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in Adtalem Global Education by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 7,267 shares of the companys stock worth $281,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Connectus Wealth LLC grew its stake in Adtalem Global Education by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Connectus Wealth LLC now owns 15,100 shares of the companys stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its position in shares of Adtalem Global Education by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 31,616 shares of the companys stock worth $1,122,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Adtalem Global Education by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,156 shares of the companys stock worth $508,000 after acquiring an additional 401 shares in the last quarter. 99.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Adtalem Global Education Company Profile

(Free Report)

Adtalem Global Education Inc provides workforce solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments, Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. The Chamberlain segment offers degree and non-degree programs in the nursing and health professions postsecondary education industry. This segment operates Chamberlain University.

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Bank of the Philippine Islands (OTCMKTS:BPHLF  Free Report) is one of 278 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Bank of the Philippine Islands to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends and valuation.

Dividends

Bank of the Philippine Islands pays an annual dividend of $1.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 95.8%. Bank of the Philippine Islands pays out 42.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

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Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Bank of the Philippine Islands and its competitors revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Bank of the Philippine Islands N/A N/A 0.44 Bank of the Philippine Islands Competitors $3.49 billion $801.54 million 255.13

Analyst Recommendations

Bank of the Philippine Islands competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Bank of the Philippine Islands. Bank of the Philippine Islands is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Bank of the Philippine Islands and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bank of the Philippine Islands 0 1 0 0 2.00 Bank of the Philippine Islands Competitors 1094 3176 3077 16 2.27

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 343.67%. Given Bank of the Philippine Islands competitors stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Bank of the Philippine Islands has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Profitability

This table compares Bank of the Philippine Islands and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bank of the Philippine Islands N/A N/A N/A Bank of the Philippine Islands Competitors 34.31% 11.65% 1.03%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

13.6% of Bank of the Philippine Islands shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 33.5% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 14.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Bank of the Philippine Islands competitors beat Bank of the Philippine Islands on 12 of the 13 factors compared.

About Bank of the Philippine Islands

(Free Report)

Bank of the Philippine Islands, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services to retail and corporate clients in the Philippines. It operates through Consumer Banking, Corporate Banking, and Investment Banking segments. The Consumer Banking segment offers deposit taking and servicing; and consumer lending, such as home mortgages, auto loans, and credit card finance, as well as remittance services to individual and retail markets. The Corporate Banking segment provides deposit taking and servicing, loan facilities, trade, and cash management to corporate and institutional customers, such as high-end corporations and middle market clients. The Investment Banking segment offers corporate finance, securities distribution, asset management, trust, and fiduciary services, as well as proprietary trading and investment activities. The company also provides financing, securities dealer, investment management, land holding, operations management, business systems, foreign exchange, real estate, pre-need, non-life insurance, leasing, and rental services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,176 branches, and 2,457 automated teller machines and cash accept machines. The company also serves its customers through alternative electronic banking channels, such as telephone, mobile phone, and the internet. Bank of the Philippine Islands was founded in 1851 and is based in Makati City, the Philippines.

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Ascent Wealth Partners LLC lowered its position in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS  Free Report) by 20.5% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 12,998 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,348 shares during the period. Ascent Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in General Mills were worth $1,111,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clarius Group LLC grew its stake in General Mills by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 7,437 shares of the companys stock worth $636,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 13,284 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,114,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 11,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $939,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 3,874 shares of the companys stock valued at $325,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LCM Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. LCM Capital Management Inc now owns 7,262 shares of the companys stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.73% of the companys stock.

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General Mills Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE:GIS traded down $0.14 on Monday, reaching $75.03. 896,349 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,439,731. The company has a market capitalization of $43.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. General Mills, Inc. has a 12 month low of $72.16 and a 12 month high of $90.89. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $83.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.55.

General Mills Increases Dividend

General Mills ( NYSE:GIS Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 28th. The company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.18 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 24.47%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be issued a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.15%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This is an increase from General Millss previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. General Millss payout ratio is 54.76%.

Insider Transactions at General Mills

In other news, insider Jodi J. Benson sold 3,009 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.59, for a total value of $272,585.31. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 35,491 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,215,129.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Jodi J. Benson sold 3,009 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.59, for a total value of $272,585.31. Following the sale, the insider now owns 35,491 shares in the company, valued at $3,215,129.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jacqueline Williams-Roll sold 18,517 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.47, for a total transaction of $1,656,715.99. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 47,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,219,673.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,607 shares of company stock valued at $2,297,897. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GIS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $76.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a report on Friday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of General Mills from $86.00 to $82.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of General Mills from $75.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of General Mills from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of General Mills from $81.00 to $83.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, General Mills presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $82.24.

General Mills Company Profile

(Free Report)

General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables.

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Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG  Free Report) by 24.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 626,150 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 201,000 shares during the quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.20% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $43,865,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.2% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 17,704 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,271,000 after buying an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 3,952 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $674,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 88.6% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 11,238 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $807,000 after purchasing an additional 5,278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 235.4% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,070 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 751 shares during the period. 90.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $72.79. 289,360 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,944,089. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $60.17 and a one year high of $79.44. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.49.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The Hartford Financial Services Group ( NYSE:HIG Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The insurance provider reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.68. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.70 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 8.33% and a return on equity of 18.45%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.66 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 7.84 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were paid a $0.425 dividend. This represents a $1.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on HIG. 888 restated a reiterates rating on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $104.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $86.00 to $94.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $78.00 to $77.00 in a report on Monday, April 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $85.46.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.

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One night in Fuzhou

People's Daily Online) 15:23, July 10, 2023

Join us as we spend one night in the gourmet capital of Fuzhou, in Fujian Province. The best place to go when time is limited is of course a night market. Find out whats on offer and sample some Fuzhou local delicacies with our host Stu.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lessened its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) by 42.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 193,189 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after selling 141,470 shares during the period. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned about 0.12% of Motorola Solutions worth $55,460,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSI. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 11.6% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,918 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $949,000 after buying an additional 406 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its stake in Motorola Solutions by 3.1% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 11,087 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $2,685,000 after acquiring an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 8.8% during the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 2,870 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $695,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at about $225,000. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Motorola Solutions by 7.3% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 55,177 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $13,362,000 after purchasing an additional 3,741 shares in the last quarter. 82.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reissued a maintains rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Friday, May 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $310.00 to $335.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Barclays increased their price target on Motorola Solutions from $303.00 to $329.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. StockNews.com cut Motorola Solutions from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Motorola Solutions from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the company from $300.00 to $305.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Motorola Solutions currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $301.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Motorola Solutions Stock Performance

In other news, CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.54, for a total transaction of $14,527,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 91,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,684,065.22. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other Motorola Solutions news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,933 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.01, for a total transaction of $558,656.33. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $465,595.11. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 50,000 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.54, for a total value of $14,527,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 91,843 shares in the company, valued at $26,684,065.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 101,933 shares of company stock worth $29,642,156 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock.

Shares of MSI traded up $3.32 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $295.19. The companys stock had a trading volume of 145,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 755,201. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $299.43. The stock has a market cap of $49.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.48, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $286.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $274.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.15.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.17. Motorola Solutions had a negative return on equity of 1,549.95% and a net margin of 14.63%. The company had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.53 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 44.00%.

Motorola Solutions Profile

(Free Report)

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

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Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC trimmed its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,158 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 53 shares during the period. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $3,650,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.6% during the first quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 6,134 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,007,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Resource Council grew its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 193.7% in the first quarter. Advisor Resource Council now owns 3,131 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,025,000 after purchasing an additional 2,065 shares in the last quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN increased its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 3.9% during the first quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 3,687 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,206,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Busey Wealth Management increased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Busey Wealth Management now owns 34,013 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $11,126,000 after acquiring an additional 2,023 shares during the period. Finally, North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.9% during the first quarter. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH now owns 36,303 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $11,875,000 after buying an additional 334 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.90% of the companys stock.

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The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

The Goldman Sachs Group stock traded up $3.31 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $318.48. The stock had a trading volume of 506,827 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,591,029. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a one year low of $277.84 and a one year high of $389.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.38. The firms 50 day moving average is $326.28 and its 200 day moving average is $338.39.

The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend

The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.14 by $0.65. The firm had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.66 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.84%. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $10.76 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 31.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st were issued a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups payout ratio is 35.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on GS. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $329.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. JMP Securities decreased their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $470.00 to $450.00 in a report on Monday. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $495.00 to $437.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $440.00 to $437.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $385.77.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $13,436,550.78. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 50,099,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $587,665,868.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $13,436,550.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 50,099,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $587,665,868.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 7,277 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.67, for a total transaction of $2,420,839.59. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,334 shares in the company, valued at $1,441,791.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 34,978,986 shares of company stock worth $660,057,057. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements.

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Everhart Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Free Report) by 39.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,752 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,606 shares during the period. Everhart Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $791,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of KO. Salem Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Salem Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,359 shares of the companys stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 23,188 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,448,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 12,780 shares of the companys stock valued at $793,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC now owns 2,679 shares of the companys stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alaska Permanent Fund Corp increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp now owns 16,604 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,056,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.61% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on KO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $63.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $67.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

In other Coca-Cola news, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total value of $16,104,880.26. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 184,563 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,743,743.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.33, for a total transaction of $9,649,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,468,984.18. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total transaction of $16,104,880.26. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 184,563 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,743,743.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 420,786 shares of company stock worth $26,886,224 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Shares of Coca-Cola stock remained flat at $59.76 during trading on Monday. 3,444,445 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,530,044. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $61.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $61.48. The company has a market capitalization of $258.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.21, a PEG ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.54. The Coca-Cola Company has a fifty-two week low of $54.01 and a fifty-two week high of $65.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.15.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.78 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.69% and a return on equity of 42.96%. Coca-Colas revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.64 EPS. On average, analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Coca-Colas dividend payout ratio is presently 80.70%.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.

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Everhart Financial Group Inc. cut its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Free Report) by 8.7% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,978 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 475 shares during the quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $504,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JDM Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. FWL Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 73.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total transaction of $5,551,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at $757,746,582.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total value of $909,466.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares in the company, valued at $7,786,409.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at $757,746,582.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

A number of research firms have recently commented on ABT. Citigroup raised their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Wolfe Research reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $107.00 to $103.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $136.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $121.26.

Shares of ABT stock traded up $0.46 on Monday, reaching $106.81. The stock had a trading volume of 1,432,671 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,051,921. The stock has a market cap of $185.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.68. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $93.25 and a 1 year high of $115.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.68. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.31.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $9.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 22.36% and a net margin of 13.98%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.73 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.39 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.01%.

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 Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon.

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Fruth Investment Management decreased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 2.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,200 shares of the companys stock after selling 50 shares during the quarter. Fruth Investment Managements holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $755,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% in the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 97.8% in the 4th quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 87.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,125 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $467.60, for a total value of $76,744,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,028,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $47,241,071,556. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,125 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $467.60, for a total value of $76,744,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,028,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $47,241,071,556. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 970,965 shares of company stock valued at $423,725,107 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 0.2 %

LLY traded down $1.06 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $451.02. 844,190 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,069,663. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.30. The companys fifty day moving average price is $441.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $380.82. The company has a market cap of $428.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.38. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $296.32 and a one year high of $469.87.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.87 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.62 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is presently 71.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on LLY shares. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $440.00 to $500.00 in a research note on Friday, May 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $475.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $505.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $421.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $437.90.

Eli Lilly and Company Profile

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It 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; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes.

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Shares of General Electric (LON:GEC  Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 110.07 ($1.40) and last traded at GBX 109.94 ($1.40), with a volume of 2426 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 105 ($1.33).

General Electric Trading Up 4.8 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 74.65. The firm has a market capitalization of 1.20 billion, a PE ratio of 14.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 104.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 103.30.

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General Electric Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 10th. This represents a yield of 0.08%. General Electrics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 441.38%.

General Electric Company Profile

General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers gas and steam turbines, full balance of plant, upgrade, and service solutions, as well as data-leveraging software for power generation, industrial, government, and other customers.

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Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO  Free Report) by 36.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,263 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 5,830 shares during the quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLCs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $415,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 303.2% during the 4th quarter. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. now owns 633 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 311.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 637 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 110.1% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 689 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners bought a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000.

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Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA VWO traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $40.52. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,936,283 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,488,819. The stock has a market cap of $72.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.69. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a one year low of $34.88 and a one year high of $43.22. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $40.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.47.

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Profile

The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries.

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IRON Financial LLC cut its stake in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS  Free Report) by 9.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,043 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,042 shares during the period. IRON Financial LLCs holdings in General Mills were worth $858,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Czech National Bank raised its position in shares of General Mills by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 69,474 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,825,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. raised its position in shares of General Mills by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 15,881 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,332,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA raised its position in shares of General Mills by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA now owns 18,826 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,045 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of General Mills by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 198,283 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,626,000 after purchasing an additional 13,823 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of General Mills by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 19,334 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,652,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. 76.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at General Mills

In other General Mills news, insider Jodi J. Benson sold 3,009 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.59, for a total value of $272,585.31. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 35,491 shares in the company, valued at $3,215,129.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Jodi J. Benson sold 3,009 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.59, for a total transaction of $272,585.31. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 35,491 shares in the company, valued at $3,215,129.69. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Jacqueline Williams-Roll sold 18,517 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.47, for a total value of $1,656,715.99. Following the sale, the insider now owns 47,163 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,219,673.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 25,607 shares of company stock worth $2,297,897. 0.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

General Mills Stock Down 0.0 %

GIS stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Monday, hitting $75.16. 1,162,602 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,441,832. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $83.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $82.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.24. General Mills, Inc. has a 52-week low of $72.16 and a 52-week high of $90.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, June 28th. The company reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.18 billion. General Mills had a return on equity of 24.47% and a net margin of 12.91%. The firms revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.12 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.5 EPS for the current year.

General Mills Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.59 per share. This is a boost from General Millss previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.14%. General Millss payout ratio is presently 54.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of General Mills from $95.00 to $88.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of General Mills from $77.00 to $72.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of General Mills from $81.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of General Mills from $81.00 to $83.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of General Mills from $88.00 to $96.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $82.24.

About General Mills

(Free Report)

General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables.

Further Reading

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Douglas Emmett (NYSE:DEI  Free Report) and Kimco Realty (NYSE:KIM  Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Douglas Emmett and Kimco Realtys revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Douglas Emmett $824.57 million 2.80 $97.14 million $0.51 26.65 Kimco Realty $1.73 billion 7.14 $125.98 million $0.24 82.92

Kimco Realty has higher revenue and earnings than Douglas Emmett. Douglas Emmett is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kimco Realty, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Douglas Emmett 2 3 3 0 2.13 Kimco Realty 1 6 4 0 2.27

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Douglas Emmett and Kimco Realty, as provided by MarketBeat.

Douglas Emmett currently has a consensus price target of $15.78, indicating a potential upside of 16.10%. Kimco Realty has a consensus price target of $22.36, indicating a potential upside of 12.35%. Given Douglas Emmetts higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Douglas Emmett is more favorable than Kimco Realty.

Dividends

Douglas Emmett pays an annual dividend of $0.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.6%. Kimco Realty pays an annual dividend of $0.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.6%. Douglas Emmett pays out 149.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Kimco Realty pays out 383.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Kimco Realty has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years. Douglas Emmett is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares Douglas Emmett and Kimco Realtys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Douglas Emmett 9.87% 2.12% 0.92% Kimco Realty 10.23% 1.82% 0.99%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

97.4% of Douglas Emmett shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.5% of Kimco Realty shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.0% of Douglas Emmett shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Kimco Realty shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

Douglas Emmett has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kimco Realty has a beta of 1.44, indicating that its stock price is 44% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Kimco Realty beats Douglas Emmett on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Douglas Emmett

(Free Report)

Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities.

About Kimco Realty

(Free Report)

Kimco Realty Corp. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in New Hyde Park, N.Y., that is one of North Americas largest publicly traded owners and operators of open-air shopping centers. As of December 31, 2018, the company owned interests in 437 U.S. shopping centers comprising 76 million square feet of leasable space primarily concentrated in the top major metropolitan markets.

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Xcel Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Free Report) by 5.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,569 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 617 shares during the period. Xcel Wealth Management LLCs holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $815,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Appleton Partners Inc. MA lifted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA now owns 13,360 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,030,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Virginia VA lifted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. Trust Co. of Virginia VA now owns 8,776 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $676,000 after acquiring an additional 1,075 shares during the period. Central Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 5,511 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $425,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. M. Kraus & Co lifted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. M. Kraus & Co now owns 139,454 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $11,658,000 after acquiring an additional 3,229 shares during the period. Finally, Mission Wealth Management LP lifted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 36,563 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,818,000 after acquiring an additional 3,230 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.70% of the companys stock.

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NextEra Energy Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NEE traded down $0.35 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $71.70. The company had a trading volume of 3,455,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,125,248. The companys 50 day moving average price is $74.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $76.69. The stock has a market cap of $145.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.44, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.46. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $69.64 and a 52 week high of $91.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13.

NextEra Energy Dividend Announcement

NextEra Energy ( NYSE:NEE Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.78 billion. NextEra Energy had a net margin of 26.97% and a return on equity of 12.44%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.74 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.11 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a dividend of $0.4675 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.61%. NextEra Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.65%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $95.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $94.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $93.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of NextEra Energy from $92.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $91.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at NextEra Energy

In other news, CEO John W. Ketchum purchased 13,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $74.26 per share, for a total transaction of $1,009,936.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 184,485 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,699,856.10. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, EVP Robert Coffey sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $299,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,292 shares in the company, valued at $845,770.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John W. Ketchum acquired 13,600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $74.26 per share, with a total value of $1,009,936.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 184,485 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,699,856.10. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

NextEra Energy Profile

(Free Report)

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear, coal, and natural gas facilities. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets that consists of clean energy solutions, such as renewable generation facilities, battery storage projects, and electric transmission facilities; sells energy commodities; and owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.

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Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW  Get Free Report) and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing (OTCMKTS:LMPMY  Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturings net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Clearwater Paper 2.51% 12.27% 4.11% Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing N/A N/A N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

89.0% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing shares are held by institutional investors. 2.3% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Clearwater Paper 0 0 2 0 3.00 Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a summary of recent ratings for Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Clearwater Paper currently has a consensus target price of $47.00, indicating a potential upside of 44.30%. Given Clearwater Papers higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Clearwater Paper is more favorable than Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturings top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Clearwater Paper $2.08 billion 0.27 $46.10 million $3.13 10.41 Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing N/A N/A N/A $4.02 0.85

Clearwater Paper has higher revenue and earnings than Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing. Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Clearwater Paper, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Clearwater Paper beats Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Clearwater Paper

(Get Free Report)

Clearwater Paper Corporation manufactures and supplies bleached paperboards, and consumer and parent roll tissues in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paperboard, and Consumer Products. The Pulp and Paperboard segment manufactures and markets bleached paperboard; Solid Bleached Sulfate paperboard that is used to produce folding cartons, liquid packaging, cups and plates, blister and carded packaging, and top sheet and commercial printing items; and hardwood and softwood pulp, as well as offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. It sells its products to packaging converters, folding carton converters, merchants, and commercial printers. The Consumer Products segment provides a line of at-home tissue products, including bath tissues, paper towels, facial tissues, and napkins; recycled fiber value grade products; and away-from-home tissues. This segment sells its products to retailers and wholesale distributors, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. Clearwater Paper Corporation was founded in 1900 and is based in Spokane, Washington.

About Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing

(Get Free Report)

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and trades in packaging papers, pulps, and tissue papers in the People's Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Macau, and Hong Kong. The company operates through Packaging Paper, Tissue Paper, and Pulp segments. It offers various pulp products, such as dissolved pulps for use in viscose chemical fibers, bamboo fibers, glass papers, acetate fibers, refined rayons, etc.; unbleached bamboo kraft pulps for use in ecru life papers, environmental table wares, food bags, etc.; and bleached bamboo kraft pulps for use in tissue papers, fine papers, cigarette papers, cup papers, etc. The company also provides containerboard products, including kraft and test linerboards for use in cartons, paper bags, file boxes, paperboards, wall papers, etc.; and corrugating liners for use in corrugated layer and septi-layer of paperboards, and honeycomb-like products. In addition, it offers white lined chipboards and environment friendly white linerboard coated products for use in graphic cartons, color card printing, and offset printing, as well as in packaging of commodities, household appliances, IT products, medicine/health care products, food products, toys, gifts, ceramic products, stationery products, beverages, etc.; toilet rolls for wiping and cleaning of hands, faces, food, etc.; and unbleached paper for use in various applications, such as baby care, menstruation, facial, sensitive skin, table, kitchen, etc. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong.

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Tectonic Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of The Progressive Co. (NYSE:PGR  Free Report) by 43.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,003 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 8,839 shares during the quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLCs holdings in Progressive were worth $4,149,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Progressive by 10.0% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,733 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $963,000 after acquiring an additional 613 shares during the period. Eudaimonia Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Progressive in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,468,000. Advisor Resource Council acquired a new stake in shares of Progressive during the 1st quarter worth approximately $982,000. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Progressive during the first quarter worth approximately $207,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Progressive in the first quarter valued at approximately $6,195,000. 83.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.81, for a total transaction of $1,581,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 321,507 shares in the company, valued at $42,377,837.67. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Progressive news, insider Steven Broz sold 930 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.79, for a total value of $128,144.70. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,251 shares in the company, valued at $3,754,915.29. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.81, for a total value of $1,581,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 321,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,377,837.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 26,930 shares of company stock valued at $3,520,185 in the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Progressive Stock Down 0.2 %

Several analysts have commented on PGR shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Progressive from $124.00 to $121.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Barclays reduced their target price on Progressive from $123.00 to $120.00 in a report on Thursday, June 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Progressive from $132.00 to $146.00 in a research report on Thursday. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Progressive from $167.00 to $163.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $143.00 target price on shares of Progressive in a report on Friday, April 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $148.80.

Shares of PGR stock traded down $0.30 during trading on Monday, reaching $130.96. The companys stock had a trading volume of 550,438 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,593,031. The Progressive Co. has a one year low of $109.42 and a one year high of $149.87. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $131.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.48. The company has a market cap of $76.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 92.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Progressive (NYSE:PGR  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 13th. The insurance provider reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.44 by ($0.79). The business had revenue of $14.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.12 billion. Progressive had a return on equity of 13.95% and a net margin of 1.64%. Analysts anticipate that The Progressive Co. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Progressive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.31%. Progressives dividend payout ratio is 28.37%.

About Progressive

(Free Report)

The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property.

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Copa (NYSE:CPA  Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $137.00 to $140.00 in a report issued on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. The Goldman Sachs Groups price objective suggests a potential upside of 26.24% from the companys current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on CPA. StockNews.com cut shares of Copa from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 26th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Copa from $120.00 to $150.00 in a report on Friday, May 12th. HSBC decreased their price objective on shares of Copa from $143.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Copa from $138.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Copa has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $126.50.

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Copa Price Performance

Shares of Copa stock traded up $0.73 on Monday, hitting $110.90. The company had a trading volume of 278,856 shares, compared to its average volume of 433,555. The company has a market cap of $4.37 billion, a PE ratio of 9.87 and a beta of 1.29. Copa has a 52 week low of $60.21 and a 52 week high of $114.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $95.45.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Copa ( NYSE:CPA Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The transportation company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.34 by $0.65. The firm had revenue of $867.26 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $839.11 million. Copa had a net margin of 13.80% and a return on equity of 32.04%. Research analysts expect that Copa will post 15.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Copa by 559.6% during the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 546,018 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $34,601,000 after purchasing an additional 463,244 shares during the period. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Copa by 32.0% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,663,395 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $153,615,000 after purchasing an additional 403,631 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Copa by 67.5% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 808,205 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $67,218,000 after purchasing an additional 325,800 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Copa by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,298,119 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $275,855,000 after purchasing an additional 297,595 shares during the period. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Copa by 317.1% during the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 369,463 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $30,728,000 after purchasing an additional 280,894 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Copa

(Get Free Report)

Copa Holdings, SA, through its subsidiaries, provides airline passenger and cargo services. The company offers approximately 327 daily scheduled flights to 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean from its Panama City hub. As of December 31, 2022, it operated a fleet of 97 aircraft comprising 67 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, 9 Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft, 1 Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter, and 20 737-MAX aircraft.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Trex (NYSE:TREX  Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on TREX. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of Trex from $64.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Trex from $48.00 to $58.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Trex from $56.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Trex from $53.00 to $57.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of Trex from $64.00 to $65.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $61.13.

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Trex Stock Down 0.2 %

TREX stock opened at $62.18 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $58.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.91. Trex has a 52-week low of $38.68 and a 52-week high of $66.82. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.73, a PEG ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 1.54.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Trex

Trex ( NYSE:TREX Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The construction company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $239.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $237.65 million. Trex had a net margin of 15.37% and a return on equity of 30.02%. The businesss revenue was down 29.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Trex will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in TREX. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Trex by 21.5% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 28,795 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,881,000 after acquiring an additional 5,105 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of Trex by 38.1% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 18,867 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,353,000 after acquiring an additional 5,210 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Trex during the first quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can raised its holdings in shares of Trex by 7.6% during the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 62,354 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,190,000 after acquiring an additional 4,387 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its holdings in shares of Trex by 23.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 5,111 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 966 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.81% of the companys stock.

About Trex

(Free Report)

Trex Co, Inc engages in the manufacture of wood-alternative decking and railing. Its products include deck framing and drainage, outdoor lighting, furniture, pergola and outdoor kitchens, fencing, collections, and accessory hardware. It operates through the following segments Trex Residential Products and Trex Commercial Products.

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Xcel Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 10.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,902 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 625 shares during the period. Xcel Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $480,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY grew its holdings in Southern by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 21,982 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,570,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Marcum Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 5,327 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $371,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Gratus Capital LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Gratus Capital LLC now owns 5,953 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the period. Finally, Northstar Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Southern by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Northstar Advisory Group LLC now owns 7,415 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $516,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. 63.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on SO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Southern from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM restated a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price target on Southern from $79.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Friday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Southern has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.93.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SO traded down $0.44 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $70.24. The company had a trading volume of 1,192,057 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,210,404. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The firm has a market cap of $76.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.80, a PEG ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 0.50. The companys 50-day moving average price is $71.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.71. The Southern Company has a one year low of $58.85 and a one year high of $80.57.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.14 billion. Southern had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 10.78%. Southerns revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Southern Company will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.99%. Southerns payout ratio is presently 90.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Southern

In other Southern news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.03, for a total transaction of $712,109.73. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 36,119 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,710,008.57. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.03, for a total transaction of $712,109.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,119 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,710,008.57. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.48, for a total transaction of $357,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 136,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,741,580.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 200,678 shares of company stock valued at $14,528,821 in the last 90 days. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Southern Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. 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.

Further Reading

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Xcel Wealth Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,149 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 227 shares during the period. Xcel Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $2,090,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Adviser Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 4.6% during the first quarter. Adviser Investments LLC now owns 19,938 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,382,000 after acquiring an additional 874 shares during the period. IRON Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the first quarter worth approximately $702,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 15.0% during the first quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 4,156 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $288,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the period. Humankind Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 9.3% in the first quarter. Humankind Investments LLC now owns 27,947 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,937,000 after buying an additional 2,371 shares during the period. Finally, JB Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6.7% in the first quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 6,957 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $482,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.57% of the companys stock.

Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts:

Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 0.1 %

Bristol-Myers Squibb stock traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $62.71. The stock had a trading volume of 3,041,410 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,076,054. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market cap of $131.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $62.30 and a one year high of $81.43. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $65.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.84.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 51.75% and a net margin of 15.95%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.64%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is presently 66.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BMY shares. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. They issued an outperform rating and a $70.00 price target for the company. Barclays cut their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. 51job reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, SVB Securities assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday. They set a market perform rating and a $66.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $77.20.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

Read More

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Northern Lights HyderabaSeparate teams of firefighters, Market police and Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel rescued 12 persons who were trapped in a lodge after a massive fire that broke out at a cloth store in a shopping complex at Palika Bazaar at about dawn on Sunday.(Image: DC)d 1

Hyderabad: Twelve persons staying at Bobby Luxury Lodge near Palika Bazaar were rescued from a major fire that broke out at a garments shop located adjacent to it at about 5.30 am on Sunday. The rest of the premises were empty, given the early hour.

Teams of firefighters, police and Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel were deployed to the spot. The premises and inventory of the Dhamaka Sale Shop in the G+1 complex were entirely gutted, while other shops located in the vicinity also suffered losses amounting to lakhs of rupees.

Officials said that 15 people were staying at the lodge. Three of them managed to escape quickly while others were stranded, engulfed in smoke.

"It was dark. There was no power and we panicked when thick smoke entered our rooms through the grilles. We had no way to escape the fire which spread to the door," said M. Raghu, a trader from Warangal who was staying at the lodge.

"There were 15 of us from different states. Three of them managed to escape but rest of us were trapped. At 6.30 am, we heard some shouts and water being sprayed," he said.

G. Rajesh, a trader from Mahbubnagar, who was among the 12, said: "A man in blue with yellow cap and others guided us to the stairs downwards. We could take a deep breath only when we reached the open. In the absence of the fire department and DRF teams, we would have been trapped."

The complex, which houses both the lodge and the shop, hosts over 300 shops. Officials said they cut the power supply to prevent the spread of fire to other shops and gained access to the lodge by making a hole in the basement and entering through another portion of the building to use cannons and heavy-duty smoke extractors.

"We reached the scene within 11 minutes of receiving the fire call. Five of our teams extinguished the fire while another team was involved in sucking out the smoke through smoke machine. Luckily, all 12 persons were rescued by our fighters," D. Mohan Rao, Secunderabad Station Fire Officer (SFO), said. "Market police and DRF teams had also arrived by then. Another five DRF teams removed the debris with an earthmover placed it on the other side of the road.

Ramesh, the owner of the garments shop, said that besides the material in the shop, those stored in the basement were also gutted. Six shops surrounding his store also suffered severe losses.

He said that the electricity department was undertaking some work and completed it around 4.30 am, during which the shops guard was told to shut off the main power switch.

"When the guard turned the power on after 5 am, he said he saw sparks coming from a nearby electric pole connected to the complex. Luckily, there was no one in the store then," Ramesh said.

Market police sub-inspector K. Mamata said: "Except property damage, no one was hurt in the fire. We ensured that the traffic flow was smooth as lot of people were devotees. Our constables did not allow passersby to stop at the scene, as it could have led to a traffic jam."

Y. Lakmaiah, another sub-inspector of the Market police, said they registered a case of fire accident and that a preliminary probe suggests the fire was caused due to short circuit.
Army personnel and others rescue locals stuck near the flooded Gopal Colony after water level of Badi river rose due to heavy monsoon rains, in Patiala district, Monday, July 10, 2023. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: A total of 39 NDRF teams have been deployed in four north Indian states to tackle the heavy rains and floods that have been battering these regions since Saturday, a senior officer said on Monday.

While 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are working in Punjab, a dozen are deployed in Himachal Pradesh, eight in Uttarakhand and five in Haryana, he said.

"The rescue operations are being undertaken as per the situation on ground and in coordination with the state authorities," an NDRF spokesperson said.

The teams, with about 30-35 rescuers in each, are equipped with inflatable boats, ropes, tree cutters and other essential tools to launch rescue and relief operations, another officer said.

Torrential rains continued to wreak havoc in north India on Monday even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation.
It is learnt that there will be no changes in the finance, external affairs and defence ministries. (PTI File Photo)

NEW DELHI: With the reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet expected in the next few days, a strong buzz is going on in BJP circles that some Cabinet ministers may be assigned specific tasks within the organisational structure of the party to take on the Opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. A senior party leader told this newspaper that the reshuffle might take place on Wednesday.

It is learnt that there will be no changes in the finance, external affairs and defence ministries. Sources said some leaders of allied parties like Praful Patel and Chirag Paswan may be inducted as ministers in the much-awaited reshuffle.

The possibility of the Cabinet reshuffle and the changes in the BJPs organisational set-up are being viewed in some political circles as a BJP strategy to test the waters in the Assembly elections in several states before going for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

"As organisational restructuring has already started with the appointment of state presidents and members for the national executive committee, the Cabinet reshuffle might be effected on Wednesday," a senior BJP leader told this newspaper.

BJP leaders claimed that the period before Parliaments Monsoon Session, which begins from July 20, could be the last window for such an exercise.

Sources said some senior ministers having organisational experience may be assigned responsibilities in the party to further strengthen the organisation before next years Lok Sabha polls. "Shifting of ministers to the organisations has nothing to do with performance but it will be a strategic move with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," they said.

It has been learnt that representatives of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Patel of NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Chirag Paswan of the LJP (Ram Vilas) are likely to be inducted in the Union Cabinet.

A BJP functionary said that the Union Cabinet reshuffle will be done with an eye on regional aspirations and unburdening of ministers holding multiple portfolios.

"There are several ministers who are looking after more than one ministry Their portfolio can be shared with alliance partners or fulfilling regional and social aspirations. The final date and composition of the Union council of ministers will be taken by the Prime Minister," he added.
At the AIL Dixon Technologies premises, the Chief Minister took a round of the sections manufacturing surveillance cameras, digital recorders and laptops. Company officials explained to him about the functioning of various units. (Image By Arrangement)

ANANTAPUR: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday inaugurated a unit of AIL Dixon Technologies in the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Kopparthi Industrial Estate in Kadapa district.

The CM also set the foundation stones for several new industries in the park.

At the AIL Dixon Technologies premises, the Chief Minister took a round of the sections manufacturing surveillance cameras, digital recorders and laptops. Company officials explained to him about the functioning of various units.

The Chief Minister interacted with the workers and staff and asked them about the unit and their wages.

Senior officials of the industrial department signed MoUs with the home audio systems manufacturing company Channel Play and LED TV manufacturing company Techno Dam India for setting up their units in the presence of the Chief Minister.

Municipal administration minister Adimulapu Suresh and chief secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy, several YSRC MLAs, MLCs and senior officials were present.

As part of a three-day tour in Kadapa district, the Chief Minister set foundation stones for developmental activities at an estimated budget of Rs 871.77cr. The foundation stone was laid for a new building for Kadapa Municipal Corporation at an estimated cost of Rs 31.17cr and another stone laid for a Rs 106 cr project for drinking water and drainage system for the weaker section habitations under the Kadapa corporation limits.

As part of the Amruth 2.0 scheme, the Rs 572.76cr worth drinking water project is designed to serve Kadapa town with water from Brahmam Sagar, while the drainage system costs Rs 69cr.

The Chief Minister flew to Vijayawada later in the day.
Around 1.7 lakh employees and teachers covered under the CPS have decided to launch OPS Rath Yatra', covering all 33 districts. (DC File Photo)

HYDERABAD: The BRS is facing mounting pressure from government employee unions, teachers unions and pensioners to constitute a pay revision committee (PRC), after the last body finished its tenure on June 30, to fulfil promises made to them ahead of the Assembly elections.

Sources said that employee unions raise demands during elections, as governments would be more agreeable at the time due to political compulsions, against the backdrop of the BJP and Congress already having extended their support to the unions.

Congress and BJP leaders have been accusing union leaders of colluding with the government, to pressurise them to seek fulfilment of demands, and are also hitting the streets with unions to take on the government.

Major employee unions, including those of TNGOs (Telangana non-gazetted officers), TGOs and teachers unions, mainly PRTU and UTF, have stepped up activities to press the government to announce the PRC.

Among the various groups, government teachers have especially stepped up pressure on the state government for promotions and transfers, while employees covered under CPS (contributory pension scheme) have decided to launch agitation programmes from July 16 to demand the restoration of the OPS (old pension scheme), which is being supported by all the unions.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao constituted the first PRC in 2018, to implement revisions from July 1 of that year, but the revisions only came into force from April 2021. As the PRC could submit its report only by December 2020, Rao announced a 30 per cent fitment (hike in basic pay) in March 2021.

Around 1.7 lakh employees and teachers covered under the CPS have decided to launch OPS Rath Yatra, covering all 33 districts from July 16, demanding restoration of OPS. They question why while six states have abolished CPS, the Telangana government couldnt follow suit.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (Photo: Twitter)

HYDERABAD: The TPCC will announce its womens declaration at a public meeting in Kollapur in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi on July 20, where former minister Jupally Krishna Rao along with other leaders will join the party, TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi said on Monday.

The women s declaration follows the farmers declaration at Warangal by party leader Rahul Gandhi, and youth declaration by Priyanka Gandhi in Hyderabad respectively.

It may be recalled that PCC president A. Revanth Reddy had written a letter seeking her presence in the meeting a few days back.

The endeavour is to hold a much bigger meeting than the one in Khammam and make it the talk of the town. The erstwhile Mahbubnagar has 14 Assembly constituencies. The leaders hope to thus mobilise more from across these areas.

The leaders met at a resort as part of a preparatory meeting on Sunday.

Those who will join the party at Kollapur include BRS MLC Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy, his son Dr Rajesh Reddy, Gadwal ZP chairman Saritha Thirupathaiah, Megha Reddy MPP from Wanaparthy and former MLA Kodangal Gurunath Reddy.

Addressing the press Mallu Ravi said, "The BJP cannot defeat the BRS as they are hand-in-glove with one another. Moreover, internal divisions within the BJP have weakened it. People are not willing to believe the BJP or the BRS. The Congress is all set to win 100 seats in the state polls, 300 seats in the parliamentary polls and romp home to power."

He said that the Congress will hold a satyagraha on July 12 at Gandhi Bhavan to protest the ill-treatment meted out to Rahul Gandhi by the Centre.

Separately, Krishna Rao met CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka at his residence on Monday to discuss his induction into the party at Kollapur.

Congress leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who was present at Bhattis residence, said, "We discussed the way ahead to defeat the BRS. Modi and KCR are enacting enmity while being together. The state is divided into two groups  one favouring KCR and the second against him."

On his visit to Andhra Pradesh, Srinivas Reddy, who was elected Khammam MP on a YSRC ticket in 2014, said: "I only went to the CMO to discuss with the officials about the contract work our company is doing."
TD chief Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (PTI File Image)

Vijayawada: As the Centre plans legislation to implement Uniform Civil Code in the country, major political parties like the YSRC, Telugu Desam and Jana Sena are treading cautiously on the issue.

These parties are holding discussions within party forums on what stand they should take, while a major section of Muslims, if not all, and the Leftists are opposing it. They argue that this would encroaches upon the fundamental rights of Muslims. The Congress has not taken a tough stand against the legislation, though.

The UCC deals with a common set of laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, which are applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of their religion, caste, tribe, local customs, traditions etc. The BJP is making an all-out effort to introduce and pass the landmark legislation on UCC in the run-up to the Parliament polls in 2024.

Several Muslims sharply criticised the Centre for its UCC plans, saying this was to mislead the Hindus, and blamed the BJP for resorting to vote bank politics.

They alleged that as the Centre could abolish Article 370, manage the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and outlaw the Islamic practice of triple talaq, the BJP government would hope to get away with this deed too. The BJP and Prime Minister Modi expect that the Hindus would extend all support to UCC, and can win the next polls on this basis, Muslim leaders assume.

After finding out that the people were unhappy with the Modi government over its functioning at a time when the elections were coming, the BJP came up with UCC to win the polls and retain power," a Muslim elder said.

Muslims describe UCC as unconstitutional say it would even affect their rights while the Constitution guaranteed Religious freedom to the people.

Indian Union Muslim League AP unit president Basheer Ahmad said, "We oppose UCC. The BJP conspires to bring in Manusmriti and trouble Muslims. It wants to polarise the Hindu votes and undercut the concept of unity in diversity. It also plans to forcibly impose Hindi language all over the country."

On the other hand, the ruling YSRC and the Opposition Telugu Desam are soft-pedaling the UCC issue as they are extending their support to the BJP in several respects.

Machilipatnam YSRC MP Bala Shouri said, "We are expecting our Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to call a meeting in a few days to discuss UCC and we shall support the partys stand."

The Telugu Desam too intends to discuss the issue within the party forums. Its national spokesman Pattabhi Ram said, "We are yet to take a decision and are holding discussions."

So is the case with Jana Sena, a BJP ally.

However, the CPI is opposing UCC. Its AP secretary K. Ramakrishnan said, "BJP appears to be in a hurry to get the legislation on UCC passed without even seeking the opinions of the stakeholders. This is done with its mala fide intentions."

Former MLC P.V.N. Madhav of the BJP said, "We are holding consultations with all stakeholders. The UCC is not anti-Muslim as is being misinterpreted. We are getting support from nearly 60 per cent of the Muslims."
Hyundai Motor India on Monday forayed into the entry-level SUV segment in the country with the launch of all-new model Exter, with introductory prices ranging between Rs 5.99 lakh and Rs 9.31 lakh (ex-showroom).

The model, which competes directly with Tata Motors Punch, comes powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated with both manual and automatic variants.

The five-speed manual trims, which deliver fuel efficiency of 19.4 km per litre are priced between Rs 5.99 lakh and Rs 9.31 lakh.

Also Read | Domestic automobile retail sales rise 10% in June: FADA

The five-speed automatic variant is tagged at Rs 7.96 lakh with a claimed fuel efficiency of 19.2 km per litre.

The CNG trim is priced at Rs 8.23 lakh with an efficiency of 27.1 km per kg.

Speaking at the launch, Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Unsoo Kim said with the launch of Exter, the automaker has now become a full-range SUV manufacturer in the country.

He noted that the company has invested Rs 950 crore on the development of the model.

Outlining Hyundai's commitment to the Indian market, Kim said the automaker has recently announced a Rs 20,000-crore investment spread over ten years to enhance production capacity, introduce electric models and set up a battery pack unit in Tamil Nadu.

The company is looking to enhance its annual production capacity to 8.5 lakh units per annum from 8.2 lakh units currently at its Chennai-based plant, he added.

Hyundai Motor India COO Tarun Garg noted that the model would help in bringing additional volumes to the company while strengthening its overall SUV portfolio.

"Exter is our eighth SUV model in the country. With this, now we are the only company to offer products in the six SUV sub-segments," he added.

Outlining the growth of the SUV segment, he stated that the vertical now accounts for 46 per cent to the overall passenger vehicle sales in the country.

For the company, the contribution of the SUVs in its overall sales has gone up to 54 per cent currently from 34 per cent in 2019, he added.

"We have also achieved leadership in three segments where we have Verna, Creta and Tucson," Garg said.

In the SUV segment, the automaker already sells models like Venue, Creta, Alcazar, Tucson, Kona Electric and Ioniq 5.

Garg noted that sales in the entry-level SUV segment could touch 20,000-22,000 units per month with the launch of Exter.

Tata Punch currently sells around 11,000 units per month. Last year the model sales stood at 1,29,895 units, while in the January-June period this year it stood at 67,117 units.

"Exter will bring in so many more new customers for Hyundai and the entire segment benchmark will go up," Garg said.

The Exter comes with a boot space of 391 litres, ground clearance of 185 mm, dash cam with dual cameras, electric sunroof, six airbags as standard and various connected features.

On sales outlook for the rest of the fiscal, Garg stated that things are looking good with chip shortage is more or less over.

The automaker has grown by 10.5 per cent in the first half of this year, he said.

"So I think things are looking good. And this was without Exter... now a good volume model is coming, so things should be good going forward," Garg said.

Hyundai sold 2.96 lakh units in January-June period this year, as compared to 2.67 lakh units in the same period of last year.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his intervention in securing the release of 15 fishermen and their boats from the Sri Lankan Navy - which arrested them on July 9.

In a letter to Jaishankar, Stalin said the fishermen had ventured out for fishing in their boats bearing registration numbers IND-TN-10-MM-677 and IND-TN-10-MM-913 and were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on July 9.

Incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel arresting Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly transgressing into its water are common, despite both countries taking several measures to prevent such incidents.

Also Read | Increase quantity of copra procurement from Tamil Nadu: CM Stalin to PM

Stalin told Jaishankar that the fishermens livelihood depends on fishing activities in the waters near the Indo-Sri Lankan maritime boundary and that they solely rely on fishing to sustain their families and communities.

Unfortunately, incidents of apprehension by the Sri Lankan Navy have become distressingly frequent, plunging the fishermen and their families into deep anguish and uncertainty, Stalin told Jaishankar, asking him to to intervene diplomatically with the Sri Lankan authorities to secure the immediate release of the apprehended fishermen.

Through diplomatic channels, the External Affairs Ministry can reach an amicable resolution that respects the rights and livelihoods of Indian fishermen while maintaining friendly bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, Stalin added in the letter.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said late on Sunday they held a phone call to discuss this week's NATO summit and Kyiv's counteroffensive campaign to reclaim land taken by Russia.

Also Read: Erdogan, Biden hold call; discuss Sweden's NATO bid

"I had an important discussion with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today ahead of this week's NATO Summit," Blinken said on Twitter.

I had an important discussion with Ukrainian Foreign Minister @DmytroKuleba today ahead of this weeks @NATO Summit. Looking forward to meetings in Vilnius on continued NATO support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 10, 2023

The US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a separate statement that the two diplomats discussed also "progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive."

Kuleba said on Twitter that the call was to work out details ahead of the NATO summit, which starts on Tuesday in Vilnius.

"I had a productive call with Secretary Blinken ahead of Vilnius," Kuleba said on Twitter. "With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, NATO, and global security."

I had a productive call with @SecBlinken ahead of Vilnius. With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, NATO, and global security. I also thanked the U.S. for another ground-breaking defense package, which includes much-needed ammunition.  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) July 9, 2023

Ukraine is hoping to receive a clear signal on its NATO membership prospects in Vilnius. The White House said on Friday that President Joe Biden and fellow leaders of the US-led alliance will discuss what steps Ukraine must complete.
A CRPF jawan allegedly shot himself dead in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Monday, police said.

The 31-year-old jawan, identified as Pranjal Nath was posted at the headquarters of CRPF's 112 Battalion located near Chiyanki village of the district, some 180 km from state capital Ranchi.

Also Read | CRPF to get new combat uniforms based on field feedback

Palamu Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rishav Garg said, "The exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. The body has been sent for postmortem to Medinirai medical college and Hospital."

Garg said that the jawan had come back on July 8 after two months holiday.

The jawan was a resident of the Pithkhuwa locality of Tezpur in Assam. He was also part of the anti-Maoist operation in Budha Pahad, which was recently freed from Maoists by security forces, police said.
With raging waters washing away cars and roads, submerging fields and gushing into residential areas, it was another day of rain havoc in parts of north India, particularly Himachal Pradesh where landslides claimed four more lives and more than 200 people remain stranded. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation.

Several rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday.

Also Read | PM Modi takes stock of rains situation, Kharge calls for aid as monsoon wreaks havoc on India

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked the Centre to make available additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for states affected by the torrential rain.

The prime minister spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said.

Local administrations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Minister's Office said.

Landslides claimed four more lives in Shimla and the Shimla-Kalka highway was blocked Monday morning as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill state for the third day, police said.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 16 or 17 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state in the last two days.

Twenty people stranded in tourist town of Manali were rescued but about 300 others were stuck across various parts of the hill state, officials said.

Three people died after a landslide struck a house in Theog subdivision of Shimla on Monday morning. The incident occurred in Pallavi village and the deceased were identified as Deep Bahadur, Devdasi and Mohan Bahadur, police said.

The body of an elderly woman, who was trapped under debris following a landslide in Rajhana village on the outskirts of Shimla city, was retrieved on Sunday night, hours after the body of her granddaughter was recovered from the site.

On Monday morning, the meteorological department issued a "red" alert for "extremely heavy rain", a day after heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, and damaging houses.

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

Also Read | Himachal torrential rains: Everything you need to know

The Shimla-Kalka National Highway was blocked near Shoghi, about 16 km from the capital city, following a landslide on Monday.

More than 120 roads are blocked in the district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, officials said.

Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains to continue.

He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress.

The Congress president spoke to Sukhu to express his concern over the deaths in the state.

"The death of several people in north India due to heavy rains is sad and painful. Have talked to the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Relief efforts in the state have picked up and every effort is being made despite bad weather, to take people affected by heavy rains to safer places," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held a meeting over the torrential rains and the rising Yamuna water levels in the city.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark while assuring the people that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital.

The government is closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it, he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In a review meeting following heavy rains, he asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of the NDRF and SDRF as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert.

Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation.

Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state.

Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.

In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments.

He also took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has on Monday stated his party BRS's opposition to the proposed Uniform Civil Code, calling it a malicious attempt by the Narendra Modi government at the centre "to derive political benefits."

The BRS supremo said that the BJP led union government, which ignored development and created enmity between communities, is now conspiring to divide people of the country in the name of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill.

The statement from CMO came after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive members led by president Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, and accompanied by AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, met KCR asking him to oppose the UCC.

Also Read | RSS body urges Law Commission to understand tribals' customary practices before submitting report on UCC

AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, home minister Mahmood Ali, and industries minister KT Rama Rao were also present in the meeting at Pragati Bhavan.

KCR told the delegation that BRS has been opposing the union governments decisions detrimental to the unity of people.

Our country is blessed with multiple cultures, traditions, castes and religions and stands as a role model for unity in diversity to the world. In order to safeguard such diversity, BRS is vehemently rejecting the (UCC) bill, said KCR.

The CM added that the UCC proposal has left the tribals, with their unique culture, various castes and religious sects including the Hindus of the country confused and worried.

''It is clear that the imposition of UCC is a malicious attempt by the Union government. The BJP has been ignoring development of the country and peoples welfare for the last nine years. It has plotted to instigate people by promoting divisive politics, inciting clashes between communities to derive political benefits through the UCC bill. It is the main reason we are opposing the bill which is being introduced by the BJP led government soon, stated the CM.

CM KCR said that BRS will not only oppose the UCC bill in the ensuing Parliament session but will fight on the bill by uniting all like- minded political parties.

KCR directed the BRS parliamentary party leaders Keshava Rao and Nama Nageshwar Rao to prepare an action plan in this regard in both the houses of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the All India Personal Law Board Executive thanked CM KCR for opposing the UCC bill and supporting their endeavour to safeguard the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb and protect the customs of all sections of people irrespective of religion and regions."
The Opposition BJP in Bihar on Monday created a ruckus in the state assembly demanding the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav against whom the CBI has filed a charge sheet in land for jobs scam.

No sooner than the House assembled, on the inaugural day of the monsoon session, BJP chief whip Janak Ram rose in his seat and demanded the resignation of Yadav, who sat quietly in the treasury benches alongside his boss, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Proceedings for the day were adjourned minutes later, after obituary references, but the Opposition party made it clear that it would keep pressing the issue.

"We did not press the matter today in view of the solemnity of the occasion. But during the rest of the session, we will force the government to come clean on corruption", Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha told reporters outside the House.

"The chief minister seems to have struck a compromise with corruption. He will be held to account for his acts of commission and omission", said the BJP leader, whose party was stripped of power a year ago when Kumar, the JD(U)s supreme leader, quit the NDA and joined Mahagathbandhan.

Also Read | JD(U) rubbishes speculations of cracks in Mahagathbandhan

Earlier, Kumar reached the assembly with his deputy and the latters elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, a cabinet minister himself, in his car.

The gesture was apparently aimed at sending out the signal that all is well within the 'Mahagathbandhan' of which the RJD, founded and headed by the Yadav duo's father Lalu Prasad, is the largest constituent.

Kumar had reached the assembly from the adjacent Old Secretariat building where he planted a tree as part of a state-level drive 'Van Mahotsav' which seeks to improve the forest cover in Bihar.

Before getting seated in his car along with the two cabinet colleagues, Kumar had a brief chat with journalists with whom he shared his enthusiasm over improving forest cover in Bihar, claiming that it has increased substantially since he took over in 2005.

However, when he was asked about the BJPs plans to corner the government during the session, Kumar replied with a smirk "Now leave that aside. You people seem to have been hijacked by one party".

Notably, the land for jobs scam pertains to a period when Yadavs father was the Railway Minister though he himself was a minor.

In 2017, when Yadav was enjoying his first tenure as the Deputy CM, his name cropped up in the land for hotels scam and Kumar snapped ties with the RJD-Congress combine, irked over the controversy that had engulfed his government.

He formed a new government with the BJP which quickly came out with the offer of unconditional support but, following accusations that the saffron party was trying to "break" the JD(U), returned to the Mahagathbandhan vowing to defeat the NDA in next year's Lok Sabha polls.

The CBI charge sheet last week triggered speculations in a section of the media about the future course of action by Kumar, who swears by "no compromise on corruption, crime and communalism".
As rain pounded Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Monday, 20 people stranded in Manali were rescued while the state braced for another day of downpour with the Met office issuing a red alert for "extremely heavy rain", officials said.

Heavy rains pounded the state, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving several people deal, on Sunday.

Also Read  At least 15 killed, rivers in spate as rains pummel north India

The Meteorological Department issued a red alert for "extremely heavy" rain in the state on Monday.

In a late-night operation on Sunday, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village in Mandi due to the rise in the water level of Beas River, they said.

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains.

Also Read  Rains wreak havoc in Himachal, six dead in landslides, many stranded

He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress.

He said that the state government has released three numbers - 1100, 1070 and 1077 -- to help people in distress.

The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is blocked due to landslides and flooding at several places and Shimla-Kinnaur road is also closed for vehicular traffic due to slides and falling of rocks.

Using anchored rope, harness and crane, a team of the 14th battalion of the NDRF rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village on Sunday while the Home Guards rescued 20 more from Manali on Monday.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri informed that 4,680 schemes of the Jal Shakti Department have been damaged and the loss is estimated at Rs 323.30 crore.

As many as 876 bus routes of Himachal Road Transport Corporation were affected and 403 buses were stuck at different places due to heavy rains.

About 200 persons were stranded in Chandratal in Lahaul and Spiti.

Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary, who is on the spot, said that all the people are safe and food and essential medicines have been arranged. They would be rescued soon as the road is restored, he said.

Himachal received 271.5 mm average rains during the current monsoon season from June 1 to July 9, against normal rainfall of 160.6 mm, an excess of 69 per cent.
New Delhi: The performance of schools in India was adversely affected during the pandemic years, says a report published by the Ministry of Education on Sunday as no district has been able to attain the top two grades under the Performance Grading Index (PGI) in the last two years,

The report was prepared by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the union ministry of Education and assessed the performance of the school education system at the district level through the index based on a host of parameters.

However, no district in India could bag the top two grades  Daksh and Utkarsh  in either 2020-21 or 2021-22. Daksh is for Districts scoring more than 90% of the total points in any category or overall categories, and Utkarsh is for the district having PGI score of 81% to 90%. The ministry, in its report, said that the grading implies that there is ample scope for the districts to further improve their performance in future years. The ministry said in its report that the covid pandemic years and learning outcomes based on National Achievement Survey-2021 have impacted the performance.

After the top two grades is the Ati-Uttam grade for districts earning 71% to 80% scores. From Karnataka, 13 districts got the Ati-Uttam grade in 2020-21. This includes Dharwad, Belagavi Chikkodi, Gadag, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Koppal, Chitradurga, Haveri, Hassan, Uttara Kannada Sirsi , Bagalkot and Kodagu. In 2021-22, while no districts got the Ati-Uttam grade, 22 districts got the Uttam grade.

Year wise performance analysis of districts also revealed that 79 districts made consistent improvement in the scores in the last four years  2018-19 to 2021-22. In addition to that, 25 districts consistently performed poorly during the same period. Inspite of Covid pandemic at its peak in 2021-22, 290 districts have made notable improvement in their performance when compared 2019-20 (pre-pandemic) with 2021-22, the report said.

Over 14.9 lakh schools, 95 lakh teachers, and 26.5 crore students from varied socio-economic backgrounds are assessed across 83 indicators, which are grouped under six categories, which are weighted on over 600 point
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday conducted a tour of the rain-affected areas to take stock of the relief and rescue measures as he interacted with the people evacuated from low-lying areas.

The chief minister described the situation as "alarming" but asserted that the state government is putting its best efforts in extending relief to the people.

Mann said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke with him during which he apprised him about the entire situation in the state.

Also Read | Rains continue to lash Punjab, Haryana; Army assistance sought in Patiala

He said as of now, central assistance is not required for relief and rescue work as the situation is under control. However, the chief minister said if need arises, help will be sought from the Union government to tackle the situation.

According to an official statement, the chief minister also said that a 'special girdawari' (survey) will be conducted to ascertain the loss of crops, property and others due to heavy rainfall in the state over the past three days.

He said detailed instructions will be issued to the Deputy Commissioners to immediately carry out 'girdawari' in the areas lashed by rains to ascertain damage caused to crops, houses, animals and others on priority.

Mann assured the people that the government is committed to safeguarding their interests against nature's fury.

The chief minister also said that people should not panic as the state government is there to serve them by keeping a regular tab on the situation arising in the aftermath of the incessant rains.

He said it is a natural calamity and will be combated well with the fulsome support and cooperation of one and all.

Mann said he is personally reviewing the situation regularly.

The chief minister said all his ministers, MLAs and the officers are already in their respective areas and reaching out to the needy people in this hour of crisis.

He said an elaborate flood protection mechanism has been put in place to safeguard the life and property of people.

He said Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) are expediting the relief work in their respective districts so as to provide succour to the masses.

Mann said an alert has already been issued in low-lying and flood-prone areas and help is being provided to the needy people.
The Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university in Punjab after it was flooded with water due to heavy rains, a statement said on Monday.

The civil administration in Punjab and Haryana had earlier sought help for the rescue operation from the Army, which sent the Flood Relief columns of Army's Western Command to assist the administration in the flood affected areas of the two states.

Also Read | Heavy rains batter north India: Landslides claim 4 more lives, 200 stranded in worst-hit Himachal

The flood relief reconnaissance party were dispatched to the affected areas of Rupnagar, Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana), the statement said.

"After assessing the situation on ground, the rescue and relief columns reached the affected areas. The rescue team along with the Army engineer detachments worked throughout the (Sunday-Monday intervening) night to evacuate the stranded people and helped to prevent breaching of canals by the flood waters," it said.

The statement said that 910 students and 50 other civilians of Punjab's Chitkara University were evacuated to safe locations. At Araji Sabran village of Ferozepur district, 44 persons, including women and children were evacuated from the affected areas.

In a major effort, Army engineers also helped in preventing the breach of Sirhind canal by repairing the embankment, thereby preventing the flooding of Doraha village in Punjab and nearby areas.

"The Army is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the civil administration and all the stakeholders. The Army is continuing to provide all assistance to help mitigate the hardship being faced by the citizens in affected areas," it said.

Notably, rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities worked towards shifting people to safer places.
With huge stocks of copra available still with farmers, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday urged the Union Government to increase the quantity of procurement under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) as the market prices are still low.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister M K Stalin said he has received several requests from coconut growers across Tamil Nadu to increase the procurement target under the PSS scheme. In the state, the PSS procurement is done by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).

Stalin pointed out that Tamil Nadu stands third in area and productivity and second in production of coconut at the national level with an area of 4.46 lakh hectare, production of 53,518 lakh nuts and productivity of 11,692 nuts per hectare.

Also Read | Governors in Opposition-ruled states interfere; Stalin right in seeking Ravi's removal: Sibal

The Chief Minister asked the Union Government to enhance the quantity ceiling from the existing 25 per cent to 40 per cent for procurement of copra in the current season till September 2023. He also wanted to increase the procurement target from 56,000 MT to 90,000 MT for Tamil Nadu.

which will help in stabilizing the market price of copra and thus will benefit the coconut growers in the state, Stalin told Modi.

Though copra procurement under PSS was initiated in the year 2019 in Tamil Nadu, the procurement was negligible during the initial years as the market prices were well above the MSP. However, from 2022 onwards, the trend reversed due to increased production of coconut. As a result, the market price of coconut declined from about Rs 2,500 per quintal to Rs 1,500 per quintal.

Similarly, the market price of copra declined from nearly Rs 11,500 per quintal to Rs.8,100 per quintal, Stalin said, adding that this has resulted in a spike in the procurement of copra under PSS in the year 2022 and current year.

Under PSS, in the current year so far within a span of just three months from April to June 2023, 47,513 MT of copra has been procured against the target of 56,000 MT and still three months of procurement season i.e., July to September 2023 are remaining, the CM added in his letter.
Indias multi-billion-dollar purchases of US arms are less about shifting its reliance on Russian defence equipment and moving towards the West - it's more about developing its own domestic weapons industry, security officials and analysts say.

India is the world's biggest arms importer but almost all of its major weapons purchases now include provisions for joint manufacture or technology transfer, irrespective of which country it is dealing with.

Also Read  Indias decades-old quest for right US aircraft engine

Also, Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted some military supplies to India, reinforcing New Delhi's long-term desire to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware, Indian defence officials said.

India bought weapons worth over $60 billion in the last 20 years, of which 65 per cent or nearly $39 billion were from Russia, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India intends to order weapons from the domestic arms industry worth over $100 billion over the next decade.

"It is a reality, that we have to reduce dependence on Russia," said a senior Indian defence officer working on future capabilities of the Indian military, who declined to be identified. "But that is part two. The part one is the effort to get out of the import business."

Also Read  Modis visit proves India-US ties no longer transactional

India announced significant purchases of US defence equipment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington last month, including an over one billion dollar order for GE engines for fighter jets. A possible $3 billion deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones is also being discussed.

In line with New Delhi's desire for self-reliance in defence and Modi's flagship "Make in India" policy, the jet engine deal includes joint manufacturing in the future, while the assembly and maintenance of the SeaGuardians will likely be in India.

Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, said Washington had earlier paid "lip service" but was now easing India's access to military technologies. He said the US was "leaning in with technology" sharing more with India than it had with some its closest allies.

However, the moves so far will not be sufficient to end New Delhi's reliance on Russia while stringent US rules governing the sharing of military technology limit future possibilities for now.

"Nobody gives you everything. They keep you at least a screwdriver away from having it fully," said a second senior official from India's defence ministry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Arzan Tarapore, an Indian security expert at Stanford University, said the deals announced during Modi's visit "do not in themselves represent an Indian shift away from Russia."

"A big shift away from Russia will take multiple decades," he said.

Also Read  Average cost offered by US for MQ-9B drones 27% less for India, negotiations yet to begin

Gap with China

India still uses mostly Russian technology for traditional arms. Tarapore said that the biggest potential for US-India collaboration should be on new systems that India doesnt already have.

India's main aim is to narrow the technological gap with better-armed arch-rival China, with which it has a tense relationship, and which is also closely allied with traditional foe Pakistan.

One problem for India is that Russia's war in Ukraine has severely dented Moscow's ability to deliver weapons and equipment.

India's air force recently informed a parliamentary panel that Russia would delay deliveries of spares for Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 jet fighter planes. A big-ticket item, believed to be the remaining two of the five Russian S-400 air defence systems India bought for nearly $5.5 billion in 2018, has also been delayed, it said.

India has also been expecting to receive two nuclear-powered attack submarines from Russia over the next few years, but these might also be delayed, defence officials said.

Such problems have reinforced India's resolve to become less dependent on Russia, but it does not want to rely on any one nation for its weapons purchases, they said.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones, American jet engines and potentially German submarines. Over time these purchases will reduce the share of Russian military technology used by India, but this would take at least two decades, Indian officials said.

Least limitations

Bill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said the days of US and Russian domination of the global defence market and being able to control defence technology was coming to end, but what would replace it was "still a work in progress."

He said India could become frustrated by the strict US export control system for armaments and the restrictions it places both on technology sharing and its ability to develop systems it acquires.

"I expect India will pursue cooperation with the West with those countries that can transfer technology... with the least amount of limitations on their use," he said.

Exports to India must satisfy stringent US International Trafficking in Arms (ITAR) regulations and the two countries are not treaty allies - which for instance means the level of technology sharing provided under the AUKUS deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is not on the cards.

Even so, Modi's US visit has been hailed by both sides as bringing the relationship to a new level. Besides the defence deals, the two countries also signed agreements on chips, space, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

India is also a member of the Quad alliance with the US, Japan and Australia, which deepens its ties with the West, but does not replace its decades-old relationship with Russia.

Derek Grossman, a Rand Corporation defence analyst, said the US would always be cautious in what military hardware and technology it shares with India because of this.

Even if India can transition away from Moscow over the next few decades, Grossman said, "the US will still have suspicions about how their systems are being used and how that might help the Russians in some sort of way, because of that close India-Russia partnership."

"India is going to be opportunistic in this situation and accept whatever the US is willing to offer. But I dont think they are willing to give up what they have with Russia."
Birchcliff Energy Ltd. (TSE:BIR  Free Report)  Equities research analysts at Stifel Firstegy upped their FY2024 earnings per share estimates for Birchcliff Energy in a report issued on Thursday, July 6th. Stifel Firstegy analyst M. Dunn now anticipates that the oil and natural gas company will post earnings of $0.66 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $0.64. Stifel Firstegy has a Hold rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Birchcliff Energys current full-year earnings is $0.41 per share.

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Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. ATB Capital cut their price target on Birchcliff Energy from C$11.50 to C$10.50 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. CIBC cut their price objective on Birchcliff Energy from C$9.00 to C$8.00 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus cut Birchcliff Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the stock from C$9.00 to C$8.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Birchcliff Energy from C$9.00 to C$8.75 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, TD Securities cut Birchcliff Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the stock from C$9.00 to C$8.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$10.92.

Birchcliff Energy Price Performance

Birchcliff Energy stock opened at C$7.95 on Monday. Birchcliff Energy has a 12 month low of C$7.31 and a 12 month high of C$12.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.84, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$7.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$8.21. The stock has a market capitalization of C$2.11 billion, a PE ratio of 4.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 2.26.

Birchcliff Energy (TSE:BIR  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The oil and natural gas company reported C($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.08 by C($0.24). Birchcliff Energy had a return on equity of 22.31% and a net margin of 36.42%. The company had revenue of C$208.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$185.90 million.

Birchcliff Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Birchcliff Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Birchcliff Energy

In other Birchcliff Energy news, Senior Officer Theo Van Der Werken sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$8.20, for a total value of C$164,000.00. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Birchcliff Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Birchcliff Energy Ltd., an intermediate oil and natural gas company, acquires, explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, light oil, condensate, and other natural gas liquids in Western Canada. The company holds interests in the Montney/Doig resource play located approximately 95 km northwest of Grande Prairie, Alberta.

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Surge Energy Inc. (TSE:SGY  Free Report)  Equities research analysts at Stifel Firstegy lifted their FY2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Surge Energy in a report issued on Thursday, July 6th. Stifel Firstegy analyst M. Dunn now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.65 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $0.56. The consensus estimate for Surge Energys current full-year earnings is $0.87 per share.

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A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Eight Capital set a C$13.00 price target on Surge Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Surge Energy from C$12.00 to C$11.75 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Surge Energy from C$14.75 to C$13.75 in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, National Bankshares cut their price target on Surge Energy from C$13.00 to C$12.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Surge Energy presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$13.57.

Surge Energy Stock Up 5.0 %

SGY opened at C$7.33 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$7.52 and a 200 day moving average price of C$8.49. Surge Energy has a twelve month low of C$6.68 and a twelve month high of C$10.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.28, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market cap of C$720.76 million, a P/E ratio of 2.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 2.78.

Surge Energy (TSE:SGY  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported C$0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.17 by C($0.02). Surge Energy had a return on equity of 39.63% and a net margin of 44.74%. The company had revenue of C$161.97 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$158.40 million.

Surge Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.04 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. Surge Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 15.84%.

About Surge Energy

(Free Report)

Surge Energy Inc explores for, develops, and produces oil and gas in western Canada. The company's principal properties include Sparky assets located between Provost and Wainwright in eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan; the Southeast Saskatchewan properties are located in the Southeast corner of the Province; the Greater Sawn Lake assets located in Northern Alberta; the Valhalla/Wembley property located in northwestern Alberta; and the Shaunavon properties located to the southwest of Swift Current, Saskatchewan.

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Diversified LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) by 2.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,747 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after buying an additional 62 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for approximately 0.5% of Diversified LLCs holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Diversified LLCs holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Berger Financial Group Inc grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.5% in the first quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc now owns 21,282 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $10,058,000 after acquiring an additional 726 shares during the last quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the first quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC now owns 1,961 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $927,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. QCM Cayman Ltd. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter worth about $201,000. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 28.2% in the first quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 14,181 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $6,702,000 after buying an additional 3,116 shares during the period. Finally, Windward Capital Management Co. CA increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 22.7% in the first quarter. Windward Capital Management Co. CA now owns 627 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.61% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $591.00 target price on the stock. Loop Capital raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $590.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $596.00 to $562.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 17th. Oppenheimer reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $610.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, SVB Securities reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $625.00 to $560.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $590.84.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

In other news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,008 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $484.58, for a total transaction of $488,456.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 10,359 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,019,764.22. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . In related news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,008 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $484.58, for a total value of $488,456.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,359 shares in the company, valued at $5,019,764.22. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total transaction of $3,002,938.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 86,564 shares of the companys stock, valued at $42,199,084.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,852 shares of company stock worth $4,313,962. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

NYSE UNH opened at $461.58 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $481.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $487.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $429.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.11, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $445.68 and a fifty-two week high of $558.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.24 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 6.16% and a return on equity of 27.05%. The firm had revenue of $91.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $89.77 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.49 EPS. The companys revenue was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 24.85 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 19th were issued a $1.88 dividend. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.63%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Groups previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Groups payout ratio is presently 34.39%.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. It operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.

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The decision by the Department for Communities (DfC) to re-appoint Capita to carry out assessments for Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been slammed by local anti-poverty campaigner, Sinead Quinn.

Capita will also carry out assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC).

Ms Quinn, who is herself chronically ill and disabled, said it was absolutely despicable Capita had been awarded a further social security contract in the North.

She added: This is a disgraceful decision coming as it has in the wake of the June 2021 Own Initiative Report by the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman (NIPSO) into PIP, which highlighted systematic maladministration in Capitas approach to PIP assessments.

At that time we were promised by DfC minister, Deirdre Hargey, the assessments would be brought in-house.

However, Capitas contract has been renewed for PIP assessments and, in addition, it will now be carrying out assessments for ESA, UC, and Child DLA. This is disgusting.

PIP claimants, adults with disabilities, already live in exceptional fear and stress when it comes to undergoing Capita assessments. In most cases, these take place every three years so people like myself can have a breather in between each reassessment. However, in addition, we will now have Capita assessing us for UC and ESA to see how fit we are for work, said Sinead.

According to Sinead, fitness to work assessments currently take place regularly on an annual basis.

The thought of having to run the Capita gauntlet every year, and twice in a PIP year, genuinely makes me feel sick, said Sinead. Just thinking about it has already increased my stress levels.

Sinead, the former spokesperson for the now dissolved Derry Against Fuel Poverty campaign said private companies should not be enabled to profit off the misery of sick and disabled people.

She added: Over assessing people who are chronically ill and disabled is a waste of taxpayer money.

This cruel Tory government knows no bounds. Capita will be filling its boots and terrorising the vulnerable at the same time. For this government, it kills two birds with one stone.

For us, it is horrific. The impact on the mental health of claimants will be huge and so far, we have not heard one word of opposition from any of our elected representatives, said Sinead.

Sinead said it was astonishing local politicians were completely ignoring the comprehensive and damning indictment of Capita published recently by the Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) group.

PPR was founded in 2006 in Belfast and Dublin, by revered trade unionist, Inez McCormack.

Sinead added: In the PPR report, author Chloe Trew quoted Mary McManus, the former director of East Belfast Independent Advice Centre; the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and the Right to Work Right to Welfare Group, in relation to assessments carried out by Capita.

Ms McManus said it was not uncommon for people to be awarded zero points at their DfC / Capita assessment, only to have an independent tribunal panel award them enough points to qualify for the highest rate of the benefit at the tribunal hearing.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also concluded that the needs, views and personal histories of persons with disabilities were not taken into account or given appropriate weight [by Capita] in the decisions affecting them.

Finally, the Right to Work Right to Welfare Group found that Capitas processes resulted in worse mental health, increased poverty and a lack of due process among people making claims. When can we expect to hear any objections from our politicians to the fact Capita is now carrying out assessments for Child Disability Living Allowance here? said Sinead Quinn.

In relation to the Ombudsmans report, Own Initiative Report, which was followed up in May 2023, a spokesperson for the Department for Communities told Derry News: The Department is fully committed to continuing to improve service delivery, including support for claimants.

The recent NIPSO follow-up report acknowledged the considerable action undertaken by the Department to implement its recommendations.

We remain focused on driving forward positive change for our customers, working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and all our stakeholders.

The Department of Work and Pensions referred Derry News to the Health Transformation Programme update given on May 25, 2023, by British Minister for State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove.

Speaking on the outcome of the procurement of new health and disability benefit assessment contracts  the Functional Assessment Services contracts  for the period 2024 to 2029, Mr Pursglove said: These important new contracts have been subject to a rigorous and competitive process in line with public contract regulations.

This represents a positive step forward in delivering our ambitions for disabled people and people with health conditions. It shows that this Government is committed to delivering a more effective health and disability system for people now and in the future.

The Department added that it had conducted an open and transparent procurement under the Public Contract Regulations and in line with Government policies.

[And] an evaluation process was undertaken, which evaluated bids based on a combination of quality and pricing to achieve the most economically advantageous tender for each geographical area.
A Derry City and Strabane District councillor has "blasted" Tory Government legislation currently going through Westminster, which is aimed at stopping local authorities from implementing boycotts of Israel.

Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) said: "The controversial legislation known as the Economic Activity of Public Bodies Overseas Bill would make it illegal for councils, universities and public bodies to implement their own policy in regards to solidarity boycotts."

Derry City and Strabane District Council has been sent notification of the British government's intent to move this legislation forward.

The Council has had a policy of supporting boycotting Israel since September 2016, with the position reaffirmed on a number of occasions since then.

Cllr Harkin added: "The new Tory Bill would criminalise the position overwhelmingly supported in Council.

"This is an outrageous piece of legislation. I am proud to serve on a Council with a clear Anti-Apartheid position.

"Derry leads the way in the fight for Civil Rights. The Tory Government will not take away our right to show solidarity with oppressed people. They won't criminalise Palestine solidarity. They won't criminalise our Council."

Critics of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement have claimed that it is anti-semitic.

Cllr Harkin refuted these claims, saying: "Thirty-nine Jewish groups from across the world have signed up to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. This includes Israeli Human Rights organisations.

"BDS is a peaceful movement, one which is inspired by the boycott of Apartheid South Africa.

"BDS is an anti-racist, worldwide movement to give voice to the oppressed and bring about peaceful change in Israel and Palestine. The Tories want to ban BDS because it is growing.

"The truth about Isreal's daily war crimes against the Palestinian people and the complicity of the British, US and EU governments can't and won't be contained."

People Before Profit pledged to fight to maintain Derry and Strabane Council's support for BDS.

Cllr Harkin said: "We will fight hard against any attempts to curtail peaceful protest and solidarity movements.

"The settler pogroms of the last few weeks, cheered on by the most extreme right wing government Israel has ever had, shows why we need BDS more than ever.

"The events in Jenin Refugee Camp should be a catalyst for a stepping up of boycott activities.

"As a party PBP support boycotting Israel and we ask the people of Derry and beyond to do the same."

"We send our full solidarity to the people of Palestine at this time."
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called on social media companies to do more after one of his MPs was subjected to appalling abuse.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart was targeted after she appeared on the BBCs Sunday Politics programme.

The abuse was also condemned by UUP leader Doug Beattie as appalling, and he urged Twitter to deal with anonymous troll and hate accounts.

The abuse levelled at @carlalockhart is appalling. Some of these anonymous trolls and hate accounts really do need to be dealt with by @Twitter https://t.co/2wZTUCJkls  Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) July 10, 2023

Ms Lockhart issued a tweet earlier where she accused those targeting her as having lost their argument.

Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me, she said.

Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you do down that route, youve lost your argument, and I will still be here.

Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me. Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you do down that route, youve lost your argument, and I will still be here.  Carla Lockhart MP (@carlalockhart) July 10, 2023

Sir Jeffrey said Ms Lockhart had recently been through a difficult time following a family bereavement.

Shes only getting back into the full swing of work again, and to receive the level of abuse that Carla received over the weekend is utterly appalling, he told BBC Radio Ulster.

I would say to those, particularly Irish Republicans who seem to target female unionist public representatives, there is a pattern here, a very clear pattern that we have observed and monitored.

I would say to them, if you want to have respect for your argument and your point of view and your aspirations, then it is time to stop disrespecting unionists and particularly female unionist representatives who you target in the most cowardly and defensive way.

It is wrong, it should stop and frankly social media and Twitter in particular should do more to protect people who are doing their job, trying to represent the community and subject to the most vile abuse at times online.
Tanaiste hosts annual gathering of Diplomatic Corps

Press release

The Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin TD, welcomed over 90 members of the diplomatic corps to Dublin Castle this afternoon (Monday). The annual gathering takes place on the occasion of the National Day of Commemoration, the State ceremony which the diplomatic corps also attends. This year the ceremony took place in Collins Barracks, Cork on Sunday 9 July. The gathering in Dublin Castle is an opportunity for Ambassadors to meet the Tanaiste and for him to address them on key foreign policy priorities.

The Tanaiste took the opportunity to speak to assembled Ambassadors and Heads of International Organisations about Irelands current foreign policy priorities including Irelands unequivocal and steadfast support for the people and Government of Ukraine and our commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

In advance of his visit to South Africa and Mozambique next week, the Tanaiste spoke in detail about Irelands close relationship with Africa, the importance of Africa in Europes future and how the development of Europe and the development of Africa will be linked, inextricably, in that shared future.

The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Archbishop Montemayor, the Apostolic Nuncio, delivered remarks in response, on behalf of the diplomatic corps, ending with a toast to the President and People of Ireland.

The Tanaiste said: I am very pleased to have this opportunity today to meet with over 90 Ambassadors, Charges daffaires and Heads of International Organisations. This is an important opportunity to highlight a number of foreign policy priorities and to meet representatives from a wide range of States and International Organisations accredited to Ireland.

This annual occasion, which follows the National Day of Commemoration, is an opportunity to invite Ambassadors and Heads of International Organisations, including non-resident Ambassadors based outside Ireland, to share this national commemorative moment with us.

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India roundup: HPE to make servers in India

As India's semiconductor ecosystem is growing, Microchip announced fresh investments in India to expand its operations. HPE will partner with India-based VVDN to make high-end servers in India.

Microchip to invest US$300 million in India

According to Business Today, US-based Microchip Technology announced an investment of US$300 million in India to expand the existing R&D center and engineering labs in India and acquire talents as India's semiconductor ecosystem is growing.

HPE to make servers in India

Mint reported that HPE signed an MoU with India-based VVDN Technologies to produce about US$1 billion of high-end servers in VVDN's plant in Manesar, Haryana, as India's demand for servers has been growing with digitalization in recent years and India renewed its efforts to encourage local manufacturing of PCs and servers.

Reliance Jio launches US$12 feature phone to speed up India's 4G transition

The Economic Times reported that Reliance Jio launched a 4G-enabled Jio Bharat that cost INR999 (US$12) and comes with a bundled monthly plan of 14GB of data and unlimited voice calls with a monthly plan of INR123. Reliance aims to help 250 million mobile 2G users to upgrade to its 4G services.

ICEA urges tariffs reduction to increase competitiveness for India's exported mobile phones

Mint reported that according to a study by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association, India imposed the highest tariffs on electronics components among major electronics exporters, including Vietnam and China. The industry body urges the rationalization of import duties to mitigate disadvantages compared with other exporting countries.

Adani to raise US$1.5 billion for green business

Reuters reported that Adani Green Energy announced a plan to raise funds of up to INR123 billion (US$1.49 billion) through qualified institutional placement (QIP) o expand its green business, adding that the actual amount to be raised will be subject to regulatory and statutory approvals.

India looking to export green hydrogen to Asia and Europe

Reuters quoted sources saying that India had begun talking with the EU and Singapore to supply green hydrogen, with the EU likely receiving 10 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen every year. India launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aiming to build capacities to produce at least 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.
No quick fix for northern Vietnam's power shortage, says DIGITIMES Research

Despite being one of the primary beneficiaries of global supply chain relocation, Vietnam's electricity shortage has become acute amid the rising demand and supply crunch. DIGITIMES Research analyst Yen Chou said there would be no quick fix for the intense heat waves and imbalance between electricity supply and demand, which may become an issue on Vietnam's way to becoming the rising global production hub.

During the past months, the power grid of northern Vietnam, where many global electronics manufacturers are located, faced significant pressure due to scorching summer heat and dwindling water levels in hydropower reservoirs. This strain has led Vietnam's local governments to impose power consumption restrictions on thousands of factories.

DIGITIMES Research Yen Chou said that there are factors that led to Vietnam's power supply shortage. First, compared with other regions of Vietnam, northern Vietnam relies more on hydropower, which accounted for nearly 50% of its power demand in June when the less-than-average rainfall had significantly reduced the capacity of hydropower plants in the region, and some, such as Son La Ban Chat, Thac Ba, Hua Na, and Huong Son, even stopped working as the water level was too low.

Meanwhile, Vietnam's aging thermal power facilities, which supply nearly half of northern Vietnam's power, suffered from poor heat dissipation, resulting in an inability to achieve their planned power generation capacity during high temperatures, including Pha Lai 1, S6 Pha Lai 2, S2 Cam Pha, S2 Mao Khe, and S1 Quang Ninh.

Chou said that Vietnam's renewable energy generation capacity is insufficient to compensate for the gaps in thermal and hydro power generation, and it is mostly located in other regions, like central Vietnam.

Part of the power demand of northern Vietnam can be met with imports from China and Laos, but except for a single 110kV transmission line that connects Quang Ninh in Vietnam and Fangchenggang in China, which has been in place since 2021, there is not enough energy delivered to meet the surging demand in Vietnam. It will take years for other transmission lines between Vietnam and neighboring countries to be set up.

Vietnam is eyeing building a 500kV transmission line to connect the grids of energy-deficit northern and energy-surplus central Vietnam as the latter hosts much fewer power-intensive factories. Still, the huge expense will require the government of Vietnam to allocate its financial resources over several years to complete it, said Chou.

Meanwhile, rising electricity demand also worsened matters amid an electricity supply shortage. Chou quoted official data saying that the electricity consumption in northern Vietnam rose 11-12% annually in 2022 while the electricity supply grew by only 5% for the same period, especially when EMS providers, such as Foxconn, Inventec, and Quanta, are expanding their production capacities in the region.

According to Chou, some newly-established manufacturing plants have power generators installed in their facilities, while it would be difficult for those without installing their generators and therefore are required by local authorities to reduce power consumption, such as Samsung Electronics. Still, Chou added that it is not sustainable as relying on diesel generators to meet the power demand may increase the electricity cost by more than 200%.

Source: DIGITIMES Research, July 2023

About the analyst

Yen Chou received a master's degree from the Graduate Program for Political Economy at National Cheng Kung University. He worked as an assistant researcher at the Institute for Physical Planning and Information and as an analyst at DIGITIMES Research. His research focuses on Samsung's global investment and operation, the electronics industry in Vietnam, and the display industry in South Korea.
TCS signs 840 million fresh contract with UK pension scheme Nest

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has extended its partnership with Nest, the UKs largest workplace pension scheme, with a fresh, 840 million, contract for digitally transforming Nests scheme administration services and delivering enhanced member experiences.

TCS will use its digital-first platform, powered by BaNCSTM, to transform Nests scheme administration enabling it to offer a personalised experience. For this, TCS will deploy a future-ready, digitally permitted, omnichannel platform powered by TCS BaNCS.

The contract was signed for an initial tenure of 10 years. The aggregated maximum estimated value of the contract, of its 18-year term, will be 1.5 billion.

"We wish to inform that the contract value was signed for 840 ($1.1 billion) million with an initial tenure of 10 years. The total maximum estimated value of the contract, if extended to the entirety of its eighteen-year tenure, will be 1.5 billion," TCS stated in a release.

Nest and TCS have been working closely since 2011 when the digital, auto-enrolment pension scheme was first launched.

TCS, which was responsible for end-to-end administration services across all aspects of the scheme, built a greenfield operation with a user-friendly, multi-channel, self-serve model, and a robust core that easily scaled as Nest became the provider for millions of workers saving for their retirements.

"The purpose-driven partnership between Nest and TCS resulted in an immensely successful pension plan for the UK workforce, that is now a global benchmark on how an innovative, user-friendly, auto-enrolment pension scheme should be run," Vivekanand Ramgopal, president, of BFSI Products & Platforms, TCS, said,

"We are delighted to further expand this long-standing partnership with Nest and support them in pushing the boundaries in offering compelling omnichannel member experiences to the new generation of workers entering the workplace. We are looking forward to leveraging our contextual knowledge, technology expertise, and proven platform to help Nest realise our shared vision for the future," he added.

This will enable Nests 12 million members and 1 million employers to access the right information at the right time, in the way that suits them best.

The interests of our members are always our top priority and drive every decision we make and were rightly ambitious about what we can achieve for them. Im confident that our partnership with TCS will enable us to develop our world-class service to further support millions to enjoy a better retirement," Gavin Perera-Betts, chief customer officer, Nest said.

TCS had reported a 14.8 per cent year-on-year increase in combined net profit of Rs11,392 crore for FY22-23. The IT services major reported a profit of Rs10,846 crore in the December 2022 quarter.

Consolidated revenue from operations rose 16.9 per cent to Rs59,162 crore, from Rs50,591 crore in the previous quarter. It stood at Rs58,229 crore in December FY23.

In constant currency (cc) terms, the revenue rose 10.7 per cent YoY.
Thomson Reuters to acquire legal AI firm Casetext for $650 mln

News and information giant Thomson Reuters has agreed to acquire Casetext, a legal startup with an artificial intelligence-powered assistant for law professionals, in a $650 million all-cash deal.

Reports had earlier cited Thomson Reuters' chief financial office er, Michael Eastwood, as saying that the company planned to spend about $100 million a year to invest in artificial intelligence (AI). This, according to him, was in excess of the news and information company's 2023-25 merger and acquisition budget of about $10 billion.

One of Casetext's key products is CoCounsel had, early this year, launched an AI legal assistant, powered by GPT-4 that delivers document review, legal research memos, deposition preparation, and contract analysis in minutes, Thomson Reuters said in a statement.

Casetext was granted early access to OpenAI's GPT-4 large language model, allowing it to develop solutions with the new technology and refine use cases for legal professional, it added.

California-based Casetext employs 104 employees, and its customers include more than 10,000 law firms and corporate legal departments.

The acquisition of Casetext is another step towards bringing generative AI solutions to customers, said Steve Hasker, president and CEO of Thomson Reuters.

Our bleeding-edge AI expertise plus Thomson Reuters industry-leading content, reach, and customer relationships will deliver unmatched customer experiences, says a CaseText release.

Were excited about this deal precisely because we wont be exiting. Quite the opposite. Our entire team will join Thomson Reuters, together accelerating the revolution in legal tech. Well be able to realise much sooner all the potential we see for our AI legal assistant, CoCounsel, whose resounding success has brought us to this point. Most important, well advance more quickly and completely toward fulfilling our vision of using the power of AI to help more attorneys do more and better work for more clientsthe key to increasing access to justice for everyone, the release added.

Generative AI can be used to generate new content or data in response to a prompt, or question.

The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2023, subject to specified regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
RBI eyes global currency role for rupee

Months after opening rupee trade with a host of countries in the Middle East and the neighbourhoods, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is weighing the rupees transformation into an international currency.

Indias central bank is currently evaluating a report prepared by an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) formed to examine the internationalisation of the Indian rupee. The IDG has prepared a road map for globalisation of the rupee.

Over the short term, the IDG has recommended the designing of a template and adopting a standardised approach for examining the proposals on bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements for invoicing, settlement and payment in Indian rupee and other local currencies.

The authorities, says the IDG, should make efforts to enable rupee as an additional settlement currency in existing multilateral mechanisms such as the ACU.

There should be a local currency settlement (LCS) framework for bilateral transactions in local currencies and operationalising bilateral swap arrangements with the counterpart countries in local currencies.

Besides, encouraging opening of rupee accounts for non-residents (other than nostro accounts of overseas banks) both in India and outside India, there should be an integration of Indian payment systems with other countries for cross-border transactions.

Financial markets must be strengthened by fostering a global 24x5 rupee market and promoting India as the hub for rupee transactions and price discovery.

Facilitating launch of BIS Investment Pools (BISIP) in rupee and inclusion of G-Secs in global bond indices would help widen the market.

Besides, according to the IDG, the FPI regime needs to be recalibrated by rationalising/harmonising the extant Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines. The government should also provide equitable incentives to exporters for rupee trade settlement.

Over the medium-term, the IDG has recommended:

A review of taxes on Masala bonds;

International use of Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) for cross border trade transactions and inclusion of rupee as a direct settlement currency in the Continuous Linked Settlement (CLS) system;

Examination of taxation issues in financial markets to harmonise tax regimes of India and other financial centres; and

Allowing banking services in rupee outside India through off-shore branches of Indian banks.

Finally, the IDG feels that over the long term, India will achieve higher level of trade linkages with other countries and improved macro-economic parameters, and the rupee may ascend to a level where it would be widely used and preferred by other economies as a vehicle currency. Thus, the IDG recommends that in the long run, efforts should be made for inclusion of rupee in IMFs SDR basket.

In preparing the report, IDG has noted the progress made by Indias external sector in the last three decades, after the economic liberalisation reforms were set in motion. Over the years, linkages of the Indian economy with the rest of the world in terms of trade and capital flows have increased.

In the last decade, Indias foreign exchange reserves have grown from $290.5 billion in August 2012 to $560.4 billion in August 2022. During the decade, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into the country has also increased from $46.6 billion to $84.8 billion; imports have increased from $489.3 billion to $612.6 billion, and exports have grown from $306.0 billion to $421.9 billion.

Meanwhile, the international monetary and financial system also witnessed a steady decrease in the share of the US dollar in foreign exchange reserves of countries and the increasing usage of other currencies in trade invoicing and settlement. Simultaneously, the global financial system became more multipolar as reflected in the emergence of various bilateral and regional economic cooperation agreements. This, along with recent geopolitical developments, has set the stage for the emergence of various other currencies, including the rupee, as prospective currencies for use in international transactions.

The IDG has suggested a timeframe for the implementation of the various recommendations based on the institutional capacity, preparedness and priority of macro-economic supporting conditions.

The IDG views internationalisation of the rupee as a continuous process involving progressive capital account convertibility, wherein, the domestic currency increasingly acquires the character of a de facto freely convertible currency for international financial transactions. The size of an economy combined with the scale of external trade has a direct bearing on internationalisation of its currency. The IDG feels that rupee has the potential to become an internationalised currency as India is one of the fastest growing countries and has shown remarkable resilience even in the face of major headwinds. Further, India has made appreciable progress in terms of capital account convertibility, global value chain integration, setting up of GIFT city, etc. The higher usage of rupee in invoicing and settlement of international trade, as well as in capital account transactions, will give rupee a progressively international presence.

The IDG also reviewed the rise in prominence of the Chinese Yuan as an international currency (CNY as part of the IMF, SDR basket, composition of CNY in the foreign exchange reserves of various nations, etc), in spite of China retaining capital controls in many areas. Chinas export-oriented manufacturing sector provides the basis for internationalisation of the Renminbi and this is supplemented by arrangements with partner countries.

The IDG notes that bilateral currency swaps can play an important role in promoting the use of rupee for settling foreign trade, thereby achieving internationalisation of the currency. Local Currency Settlement (LCS) frameworks also facilitate wider use of local currencies in current and capital account transactions thereby facilitating the ease of doing business and reducing dependence on hard currencies, it adds.

The internationalisation of a currency is also closely interlinked with the nations economic progress especially its prominence in global trade. The measures for promoting internationalisation of the rupee would involve steps towards parallelly liberalising the capital account, promoting international usage of the rupee, and strengthening financial markets.
The issue of cross border workers and the need for a whole of government approach to tackle the issues they are facing has been raised in Leinster House by Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu who highlighted the problems to both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys last week.

During an oral question to Minister Humphreys, the Sinn Fein TD asked:

Will the Minister outline the engagement her Department has had with other Government agencies and Departments on the problems being faced by workers who live in the North but work in companies based in the South and who may wish to work from home or engage in remote working?

The example I use is PayPal, which closed its premises.

Its employees who live in the North had to be transferred to PayPal UK although they had availed of benefits in the South and all the rest of it.

Minister Humphreys said her Department co-operates with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland on the Cross Border Partnership Employment Services, CBPES, which provides information to workers and jobseekers on both sides of the Border.

She said: As policy responsibility for the wider issues referred to by the Deputy are not within the remit of my Department, this matter is not being considered by it for budget 2024.

Responding, Deputy O Murchu said:

In fairness to the Minister, she is not the only member of the Government I have put this question to.

I raised it with the Taoiseach earlier this week, and not for the first time.

This issue needs to be taken to Cabinet level and addressed.

I accept it is beyond the Minister's remit but there is a need for HMRC and Revenue to have fully-fledged conversations on providing a solution.

I used the PayPal example because those employees had no choice.

They had to be moved. I ask the Minister and other Cabinet members to come up with some sort of proposal on this.

It will need some sort of an agreement with the British Government.

That may be more possible now than it was previously. I would like it to be dealt with at Cabinet level.

Minister Humphreys said a new EU voluntary framework agreement for teleworking has been drafted, which EU member states can voluntarily sign up to, allows teleworking rates to increase from 25% to 50% without having to change where a person's social security contributions are paid.

She said:

The UK has indicated that it is not going to sign this agreement and so it will not apply to those working along the Border.

My officials are consulting with other Departments on whether Ireland should sign up. However, even if Ireland does, it will not apply where the other state is a non-signatory.

Deputy O Murchu said: At a governmental level, there has to be an intervention and an interaction with the British Government.

It is a very small island so we should be able to facilitate it.
An Tain Arts Centre will be supporting another group of artists with their Creative Residency Award. This year the recipients are writer Una McKevitt, musician and songwriter Mark Corcoran, writer Radhika Iyer, musician Emer Kenny and the Emerging Visual Artist in Residence is Riley Waite.

Una McKevitt, Writer in Residence from April to June 2023, has worked as a director with Irish comedy heavy weights such as Maeve Higgins, PJ Gallagher & Joanne McNally. Currently she is directing the 2023 Ireland and UK podcast tour My Therapist Ghosted Me with Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally. In 2022 Una was the Co. Louth participant of Platform 31, a nationwide artist scheme by the 31 Local Authority Arts Offices, in collaboration with The Arts Council of Ireland.

Mark Corcoran, Songwriter in Residence from April to July 2023, has contributed to the cultural life of Dundalk through establishing the peoples collective called Culture Club, which begat Sea Legs Open Mic, historical talks and mini festivals, book clubs, social gatherings, and pop-cultural walking tours of Dundalk for An Tain Arts Centre amongst other things. For this residency he is writing a new music project and collaboration with musicians around the world that will culminate in an album release in 2024, working title Undecided and Unleaving.

Radhika Iyer, Writer in Residence from July to September 2023, writes short stories and creative non-fiction exploring the female struggle in different cultures. Her pieces have been featured on RTE Radio 1 and one was nominated for the IMRO Ireland Best Short feature award in 2020. Radhika received the The Arts Council of Ireland on Agility Award in September 2022.

Riley Waite, Emerging Visual Artist in Residence from July to September 2023, was raised in Dundalk, and currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon, USA. He graduated in 2019 from Fine Art Drawing and Painting at the California State University, Long Beach. Riley focuses on narrative based figure painting and formal investigations centred around life in Ireland and California. Riley will be in residence in the space adjacent to the Basement Gallery during his residency and will exhibit a work in progress exhibition for the month of September.

An Tain Arts Centres residency programme supports creative practitioners from every art form and artistic discipline by providing space, time and financial resources for them to develop their practice.

It is a professional development opportunity that serves to support the artist, which is a key part of An Tain Arts Centres mission.

Paul Hayes Director of An Tain Arts Centre says:

This years group of artists in residence feature emerging, mid-career and fully established artists. We are really excited to have them working with us and to be able to support artists in this way by giving them the space and time that they require to develop their practice.

Follow all the residencies progress on social media using the hashtag #antainartists
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CORK has recorded its first ever outbreak of the deadly crayfish plague on the River Blackwater and the detection of crayfish plague causative agent in the River Awbeg and Spa Glen Stream.

The worrying situation is being monitored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the Marine Institute and independent ecologists.

Crayfish plague was first discovered in Ireland in 2015 in Cavan, and has spread to several other rivers across the country. In response to the outbreaks of crayfish plague, a National Crayfish Surveillance Programme was established in 2018 as a Memorandum of Understanding between NPWS and the Marine Institute.

This programme uses environmental DNA (eDNA), a novel, non-invasive method of detection of the DNA of crayfish and the disease from water samples. It monitors the spread and persistence of crayfish plague throughout Ireland and the distribution of the white-clawed crayfish.

The white-clawed crayfish is a globally threatened species with Ireland holding one of the largest surviving populations. The plague is devastating and causes 100 percent mortality of white clawed crayfish. Given the experience of outbreaks elsewhere, a total kill of the crayfish population is expected which will have major consequences for the ecology of the Blackwater, Awbeg and the whole of Munster Blackwater catchment.

There is no indication of how crayfish plague reached the catchment but the disease is easily transmitted in water or via contaminated equipment such as kayaks, waders or nets. It is completely harmless to people, pets, livestock and all other freshwater organisms.

This outbreak is of great concern as it is within the Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which contains an internationally important population of white clawed crayfish.

The Blackwater catchment is popular with anglers, kayakers and other recreational users. NPWS and IFI are urging all users of any river to implement Check, Clean and Dry protocol which involves routine checking, cleaning and drying of equipment after leaving a river and before entering another waterbody.

Cleaning everything that has been in contact with the water using hot water (above 45oC) or a high pressure spray if possible followed by a drying period where all equipment and wet gear is dry for at least 48 hours, should be adopted as standard practice in all freshwaters. Disinfect everything if complete drying is not possible.

Containment of the outbreak is essential to prevent spread to other as yet unaffected populations in Ireland. If the plague continues to spread, there is a high probability that white clawed crayfish will become extinct from most rivers in Ireland.

White-clawed crayfish is the only native freshwater crayfish species found in Ireland and is present in lakes, rivers and streams over much of the island. Throughout its European range, this species has been decimated by the impact of crayfish plague which spread to Europe with the introduction of North American species of crayfish, especially Signal Crayfish.

Many American crayfish species are resistant to crayfish plague, but can act as carriers of the disease which is rapidly fatal when passed to the white clawed crayfish. To date there has been no record of American crayfish species in Ireland, suggesting that the spread of the crayfish plague is solely due to human activities and lack of biosecurity.

White-clawed crayfish are protected under Irish Law and the EU Habitats Directive. It is illegal to introduce any non-native species of crayfish to Ireland.

The combined impact of the introduced crayfish species (which may out-compete the smaller native crayfish) and crayfish plague have completely eliminated the white clawed crayfish from much of its European range. Ireland is the last stronghold of the species.
EXTRA measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of motorists this morning as the team behind the Dunkettle Interchange project face one of their biggest challenges to date.

While yesterday saw the opening of six new link roads, courtesy of a 215m Dunkettle Interchange overhaul, engineers stress that today will serve as the real test of endurance.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) Senior Engineering Inspector Jim McCarthy was speaking as they prepared for the influx of drivers travelling to work this morning.

The bigger pieces of the puzzle have now been put in place, Mr McCarthy said.

Inevitably there will be a settling in period as people get used to the lay out. However, the project team will be monitoring traffic with traffic cameras as well as people on site to keep an eye on the new routes.

He advised motorists to exercise caution and added:

Well be ready to intervene and come to the assistance of anybody who needs any help. If breakdowns or incidences occur tow trucks will be available. The aim is to get to people as quickly as possible if there are any incidents. If any issues come to light in the initial days, we can make the tweaks that are required as early and quickly as possible.

He offered an update on the progress so far.

All is going smoothly so far but this morning, when people are travelling to work, is going to be a real test. Six new link roads were opened before 9am yesterday morning and the traffic signals are off. All has gone to plan and traffic has moved well so far all day which is great.

He said that one set of traffic lights are still in place for the purpose of construction workers crossing.

There is a one set of traffic light so on the northern side of the interchange. These are to provide a safe crossing point for construction workers.  Mr McCarthy said they will be doing their best to minimise delays.

A couple of the new routes are temporary, he explained. Traffic coming from the east from the N25 midleton direction that wants to go north on the M8 towards Dublin will temporarily be diverted to the Tivoli roundabout at the end of the lower Glanmire road.

"This will be a temporary inconvenience as the last few pieces of the puzzle are put in place. We will be monitoring those traffic signals in particular to minimise any delays at the Tivoli roundabout. He said the completion date for the project is on track for February 2024.

The only date we can give for its full completion is February 2024. We are on track for that and are happy with the progress to date. There will be further link openings before the end of the year but this is the biggest number of links that we have opened at one time.

Model of the Dunkettle interchange road , looking east to west at the Little Island flyover showing the red parts which opened over the weekend. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A total of six new link roads made possible by the 215m overhaul were opened to traffic with the remaining sets off traffic lights switched off in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday) morning. Up to 110,000 vehicles pass through the junction on a daily basis.

The roads opened just within hours of each other including a new free-flow link for motorists on the N40 South Ring Rd. This will see around 6000 vehicles travel through the tunnel northbound to head for Cork City on a daily basis.

DECEMBER

Fianna Fail TD for Cork North Central Padraig OSullivan welcomed the development. However, he warned that motorists may not experience the full benefits of the overhaul until December.

The fact that a good proportion of it is going to be free flowing now will make a real difference, he said.

Over the last few months in particular its been very difficult for people as there have been lots of causes for delays and congestion. There have also accidents in the tunnel which were beyond developers control.

He said the fact that the development is ahead of schedule is a positive step.

Ive known for a long time now that this was ahead of schedule so its great to see that this is happening six or seven months earlier than what was initially expected. Most of the substantive works will be done by Christmas so this is not a cause for celebration yet, but it is a very positive step.

He accepts that delays and traffic congestion have been difficult for commuters.

 A project of this scale was always going to be problematic. To be fair to Sisks, I think they did a reasonably good job. There were always going to be issues. Thats inevitable with a project of this scale. This development came ahead of schedule. It was also cheaper than it was initially meant to be. This is one of those rare state projects that has gone on time and under budget which is a good thing.

"However, there will be a wait until its properly done and people can see the full effects of this transformation. There are people who have been waiting many years for this and It will remedy a lot of difficulties but the proof will be in the pudding.

Meanwhile, Cork City Northeast councillor, John Maher (Labour) said the project is akin to a jigsaw puzzle that is finally beginning to take shape.

The pieces of the jigsaw have come together after months of uncertainty. It's still going to be new for a lot of people so everyone needs to be cautious. This is a big step in the overall picture to get it together. The tailbacks we have experienced wont be as long as they have been.

"However, I know that as a driver, who uses the route myself, I have to be cautious on approach when navigating it the first couple of times. This is new and its new to everyone.

"We should be cautious every time we drive but particularly in the coming weeks as people familiarise themselves with the new system.

He also described the development as a positive step and added: We are getting there. This is a good step forward its going to be great for Cork. Hopefully, it will be free flowing and allow people to get to where they need to get to on time.
THE Tricolour flew at half-mast over Collins Barracks this afternoon, billowing in the breeze as President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath in honour of all Irish men and women who died in past wars or in service with the United Nations.

It was the first time that the main ceremony of the National Day of Commemoration had been held in Cork, and the President joined Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other dignitaries in a solemn display of remembrance for fallen members of the army, navy, and air corps.

The decision to hold the ceremony in Collins Barracks this year was taken, the Taoiseach said afterwards, to acknowledge Corks proud military history.

Mr Varadkar added that the National Day of Commemoration had an added poignance this year because it came after the death of Private Sean Rooney in Lebanon.

It does remind us that this isnt just about the past; its also about the present, that Irish servicemen, women, and the gardai travel overseas in the cause of peace, in the cause of democracy, in the cause of freedom, and still risk their lives, and sometimes, sadly, get injured and killed and thats why I think it is important that we mark this every year, he said.

Retired servicemen, Des Keegan, Jim Barry and Tommy McCarthy who were based in Fermoy at the annual National day of Commemoration Ceremony that was held at Collins Barracks, Cork: Picture: David Creedon

There were prayers throughout the ceremony, reflecting the many faiths of modern Ireland, and a humanist reflection followed.

Imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa read verses from the Quran and asked Allah to bless our country, Ireland, and the people of Ireland, while Maurice Cohen read out a Jewish prayer and remembered the members of the Defence Forces who had given their lives in the line of duty.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney,TD, Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, TD and Minister for Further & Higher Education, Smon Harris, TD, at the annual National day of Commemoration Ceremony that was held at Collins Barracks, Cork. Picture: David Creedon

The Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin, remembered Pte Rooney, while Fr Viorel Hurjul, representing the Greek Orthodox Church, read from the Book of Matthew.

A fly pass by the Air Corps at the annual National day of Commemoration Ceremony that was held at Collins Barracks, Cork. Picture: David Creedon

The Rev Andrew Robinson represented the Methodist Church, while Rev Canon Dr Daniel Nuzum represented the Church of Ireland.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Right Rev Dr Samuel Mawhinney, gave the closing Christian prayer and there was also a Hindu prayer and a Buddhist prayer.

When President Higgins laid the wreath on behalf of all the people of Ireland, a minutes silence followed, ended by the firing of a cannon, and the Last Post was sounded.

President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins, paid a courtesy visit to the Lord Mayor of Cork. They were greeted by Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, Lord Mayor of Cork and his partner Marcelline Bonneau, the Lady Mayoress and Brian Geaney, Assistant Chief Executive, Cork City Council. The Lord Mayor and President Higgins went on to attend the National Day of Commemoration ceremony in Collins Barracks. Pic: Brian Lougheed

As the national flag was raised to full mast, accompanied by a 30-second drum roll and followed by a reveille, four air corps planes flew past in formation.

The commemoration ceremony concluded with Amhran na bhFiann.
A CORK City Council member has thanked the councils parks division for facilitating his proposal and introducing Corks first friendship bench.

The concept of friendship benches is, in essence, that of a safe space where anyone can sit and discuss difficult issues such as unhappiness, depression, or suicidal thoughts, with a trusted friend.

Sinn Fein councillor Mick Nugent told The Echo he had first read of friendship benches in an article in The Guardian, and he raised the idea at Cork City Council level, and with the HSE.

The concept comes from Zimbabwe,where one in four people suffers with some form of mental illness, but where there are only 15 psychiatrists and 16 psychologists serving a population of 14 million.

Harnessing the traditional respect afforded to African matriarchs, psychiatrist Dr Dixon Chibanda began training grandmothers as lay therapists in psychosocial counselling, teaching them to use established methods of talk therapy.

It was from this training that the concept of the friendship bench grew, and Zimbabwe now has more than 100 friendship benches.

The North-West ward Sinn Fein councillor, who is a long-time member of Shine A Light Suicide and Mental Health Awareness, told The Echo the idea resonated with him and he felt that friendship benches might be something from which the city would benefit.

Following Mr Nugents proposal, Cork City Councils parks division has facilitated a pilot scheme which has seen the introduction of Corks first friendship bench, in Gerry OSullivan Park, Churchfield, with another to follow in the Fair Field.

Joe D'alton (left) with Tom "Golly" Flynn (centre) and Cllr. Mick Nugent of Shine A Light Suicide & Mental Health Awareness at the new friendship bench initiative at Gerry O'Sullivan Park, Churchfield/Gurranabraher, Cork.

We got a bench in Gerry OSullivan Park, and we got it painted purple, the colour of Shine A Light Suicide and Mental Health Awareness, and we have three plaques with key numbers for the Samaritans, Pieta House, the HSEs text support number, and a plaque with Shine A Lights motto, Talking is a sign of strength, not weakness, he said.

Obviously, the bench is there for anyone to use, but its also somewhere that someone can meet a friend or a family member for a chat, or someone might just want a listening ear, or someone might just want a place for themselves and they could meet a passing acquaintance for a chat, or even a stranger.

If you are affected by any issue in this article, please contact Pieta House on 1800-247247 or text HELP to 51444. Samaritans can be contacted 24/7 on freephone 116 123 and email at jo@samaritans.ie. Visit the HSEs www.yourmentalhealth.ie or call 1800-111888.
ELEANOR Siochru, originally from Ballydaly raised over 3000 by climbing Kilimanjaro for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI).

Eleanor now lives in Kerry and climbed Africas highest mountain as part of a climbing group in memory of her husbands grandmother, Gretta.

It was an honour to take on the challenge in memory of someone who made such an impact on our family. I want to thank everyone who donated to me, in support of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. It brings me great joy to raise funds for people living with dementia in Kerry.

The ASI will honour Ms Siochru with a cheque presentation at The Rosemary Day Care Centre, Balloonagh, Tralee, on July 13 at 4.30 pm.

An estimated 7,509 people live with dementia in Cork, and 64,000 people live with Dementia in Ireland which will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045.

The ASI also hosts its Annual Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday, September 24, nationwide.

Please see memorywalk.ie for more information.
CORK citys new bridge over the N40 has been officially named Vernon Mount Bridge following a vote at yesterday evenings meeting of Cork City Council.

Earlier this year, the local authority sought nominations for the naming of the new 4m wide bridge, which, when opened, will provide a new pedestrian and cycle link to Tramore Valley Park.

Over a period of a month, a total of 598 nominations were received from the public through a naming submission process.

A shortlist of six names came before councillors to vote on yesterday.

They were Vernon Mount Bridge, Fuinseog Dubh/Black Ash Bridge, Tramore Valley Bridge, Sanctuary Bridge, Pride/Brod Bridge, and Tobar Bridge.

Councillors first indicated their preference from those six names and a second vote was then held with the two that were identified as the most popular, Vernon Mount Bridge and Fuinseog Dubh/Black Ash Bridge.

Fine Gael councillor Shane OCallaghan was among the councillors to voice support for the name Vernon Mount Bridge, in recognition of Vernon Mount Houses unique, historical, and architectural place.

As someone who lives in Grange, as far as I can see, the overwhelming majority of people in the area  in Grange, in Frankfield, and in Douglas  are in favour of Vernon Mount, said Mr OCallaghan.

This was echoed by Fianna Fail councillor Mary Rose Desmond, who said the proposed name was strongly endorsed by many locals. As someone born and reared in Douglas and living in Douglas all my life, Vernon Mount  and not just the house, the landscape there  has been part of what I grew up with.

The sound of the scrambler bikes was the Sunday morning wakeup call as youd still hear going on.

Commenting after the meeting, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy, paid tribute to the public for getting involved in the naming process. Many thanks to the general public for engaging in the naming process. This process has been used in recent years, for example in the naming of Mary Elmes Bridge.

It is a process that my colleagues and I will continue to use, knowing that it provides the public an opportunity to be involved in shaping the culture and history of the city, he said.

The 63m pedestrian/cycle bridge and the adjoining 1km-long cycle/pathway will provide connectivity between Grange/Frankfield and the southern suburbs.

Funded by the National Transport Authority, the 1km-long pathway will provide a public amenity for local residents through the wooded area south of Grange Rd, allowing direct access across the N40 dual carriageway to Tramore Valley Park via the new pedestrian and cycle-only bridge.

The bridge and pathway are due to be opened to the public in the autumn.
By Jonathan McCambridge and Rebecca Black, PA

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has said he believes the overwhelming majority of unionists oppose the placing of an Irish flag and a picture of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on a loyalist bonfire.

Police are investigating the incident at the bonfire in Co Tyrone at the weekend as a hate crime.

The towering pyre in Moygashel, themed as an anti-Northern Ireland Protocol bonfire, attracted attention online after a boat was placed on the top of it.

By Saturday evening, an Irish tricolour and a republican flag, as well as a picture of Mr Varadkar, had been added on the boat.

Leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson condemned the burning of an Irish flag and a picture of Leo Varadkar on a weekend bonfire (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Donaldson said the actions were wrong, regardless of opinions on the protocol.

I think that what happened in burning the flag of our neighbouring state and burning the poster of Leo Varadkar was wrong, he told RTE.

It is disrespectful. If people want to earn respect and have respect for their own identity and culture then they have got to show respect for others and I dont think that what happened and these things that were burned on the bonfire are right.

I think that is the view of the overwhelming majority of unionists.

Mr Donaldson said: I know there are differing views on the Northern Ireland Protocol and its impact on community relations and on the politics of Northern Ireland, I have spoken myself about that.

I believe that the protocol undermines some of the principles at the heart of the Belfast agreement, but I am working alongside my political colleagues to address and resolve those issues.

We recognise at the end of the day that Northern Ireland prospers when there is political stability.

I think the overwhelming majority of people want to see forward movement. We have got to resolve the issues which are at the heart of the current political situation.

Asked if bonfires should ever have effigies or flags placed upon them, Sir Jeffrey said: Personally, I dont think they should. Perhaps some may in a historical context, but this is not a historical context.

To do things that I believe are disrespectful to others and are not set in a historical context, I think that is wrong.

On the side of the boat on the bonfire, a banner reading Good Friday Agreement? That ship has sailed was attached, with a mock copy of the 1998 accord across which the words null and void were printed.

It was given the title No Irish Sea Border Bonfire, in reference to opposition in unionist and loyalist communities to post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Most of the bonfires to mark Northern Irelands traditional July 12 celebrations will be lit on July 11th.

The Twelfth marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, an act that secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown.

There has been controversy around bonfires in previous years, with election posters and Irish flags hung from the stacks of wood, with some towering more than 100ft high.

The Orange Order held a protest at the 25th anniversary Drumcree parade in Portadown, Co Armagh (Niall Carson/PA)

The DUP leader also rejected suggestions that there was any prospect of violence following an annual protest staged by the Orange Order at Drumcree in Portadown.

The Parades Commission refused permission for the orders return route to proceed along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road, a ruling maintained since 1998.

Orange Order members on Sunday held a short protest at the police lines barring them from the return route.

Mr Donaldson said: We will always work to avoid situations becoming violent, I dont think there is any prospect of that happening in this situation.

No-one is talking about violence in relation to Drumcree and the Orangemen yesterday had their church service, they did so respectfully, they did so peacefully, they are seeking to exercise what they believe is their democratic right to peaceful assembly.




Cermaq advances fourth version of iFarm Project in Norway

Norwegian salmon producer Cermaq has announced its commitment to the fourth version of its iFarm project in Vesteralen, Nordland County, Norway, the same location that previously hosted the second version of the project, Fish Farmer reported.

iFarm is a pioneering concept that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cutting-edge monitoring technology.

Cermaq's deliberate approach to the iFarm project's development process has allowed for valuable experiences and learnings to inform improvements in each subsequent phase. The company aims to test an enhanced version of iFarm during each stage of the project.

Sten Viggo Hansen, Cermaq's operations manager in Vesteralen, said that the fourth version of iFarm incorporates several changes compared to the previous iteration, and he looks forward to observing its operation.

By utilising artificial intelligence and machine learning, Cermaq aims to identify and track each individual fish in a cage, providing personalised follow-up and health records. The iFarm project, which focuses on individual-based aquaculture, is scheduled to span five years.

Cermaq believes that iFarm has the potential to revolutionise fish health and welfare by transitioning from population-based follow-up to individual-based care in aquaculture.

The ongoing project is a collaboration between Cermaq and technology company BioSort. Cermaq has been granted four development licenses for the iFarm initiative.

During the initial version of iFarm, Cermaq and BioSort aimed to gain insights into its impact on fish behavior and basic knowledge about its construction.

The second version focused on exploring alternative sensor housing designs to adapt the operation to the iFarm system. Efforts were made to ensure efficient feeding and handling of fish within the system. The third version is currently underway, with a particular emphasis on fish sensors, data collection, machine learning, and the further development of the fish sorting mechanism.

In the upcoming fourth version of iFarm, the project will prioritise operational and feed factor improvements through machine learning, as well as the performance assessment of equipment in the barn. Additionally, Cermaq and BioSort will test third-generation sorters.

Karl Fredrik Ottem, Cermaq's iFarm project manager, said that the fourth postponement exceeded the initial project plan, which accounted for three postponements and three versions of iFarm. Despite operational challenges related to growth and feed factor, Ottem said that the project remains on track. He underlined the importance of achieving positive outcomes in these areas and the need to acquire more knowledge through the extended timeline.

- Fish Farmer




Irish farmers reminded to keep cattle sufficiently fleshed prior to booking for slaughter

Farmers in Ireland are to ensure their cattle are adequately fleshed before booking them into the factory for slaughter, agriculture news site Agriland stated.

The reminder follows a number of factory procurement staff noting a rise in the number of steers (bullocks) appearing at factory lairages that are grading an O- or below, as well as a rise in the number of steers grading a 2= or below in flesh.

When drafting cattle for finishing, Irish farmers should ensure that cattle have a fat score of a 2+ or above and below a 4+ in flesh to ensure they meet factory carcass specifications.

While climate and emission targets will require farmers to reduce the slaughter age of their cattle, they are expected to be conscious of producing a finished animal that will maximise their returns.

Looking at the official figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), for the week ending July 2, there was a 5% increase in the number of steers grading an O- or below when compared to figures from five weeks ago.

Comparing the same two weeks, the number of underfit steers grading a 2= or below increased by 2.3% indicating that fat scores are a lesser issue than the carcass grades.

The recent moves by factories to reduce beef prices could be one reason for an increased number or these O- grade steers coming out as farmers are keen to sell stock before prices drop further.

- Agriland
It didnt take long for the downsides of a generative AI-empowered newsroom to make themselves obvious, between CNets secret chatbot reviews editor last November and Buzzfeeds subsequent mass layoffs of human staff in favor of AI-generated content creators. The specter of being replaced by a good enough AI looms large in many a journalists mind these days with as many as a third of the nations newsrooms expected to shutter by the middle of the decade.

But AI doesnt have to necessarily be an existential threat to the field. As six research teams showed at NYU Media Labs AI & Local News Initiative demo day in late June, the technology may also be the key to foundationally transforming the way local news is gathered and produced.

Now in its second year, the initiative is tasked with helping local news organizations to harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive success. Its backed as part of a larger $3 million grant from the Knight Foundation which is funding four such programs in total in partnership with the Associated Press, Brown Institutes Local News Lab, NYC Media Lab and the Partnership on AI.

This years cohort included a mix of teams from academia and private industry, coming together over the course of the 12-week development course to build AI applications for local news to empower journalists, support the sustainability of news organizations and provide quality information for local news audiences, NYU Tandons news service reported.

There's value in being able to bring together people who are working on these problems from a lot of different angles, Matt Macvey, Community and Project Lead for the initiative, told Engadget, and that that's what we've tried to facilitate.

It also creates an opportunity because  if these news organizations that are out there doing good work are able to keep communicating their value and maintain trust with their readers, he continued. I think we could get an information ecosystem where a trusted news source becomes even more valued when it becomes easier [for anyone] to make low-quality [AI generated] content.

The six teams include Bangla AI, which is developing a web platform that surfaces and translates relevant news stories into the Bengali language for journalists and New York Citys sizable Bangladeshi immigrant community.

More than 200,000 legal Bangladeshi immigrants live in the United States, half of them in New York City, Bangla team member, MD Ashraful Goni, told reporters during the demo day. Only half of the population are fluent in English, depriving the other half of easy access to the days news through mainstream media outlets like the New York Times or the Associated Press.

Bangla AI will search for information relevant to the people of the Bengali community that has been published in mainstream media  then it will translate for them. So when journalists use Bangla AI, they will see the information in Bengali rather than in English. The system will also generate summaries of mainstream media posts both in English and Bengali, freeing up local journalists to cover more important news than rewriting wire copy.

Similarly, the team from Chequeado, a non-profit organization fighting disinformation in the public discourse showed off the latest developments of its Chequeabot platform, Monitorio. It leverages AI and natural language processing capabilities to streamline fact-checking efforts in Spanish-language media. Its dashboard continually monitors social media in search of trending misinformation and alerts fact checkers so they can blunt the pieces virality.

One of the greatest promises of things like this and Bangla AI, Chequeado team member Marcos Barroso said during the demo, is the ability for this kind of technology to go to an under-resourced newsroom and improve their capacity, and allow them to be more efficient.

The Newsroom AI team from Cornell University hope that their writing assistant platform will help do for journalists what Copilot did for coders  eliminate drudge work. Newsroom can automate a number of common tasks including transcription and information organization, image and headline generation, and SEO implementation. The system will reportedly even write articles in a journalists personal style if fed enough training examples.

On the audio side, New York public radio WNYCs team spent its time developing and prototyping a speech-to-text model that will generate real-time captioning and transcription for its live broadcasts. WNYC is the largest public media station in New York, reaching 2 million visitors monthly through its news website.

Our live broadcast doesn't have a meaningful entry point right now for deaf or hard of hearing audiences, WNYC team member, Sam Guzik, said during the demo. So, we really want to think about as we're looking to the future is, how can we make our audio more accessible to those folks who can't hear?

Utilizing AI to perform the speech-to-text transformation alleviates one of the biggest sticking points of modern closed-captioning: that its expensive and resource-intensive to turn around quickly when you have humans do it. Speech-to-text models are relatively low cost, Guzik continued. They can operate at scale and they support an API driven architecture that would tie into our experiences.

The result is a proof-of-concept audio player for the WNYC website that generates accurate closed captioning of whatever clip is currently being played. The system can go a step further by summarizing the contents of that clip in a few bullet points, simply by clicking a button on the audio player.

This is a meaningful improvement, both for folks who can't hear, Guznik said. But also for folks who are just not in the space where they can listen, and this is a really great tool if you're in a place where you don't have headphones and you want to follow along with whats being said.

On the back end, NOBL Media has developed an ad tech product that, allows programmatic advertisers to reach publishers' content in service of smaller audiences that can be targeted by geography or demography, while the Graham Media Group created an automated natural language text prompter to nudge the comments sections of local news articles closer towards civility.

The comment-bot posts the first comment on stories to guide conversations and hopefully grow participation and drive users deeper into our engagement funnels, GMG team member Dustin Block said during the demo. This solves two significant challenges that human comment moderation faces: preventing the loudest voices from dominating the discussion and providing form and structure to the conversation, he explained.

The bot scans and understands news articles using the GPT 3.5 Turbo API. It generates thought-provoking starters and then it encourages discussions, he continued. It's crafted to be friendly.

Whether the AI revolution remains friendly to the journalists its presumably augmenting remains to be seen, though Macvey isnt worried. Most news organizations, especially local news organizations, are so tight on resources and staff that there's more happening out there than they can cover, he said. So I think tools like AI and [the automations seen during the demo day] enable the journalists and editorial staff more bandwidth.

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Animation is big business for Hulu, as the streamers roster of cartoons regularly rank in the top ten for hours watched on the platform, thanks to shows like Bobs Burgers, Futurama, King of the Hill and many more. Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of adult animation, Hulus launching a sub-brand to house all of its animated and anime-based content, as originally reported by Variety. Animayhem is now the home for legacy content like the above titles and original content like Solar Opposites and Koala Man.

All told, the hub/sub-brand allows access to 2,600 episodes of traditional animated programming, spread across 46 series, and a whopping 18,400 episodes of anime, spread across 435 series. Thats over 20,000 episodes of cartoon goodness, for those keeping count. As such, Hulu is advertising the platform as the streamers Animation Destination.

The surprise-launch of Animayhem comes just two weeks before the latest Futurama reboot, and thats just the start of the streamers plans for animation domination. Hulus ordered new episodes of Mike Judges King of the Hill and it plans on having a heavy presence at this years San Diego Comic-Con, promising an immersive experience called Hulu Animayhem: Into the Second Dimension.

In the meantime, the hubs already available as part of the standard Hulu subscription, so go ahead and binge Archer, Family Guy and all the hundreds upon hundreds of available anime series like One Piece and Naruto.
Massachusetts weighs outright ban on selling user location data It would be the first such law in the nation.

The Massachusetts state legislature is considering a bill that would ban the sale of users phone location data. If passed, the Location Shield Act would be the first such law in the nation as Congress stalls on comprehensive user privacy solutions on a national scale. The states proposed legislation would also require a warrant for law enforcement to access user location data from data brokers.

Today, The Wall Street Journal published a report with numerous details on the proposed legislation, following earlier discussions at the state house (as reported by The Athol Daily News). Of course, the bill wouldnt prevent Massachusetts residents from using their phones location services for things that directly benefit them  like Google Maps navigation, DoorDash deliveries or hailing an Uber. However, it would bar tech companies and data vendors from selling that data to third parties  a practice without any clear consumer benefit.

The Location Shield Act is backed by the ACLU and various progressive and pro-choice groups, who see a greater urgency to block the dissemination of user location in a post-Dobbs world. As red states increasingly criminalize abortion, concerns have grown over the transfer of user data to catch women traveling out of state to undergo the procedure or access medication. In addition, the bills backers raise concerns about national security and digital-stalking implications.

Opposing the legislation is the State Privacy & Security Coalition, a trade association representing the tech industry. The definition of sale is extremely broad, said Andrew Kingman, an association lawyer. He says the group supports heightened protections but would prefer giving consumers the ability to opt-out of sale, as other state laws have done, rather than imposing an outright ban. Of course, making it optional rather than a complete ban would likely be much better for data brokers bottom lines.

Requiring law enforcement to provide a warrant to access user location data could also help curtail the rising trend of law enforcement buying that information commercially. A 2022 ACLU investigation found that the Department of Homeland Security bought over 336,000 data points to essentially bypass the Fourth Amendment requirement for a search warrant. Although the US Supreme Court has said a warrant is usually needed for agencies to access location data from carriers, purchasing the data from private companies has served as a loophole.

The Massachusetts legislative session runs through next year, and the bills backers show optimism that it will pass. I have every reason to be optimistic that something will be happening in this session, MA Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem (D), the bills sponsor, told the WSJ.

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(Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante)

HELSINKI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caverion Corporation Investor news 10 July 2023 at 2.00 p.m. EEST

Caverion to renew Fingrid's power lines in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland - increasing the capacity of the electricity network in the green transition

Caverion has signed a contract for the renewal of power lines with Finland's transmission system operator Fingrid. The project covers the renewal of approximately 27 km of a 110 kV power line between Siikajoki and Liminka in Northern Ostrobothnia. In addition, a new, approximately 10 km long 2 x 110 kV power line will be built. This will result in increased transmission capacity and improved operational reliability for the network.

"Finland's extensive wind power investments demand a large capacity from the national grid. Some of the power lines need to be renewed, and new ones have to be built. In order to strengthen the power line starting from the Siikajoki substation, that section will be renewed with a double-strength power line and the old wooden columns replaced with new steel columns," says Rami Isomaki, Project Manager, Fingrid Oyj.

"As a strong player in the energy sector, Caverion takes part in the construction of electricity generation infrastructure and enables the ongoing energy transition in a multifaceted way. Our power line construction experts continue the close cooperation with Fingrid. We are very happy and proud that our customer is entrusting us with these projects", these projects," says Elina Engman, Head of Caverion Industry division.

The value of the contract is approximately EUR 7 million, and it will be completed by autumn 2024.

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Elina Engman, Head of Caverion Industry division, elina.engman@caverion.com, tel. +358 50 351 4673

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An ex-SAS military adviser and his daughter have launched a new business specialising in improving farm security and personal safety.

Having spent 22 years working in corporate security following 24 years in the military, Mick Hawkes returned to rural Herefordshire where he realised how significant the problem of rural crime was.

The government and the police seem to do very little to help, and rural crime is a financial, physical and mental burden on farmers, he said.

I came back to the UK to help people defeat criminals, teaching personal safety and situational awareness with my daughter Keeley.

"But when I realised the challenges that farmers and rural communities are facing, I decided to see if I could help them with a more practical approach.

Mr Hawkes spent 14 years in the SAS, and as part of his work in Northern Ireland he worked for four years breaking into farm complexes covertly to combat the IRA.

He then returned to Hereford, where he taught military students in the art of Close Target Recces, again, working around farms covertly.

Rural theft across the UK cost an estimated 40.5m in 2021, according to NFU Mutuals most recent figures, with thieves targeting fuel, livestock and machinery.

And the cost increased by over 40% in the first quarter of 2022, with rural crime a worry to 50% of the rural community.

But it's not just farm theft that is a concern for rural residents  the rise in animal rights extremists breaking into farms is also a threat.

Mr Hawkes said training in farm security and situational awareness would help farmers to combat this.

Its about knowing what to look out for, general vigilance, and ensuring your own personal safety, he added.

We can carry out security assessments of vulnerable farms that have been targeted for crime, then recommend cost effective solutions using what they already have, to ensure we keep recommendations realistic.

Mr Hawkes and his daughter also offer personal safety training for farmers, their workers and families.

He said: Keeley trains young people and adults in security, situational awareness and rape prevention, helping them to manage confrontation and keep safe on the streets.

If we can maintain zero security incidents working in the worlds crime hotspots, then we can do the same in here in the UK countryside.
Greta Gerwig has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Greta Gerwig says she has ADHD

The 'Barbie' director opened up about the condition - which can lead to impulsive behaviour and trouble concentrating - in a new interview with the Guardian, revealing she always had a lot of energy as a child but she didn't get diagnosed until she was an adult.

She told the newspaper: "[At school I] had a ton of energy. Now, as an adult, I have ADHD  they diagnosed me. But as a kid, my mum was like: Lets sign her up for every activity. Lets tire her out. Ive always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. I was just interested in, like, everything. I had a really active imagination. I had a lot of really deep feelings. I was emotional."

The 39-year-old actress/director is mum to two kids with her partner and collaborator Noah Baumbach, and she says her eldest son has inherited her love of "high drama".

She explained: "Occasionally hell have these moments of high drama. Hell fall to the floor. He did this the other day. I wasnt able to make him breakfast instantly, because I was feeding my three-month-old, and he fell to the floor, weeping and said: Im having a sorely trying day. Its already a problem'.

"I was like: Oh, such drama'. But also, like: Oh, thats from me'.Thats my level of grandiose."

The couple co-wrote 'Barbie' together, but Noah decided against attending the movie's premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday (09.07.23) to show his support for the ongoing Writers Guild of America strikes which have been running this year as part of a dispute over pay and conditions with studio bosses.

During the glitzy event, Greta gave a not to Noah as well as the striking writers, saying: "My co-writer and co-creator, my partner in love and art, Noah Baumbach is not here. He is passionately supporting the fight of the Writers Guild of America.

"From the first line to the last cut, this movie is his as much as anyones. He is a Barbie girl. Nothing in 'Barbie' happened without him, and nothing in Hollywood happens without writers."
Will Smith has mocked his son Jaden for not having any children yet.

Will Smith suggested to son Jaden he's ready for grandkids

The 'King Richard' actor shared an Instagram post on Saturday (08.07.23) to mark the 'Karate Kid' star's 25th birthday but took the opportunity to suggest it was time for him to become a grandfather.

The 54-year-old star - who has Trey, 30, with ex-wife Sheree Zampino, and Jaden and Willow, 20, with wife Jada Pinkett Smith - shared a black and white photo of him with his arm around his youngest son and wrote: "Happy Birthday, J-Diggy. Its crazy that youre 25?!?! When I was 25 I had a 2 yr. old Im just sayin Whas up? What you doin over there?

"BTW, this is my favorite picture of us (sic)"

Jadas mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, mocked her son-in-law for his post.

She quipped in the comments: "Hes smarter than you [laughing face and winking emojis] (sic)"

The 'Girl's Trip' actress also shared a birthday tribute to her son, which featured him as a baby smiling as she kissed him, and a more recent photo on the red carpet.

She wrote: Happy 25th Birthday my sweet, sweet Jaden!

Jaden recently revealed his mother inspired their family to use psychedelic drugs.

He told the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver: I think it was my mom, actually, that was really the first one to make that step for the family.

It was just her for a really, really long time and then eventually it just trickled and evolved and everybody found it in their own ways.

Jaden didnt specify which psychedelics he was referring to, but said they have helped him form stronger relationships with his sister and his half-brother in a profound way.

He said: Siblings can argue so much and fight so much, and lord knows me and my siblings have done so much of that in the past.

But the level of love and empathy that I can feel for them inside of the (psychedelic) experiences and outside of the experiences has been something thats profound and beautiful.

He added about how drug use has helped them resolve differences: It will actually help us to open up our minds to get out of the old ways of thinking that got us into lots of these arguments and open it up so that it just releases and makes room for you to work it out and massage it out until its completely gone.
The European Union (EU) and New Zealand have signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that is expected to deliver significant economic gains for the EU. The deal is set to slash approximately 140 million annually in duties for EU companies from the first year of application.

The landmark agreement is projected to spur bilateral trade growth by up to 30 per cent within the next decade. EU annual exports could see a potential surge of up to 4.5 billion, and EU investment in New Zealand has the potential to grow by as much as 80 per cent.

The EU and New Zealand have signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that is set to eliminate duties worth 140 million annually for EU companies. This landmark deal could increase bilateral trade by 30 per cent within a decade, potentially growing EU exports by 4.5 billion. EU investment in New Zealand is expected to grow by as much as 80 per cent.

In addition to the considerable financial benefits, the agreement includes sustainability commitments. These include adherence to the Paris Climate Agreement and the reinforcement of core labour rights, reflecting the growing trend of integrating climate and social concerns into international trade deals, the European Commission said in a press release.

With the agreement signed, it has been sent to the European Parliament for approval. Following the ratification process in both the EU and New Zealand, the deal is expected to come into effect.

The FTA is poised to create a wealth of new export opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Among the key features of the deal are the elimination of all tariffs on EU exports to New Zealand, assurance of non-discriminatory treatment for EU investors in New Zealand and vice versa, and improved access for EU companies to New Zealand government procurement contracts.

The agreement also addresses digital trade, providing for easier data flows, transparent digital trade rules, and a secure online environment for consumers. The deal aims to mitigate unjustified data localisation requirements while upholding high standards of personal data protection.

Notably, the agreement contains provisions aimed at aiding small businesses, with a chapter dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The intention is to bolster SME exports, reduce compliance requirements, and expedite the flow of goods.

The deal also includes significant commitments from New Zealand to protect and enforce intellectual property rights in line with EU standards.

New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region, and this free trade agreement will bring us even closer together. With today's signature, we have taken an important step in making the agreement a reality. This modern free trade agreement brings major opportunities for our companies, our farmers and our consumers, on both sides. With unprecedented social and climate commitments, it drives just and green growth while reinforcing Europe's economic security," said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)
Free shuttle ferry service starts today

A free shuttle ferry service will start today (Monday, July 10) between Wagstaffe and Ettalong wharfs, while ferry diversion timetables are in place.

Due to shifting sand bars in the Ettalong Channel, ferry services have been operating to a diversion timetable, with services from Palm Beach currently terminating at Patonga.

A free shuttle bus has been in operation since June 19, linking Ettalong and Patonga wharfs.

The intention to operate a shuttle ferry service was announced at the time.

The shuttle ferry will operate during peak weekday travel times, from 6:15am to 8:45am and from 4pm to 7pm, as well as weekends.

Departure from Wagstaffe wharf to Ettalong wharf will be about 45 minutes before the Palm Beach ferry leaves Patonga.

For passengers travelling from Ettalong to Wagstaffe, the ferry shuttle will leave Ettalong wharf about 35 minutes after the Palm Beach ferry arrives at Patonga.

Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch said: "This shuttle ferry, along with the shuttle bus, is a proactive interim measure for our community's transport needs, as we work towards a comprehensive dredging plan."

She said she was in daily contact with Transport for NSW as they worked to implement short and long-term dredging.

Ms Tesch welcomed the announcement of this ferry, which is the final connection needed to ensure temporary transport continuity during this time.

"The shuttle ferry is another means to assist passengers access the vital public transport route, allowing passengers from Wagstaffe to travel to Ettalong Beach."

More information about the free shuttle bus service and timetable changes is available on the Transport for NSW website, https://transportnsw.info/news/2023/shuttle-bus-temporarily-replacing-ettalong-wagstaffe-ferry-services

More information on the free shuttle ferry service will be provided as it becomes available at transportnsw.info, Ms Tesch said.
Exports of textiles and apparel from the US declined by 3.75 per cent in January-May 2023, reaching $9.907 billion, compared to $10.292 billion in the same period last year, according to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), US department of commerce.

Among the top ten markets, textile and apparel shipments to the Netherlands increased by 23.27 per cent to $206.623 million in the first five months of 2023. Exports also increased to the United Kingdom (14.40 per cent) and Dominican Republic (4.15 per cent). However, shipments to Canada, China, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Japan experienced a decline of up to 35.69 per cent. The US supplied $2,884.033 million worth of textiles and apparel to Mexico during this period, followed by $2,240.976 million to Canada and $559.200 million to Honduras.

Category-wise, apparel exports increased by 4.35 per cent year-on-year to $3,005.094 million, while fabric exports decreased by 4.68 per cent to $3,553.589 million in January-May of this year. The exports of yarn and made-up and miscellaneous articles decreased by 7.67 per cent to $1,760.141 million and 10.71 per cent to $1,588.458 million, respectively, during the same period.

US' textile and apparel exports fell by 3.75 per cent to $9.907 billion from January-May 2023, with declines seen in major markets like Canada, China, and Mexico. In contrast, exports to the Netherlands, UK, and the Dominican Republic increased. Category-wise, apparel exports rose by 4.35 per cent while fabric, yarn, and other exports declined.

US textile and apparel exports increased by 9.77 per cent to $24.866 billion in 2022 compared to $22.652 billion in 2021. In recent years, US textile and clothing exports have remained in the range of $22-25 billion per annum. In 2014, they stood at $24.418 billion, while the figure was $23.622 billion in 2015, $22.124 billion in 2016, $22.671 billion in 2017, $23.467 billion in 2018, and $22.905 billion in 2019. The value dropped to $19.330 billion in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli never shy away from a little PDA on social media platforms. The duo jets off on vacation quite often, and Anushka is active when it comes to giving updates to her fans through her social media accounts.



View this post on Instagram A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma)

The actress posted a reel yesterday where she is seen walking down the streets of London with Virat Kohli and their daughter Vamika in a pram.


Disha Patani Pics: Besides winning hearts with her performances and cute smile, Disha Patani is famous for her sexy appearances. The diva, who enjoys a massive fan following on social media, keeps treating her fans to some hot pics and videos from time to time.

Known for having the perfect toned body in the industry, Disha always sets the internet on fire with her smoking hot photos, and on Monday, the Ek Tha Villain Return actress released selfie photos that have left her fans gasping for air.

Disha Patani sets social media ablaze with bathroom selfies in a leopard bikini

Disha is known for lighting up our mobile screens with her hot photos. Taking to Instagram, the gorgeousness posted some sexy pictures wearing a tiger-printed bikini set. She flaunted her toned midriff and legs, and captioned them, "I lost this swim set.."

She wore a pendant and tied her hair into a bun. However, the actress deleted the mirror selfies a few minutes later. To recall, Disha had worn the same bikini with her ex-boyfriend Tiger Shroff on one of her vacations.

AAFAT! Disha Patani Burns Internet In Low-Cut Bralette, Silver Saree, Flaunts SEXY Curves In Sultry Pics

In June, Disha and Tiger Shroff made headlines when they both attended an event in Delhi together. Tiger's sister, Krishna, had also accompanied them.

Apart from her sexy beach pics and others, Disha keeps her fans engaged on social media with her workout videos and posts, inspiring everyone to hit the gym. These workout videos are proof of her dedication to a healthy lifestyle and fitness, and we know how to attain that hot figure.

Disha Patani on the work front

In terms of work, Disha Patani next has Nag Ashwin's Project K with Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Prabhas, and Yodha with Sidharth Malhotra and Rashi Khanna. She is also making her Tamil debut with Suriya in Suriya 42.

Disha Patani Gets Mobbed By A Massive Crowd Of Fans In Dubai. Checkout The Video!
Dharampatnii News: Following the success of Tejasswi Prakash's Naagin 6, Ekta Kapoor collaborated once again with Colors TV for the show Pyar Ke Saat Vachan Dharampatnii, starring Fahmaan Khan and Kritika Singh Yadav as the main characters Ravi Randhawa and Pratiksha respectively.

Amid high anticipation and buzz, Dharampatnii made its debut on Colors in November of the previous year. While the show was confirmed to go off-air last month due to underperformance in terms of ratings, the channel decided to extend it at the last moment. Since then, the makers are trying to make it more interesting and entertaining for loyal fans.

NEW ENTRY IN FAHMAAN KHAN STARRER DHARAMPATNII

To make Dharampatnii more intriguing for viewers, the creative team is now all set to introduce a new entry in the popular show. As per the latest buzz, one of Tejasswi Prakash's Naagin 6 co-actor is set to enter Fahmaan Khan's Pyar Ke Saat Vachan Dharampatnii.

Bigg Boss OTT 2: Housemates Remove Fukra Insaan From Captaincy For Whole Season, Fans Call It 'Disgusting'

Remember Naamkarann's Avni Aka Aditi Rathore? She Might Return To TV With THIS Hit Star Plus Show (VIDEO)

Well, we're talking about TV actor Vishesh Sharma who essayed the character of Rehan Gujral in the popular supernatural drama which ended last night (July 9) after a successful run of one-and-a-half years. Yes, you read that right!

TEJASSWI PRAKASH NAAGIN 6 CO-STAR TO JOIN DHARAMPATNII?

According to a Tellychakkar report, Vishesh Sharma has bagged a pivotal role in Dharampatnii and is set to enter the show very soon. However, an official announcement regarding the same is still awaited.

For the unversed, Vishesh Sharma is also known for featuring in several other popular shows including Apnapan, Dil Hi Toh Hai, and Dhadkan Zindagi Ki among others.

Well, the upcoming episodes of the show are packed with captivating twists and turns that are guaranteed to keep viewers thoroughly entertained. The love story between Pratiksha and Ravi continues to captivate and enthrall the audience. Now, it'll be interesting to see if Vishesh Sharma's entry in Dharampatnii is going to help it fetch better ratings or not.

Keep watching this space for more updates!
Anupamaa twist: Star Plus' top drama has been churning out entertaining episodes, keeping the audience engaged. The show starring Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna has managed to create ripples on the small screen, courtesy of the twists and turns.

ANUPAMAA SPOILER

After Maya's death, the show has shifted its focus back to Anupamaa's journey. While she is in a dilemma, her family members have been giving her different suggestions related to her career. As she has signed a three-year exclusive contract with Malti Devi, she is bound to leave India and shift to the United States Of India and head the dance academy there.

If she breaks the contract, Anupamaa will land in legal trouble. As she is a person who never backs out from a promise, she is in two minds. Considering Choti Anu's health issues after Maya's death, Anupamaa is contemplating her decision to leave for America.

A source close to the show exclusively told Filmibeat, "The creative team has planned a grand sequence for the USA trip. While Malti Devi and Nakul will try their best to achieve their motive, the Shah family and Barkha will have another plan in store. Will Anupama go to the US or not will remain a mystery for a while."

I feel it in my bones now!

Hasmukh is back he's going to make things worse for Anuj and #Anupamaa  with his meandering chatter!

Anuj, please can you do the honours of telling the SHs to GO AWAY and STAY AWAY from CA please 



PC: Madalsa Sharma Insta Story pic.twitter.com/nuVEYAZtcd  Marian Dantas-Dias (@marian_dantas) July 9, 2023

HASMUKH RETURNS TO ANUPAMAA, MASSIVE TWIST LIES AHEAD

While the viral promo suggested that Choti Anu and Anuj Kapadia might stop Anupamaa from going to the USA, another popular character is expected to do so. After taking a break from work, the artist is expected to make a grand re-entry. We are talking about Bapuji aka Arvind Vaidya.

According to a report in TellyExpress, Hasmukh will be the one to convince Anupama to not shift to the USA and instead take care of her foster daughter. He will try to ensure that she changes her decision and tries to resolve the differences between her and Anuj. Interestingly, Barkha will support Anupamaa and tell Ankush that she should not let go off her dreams.

Arvind Vaidya was missing from the hit daily soap as he traveled to the US for a vacation. After returning to Mumbai, he has started the shoot for Rajan Shahi's show. He re-entry is expected to bring a major twist in the drama, which is the remake of Sreemoyee.
Superstar Mahesh Babu is a stunner, wherever he goes, or how simple he clads. The Tollywood Prince recently made a dashing appearance at a private event called 'Game Changers 2023,' in Hyderabad.

For the formal event held in Hyderabad, Mahesh Babu, who is almost seen wearing decent shirts in neutral, checkered, and colour-blocks, turned up in a casual avatar, surprising many including his fans.

The Guntur Kaaram actor dressed himself in a pair of cool blue jeans and a maroon colour hoodie. Fans are wowed by his avatar and began looking up on the internet for the details of his outfit.

The simple maroon hoodie, however, comes at a hefty price. It is designed by the popular clothing brand Brunello Cucinelli. The particular hoodie is called Brunello Cucinelli embroidered-slogan hoodie. It is available from the Farfetch website along with the original designer's online shop, for a price of Rs 90,436.

Guntur Kaaram marks the third collaboration between Mahesh Babu and writer-producer-director Trivikram Srinivas. The movie stars Sree Leela as the main female lead and Meenakshi Chaudhary as the second female lead.

S Thaman is cranking the camera for the movie in which yesteryear actress Sobhana will be seen in the role of Mahesh Babu's mother, reportedly. The movie is currently on the set and a fresh schedule will begin very soon.

Mahesh Babu's Work Front

On the work front, Mahesh Babu will start working on SSMB 29 with the master story-teller SS Rajamouli. The film's pre-production works are underway. The main cast and crew will undergo a workshop for three months from September this year before the movie goes on the floors. Post SSMB 29, Mahesh Babu might join forces with Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen.

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Union Pacific Railroad and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers or SMART-TD reached a tentative agreement to provide up to eight paid sick leave days to around 5,900 railroad employees, Union Pacific Corp.(UNP) said in a statement on Sunday. The company noted that the proposed agreement will provide SMART-TD members an additional five paid sick days annually, prorated for 2023. Beginning in 2024, they also will have the ability to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time. If ratified by SMART-TD, Union Pacific will have paid sick leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions, the company said. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.




TOKYO, July 10, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) has conducted verification tests to evaluate the performance of massive-MIMO (mMIMO)(1) utilizing the 28GHz band. During these tests, NEC verified mMIMO's ability to reliably provide large-capacity transmission in environments with extremely high user densities of 4 to 8 users per square meter, such as stadiums and crowded urban areas. Moreover, the tests demonstrated that distributed-MIMO configurations(2) can maintain better data transmission than conventional collocated-MIMO configurations(3).mMIMO mobile access base stations enable multiple simultaneous user connections and achieve higher cell capacity with a combination of spatial, time division and frequency division multiplexing. Using a 28GHz-band prototype device(4), NEC quantitatively compared users' signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in both distributed-MIMO and collocated-MIMO using a newly developed index for this demonstration.The SNR of spatial multiplexing in mMIMO is influenced by the amount of leaked power from beams to other users in the same cell. However, in comparison to collocated-MIMO configurations, NEC confirmed that distributed-MIMO could maintain SNR independent of user density depending on the sharpness and level of orthogonality of the beams.Details on this research have been published and presented at the International Microwave Symposium 2023 in San Diego, CA, USA.Going forward, in line with the advancement of 5G and the development of 6G, NEC will continue to develop technologies aimed at even higher speeds, larger capacities, and greater cost efficiency.(1) Massive-MIMOA Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technique that enables simultaneous multiple radio communication connections using a massive number of transceivers.(2) Distributed-MIMOAn approach of Massive-MIMO where a large number of antennas are distributed rather than being placed in a single array.(3) Collocated-MIMOA conventional approach of Massive-MIMO where the antenna element and transceivers are arrenged in a location with usually half wavelength intervals.(4) NEC develops millimeter-wave distributed antenna radio unit improving the channel quality for indoor 5G applications. www.nec.com/en/press/202001/global_20200124_01.htmlAbout NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at www.nec.com.Source: NEC CorporationCopyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.




NCX 470 therapeutic profile positively received among U.S. eye care professionalsin a market survey conducted with a leading, independent research agency



Potential a nnual global net sales for NCX 470 estimated to reach at least $300 million within 8 years from the date of launch es i n U.S. and China

Nicox currently seeking U.S. and Japanese commercial partners for NCX 470 July 10, 2023 - release at 7:30 am CET

Sophia Antipolis, France







Nicox SA (Euronext Growth Paris: FR0013018124, ALCOX), an international ophthalmology company, today provided details of a U.S. market survey evaluating the commercial potential of NCX 470, a nitric oxide (NO)-donating bimatoprost, in development for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension and estimated potential global annual net sales for NCX 470.







"We recently conducted a market survey with a leading, independent research agency in the United States which confirmed the interest from ophthalmologists and optometrists in the potential use of NCX 470 as a therapeutic option for patients who do not reach their target intraocular pressure. The research also informed our potential pricing and reimbursement strategies, which we have factored into our assessment of the potential sales." said Andreas Segerros, CEO of Nicox. "Based on this data, and insights fromour Chinese and Southeast Asian partner, Ocumension Therapeutics, together with estimates of sales in other territories, we believe that annual global net sales of NCX 470 could be over $300 millionwithin 8 years ofthe date of launches in the U.S. and China."



About NCX 470







NCX 470, a novel NO-donating bimatoprost eye drop, is currently in Phase 3 clinical development for the lowering of IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Results of Mont Blanc, the first of the two Phase 3 clinical trials, were announced (https://www.nicox.com/wp-content/uploads/EN_NCX-470-MontBlanc-Phase-3-Topline-results-PR_20221031_F.pdf) in October 2022. The second Phase 3 clinical trial, Denali, is currently ongoing, and the results are expected1 in 2025. Mont Blanc and Denali have been designed to fulfill the regulatory requirements for safety and efficacy Phase 3 trials to support NDA submissions in both the U.S. and in China, where NCX 470 is exclusively licensed to Ocumension Therapeutics.



NCX 470 is protected worldwide by composition of matter patents until 2029, with potential extension of up to 5 years in the U.S. and Europe, and by formulation patents to 2039 in the U.S., EU, Japan and China as well as other territories.



Basis of Estimated Sales Forecast







The primary market research in the U.S. assumed NCX 470 obtained U.S. FDA approval with the safety and efficacy profile seen in the Mont Blanc Phase 3 trial. The research involved ophthalmology key opinion leaders, prescribers and payors in a qualitative phase, followed by 100 glaucoma prescribers in a quantitative internet survey. Taking into account expected genericization of the market, basing the undiscounted price on appropriate branded references, and applying appropriate discounts, the net annual sales potential in the U.S. alone was estimated at between $115 and $165 million by year 8. Ocumension Therapeutics, our exclusive licensing partner in China and Southeast Asia, has also conducted market evaluation and provided a forecast of NCX 470 sales for their territory. We assume approval in the U.S. and China in a similar timeframe, with the NDA submissions in both territories made after the results of the Denali Phase 3 trial expected in 20252. The global net sales estimate also includes assessments of potential sales outside of the U.S. and China. We are currently looking for U.S. and Japanese commercial partners and would also seek partners in other territories which can use the U.S. approval closer to that time. Our assumptions consider that those partnerships are in place at the appropriate time to maximize the revenue potential. We are not currently assuming revenue from sales in Europe, which could be a potential upside pending discussions with the European Medicines Agency on the appropriate regulatory route to approval.


JAC Gas Turbine

TOKYO, July 10, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has received an order for two M701JAC gas turbines, the latest model in its mainstay air-cooled J-Series, for a 1,600-megawatt (MW) class natural gas-fired GTCC (gas turbine combined cycle) power plant, which will be one of the largest power facilities, being developed in the Syrdarya region of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The equipment supply agreement has been signed with Harbin Electric International Company Limited, the Chinese contractor for the project. Commercial operation is scheduled to start in 2026.The GTCC power plant is located about 150 km south of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and will be built, owned, and operated by a project company, Enersok FE LLC (Enersok), owned by the French electric utility EDF ("lectricit" de France), Qatari power company Nebras Power QPSC, Japanese trading company Sojitz Corporation, and Japanese energy firm Kyuden International Corporation. The electricity produced by the plant will be sold to Uzbek state-owned power company JSC National Electricity Grid of Uzbekistan for a duration of 25 years.The Uzbek government's roadmap for carbon neutrality in the power sector by 2050 calls for the enhancement of high-efficiency, low-carbon power generation infrastructure, with measures prioritizing the replacement or modernization of existing gas-fired power plants. This project replaces the existing aged gas-fired power plant with state-of-the-art, high-efficiency combined cycle power plant, which is consistent with the energy policy of the Uzbek government.In addition to supplying two next-generation high-efficiency gas turbines as the core equipment for this project, Mitsubishi Power will dispatch technical advisers to support installation and commissioning, and provide support for reliable operation under a long-term service agreement (LTSA).The J-series gas turbine, including the air-cooled JAC series adopted for this project, has surpassed two million operating hours, and is recognized for its high performance and reliability. Purchase contracts have been steadily increasing in Japan and overseas, with the cumulative number of orders reaching 109 units.Chancel Regis, General Director of Enersok, said: "The Syrdarya II power plant will contribute to the steady and sustainable economic development of Uzbekistan by providing reliable, and low-cost energy. We look forward to working with Mitsubishi Power, which has a proven track record in this country and advanced technologies, for the successful completion of this project."Mitsubishi Power has received orders for 12 large frame gas turbines, including the F and JAC-series, for seven projects in Uzbekistan, representing a market share for large frame gas turbines in the country of more than 80%. In addition, as a company that supports the country's diverse power and heating needs, Mitsubishi Power has supplied a wide range of equipment, including a series of orders for its H-25 series of small and medium-sized gas turbines for an urban distributed natural gas-fired cogeneration (combined heat and power) facility being developed in Tashkent. Mitsubishi Power also helps ensure high reliability through appropriate maintenance based on long-term maintenance contracts, contributing to a stable energy supply for Uzbekistan.Going forward, Mitsubishi Power will make a concerted effort as a corporate group to further focus its resources into promoting adoption of high-efficiency, environmentally friendly GTCC power generation equipment, contributing to the stable supply of electric power indispensable to economic development worldwide, and helping to achieve a sustainable, decarbonized society.About MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
WISTON, England, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With strikes, delays, crowded airports and staff shortages across the aviation industry, the last few years have seen an unparalleled rise in the use of private aviation for both business and pleasure, with clients now seeing it as an essential rather than a luxury expense.

However, private as well as commercial pilots need to complete their training and then re-test regularly in order to keep their licences. Part of this involves training on a simulator identical to the plane they will be flying, but there are now so many different types of private aircraft that getting a slot on a relevant simulator is becoming problematic.

Here, Jim Scott, owner of components solutions specialist Artemis Aerospace, discusses the emergence of 'bespoke' flight simulators in response to this issue and how the company is leading the way in business jet simulator creation.

A simulator, or training device, artificially recreates an aircraft flight. It reacts to internal factors such as the use of flight controls and can reproduce the effects of external ones such as weather, turbulence, air density and wind force.

Every pilot must learn how to fly an aircraft using both VFR (visual flight rules) and IFR (instrument flight rules). Under VFR, the pilot primarily controls and navigates the aircraft using external visual references; a simulated flight will show the exact layout of the chosen flight path with forests, mountains, cities, seas, rivers and roads. Under IFR rules, the aircraft is flown using only the instruments with no visual references. This is utilised at night, in fog or heavy cloud, or in some areas of restricted airspace which is for IFR traffic only. A simulator will prepare a pilot for both, and also gives crucial training for emergency situations such as mechanical or electrical failure, aborted take-off or landing, ice on the wings, low fuel and loss of communication. It's an essential tool in pilot training and CPD.

In 2022, Boeing announced that the world faced a dramatic shortage of qualified pilots and suggested that European airlines would need to hire 6,000 pilots a year for the next two decades; a similar number would be required in North America and China. Time spent on a simulator is an integral part of training, so the potential backlog is huge. For private and business aircraft, the number of available simulators is considerably lower than those for large commercial aircraft.

So, what happens when a specific business jet simulator is needed but there is no 'off-the-shelf' solution readily available? The answer is to create it!

Recently, we were approached by a client to support them with the production of an Embraer Phenom 300 simulator.

The Embraer Phenom 300 series has been named the best-selling light jet in the world for eleven years in a row and has over 700 units currently in operation. It can reach a speed of Mach 0.80 and has a range of 3723 km. It's also currently the only business aircraft to have a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS), which gives an advisory if the approach to the runway is too steep or too fast.

However, as the demand for business jets grows, so does the requirement for suitable training simulators. Utilising our years of expertise in the global component supplies market, we have sourced all the necessary parts and equipment for our customer to build Embraer Phenom 300 simulator that provides the high levels of fidelity expected.

This includes a cockpit sourced from a decommissioned aircraft along with primary furnishing, controls and panels - so that walking into the simulator is just like embarking the plane itself. Working with our extensive global network of suppliers, we have come up with inventive solutions to create as near an exact copy of the aircraft as possible, on time and within budget.

Keeping up with the rising demand for business jet pilots will be a huge task over the next few years and the supply of suitable components for the manufacture of training devices will be key in keeping on top of that challenge.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2149136/Artemis_Aerospace.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/business-jet-simulators--the-changing-face-of-pilot-training-301872111.html


EQS Newswire / 10/07/2023 / 17:48 UTC+8

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Delivers Growth in

Same Store Sales and Retail Sales Value in First Quarter FY2024

Results Highlights Sustained recovery in general mobility and retail activity in Mainland China (the "Mainland") and Hong Kong & Macau of China, positively impacted Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group's Same Store Sales Growth ("SSSG") trend during the Quarter. Following the shift in pandemic-control measures, the Group's Retail Sales Value ("RSV") achieved a growth of 29.4% during the Quarter. Mainland RSV increased 25.2%, while that of Hong Kong, Macau and other markets rose 64.0%, reaching approximately 76% of the corresponding FY2019 levels. The Group made progress in executing the five strategic priorities to enhance earnings quality and yielded resilient Average Selling Price ("ASP") in both the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macau markets. Demand for gold jewellery and products remained resilient with evolving market dynamics. In addition to the successful HUA Collection, the Group offers the ING Collection and Liu Jin Sui Yue ("????") Collection to cater for different consumer segments and capture emerging growth opportunities. The Group centralised its marketing effort to improve consistency, maximise the impact and synergy across all channels, aimed at offering customers an enhanced omni-channel experience especially during special occasions and festivals. KEY OPERATIONAL DATA For the three months ended 30 June 2023 (% change compared to the same period last year) Group Retail Sales Value(1) ("RSV") growth +29.4% Mainland China Hong Kong & Macau of China and other markets RSV growth +25.2% +64.0% Contribution to Group RSV 86.4% 13.6% Mainland China Hong Kong & Macau of China Same Store Sales(2) ("SSS") growth +8.5% +64.2% SSS volume growth -1.0% +36.7% SSSG by product - Gem-set, Platinum and K-gold jewellery -4.1% +16.9% - Gold jewellery and products +9.9% +101.1%

(1) "Retail Sales Value" measures the sales at the ending price (VAT inclusive, if any), in respective functional currencies, of products sold to customers in the POS network and other channels. (2) "Same Store Sales" for the First Quarter is the RSV from the self-operated POS of CHOW TAI FOOK JEWELLERY existing as at 30 June 2023 and which have been opened prior to 1 April 2022. RSV from franchised POS and other channels are not included. (Hong Kong, China, 10 July 2023) Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited ("Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group", the "Group" or the "Company"; SEHK stock code: 1929), today announces unaudited key operational data of the Group for the three months ended 30 June 2023 (the "First Quarter", or the "Quarter" or "1QFY2024"). SSS and RSV Improvements Supported by Increased Mobility and Retail Activity During 1QFY2024, recovery in general mobility and retail activity in the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macau had a positive impact on the Group's business. Same Store Sales ("SSS") in the Mainland recorded positive growth of 8.5%. With the reopening of Mainland's border, SSS in Hong Kong and Macau increased notably by 64.2% during the Quarter, with Hong Kong showing an increase of 64.9% and Macau up by 62.1%. Correspondingly, the Group's RSV achieved a growth of 29.4% during the Quarter. Mainland RSV increased 25.2%, while that of Hong Kong and Macau rose 64.0% during the Quarter, reaching approximately 76% of the corresponding FY2019 levels. Resilient Demand for Gold Products Presents Growth Opportunities Demand for gold jewellery and products remained resilient in the First Quarter. This was an outcome of three ongoing developments as the Group constantly prospects for new growth opportunities which emerge with evolving market dynamics. Firstly, there is a higher propensity to spend and preference towards gold products in lower tier cities, where the Group has been deepening its penetration into. Secondly, there is a heightened appreciation for culture and aesthetics among younger customers, playing to the Group's strengths in Chinese craftmanship and heritage. Lastly, given the market uncertainty, an overall shift in consumer spending and mindset towards luxury products has been observed, resulting in a positive impact on gold products. In the Mainland, SSS of the gold jewellery and products was up by 9.9% during the Quarter. Its ASP was resilient at HK$5,500 (1QFY2023: HK$5,300). In Hong Kong and Macau, SSS of the product category doubled and its ASP ascended to HK$8,300 (1QFY2023: HK$6,100). Attractive Value Proposition with Exquisite Gem-Set Offering, Uplifting RSV and ASP In the Mainland, SSS of gem-set, platinum and k-gold jewellery category declined 4.1%, while its RSV grew by 8.0% during the Quarter. SSS of the product category in Hong Kong and Macau increased by 16.9% during the Quarter, driven by healthy volume and price increase. In the Mainland, the Same Store ASP of gem-set jewellery was benefitted from increased sales of higher ticketsize jewellery during the Quarter. In the Mainland, ASP was lifted to HK$8,000 (1QFY2023: HK$6,900), while that of Hong Kong and Macau was HK$16,700 (1QFY2023: HK$16,600). Targeted Brand Positioning and Strengthened Product Differentiation The Group continued to strengthen its product differentiation and optimise product portfolio. With an expanded gold offering portfolio, the Group is able to cater for different consumer segments, effectively capturing the emerging growth opportunities and trends. In addition to the successful HUA Collection, the Group also has the ING Collection and Liu Jin Sui Yue ("????") Collection, which were well received by the younger customers. During the Quarter, HEARTS ON FIRE, the internationally renowned jewellery brand known for the unparalleled sparkle of its signature cut diamonds, announced the global launch of its new VELA Collection. The VELA Collection reinforces HEARTS ON FIRE's diamond expertise and craftsmanship with renewed focus on modernity and creativity, positioning HEARTS ON FIRE jewellery as a celebration of love in all its forms. Driving Omni-Channel Growth with Centralised Marketing Strategy As part of elevating the Group's brand positioning to increase brand desirability and build revenue resiliency, the Group centralised its marketing strategy to improve consistency and maximise impact and synergy across all channels. The Group bolstered its marketing efforts during Mother's Day and 520 Chinese Valentine's Day period, aimed at offering customers an enhanced omni-channel experience while celebrating special occasions. During the 618 Shopping Festival this year, the Group also strengthened the digital marketing initiatives and amplified the impact with livestreaming and short videos to drive sales. The Group emerged top place on the jeweller rankings on key online platforms. Compared to the same period last year, overall gross merchandise value during the festival grew by low teens. Committed to Sustainable Stakeholder Value Creation in A Year of Recovery and Normality Notwithstanding the ongoing macro headwinds and market uncertainty which are beyond the Company's control, the Group will stay focused on enhancing operational efficiency and resiliency. This complements the Group's growth trajectory, building on the verticals of targeted brand positioning and product optimisation. To that end, the Group will be launching new designs for the HUA Collection together with its global campaign launch in mid July 2023. The Group continues to monitor the fluid market conditions closely and adopt a flexible approach with expansion plans. It stays prepared at all times with the ability to recalibrate its network and resources to capture growth opportunities as they emerge. Building on the positive traction observed with the five strategic priorities, the Group is fully committed to strengthening its competitiveness, enhance the quality of its earnings and drive sustainable long-term stakeholder value creation. ### Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited



Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011. The Group's vision is to become the most trusted jewellery group in the world. Founded in 1929, the Group's iconic brand "CHOW TAI FOOK" is widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and is renowned for its product design, quality and value. A long-standing commitment to innovation and craftsmanship has contributed to the Group's success, along with that of its iconic retail brand, and has been embodied in its rich heritage. Underpinning this success are our long-held core values of "Sincerity  Eternity". The Group's differentiation strategy continues to make inroads into diverse customer segments by catering to a bespoke experience for different lifestyles and personalities, as well as customers' different life stages. Offering a wide variety of products, services and channels, the Group's brand portfolio comprises the CHOW TAI FOOK flagship brand with curated retail experiences, and other individual brands including HEARTS ON FIRE, ENZO, SOINLOVE and MONOLOGUE. The Group's commitment to sustainable growth is anchored in its customer-centric focus and strategies, which are in place to promote long-term innovation in business, in people and in culture. Another asset underpinning sustainable growth is a sophisticated and agile business model. This supports the Group by fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain to communities and industry partners across the world. With an extensive retail network in China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, the United States and Canada, as well as a fast-growing smart retail business, the Group is implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies to succeed in today's omni-channel retail environment. ________________________________________________________________________________ Media Enquiries: Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited

Danita On Senior Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Tel: (852) 2138 8501 Email: danitaon@chowtaifook.com Haide Ng Senior Manager, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Tel: (852) 2138 8336 Email: haideng@chowtaifook.com Acky Chan Senior Manager, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Tel: (852) 2138 8338 Email: ackychan@chowtaifook.com



File: Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Delivers Growth in Same Store Sales and Retail Sales Value in First Quarter FY2024



10/07/2023 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



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First gold poured from the Las Calandrias heap leap project

Las Calandrias is now ramping up to full production, expected in Q3 2023

MDC (Brazil) Feasibility Study in the final optimization stage

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. [TSX.V:CERT][OTCQX:CRDOF] ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has poured its first gold from its new heap leach gold production project at the Las Calandrias area in Argentina. Mining and stacking operations are at planned capacity, and gold production is expected to steadily increase as the retention period for the stacked ore is reached, allowing the project to reach design capacity during the third quarter of this year.

Las Calandrias heap leach gold pour

The Company also wishes to report it is in the final stages of completing its Feasibility Study for Serra Alta deposit at the Monte Do Carmo ("MDC") project in Tocantins, Brazil. Together with its consultants, the project team are conducting final optimizations, design trade offs and sequencing of the mine plan and we expect to complete the feasibility shortly.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman commented, "We are extremely pleased to see the first gold poured from the Las Calandrias project and this is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the operations team. In addition, this represents a significant milestone for Cerrado as we continue to deliver on our production growth strategy in Argentina. In Brazil, as we near the completion of the study phase, we continue to be confident that the MDC Project will be a very robust project which should position Cerrado for a period of rapid growth."

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Brazil, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte Do Carmo Project, through feasibility and into production. Serra Alta is expected to be a high-margin and high-return project with significant exploration potential on an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 hectare land package.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

For further information, contact:

Mark Brennan Mike McAllister

CEO and Chairman Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the time required to reach production capacity at Las Calandrias, the future operating costs in Argentina, as well the timing of the feasibility study at Monte Do Carmo. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/766370/Cerrado-Gold-Announces-First-Gold-Pour-at-Its-Las-Calandrias-Project-in-Santa-Cruz-Argentina
Dufry International AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results

Invitation to Dufry's Half Year Results 2023



10.07.2023 / 12:00 CET/CEST





Dufry is delighted to invite you to our Half Year Results 2023 Video Conference Webcast:

Friday, 4th August 2023

at 14.30h CEST

Speakers will be Xavier Rossinyol, CEO Dufry AG, and Yves Gerster, CFO Dufry AG. The presentation and video conference will be held in English, followed by a Q&A session.

Presentation and Video Conference

The access to the webcast platform will be available through our website . A playback option will be available there until 4th September 2023.

Participants will be able to access via phone by pre-registering here . You will receive the dial-in numbers and a personal pin-code upon registration.

If you are unable to register through the link, please send an e-mail to ir@dufry.com . The Q&A will be possible via phone and webcast.

News Release & Presentation

Dufry will publish its Half Year Results 2023 on 4th August 2023 at 06.30h CEST with the presentation available on Dufry's IR website .

For further information please contact:

Dr. Kristin Kohler

Global Head

Investor Relations

Phone: +41 61 266 44 22

kristin.koehler@dufry.com Renzo Radice

Corporate Communications &

Investor Relations

Phone: +41 79 461 23 34

renzo.radice@dufry.com

DUFRY GROUP - LEADING GLOBAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCE PLAYER

Dufry AG (SIX: DUFN), founded in 1865 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, delivers a revolutionary Travel Experience to consumers worldwide by uniquely combining retail, food & beverage and digital. Our company addresses 2.3 billion passengers in more than 75 countries in 5,500 outlets across 1,200 airports, motorways, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations and other locations across all six continents. With the traveler at our core, we are creating value for all our stakeholders including concession and brand partners, employees, communities, and finally, our shareholders.

Sustainability is an inherent element of Dufry's business strategy aiming for sustainable and profitable growth of the company while fostering high standards of environmental stewardship and social equity.

To learn more about Dufry, please visit www.dufry.com

End of Media Release


SAN FRANCISCO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global steel industry size will witness promising growth in the wake of affordable housing, expanding public infrastructure and solar manufacturing, according to the "Steel Industry Data Book, 2023 - 2030," published by Grand View Research. Bullish construction activities across emerging economies, including China and India, will steer infrastructure projects to propel post-COVID economic recovery. Investments in green construction and a less carbon-intensive future pose a stiff challenge for stakeholders. According to the World Steel Association, every ton of steel produced in 2020 emitted an average of 1.89 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Demand for carbon-friendly steel products is poised to redefine the global outlook.

Decarbonization, a trend that has become prevalent in various industries, has spurred a wave of innovation in carbon steel. With the EU and the U.K. committing to carbon neutrality and other nations pledging to minimize their carbon footprint, manufacturers and suppliers have injected funds into sustainable steel. The IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario notes that total direct emissions from the iron and steel sector should dip by over 50% by 2050 to meet the energy and climate goals. Green construction and the penetration of environmentally friendly products in the automotive sector will provide an impetus to the demand for cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions.

Order your copy of the Free Sample of "Steel Industry Data Book - Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Electrical Steel, Weathering Steel, Sintered Steel Market Size, Share, Trends Analysis, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" Data Book, published by Grand View Research

Stakeholders have furthered investments in the construction sector and automotive production, alluding to the robust growth of stainless steel. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, around 85.4 million motor vehicles were produced globally in 2022. Furthermore, infrastructure development plans across emerging and advanced countries have added a fillip to the growth forecast. Till May 12th 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced more than USD 220 billion in funding with over 32,000 projects. The global stainless steel market size stood at USD 104.23 billion in 2021 and will exhibit an 8.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2030.

Trends and opportunities poised to influence the industry outlook are elucidated below:

Structural steel will gain ground on the back of expanding sustainability trends. Residential, commercial and industrial sectors are expected to depict strong product demand.

Bullish investments in grid expansion projects have expedited the market penetration of electrical steel.

The North America market will observe notable investments in light of surging steel production in the U.S. The World Steel Association infers that the U.S. produced 6.6 Mt steel in April 2023, behind China, India and Japan.

Go through the table of content of Steel Industry Data Book to get a better understanding of the Coverage & Scope of the study

Buoyant steel production across the Asia Pacific offers compelling growth potential for manufacturers, suppliers and end-users. In April 2023, China produced around 92.6 Mt, while India and Japan produced 10.7 Mt and 7.2 Mt, respectively. Infusing funds into modern economies and sustainable projects will bring a paradigm shift in the regional outlook. For instance, in September 2022, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) reportedly supplied 30,000 tons of the DMR grade specialty steel for INS Vikrant, the country's first indigenously built Aircraft Carrier. Further, expanding railway and automobile sectors across China and India will underpin Asia Pacific steel industry growth.

The competitive landscape suggests organic and inorganic strategies will impel brand reputation, customer retention and augment RoI. In doing so, innovations, technological advancements, product offerings, R&D activities, geographical expansion, partnerships and mergers & acquisitions could reshape the industry dynamics. To illustrate, in June 2023, Germany's Economy Minister contemplated providing approximately 2 billion euros (around USD 2.1 billion) to foster Thyssenkrupp's green steel plant in Duisburg. Meanwhile, in February 2023, Nippon Steel inked a deal with Teck Resources Limited to acquire equity and royalty interest in Elk Valley Resources Ltd.

Check out more Industry Data Books, published by Grand View Research

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/sector-reports-list

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/steel-industry-sees-growth-opportunities-with-rising-trends-and-demand-for-stainless-steel---grand-view-research-inc-301869882.html
An electrifying showdown of trading prowess, offering a grand prize of USD20,000 to the ultimate victor

PORT VILA, Vanuatu, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning multi-asset broker, Vantage (or "Vantage Markets"), is excited to announce the Vantage Live Trading Competition*,an elite event set to challenge traders with a total prize pool of USD50,000. The competition offers a chance for traders* to showcase their exceptional skills in the world of trading.

The competition is set to take place from 1 August to 30 September 2023, challenging participants to race to the top and achieve the highest percentage increase in their Vantage account equity by the end of the competition. The top 20 participants with the highest returns will earn a slice of the prize pool, with the top trader clinching the USD20,000 cash prize.

"We are calling for traders from all walks of life to demonstrate their trading prowess. The Vantage Live Trading Competition is not just about rewarding monetary success; it's a testament to the endurance and trading acumen of each participant," said Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer at Vantage.

The competition combines the thrill of live trading with the adrenaline rush of e-sports. As the competition unfolds, the leaderboard is updated frequently, so participants can see how they match up. This event offers seasoned traders the ideal stage to exhibit their mastery and compete for supremacy and lucrative rewards in this spirited contest.

Registrations for the competition began on 1 July and close on 22 September 2023, while the competition commences on 1 August. This early registration provides ample time for aspiring participants to gear up for the challenge, setting the stage for a thrilling competition.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please visit https://www.vantagemarkets.com/en-ph/promotion/live-trading-competition/ for the full list of eligible countries.

About Vantage

Vantage (or "Vantage Markets") is a global, multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, Bonds and ETFs.

With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage is more than a broker. It provides a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that enables clients to take advantage of trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play.

Be empowered to better capitalise on winning market opportunities when you trade smarter @vantage

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/unleash-your-trading-skills-vantage-hosts-epic-live-trading-competition-301872771.html
SHENZHEN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers, is thrilled to announce the launch of its newest product, the K1 Max 3D Printer. With a better price and innovative features, the K1 Max aims to make high-quality 3D printing accessible to a wider audience.

The K1 Max was priced at $999 when it was first unveiled. To express its gratitude to users for their patience and anticipation for the product as well as their feedback and suggestions, Creality has decided to lower the price to $899, making it more affordable for aspiring creators.

The K1 Max boasts an array of impressive features that cater to the needs of both professional makers and hobbyists. Reaching a printing speed of 600mm/s in only 0.03s based on 20000mm/s acceleration and combining the nimble Core XY with a 190g lightweight printhead, K1 Max can be as productive as several 3D printers together, significantly boosting efficiency and kindling people's zeal for 3D printing. To boot, the machine boasts a 300x300x300mm large build volume, enabling rapid prototyping or design verification.

The printer also comes with an AI camera which can watch and alert for anomalies and errors besides real-time monitoring and creates time-lapses for sharing. With the high-speed printing capabilities, large build volume, and AI camera, the K1 Max provides users with an unparalleled 3D printing experience. Moreover, the printer incorporates AI LiDAR technology, further enhancing its performance and accuracy. For more detailed information about the product's features, please visit the Creality product page.

The K1 Max will be available for purchase across all channels starting from July 14th. Customers can visit the Creality online store, Amazon, or authorized dealers to get their hands on this cutting-edge device.

Exclusive Offers on Creality Store K1 Series Purchases

To celebrate the launch of the K1 Max, Creality is organizing exciting activities on its official online store. Customers who purchase the K1 Max - as well as K1 - from the Creality store will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Creality Cloud, valued at $79.99. This membership includes access to over 250 premium models, built-in model slicing capabilities, and cloud printing and monitoring features. For more information about the promotions, please visit the following links:

- US: https://store.creality.com/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Europe: https://store.creality.com/eu/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Germany: https://store.creality.com/de/products/k1-max-ai-high-speed-3d-drucker

- UK: https://store.creality.com/uk/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Australia: https://store.creality.com/au/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Canada: https://store.creality.com/ca/products/k1-max-3d-printer

Creality to Present Amazon Prime Day Discounts

Furthermore, Creality is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, a highly anticipated annual event that offers the lowest prices of the year. As a seller, Creality is proud to provide customers with unbeatable offers on this occasion. Taking place from July 11th to July 12th, this exclusive event offers Amazon Prime members limited-time discounts on select Creality products. Both the K1 and HALOT-MAGE PRO will be available at a special price of $629, reduced from their original prices of $799. Additionally, other Creality products will be offered at discounts ranging from 15% to 30%. Visit the following links to access the Prime Day discounts:

US: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/19E5485F-8B43-45FB-97B3-DB306FF56872?channel=PR

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/0983D76F-3601-4F81-910A-FE1EB04719ED?channel=PR

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/stores/page/AA5C50FF-B1C4-440F-835F-EB0B02EF7494?channel=PR

France: https://www.amazon.fr/stores/page/81B1A979-5C08-4BB3-8653-A6652EDAC373?channel=PR

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/stores/page/0849AD09-5015-4612-A9B0-6CB51472B4C9?channel=PR

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/stores/page/39FA5BA8-6FF1-43FD-958D-2390F8E14103?channel=PR

To chime with Amazon Prime Day, discounts of up to 50% will also be offered during July 10-16 on Creality store. For more details about the promotions, please visit Creality Store.

Media Contact:

brand@creality.com

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Originally published on TriplePundit

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / For many people, when they think about shipping, what might come to mind is taking a package to the post office or receiving something from Amazon.

For CNH Industrial, a manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, shipping might mean moving a 24-ton tractor out of wintry Fargo, North Dakota, or a bulky combine harvester from Nebraska to the easternmost parts of Europe.

The sheer size of these pieces of equipment, long lead times, and often months-long journeys from factory to final customer means that pretty much every shipment is meticulously and uniquely planned. A single shipment might involve transportation across road, rail, ocean and river as the machine progresses toward the end customer.

Due to physical constraints, the choice of options is often limited when moving a heavy object like a combine harvester to its final destination. Logistics planners must negotiate seasonality requirements and assess the routes and modes of transport that are even capable of handling such outsize equipment, while still meeting customer requirements and expectations.

As tough as this job can be, CNH Industrial strives to be mindful about doing things in as environmentally beneficial a way as possible.

Alberto Mela, transport logistics director at CNH Industrial, explained the approach the company takes in moving these massive pieces of equipment, and the challenges and opportunities to mitigate emissions as his team goes about their daily business.

Sustainability in logistics: Making sustainable choices on a journey from Nebraska to the Balkans

"We're always focused on alternative ways of managing transport, because as a company we are focused on reducing emissions," Mela says. "We always have, as our target, ways to develop initiatives that can reduce emissions. It also has to be operationally beneficial."

Generally speaking, achieving environmental improvements means keeping shipments of these huge pieces of equipment off the roads. To that end, Mela says, "we don't see the road as the future," citing pollution, traffic volumes and increasing regulatory constraints in Europe as examples of the problems encountered with this transportation mode.

That doesn't mean the road can always be avoided, but the company can still try to limit it wherever possible.

Take shipments of combine harvesters that the company has to plan. These originate in Grand Island, Nebraska, and on one of their supply routes, they have to make their way to Ruse in Bulgaria.

Total end-to-end shipping from Nebraska to Bulgaria can take anywhere from two to three months to execute. However you break down the journey, logistics managers like those at CNH Industrial are stuck with only one transportation-mode option for certain legs of the journey. Crossing the Atlantic, for example, has to be by ocean, and some of the journey in Western Europe has to be over the road.

However, with optimal planning, other parts of the journey can be arranged to dovetail environmentally advantageous objectives with desired operational benefits. For example, the U.S. leg from Nebraska to the Atlantic Ocean port in Baltimore can sometimes be shifted to rail.

This is by no means the easiest option. Shipping by road is both faster and more flexible than rail. It takes five days to move product to Baltimore by road and 15 days by rail, Lauren Ehleiter, CNH Industrial's North America outbound manager says. The company would also have to ship multiple combines together on this leg of the journey to even make rail viable.

But if CNH Industrial analyzes when customers need the equipment in Europe, it can spot opportunities to consolidate different orders together to make this leg of the journey by train. And there is a benefit in switching even part of this leg to rail.

For example, the company can ship via road to Chicago and by rail the rest of the way, which takes 10 days. Since that five-day difference might be critical in allowing the necessary consolidation of shipments to Baltimore, the road/rail combination can still offer a sweet spot to achieve efficiencies.

Once they leave the port of Baltimore, the combines are shipped by sea to Zeebrugge in Belgium. Ocean is the only mode of transportation available for this leg of course, but still, with limited sailings, the timing of arrival in Baltimore from Nebraska is critical to meet vessel departures. It's all part of the planning!

From Zeebrugge to Duggendorf in Germany, European rail constraints force shipments back onto the road. But in Duggendorf, instead of continuing by road, the combines can be shipped the rest of the way to Bulgaria by river barge.

Going by barge from Duggendorf again allows CNH Industrial to plan for the environmentally favorable option while enjoying an operational benefit. In this case, the operational benefit is being able to dock in Ruse, Bulgaria, on the south side of the Danube River. Happily, that means avoiding an otherwise problematic bridge crossing that would be necessary if coming from the north side of the river by road.

When putting these supply chains together, "the key is planning," Mela explains, adding that while you cannot always optimize for the most sustainable solution, his team at CNH Industrial always looks for ways to do it when they can.

Making sustainable shifts on shipping within Europe

Another example of CNH Industrial trying to leave the road behind is the intra-European transportation of tractors manufactured in Turkey.

Historically, these would all ship by ocean vessel to the port of Livorno on the west coast of Tuscany, and move by road to the company's distribution facility in the northern Italian city of Parma. The tractors were then distributed from Parma by road to their end customers throughout Europe.

But now, "we are looking to change this paradigm," Mela says. Again, this involves moving freight more often by sea. Already, the company is reaching markets in Spain and Portugal by shipping to seaports in Barcelona and Valencia.

Building further on the concept, as of May this year, CNH Industrial has also swapped road freight for sea freight to reach customers in France. By shipping to the port of Sete in southern France, the company can bypass the Parma distribution center altogether and avoid road transportation all the way from Italy to the French border.

Next, CNH Industrial hopes to ship directly by ocean to the U.K. market, too.

It's not easy, but it can work

While out of sight for many people, logistics is a huge, multi-trillion-dollar industry, with a consequently huge carbon footprint. While it's not an easy fix to make logistics more environmentally sustainable, CNH Industrial, by way of making changes to supply chains as described here, illustrates there are always opportunities to do better.

"It's complex," says Mela, talking about new systems being put in place for transporting tractors manufactured in Turkey. "When renegotiating these flows, we have to weigh environmental considerations against a combination of drivers such as quality, time and cost."

The main shipping carriers are also doing their part, said Selma Maia, transport logistics vice president at CNH Industrial. "We are starting to see that our shipping partners are making large investments in committing to zero net carbon emissions," she said." The main ocean shipping lines are looking at their flows, purchasing new vessels that run on greener fuels and seriously committing to rolling out their reduced carbon freight initiatives in the coming years."

But when the overarching objective is to mitigate emissions, even when options are limited moving such large pieces of equipment, it's worth the effort.

This article series is sponsored by CNH Industrial and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of CNH Industrial

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from TriplePundit on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: TriplePundit

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/triplepundit

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: TriplePundit

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BOSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recently published article, AI and Security: Ensuring That Opportunities Outweigh the Threats, IDTechEx discussed the importance of ownership and culpability when it comes to deploying AI tools, especially in the context of creative works. This matter of accountability and the potential insidious use of artificial intelligence in the creation of intellectual property is a theme touched on in the first episode of the new Black Mirror season, "Joan Is Awful". For those not already in the know, Black Mirror is a speculative fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. Premiering in 2011 and now on its sixth season, Black Mirror runs the gamut of existential subject matter, from questions of ethics and morality (the good of the many against the good of the self) to the potential consequences of unchecked and unregulated scientific advancement.

"Joan Is Awful" follows Joan - played by Annie Murphy - a manager who sits below the board at a tech company and has to make one of her employees redundant despite the ramifications of this on the company's recent green initiative pledge. We also see her texting with her ex-boyfriend, visiting a therapist, and finally sitting down with her fiance to watch a show on Streamberry, this season's in-universe analog of Netflix.

Italy's temporary ban of ChatGPT in April 2023 could be a sign of things to come as AI tools develop and are put to use across a greater number of applications, ultimately affecting more people, especially where creative output is concerned. Source: IDTechEx

Spoilers ahead. Skip this section if you are sensitive to spoilers.

They come across a new show, the titular Joan Is Awful, and begin to watch. All that we have seen thus far in the show is dramatized for Joan, with Salma Hayek playing the character of Joan in the Streamberry adaptation. Joan (the one we know) is completely taken aback, as she doesn't know how her life has been so deeply invaded. The dramatization skews her personality to display exaggerated negative personality traits (such as callousness for the employee she makes redundant, where really she feels somewhat powerless in the decision and does express a modicum of pity). Frighteningly for Joan, the show is not restricted to her account, and she becomes ostracized from friends and family, in addition to being fired from work (as the dramatization of her life is seen to be a breakage of an NDA).

Joan ultimately seeks legal advice from a lawyer, whereupon the lawyer informs Joan that she had consented to Streamberry's Terms and Conditions, included in which is the ability to use and dramatize any and all aspects of her life, including her name. As the lawyer states at the beginning of their conversation, "I'm as shocked as you are". Joan then changes tack and proposes suing Salma Hayek for portraying her. Again, the lawyer negates this by informing Joan that it is only Salma Hayek's likeness: the entire show is CGI.

Joan is marooned with no legal recourse. And then, in a stroke of genius born from utter desperation, Joan envisions a way in which she can get Salma Hayek invested in this. So she defecates in a church during a wedding ceremony, knowing that this event will be repeated on the show. The real (at least in terms of Salma Hayek now playing herself) Salma Hayek understandably takes issue with this and talks to her lawyer about suing Streamberry. But again, she has licensed her image to the company, allowing them to take such liberties.

Spoilers end here.

Joan and Salma, canvas and paint alike, have absolutely no ownership over how they are portrayed. And it is this question of ownership that will be more frequently asked in connection with AI tools as they develop and draw on a more diverse range of data sets.

While from a legal standpoint, the case against Joan and Salma may appear pretty watertight in the Black Mirror episode, the usage of generative AI to create content - even in its current, comparatively limited form - still poses the important question of ownership, a question that has no robust answer by way of current IP laws; Patent law generally considers the inventor as the first owner of the invention. In the case of AI, who invents? The human creates the (initial) prompt, but it is the AI tool that creates the output. An AI may also be used to prompt other AI tools, and so AI can act as both the prompt and the creator. Other parties should also be considered, such as the developers of the AI tool, as well as the owners of the data that comprise the dataset used to train the AI tool.

The latter was a key component of the reasoning behind Italy's ban of ChatGPT in April 2023. Italy banned ChatGPT for all users accessing the platform with an Italian IP due to four key points of contention. Two of these were claims by the Italian Garante (the Italian data protection authority) that OpenAI did not properly inform users that it had collected personal data and that ChatGPT did not require users to verify their age, even though the content that ChatGPT can generate is at times intended for mature audiences. ChatGPT was restored in Italy at the end of April, with OpenAI addressing these points by making their privacy policy more accessible to people before registering with ChatGPT, as well as rolling out a new tool to verify the age of users.

This event could well be a sign of things to come. As AI becomes more advanced and so too does the type of content that it can generate, the approach taken by the Italian Garante could - and, most would probably agree, should - be one taken by all data protection agencies in order to ensure that personal data used to train such algorithms cannot be misused.

Because no one wants to be Joan.

Report Coverage

IDTechEx forecasts that the global AI chips market will grow to US$257.6 billion by 2033. The report covers the global AI Chips market across eight industry verticals, with 10-year granular forecasts in seven different categories (such as by geography, chip architecture, and application). In addition to the revenue forecasts for AI chips, costs at each stage of the supply chain (design, manufacture, assembly, test & packaging, and operation) are quantified for a leading-edge AI chip. Rigorous calculations and a customizable template for customer use are provided, and analyses of comparative costs between leading and trailing edge node chips.

IDTechEx's latest report, "AI Chips 2023-2033", answers the major questions, challenges, and opportunities faced by the AI chip value chain. For further understanding of the markets, players, technologies, opportunities, and challenges, please refer to it.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

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Drilling resumes with rigs at the South Pond and 463 Zone target areas

ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Sokoman MineralsCorp. (TSXV:SIC)(OTCQB:SICNF) ("Sokoman" or the "Company") today provides the following update on the Moosehead project, including the re-commencement of the 100,000 m+ Phase 6 diamond drilling program, proposed summer work plans, and an update on the structural model.

Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman says: "Several programs were active during a recent pause in drilling including re-examining a large number of earlier holes to garner more structural and mineralization details; re-visiting the structural model with Dr. Coller (ongoing); and reconnaissance-level soil sampling over relatively unexplored areas of the property. We have also commenced a review of historical geophysical surveys to pull additional targeting information from, as well as consideration of possibly completing additional geophysics at Moosehead. We are truly excited by the ongoing work of Dr. Coller who has defined the footwall environment as a prime target area for high-grade vein zones similar to MH-22-463. This also explains several other historical "isolated" hits in the footwall that could never really be properly explained or fit in with the model at the time."

The summer diamond drilling program started on June 12 with two drill rigs.

Targets for the first drill include testing a potential extension of a high-grade shoot that plunges north from the 75 Zone to where hole MH-21-263 intersected 4.80 m @12.86 g/t Au from 184.10 m. Three holes are planned for this section and then the rig will move to South Pond, following up on previously reported drilling including intersections in MH-20-123 (5.00 m @ 26.87 g/t Au) and MH-20-141 (4.20 m @ 64.00 g/t Au). The South Pond Zone remains open to depth. Recent re-modeling of mineralized zones at Moosehead suggests that the intersection in MH-21-344 (previously reported 2.27 g/t Au over 4.0 m including 9.70 g/t Au over 0.50 m), may be linked to the South Pond Zone at depth. The intersection in MH-21-344 is 200 m down plunge from the current modeled South Pond Zone. At least six holes totaling 1500 m -1800 m are proposed for the South Pond drilling.

Targets for the second drill rig include testing the down plunge and northern extensions of mineralization in the 463 Zone area. This is where MH-22-463 returned 39.60 m @ 12.50 g/t Au including 10.5 m @ 41.97 g/t Au (see December 15, 2022 press release), and where MH-23-519 intersected a 1.4-metre wide zone of visible gold-bearing quartz veining that returned 12.41 g/t Au (from 409.75 m downhole) 56 m down plunge from hole MH-22-463 and which remains open to the south and to depth (see April 13, 2023 press release). The initial drilling will test 20 m - 50 m below MH-23-519 with four to five holes totaling 2,000 m proposed for the 463 Zone target area. Additional drilling in the general footwall environment will be proposed to the current 463 Zone depth of 450 m pending the results of the initial drilling.

Drill Plan Map

Diamond drilling and/or trenching (depending on overburden depth) will investigate other areas on the property testing soil geochemical anomalies in the southwestern and northern portions of the property, generated from winter sampling in proximity to the Valentine Lake Shear Zone which cuts through the entire property. Gold in soil values ranging from less than detection (<5 ppb) up to 912 ppb Au were returned three km southwest of the Eastern Trend where only sparse recon drilling has been completed, and from less than detection (<5 ppb) to 279 ppb Au 1.7 km northeast of the Eastern Trend where no previous drilling has taken place. For reference, the highest historical soil sample value found on the property was 425 ppb Au.

A revised structural interpretation has just been received from Dr. Coller who states, "The splitting out of the veins and shears/faults makes the primary and deformed vein pattern visually much clearer and there is an emerging significance of the vein trends in the footwall to the Eastern trend, which are highly oblique to main shears. These are the 463-type veins and a similar trending vein nearer surface. It was suggested that these veins may be linkages between two shear structures which may be duplicated. Several large areas with no drill testing relatively at shallow depths were identified."

"On a larger scale, the gold mineralization at Moosehead appears to be associated with a NE-trending, regional tectonic contact that lays to the south of the currently outlined vein system. The geological interpretation of this contact is the Valentine Lake structure, a SE-dipping thrust/reverse fault (which could be the structural hanging wall to the south), and a SE-dipping gold vein system. This tectonic structure is somewhat obscure in the magnetics, is not well defined on surface, and the limit of mineralization and actual structural corridor requires further work to be defined."

"It is believed that this type of structure, present at Moosehead, is similar to that seen at Newfound Gold's Queensway property where the veins dip opposite to the main fault. The Newfound Gold model could be a useful structural template for the regional Moosehead system and a guide to regional drill spacing."

QP

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp.

About Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; the 100% flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, as well as Crippleback Lake (available for option); and East Alder along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The Company also entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale, joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls, independently and through the Benton alliance, over 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada's newest and rapidly-emerging gold districts. The Company also retains a 1% NSR interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White Metal Resources Inc.), and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.

Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.

The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for past financial support of the Moosehead Project through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.

For further information, please contact:

Sokoman Minerals

Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO

Phone: 709-765-1726

Email: tim@sokomanmineralscorp.com

Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director

Phone: 416-868-1079 x251

Email: cathy@chfir.com

Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com

Twitter: @SokomanMinerals

Facebook: @SokomanMinerals

LinkedIn: @SokomanMinerals

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.

Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward- looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.

SOURCE: Sokoman Minerals Corp.

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Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MONACO, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovering alternative energy sources to power the maritime industry. It is the purpose of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco. For four days 31 international universities and some 50 teams compete at sea in a range of contests aiming to build, on the long run, the yachting of the future. As part of the collective 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting' approach, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge continues to assert its position as a key player in the environmental transition. But it is also the occasion for many key industry actors to check on the newest ideas in terms of propulsion.

Among these there is Monaco Marine, a company established in Monaco 30 years ago and specialised in refit and maintenance of yachts. "It is very important to encourage youth and sustainable solutions to be implemented in yachting therefore we're here to support all the people involved in this event," explains Monaco Marine chief commercial officer Tanguy Ducros. Alongside the challenges there's also space to think about the future with a special Job Forum, aiming to help the students find a future job. Some other industries such as SBM Offshore chose to support a team taking part to the competition. It is the case of the Sea Shakti Indian team and their boat Yali built up with a hydrong fuel cell, a lithium battery and also an own-made electric propulsion system. "As SBM we are traditionally present at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, which marks this year the 10th anniversary. We're present in multiple forms. First and foremost we're one of the main sponsors of the event, we have our boat which races in the Energy class, we support for the second year in a row the team from India which is our competitor in the same category, as our company has a branch located in Bengaluru. Finally this year we have the coincidence to have here the Normand installer, which is a quite large installation vessel that we own and operate together with Solstad. It is in transit and is directed to Marseille in order to install the first floating offshore with in the Mediterranean," says SBM general manager Francesco Prazzo. Also, Oceanco decided to support a French team competing in the Energy class, team 'Nereides'. "We've been supporting the challenge for many years but this year we've increased our involvement. We're mentoring a team and secondly we've actually contributed with a fuel cell for the team that takes part to the challenge. What's happening here it's a laboratory for us because you have the universities and the students trying out different propulsion and innovations and I think it's a very good way to test things," added Paris Baloumis, Oceanco group marketing director. The international group Palumbo with his Marseille shipyard CEO Antonio Palumbo "believes in new generations, especially when it comes to sustainability, because we believe they'll be the main characters in the future of this sector". From their point of view, the students appreciate the opportunity of thinking ahead in life while being at the Challenge. "Having the chance to talk to some of the main players in the industry is fundamental for us to be able to navigate the career world. Being able to take part to the race and at the same time to get to talk to some of the most representative industry in this world is fantastic," says Daniele, 29 years old, from Messina University. "It is interesting to understand how a job interview works. It's a very useful initiative and if now I was graduating I will consider it one of the main reasons to take part in the Challenge for sure," adds Iacopo, 21 years old, from Bologna University.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

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MONACO, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The curtain falls on the 10th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. For four days, at the Yacht Club de Monaco, 31 international universities and some 50 teams coming from 25 nations, such as the United States, France, Indonesia, India, Italy and Germany, competed at sea in a range of contests with the aim of testing alternative energy sources to power the maritime industry of the future. The winner of the Energy Class for the third year in a row is the Italian team UniBoat from Bologna University and in the Solar Class first place went to team Sunflare.



"I think we are at a very good international level. We had a Job Forum which is a way for young people taking part in this competition to find a job in the future. We also had some investors who are looking for new technologies for yachting, marinas, ships and that is very important for us. Monaco has once again confirmed its role of Capital of Advanced Yachting involving young generation and their vision of the future," said YCM general secretary Bernard d'Alessandri.

Three the categories in this tenth edition: Solar Class, Energy Class and Open Sea Class.

The winner of the Energy Class is the Italian team Uniboat of Bologna University. "The race went very well," says Federico Vanzini, the team's pilot. "We proved that we brought here an improved product and won because of our great reliability. I wanted to thank the whole team, especially those who have upgraded the boat through the years taking it to the level it is now at. The endurance race on Friday was incredible with a very rough sea but we found out to have an absolutely reliable and strong boat and we headed to a clear victory. Today it was tougher: the Greeks of the Oceanos team (arrived second) built a very strong boat and gave us a hard time. It was tough competition until the last minute."

As previous times, UniBoat team kept a multihybrid propulsion on their boat 'Futura' with battery plus hydrogen tanks and solar panels. This year the team implemented also the 'Adas' technology in order to, with the help of a stereo vision camera, recognize objects in the sea and permit an autonomous drive system. Second place went to 'Oceanos' team of Athens University and third place in the category went to UniGenova, at their debut in the competition. The Italian team from Genova was also awarded the 'Eco conception price'.

First place in the Solar Class, dedicated to solar energy, went to Dutch team Sunflare.

"We consist of a team of 7 members and this is actually the fifth time that we won the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in the Solar Class. In the beginning we still had glass solar panels then we switched to lighter solar panels, we added some hydrofoils, made the boat more stable and added few smaller upgrades. We're currently developing a new battery so we get the capacity that we can have. Next year we're going to be here with a new boat so that's our future plan," says the team pilot Gerlof Werkman.

From the jury point of view, chaired by EODev CEO Jeremie Lagarrigue, the event offers an interesting perspective on the future of the sectors. "I think the Yacht Club de Monaco with this event has really seen a long way on when the industry should be going and I think they are really going in the right direction. It's interesting for us in terms of the perspective of materials that are being used and the different energy propulsion systems to be here. I think for the industry itself it's a very good breeding ground for new ideas and innovations," adds One Ocean Foundation general secretary and member of the jury Jan Pachner. Supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Credit Suisse, BMW and SBM Offshore, the event has attracted the attention of important shipyards such as Oceanco, Ferretti Group, Monaco Marine, Sanlorenzo, Lurssen and Palumbo SY Refit.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

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Concurrent with SEMICON West, FLEX Conference 2023 to Spotlight Flexible Hybrid Electronics Innovations

SAN FRANCISCO, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Critical semiconductor industry topics will take center stage at SEMICON West 2023, opening tomorrow with leading CEOs gathering at the Moscone Center in San Francisco for the latest insights into industry growth opportunities, sustainability, and workforce development. The July 11-13 event, North America's premier exhibition and conference for the microelectronics supply chain, will also feature presentations and executive panels on other key industry topics with thought leaders from the electronics design and manufacturing ecosystem, academia, and government.

Concurrent with SEMICON West at the Moscone Center, FLEX Conference 2023 will showcase flexible hybrid electronics innovations from public-private partnerships formed by SEMI Technology Communities SEMI-FlexTech, SEMI-NBMC (Nano-Bio Materials Consortium) and SEMI-NextFlex.

Registration for both events is open.

SEMICON West 2023 Highlights

Before the show floor opens, each day of SEMICON West 2023 will kick off with CEO Summit presentations on Path to $1T, Path to Net Zero and Path for Talent.

Day 1 - July 11

CEO Summit: Path to $1T

Welcome by Joe Stockunas, President of SEMI Americas, and opening remarks by Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI

SEMI International Board Message - Axcelis Technologies

Keynotes:

The Virtual Path to a Trillion-Dollar Reality - Lam Research

-

Keys to Creating $1T in Shared Value - Tokyo Electron Limited

-

Compound Semiconductors: Taking Center Stage - Coherent

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Navigating the Semiconductor Supply Chain Transformation - DHL Supply Chain

-

Combining Accuracy and Throughput for Next Semiconductor Industry Challenges - DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH

- Climate Equity and Social Impact Session

FLEX Conference Keynotes

Simplifying the IC Ecosystem - Pragmatic Semiconductor

- The Very Big Picture on Materials: All of the Options Fit to Print - Rice University

- Advancing Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME) for Heterogeneous Integration - Meta Reality Labs

Other Sessions and Networking Opportunities

Executive Panel - Navigating Supply Chain Uncertainty: How Do You Build Agile Supply Chains? - Representatives from Dell, Intel, KLA, McKinsey & Company and Resilinc will examine government investment in chip manufacturing and supply chain resilience.

TechTALKS

Sustainable Synergy: Balancing Semiconductor Growth and Environmental Responsibility



Enabling New Products with Advanced Substrates

Networking Events:

SEMI Corporate Savings Program Wine and Cheese Mixer



New: SemiSisters Reception - SemiSisters is a group of female semiconductor engineers, scientists, technologists, market analysts, executives, marketing and public relations professionals and journalists.

SemiSisters Reception - SemiSisters is a group of female semiconductor engineers, scientists, technologists, market analysts, executives, marketing and public relations professionals and journalists.

SEMI Standards 50th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

Day 2 - July 12

CEO Summit: Path to Net Zero

Welcome by Mousumi Bhat, Ph.D., VP of SEMI Sustainability Programs, and opening remarks by Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI

Keynotes:

Pursuing Sustainable Growth - Intel Corporation

-

A Collaborative Pathway to Net Zero - Applied Materials



Showing Our True Colors: Co-Creating a Brighter Future for the Chip Industry - Schneider Electric

-

Inventing What's Next in Sustainable Computing - IBM

- Sustainability & EHS Forum

SEMI Sustainability Wall of Fame - Recognition of semiconductor value chain leaders inspiring the Path to Net Zero

SEMI Sustainability Award - Recognition of outstanding efforts to launch the Semiconductor Climate Consortium

America's Path Forward in Semiconductors

Focusing on government support of the U.S. semiconductor industry, representatives from the Arizona Commerce Authority, BDO USA, Boston Consulting Group, Compass, Covington & Burling, mySilicon, the State of Indiana, and the U.S. Department of Commerce will present.

Other Sessions and Networking Opportunities

TechTALKS

Latest Trends in Sensorization



Heterogeneous Integration: HPC and Hyperscale Computing

Bulls & Bears panel with experts from Bernstein Research, Jefferies, Parnassus Investments, Reuters Network, and Tudor Investment Corporation

and Networking events:

Sustainability & EHS Forum Reception



SEMI Member Breakfast



Global Automotive Advisory Council (GAAC)



Advanced Packaging & Heterogeneous Integration



MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG)



Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG)



Workforce Development



Smart Manufacturing



Smart Mobility

Day 3 - July 13

CEO Summit: Path for Talent

Welcome by Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI , and opening remarks by Shari Liss, Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation

, and opening remarks by Shari Liss, Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation Keynotes:

One Trillion Reasons to Join Our Industry - Axcelis Technologies

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Building the Future: Workforce Development in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry - SkyWater Technology

-

Transforming Pathways to Transformative Semiconductor Careers - University of California, Berkeley

- Chip In Roadtrip Nation Panel - Accenture, Aeris LLC, Roadtrip Nation, SEMI Foundation, and University of Texas Austin

Roadtrip Nation Panel - SEMI Foundation Excellence in Achievement Award - Recognition of significant contributions to global microelectronics industry workforce development and diversity, equity and inclusion

Other Sessions

TechTALKS

Accelerating the Pace of Lithography and Scaling Innovation

Startups for Sustainable Semiconductors

Test Vision Symposium

On Days 2 and 3, the Test Vision Symposium will bring together industry experts to explore the future of test, discussing upcoming trends, innovations, and industry requirements.

New this year at SEMICON West are the local Taste of San Francisco cuisine and a daily networking happy hour.

FLEX Conference 2023

FLEX Conference will feature keynotes, startup and venture capitalist panel discussions, technical sessions and product-based demonstrations highlighting the latest innovations in flexible hybrid electronics, printed electronics and advanced packaging including heterogeneous integration.

"FLEX will showcase advancements in next-generation electronics packaging accelerating industry growth," said Melissa Grupen-Shemansky, CTO and Vice President of Technology Communities at SEMI. "Companies pushing the boundaries of heterogeneous integration will join FlexTech, NBMC and NextFlex innovators as they present cutting-edge research and development to advance industry technical knowledge through papers, posters, and product information."

Design Automation Conference (DAC), the premier gathering focused on the design and design automation of electronic circuits and systems, will co-locate with SEMICON West 2023.

Follow SEMICON West on LinkedIn and Twitter: SEMICONWest

About SEMI

SEMI connects more than 2,500 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA), the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and SOI Consortium are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities. Visit www.semi.org, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more.

Association Contact

Michael Hall/SEMI US

Phone: 1.408.943.7988

Email: mhall@semi.org

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Catalina Behavioral Health unveils comprehensive guides to Cigna and BCBS rehab coverage and announces in-network Aetna addiction treatment services. The guides provide crucial information on coverage eligibility and treatment options, while the new partnership with Aetna aims to make high-quality addiction treatment more accessible.

Tucson, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Catalina Behavioral Health, a leading provider of addiction treatment services, is pleased to announce the release of its comprehensive guides to Cigna and BCBS rehab coverage. Additionally, the company is excited to reveal its new in-network Aetna addiction treatment services for Arizona residents and Aetna policyholders nationwide struggling with mental health or substance use disorders.

Catalina Behavioral Health Releases Comprehensive Guides to Cigna and BCBS Rehab Coverage, In-Network Aetna Addiction Treatment Services



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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With a rise in substance use disorders, particularly in regards to fentanyl and meth, across the nation, Catalina Behavioral Health remains committed to providing effective treatment solutions. Understanding the complex landscape of insurance coverage, the company has developed comprehensive guides that focus specifically on Cigna and BCBS coverage for drug and alcohol rehab, as well as mental health treatment. These guides aim to inform individuals seeking such services about the available options within their insurance plans.

Catalina Behavioral Health recognizes the importance of clear and concise information when navigating insurance coverage for addiction treatment. The newly released guides provide detailed insights into the coverage offered by both Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield. They include information on the types of treatment services covered, such as medically supervised detoxification, inpatient or residential rehab, outpatient programs, and medication-assisted treatment or MAT.

These guides also outline the specific criteria for coverage eligibility, including deductible amounts, co-pays, and limitations on out-of-pocket expenses. By presenting this information in a user-friendly format, Catalina Behavioral Health aims to assist individuals and their families in making informed decisions regarding behavioral health treatments in all their forms.

In addition to the comprehensive guides, Catalina Behavioral Health is thrilled to announce its new in-network Aetna addiction treatment and mental health treatment services. Being in-network with Aetna allows individuals with Aetna insurance plans to access Catalina Behavioral Health's extensive range of addiction treatment services at a more affordable cost.

The company's experienced team of addiction specialists and healthcare professionals is dedicated to delivering personalized care and evidence-based treatment modalities that have proven to be effective.

Catalina is quickly becoming renowned in Arizona and throughout the Southwestern US for its commitment to excellence in behavioral health. The company understands the significance of providing comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals battling addiction. With a focus on evidence-based practices, Catalina Behavioral Health ensures that each client receives tailored treatment plans that address their unique needs and circumstances.

Catalina Behavioral Health is a leading treatment provider with a proven track record of delivering exceptional care. The organization's mission is to empower individuals to overcome mental illness and/or addiction and lead fulfilling lives.

Catalina Behavioral Health's release of comprehensive guides to Cigna rehab coverage and BCBS rehab coverage, along with the announcement of in-network Aetna addiction treatment services, exemplifies the company's commitment to assisting individuals on their journey to recovery.

By equipping individuals with valuable information about insurance coverage options and offering affordable treatment solutions, Catalina Behavioral Health aims to continue making a positive impact in the lives of those struggling and in need of support.

About Us: Accredited and Accessible Mental Health and Addiction Treatment for Arizona.

Contact Info:

Name: Eduardo Reyes

Email: contact@catalinabh.com

Organization: Catalina Behavioral Health

Address: 6599 N Oracle Rd Tucson AZ 85704

Phone: 5209992560

Website: https://catalinabehavioralhealth.com/

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/748179109/85eb06bdaa?

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172125
Colombia attracts investments with its prosperous business environment for the development of KPO and BPO, a sector that contributes 3.5% to the GDP and promotes social equity.

Kearney positions Colombia on the global podium of the BPO industry: 8% and 18% growth in 2022, and third place in the Global Services Location Index 2021.

Colombia has become one of the most important global destinations for BPO and KPO operations, with an 8% and 18% growth in exports in 2022, according to the BPrO's 2022 BPO Sector Data Report. The country has demonstrated a prosperous business environment and a strong commitment to attracting investments that seek social equity and align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, Kearney consultancy ranked Colombia in third place in the 2021 Global Services Location Index, recognizing its prominent position in the BPO industry. Moreover, the country topped the 2022 Offshore BPO Confidence Index.

Colombia is regarded as one of the most important destinations for BPO and KPO operations globally, with exports of these services surpassing USD 1.98 billion in 2022, as per the data compiled by DANE in the 2023 MARO Colombia Productiva Quarterly Sample of Foreign Trade in Services (MTCES), showcasing consistent growth in the sector, surpassing the USD 1 billion mark recorded in 2018. BPO alone contributed 3.5% to the Colombian GDP in 2021. The reasons behind this success include a prosperous business environment, a consolidated ecosystem of partners and companies, and a strong commitment to attracting investments in pursuit of social equity and the Sustainable Development Goals.

"The Government prioritizes efforts to promote investors' contribution to regional economic growth while focusing on reducing inequality, promoting gender equality, and fostering peace," said Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia, the country's promotional agency under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. "These initiatives aim to position Colombia as a prominent player on the global stage," she added.

Colombia counts on significant international actors considering the country as an attractive market for the outsourcing industry, including Amazon, CloudTask, Teleperformance, Tata Consultancy Services, Grupo Konecta, Accedo Technologies, and Mercado Libre, among others. Additionally, the BPO sector in Colombia receives support from important governmental entities and institutions to drive industry development, such as MinTIC, ProColombia, SENA, and Colombia Productiva. Private sector associations like BPrO, ANDI, COLCOB, and the Colombian Credit Ecosystem also contribute to the sector's growth.

One of the great opportunities is offered by the immense scalability capacity and low operating costs throughout the industry. Colombia has the third-largest market in the region, allowing for scalability of supply, as it is also the third most populous country in Latin America. Several cities in Colombia, each with over 500,000 inhabitants, enable companies to carry out their operations in different regions, in addition to six metropolitan areas with over one million inhabitants each: Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, and Cartagena, according to DANE. This has made the sector one of the largest job creators in the country, as it exceeded 705,000 jobs by the end of 2021, according to MARO Colombia Productiva, 2022.

In Colombia, there are professionals and technicians with a wide range of skills and competitive technologies for the development of BPO operations. The salary variation analysis by sector and industry in Total Rewards 2021 by Human Capital demonstrates Colombia's competitiveness in terms of sectoral salaries in the region. Additionally, according to the IMD World Talent Ranking, Colombia ranks second in Latin America in terms of availability of skilled workforce. The country has over 1.38 million people with English language skills, according to the Invest in Bogota report from August 2021. Moreover, Colombia has a solid educational system, with over 390 accredited undergraduate programs and 260 accredited high-quality graduate programs, as verified by the National Information System for Higher Education (SINIES).

The country also excels in infrastructure aspects, especially in terms of internet connectivity, facilitated by submarine cables, communication lines, airport facilities, and commercial spaces. This infrastructure development has led to the emergence of second and third-tier cities, which have gained importance in the BPO industry, thereby strengthening communities in various regions of the country. According to Cable.uk.co, Colombia has the lowest internet connectivity costs in the region, surpassing countries like Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Jamaica.

Furthermore, the strategic location of the country in the Americas facilitates communication with relevant markets in the region, enabling timely customer service. Colombia is situated in the center of five time zones, which benefits businesses with important economic centers such as New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, or Miami. From Colombia, it is possible to travel to major cities in the Americas in less than six hours by plane. Currently, the United States is the main destination for BPO and KPO services exports from the country (57.1%).

Investors can see that Colombia offers great export opportunities in the sector and provides a diverse range of options in voice BPO centers for marketing, collections, sales, customer service, and call centers. Additionally, non-voice BPO centers are engaged in back-office operations, outsourcing of financial and accounting services, human resources, logistics services, and help desk support.

Moreover, the country is witnessing the growth of KPO operations in fields such as engineering, telemedicine, research and development, graphic design, legal services, and medical transcription, making this juncture a unique opportunity to invest in the country and enhance profitability in a safe and prosperous environment. From 2015 to 2021, over 100 investment projects have been identified, surpassing USD 300 million in capital, mainly coming from countries such as the United States, France, and Spain, according to FDI Markets.

Know the offer that Colombia has in the BPO sector here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230707114976/en/

Contacts:

For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact:

Name: Alvaro Salazar

Email: asalazar@procolombia.co

Position: Colombia Advisor BPO Sector Leader

Country: Colombia Bogota

Name: Angelica Camacho

Email: acamacho@procolombia.co

Position: Export Advisor

Country: United Kingdom
4 th CAA patient in Europe in the rare disease LCAT deficiency also known as Norum disease

Scientific consistency and coherence of clinical data from first 3 patients

Treatment safety and tolerability data as positive as ever

Constructive discussions with European regulatory authorities to define a fast-track clinical development pathway for CER-001 for patients with this rare disease

Treatment of LCAT deficiency or Norum disease presents a major medical challenge, given the disease's constant progression and rapid renal decline even following kidney grafting

Regulatory News:

ABIONYX Pharma, (FR0012616852 ABNX PEA PME eligible), a new generation biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapies based on the world's only natural recombinant ApoA-I, announces that the company has been granted a new Compassionate Access Authorization (CAA) in Europe for CER-001 in the rare, untreated kidney disease LCAT Deficiency.

This is the fourth patient suffering from LCAT deficiency to be granted Compassionate Access to CER-001, in development by ABIONYX Pharma, in Europe. The four patients suffering from this rare disease, which has a major impact on quality of life and on lifespan, represent very different stages in the evolution of the disease, for which CER-001 may prove effective, whether or not the patients are transplanted, and whatever their age.

CER-001 would represent a unique therapeutic breakthrough for patients who need to be diagnosed as early as possible to avoid dialysis, followed by one or more transplants during their lifetime. The early administration of CER-001 in young patients with Norum disease could have a real beneficial effect on these patients, transforming their lives and, above all, delaying the end of their lives, while very significantly reducing the management of their disease, whether with dialysis or by one or more transplants.

The safety and tolerability data for this treatment are as positive as ever, with no adverse events reported for any of the patients.

Constructive discussions have been initiated with the European regulatory authorities to define a pathway for the rapid advancement of CER-001's clinical development in the patient population affected by this rare disease.

The treatment of LCAT deficiency or Norum disease is a major medical challenge, given the constant progression of the disease, leading to rapid renal decline and often premature death, and the total absence of approved treatments to slow or modify the progression of the disease.

ABIONYX Pharma continues to receive and fulfill Compassionate Access requests from hospitals around the world. The biomanufacturing of the latest and subsequent batches of CER-001 to the highest GMP quality standards will enable these requests to be met, and the clinical results of the first patients will be communicated exclusively via scientific publication.

About LCAT deficiency or Norum disease

LCAT deficiency is a rare degenerative disease affecting around 1 in 1,000,000 newborns. It is characterized by renal failure and hemolytic anemia, sometimes by corneal opacities, and biochemically by severely reduced HDL-cholesterol levels. It is caused by mutations in the LCAT gene, whose enzymatic activity catalyzes the formation of cholesterol esters in lipoproteins. Accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in the body, notably in the cornea, red blood cells and kidneys, leads to severe degeneration and premature death. There are currently no treatment options to alter the course of LCAT deficiency, known as Norum disease after the Norwegian physician Kaare Norum who identified and studied it in the 1960s. To date there are no approved treatments for this disease.

About ABIONYX Pharma

ABIONYX Pharma is a new generation biotech company that aims to contribute to health through innovative therapies in indications where there is no effective or existing treatment, even the rarest ones. Thanks to its partners in research, medicine, biopharmaceuticals and shareholding, the company innovates on a daily basis to propose drugs for the treatment of renal and ophthalmological diseases, or new HDL vectors used for targeted drug delivery.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710845791/en/

Contacts:

NewCap

Investor relations

Louis-Victor Delouvrier

Nicolas Fossiez

abionyx@newcap.eu

+33 (0)1 44 71 98 53

NewCap

Media relations

Arthur Rouille

abionyx@newcap.eu

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen.

AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced that he will resign as the leader of the ruling VVD party, and leave politics. Rutte announced this decision at a parliamentary debate on a no-confidence motion brought by the opposition Monday. The four-party coalition government headed by the conservative leader had collapsed last week in a row over asylum policies. 'I did well and I honestly think that it is the right time [to step down],' Rutte said Monday, adding that he was leaving 'with a lot of emotion and with a lot of mixed feelings.' Rutte, who has been in power since 2010, was Prime Minister for four terms. Europe's second-longest serving leader is now heading a caretaker government until next parliamentary elections. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Eureka Lithium and Callinex Mines discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Eureka Lithium Begins Exploring Quebec Projects

Eureka Lithium Corp. (CSE:ERKA)(OTC:SCMCF)(FSE:S580) ("Eureka Lithium" or "Eureka" or the "Company"), owner of the largest lithium-focused land package in the top third of Quebec, has commenced 2023 exploration targeting the first-ever discovery of lithium-bearing pegmatite deposits in this under-explored mineral-rich region known as Nunavik.

For the full interview with Jeff Wilson and to learn about Eureka Lithium, click here.

Callinex (TSXV:CNX) Announces High-Grade Copper Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate

Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSXV:CNX)(OTC:CLLXF) is pleased to announce a high-grade copper maiden mineral resource estimate for its 100% owned Pine Bay Project (the "Project") in Manitoba.

For the full interview with Max Porterfield and to learn about Callinex Mines Inc., click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

CONTACT:

The Market Herald

marketing@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE: The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/766656/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-Eureka-Lithium-and-Callinex-Mines-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Tacora Resources Inc. ("Tacora" or the "Company") announced that it will hold a conference call on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss First quarter 2023 financial results. The financial results are available at https://www.tacoraresources.com/investors/.

To access the financial results andlogin information for the conference call, a party must pre-register and certify that it is eligible for such access. Pursuant to the indenture dated May 11, 2021, between Tacora Resources Inc., as Issuer, and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee and Notes Collateral Agent, relating to the 8.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (the "Notes"), access to the financial results and conference call will be available only to the following:

the Trustee; registered holders of the Notes; beneficial owners of the Notes; prospective purchasers of the Notes who have certified to Tacora Resources Inc. that they are "qualified institutional buyers" as defined by Rule 144A of the Securities Act or "non-U.S. persons" as defined by Regulation S of the Securities Act; securities analysts who cover or intend to cover Tacora Resources Inc. and the Notes; and market makers who make or intend to make a market in the Notes.

If you meet one or more of the criteria set forth above and would like to access, but have not yet been granted access to http://www.tacoraresources.com/investors/, please contact Investor Relations at ir@tacoraresources.com or Heng Vuong.

Investor and Analyst Contact:

Heng Vuong

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

T - +1 (416) 704-8377

E - heng.vuong@tacoraresources.com

About Tacora Resources Inc.

Tacora is a private company that is focused on the production and sale of high-grade and quality iron ore products that improve the efficiency and environmental performance of steel making and, subject to final process verification and economic assessment, the development of a high purity manganese product for advanced battery technology. The Company owns and operates the Scully Mine, an iron ore concentrate producer located in Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada with a production capacity of 6 million tonnes per year. The Company's equity investors include funds managed by Proterra Investment Partners LP; Aequor Holdings LLC; Cargill, Inc.; a fund managed by Orion Mine Finance; Titlis Mining AS; and MagGlobal LLC. 100% of the Scully Mine concentrate is purchased and marketed globally by a subsidiary of Cargill Inc. Additional information about the company is available at www.tacoraresources.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and relate to our expectations, beliefs, and intentions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed to be forward-looking. Although Tacora believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may accordingly differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, and these statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause outcomes to differ from our expectations. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects Tacora's expectations as at the date of this press release and is subject to change after such date. Tacora disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This news release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy Tacora's senior secured notes. Tacora's senior secured notes were offered solely to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to non-U.S. persons outside the U.S. under Regulations S of the Securities Act. Tacora's senior secured notes were not registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. As a result, they may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

SOURCE: Tacora Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/766657/Tacora-Resources-Inc-Announces-First-Quarter-2023-Results-of-Operations-Release-Date-and-Conference-Call
Mammoth Foundation signs collaboration agreement with Vietnam Blockchain Institute, showcasing practical implementations at GM Vietnam event for 2,000-3,000 consumers.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / On June 27th, 2023, the Mammoth Foundation has signed a collaboration agreement with the Vietnam Blockchain Institute, the leading organization in Vietnam's blockchain industry. This partnership will facilitate the implementation of Mammoth's blockchain technology in Vietnam, as well as the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan, with the goal of bringing about economic and social change in these countries.

W3W is a web3 lifestyle software that provides benefits to its users. Through NFT membership, the practical application of web3 is gaining popularity in Vietnam. Mammoth Foundation, with its huge mammoth chain and GMMT token, is constantly working with W3W to include continual technical upgrades.

On the following month, July 7th and 8th, between 2,000 and 3,000 consumers are expected to attend the GM Vietnam event, where these practical implementations will be showcased.

The recent listing of Mammoth Foundation on the renowned Gate.io exchange is a significant accomplishment. As a result of this listing, the foundation is now organizing a number of airdrop events as well as numerous marketing methods to attract and engage new users.

The recent listing of Mammoth Foundation on the renowned Gate.io exchange is a significant accomplishment. As a result of this listing, the foundation is now organizing a number of airdrop events as well as numerous marketing methods to attract and engage new users.

These initiatives seek to enhance the visibility of the Mammoth project within the cryptocurrency community.

About Mammoth Foundation.

Established in 2020, Giant Mammoth Chain INC does business as Mammoth Foundation. With its first listing on the New York virtual currency exchange Bitmart in January 2023, GMMT has gradually secured overseas exchanges such as CITEX, Deepcoin, and CoinStore enabling trading in eleven locations. They have been expanding their ecosystem through consistent efforts to secure global partners and users. They aim to apply blockchain technology to real-life applications and continue expanding their ecosystem through projects such as the NFT marketplace "EDEM," the shopping platform "Cokili," and the webtoon and web novel platform "E-Pafadise."

To learn more about The Mammoth Foundation, follow the company on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gmmt

Find The Mammoth Foundation on CoinMarket Cap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/giant-mammoth

Media Contact

Organization: Giant Mammoth Chain

Contact Person: Floy Kim&Tom An

Website: https://gmmtchain.io/

Email: g-master@gmmtchain.io

City: Seoul

Country: Korea South

SOURCE: Giant Mammoth Chain

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/766690/The-Mammoth-Foundation-Colloborates-with-the-Vietnam-Blockchain-Institude-to-Implement-Block-Chain-Technology-to-Vietnamese-Market
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Entergy Corporation

Entergy IT is excited to announce the first recipients of the new Entergy STEM college scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year. Channing Armour, Ayana Smith and Charlene Varnado, all of the New Orleans metro area, will receive a $4,000 scholarship toward their college degrees.

The scholarship program was created to support New Orleans-area current college students obtaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math. Channing, a senior attending Dillard University, is majoring in computer science. Smith, a junior at Loyola University New Orleans, is majoring in physics and planning to obtain a master's in mechanical engineering. Varnado, a senior at Grambling State University, is majoring in cloud computing.

"Before being awarded this scholarship, I didn't know how I was going to afford the resources I needed for next semester or how I was going to pay for certifications and projects to verify my knowledge. I've always been interested in the field of cybersecurity but couldn't afford to take any classes on the subject," Varnado shared. "Since I was blessed with this amazing award, I have been able to take additional classes for my major and also add cybersecurity as a second major for the fall."

"Entergy IT is proud to help these students fulfill their academic dreams," said Michael Rhymes, Entergy vice president and chief information officer. "This scholarship program will also have a positive, lasting impact on our communities and help build the local technology workforce."

Registration will open early this fall for students to apply for the 2024-25 school year scholarship. To receive the scholarship, students must be graduates of a high school located in greater New Orleans (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany or Tangipahoa parishes). They must also plan to attend one of the following universities in the upcoming school year:

Dillard University

Grambling State University

Loyola University

Southern University

Entergy IT selected New Orleans as a pilot location for the new scholarship program, with hopes to expand to other communities in Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas in the future.

Visit the Entergy STEM Scholarship webpage to learn more about the scholarship or apply in the future. The Entergy STEM Scholarship is managed by Scholarship America, a leading scholarship facilitator and partner. Entergy did not participate in the selection process

The scholarship program supports the mission of the corporate social responsibility organization of Entergy to create sustainable value for our customers, employees, communities and owners. Aligning with our business objectives, the scholarship serves as a fundamental element in developing a pipeline of future talent in our workforce to expand economic development in the region and meet our customers' needs.

'Before being awarded this scholarship, I didn't know how I was going to afford the resources I needed for next semester or how I was going to pay for certifications and projects to verify my knowledge. I've always been interested in the field of cybersecurity but couldn't afford to take any classes on the subject. Since I was blessed with this amazing award, I have been able to take additional classes for my major and also add cybersecurity as a second major for the fall.' - Charlene Vanardo, one of three recipients of the Entergy STEM college scholarship





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/766746/Entergy-IT-Announces-First-Stem-Scholarship-Recipients-for-202324-School-Year
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. ("Nevada Vanadium" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news release dated April 4, 2023, it has closed a further tranche of its previously announced private placement offering (the "Placement").

Pursuant to the Closing, the Company issued an aggregate of 742,857 Units for aggregate gross proceeds of $104,000. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one share purchase warrant with each warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional share of the Company at a price of $0.18 per share for 36 months from Closing (the "Units").

Oracle Commodity Holding Corp. subscribed for the 742,857 Units. The issuance of Units to insiders pursuant to the Offering will be considered related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as Oracle Commodity Holding Corp. is a "control person" as defined by the Securities Act (British Columbia). The Company relies on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Offering by insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization. The Company will file a material change report in respect of the related party transactions in connection with the Offering.

The securities issued pursuant to the private placement are subject to a regulatory hold period until November 6, 2023.

Proceeds of the Placement are expected to be used for project advancement, working capital and general corporate purposes.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp.

Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. is a Canadian reporting issuer, holding a 100% interest in the Gibellini Vanadium project in Nevada, United States.

To find out more about Nevada Vanadium, visit www.nevadavanadium.com.

NEVADA VANADIUM MINING CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Ron Espell"

CEO

For more information about Nevada Vanadium, please contact Investor Relations: info@nevadavanadium.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, or results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172999
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) ("Santacruz" or "the Company") ("the Company" or "Santacruz") regrets to report that an employee was fatally injured as a result of underground rockfall at its Porco Mine in Bolivia on July 5, 2023.

Arturo Prestamo commented, "The health and safety of our workforce is our number one priority, and we are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and have extended our deepest condolences to the employee's family. We are providing all necessary assistance to the family and our employees during this difficult time. Our leadership, employees and contractors are committed to creating a work environment that promotes safety and zero-harm."

The underground rockfall occurred while timber supports were being replaced and no other personnel were injured. Safety personnel immediately followed mine rescue protocols to close the mine, rescue the injured employee, and informed the family and authorities. An investigation is ongoing and once completed, its conclusions and recommendations will be reviewed with key mine-site management and all staff at all mining operations to better understand what more can be done to improve Santacruz's safety performance.

About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Santacruz Silver is engaged in the operation, acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Latin America. The Bolivian operations are comprised of the Bolivar, Porco and the Caballo Blanco Group, which consists of the Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita mines. The Soracaya exploration project and San Lucas ore sourcing and trading business are also in Bolivia. The Zimapan mine is in Mexico.

'signed'

Arturo Prestamo Elizondo,

Executive Chairman

For further information, please contact:

Arturo Prestamo

Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Email: info@santacruzsilver.com

Telephone: +1 (528) 183 785707

Sabina Srubiski

Manager, Investor Relations

Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Email: info@santacruzsilver.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 351 7909

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking information

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the investigation and the Company's response to the investigation's conclusions and recommendations.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks that the investigation will not be completed or that the Company will be unsuccessful in implementing the recommendations of the investigation.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the assumption that the Company will complete the investigation and will adequately respond to the investigation's conclusions and recommendations.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172995
Arrive, an Indianapolis, IN-based smart mailbox company, raised another $1.3M in funding.

The round saw participation from 428 investors.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Founded by Dan OToole, Arrive (formerly Dronedek) is a technology company that works for last-mile delivery and pickup. Its smart Mailbox-as-a-Service platform and infrastructure solutions empower Autonomous Delivery Networks (ADNs) to operate more efficiently with secure and climate-assisted cargo space, smart alerts, and chain of custody. Capabilitiesm accessible in apps, APIs, and processes, help partners and customers get the most out of conventional carriers, couriers and ADNs.

The company now has nearly 5,000 individual investors and has raised more than $9 million in its total fundraising efforts since the company was founded in 2014. The startup now employs 15 people worldwide.

FinSMEs

10/07/2023
Good Capital, an India-focused seed-stage venture funding firm, has announced the launch of a new $50 million fund to help startups that utilize AI for marketing, consumer personalization, or business management.

Good Capital states that during the next four years, the capital will get invested with target checks of up to $1.5 million. According to The Economic Times, the VC company made excessively early investments in unicorn businesses including Meesho and LEAD School. From investors including Accel Partners, Elevation Capital, General Catalyst, and Lowercarbon Capital, the massive of the venture capital firms portfolio firms from its inaugural fund have obtained further financing.

The fund intends to invest in Indian entrepreneurs leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology for distribution, personalization, and business operations. Over the following four years, Good Capital intends to use the new fund, writing checks with a maximum value of US$1.5 million.

Similar to the platform change to mobile in the past, Arjun Malhotra, partner at Good Capital, claims that the future of digital enterprises will rely on how they utilize AI.

He explained that the fund is not just AI-focused but also recognizes the right time for entrepreneurs to employ AI to gain a competitive edge. Over the following four years, Good Capital intends to use the new fund with checks up to US$1.5 million in size.

Earlier investments of Good Capital

Good Capital finances emerging Indian IT companies. In 2019, Arjun and Rohan Malhotra, the creators of Investopad, established the venture capital business. Good Capital invests in various industries, but they give software that supports intermediaries, dealers, and micro-SMEs top priority. If you have an idea of investing in jewelry then, buy them with the most trusted jewelers like Moissaniteco.com.

Our first investors were Rohan and Arjun, Co-founder and CEO of Meesho, Vidit Aatrey, stated in a statement. They have a fantastic worldwide network of business owners, operators, and financiers. They provided us with introductions to these individuals very early on; they offered not just finance but also, and perhaps more crucially, excellent operational insights that helped us learn quickly and discover product-market fit more quickly.

They continue to be close confidants even though Meesho has expanded from 2 persons to over 1,000! Some of its portfolio companies, according to Malhotra, have raised money from prestigious VC firms. OrangeHealth, SimSim, which Google acquired, and SolarSquare, which secured a $13 million Series A financing led by Lowercarbon and Elevation Capital, are just a few examples of companies that received Series A funding.

Rohan Malhotra, co-GP of Good Capital, said, We invest with tremendous conviction since we are lead investors in every venture we make. AI is a given in todays startups; it is a must. The future of internet companies will rely on how they use AI, just as how platforms shifted to mobile in the past, according to Malhotra.

It isnt so much an AI-focused fund as it is a recognition of a land-grab opportunity where entrepreneurs using AI wisely will have the advantage. Even though Indian tech companies secured a record $10.5 billion in funding in 2018, the number of deals they participated in and the amount of funding they got fell for early-stage businesses.

Arjun and Rohan Malhotra quit their careers in Silicon Valley and London in late 2013 to look at chances in India. To network with local company founders and product managers and create a community where members could share insights, the brothers founded Investopad a year later. They sent early payments to other companies along the way, including HyperTrack, Autonomic, which Ford purchased, and Meesho, a social commerce business that now counts Facebook as an investor. The moment has come for them to work as VCs full-time.

Early-stage firms took part in 304 transactions in 2018 and collected $916 million in funding, down from $988 million from 380 rounds in 2017 and $1.096 billion from 430 transactions the year before, according to data company Venture Intelligence.

According to an interview they gave TechCrunch last week, the brothers want to invest through Good Capitals $25 million first fund in approximately six firms a year, contributing between $100,000 and $2 million to their seed and Series A fundraising rounds.

Both SimSim and Spatial, a cross-reality platform that enables users to communicate through augmented reality, are investments that Good Capital has previously made. SimSim is a video-based e-commerce platform that aims to mimic the experience that customers have in physical stores. Additionally, Samsung Next, Uber, and Expa founder Garrett Camp have invested in Spatial.

The VC fund is open to investing in business-to-business firms, but they prefer it if these companies get developing products for international markets.

Instead of addressing issues for heavy-duty sales firms, we often target creators, developers, and designers.

The introduction of Good Capital should benefit the startup ecosystem in India, which now depends on a small number of VC funds that finance early-stage businesses. Moorjani stated in a statement that traditionally, funds have replicated US businesses and models and targeted the top of the pyramid by exploring obvious opportunities.
Solenis has completed its acquisition of Diversey for $4.6 billion.

Solenis, a Wilmington, DE-based manufacturer of specialty chemicals used in water-intensive industries, completed the acquisition of Diversey, a Fort Mill, SC-based provider of hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning products.

The amount of the deal was $4.6 Billion.

With the acquisition, Solenis has grown to an enterprise operating in over 130 countries with 71 manufacturing facilities and more than 15,000 employees. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Solenis was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2021. Bain Capital, the majority shareholder of Diversey, will hold a minority stake in Solenis as a result of this transaction.

Diversey develops and delivers hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning products and technology serving more than 85,000 customers in over 80 countries with a network of almost 9000 employees globally.

Led by CEO John Panichella, Solenis is a producer of specialty chemicals, focused on delivering sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries, including the pulp, packaging paper and board, tissue and towel, oil and gas, petroleum refining, chemical processing, mineral processing, biorefining, power, municipal, and pool and spa markets. Its product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids and functional additives, as well as monitoring and control systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact and maintain healthy water.

The company has 49 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over 6,500 professionals in 130 countries across six continents.

FinSMEs

10/07/2023
In todays competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for the success of any organisation.

Employee benefits play a significant role in creating a positive work environment, enhancing employee satisfaction and fostering loyalty.

Notably, Centric HR has reported the average cost to replace an employee in the UK is between six to nine months of salary therefore companies are recognising the importance of offering comprehensive and impactful employee benefits to retain staff.

In this article, we will explore some of the most effective employee benefits that organisations can provide to their staff to meet their evolving needs and expectations.

Health Insurance for Employees and Their Families

Among the many appealing employee benefit schemes, health insurance consistently stands out as a top priority for job seekers and current employees alike.

A comprehensive health insurance plan not only provides financial protection against unforeseen medical expenses, but also demonstrates the companys commitment to the health of its employees and their families.

Robust health insurance plans can cover a wide range of services, including preventive care, mental health support and maternity benefits, offering peace of mind to employees and improving their overall well-being.

Generous Time Off Policies

In the modern work environment, work-life balance is highly valued. Companies that prioritise employee well-being understand the importance of providing generous time off policies.

This includes paid holiday days, personal days and parental leave. Giving employees adequate time to relax, recharge and spend quality time with their loved ones contributes to higher job satisfaction, increased productivity and reduced burnout.

Flexibility for Family Commitments

With more employees balancing professional and personal responsibilities, flexibility has become a key factor in employee satisfaction. Offering flexibility for child care responsibilities and family commitments allows employees to attend important events or handle unforeseen situations without compromising their work responsibilities.

Flexible work hours, remote work options and compressed workweeks are effective ways to accommodate these needs.

Employee Discounts and Perks

Employee discounts and perks are not only attractive but also contribute to employee satisfaction and loyalty. Companies are increasingly partnering with external businesses to offer exclusive discounts on products and services.

These may include gym memberships, travel packages, technology purchases and more. Such benefits enhance employee morale, create a positive workplace culture and improve overall employee well-being.

Professional Development and Training Opportunities

Investing in employees professional growth and development is crucial in a rapidly evolving job market. Providing access to ongoing training programs, workshops and mentorship opportunities demonstrates a commitment to employees career advancement.

Offering continuous learning and development not only benefits employees by enhancing their skills and knowledge but also boosts employee engagement and retention.

Pension Scheme and Financial Wellness

In an era where employees prioritise their long-term financial security, retirement plans and financial wellness programs have become highly effective benefits. Offering a pension scheme, helps employees plan for their future and fosters loyalty.

Additionally, financial wellness programs that provide resources and guidance on budgeting, debt management and investment planning empower employees to make sound financial decisions.

Mental Health Support

Employers are recognising the importance of holistic well-being and are investing in wellness programs and mental health support for their employees. These programs may include initiatives such as yoga or meditation classes, counseling services and stress management workshops.

By promoting physical and mental wellness, companies create a supportive and healthy work environment that contributes to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.

Meeting Your Employees Expectations

In 2023, employee benefits continue to evolve to meet the changing needs and expectations of the workforce.

Organisations that prioritise employee well-being and offer competitive benefits are more likely to attract top talent, enhance employee satisfaction and foster a positive work culture.

By investing in the right employee benefits, companies can create an environment where employees feel valued, motivated and committed to long-term success.
Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Esai Morales, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff and Henry Czerny

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Language: English

The charismatic, charming superstar is unbeatable when it comes to delivering big-screen action spectacles with some mind-boggling stunts and indescribable swag. Whether its MI or Top Gun, the action superstar has single-handedly delivered franchise blockbusters thanks to his death-defying stunts, which take the cinematic experience to all new level.

Now, talking about the seventh part of the MI franchise, we see the return of Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, an IMF (Impossible Mission Force) agent, whose mission is to chase down a villain, who is not a person but an all-powerful artificial-intelligence threat known as Entity.

In the pre-credits sequence, this Entity fools a super-advanced Russian submarine into destroying itself following a sequence where an unattended computer monitor is shown, and a giant digital eyeball appears on the screen.

Now, Ethans mission is to find the two halves of a physical key, which can control or destroy the Entity. He is joined by tech agents Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) along with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who returns as sharpshooter along with arms dealer the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby).

So, will this IMF team find the two halves of a physical key to save the world? For that you have to watch Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One on the big screen (and mind you on the big screen).

The deadly combo of director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise has turned out to be a blessing for the MI franchise and with this part, the duo has taken it to the next level with some epic stunts along with a gripping narrative.

While Cruise shines bright as Ethan Hunt by delivering restraint and contemplative performance, the girl gang, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby impress with their presence. However, the portrayal of lead antagonist Esai Morales as Gabriel turned out to be a disappointment as a representative of the digital weapon. His presence failed to make a mark despite having some meaty scenes.

Director Christopher and superstar Tom Cruise give the audience an adrenaline rush with Death Reckoning, which will definitely make you hoot, clap and shout in the cinema halls.

Rating: 4 (out of 5 stars)

Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One releases on 12 July 2023
The tension is palpable across France. After last weeks unprecedented riots and protests triggered by the killing of a teenager by the police, there has been a brief lull so far. But the authorities are cautious. Come Friday, 14 July, the country will celebrate Bastille Day (Frances National Day) to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as a Guest of Honour. With all eyes on the country, it has banned fireworks for the upcoming festivities.

The sale, possession and transport of fireworks have been prohibited for a week in France, including the 14 July national holiday weekend. Bastille Day marks the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris more than 200 years ago, an important event during the French Revolution.

The ban on fireworks

In order to prevent the risk of serious disturbances to public order during the July 14 festivities, the sale, possession, transport and use of pyrotechnical articles and fireworks are banned until July 15 inclusively, said a government decree published in the official journal on Sunday.

The Bastille Day celebrations usually see spectacular displays of fireworks across the country. But this year, the country is breaking away from the tradition.

However, the ban which came into effect on Sunday does not extend to professionals or municipalities that are organising traditional fireworks for the Bastille Day celebrations, it added.

Fireworks turn weapons

During the week of unrest following the killing of Nahel Merzouk, the 17-year-old delivery driver of Algerian descent, fireworks were widely used by rioters against the police along with stones and bottles.

Firework rockets with velocities of up to 100 kph have become popular among protesters because of their low cost and availability. Launched horizontally, they cause damage by fires and lead to injuries and even deaths. Suppliers have reportedly been offering delivery on social media platforms like TikTok.

Earlier rioters in France use Molotov cocktails but in the 2010s fireworks became popular, especially in the urban parts of the country like Paris. Today, as soon as we are confronted with urban violence, we are almost sure that there will be fireworks, a police source told 20 Minutes, a French newspaper.

Now France fears that firecrackers could be weaponised again during the 14 July celebrations. The possession, use and sale of fireworks mortars to non-professionals are punishable by penalties of up to six-month imprisonment and a fine of 7,500 euros, according to 20 Minutes.

There will be heavy security across France on 13 July and 14 July. French prime minister Elisabeth Borne has promised massive measures to protect French people on the two days which she described as sensitive during an interview with the French daily Le Parisien. She said that people were quite worried that violence would erupt again on the national holiday.

The French government wants to avoid further tension after last weeks riots. Local officials I have met are concerned about the possibility of more incidents during the national holiday, the PM said.



Spotlight on minors

Borne also told the newspaper that the French government was considering fining the parents of minors who were involved in the violence. Today, when an adult commits an act of this nature, we can have recourse through a fixed fine. Its fast and efficient. This is not possible for minors. We are thus going to construct a provision that permits this, Borne said in the interview.

Last week, French president Emmanuel Macron proposed imposing a sort of minimum tariff from the first stupid act on the parents of minors, according to a CNN report.

Over 3,700, including at least 1,160 minors, were arrested after the violence following Nahels killing, according to official figures.

Frances interior minister Gerald Darmanin had said that children as young as 12 and 13 were detained by the police during the riots. The average of those detained was 17, the same age as Nahel.

Also read: Riots in France: How the country has a long history of racist police violence

Bastille Day and violence

In the past, Bastille Day festivities have been marred by violence and protests.

In 1953, French veterans and police killed half a dozen Algerian protesters who unfurled pro-independence banners at the 14 July parade.

In 2009, riots took place in the eastern Parisian suburb of Montreuil after the death of Mohamed Benmouna, a young Algerian man, in police custody.

In 2016, a 31-year-old delivery driver identified as Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was shot dead by police after killing 84 people, including 10 children and teenagers, and injuring scores more in a deadly Bastille Day rampage in Nice.

In 2019, the celebrations once again descended into violence and 175 anti-government protesters were arrested in Paris alone. Tear gas and baton charges were used by police on the Champs-Elysee. Demonstrators from the Yellow Vest movement had infiltrated the event. Similar protests were organised in other cities and towns.

So far, this year has seen widescale protests in France, first against Macrons pension reforms and most recently against police brutality. The government is doing all it can to ensure that the 14 July celebrations remain peaceful.

With inputs from agencies
Mother Nature unleashed her fury on Sunday, leaving north India, including the capital of the country, in a watery mess. Heavy downpour lashed Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi, which recorded its highest rainfall in a single day in July since 1982.

Scenes of chaos were witnessed all over the North  vehicles floating away like paper boats, muddy water gushing into residential and other areas, structures like temples being submerged on the banks of swollen rivers and land cave-ins.

Such was the ferocity of the rain that 18 people died in rain-related incidents. And if one thought that the weekend was the worst of it, think again. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy downpour warnings for certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

We take a closer look at just how damaging was the rain and whats in store for the North over the next few days.

A downpour unlike any other

According to the IMD, the Sunday rain exceeded 200 mm, leading to several states being put on a red alert. In fact, the Safdarjung observatory in Delhi recorded 153 mm rainfall on Saturday  its highest-ever in July in 41 years.

Explaining why the rain was so vigorous, the IMD said, There has been a strong interplay between an active western disturbance over the Himalayas and a vigorous monsoon leading to extremely heavy rains over major parts of the region.

News18 has reported that these western disturbances are rainy systems originating in the Mediterranean region, which impact the western Himalayas and bring rain.

Furthermore, the monsoon trough, which is essentially an elongated low-pressure area, has been active with its western end being south of its normal position. There is also a cyclonic circulation over central Rajasthan, all of which together have contributed to heavy rains.

Weather experts have forecast that the heavy rainfall will decrease over north India after 11 July and it will then move eastwards, bringing heavy showers to the east. The movement of the system has been slow, as it continues its interaction with monsoonal winds.

Monsoon mayhem

But how severe was the rainfall over the weekend? Delhi recorded a whopping 153 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, making it the highest amount of rain that the national capital has received in decades.

Normal life was brought to a standstill and roads and houses across areas such as Lajpat Nagar-1, Som Bazar, Najafgarh, Mayur Vihar Phase-3, Okhla Marg, and Model Town all reported heavy waterlogging.

Schools in the Delhi-NCR region have been ordered to stay shut while many companies in Gurugram and the area have asked employees to work from home.

The nations capital also recorded two deaths owing to rain-related incidents. A 30-year-old woman died in north Delhis Subzi Mandi after a wall collapsed while an auto driver died in Rohini after a tree fell on his vehicle following heavy rain.

Five other people were injured in separate incidents, police said, all caused by the record-breaking downpour the city saw during the day.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) said that the water level in the Yamuna river in Delhi is rising and is expected to breach the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday, causing more worry to the locals.

The torrential rainfall also led to people expressing their dismay and anger at the capitals poor drainage system. Several people expressed their anger at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for the situation, forcing the chief minister to cancel leaves of all staff and ask them to report to work.

In Haryana, the situation was no better with several areas complaining of massive waterlogging and flooding, prompting authorities to swing into action in the worst-hit places. A flood control room has been established amid three rivers Markanda, Ghaggar and Tangri flowing close to the danger mark.

Another death was also reported from Gurugrams Gairatpur Bas village wherein a man drowned in a pond.

The monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh led to landslides, killing five people and prompting authorities to issue a red alert of extremely heavy rains for 10 districts. Reports state that the hilly state saw 13 landslides and nine flash floods owing to the heavy rain. Moreover, 736 roads have reportedly been closed for traffic. Trains between Shimla and Kalka track have also been cancelled by the authorities.

Three family members died after a house collapsed in Shimlas Kotgarh area, whereas another perished when a makeshift house was damaged in a landslide in Kullu town. A landslide in Chamba led to the death of a fifth person, while The Quint has reported another three deaths after a car was swept away in a landslide in the Tehri Garhwal district.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also tweeted, I appeal to everyone not to go nearby any rivers or water bodies because there is a chance of further heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours everyone must be cautious and we have instructed the administration as well to take all the precautions and alert the people.

The authorities have also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in the area for two days  Monday and Tuesday.

Neighbouring Uttarakhand also witnessed heavy downpour, with three pilgrims drowning in the Ganga after their jeep fell into the river amid a landslide near Gular on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway.

Jammu and Kashmir also witnessed heavy rain, with the water level in the Jhelum river and its tributaries rising rapidly. However, the Amarnath Yatra, which had been suspended owing to bad weather, resumed through the Pahalgam route, allowing over 6,000 pilgrims to offer prayers.

Punjab was also battered by heavy rainfall with areas like Mohali, Rupnagar, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib being most affected. News agency PTI has reported that the Punjab government has directed ministers, deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police and other officials concerned to visit the affected areas and provide the required assistance to people.

Nearby Chandigarh was also drenched, receiving a record 325.5 mm level of rainfall between Saturday and Sunday morning, according to a report by Hindustan Times. It was reportedly the wettest day, as streets became waterlogged, trees were uprooted, and vehicles suffered damage.

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also witnessed widespread rainfall. In UPs Kaushambi, a 10-year-old girl died when a tree branch fell on her house following heavy showers. In Muzaffarnagar, a woman and her six-year-old daughter were killed after the roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rain.

The rainfall over the weekend in the North has led to the region witnessing a 59 per cent excess, as per latest IMD data. The cumulative rainfall in the monsoon season has reached 243.2 mm, which is two per cent above the normal of 239.1 mm.

With inputs from agencies
NATOs unity will be put to the test when leaders gather for their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, which begins on 11 July.

The worlds biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATOs next leader forced an extension of the current secretary-generals term for an extra year.

Perhaps the most difficult questions are over how Ukraine should be eased into NATO. Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfil a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict.

I dont think its ready for membership in NATO, President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview that aired on Sunday. He said joining NATO requires countries to meet all the qualifications, from democratisation to a whole range of other issues.

He said the United States should provide long-term security assistance to Ukraine  the capacity to defend themselves  as it does with Israel.

Also Read: What will happen if Ukraine joins NATO?

Bickering among friends is not uncommon, and the current catalogue of disputes pales in comparison with past fears that Donald Trump would turn his back on the alliance during his presidency. But the current challenges come at a moment when Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members.

Any fissure, any lack of solidarity provides an opportunity for those who would oppose the alliance, said Douglas Lute, US ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama.

NATO finds a new purpose in the Ukraine war

Russian president Vladimir Putin is eager to exploit divisions as he struggles to gain ground in Ukraine and faces political challenges at home, including the aftermath of a brief revolt by the Wagner mercenary group.

You dont want to present any openings, Lute said. You dont want to present any gaps or seams.

By some measures, the war in Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, which was created at the beginning of the Cold War as a bulwark against Moscow. NATO members have poured military hardware into Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive, and Finland ended a history of nonalignment to become NATOs 31st member.

I think its appropriate to look at all the success, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told The Associated Press. So, I think the invasion has strengthened NATO  exactly the opposite of what Putin anticipated.

He noted Germanys shift toward a more robust defence policy as well as an increase in military spending in other countries.

Zelenskyys push for NATO membership

The latest test of NATO solidarity came Friday with what Biden said was a difficult decision to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. More than two-thirds of alliance members have banned the weapon because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. The US, Russia and Ukraine are not among the more than 120 countries that have not signed a convention outlawing the use of the bombs.

As for Ukraines possible entry into NATO, the alliance said in 2008 that Kyiv eventually would become a member. Since then, little action has been taken toward that goal. Putin occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014 and then tried to capture the capital in 2022 with his invasion.

Also Read: It is the US that doesnt want Ukraine in NATO

A gray zone is a green light for Putin, said Daniel Fried, a former US ambassador to Poland who is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for a unified signal from NATO on Ukraine and for his country to join the alliance.

It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia, Zelenskyy said through a translator in an ABC interview, when asked whether he would come to Vilnius. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. And that is a very important point. Only under these conditions our meeting would be meaningful. Otherwise, its just another politics.

The US and Germany insist that the focus should be on supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, rather than taking the more provocative step of extending a formal invitation to join NATO. Countries on NATOs Eastern flank  Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland  want firmer assurances on future membership.

NATO could decide to elevate its relationship with Ukraine, creating what would be known as the NATO-Ukraine Council and giving Kyiv a seat at the table for consultations.

Erdogan poses hurdles to Swedens NATO bid

In the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle to Swedens attempts to join NATO alongside neighbour Finland.

Erdogan accuses Sweden of being too lenient on anti-Islamic demonstrations and militant Kurdish groups that have waged a long insurgency in Turkey.

Sweden recently changed its anti-terrorism legislation and lifted an arms embargo on Turkey. But a man burned a Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm last week, and Erdogan signalled that this would pose another hurdle. He equated those who permitted the crime to those who perpetrated it.

Turkey and the US are also at an impasse over the sale of F-16 fighter jets. Erdogan wants the upgraded planes, but Biden says Swedens NATO membership has to be dealt with first. McConnell said in the AP interview that he supports the sale of the fighter jets to Turkey provided that the membership of Sweden is settled.

Underscoring the prominence of Turkey at the upcoming summit, Biden held a lengthy call with Erdogan aboard Air Force One on the way to London. During the conversation, Biden conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to the White House.

Its not the first time that Erdogan has sought to use a NATO summit for Turkish gain. In 2009, he held up the nomination of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as secretary-general but agreed to the move after securing some senior posts for Turkish officials at the alliance.

Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who leads the Europe Program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said theres growing frustration among allies toward Erdogan, building on concerns about his ties to Putin, democratic backsliding and sanctions evasion.

Theyve tried playing nice, Bergmann said. The question is whether its time to get much more confrontational.

Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, is also delaying his countrys approval of Swedens membership. In response, Idaho Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is blocking a $735 million (Rs 6,071 crore) US arms sale to Hungary.

We dont want members who arent interested in doing everything possible to strengthen the alliance rather than the pursuit of their own or individual interests, Risch said. Im just sick and tired of it.

But he rejected the idea that these disagreements are a sign of weakness within NATO.

These are kinds of things that always arise in an alliance, he said. The fact that weve been able to deal with them and will continue to deal with them proves that this is the most successful and strongest military alliance in the history of the world.

New NATO secretary-general

At least one potentially difficult issue is off the summit agenda. Rather than seek consensus on a new NATO leader, members agreed to extend the tenure of Jens Stoltenberg, whos held the job since 2014, for a year. Its his fourth extension.

Most members wanted a woman to be the next secretary-general, and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen had been considered a favourite. But Poland insisted on a candidate from the Baltic states because there had already been two Nordic secretaries general in a row. (Stoltenberg was a Norwegian prime minister and Rasmussen was a Danish prime minister.)

Others are sceptical of accepting a nominee from the Baltics, whose leaders tend to be more provocative in their approach to Russia, including supporting Ukraines desire to rapidly join NATO.

More disagreements loom over NATOs updated plans for countering any invasion that Russia might launch on allied territory.

With inputs from AP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in France for a two-day visit starting 13 July. The trip comes when New Delhi and Paris are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

The Indian premier will be the chief guest at the Bastille Day Parade in Paris on 14 July. His visit is also expected to usher in a closer partnership between India and France in defence, space and technology.

Lets take a closer look at what Prime Minister Modi will do in France.

PM Modis France visit

The Indian prime minister will be accompanied by a business delegation of top CEOs during his France trip, reported Economic Times (ET).

According to a Hindustan Times (HT) newspaper report, Modi will address the Indian diaspora at La Seine Musicale on Thursday.

Situated on IIe Seguin island in the Seine River, La Seine Musicale is a performing arts centre inaugurated in 2017.

Following the event, French president Emmanuel Macron will host Modi at a private dinner at his official residence at Elysee Palace. The two leaders are likely to hold bilateral talks and discuss crucial global issues during the dinner, the report added.

Next day, Modi will attend the Bastille Day parade on Champs Elysees. Also known as Fete Nationale, Bastille Day is Frances national day which is observed every year on 14 July.

This year, a contingent of the Indian Army from the Punjab Regiment and Rajputana Rifles will also march in the parade. The Indian Army had fought in France and Belgium during the First World War.

A contingent from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) will also participate in the parade. IAFs Rafale fighters will be a part of the fly-past on Bastille Day, alongside French jets.

Indian Air Force contingent practises in France for the Bastille Day parade on July 14 pic.twitter.com/ECVp3zfJTW  ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2023

There will also be delegation-level discussions between the two nations, reported HT.

As per the newspaper, Macron will throw a ceremonial dinner for the Indian leader at Cour Marly courtyard at the Louvre Museum. The French president will also take Modi on a tour of the renowned museum, where the two might get clicked with Leonardo Da Vincis famous painting the Mona Lisa, reported HT.

Modi and Macron will then enjoy a fireworks display over Eiffel Tower from the Louvre museums terrace, the report added.

Cooperation in defence, space and technology

Modis visit is likely to boost defence cooperation between the two nations. As per ET, India intends to procure 26 Dassault Rafale-Maritime (M) aircraft for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier. The Indian leaders trip could result in the announcement of an agreement between New Delhi and Paris in this regard.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is expected to give a nod to an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) to acquire the fighter jets before the visit, reported ET.

India may also sign a deal for constructing three more French-origin Scorpene (Kalveri) class diesel-electric killer-hunter conventional submarines at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. India has built five Scorpene-class submarines at MDL. The sixth Kalveri class submarine, INS Vagsheer, might be commissioned next year.

As per ET, a 100 per cent technology transfer for the Shakti engine that powers Indias Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) could be on the agenda of Modis visit to France.

An announcement for developing the next-generation fighter jet engine in collaboration with French firm SAFRAN is also likely, reported The Quint.

The countries could also see cooperation in the space sector.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Frances National Centre for Space Studies have set up an Indo-French working group for Indias human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan. Discussions on expanding this collaboration are expected. The two leaders are keen on this, an official told Business Standard (BS).

India and France could also announce cooperation in 5G and 6G telecommunications systems, noted BS.

According to HT, India and France will sign a defence-industrial road map to push India to scale up its manufacturing of hardware platforms through indigenously developed engines and technologies.

With inputs from agencies
Love the way you lie, sang Rihanna and Eminem a few years ago. And it seems that if you are a millennial, then you do love to lie.

A new survey has found that of all generations, those born between 1981 and 1996  millennials 

are the biggest culprits of lying in the workplace and on social media.

What was this survey all about? What were the findings of this survey? We give you the answers, and they are not lies.

Liar, liar, liar

An online casino called PlayStar recently carried out a survey into perceptions and knowledge of lying in the United States. People associated with the survey asked a series of questions on the subject of lying across the states of Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

For the research to be wide-ranging, a total of 1,306 people were questioned  across age groups, genders and even different pay scales.

In addition to revealing who lied the most, the survey also shed light on whether women or men lied more, the reason to fib, the most common types of lies and tips to find out who is lying.

The survey has found that the biggest liars are millennials, with 13 per cent of people in the age group admitting to being dishonest at least once a day. In comparison, only two per cent of boomers  those who are born between 1946 and 1964  fibbing once a day, making them the most honest generation.

Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2021, and Gen X, those born between 1965 and 1980, are quite far apart in ages, but have honesty in common  only five per cent admitted to daily deception.

And where do the millennials lie the most? The survey also revealed that dishonesty shows up most at the workplace, especially in peoples resumes. Nearly a third of millennials, who participated in the survey, revealed that they had fabricated parts of their resume. And lying to the boss to avoid embarrassment is another reason why millennials lie  with two in five conceding to this.

This isnt surprising with another survey in 2022 revealing that 55 per cent of Americans admitting to lying at least once on their resume. And what did they lie about? The most lies were about previous work experience, followed by skills and college qualifications.

Another hotbed for deceit? Social media.

Almost a quarter of millennials (23 per cent) and one in five Gen Zers (21 per cent) said they have lied on social media this year to impress people. Science has revealed that social media has fuelled a rise in lying and today misinformation is one of the biggest scourges in the world of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms.

Interestingly, a previous survey had found that it was Gen Zers who lied the most to healthcare professionals. The October 2022 survey had revealed that 93 per cent admitting to lying to healthcare professionals, especially about their sexual histories.

Following the Gen Zers was the millennials (76 per cent), Gen X (75 per cent) and Baby Boomers at 69 per cent. And notably, while Gen Zers were dishonest about their sexual past, millennials were most likely to lie about their exercise habits. Gen Xers tended to be dishonest about their alcohol consumption, while Baby Boomers told the most lies about their eating habits.

But lying in most cases isnt meant to be harmful, revealed the survey. Of the people, 58 per cent said they lied to avoid embarrassment, while 42 per cent lied to protect their privacy. Another reason why people chose to fib  a whopping 42 per cent  was to protect someone else from being reprimanded or punished.

Also read: Meet Christopher Massimine, the theatre producer who just cant stop lying

Men are bigger liars

The survey has also revealed that women are more likely to be at the receiving end of lies. This is because men admit to lying more regularly; 26 per cent men fib once a day compared to women (23 per cent).

The survey also noted that the most common misconception about deception is that women are better at spotting it than men are.

The survey found that almost everyone  97 per cent, to be exact  is bad at identifying when someone is lying. Not only do they struggle to work out when someone is telling lies, but they also believe several myths about lying, the survey found.

Also read: Tall Tales: The truth behind children lying

Signs to catch liars

So, how exactly can we find out if someone is lying to us? Experts have stated that there are several tell-tale signs to note if a person is lying or not. Nervousness is the single-most easy way of finding out if a person is being dishonest. The study said that 85 per cent of respondents noted nervousness as a sign of lying.

A whopping 85 per cent of respondents also associated a failure to maintain eye contact as a sign of lying and this was followed by fidgeting at 63 per cent and sweating at 61.08 per cent.

Playing with ones hair, stuttering, touching ones face, overuse of hand gestures and even the rate at which one blinks their eyes are other signs one must look out for to avoid being lied to.

What about you? Have you lied on your resume or to your boss? Are you one of the millennials that is being dishonest? What happens to the honesty is the best policy adage now?

With inputs from agencies
It is quite ordinary for parents to post pictures and videos of their children online. Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a picture of his wife Priscilla Chan and their three daughters  seven-year-old Maxima, five-year-old August and infant Aurelia  on Instagram, marking the Fourth of July. However, Zuckerberg chose to hide the faces of his two young daughters with happy face emojis.

Soon, he was criticised by netizens for concealing the faces of his children while sharing the photograph as most saw this as an acknowledgment of digital privacy concerns. Instagrams parent company Meta has previously been accused of monetising user data which has resulted in personal information becoming public.

A user wrote, Even Zuck doesnt trust his platforms to put his kids faces up.

Take notes. The founder of Meta doesnt want his daughters faces posted to social media, another Instagram user commented.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck)

But it is not just Zuckerberg who is cautious while sharing content related to his children. From Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli to Orlando Bloom and Gigi Hadid, there is a list of celebrities who choose to do so.

This trend of sharing videos and photos of children by parents on social media is called sharenting, a portmanteau of the words sharing and parenting.

Lets take a look at sharenting and what are its dangers.

What is sharenting?

While the term can be traced back to the 2012 Wall Street Journal article about oversharenting, parents have been posting about their kids online even before that, noted Verywell Mind.

Leah Plunkett, author of Sharenthood says sharenting happens whenever adults in charge of a childs well-being, such as parents or teachers, share private details of a child online, as per The New Yorker.

From connecting with peers and loved ones online to feelings of validation, there are a number of reasons why adults sharent.

A study says new mothers feel supported and validated as good parents when the pictures of their infants they posted on social media receive likes and positive comments.

According to child clinical psychologist Laura Anderson Kirby, sharenting ensures that people stay connected to friends and family that live far away, as per the Verywell Mind article.

The other reason why adults sharent is because they want to showcase their pride in their childrens achievements and tell their family and loved ones about the kids lives, the article added citing researchers.

As per Plunkett, adults sharent as the digital world makes it very easy to do and even encourages it.

According to different studies, an average child has their photograph and videos shared online 1,300 times before the age of 13.

Euronews reported citing the Observatory of parenthood and digital education that around 91 per cent of parents had posted about their children online before the child reached the age of five.

Concerns about sharenting

Plunkett, who is associate dean of learning experience and innovation (LXI) at Harvard Law School,

argues that sharenting takes away the childs agency over their lives as parents share pictures and videos online without the kids consent.

According to Verywell Mind, by sharenting, parents weave a digital identity of their kids even before children can decide who or what they want to be on social media or in real life.

The content shared online by adults about children, especially embarrassing or private details about their health or behaviour, can have a real-world impact and result in bullying of the youngster, the article added.

Problems such as surveillance and privacy issues are also associated with sharenting.

Experts worry sharenting could expose kids to identity theft and facial recognition technology, as per CNN.

According to studies, by 2030, about two-thirds of identity-fraud cases plaguing todays children will be because of sharenting, reported The New Yorker.

Even if adults post a babys image online, artificial intelligence technology can be deployed to trace the changes in the face over time as well as connect the child to a picture of them when they turn older, Plunkett told CNN.

Amid various concerns, the French government banned parents from oversharing details about their children online earlier this year.

What can adults do?

Parents should ensure they do not overshare information about their kids, such as their full names, address or updates about their health.

As children reach adolescence and begin forming their own identities, parents should curb what they post about their kids, says the Verywell Mind article.

Blurring or obscuring the childs face when sharing pictures and videos is also a good practice.

Plunkett told CNN that hiding a childs face is a symbol that youre giving them control over their own narrative.

Every time you post about your kids, you are chipping away at allowing them to tell their own stories about who they are and who they want to become, she said. We grow up making mischief and more than a few mistakes and grow up better having made them. If we lose the privacy of teens and kids to play and explore, and to live and through trial and error, we will deprive them of the ability to develop and tell stories [on their own terms].

Plunkett also suggests that adults make more mindful choices about their digital lives.

With inputs from agencies
The top leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are set to meet in Lithuania tomorrow.

Perhaps the most contentious and controversial issue on the docket in the two-day meet is Russias war in Ukraine  and Kyivs chances of gaining membership to the grouping.

Lets take a closer look at why Ukraines road to NATO is getting bumpier:

A short history of relations

Ukraine and the organisation first established ties in 1991 when a newly-independent Kyiv joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council.

A few years later, Ukraine enrolled in the Partnership for Peace programme. In 1997, Ukraine and NATO signed the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership.

This set up the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) to increase cooperation.

In 2008, then US president George W Bush vowed that Kyiv would one day join NATO. The grouping also welcomed Ukraine and Georgias ambitions to join  which angered Russia.

In 2014, NATO cut off cooperating with Russia after its annexation of Crimea.

NATO then established a Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Kyiv in 2016.

In June 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament made NATO membership a strategic foreign policy and security objective.

In 2019, Ukraine amended its constitution to reflect the same.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2020 approved a new National Security Strategy which aimed at joining NATO.

In 2021, Russia declared that it was invading Ukraine.

NATO has since stated that it stands with the people of Ukraine, while Zelenskyy has repeatedly pressed the West for admission into the grouping.

Dont think there is unanimity

While NATO membership offers ironclad all for one, one for all protection, the 31 countries must agree unanimously on letting Ukraine in, and theyre not united on this.

Biden in an interview on Sunday said such matters would have to wait until the war has ended.

I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, Biden told CNN.

Biden pointed out that under Article 5 of the NATO charter, bringing Ukraine into the fold will mean war with Russia.

Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in war. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case, Biden said.

As per The New York Times, Biden added that for Ukraines membership to be considered a rational path needs to be laid out and other qualifications including democratisation would need to be met.

The Telegraph quoted Biden as saying he had spoken to Zelenskyy at length about this.

Biden added that the US would provide security a la the security we provide for Israel.

So I think we can work it out, but I think its premature to say to call for a vote now, Biden added.

Biden also spoke about the cluster munitions, saying it was a very difficult decision

But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now from their  keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont. And I think they needed them, he told CNN.

The US isnt alone.

Germany has also expressed similar fears.

A NATO source told The Telegraph, Berlin is stand-offish at the prospect of offering immediate membership.

It wants a process and time to develop guarantees to essentially block membership. Berlin doesnt want to see Vladimir Putin potentially test Article 5.

The source added that Germany would prefer to focus its attention on security assurances for Ukraine rather than NATO membership.

Sources told the newspaper that Kyiv would be offered security guarantees and that the US, Germany and France were thought to be working on bilateral offers for Kyiv.

These offers, which include weapons and training, would be signed via a Memorandum of Understanding endorsed by the EU and NATO.

Sources told the newspaper this is the next best offer after NATO membership.

This comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in June said Ukraine and its allies were still very far away from being able to secure peace in the country but added any future Western security guarantees to Ukraine needed to be different from the status of European NATO members.

Given the current situation, it is not about establishing a membership  We all have to focus on how we as individuals can support Ukraine, Scholz said at a news conference at the second meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Moldova.

Asked on possible security guarantees towards the country, Scholz added: They must be designed in such a way that they give Ukraine the security it needs against the danger of being attacked, that they also stabilise Ukraine at the same time, , and of course it is always part of the security guarantee that it is taken seriously.

What do experts say?

Some say US and Germany are right to be wary.

The United States should not guarantee Ukrainian security. Period, said Ben Friedman, policy director at Defense Priorities, told CNN. We shouldnt do so now, via NATO or otherwise (through) some sort of bilateral security guarantees, and we shouldnt do so as part of a peace deal.

Guaranteeing Ukraines security would erode US security by increasingly the risk, obviously, of war with Russia, he said. That contains the risk, of course, of nuclear escalation, and for that risk I think the United States receives basically nothing of security value.

Orysia Lutsevych, a Ukraine expert at the think tank Chatham House told The Guardian NATO has a tricky balancing act.

If NATO promises Ukraine membership when the war ends, that in a way allows Russia to procrastinate in the war, Lutsevych added. She suggested that alternative wording that hints at Ukraine joining when the security situation allows might help.

But others think chances of conflict with Russia are overblown.

John Foreman, Britains defence attache to Moscow until last year, told The Guardian Biden had misread Russian intent and overplays the risk of a widening of the conflict.

I dont believe Russia has either the capability or intent to do this. Leaving Ukraine neither in nor out of Nato will embolden Russia, Foreman added.

While NATO isnt ready for membership just yet, it is helping to train and modernize its armed forces and security institutions to ensure that the country can take its place among NATOs ranks after the war is over.

The summit will see a new forum for consultations created  the NATO-Ukraine Council.

Its unlikely that any conclusions will be drawn in Vilnius, but the summit is an important moment for leaders to flesh out what those guarantees might look like.

With inputs from agencies
A total of 35 crude bombs were recovered from a pond and a field in Beldanga area of Murshidabad on the day of the Panchayat elections re-voting on Monday.

A team of bomb disposal squad immediately reached the spot along with the local Police to neutralise the bombs, officials said.

#WATCH | West Bengal: On re-polling day of the Panchayat elections, 35 crude bombs were recovered from a pond and a field in Beldanga area of Murshidabad. A team of bomb disposal squad immediately reached the spot along with the local Police to neutralise the bombs. pic.twitter.com/oHbN2qvBxq  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

The State Election Commission (SEC) ordered repolling at 696 booths on Sunday evening amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and rioting that left 15 people dead.

The repolling started at 7 am amid tight security with four central forces personnel deployed in each booth, besides state police. Till 1 pm, 30.54 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

Voting started late in a few booths as ballot boxes did not reach on time, officials said.

These booths will be given extra time to complete the polling, they said.

In Malda, locals blocked a booth in Dogachi in Raniganj panchayat in Gazole block, preventing the repoll. Polling could not be held on Saturday too as locals boycotted the vote demanding the repair of a road.

As polling could not be held on Saturday, a repolling was ordered but that also could not be held as locals locked the booth, an official said.

A road was blocked at Tehatta in Nadia in the morning but it was later cleared by the police. Voters also demonstrated outside a booth at Mayna in Purba Medinipur district, he said.

The voting is scheduled to continue till 5 pm.

Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP submitted a list of 6,000 booths to the SEC, demanding repolling.

Actually false voting took place in 18,000 booths at the behest of the TMC. We are collecting more evidence. Our list was apparently overlooked by State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, but we are not surprised. The list of booths suddenly announced by the SEC for repoll was submitted by TMC, he claimed.

Detailed evidence backed up with ample video footage will be submitted to the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, the day of the counting of votes, he added.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh alleged that the violence on the election day was perpetrated by opposition parties.

It is TMC that has suffered the most due to this opposition-sponsored violence. Central forces did not arrive despite requisition by the SEC. Todays poll has been peaceful and it proves that SEC has taken steps to control the situation, he said.

Among the districts where repolling was being held, violence-hit Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 109, officials said.

Repolling was also being held at 89 booths in Nadia, followed by Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas (46), Uttar Dinajpur (42), South 24 Parganas (36), Purba Medinipur (31) and Hooghly (29), they said.

No repolling was ordered in Darjeeling, Jhargram and Kalimpong districts, they said.

The decision for repolling was announced after reviewing reports of violence and tampering with ballot boxes and ballot papers, they added.

Polling was held on Saturday in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections. In several places, ballot boxes were looted, set on fire and thrown in ponds, leading to violence.

A total 5.67 crore people living in the states rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the panchayat system.

With inputs from agencies.
There were no serious incidents reported as repolling began in roughly 700 booths across 19 districts in West Bengal where voting for panchayat elections had been deemed illegitimate following the unprecedented violence, officials said.

The State Election Commission (SEC) ordered repolling at 696 booths on Sunday evening amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and rioting that left 15 people dead.

The repolling started at 7 am amid tight security with four central forces personnel deployed in each booth, besides state police. Till 1 pm, 30.54 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

Voting started late in a few booths as ballot boxes did not reach on time, officials said.

These booths will be given extra time to complete the polling, they said.

No major untoward incidents were reported from the districts where repolling is underway. A couple of stray incidents happened and those were managed by the police, an SEC official said.

In Malda, locals blocked a booth in Dogachi in Raniganj panchayat in Gazole block, preventing the repoll. Polling could not be held on Saturday too as locals boycotted the vote demanding the repair of a road.

As polling could not be held on Saturday, a repolling was ordered but that also could not be held as locals locked the booth, an official said.

A road was blocked at Tehatta in Nadia in the morning but it was later cleared by the police. Voters also demonstrated outside a booth at Mayna in Purba Medinipur district, he said.

The voting is scheduled to continue till 5 pm.

Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP submitted a list of 6,000 booths to the SEC, demanding repolling.

Actually false voting took place in 18,000 booths at the behest of the TMC. We are collecting more evidence. Our list was apparently overlooked by State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, but we are not surprised. The list of booths suddenly announced by the SEC for repoll was submitted by TMC, he claimed.

Detailed evidence backed up with ample video footage will be submitted to the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, the day of the counting of votes, he added.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh alleged that the violence on the election day was perpetrated by opposition parties.

It is TMC that has suffered the most due to this opposition-sponsored violence. Central forces did not arrive despite requisition by the SEC. Todays poll has been peaceful and it proves that SEC has taken steps to control the situation, he said.

Among the districts where repolling was being held, violence-hit Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 109, officials said.

Repolling was also being held at 89 booths in Nadia, followed by Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas (46), Uttar Dinajpur (42), South 24 Parganas (36), Purba Medinipur (31) and Hooghly (29), they said.

No repolling was ordered in Darjeeling, Jhargram and Kalimpong districts, they said.

The decision for repolling was announced after reviewing reports of violence and tampering with ballot boxes and ballot papers, they added.

Polling was held on Saturday in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections. In several places, ballot boxes were looted, set on fire and thrown in ponds, leading to violence.

A total 5.67 crore people living in the states rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the panchayat system.
The Congress and other Opposition parties will break down the middle when the Uniform Civil Code will be tabled in Parliament, former Union minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Monday.

Naqvi was talking to Firstpost on the News18 UCC survey that showed that an overwhelming number of Muslim women in India want uniform laws on inheritance, marriage and divorce across age and education brackets.

The UCC survey shows the mood of the nation. The country has spoken in favour of the

Uniform Civil Code. We inherited this problem from the Congress. It had a brute majority of 400-plus seats when the Shah Bano verdict came out. Instead of using that overwhelming majority to set scale right, it used it to make the verdict ineffectual, Naqvi said.

The Congress and other parties must realise that their internal contradictions on UCC will come to the fore in the Parliament and their own members will listen to their souls and support the UCC, Naqvi added.

Naqvi told Firstpost that the Uniform Civil Code did not hurt the tenets of Islam in any way.

The UCC, as has been misrepresented by Opposition parties, is not an attack on Islam. It does not hurt any articles of faith or religion. Islam has five pillars: kalma, namaz, haj, zakat and roza. Now, I want to ask the Congress etc which of these is the UCC hurting? Naqvi quipped.

What does UCC Survey say?

A mega survey on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by News18 has found that at least 67.2 per cent of Muslim women support the common law for all Indians for matters such as marriage, divorce and adoption.

Over 8,035 Muslim women participated in the survey from 25 states and Union Territories.

The participants were 18 to 65 plus, hailing from different communities, regions, educational and marital statuses.

The promulgation of UCC will mean one law that will be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of their religion. The laws will cover personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance, among other things.

When asked if they support the common laws for all Indians, 67.2 per cent of the total women surveyed answered yes and 25.4 per cent said no while 7.4 per cent said dont know or cant say.

Notably, when the UCC was in talks, Muslim organisations in India strongly condemned them saying it would affect all religions.

In terms of educational qualifications, 68.4 per cent or 2,076 graduated women said they support UCC while 27 per cent said they do not support it.

Meanwhile, in case of age-wise responses, 69.4 per cent of women aged between 18-44 said they were in support of UCC and 24.2 per cent said they do not want common laws for all.
A flood warning has been issued by the Delhi government on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.

The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm.

Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is 352 cusecs, but heavy rainfall in the catchment areas increases the discharge. The water from the barrage takes around two to three days to reach Delhi.

The concerned authorities have been instructed to stay vigilant and take necessary action to prevent the vulnerable areas. Teams have been deployed to raise awareness among the people living near the river embankments.

The Delhi government has set up 16 control rooms, including a central control room, to monitor the flood-prone areas and the water level of the Yamuna.

Earlier in the day, the Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday.

Amit Shah speaks to Delhi LG as heavy rain continues


Ukraine is not yet ready for a NATO membership, US President Joe Biden said, adding that Russia needs to first end its ongoing invasion of Kiev, only then can the military alliance consider adding the war-torn nation to its ranks. In a CNN interview on Sunday night, the President said that although talks of granting Kiev a NATO membership was "premature", the US and its allies in the military allinace will continue to provide Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.



I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war, Biden said.



For example, if you did that, then, you know -- and I mean what I say -- were determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in war. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case.



The President said that he has spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that he has told his Ukrainian counterpart that the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.



I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO, Biden told CNN, while noting that he refused Russian President Vladimir Putins demands before the war for a commitment not to admit Ukraine because the alliance has an open-door policy.



But I think its premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because theres other qualifications that need to be met, including democratisation and some of those issues."



Biden made the remarks before embarking on a week-long trip to Europe during which he will attend the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.



The ongoing war and Zelensky's push for a NATO membership will be the main foc us of discussions at the Summit which will also be attended by the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.



Regarding Washington's announcement last week to send cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time, Biden told CNN that it was a difficult decision to give Kiev the controversial ammunition, but that he was convinced it was necessary because the war-torn country was running out of ammunition.




Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology, asserted that Foxconns decision to end its semiconductor joint venture (JV) with Indian mining giant Vedanta had no bearing on Indias semiconductor manufacturing objectives.

In September 2022, the Gujarat government signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited and Taiwans Foxconn for the establishment of a semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state with an investment of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore. Additionally, a joint venture was signed.

This decision of Foxconn to withdraw from its JV with Vedanta has no impact on Indias Semiconductor Fab goals. None, Chandrasekhar said in a tweet on Monday.

According to the minister, Vedanta and Foxconn are respected investors who are generating growth and jobs in India through their large investments.

It was well known that both companies had no prior semicon experience or Technology and were expected to source Fab tech from a Tech partner. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal, he said.

According to him, Vedanta through VFSL recently filed a 40nm fab proposal that is currently being assessed by a Tech Advisory Group and is supported by a tech licencing agreement from a global semiconductor major.

It is not for government to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can and will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and with appropriate technology partners in Semicon and Electronics, the minister said.

In the 18 months since Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Indias semiconductor strategy and policy, he claimed, the countrys plan to catalyse the semiconductor ecosystem has advanced quickly.

To those editorializing about this decision of Foxconn/Vedanta being a blow to Indias Semicon ambition , I can only say its a bad idea to bet against India under PM Modi. India is just getting started, he said.

India wants to dominate the semiconductor supply chain and develop into a major global manufacturing base. The central government has made a number of significant actions to lessen the reliance on electronic goods imports by encouraging domestic production of electronic, semiconductor, and component items.

(with agency inputs)
Torrential rain has unleashed havoc across northern India, killing at least 22 people and causing landslides and flash floods in the region, with Delhi receiving the most rainfall in decades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said on Monday.

Local administrations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Ministers Office said.

PM @narendramodi spoke to senior ministers and officials, and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India. Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a tweet.

Furthermore, Delhi and NCR have witnessed an unprecedented deluge, experiencing the heaviest rainfall in decades, which prompted the closure of schools.

In response to the dire situation, authorities in Himachal Pradesh where 5 killed on Sunday and Uttarakhand, located in the Himalayan states, have urged residents to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. Authorities in Himachal Pradesh has also ordered the closure of schools and colleges for two days.

Floods across India caused a total of 656 deaths in 2021, down from some 959 deaths recorded last year. Over the last decade, the highest number of deaths due to floods across the country was in 2010, with a death toll of 965 people, according to statista.com.

WATCH: Bridges swept away as heavy rains wreak havoc in Himachal Pradesh

All major rivers are in spate, officials said, adding the local met office had issued a fresh red alert of extremely heavy rains (above 204 mm) in ten out of 12 districts, barring tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, on July 9.

Fourteen major landslides and 13 flash floods have been reported In Himchal Pradesh in the past 36 hours while over 700 roads have been closed, according to the state emergency operation centre.

According to the Times of India newspaper, the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab recorded casualties caused by floods and landslides.

In Himachal Pradesh specifically, the weekends flash floods resulted in the collapse of a bridge and the sweeping away of several dwellings, as captured by ANI footage. To rescue those stranded on roads and bridges due to the relentless rain, authorities resorted to the use of helicopters.

Reports from local media indicate that streets in various northern states, including Punjab, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, have succumbed to flooding. In certain areas, rescue teams have employed rubber rafts to reach individuals trapped inside their homes.

Meanwhile, numerous roads in different parts of Delhi were submerged under knee-deep water on Sunday, experiencing the highest single-day precipitation for the month of July in 40 years, amounting to 153mm of rain.

Schools in Delhi were closed after heavy rains lashed the national capital over the weekend, and authorities in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand asked people not to venture out of their homes unless necessary.

A senior weather department official revealed that multiple districts in Himachal Pradesh witnessed a months worth of rainfall in just one day over the weekend. In the current monsoon season that commenced on June 1, Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have received rainfall exceeding the average by 112%, 100%, and 70% respectively, as reported by the weather department.

On Sunday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported that six northern Indian states suffered 15 fatalities within a span of 24 hours. Omkar Sharma, a disaster management official, shared that landslides in Himachal Pradesh have resulted in the blockage of approximately 700 roads, further exacerbating the crisis.

Indias meteorological department has predicted more rain across significant portions of northern India in the forthcoming days. The summer monsoon, responsible for supplying 70-80% of South Asias annual rainfall, also brings with it the unfortunate consequences of flooding and landslides.

While forecasting the exact patterns of such rainfall remains challenging due to its erratic nature, scientists assert that climate change is amplifying the strength and unpredictability of the monsoon.
Jitendra Singh LIVE Updates

Congress should thank Modi for removing Article 370: Minister Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday that the Congress should thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering their pledge by repealing Article 370, which was a transitory clause of the Constitution.

He further stated that the Modi government "for the first time" brought grassroots democracy to Jammu and Kashmir.

"When Syama Prasad Mookerjee suggested in the Constituent Assembly that there should be a rethink on it (Article 370), the biggest advocates of the provision including Jawahar Lal Nehru responded by saying 'this will erode over time'. However, Congress could not erode it due to their own political interests. Modiji has done what Congress governments should have done much earlier," Singh told reporters here.

"I think Congress should thank Modiji for fulfilling their promise and removing what was temporary," he added.The Union minister inaugurated a seven-day exhibition highlighting the achievements of the Modi government in the past nine years.
A mega survey on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by News18 has found that at least 67.2 per cent of Muslim women support the common law for all Indians for matters such as marriage, divorce and adoption.

Over 8,035 Muslim women participated in the survey from 25 states and Union Territories.

The participants were 18 to 65 plus, hailing from different communities, regions, educational and marital statuses.

Also read: What Muslim Women Want: Overwhelming majority in favour of 21 years as legal age for marriage

The promulgation of UCC will mean one law that will be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of their religion. The laws will cover personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance, among other things.

What has the survey found?

When asked if they support the common laws for all Indians, 67.2 per cent of the total women surveyed answered yes and 25.4 per cent said no while 7.4 per cent said dont know or cant say.

Notably, when the UCC was in talks, Muslim organisations in India strongly condemned them saying it would affect all religions.

In terms of educational qualifications, 68.4 per cent or 2,076 graduated women said they support UCC while 27 per cent said they do not support it.

Meanwhile, in case of age-wise responses, 69.4 per cent of women aged between 18-44 said they were in support of UCC and 24.2 per cent said they do not want common laws for all.
The Indian armed forces are gearing up for yet another major defence deal with the government planning to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France.

News agency ANI quoted officials as saying that the proposals have been placed before the Defence Ministry by the armed forces and are likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to France later this week.

According to the proposals, the Indian Navy will receive four trainer aircraft and 22 single-seat Rafale Marine aircraft.

Due to shortages brought about by the countrys security concerns, the Indian Navy has been asking for the rapid acquisition of these fighter planes and submarines.

The MiG-29s have been used by the aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant, and both carriers require the use of Rafales for operations.

As part of Project 75, the three Scorpene-class submarines will be purchased by the Indian Navy under the repeat clause, and Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai will build them.

The deals are thought to be worth more than Rs 90,000 crore, but the precise price wont be known until after the contract talks, which will take place after the deal is made public.

According to insiders, India will probably ask for price discounts in the agreement and would require that the plan include more Make in India components.

According to industry sources, India and France are anticipated to form a combined team to negotiate the Rafale M agreement, just as they did for the previous Rafale purchase for 36 fighter aircraft.

The plans have already been reviewed at high-level meetings in the defence ministry and are anticipated to be presented to the defence acquisition council in the coming days. Before the announcement in France, the government is anticipated to grant Acceptance of Necessity to the proposals.

(With agency inputs)
The majority of Muslims in India, especially women, want the Uniform Civil Code to be implemented post-haste, senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar said Monday.

Talking to Firstpost, Kumar was responding to the News18 survey on UCC that threw up some explosive revelations, primary among them being that an overwhelming majority of Muslim women wanted the enactment of the Uniform Civil Code in India and wanted equal rights when it came to marriage, divorce and inheritance.

In India, the majority of Muslims was UCC to be implemented as soon as possible since they are of the opinion that their religious and political leaders have been exploiting them for vote bank. They want to come out of this quagmire and be a full citizen of India as well as be faithful to their religion, Indresh Kumar told Firstpost.

He said the religious leaders of the Muslim community in India do not want Muslims to become India.

He also cited the severe exploitation of women in the absence of UCC. Muslim women have suffered huge exploitation, so they want the UCC as soon as possible, Kumar said.

Kumar also suggested extending the consultation process by the Law Commission so that more views could be taken into consideration. I think the Law Commission could also extend the time so that more and more people could voice their views. Also, it might give more clarity on the issue and lacunae, if any, could be plugged. Moreover, this exercise will also shut down the rabble-rousers, Kumar said.

Kumar pointed to an entire machinery that was trying to foment trouble by misleading the Muslim community. Some

people want to turn the Muslims in the wrong direction. They suggest that the religious article of Muslims would be tinkered with, but this is all a lie. If such was the case, other religions too would have raised issues, but they are all supporting it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought up the issue of extradition of fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi in every India-UK trade-related meeting, said senior Advocate Harish Salve.

In an interview with a private English news channel Times Now, senior advocate Harish Salve said that the British always complain that as soon as there is a meeting the first question that PM Modi would ask is the progress of the extradition proceedings of Mallya and Nirav Modi.

PM Modi has strongly told the UK government that you cant be a trade partner and a home for fugitives at the same time, Salve said.

Vijay Mallya, chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, was ordered to be extradited by the British judiciary in 2019 and is yet to be sent to India. Similarly, diamantaire Nirav Modi has been held in custody at south Londons Wandsworth prison since he was arrested in 2019.

India and the UK signed an extradition treaty in 1992. This was ratified the following year and has been in force since. Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modis plea to move the UK Supreme Court against his extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering was denied in December last year.

Nirav Modi lost the bid to take his fight against extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering to the UKs Supreme Court. Nirav Modi, a prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, had fled India.

He lost his appeal after he moved the High Court in London against his extradition on mental health grounds. Earlier this March, without mentioning the names of fugitive economic offenders, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had said that the British Judicial system is independent of the government and it is them to decide.

Cleverly told ANI, The legal process in the UK, just as it is in India, is independent of the government. We always want to see the machinery of the justice system working promptly but those are the decisions of the British Judicial system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on August 1 in recognition of his supreme leadership and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens, organisers said on Monday.

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) will confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, Trust president Deepak Tilak said in a release.

It said India climbed the ladder of progress under the supreme leadership of the prime minister under the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

PM Modi awakened the feeling of patriotism among citizens and put India on the global map. Considering his perseverance and efforts, and highlighting his work, the trustees of the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust have unanimously selected him for this award, the release said.

The organisers said NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been invited to the award ceremony as the chief guest.

Other invitees include Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
A man from Bengaluru, identified as Mahesh K B Nayak, was apprehended by Mysuru city police on Saturday for an alleged marriage fraud, where he deceived and married 15 women over an eight-year period.

The 35-year-old suspect was captured after one of his recent wives, whom he married earlier this year, reported him to the authorities.

The complaint was lodged by his wife after Mahesh began pressuring her for money to establish a clinic.

However, when she refused to give him the funds, he allegedly absconded with her jewelry and cash.

In response, the city police formed a dedicated team to locate him, and he was eventually apprehended in Tumakuru.

According to sources familiar with the case, out of the 15 women who married Mahesh, four have children with him.

Additionally, another woman who fell victim to his deceit has accused him of cheating and has approached the police with her claims.

Mahesh employed matrimonial websites as a means to lure women into his trap. Most of his victims were well-educated and financially independent, not relying on Mahesh for any financial support.

To gain their trust, the accused often posed as a doctor or an engineer on these matrimonial platforms.

His inadequate proficiency in spoken English became a cause for concern and led to multiple rejections from potential victims who recognized it as a warning sign.

Due to societal stigma and embarrassment, many of the women he married chose not to file complaints, and Mahesh rarely met with them in person.
In order to submit a techno-commercial offer for the esteemed P75 (India) submarine programme of the Indian Navy, Spains Navantia and Larsen & Toubro signed a Teaming Agreement (TA) on Monday in the premises of the Spanish Embassy here.

The contract was signed in the presence of Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Vice President of Naval Construction and Member of the Board for Navantia, and SN Subrahmanyan, CEO and MD of L&T.

In order to provide six conventional submarines with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) while reaching the targeted Indigenous Content, Project 75 (I) requires the Indian bidder to collaborate with a Foreign Collaborator (FC).

Expected to be valued at over Euro 4.8 billion, the project is Indias largest defence acquisition project. This would also be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value. P75(I) would be the first program to be processed under the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model of the acquisition of the Ministry of Defence. L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the program on April 11, 2023, at Madrid, which has now culminated in this TA, L&T said in a statement.

As per the agreement, Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of 2023, the statement read.

Apart from S80 class, Navantia has been involved in the design and construction of Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India including handholding of the Indian yard, it read.

The integration of an AIP system is required by the P75(I) programme. In addition to being the most advanced and effective AIP system in the world, Navantias cutting-edge 3rd Generation AIP technology is also the smallest, simplest to use, maintain, and environmentally benign. It uses bioethanol, a readily available, low-cost hydrogen source that doesnt require any specialised infrastructure, as its supply of hydrogen.

The efficiency of the AIP system is increased by the high hydrogen density of ethanol. Due to its liquid state, ethanol does not provide the dangers that come with storing hydrogen. Additionally, the system may be refuelled anywhere in the world thanks to the widespread availability of ethanol.

Through the Navantia Seanergies subsidiary, L&T and Navantia are also looking to collaborate on further military projects and green energy alternatives, such as offshore wind.

Commenting on the occasion, SN Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T said, L&T is proud to collaborate with Navantia for this prestigious program of strategic importance for the nations security. Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction & technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this program and offer the Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology (BEST) and environmentally Green AIP solution. We are committed to providing the most contemporary solution for Indian Navys requirements at a competitive price.

(With agency inputs)
In a scathing statement, American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, launched a blistering attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to him as a bully, and called on President Joe Biden to assert his opposition to Ukraines admission to NATO. Ramaswamy accused Zelensky of manipulating Western leaders while expressing concerns over the potential ramifications of Ukraine joining the alliance.





Ramaswamy stated, President Joe Biden needs to man up to his bully-friend Zelensky and clearly state that we are dead-set opposed to Ukrainian admission to NATO. He emphasized that this stance should be regarded as a hard red line and expressed disappointment over Republicans, including Lindsey Graham, who are now advocating for Ukraines NATO membership. Ramaswamy warned against the dangerous escalation of tensions that could lead to a nuclear war and urged leaders to refrain from pushing the world to the brink.





Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in Washington on June 23. [ Photo Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images ]





Citing the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ramaswamy pointed out that the United States has fulfilled its commitments regarding Ukraine. He criticized what he referred to as the neocon-Democrat establishment, claiming their silence on James Bakers famous 1990 commitment to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not extend eastward beyond Germany. The entrepreneur-turned-politician argued that NATO, originally formed to deter conflicts with the USSR, has expanded most rapidly following the Soviet Unions collapse, exacerbating the risk of nuclear war with Russia. Ramaswamy described this situation as sheer lunacy.





Expressing his determination, Ramaswamy declared, As President, Ill refuse to be bullied by an anti-democratic comedian-turned-leader, and its truly mystifying to me that the rest of the West is eating out of this Pied Pipers hand every day. His statement suggested a strong stance against Ukraines NATO membership and emphasized the need for global leaders to reevaluate their approach to international alliances.





Ramaswamys remarks have sparked a debate among political observers and experts. While some see his comments as a reflection of growing concerns about the potential consequences of NATO expansion, others view them as an oversimplification of complex geopolitical dynamics. The issue of Ukraines NATO membership has long been a contentious topic, with supporters arguing that it would enhance regional security and stability, while critics, like Ramaswamy, fear it could further strain relations with Russia.
The Supreme Court has decided to hear a petition from the Manipur government challenging the High Courts decision to partially restore the internet in the State on July 11.

The matter will be heard on Tuesday, according to a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha.

On Monday, the issue was brought up for an urgent hearing by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Manipur government.

This is concerning the internet shutdown in Manipur. The situation in the State keeps changing very fast. The appeal is against the High Court order where it has directed restoration of internet service, Mehta said.

The Manipur High Court recently requested that the States home department explore permitting broadband connectivity through Fibre to the Home (FTTH) for household usage as well as allowing internet access through Internet Leased Lines (ILL) for companies and offices on a case-by-case basis.

For the purpose of allowing internet connection to cellphone numbers that have been validated and approved by the home department, the Manipur High Court has mandated physical trials.

However, this shouldnt happen until all parties have followed the safety precautions advised by the 12-member expert group that the Manipur government has created.

The committee suggested that only a select group of whitelisted mobile numbers, which would be specifically designated and provided by the home department, could receive internet services from all service providers in the state.

The service providers guaranteed that only the whitelisted numbers would have access to the internet, with no chance of leakage or usage by anybody other than the approved user.

Based on these suggestions, the High Court mandated that physical trials be carried out by the Manipur government to determine whether it is feasible to offer internet access to the whitelisted mobile phones while maintaining the security of Manipur and the safety of its residents and their possessions.

While hearing numerous PILs requesting the reinstatement of internet services in the state, the division bench of the Manipur High Court issued the ruling.

Since the states ethnic violence erupted on May 3, internet services have been suspended in Manipur.

(With agency inputs)
Reacting to News18 survey on the Uniform Civil Code, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde hailed prime minister Narendra Modi saying that the current government puts equality first.

He added that late Bal Thackeray also supported the UCC.

#UniformCivilCode will ensure progress of and justice for all sections of society: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde tells @vinivdvc There is nothing called a Muslim votebank because Muslims dont vote en masse; #UCC is not about the Muslim community. We need to take care of pic.twitter.com/jXx2nEgkui  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the survey clearly shows common person supports a common civil code.

All religions welcome UCC. PM knows what is best for people, he added.

Also read: India Speaks on UCC: Majority Muslim women in favour of common laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance

Amid the row over the Uniform Civil Code, News18 Network conducted Indias biggest exclusive UCC survey, interviewing 8,035 Muslim women across 25 states and Union Territories in the country, to understand what they think about the issues the UCC is likely to address, rather than the proposed bill as a whole.

Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin told News18 that as a policy his party DMK opposes the UCC.

Our stand on #UCC is clear, we are opposing it on the policy level, says Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin; Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde lauds PM Modis push for #UniformCivilCode after News18 reveals findings of its #MegaUCCPoll #News18Exclusive | @AnchorAnandN @Zakka_Jacob @vinivdvc pic.twitter.com/1VjtZZKefb  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

Social activist Saira Salim Shah said that the political parties are concerned because the UCC draft is not ready.

There is nothing called a Muslim votebank because Muslims dont vote en masse. UCC is not about the Muslim community. We need to take care of all the communities, she added.
Following incessant rainfall for the last three days, emergency workers from the national and state disaster response forces are playing a critical role in rescue operations across north India.

The heavy rainfall across the northern India has claimed 19 lives till now. A recent video shared by ANI captured a late-night rescue operation by NDRF team which saved six lives who were stranded in the Beas River near Nagwain village in Mandi district.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: In a late-night rescue operation, NDRF team rescued 6 people who were stranded in the Beas River near Nagwain village in Mandi district due to the rise in the water level of the river following incessant rainfall in the state. (Visuals: NDRF) pic.twitter.com/RQMlHKnBUV  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

The 14th Battalion of the NDRF was reportedly involved in the operation.

Frighting visuals surfaced on social media unleashing the wreak havoc caused due to heavy rainfall. Videos flooded on social networking sites captured some vehicles floating in the deluge, houses and bridges collapsing, and muddy water entering residential areas.

Rains continue to lash Punjab, Haryana

Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis

Pleasant morning in Delhi after torrential rains

It was a pleasant Monday morning in the national capital following two days of bountiful rainfall, with the minimum temperature settling at 25.1 degrees Celsius, two notches below the seasons average.

With inputs from PTI
After a mega survey on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by News18 revealed that an overwhelming majority of Muslim women favour the common laws in India, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reiterated that his party opposes the laws on the policy level.

Our stand on UCC is clear, we are opposing it on the policy level, Stalin said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modis push to apply common personal laws to all Indian citizens irrespective of their religion.

The survey found that at least 67.2 per cent of Muslim women support the common law for all Indians for matters such as marriage, divorce and adoption.

Over 8,035 Muslim women participated in the survey from 25 states and Union Territories.

The participants were 18 to 65 plus, hailing from different communities, regions, educational and marital statuses.

The key questions asked in this survey did not make any mention of the UCC and were strictly limited to the themes the UCC is likely to cover.

1. 67.2 per cent of Indian Muslim women said yes when asked if they support a common law for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

2. 6,320 of the 8,035 Muslim women surveyed said 21 years should be the legal age for marriage both men and women.

3. 5,403 of the 8,035 Muslim women surveyed support a common law for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

4. 82.04 per cent of the graduate plus respondents agreed that the legal age of the marriage should be 21 years. More than 80 per cent of the people belonging to age group 18-44 agreed with the same. 73.06 per cent of people who are above 44 years of age agreed for the same.
Amid the row over the Uniform Civil Code, News18 recently conducted Indias largest exclusive UCC survey. A total of 8,035 Muslim women residing in 25 states and Union Territories across the country were interviewed. The purpose of this survey was to understand their opinions on the specific issues that the UCC is expected to address, focusing solely on these topics rather than the proposed bill as a whole.

The seven key questions asked in this survey did not make any mention of the UCC and were strictly limited to the themes the UCC is likely to cover.

KEY FINDINGS

1. 67.2 per cent of Indian Muslim women said yes when asked if they support a common law for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

2. 6,320 of the 8,035 Muslim women surveyed said 21 years should be the legal age for marriage both men and women.

3. 5,403 of the 8,035 Muslim women surveyed support a common law for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

4. 82.04 per cent of the graduate plus respondents agreed that the legal age of the marriage should be 21 years. More than 80 per cent of the people belonging to age group 18-44 agreed for the same. 73.06 per cent of people who are above 44 years of age agreed for the same.

#Exclusive | 5,403 of the 8,035 Muslim women surveyed exclusively across 25 states and Union Territories, as part of Indias biggest #UniformCivilCode (UCC) survey by News18 Network, support a common law for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance#MegaUCCPoll #UCC pic.twitter.com/z2OGNs4X6C  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

Also Read:

UCC survey clearly shows common person supports common civil code, says Fadnavis

India Speaks on UCC: Majority Muslim women in favour of common laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance

The survey was conducted in the following states  Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Languages

The response languages were  Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, among others.

Age group

Of the surveyed women, 18.8 per cent were in the 18-24 age group, 32.9 per cent were aged 25-34, 26.6 per cent were aged 35-44, 14.4 per cent were aged 45-54, 5.4 per cent were aged 55-64 and 1.9 per cent were 65 plus.

While 70.3 per cent were married, 24.1 per cent were unmarried, 2.9 per cent were widowed and 2.9 per cent divorced. A total of 73.1 per cent of the respondents were Sunni, 13.3% Shia and 13.6 per cent others.

Among the women surveyed, 10.8 per cent were post-graduates, 27 per cent graduates, 20.8 per cent had studied up to Class 12+, 13.8 per cent were Class 10+, 12.9 per cent had studied till Class 5-10, 4.4 per cent up to Class 5, 4.2 per cent were illiterate and 4.2 per cent had basic literacy, with 1.9 per cent others.
In recent years, one of the most debated subjects is the freebie culture pursued by political parties in India. As politics become more competitive, political parties and their leaders seem to outdo each other with these electoral promises.

Freebies such as foodgrains, transportation, water, electricity, electronics items, specific equipment, etc, are offered through political manifestos for wooing voters. Sometimes liquor and money are also added to the list.

Indeed, as elections approach, political parties compete with each other for offering such freebies. Voters are majorly unaware of the risks lurking behind such free offers.

The momentary benefit is measured beyond the consequences. The wooing of voters becomes an ultimate target for most political parties. The Election Commission has no major control over such manifestos as they have no expertise to evaluate the consequences of such freebies.

Whenever complaints are raised about manifestos, the Election Commission issues some observations in a generic nature within the framework of the Constitution. Political parties agree on certain cosmetic corrections and then it is floated back into the public domain as a wooing stick.

Indias freebie culture is moving towards economic disaster and the consequential damages will hit the economy sooner than later. The long and short impact of such a culture will disintegrate the economic ambitions of the country and kill peoples motivation to work.

The governments reservations about employment and education are based on constitutional provisions for the uplift of the socially underprivileged. Article 39 (a) says that citizens have the right to an adequate means of livelihood. Article 36 (b) adds that material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good.

There are clear directives to overcome economic inequality. Article 38 secures social order for the promotion of the welfare of the people. However, our political parties offer unilateral offers irrespective of the social or economic condition of the people.

India needs to be extremely careful about the intent and the outcome. Sri Lankas economic crises taught us a lesson: that a revenue deficit crisis may lead to an economic collapse.

Regional parties have a bigger role to play. As per an RBI report on fiscal deficit, the highly stressed states are Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.

In a force majeure scenario like a pandemic, free foodgrain and vaccination drives at the mass level help. But in a normal economic cycle, the freebie must be allocated to the needy alone. The marginalised must get his share without fail but identifying the needy is a government prerogative with the help of experts.

As per the Supreme Court, the freebie culture tends to shake the roots of a free and fair election. The SC bench, presided over by the then Chief Justice NV Ramana, stated that the panel must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of freebies because they have a significant impact on the economy.

A recent example of the American Supreme Courts rejection of the waiver of educational loans proposed by President Joe Biden is a good example of how the court should intervene in such populist measures.

Sometimes our political parties offer waiver of loans during the election which gives a wrong message and enticement to the defaulters. The gap between rich and poor is shooting up, and it needs to be tackled immediately.

Our greatest assets are youth voters who analyse and articulate matters telescopically without compromising on the microscopic analysis.

The prime ministers vision for Indias transition to the third largest economy is not far, and as he articulated, we foresee the world benefiting from Indias growth story.

Time is ripe in India for a nation-first freebie policy with humanitarian outlooks.

The author is an independent columnist. Views expressed are personal.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually chaired the 23rd Session of the Council of Heads of State Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on 4 July, 2023. Presidents of member states of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan attended the deliberations. The President of Turkmenistan as the Guest of the Chair, and the Presidents of Belarus, Iran and Mongolia who are observers in the organisation also participated. Iran became a full member of the SCO at the meeting and Belarus will become a member next year at the Summit in Kazakhstan which assumed the Chair of the Organization from India for 2023-24.

Indias presidency

At the outset, Prime Minister Modi said that in addition to the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The Whole World is a Family), Indias vision for its presidency of the SCO has been guided by SECURE which stands for Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection.

While providing a detailed account of the activities of India as the chair of the organisation which included hosting more than 140 programmes, conferences and meetings within the SCO, Prime Minister Modi said that India actively involved all observer and dialogue partners of the SCO in 14 different programmes. In 14 ministerial-level meetings of the SCO, the participants collectively prepared several important documents. India launched new initiatives to enhance engagement among people by holding the SCO Millet Food Festival, Film Festival, SCO Surajkund Craft Mela, International Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage and others. India established five new pillars of cooperation within the SCO viz. Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion, and Shared Buddhist Heritage. Many programmes were organised in Varanasi which was designated as the first tourism and cultural capital of the SCO. Two Working Groups on StartUps and Innovation and Traditional Medicine were also established.

Modis statement

Prime Minister Modi raised several vital questions regarding SCOs readiness and preparedness to tackle modern-day challenges and whether it is evolving into an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? He expressed Indias full support for SCOs reform and modernisation.

Declaring that terrorism has emerged as a major threat to regional and global peace, he made a veiled reference to Pakistan that some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. In a pointed reference to China without naming it, he said that there should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. The countries should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalization among the youth.

On the situation in Afghanistan, while sharing Indias concerns and expectations on the formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and ensuring the rights of women, children, and minorities, he urged SCO members to come together to extend humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens. He asserted the importance of ensuring that Afghanistans territory is not used to spread instability in neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies.

While supporting the vital relevance of connectivity for the progress of any region, Prime Minister Modi declared that it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Member States. This was an indirect reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which violates Indias sovereignty by passing through Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which are integral parts of the Indian UT of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan.

Other statements

In his first comments to an international gathering after the Wagner mutiny late last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the entire society had come out as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion. He also declared that sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine conflict had made it stronger.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to safeguard regional peace, ensure common security and resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation. Without naming the US-led Western powers, he called for opposing hegemonism and power politics. Also without directly referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said that the SCO should promote political settlement of international and regional hotspot issues, and build a solid barrier for regional security.

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned against the use of terrorism as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring and spoke about terrorism as a hydra-headed monster to be fought with full conviction irrespective of its source. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext. In an oblique reference to Kashmir, Sharif said that UN security council resolutions offer us a workable framework for the resolution of some longstanding disputes in the region. He charged that religious minorities should never be demonized in the pursuit of domestic political agendas.

The New Delhi Declaration

The members adopted the New Delhi Declaration (NDD) in addition to two thematic joint statements  one on cooperation in countering the radicalisation leading to separatism, extremism and terrorism and the second on cooperation in the field of digital transformation. The NDD deals extensively with the challenge of terrorism, extremism and separatism and the need for all countries to come together to deal with this scourge. It reaffirms its commitment to eliminate conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, to disrupt the terror financing channels, to suppress recruitment activities and cross-border movement of terrorists, to counter extremism, and radicalization of youth, the dissemination of terrorist ideology, as well as to eliminate sleeper cells and places used as terrorist safe havens. This effectively articulates the charges that India has been levelling against Pakistan for a long time.

The declaration refers to the situation in Afghanistan and the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran but does not make any reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Conclusion

The 23rd Summit of the SCO Heads of States was held in a virtual format. It was initially expected and all preparations were being made to host the Summit in an in-person mode but it was unexpectedly announced in late May that the Summit would be held in a virtual format. No specific reason was advanced for this change except to say that there were a number of factors based on which this decision was taken.

Possibly the absence of confirmation of the physical participation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the Summit might have been an important factor to change the meeting to a virtual format. Initially, this decision might have caused some disappointment but in hindsight, it proved to be a smart move. If all the pronouncedly anti-Western leaders like Xi Jinping, Putin, Iranian President Raisi and Belarusian President Lukashenko had together descended on Indian soil and were seen hobnobbing with Prime Minister Modi, it would have sent a rather unfavourable message to Indias strategic partners in the US, Europe and elsewhere. This would have been particularly galling after a highly successful recent visit by PM Modi to USA.

In addition, it would have been uncomfortable for the Indian leadership to appropriately handle the visit of Xi Jinping in view of the abnormal relations between the two countries since the Galwan clashes in June 2020. It would also have been awkward to engage with Shehbaz Sharif in view of the fact that no communication between the two sides has taken place since the Pulwama attack in February 2019 and more specifically after August 2019 when even High Commissioners of the two countries were withdrawn at Pakistans behest because of the abrogation of Article 370 on the status of Kashmir. Under such circumstances, much of the media attention would have been on the bilaterals and on the activities of the above-mentioned leaders and not on work done under Indias Presidency of the SCO as was witnessed during the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting held in Goa on 4-5th May 2023.

The only downside of the decision to have a virtual summit has been that the Indian leadership has not been able to connect with the highest leadership of the five Central Asian Republics and Iran who would have come to India for the summit. India will have to make an extra effort to reach out to all the leaders of Central Asia, particularly to the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and Iran to advance the bilateral partnership with these countries.

A question has often been raised whether the adversarial relations between India and China, and India and Pakistan could have a negative impact on the functioning of the SCO. This appears unlikely. The most that can happen is that the countries might make veiled critical references to each other in their plenary statements but, according to the organisations mandate, they will not be permitted to raise bilateral disputes during the deliberations. Such remarks by Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif at the 23rd Summit of the SCO did not create a hurdle in adopting the New Delhi Declaration or the two documents on combatting radicalisation and promoting digitisation.

There has always been a lingering apprehension that with the presence of countries like China and Russia and now Iran and next year Belarus, this organisation might start adopting unmistakable anti-Western positions on specific global issues. That has not happened at this Summit and is unlikely to happen in the future because, in addition to India, the four Central Asian countries which are members of the SCO have good relations with the US and Europe and would not like them to come under a cloud because of any controversial statements adopted at any SCO Annual Summit.

The results of Indias presidency of the SCO for 2022-23 are commendable. India has been able to adopt new initiatives and provide fresh energy and direction for SCOs growth and development in the coming years.

The writer is executive council member, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, president, Institute of Global Studies, Distinguished Fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre, and former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. The views expressed are personal.

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Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that while the Election Commission (EC) has the power to allot electoral symbols to a party, it cannot change the name of a party.

Speaking to reporters in Amaravati district during a tour of Maharashtras Vidarbha region, Thackeray also said the name Shiv Sena was given by his grandfather (Keshav Thackeray) and he will not let anyone steal it.

Following the split in Shiv Sena, the EC allotted the name Shiv Sena and its bow and arrow symbol to the Eknath Shinde camp.

Meanwhile, the election body also allowed the Uddhav-Thackeray camp to retain its original name with the suffix of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.

After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray broke ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with the help of the NCP and Congress.

In June last year, Eknath Shinde broke away from Shiv Sena to join hands with the BJP which ultimately led to a change in government in Maharashtra.

Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said, the Election Commission has no powers to change the name of a party. It can allow an electoral symbol for a party.

The name Shiv Sena was given by my grandfather, how can the EC change the name? I will not allow anyone to steal the name of the party, he said.

To a question on some opposition parties trying to come together to take on the BJP-led central government ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year, he said, I will not call it as the unity of the opposition parties, but we all are patriots and we are doing it for the sake of democracy.

Uddhav Thackeray also said that despite the imposition of Emergency (1975-77) in the country, the then government allowed the opposition parties to campaign for the general elections.

Notably, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on July 31, Thackerays plea against the ECs order allotting the party name Shiv Sena and the bow and arrow symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led group.

With inputs from PTI
Apples retail division is making extensive preparations for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, which is expected to be available in the US early next year, as per a report published by Bloomberg.

The report highlights that, initially, the Vision Pro headset will only be obtainable by appointment. Apple retail employees will play a crucial role in assisting customers in selecting a Vision Pro headset that fits them correctly, including adjusting the headband and ensuring a proper light seal.

This launch is anticipated to be the most intricate and logistically complex rollout ever undertaken by Apple for one of its products.

A massive undertaking

As part of the retail strategy for the Apple Vision Pro headset, customers will be required to schedule appointments for their purchases. Apple will dedicate a specific section within its stores to support headset demonstrations and provide sizing tools to assist customers in selecting the appropriate headset and accessories.

Initially, the availability of the device for purchase will be focused on major areas such as New York and Los Angeles, with plans to expand to all Apple retail stores across the United States.

Why the complexity?

The complexity of the launch logistics is largely due to the wide range of accessory variations. Apple plans to offer multiple sizes of headbands and light seals, necessitating not only purchasable stock but also a significant inventory of try-on stock and spare parts for customers who wish to buy additional accessories for their headsets.

Additionally, Apple stores will need to maintain a stock of prescription lenses manufactured by Carl Zeiss, with Bloomberg noting that hundreds or even thousands of lenses may need to be available at any given time.

The development of another accessory, the top strap, is still underway, with a focus on enhancing comfort for users with smaller head sizes. To cater to different fashion preferences, Apple is also exploring potential partnerships with accessory makers to create pouches specifically designed for the external battery pack.

Special app to sell it online

The challenges outlined in the report raise questions about how Apple will handle the distribution of the Vision Pro headset outside of its own retail stores. According to the information provided, Apple currently does not plan to sell the Vision Pro headset in third-party retail locations until at least 2025.

However, customers will have the option to make their purchases online. Apple is reportedly developing a face-scanning app that will assist users in selecting the appropriate size of light seal for their face. During the checkout process, customers will be prompted to upload their face scan results and provide any necessary eye prescriptions if they wear glasses and require corrective lenses to use the headset.

Initially, the Vision Pro headset will be exclusively available in the United States. However, Apple has made a commitment to expand its availability to additional countries by the end of 2024. According to Bloomberg, Canada and the UK are likely to be among the first countries to receive the headset, followed by expansions into Europe and Asia.
Twitter has restricted the official handle of the Pakistan Government in certain parts of the country, thinking that certain areas fall within Indias jurisdiction. As much as it is an egg on the face moment for Twitter, it seems to be a bigger fiasco for the central Government of Pakistan

Twitter users in our neighbour to the west woke up to a nasty surprise when they saw that they couldnt see the tweets from the official handle of the Pakistani Government. Users in Gilgit Baltistan in particular were shown a message that they couldnt access tweets or any post from the handle @GovtogPakistan because of a legal deman in India.

For those unaware, Gilgit Baltistan is a disputed area in Kashmir that Pakistan adamantly and wrongly claims to be its own.

The news of Gilgit Baltistans relocation or rather reabsorption in to India was first reported in an article by Dawn. The incident came to light when Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit, tweeted, I am in Gilgit-Baltistan and Twitter cant show tweets from [the] Government of Pakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello Twitter Support, Im in Pakistan, why cant I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter cant show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, Im in Pakistan why cant I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned? pic.twitter.com/JVoxQLddpM  Yasir (@yasirhunzai1) July 6, 2023

Hussain, in his conversation with Dawn, revealed that he encountered an issue when attempting to assign a location to his tweets. He discovered that he was mistakenly labeled as being in Indias Jammu and Kashmir region. Expressing concern, Hussain urged Pakistani officials to address the situation seriously. Additionally, he raised the possibility that India might have exerted some influence on Twitter to alter the geo-tagging of the region. Some provincial leaders also claimed the same.

However, officials in Pakistan were quick to dismiss this claim. They put out a statement, which said that the claims circulating in the media are baseless. There are no restrictions on the freedom of the internet, media and expression in the entire Gilgit Baltistan, they said.
Florida Recording Artist to Perform for Pope Francis

NEWS PROVIDED BY

NovaMedia

July 10, 2023

TAMPA, Fla., July 10, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- Shevin McCullough and Australian performer Father Rob Galea are set to debut their new single EMMANUEL FOREVER in the presence of Pope Francis. The duo will perform the song live for the first time on August 4 at World Youth Day on the Central Stage in Lisbon, Portugal.

McCullough, a popular Tampa-based recording artist, says the hip-hop-styled worship song stresses humanity's need for a savior and God's extraordinary mercy. "EMMANUEL FOREVER is a straight-up worship song," he says. "God's love and mercy are infinite. He's completely available to us, waiting for us to encounter Him."

Studio 3:16 will release the video for EMMANUEL FOREVER in August. The single will drop on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music on August 4.

The song is emblematic of the work McCullough and Studio 3:16 co-founder Rob Reynolds have been doing for the past two years in developing resources for Catholic religion classes. "The Gospel message is timeless," Reynolds explains. "We're embracing St. John Paul II's New Evangelization and doing something relevant, engaging, and modern with the Gospel."

More than 38 dioceses in 24 states are using Studio 3:16's materials in their schools and religious education programs.

STUDIO 3:16 is a supplemental resource for Catholic elementary/middle school religion classes designed to help kids develop a closer relationship with Christ. Each lesson is designed to engage, relate to, and educate students through a four-step learning model -- "Pray, Watch, Reflect, and Apply." The Studio 3:16 program includes a teacher's guide, comprehensive lesson plans, student activity sheets, 27 Hollywood-level lesson videos, and more. Studio 3:16's parent company is Cross Boss Media, LLC.

WORLD YOUTH DAY. More than a million Catholic youth are expected to gather from Aug. 1-6 in Lisbon, Portugal. Pope St. John Paul II founded the Catholic youth festival in 1985. Pope Francis will travel to Portugal and close the event on Aug. 6. The pope's WYD schedule is here.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:

SHEVIN McCULLOUGH is co-founder of Studio 3:16. He is the company's writer, lead talent, and producer. In Studio 3:16's episodes, he stars as a good-natured yet misguided recording artist whose task is to create and release a song to explain the Sunday Gospel passage through the guidance of friends and humorously providential missteps. In 2020, the Catholic convert recorded two Christian hip-hop albums -- "It's Time" and "Stories of the Saints." ROB REYNOLDS is a born entrepreneur. Studio 3:16's cofounder is a former school teacher and real estate developer who co-founded Avesta, a Tampa-based multifamily real estate investment and management company, in 2010. He helped grow Avesta to 450 employees and $1.7 billion in real estate assets. He also led the company's culture, resulting in national recognition as No. 19 in Fortune's Top 100 Medium Workplaces.

BACKGROUND

Media Assets (Media Kit, Photos, Videos)

novamedia.us/studio316

Studio 3:16 Website

studio316.com

SOURCE NovaMedia

CONTACT: Patrick Novecosky, 239-682-7749, patrick@novamedia.us
Editorial

Undoubtedly, the initial protests and the determination displayed by those who stood against the government were noteworthy. It was a true peoples uprising, but unfortunately, it was later exploited by opportunistic politicians such as the JVP, pseudo-Marxists, separatist sympathizers, and hypocritical NGOs. Consequently, the entire protest took a violent turn, driven by revenge and reactionary forces, leading to loss of life, injuries, and humiliation. Common sense gave way to raw emotions, and the lack of cohesive political ideologies and strategies allowed a handful of opportunists to hijack the public movement. A year has passed, and while the surface may seem calm, the clouds of uncertainty are gathering once again. The islands economic sovereignty has been crippled and is now being manipulated by external forces, while a select few families seek to regain control of the centre.





Today, Sri Lanka is commemorating one year since the elected Presidents unexpected departure, exiting through the trapdoor, and the subsequent ascension of the national list Member of Parliament, who was initially appointed as the Prime Minister and later assumed the role of President. The protests that once occupied and inflicted damage on various public properties have ceased, and the extensive queues for fuel, gas, and power outages that compelled people to leave their homes are no longer visible in the city. While we can acknowledge some level of improvement, the current leader has demonstrated adeptness in crisis management.





People wait to visit the president's house after demonstrators entered the building in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 11, 2022. Photo: REUTERS





However, some of his close associates continue to demonstrate that their intention is not to govern the country but to plunder it as much as possible. A member of parliament who was recently caught in a gold smuggling case was reportedly rescued by a close associate of the President, according to the media. Unfortunately, neither the alleged robber nor the short-sized politician, who was vehemently rejected by the ordinary folks in the election, are facing any consequences. Justice seems to be buried in their courtyards. This is a dire situation! If the President truly wants to change the country for the better, he must get rid of these thieves without giving them an opportunity to collect funds for future elections.





As a country, we are facing a grim reality. Professionals are leaving the nation day by day, and the country is losing its expertise. Neither the political leadership nor any social movements have formulated any plans to retain industrial experts or encourage them to return after a certain period. From universities to public hospitals, Sri Lanka is facing an unimaginable crisis due to shortages of required professionals, with many positions being filled with politically appointed individuals. In a recent editorial in one of the weekly newspapers in Colombo, it was noted that, according to data maintained by the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB), 122,000 Sri Lankans left the country for work in 2021. This number increased to 311,000 last year. In the first five months of 2023, the same number of foreign job seekers (122,000) as in the entire year of 2021, had already left. Officials admit that these figures may be understating the reality, as many people leaving for jobs in the Middle East and other parts of Asia do so on tourist visas and are not registered with the SLFEB. The loss includes skilled workers and professionals. Do you require any further details to comprehend the plight faced by this nation today?





It has been a year since the individual, who placed more trust in a lady soothsayer than in his own principles and rationality, made an abrupt exit through the trapdoor. However, there are still numerous areas that require collective attention, free from the taint of dirty politics that jeopardizes the lives of ordinary citizens and the nation. Our local and foreign debt has surpassed 81 billion US dollars, posing a profoundly significant challenge that cannot be resolved through divine intervention or miraculous solutions. Do you still believe that those hollow men in Parliament will be the saviours of this nation? We find ourselves in a state of limbo, with a misguided group of individuals who are detached from reality, exploiting social unrest to further their own self-serving ambitions while determining the fate of the country. These individuals demonstrate a complete absence of shame or conscience. Simultaneously, we, the people, lack the courage to stand up, instead being driven by irrational and uncontrollable emotions that consistently undermine common sense.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that he would quit politics after he resigned from his post on Friday over the countrys immigration policy.

The coalition government of the Netherlands suffered a major blow as it failed to reach a consensus on restricting immigration into the country.

Rutte, who has led four coalition governments since 2010, said he would stand down after elections expected in November following the collapse of the coalition in a row over migration.

I would like to say something personal. There has been speculation over the past few days about what motivates me. The only answer is the Netherlands, Rutte told parliament.

Yesterday morning, I took the decision that I am no longer suitable to be the new head of the list for the VVD (his centre-right party). When the new government is sworn in after the elections, I will quit politics, he said.

The crisis in the government was triggered by a push by Prime Minister Mark Ruttes conservative VVD party to limit the flow of asylum seekers to the Netherlands, which two of his four-party government coalition refused to support.

Following the resignation of Rutte and the collapse of his government, the coalition government took over as a caretaker government until a new administration is formed after new elections.

But he faces a vote in parliament later Monday that will try to topple him as caretaker premier.

Two left-wing opposition parties and the far-right party of anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders have filed a motion of no-confidence in Rutte.

With inputs from agencies
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who passed away last month, has left more than Rs 900 crore (100m) to his 33-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina in his will.

Fascina, a member of the Italian Parliaments lower chamber since 2018, began her relationship with Berlusconi in 2020. Although they were not legally married, Berlusconi referred to Fascina as his wife on his deathbed.

Berlusconi, whose estimated empire is valued at over six billion euros, also left 100 million euros to his brother Paolo and 30 million euros to Marcello DellUtri, a former senator from his Forza Italia party who had served time in jail for association with the mafia, according to The Guardian.

The late Prime Minister, who passed away at the age of 86 after battling leukemia, entrusted his company Fininvest to his two eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio. As reported by The Guardian, the children, born from Berlusconis first marriage to Carla Elvira, will collectively hold a 53 per cent stake in Fininvest.

The will was handwritten by Berlusconi on 2 October, 2022 on a yellow notepad bearing the letterhead of his mansion near Milan. In the heartfelt letter expressing his love for his children, he stated, I leave the available stock in equal parts to my children Marina and Pier Silvio. I leave all the rest in equal parts to my five children Marina, Pier Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora, and Luigi. Thank you, so much love to all of you, your father.

Silvio Berlusconi, a prominent figure in Italian politics, served as the Prime Minister of Italy in four different governments: from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011.

With inputs from agencies
China has asked the US to take practical actions with regard to its major concerns about sanctions slapped on several Chinese firms following US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens 10-hour meeting with senior officials in Beijing.

During her visit to China, Yellen sought to ease tensions between the worlds two superpowers. Although there were no major breakthroughs, both sides described the talks to be productive while agreeing to keep channels open at all levels for talks on the economy.

The Treasury Secretarys visit gives way to a possible meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco in November.

Before departing on Sunday, Yellen told reporters that she and her Chinese counterparts had aired significant disagreements in their meetings, a sentiment reflected in a readout from Chinas finance ministry on Monday morning.

The ministry further wrote that China requires the US to cease the suppression of Chinese enterprises, lift bans on Xinjiang-related products, and take concrete steps to respond to Chinas major concerns in economic relations between the two countries.

The ministry also said China believed its development was an opportunity rather than a risk to the U.S. and that strengthening cooperation between China and the United States is a realistic need and the correct choice of the two countries.

The re-commencement of senior-level Sino-U.S. talks in diversified areas could open up room for more cooperation on bilateral and global issues, said Hong Kong-based Bruce Pang, chief economist at Jones Lang LaSalle.

I expect more working-level communications ahead, on a range of topics where there is more consensus than disagreements, such as climate change and the tariff reduction list, among others, he added.

With inputs from Reuters
Tragedy struck a kindergarten in the southeastern province of Guangdong, China, as a stabbing attack resulted in the deaths of six individuals, with one person sustaining injuries.

The local police in Lianjiang have apprehended a 25-year-old man named Wu and are currently investigating the incident.

The victims, identified as a teacher, two parents, and three students, fell victim to the attack at approximately 7:40 a.m. local time, according to a spokesperson from the city government.

Law enforcement officials have categorised the incident as a deliberate assault, and an unverified video circulating on social media purportedly shows two of the victims lying on the street, surrounded by a pool of blood.

A witness, speaking to Dafeng News, revealed that the suspects child had previously been involved in a collision with the vehicle belonging to one of the individuals who tragically lost their lives during the incident. However, this claim remains unconfirmed.

Chinese netizens took to Weibo, a popular social media platform, to express their outrage and engage in a heartfelt discussion about the incident.

The tragedy quickly became one of the most widely discussed topics on Monday afternoon.

In recent years, China has witnessed a series of knife attacks in schools, as the government strictly regulates access to firearms.

In August of the previous year, a 48-year-old man entered a kindergarten in the southeastern province of Jianxi, claiming the lives of three individuals and injuring six others.

Similarly, in 2021, two children were killed, and 16 others were wounded in a knife attack at a kindergarten in southern China.
In an unexpected move, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated on Monday that the EU should pave the way for Ankaras admission before Turkeys parliament supports Swedens application to join the NATO military alliance.

After membership negotiations began in 2005, during Erdogans first term as prime minister, Turkeys application to join the EU was put on hold for many years.

After a failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, relations between Ankara and the blocs members worsened for a while but have since generally mended. Ankara, a NATO partner, is important to the bloc, notably in terms of migration.

Erdogan on Monday made a surprising shift in strategy by tying Ankaras support of Swedens NATO application to Turkeys eventual EU membership.

I am calling from here on these countries that are making Turkey wait at the door of the European Union for more than 50 years, Erdogan said, speaking ahead of his departure for the NATO summit in Vilnius.

First, come and open the way for Turkey at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland, he said, adding that he would repeat his call during the summit.

In reaction to Russias invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland submitted applications to join NATO last year, ending decades-long military non-alignment policy.

While Turkey and Hungary approved Finlands application to join NATO in April, Swedens application has not yet received their approval. At the conference in Vilnius, Stockholm has been attempting to join the group.

Erdogan stated that the agreement struck at the alliances summit in Madrid last summer was a condition for Swedens membership, and he added that no one should anticipate concessions from Ankara.

According to Ankara, Sweden has not done enough to combat those it views as terrorists, mostly members of the PKK, an outlawed group that Turkey, the EU, and the US all label as terrorist organisations.

Erdogan added that a resolution to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia would facilitate Kyivs application for NATO membership.

(With agency inputs)
Within the next 12 weeks, Rheinmetall will establish an armoured vehicle manufacturing facility in Ukraine, dismissing worries that other Western defence corporations may have about setting up shop there while Ukraine is at war with Russia.

According to CEO Armin Papperger, Germanys largest arms manufacturer would also teach Ukrainians to maintain the tanks and other armoured vehicles built in the facility, which will be situated in the countrys western region.

The Ukrainians will have to help themselves  if they always have to wait for Europeans or Americans over the next 10 or 20 years, that is not possible, he was quoted as saying by the media.

Earlier this year, the business told the Rheinische Post newspaper that it intended to establish a 200 million ($218 million) battle tank facility in Ukraine, with the capacity to produce roughly 400 tanks annually.

Papperger announced on Thursday that under a licence, manufacturing workers would assemble and maintain Rheinmetalls Fuchs armoured personnel carrier, which takes its name from the German word for fox.

In collaboration with the Ukrainian state-owned defence company Ukroboronprom, which will also be the plants owner, Rheinmetall (RNMBF) will run the facility. The businesses declared an agreement in May to increase Ukraines defence technology capacities.

A close ally of the current president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, reportedly told the media that Russia would retaliate by attacking any facilities Rheinmetall established in Ukraine.

According to Papperger, the factory could be shielded from a Russian assault.

There are a lot of factories at the moment which are producing military goods [in Ukraine]. It is just another one  and we can protect that also, he said.

Due in part to the Russian armys advantage in the air, Ukrainian forces have had difficulty making significant progress in their counteroffensive that was begun a month ago.

For the time being, according to Papperger, finding more ammunition is more important than creating more tanks.

Next year, Rheinmetall will increase the number of artillery rounds it produces annually from 100,000 to 600,000. A large portion of this increased output will be sent to Ukraine, he said.

Theoretically, he continued, 60% of Ukraines need for artillery ammunition might be provided by Rheinmetall.

Germany announced last week that it will begin spending 2% of its GNP on defence in 2024, in accordance with a goal NATO has set for all of its members. However, Papperger claimed that wasnt sufficient to safeguard the alliance from a hypothetical Russian assault.

He added that NATO should at least increase its objective to 3% of GDP since Europe would not be prepared to adequately defend itself in an armed battle with Russia.

According to Papperger, German parliamentarians last week tentatively agreed to pay Rheinmetall $6,5 billion (6 billion) for ammunition, with a portion of that amount designated for Ukraine.

Contrarily, before the conflict in Ukraine, Rheinmetall may have anticipated spending two or three years negotiating a deal with the government; nowadays, deals are finalised in as little as four months.
Germany will send troops to Australia for the first time as part of joint exercises with 30,000 military personnel from 12 other countries, highlighting Berlins greater attention to the Indo-Pacific in light of the regions escalating concerns with China.

Germany has increased its military engagement in the Indo-Pacific region recently, balancing its security and commercial goals while doing so.

It is a region of extremely high importance for us in Germany as well as for the European Union due to the economic interdependencies, Army Chief Alfons Mais told Reuters in an interview published on Monday, hours before the first German troops were to leave for Australia.

Berlins top economic partner is China, and 40% of all European exports pass through the South China Sea, which is the epicentre of the Indo-Pacific regions territorial conflicts.

The first German warship to enter the South China Sea in nearly 20 years sailed there in 2021. The largest deployment of the air force during peacetime was 13 military aircraft that Berlin dispatched to joint drills in Australia last year.

The Talisman Sabre exercise, the largest of the bi-annual drills between Australia and the US, will take place from July 22 to August 4. According to Mais, up to 240 German soldiers, including 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, would participate.

Along with soldiers from Indonesia, Japan, and other nations, the Germans will train in jungle combat and landing operations.

We aim to demonstrate that we are reliable and capable partners that contribute to stabilizing the rules-based order in the region, Mais said.

When asked what message the first deployment of German troops to Australia was meant to send to China, he underscored Berlin did not aim to antagonize anybody.

It generally makes sense to get to know the perspective others have upon the world, said the lieutenant general, adding that the current security challenges were much less clear-cut than before 1990.

The Cold War was easy, it was a bi-polar world. Today, we can no longer focus on Europe onlywe have to position ourselves much more broadly, the army chief underscored.

Mais plans to visit the German troops in Australia and a Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) plant assembling Boxer armoured transport vehicles for both armies in mid-July, before travelling on to Japan and Singapore.

Japan is a partner that holds a lot of potential for a deepening of our bilateral military cooperation, he said. As for Talisman Sabre, the German troops already have orders to return to Australia for the next exercise in 2025.

(With agency inputs)
A month after a fatal shipwreck, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday that his country shouldnt be forced to handle migration for the European Union or face accusations of failing to save people at sea.

On June 14, an overloaded boat collapsed and sank in international waters off Pylos, Greece, killing 104 people and leaving hundreds more to perish. This was one of Europes deadliest shipping disasters in recent memory.

Investigations into the shipwrecks causes are ongoing. In spite of Greeces denials, survivors claim that the ship capsized following a botched Greek coast guard towing attempt.

The June 25 election winner, Mitsotakis, claimed on Monday that his nation is located on the exterior boundary of the very dangerous Mediterranean crossing, which more people are using to enter the EU.

He claimed that while the recent EU agreement on migration was a beginning in the right direction, it was not the only answer to the problem because it was fundamentally a European problem and the EU bloc needed to put in a lot of effort to find a comprehensive solution.

It is very unfair for countries such as Greece  to be burdened with the task of managing this problem or be accused of actually not saving people at sea when this is what our coast guard does every day, Mitsotakis said from Riga, after meeting his Latvian counterpart.

We should be placing the blame squarely on the smugglers and those who facilitate them. They are the ones who at the end of the day who are responsible for whatever tragedy takes place in the Mediterranean, he said.

One of the main entry points for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa is Greece. In 2015, about a million refugees and migrants travelled from Turkey to Greeces islands, but since an agreement between the EU and Turkey in March 2016, the number of arrivals has drastically decreased.

This week, Mitsotakis is anticipated to have a meeting with the newly re-elected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan outside of a NATO summit.

(With agency inputs)
Authorities in China are investigating a restaurant in Yibin, Sichuan province, for possibly violating the countrys anti-food waste law. The restaurant had organised a challenge called the King of Big Stomach where customers were encouraged to eat over 100 dumplings in order to win a free meal and other prizes. The promotion had been advertised on social media to attract participants.

The State Administration for Market Regulation decided to investigate the restaurant after learning about the challenge. Eating contests, although common in Western countries, can be a sensitive matter in China due to the historical memory of the devastating famine in the 1950s and 60s that claimed millions of lives.

The restaurant in Yibin is one of several establishments being probed for similar competitions. Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed concerns about food waste in the past, considering it shocking and distressing. A law against food waste was enacted in 2021, targeting online bloggers who showcased binge eating on live streams. The law allows fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) for restaurants that induce excessive orders leading to obvious waste.

Some Chinese internet users have criticized the authorities. One user on Weibo said, according to CNN, Is this counted as a waste? Why not let people compete for the biggest eater? Will the food not consumed there actually go to the poor?

It remains to be seen whether the restaurant in Yibin will face penalties under the anti-food waste law.

With inputs from agencies
The BBC news anchor, was accused of paying a teenager a hefty sum of money for nudes and indirectly funding the teenagers cocaine habit reportedly made two panicked calls to the young person after the story broke last on Sunday.

According to report, published in The Sun, the unknown male presenter who is said to be a household name  called the young person to ask What have you done?.

He then allegedly asked the young person to speak to their mother and urge her to stop the investigation, the paper added.

The mother of the now-20-year-old also claimed she was upset by the wording of a BBC statement, and that no one from the broadcaster initially got in touch with her when she raised a complaint in May.

Meanwhile, the British government called on the BBC to urgently investigate allegations that one of its presenters paid a teenage girl over 35,000 ($45,000) for sexually explicit images.

According to reports, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer spoke to BBC chief Tim Davie about the claims on Sunday.

In a statement after the meeting, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) emphasized the importance of the BBC, as a publicly funded broadcaster, conducting a prompt and sensitive investigation into the allegations.

Later in the afternoon, Frazer discussed the allegations with Davie during a phone call. She took to Twitter to share that Davie had assured her that the BBC is swiftly and sensitively investigating the matter.

The BBC has a history of failing to address cases of child sexual abuse involving its stars. Jimmy Savile, Stuart Hall, and Rolf Harris were all found guilty of abusing children while working for the broadcaster.

Hall and Harris served prison sentences for indecent assault. Saviles alleged crimes, which spanned over five decades and affected up to 450 victims, came to light after his death in 2011.

According to the alleged victims mother, the presenter began exchanging messages with her daughter in 2020 when she was 17 years old. Over the course of three years, the presenter reportedly sent the teenager over 35,000 in exchange for explicit performances, as disclosed by the mother to The Sun, the publication that broke the story on Friday.

The money continued to flow as the teenager developed a crack cocaine addiction. The mother claimed to have seen evidence of video calls between the presenter and her daughter, where the TV star was seen in his underwear at his home. The mother initially approached the BBC with her allegations in May, and the presenter was suspended from the airwaves last week, according to The Sun.

I used to enjoy watching him on TV, so it was shocking to see a picture of him sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear. I recognized him immediately, the mother stated to the newspaper.

Prominent BBC personalities Jeremy Vine, Rylan Clark, Gary Lineker, and Nicky Campbell have all publicly denied being the presenter in question.

The broadcasters response to the allegations has been relatively restrained. On Saturday, they stated, We take any allegations very seriously, and we have established procedures to address them proactively.

This statement from the BBC sparked outrage in Parliament. Rachel Reeves, the Labour Party Shadow Chancellor, demanded that the corporation take action to address the situation and provide more transparency about what has transpired and their efforts to rectify it.

It remains unclear whether the BBC has contacted the police regarding these allegations.
India and the U.S. Navy recently signed a MSRA (Master Ship Repair Agreement) that allows American warships to use an Indian shipyard to supply repair and maintenance services for American warships. This is convenient for the growing number of U.S. warships operating in the region and provides more business for Indian shipyards.

Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, there has been a major shift in naval power in the Indian Ocean. With the demise of the Russian fleet (seen as an Indian ally) and the rise of Chinese naval power, India has sought cooperation from a growing U.S. Navy presence in the area. This is all about keeping Indian naval power supreme in the Indian Ocean. The rising Chinese threat is seen as more than India can handle alone. With Indian inability to expand, or even maintain their current naval power, more help has to come from somewhere.

While India was technically neutral during the Cold War, India was generally hostile to the United States and quite cozy with Russia. India still has good relationships with Russia but the Russians have no fleet to speak of these days and suddenly the Americans are seen as potential allies. In part this is because the anti-American slant was more the product of Indian postcolonial nationalism that was generally anti-Western and infatuation with socialism. Both those policies proved failures and, while many Indian politicians do not accept the shift to a market economy and better relations with the West, these changes have happened anyway.

Above all this there is China, which has already taken some disputed territory on the Indian border and claims still more. Chinese ships (both commercial and military) are more frequently seen in the Indian Ocean. Chinese shipping firms have refurbished ports throughout the region and manage them to handle growing Chinese trade with the countries where these ports are located. The Chinese presence cannot be ignored and the Indians are now welcoming the Americans.

Yet there wont be a lot of Americans. The U.S. defense budget is declining and so is the size of the American fleet. Most of the U.S. naval presence in the Indian Ocean is in and around the Persian Gulf and is there mainly to curb growing Iranian aggression. The only major American base actually in the Indian Ocean is Diego Garcia, 44 square kilometer island 4,700 kilometers south of Afghanistan. The U.S. Navy maintains a base in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf and several Gulf states host American warplanes. What India wants is some American warships closer to the Indian coast. That does not seem to be happening soon enough to influence the Chinese fleet moving into the region. The MSRA is part of an Indian effort to gain more support from the Americans to defend Indian naval dominance in the region.
A group of Chinese female economists have been branded as traitors by netizens in their country. Their crime? Having lunch with US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen.

Over the weekend, the women economists were lambasted on Chinese social media apps by netizens who accused them of being radical feminists. Some even said that the women have committed treason for meeting Yellen.

On Saturday, Yellen met six female economists in Beijing to highlight gender diversity following meetings with Chinas largely male government leaders.

Although the Treasury Secretary did not mention the names of the women she met for lunch, some people identified them on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter Weibo.

In one such post, a user identified one of the economists as Hao Jingfang, saying that she is not only a traitor but also a radical feminist.

An absolute honor to dine with @SecYellen during her visit to Beijing, with local young female economists. Have admired her work for long, on labor and macro, academia and policy. She is highly intellectual and incredibly graciousan inspirational role model. pic.twitter.com/meVo7k0Bs7  Qian Liu (@QianLiuChina) July 8, 2023

Hao, in response, wrote, Yellen is the friendliest American official, she is always dedicated to developing friendly China-US relations.

The other economist Liu Qian, the Economist Groups managing director for Greater China, was also identified by netizens mostly because they she posted her experience of meeting Yellen online.

Some users called Yellen an obviously dangerous person asking why she was allowed to be officiated as a public guest in the country, while others called out the female economists as being pro-American.

Look at the bunch, the anti-espionage law might come in handy, wrote a user called Shan3847, while another user wrote Everyone around the table should be caught, no one is innocent. The United States is always so kind to help us expose the rebels.

Meanwhile, Yellens meet with the six women economists was symbolic as it emphasised the importance of female representation in decision-making processes in largely male-dominated Chinese politics.

I see it all the time when Im almost the only woman in the room, Yellen said.

She added, Im sure many of you have that same experience at decision-making tables.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been known for excluding women from top leadership positions. Under his leadership, the ruling Communist Party has seen the number of women in politics and top government roles declines and gender gaps in the workforce widen, with the government emphasizing more traditional roles for women.

With inputs from agencies
Twitter reportedly blocked Pakistans official Twitter account in Gilgit-Baltistan and showed the location of the region in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Even after the users turn the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from J-K, reported Dawn.

The issue came to light when several Twitter users in Gilgit-Baltistan complained that they were unable to access the governments official account from the region.

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter cant show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, Im in Pakistan why cant I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?, tweeted Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit.

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter cant show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, Im in Pakistan why cant I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned? pic.twitter.com/JVoxQLddpM  Yasir (@yasirhunzai1) July 6, 2023

When users tried to access the account, a message was displayed stating the account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

Another Twitter user, Karim Shah Nizari also said that he cant add Pakistans location to his tweets. The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir.

Nizari told Dawn that he was based in the Yasin Valley of Ghizer district, but the Twitter algorithm was showing him tweets from India on his feed.

Now Twitter algorithms are showing tweets from #GilgitBaltistan in India  Karim Shah Nizari (@shahnizari) July 7, 2023

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority tweeted, Reference news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistans official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the regions location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and no such problem has been found, as being circulated in the media.

It added that after a detailed on-ground testing, it appears that the sporadic issues were limited to a few iOS devices. These incidents are not significant and do not reflect a widespread problem.

Reference news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistans official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the regions location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that that the matter pic.twitter.com/NXKaN3Anbn  PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 9, 2023

With inputs from agencies
Following Russian military jets harassment of the same MQ-9 Reaper drones over Syrias western region, an Islamic State group leader was killed by a US drone strike in Syria, according to the Defence Department.

Russian aircraft harassed three Reapers for nearly two hours on Friday while they were searching for the jihadist, according to a U.S. defence official. The official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to discuss specifics of the military operation, claimed that shortly after, the drones targeted and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorbike in the Aleppo region.

Al-Muhajir, according to the official, often operated in the east but was at the time of the strike in northwest Syria.

No further information was given, so it wasnt immediately obvious how the American military determined that the victim was al-Muhajir.

There are no indications that any civilians were killed in the hit, according to a statement released by US Central Command on Sunday. The military was examining information that suggested a civilian may have been hurt.

US authorities have been complaining about Russian fighter jets in the area flying in a dangerous and bothersome manner around American drones for three days in a row, and on Friday was no exception.

Lt General Alex Grynkewich, head of US Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement that during the Friday encounter, the Russian planes flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations.

The first incident took place early on Wednesday when three American MQ-9 drones were executing a mission against IS and engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behaviour by Russian military aircraft, according to the US military. The US military claimed on Thursday that Russian fighter planes over Syria were flying incredibly unsafe and unprofessionally against both French and US aircraft.

Air Forces Central Command spokesperson Colonel Michael Andrews stated that the encounter on Thursday lasted for about an hour and involved close fly-bys by one SU-34 and one SU-35, both of which fired flares directly into the MQ-9.

According to US authorities, the drones were unarmed during prior flights but were armed on Friday when pursuing al-Muhajir.

We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region, said Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, in the statement.

The Russian and Syrian forces have begun a six-day joint training exercise that will culminate on Monday, according to Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, director of the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria, who made this announcement last week.

In other remarks published by Syrian state media, Gurinov expressed Russian worry over drone flights by the US-led coalition over northern Syria, describing them as systematic violations of protocols meant to prevent military encounters.

(With agency inputs)
US Authorities have reported that a Marine was taken into custody last month after a 14-year-old girl, who had been reported missing, was discovered in the barracks of a California base.

The teenager was found on June 28 by military police at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, shortly after her grandmother had reported her disappearance to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department.

1st Marine Logistics Group later issued a statement confirming that an unidentified Marine from Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group, was detained for questioning by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) on June 28.

The Marine remains in custody but has not yet been formally charged.

The statement emphasized the seriousness with which the command views the matter and all the allegations.

It also stated that the investigation is being supported by the sheriffs department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of NCIS.

The involvement of the human trafficking task force in the investigation has not been confirmed by representatives from the state attorney generals office, who did not respond to inquiries as of Sunday morning.

According to reports, the girls grandmother reported her missing on June 13, stating that she had run away from home four days earlier.

Although the girl had run away in the past, she had always returned home quickly. The sheriffs office entered her information into various missing person databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

It has been claimed that the girl has been safely returned to her grandmother. Detectives interviewed the teenager, and the family was offered unspecified services. Further details about these services were not provided by the sheriffs office upon a follow-up inquiry.

To protect the privacy of the minor victim, her identity has not been disclosed by the sheriffs office.

Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS, stated that they do not comment on ongoing investigations out of respect for the investigative process and, therefore, cannot provide any further details.

Lt. David LaDieu, the media relations director for the sheriffs department, clarified that the investigation is being handled by NCIS, and their departments involvement was limited to recovering the juvenile since she was reported missing from their jurisdiction.
In the West Bank on Monday, an Israeli soldier opened fire on a Palestinian attacker who was throwing a grenade and shooting at him. The attacker was killed, according to Palestinian authorities and the Israeli military.

With increased Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks, and Jewish settlers attacking Palestinian towns, violence in the West Bank, one of the areas where the Palestinians aspire to establish a state, has gotten worse during the past 15 months.

The Israeli military claimed that after questioning a suspicious driver they encountered on a West Bank road, the driver got out of his car and fired at the troops before they returned fire and neutralised him.

His demise was confirmed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Other immediate comments from Palestinian officials were nonexistent.

US-mediated negotiations to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza broke down in 2014 and dont appear to be picking up again. In the Middle East conflict of 1967, Israel took control of all three locations.

In the West Banks flashpoint city of Jenin, Israel last week began its largest operation in years. Twelve Palestinians, the majority of whom were identified as terrorist combatants, as well as one Israeli soldier, died.

(With agency inputs)
Security researchers recently uncovered two malicious file management applications on Google Play, which have amassed a combined installation count of over 1.5 million.

These apps were found to collect an excessive amount of user data, surpassing the requirements for their advertised functionalities, according to a report by BleepingComputer.

The report reveals that both apps, originating from the same publisher, have the ability to launch without user interaction and illicitly extract sensitive data, sending it to servers located in China.

App Details and User Data Exfiltration

The first app, referred to as File Recovery and labeled as com.spot.music.filedate on devices, boasts a minimum of 1 million installs. The second app, File Manager, identified as com.file.box.master.gkd, has a minimum of 500,000 installations. These apps were detected by Pradeo, a mobile security solutions company.

Contrary to their claims of not collecting user data, the apps retrieve the following information from the device:

Contact list from on-device memory, connected email accounts, and social networks. Pictures, audio, and video files managed or recovered through the apps. Real-time user location. Mobile country code, network provider name, and SIM provider network code. Operating system version, device brand, and model.

While some data collection may be justified for performance and compatibility reasons, the majority of the extracted data goes beyond what is necessary for file management and data recovery. The apps clandestinely gather this data without obtaining the users consent.

Furthermore, Pradeo discovered that the apps employ tactics to evade detection and removal:

Hiding their home screen icons to impede detection. Exploiting approved permissions during installation to restart the device and run in the background.

Pradeo speculates that the app publisher employed emulators or install farms to artificially inflate popularity and create a facade of trustworthiness. This hypothesis is supported by the significantly low number of user reviews compared to the reported user base.

Googles Response and App Removal

Upon being informed of the issue, Google stated that they have removed the malicious apps from Google Play. Users relying on Google Play Services and Google Play Protect are protected from these malware-infected apps on Android devices, even if the apps are sourced from external channels beyond Google Play.

Source
    CELESTYAL JOURNEY -         ...
Xiaomi has confirmed the launch of Redmi 12, the companys next budget Redmi smartphone in India on August 1st. It was introduced for global markets last month.

The first teaser shows the companys brand ambassador Disha Patani holding the phone, and it highlights the crystal glass design.

The company says that this flagship design is for everyone. It shows the phones triple rear cameras and the side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

To remind you, the phone packs a 6.79-inch Full HD+ LCD screen with 90Hz refresh rate, 8MP front-facing camera inside the punch hole and is powered by MediaTek Helio G88 SoC.

The phone features a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro sensor. The phone has a glass back and has IP53 ratings for dust and splash resistance. It packs a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

The Redmi 12 will be sold on Amazon and Flipkart, in addition to mi.com and offline stores, after the launch next month.
MANZINI - A liSwati woman, who has a child with an Asian businessman, has been reportedly ordered to vacate her three-bedroom house and stop taking rent from 33 flats which are registered under her name.

This after Thandeka Mabuza (31) separated from the father of her child, who is a businessman operating shops at Luhleko in Bhunya. Mabuza narrated that she was employed at the businessmans shop at Luhleko in 2014. According to the woman, she was sickly such that the businessman offered to help in paying for her medical bills. She revealed that a relationship began, which resulted in her falling pregnant with the businessmans child, who is eight years old. Mabuza detailed that the businessman offered to stay with her and her firstborn child whom she has with another man.

Sponsored

While they were staying together, she disclosed that the businessman sponsored her to start a Mobile Money and salon businesses. When I gave birth, I told him that since he was in and out of the country as he was not a citizen, he should secure land for me and my child to ensure that we are taken care of, she explained. Mabuza elaborated that indeed the businessman secured land for her at Luhleko through kukhonta, which was endorsed in her name. Through kukhonta, an individual wishing to gain access to land within a specific chiefdom approaches a chief who, in conjunction with his council and the broader community, decide whether to allocate land to the individual. To be a liSwati is to have a relatively permanent homestead within a chiefdom, allowing all citizens of Eswatini to be known by their chief, the steward of their land.

Mabuza also mentioned that he (businessman) built her a three-bedroom house as well as blocks of 33 flats on the same piece of land. She said during the course of the relationship, they would have fights but would resolve their differences. During this time, she said, the businessman would travel in and out of the country as he visited his home country. She said she discovered that the businessman had impregnated another liSwati. However, she said she maintained the relationship. Fast forward to this year, Mabuza revealed that she started getting calls from the businessman, instructing her to vacate her home. He told me that he wanted to settle in my home with his liSwati wife, whom he had impregnated. He said I should refrain from collecting rent from the flats he built for me. I refused, she shared. Mabuza said she got the shock of her life when the chiefs brother, who was in the company of police officers and a man they introduced as the manager of her flats, came and advised her that she was no longer permitted to collect rent for the flats. According to Mabuza, her child was also taken away from her.

Flats

According to the letter which this publication has in its possession, it indicates that the flats belonged to the Asian businessmans two children and not their mothers. It also states that the mothers were not involved in any way and were not permitted to stay or interfere in the business, in light of the fact that there was a manager employed to look after the business. The letter highlighted that failure to abide by the instructions would lead to the law taking its course on the offenders. The letter was endorsed by the Chief of Luhleko, Zulwelihle Maseko.

Mabuza was of the view that the father of her child had allegedly corroborated with the areas traditional leaders in taking her home and property. She said she was willing to fight for what belonged to her and her child. She claimed that the father of her child allegedly faked documents, stating that she did not own the property, when she was the rightful owner.

When drawn for comment, the businessman shared the letter directing Mabuza to refrain from operating the flats. He was asked to respond to the womans allegations against him. He stated that the documents were not fake because they were endorsed by the royal kraal. He also said he did not know her. When he was later called, he did not answer his phone. Attempts to get his comment through WhatsApp proved futile as the messages were sent and received with blue ticks.
Iti doresti o presa libera si independenta, care nu da inapoi cand vine vorba de respectarea standardelor profesionale, refuza sa se lase cenzurata, sustine independenta justitiei, transparenta decizionala si valorile democratice. Alege sa o sustii.
EZULWINI  There could be a proposal to remove over 27 600 senior citizens from governments elderly grant.

These are the elderly who are beneficiaries of other retirement funds. The talks about the proposal or a policy to eliminate the 27 621 beneficiaries of the government elderly grant emanated from a workshop on Social Security Inquiry (SSI) held at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini last week. The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and was sponsored by the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The aim of the workshop was to assess the countrys social security status to identify gaps and inform policies that are relevant options to fill the gaps that may include extension of coverage, increased benefits and reduce current limitations.

The workshop with the data that had been collected from the existing social security, schemes also gave a picture of how the country was performing in terms of social protection.

It brought together stakeholders of social security, which included employers, workers government, as well as social security providers, among others. During the workshop, the consultant, Nokwazi Mathabela, who was tasked with compiling data from all social security protection programmes from government, private sector and informal sector among the other types of social protection, gave a picture of statutory retirement funds in Eswatini. She presented that the country had over 112 registered local and international statutory retirement funds, of which 71 of them were locally registered while 41 were international funds. Mathabela told the attendees that data showed that 27 621 elderly people in the country were receiving pension from several pension funds and these included the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) received among others.

Funds

It got interesting when Mathabela pointed about that the very same 27 621 elderly people were also receiving the government elderly grant on top of the one they get from their respective retirement funds. The government elderly grant is under the portfolio of the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) office. Mathabela also noted that the data she received from government ministries showed that there were about 81 000 elderly people in the country; these were individuals above the age of 60. This means if all 81 755 are receiving elderly grants, 34 per cent of them, which is the 27 621, receive their own insurances and might be on DPMs office elderly grants, she said. Director of Social Security in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Magwabane Mdluli said if the 27 621 were also getting the government grant, they would be successful to address the double dipping of the government social protection fund.

Challenges

Mdluli stated that the figures were putting them as a ministry in a good light to assist government manage the fiscal challenges. He noted that close to E200 million came from the fiscus to pay the 27 000 elderly people who already are beneficiaries of retirement schemes.
After being crowned winner, Hooker was asked by ringside commentator Joe Rogan if his right arm was broken at some point in the fight, as he had barely moved the limb once the fight wrapped up.
MBABANE - The lawyer who is accused of sexually violating his children, cousin and helper has launched an attack on the judges who attended a function where the DPM was a guest.

The event, which the lawyer is now using as one of his grounds to motivate his application for the recusal of Judge Sabelo Masuku from presiding over his matter, was held at Gwamile Apostolic World Faith Church, at KaLuhleko, on May 28, 2023. During the event, the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Themba Masuku was accompanied by Judge Sabelo, who is his son.

Also present during the service were: Supreme Court Judge Nkululeko Hlophe and his wife Lorraine, a judge of the Industrial Court, who are both staunch members of the church.

According to the incarcerated lawyer, it was allegedly not expected of judges of both the High Court and the Supreme Court to be invited as guests in a political gathering organised by the executive arm of government without compelling factors. Judges should, as a matter of practice, not have access to the public space so that they may not be easily tainted with the dust of factual conflicts and occurrences that may have the effect of disqualifying them from sitting in any matter before court, alleged the lawyer. Some of those who were also part of the service were the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Moses Vilakati, and LaMgabhi Member of Parliament (MP) Dumisani Dlamini.

In his court papers, the lawyer did not take issue with the presence of Judge Lorraine during the service, but his focus was squarely on Judge Sabelo and Judge Hlophe. The deputy prime minister has a naturally close relationship with the learned judge as his biological son, to the extent that the judge was seen supporting his father in his (DPM) portfolio duties by attending a function on May 29, 2023 wherein the DPM was commissioned to thank all those who assisted government to suppress the political unrest in the country, argued the lawyer. He averred that he was not just assuming that Judge Sabelo had a close relationship with the DPM. Annexed to the application is a copy of a newspaper article about the event. According to the accused (lawyer), the article allegedly showed that Judge Sabelo was not slow to attend political gatherings in support of his fathers portfolio duties. He alleged that the presence of Judge Sabelo during the event allegedly showed that the relationship he had with the DPM was very tight.

Assisted

It is worth noting that the DPM had called this meeting to thank those who assisted the government to suppress the unrest and it is not known what contribution was made by both Judge Sabelo and Justice Hlophe of the Supreme Court to suppress the unrest. Thus I am bound to have a suspicion that Judge Sabelo may be persuaded to buy into the DPMs attitude over me, he argued. He also brought it to the attention of the court that he tried his luck with the Supreme Court however, his application for bail was dismissed. These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested in court. May I mention further that I did try my luck with the Supreme Court, however, my application was dismissed. I do note that the majority judgment was written by Justice Hlophe, who was also in attendance during the function, to receive gratitude from the DPM for whatever contribution the learned judge of appeal may have offered in the suppression of the unrest, submitted the accused.

The accused went on to tell the court that, his application for the recusal of Judge Sabelo had nothing to do with forum shopping but was allegedly based on genuine grounds. He said he felt that as a son of the DPM, Judge Sabelo could easily be influenced by the beliefs and aspirations of the latter to his case which he (DPM) had expressed publicly, to allegedly see him rot in jail. His application for the recusal of Judge Sabelo is being opposed by the director of public prosecution (DPP), who contended that through same, the imprisoned lawyer was attempting to do what was known as forum shopping. Forum shopping in law is a colloquial term for the practice of litigants having their case heard in a court thought most likely to provide favourable judgment.

In his replying papers, the attorney, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, informed the court that he had a reasonable apprehension of bias that Judge Sabelo might not bring to bear an impartial mind in deciding his case, because of his parental relationship with the DPM. He claimed that the DPM had taken the issue of his arrest and prosecution as a personal crusade transcending beyond his constitutional duty, ignoring the divide between the executive and judicial functions.

Evidence

I maintain that my apprehension of bias is real and is based on credible evidence of relationship between the learned trial judge together with proven determination of the DPM whose portfolio is tasked with enforcing the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act to come with positive results, he argued. The lawyer further contended that his application had nothing to do with forum shopping. The matter is still pending in court and appearing for the accused is Professor Msibi while Principal Crown Counsel Futhi Gamedze and Crown Counsel Mncedisi Dlamini are appearing for the prosecution.
amasan1 at 10-07-2023 09:16 PM (1 week ago) (m)

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said that Nigerians witnessed the worst phase of corruption under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said that Nigerians witnessed the worst phase of corruption under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said;

We have seen the worst phase of corruption in Nigeria, Femi Falana, my friend here will speak about that because he has published a series of articles talking about what happened under the Buhari administration.

They were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms.

Kukah who also claimed that Nigeria is sharing its sovereignty which is guaranteed in the constitution with bandits and other terrorists, added that nobody is excited now about being a Nigerian even if they are President or Senators, as the country is literally being held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of our democracy and country.

The cleric also disclosed that a lot of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary, even though the arm of government is a victim, the same way every other institution in Nigeria is suffering a crisis.

Kukah further averred that Nigeria should not yet assume that it is a democracy but instead assume that it is matching towards democracy, which means rebuilding Nigeria after the kind of mess the last administration has left the country.

According to him, it is time to rebuild the country and no matter what happens at the Supreme Court concerning the election, he is convinced that Nigerians have put the ugly past behind them. He said;We have seen the worst phase of corruption in Nigeria, Femi Falana, my friend here will speak about that because he has published a series of articles talking about what happened under the Buhari administration.They were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms.Kukah who also claimed that Nigeria is sharing its sovereignty which is guaranteed in the constitution with bandits and other terrorists, added that nobody is excited now about being a Nigerian even if they are President or Senators, as the country is literally being held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of our democracy and country.The cleric also disclosed that a lot of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary, even though the arm of government is a victim, the same way every other institution in Nigeria is suffering a crisis.Kukah further averred that Nigeria should not yet assume that it is a democracy but instead assume that it is matching towards democracy, which means rebuilding Nigeria after the kind of mess the last administration has left the country.According to him, it is time to rebuild the country and no matter what happens at the Supreme Court concerning the election, he is convinced that Nigerians have put the ugly past behind them.

Post Reply I am an investigative reporter at Gistmania, I conduct fact-finding investigative journalism. Posted: at 10-07-2023 09:16 PM (1 week ago) | Hero
felicilin at 10-07-2023 09:53 PM (1 week ago) (f)

Nigeria's former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has returned to the country a couple of weeks after he travelled to London to dodge visitors in his Daura home in Katsina State.

Nigeria's former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has returned to the country a couple of weeks after he travelled to London to dodge visitors in his Daura home in Katsina State.

The 80-year-old left office and handed over to Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, after eight successive years in office as president.



But he relocated to London in late June due to what his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described as the unending visits to his private residence. He said the president moved to a more distant place so he could get some much-needed rest after his time in office.



However, Buhari's former aide, Bashir Ahmad, announced on Twitter, on Monday, July 10, that the president stepped back into the country on Sunday, July 9.



What pushed him to travel was waiting for him at home as Ahmad posted a video of the Emir of Daura and his council members visiting the former president at his residence on Monday.



The former president has said numerous times that he'd like to enjoy his retirement out of the spotlight and not be seen as a distraction to Tinubu's administration.



Shehu denied reports in June that Buhari asked the new president not to prosecute people who worked with him during his time in office.



Tinubu has already ordered the suspension of two high-profile officials of the Buhari administration in his first month in office.



The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, and chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, have been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for weeks.



The Tinubu administration accused them both of corruption but is yet to charge them to court.



The Emir of Daura and his council members visited former President Muhammadu Buhari this afternoon at his residence in Daura. PMB returned to the country yesterday after a short trip to London, the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/2qzoypvWRC  Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) July 10, 2023 The 80-year-old left office and handed over to Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, after eight successive years in office as president.But he relocated to London in late June due to what his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described as the unending visits to his private residence. He said the president moved to a more distant place so he could get some much-needed rest after his time in office.However, Buhari's former aide, Bashir Ahmad, announced on Twitter, on Monday, July 10, that the president stepped back into the country on Sunday, July 9.What pushed him to travel was waiting for him at home as Ahmad posted a video of the Emir of Daura and his council members visiting the former president at his residence on Monday.The former president has said numerous times that he'd like to enjoy his retirement out of the spotlight and not be seen as a distraction to Tinubu's administration.Shehu denied reports in June that Buhari asked the new president not to prosecute people who worked with him during his time in office.Tinubu has already ordered the suspension of two high-profile officials of the Buhari administration in his first month in office.The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, and chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, have been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for weeks.The Tinubu administration accused them both of corruption but is yet to charge them to court.

Post Reply Posted: at 10-07-2023 09:53 PM (1 week ago) | Addicted Hero
ChatGPT website traffic drops for the first time since its release in November News oi -Carlsen Martin

ChatGPT has been capturing headlines for the past few months with consistent growth in traffic. However, OpenAI's chatbot saw in drop in traffic for the first time in the past couple of months.

Between May and June, global desktop, and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website fell by an estimated 10 percent. The website traffic fell by 9.7 percent in from May to June, while the rate of unique visitors dropped by 5.7 percent, according to analytics firm Similarweb said.

ChatGPT's traffic drops for the first time

Moreover, the report also noted that the amount of time visitors spent on OpenAI's ChatGPT website had also declined to 8.5 percent. The analytic firm also reported that ChatGPT's skyrocketing traffic growth was beginning to level out last month, so the decline comes as a surprise.

This marks the first time the website saw a decline in traffic since OpenAI first introduced its AI Chatbot back in November 2022. Similarweb's report also noted that despite the decline, ChatGPT still attracts more visitors than Microsoft's search engine, bing.com and Character.AI, the second most popular stand-alone AI chatbot site.

Dethroning Google Search isn't going to be a 'Walk in the Park'

The report noted that the "drop in interest not only for ChatGPT but one of its key competitors is a sign that the novelty has worn off for AI chat." Similarweb suggests that generative AI platforms will now have to "prove their worth," rather than take things for granted from here on out.

According to Similarweb, "ChatGPT no longer looks like it will keep growing until it's the most-trafficked website in the world. The report further stated; "In other words, Google is in no danger of being eclipsed by the OpenAI tech demo site that turned into a cultural phenomenon."

ChatGPT also released a standalone app for Android and iOS back in May 2023. However, CNBC's reporting suggests that traffic to the mobile ChatGPT app and ChatGPT-powered Bing app could also be on the decline.

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Google's Med-PaLM 2: Advancing AI in Healthcare News oi -Kabir Jain

Google's commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has reached a new milestone with the development of Med-PaLM 2. This AI tool, currently undergoing testing at the Mayo Clinic research hospital, aims to revolutionize medical queries and enhance access to healthcare information.

The Evolution of Med-PaLM 2

Med-PaLM 2 is an upgraded version of PaLM 2, which was introduced at Google I/O in May of this year. PaLM 2 serves as the language model behind Google's virtual assistant, Bard.

Building upon the foundations of its predecessor, Med-PaLM 2 has been designed specifically for medical conversations and holds tremendous potential to address healthcare challenges in countries with limited access to healthcare professionals.

Enhanced Training and Specialized Capabilities

Google has taken a meticulous approach in training Med-PaLM 2 by curating a comprehensive collection of demonstrations conducted by medical experts. This targeted training aims to enhance the tool's effectiveness in healthcare conversations, distinguishing it from more generalized chatbots such as Bard, Bing, and ChatGPT.

Balancing Accuracy and Potential

While Med-PaLM 2 exhibits remarkable capabilities, an internal email revealed that Google acknowledges the accuracy issues commonly observed in large language models.

A research paper published by Google in May shed further light on this aspect. Physicians involved in the study identified certain inaccuracies and irrelevant information in answers provided by Med-PaLM and Med-PaLM 2 when compared to responses from human doctors.

However, it's worth noting that Med-PaLM 2 performed on par with actual doctors in various other aspects, including reasoning abilities, consensus-supported answers, and comprehension. This underscores the potential of AI to augment medical expertise and contribute significantly to healthcare practices.

Early Stages and Ongoing Improvements

Greg Corrado, Google's senior research director, emphasized that Med-PaLM 2 is still in its early stages. While Corrado wouldn't personally rely on it for his family's healthcare, he believes that Med-PaLM 2 can substantially expand the application areas where AI can be beneficial in healthcare.

Privacy Policy Updates

In alignment with its commitment to transparency, Google recently updated its privacy policy. The updated policy explicitly mentions the utilization of publicly available data for training language models (previously referred to as AI models). By incorporating this data, Google aims to enhance the training and performance of its AI models while upholding privacy standards.

Source

Via

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Oppo Reno 10 Series India Launch Today: Heres Everything You Need To Know About Flagship Android Smartphones News oi -Alap Naik Desai

Oppo will launch the Oppo Reno 10 series in India. If the brand mimics the launch in China, the series should include the Reno 10, Reno 10 Pro, and Reno 10 Pro+ 5G.

Multiple details about the Oppo Reno 10 series, including the specifications, features, availability, and even the pricing of each smartphone in the lineup, have leaked recently. Here's everything we know about the Oppo Reno 10 series smartphones.

Oppo Reno 10 Series India Launch Timing, Livestream Details

The Oppo Reno 10 series are scheduled to launch in India. The Chinese smartphone brand is expected to announce three models in the country just like it did in China. However, the brand might make some minor hardware changes to the Indian variants of the Reno 10, Reno 10 Pro, and Reno 10 Pro+ 5G.

The Oppo Reno 10 series launch event will start at 12:00PM today. The company has indicated it will live stream the event on its official YouTube channel. Our readers can click the Play button on the video above to get notified about the event.

Oppo Reno 10 series Leaked Pricing

The smartphones in the Oppo Reno 10 series are premium devices from the company. The box pricing of the smartphones in the series had recently leaked.

According to the leak, the entry-level Oppo Reno 10 could be priced at 38,999, whereas the Reno 10 Pro's box price would be priced slightly higher at 44,999. The Reno 10 Pro+ 5G box price will be 59,999.

[Exclusive] Here are the box prices of

OPPO Enco Air3 Pro: 7,999

OPPO Reno10 Pro+: 59,999

OPPO Reno10 Pro: 44,999

OPPO Reno10: 38,999#OPPO #OPPOEncoAir3Pro #OPPOReno10Series  Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) July 5, 2023

The box price of nearly every smartphone is quite higher than the actual sale price. Moreover, brands often sell smartphones at attractive prices, especially during their initial days after the launch. Hence, some reports suggest the Reno 10 could be priced at around 30,000, whereas the Reno 10 Pro could be priced at around 40,000. The Reno 10 Pro+ could be priced at around Rs 55,000.

Oppo Reno 10 Series Smartphones Expected Specifications

The smartphones under the Oppo Reno 10 series launching in India could be similar to the ones launched in China. Hence, most of the key specifications and features should remain the same.

As the name suggests, the Reno 10 Pro+ is the top-end model. It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. The standard Oppo Reno 10 smartphone could pack a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, while the Oppo Reno 10 Pro model would have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC.

The Oppo Reno 10 Pro and Pro+ models launching in India should pack a 4,600mAh and a 4,700mAh battery with 100W flash charge, respectively. The base variant could come with a 5,000mAh battery, with 67W fast charge support.

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General Valery Gerasimov

Chief of the General Staff

Hero of the Russian Federation Army General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces, was shown in public on 10 July 2023 by the defence ministry. Gerasimov's two-week-long absence from public view had led to speculation of his removal by Putin following the Wagner rebellion. On 09 July 2023 Gerasimov was ousted as commander in Ukraine, less than six months after he was appointed, and replaced by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, commander of the Russian Airborne Forces. Teplinskiy is considered Gerasimov's opponent and one of the few relatively "popular" commanders in the Russian military.

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved 09 November 2012 the candidature of Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russias Central Military District Armed Forces, as new chief of general staff. Gen. Gerasimov was suggested by Russias new Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after Gen. Nikolai Makarov submitted his resignation. I think the [defense] minister proposed a suitable candidature. I hope you will be working efficiently and at your full capacity, President Putin said. Gerasimov had been the commander of forces in the Central Military District, a post he took up in April 2012.

Born on 8 September 1955 in the city of Kazan, in 1977, he graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School named after the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). He commanded platoon, company, battalion in the Northern Group of Troops and Far Eastern Military District.

After his graduation from the Military Academy of Armored Troops named after Marshal of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky in 1987, he served as the chief of headquarters and commander of tank regiment, the chief of headquarters of a motorised rifle division in the Baltic Military District. From 1993 to 1995  the commander of a motorised rifle division in the North-Western Group of Troops.

In 1997 after his graduation from the Military Academy of the RF Armed Forces General Staff, he served as the First Deputy Commander of Army in the Moscow Military District, the Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff and Commander of the 58th Army in the North Caucasian Military District. From 1998 to 2003 he served in the 58th Combined Arms Army of the North Caucasian Military District. At that time, this region was a continuous "hot spot". At first, Gerasimov headed the army headquarters, then became the commander. Subordinates always understood that for their commander the concept of "human life" is definitely not an empty phrase.

It is said that General Gerasimov showed an unconventional approach to planning military operations. For example, commanding troops in the Bamut (not to be confused with the Ukrainian Bakhmut) direction, he planned and conducted the operation so that his subordinates took Maly Bamut without a fight at all, which was a complete surprise for the militants. Gerasimov never allowed untrained fighters to be sent into battle, and when planning operations, there is no such thing as a trifle for him. He aroused respect among his subordinates not only as a professional commander, but simply as a person.

From 2003 to 2005 he was the Chief of Staff of the Far Eastern Military District. From 2005 hes erved as the Chief of the Main Administration of Combat Training and Troops Service of the RF Armed Forces, and from December 2006 as the Chief of Staff of the North Caucasian Military District.

In December 2006, he was assigned as the Commander of the Leningrad Military District, and in February 2009  as the Commander of the Moscow Military District. From December 2010 he was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

A series of random checks in the Russian Armed Forces this week revealed a number of systemic shortcomings, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said on 22 February 2013. Combat alert checks were carried out in the Central and South Military Districts, the Airborne Assault Forces (VDV) and military transport aviation units. According Gerasimov, there are "serious shortcomings and problems that require urgent solutions." A number of systemic deficiencies in the state of combat readiness and the level of training of the personnel of the Armed Forces were revealed recently for the first time in the last 20 years by a surprise check of the combat readiness of individual units, in particular, in the troops of the Central and Southern military districts, the Airborne Forces and military transport aviation. In almost all checked organisms, operational duty officers and duty officers in military units showed poor skills in communicating signals through automated combat control systems, said the head of the Russian General Staff.

A serious concern is the large number of defective aircraft. The overall percentage of aviation serviceability is 66%. The prompt solution of this issue of restoring and repairing the aviation fleet is the most important joint task of the relevant bodies of military command and industry, said the Chief of the General Staff. He added that also during the check, the shortcomings of the airborne armored vehicles were clearly manifested. BMD-2s are morally and physically obsolete, the age of the vehicles is 20-25 years, and sometimes more. The wear of the main components and assemblies does not allow the use of the combat capabilities of this type of equipment, for this reason, two BMD-2s went out of order during the march to the training ground, concluded General of the Army Valery Gerasimov.

Another serious problem is the insufficiently efficient operation of repair plants and industrial enterprises. Often equipment that has undergone major or medium repairs and is under warranty service fails in the first months of its operation in combat units, said the head of the General Staff. He also added that operational problems were also found in Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, Su-25 aircraft, Msta self-propelled artillery mounts, and R-168-5un radio stations. According to Valery Gerasimov, "the equipment developed by the Russian defense industry often does not fully meet the requirements of the military."

In 2013, Gerasimov published the text "The Value of Science in Foresight", in which he outlined the contours of future military conflicts. Then the world lives under the impression of color revolutions, and less than a year later another Maidan will take place, which will turn everything upside down. The theses voiced by the Chief of the General Staff turned out to be so resonant that abroad the article was immediately dubbed the Gerasimov Doctrine. Later, one of the analysts - Mark Galeotti - even apologized for creating a new term. Probably due to the fact that in the material the head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces speaks mainly of a defensive strategy.

The vision of the Chief of the General Staff of the armed conflict from 2013 surprisingly coincides with the initial stage of the special operation in Ukraine. Among the main differences of a new type of war, Gerasimov singled out: the beginning of hostilities by a grouping of peacetime troops, the highly maneuverable nature of the offensive, the defeat of critical enemy targets in a short time, the massive use of high-precision weapons and special operations forces , as well as attacks on the enemy throughout the depth of his territory. An external observer will 100% identify by these signs the Russian "special operation" for "denazification and demilitarization".

It should be noted that the doctrine of a new war was successfully tested in 2014 on the example of the bloodless return of Crimea and, much later, the military-diplomatic settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov had two main and most striking military operations planned by him and his subordinates, which are recognized in the world as the standard of military art. This is the operation to return the Crimea and the Syrian campaign.

After the Crimean events of 2014, Vladimir Putin said that the decision on Crimea was made in a narrow circle of like-minded people. Two questions were discussed there: whether the population of Crimea is ready to support joining Russia at the referendum and whether the Armed Forces will be able to ensure the security of this referendum.

Another large-scale operation of the General Staff under the leadership of Gerasimov is the Syrian one. The first projection of Russian military power outside the country in post-Soviet history. According to editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, retired colonel Viktor Murakhovsky, "the Syrian operation is, of course, a major success of the Russian General Staff, which Valery Gerasimov actually revived."

Measures taken by the Russian Defense Ministry to develop the Strategic Nuclear Forces and raise the capabilities of regular troops will prevent the United States or NATO's superiority over Russia, General Staff head Valery Gerasimov said 30 January 2015. "The Armed Forces' priority is the quality improvement of the Strategic Nuclear Forces," Gerasimov said. The statement comes after US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work's statement that the growth in Russias military spending and modernization over the past decade represented a challenge to the United States.

"This attitude toward keeping the Strategic Nuclear Forces in the condition of high combat readiness in combination with the quality improvement of the combat potential of the regular troops will prevent the military superiority of the United States and NATO over Russia," Gerasimov said. "This year, four missile regiments are planned to be established and equipped with modern missile complexes within the Strategic Missile Forces," he added. Gerasimov's statement echoes a pledge by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who reiterated earlier in the day that the Russian military will begin working on the task set by the president to guarantee military superiority upon completion of the state weapons program.

The number of local and regional armed conflicts is on the rise globally and general instability is spreading, Russian General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov asserted 08 October 2015. "The international situation is characterized by a higher level of instability and a rise in the number of armed conflicts, while international institutions' role in tackling them decreases," Gerasimov said at an international conference on Afghanistan.

The operation in Syria revealed a number of design and production shortcomings of Russian military equipment. This statement was made by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu 21 October 2016. He explained that on a single day of acceptance of military products, the question of what measures are being taken to improve the reliability of the equipment used will be raised. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said that the operation in Syria revealed "certain problems", the elimination of which will allow "to correct further directions for the development and improvement of models of military equipment." Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov instructed "to take measures to correct the situation" by the end of the year.

The "pro-war bloggers" in Russia were very critical of Valery Gerasimov. They placed the bulk of the blame for Russian military failures on him, since the Russian Federation has been modernizing the army for 15 years, purchasing and developing the most modern weapons, and investing a lot of money (according to Russian concepts, although this budget still not comparable to the American one), but there are no results. Many expected, including even Russian adversaries in the West, that the Russian Federation in Ukraine would act as a "world military power"

When the situation began to develop especially badly for the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov was criticized by two of the most radical Russian figures: Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. They did not hesitate in expressions and exposed Gerasimov as a weakling who hides away from the front and destroys the Russian army. At the same time, neither Prigozhin nor Kadyrov mentioned Vladimir Putin.

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov was placed personally in charge of the special operation 15 January 2023. This decision would allow Russia in the near future to change the course of the special operation to larger-scale active offensive operations, though this did not happen. When major reshuffles occur during an armed conflict, it means that not everything goes according to plan. This means that after a relatively short period, "General Armageddon", or rather Sergei Surovikin, who will become only one of the three deputies of the new commander-in-chief, is leaving the highest Russian military post in Ukraine.

Prigozhin and his mercenaries specifically recorded a video message to Gerasimov 27 December 2022 in order to force the General Staff of the Russian Federation to work. Two "Wagnerites" accused the Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces in the absence of shells to continue the war against Ukraine. Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov has no doubt that by such actions "Putin's cook" once again wants to show inaction in the Russian Defense Ministry. The Russian army is really in dire need of shells, of which there are very few left in military warehouses in the Russian Federation. Prigozhin himself really wants to capture Bakhmut in order to show Putin and the entire Russian elite the importance of his PMC in the war against Ukraine.

After Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion and against the backdrop of Russia's failures at the front in Ukraine, on 10 July 2023 Vladimir Putin removed Valery Gerasimov, from command of Russian troops in Ukraine. Instead, it seems that Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky , commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, was entrusted with directing the theater of operations on the part of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin could have chosen the candidacy of Mikhail Teplinsky because of his great popularity among the Russian rank and file and the ultra-nationalist community of the Russian Federation. Teplinskiy had commanded the Russian forces in the Bakhmut area, which operated there together with units of the Wagner PMC. However, nothing is known about his wider support for the Wagnerites, although he gained fame as one of the most famous "anti-Gerasimov" commanders, in addition to Surovikin.

In a sense, Valery Gerasimov is a rather mysterious figure. At times, he did not appear in public for weeks and did not even attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow in 2022, which at the time sparked gossip about his position. Gerasimov is absolutely not a public person, despite such a high position. This person is not looking for fame, he doesnt particularly like dialogues with journalists, although he doesnt run away from them. Gerasimov is a man of action. After meeting with him, some visitors fom a lasting impression of a simple, almost peasant face and modesty of behavior as a good disguise for deep human wisdom and high intelligence.





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Colonel-General Mikhail Yurievich Teplinskiy

Hero of the Russian Federation Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, commander of the Russian Airborne Forces [VDV], on 09 July 2023 replaced Army General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces, as commander in Ukraine, less than six months after he was appointed. Teplinskiy is considered Gerasimov's opponent and one of the few relatively "popular" commanders in the Russian military. As of April 2023, Teplinskiy had been a Deputy Commander of the Joint Grouping of Russian Forces in Ukraine, by virtue of his commandof teh VDV.

The Moscow Times, citing "military correspondents," published news that Putin "continues chaotic throwing, changing army commanders in Ukraine." The reason for this, the authors of the publication noted, was the situation at the front, where Russian troops "are surely losing ground under the onslaught of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

Abraham Lincoln, in his search for a winning general, sought a man of undaunted enterprise. He must make no fatal blunder, and while he did not wish to expose the North to disaster, Lincoln did mean to conquer the South. Lincoln famously stated "If General McClellan is not going to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time." Lincoln wrote to General Hooker: Beware of rashness, but with energy, and sleepless vigilance, go forward, and give us victories. Lincoln replaced generals many times - Winfield Scott, Irvin McDowell, George McClellan, John Pope, Ambrose Burnside, Fighting Joe Hooker, George Meade - before he finally selected Ulysses S. Grant to take command.

After Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion and against the backdrop of Russia's failures at the front in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin likely removed the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, from command of Russian troops in Ukraine. Instead, it seems that Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky , commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, was been entrusted with directing the theater of operations on the part of the Russian Federation. Russian propagandists, the so-called "Z-military correspondents", in particular the Rybar channel, wrote on 08 July 2023 that Gerasimov formally retained the post of chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, but "has nothing to do with resolving issues at the front." It was said that instead of Gerasimov, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy was in charge of all operations in Ukraine.

Colonel-General Teplinskiy is a serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, he has been the commander of the Airborne Forces since June 2022. Russian airborne troops have been widely deployed during the conflict in Ukraine. Thus, Colonel General Teplinskiy is an "involved person" because he "destabilizes Ukraine or undermines or threatens the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine" because he works for the Russian government as a Major General of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Considering the current international situation around Ukraine and in order to promote international efforts to achieve international peace aimed at resolving this issue, in accordance with the measures taken by other major countries, the Government of Japan has introduced, after taking measures in accordance with the Law on Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade, on the basis of the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers on the freezing of assets of individuals and legal entities of the Russian Federation and other measures of May 26, 2023.

Mikhail Teplinskiy was born in Ukraine: his small homeland is the town of Mospino in the Donetsk region, which remained occupied since 2014. The settlement is located on the Gruzskaya River, a left tributary of the Kalmius. In 1800, the village of Makhorovka was founded. For a whole century, villages appeared in the district, which underwent changes and changed names. Since 1902, mines began to be built on this territory, a railway was laid. One of the mine owners by the name of Mospin asked to name the station after him. As a result, the name was assigned to the village. In 1938, Mospino received the status of a city.

There is no information about Mikhail's early years. His compatriot recalls that Misha went to kindergarten, where her mother worked as a teacher. She even has a picture of a seven-year-old boy, and next to her is a little girl who now recalls how in the summer children made hats out of burdock, earrings out of cherries and ate "pies with a liver tube."

Mikhail Yurievich does not tell anything about his family and parents, it is not known who they are by profession, what they were doing. There is also no information about siblings, if any. The same compatriot said that Mikhail's mother lived in Mospino, but in 2019 her son took her. True, the woman did not want to leave her house, but the man managed to persuade her, although it took five years.

Teplinsky graduated from school in the Ukrainian SSR, and received his military education in Russia. He joined the Soviet Army in August 1987. His entire career was connected with this branch of the military - the Airborne Forces. In 1991 he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School named after Lenin Komsomol. He served in the 106th Guards Airborne Division (Tula), commanded a parachute reconnaissance platoon and a reconnaissance company of the 137th Guards Parachute Regiment. In 1992-1993 he took part in the elimination of the armed conflict in Transnistria.

It was the Chechen wars that brought Mikhail Teplinsky the first career achievements in the Russian army. In December 1994 - March 1995, he participated in the first Chechen war, in particular in Grozny. For four months he took part in the battles of the First Chechen War, where he was appointed chief of intelligence of the parachute regiment. After graduating from the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, he began to command a battalion. In the late 1990s he took part in the second Chechen war. Even during the first campaign, he became a captain and head of intelligence of the parachute regiment,

On the tragic day of January 1, 1995, at the head of a group of scouts, he made his way to the center of Grozny, to the area of the railway station, where the military equipment of the dead units of the 131st Maikop Motorized Rifle Brigade was still burning. He identified a building that towered over the surrounding neighborhood and the station and customs buildings. The possession of this building made it possible to control the entire area. Imperceptibly penetrating the building, the paratroopers silently destroyed a group of militants who were in it, including two grenade launchers and one sniper.

A few hours later, the first large group of Dudayev's men (12 people), walking in ecstasy from the victory won, fell under heavy fire from the paratroopers. All attempts by the enemy to recapture the building ended only with new losses of the attackers. For several days, Teplinsky's company successfully repelled enemy attacks, and part of the time in conditions of complete encirclement. In total, during the defense of the building, the paratroopers destroyed 44 militants. The courageous defense of the paratroopers made it possible to keep the adjacent area of Grozny under the control of Russian troops. From here, the operation to liberate the city began. When Teplinsky's subordinates came out to their own, there was not a single dead person among them, only five soldiers were injured.

He distinguished himself in further battles during the crossing of the Sunzha River. While bypassing the posts on the occupied bridgehead with one of the sergeants of his company, he suddenly encountered 10 militants. In a fleeting battle, M.Y. Teplinsky and the sergeant destroyed 5 militants. Then, with reinforcements arrived, the commander of the reconnaissance company combed the area. At the same time, another enemy group was identified, of which 12 militants were destroyed on the spot. During the period of hostilities, about 30 militants were killed on the personal combat account of M.Y. Teplinsky. While still in the Chechen Republic, he was promoted in rank and position: he became captain and chief of intelligence of the parachute regiment.

By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 1, 1995, for courage and heroism shown in the performance of a special task, Senior Lieutenant Mikhail Yuryevich Teplinsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation with the award of a special distinction - the Gold Star medal.

In 1999 he graduated from the Frunze Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Moscow. Since 1999, he commanded a parachute battalion. He fought in the second Chechen war. He was transferred to the 76th Guards Airborne Division (Pskov), where he was chief of staff and commander of the 234th Guards Parachute Regiment. In October 2002, he was appointed deputy commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Division, and since 2003 he was its chief of staff.

In 2007, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the most prestigious educational institution for the Russian military leadership. In June 2007, he was appointed head of the largest training center of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Army = the 212th Guards Vienna Order of Kutuzov and Suvorov District Training Center named after Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant-General I.N. Russiyanov (Siberian Military District, Chita Region). Since June 2009 he was Chief of Staff of the 20th Combined Arms Army ( Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Region of the Russian Federation) of the Moscow (since 2010 - Central) Military District.

Since February 2013, a year before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he had been the commander of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District (Ulan-Ude) with the rank of lieutenant general.

According to the Air Force , it was Mikhail Teplinskiy who led the Russian operation near Ilovaisk in 2014. Then the military of the Russian regular army significantly strengthened the militants of the " DPR" in the battles for the city, and then shot the Ukrainian soldiers who left Ilovaisk after the conclusion of " agreements" on the alleged " green corridor" (in particular, the military of the 98th airborne division of the Russian Federation participated in this). However, the role of Teplinsky in these events remains unconfirmed.

But it is known that in May 2015, a little more than a year after Russia's invasion of the Donbass, he was appointed chief of staff of the territorial troops in the Southern Military District (Southern Military District) of the Russian army (headquarters - in the city of Rostov-on-Don). In accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, on 15 March 2017 Lieutenant General Mikhail Teplinskiy was appointed Chief of Staff of the Southern Military District (SMD) - First Deputy Commander of the SMD troops, reposnsible for the uninterrupted supply of Russian occupation troops with personnel, weapons and equipment.

From April 2019 to June 2022, he was Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District (headquarters - in the city of Yekaterinburg). Shortly before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mikhail Teplinsky was given the rank of Colonel General, a decree signed by Vladimir Putin in December 2021.

Since June 16, 2022, he has been Commander of the Airborne Forces. In this post he replaced Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov. At that time, military analysts, including Institute for the Study of War [ISW] experts, pointed out that Serdyukov was fired due to the huge losses of the airborne troops in the first months of the Russian invasion. In particular, elite units of Russian paratroopers were defeated in the battles near Kiev . He took part in the Special Military Operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine in 2022-2023. According to British intelligence, Teplinskiy probably commanded a relatively orderly withdrawal of Russian troops from the western bank of the Dnieper in November 2022 ( after the liberation of Kherson), for which he received positive marks in Russia.

On December 31, 2022, Putin brought Mikhail Teplinsky to public attention for the first time. During a visit to the headquarters of the Southern Military District, Putin awarded a number of military personnel, including Sergei Surovikin, and presented the order to Teplinsky as well. At the same time, as reported by the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, he was assigned to act as head of the newly created Dnepr grouping of Russian forces to protect the land corridor between the Russian Federation and Crimea [later Oleg Makarevich took this position].

However, already in January 2023, the British Ministry of Defense announced that Teplinsky could be removed from active participation in operations in Ukraine, in particular because of disagreements regarding the involvement of Russian paratroopers. Like, the commander of the Airborne Forces opposed the fact that the VDV were used to hold ground targets, which mechanized infantry would traditionally have to do.

During the special military operation, Teplinsky received an order from his superiors to send a group of paratroopers to take the enemy's fortified area. Mikhail Yuryevich refused to follow the instructions, as he understood that many guys would die in this battle. The commander was convinced that it was pointless to go on the attack without destruction by artillery and aviation. Such a decision did not go unpunished for Teplinsky. The man was removed from command and sent to the rear. For Mikhail Yuryevich, it was difficult to be at a safe distance from the front while his military friends were dying.

Russian media denied Teplinsky's removal during that period, stating that he "successfully solves problems" during the so-called. SVO, as in Russia they call the genocidal war unleashed against Ukraine. However, British intelligence suggested that Teplinsky's removal was due to Gerasimov's desire to impose his personal authority on the Russian military. Mikhail Teplinskiy, like Sergey Surovikin, represents the camp of opponents of Valery Gerasimov among the commanders of the Russian Federation . Month after month, he gained more and more favor from ultra-nationalist voices in the Russian media space.

On February 23, 2023, Teplinskiy released a video message on the occasion of the Russian " Defender of the Fatherland Day", In it, the commander confirmed the rumors that he was forced to leave the front. It so happened that after almost a year of fighting, I have been out of the war for more than a month. I cant describe how it is given to me every day in the rear, when comrades-in-arms are fighting and dying at the front. When, showing transcendent courage, the troops entrusted to me fight with the enemy. When the front is 30 kilometers from my father's house, where my father is buried and where my mother lives. Therefore, my greatest desire today is to return to the front as soon as possible,  he said .

Teplinskiy outlined some of the " programmatic" aspects of his vision of the war. He completely repeated Putin's false statements about the inevitability of " SVO" and the imaginary need to " save the bleeding Donbass." However, this video in ISW was also regarded as an attempt by Teplinsky to address Putin directly and express dissatisfaction with the military command of the Russian Federation . In particular, in his address, in addition to the traditional propaganda cliches about " Bandera" and Ukraine as " anti-Russia", the commander of the Airborne Forces stated that:

commanders should " take care of the soldiers", and not "pay for the captured villages and heights with soldiers' lives";

the time will come, history will ask from everyone and will bring everyone to responsibility;

It so happened that after almost a year of fighting I was out of the war for more than a month - that is, in fact, Teplinskiy confirmed his removal and withdrawal to the rear.

This video of Teplinsky, probably also confirmed his disappointment with the waste of airborne forces in the battles for Soledar and reports of unwillingness to obey Gerasimov.

In March 2023, the head of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin highly appreciated the work of Mikhail Teplinsky in the NVO zone. Then he was asked to describe the proposed resignation of the general. Prigozhin responded by saying that he could have left the post because of his own honesty and "refusal to engage in sycophancy." In addition, the head of the PMC expressed the hope that in the near future, Mikhail Teplinskiy and his colleague Sergei Surovikin will take senior positions in the Ministry of Defense.

As of April 2023, Teplinsky was deputy commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the special military operation zone. Subsequently, in mid-April 2023, when VVSHNIK units began assisting the Wagner PMC in the battles for Bakhmut, British intelligence reported that Teplinsky had likely been returned to command operations in Ukraine again.  Teplinskiy is probably one of the few senior Russian generals who is widely respected by the rank and file . His recent turbulent career is indicative of serious tensions among factions in the Russian General Staff regarding Russia's military approach in Ukraine. It is unlikely that Teplinsky's remit will be limited to airborne units, but he is likely to contribute to the corps' traditional role as an elite force," British intelligence noted at the time.

On 18 April 2023, Putin once again publicly demonstrated his confidence in Teplinsky. On the eve of Easter, the dictator allegedly visited the occupied territories of the Kherson and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. Then, at the headquarters of the Dnepr occupation forces grouping in the Kherson direction, Putin heard reports from the commander of this grouping, Oleg Makarevich, and Teplinsky himself. Regarding the latter, the dictator was generous with compliments: I know that on behalf of the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense, he was on the front line for quite a long time, he made a very detailed report. The Ministry of Defense and the General Staff highly appreciated him, Putin said about Teplinsky, giving the military leaders an icon.

Analyzing these gestures of Putin, the Institute for the Study of War then stated a likely next change in the dictator's favorites in the military command of the Russian Federation and, possibly, changes in the Kremlin's inner circle. One of the Kremlin-connected " military correspondents" then noted that neither Gerasimov nor Sergei Shoigu were present at Putin's meetings in occupied Ukraine. He also noted that Teplinskiy, as well as Alexander Lapin, who was previously sent on vacation, could return to the ranks of the military command of the occupying army of the Russian Federation against the will of Gerasimov and Shoigu .

During Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion demanding the dismissal of Shoigu and Gerasimov, Mikhail Teplinskiy remained silent and did not make public appeals in support of either side.

The Kremlin could have chosen the candidacy of Mikhail Teplinsky because of his great popularity among the Russian rank and file and the ultra-nationalist community of the Russian Federation , ISW analysts explained. They recalled that earlier Teplinskiy commanded the Russian forces in the Bakhmut area, which operated there together with units of the Wagner PMC. However, nothing is known about his wider support for the Wagnerites, although he gained fame as one of the most famous " anti-Gerasimov" commanders, in addition to Surovikin. Recently, Teplinskiy was allegedly responsible for those sectors of the front where Russian troops are defending themselves from counteroffensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, the assumption of his actual appointment as the chief commander of the theater of operations in Ukraine may indicate two reasons, according to ISW analysts:

either the Kremlin sought to reward Teplinsky for the relatively effective defensive operations of the Russian Federation in these areas of the front ( in southern Ukraine);

or Moscow is looking for a new " public face" for its operations in Ukraine, who could demonstrate at least basic military competence to offset the attention that Prigozhin has attracted against the backdrop of the battles for Bakhmut.

Earlier, ISW also noted that the massive failures of the Russian winter-spring offensive in Ukraine likely prompted Putin to share responsibility for operations in Ukraine between two different groups in the Ministry of Defense on the eve of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. At the same time, Zaporozhye, Kherson and South Donetsk directions fell into the area of responsibility of Teplinsky. At the same time, Institute analysts predicted that technically Valery Gerasimov would most likely retain his role as chief of the General Staff, at least for now, so as not to give the impression that Putin had made concessions to Prigozhin.

Over the long years of service, Teplinsky has repeatedly shown courage and demonstrated his professional qualities. The heroic deeds of the military were not unnoticed. For courage and heroism shown in the performance of a special assignment, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 1, 1995, Senior Lieutenant M.Yu. Teplinsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. He was awarded the Order of Courage, the Order of Kutuzov, the medal "For Courage", medals of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" I and II degrees, and other awards.

Teplinsky, like most people in the military profession, prefers not to discuss his personal life in the press. The man wants to protect the family from ill-wishers and excessive attention of media representatives. It is known that the Colonel-General has been officially married for many years. Who his wife is, and what profession she chose, there is no such information. The couple have three children, two sons and a daughter.





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Westford USA, July 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, the rising prevalence of rare diseases is a significant driver contributing to the growth of the orphan drug market . Rare diseases, also known as orphan diseases, are medical conditions that affect a small percentage of the population. These diseases are characterized by their low prevalence, often occurring in less than 7 out of 10,000 individuals.

Browse in-depth TOC on the "Orphan Drug Market."

Pages - 211

Tables - 65

Figures  75

The increasing prevalence of cancer and other rare genetic disorders primarily drives the growth of the orphan drug market. The rising incidence of these diseases has created a significant unmet medical need, prompting pharmaceutical manufacturers to develop innovative orphan drugs targeting specific genetic mutations or rare diseases. These drugs offer personalized therapy options to patients, addressing their particular medical conditions and improving treatment outcomes.

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/orphan-drug-market

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Attributes Details Market Size in 2022 USD 174.11 Billion 2030 Value Projection USD 359.86 Billion CAGR 9.5% Forecast Period 2023-2030 Segments Covered Disease Type

Drug Type Regions Covered North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Prominent Players in the Orphan Drug Market

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Alexion Pharmaceuticals

BioMarin Pharmaceutical

Shire (now part of Takeda)

Sanofi Genzyme

Celgene (now part of Bristol Myers Squibb)

Genentech (a subsidiary of Roche)

Pfizer

Novartis

Johnson & Johnson

AbbVie

Amgen

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical

CSL Behring

Merck & Co.

Grifols

Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum)

Ipsen

Jazz Pharmaceuticals

AstraZeneca

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/orphan-drug-market

Oncology Segment is Expected to Grow in the Market Due to Rising High Prevalence of Cancer

The oncology segment emerged as the dominant sector in the orphan drug market. This dominance can be attributed to several key factors. The product development pipelines of key players in the pharmaceutical industry are heavily focused on oncology drugs. The high prevalence of cancer and the continuous need for innovative and effective therapies drive significant investment and research in this area.

The markets in North America are anticipated to experience rapid growth in the orphan drug market. This growth can be attributed to the increasing number of patients in the region susceptible to rare diseases. Unhealthy lifestyles and high-stress levels are key factors contributing to the spread of these diseases in this area.

Hematology Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market Due to the Increasing Number of Positive Regulatory Approvals

The hematology segment is expected to be the second most dominant segment in the orphan drugs market. This projection is based on several factors, including the continuous introduction of new products and the increasing number of positive regulatory approvals in the field of hematology.

Regional markets in Europe are poised for growth in the coming years, driven by factors such as the large patient population in the region and the increasing utilization of complex medications for rare diseases in the orphan drug market. Europe is household to many patients with rare diseases, creating a demand for specialized therapies that target these conditions.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the orphan drug market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

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Key Developments in the Orphan Drug Market

Shanghai Henlius Biotech recently announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted orphan drug designation to serplulimab, also known as Hansizhuang, for treating small-cell lung cancer. This designation recognizes the potential of serplulimab to address an unmet medical need for a rare and serious condition. Orphan drug status provides incentives and support for developing therapies targeting rare diseases.

ABIONYX Pharma recently reported that the USFDA had granted orphan drug designation to Bio-HDL CER-001 for treating lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency, also known as LCAT deficiency. This designation highlights the significant medical benefit Bio-HDL CER-001 may offer patients with this rare inherited disorder. The orphan drug status provides regulatory and financial incentives to encourage the development of therapies for rare diseases, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Key Questions Answered in Orphan Drug Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period?

List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence.

In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Drug of Abuse Testing Market

Global Essential Oils & Plant Extract For Livestock Market

Global Algal Pigments Market

Global Clinical Nutrition Market

Global Cedarwood Market

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PUNE, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Sheath Introducer Market" | End User (Hospitals and Clinics,,Ambulatory Surgical Centers), Types (Straight Sheaths,,Curved Sheaths), with United States, Canada and Mexico Region in what way to growth and Advance beneficial insights from this business tactics, customer acquisition and synergies, Referring on governance, risk, and compliance, business change and processes, vertical tagging, High-class Data Report, Descriptive, which provides qualitative and quantitative perspectives on SWOT and PESTLE analysis. Statistics on industries, business conditions.

Sheath Introducer Market | No. of pages: [106]

Competitive Analysis: - benefits your analysis after businesses compete for your main customers, Sheath Introducer Market Share by Company Information, Description and Business Overview, Revenue and Gross Margin, Product Portfolio, Developments/Updates, Historical Data and more

Who are the important global manufacturers of Sheath Introducer market (USD Mn & KT)?

Boston Scientific

Medtronic

Terumo

Abbott

Merit Medical Systems

Cardinal Health

Cook

Oscor

Teleflex

Biotronik

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Sheath Introducer Market Overview 2023-2029

An introducer sheath is placed using a Seldinger technique into a central vein; the internal jugular and subclavian veins are most commonly used. It can be used to introduce catheters or other devices to perform endoluminal (inside the hollow organ) procedures, such as angioplasty. Fluoroscopy may be used to confirm the position of the catheter and to manoeuvre it to the desired location. Injection of radiocontrast may be used to visualize organs. Interventional procedures, such as thermoablation, angioplasty, embolisation or biopsy, may be performed.

Researcher's newest research report, the Sheath Introducer Industry Forecast looks at past sales and reviews total world Sheath Introducer sales in 2022, providing a comprehensive analysis by region and market sector of projected Sheath Introducer sales for 2023 through 2029. With Sheath Introducer sales broken down by region, market sector and sub-sector, this report provides a detailed analysis in US$ millions of the world Sheath Introducer industry.

This Insight Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global Sheath Introducer landscape and highlights key trends related to product segmentation, company formation, revenue, and market share, latest development, and M&A activity. This report also analyzes the strategies of leading global companies with a focus on Sheath Introducer portfolios and capabilities, market entry strategies, market positions, and geographic footprints, to better understand these firms' unique position in an accelerating global Sheath Introducer market.

This Insight Report evaluates the key market trends, drivers, and affecting factors shaping the global outlook for Sheath Introducer and breaks down the forecast by type, by application, geography, and market size to highlight emerging pockets of opportunity. With a transparent methodology based on hundreds of bottom-up qualitative and quantitative market inputs, this study forecast offers a highly nuanced view of the current state and future trajectory in the global Sheath Introducer.

The global Sheath Introducer market size is projected to grow from US$ 214.2 million in 2022 to US$ 322.5 million in 2029; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 322.5 from 2023 to 2029.

Global Introducer Sheaths key players include Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Terumo, Abbott, Merit Medical, etc. Global top five manufacturers hold a share about 65%.

Asia-Pacific is the largest market, with a share about 35%, followed by North America and Europe, both have a share nearly 55 percent.In terms of product, Straight Sheaths is the largest segment, with a share about 86%. And in terms of application, the largest application is Hospitals and Clinics, followed by Ambulatory Surgical Centers, etc.

This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Sheath Introducer market by product type, application, key manufacturers and key regions and countries.

The Global Sheath Introducer market is poised for significant growth between 2022 and 2030, with a positive outlook for 2022 and beyond. As key players in the industry adopt effective strategies, the market is expected to expand further, presenting numerous opportunities for advancement.

Why is Sheath Introducer market 2023 Important?

- Overall, Sheath Introducer market in 2023 is essential for businesses to understand the market landscape, identify growth opportunities (strategies, services, customer base), mitigate risks (economic factors, impact business, minimize risks), Insight into Market Trend (latest trends, developments, consumer preferences, emerging technologies, dynamics, top competitive) make informed decisions, and achieve sustainable growth in a competitive business environment. Strategic Decision-Making (data-driven insights, pricing strategies, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage), Validate Business Plans (long-term success of the business). Ask for a Sample Report

What are the different Types of Sheath Introducer market?

Product Type Analysis: Production, Revenue, Price, Market Share, and Growth Rate for Each Category

Straight Sheaths

Curved Sheaths

What are the different "Application of Sheath Introducer market?

End Users/Application Analysis: Status, Outlook, Consumption (Sales), Market Share, and Growth Rate for Major Applications/End Users

Hospitals and Clinics

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Which regions are leading the Sheath Introducer Market?

 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

 Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)

 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)

 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)

 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

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This Sheath Introducer Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to your following Questions

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Detailed TOC of Global Sheath Introducer Market Research Report, 2023-2030

1 Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Sheath Introducer

1.2 Classification of Sheath Introducer by Type

1.2.1 Overview: Global Sheath Introducer Market Size by Type: 2017 Versus 2021 Versus 2030

1.2.2 Global Sheath Introducer Revenue Market Share by Type in 20223

1.3 Global Sheath Introducer Market by Application

1.3.1 Overview: Global Sheath Introducer Market Size by Application: 2017 Versus 2021 Versus 2030

1.4 Global Sheath Introducer Market Size and Forecast

1.5 Global Sheath Introducer Market Size and Forecast by Region

1.6 Market Drivers, Restraints and Trends

1.6.1 Sheath Introducer Market Drivers

1.6.2 Sheath Introducer Market Restraints

1.6.3 Sheath Introducer Trends Analysis

2 Company Profiles

2.1 Company

2.1.1 Company Details

2.1.2 Company Major Business

2.1.3 Company Sheath Introducer Product and Solutions

2.1.4 Company Sheath Introducer Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023)

2.1.5 Company Recent Developments and Future Plans

3 Market Competition, by Players

3.1 Global Sheath Introducer Revenue and Share by Players (2019,2020,2021, and 2023)

3.2 Market Concentration Rate

3.2.1 Top3 Sheath Introducer Players Market Share in 2021

3.2.2 Top 10 Sheath Introducer Players Market Share in 2021

3.2.3 Market Competition Trend

3.3 Sheath Introducer Players Head Office, Products and Services Provided

3.4 Sheath Introducer Mergers and Acquisitions

3.5 Sheath Introducer New Entrants and Expansion Plans

4 Market Size Segment by Type

4.1 Global Sheath Introducer Revenue and Market Share by Type (2017-2023)

4.2 Global Sheath Introducer Market Forecast by Type (2023-2030)

5 Market Size Segment by Application

5.1 Global Sheath Introducer Revenue Market Share by Application (2017-2023)

5.2 Global Sheath Introducer Market Forecast by Application (2023-2030)

6 Regions by Country, by Type, and by Application

6.1 Sheath Introducer Revenue by Type (2017-2030)

6.2 Sheath Introducer Revenue by Application (2017-2030)

6.3 Sheath Introducer Market Size by Country

6.3.1 Sheath Introducer Revenue by Country (2017-2030)

6.3.2 United States Sheath Introducer Market Size and Forecast (2017-2030)

6.3.3 Canada Sheath Introducer Market Size and Forecast (2017-2030)

6.3.4 Mexico Sheath Introducer Market Size and Forecast (2017-2030)

7 Research Findings and Conclusion

8 Appendix

8.1 Methodology

8.2 Research Process and Data Source

8.3 Disclaimer

9 Research Methodology

10 Conclusion

Continued.

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French English





Safe group group reports half-year revenues of 2.9m



Second-quarter revenue of 1.4M in Q2 2022, stable compared with Q1 2022

Safe Orthopaedics French half-year growth of 32%.

Safe Medical half-year growth of 7% compared with 2022

Ongoing reorganization of less dynamic regions





Eragny-sur-Oise, Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle, July 10th, 2023 at 8:35 p.m. CET - Safe (FR001400F1V2 - ALSAF), a company specializing in the design, manufacture and marketing of ready-to-use technologies for back surgery, particularly safe for spinal fractures treated in emergency (the "Company") announces its yearly sales results for 2023.

"Safe Group closes the first half of 2023 with overall half-year sales growth of 6% compared with the first half of 2022, driven by growth in French direct sales for Safe Orthopaedics (+32%), the introduction of hydride marketing in the UK (+37%) and Safe Medical (+7%). In the German and American markets, we are holding discussions with local players to increase our commercial presence and boost the adoption of our technologies" comments Pierre Dumouchel, Chairman and CEO of Safe Group. "The second half of the year should be boosted by the acceleration of sales of Sycamore and Hickory, currently being rolled out internationally, and by the contracting of distributors and agents in less dynamic regions".

Revenue at June 30, 2023





Thousands of dollars Q1 2023 Q2 2023 S1 2023 Q1 2022 Q2 2022 S1 2022 Variation

Q2 23/ Q2 22 Variation

S1 23/ S1 22 Safe Orthopaedics 918 808 1 726 928 817 1 745 -1% -1% Safe Medical 590 593 1 183 490 518 1 008 +14% +17% Safe Group 1 508 1 401 2 909 1 418 1 335 2 753 +5% +6%





Excluding impact of IFRS 15

Safe Orthopaedics' half-year direct sales came to 1,149k versus 1,182k in the first half of 2022, down 3%, mainly impacted by a contraction in German and US sales, in contrast to Safe Orthopaedics' historical markets: France and the UK, where sales are growing at double-digit rates.

In France, first-half direct sales came to 842k, compared with 643k (+30%) in the first half of 2022. The 20% growth in the second quarter is part of a series of 5 post-covid quarters of double-digit revenue growth.

In the UK, first-half direct sales came to 110k versus 88k (+25%), excluding the contribution of the first order from the new distributor contracted in the second quarter to bolster sales prospecting in England and Wales.

In Germany and the United States, direct sales amounted to 197k versus 443k in the first half of 2022. These two markets require stronger sales and technical support. As a result, Safe Orthopaedics has been reviewing its sales organization since the beginning of 2023, and is actively seeking distribution partners in order to step up prospecting and support for surgeons on a daily basis.

Indirect sales recorded at 577k for the first half of 2023 are up slightly by 3% compared with 2022. The financial prudence of certain distributors in a troubled international financial context is still limiting international growth. However, the company has noted significant sales growth in Latin America and Eastern Europe, where distributors are actively promoting the ready-to-use model and offering the full SteriSpineTM range.

The company is actively seeking new European distributors and is working on the international commercial launch of the new Sycamore and Hickory technologies.

Safe Medical posted half-year sales of 1,183k, up 7% from 1,106k in 2022.

For reasons of confidentiality and respect for customers other than Safe Orthopaedics, the Group is not disclosing any commercial details.

From a technological standpoint, the number of SteriSpineTM procedures sold exceeds 27,000 by June 30, 2023. The new Sycamore and Hickory technologies are now being marketed worldwide, with the exception of the United States, where they are awaiting FDA approval.

In the second half of 2023, the company, which has already performed over 150 Sycamore surgeries under reinforced clinical follow-up, will publish its 12-month clinical results, and is awaiting official registration in several hospital groups.

From a structural point of view, the Group has been producing all its SteriSpineTM products in-house since summer 2022. The Group offers shorter production lead times, optimized working capital requirements and a significant recovery in gross margin. All these elements will be detailed when the financial results are published on 10/10/2023.

Cash position

At June 30, 2023, the Group's cash position stood at 70 k, compared with 220 k at June 30, 2022.

As a reminder, a 30M financing program was signed with Alpha Blue Ocean on March 14, 2023. The inherent risks, and in particular its highly dilutive potential, are reminded in the press release published on March 14, 2023 and available on the company's website.

Next financial publication

First-half 2023 results, October 10, 2023 (after close of trading)





About Safe Group

Safe Group is a French medical technology group that brings together Safe Orthopaedics, a pioneer in ready-to-use technologies for spine pathologies, and Safe Medical (formerly LCI Medical), a medical device subcontractor for orthopaedic surgery. The group employs approximately 150 people.

Safe Orthopaedics develops and manufactures kits combining sterile implants and single-use instruments, available at any time to the surgeon. These technologies are part of a minimally invasive approach aimed at reducing the risks of contamination and infection, in the interest of the patient and with a positive impact on hospitalization times and costs. Protected by 18 patent families, SteriSpineTM kits are CE marked and FDA approved. Safe Orthopaedics is headquartered in the Paris region (95610 Eragny-sur-Oise) and has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and the Lyon region (Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle).

For more information: http://www.safeorthopaedics.com/

Safe Medical produces implantable medical devices and ready-to-use instruments. It has an innovation center and two production sites in France (Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle, 69210) and in Tunisia, offering numerous industrial services: design, industrialization, machining, finishing and sterile packaging. Supported by the French stimulus plan in 2020, the company invests in additive printing and will be operational in 2022 on this new technology.

For more information: http://www.safemedical.fr/

Contacts

Safe Group

Francois-Henri Reynaud

Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Tel. : +33 (0)1 34 21 50 00

investors@safeorthopaedics.com

Attachment
MILAN, Italy, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This was issued by LaPresse. Germany and Morocco want to strengthen their cooperation, particularly on the issue of conflicts such as the one in Western Sahara. This was stated by the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, at a joint press conference in Berlin with her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, on Thursday. Baerbock emphasised, in particular, that Morocco's autonomy plan presented in 2007 for the Sahara region can be an important basis for finding a solution that can be accepted by all parties involved in the conflict. Bourita, in turn, pointed out that the Moroccan government is continuing to work with the United Nations to find a diplomatic solution. "We are working to find a solution within the framework of the United Nations and together we support the efforts of special envoy Staffan de Mistura. Morocco is looking for a solution to this problem within the framework of the autonomy project we presented. We are working with de Mistura, with the United Nations as a whole, to find a solution to this regional conflict that has been dragging on for 40 years," said Bourita, whose visit follows that of Baerbock to Morocco last August. On that occasion, a strategic dialogue was established between the two countries, after the tensions following German criticism of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, recognised by former US President Donald Trump. Rabat had described these remarks as "hostile." The strategic dialogue between the two countries is scheduled to take place every two years alternately in Morocco and Germany, under the chairmanship of the foreign ministers of both countries. The Western Sahara region has been claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi people, led by the Polisario Front (from the Spanish Frente Popular de Liberacion de Saguia el Hamra y Rio de Oro), successor to the Sahara Liberation Movement. The Polisario Front is campaigning for a referendum on independence and has the support of the UN. The German Foreign Minister emphasised that Berlin supports the UN's mediation work for a "realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution." "We know that the issue of Western Sahara is particularly important for Morocco. We reiterate our long-standing support for the UN-led process. It is the most promising path to an equitable political solution," Baerbock said.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/483709ae-9ce2-4c79-80d2-6d808235aa26

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
TORONTO, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sulliden Mining Capital Inc. (TSX: SMC) (Sulliden or the Company) is pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement dated July 9, 2023, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to purchase and subscribe for up to 70% of the total issued and authorised ordinary par value shares of a Namibian private company (Privco), subject to the terms and conditions set out in the agreement (the Transaction).

Privco holds, either directly or through option agreements, 14 exclusive prospecting licenses representing 307,778 hectares of exploration licenses, including the Khorixas Gold Project, the Omatjete Gold and Lithium Project, and the Outjo Gold Project (collectively, the Damara Project). The Damara Project is anticipated to provide Sulliden access to three distinct project areas that are highly prolific for gold and lithium deposits within Namibia.

Khorixas Gold

The 168,759-hectare Khorixas Gold Project is located approximately 350 km northeast of Walvis Bay within the Northern Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt, a geological setting that hosts orogenic gold deposits such as QKRs Navachab deposit, B2Golds Otjikoto deposit (see B2Golds website at https://www.b2gold.com/projects/producing/otjikoto/#updates), and Osinos Twin Hill gold discovery (3.1 Moz  see Osinos website at https://osinoresources.com/projects/twin-hills-discovery/).

The vendor has identified three exploration targets within the Khorixas Gold Project.

The Belmont target covers an area of 12 kilometres by 6 kilometres and is covered by 1 to 5-metre thick calcrete and scree cover. Gold mineralisation appears to be associated with sulphide-rich quartz veins in stacked shears associated with silicification and ankerite alteration. Previous exploration activities by the vendor included the collection of several visible gold samples that returned significant gold assays with the highest rock chip sample assaying 49.9 g/t of gold, as well as several areas with anomalous gold-in-soil samples, and a small maiden exploratory percussion drilling campaign to depths as deep as 50 m from surface. The reader is cautioned that the Company and the Qualified Person have not validated the analytical or assay results reported by the vendor, nor have they been able to confirm and validate any quality control/quality assurance procedures or processes used by the vendor when it reported its results from the Belmont target.

The vendors K17 target is characterized by highly altered albitised zones following both bedding and regional foliation along the southern nose of the Dagbreek syncline and located on the western edge of an interpreted intrusive body. Mineralisation is commonly associated with gold, copper, silver, bismuth, molybdenum & uranium. The vendor has reported collecting and assaying multiple anomalous polymetallic rock chip samples ranging up to 21 g/t gold, 16.25% copper and 37.8 g/t silver.

The vendor has collected multiple high anomalous rock chip samples from their K15 target area, assaying up to 1.1 g/t gold. K15 mineralisation appears to be controlled by a North-Northwest trending fault zone and is associated with sulphide-rich quartz veins.

The reader is cautioned that the Company and the Qualified Person have not validated the analytical or assay results reported by the vendor, nor have they been able to confirm and validate any quality control/quality assurance procedures or processes used by the vendor when it reported its results from the K17 and K15 target areas.

Omatjete Gold and Lithium

The 93,105-hectare Omatjete Gold/Lithium Project is located approximately 80 km Southeast of the Khorixas Project and within the Northern Central Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt which encapsulates the Uis Lithium/Tin/Tantalum belt. The North Central Zone hosts a number of significant deposits such as WIAs recently discovered Kokoseb Gold deposit (1.3 Moz  see WIA Golds website at https://wiagold.com.au/kokoseb-gold-project-namibia/), the Uis Lithium/Tin/Tantalum mine (81Mt @ 0.73% Li2O  see Andrada Minings website at https://andradamining.com/assets/uis/) and the recently commissioned Xingfengs Lithium/Tin/Tantalum operation.

The Omatjete Gold/Lithium Project is transected by two regional shear zones, one crossing the northern part of the property and one crossing the southern part. Both shear zones are known to host orogenic gold deposits. The northern shear zone hosts the Kokoseb Deposit approximately 20 km west of the property, whereas the southern shear zone hosts the Gross Okangjou Gold Occurence and Epako Gold Prospect located 5 km and 30 km east of the property, respectively.

The recently commissioned Xingfeng Lithium/Tin/Tantalum Operation which mines lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites is located immediately adjacent to the western property boundary. The mine pegmatites have been traced along strike to the east onto the Omatjete Property in preliminary prospecting and mapping work by the vendor. However, the Omatjete property has not seen any significant exploration for lithium in its history.

Outjo Gold Project

The 45,914-hectare Outjo Gold Project is located approximately 80 km East of the Khorixas Project and on the same Northern Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt. Outjo comprises a greenfields project with no historical work done on the Kuiseb formation. The geology of the Outjo basin is consistent with other known basins that host major gold deposits in Namibia.

The Transaction

As consideration for a 51% interest in the Damara Project, Sulliden has agreed to pay to the vendor and fund Privco up to the Namibian dollar equivalent of an aggregate of US$2.86m, as follows:

(i) for a 25% equity interest in Privco, Sulliden shall pay:

US$60,000 to the vendor on closing; and US$1.4m to Privco to fund exploration costs over the 24-month period following closing, provided that if the full amount is not paid to Privco during such period the Company shall be required to relinquish its 25% interest back to the vendor; and



(ii) for up to an additional 26% equity interest in Privco (for a total of 51%), Sulliden shall pay US$1.4m to Privco to fund exploration costs during the 12-month period ended 36 months after closing.



Under the agreement, Sulliden is further entitled to increase its interest in Privco and the Damara Project by an additional 19% (for a total of 70%), by paying the Namibian dollar equivalent of US$4m to Privco to fund exploration costs during the 36-month period ended 72 months after closing.

To the extent that the amounts set out in items (i) and (ii) above are not paid to Privco by Sulliden within the periods specified in the agreement, Privco will only be obliged to issue and allot to the Company so many of its shares as is proportionate to the amounts actually paid.

The Transaction is an arms length transaction for purposes of the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and remains subject to customary closing conditions, including the transfer of certain exclusive prospecting licences to Privco. No finder fees are payable in connection with, and no change of control of Sulliden will result from, the Transaction. The acquisition of the initial 25% equity interest in Privco from the vendor is expected to close in late 2023.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained herein has been reviewed and approved by Roger Lemaitre, P. Eng., P.Geo., the Companys Vice President (Uranium) a non-independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Sulliden Mining Capital Inc.

Sulliden is a mining company focused on acquiring and advancing brownfield, development-stage and early production-stage mining projects in the Americas, Australia and Africa.

Mr. Rennie Morkel, Chief Executive Officer of Sulliden, commented, We are delighted by this acquisition announcement which reinforces our continued commitment to investing in strategic metals, and which also brings about what we anticipate will be a great future opportunity in Namibia. Closing this transaction will further increase our portfolio to add gold and lithium metals in a stable and well governed region, consolidating Sullidens ability to leverage expected profitable projects depending on market trends. Together with our other international projects, the lithium component of the transaction will cement our position in the supply of future global energy transition metal demands. I wish to thank all of my colleagues at Sulliden and the Privco leadership who have been working tirelessly to get this exciting Namibian transaction agreement executed".

Sulliden Mining Capital Inc.



On behalf of the Board



Rennie Morkel

Chief Executive Officer

For more information:

info@sulliden.com

Cautionary statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the proposed transaction to acquire up to a 70% equity interest in Privco, including the conditions to closing and the timing to complete the Transaction, and the Companys plans for and expectations of the Damara Project. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including receipt of necessary approvals, risks inherent in the mining industry and the other risks described in the public disclosure of the Company which is available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such 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. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

THE TSX HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
Bahrain's Cabinet has approved the National Labour Market Plan 2023-2026, amending some provisions with regard to regulation of the labour market, in bid to provide an attractive environment for investments and a conducive atmosphere for growth of businesses, reported BNA.

Jamil bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), affirmed the keenness of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in sustaining the labor markets growth to generate more jobs in various sectors.

The current plan aims to create job opportunities for citizens and align educational outputs with the needs of the labour market, in addition to enhancing partnerships with the private sector, promoting local and foreign investments in Bahrain, and further consolidating regulation and laws that attract investments and organise workers in the labour market, said the report.

The minister highlighted HRHs directives to set strategic plans to provide an attractive environment for investments and enhance Bahrains economic position within an environment conducive for the growth of businesses, it stated.

The Labour Minister made a statement following the Cabinet's approval of the National Labour Market Plan 2023-2026, within the framework of implementing the provisions of Decree-Law 21/2021 amending some provisions of Law 19/2006 with regard to the regulation of the labour market, by which the Labour Ministry is assigned to preparing the national plan every four years.

The minister said that the National Labour Market Plan has come after completing 91% of the initiatives of the previous plan of 2021-2023 that resulted in increasing employment rates of citizens in the private sector, stated the report.

The previous plan also supported the economic recovery plan and attracted investments, which led to higher employment rates and the launching of new training programmes, reported BNA.

Humaidan pointed out that the remaining initiatives will be completed within the current plan, which is based on four strategic goals that include 30 initiatives.

The minister said that the implementation of the plan will be in collaboration with other government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Council of Higher Education, LMRA, Labor Fund (Tamkeen), Social Insurance Organization (SIO), the Information and e-Government Authority (iGA), the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA).

The minister affirmed that cooperation between public and private sectors is a prerequisite for the success of the plan and for ensuring sustainable growth of the labour market in the kingdom, in line with the Government Programme 2023-2026.

He stressed that the plan will contribute to enhancing cooperation between government agencies to update data, address challenges, and evaluate and monitor decisions to support the implementation of all initiatives in the National Labour Market Plan.

The 2023-2026 plan focuses on contributing to reducing the cost difference between Bahraini and foreign workers and creating more job opportunities for citizens in the private sector.

It also contributes to expanding partnerships between the government and the private sector by encouraging institutions and companies to apply all modes of employment in the labour market that contribute to enhancing economic participation, such as part-time employment, and remote work to contribute to the creation of employment opportunities, said the BNA report.

The Labour Ministry will also work to develop programmes to further integrate women into the labour market and create more recruitment options for them.

Through the current plan, the ministry and Tamkeen are seeking to develop the skills and capabilities of national workers by launching training and capacity building initiatives and programmes for job seekers that face difficulty in entering the labour market, it stated.

This is in addition to training opportunities that Tamkeen provides newly recruited Bahraini with for professional development and advanced technology training.

The plan will include a strategy of aligning educational outputs with the labour market needs and focusing on technical and vocational education to create balance between academic and vocational qualifications of national human resources, stated the report.

The concerned authorities will develop a plan for post-school education and create educational and training options that cover a variety of technical and practical courses.

The partnership with the private sector will be strengthened to enhance productivity and quality of offerings to ensure job stability for citizens in the labour market.

Tamkeen will launch a line up of programmes aimed at career development in economic sectors; supporting investments and the growth of start-ups small and medium enterprises (SMEs); providing financing and technical consultation and other services aimed at encouraging Bahraini entrepreneurship.

The Labour Ministry said the plan aims to strengthen its partnership with the private sector and enhance the investment environment, by stimulating productivity and work quality to ensure job stability for citizens in the job market within the priorities that the government is working to achieve by supporting promotion and development programs for Bahrainis in qualitative jobs.

Within the current labour market plan, enhancing supervision is consolidated through cooperation between various organisations to regulate the presence of the foreign working force and legislation pertaining to them, to ensure the stability of the labour market and achieve a balance between Bahraini and foreign workers, reported BNA.

This aims to increase the flow of employment opportunities for citizens in various economic and commercial sectors, in addition to developing procedures and legislation and taking all measures aimed at controlling illegal works; developing laws and regulations aimed at protecting workers; promoting occupational health and safety in the workplace; and improving the quality of life of the workforce, it added
LifeArc and DEBRA Austria launch 2.5 million funding call

for repurposing therapies for epidermolysis bullosa

New call for projects for treatments that could be repurposed to treat epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a life-changing and currently incurable rare skin disease





Priority focus on treatments for chronic inflammation and non-healing wounds, and resulting fibrosis and skin cancer





Joint initiative is part of LifeArcs Rare Disease Translational Challenge  investing more than 100 million to help address some of the major obstacles facing rare disease translational science





10 July 2023: LifeArc, the self-funded, non-profit medical research organisation and charity, and DEBRA Austria, a patient organisation charity, are partnering to commit 2.5 million to fund projects to repurpose therapies that can be brought rapidly to patients suffering with epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Applications are invited from research groups at academic institutions or hospitals worldwide. There will be a priority focus on CIF (chronic inflammation, fibrosis and cancer initiation) and projects should involve therapies that can be repurposed or repositioned, and based on a strong non-clinical data package with a clear path to clinical development.

EB is a group of rare inherited disorders where the integrity of the skin and internal mucous membranes is severely disrupted, leading to chronic tissue damage, a persistent inflammatory response, and fibrosis. Progressive systemic disease can result in multi-organ complications with life-limiting consequences and reduced quality of life, and aggressive squamous cell carcinoma may initiate in chronically inflamed, non-healing wounds.

Catriona Crombie, Associate Director Technology Transfer at LifeArc, said: This initiative is part of LifeArcs Rare Disease Translational Challenge. Our translational challenges are long-term, collaborative research programmes shaped by what patients tell us they need and designed to tackle complex health issues by taking the best scientific ideas out of the lab and helping to turn them into medical breakthroughs that can be life-changing. While there has been encouraging progress in the development of gene and cell therapies targeting the underlying defects causing EB, there remain a number of serious consequences of the disease such as chronic inflammation and non-healing wounds that can lead to fibrosis and skin cancer. We hope this funding will help unlock the potential of existing therapies that can be repurposed or repositioned to accelerate the development of new treatments for young people living with EB.

Rainer Riedl, Managing Director DEBRA Austria, commented: Children born with EB are often called butterfly children because their skin seems as fragile as a butterfly wing, leaving them susceptible to infection and disease that can severely reduce their quality of life. In all our research funding efforts the patient has to be at the centre. We are excited to be working with LifeArc on this 2.5 million funding programme and look forward to supporting the development of new treatments for this serious disorder.

Gaston Sendin, DEBRA Austria Research Manager, said: Our primary goal in driving DEBRA Austrias research agenda is to support new therapeutic approaches and push their clinical translation. We believe that repurposing may unlock new opportunities and help us bring new treatments to patients as quickly as possible.

The call seeks innovative proposals to progress therapies where there is good evidence that they can be repurposed or repositioned to deliver increased resolution of non-healing wounds, prevention and/or reduction of chronic inflammation, inhibition and/or reduction of fibrosis, or decreased risk of squamous cell carcinoma initiation in patients with EB. Projects should seek to develop therapies that have been developed and tested for other diseases but have strong arguments for them having potential to deliver benefit in EB. The projects should take advantage of data that is already available on how the drug works, that shows how safe the drug is and at what dose it would need to be given. This should provide the basis for these drugs to progress rapidly to testing in people with EB.

The funding round will be organised in a two-stage application process. The expression of interest (EOI) stage opens on 10 July 2023 and closes on 10 September 2023. Shortlisted EOI applicants will be invited to submit full applications between 4 October and 4 December. Successful applicants will be notified in March 2024 with projects expected to begin in Q2 2024. For more information about the call, applicant eligibility, research scope and exclusions, applicant process and guidance, click here.

-Ends-



For further press information please contact:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Tracy Cheung, David Daley, Melissa Gardiner, Lindsey Neville

LifeArc@consilium-comms.com

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

Notes to editors

About LifeArc

LifeArc is a self-funded, not-for-profit medical research organisation. We take science ideas out of the lab and help turn them into medical breakthroughs that can be life-changing for patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in five licensed medicines, including cancer drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda), lecanemab for Alzheimers (Leqembi), and a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance.

Our teams are experts in drug and diagnostics discovery, technology transfer, and intellectual property. Our work is in translational science  bridging the gap between academic research and clinical development, providing funding, research and expert knowledge, all with a clear and unwavering commitment to having a positive impact on patient lives. LifeArc is committed to spending 1.3 billion by 2030 in areas of high unmet medical need. LifeArc is a company limited by guarantee (registered in England and Wales under no. 2698321) and a charity (registered in England and Wales under no. 1015243 and in Scotland under no. SC037861).

Find out more about our work on www.lifearc.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About DEBRA Austria

DEBRA Austria is a patient organisation charity dedicated to providing wide programs of support to people with any type of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), as well as research support to develop effective new treatments and clinical care. It is a member of EB Resnet, an international network of epidermolysis bullosa patient organisations funding promising EB research worldwide and partnering with the industry, academics, clinicians, and other funders to drive translation of research outcomes to clinical benefit. Our mission is to support the development of efficacious, safe, and affordable medicines for people living with EB.

Find out more about our work on www.eb-researchnetwork.org and www.debra-austria.org
LONDON, UK, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solidus Markets (https://solidusmarkets.com/), the UK broker, today proudly announces the launch of its comprehensive trading solution for all traders. Solidus Markets offers a wide range of trading opportunities for various assets, including Cryptocurrencies, forex, CFDs, ETFs, and commodities. With tailored trading accounts suitable for beginners and professional traders alike, Solidus Markets aims to empower individuals to achieve financial well-being and control.





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Media Contact

Brand: Solidus Markets

Email: investors@solidusmarkets.com

Website: https://solidusmarkets.com/

SOURCE: Solidus Markets
VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SYDNEY, Australia, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Highlights

Additional high-grade intersections at the Nova Zone, which has been defined over a strike length of at least 1.1 km. 108.0 m at 2.44% Li 2 O (195.5 m to 303.5 m), including 37.5 m at 3.58% Li 2 O , or 16.0 m at 4.08% Li 2 O (CV23-181). 115.3 m at 1.81% Li 2 O (175.0 m to 290.3 m), including 89.6 m at 2.20% Li 2 O (CV23-177).



Wide widths and strong grades in most westwardly drill hole completed to date at the CV5 Pegmatite  78.9 m at 1.00% Li 2 O, including 34.8 m at 1.40% Li 2 O (CV23-184).

at the CV5 Pegmatite  including (CV23-184). Wide widths and strong grades in final drill hole completed during the 2023 winter drill program  139.2 m at 1.26% Li 2 O, including 36.2 m at 1.74% Li 2 O (CV23-190).

completed during the 2023 winter drill program  including (CV23-190). Wide widths and strong grades returned in one of the most eastwardly drill holes completed to date at the CV5 Pegmatite, highlighting the strong potential of area  36.0 m at 1.36% Li 2 O , including 17.0 m at 2.31% Li 2 O (CV23-165).

at the CV5 Pegmatite, highlighting the strong potential of area  , including (CV23-165). All core sample assay results for drill holes completed during the 2023 drill winter program have now been reported.

The Company is anticipating an announcement in a few weeks time for the initial mineral resource estimate at CV5, which will include all drill holes completed through April 17, 2023 (i.e., the recently completed winter drill program).

Darren L. Smith, Patriot Vice President of Exploration, comments: These final core assay results from the recently completed winter program continue to outpace the industry norm. The CV5 Pegmatite has grown considerably over this program  from 2.2 km to 3.7 km, drill hole to drill hole  with some of the highest grades reported to date at CV5, including numerous significant intervals over 5% Li 2 O. As we wait for the wildfire situation in Quebec to abate, the team is steadfast focused on delivering an initial mineral resource estimate for CV5 in the coming weeks, which will include all drill holes from the 2023 winter program.

Blair Way, Company President and CEO, comments: We are very pleased to have received the last batch of assay results from the winter drill program which means our imminent release of the resource remains on track. I am confident that the upcoming maiden resource will demonstrate the significance of the Corvette discovery to the evolving North American and European lithium raw materials markets.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the Company or Patriot) (TSX-V: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to announce core assays for the final set of drill holes completed as part of the 2023 winter drill program at its wholly owned Corvette Property (the Property), located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec. The winter phase of the 2023 drill campaign was focused on the CV5 Pegmatite, located approximately 13.5 km south of the regional and all-weather Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure.

Core assays, for the drill holes reported herein (Figure 1), cover the CV5 Pegmatites recently defined eastward extension (see news releases dated February 5 and March 23, 2023) (Figure 2), the high-grade Nova Zone (see news release dated May 16, 2023) (Figure 2), and the recently defined westward extension (see news release dated May 1, 2023) (Figure 3).

Drill hole CV23-181 and 177 targeted further delineation of the Nova Zone with both returning wide and high-grade intercepts  108.0 m at 2.44% Li 2 O, including 37.5 m at 3.58% Li 2 O or 16.0 m at 4.08% Li 2 O (CV22-181), and 115.3 m at 1.81% Li 2 O, including 89.6 m at 2.20% Li 2 O (CV23-177). The high-grade Nova Zone has been traced over a strike length of at least 1.1 km  from drill holes CV23-132 to 108 (Figures 1 and 2) and includes multiple drill intersections of 5+ m at >5% Li 2 O, demonstrating the high-grade tenure of this sub-set of the Corvette discovery.

As the Company works towards extension of the Corvette discovery, core assay results for the most westwardly drill hole completed to date at the CV5 Pegmatite  CV23-184  demonstrates high-grades and wide widths persist in this direction (78.9 m at 1.00% Li 2 O, including 34.8 m at 1.40% Li 2 O), with mineralization remaining open. The Company intends to continue step-out drilling along strike of CV23-184 during the summer-fall drill program (Figure 3). Additionally, drill hole CV23-190, the final hole of the 2023 winter program, also completed over the western areas of CV5, returned strong grades over wide widths  139.2 m at 1.26% Li2O, including 18.1 m at 2.02% Li 2 O and 36.2 m at 1.74% Li 2 O. This drill hole was completed in the opposite direction (northerly) to the normal drill hole orientation (southerly) at CV5 and demonstrates the near-surface bulbous nature of the pegmatite in this area, where it is interpreted to exceed 100 m true thickness.

Assay results to date over the far eastern portions of CV5 have returned variable grades and widths of lithium mineralized pegmatite (see news release dated June 14, 2023). These include 51.2 m at 0.59% Li 2 O, including 10.1 m at 0.87% Li 2 O and 9.3 m at 0.91% Li 2 O (CV23-154), and 27.5 m at 0.40% Li 2 O, including 3.2 m at 2.22% Li 2 O (CV23-156). However, results of drill hole CV23-165, as reported herein (36.0 m at 1.36% Li 2 O, including 17.0 m at 2.31% Li 2 O), are very significant and demonstrate the common nature of lithium pegmatites, where high grades may be immediately proximal to low to moderate grades. Further, this drill hole (CV23-165) returned six (6) samples greater than 4% Li 2 O, and three (3) samples greater than 5% Li 2 O, including an interval of 2.2 m at 5.02% Li 2 O. These grades are on par with those typically confined to the Nova Zone and outline the considerable potential in this eastward area.

Drill hole CV23-165 was completed at the very eastern margins of the CV5 Pegmatite drilled to date and highlight the potential for wide widths at strong grade to continue in this direction, where the pegmatite remains open up-dip, down-dip, and along strike eastwardly (Figure 2).

Through the 2023 winter drill program, the CV5 Pegmatite has been traced continuously by drilling (at approximately 50 to 150 m spacing) as a principally continuous spodumene-mineralized pegmatite body over a lateral distance of at least 3.7 km and remains open along strike at both ends and to depth along a large portion of its length. This marks a 1.5 km extension of the known mineralized pegmatite along strike since the end of 2022 (2.2 km), and 2.9 km since the end of 2021 (0.8 km). For added perspective, this growth in strike length since the initial drill program in 2021 is presented in Figure 4.

As previously announced, the Company is advancing towards an initial mineral resource estimate for the CV5 Pegmatite. All core sample assays have now been received from the lab with the drilling dataset undergoing final validation and geological model on the final revision. The next steps in the process include geostatistics on the validated database followed by creation of the block model and interpolation of the lithium and tantalum grades, resource classification, determination of an appropriate cut-off grade and pit parameters, and finally constraining the block model with a pit to determine the official mineral resource estimate numbers. At this time, the Company anticipates an announcement on the mineral resource estimate in a few weeks time.

Core sample assay results for drill holes reported herein are presented in Table 1. Drill hole locations are available from the Companys website as well as the news release dated May 16, 2023. Select core photos are presented in Figures 5, 6, and 7.

Figure 1: Drill holes completed at the CV5 Pegmatite through the 2023 winter drill program.



Figure 2: Drill holes completed at the CV5 Pegmatite through the 2023 winter drill program  east-central, and eastern areas.

Figure 3: Drill holes completed at the CV5 Pegmatite through the 2023 winter drill program western area.

Figure 4: Growth of the CV5 Pegmatite since discovery hole in late 2021.

Table 1: Mineralized intercept summary for drill holes reported herein from the 2023 winter program





Figure 5: High-grade (4+% Li 2 O) spodumene pegmatite from the Nova Zone in drill hole CV23-181.

Figure 6: High-grade (~1.9% Li 2 O) spodumene pegmatite in drill hole CV23-184, the most westwardly drill hole completed to date at CV5.

Figure 7: High-grade (+2.0% Li 2 O) spodumene pegmatite in drill hole CV23-165, including intersection of 2.2 m at 5.02% Li 2 O (417.6 m to 419.8 m), one of the most eastwardly drill holes completed to date at CV5.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QAQC)

A Quality Assurance / Quality Control protocol following industry best practices was incorporated into the program and included systematic insertion of quartz blanks and certified reference materials into sample batches, as well as collection of quarter-core duplicates, at a rate of approximately 5%. Additionally, analysis of pulp-split and coarse-split sample duplicates were completed to assess analytical precision at different stages of the laboratory preparation process, and external (secondary) laboratory pulp-split duplicates were prepared at the primary lab for subsequent check analysis and validation.

All core samples collected were shipped to SGS Canadas laboratory in Val-dOr, QC, for standard sample preparation (code PRP89) which includes drying at 105C, crush to 75% passing 2 mm, riffle split 250 g, and pulverize 85% passing 75 microns. The pulps were shipped by air to SGS Canadas laboratory in Burnaby, BC, where the samples were homogenized and subsequently analyzed for multi-element (including Li and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (codes GE_ICP91A50 and GE_IMS91A50).

About the CV Lithium Trend

The CV Lithium Trend is an emerging spodumene pegmatite district discovered by the Company in 2017 and spans more than 25 km across the Corvette Property. The core area includes an approximate 3.7 km long spodumene pegmatite (the CV5 Pegmatite) and multiple proximal secondary spodumene pegmatite lenses.

To date, six (6) distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered across the Corvette Property  CV5 Pegmatite and associated lenses, CV4, CV8/12, CV9, CV10, and CV13. Given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other, as well as the shallow till cover in the area, it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite outcrop subsurface. Further, the high number of well-mineralized pegmatites along the trend indicate a strong potential for a series of relatively closely spaced/stacked, sub-parallel, and sizable spodumene-bearing pegmatite bodies, with significant lateral and depth extent, to be present.

Qualified/Competent Person

The information in this news release that relates to exploration results for the Corvette Property is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and member in good standing with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (Geologist Permit number 1968), and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (member number 87868). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Mr. Smith is Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc. and a Senior Geologist and Project Manager with Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. Mr. Smith holds common shares and options in the Company.

Mr. Smith has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as described by the JORC Code, 2012. Mr. Smith consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a hard-rock lithium exploration company focused on advancing its district-scale 100% owned Corvette Property located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. The Corvette Property is one of the largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium projects being explored, with over 50 kilometres of strike length over a 214 square kilometre land package and over 70 lithium bearing pegmatite outcrops identified to date.

The Corvette Property is situated proximal to the all-weather Trans Taiga Road and Hydro-Quebec power line infrastructure in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec. The Property hosts significant lithium potential highlighted by the CV5 Pegmatite, which has been traced by drilling over a strike length of at least 3.7 km with spodumene pegmatite encountered as deep as 425 m vertical depth.

For further information, please contact us at info@patriotbatterymetals.com or by calling +1 (604) 279-8709, or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com. Please also refer to the Companys continuous disclosure filings, available under its profile at www.sedar.com and www.asx.com.au, for available exploration data.

This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors,

BLAIR WAY

Blair Way, President, CEO, & Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation statements with respect to potential continuity of pegmatite bodies, and mineral resource estimate preparation. 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 Companys expectations include the results of further exploration and testing, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, available at www.sedar.com and www.asx.com.au. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority or stock exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Appendix 1  JORC Code 2012 Table 1 information required by 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. Core sampling protocols met or exceeded industry standard practices.

Core Sampling is guided by lithology as determined during geological logging (i.e., by a geologist). All pegmatite intervals are sampled in their entirety (half-core), regardless if spodumene mineralization is noted or not (in order to ensure an unbiased sampling approach) in addition to ~1-3 m of sampling into the adjacent host rock (dependent on pegmatite interval length) to bookend the sampled pegmatite.

The minimum individual sample length is 0.3 m and the maximum sample length is 3.0 m. Targeted individual pegmatite sample lengths are 1.0 m.

All drill core is oriented to maximum foliation prior to logging and sampling and is cut with a core saw into half-core pieces, with one half-core collected for assay, and the other half-core remaining in the box for reference.

Core samples collected were shipped to SGS Canadas laboratory in Val-dOr, QC, for standard sample preparation (code PRP89) which includes drying at 105C, crush to 75% passing 2 mm, riffle split 250 g, and pulverize 85% passing 75 microns. The pulps were shipped by air to SGS Canadas laboratory in Burnaby, BC, where the samples were homogenized and subsequently analyzed for multi-element (including Li and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (codes GE_ICP91A50 and GE_IMS91A50). 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). NQ or HQ size core diamond drilling was completed for all holes. Core is not oriented; however, downhole OTV-ATV surveys have been completed on some prior holes to assess overall structure. 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. All drill core was geotechnically logged following industry standard practices, and includes total core recovery, fracture recording, ISRM rock strength and weathering, and RQD. Core recovery is very good and typically exceeds 90%. 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. Upon receipt at the core shack, all drill core received is pieced together, oriented to maximum foliation, metre marked, geotechnically logged (including structure), alteration logged, geologically logged, and sample logged on an individual sample basis. Core box photos are also collected of all core drilled, regardless of perceived mineralization. Specific gravity measurements are also collected at systematic intervals for all drill core.

These logging practices meet or exceed current industry standard practices and are of appropriate detail to support a mineral resource estimation.

The logging is qualitative by nature, and includes estimates of spodumene grain size, inclusions, and model mineral estimates. 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. Drill core sampling follows industry best practices. Drill core was saw cut with half-core sent for geochemical analysis and half-core remaining in the box for reference. The same side of the core was sampled to maintain representativeness. Additionally, several intervals over several holes have had quarter-core samples collected for mineral processing programs, thus leaving only a quarter-core in the box for reference over these intervals.

Sample sizes are appropriate for the material being assayed.

A Quality Assurance / Quality Control protocol following industry best practices was incorporated into the program and included systematic insertion of quartz blanks and certified reference materials into sample batches, as well as collection of quarter-core duplicates, at a rate of approximately 5%. Additionally, analysis of pulp-split and course-split sample duplicates were completed to assess analytical precision at different stages of the laboratory preparation process, and external (secondary) laboratory pulp-split duplicates were prepared at the primary lab for subsequent check analysis and validation.

All protocols employed are considered appropriate for the sample type and nature of mineralization and are considered the optimal approach for maintaining representativeness in sampling. 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. Core samples collected were shipped to SGS Canadas laboratory in Val-dOr, QC, for standard sample preparation (code PRP89) which includes drying at 105C, crush to 75% passing 2 mm, riffle split 250 g, and pulverize 85% passing 75 microns. The pulps were shipped by air to SGS Canadas laboratory in Burnaby, BC, where the samples were homogenized and subsequently analyzed for multi-element (including Li and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (codes GE_ICP91A50 and GE_IMS91A50).

The assay techniques are considered appropriate for the nature and type of mineralization present, and result in a total digestion and assay for the elements of interest.

The Company relies on both its internal QAQC protocols (systematic quarter-core duplicates, blanks, certified reference materials, and external checks), as well as the laboratorys internal QAQC.

For assay results disclosed, samples have passed QAQC review. 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. Intervals are reviewed and compiled by the VP Exploration and Project Managers prior to disclosure, including a review of the Companys internal QAQC sample analytical data.

No twinned holes have been completed, apart from CV23-166, which was re-collared as a different core size, as well as some holes that were lost prior to hitting their target depth, which were re-collared a few metres adjacent.

Data capture utilizes MX Deposit software whereby core logging data is entered directly into the software for storage, including direct import of laboratory analytical certificates as they are received. The Company employs various on-site and post QAQC protocols to ensure data integrity and accuracy.

Adjustments to data include reporting lithium and tantalum in their oxide forms, as it is reported in elemental form in the assay certificates. Formulas used are Li2O = Li x 2.1527, and Ta2O5 = Ta x 1.2211 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. Each drill holes collar has been surveyed with a handheld GPS or RTK (Topcon GR5 or Trimble Zephyr 3).

The coordinate system used is UTM NAD83 Zone 18.

The Company completed a property-wide LiDAR and orthophoto survey in August 2022, which provides high-quality topographic control.

The quality and accuracy of the topographic controls are considered adequate for advanced stage exploration and development. 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. Drill hole spacing is dominantly at ~100 m; however, tightens to ~50 m in some places, and widens to ~150 in a small number of places.

Based on the nature of the mineralization and continuity in geological modelling, it is believed that a 100 m spacing will be sufficient to support a mineral resource estimate.

Core sample lengths typically range from 0.5 to 1.5 m and average ~1 m. Sampling is continuous within all pegmatite encountered in drilling.

Sample compositing has not been 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. No sampling bias is anticipated based on structure within the mineralized body.

The mineralized body is relatively undeformed and very competent, although likely has some meaningful structural control.

The mineralized body is steeply dipping resulting in oblique angles of intersection with true widths varying based on drill hole angle and orientation of pegmatite at that particular intersection point. i.e. The dip of the mineralized pegmatite body has variations in a vertical sense and along strike, so the true widths are not always apparent until several holes have been drilled in any particular drill-fence. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Samples were collected by Company staff or its consultants following specific protocols governing sample collection and handling. Core samples were bagged, placed in large supersacs for added security, palleted, and shipped directly to Val-dOr, QC, being tracked during shipment along with Chain of Custody. Upon arrival at the laboratory, the samples were cross-referenced with the shipping manifest to confirm all samples were accounted for. At the laboratory, sample bags are evaluated for tampering. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. A review of the sample procedures for the Companys 2021 fall drill program (CF21-001 to 004) and 2022 winter drill program (CV22-015 to 034) was completed by an Independent Qualified Person and deemed adequate and acceptable to industry best practices (discussed in an NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Corvette Property, Quebec, Canada, Issue date of June 27th, 2022.) Additionally, the Company continually reviews and evaluates its procedures in order to optimize and ensure compliance at all levels of sample data collection and handling.





Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)

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. The Corvette Property is comprised of 417 claims located in the James Bay Region of Quebec with all claims registered to the Company. The Property is located approximately 10-15 km south of the Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure corridor.

The Company holds 100% interest in the Property subject to various royalty obligations depending on original acquisition agreements. DG Resources Management holds a 2% NSR (no buyback) on 76 claims, D.B.A. Canadian Mining House holds a 2% NSR on 50 claims (half buyback for $2M) and Osisko Gold Royalties holds a sliding scale NSR of 1.5-3.5% on precious metals, and 2% on all other products, over 111 claims.

The Property does not overlap any atypically sensitive environmental areas or parks, or historical sites to the knowledge of the Company. There are no known hinderances to operating at the Property, apart from the goose harvesting season (April 20 th to May 20 th ) where the communities request helicopter flying be completed.

to May 20 ) where the communities request helicopter flying be completed. Claim expiry dates range from September 2023 to July 2025. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. No assay results from other parties are disclosed herein.

The most recent independent Property review was a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Corvette Property, Quebec, Canada, Issue date of June 27th, 2022. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The Property is situated within the Lac Guyer Greenstone Belt, considered part of the larger La Grande River Greenstone Belt and is dominated by volcanic rocks metamorphosed to amphibolite facies. The claim block is dominantly underlain by the Guyer Group (basaltic amphibolite, iron formation) and the Corvette Formation (amphibolite of intermediate to mafic volcanics). Several occurrences of ultramafic rocks (peridotite, pyroxenite, komatiite) as well as felsic volcanics (tuffs) are also mapped over areas of the Property. The basaltic amphibolite rocks that trend east-west (generally south dipping) through this region are bordered to the north by the Magin Formation (conglomerate and wacke) and to the south by an assemblage of tonalite, granodiorite, and diorite. Several regional-scale Proterozoic gabbroic dykes also cut through portions of the Property (Lac Spirt Dykes, Senneterre Dykes).

The geologic setting is prospective for gold, silver, base metals, platinum group elements, and lithium over several different deposit styles including orogenic gold (Au), volcanogenic massive sulfide (Cu, Au, Ag), komatiite-ultramafic (Au, Ag, PGE, Ni, Cu, Co), and pegmatite (Li, Ta).

Exploration of the Property has outlined three primary mineral exploration trends crossing dominantly east-west over large portions of the Property  Maven Trend (copper, gold, silver), Golden Trend (gold), and CV Trend (lithium, tantalum). Lithium mineralization at the Property is observed to occur within quartz-feldspar pegmatite (LCT Pegmatites), often exposed at surface as high relief whale-back landforms. The pegmatite is often very coarse-grained and off-white in appearance, with darker sections commonly composed of mica and smoky quartz, and occasional tourmaline. The lithium pegmatites at Corvette are LCT Pegmatites. Core assays and ongoing mineralogical studies, coupled with field mineral identification and assays, indicate spodumene as the dominant lithium-bearing mineral on the Property, with no significant petalite, lepidolite, lithium-phosphate minerals, or apatite present. The pegmatites at Corvette also carry significant tantalum values with tantalite indicated to be the mineral phase. 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 for the drill holes with core assay data announced herein are available on the Companys website and in news released dated May 16, 2023.

Grade over width calculations for assays of intervals of <2 m are not typically presented as they are considered insignificant. 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 lithium and tantalum average of the entire pegmatite interval is calculated for all pegmatite intervals over 2 m core length, as well as higher grade zones at the discretion of the geologist. Pegmatites have inconsistent mineralization by nature, resulting in most intervals having a small number of poorly mineralized samples throughout the interval included in the calculation. Non-pegmatite internal dilution is limited to typically <3 m where relevant intervals indicated where assays are reported.

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). Geological modelling is ongoing; however, current interpretation supports a large pegmatite body (CV5) of near vertical to steeply dipping orientation, flanked by several secondary pegmatite lenses.

All reported widths are core length. True widths are not well constrained and may vary widely from hole to hole based on the drill hole angle and the highly variable nature of pegmatite bodies, which tend to pinch and swell aggressively along strike and to depth. i.e. The dip of the mineralized pegmatite body has variations in a vertical sense and along strike, so the true widths are not always apparent until several holes have been drilled in any particular drill-fence. 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 included herein as well as those posted on the Companys website. 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. Please refer to the table(s) included herein as well as those posted on the Companys website.

Results for every individual pegmatite interval that is greater than 2 m has been reported. 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. The Company is currently completing baseline environmental work over the CV5 Pegmatite area. No endangered flora or fauna have been documented over the Property to date, and several sites have been identified as potentially suitable for mine infrastructure.

The Company has completed a bathymetric survey over the shallow glacial lake which overlies a portion of the mineralized body. The lake depth ranges from <2 m to approximately 18 m, and is typically less than 10 m over the mineralized body.

The Company has completed preliminary metallurgical testing comprised of HLS and magnetic testing, which has produced 6+% Li2O spodumene concentrates at >70% recovery. A DMS test followed returning a spodumene concentrate grading 5.8% Li2O at 79% recovery. The data suggests potential for a DMS only operation to be applicable to the project.

Various mandates required for advancing the Project towards economic studies have been initiated, including but not limited to, metallurgy, geomechanics, hydrogeology, hydrology, stakeholder engagement, geochemical characterization, as well as transportation and logistical studies. 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. The Company intends to continue drilling the pegmatites of the Corvette Property, focused on the CV5 Pegmatite and adjacent secondary lenses. The mineralized pegmatites remain open along strike, and to depth at most locations along strike. Drilling is also anticipated to continue at the CV13 pegmatite cluster as well as other pegmatite clusters at the Property. The details of these programs are still being developed. An initial mineral resource estimate is anticipated to be completed for the CV5 Pegmatite in 2023.




DENVER, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8 , the leading cloud marketplace, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , has named Pax8s Lyndsey Hoffman, Vice President of Social Impact, to its inaugural Inclusive Channel Leaders list for 2023. For the first time, CRN is recognizing executives from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose commitments to inclusive leadership are making an impact across the IT channel.



Congratulations to Lyndsey on this remarkable recognition, said Lane Brannan, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Americas at Pax8. Your commitment to advocating and defending the principles of inclusive leadership and your passion for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) within Pax8 and the channel is an inspiration to us all. Keep leading the way breaking down barriers and making a lasting impact.

Since assuming the role of Vice President of Social Impact in 2022, Hoffman and her newly created Social Impact Team have played a pivotal role in propelling Pax8's important work toward driving inclusivity and social change, empowering employees, partners, and vendors to create work cultures of trust, respect, and collaboration.

In her role at Pax8, Hoffman spearheads the development and implementation of social impact strategies, forging partnerships, fostering innovation, and empowering teams to create a global difference through their work. Her strong advocacy for policies and practices that support equality and justice is evident in the recent launch of Pax8s six Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that aim to support and represent employees who share similar interests or come from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. The Pax8 ERGs include engagement for differently abled and neurodiverse employees; parents and caregivers; employees of color; women; LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual); and veterans.

In addition, Hoffmans inclusive leadership initiatives include mentoring company leaders on expanding inclusive leadership in departments, and she is planning to launch the companys first Global DEIB Council in 2024 to drive meaningful change and create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture where everyone's voices are heard and valued.

When everyone feels valued and included regardless of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or any other personal identifiers, we can work together as a community towards a common purpose and achieve our goals empowering greater impact, said Hoffman. By establishing a psychologically safe space where people feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their thoughts and emotions, we can cultivate an environment that truly values every individual, and everyone gets a seat at the table.

Hoffman's inclusive leadership and strategic focus to champion inclusive environments extend far beyond Pax8, as her impactful work is gaining recognition for championing inclusivity and making a significant difference in the IT industry.

Hoffman actively mentors Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and vendors in successfully implementing inclusive strategies in their businesses. She collaborates with Pax8 Channel Chiefs to create inclusive spaces within the channel and advocates for the integration of DEIB and corporate social responsibility at channel events, encouraging environmentally friendly practices and ensuring inclusive spaces and educational sessions. Additionally, Hoffman aims to enhance understanding of the importance of inclusive leadership and DEIB best practices by raising awareness of unconscious biases with community partnerships in the channel.

Inclusive leadership is not just about promoting diversity and inclusion in our own organizations, but also in the broader communities and industries that we operate in and using our platform and privilege to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented or marginalized, emphasized Hoffman. Fostering a culture of inclusivity provides numerous benefits that can enhance client relationships, improve employee engagement, expand the talent pool for attraction and recruitment, and drive business growth. It goes beyond business considerations; it is the right thing to do from an ethical and social responsibility standpoint.

Inclusive work cultures are an emerging practice, but there is a notable shift in recognition and consideration for its importance in the channel. As the value and prioritization of DEIB grow, Hoffman agrees the IT industry is off to a great start, but emphasizes much work remains to become a more inclusive industry by making DEIB a priority in driving the change forward.

We must create braver spaces where diverse perspectives can thrive. Embracing allyship empowers us to support underrepresented groups actively. We should provide grace and space, understanding that growth requires patience, added Hoffman. Walking the talk is crucial, demonstrating our commitment through actions and policies. Empowering voices and involving individuals in decision-making allows for meaningful impact. Education is key to promoting awareness and understanding. By taking these steps, we can shape a more inclusive and diverse channel that fosters growth, innovation, and collective success.

The CRN 2023 Inclusive Channel Leaders list honorees are passionate about promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across their areas of influence. With this recognition, CRN honors these individuals for their unwavering dedication to inclusivity in the channel and the greater technology industry.

We are so excited to announce this years honorees and shine a light on their passion and commitment to inclusivity across the channel. Because of their transparent leadership, our work environments are safer and more accepting places where everyone can feel comfortable showing up as the best version of themselves each day, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. The channel is a more caring and compassionate place because of them, and we look forward to seeing what great things they do next.

The 2023 Inclusive Channel Leaders list will be featured in the July issue of CRN Magazine, at www.CRN.com/Inclusive-Leaders .

To learn more about Pax8, please visit www.pax8.com .

About Pax8

Pax8 is the worlds favorite cloud marketplace for IT professionals to buy, sell, and manage best-in-class technology solutions. Pioneering the future of modern business, Pax8 has cloud-enabled more than 400,000 enterprises through its channel partners and processes one million monthly transactions. Pax8s award-winning technology enables managed service providers (MSPs) to accelerate growth, increase efficiency, and reduce risk so their businesses can thrive. The innovative company has ranked in the Inc. 5000 for five years in a row. Join the revolution at pax8.com .

Follow Pax8 on Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com .

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter and LinkedIn.

Pax8 Media Contact:

Melissa Gallegos, Communications Director

mgallegos@pax8.com

The Channel Company Contact:

Natalie Lewis

nlewis@thechannelcompany.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76481f26-fb94-4444-95c6-a72c77a62345
LAS VEGAS, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Nevada South (ANS), a leading provider of community management services throughout the greater Las Vegas Valley and Henderson areas and surrounding cities, recently volunteered with the Three Square food bank in Las Vegas to help local residents in need. ANS team members spent part of their day restacking pallets of boxed apples, while others cleaned food bins so they could be reused. In total, the team cleaned enough bins to hold 16,000 meals for children who are food insecure and hungry in their community.

Three Square food bank has served the residents of Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye counties since 2007. Its mission is to provide wholesome food to hungry people while pursuing a hunger-free community. It works with a network of community partners  nonprofit and faith-based organizations, schools and after-school programs, and feeding sites  to reach struggling individuals and families at risk of hunger. In 2021and 2022, Three Square distributed more than 42 million meals, the equivalent of more than 51 million pounds of food and grocery product, through these community partners. To learn more about how you can help, visit https://www.threesquare.org/how-to-help.

The event was part of Associas Great Giveback, a quarterly company-wide event where team members receive paid time off to volunteer with a deserving organization in their region. The goal is to reinforce the companys commitment to supporting neighborhoods and building stronger relationships in the communities it serves. Other organizations where Associa team members have volunteered include the Humane Society, Meals-on-Wheels, and Ronald McDonald House.

It was an honor to stack boxes of apples and clean food bins that helped contribute to feeding 16,000 meals to children, said Associa Nevada South Community Manager Frederick Simons. It was humbling to be able to partner with an established organization so that our energy, smiles, laughter, and hard work could help make a positive impact on our community.

About Associa

With more than 225 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 11,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 43 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

Stay Connected

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

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Atlanta, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spelman College, a historically black college for women located in Atlanta, Georgia, has elected Dr. Kamau Bobb to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Bobb is an esteemed educator, researcher, and advocate for an equitable STEM ecosystem.

Dr. Bobb has been a longstanding advocate for STEM education at Spelman. He served on the Leadership Advisory Board for the schools Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM (COE-MWS). He also orchestrated a significant grant from a preeminent multinational technology company to help fund Spelmans STEM initiatives. Dr. Bobb's expertise in STEM education and his commitment to empowering Black women in these fields will be instrumental in guiding Spelman's strategic planning and decision-making.

Spelman College is one of the premier higher education colleges in the United States and one of the most elite universities exclusively serving women in the world, said Dr. Bobb. It is an honor to serve on their Board of Trustees, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance the mission and vision of this esteemed institution."

Spelman College is a global pacesetter in educating women of African descent. Its mission is to cultivate academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and empower its students to reach their full intellectual, creative, ethical, and leadership potential. By supporting the advancement of women's education and broadening opportunities for women of color, Spelman College aims to drive progress towards a more enlightened nation and a more just society.

Tracking with this mission, Dr. Kamau Bobb is one of the countrys most important voices in the discussion surrounding greater equity in STEM education.

I am excited to advocate for greater opportunities in computing and engineering education for Spelman students and the communities that they will go on to serve, said Dr. Bobb.

Kamau Bobb serves as the Director of STEM Education Strategy at Google and is the founding Senior Director of the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech. He previously served as the Program Officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) where he was responsible for $30 million of annual investments to enhance computing and STEM education.

During the Obama Administration, Bobb worked closely with members of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to create a national strategy for STEM education in post-secondary and secondary schools. He was also selected as a member of President Obamas My Brothers Keeper STEM + Entrepreneurship Taskforce to help U.S. cities better engage young men and boys of color in STEM. Dr. Bobb was the Director of the STEM Initiative for the University System of Georgia. In collaboration with the governor's office, this initiative advanced STEM education across the 30 public institutions serving approximately 325,000 students in Georgia.

To learn more about Dr. Kamau Bobb and his efforts to guide greater equity in education at Spelman College and beyond, visit www.kamaubobb.com.

Kamau Bobb - 404-681-3643







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VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jolt Health Inc. (JOLT and or the Company) (CSE:JOLT) (FSE: G1Q0) announced as per CSE policy, that is intends to close its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing on July 15th, 2023. The company will issue a total 6,984,266 units for gross proceeds of $100,125 at $0.0143 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share and one common share warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to subscribe for one additional common share for a period of 2 years from the date of closing at a price of $0.05, subject to the Corporations option to accelerate the expiry date if the stock trades at $0.15 for 10 trading days.

The company will pay finders fees of $1,125.25 and issue 87,500 brokers warrants in accordance with closing.

About Jolt Health Inc.

Jolt Health Inc. (CSE  JOLT) is a leading life sciences company focused on healthcare, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. The company currently holds exclusive licenses for innovative therapeutic and pharmaceutical products throughout Europe, the UK, and North America. The company is committed to transforming the industry through research, collaboration, and technological advancement, shaping the future of healthcare worldwide.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Telephone: 1 (604) 343-2977

E-mail: info@jolt-health.com

www.jolt-health.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates", "may" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID19, including the impact of COVID19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, lack of investor demand for Bitcoin and/or Bitcoin futures exchange traded funds, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.
Vancouver, BC, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VANCOUVER, BC  July 10, 2023  Praxis Spinal Cord Institute is delighted to announce the allocation of more than $4 million in grant awards to support 33 spinal cord injury (SCI) initiatives across Canada. Projects funded involve SCI translational research and innovation in diagnostics and clinical care as well as supporting the implementation of best practices. This funding supports initiatives by 31 leading researchers that address meaningful priorities to improve quality of life for the SCI community in Canada.

Praxis plays a major part in translating theory into practical action, improving quality of life for the SCI community. Were excited to work with our research partners to identify and mobilize clinical best practices across Canada and the world. Acting as a hub, our funding supports a diverse and inclusive portfolio of projects bringing positive impact to clinical and diagnostic care strategies and innovation across the whole SCI pathway. Bill Barrable, CEO Praxis Spinal Cord Institute

The projects include the continued funding of a National SCI Registry across Canada, SCI resources including a national imaging repository and International SCI Biobank, an international SCI study investigating the clinical management of acute SCI, the development of evidence-based SCI systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines, and commercialization initiatives.

Supporting initiatives across Canada, this funding accelerates research into clinical best practices and innovation for the SCI community, supporting our vision of a world without paralysis following SCI.

For the full list of recipients, see Supplementary Information below and please visit our website for more details: https://praxisinstitute.org/23692-2/

Quotes

Bill Barrable, CEO Praxis Spinal Cord Institute Praxis plays a major part in translating theory into practical action, improving quality of life for the SCI community. Were excited to work with our research partners to identify and mobilize clinical best practices across Canada and the world. Acting as a hub, our funding supports a diverse and inclusive portfolio of projects bringing positive impact to clinical and diagnostic care strategies and innovation across the whole SCI pathway.

Dr. Cathy Craven (from SCI IEQCC Central Support report) We appreciate Praxiss financial support of Canadians and the Consortium central team as leaders in Canadian SCI rehab health services.

Drs James Milligan and Joe Lee We are grateful for the support from this grant in supporting our SCI primary care network to inform best practices and knowledge translation.

Adam Velenosi, Program Manager, International SCI Biobank "Continued support from Praxis ensures that the global SCI research community benefits from having access to human specimens. This is especially important for translating scientific discoveries from preclinical and animal models. The validation of research findings in human specimens not only advances our understanding of human SCI, but catalyzes future translational research opportunities."

https://praxisinstitute.org/23692-2/

For more information please contact:

Candace Hernandez,

Director Marketing Communications

Email: chernandez@praxisinstitute.org

~30~

About Praxis Spinal Cord Institute

Praxis Spinal Cord Institute plays a key role in the development and translation of discoveries and best practices into improved treatments for people with SCI. Our vision is a world without paralysis after SCI. We advance research and innovation worldwide through networks of international researchers, health care professionals, clinical trials, entrepreneurs, investors, and persons with lived experience.

Based in Vancouver, BC Canada we facilitate an international network of people with SCI and world-class experts who work together to identify, prioritize and solve the most urgent challenges. Our multi-disciplinary, adaptable approach maximizes our impact, to accelerates discovery and innovation to enhance function, optimize health and improve the quality of life for persons living with SCI.

Supplementary Information

Principal

Investigator(s) Grant Recipient Grant Title Marcel Dvorak The University of British Columbia Grant-in-aid to support the implementation of the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) in Canada Cathy Craven University Health Network Steve Casha The Governors of The University of Calgary Adalberto Loyola Sanchez The Governors of the University of Alberta Colleen O'Connell Regional Health Authority B Sean Christie Nova Scotia Health Authority Mark Pahuta Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation Dalton Wolfe,

Chris Bailey Lawson Research Institute Henry Ahn Unity Health Toronto Najmedden Attabib Regional Health Authority B Jean-Marc Mac-Thiong Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux Nord-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal Laurent Bouyer,

Jerome Paquet Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale Daryl Fourney University of Saskatchewan Dorothy Barthelemy Centre Integre Universitaire de Sante et de Services Sociaux Nord-de-L'Ile-de-Montreal Andre Engelbrecht Eastern Regional Health Authority Jeremie Larouche Sunnybrook Research Institute Eve Tsai,

Vidya Sreenivasan Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Michael Fehlings University Health Network Perry Dhaliwal The University of Manitoba David Cadotte The Governors of The University of Calgary Building an Image Bank/Repository Customized Portal Software for BIDs and DICOM Image Data Management with Data Collection Tool Julian Cohen-Adad La Corporation de L'Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal Building an imaging library of acute traumatic spinal cord injury across Canada: spinal cord and lesion morphometry Brian Kwon The University of British Columbia Building an imaging library of acute traumatic spinal cord injury: a RHSCIR sub-study Janice Eng The University of British Columbia Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence (SCIRE) Mark Bayley,

Cathy Craven University Health Network Developing and Piloting Strategies to Facilitate Implementation of the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Practice Guideline (Can-SCIP 3 Implementation) Cathy Craven University Health Network Expansion of Spinal Cord Injury Implementation and Evaluation Quality Care Consortium (SCI-IEQCC) across Canada Joseph Ferenbok The Governing Council of the University of Toronto 2023 Ideation Key Challenge & Health Summit Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez The Governors of the University of Alberta Spinal Cord Injury Implementation and Evaluation Quality Care Consortium (SCI-IEQCC) - Edmonton and Calgary Colleen O'Connell Regional Health Authority B Spinal Cord Injury Implementation and Evaluation Quality Care Consortium (SCI-IEQCC) - Fredericton and Prince Edward Island Sonja McVeigh Nova Scotia Health Authority Spinal Cord Injury Implementation and Evaluation Quality Care Consortium (SCI-IEQCC) - Halifax Brian Kwon The University of British Columbia Grant-in-aid to Support the International Spinal Cord Injury Biobank (ISCIB) Colleen O'Connell Regional Health Authority B Grant to Enhance the Spinal Cord Injury Network of the Atlantic Provinces (SCINAPS) James Milligan,

Joe Lee McMaster University Grant to Establish a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Primary Care Network to Inform Best Practices and Knowledge Translation Brian Kwon The University of British Columbia The Canadian-American Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure Monitoring and Biomarker Study (CASPER)

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New Delhi, July 10 (UNI) A day before the crucial hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Central government on Monday defended its action in a fresh affidavit, and said that since 2019, the entire region has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity.

"Since 2019, the entire region has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity. Life has returned to normal in the region after over three decades of turmoil," the Central government claimed in the affidavit, filed before the Supreme Cour.

The Centre argued that schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances during the last three years.

"The earlier practice of daily hartals, strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now," the Central government told the Supreme Court in its affidavit.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370.

After the constitutional changes, democratically made, major steps were taken to strengthen grassroots democracy. For the first time in its history, a duly elected 3-tier Panchayati Raj System has been established in Jammu and Kashmir. Elections for the members of the District Development Councils were held in Jammu & Kashmir in November-December 2020, the Centre, in its fresh affidavit said.

It said that stone pelting incidents are thing of past.Stone pelting incidents which were as high as 1767 in 2018 are 0 in 2023.

The Central government said that the entire region of J&K including Ladakh has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace & development.

The historic step brought stability, peace, development & security in the region, it said.

The Centre said that resolute anti-terror actions have resulted in the dismantling of the terror eco-system which is reflected in a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023 till date. UNI SM SSP
ir@fissionuranium.com

www.fissionuranium.com

TSX SYMBOL: FCU

OTCQX SYMBOL: FCUUF

FRANKFURT SYMBOL: 2FU

Company additionally hires uranium and rare earths specialist as senior geologist

KELOWNA, July 10, 2023 - Fission Uranium Corp. ("Fission" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Kanan Sarioglu, P.Geo., as Vice President of Exploration "VP Exploration", replacing Ray Ashley. Mr. Sarioglu is a professional geologist with over fifteen years of experience and several uranium discoveries under his belt. He began his uranium exploration career as part of the team responsible for delineation of the Michelin uranium deposit in Labrador, Canada. Mr. Sarioglu then joined the award-winning exploration team led by Fission CEO, Ross McElroy, starting with Fission's predecessor, Fission Energy, and played an instrumental role in the discovery of the J-Zone and Triple R uranium deposits. Most recently, he held the position of VP Exploration for 92 Energy and led his team in the discovery of its Gemini uranium discovery in the eastern Athabasca Basin region. Mr. Sarioglu is a registered professional geologist in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

The Company additionally announces the appointment of James Haley, P. Geo., as senior geologist. Mr. Haley is a highly experienced exploration geologist specializing in uranium and rare earths. Of note, he has previously worked with Fission Uranium, focusing on interpreting and understanding mineralization controls and how to best utilize this for further discovery elsewhere on the property. Mr. Haley is registered as a professional geologist in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ross McElroy, President, and CEO for Fission, commented, "I'm extremely pleased to welcome Kanan Sarioglu back to Fission Uranium in the important capacity of VP Exploration. Kanan is one of the top geologists in the uranium sector and is the ideal choice for Fission Uranium's expanding team of experts. We are further strengtening our exploration team with the addition of James Haley - a talented senior geologist. While our development team continues to advance the proposed high-grade mine and mill at PLS at a strong pace, the deposit remains open in multiple directions and further mineralization is prospective along the Patterson Lake Corridor trend. The PLS property is a vast land package -more than 31,000 ha in size - and hosts a large number of high priority exploration areas. These include several kilometers in numerous discrete Electromagnetic 'EM" conductors, which are key geophysical features often associated with high-grade uranium occurrences. For context, the Triple R deposit, located within the prolific Patterson Lake Corridor, is associated with just one EM conductor."

About Fission Uranium Corp.

Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian-based resource company specializing in uranium exploration and development. The company is the owner and developer of the PLS uranium project - a proposed high-grade mine and mill located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fission's common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Ross McElroy"

___________________________

Ross McElroy, President and CEO

Cautionary Statement:

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Fission and Fission Uranium which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company and Fission Uranium disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Fission Uranium Corp.
Vancouver, July 10, 2023 - RT Minerals Corp. (TSXV:RTM) (OTC:RTMFF) (the "Company" or "RTM") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Matt Anderson, CPA, CA as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company. Mr. Anderson is a Managing Director with Malaspina Consultants Inc., a private company that provides accounting and administrative infrastructure to junior public companies primarily in the natural resource sector. He has extensive experience in financial and accounting related functions and has served as CFO of various junior public companies since 2010. Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2008 while articling at a large accounting firm.

Ms. Sandra Wong, CPA, CGA has resigned as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company in order to focus on other roles. The Company would like to thank Ms. Wong for her valuable contributions to the Company since its incorporation and wish her well on her other business ventures.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Douglas J. Andrews, MSc., BSc.

President and CEO

604-681-3170

For further information, please contact:

William Elston

Director

604-725-0604

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
FEMA disaster relief fund close to running out of money  just as hurricane season kicks into high gear
Too early to judge Vasseur as Ferrari boss

It is too early to shine a spotlight on Frederic Vasseur's performance as Ferrari team boss so far.

Frederic Vasseur, British GP 2023

 Ferrari

That is the view of Maurizio Arrivabene, who lasted four years in the exact same role until he was replaced by the also now ousted Mattia Binotto.

Binotto's successor this year is Frenchman Vasseur, and so far the Maranello based team has continued to struggle to return to the very top of Formula 1.

"I've known Vasseur for some time," Arrivabene told Sky Italia. "He did great things with Alfa and discovered a champion like Leclerc.

"But when you're in Maranello, it's not easy. It's a different organisation with so many people to manage. The brand is beautiful and also heavy. There's a lot of pressure.

"You need time to settle in and understand the mechanisms, as well as understand what Ferrari represents for Italy. So he was right not to enter with heavy foot. First, you have to get to know the people."

The two Ferraris finished just ninth and tenth at Silverstone, and Arrivabene agrees that, "as a Ferrari fan, I am not satisfied with the result".

"However, it is clear that the team must be supported, above all in difficult moments. When you win, it is easy to get on the bandwagon.

"The role of the team principal is to motivate the team to always give its best."

Finally, Arrivabene said the jury is still out on whether the teams' spending budget cap, which was first imposed in 2021, has had the desired effect.

"There have been endless discussions about the budget cap, even in my day, to safeguard the smaller teams," said the Italian. "It's good to create processes to maximise all that waste.

"But if the goal was to decrease the gap between the first and last, it has not been achieved. The usual ones are always still at the front."

(GMM)
Wolff, Hakkinen say Eau Rouge must be changed

Two more prominent Formula 1 figures agree that the treacherous Eau Rouge-Raidillon section at Spa-Francorchamps may need to be changed.

Lance Stroll, Belgian GP 2022

 Aston Martin Racing

Following the recent t-bone fatality of junior category driver Dilano van 't Hoff in almost an identical replay of the death of Anthoine Hubert in 2019, it has been proposed that Spa revert to a 1994-style slow Eau Rouge chicane.

The chicane - and others elsewhere on the calendar - was temporarily put in place as an immediate reaction to Ayrton Senna's death.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks the same solution could work again in 2023.

"You'd put it in front of Eau Rouge again," he said. "This drastically reduces the speed and therefore the risk of a frontal crash at high speeds."

Another proponent of the solution is Guanyu Zhou, who admits to being spooked about safety following his high speed upside-down slide at Silverstone last year.

"From my side, the (Spa) layout needs to change," the 24-year-old said at Silverstone.

"I lost a friend of mine there in 2019, Anthoine (Hubert), so it kind of hurts there. It's an iconic corner for sure, but just for safety, we've lost too many lives in the past and I think it's time.

"I saw some videos of 1994, I think - when there was a slow little chicane," Zhou recalled. "I think that's the right way forward."

Now, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has backed the idea of a fundamental layout tweak in the Eau Rouge-Raidillon stretch.

"We love the track, but we have to think about it," he told Sky Deutschland after the British GP.

"As a driver, you love Eau Rouge - but you can't just let it sit like that. When two young people, who can't help it at all, die there, you have to change the track."

And Mika Hakkinen, whose overtake on the great Michael Schumacher after the pair blasted through Eau Rouge back in 2000 is rated as one of the best in F1 history, agrees.

"This is a dangerous sport," he told Viaplay. "You can't get over it or around it. Everyone knows it, the drivers too.

"The FIA works a lot for safety. The tracks are improved, the runoff is expanded and the cars are strengthened," Hakkinen added. "And then when something like this happens, it's a terrible setback.

"Of course it has to be changed," said the Finn when asked about Eau Rouge-Raidillon. "Many accidents have happened in that bend.

"It causes such crazy situations. Of course everyone is talking about how awesome Eau Rouge is. But come on, we can't play with human lives."

(GMM)
Siisi Edwards out with Mere Santen

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Jul - 10 - 2023 , 10:20

AS a Christian whose Bible has been a life manual, US-based Ghanaian musician, Siisi Edwards is amazed about the mystery of Gods existence as told in the Holy Book.

For years, the mystery of God has been a point of interest to his Christian life and he is pushing the revelation in his latest song, Mere Santen.

Sang in his native Twi language, Mere Santen glorifies God and expresses gratitude for His greatness.

According to Siisi Baidoo, he received the inspiration for the song after a prayer walk.

I was thinking about the awesomeness of God during a prayer walk and then I conceived the chorus. I know this song will inspire others to also worship God for all that He is and what He has done for them, he told Graphic Showbiz.

Siisi Edwards noted that he is committed to bless the world and confidently impact lives with his music.

As such, he has been deliberate about his songs carrying messages of hope, faith, love to encourage those who have lost faith in life to lean on God.

He says releasing Mere Santen cements his persuasions about his choices as a Gospel artiste.

Siisi Edwards, born and bred in Tarkwa in the Western Region and Accra, the capital city respectively, is a Computer Information Systems Engineer and a member of AgapeLife Ministries in Laurel, Maryland, USA.

According to him, music has been a part of him when he was in secondary school in Ghana but he started going to the recording studio in 2003.

That, however, didnt yield any positive results since he lacked the professional knowledge to kick off any meaningful project at the time.

By the grace of God, some of the praise and worship songs we sing in my church, God inspired me to write and compose them and I am truly humbled by that, he said.

Siisi Edwards hinted at collaborating with GP Music, his team to release songs before the end of the year.

Mere Santen is now available on all digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
He deserves commendation

Daily Graphic Opinion Jul - 10 - 2023 , 09:17

This police officer deserves commendation.

I strongly believe his training was different before joining the Ghana Police Service.

He is gentle, polite and soft spoken with a smile.

Very neat and punctual always.

He is outstanding.

He is a policeman with integrity.

He is a police sergeant from the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate (MTTD) unit of Accra Central, Sgt Ibrahim Yakubu.

He should be an example to others.

After observing him and plying the road where he directs traffic, I ask myself if he really also attended the same police school most of his mates, co-officers attended.

Sgt Ibrahim Yakubu always directs traffic at the GIMPA-Christian Village junction.

He is very punctual.

You can meet him as early as 6 o'clock every morning doing his work.

What amazes me about him is the professional way he talks to offenders.

He makes sure everything is done right.

Even if you are at fault, he takes his time to talk to you with respect and politeness.
Please Sir, I want some more!

Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) Opinion Jul - 10 - 2023 , 08:55

Generally, the feedback to my first article in July 2023 Ghana Military Rank Structure was positive. Below are a few.

Feedback

1. Thanks General. I have never been able to get this right!

2. Good day, Sir! Beautiful Article! I believe not only civilians but most security personnel will cut and paste for the records. The Discussion paragraphs took me to memory lane. It enhanced our history from 1957.

However, from Nana who instigated/incited me to write the article, this is the feedback I received.

Beautiful! Thank you for this education. However, as a general rule, we are more baffled by the ranks in the Navy and Air Force. Your work has just started

That reminded me of the saying by a General that, the reward for hard work is more work!

So, like Charles Dickens character Oliver Twist, who after being served food inadequate for his pangs of hunger stated, Please Sir, I want some more to the shock and anger of his master, for which he was punished for asking the unthinkable, Nana is asking for some more! In this case however, since Nana is Nana and can demand what he wants, failure of which I may be asked to twa dwan i.e. slaughter a sheep, I will gladly do his will. After all, has Shakespeare not taught us that, discretion is the better part of valour?

So, using the Army ranks as the baseline since people may be more familiar with them, I shall discuss the Naval and Air Force equivalents.

Junior Officers

For the Army rank of a Second-Lieutenant (2/Lt)which is the start point for the officer after successfully completing cadet training, the Naval equivalent is Acting Sub-Lieutenant while in the Air Force, the rank is Pilot Officer. In the infantry battalion, the 2/Lt commands a platoon of thirty-one men.

After two years, the 2/Lt or equivalent is promoted Lieutenant (Lt). This is automatic and only subject to efficiency and good behavior. In the Navy, the equivalent is Sub-Lieutenant, while in the Air Force, it is Flying Officer.

From Lieutenant - Captain, the officer writes his promotion examination. If successful, he matures in the rank of Lt for four years during which he undergoes various professional courses. At the end of his sixth year of commission, having passed his exams and also had a good Confidential Report, the officer is promoted Captain.

The equivalent of an Army Captain in the Navy is Naval-Lieutenant, and in the Air Force, Flight-Lieutenant. Second-Lieutenants, Lieutenants and Captains in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force are called Junior Officers.

Senior Officers

After five years as a Captain during which the officer must pass his promotion examinations and earn a good Confidential Report, he is promoted to the Senior Rank of Major and equivalent. This is eleven years after commission. The Naval equivalent of Army Major is Lieutenant-Commander, and in the Air Force Squadron-Leader.

From Major to Lieutenant-Colonel takes between five-seven years depending on vacancy availability. I did the upper limit of seven years with my Intake/Course mates. So, it took us eighteen years to be Lieutenant Colonels and equivalents. In the Navy, an Army Lt-Col is a Commander, while in the Air Force, it is Wing-Commander. Beyond Major, there is no promotion examination as one is deemed to have been well-grounded in the basics.

From Lt Col, one advances to Colonel (Col) subject to the availability of vacancies. The equivalent of an Army Colonel in the Navy is Naval-Captain and in the Air Force, Group-Captain. It took me and some of my mates twenty-six years to become Colonels and equivalent.

Majors, Lieutenant-Colonels and Colonels are called Senior Officers. Beyond Colonel, an officer moves into the zone of Generals.

Generals

Generalship starts with Brigadier-General in the Army, Commodore in the Navy and Air Commodore in the Air Force. These are referred to as One-Star Generals. Thirty years after commission, my Intake became One-Star Generals. One Star Generals are usually General-Officers-Commanding (GOCs) and Directors-General (DGs).

From Brigadier-General, the next rank is Major-General in the Army, Rear-Admiral in the Navy and Air-Vice Marshal in the Air Force. These are Two-Star Generals. Service Chiefs (Commanders) in Ghana are Two-Star Generals, just as Commandants in the training Institutions.

The head of the Ghana Armed Forces is a Three-Star General. In the Army, the rank is Lieutenant-General, the naval equivalent is Vice-Admiral while in the Air Force, it is Air-Marshal.

Discussion

From the day the officer is commissioned, he continues to study throughout his life to upgrade himself professionally. This is because the rank-structure is modelled on British lines and is international. We therefore train all over the world with officers of other countries. It is against this backdrop that the Ghana Armed Forces is highly respected on account of the high caliber of its officers, in spite of the coup stigma at home of 1966, 1972 and 1979/1981.

It has been said that, the Ghana Armed Forces does not stage coups as an institution like Pakistan and Myanmar (Burma). It is individual officers who do so for personal gain/reasons, and drag the reputable institution into disrepute.

Leadership, LEAD! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!
This school needs attention

Daily Graphic Opinion Jul - 10 - 2023 , 10:08

The infrastructural conditions of the African Unity School in the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly is nothing to write home about.

In May, some parts of Accra experienced a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds which ripped off the roofing sheets of the schools classroom block.

I had a conversation with some of the pupils who expressed displeasure at the situation stating that they now shared classrooms with the Maale Dada School.

African Unity School is basically operating in another school which is quite disheartening.

It has been over a month now, and nothing seems to be happening in ensuring that the school gets safe buildings for schoolchildren to learn normally.

I have had the urge to engage the headmaster/mistress of the school on this issue, but I have been unable to.

I, therefore, would like to use this medium to bring this issue to the attention of the LADMA office, the Ghana Education Service, and most importantly, the Ministry of Education.


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Violence against women must stop

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Opinion Jul - 10 - 2023 , 11:34

On April 20, 2023, 26-year-old Victoria Dapaah, popularly known as Maa Adwoa, was shot and killed by her police inspector boyfriend at Adum in Kumasi on suspicion of cheating.

In May, a 35-year-old man identified as Akwasi allegedly killed his fiancee, 25-year-old Martha, after she paid him a visit at Atwima Agogo Copas in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipal of the Ashanti Region.

In the same month, 25-year-old Victoria Tetteh was allegedly killed by her boyfriend at Dunkwa Mfoum because he saw another mans picture on her mobile phone, which he had bought for her.

Similarly, a jilted lover allegedly killed his girlfriend at Trom, a suburb of Koforidua in the Eastern Region, on Saturday, June 17, 2023, because the victim was in the process of ending the relationship, which led her to relocate to her current residence.

These morbid reports are just a few of the cases that form part of the growing trend of inhumane and dehumanising treatment meted out to citizens, especially women and girls, over the last couple of months.

According to a report by the Ghana Police Service, there have been 123 reported cases of domestic violence in the first quarter of this year alone, with 67 per cent of the victims being women.

Evidently, many of the attacks are tied to relationship failures and misunderstandings between couples, as the trend sees partners, particularly males, using murder as a means to get back at their significant others, whom they believe cheated on them or failed to reciprocate their feelings.

Law

Under the law, the right to life is fundamental for all human beings and no one has the right to take the life of another.

Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution states the rights and freedoms enjoyed by citizens.

Among the rights is Article 12(2) which clearly states that Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender, shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this Chapter (5) but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the public interest.

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has expressed worry and vehemently condemned the recent developments.

It cautioned the perpetrators of the abuses to be mindful of the above constitutional provision and the fact that no one should intentionally deprive a person of his life, adding that a person's right to life must be respected and considered a civic obligation.

The commission partly attributed the incidences of abuse against women to the decline and breakdown in family values, and national and cultural values in our social life.

It, therefore, urged parents, guardians, educators and caregivers to support civic education efforts in nurturing young citizens with values such as respect for the rights of others, tolerance of others' points of view, honesty and responsibility.

Tackling issue

In 2007, parliament passed the Domestic Violence Bill and this was an important step in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

However, according to the statistics available at the Accra Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), as of August 2020, 31.9 per cent of Ghanaian women had faced at least one form of domestic violence - physical, economic, psychological, social or sexual.

This is resounding proof that legislation alone will not change the harsh reality of the discrimination that women and girls face in Ghana.

Very little progress will be made unless we, as a nation and a society, address the deep roots of cultural, religious and social norms that have marginalised and historically bestowed a low status on the Ghanaian woman and girl child.

We need to increase the independence and self-realisation of women's potential by removing structural barriers to their economic empowerment, promoting their education and giving them more employment opportunities.

This will go a long way to empower them while discouraging them from tolerating abusive relationships.

It will also embolden them to report such cases to the authorities.

Furthermore, additional steps are needed to ensure both awareness and compliance with the law on domestic violence.

The government should also demonstrate the political will of standing up for women by passing the Affirmative Action Bill immediately and putting more women into positions to make decisions concerning their safety.

There must be strict adherence to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international legal instrument of which Ghana is a signatory.

Also, the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection has spelt out the rights, social protection, liberties and freedoms of women, men and children under its National Gender and Children Policy.

State actors must endeavour to rely on all these documents to meet the needs of women.

Let us come together as decent human beings and end violence against women now!
Dr Ophelia Ohenewa Mefful: Tale of determination, triumph

Kwadwo Donkor Life Jul - 10 - 2023 , 11:15

Dr Ophelia Ohenewa Mefful, an example of resilience and hard work, stands as a testament to both human determination and divine providence.

Despite encountering numerous obstacles throughout her life, she managed to surmount them and recently graduated from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Fashion.

Dr Mefful currently serves as a lecturer at the Takoradi Technical University, where she continues to inspire others with her journey.

She was born at the Burma Camp in Accra, to the late Ex WO1 Henry Ohene and Beatrice Kumiwa, both from Kpalime Duga near Anum Boso in the Volta Region.

Dr Mefful's early years were marked by the need to take on responsibility at a tender age. While her peers engaged in carefree childhood pursuits, she had to support herself and navigate through school to reach her present position.

Her educational path began at Burma Camp Primary School before relocating to her hometown when her father retired.

There I continued my primary and junior secondary school education and later attended Anum Secondary School in the Eastern Region. However, my educational journey was far from smooth sailing, she stated.

Despite her exceptional intellect, challenging economic conditions at home hindered her progress. Furthermore, her parents' divorce added to the difficulties she faced. Nonetheless, she chose to reside with her father and stepmother, displaying strength and determination in the face of adversity.

Awaiting her results after completing JHS, Dr Mefful travelled to Accra to sell ice-water and save money to purchase school supplies for senior high school. She used the funds from her sales to acquire essential items, seeking advice from friends who resided in boarding houses whenever they returned home.

While her ultimate aspiration was to become a pilot, fate intervened when she did not achieve the desired results in her Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE), failing two of her elective subjects.

After two unsuccessful attempts to rewrite the exams, she resolved to wait for her elder brother, who was attending university, to complete his studies and secure a job to support her education.

Rev and Dr Mefful with their children

As her peers embarked on their tertiary education journeys, Dr Mefful faced mounting frustration and desolation due to her academic setbacks, even contemplating suicide.

Concerned about my well-being, my mother encouraged me to enrol in a sewing apprenticeship.

Dr Mefful heeded her mother's advice, joining an apprenticeship programme in Boso near her hometown. She spent one and a half years there before continuing her training in Accra for another one and a half years. After completing her apprenticeship, she opened her own shop and subsequently enrolled in a vocational school at Abokobi, a suburb of Accra to further hone her skills as a seamstress.

Journey to Takoradi

Dr Mefful's journey to Takoradi Technical University can only be described as a fairy tale, as it deviated from her original plan. While attending the vocational school at Abokobi, she registered for a remedial class to better her grades.

The headmistress of the school generously paid her fees and procured the necessary forms for her to pursue an Intermediate Certificate in Fashion at what was then known as Takoradi Polytechnic.

Despite her dire financial circumstances, with her mother even discouraging her from attending Takoradi Technical University due to the lack of funds for tuition, accommodation and sustenance, Dr Mefful remained resolute, trusting in the Lord to make a way where there seemed to be none.

Dr Ophelia Mefful (middle) with her siblings and some friends at her graduation

Miraculously, a chance encounter with a kind stranger in a car journeying to Takoradi resulted in the stranger offering to pay half of her fees.

To support herself financially, she undertook menial jobs such as assisting lecturers at home, cooking and cleaning. Her determination to persevere was unwavering, leading her to spend vacations on campus, performing tasks assigned by the generous benefactor who had initially paid her fees.

Dr Mefful faced innumerable struggles throughout her educational journey, yet she triumphed. She completed her studies, enrolled in a Higher National Diploma course, and during her second year, she got married.

Initially, she had reservations about entering a relationship, as her focus was firmly fixed on her studies, but after prayerful consideration and consultation with her pastor, she agreed to marry.

Her husband assumed her financial responsibilities, paying her fees while she pursued a Bachelor of Technology in Fashion. Subsequently, she secured a position as a Senior Instructor at the Fashion Department of TTU.

Dr Mefful and her husband Rev Mefful share a happy moment

Married to Reverend John Mefful, the couple is blessed with two children, a boy and a girl. Reflecting on her journey, Dr Mefful acknowledges that her achievements are a result of divine grace.

She encourages everyone facing challenges to never lose hope, regardless of their humble beginnings. With unwavering trust in God and steadfast obedience, one can surmount any obstacle and ultimately realise their dreams.
Agrihouse calls for July 1 as Ghana Poultry Day

Elizabeth Konadu-Boakye Jul - 10 - 2023 , 09:35

A non governmental organisation with focus on agriculture, Agrihouse Foundation, has called on the government and all major stakeholders to support and recognise July 1 as the Ghana Poultry Day to promote the purchase and consumption of locally produced chicken.

By designating July 1 as a national Poultry Day, the founder and Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, said the needed attention would be given to the sector to help appreciate the hard work and dedication of those who worked in the poultry sector.

Ms Akosa, who was speaking at this year's Ghana Poultry Day, held on July 1, 2023, said picking July 1 to mark poultry day would also throw light and celebrate the contributions of the poultry sector to the country's economy.

"The poultry industry is a vital part of our economy, providing jobs, food, and income for millions of people across the country.

Yet, it is often overlooked and undervalued," she said.

The third edition of the Ghana Poultry Day held at the forecourt of the State House, brought together some key decision makers, Members of Parliament (MP), Chief Executive Officers of companies and organisations, who took part in various activities for the day.

Personalities such as New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Hopeful, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, MP for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, and the MP for Shai Osudoku, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, all prepared chicken meals as part of the activities to celebrate the day.

The MP for Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, who outlined the criteria for the cooking contest, was also the main judge.

The initiative, organised by the Agrihouse Foundation, treated guests at the event with free grilled chicken and boiled eggs.

The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (Crops), Dr Yaw Frimpong Addo, said the country could only boast of about 15 per cent poultry production which he said was too low and therefore urged poultry farmers to scale up their efforts so that the country could reduce the importation of poultry.

The minister said it was part of the governments plan to roll out a second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs agenda which would include the breeding of poultry.

The plan, which he said would be rolled out for five years, would throw more light on the poultry sector and give it the necessary support to boost the sector to make the country self-sufficient in poultry.

Subsidy on feed

The Chairperson of the Greater Accra Regional Poultry Farmers Association, Gifty Rhodor, said although the poultry sector had the potential to create jobs, about 85 per cent of poultry farmers had folded up because of the exorbitant price of poultry feed in the country.

That, she said, also had an impact on the poultry industry in the country.

"We used to purchase the feed at Gh2,400 per tonne but now it is being sold at Gh6,000 which is too much and it is discouraging poultry farmers," she said.

She, therefore, called on the government to make efforts to subsidise the price of the feed, which is mostly maize and soya, and store them in warehouses during the bumper season and make it available and accessible to all when it was out of season.
Bakatue festival climaxed at Elmina

Shirley Asiedu-Addo & Francisca Eshun Jul - 10 - 2023 , 06:13

A colourful durbar was held last weekend to climax the Bakatue festival of the chiefs and people of Elmina in the Central Region.

This year's celebration which also marked the 25th anniversary of the Paramount Chief of Elmina, Nana Kwodwo Conduah, was grand and attracted hundreds of patrons from all walks of life, including foreign tourists.

By late afternoon last Saturday, the ecstatic crowd had joined a procession of chiefs in their colourful regalia through the principal streets of the municipality.

The chiefs who received homage, danced gracefully in their palanquins as they were cheered by their subjects and patrons who had lined up the streets before converging on the forecourt of the Elmina Castle for the durbar.

The festival was on the theme: "Buy made in Ghana goods, use made in Ghana products, support Ghanaian industries and create employment for the youth."

Present at the durbar were the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan; the Municipal Chief Executive of Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA), Solomon Ebo Appiah; the Member of Parliament for KEEA, Samuel Atta Mills; the Head of Local Government Service (HLGS), Dr Nana Ato Arthur; the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, and the Central Regional Coordinating Council Director, Kingsley Agyei Boahene.

Promotion of education

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, called on the people to prioritise education to improve on their quality of life.

He said education was a leveller and an avenue for life-changing opportunities and, therefore, urged traditional authorities and communities to support policies that promoted education.

Dr Bawumia, whose speech was read on his behalf by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Lottery Authority, Sammy Awuku, said while the government needed the support of chiefs and the citizenry to further push the education agenda, such support had not been readily given in some cases.

The Vice-President said in every endeavour, including fishing which was the main stay of the people of Elmina, much could be improved if the people had the requisite education and technical know-how.

He also advised them to refrain from dumping waste into the Benya Lagoon and to keep the city clean to attract investors and tourists to the area.

The Central Regional Minister, also urged the people to patronise locally made goods and products to create more jobs and boost the local economy.

Appeal

Nana Kodwo Condua VI appealed for the dredging of the Benya Lagoon in which most fishing vessels berthed.

He also said that the silting of the lagoon was causing flooding of houses along the lagoon. He said that the government had provided a bus for the Edinaman SHS and also helped fence the school.

The chief also entreated the KEEA to always collaborate with the traditional council before giving out permit to developers to avoid the springing up of illegal structures.

Nana Conduah commended the government for the completion of the Elmina fishing harbour, and called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to help stop illegal fishing practices.

Other highlights of the festival were a maiden Bakatue Trade Expo, a carnival, and Miss Edina Bakatue competition.
Ghana achieves Rotary International District status; David Osei Amankwah is first District Governor

Kweku Zurek Jul - 10 - 2023 , 16:11

Ghana has attained the esteemed status of a Rotary International District, marking a significant milestone in the country's commitment to service and community development.

The investiture ceremony, held in Accra on July 8, 2023, witnessed the official appointment of Mr. David Osei Amankwah as the first District Governor of Rotary International District 9104.

Rotary International is a renowned global organization that brings together 1.4 million individuals dedicated to creating positive change worldwide. With a mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance understanding, goodwill, and peace, Rotary has played a vital role in various fields since its establishment in Ghana in 1958.

The organization's focus areas encompass maternal and child health, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, community and economic development, basic education and literacy, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, and supporting the environment.

Ghana's Rotary clubs have been instrumental in championing projects aligned with these focus areas, notably the provision of clean water to combat Guinea worm disease. Rotary's collaboration with partners has resulted in over 80 percent of Ghana's population gaining access to clean water.

Furthermore, Rotary has been a key contributor to the global effort to eradicate polio, working alongside international organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and WHO. Thanks to the diligent efforts of Rotarians in Ghana, the country has been declared polio-free.

The redistricting process has allowed Ghana to establish its own single-country district, District 9104, as of July 1, 2023. This transition comes after considerable membership growth over the past decade, meeting the criteria set by Rotary International for district status, which includes a minimum of 75 clubs and 2,500 members. Currently, Ghana boasts 63 clubs with approximately 1,600 members.

During the investiture ceremony, attended by esteemed representatives and high-profile dignitaries, including H.E. President John Agyekum-Kufuor and Rotary International Director Patrick Chisanga, Lady Justice Georgina Theodora Wood delivered an inspiring address. The retired Chief Justice of The Republic of Ghana acknowledged Rotarians' significant contributions to society and emphasized the importance of championing women empowerment and playing an active role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

District Governor David Osei Amankwah outlined three priority areas for his term. First, he aims to empower and encourage the youth by providing them with skills training and support for employment and entrepreneurial development.

Secondly, he plans to embark on impactful legacy projects, including the provision of solar vaccine shelters to bridge gaps in cold chain equipment at health facilities. Finally, he intends to support environmental sustainability by leading tree-planting initiatives across the country, aligning with the government's efforts through the Forestry Commission.

Rotary activities are funded through The Rotary Foundation (TRF), the organization's charitable arm. TRF has consistently demonstrated transparent and accountable fiscal management, earning the trust of donors and partners. The Foundation spends 6 cents per dollar on administration, with the remaining funds used to support future projects. Rotary's collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in which every US dollar contributed to TRF is matched, further exemplifies the responsible management of funds.

Rotary International Director Patrick Chisanga praised Ghana's achievement as a standalone district, highlighting the potential for increased resources and growth. He encouraged the district to identify pressing needs and tap into available funding opportunities, mentioning Rotary's substantial contributions to fighting malaria and other diseases.

The attainment of district status signifies Ghana's commitment to Rotary's core values and its dedication to service and humanitarian efforts. As a standalone district, Ghana is poised to make an even greater impact, harnessing the vast potential within the country and driving growth and service on a larger scale. Rotary's legacy of hope and transformative action continues to inspire Rotarians across Ghana as they strive to make a difference in their communities and the world at large.
Aisha Huang to court: Allegations that I was engaged in mining untrue

Justice Agbenorsi Jul - 10 - 2023 , 16:51

En Huang aka Aisha Huang, the Chinese national said to be engaged in illegal mining, galamsey in Ghana has denied facilitating or engaging in any mining activities in Ghana.

En Huang, who mounted the witness box on Monday (July 10, 2023) to open her defence in the trial in which she has been accused of engaging in mining without licence, said allegations that she was engaged in mining were not true but a ploy by the state witnesses to play into media narratives against her.

Neither my company nor myself have engaged in mining or facilitated mining in any form by any person or group of persons.

I do not know and have not been to any of the sites captured in the videos, pictures and maps tendered in evidence by the prosecution witnesses, the accused told the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, reports Graphic Online's Justice Agbenorsi.

She added that the four alleged accomplices  all Chinese nationals arrested at a mining site at Bepotenten were not her employees.

En Huang told the court that due to her long stay in Ghana and her supermarket, Aisha Supermarket, which served Chinese customers at Ahodwo in Kumasi, she became the go-to person and a place of safe custody for most of her colleague Chinese nationals saying, although she knew the four alleged accomplices, they did not work for her.

Lands

Reacting to evidence given by farmers who had told the court that she engaged one James Ogbey to purchase their lands for mining activities, En Huang, told the court that she never engaged Mr Ogbey for any parcel of land for mining.

Neither myself, nor my company, own or hired any excavators. changfans or the other earth moving machines allegedly found at sites the four Chinese men were arrested, she said.

Not guilty

En Huang, a Chinese national has been accused of being in the thick of affairs of galamsey, especially in the Ashanti Region.

She was deported from Ghana in 2018, after the Attorney-General decided to discontinue her trial in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without licence.

However, she was said to have sneaked back into Ghana to allegedly engage in the same activities for which she was deported.

The A-G, Godfred Yeboah Dame, then decided to prosecute her for the alleged crimes before her deportation and new ones committed since her re-entry into Ghana.

It is the case of the prosecution that Aisha had an illegal mining concession at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region and also operated a mining support services company.

She has pleaded not guilty to undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, the illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
Govt committed to protecting intellectual property  A-G

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Jul - 10 - 2023 , 06:19

The Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has said that the government is committed to protecting the intellectual property (IP) of individuals and corporations.

He has, therefore, assured investors and businesses operating in the country that their IPs would be fully protected in accordance with international laws and the robust legal regime of the country.

Speaking at a meeting with the Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Daren Tang, in Geneva, Switzerland, Mr Dame said IP was a catalyst for development since it helped to protect creativity and innovation, especially in Ghana which is the host country of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recognises the importance of innovation, creativity and industrialisation as key to national development, he added.

Meeting

The meeting between the A-G and the WIPO boss was on the sidelines of the General Assembly of WIPO, an international body that sets IP norms and standards.

Mr Dame led the countrys delegation which included the RegistrarGeneral, Grace Issahaque; Ghanas Ambassador to Switzerland, Emmanuel Kwame Antwi, and senior officials of the Ministry of Justice.

The discussion between Mr Dame and Mr Tang focused on issues relating to the development of the countrys intellectual property, as well as Ghanas current status as the Coordinator of the African Group of Member States of WIPO from 2023 to 2024, a position the nation is holding for the first time in over 20 years.

Ghana is also the Vice-President of the Lisbon Union on Geographical Indications and President of the Paris Union Assembly of WIPO.

Mr Dame further called for support to secure more senior positions in the world body for Ghanaians.

For instance, he mentioned a Ghanaian national, Dr Edward Kwakwa, who currently serves as an Assistant Director-General of WIPO, and Loretta Asiedu, who is the acting Director of the African Bureau of WIPO, to become the substantive Director.

The minister further requested WIPO technical assistance to help Ghana upgrade its intellectual property system known as IPAS system, and a geographical indication project to help improve usage of IP systems and tools for development.

Commendation

Mr Tang lauded Ghana for exhibiting good leadership in the area of IP on the African continent.

He said as the Coordinator of the WIPO African Group, Ghana had led meaningful development on IP on the continent.

The WIPO boss also commended the A-G for the registration of the Bolga Basket as an IP geographical indication from Ghana and depositing the instrument of ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the UPOV Convention).

These are remarkable steps by Ghana in the protection of intellectual property, he added.

Intellectual Property protects creative work such as books, songs, painting and software, as well as inventions and trademarks of corporations and brands.

It is protected in the country with laws such as the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690), the Trademarks Act, 2004 (Act 664) and the Patents Act, 2003 (Act 657).
US: Husband of 33-year-old Ghanaian woman who died in domestic incident arrested

Reading Eagle Jul - 10 - 2023 , 10:52

A 46-year-old Fleetwood man, identified as Harrison Adu Boakye was taken into custody in the United States (US) last Friday and charged with aggravated assault after his wife, 33, died in an alleged domestic incident.

The Fleetwood man was arrested Friday afternoon for his role in the death.

Harrison Adu Boakye, 46, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault following an investigation by Berks County detectives into the death of the woman, 33.

Boakye was taken to the Berks County Sheriffs Central Processing Unit for processing and arraignment.

Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy is pending.

The Reading Eagle in a report quoted detectives as giving the following account:

At 8:25 a.m. on July 7, 2023, Fleetwood police responded to a 911 call about a domestic situation at a home in the 30 block of Middleton Road.

Upon arrival, officers found the 33-year-old woman unresponsive inside the residence.

Life saving measures were initiated by responding officers and emergency personnel, but failed.

The coroner was contacted and later pronounced the victim deceased.

An investigation was then initiated by detectives, which resulted in Boakye being arrested and charged.
Manual to strengthen early childhood education launched

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Jul - 10 - 2023 , 08:08

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has launched a toolkit aimed at strengthening the delivery of early childhood education (ECE) across the country.

Dubbed: National Kindergarten (KG) In-Service Education and Training (INSET) Trainer Manual, it provides teachers who are already working in schools with the necessary tools and resources to excel in their classrooms by effectively using the play-based, child-centred approach and other creative pedagogies for effective delivery of lessons.

It contains instructional videos and guides among others, for teachers on how they can also promote the involvement of parents and community members in children's education at the KG level for the implementation of the standard based curriculum.

The manual was developed by the GES in partnership with key stakeholders in the ECE sub-sector, notably the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Right To Play, Sabre Education, Innovations for Poverty Actions (IPA) among others.

Significance

A Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, who launched the manual, said quality ECE was crucial because a childs curiosity to learn and the enthusiasm to engage in a lifelong learning pursuit begins at the stage and as such, the manual would be made available to all private and public schools.

Researchers have determined that the first five years of every child are so important because 90 per cent of their brain development takes place around that time, he added.

Rev. Fordjour said as the world was in the fourth industrial revolution, it was imperative that the government created opportunities for children born in the 21st century and beyond to study in a fitting environment.

The deputy minister said the government would continue to make early childhood education attractive for teacher trainees to ensure increase in the enrolment of related courses in the tertiary institutions.

Commitment

The Director-General of the GES, Dr Eric Nkansah, said the launch of the INSET package represented the governments commitment to supporting teachers in their professional growth.

He said it was carefully designed to address the evolving needs of our education system and focused on equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills required to effectively teach in the 21st century.

We have also incorporated modules on inclusive education, cultural competence, and addressing the diverse needs of our students. These are essential in ensuring that our education system is inclusive and equitable for all learners, Dr Nkansah explained.

Support

The Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Ghana, Fiachra McAsey, said the manual made Ghana a leader and an example to many countries in the sub-Saharan region with regard to the developing children for the challenges of the future.

He reaffirmed UNICEFs continuous support in terms of capital and technical aid to strengthen the delivery of foundational learning across the country.

Other key stakeholders also reiterated their support to the GES and all kindergartens to continue playing their roles in developing the future leaders of this country.
Many places have cancer-causing gas  Prof. Amoako

Augustina Tawiah Jul - 10 - 2023 , 07:28

Many places in the country have a high concentration of radon gas, a natural occurring gas whose long exposure to humans can cause lung cancer and other forms of cancers.

An Associate Professor of Health Physics at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Professor Joseph K. Amoako, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, mentioned some of the places as parts of the Central and Greater Accra regions, as well as some mountainous and rocky environments where granite could be found.

He added, however, that the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, in collaboration with other universities, were undertaking more measurements to establish the radon map of the country.

The data at the moment is not sufficient to come out with a national radon map. But it's not only in the Central and Greater Accra regions. A lot of hilly areas have radon gas because the emanation of radon depends on the underlying rock formation, Prof. Amoako said.

In areas that we have a lot of granite or uranium, you are likely to have high level of radom concentration. Underground mines such as Obuasi and all those places where they have deep underground mines, there is a possibility of having high radon, he explained.

The professor of Health Physics, therefore, called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collaborate with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority to come up with the needed guidelines and regulations that would regulate estate developers and buildings in the country.

What is radon gas?

Radon gas is a natural gas that is ionising and exists in rocks. It is a decay product of uranium. The effects of this gas, according to Professor Amoako, were long term, with some of the cancers taking 30 years to develop.

He said some graduate students' studies done in Accra had also established a high radon concentration in some government buildings and public facilities.

Effect of radon gas

On the effect this gas would have on the people living in those areas, Professor Amoako explained that buildings located in areas where there were high levels of radon concentration with poor ventilation would have radon build-up in them which would go a long way to make those living in the buildings, especially children, susceptible to the effects of radon gas.

Radon gas is known to cause lung cancers and other forms of cancers. But for children, because their cells are still developing, they are highly at risk compared to grown ups, he stated.

On how people could determine whether they were living in places with a high radon concentration, he said radiation was not something that could be smelt nor felt unless it was measured by experts.

What should be done?

Prof. Amoako said just as the regulatory authorities did for road construction where contractors were expected to do soil test and analysis, it should be made mandatory, particularly for individuals doing large projects, putting up public places such as school laboratories and hospitals to soil test for radon gas before they start the building.

For individuals staying in those areas, the health physicist advised that their buildings should have large open windows for good ventilation and that the windows should be the old fashion louvre blades instead of the sliding ones which reduced the flow of air.

Prof. Amoako explained that it was also important that building materials such as tiles and paints that were made from the soil were analysed to see if they did not emit some form of natural occurring radiation.

He explained that where the soil was sourced from could make them have high levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials, thus the products might be a source of radiation.
Police arrest chief for destroying 33,000 rubber trees

Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu Jul - 10 - 2023 , 07:00

The police have arrested an Odikro of Gyabenkrom and two others for destroying more than 33,000 mature rubber trees on a plantation belonging to the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) in the Ahanta West Municipality in the Western Region.

The destruction is estimated to cost the company 95,000, equivalent to GH1.14 million.

Police sources said the action of the Odikro identified as Nana Agyarko was allegedly informed by his desire to reclaim part of government land allocated to GREL for rubber plantation, rezone it and sell to private individuals for development.

The Takoradi Divisional Police Command which is handling the case has granted bail to the suspects while investigation continues.

Preliminary investigation by the police showed that the Odikro allegedly hired some young people from outside Gyabenkrom, the community where the plantation is located, to fell the trees.

The Odikro and his two accomplices are helping the police in further investigations.

Tour

The Chairman of the Association of Chiefs On Whose Land GREL Operates (ACLANGO), Nana Kwesi Agyeman IX, has subsequently led some chiefs to tour the destroyed plantation at Gyabenkrom to assess the extent of damage to the rubber trees.

At a press conference after the inspection tour, the chairman described the act by the perpetrators as a threat to national development because they did not consider the national interest, job security of the employees and the community.

Since 1993, GREL and traditional rulers through the association have been working together and living peacefully, Nana Agyeman said.

He further condemned the action by the perpetrators, saying it equally had the tendency to send wrong signals to the investor community.

The ACLANGO chairman, therefore, urged the police to thoroughly investigate, arrest all culprits involved in the act and prosecute them.



Benefits to community

Nana Agyeman stated that the companys operations in the area provided about 4,500 direct jobs to the local communities in its catchment area and more than 50,000 additional ones through its out-grower project.

He further pointed out that GREL was one of the major economic actors in the region, providing livelihood support to more than 70,000 people and that it was wrong for the perpetrators to enter the state land allocated to it for plantation and destroy the trees.

These invasions of GREL lands, Nana Agyeman added, would directly affect the raw material base needed for the smooth functioning of the two factories the company operated, hence the need for all relevant state actors to take the necessary steps to protect GRELs legally leased concessions to ensure the sustainable employment of the youth in the area.

Nana Agyeman stated that the current situation where some people encroached on GREL lands under the guise of community expansion and for galamsey could best be described as an act of illegality that needed to be condemned.

Support

The chairman stressed that the association and all other traditional rulers were in support of any punitive action the police would take against the perpetrators within the confines of the law.

Those who forcefully take over GREL lands in the name of community expansion without recourse to the Office of the Lands Commission, the agency mandated to manage all state lands, are violating the law and must be made to face the law.

A country that is seeking partnerships for investments and development should not have its citizens taking the law into their own hands and destroying the investments of private investors, Nana Agyeman stated.



Background

The plantation started as a small private venture by R. T. Briscoe in 1957 at Dixcove, with a plantation size of 923 hectares.

The plantation was nationalised into the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) in 1960 and later, State Farms Corporation in 1962.

At that time, the Rubber plantation had expanded to Abura and Subri.

GREL became wholly state-owned in 1980 when Briscoe (Firestone) sold its interest to the government.

The government entered into a financing agreement with the then Caisse Francaise de Development (CFD), now Agence Francaise de Development, to rehabilitate and manage the companys Rubber plantation and to build a new rubber processing plant at Apimenim.

After the rehabilitation in 1996, the French management company, Societe Internationale de Plantations d Heveas (SIPH), became the major shareholder of the company with the new renewable lease of 50 years.
Project to enhance soyabean production launched

Delali Sika Jul - 10 - 2023 , 11:14

A project dubbed, Support to Soyabean Development Programme in Ghana, has been launched to increase soybean production and processing in the country.

Being undertaken under the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) flagship programme, One Country One Priority Product, it has been developed to mobilise investment for the development of infrastructure in the soyabean industry.

It is also intended to facilitate structured market and value chain financing for soyabeans that will improve competitiveness, productivity and profitability along the value chain.

Strategic framework

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, who launched the project, noted that it was in line with the FAOs strategic framework in the areas of better production; small-scale producers access to resources, climate change mitigation among others.

"It is well aligned with the overall goal of Ghanas Planting for Food and Jobs Phase Two, which seeks to transform agricultural value chains for economic development with active private-sector participation in 11 focus commodities including soybean, he said.



Economy

Dr Acheampong stressed that agriculture remained an important sector of Ghanas economy, accounting for an average of 21.3 per cent of GDP since 2017 and provided employment to over 38 per cent of the working population.

He added that there were plans to increase the consumption of soyabean from 255,209 MT last year to over one million metric tonnes by 2027.

The objective is to increase local soyabean production to meet local demand, export as well as generate employment for the youth along the value chain, Dr Acheampong said.

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mochizuki Hisanobu, noted that the project exemplified Japan's continuous effort to support agriculture in Ghana.

This project effectively contributes to the improvement of Ghana's food security as it aims to increase land productivity and improve post-harvest crop management, he said.

Additionally, the ambassador said the project also contributed to the promotion of human security, where every person could live with dignity and the government of Japan had been leading international efforts to achieve that.

I firmly believe that this project will have a positive and long-lasting impact on Ghana.

I understand that it will not be easy but with dedication, we will get the job done, Mr Hisanobu said.



Cash crop

The Director of Crop Services, Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah, stated that soyabean had become one of the cash crops and about 96 per cent was produced in northern Ghana for both source of feed for the poultry and aquaculture industry and for human consumption.

Local production has witnessed consistent increase in volumes of production over the past five years, which is largely due to area expansion with little improvement in productivity levels.
Stop female discrimination in mining - WIM President appeals to management

Haruna Yussif Wunpini Jul - 10 - 2023 , 07:51

The President of Women in Mining Ghana (WIM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the welfare of women in mining, Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, has asked managers of both small and large scale mining companies to desist from discriminating against female employees.

Such discriminations which, she indicated, included sexual harassment, promotions, menstruating periods, among others, had been having negative effect on the female employees.

Dr Sakyi-Addo made the appeal at a two-day sub-national policy dialogue in mining at New Abirem in the Birim North District in the Eastern Region last Thursday.

The event, which brought together women engaged in mining as well as women groups intending to go into mining, traditional rulers, heads of departments and agencies, students from New Abirem/Afosu Senior High School and the media, was organised by WIM with funding from Ford Foundation.

The dialogue was organised at New Abirem because many small and large scale mining companies, such as Newmont, are sited in that area.

Scientific research

According to Dr Sakyi-Addo, a scientific research, commissioned by WIM with funding from Ford Foundation West Africa, brought to the fore that 50 per cent of women employed in the mining sector suffered all sorts of discrimination at their workplaces.

She said the discriminations, according to the report, included sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting discrimination against women in mining.

She said more often, the female employees were asked to do something, which connoted that they should give themselves up for sex by their male employees.

Legal rights

Dr Sakyi-Addo said under the circumstance, such women must have access to legal rights, safe working conditions and opportunities for skills development.

The women, she asserted, must, therefore, be given the technical training knowledge of safe mining practices and access to credit and markets.

That, the WIM President explained, would empower the women to enhance their economic independence.

To achieve sustainable mining practices, she said it was essential to promote responsible mineral supply chains which included transparency and accessibility which would ensure that the rights of workers, including women, were protected.

Dr Sakyi-Addo suggested that certification schemes and due diligent measures could be implemented to guarantee that minerals would be sourced responsibly and free from environmental and social harm.

Mining companies, she further noted, must adopt strict policies against discriminations and provide channels for reporting complaints.

Such women, Dr Sakyi-Addo said, must have access to appropriate health care such as mental health and maternity leave designed to take care of their children.

She said the women must also be placed in decision-making positions.

Gender mainstreaming

The Project Coordinator of WIM, Hilary Konadu Awuah, who took the participants through gender mainstreaming, said globally women were disproportionally represented in the mining sector compared to their male counterparts.

He backed the assessment with an International Labour Organisation report in 2019, which indicated that an estimated 21.4 million people were employed in the mining sector out of which only 3.1 million were women in 2021.
Visit of Zambian President: Ghana, Zambia sign agreements

Donald Ato Dapatem Jul - 10 - 2023 , 06:05

Ghana and Zambia have signed 10 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during a three-day state visit of President Hakainde Hichilema to the country.

The agreements cover Trade and Investment; Tourism, Arts and Culture; Science, Technology and Innovation and Skills Development.

Others are Prevention of Illicit Drugs and Trafficking of Narcotics; Exploitation of Hydrocarbon Resources, Youth and Sports, ICT, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and Investment Promotion.

The ministers of state and officials of the two countries signed for their respective sectors in Accra.

Collaboration

At a banquet held in his honour at the Jubilee House, President Hichilema called for closer collaboration and speedy execution of the mutual agreements signed between the two countries for the growth of their economies and improvement of the lives of the people.

The event was attended by members of the Council of State, ministers of state, Members of Parliament, service chiefs, members of the clergy, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry.

President Hichilema said one of the critical areas Zambia wanted to learn from Ghana was the management of its gold resources.

So we are here to also pick those skill sets that will assist us to exploit and manage the resource that has popped up in our country, he said, adding that they would also use such experience to manage other resources in their country.

I think we have a strategic advantage which for many years we never really realised and exploited.

I think it is now time for us to do just that, he added.

Reforms

President Hichilema also called for reforms of the global financial architecture to ensure that as Africans work to exploit their resource endowments, they do not export them in their raw form.

He said there was also the need for African countries to deepen economic ties and invest among themselves before turning to foreigners for support.

President Hichilema said when there was the need for support such as requesting more capital they must bring the capital at a fair price and not at a discriminatory price.

On security, the President said the cooperation between Ghana and Zambia in the areas of security, peace and stability was essential, and acknowledged the exemplary leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in initiating strategies to help deal with emerging security challenges.

He expressed concern over the increasing rate of instability in the southern Africa region, including northern Mozambique, Central African Republic, Eastern Congo and Sudan.

President Hichilema said instability anywhere, no matter the distance, should be a concern for all peace-loving people, and cited the negative effect of the Russia-Ukraine war which he said had led to some economic challenges for many countries including Ghana and Zambia.

UN reforms

Regarding calls for reforms at the UN Security Council to accommodate Africa which has 53 nations and a population of 1.3 billion, President Hichilema said he would work closely with President Akufo-Addo and other regional bodies such as the AU and the Commonwealth to ensure that Africa got a fair share of what it deserved.

With 1.3 billion population, Africans ought to sit at the decision table in the global political situation room, the Security Council.

We all agree that it is time for Africa to have a proper, not a Cinderella session, nor by invitation, he added.

President Hichilema further commended Ghana for its support to Zambia in its fight against colonial domination leading to the attainment of independence of his country.

He also expressed appreciation to the government of Ghana for its support in sending teachers to Zambia to help develop the educational sector of that country.

Joint commission

President Akufo-Addo said since 1964 when Ghana established a diplomatic mission in Zambia at the ambassadorial level, not much was done until he paid a state visit to that country in 2017, where a permanent joint commission for cooperation was established.

He said that had led to the enhancement of cooperation in the areas of agriculture, education, science and technology; infrastructure and health, among others, including coordination in the exploitation of natural resources.

President Akufo-Addo said one of the essential pillars of the Ghana-Zambia relations they needed to prioritise was nurturing of the youth who would inherit the legacy they had built together to improve on the fortunes of the two countries.

He also said that there was the need for them to continue to work closely to deal with terrorism and the violent extremism happening on the continent and around the globe.
Big Issue: Monetisation of politics

Compiled by Albert K. Salia Politics Jul - 10 - 2023 , 10:37

The monetisation of the country's politics has, for some time, become a worry to many citizens. Recently, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, also bemoaned the high level the practice has assumed, saying our "elections have been reduced to a farce, open auction, where the highest bidder wins".

What concrete measures must be adopted to nip this canker in the bud, as many experts believe the practice presents a serious threat to our fledgling democracy?

Prof. Kobby Mensah, Lecturer, University of Ghana Business School



The increasing rate of competition in our elections has resulted in an unholy welcome of monetisation in Ghana. Monetisation in its barest form is when politicians dole out cash of any amount to prospective voters. Its highest form is during political party primaries to select presidential and parliamentary candidates.

At this level, the country has witnessed the supply of vehicles, huge sums of money, etc. to delegates.



Politicians use divide and share (DAS), where the delegate population is divided, for example, 60/40, with the higher percentage offered payment by a candidate to secure their vote. This issue has become one of the nations most pressing problems. How do we solve monetisation in elections?

Many have proposed state funding as a solution. They argue it will mean a cap on how much politicians spend. Whereas this could be a solution, I believe the politician will still go around the spending cap by getting cronies to spend, besides the amount they receive from the State.

I also believe the political class hasnt shown exemplary leadership to warrant the tax sacrifices of the people. In my view, we must define the source of monetisation so we can target solutions. Is it voters demanding or the politicians giving unsolicited? We must also institute a regulatory framework that penalises any politician or voter that gives or takes, directly or indirectly, beyond a certain amount. I also advocate for making the political party primaries a universal one, amongst party members and sympathisers, in addition to the penalty framework. This means the number will be too large for any possible doling out of money.



Afua Kumi-Takyiwaa, Social Development Practitioner

The monetisation of politics in Ghana undermines the integrity of elections and poses a threat to the country's fledgling democracy.

There is a need to educate the public on the negative impacts of money in politics and the importance of fair and transparent elections. Civic education programmes can help citizens understand their rights and responsibilities as voters, and how their choices can influence the democratic process. This can empower citizens to make informed decisions and resist the influence of money before, during and even after elections.

To enhance political transparency, political parties should be compelled to disclose their sources of funding, and expenses incurred during campaigns.

An independent body or agency can be established to enforce compliance with these regulations. This information should be easily accessible to the public to foster accountability and public scrutiny.

Another measure can be to strengthen the anti-corruption processes by investigating and prosecuting cases of political corruption, without bias or favouritism. Strict penalties for corruption-related offences must be enforced to deter potential wrongdoers.

Overall, addressing the monetisation of politics in Ghana requires a multi-faceted approach. Thus, it is crucial to engage all relevant political stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, media and the general public, in discussions and collaborations to address the issue of monetisation in politics.



Enoch Randy Aikins, Researcher

As a start, Parliament should enact laws that place reasonable limits on campaign spending and contributions of parties and candidates.

This will ensure transparent, responsible and accountable campaign financing. Also, there is the need to limit the campaign season to stop the unending campaigns by the parties.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has also demonstrated over the years that it is unable to regulate the parties and enforce existing laws. As such, an independent constitutional body should be created to supervise and regulate the parties. This will enable the EC to focus on its election management duties.

Beyond the regulations, political parties can amend their constitution and expand their electoral college to allow all card-bearing party members to vote. This will help to minimise the extensive vote buying and selling. Meanwhile, the police and the special prosecutor's office can start by enforcing the existing legislation on general bribing and treating in elections. Specifically, sections 33 and 34 of the Representation of the People Law, 1992, PNDC L284, and 23 and 24 of the Political Party Act 574 (2000) should be rigorously enforced.

The enforcement can be coupled with incentives for compliance and sanctions for non-compliance with the law. These proposals can go a long way in addressing this canker.

Dr Richard Fiadomor, Local Governance Expert

The monetisation of our elections is a very serious canker which must be uprooted with the fiercest force at our command as a people. Elections all over the world are about development and not commercial ventures, where necessarily you need to invest and get a return on your investments with a profit mentality.

This monetisation culture is extremely dangerous for our fledgling democracy because it has the high potential of completely throwing out competence through the window and replacing it with incompetent and half-fit people winning elections and governing the country. What I need the citizenry to know and understand is that if we allow people who have very deep pockets to buy our votes and subsequently win elections, they will consider themselves as investors and the elections as a business, and once they have invested in us (business) to get what they want, common sense just dictates that they equally get a return on their investments.

Once this becomes the norm, citizens would have just succeeded in mortgaging their developmental future to people I call election entrepreneurs, and for the period that they shall remain in office, undertaking developmental projects will now be at their discretion and convenience. This is because their focus will now be fixated on projects and programmes that will benefit them financially to recoup their investments at the expense of projects that will be of collateral benefit to the generality of the citizens but not financially rewarding to them.
Parliament this week: House to extend sitting

Daniel Kenu Politics Jul - 10 - 2023 , 07:14

With barley six weeks left for Parliament to rise, the Business Committee of the House has recommended extended sitting periods to ensure that bills programmed are considered and passed expeditiously.

The recommendation, if adopted, would also facilitate the consideration of other parliamentary business that would require the attention of the House.

The Deputy Majority Leader and Vice-Chairman of the Business Committee of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, made the suggestion to the House last Friday at the presentation of the Business Statement for this week.

This second meeting is expected to be the shortest in a season and would end before August 9.

It is as a result of a number of assignments involving the Speaker and leadership.

Chief among the assignments is the nationwide tour which started last month to mark Ghana's 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

Mr Afenyo-Markin, said in the face of the challenge, Members of Parliament (MPs) would have to sacrifice by reporting on time and be prepared to sit for longer hours.

Ministers

This week, nine ministers are billed to appear before the House to answer 45 questions.

They are the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, and Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong.

The rest are Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah; Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond; Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, and the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah.

Committees are also expected to expedite action on Bills for the consideration of the House.

The bills include the Rent Bill, 2023 and the Budget Bill, 2023.
MAN Energy Solutions has signed a Conversion Commitment Agreement with Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), a global leader in containership ownership and management in collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd, one of the leading global liner shipping companies.

Under the terms of the agreement, MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions after-sales division, will deliver 15 engine retrofit solutions for conversion of vessels powered by individual MAN B&W S90-type fuel-oil-powered engines from the Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd fleets to dual-fuel ME-LGIM engines capable of running on green methanol.

This agreement includes 45 optional engine retrofit solutions. Each conversion can provide a CO 2 reduction of 50.00070.000 Tonnes each year, when operating on green methanol.

Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term time charters with the worlds leading container shipping lines. With an industry-leading newbuild program of 70 vessels, Seaspan will bring its owned fleet to a total of 200 vessels and 1.9 million TEU capacity.

With a fleet of 250 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 1.8 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the worlds leading liner shipping companies. Hapag-Lloyd aims at operating its vessels in a climate-neutral manner to become net-zero carbon by 2045.

MAN Energy Solutions developed the ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol, as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on the companys proven ME-series, with its approximately 8,500 engines in service, and works according to the Diesel principle.





When operating on green methanol, the engine offers carbon-neutral propulsion for large merchant-marine vessels. Currently more than 100 ME-LGIM engines are on order or in service, more than 50 of which are G95ME-C10.5-LGIM variants. (Earlier post.)

Methanol carriers have already operated at sea for many years using the engine, and, as such, the ME-LGIM has a proven track record offering great reliability and high fuel-efficiency.
The first week of July brought plenty of interesting stories and it's not time to recap and make sure you haven't missed any of them.

A Google Pixel 8 Pro prototype appeared in a set of hands-on images way ahead of its announcement. The device appears to have a flat screen with a centered punch hole cutout and three cameras on the back  an updated 50 MP main unit with a Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor, a 64 MP Sony IMX787 ultrawide module, and the 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The device also has the rumored infrared thermometer on the side of the visor next to the LED flash.

The other big news of the week concerns the rumored battery capacities for the upcoming iPhone 15 series. The regular iPhone 15 is expected to get a bump up to a 3,877 mAh cell, the 15 Plus is expected to carry a 4,912 mAh capacity which would be the largest battery cell on an iPhone to date. The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to go with a 3,650 mAh capacity cell while the 15 Pro Max should come in with a 4,852 mAh battery.

Red Magic 8s Pro and Pro+ are now official with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipsets featuring an overclocked prime core (3.36GHz) and faster GPU clock speeds (719MHz) which is in line with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. The Pro+ variant now comes with up to 24GB RAM and 1TB of storage for CNY 7,499 ($1,035/950/85,000). Red Magic 8s Pro starts at CNY 4,000 ($550/510/45,500) for the 8/128GB trim.

We also saw the debut of the Red Magic tablet with a 12.1-inch IPS LCD (144Hz), Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and a 10,000 mAh battery with 80W charging. Red Magic tablet starts at CNY 3,899 ($538) for the 12/256GB trim and goes up to CNY 4,599 ($635) for the 16/512GB version.

OnePlus Nord 3 is now official with Dimensity 9000 SoC, a better screen and bigger battery starting at 499. We also got the India-exclusive Nord CE3 which starts at INR 26,999 and the Nord Buds 2r which are priced at INR 2,199.

The Nothing Phone (2) design was officially confirmed and we got a video walkthrough from MKBHD detailing the updated Glyph Interface. Xiaomi 14 early specs emerged suggesting the devices will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset 4,680 mAh battery cell on the Xiaomi 14 (90W wired charging) and a 5,000 mAh cell on the 14 Pro (120W wired charging). Xiaomi also confirmed its Mix Fold 3 is launching in August.

Samsung pfficially confirmed it will hold its Unpacked event on July 26 in Seoul, South Korea where well see the debuts of the Galaxy Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and the Galaxy Watch6 series. The Galaxy S21 FE is also confirmed to re-launch in India with a Snapdragon 888 chipset.

Weve compiled the full list of the biggest stories from the past week below:



Google Pixel 8 Pro hands-on images leak Since the source has taken them down, they're probably the real deal.





All iPhone 15 models rumored to get larger batteries Apple is set to dominate when it comes to battery life.





Xiaomi 14 series specs tipped Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 alongside larger batteries and faster wired charging on the Xiaomi 14.





Nothing Phone (2) design confirmed, Glyph Interface showcased The Glyph Interface on Phone (2) features 11 segmented LED strips with 33 lighting zones.





Red Magic 8S Pro debuts Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset, 8S Pro+ offers up to 24GB RAM The new chip boosts the CPU and GPU clock speeds while improvements to the cooling fan help it keep temps in check.





Nothing Phone (2) emerges in more press images Take a look at the upcoming Nothing Phone (2) in these detailed renders.





The Realme Narzo 60 Pro will have up to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB storage Also, up to 12GB fo virtual RAM for a total of 24GB. The Pro will have a curved display, the vanilla model will go for a flat one instead.





iQOO 11S and TWS 1 announced The new phone brings 200W charging and a up to 1TB of storage.





The Samsung Galaxy M34 to cost the same as its predecessor This hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but the M34 is light on upgrades compared to its predecessor from 2022, so it's not unexpected.





Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max will come with exclusive features, higher price Analyst claims the starting price will be more than the $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max cost.





nubia Red Magic Gaming Tablet's battery size and charging speed confirmed It will be unveiled on July 5 in China alongside the Red Magic 8S Pro.


The disaster recovery center located at C.L. Taitano Elementary School will close permanently.

The center will still remain open throughout the week with Friday being the last day of operation.

However, the centers located at the Guam Community College and the Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School will remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

At a disaster recovery center, residents can learn more about FEMA and other federal disaster assistance programs, understand any letters you get from FEMA, get answers to your questions about application, or get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistances.

Other options

Visiting a center is not the only option to apply for FEMA assistance. Guam residents whose homes were damaged by the Typhoon Mawar can apply for FEMA assistance, get updates about applications, learn about the appeals process by going online to disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA Mobile App or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. (The helpline is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents). Help is available in many languages.

Disaster recovery centers are barrier-free and provide equal access to all visitors. If you use American Sign Language or assistive technology, and if you need accommodations to communicate, please notify FEMA staff at the center immediately.

Industry Day

Additionally, FEMA is actively seeking property management companies and property owners in Guam who have furnished properties available for immediate lease.

In an effort to provide temporary housing solutions for disaster affected individuals and families, FEMA is interested in various types of properties, including vacation rentals, cooperate apartments, second homes, single family homes, cooperatives, condominiums, townhouses, and other readily fabricated dwellings.

To facilitate the process, FEMA will be hosting an Industry Day event from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday July 11 at the Guam Museum in Hagatna.

Pre-registration online is required for the in-person event. All registration requests must be completed by July 10. Due to limited capacity for in-person participation or webinar attendance, each company is allowed a maximum of two participants.

Interested parties are required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier number from the System for Award Management. It may take up to 10-15 business days before the registration becomes active in the system.

Follow-up questions must be submitted no later than 2 p.m. Thursday.

Send questions to FEMA-DR-4715GU-DL@fema.dhs.gov or FEMA-DR-4715GU MLR@fema.dhs.gov. Questions and answers from the webinar may be posted to SAM at a later date. For SAM registration, interested parties should have the following information: banking information, tax identification number, full company name and ownership details.

FEMA may enter into a lease agreement with the property owner and pay rent based on the Fair Market Rent rates identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Guam. Property management companies are responsible for:

Establishing a lease agreement with the property owner or apartment manager on behalf of FEMA in accordance with FEMA terms and conditions.

Handling all evictions proceedings.

Ensuring regular documented maintenance and oversight of leased units.

Covering all utilities and providing furnishings for the apartments or single-family houses that they provide.

Providing monthly statues reports of all properties leased on behalf of FEMA (Informing FEMA of damage, move-outs, vacant unties and evictions within 72 hours).

For multifamily lease and repair properties, the following requirements must be met:

The property must be previously used as a multifamily housing complex and contain two or more rental units.

The property should be repairable within four months.

Other criteria and more detailed information can be found in the Requests For Information, which have been posted in SAM: Direct Lease RFI, Multifamily Lease and Repair RFI. Responses and comments to the RFIs are due 5 p.m., July 23.

Interested parties should monitor the site for additional information or future solicitations. The Federal Service Desk can provide more support via live chat or by phone at 1-866-606-8220.
Thomas Benavente comes from Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He enjoys talking to the public to share the island spirit. He can be reached through (671) 483-1440 or tbenavente@guampdn.com.
The Guam Police Department is continuing the investigation of the death of Jason Quintanilla Susuico, whose body was found decomposing in the jungles by the Guam Raceway Park in Yigo.

Susuicos death was ultimately ruled a homicide during the initial investigations in January 2023.

Another defendant in the case is now facing two felony charges, according to documents filed with the Superior Court of Guam.

The first defendant is Cynthia Rose Quinata, who was apprehended last week and charged on July 5, 2023 with aggravated murder and guilt by complicity. She is now being held on a $1 million cash bail.

More information about Cynthias involvement in the case can be found here.

The investigation into Susuicos death received another source of information who alerted police about conversation between Jordan Michael Babauta, now the second defendant in the case, with another undisclosed suspect.

Babauta was overheard talking about how he and two other accomplices had beaten Susuico to death and then used his vehicle to transport his body to a location adjacent to Route 15 in Yigo.

The report also stated that during the course of their investigation, officers found Susuicos checkbook in Babautas possession.

The report further stated they have identified the two other suspects in the homicide and are actively looking for them.

Babauta has been charged with aggravated murder as a first degree felony and guilt by complicity as a felony.
Thomas Benavente comes from Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He enjoys talking to the public to share the island spirit. He can be reached through (671) 483-1440 or

tbenavente@guampdn.com.
by Steven Gimbel and Gwydion Suilebhan

From the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, America was beset by a haunting array of serial killers: the Zodiac Killer, the Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, who just recently died in prison. For two dark decades, serial killers stalked the country, eroding our collective sense of safety and casting disturbed shadows over a world that made less and less sense every day.

In the 1990s, serial killers started to give way to mass shooters, who have terrorized Americans with increasing frequency for the past 30 years. Today, instead of protracted investigations that take years to find their targets (and in some cases never do), we have rotating 24-hour news cycles full of AR 15-wielding villains. Killers who used to operate for years, murdering victims in methodical patterns, have been replaced by death-cultists who kill the same number of people (or more) in one bloody event.

Serial killers defy easy understanding. In their horrific acts, they embody human immorality and insanity, but by eluding the authorities for months or even years, they demonstrate patience and discipline. They seem to be both malevolent and (in some ways) civilized.

Somewhere deep inside, we all want to believe that serial killers are impossible. Anyone smart enough to evade capture, write a manifesto, or plan elaborate rituals shouldnt also be able to commit gruesome, inhuman acts. They remind us that our understanding of humanity is incomplete (at best) and perhaps quite flawed.

In the 21st century, we almost have a nostalgia for serial killers. Netflix and other media companies have capitalized on it many times over. In 2018, the release of Unabomber: In His Own Words followed the 2017 television miniseries Manhunt: Unabomber, and countless others have focused on several of the names we listed above. The portrayal of serial killers, compared to the behavior of more recent mass shooters who threaten our schools, theaters, businesses, nightclubs, and houses of worship, makes them seem almost admirable for their meticulously-indulged obsessions and their over-wrought brilliance.

Immanuel Kant believed that being virtuous could, in some ways, make an evil person even more evil, and serial killers prove his point. A brilliant, brave, and patient murderer is more of a threat, in theory, than a killer full of temporary, unfocused rage unless that killer has an automatic weapon.

The automatic rifle has had the effect of democratizing mass murder. George Santos, Ana Paulina Luna, and Andrew Clyde have proudly worn lapel pins celebrating the AR-15, and Lauren Boebert and Barry Moore, among others, sponsored H.R. 1095, a resolution To declare an AR-15 style rifle chambered in a .223 Remington round or a 5.56x45mm NATO round to be the National Gun of the United States. Its almost as if their goal is to make sure that anyone with a half-baked cause can become Ted Kaczynski without having to hide out in a remote cabin for decades.

Our present-day mass murderers have a very different profile than yesterdays serial killers. Instead of a secretive, seething antipathy, they seem to be possessed by loud, public depravity. School shootings in schools like Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde speak volumes, as do workplace rampages like those at the Santa Clara rail yard, the Federal Express facility in Indiana, and the Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. Loudest of all, perhaps, are the shootings born of bigotry, like the massacres at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo. These are killings that require no brains, just bullets. The killers never escape. They dont outsmart anyone.

Serial killers may have undermined our shared sanity and sense of safety, but mass shootings shake our confidence in Americas underlying social structure to its core. Unrelenting violence at a scale once unthinkable outside of war feels like an effort to renegotiate the social contract and destroy the democratic institutions that guarantee fairness and inclusion. Many mass shooters, after all, have been influenced by one or more on-air or online talking heads pushing updated versions of Nazi Great Replacement Theory and a range of conspiracies dehumanizing anyone seeking fair treatment under the law.

Those talking heads may be the major social change most responsible for taking America from the Unabomber to Uvalde. Where Ted Kaczynski had both the brain and the hands of a killer, as both the author of the manifesto and the builder of the bombs, 21st century technology, from cable news to the internet, has allowed for the separation of mind and body. Hateful pundits transmit bigotry into the ether, then claim innocence on the grounds that they havent actually hurt anyone themselves.

Meanwhile, an unpredictable few of their audience members, emotionally charged by their rancorous speech, await targeting orders, filled with a manufactured need to defend Western values, make America great again, and restore the culture to its rightful owners.

This dangerous phenomenon is called stochastic terrorism. It works just like the candy racks in grocery checkout lines. Stores know that a certain percentage of people will always make an impulse purchase, even if they dont know precisely who will succumb to temptation.

In the same way, purveyors of hate on the web and on television do not know which viewers will snap, but they do know that a small percentage will. Like Kaczynski, they plot the undermining of the social order through violence, but unlike the Unabomber, they dont do the deed themselves. They write the manifesto, but rely on their audience members to serve as weapon masters. They trigger their viewers, but keep their hands off of any actual triggers.

Ted Kaczinskys infamous manifesto railed against modern technology. His extensive mail bombing campaign targeted people who (in his mind) advanced industrialization, threatening the environment and degrading humanity. He was arrested in April 1996, just as the internet was dawning over America, half a generation or so before social media started to infiltrate our lives. Would he have railed against those technologies, too?

The irony is that those technologies have been used to help create Ted Kaczynski 2.0, the next generation of mass murderers. Our phones have become smart phones, and our televisions have become smart televisions, but our mass murderers no longer have to be smart at all. The death of the Unabomber offers us a moment to consider that in the decades since he was put behind bars, weve done nothing to stop mass killings. Indeed, if anything, we allowed them to morph into a new form.




Haiti - FLASH : 1,000 scholarships in Digital Technologies





The "1,000 talents for the digital development of Latin America and the Caribbean" project is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and Huawei to contribute to the digital transformation of Latin America and the Caribbean and encourage the development talented women in the region in this new digital age.



Through this initiative, Huawei will award 1,000 scholarships for the entire region in its online program for certifications in the most advanced digital technologies, which are the engines of productivity and economic growth in the new digital age.



Huawei's Digital Technologies Online Certification Program, is designed for students, professionals and scholars with basic knowledge of digital technologies who want to strengthen their skills in data communication, artificial intelligence, storage, Internet of Things, cloud services and Big Data.



In line with Mexico's foreign policy, the 1000 Talents Program will contribute to the empowerment of girls and women in the Latin America and Caribbean region. This will reduce the digital divide and promote gender equality, which remains a serious problem and which the pandemic has made more evident.



Important dates:

Deadline to apply: August 19, 2023 11:50 p.m. Mexico City time

Review of applications: August 19 to September 1, 2023

Publication of grants awarded: between 2 and 9 September 2023

Start of online courses: September 14, 2023



Note: Classes are given in English and Spanish.



Useful links (Download documents in PDF):



Call for applications in Spanish:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-talentos-3E-AMEXCID-Huawei-Convocatoria%20_SPA-



Call for applications in English:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-talents-AMEXCID-Huawei-third-edition-CONVOCATORIA-ENG-2



Questionnaire in Spanish:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-Talentos-3E-Cuestionario-SPA-



Questionnaire in English:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-Talentos-3E-Cuestionario-ENG-



Application manual for foreign applicants in Spanish:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-Talentos-3E-Manual-SIGCA-Extranjeras-SPA-



Latin America and Caribbean Applicant Application Manual in Spanish:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-Talentos-3E-Manual-SIGCA-Mexicanas-



Latin America and Caribbean Applicant Application Manual in English:

https://www-file.huawei.com/-/media/CORPORATE/Local-site/mx/pdf/1000-Talentos-3E%20Manual-SIGCA-Extranjeras-ENG-



Once the documents have been uploaded, start your registration at: https://sigca.sre.gob.mx/



Find out more visit :

https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/documentos/huawei-sre-1-000-talents-for-the-digital-development-of-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-second-edition



https://www.huawei.com/mx/events/mx/1000-talentos-para-el-desarrollo-digital



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security Council : Russia and China skeptical about a military intervention in Haiti





At the last session of the UN Security Council Jean Victor Geneus, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs, renewed the request for the intervention of a "robust international force" which was supported by almost all the members of the Council and by guests from Caribbean countries during the session.



Russia and China have been skeptical about sending a multinational military force to Haiti.



Speaking, the Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polianski stressed that "although some consider a multinational force a panacea, history shows that these foreign interventions have done more harm than good in Haiti."



He also asked that Council members listen to other Haitian voices who are completely against foreign intervention in Haiti.



Given Russia's right of veto, it is unlikely that the Council will be able to approve the sending of a military force to Haiti...



The Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun was also very skeptical about the advisability of sending a military force to Haiti "We have heard many speeches in support of this force, but no country announcing concrete actions. For this reason, it seems that more in-depth studies are going to be necessary before arriving at a viable proposal," he said, stressing that Haitians must decide their own destiny.



Let's recall that after his return from a short trip to Haiti, Antonio Guterres the Secretary General of the United Nations was shocked by the level of insecurity in Haiti and asked the international community to act "immediately" to form a multinational force https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39913-haiti-flash-visiting-haiti-antonio-guterres-calls-for-the-immediate-deployment-of-an-international-force.html . Stating that this force would not have a political or military mission like the Blue Helmets, but would be at the service of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in order to restore order.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39953-haiti-un-security-council-on-the-file.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39927-haiti-flash-antonio-guterres-asks-for-volunteers-to-intervene-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39913-haiti-flash-visiting-haiti-antonio-guterres-calls-for-the-immediate-deployment-of-an-international-force.html



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Haitian crisis: Joint declaration of CARICOM Heads of Government





At the 45th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Heads of Government discussed the crisis in Haiti and issued a statement :



Joint Statement on Haiti :



"Heads of Government deliberated over the complex crisis enveloping Haiti, and expressed their grave concern over the deep humanitarian, security and governance crises.



In that regard, they noted the need for the immediate creation of a Humanitarian and Security Stabilization Corridor under the mandate of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution, and agreed to seek support from international partners to help finance its establishment and the strengthening of security in Haiti.



Heads of Government are of the view that approaches should be made to Rwanda, Kenya and other willing international partners to support the strengthening of the Haitian National Police (HNP) and the establishment of the corridor.



They welcomed the statement by the Prime Minister of Haiti that he will not seek election but will head a Transition Government to secure the arrangements to transition the country from the security and humanitarian crises until the holding of credible, free, and fair elections.



Heads of Government acknowledged that the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG) will continue to work with the Haitian Government and stakeholders in their efforts to find a Haitian led solution to the crisis."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Haitians take the streets peacefully

On Sunday July 9, 2023, thousands of Haitians took to the streets of Port-au-Prince to call for an end to the violence of criminal gangs and a resolution of the humanitarian crisis. According to UN estimates, heavily armed gangs control nearly two million people in Haiti.



TNH Digital

Eng. Joses Jean Baptiste, Director General of the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL), met with Gamal Augustin, Director General of the National Television of Haiti (TNH) on the launch of phase 2 of the Digital project of the National Television of Haiti (TNH #10). In particular, the implementation of different platforms for the final migration was discussed. This is one more step towards the transition from analog to digital television launched by CONATEL in July 2012 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6110-haiti-telecommunication-migration-from-analogue-to-digital-tv.html



68 people released in 1 month

68 people have been released, including 42 in criminal hearings, while 9 have been sentenced since Me Jean Elder Guillaume took office as head of the Port-au-Prince prosecution a month ago.



Economic empowerment of Haitian women

A Memorandum of Understanding on the economic empowerment of Haitian women was signed between the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and the International Fund for Cooperation and Development of Taiwan (Republic of China).



UN condemns attacks on medical facilities

Ulrika Richardson the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti strongly condemns the violence against medical personnel and facilities in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and in the rest of the country. The incursion of armed men into the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in Tabarre on the night of July 6 to 7 is one of the most recent examples of these attacks https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39962-haiti-insecurity-the-msf-hospital-in-tabarre-attacked-suspend-its-activities.html



Pierre Esperance heard by the jutice

As part of the investigation of the assassination case of President Jovenel Moise judge Walter Wesser Voltaire heard, Pierre Esperance, the Executive Director of the Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH). At the end of the hearing, Esperance indicated that he had been heard as a witness and said that he hoped that all light would be shed on the assassination of former President Moise.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2023/07/10 | Source

New Jung Woo-sung stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "A Man of Reason" (2020)

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Directed by Jung Woo-sung

With Jung Woo-sung, Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-woong, Kim Jun-han, Lee Elijah, Park Yoo-na,...

Formerly known as "The Protector" on HanCinema

Synopsis

After 10 years in the prison on behalf of his boss, Soo-hyeok is released, but the boss doubts his loyalty. When Soo-hyeok visits his long-abandoned girlfriend, he finds out that he, now, is a father of young girl. He wants to cut ties with the gang, but the boss is not ready to release him, and hires a notorious killer. The killer takes the daughter as hostage, and Soo-hyeok decides to take revenge in a way that he`s best at; a violence.

Release date in Korea : 2023/08/15
by Ethan Seavey

Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (some guy who wound up as the father of French philosophy)

How much you can divide this sentence into similarly incorrect phrases?

[Man is born free and everywhere he is.] Everywhere is incorrect because the idea of a man is extremely limited to the societal sphere in which he lives. The American white man is gendered so differently from the French white man. The American white man is also different from his neighbor who is Black, his neighbor who is gay, and his neighbor who is white but born into poverty. They are all Men and they experience that differently. Any attempt to define what a man is by social attributes alone is futile because it will always exclude people who identify as men.

[Man is born free] is incorrect because they are subjected to forces more powerful than them which force them into labor and strip freedoms.

[Man is born] is incorrect because Man is made. Consider: a baby is born into a world. A doctor inspects the babys genitalia. The doctor decides which sex the baby will be labeled. In some cases, the doctor will modify the babys body to ensure that they will fit into one of two options. Then the baby is not a baby. He is a baby boy; she is a baby girl. In that order. He is a To-Be-Man; she is a To-Be-Woman. The troubling part is that every person is labeled a To-Be-Something before they have the opportunity to decide what they are, or what that even means for them.

The position of being a Young Man or a Young Woman may be the first time that the person has the opportunity for choice. With the independence to explore their connection to their gender for the first time, it can be exciting. For cisgender, heterosexual people, its a euphoric moment of being recognized as you truly want to be.

For queer people, this euphoria does not come with being recognized as a Man or Woman. The very opposite is true, leading to what Id call Gender Insecurity. In my own experience, I found that Gender Insecurity transformed into two different manifestations, fighting within myself.

The first evolution is Gender Extremism, a process of defiantly solidifying the gender which one was assigned at birth. It is a defensive way of facing Gender Insecurity. Consider a young boy who realizes that he are attracted to other men (as well as women) and, knowing that personal and social recognition of his same-sex attraction could lessen the conception of his Manhood, he defensively clings to queerphobia and hyper- masculine presentations in order to anneal his gender. I wasnt happy to be wearing everything that people wanted me to wear, and I wasnt happy acting like a man, but I did it to prove my manliness, even as I knew it was an unwinnable fight. I would never be accepted as a real Man for the sole reason that I am homosexual; I would always be denied that by some people. So why hurt myself trying to hold it up, over my head?

I clung to catholicism and other systems that affirmed my rigid gender beliefs and which helped me to repress my atypical gender expressions. I do believe that a form of Gender Extremism is weaponized by some organized religions.

The second evolution Ive experience is Gender Existentialism.

For me, it began with the recognition that I did not identify with the gender that I was assigned to at birth. It didnt make sense, though, because I certainly did not feel like a Woman.

While many genderqueer people are satisfied by a binary transition, others are uncomfortable with either option. Who can blame them? But I say that as someone who considers themself to be critical of both masculinity and femininity and who feels dissonance with both. Some people build a gender that they are comfortable in. Thats an existentialist idea, to build something meaningful out of nothing. They may use the term non-binary to express that their transition from the binary gender which they were assigned doesnt match them anymore. It just didnt take. They may have a definition for you if you ask, a term they prefer. Like me, they might prefer person to man or woman, and use pronouns to designate that difference.

The world projects masculinity and femininity onto their bodies and their actions, which impact their gender expression, but does not change their gender identification. They should have the capacity to explore qualities associated with different genders without fear of invalidating their identity.

Gender Existentialism, then, is not a single choice. It is not a choice because there is not that much freedom, really. Camus writes that The absurd does not liberate; it binds, (The Myth of Sisyphus) and in this case, gender is the absurd. Gender is a series of choices, to do what feels right. To ask why someone feels comfortable in their gender is as absurd of asking someone to explain why they like the food they like, why they like the genres they like. There are reasons, sure, but those reasons are only validated by an arbitrary force inside our bodies which are our minds.

Gender is also absurd because it is an attempt to prescribe meaning to something as meaningless as a human body. Our knowledge of the 300,000 years of human history is very patchy, but it clearly demonstrates that humans have been humans for much longer than they have lived in organized, sedentary societies. They had homosexual relationships like hundreds of other animals in the world, from mallards to giraffes to dolphins. They had bodies that looked like ours, where there is one fetal genital, which changes into something which would later be labeled penis and vagina, or something else entirely.

The binary system of sex is one of the fundamental enemies of queer theory. The WHO reported in 2019 that genital diversity is part of the normal spectrum of human biology, and called for an end for unnecessary surgeries on intersex children. Other critics will point to sex chromosomes, XY and XX, but those theories have been challenged as scientists have come to understand the chromosomes which determine what goes into ones sex, meaning the totality of all of their sexual characteristics, are not as simple as explained in a standard American education. Sexual characteristics can be corollated to people having chromosomes we call XX and XY, but it is certainly not a direct ratio or a binary system (Ainsworth, 2018).

The other enemy is a depiction of gender as binary, or even as a spectrum. It is not really; it is like a game of bocce ball where everyone in the audience is their own referee and decides where the goal ball is, awarding winners and shaming losers for what is really not a fair game at all.

Or does it turn out that the I who ought to be bearing its gender is undone by being a gender, that gender is always coming from a source that is elsewhere and directed towards something that is beyond me, constituted in a sociality I do not fully author?

(Gender Trouble, p. 16)

In their application of Plato in their theory of how the system controls our bodies: [] the terms by which it [the body] is named must be consistently applied, not in order to make the name fit the thing named but precisely because that which is to be named can have no proper name, bounds and threatens the sphere of linguistic propriety, and, therefore, must be controlled by a forcibly imposed set of nominative rules.

(Bodies that Matter, p. 44)

Butler led me to the conclusion that the body is infinitely more excessive and expansive than any language or system can understand, because it is intrinsically connected to a system of gender that implies a binary. My body is unnameable; my body is undefinable. And that was soothing to my immediate angst, to want to destroy the monster that had held me back for so long. Of course, later I would reassemble my thoughts and realize that Butlers approach is about the freedom in gender as much as it is about the necessity to conform to the gender that the body enjoys. We need freedom to be comfortable in gender because it is essential to mental health, the mental which is the body which is the soul.

Existentialism entails that people are born totally free, but I think Gender Existentialism takes a different approach. People are born into systems which bind them and shape them. Some feel that dissonance and insecurity, and it is then that they come to find Gender Existentialism waiting for them. It is the moment that you realize that you have control over your life and the freedom to express yourself. To enjoy what you enjoy openly. To cast aside the limitations which your gender gives you. To accept a new gender altogether or to expand your definition of your gender assigned at birth.

Camus wanted us to believe that he truly believed in his philosophy. And at the same time, he couldnt see beyond gender. He was a man who knew men and wrote about manhood. He wrote for men. He rarely wrote about women and when he did, he did not write full characters, but projections of masculine perceptions of women. Camus was unafraid to say that the absurd is in all of our definitions of ourselves, but was unable to look at masculinity the same way.

There have been many well-organized critiques of Camus novel. Some of those critiques are best accessed through more fiction: The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud explores the heavy-handed colonialism and racism of the original text. This story is told as a one-sided dialogue between a silent, curious journalist and Harun, the newly- invented brother of the character Camus referred to as the Arab. Using Haruns voice, Daoud creates a new story for the Arab, giving him the right to a name (Musa) and to thorough characterization. Harun speaks to the journalist with a vengeful tone. He is sickened by the fame of Meursaults narrative. Daouds frustration leaks through the text. His thick disgust comes from being an Arabic man and reading a text about a white Frenchman who kills a nameless man, for seemingly no reason. It is exacerbated by the original novels fame in the white European literary canon.

And yet, Daoud still seems to be entranced by the novel, much in the same way that many other people are. Its prose is simple and beautiful, and its story beats are epic and iconic. In an act of defiance, he rewrites those story beats in his own masterful prose. He gives Harun his own scene of senseless murder. He even rewrites the original tale, by casting doubt on whether or not Meursaults mother even died, and changing the story so that Musas body had disappeared. Lastly, he writes that the reason Meursault kills Musa is because Musa is seen reposing, relaxing, and in the French existentialist framework, wasting time could be seen as a sin. He takes the chance to rework the philosophy, into one which embraces his Algerian culture, which puts emphasis on the importance of rest and spending time doing nothing. In doing so, he decolonizes the philosophical message of Camus text.

Daoud opened up many doors to me, giving me permission to focus on another glaring fault of Camus text: excessively gendered violence, and blatant sexism. As The Meursault Investigation briefly acknowledges, there are only three female characters in Camus work: the mother (who is dead at the beginning of the text), the blissfully unaware lover, Marie, and the (alleged) sex worker with no name.

I was always uncomfortable with the idea of limits within Camus existentialism in two ways. The first is in his rigid understandings of sex and gender. To be clear, Camus was no feminist, even as he had a demonstrated connection to the first feminist, Simone de Beauvoir. His stories fail to feature women who are outside of the virgin-whore dynamic (or static, caring mothers). It was a glaring fault of Camus to say that man is born with infinite freedom to do anything, but that women seemingly can be identified by these three identities which reduce a person down to their relationship to sex and reproduction. Camus offered the ultimate freedom to men alone. He was ignorant to the arbitrary systems of sex and gender, both of whose binary systems were invented and imposed across the world through colonization in a massive attempt to homogenize people, and to eliminate queerness. This is the liberation that Camus feared.

Its strange, considering his contemporary Simone de Beauvoir was so radical in her creation of The Second Sex. She was the first to link gender and existentialism. Beauvoir writes that the definition or model of a woman she is supposed to fit was created by men in order to make women less; and this is true; but her conclusion ends with the fact that she, born female and raised a woman, must go about the confusing process of redefining womanhood for herself. I dont mean to do her any injusticeher path to understanding her gender is famously brilliant for her timebut the existentialist can take it much further than that. You have even more free will than the few choices you are given at birth. The contemporary (and potentially nonbinary) existentialist looks at the two options of man and woman and sees fault in the way both are constructed. Liberation from a constructed binary is necessary for the existentialist to construct a new system in its place.

My second critique came from his insistence that meaning can be created, but that Gods are impossible. If humans have the ability to create meaning, what is stopping them from creating more than that? I approach Camus with the influence first of Rene Descartes and Jean Beaudrillard, both of whom left me with the impression that a persons lived experience exists entirely separately from whatever objective viewpoint might (or might not) exist. To a believer in Christianity, the world is ruled by one God, made up in three parts. To a believer in Hinduism, the world is governed by many, many more. That is their truth, proven by their lived perspective.

If everything is meaningless, why waste energy giving limits meaning? Why limit your mind when it comes to spirituality? Why restrict your body when it comes to gender? These restrictions only make it more difficult to live happily, when it is already so difficult to find joy.

Sartre wrote that Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world  and defines himself afterward (Existentialism is a Humanism).

Ill take a glittery red pen to that line: A person first of all exists, encounters their gender, surges up in the worldand defines themself afterward.

It is the experience of a genderqueer person, or any person who has taken the time to liberate their gender expression. It is confidence and self-unity. It is finding a way to be comfortable with your one and only body. It can only be done through exploration and taking joy where it can be found.

Gender Existentialism is acknowledging that binary gender is the last absurd, the one that goes hidden. That ensnares the human. That makes the human afraid to identify themself, because it will result in being othered. It is both biological and social, and those two do not contradict because the social is biological. Binary Gender is a divine governor who tells you that its okay to have doubts but that it will smite you when those doubts turn into disbelief.

***

Bibliography

Ainsworth, C. (2018, October 22). Sex redefined: The idea of 2 sexes is overly simplistic. Scientific American. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https:// www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-redefined-the-idea-of-2-sexes-is- overly-simplistic1/

Butler, Judith. Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex. Routledge, 1993. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge,

1990.

Butler, Judith. Undoing Gender. Routledge, 2004.

Camus, Albert. LEtranger. Gallimard, 1942.

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Translated by Justin OBrien,

Vintage International, 1991.

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Translated by Matthew Ward, Vintage International,

1989.

Camus, Albert. The Outsider. Translated by Sandra Smith, Penguin Books, 2013. Daoud, Kamel. The Meursault Investigation. Translated by John Cullen, Other Press,

2015.

De Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Translated by Constance Borde and Sheila

Malovany-Chevallier, Vintage Books, 2011.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract. Translated by Maurice Cranston, Penguin

Classics, 1968.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology.

Translated by Hazel E. Barnes, Washington Square Press, 1993.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Existentialism is a Humanism. Translated by Carol Macomber, Yale

University Press, 2007.

World Health Organization. Eliminating forced, coercive and otherwise involuntary

sterilization: An interagency statement. WHO Press, 2014, https:// www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/eliminating-forced-sterilization/en/.
by Eric Bies

There may be no concept so alluring in all of science fiction than that of time travel. We are undoubtedly drawn to alien species and places in spacemoons to colonize, asteroids to mine. But even freakish beings and far-off worlds, however remote, have always smacked a little too much of our own reality. Im fully capable, after all, of walking from my apartment to the park. I can sit on a bench and read National Geographic. What I cant do (and have an immensely difficult time imagining ever being able to do, so that the notion borders on fantasy) is step outside and arrive at yesterday.

And yet how many of us wish we could!

The more melancholy among us, given to regret, get stuck in the mud of wishing just that. (And the reasons, from finance to romance, could occupy an entire essay of their own.) But how many of us at the same time wish to know, for the sheer fun of finding out, whether Jesus Christ had curly hair or straight? (My bet is he was bald.) Yes, who else but we the hopelessly curious can be depended on to investigate, if one day someone does invent a time machine, who Jack the Ripper was, whether there ever was a warrior-king called Odysseus, and what Cleopatra and T-Rexes really looked like?

Heres another mission: Go back to 1880, clap a beard on your face, stump down to the British Library, and ask one of the assistants to judge whether the name of John Ruskin, the most eminent English writer then living, will remain recognizable to readers in the year 2020. Of course, this is something like surmising today Brad Pitts popularity in 2160: if we wish to know, its because we cant, and so we ask: Does one future grow any less certain the more certain than others it seems? Is there some universal law that invites expectation only to subvert it?

Well, no one does read Ruskin anymore. But then, no one reads most writers anymore, and maybe with good reason. Sci-fi titan Theodore Sturgeon once said that 90% of everything is junk (and who reads him anymore?). But even those whose works have been sufficiently fashionable to command multiple print runs, strangers neither to praises nor prizes, even these authors have been largely left unread, unpondered, undiscussed, and thereby forgotten. Who remembers Booth Tarkington? And how many ironies can we trace to this phenomenon? Ruskins own century produced two of the most notable examples in Vincent van Gogh and Herman Melville: hopeless losers to the end, they perished a year apart, all but penniless and practically nameless, only to carve out their immortalizing trajectories from beyond the grave. Or consider the fate of Samuel Johnson, that august giant of English letters renowned not only for compiling the first English dictionary but also for single-handedly editing and annotating the complete works of Shakespeare. We rarely speak of the man now except in connection with his friend and biographer, James Boswell, whose singular Life of Johnson must easily outsell whatever of the Johnson corpus remains in print. What happens when the Life overshadows the life?

A couple of years ago I stumbled on a strange little book put out by those strange little people at Semiotext(e). The product of several decades of omnivorous reading, French philosopher Henri Lefebvres The Missing Pieces is a book unlike any other. Published in 2004, here for the first time was a thorough inventory of all the artistic productions we do not haveLefebvres personal mausoleum of lost thingsa kind of global catalogue raisonne of nonexistence. From manuscripts in suitcases and vanishing canvases to imaginary songs and underground film reels, each item has been lost and never found: some incinerated, others stolen, confiscated, or simply misplaced. Lefebvre establishes his taste for the distinctive disappearance as early as the fifth entry, which, squished between a verse drama by Heinrich von Kleist (burnt to ashes) and Annemarie Schwarzenbachs Journal (destroyed by her mother), is announced almost in the matter of old milk cartons:

MISSING, the poems of Robert Creeley, which littered the hardwood floor of Brautigans house in Bolinas, on drunken nights; Brautigan would gather them in the morning and put them in a bowl on the piano, for posterity, hed say.

Lefebvre adds much that is tantalizing and phantasmal (think Bruno Schulzs rumored masterwork, The Messiah) and more that went the way of unfulfillment (so that we ache anew for the finished triptych of Gogols Dead Souls). He also adds actual people, proposing cutouts of J. D. Salinger, who disappeared in 1959, and Peter Handke, who, in the authors estimation, is just plain lost (and what has he lost? his heart? his soul? his mind?).

Of all that one can lose idiomatically (sleep, ground, track of this or that), its the irretrievable loss of days and years, by which we most deeply feel our finitude, that makes stories of time travel so compelling. The classic of the genre, with its twist of inadvertence, has to be Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle, the story of a man who gets so drunk he spends twenty years sleeping it off. (More shocking than the growth of his beard after waking is the fact that his crowned sovereign has been supplanted by a president!) In The Dream of a Summer Day, Lafcadio Hearns retelling of a classic Japanese folktale, a fisherboys accidental voyage into the future begins just as innocently:

After long waiting, Urashima caught something, and drew it up to him. But he found it was only a tortoise. Now a tortoise is sacred to the Dragon God of the Sea, and the period of its natural life is a thousandsome say ten thousandyears. So that to kill it is very wrong. The boy gently unfastened the creature from his line, and set it free, with a prayer to the gods.

Its warm, quiet, and peaceful on the open sea, and before long Urashima falls asleep in his boat. Then, a beautiful girl, rising like Aphrodite from the foam, glides over and taps him on the shoulder. Do not be surprised, she says. My father, the Dragon King of the Sea, sent me to you, because of your kind heart. For to-day you set free a tortoise. And now we will go to my fathers palace in the island where summer never dies; and I will be your flower-wife if you wish; and we shall live there happily forever.

Urashima agrees (mostly because hes never seen anyone nearly so beautiful), journeys to the Sea Gods palace, gets married, and lives like a prince. For three years straight, life beneath the Sea Gods roof proves to be a series of uninterrupted pleasures, until the inevitable happens: his humanity intrudes. Like Lots wife, like Orpheus, like anyone whos longed to look back for a moment, Urashima realizes he feels guilty for abandoning his parents and his village. Much to his wifes concern, he decides to visit them one last time.

Again at last he glided into his native bay;again he stood upon its beach. But as he looked, there came upon him a great bewilderment,a weird doubt.

For the place was at once the same, and yet not the same. The cottage of his fathers had disappeared. There was a village; but the shapes of the houses were all strange, and the trees were strange, and the fields, and even the faces of the people. Nearly all remembered landmarks were gone;the Shinto temple appeared to have been rebuilt in a new place; the woods had vanished from the neighboring slopes. Only the voice of the little stream flowing through the settlement, and the forms of the mountains, were still the same. All else was unfamiliar and new. In vain he tried to find the dwelling of his parents; and the fisherfolk stared wonderingly at him; and he could not remember having ever seen any of those faces before.

There came along a very old man, leaning on a stick, and Urashima asked him the way to the house of the Urashima family.

Urashima Taro! The old man laughs; he cant help it. You must be joking! Everyone knows the story of the fisherboy who, four hundred years ago, drowned while fishing at sea!

***

Image credit: Lost by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Governor Roy Cooper gets to know some of the children at Ashe Developmental Day School. Photo by Zack Hill.

By Zack Hill

Governor Roy Cooper (D) stopped in Jefferson Thursday to tour Ashe Developmental Day School and highlight the need to make investments in early childhood education.

Cooper toured the center as he spoke with staff and met children in their classrooms.

I know you all have really done good things with the schools and programs here in Ashe County, Cooper told staff members. This is such important work youre doing and I want to get you more help.

You have to love the passion you all have. Thank you for what youre doing.

Director of Ashe Developmental Day School Rebecca Rash led the tour with N.C. House Representative Ray Pickett (R) of District 93, which includes Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties, joining the governors group.

Cooper, Pickett and Rash all agreed that early childhood education programs need more funding and that staff for the programs were not receiving adequate and competitive pay.

Governor Cooper visits another classroom. Photo by Zack Hill.

Rash said prospective and current employees can often find jobs at Walmart and other businesses that have better starting pay than the $10 to $12 an hour that the center is able to offer.

There may not be a larger gap between the quality of person needed for the job and the pay than this one, Cooper said.

Cooper is concerned that legislation spearheaded by Republicans currently making its way through the General Assembly will leave public schools and programs like Ashe Developmental Day School underfunded while exacerbating the states teacher shortage. He noted state public school systems currently have more than 5,000 vacant teacher positions.

The Office of State Budget and Management recently released a report detailing the expected financial fallout from Senate Bill 406/House Bill 823educational bills that will direct more money towards scholarship programs for students to attend private school.

The report says state funding for public schools would decrease by over 200 million dollars if the bills pass while state-funded scholarships to attend private schools would increase state appropriations by more than 70 million dollars.

Early childhood education provides children with a strong start, allows parents to work and helps businesses hire employees, Cooper said. Republican legislators are threatening North Carolinas historic economic growth if they fail to invest in childcare.

Rash said Coopers visit showed childhood education is a priority for the governor.

Cooper meets center staff and local representatives of Ashe County. Photo by Zack Hill.

We greatly appreciate Governor Coopers stance on the importance of early childhood education, Rash said. We feel like our concerns and needs as a profession are finally being heard.

Rash said stabilization grants from the state allowed the center to remain open during the pandemic and maintain a high standard of care and education. But those grants run out at the end of the year.

In a statement, Coopers office said the current Senate and House budgets provide no meaningful support for critical early childhood education and childcare.

The Senate budget fails early learners, their families and businesses by providing no state funding for childcare stabilization grants or the expansion of Smart Start and Pre-K programs. The House budget proposes only minimal funds to increase the childcare subsidy rate and for Smart Start.

Cooper explained his triple play reasoning for the importance of state investment in childcare to a small crowd during a short speech at the end of the tour.

85 percent of brain formation occurs by age three. Parents need to work and support the family. And businesses need people to hire, Cooper said. We need good childcare for all three aspects to work. We need to take the money thats going to tax cuts for the wealthy and invest in childcare.

Pickett agreed childcare programs need more funding.

We need to teach these children because they become educated adults, Pickett said. I know the governor is behind us. And were all working on coming together for the common good of our children.

Cooper encouraged those in attendance to contact state senator and senate deputy president pro tempore Ralph Hise (R), representative for Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Caldwell and several other counties, to voice their concerns about funding for public schools and early childhood education.

Hise introduced SB 406, a major component of the legislation Cooper is concerned about, to the senate earlier this year. With Republicans holding a supermajority in the General Assembly there appears to be little that can stop the passage of SB 406/HB 823.

Cooper recently declared a state of emergency for North Carolinas public education system saying teacher pay was too low to maintain good teachers, public money shouldnt be used to send wealthy children to private schools and more investment in early childhood education is needed but will not be funded should the bills pass.

We are in a crisis, Cooper said. Public education is the bedrock of North Carolinas success. Public education powers our workforce, builds our businesses and boosts our communities. Unfortunately, our public schools are under assault. The current General Assembly is considering extreme legislation that would cripple our public education system.

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(CNBC) Microsofts finance chief advised employees not to build a gold toilet during a 2018 meeting, according to emails that came up during federal court hearings last month over the software makers planned Activision Blizzard acquisition.

To read this article:
Their political, economic as well as people-to-people exchanges have sunk to their nadir in decades, owing largely to the major misconceptions in America's China policy and its consequential moves.

Yet, it is important to stay lucid and recognize that given the various challenges in China-U.S. relations, a significant detente is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly achieved by a mere command of the will.

China-U.S. interactions have lately forged ahead and hence some common understandings, signifying positive development towards a detente between the world's two largest economies.

To stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations, the first and foremost prerequisite lies in Washington's will to shift its perception of China and adopt a rational approach to China's rise.

The very essence of today's problems lies in the misjudgment of China by some U.S. politicians, and notably the bigoted bias against China harbored by Washington's China hawks. China endeavors to develop its economy to enable all Chinese to live a better life, rather than to threaten, challenge, or supplant any other countries.

Framing China as a "threat" based on the unfounded fear of China competing for hegemony is utterly brainless, while deeming China as an imaginary enemy is a typical case of groundless anxiety.

Washington also lacks adequate understanding of the resilience of the Chinese people. It is nothing but an illusion for the United States to deal with China "from a position of strength," as China has never subscribed to the logic of "might makes right." Any attempt to suppress China will only evoke a more resolute response from the Chinese people.

Second, to mend fences between the two sides, consensus between the two heads of state during the G20 summit in Bali should be genuinely implemented.

The exchange of views between the two heads of state in Indonesia has charted the course to steer the relationship back to a healthy and stable track.

However, over the last few months, the United States has run counter to the spirit advocated by the consensus, taking a slew of actions detrimental to China's core interests, severely damaging the political foundation for the China-U.S. ties, polluting the environment for bilateral exchanges, and disrupting the agreed-upon dialogue and cooperation agenda.

Implementing the Bali consensus entails adhering to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

For China and the United States, respecting each other's development rights, properly managing the source of tensions, along with embracing cooperation rather than confrontation can ensure the steady and long-term development of their relations.

Third, both sides must respect each other's core interests and major concerns, refrain from treading on each other's bottom lines, and manage differences and sensitive issues in a constructive, calm, professional, and rational manner.

Particularly, the Taiwan question, which stands out at the very core of China's core interests, is the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. On this question, China has no room for compromise.

On other sensitive topics, China has made it clear that the specific differences between the two sides can be patched up through discussion, but only on the precondition of equality.

For instance, the two countries take different paths in their respective national development: the United States practices capitalism while China adopts socialism. Such difference has been there since day one of the China-U.S. engagement and will continue to exist.

For China and the United States to get along, it is vital to recognize and respect such differences. Washington's so-called "democracy vs. authoritarianism" narrative is an outdated awful fuss.

Fourth, improving the relationship with China constitutes a responsibility that the United States should undertake towards the world.

History has proven that China and the United States, when in concert, can accomplish much to both countries and the world. They joined forces in 2001 to combat terrorism, cooperated in 2008 to address the international financial crisis, and in 2016, played a crucial role in reaching the Paris Agreement on climate change.

However, after Washington's China policy has been dominated by misconceived competition, its attempts to contain China, through wars on the fronts of trade, industry and technology, have taken a toll on not only the development of the two sides but also that of the wider world. The international community expects both sides to approach each other with a sense of responsibility, properly handle their differences, and find the right way to get along.

In the future, there is great potential for their cooperation on a host of bilateral and global issues if Washington ditches its increasingly confrontational posture toward China.

Fifth, Washington's attempt to contain China is destined to fall flat.

China is bound to develop steadily because of its unique institutional advantages such as the whole-process people's democracy, a reliable and effective system fitted to China's realities. Its unstoppable progress also comes from its more than 1.4 billion industrious and intelligent people.

Meanwhile, China actively integrates into the trend of the times, and shares prosperity and promotes peace with other countries. This is the historical logic of China's development and the root cause of China's increased influence. In the era of globalization, countries have interconnected interests. That's why most countries are reluctant to take sides, let alone be tied onto the chariot of confronting China.

Washington's China approach underpinned by competition and confrontation has neither held China back nor made America great again, only to arouse resentment from across the world. Abandoning it now is a sensible move.

By Gao Wencheng, July 10, 2023
Weve known that many other countries have had pretty similar experiences in St. Petersburg. It wasnt a unique surprise in that regard. But the fact that it came in this particular context was of course [a surprise], he commented by phone to STT on Saturday.

PRESIDENT Sauli Niinisto says Russia has opened a new dimension by shutting down the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg.

Russia on Thursday announced it will not only shut down the consulate general, but also expel nine Finnish diplomats and deliver an oral reprimand to the Finnish Ambassador in Moscow, Antti Helantera. The expulsions were less surprising given that they are symmetric with the expulsions to be carried out by Finland at the Russian Embassy in Helsinki.

While Niinisto on Saturday declined to speculate on the possible response, he did earlier describe the Russian Consulate General in Turku as a counterpart to the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg on Twitter.

When asked about the Russian Consulate in Mariehamn, Aland, he pointed to an ongoing legal assessment concerning the consulates status at the Ministry of Justice.

You have to keep in mind that the Aland consulate is relatively small and apparently relies quite a bit on the Turku consulate in its operations, said Niinisto.

Markku Kangaspuro, the director of the Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki, said to Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that Russias decision to shut down the consulate general is quite the move.

Russia seems to be accelerating the spiralling of relations, he summarised.

He interpreted the decision as a way to emphasise the message sent by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov. YLE in June reported that Lavrov has outlined that FinnishRussian relations will not return to normal even if efforts to patch them up began at some point.

We cant not take into account [Finlands accession to Nato], and Im sure there wont be a return to business as usual, he was quoted saying at a news conference on 30 June. Honestly speaking, I dont see the need for the same number of diplomatic contacts as in normal times.

Kangaspuro on Thursday said to Helsingin Sanomat that the measures do not suggest that Finland is somehow special to Russia. What they do tell, though, is that diplomatic ties between the two countries are not expected to recover to former levels of interaction also in the assessment of Russia.

Were being treated similarly to other countries that have been defined as unfriendly. Russia is rather dissolving its old special relationship with Finland, he analysed.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
The Helsinki City authorities have noted that due to security measures, there will be partial or complete access restrictions around the City Hall on July 12 and 13. Sofiankatu is expected to be the exception to this, as it will serve as the entrance to the media center at City Hall.



Regarding the bus and tram services, the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HRT) has advised commuters to brace themselves for exceptions, disturbances, and potential delays. Sari Kotikangas, HRT Communications Specialist, stated to Yle, "Expect traffic interruptions and road closures due to official motorcades. Buses operating from or terminating in Helsinki's center will be especially affected. Changes will also apply to rail lines passing through the city center."



In addition, alterations are likely to affect bus services on the city's ingress routes and the Suomenlinna ferry service. However, metro and suburban train services are expected to run without any modifications. HRT will keep the public informed about schedule changes via its website as more information becomes available.



Kotikangas has recommended that people allocate extra time for their commutes on the day. She suggested, "If feasible, choose to travel by train or foot to the city center."



For those planning sea travel via boats or ferries during President Biden's visit, they should also anticipate needing extra time for their journeys. Eeva Hietanen, Port of Helsinki Communications Manager, advised, "Prepare for possible delays. Reaching the terminals might take longer than usual."



During Biden's visit, access to the Katajanokka terminal will be limited to cars and pedestrians via Pohjoisranta. As Hietanen further clarified, "One can only access Esplanade, not Pohjoisranta, from the Olympic Terminal. Furthermore, there is no access to the Olympic Terminal through Kauppatori."



During this time, Finland will reinstate temporary border controls at its internal borders, although pleasure crafts will not be affected.



As of now, Helsinki Airport hasn't issued any special instructions for passengers arriving or departing on Wednesday or Thursday. Finavia, the national airport operator, assured that any changes in the regular proceedings would be duly communicated.



Further, the high-profile visit will necessitate augmented security measures, including the mobilization of additional police forces in Helsinki. Law enforcement departments across Finland, such as the Central Finland Police Department, will send extra officers, as revealed by Chief Inspector Ismo Nykopp.



Nykopp explained, "The visit demands officers for regular as well as specialized tasks. We have expertise in both areas." The specific number of officers assigned to support the Helsinki Police Department hasn't been disclosed. Officers are expected to be in Helsinki ahead of the President's arrival to prepare for the visit.



The officer reassured that there will be no police shortages in Central Finland and the Pirkanmaa region, despite the challenges of coordinating this during the vacation season in July.



Following his participation in the NATO Summit in Vilnius, President Biden is scheduled to visit Finland. He will be hosted by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. The visit will also include a bilateral meeting between the two leaders and a Nordic summit involving the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, as confirmed by the Finnish president's office.



HT
Halla-aho announced last week that he is ready to run in the presidential election as the candidate of the Finns Party. The populist right-wing party will officially nominate its presidential candidate in August.

SPEAKER of the Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-aho and Governor of the Bank of Finland Olli Rehn , both recent entries to the presidential race, have offered distinct assessments of the political debate climate in Finland.

The president, he outlined in conjunction with his announcement, is a value leader who has to engage in discussion especially on societal issues that others dare not to touch.

Finnish society has undemocratic and totalitarian tendencies, he elaborated in an interview with YLE.

Theres a desire to limit what kind of issues citizens and lawmakers are able to comment on and what are the limits of parliamentary powers to renew legislation, he argued to the public broadcasting company. In other words, more and more issues have in some peoples view stopped being political issues and issues of opinion, and theyre marketed as some kind of self-evident truths on which only one opinion is allowed.

While he declined to identify any such issues, he added that the single-truth culture has been clumsily imported from left-wing academics in the United States.

Rehn on Friday told Helsingin Sanomat that he disagrees with the assessment, viewing that the debate climate has rather become more heated and polarised.

I see the situation quite differently. Discussions in Finland, both traditional ones and the ones on social media, currently reflect and represent very different views. Theyre being amplified and polarised by social media algorithms.

What we need are things that bring people together rather than louder megaphones.

Halla-aho estimated in his video announcement that the president has two primary duties: value leadership, and foreign and security policy leadership.

The president has a key role in managing bilateral relations with countries outside the EU, such as the US, China, Britain and Russia, he outlined. With their own example, the president of the republic also creates room for others to debate.

Rehn, who announced his candidacy on 21 June, gauged that the president has three primary duties: to lead foreign and security policy in co-operation with the government, to promote the crisis resilience of society and to defend democratic values, including freedom, human dignity and rule of law.

That includes defending freedom of speech and promoting a civilised debate culture, he said to Helsingin Sanomat.

You cant simply declare yourself as a value leader, he added. You can only earn it with cogent speeches and acts that align with them.

Rehn is in the race as the candidate of a constituency association, similarly to Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens). Halla-aho, in turn, is the candidate of the Finns Party, the values of which  he viewed  align well with what should be required of the president.

Finland is the home of Finns, and overall national interests should be the foundation for all decision making. The president mustnt act on behalf of individual interest groups, but on behalf of both current and future Finns, stated Halla-aho.

A total of six people have thrown their hat into the presidential race. Saara Huhtasaari is the candidate of a constituency association backed by the EU and Nato-sceptic party Vapauden Liitto, Paavo Vayrynen is the candidate of a constituency association, and Harry Harkimo is the candidate of Movement Now.

Mika Aaltola, the director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Iltalehti late last month that he is seriously considering and leaning toward running for the presidency.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
JUST the sound of that unmistakable riff from the original theme tune by Lalo Schifrin and film fans will know Tom Cruise is back for his seventh outing as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One (12A), which opens at the Henley Regal Picturehouse next week.

Can Cruise still cut it at 60? The stunt-driven franchise has always made much of the fact its the star himself jumping off buildings and falling from planes and the same spectacular set pieces are promised in this first of a two-parter, filmed back to back, with the second instalment scheduled for release next year.

In a sequel to 2018s Mission: Impossible  Fallout, Hunt and his partners in the Impossible Missions Force are tasked with tracking down a new weapon which threatens all humanity should it fall into the wrong hands.

Confronted by a mysterious new enemy, he is forced to face up to the fact that nothing matters more than his mission, not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Regulars Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Ving Rhames return to join Cruise, with new characters played by Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby and Esai Morales, the latter as a powerful terrorist and Hunts ultimate target.

The film famously had a frantic shooting schedule as Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie tried to beat covid lockdowns and travel restrictions, stopping and restarting production seven times since February 2020. The budget ballooned to an estimated $290 million.

The film has a running time of two hours 43 minutes.

Pixars Elemental (PG) takes us to the colourful Element City where the animated residents air, fire, earth and water all live together after arriving as immigrants.

But rules dictate theres a kind of caste system, meaning they must not mix so what will happen if two of them fall in love?

The story follows the fiery Ember who calls in the watery Wade to fix the pipes only to find they have more in common than they thought.

Elemental has a running time of one hour 41 minutes.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continues from last week.
by Dwight Furrow

Flavors are nomads. They lurk in disparate ingredients and journey from dish to dish. They cross generations and geographical borders putting down roots in far-flung locations, pop up when least expected, and appear in different guises depending on specific mixtures and combinations. Flavors are a molecular flow continuously reshaping each other in reciprocal determination.

The task of gastronomy is to understand this complexity. But how? As I noted in a previous post, there appears to be no global similarity space mapping relations between flavors/aromas and no rules governing how they should be combined. Are there strategies for grasping this contingency and complexity?

In general, we humans have developed two strategies for dealing with complexity. The first, macro-reduction, is of ancient lineage. We develop a taxonomy of categories into which we can neatly slip any object we encounter, carving nature at its joints, as Plato wrote. Any phenomenon can be understood as a particular instance of a general category which can then serve as a norm to judge whether the phenomenon in question is a good example of its type.

In the food world, this means we think of flavors in terms of the ingredients and dishes in which they appear, which are then grouped according to the culture from which they emerge. We divide the world of cuisine into Italian food, Chinese food, Mexican food, etc. and these categories guide our expectations about what food should taste like.

Preferences are a function of what were accustomed to, the flavors of home, or when eating outside our culture of origin, they are determined by whether those expectations about what Italian food or Chinese food should taste like are met. In its extreme form, this encourages culinary nationalism. Food becomes an expression of national identity to which certain dishes exclusively belong. Boundaries are formally or informally policed and battles over authenticity are heartfelt and common.

But macro-reduction was never adequate for understanding the food world. The vast differences between the cuisines of sub-regions and locales call into question the idea of a national cuisine. (There are serious debates about whether there is something called Italian cuisine that doesnt run roughshod over vast regional differences.) Cuisine has always been dynamic. But, today, the increased pace of global communications, the mixing of populations, and the widespread availability of ingredients make this approach even less plausible with debates over authenticity increasingly becoming tedious distractions. Our preferences are no longer confined by geographical borders. Even the concepts of individual dishes are breaking out of national boundariesthe variety of preparations called gazpacho today have little resemblance to the almond/bread or tomato-based cold soups indigenous to Spain or Mexico. For many contemporary chefs, hollandaise refers not to a mother sauce but to a canvas.

The second strategy for reducing complexity, micro-reduction, is of a more recent vintage. It attempts to reduce complexity by showing it is the product of simpler, more readily definable, elements. Flavors and aromas are after all chemical compounds, and we know a lot about how chemical compounds bond and interact. Hence the current interest in the science of flavor, flavor pairing theory, and gastrophysics as explanations of our food preferences. This discourse has been enormously useful in explaining how our sensory mechanisms work to produce taste sensations, and some knowledge of food chemistry is now essential for chefs creating new dishes. However, the hypothesis that we prefer dishes in which ingredients share flavor compounds (flavor-pairing theory) has not been confirmed since it cannot explain the prevalence of dishes that rely on contrasting flavors. Furthermore, it is peculiar to assume that science can definitively answer questions that are, fundamentally, questions about aesthetics. Aesthetic properties are of course dependent on underlying physical properties. But no account of the chemistry of color blending, the properties of light absorption, or the mechanics of color perception will explain why we find a Rothko painting beautiful. Similarly, our enjoyment of Chef Morimotos Buri-bop is unlikely to be reducible to an immediate chemosensory response.

Notice that both reductionist strategies fail because they ignore the role that differences play in the constitution of entities. Simplification via reduction of either sort imposes a false unity on the data, a useful, efficient strategy when the details dont matter, but in gastronomy the details matter.

Is there a theoretical approach that doesnt rely on macro-reduction or micro-reduction that might help us understand the world of gastronomy? For my money that would be assemblage theory, a contemporary elaboration of a late 20th Century collaboration between French philosopher Gilles Deleuze and the social theorist/psychoanalyst Felix Guattari, focused largely on the ontology of social relations.

An assemblage is a collection of heterogeneous elements that function together as a network. The elements may be sub-atomic particles, physical objects, persons, social groups of various sizes, events, speech acts, signs, ideasor ingredients in a dish. What matters is that the elements exist in dynamic relations with each other and, as a result, produce emergent properties that are not reducible to the properties of the elements. Wetness is a property of water that is not shared by individual water molecules. Elegance is a property of a musical passage not shared by individual notes. Emergence (weak emergence for those familiar with these debates) limits the explanatory power of micro-reduction since the whole is, in a sense, greater than the sum of its parts. A dish or a meal has a variety of properties such as innovative, distinctive, comforting, harmonious, or in the French-style, that are not simply an aggregate of the dish or meals components although the components play an important causal role in generating those properties.

But neither are these emergent properties best understood as general properties of an assemblage.

The problem with general properties or essences has long been understood. They dont reach the identity of an individual and thus have not proven useful in contexts such as personal relationships or aesthetics where individuality matters. A person may be talented, ambitious, born in New York in 1957, and a Mets fan but no such list of general characteristics will describe what makes a person that distinct individual she is. And no list of aesthetic concepts will capture what makes Monets Waterlilies a great painting. Similarly, the proliferating differences within evolving food traditions as well as different ways of making most dishes suggests that general properties or essences will not make sense of the food world. There is no essence of a pizza apart from the disparate, continuously evolving preparations that people have chosen to call pizza.

Assemblage theory explains why essentialism misses the mark and provides an alternative. Essentialism demands a logical analysis of an objects identity that fixes the object as a finished product and describes the necessary and sufficient conditions that make it what it is. But such an analysis passes over in silence the fact that no entity is a finished product since everything is continuously changingits the rate at which something changes that contributes to its character. What makes something a distinct individual is its process of development, the singular events that explain the emergence of its properties and the trajectory such an emergence follows. Identity is path dependent, a product of the contingent interplay of forces acting on capacities.

Thus, assemblage theory argues that an assemblage is not merely a collection of components that function together. It is also an arrangement of powers, capacities, and tendenciesa transformation matrix. Its the movement in these powers, capacities, and tendencies that explain developmental processes and ultimately the properties that individuals temporarily acquire. These powers, potentialities, and tendencies are not fully actualized (since they are potential) and thus are not well captured as identifiable entities with fixed properties.

Assemblage theory highlights the importance of examining the connections, interactions, and flows between the various components within an assemblage. Unlike our traditional understanding of entities and their combination into groups, assemblages are fully relational, contingent, and heterogeneous and in constant transformation.

There are three key features of assemblages that make assemblage theory useful for conceptualizing the world of gastronomy. The first is that assemblages function via multiple levels of reality and no particular level takes automatic priority. Our food preferences are explained by chemical, biological, psychological, environmental, and aesthetic factors as well as the influence of language, images, many levels of cultural and economic phenomena, and the histories of each of these factors as they intersect through an assemblage. Assemblage theory captures this complexity.

The appropriate level of explanation depends on ones interests and the relevance of the regularities and mechanisms to be found at each level. But assemblage theory also looks for patterns that cross and move between domains of inquiry without imposing a hierarchy on them.

The second feature important to the study of gastronomy is that assemblages are composed of heterogeneous elements, and that heterogeneity is preserved when explaining the interaction of the elements. Thus, assemblage theory resists the false unities that inhibit our understanding of cuisine. Individuals live within cultures and traditions but dont lose their individuality despite these influences; local norms and foodways remain distinct from national traditions even as they contribute to them; and ingredients and their flavors do not disappear within the unity of a dish. Flavors are, as I said, nomadic and depend as much on contrast and tension as on similarities and harmonies.

The third feature is assemblage theorys focus on processes of individuation rather than general properties in capturing the distinctiveness of individual entities. Individual entities in the world of cuisinechefs, cooks, diners, dishes and recipes, and all variety of food cultures and traditionsare understood not as bearers of general properties but as ongoing processes with distinctive histories and guided by singular events that produce the endless proliferation of differences that characterize the world of cuisine.

There is, however, an obvious problem that assemblage theory must confront. The entities that we now propose to call assemblages have some sort of unity. They are not random collections of mere things but function together as a network. Individual persons have a unity that distinguishes them from others. Social groups that embody food traditions include many differences but there must be something that holds them together that makes referring to them intelligible, and dishes have a unity that gives them coherence and intelligibility as aesthetic objects. How does assemblage theory account for unity?

Assemblage theorists argue that all assemblages share processes across the various levels of explanation that account for both stability (less variation and hence more unity) and change (greater variation and less unity). Deleuze and Guattari label these processes territorialization and deterritorialization respectively. The relative influence of these two processes at work within assemblages accounts for the degree of unity or disunity exhibited by an assemblage. Manuel Delanda, the primary contemporary proponent of assemblage theory, thinks of these processes as parameters that can be dialed up or dialed back. Dialing up territorialization increases unity while dialing up deterritorialization reduces unity. Both processes can be at work simultaneously in various parts of any system.

Thus, entities (understood as assemblages) are neither eternal nor vaporous and their degree of stabilization will change depending on interactions within the assemblage and well as with its environment. The most important thing to know about an entity is that ratio of stabilization and destabilization and the forces that influence it.

This brings me to the main advantage assemblage theory brings to a theory of gastronomy. Our food preferences and the food traditions in which they are embedded are driven by two conflicting desiresa desire for familiarity and a desire for variation. Without familiarity food, which we take into our bodies, might seem threatening or at least too off-putting or alien to generate pleasure. But without variation food is boring and the appetite suffers. Dish design and development, the flux of ingredients and recipes as they change through time, discourses and communication about food, the ideas and images that food generates, and most importantly, the continuities and discontinuities of our food preferences over time are at bottom ways of managing the conflict between familiarity and variation.

The master concepts of assemblage theorydifference and repetition, territorialization and deterritorialization, strata and lines of flight, the actual and the virtualare designed to model and actively engage with the tensions between familiarity and variation and thus can be leveraged to understand this fundamental tension in the world of cuisine.

In an interview, Deleuze said: A theory is exactly like a box of tools. I doubt he had in mind fixing matters of the table, but a good toolbox should be prepared for anything.

For more on the philosophy of food and wine consult American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution and Beauty and the Yeast: A Philosophy of Wine, Life, and Love
A VOLUNTEER gave a girl at Caversham Primary School their mobile number, raising fresh concerns about child safeguarding.

The incident comes in the wake of an Ofsted report which found serious safeguarding concerns at the school after an inspection.

Headteacher Ruth Perry, 53, took her own life in January after being told that her school was to be downgraded from outstanding to inadequate.

It has been claimed that the volunteer was helping in a class game in which children learned about phone numbers and were swapping imaginary ones.

But later the child attempted to ring a number they were given and the volunteer answered.

When challenged by a family member, they acknowledged they had been in touch with the child but nothing inappropriate had happened.

The girls parent contacted the school and spoke with co-headteachers Clare Jones-King and Jo Grover, who said they would investigate.

Officials from Reading Borough Council, the education authority, Ofsted and Thames Valley Police met to discuss the complaint and said that the volunteer had made a foolish mistake and the school would deal with the matter internally.
CAMPAIGNERS have written to bosses at Thames Water calling for immediate action on river pollution.

They have set out a five-point plan for the ailing company to follow to improve the quality of the River Thames and other waterways.

The moves comes in the wake of a citizen science programme investigation by campaign group River Action which found sewage is affecting the stretch of water used by Henley Royal Regatta.

Tests carried out upstream and downstream of the Henley sewage treatment works last month showed the water status was poor due to the levels of phosphate, nitrate and harmful material.

James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, Ash Smith, of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, and Laura Reineke, of the Henley Mermaids open water swimming group have written to Alistair Cochran and Cathryn Ross, interim chief executives of Thames Water.

They call for:

 An end to illegal discharges of untreated sewage and for only lawful discharges at times of excessive rainfall.

 Sufficient investment in the sewage treatment infrastructure to end sewage spills and modernisation of the Henley treatment works.

 Water quality testing, including public health metrics, every day throughout the day, and for this information to be made publicly available.

 A commitment to sustainable abstraction plans from groundwater, investment in fixing leaks and increased reservoir and wetland capacity to ensure water security.

 Engagement with the community by accepting full accountability for pollution and an agreement to end sewage pollution and create water security across the Thames catchment.

The letter is supported by numerous Henley residents, town and parish councillors, Leander Club, Henley Sailing Club, the Henley Mermaids, Henley Swim, and Greener Henley.

Meanwhile, Thames Water has been fined 3.3 million after it illegally discharged millions of litres of undiluted sewage into two rivers, killing more than 1,400 fish.

There was a significant and lengthy release of sewage from treatment works near Gatwick Airport in October 2017 into the Gatwick Stream in West Sussex and River Mole in Surrey.

Thames Water admitted four charges at Lewes Crown Court.

Judge Christine Laing KC said she believed Thames Water had shown a deliberate attempt to mislead the Environment Agency by omitting water readings and submitting a report to the regulator denying responsibility.

The court heard how a storm pump unexpectedly activated and was filling up the storm tank, despite no substantial rainfall, for 21 hours, which went unnoticed.

The pump then spilled sewage into the river for an estimated six hours but no alarm was in place to alert staff to the overspill, the court was told.

The judge said she found it utterly extraordinary that environmental disasters could occur because of issues such as this.

Last week, the companys chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down after two years in the role, weeks after giving up her bonus, and it was revealed the company is 14billion in debt.

 A poll on the Henley Standards website showed 83 per cent of respondents believe Thames Water should be nationalised.
by Claire Chambers

Rebecca F. Kuangs new novel Yellowface, a hilarious and haunting satire about the publishing industry, is proving a literary fiction bestseller this summer. However, it is her previous book Babel, or the Necessity of Violence that interests me here. Whereas Yellowface concerns contemporary America, Babel is a capacious piece of speculative fiction mostly set in Oxford during the 1830s. It was published in the Covid-19 pandemic under the young authors abbreviated first name, and was a surprise hit due in part to its popularity on BookTok. As I will discuss, the novel deals with issues of language, translation, and colonialism in a startlingly original way.

Protagonist Robin Swift had been born in Canton and given a Chinese name that is never disclosed. After his mothers death in the so-called Asiatic Cholera pandemic of the late 1820s, a professor called Richard Lovell becomes his guardian for reasons initially unknown. Lovell allows the boy to choose his own name (he decides on Robin for the bird, and Swift from Gullivers Travels) before bringing him to England.

Lovell prepares Robin for admission at the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford, known to students as Babel. Compared with the classist and white supremacist patriarchy of the rest of Oxford University in that period at least, Babel is multilingual, multicultural, and even admits girls. Here Robin makes three friends: Ramy from Calcutta, Haitian Victoire, and the English rose Letty. In the institutes intensive language programme, the teenagers friendship too quickly becomes intense. Ramy, Victoire, and Robin still feel a complex loyalty to the (quasi-)colonized homelands they had to leave behind. Cracks start to emerge in their relationship with Letty, who holds sympathy for the British civilizing mission.

T he magical Oxford portrayed in Babel is reminiscent of Hogwarts, if J. K. Rowling spoke five languages and had a PhD in postcolonial studies. In its ivory towers, these young adults encounter the linguistic ideas of the Anglicist Thomas B. Macaulay (180059) and Orientalist William Jones (174694), with the latters fictional nephew Sterling Jones even studying at the college. Against the backdrop of Queen Victorias coronation in 1838 and other real-world historical events, the institutes brilliant scholars (known as Babblers) translate for the Crown. Kuang shows how translation is complicit in the colonial project, since a translation involves a spatial dimension  a literal transportation of texts across conquered territory, words delivered like spices from an alien land. The tentacles connecting language, academia, and imperialism are traced in Kuangs depiction of this shadow Oxford, wherein translation becomes a tool for territorial expansion and cultural dominance.

Notwithstanding the novels historical underpinnings and weighty footnotes (theres even a footnote about footnotes!), much of the plot is pure fantasy. Here the British Empires most sought-after goods are not gold, ivory, oil, or rubber. Nor does the opium that so damaged China in the nineteenth century feature as a commodity, even though the novels climax pivots on the First Opium War (183942). Instead, translators control the Empire using enchanted silver bars called match-pairs. A bars power comes when a word from one language is engraved on it together with its nearly but not quite perfect partner from another tongue. The bars mystical essence seems to stem from the gap that exists between lexical equivalents and, more broadly, from the enigmatic realm where meaning is forged.

The match-pairs and the issue of untranslatability produce an array of effects, ranging from pleasure and productivity to brutal murder. The German Sitzfleisch (sitting meat  [or] sit on your bottom and get things done) is one of many untranslatable words from various languages which are introduced in the narrative. But such an erudite novel exploring global etymologies is bound to make a few small errors. Chit came from the Marathi chitti, meaning letter or note, proclaims the narrator confidently. Yet the usual word for letter in Marathi is , patra. The language with which the English word chit most likely originates is Hindustani (Hindis chitthi ( and Urdus chithi  both derive from the Sanskrit , chishta, or message). In Hindustani, , khat, and , patra, are other common words for a letter or note. Despite this possible misstep, Kuangs overall point about the gains that emerge when some connotations are lost in translation is a strong one.

Long-standing ideas from translation studies are dramatized engagingly in Babel. For example, the tension of fidelity to authors versus domestication of their texts for readerly enjoyment is often debated by the Babblers. Whether the translator should remain invisible like a pane of glass, or exercise a more obtrusive creativity is another live topic of concern. Letty wants to stay true to the Ur-text, whereas Ramy was always ready to abandon technical accuracy for rhetorical flourishes he insisted would better deliver the point, even when this meant insertion of completely novel clauses. Above all, Kuang conveys that translation should be about attentiveness to diverse voices. At the novels end Ramy avers: Thats just what translation is, I think. Thats all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what theyre trying to say. Notions of faithfulness, artistry, and inclusion reverberate throughout Babel, reflecting the transformative power of listening without prejudice.

The hegemony of the English language and the silver-powered steam engines and ships of the British Empire do not go unchallenged. Robin gets drawn into a secret society of resistance which, it transpires, is led by his half-brother Griffin. This young man reveals that they are the bastard children of Empire, having both been sired by Professor Lovell during his various trips to China on colonial business. Griffin is not only angry with the fathers abandonment but with Babels whole endeavour, declaring:

This is a deliberate exploitation of foreign culture and foreign resources. The professors like to pretend that the tower is a refuge for pure knowledge, that it sits above the mundane concerns of business and commerce, but it does not. Its intricately tied to the business of colonialism. It is the business of colonialism. Ask yourself why the Literature Department only translates works into English and not the other way around.

Griffins impassioned speech exposes the profound entanglement of translation in the imperial enterprise, shedding light on its asymmetric exploitation. That said, while the elder brother scorns the complicity of colonized Babellers, he is envious of Robins privilege, his student status and mastery over the bars. This facility with match-pairs Griffin cannot equal because he left Canton at a younger age and therefore neither dreams nor experiences his memories in Chinese.

Griffin and his comrades at the secret society known as Hermes seem to offer an alternative to the dominant approach to other languages that entails coercive extraction. Working underground for linguistic and political revolution, they believe a decolonized translation is possible, since languages encapsulate various worldviews, and translation makes possible communication. Despite this bridge-building potential, many of Babels translation professors still hold abhorrent racial opinions, including that other languages are inferior to European ones, that Ramy as an Indian is dirty and backward, or that Robin and Griffin, with their Chinese heritage, are indolent half-breeds. Despite their vital importance for imperialism, the individual Babblers are expendable, being viewed merely as vessels for the languages they spoke. As Griffin and his friends navigate the vicissitudes of language-learning and racist segregation within Babel, their pursuit of decolonized translation paves the way for an insightful examination of the transformative power of language in an unequal world.

In the enchanting realm of R. F. Kuangs Babel, translation is both colonialisms engine fuel and a potential path to decolonization. With its rich historical seam and imaginative twists, the novel underscores the enduring mystery of language. It emphasizes the urgent need to listen to marginalized voices and the tongues in which they speak.
Seacoast Shipping Services Limited is pleased to announce its decision to undertake a Right Issue of equity shares to raise capital and further strengthen its financial position. The Board of Directors has approved the Draft Letter of Offer ("DLOF") for the issuance and allotment of fully paid-up equity shares of Rs. 1/- each ("Equity Shares") to eligible equity shareholders of the Company on a Rights basis.

The Right Issue will comprise 20,20,05,000 fully paid-up Equity Shares, priced at Rs. 2.40/- per share, including a premium of Rs. 1.40/- per Equity Share. The total issue size amounts to Rs. 48,48,12,000/-.

The Right Entitlement Ratio has been set at 3 (Three) new Right Shares for every 5 (Five) existing Equity Shares held by eligible shareholders as of the Record Date, which has been fixed as Thursday, 13th July 2023. Furthermore, it should be noted that only those individuals who have applied for their share applications prior to the designated record date of July 13th, 2023, will become eligible for the right issue. This ratio provides an opportunity for eligible shareholders to increase their stake in the Company.

The Right Issue period will commence on Friday, 21st July 2023, and conclude on Monday, 31st July 2023. During this period, eligible shareholders may apply for their entitled shares by submitting their applications and paying Rs. 2.40/- per Equity Share at the time of application.

The funds raised through this Right Issue will be utilized for various strategic initiatives, including enhancing the Company's infrastructure, expanding its fleet capacity, and strengthening its market presence. The Board of Directors firmly believes that this capital infusion will support the Company's growth objectives and enable it to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the shipping industry.

Prior to the Right Issue, Seacoast Shipping Services Limited had a total of 33,66,75,000 Equity Shares. Post the Right Issue, the Company's outstanding Equity Shares will increase to 53,86,80,000, representing a significant expansion in the Company's share capital.

Seacoast Shipping Services Limited's management expresses gratitude to the eligible shareholders for their continued support and confidence in the Company's growth trajectory. The administration is committed to creating long-term value for its stakeholders and believes that this Right Issue will contribute significantly to achieving this objective.

The issuance and allotment of the Equity Shares under the Right Issue are subject to the receipt of in-principle approval from BSE Limited and compliance with all applicable laws, including the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018, SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, and the Companies Act, 2013, and rules made thereunder, as amended from time to time.

Shareholders are encouraged to carefully review the detailed terms and conditions, including the rights and obligations associated with the Right Issue, as outlined in the Draft Letter of Offer (DLOF). The DLOF will be made available to eligible shareholders in due course.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
The last date to file your Income Tax Return (ITR) is July 31, 2023. If the tax amount paid exceeds the taxable income, you will be eligible for a refund. It is important to submit your ITR before the government to disclose income, liabilities and investments.



While filing your Income Tax Returns, it is important to maximize your tax refund by taking advantage of all available opportunities. Remember, your Form 16 is not the only source of potential savings, Amit Gupta, managing director, SAG Infotech, told Hindustan Times.



ALSO READ: ITR filing: 5 things Gen Z taxpayers should know on saving taxes



Here are the steps you must follow to ensure maximum refunds from your income tax return filing.



1. Submit your ITR on time: It is absolutely necessary to file your income tax returns before deadline. By doing this, you will avoid penalties and get maximum refunds.



2. Choose the correct tax regime: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her budget speech had announced a new income tax regime. The minister announced that the taxpayers will be able to select the regime under which want to file their ITR. It is important for you to select the correct regime which will suit your needs. It is absolutely necessary to file your income tax returns before deadline

3. Verify your return: It is important to verify the income tax return within 30 days of filing. If the return is not verified, it will be treated as invalid and the taxpayer will have to file a fresh ITR if the deadline has not ended. If the deadline has ended, the taxpayer will not be able to file return for that financial year. Verify your returns promptly to ensure a smooth processing of your refund, Gupta said.



ALSO READ: ITR filing: Senior citizens, claim these exemptions and deductions by July 31



4. Claim deductions: Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), National Pension Scheme (NPS), life and medical insurance premiums and home loan interests are eligible for standard deductions. You should claim it for maximum refunds. Identify all eligible deductions and exemptions beyond those reflected in Form 16, and reconcile your data to avoid any discrepancies, Amit Gupta added.



5. Validate bank account: You must validate your bank account and ensure it is correctly verified on the income tax filing e-portal. The I-T department credits the refund to the bank account validated on their portal.



Validate your bank account to ensure seamless receipt of your tax refund. By adopting these strategies, you can make the most of your income tax refund and effectively manage your finances, the SAG Infotech MD added.

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Luxury watch giant Tissot has introduced its Sideral S watch series, a reinterpretation of the 1970 series. The company says the new watch combines state-of-the-art materials with a vintage aesthetic. The original Sideral was the world's first fiberglass watch launched in 1969 and had a lightweight design. Tissot said it remained committed to preserve the watch's heritage and spirit.

The new Tissot Sideral is available in three colours of yellow, red and blue. It features perforated rubber strap and innovative bracelet fastening system. This system was initially introduced in the watch in the 1970s.

Besides this, Tissot is offering green, orange and black straps for those preferring a more subdued look. The company said it remained committed to preserve the watch's heritage and spirit.

The original Sideral embodied innovation, adventure, and the excitement of the unknown. To recapture these qualities, Tissot chose forged carbon for the case, a material that parallels the lightweight, innovative, and resilient nature of fiberglass 60 years ago, the company said.

By merging state-of-the-art materials with the Sideral's vintage appeal, Tissot has crafted a timeless yet forward-looking masterpiece that pays tribute to its remarkable past, it added.

This new Tissot Sideral boasts of a forged carbon case and a black PVD unidirectional bezel with diver and regatta graduation. The watch's dial has a multi-coloured luminescent animation and a regatta countdown gauge design in green and red, capturing the retro 70s aesthetic and adding to its style and spirit. Sideral has water resistance up to 30 bar (300m), and is a versatile accessory for various outdoor activities and events.

The Tissot Sideral is equipped with the Powermatic 80 Nivachron movement and a new Tissot skeletonised rotor. It stands out as a statement piece, empowering wearers to express their individuality and distinguish themselves from the crowd. With its vibrant aesthetic and one-of-a-kind bracelet fastening system, this watch is destined to draw attention.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail
Around 22 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) households may not get benefits under the Karnataka government's Anna Bhagya scheme immediately as they do not have bank accounts, an official statement said. The Anna Bhagya scheme in Karnataka pledges to provide additional 5 kg of free rice to every member of a BPL household. (ANI Photo)(Arunkumar Rao)

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to launch the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the scheme - which pledges to provide additional 5 kg of free rice to every member of a BPL household - at around 5 pm this evening. The scheme was one of the five main election guarantees made by the Congress party before its massive win in the May 10 assembly election in the southern state.

READ | Direct bank transfer for Anna Bhagya scheme to begin on Monday evening, says Karnataka minister

Of the total 1.28 crore ration cards registered in Karnataka under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, 99 per cent are seeded with Aadhaar numbers, of which 1.06 crore - making up 82 per cent of the pool - are linked with active bank accounts. Cash benefit will be transferred to these card holders, while the government will inform the remaining to open new accounts, the official statement said.

"A total of 1.27 crore ration cards have one member designated as Head of the Households (HoH). Cash will be transferred to the bank accounts of these HoH. Of them 94 per cent are women and five per cent are men," it added.

READ | Karnataka: Siddaramaiah-led govt to give cash instead of rice under Anna Bhagya Scheme

The Siddaramaiah-led leadership in Karnataka decided last week to give cash to the beneficiaries instead of rice after facing a shortage in supply. Cash at the rate of 34 per kilo will be credited to the beneficiaries' accounts. Muniyappa assured that the money would be transferred into the beneficiaries' account in 15 days. The scheme is expected to reach 4.41 crore beneficiaries.

(With PTI inputs)
Mysuru police arrested a man on Sunday for allegedly cheating multiple women by posing as a doctor or an engineer and getting married to them, reported The Indian Express. The man reportedly duped at least 15 women and got married to them, before he was caught. Bengaluru man marries 15 women by faking as a doctor and engineer, arrested

Also Read - Yuva Brigade member stabbed to death after 'Hanuma Jayanti' celebrations in Mysuru district

According to the report, Mahesh Nayak, a resident of Bengalurus Banashankari created matrimonial profiles, claiming to be doctor, engineer and even a civil contractor. The 35-year-old accused had married at least 15 women from 2014 and is a father of four children. He also established a fake clinic in Tumakuru and hired a nurse to picture himself as a practise doctor.

A software engineer who he married has filed a complaint and he was caught on Sunday at Mysuru. Many of his victims reached out to police and told how he duped them in the pretext of being a doctor and engineer. One of the victims also said that he harassed her for money to establish a clinic. She further alleged that he had fled with her jewelry after she denied giving him money.

An attempt to murder case was filed on Mahesh Nayak by his father earlier, the publication further reported. Police are interrogating the accused to find more details of the victims that fell in his prey

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Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said that the state police are thoroughly investigating the murder case of a Jain monk Kaamakumar Nandi of Aacharya Kaamakumar Nandi Aashram in Belagavi district. He also said that a few protesters are demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) inquiry and clarified that there is no need for CBI's involvement in the case. Karnataka home G Parameshwara in Bengaluru, Karnataka.(AP File Photo)

Also Read - 12 more detained after monk found murdered in Karnataka

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the home minister said, There is absolutely no question of any discrimination in the investigation process. Our police will arrest all the people involved in the case and a legal action will be taken. I met the Jain monks who were protesting in Hubballi, and they demanded a CBI inquiry on the matter. G Parameshwara further said that the Karnataka police are competent enough to solve the case. I do not think there is a need for CBI's involvement in this case. Karnataka police are capable enough to arrest the accused and solve the case. There is no pressure on the police, and they are working hard without any bias, added the home minister.

On Sunday, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that there are a few doubts on the murder of a Jain monk and demanded the ruling government for an impartial investigation.

Meanwhile, Karnataka police detained at least 12 people on Sunday for questioning in this case. Chikkodis deputy SP Basavaraj Yaligar said, Although both the accused, arrested on Saturday, confessed that they were solely responsible for the murder of the monk, the police are conducting additional investigations as the motive behind the murder is believed to be related to a money matter.

According to the primary investigation, Acharya Sri Kamakumara Maharaj of Nandi Parvat Jain ashram at Hirekodi village in Chikkodi taluk, was allegedly murdered over a money dispute on July 6 by one of his devotees in the ashram. The primary accused along with another accused were arrested on Saturday.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has hit out at the Congress government in Karnataka over the gruesome murder of Jain monk Acharya Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj in Belagavi and blamed its anti-Hindu" policies for the crime. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Secretary General, Milind Parande.(ANI photo)

The Digambar Jain monk was reportedly murdered due to a money-related dispute, and two accused have been arrested in the matter -- one of them was a devotee of the victim. The murder was uncovered on Saturday, two days after the monk was reported missing by the manager of the ashram where he used to stay. Police recovered the monk's chopped body parts, which were dumped in a defunct borewell by the accused.

READ | 12 more detained after monk found murdered in Karnataka

The VHP on Sunday demanded that those involved in the killing be given capital punishment. VHP general secretary Milind Parande, in a statement, termed the accused as jihadis, stating that sadhus and seers are not safe in the state today, whereas Islamic jihadis and extremists" are enjoying the liberty of roaming free".

According to the police, the two persons arrested in the case have been identified as Narayana Basappa Madi and Hassan Dalayath, who committed the crime as they were unable to repay a loan of 6 lakh, lent by the Jain muni.

The abduction of venerable Jain Acharya, who taught the lesson of non-violence to the world, and then the chopping of his holy body by Jihadis seems somehow to be the result of the anti-Hindu policies of the Congress-led government in the state, Parande said.

READ | Belagavi: Missing monks body recovered, two arrested

Ever since the ministers of the new government in the state have been talking about removing the anti-cow slaughter law and the anti-conversion law, the audacity of the 'dharma-drohi' (anti-religion) and anti-national forces has increased. Due to the anti-Hindu policies of the government, neither the sadhus nor the Bharatiya society is safe in the state today. If anyone is enjoying the liberty of roaming free in the state, they are Islamic Jihadis and extremists, he added.

Leaders from the opposition BJP also demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.

(With PTI inputs)
A 'Yuva Brigade' member was allegedly stabbed to death at T Narasipura in the district following a clash between two groups of youths during 'Hanuma Jayanti' celebrations, police said on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Venugopal Nayak (32), a resident of Srirampura colony, T Narasipur. (HT Photo)

The deceased has been identified as Venugopal Nayak (32), a resident of Srirampura colony, T Narasipur.

ALSO READ | Jain monk's murder: VHP slams Karnataka govt; demands 'capital punishment'

According to police sources, there was a clash between two groups of youths during the procession over a petty issue on Saturday.

Following this incident, Nayak was allegedly stabbed with a broken bottle on Sunday night.

ALSO READ | Man stabbed to death in Delhi over 300 bet

Hindutva activist Chakravarti Sulibele, who is the chief of the 'Yuva Brigade', which calls itself an organisation that intends to do "something good for the country", alleged that Nayak was brutally murdered by supporters of the Congress.

"Siddaramayya (Siddaramaiah) 2.0 expanding its tentacles. We lost one of our volunteers yesterday just because he was an active organiser of Hanuma Jayanti! He was brutally murdered by the supporters of Congress...Karnataka burning... Another WB soon to be witnessed... #YuvaBrigade," he tweeted.

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A 59-year old Amarnath pilgrim died of cardiac arrest at the district hospital in Ramban on Monday, said officials. The mortal remains were shifted to government medical college Jammu from where they will be sent to deceaseds hometown. (Representational Photo)

The deceased was identified as Satish Suryavansham, son of Govind Ram of Lakshar in Gwalior.

Ramban deputy magistrate Mussarat Islam said, the pilgrim complained of heartache at Yatri Niwas in Ramban on Monday. He was immediately shifted to district hospital Ramban for treatment. The doctors at the hospital tried to resuscitate him but unfortunately he at 12.10 pm.

It was a case of myocardial infarction, he added.

The DC informed that the pilgrim,on way to the holy cave shrine, had been staying at Yatri Niwas in Ramban for the past four days along with his wife and brother following damage to the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

His mortal remains are being shifted to government medical college Jammu from where they will be sent to his home in Gwalior.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas remained suspended from Jammu City for the third consecutive day on Monday, said officials. The nearly 250 km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH44) suffered extensive damage in Ramban district due to heavy rains in the past two days. The Yatra convoys from Jammu had to pass through Ramban to reach the cave shrine. Pilgrims headed to the Himalayan shrine of Amarnath prepare food in the shade of a parked bus outside a base camp in Jammu. (AP Photo)

The yatra remains suspended from Jammu due to bad condition of the highway. No fresh batch was allowed to move towards Kashmir from Jammu base camp on Monday morning, a senior officer said. The highway remains closed due to restoration works in Ramban district.

1745 hrs, July 10 - Following approach road cave in at Panthyal on July 8, diversion from Tunnel T-3 towards Tunnel T-5 over bridge by NHAI reaches last mile coverage, the deputy magistrate of Ramban district Mussarat Islam wrote on official twitter handle.

When contacted, Islam said, NHAI is working full throttle to restore the affected road stretch between T3 and T5 tunnels. It was basically a temporary stretch that was washed away due heavy rains on Saturday.

Islam also informed that substantial progress has also been achieved by NHAI in laying of interim bypass at Seri, to restore connectivity on NH-44. Another stretch road of the highway had caved in Chenab river due to heavy rains. He informed that around seven JCBs and heavy machineries have been working non-stop to restore the affected stretches.

The DC, who personally visited the affected stretches on Monday and supervised the restoration works, said, We are well on track and hope to restore the highway at the earliest.

He said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is working round-the-clock at Chamba-Seri and is working on an alternate alignment to ensure early restoration of the road. The restoration work will take some time. The stranded vehicles will be cleared on priority once the road is made motorable, he said. However, no fresh traffic will be allowed either from Jammu or Srinagar till the clearance of the stranded vehicles, he added. On Kashmir bound Amarnath pilgrims left stranded in Ramban due to closure of the highway, the deputy magistrate said, Nearly 5,000 pilgrims have been kept in Yatri Niwas at Ramban where administration is providing them boarding and lodging besides arranging indoor games for them. We are also showing them religious movies on a big video screen. Over, 6,000 pilgrims are stranded in Jammu, particularly at the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu City. While Yatra remains suspended for the past three days, pilgrims continue to pour into Jammu region via Lakhanpur. A senior police officer informed that to avoid overcrowding in Jammu City, the administration has accommodated some pilgrims at camps in Lakhanpur in Kathua distrdict and Chichi Mata Temple in Samba district. Over 90,000 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath. In view of closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the heavy load carriers have been diverted to Mughal Road to reach Kashmir from Jammu and vice-versa. Mughal Road, an alternate link connecting twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu with the south Kashmirs Shopian district , was through for both-way traffic.
Local court in Amritsar sent Congresss former deputy chief minister Om Parkash Soni to two-day remand, a day after he was arrested from Chandigarh, on Monday. Punjabs ex-deputy CM OP Soni at a private hospital in Amritsar on Monday. Senior Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring enquired about his health. (HT Photo)

However, soon after his appearance in court, Soni was admitted to a private hospital here. The ex-deputy CM was arrested on Sunday for amassing assets disproportionately to his known sources of income from 2016 to 2022.

According to Vigilance Bureau, from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2022, the income of the Congress leader and his family was 4,52,18,771, while the expenditure was 12,48,42,692, which was 7,96,23,921 or 176.08% more than his known sources of income.

During this period, the accused had allegedly made properties in the name of his wife Suman Soni and son Raghav Soni, a VB official said on the condition of anonymity.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Vigilance, Amritsar, Varinder Singh Sandhu said the court has granted Sonis two-day remand. Sonis doctors, however, have said that he is a heart patient and his blood pressure has been increasing. He is now admitted to a hospital.

Soni is the fourth former Congress minister to be arrested. The vigilance has already arrested former ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sunder Sham Arora. Soni is among ten former ministers, including former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who are facing vigilance investigations.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders, including Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition (LoP) in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, held a press conference in Amritsar terming the vigilance action against Soni as political vendetta.

Warring said Soni was arrested as per the scripted story of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Earlier, too, our leaders were arrested by vigilance. Its a vendetta politics. There is a zero recovery from our leaders, many of whom have already been granted bail, he said.

Soni had cooperated with the vigilance team whenever called. He provided all records of his property to VB, but still, he was arrested. The VB should show in public the record if Soni has done anything wrong. This is a fake case registered under political pressure, he said.

He said earlier, the state government wanted to entangle Soni in a health department-related scam, but nothing was found.

Bajwa said that AAP has clear double standards. On one hand, it has accused Congress time and again, and on the other, they seek support from Congress on the ordinance brought by the BJP-led central government.

Its not only AAP Punjab leaders, legislators and cabinet ministers including Fauja Singh Srari, Amit Rattan Kotfatta, Vijay Singla, Sarbjit Kaur Manuke, Lal Chand Katarichak, and Surinder Kamboj (father of MLA Goldy Kamboj), who are facing grave charges of corruption and other sordid practice, but the senior leaders of AAP, including Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are also facing serious corruption accusations, Bajwa said.

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With barely 35 days to go for the retirement of the incumbent director general of police (DGP), PK Agrawal, on August 15, the Haryana government will on Tuesday send a proposal containing the names of nine IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select the next head of the state police force. New Haryana DGP: Nine IPS officers to figure in Haryanas list to UPSC

However, the proposal prepared by the state government does not seem to be in line with the Supreme Courts directives and undertakings given by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) in the apex court.

The state government after taking an undertaking from 1988 batch IPS officer Manoj Yadava  that he does not want to come back to the state to lead the force- has decided to omit his name from the proposal. Yadava, a former DGP who is at present on central deputation as DG (investigation), NHRC is the senior most IPS officer in the Haryana cadre.

A combined reading of the SC ruling (in Prakash Singh judgment) and the MHA undertaking brings out that the DGP will be selected by the state government from amongst the three senior-most officers empanelled for promotion to that rank by the UPSC on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force and the consent of an officer is not required for the purpose of empanelment as DGP of the state.

Yadavas name went to UPSC even when he wanted to demit DGPs office.

The argument taken by home minister Anil Vij that Yadavas name be omitted from the proposal being sent to the UPSC since the former DGP has expressed his unwillingness to come back to his parent cadre does not cut ice in light of the MHAs January 23, 2023 undertaking before an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud. In response to a query, the MHA told the apex court that the consent of an officer is not required for the purpose of empanelment as DGP of the state. The MHA response came during the hearing of an interlocutory application filed by the Nagaland government.

In fact, the name of Yadava, being the senior most Haryana IPS, had figured in the July 2021 proposal sent to the UPSC for shortlisting a panel of three senior-most officers for selection of his successor as the DGP even when he had expressed his willingness to go back on the central deputation.

Akil, Mishra and Kapur in the reckoning

The nine IPS officers whose names are being sent to the UPSC are in the rank of director general or additional director general of police and have completed at least 30 years of service as on the date of the occurrence of the vacancy will fall in the zone of consideration. They are - 1989 batch officers, Muhammad Akil and RC Mishra; two 1990 batch officers- Shatrujeet Kapur and Desh Raj Singh; a 1991 batch officer Alok Kumar Roy; two 1992 batch officers- OP Singh and Ajay Singhal; and two 1993 batch officers- Alok Mittal and AS Chawla. The name of 1991 batch IPS officer, SK Jain has been held back as he was could not get an integrity certificate from the state government, having adverse entries in his service records.

The proposal will be sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which will prepare a panel of three officers and communicate it to the state government. The state government will select the next DGP from among the three shortlisted officers.

It seems quite clear now that 1989 batch IPS officers, Akil and Mishra and 1990 batch officer, Shatrujeet Kapur will make the cut.

Why SC sought MHAs opinion

The SC on January 9, 2023 while hearing an interlocutory application had asked the MHA to file an affidavit on whether concurrence of an officer is necessary for empanelling him/her for appointment as DGP where the officer is on central deputation and whether the services of A. Sunil Acharya were required due to the exigencies of service on central deputation or whether he can be empanelled for the post of DGP, Nagaland in view of the fact that a sufficient number of eligible officers are not available for empanelment.

The MHA clarified the position stating that the consent of the officer is not required for the purpose of empanelment as DGP of the state but since Acharya is on central deputation, posted as additional secretary in the cabinet secretariat, having regard to the nature of the posting, it would not be possible to relieve him for appointment as DGP, Nagaland.

Officials said that state government could have chosen a more appropriate path by requesting the MHA to make a similar contention before the UPSC in case of Manoj Yadava.

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: With northern districts of Haryana continuing to witness heavy spells of rain and rising water levels in Ghaggar and Yamuna rivers, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led government on Monday swung into action and focused on rescue operations to minimise the damage. MKhattar presses for quick evacuation as rains inundate Haryana

Chief minister Khattar held back-to-back meetings since morning with administrative secretaries and later with deputy commissioners (DCs) and asked the officials to ensure complete coordination.

Timely delivery of food packets in the waterlogged areas should also be ensured, Khattar asked the DCs.

The water level of Yamuna, Ghaggar and other small rivers is increasing continuously and hitting the danger mark, because of continuous rains in Himachal Pradesh. Therefore quick evacuation arrangements should be made to ensure that people living in the low-lying areas are timely vacated, he said.

According to reports, the deluge-like situation has caused massive damage to infrastructure, especially roads and bridges. The roads caved in Panchkula, Ambala and Karnal, while bridges, large as well as small, also collapsed.

A senior government functionary said the extent of the damage to infrastructure was yet to be assessed as primary focus of the government was on rescue and relief operations.

According to deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, water level of Yamuna increased after 3-lakh cusecs water from Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar district was released in the Yamuna river. He said the water level in Hathnikund barrage had reached alarming levels.

Later, the government issued an alert in many villages of Sonepat and Panipat along the Yamuna river, asking people to stay in a safe place.

Similarly, the water level of Ghaggar has also crossed the danger mark and the state government is monitoring the situation, Chautala said.

As the rains battered the region leading to flood-like situation in the rivers and plains of Yamuna and its tributaries, districts like Ambala, Yamunanagar and Karnal were severely affected.

Police have deployed State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of IRB Haryana to take charge of the rescue operations in these districts. A team comprising 74 police personnel, specially trained in flood rescue operations, has been deployed to handle rescue efforts.

Police have also deployed two deputy superintendents of police (DSP) and one inspector in each affected districts to coordinate and lead the rescue operations.

The situation is being closely monitored, and additional measures are being taken as required to ensure the safety and welfare of the people in the affected regions, a police spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also pressed into action and the government was also in contact with the Army.

The officials present in the meeting with CM said water level of the Tangri river in Ambala has also increased to 21,000 cusecs from its natural level of 13,000 cusecs. The water level of the Markanda River in Ambala district in the safe zone is 50,000 cusecs and it is expected to increase in the coming days.

Possibility of similar rainfall till Wednesday

The state government said that as per the meteorological department, there is a possibility of similar rainfall till Wednesday.

The chief minister said that after information was received about 10 to 12 people of Haryana stranded in Kullu-Manali, he spoke with Himachal Pradesh chief minister urging him to ensure the safety of people of the state.

Khattar said that due to excessive rains in many places of Himachal Pradesh, rain water is expected to reach Haryana in next few days.

The officers should make all necessary arrangements in this regard and also direct the field officers to gear up to tackle any situation, Khattar said, directing the DCs to keep a close vigil on every situation, along with timely drainage of water and smooth traffic movement.

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Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed to have arrested some former militants, Hurriyat members and others during a raid on a hotel where they were allegedly planning to revive banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Hurriyat Conference. The arrests were made from Abi Guzar area of the Srinagar city. (Representational Photo)

In a late night tweet, Srinagar Police said that they took the group to police station Kothibagh. A search was conducted on basis of credible info about meeting of some ex-terrorists of JKLF & erstwhile separatists in a hotel in Srinagar.They were brought to Kothibagh PS for verification.Inquiry has started, prima facie it came out that they were planning to revive JKLF & Hurriyat,  the tweet said.

Earlier, the Itehad ul Muslimeen, in a statement, said its chairperson Moulana Masroor Ansari, who has been an executive member of moderate Hurriyat, was detained along with other participants during an Eid Milan gathering.

The arrests were made from Abi Guzar area of the city. The party said that the event was scheduled to take place at a hotel located near the Kothibagh Police Station. After abrogation of Article 370, security forces had launched massive crackdown against separatist leadership, even Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is still under house arrest. The offices of different separatist groups have been raided or closed.
Radical Sikh leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has moved high court challenging the order of the Amritsar deputy commissioner of not allowing a meeting between him and a lawyer of his choice. The plea also demands that NSA accused also be allowed to communicate with their lawyers through phone. (File photo)

Besides him, Harjit Singh, Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi and Varinder Singh Faulji, all detained under the National Security Act-1980, have also challenged the July 6 order of the DC with which permission sought by a high court lawyer, Navkiran Singh, for a meeting was denied stating that these persons have already given their consent to take another advocate as their counsel.

The plea says the law of the land through Article 22(1) mandates that a detenue has a right to consult and be defended by a lawyer of his choice and the action of the DC in denying the access to lawyer of their choice is denial of access to justice. The order passed by the DC is most arbitrary and whimsical and amounts to denial of access to justice.

The plea also seeks directions for arranging a meeting between the lawyer and the petitioners so that they can make effective defence in the criminal cases as well as challenge the orders passed under the NSA by Punjab. The plea also demands that NSA accused also be allowed to communicate with their lawyers through phone.

Besides this plea, Gur Aujla, another aide of Amritpal Singh, has moved a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the DC. Plea claims, on April 18, the high court had passed an order to decide application for meeting with his lawyer as per law. But the DC denied the permission.

All of these are lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and were detained in the operation undertaken by the Centre and Punjab following crackdown launched on March 18 against the Waris Punjab De chief. He was nabbed following an almost month-long chase. A total of 10 persons, including Amritpal Singh, are lodged in Assam jail, against whom NSA has been invoked.
The swollen Sutlej breached several banks threatening to flood Jalandhar rural on Monday. NDRF teams carrying rescue operations in Janiyan village in Jalandhar district on Monday

However, no loss of life and property has been reported so far as the breaches are being plugged and the water has not entered residential areas. However, thousands of acres of agricultural land under paddy crop got submerged in the water in the villages where the breaches were reported.

On Monday evening, a fresh breach, nearly 20-ft long, has been reported in Mandala village of the Lohian Khas area, creating panic among the locals and administrative officials as they are presently toiling hard to control the situation.

Panic gripped Phillaur area, which is situated adjacent to Sutlej, due to high-water levels. The water entered the premises of the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, and several villages situated in the low-lying areas near the river.

Dozens of vehicles parked in the Academy were submerged under water forcing police personnel to quickly evacuate the premises to ensure no loss of life and property.

As per available information, the low-lying villages, which are situated near the Dhusi bandh, under the jurisdiction of Phillaur, Nakodar and Shahkot sub-divisions are vulnerable to floods.

Due to breaches, the water has accumulated in the Shaniganjh, Miowali, Mandala Chhana Pipli Miani and Ghatikasu Mandi villages and people have shifted their valuables to the rooftops, besides shifting their livestock to safer places.

This happens every year. The villagers residing near the bank of Sutlej have to go through this annually. The water has not reached residential areas but the situation is turning grim with every hour as 2-3 feet deep water has already accumulated in the paddy fields, said Major Singh of Mandela village.

The administration also rushed to the spot and asked the people from affected areas to move to safer places besides disconnecting the power connections to avoid any untoward incident.

Admn in contact with managements of Bhakra and Pong Dams

Meanwhile, the Jalandhar administration team rescued a family stuck in the village Uccha Khera Bet on the bank of Satluj, which falls in Ludhiana district jurisdiction.

Jalandhar deputy commissioner Vishesh Sarangal said a few breaches were reported in the wee hours on Monday but were promptly plugged to prevent further damage.

We are continuously monitoring the situation and have already asked people of nearly 50 villages in Phillaur, Nakodar and Shahkot, located in flood-prone areas, to move to safer places. We are keeping extra vigil in the villages falling in the jurisdiction of Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian, and Phillaur and the panchayats have been asked to do night patrolling (Thikri Pehra) in the wake of the emerging situation out of incessant rains. We are closely monitoring the flow of the water in Sutlej, Sarangal said.

Doaba region sandwiched between Sutlej on one side and Beas on the other, remained tense throughout the day on Monday.

Due to incessant rainfall over the past three days, the region comprising Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Nawashahr recorded several incidents of water accumulation in the villages, highways and link roads situated on the embankments of Sutlej and Beas and its rivulets.

Kapurthala deputy commissioner Capt Karnail Singh has issued orders to evacuate nearly 40 potentially affected villages as a precautionary measure due to the raising water level in Beas and Sutlej.

Eight relief camps have been set up. Apart from this, adequate arrangements have been made for medicines, he said.

He said that clusters of potentially affected villages should be formed so that flood prevention measures may be implemented smoothly.

The officials of the drainage department are keeping constant contact with the officials of the BBMB regarding the release of water from the Bhakra and Pong Dams, he said.

Meanwhile, senior superintendent of police Rajpal Singh Sandhu said that additional force is being provided for potentially affected areas.

Teams of 10 comprising police and swimmers have been formed equipped with boats, ropes and other rescue equipment, he said.

In Nawashahr, the situation is under control after Sundays rainfall that created fury in the district that resulted in the accumulation of water on the Chandigarh-Phagwara National Highway. Though the water on the national highway has started receiving both sides of the national highway are still under 4-6 feet of water at many places.

SBS Nagar deputy commissioner Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa said all the choked siphons and rivulets have been cleared to streamline the flow of the water.

We are specifically focussing on the villages situated in low-lying areas, including Malikpur, Charan, Majoor, Mirpur, and Rakashan Kanon villages, he said.

In Hoshiarpur, there is no overnight rainfall, which helped in normalising the situation in rain-affected villages.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Navrajdeep Singh Navrajdeep Singh is a senior staff correspondent. He covers agriculture, crime, local bodies, health and education in the Patiala district of Punjab. ...view detail
NEW DELHI: A 28-year-old woman, who worked at a government dispensary in south Delhi, was found dead in a luxury hotel room in east Delhi on Sunday afternoon, police said on Monday. Police said the woman, 28, was was in a relationship with a person and her parents were objecting to it (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Amrutha Guguloth said the woman was suspected to have died by suicide. Guguloth said it was learnt that the woman was in a relationship with a person, and her parents were objecting to it. She was apparently not happy with this situation. This may have driven her to take the extreme step, she added.

The woman left home without telling anyone on Friday and checked into the hotel for a days stay. On Saturday, she informed the hotel authorities that she was extending her stay for another day.

Her family, meanwhile, told the police that she left the house on Friday without informing anyone in the family. The family lodged her missing complaint at the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station.

Around 3 pm, when the hotel staff tried to contact the woman for the payment of the extended stay, there was no response from the room she was staying in. The hotel staff found the room locked from inside. They opened it using the master key and found the woman hanging from the water sprinkler in the room. Accordingly, the police station was informed about the suicide, said the DCP.

Police said statements from her father and brother were recorded. They told the police that she left the house on Friday without informing anyone in the family and that they had lodged a missing complaint at the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station.

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As monsoon woes continue to impact Delhi, the extent of it has reached the city's south-east area where a government-owned godown was submerged in water ruining chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's relief kits. According to a report by India Today, downpours have kits with Kejriwal's photo meant to be distributed among people below the poverty line. Visuals of CM's emergency kits destroyed due to rain.(via India Today)

Follow Monsoon LIVE updates here

As per the report, a godown in Jangpura's ward number 142 was waterlogged, as was the case with several other places in Delhi, which eventually damaged a substantial amount of CM's donation kit. The visuals showed workers pulling out the damaged kits, in an attempt to protect them from further damage.

Delhi received 153 mm of rain on July 8 and 9 -- breaking the record of decades. The evacuation of the people in the low-lying areas around the Yamuna River will start once the river breaches the 206-metre mark, Kejriwal said.

Assuaging fear triggered by Sunday's flood warning in Delhi after Haryana released more than 1 lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnukind barrage, Kejriwal on Monday said this is not the time to point fingers at each other. Delhi government is prepared for all emergencies though according to the weather predictions, the intensity of the rain will gradually decrease, Kejriwal said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday, a day after his government issued a flood warning amid heavy rain as the Haryana government released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna River from the HathniKund Barrage in Yamunanagar. A view of Pragati Maidan underpass as the tunnel is closed due to water logging after rains at Mathura Road in New Delhi on Saturday, (Raj K Raj/ HT)

Kejriwal will also discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, news agency PTI reported.

"As per our calculations, it seems that by tomorrow morning, the water level of river Yamuna will cross the danger mark. We are monitoring the flow of water in case the rainfall continues... It is expected that the river will cross the danger mark tomorrow, at Old Yamuna Railway Bridge. Announcements have been made, and people living in flood plains are being evacuated. Boats have been stationed and they have proper rescue equipment. Arrangements are being made for people who have been evacuated... The CM has called a review meeting today," Delhi's PWD minister Atishi told reporters.

Top updates on Delhi-NCR weather news

1. The meeting with Kejriwal will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It is expected to be attended by senior officials of the irrigation and flood control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

2. On Sunday, the Delhi government issued a flood warning as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.

3. Delhi recorded 153mm rainfall between 8:30am on Saturday to 8:30am on Sunday morning which is the third highest single-day rainfall for July over a 24-hour period and more rains are expected on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said

4. At 8am on Monday, the water level of the river was recorded at 203.33 metres at Old Railway Bridge. The warning level of the river is 204.50 metres.

5. The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday.

6. Shahdara district police on Sunday visited the Yamuna floodplains and alerted the residents about the rising water level. The police also urged local residents to shift to a safer place amid the rising levels of the Yamuna.

7. Pragati Maidan Tunnel has been temporarily closed for traffic due to waterlogging.

8. All schools across Delhi and the National Capital Region remin closed on Monday, July 10. Kejriwal had earlier cancelled the Sunday leave for government officials after incidents of waterlogging were reported from across the city, and had ordered them to report to work.

9. In Gurugram, district administration officials said schools will remain closed on Monday for students safety due to rainfall and waterlogged roads.

10. In Gautam Budh Nagar, the district magistrate ordered that all schools from Classes 1 to 12 remain closed on Monday due to heavy rainfall.

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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said there is no flood threat in Delhi now because of Yamuna's water level rising after two days of non-stop rain in the Capital. As the two-day rain brought Delhi to its knee raising questions over the civic infrastructure of the Capital, Kejriwal said Delhi's systems are not designed to take such unprecedented rain. Delhi received 153 mm of rain on July 8 and 9 -- breaking the record of decades. The evacuation of the people in the low-lying areas around the Yamuna River will start once the river breaches the 206-metre mark, Kejriwal said. Delhi rain: Kejriwal convened a meeting on Monday to review the rain situation in the capital.

Monsoon mayhem in North India: Follow LIVE updates

Assuaging fear triggered by Sunday's flood warning in Delhi after Haryana released more than 1 lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnukind barrage, Kejriwal on Monday said this is not the time to point fingers at each other. Delhi government is prepared for all emergencies though according to the weather predictions, the intensity of the rain will gradually decrease, Kejriwal said.

Not only in Delhi, but the entire North India received unprecedented rain. People are facing difficulties everywhere. This is not a time to point fingers that why this happened. I believe all parties and all governments are working their best in the affected areas, Kejriwal said adding that all efforts are less given the situation.

How much rain can Delhi take? Kejriwal said, "In the last few years, there have been instances where the rainfall crossed 100mm. There were incidents of waterlogging in some areas. But those were managed within a few hours."

Delhi flood alert: Has flood ever occurred in Delhi?

Speaking on flood alert in Delhi, Kejriwal said the situation depends both on rain inside Delhi and the water release into the Yamuna river from Haryana. The second factor is more important, Kejriwal said. "There was a flood once in 1978 when 7 lakh cusec water was released from Hathnikund. But in 2013,2019, there was no flood," Kejriwal added.

Delhi rain: Massive waterlogging, schools closed

The two-day rain led to waterlogging in areas never recorded before in Delhi. There was knee- to ankle-deep water in areas of Connaught Place on Sunday. All schools remained closed on Monday. The functioning of the Delhi high court was also affected on Monday because of water leakage in some courtrooms.

Delhi rain: Political slugfest

As visuals of Delhi turning into a river city emerged on social media, the BJP trained the gun on the AAP government accusing it of civic failure. BJP leaders demanded the resignation of Delhi PWD minister Atishi.

Why did it rain so much in Delhi? How long will it continue?

The combination of an active monsoon trough over Delhi and the Western Disturbances resulted in record-breaking rainfall in Delhi on July 8 and 9. According to the IMD bulletin, Delhi-NCR will continue to receive more rain in specific areas in the next five days.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Union government on a petition by the Delhi government challenging the validity of an ordinance that gives the Centre control over the state bureaucracy. The bench declined a request by the city government to put the executive order on hold but agreed to examine the issue on Monday after the Delhi government pointed out that the ordinance was used to sack 400 specialists in the city. The Supreme Court said it will take up on Monday next the request for stay of the ordinance (Amal KS/HT File Photo)

The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha also allowed an additional prayer by the Delhi government to add lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena as a respondent and issued notice to the LG.

Either this court should consider staying the ordinance or this order of the LG firing independent consultants of the Delhi government has to be stayed, said senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Delhi government.

The court asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, and senior advocate Sanjay Jain, who appeared for the LG, to submit a response to the plea for a stay on the ordinance.

Both the Centre and LG opposed the interim relief being considered by the court in an unrelated matter about removal of 400 persons. One of the persons removed is wife of a member of legislative assembly (MLA). It has become a norm to approach the Supreme Court on every matter. None of the dismissed persons have approached the court, Mehta said.

Sanjay Jain added: The affected persons can go to the high court. How can Article 32 power of this Court be utilised to question the removal of 400 party workers.

Singhvi said that he will move the application challenging the decision of LG which came on July 3, long after the petition challenging the ordinance was filed on June 30 in the top court.

We are seeking a qualified stay. These persons had been working with reputed organisations. Now, their salaries have stopped by the LG order. I have approached this court as I am their employer, added Singhvi.

The Delhi government said that if it was to separately challenge the LG order before any Court, the Centre and LG will defend it by citing the ordinance. Responding to Tushar Mehtas submission that an ordinance is sought to be challenged under the garb of the order firing 400 party workers, Singhvi said, Let them make a statement that the removal is unconnected with the ordinance. I will withdraw my application.

The court told Mehta: You look at their (Delhi government) prayer for interim relief. We will take it up on Monday next. He is pressing for stay of the ordinance. If he wants to move an application, we cannot prevent him.

Singhvi listed several instances where the Supreme Court exercised its powers to stay an ordinance. If an ordinance seeks to nullify the powers of the Constitution, this court has always granted stay, Singhvi said, pointing out that the ordinance introduced changes in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act in an effort to overturn the Supreme Courts May 11 ruling that snubbed the Centre for bringing a notification in 2015 taking away Delhi governments control over services.

The May 11 judgment talks about federalism, decentralisation, democratic governance and the triple chain of command necessary for any democratically elected government in justifying Delhi governments control on transfer and posting of bureaucrats, Singhvi said.

The ordinance sought to strengthen the position of the LG in being the final authority in deciding matters relating to the transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

The ordinance introduced a whole new chapter, Part IVA, in the GNCTD Act to create the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) comprising the chief minister as ex-officio chairperson and the chief secretary and home secretary as its other two members. This body would recommend transfers, postings and disciplining of civil servants posted in GNCTDs domain to the LG.

Terming the new body to be illegal, Singhvi said, Can you imagine a meeting where the chief minister sits with bureaucrats who can outvote him and they will refer the matter to the LG. You may as well not have Article 239AA of the Constitution.

The May 11 judgment said that Article 239AA, which provides for a legislative assembly for Delhi, exempts only three entries in the State List of the Constitution  namely land, public order and police  from the purview of the Delhi Assembly. On all other entries, the judgment held, the Delhi government will have legislative and executive control. The top court was of the view that a democratically elected government is responsible for the decisions and policies which must be implemented through the bureaucracy and hence collective responsibility is an important component of parliamentary democracy.

The petition by the Delhi government, drafted by advocates Shadan Farasat and Hrishika Jain, said the ordinance shows contempt for the elected government by vesting control over civil servants in the hands of the Union. By conferring wide discretionary powers on civil servants to override the government of national capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD), the ordinance in effect and design allows the Union to take over the governance of Delhi, it added.

Though the ordinance feigns a degree of democratic involvement by making stray references to the chief minister, it in fact relegates the chief minister to being a minority voice even in the authority tasked with making nonbinding recommendations.

The petition even questioned the timing of the ordinance which was promulgated on May 19, the last working day of the Supreme Court before the summer vacation, claiming that the exercise by Centre was an abuse of the ordinance-making power.

Apart from the present proceedings, the bench headed by CJI is also hearing a separate petition filed by Delhi government where part of the ordinance (Section 45D) is challenged while questioning Centres June 21 decision to appoint a former Allahabad high court judge as chairperson of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) bypassing the Delhi government. The matter is expected to come up on Tuesday pending which the Delhi government had agreed to put the oath-taking ceremony on hold.
The Supreme Court will take up on Friday the bail petition of Delhis former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader claimed that his wifes health condition is precarious. Supreme Court of India. (ANI Photo)

Sisodia is in jail in connection with separate probes being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha informed Sisodia that his petition filed last week had already been listed by the Registry for July 17.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who appeared for the former Delhi deputy CM requested to advance the hearing to Friday citing his wifes ill-health. The petitioners wife is not well. The lady for the second time has been hospitalised. I am seeking an urgent hearing on July 14.

The bench allowed the request and advanced the hearing date.

Sisodia had approached the top court against two separate orders passed by the Delhi high court, rejecting bail. On July 3, the HC refused to release him on bail in the ED case while by an earlier order of May 30, he was denied bail in the CBI case.

In his petition filed through advocate Vivek Jain, Sisodia told the top court that the chargesheet has already been filed by the CBI where the charges against him are punishable with less than seven years imprisonment. He pointed out that other co-accused were already out on bail.

Even in the ED case, Sisodia stated that the probe conducted so far has not traced any proceeds of the alleged crime to him, and in the absence of any evidence to link him with alleged money laundering, he deserves to be granted bail.

In its July 3 order, the Delhi high court bench of justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said that the case against Sisodia did not fulfill the triple test for granting bail as also the twin bail conditions laid under Section 45 of the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA).

The triple test referred to by the high court allows an accused to be released on bail if he fulfills three parameters  accused is not a flight risk, does not influence witnesses and wont tamper with the evidence. In addition, for offences under PMLA, bail under Section 45 can be granted if the Court forms a prima facie view that the accused is not guilty of the offense and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.

Prior to the HC order, even the trial judge had refused him bail on April 28 by a detailed order. The trial court had observed that based on the evidence collected so far, it can be clearly inferred that the applicant (Sisodia) was related to the generation of proceeds of crime of around 100 Crores in the form of kickbacks which were paid by the South lobby to the co-accused Vijay Nair, who is AAPs communication in-charge.

While declining bail in the CBI case, HC noted that due to the high political positions held by the accused and his position in the party in power in Delhi, the possibility of influencing the witnesses could not be ruled out.

The CBI had arrested Sisodia on February 26 following an FIR registered in August 2022 under Indian Penal Code Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 477A (falsification of accounts) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (illegal gratification) in connection with irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of Delhi for the year 2021-22.

Of these offences, Section 477A IPC carries the maximum sentence of seven years. In the charge sheet, other sections under IPC and PC Act were added.

The CBI probe into Delhis excise case was ordered on a complaint by the Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in July where he sought a detailed investigation into rules being tweaked to benefit certain individuals and liquor barons. There were also suggestions of kickbacks being paid to those in power reaching up to Sisodia, who held the Excise portfolio.

It was under him, the 2021-22 excise policy was introduced in November 2021. The policy earned Delhi government 8,919.59 crore, estimated to be 27% higher than the base price bids at which the licenses were awarded.
KOLKATA: Each of West Bengals 339 centres to count the votes cast for the panchayat elections will be guarded by one company of central armed police force (CAPF), the state election commission (SEC) told the Calcutta high court on Monday. The counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls will be held on Tuesday. The state election commissions assurance to the Calcutta high court came a day before counting of votes of the panchayat elections

There are 339 counting centres across the state. Each would be guarded by one company of central armed police force along with state armed police, Jishnu Saha, who appeared for SEC, told the high court. A company of a central police force typically has a sanctioned strength of about 135; the operational strength of a company is about 80-90 personnel after accounting for vacancies, leaves and other duties.

The state poll panel, which has the mandate for conducting panchayat and urban local body elections, had sought 822 CAPF companies. Only 649 companies could arrive on the polling day. By Monday afternoon, there were more than 800 companies in the state.

Each strong room would be guarded by one company of central forces They would remain at the counting centres till the results are announced, said a senior BSF officer. Of them, BSF will deploy one to two sections (each section comprises around 9 personnel) in areas around the counting centres to prevent any kind of violence near the centres

Apart from the 339 companies posted for security of the counting centres, the other 460 companies would be deployed in areas where there are chances of post-poll violence. The central forces will seek the help of the state police in sensitive locations.

Our troops and quick reaction teams will patrol the areas to build confidence among the locals. The troops would immediately respond to any kind of adverse situation, said the BSF officer quoted above.

Last week, the high court ordered that central paramilitary forces will remain stationed in the state for at least 10 days after the announcement of panchayat poll results to prevent post-poll violence.

Massive post-poll violence erupted after the results of the 2021 assembly elections were declared on May 2, 2021.

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Revoting was underway at 696 polling booths under enhanced security across West Bengals 19 districts on Monday two days after the killing of at least 18 people, allegations of booth capturing, and harassment of poll officials marred the panchayat polls in the state on Saturday. At least 18 people were killed on the day of polling. (ANI)

One of the persons injured on Saturday succumbed a day later, taking the toll from the violence since the election dates were announced on June 8 to 38 even as central forces were deployed on Calcutta high court orders.

A poll official said re-polling was ordered on 696 booths following the violence on Saturday. Voting started at 7am and will continue until 5pm.

A bulk of polling booths where re-polling was underway were in Murshidabad (175), followed by Malda (109), Nadia (89), Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas (46), North Dinajpur (42), South 24 Parganas (36) and East Midnapore (31). The counting of votes will be held on Tuesday.

State election commissioner Rajiva Sinha called a meeting on Sunday to review the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M)s demands for re-polling even as sporadic violence continued in parts of north and south Bengal.

Officials said central forces were guarding the polling stations where the re-polling was being held.

Looting of ballot papers and rigging were reported on the polling day across the state except in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. Booth-level violence is seeped into the states political culture. In 2018, 23 people died in panchayat poll-related violence. Fifteen people died during a multi-phase panchayat election in 2013.

The Congress moved the Calcutta high court seeking action against Sinha for failing to take steps to stop pre-poll violence. The court, which earlier also pulled up Sinha, on June 15 ordered the deployment of 822 companies of central armed police (CAPF) forces for panchayat polls. But only 649 of them could reach the state on time. CAPF were not allegedly deployed in sensitive areas on Saturday.

At least 11 supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) were among those killed on Saturday.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the violence was restricted to areas around just 60 of the states 61,636 polling booths. He said the violence was part of a conspiracy against Bengal and the TMC. Ghosh questioned will TMC kill its own men while rejecting calls for Presidents rule in Bengal over poll violence.
The counting of votes in the violence-affected panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held on Tuesday. This comes a day after repolling was held across 696 polling booths in 19 districts.



In Bengal's politics, violence during elections is nothing new. Till now, 37 people have lost their lives in this year's elections, with 18 killed on the day of polling on Saturday. In the previous election held in 2018, 23 people were killed with 12 fatalities on the day of polling.



ALSO READ: How death shadowed voters during Bengal panchayat polls



On Saturday, there were reports of widespread violence, looting of ballot papers and rigging in more than 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections. Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party blamed each other for the violence during voting. A CISF paramilitary jawan guards as people wait to cast their votes at a polling booth during panchayat repolls in Nadia district of West Bengal.(PTI)

A total 5.67 crore people living in the state's rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the panchayat system.



West Bengal panchayat election result 2023: How to check vote count, winner

2018 panchayat polls outcome



In the 2018 polls, the Trinamool Congress had won uncontested, 34 per cent of the seats in the panchayat elections. The ruling party has won several seats without contesting this year as well. The opposition had alleged several candidates were stopped from filing nominations by the ruling TMC cadre.

What rural poll results mean for TMC

The panchayat polls were held two years after a high-octane assembly elections which saw the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC secure a third successive win with 213 seats and a vote percentage of 47.9%, which is the second highest vote share for a single party in West Bengals history after the Congresss 49.1% in 1972.



A landslide victory in the rural polls which comprises 65 per cent of the state population will give a major boost to the TMC ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year. In the 2019 polls, the ruling party had won 22 out of 42 seats, facing tough challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party which had clinched 18 seats.



What rural poll results mean for BJP

In the 2021 elections, the BJP had registered its best performance in the state elections with 77 seats and a vote share of 38.1 per cent. In the 2018 panchayat polls, the saffron party had secured the second spot after TMC and made inroads in segments having a significant tribal population. With the Lok Sabha election a year away and Mamata Banerjee being active in forging opposition unity, the BJP faces a tough challenge of repeating the 2019 success in 2024 general elections.

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MUMBAI: Narhari Zirwal, MLA and deputy speaker from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, on Monday proclaimed that 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including chief minister Eknath Shinde, could soon be disqualified. This has angered the Sena, whose spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat retorted that Zirwal ought not to comment on a matter that was beyond his jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the Sena MLAs have sought a week more to reply to the notices issued by speaker Rahul Narwekar on the disqualification issue. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.(ANI)

Read here: SC to hear Uddhav factions symbol petition on July 31

If we consider all the aspects, the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs can be disqualified. But the final decision has to be taken by the speaker and the legislature, and hence it would be unfair on my part to comment further on it, Zirwal told reporters. His statement could aggravate the friction in the three-party government, coming as it does at a time when Shinde and his men are reportedly very upset about the NCP faction being inducted into the coalition government and eating into their slice of the power pie.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLAs have asked for a week more to reply to the notices issued by Speaker Rahul Narwekar on the disqualification issue. Narwekar had issued notices to MLAS of both the factions of the Shiv Sena, seeking their response to the petitions for their disqualification filed by both camps.

Shirsat on Monday said that the Shinde faction MLAs had got the first notice on June 27, 2022, but the speaker had to stay the proceedings because the Shiv Sena (UBT) went to the Supreme Court. Now the speaker has called for an explanation in seven days, he said. However, the notice was issued on last Friday and I got it only today. There are legal angles that need to be checkedwe need to consult lawyers and the party, and this will take time. We are requesting the speaker to give us some time.

Read here: Ajit Pawar will still win Baramati assembly seat, says Rohit Pawar

State industries minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant at a press conference on Monday said that the party would present its case before Narwekar. We have the original documents and numbers, and we have done it all legally, which we will present to the speaker along with examples, he said. We are sure that he will not do injustice to anyone. Beyond that, it would be wrong on our part to comment, especially after the Election Commission has given its decision.

The other burning issue in the government is portfolio allocation and the imminent cabinet expansion. The discontent in the Sena vis-a-vis the NCP joining the government has delayed portfolio allocation to the new entrants for over eight days. There is speculation that the allocation will only take place after the cabinet expansion.

Shirsat said that CM Shinde had had discussions on this issue and it would be done in a day or two. He said that the notices issued by the speaker would not have any impact on the cabinet expansion. Samant, at the press conference, said that portfolios would soon be assigned. It will happen in a few hours, he said. It could be two hours, 20 hours, or 72 hours, we dont know that.

Samant also said that the allotment of portfolios would happen according to the merit of the aspirants. The three leadersCM Eknath Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawarknow Maharashtra and its geography very well, he said. They will allocate the portfolios according to the abilities of the MLAs. We have complete faith in Eknath Shindes leadership and we will accept the decision unanimously made by them. Samant added that ever since Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti, people had realised which party was developing the state and its people.

Read here: Uddhav's 'kalank' jibe at Fadnavis; Gadkari reacts: at such a low level

The Shiv Sena has strongly opposed giving the guardian ministership of Raigad district to Aditi Tatkare of the NCP. Shiv Sena chief whip Bharat Gogavale has been a staunch enemy of the Tatkare family from the MVA government days. We are very firm that the guardian ministership of Raigad should remain with the Shiv Sena, said Gogavale. Hence it was given to Uday Samant of our party. If I get ministership, it will come to me. CM Shinde has given us an assurance. Even Aditis father, Sunil Tatkare, has assured us that the guardian ministership will remain with us.

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Mumbai: A 24-year-old rickshaw driver was recently arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female passenger in Aarey Colony. The accused  identified as Indrajeet Singh  was arrested on Sunday from Uttar Pradesh. HT Image

The incident occurred at 5pm on May 17 when the woman, a homemaker, was returning from CBD Belapur to her Goregaon East residence, Jagdish Deshmukh, senior police inspector of Aarey Sub police station, said. He added that the complainant approached the police on July 6 as she was shocked and scared.

When the auto reached a secluded area in Aarey forest, Singh turned the vehicle onto a narrow lane telling the woman that he had to answer natures call. As he stopped the auto and got off, he groped the woman and sexually assaulted her. The woman screamed and freed herself from his grip and ran towards the road, said Deshmukh. The woman then took another auto which was passing by and reached her house.

The womans husband, who works at a shop in Goregaon, was at work when the incident took place, he said, adding, The woman was scared and had not revealed the incident to anyone. On July 6, she told her aunt about the sexual assault after which they approached the police and registered an FIR.

After scanning the CCTV footage of the Aarey Milk Colony and its entry and exit points, police found that Singh owned the auto rickshaw, Deshmukh said. Upon tracking Singhs mobile phone location, it was revealed that the accused was in Uttar Pradesh. With the help of local police, we arrested Singh and brought him to Mumbai on Monday, he added.

Singh has been booked under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
LUCKNOW An 18-year-old boy, originally from Nepal, has been arrested, along with his two aides, allegedly for stealing vehicles from various locations of Lucknow to buy expensive gifts for his girlfriend. The accused formed a three-member gang that also involved his girlfriends brother and his friend. (HT Photo)

The accused formed a three-member gang that also involved his girlfriends brother and his friend who would steal two-wheelers from various locations, and sell them at a price as low as 2-3 thousand, said Police.

Police have found as many as 17 two-wheelers from their possession which were stolen from various locations of Lucknow. There is a possibility that more vehicles are yet to be retrieved from them as the investigation is underway, said DCP South Vineet Jaiswal.

The prime accused has been identified as Ansh Singh, 18, originally from Nepal. He currently lives in the Manak Nagar area with his family. His gang included his girlfriends brother Deepak Sharma, 22, and his friend Priyanshu Kasyap, 21, both residents of Lucknow, said Police in its press note.

The three were arrested from Lok Bandhu crossing in Krishna Nagar during a vehicle checking drive. As many as 17 two-wheelers, along with a master key to open them, were found from the accused. They had kept them hidden behind bushes in Kashiram colony, said police.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to stealing vehicles in large numbers. The three have even lost count of how many vehicles they have stolen so far. The accused would mostly lift vehicles from near the emergency ward of Lok Bandhu Hospital.

We would steal the vehicles of patients attendees, who often forget to lock their motorbikes. We would also pose as informal valets and then take away their vehicles with keys, the accused told police.

Krishna Nagar police in its preliminary investigation found out that these vehicles seized were stolen from various locations of Lucknow. Their number plates were changed to sell them off. The detailed criminal record of the accused is also being sought from Nepal, DCP added.

When asked about the reason behind the crime, accused Ansh Singh told police that he was stealing the vehicles to fulfil his girlfriends needs. He would sell them off and buy expensive gifts for his girlfriend.

The matter is still under investigation. All three accused were booked under various sections of IPC. Gangster Act will also be added to the FIR, said the DCP.

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PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar arrived at the Bihar assembly on Monday with his deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and environment minister Tej Pratap Singh, a gesture that his party leader said was designed to send a clear message that the Janata Dal-United alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav was intact and strong. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar along with Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav on the first day of the monsoon session of Bihar Assembly, in Patna on Monday (PTI)

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been demanding that Nitish Kumar sack Tejashwi Yadav and end the grand alliance with his father Lalu Prasad after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet against both of them in connection with the land-for-jobs scam, which dates back to 2004-09 when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government.

A JD-U leader said Nitish Kumars move to travel to the assembly in one vehicle with Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav signals his firm rejection of the BJP demand. As the monsoon session got underway, the BJP also messaged that it would not back down.

BJP chief whip Janak Singh led the partys offensive as soon as speaker Awadh Bihar Choudhary ended his opening speech, underlining that the presence of a charge sheeted minister in the House was not good. Choudhary objected to the veteran BJP leader speaking without his permission and asked that the assembly stick to the listed agenda. But BJP lawmakers continued to shout slogans to demand the sacking of a charge sheeted deputy chief minister.

Amid the din, finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary tabled the first supplementary budget of 2023-24 for 43774.75-crore before the assembly was adjourned for the day due to the disruptions.

The BJP continued its campaign against Tejashwi Yadav outside.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha told reporters that the BJP will continue to raise the issue of corruption and the presence of a charge-sheeted minister.

It is the same chief minister who sought resignation from several ministers of his own party and alliance partners at the mere lodging of FIR, but had now compromised with corruption. We want the CMs reply on the circumstances that have made him compromise and the utter disregard to his own zero tolerance to corruption policy, said Sinha.

Sinha said in the past, Nitish Kumar forced former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, JD-Us RN Singh and Manju Verma, RJDs Kartikey Singh to resign as soon as their names figured in FIR or charge sheet.

Last time. (2017) he also severed ties with the RJD after Tejashwis name figured in the FIR. But now, he is okay with corruption. We had also raised the issue of another minister Israel Mansuri during the last session, but Nitish Kumar turned a blind eye to that also. For us, corruption is a big issue and we will continue to raise it in the House as well as outside, he added.

Tejashwi Yadavs mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi rubbished the Oppositions demand, pointing out that this was not the first charge sheet in the case by the agency. Besides, she underlined, that the BJP used central agencies to target opposition leaders. Anybody speaking against them becomes their target and there will be a charge sheet. All federal agencies are used to silence the Opposition. The fact is that Narendra Modi has done nothing He has just looted public money to build party offices. BJP is more corrupt, she told reporters outside the legislative council.

The charge sheet filed is CBIs second in the case and the first to name Tejashwi. Earlier, a charge sheet was filed in October 2022 against 16 people, including Lalu, Rabri and their daughter Misa Bharti.

The charge sheet alleges that the railways first appointed people as substitutes in Group-D jobs during 2004-09 and then regularised their appointment in violation of recruitment norms and procedures of the Indian Railways. The candidates, directly or through their immediate family members, allegedly sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad at discounted rates of up to one-fourth to one-fifth of prevailing market rates.

On Sunday, Tejashwi Yadav also rejected the BJPs demand for his resignation on Sunday, saying Whenever we defeat the BJP in Bihar and make them run, they take recourse to chargesheet and raids by misusing federal agencies. This is an old game of the BJP. It does not make any difference to us.

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Bihar deputy CM and RJD leader, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, has rubbished claims of a rift between the two key constituents of the Grand Alliance (GA), RJD and JD(U), saying it was BJPs old game to spread political rumours. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap on the first day of the monsoon session of assembly in Patna on Monday. (PTI Photo)

RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi returned to Patna on Sunday evening amid war of words between RJD and JD(U) over the education department imbroglio that has continued for over a week.

Ahead of the monsoon session beginning on Monday, the return of the RJD leaders is being seen as an attempt to sort out differences.

Whenever we defeat the BJP in Bihar and make them run, they take recourse to chargesheet and raids by misusing federal agencies. This is an old game of the BJP.

It does not make any difference to us, Tejashwi said on arrival in Patna.

Bihar government is functioning strongly under Nitish Kumars leadership. The Grand Alliance has been formed to protect the country and the Constitution and we could move on the path of progress, he added.

Attacking the federal agencies, Tejashwi questioned where they were for the last six years. Everyone knows BJPs double yardstick. Some people were corrupt for the BJP in Maharashtra, but as soon as they joined the NDA everything was clean and one became the deputy CM. They suddenly became Harishchandra. It is a ploy to malign the image. More, they use these tactics, the more the Bihar people will reply to them. What the BJP is doing is a sign of fear and restlessness, he added.

The deputy CM said the BJP was spreading rumours that all was not well in the GA but there was no truth in it

Media is also behaving like the IT cell of the BJP to create the non-existent possibility of a split in the GA but nothing will happen. BJP has started fearing Laluji before the united Opposition could start surgery. Once the surgery starts, BJP will have no place to hide, he added.

Education minister Chandra Shekhar has not attended office ever since he met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, but additional chief secretary (education), KK Pathak

continues to work with the department issuing directions to not just schools but also universities and colleges.

After warning school teachers against using WhatsApp and other social media platforms on Saturday, Pathak has also appointed officers for inspection of colleges and universities to oversee academic work, attendance of teachers and non-teaching staff, auditing of accounts, cash book reconciliation, information about self-financing courses being run by universities and cleanliness and condition of campus facilities.

In an order issued by secretary Baidyanath Yadav, the department has deputed seven officers for supervision and inspection of universities and colleges on 13 laid down parametres.

In the order issued by Yadav, the department has deputed seven officers to supervise and inspect universities and colleges on 13 laid down parameters.

A delegation of the Federation of University Teachers Association of Bihar (FUTAB) last week had met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar -- who is also the Chancellor of state universities -- and submitted a memorandum questioning the move of the education department to seek an attendance report from all the colleges and universities daily.

Maintaining that it was against the spirit of the autonomy of universities, FUTAB working president KB Sinha and general secretary Sanjay Kumar, MLC, said that a similar move had been initiated in 2009 but was withdrawn in 2010 after the Chancellors office took notice and ordered all the universities to take directions only from the Raj Bhawan in academic and administrative matters, as per the provisions laid down in the Acts governing the universities.

Earlier, Pathak had also written to the officer on special duty, judicial, Raj Bhawan, about the need to put on hold the four-year degree courses with a choice-based credit system (CBCS), but the universities have so far gone ahead with the statutes and ordinance approved by the Raj Bhawan to implement it from this session.

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The five-day monsoon session of the Bihar assembly began on a stormy note on Monday, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House minutes later, after customary obituary references, even as the Opposition BJP kept pressing for the resignation of deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, citing the charge sheet filed against him by the CBI in the land for jobs case. At the Bihar Assembly on Monday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Earlier, chief minister Nitish Kumar arrived at the assembly along with Tejashwi Yadav and environment minister Tej Pratap Yadav, a gesture which, as one of his party leaders put, was designed to send a clear message that the Janata Dal-Uniteds alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav was intact and strong.

As the session got underway, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made it clear it would not back down.

BJP chief whip Janak Singh led the partys offensive as soon as Speaker Awadh Bihar Choudhary ended his opening speech. Singh said the presence of a charge sheeted minister in the House was not good. Choudhary admonished the BJP leader for speaking without his permission and said the assembly should stick to the listed agenda. BJP members, however, continued to shout slogans against Tejashwi.

Amid the din, finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary tabled the first supplementary budget of 2023-24 for 43,774.75 crore before the assembly was adjourned for the day due to the disruptions.

BJP continued its campaign against Tejashwi outside.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Vijay Kumar Sinha, told reporters BJP will continue to raise the issue of corruption and the presence of a charge-sheeted minister. It is the same chief minister who sought resignation from several ministers of his own party and alliance partners at the mere lodging of FIR. But he has now compromised with corruption. We want the CMs reply on the circumstances that have made him compromise and the utter disregard to his own zero tolerance to corruption policy, he said.

Sinha said that in the past, Nitish Kumar forced former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, JD-Us RN Singh and Manju Verma, and RJDs Kartikey Singh to resign as soon as their names figured in an FIR or a charge sheet.

Tejashwi Yadavs mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi rubbished the Oppositions demand, pointing out that this was not the first charge sheet in the case filed by the agency. Besides, she underlined, the BJP used central agencies to target Opposition leaders. Anybody speaking against them becomes their target and there will be a charge sheet. All federal agencies are used to silence the Opposition. The fact is that Narendra Modi has done nothing He has just looted public money to build party offices. BJP is more corrupt, she told reporters outside the legislative council, of which she is a member.

The latest charge sheet is CBIs second in the land for jobs case and first that names Tejashwi. Earlier, a charge sheet was filed in October 2022 against 16 people, including Lalu, Rabri and their daughter Misa Bharti.

The charge sheet alleges that the railways first appointed people in Group-D jobs during Lalu Yadavs stint as railway minister between 2004 and 20009 and then regularised their appointment in violation of recruitment norms. The candidates, directly or through their immediate family members, allegedly sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad at discounted rates of up to one-fourth to one-fifth of prevailing market rates.

On Sunday, Tejashwi Yadav had rejected BJPs demand for his resignation. Whenever we defeat the BJP in Bihar and make them run, they take recourse to charge sheet and raids by misusing federal agencies. This is an old game of BJP. It does not make any difference to us, he had said.

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PUNE: Rohit Pawar (in pic) further claimed four-five leaders around Ajit Pawar were trying to project the latter as the villain and putting all the blame for the partys split on him. (HT PHOTO)

Even as Ajit Pawar recently rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar and staked a claim over Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), party MLA and Sharad Pawars grandnephew Rohit Pawar admitted that only Ajit Pawar can win from Baramati seat in assembly polls.

Speaking in Pune on Monday, Rohit Pawar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of breaking the NCP and the Shiv Sena to remain in power in Maharashtra. The Karjat Jamkhed MLA said while leaders of other parties were pitted against each other, the BJP was enjoying the developments.

We are pitted against each other and the BJP leaders, sitting in the AC, are enjoying the show, said Rohit Pawar.

The people of the state, who have been seeing these developments, did not like the way the BJP broke two big parties in the state to get themselves to power, he claimed.

Rohit Pawar further claimed four-five leaders around Ajit Pawar were trying to project the latter as the villain and putting all the blame for the partys split on him.

However, our family relations are intact. Some may say I will contest against Ajit Dada (Pawar) in Baramati, but no such thing will happen, and Ajit Pawar will only win Baramati in the assembly polls. With the vision of Sharad Pawar, Ajit Dada has carried out extensive work in the constituency, said Rohit Pawar.

When asked about his prediction in the Lok Sabha elections for Baramati seat, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar answered saying, People are smart, and they will vote accordingly. Baramati Lok Sabha seat is represented by Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule, who has sided with her father in the ongoing political feud between two NCP factions.

While responding to a question on whether there is a possible fight on cards in LS polls between Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawars son Parth, the Karjat-Jamkhed legislator replied saying, I dont think that Ajit Pawar will take any such stand in future. We have political differences, but it will not affect family relations.

On July 2 this year, Ajit Pawar led a split in the NCP and joined the Shinde-BJP government as deputy Chief Minister.
Acting on a complaint from animal activist Vineeta Tandon of the Animal Rescue Trust, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has written to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner and Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board, requesting immediate action against the veterinary department of the civic body for violation of Animal Birth Control rules. Stray dogs on city roads. (Hindustan Times File Photo)

Tandon had written to the AWBI about rampant violation of Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 by the PMC. As per the complaint received by the AWBI, the civic body is capturing sterilised dogs just on complaints of growling, barking or chasing vehicles among others which in turn is leading to animal abuse and cruelty.

Acting on the complaint received from Tandon, AWBI secretary Dr S K Dutta on Friday, July 6, wrote to the PMC and Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board, directing them to take immediate action. The complaint is being forwarded for necessary action as per the provisions of the law. Kindly treat this as most urgent and intimate to the board the action taken at the earliest, Dr Dutta wrote.

Additional commissioner of the state animal husbandry department, Dr Sheetal Kumar Mukane, said that they have received Dr Duttas letter following which the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Pune district will be instructed to take necessary action. We will write to the SPCA, Pune district which looks into complaints at the district level. The action will be taken at the district level by the respective SPCA, Dr Mukane said.

Tandon said that there is no cooperation from the PMC when it comes to animal welfare or solving man-animal conflicts. The PMC is violating the Animal Birth Control rules and capturing strays on the basis of unfounded complaints. This is leading to cruelty and harassment of animals. This has been going on rampantly in areas like Wadgaon Sheri, Kondhwa, Wanwadi and Kothrud among others. Even the PMC veterinary department staff agrees that they are picking up stray dogs based on minor complaints like barking or chasing vehicles which is not as per the Animal Birth Control rules, Tandon said.

We are animal activists but that doesnt mean that we love animals and hate human beings but the PMC should follow the rules. The PMC should conduct public awareness programmes for the peaceful coexistence of human beings and animals, Tandon said.

Refuting Tandons allegations, Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of the PMC said that they have received the letter today and will reply to the AWBI regarding the allegations being baseless. We are following all the rules of the AWBI and Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 and there is no violation. Even in the complaint which has been given to the AWBI, neither vehicles were sent nor were strays caught. The AWBI has been misguided. We will submit our side of the story to the AWBI with proof, Dr Funde said.
Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Sunday arrested five men for attacking cloth shop owner and creating terror using koyta. The incident was reported in Chikhali area. A case has been registered at Chikhali police station under sections of 307,337,427, and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The accused have been identified as Shubham Gajanan Khawade, 18, Rameshwar Dhanraj Kambale, 19, Aditya Gorakh Dhanugahu ,18, Ganesh Parmeshwar Ubale, 18 and Vishal Vairagya.

As complaint was filed by Rajendra Singh Hari Singh Rathod, 37, a resident of Rupinagar, who runs a cloth shop.

On July 8, five accused entered his shop, when the staff asked them to remove shoes outside the shop it led to an altercation.

After some time, accused again visited the shop and pretended that they wanted to purchase clothes, and started vandalising the shop. When staff resisted, they pelted stones on the shop and broke the glass.

One of the accused then attacked the shop owner with a koyta in which his two figures were injured.

While leaving the shop, the accused also vandalised two and four-wheelers parked along the roadside.

A case has been registered at Chikhali police station under sections of 307,337,427, and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The excessive auto fares issue in Bengaluru has raked up once again after a financial influencer complained about the exorbitant price he paid for an auto in the IT capital. In a response to his tweet, Bengaluru police said that they are now cracking down on auto drivers who are charging fares above the meter. We are cracking down on auto drivers charging excessive fares: Bengaluru police (Pic for representation)

Also Read - New scam in Bengaluru? Professor explains how he was threatened by miscreants on road

Ravisutanjani, a social media influencer who was in Bengaluru tweeted, Paid 300 for 2 KM Auto Ride in Bengaluru, What are the Usual Rates in Your City?

The tweet received a massive response from the residents of Bengaluru, complaining about the similar incidents with the auto drivers. Manipal Global Education chairperson Mohandas Pai tweeted, This fleecing and lack of action by police @CPBlr is giving our city a bad name! When will the police enforce Rule of law in city? @CMofKarnataka @siddaramaiah. Pl start issuing Licence to any applicant to break this mafia.

Bengaluru police entered the conversation and clarified that they are cracking down on such auto drivers. @BlrCityTraffic is actively cracking down on auto drivers haggling passengers for excess fees over the meter. In case of overcharge/refusal, public can raise a complaint through the dedicated hotline set up for Auto Rikshaw Complaints: 080-22868444 / 080-22868550, said Bengaluru police in a tweet.

In November 2021, the Karnataka government raised the meter fares of auto drivers in the state. The price is increased to Rs. 30 from Rs. 25 for the first two kilometers and base price per every kilometer is increased to Rs. 15 from Rs. 13

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Arshad started his acting journey with the 1996 film Tere Mere Sapne, directed by Joy Augustine. Before films, he also worked as a door-to-door cosmetics salesman and later in a photo-lab.

Why Arshad didn't want to try acting

In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Arshad said that producer Joy Augustine once asked him to send his pictures to Amitabh Bachchan's office for an acting job. I said Dude I cant act, dont do this to me! I like my life, don't ruin this. You meet people who come here to do a film and they dont make it, and everyone knows that! Its like they are out on the streets and people go, Poor guy, came from his village to become a hero, he couldnt. Look at him, now travelling in a bus. I didnt want to be that guy," Arshad said. Joy convinced Arshad to send the pictures as he had already discussed it with ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited).

Arshad expected Jaya to give him gaalis

He added that he soon got a call from Jaya Bachchan's office asking him to make a visit and meet her. "I thought she is going to fire me! I thought, Hmm Jaya Bachchan...lets get fired by her, why not, Amitabh Bachchan ki biwi hai! Inke muh se do-chaar gaaliya achchi lagegi (That''s Amitabh Bachchan's wife, if she hurls a few abuses at me..), it will be a story in my life'Jaya Bachchan fired me, waah waah. So I went believing I will get fired. She kept asking me, do I speak Hindi, and I kept replying yes I do, in English, I was so nervous. Then she said, You are doing the film. I died! I said ab khatam (everythings over).

He also said that he thanks Amitabh and Jaya, "every morning, all the time," for all that he has because had it not been for them, he would not have reached where he is now.

This is not the first time Arshad has talked about it. In an old interview to Lehren, Arshad had said, "I had no inclination towards acting. I had never thought of being an actor. I was taken aback by [director Joy Augustine]. It was quite a surprise for me. I gave it a shot [and] clicked a few amateurish photographs by a friend. The photographs happened to go to Mrs Bachchan. She saw it, she liked it and said sign this guy."

Arshad's recent outing

Arshad was most recently seen in the second season of the web show Asur. He revived his role of an investigating officer in the show that explores Hindu mythology in the backdrop of a crime thriller. The show also featured Barun Sobti, Abhishek Chauhan and Sharib Hashmi.

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Actor-couple Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover on Monday flew out of Mumbai with their daughter Devi Basu Singh Grover for the family's first vacation. Several pictures and videos of the couple were shared online. (Also Raed | Bipasha Basu reveals daughter Devi Basu Singh Grover's 'daak naam') Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh Grover with their daughter Devi at Mumbai airport,

Bipasha asks paparazzi not to click baby's photos

In a video, posted by a paparazzo on Instagram, Bipasha and Karan Singh Grover arrived at the Mumbai airport. Bipasha carried Devi and covered the baby's face with her hand. As they stepped forward to pose for the paparazzi, Bipasha said, "Baby ka photo mat lo, hann (Don't take the baby's picture, ok)?"

For the travel, Bipasha wore a colourful printed dress and sneakers. Karan opted for a casual black ensemble--T-shirt, pants and white sneakers. He also carried a backpack and wore a neon green cap. Devi was seen in pink overalls along with a matching headband. Bipasha and Karan had revealed their baby's face in April.

Bipasha and Karan met Anupam

Bipasha and Karan also met actor Anupam Kher at the airport. In a video, they were seen laughing and sharing conversations. Anupam also hugged Karan as they smiled looking at each other. Anupam was seen in a white shirt, denims and shoes. He also wore a cap.

Bipasha's Instagram post featuring Karan and Devi

On Sunday, Bipasha shared a glimpse of her morning with Karan and Devi. On Instagram, Bipasha posted an adorable picture of the father-daughter duo. She captioned the post, "My life." In the frame, Karan looked at the camera while holding Devi in his arms.

Bipasha and Karan welcomed their first child, on November 12, last year, six years after their marriage. Taking to Instagram, Bipasha had shared a post through which she announced the name of her daughter. The picture read, "12.11.2022. Devi Basu Singh Grover. The physical manifestation of our love and blessings of Ma is here now and she is divine." The couple on August 16, last year, officially announced that they are expecting their first child together.

Karan's upcoming film

Karan will be next seen in director Siddharth Anand's aerial action thriller Fighter. The film also stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor. It is all set to hit the theatres on January 25, 2024.

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In a post-Knives Out world, each subsequent detective mystery thriller will inevitably fall under the radar of introspection. So when Neeyat was announced, viewers sat up and took notice. Given it stars Vidya Balan, who has shown a certain degree of boisterousness with choosing scripts over the years, Neeyat already took on an added element of expectation. At first glance, this Anu Menon film seemed to have everything- a homegrown detective in Vidya, an eclectic ensemble cast with names including Rahul Bose, Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, Dipannita Sharma, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Koli, Ishika Mehra, Danesh Razvi; and a stormy night in an isolated castle. A winner on the cards? Yet, Neeyat stumbles its way to reach that wicked climax a good too many times to leave a solid impact. Vidya Balan in a still from Neeyat, which released in theatres on July 7.

The characters in Neeyat

Neeyat is somehow stuck in its own genre predicament- to provide an entertaining and unpredictable surprise by the end of the whodunit. Sure, that helps infuse the film with a sort of context within the structure overall. But as a narrative operating within a murder mystery genre, Neeyat feels stretched outside the real world. Here's where the characterization comes in. Early on, the audience is given context about the character played by Ram Kapoor, called AK. He is the billionaire whose company is now being butchered by the press for its malpractices, which have even led to the suicide of several employees. So, he has chosen to surrender to the CBI, which is where officer Mira Rao (Vidya Balan) comes in. This information about suicides is clue enough in a film like this, where the viewers being to second guess plot points in order to come to their own conclusions. One of them must be somehow related to the victims, but how?

The climax reveal

The loose ends do tie up in Neeyat, but at the cost of a deceptive narrative trick- that doesn't quite hit the emotional buttons to create an impact. The flaw here is the undercooked characterization of Mira Rao herself, who is left to observe and come up with uncanny trivia about the most trivial of matters. We know so less about her (deliberately, still) that by the end, when the ropes are switched in the course of the climax to spin in a flashback of the events that occurred through the film, the impact is diluted. This pattern immediately holds back to another Vidya Balan thriller- Sujoy Ghosh's 2012 film Kahaani, where she played a heavily pregnant woman in search of her husband in Kolkata. In that film, there were enough breadcrumbs spread across the narrative for it salvage that shocking twist. In Neeyat, the focus is far too scattershot to even elicit any kind of reaction. There's no shock, only placid acceptance.

How Neeyat lacks ambition

The problem with Neeyat is it thinks that the sting in its tail (marked by a cameo appearance of Shefali Shah) would suffice. There's a certain emphasis on adhering to the template in the way the proceedings move forward. There is no yearning or hunger to reinvent the genre for itself. Add a certain lack of ambition in the way the characters are not given enough space to accommodate themselves into the framework of the narrative. None of the characters from the ensemble cast of Neeyat leave a mark. They are far too feeble or cut too short. One is instantly reminded of Robert Altman's 2001 film Gosford Park, which had a cunning invitation to the genre of a detective murder mystery, but by the end created its own ground for commentary on the classist British society. In Gosford Park too, there was an Inspector Thompson (a hilarious Stephen Fry), whose wry and bumbling sense of inspection was left to the sidelines, in order to unpack the dependency of the upper class on the lower class. By the end, it became more than just a whodunit; it was a searing commentary on the British class system.

Neeyat, at its best, wants you to invest in finding out who is the one. It wants you to forget what's happening outside the castle. At its worst, it lacks a much needed perception and irony, that biting element of reference to the real world. Is that a credit to the space of a Hindi film arriving in 2023? One must decide, which will definitely show their neeyat at play.
Even as the fear of riots and protests looms large on Paris these days, actor Hansika Motwani is undeterred and has jetted off for a Europe vacation with her family, to celebrate her mums birthday. Hansika Motwani was proposed by Sohael Khaturiya in Paris

We always take a family trip once a year, and usually it is on my mums birthday because she likes to travel on her special day. This time, we decided on France as the destination, including Paris, which is one of my favourite cities in the world, says Motwani , who left with her family on Friday night. While the trip is not a surprise for the actors mum, she reveals that the surprise element is that well be in Milan on her birthday. She knows that we are going to the whole of France, but isnt aware of the entire itinerary.

A while ago, the city suburbs were gripped by violence as riots broke out after a cop shot a teen during a traffic stop, sending a wave of fear among the tourists.

Asked if the news of the riots left her worried and made her rethink her holiday plans, the 31-year-old says, I have read about it enough, and from what Ive known and researched, going to the city is very safe for tourists. I havent anything else apart from this sentiment from everyone. I have been following this news since day one... in fact, Paris fashion was also held recently. So, it is safe to go, which is why we didnt change out plans.

That being said, the actor confesses that she is extra excited to visit Paris as it will be almost a year after her husband Sohael Khaturiya went down on his knee and proposed to her in the same city.

Paris holds a very strong place in my heart. I guess itll be somewhere around 11 months since my husband proposed to me there. That memory is still very fresh in my mind, and evokes all kinds of feelings in my heart, says the Partner actor, adding, My first big film in Tamil was also shot in Paris. So, the city will always hold a special place in my heart, which is why Im really looking forward to this trip.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sugandha Rawal Delhi-based Sugandha Rawal is a movie buff, and writes on Bollywood, Hollywood, Television, OTT and Music for the daily entertainment and lifestyle supplement, HT City. ...view detail
The first reactions to Greta Gerwig's Barbie are out. Warner Bros. screened Greta Gerwigs highly anticipated film for a selected few members of the press, and the first reviews have taken social media by storm. If first reactions are to be believed, Greta Gerwig has scored a winner in Barbie, with high praise reserved for the cast, the script, and production design. Many also expressed how the film lives up to all the hype and provides a truly entertaining time at the movies. (Also read: Barbie row: Warner Bros responds after Vietnam bans Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling film over disputed map scene) Barbie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

About Barbie

Barbie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, along with a cast that includes names like America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Dua Lipa, Emerald Fennell, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera and Will Ferrell. The film's premise read, "After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie and Ken go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world."

First reactions

Ahead of the release of the film on July 21, the first reactions to Barbie have taken Twitter by storm. Jamie Jirak of ComicBook.com said, "I can't officially quit Twitter before telling you all that #Barbie is currently my favorite film of the year. Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I'm dead serious!"

Perri Nemiroff of Collider wrote, "I have seen #Barbie! The craftsmanship is incredible. In particular the costume & production design includes next-level work that heavily contributes to creating the feeling that these truly are Barbies, their dream houses, and their worlds come to life." Though she had her reservations with the story, she added, "As for the story, thats where Im a bit more mixed. I think the film serves Margot Robbies Barbie and her journey especially well, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest."

Praise for Ryan Gosling's Ken

A user called Barbie a 'classic' and said, "#Barbie was a deeply cathartic experience. Its about industrialization of art/iconography forming sensibility instead of individualism, and Greta tells it with so much joy and heart. I was cackling at Goslings himbo Ken one scene and bawling my eyes out at the next. A classic." Another reserved high praise for the film and wrote, "#Barbie is a cinematic triumph. Gerwig is at the top of her game here, shes crafted a film thats not only gorgeous to look at, but poignant, clever and hilarious. Margot Robbie delivers an endearing and memorable performance, though its Gosling who stole every scene he was in."

Another called Barbie a 'triumph' and said, "#Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances  particularly from Ryan Gosling  turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3." A review also read: "Greta Gerwigs #Barbie is an ABSOLUTE marvel of a film. She is able to infuse this simple story with so much emotion, excitement, and comedy. Her style shines bright. Margot Robbie and Gosling shine brighter then the sun, this is such a great movie. The hype is REAL".

Barbie releases on July 21, which is the same day of release for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer as well.

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Jamie Foxx fans can heave a sigh of relief as the Hollywood star is confirmed to be on the path to recovery since his hospitalisation in April for undisclosed health issues. On Sunday, the "Django Unchained" star was seen showing the peace sign to the camera while cruising down the Chicago river in a video obtained by TMZ. It marked Foxx's first public appearance since negative reports about his health have been published every now and then for the past almost three months. Jamie Foxx(REUTERS)

Notably, the Oscar-winning actor got hospitalised on April 12 in Georgia where he was present for the filming of his Netflix movie, Back in Action". Foxx's daughter Corinne had then taken to Instagram to inform his fans about the actor's health condition and requested privacy.

We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time," Corinne had posted on Instagram then.

Since his hospitalisation, there were various negative reports on Foxx's health which had left his fans worried. As per a news report, Hollywood journalist A.J. Benza had made the shocking claim that Foxx became partially paralysed and blind along with other complications as an adverse effect of Covid-19 vaccine.

Amid reports of his health ailment, several celebrities, friends and fans had been raising concerns and seeking a confimed info on his exact situation. Many celebrities and Hollywood stars even spoke in public that they were worried about Foxx due to lack of awareness about his health. The entire saga led to various conspiracey theories too. During the entire matter, Foxx's family remained tight lipped and didn't disclose what had actually happened to the superstar.

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Will Smith couldn't resist cracking a joke at his son Jaden Smith's expense as he celebrated his 25th birthday. The actor and musician took to Instagram to wish Jaden a happy birthday but couldn't help but playfully tease him about not having any kids yet. Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith.

"Happy Birthday, J-Diggy. It's crazy that you're 25?!?! When I was 25 I had a 2 yr. old," Will wrote in his Instagram post. "I'm just sayin'... Wha's up? What you doin' over there?"

Will's Parenting Journey

Will Smith became a father for the first time in 1992 when he welcomed his son Trey Smith with his then-wife Sheree Zampino. The couple eventually separated, and Will went on to marry Jada Pinkett Smith in 1997. Despite the separation, Will continued to co-parent Trey with Sheree, and Jada found her place as a stepmother.

Co-Parenting Dynamics

Zampino, who currently appears on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, spoke about the co-parenting dynamics between her, Will, and Jada in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. She acknowledged that there were challenges in the beginning but praised Jada for being "amazing" to Trey. Zampino emphasized that she is secure in her role as Trey's mother and believes that Jada's presence doesn't undermine that.

Expanding the Family

Will and Jada went on to have two more children together, Jaden and Willow, in 1998 and 2000, respectively. Will has previously spoken about his parenting style, which is rooted in respect and treating his children as individuals. The family has allowed their children the freedom to express themselves and make their own choices, as seen in Jaden's decision to ask for emancipation at the age of 15.

Heartfelt Moments

Jada Pinkett Smith shared a poignant memory on Red Table Talk, recalling the moment when Jaden expressed his desire to leave home and live his own life. Despite the initial heartbreak, Jada understood his need for independence and supported his decision. Jaden ultimately decided against emancipation and expressed his commitment to staying with his family.

Also read | Will Smith joins Tencent's Undawn on epic open-world survival RPG

Will's birthday tribute to Jaden shows the playful and loving dynamic between the father and son. While the joking reference to having kids may have elicited laughter, it also highlights the unique bond they share. As Jaden continues to forge his own path in life and career, it's clear that the Smith family supports each other through every stage of their journey.
Internet has been abuzz with claims about an impending internet apocalypse caused by solar storms. However, a closer examination of the facts and expert opinions reveals that these claims are unfounded and misleading. Debunking reports of an impending 'internet apocalypse' caused by solar storms(Nasa)

Clarifying the Study and NASA's Position:

The concerns surrounding a potential internet catastrophe originated from a 2021 study titled "Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse." Although the study was presented at a data communication conference, it has not undergone peer review and is not yet published in a scientific journal. NASA, which has been mistakenly associated with the study, has not issued any warnings about an impending "internet apocalypse."

In fact the author, Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi confessed to The Washington Post that she regretted using the phrase and that her paper just got too much attention.

Expert Insights and Debunked Falsehoods:

Solar physicist Vishal Upendran from the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in California advises caution when interpreting the study's findings, in his interaction with Space.com.

While major solar storms can impact electric grids and communication systems, there is currently no evidence to support claims that a solar storm will cause a global internet outage. Upendran emphasizes the need for further research to make accurate predictions about the strength and impact of solar storms. More studies are needed to make any strong statements regarding the strength of solar storms, he states.

Regarding claims of a deadly solar storm in July 2025, official predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimate an increase in solar activity during that time. However, there are no official estimates of the damages solar storms might cause at that specific time. It is crucial to rely on verified scientific information rather than viral rumors.

The Role of the Parker Solar Probe

Misinformation has also circulated linking NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission to saving the internet as part of conspiracy theories like "The Great Reset." This claim has been debunked, as the Parker Solar Probe's primary objective is to study the sun and its weather from a close distance, not to address internet-related issues.

While it is important to be aware of potential risks associated with solar storms, the notion of an impending "internet apocalypse" is unsupported by credible sources and scientific evidence. False claims and misleading information circulating on social media platforms have only fueled unnecessary panic. By relying on accurate information from reputable sources like NASA and expert opinions, we can separate fact from fiction and alleviate concerns about a global internet shutdown caused by solar storms.

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At least 42 people have died because of heavy rains in various parts of India over three days, with raging rivers washing away national highways, bridges, buildings and vehicles, and landslides snapping the only links to many towns and villages. People rush to cross a bridge over the swollen Beas river in Kullu on Monday. (PTI)

Read here: More rains in store for U.P; CM reviews flood situation & relief works

People in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh were among the hardest hit with Himachal alone accounting for 20 deaths. Weather officials issued a red alert for Uttarakhand for Tuesday, where spells of heavy rain were forecast for several days, sparking fears of similar chaos as what the neighbouring Himalayan state has faced since the weekend.

Himachal Pradeshs chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep sorrow at the deaths and said the government was making all-out efforts to tackle the situation, with more rain predicted.

He added that such widespread heavy rains had not occurred in 50 years and the state has suffered a loss of about 3,000 crore in this monsoon season so far.

Authorities were waiting for the deluge to relent to dispatch helicopters to rescue about 300 people  including tourists  stranded in Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh.

The rains were so heavy across north India that they caused severe waterlogging in planned cities of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali on Monday, when water from the Ghaggar and Sutlej rivers inundated urban areas, breaking bridges, breaching highways, and flooding houses and hospitals.

The government stopped traffic on Indias busiest highway  the Delhi-Amritsar highway  at Shambu toll plaza near the Ambala-Patiala border because of a breach in the embankment of Ghaggar river, which flooded the highway.

Read here: High intensity rains unlikely in the coming days in Delhi: IMD

Ambala district collector Dr Shaleen (who goes by only one name), said there was no alternate route available. Army has been called to plug the breach and pump out the way to restore traffic on the highway, the DC said.

A government official said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Sukhu and Pushkar Singh Dhami respectively, about the situation in their states. He assured all help and support from the government of India, he said.

The heavy spells of rain, which have stretched from Punjab and Rajasthan on the western and northwestern side to the Himalayas in the north, are the consequence of a rare and powerful confluence of monsoon winds with a western disturbance. The monsoon winds have been bringing moisture in from the south and, late last week, interacted with the system sweeping in from the west, over Pakistan, to create a potent rain-bearing system.

On Monday, the India Meteorological Department issued its highest alert or red warning for heavy rain in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Solan districts. Solan, which received 135mm of rain on Monday, broke a 50-year-old record of 105mm of rain in a day in 1971, while Una received the highest rainfall after 1993, Shimla-based IMD regional office director Surender Paul said.

We can expect heavy to very heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh for one more day and over Uttarakhand for the next 2-3 days because the monsoon trough is over the Indo-Gangetic Plains area. There is also a cyclonic circulation over northwest Rajasthan and adjoining parts of South Haryana. So, rainfall will continue over north India, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology at Skymet Weather.

Shimla-Kalka train services were disrupted for the third day in a row and traffic came to halt on the Manali-Leh highway as part of it was washed away. The Shimla-Chandigarh highway was blocked at several places.

In the hill town of Manali, a three-storeyed hotel building collapsed into the gushing Beas river.

According to the latest data by Public Works Department, a total of 171 roads, including 16 state highways, were closed across Uttarakhand as on Monday. In worst-affected districts such as Almora, schools have been closed till July 12.

The Dehradun centre of IMD has issued an orange warning till July 12. The heavy rainfall has also affected the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, with roads getting blocked due to landslides and rockfall at different locations.

Read here: Rain-heavy system over north likely to subside by today, to shift to east: IMD

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra remanded suspended for the third consecutive day even as National Highway Authority of India ramped up efforts to restore traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway (NH44), which has blocked at Ramban due to heavy rain. The yatra remains suspended from Jammu due to bad condition of the highway, a senior officer said.

Intense rain also brought life to a standstill in several parts of eastern and central Rajasthan. A seven-year-old boy was swept away in the gushing waters of an overflowing drain in the state capital, where several areas reeled from waterlogging.
KOCHI: After nearly 50 hours of joint efforts by locals, NDRF and Kerala Fire and Rescue personnel, the body of Maharajan (55) was retrieved from a 90-feet deep well that had collapsed on Saturday morning in Vizhinjam area of Thiruvananthapuram district. Thiruvananthapuram: The police and fire services officials try to rescue a 55-year-old man trapped under soil inside a well near Vizhinjam, in Thiruvananthapuram on July 9, 2023. (PTI)

Maharajan, belonging to Parvathipuram in Tamil Nadu and settled in Kerala for over two decades, had descended into the well on the morning of July 8 to reinforce the iron rings in the well when it collapsed, pushing him further down under a massive heap of mud and slush.

Though rescue efforts began immediately and were aimed at bringing Maharajan back alive, a senior rescue officer said they realised soon what a daunting challenge it is.

Its a 90 feet deep well and many of the iron rings had broken, filling it with massive amounts of mud and water. The more we excavated mud and brought it outside, the more mud and water filled in the well. We realised that Maharajan had fallen quite deep and it would be difficult to survive, Sooraj S, Thiruvananthapuram district fire officer, told HT.

Sending personnel into the well was highly risky as there was a danger of a bigger and secondary collapse, said the officer. So, they brought in men who were experts at well construction and repair from neighbouring Kollam district. Together, with the help of locals, they reinforced the iron rings at the top to prevent the well from collapsing from above. The work was so labouring that personnel would get exhausted in half a days work and had to be replaced by others, said Sooraj.

We knew from the outset that this was a huge challenge, considering how deep and confined the space inside the well was. The soil was also extremely loose so the chances of collapse was high. So we didnt make hurried decisions. It was slow but systematic. The locals there were very helpful. We couldnt have done it without them, said Sooraj.

It was disappointing, he admitted, to not be able to bring Maharajan back alive. But we couldnt leave his body behind. It was unthinkable. After nearly 50 hours of efforts, we were able to bring his body around 10:30 am on Monday, the officer said.

In various shifts, close to 75 personnel from different stations of the Fire and Rescue Services were engaged in the operation.

Maharajan is survived by his wife P Selvi and daughters MS Babitha and MS Sabitha.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishnu Varma Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment. ...view detail
KOCHI: A 55-year-old man trapped inside a 90-feet-deep well in Thiruvananthapurams Vizhinjam after a portion collapsed on him on July 8 was pulled out dead on Monday by a joint team of rescue workers that had been working for more than 50 hours in an effort to save the man, people familiar with the matter said. Firefighters and locals attempt to rescue a 55-year-old man who was trapped in a well in Vizhinjam area of Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (PTI File)

Thiruvananthapuram district fire officer Sooraj S said they had figured during the operation that the mans chances of survival were slim but they couldnt give up on him.

Maharajan, who had migrated from Tamil Nadus Parvathipuram and settled in Kerala over 20 years ago, descended into the well at his house in the Vizhinjam area of Thiruvananthapuram district on the morning of July 8 to reinforce the wells iron rings when it collapsed, burying him under a massive heap of mud and slush.

Its a 90-feet-deep well and many of the iron rings had broken, filling it with massive amount of mud and water. The more we excavated mud and brought it out, the more mud and water filled in the well. We realised that Maharajan had fallen quite deep and it would be difficult to survive, Sooraj S told HT.

It was too much of a risk to send personnel into the well as there was a danger of a bigger and secondary collapse. So, rescue workers brought in men who were experts at well construction and repair from the neighbouring Kollam district.

Together, with the help of locals, they reinforced the iron rings at the top to prevent the well from collapsing from above. The work was so tiring that the personnel could only work for a few hours before a new team had to replace them, said Sooraj.

We knew from the outset that this was a huge challenge, considering how deep and confined the space inside the well was. The soil was also extremely loose so the chances of collapse were high It was slow but systematic. The locals there were very helpful. We couldnt have done it without them, said Sooraj.

The officer underlined that it was disappointing not to be able to have brought out Maharajan alive. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

But we couldnt leave his body behind. It was unthinkable. After nearly 50 hours, we were able to bring his body around 10:30 am on Monday, the officer said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishnu Varma Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment. ...view detail
Recently, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio said that Union home minister Amit Shah assured a 12-member state government delegation that the Centre was considering the exemption of Christians and some pockets of tribal areas from the scope of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), for which the Law Commission had sought responses by mid-July. PREMIUM Article 371 provides special provisions for 11 states including six northeastern states.(Shutterstock)

The delegation had met Shah to apprise him of the apprehensions surrounding the proposal for a UCC and the serious repercussions it would have, especially in the context of Nagaland which is a Christian state, and where the Article 371(A) of the Constitution protects religious practices from all Central laws. Article 371 provides special provisions for 11 states including six northeastern states. The sub-section of the article from A to H provides protection for customary laws and social practices and prohibits the Parliament from enacting any law that can impact these customs, especially in states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Last week too, Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga wrote to the Law Commission that the UCC was against the interests of ethnic minorities and was in conflict with the religious and social practices of Mizos and their customary laws which are protected by the Art 371(G) of the Constitution. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangama has also expressed his apprehension over the UCC citing specific tribal customs in the state protected by the Constitution. Except for Manipur, where there has not been much discussion on the UCC because of the ethnic strife that has claimed at least 122 lives since May 3, most northeastern states have had discussions on the proposed law.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in May that they were bringing state laws to ban polygamy.(Pitamber Newar)

Assam

Unlike other northeastern states, Assam has not seen protests against the proposal of implementing a UCC as yet. The state has three autonomous councils and all of them have said that they have no issues with the UCC. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in May that they were bringing state laws to ban polygamy. This proposed law to ban polygamy will be a partial implementation of UCC. Complete implementation of UCC will give several other rights to women, he said. On May 14, while attending Hindu Ekta Yatra in Telangana, Sarma, who is with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the days of marrying multiple women are going to end. Some people in India thought they could marry four women. But, I say you will not be able to do four marriages. Those days are going to come to an end and it is not far. Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is going to come in India and the time has also come to make India a true secular nation," Sarma said. In India, while Muslim personal laws permit polygyny, data from the National Family Health Survey over the past three cycles have shown that the practice occurs across communities: While it was prevalent among 1.9% of Muslims, it was also prevalent among 1.3% of Hindus, and 1.6% among other religious groups. Overall, the practice was on a decline. The three autonomous councils, Bodoland Territorial Council, Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council and Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council have said that they are yet to take any decision on the UCC. Phukan Basumatary from Bodoland said that the UCC was a new term for them and they were yet to discuss it. "Our seniors might be aware of this. It is a relevant issue, they'll conduct a meeting to discuss it," he said. Debolal Garlosa from Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council said that they are not aware of the concept and it hasn't been discussed in the council yet. Similarly, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council denied taking any decision on the UCC. Meghalaya has different local laws which will be abolished if the UCC is applied. We have different local laws, we are yet to take a decision on supporting it, a member said. Manipuris form one of the largest ethnic groups in Assam in terms of population and comprise two major communities, Meiteis and Bishnupriyas. Okram Lakhi Kanta Singha, a Meitei said, Manipuris are mostly Hindus but some groups follow other religions too. We support the UCC because we believe in the One Nation One Law policy. UCC won't contradict any of the ethnic laws of Manipuri society." Political parties like All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Congress refused to comment on this matter at present. Arunachal Pradesh A Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state, Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes. Unlike the other Northeastern states including Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, there has been no visible protest here against the UCC. According to Article 371 of the Constitution, there are special provisions for 12 states: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Goa, Manipur and Karnataka. Article 371 (H) of the Constitution gives special powers to the Governor over law and order in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Chief minister Pema Khandu last year said that they sought an amendment of Article 371 (H) to place it at par with special provisions meant for Nagaland enshrined in Article 371 (A) of the Constitution. The government sought provisions to protect the religious and social practices of the tribes of the state, customary law and procedure of the states tribes, and administration of civil and criminal justice among other things. A resolution to amend the article was also passed in the state assembly in August 2020. The government is not averse to the implementation of UCC as long as some demands of tribal groups are kept in mind, however, they are yet to release any specific statement on this. The president of the Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS), Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi recently said that the UCC will benefit the tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh as a whole. "We are heading towards a new era of social order and UCC will do away with many evil social norms of various tribes. Several customs in tribal groups have become outdated, he said. According to him, some people still married many wives and paid high bride prices to show their social status. A uniform law will abolish these, said the retired IAS officer.

File photo of Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio.(HT_PRINT)

Nagaland

Various civil society organisations in Nagaland including tribal, church and student bodies have expressed stiff opposition against the implementation of the UCC in the country on shared points of concern that it would violate the Constitution of India, infringe upon the fundamental rights and the special constitutional provisions for the state of Nagaland under Article 371A. The article provides that no act of Parliament in matters pertaining to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, and ownership and transfer of land and its resources shall apply to the state of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides. This constitutional safeguard is essential in respecting the distinctiveness and autonomy of the Nagas, acknowledging their historical journey, and upholding their fundamental rights, the Naga Hoho, an influential civil society organization contended in a statement on July 4. We firmly believe that any attempt to enforce a one-size-fits-all approach would undermine the constitutional provisions, unique history, and indigenous culture and identity of the Nagas, as well as the principles of unity in diversity in the country, it stated. The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) also voiced similar sentiments: the UCC will dilute the provisions of Article 371A. Codifying the social-cultural and the religious practices by way of negating the deep-rooted values and norms of the people, especially that of the tribals and the religious minority, will amount to a violation of the fundamental rights of the marginalised minority in the country, said Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, general secretary of the influential Nagaland Baptist Church Council. He expressed concern that once the UCC is imposed, the provisions in the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion and freedom to practise ones religion of choice, which allows religious communities to follow their respective personal laws, will be affected. It must be noted that religion and faith are personal and the practices cannot be codified. In a secular nation, the law cannot prescribe on religious matters, Keyho added. UCC was in violation of Article 25 and Article 29 of the Constitution, the Naga Students Federation (NSF) said and added that in areas where existing customary laws have primacy over federal laws with respect to personal issues like marriage, divorce, adoption, land ownership etc. there was no space for the operation of UCC. The constitutional safeguards of our customs and religious practices cannot be usurped under the pretext of implementing a uniform law, said Kegwayhun Tep, president of NSF. Chief minister Neiphiu Rios Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), the chief BJP ally in Nagaland, and the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) have also voiced out their reservations that UCC will have a negative impact on the freedom and rights of the minority communities and the tribal people of the country. The NDPP as a political party whose very ideology is to protect the rights, customs and traditions of our people is opposed to the implementation of the UCC, the party said in a statement, adding that as the process of implementing the UCC is at its nascent stage, the Centre and the members of the 22nd Law Commission may reconsider the matter and let the decision of the 21st Law Commission remain unchanged. The NDPP also impresses upon the Government of Nagaland (GoN) that as and when the opinion of the GoN is sought, that we do not waiver from our commitment to the Naga people, but stand steadfast to protect and safeguard our identity, our customs, traditions and our unique history, the party asserted. Meanwhile, CM Rio led a 12-member cabinet delegation from Nagaland met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on July 5. State government spokesperson and minister KG Kenye in a statement on Thursday said the Union Home Minister had assured the Nagaland delegation that the Centre is actively considering for exemption of Christians and some tribal areas from the purview of the 22nd Law Commission's exercise. Besides UCC, other major issues concerning the state including the ongoing Naga peace process and the Centres proposed autonomous council for six eastern districts of Nagaland were also stated to have been discussed.

Chief minister Conrad K Sangma stated last week, India is a diverse nation, and diversity is our strength. (HT Photo)

Meghalaya

Chief minister Conrad K Sangma stated last week, India is a diverse nation, and diversity is our strength. His party, the National Peoples Party (NPP), feels that the UCC goes against the actual idea of India itself, he further said. Sangma, who is an NDA ally, said on July 4, We have to see the actual content of the Bill and then we can comment on what it is. For example, whether the Bill says that the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes in certain areas or the North East will be exempted from this; whether societies following matrilineal systems will be exempted, Sangma said. On the other hand, the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance II government coalition partner, United Democratic Party (UDP) which boasts of being the second largest party in the Assembly, is yet to take a stand on the UCC. UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh observed: You have to look at the customary lines, religious lines. So many factors are here, the Hindus, Christians, Muslims  which one to adopt is very confusing. It is extraordinarily complex. It needs lots of thorough and detailed discussion. The opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is also against the UCC being implemented as according to it, the draft of the bill has not even seen the light of day yet. Meghalaya AITC president Charles Pyngrope said that the matter requires detailed discussions on numerous aspects, and one cant be expected to simply follow what is implemented. Recently, a senior BJP leader had stated in a public forum that the UCC will not be implemented in the North East, so how can you have a uniform civil code in that case? Uniform means for one and all, Pyngrope said adding, PM Modi in front of US President Joe Biden told the world that India is a great democracy with over 2500 political parties in existence and citizens practising various religions freely. I want to know how the Uniform Civil Code will deal with this. Traditional institutions in the state, consisting of chieftains and headmen which are primarily administered by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on June 24 passed a resolution to urge the Union government to not implement the UCC within the Sixth Schedule areas. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution protects the interests of indigenous people. We are unique in the sense that we have a rich cultural tradition and practices in terms of land ownership, having traditional heads that look after the welfare of the community, we also follow a matrilineal system, we also need to protect our language, the KHADC chief executive member (CEM) Pyniaid Sing Syiem stated. The Khasi Students Union (KSU) feels it is premature to remark on the UCC as the draft of the bill is not yet in the public domain, but stresses that it will not compromise on its principle of safeguarding the indigenous peoples interests. Speaking to HT over the phone, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said, As understood, the UCC will deal with the process of marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and maintenance. Thus, the UCC will supersede other Acts like Personal Laws including the Christian Marriage Act. It might also affect the unique customary laws and practices of the various NE tribes. The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) comprising members from all the three principal tribes of Meghalaya are unequivocally against the implementation of the UCC in the whole country. Another pressure group, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on July 4, shot off a letter to the Member Secretary of the 22nd Law Commission reminding it that Meghalaya became an Indian territory after merging with the Indian Dominion through the signing of the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement (IOA & AA). As per the IOA & AA, the Indian government has guaranteed to protect and preserve the unique customs and traditions of the Khasi-Jaintia/Hynniewtrep people within the territory of India. Hence, it is duty bound on the part of the Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the Autonomous District Councils to continue to protect and preserve the unique traditions and customs of the Khasi-Jaintia/Hynniewtrep people as guaranteed in the IOA & AA, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin wrote in the communique. The underlying threat, which is obvious, is that this will bring closer to fruition the right-wing ideology of one nation, one religion, one language and one custom, destroying the hailed diversity of this country and bringing further suspicion, division and friction among the communities, said former North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Pro VC, Prof Eugene Thomas. Further, even if the tribals of the Northeast are exempted from this Civil Code, it does not solve the larger issues facing the rest of the countrys communities. And what guarantee is there that tomorrow it will not be extended to these tribals? Tripura Royal scion and Tipra Motha party chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma agreed to comment on the issue but only after studying a draft of the UCC  none exists as yet  and said that customary law of the indigenous people in the Northeast should be preserved. "The draft has not arrived yet. Let it come and I shall say something on it after studying it. If it's regarding women and their security issues, then they should be provided protection  if it's a crime against women, equal law should be there. Even customary law of the northeastern indigenous people should be preserved," Pradyot said. Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council ( TTAADC) is yet to decide on the UCC. "We have not decided anything about Uniform Civil Code so far," said chief executive member of TTAADC Purna Chandra Jamatia. CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury feels that the UCC is being given high priority to serve partisan and electoral interests ahead of parliament polls. This attempt has been taken to dilute all principles of the Constitution. The issue is being prioritised for partisan and electoral interests, said the veteran tribal leader. According to Borok Peoples' Human Rights Organization secretary general Anthony Debbarma, the UCC has no benefit, but it may create divisions. Mizoram The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been strongly opposed by the civil society, churches, and the Mizoram government. Recently, the chief minister of Mizoram Zoramthanga sent a letter to the member secretary of the Law Commission of India, Khetrabasi Biswal where he stated that the issue regarding the implementation of the UCC throughout the territory of India was taken up in February by members of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly who, at the time, unanimously opposed any steps proposed to be taken for its enactment. Zoramthanga stated in the letter that though the Mizo National Front (MNF) party is a member of NEDA, and supports the policies and programmes of the NDA government, the party has considered that implementation of UCC is not in the interest of the ethnic minorities of India in general and of the Mizos in particular. The CM further stated that the UCC was in conflict with the religious of social practices of the Mizos and of their customary/personal law which is specifically protected by the above-stated Constitutional provision. Zoramthanga clearly mentioned in his letter: The MNF Party having signed the Memorandum of Settlement with the Govt. of India on 30h June, 1986, and on the basis of which the Constitution (53rd Amendment) Act, 1986 was passed by the Union Parliament. Now, as provided under Article 371-G of the Constitution of India, made on the basis of the said Memorandum of Settlement, it has been provided there: no Act of Parliament in respect of- i) Religious or Social practices of the Mizos, ii) Mizo customary law and procedure, shall apply to the State of Mizoram unless the Legislative Assembly of the State of Mizoram by a resolution so decides. The Mizoram Church Leaders Committee (MKHC) also sent a letter to the Law Commission where they expressed concern and requested a suspension of the UCC. The MKHC by careful scanning of the content of UCC feels that UCC is detrimental to the unity in diversity of Indian culture, religions and customs which our forerunners have dearly held and cherished. UCC is undeniably undermining the rights and privileges of minorities enshrined in Constitution Article 371(G). UCC could be an instrument of oppression and assimilation of the minority communities and religious bodies in our land. Furthermore, the Mizoram Church Leader's Committee (MKHC) has sent letters to various church denominations in the State asking that July 8 and 9 be dedicated to a mass prayer service for the Uniform Civil Code to be not imposed.

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Disapproving any endeavour to convert the proceedings before it into a platform for fuelling further violence in Manipur, the Supreme Court on Monday observed that it cannot run the security apparatus in the riot-hit state and that it is chiefly for the government to maintain law-and-order while the court can only act as a facilitator. A bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, was hearing a clutch of public interest litigations (PILs).(ANI)

Read here: 142 killed till July 4 in Manipur clashes: Centre informs Supreme Court

A bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, was hearing a clutch of public interest litigations (PILs), demanding a spate of orders ranging from investigation into the ethnic clashes that has overrun the state since early May claiming at least 130 lives, to ordering deployment of additional security forces. The petitions relating to the ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki have also asked for various other rescue and rehabilitation measures.

With one of these pleas alleging that the killings of tribals is sponsored by the N Biren Singh-government in the state, the bench, also comprising justice PS Narasimha, made it emphatically clear that it will not allow the court proceedings to be a reason to intensify violence in Manipur.

We dont want this proceeding to be used as a platform for further escalation of violence and other problems which already exist in the state. We do not run the security apparatus or law and order. If there are certain concrete suggestions, based on which we can pass certain orders, we will do that. But we are not there to run law and order and security. If we do that, then what is the elected government for? the bench asked senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for a non-governmental organisation, Manipur Tribal Forum.

While Gonsalves contended that militant groups are being used by the state to escalate violence against the tribals, the court said: This is not a political platform. Conscious as we are of our remit, we cannot run law-and-order...we should also be conscious of what we are capable of doing and what we cannot...Law-and-order, security and deployment of forces etc are not for us to do, it said.

Read here: In Manipur, man shot dead, two injured in fresh violence

At the outset , solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur government, urged the bench to ensure that the petitioners make submissions in the case with utmost sensitivity. Any misinformation may aggravate the situation in the state. Things are slowly returning to normalcy after a lot of effort from the central and state governments, said the S-G, as he handed over the latest status report on the situation in the state.

Asking Gonsalves to come back with some concrete and positive suggestions on Tuesday when the matter will be taken up again, the bench remarked: Please remember that we are not running the security apparatus or the law-and-order apparatus. We can certainly be a facilitator though. You give us some suggestions and we will ask the Centre and the state to consider them.

Responding, Gonsalves said that he was sceptical since the violence against the tribals has witnessed a constant rise despite the pendency of the case before the apex court, but the bench retorted: Your scepticism cannot lead us to take over law-and-order machinery nor can the high court do it. It is essentially for the state to do it. We want to make three things clear. First, this Court should not become a platform for further escalation of violence. Second, we are clear that we are not running the security apparatus. And third, if there are certain corrective orders that can be passed by us to improve the situation, we can do it since we, as a constitutional court, have enormous powers to issue such orders.

During the hearing, advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for one of the intervenors, sought the courts interference into a Manipur governments order threatening the government employees of a salary cut if they do not show up at work.

The bench requested S-G Mehta to look into it. We dont want people to suffer the loss of pay etc in a situation like this. Please, look into this, it told the law officer, who agreed to convey the benchs sentiments to the authorities in the state.

The Court also agreed to hear on Tuesday an appeal filed by the Manipur government against the July 7 order of the Manipur high court, for restricted internet access in the state. S-G Mehta pleaded for an urgent hearing on the ground that the situation keeps changing and thus, the high court order requires a relook. On July 7, the high court ordered the state government to carry out physical trials of partially restoring internet services in the state, where data services have been snapped since ethnic clashes broke out on May 3, appearing to agree to a suggestion by an expert panel to restart a severely restricted form of connectivity.

Ethnic clashes have engulfed Manipur since early May, leading to widespread deaths, injuries and displacement. The states fault lines were exposed in the first week of May after a rally by a tribal Kuki group to protest against a court-ordered move to consider the inclusion of the dominant and politically stronger Meitei community to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list sparked a wave of violence between the two communities.

The three violent days between May 3 and 6 that closely followed a controversial high court order and the protest march left 115 dead, over 310 injured, and over 40,000 displaced from their homes. On March 27, a single-judge bench of the high court directed the state government to consider sending within four weeks a recommendation to the Centre on the demand for the ST status by the Meitei community. The order, released in April, asked the Manipur government to make its stand clear to the Union tribal affairs ministry.

Last month, the Union government formed a three-member inquiry panel led by former chief justice of Gauhati high court Ajai Lamba, and also a peace committee to restore amity among warring ethnic groups. But the Kuki representatives have refused to associate with the peace committee citing the presence of chief minister N Biren Singh, who has been accused by the Kukis of favouring his community, the Meitei.

Read here: Kerala Bishop council president urges PM to restore peace in riot-hit Manipur

Comprising at least 53% of Manipurs population, the majority Meitei community is considered relatively affluent while the Naga and Kuki, who constitute about 44% of the population, mainly live off agriculture on the hills and are economically deprived. While the Meitei are mostly Hindu, the Naga and Kuki-Zomi are mainly Christian. Manipur has a nearly equal population of Hindus and Christians, at a little over 41% each, according to the 2011 census.

Apart from being the majority community, the Meitei also have more representation in the state assembly. Thats because 40 of the 60 Assembly seats in the state are from the Imphal valley region  the area that is mostly inhabited by the Meitei. But the fertile valley makes up about a tenth of the total land mass of the state while the hills account for 90%.

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KOCHI: Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, President of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the situation in riot-hit Manipur and intervene to bring peace to the state. Kerala Catholic Bishops Council president asks Prime Minister to break his silence on the situation in riot-hit Manipur and intervene to bring peace to the state. (PTI)

Speaking at the Jaago Bharat hunger strike organised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan in Muvattupuzha on Saturday against the BJP-led Centre in the Manipur issue, the cardinal said, Manipur is a state whose people also live by Indias constitution. Why is the administration taking so much time to quell the violence in the state? It has been 65 days now. Why is there silence? PM Modi should stop his silence and speak now. 

He continued, He should share the countrys integrity with the world. There is no better opportunity than this to tell the world that democracy prevails in India. Secularism is not a decorative term in Indias constitution, it is a living philosophy. I ask the administration to leave silence behind and intervene to bring peace in Manipur.

Mar Baselios Cleemis, also the archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Kerala, said the Centre and the state administration in Manipur have the moral responsibility to protect the lives of people. He also took a swipe stating that no one should think Christianity can be wiped out from the country in the name of the Manipur riots.

He said, There are different assumptions in the name of riots in Manipur. There is a simple question. Are those fighting and killing each other there Indians or foreigners? If they are Indians, shouldnt the Indian government have the moral responsibility to protect their lives?

Let religions and beliefs be kept aside. In the name of riots there, if anyone thinks they can wipe out Christianity from India, its a daydream. Indias soul tells us that there is great danger in making people from different religions fight each other.

At least 125 people have been killed and over 300 injured in ethnic clashes in the northeastern state since May 3. According to reports, around 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishnu Varma Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment. ...view detail
NEW DELHI: US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeyas meeting with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi triggered an angry response on Monday from China, which said no external forces have the right to interfere in the affairs of Tibet. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama met US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya (PTI File Photo)

Zeya, who is also US under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, began a visit to India on Sunday. Shortly after arriving in New Delhi, she met the Dalai Lama along with senior US officials and discussed the situation in Tibet.

In a strongly worded statement, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi opposed any contact between foreign officials and Tibetan independence forces. Xizang (Tibet) affairs are purely internal affairs of China and no external forces have the right to interfere, it said.

A post on Facebook by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said the Dalai Lama met a US delegation led by Zeya. Penpa Tsering, the political leader of the CTA who was part of the Dalai Lamas delegation, said the discussions at the meeting centred around the need to preserve Tibets rich and valuable cultural heritage.

This comes at a time when Chinese Buddhists are devoid of spirituality, Tsering said. He added that the Dalai Lama had jokingly told Zeya that he is the defence minister for India in the Himalayas and that the Buddhist community is the frontline defender for India.

The Ukraine crisis also figured in the meeting and the Dalai Lama expressed his desire to see a weapons-free world, Tsering said. He added that Zeya has been very active on Tibetan issues, including the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, since her appointment by the Biden administration.

Besides Tsering, Norzin Dolma, the minister of information and international relations, Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, and several senior Tibetan officials participated in the meeting. The US delegation included Donald Lu, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, US ambassador Eric Garcetti, and USAID deputy assistant administrator Anjali Kaur.

The Chinese embassys statement described the position held by Zeya as pure offense and a move of political manipulation to interfere in Chinas internal affairs. China has always opposed this and never recognised it, it said.

The statement claimed the Dalai Lama is not just a religious figure, but rather a political exile who has long been engaging in anti-China separatist activities. The Tibetan government in exile is a separatist political group and an illegal organisation, the statement contended.

The US should take concrete actions to honour its commitment of acknowledging Xizang as part of China, stop meddling in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of Xizang-related issues, and offer no support to the anti-China separatist activities..., it said.

Ahead of her arrival in India, Zeya said in a tweet that she looked forward to productive meetings with Government of India & civil society leaders building on momentum of @narendramodis historic State Visit to the US last month. India and the US are working together for a more open, prosperous, secure, inclusive & resilient world, she said.

Zeya, who will also travel to Bangladesh during July 8-14, is set to meet senior government officials in New Delhi to discuss the US-India partnership, including advancing shared solutions to global challenges, democracy, regional stability, and cooperation on humanitarian relief, the US state department said.

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The meeting between US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya and the Dalai Lama in New Delhi triggered an angry response on Monday from China, which said no external forces have the right to interfere in the affairs of Tibet. US undersecretary and special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala on Thursday. (HT Photo)

In a strongly worded statement, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi opposed any contact between foreign officials and Tibetan independence forces. Xizang (Tibet) affairs are purely internal affairs of China and no external forces have the right to interfere, the statement said.

Zeya, who is also the US under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, began a visit to India on Sunday. Shortly after arriving in New Delhi, she met the Dalai Lama along with other senior US officials, according to a post on Facebook by the Central Tibetan Administration.

China typically frowns on international diplomatic parleys with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, which it annexed in 1950.

People familiar with the matter said the current situation in Tibet and Chinas policies in the region were among the issues that figured at the meeting. Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of the Tibetan administration in exile, Norzin Dolma, the minister of information and international relations, Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, and several other senior Tibetan officials participated in the meeting.

The US delegation included Donald Lu, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs. US ambassador Eric Garcetti, and USAID deputy assistant administrator Anjali Kaur.

The statement by the Chinese embassy described the position held by Zeya as pure offense and a move of political manipulation to interfere in China's internal affairs. China has always opposed this and never recognised it, it added.

The statement contended that the Dalai Lama is not just a religious figure, but rather a political exile who has long been engaging in anti-China separatist activities.

The Tibetan government in exile is a separatist political group and an illegal organisation completely in violation of China's Constitution and laws, the statement claimed.

The US should take concrete actions to honour its commitment of acknowledging Xizang as part of China, stop meddling in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of Xizang-related issues, and offer no support to the anti-China separatist activities..., the statement said.

Ahead of her arrival in India, Zeya said in a tweet that she looked forward to productive meetings with Government of India & civil society leaders building on momentum of @narendramodis historic State Visit to the US last month.

India and the US are working together for a more open, prosperous, secure, inclusive & resilient" world, she said.

Zeya, who will also travel to Bangladesh during July 8-14, is expected to meet senior government officials in India to discuss the US-India partnership, including advancing shared solutions to global challenges, democracy, regional stability, and cooperation on humanitarian relief, the US state department said.

She is also expected to advance shared solutions to global challenges, and bolster humanitarian support for refugees across the region.

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The Delhi high court on Monday set aside a government order cancelling Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card of Sweden-based professor of Indian origin Ashok Swain. Sweden-based professor of Indian origin Ashok Swain.

Justice Subramonium Prasad said the Centre order merely used Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act as a mantra and did not furnish any reasons as why Swain's OCI status was being revoked, Bar and Bench reported.

The court directed the government to pass a fresh reasoned order within three weeks.

"The respondent is directed to pass a detailed order giving reasons for exercising its power under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The impugned order is set aside. The respondent is directed to complete the exercise within three weeks from today, Live Law quoted the court as saying.

The Embassy of India to Sweden and Latvia on February 8 last year cancelled Swain's OCI Card under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, according to the petition, Live Law reported.

Who is Ashok Swain?

Ashok Swain is an academic and professor of peace and conflict research at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Sweden's Uppsala University.

He is the UNESCO chair on International Water Cooperation, and the director of Research School of International Water Cooperation at Uppsala University.

He is also the founding editor-in-chief of 'Environment and Security' journal, jointly published by Sage Publishing and Environmental Peacebuilding Association.

Swain had moved the Delhi high court contending that his OCI card was cancelled in February 2022 because of his statements critical of the current Indian government.

The plea alleged that the cancellation order is ex-facie illegal, arbitrary and non-est in law, besides being non-speaking and unreasoned and the petitioner cannot be witch-hunted for his views on the political dispensation of the current government or their policies.

The counsel appearing for the Central government reportedly told the court that Swain's OCI card because he was involved in activities 'prejudicial to security and stability of India', its sovereignty and integrity' and 'friendly relations with other countries.

Swain maintained that he has not given any inflammatory speech and there were no specific instances or materials to substantiate the allegations.

Swain, who is a citizen of Sweden, also argued that no specific instance or particulars were cited in the show-cause notice for substantiating the barring of his OCI card.

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The Delhi high court on Monday refused to advance the date of the hearing of Delhi University (DU)s plea against a Central Information Commission (CIC) order directing it to allow inspection of records of the students, who completed their Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1978, the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi also graduated from the varsity. In January 2017, the court stayed the CICs order. Delhi high court (FILE)(HT_PRINT)

Read here: Kejriwal moves Gujarat HC seeking review of its order on PM Modi's degree

The matter, which has been adjourned repeatedly, has since 2017 been listed before five judges due to routine changes in rosters.

Neeraj Kumar, whose plea led to the CICs order, sought an early hearing in the matter saying it has been pending for a long time. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who appeared for Kumar, pleaded for an early hearing to decide the case.

Justice Subramonium Prasad said the matter is listed in October. Take it from me, it will be disposed of then, provided I continue in the roster. It does not impress why it [advancing should be done]. Sympathies apart We will just say issue notice. List on the date already fixed [October 19].

Kumar unsuccessfully sought the details of the 1878 batch of students from DU under the Right To Information (RTI) Act. He challenged DUs decision in the matter and the CIC overturned it saying matters relating to the education of a current or former student fall under the public domain.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the matter in 2017, then argued DU did not have any problem in sharing the information sought on the number of students who appeared, passed, or failed. He added it cannot disclose the results of all students along with roll numbers, names, father names, and marks. DU argued that such information was exempted from disclosure.

The Gujarat high court in March set aside the 2016 order of the CIC for providing information about Modis degrees to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal under the RTI Act. It allowed the Gujarat Universitys appeal against the CICs order and fined Kejriwal 25,000.

In April 2016, the then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu directed the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal. The Gujarat high court later that year stayed the order after Gujarat University approached it.

Read here: PM Modi degree row: Gujarat HC to hear Arvind Kejriwals plea on July 21

In 2016, the CICs order came a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu, saying he has no objection to records about him being made public. Kejriwal wondered why the commission wanted to hide information on Modis educational qualifications. He wrote Modis degrees should be brought into the public domain to remove any confusion over the issue.

Acharyulu later directed the Gujarat University to give records of Modis educational qualifications to Kejriwal.

The Gujarat University objected to the CICs order saying irresponsible childish curiosity of someone cannot become public interest under the RTI Act.

In February, Mehta, appearing for the university, told the Gujarat high court that there was nothing to hide in the first place because information about Modis degrees is already in the public domain. He added the university also placed the information on its website on a particular date.

Mehta said there was no obligation to give a copy of the university degree of the Prime Minister to any third person under the RTI.

Mehta referred to exceptions under the RTI Act for not complying with the CICs order. He argued the RTI Act is being used for settling scores and to make childish jabs against opponents.

Mehta referred to judgements of the Supreme Court and high courts about the exemptions and added that one cannot seek someones personal information just because one is curious about it.

Read here: Uddhav Thackeray's dig amid PM degree row: Why doesnt Modis college feel same'

Mehta argued the information sought has nothing to do with Modis role as a public figure. He cited the provisions of the RTI Act and said the information sought must be related to public activity. Mehta said the Gujarat University was holding the information about Modi in a fiduciary capacity. He referred to Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act said such information cannot be disclosed unless the competent authority is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information.
The Delhi high court on Monday set aside the cancellation of Sweden-based academic Ashok Swains Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, saying the decision in this regard was bereft of any reasons. It sought a detailed and reasoned order within three weeks. Sweden-based academic Ashok Swain. (Twitter)

Apart from repeating the Section [under which the OCI card was cancelled] as a mantra, no reason is mentioned... as to why the registration of the petitioner [Swain] as OCI holder has been revoked, said Justice Subramonium Prasad while disposing of Swains plea against the cancellation.

The respondent [Union government] is directed to pass a detailed order giving reasons for exercising its power under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The impugned order is set aside. The respondent is directed to complete the exercise within three weeks from today [Monday].

An OCI card makes the holder eligible for a multi-purpose, multiple-entry, lifelong visa to India and exemption from registration with police for any length of stay in the country.

In his plea, Swain, who is a citizen of Sweden, said the Indian embassy in Sweden cited no specific instance or particulars in the show cause notice for cancelling his OCI card in February last year under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The Union government maintained Swains OCI card was revoked because of his involvement in activities prejudicial to security and stability of India, its sovereignty and integrity and friendly relations with other countries.

Swain maintained he did not make any inflammatory speech nor was any specific instance or material provided to substantiate the allegations against him. He added as a scholar, it is his role to discuss and critique the policies of the government through his work.

The plea said Swain analyses and criticises certain policies of the government as an academic. It added mere criticism of the policies of the ruling dispensation shall not be tantamount to anti-India activities under the Citizenship Act.

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As BJP steps up campaign against Tejashwi, Nitish Kumar signals his stand Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar arrived at the Bihar assembly on Monday with his deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and environment minister Tej Pratap Singh, a gesture that his party leader said was designed to send a clear message that the Janata Dal-United alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav was intact and strong. Read more Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (Centre)

Monsoon update: Intense rain over north India to continue today, decline thereafter

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over northwestern India and adjacent region, as well as extremely heavy showers for Himachal Pradesh today. Read more

Fans love women power in Jawan Prevue, think Deepika Padukone plays Shah Rukh Khan's mother

The Jawan Prevue has gotten a thumbs up from the fans on Monday as it served much more than they had anticipated from the Shah Rukh Khan film. Directed by Atlee, Jawan has a huge ensemble cast, including Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara, Priyamani, and Sanya Malhotra, with Deepika Padukone being the biggest surprise. Read more

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Watch: Azarenka booed off the court after Wimbledon loss to Ukraine's Svitolina, Belarusian responds with sharp gesture

The women's singles tie between Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon 2023, , which the latter won 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9), witnessed some hostile reactions by fans. Read more

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External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday filed his Rajya Sabha nomination papers at the Gujarat assembly in Gandhinagar in the presence of chief minister Bhupendra Patel and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief C R Paatil. External affairs minister S Jaishankar filing his Rajya Sabha nomination papers. (Twitter)

In a tweet in Gujarati, he said he considers it his great fortune to have had the opportunity to represent Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. I am grateful to the people of Gujarat for giving me the opportunity to serve the motherland. With all your good wishes and blessings, I submitted my nomination for Rajya Sabha again today [Monday].

The election for 10 Rajya Sabha seats (Goa, Gujarat, and West Bengal) is scheduled on July 24. The last date for filing nominations is July 13 and the deadline for withdrawal on July 17. Polling, if required, will be held on July 24.

The BJP is set to win three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat uncontested. The Congress has decided against fielding any candidate due to a shortage of required lawmakers.

In the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP won 156 of 182 seats. The Congress managed to win only 17 seats and Aam Aadmi Party five.

Out of 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, the BJP holds eight. The remaining seats are with Congress. The Rajya Sabha term of BJPs Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor, and Dinesh Anavadiya will expire on August 18. The BJP is yet to name the other two candidates.
New Delhi: The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus outside the country in Tanzania will also be the first to be led by a woman director, officials said on Monday, while adding that the overseas campus will start with two courses starting this October. The new IIT campus in Tanzania will be the first in itself to be led by a woman director. (Twitter)

Read here: IIT Madras-Zanzibar: 5 points on 1st IIT campus abroad Admission, courses & more

The Union government last Thursday announced that the first IIT campus overseas will be established by IIT-Madras, or IIT-M, in the Tanzanian island city of Zanzibar after an MoU was signed between both countries. The move is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends that high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries.

Preeti Aghalayam, an IIT-M alumna and a professor in its department of chemical engineering, has been appointed as the director-in-charge of the Zanzibar campus, IIT-M director V Kamakoti told a media conference in Delhi on Monday.

At IIT-M, we are very keen on bringing women into leadership roles. We are following sustainable development goals and one of the important goals suggests that we need to bring in gender balance. Professor Preeti will be the first ever woman to be an IIT director, he said.

Read here: First overseas IIT campus to be set up in Zanzibar

While addressing the media remotely from Zanzibar, Aghalayam said she is honoured to represent the institute and the country. During our visits to Zanzibar as an IIT-M contingent we had noticed that the representation of women from their side was quite significant. The minister of education in Zanzibar is a woman, their permanent secretary who is a part of our steering committee is a woman, and of course, the President of Tanzania herself is a woman. So, I think it was important that we also consider it mindfully, she said.

Aghalayam, 49, did her BTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1995, and completed her Phd from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in 2000. Her research is in the area of Chemical Reaction Engineering and she is an expert in Underground Coal Gasification, Automotive Aftertreatment and CO2 utilization for hard-to-abate sectors.

She had joined IIT-M as a faculty in 2010. She also works in the Office of Global Engagement at the institute and handles international academic programs. She was recently acknowledged as one of the 75 Women in STEM by the Principal Scientific Advisors office.

Kamakoti said that the registration for admission at their overseas campus has already begun on its official website (https://www.iitm.ac.in/zanzibar/), and soon its senate will finalise the admission process that will include a screening test developed by faculty experts at IIT-M, and an interview.

The institute will initially offer two courses  a four-year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and a two-year masters in Technology in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence designed by IIT-M. It will cater to students from all over the world, including India, and a total of 70 students, 50 in Bachelors course and 20 in Masters course, will be admitted this year, he said.

Kamakoti said that faculty will be deputed from IIT-Madras or recruited from India. Presently the institute will operate out of a temporary campus in Bweleo district of Zanzibar, while the permanent campus spread over 200 acres will be located in Zanzibar Island, and it will be ready by 2026, he said.

The faculty strength will be based on required teaching expertise and the quality assurances of IIT-Madras including but not limited to maintaining robust faculty-student ratios, he added.

The fees will be $12,000 per year for the Bachelors course while and $4,000 per year for the Masters course, the IIT-M director announced, while emphasising that some scholarships may be provided to meritorious students.

Explaining the reason behind starting courses in data science and AI, the IIT-M director said that, during the discussions with ministry officials and heads of academic institutions at Tanzania, the importance of such programmes were highlighted. The programmes were also planned based on the popularity of the courses in IIT-Madras currently, the potential for future careers, and the aspirations of young people across the world, he said.

Read here: First IIT campus outside India to come up in Tanzanias Zanzibar

Kamakoti said that IIT-Madras is studying the needs of the country in terms of human capacity building. Within the next few years, we will offer very strong postgraduate and undergraduate courses and these need not be very conventional courses We are also planning to start a research park in Zanzibar campus like we have in IIT-M to have more industry and academia collaborations.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fareeha Iftikhar Fareeha Iftikhar is a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. She tracks the education ministry, and covers the beat at the national level for the newspaper. She also writes on issues related to gender, human rights and different policy matters. ...view detail
BENGALURU: K Kasturirangan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru on Monday evening after being airlifted from Sri Lanka, officials familiar with the matter said. Former Isro chief K Kasturinagan was airlifted to Bengaluru from Sri Lanka on Monday

Kasturirangan, 82 was in Sri Lanka when he had a heart attack.

Kasturirangans treatment is being overseen by Dr Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health, at the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital, an official said. His condition is said to be stable. There has, however, been no formal statement by the hospital so far.

Kasturirangan steered the Indian space programme between 1994 and 2003 as ISRO chief. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha months soon after.

The eminent scientist, who has been awarded Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, was head of the committee whose draft laid the foundation of the New Education Policy.

He was also the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, from April 2004 to 2009. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to offer to wish him recovery.

Sad to know that Indian Space Scientist Shri Kasturi Rangan has suffered a heart attack in Sri Lanka. I wish him a speedy recovery and lead a healthy life, Siddaramaiah said.
Four Indian-origin women, including Jayshree Ullal and Indra Nooyi, have made it to the Forbes list of America's 100 most successful self-made women, with a combined net worth of a whopping USD 4.06 billion. Building supply distributor Diane Hendricks, with a $15 billion net worth, retained the top spot for the sixth year in a row. This year's list has eight entrants, including television producer Shonda Rhimes and Insitro CEO Daphne Koller. Four Indian-origin women in Forbes list of richest self-made women business leaders.

"Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, they are cumulatively worth a record USD 124 billion, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago," Forbes said last month at the release of its ninth annual list.

Jayshree Ullal

Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks, ranked 15th on the list, the highest among Indian-origin business leaders. Arista Networks, a publicly-traded company, recorded revenue of nearly $4.4 billion in 2022. Ullal, 62, owns about 2.4% of Arista's stock, some of which is earmarked for her two children, niece and nephew, according to Forbes. She is also on the board of directors of Snowflake, a cloud computing company that went public in September 2020. She studied electrical engineering at San Francisco State University and engineering management at Santa Clara University.

Neerja Sethi

Neerja Sethi, with a net worth of USD 990 million, has been ranked 25th on the list. Sethi, 68, along with her husband Bharat Desai, co-founded IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel in 1980. French IT firm Atos SE for $3.4 billion in October 2018 bought Syntel in 2018 and Sethi got an estimated $510 million for her stake.

She did her Bachelor of Arts/Science and Master of Business Administration from Delhi University and Master of Science from Oakland University. Sethi met her husband, Desai, in the US while working for the pioneering IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and attempted to emulate it. They started the business with an initial investment of just $2,000.

Neha Narkhede

Narkehe, co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO) of cloud company Confluent, is ranked 50th on the list with a net worth of USD 520 million. The 38-year-old software engineer-turned-entrepreneur helped develop the open-source messaging system Apache Kafka to help develop LinkedIn's massive influx of data. In 2014, she and two LinkedIn colleagues left to found Confluent, which helps organisations process large amounts of data on Apache Kafka.

The USD 586 million (2022 revenues) company went public in June 2021 at a USD 9.1 billion valuation; Narkhede owns around 6 per cent, Forbes said. In March 2023, Narkhede announced her new company, fraud detection firm Oscilar, where she is co-founder and CEO.

Indira Nooyi

Nooyi, the former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, retired in 2019 after 24 years with the company, half of which she spent in the top job. The 67-year-old has a net worth of USD 350 million and is ranked 77th on the Forbes list. Her fortune stems from stock she was granted while working at PepsiCo.

Nooyi, who grew up in India, received an MBA from Yale before becoming one of corporate America's few female CEOs in 2006.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail
Taiwans Foxconn Technology Group on Monday pulled out of its joint venture with Vedanta Ltd, which had planned to invest $20 billion in India to build units for semiconductor fabrication, assembly and testing, and display manufacturing. The partnership planned to set up Indias first chip manufacturing unit under a $10 billion government-backed financial incentive scheme and was once estimated to be ahead of two other consortia in the fray for getting the sops. (Reuters)

The partnership planned to set up Indias first chip manufacturing unit under a $10 billion government-backed financial incentive scheme and was once estimated to be ahead of two other consortia in the fray for getting the sops.

The government downplayed the development, saying the differences between the two companies did not impact Indias plans to become a semiconductor manufacturing destination.

Both companies are fully committed to developing Indias semiconductor industry, and theyre fully committed to Make in India, minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said, noting the announcements will not impact Indias semiconductor mission.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and information technology, tweeted that it was well-known that both companies had no prior experience or technology and were expected to source fab technology from a technology partner.

While their joint venture VFSL (Vedanta Foxconn Semiconductors Ltd) originally submitted a proposal for a 28nm fab, they could not source an appropriate tech partner for that proposal. Vedanta, through VFSL, has recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal backed by a tech licensing agreement from a global semiconductor major, which is currently being evaluated by the tech advisory group under the Indian Semiconductor Mission, the minister added.

Chandrasekhar noted that Foxconn and Vedanta, which had significant investments in India, will pursue their strategies in India independently and with appropriate technology partners in semiconductors and electronics.

The government officials remarks followed statements from the companies on Monday.

In a statement, the Taiwanese company said it was in the process of removing its name from the entity, which has been fully acquired by Vedanta Group under its holding company.

Foxconn is working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta. Foxconn has no connection to the entity, and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders, the worlds largest contract manufacturer said in a statement Monday.

We will continue to strongly support the governments Make In India ambitions and establish a diversity of local partnerships that meet the needs of stakeholders, it added.

Last week, Vedanta added semiconductor and display glass ventures to its diversified portfolio under Volcan Investments Ltd, the ultimate holding company of Vedanta Ltd. The ventures will be wholly owned by the Agarwal family trust, which is not listed on the exchanges. The development followed the acquisition through a share transfer at face value of Twin Star Technologies Ltds semiconductor and display SPVs, a wholly owned subsidiary of Volcan Investments.

VFSL was a wholly owned subsidiary of Twin Star, whose special purpose vehicles had signed memorandums of understanding with the Gujarat government in September 2022 to set up the semiconductor and display fabs in Dholera.

Vedanta Group did not comment on the end of the joint venture but said it would go ahead with its plans to set up a semiconductor fab. It highlighted that it had procured a licence for producing 40 nm chips from an integrated device manufacturer without naming the company.

We will shortly acquire a licence for production-grade 28 nm as well. Vedanta has redoubled its efforts to fulfil the Prime Ministers vision for semiconductors, and India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains, the statement added.

The Vedanta-Foxconn JV was among three consortia that had submitted applications when the government first invited bids under its $10 billion semiconductor manufacturing programme in December 2021. Vedanta had announced its $20 billion ( 1.54 trillion) investment plan to set up a semiconductor chip and display manufacturing unit in Gujarat, including a display fab unit with an investment of 94,500 crore and an integrated semiconductor fab unit and OSAT (outsourced assembly and testing) facility with an investment of 60,000 crore. The semiconductor manufacturing fab unit would operate on 28nm technology nodes.

The International Semiconductor Consortium (ISMC) and Singapores IGSS Ventures were the other two consortia. ISMC is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Next Orbit Ventures and Israels Tower Semiconductor, which is in the process of being acquired by Intel Inc. The ISMC consortium had signed an MoU with the Karnataka government for a $3 billion fabrication plant in Mysuru, where it has sought 150 acres at Kochanahalli industrial area.

Singapore-based IGSS Ventures Pvt. Ltd had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Nadu government in July last year for building a high-tech semiconductor park which includes a fab unit with an investment of $3.5 billion or 25,600 crore over six years.

In October, the Centre revised the financial incentives scheme, increasing subsidies from 30% to 50% of the project costs for semiconductor fabs across all technology nodes, display manufacturing, compound semiconductors, silicon photonics, sensors fab and semiconductor ATMP (assembly, testing, marking and packing) facilities or OSAT facilities. It had also removed the subsidy cap of 12,000 crore, which was there earlier. Both IGSS and ISMC are yet to reapply under the revised scheme, according to government officials.

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With two months to go for the G20 Summit, Indian negotiators are faced with an uphill task in forging consensus on outcome documents because of sharp differences on the exact wording of the text to refer to the Ukraine crisis, people familiar with the matter said. Indian negotiators face an uphill task in forging consensus on exact wording to mention the Ukraine conflict. (AP)

Read here: Will bring back 150 artifacts from US: Ministry of Culture after G20 meeting in Karnataka's Hampi

India will host the G20 Summit in New Delhi during September 9-10 and all key meetings held so far, including those of finance and foreign ministers, have not produced consensus documents because of opposition from Russia and China to any text referring to the Ukraine conflict.

Ahead of the summit, the Indian side is looking to the G20 sherpas meeting to be held in Hampi, Karnataka, during July 14-15 and further meetings of sherpas and foreign ministers to be held immediately ahead of the summit to build on efforts to reach some form of compromise on outcome documents.

The sherpas are expected to start putting together the final pieces of the outcome documents during the upcoming meeting though it remains to be seen whether they can take forward efforts to reach common ground or compromise language for referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine, the people said.

The Indian side made a major push for compromise at the G20 development ministers meeting in Varanasi during June 11-13, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar himself playing a role in these efforts, but Russia and China stuck to their position that language used to refer to the Ukraine crisis in the G20 leaders declaration at last years summit in Bali, Indonesia, can no longer be used as the situation on the ground has changed.

Read here: U20 Mayoral Summit concludes in Gujarat with six-point agenda for urban growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modis assertion that this is not an era of war found an echo in the declaration issued at the G20 Summit in Bali. The communique said most G20 members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it was heightening energy and food insecurity, but it added that there were also other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions.

The people said G20 members came close to some arrangement on a compromise text at Varanasi, but these efforts fell through because of the position adopted by Russia. The Russian side insisted there should be no mention whatsoever of Ukraine in any text and this stymied efforts to reach a compromise, they said.

The Russian leadership has taken a position that there cant be any reference to Ukraine and their negotiators are unwilling or unable to deviate from this line, a person familiar with the negotiations said on condition of anonymity.

Such a line is unacceptable to G7 member states, which have even raised the Ukraine crisis at a meeting of G20 education ministers, a second person said. The Chinese side has usually acted in concert with Russia and backed Moscows position in negotiations, the people said.

The chairs summary issued by India at the development ministers meeting in Varanasi stated Russia disassociated itself from the status of this document as a common outcome because of references to the Ukraine war in two paragraphs, while China said the meeting outcome should not include any reference to the Ukraine crisis.

Former ambassador Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow for foreign policy studies at Gateway House, said the two big concerns for India ahead of the G20 Summit are producing consensus outcome documents and confirmation of Russian President Vladimir Putins presence at the meeting.

The Indian side had been hoping to produce a consensus document on the lines of what emerged in Bali. It will now be delighted even if it can match the Bali declaration, Bhatia said. The second worry is the attendance of President Putin, especially given his domestic pre-occupations and the possibility of an adverse reaction from the G7 to his presence.

The Russian side has been tight-lipped about Putins presence at the G20 Summit, with officials saying an announcement will be made closer to the date of the meeting. A question mark also hangs over Putins presence at the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Summit in Johannesburg in August.

The people cited above said the upcoming sherpas meeting can help in taking forward other areas of importance to the Indian side, such as concerns of the Global South and New Delhis push for its digital public infrastructure, and that a final push at the level of the political leadership may be needed for consensus outcomes.

Read here: US looks to India to help end Russia-Ukraine war: Envoy

Bhatia added, India can still achieve a considerable amount in areas that are important to it, but whether the final outcome is better than, or even as good as, the outcome in Bali was in terms of consensus remains to be seen.

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As the hill state of Himachal Pradesh is the worst hit by the monsoon fury, chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Monday morning in a video message urged people to stay indoors for the next 24 hours. The CM also issued three helpline numbers -1100, 1070, and 1077 - in the wake of landslides, flash floods, and other damages due to the incessant rainfall. Six people were rescued from inundated houses due to the rise in the water level of the Beas River amid heavy rainfall at Pandoh in Mandi district in Himachal.(HT Photo)

In a message on Twitter, the CM said, I want to request all residents of the state, please stay home for the next 24 hours because very heavy rain is expected. We have started three helplines - 1100, 1070, and 1077. You can call up these numbers to share information about anyone stuck in the calamity. I am available round the clock to help you, my telephone will be available for you 24*7.

He further requested all legislators to camp in their constituencies and help all the people in need.

Please help people during this calamity and ensure that they are compensated for their losses. The state government is trying to rescue those stranded14 people have been killed so far in the calamity, CM Sukhu added.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a red alert for the hill state for heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours. The weather department also said that the rainfall is likely to cause flooding and landslides.

On Monday, the IMD predicted moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in various districts of Himachal Pradesh. Moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is very likely to continue in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kullu in most places and very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places, it said.

Bridges, highways washed away

As torrential rain battered the hill state, several bridges and highways were seen collapsing and were washed away in videos shared by people on social media. A 50-year-old bridge connecting Aut in Mandi district with Larji beside Sainj and Banjar washed away on Sunday. A few hours later, the historical Panchvaktra bridge was washed away as the river's water level increased.
Hyderabad Telangana: KCR in a meeting with members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board over the Uniform Civil Code. (Srinivasa Rao Apparasu)

Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday announced that his party would oppose tooth and nail to the Uniform Civil Code bill as and when it will be introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government .

KCR made it clear to a delegation of All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive committee led by its president Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, which met him at his chambers in Pragati Bhavan. The meeting was attended by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi and ministers K T Rama Rao and Mohammad Mahmud Ali.

The chief minister said the BRS would strongly oppose the UCC bill when proposed, in the coming Parliament session and fight against the same in coordination with other like-minded political parties. He directed BRS parliamentary party leaders K Kesava Rao and Nama Nageshwara Rao to chalk out an action plan in this regard in both the Houses of Parliament.

KCR alleged that the BJP was already creating a communal divide in the country for its petty political gains, ignoring the development of the nation. Now, it was once again hatching a conspiracy to divide the people of the country in the name of UCC, he said.

We shall categorically reject such decisions of the Centre which would destroy the unity and integrity of India, which has stood as a role model for the entire world with its philosophy of unity in diversity of various regions, races, religions, traditions, customs and culture, he said at the meeting.

He said the if a UCC bill is to be tabled, it will create confusion among the Adivasis, who have a different culture of their own, besides people of various religions, races and regions and even the Hindus. It will threaten the very secular fabric of the country and a big setback to the identity of various sections of people who follow different traditions, customs and culture, he said.

Describing the proposed UCC as ill-motivated, the chief minister said there were several burning issues being confronted by the nation which need to be resolved. In the last nine years, the BJP government at the Centre ignored the countrys development and welfare of its people. As if there are no other issues, the BJP is raking up controversial issues like the UCC only for its political gains, he alleged.

The Muslim Personal Law Board thanked the chief minister for immediately responding to their plea for resisting the BJP governmentss push for the UCC to protect the Ganga-Jamuna Tehjeeb.

Speaking to reporters later, Asaduddin Owaisi said the UCC was not only an issue pertaining to the Muslims but Christians and other minorities. If the UCC is introduced, the pluralism of the nation will be finished which is not a good thing, he said.

He thanked KCR for assuring them that the BRS would oppose the UCC. We will also appeal to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to oppose the bill, he added.

Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party official spokesman N V Subhash refused to comment on the decision of the BRS. The national BJP leadership has decided not to make any comment on the opposition to UCC by other political parties, he said.

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The Indian Navy will add more teeth to its already formidable arsenal in the coming years with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to sign a deal for acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine fighters for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and a repeat order for building three more Scorpene (Kalveri) class submarines at Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) through the Make in India route during his two-day visit to France this week, people familiar with the matter said. File photo of Rafale Marine fighter taking off from an aircraft carrier.

While South Block is tight-lipped about the defence deals to be signed during PM Modis visit to Paris on July 13-14, it is understood that India and France will sign a defence-industrial road map to push India to scale up its manufacturing of hardware platforms through indigenously developed engines and technologies. PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will also unveil a bilateral road map for the Indo-Pacific with specific steps to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security for sea lanes in the area contested by a rising China.

According to inputs from South Block, a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has been convened by defence minister Rajnath Singh on July 13 for granting acceptance of necessity (AON) to the Indian Navy to acquire 26 Rafale-M fighters as well as give the green signal to the building of three more Kalveri class submarines at the MDL. The last of the six Kalveri class submarine, INS Vagsheer, is expected to be commissioned next year with the vessel currently undergoing tests and trials.

The three additional Kalveri class submarines will be fitted with air independent propulsion (AIP), which has been designed by the DRDO but will be tested and validated by the French Naval Group. The AIP gives longer endurance to a normal diesel attack submarine and allows it to remain submerged for over a week without the need to surface to charge its batteries.

While the DAC will approve AON for acquisition of 26 Rafale-M aircraft for INS Vikrant, the price, terms and conditions will be negotiated after this through the government-to-government route with the French government getting the best price from Dassault Aviation. All the 26 fighters will be single-seater versions with Indian Navy pilots being trained in France as well as on advanced simulators in Goa. All the French Navy pilots flying Rafale-M on aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have been trained on simulators as a twin-seater means reduction in the armament carrying capacity of the fighter. It is understood that one squadron (18 fighters) will be onboard INS Vikrant and the remaining eight will be based in Goa as reserves for rotation.

The repeat order for three Scorpene class submarines through the government-to-government route will not only add muscle to the Indian Navy to take up the challenge of PLA expansion in the Indian Ocean but also give a new lease of life to submarine manufacturing capacity of MDL after INS Vaghsheer is commissioned in 2024.

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The youth committee of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a political outfit primarily based in Kerala, helped a Hindu couple wed in a temple at Malappuram. The district, home to the largest Muslim population in Kerala, hosted the wedding of Geethu and Vishnu at the Vengara Sri Ammancheri Bhagavathi temple. The wedding of Geetha and Vishnu at the Sree Ammancherikkavu Bhagavathi Temple in Vengara. (Facebook)

The ceremony was organised by IUML's - a long-standing ally of the Congress in Kerala - youth wing of the 12th ward of Vengara panchayat on Sunday at 8.30 am.

Several leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress attended the function. Senior IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty and state president Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal were also part of the ceremony.

Geetha, who hails from Palakkad, was a resident of Rose Manor Short Stay Home - a shelter which rehabilitates women in distress, victims of exploitation, trafficking and marital disharmony, and is run by the Mujahid Education Trust, according to its website. Although the marriage was fixed by the supervisor at Rose Manor in Manattiparambu, Vengara, IUMLs youth organisation provided financial help. The groom, Vishnu, hails from Kunnamangalam in Kozhikode.

In a Facebook post, Kunhalikutty wrote, Today, the temple courtyard bore witness to the unity and friendship of my land. This is a great message to emulate. Best wishes to Vishnu and Geetha as they step into married life.

Adding that Geeta had come to Rose Manor years back with her mother and sister, the Vengara MLA hailed the temple committee for supporting the beautiful expression of goodness irrespective of political differences.

In a statement to The NewsMinute, Vengara panchayat president Haseena Fasal said that Geethu, her sister Girija, and their mother were the last residents of Rose Manor. The Muslim Youth League helped conduct the marriage of Girija in 2022 by providing financial aid.

Speaking to Malayalam news channel Reporter TV, PMA Salam - the general secretary of IUML - said that although some people have tried to project the district in a bad light, Malappuram is known for such acts of communal harmony.

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The Kerala High Court on Monday said that the phone of a journalist cannot be seized by the police in connection with a case, without following the procedure laid down by law. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan said that journalists are "part of the fourth estate" and if their mobile phone is necessary in connection with a case, then the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have to be followed before seizing it. Journalist's phone cannot be seized without due procedure

The court's order came on a plea moved by G Vishakan, a journalist of a Malayalam daily, alleging harassment by the police in connection with a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Shajan Skaria, editor of YouTube 'news' channel Marunadan Malayali.

Skaria, meanwhile, was granted interim protection from arrest in the case by the Supreme Court earlier in the day. He was denied this relief by a special court in Kerala and the high court here. The journalist, in the plea moved through advocate Jayasurya Bharathan, claimed that police officials raided his home on July 3, conducted a search and asked about Skaria.

After that they called him to the police station where they seized his phone. Vishakan has urged the court to issue an interim direction for return of his mobile as it was the sole source of his livelihood. Justice Kunhikrishnan, after hearing both sides, said, "I am of the considered opinion that the mobile phone of the journalist shall not be seized by the police authorities in violation of the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure. "If the mobile phone is necessary in connection with a criminal case, there are procedures to be followed before seizing those items. Journalists are part of the fourth estate."

The court directed the police to file a statement indicating the circumstances under which the mobile phone of the petitioner-journalist was seized and listed the matter for further hearing on July 21. The court further said that a journalist may be getting all kinds of information on their mobile phones and simply because they got some information about a crime does not permit seizure of the device without following the procedure laid down in the CrPC.

"There is an allegation in this case to the effect that the petitioner and even his family members were harassed. That cant be allowed," it said. The petitioner has contended that the search at his home was unauthorised as no prior notice was served upon him, nor did the officers have a warrant.

Vishakan also claimed that he was not an accused in the case under the SC/ST Act and there was no incriminating evidence against him. He said that his only connection with the accused Skaria was the occasional sharing of news for remuneration. The scribe, in his plea, has urged the court to direct the police not to harass him nor search his home or summon him to the police station. He has also sought action against the police for the allegedly illegal search conducted at his home.

The police took action against the YouTube 'news' channel as part of an investigation to trace its editor Skaria, following a case filed against him under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by an MLA belonging to the ruling Left front. The police intensified the action against the online channel days after the Kerala High Court dismissed Skaria's anticipatory bail plea in the complaint lodged with the Elamakkara police by Left MLA P V Sreenijin, who represents Kunnathunad constituency.

After MLA Sreenijin lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the online 'media' channel deliberately defamed him by spreading fake news, Skaria moved the special court seeking protection from arrest. The special court dismissed the plea, saying that the publication of the video containing derisive and derogatory comments is sufficient to attract the alleged offences, and hence the bar on anticipatory bail under Section 18 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would apply.

Skaria then moved the high court, but it upheld the sessions court order, making scathing observations about the purported online news channel's style of functioning.

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Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah released the direct benefit transfers (DBTs) to beneficiaries as part of the Anna Bhagya scheme, which was originally designed to provide 10 kg of free rice to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah released the direct benefit transfers (DBTs) to beneficiaries as part of the Anna Bhagya scheme (ANI)

The launch, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the scheme initiated by Siddaramaiah during his previous tenure in 2013, comes after the Centre discontinued the sale of rice and wheat to state governments in June.

Subsequently, the Congress government announced that it would offer monetary compensation instead of rice to BPL and Antyodaya cardholders in the state.

According to food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, the government will transfer 34 per kg of rice, which amounts to  170 per month per person in place of rice. The rest of the five kg which comes from the Centre will be provided as usual.

Launching the scheme, Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP-led central government for indulging in dirty politics by stopping the supply of rice to the state after the announcement of the guarantee. The BJP government at the Center is doing anti-poor dirty politics by stopping the supply of rice to the state immediately after the announcement of the Anna Bhagya scheme.

After the Centre stopped giving rice to the people of Karnataka, it started e-auction of rice. But now, no one is coming forward to buy rice through e-auction. Should we call it dirty politics or not? Should it not be called politics of hatred against the people of Karnataka? Siddaramaiah said.

The CM said that 170 would be directly transferred to the accounts of the 44.2 million beneficiaries, calling upon the poor to spend the money on food and live a comfortable life.

At the event on Monday, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar released the logo for the Anna bhagya scheme, and food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa released the information letter regarding the guarantee.

Today, the message is being sent not only to the state of Karnataka but to the entire country through the Anna Bhagya scheme, Shivakumar said, pointing out that discussions are going on all over the country about the scheme.

Stressing that it was the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government which introduced the Food Security Act, Shivakumar said, It should be remembered that the UPA government enacted the Food Security Act intending to make the country hunger-free and made it a constitutional right to provide food grains to the poor.

Now, we have implemented the scheme as promised. The government has decided to give money to the people for an additional five kg of rice till they give 10 kg of rice. Today, we are giving money to the beneficiaries. Every day, money will be credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries of four to five districts, Shivakumar added.

According to the state government, the Anna Bhagya scheme will be rolled out phase-wise. The government has said it would complete the process of the direct money transfer before July 31.

1.28 crore ration card-holding families will benefit from the scheme. Out of which, 99% of people have linked their ration card with their Aadhaar, while 82% have linked their Aadhaar with active bank accounts. 94% of the cards have women as the head of the family, and the rest are men.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Congress government in Karnataka will not be shaken in its resolve to implement its guarantee.

The cash transfer scheme launched today by the Congress Government in Karnataka is a befitting reply to the Modi Governments vindictive policies regarding food security for the poor, especially in a state where the BJP was comprehensively rejected, Ramesh said.

These policies do not make for cooperative federalism that the PM likes to boast about. Instead, they reflect confrontational federalism at its petty worst, he added.

Rameshs remarks came on a day when reports emerged that the e-auction of rice by FCI, in which state governments were barred from participating, attracted buyers for only 170 tonnes out of 386,000 tonnes of rice on offer.

Meanwhile, the former chief minister Basvaraj Bommai slammed the Congress for accusing the Centre of withholding rice and said that the FCI has no authority to give rice to any state. You (Congress) should have talked to the central government. Did the central government say that they would give you rice? Did you discussed this with the Centre?

Due to monsoon, there was unavailability of rice, so the central government did not provide it. The Punjab government was ready to provide rice, and so were Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments. Telangana government was ready to give paddy. You dont have the willpower to give rice to people, Bommai said.

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A new-and-expanded National Democratic Alliance(NDA) will meet next week in Delhi, with at least two of the partys allies confirming to HT that they had been invited by Union minister Piyush Goyal to attend the meeting in the Capital on July 18, just two days ahead of the start of the monsoon session of Parliament. This will be the first meeting of the ruling coalition in the last one year. (HT)

This will be the first meeting that is being held of the ruling coalition in the last one year, the previous one being held just before the Presidential elections. HT has reached out to Union minister Piyush Goyal for comment but is yet to receive one. The new members that are expected to attend are the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, perhaps represented by Praful Patel; the Shiv Sena; Chirag Paswan, Lok Sabha member and leader of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (RV); and former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jiten Ram Manjhi along with his son.

 Both Jiten Ram Manjhi and his son and party national president Santosh Suman will attend the meeting, said HAM-S spokesperson Amrendra Tripathi. Chirag Paswan had a long meeting with union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai on Sunday and according to LJP (RV) leaders familiar with development, he will be attending the July 18 meeting. Paswan quit the alliance in 2020 ahead of state elections due to differences with then NDA partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. With Kumar joining hands with the opposition, Paswans return seems imminent.

A spokesperson for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) confirmed that M Thambidurai will attend the meeting. Meghlaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, who heads alliance partner, National Peoples Party (NPP) will also attend. We have not been given a specific agenda for the meeting yet, but the CM will be there in Delhi, said a spokesperson for the CM.

As HT reported on June 10, the BJP is attempting to recreate the old NDA in its 25th year anniversary, with the return of allies such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD). In all there were 20 constituents in the original NDA of 1998.

But theres been a delay in finalising the return of the TDP and the SAD. The TDP is very keen to join but at the moment both they and Jagan Reddys YSRCP are feeling favourable towards us, said a BJP functionary from Andhra Pradesh. There is a view that we should wait to see how we fare in the upcoming assembly elections in December, before making the choice.

Elections in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana are due by the end of the year.

The BJP and the SAD are believed to have held several rounds of talks, but are yet to arrive agree on the contours of the partnership, HT learns.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sunetra Choudhury Sunetra Choudhury is the National Political Editor of the Hindustan Times. With over two decades of experience in print and television, she has authored Black Warrant (Roli,2019), Behind Bars: Prison Tales of Indias Most Famous (Roli,2017) and Braking News (Hachette, 2010). Sunetra is the recipient of the Red Ink award in journalism in 2016 and Mary Morgan Hewett award in 2018. ...view detail
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against Krishna Hansda, alias Saurabh Da, a regional commander of banned outfit CPI(Maoist), to probe an alleged conspiracy to extort levy from businessmen and contractors in Jharkhand for organising violent activities, people aware of the matter said. NIA registers case against CPI(Maoist) commander Krishna Hansda over alleged conspiracy to extort levy. (HT Archives)

The Maoists often collect levy from contractors and businessmen engaged in developmental projects in Jharkhand, and invest the money in dubious shell companies to purchase arms and other logistics for operations against security forces.

Hansda was arrested by Jharkhand Police on January 16 from Lucio forest area in Dumri village in Giridih district when he was travelling with an associate to allegedly collect levy.

According to a first information report (FIR) filed by NIA on June 30, a credible input was received by Jharkhand police that a naxal cadre of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) - Krishna Hansda alias Saurabh Da, regional commander of CPI (Maoist), along with his squad, had gathered in Lucio forest area of Dumri police station, Giridih, to collect levy and carry out an untoward incident.

The agency said that Hansda was arrested while his associate managed to escape. A US-made pistol, six live rounds of 7.65 mm, 2 lakh cash and naxal literature were recovered from the Maoist, the agency added.

Krishna Hansda was extensively questioned by NIA in May after which it was decided that the case be handed over from Jharkhand Police to NIA which is already probing several Maoist funding-related cases, a senior NIA official said, seeking anonymity.

A larger conspiracy in the collection of levy will be probed, the official added.

NIA has a separate division to speed up probes related to Maoists. This division has taken up 55 such cases in the last six to seven years.

As reported by HT last month, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has adopted a three-dimensional strategy  controlling extremists, better coordination between the Centre and affected states, and development works  to curb Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

According to data shared by MHA, while 13,315 violent acts were recorded in LWE areas under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government between 2006 and 2014, the figure dropped by 50%, to 6,552, between 2014 (National Democratic Alliance government came to power) and 2022. Similarly, LWE-related deaths, which were recorded at 5,289 between 2006 and 2014, were reduced by 66%, to 1,754, between 2014 and 2022.

Besides, the number of Maoists who surrendered also rose from 2,428 during 2006-2014 to 5,816 during 2014-2022.

Currently, reports of LWE-related violence are limited to only 45 districts in nine states, i.e, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, down from 96 districts across 10 states in 2010, according to the data.

Since 2019, security forces have opened 108 camps inside core LWE-affected areas. Besides, four new joint task forces have been established for special operations and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)s battalions have been re-deployed, depending on the influence of the Maoists.
The story of the floods ravaging parts of north India is the story of four major river basins and river systems: Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, and Ganga. The most-affected states have all been inundated by one or more of these river systems, most of which are in spate due to extremely heavy rain in catchment areas. While that is the primary cause of the flooding, the situation has been exacerbated by inadequate preparation and planning and, in the case of the hill states, indiscriminate development. A temple submerged as the river Beas overflows following heavy rains in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. (Reuters)

Read here: Rain-heavy system over north likely to subside by today, to shift to east: IMD

Ravi river basin

Heavy rains in the upper reaches of Chamba and Kangra districts, the source of the Ravi river, have resulted in flooding of several downstream areas in Jammu and Gurdaspur and Kapurthala in Punjab. The Ravi river basin area is estimated to have received at least 600 mm of rain since Friday. Ghamroor in Kangra received 166 mm of rain in 24 hours on 5.30 p.m. on Monday, breaking the previous record set in 2006.

Several link roads in Kangra and Chamba district including those to popular hill station Dharamshala which is in the river basin were blocked due to the landslides caused by heavy rains. The Ujh river in Jammu, which acts as a feeder to the Ravi was overflowing due to heavy rains which also washed away portion of the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

The Punjab irrigation department on Monday issued a flood alert in the Majha region with the Ravis level rising at an alarming rate. Punjab irrigation minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said people have been warned of possible evacuation if the water level continues to rise .

The Pakistan disaster management authority has issued flood alert for cities in the Ravi basin such as Rawalpindi and Lahore anticipating increase in water levels as gates of several barrages on the river have been opened to release additional water.

Beas river basin

Close to 950 mm of rainfall has fallen in the Kullu district of Himachal since Thursday, flooding the Beas and its major tributaries such as the Parbati . The most dramatic videos of the rains have come courtesy the Beas, with a hotel in Manali, cars parked along a monsoon steam in Kasol and logs in forest depot in Thunag, in Seraj assembly constituency of former chief minister Jairam Thakur all getting swept away. In Mandi in Himachal and several other places in Punjab, the Beas is flowing close to the danger mark.

Read here: North India rain toll rises as water level turns dangerous

A private hotel fell into the Ravi as fast gushing water washed away the retaining wall on which the hotel was built, an official said. Hundreds of hotels and buildings have come up along rivers and streams in Manali and nearby areas to cater to tourist demand with no heed to natural water flow systems and the local ecology.

Heavy rains also washed away the Manali-Kullu highway just ahead Mandi town leaving thousands of tourists stranded. Himachal chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said bridges were washed away in Kullu and the Largi power project submerged in water. There are around 300 people stuck across various parts of the hill state, officials said.

Sutlej river system

Sutlej , which originates in China and passes through Kinnaur, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Bilaspur districts before entering Punjab at Ropar, is in spate with heavy rains in its higher catchment areas. Kahu in Bilaspur received 171.5 mm of rainfall in 24 hours on as on Monday , surpassing the previous record of highest rainfall in 2004.

Water from the Sutlej entered the Punjab Police Training Academy in Phillaur after the Dhussi Bandh (a temporary embankment along the river) was breached on Monday. Nearly 100 villages adjoining Ghaggar and Badi Nadi in Devigarh, Sanaur and Balbera are inundated, officials said.

The Sutlej was expected to receive approximately 2.50 lakh cusecs of water on Monday. Around 1.50 lakh cusecs of water have been released from Ropar . Residents of some villages in Jalandhar district have already been shifted to relief camps, officials said. Residents of remaining villages along the banks of the Sutlej have also been put on high alert. Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar Vishesh Sarangal said that all precautionary measures have been taken and the situation is being closely watched.

Gaggar, which is part of Sutlej water system, has caused flooding in Pinjore, Panchkula, Patiala and other areas due to record rainfall in Solan district of Himachal, from which this monsoon river originates. The Shimla-Chandigarh highway and Dharampur-Kasauli highway was blocked at several places due to massive landslides. Videos of cars floating down in the industrial town of Parwanoo in Solan district have gone viral. Solan received 135 mm of rain till Monday morning, breaking a 52-year record of 105 mm of rain in a day in 1971. Since Friday, the district has received 380 mm of rain, the highest rainfall ever in a 72-hour period.

The tri-city of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, part of Gaggar basin, received more than 531.6 mm of rainfall in 72 hours, the highest since 1953. One of the four pipelines that carry drinking water from Bhakra main line canal to Chandigarh at Kajauli waterworks was damaged because of which water supply to the entire city will be affected for a couple of days.

Flooding was also reported in Patiala and some other areas on the banks of river Gaggar. National Disaster Response Force has been called out in Tiwana village of Mohali. They are at standby, as water is flowing at 12.5 feet, against 10-foot danger mark, Chief Engineer Irrigation H S Mehndiratta said.

Ganga basin

Both the Ganga and Yamuna which originate in Uttarakhand were flowing close to danger mark at most of the places.

According to the Central Water Commission, at Devprayag, where two holy rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi merge to form the Ganga, the national river was flowing at 454.76 m, while the danger mark is 463 m. At Rishikesh, the Ganga was flowing at 338.32 m on Monday, while the danger mark is 340.5 m. The water level is rising at most places as rains continue in higher reaches, said State Disaster Management officer Ranjit Kumar Sinha. Several other tributaries of Ganga such as Solani river and Banganga (Raisi) river were also flowing close to the danger mark in Haridwar.

Read here: High intensity rains unlikely in the coming days in Delhi: IMD

At Uttarkashi, the Yamuna was flowing at 1059.20 m on Monday, while the danger mark is 1060.00. In Haryana, authorities have sounded a flood alert in Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat districts as 3.09 cusec of water was flowing into the river. Water entered agriculture fields in Karnal and Yamunanagar districts, officials said.

The flow from 70,000 cusecs to 1.5 lakh cusecs is considered low flood, from 1.5 lakh cusecs to 2.5 lakh it is called medium flood and if the water flow in river crossing 2.5 lakh cusecs mark it is considered as high-flood situation, a Haryana irrigation department official said. Additional water is being discharged into the Yamuna from Hathinikund barrage and will take two to three days to reach the national capital.

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The Election Commission of India has declared the Rajya Sabha elections for 10 seats in Gujarat, West Bengal, and Goa. The voting is scheduled to occur on July 24, with the vote count taking place on the same day. This paves the way for a possible political battle in these states as political parties gear up to compete for their representation in the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States. Rajya Sabha. (PTI)

Unlike elections to the Lok Sabha, the process of electing members to the Rajya Sabha involves intricate procedures. However, we have simplified the Rajya Sabha election procedure for better understanding.

ALSO READ: Overwhelmed: Saket Gokhale, Derek O'Brien among 6 named by TMC for Rajya Sabha poll

What is the total strength of the Rajya Sabha?

The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, has a strength of not more than 250 members. This includes:

- 238 members elected from various states and union territories.

- 12 members nominated by the President of India.

Out of the maximum 250 seats, presently it is fixed at 245 members. Among them, the elected members are 229 members representing different states, while 4 members are indirectly elected from union territories.

ALSO READ: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar files nomination papers for upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat

Which state has how many seats in Rajya Sabha?

1. Andhra Pradesh: 18

2. Assam: 7

3. Bihar: 16

4. Jharkhand: 6

5. Goa: 1

6. Gujarat: 11

7. Haryana: 5

8. Kerala: 9

9. Madhya Pradesh: 11

10. Chhattisgarh: 5

11. Tamil Nadu: 18

12. Maharashtra: 19

13. Karnataka: 12

14. Odisha: 10

15. Punjab: 7

16. Rajasthan: 10

17. Uttar Pradesh: 31

18. Uttarakhand: 3

19. West Bengal: 16

20. Jammu and Kashmir: 4

21. Nagaland: 1

22. Himachal Pradesh: 3

23. Manipur: 1

24. Tripura: 1

25. Meghalaya: 1

26. Sikkim: 1

27. Mizoram: 1

28. Arunachal Pradesh: 1

29. Delhi: 3

30. Puducherry: 1

Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. However, one-third of the members retire every second year and are replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a term of six years

Explained: Rajya Sabha voting process and formula

In the Rajya Sabha election, elected MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) participate and vote to select the Rajya Sabha members. The voting is done using a system called proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV).

Here, MLAs do not vote for each seat individually. Instead, they list different candidates in order of preference, marking 1,2,3 against their names.

To be elected, a candidate needs to receive a certain number of first preference votes, which is the qualifying threshold. The remaining votes are then transferred to other candidates based on their lower preference rankings. This means that MLAs can also support candidates from parties other than their own. However, giving second or subsequent preferences is optional.

The winner must secure a minimum quota of votes, which is determined by the formula:

Quota = (Total votes polled / (Total number of candidates to be elected + 1)) + 1

Understand the Rajya Sabha election procedure with an example

For example, if 182 MLAs in Gujarat are voting to elect 3 Rajya Sabha members, the winner would require (200 / (3 + 1) = 50 + 1) 51 votes to meet the quota.

The counting of votes is done based on the first preference votes secured by each candidate. If, after the counting of all first preference votes, the required number of candidates fail to fulfil the quota, the candidate with the lowest number of first preference votes is eliminated. The votes received by the eliminated candidate are then transferred to the candidates who are marked as the second preference on those ballot papers. This process continues until the required number of candidates are declared elected.

What is an open ballot system in the Rajya Sabha election?

During the Rajya Sabha election, voting is conducted using an open ballot system. This requires an elector, who is a member of a political party, to display the ballot paper to the authorized agent of their respective party for verification. However, the agent cannot provide any voting directions.

If an elector belonging to a political party refuses to show the marked ballot paper, their vote will be invalidated due to a violation of the voting procedure.

ALSO READ: How cross-voting in 1998 Rajya Sabha polls led to NCPs formation

However, independent MLAs should not show their marked ballot papers to any agent. Doing so would be considered a violation of the voting procedure.

Additionally, an MLA from one political party is prohibited from showing their ballot paper to the authorized agent of any other political party.

Who are the current nominees of the Rajya Sabha?

President nominates 12 individuals renowned for their exceptional knowledge and practical experience in fields such as literature, science, art, social service, sports, education, and more.

ALSO READ | Sportsperson too can be nominated to Rajya Sabha: Centre to HC

List of Rajya Sabha current nominees:

- Ilaiyaraaja: Renowned musician

- PT Usha: Track-and-field icon

- V Vijayendra Prasad: Telugu screenwriter

- Veerendra Heggade: Philanthropist and spiritual leader

- Mahesh Jethmalani: Distinguished lawyer

- Sonal Mansingh: Famous dancer

- Ram Shakal: Social worker

- Rakesh Sinha: Author and columnist

- Ranjan Gogoi: former Chief Justice of India

- Ghulam Ali Khatana: Social worker

Currently, two nominated positions in the Rajya Sabha remain vacant.

ALSO READ: Govt nominates four luminaries from south states to Rajya Sabha: Heres their profile
As rain pounded Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Monday, several residents in low-lying areas of Mandi are refusing to leave their houses fearing damage to their properties. SSP Mandi Soumya Sambasivan is seen interacting with residents and urging them to leave homes immediately due to flood risk.

In several videos, superintendent of police Mandi Soumya Sambasivan is seen interacting with residents and urging them to leave homes immediately due to flood risk. She, however, managed to evacuate 80 people residing in juggis (slums) to local gurudwaras in Mandi.

"There is a state of complete disaster in Mandi district. Many buildings, bridges and parking lots have been washed away. Our local teams and SHOs have done good work in evacuating citizens," Sambasivan told news agency ANI.

The state braced for another day of downpours with the Met office issuing a red alert for "extremely heavy rain", officials said.

Heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving several people deal, on Sunday. The meteorological department issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain in the state on Monday.

In a late-night operation on Sunday, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village in Mandi due to the rise in the water level of Beas River, they said.

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

Himachal Pradesh CM issues helpline numbers

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains.

He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress.

He said that the state government has released three numbers - 1100, 1070 and 1077 -- to help people in distress.

The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is blocked due to landslides and flooding at several places and Shimla-Kinnaur road is also closed for vehicular traffic due to slides and falling of rocks.

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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday named its national spokesperson Saket Gokhale and five others as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. Besides Gokhale, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, MPs Dola Sen and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and TMC members Samirul Islam and Prakash Chik Baraik were named by the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Along with Gokhale, two other new faces are Islam, Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president, and Baraik, TMC's Alipurduar district president. (File Photos)

While it will be a repeat term for O'Brien, Sen and Ray, this is the first time that Gokhale has been nominated as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election. Along with Gokhale, two other new faces are Islam, Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president, and Baraik, TMC's Alipurduar district president.

We take great pleasure in announcing the candidatures of @derekobrienmp, @Dolasen7, @Sukhendusekhar, @Samirul65556476, @ChikPrakash, and @SaketGokhale for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. May they persist in their dedication to serving the people and uphold Trinamool's enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIAN. We extend our heartfelt wishes to all, the TMC tweeted.

Expressing his gratitude to the West Bengal chief minister and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Gokhale tweeted, Im overwhelmed by their faith in me & for giving this opportunity to a young middle-class boy who comes from a non-political background. Theyve been the source of my strength, my inspiration for public service, & rock solid pillars who stood by me & my family in the toughest times.

Calling O'Brien his mentor and guardian angel, Gokhale said, @derekobrienmp who has taught me literally everything I know about politics & has been my advisor at every step of life. Even if Im able to be half the parliamentarian that he is, Id consider that an immense achievement.

He further thanked his colleagues at All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and said, Im also grateful for my party colleagues at @AITCofficial & the people of West Bengal who accepted me with open arms. I promise to give my all & everything to be an effective public representative & lawmaker & to stand up steadfastly for our democracy & Constitution.

Besides O'Brien, Ray and Sen, the tenures of Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya, TMC's Assam leader Sushmita Dev and its Darjeeling leader Shanta Chhetri's ended, following which these six seats fell vacant.

A seventh Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal is also vacant after former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April. A bypoll will be held in that seat along with the elections to these six seats on July 24.

Election Commission announces Rajya Sabha poll schedule for three states

The Election Commission of India had announced the schedule for ten Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, West Bengal and Goa. The polling will be held on July 24 and counting will take place on the same day. As per the notification released by the poll panel, 10 Rajya Sabha seats in these three states are falling vacant due to the retirement of the respective members.

From West Bengal, those whose term was coming to an end among TMC party members included, Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Sushmita Dev, Shanta Chhetri and Sukhendu Shekhar Ray. Dev, a former Congress member, and Chhetri have been left out for now.

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The Supreme Court on Monday put an interim stay on the arrest of Shajan Skaria, the editor of an online Malayalam news portal, in a case filed under the SC/ST Act. The Supreme Court on Monday put an interim stay on the arrest of Shajan Skaria, the editor of an online Malayalam news portal, in a case filed under the SC/ST Act. (ANI)

Skaria, the editor of Marunadan Malayalee, is accused of making defamatory remarks against Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kunnathunad MLA PV Srinijan, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, through a video posted on the YouTube channel of the same portal.

The SC bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha passed the order in response to a special leave petition filed by Skaria against the Kerala high court order dismissing his appeal, against the rejection of anticipatory bail petition by a special court.

His statements may be defamatory, but these are not offences under the SC/ST Act. He may have said something against the father-in-law [of complainant], judiciary which may be in bad taste, CJI Chandrachud said.

The bench directed the editors counsel to advise him to be more restrained in his comments.

Meanwhile, the Kerala high court criticised the state police on Monday for seizing the cellphone of a senior journalist of a newspaper in connection with the searches conducted last week to find the whereabouts of Skariah.

Justice PV Kunhikrishnan made the oral observations in response to a writ petition filed by G Vaishakan, a journalist with Mangalam daily, who alleged police harassment during searches at his residence.

Underlining that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy, the high court asked the police to hand over the cellphone back to the journalist. Since the petitioner is not an accused in the case, his phone should not have been seized.

The police had searched offices of Marunadan Malayalee and residences of its journalists (When? )to find clues of the location of Skariah and confiscated laptops, computers, memory cards and other gadgets.

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NEW DELHI: Spains state-owned shipbuilder Navantia and engineering major Larsen & Toubro signed an agreement on Monday to jointly bid for a 43,000-crore project to build six advanced submarines for the Indian Navy. L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan, Spanish ambassador Jose Dominguez and Navatia vice president Augustin Alvarez Blanco at an event to sign a pact to bid for Indian submarine programme (HT Photo)

The agreement will put the firms in competition with Germanys ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Indias state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), which signed a similar pact on June 7 to bid for the same project under the Indian governments strategic partnership (SP) model.

The teaming agreement for submission of a techno-commercial bid for the P75-India submarine programme was signed by officials of the two firms in the presence of Spanish ambassador Jose Dominguez, L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan and Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Navantias vice president for naval construction.

Project 75I requires an Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator and build six conventional submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, which allow vessels to remain submerged for longer periods. The first submarine must have a minimum of 45% indigenisation, with the indigenous content going up to 60% in the sixth.

Asked about the race with Germanys TKMS, Subrahmanyan said: At the end of the day, its competition. I wish we get sweetheart deals but that doesnt happen. So, well have to bid good. One cannot predict what will be the end result, but we are two competitors, lets say its 50-50 at the moment.

Subrahmanyan contended the AIP system offered by Navantia is much better, and the transfer of technology in our agreement would be of far higher content and value addition from the Indian defence point of view. He added, I would rate it fairly high-end, but lets go through the competitive processes.

Officials from L&T and Navantia said the AIP being offered is a third-generation system that runs on bio-ethanol and has lower operating and through-life costs. Navantia will base the design on its S80 class of submarines, which have abundant space for indigenisation of equipment in line with Indian requirements, and the weapons complexes will be Indian, they said.

The first S80 submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials before its delivery to the Spanish Navy by the end of 2023.

L&T has played a crucial role in several defence projects, including the construction of Indias first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine. Subrahmanyan said, This is a very important programme from the Indian point of view because many strategic underwater assets are getting to be life-stretched and its important to have a replacement.

He added L&T and Navantia are hopeful of being fully prepared to put in a bid by the due date in August.

While the design offered by TKMS has an existing AIP system, Navantias system will soon be fitted in an S80 submarine, said Blanco. This is for us only the first step in our partnership with L&T because we are also teaming with them for the offer for the LPDs (landing platform docks), he said, referring to Indias plans to acquire the amphibious warfare vessels.

Dominguez said Spain fully supports the Make in India initiative, as reflected in the Spanish governments engagement in transferring technology to a partner and ally such as India.

We consider that Spain is a reliable partner for India...in the sense that we have developed a technology which is very convenient for India, and we dont influence the balance of power in this part of the world, the envoy said.

We dont influence the...strategic autonomy of India, we respect it completely because the interest of Spain in this part of the world is to contribute to stability, he added.

The P-75I programme is one of the biggest under the Make in India initiative.

Four HDW class 209 submarines built in the 1980s have proved a successful model for Indo-German cooperation, TKMS said after it signed the agreement with MDL. The first and second of those submarines were built in Germany and the remaining two at MDL in Mumbai. TKMS has now offered the advanced HDW Class 214 submarines.

India cleared the project two years ago to strengthen the navys capabilities and give momentum to a defence indigenisation drive. The SP model envisages the indigenous manufacture of defence platforms by an Indian firm collaborating with a foreign original equipment manufacturer to set up facilities in the country.

In January 2020, the defence ministry cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders, including TKMS, to take part in P-75I. The Indian strategic partners were MDL and L&T. The foreign yards included Frances Naval Group, Russias Rubin Design Bureau, Navantia and South Koreas Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company. Naval Group and Rubin Design Bureau withdrew from the competition a year ago.

P-75I, first talked about more than two decades ago, has moved at a notoriously slow pace. It was a part of the 30-year submarine-building programme approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1999.

MDL-TKMS and L&T-Navantia seem to be the main contenders for the project unless a dark horse emerges, said maritime affairs expert Commodore Srikant Kesnur (retd).

Considering the shortfall in conventional submarines, P-75I will fill a critical capability void. The impetus given to making in India is an important consideration. Hopefully, the final outcome would be that after this, India wont need any foreign partners and will be able to design and build submarines completely indigenously, he said.

However, the projects execution may take almost a decade and the new submarines will come in only in the 2030s, Kesnur said. As an interim solution, we may need submarines from elsewhere to balance the depletion in force levels. Possibly, a repeat order for three Scorpene submarines could help, he added.

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The Supreme Court on Monday admitted a special leave petition filed by Goa challenging the decision of the Mahadayi Interstate Water Disputes Tribunal and has posted the matter for hearing in November, chief minister Pramod Sawant said. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said the Supreme Court has also asked the order of Goas wildlife warden to be placed before the bench. (ANI)

A great start to the week for Goa and Goans. In a major boost to Goas legal battle for River Mhadei, the Supreme Court of India, today, admitted the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by [the] State of Goa challenging the award of the Mhadei tribunal. [The] Supreme Court now fixes the matter for hearing from 28th November 2023. The Supreme Court also asks the order of Wildlife Warden to be produced before it. Also grants time to file additional evidence within 4 weeks, Sawant said in a post on Twitter.

In February this year, Goa approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Central Water Commissions approval to Karnataka to carry out the diversion of the river, a move that was widely seen in the context of the Bharatiya Janata Party seeking re-election in May. The Congress won the state election.

Goa sought a stay citing section 29 of the Wildlife Protection Act, which disallows the diversion of waters from a wildlife sanctuary unless specifically for the benefit of the wildlife of that sanctuary.

Goas chief wildlife warden also issued notice to the Karnataka government since the work was likely to be taken up in the vicinity of Goas Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Kalasa Banduri project is an ambitious plan to divert waters of the west-flowing streams of the Kalasa and Bandura, tributaries of the west-flowing River Mahadayi to the east-flowing Malaprabha River. It was started by the Karnataka government in the mid-1980s and there were plans to set up a hydroelectric project of 350 megawatts.

Both the Goa and Karnataka governments have, for very different reasons, challenged the final award granted by the tribunal.

While Goa approached the Supreme Court arguing that Karnataka shouldnt be allowed to divert any water owing to the fact that the Mahadayi river is a water-deficient river, Karnataka also petitioned the top court arguing that the tribunal erred in granting it only 13.42 TMC of water.

The Goa government alleged that Karnataka has started illegally diverting water via a network of canals that were constructed despite an assurance given by Karnataka in 2017 that no further work would be carried out and has written to the Centre to constitute the Mahadayi Water Management Authority, a body that the tribunal said was necessary to implement its report and final decision.

The first budget presented by newly-elected chief minister Siddaramaiah on July 7 promised to take forward the project no sooner they secure the required permissions including environmental and forest clearances.
The Supreme Court will hear a slew of petitions on Tuesday challenging the Centre's decision to dissolve Article 370  a provision in the Indian Constitution that provided a special status to Jammu and Kashmir  and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories. The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a clutch of petitions challenging the Centres decision to revoke Article 370(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Defending its decision on the abrogation of the Article, the central government on Monday told the apex court in an affidavit that post the changes, the region witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity.

Also read: Valley leaders welcome SC decision to begin hearing on Article 370 pleas from July 11

"The earlier practice of strikes and bandhs is a thing of the past. Participation in sporting activities is phenomenal having reached 60 lakhs in 2022-23. These facts clearly prove the positive impact of the constitutional changes effected in 2019," it said.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandradchud is scheduled to hear the case. It will take care of the preliminaries issuing directions over document and written submission filing. Other judges of the bench are Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai and Surya Kant. The apex court will hear petitions filed by IAS officer Shah Faesal, Javid Ahmad Bhat, Shehla Rashid Shora, Ilyas Laway, Saif Ali Khan and Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Hussain Padder. The petitioners argued the constitutionality of abrogating the special status through the Presidential proclamation during President's rule. The Presidential rule was imposed as the state assembly was not functioning long after BJP pulled out from the Mehbooba Mufti-led ruling alliance. The top court is expected to examine whether the legislature could have scrapped the Article without the consent of citizens in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2020, the case was heard by a different five-judge bench and it refused to refer the matter to a larger bench. The Centre pointed out in the affidavit that incidents of 52 organised bandh/hartal were seen in 2018, which came down to zero in 2023. After the bifurcation, UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed profound ameliorative, affirmative and progressive changes in the last four years encompassing its entire governance - including the developmental activities, public administration and security matters which has positively impacted every resident irrespective of caste, creed or religion, the central government said. The abrogation of Article 370 was announced on August 5, 2019 and the government passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act to split the erstwhile state into two UTs.
Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday refuted the allegation of her sitting over a bill on recruitment of faculty in the state universities and clarified that no bill passed by the state legislature is pending with her. Tamilisai also requested the media fraternity to officially seek clarification from the Raj Bhavan before carrying any news related to her. (ANI)

She was referring to the comments made by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and state industries and IT minister K T Rama Rao on Saturday.

The BRS working president, while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modis criticism on thousands of vacancies pending in various universities in Telangana, said, It would have been better had the Prime Minister advised his Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] leader and present governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to clear the bill aimed at filling up vacancies in the universities, on which she has been sitting for several months.

PM Modi, earlier, criticising the BRS government in Telangana said,The hopes of the unemployed youth were shattered following the exposure of recruitment scam in Telangana State Public Service Commission [TSPSC]. Nearly three thousand posts are lying vacant in the universities of Telangana and another thousands of vacancies in the government schools and colleges. The KCR government betrayed the faith of the students.

In a statement, the governor clarified that till date, no bill was pending in the governors office. Among the bills sent to Raj Bhavan, three bills were cleared and two bills were referred to the office of President of India for assent. Remaining bills have been returned to the government with adequate explanation and message, she said.

Tamilisai also requested the media fraternity to officially seek clarification from the Raj Bhavan before carrying any news related to her.

This comes after Telangana chief secretary Shanti Kumari, on behalf of the Telangana government, moved the Supreme Court on March 2, seeking a direction to the governor to give assent to the pending bills.

As many as 10 bills, which have been passed by the state legislature since September 14, 2022, were pending with the governor for a long time.

On April 24, the governor told the Supreme Court that no bills passed by the state legislature since September 14, 2022 were pending with her.

She said two bills -- The University of Forestry Telangana Bill, 2022 and The Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022 - were sent for consideration and assent of the President of India.

The governor had rejected the Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) Bill, 2022, which aims at increasing the retirement age of Director of Medical Education, additional directors, professors, associate and assistant professors of the medical education from 61 years to 65 years.

She also returned two other bills pending with her  the Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to the state government, seeking further clarifications.

The governor approved three bills -- Telangana Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Two other bills  the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill 2022, were sent back to the state government raising certain objections and asking the government to rectify the same.

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On June 30, a trial court in Gujarats Nakhratna sent 40-year-old Manisha Goswami, at the centre of a high-profile suicide case, to judicial custody in Palara jail in Bhuj. The case piqued Gujarats interest. There was promiscuity, intrigue and tragedy. Goswami was at the centre of allegations of masterminding a honey trap allegation that resulted in the suicide of Kutch businessman Dilip Ahir. PREMIUM Goswami (in white) was sent to judicial custody on June 30. (HT Photo)

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But in a twist befitting a crime novel, Goswami allegedly planned the crime from the confines of Bhuj jail, where she was lodged after being arrested for the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jayanti Bhanushali, killed aboard a moving train in January 2019.

A woman of substance

Goswami is from Nana Dhavda village in Nakhratna taluka of Kutch district, married Gajjugiri Goswami, a textile trader from Vapi, and began working with Bhanushali, the former BJP MLA from Abdassa. Manisha learnt the ropes quickly, was a smooth talker, and made connections quickly. She was very ambitious and was even seen giving speeches in small public meetings in villages with Bhanushali standing beside her, said a journalist from Bhuj who spoke on condition of anonymity.

But by 2018, the relationship had begun to sour.

One Kutch-based politician said there may have been disagreement over some land associated with a dairy. In any case, by April 2018, Jayanti Bhanushalis nephew, Sunil Banushali filed a complaint at Ahmedabads Naroda police station that Goswami was attempting to extort money from him after honey trapping him. He alleged that he was offered a drink that impaired his senses, enabling Goswami to capture intimate video footage of the two of them, which she then used to blackmail him. The police registered a case under sections of 384 (punishment for extortion) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code, and she was arrested in the month of May. Goswami, on her part, alleged that she was a victim and was being harassed by the police. She also shared a video with some local television channels in Kutch alleging she was confined illegally by the police on account of Bhanushalis political clout.

Goswami was lodged in Sabarmati jail from June 3 to August 3, 2018, and it was here that she first met Bahnushalis political rival Chhabil Patel, when he came to meet someone in the same jail.

On July 10, 37 days after Goswami went to jail, a 21-year-old woman filed a rape complaint against Jayanti Bahnushali, then the vice president of the Gujarat unit of the BJP. He refuted the allegations and said they were a conspiracy to damage his reputation. But on July 13, he stepped down from his post pending investigation.

A police officer investigating the cases said that they found evidence that the woman who filed the case against Bahnushali was in contact with Goswami. Bhanushali approached the Gujarat high court to quash the FIR of rape filed against him. And in August 2018, the court granted the request after the woman complainant submitted an affidavit expressing her consent to drop the charges. That also led to Goswamis release.

A compromise was reached, the officer said. But something went wrong.

Murder on the Sayaji Nagari Express

On January 8, 2019, Bhanushali was travelling on the Sayaji Nagari Express from Bhuj to Ahmedabad by himself. He was in the first-class compartment, when at some point, his co-passenger went to the toilet. Two men entered his compartment, shot him at close range, pulled the chain bringing the train to a halt, and fled.The police found three live cartridges and two fired bullets.

In a tizzy, a seven-member special investigation team was formed on the orders of chief minister Vijay Rupani, with a DIG-rank railway police officer at its head, and officials of the Railway Police, CID and Ahmedabad Crime Branch. The investigation revealed that two shooters, identified as Shashikant Kamble alias Bitiyadada and Ashraf Anwar Sheikh, both from Pune, were hired for the hit.

Bhanushali and I had dinner at his place and we were supposed to travel together by road. But he changed his plans at the last minute and told me that he would travel by train, said Henry James Chacko, an RTI activist in Kutch.

Another police officer said that investigations pointed to a political motive. The main accused in the case is Chhabil Patel who took the help of Manisha Goswami to get rid of his political rival. The police got a lead in this direction after the arrest of two persons who were seen at Patels farm-house where the sharpshooters had stayed.

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After eluding capture for 10 months, Goswami was apprehended by police on November 4, 2019; the police claimed she had been on the run along with the shooters.The SIT investigation also revealed that she paid 30 lakh to them.

Ahead of Bhanushalis murder, Patel had left the country. But he was arrested by the by the police on March 14, 2019 after he landed from the US at Ahmedabad airport. Patel, who initially contested against Bhanushali as a Congress candidate and emerged victorious in the 2012 Assembly election, later switched allegiance to the BJP in 2014. Despite the BJP nominating him for the Abdasa seat in a subsequent by-election, Patel was defeated by senior Congress leader Shaktinsinh Gohil. The BJP provided Patel with another opportunity to contest the 2017 Assembly election from the same seat, but he suffered yet another loss to Pradyumansinh Jadeja , then with the Congress.

Manisha Goswami, Chhabil Patel and 10 others are accused in the Bhanushali murder case. All of them have been arrested. A trial is going on at a court in Bhachchau (Kutch district), said Piyush Pirojiya, deputy SP, CID Crime and Railways.

An FIR in the Bhanushali murder case was registered at the Gandhidham Railway Police Station, Western Railway (Ahmedabad) on January 9, 2019 based on a complaint filed by his nephew Sunil Bhanushali.

Following her arrest in 2019 in the Bhanushali murder case, Goswami was first lodged at Gandhidhams Galpadar jail. In 2021, she filed an application in Bhachau court of being mentally and physically tortured by the jail authorities. On January 7, 2022 the court allowed her transfer to Palara jail in Bhuj, but three months later jail authorities found a mobile phone with her. She (Goswami) had threatened the jail superintendent Rajendra Rao that she could implicate him falsely in any case. This incident has been documented in the jail order book. Soon, a foreign prisoner filed an application in the Gujarat high court in April that she was thrice molested by Rao in Palara jail. The court directed this matter to Bhuj judicial magistrate. Rao called it a conspiracy and blamed Goswami. The foreign prisoner later withdrew her complaint and said that she did it at the behest of Goswami. There was also a physical fight in the jail between Goswami and the foreign inmate regarding this issue, said the second police officer aware of the matter, quoted above.

The honey trap from behind bars

On the night of June 3, even as Goswami was in Bhuj jail, 22-year-old Divya Chauhan filed a complaint of rape against businessman Dilip Ahir at Nakhatrana police station, a day after admitting herself to GK General hospital. The next morning, 32-year-old Ahir, who ran a transport business that had as many as 250 trucks, was found hanging from a nylon rope near a petrol pump he owned in Bhujs Samatra village.

The police had to investigate; the deceased was the same person named in the FIR.

A third police officer said, What was also surprising was that the young woman who lived in Ahmedabad had only recently met the young businessman. Despite knowing each other for a short time, she travelled a long distance from Ahmedabad to Bhuj and met Ahir at a resort on the outskirts of the city.

The police began investigations the same day, and quickly revealed a group of individuals working together to honey trap businessmen. The 12 accused included Goswami, two lawyers identified as Akash and Komal, and Goswamis husband, Gajjugiri, who is absconding.

Goswami and her husband had initially devised a strategy for the honey trap operation. While confined in jail, she used a mobile phone and contacted a girl named Riddhi from Surat to assist them. Additionally, they had a back-up member named Divya for their operation. Divya, however, responded faster, and two people, Gajju and Aziz Sama took her to Anjar on June 2 to execute the honey trap. Divya called Ahir to a High Land Resort in Bhuj-Mundra road on June 2 and ensured that intimate pictures of the two of them were taken using cameras hidden in the room. Divya then tried to extort 4 crore from Ahir. She tried to ratchet up the pressure by getting admitted to a hospital and claiming she had been raped. When she did that, he killed himself, said the third police officer aware of the matter.

Over the past month, the Gujarat police have booked as many as 12 people under sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 389 (extortion), and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Investigations also led them to two phones that Goswami allegedly operated from inside the confines of Bhuj jail. This is not the first time a mobile phone was recovered from her. Even a year and a half ago, when the police conducted a search operation of the jails in the state, a mobile phone was found from her possession, the third police officer quoted above said.

In March, Manisha approached the Gujarat high court for bail in the Bhanushali murder case, twice rejected by an additional sessions judge at Bhachau. We argued before the court that Manisha is innocent and she has been framed for a land dispute. The deceased (Bhanushali) had promised to give land to Manisha and now she is being framed to avoid this. A case has been built against her on circumstantial evidence and that she was a part of a conspiracy (to kill Bhanushali) has no bearing, said advocate Zubin Bharda who appeared on her behalf in the bail plea matter.

The court rejected her bail plea stating that it was cold blooded murder and that there was more than prima facie evidence against the accused, he added.

Bharda did not comment on her role in other honey-trapping cases. Goswani had directly written to the Bhuj court saying she was not guilty in the Ahir case when she was remanded to judicial custody on June 30.

Police officials said she had at least 12 people in her gang, and identified wealthy businessmen that her husband, played a role in identifying. Apart from the suicide and Bhanushali murder, there are at least three other FIRs against Goswami at Naliya (Kutch) and Naroda (Ahmedabad) police stations in cases of black-mailing and extortion, all filed before the train murder case. These complaints were filed between April 11, 2018, and April 23, 2018, and at least two of them are related to honey-trapping Bhanushalis nephew Sunil Bhanushali.

Read here: Jaishankar files papers for second term in RS

Police is also investigating her possible role in honey trapping of an industrialist Anant Tanna, regarding which a complaint was filed with Bhuj police on September 18, 2022. In the complaint, Tanna had claimed 10 crore was demanded from him after honey-trapping. Police arrested five people, and three others including Haresh Katheja, Goswamis lawyer in the Bhanushali case, are accused and absconding. Local crime branch official Sandipsinh Chudasama from Bhuj Police said that only after Kathejas arrest can Manishas role in the case be determined.

Officials, however, said that more revelations about Goswami and her operation could yet be made.It is a matter of investigation, a senior Gujarat police officer said.
SHILLONG: Three persons including a woman were found dead in a room at the New Shillong Township late on Sunday evening, police said on Monday. Police said the three are believed to have died due to mushroom poisoning. Police line tape. Crime scene investigation. Forensic science. (Getty Images)

The three, all employees of the Institute of Science and Bio Resource (ISBR), were found dead in a room at the institute building which is being constructed in Umsawli. The three were identified as a security guard, Backstar Kharkrang (30), and two cleaners, Sheba Kharbani (40) and Rupert Donbor Dohtdong (43). The three are residents of Mawlai Phudmuri in the capital city.

Police said the three were found after being tipped about a foul smell coming from the room.

The crime scene unit along with the forensic team examined the spot. The bodies were later shifted to North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences for post-mortem.

East Khasi Hills (City) superintendent of police Vivek Syiem said foul play was ruled out after the initial autopsy report came in on Monday.

Postmortem was carried out today which concluded that the three died of mushroom poisoning. They had foraged some wild mushrooms from the adjacent forest and consumed it after cooking on Thursday, Vivek Syiem said. That was the last time coworkers saw them.

Cases of mushroom poisoning are not uncommon in Meghalaya and are mostly reported in urban areas where people may not be able to identify poisonous mushrooms, an officer said.

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NEW DELHI: US under secretary for democracy and human rights Uzra Zeya on Monday met senior Indian officials, including foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, and discussed cooperation to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and regional stability. Shortly after her arrival in New Delhi, Uzra Zeya and senior US officials met a delegation led by the Dalai Lama. (Twitter/UnderSecStateJ)

Zeya, who is also the US special coordinator for Tibetan issues, began a visit to India on Sunday, with the focus on deepening the India-US partnership and finding shared solutions to global challenges.

A pleasure to meet again with Foreign Secretary @AmbVMKwatra. Grateful for the vital #USIndia partnership & shared efforts to advance a free & open Indo-Pacific, regional stability, and civilian security, Zeya said in a post on Twitter after her meeting with the foreign secretary.

She also tweeted about a fruitful conversation with Sanjay Verma, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry. Thanks for your continued partnership addressing global & regional challenges. U.S.-India cooperation is essential to our most vital priorities & a more peaceful and prosperous world, she said.

There were no official readouts from both sides on the meetings. Shortly after her arrival in New Delhi, Zeya and senior US officials met a delegation led by the Dalai Lama.

Zeya also tweeted about a meeting with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Council of the US embassy aimed at leading on efforts to build a more inclusive @StateDept that fully represents us.

Zeya was joined for most of her meetings by Donald Lu, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs and US ambassador Eric Garcetti.

Ahead of her arrival in New Delhi, Zeya said her visit was aimed at taking forward shared solutions to global challenges, contributing to a more free, open and secure Indo-Pacific, and bolstering humanitarian support for refugees across the region. Besides India, Zeya will travel to Bangladesh during the visit that concludes on July 14.

In Bangladesh, Zeya will meet senior officials to discuss shared humanitarian concerns, including the Rohingya refugee crisis, free and fair elections, labour issues, human rights, and combating human trafficking, the US state department said.

She will also engage with civil society organisations in both countries on freedom of expression and association, and inclusion of women and girls, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups, including marginalised religious and ethnic minorities, the department added.

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The withdrawal of Taiwanese electronic contract manufacturer Foxconn from its chip joint venture has renewed the controversy surrounding Vedanta's decision to choose Gujarat over Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena (UBT) hitting out at the Eknath Shinde-led government for what is called a tragedy. Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said the project was completely feasible in Maharashtra and asked the Maharashtra government to clarify why it was shifted to Gujarat suddenly. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray .(ANI)

This is a loss for India, and Maharashtra could have propelled this growth story for India, said Thackeray, who has been aggressive over the issue since Vedanata's announcement to set up the plant in Gujarat.

Thackeray alleged that the current government has lost many industry projects to other states but losing Vedanta- Foxconn to Gujarat was like rubbing salt on the wounds of Maharashtra.

Today we see India and Indias young and unemployed losing an opportunity in a global growth story because of this sudden last minute shift from Maharashtra that had been most feasible, he said in a tweet.

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said, Taking it away from Maharashtra to Gujarat - which by experts wasnt conducive for semiconductor industry, inability to raise funds as expected has led to the collapse of an idea before it even began. Such a tragedy."

Vedanta, meanwhile, asserted that it is fully committed to its semiconductor project and has lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry. Vedanta said that it has redoubled efforts to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for semiconductors and affirmed that India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains.

"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up Indias first foundry. We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)," Vedanta said in a statement.

The company had announced plans to set up its chip plant in Gujarat with an investment of around 1.5 lakh crore. However, its JV partner Foxconn has announced to pull-out of the project.

Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Foxconn's decision to pull out of Vedanta joint venture has no impact on India's semiconductor fabrication plant goal.

"Its not for govt to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can & will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and wth appropriate technology partners in Semicon n Electronics," Chandrasekhar tweeted.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday condemned Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's taint jibe at Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, saying personal allegations at such a low level does not suit the political culture of the state. Union minister Nitin Gadkari and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

On Monday, Uddhav Thackeray attacked Fadnavis and said the BJP leader was a "kalank" (taint) on Nagpur as he had aligned with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) despite asserting he would never do so. Playing an old audio clip of Fadnavis stating that he would never join hands with the NCP, Thackeray told party workers in Nagpur that Fanavis's "no means yes".

The situation of Devendra Fadnavis has become so strange that it is unbearable and indescribable, once he said, 'I will come again'. But, he brought two more people with him. Who are those two people? Devendra Fadnavis is a taint on Nagpur, the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

Reacting to Thackeray's remarks, Gadkari said the language used by the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief for Fadnavis was reprehensible and asserted that the level of language should be maintained in politics.

They can discuss the development works done we are in government and when they (MVA) were in power. But levelling personal allegations at such a low level does not suit the political culture of Maharashtra, the Nagpur MP tweeted.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers raised slogans against Thackeray after tearing his posters near the Nagpur airport. A local BJP leader said they will stage demonstrations on Tuesday morning in the city against the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.

Thackeray and Fadnavis have been in a bitter war of words since 2019.

Thackeray also took a veiled swipe at the Eknath Shinde faction by claiming some people were using the name of Bal Thackeray as they know Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name will not work in Maharashtra.

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A Military Sealift Commands rescue and salvage ship from the United States (US) has docked near Chennai for repair work on July 9, the US Consulate in Chennai said in a statement on Monday, adding that the development is set to strengthen the Indo-US strategic partnership and maritime security. Executive Vice President and Head- Defence IC, L&T, Arun Ramchandani, US Consul General Judith Ravin, The Commanding Officer of the USNS Salvor, Captain Andrew MacLeod (L) and others stand on the USNS Salvor which has been docked at Larsen and Toubro Shipyard at Kattupalli Port for voyage repairs, in Chennai on Monday. (PTI)

The US Navy Ship (USNS) Salvor arrived at Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) shipyard, in Kattupalli near Chennai, making it the first to conduct a mid-voyage repair under the five-year Master Ship Repair agreement (MSRA) between the US Navy and private shipping contractor, L&T.

During a celebratory event held on Monday, the US Consul General in Chennai, Judith Ravin, said that the announcements made during Prime Minister Narendra Modis official state visit to the US had set a marker and highlighted incredible potential which includes this agreement, signed in June.

This Master Ship Repair agreement is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding US-India partnership, said Ravin. This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and demonstrates US commitment to utilise repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli. This agreement will serve to strengthen our two nations strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The agreement allows to pre-approve shipyards to repair US Naval vessels after a rigorous vetting process. The MSRA will fast-track US government contracting processes for repair work and advances the Indian governments indigenous production and logistics goals, Ravin said. With MSRA certification, the L&T Kattupalli shipyard may bid on US Navy and Military Sealift Command ship repair contracts throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

Earlier USNS named Charles Drew and Matthew Perry had stopped at L&T shipyard, in Kattupall for voyage repairs, but the USNS Salvor is the first after the MSRA agreement was signed. In 2022, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed their intent to conduct maintenance in India during the US -India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Ravin said. The Master Ship Repair Agreement is a concrete deliverable of those initial visits to help our peoples and advance the bilateral relationship, she added.

US Embassy New Delhis Office of Defense Cooperation chief Captain Michael L. Farmer commended L&T on their accomplishment in finalising the agreement, and their induction of the vessel into mid-voyage repair activities.

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GUWAHATI: One person was killed and at least two others sustained injuries in violent clashes between two armed groups in violence-hit Manipur on Monday, officials said. Tyres and construction materials set on fire by miscreants amid ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, in Imphal East district, Friday, June 16, 2023 (PTI)

The incidents of indiscriminate firing were reported from Phayeng and Singda villages along Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts on Monday morning, officials said. There was reportedly a lull in firing for few hours before the incidents.

Additional security personnel were deployed in the area, and they managed to control the situation, an Indian Army official said, requesting anonymity.

The buffer zone between the two villages is manned by Assam Rifles.

Initially it was presumed that the deceased was a policeman, but it was later clarified that the victim was a civilian, who was carrying a .303 rifle. It is suspected that the weapon was one of the nearly 4,000 arms looted from police stations and government armouries by mobs in the first few days since violence started in Manipur on May 3.

Around 150 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between numerically dominant Meitei community  which forms 53% of the state population  and tribal Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts.

Violent clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Despite heavy deployment of Army and paramilitary personnel, imposition of curfew and total internet shutdown since May 4 to prevent spread of misinformation, the violence has continued.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
As sporadic protests and incidents of post-poll violence continued to plague West Bengal, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday spoke out over the issue and the incidents are unpardonable. Singh also said he has been an admirer of chief minister Mamata Banerjee but the current situation is not good for our democracy. An injured being treated at a local hospital after clashes between rival political groups during panchayat elections, in Hooghly district of West Bengal on Saturday, (PTI)

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister's comments come as the State Election Commission announced on Sunday that repolling for the Bengal panchayat election will be held on Monday in 696 booths where voting for the rural elections has been declared void.

In Saturdays violence-scarred panchayat polls, people had cast their votes in 61,636 booths for 2.06 lakh candidates who were in the fray for elections to 73,887 seats in the three-tier panchayat system in the state. The SEC, which held a meeting on Sunday evening, went through reports of vote-tampering and violence which affected polling in many places, and passed the order, an official said.

What is happening in Panchayat Polls in Bengal is frightening. I have been an admirer of Mamta of her grit and determination but what is happening is unpardonable. We know you bravely faced similar situation in CPM rule but what is happening now is not good for our Democracy, Singh tweeted.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged the involvement of the Congress, BJP and the Left in violence in several districts of the state.

Protests were held in different parts of West Bengal on Sunday against the violence that rocked the panchayat elections and over allegations of irregularities.

19 killed during Bengal panchayat poll

Sporadic violence continued in several parts of north and south Bengal on Sunday, all political parties alleged a day after at least 18 people were killed during three-tier panchayat elections in 20 districts. A TMC worker who was injured in a bomb explosion at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district on Saturday died on Sunday when he was being taken from a local hospital to Siliguri town, police said.

With this, the death toll in Saturdays violence increased to 19, taking the number of deaths since June 9 to 38.

Among districts where repolling was announced, Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 174, followed by Malda with 109. No repolling has been ordered in any booth in three districts of Jhargram, Kalimpong and Darjeeling.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to BSF IG

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday wrote to BSF inspector general (Eastern Command) SC Budakoti, asking him to deploy adequate forces to prevent the recurrence of such incidents during repolling in certain booths for the panchayat elections, on July 10.

Chowdhury said as many as 19 people were killed during polling for the panchayats, adding that the presence of the central security forces in and around the polling stations will ensure that voters cast their votes fearlessly.

Meanwhile, Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday flew to New Delhi, where he is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the violence that took place during the panchayat elections.

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West Bengal Panchayat election 2023 Live Updates: The State Election Commission (SEC) announced re-polling at 697 booths in 19 districts following the meeting of the commission on Sunday evening during which it took stock of vote-tampering and violence across the state. The SEC declared the polling void in those 19 districts. The poll results are scheduled to be announced on July 11. Re-polling for the West Bengal Panchayat Election is underway(PTI)

At least 19 people were killed during the three-tier panchayat elections in 20 districts after sporadic violence broke out in several parts of north and south Bengal - including Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Malda, Howrah, South 24 Parganas, and East Burdwan. A TMC worker also died after being injured in a bomb explosion at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district.
The people of 19 districts in West Bengal are again casting their votes in as many as 696 booths for the panchayat elections on Monday, a day after the State Election Commission declared Saturday's polling in these places as void amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and violence that left at least 19 dead. Three ballot boxes are found abandoned in the drain after violence erupted in the aftermath of West Bengal Panchayat elections in Murshidabad on Sunday. (ANI Photo)(ANI)

The repolling, which began at 7am, will be held till 5pm amid tight security with four central forces personnel deployed in each of those booths, besides state police, they said.

A total 5.67 crore people living in the state's rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the panchayat system.

Top updates on West Bengal panchayat election 2023

1. The ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday said its Tamluk Town president Chanchal Khanra was brutally attacked allegedly by the Bharatiya Janata Party "goons". "We are deeply shocked to hear about the brutal attack on Tamluk Town President Chanchal Khanra by @BJP4Bengal goons! After physically assaulting Mr. Khanra, the assailants left him severely injured and set his bike on fire. It's outrageous that BJP, which deployed Central forces for maintaining 'law & order' during Panchayat elections, is resorting to gross violence, just one day later. This blatant hypocrisy and disregard for democracy are extremely disturbing!

2. Among the districts where repolling was being held, violence-hit Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 109.

3. Repolling was also being held at 89 booths in Nadia, followed by Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas (46), Uttar Dinajpur (42), South 24 Parganas (36), Purba Medinipur (31) and Hooghly (29). No repolling was ordered in Darjeeling, Jhargram and Kalimpong districts.

4. Polling was held on Saturday in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections. In several places, ballot boxes were looted, set on fire and thrown in ponds, leading to violence.

5. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday arrived in New Delhi on Sunday night. Bose is likely to call on Union home minister Amit Shah over the widespread violence during the panchayat polls in West Bengal.

6. A voter, Anjana Majumdar, at a polling booth at Tikiapara Primary High School in Murshidabad said, The first day there were no central forces. There were just three police personnel. Today, we are happy to see the central forces here, we will be able to cast votes properly and go home. Another voter, Anamika Mandal, said, Today, it feels like an election day. We can see the central forces today.

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The high-tension voting for the otherwise single-day West Bengal panchayat election 2023 concluded on Monday, after the state election commission (SEC) ordered a re-polling following reports of violence on day 1 at several polling stations. Re-election was conducted at 696 stations in 19 districts, a day after the Saturday's polling in these places was declared void amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes as well as violence that claimed the lives of at least 19 people. Women cast their votes for Panchayat elections at a polling station, in Nadia district of West Bengal, Saturday.(PTI)

As scheduled, the West Bengal panchayat election results will be declared tomorrow. The counting of votes will take place under the presence of central forces which will also be supervised through CCTV cameras.

Series of violent activities was carried since the SEC announced the polling dates on June 8 which resulted in deaths of several people across the party lines.

The rural body election is seen as a litmus test ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election for the Trinamool Congress, the Mamata Banerjee-led ruling party which is currently under the grip of corruption charges, along with several of its leaders being arrested by CBI and ED.

Where can you check West Bengal panchayat election 2023 results?

According to the SEC notification, the counting of votes will take place at 8 am on July 11 and results will be declared soon after.

To keep a close eye on the vote counts of the West Bengal panchayat election 2023, you need to visit here.

You can also get all the latest updates on the election at Hindustan Times Bangla website.

Also, follow our Twitter page to get instant updates on the election.

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Kolkata: A security official stand guard outside a strong room where ballot boxes are kept after West Bengal's Panchayat polls. (PTI)

Polling for West Bengal panchayat elections was held again on Monday in 696 booths that had seen disruptions on June 8, even as four more persons were reported dead, taking the toll of political violence to 42 since June 8, when the three-tier local body polls were announced.

Voting was peaceful in all 696 booths amid security by central forces and state armed police, the state election commission told the Calcutta high Court. Votes will be counted on Tuesday.

Among the four deaths, the body of an ostensible Bharatiya Janata Party worker was found at Dhubulia in Nadia district. Three persons, a reported Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker from Nadia, and two reported Trinamool Congress party workers from Murshidabad, who suffered injuries in the violence on polling day on July 8, succumbed to their injuries in hospitals.

At least 18 persons were killed and dozens injured on Saturday amid widespread allegations of booth capturing, rigging, looting of ballot boxes, heckling of polling officials, firing and bomb attacks. The number of people that died solely on voting day stands at 18, sixhigher than the 12 people that were killed in polling day violence in 2018.

The opposition in the state, led by the BJP, the Congress and the Left, had demanded a re-poll, arguing that there was no atmosphere in the state that allows for free and fair polls. There were no central forces in 80% of the booths. Thousands of booths were looted. Re-poll is being held only in 696 booths. This is just eyewash. Violence has been reported even when re-poll was being held, said Congress parliamentarian Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The maximum number of booths where re-polls were held were in Murshidabad district with 175, followed by Malda, where re-poll was held in 109 booths. Re-poll was also ordered at 89 booths in Nadia, 53 in Cooch Behar, 46 in North 24 Parganas, 42 in North Dinajpur, 36 in South 24 Parganas and 31 in East Midnapore, among others.

Chowdhury moved the Calcutta high court on Monday, demanding compensation for victims killed or injured in poll-related violence and a probe into the events of Saturday, which should be conducted by an independent agency and monitored by the court.

A division bench led by chief justice TS Sivagnanam directed that the injured be given the best treatment possible in government hospitals, and asked the state government to submit details of police complaints and autopsy reports.

On Monday, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari continued his tirade against the ruling TMC and the state election commission. The death parade doesnt seem to stop. A BJP worker was killed in Nadia. There were 61,000 booths and 50% were looted. We had shared a list of 6,000 booths where re-poll should be held. They have ordered re-poll only in 696 booths. None of the booths, which we had mentioned, were included in the re-poll list, Adhikari said.

Untoward incidents took place only in some booths. The polling was largely peaceful. The opposition triggered the violence, knowing very well that people would reject them. Wherever there have been any problems, re-poll has been ordered, said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.

The BJP has announced that it will send a four-member team led by former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that will send a report to party president JP Nadda.
Even though Berlin Fashion Week takes place twice every year, in January and now from July 10-13, the German city doesn't exactly hold the title of the capital of fashion. That's why even Berliners are surprised when they find out that their city used to be a thriving fashion hub before World War II. And it was mainly thanks to Jewish entrepreneurs who were pioneers of modern fashion in Berlin. 1932: Designer Erwin Scharlinki with models working for Leopold Seligmann's company, one of the largest clothing manufacturers in Berlin at the tim(Uwe Westphal)

How the Jewish fashion industry all began

The clothing industry took off in Berlin in the 1830s. Industrial sewing machines introduced in the 1850s were a game changer: A shirt could be made in one hour instead of eight.

Amid this industrialization process, Germany's social and political context allowed Jewish entrepreneurs to set the tone.

For centuries, Jewish people living in Germany had been suffering from legal restrictions that affected their ability to make a livelihood and pushed most of them into poverty. Many were peddlers trading in haberdashery and second-hand clothes, while wealthy Jews traded in fine fabrics, explains Uwe Westphal, a freelance journalist and author of "Fashion Metropolis Berlin 1836 - 1939. The Story of the Rise and Destruction of the Jewish Fashion Industry."

Westphal, who has dedicated almost 40 years to researching, lecturing and writing about the forgotten Jewish fashion industry in Berlin, points out that the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century was followed by the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, which enshrined new rights for Jews in its constitution, allowing the German Jewish population to thrive.

In 1871, there were just over 800,000 inhabitants in Berlin. By the 1920s, the German capital became a metropolis with a population of over four million, 4% of which were Jewish.

Jews flocked from rural areas to the big city to look for opportunities. "Amongst them were tailors, seamstresses and entrepreneurs such as David Leib Levin, who came from Koningsberg. He opened a factory for women's coats, and in 1840 was one of the first to use fixed prices for his wares," says Westphal.

Berlin becomes a ready-to-wear fashion hub

Fashion trends from Paris, especially haute couture, were too expensive for the middle classes and white-collar workers, who were nevertheless increasingly interested in looking fashionable. So the Jewish entrepreneurs "came up with the idea of producing cheap fashionable clothing according to standardized measures," explains Westphal. "The demand was there, and the industry grew rapidly."

Berlin's fashion industry reached its height in the roaring 20s, with more than 2,700 fashion companies predominantly owned by Jewish families. Names such as the Manheimer brothers, David Leib Levin, Nathan Israel and Hermann Gerson were synonymous with the new and growing trend of ready-to-wear fashion.

Jewish entrepreneurs quickly adapted to the new needs of the industrial era: "They had a feeling for what people liked and they had international connections to fabric producers," Westphal says.

The garments were sold in glamorous department stores, which were mainly owned by Jewish families too.

Berlin's fashion industry also enjoyed international success and exported to the US, the Netherlands, England, Scandinavia and Argentina. Berlin offered cheap, stylish and high-quality day-to-day clothing. The ideas for designs were copied straight off from the Parisian couture shows. Business was booming.

The downfall of Jewish-made fashion

Antisemitism and envy of the Jews' success in the industry existed from early on. But with Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Jewish-owned businesses suffered massive blows, starting with the boycott against Jewish stores established on April 1 that same year.

The companies of Jewish fashion manufacturers were then systematically taken over by members of the Nazi party: "Jews were soon forbidden to take out bank loans. For the clothing companies, this was a disaster. You couldn't have fashion shows without bank guarantees," explains Westphal, which is why Jews were forced into making Nazi party members partners in their companies to have access to funds, and finally transferring ownership at ridiculously low prices.

In the November pogroms of 1938, groups of Nazi supporters stormed hundreds of companies on Hausvogteiplatz in the Berlin district of Mitte, which was the city's center of Jewish fashion. They destroyed everything they could get their hands on: "Of the 2,700 Jewish fashion companies, only 24 were left, and they too were confiscated by 1940 at the latest," says Westphal.

According to Westphal, the Nazis' main interest was the real estate around Hausvogteiplatz, because the party was looking for new offices.

Later, forced laborers worked in fashion workshops set near concentration camps.

Josef Neckermann and Hugo Boss are just two prominent names among several owners of companies who profited greatly from the Nazi forced hostile takeover of Jewish businesses. "They oversaw production of clothing and military uniforms," points out Westphal.

Berlin fashion designers in the 1950s and 60s were content to have no Jewish competition. But by then, West Germany's fashion industry had moved from Berlin to Dusseldorf and Munich, due to the division of the city. The East German state had no real interest in fashion. By the 70s, Germany had became a minor player in fashion, Westphal explains.

Berlin shies away from its history

"Everything that fashion once was, especially in the 1920s  fashion schools, the overarching culture between fashion, architecture, the Bauhaus, music, the film industry and the visual arts in general  all of that was completely destroyed," says Westphal.

"What I find scary is that since 1945, nobody wants to remember this fashion culture. There's no commemoration of the many Jewish fashion designers. This stands in stark contrast to many German companies that were deeply involved in the Nazi state and have tried to make good since then," says the expert.

In the early 90s, Westphal's frustration led to campaigning for a memorial at Hausvogteiplatz with the support of the Jewish community in Berlin. In 2000, the memorial was inaugurated with funding by the Berlin government.

Berlin's traditional Jewish fashion industry is long gone, but as part of the upcoming Days of Jewish Culture festival, a fashion show of contemporary Jewish and Israeli designers will take place on September 7. According to Westphal, it is the first Jewish fashion show in the German capital since 1939.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier
Bhumi Pednekar is busy giving us fashion goals. The actor spent the Sunday hanging out in Bandra and made fashion lovers scurry to take notes of how to ace the perfect party attire with the touch of class and sass. Bhumi is an absolute fashionista. The actor keeps slaying fashion goals like a pro with snippets from her fashion diaries on her Instagram profile on a regular basis. From acing casual attires to showing us how to keep it sassy in her formal power suits, Bhumi can do it all. The actor's ethnic fashion diaries are also loved and adored by her fans. Bhumi's fashion mantra is short, simple and effective  the actor believes in blending class, sass and comfort together. Bhumi Pednekar's black gown is the perfect weekend evening outfit(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

ALSO READ: Bhumi Pednekar's sizzling look in blazer and skirt gets praise from Rhea Kapoor

Bhumi rounded off the weekend on a fashion high. The actor stepped out on Sunday and made her fans swoon with her stunning ensemble. The actor got photographed by the paparazzi in Bandra as she posed happily for the cameras. Bhumi, for the weekend outing, opted for a classy black gown. The actor looked every bit gorgeous in the stunning black bodycon gown featuring puffed shoulders, cascading to full sleeves. In a sweetheart plunging neckline, the gown hugged her shape and cascaded to bodycon details with a thigh high slit. The actor posed for the cameras with one hand on her waist and looked absolutely ravishing.

Bhumi posed for the cameras.(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

Bhumi further accessorised her look for the day in statement golden earrings with pearls. In a sleek black leather bag, and black heels with golden embellishments, Bhumi completed her look for the day. The actor wore her tresses into a sleeked bun with a middle part as she smiled with all her heart for the pictures. In minimal makeup, Bhumi let her ensemble do all the talking. The actor decked up in nude eyeshadow, black eyeliner, black kohl, mascara-laden eyelashes, feathered eyebrows, contoured cheeks and a shade of maroon lipstick.

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Miss Netherlands 2023: Congratulations Rikkie Valerie Kolle! Rikkie created history by winning the prestigious title of Miss Netherlands as the first transgender model. The runners up for this year is Nathalie Mogbelzada from Amsterdam. Habiba Mostafa won the title of Miss Congeniality and Lou Dirchs received the title of Miss Social Media. Rikkie Valerie is a 22-year-old Dutch-Moluccan model and actress from Breda. Rikkie's win secures her spot as the representative from Netherlands for the coveted 72nd Miss Universe 2023 pageant. Rikkie, post the win, aspires to be a voice and role model for the queer community, and urge them to follow their dreams. Miss Netherlands 2023: Rikkie Valerie Kolle wins the title as first transgender model. Know all about her here(Instagram/@ rikkievaleriekolle)

Rikkie, a few hours ago, shared a string of pictures and the video of her winning moment on her Instagram profile. From being crowned to posing with other models, Rikkie can be seen basking in the moment of her win. "I did it," Rikkie captioned the pictures.

The win is of immense historic importance, as Rikkie is the second transgender contestant ever to participate in the beauty pageant. The first transgender model to participate in this beauty pageant was Angela Ponce from Spain, who made history in 2018.

In a recent interaction with World360News, Rikkie spoke of dedicating her career to uplifting the queer community, speaking of their struggles and their challenges, and urging them to follow their passion. Rikkie further added that the queer community faces immense pressure and rejection from their families for being true to their own selves. She envisions a world where no one faces rejection and challenges for being themselves.

Rikkie further added that her journey to become Miss Netherlands 2023 was also dotted with challenges, including the one where she openly embraced her true identity as a transgender. Through all of it, she found support and affection from her family.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tapatrisha Das Tapatrisha is Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She covers stories related to health, relationships, and fashion. ...view detail
The iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore is renowned for many things, but perhaps none more so than its signature cocktail, the Singapore Sling. Priced at $SGD39 (approximately $29 USD), this legendary drink has become a must-try for visitors from around the world. Now, the staggering daily revenue from this single beverage has been unveiled, shedding light on the hotel's lucrative venture. Raffles Hotel in Singapore sells 1000 Singapore Slings per day, bringing in a daily revenue of $29,000.(Twitter)

Mixing Dollars with Delight: A Profitable Pour

According to News.com.au, during peak vacation periods, the Raffles Hotel sells an impressive 1000 Singapore Slings per day. This equates to a staggering daily revenue of $29,000. However, it's important to note that this figure does not account for service fees and taxes, bringing the total to an estimated $SGD46 (about $34 USD).

A Taste of History and Craftsmanship

The origins of the Singapore Sling trace back to 1915 when bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created this exquisite concoction at the hotel's renowned Long Bar. Today, it is widely regarded as the country's national drink, embodying the spirit and flavors of Singapore. The cocktail is a delightful blend of gin, pineapple juice, lime juice, curacao, Benedictine, grenadine, and cherry liqueur. Its signature pink hue adds to its allure and was intentionally designed to disguise the presence of alcohol.

A Socially Acceptable Libation

During an era when women were discouraged from publicly consuming alcohol, Ngiam saw an opportunity to create a beverage that would allow them to indulge discreetly. The Singapore Sling perfectly fit the bill, appearing as a harmless fruit juice while secretly containing the desired alcoholic kick. This innovative approach not only revolutionized drinking etiquette but also birthed an enduring symbol of the hotel's heritage.

While some may question the steep price of the Singapore Sling, many visitors affirm that it's about more than just the drink itself. TikTokers have shared their experiences, emphasizing the historic background and ambiance that make it a truly unforgettable experience. As @swizzyinsg puts it, "The drink itself is not worth the $39, but the whole experience with the historic background is." Another TikToker, Oli Brandon, considers it a "once in a lifetime thing" for those fortunate enough to visit Singapore.

More Than Just a Drink: The Raffles Hotel Legacy

Beyond its famous cocktail, the Raffles Hotel boasts a rich history and numerous unique traditions. Guests are invited to indulge in throwing peanut shells on the flooran unusual act in Singapore, where littering is strictly regulated and penalized. The hotel proudly claims to be the only place where littering is "encouraged." Over the years, this esteemed establishment has welcomed esteemed guests, including Queen Elizabeth II and legendary celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, and John Wayne.

Also read | Top travel destinations for a solo trip in the United States

Whether it's the allure of the historic cocktail or the captivating ambiance of the hotel itself, the Raffles Hotel continues to captivate visitors and leave a lasting impression. And while the Singapore Sling may come with a price tag, for many, it's an investment in a remarkable experience and a taste of unparalleled luxury.

(Source: New York Post)
Logan, the Maverick Paul, a YouTube sensation, actor, entrepreneur, and wrestler, has shocked the internet with his recent post in collab with Danish model Nina Agdal captioned, "Engaged to my best friend." Nina went on to share the post on her Instagram story, saying, "It wasn't just a dream." Logan Paul and Nina Agdal Engaged(Sports Tiger)

The Maverick has come a long way in being so versatile and spontaneous with his work, making his way through as the underdog every time. Logan started his career as a YouTuber while picking up with the vine culture in 2013 and has ever since been on top of his work as an influencer, vlogger, amateur boxer, business mind with his Maverick merchandise and his ongoing venture of hydration beverage, "Prime," and is currently picking up early fame as a WWE star.

Logan and Nina met at an event in New York City, and Nina had a gut feeling she had to meet the controversial 28-year-old YouTube star. Nina said, "I basically convinced him to meet me and my friends upstairs for a drink."

Logan Paul took to his Twitter and messaged Elon Musk, saying, My fiancee got her Twitter suspended years ago and wants to come back; can you please provide aid?

The reason for Nina's ban from Twitter is unclear, but a lot of controversial stars have made their way back since Musk took over the Twitter office, and only time will tell whether Nina makes her way back onto Twitter.

A lot of YouTube stars and celebrities came forward to congratulate Logan on this milestone. The Maverick Paul's brother, The Problem Child, Jake Paul, came down to comment on the post, saying, Wow, I have a sister in law."

Logan has had a history of dating prior to Nina and has always been exclusive and kept his fans updated through his vlogs about how he's had his ups and downs in a relationship, be it with Chloe Bennet or Josie Canseco, but Logan has not been as active on YouTube as he once was, and the only way to get any tea about the megastar would be through his podcast, "Impaulsive," or through his social media.
Jamal Wing, a 47-year-old resident of Wilmington, Delaware, was remanded in the wee hours of July 8 by the Delaware State Police after biting a police dog and assaulting two troopers during his arrest. The police charged him with multiple offences, including felony resisting arrest, assaulting troopers, and driving under the influence (DUI). Man who bit K9 multiple times, assaulted two troopers and damaged Delaware State Police property. (Delaware State Police)

According to a statement released by the police department, at approximately 1:41 am, a patrolling trooper observed a black 2021 Toyota Camry exceeding the speed limit on the southbound Philadelphia Pike near Rolling Road. As a result, the trooper initiated a traffic stop. This led the car to halt in a nearby parking lot. Wing, who was operating the car, didnt comply with the instructions and exited the vehicle without being instructed. Not just this, he also disregarded commands to return to his car.

Wing even resisted arrest when troopers and a DSP K9 unit attempted to apprehend him. He bit the DSP K9, named Mako, multiple times during his arrest. After a brief period of resistance, Wing was eventually taken into custody. The police detected that he was drunk and noticed signs of impairment.

Due to injuries sustained from resisting arrest, Wing was taken to a local hospital by Emergency Medical Services (EMS). However, even at the hospital, Wing continued to resist and assaulted a trooper, causing injury to the officer and damaging Delaware State Police property. Two troopers and Mako sustained injuries and were evaluated at a local hospital.

The police charged Wing with several crimes, including two counts of Assault in the Second Degree on a Police Officer, Assault in the First Degree on a Law Enforcement Animal. He was presented before Justice of the Peace Court 11 for arraignment and subsequently remanded to the custody of the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution. A cash bond of $34,200 (approximately 28 lakh INR) was set for his release.

Delaware State Police also shared the news on their Facebook page, and the incident of a man biting the dog and attacking police angered people.

Heres how Facebook users reacted to the incident:

This person needs to remain in jail for harming DE State Troopers and K9 officers! posted an individual. Another added, This guy really went off the rail. Hope all arresting officers are doing okay. How about making him pay medical expenses for the troopers and the K9? Sell his car if they have to, expressed a third. A fourth wrote, Hope Troopers and K9 Makos injuries werent serious.

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Police departments often take to social media to take the publics help to identify perpetrators. The Atlanta Police department did just that but their post has also left people chuckling. Why? The video reshared by the department from another Facebook page shows a man giving up on his robbery plan after being ignored by people inside a store. The image shows a man trying to rob a salon.(Facebook/Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta)

The video was originally posted on a Facebook page called Crime Stopper Greater Atlanta. They also shared a detailed description mentioning how police are circulating the video and asking for the publics help to identify the man.

Investigators with the Atlanta Police Departments Robbery Unit are asking for assistance from the public in an ongoing investigation. On July 3, 2023, officers responded to 2625 Piedmont Rd. NE (Nail1st) in reference to a business robbery. Witnesses indicated the suspect entered the location wearing a blue hat, sunglasses, and blue jeans. The suspect demanded the patrons get on the ground and surrender their money. The suspect then fled the location in a silver in colour sedan, they wrote.

What does the video of the foiled robbery show?

The video opens to show the inside of a salon filled with workers and customers. Within moments, a man enters the place and demands everyone to surrender their belongings. Surprisingly, no one pays any heed to him and continues with what they are doing. Frustrated, the robber finally leaves.

Take a look at the video of the failed robbery:

The video was posted two days ago. Since being shared, the clip has accumulated a plethora of likes and comments.

Heres how people reacted to the video:

Please pity him, this is already bad for him, posted a Facebook user along with a laughing out loud emoticon. They couldve at least given him some gum, joked another. These people were not phased, added a third. Haha. This is funny, wrote a fourth.

Also Read| Use your reasoning skills to find the missing number

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Vijay Jojo Chokal Ingam was a BA in Economics student at the University of Chicago who only just managed to earn a 3.1 GPA. There was no chance he would be accepted at any American medical college. Vijay Jojo Chokal Ingam was a BA in Economics student at the University of Chicago who only just managed to earn a 3.1 GPA (Inside Edition screenshot/YouTube)

However, determined to get admission into one of these famed colleges, he scammed his way in. On the race identity section in his medical school applications, the Indian American checked BLACK.

"I got into Saint Louis University School of Medicine despite the fact that my 3.1 GPA was dramatically lower than the average 3.7 at the time. I got waitlisted at Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania School, the third and fourth best medical schools in America at the time, Vikay said, according to The Quint.

I shaved my head. I trimmed my long Indian eyelashes. I joined the organisation of black students and I applied to medical schools as a black man, he described.

Unable to keep up with the difficult studies, he dropped out. He later went on to write a book, Almost Black, about the fraud he committed.

Vijay is the brother of Mindy Kaling, who was not happy with Vijay telling his story. Of course, my sister Mindy Kaling jokingly said that I would bring shame on the family by telling my story, Vijay said.

Of dropping out of the school, Vijay wrote in an article for New York Post, That made me realize that affirmative action really doesnt really do anyone any favors. And its unfair to those who are excluded even though they were more deserving than those admitted on the basis of race.

Later in June, the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The court ruled that the institutions violated the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil rights law. The courts decision ended the practice of overt racial consideration in higher education admissions. Colleges can no longer consider race as a factor in the admissions process in an attempt to ensure there is a diverse student body.

After the decision, colleges and universities displayed a range of reactions  from reluctant acceptance to outright defiance, Vijay said. More than a 100 colleges and universities, including the entire Ivy League, had filed amicus briefs backing Harvard and University of North Carolinas admission practices, which the court now deemed discriminatory.

These schools have collected tens of billions in taxpayer dollars and sent millions of rejection letters to applicants whose only fault may have been their race, he added.

Vijay has supported the Asian American students, including Indian American students accusing prominent American colleges of wrongly rejecting them. The sad reality is that discrimination in the form of affirmative action hurts Asian Americans specifically including South Asians the worst. For example, someone who applied to medical school with a very mediocre 3.1 GPA and 31 MCAT score had an 18 percent chance as Asian, 28 percent as white, 46 percent as Hispanic and 76 percent as African American, he said.

"Believe it or not, Asian Americans are the hardest hurt by affirmative action racism, he added. Not just the top ranked Universities discriminate against Asian Americans but also the lower ranked universities.

What do you call it when you segregate applicants based on race? Vijay previously said, according to New York Post. Its a form of legalized racism. Its the ultimate form of discrimination to assume that one is disadvantaged just because hes black, Hispanic or Native American."

Vijay has now said he is hopeful that affirmative action will finally be stopped. Im encouraged not only by the Supreme Courts ruling, but by the successful 2020 effort (in which I participated) to defeat Californias Prop. 16, which sought to allow affirmative action at California state institutions, including my beloved alma mater, UCLA, he said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer has reportedly urged the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI. The energy drink, which is popular among children, has been criticised by lawmakers and health experts. Sen. Chuck Schumer has reportedly urged the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI (Ting Shen/Bloomberg, loganpaul/Instagram)

One of the summers hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit, or a toyits a beverage, Chuck said, according to AP. But buyer and parents beware because its a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets.

PRIME went viral after being launched last year. Grocery stores saw long queues as buyers routinely purchased the drink. The brand advertises the drink as zero sugar and vegan, and is among the popular energy drinks with high levels of caffeine; PRIME has 200 milligrams per 12 ounces. This is equivalent to nearly a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls. Some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia banned the drink as paediatricians warned it could have negative health impacts on children, such as heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues.

Amid the controversy, company representatives have defended the product saying it is labellednot recommended for children under 18. The product named PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine, is separately sold, they said.

Chuck, however, has claimed in his letter to the FDA that there is hardly any difference in the online marketing of the two drinks. This apparently prompted several parents to assume they were buying a juice for their children, but they actually ended up purchasing a cauldron of caffeine.

A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising, he wrote. This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink.

Meanwhile, a PRIME representative said in a statement to Hindustan Times, PRIME has two drinks on the market, PRIME Hydration and PRIME Energy. It is very important to make the distinction between the two products because they are vastly different. We started PRIME last year with the launch of Hydration, a healthier sports drink alternative that comes in a bottle. PRIME Energy, sold in a can, dropped in 2023 and contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries its sold in. It complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18..

As a brand, our top priority is consumer safety, so we welcome discussions with the FDA or any other organization regarding suggested industry changes they feel are necessary in order to protect consumers, the statement added.
Former CNN reporter Saima Mohsin is suing the news channel for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination after sustaining a severe injury while in Isreal for an assignment. Saima Mohsin(Twitter (@/SaimaMohsin))

Saima Mohsin was reporting from Jerusalem on the Isreal-Palestine conflict when an accident left her disabled. Her cameraman ran over her foot, causing severe tissue damage. She struggled to sit, stand and walk, or return to work full-time.

The incident occurred in 2014. Afterwards, she requested alternative duties and support for rehabilitation but CNN refused. She also requested a transfer to a presenting role which would reduce the amount of time spent traveling. However, her request was dismissed as she was told you dont have the look we are looking for. CNN terminated her contract three years later.

Mohsins employment tribunal claim is due to be heard on Monday in London since the network failed to support her after her grievous injury.

I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN. I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not.

Furthermore, the foreign correspondent has issued a complaint regarding racial and disability discrimination as well as the gender wage gap at CNN. She also claims that she was denied high-profile on-air opportunities even when she was ready to go live on the ground. Instead, the managers decided to put white American correspondents on air.

Im also taking the opportunity to highlight the racism and gender pay gap issues that I experienced. I was repeatedly let down and denied the ability to achieve my potential while I was at CNN. I am bringing my claim to take a stand and call for change to ensure women journalists, and women journalists of colour, are better protected.

CNN has declined to comment on the allegations and is opposing the claim on territorial grounds. The broadcaster argues that, according to the terms of Mohsins contract, she does not have the right to bring a case in London.

The British-Pakistani journalist is now working with Sky News as a freelancer. She has made a program for ITV about the pain of living with invisible disabilities.

Mohsins legal representation comprises barristers Paras Gorasia and Jennifer Robinson of Doughty Street Chambers.

This should cause concern for all foreign correspondents who travel around the world  and take risks to do their journalism in the belief their employer will take care of them, said Mohsin as her claim has raised important questions about journalist safety and the treatment of women of colour in journalism.

Also Read | CNN anchor Don Lemon says he has been fired from network after 17 years

Meanwhile, CNN is facing a rough patch. The news network has recently made deep job cuts. is dealing with the fallout from a number of scandals, missteps and struggling ratings in its core US market.

Jeff Zucker, who was the president of CNN worldwide for nearly a decade, left last year over a relationship with a colleague. He was replaced by Chris Licht who lasted only a year before being sacked. Additionally, the news channel is in the middle of a corporate restructuring at parent company Warner Bros Discovery.

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A 41-year-old Indian-origin doctor in the US who faces sentencing for allegedly attempting to kill his wife and two minor children by "purposely" driving his Tesla car off the Pacific Coast Highway has asked for a mental health diversion instead of a prison term, a media report said. The incident took place in Devil's Slide near California Highway 1.(Representational Image)

Dharmesh Patel was charged in May with three counts of first-degree attempted murder after allegedly driving himself, his wife, and their two children -- the 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl -- off the Devil's Slide near California Highway 1 in his Tesla, KRON-TV reported on Saturday.

They all survived the crash on January 3 this year.

Patel's wife maintains that her husband told his family he would drive off the cliff before the incident. The suspect claimed his Tesla Model Y was having tire issues when he drove off the 250-foot cliff in California.

"He drove off. Hes depressed," Neha Patel said in an affidavit obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.

"Hes a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off."

Patel pleaded not guilty and instead asked for a mental health diversion because of his major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis, the report said.

To be eligible for the programme, a suspect's mental disorder needs to be a "significant factor" in the criminal act, California law says.

If participants complete treatment within the diversion programme, their charges could be dropped and their arrest could be expunged.

Murder and voluntary manslaughter suspects are excluded from the diversion programme, but attempted murder is not explicitly ruled out.

After the programme is complete, the court decides if the previous charges would be reinstated.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe previously said everyone in the vehicle needed to be pulled from the car's windows. The boy was not injured, while Patel's daughter sustained serious injuries but recovered quickly.

Patel's wife, Neha "suffered probably the most serious injuries", Wagstaffe explained.

Patel's eligibility for the mental health diversion will be decided at the end of July.

Aside from that initial comment to paramedics, Wagstaffe said witnesses and video footage from the Tom Lantos Tunnel, which Patel drove through before the crash, showed his Tesla driving straight off the cliff without braking or attempting to serve to safety.

Investigators were examining the Tesla to determine if there were any mechanical issues with the vehicle before the crash, which could strengthen the defence's argument in court.

California officials believed Patel's actions were "intentional".

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ON JUNE 30TH Brazils highest electoral court barred Jair Bolsonaro, who was the countrys president until the end of 2022, from holding public office for eight years. A populist of the far right who had little respect for democracy, he has now been cast out of electoral politics for undermining public trust in the integrity of Brazils voting system. PREMIUM Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro speaks with media.(Reuters)

In July last year, he invited dozens of foreign diplomats to the presidential palace to watch a slide show in which he asserted that Brazils voting machines were unreliable. Mr Bolsonaro repeatedly made the same baseless claim during the presidential campaign, which he lost narrowly to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-winger. The pow-wow with diplomats was broadcast live on public television and social media. Mr Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing, saying that the meeting served no electoral purpose. But a majority of electoral-court justices ruled that he had abused his powers and misused state media.

Their decision removes from active politics a figure who in the past five years has disrupted and redefined it. An obscure congressman but a social-media virtuoso, Mr Bolsonaro became a standard-bearer for Brazilians enraged by corruption, hostile to the left, supportive of traditional family values or nostalgic for the military dictatorship of 1964-85. He was the surprise winner of the presidential election in 2018. In office, he attacked the press and the judiciary, spread falsehoods about the covid-19 pandemic, in which 700,000 Brazilians died, and encouraged deforestation in the Amazon. He revels in the epithet Trump of the tropics. On January 8th this year supporters of Mr Bolsonaro who believed his claim that he had won the election stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace.

What happens now to bolsonarismo, when its leader cannot be on a presidential ballot until 2030 at the earliest, is a crucial question for Brazil. His movement may not need him to survive. Some of the attitudes he represents will remain prominent in political competition, becoming a crucial element in a right-of-centre force that had little importance until Mr Bolsonaro came along. But its possible that under other leaders it will moderate, becoming less of a threat to democratic norms and institutions than its founder was.

If that is what happens, Brazil will have ended an episode of right-wing populism more easily than the United States has done. There are at least three reasons why it might. First, Brazils courts are nimbler. The power of its electoral tribunal is unparalleled in the democratic world, says James Gardner of the University at Buffalo in New York state. Whereas in most countries administrative agencies organise elections and separate courts try violations of electoral law, Brazils tribunal does both. That speeds up decisions and makes appeals difficult. (Mr Bolsonaro is expected to appeal against his political ban at the Supreme Court but is unlikely to succeed, in part because the membership of the two courts overlaps.)

Second, unlike the United States Brazil has a recent history of removing presidents from office and imprisoning former presidents. Lula himself spent 19 months in jail on corruption charges before his conviction was overturned in 2021. Brazils constitution says that candidates who misuse their power and resources can be made temporarily ineligible for office. A law from 2010 bars from running for office temporarily people convicted of crimes by a panel of judges. The United States has no such prohibitions at the federal level.

Finally, Mr Bolsonaro does not have the sort of backing from a political party that Donald Trump enjoys. Mr Trump can credibly threaten to blow up the Republican Party by running as an independent and thus bring it to heel, says Filipe Campante of Johns Hopkins University. Brazil has many more parties than does the United States (19 are represented in Congress). Mr Bolsonaro has belonged to at least nine. Legislators who share his ideology are not always loyal to him, preferring pork to principle. They have voted for some of Lulas most important economic initiatives.

Another reason for Mr Bolsonaros subdued exit may be that he lacks Mr Trumps survival instinct. In an interview days before the ruling, a journalist from Folha de S. Paulo, a newspaper, asked him how he felt about the trial. What can I do about it? he shrugged. Soon after his election loss Mr Bolsonaro decamped to Florida, where he remained for three months. Since returning to Brazil in March, he has been conspicuously absent from politics. He has not ruled out returning to the United States, where, he boasted, a real-estate company had offered him a job as its pitchman.

His supporters, so far at least, seem equally deflated. Few bolsonaristas came out to protest against the courts decision. The army, which played a prominent role in Mr Bolsonaros government, has shown little inclination to defend him. As he was slandering the electoral system, the United States warned Brazils army that military co-operation would suffer if it did not respect the election result, according to the Financial Times. (Brazil gets equipment and training from the American army.) Brazils army thought: Lets leave all the problems with him and stay in the barracks, says Emilio Peluso of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Yet Mr Bolsonaros ideas are not going away. A recent poll showed that a quarter of the electorate calls themselves bolsonaristas, compared with 29% who back Lulas Workers Party. Some polls show that young voters disapprove of Lula more than older ones. During Mr Bolsonaros ascent politicians representing the interests of agribusiness, gun owners and evangelical churches increased their representation in Congress. Today the agribusiness lobby has 347 of the 594 seats in both houses, up from 280 in 2018. His military-tinged authoritarianism may not outlast him, but conservative social mores and pressure to exploit the Amazon rainforest will continue to have political force.

What effect that has will depend in part on who, if anyone, inherits his movement. Two relatively moderate governors seem to be the strongest candidates. Tarcisio de Freitas, the governor of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazils largest and richest, is today the most popular politician of the right. Mr de Freitas, who was infrastructure minister in Mr Bolsonaros government, is a half-hearted disciple. In December he said he was not a bolsonarista at root and was seen joking around with Alexandre de Moraes, the electoral courts president. He even praised Lula for his fast response to deadly floods in Sao Paulo in February. Mr de Freitas has good relations with business and is seen as a competent manager and skilful political operator. Although some bolsonaristas regard him as a traitor, the ex-president is more emollient. In the Folha interview, Mr Bolsonaro called Mr de Freitas an excellent manager.

Another possible heir is Romeu Zema, the Thatcherite governor of Minas Gerais, a rich south-eastern state. Mr Zema, a scion of a family with a retail empire, rose to power during the anti-establishment wave in 2018. Without ever having held public office he defeated two experienced politicians to win the governorship. He supported Mr Bolsonaro in both 2018 and 2022, but was quick to recognise Lulas victory. Mr Zema may have stronger reasons than Mr de Freitas to run for the presidency next time: term limits prevent him from running for governor of Minas again.

There are less reassuring possibilities. Even barred from office Mr Bolsonaro could remain a disruptive force and the de facto leader of the opposition. Whether that happens may depend in part on the course of numerous other investigations. The electoral court alone is considering 15 other cases of alleged campaign violations. Other courts are looking into questions such as whether he falsified covid-19 vaccination records for members of his family and inner circle; failed to declare millions of dollars worth of diamonds given to his wife by the government of Saudi Arabia; and incited the mob on January 8th. He denies wrongdoing.

A younger disrupter could take his place. Nikolas Ferreira, a 27-year-old congressman, gun enthusiast and social-media celebrity, could be a contender. In last years election, he won more votes than any other congressional candidate. Mr Bolsonaro has hinted that his wife could become his political heir. Meanwhile, two of his sons are in the legislature.

Whether bolsonarismo in its most virulent form remains a threat to Brazils stability will depend largely on luck and the conduct of the current government. If the economy stagnates or another huge corruption scandal emerges, Mr Bolsonaro himself could return to full political strength, thinks Bruna Santos of the Brazil Institute of the Wilson Centre, a think-tank in Washington. He need not be on the ballot to be a menace to his country.

Clarification: The original text said that Mr Bolsonaro could not run for president again until 2034. That is uncertain.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Residents in Rolling Hills Estates, a neighborhood located south of Los Angeles, faced a frightening ordeal on Saturday night as they were forced to evacuate their homes due to the potential threat of a major landslide. The alarm was raised when cracks were discovered forming on a property, leading to concerns about the stability of the area. As firefighters and public works crews assessed the situation, parts of homes were observed leaning, prompting swift action to ensure the safety of residents. A view shows damaged houses, which were evacuated due to a growing fissure causing a landslide, in the Rolling Hills Estates, California,(REUTERS)

Evacuation Efforts and Inspection

Approximately 12 homes were evacuated as authorities went door-to-door, urging residents to leave their properties. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department dispatched deputies to patrol the neighborhood, ensuring the safety of those affected. With the physical integrity of the homes compromised, residents were compelled to spend the night away from their houses. The cause of the ground instability has yet to be determined, as city officials continue to investigate the situation.

A view shows damaged houses, which were evacuated due to a growing fissure causing a landslide, in the Rolling Hills Estates, California,(REUTERS)

Landslide Risks in California

Landslides are not uncommon in California, particularly following intense rainfall or seismic events. However, the National Weather Service in Oxnard, California, did not report any recent heavy rainfall or significant earthquakes in the area. The region is expected to remain dry as a high-pressure system builds, according to the FOX Forecast Center. The timeline for allowing residents back into their homes has not been established, as authorities prioritize ensuring the safety of the affected neighborhood.

Safety Takes Priority

Chair Janice Hahn, representing the Executive Office of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, reassured residents that their safety was paramount. Although everyone is safe, the unstable condition of the homes makes it too dangerous for residents to reenter at this time. Authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely to determine when it will be safe for residents to return.

A house in Rolling Hills Estates is severely damaged after a landslide on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County,(AP)

Also read | Homeless man in Los Angeles turns underground vault outside Japanese museum into secret home, safety concerns arise

Landslides pose significant risks and financial burdens. Nationally, they cause over $2 billion in losses annually and have resulted in numerous fatalities, as reported by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Given the potential dangers associated with landslides, authorities remain vigilant in assessing and managing these natural hazards to protect communities and individuals.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died last month, has left over 900 crore (100m) to his 33-year-old partner Marta Fascina in his will, reported the Guardian citing sources. The three-time Italian PM and Fascina - who has been a member of the Italian Parliament's lower chamber since the 2018 general election - started their relationship in 2020. Former Italian prime minister SIlvio Berlusconi (REUTERS Photo)

While the couple never legally married each other, Berlusconi reportedly referred to the Forza Italia deputy as his wife on his deathbed.

Meanwhile, Berlusconi - whose empire is estimated to be worth more than six billion euros - has also reportedly left 100m Euros to his brother Paolo, and 30m Euros to a former senator with his Forza Italia party who served jail time for association with the mafia Marcello Dell'Utri.

The late PM, who died of leukemia at the age of 86, also left his company Fininvest to his two eldest children - Marina and Pier Silvio. The two children, who are with his first wife Carla Elvira, will hold a combined stake of 53% in Fininvest, reported Guardian.

According to reports, Berlusconi wrote his will by hand on a yellow notepad marked with the letterhead of his mansion near Milan and signed it on October 2, 2022. Expressing his love for his children in the letter, Berlusconi wrote, I leave the available stock in equal parts to my children Marina and Pier Silvio. I leave all the rest in equal parts to my five children Marina, Pier Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora, and Luigi. Thank you, so much love to all of you, your father the will read.

Silvio Berlusconi was an Italian politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011.

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Longtime Tennessee state lawmaker Roy Herron tragically died after being involved in a jet ski accident. The 69-year-old was also the former chairperson of the state Democratic Party. Roy reportedly died at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, a statement from his family said. Roy Herron speaks on the Senate floor in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 23, 2012 (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig, File)(AP)

Roy had been admitted to the hospital since the July 1 accident, New York Post reported. He was involved in a collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake. Roy suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his familys CaringBridge website. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was investigating the collision, it has been reported.

Roy loved his family with all his might, Roys wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said. He passed doing what he loved most  spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free.

Roy was an attorney from Dresden, Tennessee. He served a combined 26 years in the states House and Senate, and notably never missed a single session except for when his youngest son was born. He was the chairman of the state Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015.

Roys website says, This experienced trial advocate has represented many injured victims and defended many businesses wrongly accused. Herron brought the case for a wonderful teenager devastated by negligence and, after a month-long trial, the jury awarded a West Tennessee record $15.2 million. He litigated a wrongful death case on behalf of a close friends widow and children and ultimately settled the case for a confidential amount believed to be an area record. On the other hand, Herron recently defended a company falsely accused of wronging a former employee and after a week-long jury trial won a defense verdict.

Roy was a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, and was notably one of the first students who earned joint degrees in divinity and law from Vanderbilt University.

Longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative Joe Hill, who worked with Roy, said he brought a zeal for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans upon being elected to the state House. Joe praised Roy for bringing commitment to education, victims rights, environmental quality and so many other things that affect average people. His legacy of advocating for the least among us will represent the gold standard of service for Democrats and Republicans in Tennessees future, Joe told The Associated Press.
A man in Maine drowned while trying to save his two daughters who were swept into a pond near the coast on Saturday, July 8. 46-year-old Henry Brooks, who lived in Hope, jumped into the water after he saw his daughters, 12 ans 13, being pulled into a deep area of the Seven Tree Pond in Union, the Maine Warden Service said. One of the girls initially fell into a deeper part of the pond near its confluence with a local river, when the other daughter jumped in to save her (Maine Yakker screenshot/YouTube)

One of the girls initially fell into a deeper part of the pond near its confluence with a local river, when the other daughter jumped in to save her. Both of them were then pulled into the water. Henry, along with his son, 27, jumped into action to rescue the girls, but only the son took a life jacket, the warden service said, according to New York Post.

The son was able to rescue his sisters and bring them to a nearby dock. However, Henry had vanished. Game wardens and first responders looked for the dad, searching by boat and on foot. His body was recovered by three Maine Warden Service about 50 feet from the shore.

In a similar incident, a hero dad was hailed after he died while saving the lives of two children on June 29. Marvin Alexan Fernandez Chicas was spending time with his son, three-year-old Dyaln, as well as some other friends on Lake Nockamixon when he drowned trying to save two children struggling in the water. Marvin jumped into action even though he could not swim. Lake Nockamixon is a reservoir in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Before dying, Marvin was able to rescue the two children. They apparently got in some trouble in the water, he went in to help them, said Haycock Township Fire Chief Harry Grim, according to WFMZ. Unfortunately he cant swim. The kids got out, he did not.

Marvin sprang into action after he spotted the two children struggling near Tohickon Creek in the cliffs area last week, the Morning Call cited the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) as sang. As many as 10 divers searched the area, eventually recovering his body.

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A bizarre and tragic incident unfolded in Minnesota as authorities discovered the lifeless body of Brandon Lee Buschman, 34, inside a chest freezer in an unoccupied home. Police believe that Buschman, who had an active arrest warrant, sought refuge inside the freezer to evade law enforcement. However, he became trapped and was unable to escape. The autopsy revealed no signs of trauma or injury, leaving authorities puzzled about the cause of death. A toxicology report is pending, which may shed further light on the circumstances surrounding this peculiar case. Brandon Lee Buschman had an active arrest warrant and sought refuge inside the freezer to evade law enforcement.(Facebook)

The Desperate Escape

According to the Gilbert Police Department, the chest freezer in which Buschman was found is an older model with a latching mechanism on the outside. This design feature made it impossible for him to open the freezer from the inside once it was closed. The freezer, which had not been functional since April 2022 due to disconnected utilities, became an unwitting prison for Buschman as he tried to evade capture.

Mystery Unfolds

The unoccupied home where the tragic incident occurred had been vacant since February 2023. Witnesses reported seeing Buschman fleeing from the upstairs area of the house, presumably in response to the perceived presence of law enforcement. However, the exact timeline of his escape remains unclear. Lt. Chelsea Trucano of the Gilbert Police Department stated that additional investigations are underway to determine whether Buschman fled this year or last year. More details are expected to emerge once a more precise timeline is established.

Unanswered Questions

The authorities have not disclosed the nature of the crime for which Buschman was wanted. However, it is evident that he resorted to extreme measures to avoid arrest. The circumstances leading up to his decision to hide inside the freezer and the factors contributing to his inability to escape are still under investigation. Authorities are eagerly awaiting the results of the toxicology report, which may provide crucial information in piecing together the events that led to this tragic end.

Also read | | Car crash claims 5 lives in Minnesota, women were getting ready for a wedding

As the investigation continues, the mysterious death of Brandon Lee Buschman serves as a somber reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to evade authorities. The circumstances surrounding his decision to seek refuge in the freezer and the subsequent consequences highlight the risks and dangers inherent in such desperate actions.
The United States has the strongest military force in the world, with Russia and China in second and third and India in fourth place, according to Global Firepower, a data website that tracks global defence-related information. The report, listing 145 countries, also indicates the year-over-year trend comparison. (AFP/File)

The 2023 Military Strength list - which also includes the nations with the weakest military force in the world, which includes Bhutan and Iceland - assessed over 60 factors.

Global Firepower said it established 'a given nation's score with categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography'.

"Our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller (and) more technologically-advanced nations to compete with larger (and) lesser-developed powers special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list which is compiled annually. Trends do not necessarily indicate a declining power as changes to the GFP formula can also account for this."

The report lists 145 countries and also compares each nation's year-on-year ranking changes.

Here are the 10 nations with most powerful militaries in the world:

United States Russia China India United Kingdom South Korea Pakistan Japan France Italy

Here are the 10 nations with least powerful militaries in the world:

Bhutan Benin Moldova Somalia Liberia Suriname Belize Central African Republic Iceland Sierra Leone

Changes from last year?

The top four nations remain as they were in the 2022 Global Firepower list.

However, the UK has moved up from eighth place last year to fifth this year. South Korea remains in sixth place as it was last year.

Pakistan enters the top 10 in seventh place, and Japan and France ranked fifth and seventh last year, drop to eighth and ninth this year.

Russia in second place?

There have, however, been questions about Russia remaining in second place given its apparent inability to overcome Ukrainian forces after Moscow launched its 'special operation' - to invade its neighbour - in February last year.

One Twitter handle - sporting the Ukraine flag - joked 'Russia has the second most powerful army in Ukraine, not in the world'. Another asked if 'Russia really still be at No 2 on the list' and a third - in a swipe over Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's 'coup' said the army is 'second most powerful military in Russia'.

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A devastating flood has overtaken New York due to torrential rainstorms. The flood has resulted in at least one death and the rainfall is expected to abate by Monday but the flooding is expected to persist till Tuesday. Find the complete timeline and updates here. Flash flood warnings are in effectacross southeastern New York at present, including New York City (New York State Police/Facebook, @DanielleV1967/Twitter)

New York Flash Flood: Timeline

Flood Warning Issued on July 7

On July 7, Governor Hochul warned New Yorkers of potential flooding impacts as heavy rain and thunderstorms were expected statewide.

"Beginning today, much of the state should expect to see thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain through Sunday which may cause flash flooding, especially in portions of the North Country, Mohawk Valley and Capital Region. Our team is closely monitoring weather patterns and stands ready to assist any of our local partners, and I urge all New Yorkers to monitor their local forecasts, pay attention to alerts and plan accordingly," stated Governor Hochul

Flood Warning Update on July 8

A flash flood warning was issued on July 8 as Governor Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to prepare for additional severe weather. Forecasts predicted rain and thunderstorms for parts of the Capital, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Southern Tier regions, as well as New York City.

Flood Warning Update (July 9)

On July 9, Governor Hochul addressed the citizens, stating My biggest concern is the fact that most people's lives that are lost during a flood event occur because they're in their vehicles - not in their homes, but in their vehicles. And I want people to be very cautious about not going into a road that's closed or if you see any running water."

"We have our teams on the ground, ready to respond. But a lot of coordination is going on right now with the local police departments and the local emergency teams, and just telling people in your own home - have the flashlights, check the batteries, first aid, food, water, medicine that you may need" she added.

Ontario and Orange County under States of Emergency (July 9)

"Due to increasingly dangerous conditions, I am expanding our State of Emergency to Ontario County," Governor Hochul said. "State personnel are on the ground and supporting local response efforts. New Yorkers in impacted regions should do everything they can to avoid flooded roads and stay alert for additional weather."

The Governor also informed that multiple people had been reported missing.

Flood Watch Advisory Issued

A flood watch was issued on July 10, early morning for Eastern Clinton, Eastern Essex, Northern Franklin, Southern Franklin, Western Clinton, and Western Essex. It will remain in effect through Tuesday evening. The forecasts predicted widespread rainfall from 2-5 inches with some areas reaching 7 inches.

New York Areas under Flood Watch

A flood watch was issued for portions of north western Connecticut, western Massachusetts, New York and southern Vermont. The complete list is as follows:

In northwestern Connecticut, Northern Litchfield and Southern Litchfield

In western Massachusetts, Northern Berkshire and Southern Berkshire

In New York, Eastern Albany, Eastern Columbia, Eastern Dutchess, Eastern Greene, Eastern Rensselaer, Eastern Schenectady, Eastern Ulster, Hamilton, Montgomery, Northern Fulton, Northern Saratoga, Northern Warren, Northern Washington, Schoharie, Southeast Warren, Southern Fulton, Southern Saratoga, Southern Washington, Western Albany, Western Columbia, Western Dutchess, Western Greene, Western Rensselaer, Western Schenectady and Western Ulster.

In southern Vermont, Bennington, Eastern Windham and Western Windham.

Total rainfall is expected to reach 2-4 inches along with possible 4-6 inches for areas east of the Hudson River.

Flood Warning Issued

On July 10, a flood warning was issued for northwestern Connecticut, western

Massachusetts and east central New York. The warning will remain in effect till 9:45 am EDT. It has been stated that 2-3 inches of rain has already fallen and forecasts predict floods caused by worsening rainfall. The complete list of areas is as follows:

Northwestern Connecticut, Litchfield

Western Massachusetts, Berkshire

East-central New York, Columbia and Dutchess
North Korea on Monday threatened to shoot down any US spy planes violating its airspace and condemned Washington's plans to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(AP)

A spokesperson for the North's Ministry of National Defence said the United States has "intensified espionage activities beyond the wartime level", with "provocative" flights made by US spy aircraft over eight straight days this month, and one reconnaissance plane intruding into its airspace over the East Sea "several times".

"There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea," the spokesperson said in a statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The spokesperson cited past incidents when Pyongyang shot down US aircraft, and warned the United States would pay for its "frantically staged" air espionage.

Late on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong said that a US spy aircraft had violated the country's eastern airspace twice on Monday morning, according to a statement.

Kim Yo Jong said that the North would not respond directly to US reconnaissance activities outside of the country's exclusive economic zone, but warned that it would take "decisive action" if the US military crosses its maritime military demarcation line.

In a separate statement carried by KCNA Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong warned that the US military would face "a very critical flight" in case of a new intrusion by a US aircraft.

The earlier KCNA statement also slammed the planned deployment of US strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula as "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail" against North Korea, saying it posed a grave threat to regional and global security.

"The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the US provocative military action," it read.

Washington said in April that it would send a nuclear-armed ballistic submarine to make the first visit to a South Korean port in decades, without specifying the exact timing.

North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-defying launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and in May attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has ramped up defence cooperation with Washington in response, staging joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and powerful US strategic assets.

Yoon is set to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania this week, seeking stronger cooperation with NATO members over North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, his office said.
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un, on Monday warned the US of a "decisive response" if its military enters the country's economic zone again, reported Reuters. Kim Yo Jong accused the United States of violating its airspace by conducting surveillance flights, according to the report citing state media KCNA. She said a US spy plane entered North Korea's economic zone on July 10. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(AP)

An unnamed spokesperson of North Korea's Ministry of National Defence claimed that the alleged provocative military actions by the US were bringing the Korean peninsula closer to a nuclear conflict, according to a statement carried by KCNA. The report also cited the use of US reconnaissance planes and drones and said Washington was escalating tensions by sending a nuclear submarine near the peninsula.

The spokesperson warned that, while Pyongyang was exercising restraint, such flights may be shot down.

"There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen" in waters east of Korea, the spokesperson said.

Hitting out at the move by the US to deploy nuclear submarines in the Korean Peninsula, the spokesperson said the plan will "bring the regional military tension to a more critical state and may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict". Pyongyang alleged that the attempt to deploy such submarines is the most undisguised nuclear blackmail against North Korea and its neighbouring countries and a grave threat and challenge to regional and global peace and security.

(With Reuters inputs)

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Flash flood warnings are in effectacross southeastern New York at present, including New York City. Thunderstorms struck the region and brought torrential downpours, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flood warnings are in effectacross southeastern New York at present, including New York City (New York State Police/Facebook, @DanielleV1967/Twitter)

The city said on its website, A Flood Watch is in effect citywide between 2 p.m. today, Sunday 7/9, and 6 a.m. Monday 7/10. An excessive rainfall event may cause flash flooding, especially in areas close to creeks, streams and rivers; low-lying and flood-prone areas; and urban areas with poor drainage.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Sunday morning. Staten Island and west Manhattan have a low risk of severe weather, like a strong thunderstorm. Scattered showers may occur around 2 p.m, it added.

City officials have claimed the floods can quickly flood basements and pose a risk to peoples lives. They advised people to shift to higher regions.

The floods have already started wreaking havoc in various regions, including parts of the Lower Hudson Valley. The water has rapidly flooded roadways, trapped people inside cars and spilled debris across places. Emergency responders have been working to make rescue efforts.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state of emergency for Orange County Sunday night, July 9. I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours. We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts, she wrote on Twitter.

In the same thread, she added, Our Office of Emergency Management has been in touch with every potentially impacted county to make sure they have what they need to quickly respond. And they will be coordinating deployments of personnel and resources from State agencies should local officials need help. Kathy confirmed that at least 13,000 homes are without power.

Several viral posts on Twitter show cars trapped in the flood. Heres a look at some of the photos and videos:

A West Point Military Police spokesperson told CNN that there was heavy floodingat the United States Military Academy West Point in Orange County. Several people were trapped in their vehicles and had to swim out to safety.

State police have been urging the public to avoidthe Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County due to excessive flooding, NYSP public information officer Steven Nevel told Newsweek. "There are numerous motorists stranded in Rockland County," Steven said. "State Police along with local fire departments and EMS personnel are utilizing personal and equipment to assist this motorists and get them to safety as fast as possible."

Meanwhile, a post shared to Facebook by New York State Police reads, TRAFFIC ALERT: Rockland County- Palisades Interstate Parkway: Numerous roadways consisting of State Route 9W and Palisades Interstate Parkway are experiencing heavy flooding and washouts. The Palisades Parkway Northbound is closed from exit 14 to Long Mountain Traffic circle. Please Avoid The Area!!!
The catastrophic collapse of a dam in southern Ukraine has made Kyiv worried that Russia might stage an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to foment panic and quell Ukrainian advances on the frontline, Ukraine's energy minister said Monday. Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control since the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.(AFP)

Herman Halushchenko said the destruction of the dam while under Russian control in the Kherson region proved there are no red lines for Moscow. He said it warrants the level of alarm Ukraine's leadership has been raising in recent weeks of an alleged Russian ploy to attack the nuclear plant in a possible false flag operation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged last week, citing intelligence reports, that Russian troops placed objects resembling explosives atop several power units to simulate an attack. Drone and satellite images obtained by the Associated Press showed unidentified white objects on the roof of the plant's fourth power unit, but Ukrainian leaders have so far been unable to provide further evidence.

While Russia accuses Ukraine of bombarding the Kakhovka dam, Kyiv blames Moscow for the attack on the dam in late May, which triggered a humanitarian crisis and caused widespread ecological devastation. An AP investigation found that Moscow had the means and motive to carry out the attack.

Halushchenko said he and Zelenskyy had raised alarms as early as October 2022 that the Russians could plant mines to blow up the Kakhovka dam.

For many many people it sounded ridiculous  and when it happened everybody understood that there are no red lines for them, he said in a sit-down interview with The Associated Press. And of course it's all connected to the counter-offensive operation, and after Kakhovka, the one tool which they still have is Zaporizhzhia.

The nuclear plant was seized by Russia in March 2022, in the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, raising fears of a nuclear accident. Over the past year, Russia and Ukraine repeatedly accused each other of shelling the plant.

Ukraine's military intelligence has claimed for weeks, without providing evidence, that Russia is planning a large-scale provocation at the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, in the southeast of the country.

Around the same time, Ukraine launched the early phase of its much anticipated counter-offensive last month and has reported steady advances along multiple directions of the 1,500 kilometer (930-mile) frontline. An incident at the plant could halt Ukraine's advance, Zelenskyy has said.

Ukrainian military intelligence reports have said that Russia placed mines on the roof of the nuclear plant, and put remote-controlled and regular anti-personnel mines in technical and machine rooms.

Image experts the AP spoke to could not identify the objects that have been seen on the roof.

Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute and satellite image expert, said the objects appeared to be placed on the roof of the unit's turbine hall, and, if it turns out to be a bomb, is unlikely to cause serious damage to the reactor.

The Russians have cited security concerns in granting only limited access to officials from the International Atomic Atomic Energy Agency. The agency's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said recently that the IAEA had recently gained access to more of the site, including the cooling pond and fuel storage areas.

The Ukrainians had said those areas were mined by the Russians, but the IAEA found they were not, Grossi said. The agency has not yet been given access to inspect the roof of the plant.

Haluschenko noted that the IAEA representatives were not able to access the entire site. So the Russians allowed them to see only what they decided they could see, and that is the problem," he said.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 29, five days after the group marched towards Moscow in a short-lived rebellion. Russian President Vladimir Putin(AP)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin invited 35 people to the meeting, including unit commanders, and that it lasted three hours. The Wagner commanders told Putin they were his soldiers and would continue to fight for him, Peskov said.

The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov, confronted Putin with the gravest challenge to his hold on power since taking over as Russia's paramount leader on the last day of 1999.

It was defused in a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin has since thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war.

Prigozhin has said the mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing the government but at "bringing to justice" the army and defence chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal but Lukashenko said last week he was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up an offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday asked Western allies for a "clear signal" on his country's NATO membership prospects, on the eve of a key alliance summit in Lithuania. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky(AFP)

"Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance. Not now, because now there's war, but we need a clear signal and this signal is needed right now," Zelensky said in a video message posted on Telegram.
The entire world is facing drastic consequences of rising temperatures resulting in extreme heat. The situation in the United States is no different with heatwave being experienced in the nation. Recently, heat warnings were sounded across the country during the Fourth of July celebrations. A 2022 U.N. climate report claimed that parts of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and California might become less suitable for human habitation by 2070, due to rising temperatures in USA.(Getty Images)

Amid the current situation, on Sunday, NBC meteorologist Angie Lassman reminded about a 2022 U.N. climate report which warned that parts of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and California would become less suitable for human habitation by 2070, due to rising temperatures in the United States.

ALSO READ| Zuck is a cuck: Elon Musk takes a jibe at Mark Zuckerberg amid Twitter vs Threads battle

The human body simply cant handle these levels of heat and will go into heat stress, guest host Joe Fryer said on NBCs Sunday Today.

With much of the country and the world experiencing these record temps, at what point do certain areas just simply become uninhabitable for humans?, he added.

NBC meteorologist Lassman cited the UN report and highlighted its predictions about the negative effects of rising temperatures on the global population.

That report also states that up to one-third of the global population will start experiencing life-threatening heat conditions, something that we currently only see in places like the Sahara, said Lassman.

This all means climate migration, people in the hottest areas with the most vulnerable populations moving to avoid the heat and drought conditions. That of course, will put pressure on the cities and towns they move to and the heat [is] projected to cause this ripple effect this century," explained Lassman.

Notably, the UN report was released in October 2022 and it predicted how rising temperatures would threaten human life in certain areas of the world by 2070.

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Amid the ongoing debate over Twitter vs Threads, the microblogging platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk has found an unlikely supporter in the Haqqani Network, the Islamist group that wields enormous power in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Anas Haqqani, one of the top leaders of the Taliban setup in Kabul, said that Twitter has two advantages over other social media platforms, asserting that other platforms cannot replace it. Mark Zuckerberg, Anas Haqqani and Elon Musk (Left to Right).

The first privilege is the freedom of speech. The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter, Haqqani said. Twitter doesn't have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it.

Haqqani Network is one of the main factions of the Afghan Taliban and Twitter has been their preferred social media platform because of its content moderation policy.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms Inc.'s has taken the social media race by storm after the launch of its new microblogging platform Threads, which many see as an answer to Twitter. Threads has rocketed to 100 million users in less than a week, Zuckerberg announced on Monday.

Threads reached 100 million sign ups over the weekend, Zuckerberg said in a post. Thats mostly organic demand and we havent even turned on many promotions yet. Cant believe its only been 5 days!

The text-centric service closely resembles Twitter in look and functionality, earning the displeasure of Twitter owner Elon Musk who has accused it of being a copycat and an Instagram minus pics. The two billionaire owners have traded jibes in recent weeks and Threads is now at the centre of an intensifying rivalry.

hreads still lacks a number of basic features, such as a chronological feed composed solely of people you choose to follow, but it provides a very familiar experience and doesnt yet have any advertising.

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A report has claimed that OceanGates Titan submersible completed less than 15 percent of its dive to the famed Titanic shipwreck. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, after as a result of a catastrophic implosion of the Titan. The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph (OceanGate Expeditions/Handout via REUTERS)(via REUTERS)

As per a passenger's waiver viewed by Insider, the vessel previously reached the depth of the wreckage during "as few as 13" of the 90 trips the company undertook. OceanGate reportedly had a success rate of 14 per cent. In the liability waiver, the company referred to the Titan as "experimental" as many as three times.

The Titan started taking passengers to the Titanic wreckage back in 2021, and completed more than 14 expeditions and 200 dives in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. Two submersibles have reportedly been used.

Several emails and messages between experts and Stockton went viral after his death, revealing that he dismissed repeated warnings that the submersible was not safe. Stockton previously said the glue holding the Titan submersible carbon-fibre hull together was "like peanut butter, adding that it was thicker than Elmer's glue. He also described it as being pretty simple.

The Titans hull was constructed with aerospace-grade carbon fibre, even though submersible hulls are typically made with solid metals like steel or titanium. It has also been reported that Stockton employed college-aged interns to design the electrical systems for the Titan.

Stockton allegedly dismissed a loud bang heard from the Titan submersible, and suggested that most deep-sea vessels made noises. He once said that the submersible was struck by lightning, getting severely damaged in the process. The incident took place during a test dive in the Bahamas in 2018. "Fortunately, it was not a direct strike. A direct strike to the carbon fibre probably would have taken us totally out," Stockton said in the interview. According to an OceanGate post, the vessel had sustained lightning damage that affected over 70% of its internal systems.

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Uzbekistan's President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was re-elected with 87.1% of the vote on Sunday, the Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary results. Uzbekistan's President and presidential candidate Shavkat Mirziyoyev votes in the country's presidential election in Tashkent on Sunday.(AFP)

Mirziyoyev, who has lead Central Asia's most populous nation since 2016, called a snap election after changing the constitution through a referendum which reset his term count and extended the presidential term to seven years from five.

The 65-year-old president has opened up the country of 35 million people to foreign trade and investment while also easing restrictions on religious and political freedoms, although there still are no strong opposition groups or politicians in Uzbekistan.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Mirziyoyev has sought to maintain ties with both Russia, a former Soviet overlord and traditional partner, and the West; Tashkent has called for peace and refused to recognise the independence of pro-Russian statelets in eastern Ukraine.

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For generations, Chinas people have been told that the outside world israther oftenan unsafe and disappointing place. Communist Party ideologues teach that foreigners quarrels are best understood as contests of strength and self-interest. Relentlessly, official speeches and news reports cast doubt on the notion that other countries actions are explained by moral values, whatever outsiders claim. China is presented as an exception: a peace-loving giant that seeks only to do good. PREMIUM Russian President Vladimir Putin(AP)

Instilling cynicism about the world serves the party well. Without it, February 4th could be a ticklish anniversary for President Xi Jinping. It is a year since his declaration that China and Russia enjoy a friendship without limits, days before Vladimir Putin launched his blood-soaked, land-grabbing invasion of Ukraine.

Russian savagery quickly obliged once-close partners, such as Germany, to declare Mr Putin a dangerous warmonger. Mr Xi has more room for manoeuvre because Russia is not a pariah in mainstream Chinese opinion. In part, propaganda and censorship explain why. Each night for almost a year, the main evening news has blamed the Ukraine conflict on America and the NATO defence alliance, which are accused of pushing Russia into a corner by expanding eastwards. As recently as January 30th, the foreign ministry in Beijing charged America with prolonging the war and of profiteering from the fighting by sending heavy weapons to Ukraine. Many Chinese who hear talk of Russian war crimes, such as an alleged massacre of civilians in Bucha, suspect that it is fake news invented by Ukraine and allies in the West, suggests Professor Wang Yiwei of Renmin University.

In part, something starker is at work. In its teachings, the party implies that it is simply naive to ask whether governments are wicked or virtuous. Their impact on China is what counts. Russia has large armed forces and commodities to sell, and shares Chinas resentment of America. Chinas rulers, and still less its people, do not care who controls this or that oblast of Ukraine. But China does have a vital interest in discrediting American-led alliances, because those may threaten China one day in its East Asian backyard. It is thus desirable for Russia to successfully defy and divide the West, discredit NATO and survive sanctions imposed on it.

Indifference towards Russias ruthlessness is not quite the same as approval of all Mr Putins actions. Members of Chinas foreign-policy establishment, such as Professor Wang, admit to dismay that Russia has annexed chunks of Ukraine, which reminds scholars of tsarist Russias seizure of 1.5m square kilometres of territory from Chinas last, enfeebled imperial dynasty. But a foreign power need not be admirable to be useful.

Heilongjiang province, in Chinas frozen far north, is an unusually good place to observe such chilly pragmatism. When China and the Soviet Union came close to all-out war in the late Mao era, Red Guards ransacked an onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral in Harbin, a city founded as a railway hub by tsarist troops and settlers over 120 years ago. Today Harbin markets the ex-cathedral as a romantic, European-style tourist site. On a recent evening, Chaguan bought a ticket and asked selfie-snapping visitors whether the Ukraine war has changed their views of Russia. Not really, said two university students from the nearby province of Liaoning. Russia is good because it has not betrayed Chinas global or national interests, said one. Conversation turned to the changing global balance of power. China learned Marxist-Leninism from Russia and is now a soaring dragon of the East, while the West is in slow decline, added his friend.

A slow sleeper train then carried Chaguan north to the city of Heihe, on the ice-bound border river with Russia. In 1900 Russian Cossack troops seized the rivers northern bank by driving Chinese farmers and labourers into the water. Thousands drowned. A British passport secured entry to the nearby Aihui History Museum (Russian citizens are generally not admitted, museum guards confessed), where this grim massacre is commemorated by a 69-metre-long panoramic painting. It shows Cossacks raping women, driving Chinese into the river at bayonet-point and machine-gunning those in the water. In all, the museum records centuries of Russian invasions. A text at the exit tells visitors the lesson to draw from this history: work to make China and its armies strong, do not nourish hatreds. If youre weak, youre bullied. If you fall behind, youll be beaten, it counsels.

Just upstream of the museum stands Heihes hope for the future, the first China-Russia road bridge over the border river. It opened in summer 2022 after years of Russian foot-dragging, driven by fears of China dominating Russias sparsely peopled far east. Of course locals remember Russias past depredations, said a woman whose shop sells Russian honey, chocolates and other souvenirs to Chinese tourists (or did before covid controls sealed the city for almost three years). But if cross-border trade opens up, Heihe has a chance to really take off.

Might trumps right

A neighbouring shopkeeper called Russia poor and China rich. He proudly reported that beautiful Russian women marry Chinese men. He has never heard of Chinese women taking Russian husbands. He deemed Russia all right, as a country. A friend joining him for a smoke denounced America, Britain and their allies for meddling in Ukraine. If Russia chooses to attack Ukrainians, that is a civil war, the friend growled: It is all the same country.

A third trader predicted that shoddy Russian infrastructure will slow local development, though cheap oil and gas from Russia should help China overall. He blamed deaths in Ukraine on the West, because without NATO weapons the smaller country would have lost to Russia long ago. His focus on relative strength, rather than the rights and wrongs of invasion, made for a bleak view of peacemaking. It suits leaders in far-off Beijing just fine.

Read more from Chaguan, our columnist on China: What a new drama series reveals about China (Jan 26th) Riding the slow train in China (Jan 19th) Many Chinese villagers seem ready to move on from covid-19 (Jan 12th)

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels spanning more than 95 countries and Roadchef, one of the UK's leading motorway service area operators welcoming 52 million visitors each year, today announced the upcoming opening of Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East, the brand's first entry in the UK.

For nearly 50 years, Super 8 by Wyndham has been recognised as a trusted companion to roadside travellers. With nearly 2,700 hotels around the worldincluding the U.S., China, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia and soon in the UKSuper 8 is known for elevating the economy hotel experience, offering sleek accommodations and friendly service at an affordable price.

Expected to open this month following an extensive refurbishment project, the 41-room hotel is conveniently located just off the M56 motorway, serving road travellers around the Cheshire, Greater Manchester and North Wales areas of the UK. The refurbishment is part of a larger multi-million investment by Roadchef as it looks to upgrade its roadside hotels across the UK to better meet the needs of guests now and in the future.

Convenience and Comfort for Every Guest

Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East is expected to open this month following a major refurbishment project, which kicked off earlier this year. Influenced by the look and feel of new Super 8 hotels throughout North America and Europe with sleek furnishings and signature artwork, Roadchef conducted research on UK travellers' preferences, which influenced the hotel's design. Among the findings, respondents highlighted a strong desire for enhanced convenience, greater choice and flexibility of experience as well as a growing need for well-considered electric vehicle charging options to suit an overnight stay rather than a short high-powered 'top up' whilst mid-journey.

Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East will offer a variety of room types designed with comfort and noise-reduction in-mind, providing guests with a home-away-from-home experience. The hotel will offer a mix of contemporary rooms to easily suit families, groups, couples or individuals, as well as two-bedroom accommodations with lounge areas and king bedrooms, in addition to standard double, twin and king guest rooms. The hotel will also provide the latest in-room tech, a stylish bar and restaurant, as well as on-site EV charging facilities, allowing guests to charge their vehicles overnight at an inclusive, affordable price. Whether for a short stay, a business trip or weekend away with friends, Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East will be a reliable roadside companion to suit any traveller's needs.

In line with both Roadchef's and Wyndham's commitments to protecting the environment, Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East will participate in the Wyndham Green Certification programme, Wyndham's five-level certification framework and brand standard that helps hotels to improve their energy efficiency, reduce emissions, conserve water, and reduce waste whilst also helping owners' bottom lines.

Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East is part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' portfolio of over 65 hotels across the UK, all of which participate in Wyndham Rewards, the award-winning hotel rewards programme offering approximately 101 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals around the world.

For more information about Super 8 by Wyndham Chester East visit www.roadchef.com/super8 or for more information regarding the Super 8 brand globally, visit www.super8.com. For additional details on franchising opportunities, visit www.whrdevelopmentemea.com.

Hotel website
Revier Dubai, located in Business Bay, has announced the appointment of Hatem Salem as their new Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Sales & Marketing. The Swiss hotel acknowledges Salem's 25-year career in the hospitality industry, during which he has demonstrated exceptional expertise and consistent high performance.

Salem is recognized as a highly competent sales and marketing professional. His extensive understanding of hotel operations, development, and strategic planning has led to successful business development efforts throughout his career. He has a proven record of cultivating client relationships and achieving remarkable results in revenue management.

Revier Dubai has employed Salem due to his expertise in team leadership, financial analysis, and project management. These skills have reportedly played a significant role in the growth and success of his past organizations.

Salem graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management from Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt. Before joining Revier Dubai, Salem held positions at Raha Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Lily Hotels Pvt. Ltd. in the Maldives, and CMeydan Hotels & Hospitality in Dubai.
Avi Phookan is a veteran hotelier with international and state-side experience, joining Four Seasons as Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Lanai. Prior to that he held a series of progressive roles, starting in food and beverage with The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman and traveling to properties from Dubai and Doha to New Orleans, Charleston and Alaia Belize, including multiple pre-opening projects.

Born in Assam, India, Phookan graduated from the Insitut Hotelier Cesar Ritz in Switzerland, a dream that began while accompanying his father as he travelled throughout India representing a tea business. Visiting distinct destinations during these visits fuelled his desire to travel and explore the world. He also holds a certification from the Wharton Business School. During his time at Lanai, he has been instrumental in driving the guest experience and ESG initiatives, a highlight being the first ever recipient of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Gold Award for Reef Safe Landscaping in 2023.
Ascott Australia have appointed Jennifer Warn to the Senior Leadership Team as General Manager Sales and Distribution. Jennifer joined Quest Apartment Hotels in 2018 as Director of Sales before being promoted to Group Head of Corporate Sales in January 2021. Her expanded role includes managing all of Ascott Australia's sales and revenue team members.

Ascott Australia's serviced apartment, coliving and hotel brands include Citadines, lyf, Oakwood and Quest Apartment Hotels.
Mar-Bella Collection, a family-owned Greek luxury hospitality brand, is delighted to announce the launch of its new branding and website. With a remarkable legacy spanning three generations, Mar-Bella Collection remains dedicated to providing unparalleled holiday experiences for its guests.

It all started with Vassilis Dracopoulos senior, who fell in love with Corfu, and his vision of making the island the ideal destination for families to enjoy their holidays. As such, MarBella Corfu was born and over five decades later, it will now be known as MarBella  in honour of it being the original hotel and a trademark of what the company stands for today.

Mar-Bella Collection established its group name in 2018, to highlight the growth and success of the MarBella hotel in Corfu, and the launch of the brands second hotel in its portfolio, Nido. Today, a hyphen has been added between the words Mar and Bella, emphasising the special connection the brand and the hotels have to the Ionian Sea, the good sea as the locals call it, whose deep blue waters restore and calm those who swim in it. This new strategy exemplifies the brand's commitment to highlighting the unique charm and allure of each property while celebrating their individual identity. While seamlessly interconnected, each property possesses its own distinctive character, catering to discerning travellers who may be looking for a different type of holiday: MarBella provides a premium all-inclusive experience catering to the modern multi-generational family; having also recently launched new rooms and suites as part of an extensive redesign of its bungalow buildings. Nido is an adult only hotel, offering a calm and elegant atmosphere, tailored for couples, friends and solo travellers. Elix, on the other hand, appeals to design enthusiasts, families and beach lovers seeking outdoor adventure and a more off-the-beaten-track destination.

The importance of family

From the initial vision of creating a place where families could spend their holidays, Mar-Bella Collection has grown to accommodate all family types, including partnerships, multiple family groups, boomerang families, single parents and more.

Indeed, family has always been deeply rooted in Mar-Bella Collections DNA; it is a family-owned hospitality group, that wishes to connect families from all over the world, offering peace of mind in a safe haven where everything is taken care of. Employees are treated as family and guests are very much part of the Mar-Bella Collection family.

Connection to each other and the Ionian Sea

Recognising the need for respite from the rigours of daily life, Mar-Bella Collection hotels offer an escape where guests can disconnect from the everyday and reconnect with themselves and their loved ones. The hotels are connected by the Ionian Sea, enabling easy access between them. Guests can walk between Nido and MarBella or use a catamaran to reach Elix, providing flexibility in their accommodation choices.

Mar-Bella Collection remains committed to authenticity and forging genuine connections with guests. The brand values authentic experiences, prioritising exceptional service at every touchpoint. Dedicated to creating a positive impact on both guests and local communities, Mar-Bella Collection spearheads initiatives focused on guest satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and the wellbeing of its esteemed employees.

A new chapter

Relaunching today, Mar-Bella Collection is proud to present its new website, with lifestyle imagery that aims to capture the desired moments when staying at one of their hotels. The introduction of new logos and colour palettes for MarBella, Nido, and Elix captures the essence and individual allure of each property within the Mar-Bella Collection; from vibrant and playful with MarBella and calm and sophisticated with Nido, to modern and adventurous with Elix.

With an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional authentic holiday experiences, trustworthiness, and a drive for continuous improvement, Mar-Bella Collection stands proudly at the forefront of the Greek luxury hospitality industry.

About Mar-ella Collection

Mar-ella Collection is a constantly evolving Hotel Group aiming into offering award-winning holiday experiences featured by service of excellence, personalized care, and dedication to customers. Holding a unique portfolio of 3 luxury 5* star properties, the iconic 5* family, MarBella, its adjacent sister, adult-only suite hotel Nido, a proud member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, both located in the island of Corfu and the new Elix located in Perdika Thesprotia. Mar-Bella Collection offers unique experiences that satisfy its guests desires at every stage of their life and a family of hotels connecting people to the beautiful Ionian Sea! Visit https://www.marbella.gr/
The tourism industry in Bahrain remains an important contributor to the countrys economy and employment, and the government is committed to supporting its growth and development in years to come despite the current shift in segmentation and increasing competition from neighboring countries.

According to Statistas December 2022 report, the average tourism contribution to Bahrains GDP Bahrain in the past 10 years has stood at 12.17 percent and is projected to increase to 13.8 percent by 2028. Based on HVS research, average hotel occupancy in Bahrain from 2012 to 2019 was approximately 53 percent, as opposed to 58 percent in the GCC.

Bahrains main hospitality driver is its unique selling proposition, as it is the only island in the region and strategically located near Saudi Arabia, India, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, and Pakistan. Traditionally, Bahrains tourists come from Saudi Arabia, which is a short distance away.

In 2008, the Bahrain 2030 Vision was launched. One of the key objectives was to make the country less dependent on oil. As a result, Bahrain International Airport was expanded at a cost of around USD 1.1 billion. The project, which was completed in 2021, doubled the airports capacity to 14 million passengers per year and quadrupled the airports previous size.

In 2015, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) was established to boost tourism, enhance infrastructure and diversify the countrys appeal. BTEA was successful in promoting and attracting new sources of business, such as large weddings and pearl diving, as well as establishing Bahrain as a MICE destination, hosting numerous international events like Bahrain International Airshow, Gulf Industry Fair, and the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Additionally, Bahrains rich history, its numerous museums, galleries, and UNESCO heritage sites have further supported the growth of leisure travel to the country.

The 2022-2026 vision for tourism in Bahrain aligns with the governments broader vision for economic diversification and development. These objectives will focus primarily on developing new and innovative tourism experiences, focusing on heritage, culture, and natural beauty, diversifying tourism offering by promoting new and niche segments, expanding the international reach and focusing on emerging markets, supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, and promoting responsible tourism practices. By 2026, Bahrain aims to host more than 14 million tourists. The latest developments and the uniqueness of Bahrain, among other Gulf region members, indicate the likelihood of such an outcome.

A number of development projects and planned events are currently underway that will positively affect tourism. These include:

The 440,000-square-meter mixed-use Bahrain Bay Project is set to redefine the north shore of Manama. It will include hotels, residential buildings, and retail outlets upon completion.

is set to redefine the north shore of Manama. It will include hotels, residential buildings, and retail outlets upon completion. Bahrain Exhibition Center opened in 2022. With a total exhibition space of 95,000 square meters, it strives to be the largest exhibition center in the Middle East and outlines Bahrain as the regional hub for MICE.

opened in 2022. With a total exhibition space of 95,000 square meters, it strives to be the largest exhibition center in the Middle East and outlines Bahrain as the regional hub for MICE. The 100,000-square-meter Galali Waterfront project is expected to become a tourist spot, with leisure facilities such as restaurants and coffee shops, accompanied by a walkway and striking sea views.

In March 2023, Bahrain is expecting to welcome a large number of tourists for round one of the Formula 1 race, which will take place on the Bahrain International Circuit. The circuit opened in 2004 and has become an important venue for drag races, FIA Formula 2, and the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix.

To further differentiate its tourism offering, Bahrain might want to focus on developing niche segments within the industry, such as medical tourism, eco-tourism, and cultural tourism. Future opportunities for developing the sector include expanding the range of cultural and heritage attractions, developing adventure and outdoor tourism activities, promoting sustainable tourism practices, and capitalizing on the increasing demand for interactive tourism experiences.

The Bahraini government is also exploring the potential of developing further cruise tourism, which can attract visitors from neighboring countries and beyond.

Bahrain has several unique features and opportunities that can help it differentiate its tourism offering and attract a diverse range of visitors. Ultimately, it could focus on developing joint tourism initiatives and marketing campaigns with neighboring GCC countries: package tours, promoting cross-border cultural and sporting events, coordinating visa and travel policies, and leveraging the existing travel infrastructure to facilitate easier travel between the countries.

Despite increased competition with countries in the Gulf region, including UAE, Oman, Qatar, and, more recently, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain has the opportunity to position itself as an island escape, particularly for those in nearby countries.

hospitalitynewsmag.com retains the copyrights of this article. The article cannot be republished without prior written consent by hospitalitynewsmag.com

View the Article on https://www.hospitalitynewsmag.com/bahrain/

HVS Dubai has been featured in the prestigious Hospitality News Middle East magazine, leader in its field. This prominent publication has highlighted our expert opinion on the matter of sporting events in the GCC. Hospitality News Middle East is the go-to source for the latest news, developments and trends in the regions hospitality and foodservice industries. www.hospitalitynewsmag.com, features essential market insights, analysis and guidance from experts in the field, in addition to special reports on the latest concepts and interviews with top international names in the sector. Widely regarded as a must read, the magazine has built a solid reputation as a reference for hospitality professionals in the Middle East and beyond. Daily news bulletins can be found online.
W Budapest

W Hotels Worldwide today announced the debut of W Budapest, marking the brand's first opening in Hungary. W Budapest is housed in the historic Drechsler Palace, previously home to the Institute of Ballet.

Located on Andrassy Avenue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's most luxurious shopping street, W Budapest features 151 guestrooms and suites as well as three dining concepts, all influenced by Budapest's rich history, creativity and diversity.

"The debut of W Hotels in Budapest marks a monumental milestone and signals a new era of design ethos for our iconic brand," said George Fleck, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, W Hotels. "We look forward to connecting our guests to this timeless and inspiring city through inviting yet unexpected design, imaginative dining and unparalleled guest programming."

Locally-Inspired Design

Interior designers Bowler James Brindley (London) and Banati + Hartvig (Hungary) have carefully restored and reimagined Drechsler Palace, drawing inspiration from its rich cultural history and multiple identities as a cafe, social hub and Hungarian State Ballet Academy, to create captivating design narratives. Alongside the palace's history, the hotel has a 'second skin' design story bringing together the two sides of the city, Buda and Pest, with a playful juxtaposition. From soft layering to the use of metallic meshing to create perspective and intrigue throughout the hotel's public spaces and guestrooms, the design concept has created spaces that reveal new depths each time they are experienced.

Further inspiration has been sourced from the grand French Renaissance architectural aesthetic throughout the city, leading to a spirited modernisation with colour palettes of green, coral and deep blues and paired with contemporary Zsolnay inspire tiles, stained glass features and jewellery-inspired light fittings. Hungary's vibrant and eclectic cultural scene, including the city's famous love of chess and deep-rooted connection to ballet, can also be seen throughout the new hotel. Subtle nods to both are expressed in the form of bespoke chess-piece lamps and monochrome tiled marble flooring or soft pink hues, curved lines and lighting inspired by the graceful fluidity of the dance form. A few of Hungary's most famous exports, Harry Houdini and Zsa Zsa Gabor, have sparked a creative vision for the interior concept, expressed using mirrors to create optical illusions and nostalgic touches of Hollywood glamour.

The intertwining design narratives are present throughout the hotel's 151 distinctive guestrooms, including 45 suites. The fifth floor's unique wooden-centric style is sympathetic to the Palace's original roof design that has been restored, while the hotel's connection to ballet is reflected in the all-black Extreme WOW suite and all-white WOW suite  a celebration of the famous ballet Swan Lake.

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W Budapest opens with three new imaginative dining concepts, curated to spark curiosity and foster connections between guests and locals alike. Under the helm of world-class restaurateur Riccardo Giraudi, the hotel's destination restaurant, Nightingale by Beefbar, is the gastronomic heart of the hotel. A spinoff of the famous Beefbar concept, the restaurant offers an approachable introduction to Asian cuisine, pairing fresh traditional Asian flavours with a selection of Beefbar's signature and iconic meat dishes for a vibrant culinary experience. Spearheading the Nightingale by Beefbar kitchen is Fabio Polidori, who has curated a sociable menu of small plates designed to be shared with friends. Signature dishes include crispy carpaccio drizzled in a piquant chipotle dressing, yellowtail sashimi with yuzu truffle sauce and the playfully named Miss Bao, which invites diners to dip caramelized banana into a divine dark chocolate sauce. The bar at Nightingale by Beefbar offers a host of creative cocktails, from bourbon-based Nightingale Boulvardie to the gin and sweet wine-based cocktail Budapest Calling.

A destination for those in the know, Society25 is the hotel's exclusive speakeasy located in the basement. Society25 takes inspiration from the creative conversations and secret table societies that frequented the space in its past life, offering a fiercely intimate and socially liberating experience. The extensive cocktail list offers eight bespoke cocktails paying homage to the great eras, people and buildings within the city, each including a mysterious ingredient, expertly overseen by Head Bartender Stefano Ripiccini. Guests can take their pick from The Illusionist named after the great Houdini; Brew Bop which nods to Budapest's Golden Age of coffee and Geranium inspired by Drechsler Palace itself.

Located on the ground floor, seamlessly blending into Nightingale restaurant, is W Lounge  the social epicentre of the hotel. From business meetings and light lunches to late-night revelry, W Lounge transcends day to night, serving sharing plates and signature cocktails to a backdrop of electrifying DJ performances as the sun sets over Budapest.

The new hotel also features several meeting and event spaces, including the Great Room, which is ideal for grand celebrations, and two Studio Rooms for business meetings and intimate gatherings.

Programming will include FACES OF BUDAPEST, kicking off in August in celebration of Budapest Fashion Week. This series of roundtable discussions will shine a light on the inspiring faces of Budapest who represent the energised city, sharing insights and fostering connections. W RE(TREAT) led by local Annamaria Kaptay will be a series of in-person and in-room virtual yoga classes curated exclusively for guests of W Budapest passionate about both body and mind. David Raday, music curator at W Budapest will ignite the sounds of the city through musical explorations paired with cocktails and bites at SUNSET SESSIONS, THE WARM-UP and AFTERDARK.

Spa

Nestled next door to the secret speakeasy is W Budapest's AWAY Spa. Hidden doors lead to secret spaces where guests can seek serenity from the bustling city and enjoy moments of calm and relaxation. Here, the Houdini-inspired illusion comes to life with mirrors and water features creating a feeling of never-ending space and serenity. Inspired by the thermal baths that Budapest is famed for, the WET pool takes centre stage, offering an alluring oasis embellished with traditional tiles and gold mesh, paired with calming earthy tones. The AWAY Spa boasts five treatment rooms and a range of luxurious treatments along with its 'Quick Fix' menu, which provides a range of express treatments for guests that need a glow-up before enjoying Budapest's buzzing nightlife. FIT fitness centre hosts daily fitness and wellbeing classes alongside a state-of-the art gym.
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Q&A With Local Film Professionals

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  It may seem like the film industry is a career that can only be achieved by going to places like Los Angeles, New York City or Boston, but that is not the case.

We spoke with three local film professionals  Deborah Sims, Mark Farrell, and Terri See  who recently worked on the film "Blood Knot" starring Michael Douglas and have continued their film careers when moving to the Berkshires.

Even during the pandemic, the local film industry was flourishing, the trio said. Between them, they have worked on four feature films since fall 2021, two of which have had recent 2023 world premieres at Sundance and Tribeca film festivals.

As an avid film lover, my curiosity during an an interview about their experience working on "Blood Knot" led to a discussion on the film industry in the county. Here is how that conversation went:

Question: What's it like being in the film industry in the Berkshires?

Mark Farrell: "I think it's wonderful and unexpected. I kind of came up from running a production company in New York and thought I was gonna relax up here and the film industry just kind of took me in and it's bloomed and it's really great. There's a lot going on up here. So it's really nice."

Farrell has worked in Los Angeles, New York, and now the Berkshires. He has produced, directed and written for various genres. He is known for producing the films "Z Rock," "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Nantucket Film Festival's Comedy Roundtable," and more. He is the fourth generation to work in showbusiness.

His great-grandparents were Vaudevillians. His grandmother, Glenda Farrell, was an actress in the '30s and '40s, appearing in "Girl Missing," "The Adventurous Blonde," "Gold Diggers of 1937" and more.

His father, Tommy Farrell, was a character actor and comedy writer and performer. He wrote jokes for actors and comedians like Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, Red Buttons, and Lucille Ball and was in Westerns and films like "Singing in the Rain."

"I grew up on the set or kind of learned how to read scripts and so I really couldn't avoid it. It's kind of the family business  My dad actually told me if I ever acted he'd break both my knees because that's a horrible job, so of course the first thing I did in high school was join play production and acted."

Deborah Sims: She has been in the Berkshires for more than 25 years but is originally from Charlottesville, Va., and "various and sundry places in between." She has worked in theater and product development for a long time which eventually led her to filmmaking.

"For me, sort of, producing is producing. It can be producing theaterproducing new products for a company. It's the skill set of making things happen within a certain timeframe and within a certain budget with a whole bunch of creative people and putting out a product."

Terri See: She has a background in art and worked as an antique dealer for many years. She got her start in the industry when HGTV approached her at her antique shop and worked with the channel procuring items and was on one of their shows to rehab her house.

"But then coming forward over here and being in film, I feel like it's the best use of all my skills because I know how to find things. I also know how to make things. And I love it when I can be on a film as a set decorator but also get the rare opportunity to build something that's going to be in the movie and I've been able to do that a couple times too."

She moved to the Berkshires from New York's Hudson Valley about eight years ago. She worked on a few television projects as a set decorator prior to moving to the area as well as on the films "Cold Wallet," "The Secret Art of Human Flight" and "Stroke of Luck."

"I just didn't think about [working in film] when I moved to the Berkshires so I was doing other things for a while and it's interesting because quite honestly, I feel like it's much more active here than in the Hudson Valley."

Q: Why film in the Berkshires versus Los Angeles, New York, Boston or Vancouver?

The state's Film Incentive Tax Credit, locations in the Berkshires, and the area's atmosphere makes it an ideal and feasible place to bring stories to life, the three said.

See: "The Massachusetts tax credits for film has to have a big influence on productions coming here, not only the landscape, the beauty of the area, and the talent that we have, but the tax credits I think are a big impact on productions coming here from California."

Sims: "Yeah, so pretty much everybody has taken advantage of the Massachusetts film tax credit  I certainly know a lot about that so that's one of the things they always ask me about when they make the initial call. And yeah, it's pretty attractive. These are all independent films that we've worked on of a certain size so that tax credit is really important to make ends meet ultimately."

Farrell: "It's actually a rebate program that has more to it than just tax. It's a full on rebate program that promises money back for what you spend in Massachusetts, so that's a really nice thing."

More information on the rebate program here

Farrell: "[Los Angeles] looks like L.A. and New York looks like New York and Boston looks like Boston but a lot of people when they write a movie, they want it to feel universal. They want to feel like it could be any town anywhere USA. And what's great about Western Massachusetts is that it has all those looks. It has the farm look and the small-town look and woods look and it's got a bunch of different looks, but it's also only three hours from New York and three hours from Boston."

Q: What is it like being on a set on a major production like 'Blood Knot'?

Farrell: Stars bring their own "entourage" and their "handlers" have their own "expectations" on how they get treated. So, when working on a production as big as this one they have to make sure that everything is meticulous and precise.

"Other than that it's other actors. And it's interesting on a set, it's not just the actors that are artists. Everybody's an artist on the set, whether they're doing construction, or the electric department, or the wardrobe department, or the hair and makeup department, or the line producing, or the art direction. Everybody who does those things can do them out in civilian life or they could do them on movies and be a part of something. Everybody that comes to work on a movie, they come to be a part of a piece of art."

Sims: Independent filmmaking is a very word of mouth business, Sims said. In her experiences all of the jobs that she has gotten as a line producer, or in this most recent film, Massachusetts production supervisor, has been because someone recommended the production team consider Western Massachusetts.

"It's talking to someone who knows how to make that happen on the ground can make it happen pretty efficiently and those people who can be hired for the crew and put all the pieces together. So I think that's why ['Blood Knot' was filmed here.] It's all been word of mouth. Obviously, it must be good word of mouth."

See: "Each person in a crew especially like our small crew, here, we all have our resources and connections that we bring. So, it might look like three people here, or four or five of us but then we have our resources like myself as an art director, set decorator, I instantly can think of all these people that I can pull from as resources for that film, depending on the needs of the film."

This collaborative spirit is part of the joy of filmmaking, See said. It is like a big art project that requires long hours and intense work. It's a nonstop process that goes by in a blur that once the project is complete it's a surreal thing.

A common misconception is the amount of time it takes to complete a film. See has had friends reach out inquiring when they are able to see the film she has been working on expecting it to only be a couple months and find out that it is actually more like a year to sometimes two years.
Page Content













The Call to Action was presented by the President of the ICAO Council, Salvatore Sciacchitano.





Advancing gender equality in aviation is not only the right thing to do, but a necessary transformation for the future of our sector, remarked Council President Sciacchitano. The Call to Action this event has resulted in accordingly conveys a strong message of determination and urgency, and outlines an array of strategic action points.





Priorities included the development of better data, which was recognized as being key to strengthening strategic foresight to support the identification of trends, anticipated needs, and planning, and accordingly to informed policy and decision making.





Participants also recognized the importance of mainstreaming gender equality, by ensuring that it informs all aviation policies and planning and is prioritized in budget plans and investments. On this point, the need for polices and strategies to reflect core principles of decent work and working environments that are conducive to womens career and leadership development was underscored.





The upscaling and driving of increased representation of diverse talents into executive, management, and board roles was also acknowledged as crucial, with the setting of specific targets around these objectives being critical to their achievement.





Finally, participants also recognized the crucial importance of promoting access to STEM education and motivating younger generations toward careers as skilled aviation professionals. Concerted action and collaboration with other partners and sectors is critical here as well, including with respect to role models, ambassadors, and mentorship programmes.





The Summit had been opened on 5 July by Mr. Sciacchitano and the Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda of Spain, Raquel Sanchez Jimenez, with the Ministry hosting the event on the behalf of the Government of Spain.





In addition to the Call to Action, announcements made throughout the Summit will also help drive progress towards gender equality in the aviation: namely a global ambassadors programme announced and funded by the United Kingdom ; and an intent to intensify collaboration between ICAO and EUROCONTROL in support of the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Programme.





Convened by ICAO in partnership with the European Commission, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the event was attended by over 650 participants representing governments, business, and non-governmental organizations, with a further 1,500 viewers remotely attending through ICAO TV.





I am fully convinced that if we dont give up, if we keep pushing forward, we can transform aviation into a beacon of inclusivity, and a global industry of diversity and equality, Mr. Sciacchitano concluded.











Resources for Editors





About ICAO

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations agency which helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.





Since it was established in 1944, ICAOs support and coordination has helped countries to diplomatically and technically realize a uniquely rapid and dependable network of global air mobility, connecting families, cultures, and businesses all over the world, and promoting sustainable growth and socio-economic prosperity wherever aircraft fly.





As it enters a new era of digitization, and of incredible new flight and propulsion innovations, air transport is relying more than ever on ICAOs expert support and technical and diplomatic guidance to help chart a new and exciting future for international flight. ICAO is innovating itself to answer this call, and expanding its partnerships among UN and technical stakeholders to deliver a strategic global vision and effective, sustainable solutions.





General Contact





Media Contact

William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

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iciHaiti - Agriculture : The Lam veritab a very promising agricultural sector





Friday, July 7 at the Hotel Karibe, the International Labor Organization (ILO) under the High Patronage of the Ministry of Social Affairs, associated with the Ministries of Trade, Agriculture, Environment and Public Health with the different actors in the breadfruit supply chain (commonly known as "Lam veritab") organized an event to promote breadfruit, an agricultural sector with great promise in terms of employment.



This event is part of the programs (UNDP/ILO/FAO - UNCTAD/ILO) financed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund dedicated to Small Island Developing States.



This initiative aims, among other things, to create sustainable jobs and improve agricultural productivity to generate increased income and lead to significant socio-economic results.



The economic potential of the sector was presented, as well as various traditional preparations of "Lam veritab" and new tasty and creative preparations, offered for tasting.



Learn more about breadfruit:

Breadfruit is an edible fruit that grows on the breadfruit tree, artocarpus altilis, native to Oceania and widely distributed in the tropics. It can measure up to 20 m high and bear fruit after 6 years.



Breadfruit is a major crop in Haiti that can play an important role in the country's food security and economy. It is a starchy fruit devoid of gluten, rich in carbohydrates, fiber and essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals). Breadfruit is a potentially important resource for Haitian farmers because the plantations require little maintenance and can provide a high yield of fruit, even in poor soil conditions.



IH/ S/ iciHaiti


















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Margot Robbie raised money for charity by mandating pink day on the set of Barbie and fining her co-stars and crew members if they failed to wear a pink item of clothing.

The Australian actor, 33, stars as the titular Mattel doll in Greta Gerwigs forthcoming comedy co-starring Ryan Gosling as Barbies boyfriend, Ken.

In a new interview with People, Gosling, 42, explained the reasoning behind pink day.

Margot had this pink day once a week, where everyone had to wear something pink. And if you didnt, you were fined, he said. She would go around collecting the fines, and she would donate it to a charity.

What was really special was just how excited the male crew members were. At the end of the film, they all got together and, with their own money, made pink crew shirts with rainbow fringe, Gosling added.

It was this opportunity for them to show their respect and admiration for what Margot and Greta were creating. It was almost like that scene at the end of Dead Poets Society, where they all get on their desk and say, O captain! My captain!

Simu Liu, who plays another version of Ken doll, also revealed that Robbie hosted a sleepover for her fellow Barbie actresses.

Margot was so great. She had a sleepover with the Barbies before photography started, and the Kens were allowed to either visit briefly or to phone in and say hi, he said.

So we made sure to show our support but not be overbearing with our presence. And all the Barbies and Kens got in a group chat, he added.

The pink carpet was rolled out in Los Angeles on Sunday (9 July) for the world premiere of Barbie.

The first reactions from critics were overwhelmingly positive and called for Gosling to get an Oscar for his scene-stealing role.

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Warner Bros was last week forced to defend a doodle of a map in the Barbie movie after the film was banned in Vietnam.

One scene in the film includes a map showing what appears to be the nine-dash line.

The line represents Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

According to local Vietnamese outlets, the drawing is deemed an illegal image and has therefore prompted the national ban.

Barbie is due for release in the UK on 21 July.
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Six people, including three children, were killed and one suffered injuries in a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in China's south-eastern province of Guangdong on Monday.

A 25-year-old man surnamed Wu has been arrested from Lianjiang, the local police said, adding they were investigating the incident.

A teacher, two parents and three students were identified as the victims of the attack that took place at 7.40am local time as parents were dropping their children off for summer classes in the downtown area of Hengshan township.

The suspect was reportedly arrested by 8.00am local time. Local police called the incident a case of "intentional assault" without providing further details on the attackers motive.

An unconfirmed video being widely shared on social media purports to show at least two of the victims lying on the street outside the school in a pool of blood.

Dafeng News cited an unidentified witness as saying that the suspect's child had been struck by the car of one of the people who was killed at the school in an earlier incident, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities have not released the identities of the victims.

The attack comes just a week after the Chinese education ministry released a notice to local authorities urging them to ensure student safety during the summer holiday.

The attack sparked an emotive debate on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where the incident was one of the top trending discussions on Monday afternoon.

China stabbing attack (The Independent)

Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this ... I support the death penalty, one Weibo user said.

Another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks. Why do such cases still continue to emerge?

Videos shot by passersby of the alleged crime scene were promptly removed from video-sharing platform Douyin and other social media websites.

Bodies lie on the ground in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, China (Video obtained via REUTERS)

There has been a spate of knife attacks at schools in China  where access to firearms is tightly regulated by the government  in recent years.

Violent crime in China has been on the rise as the economy has grown in recent decades, widening the gap between the rich and poor. The Chinese government has largely attributed attacks to people bearing grudges against society with an aim to wreak revenge.

State officials have also suggested poor mental health of people suffering to adapt to the changing society and social stressors such as unemployment as reasons behind the targetted killings.

However, mental health resources in China remain limited, with the topic still looked down upon by society.

A body lies on the ground near people riding a scooter in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, China (Video obtained via REUTERS)

In 2010, two high-profile mass stabbings at schools  in which 15 children died in total  occurred in the span of three months, pushing the Chinese government to step up security at schools.

At least eight elementary school students in Fujian province were killed in a knife attack in March that year, sparking fears at the time of copycat crimes. Later in May, a 48-year-old man killed seven children and injured 11 others with a cleaver at a kindergarten in Shaanxi province.

However, despite the government upgrading school security after these two incidents, such attacks have continued.

In August last year, a 48-year-old man barged into a kindergarten in southeastern Jianxi province, killing three people and injuring another six.

Two children were killed and 16 others wounded in a similar knife attack at a kindergarten in southern China in 2021.
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India is in the grip of a tomato shortage, with the staple disappearing from the menu for households and restaurant chains alike after extreme weather devastated this years crop and severed supply lines.

Prices have rocketed five-fold in some cities, making 1kg of tomatoes more expensive than 1 litre of petrol. In a country where tomatoes are an essential culinary item, vegetable stores and carts have resorted to stocking long-life packs of puree as substitutes.

With the fruit suddenly becoming a rare commodity, there are multiple reports from across the country of farms and deliveries being targeted by thieves.

On Saturday, a truck carrying 2,000 tonnes of tomatoes to a central market in Bengaluru was attacked by several men who reportedly accused the driver of hitting their vehicle, before taking his money and making off with the shipment.

Elsewhere in the same state of Karnataka last week, tomatoes worth Rs250,000 (2,360) were allegedly stolen overnight from a womans farm. She says unknown people entered the field and stole some 50 to 60 bags worth of produce before destroying what remained of the field and leaving.

The farmer, Dharini, told local media that the attack took place just before she and her family could harvest the ripe fruit, spread across two acres of land.

Wholesale prices of the staple have shot up by 288 per cent in just a month in some regions, according to the Reuters news agency. At one shop in the capital Delhi where 1kg of tomatoes cost Rs39 a month ago, the price was listed as Rs193 on Monday.

Memes relating to the tomato shortage are being widely shared across social media, and news of McDonalds branches in the capital running out of them quickly went viral. Images shared online showed notices plastered in restaurant windows stating that tomatoes would no longer be served in their burgers and wraps until further notice.

Despite our best efforts, we are not able to get adequate quantities of tomatoes which pass our stringent quality checks, notices posted in two McDonalds stores in Delhi read.

In the city of Varanasi a shopkeeper posed with security guards standing either side of his tomatoes in an apparent protest over the soaring wholesale price.

Ajay Fauji claimed to journalists that he had employed the bouncers from 9am to 5pm at his shop in the Lanka areas market to prevent haggling and altercations with angry customers arguing with him over the spiking prices, though it was later reported that he was an activist for the opposition Samajwadi Party.

The worlds second largest tomato producer after China, India has suffered a series of blows to the crop this year from erratic weather events. The biggest impact appears to have come from Cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat last month, which not only distrupted the regions production but also its key trade routes through western Indias Nashik, Pune and Bengaluru.

On Sunday, Delhi reported the wettest 24-hour period in July since 1982, and dozens of bridges and highways were washed away in heavy rains across northern India, killing 22. This has also severed trade routes across the region, both for tomatoes and other staples.

Tomatoes have a short shelf-life compared to other fruit and vegetables, says senior trader Dalvinder Singh Bhalla in Asias largest wholesale fruits and vegetable market Azadpur Mandi, Delhi.

He says that even semi-rotten batches are being sent to market to try and ease the shortage, but that this isnt enough.

We had the first inkling of the crisis brewing a month back when Gujarat was hit by Cyclone Biparjoy. Farmers anticipated that the produce will not yield them any returns in the market as prices will surge and no one will buy, he tells The Independent, adding that some traders saw farmers destoying their own crops and sowing another more sturdy crop instead.

Just a month back, we saw tomatoes selling for Rs6-7 kgs at wholesale prices, now its at Rs100-120kg, the trader says. Instead of 20 trucks carrying hundreds of kilograms of tomatoes, only five are barely trickling in the morning.

Alongside onions and potatoes, tomatoes are one of Indias three largest cultivated, produced and consumed staples  the triumverate known as TOP. It is a key ingredient to cuisines across all 28 states and essential for a huge range of dishes, making it vulnerable to extreme price fluctuations if stocks are destroyed.

Agriculture experts in India have called on authorities to do more to prepare for extreme weather.

Indra Shekhar Singh, independent agri-policy analyst and former director of Policy and Outreach for National Seed Association of India, said: In India, the authorities are just keeping their heads down. We need climate contingency plans, were talking about AI and tech in agriculture but is it reaching the farmer who can use it? The government should start intervening, send alerts to farmers stopping them from sowing a crop if it will suffer damage. There should be timely alerts to farmers on sowing.

Ms Singh says this crisis is a result of the destruction of Indias off-season production cycle, and the first pinch of its kind this year following a spike in wheat prices caused by erratic weather patterns earlier this year.

There will also be no short-term fix, he says, to ease pressure on the tomato market as other neighbouring large producers  Pakistan and Sri Lanka  are going through their own crises. Ties with China are not stable enough for India to ask for help, he adds.

Mr Bhalla says he fears it could be a month before the market returns to normal, calling on the authorities to make better preparations for supply chain and post-harvest losses to prevent similar shortages recurring.
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A Pakistani woman and her Indian partner were reunited after a court released on them on bail following their arrest because she illegally crossed over to India to be with him.

Seema Ghulam Haider, 27, crossed the border to enter India via Nepal without a visa or citizenship to be with her Indian lover Sachin Meena whom she met and fell in love with while playing PubGduring the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

She also brought along her four children, all aged below seven. The couple started living in an apartment in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh in the countrys north.

On 4 July, the cross-border couple was arrested by the police after a neighbour of the Indian man complained to the authorities about the legitimacy of their marriage. Mr Meenas father was also taken into custody for sheltering an illegal immigrant.

They were taken to the Luksar jail in the state, according to local media.

The landlord of the apartment where they were staying reportedly told the police that it did not seem like the woman was from Pakistan. She wore salwar suit and sarees  attire common to women from both the countries.

On Saturday, the couple walked free after a UP court granted them bail. Reports said that the two hugged as soon as they saw each other outside jail.

The court has however put a condition on Ms Haider  she has been asked to not change her residence till the case was ongoing. It was reported that the couple has been asked to mark their presence before the court regularly.

Hemant Krishna Parashar, a lawyer representing the Indo-Pak couple, said that the two married in Nepals capital Kathmandu earlier this year.

Ms Haider has claimed that she would not be safe in Pakistan.

Seema told me in writing that she and Sachin had got married in Kathmandu, Nepal. I informed the court about this. I also argued that Seema first went from Pakistan to Nepal and then came to India. Those coming from Nepal to India are not required to carry a passport or have a visa, Mr Parashar was quoted as saying by the local media.

Ms Haider has accepted Mr Meena religion and culture as my own and changed the names of my four children, who call Sachin baba [father]. Sachins parents have also accepted me, and I have adopted all their cultural practices and will continue to live with them.

The couple told the court that they got married in Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu  a revered Hindu temple in the Nepal capital.

The couple has become famous on the internet and are being referred to in both countries as the real-life Veer Zara  a reference to a popular Bollywood movie by the same name which tells the story of two star-crossed lovers from India and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that Ms Haiders former husband Ghulam Haider, who works in Saudi Arabia, urged the Indian government to send Seema back to Pakistan and unite with me.

Ms Haider, who hails from Sindh province in Pakistan and lived in Karachi after her first marriage, claimed that her husband divorced her over the phone and they have not been in touch.
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Sri Lanka has asked protesters to return historical treasures looted during the storming and five-day-long seize of the presidential palace a year ago.

The office of Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe said more than 1,000 valuable artefacts and archaeological items went missing after protesters ransacked the palace and prime ministers official residence amid the countrys worst economic crisis.

The protesters from across the country overpowered the security and seized the Colombo Fort Presidential Palace in capital Colombo for five days in July 2022 in unprecedented scenes.

Shocking pictures and videos showed protesters jumping into the pool at the palace and some lounging on a bed draped with the presidential flag, while others ransacked the kitchen and the office.

The political crisis in the island nation of 22 million culminated in months-long protests by tens of thousands of citizens who demonstrated against the government over its alleged inability to resolve the worst economic crisis in decades under president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and demanded his resignation.

On Sunday, the officials released the pictures of five coats of arms which included one of Jorge de Albuquerque, the seventh Portuguese governor appointed in 1622 to administer the island, that are still missing.

The presidents secretary, Saman Ekanayake, has sought these items to be handed over to the Presidential Secretariat by 31 July.

He said following the one month amnesty those found retaining insignia will have to bear legal consequences and punishment as the unlawful possession of state property is an offence.

Demonstrators ransacked the presidential palace (via REUTERS)

Various valuable artefacts and archaeological items went missing, including coats of arms associated with former governors and presidents of Sri Lanka, the office of Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

Activists have handed over $6,000 cash found from the former presidents bedroom. A court is since hearing how Mr Rajapaksa earned it and why it was kept in his bedroom.

In March, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted approval for a loan programme worth $3b to the cash-strapped nation, marking a critical milestone for the financially distressed country to stabilise its economy and initiate the process of debt restructuring.

The executive board of the IMF, based in Washington, sanctioned the 48-month program and announced an initial disbursement of approximately $333mn.
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Rescue teams raced to Vermont on Monday after heavy downpours across the Northeast washed out roads and forced evacuations. One woman was killed in New York and dozens of others had to be rescued from submerged cars.

Torrents poured through the verdant landscape and small towns of the state after Vermont Governor Philip Scott declared a state of emergency on Sunday. He told a press conference that this may be just the start of what well see as rainfall continues and will worsen over the next several hours.

Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue said crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping to get to towns that have been unreachable since torrents of rain belted the state overnight.

Mr Cannon said the hardest hit areas are along the mountainous region of the Green Mountains in the states southern and central counties. The towns of Londonderry and Weston were inaccessible, and rescuers were heading there to do welfare checks. A state park in Plymouth was being evacuated, and water levels at several dams were being monitored.

On Sunday, video footage showed floodwaters surging down residential streets after a large storm system dumped rain across the Hudson Valley on its slow trudge east.

More heavy downpours were expected across the US Northeast on Monday with flash flood warnings also in place for parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Some areas could receive as much as five inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The body of a woman in her 30s was found in the Hudson Valley by rescue teams. She drowned after being swept away in the floods while trying to evacuate her home, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told WABC-TV.

Her house was completely surrounded by water, Mr Neuhaus said. She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, he added, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.

Many roads were inundated with flooding and several bridges collapsed, according to law enforcement agencies, with early estimates of millions of dollars in damage.

Our town is completely cut off from the rest of the world right now due to mudslides, sinkholes, washed away roads, flooding, brick walls crumbling and more, Fort Montgomery resident Kristen Dyroff ODell told NBC News.

Im separated from my kids right now in Monroe at a friends house after spending five hours trying multiple ways to get to Fort Montgomery. Every route was impassable.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Sunday for Orange County, around an hour north of New York City, where life-threatening flooding developed in a matter of hours.

The amount of water is extraordinary and its still a very dangerous situation, Ms Hochul said.

My biggest concern is the fact that most peoples lives that are lost during a flood event occur because theyre in their vehicles  not in their homes, but in their vehicles. And I want people to be very cautious about not going into a road thats closed or if you see any running water, she said.

The area around West Point in the Hudson Valley got more than 7.5 inches of rainfall over six hours on Sunday, according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A flood watch was in place until 6am on Monday in New York City with officials emphasising the dangers to those in low-lying areas with poor drainage systems and proximity to rivers and streams.

City officials urged residents to consider moving to higher floors to protect themselves as heavy rain in may cause rapid, life-threatening flooding to basements.

Attributing the role of the climate crisis in individual flooding events takes significant scientific analysis. However, as the planet warms, more moisture is held in the atmosphere, which means that storms bring the possibility of a lot more rain.
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Extreme heatwaves contributed to more than 60,000 deaths in Europe in 2022  a number much bigger than previous estimates have shown, according to a new report.

The study, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in the journal Nature Medicine, estimated that a staggering 61,672 deaths were caused by extreme heat in Europe between 30 May and 4 September 2022.

Europe experienced its hottest summer on record in 2022, marked by an onslaught of scorching heatwaves, devastating droughts and raging forest fires, driven by human-induced climate crisis.

While it was known that the excessive heat had led to a significant increase in mortality rates, the exact number of deaths directly attributable to the heat had remained unquantified.

In an earlier report, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), an agency of the United Nations, estimated the number of deaths in Europe to be at 15,700 due to 2022 heatwaves. The numbers from the ISGlobal report now estimate it to be four times what WMO found.

This work adds to the existing evidence on heat-related mortality by providing updated data and analysis for the summer of 2022 in Europe, Dr Raquel Nunes, assistant professor in environmental change and public health, Warwick Medical School, said about the report. The findings of the current study, with over 61,000 estimated heat-related deaths, further support the evidence that heatwaves have a significant impact on mortality rates.

To arrive at these alarming figures, the research team gathered temperature and mortality data from 2015 to 2022 for 823 regions across 35 European countries, representing a total population of more than 543 million people. These datasets were then used to develop epidemiological models to predict temperature-attributable mortality for each region and week during the summer period.

Temperature records indicated that every week throughout the summer period, Europeans experienced above-average temperatures, the report said. The most extreme temperature anomalies occurred during the peak of the summer, from mid-July to mid-August.

The heatwave affected crops in farms throughout Europe (EU)

Researchers say that this repeated occurrence of heatwaves significantly increased heat-related mortality, resulting in 38,881 deaths between 11 July and 14 August.

Within this period (slightly over one month), a severe pan-European heatwave occurred from 18 to 24 July, accounting for 11,637 deaths. When examining the impact on individual countries, Italy reported the highest number of heat-attributable deaths during the entire summer of 2022, with a total of 18,010 fatalities. Spain followed closely behind with 11,324 deaths, while Germany recorded 8,173 deaths.

Analysing the mortality rates attributable to heat, Italy again topped the list with 295 deaths per million, followed by Greece (280), Spain (237) and Portugal (211). The European average was estimated at 114 deaths per million.

In terms of temperature anomalies, France experienced the highest deviation from the average values for the period 1991-2020, with temperatures reaching an astonishing 2.43C higher. Switzerland followed closely with 2.30C higher, while Italy, Hungary and Spain recorded an increase of 2.28C, 2.13C and 2.11C respectively.

A street thermometer reads 44C during a heatwave in Seville, Spain (AFP via Getty)

The study also revealed stark differences in heat-related mortality based on age and gender. It found that more women died of heatwaves than men, with mortality among women standing at a 63 per cent higher rate compared to men. The study estimated 35,406 premature deaths among women, standing at 145 deaths per million, and 21,667 deaths among men, at 93 deaths per million.

It [the study] demonstrates that heat prevention strategies need to be re-evaluated, with gender and age especially in mind, said Dr Chloe Brimicombe, climate scientist and extreme heat researcher at the Centre for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz.

This research could be taken further, assessing the social vulnerability of citizens across Europe in the future because heat doesnt impact people equitably. We need climate mitigation to help stop the impact of heat becoming worse in the future.

An inland vessel navigates on the Rhine as the partially dried-up river bed is seen in the foreground in Duesseldorf, western Germany, in July 2022 (AFP/Getty)

Mortality rates were also markedly higher among older age groups, with 4,822 deaths occurring among individuals under 65, 9,226 deaths among those aged 65 to 79, and a staggering 36,848 deaths among individuals over 79.

Ms Nunes said older people are more vulnerable to extreme heat for several reasons. As people age, their bodies become less efficient at regulating temperature and adapting to heat stress, she explained. This makes it harder for older individuals to cool down and maintain a stable body temperature during periods of high heat.

In addition, older people are also more likely to have existing illnesses. Ms Nunes added that certain medications commonly taken by older adults, such as diuretics or beta-blockers, can interfere with the bodys ability to cool down.

Additionally, social factors such as living alone, limited mobility and inadequate access to cooling systems can contribute to the increased vulnerability of older individuals to heat-related health risks.

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire next to the village of Tabara, near Zamora, northern Spain in July 2022 (AFP via Getty)

While temperatures witnessed in the summer of 2022 were not unprecedented, the increased frequency and intensity of heating over the past decade, as average global temperatures reach 1.2C, makes the situation all the more urgent.

Europe, already experiencing 1C more warming than the global average, faces a grim future if effective adaptive responses are not implemented, the report warns. Without such measures, the study projects that by 2030 the continent will witness more than 68,000 premature deaths each summer, a number that will surge to more than 94,000 by 2040.

Despite many countries having active prevention plans in place, the fact that more than 61,600 people died due to heat stress in 2022 suggests that current adaptation strategies may be insufficient.

The high number of heat-related deaths during the summer of 2022 in Europe highlights the urgent need for action to protect vulnerable populations from the impacts of heatwaves, says Ms Nunes.

National governments, relevant agencies and other bodies need to be called upon to increase the effectiveness of heat prevention and adaptation plans.
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Multiple homes have slid into a Southern California canyon after a dozen properties in a wealthy enclave were torn apart by shifting earth.

The homes in the Los Angeles County city of Rolling Hills Estates were hastily evacuated by firefighters on Saturday when cracks began appearing in structures and the ground.

Walls and roofs began to fail as the land on the Palos Verdes Peninsula continued to slide, the county Fire Department showed in video released on social media.

A television news cameraman gets ready for a live broadcast across a ravine from severely damaged homes in Rolling Hills Estates on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County (AP)

I thought I was crazy, Katie Schwartz told The Los Angeles Times after she saw cracks appear in the walls of her home and called the fire department to come and investigate. They came out and said, Youre not overreacting.

Just shock, Ms Schwartz told the newspaper on Monday morning as she viewed the damage to her red-tagged home which she and her family had to evacuate. It just changes your whole life.

Los Angeles County Fire Captain Sheila Kelliher told reporters that some properties were still on the move.

Things are still shifting there, Capt Kelliher said. The hillside is still moving. We dont know the extent of that movement, but geographical engineers are on their way to the site to further assess the situation.

HOMES THREATENED by sliding hillside | FS106 | Pear Tree Ln #RollingHillsEstates | #LACoFD units were on scene monitoring situation. 12 homes evacuated. pic.twitter.com/ruXIhKD82m  L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) July 9, 2023

David Zee told the newspaper that he and his family were given 20 minutes by officials to evacuate their home on Saturday night.

Its just amazing how quickly this all happened, said Mr Zee, 52, who only moved into the neighbourhood two months ago.

Its a terrible way to meet your neighbours, he said. The good thing is that nobody was hurt, all the neighbours got out safely.

Thank you supervisor @SupJaniceHahn for your prompt and unwavering support to @CityofRHE and our residents. We have never seen this kind of damage to our infrastructure. Mother Nature has not been kind to several homes. They are about to be at the bottom of the canyon very soon.  Frank V. Zerunyan, J.D. LL.D. (hc) (@VZerunyan) July 9, 2023

City councilmember Frank Zerunyan took to Twitter on Sunday after the evacuations.

We have never seen this kind of damage to our infrastructure, he tweeted. Mother Nature has not been kind to several homes. They are about to be at the bottom of the canyon very soon.

A patio of a house in Rolling Hills Estates is severely damaged after a landslide on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County (AP)

The city was collaborating with county agencies and the Red Cross to support displaced residents, Mayor Britt Huff said in a statement.

Officials did not know yet what caused the earth movement, said Pete Goodrich, a Rolling Hills Estates building official.

LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn also returned to the scene on Monday.

Theres nothing we can do, Ive been told, to stop whats happening, Ms Hahn said. Thats why its wait-and-see at that point. Waiting for the homes to fall.

Damaging landslides have occurred previously on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which rises high above the Pacific on the county's south coast and offers residents spectacular views of the ocean and greater Los Angeles.

A landslide that began in 1956 destroyed 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend area of the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, and earth continues to move there.

Among other notable earth movements on the peninsula, a 2011 slide severed the blufftop ocean road near White Point in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles.
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Al Roker beamed as he discussed being a first-time grandfather on NBCs Today show.

The famed weatherman couldnt contain himself as he spoke about his new grandchild, Sky Clara Laga, born on 3 July, during Mondays episode. Roker, 68, told Today show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Sheinelle Jones, and Craig Melvin that becoming a grandparent is magical.

Roker also revealed that holding Sky, the daughter of Courtney Roker and her husband Wesley Laga, was emotional for him, as he thought about holding her mother when she was a baby.

The thing is, everyone tells you its going to be this thing and you dont know; its like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? And here she is, 5lb, 15oz, 19 inches long and shes just perfect, the TV star remarked.

When asked about the origins of Skys name, Roker jokingly admitted she was not named after his career as a weather person. However, the name does fall under Rokers job radar. As for Clara, Roker revealed it is the name of Courtneys godmother.

As he opened up about his new role as a grandparent, Roker also boasted about his granddaughters sleeping schedule, adding they have the same regimen. He exclaimed: Im telling you, shes a great sleeper. Sleeps for four hours, wakes up, goes to the bathroom, sleeps another four. Were on the same schedule!

The Today co-host was gifted a onesie for Sky from his colleagues, which read, Pop Pop, the name he wants her to eventually call him.

Roker also assured his colleagues his daughter was holding up okay after her Caesarian section, but she was struggling a bit following the operation. As for Wesley, Roker confirmed his buoyant personality was still intact despite adjusting to becoming a parent.

According to Roker, both families showed up to the hospital, but Wesleys parents quickly left for their vacation in Greece, leaving Roker with extra one-on-one time with his grandchild.

Nick, Rokers 20-year-old son with his wife Deborah Roberts, was said to be over the moon about his familys newest addition. Roker and Roberts also share their 24-year-old daughter Leila, while Courtneys mother is Rokers ex-wife, Alice Bell.

Roker made sure to thank all the folks at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, especially Dr Shonda Corbett. Just a terrific group of folks. All the medical folks and the nurses and the cleaning staff, everybody was very, very sweet, he noted.

On 5 July, Roker posted a string of photos introducing his granddaughter to the world. In love all over again. Thank you, Courtney and Wes for such a perfect blessing. You baby is beautiful. Already planning the ways to spoil her and then hand her back, he wrote.
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Though Greta Gerwig kept every version of Barbie intact for her new buzz-worthy movie, she was not that careful with her actual dolls growing up.

The 39-year-old director and writer of the forthcoming Barbie film, along with a few of the cast members, confessed to inflicting violence on the plastic Mattel toys when they were little younger while speaking to reporters during the Los Angeles premiere of the movie on Sunday, according to USAToday.

While walking the pink carpet in an entirely pink outfit, Gerwig admitted she was never a fan of the dolls long blonde locks, which meant she often took it upon herself to give them a hot new do  literally. According to Gerwig, she would start by removing the dolls braids and brushing through its fine hair.

Then you see if you can curl it with a curling iron - you cant, it melts - and then you cut it all off, the director explained, adding that her violence on the dolls was all hair-related.

Unfortunately, Gerwigs mutilation tactics would typically ruin her hair tools too, but it didnt appear to stop her from partaking in the destruction.

Tick, Tick... Boom! actress Alexandra Shipp, who is playing a Barbie in the upcoming film, also admitted to burning her dolls hair when she was younger, because she wanted to see what it would do.

Hari Nef, who plays a different Barbie in the movie, confessed to her own form of violence on the dolls.

Rather than physically abusing the feeble toys, the 30-year-old model and actress said she preferred imposing emotional hardship on them.

I didnt really mutilate them physically, but I engaged them interpersonally in some really messed up psychodramas, like adultery and theft and scamming and crime, The Idol star said.

She admitted her Barbies were not well-behaved, but they looked amazing. Of course, that was her own doing.

On Sunday 9 July, the live-action movie premiered in Los Angeles, California, at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, resulting in rave reviews that included a push for Ryan Gosling to receive an Oscar for his performance of Barbies boyfriend Ken.

Film reviewer @JamieCinematics wrote: Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, Im dead serious!

Hollywood A-listers, including Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Ava Max, and Gal Gadot, showed up in mod renditions of the famed Mattel toy for the premiere, embracing fashions new Barbie-core fad.

Lipa, who plays Mermaid Barbie on the big screen, embodied her character on the hot pink carpet with a sheer sequin gown, while Minaj embraced the dolls hair with long blonde extensions.

Leading lady Margot Robbie wowed fans in a black Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown, which honoured Mattels Solo in the Spotlight Barbie.

The highly anticipated film is set to hit theatres on Thursday 20 July in the US and UK.
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Chelsea Handler spent the weekend bartending at Bruce Springsteen gig in London, where she served drinks to famous friends including Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, and Judd Apatow.

On Saturday night, the American comedian attended the BST Hyde Park show alongside a range of celebrities who watched on from a raised platform above the crowd.

Also in attendance were A-list actors Leslie Mann and Emma Thompson.

In a series of photos and videos shared on Instagram, Handler is seen pouring drinks from behind the bar while dancing along to Springsteen.

As Handler poured the drinks, the person filming her zoomed in on an empty cup that had the words, tips for Chelsea written across it.

I bartended the Springsteen show last night, and it felt incredible to be of service, she captioned the post.

I Love London, but no one is as lovable [as] Bruce Springsteen. What a ducking show!

The 48-year-old TV star also shared several Instagram Stories from the night, including one shot of Springsteen on stage alongside the caption, such a f***ing stud.

In another, Handler shared a photograph of Thompson alongside Mann and Apatow with the caption, We classed up the joint with Emma.

She also shared a selfie with Perry, writing, Katy and I trying to look sex.
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Joe Bidens sartorial choices have been called into question after the president was seen wearing sneakers seemingly without socks as he boarded Air Force One.

On Sunday, the president boarded Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he headed to London. For the trip, Biden was dressed in blue slacks, a pale blue button-down shirt, and a blue blazer. He completed the look with a pair of navy and grey Skechers slip-in shoes.

However, according to New York Times reporter Doug Mills, one thing the president was missing was his socks. Mills sparked a debate about the apparent fashion faux pas when he tweeted on Sunday that the 80 year old had allegedly gone sans socks for the flight.

@Potus boards Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he departs for London, England. Biden was not [wearing] socks with his sneakers, Mills tweeted, along with a photo of Bidens full outfit, as well as a close-up shot of the presidents sneakers and bare ankle.

The tweet, which has been viewed more than 4.2m times, has prompted a conversation about the presidents fashion choice, with some questioning whether Bidens apparent decision not to wear socks with sneakers was newsworthy, while others argued that Biden was actually wearing the footwear correctly. According to others, the president was likely wearing no-show socks.

How do you know he doesnt have very low-rise socks? Anyway, whats the problem with not wearing socks with sneakers? one person asked, while another said: Probably the invisible or low-rise socks. Everyone I know wears them.

Someone else claimed that its pretty normal for beach locals to go without socks while noting that Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden had just returned from a trip to their Delaware beach home.

Its pretty normal for beach locals to go without socks and he had just spent a day at his beach home. If hes more comfortable this way on his flight, why does it matter? they asked.

According to others, Biden was actually wearing the shoes, which happened to be a $90 pair of Mens Skechers Slip-Ins Ultra Flex 3.0, correctly.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Slip-on Skechers are designed to be worn without socks. The fabric is lightweight and breathable, allowing feet to stay cool and dry, one person claimed in response. Plus, the sole of the shoe is designed to provide maximum cushion and comfort without the need for socks.

On Skechers website, it notes that the easy-wearing style is designed with air-cooled memory foam that cushions the insole, and a Stretch-Fit design for sock-like comfort.

However, on the shoe companys website, it also includes a video of various individuals stepping into the shoes, with each wearing a pair of no-show socks.

Although it is unclear whether the president was indeed wearing no-show socks, or whether he had actually chosen to wear the shoes without socks, many defended Biden on the basis that his fashion choices arent important.

Oh thank god, heres the news finally - we were on the edge of our seats waiting to hear if he had socks on. This was riveting, thank you, one person tweeted sarcastically, while another added: Impeach!!

So? Sneakers with socks isnt in the Constitution. Find something else to complain about, someone else wrote in response to Mills tweet.

The reporters tweet also prompted some to compare the situation to the uproar after former President Barack Obama wore a tan suit, which his critics deemed unacceptable, in 2014.

Omg, tan suit again yawn, one person tweeted.

As of now, the president, who is currently in the UK meeting with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a NATO meeting in Lithuania, has not addressed the fashion choice.

The Independent has contacted Skechers for comment.
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European drug safety officials have launched a probe into Ozempic after patients reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

On 10 July, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) told Reuters it is investigating adverse side effects into drug manufacturer Novo Nordisks the popular diabetes medication after Icelands health regulator flagged three cases of patients thinking about suicide or self-harm.

In addition to the type 2 diabetes injection, weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Saxenda will also be investigated by the regulators Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC).

Ozempic works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. The committee will assess the risks of weight-loss medications that contain semaglutide or liraglutide, the GLP-1 agonists that induce weight loss in a person by reducing energy intake.

It comes as the popularity of weight-loss drugs has led to a spike in demand for quick-fix treatments for obesity as influencers and celebrities promoted their use.

Saxenda and Wegovy are approved in the UK and the US for weight loss. While Wegovy is not available in the UK yet, the prime minister has said that physicians would be able to offer it to patients for diabetes and weight management.

An official of EMA told the BBC that the review is being carried out in the context of a signal procedure raised by the Icelandic Medicines Agency, following three case reports.

A signal refers to information regarding a potential adverse event caused by a medication, whether it is already known or newly identified, that requires further investigation, the official said.

The case reports included two cases of suicidal thoughts - one following the use of Saxenda and one after Ozempic. One additional case reported thoughts of self-injury with Saxenda, they added. The EMA will communicate further when more information becomes available.

The medicines list suicidal thoughts or depression as their side-effects along with nausea, vomiting, headaches, constipation, and others.

"You should pay attention to any mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviours, thoughts, or feelings. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any mental changes that are new, worse, or worry you, a warning on the leaflet reads.

Leading healthcare company Novo Nordisk which manufactures all three weight-loss drugs said it remains committed to ensuring patient safety but defended the use of semaglutide and liraglutide.

GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years and for treatment of obesity for 8 years, including Novo Nordisk products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been in the UK market since 2018 and 2009 respectively, Novo Nordisk told The Independent.

"The safety data collected from large clinical-trial programmes and post-marketing surveillance have not demonstrated a causal association between semaglutide or liraglutide and suicidal and self-harming thoughts.

"Novo Nordisk is continuously performing surveillance of the data from ongoing clinical trials and real-world use of its products and collaborates closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety and adequate information to healthcare professionals.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UKs drug regulator, said it is also monitoring the developments around the drug.

Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, urged users to report any side effects of the drugs and seek immediate medical assistance in case of suicidal or self-harm thoughts.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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Logan Paul has confirmed that he and his girlfriend Nina Agdal are engaged.

On Sunday (9 July), the controversial YouTuber and wrestler posted a series of photographs on Instagram to share the moment that he got down on one knee.

Engaged to my best friend @ninaagdal, the 28-year-old wrote in the caption.

He later wrote: I love this girl to infinity and cant wait to spend the rest of my life with her.

Paul proposed to the Danish model, 31, while they were on holiday in Lake Como, Italy, with Paul dressed in a black shirt and trousers, while Agdal wore a beige two-piece.

Friends and family of the couple congratulated them on their happy news, with Jake Paul, Logans younger brother and fellow YouTube star, commenting: Wow I have a sister in law.

YouTuber and influencer Mr Beast also sent his best wishes to the couple, writing: Woah, CONGRATS!!!!.

Celebrity explorer Bear Grylls added: So happy for you both.

The couple, who have been dating since May 2022, first sparked dating rumours last summer when they were spotted kissing outside a London restaurant. They made it Instagram official that December.

To mark their one year anniversary back in May, Paul shared a series of photographs of the couple together at Christmas and other more candid moments, captioning the post: One very special year with my Danish queen.

In the photo, the couple are kissing while standing in front of an aeroplane.

A third picture shows the pair posing for a Christmas card photo, both wearing coordinated Christmas jumpers.

The Danish model shared a snap of herself embracing the YouTube star on a balcony by a beachfront alongside the caption: 2022, the beginning of me and you. She also wrote on Instagram that the first year of their relationship was the best year of her life.

Paul has been a controversial figure in the past, having been criticised for a YouTube video shot in Japans suicide forest.

In 2017, he posted a video in which he came across a dead body hanging in the Aokigahara forest in Japan, which is known colloquially as the suicide forest because of the high rate of suicides there.

The footage shows Paul expressing shock over seeing the body and laughing in disbelief. It drew outrage and criticism from viewers and fellow vloggers at the time, who claimed that he was making light of suicide in the clip.

Paul later apologised, saying: From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.

The YouTuber started posting videos regularly after the closure of the Vine app in 2013, and created his Logan Paul Vlogs channel in 2015. He and his brother, Jake, 26, started creating videos together and are both prominent American media personalities.

Last year, Paul launched his energy drink company Prime alongside fellow YouTuber KSI. The product saw high demand among its teenage clientele with supermarkets limiting shoppers to two or three bottles per person and upped prices from around 1.50 or 1.99 a bottle, to over 2.

It came under fresh scrutiny last week with calls for an FDA investigation, due to high levels of caffeine in the drink that are equivalent to almost two Red Bulls.
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Ryan Gosling has been praised by fans for his subtle tribute to wife and fellow actor Eva Mendes, as he appeared on the red carpet at the Barbie premiere.

On Sunday 9 July, stars of the forthcoming live-action film, inspired by the iconic Mattell doll, gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate its release.

Gosling, who plays Ken, arrived in a pink Gucci suit that he accessorised with a chain necklace that had the letter E dangling from it, in the same typeface used for the film.

Fans immediately put two and two together and presumed the initial was in reference to Mendes, with whom the 42-year-old actor shares two children: Esmerelda, eight, and Amada, seven.

Ryan Gosling rocking not just a sexy little chain but a sexy little chain with a Barbie font E for EVA on it Im gonna throw myself off a cliff, tweeted one person.

How cute wearing a necklace with an E for Eva. He really is making sure his wife feels secure, added another.

Mendes, who was not present at the premiere, has previously made it clear that she would rather avoid doing press to spend time with her daughters.

What people dont know about me is that I love being home, she told Shape in 2017. Instead of hitting the red carpet, Id rather be with our girls.

Gosling, meanwhile, has spoken about how his children were a huge influence on how he approached his role in the film.

Theyve seen a lot pieces of [the film], and helped me a lot with it, he told ET at the Barbie premiere.

Well, it was, I think, weird enough for them that I played Ken anyway. I might like, you know, just hold off on them seeing the full Ken energy.

Gosling and Mendes first starred together in the 2012 film The Place Beyond the Pines. However, earlier this year she appeared to suggest that their relationship actually began just before filming commenced.

Posting on Instagram in April, she shared a clip from the film, in which her character and Goslings character could be seen walking towards each other. In the movie, the Canadian actor played Luke, a motorcyclist who robs banks in order to financially provide for his girlfriend Romina, played by Mendes, and their newborn.

As the actress praised the scene in the caption of her post, she also shared a new detail about her and Goslings relationship.

Magic is real, she wrote. We did not meet on set. The magic started way before but heres a little magic captured on camera. Gracias to the increible director Derek Cianfrance.

Barbie (Getty Images)

Early reactions to the film have been largely positive, with Gosling singled out as a scene-stealing highlight.

This Week Media editor Eze Baum said: Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances  particularly from Ryan Gosling  turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3.

Varietys social media editor Katcy Stephan wrote: Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.

Colliders Perri Nemiroff, meanwhile, enjoyed the costume and production design in the movie, but wasnt quite as convinced on story. I think the film serves Margot Robbies Barbie and her journey especially well, she wrote, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest.
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The European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30% within a decade.

New Zealand will gain up to 1.8 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.1 billion; 1 billion) in exports to the 27-country bloc every year, a government statement said.

The deal brokered over five years will cut NZ$248 million ($153 million; 140 million) a year in duties, a European Commission statement said.

New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region and this free trade agreement will bring us even closer together. With todays signature, we have taken an important step in making the agreement a reality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Duties will be removed on 91% of New Zealands goods exported to the EU from the start of the agreement, rising to 97% after seven years.

The deal has yet to be ratified by the two sides' parliaments and a start date set.
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Celebrities, lawmakers, brands and everyday social media users are flocking to Meta's freshly minted app Threads to connect with their followers, including many Twitter refugees tired of the drama surrounding Elon Musks raucous oversight of that platform.

But the real question is: Will they stay?

Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Threads post Monday that in the five days since its launch, 100 million people have signed up for Threads, which was rolled out as a companion app to Instagram.

Ann Coleman is among them. The 50-year-old, who lives in Baltimore, said she joined Threads after hearing about the platform from a comedian she follows on social media. She said she loves Twitter and has been using it for more than 10 years. She even met her husband on there.

But Coleman, who is politically progressive, has been looking to switch to a new platform because of Musks political views and changes hes made to Twitter, like upending its verification system. She previously joined the decentralized social network Mastodon, but found it a bit confusing to use.

She said she likes Threads but wishes she could easily follow all her Twitter friends there. Threads gives Instagram users the option to automatically follow the same accounts they do on the photo-sharing app, which makes it easier for active Instagram users to replicate a similar type of engagement on Threads. But others starting from the ground up will have to do more work.

If Im going to leave Twitter entirely, Im going to have to try and find some of these people from Twitter, Coleman said.

While she said she has her own concerns about Meta  specifically pointing to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, among other things  "its not with the depth of concern that I do with Musk.

Michael Evancoe, 28, said he hasn't used Twitter much since his personal page was suspended years ago for what the platform attributed to violations of its rules on spam. Evancoe, who now works in production, said he agrees with some of the changes Musk has been making on Twitter and he created a new account earlier this year. But he wasnt able to gain many followers or interactions.

He joined Threads last week, and says hes been able to interact more with other users. But he hopes that Meta does not moderate the platform overly aggressively.

I think that would be a deterrent to both interest and engagement as well, Evancoe said.

For its part, Meta has said it will moderate using Instagrams content guidelines. In the past few days, the company has been positioning the much-hyped platform as a new digital town square thats a less toxic version of Twitter, with some executives indicating their aim isnt to replace Twitter but to offer something more palatable to a vast array of users.

The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, Mosseri said Friday.

In the first two full days that Threads was broadly available  Thursday and Friday of last week  traffic on Twitter was down 5% compared with the same period a week ago, and down 11% compared with the same period a year ago, according to the web analytics company SimilarWeb. But it also said Twitter traffic has experienced an overall decline even in the absence of Threads.

To Jennifer Billinson, a professor of media studies at Nazareth University in New York, the first days of Threads have highlighted a potential culture clash -- specifically one between Twitter refugees and what is likely a much larger number of people just clicking over from Instagram.

The idea that Threads will just become a Twitter clone, she says, is running headlong into the reality that the Twitterites are going to be vastly outnumbered on the new platform by those from Instagram, which has more than 2 billion monthly users. By comparison, Twitter has more than 237 million daily users, according to the most recent figures from the company's earnings report last year.

Among other things, those used to the more abrasive culture of Twitter could easily annoy more laid-back Instagram users. Of course, such tensions might be alleviated by potential platform changes that give people more control over what theyll see in their Threads feed. At the moment, users are largely at the mercy of the Threads algorithm.

Despite the influx of users, Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at the creative agency Mekanism, stressed it's too early to know how successful Threads will be. He further questions whether the rapid growth of Threads is even a good thing, pointing out some other successful platforms began with a focused approach and expanded more gradually.

Theres also the question of how influencers will use Threads and whether they can replicate the same following as on other platforms. Most notably, Jimmy Donaldson  a popular YouTube video maker who goes by MrBeast  has already amassed more than 4 million followers on Threads.

By integrating the new app to Instagram, Meta made it very easy for content creators to convert their Instagram followers to Threads followers. But that can also create a situation where popular content creators gain more influence while crowding out emerging talents from cultivating their own culture on a new platform, Gahan said.

Creators might also face other challenges.

Somebody who is purely video and photo-based may have trouble translating to a text-focused platform, Gahan said. That said, a lot of them I see reposting the same content. Time will tell whether or not that's a successful strategy.

Asante Madrigal, a content creator who makes his living off of social media posts about pop culture, said hes been trying out the Threads app and reposting some videos hes made recently on actress Keke Palmer, among other things.

But at least for now, the 22-year-old said he doesnt plan to make Threads a priority because he cant monetize his content on there. Instead, he said hes going to focus on apps where hes actually earning money, like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, where he more than 2 million followers combined.

Madrigal said the Threads algorithm is a black box, and pointed to some things that are still lacking in the app, including hashtags and direct messaging between users. And figuring out what to do on there will take more work.

I have a lot of friends that do pop culture as well, Madrigal said. And they were just like, Oh, my God, not another app.

___

AP staff writer David Hamilton in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after two people were stabbed in Long Ditton, Surbiton, Surrey Police said.

Two men are in a serious but stable condition after the attack at the Crowne Plaza Hotel  a hotel housing Afghan refugees  and outside a BMW garage next door in Portsmouth Road at about 1.45pm on Sunday.

Sher Wali, 48, of Portsmouth Road, Long Ditton, has also been charged with having a bladed article.

We are working with our partner agencies, including Elmbridge Borough Council, Surrey County Council, the NHS, local schools and the staff at the hotel, to support those most impacted by the incident Inspector Bert Dean

He will next appear in court at Guildford Crown Court on August 10.

Elmbridge borough commander, Inspector Bert Dean, said: We are working with our partner agencies, including Elmbridge Borough Council, Surrey County Council, the NHS, local schools and the staff at the hotel, to support those most impacted by the incident.

We appreciate that the heightened emergency services presence and the nature of the incident may have caused distress to the local community and officers will also be out and about in the local area over the coming days to answer any questions and listen to any concerns people may have.

I saw someone in handcuffs coming out. There was another guy that came out with a bandage around his head and his bicep Witness Mark Knight

The investigation itself remains ongoing and we are appealing for anyone who has any information which could assist our enquiries to contact us.

Mark Knight, 41, who lives in Long Ditton, told the PA news agency shortly after the stabbing: I saw someone in handcuffs coming out.

There was another guy that came out with a bandage around his head and his bicep.

They put him in an ambulance.
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A high-profile BBC presenter has been accused of paying a teenager more than 35,000 for explicit pictures.

Once the allegations went public, the now-suspended star said, what have you done? in an effort to try and stop the investigation, it has been claimed.

It came afterThe Sun reported last week how the star allegedly appeared in his underwear in a video call and began paying the person for explicit content when the complainant was 17.

The BBC confirmed on Sunday it had made contact with the Metropolitan Police over the presenters reported actions.

As the scandal into the presenters alleged actions - and the initial response of the BBC - continue to be scrutinised, The Independent has looked at the possible criminal ramifications they could face.

Myles Jackman - the UKs leading obscenity lawyer - said that based on the publicly available facts, the severity of the alleged offences would likely result in a custodial sentence in the event of a prosecution and conviction.

He cited The Protection of Children Act 1978 which prohibits any production, possession, or distribution of images of a sexual nature of children  which would apply if the person was 17 when the requests for images began, he said.

Under the act, possessing images of a child undertaking sexual acts had a starting sentence of 26 weeks in prison, he added.

Myles Jackman said mobile devices could be seized in the event of any arrest (Myles Jackman)

Then, he said there were potential breaches under sections 44 - intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence - and 45 - encouraging or assisting an offence believing it will be committed - of the 2007 Serious Crime Act.

This is because of the allegation that the star watched material self-produced by a child and which had been solicited through their payments to the person, he explained.

Speaking to The Independent, he said: The presumption (under The Protection of Children Act 1978) is that the person should go to prison and taking into account all of the other aggravating factors, I would have to say that suspended sentence looks unlikely.

Its an evolving situation and the information in the public domain has subtlety shifted. They are not only at risk of a custodial sentence for the images.

Just trying to procure the images would also suggest an offence (Under the Serious Crime Act), he continued.

If the suggestion that the presenter in question contacted the complainant approximately a week ago, after the complaint had been made to the BBC, this would be an aggregating feature which may even amount to an attempt to pervert the court of justice.

Mr Jackman said a substantial number of criminal offences may apply to the case as well as aggravating factors like abuse of trust and power.

Depending on the full facts - even on the basic facts - they are looking at immediate custody and it would only be up to a judge to decide if any sentence could be suspended, he added.

Mr Jackman also revealed that if the police decide to launch a criminal investigation and arrest the presenter - all of their mobile devices will be seized.

There could be all sorts of things on the individuals work computer as well as their personal devices, he added.

And even if they do not supply the police with their passwords, evidence could still be gleaned from metadata from the sender which will be stored on all the relevant networks, he explained.

False accusations against Sir Cliff Richard in 2014 had an impact on reporting (PA Wire)

Mark Stephens, media law expert and partner at Howard Kennedy, explained that there was a big change to the way the media approached reporting after Sir Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, after he was falsely accused of historical sex offences.

This was further entrenched when the Supreme Court, the UKs highest court, ruled that a person being investigated for a crime generally has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

The landmark Supreme Court judgment related to a breach of privacy claim by a US citizen known only as ZXC, who was the chief executive of a regional division of a company, referred to as X Ltd.

In the first case on the issue considered by the court last year, five justices dismissed an appeal brought by financial organisation Bloomberg over the publication of information about a person under investigation by a legal enforcement body prior to charge.

On Monday, Mr Stephens said that following the Sir Cliff Richard case what was decided was that while an investigation was going on, the balance between right to privacy and freedom of expression or the publics right to know, favoured keeping things private.

That is why the Sun and no other newspaper has identified the presenter, and part of that was to avoid this social media frenzy with names being bandied about.

Over the years, several cases including that of ZXC and Sir Cliff have meant it has become much more difficult for the media to name people before they are charged with a criminal offence.

Mr Stephens said there is a second layer of privacy, which is the contractual arrangement between the BBC and its members of staff.

If there are allegations of inappropriate behaviour, or any other kind of breach of employment practice, they should be investigated confidentially, he said.

Thats doesnt matter whether youre a celebrity or in the local office or on the building site, the same law applies.

Thats why Tim Davie (the director-general), for example, didnt know because the HR department werent allowed to tell him because he didnt have a need to know at that point in time.

The problem with the second layer (of privacy) is that because the BBC cant identify the individual. It also means that they cant defend their innocent presenters who are being named.
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Jurors have seen the moment a nine-year-old girl was stabbed to death in broad daylight on the first day of the trial of the man accused of her murder.

Lilia Valutyte died from a single stab wound to the heart as she played with a hula-hoop in Fountain Lane, Boston, Lincolnshire, last summer.

Deividas Skebas is charged with her murder but currently the subject of a trial of the facts due to being unfit to stand trial by reason of his mental health.

He thrust the knife straight into her chest and through into her heart Christopher Donnellan KC

Opening the trial at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC showed the jury of six men and six women a video showing a man, alleged to be Skebas, running towards Lilia before stabbing her and running away.

Mr Donnellan said: Just after 6.15pm in the late afternoon, early evening of July 28 last year, Lilia Valutyte, a little girl aged nine, was playing outside a shop where her mother was actually working in Boston town centre.

The defendant, Mr Skebas, approached, quickening his pace as he moved towards (her), then reaching behind his back.

He pulled out a knife. He continued with his pace.

He thrust the knife straight into her chest and through into her heart.

Although within less than a minute an off-duty police officer who was just going home and was nearby came to her aid, and was followed by other officers and the ambulance, sadly her life could not be saved and she was formally pronounced dead at 7.11pm that evening.

The prosecution case is that he unlawfully killed her with that single stab wound to the chest.

You are only deciding whether he did it. You dont have to decide about his intention or indeed about his mental state.

A trial of facts  also known as a finding of fact or a trial of the issue  is used to determine whether an accused, who is not fit to plead or stand in a criminal trial, committed an alleged act.

A defendant cannot be found guilty or not guilty but can be found to have either carried out or not carried out an act.

The focus is not to decide whether someone intended to commit an act or question a defendants state of mind but to decide whether a defendant physically did it.

While the burden of proof for a jury remains beyond all reasonable doubt, a court can only sentence a defendant to a hospital order.

The defendant in this case is seriously mentally ill and he is not here and cant play a proper part in the trial Mrs Justice McGowan DBE

Addressing the jury before the start of the trial, Mrs Justice McGowan DBE said: You are not going to be asked to say guilty or not guilty because this is not a normal trial.

The defendant in this case is seriously mentally ill and he is not here and cant play a proper part in the trial.

It has already been decided that he is unfit to plead because of his mental illness.

What you are going to be asked to do is not to say whether he is guilty or not guilty but whether he is responsible for the acts.

This is a serious and sad case and you will be reminded a number of times to try and put emotion to one side.

It is important that when you come to decide whether or not you are sure he did it that however sad you found the case, you put that to one side and make a logical and clear decision.

Mr Donnellan told the jury that Skebas, 23, first came to the UK in 2020 from Lithuania, returning to his home country before arriving in the UK for a second time on July 20 2022.

After arriving in Boston, he was seen on CCTV buying a Sabatier paring knife from a Wilko shop in the town two days before the killing, and in the hours prior was seen walking around the town centre.

In one clip, moments before her death, Lilia was seen playing outside the shop in which her mother worked, with the man whom the Crown claims was Skebas seen standing at the top of Fountain Lane.

The man, in a grey T-shirt and jeans, was then seen walking towards his victim, with Lilia moving out of the way as he approached before he stabbed her and ran away past off-duty Detective Constable Andrew Pearson.

Mr Donnellan said: (The police officer) thought something must have happened because he heard a noise.

His first instinct was to follow the man who by now was running away.

He hears screams which stop him from going after that man, and he turns and goes back into Fountain Lane and finds Lilia.

He immediately realised he has to do something. He started straight away trying to preserve her life.

Giving evidence, Mr Pearson said he heard a noise similar to a metallic clank and was about to chase the man who ran past him before hearing an anguished scream from behind.

He admitted that he had stabbed Lilia. He admitted he has seen her playing in the street. He identified himself in the CCTV extracts Christopher Donnellan KC

Skebas was arrested on July 30 after a public appeal. He was interviewed a day later but gave what Mr Donnellan described as a bizarre explanation for the killing.

Mr Donnellan said: He admitted that he had stabbed Lilia.

He admitted he has seen (her) playing in the street.

He identified himself in the CCTV extracts.

A search of Skebass home in Thorold Street, Boston, found a paring knife deemed consistent with the murder weapon, the court was told.

Skebass trial is estimated to last two days but he did not appear on Monday and will play no part in proceedings.

Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC, appointed by the court to mitigate on the defendants behalf, told the jury: We have a highly emotive case where the desire to blame runs very high.

The more horrendous the case, the greater the desire to blame. The greater the pressure to blame, the greater the risk to attach it to an individual identified.

We are not in a position to challenge evidence because we have no instructions.

We are appointed by the court to test that evidence.

The trial continues.
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A man accused of the manslaughter of at least 27 people who drowned attempting to cross the English Channel has been extradited to France to face trial.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Harem Ahmed Abwbaker was alleged to be a significant member of the smuggling gang behind the fatal crossing in November 2021.

The 32-year-old will be sent to France from British custody on Friday to face charges of manslaughter, human trafficking and organised crime.

Investigators believe more than 30 people were on board the small dinghy when it left Dunkirk, with several passengers making calls to emergency services when it started sinking.

Only two survivors were rescued, with 27 bodies recovered from the sea and the remaining migrants unaccounted for.

An investigation for The Independent heard from the loved ones of those who went missing on small boats in the Channel, including the November 2021 sinking, and who are still seeking justice.

The sinking was the worst disaster of its kind in the English Channel and sparked separate inquiries in Britain and France over the actions of search and rescue services.

Call logs published by French media showed that dinghy passengers made multiple calls for help for over two hours, but when a survivor begging for help told French authorities people were in the sea, they replied: Yes, but you are in English waters.

NCA investigators tracked Mr Abwbaker to a hotel housing asylum seekers in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where he was arrested on 29 November last year.

A previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court heard that he was the right-hand man of the smuggling gang that facilitated the crossing, and offered the families of the drowned victims money to stay silent.

Victims each paid around 2,700 for the journey, the court heard, and Mr Abwbaker was alleged to be the person responsible for getting them onto the dinghy.

His phone was detected at the site where it launched on 23 November 2021, and tracked to Germany three days later, the court heard. Mr Abwbaker later made his own journey to the UK.

NCA deputy director Craig Turner said: The NCA are working closely with our French partners to investigate this Channel dinghy tragedy. We remain determined to get justice for the families of those whose lives were lost.

Tackling people smuggling remains a priority for us, and we continue to disrupt and dismantle the cruel organised criminal networks involved.

On Monday, the NCA put out a separate appeal for information over an alleged people smuggling attempt using a 30ft yacht in Devon.

31 dead after migrant boat capsizes in Channel, French interior minister confirms

Investigators believe a smuggling gang brought a group of migrants across the Channel from France on the 30ft Timberwolf on 4 July.

The yacht was seen moored off Mothecombe beach, where migrants were transported to shore in a dinghy and picked up in a black Mercedes.

NCA officers are asking for anyone who was at the beach between 9am and 1pm last Tuesday and witnessed the incident, or took photos and video footage, to come forward.

Six men aged between 28 and 41 were arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police on suspicion of facilitating illegal migration after the vehicle seen leaving the beach area was stopped.

The yacht was then stopped by Border Force officers as it sailed onwards to Plymouth.

A 24-year-old man from Putney and the boats captain, a 58-year-old man from Devon, were also arrested on suspicion of facilitation of illegal migration.

Almost 12,800 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, nearing the record numbers seen in 2022.

More than 1,300 people have arrived in the past three days alone, with Friday seeing the highest total for a single day so far this year.

The figures have increased pressure on Rishi Sunak following his vow to stop the boats, with a wave of punitive laws and policies the government claimed would deter crossings so far having little effect.

The Court of Appeal has ruled plans to forcibly deport small boat asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful and the final stage of the legal battle will not be heard by the Supreme Court until October at the earliest.

It means that the government cannot implement new laws going through parliament, which aim to see all small boat migrants detained and deported without having their claims considered in the UK.
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An aspiring actor broke down as he told police that two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey performed a sex act on him as he woke up in the stars flat.

The alleged victim said he had been warned that Spacey liked young straight men but did not know at that point he was a predator, a jury panel heard.

He told a police officer he had written a letter to the Hollywood star asking for help, which later led to the alleged incident  a move he said seemed quite tactical.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard the night had ended with him crying at a bus stop when Spacey asked him to leave following his rejection of the stars alleged sexual advances.

He told the officer he did not leave when Spacey had put his head in his crotch because you just dont want to annoy someone whos that powerful in the business youre trying to break into.

Nothing happened that was consensual, the man told police.

In the complainants police interview, which was played to the court on Monday, the man said Spacey had called him a few weeks after his letter.

He told the officer: He said Do you want to meet for a beer?.

I was quite dumbstruck, starstruck by the idea of essentially meeting an idol.

Spacey arriving at Southwark Crown Court for his ongoing trial (PA Wire)

Addressing how he felt that the actor had made time to meet him, the man said: It made me feel weirdly special because it was someone saying Hey, Im going to clear out time for you this evening.

I thought it would be getting a calendar and booking something for four weeks time.

He recalled being taken to Spaceys address, saying: He said This is my place, do you want to come up?, to which I said Of course, because its Kevin Spacey.

There was some leftover pizza on the table so we had a bit of pizza, smoked some weed, which I was more into then.

Describing what happened later, the man said: He kind of opened up his arms and said Come here.

Then he started to nuzzle his head  he was just rubbing his head into my crotch  I thought This is incredibly weird.

I was very nervous at this point, I was just flicking through TV channels.

I was going through films asking if he knew the actors  he didnt really want to have much of a conversation.

Spacey, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a sexual bully in court (PA Wire)

Speaking about the allegation of the sex act, the man told the officer he began to feel woozy before saying: Going to sleep isnt something I would normally do  it is unusual in my behaviour just to conk out.

I remember four to five hours later waking up  my belt was still together but my button and my zip were down and hes just performed (a sex act) on me.

The man said he reacted by saying No, before adding: Then he stopped and asked me to leave straight away.

He said I shouldnt talk to anyone about what had happened.

The man told the officer that others had told him Spacey liked the young straight guys.

He said: I didnt know at that point he was a predator.

Asked if he had thought of leaving when Spacey had put his head in his crotch, the man said he had a niggling thought that maybe this is OK.

The alleged victim added: You just dont want to annoy someone who is that powerful in the business you are trying to break into. The social sway he had was massive.

After the interview was played to the jury, Spaceys lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, took the witness through phone logs which showed the star had sent text messages to him a number of times after the incident.

The man said he had not received or seen any of the messages.

The complainant said he had messaged Spacey once after the encounter as he wanted to meet up and get him to say something about the truth so he could record it.

Spacey, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a sexual bully as he stands trial accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013.

The defendant pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The trial continues.
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A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two people were stabbed in Surbiton.

One person is believed to have been assaulted at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Portsmouth Road  a hotel that houses Afghan refugees  while the other man was attacked at the BMW garage next door.

Both victims were rushed to hospital after being stabbed on Sunday at around 1.45pm.

A Surrey Police spokesperson said: While we appreciate that this may be extremely concerning, we would like to reassure you that we believe this was an isolated incident.

An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the incident and remains ongoing.

A forensics photographer on Portsmouth Road in Long Ditton (PA)

The man who was arrested is currently in custody.

Detectives are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information, to contact them.

Mark Knight, 41, who lives in Long Ditton, Surbiton, told the PA news agency: I saw someone in handcuffs coming out.

There was another guy that came out with a bandage around his head and his bicep. They put him in an ambulance.

He said the man he saw in handcuffs was wearing a shirt and a blazer.

Mr Knight said he noticed there was drama at the hotel at around 1pm, and saw the road jam-packed with police vehicles.

The scene on Portsmouth Road in Long Ditton (PA)

Fraser Howie, 36, who lives in Portsmouth Road, said he witnessed commotion from his upstairs window.

He said: I only saw it after the police arrived.

[I saw] lots of police cars. There was one car sitting in the middle of the road which was obviously where all the commotion was around.

A large police cordon was put in place along Portsmouth Road blocking vehicles and pedestrians from accessing the entrance of a BMW garage and the Crowne Plaza hotel, and forensic officers were working at the scene.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We take the welfare and safety of those in our care incredibly seriously.

We are aware of an incident in Surrey at a hotel housing Afghan refugees.

We are working closely with Surrey Police and partners on the ground to support the investigation and those affected by todays events.
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Police have made a public appeal to find 23-year-old Sam Gray in connection to a serious assault in Uxbridge on Friday night.

Metropolitan Police detectives said they were called to an address on Arklay Close in Uxbridge at around 10.40pm.

They said officers found a 19-year-old man with multiple stab wounds who was taken to hospital with non life-changing injuries while a 24-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

Police said the suspect Sam Gray is known to the two people who were allegedly assaulted in Uxbridge but left the scene before police arrived.

A statement from the Met Police said: It is believed Gray made off in a Peugeot with the registration KT13 KNW and detectives believe he may now have left the London area.

He has links to Eastleigh in Hampshire and it is believed he may have returned to that area.

Members of the public with any information on Mr Grays whereabouts are urged not to approach him but to contact police immediately.
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The mother of Stephen Lawrence has told the home secretary she remains profoundly concerned about the slow pace of reforms regarding serving police officers who commit serious crimes.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence said the existing police misconduct and performance processes do not command the trust and confidence of the police or the public, adding that their application can be inconsistent and confusing.

Earlier this year, the head of Britains biggest police force said it is nonsensical he cannot sack police officers after he moved to clean up the workforce.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he believes hundreds of corrupt officers serving in the force should not be in the job.

In a letter to Suella Braverman, Baroness Lawrence said: I remain profoundly concerned about the slow pace of reforms to the national regulations, and I believe this concern is shared across the political spectrum.

Vital changes to the legislative framework are needed to empower police chiefs and give them the tools they need to take fair and effective action to remove anyone falling short of the high standards the public rightly expect of the police.

I firmly believe that police accountability should not take place behind closed doors, and I hope you would agree.

Baroness Lawrence said for the Metropolitan Police to truly reform and to gain the trust and confidence of Londons diverse communities, there must be urgent changes to police misconduct and performance legislation.

She said she supports a package of legislative reforms ready to be introduced to Parliament including automatically dismissing a serving officer who is convicted of a serious criminal offence, automatically suspending an officer charged with a serious criminal offence, and automatically dismissing a serving officer who fails vetting.

Other reforms include giving chief constables the power to reopen misconduct investigations and introducing a Duty of Candour, which would require an officer to proactively report any known wrongdoing (by self or others).

Baroness Lawrence concluded her letter by saying: Together we can fundamentally improve the police disciplinary and performance processes, and I urge you to support these important measures.

I have sadly felt the institutional failings of the Metropolitan Police Service first-hand, and we must work together so other Londoners are not failed by those who seek to protect them.

Mr Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 as he made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks.

Only two of his killers have faced justice  Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally jailed for life in 2012 after a trial hingeing on tiny traces of forensic evidence.

Last month, the BBC named a sixth suspect in the case for the first time, a man called Matthew White, and outlined the bungled handling of the evidence against him.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: As I have been saying for some time current legislation simply isnt fit for purpose when it comes to rooting out and dismissing corrupt police officers.

Powers to swiftly dismiss officers who fall short of the high standards expected by the public will be key to restoring trust and faith in the police.

As Doreen Lawrence has outlined it is absolutely crucial that the scale of police reform is bold and far-reaching. Thats exactly why Harriet Harman and I have brought forward draft legislation that would see those convicted of a serious criminal offence be automatically dismissed with a new Duty of Candour brought in requiring officers to proactively report wrongdoing.

Government proposals promised long ago still havent materialised. The public and those thousands of decent officers are being let down in the meantime.

To implement the radical changes we need in police forces across the country, there is simply no time for further dither and delay.
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Labour would restore Britains commitment to international law, David Lammy will say, taking aim at the Governments cavalier record on obeying the rules.

The shadow foreign secretary will commit to restoring a duty for ministers to comply with international law, an obligation which was removed by the Cameron-era government.

Mr Lammy will claim the Government has flouted its international obligations on several occasions over recent years.

We live in a time in which the magnitude of the global challenges we face have never been greater and the need for compliance with international law more vital Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy

As prime minister, Boris Johnson threatened to rewrite Northern Irelands post-Brexit trade arrangements without agreement from the EU.

The former prime ministers actions led to a chilling of the relationship between Britain and the trade bloc.

Meanwhile, the Governments determination to tackle the small boats crisis through the Nationality and Borders Act led to condemnation from lawyers and UN officials about its humanitarian impact.

And Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week faced calls from his own backbenches to rethink plans to ban councils from supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Labour will restore Britains influence and realise our potential by using the international rule of law as the connective tissue which binds us to other nations Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy

Tory MPs warned that the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill was not compliant with the UKs existing foreign policy commitments on the Israel/Palestine peace process.

In a speech at the Bingham Centre of International Law, Mr Lammy is expected to say: We live in a time in which the magnitude of the global challenges we face have never been greater and the need for compliance with international law more vital, but in the face of these challenges this Governments attitude to international law has never been more cavalier.

Labour will restore Britains influence and realise our potential by using the international rule of law as the connective tissue which binds us to other nations.

Creating consensus around the laws that will shape the future. Protecting our worlds precarious climate and environment. Shaping the rules on new technologies in all of our interests. And ending the age of impunity that allows authoritarians to hide their stolen cash in our capital.

With Keir Starmer in Number 10, the rules will be clear, ministers will uphold international law Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy

Mr Lammy argued that the Conservatives had abandoned a cross-party consensus, saying: No British government of modern times has been so brazen in its contempt for international law or brought such a litany of law-breaking legislation for Parliament to consider as this Conservative government.

He will set out plans to reverse the decision to remove a duty for ministers to comply with international law and treaty obligations from the ministerial code.

Mr Lammy will say: David Camerons decision to remove it in 2015 showed contempt. And it foreshadowed the reckless abandonment of this principle by his successors.

With Keir Starmer in Number 10, the rules will be clear, ministers will uphold international law.
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The BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for explicit pictures made panicked phone calls to them after the story was published to try and stop the investigation, it has been claimed.

The TV star, who was suspended by the broadcaster on Sunday, allegedly called the teenager twice after the claims were made in The Sun last week and asked: What have you done?

He also asked the alleged victim - who is now 20 but said to have been 17 when the payments began - to call their mother and get her to stop the investigation, according to the newspaper.

It is alleged that the TV star paid more than 35,000 in exchange for sexual images and that the teenager used the money to fund a cocaine addiction, which destroyed their life.

The mother described how her child turned from a happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict in three years.

She said she saw a picture of the presenter on her childs phone "sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear". The mother said she was told it was "a picture from some kind of video call" and looked like he was "getting ready for my child to perform for him".

A dossier of evidence was handed to the broadcasters lead investigator by the teenagers family on Saturday, The Sun reports.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on 19 May but allegedly became frustrated when the star remained on the air.

On Sunday, the BBC said the presenter had been suspended and that it had contacted the Metropolitan Police as part of their investigation.

BBC boss Tim Davie also said that the corporation has been investigating the complaint since May when it was first made aware. But he said new allegations of a "different nature" were brought to the BBC on Thursday.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Police said: "The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter but no formal referral or allegation has been made.

"We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.

A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.

"New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own inquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols. We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.

"We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date."
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The teenager at the centre of the BBC presenter scandal has said nothing inappropriate or unlawful happened with the unnamed star accused of paying them 35,000 for sexually explicit images.

In another day of extraordinary drama, they said the allegations published in The Sun, were rubbish, in a letter issued by their lawyer to the broadcaster.

The claim comes hours after the Metropolitan Police confirmed there is no investigation at this time following a weekend of online speculation over the identity of the male star, believed to be a household name.

Its understood BBC staff are furious at the broadcasters handling of the scandal, which prompted several of the corporations top talent to rush to declare their innocence and that the presenter, who was suspended on Sunday, is not minded to reveal their identity until the outcome of any police probe.

Detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command met BBC bosses on Monday to discuss the allegations and decide if any laws had been broken.

They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.

In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are rubbish.

A spokesperson for The Sun said: We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child.

Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. Its now for the BBC to properly investigate.

Following the lawyer statement the parents of the 20-year-old told The Sun they stood by their claims.

They told the newspaper: "It is sad but we stand by our account and we hope they get the help they need."

Adding: "We did this to help - and the presenter has got into their head. How did they afford a lawyer? We are so sad."

Their step-father added that they were "disappointed" the young person had made a statement via their lawyer. "It's not true," he added.

It follows claims in The Sun on Friday that the presenter began paying for sexually explicit images from an unnamed teenager, now aged 20, when they were 17.

New allegations then emerged on Sunday night that the BBC presenter had made panicked calls to the complainant asking What have you done?. It has also been claimed he asked them to get their mother to stop the investigation.

The mother of the youngster alleged that the presenter had paid over 35,000 in the past three years for sexual pictures, with her child using the payments to fund a crack cocaine habit.

The BBC star who has not been named, has been suspended while the corporation said it was working as quickly as possible to establish the facts.

Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC, said the allegations were being taken incredibly seriously (PA)

Although the age of consent for sexual activity in England and Wales is 16 years old, the law on indecent images treats all under-18s as children, meaning the allegations could lead to a criminal offence if proven.

Director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie, has said that the corporation takes all such allegations incredibly seriously, while a spokesperson said that robust internal processes were in place to deal with such matters.

The police did however confirm on Monday that they were investigating a report of malicious communications on social media, following a complaint by another presenter.

Nicky Campbell described it as a distressing weekend due to baseless social media speculation (Getty)

A number of BBC presenters, including Rylan Clark, Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine and Nicky Campbell, were forced to distance themselves from the controversy after being inaccurately named on Twitter.

Speaking on his BBC Radio 5 Live show, Mr Campbell said: Obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and family.

So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, I cant deny it, for me and others falsely named.

Today, I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.

Meanwhile, home secretary Suella Braverman told ITVs Good Morning Britain thatprompt action is absolutely vital in cases of serious allegations such as these, and that a BBC investigation should be allowed to play out before we jump to any conclusion.

Culture secretary Lucy Frazer said Mr Davie assured her the BBC is investigating the allegations (PA)

Following a crisis meeting over the weekend, culture secretary Lucy Frazer said Mr Davie had assured her the corporation was investigating swiftly and sensitively.

The BBC was first contacted by the young persons family on 19 May, but was provided with new allegations of a different nature last Thursday.

In an interview with The Sun, the youngsters mother said she discovered a picture of the presenter sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear on her childs phone.

She was told it was a picture from some kind of video call and looked like he was getting ready for my child to perform for him.

The family first complained to the BBC on 19 May but approached the paper after becoming frustrated that the presenter was still on TV.

Following the publication of their claims, the family were said to be upset by the BBCs latest response and alleged that no one from the BBC rang them for a proper interview after the initial complaint.

Downing Street said Rishi Sunak had full confidence in Mr Davie following the allegations, which they described as concerning.

The spokesperson also warned social media sites to ensure their platforms were properly policed after a number of baseless accusations were made against various TV personalities.
 Close The BBC has resumed its investigation into Huw Edwards after the newsreader was identified by his wife as the BBC presenter at the heart of a sex scandal

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BBC bosses told staff in an email that gossip will not be tolerated amid speculation over the Huw Edwards scandal, it has been reported.

Staff at the BBC were warned that speculating about what had happened would damage the corporation.

The purpose of the email was very clearly to contain the situation and stop BBC staff fuelling the fire that had been blazing since the story broke, a source told the Mirror.

Earlier, friends and peers of Huw Edwards have rallied behind the BBC presenter as a poll shows viewers want him back on air after a sex pictures scandal.

Former BBC journalists Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, who now work at Global, were among those to have criticised the corporations coverage of the affair.

On their Newsagents podcast, Ms Maitlis described the BBCs coverage as a bit distasteful while Mr Sopel said there was a weirdness about it.
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One of the UKs largest retailers is being sued for 1 million by a former employee for alleged racial discrimination, The Independent can reveal.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins, a Black man who didnt want his first name used, worked at Halfords as an assistant manager where he claims to have been bullied by managers and paid less than white colleagues in junior positions.

The 32-year-old said he was continuously subjected to the treatment during his five-year tenure and was stereotypically labelled as aggressive, despite having no prior disciplinary records, according to documents seen by The Independent. Halfords strongly denies all Mr Adjei-Dawkins allegations.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is funding Mr Adjei-Dawkins case which is due to be heard at an employment tribunal in November 2023.

The former staffer argues that he was continuously subjected to bad treatment across two London stores by different colleagues; he also claims Halfords failed in its duty of care and unfairly dismissed him after he lodged a grievance. The company denies the claims.

Things escalated after Mr Adjei-Dawkins raised concerns about how he was treated by a senior white manager, according to court documents seen by The Independent.

Among the allegations, are claims a duty manager asked Mr Adjei-Dawkins to sweep up and began doing an African accent and making racial slurs. Halfords did not address that specific allegation in its initial legal defence, submitted in June 2021, but put forward an amended defence in June 2022, denying the claim with 34 additional grounds of resistance, totalling 73.

Halfords denies all the allegations (PA Media)

Mr Adjei-Dawkins further claims that he was paid significantly less than his white counterparts who either worked similar roles or in junior capacities.

In court documents, the claimant said he was aware for approximately 16 months that a cycle technician, 2-3 vocational levels below his rank, had a higher annual salary than he did, having presided over payroll as a manager.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins alleges that he was placed in the lowest salary cap within his pay grade and denied overtime pay.

He claims that he was transferred to other stores twice in two years, against his will, after he made complaints about his treatment and without an adequate explanation or management support.

At that time, Mr Adjei-Dawkins said he was excelling in his role but had no choice but to comply.

During his time at Halfords, the former employee said he wasnt allowed to progress within the organisation or have a chance at promotion.

In its defence, seen by The Independent, Halfords denies that Mr Adjei-Dawkins was treated unfavourably because hes Black. It argued that he was transferred due to challenges between him and a manager and because the new store was closer to his home.

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, Mr Adjei-Dawkins was placed on furlough leave in April 2020 but temporarily stepped up into a store manager role upon his return to work on 8 June 2020, resulting in a salary increase.

However, when a white man was permanently appointed to the role, Mr Adjei-Dawkins claims his pay was reduced when he returned to his assistant manager role.

Halfords said that Mr Adjei-Dawkinss salary was reduced to what it was previously in line with company policy and said the manager who replaced him was more qualified for the position.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins says he was treated unfavourably because of his race (Mr Adjei-Dawkins)

Mr Adjei-Dawkins also accused the store of failing to supply extra PPE and safety for Black colleagues during the pandemic, which, he said, risked his safety as Black communities were disproportionately dying from the virus. Halfords strongly denied this.

As matters continued to deteriorate, Mr Adjei-Dawkins said he informed a manager that he was experiencing mental health challenges - information which, he argues in his claim, was eventually used to humiliate him.

He alleges a manager voiced in front of colleagues that the claimants deteriorated mental well-being would affect store productivity. On occasion, he would ask Mr Adjei-Dawkins whether he would like to go home, it is alleged.

In its defence, Halfords stated that the manager kept an eye on Mr Adjei-Dawkins, because it was mindful of his mental health concerns, adding that the health and well-being of its colleagues are paramount.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins raised a formal complaint of systemic racism at Halfords with its HR department in September 2020 which he alleges sparked relentless bullying and victimisation from senior managers. Halfords deny the claim but accepted that there were delays in progressing with his grievance.

An internal hearing took place for Mr Adjei-Dawkins on January 2021, by which time he had been informed that his assistant manager role was being made redundant.

He applied for a newly-created deputy manager role but was unsuccessful, which Mr Adjei-Dawkins argues was because of his race and ongoing complaint against the company. Halfords deny the claim.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins was also subject to complaints of gross misconduct for alleged aggressive and abusive behaviour following complaints from colleagues that he claims were aware of his ongoing grievance against the company.

Eventually, he was sacked. Though MrAdjei-Dawkins argues this was unfair and discriminatory, Halfords claims his contract was terminated as a result of redundancy.

Halfords employs 10,000 staff across 600 stores (PA Wire)

Halfords operates over 600 stores across the UK and Ireland, with over 10,000 staff members. According to court documents, it is run by exclusively white board members.

My claims are not just solely based on the poor, detrimental treatment I have received personally over the years. It is a culture deeply ingrained and manifested in the day-to-day running of the working infrastructure, Mr Adjei-Dawkins submitted in his written claim seen by The Independent.

My aim was to always try to resolve my dispute with Halfords amicably, avoiding higher levels of depression, anxiety and possible public vilification.

I am a firm believer that we all have room to learn and re-educate ourselves, whilst being a part of great change and setting positive examples to mould our future generation.

Solicitor Joe Sykes, of Equity Law solicitor, whos representing Mr Adjei-Dawkins said: Its vital cases like this are brought to the Employment Tribunal so that an independent judicial body can examine the employers conduct and declare if appropriate that it was because of race.

A Halfords spokesperson said: We dispute in the strongest possible terms all of Mr Adjei-Dawkins claims. We have a large and diverse workforce, and we work hard to foster a welcoming and inclusive culture.

Mr Adjei-Dawkins s claims about pay inequality are simply incorrect, and he has provided no evidence to back up his assertions. All the claims of discriminatory behaviour by colleagues are disputed. With regard to PPE, all colleagues were provided with an appropriate level of protective equipment.
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The Home Office is paying for around 5,000 empty hotel beds for asylum seekers to avoid overcrowding at a detention centre amid high numbers of Channel crossings.

It is already paying more than 6m a day to house around 50,000 migrants in hotels, with controversial projects to use barges and military bases hit by delays and legal action.

The spending is a key driver behind the record 3.6bn annual cost for Britains asylum system and is being controversially funded through international aid money that should be going to crises abroad.

More than 1,300 migrants have arrived in small boats in three days, bringing the total figure for 2023 close to last years record levels despite Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats.

Appearing before parliaments Public Accounts Committee, officials said there would not be a repeat of last autumns crisis at the Manston initial processing centre in Kent.

A man died during a diphtheria outbreak and some migrants attempted suicide, as people were detained unlawfully for weeks in crowded marquees.

A recent report by the prisons watchdog warned that the risk of overcrowding, disorder and disease would be repeated if the situation did not improve after the government extended detention time limits and downgraded safety standards.

Simon Ridley, the Home Offices second permanent secretary, told MPs it had created ringfenced hotels to stop Manston from becoming overcrowded again.

We have ringfenced hotels where we can move people quickly as an overflow out of Manston before coming into the permanent estate, he said.

Weve got a buffer of as close to 5,000 beds as we can have so we always have an outflow. Were carrying a large number of empty beds in order to let us move people out.

Mr Ridley said the number of empty beds was currently under 5,000 because of large numbers of arrivals in recent days, but admitted that they were all being paid for.

Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft defended the move, saying: We have to have a buffer somewhere because if we dont, we know what happens.

It came weeks after lawyers representing home secretary Suella Braverman told the High Court that the Home Office was facing a potential shortage of hotel places that could leave vulnerable asylum seekers homeless.

Fighting a council injunction against plans to house 1,700 migrants at the former Wethersfield RAF base in Essex, a barrister said the current situation qualified for a controversial emergency bypass of planning laws because it threatens homelessness.

Home Office lawyers told the High Court a potential shortage of hotel places legally qualified as an emergency (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)

Paul Brown KC said it was Ms Bravermans position that the situation generally is an emergency, and suggested that hotels may withdraw from Home Office contracts because they want other business.

The government is planning to use the same emergency planning process for other planned asylum camps, including one at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, and a full legal challenge brought by local councils is to be heard at the High Court later this week.

But asked when the Home Office would stop using hotels to house asylum seekers on Monday, Mr Rycroft told the Public Accounts Committee he could not put a date on it.

The senior civil servant added: There are too many variables, there are too many factors, but we are determined to do it as quickly as possible.

He said accommodation and the slow pace of asylum decision-making were two areas being focused on by the Home Office and insisted it was on track to fulfil Rishi Sunaks pledge of clearing a legacy backlog of claims by the end of this year.

The government is pursuing legislation and other approaches to reduce new arrivals through small boats and we are hoping that by the time we have done all of that and established accommodation through this programme we will have a system that can deal with the volume coming in, Mr Rycroft said.

He admitted that internal modelling assumes that small boat crossings will not fall, but insisted that was not a judgement on ministers claims that a raft of punitive new laws would deter asylum seekers.

The Illegal Migration Bill, which aims to see all small boat migrants detained and deported, was shredded by the House of Lords as peers backed 20 amendments limiting key powers.

MPs will vote on the changes, and concessions made by the government on Tuesday, but the bill cannot be implemented without an operational deportation deal.

Nothing is in place following the Court of Appeals ruling that the Rwanda agreement is unlawful, and the Supreme Court is not expected to hear the final stage of the case until September at the earliest.
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The government is offering concessions on some of the most controversial parts of its small boats bill ahead of a crucial vote in the House of Commons.

Peers shredded the Illegal Migration Bill, which would allow the detention and deportation of all Channel migrants without their claims being considered, in a series of late-night votes in recent weeks.

They backed a total of 20 amendments, including limiting the power to detain asylum seekers and attempting to force the government to uphold human rights laws and create more safe and legal routes.

Several of the changes were vocally backed by Conservative peers, while rebel Tory MPs have also been exerting pressure to soften some of the bills most radical moves.

In a bid to strengthen its position ahead of a House of Commons vote on Tuesday, the government has put forward a series of amendments in areas of core concern.

Ministers are hoping to avoid a protracted battle with peers, known as parliamentary ping-pong, so they can pass the Illegal Migration Bill before the summer break.

The Independent revealed that a huge restructure began in the Home Office last month on the assumption that the new laws would be implemented in September, and any delay is expected to cause significant costs and logistical issues in the department.

Ministers are dropping an attempt to create unlimited powers to detain pregnant women, and reverting to the current 72-hour bar.

An amendment forcing that change had been overwhelmingly backed by the House of Lords, as had a separate clause limiting the detention of children.

The government will reduce its power to hold unaccompanied child asylum seekers without bail to eight days, although the period is still longer than opposition politicians and charities called for.

The original bill gave the power to detain all small boat migrants for a minimum of 28 days, or and longer if the home secretary believes it is reasonably necessary.

Government minister Lord Murray told the House of Lords the powers were necessary to effect deportations, but since the Rwanda deal was ruled unlawful there is currently nowhere to send asylum seekers.

The government is aso partially conceding to opponents of its unprecedented attempt to apply the Illegal Migration Bills powers to any small boat migrants who arrived after it was presented to parliament in March.

Suella Braverman in fiery clash over costs of Illegal Migration Bill

It means the new legal duty to detain and deport them will not kick in until the bill passes and receives royal assent, although the proposed ban on re-entry to the UK, settlement and citizenship will still apply retrospectively.

Home secretary Suella Braverman said: This bill forms a crucial part of our action to stop the boats and ensure people do not risk their lives by making illegal and unnecessary journeys to the UK.

Todays amendments will help this crucial legislation pass through parliament swiftly, whilst continuing to send a clear message that the exploitation of children and vulnerable people, used by criminals and ferried across the Channel, cannot continue.

Even with the concessions, opposition MPs and peers are expected to continue fighting for a series of other changes to the bill, including putting a legal duty on ministers to create safe and legal routes to the UK for refugees and bolstering enforcement against people smugglers.

The House of Commons will also be considering an amendment to restrict the deportations of LGBT+ asylum seekers to countries where they may be persecuted, and another saying the powers cannot conflict with the UKs obligations under the UN Refugee Convention, European Convention on Human Rights and other agreements on childrens rights, trafficking and statelessness.

Peers also backed a move to force the government to consider the asylum claims of anyone not deported within six months, and an exemption for trafficking victims from detention and deportation.

An official impact assessment for the bill said it will cost an estimated 169,000 to deport each asylum seeker, but that it was unclear how many would be removed or if the move would deter enough Channel crossings to be value for public money.

The only existing deal is with Rwanda, and flights remain suspended as the government awaits the final stage of its legal battle at the Supreme Court.
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Thames Water said it has raised 750m from shareholders as it seeks to pay its large debt pile and avoid being taken into public ownership.

But the supplier warned it would need a further 2.5bn by 2030 for its turnaround to be completed.

The 750m, announced on Monday and aimed at seeing the supplier through to March 2025, is in addition to 500m raised in March this year.

Thames, which has a debt pile of some 14bn, described the latest cash boost as a major milestone, although it admitted significantly greater support would be needed for its turnaround to be delivered.

The funding agreement came as its annual results laid bare the financial woes at the group, with debts swelling to 14bn from 12.9bn the previous year and remaining in the red with underlying pre-tax losses of 82.6m for the year to 31 March.

Cathryn Ross and Alastair Cochran, interim co-chief executives of Thames Water said: This announcement is a major milestone for Thames and all our stakeholders.

The substantial equity support package announced today will underpin the delivery of a more focused turnaround plan that builds on the foundations that have been put in place over the last two years.

Last month it was reported that the company, the countrys largest supplier with some 15 million customers, could be nationalised.

Government ministers were said to be drawing up contingency plans in the event that Thames, which supplies London and the Thames Valley, collapsed.

Ministers and regulator Ofwat had started talks about putting Thames Water into special administration.

Utility giant Thames Water has said its shareholders agreed to pump in another 750 million in funding, but warned another 2.5 billion will be needed by 2030 (PA)

The news came after chief executive Sarah Bentley announced she was stepping down with immediate effect after three years in the job.

She was forced to give up her bonus after the companys environmental and customer performance suffered.

Thames Water had been found to have discharged raw sewage into rivers where it operates.

It has also come under intense scrutiny in recent years because of its bad record on leaks, sewage contamination, executive pay and shareholder dividends.

Despite giving up her bonus Ms Bentley, netted 1.6m in pay and compensation.

Energy supplier Bulb, which had around 1.5 million customers, collapsed in 2021 and was placed into a similar insolvency process.

Thames Waters bigger size sparked fears that the insolvency process could cost billions of pounds.

Water industry ownership restrictions that prevent consolidation mean the money spent on the bailout of Bulb could be dwarfed if Thames Water was to fail.

Ms Ross, speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today on Monday morning after the announcement was made, dismissed suggestions the company was at the point where it could be nationalised.

Not at all, she said when asked how much of a hole the company was in.

We have a 4.4bn liquidity pile that we are sitting on. That money is there if we need itits absolutely enough to pay everything we think we need to pay.
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A BBC presenter accused of paying for sexually explicit photos now faces four allegations against him.

A 23-year-old has claimed the unnamed presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic in February 2021, according to The Sun.

Separately, a 17-year-old has alleged they were following the star on Instagram when he messaged them, using love hearts and kisses, reported The Sun on Tuesday.

Follow The Independents live coverage for the latest updates

In a different set of allegations, BBC News reported on Tuesday that a person in their early 20s has claimed they were sent threatening messages by the unnamed man.

It comes after The Sun alleged a young person was paid around 35,000 for sexually explicit images by the presenter, who has been suspended by the BBC.

Have you been affected by this story? If so email holly.evans@independent.co.uk

What are the allegations?

In the first allegations that were made, the presenter was accused of paying a 17 year-old around 35,000 for sexually explicit images. The BBC star allegedly appeared in his underwear in a video call.

The family of the young person, who is now 20 years-old, has claimed the series of payments fuelled their crack cocaine addiction.

On Sunday, the Sun published an update that claimed that the male presenter called the young person twice after the allegations became public. He reportedly told them in panic what have you done and demanded that their mother stop the investigation.

On Tuesday, BBC News reported a person in their early 20s  who the broadcaster said is not connected to the person in the first report by The Sun  allegedly received threatening messages from the presenter, after they met on a dating app.

The presenter then allegedly sent a number of threatening messages, which the BBC says it has seen and confirmed came from a phone number belonging to the unnamed man, and asked the young person not to tell anyone.

In another set of allegations, a 17-year-old claimed they were following the star on Instagram when he messaged them, using love hearts and kisses, reported The Sun on Tuesday.

Separately, a 23-year-old person has claimed the BBC presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic in February 2021, according to The Sun on Wednesday.

The Suns new report claims messages seen by the paper suggest the presenter travelled from London to a different county to meet the 23-year-old at their flat in February 2021, when strict coronavirus lockdown rules were in place including a stay at home order and mixing only between household bubbles.

The young person, who claims to have met the presenter on a dating website, said the man also gave them more than 600 in three payments, which the newspaper said messages also suggest.

Why hasnt the presenter been named?

Since the news broke, questions have been asked why the name of the BBC star has not been published.

The male presenter has not been named by the Sun or any other outlets who know their identity. There is no court injunction banning the disclosure of the name of the presenter, it is believed.

The media is not publicly releasing the name through fear of defamation and breaching his privacy, media law experts have explained.

Mark Stephens, media law expert and partner at Howard Kennedy, said the law was changed after Sir Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014.

Mr Stephens said there is a second layer of privacy, which is the contractual arrangement between the BBC and its members of staff.

If there are allegations of inappropriate behaviour, or any other kind of breach of employment practice, they should be investigated confidentially, he said.

Thats doesnt matter whether youre a celebrity or in the local office or on the building site, the same law applies.

The well-known presenter has been suspended following the allegations (PA Wire)

What is the BBC saying?

On Tuesday, addressing the first set of claims, the BBC said a family member contacted the corporation in May and the BBCs Corporate Investigations Team assessed that the claims did not include an allegation of criminality but nonetheless merited further investigation.

Director-general Tim Davie announced he has ordered a review to assess how some complaints are red flagged up the organisation.

He told reporters he was first informed of the allegations when The Sun said it would be publishing its front page story.

The corporation has also been asked to pause its internal investigation into the allegations while the police scope future work following a meeting with the Metropolitan Police.

A statement from the broadcaster said: As a result of this meeting, the BBC has been asked to pause its investigations into the allegations while the police scope future work.

It added: The BBC has processes and protocols for receiving information and managing complaints when they are first made. We always take these matters extremely seriously and seek to manage them with the appropriate duty of care.

The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care.

There will, of course, be lessons to be learned following this exercise.

In an email to staff, addressing the first set of claims, Mr Davie said such allegations were taken incredibly seriously.

Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC, held emergency talks on Sunday with the Culture Secretary (PA Archive)

What have the accusers said?

The family of the teenager at the centre of the first set of allegations were reportedly upset with the wording of the BBCs statement on the star presenters suspension, according to the Sun.

On Saturday night, the family allegedly handed a dossier of evidence to BBCs lead investigator, former detective Jeff Brown.

The mother of the teenager told the paper she was frustrated the presenter was initially still on the air despite making their complaint to the BBC in May.

She said the young person had gone from a happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict in just three years.

The mother reportedly begged the BBC to make the presenter stop sending the cash.

She told the Sun: When I see him on telly, I feel sick. I blame this BBC man for destroying my childs life.

Taking my childs innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.

The young person showed their mother online bank statements. There were huge sums, hundreds, or thousands of pounds at a time, the mother said.

One time he had sent 5,000 in one lump. The money had been in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of my child.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said suggestions BBC allowed presenter to stay on air were astonishing (PA Wire)

What are politicians saying?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the initial allegations as shocking and concerning on the plane to the Nato summit in Lithuania on Tuesday.

But government minister Victoria Atkins on Wednesday told Sky News MPs should be "very careful" about using parliamentary privilege to identify the presenter, saying they had to remember the "huge responsibility" they have.

Earlier culture secretary Lucy Frazer said the BBC had reassured her the broadcaster was investigating swiftly and sensitively.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told the corporation to get its house in order.

Former home secretary Priti Patel said: The allegations, carried by the Sun, are absolutely horrendous. The BBC owes an explanation to the country who funded it and placed their trust in it.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the BBC had reassured her the broadcaster was investigating swiftly and sensitively (PA Wire)

What are other BBC stars saying?

Jeremy Vine has urged the unnamed figure to come forward publicly as speculation about their identity deepens.

Several star faces at the BBC tweeted and tried to distance themselves from the male presenter facing damning allegations. A witchhunt on social media has also ensued due to the anonymity of the star male presenter.

TV presenter Rylan Clark said: Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the Sun - that aint me babe.

What next?

The BBC presenter could face jail if he is found guilty of any potential charges over the alleged explicit pictures.

The allegations have caused the corporation damage to its reputation and pressure is mounting on the BBC as it deals with the ongoing crisis.
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The Home Office is paying for thousands of empty hotel beds reserved for migrants to avoid overcrowding at processing centres, MPs heard.

Officials told the Commons Public Accounts Committee the Government department keeps a buffer of about 5,000 beds across the country in case of a sudden influx of Channel crossings in a bid to avoid more problems with overcrowding at the Manston processing centre in Kent.

Home Office second permanent secretary Simon Ridley revealed the figure when questioned by MPs on Monday.

When asked how the department was making sure migrants are processed quickly and within legal time limits on arrival in the UK, Mr Ridley told the committee the Home Office was making sure weve got a buffer that is close to 5,000 beds  so were carrying a large number of empty beds in order to let us move people out (of Manston).

He later added: We have got excess beds that we are paying for that we can move people into immediately, to which MPs expressed surprise at the number set aside.

Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft said: We have to have a buffer somewhere because if we dont, we know what happens, we have people for more than 24 hours in Manston.

I hope the committee would support the suggestion of having a buffer, can have an argument about how big the buffer should be 

Home Secretary Suella Braverman wants to use barges and sites including converted military bases to house asylum seekers and reduce the 6 million daily cost of hotel accommodation while people await a decision on their status.

The Home Office hopes to stop using hotels as soon as possible, Sir Matthew said, but did not give the committee a target date.

But he insisted the department was on track to meet Rishi Sunaks target of cutting part of the backlog of asylum cases waiting to be dealt with by the end of the year.

Meanwhile Abi Tierney, head of passports, visas and immigration, said the Home Office was confident it will have 2,500 caseworkers in post in September in a bid to speed up case decisions.

She said around 1,700 asylum decisions are being made by the Home Office per week and it is on track to be making 2,500 decisions a week by the end of July in order to meet the target.

Earlier Downing Street said the number of migrants risking their lives to cross the Channel is still too large and could escalate further over the summer.

The Prime Minister promised to stop the boats as one of his main policy priorities, but so far this year 12,772 people have been detected making the journey, including 1,339 in the last three days.

Some 686 migrants were detected on Friday, the highest daily total this year, followed by 384 on Saturday and 269 on Sunday, with crossings continuing on Monday.

The provisional total for 2023 so far is about 4% lower than this time last year when around 13,200 crossings had been recorded.

Meanwhile the Governments efforts to tackle the issue remain mired in difficulties.

The Illegal Migration Bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday after being mauled in the Lords, where peers defeated the Government 20 times to rewrite the legislation.

The Government is expected to seek to overturn many of the changes, although it may be forced to offer concessions to get the Bill back on track.

Efforts to house asylum seekers on a barge moored in Portland, Dorset, have also been delayed  five weeks after Ms Braverman promised MPs it would be in place within a fortnight, the Bibby Stockholm vessel was still in Cornwall where it had been undergoing refurbishment work.

And the Governments policy of sending some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is set for a legal battle in the Supreme Court.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I think we always knew that, as we move into the summer months, crossings will escalate.

We are continuing to stop significant numbers of crossings.

I still believe that you are more likely to be stopped and turned back than to make the crossing, and thats because of the work with our French counterparts and the extra support that we have put in.

But clearly the numbers making the journeys are still too large and thats why we need the other elements of our stop the boats package, which includes both the Rwanda deal and the Illegal Migration Bill.
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The King and President Joe Biden were all smiles and warm handshakes as the UK-US special relationship looked to be on a firm footing.

Charles hosted President Biden for tea and talks, in his private Windsor Castle sitting room, which lasted about 20 minutes  and they also viewed US-related items from the Royal Collection.

Ahead of the meeting, it was reported climate change was due to be discussed, and at the conclusion of their talks the King and the president joined delegates from the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum who met at the castle.

Mr Bidens whirlwind visit to the UK had begun with a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street  with the American leader hailing the rock-solid relationship between the US and the UK.

A fleet of helicopters carrying the president  whose aircraft has the call sign Marine One  his entourage, security and travelling White House press corps landed on Windsor Castles east terrace around 10 minutes before formalities began.

Charles stepped from a dais to meet the president as the door of a large chauffeur driven vehicle, which had swept onto the castles quadrangle, was opened.

The King warmly greeted the American leader, shaking hands with Mr Biden as a guard of honour stood nearby.

As the two men exchanged a few words while still shaking hands, Mr Biden touched the Kings right arm with his free hand and Charles returned the gesture, and later during the welcome ceremony the pair were photographed laughing together.

The King and the president last met on the eve of the late Queens funeral last September, when a reception was held for dignitaries ahead of the national event.

The visit to Windsor was part of a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

It had all the trappings of a more formal state visit, with a private exchange of gifts, alongside the tea and viewing of the mini-display of Royal Collection items.

A spokesperson for the King said about the Windsor Castle event: An extremely cordial and successful meeting that touched on a wide variety of issues of mutual interest and concern.

You will have seen for yourselves the personal warmth between His Majesty and the president.

The pomp and pageantry saw the president, joined by the King, inspect a Guard of Honour formed of The Prince of Waless Company from the Welsh Guards.

The two heads of state then watched the Guardsmen and officers march off the quadrangle before they sat down to tea in the castles oak room.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps and US special presidential envoy on climate John Kerry convened the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum, and welcomed the King and president when they joined the delegates at the end of their session.

Mr Shapps praised Charles for his work over many decades telling and warning the world about the issue of climate change, and he paid tribute to the US leaders clean energy-promoting Inflation Reduction Act.

He went on to tell the two heads of state: Im pleased to report straight off the bat from the conversations there are a couple of billion dollars worth of pledges

Among the delegates were top financiers and philanthropists gathered to encourage efforts that increase support for emerging economies to accelerate a net zero, resilient transition.

Mr Kerry said: when scientists are telling us that they are terrified by what theyre seeing and when we hear those same scientists telling us we are in uncharted territory, this group has come together to try and figure out okay how do we deploy the funds necessary to invest to create the new clean energy economy.
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US President Joe Biden has arrived in Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak which could include discussions on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato.

The American leader will then head to Windsor Castle for tea and talks on the climate crisis with the King.

There was a heavy security presence in Whitehall ahead of Mr Bidens arrival.

The talks kick off a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

It comes after he defended the difficult decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv.

Mr Sunak responded by saying Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs, but No 10 would not say whether he will raise the issue on Monday.

The White House said the two men will compare notes on the Ukrainian counter-offensive as it makes slow but steady progress in driving out the Russian forces.

Mr Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, said the talks will be a continuation of a long-running conversation.

They will have the chance to compare notes going into the Vilnius summit to talk about the issues on the agenda in Vilnius, to talk about progress in the war in Ukraine, and, of course, to talk about a range of other issues from China to climate to technology to artificial intelligence, he said.

The Nato summit is likely to see wrangling over Ukraines path to membership of the alliance.

Though all allies at the summit in Vilnius on Tuesday agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war, a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia, the US is seen as most hesitant over its membership.

Mr Biden has described Kyivs bid as premature, telling CNN: I dont think its ready for membership in Nato.

Britain, on the other hand, has indicated support for a fast-track approach for Ukraine.

At his meeting with Mr Sunak, the fifth in as many months, the president is likely to raise his concerns over post-Brexit challenges to the peace process in Northern Ireland, a US official said.

Mr Bidens special climate envoy, John Kerry, told the BBC the environment will be a critical component of their talks.

Artificial intelligence and trade are also likely topics of discussion.

Though it is not a full-blown state visit, Mr Biden will be treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle.

He will receive a royal salute and hear the US national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards, before having tea with Charles.

They will also meet attendees of a climate finance mobilisation forum, where finance and philanthropic leaders will have discussed the support they can offer to poorer nations.
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US President Joe Biden was welcomed to Windsor with pomp and pageantry as his flying visit to the UK drew to a close.

The King warmly greeted the American leader in Windsor Castles quadrangle shaking hands with Mr Biden as a guard of honour stood nearby.

As the two men shook hands, Mr Biden touched the Kings right arm with his free hand and Charles returned the gesture.

The King and the president last met on the eve of the Queens funeral last September when a reception was held for dignitaries ahead of the national event.

The visit to Windsor was part of a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Earlier Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Mr Biden at Downing Street.

In front of the two men was a Guard of Honour formed of The Prince of Waless Company from the Welsh Guards.

The Guardsmen gave a royal salute and the American national anthem was played by the Band of the Welsh Guards when the visiting head of state arrived.

Mr Biden, accompanied by the King, walked onto the grassed area of the quadrangle to inspect the Guardsmen who stood in two rows.
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The number of people risking their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats is still too large and could escalate further over the summer, Downing Street has said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to stop the boats as one of his main policy priorities, but so far this year 12,772 people have been detected making the journey, including 1,339 in the last three days.

Some 686 migrants were detected on Friday, the highest daily total this year, followed by 384 on Saturday and 269 on Sunday, with crossings continuing on Monday.

The provisional total for 2023 so far is about 4% lower than this time last year when around 13,200 crossings had been recorded.

Meanwhile the Governments efforts to tackle the issue remain mired in difficulties.

The Illegal Migration Bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday after being mauled in the Lords, where peers defeated the Government 20 times to rewrite the legislation.

The Government is expected to seek to overturn many of the changes, although it may be forced to offer concessions to get the Bill back on track.

Efforts to house asylum seekers on a barge moored in Portland, Dorset, have also been delayed  five weeks after Home Secretary Suella Braverman promised MPs it would be in place within a fortnight, the Bibby Stockholm vessel was still in Cornwall where it had been undergoing refurbishment work.

And the Governments policy of sending some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is set for a legal battle in the Supreme Court.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I think we always knew that, as we move into the summer months, crossings will escalate.

We are continuing to stop significant numbers of crossings.

I still believe that you are more likely to be stopped and turned back than to make the crossing, and thats because of the work with our French counterparts and the extra support that we have put in.

But clearly the numbers making the journeys are still too large and thats why we need the other elements of our stop the boats package.

That includes both the Rwanda deal and the Illegal Migration Bill.

Former home secretary Ken Clarke, one of the more centrist figures in the Conservative Party, called on people to give the Rwanda scheme a chance to work and reconfirmed his support for the Illegal Migration Bill.

Writing in The Telegraph, Lord Clarke said that, while he has advocated the benefits that migrants bring to Britain, doing nothing about illegal immigration is not an option.

He said: Everyone knows that (illegal migration) is a huge problem, and that, if we cannot find a solution, people will die in the Channel in considerable numbers by taking risks as they come here.
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The parents of one of two Dublin school leavers who died on a Greek island holiday have paid tribute to their fabulous son at his funeral.

Max Wall died on the island of Ios last weekend.

The 18-year-old, who underwent major heart surgery three years ago, fell ill at the islands port as he was about to board a ferry.

Hours earlier, the body of fellow pupil at St Michaels College in south Dublin, Andrew ODonnell, was found on a rocky hill on the island.

Mr ODonnell, who was also 18, is believed to have fallen while walking back from a night out.

The teenagers were among a large group of young people from St Michaels and other Dublin schools who travelled to the island to celebrate the end of their Leaving Certificate examinations.

Mondays funeral service at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook in south Dublin was told Mr Wall was speaking on the phone to his father Niall shortly before he died.

One second Max was living and the next he was not, it was as quick as that, Fr Paddy Moran told mourners.

Max did not suffer. He was not afraid. He died listening to the voice of a father who loved him. There is consolation in that.

Mr Walls father and mother Fiona both delivered tributes at the service.

Today marks the end of an eight-day journey for us that with the most profound cruelty has not only taken Max from us but has robbed him of a bright future. And the sense of loss that we feel is so deep because of what he has lost, said his father.

The most important thing about Max is that he simply was our fabulous son and we will love him forever Niall Wall

Today is a day to remember Max, of course to mourn his premature death, but also to mark his short but very full life. Max was full of life. He brightened the life of others. He was the best craic. He was full of fun. The best kind.

He spoke of his sons ambitious nature, his generosity, independence and polite, kind and respectful demeanour.

The most important thing about Max is that he simply was our fabulous son and we will love him forever, Mr Wall added.

He also extended his condolences to Mr ODonnells parents Bebhinn and Gavin.

We forged the closest of friendships through our joint journey through what has only been a nightmare over the last week, he said.

Mr ODonnells funeral will be held in the same church on Wednesday.

Mrs Wall read the poem Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden at Mondays service.

She then delivered her own tribute to her son.

Max, our darling boy, we love you forever. We miss you dreadfully. You were a force of nature and your memory will live on, she said.

There was sustained applause from mourners after Mr Walls parents delivered their tributes.

Earlier, his classmates took symbols to the front of the church to represent his life. They included a Manchester United shirt with his name on the back, a signed Leinster rugby jersey and a pool cue.

A megaphone symbolising the passion with which he supported the teams he loved was also taken forward.

The teenagers parents took religious symbols forward to signify their sons strong faith, while his brother Charlie delivered a reading.

It never occurred to me that we would be gathered two months later for the funeral of Max Fr Paddy Moran

St Michaels College chaplain, Fr Moran  who celebrated the graduation ceremony attended by Mr Wall two months ago, was the principal celebrant at his requiem mass.

He reflected on the ceremony for the school leavers who had completed their Leaving Certificates and were preparing for a new chapter in their lives.

It was a joyous occasion, he said.

I looked out at this sea of faces ready to embark on the next stage of their lives as young adults  young, energetic men ready to take on the world.

It never occurred to me that we would be gathered two months later for the funeral of Max. It is heartbreaking to be gathered in this most tragic of circumstances.

Our hearts are broken.
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Empty council offices could provide up to 20,000 homes in England, MPs have said.

An inquiry by a cross-party group of MPs published on Monday said converting empty commercial and business premises into flats could play a significant role in addressing the housing crisis.

But, the MPs warned, standards for so-called permitted development rights (PDR) needed to be strengthened to ensure the new homes were fit for people to live in.

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ending Homelessness, said: The report comes against a backdrop of a severe shortage of affordable housing, which is a core driver of homelessness.

We have heard from witnesses that there is significant scope to repurpose empty buildings to help ease the housing crisis.

Taken together, the recommendations from this inquiry will ensure that conversions are of high quality and contribute to creating places people want to live, rather than making the housing and homelessness crisis worse.

PDR allows developers to convert former offices and shops into flats without having to apply for planning permission, but such conversions have often been of poor quality, with limited space and access to daylight.

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) told the MPs inquiry: PDR conversions present the worst face of the current UK housing crisis.

Government has pledged to build each year" data-source="">

To address this, the MPs recommended tightening standards by incorporating the TCPAs Healthy Homes Principles into law, with the rules applying to all homes including those created by PDR.

The principles have been proposed as an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently being debated by the House of Lords, but would need to be approved by MPs as well.

The APPGs suggested other changes, including focusing on converting town centre premises rather than those on out-of-town business and retail parks that lacked amenities or public transport connections, and requiring developers to incorporate affordable homes into their plans.

The inquiry, which was carried out by Mr Blackmans APPG and the APPG for Housing Market and Housing Delivery, pointed to 2021 research by Habitat for Humanity that suggested councils owned 7,000 commercial properties that had been empty for more than a year and could be converted into 20,000 homes.

We expect local councils to support us in delivering affordable homes in their area, by ensuring they identify both sites and empty properties for development Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Privately owned premises could also be converted, with the inquiry saying 7% of office space and 14% of retail units in England were vacant.

Northumbria Universitys Dr Kevin Muldoon Smith told the inquiry that some premises needed to be kept empty to allow for business expansion, but around 75% of vacant properties could be considered for conversion.

The Government has pledged to build 300,000 homes per year, while modelling by the charity Crisis and the National Housing Federation found England needs to build 145,000 affordable homes per year, including 90,000 for social rent.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: We are investing 11.5 billion to deliver the affordable homes this country needs and more than 54,000 affordable homes were started last year thanks to Government-funded schemes. As a result, we are on track to deliver our target of 250,000 homes through the 2016 to 2023 Affordable Homes Programme.

We expect local councils to support us in delivering affordable homes in their area, by ensuring they identify both sites and empty properties for development.
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Peers have inflicted a defeat on the Government, demanding ministers ensure the algorithms governing social media sites do not cause harm.

The House of Lords voted in favour of introducing a series of changes to the Online Safety Bill intended to prevent platforms from being designed to push harmful content.

The landmark Bill would introduce sweeping reforms, which already include moves to protect children from harmful content.

Peers voted 240 to 168, majority 72, to introduce the changes.

Crossbench peer Baroness Kidron, who led calls for the amendments, claimed that social media companies needed to be prevented from pushing children towards harmful content through algorithms or other mechanisms designed into their platforms.

She gave the example of influencer Andrew Tate, claiming teenage boys had been led to his videos because of a content-neutral friend recommendation mechanism.

Tate is currently under house arrest in Romania alongside his brother Tristan and two Romanian women.

We have all got ourselves tangled up in the structure of it and if it is not on the face of the Bill that non-content harms are indeed real harms, the risk of it not being clear in the future is very, very great indeed Baroness Harding

The divisive social media personality has been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a crime gang to sexually exploit women, but he denies all allegations against him.

In the House of Lords, Lady Kidron said teenage boys had been encouraged to view his content simply on the basis that other 13-year-old boys are like each other and one of them has already been on that site.

The baroness, a filmmaker and childrens online rights campaigner, added: To push hundreds of thousands of children towards Andrew Tate for no other reason than you benefit commercially from the network effect is a travesty for children and it undermines parents.

Lady Kidron added: I cannot accept the Governments argument that all harm comes from content.

The Government should be on the side of children who have suffered far too long being exposed to harmful content, not on the side of the multinational tech companies Baroness Benjamin

I would say this: That even if we are wrong today  which we are most definitely not  in a world of AI, immersive tech and augmented reality, is it not dangerous and indeed foolish to exclude harm that might come from another source other than content?

Conservative peer Baroness Harding of Winscombe gave her backing to Lady Kidrons proposals.

Lady Harding, who led the NHS Test and Trace programme during the pandemic, told the House of Lords how she had used brilliant technology to keep track of her teenage daughter during a school trip to the USA.

But she added: Each time I do, a shiver runs down the back of my spine thinking how easy it would be for a predator to do the same thing, without recognising that non-content harm is a real and present danger.

Lady Harding went on: We have all got ourselves tangled up in the structure of it and if it is not on the face of the Bill that non-content harms are indeed real harms, the risk of it not being clear in the future is very, very great indeed.

The Bill's online safety objectives include that regulated services should be designed and operated so as to protect people in the United Kingdom who are users of the service from harm, including with regard to algorithms used by the service ... Culture minister Lord Parkinson

Lib Dem peer Baroness Benjamin also backed the changes to the Bill.

The former television presenter and Barnardos vice president said: These amendments send a loud, long message to the industry that they are responsible for the design of their products.

Surely the Government should be on the side of children who have suffered far too long being exposed to harmful content, not on the side of the multinational tech companies.

Culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay had urged peers to vote down the amendments, claiming the changes could weaken the Bill.

The minister added: The Bills online safety objectives include that regulated services should be designed and operated so as to protect people in the United Kingdom who are users of the service from harm, including with regard to algorithms used by the service, functionalities of the service, and other features relating to the operation of the service.
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Boris Johnson is still in possession of his old mobile phone containing crucial WhatsApp messages despite a strict deadline set by the Covid inquiry for all relevant material.

Rishi Sunaks government was unable to hand over the former PMs previous phone  which contains vital Covid-era messages up until May 2021  by Mondays deadline.

The Covid inquiry chair Baroness Hallett had given the Cabinet Office until 4pm to hand over Mr Johnsons WhatsApps, notebooks and diaries after the government lost its legal challenge in a humiliating court defeat last week.

Both No 10 and the Cabinet Office pointed to Mr Johnson  saying he had not handed over the phone in time for the messages to be accessed and given to the inquiry.

However, Mr Johnsons office said his team was still working with government security officials on how best to switch on the old phone  insisting he wanted to cooperate fully with the inquiry.

Mr Johnson is cooperating with the government appointed technical consultants to carry out this process which is underway, the former Tory leaders spokesman told The Independent.

He continues to cooperate fully with the inquiry and, as previously stated, has no objection to disclosing the material in question to the inquiry, the spokesman added.

Mr Johnsons old mobile  said to be known as Phone 1 in Whitehall  has proved a thorny issue ever since a series of disputes between his camp and the Sunak government blew up earlier this year.

He was forced to turn the device off and switch to a new mobile in May 2021 after a security breach: it emerged his number had been freely available online for 15 years.

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have been at odds over Covid inquiry (Getty/AP)

The Independent understands that Mr Johnsons representatives and the Cabinet Office are still discussing how the phone should be safely switched on and how the data should be extracted.

Mr Sunaks official spokesman said all requisite material has been handed over before the 4pm deadline  pointing out that the inquirys section 21 order asked for material that was in the governments possession.

Its not in our possession, so its not for us to hand over, he said. We are seeking to assist the inquiry.

A Cabinet Office source also said the phone was still in Mr Johnsons possession, but government officials were continuing to support him in trying to access the material.

Government solicitor Parm Sahota wrote to the inquiry last month to say the Cabinet Office continues to work with security partners and Mr Johnsons representatives to assess the security issues in relation to that device.

The government had fought the request from inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett to release unredacted documents  arguing it should not have to hand over material that is unambiguously irrelevant.

But the argument was dismissed by High Court judges last week, who said the fact an order for material would produce some irrelevant documents did not invalidate it or mean it cannot be lawfully exercised.

Meanwhile, Northern Irelands chief medical officer told the inquiry on Monday that Brexit took staff away from pandemic preparedness. Resources were diverted to EU-exit planning, he told the inquiry.

Sir Michael McBride said the work of the Department of Health was also impacted by the lack of a Stormont executive in Belfast between 2017 and 2020.

Former first minister Baroness Arlene Foster is set to appear on Tuesday, and former deputy first minister and former health minister Michelle ONeill is to attend on Wednesday.
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President Joe Biden on Wednesday hailed the unbroken people of Ukraine and the incredible dignity with which theyve acted to repel Russias invading forces as he pledged on behalf of the Western world to maintain support for Kyivs defence for as long as necessary.

Mr Biden delivered his remarks to a boisterous crowd whod gathered hours ahead of time to hear him speak in the Great Court at Vilnius University, following the conclusion of this years Nato leaders summit, at which leaders of the 31-member defence alliance agreed to expedite Ukraines bid for membership in the bloc once the war with Russia has been brought to a close.

The president, who was also met with one person in the crowd who held a sign marking him as a supporter of his predecessor, Donald Trump, noted the history of the place where he was speaking, and recalled how the Lithuanian yellow, green and red tricolour flag remained aloft outside the countrys diplomatic mission to Washington, even throughout the Soviet occupation of Lithuania.

He said some of the older attendees in the crowd would know better than anyone how precious the right to determine your own future is, and praised Lithuania and the other Baltic states  Estonia and Latvia  for their strenuous advocacy for Ukraines defence and for Kyivs bid for membership in Nato.

Mr Biden said that all parties involved want this war to end, but only on terms that will uphold the basic principles of the UN charter concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling those concepts two pillars of peaceful relations among nations.

One country cannot be allowed to seize his neighbour territory by force, he said, adding that Moscow could end this war tomorrow by pulling back Russian forces from all of Ukraines territory, with the caveat that Moscow has shown thus far no interest in such an outcome because Russian president Vladimir Putin still wrongly believes that he can outlast Ukraine.

He can't believe it's their land, their country and their future and even after all this time, Putin still doubts their staying power, Mr Biden said, adding that the Russian leader is still making a bad bet by thinking that the conviction and the unity among the United States and our allies and partners will break down.

He still doesn't understand that our commitment, our values, our freedom is something he can never, never, ever ever walk away from. It's who we are, he said.

The defence of freedom is not the work of a day or a year. It's the calling of our lifetime  of all time. Were steeled for the struggle ahead, our unity will not falter, I promise you.

Mr Biden added that the US and Western commitment to Ukraines defence will not waver.

Our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken. We will stand for liberty today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes, he said.

The presidents remarks echoed another rousing speech he delivered in Warsaw five months ago, when he pledged unwavering support for Ukraines defence and Natos unity less than 24 hours after a surprise visit to Kyiv.

At the time, he pledged that Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, and it appears that the rest of the West is on board with Mr Bidens plans.

In addition to the Nato leaders who gathered in Vilnius this week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida travelled there to unveil a new joint declaration from the Group of Seven in support of Kyivs defence.

In remarks delivered following the G7 leaders session, Mr Biden said the joint declaration will make it clear that support for Kyiv from the worlds largest democracies will last long into the future.

This starts a process by which each of our nations and any other nation who wishes to participate will negotiate long-term bilateral or security commitments with him to Ukraine. Were going to help Ukraine build a strong capable defence across land, air and sea ... which will enforce stability in the region and deter against any and all threats, he said.

Mr Biden reiterated the same sentiment a short time later during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

He praised Mr Zelensky, the actor-turned-politician who has served as Ukraines leader since 2019, as having done an enormous job and promised that the US and its allies would make sure that you get what you need.

And I look forward to the day when were having the meetings celebrating your official membership in Nato, so thank you for what youre doing, he said.

For his part, Mr Zelensky thanked the US president for his recent decision to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions for use against Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, telling Mr Biden that the move will help us to save us.

The announcement of the joint declaration and the meeting between Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky came after days of tension between the Ukrainian leader and his other Western counterparts over Ukraines prospects for membership in Nato.

While the US and many other Nato nations had been skittish about giving Ukraine a path to rapid membership while the war with Russia continues, other states have pushed for an immediate change in Kyivs status.

But the joint declaration  and an announcement from Nato that Ukraine could skip the Membership Action Plan previously laid out for the countrys membership bid and join at a future date post-war  appeared to smooth over the tension between the allies and the Ukrainian leader. Asked how long it would take for Nato to accept Ukraine once the war was over, Mr Biden quipped: An hour and 20 minutes.
A Philippine media delegation recently concluded a tour of China to witness and experience the country's ancient civilization, the history of the Communist Party of China, and Chinese-style modernization. The group of 15 officials and journalists was led by Gerald Baria, the undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines. The tour, at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, ran from June 27 to July 7. The delegation was the first Philippine media group the ministry has welcomed since the pandemic. They started the tour in Beijing, which embodies the ancient spirit of Chinese history and modern vitality. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong welcomed the delegation. He said China and the Philippines are close neighbors separated by a strip of water. China has always sincerely regarded the Philippines as a good relative and good partner, and will join hands with the Philippines for the common development and modernization of both countries. To understand how the Party led its people in revolutionary times, the group traveled to Yanan's Liangjiahe village and the historic site of the Party's first National Congress in Shanghai. The delegation also visited sites representing China's technological innovation, rural revitalization, poverty eradication, and ecological development. The tour wrapped up in Shanghai, a forerunner of China's reform and opening-up and a hallmark of Chinese-style modernization. Officials of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs say China and the Philippines are at a key stage of development. Both sides have great potential and complement each other. China is willing to work with the Philippines to promote and sustain cooperation for future achievements. Preparations for the trip made it possible for the Philippine guests to exchange views, explore future opportunities for cooperation, and establish a comprehensive view of China. Journalists in the delegation recognized China's willingness to work with the Philippine people and share experiences in building a modernized country. Chinese Foreign Ministry officials say the visit was a journey of friendship designed to show sincerity and friendliness toward the Philippine government and people. It was also a journey of understanding that allowed the journalists to see a true and dynamic China with their own eyes. It was also a journey of cooperation. The ministry officials said they hope the trips to China's urban and suburban areas and the companies the journalists visited will inspire new possibilities for cooperation.
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Joe Biden has arrived in the UK for discussions on the Russian invasion with Rishi Sunak before a Nato summit where he is expected to be challenged on his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

Air Force One touched down at London Stansted on Sunday evening during the US presidents layover on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

After landing at around 9.45pm Sunday, Mr Biden boarded a helicopter for the US ambassador to Britains Winfield House residence in central London.

The US president will first meet the prime minister in Downing Street on Monday morning before meeting the King and although it is not a state visit, Mr Biden will be treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle.

It comes after Mr Sunak previously responded to the decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine by saying Britain discourages their use.

The UK is one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs, but No 10 would not say whether the prime minister will raise the issue.

However, the US president is likely to face questions from allies at the summit on why he is sending cluster munitions to Kyiv when two-thirds of Nato members have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

US president Joe Biden arrives on Air Force One at Stansted Airport (PA Wire)

It prohibits the use, stockpiling or transfer of the munitions, which deploy a large number of bomblets across a wide area, because of the enduring danger they pose to civilians.

Defending the move, Mr Biden sought to justify the bombs as needed to fortify Ukraines depleting ammunition stocks after receiving assurances about their use from Kyiv.

The summit will be centring on Ukraine and its bid to join the defence alliance.

Though all allies agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war, a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia, the US is seen as most hesitant over its membership.

Mr Biden has described Kyivs bid as premature. Britain on the other hand has indicated support for a fast-track approach for Ukraine.

During his UK stay, the president is also likely to raise his concerns over post-Brexit challenges to the peace process in Northern Ireland during their fifth meeting in as many months, a US official said.

Mr Bidens special climate envoy John Kerry told the BBC the environment will be a critical component of their talks.
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Watch as Rishi Sunak welcomes Joe Biden to 10 Downing Street on Monday 10 July.

The prime minister and US president will meet for discussions that could touch on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato, before Mr Biden joins King Charles III for tea and talks on the climate crisis at Windsor Castle.

Air Force One touched down at London Stansted on Sunday evening and the president will later travel to the Nato summit in Lithuania.

He meets with Mr Sunak in Downing Street on Monday morning after defending the difficult decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv.

The prime minister responded by saying Britain discourages their use as one of 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs, but No 10 would not say whether he will raise the issue.

The White House added the pair will compare notes on the Ukrainian counter-offensive as it makes slow but steady progress in driving out the Russian forces.
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Savers could see their pension pots boosted by an average of 1,000 a year as providers pile billions of pounds more into fast-growing British start-ups.

In the largest overhaul of the pensions market for more than a decade, Jeremy Hunt has agreed with the UKs leading pension providers committing them to investing significantly more in high-growth domestic firms.

The chancellor unveiled an agreement His so-called Mansion House Reforms will unlock 75bn of investment from pension schemes to be funnelled into British firms, according to Treasury estimates.

And while critics say the reforms will see pension funds taking on more risky investments, Mr Hunts plan will see the average saver rewarded with greater returns on their pension pot.

An average saver will see their pension boosted by by 12 per cent over the course of their career, or as much as 16,000, Mr Hunt said.

The reforms, the biggest shakeup since the rollout of auto-enrolment in 2011, will commit pension funds to investing 5 per cent of their assets in unlisted equities by 2030.

The changes follow calls from business leaders including Sir Jonathan Symonds, chairman of the drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to encourage British pension funds to back fast-growing companies.

Responding to the changes, Sir Jonathan said they will increase pensioners returns while ensuring Britains most innovative companies have the support to grow in the UK.

The UK has the biggest pension market in Europe, worth more than 2.5tn, but comparable schemes in Australia invest 10 times more than those in the UK.

Defined contribution schemes in Britain invest less than 1 per cent of their assets in start-ups and other unlisted companies, compared to between 5 per cent and 6 per cent in Australia.

In a speech on Monday night at Mansion House, in the City of London, Mr Hunt said unlocking more investment in Britain could have a real and significant impact on people across the country.

For an average earner who starts saving at 18, they could increase the size of their pension pot by 12 per cent over their career, or more than 1,000 extra each year in retirement, he added.

And Mr Hunt said the extra 75bn of investment unlocked by the changes will finally address the shortage of scale up capital holding back so many of our most promising companies.

He said: With cooperation between government, regulators and business closer than ever we will deliver not just more competitive financial services but a more innovative economy.

More money for savers, more funding for our high-growth companies and more investment to grow our economy.

Former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann said the reforms were a welcome start but there is a hell of a lot more we could do.

She told The Independent at least a quarter of pension funds originated from taxpayers through tax relief and National Insurance relief, so that should be invested in Britain more than other countries.

Baroness Altmann said pension funds need to invest in the domestic economy overall, not just in higher risk growth companies.

Pension funds could with lower risk projects to boost infrastructure, social housing, sustainable projects and growth initiatives that would otherwise be funded by taxpayers, she said.

Because there is so much taxpayer money in pension funds, she added .

And another former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said that while some of the investments will carry more risk, there actually has not been enough risk taken historically.

Sir Steve said investing in start-ups would probably be riskier than bunging it on the FTSE or a global stock market tracker. But he said the pension funds have huge portfolios to balance out the risks.

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) said the measures were a welcome step, but questioned whether a non-binding agreement between a small number of pension funds can generate the investment the UK so desperately needs.

TBI policy director Jeegar Kakkad said: These policies will only be successful if they serve as the foundation for more radical reform including large-scale pension fund consolidation.

The nine pension funds which signed up to the reforms are Aviva, Scottish Widows, L&G, Aegon, Phoenix, Nest, Smart Pension, M&G & Mercer.

Business leaders welcomed Mr Hunts announcement, which they said would power growth as well as creating jobs and boosting the Treasurys coffers.

Serial entrepreneur Brent Hoberman, executive chairman of the Founders Forum, said the changes would be welcome news to UK firms.

He said: The planned pension reforms will enable capital to be productively invested in funds and scaleup companies in the UK.

This should be welcome news to the UK industries of the future, their ability to attract more funding will create more national champions and generate growth, jobs and increased tax revenue.

Chris Cummings, chief executive of the Investment Association, said the reforms would power growth by investing in British businesses.

"The recognition of the central role of long term investment is the foundation of successful policy, he said.

"With the right regulatory framework, pension schemes will be able to invest productively and sustainably, unlocking further investment for innovative growth companies, and improving returns for savers by broadening investment options, he added.
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A Tory London mayoral candidate has described Rishi Sunaks plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as a necessary evil after repeatedly refusing to endorse the policy.

Moz Hossain, one of only two hopefuls left in the contest to be the Conservatives nominee, struggled to say whether he backed the partys Rwanda plan in an excruciating interview.

But the barrister, backed by some big Tory donors, later said he did support the PM and home secretary Suella Bravermans efforts to send migrants arriving in small boats to the central African nation.

The Rwanda policy is a necessary evil to fight an even greater evil, people-smuggling and human trafficking, he told The Telegraph.

It followed a gruelling exchange on GB News, where the Tory candidate was asked: Do you support the Rwanda plan, yes or no?

Mr Hossain said we have to stop illegal immigration, before going on to say we have to find an effective way to stop these criminal gangs when he was pressed again on the question.

Asked once again if he backed plan, he said: Theres a legal process. Itd be wrong, as a Kings Counsel, somebody who defends the legal system  theres a process going on.

His rival for the Tory nomination Susan Hall has backed the Rwanda policy. She said: Some questions arent a simple yes or no  but quite a few of those were, and they should have been answered firmly.

Court of Appeal judges ruled last month that Rwanda was not a safe country to receive asylum seekers from the UK  saying the Home Office had ignored the past and the present situation.

But Ms Braverman insisted that she respectfully disagreed with the judgment, and the Sunak government has launched its bid to fight the ruling by taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

Braverman and Sunak have made concessions to push bill through (Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street)

It emerged on Monday that the government has offered Tory rebels some concessions to the Illegal Migration Bill in a bid to push it through before parliaments summer recess begins on 20 July.

The bill originally stripped out time limits on the length of time that unaccompanied children and pregnant women could be detained  but the strict limits were reinstated by peers last week.

Keen to avoid a brewing rebellion among Tory moderates  and protected ping pong with the Lords over the next 10 days  The Independent understands that Mr Sunaks government will offer a partial climb down on the detention issue.

Ministers will limit the amount of time unaccompanied children can be detained to eight days, from the current period of 24 hours, and has agreed to keep the current rules in place on detaining pregnant women for no more than 72 hours.

It comes as junior immigration minister was lambasted from his own backbenches in parliament after defending the painting over of cartoon murals of Mickey Mouse and Tom and Jerry at a unit for lone child asylum seekers.

Tory peer Lord Brownlow said he was ashamed and stressed the need to show compassion. Former Tory minister Lord Deben told the minister to imagine his own child being held at the site, and Tory peer Lord Cormack said it was not worthy of our country.

But junior Home Office minister Lord Murray pointed out the artwork depicting Mickey Mouse had not been officially approved  and claimed that it was right the detention facilities have the requisite decoration befitting their purpose.

Meanwhile, Mr Hossain has been backed by property tycoon Nick Candy, private equity boss Wol Kolada and telecoms entrepreneur Bassim Haidar in the race to take on Labour mayor Sadiq Khan for City Hall.

Tory frontrunner Daniel Korski was forced out of the race last month after he was accused of groping broadcaster Daisy Goodwins breast in Downing Street . Mr Korski said he still categorically denied the allegations, but said they had become a distraction for his party.
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The UK has sought to play down talks of a rift with the US over Ukraine ahead of a crucial Nato summit during which Kyiv is seeking assurances over the road to membership as it fights Russias invasion.

Joe Biden called the relationship between the two countries rock solid as he held talks with Rishi Sunak at Downing Street  but the prime minister is having to tread carefully on the idea of Ukraine joining the defence alliance.

While Britain strongly favours a clear route to Nato membership, Washington remains hesitant. The US president has described Kyivs bid as premature and claimed: I dont think its ready for membership in Nato.

Mr Sunak is expected to use this weeks Nato summit in Lithuania to push the US and other allies less certain over membership to agree to language signalling support for Ukraine joining the organisation at some point  but a timetable is not expected to be discussed.

The PM will also call for all Nato allies to immediately meet the ambition they set almost two decades ago to spend 2 per cent of their GDP on defence.

Though all attendees agree that Ukraine cannot join during the war  a move which would pull the wider West into direct conflict with Russia  UK officials are confident Nato leaders will agree to issue strong support for the idea of a pathway for Ukraines future inside the Western alliance.

Mr Sunaks spokesperson said that while we do want to support Ukraine on the pathway to joining the alliance, the exact mechanisms for that are for discussion with Nato allies.

It came as Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Nato leaders had already reached consensus to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) which is normally required of prospective Nato members.

Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak during their No 10 garden meeting (EPA)

I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to Nato. It is also the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member, he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Kuleba had previously said that dropping the formality of the MAP was a minimum the wartorn country wanted to see this week  urging Nato to offer a meaningful move towards membership at this weeks summit.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday he was confident that all allies will agree on a very clear message on Ukraines future membership  but admitted there was no consensus on concrete steps ahead.

No 10 also played down talk of a rift with the US over cluster bombs. While Washington has said it will supply the controversial munitions to Ukraine, Mr Sunak has been clear that he is standing by an international convention the UK has signed to ban the weapons.

Mr Sunak appeared to make little effort to persuade Mr Biden not to follow through on the pledge to supply the weapons  although No 10 said it had complied with Britains legal requirement to discourage the use of cluster bombs by raising the issue.

Volodymyr Zelensky with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg (AP)

The PMs official spokesperson said providing the weapons was a difficult choice for the US that had been forced on them by Russias war of aggression.

The two leaders discussed the commitments that the UK has under that convention, both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use, said the PMs spokesperson. No 10 also acknowledged that Ukraine had requested the weapons to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

Mr Biden said he couldnt be meeting with a closer friend and a greater ally, while Mr Sunak hailed the US and UK as two of the firmest allies, as the pair held talks for around 40 minutes alongside secretary of state Antony Blinken and foreign secretary James Cleverly.

Mr Sunak will also call for all allies to start spending 2 per cent of their GDP on defence  and press Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the need for Sweden to be admitted to Nato.

Mr Sunak will also confirm an eight-fold increase in the UKs production capacity of 155 mm artillery ammunition in a 190m deal with BAE Systems set to create more than 100 jobs.

The PM said the UK is investing record amounts in defence to make our armed forces more lethal and more deployable, adding: And thats something we need to see across Nato  starting with meeting the 2 per cent commitment.

Recommended Boris Johnson fails to hand over mobile with crucial Covid WhatsApps before inquiry deadline

Meanwhile, former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson said Tory defence secretary Ben Wallace had always been unlikely to replace Mr Stoltenberg because of Brexit.

I dont think that the French were terribly keen on somebody who had been so associated with Brexit and with Boris Johnson, he told LBC. I think thats unfair because I think that Ben Wallace was a good candidate.
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The teenager at the centre of the BBC controversy said nothing inappropriate or unlawful happened with the unnamed presenter and that the allegations are rubbish, their lawyer said in a letter to the broadcaster.

Police are carrying out further inquiries to establish whether any crime has been committed after BBC representatives met with detectives on Monday morning.

The force said they are assessing the information discussed at the meeting but have not yet launched an investigation following allegations the presenter paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images.

A male member of BBC staff has been suspended following claims that he paid a young person around 35,000 over three years, from the age of 17, for explicit images.

The Sun reported on Monday that the presenter had made panicked calls to the person last week after the allegations became known.

In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are rubbish.

The legal representative also claimed, the news programme said, that the teenager told The Sun on Friday evening ahead of the newspaper publishing the story that there was no truth to it.

The inappropriate article was still put on the front page, the lawyer also told BBC News.

Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of July 10. They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed Metropolitan Police

The corporation said it had been investigating a complaint since May, and that new claims of a different nature were brought to it on Thursday.

As well as being in touch with the police, the BBC is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young persons family.

A spokesperson for The Sun said: We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child. Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC.

We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. Its now for the BBC to properly investigate.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: Detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of July 10. The meeting took place virtually.

They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.

There is no investigation at this time.

BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporations annual report.

In a note to staff on Sunday, he said: The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.

New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.

He added: By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.

We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.

By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex BBC director-general Tim Davie

The teenagers mother told The Sun newspaper she saw a picture of the presenter on her childs phone sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear.

The mother said she was told it was a picture from some kind of video call and looked like he was getting ready for my child to perform for him.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

On Monday, the newspaper reported that the presenter had made panicked calls to the young person following the allegations, claiming that he asked What have you done? and told them to tell their mother to stop the investigation.

Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Nicky Campbell are among the BBC stars to have publicly stated that they are not the presenter in question.

Campbell suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.

I think its important to take a stand. Theres just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends, he wrote.
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Authorities in Alabama say there is no evidence of a link between recent drownings in the state and a viral TikTok boat jumping challenge.

Jim Dennis, of the Childersburg Rescue Squad, was last week quoted by a local news outlet as saying that the challenge had led to four easily avoidable drowning deaths in the state.

That is a very big concern because we have seen this pattern emerge over the last two years and its sporadic, but its something that needs to go away and stay away, Mr Dennis told the news agency.

After the story was widely picked up by media, including the Today Show, Mr Dennis told AL.com the comments attributed to him had been blown way out of proportion.

He told the news outlet that two Alabamans had died recently after jumping from boats, but he had no idea whether they were connected to the social media site.

If theres data supporting that, I dont have that, he told AL.com.

Mr Dennis added that a cause of death would have to be determined by a coroner.

In a statement posted to Twitter, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division said they had no record of deaths being tied to TikTok trends.

Mr Dennis said he had issued a safety warning after several recent deaths in Alabama.

In one instance in February, a father died while attempting the challenge with his wife and three young children on board the boat which was recorded.

The most recent death came in mid-May, he said. All the fatalities were male, he added.

Authorities in Alabama say they have no evidence that a TikTok boat jumping challenge had led to deaths (TikTok)

Mr Dennis emphasised to AL.com that boat jumping could be deadly, and urged family and friends to encourage their loved ones not to try it.

There is a TikTok challenge, but I do know jumping off of a moving boat is nothing new, he said.

As far as TikTok, theres not a challenge on there thats any good.

TikTok, which claims to have 150 million users in the United States, has previously faced backlashes for promoting dangerous viral challenges.

One trend, known as the Borg challenge, involved drinking a combination of alcohol, electrolytes, caffeinated flavoring and water in a jug.

The cocktail was supposed to allow drinkers to stay hydrated while drinking alcohol, and stave off hangovers.

But it reportedly led to the hospitalisation of two dozen University of Massachusetts Amherst students due to binge-drinking.

Fears that TikToks owners ByteDance was sharing users private data with the Chinese government led the app to be banned on government devices in about half of US states.

Montana became the first state to declare an outright ban in May.

* This article was updated on 11 July to reflect new information issued by water safety officials in Alabama.
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Three boats carrying more than 300 migrants from Senegal have gone missing off Spains Canary Islands, it was reported.

The migrant aid group Walking Borders said on Sunday that the family members of those on board have not heard from them since they left last month.

Reuters reported that two boats, one carrying about 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, have been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal.

Helena Maleno of Walking Borders said that a third boat left Senegal on 27 June with about 200 people aboard.

All three boats with African migrants onboard have gone missing.

BBC reported that Spains Salvamento Maritimo  the countrys sea search and rescue organisation  is leading the efforts to find the missing boats in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Western Africa.

The families are very worried. There are about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left because of the instability in Senegal, Ms Maleno told news media.

The fishing boat reportedly sailed from Kafountine, a coastal town in southern Senegal.

There are many children onboard the boats as well, Spains Efe news agency reported.

This comes just weeks after at least 78 people died in one of the worst Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks off the coast of Greece. The United Nations said that at least 500 people were still missing.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, nearly 1700 people have died while trying to come to the Canary Islands via boats since 2021.

On Sunday, one migrant was reported dead and 10 others missing after a boat that had set sail from Tunisia and was headed to Italy sank in the Mediterranean Sea.
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An investigation has been launched after the body of an unidentified man was found floating in a lake in New Yorks Central Park.

The NYPD said that the mans body was spotted in the Harlem Meer near 110th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday afternoon.

First responders pulled the man from the body of water at around 3.15pm that afternoon and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Now, the NYPD is investigating what happened as the citys medical examiner works to determine his cause of death.

The Independent has reached out to the NYPD for further information.

The tragic discovery comes just nine months after another body was pulled from a different body of water in Central Park.

In October, a man was found floating in the Turtle Pond, between the 79th Street Transverse and the Great Lawn.

The Harlem Meer is a lake in the northeast corner of Central Park popular with families due to its range of activities in and around the lake, according to Central Park Conservancy.

The lake is a common spot for catch-and-release fishing while the Harlem Meer Center is known for skating and swimming.
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Deputies in North Carolina have arrested a Florida man on suspicion of child abduction after finding a missing 16-year-old girl in his car during a routine traffic stop.

Alejandro Hernandez Vazquez, 40, was pulled over for a traffic violation on the I-95 in Nash County at about midnight on 4 July, authorities say.

Deputies became suspicious and asked to search his white 2016 Audi Q5, and learned that a teenage passenger had been reported missing hours earlier by the Coral Springs Police Department in Florida.

According to Nash County Sheriffs Office, Mr Vazquez was not known to the girls family and did not have permission to cross state lines.

Deputies also found cannibas vape pens and drug paraphernalia in the car, they said.

Mr Vazquez, from Miami, was booked into the Nash County Detention Center on charges of child abduction, felony possession of synthetic cannabinoids, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

He was initially jailed without bond. At a court appearance on Friday 7 July, his bond was set at $505,000.

The missing girl was transported to the Wake County Juvenile Detention Center before being picked by family.

The 16-year-old willfully went with him is what were seeing at first glance of this investigation, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone told ABC11.

It was not like she was bound in the car and things of that nature, but you know, its a young 16-year-old and a grown man, and hes manipulated her and carried her across this country. This is a true case of child trafficking, he added.
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The 68-year-old lighting director for country music star Randy Travis was shot to death over an alleged affair, according to authorities.

According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Christine Ann Roberts, 72, told officers that she shot her husband, Thomas Roberts, because he had cheated on her. She has been charged with criminal homicide.

The stage has gone dim with the passing of Thom Roberts, Mr Travis wrote in a Facebook post tribute.

The country star added that the gentle giant was his friend and I loved him dearly.

As we go back out next week, for the More Life tour of Randy Travis, the music will not be near as sweet; but, I will once again be reminded of the blessing I was given to have Thom Roberts on the road with us for so many miles, and so many memories, Mr Travis added.

It certainly wont be the same; and, I know I speak for the entire band and crew when I say the light that he truly created, in our hearts, will never be extinguished or forgotten, he wrote.

Roberts died from a single gunshot wound to his chest. Mrs Roberts shot her husband on the front porch of the couples home in East Nashville on Sunday, according to authorities. Police said a pistol was recovered from the scene.

A judicial commissioner set bond for Mrs Roberts at $100,000, the report added.

She is scheduled to appear in court on 12 July.
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A number of people close to missing Princeton doctoral student, Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was reportedly kidnapped in Iraq, are speaking out about the lies being spread about her.

Friends and colleagues defended Ms Tsurkov after some of her tweets from more than 10 years ago circulated. In one tweet, she said she was in intelligence and in another, she wrote she was an active reserve duty IDF soldier, fuelling theories that she worked as a spy.

Those who actually know the Princeton doctoral student have said that the allegations are completely ridiculous and offensive, citing Ms Tsurkovs criticism of Israels government as well as outspoken support for Palestinian rights. Both of those stances are prevalent across her Twitter profile.

Gary Spedding, who met Ms Tsurkov in 2012 and has worked with her on a number of human rights projects in support of Palestinian refugees, came to her defence. I am disgusted and appalled by those attacking Elizabeth and using this as an opportunity to spread complete lies about her, Mr Spedding told The Daily Beast.

The people trying to defame her and smear her are aware of how precarious her situation is Its absolutely horrific, infuriating. They are disgusting cowards, and they really know exactly what it is theyre doing. They seem gleeful about it and its shameful, absolutely shameful, he continued.

Its absolutely horrifying. I was truly panicked and very upset that this is now a massive news piece. Its such a horrific situation. Shes not just got detractors who are criticizing her for being a potential spy: shes also got right-wing Israelis who despise the fact that she supports Palestinian rights calling her a traitor, and saying the Israeli government shouldnt bother helping her. Its all absolutely disgraceful, Mr Spedding added.

An author and Middle East expert familiar with Ms Tsurkov and her work, Robin Yassin-Kassab, also discussed her positions toward the Israeli government.

She was somebody who openly criticized Israeli policy and she was working for justice and equality throughout the region. Ultimately, people like her are a benefit to the region and to the people in it, Mr Yassin-Kassab told The Daily Beast. He also added that he was appalled by the online criticism of the kidnapped Princeton student.

The people whove kidnapped her are monsters whove committed huge crimes against the Arab peoples of Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon. I hope that were all free of them, and I hope that we can get to a situation where people are not targeted just because of their ethnic or national or religious origin, he continued.

A journalist, who spoke to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity, described Ms Tsurkov as a dear friend and called the spy allegations seriously repugnant and inhumane.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement last week that Ms Tsurkov had been kidnapped in Iraq while doing field work in the country, and is being held by the Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah.

Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being, Mr Netanyahu wrote. Ms Tsurkov is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, the Israeli prime minister added.

The Iraqi government announced it opened an investigation into Ms Tsurkovs kidnapping, a government spokesperson said on Friday.
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The sole suspect in the Tylenol poisoning murders that claimed seven lives and led to changes to how over-the-counter prescription drugs were manufactured and sold has died.

James Lewis, 76, was found unresponsive at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Sunday, and pronounced dead soon after, authorities said.

His death has frustrated law enforcement who had continued to pursue Lewis over the indiscriminate 1982 killing spree in the Chicago area that left six adults and a 12-year-old girl dead from cyanide poisoning.

Lewis was convicted of attempting to extort manufacturer Johnson & Johnson after sending a letter claiming responsibility for the deaths and demanding $1m to stop the killing.

He was questioned as recently as September over the poisonings, in which a suspect laced bottles of Tylenol with potassium cyanide.

But no-one has ever been charged over the deaths, which led to widespread panic and sweeping changes to the way prescription drugs were bought and sold.

Lewis was arrested in 1982 after a nationwide manhunt, and served 12 years in federal prison for trying to extort the drug manufacturer.

He later admitted sending the letter, but said he never intended to collect the ransom fee.

In a 1992 jailhouse interview with ABC 7 Chicago, he described how the killer would have used a pegboard to drill holes into the Tylenol capsules and inject them with deadly cyanide.

James Lewis described how the killer would have carried out the deadly poisoning plot in a jailhouse interview (Associated Press)

Lewis always denied he had carried out the poisonings.

Former US Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who prosecuted Lewis for extortion, expressed regret he had avoided being held accountable for the murders.

I was saddened to learn of James Lewis death. Not because hes dead, but because he didnt die in prison, Mr Margolis said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune.

Another who worked on the case, retired FBI special agent Roy Lane, told the news site that justice had been short-circuited by Lewis death.

Victims Mary Kellerman, 12, Mary McFarland, 31, Mary Lynn Reiner, 27, Paula Prince, 35, and Adam Janus, 27, his brother Stanley Janus, 25, and sister-n-law Theresa Janus, 20, all lived in the Chicago area.

They were hospitalised and died within the space of a few days in late September and early October 1982, triggering a nationwide scare.

Police suspected revenge as a potential motive for the killings.

Lewis 5-year-old daughter Toni had died in 1974 after sutures made by Johnson & Johnson and used to fix a congenital heart defect had tore.
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For decades, they both sexually assaulted dozens of underage girls and young women.

They preyed on their victims by first earning their trust  one as a top doctor for athletes and the other as a generous billionaire mentor offering to help pursue their dreams.

They then abused this position of trust and power by subjecting victims to a campaign of sexual abuse over several years.

And, for a long time, they got away with it as  despite the glaring warning signs  these two powerful men went unchecked by authorities, public figures and other people in power.

Larry Nassar and Jeffrey Epsteins crimes and patterns of abuse are no doubt chillingly similar.

But, besides the suffering they caused to others, no connection was ever made between the two offenders.

That is, until last month, when a trove of 4,000 pages of documents related to Epsteins jailhouse death were released by the federal Bureau of Prisons under the Freedom of Information Act.

Now, in another bizarre twist it has emerged that, just weeks after this shocking link came to light, Nassar was violently attacked inside the high-security federal prison in Florida where he has been held since 2018.

Sources told The Associated Press that the convicted sex abuser, 59, had been stabbed multiple times  including in the chest and back  by another inmate at United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida over the weekend.

A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that life-saving efforts were carried out on the inmate  who they refused to confirm as Nassar  before he was rushed to hospital.

The extent of his injuries is currently unclear but sources said he is now in stable condition.

Larry Nassar during his sentencing hearing in Michigan in 2018 (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The incident is now the subject of an internal investigation and the FBI has also been notified.

For now, what led up to the attack is currently unclear.

The identity of the attacker remains unknown.

And no motive has been given.

But the timing of his near-death experience behind bars may well raise some eyebrows coming just one month after new details emerged about a surprise connection between Nassar and fellow paedophile Epstein, who died inside his own jail cell back in 2019.

In early June, thousands of pages of BOP records related to Epsteins death were obtained by The Associated Press, including details of his health history, emails and internal agency reports.

Hidden among the 4,000 pages was one especially curious email dated September 2019.

It was an email between staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, New York, which contained some surprising information.

In the 34 days that Epstein was behind bars at the Manhattan jail he had sent a letter to a fellow convicted sex offender 1,100 miles away at a prison in Florida.

That recipient was Nassar.

At the time, Nassar was already convicted and serving hundreds of years behind bars in Coleman.

Epstein, meanwhile, was awaiting trial on a slew of sex trafficking charges in New York.

The letter never reached Nassar.

For some unknown reason, it was returned to sender and was discovered in the Manhattan jails mail room weeks later in September 2019.

By this point, Epstein was already dead.

It appeared he mailed it out and it was returned back to him, the investigator who found the letter wrote in an email to a prison official.

Jeffrey Epstein letter Nassar a letter before his death (New York State Sex Offender Registry)

I am not sure if I should open it or should we hand it over to anyone?

What the officials decided to do with the letter remains a mystery with the letter itself not included within the 4,000 pages of records released under the FOIA request.

Was it mailed again to Nassar? Was it destroyed? Was it kept on record by prison officials?

And, more importantly, what did it say? And why was Epstein writing to a fellow paedophile?

But the biggest question is: Did the two convicted, high-profile sex offenders know each other or have connections to each other prior to their respective arrests and incarcerations?

Nassar has been held at Coleman since his conviction in 2018 for sexually assaulting girls and young women at USA gymnastics and Michigan State University.

As the team doctor, the sexual predator preyed on hundreds of young gymnasts including Simone Biles and Aly Raisman for several decades.

He was finally arrested in December 2016 on child sex abuse image charges  more than a year after his first victim came forward with the allegations.

In 2018, he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct. He is also serving a 60-year federal prison sentence on child sex abuse image charges and a separate 40 to 125 years for sexual abuse in Michigan.

Epstein, meanwhile, was initially convicted in 2008 of procuring an underage girl for prostitution in Florida.

In a now widely condemned sweetheart plea deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced to just 18 months in prison  most of which he served out of prison in a work-release program.

On his release, he was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Then, in July 2019, he was arrested on a slew of sex trafficking charges in New York.

On 10 August 2019  just one month after his arrest on 7 July and not long after he sent the letter to Nassar  he was found dead in his cell.

The medical examiner ruled his death suicide but there have long been questions and conspiracies surrounding his final hours. Last month, the Justice Department watchdog released a scathing report blaming Epsteins suicide on numerous and serious failures by Bureau of Prisons staff.

US gymnasts from left, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, arrive to testify about abuse they suffered at hands of Nassar (AP)

While he died one month later before he could face trial, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking in New York in December 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

It remains unclear if Nassar and Epsteins paths ever crossed during their years of abusing girls and young women.

Its a question that only Epstein and Nassar could truly answer.

Epstein has taken his account  and his reasons for contacting Nassar  to the grave.

An attorney for Nassar, meanwhile, said that they were not aware of any relationship between Mr Nassar and Jeffrey Epstein.

Jonathan Sacks, director of the State Appellate Defender Office where Nassars court-appointed attorney Jacqueline McCann works, told CNN that the office had no knowledge of the letter or Epsteins attempt to contact Nassar prior to the documents release.

Now that Nassar is in hospital recovering from multiple stab wounds, it remains to be seen whether he can and will shed light on the bizarre connection to Epstein  and the contents of that letter.
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Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar was allegedly assaulted by another inmate in the high-security federal prison where he is currently serving a decades-long sentence for convictions that arose from the 2016 USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed to The Independent that an inmate was attacked on Sunday, 9 June and received life-saving measures but declined to provide details about the inmates involved or the inmates medical status for privacy, safety and security reasons.

Two sources close to the situation claimed Nassar was stabbed multiple times in the back and chest, The Associated Press first reported.

Nassar is currently serving a 40 to 175-year prison sentence at the United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Florida on seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and possession of child pornography.

Nassar was at the center of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal when it was revealed that for at least 14 years of his career as the team doctor and an osteopathic physician at Michigan State University, he sexually abused children and young adult athletes.

Heres a timeline of the case against Larry Nassar.

1986 - Nassar joins the USA Gymnastics national team medical staff as an athletic trainer.

2014 - Amanda Thomashow, a graduate of Michigan State University (MSU) files a Title IX complaint against Nassar. She alleges that Nassar touched her inappropriately during a medical examination, only for the institutions inquiry to result in no charges and rule that his behaviour had been medically appropriate.

July 2015 - the FBI opens an investigation into Nassar after the USA Gymnastics president and CEO Stephen Penny reported allegations made by gymnast Maggie Nichols. Mr Penny provides the FBIs Indianapolis field office with the names of three victims willing to be interviewed.

September 2015 - FBI interviews the first and only witness but does not document its findings in a report, eventually known as a 302, until February 2017.

4 August 2016 - The Indianapolis Star publishes the first of a series of investigative reports into Nassars conduct.

30 August 2016 - MSU relieves the doctor of his clinical and patient duties as it carries out a new investigation.

12 September 2016 - The Indianapolis Star publishes another article, this time featuring disclosures from two ex-gymnasts who alleged that Nassar had sexually abused them as children in the 1990s and early 2000s. One, Rachael Denhollander, was named in the article and had filed a complaint against Nassar with the Michigan police. The second accuser was later revealed to be Jamie Dantzscher, a member of the US Olympics team for Sydney 2000, who had launched a civil lawsuit against him in California.

Former gymnast Rachael Denhollander speaks about Larry Nassar in Lansing, Mich. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

20 September 2016 - Nassar is fired from MSU.

22 November 2016 - Nassar is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Michigan, including one with a person under 13. He pled not guilty and was freed on a $1m bond but the states attorney general said the matter was just the tip of the iceberg, with police revealing that 50 victims had made sexual abuse claims against him.

16 December 2016 - Nassar is arrested and indicted on federal child pornography charges. The indictment says he was in possession of thousands of indecent images of children collected between 2003 and 2016.

10 January 2017 - Eighteen victims file a federal lawsuit against Nassar, MSU, USA Gymnastics and the Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, alleging sexual assault, battery, molestation and harassment between 1996 and 2016. Nassar loses his medical licence.

19 February 2017 - Three ex-gymnasts - Dantzscher, Jeanette Antolin and Jessica Howard - discuss experiences with Nassar in an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS.

11 July 2017 - Nassar pleads guilty to three child pornography charges.

22 November 2017 - Nassar pleads guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct as part of a plea deal in exchange for prosecutors dropping eight other charges against him and not adding charges for other sexual assault incidents that had subsequently emerged.

7 December 2017 - Nassar sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.

Larry Nassar sits in court listening to statements before being sentenced by Judge Janice Cunningham for three counts of criminal sexual assault in Eaton County Circuit Court on February 5, 2018 (Getty Images)

16 January 2018 - Seven-day hearing begins in Ingham County at which 156 women give powerful victim-impact statements.

22 January 2018 - Entire board of USA Gymnastics steps down under pressure from the US Olympic Committee.

24 January 2018 - Ingham County hearing ends with Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentencing Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison and telling him: I just signed your death warrant. On the same day, Lou Anna K Simon steps down as president of MSU, apologising to the victims in her resignation letter and reflecting on the evil of Nassar.

31 January 2018 - Eaton County hearing begins, also in Michigan, where Nassar pleads guilty to three charges of criminal sexual conduct - two of the charges relating to girls between the ages of 13 and 15 and one against a girl younger than 13. Another 60 women come forward to give victim-impact statements, with the total of accusers now at 265.

5 February 2018 - Nassar sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, to be served concurrently with Ingham County sentence but after the child pornography sentence.

16 March 2018 - MSU reaches $500m settlement with 332 of Nassars victims.

22 August 2018 - Nassars appeal of his 60-year sentence on child pornography charges is rejected by a three-judge panel of the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

14 July 2021- US Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz issues a scathing report accusing the FBI of botching the investigation six years earlier and therein allowing the abuse to continue unchecked.

15 September 2021- Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Ms Nicholes testify about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Nassar to the US Senate Judiciary Committee. In her statement, Biles blames a system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse.

22 April 2022 - Thirteen women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Nassar file a lawsuit seeking $130m from the FBI for failing to act quickly on accusations, allowing Nassar to assault more young athletes.

17 June 2022 - Michigan Supreme Court rejects Nassars final appeal.

10 July 2023 - Nassar is stabbed multiple times in federal prison in Florida, the Associated Press reported. He was described as being in stable condition.
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A woman who considered herself a surrogate parent to Rudy Farias before he was reported missing eight years ago has spoken out following revelations that he was at home with his mother the entire time.

Jacque Brunswick lived in the same Houston neighbourhood as Mr Farias in the years before his mother, Janie Santana, claimed he vanished in March 2015.

She appeared on NewsNation on Friday to react to the news that Ms Santana had lied about his disappearance. The bizarre case made international headlines this week after Ms Santana announced that her son, now 25, had been found after almost a decade - before police confirmed he was never actually missing.

Ms Brunswick said she became close with Mr Farias following his brothers death in a motorcycle accident.

Rudy was really having trouble dealing with it and was wanting help, she said. And it wasnt just me. There was some other people that you know, we started that taking him under our wings.

Ms Brunswick said the then-teenager was sheltered and appeared to be afraid of his mother.

He was a very timid young man, would not look at you when he spoke, especially if she was around, she told anchor Chris Cuomo. He would look at the ground and fidget with his hands.

After Mr Farias was reported missing at 17 years old, Ms Brunswick said she suspected Ms Santana was involved.

I honestly had always thought that Janie had something to do with it, had her hands in it some way or somehow, she said.

After a couple of years I started grieving him because I truly thought that he was dead.

Then suddenly, on 29 June, Ms Santana announced that her son, now 25, had been found alive but battered and bruised outside a church in Houston.

Following an interview with investigators, community activist Quanell X said that Mr Farias has claimed he was held by his mother in her home where she physically and sexually abused him for the duration of his alleged disappearance.

On Thursday, Houston Police confirmed in a press conference that Mr Farias had in fact returned home on 8 March 2015  just one day after he was reported missing.

However, they denied the claims of abuse and revealed there are no intentions to bring charges against his mother.

The police briefing  not to mention the weeks events  resulted in more questions than answers as the case takes bizarre twists one after the next.

What exactly happened to Mr Farias over the past eight years, why his mother sought to deceive authorities and how she seemingly succeeded for all this time continue to be something of a mystery.
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A private investigator who tried to track down Rudy Farias says she believes his mother Janie Santana may be suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Brenda Paradise told The Independent that early on she felt many of Ms Santanas claims about her sons disappearance in 2015 didnt add up, and says his mother probably lied to rake in thousands of dollars in public donations.

Mr Farias was reported missing on 6 March 2015 after going to take his two dogs for a walk, sparking an eight-year missing person investigation.

After Mr Farias was found badly injured and reportedly non-verbal outside of a Houston church on 29 June, the Houston Police Department revealed that he had in fact returned to his mothers home the day after he went missing.

Houston police said Ms Santana had repeatedly lied to them about her sons disappearance, but they were declining to press charges at this time pending further investigation.

Ms Paradise began working on the case three days after Mr Farias was reported to have gone missing, and devoted hundreds of hours to finding him.

She said she wasnt surprised when he turned out to have been with his mother all along. But her jaw dropped when she heard police would not be pressing charges.

If somebody had held a little blonde girl hostage all those years, police would have been all over this case.

She believes Ms Santana violated several laws including filing a false police report, withholding information and obstructing an investigation.

Then there are the troubling allegations of sexual and physical abuse that Mr Farias allegedly told activist Quanell X about during a meeting at a Houston hotel on Wednesday.

Police said during a press conference this week that they have no evidence of sexual abuse.

Private investigator Brenda Paradise says the Rudy Farias missing person case is the strangest shes ever come across (Supplied)

Ms Paradise believes Mr Farias could be deemed to be a vulnerable adult, in which case a whole raft of other charges may be warranted.

Somebody has to do right by Rudy, she said.

Ms Paradise, who has been involved in hundreds of missing persons cases, said this was the absolute most bizarre case I have ever worked.

The experienced investigator took The Independent through her records on the case, which revealed disturbing and previously undisclosed details.

Was Janie Santana suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Ms Paradise told The Independent that when she first got involved with the case, she became aware that Ms Santana had created a GoFundMe page claiming that her son had been diagnosed with cancer.

She said she didnt see any evidence that the diagnosis was genuine, and was unsure how much money the fundraiser attracted.

After Mr Farias case began attracting attention, the cancer fundraiser quietly went away. She said she mentioned the page to the Houston Police Department (HPD).

After Mr Farias was reported missing, Ms Santana set up a second fundraiser with the goal of making $75,000 to help find Rudy. She received just over $2,000 before the page was shut down this week.

Days after Mr Farias disappeared, Ms Paradise said she attended a community fundraiser organised to aid the search.

GoFundMe campaign for Rudy Farias (GoFundMe)

She told The Independent Ms Santana showed up two hours later, pocketed approximately $2,000, and then left within 20 minutes.

I dont know what shes trying to get money for but its been a money grab the whole way. Ms Paradise told The Independent.

This was backed by his aunt Pauline Sanchez-Rodriguez, who told reporters on Thursday that she believes her sister was manipulative and greedy.

According to a missing person poster circulated in 2015, Mr Farias was suffering from PTSD, depression and anxiety at the time he went missing. He also reportedly had asthma.

Ms Santana used to take the teenager for regular hospital checkups, insisting that doctors check and scan him for all manner of illnesses, Ms Paradise said.

Ms Paradise said she only knew of Mr Farias ever having one friend, a woman his mothers age who he met while gaming online.

The private investigator got to know the woman, who she is not naming, and said she became akin to a mother figure to him.

In conversations since Mr Farias disappearance, the woman insisted that he had never been seriously unwell, didnt have asthma, or cancer, as his mother had claimed.

Mr Farias told this female friend that he had been left traumatised by the death of his half brother Charles Uresti in a motorcycle accident in 2011.

Ms Paradise said Ms Santana had told him to go to the site of the accident, and he saw his brothers corpse at the scene.

In 2012, Ms Santana insisted on taking her son into hospital for brain scans, Ms Paradise said. During the visit Child Protective Services separated the pair and questioned Mr Farias.

Ms Paradise firmly believes Ms Santana may have been suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which the Cleveland Clinic defines as a mental illness in which a caregiver acts as if their dependant has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick.

Ms Paradise holds masters degrees in counselling, and is familiar with the symptoms of the rare disease.

She also revealed that Ms Santana had claimed to have found a suicide note written by Mr Farias.

Based on handwriting analysis, and what she now knows about the case, she believes Ms Santana wrote it after Mr Farias had gone missing.

The Independent has attempted to reach Ms Santana to ask her about the allegations.

The search

On 6 March 2015, Mr Farias reportedly left his home at around 6pm to take his two dogs for a walk near Tidwell and Park Drive in northwest Houston.

A few hours later one of the dogs returned home. The next morning, the second dog showed up, according to a missing person report.

The 17-year-old was reported missing by his mother on 7 March 2015.

A missing person flyer identified Rudy Farias as suffering from PTSD and depression

In the weeks after Mr Farias was reported missing, Ms Paradise organised a search of Mr Farias last known location with the local volunteer fire department using specially trained canines and cadaver dogs.

Ms Paradise said the search teams recovered a childs backpack, a wallet and an inhaler.

Ms Santana insisted that the wallet and backpack were her sons, even though both items clearly belonged to other children. They were turned over to Houston PD, she said.

According to Ms Paradise, Ms Santana continued to appeal for money on her Facebook pages to follow up tips.

Ms Santana operated several pages under her own name and aliases, and used photos of attractive younger women that appeared to have been taken from the internet.

On Facebook, Ms Santana solicited donations to go to California to check on an injured person who matched a description of her son and had showed up in hospital, the private investigator said.

Ms Santana also asked for money to pay a ransom to a suspected human trafficker in Tijuana, Mexico, who she falsely claimed had kidnapped Mr Farias.

She even went to a morgue to identify a deceased body, after getting a call from a medical examiner, Ms Paradise said.

She spoke to an aunt who confirmed she had gone to the morgue with Ms Santana.

Pauline Sanchez, an aunt of Rudy Farias, speaks to the media outside Houston Police headquarters (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Ms Paradise said she encouraged Ms Santana to go on television to appeal directly for Mr Farias return, but she refused to show her face.

What mother doesnt want to put their face out there really?

Another perplexing detail came when Ms Paradise learned that his mother had given an incorrect date of birth for her son.

She had claimed he was 17 years old at the time of his disappearance, but a school ID apparently confirmed that he was in fact 18.

Ms Paradise told The Independent she became suspicious about the mother from the beginning of the case. When she started asking difficult questions that Ms Santana didnt like, she said they lost contact.
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The discovery of a 25-year-old Texas man who had been reported missing eight years earlier was briefly welcomed as a minor miracle.

But since Rudy Farias was found with severe injuries outside of a Houston church on 29 June, the baffling story has unravelled with claims of lies, alleged abuse and greed.

Neighbours said they had seen Mr Farias at his mother Janie Santanas house, and expressed surprise that he was regarded as a missing person.

It then emerged that Mr Farias had reportedly told investigators he was held captive and abused by his mother for year  a claim Houston police say they have no evidence of.

In a press conference on Thursday, police confirmed Mr Farias had returned home in March 2015, the day after he was supposed to have gone missing.

Police said Ms Santana had lied to them as they chased leads in the case, but that they were not pressing charges at this stage.

Here is a timeline of the perplexing case.

2011 to 2014: Childhood tragedies

Rudolph Rudy Farias IV was born in Houston in October 1997 to parents Rudolph Farias, a Houston police officer, and mother Janie Santana.

The young boy endured tragedy from a young age.

In 2011, his half-brother Charles Uresti, 21, was killed in a motorcycle crash when Rudy was just 13.

A private investigator hired by the Farias family told NBCs Dateline in 2015 that Mr Farias and his mother were the first to the crash scene.

Rudy Farias reportedly had a mental age of 10 when he went missing at the age of 17 (Texas Center for the Missing)

He watched his best friend die right in front of him, Brenda Paradise told Dateline.

His brother was his best friend in the world. He's just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.

Then in 2014, his father took his own life while under investigation for a fake speed ticketing scheme.

An investigation by KHOU 11 found that officers were falsely claiming to have witnessed speeding infractions in order to claim overtime by testifying in court.

Mr Farias Sr had reportedly earned $158,000 in overtime in the previous three years.

Mr Farias aunt, Pauline Sanchez-Rodriguez, said at a press conference on Thursday that Mr Farias was understandably traumatised by the two tragedies. And that, after them, his mother began to assume control of his life.

March 2015: Disappearance

On 6 March 2015, Mr Farias reportedly left his home at around 6pm to take his two dogs for a walk near Tidwell and Park Drive in northwest Houston.

A few hours later one of the dogs returned home. The next morning, the second dog showed up, according to a missing person report.

The 17-year-old was reported missing by his mother on 7 March 2015.

A missing flyer from that year claimed Mr Farias had been diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety, and had likely stopped taking his prescribed medication at the time of his disappearance. Mr Farias was described as 58, weighing about 215 pounds and having brown hair and brown eyes.

His cousin Michelle Rodriquez told the New York Post this week that although Mr Farias was 17 at the time, he had a mental age of a 10-year-old.

On 8 March 2015, it has now emerged that Mr Farias returned home.

A GoFundMe campaign set up by Rudy Farias mother Janie Santana raised more than $2,000 (GoFundMe)

But, despite this, Ms Santana did not tell police he was no longer missing  instead keeping up the pretence for the next eight years.

On 22 March 2015, a GoFundme page was launched seeking donations to help Ms Santana in the search for her son.

It has been over a Month and Rudy is still Missing, it stated. Please help us find RUDY FARIAS IV!

Ms Santana said her son was suffering from physical and mental disabilities. The fundraiser took in $2,025, and is reportedly under investigation.

A month after the apparent disappearance, Houston police told Dateline they did not suspect foul play, and were investigating it as a missing person case.

In 2017, Ms Santana told KHOU 11 that detectives had informed her Mr Farias could have been abducted and sold to human traffickers.

2018-2022: Sightings

In 2018, Mr Farias cousin Cassandra Lopez called Houston police to say he had been spotted at his mothers home, according to Click 2 Houston.

When officers showed up at Ms Santanas home, they said they didnt find any sign of the missing boy.

Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)s missing persons unit, told reporters this week that officers had unspecified interactions with Mr Farias during the eight years he was missing. It was unclear when exactly this happened.

During those interactions, he said both mother and son gave false names and dates of birth to officers, and claimed that Mr Farias was her nephew not her son.

Ms Lopez said that her grandmother told her she would often speak with Mr Farias during the years that he was allegedly missing.

According to Click 2 Houston, neighbours would also often see Mr Farias at his mothers home. They knew him by the name Dolph.

29 June 2023: Farias is found

At about 10pm on 29 June, a good samaritan found Mr Farias lying badly injured outside of the Immaculate Heart Church in southeast Houston.

Community activist Quanell X leads Rudy Farias out of a police meeting on Wednesday (ABC13)

3 July 2023: Mom celebrates return

On 3 July 2023, Ms Santana released a statement thanking media and public for all their support.

The statement reads: My son Rudy Farias IV was found on Thursday, June 29th, after being missing for eight years. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudys case. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.

Ms Santana released a photograph of her son in a hospital bed. Her sisters would later claim the picture was from 2012.

Soon, questions began to mount about the truth of his apparent eight-year disappearance.

5 July 2023: Rudy meets investigators

On 5 July 2023, Mr Farias and Ms Santana met with detectives from Houston Police Departments missing person unit in a hotel.

Quanell X, a prominent local activist and counsellor, said he also met with Mr Farias alone at the same hotel.

According to Quanell X, Mr Farias detailed serious allegations of physical, sexual and mental abuse he had suffered during the past eight years.

Janie Santana, the mother of Rudy Farias, has said she expected to be arrested after her son was reportedly missing for eight years (Twitter / KPRC 2 Corley Peel)

A video emerges of Ms Santana being filmed by neighbours saying she expects to be arrested.

6 July 2023: Police give update

Police hold their first press conference since Mr Farias was found, where they confirmed that he had in fact returned home the day after he was reported missing back in 2015  while his mother continued to maintain he was still unaccounted for.

Mother Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family [saw] coming and going, said Lt Zamora.

Lt Zamora said the district attorney had declined to bring charges at this time for making fictitious reports to police.

Being missing is not a crime, Mr Zamora told the press conference.

Mr Farias, who was 17 when he was first reported missing, was considered an adult under Texas state law at the time, he said.

Police also contradicted the claims of abuse, saying they had no evidence to support Quanell Xs claims.

After the press conference, Quanell X doubled down on his claims in an interview with The Independent and accused HPD of trying to hide from conducting a shady sham investigation.

Its all confusing as hell to me now, he said. I think theyre revictimising the kid all over again.

I believe he needs extensive medical, psychological help and treatment.

Pauline Sanchez, an aunt of Rudy Farias, speaks to the media outside Houston Police headquarters (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Later that day, Mr Farias aunt Pauline Sanchez-Rodriguez said she was reunited with her traumatised nephew during an emotional press conference.

She said he no longer wants to be around his mother, and was staying with family friends.

Hes gone through a lot and I still feel that further actions need to be taken, she said.

Ms Sanchez-Rodriguez said he was not ready to share further details about what he had gone through.

Ms Santana meanwhile has reportedly fled the family home.
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A community activist who first aired claims that Rudy Farias was abused by his mother has doubled down after a denial by Houston police.

Quanell X, who says he was in the room with Mr Farias when he spoke to investigators on Wednesday, emerged from the meeting to tell reporters that the 25-year-old had described being hidden and subjected to abuse by his mother, Janie Santana, for eight years after she reported him missing in 2015.

Houston police officials denied this account at a press conference on Thursday, saying there was no evidence that Mr Farias was abused.

Reached by The Independent shortly after the press conference, Quanell X said: I believe that Rudy is absolutely a victim.

He went on to repeat his claims to reporters the day before while alleging that Mr Farias had been instructed to lie to police by his mother.

The kid was distraught ... absolutely distraught, Quanell X said of Mr Farias demeanour in the police interview. He went back and forth; he acted like a teenager, then he would act 20...is he 23 or 25? He went back and forth between like a child state to a mature state.

He went on to accuse police of trying to hide from conducting a shady sham investigation.

Its all confusing as hell to me now, he said. I think theyre revictimising the kid all over again.

I believe he needs extensive medical, psychological help and treatment.

At Thursdays press conference, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner confirmed that Mr Farias had never actually been missing as his mother claimed.

Ms Santana filed a missing persons report on 6 March 2015, claiming that her then-17-year-old son had vanished while walking the familys two dogs. An open police investigation into his disappearance continued until Ms Santana said he had been discovered outside a church in Houston on 29 June.

Ms Santanas account of what happened to her son came under intense scrutiny when neighbours emerged to say that theyd seen him around the neighbourhood during the years of his alleged disappearance.

On Thursday, police confirmed that Mr Farias had in fact returned home the day after he was reported missing - but that Ms Santana maintained he was still unaccounted for.

Houston police said both Mr Farias and Ms Santana had claimed he was her nephew when interviewed by police in the missing persons investigation.

Both Janie, Rudys mother, and Rudy himself gave fictitious names while interacting with various patrol officers, Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)s missing persons unit, told reporters.

After investigators talked with him yesterday, it was discovered that Rudy returned home the following day on March 8 2015.

Mother Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family [saw] coming and going.

Mr Zamora said the district attorney had declined to lay charges at this time for making fictitious reports to police.

Being missing is not a crime, Mr Zamora told the press conference.

Mr Farias, who was 17 when he was first reported missing, was considered an adult under Texas state law.

Mr Zamora denied Quanell Xs claims that Mr Farias had suffered sexual and physical abuse during the past eight years, saying: We do take all allegations seriously and any new information or facts that we receive will be investigated.

Police said they would not release any information about the possible sexual abuse of a victim, and declined to comment whether mental health had been a factor in the long-running saga.

They did not discuss a possible motive for the eight-year deception.

Quanell X, meanwhile, called for Ms Santana to face charges.
 Close Rudy Farias mother is not facing charges for eight-year lie, police say

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Rudy Farias mother once claimed that her son had been kidnapped by human traffickers while she was actually hiding him in her own home, according to a private investigator.

Brenda Paradise told The Independent she devoted hundreds of hours to finding Mr Farias but grew suspicious of his mother Janie Santana.

Ms Paradise said that Ms Santana repeatedly asked for money on her Facebook pages to help track her missing son down.

Once, she asked for money to pay a ransom to a suspected human trafficker in Tijuana, Mexico, who she falsely claimed had kidnapped Mr Farias. She even went to a morgue to identify a deceased body, Ms Paradise said.

Mr Farias made headlines last week when Ms Santana announced that the now-25-year-old had been found eight years after she reported him missing in 2015.

Houston police later confirmed that he was never missing and had been living at home with his mother the whole time.

Community activist Quanell X later claimed Mr Farias had alleged alarming abuse by his mother. After his claims were refuted by police, he doubled down in an interview with The Independent. Ms Santana has not been charged.
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With tensions surrounding Guatemalas June 25 presidential election heightening, President Alejandro Giammattei took the unusual step of publishing an open letter Monday saying he has no intention of staying in power beyond his term.

Two weeks have passed since electoral authorities identified two presidential candidates to face off in an Aug. 20 runoff. But the courts have intervened at the request of some political parties and blocked certification of the results.

The delay fed rumors that Giammattei, an unpopular leader accused by the U.S. government and others of backsliding on democracy, might be looking to hold onto power because one of the candidates in the runoff has vowed to tackle corruption.

Without providing specifics, Giammettei denounced a campaign of disinformation and absolutely false and biased rumors. He said he was telling Guatemalans that he would respect the constitutional end of his term on Jan. 14, 2024.

He said the second round of voting should go ahead as scheduled and he would work on the transfer of power with whomever is elected.

Last week, under order from the Constitutional Court  Guatemalas highest  panels reviewed precinct vote tallies that had been challenged by some political parties.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal then said the review did not change the elections results, which showed conservative Sandra Torres and progressive Bernardo Arevalo as the top two vote-getters among the 22 presidential candidates.

But late Friday, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Justice  the court designated to handle the election challenges  issued an order that the process to certify the results could not go forward until electoral authorities reported to her on their methods and any inconsistencies found.

The presidents letter was published shortly before the Supreme Court of Justice convened Monday to resolve the pending legal challenges to the election results.

Despite the emphatic language assuring the cessation of the position and the call to respect the second round date, (Giammatteis) statement does not clarify what the president would do if the Supreme Court ... decided for whatever reason to change the results, said Tiziano Breda, a Latin America expert and researcher at Italys International Affairs Institute.

Giammattei tries to present himself as the guarantor of the separation of powers, but he and his party are the architects of the judicial intervention that is delaying the certification of the results, Breda said.

Later Monday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal urged calmed. In a broadcast news conference, tribunal President Irma Palencia said, We are making our greatest effort to continue guaranteeing the protection of the vote, because this election is won or lost at the ballot box and that is where you are invited to participate again Aug. 20.
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Donald Trump wanted to tap the phones of White House aides who he suspected of leaking information, according to bombshell claims made by a former Trump administration official.

Miles Taylor, who served as the Department of Homeland Securitys chief of staff under Mr Trump, has claimed in his new book Blowback that the then-president floated the idea to pursue leakers by tapping phones at some point in 2018.

The idea was quickly shut down by then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly who warned Mr Trump he would be breaking the law.

Mr Kelly quickly nixed the suggestion, knowing it would be illegal, Mr Taylor writes in the book excerpt, obtained by Axios.

Mr Trumps camp has since denied the claim and hit out at Mr Taylor and his memoir which has made a series of shocking claims about Mr Trumps time in office.

In a statement to Axios, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung fired back: Miles Taylor is a loser and a lying sack of s***. His book either belongs in the discount bin of the fiction section or should be repurposed as toilet paper.

Mr Trump once accused his predecessor, former president Barack Obama, of tapping his own phone in the run-up to the 2016 election  without any evidence.

Mr Trump made the shocking claim in 2017 that Mr Obama had wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower in Manhattan. For his part, Mr Obama strongly denied the accusation and Mr Trump later walked back the claim, saying he meant surveillance more broadly.

The news of the disgraced ex-presidents desire to surveil his own staffers comes just days after the release of a sworn statement from Mr Kelly in which the ex-Marine general said Mr Trump floated the idea of targeting critics and perceived enemies with Internal Revenue Service probes.

In a deposition taken as part of a lawsuit from ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok, Mr Kelly said Mr Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies could be mounted into Mr Strzok, who along with another FBI colleague had been shown to have disparaged Mr Trump in private text messages.
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President Joe Bidens itinerary this week in Europe is dominated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and his continued efforts to rally an international coalition against Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

But first, some tea.

The U.S. presidents initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where hell meet with King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May. Biden did not attend Charless coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead, and Mondays visit will be marked by a bit of royal pomp  including a royal salute, a viewing of U.S.-related artifacts at Windsor Castle and teatime for the two men.

Biden and Charles will also use their visit to bring attention to climate issues, hosting a forum that will focus on how to encourage private companies to engage in more clean energy efforts, specifically in developing economies.

The president has huge respect for the kings commitment on the climate issue in particular, that he has been a clarion voice on this issue and more than that, has been an actor, someone whos mobilized action and effort, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told reporters on Air Force One as Biden traveled to London. So the president comes at this with enormous goodwill.

That visit will be paired with what will be the sixth meeting between Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since he assumed his role in October. It's all meant to highlight the so-called enduring special relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. When Biden declined to attend Charless coronation, he promised the king in a phone call that he would visit soon.

Biden last had formal talks with Charles, then prince, at the COP26 U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. The U.S. president also attended the state funeral of Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September as well as a reception for heads of state at Buckingham Palace the night before the service.

The climate portion of Biden and the kings visit on Monday also underscores the high priority that the environment has been for the 74-year-old Charles, who has long fought to protect wildlife and battle climate change. Formally called the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum, Biden and Charles will be briefed by officials from the financial and philanthropic sectors on their discussions about expanding clean energy initiatives in developing nations.

Before making his way to Windsor Castle, Biden will sit down with Sunak in a session that the White House says will focus on a range of global issues but is sure to be dominated by their continued efforts to back Ukraine. The two nations have been among the most stalwart defenders of Kyiv, and the U.K. has pushed the White House to take more aggressive steps in providing military aid to Ukraine.

But now its the Biden administration that has taken steps that 10 Downing Street feels go too far, with the U.S. presidents decision this week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a weapon that more than two-thirds of the members of the NATO military alliance have barred for their potential threat to civilian life.

Biden has acknowledged that providing the bombs  which open mid-air and release smaller bomblets across a broad swath of land  was a difficult decision but he noted that the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and that the weapons were necessary for them to continue their fight against Russian forces.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, Biden said in a CNN interview ahead of his trip to Europe. But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians ... from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont. And I think they needed them.

Sunak, for his part, has distanced himself from the U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The U.K. is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use, he told broadcasters on Saturday. The U.S. is not a party to that agreement.

We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russias illegal and unprovoked invasion, but weve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine, Sunak added.

Sullivan downplayed the disagreement over cluster munitions, saying that I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what we're trying to accomplish and as united as ever  both in this conflict and writ large.

The prime ministers office said his meeting with Biden on Monday will be an opportunity to monitor progress on measures and initiatives under the Atlantic Declaration, which the two leaders signed when Sunak visited the White House last month.

This includes negotiations which have now begun on a U.K.-U.S. Critical Minerals Agreement, which will support the UK and US shared leadership in green technology, the statement said.
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President Joe Biden is kicking off his first full day of his trip abroad this week with a visit to the UK where he will meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III.

The president landed in London on Sunday night ahead of Mondays meeting with Mr Sunak, where the two leaders will discuss a range of topics including the war in Ukraine and will seek to bolster the US-UK special relationship.

After that, he is heading to Windsor to meet the King  after infamously snubbing his coronation back in May.

From there, the president will travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, for a meeting of NATO leaders.

While Ukraine  and the USs recent controversial decision to send cluster munitions to help in the war efforts  is expected to dominate conversations among the leaders, all eyes will also be on the presidents actions.

Mr Biden has a well-documented history of embarrassing gaffes  something he admits, having once referred to himself as a gaffe machine.

The president, 80, has a speech impediment which is often blamed for his verbal gaffes on the world stage.

However, his string of verbal  and physical  slip-ups have been seized upon by his political rivals, in particular Donald Trump, who have sought to claim that they are a sign of a lack of mental competence.

Whatever the reason, its undeniable that Mr Biden has become notable for his blunders from muddling up leaders and wars to a series of trips and falls.

As all eyes turn to his actions during his visit to the UK, here are some of his most notable gaffes to date:

Muddling up the wars in Ukraine and Iraq

In another infamous slip-up in June 2023, the president muddled up the ongoing war in Ukraine for the Iraq War, which ended in 2011.

Mr Biden was speaking to reporters on the south lawn of the White House before heading to Chicago when he was asked whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin had been weakened by the Wagner Groups mutiny.

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had briefly led a rebellion marching towards Moscow.

Mr Biden responded by saying that Mr Putin was clearly losing the war in Iraq.

Its hard to tell, but [Putins] clearly losing the war in Iraq, losing the war at home. And he has become a bit of a pariah around the world, he said.

Joe Biden says Putin is 'losing the war in Iraq'

God save the Queen

That same month, Mr Biden made another verbal gaffe when he bizarrely closed out a speech on gun control with the proclamation: God save the Queen, man.

The president was speaking to a group of gun control advocates at the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut at the time.

The slip-up raised eyebrows as to who he was referring to.

Was it Queen Elizabeth II who died in September 2022? Or was it Queen Camilla who was crowned just one month earlier when King Charles III took the throne in a coronation that Mr Biden famously snubbed?

The White House later sought to explain away the bizarre reference by saying that he was merely commenting to someone in the crowd.

Biden says God save the Queen as he wraps up his gun safety speech

Mr President?

The last time Mr Biden and Mr Sunak met, the US president accidentally called him by his own moniker: Mr President.

The UK PM travelled to Washington DC for a two-day trip in early June where the two leaders held a meeting in the Oval Office White House.

As they smiled for photos, Mr Biden said: Well, Mr President...

Quickly correcting himself, he added: I just demoted you, Mr Prime Minister.

The two laughed off the slip-up and continued with their meeting.

Joe Biden mistakingly calls Rishi Sunak 'Mr President'

Biden tumbles on stage at Air Force Graduation

Mr Biden took a rather large tumble while on stage at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in early June.

The president delivered the commencement address at the event and stayed on stage as graduates were handed their diplomas.

As he walked off, he then stumbled and fell to the ground.

He was helped up by Air Force officials and appeared to point at a sandbag as the culprit responsible for the mishap.

White House communications director Ben LaBolt later tweeted that he was fine and that there was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.

Joe Biden falls at the Air Force Graduation

This is far from the only time Mr Biden has taken a tumble.

Napping at COP26

In a video that went viral on social media, Mr Biden was caught sleeping on the job at the COP26 climate change conference in Scotland in November 2021.

In the clip, the president was seen appearing to nap during the opening remarks at the climate event  with his eyes shut at one point for more than 20 seconds.

An aide was seen popping over and nudging him from his apparent slumber.
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A federal appeals court in Tennessee has upheld a law banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, the first such federal court ruling to side with the wave of newly enacted state laws prohibiting affirming healthcare.

Last month, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that blocked Tennessees law after a legal challenge from a group of trans children and their families.

On 8 July, two Republican-appointed judges on a three-judge appeals court panel allowed the state to enforce the law, marking the first time that a challenged law against gender-affirming care has taken effect while a series of legal challenges against similar bans play out across the country.

Federal judges in five other states  Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Florida and Kentucky  have ruled that such bans are likely unconstitutional. A decision in the Arkansas case permanently struck down that states law, the first ban on affirming healthcare for trans youth in the US, marking the first such ruling in the country after a weeks-long federal trial.

Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLUs LGBT & HIV Project, condemned the latest Tennessee ruling as divorced from precedent, from the lower court opinion and from reality.

It is a scary moment for trans people and our health care as the reality of these circuit courts is upon us, he added. But we will absolutely keep fighting and figure something out.

Judges reject every other court and robust medical facts

Tennessees ban immediately took effect with the appeals court order on 8 July.

The law prohibits doctors from providing affirming healthcare to trans youth and forces trans youth to end their current care within nine months.

A legal challenge from a group of trans youth and their families argued that the law amounts to unconstitutional discrimination in violation of the 14th Amendment, a similar argument in other lawsuits targeting state bans on affirming care. Most of the treatments that make up a medical transition are regularly prescribed to non-trans people, including hormone replacement therapy and puberty blockers.

In her dissenting opinion, Judge Helene White said that Tennessee law likely does discriminate based on sex because it allows such care for any other child unless they are transgender, noting that until today, every federal court addressing similar laws reached the same conclusion.

I fail to see how the state can justify denying access to hormone therapies for treatment of minor Plaintiffs gender dysphoria while permitting access to others, especially in light of the district courts robust factual findings on the benefits of these treatments for transgender youth, she wrote.

A statement from the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal and other civil rights groups and attorneys that joined the lawsuit said that the ruling is beyond disappointing and a heartbreaking development for thousands of transgender youth, their doctors, and their families.

As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Tennessee to know this fight is far from over and we will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Tennessee is made a safer place to raise every family, they added.

One of the plaintiffs, a 15-year-old girl identified as LW, will no longer be able to access care in her home state, and must end her treatment by March of next year.

I feel hurt. I feel like they  dont see me as human, she told WPLN. Without gender-affirming care, I wasnt really able to be myself because I physically wasnt myself. And its very scary going through that.

Her family and other families with trans kids are considering whether to seek care outside of Tennessee, complicated by a wave of other similar measures playing out in other states.

The two states where we were looking to go for care if the injunction wasnt granted, now have bills of their own, which means we have to go even further, LWs mother Samantha Williams told WPLN.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (AP)

Guidelines from major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Counseling Association, among others, agree that such care is clinically appropriate for trans youth experiencing gender dysphoria.

But Donald Trump-appointed Judge Amul Thapar and George W Bush-appointed Judge Jeffrey Sutton said they would not defer to mainstream medical authority for the same reason we would not defer to a consensus among economists about the constitutionality of labor laws.

The judges admitted, however, that the decision amounts to their initial views in a case that is expected to resolve in that court no later than 30 September.

We may be wrong, they wrote. It may be that the one week we have had to resolve this motion does not suffice to see our own mistakes.

How courts are using the Supreme Court ruling on abortion to target trans rights

The 2-1 ruling in the appeals court repeatedly invokes the US Supreme Courts decision to strike down a constitutional right to abortion, underscoring the parallel legal battles for transgender rights and the right to abortion care.

The ruling mentions the Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization decision nine times to argue that Tennessees law against affirming healthcare for trans youth does not discriminate on the basis of sex because the regulation of a medical procedure that only one sex can undergo does not trigger heightened constitutional scrutiny.

It also argues that gender-affirming care is not proven to be deeply rooted in our history and traditions.

Mary Ziegler, a leading historian and legal expert on abortion rights, said it is fascinating to see the court treat Dobbs as a new paradigm for sex equality too  one that resurrects and supercharges other Supreme Court rulings on reproductive health.

Days after the Dobbs decision in June of last year, officials in Alabama filed a challenge that relied on that decision to end gender-affirming care. More than a dozen states have advanced explicit protections for both abortion access and gender-affirming care, noting the partisan-driven campaigns targeting them both.

Its hard to exist as a transgender person in Tennessee

Hundreds of bills aimed at LGBT+ people, particularly young trans people, have been filed in nearly every state within the last several years. Within the first five months of 2023 alone, state lawmakers had introduced more than 500 bills impacting LGBT+ people, including 220 bills specifically restricting the rights of trans and nonbinary Americans, according to an analysis from the Human Rights Campaign.

The Republican-appointed judges in the Tennessee appeals court cited that wave of anti-trans legislation as evidence that the states are indeed engaged on these issues.

In Tennessee, lawmakers passed a raft of anti-trans legislation signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee. Federal courts have struck down state law banning public drag performance and a measure that directs how trans people should use bathrooms.

Another recent court ruling upheld a state law prohibiting trans people from correcting their gender marker on their birth certificates, making Tennessee one of just three states with such a policy.

Its hard to exist as a transgender person in Tennessee at this moment, plaintiff Jaime Combs said in a statement following that ruling.

To have the court join state officials to willfully not see us for who we are adds to that burden. All my life Ive been carrying an inaccurate birth certificate, complicating my life and making me feel not seen by my government, she said. My heart is saddened as the court has refused to address the harms imposed by Tennessees policy, but I will continue to fight against the discrimination that continues to be perpetuated by the state of Tennessee.
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Donald Trump was back at it again on Truth Social over the weekend.

The ex-president is working to secure his victory in the Republican nominating contest before it even officially begins, swiping at any rival that dares to pull into competitive territory. At present, that largely means gratuitous attacks aimed at Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, who is the only other Republican consistently pulling double-digit poll numbers.

On Saturday, Mr Trump claimed that the Florida governor was now seeking to depart the presidential race after Mr DeSantiss poll numbers dropped somewhat in the wake of the ex-president being indicted on state and federal charges.

Ron DeSanctimonious is desperately trying to get out of the Presidential race, while at the same time saving face for 2028, where he has been greatly damaged, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He went on to suggest that money transferred over from the governors 2022 reelection bid to his presidential campaign may have been done so illegally  though the governor hasnt been accused of committing any crimes by any credible authority.

It was the kind of attack that Mr Trump has been lobbing at the governor for months  to little response. Mr DeSantis has largely refrained from attacking his rival in the 2024 contest, apparently fearful of alienating the Republican base in a way that Mr Trump does not worry about.

The Florida governors campaign for the 2024 nomination is also complicated by the entrance of a number of Republican rivals such as Nikki Haley, Sen Tim Scott and others, all of whom are thought to be splitting the vote share of Republicans who have grown tired of the former president.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has seen his own poll numbers grow amid his two criminal indictments, with many Republicans seemingly taking his word that he is innocent of the crimes for which he is charged and agreeing that he is the subject of a witch hunt.
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Gov Ron DeSantis just got some of his worst polling news yet.

A survey of likely Republican primary voters in the Sunshine State by Florida Atlantic University shows him firmly trailing former President Donald Trump, with the pairs other rivals for the GOP nomination far out in the wilderness. Mr Trump leads Mr DeSantis 50-30 in the survey.

The poll affirmed two narratives involving the DeSantis campaign: The 2024 Republican primary, at present, is a two-candidate contest. And Mr DeSantis is losing.

While losing one state is hardly a death knell for a presidential candidate, losing ones home state as that states incumbent governor is another story entirely. And adding to the pressure is the states high delegate count  125  and rules declaring that the winner of the state primary will receive all the delegates, rather than apportioning them by vote percentage.

Presidential primaries in the US are decided by the number of votes cast by delegates won by individual candidates in various state primaries and caucuses around the country. In 2024, the Republican candidate who successfully wins the nomination will be the individual who secured the votes of at least 1,234 delegates.

Donald Trumps victory in Florida over his then-rival Marco Rubio, a US senator from the state, in 2016 was seen as the end of Mr Rubios campaign; the Florida senators campaign cratered after a damaging debate-stage confrontation with Chris Christie. Other candidates such as Sen Ted Cruz and John Kasich suffered similar defeats on their home turfs, paving Mr Trumps path to the nomination.

Mr DeSantis remains the only other Republican polling above the 10 per cent margin in this poll and many other surveys of the 2024 field. At present, the surveys suggest that the Florida governor is the sole contender with a shot at beating the former president, but he has yet to rebound in support after a muffled entrance into the field.

Still, other Republicans like Nikki Haley and Chris Christie are likely to make it on the debate stage alongside the former president, and could shift the dynamics of the race if they are able to mount effective attacks against him.

The Florida Atlantic Universitys poll surveyed likely 315 GOP primary voters in Florida between 27 June and 1 July, with a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
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Former president Donald Trump reportedly further strained his relationship with Republican party leadership in Iowa after failing to show up for senator Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" charity.

Except for Mr Trump, eight of the GOP 2024 presidential election hopefuls were present at the senator's charity event last month  a combination of barbecue-rally and motorcycle rides that kick off a busy summer campaign season heading into the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former vice president Mike Pence, US senator Tim Scott, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and other candidates dressed for the occasion in leather and reached out to supporters.

Mr Trump declared that he would not participate in the event but his campaign had expressed interest in sending videotaped remarks to be played for the crowd, according to a New York Times report.

However, the former president failed to send the videotape, allegedly leaving Ms Ernsts operation with a large bill that was wasted on renting screens for the purpose of showing the tape.

The former president also potentially ruined the senator's plan to use a motorcycle helmet signed by all of the Republican candidates to sell tickets to the event.

The event organisers sent the helmet to Mr Trump, who returned it later than expected and had added the numbers '45' and '47,' signaling he would be the next president.

The helmet was never used, the newspaper said.

The presidential hopefuls during the event all tiptoed around mentions of the 45th president. Ms Haley repeated a version of a line she has been using as a candidate that seems to allude to Mr Trump and his political career as replete with controversies.

Its time for a new-generation leader. Weve got to leave the baggage of the negativity behind, she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump in Iowa earlier this week attacked the Florida governor as an enemy of corn-based ethanol in his largest campaign event in the state.

The former president spoke to more than 1,000 Iowans and Nebraskans packed into the event hall inside Mid-America Center.

Mr Trump declared himself the most pro-farmer president that youve ever had at the event, which was aimed at promoting his administrations agricultural record.

I fought for Iowa ethanol like no president in history, he said.
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Former president Donald Trump is treading through waves of backlash after a video circulated of him taking selfies with police officers.

Dan Scavino, a senior adviser on Trumps 2024 campaign and former White House deputy chief of staff, posted the video on Sunday of the former president greeting law enforcement officers at Los Angeles International Airport.

Mr Trump is seen shaking hands and taking selfies with dozens of officers from several law enforcement agencies.

A Tennessee election commissioner, Chris D Jackson, tweeted in response: Im really confused how government agencies continue to let this kind of political involvement by on the job, uniformed officers take place. Its a clear violation of taxpayer dollars.

In the same vein, one Twitter user wrote , Not LA cops doing a Trump photo op on our taxpayers dime.

In a reply, another user said , This should piss off every taxpayer of LA.

Yet another user reacted to the video, tweeting that the act was a Disgrace to all the US capital and DC metro police officers who were attacked by trumps maga thugs.

Newsweek asked Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung about the online criticism. He replied, President Trump is the law and order President, and hes the only one who can bring safety and security to all communities.

The incident happened just days after Florida a man associated with the Proud Boys, according to prosecutors, was sentenced to five years in prison for attacking police officers with pepper spray on January 6.

The January 6 Committee determined in February that Mr Trump was the  central cause  of the events that transpired on that day.

Mr Trump is facing a number of ongoing lawsuits, as well as a 37-count federal indictment. He remains the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race.
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Tucker Carlsons Twitter show has reportedly suffered a significant drop in viewership since his debut episode of Tucker on Twitter.

Journalist Matt Binder tweeted the number of video views the former Fox News host has garnered since his Twitter show began on 6 June. While his first show attracted 26.7m video views, the subsequent episode attracted half as many: 13.9m.

His most recent episode, his eighth, only garnered 3.8m video views, according to Binder. It counts as a view if someone watched the video for more than two seconds.

Media Matters senior fellow Matthew Gertz also calculated the views per posts, noting a significant decline since Carlsons show launched. Although the first post generated 120m views, his most recent only generated 8.6m.

Carlson was fired from Fox News  for reasons that reportedly remain unknown to the networks former superstar. In March, one month before his termination, Carlson averaged 3.3m viewers per show, according to Nielsen.

The social media platforms views arent necessarily equivalent to broadcast news views. According to Twitter, a post view is tallied when anyone who is logged into Twitter who views a Tweet counts as a view, regardless of where they see the Tweet (e.g. Home, Search, Profiles, etc.) or whether or not they follow the author. If youre the author, looking at your own Tweet also counts as a view. The views are also not always from unique viewers, the social media giant noted.

Carlson may have joined Twitter at a particularly turbulent time for the platform, after Elon Musk took over. Mr Musks policies have sparked a lot of criticism from users as well as a Congressional investigation. Things may have gotten more complicated last week after the Twitter killer app was introduced. Threads, a rival platform created by Mark Zuckerberg, comes as many fed-up Twitter users are threatening to leave Mr Musks platform.

I dont know why I was fired. I really dont. Im not angry about it. I wish Fox well, Carlson said during a recent podcast interview. Fox News reached a massive $787m settlement with Dominion Voting Systems after spreading false statements about the voting machine company.

His former employer sent him a cease-and-desist letter, to which Carlsons lawyer replied, he will not be silenced.

The Independent has reached out to Carlson and Twitter for comment.
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Sweden's foreign minister expressed optimism on Monday that Turkey will drop its objections to Swedish NATO membership, saying the Nordic's country's accession is a question of when, not if.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were expected to meet later Monday in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, ahead of a two-day NATO summit.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told public broadcaster SVT that he expects Turkey will eventually signal that it will let Sweden join the alliance, though he couldn't say whether that would happen at the annual summit.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light ... a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Billstrom said.

Turkey has stalled Swedens NATO accession, saying it needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers as threats to its national security. Anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Stockholm raised doubts that an agreement could be reached before the alliances summit.

Billstrom said Sweden has fulfilled its part of a tripartite deal that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last years NATO summit in Madrid.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when," he said.

Billstrom said he expects Hungary, which also hasn't ratified Sweden's accession, to do so before Turkey.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April this year.
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Walt Nauta, the aide to Donald Trump who has been charged with helping the disgraced ex-president conceal classified documents from the government he once led, has asked the judge overseeing the criminal case against him and Mr Trump to delay a routine hearing to discuss how the court plans to handle the classified information prosecutors are expected to present in the case.

In a motion to delay a pretrial conference on Classified Information Procedures Act matters scheduled for Friday 14 July, Mr Nautas lawyer, Stanley Woodward, writes that the hearing should be postponed because he is unavailable due to a trial commitment in Washington, DC.

Mr Woodward claims that he was unable to object to the previously scheduled hearing until now because Mr Nauta did not have a local attorney until just before his arraignment on 5 July 2023 even though he was indicted nearly a month prior on 8 June.

Mr Nauta respectfully requests the Court continue the July 14, 2023, CIPA conference to a date that is mutually convenient to the parties, he said.

Even though Mr Nauta has since retained a local attorney, Mr Woodward argued that going through with the hearing will prejudice his client because he wont be able to attend.

He also claimed that hes unable to meaningfully opine on any motions or discovery schedules relating to classified information because he has not yet been granted a security clearance.

Nor is it feasible to expect Mr. Nautas local counsel to appear at a pretrial CIPA conference and to agree upon, a discovery and motion schedule relating to any classified information, barely a week after she has been retained by Mr. Nauta. Accordingly, continuing the pretrial CIPA conference will not prejudice either the Court, the government, or the public interest, but rather, will conserve time, expense, and judicial resources while the parties allow the security clearance process to proceed, he added.

In response, prosecutors said in a filing of their own that Mr Nautas filing did not say when Mr Woodward would be available, nor did it explain why his local attorney, Sasha Dadan, would be incapable of representing his interests at the 14 July hearing.

An indefinite continuance is unnecessary, will inject additional delay in this case, and is contrary to the public interest. The government therefore opposes this motion, said Jay Bratt, the veteran national security prosecutor working for Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Mr Bratt and his co-counsel added that the 14 July session is a crucial step in this prosecution because it will affect the overall timing of the rest of the case against Mr Nauta and Mr Trump.

Almost a month has passed since the grand jury returned its indictment. There is a strong public interest in the conference occurring as originally scheduled and the case proceeding as expeditiously as possible, they said, adding later that neither of Nautas proffered justifications for his request was persuasive because Ms Dadan is required by court rules to be ready to adequately represent him at any time and because Mr Nautas motion for a delay is silent as to any alternative steps Mr. Woodward might seek to take to participate in the hearing, if he believes his presence is necessary.

Sasha Dadan and her client Walt Nauta (AP)

The prosecutors also noted that Mr Woodward and Ms Dadans participation in the hearing is not in any way contingent on having security clearances, and pointed out that Mr Woodward has not yet submitted paperwork required to obtain a clearance more than a month into the case.

Through the CIPA Section 2 pretrial conference and its continuance motion, the government is ... requesting that the Court set firm dates for the efficient movement of this case. Delaying the CIPA Section 2 hearing by at least a number of weeks, without any persuasive justification for doing so, is contrary to that goal and the public interest, they said.

The matters is now in the hands of Judge Aileen Cannon, who as of late Monday had not yet issued a ruling on Mr Nautas motion.

Mr Trump and Mr Nauta also have until close of business on Monday to object to a government motion to delay their trial until 11 December of this year.
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The Ukrainian military has begun deploying controversial cluster munition supplied by the United States in their counteroffensive against Russias Invasion, Washington has said.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters: We have gotten some initial feedback from the Ukrainians, and theyre using them quite effectively.

They are using them appropriately, they are using them effectively, Mr Kirby added.

Cluster bombs have been banned by more than 120 countries, with many allies and humanitarian groups also opposing the use of the bomb.

However, the use of cluster bombs does not violate international law when used on the battlefield, but any use in populated areas is considered a war crime.

Ukraine welcomed the Biden administrations decision to provide the weapon and said it needed weapons, more weapons, and more weapons, including cluster munitions if it is to defeat Russia.

Cluster bombs typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill at random, over a large area and those that fail to explode can be a danger for years to come.

Here is a look at what cluster munitions are, why they are so controversial and where they have been used.

What is a cluster munition?

A cluster munition is a bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller bomblets across a wide area. The bomblets are designed to take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.

The munitions are launched by the same artillery weapons that Western allies have already provided to Ukraine for the war  such as howitzers  and the type of cluster munition that the US is sending is based on a common 155 mm shell that is already widely in use across the battlefield.

A Ukrainian serviceman carry a 155mm shell into self-propelled howitzer "Bohdana" before firing towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023 (AP)

Why are they so controversial?

In previous conflicts, cluster munitions have had a high dud rate, which meant that thousands of the smaller unexploded bomblets remained behind and killed and maimed people decades later. The US last used its cluster munitions in battle in Iraq in 2003, and decided not to continue using them as the conflict shifted to more urban environments with more dense civilian populations.

Brigadier General Pat Ryder  the Pentagon press secretary  said the US Defense Department has multiple variants of the munitions and the ones that we are considering providing would not include older variants with [unexploding] rates that are higher than 2.35 per cent.

A convention banning the use of cluster bombs has been joined by more than 120 countries, which agreed not to use, produce, transfer, or stockpile the weapons and to clear them after they've been used. The US, Russia and Ukraine haven't signed on.

Why provide them now?

For more than a year the US has dipped into its own stocks of traditional 155 howitzer munitions and sent more than two million rounds to Ukraine. Allies across the globe, including the UK, have provided hundreds of thousands more.

A 155 mm round can strike targets 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometres) away, making them a munition of choice for Ukrainian ground troops trying to hit enemy targets from a distance. Ukrainian forces are burning through thousands of rounds a day battling the Russians.

Yehor Cherniev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, told reporters at a German Marshall Fund event in the US that Kyiv would likely need to fire 7,000 to 9,000 rounds daily during the intensified counteroffensive. Providing that many puts substantial pressure on US and allied stocks.

The cluster bomb can destroy more targets with fewer rounds, and since the US hasnt used them in conflict since Iraq, it has large amounts of them in storage it can access quickly, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

A March 2023 letter from top House and Senate Republicans to the Biden administration said the US may have as many as three million cluster munitions available for use, and urged the White House to send the munitions to alleviate pressure on American war supplies.

Cluster munitions are more effective than unitary artillery shells because they inflict damage over a wider area, Mr Brobst said. This is important for Ukraine as they try to clear heavily fortified Russian positions.

Tapping into the US stores of cluster munitions could address Ukraines shell shortage and alleviate pressure on the 155 mm stockpiles in the US and elsewhere, Mr Brobst said.

Is using cluster bombs a war crime?

The use of cluster bombs itself does not violate international law, but using them against civilians can be a violation. As in any strike, determining a war crime requires looking at whether the target was legitimate and if precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The part of international law where this starts playing [a role], though, is indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians, Human Rights Watchs associate arms director Mark Hiznay said. So that's not necessarily related to the weapons, but the way the weapons are used.

Where have cluster bombs been used?

The bombs have been deployed in many recent conflicts.

The US initially considered cluster bombs an integral part of its arsenal during the invasion of Afghanistan that began in 2001, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The group estimated that the US-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan during the first three years of the conflict.

The Defense Department had been due to stop use of any cluster munitions with a rate of unexploded ordnance greater than 1 per cent, by 2019. But the Trump administration rolled back that policy, allowing commanders to approve the use of such munitions.

Syrian government troops have often used cluster munitions  supplied by Russia  against opposition strongholds during that countrys civil war, frequently hitting civilian targets and infrastructure. And Israel used them in civilian areas in south Lebanon, including during the 1982 invasion.

During the month-long 2006 war with Hezbollah, HRW and the United Nations accused Israel of firing as many as four million cluster munitions into Lebanon. That left unexploded ordnance that threatens Lebanese civilians to this day.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has been criticized for its use of cluster bombs in the war with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that has ravaged the southern Arabian country.

In 2017, Yemen was the second deadliest country for cluster munitions after Syria, according to the UN. Children have been killed or maimed long after the munitions originally fell, making it difficult to know the true toll.

In the 1980s, the Russians made heavy use of cluster bombs during their 10-year invasion of Afghanistan. As a result of decades of war, the Afghan countryside remains one of the most heavily mined areas in the world.

Which countries have banned the cluster bomb?

The Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international treaty of more than 100 states which prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

The Convention was first adopted on 30 May 2008 in Dublin by 107 States and signed in Oslo on 3 December the same year, according to its official website.

It soon became binding international law when it entered into force on 1 August 2010 and so far, there have been a total of 123 States which have joined the Convention  111 States Parties and 12 Signatories.

Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK are among the NATO members who have expressed opposition to the use of cluster bombs.

The full of countries can be found here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
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Police officers who scoured a reservoir in Portugal in the search for Madeleine McCann have hit a fresh roadblock in their investigation.

A large section of the Barragem do Arade reservoir was cordoned off in May, about 30 miles from where three-year-old Madeleine went missing in Praia da Luz 16 years ago.

It is believed that the main suspect in the case, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, regularly visited the reservoirs peninsula and had described it as a little slice of paradise.

But detectives searching the reservoir have now said there is no compelling evidence Madeleine is there, according to The Sun.

Holes up to 2ft deep were dug up in the reservoir search, in the hope of unearthing clothing fibres, local media reported.

But despite initial hope, German public prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told newspaper Bild: Please dont expect too much.

It came after police reportedly received a tip off that Brueckner had visited the lake shortly after the three-year-old went missing in May 2007.

Madeline McCann went missing in Portugal in 2007 (PA)

Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment in a Praia da Luz resort while her parents dined 50m away.

Her younger twin siblings were also in the apartment at the time but were left untouched.

The Arade Dam reservoir in Portugal was searched in June (AP)

Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have been searching for answers since.

The Arade Dam is approximately 30km from the resort where the family was staying.

Christian Brueckner is a suspect in Madeleine McCanns disappearance (Italian Carabinieri)

Brueckner was first named in connection with the mystery in 2020 and officially made a suspect last year.

His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly spotted near the Praia da Luz resort around the time Madeleine vanished.

He is currently in a German prison over the rape of an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in the 2000s.
 Close Holes up to 2ft deep were dug up in the reservoir search, in the hope of unearthing clothing fibres, local media reported

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Police officers who scoured a reservoir in Portugal in the search for Madeleine McCann have warned against hope as they hit a fresh roadblock in their investigation.

A large section of the Barragem do Arade reservoir was cordoned off in May, about 30 miles from where three-year-old Madeleine went missing in Praia da Luz 16 years ago.

It is believed that the main suspect in the case, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, regularly visited the reservoirs peninsula and had described it as a little slice of paradise.

But detectives searching the reservoir have now said there is no compelling evidence Madeleine is there.

Holes up to 2ft deep were dug up in the reservoir search, in the hope of unearthing clothing fibres, local media reported.

But despite initial hope, German public prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told newspaper Bild: Please dont expect too much.

This comes after a former friend of Brueckner, Helge Busching, claimed that the jailed paedophile had told him she didnt scream during a conversation about the missing three-year-old.

He told Bild he revealed the crucial information to Scotland Yard in 2008 but was ignored.
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Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has unexpectedly announced he will leave politics after a general election sparked by the collapse of his coalition government over an immigration row.

It marks the end of his run as the longest-serving government leader in the nation's history. Mr Rutte has been in power for 13 years, earning the nickname Teflon Mark because scandals that plagued his four different administrations did not stick to him.

Mr Rutte, the leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), announced his decision at a hastily-arranged parliamentary debate. He said: Yesterday morning I made a decision that I will not be available again as a leader of the VVD. When a new cabinet takes office after the elections, I will leave politics.

The Dutch leader's four-party ruling coalition resigned on Friday after failing to agree on a package of measures to rein in migration, an issue that often has divided the EU as a whole. He is now heading a caretaker administration until fresh elections can be held later in the year. But he told parliament he would not run for a fifth term in office and would leave politics following the elections.

Mr Rutte called his own move a personal decision, regardless of the developments in recent weeks. He said the coalition governments resignation was a unanimous decision by the four partner parties, prompted by irreconcilable differences.

There is no immediate indication of who might replace Mr Rutte as leader of the VVD. The party's parliamentary faction is led by Sophie Hermans, Mr Rutte's former political assistant.

No date has been set for the election, but it is not expected before October or November.

In the 27-nation European Union, only Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has been in charge of a country longer than Mr Rutte, although their leadership styles could not be more different.

Mr Orban, in power for a full 13 years and counting, has turned Hungary into his vision of an "illiberal democracy" and increasingly smothered all dissent, while Mr Rutte navigated a Western democratic system at its most eclectic.

With uncanny political savvy, Mr Rutte at times managed to twist the arms of not just his coalition partners, but also opposition legislators to pass new policies and remain in charge of governments that provided enough glue to hold together his politically fractured nation of nearly 18 million.

In the house of representatives, the lower chamber of the Dutch parliament, no fewer than 20 parties are represented. To some extent, the diverse lineup reflects the European trend of the political centre losing ground to voices on the far left and particularly the far right. Mr Rutte has overseen a toughening of immigration policy, spurred by a rise of right-wing parties demanding the countrys borders be closed.

Mr Rutte steered the Netherlands through crises ranging from flooding to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. Even his political opponents praised his handling of the aftermath of the plane's downing, which killed about 200 Dutch citizens.

But in recent years he has faced mounting criticism over his handling of farm policy and the climate crisis.

Mr Rutte also became known for seeking forgiveness for past Dutch government policies. When a parliamentary commission said that governments, several of which Mr Rutte led, had put energy profits before the safety of people in northern Groningen province, where earthquakes from gas extraction destroyed homes and the lives of families, he apologised.

"We stand here cap in hand," he said earlier this year.

Two years ago, his third government also resigned to take responsibility for a scandal involving investigations into child welfare payments that wrongly labelled thousands of parents as fraudsters, again hurting hundreds of innocent families. He pledged his government would continue working to compensate affected parents as quickly as possible.

"We are of one mind that if the whole system has failed, we all must take responsibility," Mr Rutte said.

His party, nevertheless, won the ensuing election and he formed his fourth government with the same four parties that made up the coalition that collapsed last week.

This time, though, the political rot set in early, and after 18 months, he was not only unable to hold together his coalition, he was accused by some of setting up its fall with demands that at least one party could not accept.

Despite the many scandals that tarnished his governments, Mr Rutte remained popular among voters. His departure throws the election door wide open and could enable a shift to the political left  or further to the right.

Jesse Klaver, leader of the opposition Green Left party, called it a "historic day" but said that ultimately, as Mr Rutte's fourth and final coalition crumbled in acrimony, "his departure was unavoidable".

Such was Mr Rutte's skill in reconciling political fire and ice that in recent years he has been tipped for the top job at both the European Union and Nato.

AP
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Establishing accurate data on the number of military casualties sustained since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 is difficult for two reasons. The severity of the fighting on the ground and the fact that both sides are inclined to keep their cards close to their chests to avoid damaging morale  especially at a time when the war is entering a pivotal new stage.

The Kremlin, in particular, is unlikely to admit to high fatality rates among its troops because to do so would amount to a confession that Vladimir Putins spurious war to de-Nazify Russias neighbour state is not going according to plan and, in fact, represents a monumental miscalculation on the part of its leader, who is already under pressure at home over the attempted uprising by Wagner Group mercenaries.

Moscow is more likely to downplay its own (rarely offered) numbers  putting the official number at around 6,000  and accuse its enemies of dishonestly briefing against it whenever outside estimates are offered that imply significant Russian losses.

Ukraine, meanwhile, posts a daily report on its Ministry of Defence website listing a cumulative total of the number of enemy personnel liquidated, alongside other combat losses, which stood at the much higher total of 234,480 on 10 July.

Most tolls typically refer to casualties as the preferred military euphemism, under which combatants killed and injured can be grouped together, whereas liquidated seems to imply killed only.

Overseas observers offer a more dispassionate (if still not entirely impartial) assessment of the situation on the ground, which might equally be flawed by their far remove from the realities of life on the frontline.

Local independent media group Mediazone, branded a foreign agent by the Kremlin, nevertheless work hard, operating within a tightly-controlled environment, to offer its own running total of Russian casualties in Ukraine based on what its journalists can corroborate from publicly available information, which currently puts the total at just 27,423 as of its latest update of 7 July.

It works with the BBC but explains: These numbers do not represent the actual death toll since we can only review publicly available reports including social media posts by relatives, reports in local media, and statements by the local authorities.

The real death toll is much higher. Besides, the number of soldiers missing in action or captured is not known.

Another Mediazone partnership with fellow Russian independent outlet Meduza (now forced to operate from Lativa) and Germanys Tubingen University used Russian government data to cast a different light on the question and put the total number of Russian deaths twice as high, at nearly 50,000.

For this count, they relied on a statistical concept popularised during the Covid-19 pandemic called excess mortality. Drawing on 11m inheritance records from the National Probate Registry and official mortality data, they estimated how many more men aged under 50 had died between February 2022 and May 2023 than normal.

According to their analysis, 25,000 more inheritance cases were opened in 2022 for males aged 15 to 49 than expected. By 27 May 2023, the number of excess cases had shot up to 47,000.

Discussing the two approaches, Mediazone editor Dmitry Treshchanin told the Associated Press the first represents only soldiers who we know by name, and their deaths in each case are verified by multiple sources.

As for the second: The estimate we did with Meduza allows us to see the hidden deaths, deaths the Russian government is so obsessively and unsuccessfully trying to hide.

Russians who are missing but not officially recognised as dead, as well as citizens of Ukraine fighting in units of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics, are not included in these counts.

One of the most significant insights to be volunteered so far from Ukraines allies, watching on, came from John Kirby, the White Houses National Security Council spokesperson, who said on 1 May  citing newly declassified information  that the US believed Russia had suffered 100,000 casualties between December 2022 and April 2023, amounting to 20,000 deaths and 80,000 injuries, after becoming caught up in a grinding war of attrition around Bakhmut during the freezing winter months.

Its really stunning, these numbers, Mr Kirby said. Its three times the number of killed in action that the United States faced on the Guadalcanal campaign in the Second World War.

That followed an estimate given by Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, the previous November, when he told an audience in New York that the number of Russian casualties in the first eight months of the war stood at well over 100,000.

If that figure is accurate and is added to Mr Kirbys update, that would put the total well north of 200,000 by this point, roughly in agreement with Ukrainian accounting, although the Kremlin has inevitably disputed Americas calculations and dismissed them as anti-Russian propaganda.

Russian soldiers march towards Red Square as part of a Victory Day military parade in Moscow on 9 May 2023 (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

The US has declined to estimate the number of Ukrainian casualties publicly, arguing that doing so would betray sensitive military information and risk undermining an ally.

However, the top secret Pentagon documents leaked on social media in April  if accurate  suggested that the US Defence Intelligence Agency believed that Ukraine had suffered between 15,500 and 17,500 fatalities at that stage and seen between 109,000 and 113,500 of its soldiers injured.

Those documents, incidentally, put the agencys assessment of Russian casualties at between 189,500 and 223,000, including between 35,500 and 43,000 soldiers killed in action and between 154,000 and 180,000 wounded. That likewise tallies with the other estimates seen so far.

Elsewhere, Norways defence chief, Eirik Kristoffersen, offered a similar ballpark figure when he told his countrys TV2 on 22 January that he believed Russia had suffered around 180,000 deaths and injuries while Ukraines total casualties was significantly lower, closer to 100,000.

In February, the UKs Ministry of Defense said it believed approximately 40,000 to 60,000 Russians had been killed in the war.

As for civilian casualties, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) publishes regular updates of its tallies based on the latest intelligence from the conflict zone.

The most recent such report from the OHCHR was published on 18 June 2023, recording that 9,803 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began 16 months ago and another 15,779 people have been injured.

Of these numbers, 7,072 deaths and 13,001 injuries occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine. In Russian-occupied territory, 2,011 people have been killed and 2,778 injured since the attempted conquest began last year.

These latest figures, recorded between 1 June and 18 June, added 557 civilian casualties in Ukraine to the running total, of which 112 were killed and 445 injured.

However, even here, the OHCHR notes that the actual figures are likely to be considerably higher than those it can substantiate on account of the inevitable delay in receiving information from the most fiercely contested areas, underlining the complexity of saying anything definite about the state of play in Ukraine.
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Tensions along Russias border with Ukraine finally erupted into open warfare on 24 February 2022 as Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in the eastern regions of the neighbouring state, confirming fears that had lingered since the preceding December that he was amassing troops intent on an invasion.

The Kremlin leader said he believed that Russia had to take decisive action to extinguish a threat to its national security and that Moscow planned to carry out the demilitarisation and de-Nazification of Ukraine by toppling its leadership, also promising to put an end to eight years of war in which government forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas.

In the 16 months of fighting that have followed, the Russian military has bombarded cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol with intense shelling campaigns in tactics reminiscent of those previously deployed in Chechnya and Syria and become bogged down in gruelling combat in southeastern Bakhmut while millions of people have fled for neighbouring Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.

Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile continues to lead by example from Kyiv, as he has done throughout the war, tirelessly rallying the international community for support, as his people stage a courageous fightback against Russias armed forces with the help of generous foreign military aid.

US president Joe Biden, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and French president Emmanuel Macron have joined other global powers in condemning Moscows unprovoked and unjustified attack and promised to hold it accountable but have not joined the fight militarily because Ukraine is not currently a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) , whose members are honour-bound to come to the defence of any of its fellows under attack.

Before the war, Mr Putin had previously denied having any intention of invading the neighbouring state and had presented the West with a series of demands, including an end to the eastern expansion of Nato membership to ex-Soviet states and the curtailment of US and alliance military activity on Russias doorstep.

The issue of Ukraines exclusion from Nato has been a long-standing obsession for Mr Putin, who bitterly remembers the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union under his predecessor Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s as a decade of humiliation in which Bill Clintons US imposed its vision of order on Europe (including in Kosovo in 1999) while the Russians could do nothing but stand by and watch, according to diplomatic relations expert James Goldgeier.

Mr Yeltsin did write to Mr Clinton in September 1993 expressing similar concerns, however, saying: We understand, of course, that any possible integration of East European countries into Nato will not automatically lead to the alliance somehow turning against Russia but it is important to take into account how our public opinion might react to that step.

To address those anxieties, the Nato-Russia Founding Act was signed in 1997, a political agreement explicitly stating that: Nato and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries.

The formation of the Nato-Russia Council followed in 2002.

But Mr Putin is nevertheless said to begrudge what he regards as the alliances gradual sprawl eastwards, which saw ex-Soviet satellites Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join in 1999, followed by Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004.

Russian president Vladimir Putin (AP)

He chooses to interpret the recruitment of these nations as the US breaking a promise allegedly made by its then-secretary of state James Baker to Mikhail Gorbachev during a visit to Moscow in February 1990 to discuss German reunification following the fall of the Berlin Wall.

There would be no extension of Natos jurisdiction for forces of Nato one inch to the east, Mr Baker is supposed to have pledged to Mr Gorbachev, according to Russian officials, although the quote is heavily disputed and the latter denied the topic was ever discussed in an October 2014 interview with the Kommersant newspaper.

Mr Putin has nurtured his grievance ever since regardless, no doubt keen to foster anti-Western sentiment at home and consolidate his powerbase, and has strongly opposed other Eastern European states joining the alliance.

It is obvious that Nato expansion does not have any relation with the modernisation of the alliance itself or with ensuring security in Europe, he said at the Munich Security Conference in 2007. On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust.

The following April, attending a Nato summit in Bucharest at which the alliance pledged future membership for Ukraine and Georgia (without specifying a roadmap and overlooking the reservations of France and Germany), he was even more emphatic: No Russian leader could stand idly by in the face of steps toward Nato membership for Ukraine. That would be a hostile act toward Russia.

Four months later, Mr Putin invaded Georgia, destroying the countrys armed forces, occupying two autonomous regions and humiliating a president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who had openly courted Nato membership, actions that brought fresh international condemnation.

For its part, Natos official stance remains that a sovereign, independent and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security.

It points out that its associations with the country date back to the disintegration of the USSR and that cooperation has had to be intensified in light of Russian regional aggression in 2014, when it annexed the Crimea Peninsula and supported the separatist insurgencies in DPR and LPR.

Joe Biden visist Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on 20 February 2023 (Evan Vucci/AP)

For the US, Ukraines path to Nato membership is less clear cut.

Secretary of state Antony Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as recently as 8 June 2021 that we support Ukraine membership in Nato but his deputy, Wendy Sherman, was cagier when she addressed the issue in January, saying only: Together, the United States and our Nato allies made clear we will not slam the door shut on Natos open door policy  a policy that has always been central to the Nato alliance.

Mr Biden, the former top Democrat and later chair of that same committee, had previously believed that turning former Soviet republics into Nato allies marked the beginning of another 50 years of peace but has since pivoted to scepticism about US involvement in far-flung Forever Wars, hence the hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of peace-keeping occupation.

He is also known to be determined to see political and judicial corruption stamped out in Ukraine and reluctant to further provoke the Russian bear, having lived most of his life through the era of mutually-assured destruction, especially given that the security threat posed by China is a current priority that cannot be ignored.

Without Ukraine being part of the alliance, the US and Nato are under no treaty obligation to come to its aid, whereas those security assurances are extended to nearby Baltic states like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since they signed up with the 2004 induction.

All three could become potential future targets for Russian annexation, incidentally, if the current situation leaves Mr Putin feeling emboldened, which was the precisely the motivation that led Finland to join the alliance on 4 April 2023. Sweden could soon follow if opposition from Turkey can be overcome.

Military personnel raise the flag of Finland during a ceremony on the sidelines of a Nato foreign ministers meeting at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on 4 April 2023 (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)

That said, Mr Bidens sabre-rattling rhetoric strongly suggests he is prepared to intervene in some form, even if that does not mean American boots on the ground.

The US provided has provided $41.3bn to Ukraine in defensive military aid since the war began, according to the State Department, and shows no signs of ending its outreach.

If it were to offer more direct defensive resources, the US would be in a position to provide Ukraine with a broad range of assistance free of charge, from air defence, anti-tank and anti-ship systems, electronic warfare and cyber defence systems to supplies of small arms and artillery ammunition.

The announcement in July that the US would begin supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs for very careful use on its own territory against Russian forces was seen in some quarters as a significant escalation, in light of the fact that 100 nations had signed a 2008 treaty in Oslo, Norway, opposing the use of such dangerous weapons (although neither the US nor Ukraine, nor Russia, were signatories).

In making the annoucement, US undersecretary of defence for policy Colin Kohl did admit that the US had previously criticised Russias use of cluster munitions because they done so indiscriminately, and with older, less reliable systems that cause more civilian casualties.

But he insisted Kyiv had assured Washington that they would not use the cluster rounds in civilian areas or urban environments and had also commited to recording where they were used to aid in future post-war cleanup efforts.

Ahead of the latest Nato gathering in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, the Kremlin reiterated its opposition to Ukraine joining Nato, warning that such an eventuality would have very negative consequences for Europes security architecture and that it would be met with a harsh response.
For Ukraine, what it is asking for has been simple  a pathway to membership of Nato to protect its future in the wake of Russia's invasion. For its Western allies however, making that a reality is not so straightforward.

The advantages of membership for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are obvious. Article 5 of the alliance treaty is a cast-iron mutual defence clause that has US, UK and French nuclear weapons at its core. Given the vast swathes of destruction that Moscows aggression has wrought, being given a seat at the Nato table would also give Kyiv the extra layer of security needed during what will be a long period of reconstruction (whenever that comes).

They hoped such a pathway would be granted at a Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. But the alliance itself is not all singing from the same hymn sheet, despite repeated espousals of unity from Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and many member states. For the 31 states in Nato, it comes down to just how willing they are to provoke Moscow, and whether the oft-discussed Article 5 is something that comes instantly or if there are caveats given the fact that Ukraine is already at war. The Kremlin made clear on Monday that Ukraines membership in Nato will have very, very negative consequences.
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Vladimir Putin met the Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after his fighters marched on Moscow in an aborted mutiny, the Kremlin has said.

Mr Putin declared the armed mutiny to be treasonous as it happening, appearing in an emergency television address to denounce what was the most serious challenge to his two-decade rule of Russia. Yet, according to the Kremlin, the president invited the Wagner chief  and a number of his commanders  to a meeting in Moscow so that Mr Putin could give his assessment of both the armed uprising and the mercenary groups war effort during the invasion of Ukraine.

The president gave an assessment of the company's actions on the front, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said of the three-hour meeting on 29 June, to which 35 people were invited. Putin listened to the commanders explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat, Mr Peskov added.

Such calm pronouncements, in stark contrast to those during the 24 hours of the mutiny itself from 23 to 24 June, appear aimed at anchoring the Kremlin narrative that that Mr Putin is back in control of his nation. The issue for the Russian leader is that mystery still surrounds so much of what happened that day, how fraught things still are and Mr Prigozhins movements in the aftermath. Mr Prigozhin does not yet appear to have fulfilled the terms of the deal which ended the standoff  which involved an apparent expectation he would travel to Belarus  what his future plans and those of his fighters are, and why he does not appear to have been punished by the Kremlin. Charges against Wagner were dropped as part of the deal, brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko  but few believe that will be the end of the matter.

The mutiny saw Wagner fighters seize control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don along with its military headquarters building and shoot down an unspecified number of military helicopters, killing their pilots, as they were marching towards the capital. Putin compared the turmoil to the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution.

There is little doubt that the mutiny highlighted severe cracks in Mr Putins authority and the fact that Mr Prigozhin has seemingly been able to travel on the Kremlin's watch despite the exile deal, does not exactly portray the strongman image Mr Putin put out when he said he would neutralise the rebellion. It may be that, given Mr Prigozhins previous clout and the troops at his disposal, the Kremlin is seeking to act cautiously  while projecting a calm image  until the fate of the Wagner leader and those that follow him is completely settled.

To that end, Mr Peskov claimed Wagner commanders had reaffirmed their loyalty to Mr Putin at the Kremlin meeting.

They [the commanders] emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland, Mr Peskov added. Mr Lukashenko has offered for some Wagner fighters to settle in Belarus.

The Kremlin meeting suggests Mr Prigozhin still has some leverage. Beyond this first official confirmation that Mr Prigozhin had definitely travelled back to Russia in the wake of the attempted coup, a plane linked to the Wagner leader appears to have made a number of trips into Russia and there have been reports in local Russian media that he had been in St Petersburg and had been allowed to collect confiscated weapons. Last Thursday Mr Lukashenko said Mr Prigozhin was in Russia, having previously said he was in Belarus. Mr Prigozhins current whereabouts are unknown.

The feud that led to the Wagner mutiny was months in the making, with Mr Prigozhin lashing out at Russias military command, for setbacks on the battlefield and a lack of support for his forces. Wagner mercenaries have been at the centre of some of the fiercest fighting during Russias invasion, particularly around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Mr Prigozhin had aimed expletive-laden messages at the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov in particular. Mr Gerasimov, whose resignation was one of Mr Prigozhins demands during the march on Moscow, had not been seen since the attempted rebellion.

But footage released by the Defence Ministry on Monday, apparently shot a day earlier, showed Mr Gerasimov ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites. The footage indicates that Mr Putin has for now kept his two most powerful military men, in Mr Shoigu and Mr Gerasimov, in their posts, despite rumours that Mr Gerasimov may have been sidelined.

However, the Kremlin is still quiet on the fate of Sergei Surovikin, another top commander who has not been seen since the mutiny, with unconfirmed reports he had been detained for questioning. Mr Surovikin is said to have had a good relationship with Mr Prigozhin.
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Three weeks on from the extraordinary mutiny staged by the Russian paramilitary organisation the Wagner Group, which threatened to bring down Vladimir Putin, details are continuing to emerge about precisely how it was averted.

The armed uprising saw the groups mercenaries leave their posts in eastern Ukraine on Friday 23 June to cross into Russia and occupy the western city of Rostov-on-Don before engaging in what their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, called a march for justice on Moscow to demand the removal of Russias top military officials Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov in protest at their botched handling of the Ukraine invasion.

Mr Prigozhin, 62, had complained for months that his men had been left without sufficient resources as they fought to secure the town of Bakhmut over the hard winter months, frequently taking to Telegram to record messages denouncing the insufficient supplies of ammunition his forces had received from the Defence Ministry.

With things looking black for Mr Putin by the Saturday evening as a Wagner column approached the Russian capital, the standoff was abruptly ended after Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko, a long-time ally of Mr Putin, stepped in to help broker a deal between the two sides, wherein Mr Prigozhin agreed to relocate to Belarus and for his forces to stand down.

It has since emerged that the Wagner leader never arrived in Minsk and is believed to have remained in Russia, adding to the air of confusion surrounding the affair.

On Monday, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov let it be known for the first time that Mr Putin and Mr Prigozhin had actually met in person at the Kremlin on Thursday 29 June, five days after the incident, for a three-hour meeting, attended by 35 people, including senior Wagner commanders who reiterated their loyalty to their leader.

Here is a brief timeline mapping out how the coup-that-wasnt unfolded while the world held its breath.

Friday 23 June

Yevgeny Prigozhin  Wagners leader, a former convict turned restaurant impresario known as Putins chef  complains in a social media message that Russian troops had deliberately shelled his forces on the battlefield earlier that day with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery, killing huge numbers of our comrades, in the interest of wiping out the increasingly unruly contractor.

He trails what is to come by declaring: There are 25,000 of us and we are coming to sort things out... Those who want to join us, its time to finish with this mess.

Saturday 24 June

1am

Vladimir Putin is awoken in the Kremlin and informed of an attempted armed rebellion underway, according to state media.

Dmitry Peskov issues a statement reporting the Wagner Groups move into Rostov-on-Don near the Ukraine border, pointedly referring to it as a rebellion rather than a coup.

7.30am

Mr Prigozhin announces in another social media message that his men have taken control of Rostovs military buildings.

We will destroy anyone who stands in our way, he states, adding: We are moving forward and will go until the end.

This appears to signal Wagners intentions to march on Moscow.

Yevgeny Prigozhin (Prigozhin Press Service/AP)

His forces stand guard outside of the Southern Military Districts headquarters in Rostov while others patrol the streets.

Local residents come outside to observe the situation. Some take photographs with the fighters or bring them food while others condemn their conduct.

Russian media meanwhile reports that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops, although this is not confirmed by the Kremlin.

9.30am

The UKs Ministry of Defence reports that the feud between Wagner and the Russian Defence Ministry has escalated into outright military confrontation and notes that the formers forces had begun to move north almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow.

It added: With very limited evidence of fighting between Wagner and Russian security forces, some have likely remained passive, acquiescing to Wagner.

Wagner Group servicemen sit on top of a tank as local civilians pose for a photo in Rostov-on-Don (AP)

Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russias security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis plays out.

This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.

10am

Wasting little time in attempting to reassert his authority, a visibly angry Mr Putin delivers an address on national television in which he denounces Wagners actions as treason and characterises their leaders conduct as a stab in the back, bitterly declining to utter his name and comparing the mornings events to the revolution of 1917.

This is a criminal campaign. It is equivalent to armed mutiny, Mr Putin fumes.

Russia will defend itself and repel this move. We are fighting for the life and security of our citizens and our territorial integrity.

In the face of those who are fighting on the front, this is a stab in the back of the troops and the people of Russia.

Vladimir Putin addresses the nation (Pavel Bednyakov/Sputnik/AP)

He adds: Those who mutiny have betrayed Russia and I urge anybody involved in it to cease any kind of participation in armed conflict.

These people will be brought to justice on behalf of our people.

Ramzan Kadyrov, regional leader of Chechnya, states his support for Mr Putin and says his own forces are already moving towards zones of tension. Few others join him in making an unambiguous commitment to Mr Putin personally.

Confusion subsequently reigns about Mr Putins whereabouts, after it is reported he had left Moscow by plane, which is swiftly denied by the Kremlin.

11am

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, describes the silence of Russias elites as deafening and tweets: The next 48 hours will define the new status of Russia.

Either a full-fledged Civil War, or a negotiated Transit of Power, or a temporary respite before the next phase of the downfall of the Putin regime.

Mr Zelensky himself later takes to the same platform to say: Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it.

Wagner members on the streets of Rostov (AP)

5pm

A convoy of Wagner forces passes through Voronezh and later Lipetsk en route to Moscow as Russias scrambled armed forces prepare for a counter terrorism operation by erecting checkpoints with armoured vehicles and placing National Guardsmen on the capitals southern outskirts, braced to defend it.

Construction crews meanwhile dig up sections of highways to slow the march while Moscows mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, urges city residents to stay indoors and not to attend work on the coming Monday.

8pm

Almost as suddenly as it began, the Wagner mobilisation ends, as Mr Prigozhin unexpectedly orders his men to stand down and return to their field camps, saying he has no wish to shed Russian blood.

They are just 120 miles south of Moscow when they receive the order to halt.

It emerges that a deal has been struck with Mr Putin, under the terms of which the revolts leader will relocate to Belarus, never to return to Russia.

Wagner fighters who took part will not be prosecuted, Russia says, while those who did not would be offered contracts with the regular Russian army.

Wagner fighters outside of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don (AP)

Sunday 25 June

President Zelensky says during his daily address to the people of Ukraine that Mr Putin is obviously very afraid and is probably hiding, while his defence minister Oleksii Reznikov says the 36-hour mutiny shows the Russian authorities are weak.

Tuesday 27 June

Three days later, once the dust has settled, Russias Federal Security Services announces that it has officially dropped its criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner fighters.

Thursday 29 June

As we now know, Mr Putin and Mr Prigozhin met at the Kremlin on this date, sitting down with 35 other senior military personnel to discuss the episode. Precisely what was said or what conclusions were reached remains unknown.

On the same day, it is reported by The Moscow Times that Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed General Armageddon for his brutal exploits in Syria, has been arrested after being accused of having advanced knowledge of the rebellion and of siding with Mr Prigozhin.

Thursday 6 July

Mr Lukashenko, not always the most reliable of witnesses, speaks publicly for the first time about the talks he helped mediate between Mr Putin and Mr Prigozhin on the evening of 24 June to avert calamity for Russia.

Alexander Lukashenko (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

In so doing, he reveals that the Wagner leader has not yet made his way to Minsk, raising questions about his exact whereabouts and the true nature of the agreement forged to end the standoff.

As for Yevgeny Prigozhin, he is in St Petersburg. Where is he this morning? Maybe he went to Moscow in the morning, he said.

Asked by reporters if the Kremlin knows of Mr Prigozhins current location, Mr Peskov answers, somewhat surprisingly: No, we do not follow his movements, we have neither the ability nor the desire to do so.

On the same day, Russian TV channel Izvestia runs footage of a raid carried out on Mr Prigozhins palatial apartment in St Petersburg, showcasing bizarre finds including a collection of wigs and a stuffed alligator alongside bars of gold bullion, multiple passports, weapons and ammunition as part of a clear bid to discredit him.

Monday 10 July

Mr Peskov first reveals the face-to-face meeting held between the two sides five days after the failed uprising, a further reminder that the international community is still a long way from fully understanding the factors in play.

A video is released showing General Gerasimov hearing a report from the chief of staff of Russias aerospace forces and calling for improvement in identifying the location of Ukrainian missiles, the first time he has been seen going about his duties since the uprising.
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Russias special military operation in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russias neighbour needed to be demilitarised and de-Nazified, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putins warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Battle tanks from the US, Britain and Germany are now being supplied for the first time and Mr Zelensky toured London, Paris and Brussels in early February 2023 to request fighter jets be sent as well in order to counter the Russian aerial threat, a step the allies appear to have reservations about making, although Joe Biden has since visited Kyiv in a gesture of solidarity.

Much of the fighting has been concentrated around the key eastern city of Bakhmut of late, with bombardments and heavy artillery fire taking place as Russian forces ramp up a major new offensive with the one-year anniversary of the war looming.

In the autumn, Mr Zelenskys forces launched a major campaign of their own to retrieve the besieged city of Kharkiv and succeeded in driving Russian orcs out of Kherson but, as Ukraines resistance grows, Mr Putins threats of escalating the fight grow too, causing concern globally about the prospect of nuclear warfare being unleashed.

Mr Zelensky has said Russian officials have begun to prepare their society for the possible use of nuclear weapons but added that he does not believe the Kremlin is ready to use them.

The president believes action is needed now to avert that scenario, pointing out that Russias threats pose a risk for the whole planet and that Moscow has made a step already by occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europes largest nuclear station.

In response to the ever-growing sense that his invasion has backfired, Mr Putin staged a televised address in September in which he ordered a partial military mobilisation of 300,000 reservists and reiterated his threat to use nukes against the West, a major escalation of his rhetoric in which he assured the world: Its not a bluff.

Vladimir Putin (Mikhail Klimentyev/AP)

The Kremlins faltering troops, otherwise saddled with outmoded equipment and sub-standard supplies, have employed brutal siege warfare tactics throughout the war, surrounding Ukraines cities and subjecting them to intense shelling campaigns, a strategy previously seen in Chechnya and Syria.

Ukrainian cities in the east and south have been battered by Russian missiles in pursuit of gradual gains, while the targeting of residential buildings, hospitals and even nurseries and memorials have led to outraged accusations of civilians being intentionally targeted and of war crimes being committed on a massive scale.

The discovery of mass graves in towns like Bucha and Izium have shocked the world.

Mr Zelenskys initial appeals for Nato to implement a no-fly zone remain unanswered as the West fears such an act would be interpreted as a provocation by Russia and draw the alliance into a much larger war over Eastern Europe.

However, US president Joe Biden, his European counterparts Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz and UN secretary general Antonio Guterres have all condemned the Kremlins unprovoked and unjustified invasion and promised to hold it accountable, with the West introducing several rounds of tough economic sanctions against Russian banks, businesses and oligarchs while supplying Ukraine with additional weapons, hardware and defence funding.

The Ukrainian president has recently shown signs of frustration with allied dithering over next steps and the West has also faced criticism for not doing enough to support the millions of refugees from the conflict, who have fled their homeland for neighbouring states like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.

Ukrainian refugees wait in front of the consular department of the Ukrainian embassy in Berlin, Germany, in April 2022 (AP)

So what are the key issues behind the conflict, where did it all begin and how might it unfold?

How did the crisis start?

Rumbling tensions in in the region first began in December 2021 when Russian troops amassed at its western border with Ukraine, creating widespread international concern but not acting until the final week of February 2022, when Mr Putin moved to officially recognise the pro-Russian breakaway regions of the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR) as independent states.

This enabled him to move military resources into those areas, in anticipation of the coming assault, under the guise of extending protection to allies.

That development meant months of frantic diplomatic negotiations pursued by the likes of US secretary of state Antony Blinken, Mr Macron, Mr Scholz and then-UK foreign secretary Liz Truss in the hope of averting calamity had ultimately come to nothing.

Going back even further to 2014 gives the current situation more context.

Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula that year in retaliation after the countrys Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, was driven from power by the midwinter mass protests seen in Kyivs Maidan Square, an angry reaction to his decision to reject a treaty strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between his country and the EU, probably acting under pressure from the Kremlin.

Ukrainians return to Kyivs Maidan Square to celebrate the liberation of Kherson in November 2022 (AFP/Getty)

Weeks later, Russia threw its weight behind two separatist insurgency movements in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, the Donbas, which eventually saw pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk declare the DPR and LPR independent states, although their claims went entirely unacknowledged by the international community.

More than 14,000 people died in the fighting between 2014 and 2022, which devastated the region.

Both Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to back the rebels but Moscow has denied the allegations, stating that the Little Green Men who joined the separatists cause were not really Russian soldiers or had done so voluntarily, hence their lack of identifying insignia, an argument few believe.

A 2015 peace accord  the Minsk II agreement  was brokered by Francois Hollande of France and Germanys Angela Merkel to bring Mr Yanukovychs eventual successor Petro Poroshenko and Mr Putin to the table in the hope of ending the bloodshed.

The 13-point agreement obliged Ukraine to offer autonomy to the separatist regions and amnesty for the rebels while Ukraine would regain full control of its border with Russia in the rebel-held territories in return.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel mediates a tense meeting between then-Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin at a D-Day commemoration in 2014 (AP)

The agreement is highly complex and remains contested, however, because Moscow continues to insist it has not been a party in the conflict and is therefore not bound by its terms.

In point 10 of the treaty, there is a call for the withdrawal of all foreign armed formations and military equipment from the disputed DPR and LPR: Ukraine says this refers to forces from Russia but Mr Putin is adamant in his denials that his country has any of its own troops in the contested regions, despite the obviousness of the untruth.

In 2021, a spike in ceasefire violations in the east and a Russian troop concentration near Ukraine fuelled fears that a new war was about to erupt but tensions abated when Moscow pulled back the bulk of its forces.

How is the situation at present?

As discussed, the fighting has become entrenched around the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar since late 2022, with Russias savage Wagner Group mercenaries battling Ukrainian forces in heavy mud, rubble and sub-zero temperatures in what has become a savage war of attrition.

Of the latest aggressions against Bakhmut, the deputy commander of Ukraines Svoboda battalion, Volodymyr Nazarenko, said: The city, the citys suburbs, the entire perimeter, and essentially the entire Bakhmut direction and Kostyantynivka are under crazy, chaotic shelling.

But after months of costly and violent warfare like this, it is believed that Russian citizens are finally beginning to see through the fog of Kremlin propaganda and understand Mr Putins misjudgement of the war for what it is, the aggressor having suffered devastating losses and economic consequences as a direct result of its leaderships actions.

Ukrainian servicemen drive along a street with BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in the frontline town of Bakhmut in February 2023 (Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Reuters)

The news that the average number of Russian soldiers dying per day has hit 824 in February 2023, four times higher than the rate of casualties recorded in June and July 2022, will only increase the pressure on Mr Putin at home.

A growing reluctance to see more conscripts killed and living standards fall, especially in support of a war so ill-defined, is likely and could eventually lead to street protests.

Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of the intelligence, cyber and security agency GCHQ, said Russians are now feeling the consequences of the Kremlin leaders war choice.

What might happen next?

In October, Russia responded to Ukrainian strikes on a major bridge connecting Crimea to its territory  a matter of huge pride to Mr Putin when it was first opened  by launching a widespread missile bombardment of Ukraine, some of which killed civilians in Kyiv.

Mr Putin called the destruction of the bridge along the Kerch Strait an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.

In response to these assaults, Mr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to wipe his country off the face of the earth while his foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, added that the strikes show Mr Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles.

Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)

Meanwhile, the West continues to assess the risk of nuclear warfare.

Mr Biden has warned explicitly that the conflict could lead to nuclear armageddon. However, the White House has insisted that it has no reason to believe there is an imminent threat of Mr Putin using such weapons just yet.

But the Kremlin leader did make clear in that September address that Russia would consider the use of nuclear weapons against Nato if its territory were to be threatened as a result of the invasion.

At the time, Mr Putin warned: To those who allow themselves to make such statements about Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for some components more modern than those of the Nato countries.

The threat was the most significant suggestion of the use of nuclear weapons by a leader with access to those weapons in decades and threatened to return Washington and Moscow to the height of tensions not seen since the Cold War.

The question of fighter jets now needs to be resolved with some urgency as the war enters a new stage with the coming of spring.

A Ukrainian man surveys the damage caused by a missile strike on a residential area near Kyiv's main train station (Getty)

It is feared that Mr Putin, humiliated by the failure of his conquest so far, could now resort to even more drastic measures as the first anniversary of the war approaches, given that he will be under enormous pressure to present demonstrable wins to a Russian public growing impatient with a futile conflict.

The prospect of the war finally spilling out over Ukraines borders and engulfing the rest of Europe can also not be dismissed, although Nato remains hugely reluctant to take up arms against Russia and will do everything in its power to avert that nightmare scenario.

Ukraine is not (yet) a member of the military alliance, hence Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty not having been triggered before this point.

However, the world saw a near-miss on 15 November when what appeared to be a Russian rocket crossed into Poland, killing two people when it hit a grain silo in Przewodow, Lublin, an act that might well have been interpreted as an attack on a Nato ally necessitating the entire alliance entering the fray to come to its defence.

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and investigators concluded that the blast had actually been caused by a Soviet-era relic from Ukraines own arsenal, which had been fired in an attempt to bring down one of the aggressors projectiles targeting Lviv and drifted off course by mistake.

The West breathed a collective sigh of relief but the episode served to illustrate just how quickly matters could escalate into a much wider war over continental Europe.
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Isis caught Covid-19 before most people had even heard the name. It was December 2019, and the young Indian medical student had been working in a respiratory medicine unit in Mangalore when a patient came in with a strange new virus.

This was one of the first cases in their state, and nobody yet knew how to combat the disease. So when Isis tested positive, they were put into total isolation for the next three months.

I had to submit my temperature to the nurse about three times a day, Isis tells The Independent. I got meals delivered. I had to monitor my blood oxygen. I could read, play video games, and thats it.

With nothing else to do, Isis turned to the internet. They made a bunch of new online friends, many of whom were transgender or non-binary. Suddenly, they were forced to consider a question theyd been avoiding for their entire adult life: could they, too, be trans?

That was when I realised that a lot of these people are exactly like me; they went through the same things that I did, says Isis, who asked for their surname to be omitted because their family and colleagues dont know they are non-binary. Now my entire identity was in chaos. I didnt know who I was anymore.

Across the world, untold numbers of people were about to go through a similar process. They were doctors and teachers, students and software engineers, caregivers and the chronically ill; chefs, playwrights, archaeologists, and night shift grocery store managers. All were caught in a titanic collision between history and their own identity.

For Oliver, then a 35-year-old student in California, it came while he was stuck in Canada helping his sister look after her new baby, pushed into a maternal role that made his discomfort with womanhood inescapable and a forced sobriety that meant he could not numb it with alcohol.

For Lia Novaki, attending high school in rural Germany, it came while locked down at home with no lessons and no social life, and nothing but time and space to experiment with new clothes and new ways of seeing herself.

And for Sophia, a British emergency healthcare worker in her late twenties, it came while writing her will as she prepared to join the front line against a dangerous virus whose nature and fatality rates were not yet known.

Id long thought about transitioning, but there were things that put me off, says Sophia, who uses both she and they as pronouns. Suddenly there was a moment of clarity: actually none of this matters. I could die quite soon, and thats it, and at that point its too late...

[Being trans] was something Id only really said out loud to a very small number of people in my life. But at this precise moment, nothing really mattered apart from whether or not I was going to survive this. And if not, then I didnt want to be remembered as somebody I wasnt.

Lia Novaki was attending high school when the pandemic began (Lia Novaki)

Trans people sometimes liken the moment where they truly realise they are trans to the first cracking of an egg as it hatches. Using that metaphor, the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have been a mass egg-cracking event without precedent in history.

The Independent heard from 205 trans and gender-non-conforming people who transitioned during the pandemic, and interviewed 16 directly. 195 of them submitted responses to an online survey created for this article, while the rest were contacted via other channels. Many, including Sophia, asked to be identified only by their first name or a pseudonym for fear of discrimination or exposure.

They lived in countries from Argentina to the Philippines, with ages ranging from their teenage years to their early sixties. 63 per cent of survey respondents said their egg cracked during the pandemic, 68 per cent said they started transitioning, and 6 per cent said they continued a transition theyd already begun.

Their experiences echoed those of trans celebrities such as the actor Elliott Page and the social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who attributed their awakening partly to Covid lockdowns.

Not a single person said the pandemic made them trans. Instead, they described how a global disaster made them confront feelings theyd been suppressing for years  just as it called our bluffs and wrecked our cosy fictions in every other part of society.

Together, they give new insight into a phenomenon that has attracted little popular attention and almost no academic research, yet has been widely discussed among trans people worldwide.

Call it the quarantrans era, or the trandemic, or even the Great Omelette. Whatever its name, it has deep implications not only for the lives of those it touched but for the future role of trans people in society.

This is the story of what happened to our genders since 2020, and why it matters.

1: Like going to war

Before Covid, Isis was simply too busy to think about their gender.

Raised as a boy in a conservative household, theyd known for a long time that something was off, but the chaotic hell of medical school left little time for self-examination. I started applying to extra classes, putting in extra hours at clinic  anything to just avoid being alone with my thoughts, they recall. That is how I avoided this question for a long time.

Almost everyone interviewed by The Independent described a similar stage of repression. Loue Tye, a 23-year-old teaching assistant at a high school in Norwich, England, had concluded they were probably non-binary eight years ago, but kept quiet out of fear they wouldnt be accepted.

Loue Tye takes a selfie (Loue Tye)

For Bex, a 32-year-old graduate student in genetics in New York City, the denial went deeper. Once, she had told her therapist that there was some gender stuff going on but that she didnt want to talk about it. And then, for the next five years, they didnt.

Never mind the recurring daydreams about having to explain to her lab that shed mysteriously woken up as a girl. Or the idle fantasies of getting a chromosome test and finding out she was intersex. Or the thought that if she ever got testicular cancer, shed just get em both off and go from there. Somehow, none of it tripped her gender alarm.

Many people had stories like this. They knew in theory they could be trans, and had many thoughts and feelings that suggested they might be. But, whether due to outdated ideas about what trans meant or sheer magical thinking, they imagined it didnt apply to them.

For cisgender (or non-trans) people, it can be hard to understand the impact of living with repressed gender dysphoria, which goes far beyond the well-worn concept of feeling of being trapped in the wrong body. It makes you say things like: Before the pandemic, I barely had an experience of personhood, let alone gender (Ellie, 22, in Melbourne in Australia). Or: I was dead before, now Im coming to life (Erin, late thirties, in Florida).

Or, as Rey, 21, in Virginia puts it: It feels like everything before the pandemic wasnt even real.

In the spring of 2020, things got extremely real. Sophia and their colleagues were briefed early on about the worst case scenario: mass infection, overloaded hospitals, and consequently mass death.

We knew it was potentially going to be very big and very serious, based on what had happened in other countries, says Sophia. It kind of felt like going to war. It felt like: this is coming over the hill, and it might kill you. And you need to be ready for that. Are you ready?

For Oliver, the answer was a resounding no. On March 11, the day the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a pandemic, he was at San Francisco International Airport on the phone to his sister in Canada, scrambling to figure out whether he should board his flight to see her.

The trip was booked to be five or six days, he recounts. I knew it was gonna be a little longer, but I was like  well, maybe itll be two or three weeks, and then this will all be over. He would not return to the US for nearly two years.

In Australia, then-26-year-old animation studio manager Jasmine Yang, whose egg had cracked in 2019, stuck her first estrogen patch onto her stomach in the break room of her deserted office in Sydney. A burst toilet had flooded her apartment, and strict new lockdown rules introduced on March 31 left her with no other refuge.

On the left, Jasmine Yang in her empty office in April 2020. On the right, Yang celebrating her second year on estrogen by restaging the same selfie (Jasmine Yang)

It was, she recalls, a moment of sublime strangeness. Yeah, my apartment is flooded; yeah, the world is going through a pandemic; and yeah Im sleeping on a s****y office couch. But right now, I have what Ive been waiting 26 years to get, so life is pretty sweet.

Each person had their own story of how Covid disrupted their life. Jack, a 20-year-old trans man, was attending an all-girls school in Ohio when classes switched to Zoom. J, a 23-year-old financial crimes investigator in Vermont, US, saw her new dream job travelling the world go up in smoke.

For many, the initial crisis gave way to an eerie calm. Cocooned indoors, cut off from their social networks, they were entering a vast social experiment with a simple if terrifying question: who are you when nobodys watching?

2: Alone on an island

Overwhelmingly, the most common factor that influenced survey respondents transitions  chosen by 162 people, or 83 per cent  was more time alone, prompting or forcing introspection.

My mind felt like my own space, for perhaps the first time ever, says William Cuthbert, a 31-year-old freelance writer and journalist in Lincolnshire, UK. Pre-Covid Id always defined myself through other people and what they would find palatable or likeable. Having those social expectations forcibly stripped away pushed me to start digging inside myself for who I was without them.

Femke, 32, had been trapped for years in a job she despised, scrambling to pay rent on her mouldy little apartment in a large English town. Only when Covid pushed her to quit, and move to a far cheaper house in rural Wales, did she have the emotional energy to start probing her gender issues.

In New York, Bex rode her bike around the deserted streets of lower Manhattan, seeing the National Guard troopers running drills and the refrigerated morgue trucks brought in to manage the flood of bodies. Yet the possibility of her own death only filled her with indifference, even relief. Whats more, she now realised shed felt that way for years.

Searching for a reason to live, she gave in to a recurring thought and painted her nails. It was a weirdly significant moment, she says. I looked down at my fingers, and I liked them. Id never liked my fingers before. I wanted them to always look this way.

This is often how it works when youre not sure youre trans. You try things out, and  perhaps to your surprise  they make you feel good. That gives you the confidence to keep trying things, even if youre not ready to admit where they might lead (which Bex emphatically wasnt).

Lockdown was the perfect cover for such delicate experiments. Never in living memory had so many people been seen so seldom by so few. It was as if some perverse genie had answered the collective prayers of nascent trans people for a safe space in which to grow, in a way none of them would have wanted.

53 per cent of respondents said curtailment of face-to-face socialising as a factor influencing their transition, and 63 per cent cited not having to go out in public. Among them was Leon, a 24-year-old French public sector worker who spent lockdown in a tiny Parisian flat with only his snaggletoothed grey cat Anakin for company.

A self-portrait by Leon, 24, in Paris (Leon (Surname withheld))

Quarantine was as close to the if youre alone on an island and have 100 per cent free and guaranteed successful medical care, what body would you like to have? thought experiment as I could have gotten, he says. There was literally no one to perceive me except my cat, who doesnt care about gender.

Lockdown also relieved many respondents from unwanted duties of gender performance. Several who were raised as women said that no longer having to be feminine at work helped them realise how much they always hated it.

Maeve, a 27-year-old escort and trans woman in Atlanta, US, had socially transitioned before the pandemic and "almost always" wore full make-up and feminine clothes in public. But she trails off and gets a faraway look in her eyes as she describes how much energy this took.

"It was f***ing exhausting," she concludes. "I'd do f***ing yoga to go grocery shopping, just so I was in the state I wanted to be in.

This new freedom was aided by a mass migration to digital and online spaces, where identity is more plastic and trans community is easier to find. 103 respondents, or 51 per cent, cited "reliance on internet for social life", with four people specifically mentioning Nintendos March 2020 smash hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Leons cat Anakin (Leon (Surname withheld))

3: I accepted that I might die

Not everyone experienced lockdown as a relief. Like all the issues cited by respondents, its impact was complex and individual, affecting different people in opposite or paradoxical ways.

Some found themselves trapped at home with non-accepting or abusive family members, which delayed, sped up, or outright blocked their transition. Coming out was impossible in a full conservative household, says Mariana, a 36-year-old industrial designer in Colombia, who started hormone treatment in 2020 but had to stop when the pandemic devastated her finances.

I couldnt get out of my parents home, so I [couldnt] come out of the closet, and Im still closeted right now. Time passes, and its becoming harder to handle my dysphoria.

Loss of income or work was another factor, cited by 12 per cent of respondents. Some said the pandemic had exacerbated personal problems such as depression, substance abuse, or eating disorders, which pushed them to resolve their gender issues. One person, 32-year-old Maddie in northern California, resolved to transition after having her entire town evacuated due to a wildfire.

A widely-shared comic strip by Tennessee cartoonist Robin Brooks, 34, struck a nerve among pandemic transitioners, showing how the teeming anxieties of 2020 US election overwhelmed her coping mechanisms. Something had to give, and it ended up being my denial, Brooks says.

The first half of a comic by Robin Brooks, depicting her trans awakening. Read the second half at her Patreon page. (Robin Brooks, used with permission)

In Vancouver, Canadian border restrictions had turned Olivers expected week-long visit into months of full-time co-parenting with his sister. Outwardly, he looked like a cis a woman, causing both family and strangers to see him as a mother.

Ive always loved kids, but [constantly] being referred to as motherly and maternal in relation to a child felt almost too much to bear, he says. When Id been viewed as feminine before, Id been able to separate myself from it. But something about this situation just put it right in front of my face.

His breaking point came in August 2020, when his brother died unexpectedly. Though the pandemic wasnt to blame, it contributed to his sense that there was no more time to waste. He shaved his head, and got on testosterone.

In this Oliver was not alone. 54 respondents, or 28 per cent, cited ever-present fear of death as a factor influencing their transition. While lockdown may have cracked their eggs, it often took a brush with tragedy to make them take action.

My family members all got Covid in November 2020 except for me, and my grandma almost died. I decided I was done not exploring the things I wanted to explore, says Jason, a 31-year-old call centre trainer in North Carolina.

I had been postponing transition for years until the right moment, when I had graduated from college and become financially independent from my transphobic parents. The pandemic came and I realised I was going to die in the closet, says Rene, a 23-year-old warehouse worker in Argentina.

Im immunocompromised, and I was hospitalised at the height of the pandemic, so I knew that if I caught Covid I could be screwed, says one genderfluid 22-year-old in Oregon. I accepted that I might die. Then I surprisingly didnt, and I got a second chance to live life to the fullest.

By the end of 2020, Covid-19 was better understood, and Sophia was less concerned that she would die. But in emergency departments and intensive care units, shed seen patient after patient pass away with regrets and missed chances.

They were saying goodbye to their families in video calls, and we were holding their hands as they died, because we were the only people who could, says Sophia. All of this really emphasised, for me, the fragility of life and it solidified that there was no point in continuing to live a lie when it could all be snatched away so easily.

4: Was there a quarantrans boom?

Its hard to know whether the pandemic actually increased egg-crackings overall. The population of knowingly trans people has been rising exponentially since long before the pandemic, thanks to the communitys success in sharing information, supporting questioning people, and advocating for greater acceptance.

Data from state-run gender clinics in England and Northern Ireland, made public via freedom of information requests by the British newspaper Metro, shows a massive drop in new adult patients in spring 2020 and then a sustained rise through the end of 2021. In the US, health insurance data showed that the number of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria nearly tripled between 2017 and 2021.

But Jeffrey Cohen, a psychology professor and trans health clinician at Columbia University in New York, cautions that such data is muddied by other factors such as access to healthcare.

We havent seen any studies on that, says Dr Rachel Levine, assistant health secretary to US president Joe Biden and the most senior openly trans government official in US history. While she finds the notion plausible, as a physician and a public health professional she wants harder evidence.

Ruth Pearce, a British sociologist who studies trans healthcare, similarly says that although she has observed the phenomenon anecdotally, she is not aware of any formally published research about it.

Trans support and advocacy organisations  including Gendered Intelligence in the UK, Quarks in Hong Kong, and Transgender Europe (TGEU)  expressed a mix of openness and scepticism about the quarantrans hypothesis, but all said there wasnt much hard data to support it.

One group in Moldova, GenderDoc-M, did see inquiries from trans people skyrocket. But most were under 20 years old, suggesting the pandemic simply pushed that specific generation of trans people to crack all at once rather than gradually over the next few years.

Studies of already-out trans people, including by Quarks and TGEU, have found largely negative impacts from Covid-19, which cut off in-person support networks, trapped people in abusive homes, and blocked access to medical care.

Nevertheless, in online trans communities there has been an unmistakable surge in people attributing their self-discovery to the pandemic. Many have embraced the label quarantrans, reportedly coined by trans woman Joelle Tungus. Even if Covid had no effect on the overall numbers, its clear that it profoundly shaped the awakening of a whole generation.

I have heard more than a couple of stories, says Willow Fae, 36, a Twitch streamer in Alabama who prides herself on creating a welcoming space for questioning people. Throughout 2020 and 2021, roughly two people a week would approach her saying the pandemic had forced them to face their demons about gender.

Yang, who has a large following on Twitter, likewise says she was previously approached two or three times a week by questioning folk, many citing the pandemic.

Some survey respondents said they had seen a similar effect in their circles. I have a lot of trans friends on Reddit, and all their eggs cracked in the pandemic, says Novaki, whose local university LGBT+ group has now ballooned from three to five members to around 160.

So I have this feeling that the pandemic really provided the push we trans people needed to realise what we are.

5: Dominoes

In some ways, what happened to embryonic trans people during the pandemic is just one manifestation of what happened to everyone.

Millions quit their jobs in what became known as the Great Resignation. Psychologists and marriage counsellors say divorces have increased. Some realised they were gay or bisexual, while others learned that they had ADHD.

People changed careers during Covid-19, or they moved across the country, or they broke up with their partner, because they realised  its a big watershed moment in history. May as well make a change while everyone else is making a change, says Yang.

LG, on the US West Coast, puts it this way: The pandemic had us collectively opting out of in-person work for many jobs. We opted out of student loans, we opted into relief programs. And so what if I opted out of gender?

Yet if the Great Omelette did enlarge the trans community, that could give it more political power in future and increase the number of cis people who have trans people in their life.

Mainstream medical groups reject the idea that transness is a delusion spread via social contagion, as some anti-trans activists claim. But the knowledge and confidence necessary to begin transitioning certainly can spread, says Ruth Pearce, and each new trans person who comes out makes it easier for others.

Numerous respondents testified to the importance of trans role models, whether among their friends or on TikTok and YouTube. Some had already seen a second wave of comings-out in their circles, inspired by the first quarantrans cohort.

This is obviously not social contagion, says Bex, who is now finishing her PhD as an out and proud trans woman. But seeing somebody walk down a path you didnt think was possible lets you see that the path is there. From off-camera, her fiancee shouts: Dominoes!

Life outside the eggshell hasnt been easy. Some respondents, such as Isis, are still trying to figure out their gender, uncertain of the path ahead. Many emerged from lockdown into a more hostile world than theyd hoped.

Several said they had struggled to get transition care from overloaded medical systems, while others felt starved of in-person trans connections and overly dependent on social media. 68 respondents, or 35 per cent, said escalating anti-trans rhetoric had influenced their transition, sometimes causing them to hide their transness or stay in the closet.

I've traded one huge catastrophe hanging over my head from the pandemic for the state of trans rights, says Brooks. Nikha, a 21-year-old trans woman studying international relations in Georgia (the country, not the US state), laments that her nation will never tolerate a trans diplomat or academic, making all her hard work feel pointless.

When Oliver returned to the US in late 2021, strangers yelled at him on the bus, threw plastic bottles at his head, and called him a f****t. He took to drinking  a longstanding problem  which spiralled out of control until finally he checked into a trans-focused rehab clinic in Los Angeles.

For Sophia, these political shifts caused a lasting disenchantment from the country she was once ready to give her life for. It sounds corny to say, but we had this big moment of national unity, almost, where I honestly felt this stuff couldnt come back, they say. Probably for the first time in my life, I truly felt a little bit of patriotism.

Instead, the British government has turned around after Covid and spat in [her] face. She is now planning to leave the UK.

Still, for all the hardship, most people  Oliver and Sophia included  said their lives are now far better for having transitioned. Some expressed uneasy gratitude for the pandemic, mixed with sorrow for what it stole.

Im living my life today with more joy than I could have imagined, but not all people have come out of the pandemic with positive experiences, or at all, says LG. I feel guilty that my life should be happier now after Covid started then before.

In the end, joy is joy, and we take it where we can find it. Just ask Sylvia Denk, a 29-year-old trans woman from Buffalo, New York, whose egg cracked in 2020.

Sylvia Denk and her wife redo their wedding ceremony in late 2021 (Sylvia Denk)

When she married her wife in autumn 2020, still presenting as a man, Covid prevented the big, traditional straight wedding they had planned. But that allowed them to invite friends and family to a redo ceremony in late 2021, with Denk in a wedding dress.

Months earlier, just before Denk started estrogen, the couple had decided to try for a baby in the traditional way. It worked, and their son was born in January 2022.

Ultimately, the pandemic for me was full of second chances, Denk concludes. It gave me a chance to take a second look at gender and what it meant for me, processing feelings Ive had my entire life. It gave me a chance to have a second wedding where I could be the real me. And it gave me the chance to have a son while being a mom.

The Independent is a proud partner of Pride in London and supporter of Pride Month in the US. We are dedicated year-round to writing on issues facing LGBT+ communities across the globe. You can find our latest content here in the US and here in Europe.

This story is dedicated to Riven, who left us too soon. RIP.
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Instagrams Threads app has reached 100 million users, making it easily the fastest growing app ever.

The site reached the number early on Monday morning, according to a tracker that looks at the numbers that are made public on each Threads account.

The previous fastest growing app was OpenAIs ChatGPT. But it took that site two months to reach 100 million users.

Threads, which was released late on Wednesday, has taken only a few days to reach the same number. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has released a number of updates throughout those days, saying that the growth was way beyond our expectations: it hit two million in two hours, and ten million in seven hours, he had said.

Twitter had 229 million monthly active users in May 2022, according to a statement made before Elon Musk bought it late last year, while more recent data from Statista puts the figure at 436 million.

View more

Twitter responded on Thursday by threatening to sue Meta, according to the publication Semafor, citing a letter delivered to Zuckerberg by a lawyer for Twitter. Twitter was not immediately available for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the Semafor report.

Meta said no one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee.

The rise of threads has negatively impacted traffic to Twitter, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Numerous competitors to Twitter have sprung up following Musks $44 billion purchase of the social media platform last year, which was followed by a series of chaotic decisions that have alienated both users and advertisers. Musks latest move involved limiting the number of tweets users can read per day.

Twitters stumbles make room for a well-funded competitor like Meta Platforms, analysts and experts said, particularly because of its access to Instagram users and its advertising strength.

Metas release of Threads came at the perfect time to give it a fighting chance to unseat Twitter, said Niklas Myhr, professor of marketing at Chapman University, referring to the turmoil at Twitter after it limited the number of tweets users can see.

Threads will be off to a running start as it is built upon the Instagram platform with its massive user base and if users adopt Threads, advertisers will be following closely behind.

Other competitors have found limited success. Mastodon, another Twitter-like app, has 1.7 million monthly active users, according to its website, while Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey-backed Bluesky has about 265,000 users.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Two of the worlds biggest artificial intelligence firms are being sued by celebrities including Sarah Silverman.

The writers claim that ChatGPT creator OpenAI and Facebook parent company Meta used their text to train their artificial intelligence systems, without permission.

Since the release of OpenAIs ChatGPT system in March 2023, weve been hearing from writers, authors, and publishers who are concerned about its uncanny ability to generate text similar to that found in copyrighted textual materials, including thousands of books, wrote Joseph Saveri and Matthew Butterick, the lawyers behind the class-action complaint.

Mr Saveri and Mr Butterick have already launched legal proceedings against GitHub Copilot, an AI coding assistant, as well as Stable Diffusion, the popular AI image generator. They call the systems industrial-strength plagiarists on a website built to track and promote that work that also includes the complaints that have been filed in California.

Last week, the two lawyers launched class-action lawsuits against OpenAI, arguing that it was remixing the copyrighted works of thousands of book authorsand many otherswithout consent, compensation, or credit. That complaint was initially launched on behalf of two authors, Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad, who have since been joined by Sarah Silverman, Chris Golden and Richard Kadrey.

The lawsuit alleges that their work had been downloaded from shadow library websites that make it possible to download large amounts of text in bulk. They were then used to train the ChatGPT and LLaMa systems made by Meta and OpenAI, it claims.

The suit shows that ChatGPT will summarise those authors books when prompted, infringing copyright and not giving any of the copyright information about the books, the lawyers claim. The authors did not consent to the use of their copyrighted books as training material, the lawsuit says.

OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. Meta declined to comment.
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After weeks of last-minute cancellations to and from London Gatwick airport, easyJet has pre-emptively axed 1,700 further departures over the summer.

Britains biggest budget airline has taken the drastic action in a bid to get its schedule back on track and to reduce the number of flights that get cancelled while passengers are waiting at the gate.

Most of the notifications, affecting 180,000 passengers, went out over the weekend of 89 July. Over the same weekend, easyJet once again grounded dozens of Gatwick flights at short notice.

The aim of the schedule cull  which amounts to around 24 flights per day  is to increase resilience. The airline blames severe air-traffic control (ATC) congestion across Europe for its problems.

Most passengers have been notified and rebooked on other easyJet flights, but around 9,000 passengers may have to find seats on other airlines.

These are the key questions  and answers.

Whats the problem?

As easyJet passengers hoping to fly from Gatwick to Belfast and from Budapest to the Sussex airport found out late on Sunday night, the airline has been struggling to maintaining the promised schedule at its biggest base this summer. Both flights were cancelled while passengers were waiting airside.

Typically delays build up during the day, with flight crew eventually going out of hours and being legally unable to complete the trip. That sequence of events has been repeated hundreds of times in the past few weeks on easyJet flights to and from Gatwick.

The carrier squarely blames unprecedented air traffic control delays, which it says are three times longer than before the pandemic.

As The Independent has reported, the pan-European air traffic management body, Eurocontrol, is warning of high overload at a number of area control centres during the peak summer months.

The challenges are intensified by the war in Ukraine, which has closed a large amount of airspace in eastern Europe and increased pressure on routes across the Balkans, affecting flights to popular airports in Greece and Turkey.

To complicate an already difficult picture, some air traffic control strikes are threatened.

In addition, Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world. With little slack in the system, arrival and departure delays can swiftly increase.

Do other airlines at Gatwick have the same issue?

No. Over the past weekend, for example, easyJet made about five times more cancellations than all other carrier at Gatwick put together. The low-cost airline points out that, with around half the slots at the Sussex airport, it is far more susceptible to disruption than other carriers.

The same pattern applies to British Airways at Heathrow when factors such as bad weather intervene and cause problems at what is the worlds busiest two-runway airport.

But critics point to a lack of resilience. On Monday 10 July, for example, easyJet had cancelled 30 flights to and from Gatwick by 7am  before delays had begun to build up. They also point to the cancellation rate on Ryanair and Jet2 to and from London Stansted, another busy airport: it is normally zero, except when air traffic controllers are on strike.

So how is easyJet addressing the problem?

The airline says it has made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies. The aim: To help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers.

That amounts to 1,700 easyJet departures across July, August and September. That approximates to the number of flights easyJet operates across Europe on a single day.

At the time the cancellations went out, 180,000 passengers were booked on the affected easyJet flights. Of these, the airline says 95 per cent have been rebooked on alternative easyJet flights  leaving 9,000 who have not.

What are passengers rights?

Fortunately, the rights of the 9,000 passengers currently without a replacement flight are clear. Under European rules on air passengers rights, easyJet passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to travel on the original day of departure on any other airline that has seats available on the, at easyJets expense.

Passengers whose flights are grounded with less than two weeks notice may be entitled to cash compensation of 220  or 350 for flights above 1,500km. The only way easyJet can decline a compensation claim is if it rebooks the passenger on a flight that arrives close to the original time.

The exact rules: if you have been told of the cancellation less than a week before departure, your alternative flight must depart no earlier than one hour ahead of the original time, and arrive less than two hours after the planned landing.

If you were told of the cancellation between one and two weeks, then the alternative flight must take off no more than two hours ahead and arrive less than four hours after the original scheduled time of arrival.

When an airline gives at least two weeks notice of a cancellation, it does not need to pay compensation  but remains obliged to rebook passengers on suitable alternative flights.

Affected travellers can alternatively accept a full refund  including for a return flight if only one leg is cancelled.

What does easyJet say?

A spokesperson for the airline said: We are currently operating up to around 1,800 flights and carrying around 250,000 customers per day and like all airlines, we review our flights on an ongoing basis.

As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC [air traffic control] delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action.

Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95 per cent of customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

I have not been told of a cancellation, but could it still happen?

The Independent understands that the notifications from the current cull have all gone out. The vast majority of easyJet passengers booked from Gatwck should be unaffected, and the reduction in flights is aimed at making the operation more resilient.

However, with air-traffic control delays across Europe apparently three times worse than pre-pandemic times, and some industrial action in the offing (for example this coming Saturday by Italian aviation staff), there is always a risk of more cancellations.

Also, when severe weather strikes Gatwick and Heathrow all bets are off. So, yes, there is still a risk of a short-notice cancellation, as there is with any airline at any time.

I am booked on a package holiday using easyJet flights. What are my rights?

People who have booked flights and accommodation in the same transaction have the benefit of both European air passengers rights rules and the Package Travel Regulations  the latter making it the responsibility of the tour operator (holiday company) to deliver the trip as booked. In many circumstances the best solution will be for the tour operator to buy you a new flight on a different airline, and the our operator should discuss options with you.

The Independent understands, though, that some online travel agents who have sold packages are insisting that the traveller should take up the issue with the airline. If that happens to you, then see if the agent has sent you an easyJet reservation code (known as a locator)  seven letters/numbers beginning E or K. If you have one, you should be able to log on to easyJet.com and see what the airline proposes.

I have been rebooked on a different day...

The Independent understands that about 10 per cent of affected passengers, ie around 18,000, have been moved to a different day. If easyJet has no availability on the day the traveller was originally booked to fly, it must  if the passenger asks  buy them a ticket on any other airline that has space available. The UK Civil Aviation Authority insists on this.

If the traveller chooses to accept the change, then under European air passengers rights rules easyJet must also pay for any additional accommodation costs as well as meals taken while waiting to depart.

What do travel industry leaders say?

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive, Advantage Travel Partnership, told The Independent: This is really disappointing at a time when summer holidays are so precious for so many.

As always, if you book through a reputable travel agent you will have access to expertise that will help you rebook any flight element of a package that has been that has been cancelled.

The aviation veteran Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: Just when you thought you had secured a flight to your summer holiday paradise, it gets changed and causes more inconvenience and stress.

Airlines have to get better at planning and delivering, not letting down customers at short notice.

Didnt easyJet do the same last year?

Yes, the airline made thousands of Gatwick cancellations between June and September 2022 as the aviation industry struggled to resume at scale after the pandemic.

British Airways cancelled even more flights to and from London Heathrow, its main base. Both airlines were allowed to keep their precious arrival and departure slots despite the cancellations, but that concession may not be repeated.

What will this do to fares this summer?

By taking a large chunk of seats (over 300,000) out of the market over peak season, easyJet has significantly cut supply. With no sign of demand diminishing, fares will only increase  to the benefit of all competing airlines, including easyJet.

Any other problems?

Yes: scammers setting up imposter Twitter accounts. With so many passengers seeking to contact easyJet on social media, villains are harvesting tweets and replying from lookalike accounts. They reply and demand your details. The only legitimate account is @easyJet.
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Thousands of passengers are struggling to recover their travel plans after easyJet cancelled 1,700 summer flights as it battles delays at its main base, London Gatwick.

After weeks in which hundreds of flights at the airport have been cancelled at the last minute, Britains biggest budget airline has told 180,000 passengers that their departures in July, August and September have been grounded.

The carrier blames unprecedented air-traffic control delays, which it says are three times longer than before the pandemic.

It says 95 per cent of the affected travellers have been rebooked on other easyJet flights  leaving 9,000 currently without a replacement.

But passengers have complained about easyJets rebooking process, which has seen 18,000 travellers being switched to a different departure date.

Under European air passengers rights rules, anyone whose flight is cancelled should be offered a flight on the original day of travel if seats are available on any airline.

Jenny Chan found her planned journey from Glasgow via Gatwick to Marseille in disarray following easyJets rebooking. She had originally booked a nonstop from Glasgow to the south of France airport, but that was cancelled earlier in the year.

Ms Chan accepted the one-stop journey  but that was rendered impossible by easyJet moving the second leg a day earlier. She tweeted: They had me flying from Gatwick a day before my flight with them to Gatwick from Glasgow.

All flights under the one booking as we were originally flying direct from Glasgow to Marseille but the flight was cancelled earlier this year.

Passengers who choose to accept a rebooking to a different date can claim any additional accommodation and meal costs from easyJet.

The Independent has also seen examples where travellers have been booked on connecting flights with easyJet through other European airports. They are entitled to a direct flight if one is available on any carrier.

EasyJet chose Monday to launch a seat sale, triggering derision on social media. One prospective traveller tweeted: Dont want to plan any flights with a carrier that cancels so many flights these days. Jet2 will get my business from now on. Great record of not cancelling.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, told The Independent: This is really going to be devastating for many families and people who are looking forward to their plans and ready to depart.

Trying to source new flights at the last minute wont be helpful for anybody.

Passengers whose flights are grounded with less than two weeks notice are also entitled to cash compensation of 220 (or 350 for flights above 1,500km), unless easyJet can rebook them on a flight that arrives close to the original time.

Taking so much capacity out of the summer market, in a year when seats are already scarce, will force fares higher and reduce availability for people who have not yet booked their summer trip.

EasyJet insists it is fully crewed and has more pilots and cabin crew flying than ever, but says Gatwick has been hit by air traffic control delays.

On Saturday alone, it grounded more than 40 flights to and from Gatwick, affecting more than 6,000 passengers. Between them, easyJets rival airlines at the same airport cancelled a total of eight departures and arrivals on the same day.

On Sunday, dozens more easyJet departures were axed, including flights to the key Spanish holiday airports of Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga. In addition, passengers waiting at Gatwick for the last Belfast International flight of the day, and at Budapest for a flight back to London, had their trips cancelled while they were waiting at the gate.

At London Stansted airport over the weekend, neither Ryanair nor Jet2 made any cancellations  despite the disruption caused by the arrival of President Biden on Air Force One.

The pressure on Gatwick, which is the worlds busiest single-runway airport, is felt far more by easyJet  which comprises around half of the airports movements  than any other carrier. Since 28 June, the daily late-evening easyJet departure from Gatwick to Palma de Mallorca, flight 8091, has been cancelled more often than not.

A spokesperson for easyJet told The Independent: We are currently operating up to around 1,800 flights and carrying around 250,000 customers per day and like all airlines, we review our flights on an ongoing basis.

As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC [air-traffic control] delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action.

We have therefore made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies, in order to help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers.

Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95 per cent of customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

Aviation veteran Paul Charles, chief executive of the travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: Ive been warning for some time that our UK airport infrastructure, along with continuing people shortages at airlines and ground handlers, cannot cope with the massive summer demand.

Just when you thought you had secured a flight to your summer holiday paradise, it gets changed and causes more inconvenience and stress.

Airlines have to get better at planning and delivering, not letting down customers at short notice. EasyJet arent the first and wont be the last to take such action this summer.

The scale of the cancellations could see easyJet lose future summer slots at Gatwick. Permissions to take off and land are awarded on a use it or lose it basis  though last summer, when easyJet and British Airways made many thousands of cancellations, the government allowed the airlines to retain the slots.
Three children were among six people killed in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Chinas south-eastern province of Guangdong on Monday.

A teacher, two parents and three students were identified as the victims of the attack that took place at 7.40am local time, a city government spokesperson said.

Local police said a 25-year-old man, surnamed Wu, has been arrested, with authorities adding they were investigating the incident.

Chinese citizens took to Weibo to express shock over the incident, which was the top-trending discussion on the social media platform, with over 130 million views as of 12.20pm local time.
Dramatic footage shows a Wisconsin police officer saving three cows trapped in a barn fire last month.

Bodycam video released by the Sturgeon Bay Police Department shows officer Andrew Crabb stopping at a farm where black smoke can be seen rising from a structure on 25 June.

The officer then walks toward the fire and upon realising the barn has animals trapped inside, begins running toward them.

One cow can be seen in front of a locked gate in the burning barn, with two more trapped behind it.

Officer Crabb quickly unchains the gate and two cows can be seen running to safety in the pasture.

No injuries were reported, according to police, and firefighters soon arrived to extinguish the fire.
The mother of a pupil at Tewkesbury Academy read out texts exchanged between her and her daughter as the alleged stab incident unfolded in the school.

Sarah Penny spoke to Sky News on Monday 10 July, reading messages from her child that described the incident as really scary.

A teenage boy has been arrested after a student reportedly stabbed a teacher at the Gloucestershire school.

An adult has been taken to hospital with a suspected stab wound following an incident at Tewkesbury School, a statement from Gloucestershire Police, posted on Twitter, read.

Pupils with their parents consent left the site on Monday afternoon following a lockdown lift.
Joe Biden shook hands with Rishi Sunank as he arrived at 10 Downing Street for a meeting which could include discussions on cluster munitions and Ukraines bid to join Nato.

The talks kick off a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

He will also meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle for tea and talks on the climate crisis.

Mr Bidens trip comes after he defended the difficult decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky presided over a ceremony in Lviv on Saturday 8 July, following the return of five commanders of the defence of the Azovstal steel plant.

The plant was the scene of a gruelling months-long siege early on in the war and the commanders were returned from Turkey via plane.

Mr Zelensky escorted them back to Ukraine and addressed the military and media who had gathered in Lviv.

The commanders were freed in a prisoner swap and had previously been required, under the terms of the exchange, to stay in Turkey.
Heavy rain caused flooding to streets across New York on Sunday (9 July).

The US National Weather Service issued emergency flood warnings for Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties, north of New York City.

One woman has died after being swept away in floodwaters in Orange County, according to CNN.

The storms epicentre, Hudson Valley, received as much as eight inches (20cm) of rainfall on Sunday.

The New York State Police also warned locals that numerous roadways in Rockland County are experiencing heavy flooding and washouts - urging people to avoid the area.
Pictured in Dublin are CTO Seamus Cooley (left) and CEO Dr Martin Rochford, co-founders of MedoSync. Photo: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography

Medical billing start-up MedoSync, co-founded by A&E doctor Martin Rochford, has raised 1.1m in the first of a two-part funding round to aid its European expansion.

The three-year-old firm aims to raise a further 1m at the end of the year under the Governments Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS), which allows investors to claim up to 40pc of their money back in tax relief.

MedoSync has its sights set on the 400bn German healthcare market after it took part in a German accelerator pro- gramme focused on improving pay- ments in the health insurance sector.

Returning investors in the just-closed funding round include Camino Capital owner Enrique Curran and JP Sisk, director of the Sisk construction group.

The second part of this funding round, due to take place between October and December, will target medical consultants and other industry investors.

We are pleased to have closed this first part of our 2023 funding round, with a mix of new and returning investors, chief executive Martin Rochford said.

A key focus of this funding will be used for European market preparation while continuing to expand our services in Ireland.

This strategic approach will enable us to reopen the funding round later in 2023 to investors with industry expertise, such as medical consultants, a key target audience affected by issues related to outdated, paper-based billing.

We are able to automate a number of tasks creating efficiencies for claims teams. Bottlenecks and stoppages are quickly identified to reduce payment delays which unlocks capacity, giving administrative teams the space and opportunity to focus on higher-value work.

MedoSync was set up in 2019 by Dr Rochford and tech industry expert Seamus Cooley, now the firms chief technology officer.

The platform pulls together information on patient treatments across a given hospital to speed up insurance payments and cut waste, issuing invoices in real time.

Since the platform launched in 2021, it has issued tens of thousands of invoices and estimates it can save hospitals 6-9pc of the revenue they lose due to leakages in the billing system.

The current funding round follows an initial 1.2m raise in 2021 from a range of backers, including Enterprise Ireland.
Then You Run 3/5

Cartoon Irish Gangster Alert! Then You Run (Sky Max/Now), Ben Chanans fuzzy, frenetic crime drama about a teenage holiday gone sideways, is practically bursting with local talent. Some of our performers, such as Limericks Leah McNamara, hide their accents (her character, Tara, was raised in London).

Others, like Cork man Cillian OSullivan, try to sound like theyre from Dublin (a silver star for effort, I suppose). Darren Cahill (Red Rock, Brassic) and Francis Magee (last seen in Kin) are in there too. Is Then You Run set in Ireland? It is not. Does it concern Irish hoodlums with dodgy morals and dodgier dialogue? It does.

Bizarrely, British actor Richard Coyle portrays the main hoodlum  his name is Reagan, and Ill admit his accent isnt terrible.

His character, however, is a walking, talking, fire-breathing cliche. Reagan is the sort of silly telly gangster who wears nice suits and eats in nice restaurants and barks unrealistic orders at his long-suffering henchmen.

Everyone around him is an idiot, a disappointment, a monumental pain in the arse  and he spends most of his time telling them that. In short, Reagan is a derivative, unimaginative bore. Such a shame, then, that this flawed yet occasionally fizzy thriller spends so much time around him.

We begin with a vicious serial killer. For reasons that arent yet clear, the first three episodes of this muddled, eight-part series open with a mysterious man known only as The Traveller (Christian Rubeck) who murders innocent strangers in the dead of night.

His first killing spree takes place on a gridlocked highway after a snowstorm. Later, he conducts his grisly business in a roadside hotel. Wait until you see what he does on a midnight train.

What, you may ask, do these killings have to do with anything? Dunno. The show hasnt yet answered that question. Instead, it switches to the curious case of Tara (McNamara), a 17-year-old Londoner whose grandmother has just died. Taras mates, Ruth (Yasmin Monet Prince), Stink (Vivian Oparah) and Nessi (Isidora Fairhurst) rally around and do what theyre supposed to.

Stink, bless her, is preoccupied with an impending group holiday, but Tara isnt in the mood. She is legally required to stay with her dad, Orin (OSullivan), a wealthy Irish composer based in Rotterdam.

Hardly the worst outcome, but theres a catch. Tara hasnt seen her father in years, not since her mum died in a tragic road accident. Plus, Orins sibling, Reagan (Coyle), is a certified bad dude.

A quick glance around dads luxurious pad tells us everything we need to know. This is where big bro grows his weed, where he stashes his heroin, where some extraordinarily shady shenanigans are about to go down.

Chanans series confuses matters with convoluted flashbacks, but well forget about those for now. Whats important is that Tara soon discovers what her family is up to. She says shell keep her mouth shut if dad lets her friends visit. Fair enough, but the random summer holiday quickly turns into a horror show. Someone ends up dead  someone else destroys Reagans lucrative stash. Within 24 hours, Tara and her mates end up on the run across Europe.

Busy stuff, and it only get busier. Indeed, Chanans series takes its cue from a 2014 novel, You, by Zoran Drvenkar. Perhaps the book shines a brighter light on the girls friendship, and who knows? Maybe this anxious, ambitious series will eventually get around to that.

The opening instalments, however, are jumbled, unfocused, a tad too caught up in the creaky Irish gangster shtick. You know how it goes. The horrible bad guys call the girls whores. Every line of dialogue is over-written and over-enunciated. Orin and Reagan (who came up with these names?) lose their temper at the drop of a hat. Different show, same old codswallop.

Its a twitchy, toneless affair, and Tara and her buds are occasionally difficult to root for. They make terrible decisions together  its as if they keep forgetting about the murderous gangsters on their trail. Perhaps Chanan is making a point here: theyre kids, they have no idea how to handle a situation as surreal as the one theyve ended up in. But their antics get annoying after a while.

Easy to laugh at, trickier to love, Then You Run is never as edgy or as clever as it thinks it is. Its nicely shot and well performed, but it hasnt yet figured out what it wants to be. Approach with caution.

Then You Run is available on Sky Max and streaming service NOW
About 8, 000 sheep are brought to the Mount White Station to be sheared on New Zealand's South Island. | Location: Mount White Station, South Island, New Zealand. Image: Getty.

European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30% within a decade.

New Zealand will gain up to 1 billion in exports to the EU every year, a government statement said.

The deal brokered over five years will cut 140 million a year in duties, a European Commission statement said.

New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region and this free trade agreement will bring us even closer together. With todays signature, we have taken an important step in making the agreement a reality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Duties will be removed on 91% of New Zealands goods exported to the EU from the start of the agreement, rising to 97% after seven years.

The deal has yet to be ratified by the two sides' parliaments and a start date set.

Under the agreement, the EU will allow a tariff rate quota of 10 000 tonnes to be imported with reduced duty of 7.5%. This volume will be gradually phased in over 7 years from the entry into force of the agreement.

However the decision to allow an additional 38,000 tonnes of sheep meat into the EU from New Zealand has been criticised with ICSA Sheep chair Sean McNamara describing it as yet another blow to sheep farmers at a time when prices are falling rapidly.

This agreement can only be described as kicking sheep farmers when they are down. Our sheep farmers need better prices for their produce and greater financial supports not agreements that will make an already bad situation worse, he said.

Mr McNamara was speaking following the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand. Under the terms of this agreement an additional 38,000 tonnes of duty free sheepmeat will be permitted to flow into the EU annually on top of the current 114,000 tonnes permitted.

This is the last thing Irish sheep farmers need. It makes no sense to allow this additional product to come in when we know the negative impact it will have on local suppliers. It is a disgrace that instead of trying to help sheep farmers, decision makers within the EU have decided to not only ignore the difficulties facing the sector but to also compound those difficulties.
Dr Noel Cawley, who died at the age of 78 on June 29 after a short illness, was a visionary leader and mentor within the Irish agriculture and food sector and equine industry and was one of Europes most successful sport horse breeders.

Remembered for his integrity, passion, wisdom, kindness and business acumen, it was during his stewardship of the Irish Dairy Board (now Ornua) that the Kerrygold brand became an international success.

Dr Cawley grew up on a small mixed farm at Moygara, Gurteen, in east Sligo.

He was educated at Mullaghroe National School, St Nathys College in Ballaghaderreen and graduated with a first class honours degree in science from University College, Galway.

He then secured a PhD in biochemistry from University College, Dublin, and a Fulbright fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley.

He met and married his wife, Anita, in California, and the couple then moved to England where he worked with Guinness.

He was recruited as a food technologist for what was then Bord Bainne in 1974, at a time of considerable change for the Irish agriculture sector after accession to the EU the previous year.

He spent 32 years with the Irish Dairy Board (IDB) in various roles, becoming chief executive in 1989.

During his term as CEO, the IDB spearheaded export markets for Irish agriculture produce, and Kerrygold became a brand leader in Germany and expanded to the US market.

When he was interviewed by Ella Shanahan, Irish Times agriculture editor, in 2007, the IDB employed 2,500 people worldwide with annual sales of 1.77bn.

He was a strong believer in the co-operative movement, and the IDB paid bonuses to its co-op shareholders from the early 1990s.

Following his retirement from IDB, he became chairman of Teagasc in 2008, a role he held for 10 years. He was also chair of the International Dairy Federation.

Dr Cawley was very involved in the Irish equine industry and was passionate about breeding and producing top class Irish bred horses. Through his influence, Kerrygold became a the sponsor of the Dublin Horse Show.

He was appointed as the first chairman of the Irish Horse Board from 1993 to 2001 and sat on the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) board and council. He had inherited a love for horses shared by his grandfather and father, and after he returned to Ireland, he began breeding sport horses as a hobby.

It was probably the greatest therapy you could have, he told Cathal Mullaney of The Sligo Champion in 2021. You could go down to the stables and no matter what problem you had youd forget all about them because thered always be some issue with a horse.

Both his daughters, Lisa and Claire, had competed with ponies as children, and Lisa took up her fathers interest after the family moved to Eadestown, Co Kildare, and developed Newpark Lodge Stud.

He would do all of the day-to-day work with the horses himself and loved his time with them. He was a huge supporter of the Irish equine industry and always strived to contribute to its development and promote Irish breeding and production on the world stage, Lisa said.

His business acumen, scientific principles and interest in genetics contributed to his expertise in breeding, and many Nations Cup international winners have been bred here.

Among his many successful horses were Touchable, Touch the Stars, Solerina, Ballypatrick Flamenco and Cruise on Clover, together with the well known mares Golden Exchange and Rincarina who were both six-year-old RDS Champions and multiple Irish Grand Prix winners.

Poignantly, three of his horses qualified for the prestigious Dublin Horse Show with Greg Broderick, Leah Stack and Kevin Gallagher just the day before he died.

He had just retired from the dairy board in 2006 when he was appointed by the Government to lead a seafood strategy review with the late Killybegs Fishermens Organisation CEO Joey Murrin and former Udaras na Gaeltachta chief executive Ruan O Bric.

He was devoted to Anita, his wife of 52 years, his daughters and three grandchildren, and was happiest in his last few years when at home with his horses. Generous with his time and always willing to share his knowledge and experience, he encouraged so many in the agriculture and equine sectors and had, as those close to him note, so much more to do.
Designed with off-road performance to the fore, Munro sales will be targeted at mining, construction, utilities, agriculture and defence. Image:: Munro

The search for a replacement for the revered previous-generation Land Rover Defender workhorse continues; as the world waits for the launch of the Ineos Grenadier in January, another 4x4 utility contender has broken cover, the battery-electric, Scottish-built Munro, which will also be on sale in 2023.
Residents forced to stand on beds to get dressed in overcrowded bedrooms, children with no space to do homework, babies buggies damp from being stored outside and staff not garda-vetted.

The health watchdogs first inspections of accommodation centres for asylum-seekers have revealed a litany of problems stemming from overcrowding and poor governance.

Hiqa, which is to take on inspections of accommodation centres later this year, examined three centres in Kerry and Cork on a pilot basis and found all three fell short in meeting national standards.

The unpublished inspection reports, obtained by the Sunday Independent, depict the impact of the overcrowded system on residents.

At the Kinsale Road centre in Cork, which accommodates 301 people, inspectors found the service to be well-managed. However, living spaces were cramped, with no space for storage or necessary furniture or for the movement and development of young children.

Steel bed frames were stored in a communal kitchen and one residents belongings were stored in another.

Furniture and childrens buggies were damp and mouldy in an overcrowded overdoor storage facility.

Although the centre is designed to provide temporary accommodation, most of the residents living there had been granted protection status but could not leave because they had nowhere else to go.

At the Park Lodge accommodation centre in Killarney, Co Kerry, which provides accommodation for 65 female residents, inspectors reported on cramped and undignified conditions.

Bedrooms were not homely and were overcrowded while residents did not have adequate and appropriate storage for their belongings.

Residents had limited access to laundry facilities and were given one set of bed linen on arrival.

Inspectors found the recruitment practices for staff were not safe and were not effective. Not all staff had garda vetting reports on file and garda vetting had not been obtained for one staff member.

Thirteen families and 47 women were accommodated at the Atlas House centre in Killarney.

Inspectors again found small rooms that provided little if any space for children and adults.

Often, family spaces provided no space for toddlers to crawl or provide for healthy development such as gross motor skills, the inspectors found.

Childrens strollers were stored outside and were damp at the time of inspection.

In family rooms, inspectors found adults and children were sharing beds, and in other cases there was very little room, if any, for cots.

Garda vetting was incomplete, resulting in a notice being issued to the provider to urgently comply.

Inspectors found that staff were respectful and considerate. However, providers had little understanding of the standards required to be adhered to and did not understand whether they were in compliance or not.

All three centres inspected are engaging with Hiqa and are introducing changes to comply with national standards.

Hiqa was tasked with inspecting accommodation centres after decades of national and international criticism of Irelands Direct Provision system.

Standards for centres were approved in 2021 and inspections are due to start before the end of this year.

The Government has yet to pass legislation that will give Hiqa the power to inspect accommodation centres for asylum-seekers.

Support groups have long criticised the absence of independent monitoring of accommodation centres paid millions of euro by the State to shelter people seeking international protection.
Tipperary leading the charge by pointing out connections to royal ancestor

The then Prince Charles greets members of the public during his visit to Cahir, Co Tipperary, in March last year. Photo: Reuters

Britains King Charles hopes to make his first visit to Ireland as monarch in the early autumn.

Negotiations over the proposed visit are still under way and outline details are a closely guarded secret between Dublin and London.

Charles has privately indicated he would like his first official overseas visit to include Ireland as a personal gesture towards the importance of good Anglo-Irish relations.

The king had been expected to visit Ireland this summer, but the trip was postponed because of his hectic domestic agenda.

Now that he has completed a visit to Edinburgh to formally accept the Scottish crown, preparations will be stepped up for an Irish visit.

It is expected he will stay in Ireland for three or four days, and his visit will include elements to promote cultural exchanges, education and the arts.

However, while the primary focus of the royal visit will be on Dublin and various state functions, Charles has expressed an eagerness to visit areas outside the capital.

As Prince of Wales, Charles visited all six counties in Northern Ireland  and has already visited Northern Ireland twice as monarch, the most recent trip being a two-day stay last May with Queen Camilla.

He has only a dozen counties yet to visit in the Republic after high-profile public and private trips to Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford, Wicklow and Sligo since 2018.

During his last visit to Ireland, when he visited Waterford and Tipperary in March last year, the royal said he wanted to see all the counties of Ireland.

In 2019, the then-Prince Charles visited the Irish Embassy in London and said he wanted to visit every Irish county.

I must say Im slightly amazed to find that weve managed to visit 15 counties already, he said at the time.

I am quite determined before I drop dead and finally lose my marbles that I should get around to the remaining 17.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth, made the first visit by a British monarch to Ireland in over 70 years when she visited Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary and Cork in May 2011.

Britains King Charles and his wife Camilla greet children in Northern Ireland before opening Coronation Garden gates

That visit proved an enormous diplomatic triumph for both Ireland and the UK, and delivered a huge tourism boom for Ireland. Specific sites visited by the queen included the Rock of Cashel and the English Market in Cork.

Prince Charles paid a private visit to Lismore in Waterford in 2004, with Lismore Castle owned by his good friend, the Duke of Devonshire.

Now, several counties are vying to be included on the royal itinerary next autumn including Cork, Tipperary and Galway.

Despite having hosted the then-Prince Charles just last year, Tipperary is determined to secure a second visit by Charles as monarch.

Councillor Jim Ryan has urged Tipperary County Council to issue a formal invite to Buckingham Palace  and pointed out that the new king has a direct familial connection to the Premier County through his ancestor Lady Elizabeth Poyntz, who lived in Blackcastle in the 17th century.

We should have an open invitation to the king to come visit Thurles, to visit his direct relative who is buried in the town, Mr Ryan told Tipp FM.

I think that this would be a huge economic boost and a tourism boost for Thurles.

We have seen the very positive benefits that the recent royal visits have had on the towns of Cashel and Cahir.

So I think the fact that there is a direct link between the royal family and Thurles means we would invite him over here.

Elizabeth Poyntz had a number of children who, as I said, are directly related to the royal family. She remarried and, as a matter of fact, the children from her second marriage are directly related to the Spencer family, Princess Dianas family.

So there is that double link between the royal family and Dianas family. We are very unique that we have that connection, but we havent been able to avail of it, said Mr Ryan.

I am doing this on the basis that Thurles is crying out for tourism and this may be the opportunity and the kick-on that we need.

On This Day In History - July 10th
The Department of Health said in the majority of cases, suitable alternatives are available. Stock image.

More than 300 medicines are now in short supply including treatments for high blood pressure and cholesterol.

The shortages of 307 medicines, a new record, has been described as a troubling milestone.

It is the ninth consecutive month of rising shortages with the increase of out-of-stock medicines 81pc higher than this time last year, said Sandra Gannon, chief executive of Azure Pharmaceuticals which analyses the data.

The latest shortages analysis  for a medicines index  indicates a new severe scarcity of commonly used medicines to treat cholesterol and high blood pressure, including 17 statins that are currently out of stock.

The index points to persisting instability in Irelands medicine supply, with shortages increasing by 95 medicines since the beginning of January, up 45pc in just six months.

The data is made publicly available by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Ms Gannon said: We have now exceeded the milestone marker of 300, with 307 medicines out of stock. We started reporting this problem when the number of shortages stood at approximately 165. The trend is clear.

Recent research illustrated the worsening impact of the issue, with 60pc of the public impacted by shortages in the past year alone. Those countries who have adjusted their approach in response to this supply crisis are faring better than those who have not.

Regrettably, at a policy level, Ireland is yet to acknowledge the cause and effect of this problem. On that basis, things look set to get worse before they get better.

The Department of Health said in the majority of shortage cases, suitable alternatives are available and there is no impact to the patient. It said caution should be taken in drawing particular significance from the shortage notifications on the HPRA website as each case is individual and there are a variety of reasons for shortages.

Each notification represents a single stock keeping unit in a product range so while one strength can be short, there are alternatives, it said.

Some of these products may be generically interchanged, often without the need for prescriber involvement.

Medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide which have been exacerbated by recent worldwide events, the department added.

It is a global health problem, not unique to Ireland, and increases in demand for medications and medicines shortages have been observed in the UK, throughout the EU and across the world in recent months.

It said most shortages are due to manufacturing delays.
Man who dragged partner by hair, pushed her down stairs and verbally abused her is jailed after successful appeal
An American woman is facing trial accused of importing 600,000 of cannabis into Ireland through Dublin Airport.

Chavy Oeun (37) had the case against her adjourned at Dublin District Court for the preparation of a book of evidence.

Ms Oeun, along with a co-accused Phung Sien Tran (41), is charged with unlawful importation of cannabis and having the drug for sale or supply on May 29. The accused, both from Washington state in the US, have been in custody since they were arrested that month and refused bail.

When Ms Oeun appeared in court again, DPP directions were outstanding but her solicitor David Bassett asked Judge Treasa Kelly to formally consider jurisdiction.

The court heard it was alleged 30kg of cannabis worth 600,000 was seized and Ms Oeun was not the one alleged to have been caught red-handed. It was an alleged case of joint enterprise.

Judge Kelly refused jurisdiction based on the allegations and adjourned the case to August for a book of evidence.

Mr Sien Tran did not appear in court at the same hearing as he had been remanded in custody to Cloverhill District Court. Gardai had objected to bail in both cases over concerns the accused were flight risks.
Killer Conor Dolan (33) gets a life sentence after gardai caught him red-handed burning evidence in his home

This is the Dublin criminal who will be sentenced to life after he admitted he lured his friend to a country lane and riddled him with bullets in an execution-style killing.
Interim leadership team put in place at troubled broadcasterRichard Collins, Geraldine OLeary, Jim Jennings and Rory Coveney replacedOver more than 40 years in the advertising industry, I have acted with integrity, and my positive reputation has been hard earned. I truly hope that this will be my legacy  OLearyCulture change needed, says new DGMr Bakhurst to establish register of interests for staff and contractorsRevamped rules on financial decisions amid barter account controversy

New RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst arriving at RTE to begin his new role as email issued to staff announcing executive board to be stood down. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Four executives on RTEs old ten-member executive board have been replaced.

They are Geraldine OLeary, director of commercial, Richard Collins, chief financial officer, Jim Jennings, director of content, and Rory Coveney, director of strategy, who resigned.

Ms OLeary has also announced her early retirement from RTE.

The members of the new interim leadership team have been announced.

Those who were not on the former executive board are Vivienne Flood, head of public affairs, Mike Fives, group financial controller, Niamh OConnor, deputy director of content and Conor Mullen, head of strategy and commercial compliance.

Former members of the executive board who will remain include Adrian Lynch, director of audiences, channels and marketing who will continue as acting deputy director general.

Eimear Cusack, director of human resources, Paula Mullooly, director of legal, Deirdre McCarthy, director of news and current affairs and Richard Waghorn, director of operations and technology, who were also on the old executive are the remaining members of the new interim board.

Mr Bakhurst also said he will be appointing an external corporate governance person as part of the leadership team.

In a statement announcing her retirement, Ms OLeary said:

My career at RTE is a great source of pride and honour to me. Bringing my retirement forward by a number of weeks is not something I had anticipated. However, I recognise that a fresh leadership team, starting today, is vital as Kevin Bakhurst sets out to renew RTE, and I have agreed to facilitate that, she said.

"Over more than 40 years in the advertising industry, I have acted with integrity, and my positive reputation has been hard earned. I truly hope that this will be my legacy."

The new DG arrived on the Montrose campus today to meet colleagues, having emailed staff at 7am this morning with his views on fixing the crisis.

In the email Mr Bakhurst, who replaces Dee Forbes in the role, said the executive board will be replaced with a temporary interim leadership.

"In due course, there will be a new permanent leadership team. I want to underline that RTE, under my leadership and that of the re-constituted Interim Leadership Team, will be an organisation dedicated to working closely with you, to listening, to being open and transparent, to strictly adhering to revised and rigorous governance processes and procedures, to being accountable and to delivering a public service to be proud of, he said.

This will take time, but it will happen. It must. There is too much at stake. I will share details of the Interim Leadership Team later today. In advance of that, I can confirm that RTE will publish the salaries of the Executive/permanent Interim Leadership Team along with the earnings of RTE's 10 highest paid presenters in our annual report every year, starting with Annual Report 2023.

'It's a very different set of challenges' Kevin Bakhurst arrives at RTE to begin his role as Director General

Mr Bakhurst said he will establish a register of interests for staff and contractors.

It comes amid public clamour for a means of tracking the perks enjoyed by some of its leading stars.

He also said that also from today all major financial decisions will be made by the entire interim leadership team, amid the controversy around the use of barter accounts in recent weeks.

"There can be no repeat of the siloed and at times secretive decision-making that have been at the root of the shameful events of the past weeks. As custodians of public money, our financial integrity must be on a par with our editorial integrity, he said.

Mr Bakhurst said he has been appalled by the events at the broadcaster in recent weeks.

"I have been appalled by recent events and the impact it has had on the public perception of RTE, the impact on the trust the public places in us, and the impact it has had on you all. I look forward to working with Siun Ni Raghallaigh and the RTE Board as we collectively set out to rebuild trust in RTE, inside and outside, starting from today, he said.

I know that all of you are deeply upset and angry. RTE is full of talented and hard-working people who remain committed to delivering a vital public service to our audiences, and you have been let down by RTE management. I have heard many of your concerns already and I will continue to listen to what you have to say.

He said a culture change is needed at RTE and that he wil co-ordinate a review of roles and grades, pay, and gender equality.

Mr Bakhurst arrived at the RTE campus at 7.30am this morning to take up his new role.

Asked how different his first day would be compared to when he was first appointed before the current controversy, he said: "It's a very different set of challenges."

Nodding towards the studios and administration building, he said: "The ongoing challenges remain but it's a different set of challenges. Hopefully what I've said this morning sets out the beginning of an approach to those".

His initiatives were welcomed by both the RTE board chair Siun Ni Raghallaigh and Media Minister Catherine Martin.

"Kevin Bakhurst officially begins as Director General of RTE today. As a Board, we look forward to working with him and his leadership team in forging a new future for this organisation, Ms Ni Raghallaigh said.

The Board of RTE met with Mr. Bakhurst yesterday and he outlined his commitment to rebuilding trust in RTE, with the public, staff and public representatives.

New Director General Kevin Bakhurst arrives at RTE. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Ms Martin said Mr Bakhurst informed her last week of his intention to reconstitute the executive board.

"It is right that his first action this morning was to advise staff of his plans. I note in particular his proposals for a staff consultation group and employee survey and that he is planning a review of roles and grades, pay, and gender equality. As the national broadcaster, which rightly challenges other institutions, RTE must be leading out in terms of equality and inclusion, Ms Martin said.

Confidence in RTE starts with its own staff and Board. And from there it can start to build trust with the Oireachtas, its audience, the independent production sector and the public.

A further essential change by the Director General is the announcement regarding a Register of Interests. This is crucial in terms of the transparency needed at RTE and to ensure accountability at the station, she added.

The RTE trade union group were also positive about the plans.

"Following specific commitments at a positive meeting last Friday to ensure full and open engagement with the TUG and trade unions, and to drive cultural and leadership change in RTE, staff can begin to face the challenge of rebuilding trust in the organisation. We look forward to working with him.

Mr Bakhurst said he would be talking in more detail to the media later today.

There was a high-profile departure from the broadcaster last night, as RTE director of strategy Rory Coveney resigned with immediate effect.

In a statement, Mr Coveney said he met with Mr Bakhurst in recent days and wants to give him the space to create a fresh lead team.

The new director general is taking over as the national broadcaster remains at the centre of a storm, following revelations last month that it had under-reported the salary paid to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Speaking briefly yesterday, Mr Bakhurst said it is time for action  in a clear signal that major changes are planned for the broadcaster. He is expected to publicly outline his plans to restore trust in RTE on his first day in the role.

Mr Bakhurst said: Ill be going around, meeting people, trying to take questions and explain what were trying to do. The only thing Ill say to people is its time for action now  thats all we need.

Several senior RTE executives have been dragged into a financial controversy that has mushroomed since the first revelations about extra payments to Tubridy.

Last week, Mr Coveney appeared before the Oireachtas Media Committee, during which he defended Toy Show The Musical, which recorded losses of 2.2m in its first year.

He said: It clearly wasnt a commercial success, but it wasnt from a lack of effort from everyone involved.

Incoming RTE DG Kevin Bakhurst describes mission to rebuild trust in the organisation

The younger brother of Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, he was one of the RTE Seven who faced Oireachtas committee members to answer questions on spending last week.

Also questioned was RTE commercial director Geraldine OLeary, who was asked if she believed her position was tenable.

Im not sure my position is tenable, replied Ms OLeary, saying the scandal has affected her mental health.

She added that there had been an invasion of her privacy, as well as stating that erroneous reports on Twitter and in newspapers crossed the line.

Ms OLeary said she is due to retire in eight weeks time and will have a conversation with Mr Bakhurst when he takes up the role.

Meanwhile, RTE union representatives are in nervous anticipation about the new boss  as they made a strong call for sweeping cultural changes.

RTE education correspondent Emma OKelly is also chair of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Dublin broadcasting branch. She said: The branch welcomes Kevin Bakhurst as RTEs new DG. We will support all efforts to achieve a long-needed change of culture at the organisation, including greater transparency and a more rigorous application of RTE editorial guidelines.

We have welcomed Kevins commitment to bringing about culture change at RTE and to listening to staff. We know this wont be easy and we hope that Government, too, will support moves to reform RTE by ensuring that the public service broadcaster is adequately and sustainably funded.

Seamus Dooley, secretary for the NUJ in Ireland, said: Theres a sense of relief that the DG will be in place and that he has committed to making firm decisions from the outset.

I would say theres maybe nervous anticipation [from staff]. However, he got off to a good start on Friday when he met the unions. It was an important signal to the staff.

Speaking over the weekend, the Taoiseach also said it was time for change at the broadcaster.

I think we need to see change in RTE. Without change, I dont think trust can be restored, he said during a visit to Co Clare.

He doubled down on his comments as he attended the National Day of Commemoration at Collins Barracks in Cork.

Mr Varadkar said he was aware of some of the major changes proposed by Mr Bakhurst but did not want to discuss them before they are publicly outlined.

Ryan Tubridy 'declined' to join financial flop Toy Show: The Musical says RTE's Director of Strategy

I have been briefed on this by (Media) Minister (Catherine) Martin during the week and the new director general of RTE, Kevin Bakhurst, will make some announcements about that... They relate to the restructuring of the [RTE] executive and some changes around conflicts of interest, for example.

We are very keen to allow him to make those announcements and speak to staff, which I think is very important.

Also to speak to the wider public after that I would not see it as the end of the affair. I think it is the beginning of some changes that are important in RTE.

I think we should not get away from the basic fact that RTE is a very important institution. I hope that, at the end of this process, it will see us with a stronger RTE and that really has to be the objective here.

The Taoiseach urged everyone associated with RTE who is due to appear before Oireachtas committees this week  including Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly  to provide as much information as they can to help end the drip feed of information which has been so damaging to the reputation of the national broadcaster.
A Tipperary man has denied the murder of his mother's long-term partner who suffered fatal blunt force trauma injuries.

The state alleges English national Jonathan Ustic (51) sustained the injuries in a prolonged attack and was repeatedly punched, had his ear slashed with a bottle, had his head stamped on and also had a sofa repeatedly dropped on his head and chest as he lay defenceless on the ground.

Andrew Nash (43) pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ustic as his trial opened before the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

The trial, before Mr Justice Michael McGrath and a jury of seven men and five women, will involve almost 100 witnesses and is expected to last up to three weeks.

Mr Nash of Parnell Street, Thurles, Co Tipperary, denies the murder of Mr Ustic at a time unknown before September 24 and 25, 2017, at 15 High Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork.

Mr Nash is defended by Ray Boland SC, instructed by solicitor Frank Buttimer.

Mr Ustic - who was the long-term partner of the defendant's mother, Suzanne Fenton - was originally from Cornwall in England but had been resident at various addresses in west Cork since he moved to Ireland in around 2005.

Outlining the prosecution case for the jury, Sean Gillane SC, for the State, said "the consumption of significant amounts of alcohol will be very much a factor in the case".

He said that Mr Ustic, also known as Johnny, was involved in a long-term relationship with Suzanne Fenton, the late mother of the defendant.

Both Ms Fenton and Mr Ustic lived together at No 15 High Street in Skibbereen.

On Saturday, September 23, 2017, Andrew Nash met two friends in Cork city, Thomas Fitchett and Nicola Colgan, as the couple went to McDonald's for food after attending an event in Cork Opera House.

Mr Nash was socialising with the couple and later went to their then-property in Ballinhassig.

The following day, Mr Nash and Mr Fitchett went to buy alcohol when the defendant received a phone call from his mother.

Immediately upon receipt of the phone call, Mr Nash asked his friends to drive him to Skibbereen.

They agreed and brought him to the west Cork town where, upon entering No 15 High Street, he went upstairs and struck Mr Ustic a number of blows, injuring him in the cheek.

Mr Gillane said that matters then calmed and the defendant and Mr Ustic, accompanied by Mr Fitchett and Ms Colgan, went to Lough Hyne where more alcohol was consumed.

The trial was told that, upon returning to High Street later that evening, Mr Ustic was very intoxicated.

Mr Gillane said Mr Nash aggressively pulled Mr Ustic out of the car and the Englishman struck his head off the car park ground.

The State said Mr Ustic was left lying on the car park ground while the others went into the High Street house.

Passersby were so concerned at the sight that several went to Skibbereen garda station to raise the alarm though the station was closed at the time.

Mr Nash, assisted by Mr Fitchett, later emerged from the property and brought Mr Ustic back indoors.

Mr Gillane said CCTV security cameras in the area captured some elements of what happened outside the High Street property.

"They carried him literally under the armpits with his feet dragging on the ground," Mr Gillane said.

The State argued that, once inside the house, Mr Nash threw Mr Ustic to the floor.

"He (Mr Nash) attacked Mr Ustic while he was on the ground," Mr Gillane said.

"He rained blows on him. He stamped on his face. He slashed his ear with a broken bottle. Mr Ustic was literally defenceless."

Mr Gillane said it is the State case that Mr Nash then lifted a nearby sofa and dropped it repeatedly onto Mr Ustic.

"He brought it down on the chest and head of John Ustic."

The State said Mr Nash left the property at 10.30pm and the alarm was raised the following morning when Ms Fenton discovered her partner and desperately shouted for help from a window of the High Street property.

Paramedics and gardai attended the property but Mr Ustic was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Gillane said a post mortem examination was conducted at Cork University Hospital (CUH) by former State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy. She found that Mr Ustic died from blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest with a contributory factor of acute alcohol intoxication.

There was also evidence of crush-type injuries to Mr Ustic's neck as well as a split-type injury to his left ear consistent with a glassing-style incident.

Mr Gillane said Mr Nash was arrested in November 2017 and, while he accepted that he hit Mr Ustic "a number of slaps", he denied causing the injuries which resulted in his death.

The trial continues.
A car lies upside down on the footpath at Baggot Street Upper in Dublin on Sunday evening after it came crashing down from a rooftop carpark above. Photo: Damien Storan.

Two people have miraculously escaped serious injury after the car in which they were travelling came off of a rooftop car park and landed upside down in Dublin city centre last night.

Pictures from the scene show a car lying upside down on the footpath at Baggot Street Upper in Dublin on Sunday evening after it came crashing down from a rooftop car park above.

A garda spokesperson confirmed that they are investigating the incident.

Car that fell from rooftop cleared from Dublin street

Gardai are investigating a traffic incident that occurred on Baggot Street Upper, Dublin 4 at approximately 9.20pm on Sunday, July 9, in which a vehicle drove through the guard rail of a first-floor car park onto the footpath below, the spokesperson said.

There were no injuries reported but both occupants of the vehicle were brought to St Vincents University Hospital in Dublin.

Photo: Damien Storan

Dublin Fire Brigade also responded to the incident and the area along several shop storefronts was cordoned off while emergency services managed to turn the vehicle upright.

An ambulance was also waiting on hand to take both occupants to hospital.

The windscreen of the vehicle was smashed, and the front bumper fell off to expose the interior of what lies beneath the bonnet. The car roof was also significantly dented.

Investigations are ongoing.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 10th
The remains of Max Wall arrive for his funeral mass at The Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook, Dublin, today. Photo: Gerry Mooney

The remains of Max Wall arrive for his funeral mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook, Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney

The remains of Max Wall arrive for his funeral mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook, Dublin. Photo: Gerry Mooney

St Michaels College student Max Wall was talking to his father on the phone when he died on the Greek island of Ios, mourners at his funeral mass heard today.

He was one of two former students of the Ballsbridge school who died while on a post-Leaving Cert holiday at the beginning of the month.

Fellow student Andrew ODonnell died after an accidental fall while returning to his accommodation having left his group early on Saturday July 1.

Max died the next day while making his way to the ferry.

The Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook was full to capacity this morning for his funeral, where St Michaels College chaplain Fr Paddy Moran told of how sudden his last moments were.

Max was walking to the ferry when he died. He was talking to Niall, his father, who told me yesterday that Max sounded strong on the phone, he said.

One second Max was living, and the next he was not. It was as quick as that. Max did not suffer. He was not afraid. He died listening to the voice of the father who loved him. There is consolation in that, he added.

Friends Max Wall (left) and Andrew ODonnell

Max (18) is survived by his parents Fiona and Niall, his brother Charlie, grandparents Carl Laverty and Nuala Wall, and a wide circle of family and friends.

Niall Wall spoke strongly and proudly of Max at his Requiem Mass, and described the suddenness of his death as a most profound cruelty.

Today marks the end of an eight-day journey for us, that with the most profound cruelty has not only taken Max from us but has robbed him of a bright future, and the sense of loss that we feel is so deep because of what he has lost, he said.

Niall Wall also told of how Max had undergone very serious surgeries three years ago at Crumlin Hospital to replace a heart valve, and very soon afterwards to remove his spleen.

We were very, very, lucky that he survived all of that. Before he went to surgery he was told exactly the dangers and how sick he was. He accepted that so stoically, and not once did he complain, he said.

Mr Wall also praised his sons ability to organise all their trips abroad, generally booking the best seat on the plane for himself. He said Max and his brother Charlie were great friends as well as siblings.

His knowledge of the things he was interested in was staggering, and he took pride in taking control of his life, he said.

The remains of Max Wall arrive for his funeral mass at The Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook, Dublin, today. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Fr Moran said that only a few short weeks ago Max was part of the graduation ceremony that took place at St Michaels.

Whatever future I might have imagined for our students it never occurred to me that we would be gathered two months later for the funeral of Max. It is heart breaking to be gathered in the most tragic of circumstances. Our hearts are broken, he said.

Throughout the mass Max was remembered as a young man with a larger-than-life personality who made a positive impact on everyone he met, a person who made a positive and valued contribution in all aspects of his life, and a man who overcame the challenges in his life.

Fr Moran said his school friends remember his life and his laughter, and his sense of fun.

Symbols of his life brought to the altar included a Manchester United jersey, to reflect his passion for his favourite team, a pool cue to represent all the good times he had with his friends and the strong friendships he made, a megaphone as a symbol of his loud personality and his love for supporting various teams, a signed Leinster jersey, and a school annual.

Prayers were also said for the family of Andrew ODonnell, whose funeral will take place at the same church on Wednesday.

At the end of the mass, Maxs mother Fiona read WH Audens poem Funeral Blues.

Max, our darling boy. We love you forever, we miss you dreadfully, you were a force of nature and your memory will live on, she said afterwards.

Funeral of Max Wall takes place in Donnybrook

President Michael D Higgins was represented by his Aide de Camp Commandant Deirdre Newell, and Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell was also in attendance.

Rugby stars Leo Cullen and Jamie Heaslip were among the mourners.

After Requiem Mass Maxs remains were brought through the summer rain to St Michaels school as his classmates and current students walked behind.

From there, the cortege went to Kilternan Cemetery Park for the burial ceremony.
People Before Profit (PBP) TD Brid Smith has announced she will not run in the next general election.

The Dublin South Central TD will retire from the Dail after winning her seat in 2016, the fourth time she stood for the Dail.

PBP Dublin City Councillor Hazel de Nortuin will instead run in her place for the PBP party.

Ms Smith was first elected as a PBP Councillor in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014.

The PBP TD is a prominent abortion rights and anti war campaigner.

She was the first TD to speak publicly about having an abortion, saying in 2017 she was never ashamed of having the procedure done when she was in her 20s in the 1980s.

She revealed she travelled to Liverpool by ferry a couple of years after the Eighth Amendment, a constitutional ban on abortion, was introduced.

Her legislation on liberalising Irish abortion laws passed the second stage in the Dail in recent months after Government TDs were granted a free vote.

The laws include an abolishing of the three-day waiting period as well as the 12 week-limit, full decriminalisation of abortion and allows terminations of fatal foetal abnormality at any stage during pregnancy.

The legislation will now be examined by the Health Committee.

In 2020, she was accused by then Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan of a sinister and personalised attack on a judge after Ms Smith criticised a ruling by High Court Judge Garrett Simons.

She is also a prominent anti-bin tax campaigner, has pushed for free public transport and has been critical of data centres.

The TD previously accused the Government of playing Russian roulette with power supply.

Theyre playing Russian roulette really with the power supply and the possible power cuts that could ensue from the energy that data centres are going to consume, she previously told Newstalk.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 10th
National Union of Journalists members protest in front of the RTE canteen over the payments scandal.

Amid the ongoing scandal at the broadcaster, staff have now been advised the campuss main restaurant is now off-limits.

A internal note said: The main restaurant was not opened this morning due to evidence of rodent activity. The restaurant will remain closed until the matter is fully investigated.

It is the second time this year that the canteen has been closed.

The canteen has become a familiar backdrop to the recent controversy over secret payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Kevin Bakhurst on what success and failure will look like for RTE's future

Workers staged a protest in the courtyard outside the restaurant in the days after the revelations.

In January bosses told staff that the rodent infestation was the result of building works around the Donnybrook campus.

On that occasion, the canteen - where meals are subsidised - is alleged to have been contaminated by rats or mice or both. It was declared safe and reopened after a number of weeks.

National Union of Journalists members protest in front of the RTE canteen over the payments scandal.

At the time, RTE said they had a number of controls in place to monitor rodent activity on our sites, which can occur from time to time, particularly due to building or other works on site or in the area.

Where any rodent activity is detected, as happened recently, experts are brought on site to assess such activity and take the appropriate action, including precautionary measures.

Rodent activity at the campus has been an ongoing problem. Four years ago Ryan Tubridy revealed on his radio show that staff at RTE were worried about mice infestation due to building works next door to the south Dublin campus.

Theyre (the builders) doing a very good job from what I see, Im not a builder but I got the impression, its clean, its not messy and not scrappy, he said back then on his radio show.

But theyve unearthed a lot of the ground near where there will be our new neighbours, who we look forward to bringing over a bottle of wine and some cheese or whatever people do when new neighbours come in.

A sign on the door of the RTE canteen

But maybe not the cheese because I was told this morning that we have to be on high alert for mice.

What seems to have happened is, with all the digging and what have you, the natural habitat of some of our rodent friends have meant that theyre looking for somewhere to go, and they appear to have come to our radio centre.

Somebody said a mouse was doing the rounds. I swear it was like CSI Montrose listening to them this morning describing the mouse and then our friends on Rays [DArcys] programme were talking about it and we were talking about it, its the talk of town here, such is the level of diligence thats put into these programmes...so the mouse is apparently doing the rounds.

I said; are you sure its not a rat?, and they were like; fake news, its a mouse. I said; are you sure its not a horde of rats running around the place?

Do you remember what Vladimir Putin said about hamsters? He said hamsters are just rats with good PR. So maybe these are mice with good PR. I dont know.

Im not sure what might happen but were all watching with great interest to see what might scurry across the ground.
Television

What to watch on TV, Netflix, AppleTV+ and Disney+ today: Up for the Match, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Aidan Turner in Fifteen-Love
The tricolour and an image of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar atop a bonfire that was set alight at the weekend. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar does not believe the image of his poster being burned on a loyalist bonfire accurately reflected the opinion of the majority of unionists or Northern Ireland residents towards the Republic and its leaders.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is investigating the incident in Tyrone on Saturday evening as a potential hate crime.

Photographs, videos and social media posts about the construction of the giant bonfire, as well as it being set alight, are being studied by police.

A large poster of the Taoiseach was erected on top of an old boat, bedecked with two tricolours and a placard criticising the Good Friday Agreement. It was then set alight.

A large crowd attended the bonfire burning and cheered as it vanished in flames.

Speaking in Cork yesterday, Mr Varadkar said he was aware of the incident but did not believe it reflected the opinion of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.

I saw that image and I dont think its reflective in any way of the opinion of unionists in Northern Ireland and the opinion of the general public in Northern Ireland, he said.

Any time I travel north of the Border, I get a very good welcome, a very good reception in unionist and nationalist communities and from all sections of society really, so I think its the actions of a small minority of people.

It wont distract us in any way from our main mission here, which is to get the Good Friday Agreement working again and the [Northern Ireland] institutions up and running.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar poster and Irish flags burned as first July 12 bonfire lit in Moygashel, Co. Tyrone

Unionist leaders have condemned the placing of the Irish flag and Mr Varadkars picture on the bonfire.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson tweeted: I am proud of my tradition but if we want respect for our culture & identity, then we must show respect to others.

Burning the flag of our neighbouring state & a poster of the head of government of that state is disrespectful and wrong. It is not culture!

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said: This is not acceptable, it is childish and promotes hate. Again, the many are let down by a few.

Most of the bonfires to mark Northern Irelands traditional July 12 celebrations will be lit tomorrow, July 11.

July 12 marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

William of Oranges victory secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown.

There has been controversy around bonfires in recent years, with election posters and Irish flags hung from the stacks of wood, with some towering more than 100ft high.

Meanwhile, the annual Orange Order Drumcree parade took place in Co Armagh yesterday.

Orange Order members held a short protest at the police lines barring them from the return route along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.
Our Travel Editor drafts a royal itinerary for King Charles next trip to Ireland

By our calculations, there are 11 Irish counties that King Charles has yet to visit. So what should he see and do to fill in the blanks on his next trip?
Millions of us are making up for lost sunshine, and taking extra trips to compensate for the dark days of lockdown during the pandemic.

Unfortunately, villains know we are desperate to travel  and that finances are tight. The number of online scams appears to be at an all-time high, targeting people who cannot afford to lose a small fortune.

Any travel purchase of transport and/or accommodation is an act of faith, because you usually pay a substantial sum of money upfront and dont take delivery until you turn up and, hopefully, get the flights and/or villa you were hoping for.

If you go to your local travel agent and buy a holiday, the overwhelming odds are that it will be a genuine and problem-free transaction. But if you are booking online, you are vulnerable to fraudsters.

Be wary of these seven signs to ensure you are not going to be left thousands of euro out of pocket, with no holiday.

1. Are prices way out of line?

A favourite hunting ground for fraudsters in search of unwitting victims is to offer ultra-cheap airline tickets. While many online agents will assert they have the best fare, prices for a particular flight are usually in a fairly narrow band.

A check on Skyscanner.net can give you a good idea of the ball-park figure. If someone is selling well below the norm, be wary  especially if the company tells you it has access to secret fares.

2. Do they make onerous demands?

Scamsters arent simply interested in stealing your money. They also want your identity. A genuine business will not ask for a scan of your passport or driving licence, unless there are good and specific reasons that you can verify (e.g. a local law insisting on identity checks for propective guest).

3. Are the address and phone number disconnected, geographically?

A genuine site should make it easy to find both the address and phone number. If the firm appears to be based in one area but has a dialling code in another, for example, you should ask why. If the number is foreign, be especially circumspect.

Details on travel agents and tour operators that are licensed by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and organisations that have the relevant insolvency protection in place can be found here.

If a business says it is a member of Abta, the UKs travel trade association, then use the very straightforward checking system to confirm its membership status.

Many scam sites have no telephone number, but may have an address. If you search this address online, you will often find the real company that is based at the address the fraudsters claim to use. Find a number for that company, dial it and see what happens; one shut-down scam site, CycladesRentals.com, claimed to be based at an address in west London that was actually the premises of a Polish restaurant.

4. Is the marketing material dodgy?

Many scam websites are set up using extracts copied and pasted from genuine travel companies. If something strikes you as odd, try a bit of copying and pasting yourself  an odd phrase may take you to a genuine holiday company. In the CycladesRentals.com case, a phrase about health looked distinctly out of place; it turned out to have been stolen from a legitimate operator specialising in wellbeing holidays.

5. Could those friendly staff be pretending to be the real villa owners?

Some fraudsters intercept emails to and from genuine companies. To ensure you are not dealing with a criminal, diverge from email conversations. Demand a landline rather than a mobile, check that the dialling code is commensurate with the location, and phone up the owner.

You could ask, for example: Just before I book can you give me a few more details about the area: how far is the beach, how good is the WiFi, whats the mobile-phone reception like?

If you are not satisfied with the answer, probe more deeply: ask for the name of the nearest restaurant and the days it is open, then find the number for this place and call the proprietor to cross-check.

6. Do they demanding payment by bank transfer?

Paying for a service with a credit or debit card generally confers some protection if you dont get what you paid for. In contrast, sending a bank transfer directly to someones account is equivalent to handing over a big bag of your hard-earned cash, with little hope of retrieving it if you are defrauded.

Yet plenty of genuine villa owners will ask for payment by bank transfer. Typically they will do this to keep handling costs down and avoid having to get involved in complex and expensive systems for credit or debit card card payment.

Regrettably, criminals know it, and in a bid to persuade you to send some cash over they will typically make up a story to explain why . So it is essential to make checks before you press confirm.

Talk to the property owner at length, asking questions about the ownership of the property: when they bought it, what improvements they have made and background on the immediate vicinity. A genuine owner will typically talk knowledgably and enthusiastically. If you feel something is not right, do not proceed.

Be especially suspicious if the destination bank account is in an improbable location. If it is a villa in Spain through a British or Irish intermediary, being asked to pay into a bank account in a third country should be a red flag.

Some scammers who have placed fictional accommodation availability on well-known platform may ask you to liaise direct and pay by bank transfer rather than going through the official payment platform. If anyone asks you to do this, you can be fairly sure you are dealing with a criminal.

7. Are they hurrying you?

Fraudsters invariably want to pressure you into parting with your hard-earned cash quickly. They will warn that the property will be let to someone else unless you commit immediately. They may also offer a 10 or 20 per cent discount for immediate payment.

You should be able to sense if they are getting agitated: a good way to test their response is to suggest you communicate by mail. A villain wont contemplate such an arrangement, but a genuine owner may cut you some slack and agree to receive your deposit as cash through the post.

While that concept might sound ridiculously 20th century, it can offers safeguards you dont get online. I have phoned an accommodation owner in Greece and then posted the deposit in cash (by registered mail, of course) to a physical address in the village where the property was located. It isa safer transaction than transferring money to a bank account in a distant land.
We have the energy solutions for green power, but we need commitment and public support. Cranes seen at the construction site of gravity-based wind turbine foundations for the Fecamp offshore wind farm. Photo: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

Green energy evangelists are hard to beat for enthusiasm. They see hydropower kilowatts in clouds, megawatts in sunbeams and gigawatts in every wisp of passing wind. Free clean energy is just waiting to be harnessed, distributed, used, stored and converted to other flexible forms. Power-to-X is the buzz phrase for the latter  the process of turning surplus renewable energy into green hydrogen for transport fuel and low-carbon chemicals for industry.

Energy islands are the holy grail  offshore hubs shared by countries and companies to gather power from diverse locations and distribute it seamlessly through always-open, always-brimming interconnectors.

The sources are endless, the possibilities immense, the logic overwhelming.

So what could possibly suck the energy out of a room full of the converted?

The exasperated voice of a Romanian journalist, actually. How could she talk about green hydrogen when half her country was still burning wood for heating and cooking, she asked.

How could she paint a picture of the power systems of the future when people were still living in the last century?

She wasnt alone in articulating the challenges of communicating the rationale and mechanics of the energy transition.

Over the course of a two-day gathering organised by the European Commissions energy department, journalists from around Europe chatted between presentations about the particular difficulties in their own countries where people and politics, far from being in transition, were stuck fast in old ways.

A Bulgarian pointed out that his country had been through five general elections in two years and now had an Irish-style rotating premiership only with the rotation happening every nine mind-bending months. Paralysis was the result, he said. New policies could not gain traction and the electorate was becoming alienated. Trying to lay the groundwork for something transformational against that backdrop was like pouring foundations in a flood.

The Greek member of the group talked of how progress made in weaning power generation off domestically mined lignite had stalled since the invasion of Ukraine.

Under closure plans set out over the last decade, only two plants should remain by now but nine were still in operation.

Meanwhile after years of recession and stagnation, a very welcome economic growth spurt was driving energy demand faster than the demand could be cleanly met  a familiar sounding tale from this side of the bloc.

The Belgian reporter told of rural communities, proud of their rustic charm, resisting the ugly, intrusive infrastructure of electricity cables, pylons and substations needed to support the roll-out of renewables. That too had a familiar ring about it. Poland, the home of coal, had been warming up to solar but unsurprisingly the trouble next door shifted priorities.

People making evacuation plans for their families in the event of an escalation, as our Polish colleague had, were not necessarily focused on PV panels. Portugal has just increased its renewables targets which are now more ambitious than Ireland and it is preparing for its first offshore wind auction, just slightly behind us.

But unlike Ireland, they dont have a shallow water eastern coast to dip their toe in, only the deep Atlantic where the more complex, more expensive floating turbines are required.

The Portuguese journalist wasnt sure she could believe the hype  or even the hope  and if she didnt believe it, how could she write it?

Even the Danes, the hosts of our group and leaders of the green transition pack, had their problems. The day after the gathering ended, the Danish government announced it was shelving one of the two flagship energy island projects that had been confidently presented to us because the cost was higher than the publicly funded purse could be asked to bear.

Ireland also has issues to grapple with if our own clean energy ambitions are to be realised  politicking, planning, spending priorities and public buy-in among them. The trip was primarily intended to provide a brief, intense immersion in the technological solutions to the decarbonisation of energy and there was no shortage of impressive examples. But it also highlighted that transformation is about people, not just technology. If energy systems are to be decarbonised at the speed the climate crisis demands, then people power as much as green power needs to be harnessed.
Its a fair bet that Charles Windsor will have a go at the cupla focal when he makes his first official visit to the Republic of Ireland as the reigning British monarch in the coming weeks.
Let us hope when Ryan Tubridy and Noel Kelly come before the Oireachtas media and public accounts committees tomorrow, they will give full and honest answers to all questions put to them.

If so ,then we the viewers can relax and believe there are no more questions to hear. People dont need to recall the saying Ask me no questions and Ill tell you no lies.

Leo Gormley

Dundalk, Co Louth

Bailout request from RTE shows how much work is needed to restore trust

The report that RTE asked to be bailed out (RTE asked Government for 34.5m bailout just as auditors uncovered secret deal, Sunday Independent, July 9) indicates the financial unviability of the media conglomerate.

With this knowledge, it is beyond credulity that the Government minister responsible, the board members and executives did not enquire as to why this amount was needed given that revenue was 331m last year.

RTEs incoming director general, Kevin Bakhurst, said he faces a huge challenge to restore trust in the national broadcaster.

Trust may only be restored if RTE is restructured, slimmed down and reconstituted as a viable public service broadcaster operating successfully within the present income from the licence fee level funding without commercial revenue. The appointment of an examiner/liquidator may be necessary to assist Mr Bakhurst.

Whats being proposed at present, for RTE, is akin to rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.

Hugh McDermott

Co Leitrim

Lets hope those who do good things in Montrose can keep on doing them

RTE Investigates, one of the best things the broadcaster has made, has once again produced an excellent, albeit harrowing, programme detailing the cruelty endured by thousands of bull calves being transported from Ireland to mainland Europe.

It must be harrowing for the makers of such excellent programmes and others doing a great job at the state broadcaster, to see what is coming out in the wash at RTE executive management level.

I hope the latter can be sorted out as soon as possible, so the former can continue to focus on producing excellent programmes, undistracted by the current mess.

Rosaleen Crotty

Allensbach, Germany

After this unseemly mess dies down, we are sure to be hit with a broadcast tax

When all the furore and embarrassment over the RTE secret payments and barter accounts subsides  as it will  the end result will not be good for the citizen.

Ivana Bacik of the Labour Party has echoed the call of her former colleague, Pat Rabbitte, for a broadcast tax on each and every residential and commercial property  as has the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

And the Government seems to be leaning towards this model also.

The NUJ members in RTE are playing a blinder. Pursuing their bosses as if their lives depend on it.

And when the fuss dies down, those who matter will point to this exemplar of investigative journalism and legislate for the household broadcast charge considered to be essential to fund the national broadcaster and remove its need to fumble in greasy tills.

Given the parlous financial status of RTE, it is difficult to imagine that the annual broadcast charge would be less than 300.

Sometimes, we should be very careful of what we wish for.

Larry Dunne

Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford

Joe Biden should rethink his awful decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine

The decision by the US, endorsed by President Joe Biden, to send cluster bomb munitions to Ukraine for use against Russia is indefensible.

It will further escalate the conflict, it is counterproductive and will cause further maiming of civilians both now and in the future when they return to their devastated homeland  it is estimated that only 40pc of the smaller bombs explode upon impact, leaving the rest embedded in the soil.

Already, both the Russian invading army and the Ukrainian army are using these munitions which are outlawed by the Oslo Convention.

However, Russia, the US and Ukraine have refused to endorse this Convention and continue to stockpile these deadly weapons with the obvious intention of using them

The UK and many EU/Nato countries have disassociated themselves from Bidens decision.

While war is hell, every effort must be made to humanise it. There is still time for the Biden administration to realise that its decision to send such deadly weaponry to Ukraine is immoral and indefensible, and should be reversed.

Brendan Butler

Dublin 9

Deadly weapons do not bring peace, they only end up destroying countries

War is complex. We honour those who serve and, rightfully, we all hope for no more wars, but they continue to happen. It is obvious there will be too much loss of life, in particular innocent bystanders.

The latest move by the US to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine is simply wrong, not just because they are banned by more than 100 countries, and not just because the Russian forces are using them, but because of the effect they have on the general public. Its not just one bomb to avoid but up to hundreds of bombs, and although smaller they are still deadly.

US president Joe Biden has called it a very difficult decision but it is the wrong decision. I am not sure what he should do but there must be other options to find a peaceful end to this conflict.

Pray for peace because you cant bomb a country into peace, just destruction.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

Letters page shows that the west is very much awake these days

I was intrigued by the composition of your Letters page on Saturday, July 8. Apart from a solitary letter from Dublin, all of the others featured originated from what could be described as the western flank of the island.

The counties represented were Donegal (twice), Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Leitrim. It is very gratifying to witness such a keen interest in current affairs and also that people are willing to document their thoughts.

In case anyone ever doubted, the west is very much awake and up to speed.

Gerard Cassidy

Co Fermanagh
The two car collision occurred on the evening of Saturday, July 1 at McCurtain Street in Fermoy.

GARDAI in North Cork have reissued an appeal for witnesses who may be of assistance in their ongoing investigation into a fatal traffic road traffic collision that occurred in Fermoy.

At approximately 8.40pm on Saturday, July 1 Gardai and emergency services were alerted to the incident involving two cars at McCurtain Street in Fermoy.

A passenger in one of the cars, a male in his 20s, who was seriously injured in the collision, was taken to hospital where he later passed away.

A woman in her 50s who was also injured is continuing to receive hospital treatment. He injuries were not life-threatening.

The driver one of the cars, a male in his 30s, was arrested at the scene and late charged. He is currently before the courts.

A Garda spokesperson said they were continuing to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the incident and were renewing their appeal for any witnesses to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and were travelling in the McCurtain Street area between 8.30pm and 9pm are asked to make this footage available to Gardai, said the spokesperson.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fermoy Garda station on 025 82100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow, they added.
I am very conscious of the role that Collins played in shaping our present and our future.

THE Michael Collins Commemoration Committee has confirmed the former RTE northern editor, Tommie Gorman, will deliver this years oration at Beal na Blath in Mid-Cork.

The ceremony, on Sunday, August 20, will mark the 101st anniversary of the death of Michael Collins during the Civil War.

Committee chairman Ballincollig based Cllr Garret Kelleher told The Corkman the committee was delighted when Mr Gorman, a native of Sligo, accepted their invitation to speak at this years event.

Tommie has reported on many complex and delicate political situations and in so doing, he has earned the respect and trust of all of those with whom he dealt. He has a deep understanding of our history and appreciation of its relevance to the issues which confront us today, said Mr Kelleher.

Mr Gorman said he was surprised but hugely honoured to speak at this years commemoration, which marks the death of Collins, who was killed on August 22, 1922, when his convoy of National Army troops was attacked by anti-Treaty IRA at Beal na Blath in west Cork.

I was surprised by the invite for a start  it came from left field and Im very conscious of the honour thats involved but also the responsibility because I dont think many reporters have been asked to speak at the ceremony over the years, said Mr Gorman.

I would be very conscious of how the outworkings of that period from 1914 and the decade that followed, continues to be at the very heart of political and public life in Ireland. So I am very conscious of the role that Collins and his contemporaries had in shaping our present and our future.

Mr Gorman said that when the invite came he was keen to find out why they were asking him.

I think its because of the 20-years I spent in Belfast but also the 12-years I spent in Brussels and whatever remarks I make will take into account that experience, said Mr Gorman.

My remarks, I hope, will have a consciousness of the all-Ireland dimension but also a consciousness of the European dimension ... our responsibility really as the generation that is building the new Ireland is in taking on the next phase of the challenge that faced Collins and his contemporaries, he added.

Mr Gorman will follow in the footsteps of leading political figures such as Micheal Martin; Leo Varadkar, who addressed last years 100th anniversary ceremony; President Michael D Higgins and Enda Kenny and other speakers such as historian, the late Prof John A Murphy and filmmaker David Puttnam.
Data show Cork schools have the second highest number of Ukrainian pupils behind Dublin.

THE latest set of monthly figures released by the Department of Education have shown the total number of Ukrainian children enrolled at schools across Cork City and County has risen slightly to 1,629.

The figures showed that as the 2022/23 academic year drew to a close there were 1,095 Ukrainian pupils enrolled at primary schools across Cork, with a further 533 attending second level schools.

Nationally, the figures showed that as school broke up for the summer holidays there 15,625 Ukrainian pupils enrolled at schools across the country, 10,141 of these in national schools with a further 5,484 in post-primary education.

The county-by-county figures show that Dublin still has the largest concentration of Ukrainian pupils at 1,891, followed by Cork (1,629) , Kerry (1,601), Donegal (1,335), Galway (953) and Clare (928).

Monaghan remains the county with the lowest number of Ukrainian pupils at 98.

A spokesperson for the Department said current data indicates an enrolment rate of 88% among Ukrainian children aged between five and 18.

The dates of May 12 in the case of post-primary schools and 12 June in the case of primary schools, were selected as final dates to account for any additional enrolments of Ukrainian pupils in the academic year 2022/23, said the spokesperson.

This is due to the commencement of data entry by schools relating to the progression process for academic year 2023-24. Selecting this early date reduces the risk of double counting of pupils, where, for example new entrants in 6th class may be double counted as they have enrolled in JC1 in the new academic year, they added.

It is understood that just over 100 post-primary Ukrainian teachers have registered with the Teaching Council.

Since March 2022, following the outbreak of the conflict in the Ukraine, regional teams coordinated by the 16 Education and Training Boards have working to ensure the necessary resources have been provided to schools to cater for the influx of Ukrainian pupils arriving to the State.

According to the most recent available data, the Department of Education is funding almost 1,000 English language teachers, 254 special needs assistants (SNAs) and 201 special education teachers (SETs) to support the integration of Ukrainian pupils into schools.

Apart from in-school supports, about 5,000 Ukrainian pupils, who are dispersed through every county in Ireland, are availing of school transport.

Overall, 83pc of Ukrainian children of school-going age are in school, with a higher rate (92pc) among five to12-year-olds, compared with 74pc among 17 to 18-year-olds.

The lower enrolment rate among 17 and 18-year-olds is attributed to a trend among students nearing the end of second-level to focus on online classes with teachers in Ukraine and sit their national end-of-school exam, known as National Multi-Subject Test (NMT).

Meanwhile, with no certainty about when the war in Ukraine will end, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is making plans to examine Ukrainian for the first time as part of the Leaving Cert in 2025.
Water mains replacement works will take place in the Duntahane and Rathealy areas of Fermoy over the coming months.

THE water supply problems that have plagued residents in the Duntahane area of Fermoy are set to become a thing of the past thanks to a project of works being undertaken by Uisce Eireann.

Crews have this week commenced work, in conjunction with Cork County Council, to replace 3.4km of old and dilapidated pipes along Deerpark and Coolroe areas that have been the cause of numerous breaks and water outages to local residents over recent months.

The project will also entail the installation of new service connections to local property boundaries from the public water main.

Uisce Eireann spokesperson Paul Gray the company was all too familiar with the problems the faulty stretch of water mains have been causing to local residents.

We are well aware of the problems this stretch of water main, which is particularly prone to bursts has been causing. Not only will these works put an end to sporadic bursts, it will significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground, said Mr Gray.

He said the Deerpark Road and Coolroe will be closed for the duration of the works, which are expected to be completed in October. However, emergency and local access will be facilitated throughout.

We understand that this type of work is inconvenient, and our crews will make every effort to minimise disruption to the local people. These works are essential for the area and the long-term benefits will far outweigh any short-term inconvenience. We thank the community in advance for their patience and co-operation, said Mr Gray.

The works may require some short-term water interruptions to the water supply, however the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48-hours notice prior to any planned interruptions, he added.

Meanwhile, Uisce Eireann is also planning to replace ageing water mains in the Rathealy area of Fermoy with works due to commence in the coming weeks.

Further details will be provided nearer to the commencement of these improvement works. Residents and businesses in the affected areas will be notified directly, said Mr Gray.

He said the two projects are part of a mammoth investment programme that aims to reduce the leakage rate from the countrys aging network to 25% to the year.

Since 2018, when the leakage rate stood at 46%,Uisce Eireann has invested more than 500 million to upgrade the underground water network across Ireland, said Mr Gray.
We are scared living here, day time, night times, theres always drug addicts

Some of the daily sights that greet Karol and his family outside their apartment in Dublin city centre

Some of the daily sights that greet Karol and his family outside their apartment in Dublin city centre

Karol Wisniewski and his partner Paulina with their two daughters

Some of the daily sights that greet Karol and his family outside their apartment in Dublin city centre

This is the shocking daily sight for a family of four who say they are under siege from drug addicts doing heroin and crack cocaine on their doorstep in Dublin city centre.

Karol Wisniewski, who lives in social housing accommodation managed by Focus Ireland off Capel Street with his partner Paulina Kepinska and their two children aged seven and four, said addicts are injecting and smoking heroin and crack day and night on his doorstep.

He said his family have been threatened and called Polish rats when they complained about the problem.

He said one addict even threatened to slice his partners face and he has also received death threats for highlighting the anti-social behaviour.

Karol Wisniewski and his partner Paulina with their daughters

We are scared living here. Day time, night time, theres always drug addicts, he said.

Sometimes when I open my door there are five, six, seven needles there and blood.

He said things are so bad he feels his daughters are effectively passive smoking heroin and they have to put up with discarded needles covered in blood, human faeces and urine regularly when they leave their apartment.

We cant even let the kids go to the playground. My kids have no life here and me and my girlfriend havent slept properly in two years, he said.

Some of the daily sights that greet Karol and his family outside their apartment in Dublin city centre

Karol has stepped on needles and human faeces while walking outside his apartment and is terrified the same will happen to his kids, who are distraught living in the area.

The principal at my kids school contacted me to ask why they were so scared and crying and sleeping during classes. I showed them videos of what was going on.

Karol, who has been living in the accommodation for two years, said he has recorded over 350 videos on his phone or doorbell camera showing the situation he is living in and has asked to be moved, as it is not suitable for a family, but so far has been unsuccessful.

He praised his case worker in Focus Ireland but said he feels her hands are tied in terms of being able to help.

He showed us shocking videos showing the constant drug use.

Family under siege from drug addicts in Dublin

In one video his two girls are standing across the road from the apartment waiting to go in while an addict takes drugs huddled in a corner outside their apartment.

In another, a woman is sitting on the kerb across from their apartment naked from the waist down and starts urinating into the air.

My daughter a few days ago she called me and said Daddy, this lady has no dress on. I said come back in and I got the phone and saw what was happening and she started to pee on the street.

I have so many videos of how we live. We complain about the smell of heroin all the time.

My kids are passive smoking heroin and other drugs for two years. Whenever I complain, people harass me.

Some of the daily sights that greet Karol and his family outside their apartment in Dublin city centre

He said he has had people banging on his door shouting and his family have also been threatened in the streets.

In the playground a guy came up to my girlfriend and said well slice your face you f**king Polack rat.

On Parnell Street, when my girlfriend passed Aldi, they said well burn you out you f**king Polish rats.

He said on another occasion an addict said he would kill him.

As well as the problem with drug use, Karol said he can hear everything in the apartment below him and even the apartment below that.

We can hear them having a conversation on the phone, flushing the toilet, making food, even using a lighter or opening a can  you can hear everything. Its like living with this person, he said.

When someone does their laundry in the building, the tables and glasses shake. I dont think theres proper insulation.

There are other issues including the heating not working properly and cracks appearing around the apartment.

Karol explained that he moved to Ireland in 2005 and was renting an apartment in Dominick Street and was happy there, but found himself homeless after the landlord decided to sell.

Weeks before he left the apartment his girlfriend gave birth to Sabina and suffered a back injury during a complicated pregnancy.

He said the family found themselves homeless.

We couldnt find anywhere else we could afford and we were homeless. Our youngest was four months old and our older was two and a half.

Karol talks to our reporter Alan Sherry

They eventually were housed in temporary accommodation where there were pigeons in the kitchen, which he showed us in a video, amongst other issues.

The couple were initially delighted when they were offered the Focus Ireland-managed accommodation near Capel Street.

It looked nice when we came in. After a few weeks we started to notice there were needles everywhere on the street, blood everywhere and loads of drug addicts.

It was after that neighbours moved in below and he realised there was no soundproofing.

Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy, Communications & Research with Focus Ireland, said the organisation is actively engaged with the tenants of the apartments to address ongoing concerns.

He said there was no evidence that there was drug use and drug dealing within the building but there were problems outside.

We acknowledge that there is street-level drug use and the disposal of drug paraphernalia outside the building on Anglesea Row, which is a lane adjacent to a busy city centre street.

As the landlord, we have contacted Dublin City Council, Merchants Quay Ireland, and encouraged the tenants to directly contact An Garda Siochana to address drug activity on the street.

Regarding the noise complaints, we have received multiple complaints from tenants in all three apartments, and we have investigated them to minimise disruption for each household.

We contacted the developer in response to the noise complaints to ensure compliance with current apartment regulations.

We are satisfied that the building meets these regulations. We also offered to install carpets in the top and middle apartments to mitigate some of the noise issues, but this proposal was declined by the tenants.

Lastly, the tenants are eligible for transfer. Even prior to their eligibility we actively supported some of their transfer applications to the Local Authority, Dublin City Council.
Esmail Morisho (20) is accused of being one of the three assailants. Above, Blanchardstown court house

Three men got out of a car and robbed a man of his phone on a Dublin street, with one of the assailants punching the victim in the face, it is alleged.

Esmail Morisho (20) is accused of being one of the three assailants and his case was adjourned at Blanchardstown District Court to give him time to decide on a plea.

Mr Morisho, of Meile An Ri Park, Lucan, is charged with robbery at Foxborough Road, Lucan on January 22.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Judge Gerard Jones the DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court if the judge accepted jurisdiction.

Outlining the prosecutions case, she said gardai were called to the scene and met the alleged victim who said he had been approached by three men who exited a vehicle.

Stopped

He told gardai one had punched him in the face and took his iPhone valued at 600. This caused a mark to the right side of his face but he did not require medical treatment.

He fled the robbers on foot and they left in the vehicle which was later stopped by gardai.

Mr Morisho was allegedly one of the men involved.

The court heard it was not clear if the accused was alleged to be the one who threw the punch.

Judge Jones accepted jurisdiction, allowing the case to remain in the district court instead of being sent to the circuit court, which has tougher potential sentencing powers.

Defence solicitor Kelly Breen said her client was due to attend college out of the country in August and the judge adjourned the case to later this month.
A Dingle woman, Eleanor Siochru, has helped to raise an impressive 3,000 for her chosen charity of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) after she summited the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro, as part of a climbing group in memory of her husbands grandmother, Gretta.

Originally from Cork but now well established as a West Kerry woman, Eleanor resides in Burnham just outside Dingle.

It was an honour to take on the challenge in memory of someone who made such an impact on our family. I want to thank everyone who donated to me, in support of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

It brings me great joy to raise funds for people living with dementia in Kerry, she said.

Kathleen Herlihy, Home Care Co-ordinator, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, North Kerry had this to say about the climb.

Were so grateful to Eleanor for choosing to raise money for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. The work of selfless community fundraisers makes a huge difference to us and provides us with a vital injection of funds.

The ASI will honour Ms Siochru with a cheque presentation at The Rosemary Day Care Centre, Balloonagh, Tralee this coming Thursday July 13, at 4:30 pm.
Cathaoirleach has met with Road Safety Officer for County Meath

Local East Meath Fianna Fail Councillor and Cathaoirleach of the East Meath Municipal District has called for traffic calming measures for Donore and Julianstown.

Cllr McKee has met with Road Safety Officer for County Meath, Michael Finnegan, along with Donore residents to press for traffic calming measures through the village.

McKee said; "I am grateful to the Road Safety Officer, Michael Finnegan, for coming out to meet with residents in Donore to discuss the urgent need for traffic-calming measures through the village.

"Its clear that general traffic-calming measures are needed on all approach roads into Donore. There is no doubt that something needs to be done to slow the speed of traffic down, particularly at the school and make the village safer and to improve the quality of life for everyone.

"I welcome the commitment given by Michael that he will seek to have flashing lights installed on both approach roads to the school and also to improve road signage. We also discussed the putting in place of speed ramps and I will seek to have these included in the Council budget for the coming year. I will keep the pressure on on behalf of Donore residents concluded McKee.

Meanwhile, Cllr McKee says it is clear that "urgent action is required to help the traffic situation through Julianstown.

"We now have two schemes in place; the "Julianstown Traffic Calming Scheme which involves traffic calming of the main road through Julianstown through widening of footpaths, narrowing the carriageway, reduction of junction diameters and improving bus stops and pedestrian crossings, he explains.

We now also have the "Traffic Relief Scheme which is essentially a Bypass Scheme for Julianstown. This is a longer-term solution. There are a number of options being considered as to how best to do this. What is clear though is that we need urgent action on both schemes to help improve the quality of life of residents living in Julianstown and also those commuters and drivers who find themselves stuck in traffic and endless delays through the village every day.
Will be rolled out to national schools

Pictured with Deirdre Clune MEP at the recent launch of the AbbVie STEM Prize, a new science education initiative by the biopharmaceutical company, AbbVie, promoting the value of STEM subjects, are Frank Krysiak (age 9); Phoebe Purcell (age 9); Rian McGovern (age 8) and Sophie Purcell (age 12).

The AbbVie STEM Prize encourages engagement in STEM-related learning. The company said it wished to showcase the exciting and diverse educational and career opportunities that can be unlocked for young people who develop an interest in these subjects.

The project will roll out to national schools in Sligo, as well as Dublin, Cork, and Mayo in September, to coincide with the start of the new school year.

Participating schools will have an opportunity to win STEM-related materials to the value of 30,000. Schools that enter will be asked to demonstrate how they might use STEM to solve challenges in their communities.

In partnership with other interested groups, AbbVie previously published the STEM Paths report exploring barriers to engagement in science-related subjects and careers in Ireland. The document highlighted the negative impact that low levels of STEM student interest might have on Irelands high-value pharma, biopharma and medical device sectors.

The company also runs a Back to School for STEM initiative. It supports employees from six of AbbVies sites around the country to visit local schools, including their alma maters, to talk about their jobs and the difference working in pharma makes to wider society.

Speaking at the launch Deirdre Clune MEP said she was passionate about STEM and delighted to support the initiative.

It is great to see AbbVie engaging with young people in their schools to highlight the wide variety of career options open to students who may study STEM. The traditional role of Scientist or Engineer has evolved and there are many variations required in todays workplace. Companies such as AbbVie require a large pool of talent across a range of areas to conceive, develop and deliver their products in a safe and sustainable manner. This initiative will make students and their teachers aware of those opportunities.

Georges El-Damaa, Site Head at AbbVie Manorhamilton Road, explained that a research-driven company like AbbVie had to be proactive in its support of STEM in local communities and showcase the diverse opportunities that are available in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ireland has a highly developed employee talent base, but the global market is very competitive. As an innovation-based company, we need to continuously engage with parents, teachers, schools, and others to highlight the broad range of high-quality opportunities that come from studying STEM disciplines. Its our job to inspire the next generation of STEM workers and enthusiasts.

AbbVie Ballytivnan, Sligo, Site Head, Michael Gallagher, commented that studying STEM subjects could literally open up a world of job opportunities.

A career in STEM offers so many possibilities  ones that are fulfilling personally but, crucially, opportunities to positively affect communities and wider society at a time when multiple challenges face us. I hope that this programme will help to spark an interest in STEM and help to engage young people in science and technology in the world around them, he added.
David Slanina has not been seen since he left his home in Grange on Saturday afternoon to go for a run.

An extensive search operation is continuing to find the 22-year-old Sligo man David Slanina, who went missing on Saturday evening.

A rescue team with 70 civilians and 11 mountain rescue team volunteers started the search operation again this morning (Monday) at 10am.

The search is mainly focused on the areas from Grange towards Ballantrillick, on the Benbulben forest walk, the Lukes Bridge area and N4 between Grange to Cashelgarron.

The areas have been marked based on the information provided by the missing mans family.

Cllr Donal Gilroy joined the search team with the civilians on N4 and said: We are trying to clear this area so that Gardai dont have to look here again.

The search and rescue operation are being operated from Henrys Bar and Restaurant in Cashelgarron. The mountain rescue team and the local volunteers gathered there at 10 AM on Monday morning and started the search from there.

Fiona Gallagher, a volunteer for the Sligo-Leitrim mountain rescue team, said: We have got a huge response from civilians. A total of 70 people is carrying out the search in teams of 10 each.

She further added: Eleven people from the Sligo-Leitrim mountain rescue and North-West mountain rescue teams are also involved in the operation.

An intense search was also carried out on Sunday with a helicopter and the Dog Squad team which stopped at around 8:30pm.

Henry Doherty, PRO for Sligo Leitrim mountain rescue team told the Sligo Champion that the Search and Rescue Dog Association Ireland North will be on the spot in the afternoon.

David Slanina, from Grange, was last seen on Saturday at around 4.30pm when he left his home in Grange to go for a run in the locality.

David is described as 6ft 2 in height, of slim build with dark brown hair and brown eyes. When last seen he was wearing running shorts, t-shirt and trainers.

Anyone with information on Davids whereabouts is asked to contact Sligo Garda Station on 0719157000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111 or any Garda station.
Residents in the Blackwater area of County Wexford woke to the chilling sound of a search and rescue helicopter combing the coast in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Coast Guard Rescue 117 helicopter had travelled from Waterford and commenced a search of the coastline sweeping around the Ballyconnigar and Ballinaclash areas.

The search lasted just over an hour before the helicopter returned to base, its presence having sparked major concerns in the area.

Gardai have now confirmed that a further search by Rescue 117 this morning has been called off after the missing person they were searching for was located safe and well.

The man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was reported missing from the Gorey area and there were major concerns for his well-being. His car was spotted parked along the coast in the Blackwater area, sparking the request for the search and rescue helicopter.

Gardai were able to confirm that no further action was required, and the helicopter crew were thanked for their assistance.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 10th
Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Susan Rice and Martha Lily Stanley

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Elaina, Fiadh and Sadhbh Ryan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Gemma Scallan and Ellie Nolan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Anna (Jane Duggan) and Olaf

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Daire Galvin, Teddy Ryan and Seamie Ryan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Shar, Tommy and Pa Whelan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Lizzies Lucky Charmers from Enniscorthy

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Melanie Carroll, Noreen De Hora and Lisa Devereux

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Sasha and Bronagh Hunt

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were The Nutty Scientist and Niamh Finn

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Lizzies Lucky Charmers from Enniscorthy

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Helen O'Byrne, Lorraine Kirwan and Maureen Kirwan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Daire Galvin, Teddy Ryan and Seamie Ryan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Dave, Tommy and Emily McCann

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were George Lawlor and Catherine Biddy Walsh

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Linia Matulyte, Angie McKinley, Amy Kehoe and Frances O'Connor

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Des Fegan and Susan Crosbie

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Jack Doyle with Adam, Rhys and Jayden

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were John Paul Sheridan, David Sheridan, Daniel Sheridan, Tyson Sheridan, Noelle Sheridan, Eoin O'Connell and Maureen O'Connell

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Pattie O'Connor, Siobhan Murphy and Carol Fox

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Ben Murphy and Marie Kehoe from Marvellous Melons Enniscorthy

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Alison Dempsey, Ella O'Connor and Annette Healy

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Esther Lanny and Patricia Ryan

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Eileen Fanning, aisling O'Rourke, Martina Jackson and Brid Fanning

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Lorraine and Latisha Cullen

Taking part in the Relay for Life event in Pairc Charman Harriers Pitch on Saturday afternoon were Leanne Drennan, Jessica Murphy, Emily Murphy and Carmel Doolan

Thousands of people flocked to the Faythe Harriers pitch in Pairc Charman, Wexford at the weekend for the most successful Relay for Life in the history of the event, with the highest ever amount raised and a record footfall.

"We were just blown away by the number of people who turned up on Saturday and Sunday. Usually, we would have quiet times when the crowds die down but this was constant. Thousands of people came out to support us, said Melrona ONeill, one of the organisers.

The fundraising total had already reached over 200,000 prior to the event and money continued to pour in over the weekend, thanks to team sponsorship and unprecedented candle bag sales for the Candle of Hope ceremony after dark on Saturday night.

"We wont have the final figure until the end of the week but we know that it has exceeded all expectations, said Melrona. The number of candles on the pitch was the biggest it has ever been.

The weather defied bleak forecasts to stay dry and mostly sunny with the organisers, who were left without a chairperson this year, following the death of Wexford Relay founder Gay Murphy, firmly believing that she and other deceased supporters were definitely smiling down on them.

"I would like to thank the committee  we operated without a chairperson which had its own challenges but everyone worked hard to keep up the legacy that Gay left, said Melrona.

Aside from Melrona, the committee includes Siobhan Murphy Sutton, Yvonne Keane, Debbie Franks, Fiona Murphy, Jennifer OConnor, John Sutton, Adam Fortune, Samantha Freegrove, Julie Jackson and Fiona Quinn.

Sulzer were the main sponsors, making a substantial contribution towards the cost of running the event and Pettitts SuperValu catered for the Survivors Lunch on Saturday while Wexford County Council provided a grant and also assisted with an event management plan.

Wexford Relay for Life has raised over 700,000 for the Irish Cancer Society since it started in 2016, apart from this years total which should bring it close to 1million when the final 2023 tally is announced.
In years gone by, while everyone else is breaking out the barbecue and heading for the beach, the warm weather held a certain dread for residents in parts of Castlebridge.

The reason being, it inevitably would mean theyd be left without any water supply for an extended period of time. Over the years theres been horror stories of residents having to rely on family and friends so they could take a shower and wash their clothes, so bad were the persistent water issues.

However, this year is different as it seems the problems have largely been solved. Having attended meetings with frustrated residents on the topic in the past, Labour councillor George Lawlor was happy to hear that nowadays, warm weather is welcomed in Castlebridge like anywhere else.

"Things had gotten so bad that some people were thinking of moving as a result of the poor water supply, he recalled. On sunny days, I was getting calls from residents in the likes of Glasganny and Airfield Road to say they were left without water again. Things were particularly bad on bank holiday weekends when there was increased demand.

"Thankfully, a 1.9km water main has now been installed and has greatly improved things. Theres now a constant supply with no outages, even over the sunny June bank holiday.

Cllr Lawlor says that the final piece of the jigsaw will go to construction next month  a new reservoir in Kilmallock, which will hold 24 hours worth of water.

"Basically, that will mean that if theres any problem at the plant, there will be enough water there to last 24 hours without any outages.

Cllr Lawlor was grateful that Uisce Eireann (Irish Water) responded to significant public pressure on the matter and he also praised Senior Water Engineer at Wexford County Council Fionnuala Callery.
Brays Hardy Har Comedy Club is bringing two of Ireland's very best stand-up acts to the town ahead of their Work in Progress shows, at the mother of all comedy festivals, Edinburgh, in August.

Shane Daniel Byrne and Stephen Mullan are bringing their bags of laughter to the Harbour Bar on Thursday, July 13 and Thursday, July 27, respectively, with some of their well established gags as well as some brand new material to be tested out on the Bray audience  so be nice . . . ish. They are going to Edinburgh after all for a stern test of mettle.

The award-winning Shane Daniel Byrne is Irish comedys new wonderkid (in his mid 30s) and was once considered an exciting talent of contemporary performance art in Dublin [but] he messed that up and now hes a comedian. His words  not ours.

Shane is a writer, performer, MC and an award-winning stand-up, who took to comedy after a decade working as an actor and theatre maker. He has performed at clubs all over Dublin as well as major festivals including Vodafone Comedy Festival, The Cat Laughs and Love Sensation. At Cat Laughs 2019 he was named 'The Rockies Champion'. In the same year he took second place in the prestigious and world famous 'So You Think You're Funny' competition at The Gilded Balloon at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The palette from which Stephen Mullan paints his sketches meanwhile (our words, not his) is navigating childhood heartbreak and Bridget Jones movies in a busted macho world. His show is billed as a new charged-up hour from Ireland's favourite cheeky son, guaranteed to make you howl with his silly, yet cut-throat comedy.

Stephen honed his craft in the club circuit in London and having recently moved home, he has already shared the stage with the likes of David ODoherty, Colin Murphy and head writer of Saturday Night Live, Michael Che.

Both shows are on at the Harbour Bar at 9.00pm and entrance is free. It is first come, first served though, so early arrival is advised.
A former civilian employee of An Garda Siochana from Wicklow said she never minds giving out information, including the locations of garda Covid-19 checkpoints, for which she received payment in cocaine, a court has heard.

Holly Hayden (27) of Bayview Terrace, Bray, pleaded guilty to one count of disclosing confidential information from the Pulse system obtained in the course of her employment on October 29, 2019.

She further pleaded to two counts of accessing confidential information from the Pulse system for the purpose of corruptly obtaining a gift, consideration or advantage for herself at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station on September 9, 2019 and on dates between April 28, 2020 and May 11, 2020. She has no previous convictions.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Monday that from 2017, Hayden was a civilian employee of An Garda Siochana in an administrative role for two years.

Gardai received confidential information that Hayden, working at the Dun Laoghaire District Office, was associated with criminal elements in Wicklow.

The investigating garda told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that Hayden admitted that she relayed information from the Pulse system about a named individual, referred to in court as 'SN'.

On October 29, 2019, Hayden searched information about 'SN' and relayed it outside of the organisation. When interviewed, she told gardai that she received a small amount of cocaine in exchange for the information.

Following analysis of her phone, it was identified that Hayden sent a document containing information from the Pulse system about another individual on September 9, 2019 to a person known to her.

On the same day, she provided a synopsis of information from the Pulse system about a person, referred to in court as 'WD'. The court heard 'WD' instructed Hayden what information to download via the messaging app Telegram. She received cocaine in exchange for providing information on both of these occasions.

The court heard that on a date between April 28 and May 11, 2020, Hayden sent a Whatsapp message with five pictures attached, containing the locations of garda Covid-19 checkpoints.

In a message, Hayden said if she is able to get information, she never minds doing it, all for the cause. A person referred to as 'CE' replied 'last thing I need is a problem with supply chains'.

The court heard Hayden and 'CE' were in a relationship at the time.

Hayden also took a photo of checkpoint locations on May 5, 2020 and when 'CE' asked for more information, Hayden provided it to him. She also sent a message containing seven images of checkpoint locations on May 11, which 'CE' then told her to delete.

When interviewed, Hayden made admissions to gardai and outlined that she had an addiction to alcohol and drugs.

She told gardai she felt like she was disclosing nuclear secrets. She said she loved her job and accepted she was going to be caught, but when you owe a drug dealer money, you don't have a choice.

The investigating garda agreed with Paul Murray SC, defending, that his client was a person of unblemished character prior to her offending.

He accepted that Hayden told gardai she received cash, cocaine or a reduction of 80 on her drugs debt of approximately 5,000 for providing information.

The garda agreed with Mr Murray that his client said she was in fear. It was further accepted that she used her own details to carry out the searches on the Pulse system and told gardai she was not aware this information would appear on screen.

The witness agreed that Hayden's admissions were helpful to the investigation.

Her mother told the court that Hayden's life was chaotic and messy during 2019 due to her addiction issues. She said the family paid off Hayden's debts.

Her daughter has mental health difficulties, epilepsy and a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. She said her daughter has engaged with addiction treatment services and now helps to care for her grandmother.

Mr Murray told the court that his client apologised for her actions. He noted that she expressed shame and remorse while speaking with the Probation Services and acknowledged her offending was gross disloyalty to her employer.

His client had a serious addiction to alcohol and drugs during 2019. Her father died when she was young and her mother and stepfather were in court to support her.

Defence counsel noted that this case has been hanging over his client for two years and there had been considerable publicity in the past. He said that she has worked since these offences occurred, but lost her job and may find it difficult to find employment in future.

Mr Murray asked the court to consider adjourning the case to allow urine analysis to be undertaken.

Judge Orla Crowe said urine analysis would be relevant, given that Hayden's offending was linked to her cocaine addiction.

Adjourning the case to November 6, Judge Crowe told Mr Murray to impress on his client the seriousness of the situation.
Edwina Currie remembers Rose Dugdale as 'extremely scruffy' when they met their tutor at Oxford. Photo via RTE

Currie and Dugdale were friends when they both attended the prestigious Oxford University.

Dublin-based Dugdale (82) is the subject of a three-part documentary series on RTE One based on her amazing life, including how she was part of a gang which robbed paintings from Russborough House in Co Wicklow in 1974 which in todays value would be worth over 150 million.

Viewers will also get to hear how Dugdale fell in love and married kidnapper Eddie Gallagher and how the pair once hijacked a helicopter and tried to bomb Strabane RUC station in Co Tyrone from the air with milk churns filled with explosives.

Dugdale was imprisoned in 1974, while pregnant with Gallaghers child.

The couple became the first convicted prisoners in Ireland to have a wedding behind bars (in 1978), before Dugdale was released in 1980.

What Rose did was reject all her background in a violent and quite vicious way.

It was as if she wanted to hurt her parents, says Edwina Currie.

She simply wasnt going to go back to being Daddys little rich girl.

But she also slams Dugdale for joining the IRA.

To be so casual about human life in the way that she was. That suggests quite a warped personality, she says.

Currie (76) was younger than Dugdale but remembers them both going to Oxford University when it was mostly young men there.

Most young women knew what they wanted to do and to go to university was an admission that you didnt know what you wanted to do and that you were kind of playing for time a little bit, hoping that some bright idea would occur to you once you got there, Currie says.

It was very unusual for a young woman to want to try and get into Oxford or Cambridge because actually it was overwhelmingly male, she recalls.

When there were quite a lot of people at Oxford at that time who came from well-off backgrounds and who rejected them  and they rejected them one way or another  very typically they would reject them by being socialists of some kind, which meant that they were anti- capitalist.

We could tease them a little bit by saying Well, yes, but you know, thats all very well. Youre here relying on the dividends from shares that your parents own.

And they would get very angry about that. And you could see how deeply they resented what they felt was that their life had been decided for them.

There were certain ways they had to behave and that they were in rebellion, she adds.

Women were only allowed to observe debates at the Oxford union from the gallery, but Dugdale and a pal had a plan to change that.

They dressed up as blokes and basically said, if you let us in in trousers, you can jolly well let us in skirts, she smiles.

Currie remembers Dugdale making an impression on her.

Her hair was all straggly. She had no make-up on. She was dressed in rather drab gear of one kind or another, which is immediately slightly suspicious because if you come from a working class background, as I did, you wouldnt dream of presenting as scruffy.

The people who did that tended to be from much wealthier backgrounds, and it became immediately apparent that Rose and I both took our politics very seriously.

We sort of agreed that what we cared about, we cared about a lot. Politically she was an Irish revolutionary at that time, enormously sympathetic to the Catholic cause.

But she didnt argue why she was in favour of that. She simply made it clear that thats where she stood.

Dugdale became fascinated with the Black Panther movement in America and was pictured in the company of Martin Luther King.

She also spent time picking coffee beans in Cuba, where she became more radicalised.

The 1960s were also a time of challenges to racism in America, Currie says.

Huge challenges, and the prejudice against one group or the effort to keep one group spills over into all of the things  feminism was coming up, although it was still very much a fringe activity.

But the feeling that a world in which large numbers of people are excluded is wrong and that thats got to change.

And it was a world in which challenging authority was difficult and unusual and frowned on, but it was something that we really wanted to do. We saw ourselves as a new generation.

We were going to have to change things in all sorts of ways.

Rose and a former lover and his pal robbed her parents mansion to raise cash, stealing valuable paintings and several other items, but tellingly leaving not only Dugdales bedroom untouched but also a gift she gave her mother.

The trio were later caught, but Dugdale got off scot free despite giving a tirade in the courtroom.

She was trying to find a life that made some kind of sense to her, Currie reflects.

I think she was probably a very vulnerable person that almost anything could come in to fill that vacuum and the people that she got to know would spot a vulnerable person at 100 paces.

n the early 1970s Dugdale then latched on to the nationalist uprising in Northern Ireland  especially in the wake of internment.

The moment a government starts to put people in prison without due process, whatever you call it, internment or whatever, its bad, and it will end badly, admits Currie.

Theres a lot of active discrimination in Northern Ireland against Catholics and this is not going to end well.

A civil rights march of civilians with a priest and so on, get shot at and people die.

Loads and loads of photos. Photos of a priest waving a white handkerchief covered in blood, trying to take an injured person out.

That is a disaster for the British government of the time.

The Heiress and the Heist is on RTE One on Tuesday at 9.35pm.
The pair announced their engagement in July 2022 (Ian West/PA)

Former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann and her fiance Lorri Haines have announced the birth of a baby girl.

The reality TV star, 32, revealed the news on Instagram on Sunday with a black-and-white video which showed the newborn wriggling around before McCann, Haines and her eldest daughter place their hands on top.

She also confirmed that she gave birth on Thursday, captioning the post: Its a girl 06.07.23.

Property developer Haines praised his partner after giving birth, commenting on the post: Our baby girl. Proud of you.

Friends and famous faces also congratulated the couple, including former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson who wrote: Oh how lovely. Congratulations!

Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison also said: Congratulations guys!!! Another angel.

McCann and Haines announced their engagement in July 2022 by sharing a photo of the pair in a passionate embrace.

The picture, taken in the French resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, also showed off her new diamond engagement ring.

The reality star shares a four-year-old daughter with her ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who was given a 20-year jail sentence in December 2017 for carrying out an acid attack in a packed nightclub.

Sixteen people suffered chemical burn injuries and three people were temporarily blinded in the incident.
Met Eireann has issued a weather warning for the majority of the country today with thunderstorms expected.

The status yellow weather warning for 17 counties will be in place for 13 hours today as heavy showers and thunderstorms are on the cards.

The warning is in place for all of Leinster, along with Waterford, Tipperary, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.

It comes into effect at 8am and will last until 9pm tonight.

It comes after parts of the country experienced heavy downpours along with thunder and lightening on Sunday evening.

The forecaster said spot flood could be expected in places today.

Weather Explainer : What are weather status warnings

Nationally it will be largely cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain or showers.

Temperatures may reach as high as 21C.

Heavy downpours are also on the cards for tomorrow, particularly in the Leinster region.
Ex-Conservative chancellor and wife strewn with orange confetti as they left church

A woman throws confetti as former UK Chancellor George Osborne and Thea Rogers leave after their wedding at St Mary's Church in Bruton, England. Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Just Stop Oil (JSO) have said they were not responsible for throwing orange confetti over Tory former chancellor George Osborne at his wedding.
A new plan to preserve and promote the culture of China's Yangtze River has recently been unveiled. Jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the National Development and Reform Commission, the plan includes seven major tasks, including the protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage along the Yangtze River, improving related tourism services and cultural products, constructing national cultural parks and launching outstanding literary and artistic works themed on the river, as well as promoting international cultural exchanges. The aim is to help this 3rd longest river in the world better benefit the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, while at the same time contributing not only to people's livelihood but also to the culture of the country. Stretching for over 6,300 kilometers from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in the west, the Yangtze River runs through 11 provincial-level regions before emptying into the East China Sea near Shanghai. As the longest river in China, it is considered an icon of the Chinese nation and is one of the two great waterways that have nurtured Chinese civilization along with the Yellow River. Editor:Zheng Chen

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The agreement was signed in the presence of S N Subrahmanyan, L&T CEO & MD and Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Naval Construction Vice President, and Member of the Board  Navantia.

Also present at the occasion were H.E. Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez, Ambassador of Spain in India and Captain (Navy) Fernando Alvarez, Spanish Defence Attache, along with senior officials from both L&T Defence and Navantia. The event was held in the premises of the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi.



Project 75 (I) requires the Indian bidder to tie up with a Foreign Collaborator (FC) and execute the program for delivery of six conventional submarines equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP), while achieving targetted Indigenous Content.

Expected to be valued at over Euro 4.8 billion, the project is the Indias largest defence acquisition project.

This would also be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value. P75(I) would be the first program to be processed under the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model of acquisition of the Ministry of Defence.

L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the program on 11 April 2023 at Madrid, which has now culminated in this TA.

As per the agreement, Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of 2023. Apart from S80 class, Navantia has been involved in design and construction of Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India including handholding of the Indian yard.

P75(I) program calls for integration of an AIP system. Navantias state-of-the-art 3rd Generation AIP solution is the most advanced and efficient AIP system in the world, apart from also being the most compact, easiest to exploit and maintain and environment friendly. It uses bioethanol as a source of hydrogen which is known to be cost efficient, easily available, and does not call for any special infrastructure. High density of hydrogen in ethanol improves the AIP systems efficiency. Ethanol, being in liquid form, eliminates the risks associated with storing hydrogen. In addition, wide availability of ethanol enables the system to be refueled anywhere in the world.

L&T and Navantia are also seeking cooperation in other military programmes as well as in green energy opportunities, including offshore wind through Navantia Seanergies division.

Commenting on the occasion, S N Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T said, L&T is proud to collaborate with Navantia for this prestigious program of strategic importance for the nations security. Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction & technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this program and offer the Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology (BEST) and environmentally Green AIP solution. We are committed to providing the most contemporary solution for Indian Navys requirements at a competitive price.

Alvarez Blanco commented, It gives us great joy to be in a position to be the design and technology partner for P75(I). We are also in collaboration with L&T for the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) program whose tender is eagerly awaited. With these two prestigious programs for the Indian Navy, Navantia is proud to be making a key contribution towards fulfilling the defence needs of India, a nation with which Spain shares excellent relationship.
Punjab witnessed a relentless downpour on Sunday, resulting in waterlogged streets and chaotic traffic. For the second consecutive day, Mohali, Rupnagar, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib bore the brunt of heavy rainfall.

In Mohali, hundreds of houses were flooded as rainwater seeped in, causing widespread waterlogging across the city. The incessant rain disrupted both rail and road traffic, leaving residents frustrated and stranded.

The situation was no better in Patiala, where a flood-like scenario unfolded as rainwater invaded the homes in the old city area. In response, residents near the Ghaggar River were put on high alert due to the rising water levels.

The impact of the heavy rain extended to the Indo-Pak border, as the Mamdot area in Ferozepur district witnessed damage to its fencing. Additionally, the water level in the Sutlej River surged in Moga and Ferozepur districts.

In Ropar district, train services came to a halt after the deputy commissioner, Dr. Preeti Yadav, issued a high alert. The deluge reached several localities in Nurpur Bedi town and surrounding villages, inundating a significant number of houses.

The flood control room numbers were released by the Ropar administration, as the water levels in all tributaries of the Sutlej, including Swan and Budhki, reached alarming levels.

In a dramatic incident near Machhiwara in Ludhiana, 22 individuals, including 5 women and 4 children, were rescued from the flooded fields where they were working. They had ventured across the river to sow paddy and were stranded when the water level unexpectedly rose. Fortunately, a special boat came to their rescue, ferrying them back to Dhulewal village.

Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik has urged residents in the district to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel, particularly in areas near water bodies and low-lying regions.

According to the weather department, heavy rainfall is expected in the next three hours in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, and Tarn Taran.

The meteorological office has issued warnings of isolated, extremely heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand throughout Sunday. Jammu and Kashmir can also anticipate heavy to very heavy rain in isolated areas until Monday, while eastern Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Punjab may experience such conditions until Sunday.

(Image and Text: Khalsavox.com)
Salem: The Thiagarajar Polytechnic (TPT) College observed their 66th Freshers Day here to usher in a fresh batch of 760 young and bright students to its 3-year diploma programs in 12 disciplines.

This year Freshers Day was addressed by industry veterans  B.C. Datta, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Ola Electric and R. Rajesh, Head - International Operations and Senior Vice President - Defence and Power Solution Business, Ashok Leyland.

Ola Electric aims to be Indias largest cell battery maker

Ola Electric Vice President -- Corporate Affairs B.C. Datta exhorted fresh entrants to Thiagarajar Polytechnic to pursue technical education with a mission to contribute to Indias R&D might as Indias Make-in-India mission gathers speed.

He spoke about immense possibilities for fresh technical talent in the state with the countrys largest battery cell manufacturing plant being set up by Ola Electric in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. Ola Electrics gigafactory--capable of producing 10 gigawatt of cell batterypromises to be the largest cell maker in the country, Datta added.

Speaking about Ola Electrics focus on waste-to-wealth and big opportunities for technical talent, Datta lauded the efforts of the 2,500-strong women work force at the Ola factory in Tamil Nadu for producing over 200,000 electric scooters.

He invited Thiagarajar Polytechnic students, especially girl students, for internship and research opportunities to contribute to the e-vehicle revolution being led by Ola Electric.

C Valiiappa, Chairman, Thiagarajar Polytechnic College said that the Salem based-polytechnic pioneered admission of girl students in the engineering diploma programs in 1976, has seen steady increase in the number of students to 15 per cent of 760 students, this year.

Ashok Leyland offers job to 18 students

Addressing the students as the future of the country R. Rajesh, Head-International Operations and Senior Vice President--Defence and Power Solutions Business, Ashok Leyland urged them to make the best of this opportunity to imbibe technical skills from their faculty and peers.

While the fast-growing Indian economy will present enough job opportunities to talented students who at the workplace need to become a lifelong learner who pursues newer technologies to stay employable, he said.

A highlight of the event was automobile giant Ashok Leylands R Rajesh presenting offer letters to 18 graduating students of the polytechnic who will join the company in the coming month. A few hundred Thiagarajar Polytechnic alumni work at Ashok Leyland, including 5 in the top team. Ashok Leyland is the largest recruiter of Thiagarajar Polytechnic students in 2023.

Two graduating girl students  R Kiruthika and K Sowndarya -- spoke of their winning three concurrent scholarships exclusively for women polytechnic students -- AICTE Pragati Scholarship Rs 50,000 per year KC Mahindra Scholarship Rs 10,000 per year and LIC Scholarship Rs 20,000 per year. They were among the 18 students who will start work at Ashok Leyland.

According to Principal Dr V Karthikeyan, Thiagarajar Polytechnic College, is the only polytechnic to have secured a position in the NIRF Ranking 2023 under Innovation Category in the 151-300 band.

Sona group of Institutions Vice Chairmen Chocko Valliappa and Thyagu Valliappa outlined the achievements of its alumni, efforts of its faculty in preparing students for the industry and achieving placement for 460 students with 854 offers in 112 companies including 180 double offers, 16 triple offers and 18 four offers.
Image Credit: Screenshot grab from video

Kolkata/UNI: Even as repolling to 697 booths across 19 districts of West Bengal's three-tier Panchayat elections is underway on Monday, reports poured in about three more deaths in Saturday's poll related violences, official sources said.

A ruling TMC supporter Shirajul Islam, a resident of Raninagar in trouble-hit Murshidabad, succumbed to his wounds on Sunday after being beaten by alleged Congress activists on Saturday.

He breathed his last at the Murshidabad district hospital after futile efforts to shift him to a Kolkata hospital owing to a blockade erected at Beldanga by the agitated Congress supporters on Sunday demanding re-polling at Raninagar booth, family sources told reporters.

However, the Congress leadership denied their involvement in the assault.

Meanwhile, Raninagar's RSP candidate Azabul Islam was allegedly missing from Saturday, as per his relatives complaints at the local police station.

Though the repolling for the Raninagar panchayat is now underway, the RSP candidate was not seen so far, even as his traumatised family was uncertain about his fate.

Sukur Ali Sheikh (70) of Bhaluka, Nadia, father-in-law of a CPI(M)'s Krishnanagar candidate, succumbed to his wounds at the district hospital on Monday, after being allegedly beaten by the TMC supporters on Saturday, the election day.

CPI(M) candidate Sunita Bibi of alleged her father-law died on Monday at the Shaktinagar district hospital after being beaten by the ruling party supporters.

The TMC, denied the allegation.

The decomposed body of Austo Mondal (35) the brother in law of an opposition candidate, was found in the jute field at Dhubulia early on Monday in the Nadia district.

Candidate Sunita Mondal alleged that her brother-in-law was murdered and demanded a CBI probe into the mysterious death.

A report from Cooch Behar said the bereaved mother, of 23-year-old Chiranjeet Karji, on Monday refused to cast vote at a booth on the re-polling day. Chiranjeet, a voter who came along with his mother to cast vote on Saturday, fell to a bullet pumped in by alleged vote looters.

Chiranjeet was on the queue to vote but suddenly as crude bombs were being thrown on the queue, he panicked and took her mother to safety and came back to cast vote. But there he was shot at and died an hour later at the Dinhata's Kalirpath Madhyamik

school on Saturday in Cooch Behar.

Chiraneet was a daily wage labourer, and the sole bread earner for his mother and bedridden father.

Meanwhile, the pictures of Monday's polling were different from Saturday. Under tight vigil of the central paramilitary forces. In all 697 booths peaceful voting was reported barring a centre at Jalpaiguri in North Bengal.

Official sources said voting started hours later as the poll officials came late as there was a delay in informing them of their poll centre.
Image: UNI

Imphal: A youth identified as Saikhom Subol of Uripok Achom Leikai was shot dead by suspected armed miscreants on Monday at Kadangband, Imphal West.

Police said the body was taken to hospital for post mortem. The youth was the son of a retired army personnel.

Meanwhile people came out in large numbers and shouted slogans against Kuki miscreants for creating a crisis in the state by killing innocent people. The streets of Imphal were packed with protesting people and they also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding action against Kuki miscreants.

Farmers also protested the attacks by miscreants which has seriously affected the normal farming activities.

Police has asked all farmers to contact the concerned SP before going out to paddy fields.

(With UNI inputs)
Image Credit: Facebook/ArvindKejriwal

New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court Monday refused to pause the Centre's executive order controlling the bureaucrats posted in Delhi in response to a petition filed by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government, which had challenged the constitutional validity of the Centre's order.

However, the court has issued a notice to the Centre following the Delhi government's petition.

"We will issue notice to amend the petition to implead the Lieutenant Governor," said Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

The next hearing in the case is on Monday when the court will also hear the Delhi government's petition on the Lieutenant Governor sacking 400 specialists like fellows, and research officers.

The Lieutenant Governor is "acting like a super CM," the AAP government had told the court in its petition, filed shortly after the Centre passed the executive order last month.

The Ordinance overrides the Supreme Court order given barely a week ago that said only the Delhi government was the boss.

Except for issues linked to land, police, and public order, the Lieutenant Governor has "no independent decision-making powers" under the Constitution, said the five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Chandrachud, which had looked into whether the Central government has administrative control over transfers and postings of civil servants in the national capital.

The case has its roots in 2018, when the Arvind Kejriwal government had gone to court, arguing that its decisions were constantly overridden by the Lieutenant Governor, who acts as the Centre's representative in Delhi.
Lianjiang: At least six people died and one person was injured in a knife attack outside a kindergarten in China's Lianjiang city, media reports said.

The incident took place around 7:40 a.m. on Monday in Hengshan town within Lianjiang, in Guangdong province, police was quoted as saying in a statement by CNN, which called the attack an intentional injury.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a person in connection with the incident.

The arrested person's surname was identified as Wu.

A source, who requested anonymity, told Global Times that one of the adult victims had hit the assailant's child with a car before, and never given him any compensation.

Police are still investigating the incident.

The motive behind the attack is still not known.
Image: Pixabay

Quetta: Unknown attackers shot dead a tribal elder in Pakistan's Quetta city on Saturday, media reports said.

The attackers left two people injured.

The police told Dawn News armed men opened fire on Lala Zahir Khan Dummar when he was passing through the Double Road area.

The leader died on spot,

The motive behind the attack is still not clear.


Image: Unsplash

Landi Kotal: Local tribal clerics in Pakistan have taken law into their hands and imposed a ban on playing music and dancing by transgender persons during weddings in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwas Khyber district, media reports said on Monday.

The decision was unanimously announced by a gathering of 26 clerics on Friday, who further declared that any weddings featuring music and dancing would not have the nikah ceremony performed by clerics, reported The Express Tribune.

If anyone refuses to obey this order or go against it, then the last rites of the entire family would not be performed by clerics, says a written letter signed by the clerics.

The announcement was made during a jirga attended not only by the clerics but also by local political figures and tribal elders, as reported by a local resident while talking to The Express Tribune.

Additionally, the letter revealed that local residents would be urged to boycott such families, and clerics would not attend their marriages either.

The group even banned celebratory aerial firing during the wedding ceremony.
Image: Pixabay

Hangu: The police have claimed to have arrested four alleged terrorists, including a notorious commander, during a drug raid on a hideout of a proscribed militant organization in the mountainous areas of Pakistan's Hangu region.

District Police Officer Hangu Asif Bahadur Khan told The News International that terrorists were allegedly involved in various crimes of heinous nature, including kidnapping for ransom, target-killing and others.

He said that the police had also seized a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including four kilogram explosives, four hand grenades, four rockets, one RPG7 launcher and others.

The official added that the police had also recovered Afghan-registered SIM cards, which indicated that the accused had potential cross-border connections.
One candidate who has captivated the interest and excitement of fans as the second season of Bigg Boss OTT continues to garner attention and get more exciting with each turn of events is Jad Hadid. Viewers have been interested in learning more about the actor when it was revealed that he would be participating in Bigg Boss OTT 2.

Starting off just like any basic intro, Jad Hadid's real name is Mohammed Hassan Hadid. He was adopted at the age of 7 and raised in an orphanage.

Jad hadid/Instagram

His Early Life

Jad Hadid had hardship in his early years because his parents left him soon after his birth. In one of the episodes, he discussed how, when he was 3 years old, his parents were divorced and he was left home alone. He consumed trash and leftovers from a local eatery. A few days later, his neighbour found him. But he overcame these difficult conditions and carved his way to success.

Education

Jad was raised in an orphanage and never had the opportunity to attend school. He once claimed that in order to increase his knowledge, he used to visit the library and study. His education later included a degree in international marketing.

jad hadid/instagram

Modeling Career

He began performing in commercials and other minor shoots when he was 11 years old. He became well-known in the fashion world of Lebanon thanks to his looks.

Marriage And Daughter

Jad Hadid married Ramona Khalil, a fitness model, in 2017. However, the couple later got divorced, and Jad is now co-parenting their daughter Cattleya Hadid. He and his daughter have a strong relationship, and he frequently posts pictures and videos of them together on Instagram.

Acting Projects And Bigg Boss OTT 2

Jad is well-known and one of the richest models in the Middle East. In 2011, the Bigg Boss OTT 2 participant who was trying out acting made his acting debut in the movie Out Loud. In 2020, he also became a part of Debtelle, his first web series.

Twitter

Jad Hadids Controversies Inside The Bigg Boss OTT 2 House

Due to his kiss with Akansha Puri, Hadid became the eye of a storm. He received reprimanding from Salman Khan for the same, and many viewers of the programme were angry over it. Jad not only did this, but he also exposed his butt to Bebika and spat in her direction, infuriating everyone.

Twitter

Bigg Boss OTT, one of the most watched TV programmes, is presently airing its second season on JioCinemas; the first episode of the new season premiered on June 17, 2023. As Karan Johar hosted the previous season, Bollywood actor Salman Khan is hosting this one.
Delhi administration went on high alert on Monday as the water level in Yamuna River breached the dangerous levels mark. The water levels in the Yamuna River at Old Railway Bridge touched 205.40mtr, which is 0.7 meters above the danger mark of 205.33 meters.

PTI

CM Kejriwal convenes urgent meeting

In a meeting convened on Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the government will shift people from low-lying areas to safe spots if the need arises.

"The unprecedented rain caused problems for people and Delhi's system was not able to withstand it. Every year after rainfall, some vulnerable areas are waterlogged and the water is drained out in a couple of hours. But the 153 mm of rainfall was unprecedented and an event which happened in nearly 40 years," he said.

VIDEO | Yamuna river in Delhi crossed warning mark of 204.5 metres as Haryana released water into the river from the Hathni Kund barrage amid persistent rains. pic.twitter.com/Sk1cCobQCo  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 10, 2023





Flood alert issued on Sunday

The Delhi government issued a flood alert on Sunday following the release of a significant amount of water, totaling over one lakh cusecs, into the Yamuna River from the Hathnikund barrage by Haryana. Additionally, at 1 pm on Monday, 1,90,837 cusecs of water was released from the same barrage.

The government has identified 41,000 people who can be evacuated if the water levels in Yamuna River breach the 206 mark.

Earlier, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the government is in alert mode and is fully prepared to control the situation.

"Delhi government is on full alert. As the water will go above 206 meters, we will start shifting people, living on the banks. The process of taking them safely to the relief camp will be started. Earlier we were feeling that the water level would cross 205 meters on June 11, but it has crossed 205 meters today itself because more water is being released from Haryana," he told ANI.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


They are signatories of the International Convention on Cluster Munitions which prohibits the use, manufacturing, stockpiling or transfer of the weapon type
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has expressed worry that the increase in fees and charges now being imposed by universities authorities in the country may force many students to drop out of school.

NAAT also kicked against the dissolution of Universities Governing Boards and asked the Federal Government to reinstate the dissolved boards.

These among others were contained in a statement issued by the NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, at the end of its 52nd National Executive Council meeting, which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

READ ALSO: Tokunbo Vehicle Sales Reportedly Drop By 70%, Buyers Opt For Nigerian-Used Cars

Expressing dissatisfaction over the recent increment in tuition fees in tertiary institutions, the association said: NAAT is worried and concerned too with the recent development regarding the increase in fees and charges in our Federal Institutions, particularly Universities.

This development may compel many of our students to drop out of school, occasioned by the current economic hardship facing parents and lack of adequate resources to meet up with economic demands.

We are aware that over 200% increase in fees and charges are now being imposed by Universities authorities. NAAT, therefore, appeals to the government to consider the plight of the poor and rescind the decision by returning to the status quo until the loan issue is properly addressed.

The association also said that the dissolution of the governing boards of universities was a setback for the growth and development of Nigerias Tertiary Education.

The union argued that the dissolution would cripple the activities of the countrys tertiary institutions, especially in the areas of promotion, motivation, welfare, contracts, and project documentation as well as laboratory facilities for practical and research.
A Sharia Court sitting in Kano, on Monday, ordered a 17-year-old girl who pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a six-year-old girl, to be remanded in a correctional centre.

It was gathered that the minor, who lives at Rangaza Quarters Kano, was charged with indecent assault.

The Presiding Judge, Malam Nura Yusuf-Ahmad, ordered the remand pending the medical report on the victim.

READ MORE: Sharia Court Remands DJ For Disturbing Islamic School With Loud Music

He adjourned the matter until Aug.2 for sentencing, following a guilty plea entered by the 17-year-old girl.

The Prosecutor, Mr Aliyu Abideen told the court that the defendant committed the offence about one week ago at Rangaza Quarters Kano.

Abideen alleged that the defendant lured the six-year-old girl (who are tenants in the defendant house) to her grandmothers room and sexually assaulted her.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 166 of Kano State Sharia Law.
The Department of State Services (DSS), Sunday, said reports making the rounds that it arrested Senator Abdulaziz Yari for refusing to respond to President Bola Ahmed Tinubus phone call are laughable and misleading.

Information Nigeria reports that the senator was invited by the secret police at the behest of its Director General.

In reaction, DSS said it indeed invited Yari but not because of purported refusal to pick Tinubus call.

Peter Afunanya, spokesman of DSS, via a statement stated that Yari knew why he was invited by the service.

The spokesman also denied claims that the Service was covertly monitoring the judges on the panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

According to him, allegations that Service stormed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and carted away certain files from them were untrue.

He however said it had become imperative for the agency to respond to the inaccuracies because of the fickle-minded and vulnerable persons as well as the unsuspecting public that may take the lies for facts.

The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to false reports by sections of the online media particularly SaharaReporters, Peoples Gazette, and Jackson Ude.

The so-called news platforms variously and wrongly fed the public with misleading narratives and accusations against the Service.

For instance, SaharaReporters wrote that the Service stormed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and carted away certain files from them.

READ ALSO: DSS Allegedly Raids EFCC Office, Carts Away Files, Flash Drives Of Nigerian Ex-Governors, Others Under Investigation

Jackson Ude falsely claimed that there is a rumble in the DSS due to nepotism. He further accused the Service was snooping on Judges on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

On its part, Peoples Gazette reported that Senator Abdulaziz Yari was arrested for alleged refusal to pick up the Presidents phone call (whatever that meant).

There are other variants of unsubstantiated and anonymous petitions flying around against the DGSS, his family, and some officials.

To set the record straight, the DSS did not execute operations at the ICPC and CCB or remove files from their offices.

Instructively, the two agencies have, on their own, refuted the news in widely circulated press statements. It is petty, if not laughable, to report that Yari was invited for refusing to pick up the Presidents call. This is the height of junk journalism. Yari knows why he was invited.

In fact, the Service denies all the allegations as they lack any factual basis or credibility. They are only figments of the creators imaginations.

This is more so that the publishers in question have been noted in and outside the country for their notoriety for peddling fake news, sensational and gutter journalism. Without a modicum of proper and civilised behaviour, they indulge in character assassinations and sundry blackmail as a business, the statement read.
Controversial ex- governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has said that President Bola Tinubu must reward members of the G-5 within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the role they played in his victory at the 2023 presidential election.

The former Governor of Ekiti State led this out on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics programme, said ex-Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has what it takes to be a minister and must serve in the Tinubus government.

He said the G5 has no intention of crossing over from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but maintained that the PDP leadership must put its house in order.

The former governor of Benue (Samuel Ortom) is the oldest by his age. If he is still decamping, his children must disown him. The Wike I know, forget that Wike will leave the PDP, Fayose said.

READ MORE: PDP Reverses Suspension Of Anyim, Fayose, Others

I want Wike to be in cabinet. Wike has what it takes to serve Nigeria. Wike is an articulate, capacity person. Nigeria needs (an) average bad person. I support Wike. If Asiwaju finds him or any of the G5 worthy, please serve in Asiwajus government.

I will be disappointed if Asiwaju does not equally appreciate them for what they stand to represent. Wike must serve. Wike is still a young man. Im his senior brother, he cant deny that. Wike is an asset to Nigeria. Wike is never timid, he confronts challenges. Asiwaju needs a man like Wike.

However, the The G-5 is made up of four PDP ex-governors  Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Nyesom Wike (Rivers) as well as one current governor, Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Tinubu, who assumed office as Nigerias President on May 29, 2023, constitutionally has 60 days to form his cabinet and there have been reports that he would include some members of the opposition like Wike and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)s flag bearer, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, has called on the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Amotekun to find ways to rescue the abducted State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Paul Omotoso from captivity.

Oyebanji said Omotoso should not only be rescued unscathed but that the perpetrators be nabbed and made to face the full wrath of the law.

Information Nigeria had reported that Omotoso and two others were abducted by gunmen along Agbado-Imesi road on Saturday.

According to family reports, Omotoso was said to have earlier attended a wedding at Ikare Akoko in Ondo State and was returning to Ado Ekiti when the gunmen struck.

READ ALSO: Ekiti APC Chairman Reportedly Kidnapped By Unknown Gunmen

Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye, who gave the directive on behalf of Oyebanji, during a visit to Omotosos family at Imesi Ekiti, in Ayekire Local Government Area assured that the state forest reserves extending from Agbado-Imesi-Ise would be resuscitated and put to use to dislodge those using the area as hideout.

Oyebanji in his stern instruction, directed the police and DSS operatives to comb the sprawling forests to rescue the victims safely from where they are being held hostage.

He however branded the incident as very troubling and disturbing, saying his government would continue to step up efforts to tighten noose on those who are ocassionally terrorising Ekiti through kidnapping, and made to face serious resistance.
Controversial ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has threatened to expose some secrets of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if the party takes any action against him based on the outcome of the 2023 general election.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that he worked against Atiku 100% because the PDP has not been fair to me.

Fayose made this known during an interview on Channels Television Sunday Politics added that if PDP take any action against him for working against the party in the 2023 presidential election, he would take the party to court.

According to him, a Southern Nigerian should be the next President of the country after Buharis eight years in office, hence it was wrong of the PDP to have picked another northerner as its candidate again.

READ MORE: If Tinubu Fails To Deliver Campaign Promises, Ill Be First To Chastise Him  Fayose

If anybody suppresses my voice, I will say things more than this, he added.

I never worked for PDP during the last election. I cannot work for two people at the same time, he said on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics programme.

The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the time of the South.

If PDP take action against me, I will take them to court, the ex-governor stated. If anybody suppresses my voice, I will say things more than this.

Fayose said he wont accept any ministerial position from the President. He urged Tinubu to apportion 40 percent of his cabinet members to people above 60 years of age and 70 years of age, 30 percent to women and 30 per cent to young people.

In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu, who is a former governor of Lagos State defeated Atiku in Ekiti State.

Tinubu won in all 16 Local Government Areas the state.

Tinubu also won in 11 other states out of Nigerias 36 states. He scored a total of 8,794,726 votes almost two million votes more than Atiku, who polled 6,984,520 votes, and the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who, secured 6,101,533 votes.
Former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Dipo Fasina, popularly known as Jingo, has been found in Turkey.

The 76-year-old Nigerian scholar and activist was declared missing on Saturday, July 1, in an incident confirmed by the incumbent President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke.

Fasina was said to have been travelling to Algeria at the invitation of the Algerian government when he was said to have missed his connecting flight from Istanbul, Turkey.

READ ALSO: Former ASUU President, Fasina Declared Missing

He, however, was found by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in partnership with Nigeria High Commission in Turkey.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Turkey, has successfully located Prof Fasina, who went missing for a few days at Istanbul Airport while connecting on a flight back home.

Mr Fasina, 76, was travelling to Algeria when he was said to have missed his connecting flight from Istanbul, Turkey.

A big thanks to the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey who immediately sent officials to the Airport to physically locate him in the very busy and huge Istanbul Airport, NiDCOM said in a statement on Sunday.

Fasina is a scholar, activist, and unionist, that has taught Philosophy for 34 years at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, which he joined in 1979 after returning from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he bagged his PhD.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested two church officials linked to the trafficking of lethal opioid, fentanyl in Delta State.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the suspects were officials at Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries in Delta state.

Babafemi said the suspects, identified as Adewale Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, were arrested alongside four other persons.

He said the operatives intercepted two consignments of the illicit drugs in Warri, adding that two other women were arrested in connection with the crime.

Ayeni, one of the two officials, works as the manager of the prayer call centre of the church, while Ebipakebina is in charge of the movement of international guests from the airport to the worship centre.

No fewer than 4,560 kilograms of skunk have been seized in interdiction operations in Lagos, Adamawa and Osun by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who also raided a skucchies factory in Ogun and arrested four members of a drug syndicate including two church officials; female staff of a courier company and another lady, involved in trafficking lethal opioid, fentanyl in Delta, the statement reads.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Discovers Four Cannabis Farms In Bauchi, Arrests 372 Drug Dealers

The bust of the fentanyl cartel operating from Warri, Delta state is coming barely a month after two members of another syndicate: Odoh Collins Oguejiofor and Oliver Chigozie Uzoma were arrested at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha head bridge, Onitsha south LGA, Anambra State following months of intelligence-led investigation of the syndicates behind the dangerous drug, which is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70 percent overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.

Two female accomplices also arrested in Warri in the course of investigating the intercepted shipments include Naomi David, 28, who is a staff of United Parcel Services (UPS), and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, who is a business associate of Ayeni.

In another development, Babafemi said the operatives seized a Toyota vehicle carrying two passengers with 118 cartons of noodles where 544 blocks of compressed cannabis were concealed in Adamawa.

The drugs weighing 408kg were to be distributed in Yola, Mubi, and Gombe states.

He said 89 jumbo bags of skunk were seized from one Segun Odeyemi in Lagos, while an abandoned Peugeot vehicle was recovered with bags of fresh pepper used to conceal 25 bags of cannabis on the Akure-Ilesa expressway.

In the same vein, operatives in Ogun state on Thursday 6th July raided a skucchies factory at Ajaka Sagamu where a suspect, Adekunle Adekola was arrested. Exhibits recovered from the premises include 10kg cannabis; 1,356 litres of sketches, 20 litres of codeine, seven deep freezers; a set of fireman generators, and two gas cylinders among others, he said.

The spokesperson added that Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and urged them to continue to track the fentanyl opioid cartels in Nigeria.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the dismissal of three senior Police officers over cases of misconduct and abuse of office.

Spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, in a statement said the PSC took these decisions at the continuation of its 21st Plenary Meeting which began at its Corporate Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja on Thursday July 6th 2023.

The plenary session was presided over by Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, retired Justice of the Supreme Court, who stood in for Commissions Chairman, Solomon Arase, retired Inspector General of Police.

Dr. Arase had welcomed Members during the Plenary via zoom and commended them for fastidiously attending to Disciplinary matters.

He opined that this is in line with his promise not to do anything that will impede the career progression of any Officer, the statement disclosed.

READ ALSO: Police Foil Attempt To Steal Fuel From NNPC Pipeline In Lagos

The Commission during the Meeting also approved the compulsory retirement of an Assistant Commissioner and directed a refund of all entitlements wrongly paid to him.

It approved posthumous promotion of late Inspector Ifeanyi Oroke to the next rank of ASP 11 for acts of gallantry and reinstated one dismissed Inspector Augustina Oko to take effect from the date she was dismissed.

The Commission also approved the punishment of severe reprimand on 16 officers and reprimand for another 18. It directed that letters of warning should be given to two other Officers.

The Commission had earlier approved the appeal for adjustment on the date of promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police of ACP Woke Iheanyi Kingsley and reinstatement of CSP Anaele Samuel Onuoha in compliance with a Court judgment, the PSC statement read.

Information Nigeria reports that the 21st Plenary Meeting of the Commission reconvenes on Tuesday, July 11th 2023.
The Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) and Narcotics Enforcement Wing of the Hyderabad City Police have busted a drug syndicate and arrested seven persons, including three Nigerian nationals.

The Nigerians, who have allegedly been smuggling drugs for 12 years, and a Hyderabad resident were arrested in a decoy operation in Bangalore.

Cocaine and MDMA worth 1 crore were reportedly seized from them.

The Nigerians included Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi, Okeke Chigozie Blessing, Ikem Austin Obaka and P. Sai Akash, 25, a resident of Srinagar Colony.

According to CV Anand, director of Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TS-NAB) on Saturday, July 8, 2023, the operation followed the arrest of two persons, Thrissur resident, M Sanjay Sunil Kumar and Manikonda resident, T Bhanu Teja Reddy, 23  who disclosed they bought drugs from Nigerian nationals in Bangalore.

The kingpin, Maxwell, came to Mumbai in 2011 on a medical visa. After a few months, he moved to Bangalore and changed his identity, said CV Anand.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Destroys Drug Factory In Ogun, Arrest Suspect

In 2012, Blessing came to Mumbai on a business visa and moved to Tripur in Tamil Nadu. A decade later, Blessing touched down in Bangalore and began staying with Maxwell. Austin too came to India on student visa and took shelter in Bangalore in 2021.

After reaching Bangalore, Maxwell created a fake passport in the name of Kweku Essuman Kwame. Using the fake passport as a document, he rented a house in MS Nagar in Bangalore and took an internet connection and used it as a hub for peddling drugs along with his friend Mazee, police said. The African used virtual phone numbers to avoid detection.

Maxwell and Mazee opened a bank account in Coimbatore, in 2020. They would ask their customers to credit money in bank account to supply the drugs, Anand said, adding 4 crore was deposited in the account in six months.

Police officials are analysing transactions to trace other people involved in the offence.

The police official said the accused followed a dead drop method  a pre-arranged hiding place for deposit and pickup of items obtained through espionage.

Maxwell would share the location and photograph of the area to customers, police said. Later, the duo met two other persons and offered to assist in peddling. All the four persons were arrested.
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu, on Monday, returned to Abuja after a two-day trip to Guinea Bissau for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in Bissau.

Recall that Tinubu left the county on Saturday, July 8, arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, around 6:30 pm aboard the NAF 001 Boeing 737 jet.

At the summit, which is the Presidents first meeting with the sub-regional authority, Tinubu emerged as the new ECOWAS Chairman after President Muhammadu Buhari who previously held the position in 2018.

READ MORE: Tinubu Emerges ECOWAS Chairman

Tinubu told the leaders in the sub-region that under his leadership, the commission will take democracy seriously.

Tinubu warned that terrorism and the persistent pattern of coup detat in the region had reached alarming levels, demanding urgent and concerted action.

He argued that insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the sub-region, necessitating collective actions from member-states

At the ECOWAS summit, the leaders addressed several important regional topics and also featured discussions on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and a report on the obstacles to the free movement of goods along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

The Summit also looked at the report from the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) concerning security challenges within member nations,

It also reviewed a report from the 90th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers about the groups financial situation and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); and a report on the state of political transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Millions of Nigerians are anxiously waiting as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu set to release his ministerial list.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that President Tinubu is required to name his cabinet within 60 days after taking the oath of office on May 29 and transmits it to the Senate for confirmation.

With less than 18 days to submit his cabinet list to the National Assembly as recommended by the constitution, lawmakers and other Nigerians await the list of ministers who would help to deliver the Presidents renewed hope agenda.

Multiple NASS Assembly sources said the federal parliament was awaiting Tinubus ministerial list, with some expressing worry over the delay.

The lawmakers, who chose to speak on condition of anonymity to avoid possible backlash, told PUNCH that they did not expect a further delay in the list.

According to PUNCH, confirmed on Sunday evening that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Department of State Services, and some security agencies were on the verge of completing their mandatory checks on the list.

It was gathered that the Department of State Services and members of the Presidential Strategic Team were running final checks on the people who had been listed as possible ministers.

READ MORE: Tinubu Arrives Guinea-Bissau For ECOWAS Summit, Visits Nigerian Troops

Meanwhile, Hon. Alex Egbona, Deputy chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) in 9th Assembly, said that the President was still within the timeframe, unlike before when there were delays.

He hopes that the president will submit this Tuesday or upper Tuesday.

Also, Hon Ugochinyere Ikenga, a member of the House of Representatives from Imo State, said Nigerians were worried but believed that the President would send the list soon.

He also said he believed it would not be like the past when ministers were appointed after six months.

Meanwhile, a former Chief of Staff to the former Imo Gov. Rochas Okorocha, Mr Uche Nwosu, advised President Tinubu to ensure that his ministerial list is made up of 60 per cent of technocrats from the private sector and 40 per cent of politicians.

He gave this advice during a virtual news conference on Sunday in Abuja. He noted that this would ensure a productive and vibrant cabinet.

He said, What I expect from Mr President is to ensure the nominees are people that have competence, character, patriotic, with no atom of nepotism.

Nwosu added, We believe that we would have ministers who will represent Nigeria and not ministers who are coming to say they are ministers representing their states.

He further stated that Nigeria has many competent individuals residing in the country that could serve as ministers, but those in Diaspora could also make the list.

He said, We have a lot of competent Nigerians residing in Nigeria that can do the work of a minister in different fields and there is nothing wrong in having a former governor occupy a ministerial post if he has done well.

I dont see anything wrong in that, and also if Mr President wishes to add people in the Diaspora to his ministerial list, there is nothing wrong in that also.

Also, the United Nations Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, has called for 50 per cent women representatives in the ministerial list.

She said this during the maiden edition of ReportHer Awards, in Lagos, said, We are advocating 50 per cent women representation in public offices as President Bola Tinubu prepares to release names of ministers and heads of agencies and parastatals of the government.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Alhaji Abdulsalam Sanyaolu popularly known as Charles Olumo or Agbako has marked 100 years.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the veteran actor is the oldest living person in the Nigerian movie industry.

However, Agbako stopped acting due to his age, but he continues to make public appearances.

It was gathered that Alhaji Abdulsalam Sanyaolu began acting in 1953 at a church in Lagos.

He acted for the first time in a friends church drama, The Apostolic Church in Mushin.

He said after the play, people thought he was the head of the drama group then many churches started inviting him to train their drama groups and that was how the journey started for him.

In celebration of his birthday, Nollywood stars, fans, and lovers took to social media to send their wishes.

Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola Salako who spoke to The Guardian, said: Baba is energetic, hes a lover and its someone that is compassionate and consistent. I have been with him for about seven years celebrating and I am still going to celebrate him this year.

READ MORE: I Stepped On Many Toes, Especially Women  Ailing Nollywood Actor, Sule Suebebe Begs For Forgiveness (Video)

Baba always calls me to ask about my well-being. Baba will talk to me for about one hour whenever I fall sick and he would pray for me, calling me a 16-year-old girl.

I call him the grandfather I never had because hes everything that represents the grandfather I never had. I celebrate him and I say happy 100 years birthday to my papa and my prayer warrior grandpa. May God bless you.

Veteran actor, Adebayo Salami, wrote: A highly respected veteran is 100 today. This means a lot to us in the movie industry. May everything good not turn bad in your hands, Pa Charles Olumo.

Yomi Fabiyi in his tribute wrote, 100 years Thanksgiving today. Best Birthday wishes and congratulations as you start your new year LLNP legend and veteran.

Damola Olatunji wrote: Whaoooo Baba Agbako is 100 years old today. Happy Champagne Age birthday baba. A true thespian who deserves national honour. A living legend I pray that God will continue to keep our oldest actor in good health. AMEN.

A fan, Lamina, wrote: Happy birthday to him, wish him good health and happiness peace joy. Baba Agbako No one can do it better than this man in the Yoruba action movie. I give it to him 100/100.
By this point, just about everybody has had a go playing with ChatGPT, making it do all sorts of wonderful and strange things. But how do you go beyond just messing around and using it to build a real-world, production application? A big part of that is bringing together the general capabilities of ChatGPT with your unique data and needs.

What do I mean by that? Let me give you an example of a scenario every company is thinking about right now. Imagine youre an airline, and you want to have an AI support agent help your customers if a human isnt available.

Your customer might have a question about how much it costs to bring skis on the plane. Well, if thats a general policy of the airline, that information is probably available on the internet, and ChatGPT might be able to answer it correctly.

But what about more personal questions, like

Is my flight delayed?

Can I upgrade to first class?

Am I still on the standby list for my flight tomorrow?

It depends! First of all, who are you? Where and when are you flying? What airline are you booked with?

ChatGPT cant help here because it doesnt know the answer to these questions. This isnt something that can be fixed by more innovation at OpenAI. Your personal data is (thankfully) not available on the public internet, so even Bings implementation that connects ChatGPT with the open web wouldnt work.

The fundamental obstacle is that the airline (you, in our scenario) must safely provide timely data from its internal data stores to ChatGPT. Surprisingly, how you do this doesnt follow the standard playbook for machine learning infrastructure. Large language models have changed the relationship between data engineering and model creation. Let me explain with a quick diagram.

Confluent

In traditional machine learning, most of the data engineering work happens at model creation time. You take a specific training data set and use feature engineering to get the model right. Once the training is complete, you have a one-off model that can do the task at hand, but nothing else. Most of the problem-specific smarts are baked in at training time. Since training is usually done in batch, the data flow is also batch and fed out of a data lake, data warehouse, or other batch-oriented system.

With large language models, the relationship is inverted. Here, the model is built by taking a huge general data set and letting deep learning algorithms do end-to-end learning once, producing a model that is broadly capable and reusable. This means that services like those provided by OpenAI and Google mostly provide functionality off reusable pre-trained models rather than requiring they be recreated for each problem. And it is why ChatGPT is helpful for so many things out of the box. In this paradigm, when you want to teach the model something specific, you do it at each prompt. That means that data engineering now has to happen at prompt time, so the data flow problem shifts from batch to real-time.

What is the right tool for the job here? Event streaming is arguably the best because its strength is circulating feeds of data around a company in real time.

In this post, Ill show how streaming and ChatGPT work together. Ill walk through how to build a real-time support agent, discuss the architecture that makes it work, and note a few pitfalls.

How ChatGPT works

While theres no shortage of in-depth discussion about how ChatGPT works, Ill start by describing just enough of its internals to make sense of this post.

ChatGPT, or really GPT, the model, is basically a very large neural network trained on text from the internet. By training on an enormous corpus of data, GPT has been able to learn how to converse like a human and appear intelligent.

When you prompt ChatGPT, your text is broken down into a sequence of tokens as input into the neural network. One token at a time, it figures out what is the next logical thing it should output.

Human: Hello. AI: How AI: How can AI: How can I AI: How can I help AI: How can I help you AI: How can I help you today?

One of the most fascinating aspects of ChatGPT is that it can remember earlier parts of your conversation. For example, if you ask it What is the capital of Italy?, it correctly responds Rome. If you then ask How long has it been the capital?, its able to infer that it means Rome as the capital, and correctly responds with 1871. How is it able to do that?

ChatGPT has something called a context window, which is like a form of working memory. Each of OpenAIs models has different window sizes, bounded by the sum of input and output tokens. When the number of tokens exceeds the window size, the oldest tokens get dropped off the back, and ChatGPT forgets about those things.

Confluent

As well see in a minute, context windows are the key to evolving ChatGPTs capabilities.

Making GPT-4 understand your business

With that basic primer on how ChatGPT works, its easy to see why it cant tell your customer if their flight was delayed or if they can upgrade to first class. It doesnt know anything about that. What can we do?

The answer is to modify GPT and work with it directly, rather than go through ChatGPTs higher-level interface. For the purposes of this blog post, Ill target the GPT-4 model (and refer to it as GPT hereafter for concision).

There are generally two ways to modify how GPT behaves: fine-tuning and search. With fine-tuning, you retrain the base neural network with new data to adjust each of the weights. But this approach isnt recommended by OpenAI and others because its hard to get the model to memorize data with the level of accuracy needed to serve an enterprise application. Not to mention any data its fine-tuned with may become immediately out of date.

That leaves us with search. The basic idea is that just before you submit a prompt to GPT, you go elsewhere and look up relevant information and prepend it to the prompt. You instruct GPT to use that information as a prefix to the prompt, essentially providing your own set of facts to the context window at runtime.

Confluent

If you were to do it manually, your prompt would look something like this:

You are a friendly airline support agent. Use only the following facts to answer questions. If you dont know the answer, you will say Sorry, I dont know. Let me contact a human to help. and nothing else. The customer talking to you is named Michael. Michael has booked flight 105. Michael is flying economy class for flight 105. Flight 105 is scheduled for June 2nd. Flight 105 flies from Seattle to Austin. Michael has booked flight 210. Michael is flying economy class for flight 210. Flight 210 is scheduled for June 10th. Flight 210 flies from Austin to Seattle. Flight 105 has 2 first class seats left. Flight 210 has 0 first class seats left. A customer may upgrade from economy class to first class if there is at least 1 first class seat left on the flight and the customer is not already first class on that flight. If the customer asks to upgrade to first class, then you will confirm which flight. When you are ready to begin, say How can I help you today?

Compared to fine-tuning, the search approach is a lot easier to understand, less error-prone, and more suitable for situations that require factual answers. And while it might look like a hack, this is exactly the approach being taken by some of the best-known AI products like GitHub Copilot.

So, how exactly do you build all this?

Constructing a customer 360

Lets zoom out for a minute and set GPT aside. Before we can make a support agent, we have to tackle one key challengewe need to collect all of the information that could be relevant to each customer.

Going back to the example of whether a customer can upgrade to first class, remember that the answer depends on a lot of different factors for the particular flight. To have enough context to answer it, you need to consolidate the data for:

Customer identity

Upcoming booked flights for the customer

Seat layout of the plane assigned to the flight

Current capacity for the flight

Rewards points for free upgrades

For most companies, this data is spread across a bunch of different systems like databases, data warehouses, SaaS applications, queues, and file systems. Much of it is not built to be queried interactively at low latency, and none of it is arranged to be easily consolidated. Communication between these systems is point-to-point, making it incredibly difficult to get a unified view of the data.

Confluent

Event streaming is a good solution to bring all of these systems together. By tapping into feeds of information as each of them changes, you can construct a unified view of each customer thats easy to query with low latency.

Confluent

Confluents connectors make it easy to read from these isolated systems. Turn on a source connector for each, and changes will flow in real time to Confluent.

Because these streams usually contain somewhat raw information, youll probably want to process that data into a more refined view. Stream processing is how you transform, filter, and aggregate individual streams into a view more suitable for different access patterns. You probably want to ultimately sink that view into a relational database, key/value store, or document store.

Connecting the customer data to GPT

With the customer 360 data turned into a unified view, the next step is to programmatically connect that information with each prompt. At this point, the architecture looks like this:

Confluent

And the support agent interaction looks like this:

AI: How can I help you today? Human: Hi. I'd like to upgrade my seat to first class. Can you do that? AI: Absolutely, I'd be happy to assist with that. However, could you please specify which flight you'd like to upgrade to first class? Is it Flight 105 or Flight 210? Human: 105 please AI: Great news, Michael. We have 2 first class seats left on Flight 105. I can upgrade your economy class seat to first class for this flight. Shall I proceed with this change for you? Human: Yep. AI: Excellent, Michael. I've successfully upgraded your seat to first class on Flight 105. You will now enjoy all the perks and amenities of our first class service. Let me know if there's anything else I can assist you with today. Safe travels! Human: Can you upgrade my 210 seat to first class too? AI: I'm sorry, Michael, but currently there are no first class seats left on Flight 210. Therefore, I'm unable to upgrade your seat for this flight. If there's anything else you need help with, please let me know.

So when the application receives a chat message, all it needs to do is look up the customer ID who sent it, query the customer 360 view, and supply a block of useful information at the start of every promptsimilar to what I showed in the manual pre-prompt.

Connecting your knowledge base to GPT

This technique works great for questions about an individual customer, but what if you wanted the support agent to be broadly knowledgeable about your business? For example, if a customer asked, Can I bring a lap infant with me?, that isnt something that can be answered through customer 360 data. Each airline has general requirements that youd want to tell the customer, like that they must bring the childs birth certificate.

Information like that usually lives across many web pages, internal knowledge base articles, and support tickets. In theory, you could retrieve all of that information and prepend it to each prompt as I described above, but that is a wasteful approach. In addition to taking up a lot of the context window, youd be sending a lot of tokens back and forth that are mostly not needed, racking up a bigger usage bill.

How do you overcome that problem? The answer is through embeddings. When you ask GPT a question, you need to figure out what information is related to it so you can supply it along with the original prompt. Embeddings are a way to map things into a concept space as vectors of numbers. You can then use fast operations to determine the relatedness of any two concepts.

OK, but where do those vectors of numbers come from? Theyre derived from feeding the data through the neural network and grabbing the values of neurons in the hidden layers. This works because the neural network is already trained to recognize similarity.

To calculate the embeddings, you use OpenAIs embedding API. You submit a piece of text, and the embedding comes back as a vector of numbers.

curl https://api.openai.com/v1/embeddings \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \ -d '{ "input": "Your text string goes here", "model": "text-embedding-ada-002" }' { "data": [ { "embedding": [ -0.006929283495992422, -0.005336422007530928, ... -4.547132266452536e-05, -0.024047505110502243 ], "index": 0, "object": "embedding" } ], "model": "text-embedding-ada-002", "object": "list", "usage": { "prompt_tokens": 5, "total_tokens": 5 } }

Since were going to use embeddings for all of our policy information, were going to have a lot of them. Where should they go? The answer is in a vector database. A vector database specializes in organizing and storing this kind of data. Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus, and Chroma are popular choices, and more are popping up all the time.

Confluent

As a quick aside, you might be wondering why you shouldnt exclusively use a vector database. Wouldnt it be simpler to also put your customer 360 data there, too? The problem is that queries against a vector database retrieve data based on the distance between embeddings, which is not the easiest thing to debug and tune. In other words, when a customer starts a chat with the support agent, you absolutely want the agent to know the set of flights the customer has booked. You dont want to leave that up to chance. So in this case its better to just query your customer 360 view by customer ID and put the retrieved data at the start of the prompt.

With your policies in a vector database, harvesting the right information becomes a lot simpler. Before you send a prompt off to GPT, you make an embedding out of the prompt itself. You then take that embedding and query your vector database for related information. The result from that query becomes the set of facts that you prepend to your prompt, which helps keep the context window small since it only uses relevant information.

Confluent

That, at a very high level, is how you connect your policy data to GPT. But I skipped over a lot of important details to make this work. Time to fill those in.
Philadelphia drag queens feel a deep connection to Beyonce and her music. From left to right: Cookie Diorio, VinChelle, and DDA. Read more

Ahead of Beyonce's Philly concert, we reached out to Black drag queens in the city who perform her music locally and feel a deep connection to the pop legend. We asked each queen what Renaissance means to them  plus, what they plan to wear if theyre attending.

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Performs at: Franky Bradleys, Tabu, Voyeur Nightclub

Favorite song to perform: Heated

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Seeing Bey in Philly?: Yes, with their mom and partner

The outfit: A replica of Beyonce's Loewe handprint bodysuit with some 40,000 rhinestones that they glued on individually. They hope the fit will lead to an invite to Club Renaissance.

You cant turn a corner without having someone performing a Renaissance song. Ive never seen an artist be emulated like this before. The album is very empowering. She takes influences from ballroom culture, Black queer culture  thats something that a lot of us have been wanting to see from her. A lot of us are her fans, and for her to embrace us, our culture, and the contributions that weve [made] in pop culture  She just knows how to pay homage to the cultures that she pulls from. One of my favorite songs is Cozy, for the simple reason that it talks about just being comfortable in your skin, your melanin. A lot of us struggle with that because the world tells us otherwise, that were not beautiful. [The song says] we have to be cozy in our Blackness.

Performs at: World Cafe Live

Favorite song: Crazy in Love

Seeing Bey in Philly?: No, scheduling conflict.

Im going to say it in color  Renaissance is like a fiery amber, glowing and pulsating. It means acknowledgment of self and comfortability with self. Doing what you want to do and being proud of who you are simply because you are. Its not listening to anybody that says otherwise. As soon as Break My Soul came out, it was being played and performed. Especially at a time when people are criminalizing drag and have so many outward and negative things to say about the art of drag, it is an affirmation to stand onstage and say the words You cant break my soul. You didnt get it. Its here, its mine, you cant break it. Its powerful to hear those words. Its powerful to perform those words.

Performs at: Franky Bradleys, Voyeur Nightclub, Woodys

Favorite song to perform: Cozy

Seeing Bey in Philly?: Yes, and in three other locations

The outfit: The Renaissance tour T-shirt with a disco cowboy hat ordered off Etsy and custom-made silver sequined pants.

VinChelle decided to be out of drag for the Philly show (though shell be in drag at the other concerts, wearing replicas of Beyonce's tour outfits, like a version of the Courreges silver cutout bodysuit made by Ophelia Bawdy, a fellow local queen).

Renaissance incorporated the ballroom scene, the dance scene, and it was just such a different mood for her.  In Philly, it definitely brought a lot of different types of gay people together. [When it came out] I pushed myself to do an album show six days after the album was released. I had six days to learn all the songs with four other cast members. Ive performed each one of her albums, but Renaissance was the biggest one  the show sold out with over 200 people.

Performs at: 1740 House in Lumberville, Bucks County, monthly; Franky Bradleys

Favorite song: Best Thing I Never Had

Seeing Bey in Philly?: No, tickets were too expensive.

Reaching out to the [LGBTQ+] community, shes given exposure. Its inclusive and thats wonderful, thats what we actually need more of in the world. Instead of taking on one another, we really should just be pointing out how we can help everybody. You wont break me feels like Ill still survive. Its a message that I relate to.

Performs at: Fabrika, Franky Bradleys, Tabu

Favorite song: Dangerously in Love

Seeing Bey in Philly?: Yes

The outfit: Theyll attend out of drag because its too hot, but theyre sewing a custom metallic top and shorts with a rhinestone fringe. Plus, a cowboy hat.

Theres this uncontrollable excitement that I get for Beyonce when I perform her, especially with me being a Virgo. She always gets the crowd hype. Cozy resonated with me, as someone whos dealt with a lot of body image issues and just not being proud of who I am, and struggling  even to this day  with my identity, it just helps me. Its very encouraging. Alien Superstar [also resonated] because a lot of Black drag queens are alien superstars, were not normal. We dont do everything that everyone else does.

We all want to perform Renaissance, especially now that we have the tour versions. Pretty much every show that you go to, if theres a Black drag queen, they will be performing Renaissance. Every week [at Fabrikas drag brunch] there is a queen who wants to perform it. It has done so much for ballroom, she put the ballroom community on the map. People say theres an agenda, like honestly they need to realize this is a culture. No ones trying to force anything on anyone, its simply a lifestyle and its changed peoples lives.
Center-City-based Independence Health Group Inc. is the largest health insurer in the Philadelphia region. Read more

The Philadelphia regions largest health insurer is seeing a dramatic shift in its growth in an increasingly competitive market.

Annual revenue at Independence Blue Cross parent company has grown by an impressive two-thirds over the last five years, adding $10 billion in revenue though 2022.

Driving the Center City companys revenue growth is its majority-owned Medicaid insurance company, AmeriHealth Caritas. The subsidiary with nationwide operations serves people who qualify for the governments health insurance for lower-income families. It had $20.2 billion in revenue last year.

This contrasts with stagnant revenue in the business lines focused mostly on Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, including the insurance that employers buy for their workers. For six years, that revenue has remained flat at around $7 billion for parent company Independence Health Group.

IBCs uneven growth reflects broad trends in health care. Smaller employers are adopting self-insured health plans that lower revenue for companies such as Independence. At the same time, the pandemic spurred a surge nationally in the number of people with Medicaid insurance. This benefited Caritas.

This year, Independence for the first time is facing competition on its home turf from another Blue Cross Blue Shield company. Pittsburgh-based Highmark announced in January that will start selling plans that offer coverage in Southeastern Pennsylvania next year.

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Juan Lopez, Independences chief financial officer, said the companys 85 years in the Philadelphia market put it in a strong position for new competition. Id say bring it on, he said.

Were a diverse set of companies, Lopez added. That geographic and product diversification helps us.

Indeed, benefits experts said they dont expect Highmark to have much impact immediately.

I think its going to be a kick-the-tires year, said Tom Cox, principal at iSolutions, a benefits consulting firm in Audubon. Looking ahead, he expects that Highmark could start winning more Philadelphia-area customers in 2025.

The Blue Cross brand, not specifically Independence, remains strong among Philadelphia-area employers, according to Cox. How much of that Blue Cross loyalty Highmark can peel away from Independence will be carefully watched in the benefits industry.

Growing business in government insurance

AmeriHealth Caritas has grown to become the nations fifth-largest Medicaid insurer, according to Mark Farrah Associates, a health insurance analytics firm based near Pittsburgh.

Still, Pennsylvania remains a huge market for the Newtown-Square based Caritas.

The state accounted for roughly one-third of the companys three million Medicaid members. That represented 35% of the statewide market in May, up from 27% five years ago, according to Pennsylvania Department of Human Services reports.

An uncertainty for Caritas is how many enrollees it will lose in the coming months. The federal government recently lifted a pandemic-era prohibition on ending Medicaid coverage.

To offset losses, the company has started selling individual insurance plans through the exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act in Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

This brings Independence into an insurance market, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, that it has already served for a decade in Pennsylvania. The hope is that federal tax subsidies will help people who lose Medicaid to buy individual plans.

In Medicare Advantage, a government-sponsored insurance program for seniors, Independence already dominates in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The company is facing increased competition from national giants, Aetna, Humana, and UnitedHealth, all gaining market share.

Even so, Independences Medicare Advantage plans have increased membership by 17% over the last five years, reaching more than 122,000 Pennsylvanians in June, according to federal data. Independence has joint ventures that add 10,000 to that total.

Federal regulators rate plans on a five-star scale, based on the quality of their customer service, how much preventive care they pay for, and how well they help manage chronic conditions. Independence has done particularly well on screenings and customer satisfaction.

Its been an extremely competitive marketplace. Weve retained our membership and actually grown membership in the last two years as a result of our five-star rating, Lopez said.

UPMC, which has a major insurance presence in Western Pennsylvania, has been offering Medicare Advantage plans in Southeastern Pennsylvania since 2017, but has yet to make significant inroads, with just 773 enrollees in June, federal data show.

Next year, Independence is contemplating bringing its Medicare Advantage plans back into certain New Jersey counties. The company left that market in 2016. At the time it had a market share of 36% in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties, but was available throughout the state.

We were in for a short time. We werent successful, Lopez said. We feel like were in a better position now to go back in.

Private sector pressures

Independences financial headwinds have come in the widespread shift by employers into health plans in which they pay hospital and doctor bills directly. Under these arrangements, companies buy more limited, backup insurance for catastrophic claims, through other insurers.

So-called self-funded plans covered 65% of workers last year, up from 44% in 1999, according to KFF, a Washington not-for-profit that researches health-care policy.

These plans no longer are used only by big companies with a thousand employees or more. Versions are increasingly available to smaller companies, even those with fewer than 50 employees.

At Independence, the percentage of people covered by self-funded plans increased to 67% last year from 57% in 2016.

That means Independence is no longer collecting insurance premiums from an increasing share of its customers. Instead, it is charging them an administrative fee  a less risky but also potentially less profitable business.

AmeriHealth New Jersey last year started selling its version of a self-funded plan for smaller employers, a product line called fixed funded, Lopez said.

The amount of health-care money that Independence administers on behalf of employers with self-funded plans is increasing, the company pointed out. Total health funds under management by Independence reached $37.7 billion last year  $10 billion more then revenue.

The Philadelphia regions relatively slow economic and job growth has also put pressure on Independences ability to expand its private-sector insurance business in its core market.

The Obamacare market

In the individual insurance market for Southeastern Pennsylvania, Independence is the only company that has offered plans on the ACA marketplace every year its been open.

Theres been more competition in recent years, but Independence still has by far the largest share of the business, with 159,425 residents enrolled, according to data from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

The next largest is Pennsylvania Health & Wellness Inc., with 9,369, but some of them are outside the five-county area.

In the ACA market for small businesses, Independence is also dominant, with 172,224 people covered in the Philadelphia region.

Competition, however, looms as Highmark is also entering the ACA exchange business in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Lauren C. Stuart, an executive vice president at Tycor Benefit Administrators Inc. in Berwyn, which administers employee benefit plans for companies, is watching to see whether Highmark will offer premiums that are low enough to convince consumers or employers to change insurers.

Right now were all in a watch, wait, and see mode, she said.
East Sister Rock Island, a retreat built by New Jersey physician Klaus Meckeler in Florida in the late 1970s, has been renovated and is now on the market for $16.5 million. Read more

A 1.4-acre private island just went on sale in Florida, complete with a 3-bedroom house, a swimming pool, and a cistern to collect drinking water  asking price $16.5 million.

Youre thinking it was built by a movie mogul, perhaps. Or a tech billionaire?

Try a gastroenterologist from New Jersey.

Back in the 1970s, Klaus Meckeler was among the first physicians in the United States to use specialized endoscopes for examining the bile and pancreatic ducts. But when not working at his practice in Somerset County, his mind often strayed to his pet project in the Florida Keys, son Kai Meckeler recalled.

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My dad was a romantic, he said.

The island is located a quarter-mile offshore from the Florida Keys. When the physician first saw it, it was just a pile of rock jutting from the water, his son said. A previous owner had excavated a moat from the coral rock and piled the debris in the center, intending to use it as a place to raise monkeys for scientific research, but the plan fell through, the younger Meckeler said. (The excavation likely would not have been allowed under current environmental regulations.)

A doctors vision

Klaus Meckeler bought the property for $25,000, and took on the challenge of turning it into a habitable island. He hired contractors to level off the volcano-shaped pile of rock, using construction equipment that was ferried out to sea by barge. Builders piped fresh water out to the site to make concrete for the foundation, his son said.

The house was finished by 1979, and the Meckeler family often went there for vacation.

In New Jersey, Meckeler was the chief of gastroenterology at what was then Somerset Medical Center, in Somerville, now called Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. Born in Germany, he attended medical school there before coming to practice in the U.S. in 1958.

He traveled to Japan to study ERCP, the new endoscopy technique for the bile and pancreatic ducts, and taught others to do it back in the U.S. Later in his career, he became a clinical professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Meckeler, who died in 2008, sold the island, called East Sister Rock Island, in 1995 for $750,000 to the Williford family, the two families said.

One-of-a-kind real estate listing

The Willifords undertook substantial renovations, including installing a solar-panel array and adding a wind turbine with battery storage, said Wesley Williford, a family member who is also the real estate agent on the new listing. The family also added central air-conditioning and a desalination plant with the capacity to make 1,000 gallons per day, and turned it into a full-time vacation rental, he said.

Will they get their $16.5 million asking price?

Kai Meckeler, the son of the doctor who created the retreat, has his doubts, but says the property has unique appeal.

Everybody thinks they want to own an island, he said. Its just not for everybody.

EDITORS NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect that the current owners installed a solar-panel array. There were no solar panels when they purchased the island in 1995.
The coming retirement of City Council President Darrell L. Clarke 9center back) has triggered the first open race for the top job in Philadelphia's legislature since 2012. Read more

City Council has undergone enormous changes over the last few years, but the biggest one will come in January when a new leader takes over for retiring Council President Darrell L. Clarke.

Clarke led the chamber for 12 years, and his decision not to run for reelection  coupled with the end of Mayor Jim Kenneys administration  means there will be a sea change in City Hall next year.

Councils 17 members will vote on who will be president at the first meeting of 2024, and the race to replace Clarke has already begun.

 READ MORE: Inside the race to replace City Council President Darrell L. Clarke

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The next Council will be remarkably inexperienced, with at least 12 members having served one term or less. The three lawmakers who are seen as contenders for the presidency are all Democrats who have previously served more than one term.

Heres what you need to know about the candidates for Council president.

Kenyatta Johnson

Johnson, 49, is a third-term member whose 2nd District includes Southwest Philadelphia and South Philadelphia west of Broad Street.

A lifelong Point Breeze resident, Johnson has said he turned his back on the streets after his cousin was murdered in 1998 by becoming an anti-violence activist and founding the group Peace Not Guns.

 READ MORE: From a family tragedy to City Hall, how Kenyatta Johnson rose to power before his corruption trial

Through that work, Johnson became involved in the political organization led by State Sen. Tony Williams (D., Philadelphia). He was a state representative before joining Council in 2013.

Johnsons district has seen significant gentrification during his tenure, and he has prevailed against high-profile challengers in his reelection campaigns.

Johnson is running for Council president in the wake of his high-profile acquittal last year on federal bribery charges. Prosecutors alleged he took official action to help a charter school operator in exchange for a consulting job for his wife.

The ordeal does not appear to be a significant hindrance to Johnsons changes of winning the presidency. His colleagues on Council largely stood by him during the case, and some criticized the prosecution after he was acquitted.

Curtis Jones Jr.

Jones, 65, is currently majority leader, Councils No. 2 position. He represents the 4th District, which stretches across the Schuylkill from Overbrook to Roxborough.

A West Philadelphia native, Jones has said he was in a gang when he was a teenager, but his life turned around in high school when he converted to Islam and became involved with the House of Umoja community organization.

He got his start in politics as an antiestablishment activist and worked closely with Chaka Fattah, who went on to become a powerful member of Congress before being convicted on federal corruption charges.

Before he was elected to Council in 2007, Jones led the Minority Business Enterprise Council and the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corp.

Jones, who is in his fourth term, has a mixed record in leadership elections. He served one term as majority leader from 2012 to 2016 before falling out favor with Clarke and being replaced by Bobby Henon.

Henon was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2019, and Cherelle Parker unseated him in the January 2020 majority leader race.

Parker then resigned last year to run for mayor, and Clarke helped elevate Jones to majority leader once again. Parker is now poised to become the next mayor after winning the Democratic primary in May.

Mark Squilla

Squilla, 60, is a former computer programmer who worked for 25 years in the state auditor generals office. He represents the 1st District, which runs along the Delaware River from Pennsport to Port Richmond.

He got involved in local politics in the 1990s after organizing his South Philadelphia neighbors to help save their community park, Burke Playground. He later served as president of the Whitman Council neighborhood group.

A Mummer and a former Jersey Shore lifeguard, Squilla is the only Italian American on Council. He joined a controversial lawsuit against the city in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Mayor Jim Kenneys administration from renaming Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Squilla is a consensus-builder with few enemies on Council, and many see his path to victory as a compromise candidate if neither Jones nor Johnson can secure a majority.
Tydricka Lewis in her Durham, N.C., home. Lewis was a recipient of Durham's guaranteed income pilot program. Read more

Four years after being released from prison, Tydricka Lewis got something special: unrestricted cash.

The mom of three was one of 109 formerly incarcerated people selected to receive a monthly, no-strings-attached $600 payment as part of a local guaranteed basic income initiative in Durham, N.C.

Lewis, 34, bought a new car with the money from the yearlong pilot program, and it helped her commute to the two jobs she worked to support her and her children.

I am doing more than enough, Lewis said of her work ethic. Its just that Im not making enough.

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 READ MORE: Philadelphia to pilot a guaranteed income program to reduce rates of infant mortality

She is no longer getting the monthly payments. But she is an advocate for guaranteed income, especially for Black Americans.

We wasnt given any mules, no land, no acres, Lewis said of unfulfilled government promises made to African Americans after the end of slavery. Everything was stripped from us.

Guaranteed basic income is what it sounds like: giving people money, no strings attached. The concept is ancient, but it took root in recent history during the civil rights movement as a way to combat poverty.

Starting next year, Philly will join the ranks of cities such as Durham using it as a tool to address systemic racism.

Philadelphias newest guaranteed income initiative, which will provide money to 250 pregnant women, is expected to launch in early 2024. The city has already run free cash experiments in the last few years, for some families in public housing and for those who received government benefits. City Council also floated the idea of using guaranteed income to combat poverty in early 2020, before initiatives exploded nationwide during COVID-19.

Programs like Durhams could be a model as leaders in Philadelphia, the nations poorest big city, continue to show interest in guaranteed income.

Can guaranteed income reduce recidivism?

Philadelphia and Durham arent the likeliest of peers, but both have a population that is majority people of color, and both face a growing affordability crisis. A far smaller city, Durham has similar housing costs to Philadelphia. The average renter there spends more than $1,500, compared to $1,400 here, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. And both cities have sizable communities of citizens with criminal records.

Whether a local universal income program designed for returning citizens will emerge in Philadelphia remains to be seen. But if any city could benefit from assisting people with records  who face challenges with everything from housing to employment  its one where those folks make up nearly a fifth of the population.

Durhams program for returning citizens was paid for out of a $15 million donation from Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey to a group called Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.

The city was given $500,000 and raised $300,000 more for the program, which gave $600 a month to 109 people for one year. Officials hoped the money would help decrease recidivism among formerly incarcerated people.

Carl Day, a Philadelphia pastor, said a program like Durhams could be good here. He runs Beat the Block, a privately funded organization that works with young men who have been involved in the justice system or who are at risk and literally pays these men to kind of get their whole lives back on track, Day said.

Some people look at it like theyre funding criminals, said Day, but the truth of the matter is, were gonna acknowledge systemic racism. Were gonna acknowledge how intentional these systems have been to really set people back and keep people behind.

Why is Philly experimenting with guaranteed income?

In early March 2020, Philadelphia City Council announced an ambitious plan to lift 100,000 people out of poverty by 2024. It included exploring the feasibility of unconditional cash for Philadelphia residents, driven by the example of Stockton, Calif., which in 2019 became the first U.S. city to experiment with universal basic income.

Those efforts stalled amid the pandemic concerns. But COVID also ignited a new momentum behind guaranteed income locally.

In 2021, people returning home from jail were eligible for one-time, $500 payments from the city.

One of Philadelphias first guaranteed income programs launched in July 2022. The program gave an average of about $890 a month to 300 families on public housing wait lists and was doled out through the Philadelphia Housing Development Corp. in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

Also in 2022, the city committed to giving $500 a month to up to 60 people who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.

The program expected to launch next year will be funded by philanthropic dollars. Pregnant people living in Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, and Nicetown-Tioga are eligible to receive monthly $1,000 stipends for 18 months. Those neighborhoods have the highest rates of very low birth weight, a proxy for premature birth. The communities are also mostly Black.

Lydia Seymour, a coordinator for the Community Action Network, the organization running the Philly Joy Bank program, said her daughter was born weighing 1 pound 8 ounces. A married mother of two, Seymour said money is an added stress for parents.

Being able to have that eliminated a little bit by having a little extra cushion, as far as finances, is a game changer, she said.

Phillys initiative took some notes from a government-sponsored program for parents in Manitoba, Canada. Stacey Kallem, a physician and the director of the maternal and family health division at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, called the results of that program astounding.

I cant really tell you other interventions that I know of that will have had such a large impact on reducing rates of prematurity and low birth weight, she said.

Between 2020 and 2022, U.S. cities launched nearly 50 guaranteed income experiments. The pilots are rigorously studied, and include control groups that dont receive the funds.

Thanks in part to research, such as at Penns Center for Guaranteed Income Research, growing evidence supports the idea that universal income works.

It improves peoples financial well-being, helps them escape poverty and the stress related to it, increases job opportunities, and helps people be better parents. But political will is also key to implementing policies.

To have the idea doesnt take any political will, said former Durham Mayor Steve Schewel. To make it happen takes political will because you got to raise the money, you got to find the right organization, you got to be able to stick with it, and you got to convince people that its a really good thing to do.

How are cities funding guaranteed income programs?

Durham struggled to get its pilot program off the ground.

Durham city officials had to reissue the request for proposals because no nonprofit wanted to touch its scope and size. Schewel had to personally convince eventual program runner Syretta Hill of StepUp Durham to administer the Excel program.

The first iteration of the RFP didnt have any funds coming to us, Hill said, so we were basically asked to do this work for free.

The group eventually was allocated $110,000 reimbursable dollars to execute the program, but StepUp boards initial rejection of the proposal reveals the complexities of operating one-off guaranteed income experiments.

No city has yet figured out how to pay for a widespread guaranteed income program that doesnt rely on private philanthropy.

Philly Joy Bank has already received $1.6 million from the William Penn Foundation, $1.5 million from Spring Point Partners, and $500,000 from the Barra Foundation. It aims to raise a total of $6 million.

I think one of the issues is: How do you fund something like this long-term? said Schewel, who was a member of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Its expensive.

Paying all Philadelphians in poverty, about 23% of the population, $10,000 per year in guaranteed income would cost about $3.5 billion, or more than half of the citys budget.

Schewel said ideally, guaranteed income could be paid for by progressive taxes on the rich.

But Pennsylvania law prohibits Philadelphia from having a higher wage tax for the wealthy. The citys taxes must remain uniform for all residents.

So what we want, said Schewel, is that the federal government will provide guaranteed income.

How have people spent guaranteed income?

Preliminary data show participants in Durhams program spent nearly half the money on retail services, including purchases from big box and wholesale stores, subscriptions, and professional, repair, and maintenance services.

The second largest spending category was food, followed by transportation.

Penn researchers tracked the spending of guaranteed income recipients and incentivized the control group to continue participating in the program with things like gift cards.

Lewis, of Durham, quit her second job around the same time her monthly $600 stipend dried up earlier this year. With less money, but a newfound sense of stability, Lewis has chosen to believe things will fall together.

Working is not an issue for me, Lewis said. The thing is, I dont believe that human beings are supposed to work 100 hours a week, be productive parents ... fulfill your dreams, serve your community, and just be a great person.

And so thats the picture Ive been trying to paint to the government.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw talks to the media after participating in an anti-violence prayer walk after the mass shooting in Kingsessing on Wednesday. Read more

One of the five people police identified as victims of the mass shooting in Kingsessing on July 3 was actually killed nearly two days earlier, law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, was killed on July 2, authorities said, 44 hours before Kimbrady Carriker began a shooting spree that took four more lives.

That revelation marks a significant change to the timeline of the citys deadliest act of gun violence in decades. And it raises new questions about Carrikers alleged actions, including how he was able to commit the first crime without being apprehended, and why he then went back to the same streets the next evening.

Police said in their statement that they responded to a 911 call for reports of gunfire on Wamahs block on July 2. But officers were dispatched to the wrong address  the 1600 block of North 56th Street, not South 56th Street  and did not see any evidence of gunfire, police said.

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The mass shooting began around 8:30 p.m. July 3 and traced along South 56th Street near Chester and Springfield Avenues in the Kingsessing section in Southwest Philadelphia. Police say Carriker opened fire on occupied cars and passersby while dressed in body armor, wearing a ski mask, and armed with an automatic rifle and a ghost gun.

Seven people were shot across several blocks. Police officers rushed them to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, but five people died: DaJuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 20; Ralph Moralis, 59; Dymir Stanton, 29; and Wamah.

Two boys, ages 2 and 13, were shot in the legs but survived.

It was the deadliest shooting in Philadelphia in more than two decades. Carriker was arrested on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street when responding officers caught up with him.

Police said from the outset that Wamah, who lived on the 1600 block of South 56th Street, was Carrikers first victim. On Sunday, however, they said Carriker killed Wamah nearly two days before the rampage. Authorities said Carriker appeared to have killed his victims at random. Sundays release gave no details as to why Carriker allegedly killed Wamah.

Police said they responded to a report of gunshots about 2 a.m. July 2, about 90 minutes after authorities believe Wamah was killed. Officers said they surveyed the block and neighbors without finding anything  because they were sent to the wrong address.

Wamahs neighbors, Zahirah Muhammad and Keisha Carter, said in an interview that they were awakened by the sound of gunshots about 12:30 a.m. July 2. The gunfire was so loud, Muhammad remembers thinking that it sounded as if the shooter might have been in her living room.

But the two soon realized the shots were coming from a house nearby, where Wamah lived alone with his father.

The two said police were called, but never came. Carter said she later had a panic attack and went to a local hospital. She was terrified, she said, that something would happen to her children.

Within 44 hours, Carter and Muhammad said, they were once again shaken by the sound of gunfire the night before Independence Day.

Ring camera video from their home captured the sound of at least 14 shots that rang out on July 3.

Hours after the gunfire subsided and the shooter was caught, Muhammad and Carter said, Wamahs father returned home and found his son with gunshot wounds.

They remember his cries of anguish and his refusal to leave his sons side, even as he was loaded into an ambulance, Carter said. The two stayed up until 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 4, to try to help and console relatives who came to the Wamah house, they said.

Joseph Wamah Jr. was a polite and quiet man who mostly kept to himself, said Muhammad, who has lived nearby for three years. Sometimes, he would sit on Muhammads front stoop to smoke, she said.

The days since have left the two in a haze of fear and anxiety.

Im scared, said Muhammad. Im looking every which way even though hes caught.

Carriker lived on the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace and had been acting erratically in the days before the shooting, witnesses told investigators.

Sources also said some of Carrikers roommates told detectives theyd been trying to avoid him inside the house because of his perceived volatility  which included frequently shouting, invoking religion, and routinely wearing his bulletproof vest and holding firearms.

Carriker has been charged with five counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and related crimes. He is being detained without bail.

District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement Sunday that the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

As the DAs Office and the Philadelphia Police Department made clear throughout last week, the investigation of this horrifying tragedy is active, ongoing, and will continue throughout the course of our prosecution of this defendant, he said.
James Lewis is escorted through Boston's Logan Airport on Oct. 13, 1995, after being released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma. Lewis, the suspect in the 1982 Tylenol murders, was found dead Sunday. Read more

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  The suspect in the 1982 Tylenol poisonings that killed seven people in the Chicago area, triggered a nationwide panic, and led to an overhaul in the safety of over-the-counter medication packaging, has died, police said on Monday.

Officers, firefighters and EMTs responding to a report of an unresponsive person at about 4 p.m. Sunday found James W. Lewis dead in his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home, Cambridge Police Superintendent Frederick Cabral said in a statement. He was 76, police said.

Following an investigation, Lewis death was determined to be not suspicious, the statement says.

No one was ever charged in the deaths of seven people who took the over-the-counter painkillers laced with cyanide. Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to stop the killing. He and his wife moved to Massachusetts in 1995 following his release. Listed numbers for his wife were not in service.

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When Lewis was arrested in New York City in 1982 after a nationwide manhunt, he gave investigators a detailed account of how the killer might have operated. Lewis later admitted sending the letter and demanding the money, but he said he never intended to collect it. He said he wanted to embarrass his wifes former employer by having the money sent to the employers bank account.

Lewis, who had a history of trouble with the law, always denied any role in the Tylenol deaths, but remained a suspect and in 2010 gave DNA samples to the FBI. He even created a website in which he said he was framed. Although the couple lived briefly in Chicago in the early 1980s, Lewis said they were in New York City at the time of the poisonings.

In a 1992 interview with The Associated Press, Lewis explained that the account he gave authorities was simply his way of explaining the killers actions.

I was doing like I would have done for a corporate client, making a list of possible scenarios, said Lewis. He called the killer a heinous, cold-blooded killer, a cruel monster.

The FBI seized a computer and other items from Lewis home in February 2009 after Illinois authorities renewed the investigation.

The FBIs Chicago office at the time cited advances in forensic technology and said it, along with the Illinois State Police and local police departments, was conducting a complete review of all evidence developed in connection with the killings.

In a span of three days beginning Sept. 29, 1982, seven people  including a 12-year-old girl  who took cyanide-laced Tylenol in the Chicago area died, triggering a nationwide recall of the product. The poisonings led to the adoption of tamperproof packaging for over-the-counter medications.

Helen Jensen, a nurse who helped treat the first victims at a suburban Chicago hospital, said in a phone interview Monday with the AP she hoped Lewis death would be a final coda to a tragedy that has haunted her for four decades. She also hoped it would bring victims families some closure.

His death is a conclusion. Not necessarily the conclusion everyone wanted, said Jensen, who is retired. But it is an end. Im 86 now. And I am glad I got to see the end before I die.

Jensen said she was the first to figure out that a bottle had been tampered with. Investigators laughed at her.

I was a woman and I was a nurse, she said. I understood the attitudes of that time. But I was proven right by the next day.

Jensen said Lewis, who she accepts was responsible, changed the world because of what he did.

We lost our innocence, she said. We have become less trusting of everyone else. We can blame it all on him.  He was a terrorist and we have suffered from his terror for 40 years.

Lewis had prior run-ins with the law.

In 1978, he was charged in Kansas City, Missouri, with the dismemberment murder of Raymond West, 72, who had hired Lewis as an accountant. The charges were dismissed because Wests cause of death was not determined and some evidence had been illegally obtained.

He was convicted of six counts of mail fraud in a 1981 credit card scheme in Kansas City, accused of using the name and background of a former tax client to obtain 13 credit cards.

Lewis was charged in 2004 with rape, kidnapping and other offenses for an alleged attack on a woman in Cambridge. He was jailed for three years while awaiting trial, but prosecutors dismissed the charges on the day his trial was scheduled to begin after the victim refused to testify, the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office said at the time.

Police in 1983 described Lewis as a chameleon who lived in several states, used at least 20 aliases and held many jobs, including computer specialist, tax accountant, importer of Indian tapestries and salesman of jewelry, pharmaceutical machinery and real estate.

The lack of accountability in the case has long frustrated victims families.

Monica Janus, who was 8 years old when three members of her family died after taking the tainted medication, told CBS Chicago in 2022 that she thought the investigation was really sloppy.

Lewis wife was out of town and contacted a neighbor when she could not get a hold of her husband, and the neighbor contacted police, Cabral said.
More principals than ever are leaving Pennsylvania schools, a new study found. Read more

Principals are leaving Pennsylvania schools at higher-than-ever rates, a new analysis found.

Across the state, 15.4% of principals left Pennsylvania schools between 2021-22 and 2022-23, according to a new study out of the Penn State Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis. The 4.2 percentage-point jump marks the states highest annual exodus on record.

The increase in principal departures comes amid nationwide teacher shortages, with many districts struggling to fill jobs and keep educators from leaving them. A recent study from the same Penn State institute found that the states teachers are also leaving at a record pace.

But while much attention has gone to teacher attrition, a stable principals office might matter even more to a schools success, said Ed Fuller, the education professor behind both studies.

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I would argue principal turnover is more important than teacher turnover, said Fuller. One of the really important ways to address teacher turnover is to have good, quality leadership. If you have constant leader turnover, you cant create a high-performing school.

Principals affect not just teacher turnover, but also school climate and student achievement, he noted.

Why are Pa. principals leaving schools?

The high rate of principal attrition doesnt surprise Robin Cooper, president of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators (CASA), the Philadelphia School District administrators union. Leading students through a pandemic was difficult work, and the aftereffects will linger for years.

The work was already difficult, but its intensified to such a degree that it becomes not worth it for a lot of people, said Cooper, a veteran administrator herself. People are choosing their mental health, and when they can get out, theyre getting out.

Disparities within the exodus

The Penn State study found that high school principals were the most likely to leave with a 16.9% attrition rate, followed by middle school leaders at 13.8% and then, elementary school principals at 12.5%.

Black female principals had the highest attrition rate of 19%, meaning nearly one in five Black women left their principal positions between 2022 and 2023. Black males had the next-highest departure rate of 17.4%. White female principals attrition rate was 15.5% while white males fell 1% lower to 14.5%.

The departure of Black principals is worrisome, said Fuller. In Philadelphia, there are already fewer Black teachers than there were 20 years ago, even though the overall numbers of teachers remains the same, according to a 2022 report by Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based education research group that has been tracking teacher diversity in the state.

These continued high attrition rates, coupled with lower numbers of individuals of color entering the teaching profession, will reduce the percentage of principals of color in Pennsylvania, he said.

Principals at schools with highest concentration of students of color were more prone to leave their jobs than principals at more racially diverse schools, and charter school principals were more likely to depart than leaders of traditional public schools  there was a 32.8% attrition rate for charter school principals, and 13.2% for traditional public school principals.

Attrition rates were also highest among principals in the poorest schools systems; 14.2%, compared to 12.7% for principals in the wealthiest districts.

Schools serving children who are most often in need of experienced and stable leadership are least likely to provide children with these resource, Fuller found.

How can districts improve principal attrition rates?

Veteran principals transition well into other areas, said Cooper, from the union that represents Philly principals.

They know instruction, they know operations. These other areas pick them up; theyre valuable, said Cooper.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than half of the principals who left between 2022 and 2023 took jobs elsewhere in Pennsylvania traditional public and charter schools. Many of those who stayed in Pennsylvania landed in other, non-principalship or assistant superintendent leadership roles.

To fix high principal attrition rates, Fuller said, districts and policymakers should increase principal salaries, provide incentives for those principals who take on hard-to-staff schools, and launch a statewide principal working conditions survey to better understand what makes principals leave  and stay  in Pennsylvania schools.
The manhunt for a murder suspect who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail last week is ongoing, police say.

Michael Burham tied bedsheets together to climb down the roof of the Warren County Jail in northwestern Pennsylvania late Thursday.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, Burham, 34, was being held as a suspect in a homicide investigation in addition to separate charges for arson, kidnapping, and burglary.

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The public is asked to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious, the City of Warren Police Department said in a statement Saturday. Burham is considered dangerous and should not be approached.

Heres what we know so far.

Who is Michael Burham?

Burham was described by police as a self-taught survivalist with military experience. While searching for him in wooded areas, they said they found stockpiles of supplies and potential past campsites of his and believe he is ready to spend time in the woods.

He was last seen wearing a jail-issued orange-and-white striped jumpsuit, a blue denim jean jacket, and Croc-style shoes. Police say its possible hes changed clothes since escaping. He has a tiger tattoo on his right arm.

Authorities say hes a suspect in the killing of his girlfriend, Kala Hodgkin, 34, in Jamestown, N.Y., but has not been charged. In May  the same month Hodgkin was found fatally shot  Burham also led police on a two-week-long manhunt after allegedly kidnapping an elderly couple at gunpoint in Pennsylvania and dropping them off in South Carolina. A criminal complaint from the FBI said he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

How did he escape jail?

According to police, prison surveillance footage showed that Burham and three other inmates met in the gym on Thursday at 10:41 p.m. By 11:26 p.m., Burham could be seen standing on a pull-up exercise machine. From there, he exited the yard through a metal-gated roof.

Next, Burham fashioned a rope out of sheets and secured it to the roof. He then slid down the rope, police said, landing on the buildings portico, jumping from there to the ground, and then taking off on foot.

Police notified the public of Burhams escape shortly after midnight through social media posts.

Where do police think he may be?

State police say they believe Burham is hiding in the wooded area surrounding Warren, including the Allegheny National Forest, which covers over half a million acres of rural Pennsylvania.

In a news conference Saturday, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said there were ongoing searches by air and foot, including police dogs, drones, and helicopters.

On Sunday, police said they were also searching residences, abandoned structures, and nearby wooded areas, but did not go into specifics.

Anyone in this situation becomes more desperate over time, and we plan to use that to our advantage, Bivens said. Hes not going to be able to get a lot of rest. Were going to push hard until we find him.

What happens next?

Police said the search was ongoing and urged locals to stay alert.

We ask the residents to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to us, Bivens said at news conference Sunday. Weve also asked them to secure their homes, their cars, their businesses and not allow him easy access to supplies or vehicles.

He added that its possible Burham has secured a firearm while on the run. The search has been described as a very fluid and active situation.

Anyone who sees Burham is asked to call 911 and advised not to approach him. Tips or information can be reported to State Police by calling 814-728-3600.
A man and a woman were killed and others were injured early Saturday morning when a Hyundai car struck a parked front-end loader in South Philadelphia near FDR Park, according to police.

Killed were the 32-year-old male driver of the Hyundai and a 29-year-old female sitting in the front passenger seat. Police did not release their names.

Three females were in the back of the car at the time. One woman, 28, was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and listed in critical condition as of a police report Sunday morning. The two other females of unknown ages were taken to Jefferson University Hospital and were listed in stable condition.

Police said the crash occurred 3:34 a.m. Saturday when the Hyundai traveling west on Pattison Avenue turned south onto Penrose Avenue on the wrong side of the road. The car then struck the front-end loader.

The investigation was ongoing as of Sunday and no further information was available.
People demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June. A sharply divided court has ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loan debts for millions of Americans. Read more

Just in time to celebrate our republics 247th birthday last week and cherish the blessings of liberty that separation of powers helps secure for us, the U.S. Supreme Court reminded us that a president is not a king.

The case in question, Biden v. Nebraska, concerned President Joe Bidens attempt to give out money without Congress having appropriated it, claiming a power to discharge millions in student loan debt. The court, in an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, found that the president did not have the power to rewrite laws by executive order. Bidens plan for upper-middle-class welfare would require congressional action, not just a presidential decree.

The court focused on Bidens claim that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 allowed him to do basically anything he wanted regarding loans that were in any way affected by any national emergency. This vast power, the White House said, came from a line in that act that allowed the secretary of education to waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision related to the loans in connection with a war or other military operation or national emergency.

 READ MORE: Justice should be fair and impartial. Trumps indictment is neither. | Kyle Sammin

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The administration said waive or modify included completely rewriting the law. That would be a massive delegation of power from Congress, so it is strange that no one noticed it when the bill was passed. In fact, newspapers carried almost nothing about the act in 2003. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune gave it a brief write-up, presumably because the bills sponsor, John Kline, represented part of the Twin Cities metro area. The article characterizes the bill as excusing military personnel from paying their student loans while they are on active duty. It was a minor piece of legislation designed to help those risking their lives for their country, and it passed nearly unanimously.

Twenty years later, some on the left are pretending it was an enabling act to give the president the power to forgive debts for anyone affected by any emergency. And who has the power to declare emergencies? The president. How convenient! No need for Congress or laws, just an ukase from the Oval Office and millions of young professionals get a little richer.

A few years ago, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer characterized a similar emergency effort as plainly a power grab by a disappointed president, who has gone outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process. That was when President Donald Trump used the excuse of an emergency to shift funds from what Congress had appropriated to what he wanted to use them for instead: a wall on the Mexican border.

A flurry of lawsuits followed, and appeals to the Supreme Court were pending when Trump lost reelection and Biden reversed his predecessors order. Had the 2020 election turned out differently, we might now be talking about that presidential power grab, not this one. Many people would be on different sides of the argument than they are now.

In fairness to Pelosi, though, her initial reaction to calls for Biden to act without Congress on loans was consistent with her opinions on Trumps wall-building decree: She said he did not have the power to do it. People think that the president of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone. He can delay. But he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.

This is similar to what Biden himself said on the question in February 2021: I dont think I have the authority to do it by signing the pen.

Congress knows how to make loans forgivable  they did it with the Paycheck Protection Program. But when Congress, controlled by Bidens own party, declined to pass a similar law for student loans, suddenly the president pretended that he had the power and  just before the 2022 midterms  announced that he would, in fact, do it by signing the pen.

 READ MORE: Josh Shapiro ran like a moderate. He should govern like one, too. | Kyle Sammin

Reliance on the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act was always a lie. Biden wanted to send money to a group of people who had supported him and his party: young people with college degrees. Congress wouldnt help, so he did it anyway and dared the courts to stop him. When Trump shifted funds to use them for a border wall, it was called creeping fascism and the death of the republic. How is this any different?

For all the talk of how predatory and unfair the student loan system is, none of what Biden tried to do would fix it. If anything, it would encourage even more borrowing as future students hoped for a second student loan jubilee from the next president hoping to buy their votes.

A better idea? Fix the system. Get the government out of direct lending and let the banks lend to those who want it. Let future loans be dischargeable in bankruptcy, like every other debt. And have the colleges, not the government, guarantee repayment.

All of this will force rigor into the system. Now, no lender considers whether a loan can be repaid because Uncle Sam guarantees it will be. Colleges know this and raise tuition every year. Treat these loans like regular debts and you will see fewer of them  and schools will drop tuition to avoid losing students.

But Biden proposes none of this. (In fact, he voted to make loans harder to discharge when he was a senator.) Instead, we have something familiar to Philadelphians: a failing system that creates a pressure point for a politician to deliver benefits to his friends. The court was right to call this what it is. Now Congress should fix the student loan system so that abuses like this never happen again.
City Council members Curtis Jones Jr. (front left) and Kenyatta Johnson (front right) are seen as front-runners in the race for Council president. Councilmember Mark Squilla, behind Johnson, could emerge if neither of the front-runners secures a majority. Read more

Hours after City Council adjourned its last session before taking its summer break, many of the lawmakers gathered in a private basement room at Del Friscos Double Eagle Steakhouse.

The purpose of the event three weeks ago was to toast outgoing Council President Darrell L. Clarke, who is not running for reelection and had just overseen the passage of the final budget of his four-decade City Hall career.

But for the host, Majority Leader Curtis Jones Jr., the event also served another purpose: to burnish his chances of succeeding Clarke as the chambers leader.

Council will be remarkably inexperienced next year, and the three lawmakers seen as contenders for the presidency  Jones, Kenyatta Johnson, and Mark Squilla  are among the handful of members who have served more than one term.

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Johnson and Jones are currently seen as the front-runners, according to conversations with more than a dozen City Hall sources. But neither has secured the support of a majority of their colleagues, and if they fail to reach that mark, many see Squilla as a compromise candidate. Its also possible that third-term member Cindy Bass will make a run or that a dark horse candidate emerges from Councils more inexperienced members.

 READ MORE: Meet the candidates running for Philadelphia City Council president

The race could drag on for months and may not be decided until December. While the occupants of almost all of Councils 17 seats were effectively determined by last months Democratic primary, as many as three seats will be decided by the November general election, potentially changing the math for the candidates to secure the nine votes they need.

(The seats still up for grabs include two at-large seats reserved for members of minority parties, and the 10th District seat, where Republican Councilmember Brian ONeill faces a tough challenge from Democrat Gary Massino.)

 READ MORE: Darrell L. Clarkes retirement ends four decades of Philadelphia City Council leadership. Heres why it matters and what happens next.

Although the candidates have some differences in policy positions, the race is not viewed as an ideological showdown. The leading contenders are all seen as centrist Democrats  similar to their former colleague and Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker, who is favored to win the general election.

In such a small legislative body, leadership elections are decided by the interpersonal relationships that have been built in the preceding months and years, City Hall lobbyist John Hawkins said. Each contender has their own niche  Jones is the senior statesman, Squilla is laid-back yet working all night and day, and Johnson is the one who will roll up his sleeves and do the hard work with his colleagues to get things done.

There are several key variables in the race, including the November elections and the role of politically powerful labor unions.

Leadership races are decided through private conversations between members and can sometimes even be kept secret from their staffs. Lawmakers generally frown upon outside groups exerting public pressure, but they play a role nonetheless. Several powerful labor unions, for instance, appear to be favoring Johnson over Jones, but none have taken public stances.

One factor that appears to not be playing a major role in the race is Johnsons high-profile legal troubles. He and his wife, Dawn Chavous, were acquitted last year on corruption charges after federal prosecutors accused him of accepting a bribe in the form of a consulting job for Chavous. A first trial months earlier ended with a deadlocked jury.

Johnson maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, and he enjoyed support from his colleagues, with several members attending prayer vigils to support him. He got a heros welcome at the first Council meeting after his exoneration.

I returned to City Council with a standing ovation, so I dont believe its going to play a factor in this race based upon me talking to members, Johnson said. This is America. I was acquitted by our own judicial system.

A different Council presidents race

During the last open Council presidents race in 2012, when Clarke defeated Marian Tasco, the body was defined by clearly identifiable factions.

Then-Mayor Michael A. Nutter backed Tasco. Clarke was the protege of John F. Street, the former Council president and mayor who clashed repeatedly with Nutter and Tasco.

Clarke has worked to build a culture of independence for individual Council members and consensus on major policy issues. That means this years candidates have to win the support of colleagues one by one rather than put together blocs of lawmakers.

The leading candidates are echoing hallmarks of Clarkes tenure. Squilla, for instance, noted that he is already one of Councils key consensus-builders.

I do that now currently to try to get to nine and understanding certain people may not be able to support things other people can and not put people in bad positions based on where they stand, Squilla said.

Johnson said he has his own style but would seek to continue aspects of Clarkes approach.

Its about empowering and supporting my members that they advocate for their own policy ideas, but also its working collectively as a body to move the city of Philadelphia forward, Johnson said in an interview.

Jones, who previously led the Minority Business Enterprise Council and the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corp., said the president is essentially the CEO of Council.

What the next president needs to be is a good orchestra conductor so that public policy music can be heard by all, said Jones.

Jones is known for his colorful and long-winded speeches. The Council president, however, traditionally does not make speeches during session.

The number 1 reason why my colleagues should vote for me is that they wont have to listen to my speeches from the majority anymore, Jones said.

Parker likely to stay out of the race

Unlike Nutter in 2012, Parker is not expected to become heavily involved in the Council presidents race.

Picking a candidate who ends up losing could jeopardize her priorities before she unveils them. And as a former Council majority leader, Parker has worked closely with all of the candidates.

She also appears to have conflicting incentives in choosing between Jones and Johnson. On the one hand, Johnson is the only candidate who did not endorse her mayoral campaign. On the other, he is said to have quiet backing from the building trades unions, the most important backers of her candidacy.

Johnson, who did not make an endorsement for mayor, said he is confident he would work well with Parker.

Me not endorsing her is not a reflection of my confidence in her ability of moving the city forward, he said.

Parker has so far declined to comment on political and personnel questions, saying she is not taking for granted her general election race against Republican David Oh, another former Council member.

But thanks to Philadelphias overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, she is all but guaranteed to take office in January, when she and the new Council president will commence a new era in Philly politics.

Labor leaning Johnson

While all of the candidates are pro-labor, Johnson appears to have an edge in getting union support.

He has for years helped the Service Employees International Union fight for contracted airport workers. And he has worked to ensure unions in the Building and Construction Trades Council get projects in his district, which includes Southwest Philadelphia and the western half of South Philly.

Squilla is also close with the building trades, and his brother is a carpenters union leader.

By contrast, Jones has on occasion been more friendly to contractors that use nonunion labor, especially minority-owned firms, in his district, which stretches across the Schuylkill from Roxborough to Overbrook.

Ryan Boyer, who leads the Laborers District Council and the trades council, said the construction unions would work with any of the contenders.

I dont have a dog in the fight, he said.

But he acknowledged that his unions have worked more closely with Johnson and Squilla.

Kenyatta and Squilla have had a better relationship than weve had with Curtis, so wed have to educate him on some of those issues, but it doesnt disqualify Curtis, Boyer said. Curt and I personally have always been good.

Like Jones, Johnson is visibly courting members. A former state legislator, Johnson last week took a group of new and incoming lawmakers on a trip to Harrisburg.

Newer members have so far been reluctant to take sides as they settle into their roles, providing a level of unpredictability that Squilla said is likely to prevent the race from being settled for months.

Everybody is at wait-and-see, Squilla said. At this time, I dont see anybody having an open track to the presidency.
Really what the BAC is doing for us is we get a problem brought in the door and we go away and do the research and the work to understand what the claims history has been, what are the factors behind it, talk to insurers and just get a better sense for what theyre thinking, said Hall. Then we start sharing with that industry how they might need to uplift standards, or if they have, how to tell a better story to the underwriters.
Small accounts (up to $25,000): up 5.7%

up 5.7% Medium accounts ($25,001-$250,000): up 6%

up 6% Large accounts ($250,001-$1 million): up 6%

up 6% Jumbo accounts (over $1 million): up 4.7%

Dallas-based MarketScout, founded in 2000, is a Lloyds coverholder and MGA for US insurers with specialty expertise in workers compensation, private client solutions, energy, healthcare, fine art, equine, jewelry, professional liability, and numerous specialty programs. The company owns and operates the MarketScout Exchange as well as more than 40 other online and traditional underwriting and distribution venues.
It has been a long-standing ambition of our business to build an on-the-ground capability in the US, recognising K2 is a well-established US domiciled business already, said Richard Coello, co-founder and managing director of K2 Financial. While our operation in the UK has seen remarkable compound growth since 2014, attracting an enviable client base worldwide through our valued London broker partners, it has become clear there is a huge amount of business we simply do not (and would not) see without some US infrastructure. To this end, it makes absolute sense to create a product offering that is accessible to customers and brokers directly in the US.
Ransomware threat actors have their leak sites where they post who their victims are, and because thats become such a prevalent practice, were able to analyze that leak site data and look at the trends over time for victims over time, Winchester said. That went up quite a bit in in March, and it stayed pretty high in April and has gone back up in May a bit as well.
Daniel Feigenbaum, the CEO of London Underwriters, joins Insurance Business TV to discuss his firm recently being named among this year's five-star wholesale brokerages and MGAs. He explains what sets the company apart, its strategic agenda and the secret to a strong culture amid rapid growth.
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A package reshipping company targeted in a theft scheme by a former Delaware State Police trooper has filed a lawsuit against him and the police agency.

TotalTransLogistics LLC said in a complaint filed this week in Superior Court that it is seeking to recover damages for harm caused by Jamal Merrell while he was employed as a trooper. The company also said the state police agency was liable because of wanton and grossly negligent failure to supervise Merrell.

Merrell was sentenced in January to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law. The offense involved Merrell using his law enforcement position to deprive someone else of a right or privilege.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons website indicates Merrell, 33, was released from custody on June 16.

According to federal court documents, Merrell stole various electronic items while on duty from TotalTransLogistics, an international reshipping company in New Castle, under the ruse of conducting a criminal investigation. Merrell then sold the stolen items, sometimes while in uniform and from his DSP patrol vehicle, according to prosecutors.

TotalTransLogisitics, or TTL, said it was greatly damaged by Merrells actions, including the theft and resale of various electronic goods. The company is suing him for trespass, conversion of goods in its possession, interference in contractual relations with customers, and interference with existing and future business opportunities. It accuses DSP of wanton or gross negligence in failing to supervise Merrell.

Representatives of the Delaware State Police and the attorney general`s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A phone number for Merrell could not be found.

Among other things, the company alleges that DSP had the ability to track Merrells patrol vehicle through GPS and computer-aided dispatch capabilities, but apparently failed to question why his vehicle was frequently at TTL when there was no investigative reason for him to be there.

Upon information and belief, to the extent that Merrell did not submit reports of his visits to TTL and did not log in evidence collected, the DSP was on notice that something was seriously wrong with DSPs supervision of Merrell, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also asserts that Merrell brazenly sold stolen items from his patrol car while in uniform.

Merrells actions were so open and notorious that the DSP knew or should have known that Merrell was engaged in criminal activities, according to the complaint, which also claims that personnel and internal affairs records likely contain information revealing his problematic behavior.

According to federal court records, law enforcement officials began an investigation in 2021 after a TTL official and his attorney went to the FBI to report suspicious incidents over several months. TTL specializes in shipping packages to the country of Georgia. According to an FBI affidavit, the businessman lives in Georgia but traveled to the U.S. after learning of the incidents.

FBI and state police investigators interviewed Merrell at his home in July 2021 and seized an iPhone, fearing that he would delete evidence from it after he refused to consent to a search.

According to the lawsuit, the thefts began after Merrell, in June 2020, legitimately followed up on a complaint that a package was at TTL as part of a potential online scam. According to the lawsuit, Merrell closed his investigation and did not forward it to his supervisors for follow-up.

Thereafter, Merrell began returning to TTL in uniform and in his police vehicle on a regular basis, the complaint states.

According to federal court records, employees reported that Merrell had visited the company at least 10 times beginning in February 2021, when he told employees he was conducting an investigation and would need to inspect packages at the warehouse. He also insisted that he be left alone when conducting the inspections, according to the affidavit.

Employees reported that Merrell could be seen on surveillance footage removing items from large containers, putting them in a cart, then moving the cart to an area outside video surveillance coverage and near an exterior door.

A company official reported that he had received more than $20,000 in claims from customers for items missing from shipments or never delivered.

After learning he might be the subject of an investigation, Merrell delivered several items to a police facility in Newark, leaving them at the sally port instead of in the evidence locker. He also left an inventory of items he had seized, including laptop computers, cellphones and other items in their original packaging, according to investigators.

Asked whether he had sold any items he took, Merrell told investigators that a company employee told him that one section of the warehouse had been designated for trash. Merrell told investigators he had taken about 100 iPhones from that area and sold them through Facebook.

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Topics Lawsuits Fraud
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A judge Friday ordered New York City to temporarily delay new minimum pay standards for app-based food delivery workers, a day after being sued by Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.

City officials recently announced plans to substantially increase earnings for those workers in the coming years to provide them with more financial stability. The law was set to take effect July 12 with an initial increased pay rate of $17. 96 an hour.

But food delivery services DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber, along with New York-based Relay Delivery, sued Thursday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. The companies claimed the city`s rule-making process was flawed and that higher costs would be passed along to consumers.

Judge Nicholas Moyne on Friday ordered a temporary delay on enacting the new standard pending a hearing on July 31.

The food delivery giants praised the order.

We are pleased with the judges decision today to delay implementation of a rule that, if allowed to stand, will have serious adverse consequences for delivery partners, consumers and independent businesses, Grubhub said in a prepared statement.

DoorDash said in a statement that the company hoped the decision puts us on the path towards the city establishing a more reasonable earnings standard that reflects how these platforms are used by New Yorkers.

An Uber spokesperson said the company wants to work with the city and others to figure out a minimum pay rule that doesnt have devastating consequences for couriers, consumers and restaurants.

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga said she was extremely disappointed with the delay.

These apps currently pay workers far below the minimum wage, and this pay rate would help lift thousands of working New Yorkers and their families out of poverty, she said in a statement. We look forward to a quick decision so that the dignified pay rate that workers deserve to earn is not delayed any more than necessary.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation New York Personal Auto
UniCredit said on Friday it was ending a non-life insurance venture with UnipolSAI as it strengthened its relationship with Germanys Allianz, a top shareholder and insurance partner.

UniCredit said it would buy the 51% stake the Italian insurer owned in their local joint-venture Incontra, and then sell 50% of Incontra to Allianz, thereby replacing UnipolSAI with Allianz as a partner.

Taking over at UniCredit after the bank underwent years of restructuring, Chief Executive Andrea Orcel has been working to build new sources of revenue. He wants in particular to increase the weight of fees, such as those banks earn on the sale of insurance products.

Though UniCredit and Allianz will each own half of Incontra, the German insurer will have control thanks to shareholder agreements, UniCredit said in a note.

The bank said it expected to close the transaction by the end of the year with negligible impact on its capital base.

UniCredit and Allianz have partnered in bancassurance since 1996. In January 2022 they announced a framework agreement that strengthened their ties in Italy, Germany and central and eastern Europe.

At that time Allianz and UniCredit extended their partnership in Italy to 2027 under a deal that gives the bank the option to bring the insurance business in house from next year. Orcel has said that whether it does so will depend on the regulatory backdrop.

This new agreement is fully coherent with the 2022 arrangements between UniCredit and Allianz, the bank said, adding that it simplified the set-up and added flexibility.

Allianz is UniCredits second biggest shareholder with a 3.6% stake.

Earlier this year Allianz openly backed UniCredits new pay policy, which entails a 30% pay rise for Orcel and top executives if they outperform targets, though some funds managed by Allianz voted against the policy.

(Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Gavin Jones)

Photo credit: Allianz.com
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) __ A second company involved in meat processing has agreed to reform its hiring practices after investigators recently discovered teenagers working there.

The Labor Department said Friday that Monogram Foods will pay a more than $30, 000 fine as part of an agreement reached after a 16-year-old and 17-year-old were found to be working at the Memphis, Tennessee-based company`s Chandler, Minnesota, plant. Officials also ordered the company not to ship any products produced while the teens were employed at the plant that makes a variety of meat snacks, but normal operations resumed once they were fired.

Earlier this year, a separate investigation found more than 100 kids working overnight for a company that cleans slaughterhouses, handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws. Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, agreed earlier this year to pay a $1.5 million fine and update its hiring practices after investigators confirmed at least 102 kids were working for the company at 13 meat processing plants nationwide.

The Labor Department said it would focus on the problem in response to that PSSI investigation and a nationwide 69% increase in the number of children found to be employed illegally across all industries since 2018. The Biden administration also urged all meat processing companies to make sure children aren`t being hired to do dangerous work at their plants.

The Department of Labor and the Biden-Harris administration see child labor as a scourge in this country and will not tolerate violations of child labor laws, Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said.

Monogram Foods said in a statement that the investigation found only two out of more than 400 workers at the plant were underage and that it appears they used falsified documents to get hired. An audit didn`t find any other juveniles working at Monogram`s 12 other plants in Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Our company does not want, and has a zero-tolerance policy for, ineligible underage labor and we have fully cooperated with this process, Monogram Foods said. We take our legal obligations and our longstanding commitment to compliance very seriously, and immediately terminated the two ineligible workers. 

The company that employs about 4,000 people nationwide produces a variety of private label meat snacks, appetizers, sandwiches, corn dogs and other convenience products. It is owned by private equity firm Pritzker Private Capital.

Monogram agreed to hire a consultant to review its hiring practices, recommend any needed changes and monitor compliance with labor laws at all the company`s plants over the next two years. The company said it also tightened up its hiring practices and will train managers to help them spot any possible underage workers.

Monogram said it will also set up a hotline where employees can anonymously report any concerns about labor law violations.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Talent Minnesota
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  The Republican attorney general of Kansas sued Friday to block transgender residents from changing their sex on their driver`s licenses and to rebuke the Democratic governor for defying his interpretation of a new law.

Attorney General Kris Kobach went to a state court in hopes of getting an order to stop Gov. Laura Kelly and agencies under her control to stop allowing the changes to transgender people`s licenses. Kobach contends a law that took effect Saturday prevents such changes and requires the state to reverse any previous changes in its records, including about 1,300 made over the past four years.

But Kelly`s office announced last week that the state health department, which handles birth certificates, and the motor vehicle division, which issues driver`s licenses, will continue allowing transgender people to change the markers for sex on those documents. Her office said lawyers in her administration had concluded that doing so doesn`t violate the new law. Kelly is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and vetoed the measure, but the Republican- controlled Legislature overrode her.

In response to that announcement, Kobach said, She is violating her oath of office to uphold Kansas law.

The lawsuit filed Friday names as defendants two officials who oversee drivers licenses. Part of the lawsuit reads: The Governor cannot pick and choose which laws she will enforce and which laws she will ignore.

His lawsuit seeks to force the governor to enforce the law as he sees it but did not request to stop changes to birth certificates. The rationale for restricting the lawsuit to drivers licenses wasnt immediately clear, nor was it clear how quickly the district court in Shawnee County, home to the state capital, Topeka, would deal with the case. Judges have the option of sending the lawsuit to a trial court to do fact-finding, which could delay a resolution for months.

The new Kansas law was among a raft of measures rolling back transgender rights enacted this year in statehouses across the U.S. But only a few states do not allow transgender people to change their birth certificates. Federal judges last month upheld policies in Oklahoma and Tennessee, and a no-changes rule in Montana is expected to face a legal challenge.

Kelly won her first term as governor in 2018 by defeating Kobach, then the Kansas secretary of state. He staged a political comeback last year by winning the attorney general`s race as she captured a second term, both of them by slim margins.

The governor`s statements about the new law are at odds with descriptions from LGBTQ+ rights advocates before the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted it over Kelly`s veto. The advocates predicted that it would prevent transgender people from changing their driver`s licenses and amounted to a legal erasure of their identities, something Kobach confirmed as the intent when he issued his legal opinion.

For me to go into a bathroom and not have a marker that represents who I am, I was terrified. I was afraid I was going to get accosted or harassed, said Ty Goeke, a 37-year-old transgender Topeka resident who changed both his birth certificate and driver`s license last month.

Goeke participated in a transgender rights rally last week with his wife, Mallory, who carried a sign made from a toilet seat, calling for the new law to be flushed. Ty Goeke said he sobbed with joy in a state health department office when he changed his birth certificate.

Now that I have the correct marker, I feel much better, feel more confident, he said. I feel at ease with myself.

The legal wrangling is complicated by a federal lawsuit filed in 2018 against Kansas health department officials by four transgender residents over a previous no-changes policy on birth certificates imposed under a Republican governor. That policy also hindered changes in driver`s licenses.

Kelly settled the federal lawsuit months after taking office in January 2019, and a federal judge issued an order to enforce the settlement that requires the state to allow birth certificate changes. The order remains in effect.

Kobach has asked the federal judge to rescind his order but argues that the new state law supersedes it. Others disagree.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Personal Auto Kansas
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Elon Musk sued the law firm that led the court fight to make him complete his takeover of Twitter, saying it took advantage of the company while running up a $90 million bill.

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, among the most profitable firms in the US, exploited a brief, vulnerable period just as Musk was closing the $44 billion deal, according to a complaint filed in San Francisco state court by Musks X Corp., now the parent of Twitter.

Twitter had agreed to pay Wachtell lawyers on an hourly basis to enforce Musks agreement to buy the company when he tried to back out, but the firm violated its ethical duties as well as California law in the final days of its four-month representation when it solicited gargantuan bonus fees, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit is something of a role reversal for Musk, who is a defendant in numerous suits alleging that Twitter under his leadership allowed millions in unpaid expenses to pile up from former employees, vendors and landlords while purportedly trying to keep the company financially solvent.

Representatives of Wachtell, including William Savitt, who played a lead role in last years Delaware Chancery Court fight, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Twitters legal battle with Musk engaged dozens of lawyers on both sides for months, some charging upwards of $1,000 an hour  leading Columbia University law professor John Coffee to speculate that total legal fees could have exceeded $1 billion if the case had gone to trial.

X Corp. claims that by arranging to bill Twitter its hourly rates instead of taking the case on a contingency basis, Wachtell undertook absolutely no risk in obtaining its mammoth success fee. Moreover, the companys agreement with the law firm does not even specify the amount of the success fee, let alone any formula or percentage used to arrive at that figure, according to the complaint.

The suit also faults lame duck executives at the social media platform went on a legal spending spree before Musk took control.

Fully aware that nobody with an economic interest in Twitters financial well-being was minding the store, Wachtell arranged to effectively line its pockets with funds from the company cash register while the keys were being handed over to the Musk Parties, according to the complaint.

The case is X Corp. v. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, CGC-23-607461, California Superior Court (San Francisco).

Photo: Elon Musk, billionaire and chief executive officer of Tesla, at the Viva Tech fair in Paris on June 16. (Bloomberg)

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.

Topics Claims Twitter
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U.S. union workers are finding more solid footing during contract negotiations with employers as a tight labor market allows employees to flex more bargaining power.

Airline pilots, railroad employees, dockworkers, and others have pushed for higher pay and better benefits, rebuffing offers from companies that in some contracts appeared significant.

The latest heated negotiations are taking place between parcel delivery giant United Parcel Service and the Teamsters Union. The two on Wednesday accused each other of walking away from negotiations over a new contract.

WHAT ARE UNIONS LOOKING FOR IN TALKS WITH BIG COMPANIES?

Tired of stagnant pay, high healthcare costs, scant sick time and uncertain scheduling, American union workers are seeking higher wages, better work-life balance and job upgrades as the pandemic made many of them rethink their priorities.

Late last year, U.S. freight railroad workers rejected a five-year contract that included a 24% wage increase, citing a lack of paid sick leave. Workers were angry after the deal was imposed by Congress and President Joe Biden. Unions later reached separate sick-pay agreements.

In January, factory workers at CNH Industrial agreed to a contract that offered wage increases and higher shift premium and other improvements.

WHY ARE U.S. UNIONS GROWING IN POWER?

Union workers are having a moment due to declining unemployment rates and a lack of skilled workforce, prompting companies to dish out better pay packages and benefits to prevent employees from leaving for greener pastures.

Companies in many industries are finding employees downright impossible to replace, particularly with the jobless rate just off 50-year lows.

Employees have been emboldened by a series of related events: soaring company profits, a renewed respect for essential workers and rekindled political will in Washington for labor unions.

WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE UPCOMING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS?

The United Auto Workers (UAW) national contracts with Detroit automakers Stellantis, General Motors Co, and Ford Motor Co are set to expire on Sept. 14.

Union leaders are ratcheting up pressure on the automakers for substantial changes to the current master contracts. The union wants an end to the current two-tier wage system under which new hires at the Detroit Three earn 25% less than UAW workers with five or more years on the job.

Among U.S. airlines, Southwest Airlines LUV.N is yet to reach an agreement with its pilots union. Members of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association have voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance
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An ongoing investigation by North Carolina`s Department of Labor found that a large crack in the support column of a towering roller coaster had been visible for at least a week before the amusement park shut it down for repairs.

It looks like maybe six to 10 days prior, some pictures had been taken that shows the beginning of the crack, and then by obviously last Friday, the thing was completely severed, Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson said Friday, July 7, in an interview with The Associated Press.

Charlotte-based Carowinds amusement park came under investigation this week after a video surfaced online of an operational roller coaster with a large crack in one of its columns. The footage of Fury 325, known as a giga coaster due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters), showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers barreled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph).

Carowinds, which straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina line, has announced plans to repair the ride and says it will implement additional inspection procedures. A park spokesperson did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment on the commissioner`s observations.

The park`s maintenance team and the ride manufacturer, Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, determined this week that a fracture had formed along a weld line in one of the steel support columns. It plans to remove and replace the column and expects a new one  engineered by the same manufacturer  to be delivered to the park next week.

Park staff had closed Fury 325 late last week after a visitor pointed out the sizable crack. Investigators from the North Carolina Department of Labor were on site Monday and Wednesday as the park`s other attractions remained open. The department has not yet released the findings of its investigation.

Dobson, a Republican, said he is very pleased with Carowinds` efforts to repair the crack and improve its routine inspection process. But his department is still looking into how the crack occurred and why the ride remained open as long as it did.

The Department of Labor`s Amusement Device Bureau had conducted its annual inspection of Fury 325 in February and only found a few signage issues, which Dobson said the park quickly corrected.

After Carowinds installs the new support column, it plans to conduct accelerometer tests, which use sensors to measure the vibration of a structure. The parks says it will then operate the ride for 500 full cycles while running various tests on the entire coaster. The manufacturer and a third-party testing firm will then perform a final inspection.

While we regularly inspect the coaster, we are planning to implement additional inspection procedures to ensure we are making every effort to promptly identify and address future potential issues, the park said in a statement. The new procedures, it said, will include the regular use of drones outfitted with cameras to inspect hard-to-reach places.

A date has not been set for the rides reopening.

We`re going to take as long as it takes, Dobson said. And until we`re 100% comfortable issuing that new certificate of operation, we will not do so.

Photo: The Fury 325 coaster, shot July 3. The crack does not appear to be visible in this photo. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

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Topics North Carolina
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For decades, the whiskey and bourbon makers of Tennessee and Kentucky have been beloved in their communities. The distilleries where the liquor is manufactured and barrelhouses where it is aged have complemented the rural character of their neighborhoods, while providing jobs and the pride of a successful homegrown industry.

Now, the growing popularity of the industry around the world is fueling conflicts at home.

In Kentucky, where 95% of the worlds bourbon is manufactured, counties are revolting after the legislature voted to phase out a barrel tax they have depended on to fund schools, roads and utilities. Local officials who donated land and spent millions on infrastructure to help bourbon makers now say those investments may never be recouped.

Neighbors in both states have been fighting industry expansion, even suing distillers. Complaints include a destructive black whiskey fungus, the loss of prime farmland and liquor-themed tourist developments that are more Disneyland than distillery tour.

The love affair, it seems, is over.

Weve been their biggest advocates and they threw us under the bus, said Jerry Summers, a former executive with Jim Beam and the judge-executive for Bullitt County, essentially the county mayor.

Bullitt County has long depended on an annual barrel tax on aging whiskey, which brought in $3.8 million in 2021, Summers said. The majority goes to schools but the money also is used for services that support the countys Jim Beam and Four Roses plants, including a full-time fire department.

Many of the new barrelhouses are being built with industrial revenue bonds exempting them from property taxes for years or decades. The counties supported the property tax breaks because they expected to continue collecting the barrel tax. When the state legislature voted to phase it out earlier this year, after intense lobbying by the Kentucky Distillers Association, county officials felt betrayed.

Our industry was always a handshake agreement, Summers said. Now, those agreements are being broken.

Once the barrel tax sunsets in 2043, the distillers will pay no taxes at all to Bullitt on some warehouses. The county will still have to provide them with services, protect them and protect the surrounding community from them if anything goes wrong, Summers said.

Where you have an alcohol-based plant that produces a hazardous material, you need emergency management, EMS, a sheriffs department, he said.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who signed the bill after passage by Kentucky`s Republican-controlled legislature, said several industry compromises were vital to his support, while the bill will encourage investment.

I know it was tough. You had an industry that supports so many jobs and calls Kentucky home. At the same time, you`ve got communities that have helped build that industry. I know there are, right now, probably some difficult feelings, Beshear said in a news conference.

Kentucky Distillers Association President Eric Gregory noted the compromise bill creates a new excise tax to help fund school districts. Another tax helps fire and emergency management services, though it does not apply in all counties.

Even with this relief, distilling remains Kentuckys highest taxed industry, paying $286 million in taxes each year, Gregory said in an email.

While the tax changes take place, whiskey is booming.

As a former Beam executive, Summers remembers a time when whiskey was a cheap, bottom shelf drink. With small batch products, the liquor slowly became cool. American whiskey revenues since 2003 have nearly quadrupled, reaching $5.1 billion last year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. During the same period, the super premium segment rose more than 20-fold to $1.3 billion.

Now many of the most recognized brands are part of international beverage conglomerates. Jim Beam is owned by Japan-based Beam Suntory. Britains Diageo owns Bulleit. Italys Campari Group owns Wild Turkey.

In lobbying for the end of the tax, the distillers group suggested the industry could leave Kentucky. Officials like Summers are calling that a bluff. He said Bullitt County does not want any new barrelhouses unless things change, and he is not alone.

Nelson County, home to Heaven Hill, Log Still and other Kentucky communities involved with the industry, recently approved a moratorium on new bourbon warehouse construction while the county updates zoning and permitting rules. Soon, any new projects will be required to seek citizen input and zoning board approval, Judge Executive Timothy Hutchins said.

That got their attention, lets put it that way, Hutchins said. Now, were trying to kiss and make up.

The county gets about $8.6 million a year from the barrel tax, he said.

In Tennessees Lincoln County, Jack Daniels recently was slapped with a stop- work order after neighbors sued over a huge unpermitted expansion. Since 2018, the company has built six 86,000-square-foot (7,989-square-meter) warehouses holding 66,000 barrels each on a 120-acre (48-hectare) property, according to the lawsuit.

Jack Daniels has since retroactively received the proper approvals, but neighbors say their biggest complaint has not been addressed: A black fungus that feeds on the ethanol emitted as whiskey ages.

The whiskey fungus has been been a nuisance around liquor facilities for centuries, but the size and scope of the new barrelhouse complexes means much more ethanol is being released in a concentrated area. The fungus covers nearby homes and cars in a sooty black film, choking trees and shrubs.

When Pam Butler moved to Lincoln County 30 years ago, there were only two barrelhouses nearby, and she had no issues.

I had a white car and it stayed white. I had a white horse trailer and it stayed white. Then about five years ago, everything started looking grungy, Butler said.

Butler owns a small farm where she keeps horses adjacent to the Jack Daniels property. She said her pasture land is not thriving as it should, many of her trees are dying and she has developed asthma. She doesnt know whether her illness is related to the fungus, but said she only started having symptoms in the past few years.

Butler and several other neighbors want Jack Daniels to capture its ethanol emissions instead of releasing them into the neighborhood. The company would not comment on the fungus but spokesman Svend Jansen provided a statement saying it will continue to work hard to be a good partner to all members of our community. 

We recognize that there have been, at times, a small number of people who do not appreciate or value the growth of Tennessee Whiskey production in the areas where we operate, the statement said.

Back in Kentucky, famed author and agriculturalist Wendell Berry has another concern: local food security and the destruction of prime agricultural land.

Ive been working, going on 30 years, to develop a regional food economy for Louisville, Berry said.

Cities like Louisville and Nashville are surrounded by fertile land that is well watered, but they are importing much of their food from Californias Central Valley, he said. Ive spent my life arguing that this land is going to be needed by people who want something to eat.

Berry recently lost a fight with distiller Angels Envy in Louisville over the development of a 1,200-acre (485-hectare) property adjacent to the farm where he grew up. Henry County approved the company`s plans for a bourbon tourism complex there, complete with cabins, an amphitheater and a helipad.

Angels Envy declined to comment.

Fred Minnick, who has written books on bourbon and judges world whiskey competitions, said it is an interesting time for the industry because bourbon has never been this popular.

Bourbon was the good guy. Bourbon was loved by the state, he said of Kentucky. It will be fascinating to see if bourbon remains a hero.

Top photo: Landowners near the Jack Daniels expanding barrelhouse complex in Mulberry, Tennessee, have complained about the spread of the black growth known as whiskey fungus. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee Kentucky
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

Artificial Intelligence may be the key to more accurate and more timely hurricane predictions, China-based researchers have reported in the scientific journal Nature.

In two papers in the journal, the researchers, including scientists affiliated with the Chinese tech company Huawei, said that their AI method was an improvement over conventional, numerical weather prediction systems, known as NWP, now used by meteorologists around the world.

Trained on 39 years of global data, our program, Pangu-Weather, obtains stronger deterministic forecast results on reanalysis data in all tested variables when compared with the worlds best NWP system, Kaifeng Bi, Lingxi Xie and other researchers wrote.

NWP has been used for years and has improved, but is still considered slow and subject to approximations and inaccuracies, the paper noted. The AI approach also needs improving but holds great potential. AI will likely be integrated with traditional forecast methods to produce hybrid models, Lingxi Xie told The Daily Beast news outlet.

The researchers used a three-dimensional model, along with four decades of weather data and reanalysis to train neural networks to predict storm behavior and weather patterns, the Nature paper explained.

If proven to be successful, its possible that the AI system could assist in predicting last-minute movements in some hurricanes, which other studies have suggested are on the rise. Meteorologists and Florida officials were criticized last fall after Hurricane Ian took a sudden turn to the east after it was initially predicted to hit the Tampa area.

One of the Nature papers can be seen here. Two comments on the paper online questioned some of the methodology of the study.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters InsurTech Hurricane Data Driven Artificial Intelligence
Southern California Edison and two other companies have paid $22 million to settle U.S. government claims that they caused a 2016 wildfire that burned thousands of acres of national forest, it was announced.

The money covers damage from the Rey Fire as well as the costs of fighting the blaze, which was sparked by a fallen Edison power line, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

This settlement will compensate the public for the expense of fighting the Rey Fire and restoring these federal lands that are enjoyed by all Americans, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in a statement.

The companies agreed to pay without admitting wrongdoing or fault, according to the DOJ.

The Aug. 18, 2016, fire north of Santa Barbara burned more than 50 square miles of land, much of it in Los Padres National Forest.

The government said the fire began when a tree fell onto Edison power lines and communications lines owned by Frontier Communications. The government sued the two companies along with Utility Tree Service, a tree-trimming company that contracted with Edison, alleging that they knew of the danger and failed to maintain equipment or to take action to prevent it.

The parties later agreed to dismiss the suit and entered into a settlement, which was approved by the DOJ in May, with all of the money being received by this week, according to the department.

California utilities have been blamed for starting some of the state`s largest and deadliest wildfires in recent years through neglect of power lines and other equipment. That has prompted huge fines and settlement payments and even criminal charges.

In May, a judge dismissed all charges against Pacific Gas & Electric in connection to a 2020 fatal wildfire sparked by its equipment that destroyed hundreds of homes and killed four people, including an 8-year-old.

The utility also reached a $50 million settlement agreement with the Shasta County District Attorneys Office.

Last year, former PG&E executives and directors agreed to pay $117 million to settle a lawsuit over devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfires sparked by the utilitys equipment.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Claims Wildfire
MedoSync, a company set up to automate medical claims to free up capacity across the healthcare system, has raised 1.1m in the first part of a funding round.

The funding will be partly used to target healthcare providers, clinicians, and insurers in European markets. A primary target for the company is the 400bn German healthcare market.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is looking to raise 12bn to invest in renewable energy, making it among the biggest ever funds dedicated to the transition away from fossil fuels.

The Danish fund manager reached its first close of 5.6bn and already has investors lined up to more than double that amount within the next 12 months, managing partner Jakob Baruel Poulsen said in an interview.

It is a significant boost for the renewable power sector that needs an exponential increase in capital to hit climate goals, just as rising interest rates threaten returns.

Along with Statkraft, CIP is developing an Irish Sea wind project as part of the North Irish Sea Array.

Every time we create a new fund, it doubles in size, Mr Baruel Poulsen said. The main purpose of the fund is to make a good return.

The nice side benefit is we have a material contribution to fighting the climate problem, which is one of the biggest problems we human beings have ever faced.

Record investment in renewables is set to grow further as governments seek to reduce dependence on climate-warming hydrocarbons.

CIP sees an improving case to spend more on renewables as green energy becomes increasingly cost competitive with fossil fuels, governments bolster support for development and power prices rise.

Ive now been in this business for 25 years and its very clear that the renewable energy market has never been more attractive than it is now, Mr Baruel Poulsen said.

The fund is the fifth of its kind raised by CIP since it was founded in 2012. When fully subscribed, it will be significantly larger than its predecessor, which started with 1.5bn and expanded to 7bn during the fund-raising process.

CIPs flagship funds only invest in renewable power assets that the firm develops.

That distinguishes it from other giant green investment funds  such as those from Brookfield Asset Management  which buy up already constructed projects and include a wider scope of technologies including nuclear power.

Mr Baruel Poulsen started CIP with three partners after helping to build the offshore wind business at what is now Orsted, the firm uses the business model they honed at the Danish utility.

CIPs investments include the first commercial-scale wind farm off the coast of the US, one of the largest wind farms in Spain and a growing pipeline of offshore wind projects from Taiwan and California to the Irish Sea.

The fund is targeting 10% to 12% annual returns, according to Mr Baruel Poulsen. The healthy outlook for investment comes as oil majors including Shell and BP retreat from aggressive pushes into renewable power, particularly offshore wind, because their executives say the returns are too low.

Bloomberg. Additional reporting Irish Examiner
European citizens are being asked to have their say on a number of proposed themes for new euro banknotes by the European Central Bank.

Beginning today and running until the 31st of August, all citizens of Eurozone countries can respond to a survey on the ECB's website and express their preferences on a number of shortlisted themes.

The new banknotes are being introduced in response to advancing reproduction technologies and aim to prevent both counterfeits and the environmental impact of printing cash.

There are seven options to consider, including; European culture, European values mirrored in nature, Hands: together we build Europe, The future is yours, Birds: free resilient, inspiring, Rivers: the waters of life in Europe and Our Europe, ourselves.

There is a strong link between our single currency and our shared European identity, and our new series of banknotes should emphasise this," said President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde.

Inviting all euro area citizens to participate in the survey, she continued, "We want Europeans to identify with the design of euro banknotes, which is why they will play an active role in selecting the new theme.

We want you to have a say in what your #FutureBanknotes will look like. Take part in our survey and share your views on the shortlisted themes https://t.co/qWDVgBiUrp pic.twitter.com/0kC3is6jkE  Christine Lagarde (@Lagarde) July 10, 2023

We are working on a new series of high-tech banknotes with a view to preventing counterfeiting and reducing environmental impact, said Executive Board member Fabio Panetta. We are committed to cash and to ensuring that paying with public money is always an option.

The survey outcomes will be used by the ECB to select the theme for the next generation of banknotes by 2024. After that, a design competition will take place in which European citizens will again have the chance to express their preferences on the design options resulting from that competition. The ECB is then expected to issue the final designs by 2026.
"Animal welfare issues at marts" and "breaches of regulations on the transport of animals in mainland Europe" have been exposed in a documentary to be aired on Monday night.

RTE Investigates has followed the export journey of bull calves born in Ireland and destined for other markets, uncovering the alleged ill-treatment of these animals, with footage of calves being kicked, thrown, pulled around in marts and during the export process.

The documentary - 'Milking It: Dairy's Dirty Secret' is to be broadcast on Monday night on RTE One, and follows the journey of male calves from dairy herds during the live export process, "from the farm to the mart, from the mart to the truck, on the ferry, to a transfer facility in France, and on the journey across the continent to veal farms in Poland, Spain, and France".

Around 200,000 dairy bull calves are exported each year from Ireland.

The removal of milk quotas in 2015 saw the dairy industry grow massively in Ireland, with a large increase in dairy cows, thus an increase in calves being born.

Male and female calves born on dairy farms can meet a different fate.

While heifers may stay on the farm, many of those live exported from Ireland for veal or sold for very little through the marts are usually dairy bull calves, which are seen by some as the unwanted by-product of the dairy industry, of lower value as they do not produce milk and not worthwhile economically for farmers to fatten for beef.

In Monday's documentary, RTE's Fran McNulty said that the team carried out undercover filming throughout a 61-hour journey of calves being live exported from Co Wicklow - with "calves bawling" during sea transport as they "cannot be fed aboard the ship" leading to over "21 hours without milk" for the hundreds of young animals aboard.

The show will also show what happened to the calves upon arrival in France where the truck full of calves leaves the ferry, with "breaches" of EU regulations "on animal feed and rest times exposed", RTE said, with "no checks of animals" made by the driver of the truck on the "tired and weary" calves as they were brought to a veal farm in Spain.

'Swift' investigation urged

The IFA has said that an investigation that is "swift, thorough, and robust" must be carried out "into incidents of mistreatment of animals at marts and during transport" uncovered in the documentary.

"IFA and our farmer members have a zero tolerance approach to the mistreatment of animals," the association said in a statement on Monday.

"Sales at public auction and the transport of animals are governed by regulations and these must be adhered to.

"Anybody who has evidence of wrongdoing should bring it to the attention of the authorities immediately."

The IFA added that it was not asked to contribute to the RTE Investigates programme so we have not been shown the footage obtained by RTE, and will not make further comment until the programme airs.

Record calf slaughterings

Issues around the fate of dairy bull calves were under the spotlight earlier this year during the spring calving season when a record number of category V calves were slaughtered in Irish factories.

Category V calves are those slaughtered from the day of birth until the day they reach the age of eight months.

In the week ending March 5, there were a record 4,546 of these calves slaughtered.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett had described the figure as "unacceptable".

"The dairy sector must take responsibility for its unwanted calves," Ms Hackett said.

"This has a detrimental impact, not only on the animals, but on the public perception of farming."

The IFA has said that dairy farmers must be of the view that the dairy calves born from their herd are their responsibility, whether they are heifer calves they will retain as replacements, or male and female calves which will be fattened on or off the farm or exported.

End to slaughtering of young dairy bull calves

The Calf Stakeholder Forum is working to encourage the further development of outlets for calves from the dairy herd, by improving the viability of dairy calf-to-beef systems, for example.

The forum is also working on bringing an end from next year the slaughtering of young dairy bull calves.

"The IFA and our dairy committee has clearly stated that every farmer has to take responsibility for all the animals born on their farm, Mr Maher previously told the Irish Examiner.

"The development of sexed semen has certainly been an advance in trying to reduce the number of animals that are available for sale of this type at the wrong time of year.

"The real problem here is not so much the numbers, its the time of the year theyre all born together. Because farmers have got so good at their job, in concentrating the calving period in that four to six-week period, the supply is just so strong at that point in time it does cause difficulties.

"Theres no doubt the labour availability on farms is certainly putting huge pressure on farmers in accessing some labour to assist them with the four to six weeks busy period of which that calf rearing period fits into."
Talks of further cuts to beef prices are "deeply troubling" given what farmers are currently paying to produce beef, a farm organisation has said.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association beef chairman Edmund Graham said that it appears that factories "remain hell-bent on getting prices down - whether market indications show a need for that or not".

"It is astonishing that meat processors are still attempting to ignore what it is actually costing our farmers to produce beef," Mr Graham said.

"Feedstuffs are almost as dear as they were last year and none of our other input costs have reduced in any meaningful manner.

"At the same time, many beef farmers are trying to adjust to significantly reduced basic payments."

Farmers are operating with higher costs and lower supports, and are "already losing 300 per head on stores purchased in the spring", Mr Graham warned.

He has urged all farmers to "push hard" for prices in the coming weeks.

'Beyond any rational explanation'

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association livestock chairman Des Morrison said that Irish beef prices have "fallen steadily" since mid-May, "while the almost exactly similar market in the UK has seen their prices climb steadily over the same period" according to Bord Bia figures.

Mr Morrison said that it is "beyond any kind of rational explanation" to see such price differences.

Irish Farmers' Association livestock chairman Brendan Golden said that improving market conditions and tightening of supplies in Ireland must be reflected in prices to farmers.

He said beef farmers have been operating "well below" the breakeven price projected by Teagasc for the year to date, losing over 100m for the first six months of the year, "a situation compounded by the cuts of over 30c per kg in the past month to beef prices by factories".

Based on Bord Bia supply projections for the year, Mr Golden said that the country is facing into "at least 30,000 less finished cattle over the coming months".

As live exports of finished and forward store cattle to Northern Ireland increase, this figure could be higher as the year progresses, the IFA said.
Farmers in Co Cork are being urged to join Bord Bia as part of their requirements in the new suckler scheme.

Over 1,500 suckler farmers in the county have applied to join the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).

The new 260m scheme targets bovine emissions through enhanced use of genetics, genomics, and performance metrics.

One of the eligibility conditions of the SCEP, as set by the Department of Agriculture, is that participants must also become certified members of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) by October 16, 2023.

However, approximately one-third of the SCEP applicants in Co Cork are not yet certified members of Bord Bia.

Speaking about this shortfall, Origin Green producer liaison and co-ordinator Damien Murray said that these herds will need to be certified before the October deadline in order to qualify for SCEP.

"This means the farmer needs to have applied to join SBLAS, undergone the audit, and achieved certification before that date," Mr Murray said.

"This process can take up to three months. Applicants to SCEP that have not yet made contact with Bord Bia need to act now, in order to register and arrange their audit as soon as possible."

Audit

In total, nearly 8,000 farmers or 40% of SCEP applicants are not currently certified to Bord Bia's SBLAS.

Bord Bia operates a helpdesk for farmers which will take applications, explain the requirements of the SBLAS, and help farmers prepare for the audit.

"The purpose of the audit is to monitor standards, not to penalise farmers," Mr Murray said.

"Most farmers are doing an awful lot of what is required for SBLAS already without realising it and have nothing to fear from a Bord Bia audit.

"The vast majority of farmers pass their audit without any issues being raised on the day."

During the audit, the farmer will be informed if any area does not comply with the requirements of the standard.

Any issues identified as non-conformances are explained by the auditor.

The farmer has a period of up to 28 days to provide evidence of corrective action to fix any non-conformances found and 'closeout' the audit.

This closeout approach means that a farmer will not fail on the day of audit if issues arise.
The Department of Agriculture has announced a public call for proposals to promote organic farming in Ireland.

With a doubling of numbers in the Organic Farming Scheme in the last 12 months, Minister of State Pippa Hackett said that the potential for further growth is "strong", and that it is "opportune that funding is allocated to projects that promote and explain the benefits of organics".

"Organic farming places an emphasis on the consideration and application of production methods that do not damage the environment, concern for animal welfare, and the production of high-quality agricultural products, as well as working with soils," Ms Hackett said.

"There are so many benefits for the farmer, the land, the environment, and those who consume the products. This call will help promote many of these benefits."

The call for the period 2023-2024 is open until July 28, and submissions can be made to the organic policy unit within the department.

New strategy

A new five-year national strategy for organics is to be developed.

The current National Organic Strategy was developed in 2019 and runs to 2025 and the new strategy will plan the development for the sector to 2030.

It will "reflect recent growth, focus on market development, current challenges, and future potential".

Ms Pippa Hackett said the Government had "already demonstrated that weve the highest level of ambition for the Irish organic sector".

"Weve put in place the biggest supports for organic farming in Ireland with a five-fold increase in the Organic Farming Scheme budget," Ms Hackett said.

"This has already led to a rapid expansion of the Irish organic sector with a doubling of organic farmers in the last 12 months.

"This growth will continue as we open the scheme again to new entrants," she added.

Ms Hackett said it was important now "that we maintain momentum and coordinate all links in the supply chain from farmer to retailer" into the new strategy to "further drive the development of the sector".

The Organic Forum, chaired by Padraig Brennan, has been tasked with developing the new strategy and presenting it to Government in quarter one of 2024.
Then I laid the floor

Triskel Christchurch, Cork, 15th July  30th September

Irish artist Brian Maguire collaborated with Robert Chase Heishman of Chicago and James Concagh of Sao Paolo, Brazil on this new exhibition at Triskel Christchurch, inspired by Concaghs in-laws efforts to build a favela house on the outskirts of Sao Paolo, one of the worlds most densely populated cities. The in-laws - Valdemar and Valderci  are from the Northeast of the country, and face discrimination as immigrants. Nonetheless, theyve soldiered on, adding to their new home brick by brick.

Summer Exhibition

Lavit Gallery, Cork, Until 29th July

The Lavit Gallerys annual summer showcase of painting, print, photography, sculpture and craft features work by Tom Climent, Ita Freeney, Tom Campbell and many others. The exhibition is presented as part of the gallerys 60th anniversary programme, which will also feature Into The Weave, a textiles exhibition, in August, and a group show by Maud Cotter, Eilis OConnell and Vivienne Roche in the autumn.

Tom Climent, Heaven sent, Oil & plaster on board, 2,800.

Rita Duffy, Persistent Illusion

Crawford Arts Gallery, Until 8th October

Belfast artist Rita Duffy has long been known for the political nature of her work, often inspired by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Her first solo exhibition at the Crawford includes three large-scale paintings that address urgent themes of planetary crisis and political chaos, along with a suite of satirical drawings, The Emperor has No Clothes, inspired by the Trump administration in America.

A detail from Epiphany, by Rita Duffy.

Detour: Selected works from the FRAC Bretagne collection

Glucksman Gallery, Cork, 28th July  4th November

The Frac Bretagne was founded in 1981 by the National Government and the Brittany Regional Council in western France to collect contemporary art. Detour presents a selection of work from the collection, including Gil J Wolmans cut-ups of maps of the city of Paris, designed to create disorientation; Raymond Hains photographs of signs in rural villages; Vera Molnars computer-generated renderings of the Saint-Victoire mountain range; and Charlotte Moths films of Parisian architecture.

Members and Friends Exhibition

Uillinn  West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co Cork, Until 20th July

A showcase of work from West Cork and beyond, Uillinns summer show includes Dee Pieters paintings in oil on canvas; Aisling Roches porcelain sculptures; Sarah Ruttles textiles; and many more.

Night Painting

Limerick City Gallery of Art, Until 20th August

The LCGAs summer exhibition features the work of three Limerick-based artists: Gerry Davis, Paddy Critchley and Stephen Murphy. Murphy was awarded the RCSI/Irish Times Award for his work in the Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition this year; Davis was awarded the Hennessy Portrait Prize in 2016; while Critchley won the De Veres Award for an Artwork of Significance at the RHA in 2021. The exhibitions title refers to the time of day each of the three is most likely to be found painting.

David Beattie, Future Light from Distant Stars

Visual Carlow, Until 31st December

David Beattie lectures in Art and Research Collaboration at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology. The focal point of his project at Visual Carlow is a large greenhouse which functions as a growing environment, a meeting place and a workshop space. In the coming months, Beattie will engage with the wider Carlow community to explore ideas of self-sufficiency, collective care and sustainable food production, and examine the potential for community, scientific and collaborative exchange to address the climate emergency.

Anne Collier, Eye

Lismore Castle Arts, Co Waterford, Until 29th October

The first exhibition in Ireland by the New York-based conceptual artist Anne Collier features images of eyes produced between 2007 and 2022. Some are the artists own work, such as the self-portraits Developing Tray #2 (Grey) and Cut, while others are sourced from photography manuals, advertisements, comic books, film stills and album sleeves. The project considers our emotional and psychological attachment to visual imagery, and photographys relationship with memory, melancholia and loss.

A view of Anne Collier's Woman Crying

Eamon Coleman, Twenty Eight Acres

Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, Until 30th July

Eamon Coleman, a Dublin-born artist long settled in Kilkenny, presents a series of new paintings on hand-made Momigani paper. The work is inspired by the artists walks in the Twenty Eight Acres, a site on the Castlecomer Plateaux in north Co Kilkenny where mining for iron ore, and later coal, began in the mid-17th century. The former slag heap is now a wildflower meadow.

David Mach, The Oligarchs Nightmare

Galway Arts Festival Gallery 17th  30th July

The British Turner Prize-nominated artist presents a new site-specific installation, specially commissioned by Galway Arts Festival. Machs previous exhibitions at GIAF included Precious Light in 2012, which featured the crucifixion sculpture, Golgotha; and Rocknroll in 2018, for which he placed a yacht, a car and a caravan within a monumental quantity of newspapers. The Oligarchs Nightmare promises to be just as memorable.

David Mach The Oligarchs Nightmare [Maquette]

It Took a Century: Women Artists and the RHA

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin Until 22nd October

A collaboration between the National Gallery and the Royal Hibernian Academy, this exhibition showcases womens involvement in the RHA, from the election of Sarah Purser as the first women member in 1923  a full 100 years into the institutions existence - to the appointment of Abigail OBrien as the first woman President in 2018. The exhibition combines an historic survey of the past century with a presentation of work by current woman members of the Academy.

Sarah Pierce, Scene of the Myth

Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Until 3rd September

Rike Frank and the Kunsthalle curate this exhibition by Sarah Pierce, who relocated to Dublin from the US in 2000. Pierces practice is nothing if not eclectic, including performances, videos, installations and archives, all produced over the past twenty years. One of her primary interests is community, which she explores in works such as No Title (2017), which focuses on dementia; Pathos of Distance (2015), which looks at the diaspora; and The Question Would Be The Answer To The Question, Are You Happy (2009-12), which takes translation as its subject.
Sitting down on a bench in Fitzgerald Park with co-founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, Mary Crilly, on a sunny morning, she explains the hectic weekend she has just had. She spent it in her native Dublin, at the Longitude music festival, no less.

Crilly wasnt there as an attendee though, instead she was there as part of the Safe Gigs initiative she founded. She tells of how her and the team put some 4,800 temporary tattoos of the Safe Gigs logo on youngsters, rolling up her sleeve to show she too got inked.

If I was told I could only do one festival a year, Id pick Longitude, she tells the Irish Examiner.

All day long. Being in the middle of 30,000 teenagers is where I belong. Theyre so honest and so upfront and theres not messing and not loads of drinking, and theres not hassle and they will come up and say, Whats this about?; and they talk about maybe being spiked or what happened to their friend.

Using the tattoos as a marketing technique was Crillys brainchild. You need something to draw them in, even if you just get them for that five seconds, she says, adding that the goal was to get festival-goers to follow Safe Gigs on Instagram to build more momentum.

Safe Gigs was born during the pandemic and was launched in August 2021 and aims to make nightlife a safer place for all. Having met a lot of people from the creative industry presenting at the centre, Crilly says she could see that a lot of people working in the arts could be isolated.

I felt a lot of them were working on their own and they didnt have the capacity to make a change, and sometimes its hard when youre in within an industry to make a change on your own.

While operating a council centre that sees over 500 people a year, and with other campaigns to keep moving, delving into an industry-specific support initiative would take a lot of work without the resources like a campaign officer or policy officer.

However, when covid hit  although the centre was working as normal with Zoom calls facilitating clients  it gave the team time to research nightlife safety in other countries. Couple that with the feeling that the nighttime economy was coming down the tracks, Crilly knew Safe Gigs would be needed.

Before she knew it, she was being asked to speak about the movement at a conference in Zurich and being asked to come to Electric Picnic, Longitude, and Indiependence, as well as smaller venues who reached out to the centre to attend their gigs.

Safe Gigs has set out a charter which asks that venues take a zero-tolerance approach to violence, plan for safe gigs, train its staff, believe and support victims and act on the abuse.

It covers all aspects of abuse  sexual violence, sexism, racism, homophobia, ableism, body shaming, and discrimination.

It is working with the Department of Justice to legislate the charter, meaning that if a pub, club or venue doesnt adhere to the charter, its licence can be called into question.

Mary Crilly says crowds at festivals are hungry for information, and meeting them gives her the opportunity to open dialogue on what young women are tolerating nowadays. She is concerned at some of the comments by young men today.

Did you hear what he said to me?, hes a right pain, this isnt acceptable, and they would say they hear that all the time, but they thought they had to take it because some girls would say it didnt bother them, she says.

And then you turn around and say, what should you decide what bothers you or not? Why should he be allowed get away with this?

Mary Crilly and Safe Gigs have been working at festivals such as Longitude, Indiependence and Electric Picnic, as well as small venues and events.

Where we meet, Fitzgerald Park, will play host to Joy in the Park (JITP), a one-day festival organised in association with Cork Mental Health Foundation which aims to promote minding our mental health and wellbeing.

Mary Crilly will be the moderator of a panel discussion at the Couch Sessions hosted by Minding Creative Minds (MCM). Entitled Broaden your horizon as a creative: Opening your mind to a broader career as a creative, it will feature RedFM presenter and comedian, Laura OMahony and poet, playwright, and performer, Stephen James Smith. Crilly is keen to point out that one of the best things about Safe Gigs was getting to know MCM, adding that the two organisations linked up over social media. She says:

I just found them so generous, so open, so supportive, so welcoming.

It was just a great fit because were doing quite similar things, but maybe for different parts of the population that come to events.

Crilly moderated at a Creative Careers Summit held in Dublin by MCM in May, and she found it reassuring that the organisation was acknowledging that sexual violence can happen in the creative industry as much as any other workplace.

Having seen how Crilly can interact with people at the summit, it was fitting to invite her to the panel.

She aims to highlight the invaluable work of MCM, as those in the creative sphere are so isolated because musicians, artists, writers and other are often working on their own, unlike those working, say, in an office or retail setting.

Dave Reid, CEO of MCM, says that with 10% of its service users coming from Cork, it is delighted to be heading back to JITP, and to be working with Crilly once again.

Weve worked with Mary Crilly and Safe Gigs for the last year, so we know her from being involved in various festivals and being involved in mental health, Reid explains, adding, shes doing great work in what she does  just trying to promote a safe environment in live events.

As well as promoting mental health, Reid is keen to point out that MCM also covers other areas. There is a mentoring programme, as well as financial or legal advice services, across a range of jobs  including musicians, visual artists, actors, performers, circus acts, comedians, writers, journalists, managers, promoters, bookers, and production workers.

Following a video campaign with a voiceover by Colin Farrell, some 400 people contacted the MCM services between January and March this year, double that of last year.

With such demand, MCM will be looking at different goals down the line including launching free art/music/drama therapy, taking on more staff, and building an app.

Joy in the Park is in its second year and will take place on July 23 at Fitzgerald Park, Cork.

Reid is keen to point out an important aspect of the body. MCM is a free service for the entire creative industry  north and south of Ireland  and if anybody just needs a chat to pick up the phone. Or if anybody needs more specialist advice, just contact us.

Back on the park bench with Mary Crilly, she explains that while she is aiming to retire in the next two years as she will be approaching her 70th birthday, there are some campaigns shes aiming to get over the line first.

One thing she feels strongly about is the issue of stalking, and she is glad to see progress being made in stalking legislation. Another project aims to get an art room in the Sexual Violence Centre Cork due to the volume of young girls now presenting there.

As well as that, another initiative the centre is researching at the moment  and one Crilly says Im not giving up on  is test kits in pubs, clubs, and venues for spiking.

A lot of venues and guards dont want to believe it happens. I dont know how many times Ive heard They took something or They didnt know, she explains, saying that victims of spiking are aware of their own tolerance levels and how much they have had to drink  they still know when something is wrong.

With over-the-counter test kits being unreliable, and no accurate toxicology report available to a spiking victim unless they present at a Garda station/SATU, the centre is currently trying to work in tandem with a local lab to deliver the results as part of the procedure.

These kits will be available at the venue, where a sample will immediately be taken and sent to the lab for results.

Despite the aforementioned pending retirement, its impossible to imagine Crilly ever slowing down. For crowds heading along to Indiependence and Electric Picnic this year, you can get inked in the Safe Gigs tent.

For now, young people can follow Mary Crillys advice: Stick together, believe each other, and look after each other, and dont tolerate any abuse, no matter how minimal it seems to be.
Some years ago, Philip Shirley, who descended from a family well favoured by Queen Elizabeth I, was seen riding his mount down the main street in Carrigmacross, Co Monaghan.

Shirleys family were gifted south Monaghan by the queen back in the 16th century, when it was the royal prerogative to hand out land in the colonies to favoured earls.

The Shirleys have been in Carrigmacross since, using it as a retreat from their main residence in the UK. Philip retains a country pile at Lough Fay house, set on 1,000 acres, near the town.

As his mount trotted from the north end of the main street, the absentee landlord would have observed the contrasting fortunes of the businesses on either side of the thoroughfare.

To the left of him stood a row of premises typical in an Irish town: Pubs, shops, the odd bank, all owned by, or rented from, local people.

To the right, though outwardly similar, he was, and still is, master of practically all he surveyed, the owner of the leases to more than two dozen premises on the west side.

While other absentee landlords took flight after independence, the Shirleys held tough, casting a long shadow over the commercial development of a town that was trying hard to shake off its colonial past.

Last month, a major step forward was taken in getting past the past in Carrigmacross.

Following a four-day hearing, the country registrar in Monaghan granted a local hotel owner the right to buy out the lease on his property, which the Shirley family have held since the premises was first built in the 1830s.

Colonial hangover

Since he acquired the Shirley Arms hotel in 2000, Jim McBride had been paying ground rent to the familys company, JES Holdings. The 99-year lease on the premises was due up in 2026.

What has been a nominal sum could then be hiked to a commercial rate, making the business unaffordable.

But thanks to a new law enacted in 2019, McBride acquired the right to buy out the lease.

He thus became the first tenant to avail of the new law, which in turn was enacted following a Supreme Court ruling that affected one of the McBrides neighbouring tenants, Gus OGorman, proprietor of the local Supervalu store.

I hope it will clear the way for others in the town to buy out their leases, said McBride.

A lot of people mightnt have the wherewithal to go through with it. We were in a four-day hearing and had to be fully represented. But hopefully, this will pave the way for everybody else.

"You might ask why were still dealing with something like this, now in 2023."

Ground rents are largely, but not exclusively, a hangover from colonial times. Large landowners owned the ground on which properties were built. Sometimes the tenant built on it, others the landlord leased property for the long term, often up to 100 years, occasionally more.

Anybody who subsequently bought a property, domestic or commercial, thus had a leasehold rather than freehold interest. In some cases, the ground rent was payable to local authorities, and in others to the developers of a property.

In 1978, a new act brought in the right for leaseholders to buy the freehold interest under certain conditions.

The real thinking behind the law was that if a tenant put up the buildings on the land, and all the landlord had was the ground, then the tenant had a major interest, according to Professor John Wylie, of Cardiff University, an expert on land law.

The building gave the tenant a bigger value than the land and therefore it was deemed that the tenant ought to have the right to buy out.

Despite the ground rent often being a nominal sum, the situation has had a real impact on homeowners and businesses. For instance, many banks will not give loans on a leasehold property that has less than 70 years to run.

Homeowners can eliminate this problem by acquiring a freehold under the 1978 act. This is done easily when the freehold is owned by a local authority, but if a private landlord doesnt want to play ball, the situation can get very sticky.

In this respect, there have been contrasting fortunes in different parts of the country.

For instance, Castlebar in Co Mayo, for instance, was largely owned by the family of the notorious Lord Lucan. In that case, homeowners and commercial operators have, over the years, bought out the leases from Lucans estate.

A town of two halves

However, in Carrigmacross, the Shirley family have always resisted selling on, presumably calculating that they are better off in the long term to hold on to the property.

The Shirley family got lucky when they married into the family of Lord Essex, who was one of Elizabeth Is favourite earls. The queen had awarded the earl the Barony of Farney, which took in south Monaghan.

But he didnt produce an heir, so the barony was split between his two sisters, who married into the Shirley and Bath families. The split ran down what is now the Main St of Carrigmacross, with the Shirleys owning all to the west, the Baths taking the east.

The town was built in the 1800s and both families continued to prosper in what was granted at her majestys pleasure.

The town of Carrickmacross in the late 1800s.

The Shirleys say that they constructed the west side, but, one way or the other, they owned, with a few exceptions, the leases to these properties.

In the early years of the last century, the Bath family sniffed the winds of change, sold up, and returned to the UK.

The Shirleys hung onto their property, so as a result, one side of Carrigmacross is owned by the usual variety of businesses, while the title to the premises on the other side is owned by the Shirleys.

From 1959, a number of leases began coming up for renewal, and ignorance or bad advice ensured that most traders opted for shorter-term tenures.

Some of those also had a five-year rent review built into the contract.

One local estate agent noted in recent years that before the property bubble, the Shirleys were pulling in at least 6,000 a week from rents.

One of the results of the anomaly is that the tenants on the west side of the street were reluctant to invest in their businesses when their future was so uncertain.

This was alluded to in the Dail in 2005 by local TD Paudge Connolly, who told the House that some leases in the town had been hiked enormously after coming up for renewal in 1991.

In one case, that of the former post office, the rent soared from 35 a year to 10,500 a year, despite the tenants having carried out renovations to the property, he said.

These enormous and exorbitant hikes have been instrumental in stagnating business development on much of the west side of Carrigmacross.

"Many Shirley leaseholders in Carrigmacross are now afraid to spend money on their premises because they are unsure whether any improvements would be for their own benefit, or for that of the Shirley estate.

"Stagnation has been caused in Carrickmacross, which is a good market town. Then tenants live and work in the town, but are unsure whether to develop their businesses.

The Shirleys' agent, Stephen Gunn of Property Partners in Dundalk, rejects the idea that development has been stifled by the Shirleys interests, pointing to significant investment in the town.

Any properties that have become vacant have been substantially refurbished by the company [JES Holdings] and all the overhead accommodation owned on Main St has now been refurbished."

The Shirley estate, with the adjoining Bath estate, were two of the largest in the county.

In 2005, one of the businesspeople on the west side had taken a challenge to force the Shirleys to sell him the lease.

Gus OGorman won his case in the Circuit Court, but the landlord appealed to the High Court.

There, OGormans victory was confirmed and the price of the buyout was set at 30,000.

Then the landlord appealed the constitutionality of the act to the Supreme Court, which again ruled in favour of OGorman.

However, the interpretation of the 1978 act by the court actually made it more difficult for other leaseholders to buy out.

The upshot was that if a long-term lease was held on a premises, then the right to buy out that lease was dependent on the premises having changed identity over the term of the lease.

Once the landlord could show that the core of the building was the same as when the lease was taken out, he or she had the right to refuse to sell out.

The manner in which the act was interpreted by the Supreme Court means that you would have had to abolish the original building completely and put up your own building in order to have the right to buy it out, said Professor Wylie.

A few years later, Pat Byrne, a documentary maker and native of the town, put together the film, Whats Next For Carrigmacross?. It highlighted the conundrum that many in the town now faced.

Byrne also approached politicians, including Fianna Fails Jim OCallaghan and senator Robbie Gallagher about what was now viewed as a lacuna in the law.

There followed a private members bill, The Landlord and Tenant Act, which breezed through the Oireachtas in 2019. Byrnes work was cited by a range of politicians as the eye-opener to the issues that had arisen.

Stephen Gunne notes that even though the change in law came about as a direct result of a case affecting the Shirley company, nobody on that side of the issue was contacted or consulted to provide a fair and balanced approach.

The act was passed, with very little newspaper or other reporting during its passage, and was clearly driven by the tenants and political representatives in the area, he says.

Jim McBride of the Shirley Arms saw the new law as the ideal route to buy out his lease from the family whose name still adorns his hostelry.

Licenced premises had a history of their own on the west side of Carrigmacross.

Back in the 19th century, one of the few hostelries on the west side, the Fiddlers Elbow, had to be sold in controversial circumstances.

Legend has it that the Shirleys agent at the time was fond of a pint and a flutter, and as a result accumulated debts which were ultimately paid off by granting the freehold to the Fiddlers Elbow to its then-owner.

Following that, only a handful of licenced premises were opened on the west side, compared to up to a dozen on the east side.

Local wags suggest the Shirleys, having bailed out one inebriated agent, were not going to allow another recourse to flogging off property to a creditor publican.

The Shirley Arms was already in operation by that time, having been built in the 1830s.

When Jim McBride acquired it over a century and a half later, it had retained some of its original features, but he undertook extensive renovations.

How much he did change the building was to be central to the hearing before the County Registrar when he applied to buy out the lease.

All that was left of the original building are four walls, says McBrides solicitor, Tony Donagher.

The whole building was gutted from inside and rebuilt, flooring, everything  a complete rebuild.

The issue then was whether the building as originally built had changed identity. Over four days, architects, architectural historians, and engineers.

All dwelt on the extent of the changes over the last 190 years and whether the Arms today could be identified as the Arms of yesteryear.

In the end, the registrar ruled that the lease could be bought.

The act is complicated, said Tony Donagher.

And when it is deemed that the right to buy is there, a theoretical value applies of which you have to pay one-eighth. The two sides had their own valuation, and the registrar split the difference.

The purchase price for the lease was set at 55,000. The hearing had heard that Jim McBride and his brother Colm had invested between 4m and 5m in refashioning the premises over the 15 years.

JES Holdings continues to maintain around 20 leases on the west side of Carrigmacross.

The companys agent, Stephen Gunne, says there will be an appeal to last months ruling.

Whether the new law is robust enough to withstand such a challenge may end up being the final chapter in a saga that reaches all the way back in Carrigmacross to Elizabethan times.
Given the frankly mortifying histrionics by some elected representatives, and their ill-fitting inclusion as adequate interrogators of transparency and truth, both the media committee and Public Accounts Committee are entering very dangerous waters.

If last weeks swanking and swaggering were anything to go by, Tuesdays hearings with Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly have the potential to detonate the fast-declining reputation of the Oireachtas joint committee structure.

Amid the giddy excitement of mass audience and its intoxicating glow, we have witnessed starry-eyed politicians stagger without direction  or in the words of one  round and round the house, and mind the dresser.

Last Wednesday TDs Mattie McGrath and Peter Fitzpatrick leapt onto the stage of mass public attention, before immediately tumbling off and into a pile of legal and constitutional question marks.

This episode  The One Where the Committee Lost its Mind  was a show where insinuation and supposition were decreed through a lens of sneer and hector, and where terms of reference were abandoned for jibes and insults.

Ah sure thats just Mattie, or dont mind Peter, hes gas is winked and nudged with abandon from the audience, as the crowd bays for more humiliation before the execution.

Of course, the powerful must be taken to task and called to account, and yes, pointed questions about flip flops, free cars, around-the-world trips, exclusive membership in swanky West London clubs, rugby and concert tickets, and rotten arrangements with greedy celebrities, are essential.

But a committee must adhere to its own terms of reference  indeed, Rule 32 in its Witness Protocols manual states: "Witnesses can expect to be treated fairly and with respect."

Could you call the behaviour of Mattie McGrath fair, or the shenanigans from Peter Fitzpatrick respectful?

Mr McGrath  who began by reading from a script  should certainly know better, being the victim of appalling mob abuse for the way he speaks and presents his arguments at these hearings.

His written text was soon abandoned amid a ramble (or was it a rant?) about fiduciary responsibility and duty, aimed at nobody in particular, which required the first of a number of interventions by chairwoman Niamh Smyth, to ask to which witness the inquiry was aimed.

Any board member who feels like it, was the sullen and emotional snap.

McGrath then delivered a bombshell, calling for a criminal investigation into the matter and asked: Would you, as board members, or as a chief financial officer, welcome a criminal inquiry and would you have any objection to such an inquiry?

"If the minister [Catherine Martin] gets the courage to send in the fraud squad [Garda National Economic Crime Bureau], will you co-operate and will you welcome that?

The chairwoman once again intervened and asked the who question, which was ignored by the TD: I want to know will you co-operate with a Garda inquiry, nothing else.

Fianna Fail TD and chairwoman of the Oireachtas media commitee Niamh Smyth. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Acting director-general Adrian Lynch responded that if any fraud was committed then of course RTE would co-operate, a response which was immediately guffawed through a clear insinuation that indeed a serious crime had been committed.

If any fraud scoffed Mr McGrath, obliterating the terms manual, and abusing that once-sacred cow of Oireachtas privilege.

He then took to mocking, calling for a circular table at the next hearing, to allow the witnesses to pass the paper around because Im getting no answers, no answers  he had just received an answer.

Round and round the house and mind the dresser, do you understand that? An old proverb in country parlance, he declared, before swerving back into the same question about a criminal probe, forgetting that RTE said it would welcome a Garda inquiry if one were needed.

Moya Doherty said that RTEs legal advice was that no fraud had been committed  although this is likely to be tested further.

The Tipperary TD was having none of it: Sorry, sorry, thats your legal advice. You could get legal advice from different people, its not legal.

Chairwoman Smyth frantically intervened to order Mr McGrath not to make accusations, but by then it was too late, the committee member had already assumed guilt and convicted the condemned, in this most unjust of non-justice systems.

Some time later it was the turn of fellow Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick, who immediately fluffed the lines he had all week to prepare: Do you honestly think that people out there are stupid and this wasnt going to happen?

He then showed himself to be a traditionalist, where the mans place is at work and a womans is in the supermarket, as he poured scorn on CFO Richard Collins earlier shopping analogy to describe business conducted through barter accounts.

The accountant, like the RTE director of commercial Geraldine OLeary, has borne the brunt of questions over almost 12 hours of hearings, so far, and both are showing signs of strain  while others have been convalescing and absent.

Mr Fitzpatrick jabbed: My wife doesnt go to three shops in one day, does your wife go to three shops in one day?

The representative was clearly unaware that Mr Collins wife Lynda, and mother of the couples three children, died in dreadful circumstances in 2011 when she was struck by a falling tree on Waterloo Rd, which killed her almost instantly.

Some background research would have prevented such calamity, for what must have been a terrible discomfort to Mr Collins, as the tone became personalised.

Before Tuesdays hearings, the committee would do well to remember Michael McDonnell, the former group CEO of CIE, who died by suicide weeks before he was due to appear before an Oireachtas committee in 2001.

And how the Supreme Court ruled that Angela Kerins was dealt with by PAC in a manner that very significantly went beyond its terms of reference, and had possibly engaged in an unlawful and unfair process.

Certainly, the current process and where it has gone is grossly unfair, and whether it is unlawful too, time will tell.
To those unfamiliar with lobbying, voting blocs, and Machiavellian insider scheming, it would seem the European Commissions nature restoration proposal is a politically innocuous piece of legislation that should be rubber-stamped.

After all, who would not want to restore at least 20% of the EUs damaged land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems by 2050, as proposed by the commission.

More than 80% of protected habitats across the EU are in a bad state, according to the European Environment Agency, with a combined area about half the size of Spain in need of restoration.

Yet, the political fallout from the proposal has been toxic, driving a wedge between governments and MEPs alike, even at home in Ireland where the Government coalitions parties have been sending mixed messages, to put it generously, about the proposal.

Attendees at a nature rally organised by Cork Environmental Forum at Cork City Hall last month. Picture: Cian O'Regan

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's position that it "goes too far" is in direct contradiction to the Fianna Fail TD and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and Green Party leader and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, who have accused those in opposition as "scaremongering" around the rewetting of peatlands.

Conspiracy theories

At the weekend, an information event held by independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice for the farming community in Ballinasloe at times erupted into chaos, as legitimate questions around the proposal by some in attendance were eclipsed by booing of speakers, far-right conspiracy theories around so-called new world order social engineering, and even outright denial of climate change and its impacts.

Before the 705 MEPs vote on the proposal this week, it first went to the European Parliaments environmental committee, where it remained deadlocked at 44-44 on two rounds of voting.

No amount of political backroom channeling could swing the vote one way or the other.

Usually that would sound the death knell of such a proposal but its proponents kept it on life support, wanting to force the hand of all MEPs to show their intentions in a full vote.

The European Council of Ministers, made up of various government ministers from each member state, crucially reached agreement on the proposal independently of the European Parliament, helping to keep it alive.

Contentious

What is in the proposal that makes it so contentious to the European Peoples Party (EPP)?

The 176-strong EPP, of which Fine Gael is a member, claims the nature restoration proposal has good intentions but is badly designed" when it comes to farmers and food production.

EPP MEPs Esther De Lange, Christina Schneider, and Anne Sander claimed before the first 44-44 vote that the commission vice-president Frans Timmermans had threatened some of their fellow MEPs to accept the Nature Restoration Law or other political business they wished to pass in the future would be blocked.

Ms De Lange used words like "intimidation" while Ms Schneider claimed threats were made in MEPs offices. They also claimed the commission had been unduly influenced by green business lobbyists.

Those in support of the proposal have dismissed the EPP position as caving into far-rightwing rhetoric around the climate and biodiversity crises, and that without nature restoration, farming and food production will be bleak in the long-term.

Among Irish MEPs, concerns around so-called rewetting, which means saturating peatland to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the most contentious issues.

Farmers have complained their lands are under threat of compulsory purchase orders, effectively confiscation, in order to meet rewetting targets, even though Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has ruled this out, and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has insisted there is enough publicly-owned lands to do the heavy lifting around rewetting.

Watered down

Since the 44-44 gridlock in the European Parliaments environment committee, the nature restoration proposal text has been tweaked  environmental campaigners say it has been severely watered down  in order to assuage MEPs and governments in opposition.

Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher and Dublin MEP Barry Andrews, members of the Renew grouping in the European Parliament, have indicated they could now support the proposal.

Mr Kelleher was initially opposed, saying he could not vote for it in its original form.

Last week, he said the latest proposals from his political group, Renew Europe, on the Nature Restoration Law could ensure a balanced piece of legislation that supports biodiversity and protects farmers and landowners.

He said that Renew Europe had committed to tabling the text agreed at Council of Ministers level, in addition to 13 other amendments that gives enough flexibility to member states when implementing the legislation.

A spokesperson for Mr Andrews said he voted for the Renew proposal, and that he wants ambitious nature restoration law.

A spokesperson for Fine Gael MEP for Dublin and EPP member Frances Fitzgerald said an effective EU nature restoration law is needed and she will be doing everything possible to make sure that law is absolutely as good as it can be for everybody  urban, rural farmers, businesses, and consumers.

Green MEP Grace OSullivan said the nature restoration proposal was 'one of our last chances to show if the EU is a leader or a loser in halting the precipitous decline of biodiversity in Ireland and beyond'. Picture: Denis Minihane

Fine Gael MEP for Ireland South Sean Kelly has been discussing the recent developments with colleagues and stakeholders, a spokesperson said.

Decisions will be communicated next week. However, I would underline that Mr Kelly has repeatedly stated, publicly and to the EPP Group directly, that he disagrees with their decision to leave negotiations on the Nature Restoration Law, she added.

Mr Kelly was critical of the EPP grouping for breaking off negotiations last month between MEP groupings and the European Commission when it came to the nature restoration proposal, saying it was akin to walking off the pitch while playing.

MEPs Maria Walsh and Colm Markey did not respond to emailed queries from the Irish Examiner on whether they would vote in favour of the proposal or against it.

Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said she intended to vote for the amendments that reflect the Council of Ministers' position.

On the left, Sinn Fein MEP Chris McManus has indicated his concerns have been somewhat assuaged, while Green MEP Grace OSullivan and Ciaran Cuffe and independent MEPs Mick Wallace and Luke Ming Flanagan are wholeheartedly in support of it.

Negotiations

While the vote is scheduled for Wednesday, negotiations on amendments and final wording of the text of the nature restoration proposal will go down to the wire, with some Brussels insiders telling the Irish Examiner that some groupings including the EPP may try to stall for time by moving to postpone the plenary vote.

Up to a million wild species are facing extinction, many within decades, report found.

Ms OSullivan has said the nature restoration proposal is one of our last chances to show if the EU is a leader or a loser in halting the precipitous decline of biodiversity in Ireland and beyond.

While political tussling takes place around biodiversity, the crisis is not getting better.

There are currently more than 42,000 threatened species on the IUCN Red List, which stands for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, the world's biggest data inventory of vulnerable species conservation status.

Outside of the IUCN red list, as many as 7.5% to 13%, or 150,000 to 260,000, of all two million known species have already gone extinct since 1500, biologists from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the Museum National dHistoire Naturelle in Paris estimated last year.

Up to a million wild species are facing extinction, many within decades, a report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, signed off by 193 member countries, also revealed last year.
A male member of staff has been suspended following allegations an unnamed BBC presenter paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images, the broadcaster said.

The corporation has said it was investigating a complaint since May when it was first made aware, and that new allegations of a different nature were brought to it on Thursday.

The BBC has been in touch with the police alongside conducting its own inquiries and talking to the family of the teenager.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Police said: The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter but no formal referral or allegation has been made.

We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said he is wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent after a host of BBC presenters were forced to publicly state they were not the individual in question amid heavy speculation about the identity on social media.

In a note sent to staff and seen by PA, Mr Davie said the corporation takes all such allegations incredibly seriously.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said he is wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent. Picture: Jacob King/PA Wire

In a statement shared with PA, a BBC spokesperson said: The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.

New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own inquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.

We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date.

The statement added that the corporation has a robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.

This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps, the BBC added.

It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.

We have been clear that if  at any point  new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.

The allegations reported by The Sun newspaper claimed the BBC star paid the person, said to have been 17 when the payments began, 35,000 in exchange for the images.

The teenagers mother told The Sun she saw a picture of the presenter on her childs phone sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear.

The mother said she was told it was a picture from some kind of video call and looked like he was getting ready for my child to perform for him.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

Mr Davies note to staff on Sunday said: The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.

New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.

He added: By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.

UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Mr Davie assured her the corporation is investigating swiftly and sensitively into the allegations. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.

Earlier on Sunday, UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Mr Davie assured her the corporation is investigating swiftly and sensitively into the allegations.

Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark were among the BBC stars who publicly stated they were not the presenter in question, with Lineker tweeting: Hate to disappoint the haters but its not me.

While Clark wrote: Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the Sun  that aint me babe. Im currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.

Jeremy Vine also said: Just to say Im very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday  whoever the BBC Presenter in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly aint me.

Nicky Campbell suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.

I think its important to take a stand. Theres just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends, he wrote.
South Koreas president says it is time to clearly demonstrate strong international resolve to deter North Koreas nuclear ambitions.

Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the annual Nato summit being held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a two-nation trip that includes a stop in Poland.

He said: Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the international communitys determination to deter North Koreas nuclear weapons programme is stronger than North Koreas desire to develop nuclear weapons.

It is the second consecutive year that Mr Yoon will take part in the summit, underscoring his push to deepen ties with the worlds biggest military alliance.

Mr Yoon became the first South Korean leader to attend a Nato summit in 2022 (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)

South Korea faces a mix of security challenges, including North Koreas nuclear programme and the US-China strategic rivalry.

Last year, he became the first South Korean leader to attend a Nato summit when he took part in Spain.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press ahead of his departure, Mr Yoon said South Korea will stress at the Nato meeting the importance of international co-operation against North Koreas illegal acts.

He also said a new Nato-South Korean document will take effect at the summit to institutionalise co-operation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity.

North Koreas headlong pursuit of reliable nuclear weapons has taken on new urgency after it test flew more than 100 missiles and openly threatened to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States since the start of last year.

In response to North Koreas missile tests, Mr Yoon, a conservative who took office in 2022, took steps to beef up his countrys own missile capability and expand military drills with the United States.

Mr Yoon and US President Joe Biden in April announced plans to reinforce their countries deterrence capabilities, such as the periodic docking of a US nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea and the establishment of a new bilateral nuclear consultative group, whose inaugural meeting is slated for next week in Seoul.

In its typical, fiery rhetoric, North Koreas Defence Ministry warned on Monday the deployment of the US submarine may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice. It also threatened to shoot down US spy planes.

South Koreas military countered it maintains a readiness to repel potential North Korean provocations.
Three civilians including a nine-year-old and a breastfeeding mother were killed in an unprovoked junta air raid in Chin States Mindat Township on Saturday, according to Mindat Township Peoples Authority.

A junta jet dropped bombs on Wun Khone village in Mindat, killing the three residents and destroying houses.

The 28-year-old mother was survived by her infant. The air attack also killed a nine-year-old girl and a 65-year-old woman. A 50-year-old man was injured in the bombing. Light Infantry Battalion 274 based in Mindat town also shelled the village during the attack.

Around 10 houses and a school in the village were damaged by the bombing, said Mindat Township Peoples Authority, which posted photos as evidence.

Mindat Township Peoples Authority on July 1 warned local people to avoid social gatherings and to dig bomb shelters as the regime has recently conducted air raids on several villages in the township, as well as resistance outposts on the Mindat-Matupi road. Junta forces have also carried out artillery strikes on resistance bases, it said.
The Karen National Union (KNU) has reported that more than 2,600 Myanmar junta troops were killed in clashes in its territory during the first half of this year.

Its armed wings, the Karen National Liberation Army and Karen National Defense Organization, and allied resistance groups are active in Karen and Mon states and Tanintharyi and Bago regions.

The KNU statement on Sunday reported 2,496 clashes, in which 2,632 junta troops, including five battalion commanders and five deputies, nine captains, four lieutenants and five warrant officers, were killed.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

It said more than 1,600 junta troops were injured and 76 KNU personnel and their allies were killed, with more than 250 injured.

The clashes are breaking out every day in KNU-controlled areas and the junta is committing war crimes and human rights violations every day in different forms. Many people are suffering during the conflict, said a KNU representative.

The KNU said around 599,400 people had left their homes in its territory, with hunger and food shortages particularly severe during the rainy season. It said humanitarian assistance was urgently needed.

The KNU in February reported more than 8,000 clashes and in excess of 6,800 junta deaths.

A report in May by the United States Institute of Peace estimated that the junta has about 150,000 personnel, including 70,000 combat soldiers, while at least 21,000 members have been lost through casualties, deaths, desertions and defections since the 2021 coup.
Two men suspected of killing nationalist Lily Naing Kyaw were shot dead by junta forces while attempting to escape, according to Myanmars regime.

A statement said Ko Kaung Zarni Hein and Ko Kyaw Thu were taken to North Dagon Township in Yangon on July 6, where they had allegedly hidden their weapons. It said they tried to escape and were killed by warning shots.

They were arrested last month in Yangon for their alleged involvement in the assassination of Lily Naing Kyaw, a prominent 58-year-old ultranationalist with close ties to the regimes leadership.

She had publicly supported the 2021 coup.

Lily Naing Kyaw was gunned down near her residence in Yankin Township, Yangon, on May 30 and died at a military hospital days later.

On June 6, the nationalist group Association for Protection of Race and Religion, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha, and junta-affiliated Pyu Saw Htee militia members raided the house of Ko Kaung Zarni Hein in Htantabin Township, beating and shooting dead his mother and elder sister.
Seven political prisoners have reportedly died after being removed from Kyaiksakaw Prison in Bago Regions Daik-U Township for transfer to another prison, according to the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network.

Among the political prisoners that have died are the All Burma Federation of Student Unions Bago District Vice Chairman Ko Khant Lin Naing, Ko Aung Thura Hlaing, Ko Gyar Gyi, Ko Min Phone Mahar, Ko Zin Wai Tun, Ko Aung Myo Thu and Ko Pyae Phyo Win.

Families lost contact with them after they were taken from Kyaiksakaw Prison on May 28, and were informed about their deaths on July 7.

Ko Thaik Tun Oo of the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network told The Irrawaddy: We have learned that all of the seven taken out of Daik-U Prison have died. Family members have confirmed the deaths of three. And local officials [of our association] confirmed the deaths of the others.

Family members said they were told that one of the prisoners had died due to illness, and one was shot dead as he attempted to escape during the transfer.

Family members were not shown the bodies, but were only told that the political prisoners had died. All the family members know about their deaths, but they refused to talk about it because of security concerns, said Ko Thaik Tun Oo.

The seven were detained in late 2021 and early 2022, and were charged with incitement under Section 505 of the Penal Code and for alleged bombings under sections 50, 51, 52 and 53 of the Counterterrorism Law.

In May, 12 political prisoners were taken out of Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region, and tortured and interrogated. The regime has imposed a news blackout on their torture.
Singapores United Overseas Bank (UOB) will shut all of Myanmar junta-linked Myanmar Airways International (MAI)s bank accounts by August 15, after beginning the process by imposing restrictions and heightened scrutiny on the airlines accounts earlier this month.

Despite MAIs appeal to maintain the bank accounts, UOB has remained firm in closing the account, a recent letter sent to MAIs business partners said.

The letter, signed by the airlines CEO Saravanan Ramasamy, does not explain why UOB is closing MAIs accounts, but their closure follows US sanctions on two Myanmar state-owned banks that conduct international transactions last month.

The junta used the two banks to facilitate payment for weapons and materials that allow it to continue its violence and oppression, the US said.

The MAI letter said UOB will cancel the five accounts it has at the bank by August 15. The letter includes an email from a UOB executive outlining a three-step process for canceling the five accounts and advises MIA that there will be enhanced monitoring of the accounts during their phase out as well as delays in the processing of payments and collections.

MAI accounts were unable to receive cash and cheque deposits from July 1, according to the email. Restrictions on payments from the MAI accounts will be imposed from July 21 and all payments into them will be blocked. The accounts will be canceled on August 15, with any remaining balance remitted out, the email from the UOB executive says.

MAI is owned by crony U Aung Aung Zaw, the chairman of the 24 Hour Group of Companies, which also runs carrier Air KBZ.

Both airlines were previously owned by arch-crony U Aung Ko Win, owner of the KBZ Group of Companies. Air KBZ and MAI were sold to 24 Hour Group in late 2018. Neither company provided details about the deal.

MAI and the Myanmar Air Force share aircraft, while junta leaders use an MAI-branded aircraft for international travel, including to Russia, where they purchase arms.

Advocacy group Justice For Myanmar has detailed extensive links between 24 Hour Group businesses and the junta. These include a large-scale limestone quarry and coal mines that have production-sharing contracts with state-owned enterprises, now under junta control, as well as a waterfront development on land seized from Rohingya in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State.

In its letter, MAI said it was opening accounts at other banks.

We are glad to say that significant progress has been achieved [and] we are at the final stages for some these bank account openings, the CEO said in the letter, naming three: Singapores DBS, Thailands Kasikorn Bank, and Dubais Emirates NDB.

Singapore is the largest source of foreign investment in Myanmar as well as the preferred destination for Myanmars military rulers and their cronies. They make frequent visits to the city state for medical reasons, recreation or to squirrel away money in bank accounts held by proxies. Many Singaporean companies have commercial ties with Myanmars junta and its conglomerates.

Following the coup, the city state saw its financial leverage over the regime rise.

In October 2021, US State Department counselor Derek Chollet met with officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to discuss ways to limit the Myanmar regimes access to overseas financial assets.
At least 18 Myanmar junta forces as well as five ethnic resistance fighters were killed in the last four days as Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organization (EAOs) continued to attack regime targets across the country.

Incidents were reported in Naypyitaw, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Chin, Kachin, Mon and Karen states.

The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and EAOs.

Some of the reports could not be independently verified.

Military convoy ambushed near juntas administrative capital Naypyitaw

Two military vehicles were destroyed and some regime forces were reportedly injured near the entrance to the countrys administrative capital Naypyitaw on Friday when the special unit of Taungoo District PDF Battalion 3501 ambushed a military convoy of 10 vehicles near the 196-mile point (315 km) on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, said the PDF group.

They attacked the convoy with land mines and heavy explosives after receiving a tip-off that the convoy was carrying the juntas quartermaster-general.

Since July 1, the Southern Military Command of the civilian National Unity Governments Defense Ministry has urged people to avoid using the highways in Bago Region and Mon State, including both the old Yangon-Mandalay road and the new expressway, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. as it will step up attacks on regime targets.

Drivers are also urged not to use mirrored windows in their vehicles and passengers are urged to assent to inspections by PDF forces on the highways while traveling during the day.

Clashes continue in Kachin

Pro-junta militia forces engage in a clash with Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops in Hpakant Township on Saturday. / Wara Swut Militia Force

More clashes broke out in Hpakant and Waingmaw townships, Kachin State on Saturday as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), attacked regime forces and a junta-allied militia group, according to local Kachin media.

An intense clash erupted in Hpakant Township when KIA troops attempted to raid pro-junta militia bases in Sha Duu Swut Village on Ledo Road on Saturday morning.

The militia group said it found the bodies of five dead KIA troops along with weapons, adding that some of its own fighters were also killed.

Separately, clashes between junta troops and KIA fighters continued near Nam San Yang in Waingmaw Township, but details of casualties were unknown for either side.

Clash erupts in Karen States Myawaddy

At least two regime forces were killed and three others injured in Myawaddy Township, Karen State on Sunday as combined resistance groups including the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), clashed with regime forces in the Lat Khat Taung mountain area, said Cobra Column, which coordinated the resistance attack.

Junta bases bombed in Mon and Karen

At least three regime forces including two police officers were killed and five others injured in Mon States Thanbyuzayat Township and Karen States Kyainseikgyi Township on Thursday and Friday when the Special Operation Force group used drones to drop bombs on two police stations, the resistance group said.

The groups drone bombs also destroyed an electric power facility of the military regime in Kyainseikgyi Township.

Military checkpoint bombed in Mon

Kyaikhto Revolution Force (KRF) said it and six other resistance groups including Yangon Eagle Force and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) used drones to drop eight bombs on a military checkpoint of the juntas Border Guard Force in Belin Township, Mon State on Saturday.

However, military casualties were unknown.

Junta forces defeated in Chin

At least six regime forces were killed in two days of clashes last Friday and Saturday in Hakha Township, Chin State when the Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF), attacked regime forces attempting to raid adjacent Thantlang town under the control of Chin resistance forces, according to local Chin media.

Junta artillery units from the town of Hakha and regime aircraft attacked resistance forces fighting regime ground troops on Saturday. However, the junta forces retreated after suffering a defeat.

On Sunday, CNA troops seized four military weapons and found the dead bodies of six junta troops at the clash site.

Clash occurs in Chin State town

Chinland Defense Force (Mara) claimed to have killed four regime forces and injured five others on Saturday when it clashed with regime forces in Lalengpi town, Matupi Township, Chin State.

They said they had to attack regime forces in the town because the junta forces were threatening and oppressing civilians, and randomly opening fire.

During Saturdays clash, a female resident was also killed and two houses burned as regime forces arbitrarily shelled residential areas.

Two junta soldiers killed in resistance ambush in Mandalay



A resistance sniper takes part in an ambush of regime forces in Natogyi Township on Sunday. / Natogyi PDF

Natogyi PDF claimed to have killed two regime troops when it ambushed regime patrols outside Paegyi Khin Village in Natogyi Township, Mandalay Region on Saturday.

During the ambush, a resistance drone was shot down by the regime forces with the help of an anti-drone jammer.

Police station, junta base bombed in Sagaing



Members of Myaung Special People Defense Forces conduct drone strikes and fire explosives at the police station in Kyauk Yi Village in Myaung Township on Saturday. / MSPDF

Myaung Special PDF said it and two resistance groups used makeshift drones and rocket-propelled explosives to attack the police station in Kyauk Yit Village in Myaung Township on Saturday, killing a regime soldier and injuring many others.

On the same day, Kyauk Lone Gyi PDF and another resistance group used improvised drones and mortar rounds to shell the pro-junta village of Alal Kyun in Sagaings Kani Township, which is home to a base of regime forces and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members.

However, details of the damage and regime casualties were unknown.
Wednesday, Nov 18th, 2020 (10:51 am) - Score 600

The rural Northumberland (England) town of Rothbury, and its surrounding communities, have recently become the latest target for a new deployment of 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology, which is thanks to the efforts of UK ISP FACTCO and support from local councillor Steven Bridget.

The project, which is trying to attract interest from local residents and businesses, includes the communities in and around Rothbury, Coquetdale, Whittingham Vale & Glanton. Much of the funding for this is expected to come from the Governments rural gigabit voucher scheme, which offers up to 1500 to every home and up to 3500 to SMEs to help them upgrade (recently boosted to 3000 and 7000 respectively via the Digital Borderlands Voucher Scheme).

The FACTCO team are already said to be connecting local communities in the Cambois and Amble areas (here) and have other plans to expand their networks across the North East of the UK in the very near future. So far around 200 expressions of interest in the Rothbury area upgrade have already been received and rising.

Lee Murphy, Managing Director at FACTCO, said: This level of engagement is fantastic from Rothbury and the villages around it, the community clearly understand the importance of good broadband in their homes and businesses and were very happy to be able to offer them a solution.

Cllr Bridgett said: This is a real opportunity to put our area ahead of many of the major towns within Northumberland and future proof our internet connections which will be a huge boost to our rural economy but, to do that, we will need the continued support of local residents to help progress this scheme.

Locals can register their interest by contacting the FACTCO team directly on 0333 305 7560, or by emailing hello@factco.co.uk or visiting www.factco.co.uk/rothbury.
Yunnan cuisine is trending on Chinese social media after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was spotted having a meal at a Yunnan restaurant after landing in Beijing on July 6, 2023. A few Chinese netizens spotted Yellen at a Yunnan cuisine restaurant with a variety of Yunnan signature dishes, including grilled fish with herbs and mint beef rolls. The restaurant owner said in a social media post that Yellen is a big fan of a type of mushroom called jianshouqing, and her team had ordered four servings of this dish. One comment underneath the post was, "Bon appetit Yellen, hope you can try lots of different delicacies during your stay in China." Located in southwestern China, Yunnan has cuisines and delicacies that are the result of its rich biodiversity and diverse ethnic minority population. The dishes are known for their moderately spicy and sour tastes, along with a mix of herbal seasoning ingredients that are often unexpected to the taste buds. Yunnan is rich in wild ingredients, and the most famous one is its mushrooms. For the people of Yunnan province, the onset of summer is much anticipated for the harvest of a wide variety of tasty wild mushrooms. According to media reports, Yunnan has more than 900 species of wild edible mushrooms, with some 200 species commonly traded in local markets. Diverse wild condiments are also commonly used in Yunnan cuisines. Mint, lemongrass, sweet smartweed grass, fennel seeds, camphor seeds, and other fragrant plants are also common in Yunnan dishes to create a more aromatic taste and colorful presentation. The cross-bridge rice noodles are also a legendary local delicacy in Yunnan. A romantic love story is associated with the origin of the noodles: There was once a Qing Dynasty (1616-1912) scholar who was preparing for the imperial examinations on an island. His loving wife used to cook him dinner every day, but as she crossed the bridge to the classroom, the noodle soup would go cold. She then came up with the idea of using fatty chicken to make the broth so that a layer of hot oil covering the soup would keep the heat in. In this way, she was able to deliver a delicious hot meal to her husband each day. These days, this noodle dish is hugely popular throughout Yunnan and across China with many locals having it regularly for breakfast. In some restaurants, the broth is served separately from the raw ingredients and you cook the dish at your table like a hotpot, while other restaurants serve the broth, noodles and other ingredients together. Yunnan, a tantalizing melting pot of exotic ingredients, vibrant flavors and ethnic flair, is often a top choice for foodies to explore.
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Allow Aid Access; Take People to Safety

( Human Rights Watch)  (Tunis)  Tunisian security forces have collectively expelled several hundred Black African migrants and asylum seekers, including children and pregnant women, since July 2, 2023 to a remote, militarized buffer zone at the TunisiaLibya border, Human Rights Watch said today. The group includes people with both regular and irregular legal status in Tunisia, expelled without due process. Many reported violence by authorities during arrest or expulsion.

The Tunisian government should halt collective expulsions and urgently enable humanitarian access to the African migrants and asylum seekers already expelled to a dangerous area at the Tunisia-Libya border, with little food and no medical assistance, said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. Not only is it unconscionable to abuse people and abandon them in the desert, but collective expulsions violate international law.

Between July 2 and 6, Human Rights Watch interviewed five people by phone who had been expelled, including an Ivorian asylum seeker and four migrants: two Ivorian men, a Cameroonian man, and a 16-year-old Cameroonian girl. Interviewees names are not used for their protection. They could not give an exact number, but estimated that Tunisian authorities had expelled between 500 and 700 people since July 2 to the border area, around 35 kilometers east of the town Ben Guerdane. They arrived in at least four different groups, ranging in size.

The people expelled were of many African nationalities  Ivorian, Cameroonian, Malian, Guinean, Chadian, Sudanese, Senegalese, and others  and included at least 29 children and three pregnant women, interviewees said. At least six expelled people were asylum seekers registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), while at least two adults had consular cards identifying them as students in Tunisia.

People interviewed said they had been arrested in raids by police, national guard, or military in and near Sfax, a port city southeast of the capital, Tunis. National guard and military forces rapidly transported them 300 kilometers to Ben Guerdane, then to the Libya border, where they were effectively trapped in what they described as a buffer zone from which they could neither enter Libya nor return to Tunisia.

Tensions have been high in Sfax for months as Tunisian residents campaigned for African foreigners to leave, escalating to recent attacks against Black Africans and clashes with Tunisians. A man from Benin was killed in May and a Tunisian man on July 3. Videos circulating on social media in early July depicted groups of Tunisian men threatening Black Africans with batons and knives, and in other videos, security officers shoving Black Africans into vans while people cheered.

People interviewed said that Tunisian security forces had smashed nearly everyones phones prior to expulsion. They communicated with Human Rights Watch primarily through a phone that one man had managed to hide. They provided their GPS location on July 2 and July 4, as well as videos and photos of smashed phones; expelled people and their injuries, reportedly from security force beatings; and passports, consular cards, and asylum seeker cards.



Women and children expelled by Tunisian authorities to the Libyan border stand by the shore, July 6, 2023.  2023 Private

Those interviewed alleged that several people died or were killed at the border area between July 2 and 5  including, they said, some shot and others beaten by Tunisian military or national guard. They also said that Libyan men carrying machetes or other weapons had robbed some people and raped several women, either in the buffer zone or after they managed to cross into Libya to look for food. No nongovernmental groups had access to the area, so Human Rights Watch could not independently confirm these accounts.

One video the migrants sent to Human Rights Watch showed a woman describing sexual assault apparently by Tunisian security forces. In another video, a woman says she had a miscarriage after the expulsion.

We are at the Tunisia-Libya border, at the seaside, said an Ivorian asylum seeker on July 4. We were beaten [by Tunisian security forces].We have many injured people here.We have children who havent eaten for days  forced to drink sea water. We have a [Guinean] pregnant woman who went into labor  she died this morning  the baby died too.

At the start of the expulsions, a group of 20 was dropped at the border the morning of July 2. Human Rights Watch interviewed two people in the group: a 29-year-old Ivorian man, and a 16-year-old Cameroonian girl.

The Ivorian man said that on July 1, police, national guard, and military personnel raided the house where they were staying  arresting 48 people  in Jbeniana, 35 kilometers north of Sfax. He said the detained people had entered Tunisia at various times, some regularly and some irregularly, but none he knew had passed through Libya. Tunisian authorities took the 48 people to a police station, examined their documents, and recorded their information. Security forces divided them into two groups, and drove the mans group to Ben Guerdane, he said.

The man said they made stops at three bases in Ben Guerdane, and military or national guard officers beat us like animals  punching, kicking, slapping, hitting us with batons, and sexually harassed and assaulted the women, including groping them. They started to touch me everywhere, said the Cameroonian girl in the same group. They slammed my head against their vehicle.

The security forces threw away their food, smashed their phones, and left them at the border, the Ivorian man said. Two armed men in uniform from Libya later approached them and ordered them to return to Tunisia, he said, while on the other side, Tunisian military beat several men who sought to cross back to Tunisia.

Two men in a second expelled group, Cameroonian and Ivorian, said they and others had been arrested during raids on their houses in Sfax, on July 3 between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., by police, national guard, and military. They said that authorities did not ask for anyones documents or record their personal information, though some were in Tunisia legally; instead, they drove them swiftly overnight to Ben Guerdane.

We are from different countries of origin  and they brought us 300 kilometers from Sfax [to expel us]  instead of bringing us to Tunis, to our embassies, the Ivorian asylum seeker said. Its inhuman.

On July 5 and 6, authorities expelled a third and fourth group, each an estimated 200-300 people, from Sfax. Videos interviewees shared showed many injured people among the arrivals, with open wounds, bandaged limbs, and one with an apparently broken leg.

A man expelled to the Libyan border by Tunisian authorities on July 5, 2023 shows his head injury and bloody shirt.  2023 Private

As of July 5, no humanitarian aid from the Tunisian side had reached the group, though the Ivorian man from the first expelled group said some uniformed Libyan men arrived that evening to provide some water and cookies for the children. But then on July 6, The [same] Libyans  started to shoot in the air, burn things, chase us. The Libyans told us to leave the territory and go toward the Tunisian side. They started to take out their guns to threaten us.

On July 6, Human Rights Watch contacted representatives of the Tunisian Interior, Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries by phone, but was unable to obtain information.

President Kais Saied, in an inflammatory February speech that triggered a surge of racist attacks against Black Africans, had linked undocumented African migrants to crime and a plot to alter Tunisias demographic makeup. In a July 4 statement, Saied referenced the criminal operation that occurred yesterday in Sfax, referring to the Tunisian mans killing, and said, Tunisia is a country that only accepts people residing on its territory in accordance with its laws, and does not accept to be a transit or settlement zone for people arriving from numerous African countries.

Tunisia is party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, which prohibits collective expulsions, as well as the UN and African Refugee Conventions, the Convention Against Torture, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit refoulement  forced returns or expulsions to countries where people could face torture, threats to their lives or freedom, or other serious harm. All countries should suspend expulsions or forced returns to Libya, given the serious harm people may face there. Governments should also not expel asylum seekers whose refugee claims have not been fully examined.

The Tunisian government should respect international law and conduct individual legal status assessments in accordance with due process before deporting anyone, Human Rights Watch said. The government should also investigate and hold to account security forces implicated in abuses.

Diplomatic delegations of African countries should seek to locate and evacuate any of their nationals expelled to the Tunisia-Libya border who wish to voluntarily return to their countries of origin, while the African Union Commission should condemn the abusive expulsions and press Tunisia to provide immediate assistance to affected Africans.

African migrants and asylum seekers, including children, are desperate to get out of the dangerous border zone and find food, medical care, and safety, Seibert said. There is no time to waste.

Via Human Rights Watch
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By Shana MacDonald, University of Waterloo and Alysia Kolentsis, University of Waterloo | 

In the wake of the recent stabbing attack on a University of Waterloo professor and two students in a philosophy of gender course, we need to talk about the profound power words have to shape our world.

We are both professors at the University of Waterloo who focus on various aspects of gender and language in our research and teaching.

In her book, Call Them By Their True Names, journalist and author Rebecca Solnit argues that we are presently in a crisis of language where words have lost their meaning in a sea of misinformation and inflamed debates. Her response is that we all must be careful and precise with the words we use in order to oppose the disintegration of meaning.

In this spirit we will be very precise in our language here: the continued patterns of violence both online and offline against women, racialized, disabled, queer and gender nonconforming people are forms of stochastic terrorism and need to be named as such.

What is stochastic terrorism

At its core, stochastic terrorism is public demonization of a group which incites random violence against that group. Crucial here are the words public, demonization and violence. They work together to silence people either by threat of violence or through violence itself.

When a group of people are publicly and repeatedly demonized, they are dehumanized for the benefit of others. This demonization and distancing is crucial for inciting violence. It makes violence toward certain people, or those expressing certain ideas, more palatable. It distances those enacting the violence from the true horrors of their actions.

When it comes to gender-based violence such demonization is hardly new. It was used to target women and others who did not conform to religious dogma in medieval and early modern witch trials.

More recently, the demonization of women has been a staple of so-called incel doctrines that have informed other acts of violence including the Isla Vista shootings in 2014 and the Toronto van attack in 2018.

James Chow was in the UWaterloo gender studies class, where a professor and two students were stabbed in a hate-related attack. This is the most detailed explanation and recounting of events from any witness so far  its a must listen. The events are terrifying. pic.twitter.com/yHq9hAmhjr  Ahmar Khan (@AhmarSKhan) June 30, 2023

Social media is awash with influencers like Andrew Tate who spread misogynistic rhetoric to millions. All this combines to create a situation where gender-based violence becomes more likely.

Spreading hate has real consequences

This hatred is spread through public conversations, often on social media platforms that do not adequately regulate hate speech or protect the most vulnerable recipients of that hate speech.

When such ideas spread rapidly and easily in online spaces without consequence it allows them to multiply and gain validation. This combination of widespread, normalized, publicly accessible hatred and dehumanization is central to the forms of violence we see erupting across spaces currently, including in our spaces of learning.

As women scholars who came of age in the shadow of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre, we are well aware of how gender-based violence makes a lasting impact on how we experience and move in the world. The murder of 14 women by a gunman motivated by a hatred of feminists sent a very direct message to Canadian girls and women who witnessed the horror and its aftermath.

At a time when both of us were planning out our post-secondary studies, the message we heard was: you are not welcome in spaces of learning and the threat of violence will always be present. For us and others of our generation, this formative experience served as a basis for many of our feminisms.



Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

This week, the immediate thoughts and feelings we experienced after the violent attack on members of our university community were all too familiar. They reminded us again that the threat of violence for daring to stand in a classroom and speak is ever-present.

University classrooms can be transformative

Being precise with language allows us to also name what could be. In her 1993 Nobel Lecture, American novelist Toni Morrison defined language as something that delimits the possibilities of our world. Language can oppress and do violence. However, when it is used collaboratively in good faith, it becomes a way to open us all to a better world.

Universities embody this double-edge. They can be sites of violence and silencing that has shaped us in profound ways. They are also sites of risk in choosing to speak at all, in sharing ideas that are new and untested, and in the sense that by inviting new perspectives we risk our well-worn certainties and challenge our fundamental assumptions.

But that is how places of learning become sites of transformation and liberation. This specifically is what we want for our students, now and in the future. The risk is present, but so too is the promise of change. And so we will continue to teach and share insights on issues of gender within our classrooms because the sharing of knowledge is what universities are intended for.

There has always been rhetorical and violent backlash when people express new ideas and challenge established norms. Women, queer, racialized and gender nonconforming students and professors are vulnerable to the violence of what is considered the norm. It is disingenuous and dangerous to pretend it is otherwise.

We must name things for what they are, acknowledge the ways that we are vulnerable, and confront the continued harm done by the unchecked and dehumanizing public forums of the internet. We hope the ongoing threat of violence does not deter younger generations from being curious, examining the world, and sharing their visions for the future.

What we need to do as a public community both inside and outside universities is support our youth by naming hatred and violence for what it is. In doing so, we can expose the consequences of the demonization of others and the weaponized use of language.

Shana MacDonald, Associate Professor of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo and Alysia Kolentsis, Associate Professor, English language and literature, University of Waterloo

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alta Copper Corp. (TSX: ATCU; OTCQX: ATCUF; BVL: ATCU) (Alta Copper or the Company) announces the appointment of Mr. Andrew Hamilton as a director of the Company.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Hamilton to the Board of Directors of Alta Copper. Andrews wealth of experience in construction, completion and commissioning of major projects will prove invaluable as we move to the next stage of development for our 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project, commented Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair of Alta Copper.

Mr. Andrew Hamilton is Technical Director of Fortescue Metals with the Corporate Strategy Team. He is a Mechanical Engineer, BEng. (Mech) from the University of South Australia while also being a graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. His current role also includes managing and reviewing critical metals project opportunities. Over his career, Mr. Hamilton has spent significant time in senior management and directorship roles, providing expertise in engineering, constructing, commissioning and business delivery services to mining, building infrastructure and fleet management.

Mr. Hamilton joined Fortescue Metals in early 2008 to complete, commission and ramp up Fortescues first operational Cloudbreak mine, and later delivery of the sites wet beneficiation and power station upgrades. Prior to this, Mr. Hamilton held Project Management and delivery roles at Project Magnet, South Australia, and managed the design of the African Minerals three stage Haematite & Magnetite development, delivering the first stage in West Africa.

In 2011 Mr. Hamilton managed the delivery of the Wet Front End modifications to the Cloudbreak processing plant, followed by technical and design input to Christmas Creek processing operations. In late 2013, Mr. Hamilton commenced work on the Iron Bridge project leading to design, construction, commissioning, and delivery of the full-scale Stage 1 developmental plant within a 15-month period. Upon successful operation of Stage 1, Mr. Hamilton managed and delivered the Investment Decision report to the Fortescue Board in 2019, culminating in approval of the 22mtpa Iron Bridge Magnetite JV (IBJV) Project. Mr. Hamilton held various roles on the US$3.9bn IBJV project including Project Director and Technical Director.

About Alta Copper

Alta Copper is focused on the development of its 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project. Canariaco comprises 97 square kilometers of highly prospective land located 150 kilometers northeast of the City of Chiclayo, Peru, which include the Canariaco Norte deposit, Canariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, all within a 4km NE-SW trend in northern Perus prolific mining district. Canariaco is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not held by a major.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the effective date of the consolidation and name change of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.




VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - DFR Gold Inc. (TSXV: DFR) ("DFR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, with its joint venture partner Panthera Resources plc (AIM: PAT), the commencement of a drilling programme on the Kalaka Gold Project in Mali (the "Drilling Programme").

Kalaka is a large gold system where multiple intersections exceeding 150 metres at greater than 0.5 g/t have been identified by previous diamond and RC drilling. The Drilling Programme will include:

Approximately 1,500 metres of RC drilling to complement existing diamond and reverse circulation drilling at the K1A target which is intended to be utilised to define a Maiden Mineral Resource estimate

Step-out drilling to the north will target an untested interpreted geophysical mineral trend

Collection of samples for a metallurgical test programme.

A broad soil anomaly above 30 ppb Au covers most of the metasediments on the tenement area and offers significant opportunity for further discovery and extension to known mineralisation. Historical drilling has consistently demonstrated significant wide gold intercepts at the K1A target, including diamond hole K1AD002 (191.8m @ 0.52 g/t Au) and reverse circulation drill hole K1ARC028 (117m @ 0.59 g/t Au including 41m @ 1.02 g/t Au).

John McGloin, CEO of DFR, commented: "While DFR has primarily focussed on the exciting pre-feasibility Cascades Gold Project in Burkina Faso, the Kalaka Project represents an exciting opportunity in Mali with large scale bulk-mineable gold potential.

"It is hoped that the metallurgical test work programme will demonstrate the positive economics of the project. The drilling programme is expected to be completed this month with results in the third quarter of 2023."

Background

Panthera and DFR each have 40% interest in Kalaka held through their interest in Maniger Ltd. The remaining 20% interest is owned by a local partner, Golden Spear Mali SARL. Panthera is the operator of the project.

The Kalaka gold project is situated in southern Mali, 260 km southeast of Bamako. It lies approximately 80 km south of the 8 Moz Au Morila Mine and 85 km northwest of Resolute's 6Moz Au Syama Mine.

Historical work in the area has included airborne geophysical surveys, soil sampling, structural interpretations, geological mapping, and preliminary drilling activities focussed on the metasediments. This has included 20,952m of diamond, air core (AC), reverse circulation (RC) and Rotary Air Blast (RAB) drilling in 372 holes. During 2021 Panthera completed 2,430m of AC drilling in 94 holes. On the K1A prospect multiple intersections exceeding 150m at 0.5 g/t have been identified by diamond and RC drilling.

The primary mineralisation at the K1A prospect, is associated with an intrusive tonalite / micro granodiorite with metasediments in contact with the intrusive. The alteration envelope is dominantly characterised by silica-feldspar flooding and sulphide mineralisation. Elsewhere there are also numerous artisanal workings within the Kalaka tenement, mainly targeting eluvial gold.

David J Reading, M.Sc., FIMM, Fellow SEG, a director of DFR and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 has prepared or supervised the preparation of, or approved, as applicable, the technical information contained in this press release. Mr. Reading has over 40 years' experience in the mining industry covering all stages of mine development, including exploration, feasibility, financing, construction and operations. He has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geologists.

Notes to Editors:

DFR Gold is a TSX Venture Exchange listed exploration and mine development company focused on gold in West Africa. DFR Gold holds interests in a portfolio of West African gold exploration projects including the highly prospective Cascades gold project ("Cascades") in Burkina Faso. Cascades has a Mineral Resource* prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 comprising 5.41 million tonnes of indicated resources at an average grade of 1.52g/t Au for a total 264,000 ounces of gold: and 6.93 million tonnes of inferred resources at an average grade 1.67g/t Au for a total of 371,000 ounces of gold. Please see the Company's technical report titled "Amended and Re-stated Technical Report on the Labola Project Burkina Faso" dated April 2, 2022, with an effective date of April 20, 2022 for further information regarding Cascades. This report can be located at www.dfrgold.com.

The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com

Neither the TSX-V 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.

Additional Mineral Resource Estimate Disclosures

*Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant issues. The Mineral Resources in this note were reported using CIM (2014) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines and adopted by CIM Council. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define this Inferred Resource as an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading the Inferred Resource to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource category. The Mineral Resource has been constrained by an open pit evaluation using a gold price of US$1900 per ounce, and then reported at a cut-off of 0.5 g/t Au. Contained metal and tonnes figures in totals may differ due to rounding.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this release that address activities, events or developments that DFR Gold expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Debenture Offering and the completion thereof; and the intended use of proceeds of the Debenture Offering. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "aim", "aspire", "strive", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "believe" or similar expressions as they relate to DFR Gold. Forward- looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information.

There are a number of important factors that could cause DFR Gold's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: the ability to obtain requisite regulatory approvals; the ability to finance the drilling campaign; commodity prices; the gold exploration and mining industry in general; the potential impact of the announcement on relationships; including with regulatory bodies, employees; suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and compliance with extensive government regulation. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statement prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

DFR Gold cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on DFR Gold's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, shareholders should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. DFR Gold has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this release represents the expectations of DFR Gold as of the date of this release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While DFR Gold may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho / Jul 10, 2023 / Business Wire / Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) (Hecla) and ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX:ATC) (ATAC) announced today the completion of the ATAC acquisition.

With the ATAC acquisition, we continue to execute our strategy of acquiring large land packages with significant exploration potential in favorable mining jurisdictions, said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla President & CEO. The Rackla and Connaught properties in the Yukon are a massive land package of over 700 square miles (1830 square kilometers), almost half the size of Rhode Island, with identified gold, silver, and base metal mineralization. As a result of previous investment in exploration by ATAC, Hecla is not obligated for the next decade to make significant expenditures to maintain control of the land package, so while we will advance the exploration as quickly as possible, we will have flexibility on our pace of spending.

Baker continued, The acquisition further cements our position in the Yukon, with our Keno Hill mine going into production in the third quarter. Keno Hill is expected to produce more than 2.5 million ounces of silver in 2023 and to become Canada's largest and highest-grade primary silver mine. We look forward to continuing to build our relationships with the Na-Cho Nyak Dun and Trondek Hwechin Han First Nations and the Yukon Territory through our work at Keno Hill and the Rackla and Connaught Properties.

Details of ATAC transaction

Hecla acquired all the outstanding shares of ATAC for total consideration of approximately US$18.8 million in Hecla common stock with the issuance of 3,676,904 shares to ATAC shareholders based on the share exchange ratio of 0.166 of Hecla share for each ATAC common share. As part of the acquisition, Hecla acquired 5,502,956 units consisting of (i) shares of Cascadia Minerals Ltd. (Cascadia) representing a 19.9% stake, and (ii) full warrants with a five-year term for a C$2 million cash investment. Cascadia will be managed by the former management of ATAC, who will explore specific properties in the Yukon and British Columbia. Hecla will have the right to appoint two directors to Cascadias board.

Restart of Casa Berardi Mine

Hecla also announced that Casa Berardi successfully restarted operations on June 29th following the partial lifting of Quebecs ban on access to the road to the mine. All mining and processing activities have resumed normally.

The impact of the suspension and restart on Casa Berardis production and cost guidance are expected to be updated in the second quarter earnings release.

ABOUT HECLA

Founded in 1891, Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL) is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho, and Quebec, Canada, the Company is developing a mine in the Yukon, Canada, and owns several exploration and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America.

Cautionary Statements to Investors on Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws, including Canadian securities laws. When a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition and often contain words such as anticipate, intend, plan, will, could, would, estimate, should, expect, believe, project, target, indicative, preliminary, potential and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, without limitation: (i) Keno Hill silver production is expected to exceed 2.5 million ounces in 2023, (ii) the Keno Hill mine is expected to be the largest and highest grade primary silver mine in Canada and (iii) Casa Berardis production and cost guidance are expected to be updated in the second quarter earnings release.
Highlights:

Rainbow deposit Indicated Mineral Resource of 3.44 Mt at 3.59% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.28 Mt at 2.95% CuEq;

Pine Bay deposit Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.0 Mt at 2.62% Cu;

Fully funded 20,000m drilling is ongoing to explore in depth and to further define parallel deposit targets at the Project; and

Table 1 and Table 2 below provide further information of the mineral resources estimate together with sensitivity to cut-off grades and determination of CuEq.

VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSXV: CNX) (OTC: CLLXF) is pleased to announce a high-grade copper maiden mineral resource estimate for its 100% owned Pine Bay Project (the "Project") in Manitoba. The Project hosts the high grade copper, zinc, gold and silver Rainbow deposit which is open for expansion in addition to the Pine Bay deposit that sits in close proximity. The deposits at the Pine Bay Project are Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") which contain significant copper, zinc, gold and silver that the Flin Flon Mining District is well known for. The resource estimate was prepared by Kirkham Geosystems Ltd. ("Kirkham") for the Company.

The mineral resource estimate, contained within the mineral lease, consists of the Rainbow deposit with an Indicated Mineral Resource of 3.44 Mt at 3.59% copper equivalent ("CuEq") containing 272.4 Mlb CuEq (comprised of 238.3 Mlb Cu, 56.9 Mlb Zn, 37.6 koz Au, 692.8 koz Ag, 2.3 Mlb Pb), an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.28 Mt at 2.95% CuEq containing 83.4 Mlb CuEq (comprised of 72.1 Mlb Cu, 19.5 Mlb Zn, 11.1 koz Au, 222.2 koz Ag, 0.8 Mlb Pb) and the Pine Bay deposit with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.0 Mt at 2.62% Cu containing 58.1 Mlb Cu (Pine Bay Project Block Models Projected to Surface).

Max Porterfield, President & CEO stated, "We are thrilled to be announcing a high-grade copper maiden mineral resource estimate at the Pine Bay Project, after discovering the Rainbow deposit in late 2020 the Project has grown to become one of the largest initial published resources to date in the Flin Flon district's robust history." Mr. Porterfield continued, "With this maiden mineral resource estimate complete, we will now focus on continuing our aggressive drilling program at depth and along the trend that hosts the deposits at Pine Bay. Completion of the maiden resource is also a key milestone and critical step in our goal to develop the Project for the benefit of all stakeholders and the surrounding communities."

Peter R. Jones, a member of Callinex's technical team said, "The Pine Bay Project maiden resource has extraordinary copper grades and excellent tonnage in two deposits about 900m apart. The opportunity to further increase resource tonnage both in depth and from parallel structures is considerable. I look forward to the ongoing results from the well funded exploration program."

Table 1: Pine Bay Project Resource Estimate Summary at 1.3% CuEq Base Case Cut-off

Rainbow Deposit Indicated Mineral Resource

Resource Area Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Zn % Ag g/t Pb % Cu Mlb Au koz Zn

Mlb Ag koz Pb Mlb CuEq % CuEq Mlb Rainbow 3,442,000 3.14 0.34 0.75 6.26 0.03 238.3 37.6 56.9 692.8 2.3 3.59 272.4



Rainbow Deposit and Pine Bay Deposit Inferred Mineral Resource

Resource Area Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Zn % Ag g/t Pb % Cu Mlb Au koz Zn

Mlb Ag koz Pb Mlb CuEq % CuEq Mlb Rainbow 1,282,000 2.55 0.27 0.69 5.39 0.03 72.1 11.1 19.5 222.2 0.8 2.95 83.4 Pine Bay 1,006,000 2.62 N/A N/A N/A N/A 58.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.62 58.1 Total 2,288,000 2.58 - - -  130.2 11.1 19.5 222.2 0.8 2.80 141.5

Notes: (1) Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. (2) The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental permitting, legal title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues. (3) The Mineral Resources in this press release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions (2014) and Best Practices (2019) prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council. It cannot be assumed that all or any of the inferred mineral resources will be upgraded to indicated measured resources as a result of continued exploration. (4) The inferred mineral resource in this resource estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. It is reasonably expected that a majority of the inferred mineral resource could be upgraded to an indicated mineral resource with continued exploration. (5) The indicated and inferred resource estimate uses a copper equivalent cut-off grade of 1.3% CuEq. (6) Copper equivalent resources for the Pine Bay Project were calculated using the following metal prices: Cu at US$3.25/lb, Zn US$1.20/lb, Au at US$1,850/oz, Ag at US$22.50/oz. Foreign exchange rate of CDN$1.00 = US$0.75. (7) Metallurgical recoveries have been assumed to be 80% Cu, 80% Zn, 40% Au and 40% Ag. (8) Mineral resources are not mineral reserves until they have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resource estimates do not account for a resource's mineability, selectivity, mining loss, or dilution. (9) All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and therefore numbers may not appear to add precisely.

The Company will file a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report that supports the disclosure of the Mineral Resource Estimate within 45 days of this news release.

Pine Bay Project Access and Geology

JJ O'Donell, Callinex's Exploration Manager said, "The maiden resource estimate covers a small footprint on our extensive exploration land package in Manitoba. As part of our ongoing drilling campaign we will test high-priority targets at Rainbow, Alchemist, Odin and Cabin with the objective of adding further resources."

The Pine Bay Project, consists of a group of 77 contiguous mineral claims (dispositions) and one Mineral Lease totaling 6,795 hectares. Both the Rainbow and Pine Bay Mineral Resources are located on the Mineral Lease 59 which totals 782 hectares. The Project is located 14 km east of the city of Flin Flon Manitoba, and access is gained via driving southeast 15 kms along provincial highway #10, heading north for an additional 10 kms along old provincial Highway #10 (~5 kms) and the fully serviced Northstar Road.

The Rainbow and Pine Bay deposits are a felsic-hosted VMS deposits that dips 78 and 82 degrees (respectively) to the east, with the Rainbow deposit having a strike length of 310m and a maximum horizontal thickness of 32.0m. The Pine Bay deposit has a strike length of 190 m and a maximum horizontal thickness of 42.0m. Massive sulphides have been intersected on the Rainbow deposit from 100m below surface to a depth of 897m from a total of 66 drill holes totaling 38,249m. Massive sulphides have been intersected on the Pine Bay deposit from 10m below surface to a depth of 375m from a total of 76 drill holes totaling 10,123m.

Callinex's Pine Bay Project encompasses the majority of the Baker Patton Complex (BPC), the largest exposed felsic (rhyolitic) volcanic accumulation in the Flin Flon portion of the Flin Flon-Snow Lake Greenstone Belt (Flin Flon Greenstone Belt Regional Geology). This is especially important since the majority of the VMS deposits occurring within the Flin Flon Belt of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are almost always hosted by rhyolitic flows and volcaniclastic rocks within predominantly mafic terranes. Of additional importance is that these felsic (rhyolitic) rocks only account for a small portion of the total volcanic pile (5-10%). Of particular exploration interest to Callinex's Pine Bay Project, is the very large exposure of intensely altered (chloritic, sericitic and silicic alteration) felsic rocks that have collectively been called the Baker Patton Alteration Zone, encompassing an area with a minimum footprint of 700m by 1000m. A very large footwall alteration system such as this would normally be expected to be accompanied by a large VMS system and has consequently been the target of many exploration companies preceding Callinex.

Pine Bay Project Exploration

Jim Pickell, a member of Callinex's technical team, commented, "After working and contributing to the discovery of several significant deposits in the Flin Flon area, I've always been intrigued by the special geological setting in the Pine Bay area and its continued proven propensity to host prolific VMS systems. Nothing that I've seen in our current round of exploration reduces that initial level of optimism for the property."

The Rainbow deposit was initially discovered with a discovery hole in 2020. In a relatively short time frame, the Company has carried out a number of extensive drill programs to define a high-grade copper maiden mineral resource at the Rainbow deposit. Additional drilling has targeted a number of high-priority targets resulting in the discovery of the nearby Alchemist and Odin prospects, which are not part of this maiden resource estimate.

The focus of the Company is to further expand the size of the high-grade Rainbow deposit both laterally and at depth. The last deep hole at the Rainbow deposit, drill hole PBM-158, was the deepest and most northern hole, which intersected the Yellow zone and returned 5.0m of 1.56% copper equivalent ("CuEq") (consisting of 1.45% copper ("Cu"), 0.07 g/t gold ("Au"), 1.86 g/t silver ("Ag") and 0.11% zinc ("Zn")).

Follow up drilling is also planned to step out vertically above and below Alchemist. The last reported drill hole of Alchemist, ALC-114, intersected 4.40m of 4.02% CuEq including 1.60% copper ("Cu"), 5.14% zinc ("Zn"), 0.40 g/t gold ("Au") and 21.78 g/t silver ("Ag").

The fully funded drill campaign is also targeting Odin, which is directly in between the Alchemist and Rainbow deposits. Drill hole PBM-191 intersected one of the highest precious metals intervals to date at Odin with 0.52m of 5.32g/t Au, 56.67g/t Ag with trace copper and zinc and interpreted to be on the Odin horizon.

The Company is further exploring the high-grade historic Cabin deposit. In late 2016, the Company intersected 10.3m grading 6.0% Zn, 1.8 g/t Au, 60.4 g/t Ag, 0.7% Cu and 0.4% Pb in drill hole 284-3-93-DPN (see news release dated October 18, 2016). Since the discovery of Rainbow and now Alchemist, the Company has a deeper understanding of how VMS deposits sit along the stacked horizons located within the main controlling growth fault corridor at the Project. The Company has now refined exploration target areas and is currently drill testing these targets to follow up on previous high-grade intersections.

Table 2: Pine Bay Project Resource Estimate Sensitivity to Copper Cut-off Grade

Rainbow Deposit Indicated Mineral Resource

Cutoff Cu % Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Zn % Ag g/t Pb % Cu Mlb Au koz Zn

Mlb Ag koz Pb Mlb CuEq % CuEq Mlb 0.5 4,118,000 2.71 0.33 0.77 6.11 0.04 246.0 43.7 69.9 809.0 3.6 3.17 287.8 1.0 3,880,000 2.85 0.34 0.78 6.25 0.04 243.8 42.4 66.7 779.7 3.4 3.31 283.1 1.1 3,766,000 2.92 0.34 0.78 6.28 0.04 242.4 41.2 64.8 756.8 3.3 3.38 280.6 1.2 3,609,000 3.03 0.34 0.76 6.26 0.03 241.1 39.5 60.5 726.4 2.4 3.48 276.9 1.3 3,442,000 3.14 0.34 0.75 6.26 0.03 238.3 37.6 56.9 692.8 2.3 3.59 272.4 1.4 3,265,000 3.27 0.33 0.72 6.23 0.03 235.4 34.6 51.8 654.0 2.2 3.71 267.0 1.5 3,130,000 3.38 0.33 0.71 6.23 0.03 233.2 33.2 49.0 626.9 2.1 3.81 262.9 1.6 3,037,000 3.44 0.33 0.71 6.28 0.03 230.3 32.2 47.5 613.2 2.0 3.88 259.8 1.8 2,896,000 3.55 0.34 0.71 6.31 0.03 226.7 31.7 45.3 587.5 1.9 3.98 254.1 2.0 2,752,000 3.66 0.34 0.70 6.30 0.03 222.1 30.1 42.5 557.4 1.8 4.09 248.1

Rainbow Deposit Inferred Mineral Resource

Cutoff Cu % Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Zn % Ag g/t Pb % Cu Mlb Au koz Zn

Mlb Ag koz Pb Mlb CuEq % CuEq Mlb 0.5 1,541,000 2.22 0.28 0.71 5.54 0.03 75.4 13.9 24.1 274.5 1.0 2.63 89.3 1.0 1,481,000 2.30 0.28 0.71 5.60 0.03 75.1 13.3 23.2 266.6 1.0 2.71 88.5 1.1 1,456,000 2.33 0.28 0.71 5.60 0.03 74.8 13.1 22.8 262.1 1.0 2.74 88.0 1.2 1,345,000 2.47 0.28 0.70 5.44 0.03 73.2 12.1 20.8 235.2 0.9 2.95 87.5 1.3 1,282,000 2.55 0.27 0.69 5.39 0.03 72.1 11.1 19.5 222.2 0.8 2.95 83.4 1.4 1,228,000 2.62 0.28 0.69 5.41 0.03 70.9 11.1 18.7 213.6 0.8 3.02 81.8 1.5 1,166,000 2.71 0.28 0.68 5.45 0.03 69.7 10.5 17.5 204.3 0.8 3.10 79.7 1.6 1,109,000 2.78 0.28 0.69 5.52 0.03 68.0 10.0 16.9 196.8 0.7 3.18 77.7 1.8 945,000 3.04 0.30 0.70 5.75 0.03 63.3 9.1 14.6 174.7 0.6 3.44 71.7 2.0 870,000 3.17 0.30 0.69 5.80 0.03 60.8 8.4 13.2 162.2 0.6 3.58 68.7

Pine Bay Deposit Inferred Mineral Resource

Cutoff Cu % Tonnes Cu % Cu Mlb 0.5 1,275,000 2.27 63.8 1.0 1,136,000 2.45 61.4 1.1 1,082,000 2.52 60.1 1.2 1,044,000 2.57 59.2 1.3 1,006,000 2.62 58.1 1.4 963,000 2.68 56.9 1.5 902,000 2.76 54.9 1.6 854,000 2.83 53.3 1.8 759,000 2.97 49.7 2.0 660,000 3.13 45.5

Model Parameters and Methods for the Rainbow Depoist and Pine Bay Deposit Resource Estimates

The database for the mineral resource estimate for Rainbow Deposit consisted of 104 drill holes (including 14 wedges) totalling 60930m, of which a total of 66 drill holes totaling 38,249m intersected the mineralization wireframes used for the mineral resource estimate. The drill hole database contained assays for copper, zinc, gold, silver and lead as well as other metals of no economic importance.

The database for the mineral resource estimate for Pine Bay Deposit consisted of 131 drill holes totalling 25,672m, of which a total of 76 drill holes totaling 10,123m intersected the mineralization wireframes used for the mineral resource estimate. The drill hole database contained assays for copper only. In October 2022, Kirkham carried out data verification on the historical data and check sampling to validate the use of the database for estimation of the inferred resource at Pine Bay. The methodology employed for the resource estimation at Rainbow and Pine Bay is a follow:

The estimate was carried out using separate block models constrained by 3D wireframes of the individual mineralized zones. The block model is comprised of an array of blocks measuring 10m x 2m x 10m which employ partial percentages for volumetric accuracy, with grades for Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag and Au interpolated using Ordinary Kriging within the Rainbow deposit and Inverse Distance to the Second Power (ID 2 ) weighting for the Pine Bay deposit for copper grades. Copper equivalent values were subsequently calculated from the interpolated block grades.

x x which employ partial percentages for volumetric accuracy, with grades for Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag and Au interpolated using Ordinary Kriging within the Rainbow deposit and Inverse Distance to the Second Power (ID ) weighting for the Pine Bay deposit for copper grades. Copper equivalent values were subsequently calculated from the interpolated block grades. The interpolation for Rainbow was carried out in two passes with the first pass using search radii of along strike and down dip of 150m x 150m and 30m perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12 composites, with a maximum of 3 composites from any one drill hole. The second pass used a restricted search radii along strike and down dip of 60m x 60m and 30m perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 18 composites, with a maximum of 4 composites from any one drill hole.

x and perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12 composites, with a maximum of 3 composites from any one drill hole. The second pass used a restricted search radii along strike and down dip of x and perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 18 composites, with a maximum of 4 composites from any one drill hole. The interpolation for the Pine Bay deposit was carried out in two passes with the first pass using search radii of along strike and down dip of 150m x 150m and 60m perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12 composites, with a maximum of 3 composites from any one drill hole. The second pass used a restricted search radii along strike and down dip of 60m x 60m and 30m perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 16 composites, with a maximum of 4 composites from any one drill hole.

x and perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12 composites, with a maximum of 3 composites from any one drill hole. The second pass used a restricted search radii along strike and down dip of x and perpendicular to dip. Composites were restricted to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 16 composites, with a maximum of 4 composites from any one drill hole. Bulk density was determined on each sample submitted to SGS laboratories in Burnaby , BC measured by the gas pycnometer method on pulp samples. For each sample interval, sub-samples were taken from each individual length of core and the weighted average for the sample used. Density values were interpolated on a block-by-block basis using an inverse distance to the second power for the Rainbow deposit. An average value of 2.90 t/m 3 was assigned to the Pine Bay Deposit.

, BC measured by the gas pycnometer method on pulp samples. For each sample interval, sub-samples were taken from each individual length of core and the weighted average for the sample used. Density values were interpolated on a block-by-block basis using an inverse distance to the second power for the Rainbow deposit. An average value of 2.90 t/m was assigned to the Pine Bay Deposit. Composite values have been capped in order to remove the effects of potential overestimation due to statistical outliers. Therefore, outlier values for each of the metals estimated within the Rainbow deposit were capped at the threshold levels of 7.5%-15% copper, 6% zinc, 20-30 gpt silver and 1.5 gpt gold. For Pine Bay deposit the threshold chosen for capping was 4%-4.5% copper.

The mineralized domain solids were defined using a combination of geological constraints and grade boundaries in addition to consideration of potential reasonable mining thickness. Intervals that were not sampled were assigned a zero grade.

For all zones, blocks are classified as Inferred if they are included within 150m of at least two drill hole intercept. Blocks within 40m of the nearest intercept and 40m average for all composites, estimated by at least four drill holes and at least 12 composites were classified as Indicated. However, an interpreted boundary is the final determination of indicated and inferred resources in order to remove outlier blocks and the "spotted dog" effect. In addition, continuous potentially underground mining shapes were created to demonstrate "reasonable prospect of eventual economic extraction".

Qualified Person

The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by J.J. O'Donnell, P. Geo, the Exploration Manager of the Company, and by Garth Kirkham, P.Geo, FGC, President of Kirkham Geosciences Ltd., who is independent of the Company. Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Kirkham are Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. O'Donnell is the Qualified Person for all technical information in this news release, excluding the Mineral Resource Estimate.

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc. (TSXV: CNX) (OTCQX: CLLXF) is advancing its portfolio of base and precious metals rich deposits located in established Canadian mining jurisdictions. The focus of the portfolio is highlighted by the rapidly expanding Rainbow and Alchemist deposits at its rich VMS Pine Bay Project located near existing infrastructure in the Flin Flon Mining District. The second asset in the portfolio is the Nash Creek Project located in the VMS rich Bathurst Mining District of New Brunswick. A 2018 PEA generates a strong economic return with a pre-tax IRR of 34.1% (25.2% post-tax) and NPV8% of $230 million ($128 million post-tax) at $1.25 Zinc. The third asset, 100% owned Point Leamington Deposit in Newfoundland, is located in one of the richest VMS and Gold Districts in Canada. Callinex prepared a pit constrained Indicated Mineral Resource of 5.0 Mt grading 2.5 g/t AuEq for 402 koz AuEq (145.7 koz gold, 60.0 Mlb copper, 153.5 Mlb zinc, 2.0 Moz silver, 1.5 Mlb lead), an pit constrained Inferred Mineral Resource of 13.7 Mt grading 2.24 g/t AuEq for 986.5 koz AuEq (354.8 koz gold, 110.2 Mlb copper, 527.3 Mlb zinc, 6.2 Moz silver, 7.0 Mlb lead) and an out-of-pit Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.7 Mt grading 3.06 g/t AuEq for 168.5 koz AuEq (65.4 koz gold, 13.3 Mlb copper, 102.9 Mlb zinc, 1.4 Moz Ag, 2.6 Mlb lead).

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.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete the proposed drill program and the timing and amount of expenditures. Except as required under applicable securities laws, Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Independence Gold Corp. (TSXV: IGO) (OTCQB: IEGCF) (the "Company" or "Independence") is pleased to announce assay results from the Ian Vein discovered during the Company's recent 4,000 metre ("m") drill program at its 100% owned 3Ts Project. The Project is located approximately 185 kilometres ("km") southwest of Prince George, British Columbia and situated 16 km southwest of Artemis Gold Inc.'s Blackwater Project.

The Ian Vein is located approximately 240m west of the Tommy Vein system and was previously explored by a single drill hole in 1995. This is the first major new vein discovery at 3Ts in almost 30 years. During the 2023 drill campaign three drill holes were designed to explore the extent of this vein based on field mapping and data compilation results. These holes were drilled towards the east and undercut a historical surface sample grading 11.59 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold and 38.6 g/t silver. Holes 3TS-23-27 and 3TS-23-28 successfully confirmed the presence of sheeted veins while 3TS-23-29 intersected the newly discovered Ian Vein which exhibits a similar width and grade to the Tommy Vein system, with an intercept of 6.98m grading 6.10 g/t gold and 66.05 g/t silver.

Please refer to the website for a map showing the veins and drill hole locations.

Drill Hole Host Rock From

(m) To

(m) Drill Intercept

(m)* Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) Vein Type 3TS-23-27 Quartz Veins, Rhyolite Breccia 59.80 64.30 4.50 0.81 16.00 Ian Accessory Veins including 59.80 60.80 1.00 1.58 23.00 and 153.70 154.00 0.30 4.10 - and 160.00 161.00 1.00 4.56 35.00 3TS-23-28 Quartz Veins, Rhyolite Breccia 27.50 28.00 0.50 2.46 28.00 Accessory Vein 3TS-23-29 Quartz Veins, Rhyolite Breccia 76.52 83.50 6.98 6.10 66.05 MAIN IAN VEIN including 82.00 82.50 0.50 31.80 164.00 and 111.50 112.10 0.60 1.62 26.67 Ian Accessory Veins and 146.80 147.50 0.70 1.57 - and 167.10 167.75 0.65 2.25 - and 185.77 186.45 0.68 1.50 -

*the true widths of the veins are approximately 85% of the reported interval width

**Using a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t gold as per the resource estimate for "in-pit" grades

The drill program has defined this vein system over a 100m strike length which remains open along strike and at depth. The Ian Vein System presents as a series of six parallel sheeted veins within a 95m-wide zone of fractured and brecciated rhyolite and indicates mineralization between the Ian and Tommy Vein Systems. No drilling has explored the area east of the Ian Vein System and west of Tommy Vein System allowing for the potential to discover more mineralized veins.

The density of the veining associated with the grades provides new targets for future drilling and the potential to increase the global resource at the 3Ts Project.

Figure 1: 3Ts Project Ian Vein System

Update on the Program

The drill program commenced at the 3Ts Project on March 7th, 2023, and was completed during mid-May, with a total of 4,000m of drill core recovered from 33 drill holes. Results are being released as they arrive from the lab and may be out of sequential order due to varying submission dates after logging and sample preparation times.

All drill holes completed to date have been sent to SGS lab in Vancouver for sample preparation and analysis. Robotic sample preparation is used to ensure reproducibility; samples are pulverized to greater than 85% passing 75 microns. All samples are submitted for four acid digest with an ICP finish. Gold grades are obtained by fire assay with AAS finish. Samples which return greater than 10 parts per million gold and 100 parts per million silver are resubmitted for fire assay with a gravimetric finish.

The 3Ts Project is comprised of fifteen mineral claims covering approximately 5,200 hectares in the Nechako Plateau region of central British Columbia. The 3Ts Project covers a low-sulphidation epithermal quartz- carbonate vein district within which more than a dozen individual mineralized veins, ranging from 50 m to more than 1,075 m and true widths up to 25m, have been identified.

About Independence

Independence Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company with holdings ranging from early-stage grassroots exploration to advanced-stage resource expansion in British Columbia and Yukon. The Company is positioned to add shareholder value through systematic project advancement, while management continues to evaluate additional gold and silver projects for possible acquisition. For additional information, visit the Company's website www.ingold.ca.

Andy Randell, P.Geo., the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical information in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF INDEPENDENCE GOLD CORP.

"Randy Turner"

Randy Turner, President and CEO

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.

Suite 580  625 Howe, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2T6

Telephone: 604-687-3959

Facsimile: 604-687-1448

E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Independence within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to the Company's planned drilling and exploration activities. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in Independence's public filings under Independence Gold Corp.'s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Independence has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 statements. Independence disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.
Vancouver, British Columbia  July 10, 2023 - C2C Gold Corp. (CSE:CTOC) (the Company or C2C) announced today it has entered into an option agreement for 100% of the Golden Nugget Property, located on New World Island in Canadas Newfoundland. This Project lies immediately adjacent to the Companys Dunnage Project which includes an outcropping quartz vein containing visible gold, arsenopyrite and stibnite returned 120 g/t gold (C2C NR Sept. 12, 2022). The Golden Nugget Property comprises 9 mineral licenses covering approximately 20 km2, and is located approximately 90 km north of Gander, NL. This acquisition is in keeping with C2C Golds strategy to acquire advanced drill ready projects while evaluating and advancing key projects from within the Companys significant land holdings.

Golden Nugget Project Highlights

The Big Oz showing  29.2 g/t gold over 2.5m, including 87.0 g/t gold over 0.8m, and 27.9 g/t gold over 1.22m;

The Gina showing  49.0 g/t gold over 0.3 m, and 18.8 g/t gold over 0.3 m;

The Red Fox Showing  a visible gold discovery in a strongly altered and silicified dyke within the Dunnage Melange;

Airborne geophysics completed in 2022, with analysis reports by GoldSpot Discoveries;

Extensive prospecting, geological and structural analysis, with rock and soil sampling campaigns by prior operators have identified a number of drill ready targets, including at least five separate occurrences of visible gold.

To view C2C project maps please visit: bit.ly/3O6xtbt.

Chris Huggins, Chief Executive Officer stated: The Golden Nugget Project is an exciting property where prior operators have completed significant work and established numerous drill-ready targets. Our goal is to drill this season and maximize the chance of success by utilizing a low cost, high productivity tracked reverse circulation (RC) drill which has proven successful in Yukon gold exploration.

The Golden Nugget Project is within a 30 km belt along a major structural corridor in northeastern Notre Dame Bay. Based on mineralization and lithologies, two different trends have been defined by Rubicon Minerals Corporation:

The New World Trend (NWT): This is a 15 km long structural-stratigraphic contact zone between siliciclastic turbidites (Caradocian and Badger Group) and the Dunnage Melange. The NWT is exposed along the southern shore of New World Island and in small islands within Dildo Run (see map 1). Mineralization is often found as arsenopyrite, pyrite, and gold, related to alteration of felsic dykes, sedimentary and mafic rocks. Also, pyrite, arsenopyrite, and visible gold are found within quartz-carbonate veins, which cut sedimentary and mafic rocks.

The Dunnage-Coaker Corridor (DCC): This is a 2 km long, shallow ocean channel between Coaker Island and northern Dunnage Island which exposes rocks of the Coaker Porphyry and Dunnage Melange (see map 1). Gold is often found associated with pervasive alteration of the Coaker Porphyry. Mineralization includes pyrite, arsenopyrite, stibnite, chalcopyrite and gold.

Terms of the Agreement

Pay to the Optionor an aggregate of $330,000 in cash payments, as follows:

$50,000 on or before the first anniversary of the date of this Agreement;

$70,000 on or before the second anniversary of the date of this Agreement;

$90,000 on or before the third anniversary of the date of this Agreement; and

$120,000 on or before the fourth anniversary of the date of this Agreement.

Issuing and delivering to the Optionor an aggregate of 9,000,000 Shares, as follows:

2,000,000 Shares within five business days after the date of CSE acceptance of this Agreement;

an additional 1,000,000 Shares (with a maximum capitalization value of $300,000) on or before the first anniversary date of this Agreement;

An additional 1,500,000 Shares (with a maximum capitalization value of $750,000) on or before the second anniversary date of this Agreement;

An additional 2,000,000 Shares (with a maximum capitalization value of $1,500,000) on or before the third anniversary date of this Agreement; and

An additional 2,500,000 Shares (with a maximum capitalization value of $2,500,000) on or before the fourth anniversary date of this Agreement.

Technical information disclosed in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Chris Buchanan, P.Geo., Chief Geologist for C2C Gold Corp., and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About C2C Gold Corp.

C2C Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on advancing gold projects in Canadas Newfoundland. C2C Gold holds one of the largest land positions on the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt. C2C Golds portfolio covers a pipeline of projects from early exploration stage through drill-ready stage with known gold occurrences. C2C Gold also holds a portfolio of projects within the prolific White Gold and Klondike districts in Canadas Yukon including the advanced Sonora Gulch copper-gold project.

For additional information:

Christopher Huggins, CEO

604-968-4844

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.c2cgold.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as expected, will be, anticipated, may or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will occur. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.




Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (OTCQB: NKORF) (FSE: 7N11) (the "Company" or "Palladium One") is pleased to provide an exploration update for the Canalask Nickel - Copper Project, in Yukon, Canada.

Highlights

A Class 1 Exploration Permit has been received.

The 2023 Field exploration program has begun.

A high-resolution ground based Electromagentic ("EM") survey is planned to take place this summer.

Reprocessing and modelling of historical geophysical data is underway.

President and CEO Derrick Weyrauch commented, The Class 1 Exploration Permit authorizes exploration and associated preparatory work for a 12-month period at the Canalask Project. Canalask hosts a footwall nickel-copper sulphide deposit of unknown origin, thereby suggesting that a larger deposit is present at depth in the adjacent regional-scale ultramafic dyke. Additionally, Canalask hosts untested geophysical targets.

The current field program consists of clearing the older, flat lying lowland access trail and re-establishing pre-existing drill trails for access to the project from the Alaskan Highway located 4-kilometres to the north. Once completed, a ground-based, high resolution EM survey is planned to refine historical geophysical conductors for drill testing.

Exploration To Date

The Company competed a drone-based magnetometer survey (Figure 1) over the entire Canalask project. This survey consisted of 392-line kilometers at 100-meter spacing and helped refine the location and structure of the Ni-Cu-PGE prospective ultramafic dyke and will greatly assist in the refinement of drill targeting (see press release November, 17, 2022). In addition, a reconnaissance site visit returned grab sample assays over 2% nickel, 6% copper and 1.55 g/t gold. These results support the high grades that were historically reported in footwall-style sulphide mineralization at the Canalask deposit.

Permitting Update

Due to a history of shallow exploration efforts near the Canalask deposit, the project hosts an abundance of historical trails that can be used for access. The Class 1 Exploration Permit allows various exploration activities, including diamond drilling on existing disturbed ground such as access trails and drill trails while no new disturbances are permitted. Additional permit applications to support greater exploration activities remain underway. The Company has made significant progress with regulatory authority engagement as part of a Class III Exploration Permit application. Receipt of a Class III Permit would allow new ground disturbances including the work required to start systematically drill testing the historical electromagnetic (EM) targets associated with the ultramafic dyke.

Canalask Property Overview

The Canalask Property is located within the Whitehorse Mining District, approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon and is accessible from the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek. The Canalask Property consists of a contiguous block of 179 quartz claims covering approximately 3,400 hectares.

Exploration dates to the 1950s when the Canalask footwall zone was originally discovered, drilled, and partially developed. A historical resource estimate on the Main Zone is quoted at 400,000 tonnes at 1.35% nickel (copper was not reported) by Discovery Mines Ltd. in 1968 (Yukon Assessment Report 094599). Early Metallurgical floatation test work returned concentrate grades as high as 19.7% nickel (Yukon Assessment Report 093256). Exploration continued up to the early 2000s through a series of surface programs including geochemical surveys, geological mapping, and geophysics. During these campaigns, numerous high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE showings such 4.7% Nickel, 0.6% Cu and 6.82 g/t TPM (Total Precious Metals) in grade samples at the Discovery Zone (Yukon Assessment Report 094599), were discovered along the length of the ultramafic-mafic dyke. In 2006, Xstrata completed an assessment Report (Yukon Assessment Report 094599) summarizing this earlier work. Readers are cautioned that the Company has not verified the 1968 Historical Mineral Resource Estimate and therefore the data should not be relied upon.

Geological Setting

The Canalask Property covers the lateral extent of the northwest - southeast striking, steeply dipping "White River Intrusive Complex" (WRIC) which is part of the larger Kluane Mafic-Ultramafic Belt. The Kluane Belt extends from northern British Columbia to east-central Alaska, within the Pennsylvanian to Triassic Wrangellia Terrane volcanics and sediments. The belt is host to numerous nickel-copper +/- platinum-palladium deposits and prospects, most notably the past producing Wellgreen Deposit, now owned by Nickel Creek Platinum Corp., approximately 110 kilometers to the south. The WRIC occurs as a sill-like body of ultramafic and mafic rocks 100 to 150 meters thick and dipping approximately 50 degrees to the southwest. The northern margin of the WRIC represents the basal footwall contact zone while the southern margin delineates the upper hanging wall intrusive contact. The intrusion itself is dominantly composed of peridotite and dunite with a mineralized basal gabbro zone.

Exploration Target

The WRIC is a favourable setting for magmatic nickel-copper sulphide mineralization and is considered a "feeder system" with a high volume of magma flow. As evidenced by the abundance of magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE showings at the base of the WRIC and the discovery of the nickel-rich Canalask footwall deposit, the project hosts strong potential for both "magmatic feeder-type" basal deposits and "epigenetic footwall-type" footwall deposits. The geological setting draws comparison to the world-class Norilsk Ni-Cu-PGE camp.

Figure 1. Canalask Project with recent drone based magnetic survey showing total field and location of site visit grab samples.

*The Company has not attempted to verify the historic mineral resource estimate and therefore readers should not place any reliance on the historical estimate.

**TPM refers to total precious metals Pt+Pd+Au

Qualified Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Palladium One

Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Critical Green Transportation Metals. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, nickel - copper sulphide and platinum-group-element (PGE) deposits in Canada and Finland. The Lantinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing NI43-101 Mineral Resources, while both the Tyko and Canalask high-grade nickel-copper projects are located in Ontario and the Yukon, Canada, respectively. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Derrick Weyrauch"

President & CEO, Director

For further information contact:

Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration.

Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.
VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - GR Silver Mining Ltd. ("GR Silver Mining" or the "Company") (TSXV: GRSL) (OTCQB: GRSLF) (FRANKFURT: GPE)  today announces several Board and Management changes aiming to position the Company for continued growth under current market conditions.

The Company has accepted the resignation of Mr. Gino DeMichele for personal reasons from its Board of Directors. Mr. DeMichele has been a director of the Company and its predecessor company since April 2017, providing highly valuable guidance and support over the many years. GR Silver Mining welcomes the addition of two new directors to its Board of Directors, Mr. Fernando Berdegue de Cima and Mr. Trevor Woolfe.

Mr. Berdegue is a Mazatlan-based entrepreneur with a BA Degree in Financial Management from Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey and a Masters Degree in International Management from Instituto de Empresas (IE) Business School in Madrid, Spain. He is a Founding Partner and CEO of Durango Gold Corp., a private US-based mining exploration company, and was a Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor to Tonogold Resources, Inc., which consolidated the historic Comstock Lode in Nevada and where he proposed an innovative multidisciplinary approach for exploration. He brings to the Company a diverse range of education, experiences, and interests including law and humanities, environment, sustainability, governance, venture capital, and responsible mining, including extensive experience in Mexican business as a Member of the Advisory Board of the family business, El Cid Mega Resorts, in Mazatlan, Sinaloa Mexico. Mr. Berdegue, together with current director Laura Diaz, strengthens the board's knowledge and experience in carrying out business in Mexico.

Mr. Woolfe is well-known to GR Silver Mining as the Company's former Vice President Exploration and Corporate Development. He joined the Company in July 2018 and had been an important member of the geological team as our understanding of mineralization at the Plomosas Project and, consequently, our mineral resource inventory, grew. He was key, together with current exploration management, to the discovery of the SE Area, supporting the Company's resource growth over the last three years. Mr. Woolfe left the Company to return to his native Australia as announced in the news release dated June 14, however, his deep knowledge of all operations and assets of the Company in Mexico will provide valuable knowledge and experience to support strategic planning in the coming months. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, majoring in geology, from Monash University (Australia). Prior to joining GR Silver Mining, he brought 25 years of exploration, mining, and public company management experience, including positions with Australian companies CRA, Metana Minerals NL and Newcrest Mining Limited, as well as four years with Canadian major, Placer Dome in Chile and Brazil. He is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance and Investment (SIA).

In addition, the Company announces that it has accepted the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Samantha Shorter for personal reasons. Ms. Shorter was appointed CFO in May 2023. Mr. Blaine Bailey, the Company's former CFO who retired in May 2023 (see news release dated May 5, 2023), has agreed to return to the Company as Interim CFO with Ms. Shorter's continued support.

Chair of the Board of Directors Eric Zaunscherb, stated, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, the management, and the Company's shareholders, I wish to thank Gino DeMichele for his exceptional support since the Company's inception. Thank you also to Samantha Shorter for her recent contributions. I wish them both all the best in their future endeavours. I am very pleased to welcome Blaine Bailey back in the role of CFO, knowing the Company intimately as he does. Finally, we are honoured to have Fernando Berdegue and Trevor Woolfe joining our board. Fernando brings an intimate understanding of the Mexican business milieu and a passion for developing Mexican mining assets in a responsible manner, while Trevor's knowledge and experience and recent discovery of the SE Area, will provide valuable input in the strategic planning and growth of resources at the Plomosas Project."

About the Plomosas Project

The Plomosas Project, including the recent high-grade silver SE Area discovery in the San Marcial Area, is an emerging high-grade silver district located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico. The Plomosas Project, covering 43,187 ha, benefits from mine infrastructure, road access and existing permits, associated with past-producing historical mining sites. The district contains intermediate to low sulphidation epithermal silver and gold mineralization hosted in hydrothermal breccias and veins. Recent success in exploration and drilling has delineated wide, high-grade, shallow hydrothermal breccias in the San Marcial Area, including the SE Area discovery, where drilling incorporated into the updated March 2023 Plomosas Project mineral resource estimation highlighted an exploration opportunity for continuous resource growth.

About GR Silver Mining Ltd.

GR Silver Mining is a Canadian-based, Mexico-focused junior mineral exploration company engaged in cost effective silver-gold resource expansion on its 100%-owned assets, located on the eastern edge of the Rosario Mining District, in the southeast of Sinaloa State, Mexico. GR Silver Mining controls 100% of two past producer precious metal underground and open pit mines, within the expanded Plomosas Project, which includes the integrated San Marcial Area and La Trinidad acquisition. In conjunction with a portfolio of early to advanced stage exploration targets, the Company holds 734 km2 of concessions containing several structural corridors totaling over 75 km in strike length.

GR Silver Mining Ltd.

Eric Zaunscherb, Chair & CEO

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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 press release.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NINE MILE METALS LTD. (CSE: NINE, OTCQB: VMSXF, FSE: KQ9) (the Company or Nine Mile), is pleased to announce the mobilization of Lantech Drilling Ltd. track mount rig for continuation of the Companys stage 2 drill program at its flagship Nine Mile Brook VMS project in the world-famous Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick (BMC). Following re-processing and technical analysis from Phase 1, refined targeting has identified a new structure crosscutting the project area west of the Lens. Defined by a chargeability high, the Nine Mile Structural Corridor contains individual targets along its boundaries that have never been drill tested.

The completion of the 5,000m stage 2 drill program on the Nine Mile Brook VMS Project is scheduled to resume by July 17, 2023.

Enhanced target definition has identified a massive new structure, the Nine Mile Structural Corridor, and new targets on the western flank of the Lens.

The boundaries of the structure correlates to the Islands Trend in the west and the along a well-defined geophysical contact in the east.

This structure has never been tested by drilling.

The new structural trend identified by the chargeability west of the Lens may, due to extensive folding, contain felsic volcanics of the Spruce Lake Formation, host to known VMS mineralization in the BMC.

Targeting is focused along both the western and eastern contacts of the Nine Mile Structural Corridor where favourable geology coincides with individual, discreet anomalies as in the north where veins of copper and zinc mineralization were intersected in drill hole T01-B-RM at the Islands.

Re-interpretation of the geophysical and geological data further defined the regional trend and boundaries that host the Lens mineralization.

New targets have been identified with a node at hinge A and its plunge to the north.

Lantechs track mounted drill rig provides ease of access reducing moving costs while also keeping environmental disturbance to a minimum.

Lantech has also secured a REFLEX EZ-TRAC, a high precision magnetic and gravimetric instrument that can transfer vital downhole survey data in real time to assist in the planning, plotting, and modeling of data

Image 1: Newly Identified Nine Mile Structural Corridor

Patrick J Cruickshank, MBA , CEO & Director stated, Our reprocessing and further analysis from phase 1 of our drill program has identified a new structure that has never been tested. New analysis has identified this structure and its contacts as a high priority for testing the source of our Lens. This area has never been identified or drilled historically. Only by utilizing new algorithms and data from our phase 1 drilling have we been able to locate and define this area. The fact that it lines up exactly with the Islands contact has further added to its potential for minerialization. We look forward to further locating the source at the Islands for the VMS veins intercepted in phase 1. We are thrilled to announce a fully funded phase 2 mobilization next week and continue our exploration program at Nine Mile Brook. In the meantime, we are continuing to analyze and prepare for our Wedge and California Lake drill programs.

We are proud to announce we have been selected and received the maximum amount of the New Brunswick Junior Mining Assistance Program Grant for our phase 2 drilling at our successful California Lake VMS Project from last fall 2022. This is a financial assistance program for private-sector mineral exploration companies. The maximum available is $50,000 and is intended to increase the probability of finding economically viable mineral resources in New Brunswick. Our successful identification and mineralization at our phase 1 drill program last fall 2022 has been identified and supported by the NB Government of Natural Resources and we are honoured to take this to the next level in phase 2 this summer. With the Wedge and the California Lake programs, we look forward to a very busy and successful summer/fall exploration season. We look forward to our next update.

Image 2: Nine Mile Brook Stage 2 Drill Target Areas

After merging the drill hole geology with the 3D geophysical model, a new structural trend has been identified on the Nine Mile Brook VMS Project where there has been no previous drilling. This is an exciting development and targeting in this stage is focused on more discreet, strong anomalies along the structural boundaries where favourable geology has been identified. This target area has always been considered a potential source of the Lens mineralization which may have moved into place following the many episodes of folding that define the deposits in the BMC, stated Gary Lohman, B.Sc., P. Geo., VP Exploration and Director.

The disclosure of technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and reviewed and approved by Gary Lohman, B.Sc., P. Geo., Director who acts as the Companys Qualified Person, and is not independent of the Company.

About Nine Mile Metals Ltd.

Nine Mile Metals Ltd. is a Canadian public mineral exploration company focused on VMS (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag and Au) exploration in the world-famous Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada. The Companys primary business objective is to explore its three VMS Projects: Nine Mile Brook VMS Project; California Lake VMS Project; and the Canoe Landing Lake (East  West) VMS Project. The Company is focused on Critical Minerals Exploration (CME), positioning for the boom in EV and green technologies requiring Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc with a hedge with Gold.

Social Media

ON BEHALF OF NINE MILE METALS LTD.

Patrick J Cruickshank, MBA

CEO and Director

T: +1.506-804-6117

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of Nine Mile. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Nine Mile. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as will, may, would, expect, intend, plan, seek, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, continue, likely, could and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include that (a) the new structural trend identified by the chargeability west of the Lens may contain felsic volcanics of the Spruce Lake Formation, host to known VMS mineralization in the BMC, (b) this target area has always been considered a potential source of the Lens mineralization which may have moved into place following the many episodes of folding that define the deposits in the BMC, (c) the maximum $50,000 grant funding is intended to increase the probability of finding economically viable mineral resources in New Brunswick, (d) the fact that Nine Mile Structural Corridor lines up exactly with the Islands contact has further added to its potential for minerialization, (e) we are thrilled to announce a fully funded phase 2 mobilization next week and continue our exploration program at Nine Mile Brook, and (f) we are continuing to analyze and prepare for our Wedge and California Lake drill programs. Although Nine Mile believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Nine Mile can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.
Sudbury, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Magna Mining Inc. (TSXV: NICU) (FSE: 8YD) ("Magna" or the "Company") is pleased to release additional assay results from the ongoing 2023 diamond drilling program. Drilling continues to intersect high grade nickel mineralization in the 101 Footwall ("FW") Zone and in a footwall zone between the 101 and 109 FW Zones, referred to as the 105 FW Zone, which intersected 6.0% Ni, 2.2 % Cu, 5.8 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 2.2 metres.

Highlights from the new assay results include:

105 FW Zone

MCR-23-024: 6.0% Ni, 2.2 % Cu, 5.8 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 2.2 metres

101 FW Zone

MCR-23-020: 4.3% Ni, 0.4 % Cu, 1.7 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 0.4 metres

And 11.2% Ni, 0.4 % Cu, 0.1 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 0.4 metres

MCR-23-024: 5.1% Ni, 1.3 % Cu, 0.03 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 0.8 metres

Dave King, SVP Technical Services, stated, "Diamond drilling is ongoing at Crean Hill, where two drill rigs remain active. The assays released today include results from our initial drilling within the 105 FW Zone, which is a high tenor nickel zone similar to the 101 FW Zone, and hosted within a footwall breccia structure trending southwest from the Main Contact Zone. Both the 101 FW and the 105 FW Zones have the potential to produce high grade nickel ore using selective mining methods. Although some of the assay intervals released today are narrow, this style of massive sulphide veins can pinch and swell over relatively short distances, and it is encouraging to see these zones extending beyond the current Mineral Resource models. Diamond drilling is ongoing in these areas, and we look forward to providing additional assay results as they are received."

Diamond drillhole assay results released today are from the 101 FW, 105 FW and 9400 FW Zones, and were designed to extend known mineralized zones beyond the current mineral resource models. Drillhole MCR-23-023 targeted the 9400 FW Zone, southwest of the known mineralization and intersected high-grade Pt+Pd+Au, low sulphide mineralization approximately 30 metres southwest of the current Mineral Resource.

Drillholes MCR-23-020, MCR-23-021 and MCR-23-024 were designed to test both the 105 FW Zone and the 101 FW Zone. The 105 FW Zone is similar to the 101 FW Zone (See news release dated March 2, 2023), and consists of high nickel tenor, semi massive to massive sulphide veins hosted within a breccia structure extending into the footwall from the Sudbury Igneous Complex ("SIC"). The footwall breccias are commonly associated with the mafic volcanic and metasediment contacts and can provide a structural corridor for sulphide mineralization to extend into the footwall environment of the SIC. Drilling to date has demonstrated good continuity of sulphide veins within the current mineral resource, and recent drilling has extended both of these zones beyond where they are currently modelled. The 105 FW Zone, trends into the footwall from the Main Zone, which was historically the main source of contact Ni-Cu mineralization at Crean Hill. The 105 FW Zone has historically been defined to the 1500 foot level, and remains a significant Mineral Resource with historical mining on only a few levels.

The location of the diamond drillholes is illustrated in Figures 1-2, assay results are summarized in Table 1, and drillhole coordinates in Table 2.

Table 1: Summary of Assay Results

Drillhole Zone From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ni % Cu % Co % Pt g/t Pd g/t Au g/t TPM g/t NiEq MCR-23-020 109 FW 18.72 19.35 0.63 0.03 0.06 0.00 6.78 0.49 0.30 7.57 1.04 105 FW 272.29 272.60 0.31 1.38 0.08 0.07 0.01 1.46 0.13 1.60 1.89 101 FW 326.56 327.00 0.44 4.34 0.20 0.23 0.02 0.08 1.59 1.69 5.09 and 344.92 354.73 9.81 0.77 0.51 0.01 0.03 0.17 0.30 0.50 1.10 Including 347.57 348.00 0.43 11.21 0.68 0.08 0.01 0.06 0.06 0.13 11.63 and 362.00 362.60 0.60 0.82 2.05 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.06 0.08 1.73 MCR-23-021 101 FW 262.74 263.10 0.36 3.17 0.51 0.03 0.12 0.09 1.20 1.41 3.70 MCR-23-022 9400 FW 338.60 341.02 2.42 0.06 0.07 0.00 3.89 4.70 1.54 10.13 1.97 MCR-23-023 9400 FW No Significanct Values MCR-23-024 105 FW 265.48 270.55 5.07 2.60 0.50 0.05 2.32 1.02 0.04 3.39 3.40 Including 265.48 267.63 2.15 6.01 0.97 0.10 5.40 0.32 0.06 5.78 7.29 101 FW 333.57 335.23 1.66 2.42 1.04 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.12 0.19 3.01 Including 334.00 334.77 0.77 5.06 1.33 0.16 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.03 5.85 Intermediate 481.23 483.00 1.77 0.81 0.63 0.03 0.70 0.75 0.27 1.72 1.44

All lengths are downhole length.

NiEq % = ( (Ni% x 2204 x Ni Price $/lb) + (Cu% x 96% Recovery x 2204 x Cu Price $/lb) + (Co% x 56% Recovery x 2204 x Co Price $/lb) + (Pt gpt x 69% Recovery / 31.1035 x Pt $/oz) +(Pd gpt x 68% Recovery / 31.1035 x Pd $/oz) + (Au gpt x 68% Recovery / 31.1035 x Au $/oz))/2204 x Ni $/lb



Figure 1: Longitudinal Section of the Crean Hill Deposit Showing the Location of Mineralized Zones, Drillholes Reported Today, Selected Historical Drillholes, and the 750 Level (See Figure 2).



Figure 2: Idealized Geological Plan View of the 750 Level, Showing the 105 FW Breccia Zone in Relation to Other Crean Hill Mineralized Zones. The Location of Drillhole MCR-23-24 is Indicated, Along with Selected Historical Drillhole Intersections in the 105 FW Zone.

Table 2: Drillhole Collar Coordinates

BHID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth MCR-22-020 473033 5141811 288 345 72 533 MCR-22-021 472585 5141882 286 332 47 440 MCR-22-022 472580 5141884 286 357 70 503 MCR-22-023 473030 5141814 288 316 55 335 MCR-22-024 473031 5141814 288 332 68 380

*Drillhole Coordinates are in coordinate system NAD 83 Zone 17

Qualified Person

The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by David King, M.Sc., P.Geo. Mr. King is the Senior Vice President, Technical Services for Magna Mining Inc. and is a qualified person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

QA/QC

Sample QA/QC procedures for Magna have been designed to meet or exceed industry standards. Drill core is collected from the diamond drill and placed in sealed core trays for transport to Magna's core facilities. The core is then logged, and samples marked in intervals of up to 1.5m and cut with a diamond saw. Samples are then bagged in plastic bags with 10 bagged samples being placed into rice bags for transport to Swastika Laboratories in Kirkland Lake Ontario via Gardewine Transport. Samples are submitted in batches of 50 with 5 QA/QC samples including, 2 certified reference material standards, 2 samples of blank material and 1 duplicate.

About Magna Mining Inc.

Magna Mining is an exploration and development company focused on nickel, copper and PGM projects in the Sudbury Region of Ontario, Canada. The Company's flagship assets are the past producing Shakespeare and Crean Hill Mines. The Shakespeare Mine is a feasibility stage project which has major permits for the construction of a 4,500 tonne per day open pit mine, processing plant and tailings storage facility and is surrounded by a contiguous 180km2 prospective land package. Crean Hill is a past producing nickel, copper and PGM mine with a technical report dated August 2022. Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Company's website (www.magnamining.com).

For further information, please contact:

Jason Jessup

Chief Executive Officer

or

Paul Fowler, CFA

Senior Vice President

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are subject to several risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control, including statements regarding the production at the Shakespeare and Crean HIll Mines, the economic and operational potential of the Shakespeare and Crean Hill Mines, potential acquisitions, plans to complete exploration programs, potential mineralization, exploration results and statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions of the Company. Resource exploration and development is highly speculative, characterized by several significant risks, which even a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. 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 whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
Vancouver, Canada  TheNewswire - July 10, 2023  Trench Metals Corp. (the Company) (TSXV:TMC, FWB: 33H2) is pleased to announce it will conduct a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) of up to 10,000,000 units of the Company (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.25 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $2,500,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.30 at any time on or before the date which is twelve months after closing of the Offering.

The net proceeds raised from the Offering will be used to advance exploration work at the Higginson Lake Uranium Project, located in Northern Saskatchewan, and for general working capital purposes.

The Company may pay finders fees to eligible parties who have assisted in introducing subscribers to the Offering. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to restriction on resale for a period of four-months-and-one-day in accordance with applicable securities laws. Closing of the Offering remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Incentive Option Grant

The Company also announces that it has granted 1,500,000 incentive stock options (the Options) to the directors and officers of the Company. The Options vest immediately and are exercisable at a price of $0.30 until July 10, 2024.

About Trench Metals Corp

Trench Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company with a focus on uranium. We create value for our shareholders by engaging in promising mineral exploration opportunities. Our main goal is the advancement of various projects from discovery all the way to production. This vertically integrated strategy allows Trench Metals to achieve exceptional shareholder value through the entire life-cycle of the mining process.

For further information, contact the Company at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 604.558.4300, or visit the Companys website at www.trenchmetals.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Trench Metals Corp.

Simon Cheng, President

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.

This news release may contain certain Forward-Looking Statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the development of the Higginson Lake Uranium Project, the expected use of proceeds from the Offering and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.




VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - Elevation Gold Mining Corporation (TSXV: ELVT) (OTCQX: EVGDF) (the "Company" or "Elevation Gold") is pleased to announce the production results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 ("Q2 2023"). The Company expects to file its interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis in August 2023.

Second Quarter 2023 Highlights

Elevation Gold produced 6,788 ounces of gold from 721,187 ore tonnes processed with average grades of 0.38 g/t, approximately equal to the quantity of gold produced in Q2 2022.

g/t, approximately equal to the quantity of gold produced in Q2 2022. The Company sold 6,839 ounces of gold during Q2 2023.

Year-to-date 2023, the Company sold 14,918 ounces of gold, an increase of 10% over the gold sales in the comparable year-to-date period of 2022.

Average mined grade increased from 0.39 g/t during the first half of 2022 to 0.41 g/t during the first half of 2023, a 5% increase.

Consolidated Operational Results Summary

The following table provides a summary of the Company's operational statistics for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.

Q2 2023 Q2 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Ore tonnes mined T 745,781 726,226 1,424,435 1,461,443 Ore tonnes stacked T 721,187 768,997 1,419,538 1,486,895 Contained gold ounces stacked Oz 8,850 10,456 18,538 18,506 Gold grade g/t 0.38 0.42 0.41 0.39 Gold ounces produced Oz 6,788 6,809 14,677 13,077 Gold ounces sold Oz 6,840 6,998 14,918 13,510

Tim Swendseid, Elevation Gold's CEO, stated "Our second quarter production reflected some fragmentation and crusher maintenance challenges, and the majority of the ore was sourced from West Pit. Moss's second half is forecasted to show improvement as we mine additional East Pit ore and move past the issues experienced in the first half. We remain confident in our guidance of 34,000 to 36,000 ounces of gold production for all of 2023. We have kicked-off construction of our 3A-Ph2 Leach pad, which will be completed in Q4 2023 and will provide sufficient leach pad capacity for ore production through 2025. Our collective Moss Mine team had an outstanding half in terms of safety and are well prepared to carry out improvements throughout the remainder of the year."

Change in Directors

At the Company's annual general shareholder meeting ("AGM") held on June 22, 2023, Mr. Geoff Burns did not stand for re-election as director, and Mr. Douglas Ward was elected to replace him. Douglas Hurst, Chairman of Elevation Gold, commented "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Burns for his outstanding commitment and dedication to the Company over the years. The board of directors appreciates everything he has done and wishes him every success in his future endeavors, and he has certainly left a positive mark on the Moss Mine.

Mr. Ward has worked in the metals and mining industry for over thirty-five years, primarily in the silver, gold, and copper producing sectors. He was previously VP Technical Services for Maverix Metals Inc. and has held positions of Director of Business Development at Pan American Silver, VP Corporate Development with Revett Minerals, Manager Business Development/Senior Financial Analyst at Coeur Mining, and Technical Analyst for N.M. Rothschild & Sons. Mr. Ward holds a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver. Douglas Hurst, Elevation Gold's Chairman, stated "The Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome Mr. Ward to the Company. He brings a wealth of experience in the mining industry and will be a valuable member of the team."

Qualified Persons

Unless otherwise indicated, the technical disclosure contained within this press release that relates to the Moss Mine has been reviewed and approved by Tim J. Swendseid, CEO of the Company and a Qualified Person for the purpose of NI 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ELEVATION GOLD MINING CORPORATION

"Tim J. Swendseid"

Tim J. Swendseid, CEO of Elevation Gold Mining Corporation

About Elevation Gold Mining Corporation

Elevation Gold is a publicly listed gold and silver producer, engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of mineral properties located in the United States. Elevation Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") in Canada under the ticker symbol ELVT and on the OTCQX in the United States under the ticker symbol EVGDF. The Company's principal operation is the 100% owned Moss Mine in the Mohave County of Arizona. Elevation also holds the title to the Hercules exploration property, located in Lyon County, Nevada.

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 Statement on Forward-Looking Information

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document constitute forward-looking information, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company's plans, prospects and business strategies; the Company's guidance on the timing and amount of future production and its expectations regarding the results of operations; expected costs; permitting requirements and timelines; timing and possible outcome of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimations, life of mine estimates, and mine plans; anticipated exploration and development activities at the Company's projects; net present value; design parameters; economic potential; processing mineralized material; the potential of robust economic potential at the Moss Mine. Words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "goal", "aim", "intend", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "can", "could", "should", "schedule" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon various estimates and assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, including that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour; assumed and future price of gold, silver and other metals; anticipated costs; ability to achieve goals; and assumptions related to the factors set forth below. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this document in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, these statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks inherent in mining, including, but not limited to risks to the environment, industrial accidents, catastrophic equipment failures, unusual or unexpected geological formations or unstable ground conditions, and natural phenomena such as earthquakes, flooding or unusually severe weather; uninsurable risks; global financial conditions and inflation; changes in the Company's share price, and volatility in the equity markets in general; volatility and fluctuations in metal and commodity prices; the threat associated with outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases, including the COVID-19 virus; delays or the inability to obtain, retain or comply with permits; risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; health and safety risks; exploration, development or mining results not being consistent with the Company's expectations; unavailable or inaccessible infrastructure and risks related to ageing infrastructure; actual ore mined and/or metal recoveries varying from Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates, estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution, mine plans and metallurgical and other characteristics; risks associated with the estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, including, but not limited to, models relating thereto; ore processing efficiency; information technology and cybersecurity risks; potential for the allegation of fraud and corruption involving the Company, its customers, suppliers or employees, or the allegation of improper or discriminatory employment practices; regulatory investigations, enforcement, sanctions and/or related or other litigation; estimates of future production and operations; estimates of operating cost estimates; the potential for and effects of labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; risks related to the environmental regulation and environmental impact of the Company's operations and products and management thereof; exchange rate fluctuations; climate change; risks relating to attracting and retaining of highly skilled employees; compliance with environmental, health and safety laws; counterparty and credit risks and customer concentration; litigation; changes in laws, regulations or policies including, but not limited to, those related to mining regimes, permitting and approvals, environmental and tailings management, and labour; internal controls; challenges or defects in title; funding requirements and availability of financing; dilution; risks relating to dividends; risks associated with acquisitions and related integration efforts, including the ability to achieve anticipated benefits, unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to integration and diversion of management time on integration; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, production estimates and estimated economic return; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; and other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those described the Company's public disclosure documents which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile. All of the forward-looking statements made in this document are qualified by these cautionary statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, forecast or intended and readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate and forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance. Readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein speaks only as of the date of this document. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forwardlooking information or to explain any material difference between such and subsequent actual events, except as required by applicable law.
Company additionally hires uranium and rare earths specialist as senior geologist

KELOWNA, BC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - FISSION URANIUM CORP. ("Fission" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Kanan Sarioglu, P.Geo., as Vice President of Exploration "VP Exploration", replacing Ray Ashley. Mr. Sarioglu is a professional geologist with over fifteen years of experience and several uranium discoveries under his belt. He began his uranium exploration career as part of the team responsible for delineation of the Michelin uranium deposit in Labrador, Canada. Mr. Sarioglu then joined the award-winning exploration team led by Fission CEO, Ross McElroy, starting with Fission's predecessor, Fission Energy, and played an instrumental role in the discovery of the J-Zone and Triple R uranium deposits. Most recently, he held the position of VP Exploration for 92 Energy and led his team in the discovery of its Gemini uranium discovery in the eastern Athabasca Basin region. Mr. Sarioglu is a registered professional geologist in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

The Company additionally announces the appointment of James Haley, P. Geo., as senior geologist. Mr. Haley is a highly experienced exploration geologist specializing in uranium and rare earths. Of note, he has previously worked with Fission Uranium, focusing on interpreting and understanding mineralization controls and how to best utilize this for further discovery elsewhere on the property. Mr. Haley is registered as a professional geologist in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ross McElroy, President, and CEO for Fission, commented, "I'm extremely pleased to welcome Kanan Sarioglu back to Fission Uranium in the important capacity of VP Exploration. Kanan is one of the top geologists in the uranium sector and is the ideal choice for Fission Uranium's expanding team of experts. We are further strengtening our exploration team with the addition of James Haley  a talented senior geologist. While our development team continues to advance the proposed high-grade mine and mill at PLS at a strong pace, the deposit remains open in multiple directions and further mineralization is prospective along the Patterson Lake Corridor trend. The PLS property is a vast land package -more than 31,000 ha in size  and hosts a large number of high priority exploration areas. These include several kilometers in numerous discrete Electromagnetic 'EM" conductors, which are key geophysical features often associated with high-grade uranium occurrences. For context, the Triple R deposit, located within the prolific Patterson Lake Corridor, is associated with just one EM conductor."

About Fission Uranium Corp.

Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian-based resource company specializing in uranium exploration and development. The company is the owner and developer of the PLS uranium project  a proposed high-grade mine and mill located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fission's common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Ross McElroy"

___________________________

Ross McElroy, President and CEO

Cautionary Statement

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Fission and Fission Uranium which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company and Fission Uranium disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT" or the "Company") (TSX-V:GRAT) (OTCQX:CBULF) (FSE:CB82) announces today that it has appointed Bruno Baillavoine Executive Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Baillavoine was originally appointed Chair of the Board of Directors on February 16, 2023 as an independent director (see press release dated February 16, 2023). The Company also wishes to announce that it has appointed Stephen Woodhead as Chief Financial Officer to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Rodger Roden.

Bruno Baillavoine, Executive Chair of the Company stated: "On behalf of the Board and Management at Gratomic, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Rodger for his professional service to the Company and wish him the best in his retirement."

Stephen Woodhead servred as Executive VP-Finance for the Company since March of 2021and has been preparing for the role of CFO for the last 6 months in anticipation of Mr. Roden's retirement. Mr. Woodhead is a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Mr. Woodhead has over 30 years of experience, having worked for the South African Department of Finance and Trans Hex Group, a South African diamond producer, before relocating to Canada in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer of Trans Hex International. Mr. Woodhead is Senior Vice President, Finance of Sumer Resources (copper) and One Bullion (gold), and has worked as Chief Financial Officer / Vice President of Finance with various public companies in the resource sector, including Desert Sun Mining, from 2003 until it was acquired by Yamana Gold in 2006, developer of the Jacobina gold mine in Brazil, Homeland Energy (developer of a coal mine in South Africa), Crocodile Gold (developer and acquiror of gold mines in Australia), and Trigon Metals (developer of a copper mine in Namibia). Mr. Woodhead also served as a director of Apogee Minerals (silver) and Vaaldiam Mining (diamonds).

The Company also wishes to report that all matters on the agenda at the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on July 6, 2023 were approved by at least a 97% majority of the shares voted at the meeting.

The Company will be commencing a search for up to two additional independent directors to enhance the corporate governance of Gratomic.

"It is with great pride that I take on the new role of Executive Chair of the Board of this exciting and challenging project at such an opportune time," said Baillavoine. "Gratomic has valuable assets in the form of high-quality vein graphite. It has Management, Commercial and Technical teams with a proven record that is World class in the Graphite sector. In addition, I am confident that Gratomic has the right strategy to become a key Partner in the Electric Vehicle battery supply chain."

"The directors chose Bruno to fill this role based on his experience and expertise. I fully support his expanded role in management of the Company as Executive Chair of the Board," stated Arno Brand, President & CEO, Gratomic. "Having Bruno in an executive position will give me more time to focus on my role as CEO. This separation of duties will allow us to streamline the day-to-day operations within the Company, providing everyone more time to focus on various important business items simultaneously."

About Gratomic

Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The Company is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the EV battery supply chain. With the continued development of its flagship Aukam project and further exploration on the Company's Capim Grosso property, Gratomic sets itself apart by seeking out unique top-quality assets around the world. True to its roots, the Company will continue to explore graphite opportunities displaying potential for development.

Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm its viability as an anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in its desired target markets. The Company will continue to update the public on the status of these tests and will provide results as soon as they become available.

The Company has formed a collaboration agreement with Forge Nano. With its patented ALD coating, this cooperation is a key element in supporting Gratomic's strategies towards the value-added phases of producing graphite for anode applications, namely micronization, spheronization, and coating, making Gratomic graphite a preferred choice for use in lithium-ion batteries.

For more information: Visit www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (416) 561- 4095

Sign up at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list.

For marketing and media information, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).
TORONTO, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sulliden Mining Capital Inc. (TSX: SMC) (Sulliden or the Company) is pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement dated July 9, 2023, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to purchase and subscribe for up to 70% of the total issued and authorised ordinary par value shares of a Namibian private company (Privco), subject to the terms and conditions set out in the agreement (the Transaction).

Privco holds, either directly or through option agreements, 14 exclusive prospecting licenses representing 307,778 hectares of exploration licenses, including the Khorixas Gold Project, the Omatjete Gold and Lithium Project, and the Outjo Gold Project (collectively, the Damara Project). The Damara Project is anticipated to provide Sulliden access to three distinct project areas that are highly prolific for gold and lithium deposits within Namibia.

Khorixas Gold

The 168,759-hectare Khorixas Gold Project is located approximately 350 km northeast of Walvis Bay within the Northern Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt, a geological setting that hosts orogenic gold deposits such as QKRs Navachab deposit, B2Golds Otjikoto deposit (see B2Golds website at https://www.b2gold.com/projects/producing/otjikoto/#updates), and Osinos Twin Hill gold discovery (3.1 Moz  see Osinos website at https://osinoresources.com/projects/twin-hills-discovery/).

The vendor has identified three exploration targets within the Khorixas Gold Project.

The Belmont target covers an area of 12 kilometres by 6 kilometres and is covered by 1 to 5-metre thick calcrete and scree cover. Gold mineralisation appears to be associated with sulphide-rich quartz veins in stacked shears associated with silicification and ankerite alteration. Previous exploration activities by the vendor included the collection of several visible gold samples that returned significant gold assays with the highest rock chip sample assaying 49.9 g/t of gold, as well as several areas with anomalous gold-in-soil samples, and a small maiden exploratory percussion drilling campaign to depths as deep as 50 m from surface. The reader is cautioned that the Company and the Qualified Person have not validated the analytical or assay results reported by the vendor, nor have they been able to confirm and validate any quality control/quality assurance procedures or processes used by the vendor when it reported its results from the Belmont target.

The vendors K17 target is characterized by highly altered albitised zones following both bedding and regional foliation along the southern nose of the Dagbreek syncline and located on the western edge of an interpreted intrusive body. Mineralisation is commonly associated with gold, copper, silver, bismuth, molybdenum & uranium. The vendor has reported collecting and assaying multiple anomalous polymetallic rock chip samples ranging up to 21 g/t gold, 16.25% copper and 37.8 g/t silver.

The vendor has collected multiple high anomalous rock chip samples from their K15 target area, assaying up to 1.1 g/t gold. K15 mineralisation appears to be controlled by a North-Northwest trending fault zone and is associated with sulphide-rich quartz veins.

The reader is cautioned that the Company and the Qualified Person have not validated the analytical or assay results reported by the vendor, nor have they been able to confirm and validate any quality control/quality assurance procedures or processes used by the vendor when it reported its results from the K17 and K15 target areas.

Omatjete Gold and Lithium

The 93,105-hectare Omatjete Gold/Lithium Project is located approximately 80 km Southeast of the Khorixas Project and within the Northern Central Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt which encapsulates the Uis Lithium/Tin/Tantalum belt. The North Central Zone hosts a number of significant deposits such as WIAs recently discovered Kokoseb Gold deposit (1.3 Moz  see WIA Golds website at https://wiagold.com.au/kokoseb-gold-project-namibia/), the Uis Lithium/Tin/Tantalum mine (81Mt @ 0.73% Li2O  see Andrada Minings website at https://andradamining.com/assets/uis/) and the recently commissioned Xingfengs Lithium/Tin/Tantalum operation.

The Omatjete Gold/Lithium Project is transected by two regional shear zones, one crossing the northern part of the property and one crossing the southern part. Both shear zones are known to host orogenic gold deposits. The northern shear zone hosts the Kokoseb Deposit approximately 20 km west of the property, whereas the southern shear zone hosts the Gross Okangjou Gold Occurence and Epako Gold Prospect located 5 km and 30 km east of the property, respectively.

The recently commissioned Xingfeng Lithium/Tin/Tantalum Operation which mines lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites is located immediately adjacent to the western property boundary. The mine pegmatites have been traced along strike to the east onto the Omatjete Property in preliminary prospecting and mapping work by the vendor. However, the Omatjete property has not seen any significant exploration for lithium in its history.

Outjo Gold Project

The 45,914-hectare Outjo Gold Project is located approximately 80 km East of the Khorixas Project and on the same Northern Zone of the Damara Orogenic Belt. Outjo comprises a greenfields project with no historical work done on the Kuiseb formation. The geology of the Outjo basin is consistent with other known basins that host major gold deposits in Namibia.

The Transaction

As consideration for a 51% interest in the Damara Project, Sulliden has agreed to pay to the vendor and fund Privco up to the Namibian dollar equivalent of an aggregate of US$2.86m, as follows:

(i) for a 25% equity interest in Privco, Sulliden shall pay:

US$60,000 to the vendor on closing; and US$1.4m to Privco to fund exploration costs over the 24-month period following closing, provided that if the full amount is not paid to Privco during such period the Company shall be required to relinquish its 25% interest back to the vendor; and

(ii) for up to an additional 26% equity interest in Privco (for a total of 51%), Sulliden shall pay US$1.4m to Privco to fund exploration costs during the 12-month period ended 36 months after closing.



Under the agreement, Sulliden is further entitled to increase its interest in Privco and the Damara Project by an additional 19% (for a total of 70%), by paying the Namibian dollar equivalent of US$4m to Privco to fund exploration costs during the 36-month period ended 72 months after closing.

To the extent that the amounts set out in items (i) and (ii) above are not paid to Privco by Sulliden within the periods specified in the agreement, Privco will only be obliged to issue and allot to the Company so many of its shares as is proportionate to the amounts actually paid.

The Transaction is an arms length transaction for purposes of the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and remains subject to customary closing conditions, including the transfer of certain exclusive prospecting licences to Privco. No finder fees are payable in connection with, and no change of control of Sulliden will result from, the Transaction. The acquisition of the initial 25% equity interest in Privco from the vendor is expected to close in late 2023.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained herein has been reviewed and approved by Roger Lemaitre, P. Eng., P.Geo., the Companys Vice President (Uranium) a non-independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Sulliden Mining Capital Inc.

Sulliden is a mining company focused on acquiring and advancing brownfield, development-stage and early production-stage mining projects in the Americas, Australia and Africa.

Mr. Rennie Morkel, Chief Executive Officer of Sulliden, commented, We are delighted by this acquisition announcement which reinforces our continued commitment to investing in strategic metals, and which also brings about what we anticipate will be a great future opportunity in Namibia. Closing this transaction will further increase our portfolio to add gold and lithium metals in a stable and well governed region, consolidating Sullidens ability to leverage expected profitable projects depending on market trends. Together with our other international projects, the lithium component of the transaction will cement our position in the supply of future global energy transition metal demands. I wish to thank all of my colleagues at Sulliden and the Privco leadership who have been working tirelessly to get this exciting Namibian transaction agreement executed".

Sulliden Mining Capital Inc.



On behalf of the Board



Rennie Morkel

Chief Executive Officer

For more information:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cautionary statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the proposed transaction to acquire up to a 70% equity interest in Privco, including the conditions to closing and the timing to complete the Transaction, and the Companys plans for and expectations of the Damara Project. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including receipt of necessary approvals, risks inherent in the mining industry and the other risks described in the public disclosure of the Company which is available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such 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. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

THE TSX HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
A Tripoli court has imposed heavy prison terms on three people convicted of human trafficking from Libya, a key North African departure point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

The attorney general's office said in a statement on Friday that one of the three, whose identities and nationalities were not given, was sentenced to life in prison and the other two to 20 years each.

They are the first convictions in Libya in human trafficking cases.

The court found the three guilty of "trafficking in human beings" and having "detained and tortured" illegal migrants and extorted their relatives to pay ransoms to free them, the statement said.

War-torn Libya is regularly criticised for its handling of migrants, with rights groups alleging horrific treatment by smuggling gangs and inside state-run detention centres.

Libya is a key launchpad for migrants who are often fleeing conflict and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. They aim to reach Italian shores just 290 kilometres (180 miles) to the north across the Mediterranean Sea.

The route is the world's deadliest migratory sea crossing.

Libya was plunged into years of chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed strongman Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, helping to turn the country into a fertile ground for human trafficking.

In a March report, a United Nations fact-finding mission on human rights in Libya found that some migrants trapped there had been subject to sexual slavery -- a crime against humanity.

In October 2021, the United States and the UN imposed sanctions on a Libyan, Osama Al Kuni Ibrahim, accused of abusing African migrants at a detention centre in Libya.
The United Nations condemned the civilian cost inflicted by Russia's war in Ukraine as the fighting passed the 500-day mark with no end to the conflict in sight.

More than 9,000 civilians, including 500 children, have been killed since Russia's February 24, 2022 invasion, the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said in a statement on Friday, though UN representatives have previously said the real count is likely to be much higher.

"Today we mark another grim milestone in the war that continues to exact a horrific toll on Ukraine's civilians," Noel Calhoun, the deputy head of HRMMU, said in the statement marking the 500th day since the invasion.

While this year the casualty numbers have been lower on average than in 2022, the figure began to climb again in May and June, the monitors noted.

On June 27, 13 civilians, including four children, were killed in a missile strike on Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine.

And far from the front line in the western city of Lviv, rescuers found a 10th body in the rubble of buildings on Friday.

At least 37 people were wounded during an early Thursday strike that Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called the biggest attack on civilian infrastructure in his city since the start of Russia's invasion of the country.

More than 50 apartments had been "ruined" and a dormitory at Lviv Polytechnic University had been damaged, he wrote on Telegram.

UNESCO said that attack was also the first to take place in an area protected by the World Heritage Convention and had damaged a historic building.

Russia regularly bombards Ukraine with air attacks, including indiscriminate artillery and missile fire that have been especially deadly. The strikes have also targeted infrastructure and supply lines, depriving civilians of power and water.

The cities of Bucha and Mariupol became bywords for Russian atrocities last year, after reports and images of massacres there shocked the world and prompted allegations of war crimes and even genocide.

In the once-sleepy commuter town Bucha, AFP journalists witnessed a single street filled with corpse after corpse in civilian clothes in April.

Satellite images later showed that several bodies had been lying in the street since mid-March, when the town was under Russian control, while Ukrainian authorities said that hundreds of people had been killed in Bucha by Moscow's retreating forces.
Conflict-torn Sudan is on the brink of a "full-scale civil war" that could destabilise the entire region, the United Nations warned Sunday, after an air strike on a residential area killed around two dozen civilians.

The health ministry reported "22 dead and a large number of wounded among the civilians" from what it described as an air strike Saturday on Khartoum's sister city Omdurman, in the district of Dar al-Salam, which means "House of Peace" in Arabic.

After nearly three months of war between Sudan's rival generals, the air strike is the latest incident to provoke outrage.

Around 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict, while survivors have reported a wave of sexual violence and witnesses have spoken of ethnically targeted killings. There has been widespread looting, and the UN warned of possible crimes against humanity in the western region of Darfur.

A video posted by the health ministry on Facebook showed apparently dismembered bodies lying partly covered on the ground after the air strike.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting the regular army, claimed the "air strikes" killed 31.

Residents contacted by AFP also confirmed an air strike but on Sunday the armed forces released a statement "clarifying that the air force did not deal with any hostile targets in Omdurman yesterday".

Witnesses also reported more air strikes Sunday near the presidential palace in Khartoum and in Omdurman, as well as machine gun clashes and artillery fire in the city's south.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the air strike in Omdurman, which he said "reportedly killed at least 22 people" and wounded dozens, his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

Guterres "remains deeply concerned that the ongoing war between the armed forces has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region", Haq said.

Civil aviation authorities have extended the closure of Sudan's airspace until July 31, with the exception of approved humanitarian and evacuation flights, Khartoum International Airport said on its Facebook page.

Meanwhile civilians began digging graves for those killed in the air Saturday's air strike, witnesses said.

Since the war began, many bodies have been left to rot in the streets in both Khartoum and Darfur, which has seen some of the most violent fighting.

- 'Dangerous and disturbing' -

Nearly three million people have been uprooted by Sudan's fighting, including almost 700,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The UN and African blocs have warned of an "ethnic dimension" to the conflict in Darfur, where the United States, Norway and Britain have blamed the RSF and allied militia for most of the widespread violations.

Concentrated in Darfur and Khartoum, fighting has also been reported in Blue Nile state near Ethiopia, which also has a history of unrest, as well as in South Kordofan state.

Residents in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and a commercial hub south of Khartoum, reported renewed fighting in their area overnight Saturday-Sunday, and then again on Sunday afternoon.

"There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing," said Haq, expressing support for efforts by the African Union and East African bloc IGAD to end Sudan's crisis.

On Monday, leaders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan -- IGAD members handling the Sudan file -- are to meet in Addis Ababa.

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have been invited but neither side has confirmed they will attend.

Several Sudanese civilian figures are already there, however, "in order to accelerate peace efforts", said Khalid Omer Yousif, who was fired from the government in 2021 when Daglo and Burhan led a coup, before their falling out.

Egypt, a close ally of Burhan's, said it will host a summit of Sudan's neighbours on Thursday to seek an end to the conflict and its regional "repercussions", a statement from the president's office in Cairo said.

Numerous ceasefires in the war have been announced and ignored.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday that next month's BRICS summit, which Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend, will be held in-person despite an arrest warrant on the Russian leader.

South Africa is the current chair of the BRICS, a grouping of heavyweights that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and China to challenge the dominant US and European-led global governance structures.

"The BRICS summit is going ahead and we are finalising our discussions on the format," Ramaphosa told South African journalists on the sidelines of a conference by the ruling ANC, adding it will be a "physical" meeting.

He did not say if Putin -- who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children -- would attend or not.

"We are going to have a physical BRICS summit, all of us are committed to having a summit where we will be able to eyeball each other," he said in response to a question during a briefing broadcast live on local television networks.

"We have not held a physical summit for... almost three years. It's not going to be virtual," he stressed.

As a member of the ICC, South Africa would be expected to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country.

There had been speculation in the local media that Pretoria was considering moving the talks to China, which is not signatory to the Rome Statute, to avoid being put in the position of having to arrest Putin.

The arrest warrant is a diplomatic dilemma for Pretoria, which has been close to the Kremlin since the anti-apartheid struggle years.

South Africa has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying it is impartial and prefers dialogue, which it is pushing for.

- Neutral position -

Defending South Africa's neutral position, Ramaphosa said Pretoria would not be deterred in its campaign to push for negotiation where conflicts arise.

"It's an important role that we can advance," he said. "With the geopolitical situation as fluid as it is now, we believe that it's important that a country like South Africa should be able to play its long-stated role."

"This we have learnt from the great Nelson Mandela because that was his approach also to international relations, he was able to talk to all parties whether they were in conflict or not," said Ramaphosa.

Last month, Ramaphosa led a seven-country African peace delegation including representatives from the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Senegal and Uganda, in a historic attempt to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow.

The African leaders' mission brought the voice of a continent that has badly suffered from repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, particularly with rising grain prices.

It put forward a 10-point proposal, including de-escalation, the recognition of countries' sovereignty, unimpeded grain exports through the Black Sea and sending prisoners of war and children back to their countries of origin.

South Africa is set to host the 15th BRICS summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in the financial hub Johannesburg from August 22 to 24.

Several countries have expressed interest to join the BRICS, according to the South African foreign ministry.
"It's an ecological disaster comparable to Chernobyl [1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine, 130 kilometres north of Kyiv]," says Maksym Popov, special advisor for environmental crimes to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, in reference to damage caused by the explosion of the huge Nova Kakhovka dam on June 6.

More than 150 prosecutors and more than 250 regional and national investigators are working on this investigation, he explains. The investigation concerns three regions crossed by the Dnieper: Kherson, the area most affected by the flooding; Mykolaiv, downstream on the Crimean peninsula; and Zaporijjia, upstream, home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant whose cooling is partly dependent on the level of the Dnieper. It should be noted that in the event of an attack on the Zaporijjia power plant, the polluted water would no longer be held back by the dam and would flow unimpeded into the Black Sea.

On June 8, after 2,300 civilians had been evacuated from the flooded areas of Kherson, the Ukrainian president addressed "the world environmental protection community" in a speech broadcast online, calling on Russia to be held responsible for a "terrorist" act constituting "ecocide". Volodymyr Zelensky asked that Ukraine not be left to deal with this tragedy alone. Prosecutor Popov says it is indeed important for the international community to realize the consequences of the war declared by the Russians". "There are no borders for the environment, and when the aggressor attacks it, it's not just Ukrainians who suffer: all ecological systems are interconnected," he says.

ICC visits the region

On June 11, representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) travelled to the Kherson region with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Ukrainian media reports. They met regional prosecutors and visited flooded areas. They did not have access to the site of the Kakhovka dam, which is controlled by the Russian Federation. The investigation into the exact causes of the explosion can only be carried out with the support of intelligence services and open sources, notably satellite sources.

Moscow, at an urgent meeting convened by the UN Security Council on June 7, blamed Ukraine for the "sabotage". No independent investigation team has yet been able to visit the dam site. And strangely enough, according to Newsweek information, a week earlier on May 30 Russia adopted new legislation prohibiting the opening of investigations into accidents that might occur on "hydraulic structures" in the context of its military operations in the "annexed" Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporijjia.

NGOs went too

The devastation wrought by this disaster cannot be overstated and will undoubtedly be felt for years to come as entire industries, from irrigation to agriculture, water, fishing, livestock, and several more, now face the widespread, long-term, and severe impacts, says in a press release Yousuf Syed Khan, a lawyer with the NGO Global Rights Compliance who was part of the Attorney General's delegation that visited the area on June 10 and 11. He argues that the "starvation" that could result from the disaster would constitute a war crime.

The Kakhovka affair is mobilizing many players in Ukraine, including several national and international organizations. "Because of the extent of the damage, Kakhovka has a good chance of being analyzed by the ICC," says Dmytro Koval, a lawyer with the Ukrainian NGO Truth Hounds, which has also given itself a mandate to document environmental crimes and support national and international investigations in Ukraine.

Ecocide, a crime under Ukrainian and Russian law

But on the specific question of environmental crime, Ukrainian legislation has nothing to be ashamed of when compared with the Rome Statute, the legal text governing the ICC. The latter does not include the crime of ecocide. Its Article 8 defines "widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment" as a war crime, but requires proof of intentional action and its "excessive" character in relation to the expected military advantage. While these criteria may be met in the case of Kakhovka, they may make the ICC -- which, unlike in the case of other crimes, has not communicated on this issue -- hesitate to commit to this investigation.

Popov explains that under Ukrainian law, the article of the Criminal Code punishing violations of the laws and customs of war refers to international instruments and thus to the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, adopted in 1977 after the Vietnam War and the American Agent Orange bombings. This text prohibits the use of means of warfare likely to cause "widespread, long-term and severe" damage to the environment. It also protects "installations [civilian] containing dangerous forces" - namely dams, dykes and nuclear power plants - which must not be attacked during armed conflict.

But the major advantage of Ukrainian law is that it included ecocide in its 2001 criminal code -- a crime which, "for the moment, is not considered as a full-fledged crime throughout the world", stresses Popov. And while the definition of this crime - inherited from the Soviet Union and also existing in Russian law - is rather imprecise and has rarely been tried, it has the merit of existing. "We are pioneers and there is no precedent in the international system," says the special advisor for environmental crimes at the Ukrainian prosecutor's office. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has opened no fewer than 195 prosecutions for environmental crimes committed by Russian forces, qualifying them as war crimes. Among these cases, 15 are also qualified as ecocide, says Popov.

There are three main categories, he explains: attacks on civilian targets like water networks and fuel reserves, resulting in the contamination of air, soil and groundwater; hostilities in the Black Sea, threatening dolphins with extinction due to Russian navy sonar; and the partial or complete destruction of forests and nature reserves protected by international conventions.

Accumulating evidence

"We're not hoping for a trial in the short or medium term; right now, it's a matter of accumulating evidence," says Truth Hounds' Koval. He thinks the priority is to reorganize the files by region and type of crime, and to try to draw up individual cases. "Journalists are helping us in this task, as are many foreign lawyers," he says.

These are systematic crimes, and we mustn't hurry, says Popov. Several cases are at the preliminary investigation stage, and it is essential to have technical assessments of the components contaminating the soil, water and air, based on samples, carried out at international level, as well as an estimate of the duration of the contamination. Identification of the perpetrators and those who gave the orders is carried out in coordination with the security services, which, he says, is not the easiest part of the investigators' work.

The Kakhovka investigation, which is taking wide dimensions in Ukraine, has only just begun. Ukraine is committed to examining all war-related criminal cases, stresses the special advisor. 99% of the cases will be tried in Ukraine. But the ICC has its say. Representatives of the ICC came to the Kakhovka region. They can make their own conclusions.
"Squid Game" Season 2 cast lineup will remain despite Choi Seung Hyun's casting backlash.

Back in June, Netflix dropped the names of celebrities who would be joining the much-anticpated sequel. However, following the second announcement of the "Squid Game" Season 2 cast, viewers expressed mixed reactions to the former BIGBANG member's casting.

Choi Seung Hyun to Remain as 'Squid Game' Season 2 Cast

As mentioned by a media outlet, the production team spoke about the updates regarding the activities of the Netflix series this 2023.

Choi Seung Hyun reportedly has no plans on stepping down amid the criticisms regarding his casting in "Squid Game" season 2.

On the other hand, Director Hwang Dong Hyuk, the creator behind the hit K-drama, is "silent" regarding the casting issue, especially with the actor.

Reason Behind Choi Seung Hyun, 'Squid Game' Season 3 Casting Issue

A year after Netflix officially confirmed that "Squid Game" Season 2 got the green light, the public anticipated who would be the actors joining the highly-anticipated sequel.

In June, the streaming giant dropped a teaser, showcasing the confirmed cast, featuring a mix of new and returning characters.

Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, and Gong Yoo were initially confirmed by "Squid Game" director Hwang Dong Hyuk, but Wi Ha Joon will also return in season 2 as Hwang Jun Ho.

Meanwhile, Im Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, and Yang Dong Geun have been confirmed to join the sequel.

At the time of the announcement, Netflix was accused of only focusing on male and known stars, and it seemed like they missed rookies and female stars.

However, Netflix quickly responded and hinted that there would be additional announcements.

"This was the first cast announcement for Squid Game season two. We're excited to share more casting news soon, which will include the leading female characters."

Weeks after the first announcement, the streaming giant surprised the public with a slew of stars joining the series.

Following the rumors regarding the female cast included in "Squid Game" Season 2, Netflix confirmed that "Sweet Home" alums Park Gyu Young and Lee Jin Wook will join the series.

In addition, Kang Ae Shim, Lee David, Jo Yu Ri, Won Ji An, Noh Jae Won, and Choi Seung Hyun will also join the supporting cast.

As for the K-pop star, this will be his first time appearing onscreen since "Out of Control" back in 2019.

However, as the cast lineup included the former BIGBANG member, some speculated that Lee Jung Jae helped him get on board. The issue was immediately addressed by his agency, saying that the actor had not seen the K-pop star in years except during the script reading.

Meanwhile, production hasn't started, but "Squid Game" Season 2's target release date is 2024.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Director Hwang Dong Hyuk Receives No Royalties Despite 'Squid Game' Craze

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Written by Geca Wills
In "King the Land" episode 8, Gu Won finds the courage to officially confess his feelings to Cheon Sa Rang, which ends with them sealing their love with a kiss!

Here's what went down in the latest episode.

'King the Land' Episode 8: Gu Won's Bickering Moments With the Arab Prince Continue

In "King the Land" episode 8, the jealousy war between Gu Won and the Prince of Arab continued. It was revealed that the chaebol fooled him into giving up on the groom's garment, and they had a little chase as the ceremony began.

Cheon Sa Rang thanked Gu Won for his intervention and asked if he was jealous, which he denied. However, he said that he doesn't like seeing her with other men.

The bickering moments between Gu Won and the prince did not stop until Sa Rang told them that she would leave if they didn't stop.

As the prince couldn't let go of his anger, his men took the chaebol heir away and enjoyed every moment with Sa Rang. He had a heartfelt conversation with the hotelier and was mesmerized by her sincerity.

Despite the war with Gu Won, the prince decided to hold a small party before his departure.

Meanwhile, Gu Won and Sa Rang went to a ramyeon date near the Han River. The next day, he invited her for breakfast, but refused as she wanted to sleep more.

Unfortunately, Sa Rang spotted her colleague and pulled Gu Won inside the room. He was shocked until he understood why she did it.

Cheon Sa Rang Rejects Wedding Proposal From the Arab Prince

Cheon Sa Rang received a dress from the prince for the party. As the celebration began, the hotelier entered the venue in her elegant dress, while Gu Won was later called by the prince, wearing the dress of a waiter.

He was instructed to serve the two during the party and did it obediently.

Surprisingly, the prince pulled out a ring for Sa Rang, Gu Won was unable to hold back and stopped the proposal. However, he was relieved after she respectfully rejected the proposal.

To make it for the two, she suggested a dinner together, where they shared a fun time.

After the prince departed, Gu Won was finally at ease.

Elsewhere, it was different for Hwa Ran as their father praised Gu Won and handed the responsibility for the hotel's 100th anniversary to the chaebol heir for doing a great job of inviting the Arab Prince to their hotel.

The tension between the siblings arose.

Cheon Sa Rang & Gu Won Seal Their First Kiss

Gu Won had a nightmare and as soon as he woke up, he missed Sa Rang and looked for her, only to find out that she was with her friends at the sauna. He then joined them and enjoyed the food.

However, Sa Rang's friends noticed the tension between her and Gu Won. They advised the chaebol heir to confess his feelings before it was too late.

Gu Won took their advice and asked Sa Rang out. In a private location, he prepared food for her.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned when a fire in the pan broke out, and rain poured on the food and them.

Luckily, this created a romantic atmosphere for Gu Won. They exchanged gazes, and soon the two sealed their first kiss, marking the start of their relationship.

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Shai Collins wrote this.
Park Gyu Young recently took the world by storm after landing the lead role in Netflix's "Celebrity." However, before the 12-episode mystery drama, she had been in several shows on the streaming platform.

Due to this, the 29-year-old beauty was given a new moniker.

Park Gyu Young on Being Called 'Daughter of Netflix'

Ahead of the release of "Celebrity," the actress did an interview with the local media, where she got to talk about her K-drama comeback and upcoming projects.

Park Gyu Young was asked about her thoughts regarding the moniker "Daughter of Netflix" for headlining several series on the platform.

"I'm not the 'Daughter of Netflix' yet."

She, nonetheless, expressed her appreciation for being called as such by the public.

Moreover, Park Gyu Young also mentioned how honored she is to be involved in various Netflix projects.

"I feel fortunate to be able to showcase my talent through such a prestigious platform. It's incredible that my work [Celebrity] will reach viewers in 190 countries."

In "Celebrity," she took on the role of Seo Ah Ri, an influencer whose career skyrocketed due to the online culture despite coming from a low-income background. The Netflix series showcased the dark side of being an influencer in the social media era.

While viewers speculate that Park Gyu Young's character in "Celebrity" is based on real-life influencers, the team and showrunners explained that the character is fiction. They, however, took inspiration from Korea's influencer scene.

Park Gyu Young Joins 'Squid Game' Season 2

Besides "Celebrity," the South Korean star will join two highly-anticipated Netflix series.

She will reprise her Yoon Ji Su, in "Sweet Home" Season 2, along with original cast members Lee Jin Wook, Song Kang, Lee Si Young, and Go Min Si.

In addition, Park Gyu Young is confirmed to headline "Squid Game" Season 2 with Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hyun, Im Siwan, and more.

She will also be reunited with her "Sweet Home" co-star Lee Jin Wook, who is also a part of the upcoming K-drama.

For her upcoming project, Park Gyu Young confessed that she is nervous about joining the much-awaited sequel, considering that "Squid Game" made a huge hit in 2021.

However, she is thankful for the senior stars who will be working alongside her in the upcoming K-drama.

"Seeing the seniors who appeared in 'Squid Game 2' was really amazing. Honestly, I was a little more nervous than normal."

As mentioned, Park Gyu Young appeared in "Sweet Home," as well as "Dali and the Cocky Prince," "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," "Romance Is a Bonus Book," and more.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

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Written by Geca Wills
A new study carried out by National Population Council (NPC) has revealed that Alebtong district registered the lowest cases of teenage pregnancies at 2,190 cases in Lango sub-region.

The study results show that Oyam registered the highest cases of teenage pregnancies with 4,448 cases, followed by Lira with 3,871, Kole registered 3,186, Dokolo 2,363, and Kwania 2,332.

Others were Amolatar which registered 1,939 cases, Apac and Otuke registered 1,714 and 1,506 cases, respectively.

Mr Eric Ntege, the programme officer at National Population Council attributes the low levels of teenage pregnancies to mass sensitization of masses about the dangers of teenage pregnancy.

We as government commend the district for their efforts in controlling and lowering the high rate of teenage pregnancy as issues of teenage pregnancy are very alarming in controlling population growth and national development, he said.

According to him, that is the reason why Alebtong district has been chosen to host this years world population day which is slated for 11th June 2023 at their Boma ground.

Mr Ntege noted that, every year, National Population Council carries out a country-wide survey to ascertain the district that has performed well in the reduction of teenage pregnancy and is awarded for their performance.

Mr Simon Odwor, the deputy head teacher of Aloi secondary school says the policy of not chasing students away from school over unpaid school fees has also helped to reduce teenage pregnancy cases in the district.

We normally accept what they have and reach an agreement with the parents or guidance on when to pay or with bringing food items to supplement in reducing school fees payments, he said.

He added that, if a girl is found pregnant at school, they are not sent away but rather talk to the parents who decide what to do next.
By Joseph Kiggundu

Motor vehicle importers are seeking audience with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) over the planned digital car number plate scheme.

Government suspended implementation of the scheme that was meant to be rolled out by July 1 2023, until 30th October, following an order by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG).

According to the State Minister for Works, Fred Byamukama, the contractor allegedly failed to make timely delivery of the consignment.

Malik Azhar, the Chairman Delight Car Dealers Association says that whereas they appreciate the governments security concerns that informed the decision to get digital number plates, their views were not taken into consideration because they were never consulted.

He says that if implemented without adjustments to accommodate their concern, especially regarding costs (Shs 735,000 plus Shs 25,000 for fixing number plates), the project will adversely affect their business, thus urging the Ministry of Works and the URA to listen to them.

In 2021, the government hand-picked the Russian firm to supply digital number plates embedded with surveillance chips under the envisaged Intelligent Transport Motoring System.

Members of parliament, the general public, and rights activists had earlier raised concerns over privacy and the cost of acquiring the new digital plates.

The tax body also raised red flags over the preparedness of responsible agencies and the contracted firm to roll out the project.

In a related development, Malik also urged URA not to auction vehicles that have overstayed in the bond.

The 2005 East African Community Customs Management Act empowers URA also to seize cars with foreign registration number plates that are illegally in the country.
Players in the small and medium enterprise sector are calling for the establishment of an East African Community (EAC) trade tribunal to address regional trade bottlenecks such as the recent stand-off at Elegu border.

This follows the release by the government of South Sudan, of the first 26 of the 92 trucks that have been impounded for more than a month over allegations of high levels of aflatoxins in the grain cargo.

The release followed talks between South Sudan officials and a Ugandan delegation led by Odrek Rwabwogo, the Chairman of the Exports and Industrial Committee (PACEID).

Now, the Executive Director of the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FSME), John Walugembe says having a trade tribunal will help address such unjustified non-tariff barriers in the future, and will foster smooth and full regional economic integration.

The protocol on the establishment of the East African Community (EAC) common market became operational in July 2010.
The Ministry of Public Service has kicked off a validation exercise on costed service delivery standards in nine key service areas in local governments across the country. Costing service delivery is key in informing service recipients and providers about the cost of the specific service.

The 9 key service areas include; gender, Labor and Social development, health, education, and sports, water, and environment.

Others are; works and transport, lands, housing and urban development, agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, local economic development, and public service management and administration.

During a weeklong stakeholders engagement meeting to validate the costed service delivery standards, that ended on Friday at rider hotel in Mukono, the commissioner of human resource management, in charge of human resource policy and procedures department; Mr Patrick Muhereza who represented the Minister of Public Service Mr. Wilson Muruuli Mukasa said there is need to define and cement the level of service delivery to all parties.

As we deliver Uganda to a middle-income status, it is critical that the level of service delivery is clearly defined and cemented to all the parties. This will translate into increased civic competence through a knowledge and lasting empowerment to demand for services that are due to the citizens at the known costs, Muhereza said.

Our citizens can only demand what is due to them in terms of services, when they know the costs and when they know the standards. Availability of costed services delivery standards will therefore increase the level of responsiveness, transparency, accountability uniformity in the delivery of services and equity in allocation of resources, he added.

He said, there are a number of pertinent issues that could be done including embracing the developed home solutions and mainstreaming them into the day to day processes.

It should not only be an issue of the national service delivery standards but even at individual level, we should have standards that we live by. Secondly, we need to disseminate the standards to facilitate the utilization. If we develop these standards and we dont disseminate them, then they might not be of value that we are looking for, he noted.

He called for a need to provide a platform for soliciting feedback from the service recipients and the providers as far as performance improvement is concerned.

He further expresses need to document any policy issues that can inform a policy agenda of government in addition to continuing to technically analyze the costed standards, provide constructive feedback to enable the ministry develop a document that will stand the test of time.
By Yahudu Kitunzi | Monitor

Police in Gulu City in northern Uganda are hunting for gunmen who shot and killed a mobile banking agent after raiding the shop where he was operating from.

Kenneth Olobo was attacked by two armed assailants in Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) uniform as he was balancing books, according to police.

Police said Mr Ismail Odong, a boda boda rider who reported the attack to police alleged that three unknown men and two wearing army uniform armed with two AK47 riffles attacked a mobile banking / mobile money shop belonging to one lan Opio.

The Aswa River Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP David Ongom Mudong, said the assailants robbed an unspecified amount of money and mobile phones.

We are investigating a double incident of aggravated robbery and murder by shooting which took place on July 8, 2023 at around 9:10pm. The thugs discharged two bullets injuring Kenneth Olobo. He was rushed to Gulu regional referral hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on July 9, 2023 ASP Ongom said. Read more
Members of the business community in Rukiga district are asking the government to prioritise raising awareness on road safety to reduce carnage.

This follows the death of businessman Apollo Nyegamehe in a road crash last Thursday.

Specifically, the business people in Muhanga say it is unfortunate that they have lost a strong pillar due to preventable death.

The vehicle in which he was travelling rammed into a stationary Fuso lorry at Itojo, along the Mbarara- Kabale highway in Ntungamo district.

A requiem mass is set to be held this morning at Rubaga Cathedral in honour of Nyegamehe, commonly known as Aponye who was also at the time of demise was also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson of Rukiga District.

The body will tomorrow be taken to St Luke Muhinga Church in Rukiga district where he will be laid to rest at his ancestral home on Wednesday.
By AFP

Conflict-torn Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale civil war that could destabilise the entire region, the United Nations warned Sunday, after an air strike on a residential area killed around two dozen civilians.

The health ministry reported 22 dead and a large number of wounded among the civilians from what it described as an air strike Saturday on Khartoums sister city Omdurman, in the district of Dar al-Salam, which means House of Peace in Arabic.

After nearly three months of war between Sudans rival generals, the air strike is the latest incident to provoke outrage.

Around 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict, while survivors have reported a wave of sexual violence and witnesses have spoken of ethnically targeted killings. There has been widespread looting, and the UN warned of possible crimes against humanity in the western region of Darfur.

A video posted by the health ministry on Facebook showed apparently dismembered bodies lying partly covered on the ground after the air strike.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting the regular army, claimed the air strikes killed 31.

Residents contacted by AFP also confirmed an air strike but on Sunday the armed forces released a statement clarifying that the air force did not deal with any hostile targets in Omdurman yesterday.

Witnesses also reported more air strikes Sunday near the presidential palace in Khartoum and in Omdurman, as well as machine gun clashes and artillery fire in the citys south.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the air strike in Omdurman, which he said reportedly killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens, his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

Guterres remains deeply concerned that the ongoing war between the armed forces has pushed Sudan to the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region, Haq said.

Civil aviation authorities have extended the closure of Sudans airspace until July 31, with the exception of approved humanitarian and evacuation flights, Khartoum International Airport said on its Facebook page.

Meanwhile civilians began digging graves for those killed in the air Saturdays air strike, witnesses said.

Since the war began, many bodies have been left to rot in the streets in both Khartoum and Darfur, which has seen some of the most violent fighting.

 Dangerous and disturbing 

Nearly three million people have been uprooted by Sudans fighting, including almost 700,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The UN and African blocs have warned of an ethnic dimension to the conflict in Darfur, where the United States, Norway and Britain have blamed the RSF and allied militia for most of the widespread violations.

Concentrated in Darfur and Khartoum, fighting has also been reported in Blue Nile state near Ethiopia, which also has a history of unrest, as well as in South Kordofan state.

Residents in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and a commercial hub south of Khartoum, reported renewed fighting in their area overnight Saturday-Sunday, and then again on Sunday afternoon.

There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing, said Haq, expressing support for efforts by the African Union and East African bloc IGAD to end Sudans crisis.

On Monday, leaders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan  IGAD members handling the Sudan file  are to meet in Addis Ababa.

Sudans army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have been invited but neither side has confirmed they will attend.

Several Sudanese civilian figures are already there, however, in order to accelerate peace efforts, said Khalid Omer Yousif, who was fired from the government in 2021 when Daglo and Burhan led a coup, before their falling out.

Egypt, a close ally of Burhans, said it will host a summit of Sudans neighbours on Thursday to seek an end to the conflict and its regional repercussions, a statement from the presidents office in Cairo said.

Numerous ceasefires in the war have been announced and ignored.
UAE based airline, Emirates, has announced Kilkenny native, Anita Thomas, as the country manager for the airline in Ireland.

Anita joined Emirates in January 2012 and has over 30 years experience in the airline industry.

Thomas, originally from Hugginstown in South Kilkenny, began her career with Ryanair in 1992 and has worked for a number of international carriers in the UK and Ireland.

The Kilkenny woman succeeds Enda Corneille in the role and has held previous positions as Key Accounts Manager and Sales Manager.

Speaking about her new role, Ms.Thomas said: We have a fantastic team on the ground in Ireland and its a great honour to be a part of and now to lead such a passionate and ambitious group. Im really looking forward to further realising the potential within the Irish market and promoting not only Emirates extensive global network, but also showcasing the onboard product to both existing as well as new customers in our market.

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates has welcomed the promotion, praising the local womans contribution to the company.

This is a well-deserved promotion for a professional that has been with Emirates on every step of its journey in Ireland. Anita has the expertise, customer relationships and unique insight that will complement our ambition for a market that is very important to our global operations. Having started with the team as a sales executive, Anitas appointment is an excellent example of the opportunities for growth with the worlds largest airline.

Emirates extensive network spans more than 150 destinations, across six continents with two daily departures from Dublin to Dubai onboard a state-of-the art Boeing 777.
The South East Palliative Care Centre was officially opened by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, at the University Hospital Waterford on Friday, July 7.

The unit, which serves palliative care patients from Kilkenny and other parts of the South-East is located on the ground and first floor of the Dunmore Wing in the hospital.

The Centre is the hub for palliative care in the South-East and supports Community Specialist Palliative Care Teams across the region including in Kilkennys Aut Even Hospital.

Staff in the centre will also offer support to community care teams in; South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

The Centre was developed for HSE/South East Community Healthcare, as part of a 31.26 million project in 2019.

Speaking at the event, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, said; This Centre is a crucial and much appreciated specialist inpatient and outpatient centre for the South-East region.

The integration of health services, close co-operation of acute hospital and community healthcare services and promotion of Enhanced Community Care are represented in the Centres development and the arrangements in its operation.

He added: Of course, the essence of community healthcare is also at play in now having a South East Palliative Care Centre  linked, as it is, with hospice groups and Community Specialist Palliative Care Teams (homecare groups) in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford, said the Minister.

Danette Connolly (Chairperson of the Waterford Hospice Movement) commented: The Waterford Hospice Movement is renowned for its hospice and home care, delivered to the people of Waterford and South Kilkenny for the past 35 years. This has only been possible due to the phenomenal and consistent support we have received in terms of fundraising. It has also allowed us to achieve our dream of an inpatient specialist palliative care unit in the South East.
Government research suggests that the majority of 13-year-olds are healthy, have transitioned well to secondary school and feel supported by family and friends.

More than 6,000 children aged 13 and their caregivers were interviewed for the Department of Childrens Growing Up In Ireland report.

The surveys, conducted by phone during varying Covid-19 restrictions, examined education, physical health, socio-emotional well-being, pastimes and family circumstances.

It also examined how their life has changed since they were interviewed at age nine, and follows up on a special Growing Up in Ireland Covid survey conducted in 2020 to see how they were faring during the pandemic restrictions.

The Department of Children said the children in question were born in 2008 and their early years would have been during a recessionary period.

They were among the first group of children to avail of the free, pre-school year and their middle childhood would have seen significant social changes in Ireland such as the marriage equality referendum.

They have also grown up in a time of significant technological changes; and were born a few months after the first iPhone was launched in 2007.

Under the topic of education, the Department said the vast majority of the 13-year-olds had made the transition to secondary school and 97% agreed that they had made new friends.

A total of 92% were getting on well with schoolwork and 96% said they were settling in well.

Almost three quarters of 13-year-olds expected to achieve a degree.

The survey found the majority of 13-year-olds were healthy, felt supported by friends and family, and participated in a range of pastimes.

However, some young people were struggling in one or more areas.

Girls were much more likely than boys to have low mood (21% compared to 8%), lower self-esteem and parents observed symptoms of emotional distress.

While it is recommended that young people consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, just 11% of 13-year-olds achieved that target on a typical day.

For 53% of the children, usually two or three portions were eaten.

One-parent families were more likely to face socio-economic challenges such as being in the lowest income quintile, being in rented housing, having difficulty making ends meet and not having degree-level education.

Young people living in households with characteristics of socio-economic disadvantage, such as low income, low parental education or lone parenthood, were worse off on several indicators such as lower participation in organised team sports, less access to computers suitable for home learning and being more likely to have a chronic health condition.

Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said he was struck by the complexity of the social world of 13-year-olds.

They were dealing with the usual ups and downs of long-standing relationships with parents and siblings while negotiating multiple new relationships with teachers and peers as a result of the transition to secondary school.

This was after a prolonged period of reduced social interactions due to Covid and also in the context of simultaneously managing interactions online and face-to-face.

It was heartening therefore to read that the majority are doing well and have settled well into school.

The report also highlights where more work is required to ensure that all children have the possibility to flourish and reach their potential.

The key findings show the impact of socio-economic inequalities on childrens lives, and this data will inform priority work across Government to tackle child poverty.

The Growing Up in Ireland project will be surveying the children again when they are 17 years of age to see how Government services and policies addressing poverty are working.
Police are investigating the placing of an Irish flag and a picture of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on a loyalist bonfire in Co Tyrone as a hate crime.

The towering pyre in Moygashel, themed as an anti-Northern Ireland Protocol bonfire, attracted attention online after a boat was placed on the top of it.

By Saturday evening, an Irish tricolour and a republican flag, as well as a picture of Mr Varadkar, had been added on the boat.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed it is investigating the incident.

Chief Inspector John Keers said: We received a report on Saturday evening, July 8, in relation to material placed on a bonfire in the Main Road area of Moygashel.

Police are treating this as a hate crime.

On the side of the boat a banner reading Good Friday Agreement? That ship has sailed was hung, with a mock copy of the 1998 accord across which the words null and void were printed.

Given the title No Irish Sea Border Bonfire, in reference to opposition in unionist and loyalist communities to post-Brexit trading arrangements, the bonfire was lit at around 11pm after a parade and an address by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.

Unionist leaders have condemned the placing of the Irish flag and Mr Varadkars picture on the bonfire.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson tweeted: I am proud of my tradition but if we want respect for our culture & identity, then we must show respect to others.

Burning the flag of our neighbouring state & a poster of the head of government of that state is disrespectful and wrong. It is not culture!

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie said: This is not acceptable, it is childish and promotes hate. Again the many are let down by a few.

Most of the bonfires to mark Northern Irelands traditional July 12 celebrations will be lit on July 11.

The Twelfth marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, an act that secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown.

There has been controversy around bonfires in previous years, with election posters and Irish flags hung from the stacks of wood, with some towering more than 100ft high.

Meanwhile, the annual Drumcree parade is taking place in Co Armagh on Sunday, from Carleton Street Orange Hall in Portadown to a church service at Drumcree Parish Church.

It is 25 years since the parade was first prevented from completing its traditional return route along Garvaghy Road, with the Parades Commission again refusing permission for the return leg this year.

The stand-off at Drumcree made headlines in the 1990s with nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road resolutely opposed to the parade passing through the area, leading to violent clashes for several summers and political tensions necessitating a major security operation.

DUP MP Carla Lockhart said it was a very sad day that 25 years on from this dispute were still in the same situation where Orange feet are not welcome on a particular stretch of road.

She told the BBCs Sunday Politics programme: I want to see a society where our culture is respected, our identity is respected, and I think it is no big thing to ask that the Garvaghy Road Residents Association enter into some form of mediation.

Unfortunately for many, many years their intransigence has actually been rewarded by the Parades Commission.

We cant move on if there is no respect or tolerance for a 10-minute walk down a route which has changed enormously over the last 25 years.

Most of the hundreds of bonfires constructed in loyalist neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland pass off without incident, but several continue to be the source of controversy.

In previous years, there have been complaints from nationalist and cross-community politicians about their images being placed on the fires.

It is the busiest date for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service which usually deals with hundreds of calls related to the towering pyres.
Strengths The best performing precious metal for the week was palladium, up 2.25%, despite hedge funds boosting their net bearish positioning to a record high going back to 2009, according to Bloomberg. Gold caught a break on Friday with the weaker-than-expected change in nonfarm payrolls, perhaps taking some pressure off the Federal Reserve to hike rates again. China, for an eighth consecutive month, has added to its gold reserves. Holdings rose by 680,000 ounces or about 23 tons. Since the countrys buying resumed in November of last year, it has added approximately 183 tons to the total stockpile of 2,330 tons.



Following the sale of the Boungou and Wahgnion mines, Endeavour Mining updated its 2023 full-year production and AISC guidance to adjust for the assets sales, decreasing production to 1,060  1,135k ounces from 1,325-1,425k ounces with AISC improving by $45 per ounce to $895  $950 per ounce.



Silver Lakes gold sales of 83,500 ounces were 13% above consensus and 33% higher quarter-over-quarter. This was enough for full year 2023 guidance to be met with 260,400 ounces. Higher grades drove the beat. Weaknesses The worst performing precious metal for the week was gold, but still up 0.09%. Osisko Gold Royalties announced the surprise departure of President and CEO Sandeep Singh, effective immediately. Paul Martin will step into the role as the interim CEO while the board undertakes a search for a new permanent President and CEO. This will create some near-term uncertainty, particularly given the relatively limited associated details.



Security issues in Mexico have likely erased as much as 10% of the value of mineral production at many mining projects in the area, Reuters reported, citing Jaime Gutierrez, the president of CAMIMEX, the country's main mining chamber.



Freeport Indonesia, a unit of Freeport-McMoRan, said this week that it has not yet obtained a government permit to continue exporting its materials, reports Reuters. This risks overcapacity at its storage facilities in the eastern region of Papua. Opportunities De Beers (Anglo's diamond subsidiary and 11% of Anglo NPV) struck a new agreement with the Government of Botswana (GoB) after three years of delays. Up to now, the GoB has directly sold 25% of the output of (De Beers' Botswana diamond subsidiary) Debswana; with De Beers selling the remaining 75%. Under the new agreement, the GoB will sell 30% of Debswana's output, rising by 2% a year to 50% at the end of the 10-year agreement.



Changes to solar panel technology are accelerating demand for silver, a phenomenon that is widening a supply deficit for the metal with little additional mine production on the horizon. Silver, in paste form, provides a conductive layer on the front and the back of silicon solar cells. But the industry is now beginning to make more efficient versions of cells that use a lot more of the metal, which is set to boost already-increasing consumption. Solar is still a small part of overall silver demand, but it is growing. It is forecast to make up 14% of consumption this year, up from around 5% in 2014, according to a report from The Silver Institute, an industry association.



Goldman expects ongoing interest in Australian gold assets following recent activity, with increasing focus on emerging, high-margin mid-caps or synergistic opportunities as broader industry consolidation continues. This comes with favorable near-term FCF yields (10%) and valuations more fairly priced (1x NAV) on its $1,700 per ounces LT gold price. Threats Talks this week between Newmont management and workers at Mexicos biggest gold mine failed to resolve a strike that has lasted nearly a month. Company and union representatives sat down on Monday without settling a dispute over a profit-sharing arrangement, Newmonts Penasquito mine posted on its Facebook account, citing unrealistic union demands. The union sought a 16% share of profit to workers, lower than the 20% initial demand, which was double the percentage in a contract signed last year, Newmont said.



Malis military leader Assimi Goita appointed Amadou Keita as minister of mines in a government reshuffle on Saturday, according to a presidential decree. Keita replaces Alousseni Sanou, who is also finance minister and who stood in for former mines and energy minister Lamine Traore after he resigned on May 31. Traore stepped down after power cuts in the West African nation fueled discontent and hampered businesses. Mali is one of Africas top gold producers and home to mines operated by companies including Barrick Gold, B2Gold Corp,

Resolute Mining and AngloGold Ashanti.

Resolute Mining and AngloGold Ashanti.

Hedge funds are lining up to short palladium as weak global demand points to a potential oversupply of the precious metal. Money managers net positioning in the palladium futures and options market was the most bearish on record last week, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

going back to 2009. The driver was a 14% increase in short selling by the funds from the week before. By Frank E. Holmes Contributing to kitco.com Follow @bulldogholmes www.goldnewsletter.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent (0700.HK) shares rose in Hong Kong on Monday as China's $984 million fine for Ant Group was viewed as signalling the end of a regulatory crackdown on the country's technology sector.

After the penalty on Friday, Jack Ma-founded Alibaba affiliate Ant announced an up to $6 billion share buyback that values the fintech company at a 75% discount to the valuation touted in an abandoned initial public offering (IPO) but is seen as providing liquidity and certainty to investors.

The abrupt shelving of Ant's IPO in late 2020 heralded the start of a wide-ranging clampdown by Beijing on industries ranging from technology to education, as regulators sought to assert their authority over what they deemed to be excesses and bad practice emerging from years of runaway growth.

The scrutiny made for an uncertain environment that wiped billions off share prices, ensnaring companies from online retail giant Alibaba to gaming company Tencent and food delivery group Meituan (3690.HK).

Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares closed 3.2% up, beating a 0.6% rise for the benchmark Hang Seng index (.HSI). Tencent closed 0.7% up.

Beijing's move to finalise penalties and outstanding issues with Ant and other tech names comes as China's economy "is challenged by a weak recovery" and is meant to assuage investor concerns along with commitments to open support private sector growth, said Daniel Tu, founder of Active Creation Capital.

Besides Ant, the Chinese authorities also fined Tencent's online payment platform Tenpay nearly 3 billion yuan ($414.88 million) over areas such as customer data management.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Friday said that most of the prominent problems for platform companies' financial businesses had been rectified and regulators would now shift their focus to overall regulation of the industry rather than specific companies.

"We view this announcement a key milestone for a regular, clear and visible regulatory environment for China's internet companies," Huatai Research analysts wrote in a note to clients.

ANT GROUP VALUATION SLASHED

Alibaba, which spun off Ant 12 years ago and has a 33% stake, on Sunday said it was considering whether to participate in the buyback that would transfer shares to an employee incentive scheme.

Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, which collectively hold more than 50% of its shares on behalf of the company's executives and employees, will not participate in the buyback, it said.

Foreign investors bought into Ant in the third fund raising round in 2018.

Ant said on Saturday that it proposed to repurchase up to 7.6% of its equity interest at a price representing a valuation of about $78.5 billion.

That compared with the $315 billion valuation in 2020 for what was set to be the world's largest IPO, had it not been derailed at the last minute by Chinese regulators.

The buyback will be one of the first opportunities for Ant investors who had participated in three funding rounds from 2015 to 2018 to sell out of the company.

Ant's largest onshore investors were the National Council for Social Security Fund, Zhifu (Shanghai) Invstment Centre, Shanghai Zhongfu Equity Investment Management Center and China Life Insurance, according to the 2020 IPO prospectus.

Ant and its subsidiaries had violated laws and regulations in areas including corporate governance, financial consumer protection and anti-money laundering obligations, the PBOC said on Friday as it announced one of the largest fines ever for a Chinese internet company.

The finalised penalty could pave the way for Ant to secure a financial holding company licence, lift its growth rate and eventually revive its plans for a stock market listing.

However, analysts question whether Ant will press ahead with a listing in the near future.

"According to the company, the reason for the buyback is providing liquidity to existing investors and attracting and retaining talented individuals through employee incentives," said Oshadhi Kumarasiri, a LightStream Research analyst who publishes on Smartkarma.

"Ant could have achieved both these objectives through an IPO ... This means IPO is essentially put on hold."

($1 = 7.2310 Chinese yuan renminbi)
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(Kitco News) - Artemis Gold (TSX-V: ARTG) announced today that out of an abundance of caution, the company has taken precautionary measures and temporarily reduced the number of non-essential staff and contractors at the Blackwater mine in central B.C. due to wildfires in the region.

The company added that approximately 20 personnel, including emergency response teams, remain on site to actively monitor the situation.

CEO Steven Dean stated, The safety of our employees, contractors and the local and Indigenous communities is our top priority. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and will provide updates as necessary.

Artemis Golds current focus is construction of the Blackwater mine project in central British Columbia approximately 160km southwest of Prince George and 450km northeast of Vancouver. The first pour of gold and silver from the Blackwater mine is expected H2 2024 and the mine is expected to be in production for a minimum of 22 years.
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(Kitco News) - China continues to dominate the gold market, according to the latest data from the nation's central bank.

In a post on Twitter, Krishan Gopaul, senior analyst for the World Gold Council, said that the People's Bank of China bought 21 tonnes of gold in June, citing updated data from the central bank.

"This is the eighth consecutive month of buying, totaling 165 tonnes. Total gold reserves now amount to 2,113 tonnes," he said.

Over the last several months, analysts have noted that China's consistent demand for gold is part of a tactic to bring more international credibility to the yuan. At the same time, China's buying is part of a more significant de-dollarization theme globally.

"China doesn't want to hold dollars for trade as they have struck a number of trade deals with major commodity suppliers from pulp to oil around the world that are specified to trade and settle in renminbi," said Ralph Aldis, Senior Gold Portfolio Manager at U.S. Global Investors.

Aldis added that he expects that China's new gold buying spree has just started. He noted that China has the fifth biggest gold reserves in the world.

"I think you have to benchmark their eventual holdings against the U.S., which stands at 8,133.46 tonnes," said Aldis, "I think China would need to perhaps double their holdings from its current level to going to the second largest holder to have much more alignment as a reserve currency."

In a comment on Twitter, Fred Hickey, creator of the High-Tech Strategist newsletter, said that central bank gold buying is providing solid support for the precious metal as investors continue to avoid the marketplace.

Hickey added that central banks will continue to diversify away from the U.S. dollar as the nation's debt continues to grow. Hickey pointed out that the U.S. National Debt has increased by $1 trillion since the government passed legislation to lift the debt ceiling early last month.

"U.S. govt. spending is out of control & there's little doubt that's a primary catalyst for foreign central bank gold buys," he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. National Debt just hit $32.4 trillion, up ONE TRILLION DOLLARS since lifting of the debt ceiling just a few weeks ago. U.S. govt. spending is out of control & there's little doubt that's a primary catalyst for foreign central bank gold buys https://t.co/dEjz2SWw32  fred hickey (@htsfhickey) July 7, 2023

While China appears to be leading the way in gold purchases, Gopaul reported over the weekend that other central banks continue to add to their reserves.

He said that the latest data from the central bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan bought eight tonnes of gold last month, its first purchase since February.

Meanwhile, Gopaul also noted that the Czech National Bank increased its gold reserves by about 3 tonnes in June. He added that this is the fourth month in a row the central bank has bought gold.

"YTD net purchases of gold now amount to ~8 tonnes, lifting total gold reserves to ~20 tonnes," he said.

Finally, Poland also appears to be buying more gold.

"Data from the National Bank of Poland suggests it bought ~13 tonnes of #gold in June, lifting total gold reserves to ~276 tonnes. We'll confirm the exact figure once it is reported via the IMF," Gopaul said in a Twitter post.
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(Kitco News) - The recent flurry of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) filings in the U.S. has made waves in the cryptocurrency ecosystem over the past three weeks and brought a boost of momentum at a time when the industry was starting to falter.

The fact that BlackRock kicked off the filing frenzy has helped bolster the institutional adoption of blockchain technology narrative, and could be the spark the market needed to kick off the next major bull market cycle for cryptocurrencies.

To get more insight into the institutional perspective on digital assets, Kitco Crypto spoke with Adam Guren, Founder and Chief Investment Officer for Hunting Hill Global Capital, an asset manager based in New York. .

Hunting Hill Global Capital has been offering hedge fund products, custom-managed accounts and advisory services since 2012, and added crypto-related trading services since 2016, with a focus on closed-end fund trades and investment trust trades, such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC).

Guren said that while retail traders focus on trading individual currencies and chasing current trends, the focus of his firm has been on identifying dislocation opportunities available in these products and taking advantage of them.

After the market bottomed in 2021, Guren said they started to get the impression that The next cycle in the space is going to look different than the last one, and they wanted to implement the idea of trying to find ways to get exposure by looking for practical use cases in digital assets.

In May, Hunting Global Capital launched its Hunting Hill Digital (HHD) affiliate through a partnership with BaseLayer Ventures in an effort to capitalize on the growing demand for investment managers that combine extensive experience managing complex trades and portfolios, disciplined risk management practices, and proprietary operational capabilities with a crypto-native understanding of the digital asset universe.

When asked what prompted the firm to move from TradFi into digital assets, Guren said it was a combination of things. We pride ourselves on complexity premium, he said. So when things look difficult and challenging and dislocated, that's when we actually like to dive in and see why.

There was a lot of complexity premium in 2020 and 2021, in digital assets specifically, Guren said. There was also investor demand from our perspective. Because we are an SEC-registered company based in the US, institutions have gotten comfortable with us as a manager in the space.

Many of the managers that work at Hunting Hill Global were around during the 2008 financial crisis, which provided a lot of experience regarding dislocations and counterparty risk. That exposure during that time helped us manage through a lot of different things, including 2022 in the digital asset space, Guren said.

We are very comfortable here and are still able to get institutions comfortable with us and the offerings that we have, he said, adding that the recent flurry of exchange-traded fund filings by BlackRock and other investment managers will also help with adoption in the U.S. I think that they see the same thing that we see.

Institutional interest in the U.S.

When asked if there has been an increase in interest from institutional investors of late, Guren said that the recent launch of HHD was well received.

BaseLayer Ventures is specifically looking to find different investments to capture the next wave of growth, which they believe is in the digital asset space for certain parts of their brands, he said.

So I think that's somewhat unique for us in the sense that the investment manager role that we have can actually provide those services to institutions and to that specific company  and companies like it  because they need to figure out how to manage custody properly, they need to figure out how to manage the compliance and regulatory world in the U.S., he added.

Things like determining which layer-one (L1) or layer-two (L2) blockchain to use to develop products or loyalty programs remain challenging for companies looking to enter the blockchain space. All of those things are really investment management-type of roles. Even though they're not traditional hedge fund roles, they are things that we are very good at and understand.

Current opportunities

When asked about the types of opportunities currently available in the digital asset space, Guren noted that the fallout from 2022 has led to a lot of distressed asset opportunities that need to be reviewed.

Many are looking at either buying assets or buying companies coming out of the ashes this year, he said. There are a handful of companies out there in the liquidation phase, so there are opportunities to bid on assets that are going through liquidation.

Another opportunity set available is through the purchase of distressed companies to see if they can be restarted. There are good businesses out there that have had bad balance sheets, he said.

As far as other alpha opportunities in the market, Guren said, We do think there are some interesting catalysts coming up in the future. This includes the ongoing Ripple vs. SEC case in the U.S., which Guren said is progressing, and we should start to see more news one way or the other.

The ongoing case between the SEC and Grayscale is another, and Guren expects to see some resolution on that case in the fall. I do believe that Grayscale has a chance of winning that case, he said. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will immediately become an ETF, but it will give them more firepower to get that conversation done. And I do think those catalysts are pretty important steps for the U.S. regulatory regime.

In addition to buying distressed assets, another alpha opportunity is to buy claims on bankruptcies and the assets that could go along with them, which can provide value in the future, should there be more value in those holdings than the market sees as a potential payout for those claims, he said.

Decentralized finance

On the topic of decentralized finance (DeFi), Guren said the main hurdle for institutional adoption in the sectors is the lack of KYC/AML checks. There is a way to interact with DeFi in a long-only setting through the qualified custodian rule but a lack of KYC has made many investors hesitant, he said.

He gave the example of participating in liquidity pools as a way to earn passive income. When you participate in a pool as a liquidity provider, how do you know who youre trading with is above board?

That being said, he noted that multiple different solutions are being built right now that would provide that layer of security for somebody that needs to have that comfort level to do it. Some of them are decentralized, meaning the KYC/AML process is managed by a decentralized party, even though there is a centralized software that is built by a company.

Those are super interesting because its unique, entrepreneurial, and something that has not existed before, he said. It's a crypto-native solution to providing KYC/AML, which has its own benefits.

Institutional interest in tokenization

On the topic of institutions and tokenization, Guren pointed out that stablecoins are a good example of tokenization that is working, though they arent often recognized as being a tokenized asset.

He said that the integration of stablecoins and other tokenized assets is the next logical step in money markets, and the process has already started.

The reason that the idea of tokenization is popular with some of the largest financial institutions in the world is partly because of efficiencies that would come with settlement, and also because of efficiencies for collateral and other real-world use cases for the financial system, he said. There are also practical uses for Main Street, which is part of the reason we partnered with BaseLayer Ventures  to look for those types of real-world applications for blockchain in particular.

Guren also sees an opportunity for blockchain technology to help bring greater efficiency to money markets by providing banks and companies with applications that utilize tokenized corporate cash to simplify operations and make them more cost-effective.

One area of concern noted by Guren is the tokenization of illiquid assets, which could make them liquid in token form. It is going to be a challenge to find ways to provide liquidity to those illiquid assets. Just because they are tokenized doesnt make them liquid, he said.

And when it comes to the main projects that institutions are showing interest in aside from Bitcoin, Guren noted that the focus of many institutions has been on Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana, largely due to their smart contract capabilities and levels of adoption.

Companies and brands are looking towards either solving their loyalty programs or finding ways they can link the digital and physical, he said, so HHD helps them evaluate which L1 or L2 works best for them. Ethereum, Polygon and Solana are typically the three that are most popular, he noted.

He also pointed out that multiple institutions want to have a diversified portfolio of crypto assets because they believe that the next bull market will include some other winners, and theyre just not sure which ones those are.

When it comes to which area of the crypto market could be the breakout sector in the next bull run, Guren noted that institutions are really looking for projects that provide a practical real-world use case for blockchain that people can use on a consistent basis, and that affects their daily lives in a positive way.

This could be in any sector, from the financial services space to consumer brands, he said. We're focused on trying to find those real-world use cases.
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(Kitco News) - Elevation Gold (TSX.V: ELVT) (OTCQX: EVGDF) said today it produced 6,788 ounces of gold in Q2 2023, in line with Q2 2022 (6,809 ounces).

The company sold 6,839 ounces of gold during Q2 2023. Year-to-date 2023, the company sold 14,918 ounces of gold, an increase of 10% over the gold sales in the comparable year-to-date period of 2022.

Elevation Gold added that average mined grade increased from 0.39 g/t during the first half of 2022 to 0.41 g/t during the first half of 2023, a 5% increase.

Importantly, the company noted it remains confident in its guidance of 34,000 to 36,000 ounces of gold production for all of 2023.

CEO Tim Swendseid stated, Our second quarter production reflected some fragmentation and crusher maintenance challenges, and the majority of the ore was sourced from West Pit. Mosss second half is forecasted to show improvement as we mine additional East Pit ore and move past the issues experienced in the first half.

We have kicked-off construction of our 3A-Ph2 Leach pad, which will be completed in Q4 2023 and will provide sufficient leach pad capacity for ore production through 2025.

Elevation Gold is a publicly listed gold and silver producer, engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of mineral properties located in the United States. The companys principal operation is the 100% owned Moss Mine in the Mohave County of Arizona.
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(Kitco News) - As Hong Kong continues to implement measures designed to transform the region into a global blockchain hub, the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute (HKSI) has announced a plan to train digital asset traders to give them the necessary expertise to effectively engage with the asset class.

HKSI is responsible for training and conducting licensing exams for brokers and asset managers operating in Hong Kong, and is backed by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Hong Kongs financial markets regulator.

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, HKSI Chair Colin Shaftesley said the institute will be running a number of training programs and seminars on virtual assets in the next few months for those who would like to enhance their knowledge on virtual assets.

Shaftesley noted that young residents in the region have been interested in digital assets for quite some time, and said, The virtual asset industry has been keen to be regulated because if you are regulated, it gives the industry more confidence, and they can market themselves more comfortably saying we are regulated.

The HKSI will be responsible for providing the training and licensing examination, but it will be up to the SFC to decide when the first examination takes place.

Along with training in digital assets, the HKSI will also focus on offering training for the wealth management industry to support the Hong Kong governments plan to attract more family offices to the city.

During his first policy address in October, Hong Kongs leader John Lee Ka-chiu said the city aims to attract up to 200 family offices to the region by 2025.

Our wealth management sector program offers internships for young people that want to go into that space, Shaftesley said. As the implementation agent for a government-funded program, we provide financial support to asset wealth management companies to cover a portion of interns salary, helping to introduce students and young people into the asset management industry.

Shaftesley, who has worked in Hong Kong since 1988 and has been a member of HKSI since 1998, said the Hong Kong market has seen sweeping changes over the past 25 years, with young entrants more interested in the fields of fintech, green financing, ESG (Environmental, social and governance), risk management and other new initiatives.

This change was hastened by the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the widespread roll-out of online training courses in lieu of physical classroom lessons.

The pandemic did not hurt the conduct of training or examinations, Shaftesley said, highlighting the seven percent rise in training enrollments between 2019 and 2023. This is thanks to the advanced learning platform introduced in 2017 to offer more digital learning solutions.

And to help broaden the pool of applicants and attract talent to Hong Kong, Shaftesley said the HKSI plans to launch remote online examination platforms in September so that candidates can take the Hong Kong licensed examination even when they are in the UK, U.S. or Japan.

According to the HKSI website, the first educational webinar, entitled How Digital Assets can Co-Exist within Traditional Finances IT Architecture, will take place on July 20.

The webinar will cover blockchain development and how Hong Kong compares to the rest of the World; the technology around digital assets custody, tokenization, and some of the risks involved; how small companies can apply blockchain and potentially gain a competitive advantage; and critical success factors in the rollout and what to consider.

Senior executives, Managers-In-Charge (MICs) of licensed corporations, asset/wealth managers, VA-related practitioners, compliance officers and other professionals who may consider investing in virtual assets through Hong Kong are encouraged to attend.

Hong Kong has rapidly risen in the ranks of jurisdictions attracting blockchain firms over the past year as the city has diverged from Chinas hard-line anti-crypto stance to accept the industry with open arms.

In February, the city released its 2023-2024 budget, which reaffirmed the governments pro-crypto initiatives and included new areas of support for the digital assets industry.

Every generation of technological reform brings about new applications and fresh opportunities, and even disrupts the mode of business operation, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said with the release of the budget. We must keep up with the times and seize this golden opportunity to spearhead innovation development.

On June 1, new regulations went into effect that enabled retail trading of digital assets in Hong Kong, and the government has been actively pressuring banks in the region to onboard cryptocurrency exchanges as clients.
BEIRUT, July 10 (Reuters) - Lebanon's caretaker premier, Najib Mikati, will not extend the term of central bank Governor Riad Salameh when it ends later this month, the prime minister's office said on Monday.

The July 31 expiration of Salameh's term will bring to an end a 30-year tenure stained by recent charges at home and abroad of embezzlement of Lebanese public funds. Salameh denies the charges.

In response to questions from Reuters, Mikati's office said his position was based on current legislation which stipulates that the first vice governor would assume the governor's duties until a new chief is appointed.

"The most important thing is that no vacuum occurs at the central bank because it's the country's financial backbone," the premier's office said, adding that the institution would continue to function "through the first vice governor" and his peers.

One of Lebanon's four vice governors told Reuters that all four were considering quitting together if no successor is named, raising the possibility of a leaderless central bank amid a deep financial crisis.

Mikati's deputy, Saade Chami, told Reuters last week that such a threat was "dangerous" and that the vice governors should "assume their responsibility in case this appointment is not possible."

Efforts to find a successor to Salameh have been hamstrung by Lebanon's breakdown in governance and intensifying political tensions. Central bank governors are typically appointed by the president, but parliament has been unable to elect a president to follow Michel Aoun, whose term ended in late October.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a longtime backer of Salameh, told reporters on Monday that "necessity allows for that which is prohibited", signalling that the Cabinet should appoint a governor even as it operates in a caretaker capacity.

But Berri said he would "respect what the prime minister announced regarding neither an appointment, nor an extension."

Many Lebanese blame Salameh for Lebanon's financial collapse, alongside the long-entrenched ruling elite. Salameh says he has been scapegoated for the meltdown, which followed decades of corruption and profligate spending by politicians.

Salameh has worked hand-in-glove with the elite for years. In late 2021, Mikati signalled Salameh should remain in his post even as the graft investigations against him gained traction, saying "one does not change their officers during a war".

More recently, Salameh has appeared to be increasingly isolated. The central bank governor, who was once a regular at banking conferences and high-end restaurants, is now rarely seen in public except for occasional media interviews.

He has repeatedly said he would leave when his term ends in July.
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(Kitco News) - Terraform Labs co-founder Hyun-Seong Shin, also known as Daniel Shin, had his first hearing in a South Korean court today on charges related to the collapse of the Terra-Luna ecosystem.

According to a report from News1 Korea published earlier on Monday, a preliminary hearing for Shin and seven other alleged accomplices was held at 10 am local time in a Seoul Southern District Court. Prosecutors allege that Shin and his former associates deceived investors and manipulated the prices of the Terra and Luna tokens from the outset of the project in 2018, reaping illicit profits of roughly 462.9 billion Korean won ($354 million).

The first trial was originally scheduled to be held on May 26, but it was postponed due to concerns over the impartiality of the chief judge chosen for the original trial, who wrote a showcase of Shin as a business success story while working as a reporter in 2010.

The Financial Crime Investigation Bureau (FCIB) of the Seoul Southern District Prosecution Service indicted Shin and his alleged co-conspirators in April. According to ChosunBiz, Shins next preliminary trial date is scheduled for Aug. 28.

On June 7, the lead prosecutor of South Koreas investigation into the collapse of Terraform Labs said that company co-founder Do Kwon could serve decades-long consecutive prison sentences in both his native country and the United States.

Kwon and Terraforms chief financial officer Chang-Joon Han were arrested in Montenegro on Mar. 23 after being caught attempting to travel to Dubai under fake Costa Rican traveling documents. The pair also had Belgian and South Korean travel documents, and Montenegrin authorities said the Belgian documents were also forged.

Sunghan Dan, director of the FCIB at the Seoul Southern District Prosecution Service, told Bloomberg that Kwon could conceivably be tried and sentenced in South Korea, then be extradited to the US and face trial there, and then have the sentence executed in South Korea and the US after that.

Dan said that he expects Kwon to get a record-setting financial fraud sentence in excess of 40 years, and he believes that the former executive should be extradited to his country first. This is the largest financial fraud or financial securities fraud case that has ever happened in South Korea, he said.

Both the United States and South Korea are seeking Kwons extradition, and the countries have also requested Kwons laptops and other devices on suspicion that they might contain evidence of crimes and cryptocurrency.

The pressure to capture Kwon had been mounting since he fled his native South Korea following the collapse of the Terra ecosystem in May 2022, with a South Korean court issuing an arrest warrant on Sept. 17 and Interpol issuing a Red Notice two weeks later.

The United States was the latest entity to target Kwon with criminal charges. On Feb. 17, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Do Kwon with securities fraud, writing that Kwon and Terraform orchestrated a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud involving an algorithmic stablecoin and other crypto asset securities.

The SEC said Terraform and Kwon touted and marketed Terra USD (UST) as a yield-bearing stablecoin, which they advertised as paying as much as 20 percent interest through the Anchor Protocol, and that they repeatedly misled and deceived investors that a popular Korean mobile payment application used the Terra blockchain to settle transactions that would accrue value to LUNA.

The complaint also alleges that Kwon and others at Terraform misled investors about USTs stability before it ultimately depegged from the U.S. dollar and became nearly worthless.

The SEC said that Kwon transferred over 10,000 Bitcoin from Terraform Labs to an offline cold wallet and converted some of the tokens into cash via a Swiss bank. The agency claims Kwon and other insiders have drawn from the cold wallet several times since the collapse of the stablecoin project.

We can see that its coming out of the wallet, Dan said, but we are not aware who might be in possession of the cold wallet or how theyre withdrawing it, on what methods.

It is not yet clear whether Montenegro will end up extraditing Kwon to South Korea or the United States once their justice system is finished with him.

Its our understanding that the extradition process can take up to nine months, depending on how long the suspect has been in custody and so forth, Dan said.
An Italian art exhibition, which was held in China's Xi'an, offered an artistic perspective on how the ancient Silk Road had promoted cultural exchanges along the route.

The exhibition, named "Italian Contemporary Art and Artists on the Silk Road", concluded on Sunday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. It presented over 30 works of 33 Italian artists spanning multiple generations.

Starting from Italy, the country where the Silk Road ends, the touring exhibition has traveled back in time, taking contemporary Italian art to different stations, including Ankara, Tbilisi, Tashkent, and finally arrived in Xi'an, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

As a major fruit of the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, this international touring exhibition was presented by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Garuzzo Foundation.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
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Associated Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE:AC  Get Free Report) major shareholder Gamco Investors, Inc. Et Al purchased 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.96 per share, with a total value of $19,980.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 1,010 shares in the company, valued at $40,359.60. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Gamco Investors, Inc. Et Al also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, April 17th, Gamco Investors, Inc. Et Al purchased 700 shares of Associated Capital Group stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $35.95 per share, with a total value of $25,165.00.

Associated Capital Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AC traded down $0.14 during trading on Monday, reaching $34.75. 6,408 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,329. Associated Capital Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $31.01 and a 12-month high of $44.50. The firm has a market cap of $760.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.47 and a beta of 1.05. The firms 50-day moving average price is $36.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $37.16.

Associated Capital Group Announces Dividend

Associated Capital Group ( NYSE:AC Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Associated Capital Group had a negative return on equity of 1.68% and a negative net margin of 99.05%. The business had revenue of $2.47 million during the quarter.

The business also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Associated Capital Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -29.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on AC. Citigroup set a $26.00 price target on Associated Capital Group in a report on Friday, May 19th. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of Associated Capital Group in a report on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Associated Capital Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Associated Capital Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AC. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Associated Capital Group by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 73,597 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,084,000 after acquiring an additional 4,248 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Associated Capital Group by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 198,258 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,309,000 after acquiring an additional 1,021 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Associated Capital Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $242,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in Associated Capital Group by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,337 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,565,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Associated Capital Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $218,000. 9.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Associated Capital Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Associated Capital Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides investment advisory services in the United States. The company offers alternative investment management and asset management services. It also invests in new and existing businesses. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Further Reading

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Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (NYSE:BXSL  Free Report) is one of 7,969 public companies in the  industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Blackstone Secured Lending Fund to related companies based on the strength of its risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and dividends.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

30.6% of Blackstone Secured Lending Fund shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.5% of shares of all  companies are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Blackstone Secured Lending Fund shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.6% of shares of all  companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

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Dividends

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $2.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.4%. Blackstone Secured Lending Fund pays out 104.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group,  companies pay a dividend yield of 2.2% and pay out 196.2% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Blackstone Secured Lending Fund is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Valuation and Earnings

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Blackstone Secured Lending Fund $850.00 million $404.56 million 10.11 Blackstone Secured Lending Fund Competitors $5.99 billion $452.20 million -47.37

This table compares Blackstone Secured Lending Fund and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Blackstone Secured Lending Funds peers have higher revenue and earnings than Blackstone Secured Lending Fund. Blackstone Secured Lending Fund is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Risk and Volatility

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund has a beta of 0.51, suggesting that its share price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Blackstone Secured Lending Funds peers have a beta of 0.69, suggesting that their average share price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Blackstone Secured Lending Fund and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Blackstone Secured Lending Fund 0 1 6 0 2.86 Blackstone Secured Lending Fund Competitors 4391 23950 30087 616 2.46

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund currently has a consensus target price of $27.07, indicating a potential upside of 0.30%. As a group,  companies have a potential upside of 1,112.31%. Given Blackstone Secured Lending Funds peers higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Blackstone Secured Lending Fund has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Profitability

This table compares Blackstone Secured Lending Fund and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Blackstone Secured Lending Fund 46.93% 12.58% 5.30% Blackstone Secured Lending Fund Competitors -1,474.84% -313.71% -27.55%

Summary

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund beats its peers on 8 of the 15 factors compared.

About Blackstone Secured Lending Fund

(Free Report)

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund is business development company and a Delaware statutory trust formed on March 26, 2018, and structured as an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment Fund. On October 26, 2018, the fund elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). In addition, the Fund elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a regulated investment company (RIC), as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The fund also intends to continue to comply with the requirements prescribed by the Code in order to maintain tax treatment as a RIC. The fund's investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily through originated loans, equity and other securities, including syndicated loans, of private U.S. companies, specifically small and middle market companies, typically in the form of first lien senior secured and unitranche loans (including first out/last out loans), and to a lesser extent, second lien, third lien, unsecured and subordinated loans and other debt and equity securities.

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CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ  Free Report) and CFN Enterprises (OTCMKTS:CNFN  Free Report) are both business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, valuation and profitability.

Risk and Volatility

CBIZ has a beta of 0.75, meaning that its share price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CFN Enterprises has a beta of 0.55, meaning that its share price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Institutional & Insider Ownership

88.3% of CBIZ shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.4% of CBIZ shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 9.9% of CFN Enterprises shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio CBIZ $1.41 billion 1.90 $105.35 million $2.34 22.79 CFN Enterprises $4.32 million 1.26 -$9.90 million N/A N/A

This table compares CBIZ and CFN Enterprises revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

CBIZ has higher revenue and earnings than CFN Enterprises.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for CBIZ and CFN Enterprises, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score CBIZ 0 0 0 0 N/A CFN Enterprises 0 0 0 0 N/A

Profitability

This table compares CBIZ and CFN Enterprises net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets CBIZ 8.16% 16.24% 6.31% CFN Enterprises -320.58% N/A -265.71%

Summary

CBIZ beats CFN Enterprises on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CBIZ

(Free Report)

CBIZ, Inc. provides financial, insurance, and advisory services in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: Financial Services, Benefits and Insurance Services, and National Practices. The Financial Services segment offers accounting and tax, financial advisory, valuation, risk and advisory, and government healthcare consulting services. The Benefits and Insurance Services provides employee benefits consulting, payroll/human capital management, property and casualty insurance, and retirement and investment services. The National Practices segment offers information technology managed networking and hardware, and health care consulting services. The company primarily serves small and medium-sized businesses, as well as individuals, governmental entities, and not-for-profit enterprises. CBIZ, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

About CFN Enterprises

(Free Report)

CFN Enterprises Inc. engages in the sponsored content and marketing activities for legal CBD, cannabis, and psychedelics industries in the United States. The company also manufactures CBD products for growers, pharmaceutical, wellness providers, and retailers' needs. It offers sponsored content, including articles, press releases, videos, podcasts, advertisements and other media, email advertisements, and other marketing campaigns. The company also operates various media platforms, such as CannabisFN.com, the CannabisFN iOS app, the CFN Media YouTube channel, the CFN Media podcast, and other venues to educate and inform investors interested in the cannabis industry. It distributes its content to various online platforms, which include CannabisFN.com website, press releases, financial news syndicates, search engines, YouTube, iTunes, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. The company was formerly known as Accelerize Inc. and changed its name to CFN Enterprises Inc. in October 2019. CFN Enterprises Inc. was founded in 2001 and is based in Whitefish, Montana.

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Severn Trent (OTCMKTS:STRNY  Free Report) and Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRY  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Severn Trent and Pennon Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Severn Trent and Pennon Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A $0.82 37.89 Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.58 30.81

Analyst Ratings

Pennon Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Severn Trent, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Severn Trent and Pennon Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Severn Trent 0 2 3 0 2.60 Pennon Group 0 3 0 0 2.00

Severn Trent currently has a consensus price target of $2,932.50, indicating a potential upside of 9,345.97%. Pennon Group has a consensus price target of $1,048.00, indicating a potential upside of 5,761.30%. Given Severn Trents stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Severn Trent is more favorable than Pennon Group.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.1% of Severn Trent shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Severn Trent pays an annual dividend of $1.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Severn Trent pays out 179.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Pennon Group pays out 29.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

Severn Trent beats Pennon Group on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Severn Trent

(Free Report)

Severn Trent PLC operates as a water and sewerage company in England and Wales. It operates through two segments: Regulated Water and Waste Water, and Business Services. The Regulated Water and Waste Water segment offers water and waste water services to approximately 4.8 million households and businesses. The Business Services segment generates renewable energy from anaerobic digestion, hydropower, wind turbines, and solar panels; property development; and offers affinity products and search services. It also provides services to municipal and industrial clients, including the Ministry of Defence and the Coal Authority for design, build, and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities and networks. Severn Trent PLC was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Coventry, the United Kingdom.

About Pennon Group

(Free Report)

Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom.

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New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR  Free Report) and Toho Gas (OTCMKTS:THOGF  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

75.2% of New Jersey Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.9% of Toho Gas shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of New Jersey Resources shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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Valuation and Earnings

This table compares New Jersey Resources and Toho Gas top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio New Jersey Resources $2.91 billion 1.52 $274.92 million $3.02 15.04 Toho Gas N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

New Jersey Resources has higher revenue and earnings than Toho Gas.

This is a summary of current recommendations for New Jersey Resources and Toho Gas, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score New Jersey Resources 1 2 0 0 1.67 Toho Gas 0 1 0 0 2.00

New Jersey Resources presently has a consensus target price of $48.50, suggesting a potential upside of 6.80%. Given New Jersey Resources higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe New Jersey Resources is more favorable than Toho Gas.

Profitability

This table compares New Jersey Resources and Toho Gas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets New Jersey Resources 10.94% 14.22% 4.22% Toho Gas N/A N/A N/A

Summary

New Jersey Resources beats Toho Gas on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About New Jersey Resources

(Free Report)

New Jersey Resources Corporation, an energy services holding company, provides regulated gas distribution, and retail and wholesale energy services. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Distribution, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Services, and Storage and Transportation. The Natural Gas Distribution segment offers regulated natural gas utility services to approximately 569,300 residential and commercial customers throughout Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, and Sussex counties in New Jersey; provides capacity and storage management services; and participates in the off-system sales and capacity release markets. The Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns, and operates commercial and residential solar installation situated in New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. The Energy Services segment offers unregulated wholesale energy management services to other energy companies and natural gas producers, as well as maintains and transacts a portfolio of physical assets consisting of natural gas transportation and storage contracts in the United States and Canada. The Storage and Transportation segment invests in natural gas transportation and storage facilities. It provides heating, ventilation, and cooling services; holds commercial real estate properties; and offers solar equipment installation, and plumbing repair and installation services, as well as engages in the water appliance sale, installation, and servicing activities. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Wall, New Jersey.

About Toho Gas

(Free Report)

Toho Gas Co., Ltd. engages in the gas, heating and cooling, and electricity supply businesses in Japan. It is also involved in the development, purchase, and sale of natural gas and other energy resources; production, transportation, and sale of high-pressure gases, including LNG, LPG, and liquefied carbon dioxide; sale of coke, tar, and crude oil products; and production and sale of chemical industrial products, such as methanol and plasticizers. In addition, the company produces and sells gas, air-conditioning, kitchen, and plumbing equipment, as well as home and gas appliances; sells paving materials, automobiles, daily sundries, and foodstuffs; designs, administers, and constructs civil engineering, construction, wiring, piping, and machinery projects; and designs, produces, and sells equipment for the prevention of air and water pollution, waste treatment, and soil reclamation projects. Further, it is involved in the buying and selling, leasing, and management of real estate; provision of data processing and related services; production, lease, and sale of computer hardware and software; security business; and sale and lease of security and disaster prevention equipment. Additionally, the company engages in the management of cooking and cultural classrooms, and sport facilities; restaurant and travel agent proxy business; general leasing and financing activities; non-life insurance agency and life insurance soliciting business; and survey, research, and consulting, as well as other businesses. Toho Gas Co., Ltd. was incorporated in 1922 and is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan.

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Skeena Resources (NYSE:SKE  Free Report) and Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC  Free Report) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and dividends.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Skeena Resources and Kinross Golds top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Skeena Resources N/A N/A -$68.37 million ($0.91) -5.42 Kinross Gold $3.46 billion 1.63 -$605.20 million $0.01 459.00

Skeena Resources has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Kinross Gold. Skeena Resources is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kinross Gold, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Skeena Resources N/A -66.07% -54.78% Kinross Gold 0.24% 4.95% 2.85%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

This table compares Skeena Resources and Kinross Golds net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

30.7% of Skeena Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 51.0% of Kinross Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of Skeena Resources shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Kinross Gold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Skeena Resources and Kinross Gold, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Skeena Resources 0 0 1 0 3.00 Kinross Gold 1 3 2 0 2.17

Skeena Resources presently has a consensus price target of $16.38, indicating a potential upside of 232.15%. Kinross Gold has a consensus price target of $6.18, indicating a potential upside of 34.67%. Given Skeena Resources stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Skeena Resources is more favorable than Kinross Gold.

Risk and Volatility

Skeena Resources has a beta of 1.17, indicating that its stock price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kinross Gold has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Kinross Gold beats Skeena Resources on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Skeena Resources

(Free Report)

Skeena Resources Limited explores for and develops mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Snip gold mine comprising one mining lease and four mineral tenures that covers an area of approximately 1,932 hectares; and the Eskay Creek gold mine that consists of eight mineral leases, two surface leases, and various unpatented mining claims comprising 7,096 hectares located in British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as Prolific Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Skeena Resources Limited in June 1990. Skeena Resources Limited was incorporated in 1979 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

About Kinross Gold

(Free Report)

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Canada, and Mauritania. It is also involved in the extraction and processing of gold-containing ores; reclamation of gold mining properties; and production and sale of silver. Kinross Gold Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $16.73.

HPE has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research note on Monday, March 20th. They issued a neutral rating and a $15.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $16.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, June 30th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a report on Thursday, June 29th. They issued a neutral rating and a $18.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $17.00 to $18.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st.

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Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 33,417 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.00, for a total transaction of $534,672.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,776 shares in the company, valued at $156,416. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Hewlett Packard Enterprise news, SVP Jeremy Cox sold 9,161 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total value of $155,737.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,455. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 33,417 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.00, for a total value of $534,672.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 9,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $156,416. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 433,504 shares of company stock worth $6,954,746 over the last 90 days. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Up 1.3 %

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Arlington Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. New Hampshire Trust purchased a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky purchased a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Romano Brothers AND Company purchased a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 3,779.6% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 2,095 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 2,041 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.69% of the companys stock.

Shares of HPE opened at $16.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.26. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 12-month low of $11.90 and a 12-month high of $17.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $15.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.59.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 30th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.30 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 3.46% and a return on equity of 5.05%. The businesss revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.19 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.85%. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.54%.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

(Free Report

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other.

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iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF (NYSEARCA:IBDS  Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Monday . 809,872 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 143% from the previous sessions volume of 333,905 shares.The stock last traded at $23.31 and had previously closed at $23.23.

iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF Stock Up 0.3 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $23.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.61.

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Institutional Trading of iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBDS. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF by 61.2% in the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,558,486 shares of the companys stock worth $37,104,000 after acquiring an additional 591,449 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF by 1,229.5% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 66,473 shares of the companys stock worth $1,583,000 after purchasing an additional 61,473 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF by 35.2% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 130,821 shares of the companys stock worth $3,116,000 after purchasing an additional 34,057 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF by 2.6% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 97,897 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,332,000 after purchasing an additional 2,514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF by 9.0% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 460,980 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,981,000 after purchasing an additional 38,168 shares during the period.

About iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF

The iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Corporate ETF (IBDS) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a Bloomberg global index of USD-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds maturing between December 31, 2026 and December 16, 2027. IBDS was launched on Sep 12, 2017 and is managed by BlackRock.

Further Reading

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Oregon Bancorp (OTCMKTS:ORBN  Free Report) is one of 282 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Oregon Bancorp to related businesses based on the strength of its dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership and valuation.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Oregon Bancorp and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Oregon Bancorp N/A N/A 20.61 Oregon Bancorp Competitors $3.18 billion $874.02 million 258.87

Oregon Bancorps peers have higher revenue and earnings than Oregon Bancorp. Oregon Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Profitability

38.5% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 13.9% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares Oregon Bancorp and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Oregon Bancorp N/A N/A N/A Oregon Bancorp Competitors 35.31% 12.17% 1.06%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Oregon Bancorp and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Oregon Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A Oregon Bancorp Competitors 1163 3388 3424 30 2.29

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 336.40%. Given Oregon Bancorps peers higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Oregon Bancorp has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Summary

Oregon Bancorp peers beat Oregon Bancorp on 8 of the 8 factors compared.

Oregon Bancorp Company Profile

(Free Report)

Oregon Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Willamette Valley Bank that provides banking services to businesses and individuals. The company offers checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, and certificate of deposits, as well as debit cards, cash management, money market, and digital banking services. It also provides home loans; residential construction; commercial real estate loans, such as land development, construction, retail, office, industrial, warehouse, multi-family, and SBA loans; commercial and industrial loans comprising business lines of credit, term loans, and letters of credit; and agricultural loans, including operating lines of credit, machinery and equipment financing, and farmland and real estate loans, as well as consumer loans. The company operates full-service branches in Salem, Albany, Keizer, and Silverton, Oregon; and residential mortgage loan production offices in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Oregon Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Salem, Oregon.

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Infineon Technologies (OTCMKTS:IFNNF  Free Report) and Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH  Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings and risk.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Infineon Technologies and Vishay Intertechnology, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Infineon Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A Vishay Intertechnology 0 0 1 0 3.00

Vishay Intertechnology has a consensus price target of $21.50, indicating a potential downside of 24.59%. Given Vishay Intertechnologys higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Vishay Intertechnology is more favorable than Infineon Technologies.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Infineon Technologies N/A N/A N/A Vishay Intertechnology 12.43% 23.30% 12.24%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Infineon Technologies and Vishay Intertechnologys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares Infineon Technologies and Vishay Intertechnologys revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Infineon Technologies N/A N/A N/A $0.48 81.04 Vishay Intertechnology $3.51 billion 1.13 $428.81 million $3.06 9.32

Vishay Intertechnology has higher revenue and earnings than Infineon Technologies. Vishay Intertechnology is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Infineon Technologies, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

44.8% of Infineon Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.1% of Vishay Intertechnology shares are held by institutional investors. 8.0% of Vishay Intertechnology shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Vishay Intertechnology beats Infineon Technologies on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Infineon Technologies

(Free Report)

Infineon Technologies AG designs, develops, manufactures, and markets semiconductors and related system solutions worldwide. Its Automotive segment offers automotive microcontrollers; 3D ToF, magnetic, and pressure sensors; discrete power semiconductors; IGBT modules; industrial microcontrollers; power and radar sensor ICs; transceivers; SiC diodes, MOSEFTs, and modules; and voltage regulators for use in assistance and safety systems, comfort electronics, infotainment, powertrain, and security products. The company's Industrial Power Control segment provides bare dies, discrete IGBTs and driver ICs; SiC diodes, MOSFETs, and modules; and IGBT modules and stacks for home appliances, industrial drives, industrial power supplies, industrial robotics, industrial vehicles, and traction, as well as for energy generation, storage, and transmission. Its Power & Sensor Systems segment offers gas and pressure sensors, and MEMS microphones chips; 3D ToF sensors; control ICs; discrete low-, mid-, and high-voltage power MOSFET; customized chips; GaN power switches; GPS low-noise amplifiers; low-voltage and high-voltage driver ICs; radar sensor ICs; RF antenna switches and power transistors; transient voltage suppressor diodes; SiC diode and MOSFETs; and USB controllers for use in audio amplifiers, automotive electronics, BLDC motors, cellular communications infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations, human machine interaction, IoT, LED and conventional lighting systems, microinverter, mobile devices, power management, and special applications in harsh environments. The company's Connected Secure Systems segment provides connectivity solutions, embedded security controllers, microcontrollers, and security controllers for authentication, automotive, consumer electronics, government identification document, IoT, mobile communication, payment system, ticketing, access control, and trusted computing applications. Infineon Technologies AG is headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany.

About Vishay Intertechnology

(Free Report)

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. manufactures and sells discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It operates in six segments: Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), Diodes, Optoelectronic Components, Resistors, Inductors, and Capacitors. The MOSFETs segment offers low- and medium-voltage TrenchFET MOSFETs, high-voltage planar MOSFETs, high voltage Super Junction MOSFETs, power integrated circuits, and integrated function power devices. The Diodes segment provides rectifiers, small signal diodes, protection diodes, thyristors/silicon-controlled rectifiers, and power modules. The Optoelectronic Components segment contains standard and customer specific optoelectronic components, such as infrared (IR) emitters and detectors, IR remote control receivers, optocouplers, solid-state relays, optical sensors, light-emitting diodes, 7-segment displays, and IR data transceiver modules. The Resistors segment offers resistors, which are basic components used in various forms of electronic circuitry to adjust and regulate levels of voltage and current. The Inductors segment provides inductors for use as an internal magnetic field to change alternating current phase and resist alternating current. The Capacitors segment offers capacitors, which store energy and discharge it when needed. The company sells its products under Siliconix, Dale, Draloric, Beyschlag, Sfernice, MCB, UltraSource, Applied Thin-Film Products, IHLP, HiRel Systems, Sprague, Vitramon, Barry, Roederstein, ESTA, and BCcomponents brand names. It serves industrial, automotive, telecommunications, computing, consumer products, power supplies, military and aerospace, and medical end markets. The company was incorporated in 1962 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

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Schear Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP  Free Report) by 11.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,252 shares of the pipeline companys stock after purchasing an additional 960 shares during the quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLCs holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners were worth $502,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Oxbow Advisors LLC raised its position in Magellan Midstream Partners by 4.7% in the first quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 200,569 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $10,883,000 after acquiring an additional 9,029 shares in the last quarter. TCG Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in the first quarter valued at about $301,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Magellan Midstream Partners during the first quarter worth about $48,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners by 323.6% in the first quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 209,928 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $11,391,000 after buying an additional 160,367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 116,210 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $6,306,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the period. 52.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MMP shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut Magellan Midstream Partners from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $59.00 to $66.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from $53.00 to $56.00 in a report on Monday, May 15th. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reaffirmed a downgrade rating on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $57.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Magellan Midstream Partners presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $59.75.

Magellan Midstream Partners Price Performance

Shares of MMP stock remained flat at $62.83 during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock had a trading volume of 352,470 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,204,815. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.40 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $55.57. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. has a 1-year low of $45.52 and a 1-year high of $64.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96.

Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The pipeline company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $869.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $731.28 million. Magellan Midstream Partners had a return on equity of 57.78% and a net margin of 33.72%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. will post 5.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Magellan Midstream Partners Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, May 8th were given a dividend of $1.0475 per share. This represents a $4.19 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.67%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 5th. Magellan Midstream Partnerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.04%.

About Magellan Midstream Partners

(Free Report)

Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. engages in the transportation, storage, and distribution of refined petroleum products and crude oil in the United States. The company operates refined products pipeline that transports gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, kerosene, and heating oil to refiners, wholesalers, retailers, traders, railroads, airlines, and regional farm cooperatives; and to end markets, including retail gasoline stations, truck stops, farm cooperatives, railroad fueling depots, military bases, and commercial airports.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MMP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP  Free Report).

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Canoo Inc. (NYSE:GOEV  Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors bought 11,869 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 43% compared to the average daily volume of 8,296 call options.

Canoo Stock Performance

Shares of GOEV stock traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $0.51. 78,945,722 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 20,857,467. Canoo has a fifty-two week low of $0.41 and a fifty-two week high of $5.00. The stocks 50 day moving average is $0.59 and its 200-day moving average is $0.79.

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Canoo (NYSE:GOEV  Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.02. Analysts expect that Canoo will post -0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Canoo

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Infini Capital Management Ltd purchased a new position in Canoo in the 1st quarter valued at about $10,925,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Canoo by 49.1% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 18,750,337 shares of the companys stock worth $12,236,000 after purchasing an additional 6,178,847 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Canoo in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,780,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in Canoo by 122.7% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,342,854 shares of the companys stock worth $4,139,000 after buying an additional 3,494,923 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Canoo by 22.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,777,485 shares of the companys stock worth $31,458,000 after buying an additional 3,093,090 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.18% of the companys stock.

Separately, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Canoo to $1.50 in a report on Monday, June 26th.

Canoo Company Profile

(Free Report)

Canoo Inc, a mobility technology company, designs, engineers, develops, and manufactures electric vehicles for commercial and consumer markets in the United States. The company offers lifestyle delivery vehicles, lifestyle vehicles, multi-purpose delivery vehicles, and pickups. It also provides multi-purpose platform architecture is a self-contained, fully functional rolling chassis that directly houses the critical components for operation of an EV.

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The ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in Detroit, U.S., is seen in this May 27 photo provided by Korea's trade ministry. Yonhap



A new round of official negotiations for the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) has begun in Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, the industry ministry said Monday.



The fourth round of talks kicked off in Busan on Sunday for a six-day run, where some 650 officials from 14 member nations are seeking to make progress in setting details on trade, a clean economy and a fair economy  three of its four key pillars, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



In May, the member nations reached an agreement on the pillar of supply chain resilience during a meeting in Detroit, which marked the first tangible progress since U.S. President Joe Biden launched the initiative in 2022 in a move to counter China's growing influence in the region.



During the Busan meeting, the nations will examine plans for bringing the agreed-upon rules into force at an early date.



They also aim to achieve results in the three remaining pillars within this year, the ministry said.



On its sidelines, the Korean government plans to hold an international seminar on how to effectively utilize and implement the platform as a way of responding to supply chain crises.



"The IPEF will become a key platform for expanding trade in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring stable supply chains. Korea will play a leading role in setting rules under the framework," Minister Lee Chang-yang said.



The member nations include Korea, the United States, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and they represent 40 percent of the global gross domestic product and 28 percent of the global goods and services trade, according to government data.



In 2021, trade volume between Korea and the remaining 13 IPEF member nations reached $498.4 billion, accounting for 39.6 percent of Seoul's total trade that year. (Yonhap)


Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 787 aircraft / Courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines



By Kim Hyun-bin



Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa's largest carrier, is commemorating its 10th anniversary of service in Korea. The celebration will take place on Tuesday in Seoul.



Ethiopian Airlines commenced operations on June 19, 2013, connecting Seoul with Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, thereby linking Africa and Korea. The decision to open this route was driven by the flourishing economic ties, trade, investment, business and tourism relations between Africa, Asia and Korea.



Initially, Ethiopian Airlines operated the Addis Ababa (ADD) to Incheon (ICN) via Hong Kong route using the B767 aircraft model. However, since June 2014, the airline has utilized the B787. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines operates the ADD-ICN-Narita (Japan) route five times a week.



Over the past decade, Ethiopian Airlines has successfully connected Korea with over 60 destinations in Africa, operating approximately 3,200 flights. During this period, the airline transported more than 225,000 passengers and 65,000 tons of cargo. Notably, between June 2022 and May 2023, Ethiopian Airlines achieved a record-breaking milestone by transporting 90,000 passengers within a year, further solidifying its position.



The airline's growth has been bolstered by the contributions of Sharp Aviation K, which provides comprehensive aviation services, including acting as a General Sales Agent (GSA) for passenger and cargo distribution, aircraft maintenance, passenger and cargo handling, ramp services, aircraft fueling, cargo terminal operations and in-flight catering. Ethiopian Airlines has maintained a strong partnership with Sharp Aviation K since signing a contract on January 13, 2013.



Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the global aviation industry, Ethiopian Airlines has demonstrated exceptional performance. Since its inception, the airline has played a pivotal role in facilitating social and economic exchanges between Africa and Korea.



Presently, Ethiopian Airlines operates from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, serving as a hub for more than 150 international and domestic passenger and cargo destinations, including Seoul, Korea.




In a surprising turn of events, rumors are swirling around the popular K-pop star Lisa from the group BLACKPINK.

Speculations are rife that she may be involved in a romantic relationship with none other than Frederic Arnault, the 28-year-old CEO of TAG Heuer and son of the renowned business tycoon, Mr. Bernard Arnault.

Mr. Arnault, the CEO of the LVMH empire, holds the distinction of being the world's wealthiest individual in 2023, with a staggering net worth of $201.8 billion, surpassing even Elon Musk.

Lisa BLACKPINK's Love Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

The buzz started when a photograph surfaced online on July 9th, featuring Lisa BLACKPINK in the company of a young man.

Later identified as Frederic Arnault, this intriguing image set the internet ablaze with speculation and gossip.

Social media platforms and news outlets worldwide are abuzz with discussions surrounding this alleged romance.

Frederic Arnault, hailing from France, has not only inherited his father's impressive business acumen but also boasts linguistic prowess, being fluent in four languages: French, English, German, and Italian.

This remarkable achievement, combined with his prominent role as the CEO of TAG Heuer, has undoubtedly added to the intrigue surrounding him.

The attention garnered by this alleged relationship between Lisa and Frederic Arnault cannot be understated. Lisa, who serves as a brand ambassador for illustrious brands like Celine and Bulgari, both owned by LVMH, has captivated the hearts of fans worldwide with her undeniable talent and charisma.

Omg. She is so perfect.. I need her to post a picture with that look.#Lisa in Paris yesterday.. pic.twitter.com/Ix1a83oYrF  MY WORLD LISA /  stream Money (@Lisa_M_myworld) July 9, 2023

READ ALSO:BLACKPINK Lisa Leaves Airport in Hilarious Chaos - You Won't Believe What Happened!

Consequently, the revelation of her association with the heir to the LVMH empire has led to a flurry of comments and speculation among netizens.

First of all I see nothing wrong with this lets support our girl lisa. Why would we deny this matter? She not doing anything wrong. Credits to this username on tiktok#LALISA #LISA pic.twitter.com/omnAO2Lu2c  Precious is Hope (@PreciousBarrio) July 8, 2023

As the news continues to unfold, fans and followers eagerly await further updates regarding this purported romance. The implications of this union, both in terms of personal relationships and the world of business, are intriguing and have set social media platforms ablaze with anticipation.

Netizens React

Netizens React on dating rumors involving Blackpink Lisa and Mr. Arnault:

"Sorry but can't deny this" "And I wonder why? I'm pretty sure that lisa knows what she's doing. She a grown up woman making her decision. She knows better than us. She's being a baddie and idgaf about this. HAPPY FOR HER" "Any vid to this?" "Please remove the lashes" "How wonder how long they've been together?? They're so cute"

With time, the truth behind this rumored connection will inevitably come to light, putting an end to the speculation and providing clarity on the matter. Until then, enthusiasts and onlookers alike will remain engrossed in this captivating social spectacle.

READ MORE: 9 Most Jaw-Dropping Kpop Idol Glow-Ups- From Awkward to Astonishing

Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more K-pop news and lists.

Cassidy Jones wrote this.

KpopStarz owns this article.




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Today, High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, issued the following statement to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide:

"Twenty-eight years ago, one of the darkest pages of European history was written. We share the grief and pain of the families and friends of the victims and of the survivors of the genocide in Srebrenica.

Europe remembers its responsibility and failure to protect. Today, while war rages again on the European continent, we vow to do better to defend peace and protect life.

In commemorating the consequences of armed conflict, the European Union reiterates its commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. As a candidate country, Bosnia and Herzegovina's future lies within the European Union.

Reconciliation can only be built upon truth, peace, and upon justice. There can be no tolerance for genocide denial, historical revisionism, and glorification of war criminals. All civil and political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina have the responsibility to work together to build a better future based on dialogue and mutual understanding to strengthen and defend peace and human dignity for the benefit of all generations."

Zarazeno ut 11.07.2023 10:07:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=STATEMENT/23/3778&language=en lang en


Mr. President

Excellencies

Distinguished Delegates

It gives me great pleasure to present to you the final position of the Government of Sri Lanka on the recommendations received during the 4th cycle of our UPR Report.

The mechanism of the UPR marks the culmination of a long review process of the international human rights machinery. We value the fact that this mechanism provides an equal opportunity for all UN member States, without discrimination, to voluntarily share the progress made domestically to promote and protect human rights. This peer review process has contributed to reducing selectivity and politicization in our efforts to advance the cause of human rights. It enables constructive engagement on developments related to human rights with our international partners, national independent institutions, civil society, and the UN system.

2023 is the 75th anniversary year of Sri Lankas independence. The Government considers this on the one hand as a year of economic stabilization and reform, and on the other, of national reconciliation and unity. The Government is taking significant steps to address national reconciliation issues, while at the same time making every effort to pursue economic reforms to mitigate the recent challenges faced by the country.

It is in this background that Sri Lanka engaged in the 4th Cycle of our UPR on 1st February this year. Let me at the outset thank all the delegations that took part in the Review, including those that provided advance questions.

Sri Lanka received a total of 294 recommendations.

All recommendations were carefully examined by the Government. In deciding our response, it was necessary to take into consideration Sri Lankas domestic, legal and constitutional framework and the scope of national policy priorities and plans. It was also important to consider whether these recommendations were in line with and consistent with the international obligations, commitments and positions Sri Lanka has voluntarily undertaken.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the lead Government Agency responsible for coordinating UPR related matters, held a series of consultations with all relevant Government authorities before formulating the position on the recommendations received during the 4th Cycle.

Following this extensive process, Sri Lanka has decided to support 173 recommendations and take note of 115.

Six recommendations that had a reference to HRC resolution 30/1, 46,/1 51/1 could not be considered and as such had to be rejected due to the Governments stated position on those resolutions.

Mr. President,

As a State Party to all 09 core human rights instruments Sri Lankas commitment to genuine dialogue and cooperation in human rights is manifest in our continuous and constructive engagement with the UN for decades.

We have always participated actively in the regular Human Rights mechanisms. In March this year, Sri Lanka participated in the review of its 9th periodic report under the ICCPR. Sri Lanka has also extended a standing invitation to the UN Special Procedures, while the most recent visit undertaken to Sri Lanka was by the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in December 2021.

Two thirds of the recommendations received pertaining to the independence of the National Human Rights Commission is also supported, including those referring to the provision of adequate resources for it to carry out its tasks effectively in accordance with the Paris Principles.

We also received a significant number of recommendations pertaining to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, (PTA). Given the changed circumstances in the country since the PTA was enacted, a Cabinet Sub Committee was appointed in September 2022 to develop new anti-terrorism laws that would balance national security concerns with international standards and best practices. Pursuant to the gazetting of the Bill, the Ministry of Justice has actively reached out to engage in further consultations and receive additional views.

The Government has further undertaken to repeal the PTA as a voluntary pledge.

Mr. President

Sri Lanka remains committed to pursuing efforts to achieve tangible progress in national reconciliation through domestic mechanisms with the assistance of international partners.

Measures already undertaken by the Government include, a participatory and inclusive process of constructive engagement with all parties, discussions held by the President with minority political parties, and the appointment of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation under the Presidents chairmanship to give policy guidelines on reconciliation matters.

Discussions are being held on the contours of a truth and reconciliation mechanism that would suit Sri Lanka in keeping with its constitutional framework. The advisory committee appointed to work on this matter will continue consultations with relevant stakeholders with a view to facilitating the drafting of required legislation.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka voluntarily pledges to ensure womens participation in all measures and mechanisms connected with national reconciliation.

Another voluntary pledge undertaken by the Government is to continue supporting the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and the Office for Reparations (OR) including through adequate funding, resources and capacity building.

Mr. President,

The Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees the fundamental freedom of its citizens, irrespective of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any such ground. Thus, it is the duty of the Government to ensure that the fundamental freedoms of all citizens are protected, without distinction. The Government has further voluntarily pledged to take steps towards ensuring non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

In guaranteeing fundamental freedoms, the Constitution of Sri Lanka also provides permissible restrictions to ensure that the freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly and association are subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of national security, racial and religious harmony. This is particularly important given the multicultural character of Sri Lankan society.

In keeping with our focus on womens and childrens rights, Sri Lanka supports all recommendations received on trafficking in persons and commits to continue efforts towards combating all forms of trafficking in persons, including of women and children.

Furthermore, we voluntarily undertake to safeguard and advance the rights of children through the National Child Protection Authority and the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment. The Government will also increase efforts to strengthen the protection of children from child labor, domestic violence and sexual exploitation by strengthening all relevant legislation.

Similarly, all recommendations relating to labour rights and the right to work, social security, and adequate standard of living are supported by Sri Lanka, an indication of our commitment to eliminating any disparities between men and women and other discriminatory laws and policies.

Over two thirds of recommendations relating to health are supported in accordance with Sri Lankas legislative framework and cultural norms. Furthermore, the Government is focussing on health awareness and education in all aspects, including mental and reproductive health care.

Children in Sri Lanka have access to free education in the public sector at all levels. The Government supports all recommendations on education, including those relating to human rights education, and access to education for persons with disabilities and in rural areas.

Measures are being taken to address violence against women through the adoption of a national policy on Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment. In this regard, necessary measures will also be taken to amend the legislation on divorce, to include domestic violence and divorce by mutual consent, as valid grounds.

An independent National Womens Commission proposed to be established, will include in its mandate, giving leadership on legal and policy reforms, and making recommendations to Parliament for interventions on issues of gender equity and equality. An independent Ombudswoman on gender issues is also to be appointed under the Office of the Ombudsperson to investigate and provide redress for injustices against individual women in the public sector.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

Sri Lanka values all comments and recommendations received from Member States, and will continue to work towards implementing those that are supported by the Government, as well as those undertaken during the previous Review cycles.

The primary objective would be to ensure the protection from harm, and the well-being, of all Sri Lankans, without discrimination.

In this exercise, Sri Lanka will continue its constructive engagement with all international partners, the United Nations and this Council, within the framework of our Constitution.

Thank you

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Closing Remarks by Sri Lanka During the adoption of Sri Lankas 4th Universal Periodic Review Report, 10 July 2023
It is often forgotten that way before Berlin Fashion Week, the city used to be a major hub for the industry, with ready-to-wear clothing pioneered by Jewish entrepreneurs.Even though Berlin Fashion Week takes place twice every year, in January and now from July 10-13, the German city doesn't hold the title of the capital of fashion.

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That's why even Berliners are surprised when they find out that their city used to be a thriving fashion hub before World War II. And it was mainly thanks to Jewish entrepreneurs who were pioneers of modern fashion in Berlin.

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How the Jewish fashion industry all began

The clothing industry took off in Berlin in the 1830s. Industrial sewing machines introduced in the 1850s were a game changer: A shirt could be made in one hour instead of eight.

Amid this industrialization process, Germany's social and political context allowed Jewish entrepreneurs to set the tone.

For centuries, Jewish people living in Germany had been suffering from legal restrictions that affected their ability to make a livelihood and pushed most of them into poverty. Many were peddlers trading in haberdashery and second-hand clothes, while wealthy Jews traded in fine fabrics, explains Uwe Westphal, a freelance journalist and author of "Fashion Metropolis Berlin 1836 - 1939. The Story of the Rise and Destruction of the Jewish Fashion Industry."

Westphal, who has dedicated almost 40 years to researching, lecturing and writing about the forgotten Jewish fashion industry in Berlin, points out that the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century was followed by the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, which enshrined new rights for Jews in its constitution, allowing the German Jewish population to thrive.

In 1871, there were just over 800,000 inhabitants in Berlin. By the 1920s, the German capital became a metropolis with a population of over four million, 4% of which were Jews.

Jews flocked from rural areas to the big city to look for opportunities. "Amongst them were tailors, seamstresses and entrepreneurs such as David Leib Levin, who came from Koningsberg. He opened a factory for women's coats, and in 1840 was one of the first to use fixed prices for his wares," says Westphal.

Berlin becomes a ready-to-wear fashion hub

Fashion trends from Paris, especially haute couture, were too expensive for the middle classes and white-collar workers, who were nevertheless increasingly interested in looking fashionable. So the Jewish entrepreneurs "came up with the idea of producing cheap fashionable clothing according to standardized measures," explains Westphal. "The demand was there, and the industry grew rapidly."

Berlin's fashion industry reached its height in the roaring 20s, with more than 2,700 fashion companies predominantly owned by Jewish families. Names such as the Manheimer brothers, David Leib Levin, Nathan Israel and Hermann Gerson were synonymous with the new and growing trend of ready-to-wear fashion.

Jews quickly adapted to the new needs of the industrial era: "They had a feeling for what people liked and they had international connections to fabric producers," Westphal says.

The garments were sold in glamorous department stores, which were mainly owned by Jewish families too.

Berlin's fashion industry also enjoyed international success and exported to the US, the Netherlands, England, Scandinavia and Argentina. Berlin offered cheap, stylish and high-quality day-to-day clothing. The ideas for designs were copied straight off from the Parisian couture shows. Business was booming.

The downfall of Jewish-made fashion

Antisemitism and envy of the Jews' success in the industry existed from early on. But with Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Jewish-owned businesses suffered massive blows, starting with the boycott against Jewish stores established on April 1 that same year.

The companies of Jewish fashion manufacturers were then systematically taken over by members of the Nazi party: "Jews were soon forbidden to take out bank loans. For the clothing companies, this was a disaster. You couldn't have fashion shows without bank guarantees," explains Westphal, which is why Jews were forced into making Nazi party members partners in their companies to have access to funds, and finally transferring ownership at ridiculously low prices.

In the November pogroms of 1938, groups of Nazi supporters stormed hundreds of companies on Hausvogteiplatz in the Berlin district of Mitte, which was the city's center of Jewish fashion. They destroyed everything they could get their hands on: "Of the 2,700 Jewish fashion companies, only 24 were left, and they too were confiscated by 1940 at the latest," says Westphal.

According to Westphal, the Nazis' main interest was the real estate around Hausvogteiplatz, because the party was looking for new offices.

Later, forced laborers worked in fashion workshops set near concentration camps.

Josef Neckermann and Hugo Boss are just two prominent names among several owners of companies who profited greatly from the Nazi forced hostile takeover of Jewish businesses. "They oversaw production of clothing and military uniforms," points out Westphal.

Berlin fashion designers in the 1950s and 60s were content to have no Jewish competition. But by then, West Germany's fashion industry had moved from Berlin to Dusseldorf and Munich, due to the division of the city. The East German state had no real interest in fashion. By the 70s, Germany had became a minor player in fashion, Westphal explains.

Berlin shies away from its history

"Everything that fashion once was, especially in the 1920s  fashion schools, the overarching culture between fashion, architecture, the Bauhaus, music, the film industry and the visual arts in general  all of that was completely destroyed," says Westphal.

"What I find scary is that since 1945, nobody wants to remember this fashion culture. There's no commemoration of theBerlinfashio many Jewish fashion designers. This stands in stark contrast to many German companies that were deeply involved in the Nazi state and have tried to make good since then," says the expert.

In the early 90s, Westphal's frustration led to campaigning for a memorial at Hausvogteiplatz with the support of the Jewish community in Berlin. In 2000, the memorial was inaugurated with funding by the Berlin government.

Berlin's traditional Jewish fashion industry is long gone, but as part of the upcoming Days of Jewish Culture festival, a fashion show of contemporary Jewish and Israeli designers will take place on September 7. According to Westphal, it is the first Jewish fashion show in the German capital since 1939.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2023 04:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Bahraich (UP), Jul 10 (PTI) Ten people, including a pastor, were arrested for allegedly indulging in illegal religious conversion in Nanpara area here, police said on Monday.

Nanpara Deputy Superintendent of Police Rahul Pandey said pastor Baburam is accused of luring poor villagers to convert to Christianity in Siddhanpurwa village. Some other people assisted him in this work.

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Ten people, including Baburam, were arrested on Sunday after a case was registered against 19 people on charges of unlawful conversion. Efforts are on to arrest the remaining accused, Pandey said.

It has been alleged that Baburam and his wife were luring the villagers to convert to Christianity by promising to cure their diseases, including cancer, police said.

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(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 10 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the Lachit Moidam Memorial and Cultural Complex at Lahdoigarh in Jorhat on Monday and took stock of the progress of its construction.

Visiting the site, Chief Minister Sarma paid his rich tributes to Veer Lachit Barphukan at the Moidam.

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He then visited the construction site and inspected the under-construction memorial and cultural complex.

He also took stock of the physical progress of the 125 feet statue of Veer Lachit Barphukan. He had a meeting with the engineers of Ahluwalia Contract Limited, the construction agency, and asked them to complete the construction by the end of 2024.

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Since the entire complex area has been demarcated, Chief Minister Sarma asked Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jorhat to plant saplings around the boundary walls.

He asked him to do the plantation on October 2, when the state government will implement a programme of planting one crore saplings on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

He also asked the executing agency to ensure the quality and beauty of construction so that the entire complex could be turned into one of the most attractive tourist destinations.

Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora, MPs Topon Kumar Gogoi, Pabitra Margherita, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami, Rupjyoti Kurmi, Bhaben Bharali, Nirupama Rajkhowa, and Adviser Education Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta were present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Sarma also visited the Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat today and saw its research activities.

He had a look at all the facilities of the institute, especially its research and scientific infrastructure.

He also held a meeting with the institute administration, led by its director, Dr. A Babu, and other scientists.

He took note of different aspects of the institute, including its sources of revenue generation. During the meeting, he also took stock of the reasons responsible for dwindling tea demands and the measures to tide over the situation.

He also suggested for diversification in tea growing areas so that revenue loss can be compensated by growing other valuable trees along with the tea bushes.

Moreover, as a gesture of help to the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, he also assured a soft loan without interest with a 10 year moratorium.

The Chief Minister also visited the place where the mother plant of the TV1 variety of tea was developed in 1949. It is believed that the tea leaves that consumers use most likely originated from this mother plant.

Industry and Commerce Minister Bimal Bora, MPs Topon Kumar Gogoi and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami, Rupjyoti Kurmi, and Bhaskar Jyoti Baruah, and DC Jorhat Pulak Mahanta were present during the meeting. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, July 10: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said. The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Flood Alert Sounded in Delhi After Haryana Discharges Over 1 Lakh Cusecs of Water Into Yamuna.

Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said. The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.

The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm. The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday. Flood Warning in Delhi After Haryana Discharges Over 1 Lakh Cusecs of Water Into Yamuna; National Capital Breaks 41-Year Rainfall Record.

According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge touched 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres. The water level is anticipated to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn and mining behemoth Vedanta are committed to the semiconductor mission and the Make-in-India programme of the country, Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

The comments came against the backdrop of Foxconn announcing pulling out of its semiconductor joint venture Vedanta Foxconn Semiconductors Private Limited.

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"Both the companies Foxconn and Vedanta are committed to India's semiconductor mission and Make in India program," Vaishnaw tweeted.

Taiwan's Foxconn has withdrawn from a USD 19.5 billion (about Rs 1.5 lakh crore) semiconductor joint venture with mining baron Anil Agarwal's Vedanta Ltd as the venture struggled to get a technology partner to make chips that are used in mobile phones to refrigerators and cars.

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In a statement, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, said it "has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta."

Agarwal's metals-to-oil conglomerate responded, saying it was "fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry."

It however did not give details of the new partners.

The JV had announced to set up of India's first electronic chip manufacturing unit in Gujarat with an investment of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

India at present imports all electronic chips that are vital for manufacturing high tech electronic products like mobile phones, electric vehicles, computers etc.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Foxconn's decision to pull out of Vedanta joint venture has no impact on India's semiconductor fabrication plant goal as both the companies had no prior semiconductor experience or technology and were expected to source fabrication tech from a tech partner.

"While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source an appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," the minister said.

He said that Vedanta through JV VFSL has recently submitted a 40 nm fab proposal backed by a technology licensing agreement from a Global Semicon major - which is currently being evaluated by the government's Semicon India Tech Advisory group.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 10 (ANI): In a concerted action, Officers of Hyderabad Customs at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport seized 1.93 kgs. of smuggled gold and 62,400 smuggled cigarette sticks, said the official press release by the Office of Customs department.

Based on passenger profiling and surveillance, Hyderabad Customs seized 1.93 kgs. of smuggled gold valued at Rs 1.17 crores in two different cases, and 62,400 smuggled cigarette sticks in the other two cases on July 9, 2023.

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The first case involved the seizure of 1,399 grams of smuggled gold in bar form, valued at Rs 84.8 lakhs. The contraband was discovered in the possession of a passenger who had arrived in Hyderabad from Dubai.

On further investigation, it was found that the gold was planned to be taken out through an Airport staff member and the same was foiled by Customs in a swift interception. Both of them were placed under arrest.

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In the second case, 527 grams of smuggled gold, valued at Rs 31.8 lakhs was recovered from a passenger who had arrived at Hyderabad from Jeddah. The gold was concealed in the rectum of the person in the form of two capsules.

Further, 62,400 smuggled cigarette sticks were seized from 2 passengers who arrived from Bangkok and Dubai.

Further investigation in the matter is under progress. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ramban (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 10 (ANI): A road in the Chabba Seri area at Jammu Srinagar National Highway (NH44) was washed away on Sunday due to heavy rainfall.

Mohammed Jahangir, a local on his way to the area, said roads were being washed away in the downpur in the region and there are no adequate arrangements made by the administration for the visitors.

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"We are facing a lot of problems. We have to walk a lot. Recently a road was washed away during our journey. We had to walk around 1-2 kms in Makarkot and now we have walked another 3-4 kms. As we reached Ramban, another road was washed away. There is no arrangement for the public. The administration should stop people from coming to Ramban stretch or else make necessary arrangements for them to proceed further," he told ANI.

Earlier, on Sunday, a shed where a langar (community kitchen) was openedd for Amarnath pilgrims was washed away by the overflowing Chenab River in Ramban.

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Langar owners said that continuous heavy rainfall in several regions over the past few days saw the water level of the Chenab river rise. The rising waters washed away the makeshift establishments for the Amarnath pilgrims.

Incessant rains, over the last few days, in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, have inflicted significant damage on National Highway-44, especially to the stretch in the Ramban district, forcing its closure for traffic.

"Traffic shall remain suspended on NH-44 till July 10, 2023. Accordingly, the general public is advised to avoid the journey on NH-44, till the time confirmation is issued by the administration," J-K Police said in a statement.

Meanwhile, as the weather showed significant improvement on Sunday, a batch of 6,491 pilgrims performed darshan at Amarnath holy cave.

The 62-day-long Shri Amarnath Yatra will culminate on August 31, 2023. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar, Jul 10 (PTI) A day after police detained a group of former terrorists from a hotel here and alleged that they were planning to revive the JKLF and the Hurriyat Conference, the separatist amalgam on Monday said it had nothing to with their meeting.

The Hurriyat said some members had gathered at a local hotel in private capacity for an Eid Milan party.

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The Hurriyat Conference wants to make it clear that those who attended this lunch went in their individual capacity, and not as members of Hurriyat. It was not a Hurriyat event nor was Hurriyat leadership aware of it, the amalgam said in a statement.

After the crackdown on its leaders ahead of the scrapping of Article 370 in August 2019, the Hurriyat has remained away from the limelight.

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The Yasin Malik-led Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was banned in March 2019 for "promoting" secession of the militancy-hit state from the Union of India. The JKLF was involved in the killings of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989 leading to their exodus from the valley, according to officials.

Reacting to the police statement on the detention of several persons from a local hotel, the Hurriyat said they came to know about the meeting through media reports.

So to attribute motives to Hurriyat in this regard is mere speculation and totally baseless, it added.

Police on Sunday said it detained a group of former JKLF militants, who were trying to revive separatist politics in Kashmir, from a hotel in the city.

"A search was conducted on basis of credible info about meeting of some ex-trts (terrorists) of JKLF & erstwhile separatists in a hotel in Srinagar. They were brought to Kothibagh PS for verification. Inquiry has started, prima facie it came out that they were planning to revive JKLF & Hurriyat," the Srinagar Police tweeted.

The police did not elaborate if the persons were arrested or let go after verification.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices rebounded in early trade on Monday amid unabated foreign fund inflows and buying in index major Reliance Industries and HDFC twins.

Bouncing back from Friday's decline, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 252.87 points to 65,533.32 in early trade. The NSE Nifty advanced 76.1 points to 19,407.90.

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From the Sensex pack, Reliance Industries quoted with over 3 per cent gains. HDFC, Tata Motors, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement and Mahindra & Mahindra were the biggest gainers.

HCL Technologies, Titan, Power Grid, Bajaj Finance, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Wipro and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards.

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Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their buying activity as they bought equities worth Rs 790.40 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, Shanghai and Hong Kong quoted in the green while Seoul and Tokyo traded lower.

The US markets ended in the negative territory on Friday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.62 per cent to USD 77.98 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark had fallen by 505.19 points or 0.77 per cent to 65,280.45 on Friday. The Nifty had declined by 165.50 points or 0.85 per cent to 19,331.80.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ahmedabad, Jul 10 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court on Monday extended interim relief granted to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena till the final disposal of his plea seeking proceedings against him in a case of assault on social activist Medha Patkar be kept in abeyance till the time he holds the office of L-G.

The court of Justice Samir Dave stayed a criminal trial against Saxena till the final disposal of his plea and also joined the Centre as a party to the litigation. The matter was kept for further hearing on August 29.

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The court of metropolitan magistrate PC Goswami had, on May 8, refused to stay the trial against Saxena in a case in which he and three others are accused of assaulting Patkar during a peace meeting organised at Gandhi Ashram on April 10, 2002.

During the hearing on Monday, Patkar opposed Saxena's plea challenging the trial court's order.

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Her lawyer Anand Yagnik submitted that while the public prosecutor endorsed Saxena's plea, the government was required to file a detailed affidavit as the matter is serious involving the interpretation of the Constitution.

Saxena's lawyer Jal Unwala submitted before the court that in its order rejecting Saxena's plea for abeyance of trial, the metropolitan court did not touch upon the issue of whether the L-G can be granted immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.

In his plea, Saxena contended that the trial court made an erroneous observation that if protection is granted to him, then examination of witnesses will have to be conducted afresh, which would cause delay in trial.

The observation of the metropolitan court is erroneous in view of the fact that even if the trial is concluded, the court would not be in the position to send him in custody in view of the protection under Article 361 of the Constitution of India, he said.

As per the case details, a group of people had allegedly attacked Patkar when she was part of a peace meet organised after the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A case was registered on her complaint at Sabarmati police station under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of trust), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The trial in the case is underway in a metropolitan court here.

Cross examination of other accused Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah, Vejalpur MLA Amit Thaker and Congress leader Rohit Patel has been completed. When Saxena's turn came, his lawyer had moved an application seeking abeyance of trial against him on grounds of immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 10 (ANI/WAM): The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has set Emiratisation targets "Tawteen" for all healthcare facilities operating in Abu Dhabi to provide 5,000 new job opportunities for UAE nationals until the end of the year 2025.

DoH called on all healthcare facilities in the emirate to work towards achieving these targets by retaining and increasing Emiratisation rates within their healthcare and administrative staff.

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The Department indicated that it is working closely with healthcare providers in the emirate to raise Emiratisation rates in medical professions, which include doctors, nursing staff and extended healthcare professions, while the administrative staff include employees working in information technology, human resources, accounting, finance, and legal sectors. This comes in line with the DoH's efforts to unlock opportunities for local talents in line with the Tawteen agenda for the healthcare workforce and ensure its sustainability.

Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Under-Secretary of DoH, said, "Under the directives of our wise leadership, the Tawteen targets were implemented in healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi to empower national competencies, allowing them to further contribute to the healthcare system, in order to enhance its outcomes and establish a competitive knowledge-based economy in the Emirate. This comes in line with the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi's (DoH) efforts to support Tawteen initiatives in the healthcare sector to retain qualified national medical professionals, further cementing Abu Dhabi's position as a leading global healthcare destination."

Also Read | Pakistan Warns of Heavy Rainfall, Issues Flood Alert After India Releases 1,85,000 Cusecs of Water.

DoH will support all facilities to achieve the target and make the most of the "Nafis" initiative and its platform to identify citizens seeking employment in the healthcare field.

Furthermore, Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, praised DoH's efforts to increase the Emaritisation rates and monitor healthcare facilities to achieve their Tawteen goals, in accordance with the decisions related to the subject. This provides a supportive work environment to UAE nationals, especially those working in the healthcare sector, allowing them to fill positions in this vital and important sector.

He also praised the cooperation shown by various national entities to provide means of success and support to "NAFIS" and its different programmes and initiatives and to raise the competitiveness of Emirati cadres. This will entail a substantial leap in different national fields and sectors, which helps achieve the goals and aspirations set by the wise leadership to consolidate and unify efforts to support and adopt national talents, qualify Emirati cadres, raise their competitiveness, and increase their presence within the workforce in the private sector. (ANI/WAM)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dakar (Senegal), Jul 10 (AP) At least 300 people travelling from Senegal to Spain in three boats are missing, a Spanish aid group said Monday, raising concern about their fate along one of the deadliest sea routes for migrants.

Two boats departed June 23 from Mbour, a coastal city in central Senegal, carrying about 100 people, and a third left the southern town of Kafountine four days later with approximately 200 people, according to Helena Maleno Garzon, coordinator for the aid group Walking Borders, which is known as Caminando Fronteras in Spanish.

Also Read | Vladimir Putin Held Secret Talks With Wagner Warlord in Kremlin on July 1 Week After Revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin-Led Wagner Group: Report.

There has been no contact with the boats since their departures, she said.

The most important thing is to find those people. There are many people missing in the sea. This isn't normal. We need more planes to look for them, Garzon told The Associated Press.

Also Read | Pakistan Warns of Heavy Rainfall, Issues Flood Alert After India Releases 1,85,000 Cusecs of Water.

Spain's Maritime Rescue Service said Monday that its plane spotted a vessel approximately 130 km (80 miles) from one of the Canary Islands that appeared to have the same characteristics as one of the boats reported missing.

The vessel seen near the island of Gran Canaria appeared to be a multi-colored Senegalese pirogue, a kind of long canoe, carrying some 200 people. A rescue boat was launched but will take two hours to reach boat, the service said.

The Atlantic migration route is one of the deadliest in the world, with nearly 800 people dying or going missing in the first half of 2023, according to Walking Borders.

In recent years, the Canary Islands have become one of the main destinations for people trying to reach Spain, with a peak of more than 23,000 migrants arriving in 2020, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. In the first six months of this year, more than 7,000 migrants and refugees reached the Canaries.

One of the deadliest mass drownings of Europe-bound migrants happened last month on the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 500 people were presumed dead off the coast of Greece. Criticism has mounted over the European Union's yearslong failure to prevent such tragedies.

Boats that go missing often aren't documented. Some are never found or are discovered across the world years later. An AP investigation published this year found that at least seven migrant boats from northwest Africa, likely trying to reach the Canary Islands in 2021, drifted to the Caribbean and Brazil.

The boats mainly travel from Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania, with fewer coming from Senegal, the Spanish aid group said. However, at least 19 boats from Senegal have arrived in the Canary Islands since June, the group said.

Factors such as ailing economies, a lack of jobs, extremist violence, political unrest and the impact of climate change push migrants to risk their lives on overcrowded boats to reach the Canaries. Last month in Senegal, at least 23 people were killed during weeks of protests between opposition supporters and police.

A woman whose 19 and 24-year-old sons left on one of the boats from Mbour in June told the AP they had a goal of trying to pull the family out of poverty.

Daw Demba, 48, said she discovered her sons' secret plans days before they left and tried to convince them not to. They assured her it would be safe because the captain had made the trip safely multiple times, she said.

I am desperate to hear the voices of my sons. I am convinced they are still alive," Demba said through tears in a phone interview from her home in Mbour. "Every moment, every second, I am still believing.

Before they departed, she armed her sons, Massou Seck and Serigne Galaye Seck, with traditional spiritual items, including a bottle of water that had been blessed and Quranic paper with their names written on it for protection.

Walking Borders' Maleno said she had been in contact with the Moroccan, Spanish and Mauritanian marines and that more needs to be done to look for the missing boats.

Imagine if there (were) 300 American people missing at sea. What (would) happen? Many planes will look for them, she said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): India on Monday welcomed Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa.

"India welcomes leading Saudi Arabia voice of moderation n peace advocacy H.E. Dr Mohammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa @MhmdAlissa SG @MWLOrg n Chairman @The_CRL. The visit shall surely boost, empower voices of faith, reasons n understandings which cherish and celebrate Unity in Diversity," GaddiNashin-DargahAjmerSharif, Chairman-ChishtyFoundation, Haji Syed Salman Chishty tweeted on Monday.

Also Read | Vladimir Putin Held Secret Talks With Wagner Warlord in Kremlin on July 1 Week After Revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin-Led Wagner Group: Report.

Al-Issa, leading voice of moderation and peace advocacy, during his six-day India visit will be meeting India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for a one-on-one in the evening.

On July 11, at 11 am, on the invitation of the Khusro Foundation, Al-Issa will address a gathering of prominent religious and community leaders, academics and media at BS Abdur Rahman Auditorium at the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

Also Read | Pakistan Warns of Heavy Rainfall, Issues Flood Alert After India Releases 1,85,000 Cusecs of Water.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval shall also address the gathering. Al-Issa will be in India from July 10-15.

As per sources, Al-Issa is expected to meet India's Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, and Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, and he may also call on the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.

He will also meet the President of ICCR and interact with a group of distinguished faith leaders at Vivekanand International Foundation. As per sources, he might visit Akshardham Temple and meet some prominent personalities.

During his stay in the national capital, an important part of his engagement will also be the visit to Jama Masjid Delhi for Friday Prayers. He is also scheduled to visit Agra.

Notably, Al-Issa is an Islamic scholar and a leading voice on moderate Islam. He is also a promoter of inter-faith dialogue and world peace.

He is a prominent religious leader, Islamic scholar and reformist from Saudi Arabia. Before being appointed as the Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016, Al-Issa served as the Minister of Justice in the Saudi Cabinet.

As the Secretary General of the Muslim World League, an influential non-governmental organization representing Muslims worldwide, Al-Issa has spearheaded initiatives to build partnerships and strengthen relations between diverse communities, faiths, and nations.

He also serves as the chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership, a body of globally influential government, faith, media, business, and community leaders working together to solve the challenges facing humanity and the world today. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): The Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdullah Shahid has arrived in Delhi, kickstarting his two-day official visit to India on Monday.

He reached the national capital today during the evening hours.

Also Read | UK Suffers 'Biggest Ever' Ransomware Attack on National Health Service, Says Report.

During his visit, Abdullah Shahid will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral, regional & international issues of mutual interest.

The Foreign Minister will also deliver the 43rd Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi.

Also Read | British Police Assessing Information From BBC Over Claim That Presenter Paid Teen for Explicit Photos.

Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in the Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy'.

"The Maldives Foreign Minister's visit is in continuation of the series of high-level visits from both sides and is expected to lend further momentum to the substantive bilateral cooperation between the two countries," the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release.

Abdullah Shahid said in a tweet that his visit is in keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between Maldives and India.

"Keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between #Maldives and #India, I am departing to New Delhi on an Official Visit at the invitation of EAM @DrSJaishankar. Look forward to continuing our discussions on enhancing the #MaldivesIndiaPartnership," Shahid tweeted.

Last month, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and Abdulla Shahid attended the ceremony for the exchange of 10 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) between India and Maldives in Male.

Muraleedharan noted that MoUs will facilitate the implementation of development projects in areas like arts, sports, education and health under India's grant assistance. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tehran, Jul 10 (AP) Fire erupted at an oil refinery in southern Iran and injured eight firefighters on Monday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The news agency did not say what caused the fire but reported the firefighters were hurt while trying to put out the blaze burning in two of the five tanks at an oil depot near Iran's port of Banda Abbas.

Also Read | Vladimir Putin Held Secret Talks With Wagner Warlord in Kremlin on July 1 Week After Revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin-Led Wagner Group: Report.

Authorities said there was concern the fire might spread to more tanks. The port, located at the mouth of strategic Strait of Hormuz, is a major import and export hub.

Similar fires were reported there in the past and at other oil facilities in Iran. Authorities blamed them on decades of international sanctions as well as hot summer weather.

Also Read | Pakistan Warns of Heavy Rainfall, Issues Flood Alert After India Releases 1,85,000 Cusecs of Water.

Temperatures in Bandar Abbas reached nearly 37 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kyiv [Ukraine], July 10 (ANI): The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he will discuss the extension of the Black Sea Grain deal with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, reported Al Jazeera.

The deal is due to expire on July 17 this month.

Also Read | Climate Change To Spur Spread of Tick-Borne 'Deadly Virus' in UK, Says Report.

The grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia last year, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations (UN), permits Ukrainian ships to export grains from Black Sea ports to the rest of the globe.

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan predicted that Putin would visit Turkey in August as he spoke before leaving for a NATO conference in Vilnius.

Also Read | Russia's First Transgender Politician Yulia Alyoshina Abandons Plans To Run for Governor Amid New Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.

Earlier in May, Russia agreed to extend the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal for another two months, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced, according to The Moscow Times reported.

This announcement came just a day before a 60-day extension, agreed back in March, was set to expire.

"Our Russian friends said they will not interfere with Turkish ships leaving [Ukraine's] ports. We thank them for this," The Moscow Times quoted Erdogan as saying.

Earlier in March, Erdogan announced an extension of the Black Sea grain deal. However, he did not reveal details regarding the expiration date of the deal at that time.

The deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July to ensure safe passage for ships carrying grain exports from Ukraine, especially at a time when the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine resulted in global food shortage. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Pune, July 10: NCP MLA from Wai constituency in Maharashtra's Satara district, Makarand Patil, on Monday, said he has joined the camp led by senior party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Patil said he decided to join the Ajit Pawar camp to save two sugar factories in his constituency which are in financial crisis and in the hope of bringing development and resolving tourism-related issues in Wai. NCP 'Split': Ajit Pawar Writes to Election Commission Staking Claim to Nationalist Congress Party and Its Symbol, Jayant Patil Informs About Disqualification Process Against 9 MLAs.

Notably, Patil was present during Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar's visit to Karad city, a day after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government. NCP 'Split' in Maharashtra: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar Removes Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare From Party for Anti-Party Activities.

The MLA claimed his name had figured in the list of nine ministers of NCP, including Ajit Pawar who took oath last Sunday. "But I told Ajit Pawar that I would have to consult my supporters and people from the constituency before taking any decision," he told PTI.

Several workers and supporters of Patil from Satara district met Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Saturday. In the video of the meeting, an NCP functionary from the Wai constituency is seen demanding a Cabinet berth for Patil. The MLA said it was a very difficult call to take as both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar are dear to him.

"It was a tough decision. Recently, I took over two sugar factories that were in a financial crisis. Just because of people's insistence, I contested the elections to these factories. I could handle the last year's (sugarcane crushing) season without any problem," he said. Patil said they faced various difficulties in the last year when not in power in managing the factories.

"Against this backdrop, we have decided (to join the Ajit Pawar camp) to save these sugar factories, and to address the issues related to development and tourism in my constituency," he added.

Patil claimed he took this decision on the insistence of NCP workers who flagged issues related to the sugar mills and development in Wai. After joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the Ajit Pawar camp has staked the claim to the NCP name and symbol. Ajit Pawar loyalists, including Praful Patel, are insisting that they have the support of "40 plus" out of the 53 MLAs of NCP.
Mumbai, July 10: The Kayan police recently arrested a man for allegedly sending a message to a woman by posing as a BJP MLA on Facebook. Police officials said that the accused allegedly catfished a woman by messaging her from a fake Facebook account of a BJP MLA. The accused impersonated Kalyan East BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad and even created a fake account in the saffron party leader's name.

The incident came to light when a few women asked Gaikwad if he had sent them friend requests or messages on Facebook. Learning about women receiving messages in his name, the BJP MLA approached the Thane police commissioner, reports the Times of India. Following this, Kolswwadi police station began probing the incident. After tracing and tracking the account, the police learned about the accused. Mumbai Shocker: Man Steals Car Parts To Pay for Girlfriend's Shopping Expenses; Arrested.

On Saturday, the police arrested the accused Chandan Shirsekar (28), a resident of Kolsewadi. An officer from Kolsewadi police station said that Shirsekar was allegedly using Wi-Fi and hotspot of several people in order to evade arrest. While the accused has been arrested, BJP MLA Gaikwad claimed that the accused could be working at someone's behest to defame him.

What Is Catfishing?

A day after his arrest, accused Shirsekar was produced before the Kalyan court that sent him into police custody. Meanwhile, it is important to understand what is catfishing. In simple terms, Catfishing takes place when a person allegedly sets up a fake online profile on social media platforms and dating apps. Usually, people who catfish others do so in order to trick those who are looking for love so that they could extort money from them. Mumbai Shocker: Driver Brings 20-Year-Old Businesswoman to Isolated Place on Mumbai-Goa Highway, Molests Her Inside Cab; Investigation Launched.

Conman or fraudsters who usually resort to catfishing usually use someone else's photos and even refuse to meet in real or on a video call. In a separate incident that took place in Mumbai, a 24-year-old rickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly raping and threatening a woman in the city. The incident took place in a moving rickshaw in Aarey Colony, Goregaon. After the incident came to light, the police arrested the accused and produced him before a court.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2023 03:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
In the wake of heavy downpours across the country including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Maharahstra etc, the Prime Minister's Office on Monday said that PM Narendra Modi spoke to senior Ministers and officials. The PMO said that PM Modi also took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India. "Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected," the PMO said. Himachal Pradesh Rains Videos: Landslides, Flooding, Overflowing Rivers, Incessant Rainfall Unleashes Deaths and Devastation Across State.

PM Modi Takes Stock of Rainfall Situation Across India

PM @narendramodi spoke to senior Ministers and officials, and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India. Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 10, 2023

PM Modi Speaks to Senior Ministers and Officials

PM Modi spoke to senior Ministers and officials, and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of India. Local administrations, NDRF and SDRF teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected: PMO pic.twitter.com/TYLWKz2afi  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Mumbai, July 10: Honor is working on a new foldable. The Honor Magic V2 will be unveiled in China on July 12. Several details of the upcoming handset have surfaced online. It is expected to feature an LTPO OLED display with a slightly curved edge and a gearless hinge. The upcoming device is said to be one of the thinnest foldable phones to date. Samsung Galaxy M34 5G With Massive 6000mAh Battery Launched in India: From Price To Specs, Here's All You Need To Know.

Honor Magic V2 Specifications (Expected)

The upcoming handset is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip with 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. A Magic V2 Supreme Edition might come equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

The Honor Magic V2 is tipped to feature a 7.9-inch foldable LTPO OLED display with high-frequency dimming and a gearless hinge. It is expected to come with a 54MP Sony IMX800 primary sensor, a periscope zoom lens, and a

The upcoming smartphone is likely to run Android 13-based Magic OS 7. Connectivity options will include 5G, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, GNSS, NFC, and a USB-C port.

Additionally, the dual SIM smartphone will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports wireless charging and 66W wired charging. Infinix Zerobook 13 With 13th Gen Intel Chips, Up to 32GB RAM Launched in India: Check Price, Specifications, and Other Features.

Honor Magic V2 Price (Expected)

The Honor Magic V2 is expected to be priced between Magic V and Magic Vs phones. While the Honor V comes with a starting price of $1397, the Honor Vs price starts at $1050.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2023 10:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
London, July 10: Russian President Vladimir Putin has held secret talks at the Kremlin with the Wagner warlord who staged an armed mutiny against his regime, according to Western intelligence sources, a media report said.

The unannounced session took place on July 1, a week after the revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary army, according to French publication Liberation, which cited secret service sources, Daily Mail reported. Since the alleged meeting, Prigozhin appears to be remaining in Russia rather than forced into exile in neighbouring Belarus as seemed his fate earlier. Vladimir Putin Asks Elena Ilyukhina To Stop Talking As Russia's National Anthem Plays During Flag Raising Ceremony in Saint Petersburg (Watch Video).

The claims about a sensational head-to-head between Putin and Prigozhin come amid a chilling separate theory that the Wagner boss may be tasked with using his armed force to assassinate Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky -- and 'bring his head' to the Kremlin, Daily Mail reported. Vladimir Putin's Address To Russia After Wagner-Army Clashes Live Streaming: Watch Online Telecast of Russian President's Press Conference on 'Mutiny' Attempt.

Prigozhin may seek to carry out 'some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia' to work his way back in with the Putin regime after his armed revolt aimed at toppling Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Defence Staff Valery Gerasimov, said one of Moscow's most-respected editors, Nobel prize-winner Dmitry Muratov, Daily Mail reported."I think [Yevgeny Prigozhin] may not ask for forgiveness [from Putin]," Muratov, who runs the pioneering investigative news outlet Novaya Gazeta, told Zhivoy Gvozd in his YouTube show.

"But he may commit some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia. He may try to organise an assassination attempt on [Volodymyr] Zelensky and bring the head of the President of Ukraine to the Kremlin. He must do something that will take away the taste of what Putin called ''a stab in the back of Russia'," Muratov said. In the wake of the aborted armed mutiny on June 24, Putin swiftly withdrew threats to charge Prigozhin with treason and leading an insurrection.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2023 05:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
On 8 July Colombias government led by Presidentsaid that it had reached an agreement to begin peace talks with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC)  the largest grouping of dissident units of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) guerrilla group.

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On 9 July the opposition Frente Amplio por Mexico (FAM) presented its official registration to the national electoral institute (INE) ahead of Mexico's 2024 presidential elections.

Analysis:

The FAM, comprising the right-wing Partido Accion Nacional (PAN), centrist Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), and left-wing Partido de la Revolucion Democratica (PRD), is the name that the Va por Mexico opposition alliance is using to select its candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, predominantly to avoid sanctions over premature campaigning. The alliance announced the registration of over 30 applicants to become the leader of the FAM and its 2024 candidate. Whoever is ultimately chosen from the broad field of applicants will have their work cut out to beat the candidate for the ever-popular ruling Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional (Morena) party.

In a joint statement, PAN leader Marko Cortes , PRI leader Alejandro Moreno , and PRD leader Jesus Zambrano announced the official registration of the FAM, stating that it was an important step for this great effort between citizens and political parties.

, PRI leader , and PRD leader announced the official registration of the FAM, stating that it was an important step for this great effort between citizens and political parties. Cortes told the press that with this formalisation we demonstrate that there is no simulation, we are doing this in accordance with the constitution. Moreno also stressed the transparent and democratic manner of the selection process.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has repeatedly questioned the democratic nature of the opposition alliances selection process, claiming that party elites had already selected PAN Senator Xochitl Galvez as the candidate.

has repeatedly questioned the democratic nature of the opposition alliances selection process, claiming that party elites had already selected PAN Senator as the candidate. Along with the formalisation of the alliance, FAM closed its candidate registration process. Those to register included politicians from PAN, PRI and PRD, as well as members of civil society.

Potential candidates include Galvez; PRD Senator and former Mexico City (CDMX) governor (2012-2018) Miguel Angel Mancera ; former Tamaulipas governor (2016-2022) Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca (PAN); former Queretaro governor (1997-2003) Ignacio Loyola ; former Michoacan governor (2015-2021) Silvano Aureoles (PRD); president of the lower chamber of congress and former interior minister (2000-2005) Santiago Creel (PAN); former ambassador to Brazil (2012-2016) Beatriz Paredes (PRI); and former tourism minister (2015-2018) Enrique de la Madrid (PRI).

; former Tamaulipas governor (2016-2022) (PAN); former Queretaro governor (1997-2003) ; former Michoacan governor (2015-2021) (PRD); president of the lower chamber of congress and former interior minister (2000-2005) (PAN); former ambassador to Brazil (2012-2016) (PRI); and former tourism minister (2015-2018) (PRI). Former economy minister (2012-2018) Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal (PRI) will head up international liaison for the coalition.

Looking Ahead: The aspiring candidates must collect 150,000 signatures to indicate public support for their candidacy. Those who do so will participate in a forum on 10 August to communicate their vision to the people. Public opinion polling will then be used to select the top three candidates.
On 7 July the president of Guatemalas supreme court (CSJ),, issued an order blocking the certification of results from Guatemalas 25 June first round presidential election.

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Antigua and Barbuda, with its vibrant culture and stunning natural beauty, offers an enticing array of local foods that truly reflect the spirit and flavors of the Caribbean.

Exploring the culinary scene of these islands presents an opportunity to indulge in a rich tapestry of tastes and traditions.

While exploring the captivating sights of the port of call, embarking on rainforest canopy tours, or leisurely strolling along the pristine white beaches, indulge in the delectable local cuisine during your visit to Antigua and Barbuda.

These Antigua and Barbuda foods are guaranteed to satiate your palate, uplift your spirits, and create enduring memories of the Land of 365 Beaches as an unforgettable destination.

Conch

The conch, renowned for its captivating spiral shell that has graced the screens of numerous pirate movies and seafaring tales, possesses more than just aesthetic appeal, according to Carnival.

This elegant shellfish takes on a distinct character in Antigua and Barbuda, making it a truly unforgettable culinary experience.

Harvested from the warm waters surrounding the island, Antigua's conch boasts a delightful sweetness and a unique texture that falls somewhere between clams and calamari.

With its local abundance, conch finds its way into various delectable preparations, such as chowders, curries, ceviches, or even transformed into crispy fritters through battering and frying.

However, on a sun-kissed day in Antigua, it's difficult to resist the allure of a light and refreshing conch ceviche, perfectly complemented by a cool and refreshing beverage.

READ NEXT: Antigua and Barbuda: Top 5 Tourist Attractions

Fungee and Pepperpot

While pepperpot is a well-known dish throughout the Caribbean, the Land of 365 Beaches' version of this culinary delight stands apart from the rest.

In fact, Antigua and Barbuda proudly claims fungee and pepperpot as their national dish, a culinary gem that can be savored across the entire island.

Despite their seemingly disparate nature, the marriage of fungee, a cornmeal-based creation infused with okra, and pepperpot, a hearty stew, achieves a harmonious blend that epitomizes tropical perfection.

Black Pudding

Black pudding, also known as rice pudding, presents a unique culinary experience that deviates from the traditional understanding of a dessert-like pudding.

Instead, black pudding refers to a sausage that combines a blend of distinctive herbs, spices, and blood, often incorporating rice and/or potatoes, Chef's Pencil noted.

Encased within animal intestines, typically derived from cows, pigs, or goats, this savory creation has gained popularity among British tourists and holds a prominent place in Caribbean cuisine, albeit under various regional names.

Ducuna

Adding raisins to ducuna, a traditional Antigua and Barbuda food, sparks lively local debates.

Despite the raisin controversy, ducuna is widely acknowledged for its exceptional flavor and remarkable satiating qualities.

This vegetarian dish has gained recognition for its versatility, as it can be enjoyed in various forms.

Ducuna can be served hot as a flavorful side dish, chilled to create a delectable dessert, or thinly sliced and fried to perfection as a delightful snack.

Often likened to a dumpling, ducuna is prepared using grated sweet potato, coconut, and pumpkin, combined with a medley of aromatic seasonings such as cinnamon.

The mixture is then encased in a banana leaf and boiled, akin to the Mexican tamale cooking method, until it achieves a desirable firmness and consistency.

READ MORE: Barbados Food

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: ANTIGUA VLOG! ziplining, rum-making & local cuisine food tour! - From Brogan Tate
In yet another mass shooting incident, this time at a shopping center in Amarillo, Texas, two people were killed and at least five more were injured. The attack took place early Sunday morning, at around 1:00 am, in the 3500 block of South Georgia Street.

According to Everything Lubbock, no arrests have been made yet, with the police still trying to find out who the shooter is. A police press release stated that when officers arrived at the scene, seven people had been shot. One victim was already dead on the spot, while the six others were taken to three different emergency rooms.

However, one of them did not make it and died at the hospital.

The victims were identified as 32-year-old Semagea D. Smith and 28-year-old Dequincton T. Taylor. Police say that investigations into the early morning assault are still ongoing. The other victims who were shot are expected to recover.

Police said a fight broke out at a party in Amarillo before the shooting started. The late-night private party happened at the shopping mall and was described as "boozy," according to police.

Tributes Pour for Two Texas Shopping Center Shooting Victims

According to The Mirror, following the attack, family and friends of the two victims paid tribute to both men online.

One tribute to the now-late Semagea Smith, also called Smitty by his friends, said, "Smitty Smith, my heart dropped when I got the news. We was hoping the best for you."

The tribute added, "You was one of the good ones. You had such a good soul man. I'm praying for your mom your kids and your family. Rest In Peace Semagea."

Meanwhile, another post said, "RIP Smitty Smith you were a good man.... Very positive and every time we had an interaction it was always cool.... Amarillo you guys on some BS.... RIP HOMEBOY...."

Smith just qualified to attend Amarillo College last March.

READ MORE: Texas Walmart Shooter Who Killed Latinos to Plead Guilty

For DeQuincton Taylor, one post on social media read, "Prayers to DeQuincton Taylor family. That man was good dad and friend."

Another addressed him directly, saying, "Your mother would be so proud to see what you have accomplished & your beautiful children will carry on your name forever!"

2023 May Be the Worst Year for Mass Shootings in History After Texas Shooting

After several mass shootings that happened in Ohio, Maryland, and now, Texas, all of which happened over the weekend, the US is now on track to be the deadliest year yet due to the number of mass shootings.

Two of the mass shootings happened in Texas: the first one happened last Friday in El Paso, followed by the Amarillo attack.

On Saturday, two people were killed in Baltimore, with another mass shooting happening in downtown Cleveland on Sunday.

With these mass shootings, Forbes pointed out that there have already been 367 mass shootings so far. This means that the country is continuing to record its fastest rate of mass shootings in recent history, as it is likely to exceed the levels of 2021 and has so far been the worst year for mass shootings since at least 2014.

READ NEXT: Wanted January 6 Rioter Arrested Near Barack Obama's Home

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 2 dead, 5 injured in Amarillo shooting - KHOU-11
Thanks to Ron DeSantis's new Florida immigration law, several licenses are now considered invalid in the state of Florida as the state continues its hardline approach to tackling immigration despite the looming immigration crisis it is expected to bring on.

The banned licenses are from states that mostly offer limited driving privileges to undocumented immigrants as they do not consider valid identification in order to get one. The announcement was made by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on Wednesday.

According to Yahoo! News, the state driver's licenses that are now invalid in the state are from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles stated that the list "unavoidably is evolving, may change due to the revision of driver license issuance requirements in other states, and will be updated periodically."

The controversial new Florida law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is called SB 1718, which took effect on Saturday. It requires businesses to check the immigration status of workers and hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status. It also made it illegal to transport undocumented immigrants in the state.

Statewide protests were held after the law came to pass and has since brought about a mass exodus of immigrant workers across the state. Construction sites, restaurants, and farms all over Florida are being found empty as businesses struggle to find employees.

Many fear that the lack of workers will lead to a labor crisis, which may soon evolve into an economic crisis as the state economy relies on some of these industries that need cheap immigrant labor.

Legal Advocates Challenging Controversial Florida Immigration Law

Meanwhile, SB 1718 will be challenged in court as immigrant and legal advocates have filed a lawsuit against the bill's constitutionality. Critics say that the bill "was designed to keep an already vulnerable group susceptible to abuse and exploitation."

"If they are fearful of their immigration status and their lack of rights, it becomes more difficult for them to feel comfortable raising their voices and speaking out if they see any type of abuses," Neza Xiuhtecutli, general coordinator for the Farmworkers Association of Florida told WESH-2.

READ MORE: Florida: Protesters Wave Nazi Flag, Ron DeSantis Signs at Disney World

The organization is one of the many groups trying to take down the controversial new Florida immigration law, the same one that has banned driver's licenses from other states.

"In rural areas we saw, some of our organizers there saw reports of police asking people for their immigration status," he said, describing how the new DeSantis law opened the door for discrimination.

Undocumented Immigrants Now Face Uncertainty After New Florida Law Takes Effect

As the law now takes effect, immigrants living in Florida are afraid to even leave their homes for fear of getting deported. One couple spoke with ABC News, with the wife, Maria, saying, "We're either locked inside here or we'll never come home."

Immigrants are also trying to contact their representatives in the state legislature, with Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani saying, "We've been getting a lot of emails from Floridians who are trying to interpret the law for their own safety and for the safety of their loved ones. We've had folks contact us because their partner is undocumented."

As immigrants face uncertainty, critics are slamming DeSantis, saying that this new Florida law was made to court the white Republican base at the expense of his state's economy.

READ NEXT: Ron DeSantis Net Worth

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 'Our governor is a job-killing moron': DeSantis immigration policy threatens state economy - MSNBC
The Haiti crisis continues to simmer as armed gangs attack a Port-au-Prince hospital, forcing aid group Doctors Without Borders to suspend their treatment of all patients at the Trauma and Burn Care Unit at the Tabarre Hospital in the Haitian capital.

Some 20 armed men reportedly burst into the operating room where the charity's doctors were operating on a patient. The armed men then snatched the patient away. According to the Associated Press, that patient was being treated for gunshot wounds.

The gang gained access to the hospital after two men faked a life-threatening emergency. They then opened the gate to allow the armed group inside the premises. Following the attack, the aid group announced the suspension of treatment at the hospital.

The incident happened as a surge of killings has been happening across Port-au-Prince. Gangs, which gained power after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, now have control of a vast majority of the capital city as police have become overwhelmed by the attacks.

Doctors Without Borders Condemn Latest Attack on Haiti Hospital

Following the attack by the 20 armed men, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), released a statement strongly condemning the assault.

"There is such contempt for human life among the conflicting parties, and such violence in Port-au-Prince, that even the vulnerable, sick and wounded are not spared," Mahaman Bachard Iro, head of MSF's programs in Haiti said in a statement.

He added, "How are we, the health workers, supposed to be able to continue providing care in this environment? We must first understand what has happened and give our abused medical staff some respite, because these men threatened to kill them."

READ NEXT: Haiti Gangs Attack Jamaican Consulate Location

The international aid organization, which provides medical aid in areas of conflict like Ukraine and Haiti by providing medical personnel and medicines, then called on the many gangs responsible for the conflicts around the Haitian capital to "respect medical facilities so that they can continue to function."

Doctors Without Borders then vowed that it will remain "determined to stand by the Haitian people, who are the primary victims of the serious deterioration in the country's security situation in recent years."

Doctors Without Borders Attacked in Haiti Before

This is just the latest attack on the aid organization, with another incident happening earlier this year in a different hospital in Port-au-Prince. This attack happened last January at Cite Soleil, an impoverished neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital.

According to DW, the organization was forced to reduce its operations in the neighborhood after the attack, leaving it with only one private hospital and one MSF operation.

The Doctors Without Borders operation tried to move its patients as gangs were fighting in the area. However, a child who was on oxygen died in the security room that the patients were moved to. A 70-year-old man was also shot as he tried to cross the street across from the hospital where the aid organization was operating.

READ MORE: Haiti Gang Burns Courthouse

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 'Living nightmare': MSF temporarily shutters hospital in Haiti's capital - Al Jazeera English
Luis Martin Sanchez Iniguez, a Mexico journalist for the national newspaper La Jornada, has tragically been found dead in Nayarit, as reported by the newspaper on Saturday, AP reports.

The journalist's body was found on the outskirts of Tepic, the capital of Nayarit.

Sanchez Iniguez, 59, had been reported missing since Wednesday, prompting an appeal to locate him by the Nayarit state prosecutors' office.

His wife had reported his disappearance and the loss of his computer and cell phone.

The prosecutor's office confirmed on Saturday that the body found was indeed that of Sanchez Iniguez, further revealing that he had been deceased for approximately one to two days before the discovery of his corpse.

In their statement, the prosecutors disclosed that the body exhibited signs of violence and was accompanied by two handwritten signs. However, the content of the messages was not disclosed.

While handwritten signs are often associated with drug cartels and victims of violence, the motive behind the journalist's killing remains under investigation, according to the prosecutor's office.

READ NEXT: Mexico: 29 Dead, 19 Injured in Bus Crash

Mexico Journalist Killings Increased Under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Administration

Luis Martin Sanchez Iniguez's death marks another tragic loss for journalists in Mexico, where the pursuit of investigating corruption, crime, and drug cartels often comes with great risks, according to Al Jazeera.

Mexico consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, as highlighted by press freedom organizations.

This year alone, at least two journalists have lost their lives in targeted attacks.

In February, news photographer Jose Ramiro Araujo was brutally stabbed and beaten to death in the northern Mexican border state of Baja California.

Under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's administration, the number of killings related to the press has seen a significant increase, rising by 85 percent during the first half of his term compared to his predecessor's.

Last year was one of the deadliest periods for Mexican media workers, with 15 fatalities.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has strongly condemned the killing of Luis Martin Sanchez Iniguez and called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident.

2 Other Possible Crimes Against Media Workers Under Investigation

The recent discovery of Luis Martin Sanchez Iniguez's body coincides with ongoing investigations into two other potential crimes involving media workers in Nayarit, per Reuters.

Another media worker, Osiris Maldonado, was reported missing on July 4 after failing to return from work at a school the previous morning.

Meanwhile, journalist Jonathan Lora Ramirez was forcibly taken by two armed individuals from his apartment on July 7.

Fortunately, Lora Ramirez has been found alive and in good health, but authorities are investigating the incident as illegal detention.

Upon receiving reports of these cases, Nayarit authorities promptly initiated investigations and are adhering to special protocols for journalists and human rights defenders.

The public prosecutor's office of Nayarit stated that in line with the established protocols, the activities of the victims should be considered as they may increase their vulnerability.

The Mexican authorities are committed to pursuing justice and ensuring the safety of journalists and human rights defenders in Nayarit, conducting thorough investigations into these incidents.

READ MORE: Colombia: ELN Rebels to Stop Attacking Military

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Mexico: A Lethal Field for Journalists - From Al Jazeera English
US President Joe Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Lithuania later this week, according to BBC.

The summit follows recent concerns raised by several allies regarding Biden's decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The UK and Canada, among others, expressed apprehension over providing these bombs due to their widely recognized danger to civilian populations.

Cluster bombs are banned in numerous countries due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-lasting threat of unexploded bomblets.

The US argues that the cluster bombs are necessary because Ukraine's arsenal of weapons is depleting.

Considering this controversy, President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, where they are expected to address various topics, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

While Sunak has not directly criticized Biden in response to Friday's announcement, he emphasized that the UK is committed to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty prohibiting the production and use of such weapons, which includes 123 countries as signatories.

Other US allies have expressed stronger disapproval. New Zealand, a partner nation of NATO, expressed concern on Sunday, highlighting the potential for "huge damage to innocent people" that could result from the deployment of cluster munitions.

The US maintains that it has received written assurances from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, that Ukrainian forces will refrain from using these weapons in Russia or urban areas.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Won't Attend King Charles Coronation

Biden to Meet With King Charles at Windsor Castle

During President Joe Biden's visit to the UK, a significant part of his agenda will be his meeting with King Charles at Windsor Castle, located west of London, Reuters noted.

Windsor Castle previously hosted Democratic President Barack Obama in 2016 and former President Donald Trump in 2018. In 2021, Biden also had tea with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor.

The meeting between Biden and King Charles will occur in the castle's quadrangle, where a guard of honor will present a Royal Salute, accompanied by the US national anthem, according to the king's office.

The discussions between the president and the king will primarily focus on climate issues, a subject that Charles, known for his environmental advocacy spanning over five decades, has long been passionate about.

Additionally, US special climate envoy John Kerry revealed that he had been invited to brief the king and Biden on a climate finance conference, which he is scheduled to co-host with British energy minister Grant Shapps on Monday.

President Joe Biden's Next Stops Will Be Vilnius and Helsinki

During his trip, President Joe Biden will spend two days in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which is hosting the annual NATO summit.

He will meet with other world leaders and deliver a speech at Vilnius University, per NBC News.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has reinvigorated the NATO alliance, prompting member countries to provide military support to Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's invasion.

After spending two nights in Vilnius, Biden will visit Helsinki, Finland. This visit serves as a symbolic victory for Finland, which became the 31st and newest member of NATO in April, breaking away from its history of nonalignment.

Finland's accession to NATO underscores how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had unintended consequences in Europe.

Sweden, Finland's neighbor, is also expected to join NATO simultaneously. However, issues involving Turkey and Hungary have hindered its membership process.

NATO expansion requires unanimous consent from all member countries.

During Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's visit to the White House, he met with President Biden to maintain pressure for Swedish membership in NATO. However, it is unlikely that the matter will be resolved during the Vilnius summit.

READ MORE: Joe Biden Pleads for Stricter Gun Control

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WATCH: Ukraine, NATO summit on agenda when Biden meets U.K. prime minister - From CBC News
French Valley Airport in western Riverside County in California has experienced tragic events, with two plane crashes occurring within four days.

These incidents have resulted in the loss of seven lives, including the owner of the Hyundai/Kia of Yuma.

The first California plane crash occurred on Tuesday afternoon, when a small plane went down near French Valley Airport in Murrieta, according to Desert Sun.

The local fire department, Cal Fire, reported the incident, stating that the single-engine Cessna 172 crashed shortly after takeoff at around 2 pm.

The crash occurred to the east of the airport's runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The department's initial report indicated that four individuals were onboard the aircraft.

Jared Alan Newman, a 39-year-old resident of Temecula, lost his life while piloting the aircraft.

Meanwhile, his three sons, publicly identified as Caleb, Connor, and Elijah Newman, sustained injuries in the incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are actively investigating the cause of the crash. As of now, the circumstances leading to the accident remain under examination.

READ NEXT: Florida Plane Crash Within a Month Kills 2 Indiana Couples

Second Fatal California Plane Crash Kills 6

The second plane crash near French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California has claimed the lives of six Southern California residents, Casino.org noted.

The accident occurred on Saturday when a 1979 Cessna C550 business jet, owned by Prestige Worldwide Flights LLC of Imperial, California, crashed in a field approximately 500 feet north of the airport's runway.

The victims have been identified as Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, from Murrieta; Riese Lenders, 25, from Rancho Palos Verdes; Manuel Vargas-Regalado,32, from Temecula; Lindsey Gleiche, 31, from Huntington Beach; Alma Razick, 51 from Temecula, and the owner of the Hyundai/Kia of Yuma, Ibrahem Razick, 46, from Temecula.

The jet had departed from Harry Reid International Airport's Atlantic Aviation terminal at around 3:15 am and crashed at approximately 4:15 am, FFA said.

The pilot was conducting a second approach due to heavy fog, and the landing was guided solely by instruments.

During the approach, the pilot informed air traffic control that a missed approach would be performed, typically when the pilot cannot establish visual contact with the runway environment.

Tragically, the jet burst into flames upon impact, causing a brush fire that scorched nearly one acre of vegetation.

The Riverside County Fire Department confirmed containment of the fire just after 5:30 am.

Hyundai/Kia Yuma Employees Mourn the Death of Their Boss

Ibrahem Razick, also known as Abraham, was a car dealer and a former Marine. He was remembered fondly by his colleagues and community members.

Fullerton Ford and Hyundai/Kia Yuma expressed their condolences and mourned the loss of the 46-year-old, describing him as a loving husband, father, brother, and proud United States Marine, the Daily Mail noted.

They acknowledged his spirit, passion for life, and dedication to improving his community.

The posts highlighted how Razick's values of honor, courage, and commitment, which he learned during his service in the Marine Corps, were evident in his everyday life.

An ex-employee of Razick also shared their sentiments, describing him as an amazing human being, boss, and mentor who constantly motivated them to do their best.

They expressed disbelief over his passing and gratitude for his support and belief in their abilities. They concluded by saying they would meet again and wished Razick eternal peace.

READ MORE: Columbus Shootout: 1 Suspect Dead, 1 Police Injured

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 6 killed in Southern California plane crash - From KTLA 5
An Allentown woman is accused of slashing a person during an altercation Sunday night in the city, police said.

Ariana Rosa, 25, of North Hall Street, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and harassment in connection with the incident in the 400 block of Union Boulevard, police said.

Rosa had not yet been arraigned in the case as of Monday morning.

Police said a slashing victim arrived at a local hospital for emergency treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Officers were called to the hospital at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Officers learned the victim was assaulted during an altercation in the 400 block of Union Boulevard.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
There are times when its obvious that someone needs an ambulance.

Other times, not so much.

When Susan Elfenbein got trapped in an elevator at her office building in Newark on May 4, she was a little worried, but she wasnt in need of medical care.

The very old, dimly lit elevator had no visible emergency button so I used my personal phone to call my supervisor, she said. She answered at her desk, and said she would summon help.

After about half an hour, a maintenance worker opened the elevator doors and Elfenbein was freed, she said.

Emergency medical services then appeared, and although I was unnerved and anxious from the experience of being confined in the elevator, I knew that I did not need medical attention, as I was not bleeding, not unconscious, not unable to breathe or talk, she said.

She said she told the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) that she didnt need any assistance, but only a few minutes to sit down and de-stress.

The EMTs said I could refuse medical treatment but said `you have to let us take your blood pressure, so I complied, she said. Then they asked to see my drivers license and I complied with that request, too, thinking they needed to document the circumstances of their appearance.

They never asked to see my insurance card which would have alerted me that I might be billed. I would have absolutely protested in that case, she said.

Next, they asked Elfenbein to sign an iPad saying she was refusing medical attention, but she didnt receive any copy of what she had signed, she said, and she went back to work.

Several weeks later, she received a bill for $258 from University Hospital.

She told her supervisor about the bill, she said.

She said that she was surprised there was a bill at all for ambulance service, but that the bill was not her problem, Elfenbein said, and she was told to file a workers compensation claim.

She did, but it was denied, documents show. It said the claim was not deemed compensable under Workers Compensation law.

When Elfenbein contacted the representative to ask why, no one responded, she said.

She asked Bamboozled for help.

WHO PAYS?

Ambulance bills have long been the subject of dispute by consumers who often argue they were charged too much, or shouldnt have been charged at all.

But what happens if youre not the one who calls the ambulance? Or if you refuse service, like Elfenbein said she did?

University Hospital declined to comment on the billing, citing patient privacy.

The EMS Council of New Jersey, which oversees more than 230 volunteer ambulance squads in the state, said most of their squads are volunteer, not-for-profit squads and do not bill for services.

We have a handful of volunteer squads that do bill for service, but the laws that cover insurance company reimbursement fees  including Medicare and Medicaid  for billed services require that a patient is brought to a hospital, said Paula Weiler, the groups president. Only if the patient gets transported will the insurance company, whether private or Medicare or Medicaid, reimburse for the transportation to the hospital emergency room.

She said there are some private, for-profit ambulance agencies that will bill for responding to a scene, even if the patient refuses treatment and/or transportation.

University Hospital appears to be one of them.

The law says you can assume, generally, that people want to get emergency healthcare, said Brian Sheppard, a law professor and associate dean at Seton Hall Law.

If you provide emergency healthcare to someone thats unconscious, someone who cant refuse, that person can be billed, he said.

Sheppard said while every case is different, for Elfenbein, the company might be able to charge for assessment, and maybe the drive over and back, but the bill should be much less than if it had actually performed rescue services and transported her to the hospital.

Its also important that this happened at work, he said.

It doesnt seem she is legally obligated herself to pay it personally, he said. Generally, an employer is on the hook for medical expenses caused by injuries that take place in the workplace.

He said it would make sense for her to appeal the workers compensation claim.

The workers compensation rejection letter came from the state Treasury Departments Division of Risk Management.

We asked what gives, but the agency said it could not provide an immediate response.

Elfenbein, who received a second bill from University Hospital while we were waiting for it to respond to our inquiries, said she only allowed the EMTs to check her blood pressure because they said it was required for her to refuse service. For that, she said, she shouldnt have to pay.

I feel annoyed to have been trapped in elevator, to now be saddled with bill, Elfenbein said. I do not plan to pay the bill, and will go to court if necessary to state my position. I did not call EMT, did not wish treatment, was duped into having blood pressure taken after refusing treatment. The bill states `refused treatment explicitly.

A side note about transparency: We asked Newark for the elevator inspection records for the building to follow up on some allegations Elfenbein made about the health of the buildings elevators.

Newark said wed have to file an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request to get the information about the building, which happens to house a number of state government offices.

So much for government transparency.

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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KPMueller.
More households in Laois are going solar to cut energy bills, and taking advantage of Government grants to do so.

There was a 159% increase in the number of domestic installations in Laois this year, compared to last year.

In all, 70 Laois homes purchased solar panels in Spring 2023, compared to 27 in the first three months of 2022.

The surge in popularity, no doubt mostly due to soaring energy costs, is felt across Ireland.

Laois rates 8th in Leinster for the percentage growth in solar panels, according to latest data from the Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland (SEAI).

There was a 255% increase in the number of home solar installations in Ireland by people availing of SEAI grants.

Cavan saw the largest increase in grant supported domestic solar installations (588%), followed by Waterford (427%), and Carlow (400%).

At a provincial level Leinster had the highest number of home solar installations, with 2,102 homes getting solar panels fitted in Q1 2023, an increase of 250% on last year.

The largest growth year-on-year was in Ulster, where 204 homes had solar panels installed, a staggering jump of 397% compared with 41 homes in the same period last year.

Munster saw a 273% increase in grant-aided home solar this year, with 1,155 homes getting panels fitted, and Connacht recorded a 205% jump to 521 solar PV installations in Q1 2023.

Dublin was the county with the most grant supported domestic solar installations in Q1 2023, with 865 homes having solar PV panels installed. Cork followed Dublin with 512 solar installations from January to March, and Galway saw the third most in the country with 257.

The lowest number of homeowners installing solar panels with the assistance of SEAI grants so far this year has been in Longford (16), Leitrim (27), and Monaghan (45). But even there the numbers for the first three months of 2023 are up from just 10 in each county in the same period of 2022.

James Dorrian is Managing Director of Energy Efficiency Ireland  Reducing Energy Costs for Irish Households, a new website which connects homeowners with local SEAI registered solar installers.

The rising interest that people have in home solar power is clearly seen in the fact that home solar installations have more than doubled in 2023.

The stark difference between the figures for the start of this year, and the same three months in 2022, show that solar power is becoming an increasingly affordable option for homeowners looking to save money on their electricity bills, while also reducing their carbon footprint.

As electricity prices remain stubbornly high, and with the reduced O% VAT rate for solar on residential properties, were expecting to see continued strong interest in solar PV from homeowners who want to become energy independent.

The government cut the VAT rate on the supply and installation of domestic solar panels from 13.5% down to nothing at the start of May this year to help families with high electricity prices and encourage the growth of micro-generation within Ireland.

The SEAI offers grants of up to 2,400 for homeowners who are having solar PV panels installed on their property. This grant scheme is eligible for all homes built and occupied prior to 2021.

Home solar got a boost late last year, when changes were made to planning regulations regarding rooftop solar. Homeowners can now install unlimited amounts of solar panels on the roofs of houses without needing planning permission.

The changes in planning regulations were introduced in October of 2022.
RTEs new director-general has stood down the broadcasters executive board and replaced it with a temporary interim leadership team as he moved to restore confidence in the crisis-hit organisation.

On his first morning in the job, Kevin Bakhurst announced a series of changes in response to what he described as the shameful revelations that have emerged in recent weeks.

The first is the replacement of the executive board with a new interim leadership team.

The new team will consist of Mr Bakhurst, Eimear Cusack (director of human resources), Vivienne Flood (head of public affairs), Mike Fives (group financial controller), Adrian Lynch (director of audiences, channels, marketing, and continuing as acting deputy director-general), Paula Mullooly (director of legal), Deirdre McCarthy (director of news and current affairs), Niamh OConnor (deputy director of content), Conor Mullen (head of strategy and commercial compliance) and Richard Waghorn (director of operations and technology).

RTEs previous commercial director, Geraldine OLeary, has announced she is to take early retirement with immediate effect.

RTE has been reeling since it emerged last month that it under-reported the salary paid to star presenter Ryan Tubridy and failed to disclose 345,000 euro of additional payments to him between 2017 and 2022.

The furore has since widened amid further disclosures about RTEs internal financial, accounting and governance practices and its expenditure on corporate hospitality for advertising clients.

Former director-general Dee Forbes resigned two weeks ago.

RTEs director of strategy Rory Coveney announced his resignation on Sunday.

In an email to staff on Monday, Mr Bakhurst said he was appalled by recent events at RTE.

I am standing down the executive board today, he wrote.

It will be replaced with a temporary interim leadership team to continue running the organisation.

In due course, there will be a new permanent leadership team.

I want to underline that RTE, under my leadership and that of the re-constituted interim leadership team, will be an organisation dedicated to working closely with you, to listening, to being open and transparent, to strictly adhering to revised and rigorous governance processes and procedures, to being accountable and to delivering a public service to be proud of.

This will take time, but it will happen.

Mr Bakhurst announced three further measures on his first morning on the job as director-general of RTE.

Change will be essential if we are to rebuild trust in public service broadcasting in Ireland and in RTE, he said.

In respect of finances, Mr Bakhurst has announced that all significant decisions will now have to be agreed by the whole leadership team, with a record of discussions leading to the decisions being compiled.

There can be no repeat of the siloed and, at times, secretive decision-making that has been at the root of the shameful events of the past weeks. As custodians of public money, our financial integrity must be on a par with our editorial integrity, he said.

Mr Bakhurst said he was also expediting the establishment of a register of interests for staff and contractors. In this regard, RTE managers will also be asked to provide clarity on any potential breaches of journalism or content guidelines.

The new director-general said he would also oversee a culture change at the broadcaster. He said he was initiating a review of roles, grades, pay and gender equality. He also pledged to improve communications with staff and enhance their input in decision-making.

In his email to staff, the new director-general said: Like you, I have been appalled by recent events and the impact it has had on the public perception of RTE, the impact on the trust the public places in us, and the impact it has had on you all.

I look forward to working with Siun Ni Raghallaigh (chair of oversight board) and the RTE board as we collectively set out to rebuild trust in RTE, inside and outside, starting from today.

I know that all of you are deeply upset and angry.

RTE is full of talented and hard-working people who remain committed to delivering a vital public service to our audiences, and you have been let down by RTE management.

I have heard many of your concerns already and I will continue to listen to what you have to say.

Announcing her departure, Ms OLeary said: My career at RTE is a great source of pride and honour to me.

Bringing my retirement forward by a number of weeks is not something I had anticipated.

However, I recognise that a fresh leadership team, starting today, is vital as Kevin Bakhurst sets out to renew RTE, and I have agreed to facilitate that.

She added: Over more than 40 years in the advertising industry, I have acted with integrity and my positive reputation has been hard-earned. I truly hope that this will be my legacy.

The Irish government has already announced two separate external reviews of RTE and also moved to send in a forensic auditor to examine the broadcasters accounts.

Two parliamentary committees in Dublin are conducting their own examinations of the situation.

Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly are to appear before the two parliamentary committees on Tuesday.

Chair of RTEs oversight board Ms Ni Raghallaigh welcomed the initial steps taken by Mr Bakhurst.

They are the first steps in an ongoing process of change that will last for many months, she said.

In particular we note the overall commitment to management accountability and transparency that underpins these, and future, actions.

RTE has a long way to go in rebuilding our bond of trust with the people.

However, I believe that, working together across all strands of the organisation, we can do so.

Our shared destination point is an RTE that is reformed, renewed, and robust.

I believe RTE can be renewed following an unflinching examination of what has come to light in recent weeks. We will reform RTE by putting in place new structures and procedures that will ensure those mistakes of the past can never occur again. And, in doing we can ensure an RTE that is robust in its unswerving commitment to public service broadcasting and rooted in a sustainable funding model.

Irish Media Minister Catherine Martin also welcomed the statement from Mr Bakhurst.

It is right that his first action this morning was to advise staff of his plans, she said.

I note in particular his proposals for a staff consultation group and employee survey and that he is planning a review of roles and grades, pay, and gender equality. As the national broadcaster, which rightly challenges other institutions, RTE must be leading out in terms of equality and inclusion.

Confidence in RTE starts with its own staff and board. And from there it can start to build trust with the Oireachtas (parliament), its audience, the independent production sector and the public.

The RTE Trade Union Group (TUG) also welcomed Mr Bakhursts actions.

Following specific commitments at a positive meeting last Friday to ensure full and open engagement with the TUG and trade unions, and to drive cultural and leadership change in RTE, staff can begin to face the challenge of rebuilding trust in the organisation, said the TUG.

We look forward to working with him.

The Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists Seamus Dooley said he hope the initiatives announced on Monday would mark the beginning of a new beginning for an organisation he said had been devoid of leadership for several years.
The records of the rapidly growing Portlaoise cemetery have been in the safe hands of one family for over 60 years, now moving on.

The Ireland family were the go-to people for anyone trying to locate a grave of a loved on in the cemetery, and have been thanked at a meeting of Portlaoise Muncipal District for their loyalty over the decades.

A new person is taking up the reins as the registrar for St Peter & Paul's Cemetery, noted Cllr Willie Aird at their June meeting.

He said the occasion could not go without a sincere thank you to the Ireland family.

"They are there since the 1960s. Johnny Ireland took it over. Then his daughter Nancy Farrell, then her brother John Ireland, then his wife, and his daughter Georgina.

"It was a huge family tradition. I wouldn't like to let it go without a letter to the Ireland family thanking them for their contribution. It is a bit of history. Anybody who wanted information was sent to John Ireland, they helped so many people," Cllr Aird said.
The Laois Traveller community is holding a special event in Portarlington to celebrate national Traveller Pride Week.

Laois Traveller Action Group (LTAG) will host a Traveller Pride event at Portarlington Community Hub this Wednesday, July 12.

All members of the Laois community are welcome to come and see the Travelling Community celebrate Traveller Change Makers in Laois.

The day has two events, it is A Celebration of Traveller Change Makers and also the official opening of LTAGs Community Hub, Portarlington.

They will have a photo display of the Travelling Community throughout generations, a display of Traveller Change Makers and a display of old campfires and tents used in the travelling community.

There will also be live music by Young Travellers and Laois Music Generation.

Annette Long is Project Manager at LTAG.

Traveller Pride week is about coming together and acknowledging and embracing Traveller heritage with pride, exploring our natural creativity to connect with one another, and sharing our cultural experiences through the joy that creativity brings. We will celebrate Traveller Change Makers in Co. Laois. We look forward to welcoming all members of the Laois Community to our event this Wednesday, she said.

All are welcomed to come and join Laois Traveller Action Group on Wednesday, July 12 from 1pm until 3pm at the Community Hub, Ballymorris Road, Portlarlington, (R32R660) for a celebration of culture, music and traditions.

The town's former cinema was a film location for Into The West, a movie about Traveller children, now celebrated with a mural by ADW.
Home Instead, Irelands leading home care company, proudly announces Lucia Petrovicova from Co. Roscommon as the recipient of the prestigious National CAREGiver of the Year 2023 award at the company's annual CAREGiver recognition awards.

This accolade is a testament to the exceptional work performed by professional Home Instead CAREGivers across the country, ensuring the safety and well-being of older people in their own homes and communities.

Lucia, who joined Home Instead in December 2020, first earned the title of Connacht CAREGiver of the Year before going on to receive the overall national award.

Nominated by the team at Home Instead Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon Jodie Molloy, General Manager said, Lucia's dedication and compassion have been consistently evident throughout her time at Home Instead. Her unwavering commitment to her clients and their families is truly exceptional. She builds trust through open communication and delivers compassionate care. Lucia's proactive advocacy for the well-being of her clients and her genuine empathy and ability to connect on a deeper level make her an exemplary CAREGiver, and an inspiration to her peers in the field.

Judge Amanda Spencer, Chief People Officer of the Horizon Group, emphasised the remarkable testimonials and feedback from Lucia's colleagues, fellow CAREGivers, and, most importantly, her clients, underscoring her extraordinary impact as a CAREGiver.

Amanda commented Lucia's ability to build trusting relationships effortlessly, coupled with her dedication, empathy, and exceptional caregiving skills, have made her an invaluable asset to Home Instead. It is with great pleasure that she is recognised for her outstanding contributions, receiving both the Connacht and overall National CAREGiver of the Year Award for 2023."

Shane Jennings, Chief Executive Officer of Home Instead Ireland, expressed his delight in honouring Lucia Petrovicova as this year's National CAREGiver of the Year, I commend Lucias reliability, compassion, thoughtfulness, and diligence, and acknowledge her complete worthiness of this prestigious accolade. The CAREGiver of the Year Awards celebrates the remarkable care Home Instead CAREGivers provide in every town and village across Ireland. Their efforts change lives, and Lucia's recognition highlights the dedication of every individual working as a Home Instead CAREGiver. Their commitment and compassion are truly deserving of recognition, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Lucia on this well-deserved achievement.
Momentum, the education and innovation company based in Leitrim Village, was honoured to be accepted as a signatory of Diversity Charter Ireland at a ceremony in TU Dublin.

Recognising their work for the last 20 years as a practitioner of diversity, equality and inclusion, Momentum joins 67 organisations as signatories to Diversity Charter Ireland, including 3M, Aer Lingus, AIB, An Post and is one of the smallest companies to be accepted as a signatory.

By signing Diversity Charter Ireland organisations make public a statement of commitment, to address diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace in a framework that is tailored to the Irish context.

In addition, signatories join a community of organisations in 26 Diversity Charters across the EU, with over 12,000 signatory organisations covering at least 16 million employees. This activity is supported by the European Commission through the EU Platform of Diversity Charters, which ties in with Momentums work across Europe.

Founder of Momentum, Orla Casey explains with a team of 18 employees, Momentum staff embrace diversity and bring a colourful mix of experiences from work and life. Diversity has been a key strength in the growth of Momentum in Europe, and we are currently in the final stages of setting up a US-based sister company to widen our impact. This is an exciting adventure for us, but the potential to transfer innovation is enormous.



Momentum provides highly accessible, inclusive learning opportunities for all in society, and supports enterprises with inclusive social missions. They do this by advocating, educating, researching, and forming partnerships around intercultural diversity and inclusion, building positive narratives around diversity in race, ethnicity and every other type of heritage diversity. Current projects that are funded via the ERASMUS+ programme include:

Wellhoody - WELLHOODY) is an innovative approach that will upskill YOUTH educators & communities in racially diverse communities to empower youth wellbeing & recognise strengths that are coming from diversity.

Day One in Europe  What happens when a child arrives in Europe on their first day? This project seeks to accelerate their inclusion through music, food, writing and play so they showcase their own culture and who they are.

Ingrow- Entrepreneurship educational tools for migrant and ethnic minority background founders.

Other projects include WeRin, making entrepreneurship education and support programmes more inclusive for women and ARENAS, a Horizon Europe project to research and respond to extremist narratives that affect political and social life in Europe.

Find out more about Momentums work on www.momentumconsulting.ie.
A MONUSCO armored vehicle in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo PAUL LORGERIE / REUTERS

Are UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs) in Africa running out of steam? In Mali, the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was curtly shown the door by the junta on June 16, and a debate is underway in New York on changes to be made to a model that is regularly contested in countries where peacekeepers are deployed.

Half of the 12 current PKOs are in Africa: in the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Western Sahara, South Sudan and Abyei, an area controlled by Sudan but claimed by South Sudan. These missions mobilize more than 72,000 blue helmets out of the 86,000 military, police and civilian personnel deployed under the UN flag around the world.

But they are no longer suitable for the changing security context on the continent, which has been marked by the proliferation of armed groups, particularly jihadists. African governments now prefer the intervention of private paramilitary groups, with whom they define the mandate  such as Russia's Wagner group, which has intervened in the CAR, Mali, Libya, Sudan and Mozambique  or of state forces under a bilateral agreement.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Wagner Group's influence spreads across Africa even as war rages in Ukraine

Faced with this new competition and donor fatigue, on June 22 in Paris the UN secretary-general said that it was time to "rethink our approach to peace and security". Addressing students at Sciences Po, Antonio Guterres called for "a new generation of peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations led by regional organizations," particularly in Africa. This change of model is on the menu of the new Agenda for Peace he launched at the end of 2022, in order to initiate "an overhaul of multilateralism".

At the UN, the end of a cycle in which so-called "integrated" PKOs encompassed security, humanitarian and political dimensions has begun. "Peacekeeping operations where there is no peace to keep don't really make much sense," said Guterres, before calling for "orderly exit strategies" for missions where a departure is announced, such as in Mali and the DRC.

Wagner mercenaries

With regard to Mali, on June 30 the Security Council adopted a resolution organizing the withdrawal, by the end of the year, of the 15,000 peacekeepers that have been deployed in the country for the past 10 years, whom the junta blames for failing to improve the security situation.

While this criticism also serves to absolve Bamako of its own responsibilities, it is hard to argue with the spread of the jihadist threat to the south of the country and to neighboring states. This spread of insecurity reveals the limits of a UN operation initially conceived as a mission to help rebuild the Malian state, as a complement to the offensive component of the French anti-terrorist force, Barkhane. Deployed in the north in 2014, it was also asked to leave Malian territory.

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A CONVICTED drug dealer from County Clare who was at the "top of the pyramid" of the west coast drugs scene has admitted two further offences having previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

At the Central Criminal Court this Monday, Tony McInerney asked Mr Justice Paul McDermott if there was "any chance" he could sentence him immediately.

However, the judge refused the request, telling McInerney he first needs to hear details of the offences from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The judge set October 16 as the date for a sentencing hearing.

McInerney, aged 27, formerly of Glenina, Gort Road, Ennis was arraigned on a charge that on January 18, 2020 at Pound Street, Sixmilebridge, County Clare he intentionally or recklessly discharged a firearm creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

He was also arraigned on a count that on a date unknown between January 1, 2019 and January 18, 2020 at Inis Eagla, Shannon he threatened to kill or cause serious harm to Daniel Harty Snr, intending Mr Harty Snr to believe the threat would be carried out.

He pleaded guilty to both charges.

In May, McInerney pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Daniel Harty Jnr at Pound St, Sixmilebridge on January 18, 2020.

He was was previously jailed for 12 years after he was caught running a "cocaine factory" but this sentence was later reduced to ten years by the Court of Appeal.

Judge Brian O'Callaghan at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court heard that McInerney was mixing cocaine when gardai raided a property outside Ennis.

He had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Kilfilum, Ennis on September 23, 2020, and to possession of crime cash on the same date.

The sentencing judge heard that McInerney is at the top of the pyramid of the Clare drug scene and had been a target of the divisional drugs unit.
The death has occurred of Agnes (Aggie) Cullinane (nee Harnett), Croagh, Limerick.

Agnes died peacefully on Friday, July 7th 2023.

Predeceased by her husband Pat, brothers Willie and John, sisters Sr. Magdalene and Sr. Agnes.

Aggie will be sadly missed by her loving sister Sr. Nora, nephew Gearoid, nieces Maura and Edel and their husbands Ger and Turlough, grandnephews Eoin, Brian, Paul, Gerard and John and grandniece Maree, relatives and many friends.

May She Rest in Peace

Reposing at St. John the Baptist Church, Croagh, on Monday, July 10th, from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Requiem Mass on Tuesday, July 11th, at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Condolences can be sent to OGrady Funeral Directors, Ballingarry or by clicking the link below.

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The death has occurred of Edward (Ned) McGee, Castleview, Newcastle West, Limerick.

Ned died peacefully in the loving care of the staff at St Itss Hospital, Newcastle West, on Saturday 8th July 2023. Predeceased by his wife Kathleen (nee OGrady). Deeply regretted by his son PJ, daughter Cathy, grandchildren Gavin and Rachel, daughter-in-law Valerie, cousins, other relatives and friends.

May He Rest In Peace

Reposing at Riedys Funeral Home, Newcastle West, on Tuesday 11th July from 6pm to 8pm. Arriving at the Church of The Immaculate Conception, Newcastle West, at 8.30pm. Requiem Mass is on Wednesday at 11.30am. Burial afterwards at Calvary Cemetery, Newcastle West.

Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to St Itss Hospital. Messages of condolence can be offered through the link below.

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The death has occurred of Claire Hickey, Broomscourt, Charleville, Co. Cork, formerly of Hospital and Bulgaden, Co. Limerick, Rathmines, Dublin.

Claire (Chartered Accountant) passed away peacefully in the tender and loving care of the staff of Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, Cork, on Saturday, July 8th, 2023.

Beloved daughter of Denis and Patricia and dear sister of Stephen, David, Catherine and the late Marie. Sadly missed by her aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.

Forever in our Hearts

Reposing in Hawe - O'Keeffe's Funeral Home, Bakers Road, Charleville (P56 YY15) on Monday evening from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.

A Service for Claire will take place at Shannon Crematorium on Tuesday at 3pm.

House Private Please. Family Flowers Only.

If you would like to leave a personal message for the family, please use the condolence section below.

The family would like to thank you for your kindness and support at this sad time.

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The death has occurred of Joan Cantillon (nee McGillicuddy), John Carew Park, Limerick and formerly of Kilcummin, Co. Kerry.

Joan died peacefully in the tender care of the staff of Roseville Nursing Home, Killonan, with the continued assistance of the Milford Care Centre, Palliative Care, surrounded by her family.

Sadly missed by her loving husband Jack, sons Billy and Fergal, daughter-in-law Jean, adored grandchildren Jack, Billy, Christian, Imogen and Romy, brothers Dan and Brendan, sisters Bridie, Julia, Margaret, Kathleen and Bernie, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

Pre-deceased by her sister Eileen.

Rest in Peace

Reposing at Griffins Funeral Home, Johns Gate on Tuesday 11th July from 11.30am to 1pm. Funeral afterwards to Shannon Crematorium for Service at 2pm.

No flowers please, donations if desired to Dystonia Ireland. Click here to donate online

Messages of sympathy may be conveyed through the condolences section (below), www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home.

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May they all rest in peace. To leave a message of condolence, please click here
IN THE interest of being "visible and available," the newest RTE Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst has already started scheduling meetings with teams across the organisation, including a visit to RTE's studios in Limerick.

With no offical date set for his Limerick visit, Mr Bakhurst has said it will take place "soon" and added: "I have heard many of your concerns already and I will continue to listen to what you have to say."

In an official statement, the newly appointed director-general expressed his honor at joining the organisation during these challenging times, and emphasised the need to regain the public's trust and rebuild the organisation from within.

With plans to work closely with Siun Ni Raghallaigh and the RTE Board to instill trust in both the internal and external perceptions of RTE, Mr Bakhurst has recognised the disappointment and anger felt by the dedicated employees, and assured them that their concerns would be heard and taken seriously.

In a statement, Mr Bakurst said: "Change will be essential if we are to rebuild trust in public service broadcasting in Ireland and in RTE." Committing to doing so, the director-general announced the standing down of the Executive Board and the establishment of a temporary interim leadership team. This team will strictly adhere to "revised and rigorous governance processes and procedures, to being accountable and to delivering a public service to be proud of."

In line with his commitment to openness and transparency, he announced the expedited establishment of a Register of Interests for staff and contractors. RTE's Freedom of Information Officer will lead this process, ensuring compliance with legal obligations while learning from best practices in the civil service and international broadcasters. He also emphasised the urgency of addressing potential breaches of RTE's journalism and content guidelines.

Furthermore, Mr Bakhurst recognised the need for cultural change within RTE. He stressed the importance of focusing on the well-being of employees and serving the public effectively. To achieve this, a comprehensive review of roles, grades, pay, and gender equality will take place. He also plans to improve communication channels and involve employees in decision-making through the establishment of a staff consultation group and a comprehensive employee survey.

Having highlighted the importance of accountability to the public and the media, he pledged to be open and available to the media, sharing the progress made by RTE in implementing necessary changes.

In addition, he emphasised the importance of engaging with external stakeholders, including the independent sector, as decisions made by RTE have wider implications for the media industry as a whole.
KERRY milk suppliers are continuing their campaign over the leading milk price with another protest this week.

It follows a protest of around 500 last month at Kerrys red brick building in Charleville.

Kerry suppliers are invited to congregate at Kerry Group headquarters, Princess Street, Tralee this Tuesday, July at 11.30am.

Garryspillane man Seamus Crawford said it is being run by farmers on the ground and encourages as many Kerry suppliers from Limerick, Clare, Cork and Kerry to attend as possible.

Nothing whatsoever was done by Kerry since the last protest. Currently, the Kerry milk price is 3.7 cent /litre under the leading players to date in 2023, said Mr Crawford, who is one of the supporters.

The protest is being held in advance of the June milk price being set later this week.

We need Kerry to understand they have to pay for milk and close the gap in the June milk price. They are so far behind everybody else.

"We have a contract with them for the leading milk price, it isnt a leading milk price, it is the leading milking price, stressed Mr Crawford. He adds that Kerry PLC have failed to engage in the arbitration process and this needs to be addressed also.

The dairy farmer said Kerry suppliers are losing out on an awful lot of money compared to farmers supplying other co-ops.

Mr Crawford noted that their Kerry contracts end in January, 2026, and there is a mood among some to switch.

All co-ops are going to be short of milk with the nitrates regulations which will have massive implications. Dairygold have invested heavily in Mitchelstown and Tipperary Co-op have put in a new dryer.

"They need milk going through. Limerick dairy farmers would be very attractive to these co-ops because of their proximity. There is a lot of milk in Limerick, said Mr Crawford.

Returning to the here and now, he asks as many Kerry suppliers as possible to come to the protest in Tralee at 11.30am this Tuesday.

Limerick Live has asked Kerry for comment on the latest protest.
THE following is an unedited version of the decisions by the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and the Press Council of Ireland, in relation to an article published by the Limerick Leader / Limerick Live.

Environmental Trust Ireland and the Limerick Leader / Limerick Live

The complaint from Environmental Trust Ireland concerns a report of a special meeting of Limerick City and County Councils Metropolitan District in December 2022 to discuss a planning issue. This was published in the Limerick Leader newspaper, and in its online publication, Limerick Live.

The article was headlined Special meeting on student complex in the newspaper, and Spurious objections and nimbyism over Limerick student halls plan criticised in Limerick Live. The content was otherwise identical and will in this decision be referred to as the article, while the publisher of both will be referred to as the newspaper.

The article explained that the developer had earlier obtained planning permission but that after Environmental Trust Ireland appealed this to the High Court a judge had quashed the decision. The article said this new discussion of the plan would form part of a report to An Bord Pleanala.

The complainant said the article was biased and unfair and was a one-sided account based on incorrect statements made by a number of councillors. It said the report breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice, Principle 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment), Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) and Principle 8 (Prejudice). It said the headline used on Limerick Live was erroneous, malicious, and untrue.

In the course of dealing with the complaint the Press Ombudsmans office received several letters from the complainant, all of the contents of which have been considered in reaching a decision.

In summary: On Principle 1, the complainant contested the depiction of Environmental Trust Irelands objections as spurious. It said the article was not a factual account of the meeting and had omitted a councillors questions about a High Court Order. It said Limerick Lives headline was untrue. It said that it was incorrect to describe Environmental Trust Ireland as a lobby group.

On Principle 2, it said the article failed to adhere to the principle that comment, conjecture and rumour should not be reported as if they were fact and it alleged that the newspaper had not disclosed inappropriate influences or potential conflicts of interest.

On Principle 4, it said there had been a breach of the requirement that the press should not knowingly publish matter based on malicious representation or unfounded accusations and must take reasonable care to check facts.

It cited a quote from a councillor who spoke of nimbyism and claimed the newspaper had not sought a response from Environmental Trust Ireland. It said the Limerick Live headline was malicious.

On Principle 8 it alleged the newspaper had published material likely to cause grave offence or stir up hatred against an independent voluntary environmental organisation. It underlined the words stir up hatred.

The complainant said several times in correspondence that the newspaper had not offered a right of reply or an opportunity to provide balance.

The newspaper denied any breach of the Code. In a detailed response the editor said the report was an account of a council meeting and included all sides of the debate. She said that what councillors had said was reported accurately and in quotation marks and it was not the role of the newspaper to investigate every comment at a meeting. She denied there was any bias against Environmental Trust Ireland and said that based on how it describes itself on its own website, it was reasonable to describe its activities as lobbying. The newspaper concluded its formal response by stating that it was very much open to doing an article with Environmental Trust Ireland in relation to conveying their concerns in relation to the development.

Decision

The article is a news report of a meeting at which councillors and planners gave their views. These views were reported in quotation marks in the article and in the headline from Limerick Live. The views of a councillor with concerns about the proposed plan were included. No impropriety is suggested in depicting as a lobby group a voluntary advocacy group such as Environmental Trust Ireland which seeks to influence decisions in the public realm. The Press Ombudsman finds that the statements published do not present any breach of Principle 1 of the Code.

During a meeting at which elected representatives debate a contentious matter, intemperate assertions are likely to feature. The newspaper in this instance made use of clearly marked direct quotations. No evidence is provided of improper influences or conflicts of interest and in this regard, it is not within the remit of the Office of the Press Ombudsman to investigate assertions made by the complainant and denied by the newspaper. There is no breach of Principle 2.

The newspaper deemed newsworthy and has quoted some strong statements made at a meeting at which speakers enjoyed qualified legal privilege. It did not offer an opinion on them. This is also the case in the Limerick Live headline. It is normal journalistic practise to report on such events without seeking the views of other parties, however strong their connection with issues discussed. There is no breach of Principle 4.

Environmental Trust Ireland has clearly advocated strongly against a project which is supported with equal conviction by others in Limerick. It may understandably be offended by views expressed during this meeting. However, the Press Ombudsman finds that the complained of article cannot be described as contributing to causing grave offence or stirring up hatred under any of the criteria set out in the Code. There is no breach of Principle 8.

The Press Ombudsmans decision is that the Limerick Leader has not breached the Code of Practice. Furthermore, she notes that the complainant on several occasions asserted that the newspaper did not seek its views.

However, throughout the complaints process the editor repeatedly offered the organisation the opportunity to express its views by way of an article in the paper. The complainants response was that this could only be taken up if the newspaper accepted what it had done wrong. This was not a reasonable precondition. The Press Ombudsman finds the editors offer was made in good faith and regrets that the complainant did not accept it.

29 March 2023 - Appeal

Environmental Trust Ireland appealed the decision to the Press Council of Ireland on the grounds (1) that the procedures followed in making the decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for submitting and considering complaints and (2) that there was an error in the Press Ombudsmans application of the Principles of the Code of Practice.

The Press Council considered the appeal at its meeting on 7 June 2023.

Appeal Decision

The procedures followed in making the decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for submitting and considering complaints.

The Press Council decided to reject this part of the appeal on the basis that it did not contain sufficient evidence to support the claim made by the appellant that the procedures followed in making the decision were not in accordance with the published procedures for submitting and considering complaints.

There was an error in the Press Ombudsmans application of the Principles of the Code of Practice.

The Press Council finds that there has been no error in the application of the Code of Practice with regard to truth and accuracy, distinguishing fact and comment, respect for rights or prejudice.

In essence the appeal simply disagrees with the decision of the Press Ombudsman. Such disagreement does not form the basis of an appeal.

The article was a fair and accurate news report of a local authority meeting which clearly attributed claims or comments to individual councillors speaking at the meeting.

The points of detail raised in the appeal  in particular as regards the legal context of the meeting  are minor and do not materially affect the substance.

Describing in common parlance Environmental Trust Ireland, or any other organisation advocating particular policies or actions in an area of interest to it, as a lobby group, is reasonable and non-pejorative.

There was no evidence to suggest intent to stir up hatred and Environmental Trust Ireland does not fall under the categories listed under Principle 8 of the Code.

The Press Council has therefore rejected the appeal on this ground also.

The Press Council strongly rejects the appellants claim that there is an element of arbitrariness and capriciousness in the decision-making process of the Press Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman decides on each complaint on a case-by-case basis and there is the option of an appeal to the Press Council, as in the current case.

The full appeal decision can be accessed here.
NANJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has called on east China's Jiangsu Province to take the lead and set an example in advancing Chinese modernization. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection trip in Jiangsu from Wednesday to Friday. Lauding the strengths of Jiangsu's solid industrial foundation, rich scientific and educational resources, sound business environment and huge market size, he urged the province to continue to play an exemplary role in promoting reform, innovation and high-quality development, as well as in contributing to China's efforts to foster a new pattern of development. During the trip, Xi visited the cities of Suzhou and Nanjing, and went to places including an industrial park, enterprises, a historic and cultural block, and a science lab. Visiting the Suzhou Industrial Park, Xi emphasized the crucial role of hi-tech parks in achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology. He called for deeper integrated development of enterprises, universities, and research institutes, with enterprises taking the lead. Xi highlighted the importance of fostering new industries and accelerating industrial upgrades by leveraging new technologies. Additionally, he emphasized expanding international cooperation to build world-class hi-tech parks that are open and driven by innovation. During his visit to Suzhou HYC Technology Co., Ltd., Xi expressed his delight in observing that all the research and development personnel at the company are young. He remarked that China's modernization drive offers immense opportunities for young people. On Thursday morning, Xi strolled through the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block, a site with a rich history spanning over 2,500 years. He noted that the fine traditional Chinese culture embodies qualities such as resilience, patience, and perseverance, which have become an integral part of the Chinese national spirit. Xi said that Suzhou has excelled in blending tradition with modernity, simultaneously promoting historical and cultural inheritance and boosting high-tech innovation and high-quality development. This approach epitomizes the future of development, he added. During his tour of Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu, on Thursday afternoon, Xi visited the Purple Mountain Laboratories, where he inspected a 6G comprehensive lab, among others, to learn about efforts to make major sci-tech breakthroughs. Xi said that with the rapid advancement of information technology, disruptive technologies can emerge at any moment. He stressed pursuing a pragmatic path of innovation. Inspecting NARI Group Corporation, Xi learned about the enterprise's efforts in developing core technologies, ensuring grid security and power supply, and promoting energy transition. Xi encouraged young researchers at the company to make breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, thus leading a fulfilling life. On Friday morning, Xi heard a work report from the provincial Party committee and the government of Jiangsu. Xi pointed out that the key to Chinese modernization lies in the modernization of science and technology. Efforts should be made to reinforce the principal role of enterprises in innovation, encourage the flow of innovation resources to enterprises, and promote the industrial application of scientific and technological advances, Xi said. Xi called for establishing a basic system to support comprehensive innovation. He also called for increasing sci-tech investment through diverse channels and strengthening the legal protection of intellectual property rights. Xi stressed the need to prioritize the real economy and build a modern industrial system. Pace should be sped up to develop strategic emerging industrial clusters with international competitiveness, he said, calling for deeper integration of the digital economy with advanced manufacturing and modern service industries. He called for building a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone. The province should also smoothen domestic and international dual circulation, innovate ways and measures to attract foreign investment and open wider to the outside world, Xi added. Building a modern Chinese civilization is essential to advancing Chinese modernization, Xi noted, urging Jiangsu to step up the promotion of sectors including science and technology, education and culture. Xi also demanded accelerated efforts to establish a well-rounded social security system, improve employment promotion mechanisms and public services to boost employment. He called for better ensuring the employment of key groups. On workplace safety, Xi said safety overhauls must be carried forward to curb serious and major accidents. Xi called for vigilance against flooding disasters as China is about to enter a key period for flood control. He also noted the increased risks of forest fires in some regions. Various emergency preparations must be made to reduce all sorts of losses to the minimum, Xi added. On the Party-wide education campaign, Xi said since its launch, good results have been achieved. He called for efforts to guide Party members and cadres in paying greater attention to practice and create synergy for tangible results. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection.
A FINE of 25,000 for health and safety breaches imposed on a company which supplied a crane involved in an fatal incident in Limerick in which two stonemasons drowned was too low and should be increased, the State has argued.

Bryan Whelan (29) of OBriensbridge, County Clare and TJ OHerlihy (36), of Castleisland, County Kerry died after the steel cage suspended over the river Shannon plunged into the water on August 29, 2015.

The two men and a third colleague, Paul Murphy who lives in Askeaton, had been carrying out cleaning and repointing work on Thomond Bridge at the time.

All three men were attached to the basket by a safety harness. Mr Whelan and Mr OHerlihy both drowned as they could not escape when it entered the water. Mr Murphy managed to free himself from his harness and was rescued.

Palfinger Ireland Ltd, of Church Hill, Cloncollog, Tullamore, County Offaly was fined 25,000 at Limerick Circuit Court on October 7, 2022 after the company pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The sentencing jurisdiction of the court was an unlimited fine.

Palfinger had supplied the crane in use on the day of the incident to Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd - which has an address at Dock Road, Limerick - in 2003.

Nationwide Crane Hire also pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the company was fined 200,000. The maximum fine the court could have imposed in that case was 3 million.

Limerick Circuit Court heard that a safety mechanism on the crane that was holding the metal cage containing the two men and their co-worker had failed to operate. The defective overload protection safety device for the winch on the crane failed and this led to the winch snapping.

The prosecutions against Palfinger and Nationwide were brought following an investigation by the Health and Safety Authority.

The Palfinger Crane used by Nationwide Crane on August 29, 2015 had been supplied by Palfinger. A deficit in the information supplied with the crane by Palfinger and used by Nationwide Crane on August 29 led to the prosecution of Palfinger.

At the Court of Appeal this Monday, Shane Costelloe SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, argued the sentencing judge Tom O'Donnell had "erred" in determining that Palfingers degree of culpability should be reduced because the nature of the offence was only discovered after the incident giving rise to the fatal injuries and that this in some way amounted to a mitigating factor.

He also submitted that, in determining the gravity of the offence, the sentencing judge failed to identify a headline figure at which the fine should be fixed prior to considering such mitigating factors as were identified by him.

Counsel said in determining the gravity of the offences, with reference to the culpability and the harm done, the sentencing judge erred in principle in failing to have sufficient regard to the aggravating factors in the case.

Court of Appeal President Mr Justice George Birmingham said as he understood it, two companies were prosecuted arising from the incident.

He said the charge against Nationwide related to August 29, 2015 but the appeal before the court related to Palfinger, which wasnt charged in relation to August 2015 but. The company was before the court because a manual it provided in 2003 had a missing chapter.

So surely the trial judge had to differentiate in a very significant way, because these were two different offences? he asked.

Mr Costelloe agreed the offences were different but said the offence against Palfinger was recognised by the trial judge as one which was extremely serious.

He said Judge O'Donnell had failed on a number of grounds to apply the applicable principles and had entered into an error of law.

Mr Costelloe said the trial judge had identified a headline sentence in respect of Nationwide but did not do so in respect of Palfinger. Counsel said the judge appears to have set the headline fine at 300,000 for Nationwide which was then reduced to 200,000.

He said the trial judge had also erred in principle when he found that the fact the missing chapter did not come to light until after the incident was a mitigating factor.

That ignores the fact that the company chose to plead guilty to the offence, Mr Costelloe said. They admitted culpability.

He said the fact the trial judge made a finding that this was a mitigating factor was completely misconceived.

Mr Justice Birmingham said he suspected what the judge was really doing was addressing the matter of causation. The passage of time means that the direct link in the failure to provide a chapter in the text and the incident in 2015 failed to make a causation link, he said.

Im not trying to avoid the fact that 12 years had passed, Im not ignorant to that, Mr Costelloe said. However, he said the fact the missing chapter didnt come to light until after the incident cannot be a mitigating factor.

He said part of the manual had not been supplied and for 12 years the people operating the crane did not have that part of the manual before them.

What I can say is, and I hasten to add Im not being trite here, these things work until they dont. These things are fine until they break, Mr Costelloe said.

This part of the manual telling the operator what to do on a daily basis was not presentAs to what it meant were speculating I accept that. There were many instances where the safety mechanism did work. We do not know what not having that part of the manual available to the operator meant on the day.

He submitted that the fine imposed in this case was simply too low.

We have a situation here where we dont know where the sentencing judge started. We dont know what his headline starting point was for the fine, he added.

Michael Collins SC, for Palfinger, said the argument that there was no headline sentence set was a criticism of style over substance.

He said the sentencing judge took into account all of the factors in the case including the circumstances of the accident, the victim impact statements in the case, mitigating factors and the concept of proportionality.

Mr Collins said the document in question was an operating manual.

When the crane and the manual was delivered, the person operating the crane was shown all the necessary procedures to operate the crane, counsel said.

He said it was not just a case of theres the keys, best of luck.

Mr Collins argued that the fact that an omission was discovered after the incident was relevant. He said the crane had operated well for 12 years and had been serviced regularly.

He said the question the judge had to grapple with was what was the implication of the chapter being omitted in the overall context.

It was in weighing the culpability of the crane operators and the crane providers that he came to this conclusion, counsel said, adding in those circumstances he submitted there was no error in principle.

After rising for a short period, the three-judge court indicated it would reserve judgement in the case.
LIMERICK IFA has responded to multiple queries in recent weeks regarding the large rail and road infrastructure projects in the county by arranging an information meeting in the Woodlands House Hotel in Adare on Wednesday, July 12 at 8pm.

The Foynes to Limerick Road, including the Adare bypass, got the green light to proceed last month after judicial review proceedings were withdrawn from the High Court.

The road comprises of the construction of 15.6km of dual carriageway from Foynes to Rathkeale (with 1.9km of single carriageway road between Ballyclogh and Askeaton) along with the construction of 17.5km of motorway to connect Rathkeale to the existing motorway network at Attyflin (N21/N20/M20 junction).

This project will include a bypass of Adare, which will run to the north of the village.

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said they are very conscious that approximately 200 landholdings (including nine dwelling houses and approximately 105 farms) are impacted by the proposed road. The council said they would be contacting all impacted landholders and householders.

Limerick IFA chairman Sean Lavery said some farmers have asked IFA for information on what will happen next.

We feel its now a good time to inform farmers of their rights regarding compensation for land loss and disturbance.

Remember, farmers are not voluntary sellers in this situation and TII must respect that. A number of farmers are being double- impacted, said Mr Lavery.

Secondly, Mr Lavery said Irish Rail have made a lot of progress in the last two months on the planned re-opening of the Foynes to Limerick railway line.

Questions have arisen over Irish Rails discussions with farmers, most especially about access via level crossings or underpasses. In some cases Irish Rail are suggesting that existing crossings be closed. Farmers need to think seriously about such a move. Any removal of access will reduce the value of land on the other side of the railway.

Another matter is that all fencing on both sides of the railway will be renewed. Irish Rail and their contractors, Sisk, will require access through fields. It is essential that disturbance to growing crops is minimised. We have also had reports of TB outbreaks following removal of cover on the disused railway line, said Mr Lavery, who stressed that the meeting is essential for any farmer impacted by these two projects.

Representatives of TII and Irish Rail have been invited to attend the meeting next week.
New Delhi: A Delhi High Court division bench on Monday heard the appeal filed by the resolution professional (RP) of Go First, challenging an interim order issued by a single bench on 5 July, allowing the lessors to inspect the airlines fleet, as it would be disastrous for Go First in its efforts to resume operations.

Neeraj Kishan Kaul, counsel appearing for the RP, said the order disregarded a proposed resolution approved by Committee of Creditors, and submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The matter is already being dealt with by the National Company Law Tribunal, he argued, and questioned the civil courts jurisdiction to rule on the writ petition.

During the hearing, senior lawyer representing the airlines RP referred to the interim order of the High Court as disastrous for the airlines operations, potentially causing significant disruptions.

The RPs lawyer also highlighted that out of the 56 aircraft, 26 had been inspected by the DGCA and declared fit to fly, while the remaining aircraft were awaiting engine delivery from Pratt and Whitney. They further mentioned that an emergency arbitration process was initiated in Singapore against Pratt and Whitney to obtain new engines.

The lawyer from the DGCA clarified their neutral stance in the matter, stating that they are bound by the courts order and sought clarification on the responsibility for maintaining the parked aircraft. The DGCA informed the court that as per the current rules lessors are not allowed to carry out maintenance work and only Go First has the authorization to do so.

The RP reiterated their position, referring to the NCLTs order from June 15th, which assigned the responsibility of aircraft maintenance to the RP, not the lessors. On the other hand, the lessors argued that the airline was not permitted to operate their aircraft as per aircraft rules.

In an interim order on the Delhi High Court Single bench directed the DGCA and airport authorities to allow representatives and officers of Go Firsts lessors to inspect the 30 parked aircraft within the next three days. The hearing will resume tomorrow to further address the appeals and arguments presented.
Crisis-hit budget airlines Go First Ltd has invited investor interest in the company through a court-appointed administrator as part of the carrier's ongoing insolvency, according to a newspaper advertisement. Two bankers aware of the developments told Reuters on Monday that they expect Wadia Group - which used to own Go First before it started bankruptcy proceedings - to be part of its insolvency process.

The Wadias, however, have not communicated their intent directly to bankers, they said. Go Airlines and Wadia Group's Ness Wadia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"There has always been intent and inclination from the Wadias to keep the airline afloat," said one of the bankers, who did not want to be named as he is directly involved in Go First's insolvency process.

"They (Wadia Group) are not disqualified by law to bid for the airline because there has technically been no default," this banker said.

Go Airlines, which operated the Go First carrier, filed for bankruptcy protection in May blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its 54 Airbus A320neos. The engine maker had said the claims are without merit.

"There is no formal indication to banks that the Wadia Group will submit an EoI, but the likelihood is that they will," said a banker of a state-owned lender that has exposure to the airline and is a part of the committee of creditors to Go First.

The banker did not wish to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Right after the bankruptcy filing, the airline's then chief executive had told Reuters that the Wadia Group was completely committed to the company.

Non-availability of P&W engines:

Non-availability of P&W engines was cited as the major reason by Go First for seeking insolvency resolution proceedings.In May, the airline had said that it was forced to move the NCLT as P&W refused to comply with an order issued by the the emergency arbitrator.

On June 29, DGCA informed that after a preliminary review of the resumption plan submitted by the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First on June 28, 2023, DGCA has planned to conduct a special audit of the Go First facilities at Mumbai and Delhi.

"The special audit to be conducted from July 4 to July 6, 2023, shall be focused on the safety-related aspects and continued compliance of the requirements to hold an Air Operator Certificate, as well as on physical verification of the arrangements made for the resumption of flight operations," the official said.
New Delhi: After markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), expressed concerns over allegations of corporate misgovernance at PTC India Financial Services (PFS), the chairman and managing director of parent PTC India Rajib Kumar Mishra said he is just a nominee director on the PFS board, indicating that he does not have the authority to oversee day-to-day affairs of the company.

In May, Sebi sent notices to Mishra and PFS managing director and chief executive Pawan Singh, accusing Mishra of interfering with the functioning of independent directors. In the interview, Mishra spoke about PTCs power trading operations, including the power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nepal Electricity Authority for importing 300 MW of electricity. In its bid to diversify operation, the firm has floated a tender on bundling of renewable energy capacity for round-the-clock (RTC) power supply, he added. Edited Excerpts:

Sebi has sent notices to you and Pawan Singh over alleged corporate misgovernance at PFS. What has been your response to the notice, and the allegations?

I am a nominee director, non-executive chairman, on the PFS Board. I have no delegated power by the PFS board to conduct day-to-day functions. Companies Act and other regulatory guidelines also do not provide a nominee director, or someone in a non-executive post, the right to carry out day-to-day activities. My role was just to chair the board meeting but didnt have any authority. The KMPs (key managerial professional) and MD has the authority for administrative decisions. In fact, I facilitated the board to become functional.

What are the recent developments at PTC in terms of cross-border trade?

We have recently signed a PPA for 300 MW with Nepal Electricity Authority to bring more power from Nepal via Bihar. Earlier Bihar used to export power, but for the first time we will import via transmission lines in Bihar. It should start this wet season but for that some conditions need to be met. We will decide on procurer as and when demand comes. It is a flexible arrangement. We are trying to find buyers. We may either sell to exchanges, or directly to the buyers. PTC has been trading with Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh for over two decades now. Apart from long-term procurement from Bhutan, we also assist Bhutan import during the lean hydro months through power exchanges. We also sell electricity to Bangladesh and we have had bi-directional trades with Nepal. We have been entering into arrangements to buy and sell from these geographies, and exploring investments in regional marketsmakers, traders and power exchanges as and when they are functional.

Recently PTC signed two long-term agreements. Should we expect more such contracts?

Our objective with these agreements is to establish new business models in which PTC as a market maker takes risks as well as offers value-added solutions in the electricity trading segment. Our objective is to increasingly scale such models by leveraging domain expertise and market making capabilities. Currently, we are trying to create a portfolio that balances risks and rewards through a mix of long-term and spot market strategies, selling to commercial as well as industrial users, utilities and on power exchanges. PTC Indias signing of two long-term agreements signifies its commitment to expanding its presence in the market, and securing stable partnerships, besides offering innovative solutions to generating companies and buyers.

Moving forward, PTC will actively seek potential buyers who align with the firms strategic goals and operational requirements. Once potential buyers are identified, PTC India Ltd will start negotiations to establish long-term agreements, outlining the terms and conditions for capacity tie-ups. These agreements may include aspects such as energy supply terms, pricing mechanism, duration of agreements, and any other relevant contractual provisions. As PTC India continues to expand operations and strengthen its position in the market, it plans to scale up this kind of long-term trading.

What is the progress on your plans to diversify operations?

PTC has been a pioneer with many firsts to its name. It is the true test of a market maker. We were the first to offer short-term trade for renewable generation projects, the first to introduce open-access trades to institutional customers like the Railways, and the Airports Authority of India, among others. We are now diversifying into long-term procurement of renewable energy and assuming market risks. We are looking to bundle conventional energy with RE to offer RTC solutions. We are focused on creating a large portfolio of suppliers and procurers with diverse requirements. We inaugurated an innovation and data analytics lab, and believe it will help take informed decisions based on the data-driven insights by identifying patterns, trends, and opportunities that may not be apparent otherwise.

What has been the progress in your renewable energy operations?

We currently have a long-term contracted capacity of 1050 MW of RE that we well to designated buying utilities. Apart from that we are active traders in carbon attributes and renewable energy certificates (RECS) offering bilateral procurement and sale under the new REC Regulations. Similarly, we actively trade in E-certs on the power exchanges. Additionally, we trade in electricity from hydro power plants like Karcham Wangtoo, Teesta III and from hydro stations in Bhutan (Chukha, Kurichhu, Tala and Mangdechhu). We also participate in the RE segments of power exchanges like GDAM and GTAM.

Our recent Expression of Interest (EOI) to procure 1000 MW of renewable energy power had received an overwhelmingly positive response. We are increasingly focusing on providing solutions for participants in the renewable energy sector, both on the supply and demand side. Additionally, we are actively involved in structuring solutions for virtual contracts and acting as virtual power plants. As the adoption of variable renewable energy (VRE) continues to grow, we are developing solutions for round-the-clock (RTC) power offerings by integrating thermal generation and/or storage solutions.

PTC India is also deeply engaged in the evolving value chain of battery energy storage systems and green hydrogen. Therefore, a significant focus of our company is to build the necessary capabilities to capitalize on these opportunities when they arise. Each of these measures presents significant opportunities for PTC India, and we are diligently working in these segments by crafting and offering tailored solutions and services to meet the evolving needs of the market.

Last year you had announced to set up a power trading company in Nepal. What is the development in that front?

A. Currently, the legislation that authorizes the government to involve the private sector in power trade is a work in progress. However, the government has consistently assured the private sector of its preparedness to issue power trading licenses. To address this, the government is in the process of passing a new electricity bill that will open the doors for private players to engage in Cross Border Electricity Trade. Currently, five Nepalese companies have applied for power trading licenses in Nepal. Among them, three companies have approached PTC for a joint venture stake. PTC is closely monitoring the situation in Nepal with increased in-person stakeholder interactions, anticipating the imminent passing of the electricity bill.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rituraj Baruah Rituraj Baruah is a senior correspondent at Mint, reporting on housing, urban affairs, small businesses and energy. He has reported on diverse sectors over the last six years including, commodities and stocks market, insolvency and real estate. He has previous stints at Cogencis Information Services, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) and Inc42. Read more from this author
New Delhi: Entry-level sports utility vehicles, or micro-SUVs like Tatas Punch and Hyundai Exter will form an increasingly large share of the market for UVs in India, with the vehicles accounting for 20% of the compact or sub-4 metre SUVs total sales volumes by the end of FY24, according to Hyundai Motor India. Compact SUVs now account for nearly 60% of all SUV sales in India, as more automakers launch products to attract value-conscious Indian buyers.

The South Korean carmaker on Monday launched its first micro-SUV Exter that directly rivals Tata Motors 5-star GNCAP rated Punch, which has found immense popularity with first-time buyers. The Exter, at a starting price of 5.99 lakhs for the base variant is priced similarly as the Punch. It will also compete with Citroens C3 micro-SUV. The Exter will also be launched in a CNG variant from the start, while Tatas Punch currently only comes with a gasoline option.

Hyundai expects the compact SUV market to be dominated by petrol and CNG powertrains, while customers in the larger SUV segments continue to see high demand for more powerful diesel engines. For Hyundai, nearly half of the demand for Creta still comes from the diesel variants.

This is our eigth SUV model, which makes us the only OEM thats present across all seven SUV sub-segments. We believe the entry-level SUV segment will explode. Currently there is only the Tata Punch in that segment there, so we see a lot of upside. From just 3% of the compact SUV segment to 14% in 2022, we believe with the addition of Exter the segment will grow to 16% of total sub-4m SUV sales in 2023 and 20% in 2024", Tarun Garg, chief operating officer, Hyundai Motor India said. While we arent the number one entrants in the segment, and neither we were in the Creta segment which we continue to lead, the benchmark will be created by us", he adds.

The Exter comes with six airbags as a standard feature, and will set a benchmark for the segment, Garg said.

SUVs account for a majority of Hyundais sales in India, ahead of the SUV penetration in the industry as a whole. For Hyundai, SUVs accounted for 41% of its sales in 22%, 34% in 2019, 43% in 2020, 50% in 2021, 53% in 2022, and 54% in 2023, when the industry is at 46% SUV sales as part of the total passenger vehicle market.

We feel Hyundai could be at 60% SUV sales when Exter comes in", Garg told Mint. Even with increasing competition in the mid-SUV segment, in the first half of the calendar year we sold an average of 1371 units per month, a growth of 22% over H1 last year. Despite new model launches, we have been going strong. It has also been the best-selling SUV last month, which reflects it is still a strong brand. We are market leaders with the Verna sedan too, sales of which have grown 100% with the launch of the new product", Garg said.

Volumes-wise hatchbacks remain a big segment but their contribution has been coming down. We have seen a reduction in i20 volumes", he added.
Spain's Navantia and Larsen & Toubro on Monday signed a Teaming Agreement (TA) in the premises of the Spanish Embassy here, with the purpose of submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy's prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

The agreement was signed in the presence of SN Subrahmanyan, L&T CEO & MD and Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Naval Construction Vice President, and Member of the Board- Navantia.

Larsen & Toubro and Navantia, Spain signed a Teaming Agreement (TA) for the purpose of submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navys prestigious P75 (India) submarine program. The agreement was signed in the presence of S N Subrahmanyan, L&T CEO & MD and Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Naval Construction Vice President, and Member of the Board  Navantia. Also present at the occasion were H.E. Mr Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez, Ambassador of Spain in India and Captain (Navy) Fernando Alvarez, Spanish Defence Attache, along with senior officials from both L&T Defence and Navantia. The event was held in the premises of the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi.

Project 75 (I) requires the Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator (FC) and execute the program for delivery of six conventional submarines equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP), while achieving targetted Indigenous Content. Expected to be valued at over Euro 4.8 billion, the project is the Indias largest defence acquisition project. This would also be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value. P75(I) would be the first program to be processed under the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model of acquisition of the Ministry of Defence. L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the program on 11 April 2023 at Madrid, which has now culminated in this TA.

As per the agreement, Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of 2023. Apart from S80 class, Navantia has been involved in design and construction of Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India including handholding of the Indian yard.

P75(I) program calls for integration of an AIP system. Navantias state-of-the-art 3rd Generation AIP solution is the most advanced and efficient AIP system in the world, apart from also being the most compact, easiest to exploit and maintain and environment friendly. It uses bioethanol as a source of hydrogen which is known to be cost efficient, easily available, and does not call for any special infrastructure. High density of hydrogen in ethanol improves the AIP systems efficiency. Ethanol, being in liquid form, eliminates the risks associated with storing hydrogen.

In addition, wide availability of ethanol enables the system to be refueled anywhere in the world.

L&T and Navantia are also seeking cooperation in other military programmes as well as in green energy opportunities, including offshore wind through Navantia Seanergies division.

Commenting on the occasion, S N Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T said, L&T is proud to collaborate with Navantia for this prestigious program of strategic importance for the nations security. Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction & technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this program and offer the Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology (BEST) and environmentally Green AIP solution. We are committed to providing the most contemporary solution for Indian Navys requirements at a competitive price."
NEW DELHI : The corporate affairs ministry will examine the need for a new regulatory regime for large startups that have grown beyond a certain size to ensure their governance systems become more robust without compromising on ease of doing business, a person familiar with the development said.

A panel of experts advising the ministrycompany law committeewill examine this shortly, the person said on the condition of anonymity.

The move comes at a time many Indian startups have achieved scale, have become hugely valuable and have raised large amounts of private capital, but their management capability to handle the governance and compliance obligations in line with their size has raised concerns.

The government wants the large startups to measure up and ensure good governance through a tailored regime while not posing any fresh compliance requirements for small startups.

When a startup grows beyond a threshold that can be specified, we could have extra (compliance) requirements. This is not for new startups. Such requirement cannot be for all," said the person.

The idea is to balance the need for better internal controls in large startups with ease of doing business considerations. The capital coming into startups may be private, but in the case of large startups, it can have a systemic impact," said the person. In the case of small companies, any potential harm to the system due to failure or governance lapse would be minimal, and therefore, a lighter regime will be suitable for them.

The regulatory regime should be framed in such a way that it considers the likelihood of harm or damage (to the system) and also a cost-benefit analysis of the regulation, said the person.

Under the Companies Act, private limited companies have fewer disclosure and compliance requirements, as public interest in them is assumed to be limited.

Public limited companies, on the other hand, have higher reporting and compliance obligations. A private limited company cannot get listed on stock exchanges without first getting converted to a public limited company. Listed companies have to meet Sebi norms over and above the requirements set by the Companies Act.

An email sent to the spokesperson for the ministry of corporate affairs on Monday seeking comments on the story remained unanswered.

The move to evolve a new regulatory framework for startups comes at a time the number of new-age companies is going up fast in India, with services becoming a strong growth driver. The number of recognized startups went up from 452 in 2016 to over 84,000 by the end of November 2022, according to official data from the government.

In the last few years, the government took several steps to ease the rigours of compliance, aiming to improve the business climate and the ease of doing business while stepping up reporting requirements and the use of technology in regulatory oversight for effective compliance management. The ministry of corporate affairs has also decriminalized the Companies Act and the LLP Act to improve the business climate.
Louis Weathers still remembers one of his first experiences with racial prejudice in this Chicago suburb along Lake Michigan, home of Northwestern University.

At his integrated junior high school, a white teacher didnt want Black students such as Weathers showing up their white classmates with the right answers to questions, he recalled.

Every time we raised our hand, she wouldnt call on us, but when we didnt raise our hands, she wouldto make you look like a dummy," Weathers said. We got onto that, though. When we didnt know the answer, we raised our hands."

Now 88 years old, the retired postal worker and Korean War veteran is among the initial beneficiaries of a city programthe first of its kind in the U.S.that pays Black Evanston residents reparations for discrimination and a lack of access to housing. It is also working on programs to address gaps in education and economic development.

In 2019, the city of about 75,000 just north of Chicago committed to spend $10 million over 10 years on local reparations. Dozens of other municipalities across the U.S. have taken initial steps toward reparations since.

Nearly four years later, Evanston is the only city that is delivering on its promise. By the end of this year, it expects to have distributed $25,000 each to 140 mostly elderly residents like Weathers who were at least 18 and lived in the city between 1919 and 1969, when the city passed a fair-housing ordinance. The payments can come in either vouchers or cash and are funded by marijuana and real-estate transfer taxes.

I see it as like a test run for the whole country," said Justin Hansford, a leading advocate for reparations at the federal and local level and head of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University.

Weathers remembers discrimination in many aspects of life in Evanston beyond the school, including being excluded from the YMCA as a boy. He lived most of his life in the historically Black Fifth Ward and was only able to move to a predominantly white neighborhood in 1969 when laws started to change. Still, when he and his wife wanted to buy a house in a white neighborhood, he had to threaten that he would complain to the real-estate board if the agent didnt allow them to sign a sales contract. We wanted that house so bad," he said.

His young son was called a derogatory name when they first moved in, but he later made friends with the white boy who called him that, Weathers said.

Weathers said he gave his $25,000 to his son, who put it toward debt reduction and upgrades to his condo.

Evanstons modest program to compensate for decades of discrimination faced plenty of internal challenges and comes as grander efforts at reparations could be years offif they come at all.

A task force in California last month recommended spending billions on reparations. Many of the proposals are expected to face an uphill battle for adoption.

Meanwhile, a federal bill introduced every year since 1989 that would establish a similar task force to study reparations at the national level has never been voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives, and isnt likely to be under Republican control, advocates said.

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said he isnt deterred by the lack of progress on national reparations.

Our job here is just to move forward and to continue being that example, to continue illustrating that a small municipality can make real tangible progress," he said.

Evanstons road to reparations began with Robin Rue Simmons, the then-city council member representing the predominantly Black Fifth Ward. She was aware of the reparations movement, but had long considered it a national issue dealing directly with slavery. Then she realized some local policiessuch as zoning that concentrated Blacks in one neighborhoodled to overcrowding, redlining, fewer city amenities and other harms. In early 2019, she said, she began to think that she could hold her own city accountable for those wrongs.

Weve done all forms of affirmative action and equity work that has been really good, but we have not repaired the past harm by the municipal government," she said.

With strong input from the community, the city passed its plan to spend $10 million on reparations in November 2019.

A local reparations committee that Rue Simmons now heads took applications from more than 670 people who either lived in Evanston during the period of greatest harm, or were their children. The city held a public drawing to identify the first 16 people to receive $25,000 vouchers that could be used to reduce mortgage debt, go toward a down payment or make repairs on a home.

Initially, the city planned to fund the program through marijuana tax revenue, but those revenues were coming in too slowly, so the city council voted to use funds from the real-estate transfer tax on higher-value properties.

The voucher program worked well for most of the initial recipients, but Kenneth Wideman, a 77-year-old Vietnam vet and retired maintenance worker for Northwestern, and his sister were renters who had no interest in buying a home at this point in their lives.

Wideman remembers growing up in his aunts five-bedroom home with 14 people living there, sharing a bedroom with his grandmother, mother and sister. He said he was unaware at the time of the kind of discrimination that forced that kind of crowding, but he remembers a happy childhood. I was raised by women," he said. They made me the man I am today."

Just before the time limit ran out on his ability to accept a voucher, the city council changed the rules so he and other recipients could receive cash instead of a voucher.

We have not received real reparations, the 40 acres and a mule" that were promised after the Civil War, he said. I wish people behind me would get that and more than what I got."

Rue Simmons said the new cash option has reduced the amount of staff work needed to disburse funds, but has raised questions about taxes and whether the award could affect the recipients ability to get aid from other programs. The city and committee are working their way through those issues, she said.

The citys reparations committee is going through the verification process for the more than 500 direct descendants of the initial 140 recipients, who will also get reparations. Subcommittees within the group are also exploring how it can address educational disparities and bolster economic development for Black residents.

Ramona Burton, a 74-year-old recipient of a $25,000 housing voucher, was born in Chicago because there was no hospital for Black deliveries in Evanston. Her father was a chauffeur for the family that owned the Oscar Mayer meat company and they helped him buy the Evanston house she grew up in.

They lent him the money for the down payment because back then they were redlining so Black and brown people couldnt get loans for homes, and they were also putting them in certain neighborhoods," said the retired administrative assistant.

She used her $25,000 voucher on new windows, a new roof, chimney repairs and an update to the electric system in the home where she has lived since the 1970s.

I think its a good start," she said of Evanstons program. Its better than a blank."
Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has geared up to wage war on unruly footpaths and enhance pedestrian safety starting on July 10. In an effort to prioritise the well-being of pedestrians and reclaim the pavements, each of the 48 traffic police stations will dedicate themselves to clearing one footpath per day of illegally parked vehicles and unsightly debris.

M N Anucheth, the esteemed Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), expressed his enthusiasm for this latest initiative, which falls under the wider #ReclaimFootpaths campaign. He revealed that the campaign would be conducted concurrently with other ongoing efforts, further strengthening their impact.

"The focus is on footpaths along the main and arterial roads in each stations jurisdiction. We want to clear footpaths of illegally parked vehicles in this campaign so that pedestrians can use the footpaths freely," the Deccan Herald quoted him as saying.

Not stopping there, the traffic police are committed to collaborating with municipal authorities to improve footpaths that require essential renovations or infrastructural modifications. The aim is to create a conducive environment where pedestrians can walk without compromising their safety.

Pedestrians, often considered the most vulnerable road users, have been the unfortunate victims of numerous accidents and fatalities. In 2022 alone, Bengaluru recorded 248 pedestrian fatalities and 819 pedestrian injuries, as per the publication.

This alarming trend can be attributed to the dual menace of vehicles invading footpaths and the inadequate infrastructure in place. Such unfavourable conditions have inadvertently forced pedestrians on roads, putting their lives at grave risk.

Meanwhile, the bustling Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru has witnessed a surge in traffic congestion as tech companies gradually recall employees back to the office. It has caused concerns among the traffic police and other stakeholders. In response to this influx, efforts are being made to alleviate the situation and ensure smoother traffic flow.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal calls a meeting at the Secretariat this afternoon, in the wake of the situation in the city due to incessant heavy rainfall. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and concerned officers will attend the meeting. The rise in the level of river Yamuna will also be discussed in the meeting.

Atishi, in response to the ongoing heavy rainfall in Delhi, has issued a significant directive emphasising the need to prioritise the safety of schools. The education minister's order, implemented on July 9, aims to address potential risks and safeguard the well-being of students and staff members amidst adverse weather conditions.

"As we are aware that during the last few days, the city has faced continuous heavy rainfalls and it might have affected the conditions of government school buildings," ANI quoted the order as stating.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has provided reassurance to its member lawyers regarding their inability to attend court proceedings on July 10 due to heavy rainfall in the national capital. In a communication issued on July 9, the DHCBA announced that no unfavorable orders would be issued if lawyers are unable to appear before the court.

The DHCBA further stated that a request was made to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who accepted the plea. Taking into account the persistent torrential rains experienced since July 7, and the Orange Alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for July 10, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, in response to the DHCBA's request, agreed that no adverse orders would be passed in the event that lawyers are unable to attend court proceedings on July 10, ANI reported.

This decision aims to alleviate any potential concerns or repercussions faced by lawyers due to the inclement weather conditions and ensure that their absence from court on that day does not result in adverse consequences.
Delhi rain updates: The Shahdara district police visited the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi on July 9 and issued an alert to residents regarding the rising water level of the Yamuna River. Due to heavy rainfall, the police urged local residents to evacuate the area and move to safer locations.

The Delhi government also issued a flood warning in response to heavy rains occurring in North India.

"We are here to inform you all that the level of Yamuna has risen due to heavy rainfall. You all requested to vacate the area and move to a safer place," a police officer warned the residents living by the Yamuna banks.

The Haryana government released over one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna River from the HathniKund Barrage in Yamunanagar. These developments prompted Union Home Minister Amit Shah to speak with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to stay updated on the situation, reported ANI.

Also read: Monsoon Fury LIVE Updates: Heavy rains lashes Delhi, water-logging reported in several parts

The heavy rainfall led to significant waterlogging in various parts of the national capital, causing traffic disruptions. Social media platforms were inundated with pictures and videos of commuters wading through knee-deep water, highlighting concerns about the effectiveness of the city's drainage infrastructure.

Delhi Traffic Police provided regular updates on the impact of the downpour on vehicular movement and shared images of waterlogged areas.

Also read: Monsoon rain: IMD issues red alert for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand today, yellow alert for Delhi. Check latest updates

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi received 153 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, marking the highest rainfall in a single day in July since 1982.
Delhi RainNews: After two days of abundant rainfall, Monday morning brought pleasant weather to the national capital. However, in the afternoon Delhi witnessed heavy rainfall. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed authorities to evacuate people from low-lying areas around Yamuna once the water level reaches 206-metre mark.

The Delhi CM also assured people that that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted that heavy rainfall affected Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Delhi, with certain areas experiencing extremely heavy showers in the afternoon today. The meteorological department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of moderate rain.

Water level of Yamuna

The Yamuna river due to Delhi rains has surpassed the warning mark of 204.5 metres as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage due to ongoing heavy rains in the upper catchment areas. According to a flood bulletin, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge reached 204.63 metres at 1 pm on Monday. The warning level is set at 204.5 metres.

It is projected that the water level will further rise to 205.5 metres between 10 am and 12 noon on Tuesday, crossing the danger mark of 205.33 metres.

The water level is expected to further increase and reach 205.5 metres between 10 am and 12 noon on Tuesday, surpassing the danger mark of 205.33 metres.

The irrigation and flood control department has reported a gradual increase in the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage. It rose from 1,05,453 cusecs at 4 pm on Sunday to 2,54,806 cusecs at 10 am on Monday.

Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is around 352 cusecs. However, heavy rainfall in the catchment areas has led to a significant increase in the discharge. It takes approximately two to three days for the water from the barrage to reach Delhi.

The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi considered prone to flooding are inhabited by around 37,000 people. In response to the rising water levels, the Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday and initiated the process of relocating people residing near the river banks to safer areas.

Waterlogged roads

Commuters had to navigate waterlogged roads and face traffic congestion during the morning hours. The Pragati Maidan tunnel, which was closed on Sunday due to waterlogging, will remain closed on Monday as well. Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to advise commuters to plan their journeys accordingly.
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn's decision to pull out of Vedanta joint venture has no impact on India's semiconductor fabrication plant goal, minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Monday.

"This decision of Foxconn to withdraw from its JV wth Vedanta has no impact on India's Semiconductor Fab goals. None," Chandrasekhar tweeted. "Its not for govt to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can & will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and wth appropriate technology partners in Semicon n Electronics," Chandrasekhar tweeted.

"It was well known that both companies had no prior semicon experience or Technology and were expected to source Fab tech from a Tech partner. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," the minister said.

While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source an appropriate Tech partner for that proposal.

Vedanta thru VFSL has recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal backed by Tech licensing agreement from a Global Semicon major - which is currently being evaluated by Semicon_India Tech Advisory group," the minister said.

Its not for govt to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can & will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and wth appropriate technology partners in Semicon n Electronics

India's strategy of catalyzing Semiconductor Ecosystem has seen rapid progress in the 18 months since PM Narendra Modi. approved India's Semicon strategy n policy.

"To those editorializing abt this decision of Foxconn/Vedanta being a "blow" to Indias Semicon ambition , I can only say its a bad idea to bet against India under PM Modi," the minister tweeted.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, and Vedanta signed a pact last year to set up semiconductor and display production plants in Modi's home state of Gujarat.

"Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta," a Foxconn statement said without elaborating on the reasons.

The company said it had worked with Vedanta for more than a year to bring "a great semiconductor idea to reality", but they had mutually decided to end the joint venture and it will remove its name from an entity that is now fully owned by Vedanta.

*With agency inputs
BENGALURU / NEW DELHI : NatWest Group Plc., a Scotland-headquartered banking and insurance holding company, has two engineering hubs, in Poland and India. They house about one-third of NatWests global employees.

While half of the companys India workforce works on technology and data analytics, it is also increasing its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI applications. For instance, the bulk of the development and maintenance of its voice assistant chatbot, Cora, is executed in India.

Then, there is Visa Inc, the American multinational financial services corporation. It employs consultants and data scientists in India as part of its in-house tech division. They build the companys proprietary AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms, says Sushmit Nath, head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, India & South Asia. Visa Consulting and Analytics is the multinationals payments advisory arm. The in-house tech team uses anonymized data to build AI models for risk, credit assessment and advisory and offers them to customers within the country.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

Our India capability centre specifically designs and develops tech for the Indian and the South Asia market. But we also have tech teams based in Singapore and San Francisco, who work on developing models and solutions for our products, which we take cues from," says Nath.

For Notion Labs, a US-headquartered company known for its eponymous productivity and note-taking application, India is its biggest engineering centre outside of the US. India has some of the best engineering talent in the world, which is why we plan to expand here, going forward," Ivan Zhao, chief executive officer (CEO) of the company, told Mint on 18 April. He added that engineers in India are working on technologies that include Notions AI and automation capabilities.

Natwest Group, Visa and Notion are just three of the estimated 1,600 multinational companies that have reduced their dependence on Indian IT services companies. Instead of outsourcing software development work, they have built their own technology divisions in the country. These in-house development centres are today called global capability centres (GCCs).

Earlier, such organizations were known by a rather unremarkable term captive centres. They mostly handled call centres, data processing, document management and customer care functions. Such functions moved to India because of the cost arbitrage the country provided. Well, outsourcing to an IT services company is even cheaper but for many corporations, a captive unit meant less backlash against outsourcing. Over time, these captive centres matured. Slowly but surely, they took on cutting-edge roles; they moved up the value chain.

All estimates now point to a future that is bright and beautiful.

About 150 companies set up their GCCs in the last two fiscal years alone, stated GCC 4.0  India Redefining the Globalization Blueprint, a report by industry body Nasscom and Zinnov, a management consulting and advisory firm.

By 2025, India is expected to have over 1,900 GCCs employing 2 million people and earning $60 billion. By 2026-27, Nasscom forecasts the number of GCCs in India to rise above 2,000. Consultancy firm Deloitte India predicts the cumulative GCC revenue to rise to $75-80 billion in the next four-five years, from the current $40-45 billion.

Further, the estimated 1,600 GCCs themselves have established more than 2,740 units in the country. One example is AstraZeneca India Pvt Ltd, which runs the bio-pharmaceutical companys GCC. It has also set up a clinical data and insights unitthe unit uses its experience in the pharmaceutical domain to generate insights from different data sources, using AI and ML.

Consider the numbers mentioned above for a moment. By setting up in-house development teams, GCCs are undoubtedly eating into the outsourcing and offshoring pie of Indian IT services providersin a world without GCCs, much of this work would have been lapped up by them. If the GCC sectors revenue totals $80 billion in a few years, it implies a lost revenue opportunity of a similar size for the IT services club.

Yet another measure of GCCs growth is office real estate rentals. Unsurprisingly, GCCs are mostly concentrated in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, the national capital region, Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai the access to talent here is easy. As a result, office stock occupied by GCCs across the top six cities has crossed 200 million sq ft, and is growing rapidly with time, stated a report by real estate consultancy JLL, in April this year.

Sensitive edge

The GCC versus the Indian IT services conversation is not really a new one. What is probably changing is the scale and nature of in-house development.

Many large corporations already have their tech centres in India. Now, even mid-sized companies are looking at the same model, partly driven by the need to control sensitive data that feeds into their AI systems.

Despite the pandemic, and talks about the risk of concentration in one geography, global mid-sized companies, typically in the $20 billion revenue range, are expressing interest in setting up their tech capabilities, says Gaurav Gupta, partner and GCC industry leader, Deloitte India. They may have outsourcing relationships with Indian service providers already but are exploring a model that has already worked for the larger firms," he says.

According to Gupta, when companies look at high-end tech deployments, which includes sensitive customer data or intellectual property (IP) developments, they prefer keeping the work within their own boundaries. He adds that organizations need geopolitical flexibility to manage a globally spread-out tech stack", which outsourcing partners and third-party contractors do not provide.

Punit Sood, head of international hubs at NatWest Group, says that cost is not the top reason to set up a GCC any longer. Rather, it is confidentiality and regulations because as a bank, NatWest would rather have an in-house employee look at their customer data than a vendor.

When we work on building data analytics-based projects and deployments, we handle a lot of sensitive data that belongs to our clients across the supply chain. Building a tech product based on sensitive customer data is not ideal for outsourcing," says Sreenivas Pamidimukkala, the chief information officer at Mahindra Logistics, a third-party logistics company.

The Indian Parliament recently cleared the Digital Personal Data Privacy (DPDP) Bill. It will impose stricter regulations in terms of how a company can share personal data for outsourced projects. This wasnt something strictly regulated in India before.

Nonetheless, Sood believes that the GCC versus IT services conversation is less about competition and more about complementary co-existence".

For instance, if Sood wants to quickly pick up a new technology and build capabilities quickly, he would always start by partnering IT services providers. The IT services companies would have already pre-empted such demand and built capabilities around it," he explains. That said, over the next 18-24 months, Sood aims to have 70% of Natwests technology work done in-house from the current 50%.

Pamidimukkala also does a balancing act between in-house tech development and outsourcing. Mahindra Logistics has about 140 employees working on various technologies, spread across six departments and three offices in Mumbai, Gurugram and Hyderabad. The companys capabilities include building and maintaining employee onboarding, financial systems, vendor payment systems, sales lead generations, and even cybersecurity tools. Mahindra Logistics is exploring the use of large language models sourced from the Microsoft Azure platform.

However, the company does partner with IT services providers such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to build its tech infrastructure. It is developing a data lake a pool of data that will help its customers visualize their supply chain.

Pamidimukkala believes IT service providers have built very specific capabilities in core and emerging technologies already", adding that this is not feasible for a logistics company to develop, in terms of cost and efficiency. Also, talent management. For a non-tech firm, it is always a challenge to retain talent keen on cutting edge technologies.

Desirability curve

To be sure, the Indian IT services sector is currently much bigger than all GCCs in the country, both in terms of revenue and talent. In 2022-23, Indias technology industry revenue, including hardware, is estimated to cross $245 billion, according to Nasscom. And the industry continues to be a net hirer, adding nearly 300,000 employees, taking the total employee base to about 5.4 million.

But GCCs are competing for the same talent pool Indian IT services companies are after and are poaching talent. There are many reasons why.

Over the past three years, GCCs have gone from managing small teams to bigger ones, especially with the influx of new technologies. As attrition in the IT services sector shot up, GCCs capitalized, netting senior-level talent, especially those with niche skills in data analytics, blockchain and other specific use-cases. Data shared with Mint by staffing firm Xpheno shows that while the net addition of employees for GCCs was a third of IT services in 2021-22 (170,000 vs 520,000), the same is expected to become nearly comparable at the end of 2023-24 (200,000 vs 300,000).

While the number of net additions in the GCCs has not drastically shot up, captive centres in India are roping in more experienced talent as they build niche projects.

The experienced talent is now driving many innovation projects. Indeed, this explains why the GCCs are also referred to as global innovation centres.

According to Sood, until about five years ago, innovation in new areas of technology would have comprised about 5-10% of the work being executed at the GCCs of various companies in India. Today, this is up to around 30-35%, and in the next five years, this should rise to 50-55% in terms of what companies, including us, use our India capability centers for," he estimates.

AstraZeneca India Private Ltd rebranded itself as a global innovation and technology centre in April 2022 to reflect its new technology capabilities. The centre played a key role in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine by integrating dozens of additional supply chain partners, establishing electronic connectivity, stress testing and continually modifying the adverse events (allergies, for example) reporting systems.

AstraZeneca India also uses a number of technologies like extended reality (XR)which includes augmented reality and virtual realityto visualize how a particular drug interacts inside the body, and how it targets certain types of cells.

Then there is Walmart Global Tech, which offers technology and omnichannel solutions to help businesses transform and grow their operations. The India division has three unitsin Bengaluru, Gurugram and Chennai. They develop AI and ML algorithms that decide product placement strategies, as well as technologies like smart substitution that identify the next-best items for online commercecustomers typically purchase a substitute product if the product they desire is not available. If the customer approves or rejects the substituted item, the algorithms learn from the feedback, improving the accuracy of future recommendations.

Global companies now also have their India centres of excellence and are investing in setting up incubators and accelerators. They are partnering educational institutions and Indian startups.

GE Healthcares India Edison Accelerator, for instance, nurtures and works with startups to leverage its Edison platform and develop healthcare solutions. Edison applications can integrate data from different sources and apply advanced algorithms to generate clinical, operational and financial insights.

SAP AGs India research and development unit, SAP Labs India, has a SAP Startup Studio. Thats an accelerator programme to provide mentoring, infrastructure, technology support to seed early-stage startups.

Ericsson, too, has set up its third Global AI Accelerator in Bengaluru. It has a 5G Lab in Mumbai and a centre of excellence and Innovation lab for 5G at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi to develop 5G-based apps and business models to improve agricultural yields, healthcare solutions, and smarter cities, among other solutions.

Apart from cutting edge products and solutionsa magnet for tech talenttheres yet another reason why such in-house centres can possibly win the war for talent, going ahead. As international brands, GCCs rank higher than Indian IT service companies on the desirability curve", Prasadh MS, head of research at Xpheno, believes. Along with comparatively higher compensation packages, this desire makes it easy to woo talent away from the IT services cohort.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had apoligised and washed the feet of a Dashmat Rawat, after a video went viral where a man was seen urinating on the labourer. However, a squabble arose between Madhya Pradesh Congress and the Sidhi SP Dr Ravindra Verma, wherein the former has said that the victim and the person whose feet were washed are different, and the latter has refuted the claim. Madhya Pradesh has been reporting caste based discriminating incidents in the past week. While addressing the social and spatial issue of caste discrimination remains a pipe dream, the incidences have sure been a ploy in partisan politics that have ensued in the poll-bound state. A video had gone viral of Dashmat Rawat being urinated on by Pravesh Shukla. Following outrage and social emdia backlash, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister compensated Rawat with rs 5 lakh, apologised to him and washed his feet. However, Madhya Pradesh Congress took to microblogging site Twitter to claim that the person who was urinated upon and the person whose feet Madhya Pradesh CM washed were different. "Such a big conspiracy. Madhya Pradesh will not forgive you," the Madhya Pradesh Congress wrote. Later Sidhi SP Dr Ravindra Verma refuted Madhya Pradesh Congress' claim and termed it as 'misleading. "In the case of the viral video of Sidhi urination case, there are some misleading claims that the victim was not Dashmat Rawat. Police investigation confirmed that the man was Dashmat Rawat," the SP said.

Further Sidhi district collector Saket Malviya too issued a video and said some videos are doing the rounds that the urination case victim and Dashmat Rawat are not the same. "But since the police already investigated the case and issued a clarification, we are also refuting news that the victim of the Sidhi urination case and Dashmat Rawat are not the same," the collector said.

Amid all this Rawat has raised a poignant question to several media outlets, hinting at the canonical caste based oppression that torments a significant section of India society. He was heard asking what happens after the media attention on him dies down? Will the oppression continue?

Police had arrested Pravesh Shukla, accused of urinating on the victim, Dashmat Rawat, who belongs to a tribal community.

MP Sidhi urination case: A recap

-A video of Pravesh Shukla urinating on a person belonging to the indigenous community in Madhya Pradesh went viral last week.

-Pravesh Shukla was arrested and booked under National Security Act on the direction of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. His house was also demolished.

-The chief minister then met the accused, identified as Dashmat Rawat and washed his feet expressing agony for the incident

-Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a relief amount of 5 lakh to Dashmat Rawat.

-The urination episode has triggered a political controversy in Madhya Pradesh, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, with the Congress alleging that the accused was linked to a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and the saffron party denying its connection with him in any way
An Odisha-based private news channel Odisha TV on Sunday launched an AI-generated news anchor named 'Lisa'. An artificial woman clad in Odisha's handloom saree will present news both in Odia and English for OTV Network's television and digital platforms, a company release said.

As per the company's statement, OTV is gifting Odia television journalism its first Artificial Intelligence (AI) news anchor, Lisa, it said.

Though Lisa can speak in many languages, for the time being, she will only present news in Odia and English for the network's television and digital platforms.

As per the release, Efforts are underway to make Lisa more proficient in Odia in the coming days. You can find and follow Lisa on all the prominent social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, among others."

The company's Digital Business Head, Litisha Mangat Panda said that training Lisa in Odia was a huge task, which we could achieve.

"However, we are still working on it. We are hoping to get her trained to the level in which she could interact with others easily, she said.

Earlier, in April, Kuwait media outlet, Kuwait news had debuted their first artificial intelligence (AI) generated news presenter Fedha. "Fedha" appeared on the Twitter account of the Kuwait News website on Saturday as an image of a woman, her light-coloured hair uncovered, wearing a black jacket and white T-shirt. Kuwaiti News is affiliated with the Kuwait Times, founded in 1961 as the Gulf region's first English-language daily.

Meanwhile, the rapid rise of AI globally has raised the promise of benefits, such as in health care and the elimination of mundane tasks, but also fears, for example over its potential spread of disinformation, threat to certain jobs, and to artistic integrity.

(With inputs from PTI)
During his upcoming two-day visit to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to bolster the Indian Navy's capabilities by signing a deal for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine fighters for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier. Additionally, a repeat order for the construction of three more Scorpene (Kalveri) class submarines at Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) through the "Make in India" initiative is also anticipated, a Hindustan Times report cited.

While details of the defense deals remain undisclosed, it is understood that India and France will sign a defense-industrial roadmap aimed at enhancing India's manufacturing of hardware platforms through indigenous engines and technologies. Furthermore, PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to unveil a bilateral roadmap for the Indo-Pacific, outlining specific measures to ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation in the region, which has been a subject of contention with a rising China.

According to reports, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is scheduled to meet on July 13 under the leadership of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting aims to grant acceptance of necessity (AON) to the Indian Navy for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-M fighters.

Additionally, the council will discuss the approval of the construction of three more Kalveri class submarines at the MDL. The final vessel of the existing six Kalveri class submarines, INS Vagsheer, is undergoing tests and trials and is expected to be commissioned next year. The three new submarines will be equipped with air independent propulsion (AIP) technology, designed by DRDO and validated by the French Naval Group, providing extended underwater endurance without surfacing for battery recharge.

The DAC has granted approval for AON to allow AON to acquire 26 Rafale-M aircraft for deployment on INS Vikrant. The pricing, terms, and conditions of the acquisition will subsequently be negotiated between the French government and AON, with the aim of obtaining the best price from Dassault Aviation. These aircraft will exclusively consist of single-seater versions, necessitating the training of Indian Navy pilots in France and advanced simulators in Goa. Although the French Navy employs twin-seater Rafale-M aircraft on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, Indian Navy pilots will operate the single-seater variants, leading to a reduction in armament carrying capacity. The plan is to station one squadron (18 fighters) on INS Vikrant, while the remaining eight will be based in Goa as reserves for rotation.

The repeat order for three Scorpene class submarines through the government-to-government route will not only add muscle to the Indian Navy to take up the challenge of PLA expansion in the Indian Ocean but also give a new lease of life to submarine manufacturing capacity of MDL after INS Vaghsheer is commissioned in 2024, the Hindustan Times report said.
The Supreme Court of India on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging Delhi High Court's decision to dismissing a PIL against the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notification permitting exchange of 2,000 currency notes without any requisition slip and ID proof.

The apex court cited executive policy decision in refusing to entertain the PIL filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay. Allowing exchange of 2000 currency notes is matter of executive policy decision" the court said.

Upadhyay had said the 2,000 banknotes are being exchanged without any requisition slip and ID proof like an Aadhaar card by criminals and terrorists also.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha dismissed the appeal filed by lawyer Ashwini Updhyay in his personal capacity.

This is the matter of executive policy decision," the bench said while dismissing the appeal.

On 29 May, the Delhi High Court dismissed the PIL challenging the notifications enabling the exchange of 2,000 denomination currency notes without any requisition slip and ID proof.

The high court had said the decision was taken to avoid inconvenience to citizens, and that it cannot sit as an appellate authority on a policy decision.

The high court had maintained it cannot be said that the government's decision is perverse or arbitrary or it encourages black money, money laundering, profiteering or abets corruption.

The appeal was filed against the decision.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had reiterated that 2000 notes will continue to be a legal lender, after the Central Bank's announcement that the notes will be withdrawn from circulation. 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016, following the demonetisation.

The RBI had instructed members of the public to deposit or exchange their 2000 notes in banks between 23 May to 30 September. A non-account holder can exchange 2000 notes up to 20,000 at a time in a bank, as directed by RBI.

Before the exchange / deposit process started, there was a confusion regarding the process of depositing or exchanging 2000 notes, which entailed filling up a requisition slip, in clarification State Bank of India (SBI) said that no such step in the exchange process had been introduced.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to President Droupadi Murmu recently, calling the state Governor a threat to the state who looked for opportunities to topple the State government. He batted for the official's removal from office, accusing him of functioning as a political opponent. The remarks came even as Governor RN Ravi met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on June 8.

"Ravi is stoking communal hatred and he is a threat to Tamil Nadu's peace," Stalin said. He accused the governor of defaming Tamil culture and indulging in cheap politics.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's various activities show he is not fit to be a Governor. Governor R N Ravi unnecessarily delays in giving a nod to bills that are passed in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Governor is also not giving permission to sanction cases against former AIADMK Ministers who are all charged with corruption irrespective of documents sent by the State Government to Raj Bhavan. Governor acts like an enemy to people elected State Government Policies and ideology," he added.

The CM claimed that Ravi had shown his political inclinations during the recent dismissal of Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet. By way of his behaviour and action, the Governor has proved to be partial and ineligible to hold the office of Governor; Ravi is fit to be removed from the high office," the CM emphasised.

Meanwhile, BJP State president K Annamalai dismissed the letter as a 'long crime note' and posing several questions asked Stalin to 'stop complaining and start delivering.'

(With inputs from agencies)
The US Embassy in India has informed that the VFS Global, a visa application company, will shut down application process from 12-14 July. The US embassy has said that it is a temporary shutdown owing to a migration to a new platform.

The US embassy mentioned that visa application process- appointment booking, calls, and fee payments-- will be resumed from 15 July. US Embassy in India took to their Twitter handle, Attention visa applicants! Our customer service center VFS is migrating to a new platform and will be temporarily closed for calls, fee payments, and appointment booking from July 12-14. These services will resume on July 15."

VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions.

The company manages the administrative and non-judgmental tasks related to visa, passport and consular services for its client governments.

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti in June informed that the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the United States has been reduced by over 50%.

Addressing the audience at IIT Delhi, Garcetti said, "We're already doing this. We're currently processing more visas, faster, than the US Mission in India ever has before. We have set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we're already more than halfway towards reaching that goal."

Indians have been traveling abroad more, particularly to the United States as it is trying to accommodate the new tourism boom by opening two new consulates in the South Asian country, according to a report published by Reuters.

For the first time in 2022, India became Asia's highest source of international travelers. The international travelers from India exceeded those of China, South Korea, and Japan last year, the tourism consultancy IPK International said.

According to data from the US Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office, travel from India to the United States has exceeded pre-pandemic volumes in the first five months of 2023.
Two days after Panchayat polls violence took lives of ten people in West Bengal, the State Election Commission (SEC) will conduct re-polling on 697 booths in five districts on Monday.

Re-polling will be conducted in Purulia, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri, Nadia and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, said an official statement.

Also Read: West Bengal panchayat election: Voting declared void for several areas, SEC announces repolling date

"The West Bengal State Election Commission, in the exercise of the powers conferred on it by sub-section (3) and sub-section (4) of Section 67 of the said Act, hereby fixes 10th day of July, 2023 as the date of taking the fresh poll at 07.00 hours to be continued up to 17.00 hours uninterruptedly till completion and direct the District Panchayat Election Officer to fix the polling station at which poll shall be taken," said SEC in its official statement.

BJP alleges of proxy voting by State Election Commission officers

On Sunday, BJP MP Khagen Murmu alleged that the West Bengal panchayat polls were also marred by proxy voting as well. By-polls that were disturbed by massive violence on Sunday, also saw some presiding officers and election staff engaged in proxy voting in favour of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleged BJP's Khagen Murmu.

Also Read: West Bengal Panchayat polls violence: Governor CV Ananda Bose to visit Delhi, meet Amit Shah

West Bengal BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay also wrote to the State Election Commission and demanded repolling.

"You will recollect yesterday the BJP WB delegation called on you and asked you to review CCTV/video footage to establish booths which have to be re-polled due to booth, looting, polling officers seen participating/helping in rigging/where BJP candidates agents were forced to leave or removed from polling stations," Chattopadhyay said in a letter.

Also Read: Protests take centre stage after West Bengal panchayat polls turn violent | Top updates

Violence in West Bengal Panchayat polls

On Saturday, West Bengal voted to elect their representatives at Panchayat level. However, the twenty out of thirty districts were marked by widespread violence, which included looting of ballots papers and riging. The 7 new districts which were included last year include - Sunderban, Ichhemati, Ranaghat, Bishnupur, Jangipur, and Behrampur and one more district will be named in Basirhat.

There were also reports of booth capturing, damaging of ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia.

On Saturday, West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury blamed TMC for unleasing a reign of terror in the state in an unprecedented way.

"The ruling party's incoherence with the police administrations...has unleashed a reign of terror in an unprecedented way, which has taken a toll on 26 people, and hundreds of people who are fatally injured have been admitted to the hospital already. The political and electoral environment in Bengal has been violent...It is a travesty of panchayat elections and virtually it is an example of electoral depredations...," said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary.

Polling in West Bengal started at 7 am amid tight security in 73,887 seats in rural areas of West Bengal with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates.

(With inputs from ANI)
World Population Day is observed on July 11 each year. The global population is increasing rapidly, bringing forth a range of challenges and issues. Poverty, economic concerns, and maternal health are just a few of the areas affected by the growing population. World Population Day serves as a reminder to work towards addressing these issues and striving for a better future for everyone on the planet. The annual observance aims to raise awareness and educate people about the global population and its associated challenges.

Theme 2023

The United Nations has designated the theme for this year's event as "Unleashing the power of gender Equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities."

History

The United Nations established World Population Day in 1989. The initiative was proposed by Dr. KC Zachariah to mark the day when the global population reached five billion on July 11, 1987.

Also read: Equality in the US has been a fraught proposition all along

World Population Day was first celebrated on 11 July 1990 in more than 90 countries. From then onwards, in partnership with governments and civil societies, a number of UNFPA country offices and other organizations and institutions commemorate this Day.

Significance

World Population Day aims to shed light on the pressing issues related to the global population. It emphasizes the challenges faced by women, economic crises, and poverty.
Six people have been killed and one injured in a stabbing in a kindergarten in China's south-eastern Guangdong province, a BBC news report cited.

A 25-year-old man have been arrested in the case and police is currently investigating the cause of the attack. They have called it a case of intentional assault, however, no further details were divulged. The attacked happened on Monday morning.

"The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students... and one suspect has been arrested," a spokeswoman for the city government said.

China reported kindergarten stabbing last year

Last year, three people were killed and six others wounded in another knife attack at a kindergarten in southeast China's Jiangxi province. As per as AFP report, a "gangster wearing a cap and mask" stormed the private kindergarten and caused the attack.

In another similar attack in April 2022, two children were killed, and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China.

Violent crime is rare in China, due in part to strict gun controls and tight security, but in recent years there have been several knife and axe attacks, including in schools.

Around 100 children and adults have been killed and hundreds more injured over the past decade in apparently uncoordinated, lone wolf" attacks, a Reuters report had previous cited.

According to a report by The Straits Times, experts in China have pointed to anxieties caused by social upheaval and persistent inequality in explaining the attacks". Similarly, The New York Times says assailants are sometimes said to be trying to vent anger at society over issues such as unemployment".

(This is a developing news)
Jayshree Ullal and Indra Nooyi are among four Indian-origin women who have made it to the Forbes list of America's 100 most successful self-made women, with a combined net worth of a $4.06 billion.

Diane Hendricks, Cofounder, ABC Supply--one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding and windows in America-- with a $15 billion net worth, retained the top slot followed by musician Rihanna, having a net worth of $1.4 billion. This year's list has eight entrants, including television producer Shonda Rhimes and Insitro CEO Daphne Koller. "Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, they are cumulatively worth a record USD 124 billion, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago," Forbes said last month at the release of its ninth annual list.

Indo-American women in the list:

Jayshree Ullal

Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks. She featured 15th on the list, the highest among Indian-origin business leaders. Her publicly-traded company, Arista Networks recorded revenue of nearly $4.4 billion in 2022. According to Forbes Ullal, has been president and CEO of Arista since 2008 owns about 2.4% of Arista's stocks. She is also on the board of directors of Snowflake, a cloud computing company that went public in September 2020.

Ullal studied electrical engineering at San Francisco State University and engineering management at Santa Clara University.

Neerja Sethi

Neerja Sethi, co-founder of IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel, ranked 25th among the America's 100 richest self-made women. She along with her husband Bharat Desai founded the Syntel in 1980. She is having net worth of $990 million. French IT firm Atos SE for $3.4 billion in October 2018 bought Syntel in 2018 and Sethi got an estimated $510 million for her stake.

She did her Bachelor of Arts/Science and Master of Business Administration from Delhi University and Master of Science from Oakland University.

Neha Narkhede

Neha Narkhede, in 2023 founded a fraud detection company named Oscilar. She is also CEO of Oscilae. Narkehe, is former chief technology officer (CTO) of cloud company Confluent. She is ranked 50th on the list with a net worth of $520 million. The 38-year-old software engineer-turned-entrepreneur helped develop the open-source messaging system Apache Kafka to help develop LinkedIn's massive influx of data. In 2014, she and two LinkedIn colleagues left to found Confluent, which helps organisations process large amounts of data on Apache Kafka. According to Forbes the $586 million (2022 revenues) company went public in June 2021 at a $9.1 billion valuation; she owns around 6% of it.

Indira Nooyi

Nooyi, the former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, retired in 2019 after 24 years with the company, half of which she spent in the top job. The 67-year-old has a net worth of $350 million and is ranked 77th on the Forbes list. Her fortune stems from stock she was granted while working at PepsiCo.

Nooyi, who grew up in India, received an MBA from Yale before becoming one of corporate America's few female CEOs in 2006.
Twitter reportedly have blocked access to the government of Pakistans official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the regions location to parts of India, Dawn reported.

As per the Pakistani daily, when users turn on the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from Kashmir in India.

Users in Gilgit-Baltistan reported that they are unable to access the government's official Twitter account. When users tried to access the account, an error message is popping up saying "account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand".

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter cant show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, Im in Pakistan why cant I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?," tweeted Yasir Hussain, a resident of Rahimabad area of Gilgit.
US President Joe Biden has said Ukraine is not yet ready for the membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and that Russias war in Ukraine needs to end before the NATO can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks, CNN reported Biden as saying.

In an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN ahead of his weeklong trip to Europe the US President said it was premature" to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place. Biden further said the US and its allies in NATO would continue to provide President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.

I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war," Biden said. For example, if you did that, then, you know  and I mean what I say  were determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in war. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case", the US president added.

The US president said that hes spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that hes told the Ukrainian president the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.

I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden said, noting that he refused Russian President Vladimir Putins demands before the war for a commitment not to admit Ukraine because the alliance has an open-door policy."

But I think its premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because theres other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues," Biden added.

Earlier on Friday, the Biden administration announced that the US was sending Ukraine cluster munitions for the first time, a step taken to help bolster Ukraines ammunition as it mounts a counteroffensive against Russia. Biden said he told the Ukranian President that it was a difficult decision" to give Ukraine the controversial ammunition, but that he was convinced it was necessary because Ukraine was running out of ammunition.

The NATO meeting also comes as Sweden is seeking to join the Western alliance, a move that has faced resistance from Turkey and Hungary. Biden told Zakaria he was optimistic that Sweden would eventually be admitted to NATO, noting the key holdout, Turkey, is seeking to modernize its F-16 fleet, along with Greece, which has voted to admit Sweden.

Turkey is looking for modernization of F-16 aircraft. And (Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos) Mitsotakis in Greece is also looking for some help," CNN reported quoting Biden. And so, what Im trying to, quite frankly, put together is a little bit of a consortium here, where were strengthening NATO in terms of military capacity of both Greece as well as Turkey, and allow Sweden to come in. But its in play. Its not done," the CNN report added.

Biden further said hes confident China wants to replace the US as the country with the largest economy and military capacity in the world, but he believes the US can have a working relationship with Beijing.

I think there is a way to resolve, to establish a working relationship with China that benefits them and us," Biden said. And the last thing Ill tell you, I also called him after he had that meeting with the Russians about this new relationship, etc. And I said, This is not a threat. Its an observation. I said, Since Russia went into Ukraine, 600 American corporations have pulled out of Russia. And youve told me that your economy depends on investment from Europe and the United States. And be careful. Be careful" CNN reported quoting Biden as saying.

Talking about its all weather ally Israel, said Biden Israels President Isaac Herzog was coming soon to the White House for a visit. In March, he had criticized Netanyahu for his now-scrapped plan to overhaul the countrys judiciary, a rare public instance where the two allies were publicly at odds.

Biden said he continue to believe a two-state solution was the correct path forward in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The US president criticized some members of Netanyahus cabinet for their views on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Its not all Israel now in the West Bank, all Israels problem, but they are a part of the problem, and particularly those individuals in the cabinet who say, We can settle anywhere we want. They have no right to be here, etc.," CNN reported Biden as saying. And I think we were talking with them regularly, trying to tamp down whats going on and hopefully, Bibi will continue to move toward moderation and change," Biden added.
The decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs has caused concern among key US allies. Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK are among the NATO members who have expressed opposition to the use of these weapons, BBC News has cited.

Cluster bombs have been banned by over 100 countries due to the significant risk they pose to civilian populations. These munitions release smaller bomblets that have a high failure rate, leaving unexploded remnants that can remain dangerous for years and detonate unpredictably, BBC News cited. While the UK complies, the US claims they are necessary as Ukraine's weapon stocks are diminishing.

President Joe Biden confirmed the decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine as part of a military aid package worth $800 million. He acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasised Ukraine's need for ammunition. He also stated that he had discussed the matter with allies beforehand.

You can feel the allies are all very uncomfortable with this," Peter Ricketts, who served as the UKs first national security adviser, told Sky News on Sunday. It is a hard choice of the kind that countries have to make in wartime. I am uncomfortable with it, yes I wish it wasnt being done, but I think we can understand why they are doing it."

What is a cluster bomb?

A cluster bomb is a type of weapon that is designed to disperse smaller bombs over a large area. They are also known as cluster munitions, with the smaller bombs referred to as submunitions or bomblets, CBC News said.

Cluster bombs, employed in World War II, can be dropped from air or fired from ground/sea, dispersing dozens or hundreds of bomblets across a large area. These explosions pose a grave threat to anyone in the vicinity, causing death or severe injuries.

Furthermore, some bomblets fail to detonate immediately, leaving behind unexploded ordnance that can harm or kill people for years to come. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the submunition failure rate  referred to as the "dud rate"  has varied from 10% to 40% in recent conflicts.

"Large-scale use of these weapons has resulted in countries and regions being infested with tens of thousands, and sometimes millions, of unexploded and highly unstable submunitions," the organisation said, as qouted by CBC News.

Also unexploded bomblets can resemble toys, posing a grave risk to children who might handle them and suffer injuries or fatalities.

Why is Ukraine asking for them?

Ukraine's forces are running desperately low on artillery shells, largely because, like the Russians, they use them up at an extraordinarily high rate and Ukraine's Western allies cannot replace them at the speed they are needed, BBC News said and added In the largely static, grinding battlefronts of southern and eastern Ukraine, artillery has become a key weapon."

Due to a shortage of artillery shells, Ukraine has requested the US to replenish their cluster munitions supply to target Russian infantry in defensive trenches. This decision has sparked a six-month-long debate in Washington, as it is met with opposition from many Democrats and human rights advocates.
There is a possibility of the issue of a Uniform Civil Code ( UCC ) becoming an important electoral issue during the forthcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and of course during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections . In a public rally in the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi , placing emphasis on the need for a UCC, said How can the country be run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights The Supreme Court has also asked the government to implement UCC."

Evidence from surveys conducted by Lokniti-CSDS over a period of time indicates increasing support for uniform laws for people of all religious communities. In 2004, in a national survey, 27% of respondents supported the idea of a uniform laws for people of all religious communities, while 53% were of the opinion that people of different religions should be allowed to follow their own laws with regard to marriage and property. But in 2017, support uniform laws increased to 38%, while those supporting the idea of people of different religion having their own laws on marriage and property declined to 47% (see Table 1).

View Full Image Photo: Mint

The reason for UCC support is very simple: a large number of Indians believe that the law of the land should be equal for every citizen living in the country and people of different religions should not be allowed to have their own laws for marriage and property.

While there is increasing public support for the idea of a UCC for all Indians, as seen in survey results, this opinion is not shared equally among citizens belonging to all religious communities. Hindus seems to be the most enthusiastic about the idea that laws should be equal for all citizens, while Muslims in India are the most opposed to this idea. Among Hindus, support for the idea of the country having the same laws for all citizens irrespective of religion has increased from 28% in 2004 to 40 % in 2017. Among Muslims, however, we hardly notice any change in opinion on this issue over the years. In 2004, 66% of Muslims were opposed to the idea of uniform laws for all citizens. The figure that emerged in 2017 was 63% when Muslim respondents were asked the same question in the national survey.

Other minority groups like Christians and Sikhs are not as opposed as Muslims to the adoption of a UCC by India, but there is clear evidence of opposition to this idea even among Sikhs who constitute 1.7% of the Indian population and Christians who are 2.3% of the overall headcount, as per the Census of India, 2011 (see Table 2).

Separate laws for religious communities in India mainly cover issues related to marriage and property rights. It is a commonly believed that Muslim women are at the receiving end of unfairness on account of the practice of Muslim men being allowed up to four marriages and also the practice of Triple Talaq, by which a Muslim man can easily divorce his wife. As the survey results indicate, the idea of a UCC is opposed slightly more by Muslim men than by Muslim women. Slightly more of the latter are in support of having a uniform law to govern marriage and property rules for all Indians irrespective of their religion. In general, there is evidence of some change in Muslim attitudes towards this issue (see Table 3).

An analysis of class-wise patterns of opposition to the UCC idea shows that lower- and middle-class Muslims oppose it more than the rich and poor of this religious group. Perhaps the practice of (or adherence to) Muslim Personal Law is greater among lower- and middle-class Muslim families than the rest, which may possibly explain the class-wise difference observed.

The issue of a Uniform Civil Code is likely to echo in public spaces once election campaigns for assembly and Lok Sabha membership get underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds power at the centre and in several states, would certainly like to draw political mileage from this issue by presenting it to electorates as the need of the hour. Opposition parties like the Indian National Congress that have a support base among Muslim voters in the country would find it difficult to take a clear stand on a UCC. They would be caught in a dilemma over their stance. Supporting the idea of a UCC could mean such a party becomes unpopular among a sizeable proportion of Muslim voters, while opposition to a UCC would be seen widely among Hindu voters as another form of Muslim appeasement. The way forward for many opposition parties on this issue is not going to be easy.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) Monday slammed the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra after Vedanta said the Taiwanese electronic contract manufacturer Foxconn has withdrawn from a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture without elaborating on the reasons. Terming the Foxconn withdrawal as a tragedy the Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the project was completely feasible in Maharashtra and asked the Maharashtra government to clarify why it was suddenly shifted to Gujarat from a highly feasible location of Pune. VEDANTA More Information This is a loss for India, and Maharashtra could have propelled this growth story for India," said Thackeray, who has been aggressive over the issue since Vedanata's announcement to set up the plant in Gujarat. Thackeray alleged that the current government has lost many industry projects to other states but losing Vedanta- Foxconn to Gujarat was like rubbing salt on the wounds of Maharashtra." Today we see India and Indias young and unemployed losing an opportunity in a global growth story because of this sudden last minute shift from Maharashtra that had been most feasible," he said in a tweet.

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said, Taking it away from Maharashtra to Gujarat - which by experts wasnt conducive for semiconductor industry, inability to raise funds as expected has led to the collapse of an idea before it even began. Such a tragedy."

Meanwhile, Vedanta has asserted that it is fully committed to its semiconductor project and has lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry.

"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up Indias first foundry. We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)," the company said in a statement.

The company had announced plans to set up its chip plant in Gujarat with an investment of around 1.5 lakh crore. However, its JV partner Foxconn has announced to pull-out of the project.

Separately, MoS for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar today said that Foxconn's decision to pull out of Vedanta joint venture has no impact on India's semiconductor fabrication plant goal.

"Its not for govt to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can & will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and wth appropriate technology partners in Semicon n Electronics," Chandrasekhar tweeted.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday will file his nomination for Rajya Sabha from Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the election on 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Goa, Gujarat, and West Bengal to be held on July 24.

The 10 seats which are to be vacated in Rajya Sabha due to the retirement of members include Derek O'Brien from West Bengal and S Jaishankar from Gujarat.

July 13 is the last date for filing nominations for the vacant RS seats, EC said.

The counting of the votes will be done on July 24.

Jaishankar was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2019 and took oath as a member of the Upper House.

The two seats from Gujarat fell vacant after Union Ministers Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were elected to the Lok Sabha in recent national polls.

The strength of the BJP in the 182-seat Gujarat assembly stands at 156.

Six Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will also go to polls as Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Pradip Bhattacharya, Sushmita Dev, Shanta Chhetri, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray are set to retire on August 18.

The Congress on Friday said it would not field candidates for polls to three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat as it did not have enough MLAs in the 182-member Assembly.

The BJP had won a record 156 seats in Assembly polls held late last year, while the Congress saw its worst performance since the state was formed by managing to get just 17 seats.

Of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by BJP and the rest by Congress.
Misunderstanding the precise meanings of emojis can sometimes lead to costly mistakes, as demonstrated by a recent incident in Canada. In Saskatchewan, a local grain buyer sent a message to farmer Chris Actor in March 2021, assuring him of purchasing his crops in November. Chris Actor responded to the contract with a thumbs-up emoji.

However, when November arrived, Chris Actor was unable to fulfill the agreement, and unfortunately, the price of the crops had significantly risen by then. As a result, Chris Actor was fined 50 lakh. This incident serves as a valuable lesson for all of us regarding the potential consequences of misinterpreting emojis.

Although Chris Actor asserts that he used the thumbs-up emoji to indicate that he had received the contract, he did not explicitly confirm the contract itself. Conversely, the grain buyer maintains that the farmer acknowledged the terms of the contract with the thumbs-up emoji.

Following the court proceedings in Canada, the judge upheld the thumbs-up emoji as a valid and official signature. As a result, the farmer was penalized with a fine of 61,442, which is approximately equivalent to 50 lakh, for breaching the contract.

Studies indicate that the thumbs-up emoji is commonly employed to express approval or convey a sense of "okay." However, according to a report in the Daily Mail, the thumbs-down emoji may signify disagreement or disapproval. It is important to note that various hand emojis can carry distinct meanings.

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of exercising caution when using emojis and ensuring that the intended meaning is clearly understood. It is advisable to familiarize oneself with the commonly accepted interpretations of different emojis to avoid any potential misunderstandings or miscommunications.
Ever imagined paying 24 lakh for an Uber ride? Stunned, right? But a US couple on vacation in Costa Rica faced an exorbitant Uber ride fare where they had to pay $29,994 or roughly 24 lakh for a single trip.

Douglas Ordonez and Dominique Adams were shocked to discover the staggering mentioned above, instead of the expected charge of around 4,500 ($55) due to a currency conversion mishap.

According to a report by the New York Post, Douglas Ordonez took to Twitter to express his frustration, stating, "Uber charged me $29,994 USD for an Uber ride in Costa Rica. They did not convert that into the Costa Rican currency $54 USD. Altura Credit Union allowed this charge to process, and Uber is not complying. Now I'm in Guatemala with a negative balance on my five-year anniversary."

After investigating the incident, Uber acknowledged the mistake and attributed it to a bank error in the currency conversion process. They promptly addressed the issue and released the mistakenly applied authorization hold.

As reported by Business Insider, the ride-hailing company said "At Uber, we take every report seriously. As soon as we received the user's report, our support team promptly addressed the issue and released the authorization hold mistakenly applied due to a bank error in Dollars and not in Colones."

Altura Credit Union, the couple's bank, informed Dominique Adams that the charge went through despite her daily spending limit on her debit card. This was due to a travel notice they had placed on their account for the trip.

After four days of communication between Altura Credit Union and Uber Support, the couple finally witnessed an adjustment to the $29,000 charge, ultimately resolving the issue. Douglas Ordonez provided an update on Twitter, stating, "AlturaCU and Uber_Support are blaming each other. AlturaCU stated that the 29k amount bypassed security & daily charge limit because we put a travel notice. ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why this amount should have cleared. After 4 full days, the 29k was finally adjusted."
Investigator with a metro Atlanta prosecutor's office shot in car by other motorist, police say

Police in the sprawling suburbs northeast of Atlanta say an investigator with a county prosecutors office was shot and wounded by another motorist while driving
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Local plans to commemorate the 225th anniversary of The Battle of Ballinamuck were aired at Longford District Court last week.

An application by Peter and Margaret Dillon for an occasional licence to accommodate the festivities was heard by Judge Bernadette Owens.



The Battle of Ballinamuck took place in Longford on September 8, 1798. The battle was part of the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. It was fought between General Humbert on the combined French and Irish side, while General Lake led the British side.

When the French surrendered at Ballinamuck, they were treated with all the courtesy of war. The Irish who fought with them were given no quarter; 500 are believed to have been buried in mass graves on Shanmullagh Hill.



This year the organising committee has an extensive programme in place across the weekend of September 7-10. Moving the application solicitor Mark Connellan said: We lost it, but we still celebrate it.

Chairperson of the organising committee, Mark Cunningham, was described by Mr Connellan as a native of Ballinamuck and familiar to the court, in a professional capacity of course.

Mr Cunningham, a consultant engineer, said the three days of events will open with a mass, and over the following days will feature music, guided tours, a battle re-enactment and food. The committee will host many of the events in the '98 Hall, a specially constructed marquee and on the Longford Rebel Trail. The Sunday programme will be a family day.



The Committee Chair said that the organisers have consulted with the local fire officers on the plans.



Solicitor for Longford County Council, Frank Gearty, confirmed this engagement and said there was no objection to the application on condition that the Fire Officer conduct inspections when the marquee structure was in place.



There were no Garda objections to the application. Applicant Peter Dillon took to the stand to confirm he was allowing his licence be used for the occasional licence. The publican confirmed he was familiar with the licensing laws and would ensure the laws were strictly complied with.

Having considered the submission Judge Owens granted the application.
Crime

By Long Island Published: July 10 2023

Brooklyn man convicted of extortion scheme involving threats and demands for payment from a New Jersey resident and their son.

A Brooklyn man was convicted of conspiring with others in a week-long strongarm extortion scheme in 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Endrit Kllogjeri, 29, was convicted on June 27, 2023, of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and attempt to commit Hobbs Act extortion following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court. On June 13, 2023, co-defendant Francis Garzon pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to his role in the scheme.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:

From Dec. 1, 2019, through Dec. 9, 2019, Kllogjeri and Garzon conspired and attempted to extort a resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and the residents son, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. The victim was threatened with physical harm if the victim did not recover a bag containing property allegedly valued at $100,000 from the victims son. Kllogjeri and Garzon further demanded an additional payment of $100,000 as interest for the sons possession of the bag. In connection with issuing threats against the victim, including threats to the victims family members, Garzon additionally brandished a revolver, pointing the weapon at the victim and cocking the revolvers hammer. Over the ensuing week, Kllogjeri and Garzon communicated regularly with the victim telephone, continuing to threaten victim. Kllogjeri and Garzon were arrested together in a vehicle on Dec. 9, 2019 in Brooklyn. Moments before the arrest, Garzon had attempted to send the victim a text message confirming the victims plan to pay the demand.

Kllogjeri faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years on each count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and attempted Hobbs Act extortion. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Pezzullo; and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the Trenton Office.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: July 10 2023

The first inaugural event of the Eric Breslau Blessed by E Foundation is taking place this upcoming Tuesday, July 11th at the Crunch Fitness locations owned by the Breslau family.

The formation of the Eric Breslau Blessed by E Foundation is one family's story of taking the pain associated with the tragic passing of one of their beloved members and turning it into a source for positivity and support for their local community.

Massapequa resident Lew Breslau, owner of five Crunch Fitness health club franchises throughout Long Island, is the Founder and Board Member of the Eric Breslau Blessed by E Foundation, an organization created to celebrate the life of his late son and to carry out good deeds in his memory.

This all began with my son Eric dying of fentanyl poisoning three-and-a-half years ago, he said. He took a pill that he thought was an oxycontin and it turned out to be 100 percent fentanyl...it killed him in his sleep that night.

Lew recalled his son  known to friends and family as "E" and "E-man," a Crunch Fitness manager who lost his life at the age of only 25  as a kind young man who was fiercely loyal to his family and friends.

He was a loving uncle, a godfather to his first nephew, an avid skateboarder, and a wrestler at Massapequa High School, he said. He was the kindest soul. So many people came out to his funeral...people we didnt know came up to us and said that Eric had knocked on their door and welcomed them to the neighborhood. That's just the kind of person Eric was.

After Erics sudden and unexpected passing, the family initially needed to take time to grieve and make sense of the tragedy. However, as time went on, Lew noted that they felt a growing need to create a positive legacy in Eric's name. That began with the formation of a foundation that, at first, concentrated mainly on doing good deeds for random people that Lew and his wife Valerie encountered in their day-to-day lives.

It started as a small Instagram group, called Blessed by E. We made up Blessed by E business cards that we would hand out and we would go to different places and just do small things for people, he said. Valerie and I and Erics brothers  Justin, Alex, and Sean  as well as our extended family would pay for people's meals at restaurants, give little random blessings to people, such as waiters and waitresses, things like that. It was our small way of trying to give back.

Were a little stronger a few years later, and we want to make the foundation bigger and touch more people, Lew continued. We especially want to fund organizations that helped us as grieving parents. The whole family and many of our friends are involved, and we just created a new not-for-profit to that end.

The first inaugural event of the Eric Breslau Blessed by E Foundation is taking place this upcoming Tuesday, July 11th at the Crunch Fitness locations owned by the Breslau family, and will take the form of an all-day fundraising event where the proceeds of all sales  merchandise, gym memberships, guest passes, and donations  will go directly to the foundation's mission.

In addition, there will be spinathons" and Zumbathons in the evening where guests can offer donations to participate (call participating locations for details), as well as raffles auctioning off Crunch Fitness memberships and classes and merchandise donated by numerous local businesses. There will also be a free Peak Plus membership with a value of $470 at each Crunch location for the new member that joins the gym closest to the time of Eric's birth on July 11.

Rounding the festivities out will be vendors offering samples of various nutritional supplements, in addition to food trucks at several locations.

This event was spearheaded by my sister-in-law Susan and our oldest son Justin, who misses his brother very much, Lew said. All of our general managers and staff, all of whom knew Eric very well, are very excited to help get this event off the ground, because July 11th was Eric's birthday. Everything that we make that day is going to be going right to the foundation to help further our mission.

The Crunch Fitness locations that will be hosting the Blessed by E fundraising event on July 11th  which will be an annual tradition going forward  include Amityville, Bellmore, East Meadow, Hauppauge, and West Babylon.

Lew's sister-in-law, Susan Goldstein  Director of Operations for Crunch Fitness' Long Island locations and Eric's aunt  said that she got to hear many loving third-person accounts of the stature of Eric's character from Crunch employees since his passing.

The two things I always heard is how contagious Eric's laugh was, and how he always liked to have fun and be silly, she said. He also would do anything for anybody that he thought needed anything. He was always like that for family, but he was also like that for employees and even gym members...he was always the first person to step up and see what someone needed.

However, the July 11 fundraiser is merely the first step in the expansion of the Blessed by E Foundation, and Lew said that he has a very clear vision for how it is to evolve, and who they intend to offer support to going forward.

My wife and I are so grateful to organizations that helped us, and without them I don't know if we'd still be standing today, he said. First would be The Compassionate Friends, a national group whose Rockville Centre chapter was really amazing to us. We went to their meetings and we were loved and supported by other grieving parents. It was a major source of comfort for us and the only thing that kept us alive.

GRASP, which stands for Grief Relief After a Substance Passing, is another beautiful national organization to help grieving parents, and their local chapter is in Massapequa, Lew continued. Another group that we love and have become very close to is GPS Hope, which stands for Grieving Parents Sharing Hope, and we've done a great deal with that organization already in the form of donations and such.

Expanding the Blessed by E Foundation, Lew said, is a way for his family to do more to support these selfless organizations so that grieving parents and others can find a sense of peace, support, and solace after the passing of a loved one.

We're hoping as time goes by we will be able to evolve even more and be able to offer scholarships and even larger donations to more groups, Lew said. We especially want to support other groups that educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl, as there are too many kids out there dying as a one and done case. They make a stupid decision and try a pill and they die. One and done. It's a disaster and a plague in our country.

Despite the fact that the loss of his son was a heart-wrenching experience for he and his wife, Lew said that every parent's fear  outliving their child  had to be made to serve a purpose, one that the Blessed by E Foundation will strive to uphold every single day going forward.

You question as a parent sometimes, why am I still alive when my child is not? Well, I'm here for a reason. Even before Eric passed away, my wife Valerie and I were always looking for ways to bless people. So what's better than to bless people in Eric's name? he said. We're always looking for ways to do that, and we started small but we're looking to grow so we can touch more lives. The only thing that could bring us real joy right now is to help others.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: July 10 2023

Milton Jiron-Lara Allegedly Snuck into the Childs Bedroom and Sexually Assaulted Him.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Milton Jiron-Lara, 53, of Medford, was indicted for Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree and other related charges stemming from his alleged sexual assault of a six-year-old boy during a house party less than two weeks ago.

This defendant allegedly assaulted a defenseless child and then tried to silence him, said District Attorney Tierney. Thankfully the child bravely disclosed to his mother what had allegedly occurred after she noticed the bruising on his cheeks. If any parent or guardian suspects their child may be the victim of abuse, I urge you to contact the Suffolk County Police Department or my offices Child Abuse Unit.

According to the investigation, on June 24, 2023, Jiron-Lara attended a celebration at a neighbors home. In the early morning hours on June 25, 2023, Jiron-Lara allegedly snuck into a bedroom of the home where a six-year-old boy was sleeping. Once inside the room, Jiron-Lara allegedly bit the boys face twice, leaving bruises on both cheeks. Jiron-Lara then allegedly sexually assaulted the boy, and then told the child not to tell anyone what had happened. The child disclosed the abuse later that morning when his mother noticed the bruising on his cheeks.

During the police investigation, evidence corroborating the alleged attack was recovered from the bedroom where the boy had been sleeping. Law enforcement also recovered home surveillance camera footage which allegedly showed Jiron-Lara entering and leaving the neighbors home where the child was staying. Jiron-Lara was arrested the next day, on June 26, 2023.

On July 6, 2023, Jiron-Lara was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Richard Ambro for the charges of:

Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;

Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D violent felony;

Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony,

Assault in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor; and

Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.

Judge Ambro ordered Jiron-Lara held on $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $2.5 million partially secured bond. If convicted of the top charge, Jiron-Lara faces up to 25 years in prison. Jiron-Lara is due back in court on July 26, 2023, and is being represented by Greg Kalmar, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney MacDonald Drane of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Lisa Hofelich from the Suffolk County Police Departments Special Victims Section.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: July 10 2023

Arrests Part of Enhanced Summer DWI Enforcement Effort.

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office DWI Enforcement Team made two Aggravated DWI arrests over the past weekend.

On July 7, 2023, at approximately 11:19 PM, Deputy Sheriffs observed a vehicle traveling 93 mph on Sunrise Highway in Islip, NY. The vehicle was also observed drifting out of the lane of travel, tailgating other motorists, and unsafely changing lanes. Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver, Latoya Smith, 36, of Shirley, NY, demonstrated clues while performing standardized field sobriety tests indicating she was intoxicated. She was arrested and transported to Suffolk County Sheriff's Office's Station 1 where she submitted to a chemical breath test resulting in a .19 BAC.

On July 9, 2023, at approximately 3:44 AM, Deputy Sheriffs observed a vehicle traveling 100 mph eastbound on the Long Island Expressway east of exit 58 in Ronkonkoma, NY. When the Deputies caught up to the driver, he was observed unsafely changing lanes from the right to the left lane without signaling and then accelerating to and traveling at 115 mph in a 55 mph zone west of exit 60. Deputies stopped Austin Garay, 21, of Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, who demonstrated clues while performing standardized field sobriety tests that indicated he was intoxicated. Garay was arrested and transported to Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Station 1 where he submitted to a chemical breath test resulting in a .23 BAC.

Both drivers were charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated due to the high alcohol content in their blood. Smith was over two times the legal limit of .08%, while Garay was almost three times the legal limit. They were also charged with various other violations of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Laws.

These arrests were made as part of the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office The Heat is On summer impaired driving enforcement effort. Beginning the July 4 holiday weekend, the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office has increased DWI patrols and checkpoints, from Huntington to the Hamptons, and will continue all summer long to keep Suffolks roadways safe during one of the deadliest times of the year. The Suffolk County Sheriffs Office DWI team has already had record high impaired driving arrests this year, with a nearly 40% increase in DWI/DUI arrests from 2022.

Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon, Jr. commends his deputies for their hard work and dedication to keeping Suffolk County safe. The Suffolk County Sheriffs Office DWI Enforcement Team is scouring Suffolks roadways looking for impaired drivers. These two individuals were well over the legal limit for driving while intoxicated and I thank my Deputies for removing them from the drivers seat before they hurt themselves or other innocent drivers. Remember: Drive under the influence this summer, and you will end up in handcuffs.
(Alliance News) - JLEN Environmental Assets Group Ltd on Monday announced a second green hydrogen development opportunity in Germany, investing up to EUR9.2 million.

The Guernsey-based environmental infrastructure investment fund said the investment was alongside a consortium including other Foresight Group LLP managed funds and its development partner HH2E AG, a specialist in developing green hydrogen projects to decarbonise industry.

JLEN Environmental said the consortium of investors approved the preliminary investment decision and the initial investment is being utilised for "detailed engineering designs and the procurement of long lead items".

The green hydrogen production site is located in Lubmin, Germany, JLEN Environmental said. It is capable of producing over 6,000 tonnes or 200,000 megawatt hours of green hydrogen per year during the first 100 megawatt phase, which will encompass electrolysis and integrated high-capacity battery storage.

JLEN Environmental said subsequent expansion phases are expected to increase capacity to over one gigawatt, with annual production exceeding 60,000 tonnes of green hydrogen.

The company said the Lubmin plant will be built and operated by HH2E and will serve green hydrogen customers and offtakers, including the mobility sector and large-scale energy and industrial consumers.

It added that Lubmin benefits from excellent pre-existing grid infrastructure, including two liquefied natural gas terminals, built in 2022, which connect the town with the country's pipeline network.

The final investment decision is expected in the coming months, JLEN Environmental said, with construction of the plant commencing immediately thereafter.

"We are pleased to be making good progress with our partnership with HH2E, which is poised to become one of the largest producers of green hydrogen in Europe. They have a deep understanding of the sector and they are highly capable of developing attractive opportunities to unlock value for investors," said JLEN Environmental Chair Ed Warner.

"Hydrogen has an important role to play in decarbonising heavy transport, industry, and other hard-to-abate sectors of the economy. Investing in this sector will remain an important near-term focus for the company as we continue to assess opportunities to recycle capital within the portfolio."

In January, JLEN Environmental said it would invest in the Thierbach green hydrogen project near Borna in Germany in partnership with HH2E.

Both opportunities are expected to provide attractive returns compared to the portfolio average, JLEN Environmental said.

In early morning trade on Monday, JLEN Environmental shares were up 0.1% to 104.74 pence each in London.

By Greg Rosenvinge, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Ondo InsurTech PLC on Monday it signed a new five-year contract with a division Sweden's largest non-life insurer Landsforsakringar to support the national rollout of LeakBot, a smart water leak alarm that spots hidden leaks before they become big problems.

Shares in Ondo InsurTech were up 19% to 22.00 pence each in London on Monday morning.

The London-based claims prevention technology firm for home insurers said the deal with Landsforsakringar Trygghetstjanster, a division of the Swedish insurer with around 2 million home insurance customers at risk from water damage claims, will allow for LeakBot to be embedded within a wider Lansforsakringar product offering, facilitating the continuing roll out to more regions across Sweden.

Ondo InsurTech said Lansforsakringar first tested LeakBot in the Sodermanland regional pilot, which delivered a 40% penetration of addressable policyholders and an impressive 50% increase in new home insurance sales, in addition to the prevention of water damage claims.

If LeakBot achieve the same results across the wider Lansforsakringar group, Ondo InsurTech claimed the total opportunity is worth over GBP30 million of revenue.

LeakBot is already live in four of Lansforsakringar's 23 regional businesses, Ondo InsurTech said, with the other regions awaiting confirmation that the new five-year deal is in place before beginning further expansion.

"Existing LeakBot activity has proven very popular across the Lansforsakringar group and we look forward to working with LeakBot on the opportunity to increase engagement and reduce escape of water claims over the coming years," said Andreas Fahlstadt, head of business and market at Lansforsakringar Sodermanland.

Ondo InsurTech Chief Executive Officer Craig Foster added: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to put our technology into homes across Sweden through our growing partnership with the Lansforsakringar group, reducing escape of water claims and protecting both houses and the environment by fixing leaks and saving water across the country."

In late June, Ondo InsurTech said it signed an exclusive deal with Firemark Collective to run a new LeakBot proof-of-concept pilot for Australia and New Zealand markets.

Firemark, the innovation and venturing arm of Australia and New Zealand-focused general insurance company Insurance Australia Group Ltd, chose LeakBot as its solution to help prevent water damage claims, Ondo InsurTech said.

Under this fully funded deal, Ondo InsurTech said the testing and development of an outside "All Weather" version of the LeakBot product will be trialled over the next 12 months. All intellectual property created as part of the development will be owned by Ondo InsurTech.

In mid-June, Ondo InsurTech said it signed on for a temporary pilot programme with G4S Ltd, in order to test a potential business model for Leakbot in Denmark.

Over the course of the one-month programme, Ondo InsurTech said it would test whether G4S can use the offer of the installation of a free LeakBot to incentivise customers of an unnamed insurer to accept an in-home security assessment visit.

If successful, the 'Free LeakBot' offer would be marketed to this insurer's customers at scale, becoming a key part of G4S Shield's customer growth activities in Denmark, Ondo InsurTech said.

In early June, Ondo InsurTech said it won a deal with Mutual of Enumclaw to distribute its LeakBot system to homeowner insurance customers in Washington State, US. Under the deal, it said Mutual of Enumclaw would deliver 10,000 devices for installation in its customers' homes, with units expected to be installed in the six months starting from August.

Also in early June, Ondo InsurTech said results from the Portsmouth Water LeakBot pilot showed a 60% reduction in the number of leaks, calling for GBP100 million to install the technology across the UK.

By Greg Rosenvinge, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
First-time applications that require physical documents will still need to be submitted via post

Procedures such as applying for a residence permit can now also be processed on the government's website  Photo credit: Guy Jallay

Luxembourg residents who find it cumbersome to apply for a residence permit via post can now choose to do it online, the countrys Immigration Directorate has said, amid criticism over the Grand Duchys slow digitalisation of its public services.

Procedures such as applying for a residence permit for both EU and non-EU citizens, can now be processed on the government's website, the directorate said in a press release.

First-time applications that require paper documents, such as applications for international protection, will not be available online and people will still have to submit them via post.

The online service is now available in French, with German and English versions set to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Luxembourg's digital public services were ranked above EU average in 2022, following a policy shift in 2021 when the Commission judged the Grand Duchy's services to be below average that year.

The Grand Duchy plans to spend 13 million from the EU's post-Covid recovery fund to digitalise public administration, simplifying internal government processes as well as those with firms and citizens.

Earlier this year, the government began accepting only invoices that can be sent, tallied and paid electronically, despite complaints over the added costs and adjustment time the change will require from businesses.
Luxembourg nationals will be heading to the polls on 8 October to vote for next government

Luxembourg's three coalition parties and the main opposition have announced their lists of candidates for the national election, as the country inches closer to October's polls.

The Democratic Party (DP), the Greens (dei Greng), the social democrats (LSAP) and Christian democrats (CSV) have all put forward their hopefuls and have announced their party priorities.

Lead candidates include Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (DP), Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Paulette Lenert (LSAP), Justice Minister Sam Tanson (Greens) and former finance minister and current corporate lobbyist Luc Frieden (CSV).

Also read:Who is running for the national elections in October?

Luxembourg nationals will be heading to the polls on 8 October to vote for the next government and fill the 60 seats in parliament.

The DP wants to focus on housing, access to childcare, improved healthcare in isolated parts of the country and push for energy measures such as photovoltaic installations on the roofs of major buildings.

Its lead candidates include Bettel, Finance Minister Yuriko Backes in the central Luxembourg voting region, Education Minister Claude Meisch and the new Family Minister Max Hahn in the south, Chamber President Fernand Etgen and Civil Service Minister Marc Hansen in the north and Small and Medium Size Enterprises Minister Lex Delles and MP Carole Hartmann in the east. The party will only announce its full candidate list on Saturday.

The Greens announced their candidates on Monday, with Justice Minister Sam Tanson and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence and Transport Minister Francois Bausch topping the list for the centre of the country, while Energy Minister Claude Turmes, Environment Minister Joelle Welfring and Housing Minister Henri Kox were notable names from other regions. The party's priorities include environmental protection and sustainable development.

The LSAP, which had already confirmed its candidates last month, listed various priorities on the partys agenda for this years elections, including investing in affordable housing and putting policies in place to help young people.

The CSV - whose lead candidates include Member of European Parliament Christophe Hansen, Esch-sur-Alzette Mayor Georges Mischo and MP Gilles Roth - pointed to improved purchasing power, building more housing units and access to healthcare in its programme.

Also read:Asselborn, Lenert seen as most admired politicians in poll

A poll published last week showed Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn and Health Minister Paulette Lenert, both of the LSAP, were rated as having the best mix of sympathy and competence.
The Philippine government and the World Bank signed a $600-million (roughly P33.3 billion) loan agreement to help modernize the agriculture and fisheries sector.

It will fund the Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up that aims to transform agriculture into a modernized and industrialized sector through public infrastructure interventions and strengthening the commodity value chain.

The World Bank and the Department of Finance, on behalf of the government, signed the deal on July 7, 2023.

The government will contribute $218 million for the $818-million (P45.01 billion) project which is a major initiative of the Department of Agriculture in response to the persistent challenges confronting the sector and rural communities.

It will boost farmer and fisherfolk access to markets, increase income from selected agri-fishery value chains and improve efficiency in the food supply chain.

The project will cover 16 regions composed of 82 provinces, with focus on areas where about half of the Philippines 109.03-million people reside.

It will involve direct investments in rural infrastructure and enterprise sub-projects, which will directly benefit about 450,000 farmers and fisherfolk and generate about 42,000 new jobs.

Upon the completion of the project, the DA aims to facilitate its transition into a regular locally-funded program to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the projects interventions.

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Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address water shortage and El Nino as he warned of their adverse effects on various sectors of the economy.

He said the President should focus on these pressing issues and not just MAharlika Investment Fund (MIF) in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.

As the country grapples with a recurring water shortage and the looming threat of El Nin9, he called on the President to prioritize long-term measures to tackle this pressing issue.

Its not just Maharlika Investment Fund, Pimentel quipped.

He emphasized the urgent need to address the water crisis and mitigate the impact of El Nino, particularly on agricultural productivity and farmers, the most vulnerable to El Nino.

He recalled droughts and water crises have caused a significant toll on the economy, business, agriculture, power generation, public health, and natural raesources, among others.

Citing a study by Columbia University, Pimentel said that the El Nino event of 1997/98 left 70% of the country experiencing devastating drought conditions.

Pimentel cited the statement by the Union Bank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion that a strong El Nino event could lead to national GDP losses of up to $3.3 billion.

These staggering economic implications highlight the importance of proactive and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of the water crisis and El Nino, he said.

He added that is crucial for the President to use SONA as a platform to present long-term strategies and sustainable solutions that can mitigate the effects of water shortage and El Nino, Pimentel said.

In March 2023, the President himself acknowledged the gravity of the water crisis, stating that 11 million families lack access to clean water as the dry season approaches.

The concerns about the impending water shortage and El Nino phenomenon were made earlier. Ano na ang ginawang hakbang ng gobyerno? Pimentel said.

As I said before, the government should take an anticipatory approach and not merely be passive in addressing these challenges, he added.

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization officially declared the emergence of El Nino conditions in the Tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, with a 90 percent probability of it persisting until the second half of 2024.

Pimentel also appealed to the public to conserve water and electricity during this critical period.

These problems need immediate attention and concerted efforts from both the government and the public. I implore each of us to conserve water, he said.

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Actor Jolo Estrada has been receiving praises for his performance in the romantic film Seasons, which quickly became the most-watched film on Netflix Philippines since its release on July 7.

Rising actor Jolo Estrada

In the movie, Jolo portrays the third wheel in the relationship between Lovi Poe and Carlo Aquinos characters. He takes on the role of Hans, Lovi Poes colleague and office-mate, who relentlessly pursues her. However, when Hans realizes Lovi is deeply in love with her best friend Kurt, played by Carlo Aquino, he faces a dilemma: should he continue pursuing her or accept a broken heart?

Jolo expresses his gratitude to producer Roselle Monteverde for giving him the opportunity to be part of this project.

It has been almost seven years since I first appeared on the big screen under my fathers film production. So, when I arrived on the set of Seasons in Ilocos, I was a bit nervous. But the cast, crew, including my co-actors Lovi and Carlo, and our director Easy Ferrer, welcomed me like family, Jolo confesses.

Jolo Estrada (left) with co-stars Lovi Poe (center) and Carlo Aquino

They made me feel right at home, he adds.

Seasons has also entered the top 10 most-viewed movie charts on Netflix in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. This new film, conceptualized by Lovi Poe with a screenplay by Dwein Baltazar, is now available for streaming worldwide on Netflix.

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Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today unveiled its latest AI image generation model, Tongyi Wanxiang (Wanxiang means tens of thousands of images) at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2023. The cutting-edge generative AI model is now available for enterprise customers in China for beta testing.

In addition, the cloud pioneer announced the launch of ModelScopeGPT, a versatile framework designed to assist users in accomplishing complex and specialized AI tasks across language, vision, and speech domains by leveraging various AI models on ModelScope. ModelScope is an open-source Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform introduced by Alibaba Cloud last year, featuring over 900 AI models.

Tongyi Wanxiang represents another significant milestone in our pursuit of advanced generative AI models as we continue to explore paradigm-shifting technologies that empower businesses and communities to unleash greater creativity and productivity, said Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

With the release of Tongyi Wanxiang, high-quality generative AI imagery will become more accessible, facilitating the development of innovative AI art and creative expressions for businesses across a wide range of sectors, including e-commerce, gaming, design and advertising.

Introducing Tongyi Wanxiang for Image Generation

The generative AI model is adept at handling various tasks, responding to text prompts in Chinese and English to generate detailed images in an array of styles, encompassing watercolours, oil and Chinese painting to animation, sketch, flat illustration, and 3D cartoons. Moreover, the model can transform any image into a new one with a similar style and stylize images through style transfer, which preserves the content of the original image while applying the visual style of another picture.

Powered by Alibaba Clouds trailblazing technologies in knowledge arrangement, visual AI and natural language processing (NLP), the model leverages multilingual materials for enhanced training. It boasts a robust semantic comprehension capability, resulting in more accurate and contextually relevant image generation.

Additionally, by optimizing the high-resolution diffusion process based on the signal-to-noise ratio, the model can strike a balance between composition accuracy and detail sharpness while enhancing its ability to generate high-contrast, visually stunning images with clean backgrounds.

Tongyi Wanxiang was developed using Composer, Alibaba Clouds proprietary large model that enables greater control over the final image output, such as spatial layout and palette, while maintaining image synthesis quality and creativity.

Text-to-image generation examples by Tongyi Wanxiang:

Prompt: Picture a cityscape at twilight, a world merging modern architecture

with the evocative aesthetics of anime.







Prompt: Beautiful nature superimposed into an infinite loop sign with bright colors

Prompt: Immersive, captivating, grayscale coloring, featuring a tiger in the tranquil mandala forest.

The image is composed of lines and brushstrokes.

Prompt: A six-year-old girls beautiful and exquisite Chinese-style

Hanfu is displayed in front of a clothes rack, medium close-up, 85mm lens

Please refer to the demo video of Tongyi Wanxiang here: https://www.alizila.com/video/wach-how-alibaba-tongyi-wanxiang-creates-generative-ai-image/

Enterprise customers in China can apply for beta testing of Tongyi Wanxiang at: https://wanxiang.aliyun.com/

ModelScopeGPT Launched for Sophisticated AI Tasks

Alibaba Cloud also unveiled ModelScopeGPT (https://modelscope.cn/studios/damo/ModelScopeGPT/summary), a powerful framework designed to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) available on the platform. ModelScopeGPT will use LLMs as a controller to connect an extensive array of domain-specific expert models in the ModelScope open-source community. Built within the rich Model-as-a-Service ecosystem, ModelScopeGPT leverages the various AI capabilities offered on Alibaba Cloud. Enterprises and developers can leverage ModelScopeGPT for free to access and execute the best-suited models for performing sophisticated AI tasks based on users requests, such as developing multilingual videos.

Alibaba Cloud launched its LLM named Tongyi Qianwen in April, and it plans to integrate the LLM across Alibabas various businesses in order to improve the user experience in the near future. The companys customers and developers will also have access to the model to create customized AI features in a cost-effective way. Since the models launch, over 300,000 beta testing requests were received from enterprises from a broad range of sectors, including fintech, electronics, transport, fashion and dairy.

Tongyi Qianwen has also been integrated into Alibaba Clouds intelligent assistant, Tingwu, enabling the assistant to comprehend and analyze multimedia content with high levels of accuracy and efficiency. Over 360,000 users have accessed to the AI-powered assistant since its launch.

AI Hackathon Competition to Inspire Innovation

ModelScope also hosted its first ever AI Hackathon in China to facilitate the industrial applications of AI models, with cash prize awards and funding opportunities from leading venture capital firms as incentives.

From over 300 participating teams, 56 teams made it to the final round. Participants competed for the grand prize on two tracks. One is to innovate upon a large language model to solve a real-life problem. The second is to leverage existing pretrained models to complete an assigned task, such as text-to-image generation or to build an LLM-powered autonomous agent to utilize the right models for specific tasks.

By hosting competitions and other community events, we want to engage with more developers and entrepreneurs, and to encourage them to bring their ideas to life, unlock productivity, and create more versatile AI tools that transform and shape the future of our industries, said Jingren Zhou.

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At a quarter past midnight last night, I received a telephone call from Mexico with news that had a profound effect upon me. I was told that my old friend and comrade Esteban Volkov was no more. While I cannot say that this news was entirely unexpected, since Esteban had reached the ripe old age of 97 in March, it nevertheless filled me with a profound sense of irreversible loss, not only of a very dear friend, but of the last remaining physical link with one of the greatest revolutionaries of all times, Leon Trotsky.

I must make it clear from the outset that I am not a sentimental man, nor do I believe in icons, either of the religious or political kind. Having said that, one must accept as a fact that symbols play an important role in life in general, and also in politics.

Esteban Volkov was an important living symbol  the symbol of a whole revolutionary epoch, a heroic period of storm and stress, full of triumphs and tragedies, which affected the lives of millions of people and therefore of individuals. And perhaps nowhere is this fact more evident than in the family of Leon Trotsky and of Esteban Volkov.

I have known Esteban for a period of approximately 34 years. Our first actual meeting was in the year 1989 in Mexico City, and it marked the beginning of what became a deep and lasting friendship, based not only on personal affinities but above all on a fundamental political solidarity.

My first impression of Esteban as a person was of a very friendly, kind and affable character. He was always ready with a joke, always smiling and laughing. But I did notice something from the beginning which made a deep impression on me. He had blue eyes, which struck me as being a very Russian trait. But it seemed to me that somewhere behind these smiling eyes there lay a deep sense of melancholy and an intense suffering, which was evident even though he clearly never intended to show it.

Esteban Volkov and Alan Woods in 2006 / Image: Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

The reason for this soon became clear to me. He said to me when he was in his early 60s, and repeated the point many times thereafter: I am the member of my family who has lived the longest. These words were very true. But before we deal with this question (which I can only sketch very roughly because of physical constraints, which I will explain) I must tell you why his name is Volkov and not Bronstein or Trotsky.

He did not bear the name of his illustrious grandfather. But then, the name of Trotsky itself had an entirely accidental character, being taken from one of Trotskys jailers in Tsarist times and used for the purposes of underground work as a pseudonym.

Trotsky was married twice; the first marriage was in Siberia where he was exiled in the early years. This marriage resulted in two daughters, one of whom, Zinaida, was Volkovs mother. His father, Platon Volkov, had been an active Bolshevik revolutionist who was arrested by Stalin for his participation in Trotskys Left Opposition in the 1920s. He disappeared into Stalins gulag, where he was later murdered.

I learned from Esteban (whose actual name was Vsievolod, or Sieva Volkov) that he had absolutely no memory of his father. It was only many years later that I saw an old blurry photograph of Platon Volkov that someone had sent to the Trotsky Museum in Mexico. To the best of my knowledge, this faded photograph was the last remaining evidence of his existence.

He did not bear the name of his illustrious grandfather, but then, the name of Trotsky itself had an entirely accidental character / Image: Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

In 1927, Stalin had Trotsky expelled from the Russian Communist Party and exiled, first to Almaty in Kazakhstan, and then to Turkey, where he took up residence on the island of Prinkipo. When Estebans mother Zinaida asked for permission to visit Trotsky in Prinkipo, permission was given, but Stalin only allowed her to take her young son Sieva with her, leaving behind her little daughter who was still a baby, while her husband remained in prison. But as soon as Zinaida had left the country, Stalin ordered that her Soviet citizenship be cancelled. This was a devastating blow delivered against a person who was already suffering from severe mental trauma, and it sealed her fate. Trotsky sent her to Berlin to receive treatment from a doctor who practised in the new field of psychoanalysis. But it was already too late. She succumbed to depression and committed suicide by putting her head in a gas oven. Sieva was thus left without a parent in a foreign country, which moreover was now engulfed by the brown tide of Nazism: a frightening prospect for any child.

The thing that struck me most about Esteban Volkov was the irrepressible nature of his character / Image: Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

Trotsky had two sons by his second marriage with Natalia Sedova. The youngest was Sergey, who chose to remain in the Soviet Union, and, not being politically active, was thought to be safe. That was a big mistake. Stalins sadistic thirst for vengeance was satiated not just against his immediate enemies, but against their entire families. Sergey was arrested and murdered in a concentration camp. But that came later.

At the time of Zinaidas death, Leon Sedov, Trotskys elder son, was active in the leadership of the International Left Opposition in Berlin. After the victory of Hitler, he moved to Paris to establish a centre of the International in that city, taking Sieva with him.

The thing that struck me most about Esteban Volkov was the irrepressible nature of his character. The trials and tribulations of his young life would have been more than sufficient to psychologically destroy any child. But not so Esteban Volkov. He often related to me with great pleasure the memories of his stay in Paris, where he wandered freely, exploring, and having adventures along the banks of the Seine. But these pleasures were not to last for any length of time. The long arm of the GPU extended to Paris and far beyond. Leon Sedov was murdered while recovering from an operation in hospital. Once again, Esteban Volkov was, in effect, orphaned.

A further trauma began when the female partner of Leon Sedov, a highly unbalanced individual, claimed custody over the child and vigorously contested the attempts of his grandfather to bring him to Mexico, the only country which had afforded Trotsky political exile. In the end, Trotsky won his case, and Sieva Volkov was allowed to leave to join his grandfather in Coyoacan on the outskirts of Mexico City.

In 1927, Stalin had Trotsky expelled from the Russian Communist Party and exiled / Image: Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

Incidentally, there is a very touching letter which Trotsky wrote to Sieva at that time, imploring him not to forget the Russian language. His grandfather argued that Sieva had a little sister in Russia and sooner or later might meet her again, and therefore he should be able to communicate with her. As a matter of fact, Zinaidas mother, Aleksandra Sokolovskaya, had been arrested by Stalin and sent to a gulag where she died. Estebans little sister disappeared and for a long time was assumed to be dead. Many years later, however, through the investigations of the French Trotskyist Pierre Broue, she was found alive in Moscow, and in the Gorbachev years, Esteban was able to visit her. But this is a tragic meeting, for two reasons. Firstly, as Trotsky had predicted, they were unable to communicate with each other in a language they both could understand. Furthermore, she was in the final stages of cancer, and died shortly afterwards.

For a time in Coyoacan, Sieva discovered the joys of a family life for the first time. It was like a little family, he would say. His grandfather treated him with all the care and attention and love which he had lacked. His account of Trotskys kindness and love gives the lie to the oft-repeated slander that Trotsky was a cruel, hard-hearted tyrant. I will not say more on the subject now, as I have dealt with it previously and will doubtlessly deal with it again.

This idyllic period in Coyoacan was like a peaceful harbour between two terrible storms. And the most terrible one was yet to come. The GPU made two attacks on the Trotsky household. In the first one, Esteban was wounded in the foot by a stray bullet. But the attack failed in its objective, which was achieved a few months later in August 1940. Esteban was only 14.

I will not repeat what has been said about this bloody event. It has been related many times by Esteban Volkov himself, but each time I noticed one thing: when Esteban repeated this story, he seemed to be reliving the events of that terrible day, as if they had happened only yesterday.

I had no doubt that when Stalin heard the news of the successful assassination, he would have been overjoyed. He would have concluded mission accomplished. However, he was mistaken. It is not a difficult thing to end the life of a man or a woman. We are very weak animals and anything can kill us: a knife, a bullet, or an ice-pick. But it is impossible to kill an idea whose time has come.

The death of Esteban Volkov signifies the disappearance of the last remaining physical link with Leon Trotsky / Image: Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky

The struggle that Trotsky began to defend the heritage of Lenin and the October Revolution did not end with the assassination of Trotsky. It has continued and still continues to this day. And a very important role in that struggle has been that of Esteban Volkov, who dedicated his entire life to defending the ideas of Trotsky and what he used to call the historical memory. The clearest expression of this was his tireless work to establish and defend the Trotsky House Museum in Coyoacan, which is an important point of reference for our movement internationally.

His work in the Museum is being loyally continued by Gabriela Perez Noriega, the person who more than anybody else has cared for Esteban Volkov and looked after his health and well-being for the last years of his life.

The death of Esteban Volkov signifies the disappearance of the last remaining physical link with Leon Trotsky. But it by no means signifies the end of the struggle that Trotsky began, and to whose continuation Esteban Volkov contributed in no small way. It is the proud claim of the International Marxist Tendency that we are the continuers of this great revolutionary tradition, and we pledge ourselves, over the grave of Esteban Volkov, to continue this fight to the very end.

It is unfortunate that this sad news reached me while on holiday in a house in a small village in the south of Spain where I lack the most elementary means of writing anything serious. I do not have at my disposal either a computer or my notes about the life and works of Esteban Volkov, which remain in a drawer in my office in London. I am grateful to the assistance of a comrade who has had the patience and devotion to copy down my words dictated over the telephone. But I promise that as soon as I return to London, I will write something that will do justice to the memory of my dear friend and comrade Sieva Volkov.

In the meantime, finally, I leave the last word to a Greek poet who expresses my feelings in this sad moment, far more effectively than anything I could write:
Two beaches in Rye, New Hampshire, were found on Thursday to have elevated levels of bacteria, a finding that prompted town officials to warn residents to avoid the area.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services notified the town of samplings from July 7 of elevated bacteria at Wallis Beach, while the Parsons Creek Watershed found in samples taken on June 27 at Parsons Creek also found historically high levels of bacteria at several of the testing sites, according to an official statement from town administrator Matthew Scruton.

State officials resampled Wallis Beach on Sunday and found that while bacteria levels have come down slightly, an advisory must remain in place. This beach is expected to be resampled again early this week. Rye officials have worked with recommendations made by the Department of Environmental Services and posted signs that indicate to residents and visitors that the body of water contains elevated levels of bacteria.

Wallis Sands Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. (Google)

The affected areas around Parsons Creek include Wallis Road at the bridge and the beach access located closest to Concord Point, Scruton said. Similar signage was put up for residents and visitors, warning them of the high levels of bacteria and that swimming or frequenting these areas poses a health risk, the statement read.

Because of the public health risk, town officials urge residents and visitors to refrain from swimming and engaging in other forms of recreation ... as there is a public health risk in doing so.

The town will receive more information when it becomes available for each beach, Scruton said in the statement.

In Massachusetts, several beaches were closed or deemed unsafe due to elevated levels of bacteria spotted in their waters. Several beaches from Beverly, Boston, Mashpee, Quincy, Salem and Winthrop, among several others including Worcesters Lake Quinsigamond, were listed due to either bacterial exceedance or had an algae or cyanobacteria advisory.

Read more: Wareham temporarily closes 5 beaches due to elevated bacteria levels

Five of Warehams beaches were closed due to elevated bacteria levels or geometric failures, according to an official Facebook post. Testing done at the Barnstable County Lab found this to be the case at Briarwood, Forbes, Point Independence, Swifts, and Pinehurst.

For the full list of beaches in Massachusetts declared unsafe due to bacteria or algae levels as determined by the Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health and the Department of Public Health, click the link here.
Anna Mburu, the 7-year-old Lowell girl who went missing Sunday afternoon was found dead in the Merrimack River, the Lowell Police Department said.

The local department confirmed the discovery of the childs body just before noon on Monday during a press conference at 2:30 p.m., and Massachusetts State Police confirmed troopers pulled her body from the river after dive teams found her.

A state environmental boat running side-scan sonar detected the childs body being carried down the river in a very strong current, police said, and a boat on the river then responded to a point downstream with state police divers, the department said.

Two divers in the water then located and recovered Annas body, and police said she was in about eight feet of water about 15 to 20 yards from the shore.

Anna went missing between 2 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Lowell police said in a statement. She was in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere neighborhood. Her family lives on Geana Lane. Anna was on the autism spectrum and had limited communication ability, police said.

Lowell resident Tryna White came over with some water and food to provide to law enforcement officials and searchers. She started to help with the search once she saw information about Annas disappearance on Facebook. White was concerned about the bodies of water in the area and remarked that a lot of homes, notably sitting along the Merrimack River, also have swimming pools.

A similar incident happened in June 2022 when 3-year-old Harry Kkonde went missing and was found dead in a pond at Rollies Farm about 5 miles west of Geana Street, White recalled. Kkonde was with a babysitter but was let out into the backyard of the babysitters home before he went missing.

Read more: Social media posts claiming second girl is missing in Lowell is a scam

Children on the autism spectrum may leave a safe setting where they are supervised if they are overstimulated, said Lori McIlwain, the co-founder of the National Autism Association. In cases like these, some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may wander off to a low-sensory area, such as a body of water, to ease their nerves.

In theory, water can provide a therapeutic value for children with ASD, which has a calming effect on them, McIlwain said. But it can also be dangerous.

These kids do have a diminished sense of fear, said Dr. John E. Bischoff III, the vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrens Missing Children Division.

Cruisers from other local departments were seen on Geana Lane, including Dracut, Billerica and Tewskbury police, along with Massachusetts State Police. The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and the Lowell Fire Department assisted in the search.

Breaking/trending news reporter Irene Rotondo contributed to this story.
Boston City Council President Ed Flynn is requesting another meeting with the citys police commissioner regarding forced overtime after at least one police officer was ordered to work 24 hours straight, he said.

Working 24 hours without time off for rest is not only unhealthy for the police officers and their families, it is also harmful to the residents and our neighborhoods, Flynn wrote in a statement. It is also illegal to work that many hours without needed rest. Mistakes are made when a police officer is sleep-deprived.

Read More: Top Boston cop says public perception is biggest barrier in recruiting

The city council president said he plans to file a hearing order on the situation during the next city council meeting, which is July 19.

Flynn said he had a conversation with Commissioner Micheal A. Cox last year regarding forced overtime. Although Cox reassured the city councilor the personnel issue wouldnt happen again, Flynn said the recent incident confirms the department has a significant problem.

For the past six years, Flynn said hes advocated for the hiring of at least 300 police officers each year for the next decade due to retirements, forced overtime and department transfers.

However, the Boston police department denies having any officers work 24 hours. In a statement, the department said last Friday, officers were offered some overtime to support a short-staffed district. The few officers that volunteered were allowed to work more over 18 hours that day.

Officer wellness is fundamental for public safety, so we continue to prioritize taking steps to fill vacancies on the sworn and civilian side, and to boost our numbers in order to meet minimum staffing levels and to ensure that officers and their families can have the rest and health they deserve and need, a spokesperson for the Boston police department said.

The department went on to further say that they are carefully reviewing situations of individual officers working untenable hours.

Flynns statement comes in the midst of a hiring shortage for the Boston Police Department. In 2022, 36 officers voluntarily left the department compared to none in 2018, according to an analysis from The Boston Globe. Former officers cited family and personal reasons, the birth of a child or a serious injury as the reasons for resigning from their role.

Consequently, officers still on the job have had to work overtime hours to make up for fewer officers on the Boston police force.

Currently, the city has nearly 1,600 police officers, which is short of the 2,000 cops the Boston Police Patrolmens Association  the citys largest police union would like to have, Cox said in an interview with WCVB-TV in April.

To tackle the citys police shortage, Cox placed a call out for officers from other departments to move to the city in January.

In the past, Cox has said public perception of the profession has resulted in a decline in the citys police force. However, there isnt strong evidence to support this claim, Shea Cronin, a professor of criminal justice, told MassLive in a previous interview about police resignations.
Travel at Boston Logan International Airport on Monday could be impacted by current weather blanketing Massachusetts and much of the New England region, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA announced just after 9 a.m. on Monday that low clouds and wind could impact flights to and from Boston Logan, and added that the same overcast conditions at airports in the region such as New York could also impact travel.

As of 10 a.m. on Monday, there were 147 total delays at Boston Logan, and 58 cancellations, according to flight-tracking site flightaware.com.

At Bradley International Airport, Boston Logans neighbor in Connecticut, there were 15 total flights delayed and two cancelled as of 10 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for across Central and Western Massachusetts, along with parts of Rhode Island as far south as Newport, which is in effect until Tuesday morning.

The storm will bring multiple rounds of heavy rain throughout the day on Monday, and overnight into Tuesday morning, forecasters said.

The Weather Service warned of flooding in streets and in urban and poor drainage areas, as well as waters rising on larger rivers and small creeks.

A tweet from the weather service showed Western, Central and north Eastern Massachusetts receiving as high as 3 inches of rain. Much of Rhode Island, the Cape and Islands could see less than 1 inch of rain accumulation.

Rainfall accumulations could reach 4 inches of rain, forecasters added. Along with this risk comes severe thunderstorms, which forecasters see likely being much more severe towards the west. Temperatures are expected to be in the 70s.
A 38-year-old man who was killed when police said he was involved in a crash with a Honda Pilot while he was riding a moped on Thursday evening has been identified, according to the Worcester County District Attorneys Office.

Bradley Arsenault, from Baldwinville, a section of Templeton, was identified by officials on Monday as the moped rider killed in a car crash in Gardner on July 6.

The crash happened on Thursday night near 591 West Broadway in Gardner, police said. Arsenault, who was riding a moped, was hit by a 2013 Honda Pilot being driven by a 35-year-old Templeton woman, who also had a child in the car with her, police said.

Arsenault was determined to be dead at the scene, police said, as he and the moped were both pinned underneath the Honda Pilot, and police said both the car and moped had been driving westbound just before the crash.

The unidentified woman and the juvenile were not hurt in the crash, police said.

Members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the Crime Scene Services Section, along with the Gardner Police Department and state police in Worcester County are investigating the crash, police said.
While Jairo Martinez-Gonzales sat in jail awaiting the expiration of his 180-day hold on a finding of dangerousness, his brother called the victim in the case, a prosecutor said Monday.

Martinez-Gonzalez faces one count each of armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, causing seriously bodily injury, stemming from the Sept. 7 incident at the Polar Beverages warehouse in Auburn that authorities said left another man nearly dead.

Assistant District Attorney Lisa Casella told Judge Daniel Wrenn that the offices victim advocate contacted her to tell her the victim had heard from Martinez-Gonzalezs brother. The brother apparently asked him to take some mercy on his brother, Casellas said.

Read more: Jairo Martinez Gonzalez found competent to stand trial in Polar Beverages stabbing

Martinez-Gonzalez appeared in Worcester County Superior Court Monday for a bail hearing.

Casella said the victim was very, very frightened by this contact, and wondered how the defendants brother got his phone number. She added her office is in the process of analyzing 350 minutes of jail phone calls from Martinez-Gonzalez to see if he had given information to his brother, but that all the tapes are in Spanish and will require an interpreter to process.

Authorities previously said Martinez-Gonzalez approached his coworker from behind, grabbed him around the neck and started stabbing him.

Security footage shows Martinez Gonzalez grabbed the victim from behind and placed an apparent knife to the victims lower face and chin area, according to court records.

After holding the victim for approximately 35 seconds, the suspect begins jabbing the victim, chasing the retreating victim, and then continuing to attack until the victim is subdued on the ground, Auburn Police Sgt. Daniel Lamoreaux wrote in court documents.

This is as close to a homicide as you can get, Casella said Monday, praising first responders and hospital workers for saving the mans life.

She also told Wrenn that Martinez-Gonzalez, a Salvadoran national, had been arrested multiple times in Texas on immigration issues, and had no notable ties to Massachusetts.

Defense attorney Sean McGinty said Martinez-Gonzalez had lived in Massachusetts for about a year before the incident, and had no prior charges for violent crimes. He also suggested his client be allowed mental health counseling if he were to post bail.

Wrenn set a cash bail for $100,000, and ruled Martinez-Gonzalez be confined at home if he posts bail, only allowing travel for medical and legal appointments, and that he check in with probation once a week by phone.

Martinez-Gonzalez is next due in court August 9.
The young man killed in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 91 in the city on Friday afternoon has been identified by Massachusetts State Police.

Dayquan Miguel Ortiz, a 23-year-old from Springfield, was identified by police on Monday as the person killed in the crash on July 7.

Police said the crash happened at 2:12 p.m. on Friday as a result of Ortiz, who was on the motorcycle, colliding into the back of a 2018 Jeep Latitude on the southbound side of the highway, near mile marker 7.4, police said.

Ortiz was thrown from his 2007 Kawasaki Ninja, police said. Emergency medical services, along with officers on patrol, tried to save Ortiz and performed CPR on him, but he was not responsive, police said.

He was brought to Baystate Medical Center with his life-threatening injuries, where he was declared dead, police said just after 6 p.m. on Friday.

The driver of the Jeep was not hurt in the crash, police said. The department had received multiple 911 calls on Friday afternoon reporting a person whod been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash, police said.

Detectives from the state polices collision analysis and reconstruction, along with crime scene services, were on the scene investigating on Friday afternoon. Police were looking into whether the speed of the motorcyclist was a factor in the crash, the department said.
A Dorchester man is being held without bail after pointing a gun at several people while driving a scooter in Mattapan last month, according to District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

Marlon Alexander, 30, from Dorchester, was charged in Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court with illegal firearm and ammunition possession, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, receiving stolen property, possession of a Class B substance and operating after license suspension, according to the district attorney.

Judge David Poole found Alexander dangerous and ordered him to be held until at least Nov. 3, but will return to court for a probable cause hearing on Aug. 10.

On June 26 at around 2:50 p.m., Boston police responded to a man on a scooter who witnesses said pointed a gun at a driver, the district attorney said. The driver told police she saw a man swerving while driving the scooter and honked her horn at him.

She told police the man then pulled up beside her and pointed a black handgun at her. She gave the officers a description of the mans clothing and his path of flight, according to the report.

Police found Alexander driving on Quincy Street toward Blue Hill Avenue. Officers blocked the lane he was driving on, according to the district attorney. While driving fast on his scooter, Alexander braked at the last moment, causing his scooter to slide and hit the cruisers front bumper.

Alexander was thrown from his scooter and ignored officers commands to remain still, police said. He was arrested while attempting to get back on his scooter, the report said.

Police patted down Alexander and recovered a black .380-caliber Glock 42 loaded with five rounds. A trace of the gun determined it was reported stolen in Manchester, New Hampshire in February 2022, according to the district attorney.

Police also recovered a bag of white substance that they believed to be crack cocaine.

Another person who had called 911 told police a man riding a scooter, matching Alexanders description, also pointed a gun at them, police said.

Day in and day out, Boston police respond to calls for a person with a gun, or shots fired, or a person shot, said Hayden. We treat these cases with the utmost seriousness and move for dangerousness hearings whenever we determine an intolerable threat to the community.
A driver abandoned their car after going over commuter tracks in Boston and crashing into a divider fence, said the MBTA Transit Police.

The crash occurred on Saturday at 9:30 p.m., when the driver went over the Babcock Green Line with their Mercedes and then crashed into a divider fence, police said on Twitter.

7/8 930PM #MBTA Babcock GL a vehicle operator drove a Mercedes over the tracks crashing into the divider fence. The operator attempted to drive away however sustained 2 flat tires & abandoned the vehicle on Comm Ave. Service was delayed as a result. TPD to investigate. pic.twitter.com/ILYwDyr0Gf  MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) July 10, 2023

The driver tried to drive away but since the car had two flat tires, the driver abandoned the car on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, causing service delays on the Babcock Green Line, the tweet said.

The Transit Police Department is investigating the crash, said police.
A Springfield man has been sentenced in connection with an armed robbery at a West Springfield convenience store and firearm charges, according to the Department of Justice.

Emilio Rivera, 34, of Springfield, was sentenced July 6 by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a press release said.

In March 2019, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of using a firearm in relation to crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to the DOJ.

In October 2018, a string of nine armed robberies occurred at convenience stores in the Springfield area, according to court documents.

While investigating these robberies, officials saw Rivera and his co-defendant, Alfredo Aldeco, through surveillance video at one of the West Springfield convenience stores on Nov. 14, 2018. Court documents claim the two men robbed the clerk and held them at gunpoint.

Aldeco was shown confronting the store clerk, waving a firearm as he threatens the life of the store clerk as Rivera stands nearby ready to assist Aldeco and acting as a lookout, said the documents.

Police then executed a search warrant of Riveras home, which he shared with his girlfriend and at least two young children, according to the documents.

While searching Riveras home, agents discovered a loaded, unsecured firearm in the drawer of a dresser in a room where Rivera and a young child were sleeping, said the documents.

A second loaded firearm was found in a closet adjacent to the room, which agents said was used in the convenient store robbery.

Rivera had already been prohibited from owning a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction, read the documents, which included two counts of aggravated larceny in 2016, violating probation, and being charged with intent to distribute cocaine in Massachusetts.

His co-defendant, Aldeco, pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial, said the DOJ press release.
The Lowell family of a missing 7-year-old girl who was found dead in the Merrimack River on Monday afternoon said they always feared the child would go toward the large, rushing body of water, given its proximity to their home, according to Massachusetts State Police.

That fear was realized on Monday afternoon, when 7-year-old Anna Mburus body was pulled from the river by troopers just before noon, according to the Lowell Police Department.

Anna, who police said was on the autism spectrum and had limited communication ability, had gone missing about 24 hours earlier on Sunday, police said, between 2 and 3 p.m.

A map depicting where a 7-year-old's body was found in the Merrimack River on July 10. Photo by Google Maps

A state police environmental boat running side-scan sonar detected the childs body being carried down the river in a very strong current, police said, and a boat on the river responded to a point downstream with a state police diver, the department said.

Two divers in the water located and recovered Annas body. Police said she was in about 8 feet of water about 15 to 20 yards from the shore.

She was last seen in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere neighborhood. Her family lives on Geana Lane, police added.

Geana Lane is located in a residential neighborhood in Lowell that runs along the length of the Merrimack River, according to Google Maps. Massachusetts State Police told MassLive that Annas family had always feared she might go in the direction of the river one day.

Neighbors, such as Lowell resident Tryna White, told MassLive they were concerned about the water in the area and remarked that a lot of homes, notably sitting along the Merrimack River, also have swimming pools.

A similar incident happened in June 2022 when 3-year-old Harry Kkonde went missing and was found dead in a pond at Rollies Farm about 5 miles west of Geana Street, White recalled. Kkonde was with a babysitter but was let out into the backyard of the babysitters home before he went missing.

In the same month, a mother, Boua DeChhat, also died trying to save her 6-year-old who was swept into the Merrimack River after the family, including three other children and the womans husband, went fishing in Newburyport.

DeChhats 6- and 7-year-old children were taken by the waters edge and swept away by the current, a GoFundMe from 2022 stated.

The mother went into the water after her two children. The Newburyport mayors website stated that a nearby fishing vessel approached and rendered assistance.

DeChhat was able to bring one child onto the boat but was not able to hoist herself up. She did not resurface, the city said. The mother was later located unresponsive and not breathing, the city said. The second childs body was found days later.

Read more: Social media posts claiming second girl is missing in Lowell is a scam

Though water can provide a therapeutic value for children with ASD, as it has a calming effect on them, according Lori McIlwain, the co-founder of the National Autism Association, it can also be dangerous.

These kids do have a diminished sense of fear, said John E. Bischoff III, the vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrens Missing Children Division.

Cruisers from other local departments had been seen in the search for Anna on Geana Lane, including Dracut, Billerica and Tewskbury police, along with Massachusetts State Police.

The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and the Lowell Fire Department also assisted in the search for Anna.
HADLEY  Trader Joes may be forced to post signs in the break rooms at all 570 of its stores nationwide affirming an employees right to unionize, after federal officials upheld complaints from employees in Hadley.

Workers at the store on Route 9 complained to the National Labor Relations Board that Trader Joes dress code prohibited them from wearing pins, including badges backing the union or identifying workers preferred pronouns, said Seth Goldstein, a union lawyer for Trader Joes United.

Trader Joes did not settle in this case with the labor board. A hearing is set for Oct. 17 in Hartford. Trader Joes didnt respond to calls and emails Monday seeking comment.

The NLRB decision is not related to a recent protest at the store. In June, Trader Joes fired employee Stephen Andrade over an alleged safety violation. But members of Trader Joes United said he was dismissed for his union support. On July 1, employees walked out of the store in protest of Andrades treatment. The labor board has not yet ruled on a complaint filed related to Andrades firing.

Earlier complaint

The workers claimed in their NLRB complaint that Trader Joes retaliated against employees for their union activities, interrogated and threatened workers and forced employees to attend unlawful captive audience meetings, according to a news release. The NLRB also cited break room posters at all Trader Joes locations containing misinformation about Trader Joes United.

Maeg Yosef, a worker at the Hadley store and union spokeswoman, said violations cited in the complaint all occurred more than a year ago, prior to the union vote.

We are feeling very vindicated, she said. The crew at Hadley, we knew all along our rights were being violated.

Yosef said that before the union vote, Trader Joes increased pay on Sundays and gave more time off in an effort to appease workers.

In the last year, it also rolled out a policy on pronoun pins that conforms with what the union asked for. So even without a contract, were pleased to have this impact, Yosef said.

First in the U.S.

The roughly 90 workers at the Hadley store were the first in the nation to form a union within the chain, voting in July 2022. Union members were looking for increased pay, better benefits and employee safety.

Workers in Minneapolis, Louisville and Oakland have have since joined the new union.

Negotiations for actual labor contracts with Trader Joes have not gone well, said Goldstein. In April, Trader Joes refused to allow hybrid negotiations with union members, which would have allowed them to participate remotely. The position required employees to travel.

Yosef said the union wants to negotiate one contract for all the stores. Trader Joes wants to negotiate store-by store.

So that means union members were asked  without hybrid negotiations and no Zoom or other online video option  to travel.

As Starbucks negotiates with its unionizing workers, the NLRB has ruled in favor of hybrid negotiations.

Meantime, Trader Joes threatened last week to sue Trader Joes United, the union, for trademark infringement because the union fundraises online by selling coffee mugs, pins and tchotchkes with its logo, including the words Trader Joes.
UPDATE: Anna, the missing 7-year-old from Lowell, found dead in Merrimack River, state police say

The search for a missing Lowell girl continues Monday after she was last seen Sunday afternoon, Lowell police said.

On Sunday between 2 and 3 p.m., 7-year-old Anna was last seen wearing black shorts, white vest, and purple hair tie, Lowell police said in a statement. She was in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere neighborhood. Her family lives on Geana Lane.

Anna is on the autism spectrum and is non-verbal, police said. In the statement, Police Superintendent Greg Hudson asked residents of both Lowell and Tewksbury, in particular those who live in the areas of East Merrimack Street and River Road, to check hidden areas of their properties. Police believe she may be on her bike.

Areas such as back yards, sheds, boats, and anywhere that a child might be able to hide are priorities, police said.

Police also asked residents to review footage taken by surveillance cameras on their property.

7 1 / 7 Lowell police search for 7-year-old girl named Anna, missing since Sunday

Several Lowell police officers, along with the K9 Unit and drone unit, have been deployed throughout the area. The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit, the Lowell Fire Department and the Lowell Dive Team are also assisting in the search.

The search for Anna continued overnight, and regional search teams will rejoin the effort on Monday morning, police said. Residents should expect a large police presence while the search continues, the department added.
UPDATE: Anna, the missing 7-year-old from Lowell, found dead in Merrimack River, state police say

Good Samaritans and local residents are searching the area around Geana Lane in Lowell on Monday, less than 24 hours after a 7-year-old girl went missing on Sunday.

The girl, whose first name is Anna, went missing between 2 and 3 p.m. on Sunday. She was last seen wearing black shorts, white vest, and purple hair tie, Lowell police said in a statement. She is likely barefoot and does not have her bike, as previously stated by police. She was in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere neighborhood. Her family lives on Geana Lane.

Anna is on the autism spectrum and has limited communication ability, police said.

Lowell resident Tryna White came over with some water and food to provide to law enforcement officials and searchers. She started to help with the search once she saw information about Annas disappearance on Facebook. White was concerned about the bodies of water in the area and remarked that a lot of homes, notably sitting along the Merrimack River, also have swimming pools.

A similar incident happened in June 2022 when 3-year-old Harry Kkonde went missing and was found dead in a pond at Rollies Farm about 5 miles west of Geana Street, White recalled. Kkonde was with a babysitter but was let out into the backyard of the babysitters home before he went missing.

In this area, it is isolated, she said to MassLive. Its going to be hard, theres so much water around this area. Thats the concern about it.

White added that her biggest concern was that perhaps loud noises or calling her name would scare Anna. Playing music or blowing bubbles would be better tactics to draw her out if she was hiding somewhere, White said, adding that her grandson is on the autism spectrum. However, due to the heavy rain splattering on the ground, music or bubbles could be hard to hear.

Children on the autism spectrum may leave a safe setting where they are supervised if they are overstimulated, said Lori McIlwain, the co-founder of the National Autism Association. In cases like these, some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may wander off to a low-sensory area, such as a body of water, to ease their nerves.

In theory, water can provide a therapeutic value for children with ASD, which has a calming effect on them, McIlwain said. But it can also be dangerous.

These kids do have a diminished sense of fear, said Dr. John E. Bischoff III, the vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrens Missing Children Division.

As of Monday afternoon, police have not found Anna. However, Lowell Dive Team is assisting in the search.

Cruisers from other local departments were seen on Geana Lane, including Dracut, Billerica and Tewskbury police, along with Massachusetts State Police. The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and the Lowell Fire Department are also assisting in the search.

In a statement, Police Superintendent Greg Hudson asked residents of both Lowell and Tewksbury, in particular those who live in the areas of East Merrimack Street and River Road, to check hidden areas of their properties.

Several officers were seen marching through the Geana Lane area. A Lowell police drone unit was said to be at the search site, but none was not immediately seen by MassLive as heavy rain fell over the area.

Due to cloud and fog cover, helicopter crews are unable to fly, Massachusetts State Police said. State Polices Air Wing assisted in the search Sunday but were unable to find Anna.

Lowells mayor, Sokhary Chau, said on Facebook before 1 a.m. that Annas whereabouts were on his mind overnight Sunday.

The Lowell Police Department is hard at work and doing everything they can to ensure she returns home safely, Chau said. ... As a father of two, I cannot begin to imagine what Annas family is going through. Please join me in praying for her safety and well-being, and for our law enforcement professionals to reunite her with her family soon.
SPRINGFIELD  A violent thunderstorm with heavy rain late Saturday afternoon overwhelmed Springfields combined stormwater and raw sewage system causing the release of more than 9 million gallons of untreated effluent into the Connecticut and Mill rivers Saturday evening.

Residents in Springfield, West Springfield, Agawam and Longmeadow are warned to avoid contact with the river water for at least 48 hours after the release.

According to the Springfield Water and Sewer Commissions website, discharge from all the designated outflow points had ended by about 8:10 p.m. but only after 9,262,852 gallons of combined sewer outflow, had been released.

The commission did not immediately return requests for comment Sunday.

Most of the citys outfall, or discharge points, are along the Connecticut River, but two discharges Saturday were into the Mill River, which runs from the Watershops Pond to the Connecticut River.

Some 60,000 gallons of CSO was discharged into the Mill River from an outfall located at the head of the river near the intersection of Allen, Rifle and Oakland streets. The second discharge of nearly 70,000 gallons into the Mill River occurred near the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Locust Street. Both happened at about 7 p.m. Residents are cautioned to avoid the length of the Mill River for the next few days.

The citys combined stormwater and sewer system is designed to allow the discharge of untreated effluent during extreme circumstances, such as the torrential rains that accompanied the storms yesterday. The utilitys website said the overflow capability avoids the combination of untreated sewage and stormwater spilling out onto city streets or into nearby buildings basements. Instead, the combined flow is directed to what the commission calls outfall points along the rivers.
UPDATE: Anna, the missing 7-year-old from Lowell, found dead in Merrimack River, state police say

As residents and police search for a missing 7-year-old in Lowell, a Facebook user has posted to a Lowell group over 16,000 people asking for them to help him find his daughter. But his post is a scam.

The Facebook group called Greater Lowell Yard Sale has a recent post from a user named Harry Smith who posted claiming that his daughter went missing during The Show and Shine show.

However, the photo used came from the Malheur Enterprise, a newspaper in Vale Oregon, when they reported on a 4th of July event in Wadleigh Park, Oregon.

The user who claims his daughter is missing, has zero likes and zero followers, and has posted the picture on other Facebook groups.

The Massachusetts State Police confirmed theres currently no other missing girl in the area.

The user also posted another missing child post in the same yard sale Facebook group about a week ago. The same post with the same photo was shared by another user for a Morgan County News Facebook group in West Virginia, which received 16 shares.

If a post looks like a scam, Facebook users can click the three dots in the upper right hand corner of the post, click report post, and click any of the following options that suits the report.

The missing girl in Lowell is 7-year-old Anna. She was last seen on Sunday between 2 and 3 p.m. wearing black shorts, white vest, and purple hair tie, Lowell police said in a statement. She was in the area of East Merrimack Street in the Belvidere neighborhood. Her family lives on Geana Lane.

Anna is on the autism spectrum and has limited communication ability, police said. In the statement, Police Superintendent Greg Hudson asked residents of both Lowell and Tewksbury, in particular those who live in the areas of East Merrimack Street and River Road, to check hidden areas of their properties.

7 1 / 7 Lowell police search for 7-year-old girl named Anna, missing since Sunday

Lowells mayor, Sokhary Chau, said on Facebook before 1 a.m. that Annas whereabouts were on his mind overnight Sunday.

The Lowell Police Department is hard at work and doing everything they can to ensure she returns home safely, Chau said. ... As a father of two, I cannot begin to imagine what Annas family is going through. Please join me in praying for her safety and well-being, and for our law enforcement professionals to reunite her with her family soon.
A prayer service for a 7-year-old girl found dead in the Merrimack River on Monday was scheduled for that evening at Saint Michaels Parish in Lowell, according to the churchs Facebook page.

Anna Mburu went missing from her home on Geana Lane in Lowell, which is located near the Merrimack River, on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Searches by boat and dive teams found the 7-year-olds body about 15 to 20 yards from shore traveling about eight feet deep in the water along a very strong current, on Monday just before noon, according to police.

A prayer service for the child will be held at 7 p.m. at Saint Michaels Parish in Lowell in the downstairs church hall, and all are welcome to support the family through prayer, meditation and readings.

The post stated the prayer service will be held at 12 Sixth St. in Lowell. The rectory and other parts of the church are located on Bridge Street in the town, as listed on the Facebook page, but a representative from the church confirmed the vigil would be held in the churchs downstairs hall facility at 12 Sixth St.

At 2:30 this afternoon, Lowell Police announced at a press conference the heartbreaking news that the body of seven year-old Anna Mburu has been found in the Merrimack River. We will still meet tonight as a prayer service at 7:00pm to pray for Anna as well as her family as they face this devastating loss, the churchs Facebook page read.

Annas family had always feared the child would go towards the large rushing body of water given its proximity to their home, according to Massachusetts State Police. Incidents such as Annas death are not uncommon, as a similar incident happened in 2022.

7 1 / 7 Lowell police search for 7-year-old girl named Anna, missing since Sunday

Read more: Social media posts claiming second girl is missing in Lowell is a scam

Another Lowell child, a 3-year-old named Harry Kkonde, went missing and was found dead in a pond at Rollies Farm about 5 miles west of Geana Street. Kkonde was with a babysitter but was let out into the backyard of the babysitters home before he went missing.

In the same month, a mother, Boua DeChhat, also died trying to save her 6-year-old who was swept into the Merrimack River after the family, including three other children and the womans husband, went fishing in Newburyport.

DeChhats 6- and 7-year-old children were taken by the waters edge and swept away by the current, a GoFundMe from 2022 stated.

The mother then went into the water after her two children. The Newburyport mayors website had stated that a nearby fishing vessel approached and rendered assistance.

Boua was then able to bring her Elyssa onto the boat but was not able to hoist herself up. She did not resurface, the city said. The mother was later located unresponsive and not breathing, the city said.

Local departments that had been seen in the search for Anna on Geana Lane beside Lowell, included Dracut, Billerica and Tewskbury police, along with Massachusetts State Police.

The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the states Environmental Police the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and the Lowell Fire Department also assisted in the search for Anna.
During the ill-fated search for Anna Mburu, the missing Lowell girl whose body was found in the Merrimack River almost 24 hours after she went missing on Sunday, heavy rain hampered the search from all fronts  air, land and water  officials said.

The Lowell Police Department confirmed the discovery of the childs body just before noon on Monday during a press conference at 2:30 p.m., and Massachusetts State Police confirmed troopers pulled her body from the river after dive teams found her. She went missing between 2 and 3 p.m. on Sunday.

That search over the next many hours took many forms, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press conference on Monday. It included the recovery of video from neighboring homes, it included the use of drones, the airwing for a period of time yesterday while it was available due to weather.

The response drew out many officers and law enforcement officials, including Dracut, Billerica and Tewskbury police, along with Massachusetts State Police. The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council K9 Unit and Regional Response Teams, the Massachusetts State Police Airwing, the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit and the Lowell Fire Department assisted in the search.

Ryan said that the search for Mburu actively began at 7 a.m. Monday. Massachusetts Environmental Police used side-scanner sonar to locate her body.

Based on that image, state police divers went into the water, Ryan continued. ... Its important to note, because of much of the rain that we are having, the river is between 4 to 6 feet higher than it usually is and its moving at roughly 4 mph. Moving very fast.

Read more: Social media posts claiming second girl is missing in Lowell is a scam

Divers continued the search before finding Mburu up to 20 yards from the shore, in water that was 8 to 9 feet deep, Ryan said.

Ryan told MassLive the heavy rain did affect the use of the Massachusetts State Police Airwing and a drone, both used to hover above the search site.

Mburu was on the autism spectrum and had limited communication ability, Lowell police said. State police said her family feared she would go towards the river, given its proximity to their home.

Geana Lane is located in a residential neighborhood in Lowell that runs along the length of the Merrimack River, according to Google Maps.

A map depicting where a 7-year-old's body was found in the Merrimack River on July 10. Photo by Google Maps

A similar incident happened in June 2022 when 3-year-old Harry Kkonde went missing and was found dead in a pond at Rollies Farm about 5 miles west of Geana Street. Kkonde was with a babysitter but was let out into the backyard of the babysitters home before he went missing.

In the same month, a mother, Boua DeChhat, also died trying to save her 6-year-old who was swept into the Merrimack River after the family, including three other children and the womans husband, went fishing in Newburyport.

DeChhats 6- and 7-year-old children were taken by the waters edge and swept away by the current, a GoFundMe from 2022 stated.

The mother went into the water after her two children. The Newburyport mayors website stated that a nearby fishing vessel approached and rendered assistance.

DeChhat was able to bring one child onto the boat but was not able to hoist herself up. She did not resurface, the city said. The mother was later located unresponsive and not breathing, the city said. The second childs body was found days later.
Africas first woman in space has called for regional and global efforts to enable more Africans to participate in space exploration as part of efforts to advance the continents socioeconomic transformation.

Sara Sabry, a young Egyptian astronaut, and founder of the Deep Space Initiative (https://www.DeepSpaceInitiative.org/) made the call on Tuesday 4 July during a panel at the Africa50 Infra Forum and General Shareholders Meeting held in Togos capital Lome. Panelists discussed A Different View: Africas future reimagined.

 I dont think space should be such an exclusive club. To be the first at something is to kick down the door for others to follow,  Sabry said. It is important for Africa to have a seat at the table and be involved in space exploration. The demographic in space must reflect that of people on Earth.

Sabry made history when she traveled to space on the New Shepard rocket developed by Blue Origin, an American aerospace company founded by Amazons Jeff Bezos.

Speaking during the TED-style event, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group described Sabry as an inspiration.

 As a young African scientist, you give hope that young people can be in space despite the odds. It is often said that women can do what men can do, but I can say that women can do better than men,  Adesina said.

Sabry stressed that Africans should pursue space travel.  It is important for Africa to build its capacity in space technology and gain its own control, she said. Experts believe that satellite technology can have a significant impact on rapidly developing African countries by advancing weather forecasting, agriculture, navigation, and even banking and online education.

Sabry also called for a review of laws that restrict people from participating in space exploration.

Sabrys non-profit, the Deep Space Initiative, works to make space exploration more accessible to more people globally.

Dr. Victor Oladokun, Senior Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank on Communication and Stakeholder Engagement, moderated the session. He described Sara as an embodiment of the hope and aspirations of many.
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Ministry of Trade & Industry of Egypt hosted a high-level business roadshow, ahead of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2023) scheduled to hold on the 9th to 15th of November 2023 in Cairo, Egypt.

Under the theme Promoting Egypt-Africa Trade and Investment Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), IATF2023 Egypt High-Level Business Roadshow brought together captains of industry, the business community, high-level government officials, the diplomatic community, as well as executives and senior officials of Afreximbank, AUC and AfCFTA Secretariat to deliberate on how the IATF is playing an instrumental role in boosting and promoting trade and investment opportunities under the AfCFTA between Egypt and the rest of Africa.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairman of IATF2023 Advisory Council and Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said we are here today to demonstrate and reaffirm that the third edition of the IATF will be happening here in this beautiful city of Cairo in November 2023. We urge the business community to take advantage of IATF2023 and use it to explore business opportunities. Opportunities are huge and limitless. IATF2023 is expected to be bigger and better than the previous two editions and the event is expected to attract more than 1,600 exhibitors; over 35,000 visitors, buyers and conference delegates from all 55 African countries, and the rest of the world; with more than US$43 Billion in trade and investment deals.
The Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 has been released for consultation. This draft legislation incorporates the measures announced by the Honourable Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech on 2 June 2023.

The Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 (the Bill) has been released for consultation. This draft legislation incorporates the measures announced by the Honourable Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech on 2 June 2023. This Alert covers the key tax and regulatory measures contained in the Bill which are still subject to changes following parliamentary debates.

The Bill eliminates the incentive tax rate of 5% applicable to Banks with chargeable income over MUR 1.5 Billion. However, the amendment is not being made retrospectively from year of assessment 2022/23 as was provided in the annex to the budget speech. It is not clear whether banks will still be eligible for the 5% tax rate for year of assessment 2022/23, with respect to chargeable income above MUR 1.5 Billion.

An important measure impacting large employers relate to the mandatory childcare facilities. Such facilities will be made mandatory and need to be provided on the workplace or within a radius of 1 km from the workplace.

As mentioned in our budget highlights, the next one or two years will be crucial time for Mauritius to review its tax incentives and tax holidays such that they are still fit for purpose post Global Minimum Tax (Globes) rules.
The need for rapid action to address the climate crisis and to empower communities to play their part were the key messages from speakers and delegates at the inaugural Mary Robinson Climate Conference.

Were burning down our childrens home, was the message of former President of Ireland Mary Robinson at the conference but added that young people should not despair and instead should be 'prisoners of hope'.

A partnership between The Mary Robinson Centre, Ballina 2023, Mayo County Council and University of Galway saw over 250 delegates visit Ballina, to hear speakers including former President Mary Robinson, Minister Eamon Ryan TD, Kevin Anderson; Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester, 18 year-old climate justice activist Saoirse Exton of Fridays for Future, Oisin Coghlan of Friends of the Environment and Adele Mealey of the Creative Ireland Programme.

Informed by their own work, conference speakers shared their personal perspectives, resulting in a consistent, unanimous call for urgent action on climate change.

Mary Robinson welcomed contributions from young climate activists participating in the conference which included Fridays for Future, SAUTI- Galway and the Children and Young Peoples Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and spoke of the importance of encouraging and facilitating intergenerational dialogue, to create climate justice for younger generations and empower them to be better community leaders and civic society members.

Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD in his address, which was disrupted by climate activists, acknowledged that the time has passed for dictating to people how to address climate change, insisting instead that listening, motivating and empowering communities to create solutions will deliver results.

Communications around climate action must be clear and compelling so that everyone can understand how we can create the future we want, instead of unwittingly creating a future we do not want, Minister Ryan said.

Conference partner Mayo County Council is the lead authority and host for the Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) for the Atlantic Seaboard North and was the first Local Authority in the country to employ a Climate Action Officer.

At the conference, Laura Dixon launched the Mayo Climate Action Survey, to ensure that communities can contribute to the Mayo Climate Action Plan due to be delivered to the government next year.

Other events during the conference included a bike buffet, a climate-focused art exhibition in Ballina Civic Offices and a series of field trips showcasing local climate action projects including the Enniscrone Dunes project and the award-winning Ripple Ballina project, which explored how a community in Ballina transformed green space with the use of rainwater.

During the conference, a gathering of young people also met with Mary Robinson, the US Ambassador Claire Cronin and French Ambassador Vincent Guerend, facilitated by University of Galway President Ciaran O hOgartaigh to discuss youth leadership for sustainability from a global and local perspective.
Xi inspects historic and cultural block in Suzhou in E China Pub Date:23-07-10 09:06 Source:Xinhua



Xi Jinping inspected the city of Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province from Wednesday to Thursday. He visited a historic and cultural block of Pingjiang Road, where he learned about efforts in historic and cultural city protection. Editor:Wang Xirui

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Within this framework, the diplomat indicated how Peru can contribute and share a history of concrete achievements in the eradication of illicit crops, the interdiction of drugs and their precursors, as well as comprehensive and sustainable alternative development.

Similarly, it seeks to respond effectively to their public health impacts.

Through specialized working groups, members will develop innovative solutions, drive national initiatives, and elevate the need to address synthetic drugs as a shared global priority.

These gatherings will provide critical platforms to share progress and achievements with a wider audience and facilitate the advancement of international drug policy.

The virtual meeting took place on Friday.

Canciller Gervasi participo en la Reunion Ministerial de Lanzamiento de la "Coalicion Global para enfrentar la amenaza de las drogas sinteticas", iniciativa impulsada por @SecBlinken y que marcara el inicio de un proceso de dialogo y trabajo en respuesta a este desafio comun. pic.twitter.com/jdDTwiPIJa
by Fern Siegel , July 10, 2023

Grey London is launched a pan-European campaign for Pringles that mimics the successful Super Bow ads: People get their hands stuck in cans.

The new work runs in Northern and Southern Europe.

The 40-second Apero spot, targeting France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, shows a woman getting her hand stuck in a Pringles can as she preps charcuterie and snacks. After a brief shock, she transforms the can into a cocktail stirrer, ice crusher and guitar pick.

Another 60-second ad, "Nights," created for Northern European markets, features a young guy who hides in quiet room when he gets his hand stuck in a Pringles can at a party. However, he soon realizes he's not alone.

The spot, which broke in early July, will run in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Estonia.

A shorter "Nights" spot runs in the UK and Ireland, an adaptation of the original Pringles Super Bowl ad created in collaboration with Grey New York.

The campaign is running on TV, digital, social and out-of-home platforms.

In adapting the work for European markets, the idea is to showcase them in intrinsically European settings, said David Wigglesworth, executive creative director at Grey London.

Stephanie Thys, European marketing director, Pringles, says: Pringles is a playful brand and thats something we wanted to convey in this campaign.
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, July 9, 2023

This just in European telecommunications engineers Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert are suing Twitter over its copycat app.

Well, not really, but if Twitter can sue Meta over for copying microblogging, why cant the engineers who  in 1984  invented the original SMS code it was based on, sue Twitter after the fact? Just asking.

But even as Twitter tries litigation in an attempt to stop what already has become one of the fastest growing apps ever, the real question shouldnt be whether someone can own the intellectual property behind microblogging, but who can innovate how people use it, including advertisers.

Sixteen years after it was kickstarted at the 2007 SXSW conference, the microblogging service has nearly half a billion monthly active users  many of them human  but has never really delivered on its promise of becoming an important platform for marketers.

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Sure brands love stunting snarky tweets, but much of what they have done on Twitter has been organic, not paid, and under Elon Musks ownership, many have backed away or bristled at his erratic management style, especially pulling content moderation and brand safety protocols, and jerking around with paid verification and now user view limits.

Musks reign hasnt exactly been a honeymoon, though he personally seems to have been enjoying it. At least until Metas Mark Zuckerberg saw an opportunity to capitalize on user remorse and defection by accelerating the rollout of Threads.

As a result, the initial version isnt cluttered with features and actually looks like a clean slate for people who genuinely want a safe, well-lighted public square to express themselves to others.

For his part, Zuckerberg appears to be doing everything right, whether its posting optimistic updates and lots of jiu jitsu videos on Threads, as well as his deliciously-timed Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme tweet on Twitter.

Or as some observers have already pointed out, Musk has managed to make Zuckerberg look cool.

One of the most important business comments Zuckerberg has made on threads was in response to a user suggesting he is salivating as he thinks about serving ads to the rapidly growing Threads user base.

Our approach will be the same as all our other products, @zuck replied, adding, Make the product work well first, then see if we can get it on a clear path to 1 billion people, and only then think about monetization at that point.

With Threads sign ups already approaching  or possibly exceeding  100 million users, its already well on its way.

The comment reminded me of one I recall hearing Twitter co-founder Biz Stone saying during his 2015 SXSW launch of his ill-fated Super platform.

Asked how he planned to monetize it, Stone said that with 100 million active happy customers, he could figure out how to make money off of them.

Interestingly, with half a billion active users, Twitter has hardly even done that, but maybe its because many of them are not happy about their usage.

While Twitter no longer releases its monetization data since being taken private by Musk, the platform historically has not been that significant an ad platform, generating a few billion dollars annually in sales, but nothing compared to the Big 3  much less the top 10  digital advertising platforms.

Why is that? If Twitter is such an influential platform  and such an important public square for sharing opinion and ideas  why arent brands spending more on it?

While that presumably is a conversation new Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino has been having with people  both internally and externally  it is something Zuckerberg and his Meta team no doubt are also thinking about as they consider their path to 1 billion active users.

In the weekend edition of his Madison and Wall newsletter, ad industry economist Brian Wieser republished a 2013 treatise recommending to then newly IPOed Twitter on his it could innovate its role with advertisers.

You can read it in its entirety here, but heres a highlight for Zuckerberg, as well as Yaccarino and Musk to think about:

As long as Twitter is a niche medium, appealing to a passionate if still-smaller (one third of the size in the long-run, perhaps?) user base relative to Facebook, it will not likely monetize as well as Facebook, Wieser wrote, speculating that Twitter ultimately would monetize itself at about one third the level of Metas Facebook.

But that will take many, many years to realize, well beyond the life of our model, he concluded, adding, We think they can get there by essentially sustaining existing sales efforts over the next year or so, but beyond these levels, further growth will be largely dependent upon Twitters own identity and purpose evolving, and with it, the segments of marketers who will uniquely depend on it should evolve too.

That last line strikes me as an especially poignant study in contrast between how Musk is approaching the identity and purpose of Twitter and how Zuckerberg is approaching it for Threads.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 10, 2023

Insurance company Lemonade released its first brand campaign in the United States on Monday supported by technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI).

The six-year-old company, which began as a tech startup, built its services on AI technology, which allows customers to get faster service supported by a bot named Maya. "Lemonade took a similar approach to advertising as most tech startups, which spend marketing budgets on performance and then move to branding, said Liron Smadja, head of the company's brand marketing.

About 15% of claims are completed without needing to speak with anyone, he said. Ironically, AI allows us to be more human-like. It speaks to people in their own language without the jargon.

Lemonade designed the three ads with creative agency Gus, which has also worked with Spotify. Each targets an emerging customer for the company, including the dual income, no kids, with a dog (DINKWAD) family. The relatable moments show how Lemonades technology solves frustrating experiences that consumers sometimes experience with traditional insurance companies.

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"We tried to rethink insurance for 2023," Smadja said. "[We] meet all the expectations of Gen Z-ers and millennials, who are used to getting things instantaneously."

The spots will run in Chicago, Nashville, and Austin across connected television and on YouTube.

The companies will monitor brand key performance indicators looking for Google brand search increases, dropping awareness, and will apply the same incrementality model it uses for acquisition marketing.

We work closely with Google to build and measure campaigns, Smadja said. We will look at brand search and how it translates to click-throughs. This is a full-funnel campaign, so we expect spend to increase.

It's all in the data, he said. The data and analytics company Ipsos provides a bigger picture with panel data as a key indicator for brand health.

Lemonade also worked with production company Hobby Film, and post-production company Nomad Editing. It has a major office in Tel Aviv, but supports customers in the U.S., U.K., Netherland Germany, and France, and now claims about 1.9 million customers.

"We are up against giant insurance companies with giant budgets," he said. "Our philosophy with creative has always been to penetrate through all the noise and standout. We looked for a highly conceptual agencies, like Gus, one that would say a lot without saying a lot. We don't like anything highly scripted."
by Todd Wasserman , July 10, 2023

This is shaping up to be the summer of retail media networks, as Walmart, Albertsons and Kroger have introduced improvements to their RMNs.

This summer, Walmart Connect, the retailers retail media arm, is testing the sale of ads on in-store radio and integrating in-store sampling programs with online offerings.

The retailers in-store media offerings include TV wall ads on screens, and self-checkout ads that can verify when the ad leads to a future digital or in-store purchase.

And for the first time, brands can now purchase ads on Walmart Radio categorized by region or store.

Albertsons, which launched its in-store media arm, Albertsons Media Collective, in 2021, is now seeking to standardize specifications, terminologies, methodologies and disclosures across media networks.

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While retail media is booming, the lack of standardization has produced an unnecessarily complex, inefficient and costly ecosystem. For retail media to achieve its full promise, we must tackle the issue of standardization head on, said Kristi Argyilan, senior vice president of retail media for Albertsons Companies, in an interview with Chain Store Age. To ensure the survival of this industry, we must come together toward a greater goal. We believe this framework will serve as a starting point for creating a unified approach to retail media standardization. Setting a new gold standard is the first stepping stone to revolutionizing how advertisers, agencies and retail media networks work together.

Kroger, meanwhile, has moved its retail data team in-house.

The expansion comes as Google and BCG predict that the retail media market will grow by 25% per year to $100 billion over the next five years and will account for 25% of digital media spending by 2026.
Arshad Warsi, known for his incredible acting skills and impeccable comic timing, recently revealed an interesting anecdote from his early days in the film industry. The actor shared that he once feared getting an earful from the legendary Jaya Bachchan, but little did he know that it would lead to his first acting job offer.

Arshad embarked on his acting journey with the film Tere Mere Sapne in 1996, directed by Joy Augustine. However, before stepping foot into the world of cinema, Arshad had a diverse range of jobs, including working as a door-to-door cosmetics salesman and in a photo-lab. Little did he know that these experiences would shape his path to stardom.

 Arshad Warsi

Arshad's journey to becoming a successful actor was not a conventional one, as he initially worked as a production assistant and choreographer on various Hindi films.



In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Arshad recalled a moment when producer Joy Augustine asked him to send his pictures to Amitabh Bachchan's office for a potential acting opportunity. Arshad expressed his concerns, saying, "Dude, I can't act, don't do this to me! I like my life, don't ruin this. You meet people who come here to do a film and they dont make it, and everyone knows that! Its like they are out on the streets and people go, Poor guy, came from his village to become a hero, he couldnt. Look at him, now travelling in a bus. I didnt want to be that guy."

To Arshad's surprise, he received a call from Jaya Bachchan's office, inviting him for a meeting. Filled with anticipation, Arshad thought, "I thought she is going to fire me! I thought, 'Hmm Jaya Bachchan...let's get fired by her, why not, Amitabh Bachchan ki biwi hai! Inke muh se do-chaar gaaliya achchi lagegi (That's Amitabh Bachchan's wife, if she hurls a few abuses at me...), it will be a story in my life... 'Jaya Bachchan fired me, waah waah.'"

Nervously, Arshad went to the meeting, expecting the worst. However, to his astonishment, Jaya Bachchan offered him the film. Overwhelmed, Arshad exclaimed, "I died! I said ab khatam (everything's over)."

 Amitabh Bachchan Corporation

He added, "I thank Amitabh and Jaya every morning, all the time, for all that I have. Had it not been for them, I would not have reached where I am now."



Recently seen in the second season of the web show Asur, where he reprised his role as an investigating officer, Arshad's versatility and passion for his craft shine through his work.
YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. A genuine Baku-Stepanakert dialogue should start with the aim of providing alternatives to violence, build much-needed confidence and ensure dignity. As reports ARMENPRESS, Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia wrote about this on his Twitter page. Klaar emphasized that the European Union looks forward to upcoming trilateral Brussels meeting with Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders.

A day that began with promise again ended in disappointment and frustration. As reiterated many times by the EU, it is crucial that the flow of energy supplies be restored without restrictions, as well as the movement of people and goods via the Lachin corridor, Klaar wrote expressing his feelings due to the suspension of natural gas supply to Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. The civil society of Artsakh sent an open letter to the international community regarding the ethnic cleansing and genocide policy carried out by Azerbaijan, and appealed to international human rights organizations and civil society to bring the voice of Artsakh to the international community and demand practical steps from their governments to prevent further crimes against humanity by Azerbaijan.

ARMENPRESS reports, the letter is posted on the Facebook page of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh.

The people of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), facing the threat of genocide, appeal to all countries and peoples of the world, as well as to international organisations designed to ensure proper implementation of international law.

Since June 15, 2023, having resorted to a provocation on the Hakari Bridge, Azerbaijan has tightened the blockade of Artsakh, which lasts for almost 7 months, starting from December 12, 2022, and has blocked the humanitarian transportation carried out by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping contingent, including transportation of patients to medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia, supplies of food, medicines, essential goods, fuel, thereby sharply aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the country. A week later, on June 22, 2023, the Azerbaijani side installed concrete blocks on the bridge where an illegal checkpoint had been installed on April 23, 2023, literally blocking the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world. Since June 25, 2023, the transportation of patients to medical institutions in Armenia accompanied by the ICRC has been restored, however, knowing the destructive pattern of Azerbaijan, which uses humanitarian issues as a lever of pressure on Artsakh, there are no guarantees that it will not be interrupted yet again. These actions of Azerbaijan should not be considered as separate acts of aggression, but as a part of the consistent and systematic policy of ethnic cleansing against Artsakh and its indigenous Armenian population. On the night of June 28, 2023, Azerbaijan resorted to another military provocation against Artsakh using long-range artillery and a drone, resulting in the death of four Artsakh servicemen defending their Homeland and the peaceful population from the Azerbaijani aggression.

Ignoring the adopted resolutions of the European Parliament of January 19, 2023 and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of June 22, 2023, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of December 21, 2022, the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations (UN) of February 22, 2023, Azerbaijan, as if mocking the authority of these organisations, stubbornly continues to conduct the policy of genocide and patriacide against the people of Artsakh, demonstrating criminal self-will, thereby opposing itself to the civilized world. In addition, the President of Azerbaijan openly allows himself to threaten representatives of the international community who do not share his approach to resolving the Artsakh issue, while believing that international law is entirely on the side of Azerbaijan.

Official Baku rejects the demand to provide guarantees for the security of the people of Artsakh and constantly insists that this is an internal problem of Azerbaijan, which it intends to solve at its discretion. Against the background of blatant Armenophobia, which has become part of the state policy of the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan and completely permeates the Azerbaijani society. As there is plenty of evidence, it is not difficult to imagine what this "solution" might be if the people of Artsakh suddenly find themselves under the rule of Baku.

We welcome the growing international understanding that the people of Artsakh need firm international guarantees of protection. We thank the congressmen who spoke on this matter in the US Congress on June 21, 2023, calling a spade a spade and giving an objective assessment of Azerbaijan's policy, as well as all other international actors who have the courage to speak out loud about the existential threats posed by Azerbaijan and looming over the people of Artsakh.

We express our hope that more and more people in the world will understand the genuine causes of this conflict and understand why the people of Nagorno-Karabakh made a legitimate request to withdraw from the Azerbaijani SSR and join Armenia in 1988, which led to the beginning of Azerbaijani aggression and a bloody war in which Artsakh people were forced to defend themselves.

Now, when there are calls from various international platforms for a peaceful resolution of the conflict by including Artsakh in Azerbaijan, we suggest recalling the history of the Second World War and trying to imagine: would it be possible to call Jews to live under Hitler's Nazi government? Modern Azerbaijan is also a Nazi state in relation to the Armenians, and it is not difficult to make sure of that  in case of an objective look at this issue without unilateral consumption of the Azerbaijani propaganda.

Having survived the horrors of the three wars unleashed by Azerbaijan, pogroms, exile, psychological terror, human and material losses, continuing to live with the looming existential threat, the people of Artsakh are demanding to use all existing international mechanisms to prevent ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Azerbaijan.

In view of the current situation, we demand the presence of representatives of all relevant international organizations in Artsakh. Taking into account the violations of the agreements reflected in Point 6 of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, according to which free and safe passage through the Lachin corridor should be ensured, we call on the international organizations, namely the UN, to send an international mission to the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh, strengthen and improve the functioning of the peacekeeping institute.

Also, due to the fact that Azerbaijan openly ignores the implementation of the decisions of the ECHR and the ICJ of the UN issued during the blockade, we appeal to the international community to impose sanctions against this country.

On behalf of the civil society of Artsakh, we appeal to the international human rights and civil society to help bring the voice of Artsakh to the wider international community and demand that their governments take real preventive measures in order to prevent Azerbaijan's next crimes against humanity.

While expressing our gratitude for being concerned about the fate of the people of Artsakh, we emphasize that the only reliable guarantee of our rights and security is the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, which is based on the right of the people to self-determination, enshrined in international law, and the free will of the people of Artsakh.

Artsakh is not a territory inherited by someone by the right of the strong, but our Homeland, where we have a full and inalienable right to a safe life. Artsakh is not just a handful of 120,000 people, not counting about 30,000 forcibly displaced Artsakh residents, who were expelled from their homes as a result of Azerbaijan's military aggression in 2020. Today Artsakh is a test of the values declared by the democratic world and a litmus test of the world order. The essence of the value system of the changing world order will be defined by the choice made between lies, discrimination, violence, terrorism, authoritarianism on one hand or freedom, democracy and respect for human rights on the other.
WASHINGTON  At 31 years old, Nasrat Ahmad Yar had spent most of his adult life working with the U.S. military in Afghanistan before escaping to America in search of a better life for his wife and four children.

He found work as a ride-share driver and even managed to send money back to Afghanistan to help family and friends. He liked to play volleyball with friends in the Washington suburb where many Afghans who fled their country now live. At 6-feet-5 inches, he had a powerful serve.

Last Monday night, worried about making rent, he went out driving and was shot and killed in Washington. No suspects have been arrested, but surveillance video captured the sound of a single gunshot and four boys or young men were seen running away. Police have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

He was so generous. He was so nice. He was always trying to help the people, said Rahim Amini, a fellow Afghan immigrant and longtime friend. He said Ahmad Yar always reminded him, Dont forget the people left behind.

Jeramie Malone, an American who came to know Ahmed Yar through her volunteer work with a veteran-founded organization bringing former Afghan interpreters to safety, also was struck by his generosity.

He always wanted to be giving more than he was receiving and he was just really extremely kind. In America, Malone said, all he wanted was a chance.

Afghans and U.S. military veterans gathered for a funeral service Saturday at the All Muslim Association of America in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Family and friends comforted Ahmad Yar's children and wife as his casket was lowered into the ground with ropes and people used shovels to toss soil on top.

One of those in attendance was Matthew Butler, now retired from the military who met Ahmad Yar in 2009 at Bagram Airfield, then an American base north of Kabul, the Afghan capital. Ahmad Yar was his primary interpreter for two tours in the country.

Butler said Ahmad Yar was like a brother or a son to him, and he noted the military's commitment to leaving no one behind  something he said now extends to Ahmad Yar's wife.

I pledged my support to his wife and his children, and said just because Nasrat is gone doesnt mean my support to you is gone. I wont leave you behind, Butler said after the ceremony.

Amini said Ahmad Yar had worked for the U.S. military for about a decade as an interpreter and doing other jobs, seeing it as a way to help pave the way for the next generation in Afghanistan to have a better life.

While the U.S. has had a Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans who worked closely with the U.S. government to come to America since 2009, Amini said his friend didn't want to apply right away, preferring to stay in Afghanistan, where he felt needed.

He remembered Ahmad Yar saying: "I have guys here I need to support. ... When I feel that they don't need my support then I can go to America.

Then, in August 2021, the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over.

Mohammad Ahmadi, Ahmad Yar's cousin, was already in America after also working for the U.S. military. The two talked on the phone about how to get Ahmad Yar and his family out of Afghanistan. Ahmadi said his cousin could see the Taliban soldiers walking through the streets of Kabul and was worried they would discover he'd been an interpreter for the U.S. military.

He said, I dont want to get killed in front of my wife and kids,' Ahmadi said.

When he wasnt able to get out of the crowded Kabul airport, Ahmad Yar went to northern Afghanistan in hopes of getting into Uzbekistan. When that didn't work, he and his family went to the northwestern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where he and his family were able to get on a flight to the United Arab Emirates and then eventually travel to America.

Even when laying low in Mazar-e-Sharif, Nasrat would go out of his way to assist other Afghans who also had come to escape the Taliban  greeting them on arrival to the strange city, bringing their families to stay with his, and feeding them, while all waited for flights out, Malone said.

Nasrat was very different, because even though he was needing help, he was always helping me, she said.

While waiting at the interim transit camp in the United Arab Emirates, he asked for writing supplies for the children so he could teach them English before they arrived in the U.S., Malone said. It was really important for him for his kids to get an education and for them to ... have opportunities they never would have had in Afghanistan."

His eldest child, a girl, is now 13, and the others are boys, ages 11, 8 and just 15 months old.

The family went first to Pennsylvania, but Amini said his friend was robbed there and decided to move to Alexandria, in northern Virginia. Amini said Ahmad Yar told him he'd fled to the U.S. to be safe and unfortunately Im not safe here.

In northern Virginia, they both ended up being ride-share drivers and lived about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from each other. Like many in the Afghan diaspora there, they chatted throughout the day in a WhatsApp group text. And they played in a weekly volleyball game. Ahmad Yar was really good and no one could block his serve, Amini said.

Amini said they spoke Monday evening and the next thing he knew he was woken up by another Afghan friend who had somehow heard that Ahmad Yar had been killed.

In disbelief, Amini began frantically calling his friend. But it was the police who finally answered the phone: The police officer said: Im sorry. Unfortunately hes not alive anymore."

The police said in their report that they responded to a call about an unconscious person and found Ahmad Yars body. They rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead. On the surveillance video they released, one of the four suspected attackers shouted, You just killed him. Another answered, He was reaching, bro.

Washington has struggled to handle steadily rising crime rates, with murders and carjackings mostly to blame. Homicides are up 14% compared with this time last year. Early Wednesday, nine people enjoying the Independence Day festivities were shot and wounded, police said.

His wife is still in shock, said Ahmad Yar's cousin, Ahmadi. But she said she and her husband had the same goal in coming to America  to provide a future for their children.

She told Ahmadi: I have the same goal for them. They can go to school. They can go to college and become educated and good people for the society.

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Associated Press videojournalist Serkan Gurbuz in Fredericksburg, Virginia, contributed to this report.
The design of the bridge windows on the Coast Guard's fast response cutters and failures by the watch on the cutter Winslow Griesser contributed to the death of a recreational fisherman off Puerto Rico last August, a service investigation has concluded. It also cited the actions of the crew of the 22-foot boat with which the cutter collided.

Results from a major incident investigation published Friday by the Coast Guard found that the two fishermen aboard a 22-foot center console recreational boat, the Desakatado, failed to yield right of way to the cutter Winslow Griesser, resulting in a collision that killed Puerto Rican resident Carlos Rosario and injured his brother, Samuel Rosario Beltran.

But the investigation also found there was "sufficient evidence" that the Winslow Griesser did not maintain a proper lookout or a safe speed that might have made the Aug. 8, 2022, accident preventable.

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The accident led to the relief of its commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz, a 2013 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who previously commanded the patrol boat Adak.

According to the investigation, the 154-foot Winslow Griesser left San Juan the morning of Aug. 8 heading west for Punta Cana, while the Desakatado headed north to a fishing buoy near Dorado, Puerto Rico.

The skies were clear, but the seas were choppy, with 6- to 8-foot waves and wind gusts up to 22 knots.

As the Winslow Griesser left San Juan, it revved up to 29 knots -- a normal practice at Coast Guard Sector San Juan to save time, limit crew fatigue and relieve other cutters on duty -- even as the operational plan called for 16 knots, according to the Coast Guard.

Williamsz was on the bridge, as was an officer of the deck and quartermaster of the watch. The officer of the deck was fully qualified and was instructing a crewmember on how to perform a watch. Sea spray was clouding the windows, but members of the crew were monitoring radar and had good visibility across the deck, according to the report.

At roughly the same time, the Desakatado, which lacked radar or an automatic transmission system that would have made it detectable to maritime equipment, headed north, bobbing in and out of the large waves. As it reached its fishing grounds, the craft slowed to 5 knots and the crew started preparing lines to fish, paying little attention to the seas around them, according to the investigation.

Shortly after two in the afternoon, the Desakatado, on a course to cross in front of the Winslow Griesser from the port side, was struck by the Coast Guard ship.

The rules of the maritime road say that ships on the starboard side have the right of way, while the general rule of thumb for most mariners is that smaller boats should always give way to larger ones.

The Desakatado failed to do either.

But in his report, Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, Atlantic Area commander, noted mistakes on the Coast Guard vessel that prevented the cutter from anticipating the accident or taking corrective measures to avoid it.

This included the officer of the deck remaining stationary in the middle of the helm, subject to blind spots created by the bridge's metal window frames, instead of walking around to get a full picture of the horizon.

Lunday also said that the cutter's speed was a factor in failing to prevent the accident, even as he did not rule that the cutter was traveling at an unsafe speed.

"While the sea state played a factor in restricting the visibility for small vessels when they dip below swell height, I do not believe it necessitated either vessel to reduce speed for the prevailing conditions," Lunday wrote.

Nonetheless, based on the findings, Lunday concluded that the accident was caused because neither the cutter nor the recreational boat saw the other. As a result, Williamsz's temporary relief was made permanent in May.

As part of the investigation, Lunday's team interviewed crewmembers, conducted simulations and spoke with a passenger on an American Airlines flight who watched the whole thing unfold as the aircraft approached Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan.

Williamsz, the officer of the deck and the quartermaster of the watch, who were not identified in the report, declined to be interviewed for the investigation on the advice of their attorneys.

Williamsz is now assigned to a duty station in Washington while Lt. Vincent Deegan has been named as the cutter's commander, according to a Coast Guard press release.

"The public rightly expects the Coast Guard as professional mariners to maintain and emulate the highest standards of prudent seamanship and navigation," Lunday wrote in his report. "We did not do so here with tragic consequences for members of the public we serve. We will do better."

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

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A girl was found at Camp Pendleton more than two weeks after she had been reported missing, according to her family, who alleges she was raped by a Marine on the military base north of San Diego.

The girls aunt, Casaundra Perez, said in a video posted to TikTok on Thursday that her niece, whom she did not identify by name, went missing from her home near Spring Valley on June 10 and was found at the base June 28.

A photograph posted to Instagram by the account notinregz, which shares content submitted by military personnel, shows an unidentified Marine in handcuffs being escorted by military police officers. The post included a photo of what it said was a handwritten logbook from Camp Pendleton that says military personnel found a 13-year-old girl in the barracks June 28. The Los Angeles Times could not verify the authenticity of the logbook page.

A Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5 was taken into custody for questioning by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service the day the girl was found, 1st Marine Logistics Group spokesperson Capt. Charles Palmer confirmed.

The Marine is on active duty and assigned to the battalion stationed at Camp Pendleton, Palmer said.

This command takes this matter and these allegations very seriously. The incident is under investigation, and we will continue to cooperate with NCIS and appropriate authorities, Palmer said in a statement.

It is unclear whether the Marine who was taken in for questioning remains in military police custody.

In the TikTok video, Perez alleged that her niece had been trafficked and accused military personnel of trying to cover up the case and shift blame to the girl for the alleged sexual assault.

Perez said security looked her (niece) in the face and allowed this man to bring a minor onto base.

Our family is worried about retaliation from the military and the man that has trafficked my niece, said Perez, who could not be reached for comment.

NCIS spokesperson Jeff Houston said in an email the agency does not comment on or confirm details relating to ongoing investigations.

According to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, a 14-year-old girl who had been last seen June 9 and reported missing by her grandmother June 13 was found at Camp Pendleton. The grandmother said the girl had run away from home before but had quickly returned, according to the Sheriffs Department.

After the girl was found at Camp Pendleton, sheriffs deputies reunited her with her grandmother. Detectives interviewed the girl and offered services to the family, according to the Sheriffs Department, which is supporting NCIS with the investigation.

The department declined to provide additional details about the case because it involves a minor.

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2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
As one of the most important training grounds for the United States Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base possesses quite a history. Yet, few are familiar with the man behind its namesake, 2Lt. Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr.

Keesler was born on April 11, 1896, in Greenwood, Mississippi to an affluent family. His father was a cotton broker and owned a mansion nearby nicknamed "Cottonlandia."

Throughout his high school years, Keesler proved himself an exceptional leader, student and athlete. He continued his academic pursuits at Davidson College in North Carolina, hoping to one day teach in secondary schools. During this time he also served as president of the student body.

While Keesler pursued his studies, Europe became embroiled in the horrors of World War I. In the midst of the global conflict, airplanes emerged as a powerful tool of warfare, evolving from reconnaissance planes to heavily armed fighters and bombers engaged in dramatic aerial battles.

With the sinking of the Lusitania and German attempts to manipulate Mexico into attacking the U.S., America joined the Allied forces in April 1917. Although millions enlisted in the military, only a select few embraced the field of aviation.

Eager to contribute, Keesler enlisted on May 13, 1917, even skipping his college commencement to do so. He underwent training as an aerial observer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was commissioned as an officer on August 15.

In March 1918, Keesler and other American service members bound for battle began arriving in massive numbers in France. There, he underwent advanced training in aerial gunnery and artillery fire control.

Assigned to the 24 Aero Squadron near Verdun in August, Keesler and his comrades conducted crucial reconnaissance and observation missions over German lines, providing invaluable support to the American and French armies.

On September 14, Keesler took off on his first mission, flying without an escort behind enemy lines on observation duties. He experienced his first taste of enemy fire and his plane was badly damaged by German forces.

In preparation for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Squadron relocated to the Vivacourt Airdome on September 22. As the American and French armies assaulted the German front-lines, the Squadron supplied critical intelligence and photographic evidence of enemy positions.

On the afternoon of Oct. 8, Keesler and pilot 1Lt. Harold W. Riley embarked on a routine reconnaissance mission. However, they were swiftly confronted by four German fighters, outmatched and outgunned.

Riley attempted to disengage, but their plane sustained heavy damage to its rudder and elevator. Remarkably, even as their aircraft dipped toward the ground, Keesler continued firing his machine gun, managing to destroy one enemy fighter.

Both Keesler and Riley survived the crash landing, but Keesler had sustained six wounds to his chest and abdomen during the encounter. As they crawled out of the wreckage, a strafing run by one of the enemy planes injured both men.

While German soldiers took the men captive, the necessary medical attention was beyond their reach. Tragically, Keesler succumbed to his wounds the following day.

Riley, having endured his wounds and captivity, later recommended Keesler for a citation. Recognizing his exceptional courage, Riley even remarked that "Keesler received no medical attention and, although he must have suffered terribly, he showed wonderful self-control and won the admiration of all the German soldiers."

Keesler was only 22 years old and is was buried at Saint Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in Thiaucourt-Regnieville, France.

Keesler was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary valor. In 1941, Army Air Corps Station No. 8 was officially renamed as Keesler Army Airfield in his honor. This eventually became Keesler Air Force Base.

Today, Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr. is remembered as one of Mississippi's most prominent WWI heroes. His faithful service and ultimate sacrifice are remembered by the nearly 30,000 airmen who train at the base each year.

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(c)2023 The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

Visit The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.) at www.sunherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Elizabeth Henson just moved to Louisiana in June with her husband, an active-duty Coast Guardsman. Like many couples, they watch pornography on major websites like Pornhub to keep the marriage spicy, sometimes together over the phone when her husband's duties take him away from home.

"We'll watch a video together on the phone, get some of that steam blown off and maintain that sense of intimacy," Henson, who served a decade in the Coast Guard herself, told Military.com. "This is one of the ways that we can keep that intimacy alive in our marriage."

In Louisiana, a state law passed in January requires users to verify their age on pornography sites using a driver's license or other ID through a third-party government website to verify that the user is at least 18 years old.

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Henson does not have a Louisiana state ID. Like many military spouses who move around frequently, she kept her driver's license from the last state she lived in.

Instead, she chose to go through the hurdle of paying for and installing a virtual private network, or VPN -- a tool that effectively tricks websites into thinking the user is in a different location -- to maintain access to websites she describes as helpful to her marriage. She either had to pay for the workaround or pay for a new ID -- both of which she argues are effectively a tax on her and her husband's sex life.

While Henson found a way around the law, she felt compelled to try to change it. She is a plaintiff in a lawsuit working its way through the court system. The suit, filed in June by the Free Speech Coalition, an advocacy group for the adult industry, argues that Louisiana's age verification law violates the First Amendment.

Henson and the other plaintiffs have asked for a preliminary injunction blocking the state's ID law while the case proceeds, and the state was ordered by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to file its objections to the hold by July 17. The state was also tasked with filing paperwork supporting its effort to dismiss the case by July 10, though no document had appeared in the court's electronic system by publication time.

As news of the case surfaced after its filing, Henson's name began to appear in reports across the country as one of two individuals suing Louisiana. As a military spouse, the ID requirements are particularly problematic, she said.

"I'm not supposed to have to change my residency, or my driver's license, or my car registration every two to four years. That would be a huge financial burden," she said. "Porn is just a key component of being human and being an adult."

Military couples often experience extended separations as part of duty, and studies have shown as many as one-third of couples in long-distance relationships may rely on shared viewing of pornography as part of maintaining their relationships.

Louisiana is a major hub for the Coast Guard's presence in the Gulf of Mexico and hosts a massive training ground for the Army at Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk.

The state's law, which went into effect in January, aims to make it difficult for children to access pornography. In practice, it mostly impacts the top pornography sites, which are those most likely to worry about compliance, one being Canadian-owned Pornhub. The site is the 12th most visited in the U.S., with some metrics showing it outperforming Netflix and Amazon.

The adult company, which also serves as an umbrella for other major pornography websites, argues that viewers will simply go to niche sites, which may be less secure and have more extreme and sometimes illegal content. Some critics of the Louisiana legislation also argue that, even if those niche sites do comply with the law, they could have access to personal information through the government's verification system.

"Unfortunately, the way many elected officials have chosen to implement these laws is haphazard and dangerous," a spokesperson for Pornhub said in a statement to Military.com. "Our traffic in Louisiana dropped approximately 80%. These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to other corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify age, that don't follow the law, that don't take user safety seriously, and that often don't even moderate content."

Utah, Mississippi and Virginia passed similar laws in recent months. Virginia has one of the largest military populations in the country. Pornhub has blocked access to its sites in all three of those states, saying they cannot comply with the law because the states do not have adequate digital verification in place.

Henson says that access to pornography websites is both helpful when her husband is away and when they are together "as part of date night." She said she's surprised that something that's so intimate between her and her husband is being controlled by the state.

"I thought the South was supposed to be small government, but that doesn't seem to be the case," Henson said.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon

Related: Congress Weighs Giving Military Spouses More Options to Work Remotely for Government
Russia considers the transfer of the leaders of the nationalist Azov battalion (banned in Russia) by Ankara to Kiev as a violation of agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, adding that the matter will be discussed with Turkey, Sputnik reported.

July 10, 2023, 16:08 Kremlin calls return of Azov leaders to Ukraine violation of agreements

STEPANAKERT, JULY 10, ARTSAKHPRESS: On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the leaders of the Azov battalion had returned to Ukraine from Turkey.

"As for the return of the Azov leaders, yes, this is a violation of the existing agreements, and we will discuss this with the Turkish side, as we, in fact, have already begun to do," Peskov told reporters.

Commenting on the prospects for creating a gas hub against the backdrop of the situation with Azov, the official said that this has nothing to do with it, noting that Moscow plans to continue relation with Turkey.

"As a sovereign state, Turkey has the absolute right to develop relations with any countries, including Ukraine. But, of course, being partners with Turkey, we want to hope that the development of these relations will not directed against us," he added.
DETROIT - Two of Michigans most iconic brands have teamed up to create two new Detroit-style pizzas. Available beginning today and for a limited time at all Buddys locations are the Slows Yardbird and Barbecue Brisket Detroit-style pizzas.

The Yardbird pizza is inspired by the famous Slows Bar BQ Sandwich which features smoked Amish chicken, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar, applewood smoked bacon and whole grain honey mustard BBQ sauce. The Detroit-style pizza version features those ingredients and its finished with Slows apple barbecue sauce.

The Detroit-style BBQ Brisket Pizza features Wisconsin brick cheese, Slows smoked beef brisket and onions with a drizzle of Slows tangy Mary Ann BBQ sauce. Its then finished with freshly-chopped pickles.

The barbecue pizzas are $17.49 for the 4-square and $28.49 for the 8-square. They are available at all Buddys dine-in and carry-out locations through Labor Day, Monday, September 4th.

Also new to Buddys menu beginning today through Labor Day are Slows Chili Cheese Fries ($12.99), and two seasonal, Detroit-inspired cocktails, the Vernors Ginger Mule and Vernors Ginger Lemonade ($8.99 each, ages 21 and up).

Buddys, which was established in 1946, has 17 restaurants in Metro Detroit, one in Ann Arbor, two in Grand Rapids, one one in Okemos and one in Portage. Slows was established in 2005 with its original location in Detroits Corktown. There is also a restaurant in Detroits Midtown and another in Grand Rapids.

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WAYNE COUNTY, MI  Five people jumped overboard after an explosion on their boat caused a fire. The quick actions of one seasonal ranger may have saved lives, officials said.

Judy Brothers, a summer ranger with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is being lauded for her quick actions during the rescue of five boaters at a state boat launch on Belleville Lake in Wayne County.

Brothers, who has worked for the DNR for the past three summers and has no formal emergency response training, helped all five people escape without injury.

It all happened shortly after noon on Saturday, July 1, at the DNRs east Belleville Lake boat launch where Brothers is tasked with maintenance, directing traffic and checking in vehicles.

The group of five had a 21-foot Marada boat. They got it in the water, started the engine and untied it from the dock. Then the engine stalled. They attempted to use a portable charger to restart it.

Thats when Brothers heard an explosion. The boat was about 10 feet from the dock with visible flames on it. She called 911 and then ran out to the scene.

I knew that boat was on fire, and I knew there was gas in there and I knew gas and fire dont mix, she said. The woman was screaming that she couldnt swim, and I was screaming for them to jump in the water.

Two of the boaters couldnt swim. There were life jackets for everyone, but they didnt all have them on. Brothers threw an extra life jacket to them as they helped the woman get to the dock.

Judy Brothers, a seasonal park ranger at Belleville Lake, is shown. She is being lauded for her quick actions in the rescue of five boaters who were aboard a boat that burst into flames after an explosion.Photo by Judy Brothers

No one was injured, although a couple of them had singed clothing.

A pontoon boat from a nearby yacht club, which was preparing for a fireworks display that evening, quickly responded with a hose. A local fire department also responded and put out the fire with an ABC extinguisher.

Two personal water craft were damaged when the fiery boat drifted back to the docks. The boat was a complete loss.

I am very proud of her, Traci Sincock, DNR park supervisor for Maybury State Park and the Belleville Lake boating access sites, said of Brothers. Shes a great employee.

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TROY, MI  A Michigan man is accused of plotting to kill his family.

Max Garza, 48, of Troy was arrested and charged with solicitation to commit murder, the Troy Police Department announced Monday.

Garza is accused of making plans to hire someone to kill family members. He was also allegedly seeking a firearm to kill the family members himself if he was unable to secure someone else to do it.

Garza had hoped to gain a larger inheritance from the estate and was also generally upset with his targeted family, police said.

Police began investigating Garza after receiving a tip on July 1. The witness had recorded conversations with Garza discussing his plans to solicit or commit murder.

The plans allegedly included how he would fund the cost, how he would construct his alibi, and his alternative plan if he was unable to hire someone, police said.

Garza was interviewed on July 3 and taken into custody after police determined Garzas family was in danger if he wasnt arrested.

The Oakland County Prosecutors Office charged Garza with five counts of solicitation to commit murder. He was arraigned at the 52-4 District Court. Bond was set at $1 million.

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Ethan Crumbleys wardrobe has been limited to an orange Oakland County Jail uniform since his arrest following a mass shooting that killed four classmates on Nov. 30, 2021.

Defense attorneys are asking Oakland County Circuit Judge Kwame L. Rowe to allow their client to appear in street clothes for his July 27 Miller hearing, during which there will be testimony to determine whether the 17-year-old will spend the remainder of his life in prison without a chance of parole.

Typically, defendants are allowed to shed jail clothes for trial. In Crumbleys case, hes already pleaded guilty on Oct. 24 to four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of felony use of a firearm. There will be no trial.

First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence for adults in Michigan; however, because Crumbley was a 15-year-old minor at the time of the killings, a 2012 Supreme Court ruling requires he undergo an additional Miller hearing before receiving a life sentence.

To justify an automatic life sentence for a minor, prosecutors must convince the judge the defendant is irreparably corrupt.

While there appears to be no precedent approving the wearing of street or non-jail clothing during a Miller evidentiary hearing, there is nothing preventing it either, said the motion filed on July 7 motion by defense attorneys Paullette M. Loftin and Amy M. Hopp.

Noting every other person in the Miller hearing, including any allowed minor witnesses, will be in street clothing, Crumbleys attorneys argue forcing him to be the only participant in a jail uniform would deprive the teen shooter of the respect and dignity afforded others in the courtroom.

Crumbleys court-appointed guardian would provide the clothing, the motion said.

The teens attorneys are also arguing to exclude victims from testifying at the Miller hearing, claiming the brutal details may override the intent of the the hearing, which is to evaluate the impact of Crumbleys youth, home life, peer pressure and other factors, as well as the possibility that he could be rehabilitated, a separate motion argues.

Rulings are expected at a July 12 motion hearing.

The Miller hearing is set for July 27.

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ANN ARBOR, MI -- A 21-year-old University of Michigan student was fatally struck by a car Saturday night while he was riding a motorized scooter in Ann Arbor.

Officers were called to Oakland Avenue and Hill Street around 11:30 p.m. July 8, for a report of a crash between a car and a motorized scooter, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department. When they arrived, officers said they found Seth Sugar, 21, with significant head injuries.

Preliminary investigation indicates Sugar, from Deerfield, Illinois, was riding the battery-operated scooter east on Hill Street when he crossed the center line and was hit head-on by a car going west, police said.

Sugar was taken to the hospital where he died Sunday, July 9, police said.

The driver of the car, a 77-year-old Ann Arbor resident, was not injured in the crash, police said.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Ann Arbor police were aided at the scene by the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office Accident Investigation unit.

Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to reach out to the Ann Arbor Police Department at 734-794-6939 or email the tip line at tips@a2gov.org.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

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ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Ann Arbor Police Department welcomed five new officers onto the force this month, including a few familiar faces.

Four of the new officers, Matthew Kohls, Mia Long, Logan Petchel and Morgan Parker had previously served with the police department. Kohls had interned with the force in 2022, while Long, Petchel and Parker recently graduated from being cadets. Kohls earned his degree from the Ferris State Police Academy, and Long, Petchel and Parker earned their degrees from Wayne County Regional Police Academy.

The fifth new hire, Officer Jordan Dotter, has more than a decade of experience in law enforcement, and previously served at the Dearborn Heights Police Department. He started his career at the Livonia Police Department.

For more information on the new officers, and for other updates from the AAPD, visit their Facebook page.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

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FLINT, MI -- The city has set aside $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for sidewalk replacements but wants to carry out an assessment of every concrete square in Flint before deciding where to start.

A proposal from the administration of Mayor Sheldon Neeley asks the City Council to approve a $111,000 contract with Spalding DeDecker of Rochester Hills to do the work this summer and fall, and the council could approve the plan as early as Monday, July 10.
LAPEER COUNTY, MI  Police agencies in Montana are still searching for a murder suspect they say escaped the custody of a private transportation group that was transporting him from Montana to Michigan.

Chadwick Shane Mobley managed to remove his handcuffs and ankle shackles while inside a vehicle parked at a gas station in Plains, Montana, authorities said in a statement Sunday, July 9. Multiple police agencies have been searching for him since.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  Prosecutors are reviewing an investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by an Ottawa County sheriffs deputy.

The investigation report by Michigan State Police was turned over to the Ottawa County Prosecutors Office, MSP Lt. Michelle Robinson told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press on Monday, July 10.

An Ottawa County sheriffs deputy shot and killed a 28-year-old man who hasnt been identified one month ago after the man pointed a gun at officers, police reports state.

I am still awaiting some additional reports that I will need before I can issue a written opinion, Ottawa County Prosecutor Lee F. Fisher told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press in an email Monday.

RELATED: Man killed by sheriffs deputy pointed gun at officers, report shows

The shooting happened at nighttime June 10 on a side street near a wooded area in Georgetown Township.

Ottawa County sheriffs deputies were responding to a report of an armed man who was threatening to kill others and himself. Two Grandville police officers assisted deputies at the scene.

Police found the man shooting a firearm into the woods at the end of River Avenue, a Grandville police report states.

The man refused to comply with multiple commands from the deputy and, at some point, the man reached toward the front of his vehicle and produced a handgun and pointed it at police, the report says.

A sheriffs deputy fired a single round in response, killing the man.

Body-worn camera obtained from the Grandville Police Department by MLive/The Grand Rapids Press through a public records request shows two of its officers arriving at the scene and walking toward the incident as it unfolded.

Shortly after the man was shot, both officers can be heard reporting to dispatch, Shots fired. The footage does not show the actual killing.

The deputy is still employed with the sheriffs office and working administrative duties. Ottawa County sheriffs deputies do not have in-car dash cameras or body-worn cameras.

The Michigan State Police is also handling an investigation into two Grand Haven police officers shooting and killing a 66-year-old Grand Haven man armed with a rifle on Sunday, July 9, in a hospital parking lot.

Police were called for a report of a suicidal man at Trinity Grand Haven Hospital. The man was shot and killed when police tried to intervene.

That investigation remains ongoing.

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.

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JACKSON COUNTY, MI  From Menards building storage units, to restaurants that Jackson wishes never closed, many businesses are making news in the area.

Heres some Jackson-area business news you might have missed.

Whats that Jackson? Lots of building going on near Menards

Menards in Jackson is looking to expand to offer something different than home-improvement goods.

The Wisconsin-based company is using empty space at the back of its building at 3588 Page Ave. to develop storage units that people can rent for their private use. Roughly 381 units are being added in various sizes. About 172 of the units will be 10 feet by 15 feet, 173 units will be 10 feet by 20 feet and 36 units will be 12 feet by 25 feet.

These can be used to store a range of items, including vehicles, household items or large equipment. The facility will be fenced in, lighted and have security cameras and drive-up access.

A bacon-infused bun tops this decadent burger at Duck Lake Tavern

Driving through the area near Springport, motorists will typically see nothing but farmland.

But if they look a little closer, they can find a surprise hole-in-the-wall tavern known for its great eats. The Duck Lake Tavern is owned by Martha Smeyers and Frank Rock, who bought the building from Darbs Country Tavern in 2021.

Through the years, the tavern has had several different owners and names, but Smeyers and Rock are trying to make their own mark with a revamped menu, Rock said.

Read the full story here

Jackson loves its restaurants, and here are 10 we wish were still here today

Its no secret Jacksonians love their restaurants.

However, from the casual drive-in of The Dome to the more upscale Gilberts Steak House, Jackson residents have had to say goodbye through the years to many restaurants they loved for their food and atmosphere.

Some still think fondly of the memories they shared at these eateries, and they still crave their favorite dishes. Here are 10 of those beloved restaurants Jacksonians wish were still around today.

Read the full story here.

150-year-old Clark Lake church will see new life with new owner

Clarklake Community Church served its community for 152 years before it closed three years ago. Its new owner is hoping to put the building back into service in a different way.

The former church at 9224 Hyde Road was bought on May 9 by Diane Smith, owner and director of Countryside Montessori School in Hillsdale County. She said she plans to turn it into a Montessori school for the Clark Lake area.

Smiths plan is to turn the almost 8,000-square-foot building into four classrooms and a room for after-school activities. Plumbing, heating, installing additional windows and other elements are needed to update the inside of the building, she said.

Read the full story here.

Whats that Jackson? This store is like having Black Friday everyday

A new Jackson business features rows of bins filled with discounted items just waiting for customers to browse through.

Youll see many items available in big-box stores, but Jackson Liquidation Center offers them at a discounted price. The store, which opened June 16, features retail merchandise, electronics, appliances, clothes, toys and home decor.

The items inside the store come from overstock items or customer returns from big-box retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot.

Items are placed in bins, which are set at different prices depending on the day of the week. Prices are $10 Friday, $8 Saturday, $6 Sunday, $4 Monday $2 Tuesday and $1 Wednesday. The store is closed Thursday to restock.

Read the full story here.

Step away from the fast food. Healthy options await at a new Jackson eatery

The many fast-food options available in Jackson made Janet Parker want to bring something healthy to the Jackson-areas hungry residents.

Parker, along with Hayley Edwards-Bollinger, opened Elements Juice Bar at the beginning of June, just two doors down from Parkers other business Sweet Scoops. When the juice bar Qwench closed in December 2022, the pair decided to fill the gap for healthier options, Parker said.

The juice bar offers a range of smoothies, juices, acai bowls and grain bowls.

Read the full story here.

A salad extravaganza awaits at KeniKakes & More

KeniKakes & More strives to make its kitchen like the one in your home, so its daily menu is always changing.

The restaurant, owned by Shakanna Blake, moved into a brick-and-mortar location in February. Since then, Blake has been busy getting to know the Vandercook Lake community and putting together some new items for people to try.

She mixes that up with different daily specials, including a handful of salad options she calls a Salad Extravaganza. One of the newest items is a chicken and shrimp salad that comes with lettuce, tomato, cheese, peppers, cucumbers, eggs, carrots, tortilla strips and is served with ranch dressing.

Read the full story here.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.

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The people of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), facing the threat of genocide, appeal to all countries and peoples of the world, as well as to international organisations designed to ensureproper implementation of international law.

July 10, 2023, 18:12 Artsakh is a test of the values declared by the democratic world and a litmus test of the world order. Open letter to the international community

STEPANAKERT, JULY 10, ARTSAKHPRESS: As Artsakhpress informs, this is stated in an open letter addressed to the international community by the Civil Society of the Artsakh Republic.

''The people of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), facing the threat of genocide, appeal to all countries and peoples of the world, as well as to international organisationsdesigned to ensureproper implementation of international law. Since June 15, 2023, having resorted to a provocation on the Hakari Bridge, Azerbaijan has tightened the blockade of Artsakh, which lasts for almost 7 months, starting from December 12, 2022, and has blocked the humanitarian transportation carried out by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping contingent, including transportation of patients to medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia, supplies of food, medicines, essential goods, fuel, thereby sharply aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the country. A week later, on June 22, 2023, the Azerbaijani side installed concrete blocks on the bridge where an illegal checkpoint had been installed on April 23, 2023, literally blocking the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world.

Since June 25, 2023, the transportation of patients to medical institutions in Armenia accompanied by the ICRC has been restored, however, knowing the destructive pattern of Azerbaijan, which uses humanitarian issues as a lever of pressure on Artsakh, there are no guarantees that it will not be interrupted yet again. These actions of Azerbaijan should not be considered as separate acts of aggression, but as a part of the consistent and systematic policy of ethnic cleansing against Artsakh and its indigenous Armenian population.

On the night of June 28, 2023, Azerbaijan resorted to another military provocation against Artsakh using long-range artillery and a drone, resulting in the death of four Artsakh servicemen defending their Homeland and the peaceful population from the Azerbaijani aggression. Ignoring the adopted resolutions of the European Parliament of January 19, 2023 and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of June 22, 2023, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of December 21, 2022, the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations (UN) of February 22, 2023, Azerbaijan, as if mocking the authority of these organisations, stubbornly continues to conduct the policy of genocide and patriacide against the people of Artsakh, demonstrating criminal self-will, thereby opposing itself to the civilized world. In addition, the President of Azerbaijan openly allows himself to threaten representatives of the international community who do not share his approach to resolving the Artsakh issue, while believing that international law is entirely on the side of Azerbaijan.

Official Baku rejects the demand to provide guarantees for the security of the people of Artsakh and constantly insists that this is an internal problem of Azerbaijan, which it intends to solve at its discretion. Against the background of blatant Armenophobia, which has become part of the state policy of the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan and completely permeates the Azerbaijani society. As there is plenty of evidence, it is not difficult to imagine what this "solution" might be if the people of Artsakh suddenly find themselves under the rule of Baku. We welcome the growing international understanding that the people of Artsakh need firm international guarantees of protection. We thank the congressmen who spoke on this matter in the US Congress on June 21, 2023, calling a spade a spade and giving an objective assessment of Azerbaijan's policy, as well as all other international actors who have the courage to speak out loud about the existential threats posed by Azerbaijan and looming over the people of Artsakh.

We express our hope that more and more people in the world will understand the genuine causes of this conflict and understand why the people of Nagorno-Karabakh made a legitimate request to withdraw from the Azerbaijani SSR and join Armenia in 1988, which led to the beginning of Azerbaijani aggression and a bloody war in which Artsakh people were forced to defend themselves.

Now, when there are calls from various international platforms for a peaceful resolution of the conflict by including Artsakh in Azerbaijan, we suggest recalling the history of the Second World War and trying to imagine: would it be possible to call Jews to live under Hitler's Nazi government? Modern Azerbaijan is also a Nazi state in relation to the Armenians, and it is not difficult to make sure of that  in case of an objective look at this issue without unilateral consumption of the Azerbaijani propaganda. Having survived the horrors of the three wars unleashed by Azerbaijan, pogroms, exile, psychological terror, human and material losses, continuing to live with the looming existential threat, the people of Artsakh are demanding to use all existing international mechanisms to prevent ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Azerbaijan. In view of the current situation, we demand the presence of representatives of all relevant international organizations in Artsakh.

Taking into account the violations of the agreements reflected in Point 6 of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, according to which free and safe passage through the Lachin corridor should be ensured, we call on the international organizations, namely the UN, to send an international mission to the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh, strengthen and improve the functioning of the peacekeeping institute. Also, due to the fact that Azerbaijan openly ignores the implementation of the decisions of the ECHR and the ICJ of the UN issued during the blockade, we appeal to the international community to impose sanctions against this country.

On behalf of the civil society of Artsakh, we appeal to the international human rights and civil society to help bring the voice of Artsakh to the wider international community and demand that their governments take real preventive measures in order to prevent Azerbaijan's next crimes against humanity.

While expressing our gratitude for being concerned about the fate of the people of Artsakh, we emphasize that the only reliable guarantee of our rights and security is the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, which is based on the right of the people to self-determination, enshrined in international law, and the free will of the people of Artsakh. Artsakh is not a territory inherited by someone by the right of the strong, but our Homeland, where we have a full and inalienable right to a safe life. Artsakh is not just a handful of 120,000 people, not counting about 30,000 forcibly displaced Artsakh residents, who were expelled from their homes as a result of Azerbaijan's military aggression in 2020. Today Artsakh is a test of the values declared by the democratic world and a litmus test of the world order.

The essence of the value system of the changing world order will be defined by the choice made between lies, discrimination, violence, terrorism, authoritarianism on one hand or freedom, democracy and respect for human rights on the other,'' reads the open letter, signed by

1. The Union of Writers of Artsakh NGO

2. The Union of Journalists of Artsakh NGO

3. The Union of Artists of Artsakh NGO

4. The Association of the Blind of Artsakh NGO

5. Revived Motherland NGO

6. Motherhood NGO

7. The Federation of Trade Unions of the NKR NGO

8. The Union of Relatives of Deceased Freedom Fighters of the NKR NGO

9. The Union of Relatives of Missing Freedom Fighters NGO

10. The Union of Refugees NGO

11. Our home is Artsakh NGO

12. Kachar Scientific Center NGO

13. The Union of Veterans of the Afghan War NGO

14. NGO for the Protection of the rights of Artsakh Armenians Krunk

15. GEN Initiative Center NGO

16. Spiritual revival NGO

17. Animal Protection in Artsakh NGO

18. Independent Center for Strategic Studies NGO

19. Council of Elders of Artsakh NGO

20. The Union of Relatives of Dead and Missing Servicemen in the Third Artsakh War" NGO

21. The Generation of Hayq NGO

22. The Power of Mind NGO

23. MilaGri Foundation

24. De-occupation of Hadrut NGO

25. Youth Center for Public Research NGO

26. Cultural Ombudsman of Hayq NGO

27. Return to Dizak NGO

28. Civic Hub NGO
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI -- Charlie Avink, a Gull Lake Middle School eighth grader, doesnt wonder what its like to watch himself on the big screen.

Thats because he already knows what its like. Charlie, 13, brought his acting prowess to the big screen in new horror/thriller called The Seeding.

The film made its worldwide debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Charlie plays Orion, one of a group of feral brothers discovered in the desert.

Charlie filmed his scenes two years ago when he was 11.

Its even weirder to see yourself younger on the big screen, so that was pretty awkward, Charlie said. I kind of cringed at my parts.

The scene where Orion was discovered by the main character was Charlies favorite to shoot, he said.

Everyone was really nice, we got pretty close with the main character, Charlie said. It was just us filming that day so we got to know each other.

The film was shot in a canyon in Utah in late October, Charlie said. The location allowed for unique opportunities like walking across a cliff edge in one scene, Charlie said. Off camera, Charlie went fossil hunting regularly with the youngest of the feral brothers.

Charlie was signed by a talent agency in January 2020. The Seeding was his second audition, and the audition process took several months.

Charlie said his nerves were high on set. But the kindness he experienced and relationships he developed with co-stars and the crew helped ease his anxieties.

In the movie, were really close, were brothers, Charlie said. But we all got really close in real life and we would hang out.

Charlie began attending Gull Lake Middle School this past school year. He didnt mention his role in The Seeding until a student found him on Google.

Still to this day, I dont know who gave them that information, Charlie said. But now people are like Charlie, I watched this, Charlie, that was so cool, Charlie, whens your movie coming out?

Charlie said some students have found videos of him to play in classes. He finds the reaction interesting.

Im not annoyed by it, I just think its all pretty funny that its happening, Charlie said.

Charlies mother Sarah Avink said the family informed Gull Lake Middle School of the filming schedule prior to transferring, and the school was very supportive. Charlie worked with a teacher on set to complete his school work.

Sometimes I panic a little bit, its like an audition comes in and Im like Shoot, hes got a test here and weve got to do this. But weve figured it out so far, Sarah Avink said.

In the future, Charlie hopes to make a full career out of acting.

I like the aspect of storytelling and being a bunch of different type of characters with different personalities, Charlie said.

Sarah Avink said Charlie has their support as long as he wants to pursue acting.

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Update: Person hit, killed by Amtrak train in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, MI -- An Amtrak train is stopped near Kalamazoo because of a trespasser incident, the company says.

The company said on Twitter at 9:52 a.m. on Monday, July 10, its Wolverine Train 351 train was halted west of Kalamazoo due to a trespasser incident.

As of 12:25 p.m. Monday, the westbound train remained stopped west of Kalamazoo. The company said it would provide more information once it is available. Amtrak officials werent immediately available for comment, Monday morning.

Two other trains, the westbound Blue Water Train 365 east of Kalamazoo and the eastbound Wolverine Train 350 east of Dowagiac, are also stopped due to the disabled train on the tracks, Amtrak said on Twitter.

Wolverine trains carry passengers between Chicago and Pontiac, Michigan, three times a day, according to the company. The Wolverine Train 351 is a westbound route thats supposed to stop in Kalamazoo at 9:16 a.m., with its next stop in Chicago at 10:32 a.m. Central Standard Time.

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ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI  People should avoid part of the St. Joseph River after about 500,000 gallons of wastewater flowed into the river.

The 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, including fecal matter, started spilling into the river around 9:30 p.m., Friday, July 7, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said in a news release Monday, July 10.

A main broke near the Broadway Street Bridge, just east of downtown Three Rivers. People should avoid the river from there south to at least Constantine, the release said. After Constantine, the St. Joseph River flows through South Bend, Indiana, back into Michigan through St. Joseph and out into Lake Michigan.

The release did not say when the wastewater discharge was detected and stopped.

Any contact with the river should be avoided, including fishing, kayaking, swimming, tubing and canoeing, the release said. People should keep their animals out of the river as well.

The no-contact advisory is in place until water sampling shows the coliform levels are back to normal.

Anyone who has been in the St. Joseph River since 9:30 p.m. Friday should shower and wash their clothing, the release said. Pets should also be given a bath if they were in contact with the water.

There are numerous infectious diseases that can come from contact with fecal coliform, the release said.

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KALAMAZOO TWP., MI  A township manager allegedly recorded a closed attorney-client meeting that he was not invited to attend.

Michigan State Police are investigating allegations that Kalamazoo Township Manager Dexter Mitchell left a recorder in a meeting room so he could hear what the township attorneys and board members were talking about, according to the investigation report from MSP.

Mitchell told state police investigators that he thought a March 3 closed meeting was about him because of his decision to fire former fire chief David Obreiter and former battalion chief Matt Mulac over a personnel matter in September 2022, according to documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Supervisor Don Martin reached out to state police on March 23 to ask for an investigation. Mitchell was placed on leave April 10 after his interview with MSP.

A recording device was found when investigators went to Mitchells home with him on April 10, the report said. Police pulled two recordings off the device but have not listened to them, the report said.

Related: State police search home of Kalamazoo Township manager

Mitchell said he had no comment about the investigation when reached by phone Monday, July 10. Martin could not be reached for comment.

Mitchell, who began as the Kalamazoo Township manager in 2016, previously served as the Buena Vista Township manager in Saginaw County from 2013-2016.

The meeting happened at 3 p.m., March 3. Martin told Mitchell that morning he was not needed at the meeting. Mitchell showed up to the meeting and was asked to leave, according to the MSP report.

Before Mitchell left, township attorney Kurt McCammon asked Mitchell if he was recording, to which Mitchell shook his head no, the police report said.

The report does not say what the attorney-client meeting was about. Also in attendance at the meeting were attorney Roxanne Seeber and the full Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees: Martin, Mark Miller, Sherine Miller, Steve Leuty, Clara Robinson, Ashley Glass and Lisa Moaiery (Mackie), per the police report.

Related: Future of Kalamazoo Township managers job, position in general, under scrutiny

Mitchell told state police that he was normally involved in those meetings.

(Mitchell) said that he felt that there were some underhanded things going on and so yes, he did record it, state police wrote in the report.

Just after 8 p.m. the night of the meeting, a maintenance worker saw Mitchell return to the township hall and stay for about 10 minutes, according to the police report. The worker told Martin, who then asked Kalamazoo Townshipo Police Chief Bryan Ergang to pull video footage from inside the township hall.

The footage is grainy, but appears to show Mitchell go into the meeting room shortly before the meeting, stand and bend by a table before walking out, the report said. Mitchell then returns to the room around 8 p.m., kneels down by the table and walk out, the report said.

There were very few people in the building before the meeting because Martin had sent employees home before a snowstorm hit, the report said. Mitchells key card and alarm code were used around 8 p.m. that night, the report said.

Mitchell first told state police investigators that he came back to the township hall because he thought the meeting was about him and wanted to pack up personal items, the report said. Attorney McCammon called Mitchell and Mitchell said he decided to not pack items.

The case is still open and the investigation is ongoing, according to the report. The report said investigators wanted to interview trustees, but the township attorney wanted to be present for the interviews.

Police reached out to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office for an opinion on the case and and to listen to the recordings, according to the report. There is no information included about what the prosecutor said.

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BAY CITY, MI  Last October, police engaged in an hours-long standoff with a man who refused to be evicted from his Bay City apartment. Before it was all over with the man was in custody, police sprayed tear gas into the building and used a tank-like vehicle to ram the structure.

The building was left with tens of thousands of dollars in damage. With the insurance provider not covering it, the structures owner is suing Bay City and the State of Michigan, seeking a five-figure sum to repair his property.

The landlord didnt do anything wrong here, yet hes got massive damage and a massive bill, said attorney Philip L. Ellison. The whole gist of the argument boils down to the government doesnt get to destroy property to protect the public without compensation. If you want to destroy a building to get to the person you want to arrest, youve got to pay for the damage you cause.

Landlord Anthony Banaszak, via Ellison, on June 23 filed his lawsuit in Bay County Circuit Court naming the city and state as defendants.

Banaszak owns a two-story apartment building at 212 Garfield Ave., the focus of the standoff that occurred Oct. 27, 2022. For months prior, Banaszak had been trying to evict tenant Harold L. Nielsen, now 78, only for Nielsen to leave numerous threatening notes on his door.

When Banaszak and a court officer went to Nielsens unit on Oct. 10 to serve him eviction papers, Nielsen allegedly brandished a large butcher knife and metal rod and repeatedly threatened to kill them. With a resulting warrant for Nielsens arrest, the court officer and Bay City police returned to the apartment around 12:40 p.m. on Oct. 27.

They arrived to find Nielsen had apparently barricaded his front door. According to the lawsuit and police reports, Banaszak and an employee of his agreed to pull down a portion of drywall from the adjoining apartment so officers could see inside Nielsens.

Police looked through the gap and saw Nielsen with a knife. They ordered him to put it down, at which point he tossed it at an officer, the lawsuit and police reports state.

With Nielsen no longer armed, an officer told him he was under arrest, the suit states.

Despite Nielsen then being fully disarmed, another officer  sprayed tear gas into the interior of (his) apartment and did so without the permission or authority of either Nielsen or Plaintiff Anthony Banaszak, the suit states.

An officer then announced Nielsen had a gun, causing police to retreat from the apartment building and summon the Michigan State Police Emergency Support Team for assistance. As they waited the ESTs arrival, local officers evacuated the building of other residents.

Once the EST arrived, personnel called out on a megaphone for Nielsen to surrender. When that did not work, the EST and local police decided to storm the house using highly destructive methods, Ellison wrote in the suit.

The EST used a BearCat armored rescue vehicle to ram the buildings south wall and windows, though that area did not provide access to Nielsens unit, Ellison wrote. Police also discharged dozens of rounds of highly noxious chemical irritants into the Garfield Avenue House despite the same not being connected to or otherwise would reach Nielsens apartment.

Walls, windows, and other elements of the structure were left broken or destroyed, with the chemicals remaining after police cleared the scene, Ellison wrote. Once Nielsen was in custody, officers learned he did not in fact have a gun and that officers may have mistaken a metal pipe he brandished for one.

Remediation is required to clean the entire house due to the tear gas and highly noxious chemical irritants, the suit states.

The suit contains four counts  declaratory and injunctive relief, violation of the Fifth Amendments protection against taking private property without just compensation, inverse condemnation, and violating the state constitutions protection against the taking of private property. Banaszak is seeking a minimum $25,000 through the suit.

Its our position (the police) committed a taking of property, Ellison told MLive. They destroyed it to arrest Nielsen and didnt clean up or offer a neutralizing agent for the irritants.

Nielsen was subsequently charged with four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. The former charge is a four-year felony, while the latter is a two-year felony.

In January, Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer found Nielsen incompetent to participate in court proceedings, based on an evaluation from staff at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti. The judge committed Nielsen to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for inpatient treatment to restore his competency.

Janer is to review Nielsens latest treatment report on July 13.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.

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FRANKENMUTH, MI  Dorothy Zehnder, beloved matriarch of the Bavarian Inn and a longtime face of Michigans Little Bavaria, has died.

Zehnder died with family members by her side at her Frankenmuth home Sunday, July 9, according to a news release issued the following day.

Born Dec. 1, 1921, in Reese, 10 miles north of Frankenmuth, Zehnder would go on to become a co-founder of the family-owned Bavarian Inn Restaurant, where she spent more than 85 years working behind the scenes and as the visible face of the well-known Bavarian Inn family and the many community and business operations under their name.

Zehnder was also a cookbook author, Michigan Womens Hall of Fame inductee and a lifelong member of St. Lorenz Lutheran Church.

We mourn the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, and family matriarch, her family said in a prepared statement.

We extend our thanks for the support from the Frankenmuth community and ask that you help us remember Dorothy for the amazing woman she was and who will remain in our hearts. Our family will continue to uphold the spirit of Dorothy and her legacy to this community.

Zehnders hospitality and business acumen made her a civic leader, educator, author, and mentor, using her talents with many different restaurants, tourism, governmental, religious, and philanthropic organizations. Those who knew her described her as a humble servant leader. Even when she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer at age 98, she fought against it to continue giving back to her community, the release states.

She co-founded the Bavarian Inn with her late husband, William Tiny Zehnder in 1950. She preferred staying out of the spotlight, leaving the promotion to her husband while she worked in the back of the house. Dorothy Zehnder developed most of the recipes used in the restaurant and taught tens of thousands of employees over 70 years the correct method to prepare all the foods served in the 12 dining rooms that seat 1,200 guests.

At full employment, the Bavarian Inn Corp. has approximately 1,000 employees, serves thousands of people in a day and about 900,000 meals annually, and ranks in the top 50 most prominent family-run restaurants in the U.S., the release states. Dorothys children and their spouses, along with her grandchildren  a total of seven family members  work every day to continue the success story of the Bavarian Inn.

Today, the Bavarian Inn Zehnder familys businesses include the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and Castle Shops, Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth River Place Shops, Covered Bridge Shop, Franks Muth, Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, Bavarian Bleachers, a specialty line of food products, and an online store. The family also runs the William and Dorothy Zehnder Foundation.

Funeral services will be held at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church. Details will be released later by her family. She will be buried at St. Lorenz Cemetery alongside her husband of 63 years, who died in 2006. Donations may be made to St. Lorenz Church or to Frankenmuth City Beautification.

Dorothy is survived by her brother Ray Hecht, two children, Bill (Karen) Zehnder and Roxie (Jerry) Westgate, and her son-in-law Don Keller as well 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, her sister Edna (Hecht) Hegenauer, and her daughter Judy Zehnder Keller.

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The first six months of Michigans Democrat controlled government saw major legislation being signed into state law with a focus on social equity and civil rights.

While lawmakers worked to finalize the state budget before the beginning of the legislatures summer recess this July, dozens of bills were also sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmers desk for her approval.

In case you missed it, heres a highlight of enrolled bills now awaiting Whitmers signature:

Major changes for teachers union bargaining

In 2011, Michigan lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting teacher unions from collectively bargaining on certain subjects. These prohibited subjects include decisions about a schools performance evaluation system and the schools teacher placement decisions.

If bills passed this term were to make it into law, they would also reverse what supporters say are hindering teachers bargaining power and teaching conditions.

Firstly, House Bill 4354 would remove the ban against certain subjects being included in a collective bargaining agreement between a public-school and the union.

More specifically, House Bill 4356 and House Bill 4357 would allow the decision to contract with a third partu for non-instructional services to be used during collective bargaining and delete prohibitions stating a school district from entering a collective bargaining agreement that automatically deducts union dues from an employees pay.

House Bill 4044 would repeal current state statute requiring a public employer to provide employees with pay and benefits in the midst of a collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, House Bill 4233 would delete a prohibition against a school from using school resources to assist a labor organization in collecting dues or service fees from the wages of school employees.

Permanent sale of cocktails to-go in Michigan

Lawmakers first approved the idea of cocktails to-go in 2020 when liquor sales at bars and restaurants began to plummet due to shutdowns and social distancing protocols that prevented the normal flow of customers.

However, the legislative solution came with a sunset provision. The allowance is to end Jan. 1, 2026.

To prevent the law from expiring, Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, reintroduced a bill this term  Senate Bill 141  to allow for permanent sales of cocktails to-go.

Under the legislation, qualified businesses are required to follow certain safety guidelines, like including labels that identify the container as having alcoholic contents and checking identification before customers are allowed to leave with drinks.

State expands sexual abuse protections

A series of House bills were recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to, among other things, stiffen penalties for sexual abuse disguised as medical treatment while expanding protections against abuse in schools and retaliation against those who report abuse.

Born out of the Larry Nassar scandal at Michigan State University, some form of the bills had been introduced every session since 2018 but never made it through the full legislature.

There are still nine companion Senate bills awaiting Whitmers signature. Although some of the outstanding legislation is similar to the House bills, there are few with unique directives.

Senate Bill 66 would require middle and high schools to develop and distribute age-appropriate materials on sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Parental consent would be required for exams of minors that involves vaginal or anal penetration under Senate Bills 69 through 72, as well as mandate an additional health professional be present during such exams and retain patients records for 15 years following the exams.

Senate Bill 73 would update the Freedom of Information Act law to exempt records that could reveal the identity of an anonymously reported victim of sexual misconduct. Lastly, Senate Bill 236 would amend the definition of mentally incapacitated under state statute regarding sexual assault to include any time a person is incapable of controlling their conduct due to the influence of a substance regardless of if the substance was administered with or without their consent.

Tribes to receive guardianship support for native children

Preserving familial ties for Native children in Michigans 12 federally recognized tribes has been made difficult by an oversight in state law preventing potential guardians within the tribe from receiving financial assistance.

The legislation sitting on Whitmers desk  Senate Bill 137 and Senate Bill 138  would extend the necessary aid to children under the jurisdiction of tribal courts by amending the state Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP).

The program allows the state to compensate eligible family members or close family friends who take on the caregiver role for a child after that child has been removed from their parents care. Currently, that assistance only applies to children who have been removed from their homes by a state court.

The passage of the Senate legislation comes at a time when the welfare act  a 1978 landmark law that prioritizes placing Native American children with their family or tribe  was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court after a hotly contested case, Brackeen v. Haaland.

Ending Michigans 92-year-old ban on unmarried cohabitation

Senate Bill 56 strikes from Michigan law the idea that an unmarried man and woman living together are inherently committing lewd and lascivious behavior. Under that 1931 law, a couple found guilty could be jailed for no more than a year or fined up to $1,000.

Couples, however, could not be prosecuted after one year from the time the offense was committed.

Michigan and Mississippi are the only states that still have this law, according to a 2016 Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of a prior bill with the same intent as SB 56.

The passage of the bill in the upper chamber drew widespread attention this April as half of the Republican caucus objected to repealing the law.

When can bill signings be expected?

When asked about the bills being presented to the governor, Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said, the governor looks forward to signing additional legislation into law that will make a difference for Michiganders.

However, there was no specific timeline provided on when additional bill signings would take place, or which bills she intends to sign.

In addition to the above legislation, these are more bills still in need of the governors signature before becoming law:

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Within a day of each other, former state Sens. Tom Barrett, a Republican, and Democrat Curtis Hertel, Jr. announced they would square off for Michigans new-open 7th district.

Incumbent Democrat Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, will vacate her seat in pursuit of the U.S. Senate.

Hertel held an event to announce his run at a union hall in south Lansing on Monday.

The only thing I care about is actually taking care of the people that we promised to serve, Hertel said when announcing his run. Thats Michigan. Not boastful, rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done. Washington, DC could learn a lot from little ole Michigan.

Hertel was elected to represent East Lansing in the state senate first in 2014, and served two terms before leaving due to term limits in 202.

Afterward Hertel became Gov. Gretchen Whitmers director of legislative affairs and acted as the primary go-between for the Governors office and a legislature with new Democratic leadership. As a legislator Hertel served solely in the minority, but after a shift in power Democrats have steadily ticked off a wish list of policy goals and Hertel tied himself to those accomplishments.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Chris Gustafson characterized Hertel as a retired lobbyist in a statement blasting Hertels extreme record.

The 45 year-old comes from a political family. His father Curtis Hertel Sr. was Speaker of the state House more than once, and his brother, Sen. Kevin Hertel, was elected to represent a Macomb County district in the last election, and has upheld public service as a noble calling.

Barrett, a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard, served two terms in the state House before being elected to represent the Senate, before first running for Congress in 2022. He later lost to Slotkin by more than 5 percentage points in one of the most expensive U.S. House races in the country.

In an interview, Barrett said he chose to run again because I cant sit back and ignore the problems were facing as a country and I want to do something about it.

Barrett mentioned national security, particularly China and the Gotion battery plant outside Big Rapids, illegal immigration at the southern border, rising crime rates and the high cost of living as the top issues facing the 7th district. It spans most of Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Clinton and Shiawassee counties.

He served alongside Hertel in the Senate, and characterized their relationship as frequent adversaries.

We, I believe, have a mutual respect for one another, but we have a lot of differences as well, Barrett said. And those differences will be on display as we go throughout this campaign.

Barrett said was fair out-raised in 2022, garnering $3 million to Slotkins more than $11 million in a race that saw more than $40 million in spending. He expects just as much spending, but think itll be more competitive.

Hertel argued Barrett hadnt made efforts to reach across the aisle when Republicans held the majority.

I think people have a choice in this race. If they want somebody whos been worked with both sides of the aisle to get things done, but Mid-Michigan families, we have a strong record of doing that in the past, he said.

The district tilted toward Democrats in 2022, despite voting to reelecte former President Donald Trump in 2020. Slotkin ran on a centrist approach, emphasizing that she eschews partisan battles and is only interested in getting things done. Hertel echoed her rhetoric in his announcement Monday.

Higher prices, the rising cost of prescription drugs, our economic security threatened by frayed global supply chains  Even threats to our civil rights and to democracy itself, Hertel said. Were never going to meet those challenges unless were willing to work together.

He mentioned lowering the cost of prescription drugs  one of Slotkins marquee issues  five times in his 12-minute speech. Minutes after his announcement Slotkin endorsed him on Twitter.

Other Democrats who had mulled congressional runs, including Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, were on hand to show their support.

Read more on MLive:

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From teacher unions to cocktails to-go: new Michigan laws pending Whitmers signature

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Pure Michigan to halt national ads after surprise budget cut

Cities call it public safety, but new rules put Michigans homeless in the crosshairs
After filling some holes in free agency, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made a big splash for the goal-scorer the team desperately needs.

The Red Wings landed two-time 41-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and signed him to a four-year extension with an average annual value of $7.875 million.

Detroit traded forward Dominik Kubalik, defenseman prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional 2024 first-round draft pick and a 2024 fourth-round selection. The Senators will get the lower pick between the Red Wings first-round selection in 2024 and Bostons, which is top-10 protected and was acquired by Detroit in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade. If that pick gets shifted to 2025, the Red Wings will still have the choice of send that selection or their own 2024 pick to Ottawa.

DeBrincat had been seeking seven or eight years, which was holding up the deal.

DeBrincat, 25, was a restricted free agent who declared he wasnt going to re-sign with the Senators, forcing their hand. Detroit was the preferred destination for the Farmington Hills native.

Despite his size (5-8, 178) and defensive deficiencies (minus-31 last season), hes a proven scorer. He tallied 27 goals last season with Ottawa and has 187 goals (along with 186 assists) in 450 games over six seasons.

Selected in the second round by Chicago in 2016 (39th overall), DeBrincat scored 41 goals in his second season in 2018-19 and again in 2021-22, when he collected a career-high 78 points.

The Red Wings ranked 24th in goals per game last season. After a flurry of free-agent signings that included J.T. Compher (career-high 52 points), Daniel Sprong (career-high 20 goals) and Shayne Gostisbehere (offensive defenseman), Yzerman said he hoped the Red Wings collectively could score more.

The rebuilding Blackhawks traded DeBrincat to the Senators on the first day of the 2022 draft for first-, second- and third-round picks.

Kubalik has one year remaining on his contract at a $2.5 million cap hit and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
10.07.2023 LISTEN

A number of Ghanaian musicians, who have declared their support for reggae musician Ras Appiah-Levi, have called on other musicians to vote for him as the president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

The MUSIGA election comes off on August 8 and Ras Appiah is competing for the presidency with two others, Bessa Simons and Mrs. Deborah Freeman.

The musicians in separate interviews with Beatwaves noted that they are solidly behind Ras Appiah-Levi because he will do a lot for the musicians and the industry.

According to them, the President of MUSIGA is a very demanding job that requires someone who does not only have the ability to do the job, but more especially the capability and energy to run around, adding that Ras Appiah-Levi is the only person who has the qualities of a leader could do the job better than other contestants.

The musicians indicated that Ras Appiah is a person with genuine commitment to the welfare of musicians and not just a verbal commitment, adding that they have worked with him and they think he is the best choice to lead MUSIGA.

I am satisfied with Ras so far and will always support him in his efforts to build a vibrant music industry for the country. I personally think Ras Appiah is the best person to lead MUSIGA, one of them said.

Ras Appiah, the musicians said when elected will promote greater participation and transparency, involving the members of the union in decision-making.

Since he announced his intention to stand for election, Ras has received several assurances from a large number of musicians who have pledged to support his presidency and together help build a successful front beneficial to all.

In a chat, he disclosed that when elected his administration would put in place free legal advice and in some instances legal representation on music related issues.

The aspiring president indicated that he would change the plight of musicians in the country as well as put in place policies that would protect their interest.

He stressed that MUSIGA is not attractive because of lack of adequate systems and structures.

He promised to work vigorously to put better structures in place to take care of musicians, notably old musicians who become inactive in their old age.

He promised to initiate a number of projects that seek to secure the future of every musician in Ghana.

He will also push for the enforcement of the needed industry policies and engage policy makers to formulate and implement appropriate interventions to help streamline business operations in the industry.
A federally qualified health center in Auburn will receive more than $309,000 to address drug addiction in Cayuga County.

East Hill Medical Center has been awarded the funding through the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports for a street outreach program.

East Hill will partner with Nick's Ride 4 Friends to target individuals who have substance use disorder and face barriers to accessing treatment, according to details provided by the health center.

The state grant will allow East Hill to hire a public health coordinator and registered nurse care manager, along with two certified peer counselors through a subcontract with Nick's Ride. The public health coordinator's responsibilities will include overseeing the program, tracking and reporting outcomes and serving as a liaison between East Hill and Nick's Ride. The RN care manager will provide clinical services, such as assessment, screening, testing and treatment.

The peer counselors hired by Nick's Ride will offer a range of services, including education and outreach to the target population.

State funds will also be used to purchase two vehicles for East Hill and Nick's Ride to provide services in the field.

"I'm very excited about moving this partnership and innovative program model forward," East Hill Medical Center CEO April Miles said. "Funding enables us to leverage the unique strengths of East Hill and Nick's Ride to provide comprehensive, holistic services to medically underserved individuals with substance use disorder."

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced more than $5.5 million to support addiction outreach services across the state, including the funding for East Hill Medical Center and its partnership with Nick's Ride 4 Friends. East Hill is one of 12 providers in the state that will receive more than $3.5 million to support street outreach initiatives.

The grants add to the number of providers offering street outreach services in New York. The state Office of Addiction Services and Supports is now supporting 32 providers that utilize the street outreach model, up from 20 before last week's announcement.

The agency also awarded $400,000 each to five organizations that use the clinic model to provide addiction recovery services.

"It is vital that we continue to address the barriers that many people face when accessing addiction services," said Chinazo Cunningham, commissioner of the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports. "These two initiatives, which expand already successful existing services, will be critical in supporting our ongoing efforts to reach high-need populations, wherever they are, and connect them to lifesaving services to support their health."

The funding is provided from opioid settlements with manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. New York has received more than $2 billion through these settlements.
A group affiliated to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), NDC Rasta Caucus, has congratulated Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, the honorable Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region, for winning the recent by-election.

In a press release sighted by this portal, the group, whose membership is dorminated by people of the Rastafarian faith, believes Hon. Quayson's victory was a vindication of his guilt.

"In fact, we are so pleased with you, Hon and the people of Assin North for voting massively for NDC to indeed vindicate the guilt of Hon. J. G. Quayson. This is because you had a message to the people and you became their choice for the community development," part of the group's statement reads.

The group further urges the embattled MP to "stay put, focus on your mandate as an MP, never forget the welfare of the youths, women and the aged as well as providing them with the social amenities and job opportunities."

Hon. Quayson won the recently held by-election which was organized following his expulsion from parliament in early June.

He garnered 17,245 votes representing 57.56 per cent to defeat the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Charles Opoku, who secured 12,630 votes representing 42.15 per cent of the total votes cast. The third candidate, Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), managed 87 votes representing 0.29 per cent.

Hon. Quayson's expulsion was sanctioned by the Supreme Court on grounds that he [Hon. Quayson] held dual citizenship as at the time he filed to contest as MP in 2020.

Read the full press release below

CONGRATULATIONS TO HON. J. G. QUAYSON - THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE. "BY NDC RASTA CAUCUS"

Accra, Ghana - June/July 2023 - The peace, energy and victory of NDC over the "so called breaking the eight" was achieved on 27th June, 2023 by the people of Assin North during the recent by-elections to determine the majority of MP's in Parliament.

The entire executives and members of NDC Rasta Caucus extend our profound gratitude to Hon. J. G Quayson for winning the seat once again as Member of Parliament for Assin North on the ticket of NDC to maintain our total number of MP's and to foster development in his constituency.

In fact, we are so pleased with you, Hon and the people of Assin North for voting massively for NDC to indeed vindicate the guilt of Hon. J. G. Quayson. This is because you had a message to the people and you became their choice for the community development.

The Rasta Caucus urge you to stay put, focus on your mandate as an MP, never forget the welfare of the youths, women and the aged as well as providing them with the social amenities and job opportunities. Steadfast in the Lord your creator and all the works of the enemy will be put to rest.

In the quest of knowing that politics is all embracing, all-encompassing and all togetherness, as a country, we must respect the citizens or people's opinion since the law was made for man's freedom and justice.

Hon. J. G. Quayson, leadership means everything; pain, blood and death. Every man has a right to his own action and opinion for men who are earnest are not afraid of consequences. We have to liberate ourselves to get a higher freedom, the truer liberty and the truer democracy towards the development of our country. Ghana.

Once again, we say ayekoo to you Hon., your constituents and the entire members of NDC Party for the desire to go forward and improve one's condition. It is all joy, it sweetens life but it does not last, continue to work hard and prepare for the next level.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates in the Kwadaso Constituency in Kumasi have indicated their readiness to vote for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and their Member of Parliament (MP), Prof. Kingsley Nyarko as the party's flag bearer and parliamentary candidate respectfully.

It came to light when the Vice president met the delegates to ask for their votes ahead of the internal presidential and parliamentary primaries of NPP.

The delegates and foot soldiers of the party could not hide their joy after the MP mounted the podium to introduce Vice President Bawumia.

Amidst drumming and dancing, the numerous delegates at Methodist Youth Centre Retreat cheered up both the Vice president and the MP, Prof. Kingsley.

"Dr. Bawumia nie! Prof. Nyarko nie!! This is what we want, the delegates cheered them up," they exclaimed.

The elated delegates, however, promised to vote for Dr. Bawumia to lead NPP to the 2024 polls.

According to political pundits, the contest is a two-horse race between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumaia and former Trades and Industries Minister, Alan Kyerematen.

Some party Executives and appointees of the government have openly declared support for Dr. Bawumia contrary to the party's guidelines for the election.
With Nato leaders due to gather in Vilnius Tuesday for a two day summit, Sweden's membership bid hangs in the balance. Turkish President Recep Erdogan, outraged by the burning of a Koran outside a Stockholm mosque, is resisting international pressure over his opposition to Sweden's bid. The Turkish leader is emboldened by his May election victory, but Washington may hold the key to resolving the impasse.

Last month's public burning of a Koran by protesters outside a Stockholm mosque is the latest obstacle to Sweden's NATO bid. Erdogan slammed the Koran burning and warned that he would resist pressure over his opposition to Sweden's membership aspiration.

'Provocation and threats'

"I clearly want it to be known that, as Turkey, we will not bow down to the politics of provocation and threats," bellowed Erdogan in a national TV address.

"We will teach the arrogant Western people that it is not freedom of expression to insult the sacred values of Muslims."

Erdogan's May election victory was on a platform of standing up to Turkey's Western allies, likely hardening his negotiating stance with his NATO partners.

"We are likely to see more of the same. President Erdogan, has been emboldened by the vote, having five years of no elections," Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington, said."Then possibly the price going up in terms of Turkey ratifying Sweden's NATO membership."

Erdogan is calling on Stockholm to ban public displays of support for the Kurdish separatist group the PKK. The group has waged an insurgency against Turkey for four decades and is designated by both the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization. Ankara also wants Sweden to extradite its members to Turkey. But Stockholm insists they've now met Ankara's security demands.

"Sweden is no safe haven for terrorism. We are no safe haven for PKK," said Sweden's chief negotiator, Oscar Stenstrom.

Sweden, PKK and NATO

"We have stepped up our cooperation between our police agencies, the police, and the security service, together with the Turkish counterparts to be much more effective," added Stenstrom.

But Erdogan dismissed such claims and demanded a crackdown by Swedish authorities on PKK activities.

On Thursday, a Swedish court found a man guilty of extorting money on behalf of the PKK. At the same time, Swedish and Turkish diplomats met Thursday with NATO representatives to resolve the impasse. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said progress had been made but that there was still no breakthrough.

US solution

Turkey's aging fleet of American-made F16 fighter jets could be key to resolving the impasse. Turkey wants Washington to approve the sale of new F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits.

"At the end of the day, probably, there will be a common understanding that America will provide the F-16 modernization process as well as the new F-16s," Huseyin Bagci, head of the Foreign Policy Institute, an Ankara-based research organization.

"And Turkey, I do not think that Turkey will be willing to stop the NATO's enlargement process," added Bagci. "But at the moment, the more the Swedish membership is postponed, the better for Russia."

President Biden is now voicing support for the Turkish fighter sale. But there could be other obstacles. Erdogan is looking for an invitation to Washington as the price for lifting his veto on Sweden's NATO membership bid, claims International Relations professor Serhat Guvenc at Istanbul Kadir Has University.

"Erdogan has been in power for more than twenty years, and Biden is the only US president who has refused to meet him in an official capacity, either in the US capital or in the Turkish capital. So probably one of the priorities of Erdogan will be to put an end to this isolation or exclusion from Washington, DC," said Guvenc.

Biden is a critic of Erdogan's human rights record. But Ankara's backing of Sweden's NATO bid would also likely open the door to Stockholm's other remaining opponent, Hungary.

"Regarding Turkey, they are also our allies, and therefore we need to hear their voice," said Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of Erdogan.

"Perhaps, since we are closer to them than the other NATO members, we are hearing them with a sharper ear," added Orban.

Erdogan likes to broker deals face-to-face with fellow world leaders in the blaze of the world's media. So any breakthrough was seen as unlikely until the Nato leaders gave for the Vilnius summit, with negotiations likely to go down to the wire and Sweden facing a nervous wait.
Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba said on Sunday that he would seek a third term as the oil-rich African nation's head of state.

The Bongo family has ruled the country for 55 years already and is branded a "dynastic power" by the opposition after Bongo, 64, took over from his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba in 2009.

"I officially announce today that I am a candidate," he told a crowd of supporters in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page.

Presidential elections will be held on August 26.

His powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) holds strong majorities in both houses of parliament.

The president was narrowly re-elected in 2016, with just 5,500 more votes than rival Jean Ping who claimed the election had been fixed.

Announcement of the results sparked violence in the capital Libreville that killed four civilians and a policeman, according to the government, while the opposition says 30 people were shot dead by the security forces.

Bongo suffered a stroke in 2018 and spent months on the sidelines recovering, leaving the opposition to question his fitness to run the nation.

He still has a stiff arm and leg and has mobility difficulties, but in recent months has held "republican meetings" around the country and made official visits abroad, including for summits.

Opposition disunity

The failure of the opposition to agree on a single candidate for the presidential election left some 15 candidates to announce their intentions to stand.

Former minister Paulette Missambo, head of the National Union party, has said she will run, as has Alexandre Barro Chambrier, who served as a minister to the current president and his father.

The official closing date for candidates to announce their intention to run is Tuesday.

In April, the Gabonese parliament voted to amend the constitution and reduce the president's term from seven to five years.

Sections of the opposition criticised the changes, in particular the end of two rounds of voting, as a means of "facilitating the re-election" of Bongo.

The presidential ballot will coincide with elections for the National Assembly and regional and municipal councils, with July 11 set as the deadline for filing candidacies.

Gabon is one of the richest countries in Africa in terms of per capita GDP due largely to its oil revenue and relatively small population of 2.3 million.

Crude represents 38.5 percent of its GDP, and 70.5 percent of its export revenues.

Other areas of activity are manganese mining and forestry, but efforts to diversify the economy remain in low gear.

A third of the population live below the poverty threshold, according to the World Bank.
Pope Francis said on Sunday he would appoint 21 new cardinals from across the world at the end of September as he seeks to leave his imprint on the papacy.

The upcoming assembly of cardinals, scheduled for September 30 and known as a consistory, will be the ninth for Pope Francis, 86, who became pope a decade ago and is seeking to put a lasting stamp on the institution.

"Their provenance expresses the universality of the Church that continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth," said the pope, following his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Saint Peter's Square.

Francis' new choices are closely watched as an indication of the future direction of the Catholic Church and its priorities for the 1.3 billion faithful.

All cardinals under the age of 80, including 18 out of the group named on Sunday, are known as "cardinal electors", who will participate in the vote to nominate the successor to Pope Francis.

Following the consistory in late September, there will be 137 cardinal electors, about three-quarters of whom will have been appointed by Francis.

Since becoming pope, Francis has sought to elevate clergy from developing nations far from Rome to the highest ranks of the Church, as part of his general philosophy of diversity and inclusion.

The names Francis announced Sunday include clergy in regions where Christianity is growing, such as Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Among the archbishops to become cardinals are those of Juba in South Sudan, Cape Town in South Africa and Tabora in Tanzania.

The list also includes the bishop from Penang, Malaysia, and that of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow Sau-Yan, who has a Harvard PhD in psychology and will be key in improving the Church's fraught ties with communist China.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the top Catholic in the Holy Land, Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa, whose archdiocese encompasses Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus, also will be inducted.

Missionaries and administrators

Francis is also tapping the heads of key dicasteries, including the Italian Claudio Gugerotti, currently prefect for the Dicastery of the Eastern Churches, and Argentina's Victor Manuel Fernandez, chosen earlier this month by the pope to head the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Chicago-born head of the Dicastery for Bishops, Robert Prevost, who is charged with overseeing bishop appointments and a longtime missionary in Peru, was also named, as was the Holy See's apostolic nuncio, or diplomat, to the United States, Christophe Pierre from France, who has also served as envoy in Haiti, Uganda and Mexico.

Included from Latin America is the emeritus archbishop of Cumana, Venezuela, the archbishop of Cordoba in Argentina, and a 96-year-old Capuchin priest from Buenos Aires.

The last consistory was held in August 2022, when Francis inducted 20 cardinals.

Cardinals, who wear the scarlet robes of their office, serve as the pope's top advisers and administrators.

During the consistory, the future cardinals kneel one by one at the feet of the pope, who places on their heads the quadrangular scarlet cap, or biretta.

Following the ceremony, the Vatican holds a traditional "courtesy visit", in which the new cardinals greet the general public.
Two rival gates in the Amedzofe traditional area of the Awatime Paramountcy have installed two different Okusie (Chief) to the same position on Saturday.

The two Chiefs were installed under the same stool name Okusie Akyim Foli VI, from the Asamani and Dzokoto gates, who otherwise hold this position on rotational basis, creating uncertainty for the area's rich tourism potential and notably the highest habitable enclave in the country.

Prior to the installation of the Okusie, one Kingsley Moses Agbesi, District Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) at Nkawkaw for the Dzokoto gate, the other contending gate from the Asamani stock had performed the same exercise on one Kevin Atikpui, a medical doctor.

Mr Mac Bubuame, Chairman of the Amedzofe Development Association and a member of the Dzokoto faction, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the other sides intended installation defied a court injunction of, Thursday, July 6.

He said going ahead with their action for that installation breached a recent peace bond.

He said their installation was undertaken by the head of the traditional council, and that their contenders illegally had appointed and installed a new Mankralo, which defied traditional standing.

Mr Robert Ameh, Assembly member for the area, who is the Royal stool father of the Mankralo for the Dzokoto gate of the Atikpui Family said the inheritance was on rotation affirmed by a 1968 court ruling.

He said the interlocutory injunction by the Police was yet to be heard on Monday, July 10, and therefore had no bearing on the planned installation.

He said the heavy endorsement of Mr. Agbesi made him legitimate, adding that the involvement of the kingmakers in the area and various customary rites performed made him the original as opposed to the others who he claimed were elevated by outsiders.

All the chiefs of the traditional area came to pay homage. It means they recognize him as their chief.

He said both factions treasured the tourism endowment of the area, and therefore sought to address the dispute through peaceful dialogue.

Citizens should be assured that we will not breach the peace that we have developed. We will not destroy what has taken us so many years to achieve. The security of tourists is assured, and we are ready to make available our culture and tradition to promote tourism.

The installation of the two Okusie's under the same Akyim Foli VI signals the beginning of a suspected long and torturous legal battle.

The installation witnessed the influx of several security agencies and dignitaries from near and far.

Okusie Akyim Foli V, who reigned for 56 years and passed away in 2019 came from the Asamani gate.

GNA
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his long-held vision and belief in the potentials of the nation remain unchanged.

These were anchored on the commitment to achieve a free, just, prosperous and united Ghana, he asserted.

By the time I was elected President, I had a clear understanding of the vision that my Government had to realise during my tenure of office.

There have been good times, and there have been some rough ones too along the way  that would have calmed some into giving up, President Nana Akufo-Addo noted, while addressing a special honourary awards ceremony at the Valley View University (VVU), in Accra.

He said there were solid reasons to hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Therefore, his administration would not relent in the implementation of the flagship development programmes and policies meant to make life comfortable for the people.

These encompass the Free Senior High School (SHS) education for all Ghanaian children, food sustainability through the Planting for Food and Jobs (PfJ), and adding value to the country's raw materials through the One District, One Factory (IDIF) policy.

The Government is also keen in fast-tracking the process of digitalisation to ensure efficiency in the delivery of public services, and effective management of the economy.

These are what are needed to help build a progressive and prosperous Ghana for which we all yearn for, President Nana Akufo-Addo said.

He said his active political life, which began in the 1970s, was buoyed by his determination to see Ghana embrace democratic rule and good governance.

I had by this time firmly made up my mind and what I felt should be the best way to govern our country, he stated.

The President commended the VVU, Ghana's first private and chartered university, for living up to its mandate of contributing effectively to the nation's human resource development.

Its core values of excellence, integrity and service had helped churned out well-resourced graduates working to make a positive impact on the society, he stated.

The special awards ceremony had four honourary doctorate degrees conferred on some distinguished African personalities.

They are President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, a former First Lady, and Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Ghana's first female Chief of Staff.

A citation was presented to President Nana Akufo-Addo in recognition of his exemplary leadership, innovative educational policies, infrastructural growth and promotion of peace and unity.

The awardees were honoured generally for their selfless dedication to the cause of humanity and society, having distinguished themselves in their respective fields of endeavour.

More importantly, in the areas of peace-building, youth, women and children's development, good governance, democracy and mentorship.

GNA
Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ivy Amewugah, has blamed the flood that occurred in the Regional capital Ho on Saturday, July 8 on illegal structures on waterways.

To that end, she has called on the Ho Municipal Assembly to act and flatten all the illegal structures.

She said, We realized that some people have structures on waterways and it is the duty of the assembly to make sure that those structures are pulled down.

Saturday heavy rains destroyed homes and offices in the Vola Regional Capital, Ho.

The rains started around 3:30 PM and lasted for about four hours.

Some of the affected areas were Ho Bankwe, Ho Polycnilic, SDA, and Power House.

The Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr Richard Divine Kwamla Bosson who led his team to inspect the level of damage said [The people] should go out there and do what is to be done, when you want people to tell you to sweep your environment and they are to tell you, it goes with a cost.

3news.com
Women leaders drawn from several African countries have called for the universal ratification of the Maputo protocol geared towards defining the rights of women and girls.

Speaking at the ongoing 3rd FEMNET AGYW Festival Signature in Nairobi, the women leaders made a clarion call to the continents political leaders to sign, ratify, domesticate, and implement the protocol-which they said speaks to the core issues that affect women and girls in the continent

Honourable Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, the AU Special Rapporteur of Women in Africa noted that having the protocol at the regional level wasnt enough noting that its domestication is vital

We need to make sure that this instrument has an impact on the life of African women and girls. And this can only be achieved by universally ratifying the protocol, said Commissioner Sallah-Njie on the sidelines of the ongoing 3rd FEMNET AGYW Festival in Nairobi.

It is now two decades since African governments adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa-commonly known as the Maputo Protocol. To date,44 out of the 55 African countries have ratified the protocol.

The commissioner noted that during the adoption of the protocol, African Heads of State had a solemn declaration to ensure full implementation of gender equality.

But the ratification and implementation of this instrument havent been fully achieved, she noted.

Mary Wandia Wanjiru, Director of Programs at Co-Impact, a global philanthropic collaborative for systems change noted that lack of political will is stiffing the attainment of the third gender rule.

In Kenya, for example, what we have is a mixed picture. We have made progress in the 2010 Constitution, where women are now recognized as citizens of this country. Various rights for women and girls have been recognized, including the right to health, to live free of violence, and right to participate in decision making, said Wanjiru.

But the big challenge has been the implementation. Since 2010, why are we not seeing the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule by the previous regime? This tells us that there is still no political will.

Sallah-Njie noted that some member states have adopted policies, measures, and laws that speak to implementing gender equality in the Maputo protocol.

But we must do better. That is why it's our resolve to keep the fight alive. We want to be more effective in terms of the implementation of the protocol going forward, she added.

She further added that implementing some of the women and girls' rights provided in the protocol calls for what she termed as system change in institutions, structures, and infrastructure to facilitate the implementation of the rights 

For example, let's take a look at Violence against women. We must put in place laws, policies, and institutions such as safe houses for womens psycho-social support. And all of these require resources so that our women can benefit from the rights that are enshrined in the protocol, said the commissioner adding that financing is crucial.

The resources that are allocated for the gender ministry across Africa are still low, intimated the AU rapporteur.

It is high time that we really move the bar in terms of gender budgeting allocation across the continent and ensure that we put our money where our mouth is. We have laws and money to spend for the effective implementation of these laws, noted Sallah-Njie.



By Clifford Akumu
10.07.2023 LISTEN

As in past cases of incineration of the Islamic sacred text, the recent Quran burning in Sweden has generated outrage, protests, and condemnations. Protest marches have been held in Pakistan, Sweden, Yemen, Turkey, Iran, and other parts of the Islamic world. Pope Francis and the Sultan of Sokoto have condemned the burning of the Islamic holy book describing the incident as disgusting, provocative, and blasphemous. Many Muslims have shown their anger over the desecration of their holy book. They have made it clear that such a "disrespectful and abominable" act should not be tolerated in Sweden and beyond. But is Quran burning beyond toleration?

Since the incident, I have been wondering why the outrage. Why are Muslims protesting and condemning Sweden? With what we know about Islam in Africa, I have been trying to make sense of Muslim anger and fury over this supposed sacrilegious incident. I have been trying to understand why Muslims murder, justify murder, or are ready to kill any real, or imagine burner or desecrator of the Quran. Is it that Muslims do not know the history and legacy of their religion in other parts of the globe? Is it that Muslims do not understand that Islam thrives on such sacrilegious acts? As a matter of faith and practice, are Muslims not desecrators of other holy books?

Look, enough of this hypocrisy and double standard. Enough of this drama and deceit. Anyone who knows or understands the history of Islam in Nigeria or Africa cannot protest or condemn the burning of the Quran in Sweden.

Yes, one may not like it. Definitely, there are many things that Muslims do that non-muslims do not like. One may not sanction the act. Many people do not approve of certain Muslim religious activities. But truth be told, the Islamic faith is founded on sacrilege and desecration. A critical look at the religion reveals that a desecrator of other sacred texts and traditions founded the faith. Before muslims express outrage over the burning of the Quran in Sweden or in any part of the world, they should first look into the religion. They should first religiously introspect. Islam emerged from the flames and burning of other religions. The Quran was written with the ashes of other religious texts.

Islam is a foreign religion introduced to Africans who had their religions. The Islamic faith was brought by those who forced Africans to abandon and renounce their traditional beliefs. Those who treated African traditional religions with contempt and disrespect propagated and still propagate Islam in the region. May I ask: what did Islamic jihadists do to the sacred sites and texts they found in the region? Did they not burn and destroy them? What do contemporary Islamic scholars, and jihadists doing to African religious accessories in places they conquer and control? Don't they destroy or get rid of them? So, desecration is the mainstay of Islam in Africa. Desecration propels the spread of Islam in the region. Islam owes its sway to the sacrilegious treatment of other sacred texts, icons, and traditions. Muslims should know this. Muslims should realize this.

As in the case of Muslim destruction of other sacred texts, the burning of the Quran demands toleration.

Leo Igwe is a scholar of religion.
In an effort to brighten local neighborhoods at night, people will able to grab free outdoor lightbulbs from the Auburn Police Department later this week.

The APD will be holding a distribution event for lightbulbs donated by NYSEG from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 15, at the northeast parking lot of Memorial City Hall, 24 South St, as a part of an initiative to get energy-efficient lightbulbs out to members of the community.

Residents will be able to drive up to giveaway site during the distribution event and receive up to three lightbulbs per vehicle. If there are any lightbulbs left over after the event, officers may have them available "on routine patrols or at events we do throughout the year," the APD said.

This lightbulb undertaking was the brainchild of Auburn Police Officer Michael Bufano, who gave a presentation on the initiative with Auburn Police Chief James Slayton to Auburn City Council during a meeting in June. Bufano said that when he and other officers are on patrol at night, public street fixtures are lit but outdoor lights at neighborhood homes often aren't, lowering visibility.

"You can't see anybody, you got a suspicious person, these nuisance neighborhoods or a house, you get a complaint that we have to go to, we get there, you can't see anything," Bufano said during the presentation in June. "The fire department, the ambulance, codes, whoever is doing their job out there, they can't see the house numbers, they can't see anything in the drive way. You're peeking out to see somebody breaking into your car, you can't see them. You have your cameras, your security cameras, now you can see. It's more than a lightbulb, I think it's a neighborhood thing, everybody working together."

Feeling he needed to do something, Bufano talked to Slayton and then contacted NYSEG, eventually getting a hold of representative Timothy Winderl. Bufano said he asked Winderl questions such as how much a lightbulb costs, since Bufano planned to ask about buying some bulbs. Winderl later offered to donate lightbulbs to the APD, with the department later receiving over 2,000 bulbs.

Winderl, who was present at the meeting in June, said these outdoor LED lightbulbs "will use $3 a year, it's equivalent to a 60-watt lightbulb ... we're glad to partner with the police department and this program."
Psychologist John Egbeazien Oshodi

10.07.2023 LISTEN

President Bola Tinubu, as a concerned Nigerian-born person, I am obligated to shout out and bring this issue of judges' involvement in law enforcement to your attention openly.

Judges have increasingly overstepped their bounds in recent years, interfering with law enforcement activities conducted by the police, the State Security Service (SSS), Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others.

During and around the end of the Buhari presidency, which appeared to be a dictatorial or authoritarian kind of 'democracy,' some in the court operated as authoritarians, resulting in an environment marked by judicial overreach and rogue judges. Just take a look at these headlines:

Dec 29, 2022  Abuja court (Justice M. A. Hassan, following an earlier order by Justice J.T Tsoho,) bars SSS from arresting, detaining or interrogating CBN Gov over alleged terrorism financing and economic crimes.

Jun 15, 2023 Nigeriacrime: Dollar Videos: Stop EFCC From Probing Me - Ganduje ...

Mr. President, law enforcement agencies like the SSS was able to carry out their constitutional duties and arrest the former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele only after your 29 May inauguration as president of Nigeria and the ushering in of a more democratic environment, I hope. It appears that Nigerian judges are reining in their previously expansive attitudes and actions.

I am sure Nigerians were happy to see this headline, Nigeria: June 12 - Tinubu Warns Against Using Court Orders to Truncate Democracy.

In your era, I pray, rogue and imposing judges would learn (the hard way, like pepper dem) that their actions have serious consequences.

These long patterns and kinds of interference undermines the integrity of our judicial system and poses a danger to the separation of powers. Urgent action is required to find a solution to this problem and establish a clear chain of command between the courts and the police.

When judges are allowed to interfere in police activity, many issues occur. To begin with, it taints the integrity of the justice system by injecting bias into it. When people lose faith in the legal system, the rule of law suffers.

Such interference slows down and inefficiently administers justice. Judicial officials may exceed their jurisdiction by interfering with an investigation or the prosecution's judgment. These procedures lengthen the time it takes for justice to be served to the people of Nigeria.

During your presidency clarifying the roles of the court and the police can help safeguard separation of powers and institutional autonomy as such will help stop judicial invasion and disturbances to police and law enforcement work.

As a matter of urgency, we need updated Judicial education and ethics training by providing seminars for judges to teach them about the inner workings of the criminal justice system. People will have a better grasp of their own limits of authority and thus have more respect for the roles played by other institutions.

My professional opinion is that the court system and the police force and other law enforcement systems should work together to promote communication and collaboration. When both sides are able to maintain their identity while communicating with one another, productivity increases.

In your time, judicial accountability and review systems should be reinforced, and any complaints of judicial misconduct should be thoroughly examined, and the findings made public.

I am certain that fast action will be regarded as necessary during your tenure to reduce court involvement in law enforcement actions in order to improve our justice system, uphold the rule of law, and encourage public trust in our institutions.

Mr. President, as you are well aware, Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people that is slowly becoming democratic, raising the question of whether true regional autonomy is required. This brings me to another legal issue. Decentralizing Nigeria's National Judicial Council (NJC) and allowing regional authority. Nigeria's large population and regional variety bring distinct issues and considerations.

Mr. President and the leaders of the national assembly there is need to know that decentralizing the NJC and granting regional autonomy can have potential advantages. Nigeria is a diverse country with distinct regional identities, cultures, and legal traditions. As such granting regional autonomy in judicial matters can allow for greater representation and sensitivity to the specific needs and values of different regions; localizing judicial processes can lead to more efficient administration of justice, as local authorities are often better equipped to handle local issues and understand the intricacies of their communities.

This can potentially result in faster and more accessible justice for citizens; decentralization can encourage the development of regional expertise and specialization in legal matters. Each region can focus on specific legal challenges or issues relevant to their context; with decentralization, regional judicial bodies can address the caseload within their jurisdictions more effectively, potentially reducing the backlog of cases and improving the speed of justice delivery; ensuring a balance between regional autonomy and maintaining a harmonized legal framework at the national level is crucial; and decentralization would require adequate resources, including funding, infrastructure, and trained personnel, to be allocated to regional judicial bodies.

As we work towards granting regional autonomy, it is crucial to safeguard judicial independence and take measures to prevent undue influence, political interference, or corruption in the judiciary.

Mr. president I implore you to give these matters swift attention since it threatens the legitimacy of our legal system. I am on my knee. I de beg you oo.

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American-based police and prison scientist and forensic, clinical, and legal psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical psychological services in the USA; and a former interim associate dean and assistant professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings. A former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association. In 2011, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C. and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He has taught at various universities and colleges including Florida memorial University, Florida International University, Broward college, Lynn University, and currently an online faculty member at the Weldios university in Benin Republic, Nexus International University, Uganda, Nova Southeastern University and Walden University in USA.

Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of truth, ethics, and openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 300 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. His most recent textbook publication is Concise Psychology: An Integrated Forensic Approach to Psychology for Global African Settings. [email protected]
The former member of parliament for Adenta Constituency and the spokesperson for the Alan Campaign Team, Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoa, recently, in reacting to the experienced and dedicated Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, the President in waiting, H. E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's messages to the delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on his campaign tours, said among others that "the Vice President came into this party without contributing a pesewa to the processes of this party and I challenge him to show a receipt, saying that he contributed anything to this party before he was brought in. Is it not amazing and outrageous to demand for receipt from a person within a period he had no any formal allegiance to a party? Did he, Yaw Buaben Asamoa start to contribute to the party before he joined the party? What kind of warped logic is that? What really, has the Alan's campaign team taken the delegates for? The delegates are reasonable and responsible individuals who can decipher between cheap politics and real politics.

However, this write-up will demonstrate to him and his cohorts that Dr. Bawumia unlike others is a rare breed of individual with special qualities and character who is well positioned to lead the NPP base on his track records with the party, even before he formally joined the party. It is not hidden to the general public the unquantifiable contributions Dr. Bawumia made to the former President J. A. Kufuor's government and by extension, the NPP, even at the time he had no any intention of engaging in active politics.

These are some of the major contributions of the next president of Ghana, H. E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the NPP government under President J. A. Kufuor.

Dr. Bawumia was part of the government technical negotiating team that successfully negotiated for the relief of debt amounting to close to Four Billion Dollars under Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Remember, this unsustainable debt was inherited from the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) government, under President J. J. Rawlings. Under the same NPP and President Kufuor's government, Dr. Bawumia was equally part of the government team that negotiated successfully with the United States (US) government on the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact, that resulted into massive investments in rural development and in the energy, agriculture, transportation sectors, among others. George Bush Highways is just an example of the benefits of the MCA. The redenomination of the Ghana Cedi under President Kufuor, cannot be mentioned without mentioning the versatile Dr. Bawumia. Dr. Bawumia was a key member of the team that designed and implemented the e-zwich common platform for all financial institutions in Ghana, that enable such institutions to financially transact businesses among themselves with the e-zwich (interoperability). These and many other contributions to the NPP'S government under President Kufuor are testimonies that, Dr. Bawumia contributed immensely to the NPP and Ghana, even before he formally engaged in partisan politics.

The delegates appreciate Dr Bawumia's contributions to the then NPP government under President Kufuor. They also appreciate hIs contributions to the party as a four-time running mate to the then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo and as a Vice President of Ghana under President Nana Akufo-Addo's government. Has Yaw Buaben Asamoa ever asked how the Vice President finances his campaigns, right from 2008 as a running mate till now? He is a former MP, how much did it cost him to run his campaign for that particular constituency alone? Dr. Bawumia has travelled the length and breadth of the country, several times from 2008 to now, campaigning for the party. He is always with the delegates both in normal and challenging times.

The respected delegates are aware that, the nomination forms that, they picked and applied for their various positions they are occupying currently, were paid for by Dr. Bawumia. The delegates are aware that, the recent party cards acquired, were paid for by the ever benevolent Vice President. The respected delegates are aware of the various forms of support Dr Bawumia has rendered to them, right from the polling station to the national levels. The One Hundred and Twenty MPs, who are supporting him, appreciate the great contributions, he has made towards their victories won. Generally, the delegates are aware of his contributions to the party and do not need any 'receipt' from him to vote for him. So, if Yaw Buaben Asamoa doesn't know Dr. Bawumia's contributions to the party, that is his problem.

In conclusion, Yaw Buaben Asamoa should know that, many people fought for the party before his candidate joined it. He should also know that, people were in the party before he, Yaw Buaben joined it and it will continue to be like that, so long as democracy exists. Yaw Buaben should also remember that, Alan contested President Nana Akufo-Addo three times. What was his message? Democracy is not about 'it is my turn'. So, what has changed and 'it is my turn' is now a slogan being championed all over the political market by Alan? The delegates are saying that, they are going to vote for Dr. Bawumia for the unprecedented contributions he has made towards the successes of the party so far. The minds of the delegates are made up and they are ever ready to give Dr. Bawumia the baton to lead the NPP to break the eight, come 2024, hence, any propaganda politicking from any quarters will be dropped into a nearby bin. It is possible.

In Shaa Allah.

Thank you

Alhaji Salifu Hadara

A Patriot

Nalerigu - Gambaga Constituency

North East Region
Several Haitian politicians were invited by CARICOM to a three-day meeting in Jamaica, where they discussed the situation in Haiti. A number of Haitian leaders took part and agreed to hear from other Caribbean leaders.

This meeting was turned down by Mrs. Mirlande Manigat, President of the High Transition Council, and other Haitian leaders in Haiti and the diaspora.

Leaders who attended the meeting labeled it a failure afterward because they were unable to come to a satisfactory agreement between all parties. Ariel Henry, the current Haitian Prime Minister, who took part, said in a speech that he wasn't there to reach a new agreement because there is already one.

Werley Nortreus, a Haitian politician, and others claimed on Thursday that CARICOM was wrong to propose a new agreement or plan for the nation during their meetings in Jamaica, as the nation already had an agreement in place that would establish constitutional reform, establish proper security, and organize free and fair general elections.

Nortreus noted that the international community and CARICOM want the Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to hold general elections before establishing constitutional reform.

According to Nortreus, the majority of new politicians who have the ambition to run for high office will be excluded from the general election if there is no constitutional reform and proper security first.

Nortreus also said this action violated the existing agreement that was signed last year and dishonored Haitians and new candidates. He said the nation doesn't need multiple agreements at the same time at all. The nation should focus on one agreement, he said.

"I do not believe that Haiti needs more than one agreement at the same time. It is better if Haitians focus on the agreement signed in December 2022. General elections without constitutional reform will exclude the majority of new candidates. Haitians prefer the existing plan, where there will be constitutional reform, security, and elections. I think that CARICOM should not propose a new agreement while there is already one. I prefer that CARICOM offer its support for the existing agreement rather than proposing a new one", said Haitian politician Werley Nortreus and founder of Jeunes Dirigeants Haitiens Progressistes.

According to several sources, the Haitian government plans to organize a constitutional reform, establish proper security, and organize free and fair general elections soon, but there is no fixed date for this.
France's top intelligence official has warned of the "very worrying resurgence" of violent actions by the ultra-right since the beginning of the year.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, Nicolas Lerner, France's Director General of Internal Security stressed, "Since the spring, we have witnessed a very worrying resurgence of violent actions and intimidation by the ultra-right, some of which are a clear break with the democratic framework."

Lerner  who has been head of the DGSI since 2018  pointed in particular to attacks against the two mayors who resigned after one had his home was burnt down, while the other faced intimidation from the far-right over the installation of reception centres for asylum seekers and refugees.

The senior civil servant has voiced his concern over the "trivialisation of the use of violence and the temptation to try to impose one's ideas through fear or intimidation" in the ultra-right movement, which "numbers around 2,000 people".

Lerner also pointed out that ten planned terrorist attacks by the ultra-right have been foiled since 2017.

Attacks against 'symbols of the state'

With regard to the far-left movement, the importation of its "modes of action" on environmental issues  such as the protest against the proposed water storage megabasins at Sainte-Soline or the work on the Lyon-Turin rail line  "is a cause for concern".

"The fight against global warming is a legitimate battle that deserves to be fought with determination. But with the means allowed in a democracy," Lerner underlined.

He regretted that "for some, this demand is a pretext for attacking the symbols of the State, the forces of order  what they call the 'system'".

However, he did not endorse Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin's term "eco-terrorists", explaining that "no action" of a terrorist nature has been committed in the name of the environmental cause in recent years.

'Radicalised individuals'

He did call on agencies to remain vigilant in the face of "ideologies that legitimise and theorise the use of violent action".

With regard to the risk of Islamist terrorism, Lerner explained that he is increasingly monitoring "radicalised individuals living in Europe or Central Asia" who are invited to take action by "terrorist organisations in Syria and, increasingly, Afghanistan".

In December, two young radicals  one Russian and the other Tajik  were indicted and imprisoned on suspicion of preparing violent action on French territory.

(with AFP)
10.07.2023 LISTEN

Former President, John Dramani Mahama has stressed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not stop backing Assin North Member of Parliament (MP) James Gyakye Quayson during his trial.

Despite his re-election, Mr. Quayson has an ongoing trial in Court with the state pursuing a criminal charge against him.

Addressing a large gathering of NDC followers in the Assin North over the weekend, John Dramani Mahama indicated that whether the case will be aborted or continued, the party will be behind Gyakye Quayson throughout the period to ensure he gets justice.

For me, if they continue or not or stop or not, all I will say is whatever they do, we in the NDC are behind Gyakye Quayson, the flagbearer of the NDC said.

In the past couple of weeks, there have been several calls for the case against James Gyakye Quayson to be abandoned by the state.

Key among the people who share this view include Dormaahene Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II.

In his view, pursuing the case will bring no benefits to Ghanaians.

As a matter of urgency, I am appealing to the President of the Republic that if he has any role to play in that trial, it should be aborted. The Attorney General should as a matter of urgency file a nolle prosequi to end that particular decision.

Honestly, I dont see the benefits this prosecution will bring Ghanaians. If he is in court, he cant fulfill his mandate so the President and the Attorney General should do something urgently to end this matter, so we move on as Ghanaians, Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II said at the 10th anniversary lecture of John Evans Atta Mills in Sunyani.
10.07.2023 LISTEN

Edudzi Tamakloe, a member of the legal team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said Ghanaians must not be deceived into choosing between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan Kyerematen, two presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to lawyer Tamakloe, the two presidential aspirants are part of the mess created by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Speaking on TV3 on July 10, he said Akufo Addo that has produced these two is the master architect of the current problem we are having.

He noted, Which of these poisonous fruits they will take, I mean the whole idea that these two are or are even thinking of leading this country is how low they see Ghanaians. Akufo Addo that has produced these two poisonous fruits is the master architect of the current problem that we are having."

It is like a driver and a mate, there are two mates to the driver, Bawumia and Alan. They are fruits of a poisonous tree called Akufo Addo. So regardless of how you see them, it is a terrible no. You see I would want to discuss these 3 or 2 individuals within the confines of the 3 EMs, first economic mess, environmental mess, and educational mess, Lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe emphasised.
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has been assured 62 percent of total votes in the Central Region during the 2024 general elections.

The assurance was given by the Regional Chairman of the party Professor Richard Asiedu while speaking at a rally at the Methodist School Park in Assin Breku to wrap up the opposition party's Thank You tour, attended by the flagbearer Former President John Dramani Mahama, on Sunday, July 9.

The tour, which climaxed on Sunday, July 9, was to thank constituents in Assin North for the electoral victory given to the NDC in June 27 by-election won by the NDC's candidate James Gyakye Quayson.

Prof Asiedu said Central region will not disappoint His Excellency John Mahama, we are launching agenda 20 seats for NDC in Central Region.

With presidential, we are giving His Excellency 62 percent, this is the decision we took during our meeting.

He further served notice to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the NDC will snatch the Assin Central parliamentary seat from the governing party.

The seat is currently being occupied by Mr Kennedy Agyapong who is aspiring to be the flagbearer of the NPP in the 2024 general elections.

But Prof Asiedu told him to focus on his presidential ambition and forget about the seat because the NDC is taking it in 2024.

Assin area has in the past been described as the stronghold of the NPP but we have changed the narrative, Assin has now become the strong base of the NDC. In 2024, we will take not less than two out of the three seats in Assin.

Let me tell Assin Central that the 'Mugabe' [referring to Kennedy Agyapong] who is on the seat should focus on his presidential ambition, I will take the seat from them to the NDC.

-3news.com
Ghana's Deputy Finance Minister, John Ampontuah Kuma, has called on the World Bank Group to ensure development assistance from the bank to the African continent reflects the needs of individual recipient countries.

The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Ejisu has therefore appealed to the World Bank Group to consider remodeling its operations and come out with development assistance measures that will prioritize the needs of Africans.

The Minister has also expressed concerns over how local companies and consultants are sidelined in projects finance by the World Bank Group and called on the leadership of the World Bank to address these challenges.

John Ampontuah Kuma said this while representing Ghana's Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, at the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund IMF caucus meeting held at Sal, Cape Verde.

The two-day event, which began on July 6 and ended on July 8, 2023, attracted delegates, speakers, and experts from across Africa, as well as representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG).

The conference aims to explore new modalities and mechanisms for financing economic development in Africa, with a specific focus on public debt as a financing instrument for growth, climate finance, energy, and private sector development.

Contributing to discussions at the conference, the Ejisu MP was emphatic on the need for the World Bank Group to allow full participation of indigenous African companies on the Group's financed projects in Africa.

"The quotation from Nelson Mandela, a former president of South Africa which has already been quoted, sums up my message and it says if you want to do something for me, do it with me, so I want to emphasise that, it is very important for the World Bank Group to involve local companies in their assistance projects, he stated.

John Ampontuah Kuma used the occasion on behalf of Ghana to thank the World Bank Group and the IMF for their contributions to the development of Ghana and Africa.
Edudzi Tamakloe, the National Democratic Congress member of the legal team has attributed the current hardship faced by Ghanaians to the bad leadership of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.

According to Mr. Tamakloe, the NPP government has messed up every sector including the economy, education and the environment.

Speaking on TV3 on July 10, he said the key amongst these bad policies is the free Senior High School (SHS) policy which he described as maternity leave.

The president himself, the defender of Akonta mining together with his apprentice Vice President have never demonstrated their resolve to fight galamsey and Dr. Frimpong Boatengs report sums everything up. Thats environmental mess.

The next one is educational mess. For the first time in the history of this country, look at what Akufo-Addo has done to the education of this country. Basic education, secondary education, and free SHS.

Today we can sit here because our parents had the responsibility of paying for our fees and that is what has made us. The Ghanaian parents have never run away from paying fees for the child only for this reckless incompetent corrupt President with his apprentice to say they were promising them free SHS. For the first time in the history of this country, free SHS is like going on maternity leave, Edudzi Tamakloe stated.
Railways Minister and NPP MP for Hohoe constituency John Peter Amewu has thrown his weight behind Alan Kyeremanten's bid to lead the NPP in the 2024 elections.

He cited his unblemished record and ability to break the NDC's grip of the Volta region.

Addressing delegates attending a cluster meeting for Alan Kyeremanten in Madina on Wednesday, July 5, Mr. Amewu said the former Trade Minister would make it easier for the NPP to "break the eight" due to his clean image and reputation.

"We are presenting to you a candidate that would make our work very easy... I am saying the love for Alan in the region is huge and he is the one that can break the dominance of the NDC in the region," the lawmaker told the gathering.

Mr. Amewu said Alan Kyerematen if chosen as the ruling partys flagbearer ahead of the 2024 general elections, his opponents will find it difficult to attack him or tarnish his image as they have done with other NPP aspirants in the flagbearer race.

The event in Madina is one of the series of delegate meetings Alan Kyerematen is holding across the country to drum up support for his presidential bid.

The NPP is gearing up for what is expected to be a hotly contested presidential primary election coming November 4, with at least ten individuals including Vice President Bawumia officially in the race.
The Auburn Police Department has revealed where a credit card skimmer was found at Walmart in Auburn last week.

The device was found at terminal No. 2 on Wednesday, July 5. It was installed at approximately 8 a.m. Sunday, July 2.

Police said customers who used terminal No. 2 during that time frame or don't know which checkout lane they used should check their banking history and notify their bank so actions can be taken to protect the account.

If you have taken these steps and either confirm or suspect you are a victim of credit card skimming, you should contact the Auburn Police Department at (315) 253-3231 to report the fraudulent activity.

Credit card skimming devices are used by criminals to steal personal information, including credit card data and PINs. The devices have been found at five Walmart locations in central New York.

Auburn police announced last week that they are seeking three suspects in connection with the installation of the credit card skimming device at the local Walmart. Surveillance images show that two men and a woman entered the store on July 2 and installed the device at a checkout lane.

Anyone with information about the case should contact Detective Atkins at (315) 255-4703 or (315) 253-3231. Callers may remain anonymous.
Human Rights Watch has urged a halt to a major East African oil project led by French giant TotalEnergies, warning of dire consequences for the environment and local communities.

Last year, TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation signed a $10-billion agreement to develop Ugandan oilfields and ship the crude through a 1,445-kilometre pipeline to Tanzania's Indian Ocean port of Tanga.

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has run into strong opposition from rights activists and environmental groups, and has faced legal action in France and criticism in the European Parliament.

TotalEnergies says those displaced by the project have been fairly compensated for their land, while measures have been taken to protect the environment.

In a report published this Monday however, Human Rights Watch says the mega-project will irreparably harm fragile ecosystems, and alleges that some of the 100,000 people expected to be displaced by its development have been poorly treated.

Researchers for the NGO conducted over 90 interviews in March and April this year  including interviews with 75 displaced families  many of whom said they had received delayed or inadequate compensation.

Others told HRW they were pressured into selling their land.

According to Felix Horne, senior environment researcher at HRW, "EACOP has been a disaster for the tens of thousands who have lost the land that provided food for their families and an income to send their children to school, and who received too little compensation from TotalEnergies.

"EACOP is also a disaster for the planet and the project should not be completed."

'Rights violations'

Farmers told HRW they went into debt waiting years for compensation, with campaigners documenting 37 cases where children were allegedly forced to drop out of school because their families could not pay fees.

Some signed compensation agreements in English  a language they couldn't read  while others told researchers "the presence of government and security officials at public meetings contributed to an aura of intimidation."

One 79-year-old man said: "In my heart I said no, but because I thought government would be hard on me, I gave in and signed."

Those who refused to sign said they faced pressure from company representatives as well as harassment from local government and security officials.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to proceed with the project despite the European Parliament calling for it to be delayed over "rights violations."

'Adequate compensation'

Human Rights Watch has raised concerns over the wrongful imprisonment of activists opposed to the project, and the eviction of people from their land without adequate compensation.

Five Ugandan and French aid groups as well as 26 Ugandans sued TotalEnergies in Paris last month for reparations over alleged human rights violations at two of its mega-projects in the country, including EACOP.

In a 15 June letter to HRW, TotalEnergies said it had offered fair compensation and will "continue to pay close attention to respecting the rights of the communities concerned".

For his part, Museveni has hailed the project as a major economic boost for the landlocked country, where many live in poverty.

(With newswires)
Betty Mould-Iddrisu, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, has expressed her concern over the obstacles faced by students aspiring to pursue legal education in Ghana.

She finds it distressing that some lawyers, including former Chief Justices, undermine the right to legal education and place impediments in the way of aspiring lawyers.

During an exclusive interview with Korku Lumor on the Class Morning Show (CMS) on Class91.3fm, Betty Mould-Iddrisu expressed her bewilderment at the attempts to hinder aspiring lawyers from being called to the bar.

She regrets not establishing more law schools during her tenure as Attorney General, as there have been no additional law schools since then.

She said its a total mystery for me on how they try to put impediments on the way of lawyers being called to the bar, I just dont understand this. When I was attorney general, that is when we managed to open the two additional law schools in the country, it was only Makola and it hunts me, if I had known, I would have pushed for even more at that time.

Since my time, there hasnt been any additional law school. I cannot understand this, I find it absolutely disturbing and a failure on the part of some of our distinguished lawyers not to see this.

She questions the notion of law becoming a privilege and believes that legal education should be accessible to all.

I dont understand, where does law become a privilege? she quizzed where would we have had the Ollenus and people who came from the salt of the land. Where would we have had so many of our distinguished attorneys?

Betty Mould-Iddrisu cites examples from countries like the UK and the USA, where legal education is not restricted to a privileged few.

She argues that Ghana should adopt a progressive approach, allowing individuals to take exams to determine their eligibility for legal education, similar to the systems in those countries.

Theres nothing like that thinking in the UK or the USA or anything like that. In the US, go and sit a bunch of exams and see if you can make it and thats it and thats how it should be here. We must be progressive thinking far beyond what we have now.

My heart goes out to these students, I dont know why they should suffer what they are suffering, I find it appalling that anyone can think like that including some of our former chief justices and some of them who are currently sitting on the General Legal Counsel. They must get real and move with the times, the former education minister stated.

Betty Mould-Iddrisu disagrees with the argument that inadequate resources and qualified faculty make it challenging to provide quality legal education.

She suggests that the Ministry of Education should ensure that universities are properly licensed and equipped to deliver the necessary education and enrich the law syllabus.

Her views contrast with those of her colleague, former Attorney General Ayikoi Otoo, who believes that legal education should not be considered a right for everyone.

Ayikoi Otoo emphasises the gravity of the legal profession, stating that it deals with matters of human life and liberty.

He argues that incompetent lawyers can have severe consequences, such as wrongful convictions or loss of life or property. He draws a parallel between law and medicine, emphasizing the need for top-quality individuals in both professions.

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and former Attorney General Gloria Akuffo have also expressed concerns about maintaining high standards in the legal profession. They caution against mass production of lawyers and advocate for comprehensive examinations of the legal education system to address existing challenges.

The divergent perspectives expressed by legal professionals highlight the ongoing debate surrounding legal education in Ghana. While some advocate for inclusivity and increased access to legal education, others stress the need to maintain high standards to ensure the competency and integrity of lawyers.

-Classfmonline
10.07.2023 LISTEN

Member of Parliament hopeful for Amenfi Central in the Western Region, Hon Joana Gyan-Cudjoe has created job for over three hundred (300) people in her Constituency.

The over one million Ghana cedi block factory project established by the NDC female politician is poised to provide direct employment to more than 300 people in the area.

The facility, Gell Real Estate And Block Factory will accommodate both skilled and unskilled workers (drivers, food vendors, carriers) and other professionals who will seek to bring food to the tables of the many people who will ply their trade one way or the other at the facility.

Gell Real Estate And Block Factory located at Wassa Agona Amenfi provides services like building and constructions, road construction, project and property management, land sales, architectural design, remodeling and renovation, quantity surveying and landscaping and land surveying.

The achievement is a call for voters in the Amenfi Central to vote massively for the development-oriented yet-to-be MP to bring more job opportunities to members in the area to reduce the unemployment rate in the area.

A sure way Amenfi Central Constituency would be free from economic pressure, she stated is to elect her as the MP for the area come 2024 for quality education, portal drinking water, good roads, quality health care and employment among the youth and the aged in the area.

Hon Joana Gyan-Cudjoe said she is focused and determined to rescue the people of Amenfi Central from the oppressors' rule of the ruling NPP government.

Her move, according to her, is unprecedented because she's the first incoming MP in Amenfi Central to have created direct jobs for over 300 people and also created indirect jobs for over 1200 people in Amenfi Central Constituency.
Youth development group Young Professionals and Youth Coalition has apologized for mistakenly presenting Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh with the wrong award plaque at an event over the weekend.

The award presented to the Minister, as seen in a post-event photograph was that of Africa Role Model Female Personality of the Year, which raised eyebrows on social media.

But in a statement released today, July 10, YPYC said the Energy Minister won the Overall Africa Role Model in Politics and Governance award at the 14th MTN Pulse Africa Role Model Awards held in Kumasi.

During a post-event photo opportunity, a different award plaque was inadvertently handed over to the Honourable Minister, which resulted in an unfortunate and misleading perception as to exactly what award he had won, the statement clarified.

"We apologise for the mix-up and any embarrassment it may have caused the Minister," YPYC President Andy Osei Okrah said in the statement.

"We reiterate our congratulations to [Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh] for the award, a testament of the impact he continues to make on the nation's younger generation," the statement added.

The award mix-up seems to have brought some embarrassment to YPYC as it aims to honour distinguished individuals who serve as role models to the youth.

The group says it is investigating how the error occurred and will take steps to prevent any recurrence.

YPYC's awards seek to showcase exemplary individuals who inspire younger Ghanaians through their achievements, leadership and service.

Find a full copy of the statement below:
The Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Richard Asiedu has issued a strong statement asserting that the NDC will wrestle the Assin Central parliamentary seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The bold declaration comes at a time when the seat is currently held by Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, who is eyeing the NPP's presidential ticket for the upcoming 2024 general elections.

During a rally held at the Methodist School Park in Assin Breku to conclude the opposition party's Thank You tour, which was graced by former President John Dramani Mahama, Professor Asiedu confidently urged Ken Agyapong to shift his focus to his presidential ambitions, as the NDC was determined to claim the Assin Central seat in the next election.

Assin area has in the past been described as the stronghold of the NPP but we have changed the narrative. Assin has now become the strong base of the NDC, he said.

Professor Asiedu further predicted that in the 2024 elections, the NDC would secure at least two out of the three seats in the Assin area.

In 2024, we will take not less than two out of the three seats in Assin, he stated.

He added, Let me tell Assin Central that the Mugabe [referring to Kennedy Agyapong] who is on the seat should focus on his presidential ambition."

I will take the seat from them to the NDC, Professor Asiedu proclaimed in his address to the gathering.

The Thank You tour climaxed on Sunday, July 9, 2023 aimed to express gratitude to the constituents of Assin North for their unwavering support, which culminated in the NDC's victory in the June 27 by-election, where James Gyakye Quayson emerged winner.
10.07.2023 LISTEN

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hit out at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the party looks to recapture power in the 2024 General Election.

In a post shared on Twitter by the largest opposition party, it has reminded the President about how he bagged Ghanaians to vote for him in the run-up to the 2016 election.

According to the NDC, the president has been a disaster during his reign as president after Ghanaians trusted his words and decided to give him a chance to serve.

It has been a terrible disaster so far, the NDC shared in a Twitter post.

President Akufo-Addo in February 2016 made an appeal to Ghanaians to vote for him and used the famous words; Try me too.

"This year, try me too. Give me the chance to show you what I can do. Four years is not so far away. If I come and I dont succeed, kick me out. God knows my heart and I can assure you that I wont disappoint you. Progress and prosperity are what I am offering the people of Ghana, President Akufo-Addo promised.

The President was addressing Moslem clerics and Chiefs of Settler communities in Derma, in the Tano South constituency, in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The NDC has time and again argued that the President has failed to deliver on his promise.

This is why the opposition party has vowed to turn every stone to boot the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) out of government in the next General Election.
Despite rising to become Ghana's Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare remains unusually humble, yet effective leader, according to Professor Kwesi Nyankah.

"Here was an IGP of 2023 still wearing the demeanor of an uncrowned subordinate of 2018: same civility, politeness, mental reflexes and all. A simple affable IGP, shedding the bloated ego of an overlord, for the sake of enhanced law and order in Ghana," said Prof. Nyankah in a portion of his lengthy Facebook post on Monday, July 10.

The former Education Minister visited IGP Dampare last week Tuesday and was impressed by his humble and polite posture despite holding high office.

"Overly courteous, polite to a fault, soft spoken, arms crossed behind, all smiles, self-effacing, virtually boyish," Prof. Nyankah recalled Dampare's demeanor during their first meeting in 2018 when Dampare was then a Commissioner of Police.

Under Dampare's leadership as IGP, Prof. Nyankah noted positive changes in the Ghana Police Service including high-profile individuals being arrested for traffic offenses, more dialogue with protesters, and faster response to security threats.

"You could see smiles playing around our lips as we started seeing strange things happening: Big men pulled over by the police for overspeeding, arrested for wrongful parking, charged for jumping the red light; small and big men arraigned before court for motor traffic offences," he said.

IGP Dampare's "unusual" style, according to the former Minister, was also seen in his directive that refreshments be provided to visitors and also in organizing an impromptu address by Prof. Nyankah to the police advisory board during his visit.

Prof. Nyankah concluded that aside from Dampare's unusual style, his effective approach is improving law and order in Ghana.

"With such unusual friends, dont we miss our previous version of law and order? Congratulations! IGP Dampare and the Ghana Police, he wrote in the ending part of the post.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has promised the people of Assin North during the National Democratic Congress thank you tour of the constituency that: If history is being written about elections in Ghana, the people of Assin North will have their name written in gold.

The by-election was won by ousted MP James Gyakye Quayson, whose 2020 victory was annulled by the Supreme Court with the reason that he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship as of the time he first filed to run for the 2020 polls.

At the thank you tour, Mr Mahama said: The victory in this by-election is the beginning of our march to recapture power.

We are carrying the same momentum to the 2024 general election, he noted.

I have faith in the Almighty God to grant the NDC victory in the next election, Mr Mahama added.

Despite his victory, Mr Quayson is facing criminal prosecution for perjury and forgery.

Speaking on that issue, Mr Mahama said: The Dormaahene, who is a respected High Court Judge, has appealed to President Akufo-Addo and the Attorney General to discontinue the case because the prosecution is needless. But people vilified him for making such an appeal.

Whatever they do, for us in the NDC, if the Attorney General discontinues the case, well be OK with that; if he continues the prosecution, our support for Gyakye Quayson will remain resolute. Well support him in the morning, afternoon and evening.

-ClassFMonline.com
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi

10.07.2023 LISTEN

South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, one of the sponsors of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill before parliament believes stringent measures can check LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.

He observed that though the activities of same sex can never be stopped, it should not be allowed to indoctrinate innocent Ghanaians.

In an interview on Accra-based Citi TV on Saturday, July 8, the MP said "In respect of LGBTQ+, we can't stop it, but we have to check it, the checking comes in when they do it in their homes, that's their palaver, but don't pour onto the streets and seek to indoctrinate innocent children."

He noted that LGBTQ+ activists are trying to equate their lifestyle choice to fundamental human rights which is never so in his opinion.

He stated, "This is a lifestyle choice. When you are born with it, it becomes a medical condition, that is subject to treatment."

According to the MP, LGBTQ+ activists want the right "to determine these things for our children."

"Our children don't even have voting decisions until they are 18 years. You want to go to schools to teach kids that when they feel a certain way it's okay. We are inventing the order of nature, and no law on earth permits that," he further explained.

The MP's call comes amid rising pressures for LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana both from unknown promoters and the Western world to illegalize it.

While some argue for the protection of minority rights, others insist same-sex relationships contradict Ghanaian culture and religious values and tradition.

The anti-LGBTQ+ bill currently before parliament seeks to outlaw and criminalize LGBTQ+ activities, advocacy and related activities in Ghana.
In June 2020, the French street artist Combo accused Jean-Luc Melenchon and his France Unbowed party of using one of his murals in their campaign clips without his permission. A Paris court has ordered them to pay 40,000 euros to the artist, his lawyer said.

The work entitled La Marianne asiatique (Asian Marianne), was created by street artist Combo in early 2017 on Boulevard du Temple in Paris.

The mural depicts a Marianne - French republican symbol - with her right breast bared carrying a tricolour flag with the slogan "Liberte, Egalite, Humanite".

In June 2020, the artist accused Jean-Luc Melenchon of using the mural without his permission in France Unbowed party (LFI) campaign clips.

Before the Paris Court of Appeal, he claimed more than 900,000 euros from the political leader and his party for "counterfeiting, infringement of his copyright and moral prejudice". 

Combo "complained mainly about the political exploitation of his work and damage to his reputation," his lawyer explained.

Street artists copyright

Jean-Luc Melenchon and his party will have to pay 15,000 in respect of the "moral prejudice", 15,000 euros in legal costs and 5,000 from the party and Melenchon each "in compensation for his financial prejudice", according to the Paris Court of Appeal ruling dated 5 July.

Combo's "victory is historic, as it is the first jurisprudence in France to protect a street art work under copyright law", the artist's lawyer explained.

(with newswires)
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales amounted to 1.894 million units in June 2023, edging down 2.6% from the previous year, but rising 8.7% from the previous month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

From January to June this year, retail sales have continued to grow month by month, a trend of consecutive monthly growth that has not been seen in this century.

With the low sales volume base from the previous year and the influence of various policies and sales promotions, the cumulative retail sales from January to June reached 9.524 million units, achieving a positive year-on-year growth of 2.7%.

For clarity, the passenger vehicles hereby refer to the cars, SUVs, and MPVs locally produced on the Chinese mainland.

At the national level, Chinese government has introduced policy guidelines aimed at stabilizing and boosting automobile consumption. Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Commerce have promoted the use of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in rural areas, launching a slew of activities, which have yielded good results. Various local auto shows and the distribution of consumer vouchers have enriched the colorful promotional activities. Automakers have made strong efforts in the second half of the year, which have had a positive impact on boosting consumer confidence.

Why did the retail sales of the automobile market show a continuous monthly increase from January to June? In the first six months of the year, several factors contributed to this trend, including the earlier occurrence of the Spring Festival, an intense price war in March, consumer anticipation of the promotion trend of China VI B emission standards, the launch of numerous new products and low-priced models, and the "618" mid-year shopping festival. These series of expectations and policy announcements in the first half of the year ultimately led to a booming car market in late June.

In June, China's indigenous brands recorded combined retail sales of around 930,000 units, a YoY growth of 14% and a MoM growth of 7%. These brands accounted for 49.3% of domestic PV retail sales in June 2023, an increase of 6.7 percentage points over the previous year.

Mainstream joint-venture brands retailed 660,000 locally-produced PVs in June, a decrease of 19% YoY, but a 6% growth MoM. While the market shares of German, Japanese, and American brands fell 1.6, 3.7, and 0.9 percentage points from the previous year, respectively.

Luxury vehicle brands sold 300,000 units in June by retail, indicating a 3% YoY decrease, but marking a 22% MoM increase. The previous chip supply constraints last year has gradually been resolved, leading to a robust market climate.

Among the top 10 automakers by June PV retail sales in China, BYD still ranked highest, and was also the fastest-growing one in terms of YoY change. Among the No.2 to No.10 carmakers, only Changan Auto and Geely Auto posted a rising movement over a year earlier.China's PV wholesale volume in June 2023 reached 2.236 million units, up by 2.1% compared to last year and 11.7% from the previous month. The accumulated wholesales have amounted to 11.066 million units so far this year, reflecting an 8.7% YoY growth.

In June, Chinas local brands wholesaled 1.2 million units, up 21% YoY and 9% MoM. Mainstream joint-venture brands wholesaled 700,000 units, marking a 21% YoY decline, but reflecting a 13% MoM growth. Luxury brands wholesaled 330,000 units, up 2% YoY and 19% MoM.

There were 33 companies with a wholesales volume of over 10,000 units in June, an increase of 3 companies compared to the previous month. Seven of these companies reported a MoM growth rate of over 30%, while 20 saw a growth rate of over 10%.

With regard to the PV wholesale volume in June, BYD still outdid other automakers with a volume of around 252,000 units. The occupants of the third to fifth spotsChangan Auto, Geely Auto, and Chery Autoall scored a year-on-year increase in June wholesales. Tesla saw its China-made vehicle wholesales jump 18.7% from a year earlier to roughly 940,000 units last month, making it rank 7th among carmakers in China.

The production volume of locally-manufactured passenger vehicles in June amounted to 2.195 million units in the country, displaying a YoY decrease of 0.5%, but marking a MoM increase of 10.3%. Due to the China VI emission standard upgrades, enterprises have been extremely cautious in production.

This year's total auto exports continued the strong growth trend from the end of last year. Under the statistical scope of the CPCA, passenger vehicle exports (including complete vehicles and CKDs) reached 290,000 units in June, a YoY surge of 56%, but a MoM dip of 4%. From January to June, China's passenger vehicle exports totaled 1.68 million units, representing a YoY spike of 92%. New energy vehicles accounted for 28% of total exports in June.
Aisha Huang, widely known as a galamsey kingpin, has refuted allegations of engaging in mining activities or providing support for mining operations during her criminal trial.

Huang, who illegally returned to Ghana after her deportation in 2018, stands accused of engaging in illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, without a valid licence.

The prosecution presented eleven witnesses who testified to Huang's alleged involvement in illegal mining, specifically in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.

However, Huang vehemently denies these accusations, asserting that her company has never been involved in mining activities and lacks the necessary mining license.

She contends that the evidence put forth by the prosecution is false.

In a separate development, Huang Lei, the son of Aisha Huang, recently faced legal repercussions. In March 2023, Huang Lei pleaded guilty to charges of overstaying his permit in Ghana, possession of ammunition without lawful authority, and possession of forged official documents.

His plea came after initially pleading not guilty alongside other Chinese nationals arrested for similar offenses in November of the previous year.

On December 16, 2022, Huang Lei's legal counsel revealed their intention to change his plea to guilty. Subsequently, before Justice Comfort Tasiame at criminal court 4, Huang Lei admitted guilt and received a fine of GH10,800. The court also ordered his deportation.

The ongoing trial of Aisha Huang continues, with the defendant maintaining her innocence.

-ClassFMonline.com
Residents of Lawoshime, Hagodzi, Mamime and Songbe, farming communities in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region, have appealed for support to construct bridges over the river connecting these areas for easy movement.

They expressed worry about how students risked their lives daily by swimming across the river to be able to access education.

Mr Michael Keku, the Assistant Headteacher at the Lawoshime M/A basic school, told the Ghana News Agency, that the situation was alarming because many students now suffered water-borne diseases since they cross the stream always.

He said the situation had prevented some of the younger ones in the communities from attending school because they could no longer risk their lives to cross the river.

He appealed to individuals, philanthropists, and the government to help build bridges in the area for easy movement.

Mr Kelu commended the Ghana National Association of Teachers and Coalition of Concern Teachers for their support to the school by providing teachers with a canoe, raincoat and boots to aid their movements.

Mr Alex Ehia, the Assembly Member for the area, in interaction with GNA, said they had been deprived of several developmental projects including good roads, health centre, and school infrastructure.

The only health centre and the Six-Unit classroom block under construction in 2020 have since been left to rot, he stated.

Mr Ehia said pregnant women, sick children and other residents suffered always in accessing quality healthcare due to the unavailability of a health facility and poor roads in the area.

He said the situation, if addressed, would curb the numerous challenges facing the area and urged the government to help solve their issues.

GNA
Charles Owusu, former Head of the Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, has dared Members of Parliament who disagree with the anti-LGBTQ+ bill recently adopted by the House.

While all 275 Members of Parliament accepted the bill, Charles Owusu believes that some may have done so out of fear.

Mr Owusu is asking any dissenting MP to boldly express his/her disagreement with the Bill.

Speaking on Peace FMs Kokrokoo morning show, he stated, "I dare anybody in Parliament who doesn't agree to come publicly and tell us that he or she supports the LGBTQ+."

If you are a man or woman, come out and tell us publicly; whether you will return to that Parliament, you will see," Owusu asserted.

Emphasizing his view that homosexuality is a taboo that can destroy a nation, Mr Owusu firmly stated that it has no place in Ghana and must not be tolerated.

Homosexuality is a taboo. It destroys a nation; therefore, it won't be entertained in Ghana, he stated.

Mr Owusu commended the MPs for unanimously adopting the "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill."

Praising the MPs, he noted that their decision would be remembered and recognized by future generations.

"They [the MPs] will be remembered. Posterity will remember you, he added.

On Wednesday, July 5, the Members of Parliament endorsed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as anti-LGBTQ+ Bill which aims to promote proper Ghanaian family values and explicitly criminalizes LGBTQ+ activities.
The Akim Lodge of Ghana, No. 28 has made huge donation of items and cash to bring relief and settle the bills of patients at Akim Oda General Hospital.

The donation including a cash amount of GHS5,000 plus other essential items was made on Saturday, July 8.

Aside the cash donation, the items presented to the Akim Oda General Hospital include 1 hospital bed, 51 bedsheets, 36 pillowcases, 2 wall clocks, 5 shine rolls paper tissues, 5 kleesoft washing powder, 4 powerzone big bottles, 1 big Jamal washing powder, 2 Ariel washing powder, 4 big size camel antiseptic, 4 packs of toilet roll and 2 dust bins.

The rest are three bags of Easy powder detergents, 2 benko powder detergents, 1 box of miss savon laundry soap, 1 box of clean laundry soap, 1 gallon of bine floor cleaner, and 1 gallon of clean laundry liquid soap.

Presenting the cash and items to the Akim Oda General Hospital, the leader of Akim Lodge No. 28, WM Paul Obeng said the move is part of the efforts to give back to society.

It is part of our doctrine to do good and give to others so this year we have decided to support Akim Oda General Hospital as part of our charity work, WM Paul Obeng disclosed.

He further explained, We are making this cash donation to help in the discharge of patients who have not been able to make payment.

We always hear that some patients after receiving health care from hospitals do not have money to pay for the service. We decided to step in to help such people."

WM Paul Obeng further promised the Akim Oda Hospital that next year the group will be back to make another donation.

We will continue to do these charity works. We have adopted Oda General Hospital and every year we will put something together to help to promote healthcare for all. That is our promise, he said.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the Akim Oda General Hospital, Miss Grace Antwi expressed profound appreciation to Akim Lodge No. 28.

She further made an appeal to other well-to-do organisations and individuals to come to the aid of the hospital.

We have some people who dont have anything so with these donated items if we share it with them it will help with their upkeep. They have really helped us with this donation and it will cushion us a lot.

This cash donation will also ensure we discharge patients and get spaces to cater to other patients.

What I will say is God bless them. We plead with others to also follow in their footsteps and come to our aid to take care of patients who are in need, Miss Grace Antwi indicated.

Patients at the hospital including pregnant and nursing mothers also praised Lodge Akim No. 28 for the show of kindness.

Watch videos below:


Girls Empowerment Mission Ghana (GEM Ghana), a local nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls, has generously donated essential items to Tamale Children Home in the Northern region.

The donation include clothes, sanitary materials, soft drinks, and food, with the intention of providing much-needed support to the children residing in the facility.

Sulemana Barak Zakaria, the Communication and Advocacy Officer of GEM Ghana, explained that the donation perfectly aligns with the organization's vision of creating a nurturing environment for children in the Northern region.

Co-executive Director of GEM Ghana, Samira Assabey Musah, stressed the significance of community support for the facility, recognizing that raising underprivileged children requires a collective effort.

She passionately appealed to the general public and other non-governmental organizations in the region to extend their assistance to the orphanage.

Madam Sarah Sulemana, the Acting Supervisor of the facility, expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the children, as she received the donation. She assured GEM Ghana that the items would be utilized effectively to benefit the children.

During her interaction, Madam Sarah called upon both non-governmental organizations and the general public to extend their support to the facility.

She emphasized the urgent issues of food shortage, inadequate access to safe drinking water, and the absence of a recreational center for the children to engage in play.
On Sunday, July 9, 2023, the Greater Accra Hausa Youth gathered at the forecourt of the Greater Accra Hausa Chief, Sarki Ali Kadiri English, to pay homage, the Kilisa which is celebrated at any given time of the year.

Kilisa is a cherished tradition observed by the Hausa community, which involves a breathtaking horse riding display by the youth and individuals capable of riding.

The event showcases numerous horse displays throughout the towns, as the youth engage in an exchange of greetings with community members.

This serves as a significant symbol of the culture and traditions of the Hausa people, who migrated from the northern part of Nigeria to Ghana over 100 years ago.

The celebration drew the attention of thousands of people and horse enthusiasts who eagerly gathered to witness this remarkable display of Hausa culture. The Chief and subjects of the Greater Accra Hausa Chief particularly captivated the audience with their spectacular horse riding skills.

During the event, a procession of Chiefs adorned in traditional Hausa regalia and turbans rode beautifully rode horses through the principal streets of Accra. Accompanied by traditional drumming, brass bands, and musket fire, the vibrant celebration showcased the rich history, culture, and traditions of the Hausa people.

The Wassan Kilisa, also known as the spectacular horse display festival, brought together family and friends from diverse backgrounds to partake in this extraordinary event.

Many individuals, who rode horses together, gathered to pay homage to the Chief of the Hausa communities in Greater Accra Sarki Kabiru Kadiri English.

Paying homage to the Hausa King signifies the utmost respect shown by the people of the Hausa communities, highlighting the deep-rooted traditions and cultural heritage of the Hausa people.

This grand and awe-inspiring tradition has been celebrated in Nigeria for decades and is also observed in countries where Hausas have migrated and settled for many years.

Speaking to a number of horse riders, mostly Chiefs, they expressed their honor in participating in this historic celebration.

They emphasized their passion for horse riding and how this event fills them with pride as Hausa individuals.

Brief History of Succession in Greater Accra Hausa Chieftaincy

The first Hausa Chief of Greater Accra Sarki Kadiri English was installed in Accra in the year 1915 and was supported by the elders of Hausas at that time.

Sarki Kadiri English since that time was the head of the Hausa community in Greater Accra until his demise.

His son Chief Bawa Kadiri English took over from him and died in the year 1933, the son of Chief Bawa Kadiri English succeeded him and also died in the year 1977.

Then, Sarki Ali Kadiri English took over from 1977 to 2013.

He was succeeded by the current Greater Accra Hausa Chief Sarki Kabiru Kadiri English.
Mary Wandia Wanjiru, is a gender activist of long standing and has lately taken up nurturing and mentnoring the next generation of young women rights activists who will stand up for the rights of women and girls every where in Africa. Wandia, now the Director of Programs at Co-Impact (a former staff at FEMNET), has also transited to the philanthropic space) and has been working on the Maputo Protocol for the last 23 years. She had a chart with our reporter Clifford Akumu on the sidelines of the 3rd African Girls and Young Women Festival organised by FEMNET in Nairobi, Kenya to interrogate the benefits the Maputo Protocol has brought to women and girls in Kenya and the gaps that need to be addressed.

In 2005, the Maputo Protocol went into effect, two years after the African Union adopted it in Maputo, Mozambique. What is Kenyas story looking like?

Wanjiru: In Kenya, what we are having is a mixed picture. We have made progress in the 2010 Constitution and women are now recognised as citizens of this country. Various rights for women have been recognised including the right to health, leave free of violence, and to participate in decision-making.

Why are we still struggling with the issue of the two-thirds gender rule implementation in Kenya, regime after regime?



Wanjiru: There is a big challenge when it comes to the implementation of our constitution just like what is ailing the Maputo Protocol at the regional level. Since 2010, why are we not seeing the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule by previous regimes? This only tells us that there is no political will, by now we should have in all positions of leadership, in decision-making, and politics, we should be a minimum of 30 percent women. Even getting that 30 percent is a great problem in Kenya, yet it's anchored in the Constitution and the AU has even raised the bar to 50 percent.

How will the picture look like with the full implementation of these instruments that harness the rights of women and girls?



Wanjiru: If we implement the Constitution, women own land, participate in all levels of decision making and who knows what will become out of our participation in these spaces? For example, we have already seen the fruits; with the increase in participation of women in parliament in the last fifteen years, we have seen a sexual offense act being passed, an anti-FGM law passed, a lot of improvement in prosecuting the sexual and gender-based violence while protecting the survivors.

Until women are on the table, we have not advanced as a country and it undermines the development of everybody.

How then can we achieve the two-thirds gender rule in Kenya?



Wanjiru: If there is political will, we would then see the two-thirds implemented. Because the bone of contention has been; what are the formulas? Various formulas have come in on how we can achieve the two-thirds gender rule in parliament and people always say you can't change within an existing parliament. But we have seen several elections, which means if there is political will, we can simply agree, and then by the next election we just implement. We can go back and amend the constitution so that it's clear, then we enforce it!

Has Kenya put more effort into gender budgeting while making its policies and what model can work to boost the full realization of gender budgeting?



Wanjiru: On gender budgeting especially, in light of the current Finance Bill I dont even think we are conscious of the impact on citizens, and especially on women. When you budget and plan with a gender lens is that you are always conscious that when you take this action how it is impacting the excluded groups. The policymakers need to ask themselves, are we lifting people out of poverty or pushing more people into poverty? When you increase the taxation of fuel, VAT(the most retrogressive tax in the world)are you thinking about the impact on excluded groups?

For me, Kenya is nowhere near gender budgeting! Because we are not even thinking are we investing in those sectors that are going to spur the development that will see more people out of poverty? We are still seeing more money being put into increments of salaries for our politicians, and ministries that are not related to gender issues. If we want to see change, we must invest and ensure that each government ministry is investing in ways that are going to impact millions.

What does the future look like for African women and girls regarding the Maputo Protocol?



Wanjiru: It has taken us twenty years to get where we are today where 44 countries have ratified the protocol. But we know that the protocol is yet to lift the lives of women and girls on this continent. And so that is the future where we want to get to, where we get universal ratification. And once we get the universal ratification, we want to see that protocol translated into policies, programs, and services for African women and girls because that is when we will have a significant and sustainable change in the lives of women and girls. As it is currently, it remains largely on paper.

And it is the young women who will help us realize those dreams where this protocol will translate into those significant changes that women can own land, are protected from sexual violence, enjoy their sexual and reproductive health rights and access services, able to go to court and have their rights protected, enjoy citizenship of this continent.

Women leaders across the continent are calling for the domestication and implementation of the Maputo Protocol. How can Kenya achieve this?



Wanjiru: The best approach to the implementation of the Protocol is to first appreciate that it's ratified by the government. It means when it comes to implementation, each ministry is aware of that protocol, what are they going to implement? So that what is the Ministry of Health going to do to ensure that women and girls are accessing sexual and reproductive health services, what is the Ministry of Education going to do to ensure that girls are accessing education? And as they do that, how do they make sure they address the obstacles to girls' education like FGM and child marriage?

We need to look at the Protocol on a multi-sectoral approach and then implement it in a multi-sectoral way that is the only way we will be able to implement it comprehensively. But right now it seems that it's taken to be the work of the Ministry of Gender! This Protocol cuts across sectors.



How can young girls take the leadership mantle and be on the decision-making table?

Wanjiru: It is quite reminiscing to come back and tell the African girls about the work that I started doing at a younger age. I had just graduated when I started working on the Protocol. Young women need to know that they are the future. And we need to hand over the baton to them. But for them to appreciate their responsibility, we need to tell them the story to be able to appreciate the efforts that have been made to see the Maputo protocol where it is today

I have now shifted into the philanthropic space. But we need the energy and innovation of the young people to come and take over what we did to higher ground. The inter-generational dialogue is vital in making the young generation understand where we are coming from as African women. These will enable them to know that we still have many more struggles to fight, and more gains to add so that all African women and girls are liberated.
10.07.2023 LISTEN

The recent Africa Union Day celebration must be one of reflections and to do that, I am choosing to examine the local governance system across Africa with Ghana as my field.

Ghanas Fourth Republican regime has served us largely well by holding the country together for close to 32 continuous years of our democratic process after failed several attempts in the past. There are however gaps that we have to fill as we move, especially as we build on our democratic governances and development processes.

For some time now, I have been trying to find out what could be holding us back to - progress and rapid development. As the setting of African Union countries looks almost the same in terms of the problems, it would possibly mean the solution could as well be same direction although no one- size -fits all solution.

One legacy left by the colonial administration was the centralized public sector. That was considered an inefficient way of accessing government services.

The Structural Adjustment program in the late 80s and 90s had a reform of the public sector embedded, which introduced the Decentralization concept.

The concept loosely transferred political, financial and administrative control to Sub-national level of government to render public services and embark on developmental projects and interventions with the people at the Centre of it.

There are varying approaches across the world but one dimension which is 'devolution' is the most democratic model and it's considered participatory as it had the inclusive participation of the people in mind.

One key value of the concept was mass participation of the serving communities in their own development process and leading it at every stage. We are mindful of recent development theory with reference to the classical modernization paradigm that the west imposed their will on the people without recourse to our cultural context.

Most countries in Africa have implemented far-reaching policies which make the Subnational top leadership 'electable' following the Commonwealth Local Governance Forum (CLGF) in 2005, otherwise called the Aberdeen agenda. It called for an "effective, electable local government as an important foundation for democracy"

Government still has the responsibility of providing financial commitment to the subnational government as we call it the assemblies in Ghana. Similarly, the Assemblies also have the autonomy to embark on generating financial resources to plan developmental projects and other interventions.

The challenge, however, has been the history laden governments continuous delay in releasing funds from the statutory District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to the subnational government. Equally, the allocations in piecemeal tranches dont either as it denies them the full scope of what must be a develop programme and following through for the year. Their Internally generated Funds (IGF) have also been abysmally collected and always fraught with inefficiency and corruption.

The other challenge is that the Assemblies do not carry the communities along with their policy formulation, planning, monitoring and implementation processes. They embark on development interventions and you find out that there was no broader consultation with community stakeholders

So policies do come across as not having the needed input from the communities including the vulnerable on matters that concern them, policy opaque on gender mainstreaming, youth and general deficit on sustainability mechanisms. When such overtures are made, the communication engagement becomes ineffective.

Mechanisms to ensure effective and efficient downward accountability to the communities are not properly located. The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) charged with ensuring that the assemblies follow a national plan and monitor the assemblies program, mechanism to collect their data are without recourse to community stakeholders.

The framers of the Decentralization concept had in mind a clear objective that it was one pathway to eradicating poverty, giving the voiceless a voice, and building a confident community that hold the Subnational level of government accountable.

The Decentralization program also mandated the assemblies to lead the process for local economic development, providing support, inclusive participation and empowerment to vulnerable amongst others.

However, several research studies and fora on the reform program across Africa agree that the decentralization program to a large extent has failed to achieve its core objectives. As (Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad et .al) describes the lack of the exogenous factor of "political will", which is a necessary condition for guaranteeing effective and efficient local government.

For us in Ghana, we call on the government to as a matter of urgency to bring reform to the local government sector by amending Article 55(3) which gives the Executive president the powers to nominate the top leadership of the Assemblies. The reform would, as a start, transfer true autonomy to the Subnational government and also make them accountable to the serving communities rather than to any appointing authority.

Local governance continue to remains important in the national discourse primarily because according to the World Indicators Database 2010, which largely unchanged,70% Ghanaians live and work in that space. To that extent, our communities would be ready to contribute their quota for their own development when at every stage of the process as they are engaged.

Session 16 of the Local Governance Act, (Act 963 ) spells out the duties of the Assembly Members, which in part, mandates the Assembly Members to consult community stakeholders on the agenda and matters to be discussed in the Assembly meetings and also report back to the community on the decisions arrived on. For the larger part of my adult life, I have never witnessed this happen before! So you ask the question? Where is my representation?

As the participation of the communities are not actively engage and consulted, its always a difficulty winning the serving communities to the side of the Assembly when it comes to paying their taxes, levies and other responsibilities. More so when one does not see much improvement across the communities.

True democracy at the local level is participatory and because the people took part in the formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring, they are able to own the development effort and reporting on any challenges.

As Mahmood Mamdani (1993) noted, the development problem in Africa centers on the form of state and the absence of mass participation in its affairs.

The World Bank Africa is embarking on promotion and advocacy on the Future of Government: Reimagining Government for Good.

African countries ought to take a look at this and reimagine the Africa we want, noting that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are won locally and the local government policies must integrate all shared value stakeholders like the youth, vulnerable groups like women and the girl child amongst others in their programs and policies and interventions.

I am of a firmer belief that, and as noted by Irene Khan, poverty is what we occasion for ourselves. With leadership and political goodwill, we can turn the tables.

African leaders must make a commitment to ensuring effective and efficient decentralization program, and as the concept is - we would be reducing poverty, empowering the communities, building livelihoods and living - democracy and development.

Achieving the Global goals is seven years away from here. The Africa Union must resource and empowers the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) to work closely with Africa countries and civil society organizations to work in this respect as the decentralization reform programme across Africa cannot point to any notable success story. This largely underlies the stark poverty, inequality and social injustice.

The AU Day must serve as a solemn reflection for African leaders and the political class, civil society including NGOs from the global south and north as we reimagine an Africa Without aid in the context of shift the power.

Ebenezer Annang,

A community Development Advocate

[email protected]
Following successes of the similar programs in Europe (Vienna and Geneva notably), the Istanbul-based International Organization along with its European (think-tank, academia, cultural diplomacy and media) partners decided to launch the special executive program for emerging leaders (FLEP) on its own.

By its launch on 24th February 2023, this Program gathered participants of diverse professional backgrounds and different geographies, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East  largely the forthcoming leaders from the government, international organisations or industry. The FLEP Executive Programs concept is rather simple: Participants are spending one entire day with top level speakers  mainly the world leaders that shaped events of the past decades (two per month, last Friday-Saturday in month) in an open, Chatham House rules-based atmosphere, all situated within the historic premisses of the eternal city arching the two continents.

The very closing of the 2023 Spring semester has been reserved for as many as four prominent guests. Among them, only one being the serving Head of State or Government, Dr. Dritan Abazovic. Excellency Prime Minister is the raising star of the European politics  young and vibrant Head of the Montenegro government, European Mediterranean country.

Although exclusively invited for the FLEP program, his stay started with the evening visit to Hagia Sophia (one of the most known and most visited worlds temples). The very next morning, Dr. Abazovic was giving a key note at the University Medeniyet  a highly anticipated event which culminated by awarding the Prime Minister with the PhD (honoris causa) for promotion of human rights and ethics in international relations conduct. Before the official working lunch with the dignitaries from academia and business, Prime Minister paid a visit to the Museum of Modern Arts, where he and his delegation was briefed about the state of modern culture and arts in Europe and Middle East.

Accompanied by the State Minister of Interior (his Cabinet member), Ambassador, General Consul, and other dignitaries, Prime Minister finally met participants of the FLEP program for an exclusive, content rich and extensive, Chatham House rules-based talks, for the reminder of the day. Amicable, thoughtful and farsighted exchanges with the FLEP hosts continued all through the evening, during the informal working dinner charmingly but discreetly decorated in the truly breath-taking scenery of the roof top of the Cornat city landmark object.

Number of significant matters were discussed throughout the day, with an emphasis on environmental issues and their protection and preservation, as well as positive peace and unity on a local, continental, and global level, something PM Abazovic also recently addressed at the UN General Assembly in New York, and talked on the same at the numerous prestigious universities such as Oxford. With the Balkan area having witnessed violence in the form of war not too long ago, but having found peace, they have many lessons to share on how to accomplish precisely that in other parts of the world.

"We cannot change the past; we can only change the future!" was the PM's direct appeal to the students: to let go of the old, work on reconciliation and co-create the new. He acknowledges technology and entrepreneurship as positive driving forces for the prosperity of Montenegro and the people living there (including recently launched State Space Program). The Balkans area in general, is continuously and relentlessly working on maintaining peace and finding further unity in the region without any before given political preferences.

Apart from Montenegro's primary income source, which is tourism (miles-long beautiful sand beaches with more than 200 days of sunny weather), the country is taking preservation of its natural habitat seriously. The fact that environmental protection is written into the Constitution already highlights the country as forward-thinking, ready to integrate sustainability into its state's agenda.

Despite all difficulties we are currently facing as a global society, the day was closed on an optimistic note by celebrating PM Abazovic academic achievements: He had the chance to study at various prestigious institutions around the world and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Sarajevo for his work titled "Global Politics - Ethical Aspects of Globalization" and a master degree in political philosophy from the University of Montenegro. He also authored two books titled "Cosmopolitan Culture & Global Justice" and "Critique of Global Ethics."

Vivid exchanges of views and opinions between speaker of honour and participants marked (along with the Saturday dignitaries) the closing part of the two-day visit, lecturing and tour-de-table. Content intensive, inspiring reflective and farsighted, yet amicable and family-like atmosphere with a direct, personal access to the notable guest (full of coffee-breaks and meals spent together) along with the perfect organisation of principal host deeply impressed all.

Closing the event, Head of Government Abazovic and President of ICYF Taha Ayhan (as a principal host to the event), jointly voiced what all participants already concluded in the course of the day- that the FLEP Program offers truly unique setting, unparallel anywhere else in the world. Two Presidents both agreed that this particular format is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for emerging leaders from the state, intergovernmental civil and corporate sectors of all meridians.

Indeed, the Program meeting hall was filled with the enthusiasm and hope for the formidable and attenable tomorrow that started in February and peaked in June 2023 with the FLEP Istanbul program. The fascinating voyage of knowledge sets its uncharted waters sail. It will reach its next mesmerising port of wisdom and insights this year Fall with yet more fascinating guests and highest level speakers.

Author:



Marie-Christine Ghreichi

Marie-Christine Ghreichi of the Sciences Po, is a Paris-based French research analyst, specializing in International Security and new diplomacy. After completing her studies in the United States where she supported a transitional justice, collaborative research, international conflict resolution, human rights, accountable governance, gender rights and the Middle East, she assisted the International Institute IFIMES.
IOM DDG for Operation Ugochi Daniels meets with Chadian women forced to flee the ongoing fighting in Sudan. Photo: Francois-Xavier Ada Affana/IOM

Geneva/ NDjamena  The window of opportunity to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Eastern Chad is rapidly closing. As the situation in Sudan, and particularly in Darfur deteriorates, I have witnessed firsthand the severe impact this senseless violence has had on ordinary civilians here in Chad.

The knock-on effects of the crisis in Sudan could have serious humanitarian implications on neighbouring countries particularly Chad which was already responding to a significant displacement crisis before this influx which was poorly resourced. I have heard stories of former teachers, nurses, and traders whose lives were upended by the fighting, who have had to return to Chad, and now need support to rebuild their lives. I appeal to the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to cease hostilities, restore calm, and begin a dialogue to resolve the crisis.

IOM estimates that 20 per cent (45,000 persons) of the 225,000 people displaced into Chad are Chadian returnees and stranded migrants from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Niger, and Uganda. While a few of them have been able to integrate into local communities, the majority live in extremely precarious conditions across 25 sites, including a high school in the border town of Adre.

The first responders to this humanitarian crisis were local community members who provided returnees with space to settle, blankets to shelter themselves and food. Despite their already limited resources, they have shown solidarity and generosity to their brothers and sisters in need.

But today, as more people continue to arrive in Eastern Chad, local communities and authorities are reaching their breaking point.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Sudan, IOM has been on the ground to support the Chadian Governments efforts to respond to the situation. We are helping returnees meet some of their immediate needs through shelter, water trucking and unconditional cash assistance. We have also set up a humanitarian evacuation mechanism to enable stranded migrants to return home and reunite with their families.

But this is just a drop in this ocean of despair. The looming rainy season is already threatening to cut off entire communities, as rivers and wadis are filling with water, thus hindering the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid.

Durable solutions including transitional shelters, livelihoods, and psychosocial support are possible but we must act now to empower Chadian returnees to rebuild their lives and enable host communities to live in dignity. We have a three-month window and must act now to invest in long-term solutions.

IOM stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of Chad in this difficult time, and we call on our international partners to support us in providing relief and long-term solutions to this displacement crisis.

For More information please contact:

NDjamena: Francois Xavier Ada Affana, [email protected]

Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, [email protected]
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On July 7, WeRide, the leading Chinese autonomous driving solution developer, inaugurated its autonomous driving demonstration bus route in the Hengqin Cooperation Zone of Zhuhai city, Guangdong Province.

Robobus in Hengqin; photo credit: WeRide

The bus route, operating between Hengqin Port and Chimelong, is another autonomous driving tourist route in Hengqin. The route covers multiple scenic spots and commercial areas, offering citizens and tourists a novel, intelligent, convenient, and efficient mobility solution.

The new route spans 7.2 kilometers and is estimated to take approximately 30 minutes for a one-way trip. Operating hours are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 AM and from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM daily, with additional services during holidays. The detailed schedule will be adjusted according to actual circumstances. Citizens can enjoy a free ride experience by searching for the "Qin Zhi Xing" mini-program on WeChat.

During the approximately 30-minute test ride, WeRide's Robobus impressively demonstrated its capabilities, including dynamic path planning, lane-keeping, autonomous lane changing, overtaking, intersection navigation, precise docking, and dynamic obstacle avoidance. From starting, straight driving, turning, U-turns, to braking, the Robobus consistently exhibited accurate responses without the need for human intervention.

In March 2023, WeRide deployed nearly 50 Robobuses in Wuxi city, Jiangsu Province, establishing the largest autonomous driving microcirculation public transportation system in China. With the launch in Hengqin, Zhuhai city, WeRide has now expanded its presence to its 19th city globally, showcasing the technical reliability and commercial replicability of its L4 autonomous driving technology.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto has said the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan disrespected the Minority lawmakers who encountered him last Friday over the picketing by the food suppliers.

To that end, he said, the Minority will be filing an official complaint to the Speaker of Parliament on the matter.

Speaking in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise show on 3FM Monday, July 10, Mr. Ablakwa indicated that Parliament can decide not to do business with any minister who disrespects the legislature, a possible action that can be taken against Bryan.

It is recalled that the Minority in Parliament led by their leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson stormed the office of the NAFCO on Friday, July 7 to demand answers as to why the picketing food suppliers had not been paid their arrears.

The other opposition MPs who accompanied their leader were Juabosso MP, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ellembelle MP Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Adaklu MP Kwame Agbodza.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers had gone to the office of the National Food Buffer Stock Company where the food suppliers had been sleeping for the past three days to demand the payment of their arrears.

Bryan Acheampong was unhappy with the way and manner his colleague lawmaker had confronted him.

You are a former Deputy Finance Minister, what do you know about these payments? What do you know about payments that have been delayed, an unhappy Bryan told Ato Forson.

This is not the route to solve this problem. This inorganic picketing should not be accepted and encouraged, the Abetifi Lawmaker added.

In response to him, Mintah Akandoh told him You should be the last person to get angry, we are finding a solution.

Mr Ablakwa during the encounter said, We know what we will do in Parliament.

Throwing more light on what transpired, he told Johnnie Hughes that When I told him that we know what we will do, I meant tomorrow morning we will be formally reporting his conduct to the Rt Honorable Speaker and we will be asking Parliament to take a serious view of that because we dont want this very terrible precedence, bad conduct to be seen by other Ministers.

So we will be formally asking the Speaker to act. Remember that Ministers can be disciplined, parliament can even decide that we will not entertain business from ministers who misconduct themselves to Parliamentarians and we can even decide that any matter that will come from his Ministry will not be approved if he does not quickly come and render an apology.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has summoned Bryan Acheampong, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Bryan Acheampong and Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, over the issues of the picketing food suppliers.

This was after Mr Ablakwa earlier requested the Speaker to summon the ministers.

Mr Speaker, I want to appeal to you that the Honorable Minister for Education and the Honorable Minister for Agric should be programmed to appear before this House urgently, and possibly, we should add the Minister for Finance because we are hearing the Minister for Education made a request for Financial releases and it has into been acceded to, Mr Ablakwa said on the floor of the House on Friday, July 7.

In his ruling, the Speaker said As the leader of this House, it is important that I keep drawing your attention as the representatives of the people so that you can properly represent the interests of your constituents, Bagbin said.

Now this is where we are. So I agree that the Business Committee should schedule for the three ministers to appear before the House. The three ministers are the Ministers of Finance, Food and Agriculture, and Education. They will tell us why the challenge.

-3news.com
10.07.2023 LISTEN

Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at Central University, has praised Members of Parliament (MPs) for their unanimous adoption of the anti-gay bill in Ghana.

During a discussion on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah acknowledged that the LGBTQ+ community was once considered to have a "mental disorder," but influential forces have managed to convince the World Health Organization (WHO) to revise their documents in support of them.

In his opinion, individuals who engage in homosexuality are "mad people."

Dr. Otchere-Ankrah commended the MPs for demonstrating full support for the anti-gay bill and urged them to channel the same level of energy in tackling corruption.

He expressed his expectation that, just as they had unanimously accepted the bill, they would also unite in the fight against corruption.

"The way they have all unanimously accepted this with one voice, I am expecting that they will also, with one voice, fight against corruption," he emphasized.

By a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the Members of Parliament approved the measure that aims to protect Ghanaian family values and proper human sexual rights.

All those found engaging in homosexual behaviors or publicly expressing support for the LGBTQ+ group and its activities will be legally prosecuted and might get a jail sentence, a fine, or both when it is finally signed into law.
Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority has stated that changing the Arabic and Islamic educational curricula to suit modern trends is the ideal way to place Muslim students at par with others in secular education.

That, he said, must come with hard work, effective collaborations and unity of purpose to move Muslim children from the conservative syllabi to modern-day trends that would broaden the horizon of the students.

He said Muslims could no longer continue to dwell on Syllabi that were always theory in nature and completely out of practicality, a situation he described as dry theology.

Muslim children cannot be knowledgeable in ICT, Environment, Technology, Science and creative arts if our syllabus is still based on religious tenets instead of the Broadway educational system non-Muslim students enjoy, he stated.

Dr Abdul-Hamid stated this during a three-day seminar with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on developing Islamic studies curricula for the Muslim community in Ghana.

The Seminar which was organised by Talim Ghana, a Ghanaian Islamic Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with The World Muslim Community Council, from Abu Dhabi, United Arabs Emirates and Education without Borders attracted 30 participants.

Themed: Islamic Teaching and Learning; Training for Specialists and developing Islamic Curricula, the Seminar would among other issues come out with challenges of Islamic education, what they can do to equal other students in the secular realms and way forward to fast-track educational progress among Muslim students.

Dr Abdul-Hamid said from his experience as the former Minister of Inner-Cities and the Zongo Development, he realized that Muslim students lagged behind in the secular education sector, chiefly because Arabic and Islamic studies were more religious based than secular.

He called on Muslim Scholars to be assertive in their engagement with government to be able to come out with good and effective syllabus and curricula that would uplift Muslim students and eschew individual ideological beliefs that could lead to disunity and disintegration among Muslim sects.

On wearing hijab among Muslim ladies, Dr Abdul-Hamid said it was a manifestation of the faith of Muslim ladies, equating it to the wearing of school uniform, used in identifying students and their schools.

As Muslims, he urged them to be assertive in their engagements by giving benchmarks that they would not fall below, but build their capacities in curricula development that would inure to the benefit of Muslims in Ghana and beyond.

He said the state had over the years recognized that religion was part of Ghanaians, hence the establishment of Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, Islamic and Ahmaddiyya Educational Units across the country.

If you want to know much about Catholicism, ask a Catholic and if you want to know much about Islam, ask a Muslim, he stated.

He said the Islamic Holy Book was eternal and spoke about all generations, and should not be changed but the Experts need to redesign and develop new ways of meeting the demands of the current Muslim generations to be at par with others.

He said times were changing and Dubai, a typical Islamic state, would soon host COP 28 to deliberate on Climate Change, Environment, Science and other development issues and Muslims need to re-adjust their understanding of development through such topical issues.

That will show the world that our religion has the principles for development and not just dwelling on only Hadiths, he stated.

Mr Hasan Al Marzouqi, Deputy Secretary General of the World Muslim Communities Council said their goal is to support Muslim organisations and Associations to develop and design scholarly materials to enrich Islamic education in the world.

He urged the Muslim community in Ghana to take advantage of research in areas that would be useful for religion and society in general.

He commended Dr Abdul-Hamid for his Crusading Job in the Islamic educational sector and urged him to continue blazing the trail for others to emulate.

Dr Abdullah Musah Abdullah, Head of Translators at UNIMAC said it was sad that about 60 per cent of students who learnt Arabic in schools were non-Muslims and advised Muslim students to take advantage of the changing trends to study it.

He mentioned the lack of textbooks, training centres, Teachers and infrastructure as major challenges militating against the learning of Arabic and Islamic studies in schools.

He also called for a change in cognitive learning, which did not help them to understand, but rather just learn for examination purposes.
Sudan's government refused Monday to join a regional meeting aimed at ending nearly three months of brutal fighting, accusing Kenya, which chaired the talks, of favouring the rival paramilitaries.

A power struggle between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), spilled into war in mid-April and has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

The east African regional bloc IGAD had invited the foes to a meeting in Ethiopia's capital on Monday, while fighting still raged across Sudan.

Neither Burhan nor Daglo personally attended the talks in Addis Ababa, although the RSF sent a representative to the "quartet" meeting led by Kenya, South Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Since April 15, around 3,000 people have been killed in the violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, but the actual death toll is believed to be much higher as parts of the country remain inaccessible.

A further three million people have been displaced internally or fled across borders, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Multiple diplomatic initiatives to halt the fighting have produced only brief respites, with the UN warning on Sunday that Sudan was on "the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region".

Previous truce deals have been brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, but the east African bloc now seeks to take the lead.

However, on Monday Sudan's foreign ministry said its delegation would not participate until its request to remove Kenya as chair of the talks was met.

The ministry had asked for "Kenyan President William Ruto (to) be replaced... in particular because of his partiality", the statement said.

'External interference'

In a communique released after Monday's meeting, the quartet noted "the regrettable absence of the delegation of the Sudanese Armed Forces in spite of the invitation and confirmation of attendance".

Daglo had sent a political adviser to the talks in Addis Ababa, while the RSF in a statement denounced "irresponsible behaviour" on the army's part.

The quartet agreed to "mobilise and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders towards delivering a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the warring parties", its statement said.

It also called on the rival generals to "immediately stop the violence and sign an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire".

IGAD said it would request the African Union to look into possibly deploying the East Africa Standby Force -- usually tasked with election observer missions -- in Sudan "for the protection of civilians and... humanitarian access".

Sudanese ex-rebel leader Mubarak Ardol, now aligned with Burhan, denounced "a plan to occupy Sudan" and moves to "promote military interference", while praising the army for boycotting the meeting.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee was also in the Ethiopian capital on Monday for meetings with Sudanese and regional officials.

In a statement on Sunday, she had called on the forces loyal to Burhan and Daglo to "immediately end the fighting".

"We echo the call of countries in the region to prevent any external interference and military support which would only intensify and prolong the conflict," added Phee.

Experts say that both the army and the RSF enjoy support beyond Sudan's borders. Neighbouring Egypt backs Burhan, while the United Arab Emirates and Russia's Wagner mercenary group support Daglo's efforts.

On the ground, residents reported battles and air strikes in several areas of Khartoum.

"Rockets fell on houses of civilians", one told AFP.

Witnesses also reported fighting in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and a commercial hub some 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Khartoum.

An army source said troops "pushed back against an attack" by rebel forces in Blue Nile state near Ethiopia.
Dr. Richard Ampadu Ameyaw, the National Coordinator of the Open Forum On Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) has announced to the media to apply for an award.

According to Mr. Richard Ampadu, the forum offer journalists the chance to contribute stories about biotechnology rather than just any write-up on agriculture.

Addressing the media on July 10 at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute CSIR-(STEPRI) in Accra, he said attention needs to be brought to the usefulness of biotechnology.

We have professors at least I know of two professors who are in this business so if you talk about you writing any agricultural story and you think that we are going to take it or you talk about agriculture, no. We are talking about biotechnology. Biotechnology is a special technology we want to talk about and we want to see that in the submissions.

And when we talk about biotechnology we have several of them. I dont know if you have attended some of our training sessions with some of us. There are several forms of biotechnology but the need to emphasize on biotechnology is key, Dr. Richard Ampadu Ameyaw stated.

OFAB is a partnership platform that contributes to the creation of an enabling environment for biotechnology research, development, and deployment for the benefit of smallholder farmers in Africa.

Driven by a vision of sustainable food security and agriculture-driven economic development in Africa, OFAB enhances knowledge and awareness on agricultural biotechnology to build an understanding of the technology and inform decision-making.

Established by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in 2006, OFAB operates in ten countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi.

OFAB Ghana has opened entries for applicants in print, online, and radio.

Below is the entry details for Media applicants

THE 6th OFAB ANNUAL MEDIA AWARDS 2023: OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES FROM JOURNALISTS REPORTING ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES.

About OFAB

OFAB is a partnership platform that contributes to the creation of an enabling environment for biotechnology research, development, and deployment for the benefit of smallholder farmers in Africa.

Driven by a vision of sustainable food security and agriculture-driven economic development in Africa, OFAB enhances knowledge and awareness on agricultural biotechnology to build an understanding of the technology and inform decision-making.

Established by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in 2006, OFAB operates in ten countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi.

About the OFAB Media Awards (OMAs)

The OFAB Media Awards was initiated to; i) promote excellence in science journalism and appreciate the contribution of journalists in promoting sustainable agricultural technologies, particularly agricultural biotechnology, and ii) reward the critical roles played by journalists in promoting constructive dialogue on modern biotechnology through responsible, professional, ethical, and effective reporting. The culmination of the Award is the OFAB Africa Media Awards contest that brings together OFAB country-level finalists from which the overall winners are selected. The call will culminate in celebrating and awarding three winning journalists in the categories of: Television, Radio and Print & Online.

Eligibility

1. Ghanaian journalists who have been reporting on agricultural biotechnology in your country.

2. Articles submitted for consideration should have been published from June 2022 to the date of submission in 2023.

3. Categories for the award will be:

3.1 Print and Online (Newspapers, Magazine and Online)

3.2 Radio (Audio or podcast)

3.3 Television

NB: Previous Award winners WILL BE INELIGIBLE to participate in this years competition. Runner-ups from previous years are ELIGIBLE to participate

Scoring

An independent judging committee will select the winning entries based on:

1. Scientific accuracy

2. Initiative

3. Originality

4. Clarity of interpretation

5. Value in fostering a better public understanding of agricultural biotechnology and its impact in the society

Prizes

Each category will produce 1) category winner, 2) runner-up. The winners of each category will be eligible to participate in OFAB Africa Media Wards (OMAs) scheduled for end of the year in the country to be announced.

Application must include the following

I. A brief synopsis (about 150 words) of the stories submitted (Max 3 for each category)

II. About 150-word professional biography

III. A brief 200-word piece explaining the motivation for each story submitted

IV. Digital passport-size photo and

V. A copy of national ID/Passport.

VI. Evidence of Media Accreditation/Membership of a National Media Association.

Submission Modalities

Journalists are encouraged to submit entries by sharing:

1. Entries should be submitted to [email protected]

2. Links or URLs (active links) to published articles should be added to the documents submitted.

3. Any online links (active links) to TV and Radio stories should be added to the application

4. Entries should be submitted no later than 30th Aug 2023
An Accra High Court has adjourned to July 20 the case involving Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited and the National Labour Commission (NLC).

On July 6,2023, lawyers for the respective parties told the court that they reached an agreement and due to announce terms of settlement before the court necessitating the adjournment of the matter to today.

During today's sitting, the court said it noted that negotiations were ongoing and decided to give the parties, including the Trade Union Congress, one more opportunity to settle the matter.

If by the next court sitting the parties inform the court that they are unable to settle, counsel for applicant (NLC) would be made to move the application, the court said.

The NLC is in the High Court to enforce its decision in a complaint filed by the Ghana Mineworkers against Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited.

It is to ensure that Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited (the respondent) rescinds its decision to terminate the employment of members of a local union.

Meanwhile, Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited said the termination of the employment of three of its staff had nothing to do with they joining a union.

 There is no indication anywhere by the respondent (Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited) that it sought to terminate the employment of the three employees for reasons relating to the joining of a union, it said.

The respondent only exercised its rights as an employer to terminate an employment contract with the said employees, the Company stressed.

In an affidavit in opposition to a motion for an order for enforcement of the directives of the National Labour Commission (NLC) (applicant in the case), the respondent said it had complied with the provision of Act 651 and the terms of the employment contract and paid salaries of the said employees in lieu of notice of termination.

According to the respondent, it was unjust and inequitable for the NLC to rely on only representations of the union to issue the said directive/ order without hearing the said of the respondent.

The respondent said the NLC acted in excess of its jurisdiction and powers conferred on it by section 161 of Act 651 when it issued the directive/ order dated march 1, 2023 to stay any other action that may be directly or indirectly related to the issue in dispute.

The respondent said the instant application was unwarranted, unmeritorious, and utter abuse of the court process because the time limit set by the NLC for the parties to resolve the matters amicably had not elapsed before the filing of the instant application.

The respondent, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the application to enable proper determination of the matters before the NLC.

It said the right of the respondent to terminate the employment contract of the three employees was neither a breach of the fundamental human rights of the said employees to freely associate with any union of their choice nor a breach of any provision of Act 651 on unfair labour practice, as the said termination was not premised on any decision of the employees to join any union.

The respondent did not flout the directive of the applicant in any way whatsoever by the exercise of its rights to lawfully terminate the employment contracts, it emphasised.

The NLC in an affidavit in support of its motion, said the Ghana Mineworkers Union of TUC had petitioned it against the respondent over unfair labour practice.

According to the NLC, its members were being coerced to leave the union.

Based on that, the NLC by a letter dated March 1, 2022, invited the respondent.

Without hearing from the respondent after seven days, the NLC said it issued a reminder to the respondent.

The NLC said on April 27, 2022, it fixed a hearing for the matter, but the respondent could not attend.

The Commission then adjourned the matter but gave some directives.

It directed the respondent to recognise the Collective Bargaining Certificate (CBC).

That the parties should constitute a Standing Negotiating Committee (SNC) to negotiate and resolve any disagreement they have, failing for which, they must report to the Commission.

The NLC said on September 7, 2022, both parties agreed in principle to respect the CBC.

Consequently, the NLC said it directed the parties to submit a report jointly signed on the terms of the settlement.

It said on June 16, 2023, the Commission received a joint letter from the parties, indicating that they had not been able to reach an agreement in line with the directives of the NLC.

On October11, 2022, the Union wrote to the Commission that the respondent was making it difficult for the implementation of the Commission's directives.

After various meetings between the parties, a notice of an industrial strike was served on the Commission.

The Commission said on receipt of the notice of strike, it asked the parties to stay all intended strike actions.

The NLC said on March 3, 2023, the Union wrote to it indicating that the respondent had been issuing threats and intimidating members of the local executives to the extent that three workers had had their employment terminated despite the Commission's directive to stay all intended actions.

The NLC held that the said termination of employment of the three employees was not justifiable in law.

Meanwhile the TUC has called off a nationwide strike to demand the reinstatement of the union members whose appointments were terminated by the respondent.

GNA
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) is hosting a two-week Political Adviser Course for Peace Support Operations in Africa.

The training just like five others carried out in the past is being organised by the Centre in collaboration with the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The overall objective of the course is to train Political Advisors for UN Missions in Africa, AU and ECOWAS operations and missions. It is also meant to enable senior personnel from African countries and organizations to know the core tasks of Political Advisors (PolAds) working on conflict and crisis and improve the quality of information they provide.

Speaking at a ceremony to open the two-week course on Monday, July 10, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane said the role of political advisors has become crucial now more than ever at a time when the West African sub-region and the African continent as a whole is witnessing a surge in international efforts to end wars.

He argued that with the unprecedented number of peace operations and political missions that have been deployed to deal with crises and violent conflict and to maintain or restore peace, training for political advisors cannot be taken for granted.

The vacuum created by the absence of peace enables discord and anarchy to prevail, and this results in corresponding stagnation and devastation of societies. It is for this reason that this course is being organised to formalise training of Political Advisors for Commanders of Operations and/or Heads of Missions of UN/AU/ECOWAS missions, the KAIPTC Commandant explained.

Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane

While expressing confidence in course facilitators to equip participants with the necessary tools to enable them to function effectively and efficiently in their current or future roles as Political Advisors, Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane further charged participants to learn as much as possible

I have no doubt that this training will expose you to internationally-required competencies and standards for Political Advisors and I am certain that it will enable you to better understand the dynamics of conflict and crises management in order to function effectively in MultiDimensional Peace Support Operations, he added.

In his concluding remarks, Maj Gen Richard Addo Gyane thanked the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence for the initiative to bring the course to KAIPTC and the generous support for the joint effort to strengthen peace and security in Africa.

Speaking to the media on the course, a Representative from the Austrian Ministry of Defense, Counsellor Gunther Barnet said his country is elated to partner with KAIPTC to continue the training of Political Advisors for the 6th time.

Counsellor Gunther Barnet

He indicated that even though Austria does not have colonial interest, the country is interested in a stable African continent because both Africa and Europe are connected.

Everything that happens here [in Africa] has an impact in Europe Africa and vice versaLets not be divided by the challenges that we face.We believe a course for political advisors is very important. I hope we can all take a lot from this training, Counsellor Gunther Barnet stressed.

Engaging the media on the sidelines of the opening, Comfort Whitfield, a Liberian working with the UN Mission in Mali expressed her delight to be participating in the training.

She explained that she is confident it will equip her with the knowledge to make better analyses to improve her work at the UN.

Im happy to be here because, for a long time, I have wanted to do this course here. I see it as a real privilege and my expectation is that after this training I would be able to make better analyses in improving my career in the political affairs division of the United Nations, Comfort Whitfield said.

In all, 23 participants are being taken through relevant approaches in peace support operations such as Negotiation and Mediation, Public Diplomacy, Communication through the Media, the Possible Role of PolAds in ECOWAS and AU Operations and Missions, the Way Ahead in International Crisis, and Conflict Management amongst others in this edition of the training.
10.07.2023 LISTEN

Government's free Wi-Fi programme has been found to be malfunctioning in about 75% of sampled senior high schools.

This was disclosed in a survey conducted by education think tank, Africa Education Watch. The rapid efficiency analysis of the free Wi-Fi programme began in 2019.

Busy Internet Ghana Limited was tasked with the installation of Wi-Fi equipment and provision of Internet facilities to 717 senior high schools, 16 regional education offices, 46 colleges of education (CoEs) and 260 district education offices.

Speaking to Citi News, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, called on the Education Ministry to institute a strict monthly verification system to ensure quality output before paying Busy Internet Ghana Limited.

As monthly verifications are done to ensure that all schools have connectivity, the quality is also considered and ensure that what has been contracted to Busy Internet Ghana Limited before making monthly payments, Kofi Asare said.

Kofi Asare further called on the Auditor-General to conduct a performance audit into the Free Wi-Fi programme to ensure value for money

We made a recommendation to the Auditor-General to audit the free Wi-Fi programme, which the government is spending over GH400 million on that contract and 3 or 6 million every month for 5 years, that is a huge contract.

So when you have over two-thirds of institutions sampled not having access to what we are paying for, then it raises serious issues of value for money and spending efficiency. That is why we are calling on the Auditor-General to institute a performance audit, the Executive Director of Education Watch mentioned.

-Citinewsroom
World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde will be visiting Ghana from July 12th -15th, 2023.

This is Anna Bjerdes first visit to Ghana since her appointment as Managing Director on April 3rd, 2023. She will be accompanied by the World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana.

The World Bank Managing Director, Anna Bjerde and her delegation will pay a courtesy call to His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. She will also hold high level discussions with Government officials including the Vice President, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Finance Minister, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta on critical areas of the World Banks Ghanas program including macroeconomic, energy sector issues, Ghanas IMF program, debt restructuring and significant structural reforms, needed to accelerate sustainable economic growth over the medium to long term.

Anna Bjerde will also visit World Bank financed projects such as the Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project, the Ghana Tech Hub, and Ghana Innovation Hub at the Accra Digital Center.

The World Bank has been in Ghana since 1957. The active portfolio is worth $3.6 billion across 21 active projects. The portfolio is spread across several sectors, with the largest investments in Urban Resilience and Land (17%), Health, Nutrition & Population (16%), Finance & Competitiveness (14%), Social Protection & Jobs (12%) and Digital Development (11%).

Source: The World Bank
Bridgetown, the Capital city of Barbados, is normally described as a ghost town after the sun sinks below the horizon on the Caribbean Sea. Daily, Caucasian, East Indian, Lebanese, Syrians, and a growing number of Chinese sell to Black Barbadians everything from wine to iodine, significantly increasing their share of the economic pie available on the island. Once these business owners have taken their daily fill of Black cash, stores close, and Bridgetown goes to sleep until the economic feeding frenzy starts again the following day.

Suttle Street pales in comparison with Broad Street and Swans Street (the two main commercial zones in Barbados) but what Suttle Street lacks in infrastructure it more than compensated for with an explosion of illumination as the internationally renowned Pan- Africanist, motivational speaker, psychologist, and social media personality Dr Umar Ifatunde (Johnson) graced the stage at the Bongo Lights International Culture Center and Restaurant.

Greeted with a standing ovation on his ascension to the stage, Dr Ifatunde wasted no time in getting into his subject matter for the night. In his opening salvo, Dr Ifatunde told Barbadians that Black people were at war and that we had no real true friends since the ascendency of other nations was intricately connected to the descension of African people. Dr. Ifatundes thoughts on this point dovetailed perfectly with those of the great African American ancestor John Henrick Clarke who reminded us that no one who came among African people ever came among us to benefit us.

After reminding Black men that the Black woman was not their enemy, Dr Ifatunde urged Black men to develop greater sexual discipline. On the domestic front, he insisted that great thought should go into partner selection especially if children were being contemplated. His jibe about coons producing more coons was greeted with laughter by his exuberantly appreciative Barbadian audience.

On the religious front, Dr. Ifatunde who identifies as an African Spiritual practitioner, stated that he was not at war with the various religious tradition so liberally represented in Barbados. Barbadians may have been shocked to hear that there were about one thousand churches on the island which could be translated into one church for every two hundred and eighty-one persons in Barbados. Adherents to the numerous faith traditions in Barbados were implored not to turn their backs on the struggles of the Black global collective.

Dr. Ifatunde was however unapologetic in his comments about what Black people should do with images of a Caucasian Jesus and God hanging in their homes. His solution to this problem was to collect all these images and burn them. According to Dr. Ifatunde, perpetuating the Caucasian image of God kept alive the racist, Caucasian supremacist view that Caucasians were more in the image of God than were Black and other non-Caucasian people.

After reminding his audience that the oppressor does not work with the oppressed to end oppression, Dr. Ifatunde outlined a number of pragmatic steps that Barbados and all other former colonies of the European powers need to take to advance the Black liberation revolution. Dr. Ifatunde was adamant that revolution as opposed to voting and democracy was the needed balm to heal the hurts of the suffering Black masses globally.

Land and wealth redistribution were presented as the two foundation stones upon which Black liberation must be built. Dr. Ifatunde evoked more laughter when he observed that if voting could change the condition of Black people, it would be illegal. After listing some of our great Black revolutionaries who have transitioned to the ancestral realm, Dr. Ifatunde affirmed that all significant changes in history were consequences of revolutions.

Black faces in political office who are financed by the historical oppressors of Black people will do very little to change to condition of Black people. Dr. Ifatunde used former US President Barak Obama as a case study to drive home this point. The color-blind politics of most Caucasian financed Black politicians only results in every other group of people being benefited at the expense of Black people.

Dr. Ifatunde stated that if he were to advise the political directorate of Barbados, he would recommend the confiscation of plantation land and the redistribution of this land to the Black masses of Barbados. He added that he would also impose a tax on the descendants of those who benefited the most from centuries of free Black labor and use the revenue collected to reduce Black unemployment on the island.

As the culmination of his presentation approached, Dr, Ifatunde jabbed in many directions. He engaged an over exuberant audience member on the miscegenation issue, warned against the Chinese debt trap, advised that industrial education be enlarged in the schools, and suggested that Barbados might benefit from the emergence of a grassroots third political party.

After sharing some highlights from his ancestral family tree, Dr. Ifatunde closed with some powerful quote from Frederick Douglass. Most memorable were the quotes that informed about the need for struggle if there was to be progress and the reality that power concedes nothing without a demand. These words of wisdom from Frederick Douglass were a fitting climax to a presentation permeated with revolutionary rhetoric that challenged the masses in Barbados to stand up for their rights and to advance the struggle for total Black liberation.

Lenrod Nzulu Baraka is the founder of Afro-Caribbean Spiritual Teaching Center and the author of The Future of Africa and the Caribbean: Challenges and Possibilities.
China unveils regulation on private investment funds

Xinhua) 08:02, July 10, 2023

BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China published a regulation on Sunday concerning the supervision and administration of private investment funds, the country's first administrative regulation on the sector, marking the latest move to safeguard the healthy development of the industry and protect investors.

The regulation, with 62 items in seven chapters, will come into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, the State Council said in a statement.

The regulation aims to encourage the standardized and healthy development of the private investment fund industry, better protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors, and encourage the industry to further play a role in serving the real economy and promoting scientific and technological innovation.

The regulation clarifies the scope of application, specifies the obligations and requirements of private fund managers and custodians, regulates fundraising and investment operations, and strengthens supervision and management as well as legal liability.

The new rules also make special provisions for venture capital funds, showing that China is encouraging investment into technology companies and start-ups.

Also on Sunday, China's top securities regulator said it would make solid efforts to promote the implementation of the regulation, draw up related measures and rules, and further refine the regulatory requirements, to better leverage the positive role of private investment funds in satisfying financing demands.

The private investment fund sector has developed rapidly in China, playing a positive role in serving the real economy while supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

As of May, about 22,000 private investment managers had been registered, managing funds of around 21 trillion yuan (about 2.92 trillion U.S. dollars), ranking among the top globally.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
HEFEI, China, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Baer's pochard, a critically endangered diving duck, has been frequently spotted and documented across Anhui Province this year.

The observation by a team from China's Anhui University suggests that the wetland eco-environment in the region has constantly improved.

Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui and an internationally recognized wetland city, has made significant efforts in ecological restoration in recent years, drawing more and more birds to live and breed.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 7, 2023, Farizon Auto, a brand under Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group, held a ceremony to deliver the first 1,000 units of the Xingxiang V6E minivans overseas edition. With order amounts exceeding hundreds of millions yuan, this event opens a new chapter in Farizon Auto's global expansion.

In recent years, Chinese new energy vehicles going global have become a mainstream trend, and Farizon Auto, as the first brand focusing on new energy commercial vehicles in China, has established a leading position in the domestic market and is strengthening its global presence. Currently, Farizon Auto's various new energy vehicle products, including vans, light-duty trucks, mini trucks, and buses, have been exported to multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, South America, and Europe.

Photo credit: Farizon Auto

In response to the increasing demands in overseas markets, Farizon Auto has collaborated with its overseas partners to invest in R&D to develop models that comply with local regulations and certifications. The Xingxiang V6E delivered this time has undergone localized development and sailed through the local regulatory certifications, making it better suited to meet the needs of local users.

According to this year's overseas expansion plan, Farizon Autos Super VAN will make a comprehensive entry into the European market, the Xingzhi ligh-duty truck series will establish a comprehensive presence in the right-hand drive car market. Besides, Farizon Auto will expand into the seven countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, thus expanding its presence in the Middle East market.

Meanwhile, the automaker is actively exploring channels such as localized KD assembly, full industry chain cooperation, and technology knowledge sharing to achieve local production of new energy commercial vehicles and broader market coverage.
Mr Adjetey Anang, a legendary Ghanaian actor, has admitted to cheating on his wife, Elorm Anang, both emotionally and physically.

In his book, Adjetey Annan: A Story of Faith, Imperfection, and Resilience, Anang writes about the trials his marriage has faced, including waiting over seven years to have their first child and his infidelity.

I have been in very compromising situations with ladies, he writes. Yes, I have cheated on my wife before in the various forms that cheating could be defined as, both emotionally and physically.

Anang goes on to apologize to his wife and the other women he has been involved with. He says that he is deeply sorry for his actions and that he is committed to rebuilding his marriage.

Anang's admission of infidelity has come as a shock to many of his fans. The actor is known for his clean-cut image and his role as a family man in many of his films.

The book was launched on Saturday, July 8, 2023. The event was attended by a host of Ghanaian celebrities, including Nana Ama McBrown, Jackie Appiah, Martha Ankomah, Freedom Jacob Caesar, Van Vicker, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah, Lydia Forson, Joselyn Dumas, Shirley Frimpong Manso, Prince David Osei, Hassan Ayariga, Gloria Sarfo, and many others.

His memoir is a candid and revealing look at his life and career. He discusses his humble beginnings, his struggles to break into the industry, and his triumphs. He also opens up about his personal life, including his marriage and his family.

The book has been praised by critics for its honesty and its insights into the Ghanaian film industry.

By Reagan Mends
Equities researchers at StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Chicago Rivet & Machine (NYSE:CVR  Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Sunday. The firm set a sell rating on the stock.

Chicago Rivet & Machine Stock Performance

About Chicago Rivet & Machine

(Free Report)

Chicago Rivet & Machine Co operates in the fastener industry in North America. The company operates in two segments, Fasteners and Assembly Equipment. The Fastener segment manufactures and sells rivets, cold-formed fasteners and parts, and screw machine products. The Assembly Equipment segment manufactures and sells automatic rivet setting machines and assembly equipment, as well as parts and tools for related machines.

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ABM Industries (NYSE:ABM  Free Report) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, UBS Group began coverage on shares of ABM Industries in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. They issued a neutral rating and a $48.00 target price on the stock.

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ABM Industries Stock Down 1.4 %

ABM Industries stock opened at $41.58 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $43.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $44.69. The company has a market capitalization of $2.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.14 and a beta of 1.07. ABM Industries has a twelve month low of $37.68 and a twelve month high of $50.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Insiders Place Their Bets

ABM Industries ( NYSE:ABM Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 6th. The business services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2 billion. ABM Industries had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 13.63%. ABM Industriess revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that ABM Industries will post 3.5 EPS for the current year.

In other news, CEO Scott B. Salmirs sold 14,983 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.44, for a total transaction of $680,827.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 350,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,921,767.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.85% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ABM Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. HRT Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of ABM Industries by 377.3% during the 4th quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 100,348 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $4,457,000 after purchasing an additional 79,323 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new position in shares of ABM Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $7,018,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ABM Industries by 15.0% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,912,801 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $85,062,000 after purchasing an additional 249,167 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont grew its holdings in shares of ABM Industries by 18.4% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 10,030 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $446,000 after purchasing an additional 1,562 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in ABM Industries by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,243,014 shares of the business services providers stock worth $55,214,000 after acquiring an additional 176,173 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.66% of the companys stock.

ABM Industries Company Profile

(Free Report)

ABM Industries Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of integrated facility, infrastructure, and mobility solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Business & Industry, Manufacturing & Distribution, Education, Aviation, and Technical Solutions segments.

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Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM  Free Report) (TSE:AEM) had its target price trimmed by Barclays from $63.00 to $61.00 in a report released on Friday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $70.38.

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Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Performance

AEM opened at $48.39 on Friday. Agnico Eagle Mines has a 52-week low of $36.69 and a 52-week high of $61.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a market cap of $23.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 20.50 and a beta of 0.78. The firms 50-day moving average price is $52.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.56.

Agnico Eagle Mines Dividend Announcement

Agnico Eagle Mines ( NYSE:AEM Free Report ) (TSE:AEM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The mining company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.07. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 40.12% and a return on equity of 6.07%. The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 2.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Agnico Eagle Miness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.50%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEM. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 61.6% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 514 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 72.7% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 708 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 298 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Almanack Investment Partners LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.54% of the companys stock.

Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile

(Free Report)

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, a gold mining company, exploration, development, and production of precious metals. The company's mines are located in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with exploration and development activities in Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

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StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, TheStreet downgraded shares of American Shared Hospital Services from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research report on Monday, May 1st.

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American Shared Hospital Services Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of AMS stock opened at $2.54 on Thursday. American Shared Hospital Services has a 12-month low of $2.24 and a 12-month high of $3.75. The company has a current ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firms 50 day moving average is $2.71 and its 200 day moving average is $2.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.63 million, a P/E ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 0.86.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services

American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 12th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 5.78%. The business had revenue of $4.93 million for the quarter.

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMS. CI Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $470,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 73.8% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 45,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 19,200 shares in the last quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 166,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 7,375 shares in the last quarter. 13.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile

(Free Report)

American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia.

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Shares of AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE:HKD  Free Report) traded up 8.6% on Monday . The company traded as high as $7.09 and last traded at $7.04. 1,552,776 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 36% from the average session volume of 2,440,507 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.48.

AMTD Digital Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $6.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.31.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMTD Digital

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Virtu Financial LLC grew its holdings in AMTD Digital by 578.8% during the first quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 101,334 shares of the companys stock valued at $709,000 after purchasing an additional 86,405 shares during the period. Smith Anglin Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of AMTD Digital in the 1st quarter valued at $352,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of AMTD Digital by 6,283.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 29,875 shares of the companys stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 29,407 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in AMTD Digital in the first quarter valued at approximately $170,000. Finally, UBS Group AG acquired a new position in AMTD Digital in the 4th quarter worth $49,000.

AMTD Digital Company Profile

AMTD Digital Inc, through its subsidiaries, designs and develops a digital platform to provide financial, media, content and marketing, and investment solutions in Asia. It operates through three segments: SpiderNet Ecosystem Solutions, Digital Financial Services, and Corporate. The company offers digital banking and insurance technology platforms for consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises; and SpiderNet ecosystem, a platform to enhance their investor communication, investor relations, and corporate communication to enhance their valuation.

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Ascent Wealth Partners LLC lessened its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL  Free Report) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,934 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,578 shares during the quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $3,093,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. James Hambro & Partners bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $274,000. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Kerntke Otto McGlone Wealth Management Group acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Arlington Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of BATS:QUAL traded down $0.62 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $132.89. The stock had a trading volume of 993,414 shares. The firm has a market cap of $30.05 billion, a PE ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 1.03. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.51. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $71.96 and a twelve month high of $88.63.

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector.

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Raymond James upgraded shares of Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB  Free Report) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $20.00 target price on the banks stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Associated Banc in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Associated Banc from $28.00 to $25.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com started coverage on Associated Banc in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Associated Banc from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Associated Banc in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. They issued a neutral rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $22.00.

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Associated Banc Trading Up 3.9 %

Shares of ASB opened at $16.85 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $15.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.00. Associated Banc has a 1-year low of $14.47 and a 1-year high of $25.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Associated Banc Dividend Announcement

Associated Banc ( NYSE:ASB Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The bank reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $504.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $349.71 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.35% and a net margin of 23.87%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.47 EPS. Analysts expect that Associated Banc will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.99%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. Associated Bancs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.07%.

Insider Transactions at Associated Banc

In other Associated Banc news, Director Michael J. Haddad bought 5,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.35 per share, for a total transaction of $99,762.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 5,750 shares of the companys stock, valued at $99,762.50. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Associated Banc news, Director R Jay Gerken acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $16.07 per share, for a total transaction of $48,210.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 42,036 shares of the companys stock, valued at $675,518.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Michael J. Haddad purchased 5,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 26th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $17.35 per share, for a total transaction of $99,762.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,750 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,762.50. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 1.49% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Associated Banc

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 7.4% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 431,421 shares of the banks stock worth $7,757,000 after acquiring an additional 29,590 shares during the period. Putnam Investments LLC increased its stake in Associated Banc by 18.9% in the first quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 18,276 shares of the banks stock valued at $329,000 after acquiring an additional 2,906 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in Associated Banc by 19.1% during the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 772,626 shares of the banks stock valued at $13,892,000 after purchasing an additional 123,640 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 20,917 shares of the banks stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 7,761 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 299.1% in the 1st quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 159,840 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 119,790 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.58% of the companys stock.

Associated Banc Company Profile

(Free Report)

Associated Banc-Corp, a bank holding company, provides various banking and nonbanking products to individuals and businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. The company operates through three segments: Corporate and Commercial Specialty; Community, Consumer, and Business; and Risk Management and Shared Services.

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AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Bank of America from $152.00 to $149.00 in a report released on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Bank of Americas price target would suggest a potential upside of 31.38% from the stocks previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on ATR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of AptarGroup from $130.00 to $134.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of AptarGroup in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of AptarGroup from $115.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AptarGroup has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $130.83.

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AptarGroup Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ATR traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $113.41. The stock had a trading volume of 41,961 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,144. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $116.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $115.14. AptarGroup has a 1-year low of $90.23 and a 1-year high of $122.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.68, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

AptarGroup ( NYSE:ATR Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.05. AptarGroup had a net margin of 6.94% and a return on equity of 12.53%. The company had revenue of $860.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $829.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.96 earnings per share. AptarGroups revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AptarGroup will post 4.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other AptarGroup news, insider Marc Prieur sold 6,000 shares of AptarGroup stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.00, for a total transaction of $714,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 25,028 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,978,332. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AptarGroup

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hall Laurie J Trustee raised its holdings in shares of AptarGroup by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Hall Laurie J Trustee now owns 24,365 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,881,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Kerrisdale Advisers LLC bought a new position in AptarGroup in the 4th quarter worth $2,674,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in AptarGroup by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 29,369 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $3,230,000 after acquiring an additional 3,464 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in AptarGroup in the 4th quarter worth $239,000. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management raised its holdings in AptarGroup by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 6,784 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $746,000 after acquiring an additional 896 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.40% of the companys stock.

About AptarGroup

(Free Report)

AptarGroup, Inc designs and manufactures a range of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing, and active material science solutions and services for the pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home care, and food and beverage markets. The company operates through three segments: Aptar Pharma, Aptar Beauty, and Aptar Closures.

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Admiral Group (LON:ADM  Free Report)s stock had its buy rating reissued by stock analysts at Berenberg Bank in a note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. They presently have a GBX 2,543 ($32.28) target price on the stock. Berenberg Banks price objective indicates a potential upside of 23.03% from the stocks current price.

ADM has been the subject of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an underweight rating and issued a GBX 1,650 ($20.94) price target on shares of Admiral Group in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and issued a GBX 2,150 ($27.29) price objective on shares of Admiral Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Admiral Group to a hold rating and set a GBX 2,150 ($27.29) target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 2,167 ($27.50).

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Admiral Group Price Performance

Shares of ADM stock traded up GBX 38 ($0.48) during midday trading on Friday, reaching GBX 2,067 ($26.23). 534,436 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 649,695. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.56, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 1.15. The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 2,221.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 2,174.64. Admiral Group has a 12 month low of GBX 1,691.50 ($21.47) and a 12 month high of GBX 2,404.41 ($30.52). The company has a market cap of 6.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,640.48, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.24.

Insider Buying and Selling at Admiral Group

About Admiral Group

In other news, insider Milena Mondini de Focatiis sold 24,674 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,262 ($28.71), for a total value of 558,125.88 ($708,371.47). 16.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

(Free Report)

Admiral Group plc, a financial services company, provides motor, household, travel, and pet insurance, as well as personal lending products worldwide. It operates through UK Insurance, International Insurance, Admiral Money, and Other segments. The company provides underwriting services, which includes motor, household, pet, and travel insurance, as well as car and home insurance; and provides unsecured personal loans and car finance products primarily in the United Kingdom.

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Beijing (Gasgoo)- In June 2023, Tesla sold 93,680 China-made vehicles via wholesale, which marked the US electric vehicle makers best performance throughout the first half of this year, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Tesla scored a 20.57% jump in June monthly wholesale volume compared to the previous month, and a 18.72% rise versus the year-ago period. Notably, wholesale volume of the Model Y came in at 63,043 units, outshining other passenger vehicle models in China in June, and accounted for 67.3% of the total monthly volume. Meanwhile, the Model 3 was sold by 30,637 units in June.

In the past month, Tesla shipped 19,468 Shanghai-made vehicles to overseas markets, which accounted for roughly 20.78% of the automakers total monthly sales volume.

In the first six months of this year, the cumulative wholesale volume of China-made Tesla vehicles summed up to 476,539 vehicles, representing a 61.68% spike over that of a year ago. Among which, 182,434 units were shipped to overseas markets.

Last month, Chinas new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) wholesale volume stood at roughly 761,000 vehicles, surging 33.4% year over year while increasing 12.1% month over month. From January to June, there were a total of 3.544 million NEPVs sold via wholesale, hiking up 43.7% from the year-ago period.

Model Y; photo credit: Tesla

Among all the passenger vehicle models who boasted a wholesale volume exceeding 20,000 units in the past month, ten out of sixteen of them were NEPVs, which were successively the Tesla Model Y (63,043 units), the BYD Qin (44,239 units), the BYD Song (42,388 units), the BYD Yuan (33,935 units), the BYD Dolphin (31,140 units), the Tesla Model 3 (30,637 units), the BYD Han (23,206 units), the BYD Seagull (23,005 units), the GAC AION S (22,487 units), and the GAC AION Y (20,583 units).

On the other hand, in terms of June retail volume of NEPVs in China, Tesla saw its market share drop 3.5 percentage points year on year to 11.2% last month. At the same time, Chinas locally-owned brands secured 70.5% of the entire NEPV market, which climbed up 8 percentage points from the previous year. The market share of new energy vehicle startups slipped 4 percentage points from the year-ago period to 12.8% in the past month.

In June 2023, roughly 70,000 locally-produced NEPVs were exported to overseas markets by Chinese automakers, indicating a 185.3% soar year-on-year but a 27.8% decrease month-on-month. According to the CPCA, NEPVs accounted for about 24% of the total passenger vehicle export volume last month, with 89% of them being pure-electric models.
CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE  Free Report) by 55.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,709 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,384 shares during the quarter. Ameren accounts for approximately 0.5% of CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd.s holdings in Ameren were worth $580,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ameren in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in Ameren in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. New Hampshire Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Ameren during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ameren during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.63% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp raised shares of Ameren from a sector weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $90.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Ameren from $102.00 to $92.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ameren in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Ameren from $91.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 16th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Ameren from $96.00 to $99.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $92.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

Ameren Price Performance

In other Ameren news, SVP Fadi M. Diya sold 36,940 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total value of $3,042,747.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 57,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,750,772.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In related news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,080 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.12, for a total transaction of $249,849.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 164,179 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,318,200.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, SVP Fadi M. Diya sold 36,940 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total transaction of $3,042,747.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 57,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,750,772.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

NYSE AEE traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $82.11. 390,382 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,344,816. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The firms 50-day moving average is $83.85 and its 200-day moving average is $85.77. Ameren Co. has a 52-week low of $73.28 and a 52-week high of $97.53. The company has a market capitalization of $21.56 billion, a PE ratio of 19.72, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.43.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.06. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 13.34%. The business had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Ameren Co. will post 4.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 14th were issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 13th. Amerens dividend payout ratio is currently 60.43%.

About Ameren

(Free Report)

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution and transmission businesses.

Further Reading

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Friday morning.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on FUN. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Cedar Fair in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a buy rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Cedar Fair in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $53.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial cut their price target on Cedar Fair from $54.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, KeyCorp started coverage on Cedar Fair in a report on Thursday, May 25th. They set an overweight rating and a $54.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $51.50.

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Cedar Fair Trading Down 1.0 %

NYSE:FUN opened at $39.24 on Friday. Cedar Fair has a 12-month low of $37.58 and a 12-month high of $47.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $42.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.90 and a beta of 1.39.

Cedar Fair Announces Dividend

Cedar Fair ( NYSE:FUN Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($2.61) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.91) by ($0.70). Cedar Fair had a negative return on equity of 22.47% and a net margin of 14.51%. The business had revenue of $84.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $101.23 million. On average, research analysts predict that Cedar Fair will post 3.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 7th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 6th. Cedar Fairs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cedar Fair

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Belpointe Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 5,480 shares of the companys stock worth $227,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,997 shares of the companys stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 16,294 shares of the companys stock worth $674,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Boenning & Scattergood Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Boenning & Scattergood Inc. now owns 9,702 shares of the companys stock worth $532,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 35.9% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,894 shares of the companys stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.75% of the companys stock.

Cedar Fair Company Profile

(Free Report)

Cedar Fair, L.P. owns and operates amusement and water parks, and complementary resort facilities in the United States and Canada. Its amusement parks include Cedar Point located on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo in Sandusky, Ohio; Knott's Berry Farm near Los Angeles, California; Canada's Wonderland near Toronto, Ontario; Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina; Kings Dominion situated near Richmond, Virginia; California's Great America located in Santa Clara, California; Dorney Park in Pennsylvania; Worlds of Fun located in Kansas City, Missouri; Valleyfair situated near Minneapolis/St.

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Clean Yield Group cut its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) by 6.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,986 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,385 shares during the period. Novo Nordisk A/S makes up approximately 1.4% of Clean Yield Groups portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Clean Yield Groups holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $3,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in NVO. American National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the 1st quarter valued at about $372,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 49.3% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 19,281 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,068,000 after purchasing an additional 6,364 shares during the last quarter. RIA Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 1st quarter valued at about $209,000. Meritage Portfolio Management acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 1st quarter valued at about $8,087,000. Finally, Sage Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 1st quarter valued at about $273,000. 6.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NVO traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $157.14. The companys stock had a trading volume of 394,992 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,376,056. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $95.02 and a 12-month high of $172.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $162.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $352.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.31, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Novo Nordisk A/S ( NYSE:NVO Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.27. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 77.39% and a net margin of 32.53%. The firm had revenue of $7.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.86 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 5.07 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on NVO shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 13th.

Novo Nordisk A/S Profile

(Free Report)

Novo Nordisk A/S, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products in the areas of insulins, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products, obesity, glucagon, needles, and other chronic diseases.

Further Reading

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Coca-Cola HBC (OTCMKTS:CCHGY  Free Report) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 2,950 ($37.44) to GBX 3,150 ($39.98) in a research note issued on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on CCHGY. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,250 ($28.56) to GBX 2,350 ($29.83) in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Coca-Cola HBC from GBX 2,200 ($27.92) to GBX 2,600 ($33.00) in a report on Thursday, May 4th.

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Coca-Cola HBC Trading Up 6.8 %

Shares of CCHGY traded up $1.94 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $30.60. 800 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,024. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Coca-Cola HBC has a twelve month low of $20.00 and a twelve month high of $32.19. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $30.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.32.

Coca-Cola HBC Company Profile

Coca-Cola HBC AG engages in the production, distribution, and sale of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages under franchise in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers sparkling soft drinks, adult sparkling, hydration drinks, juices, ready-to-drink tea, energy drinks, dairy, coffee, water, plant-based drinks, premium spirits and flavored alcoholic beverages, and snacks.

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EFG International (OTCMKTS:EFGXY  Free Report) and Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY  Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares EFG International and Royal Bank of Canadas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EFG International N/A N/A N/A Royal Bank of Canada 15.27% 15.36% 0.81%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for EFG International and Royal Bank of Canada, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EFG International 0 0 1 0 3.00 Royal Bank of Canada 1 3 1 0 2.00

Dividends

Royal Bank of Canada has a consensus price target of $139.17, suggesting a potential upside of 47.24%. Given Royal Bank of Canadas higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Royal Bank of Canada is more favorable than EFG International.

EFG International pays an annual dividend of C$0.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Royal Bank of Canada pays an annual dividend of $3.91 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.1%. EFG International pays out 128.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Royal Bank of Canada pays out 51.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Royal Bank of Canada has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Royal Bank of Canada is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

36.8% of Royal Bank of Canada shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares EFG International and Royal Bank of Canadas gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EFG International N/A N/A N/A C$0.14 66.55 Royal Bank of Canada $52.08 billion 2.53 $12.27 billion $7.61 12.42

Royal Bank of Canada has higher revenue and earnings than EFG International. Royal Bank of Canada is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EFG International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Royal Bank of Canada beats EFG International on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EFG International

(Free Report)

EFG International AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides private banking, wealth management, and asset management services. It offers investment solutions, including discretionary mandates, structured products, trading services, and Islamic solutions; wealth planning and trust services; credit and financing services, such as Islamic, property, and investment financing; and eBanking services, including mobile banking and security services. The company also provides other banking services consisting of custody, foreign exchange and treasury, and trading services, as well as accounts and cards, and metals; and supports independent asset managers to set up private label funds. It operates in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East. EFG International AG was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

About Royal Bank of Canada

(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. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Raymond James upgraded shares of Everest Re Group (NYSE:RE  Free Report) from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $450.00 price objective on the insurance providers stock, up from their prior price objective of $420.00.

RE has been the subject of several other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Everest Re Group from $435.00 to $445.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Everest Re Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $429.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Everest Re Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. They set a buy rating and a $406.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Everest Re Group from $455.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Everest Re Group in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $429.67.

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Everest Re Group Stock Performance

NYSE:RE opened at $351.28 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Everest Re Group has a fifty-two week low of $244.57 and a fifty-two week high of $394.99. The stock has a market cap of $13.80 billion, a PE ratio of 20.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.60. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $356.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $358.19.

Everest Re Group Dividend Announcement

Everest Re Group ( NYSE:RE Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The insurance provider reported $11.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $12.48 by ($1.17). The firm had revenue of $3.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.10 billion. Everest Re Group had a return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 5.34%. Everest Re Groups revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $10.31 EPS. Analysts expect that Everest Re Group will post 43.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st were paid a $1.65 dividend. This represents a $6.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 30th. Everest Re Groups payout ratio is 39.15%.

Institutional Trading of Everest Re Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. DnB Asset Management AS purchased a new position in Everest Re Group during the second quarter worth approximately $3,588,000. Prelude Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Everest Re Group during the first quarter worth about $281,000. Toroso Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Everest Re Group during the first quarter worth about $887,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Everest Re Group by 47.8% during the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 270,372 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $96,464,000 after acquiring an additional 87,489 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Trust increased its stake in Everest Re Group by 8.9% during the first quarter. American Trust now owns 2,686 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $962,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. 94.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Everest Re Group

(Free Report)

Everest Re Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $14.00 to $16.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on F. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Ford Motor from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $12.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 25th. TheStreet raised shares of Ford Motor from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $13.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Benchmark increased their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have given a 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 $15.03.

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Ford Motor Stock Performance

Ford Motor stock opened at $14.98 on Thursday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $13.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.62. The company has a market cap of $59.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.03. Ford Motor has a fifty-two week low of $10.90 and a fifty-two week high of $16.68.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Ford Motor ( NYSE:F Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.27. Ford Motor had a net margin of 1.75% and a return on equity of 19.99%. The firm had revenue of $39.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ford Motor will post 1.78 EPS for the current year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Ford Motor by 78.2% during the 4th quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,998 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the period. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Boulder Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ford Motor during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.20% of the companys stock.

About Ford Motor

(Free Report)

Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.

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Fruth Investment Management lifted its stake in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA  Free Report) by 1.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,933 shares of the specialty retailers stock after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Fruth Investment Managements holdings in Murphy USA were worth $2,047,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dark Forest Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth $50,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Murphy USA by 522.9% during the 1st quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 218 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. 85.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of MUSA stock traded down $1.34 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $303.60. The stock had a trading volume of 58,324 shares, compared to its average volume of 298,193. Murphy USA Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $231.65 and a fifty-two week high of $323.00. The firm has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 11.37 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.50, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $287.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $272.46.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

Murphy USA ( NYSE:MUSA Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $4.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.18 by $0.62. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 86.87%. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.08 EPS. The businesss revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 20.36 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th were paid a $0.38 dividend. This is a boost from Murphy USAs previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. Murphy USAs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.67%.

Insider Activity at Murphy USA

In related news, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 550 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $283.97, for a total value of $156,183.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 2,874 shares in the company, valued at $816,129.78. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Murphy USA news, SVP Robert J. Chumley sold 1,075 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.72, for a total transaction of $298,549.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 6,661 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,849,892.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 550 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $283.97, for a total transaction of $156,183.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,874 shares of the companys stock, valued at $816,129.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,628 shares of company stock worth $455,611 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 9.47% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $325.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $315.60.

Murphy USA Profile

(Free Report)

Murphy USA Inc engages in marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise. The company operates retail stores under the Murphy USA, Murphy Express, and QuickChek brands. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas.

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Humankind Investments LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR  Free Report) by 15.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 36,709 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,642 shares during the period. Humankind Investments LLCs holdings in Avantor were worth $776,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Avantor by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 254,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,345,000 after buying an additional 14,229 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Avantor by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 458,189 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,663,000 after buying an additional 52,801 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado raised its holdings in shares of Avantor by 33.1% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 102,103 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,153,000 after purchasing an additional 25,391 shares in the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Avantor by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 60,816 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,283,000 after purchasing an additional 2,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI raised its holdings in shares of Avantor by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 445,481 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,416,000 after purchasing an additional 7,610 shares in the last quarter. 89.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Avantor from $25.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Avantor in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. They set an outperform rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Avantor from $30.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Sunday, April 30th. 888 reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Avantor in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Avantor from $27.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Four investment 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $28.65.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Avantor Trading Down 0.2 %

In other news, EVP Christophe Couturier sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.18, for a total transaction of $31,727.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 98,650 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,089,407. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Shares of AVTR traded down $0.05 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $20.68. The stock had a trading volume of 696,569 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,552,141. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.03. Avantor, Inc. has a 52-week low of $17.91 and a 52-week high of $32.76. The businesss fifty day moving average is $20.18 and its 200 day moving average is $21.42. The firm has a market cap of $13.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.31.

Avantor (NYSE:AVTR  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.01. Avantor had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 18.81%. The firm had revenue of $1.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. Avantors quarterly revenue was down 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Avantor, Inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Avantor Company Profile

(Free Report)

Avantor, Inc engages in the provision of mission-critical products and services to customers in biopharma, healthcare, education and government, advanced technologies, and applied materials industries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The company offers materials and consumables, such as purity chemicals and reagents, lab products and supplies, formulated silicone materials, customized excipients, customized single-use assemblies, process chromatography resins and columns, analytical sample prep kits, education and microbiology products, clinical trial kits, peristaltic pumps, and fluid handling tips.

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Humankind Investments LLC lifted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Free Report) by 16.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,999 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,698 shares during the quarter. Archer-Daniels-Midland accounts for about 0.6% of Humankind Investments LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Humankind Investments LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $1,513,000 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 the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 4th quarter worth about $525,111,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 4th quarter worth about $369,091,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 29.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,524,033 shares of the companys stock worth $524,856,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483,115 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 1,328.8% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 902,850 shares of the companys stock worth $83,468,000 after acquiring an additional 839,659 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted its position in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,744,254 shares of the companys stock worth $626,204,000 after acquiring an additional 570,811 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.13% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on ADM shares. Roth Mkm started coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research report on Thursday, June 22nd. They set a buy rating and a $92.00 price objective for the company. 92 Resources reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $98.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set an outperform rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $99.50.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Performance

Shares of ADM stock traded up $0.75 during trading on Monday, reaching $78.76. The company had a trading volume of 544,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,776. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $74.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $79.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a one year low of $69.92 and a one year high of $98.28. The company has a market capitalization of $42.90 billion, a PE ratio of 9.79, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.81.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM  Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.38. The firm had revenue of $24.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.09 billion. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a return on equity of 18.39% and a net margin of 4.36%. The companys revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.90 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.29%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 16th. Archer-Daniels-Midlands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.58%.

About Archer-Daniels-Midland

(Free Report)

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company procures, transports, stores, processes, and merchandises agricultural commodities, products, and ingredients in the United States, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition.

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KAMPALA, UgandaUgandan officials are pushing to ban internet pornography, an initiative they say is modeled after like measures in Muslim-dominated regions.

While Ugandas population is primarily Catholic or Anglican, its government is considered to be just as repressive as those of Shia and Sunni-dominated Muslim countries. For example, Uganda implemented laws that legalize the use of the death penalty for individuals caught engaging in same-sex and LGBTQ relations. According to a report by local outlet The Daily Monitor, ultraconservative members of the unicameral Parliament of Uganda are likely to press the Ugandan Ministry of Information, Communications Technology, and National Guidance to liaise with other agencies to officially block all pornography sites to protect children from sexually explicit material. (As a pertinent point of interest, the Monitor is one of the only independent news publications challenging the current autocratic presidency of Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.)

Our children are exposed to cartoons of violence, and our teens are exposed to pornography. In Muslim countries, pornography is blocked. Tell me how much we can lose as an economy if we block pornographic sites in the country. Pornography is killing us, said Thomas Tayebwa, the deputy speaker of the Parliament, during a high-level policymakers engagement on financing for young people last Wednesday, reports Pulse Uganda. Addressing Information Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Tayebwa asked, Why arent you blocking pornography? What value is it adding to us as a nation, apart from destroying the model family? What are we getting out of it?

Uganda previously had a ban on pornography that was quashed in 2021 due to pressure from womens rights organizations from across the country and the globe. Al Jazeera categorized the law, which was passed in 2014, as a so-called anti-miniskirt law. Ugandas constitutional court scrapped the law because it led to women getting harassed and attacked in public for wearing certain clothes, including miniskirts.

The court ruled that the law was inconsistent with or in contravention of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda. Justice Frederick Egonda-Ntende said the Anti-Pornography Act [is] hereby declared null and void. Despite the law being gutted for violations of basic human rights, the government's new drive for another such measure comes in the tinge of a child protection statute reminiscent of similar bans on pornography being pushed by far-right religious groups in the United States. In fact, an investigation published by Open Democracy earlier this month found that two U.S. Christian groups were tied to the extremely draconian anti-homosexuality law mentioned above, also known as the kill the gays law. Some of these groups are classified by the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center as religious or general hate groups. In a recent news media interview for Democracy Now, Ugandan rights activist Pepe Onziema blamed America's Christian conservative movement for becoming exporters of hate.

Uganda also has a terrible track record with internet censorship. The current initiative to ban adult websites would require internet service providers in the country to block access to them. Watchdog group Freedom House rates Uganda as not free. Museveni, notes the organization, has ruled Uganda through patronage, the manipulation of state resources, intimidation by security forces, and politicized prosecutions of opposition leaders. The U.S. State Department says that Uganda has significant human rights issues, which include extreme actions of LGBTQ discrimination and censorship.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Friday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Barclays boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $61.40.

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Ingersoll Rand Trading Up 1.1 %

NYSE IR opened at $64.26 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $57.71. The company has a market capitalization of $25.99 billion, a PE ratio of 39.67 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Ingersoll Rand has a 12 month low of $39.28 and a 12 month high of $65.73.

Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement

Ingersoll Rand ( NYSE:IR Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.15. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. Research analysts forecast that Ingersoll Rand will post 2.57 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 24th were given a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.12%. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.94%.

Insider Activity at Ingersoll Rand

In related news, insider Gary E. Gillespie sold 27,487 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.73, for a total transaction of $1,669,285.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 42,234 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,564,870.82. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Kathleen M. Keene sold 4,003 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $250,187.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,879 shares in the company, valued at $117,437.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Gary E. Gillespie sold 27,487 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.73, for a total value of $1,669,285.51. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 42,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,564,870.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 58,659 shares of company stock valued at $3,685,458. Insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in IR. Keybank National Association OH raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 7,805 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $408,000 after buying an additional 195 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $140,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 68,645 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $3,994,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Field & Main Bank increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 42.3% during the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 673 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 9,277 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.73% of the companys stock.

Ingersoll Rand Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle, and medical technologies in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:THM  Free Report) (TSE:ITH) in a research note published on Friday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the mining companys stock.

International Tower Hill Mines Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN THM opened at $0.43 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $0.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.34 million, a P/E ratio of -21.64 and a beta of 0.70. International Tower Hill Mines has a fifty-two week low of $0.37 and a fifty-two week high of $0.75.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Tower Hill Mines

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in International Tower Hill Mines stock. Virtu Financial LLC increased its position in shares of International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:THM  Free Report) (TSE:ITH) by 314.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,808 shares of the mining companys stock after acquiring an additional 46,910 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLCs holdings in International Tower Hill Mines were worth $26,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 55.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About International Tower Hill Mines

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds or has rights to acquire interests in the Livengood gold project covering an area of approximately 19,546 hectares located to the northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska.

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Iowa State Bank reduced its holdings in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) by 33.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,158 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 9,631 shares during the period. Iowa State Banks holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $1,883,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of DLR. RB Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 3,003 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $426,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $688,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 31.2% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 20,511 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,909,000 after purchasing an additional 4,879 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $424,000. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. increased its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 15,001 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,127,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. 97.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Digital Realty Trust Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:DLR traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $114.00. 224,820 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,636,448. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $102.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.53. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $85.76 and a one year high of $138.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.55.

Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend

Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($1.46). Digital Realty Trust had a return on equity of 2.34% and a net margin of 7.61%. The business had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 6.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Digital Realty Trusts payout ratio is 439.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $113.00 to $112.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. StockNews.com started coverage on Digital Realty Trust in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating on the stock. 22nd Century Group reiterated a reiterates rating on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research note on Tuesday, May 30th. Barclays increased their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Digital Realty Trust from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $113.08.

Insider Activity at Digital Realty Trust

In related news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.47, for a total value of $146,205.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,176 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $991,854.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Digital Realty Trust news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 1,500 shares of Digital Realty Trust stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.47, for a total transaction of $146,205.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $991,854.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Peter C. Olson sold 700 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.67, for a total value of $73,969.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $753,849.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Digital Realty Trust Profile

(Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data "meeting place" and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

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Iowa State Bank lessened its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS  Free Report) by 5.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 81,512 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 4,663 shares during the period. United Parcel Service accounts for 4.0% of Iowa State Banks holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Iowa State Banks holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $15,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Gleason Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,166 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,196,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.3% during the first quarter. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,501 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $3,395,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Oakworth Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 4,517 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $785,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 757 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,135 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $414,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.94% of the companys stock.

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United Parcel Service Stock Performance

NYSE:UPS traded up $2.05 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $181.81. The stock had a trading volume of 452,941 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,299,152. The stock has a market cap of $156.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $180.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.34. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.87 and a 12-month high of $209.39.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

United Parcel Service ( NYSE:UPS Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The transportation company reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $22.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 57.68% and a net margin of 10.90%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.05 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 10.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.56%. United Parcel Services payout ratio is 52.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UPS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $220.00 to $214.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $219.00 to $212.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Raymond James decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $207.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $185.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $191.23.

United Parcel Service Profile

(Free Report)

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.

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iShares MSCI India ETF (BATS:INDA  Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $43.68 and last traded at $43.67, with a volume of 1470706 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $43.60.

iShares MSCI India ETF Stock Up 0.2 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $5.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.86 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $42.21 and a 200-day moving average of $41.02.

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Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI India ETF

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AE Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI India ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $717,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 157,772 shares of the companys stock worth $6,895,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Putnam Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 26.9% during the 1st quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 707,794 shares of the companys stock worth $27,859,000 after buying an additional 149,929 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 59.9% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 174,933 shares of the companys stock worth $6,885,000 after buying an additional 65,513 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI India ETF by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 16,147 shares of the companys stock valued at $636,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the last quarter.

iShares MSCI India ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI India index, a market-cap-weighted index of the top 85% of firms in the Indian securities market. INDA was launched on Feb 2, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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JB Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 46,925 shares of the energy companys stock, valued at approximately $2,375,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DVN. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 96.4% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,608,577 shares of the energy companys stock worth $344,984,000 after buying an additional 2,752,752 shares during the last quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC raised its stake in Devon Energy by 90.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC now owns 5,386,490 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $331,323,000 after purchasing an additional 2,562,584 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Devon Energy by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,141,280 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $609,794,000 after purchasing an additional 1,469,557 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $85,234,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Devon Energy by 79.4% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,206,111 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $189,577,000 after purchasing an additional 1,419,322 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.00% of the companys stock.

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Devon Energy Trading Up 0.4 %

DVN traded up $0.19 during trading on Monday, reaching $49.04. The company had a trading volume of 1,240,591 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,196,450. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $48.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.87. The company has a market cap of $32.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.33, a PEG ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.31. Devon Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $44.03 and a 12-month high of $78.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. The firms revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.88 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.87%. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio is 8.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Devon Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Barclays reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Friday, March 17th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Monday. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $66.89.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total value of $414,351.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Devon Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Kemper (NYSE:KMPR  Free Report) had its price target upped by Piper Sandler from $52.00 to $55.00 in a report published on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Raymond James cut their price objective on Kemper from $80.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Kemper in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Kemper in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised Kemper from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $56.00 to $78.00 in a report on Monday, April 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Kemper presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $72.00.

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Kemper Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE:KMPR opened at $48.11 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stocks fifty day moving average is $45.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.83. Kemper has a 52 week low of $40.65 and a 52 week high of $68.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.74 and a beta of 0.91.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

Kemper ( NYSE:KMPR Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The insurance provider reported ($1.02) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($1.13) by $0.11. Kemper had a negative return on equity of 6.24% and a negative net margin of 5.23%. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.94) earnings per share.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.58%. Kempers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -27.68%.

Insider Activity at Kemper

In other Kemper news, Director Susan D. Whiting sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.21, for a total value of $69,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,531 shares of the companys stock, valued at $486,637.51. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP Matthew A. Hunton sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total transaction of $159,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,013 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $909,590.85. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Susan D. Whiting sold 1,500 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.21, for a total transaction of $69,315.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,531 shares of the companys stock, valued at $486,637.51. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kemper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KMPR. No Street GP LP purchased a new stake in Kemper in the 1st quarter worth approximately $39,082,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Kemper by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,825,369 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $329,367,000 after acquiring an additional 297,632 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Kemper in the 4th quarter worth approximately $14,366,000. Brookfield Corp ON grew its stake in Kemper by 163.2% in the 1st quarter. Brookfield Corp ON now owns 422,806 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $23,111,000 after acquiring an additional 262,147 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Kemper by 54.2% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 715,749 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $39,123,000 after acquiring an additional 251,486 shares during the period. 79.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kemper Company Profile

(Free Report)

Kemper Corporation, a diversified insurance holding company, engages in the provision of insurance products to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance, Preferred Property & Casualty Insurance, and Life & Health Insurance.

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McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC  Free Report) had its target price raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $66.00 to $71.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $82.00 price target for the company. TheStreet upgraded shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. Bank of America upgraded shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from an underperform rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $75.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 6th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $83.40.

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McCormick & Company, Incorporated Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:MKC opened at $84.67 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.69, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.58. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 1-year low of $70.60 and a 1-year high of $94.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $89.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.63.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Dividend Announcement

McCormick & Company, Incorporated ( NYSE:MKC Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 29th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.67 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 14.76%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. McCormick & Company, Incorporateds payout ratio is 60.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 39,906 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.02, for a total transaction of $3,592,338.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 159,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,365,301.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 19.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MKC. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 92,736.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,770,708 shares of the companys stock valued at $478,334,000 after purchasing an additional 5,764,492 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter valued at $148,700,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,756,198 shares of the companys stock valued at $980,404,000 after buying an additional 564,889 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,955,774 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,889,787,000 after buying an additional 462,997 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,153,000. Institutional investors own 79.92% of the companys stock.

About McCormick & Company, Incorporated

(Free Report)

McCormick & Company, Incorporated manufactures, markets, and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to the food industry. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Flavor Solutions. The Consumer segment offers spices, herbs, and seasonings, as well as condiments and sauces, and desserts.

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Mullen Group (OTCMKTS:MLLGF  Free Report) and Yamato (OTCMKTS:YATRY  Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, risk, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Mullen Group and Yamatos net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A Yamato N/A N/A N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Mullen Group and Yamatos revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A $1.00 11.43 Yamato N/A N/A N/A $82.14 0.22

Analyst Recommendations

Yamato is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mullen Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

This is a summary of current ratings for Mullen Group and Yamato, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mullen Group 0 3 1 1 2.60 Yamato 0 0 0 0 N/A

Mullen Group currently has a consensus target price of $17.07, suggesting a potential upside of 49.95%. Given Mullen Groups higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Mullen Group is more favorable than Yamato.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

55.0% of Mullen Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Yamato shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Mullen Group pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.5%. Yamato pays an annual dividend of $12.06 per share and has a dividend yield of 65.7%. Mullen Group pays out 120.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Yamato pays out 14.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Yamato is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Mullen Group beats Yamato on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Mullen Group

(Free Report)

Mullen Group Ltd. provides a range of trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products. The Logistics & Warehousing segment offers full truckload, specialized transportation, warehousing, and fulfillment centers that handle ecommerce transactions and transload facilities for intermodal and bulk shipments; technology solutions, including transportation management, inventory management, and warehouse management systems; and warehousing and distribution services. The Specialized & Industrial Services segment provides production services, well servicing, production fluid transportation, transportation of fluids for disposal, frac support, hydrovac excavation, and industrial cleaning and turnaround services; and specialized services comprising dredging and dewatering services, large diameter pipe stockpiling and stringing services, water management, environmental services, civil construction, municipal development and emergency services, hydrostatic testing services to the pipeline industry and midstream sector, and transporting of oversize and overweight shipments, as well as deals in original equipment manufacturer parts and services. This segment also offers drilling and drilling related services, consisting of transportation, handling, and storage of oilfield fluids, tubulars, and drilling mud; drilling rig relocation; general oilfield hauling; well disposal facility; core drilling; setting surface casing; and conductor pipe setting services. The U.S. & International Logistics segment provides logistics services through professional representatives and station agents. This segment also owns SilverExpress, a proprietary integrated transportation management platform. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Okotoks, Canada.

About Yamato

(Free Report)

Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. provides delivery, logistics, home convenience, e-business, financial, auto works, and other related services in Japan, North America, and internationally. The company's Delivery segment offers small parcel delivery services, such as door-to-door parcel delivery and posting services. Its BIZ-Logistics segment provides intercompany logistics services to B2B supply-chain management market. The company's Home Convenience segment offers lifestyle support services, including moving and household effects delivery services. Its e-Business segment provides information services comprising ASP services and information systems development for business markets. The company's Financial segment offers settlement and collection services to customers and business customers. Its Autoworks segment provides vehicle maintenance and fuel supply services for transport companies. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) by 10.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 158,738 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 14,438 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.s holdings in Bank of Montreal were worth $14,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Montreal by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,432 shares of the banks stock valued at $877,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Bank of Montreal by 5.5% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 426,005 shares of the banks stock worth $50,256,000 after acquiring an additional 22,030 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Bank of Montreal during the first quarter valued at $225,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bank of Montreal by 6.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,478,058 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,651,736,000 after acquiring an additional 1,293,280 shares in the last quarter. Finally, USS Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Bank of Montreal by 2.1% in the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 145,939 shares of the banks stock worth $17,199,000 after buying an additional 3,071 shares in the last quarter. 40.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bank of Montreal in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bank of Montreal currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $149.50.

Bank of Montreal Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:BMO traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, hitting $89.72. The companys stock had a trading volume of 137,525 shares, compared to its average volume of 569,696. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $87.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $91.54. The company has a market capitalization of $64.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. Bank of Montreal has a fifty-two week low of $81.57 and a fifty-two week high of $105.40.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.35 by ($0.19). Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 12.83% and a return on equity of 13.14%. The business had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that Bank of Montreal will post 9.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, July 28th will be paid a dividend of $1.085 per share. This is an increase from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $4.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.84%. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio is presently 55.73%.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO).

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Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX  Free Report) had its target price boosted by Piper Sandler from $58.00 to $62.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com started coverage on Boston Scientific in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Mizuho increased their price target on Boston Scientific from $52.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Boston Scientific from $54.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Raymond James increased their price target on Boston Scientific from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, CL King started coverage on Boston Scientific in a research report on Friday, June 30th. They set a buy rating and a $64.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $56.44.

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Boston Scientific Stock Performance

NYSE:BSX opened at $52.29 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $52.71 and its 200 day moving average is $49.60. Boston Scientific has a fifty-two week low of $36.15 and a fifty-two week high of $54.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.21 billion, a PE ratio of 88.63, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.40.

Insider Activity at Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific ( NYSE:BSX Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.04. Boston Scientific had a return on equity of 14.57% and a net margin of 6.91%. The company had revenue of $3.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. Boston Scientifics quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Boston Scientific will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 11,671 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.96, for a total value of $606,425.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 83,373 shares in the company, valued at $4,332,061.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, EVP Joseph Michael Fitzgerald sold 63,339 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.60, for a total value of $3,394,970.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 213,859 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,462,842.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 11,671 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.96, for a total value of $606,425.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 83,373 shares in the company, valued at $4,332,061.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 176,779 shares of company stock worth $9,360,777. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Boston Scientific

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new position in Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 109.5% during the 1st quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 551 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 636 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 44.3% during the 1st quarter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC now owns 658 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.20% of the companys stock.

Boston Scientific Company Profile

(Free Report)

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems.

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QP Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) by 4.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,772 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 957 shares during the period. Devon Energy comprises 1.6% of QP Wealth Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. QP Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $950,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of DVN. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Devon Energy by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,321,413 shares of the energy companys stock worth $818,065,000 after purchasing an additional 131,526 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Devon Energy by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,263,424 shares of the energy companys stock worth $692,813,000 after buying an additional 356,448 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Devon Energy by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,141,280 shares of the energy companys stock worth $609,794,000 after buying an additional 1,469,557 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Devon Energy by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,371,571 shares of the energy companys stock worth $435,881,000 after buying an additional 99,059 shares during the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Devon Energy by 96.4% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,608,577 shares of the energy companys stock worth $344,984,000 after buying an additional 2,752,752 shares during the last quarter. 71.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Devon Energy

In other news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total value of $414,351.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock.

Devon Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DVN opened at $48.50 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.87. The stock has a market cap of $31.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.33, a PEG ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.31. Devon Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $44.03 and a 52 week high of $78.82.

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 EPS for the current year.

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.94%. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on DVN shares. Bank of America cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $52.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Devon Energy from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Devon Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and dropped their price target for the company from $63.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $66.89.

About Devon Energy

(Free Report)

Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Raia Drogasil S.A. (OTCMKTS:RADLY  Free Report) announced a dividend on Wednesday, July 5th, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 13th will be paid a dividend of 0.0093 per share on Monday, December 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 12th. This is a positive change from Raia Drogasils previous dividend of $0.007722.

Raia Drogasil Stock Performance

OTCMKTS RADLY opened at $5.61 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $5.69 and a 200 day moving average of $6.14. Raia Drogasil has a 1 year low of $3.50 and a 1 year high of $31.86.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, HSBC downgraded shares of Raia Drogasil from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th.

Raia Drogasil Company Profile

Raia Drogasil SA engages in the retail sale of medicines, perfumery, personal care and beauty products, cosmetics, dermocosmetics, and specialty medicines in Brazil. It also markets its goods through telesales and call centers in the states of Sao Paulo, Tocantins, and Pernambuco. The company was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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Oversea-Chinese Banking (OTCMKTS:OVCHF  Free Report) is one of 279 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Oversea-Chinese Banking to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings and dividends.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Oversea-Chinese Banking and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Oversea-Chinese Banking 0 0 0 0 N/A Oversea-Chinese Banking Competitors 1086 3177 3097 9 2.28

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 342.51%. Given Oversea-Chinese Bankings competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Oversea-Chinese Banking has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Oversea-Chinese Banking N/A N/A N/A Oversea-Chinese Banking Competitors 35.16% 11.58% 0.98%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Oversea-Chinese Banking and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares Oversea-Chinese Banking and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Oversea-Chinese Banking N/A N/A 8.55 Oversea-Chinese Banking Competitors $3.19 billion $772.74 million 252.54

Oversea-Chinese Bankings competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Oversea-Chinese Banking. Oversea-Chinese Banking is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

12.5% of Oversea-Chinese Banking shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.5% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 14.0% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Oversea-Chinese Banking pays an annual dividend of $0.35 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Oversea-Chinese Banking pays out 33.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Oversea-Chinese Banking lags its competitors as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.

Summary

Oversea-Chinese Banking competitors beat Oversea-Chinese Banking on 10 of the 10 factors compared.

About Oversea-Chinese Banking

(Free Report)

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited engages in the provision of financial services in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greater China, rest of the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company's Global Consumer/Private Banking segment provides products and services to individual customers, including checking accounts, and savings and fixed deposits; housing and other personal loans; credit cards; wealth management products consisting of unit trusts, banc assurance products, and structured deposits; and brokerage services. This segment also offers investment advice and portfolio management, estate and trust planning, and wealth structuring services for high-net-worth individuals. Its Global Wholesale Banking segment provides long-term project financing, short-term credit, working capital, and trade financing; customized and structured equity-linked financing products; cash management and custodian services; capital market solutions; corporate finance and advisory banking services; and treasury products. This segment serves corporates, public sector, and small and medium enterprises. The company's Global Treasury and Markets segment is involved in the foreign exchange activities, money market operations, and fixed income and derivatives trading, as well as structured treasury products and financial solutions. Its Insurance segment provides fund management services, and life and general insurance products. The company's Others segment is involved in property and investment holding activities. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Singapore.

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Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 10,230 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $3,002,000.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ROK. Baystate Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,572 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $764,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 9,076 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,338,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,007 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $277,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Rockwell Automation by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 8,393 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,805,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 79.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Rockwell Automation

In other Rockwell Automation news, VP Scott Genereux sold 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.00, for a total transaction of $140,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,376 shares in the company, valued at $945,280. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, VP John M. Miller sold 556 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.09, for a total transaction of $155,174.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,281 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,194,784.29. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Scott Genereux sold 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.00, for a total transaction of $140,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,376 shares of the companys stock, valued at $945,280. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,217 shares of company stock worth $4,687,705 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.64% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Rockwell Automation Price Performance

A number of research firms have issued reports on ROK. Citigroup lifted their price target on Rockwell Automation from $334.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $272.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Rockwell Automation from $250.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. StockNews.com downgraded Rockwell Automation from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Rockwell Automation in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. They issued a hold rating and a $335.00 target price on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rockwell Automation currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $284.69.

Shares of ROK traded up $6.83 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $332.21. 248,934 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 721,212. Rockwell Automation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $192.90 and a 1 year high of $333.09. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $297.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $286.51. The company has a market cap of $38.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK  Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $3.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.41. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 15.82% and a return on equity of 42.15%. The company had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.66 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 25.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Rockwell Automation, Inc. will post 11.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Rockwell Automation Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. This represents a $4.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.42%. Rockwell Automations payout ratio is 41.55%.

About Rockwell Automation

(Free Report)

Rockwell Automation, Inc provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products and services.

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Squarespace, Inc. (NYSE:SQSP  Get Free Report) CEO Anthony Casalena sold 57,483 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.81, for a total value of $1,771,051.23. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,722,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $145,506,140.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Anthony Casalena also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Thursday, June 22nd, Anthony Casalena sold 37,515 shares of Squarespace stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.91, for a total value of $1,122,073.65.

On Thursday, June 8th, Anthony Casalena sold 34,517 shares of Squarespace stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.13, for a total value of $1,039,997.21.

Squarespace Price Performance

NYSE SQSP traded up $0.26 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $31.34. The companys stock had a trading volume of 390,081 shares, compared to its average volume of 737,103. Squarespace, Inc. has a 52 week low of $16.86 and a 52 week high of $34.38. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -26.23 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.30.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Squarespace

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on SQSP shares. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Squarespace from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. William Blair reissued an outperform rating on shares of Squarespace in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Squarespace from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. B. Riley began coverage on Squarespace in a report on Wednesday, June 28th. They issued a buy rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on Squarespace from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, May 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $32.00.

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SQSP. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Squarespace by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,774,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $101,984,000 after purchasing an additional 419,488 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Squarespace by 438.4% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,169,388 shares of the companys stock worth $100,691,000 after buying an additional 2,580,712 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Squarespace by 3.3% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,471,004 shares of the companys stock worth $78,504,000 after buying an additional 79,517 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new position in Squarespace in the first quarter valued at $27,254,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Squarespace by 114.2% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 763,081 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,244,000 after buying an additional 406,901 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.38% of the companys stock.

About Squarespace

(Get Free Report)

Squarespace, Inc operates platform for businesses and independent creators to build online presence, grow their brands, and manage their businesses across the internet. Its suite of integrated products enables users to manage their projects and businesses through websites, domains, e-commerce, marketing tools, scheduling, and hospitality services, as well as tools for managing a social media presence.

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StockNews.com cut shares of Medtronic (NYSE:MDT  Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on Medtronic from $100.00 to $99.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $89.00 target price on shares of Medtronic in a research report on Friday, April 21st. CL King assumed coverage on Medtronic in a research report on Friday, June 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $106.00 target price for the company. Barclays raised Medtronic from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Medtronic from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $90.76.

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Medtronic Price Performance

MDT stock opened at $85.89 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $86.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $83.52. Medtronic has a 12-month low of $75.76 and a 12-month high of $95.60. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market cap of $114.27 billion, a PE ratio of 30.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.72.

Medtronic Increases Dividend

Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The medical technology company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.01. Medtronic had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 12.03%. The firm had revenue of $8.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Medtronic will post 5.04 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. This is a boost from Medtronics previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. Medtronics dividend payout ratio is presently 97.87%.

Institutional Trading of Medtronic

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Medtronic by 0.8% during the first quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 13,867 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $1,118,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co raised its position in shares of Medtronic by 52.9% during the 4th quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 341 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Medtronic by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. now owns 4,749 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Auxano Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Medtronic by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 8,055 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $626,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Centurion Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Medtronic by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,054 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.48% of the companys stock.

About Medtronic

(Free Report)

Medtronic plc develops, manufactures, and sells device-based medical therapies to healthcare systems, physicians, clinicians, and patients worldwide. Its Cardiovascular Portfolio segment offers implantable cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices; cardiac ablation products; insertable cardiac monitor systems; TYRX products; and remote monitoring and patient-centered software.

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Clean Yield Group raised its holdings in shares of TELUS Co. (NYSE:TU  Free Report) (TSE:T) by 15.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 343,901 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after buying an additional 45,167 shares during the period. TELUS comprises approximately 2.9% of Clean Yield Groups investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Clean Yield Groups holdings in TELUS were worth $6,830,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 60.9% in the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 14,694 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 5,560 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 36.2% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,093 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $761,000 after purchasing an additional 7,737 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 59.3% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,666 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 2,109 shares during the period. Aviva PLC boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS by 156.0% in the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 479,131 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $12,536,000 after purchasing an additional 291,979 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers purchased a new stake in shares of TELUS in the first quarter valued at approximately $206,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.03% of the companys stock.

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TELUS Stock Performance

Shares of TU traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $19.26. 582,304 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,467,158. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. TELUS Co. has a 12-month low of $18.85 and a 12-month high of $23.68. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $19.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.17.

TELUS Increases Dividend

TELUS ( NYSE:TU Free Report ) (TSE:T) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.01). TELUS had a net margin of 7.65% and a return on equity of 9.14%. The company had revenue of $3.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.58 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that TELUS Co. will post 0.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th were issued a $0.268 dividend. This represents a $1.07 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.57%. This is a positive change from TELUSs previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 8th. TELUSs dividend payout ratio is presently 135.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on TU. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of TELUS in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$31.00 to C$32.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$32.00 to C$33.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of TELUS from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th.

TELUS Profile

(Free Report)

TELUS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of telecommunications and information technology products and services in Canada. It operates through Technology Solutions and Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segments. The Technology Solutions segment offers a range of telecommunications products and services; network services; mobile technologies equipment; data services, such as internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology, and cloud-based services; software, data management, and data analytics-driven smart food-chain and consumer goods technologies; home and business security; healthcare software and technology solutions; and voice and other telecommunications services.

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Veritiv (NYSE:VRTV  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Bank of America from $159.00 to $158.00 in a report issued on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Bank of Americas price target suggests a potential upside of 25.42% from the companys previous close.

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Veritiv in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

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Veritiv Stock Up 1.1 %

VRTV stock traded up $1.38 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $125.98. 9,957 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 127,011. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 2.16. Veritiv has a 1-year low of $94.50 and a 1-year high of $161.84. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $115.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $122.83. The company has a market cap of $1.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 2.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Veritiv

Veritiv ( NYSE:VRTV Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $5.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.47 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter. Veritiv had a net margin of 4.83% and a return on equity of 42.60%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Veritiv will post 20.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Veritiv by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,275,710 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $304,014,000 after purchasing an additional 13,680 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Veritiv by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 939,978 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $125,572,000 after buying an additional 21,735 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Veritiv by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 522,429 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $70,601,000 after buying an additional 5,168 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Veritiv by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 247,713 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $33,476,000 after buying an additional 10,611 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Veritiv by 50.4% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 222,863 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $29,772,000 after buying an additional 74,654 shares in the last quarter. 98.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Veritiv

(Free Report)

Veritiv Corporation operates as a business-to-business provider of value-added packaging products and services, facility solutions, and print based products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through Packaging, Facility Solutions, and Print segments. The Packaging segment provides packaging product materials within flexible, corrugated and fiber, ancillary packaging, rigid, and equipment categories.

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Virgin Money UK (OTCMKTS:CYBBF  Free Report) had its target price decreased by Morgan Stanley from GBX 190 ($2.41) to GBX 175 ($2.22) in a report issued on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on CYBBF. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Virgin Money UK from GBX 265 ($3.36) to GBX 200 ($2.54) in a report on Thursday, June 1st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Virgin Money UK from GBX 205 ($2.60) to GBX 220 ($2.79) in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Virgin Money UK from GBX 200 ($2.54) to GBX 180 ($2.28) in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Virgin Money UK from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $200.00.

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Virgin Money UK Stock Performance

Shares of CYBBF stock opened at $1.90 on Thursday. Virgin Money UK has a 52 week low of $1.44 and a 52 week high of $2.29. The stocks fifty day moving average is $1.84 and its 200-day moving average is $1.86.

Virgin Money UK Company Profile

Virgin Money UK PLC provides banking products and services for consumers, and small and medium sized businesses under the Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, and Virgin Money brands in the United Kingdom. The company offers savings and current accounts, mortgages, credit cards, and home loans; business loans, overdraft facilities, treasury solutions, and corporate and structured finance; asset and invoice finance services; risk management; international trade services; and home, car, and life and critical illness insurance products.

Further Reading

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Shares of WPP plc (LON:WPP  Free Report) have received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 1,145.88 ($14.54).

WPP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of WPP from GBX 1,170 ($14.85) to GBX 1,230 ($15.61) in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on WPP from GBX 1,260 ($15.99) to GBX 1,245 ($15.80) in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Shore Capital restated a buy rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on WPP from GBX 1,240 ($15.74) to GBX 1,260 ($15.99) in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on WPP from GBX 890 ($11.30) to GBX 870 ($11.04) in a research note on Sunday, July 2nd.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Joanne Wilson sold 3,744 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 894 ($11.35), for a total value of 33,471.36 ($42,481.74). Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock.

WPP Trading Down 0.7 %

WPP Company Profile

WPP opened at GBX 808.20 ($10.26) on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of 8.65 billion, a PE ratio of 1,334.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.20. WPP has a 12-month low of GBX 713 ($9.05) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,082 ($13.73). The firms fifty day moving average price is GBX 869.54 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 919. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 172.61, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

(Free Report

WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies.

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India is set to launch Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota on July 14, positioning itself as the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface.



Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, expressed the urgency for India to keep pace with the advancements in space exploration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.



"After such a quantum rise in our Space expertise under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, India can no longer wait to be left behind in its march to the Moon," said the minister.



According to Singh, Chandrayaan-3 is a continuation of Chandrayaan-2 and is intended to show off India's prowess in soft landing and roaming on the Moon's lunar surface.



Also read: Chandrayaan-3 mission launch on July 14; soft-landing on lunar surface expected on August 23 or 24



After Chandrayaan-3 successfully touches down on the lunar surface, the six-wheeled rover will emerge and spend the next 14 days performing tasks there, as per a govt statement.



As per the minister, the primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold, to demonstrate safe and soft landing on lunar surface, to demonstrate Rover roving on the moon, and, to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.



Notably, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has equipment to investigate the elemental composition close to the landing site, lunar surface plasma environment, lunar seismicity, and the thermo-physical properties of the lunar regolith.



Also read: Chandrayaan-3: A look at the space mission that may launch on July 13





In March 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully completed the essential tests that validated its capability to withstand the harsh vibration and acoustic environment that the spacecraft would encounter during its launch.



Somanath S, the chairman of ISRO and secretary of the Department of Space, told reporters that the lander would attempt a soft landing on August 23 or August 24. The mission life of the lander, according to ISRO authorities, is one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 days on Earth.



(With inputs from agencies)
India's Go Airlines (India) Ltd has invited investor interest in the company through a court-appointed administrator as part of the carrier's ongoing insolvency process, a newspaper advertisement showed on Monday. The process of inviting an Expression of Interest (EoI) signifies the formal commencement of seeking buyers or investors for a potential investment, in line with procedural requirements under Indian law. Go Airlines, which operated the Go First carrier, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Go Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in May blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its 54 Airbus A320neos. The engine maker had said the claims are without merit. According to regulations, the issuance and publication of the Form G - related to the invitation for EoI - would be the "prescribed next - step for taking the insolvency to its logical conclusion," said Abhirup Dasgupta, a partner at HSA Advocates, "The final resolution will, however, be subject to the crystallisation of the rights of the lessors," Dasgupta, who specialises in insolvency law but is not involved in Go First's proceedings, said. (With Reuters inputs)

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Electronics manufacturing giant Vedanta on July 10 announced it was pulling out of the tie-up with the Anil Agrawal-led Vedanta Ltd for the chip joint venture in India.



"In order to explore more diverse development opportunities, according to mutual agreement, Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta," the Taiwanese company said in a statement.



Foxconn added that it is working towards removing its name from the JV, which is now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta. "Foxconn has no connection to the entity and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders," it stated.



Here's a timeline of Foxconn exploring the tie-up with Vedanta:



- February 2022: Foxconn partners with Vedanta to make semiconductors in India in a bid to diversify its business. Foxconn said it will be "a significant boost to domestic manufacturing of electronics in India".



- September 2022: Foxconn and Vedanta signed a pact to invest $19.5 billion to set up semiconductor and display production plants in the western state of Gujarat, seeking to tap into the country's plans to become an electronics major.



- November 2022: Anil Agarwal said production at the proposed semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in Gujarat will start within two-and-a half years of the groundbreaking ceremony. The announcement assumed significance as semiconductor chips, used in cars, mobile phones and other electronics devices, are not manufactured in India at present.



- December 2022: The Ministry of Electronics and IT officially announced that Vedanta and Foxconn are joint applicants under the incentivised-scheme for setting up of semiconductor fabs in India. After considering the options in Maharashtra, Telangana and Gujarat, "the applicants in their final submissions have informed that they had decided Dholera Industrial City, Gujarat as final location for their proposal", a statement noted.



- February 4: Vedanta and Foxconn, who were yet to find technology partner for their semiconductor JV in India, were close to tie up with European chipmaker STMicroelectronics, reports had said.



May 31: Bloomberg News reported that the government is likely to deny incentives to the JV under the PLI scheme, as Vedanta and Foxconn were reportedly yet to find a technology partner to make 28-nanometer chips.



June 27: Vedanta and Foxconn submitted a revised application, seeking government funding for the manufacturing of 40-nanometer chips instead of 28-nanomter chips, CNBC TV-18 reported.



June 30: The SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Vedanta for issuing a press release in September last year that said it has signed MoUs with the government of Gujarat to set up semiconductor and display fab units. The fine was slapped for making a false representation, as it was later clarified to the exchanges that the proposed business would not be undertaken by Vedanta, but by Volcan Investments, which is its ultimate holding entity.



July 7: Vedanta announced it would be taking over Twin Star Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volcan Investments which had undertaken the semiconductor business in India. This acquisition will allow Vedanta to take over the ownership of the JV with Foxconn from its holding company.



The decision to discontinue the semiconductor business with Vedanta was confirmed by Foxconn after the market hours on July 10. Vedanta's scrip, before the announcement, had settled at Rs 282.25 on the BSE, which was 0.59 percent higher as against the last closing price.



With inputs from agencies
Foxconn's decision to scrap its tie-up with the Anil Agrawal-led Vedanta for the semiconductor business in India will have no adverse impact on the country's plan towards the sector, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, on July 10.



"This decision of Foxconn to withdraw from its JV with Vedanta has no impact on India's semiconductor fab goals. None. (sic)," the minister tweeted, adding that both the companies have significant investments in India and are "valued investors who are creating jobs and growth".



This was reiterated by Union IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that "both Foxconn and Vedanta are fully committed to Indias Semiconductor Mission and Make in India".



Both the companies Foxconn and Vedanta are committed to Indias semiconductor mission and Make in India program.

 Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 10, 2023





Government sources who spoke to CNBC TV-18 added that Foxconn and Vedanta are still in the fray with semiconductor plans for India, and will pursue their plans independently with different technology partners.



Foxconn, a global electronics manufacturing giant, issued a statement today confirming its decision to not to proceed with its tie-up with Vedanta. The company said it working to remove the Foxconn name from the joint venture which is now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta.



"Foxconn has no connection to the entity and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders," the Taiwanese company noted.



Also Read | Foxconn scraps tie-up with Vedanta year after announcing chip JV: Here's a timeline



The Vedanta-Foxconn Semiconductors Ltd (VFSL) was set up by the two entities last year to set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in Gujarat. However, the JV could not make progress as it reportedly struggled to find a technology partner for the production of 28-nanometer chips.



"It was well known that both companies had no prior semicon experience or technology and were expected to source fab tech from a tech partner. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal (sic)," Chandrasekhar said.



The minister add that Vedanta, through VFSL, recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal "backed by tech licensing agreement from a global semicon major". The proposal is currently being evaluated by Semicon India

Tech Advisory Group, he noted.



Chandrasekhar expressed confidence that both - Vedanta and Foxconn - will pursue their semiconductor plans independently in the country.



"It is not for the government to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can and will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and with appropriate technology partners in semicon and electronics," he said.



Meanwhile, Vedanta in a separate statement said it is "fully committed" to its semiconductor fab project in India. "We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM). We will shortly acquire a license for production-grade 28 nm as well," it said.
Debt-laden tea maker McLeod Russel on Monday said its board has extended the agreement with Carbon Resources until July 28 to negotiate and evaluate a mutually agreeable mechanism to offer a "one-time settlement" of its debt with the lenders. The first agreement was signed on January 21 that expired on March 31, the company said. With this extension, the Kolkata-based carbon products maker will be able to continue negotiations with McLeod Russel, which had faced differences over valuation. "The board of directors of McLeod Russel at its meeting considered and approved the extension of an exclusivity agreement with Carbon Resources till July 28, to exclusively discuss, negotiate and evaluate a mutually agreeable mechanism for the company to offer a proposed one-time settlement of the debt owed by the company to its identified lenders, the company said in a stock exchange filing. The agreement expresses the parties' interests in continuing exclusive discussions in the matter and does not create any legally binding obligation on any party," the bulk tea producer said. Carbon Resources had earlier made a non-binding offer to McLeod Russel's lenders to acquire a controlling stake and settle its dues. The Kolkata-based carbon products manufacturer earlier had sent a Rs 1,245-crore non-binding offer to lenders. Jalans-owned Carbon Resources had offered lenders to infuse upfront equity worth Rs 300 crore and a debt of Rs 945 crore to resolve Mcleod's outstanding debt. Secured lenders were supposed to be paid in full, while unsecured lenders would have to take a 45 percent haircut. Jalan of Carbon Resources was keen to take over the company. The Khaitans currently own a 6.25 percent stake in McLeod Russel and the debt stands at over Rs 1,700 crore. The lenders to the company are ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Indian Bank, RBL Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, Yes Bank and IndusInd Bank.

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With raging waters washing away cars and roads, submerging fields and gushing into residential areas, it was another day of rain havoc in parts of north India, particularly Himachal Pradesh where landslides claimed four more lives and more than 200 people remain stranded. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation.



Several rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked the Centre to make available additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for states affected by the torrential rain.



The prime minister spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said. Local administrations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working to ensure the well-being of those affected, the Prime Ministers Office said. Landslides claimed four more lives in Shimla and the Shimla-Kalka highway was blocked Monday morning as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill state for the third day, police said.



Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 16 or 17 people were killed in rain-related incidents in the state in the last two days. Twenty people stranded in the tourist town of Manali were rescued but about 300 others were stuck across various parts of the hill state, officials said. Three people died after a landslide struck a house in Theog subdivision of Shimla on Monday morning. The incident occurred in Pallavi village and the deceased were identified as Deep Bahadur, Devdasi and Mohan Bahadur, police said.



The body of an elderly woman, who was trapped under debris following a landslide in Rajhana village on the outskirts of Shimla city, was retrieved on Sunday night, hours after the body of her granddaughter was recovered from the site. On Monday morning, the meteorological department issued a "red alert for "extremely heavy rain, a day after heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, and damaging houses. Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.



The Shimla-Kalka National Highway was blocked near Shoghi, about 16 km from the capital city, following a landslide on Monday. More than 120 roads are blocked in the district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, officials said. Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains to continue. He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress.



The Congress president spoke to Sukhu to express his concern over the deaths in the state. "The death of several people in north India due to heavy rains is sad and painful. Have talked to the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Relief efforts in the state have picked up and every effort is being made despite bad weather, to take people affected by heavy rains to safer places, Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held a meeting over the torrential rains and the rising Yamuna water levels in the city. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark while assuring the people that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital. The government is closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it, he said.



Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. In a review meeting following heavy rains, he asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of the NDRF and SDRF as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert. Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.



The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation. Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state. Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.



In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments. He also took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present.
A local World War II veteran will celebrate his 100th birthday Wednesday, but declared this week hes gonna be 21 again.

Alfred Zieg, a former first-class electronics technician in the Navy, was born on May 31, 1923, in Waco to Henry and Alma (Hinze) Zieg.

As one of nine siblings, Zieg was in the middle of five brothers and three sisters. Only a younger brother remains today.

His father worked as a depot agent for the railroad after moving to America from Prussia. Zieg too would join the railroad industry in Las Vegas after graduating from Scribner High School in 1941.

But when he was 19, Ziegs life changed forever. In December 1941, he traveled to Reno, Nevada, where he enlisted in the Navy.

I always favored the Navy, but to come back home, I figured I had the best chance in the Navy, Zieg said. I found out it couldve been the worst choice for the ships we lost and the guys.

He knew the draft was coming and signed up for a program where he would learn the radar system. However, Zieg never went through Naval basic training and he didnt know how to swim.

Eventually, Zieg would board the AGC-9, also known as the USS Wasatch, which launched Oct. 8, 1943. During WWII, the USS Wasatch was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, where it would earn four battle stars for her service.

The ship, along with two other command ships, had to be kept secret because they would be a high priority target for enemy planes and submarines.

About 900 crewmen were aboard the USS Wasatch with Capt. Alford M. Granum in command. War hero and military leader Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Thomas Kinkaid occasionally boarded his ship as well. To Ziegs knowledge, he is the last surviving crewman.

Zieg would become a first-class electronic technician, helping take care of all the transmissions that were being sent to each ship in addition to changing the antennas. He was known as Antenna Al because he was the only one who would climb some 100 feet above water without a harness to change an antenna.

Zieg met his future wife, Thelma, in high school when his family moved to Scriber. He later reached out to Thelma asking for her brothers military address, which she sent via letter. Thelma continued to write to Zieg nearly every day that he was away and he wrote back when time allowed.

We were busy, Zieg said. We didnt sit there with our feet up on the desk and enjoying the nice scenery. We went there to get the job done.

Yet, through all the months on the ship, he still found beauty in the dullness and time to write back to Thelma.

You sit on the fantail of a ship with the moon shining and the moon shines all the way down the water to the ship. Theres some beautiful things that if you want to take the time to do it, Zieg said.

The men on board did have some occasional fun. He recalled seeing Comedian Bob Hope and Actress Dorothy Lamour perform on the Island of Samar in the Philippines.

On Feb. 22, 1946, Zieg returned to Scriber on his first discharge for 30 days, and he asked Thelma to marry him, even though the two had never been on an actual date. They got married on March 24, 1946, and were married for 62 years before her passing in 2008.

She was nice and she liked everything simple, Zieg said. When you meet the right one, it blends and you know. Its hard to describe.

The couple had three children together  Nancy, Tom and Jim  who all live in Lincoln. Tom was stationed in Vietnam for the Navy for four years. His other son Jim wasnt in the military, but still had to live with the effects that WWII had on Zieg.

When Jim was in the fourth grade, he had to have a kidney removed and they related that back to me, Zieg said.

Zieg was contaminated with radiation while stationed in Japan. For more than 40 years, Zieg has had to take coumadin, also known as warfarin, to help treat the leukemia that has formed throughout his body. Hes lost most of his hearing and said his lungs are scarred worse than a lifetime smoker.

After 38 months of service, Zieg was discharged on Feb. 22, 1946, after returning to the United States from Taku, China.

I was lucky, Zieg said. The good Lord walked with me the whole time I was in the service. The Lord took me to war, and the Lord brought me back.

Many military members of WWII were not so lucky. Zieg still recalls the painful memory of having to find his fellow service members in the water.

Thats part of my life and its a part I cant forget, he said.

Through it all, Zieg said they went to win freedom, which he wants people to enjoy.

To win the war, we could win freedom. Freedom of everything.  Thats what we fought for and thats what we intend to keep. And if we have to go back again to do that, its got to be that way, Zieg said. You got to enjoy every day. Maybe tomorrow is a day you wont get to enjoy because youre gonna be gone and thats the way it is. It will always be that way.

And hell enjoy that freedom this week, with plans to visit a Nebraska staple  Runza  with friends for his birthday.

Thats what Im gonna have, a Runza hamburger and a strawberry milkshake, he said.
The Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC), the winning bidder for Jet Airways under the airlines' insolvency resolution process, on July 10 said that it will revive the airline as per the approved resolution plan and is fully committed to doing so.



"JKC will restart scheduled commercial operations within 90-120 business days from the date of taking over control of Jet Airways," JKC said in response to questions sent by Moneycontrol.



The association's comments come after the creditors of Jet Airways on July 10 called for the grounded airline to be wound up, telling the Supreme Court (SC) that the resolution plan approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) was not workable.



JKC added that its resolution plan provides for fund infusion to start only after the Effective Date and due to the challenges made on the effective date, there have been delays in implementing the resolution plan.



"The lenders were pressing for a stay on the ongoing implementation of the resolution plan which interim prayer was rejected... The request from CoC (Committee of Creditors) to invoke the performance bank guarantee provided by JKC was also rejected by the SC today," JKC said.



It added that funds can only be infused after the CoC accepts the Effective Date and all the compliances of the company are completed.



"JKC is required to infuse funds into the company only after the Effective Date declared and agreed upon," the consortium told Moneycontrol in an email.



JKC added that till July 10 it has invested around Rs 300 crore in the entire process which also includes Rs 20 crore in Jet Airways directly.



Currently, the ownership transfer of the airline under the insolvency resolution plan is facing hurdles over differences between the winning bidder and lenders.



JKC added that it has finalised on a new leadership team to head Jet Airways and details will be announced immediately after it takes control of the airline.



The consortium of Dubai-based Murari Lal Jalan and the UK's Kalrock Capital also said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is reviewing the matter surrounding the Air Worthiness Certificate (AOC) of Jet Airways and it expects full support of the Indian aviation regulator.



Additional solicitor general N Venkatraman, appearing for the CoC in the top court on July 10 said the DGCA was not ready to renew the airline's AOC, which expired in May.



"JKC got the AOC (for Jet Airways) last year by following the due 5-step process of the DGCA. The same could not be kept active due to the delays caused by the Lenders. Had they agreed on the Effective Date in May 2022 and handed over the company, the AOC would have been kept valid by the JKC," the consortium said.



Jet Airways had aimed to start operations in the winter schedule of 2022 after being granted the AOC on May 20, 2022, by the DGCA. However, its plans were delayed after the NCLAT in October 2022 directed the consortium to clear employees unpaid provident fund (PF) and gratuity dues until June 2019, when the insolvency process was initiated, amounting to around Rs 250 crore.



JKC had said that it was not liable to pay anything beyond Rs 475 crore, and all claims had to be settled with that sum.



All additional claims not factored in the approved resolution plan should be settled from the cash balance of the airline, which was around Rs 50 crore, and the remaining from the share of banks, it said.



In November 2022, the airline docked the salaries of some of its staff by up to 50 percent and sent some on leave without pay.



Following the pay cuts, Jet Airways saw a series of high-profile exits including its CEO-designate Sanjiv Kapoor who quit on April 28, 2023.



The airline's vice-president (operations) PP Singh and company secretary Neeraj Manchanda quit the organisation the same week.



Mark Turner, vice-president of in-flight services, Nakul Tuteja, vice-president of human resources and administration, HR Jagannath, vice-president of engineering and Ronit Baugh, head of communications, also resigned.



Jet Airways has been grounded since 2019 and a State Bank of India-led insolvency process hasnt been able to reach a solution yet.



JKC was recognised as the successful bidder for the bankrupt airline in October 2020.



According to the resolution plan, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium had proposed a cash infusion of Rs 1,375 crore, including Rs 475 crore for payment to stakeholders.



The remaining Rs 900 crore was to be infused for capital expenditure and working capital requirements. At Rs 380 crore, the lenders took a steep haircut on their admitted claims of over Rs 7,807.7 crore under the approved resolution plan.



The lenders had agreed to the plan submitted by the airline, which was later approved by the NCLT in 2021. Lenders were to also receive a 9.5 percent stake in the airlines and a part of the payment to lenders is from the sale of property owned by Jet Airways.
Larsen & Toubro entered into a Teaming Agreement (TA) with Navantia, Spain, on July 10 for submitting a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navys P75 (India) submarine programme, the company said in an exchange filing.



The agreement was signed in presence of L&T Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan, and Naval Construction Vice-President and Member of the Navantia Board Augustin Alvarez Blanco. Spanish envoy to India Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez and Captain (Navy) Fernando Alvarez, Spanish Defence Attache, were also present at the event along with senior officials from both L&T Defence and Navantia. The event was held in the premises of the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi.



Project 75 (I)



The Naval project requires the Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator (FC) and execute the programme for delivery of six conventional submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), while achieving the targeted indigenous content. Estimated at over 4.8 billion, it is the Indias largest defence acquisition project. It would be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value.



P75(I) would be the first programme to be processed under the ambitious strategic partnership (SP) model of acquisition of the defence ministry. L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the programme on April 11 at Madrid, which has now culminated in this TA.



Design of P75(I) submarines



Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of 2023. Apart from S80 class, Navantia has been involved in the design and construction of Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India, including handholding of the Indian yard.



The P75(I) programme calls for integration of an AIP system. Navantias 3rd Generation AIP solution is an advanced AIP system, easy to exploit and maintain, and is environment-friendly. It uses bioethanol as a source of hydrogen which is known to be cost-efficient, easily available, and does not call for any special infrastructure. High density of hydrogen in ethanol improves the AIP systems efficiency. Ethanol, being in liquid form, eliminates the risks associated with storing hydrogen. In addition, wide availability of ethanol enables the system to be refuelled anywhere in the world.



L&T and Navantia are also seeking cooperation in other military programmes as well as in green energy opportunities, including offshore wind through Navantia Seanergies division.



Read: L&T completes transition of $150-mn term loan into sustainability-linked loan



"Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction and technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this programme and offers the bio-ethanol stealth technology (BEST) and environmentally green AIP solution," Subrahmanyan said.



"It gives us great joy to be in a position to be the design and technology partner for P75(I). We are also in collaboration with L&T for the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) programme whose tender is eagerly awaited. With these two prestigious programmes for the Indian Navy, Navantia is proud to be making a key contribution towards fulfilling the defence needs of India, a nation with which Spain shares excellent relationship," Blanco said.
Bottoms in the investment world dont end with four-year lows, they end with 10- or 15-year lows. - Jim Rogers



Stocks sold off on Friday, but the underlying mood is still upbeat. After all, there are intermittent corrections in any bull market. For those looking to index futures for cues, foreign institutional investors are now 40 percent net long on the Nifty and Nifty Bank futures combined. On the other hand, high networth traders and domestic institutional investors are net short on index futures.



In the past, the market has rallied whenever FIIs were net short on the market. Now that they are net long, should this be seen as a contrarian indicator?



Diagnostic stocks



Not much has changed for diagnostic companies fundamentally over the past month. The fear of competition from new entrants eating into margins







persists. But, the stocks have rallied anywhere between 20 percent and 50 percent over the past few months as old-school diagnostic chains are fighting back, and the market is taking note of it. For instance, Metropolis Healthcare has launched a bot for doctors to access essential medical information, Krsnaa Diagnostics has been bagging tenders under the National Health Mission, while Dr Lal Path Labs is expanding in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities aggressively.



In fact, Om Manchanda told CNBC-TV18 last week, "The feedback that I am getting from my teams is that the kind of discounting which was happening earlier is much less. So, effectively there is an increase in prices." Dr Lal Path shares are up 30 percent from their lows of March.



As for the start-ups, the biggies are now eyeing a stake in them. Zydus recently picked up a 6.5 percent stake in the Mylab, the company infamous for making Covid-19 self-test kits. While the stake might not move the needle much when it comes to Zydus' financials, it is still a significant enough to cause a 14 percent rally in the stock over the past one month. (With inputs from Shailaja Mohapatra)



From despair to hope



At an event on Sunday, Bharat Shah of ASK Group said prices in the stock market are a total sum of rationality and emotionality. And, it is often observed that emotions become dominant.



Intellect Design Arena, which lost a government contract last week, also seems to have seen the emotional reaction of market participants, rather than a rational response. On Friday, as soon as the market opened, the stock saw a sharp selling, and both put and call writers swarmed the stock to make the most of volatility. But as the day progressed prices eventually stabilised and traders were forced to wind down some of their open positions.



The late action seemed to indicate that concern over the loss of contracts may have been overdone. And for good reason. Government contracts are important no doubt, but not lucrative for IT companies as far as revenue and margins are concerned. The bigger headwind for Intellect right now is the gloomy outlook on the IT sector in general. (With inputs from Shubham Raj)



Gas stocks fire



The much ignored city gas distribution companies finally seem to be finding taking takers, now that gas prices have begun to cool off. The result of falling gas prices has been that the price arbitrage between CNG and petrol/diesel has been steady. This gap had narrowed down in recent months following the sharp rise in CNG prices, putting the gas distribution companies at a disadvantage. MGL shares hit a 52-week high, while IGL shares are not too far from their 52-week high.



From an Antique stock broking report:



The momentum observed over the past two months post the cut in CNG prices in April has picked up pace in June and is expected to continue from hereon. Margins are also likely witnessing tailwinds on account of lower spot LNG as well as IGX price.



State vs central capex



Capex is a hit story with investors, thanks to a sharp increased in central government spending on infra. But it is a story of two halves where capex spend by the government is concerned, writes Emkay lead economist Madhavi Arora. State capex as a percentage of GDP has stagnated (2.1 percent in FY23 vs 2.2 percent pre-pandemic average) even as the Centres has risen sharply (2.4 percent in FY23 vs 1.9 percent pre-pandemic average). Why should this matter?



From Aroras note:



Centre focuses on broad infrastructure and capital needs such as roads, railways and defence, while state spending is concentrated in sectors such as agriculture, irrigation, intra-state transport, and urban and rural development, which have a larger and more immediate impact on day-to-day activities, and thus have a higher multiplier effect. While the overall fiscal consolidation trend is welcome, the fact that states are largely achieving it by cutting down on capex is not a healthy sign, as state capex is broader than the Centres, and thus has a bigger multiplier effect.



Double-edged sword



The Federal Reserve expects to launch a new system called FedNow this month aiming to make payments in the US banking system available immediately, around the clock, reports WSJ. Customers may be delighted, but banks have reasons to be worried.



One, they stand to lose revenue from the time between a payments initiation and settlement, and two, they now have to worry about deposit flight outside of business hours. Rapid withdrawals was one of the major factors behind the failure of three reputed banks in March. The new rule comes at a time when banks are competing with money-market funds and other higher-yielding products for deposits, and facing high borrowing costs themselves.
The market, despite Friday's correction, ended the last week on a positive note and continued upward rally for second consecutive week on July 7. The Nifty50 hit a fresh record high before getting into correction on Friday and settled tad above 19,300, down 0.85 percent, whereas for the week, it rallied 0.74 percent.



The index has formed bullish candlestick pattern with long upper shadow on the weekly charts, indicating selling pressure or failure to sustain at record high levels, but the higher highs formation continued for 15th consecutive week, which is a positive sign.



After the breakout of horizontal as well as upward sloping resistance trendlines in previous week ending June 30, the index sustained uptrend in following week, which is a positive sign. Overall, the index is likely to continue its march upwards amid consolidation with hurdle at 19,500-19,600 levels, whereas the near term support is expected to be 19,300-19,200 levels, followed by crucial support at 19,000, experts said.



"We believe the bull run is likely to continue, marking the start of a major upward movement. However, the momentum on the upside may not match the intensity of the past couple of weeks. Considering the overbought conditions, we may witness a period of consolidation in the coming week, during which dips could be seen as buying opportunities," Sameet Chavan, head research, technical and derivatives at Angel One said.



On the other hand, he advised to take secure profits at higher levels and avoid complacency until the indicators exit the overbought territory.



In terms of support levels, the immediate support lies around 19,200, where a bullish gap was left last week, while the major breakout levels around 19,000-18,900 serve as a strong foundation for the market, Sameet said.



As the prices are currently in uncharted territory, it is challenging to identify resistance zones, however, the range of 19,500-19,600 appears to be an immediate hurdle for the anticipated consolidation, he believes.



Ajit Mishra, SVP - Technical Research at Religare Broking also sees consolidation, saying after the recent vertical up move in Nifty from 18,600 to 19,500 in no time, it is prudent for the index to spend some time around the current levels before marching further northwards.



He expects Nifty to respect the 18,700-19,000 zone in case of any dip, while the 19,500-19,700 zone may act as a hurdle.



Let's take a look at the top 10 trading ideas by experts for the next three-four weeks. Returns are based on the July 7 closing prices:



Expert: Nagaraj Shetti, technical research analyst at HDFC Securities



Granules India: Buy | LTP: Rs 311.9 | Stop-Loss: Rs 289 | Targets: Rs 340-375 | Return: 20 percent



The attached weekly timeframe chart of Granules India indicates sustainable upside bounce in the last couple of weeks. The stock price is currently in an attempt of upside breakout of the hurdle at Rs 310 levels, which is neckline of double bottom formation. Hence, a sustainable upmove from here could bring sharp upside momentum for the stock price.



We observe larger degree of higher bottom formation and the anticipated upmove could open renewed buying towards new higher top formation. Volume has started to expand during an attempt of upside breakout and weekly 14 period RSI (relative strength index) shows positive indication. The overall chart pattern of Granules indicates long trading opportunity.



Buying can be initiated in Granules at CMP (Rs 311.9), add more on dips down to Rs 300, wait for the upside target of Rs 340 and next Rs 375 in 1 month, with a stop-loss of Rs 289.







UPL: Sell | LTP: Rs 663 | Stop-Loss: Rs 702 | Target: Rs 615 | Return: 7 percent



After showing narrow range movement in the last two months, the stock price has slipped into weakness from the highs and closed at the lower range of Rs 660 levels as per weekly chart.



Weekly negative chart pattern like lower tops and bottoms is intact and the stock price is currently placed at the edge of downside breakout of the crucial support like ascending trend line at Rs 660 levels. Volume has started to expand on Friday during weakness in the stock price and the weekly 14 period RSI shows negative indication.



One may look to sell UPL Ltd at CMP (Rs 663), add more on rise up to Rs 685 and wait for the downside target of Rs 615 in the next 1 month. Place a stop-loss of Rs 702.



Expert: Shrikant Chouhan, head of equity research (retail) at Kotak Securities



LIC Housing Finance: Buy | LTP: Rs 390 | Stop-Loss: Rs 369 | Targets: Rs 430-450 | Return: 15 percent



After a strong rally, currently the stock is witnessing rangebound activity. However, the medium term texture of the stock is still in to the positive side. Technically, on weekly charts, the stock has formed higher bottom formation and comfortably trading above 200 and 50-day SMA (simple moving average) which is largely positive.



Unless it is trading below Rs 369, positional traders retain an optimistic stance and look for a target Rs 430-450. Fresh buying can be considered now and on dips, if any between Rs 390 and Rs 380 levels, with a stop-loss below Rs 369.







Tata Steel: Buy | LTP: Rs 111.6 | Stop-Loss: Rs 106 | Targets: Rs 125-130 | Return: 16.5 percent



After a quick short-term correction, the stock took the support near 200-day SMA and reversed. Post reversal, the stock is comfortably trading above 200-day SMA that is largely positive. In addition, on weekly charts the stock has formed promising reversal formation and the texture of the chart suggesting strong possibility of fresh uptrend rally from the current levels.



We are of the view that, as long as the stock is trading above Rs 106 the bullish formation is likely to continue. Above the same, it could move up till Rs 125-130.



For the positional traders, the strategy would be to buy in two parts, at Rs 112 and at Rs 109. Keep a stop-loss at Rs 106 for the target of Rs 125 and Rs 130.







Tech Mahindra: Buy | LTP: Rs 1,156 | Stop-Loss: Rs 1,100 | Targets: Rs 1,250-1,275 | Return: 10 percent



After a short-term correction, the stock took the support near 200-day SMA and bounced back sharply. Post reversal the stock rallied over 10 percent. In the last week, it registered a fresh 52-week high of Rs 1,184.95.



Currently, the stock is comfortably trading above short term and medium term averages which supports further uptrend from the current levels. Technically, higher bottom formation on daily and weekly charts indicating uptrend wave is likely to continue in the near future.



For Traders, the strategy would be to buy in two parts, at Rs 1,156 and a tRs 1,120. Keep a stop-loss at Rs 1,100 for targets of Rs 1,250 and Rs 1,275.







Expert: Mitesh Karwa, research analyst at Bonanza Portfolio



Granules India: Buy | LTP: Rs 311.9 | Stop-Loss: Rs 280 | Target: Rs 360 | Return: 15.4 percent



The stock has seen taking support from an upward sloping support trendline on the weekly timeframe and closing with a bullish candlestick above all its important EMAs (exponential moving average) which indicates bullish strength.



On the indicator front, the Supertrend indicator is indicating a bullish continuation trend; the Ichimoku Cloud is also suggesting a bullish move as the price is trading above the conversion line, base line and cloud.



Momentum oscillator RSI (14) is at around 70 on the daily time frame indicating strength by sustaining above 50.



Observation of the above factors indicates that a bullish move in Granules is possible for target upto Rs 360 in 3-4 weeks. One can initiate a buy trade in between the range of Rs 309-311, with a stop-loss of Rs 280 on daily closing basis.







Jamna Auto Industries: Buy | LTP: Rs 112 | Stop-Loss: Rs 100 | Target: Rs 130 | Return: 16 percent



Jamna Auto has seen breaking out of a downwards sloping trendline on the weekly timeframe after retesting a rounding bottom formation breakout on the monthly timeframe which indicates strength as the script has closed with a bullish candlestick and above average volumes.



On the indicator front, the momentum oscillator RSI (14) is at around 73 on the daily time frame indicating strength by sustaining above 50 and the Ichimoku Cloud is also suggesting a bullish move as the price is trading above the conversion line, base line and cloud on the daily timeframe.



Observation of the above factors indicates that a bullish move in Jamna Auto is possible for targets upto Rs 130. One can initiate a buy trade in the range of Rs 110-112, with a stop-loss of Rs 100 on daily closing basis.







Fortis Healthcare: Buy | LTP: Rs 325.8 | Stop-Loss: Rs 299 | Target: Rs 370 | Return: 13.6 percent



Fortis has seen breaking out of an upwards sloping parallel channel pattern on the monthly timeframe and on the weekly timeframe, the stock has seen breaking out of a resistance zone and closing above its all-time high which indicates bullish strength.



On the indicator front, the momentum oscillator RSI (14) is at around 76 showing strength by sustaining above 50. The Supertrend indicator is also indicating a bullish continuation which supports the bullish view and the Ichimoku Cloud is also suggesting a bullish move as the price is trading above the conversion line, base line and cloud.



Observation of the above factors indicates that a bullish move in Fortis is possible for target upto Rs 370. One can initiate a buy trade in between the range of Rs 323-325, with a stop-loss of Rs 299 on daily closing basis.



Expert: Ruchit Jain, lead research at 5paisa.com



Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation: Buy | LTP: 1,113 | Stop-Loss: Rs 1,030 | Targets: Rs 1,190-1,250 | Return: 12 percent



Post the recent corrective phase, prices have started forming a higher top, higher bottom structure on the daily chart. In this recent move, the price upmoves have been supported by higher volumes while the corrections did not see much high volumes which is a positive sign.



The RSI oscillator is hinting at a positive momentum and hence, short term traders should look for buying opportunities.



Traders can look to buy the stock in the range of Rs 1,110-1,100 for potential targets around Rs 1,190 and Rs 1,250. The stop-loss for long positions should be placed below Rs 1,030.







Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers: Buy | LTP: Rs 116.35 | Stop-Loss: Rs 109 | Targets: 124-128 | Return: 10 percent



The stock recently witnessed a consolidation within a broad range and prices have given a breakout above the resistance. The breakout has been supported by higher volumes. The RSI oscillator is also hinting at a positive momentum.



Traders can buy this stock in the range of Rs 116-113 for potential near term targets of Rs 124 and Rs 128. The stop-loss on long positions should be placed below Rs 109.







Expert: Sameet Chavan, head research, technical and derivatives at Angel One



Orient Electric: Buy | LTP: Rs 252.30 | Stop-Loss: Rs 242.4 | Target: Rs 270 | Return: 7 percent



This stock has seen a decent rebound from the lows of Rs 220 odd zone in the current financial year and has recouped nearly 15 percent. In the recent period, the counter has witnessed strong price-volume traction, which led to a consolidation breakout.



On the weekly time chart, we can see 1-2-3 pattern getting confirmed, which may unfold the next leg of the rally. Also, the primary technical indicators align with the ongoing momentum, which adds up to the bullish quotient in the counter.



Hence, we recommend buying this stock for a trading target of Rs 270. The stop-loss can be placed at Rs 242.40.







Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is exploring options to offload around 2-3 percent stake in the electric vehicles business, Managing Director and CEO Anish Shah has told CNBC-TV18.



Earlier on July 10, a news report said the company was in advanced discussion with British International Investment (BII) and some other global investors to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore ($605 million) for its EV unit.



"Let me just say at this point that BII has come in with a 2.5-3 percent stake. And we may look at another 2.5-3 percent stake at some point in time. Now, whether that happens in the next month, whether that happens in the next year, is something I don't know at this point in time," he told the business news channel.



Also Read: Govt to launch app showing all available EV charging & swapping stations within 2 months: Official



The Mumbai-headquartered company is cautious about selling its stake considerably in this segment, Shah said, a strong signal to dominate India's nascent electric car market.



The potential funding in the green vehicles would be made in tranches, Shah said, indicating the capital would be infused in a phased manner.



M&M was in talks with marquee investors for the EV business. BII has already put in their investment and that investment is coming in tranches. So, there is some confusion in the market saying the tranches may mean that they are infusing more money, but that has been announced and thats already in public. Further investments are being pursued from others in addition to BII, Shah said.



Also Read: Mahindra Group's growth gems to touch billion-dollar mcap in 2-4 years, says MD & CEO Shah



In July 2022, BII signed an agreement with Mahindra Electric to invest Rs 1,925 crore ($250 million) via compulsory convertible preference shares.



The maker of the Scorpio, Thar and XUV range of SUVs is all set to roll out five new EV models between April and October 2025.



The auto major has outlined a capex of nearly Rs 10,000 crore to set up a manufacturing facility in Telangana to make electric three- and four-wheelers between FY22 and FY27.



At 2.08 pm, Mahindra and Mahindra was trading at Rs 1,548.95 on the National Stock Exchange, 0.97 percent.
A Delhi court has sent RK Arora, chairman of Noida-based real estate firm Supertech to judicial custody till July 24 in connection with a money laundering case, sources said.



Patiala House court additional sessions judge Devender Kumar Jangala gave the ruling on July 10.



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) presented Arora before the Patiala House court at the end of his remand custody. Arora was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case on June 27. The court had on June 28 remanded the realtor to ED custody for interrogation, which ended on July 10.



There was no response from the builder to queries sent by Moneycontrol.



The ED in a statement on June 28 had said that Arora was taken into custody under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following a third round of questioning at the agency's office.



Also Read: Failure to pay dues: Supertech CMD briefly detained; later released



The arrest was made in connection with the investigation on Supertech Group for diverting, siphoning off and misappropriating funds of investors/customers, the ED had said in a statement.



The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of several FIRs registered against Supertech Group by its prospective homebuyers. The ED in a statement said that its investigation showed that huge amounts of money running into hundreds of crores were siphoned off by Supertech Group, which failed to adhere to its agreed obligations to provide the possession of flats to customers on time.



Also Read: SC gives go-ahead to resolution plan submitted by Supertech before insolvency court



The investigation done by ED showed that in one of the transactions, Supertech Group siphoned Rs 440 crore received from customers/homebuyers for purchasing land in Gurugram in 2013-14 at highly inflated prices while its already promised projects in Noida were not completed, the agency said.
The Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (KRERA) has held a landlord and an absconding developer responsible for failing to execute the sale deed with a homebuyer for a Bengaluru-based project.



Balakrishna Vegi, the homebuyer, signed an agreement for an apartment in September 2011 and paid Rs 32 lakh over several instalments to Yogananda Reddy, the developer, and an additional Rs 4 lakh to Bharat A, the landowner.



"Despite signing the sale agreement, both the developer and the landlord

failed to execute the sale deed within the stipulated time as per the agreement," a KRERA order dated June 23 mentioned.



The KRERA has held the developer and landowner responsible and asked them to execute the sale deed within 30 days of the order date.



The project, Pavan Tranquil Homes, developed by Pavan Builders, is located in southern Bengaluru's Uttarahalli Hobli.



Vegi had also taken a home loan from Vijaya Bank.



What is the homebuyers complaint?



Under the agreement, the sale deed was supposed to be executed within December 2019, Vegi said.



"However, after receiving the money, the developer went absconding and changed all contact numbers, including email ID," he claimed.



At this point, the landowner collected Rs 4 lakh from the homebuyer to complete the project. The order mentions only one buyer, and it is unclear whether the developer collected money from other buyers also.



Vegi, who was under a severe financial burden, moved into the project in November 2013 without a sale deed in place.



Today, the landowner is demanding Rs 10 lakh to execute the sale deed, and thus the homebuyer has approached KRERA for relief, the order mentioned.



KRERA finding



KRERA noted that though the developer and the landowner have handed over the apartment, they failed to execute the sale deed, thus violating the sale agreement.



"It is obvious that the homebuyer has paid the entire amount to the respondents. And having accepted the money without executing the sale deed, the developer and the landowner have failed to keep to their promises," KRERA said.



Thus the developer and landowner are responsible to execute the sale deed within 30 days of the order date, it added.



Absconding developers



Advocates say, in such cases, where the developer goes absconding, it is a clear breach of trust and thus is a commitment of fraud.



"The homebuyers can approach the police and file an FIR. Additionally, landowners are jointly and separately liable. Thus, they have to execute the order when the developer fails to do so," Advocate Chandrachur Bhattacharyya said.



However, if the project is already complete, advocates say in cases where the builder is absconding, several critical issues will come to the surface.



"Every joint development agreement signed between the developer and the landowner will have shares of apartments that belong to both. If the homebuyer's apartment belongs to the landowners share, he can execute the sale deed. Otherwise, the developer will have to be present," Karnataka High Court advocate Vittal BR said.



In this case, the homebuyer should approach KRERA again, seeking a review of the order, especially when the developer is absconding, he added.



Options before homebuyers



Advocates say that if homebuyers approach the consumer forum, the court will issue a bailable warrant and an arrest warrant for the police to act on locating the developer at the earliest. However, till today, we have not seen such suo moto actions from KRERA, Vittal said.



For incomplete, pre-RERA projects, the homebuyers can also approach the Authority to take over the development. Speaking at a conference in June, KRERA Chairman Kishore Chandra said homebuyers of such delayed projects can approach the Authority to form an association of allottees aiming to complete the project.
Max Estates, the real estate arm of Max Ventures and Industries Ltd., plans to start construction of its first luxury housing project by the third quarter of 2023 and complete it in 48-60 months, the company said in a regulatory filing.



There are 201 homes expected to come up in three towers in Noida. Construction of all three towers will begin simultaneously in September, a company official told Moneycontrol.



The area of the four-bedroom apartments ranges from 4,500 sq. ft to 5,700 sq. ft. The price of these units is Rs 18,000 per sq. ft. The company said in its filing that it achieved pre-formal launch sales of over Rs 1,800 crore for the project, which is registered with the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority.



The project has only one phase, constituting three residential towers, and may be expanded later.



We may have a second phase for future development of group housing, subject to the floor area ratio being available on a purchasable basis as and when approved by the relevant competent authority or government, the official said.



The project called Estate 128 is located in Sector 128 of Noida and will be built across 10 acres.



There is demand for luxury housing products in Noida and that is evident from our success in both segments, residential and commercial, with Project 128 and Max Towers, respectively, Rishi Raj, COO of Max Estates, told Moneycontrol.



The macro-economic outlook of Noida is positive. Backed by quality, infrastructure, connectivity and a progressive investment ecosystem, Noida has become one of the highest per capita investment cities in India. What Noida needs is quality developments from credible corporates and institutionalised players to cater to this demand.
Lightspeed-backed edtech startup FrontRow shut its operations on June 30, weeks after Moneycontrol reported it is considering a potential sale or even a shutdown in the worst-case scenario, people aware of the matter told Moneycontrol.



Ishaan Preet Singh, co-founder of FrontRow, confirmed the development and said the company realised that it would be senseless to burn money.



We are still exploring a couple of potential acquisitions of the IP (intellectual property) and the team, or we will return the capital, Singh told Moneycontrol.



This came months after the company laid off 75 percent of its staff and said it would start from scratch. After two rounds of layoffs in May and October 2022, the company was left with about 35-40 employees.



Moneycontrol had earlier said that backers including Lightspeed Venture Partners are looking for potential acquirers for the company. Singh now said that the company will make the decision in the next couple of months along with its board.



TechCrunch was the first to report the development.



The Bengaluru-based company was founded in 2020 by Singh, Shubhadit Sharma, and Mikhil Raj, and counts Elevation Capital, Lightspeed India, Eight Roads Ventures, GSV Ventures among others, along with Unacademy's Gaurav Munjal as its backers.



It had raised $14 million as a part of its Series A round in September 2021.



FrontRow offered an e-learning platform for comedy, sports, creative arts, and hobbies. In October, Singh admitted that the business model could not scale and that the growth till now came as the company doubled down on its marketing and sales headcount.



Moneycontrol reported earlier how FrontRow has struggled to find a product-market fit despite multiple attempts, which led to the company contemplating these decisions.



With this Frontrow joins the list of edtech companies like Udayy, and Lido, that had to shut shop with slowdown in demand for online learning.
Shares of EaseMyTrip jumps 4 percent after the company signed a General Sales Agreement (GSA) with SpiceJet Airline. At 12:46 pm, the stock was trading at Rs 42.95 on the National Stock Exchange, up 4.25 percent from the previous close. As per the exchange filing, under the GSA, EaseMyTrip will be responsible for selling and promoting the products and services offered by SpiceJet in India, thus helping customers avail of the services of SpiceJet. Termed as a strategic intervention, the agreement is an attempt for both companies to expand their services in the Indian market. Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip, stated, "We are elated to be partnering with SpiceJet and anticipate gaining additional momentum to become a leader in the air ticketing industry within the next 18 to 24 months." Catch all the market action and latest business news on our live blog With EaseMyTrip's extensive network in the travel industry, the company will play an important role in boosting SpiceJet's sales. EaseMyTrip will actively leverage its distribution channels and employ all necessary measures to enhance the distribution and network of SpiceJet Earlier last month, Easy Trip Planners' stock was in focus after the company partnered with the World Padel League (WPL) 2023. Easy Trip Planners has joined hands with the World Padel League as the official travel partner. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

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Becky Wright of Montgomery, Illinois, provides blood for a study of pancreatic cancer. Wright qualifies for the study because of a prevalence of the disease in her family. Suzanne Wessling, at left, is the research project coordinator. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)

OMAHA  In a nondescript room inside the massive Buffett Cancer Center, five brothers and sisters took turns last week donating blood to help unlock a medical mystery.

Im the good patient  I have a good vein, joked Doug Geis, a linebacker-sized Army veteran from Leavenworth, Kansas, as he sat in the donor chair.

Up to twice a year, he and his siblings  from as far away as Arizona and Illinois  converge at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to provide a blood sample and answer a few questions about any unusual symptoms they might be experiencing.

Goal is early detection

The goal: to help researchers discover an early sign, an early marker, for pancreatic cancer.

Right now, theres no way to tell if someone has the deadly cancer  which has only a 10% survival rate after five years  until its often too late for potentially life-saving surgery.

Geis oldest sister, Suzanne Kolterman of Seward, was among the unlucky victims of pancreatic cancer. Doctors gave her only six months to live by the time she experienced symptoms and was diagnosed in 2016. However, she survived 18 months and was able to spend valuable time with her husband, former State Sen. Mark Kolterman, and her family.

So Koltermans siblings and her daughter are doing what they can, trekking to the Med Center and joining nearly 700 participants in the Early Detection in Pancreas Cancer Study.

This is the best way to honor Suzannes memory, said a younger sister, Barb Jacobsen of Minden.

We cant bring her back, but we can help other people, she said.

One of her brothers, Al Geis of Gilbert, Arizona, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, was more blunt.

This is like war, he said, and the Geis family  and others involved in the study  are all in.

War room at Medical Center

I cant go and kill pancreatic cancer  this is the best way I can do it, Geis said.

50,000 deaths per year Pancreatic cancer accounts for only about 3% of all cancers, but 7% of the deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Just over 50,000 people die each year due to the disease.

In fact, there is a war room at the Medical Centers nationally recognized center for excellence in research and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Its where the centers director, Dr. Sunil Hingorani, a nationally recognized authority on the disease, huddles regularly with some of the 75 oncologists, surgeons and specialty nurses who staff UNMCs Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence.

Weekly brainstorming sessions involve up to 30 specialists, who gather in a large conference room to gaze at tissue samples, discuss cases and dissect recent research findings.

But theres a problem: The clinical needs more participants.

The pancreatic study could handle up to 1,250 participants, but now has about 688 regularly providing samples, according to Suzanne Wessling, the research project coordinator for the study.

Its an important numbers game  pancreatic cancer occurs in only about 1% of the general population. So the more participants who are in the study  and these are people with a higher risk  the greater the chance that someone will contract the disease.

If that happens, researchers can dig back into their data to see if something changed in a patients blood samples, or if they reported new symptoms. Such an early marker would allow earlier treatment and save lives.

Its like finding a needle in a haystack, said Christina Hoy, clinical program director for the study.

The study seeks participants who have a higher possibility of contracting pancreatic cancer, such as members of the Geis family, which has a history of pancreatic and related cancers.

Researchers are also seeking volunteers for the study who were recently diagnosed with diabetes, have a genetic mutation associated with pancreas cancer, have cysts in the pancreas or have chronic pancreatitis.

Such groups are at a slightly higher than average risk for pancreatic cancer, Hoy said.

She said theres no need to twist peoples arms who have been touched by this disease to volunteer for the study. But it is important, Hoy said, to get the word out to people who could participate and who could help find an early marker for the disease.

This is a highly motivated group of people, she said of the volunteers.

Hingorani said there are a number of reasons to be optimistic that an early indicator for pancreatic cancer, and more effective treatments, will be found.

For one, he said that researchers are beginning to understand the complex relationship between the cancer and diabetes.

There are also new technologies that can detect minute amounts of DNA in the blood that came from cancerous and precancerous cells in the pancreas, Hingorani said.

These technologies have the potential to detect a cancer long before it becomes visible on a CT scan, he said.

Overall, Hingorani said, researchers have dramatically changed their approach to a complex and insidious disease. In some cases, past treatments were promoting, rather than inhibiting, the disease, the doctor said.

The last 10 years or so have seen a complete reappraisal of our understanding of what pancreatic cancer is, he said. A pancreas cancer is a complex ecosystem that takes the normal rules and principles of cell biology and physiology and repurposes them to suit its own needs.

Suzanne Koltermans siblings took turns Thursday providing blood samples  and sharing memories of their sister.

She was a picture of health, they said, who never missed a daily walk. She was a giving person, active in community and church affairs in Seward and in a group of women who donated $20 a month to provide an anonymous random act of kindness to a stranger.

Suzannes husband, Mark, who was a state senator when she was diagnosed, played a key role in helping continue the UNMC study.

He was approached by Dr. Jim Armitage  who also lost his wife to pancreatic cancer  after Suzanne Koltermans death and asked if the Nebraska Legislature might be able to help sustain the research, which began in 2018.

Mark Kolterman said Armitage had been a huge help as Suzanne went through cancer treatments, so when he was asked, Kolterman eagerly volunteered to see what he could do.

The result: The Legislature agreed to allocate $15 million of the states $1.04 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Med Centers program, if private donors could match that amount.

Early detection and effective treatments have been discovered for other forms of cancers, so Kolterman said, its vital it also happens with pancreatic cancer.

Its called the silent killer, he said. Most people dont know that they have it. And when they do, they dont have a very good chance of surviving.
Taiwan's Foxconn said on July 10 that it is pulling out of a joint venture with billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Ltd that was set up to produce semiconductors from India.



Foxconn and Vedanta signed a pact last year to invest $19.5 billion to set up semiconductor and display production plants in the western state of Gujarat, seeking to tap into the country's plans to become an electronics major.



In a statement, the electronic major said, "Foxconn is working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta. Foxconn has no connection to the entity and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders."



Foxconn is confident about the direction of Indias semiconductor development. "We will continue to strongly support the governments Make In India ambitions and establish a diversity of local partnerships that meet the needs of stakeholders," it added.



Meanwhile, Vedanta stated that it is "fully committed to its semiconductor fab project," after Foxconn's exit announcement.



ALSO READ: No impact on India's semiconductor fab goals from Foxconn-Vedanta parting: Chandrasekhar



"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up Indias first foundry," said a spokesperson from Vedanta, adding, "We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM). We will shortly acquire a license for production-grade 28 nm as well."



Last week, Vedanta Group had taken full ownership of the joint venture with Foxconn set up last year to manufacture semiconductors in India.



The JV, Vedanta Foxconn Semiconductors Private Limited, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Vedanta group entity Twin Star Technologies Limited.



The new structure will make Vedanta India's first company in Integrated Semiconductor and Display Fab Business. With this restructuring, Vedanta Limited announced the addition of semiconductors and display glass manufacturing ventures to its diversified portfolio. With this restructuring, Vedanta Limited announced the addition of semiconductors and display glass manufacturing ventures to its diversified portfolio.



ALSO READ: All you need to know about Vedanta-Foxconns semiconductor plans in India



Vedanta-Foxconns semiconductor plans in India



In the largest investment by a corporate group in an Indian state, Vedanta had signed an in-principle agreement with the Gujarat government to set up a Rs 1.54 lakh crore semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the coastal state in September last year.



Vedanta had announced that it was tying up with Foxconn of Taiwan to set up the unit. The companies were earlier reported to have zeroed in on Maharashtra for the strategic investment.



As per the deal, Vedanta would have held 60 percent of the equity in the venture, with Foxconn owning the remaining 40 percent. Foxconn was the technical partner in the venture and the oil-to-metals conglomerate Vedanta is financing the project as it looks to diversify into chip manufacturing.



India, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, last year received three applications to set up plants under a $10 billion incentive scheme.



These were from the Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture, a global consortium ISMC which counts Tower Semiconductor as a tech partner and from Singapore-based IGSS Ventures.



The $3 billion ISMC project has stalled too due to Tower being acquired by Intel, while another $3 billion plan by IGSS was also halted as the firm wanted to re-submit its application
French President Emmanuel Macron has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend France's National Day, commonly known as Bastille Day, on July 14.



During Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to France, he is expected to announce a deal to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from the country.



According to news agency ANI, the defence forces had proposed to the Defence Ministry to purchase the jets and submarines from France, and PM Modi will likely be announcing the same next week. As per the proposal, the Indian Navy will acquire 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft from France along with four trainer aircraft.



The Indian Navy has reportedly been pressing the government to purchase the fighter jets and submarines urgently, citing the shortages they are facing vis-a-vis the security challenges around the country. As for the three submarines are concerned, they would be acquired under a repeat clause by the Indian Navy as part of Project 75.



Both INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant have been operating MiG-29s and need Rafales for operations.



Together, the deals are estimated to be worth more than Rs 90,000 crore. The cost will be finalised after completing contract negotiations once the deal is announced. According to government sources cited by the news agency, India may ask for price concessions while concluding the deal and also seek out more Make-in-India clauses in the plan.



ANI also quoted industry sources as saying that India and France will likely form a joint team to negotiate the aircraft deal. Just like it did for the previous acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
The Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university in Punjab after it was flooded with water due to heavy rains, a statement said on Monday.



The civil administration in Punjab and Haryana had earlier sought help for the rescue operation from the Army, which sent the Flood Relief columns of Army's Western Command to assist the administration in the flood affected areas of the two states.



The flood relief reconnaissance party were dispatched to the affected areas of Rupnagar, Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana), the statement said.



"After assessing the situation on the ground, the rescue and relief columns reached the affected areas. The rescue team along with the Army engineer detachments worked throughout the (Sunday-Monday intervening) night to evacuate the stranded people and helped to prevent breaching of canals by the floodwaters," it said.



The statement said that 910 students and 50 other civilians of Punjab's Chitkara University were evacuated to safe locations.



At Araji Sabran village of Ferozepur district, 44 persons, including women and children were evacuated from the affected areas.



In a major effort, Army engineers also helped in preventing the breach of Sirhind canal by repairing the embankment, thereby preventing the flooding of Doraha village in Punjab and nearby areas.



"The Army is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the civil administration and all the stakeholders. The Army is continuing to provide all assistance to help mitigate the hardship being faced by the citizens in affected areas," it said.



Notably, rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities worked towards shifting people to safer places.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh landed in Kuala Lumpur in the late hours of July 9, commencing his three-day official visit to Malaysia. The minister was greeted with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' slogans by members of the Indian diaspora on his arrival.



Singh's visit is aimed at fortifying bilateral defence and strategic ties between the two South Asian nations.



The minister is scheduled for to meet Dato Seri Mohamad Hasan, his Malaysian counterpart, to hold elaborate discussions on regional and global issues of shared interest. Singh will also call on Malaysia Prime Minister YB Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.



Singh announced his arrival at Kuala Lumpur through his tweet late on July 9, "Delighted to arrive in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur. Looking forward to my engagements with the political leadership of Malaysia, further strengthening of bilateral defence ties and Enhanced Strategic Partnership."



Delighted to arrive in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur.



Looking forward to my engagements with the political leadership of Malaysia, further strengthening of bilateral defence ties and Enhanced Strategic Partnership. https://t.co/JiVBkKZvVw

 Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 9, 2023





It is to be noted that Malaysia is among the few countries which have expressed interest in procuring India's indigenously-developed Tejas aircraft. Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.



Earlier this June, Singh had held a virtual talk with Senior Defence Minister of Malaysia, to discuss defence cooperation activities and framework. His ongoing visit to the South East Asian country is anticipated to further cement bilateral ties between the two nations.



The Defence Ministry released a statement on July 8 saying, "India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two democracies have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security. Both the countries are committed to work under the vision of enhanced strategic partnership established during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in 2015."



Also Read: Election Commission to decide on overseas Indian citizen's participation in electoral process: Muraleedharan to diaspora



In a recent development this April, the Defence Ministry announced that India and Malaysia have agreed to settle trade in Indian rupees. The decision came against the government's efforts to protect and safeguard Indian trade from the impact of the Ukraine crisis.



Also Read: New Foreign Trade Policy: Focus on international trade settlement in rupee



India-Malaysia bilateral trade stood at $9.33 billion in 2022-23, as per the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Trade numbers touched the highest mark during 2018-19 with $17.24 billion. India's defence exports to Malaysia are expected to further boost these trade numbers.
The Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi on Monday as torrential rains pummelled the upper catchment areas of the river for the third day on the trot.



The river breached the danger mark earlier than expected. It was predicted that it would cross the danger mark by Tuesday afternoon. According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge had risen to 205.4 metres by 5 pm as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar.



The water level is anticipated to rise to 206.65 metres on Tuesday before it starts receding. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said a flood-like situation is unlikely in Delhi, but the government is prepared to tackle any eventuality.



He said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas will start once the river breaches the 206-metre mark. The irrigation and flood control department said the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage gradually increased to 3,05,768 cusecs at 5 am on Monday. It had dropped to 1,90,837 cusecs at 1 am.



Normally, the flow rate at the barrage is 352 cusecs, but heavy rainfall in the catchment areas increases the discharge. One cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litres per second. The water from the barrage takes around two to three days to reach Delhi.



The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday and is creating awareness among people living close to the river banks. Authorities have been instructed to stay vigilant and take necessary action in vulnerable areas. Quick response teams and boats have also been deployed.



The Delhi government has set up 16 control rooms, including a central control room, to monitor the flood-prone areas and the water level of the Yamuna. Northwest India has seen incessant rainfall over the last three days, with many areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan recording "heavy to extremely heavy" precipitation.



This has resulted in overflowing rivers, creeks and drains that have massively damaged infrastructure and disrupted essential services in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. Delhi witnessed its highest rainfall (153 mm) in a single day in July since 1982 in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday. The city received an additional 107 mm rainfall in the subsequent 24 hours, exacerbating the situation.



The heavy rain transformed roads into gushing streams, parks into watery labyrinths and marketplaces into submerged realms. In response to the torrential rain, the Delhi government announced a closure of all schools on Monday and cancelled the Sunday leave of government officials, instructing them to be in the field.



The Yamuna river system's catchment covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi are considered prone to flooding and are inhabited by around 41,000 people. The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi are considered prone to flooding and are inhabited by around 41,000 people.



Encroachments on the river floodplain have occurred over the years, despite the land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), revenue department and private individuals. The Yamuna breached the danger mark twice in September last year, with the water level reaching 206.38 metres.



In 2019, the river witnessed a peak flow rate of 8.28 lakh cusecs on August 18-19 and the water level rose to 206.6 metres. In 2013, it reached a level of 207.32 metres. The river had swollen to an all-time record water level of 207.49 metres in 1978.
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An in-person two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in New Delhi was expected to allow India to showcase its independent foreign policy but the change in mode to video conferencing didnt impact the outcome of the summit. India chaired the SCO meeting for the first time since her admission as a full-fledged member in 2016. The outcome of the summit, attended by among others by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, needs to be analysed with reference to Indias presidency.



Consensus, Despite Differences



The New Delhi Declaration at the end of the summit, underling the broad consensus, was carefully worded to indicate differences on two major issues, namely Belt Road Initiative (BRI) and Development Strategy. Apart from New Delhi Declaration, other agreements signed included the Memorandum of Obligations of the Republic of Belarus and statements on deradicalisation and digital transformation, among others. Its important to understand that India has been opposed to BRI on the issue of sovereignty and also to China is building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). India believes that the BRI is proving to be a debt trap for many developing countries and that it has jeopardised many economies including those of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. China has been forcibly taking over strategic locations by ensnaring many countries into a debt trap and thereby proving to be a threat to global peace. Another issue on which India didnt agree was the document on Development Strategy 2030. India had already flagged her concerns over Chinese influence on the document, which is similar to the Global Development Initiative, and has objected to retaining the language of the document.



Indias Balanced Approach



Russia and Iran are at present victims of economic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. Within the SCO membership, India and China have not only continued to purchase oil from Russia and Iran but have increased the quantity of imports manifold. This has been irritating the US and the West, but India has adopted a balanced approach and continued its friendly relationship with the US. Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to the US is an indication of Indias independent approach. Indias all-season friendship with Russia is proving to be a boon for both India and Russia. Russia and China have been deepening their cooperation in economic and strategic affairs.



India has chosen to remain neutral about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With the SCO move towards the settlement of trade between member countries in their domestic currencies indirectly impacting the dominance of the US dollar, the process of de-dollarisation is gaining ground. Members of the SCO had agreed to increase the use of their national currencies in trade between the member countries in February 2022.



The admission of Iran to SCO this year, and the decision of India and Russia to join hands to support the development of Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) can prove to be a boon for the whole region. India has a special interest in Iran due to Chabahar Port. Since 2016, as part of a trilateral agreement with Iran and Afghanistan, India has committed a sizeable investment for the development of the port and its connecting train project. India has invested $85 million in the development of the port and has pledged to invest a further $8 billion in the Chabahar Special Economic Zone. The project has been facing rough weather since the beginning. Russia also has a special interest in the development of this port and related infrastructure, as Chabahar port is located outside the Strait of Hormuz and it would provide Russia with an alternative route for shipping goods to and from the Middle East. More private investments are expected to flow into the Chabahar port given Irans membership. The INSTC links not only India and Russia but also the markets in central Asia.



The SCO has been considered to be a China-led organisation and a move to undermine the interest of the US in Central Asia. Three present member countries of the SCO  Russia, China and Iran  do not enjoy friendly relations with the US. Yet we cannot call it an anti-West or an anti-American formation. In many ways, India is the only member of the SCO that enjoys close relations with the US as well as Russia and Iran, though India-China relations are again not cordial because of the border standoff.



The online summit of SCO demonstrated the stand of Russia and China, both vocally disapproved of the US sanctions. But at the same time, Indias disapproval of China-led BRI and China-dominated Development Strategy 2030 made India stand apart. The message from the SCO is very clear  international diplomacy is never black and white. The SCO underlines the reality of a multipolar world. With a lot of churning taking place globally, the SCO-like groupings have great importance for the maintenance of power balance.



Ashwani Mahajan is a professor at PGDAV College, University of Delhi, and the national co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
The European Union is often eulogised as historys greatest peace project. That sounds beautifully idealistic and enlightened, and Im all for it. Now, though, the continent is at war again  not within the EU, admittedly, but right at its edge. What future, if any, does the greatest-ever peace project have in this harsh new era?



This is a question Im asking myself as I move back to the US after 11 years of living in Berlin and covering Germany and the EU. Europeans, a German foreign minister once said, are vegetarians in a world of carnivores. How long can herbivores survive when the predators start feasting?



Germany was a good vantage point to observe the messianic naivete with which some (mainly western) Europeans used to insist  before Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine  that were surrounded by friends nowadays. Europe, in their telling, had transcended its old militarist mentalities and was on its way to becoming a different kind of superpower  of commerce and regulations, values and civilisation.



Not all Europeans indulged in such phantasms. The relatively new members in central and eastern Europe that used to be under Moscows heel  places like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland  have long been agape at their western neighbors willful blindness toward the Kremlins aggressive potential. They were irate as Germany spent two decades hugging Putin and making itself dependent on his hydrocarbons.



This fault line between east and west, long before Putins invasion of 2022, cleaved the EU one way, while a different rift, exposed by the euro crisis, was pulling apart its north and south. The north (which included the UK until it exited the bloc) tends to be more market-oriented, economically strong, fiscally conservative, and culturally Protestant. The south leans more corporatist, spendthrift and culturally Catholic or Orthodox. In some ways, the ancient Roman Limes still divides the continent.



Europeans, it turns out, built their common abode atop creaking and grinding tectonic plates. The deepest of these faults today runs between members who equate the EU with liberal democracy and others  notably Hungary and Poland  who increasingly undermine the rule of law to build mini-Kremlins of autocracy.



Ultimately, the problem is that no master narrative about Europe  not even the one about irenic transcendence  has ever captured the imagination of Europeans as much as their national storylines. And those frequently clash.



Such frictions were there from the beginning. The postwar West Germans, for example, viewed European integration as a way of re-entering Western civilisation after their Nazi crimes. As part of their post-nationalist atonement, they were not only willing but eager to cede sovereignty to Europe. (Whether they still are is another matter.)



The French, by contrast, saw Europe as a way of continuing to project Gallic national power via Brussels to the world, at a time when they were losing their empire and global status and economically falling behind Germany. This is still the subtext today whenever French President Emmanuel Macron talks about European autonomy but really means French-led independence from the US.



Ah, the US. Its an often overlooked irony that America has done more for European integration than any other country. During the Cold War, its military and nuclear aegis  in the form of NATO  scared away the Kremlin, so that the western Europeans could reconcile and build something new. And thats still true today. Uncle Sam has been the father figure in whose benevolent presence the squabbling European kids learned to play nicely.



Thats why the presidency of Donald Trump came as such a shock to Europeans. It frightened them more than the Brexit referendum in 2016; more than the refugee crisis happening around the same time; more than the euro crisis which had not yet quite ended; more, even, than Putins illegal annexation of Crimea two years earlier and the hybrid warfare he was already waging in eastern Ukraine. Each of these crises exposed a different vulnerability of the EU. But having Trump or somebody like him in the White House  back then or again in 2025  could wreck the bloc.



Trump refused to play that old paternal role. It was understandable that he was fed up with paying to defend Europe when the Europeans, and notably the Germans, were often freeriding. But Trumps reaction was so transactional, it undermined the alliance. With his trade policy and rhetoric, he treated Europeans such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as foe more than friend. Simultaneously, he approached Putin more as friend than foe.



Trump made clear that he saw no intrinsic value in NATO  and, by extension, the West. He cast doubt on his commitment to the alliances mutual-defense clause and was even thinking of pulling the US out of NATO altogether. For the first time since World War II, Europeans had to contemplate a continent without an American presence. Suddenly, the European herbivores remembered that they had molars but lacked fangs.



The next big shock came when Putin launched his genocidal war of conquest against Ukraine. At a stroke, he took Europe back to an earlier and darker age. Gone was the consensus to honor rules, norms and borders. In its place was once again ruthless and anarchic imperialist aggression.



To some extent, Putins assault made both Europe and the West pull together. Finland is now part of not only the EU but also NATO, and Sweden will, I hope, follow. Germany has  at least rhetorically  abandoned its long demilitarisation and promises to re-arm. Countries like Italy that used to be cozy with the Kremlin have lined up against Russia.



But the EU is far from united. Putin still has sympathisers there who regurgitate the Kremlins disinformation. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Putin epigone, blocks or slows EU sanctions on Russia whenever he can. If the war in Ukraine is protracted, Europe will start wobbling.



Putins invasion has also exposed Europes vegetarianism. Despite recurring talk since the 1950s of a European Army, itll never come to anything  unless you count various technocratic schemes to pool military procurement. But thats a far cry from war-waging.



Instead, in supporting Ukraine, Europe has once again ducked under that old American aegis. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz actually made that a condition: He only agreed to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the Americans also sent their own M1 Abrams. If the US were ever to waver in backing Kyiv  in a second Trump term, say  Europe would lose heart.

***

This is the reality as I leave the continent, and as the EU confronts various dilemmas that may seem abstruse but are germane.



One question is whether Europe should try to return to its professed path of ever closer union, by ceding more powers from the capitals to the center. A hot-button issue in this category is how countries vote in Brussels. Members including Germany want almost all decisions to be made by qualified majority as opposed to unanimity, so that no country  Hungary, for example  can block policies on Russia, China or whatever. Other nations, including Poland, object, fearing that without veto power

theyll be dominated by the large countries, above all Germany.



A second and related controversy is about enlargement. The EU has grown from six founding members in the 1950s to 27 today. Another eight are official candidates to join, and two more (Kosovo and Georgia) are considered potential candidates.



The prospect of so many new members puts the EU in a bind. The club is already difficult to manage. Without a drastic rewrite of its treaties (including that change to qualified majority voting), how could it avoid breaking down in dysfunction? It appears that the EU can, in Brussels argot, either deepen or widen, but not both.



Moreover, the EU has in recent years noticed that it has sway over the governance of countries while theyre candidates, but not once theyre members. Several nations, including Bulgaria, still tolerate far too much corruption. A few, notably Hungary, are moving from democracy to autocracy. The fear now is that countries such as Serbia, Albania, Moldova or indeed Ukraine could also backslide after they join, dragging down standards in the whole bloc.



Yet the geopolitics of this new and post-pacific era seems to demand that the EU expands. For the remaining Balkan countries, membership may be their best, or only, way out of ethnic strife and toward prosperity. If they were rejected, they could take up arms again against one another or throw themselves into the geopolitical embrace of autocratic Russia or China.



For Ukraine, the aspiration of integrating with western Europe was what started the enmity between Kyiv and Moscow in the first place. That EU dream is now one reason why Ukrainians are continuing to resist so bravely and fight for their independence. Ukraines NATO membership may prove elusive for the time being. EU membership, by contrast, is something that Europe feels it owes the Ukrainians.

Instead of ending after the Cold War, history appears merely to have paused and then restarted with Putins invasion. But this was just the opening salvo in our neo-nationalist, neo-imperialist, neo-anarchic era of great-power rivalry. For if Trump and Putin were shocks number one and two, Chinese President Xi Jinping is lining up to be three.

Its been said that Russia is the storm, China is climate change. For years, Beijing has been throwing its weight around not only in Asia  from the Taiwan Strait to the South China Sea and beyond  but also in Europe. It has bullied EU members such as Lithuania and spread its financial and diplomatic tentacles into the Balkans and beyond. And now its formed a no limits friendship with Moscow as a way of staring down the West.



Europeans are just beginning to notice that theyre at risk of chaining themselves economically to China just as they depended on Russian energy until recently. As they ponder the consequences, though, theyre still splitting hairs. Should they decouple from China, merely de-risk or just diversify?



Those among Europes friends who are watching this most closely and nervously are once again the Americans. Theyve long been hoping to pivot their attention and resources from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on the understanding that the Europeans would take care of their own neighborhood. Instead, the Europeans seem as far away as ever from stepping up on their continent and still iffy in lining up behind the US in Asia.



One fear that runs through capitals from Brussels, Paris and Berlin to Washington, New Delhi, Jakarta and Brasilia is that the new era of power politics will demand wrenching strategic decisions. Faced with a Chinese attack on Taiwan concurrent with Russian aggression in Europe, which would America do most to stop? Would the Europeans be there for a fight in Asia too? Would the rest of the world  the so-called Global South  finally choose sides?

***

The sad reality is that the epoch weve entered is one that Thucydides might recognise more readily than the founding fathers of European integration would. In this world, ideals mean little, might once again makes one right, the strong prey on the weak, and only the strongest can set limits.



No member state of the EU will be among those mightiest powers, nor the bloc as a whole. In theory, Europe could be a superpower, by becoming a United States of Europe. But I dont see that happening. The EU will instead remain a confederation masquerading as a federation, and possibly revert to being a mere trade area.



Nor, after so many decades, will Europeans suddenly grow fangs and turn into carnivores that keep away predators. This means their fate, ultimately, may be decided elsewhere  somewhere between Washington, Moscow and Beijing. The worlds greatest peace project, which has inspired me and others for so long, may end as just that  a project, like so many we read about in history books.



Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.



Credit: Bloomberg
The Indian government has decided to go ahead and institute a domestic voluntary carbon market mechanism and has released the draft Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules 2023 for public comments. The Green Credit Programme (GCP) envisages that any entity, from individuals, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives to industries, and urban and rural local bodies, who undertake any of the listed eight activities such as tree plantation, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation, eco-mark labelling and sustainable buildings can earn green credits.



Each green credit will have a monetary value assigned. The green credits generated from such activities will be made available for trading on a domestic market platform after a steering committee has validated them. Green credits can also be traded in the carbon market if they additionally help in carbon emissions reduction or removal. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education will administer the programme, while a yet-to-be-established steering committee will have the power to grant approvals on issues such as monitoring, reporting, and verification.



No New Activities



Not surprisingly, the first list of activities under the GCP raises more questions than enthusiasm. The big question is why duplicate activities like afforestation, water conservation, sustainable agriculture and others that are already in the domain of various government programmes and also being delivered as part of the many corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives under Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting as mandated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Industry observers cite examples of excellent initiatives such as Project Hariyali of Mahindra, sustainable agroforestry model of ITC Ltd, afforestation projects of NTPC Ltd, water conservation programme by the Tamil Nadu government, mangrove restoration initiatives of the forest department and so on.



If the intention is to lure more companies with market incentives to engage in green activities, then it is important to recall Indias previous failed attempt to incentivise via market measures. A similar carbon market experiment called Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency using energy savings certificates failed because it had such low standards for delivery that demand plummeted and certificates flooded the market.



Experts also point to the global critique and long-standing complaints about the efficiency of the measurable, reportable and verifiable aka MRV frameworks in practice today by voluntary markets. A recent investigation undertaken by the Guardian and SourceMaterial, into Verra, the worlds leading carbon standard for the rapidly growing $2 billion (1.6 billion) voluntary offsets market, has found that more than 90 percent of their rainforest offset credits  among the most commonly used by companies  are likely to be phantom credits and do not represent genuine carbon reductions.



Slow Progress



However, it is no secret that we need to halve emissions within the next decade and become a net-zero world by 2050 to avoid climate change. Its also no secret that India has an uphill task ahead to deliver on its various international climate commitments. Joining the Bonn challenge in 2015 with a pledge to restore 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020, India later revised its restoration target to 26 million hectares by 2030. The contribution of businesses towards restoration efforts in India as reflected in its report on the Bonn challenge has not been so encouraging  out of 98.11 lakh hectares of the total area brought under restoration in six years, only 1.93 lakh hectares was reported to be done by private companies.



Truth is, we need every resource and strategy brought into play. Effective action will require concerted and sufficient investment, knowing also that the costs of inaction will be far higher. Developing countries will need up to $6 trillion by 2030 to finance not even half of their climate action goals (as listed in their Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs). The latest IPCC report finds all countries are falling way short, with financial flows three to six times lower than levels needed by 2030. Carbon finance will be key for the implementation of the NDCs, and the Paris Agreement enables the use of such market mechanisms through Article 6.



Thats why, around the world, interest in carbon markets is growing  83 percent of NDCs state the intent to make use of international market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, the voluntary carbon market grew at a record pace, reaching $2 billion  four times its value in 2020  and the pace of purchases is still accelerating in 2022. By 2030, the market is expected to reach between $10 billion and $40 billion.



For the Indian GCP to succeed, the government must first expand the scope of the programme to encourage and implement new and innovative decarbonisation strategies for the industry and hard-to-abate sectors.

More importantly, it has to ensure that the methodology and the standards are robust and the MRV protocols are inspired by the global best practices for the viability and stability of the market.



There is no doubt that carbon credits could have a role to play in the climate transition if they allow companies to channel finance to projects without claiming that this makes them carbon neutral. Such offsetting creates a false impression that polluting activities can continue without harming the climate or raising global temperatures, providing a licence for business as usual.



Shailendra Yashwant is a senior advisor to Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA). Twitter: @shaibaba. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Newsflash: We are not on track to achieve sustainable development.



Halfway through 2023  the midpoint along the path toward the Sustainable Development Goals, launched under the auspices of the United Nations in 2015 as guideposts to a better world by the end of this decade  the world is way off target.



This is not the first time it will have missed, by the way. International development types will recall that the Millennium Development Goals laid out in 2000 as guideposts for 2015 were mostly missed too.



We could trundle along this path until the end of the decade to discover then that we failed, again, to measure up to our expectations of global prosperity. But perhaps its time for a rethink?



As the consequences of climate change roar into view  reminding us, by the way, of our collective failure to meet carbon emissions targets  and the COVID pandemic leaves us wondering what our next unanticipated risk will be, its time to re-evaluate how we try to engineer future wellbeing.



Goals like the SDGs are meant to be aspirational and ambitious. (Bloomberg LP has incorporated the SDGs in its sustainability strategy, which is

outlined in the Bloomberg Impact Report 2020.) Yet rebounding from one missed target to the next seems pretty pointless. Indeed, it can undermine the notion of collective action. It risks inuring the worlds consciousness to mass destitution; to levels of poverty, sickness and death that should remain unacceptable. If we care about sustainable development, we should try to bring it about in a different way.



Just consider the scale of the failure. The first, and perhaps most important goal, was to put an end to extreme poverty, defined today as scratching by on less than $2.15 a day, in 2017 dollars at purchasing power parity. In 2019, the last year with complete data, it afflicted 8.5 percent of the worlds population, down from 10.8 percent in 2015.



If it had maintained that downward pace, it would have hit around 4.4 percent by 2030, which adds up to nearly 400 million extremely poor people. And it wont: In 2020, the COVID pandemic sent poverty soaring around the world.



Theres lots more. By 2030, all girls and boys were supposed to complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. By 2019 only 36 percent had achieved a minimum proficiency in reading and only 51.6 percent hit the target in math, percentages that were not much different from when the goals were first written four years earlier. COVID then made things worse.



Big chunks of the world are nowhere near gaining universal access to modern energy services. The least developed countries are not close to achieving economic growth of at least 7 percent. Maternal mortality was supposed to fall to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. In 2020, though, 223 mothers per 100,000 died during childbirth. At the current pace of improvement the death rate will still exceed 200 seven years from now.



The SDGs didnt even work as advertising, to draw attention to the needs of the world. Measured by the relative popularity of Google searches on the subject, interest in the US ranks at a level of 2 out of 100, compared to 72 in Zimbabwe. And even in Zimbabwe the goals are kind of unimportant: There are nearly eight searches for HIV for each search on the SDGs.



The whole goal-setting process was about mobilizing effort. Rich nations were supposed to dip into their pocket to offer developing countries financial support toward the goal of a better global future, raising their aid budget to the long-unmet target of 0.7% of GDP. This would somehow mobilize oodles more in private finance. Money would flow.



Alas, it didnt. Even adding contributions related to COVID and the war in Ukraine, official development assistance from rich countries only reached halfway to the target. And the private sector wasnt interested either.



Perhaps these shortcomings were to be expected. As Charles Kenny of the Center for Global Development pointed out, the goals demanded progress way outside any historical norm. But there might be ways to map out a global strategy toward shared wellbeing that is not engineered from the start for failure.



The most obvious lesson, brought up even back in the day by some of the more exasperated participants in the SDGs inception, is that it might be a good idea to stick to objectives that can be translated into targets subject to measurement. Ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature, aka Goal 12.8, or its neighbor at 16.6, develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels, do not.



The process to determine the SDGs was, to put it mildly, messy. Intended as improved successors to the MDGs concocted in the office of Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general at the time, the SDGs were supposed to represent a global consensus of what sustainable development means. That meant everybody had a say.



That also means that the list of goals is almost comically long. They include promoting public-private partnerships, ensuring macroeconomic stability, enhancing North-South, South-South and triangular, regional and international cooperation in science, technology and innovation, and ensuring access for small scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets.



They include stuff outside the currently accepted bounds of international cooperation. Perhaps we shouldnt hold our breath waiting for a national government to invite the SDG people in to help ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision making at all levels.



Joking aside, these sorts of lists are not just too long and mushy. They fail to target what we know about what can help deliver wellbeing.



Consider the one millennium goal that was accomplished: reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015. That came about mostly because China successfully inserted itself into the global economy, entering the WTO and riding an export-led economic boom that freed millions of Chinese from poverty. International goal setting and cooperation had little to do with it.



It is worth considering that future prosperity will depend mostly on what developing countries do themselves. International expertise and money may be critical to address targeted, specific challenges  think malaria, pneumococcal infection or HIV. But multinational coordination of the kind the development goals hoped to bring about does not produce development.



This is a valuable lesson. As climate change barrels into the present, the global effort to curtail carbon emissions threatens to take over the entire international agenda.



A narrow, limited, precise set of measurable development goals meets this moment much better than the sprawling blob bequeathed to us by the sustainable development dream of 2015. They should be put together in a hurry. Otherwise, the climate emergency will hoover up all the money and attention that might be otherwise available to eliminate extreme poverty and ensure the survival of mothers in the poorer corners of world.







Eduardo Porter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin America, US economic policy and immigration. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.



Credit: Bloomberg
Do not trust anyone who tells you you cannot tell your story.

Do not trust anyone who tells you there is only one story.

If there were only one story

Or one way of seeing things all stories would die.

 The Lost Journals of Sacajewea

Sacajewea, the Lemhi Shoshone woman who accompanied the Corps of Discovery, didnt have her thoughts recorded in journals for posterity.

What she felt or experienced, beyond a small handful of facts, left an opening for Debra Magpie Earling, a Bitterroot Salish author and professor emeritus at the University of Montana.

Earling summons her own version of the story in her new novel, The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, released earlier this year by Milkweed Editions.

In some corners of the popular imagination, Sacajewea was a guide and interpreter for the group, which, at the turn of the 1800s, made its way across the West. In another way of looking, she was a young Native woman in her early teens sold or gambled to a French trapper, and then used as an interpreter and safety net for the white settlers as they moved through Indigenous lands.

Earling sees it as a story that challenges all of our mythology about Lewis and Clark, and hopefully, makes other people think more deeply about what it was like for that young woman  or girl  to travel with 34 men and a child in diapers across waters and harsh land, she said. That, and she was alone, without someone to even express your feelings to.

Written solely in first-person, in which the Corps doesnt appear until halfway through, it becomes a story of survival, placing viewers behind her eyes as she endures enslavement and brutality.

While its a difficult read, in both its language and portrayal of violence against women, Earling hopes readers dont look away.

I wanted to write in her blood and bones, she said. "I couldn't ignore that  it seemed like a call, not only from her, but from the missing and murdered Indigenous women since the coming of Lewis and Clark. It seemed like a call to be present with them and to understand what they suffer and what they had suffered."

A book with deep roots

Earlings first novel, Perma Red, recounted a tragic story of a young woman on Earlings home reservation, the Flathead, where shed worked as a public defender before deciding to pursue fiction. Published in 2002, it won the American Book Award and led to honors like a Guggenheim Fellowship. After retiring from UM in 2021, she finally felt she had the time to dedicate to a project.

She chose one that had been on her mind for years. She came to the story of Sacajewea tangentially, and not out of a particular enthusiasm for the history of the Corps of Discovery. She was invited to contribute an essay to a book, Lewis and Clark Through Indian Eyes, which included nine Indian writers.

In reading the journals, she came across a woman in Mandan camp who was offered to Sgt. John Ordway. The next evening, she was found stabbed and beaten by her husband, Earling said.

That story haunted me, and stayed with me. (The woman appears in her Lost Journals as Wife for Dark Nights.)

In 2005, during the nationwide Voyage of Discovery bicentennial, western Montana had no shortage of events and celebrations. The Missoula Art Museum decided to organize something in response. An art exhibition, Native Perspectives on the Trail: A Contemporary American Indian Art Portfolio, included 15 Indigenous artists. The executive director, Laura Millin, and the curator, Stephen Glueckert, also invited Earling to write a response to the art.

She recalls that they told her to write whatever she wanted, however she wanted, a rare kind of permission for a writer to receive, either from themselves or anyone else.

It frees up something, she said, adding that she believes it will influence me for the rest of my writing life.

She recalls the first, much shorter version of the Lost Journals taking 45 minutes to write in a rush of emotion and image.

Earling collaborated with Peter Koch, a master printer and Missoula native now based in California, on a limited edition version, with custom type and photographs, bound in a hide. (One copy is held in the Mansfield Library at UM.)

Sacajewea is mentioned in the journals but not extensively, so Earlings version of her voice is a work of imagination, not an approximation as youd see in many historical novels.

I kept trying to figure out how she would have spoken, or how she would have understood the language, she said.

When Earling decided to expand the work into a longer form, it just seemed like the voice was suddenly there, and I think its a peculiar voice. I think it comes from a deeper source than I understand, a more mysterious source.

And in her reading of what sources there were, survival became the theme.

It just seems that she was bent on surviving, Earling said, "and at one point, she almost didnt make it."

Hearing her voice

Earling calls the style of writing shattered prose, a poetic and invented grammar and descriptive language.

My intent was to throw the reader in, she said. Immerse them in another way of seeing a story, another way of understanding a world.

Without many footholds in place, the reader has to learn to read it as they go along, and understand a world that is foreign to them.

The unconventional manuscript found an eager home with Milkweed Editions, where she was given free creative reign. The publishers roster includes Richard Wagamese, an influential First Nations writer, and Ada Limon, the U.S. poet laureate. Montanans on its rolls include Rick Bass, Chris Dombrowski, Deidre McNamer, Annick Smith and, soon, Chris La Tray.

In a starred review, Kirkus said its a profoundly moving imagining of the impressions and contributions of a major historical figure and described the prose as having a dream-like intensity. Last month, it was included in a New York Times books article, Reframing the West: New Fiction Makes Room for Voices Long Denied.

Regarding the spelling she uses in the title, Earling said it returned to her from childhood memories, since it conjures the Sacajewea I knew from grade school when all my teachers and everyone I knew pronounced her name that way. As other pronunciations came to light, the more I was corrected by non-Native people about the correct pronunciation of her name  with a glottal stop and hard g I began to avoid talking about her. I noticed others did, too.

The book begins years before the Corps, with Sacajewea living among her people, sketching out a vision of the culture and seasonal life  harvests, winters  as she approaches the age of marriage. Her beliefs inform the way she sees events unfold, whether its a sighting of a bear (weta) or swimming in the river. She learns all the tasks required for survival, which Earling lists at one point in a nearly page-long paragraph, one slice of which goes, pick berries pound berries dry berries dry roots pound roots.

After a sickened and solitary white man wanders into their camp, her parents encourage her to watch him and study him, ominously foreshadowing whats ahead. (In another paragraph, arranged like a free verse poem, she lists all the people and things  i.e. nothing  that "is safe from their owning games.")

After Sacajewea is abducted by another tribe, shes forced to marry Charbonneau, a French trapper, and bears a son, Jean Baptiste. The language, on a sentence level, begins to shift.

I dont think its an easy read, Earling said, but as the story progresses, as Sacajewea moves closer and closer to civilization, it accelerates.

There were just different ways of understanding and holding the world in a certain kind of light or love. And so that as the story progresses, and as she has more and more contact with the traders who are at Mandan camp, she begins to see the world more harshly, and she actually begins to lose some of the deep way of seeing that she saw in the earlier passages.

Sounds and words

The readers immersion happens on a vocabulary level. Many of the Shoshone words can be discerned by context, such as Appe for father. Others can reveal themselves slowly, such as Agai (salmon). Earling coined nouns and verbs Threaded throughout whose meaning is implied by the situation and the sound, colorful words like wurtling, scritter, gaddering. While some sites, such as the University of Utah, have a Shoshone dictionary, you wont find these anywhere.

I used a broader dictionary, which is just the feeling of sound, and sound that surrounds us and especially when were in nature, she said.

Jickle for example, comes up frequently, like when you shake a dry seed pod, it does make that jickle, jickle, jickle sound, she said. When Earling was young, she read Lewis Carrolls classic Jabberwocky, and admired his use of sounds as words and how, no matter how far he pushes the language, you understand exactly what he means.

While unconventional, she hopes that it ultimately has an emotive power, from the sections that are difficult to those that are not, and convey a feeling of compassion and exploratory empathy.

While some believe Sacajewea died in her early 20s, others say she lived to old age on the Wind River Reservation.

Earlings belief that its a story about survival has one clue  when they reached Three Forks and she saw a woman known as Pop Pank, she was overwhelmed and she wouldnt stop crying. However, as she was married to a white trapper, she wasnt accepted back by the man she was to marry.

She was essentially cut off from everyone, so she became a sovereign person at that point, and thats what I admire most about her, as she got on that horse and said, I want to see the ocean. 

Earling prefers the version where she lives to old age, the one thats ultimately a story of triumph and power.
The AAP on Sunday launched a Bijli Andolan from Panchkula with its supremo Arvind Kejriwal targeting the ruling BJP over alleged regular outages in Haryana and promising free electricity if voted to power.



A free and uninterrupted power supply is possible if the intent is clean, he said at an event also attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. During the 'Bijli Andolan' (electricity campaign), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders will visit villages and towns and apprise people about "costly power and regular outages and tell them that free and round-the-clock electricity is possible in Haryana too if the party is voted to power.



"We are launching a Bijli Andolan As you know, I have my roots in Haryana. Many people from the state have met me and told me about issues related to power cuts, Kejriwal said, addressing a gathering in Panchkula. "We will run this Andolan in Haryana for the next month or two. We had fought first polls in Delhi on the issue of power and won, he said, adding that the AAP can replicate this in Haryana next year if the issue of power is taken to every household.



When a woman from among the audience alleged she has been handed a Rs 1.40-lakh power bill, Kejriwal said, "People are getting wrong bills, and ultimately they are forced to pay when these are not rectified. In 75 years, these parties could not set the state of electricity in order. How will they handle the country? When we came to power in Delhi, at that time the national capital was facing up to eight hours of power cuts and electricity charges were very high. But things were set right, the AAP convener said.



"Our intent is clean. There is no dearth of money with governments, but the intent has to be clean. Their intent is not good. I came to know that they entered into a 25-year agreement with a company to purchase power at a particular rate. To benefit that company, they later increased rates and consumers have to bear this, Kejriwal said about Haryana. The Delhi CM said the country needs "educated people to run it. The Delhi CM said the country needs educated people to run it. "We are educated, and they are 'fourth class passthey are illiterate, they dont know how to run the government, he said. Kejriwal said the country has the capacity to produce 4 lakh megawatts of power as against the demand of 2 lakh megawatts. "Then there should be no shortage of power. Why we are not producing enough power? Because he is class 4 pass, he said. "Electricity can be given 24 hours and free. We have shown that model. The Delhi governments fiscal position is good despite giving free power, he said.



"Tell me one state ruled by the Congress or BJP that provides 24-hour power. If you vote them again, then you will have to face power cuts and costly power will consume a chunk of your earnings, he said. Kejriwal said he was told that people in Haryana have to shell out Rs 1,200-1,300 for consuming 200 units of power, whereas Delhi residents get zero bills for the same amount of power consumed. Then he compared the state with Punjab, saying that for 300 units, people get Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,800 bill in Haryana, whereas its zero in Punjab.



Kejriwal asserted the Punjab CM was right when he said there was no need for people like them to enter politics if past leaders had done their job properly. "I was doing a job and Bhagwant Mann was an artiste, the Delhi CM said. "Anna Hazare ji used to say politics is dirty. I told him but we will have to enter to clean it. And we did this in Delhi, Punjab and now we will do it in Haryana, he said. In his address, Punjab CM Mann said if after decades of Independence, there are power cuts and "we are unable to produce enough power, then it is shameful.



Mann claimed that 90 per cent households in Punjab are getting zero power bill for the past one year. "This is possible because our intent is clean, he said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Mann said, "They talk of the double engine, I am saying you need the latest engine. When we give 300 units of free power (in Punjab), they say Bhagwant Mann is giving freebies. At least these are reaching people, what about their Rs 15 lakh promise, said Mann targeting BJP.
President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was premature to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war.



In an interview with CNNs Fareed Zakaria, Biden said that he did not think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place.



If the war is going on, then were all in war, Biden said, referring to the alliances commitment to mutual defense. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case. He added that there would be other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization, for Ukraine to be considered for membership.



The president began a trip to Europe on Sunday that will include attending a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Russias war in Ukraine  and a decision last week by the United States to supply Ukraine with weapons that are banned by most of its allies  will be a main focus.



Biden said in the interview that he had warned President Xi Jinping of China about growing too close to Russia. He added that after the Chinese leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, Biden spoke with Xi and reminded him that scores of U.S. corporations had pulled out of Russia since the war began.



He didnt argue, Biden said. And if you notice, he has not gone full-bore on Russia.



Biden also defended his decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are outlawed by many of Americas closest allies. He said it was a difficult decision, but with artillery supplies dwindling, it was a choice between supplying the weapons or leaving Ukraine defenseless.



It was a very difficult decision on my part  and by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill, Biden said. The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.



Another topic of discussion at the NATO summit will be Swedens interest in joining the alliance. Biden, who met with the Swedish prime minister last week, said he was optimistic that Sweden was closer to entrance into the group, despite opposition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (But Erdogan does support the admission of Ukraine: He said Saturday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his side, that Ukraine deserves NATO membership with no doubt.)



Biden, who is 80 and running for reelection, also addressed concerns about his age.



I think were putting the world together in a way that is going to make things significantly, how can I say it, more secure for people, Biden said. I just want to finish the job. And I think we can do that in the next six years.



This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday filed his nomination papers for elections to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP Gujarat unit president C R Paatil accompanied Jaishankar to the state Assembly complex where he submitted the nomination papers to Returning Officer Rita Mehta. The last date for filing nominations is July 13 and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is July 17. Polling will be held on July 24 if required. Four years ago, Jaishankar had filed his nomination for the first time from Gujarat for the Rajya Sabha. Out of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by the BJP and rest by the Congress. Of the eight seats held by the BJP, the terms of S Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor and Dinesh Anavadiya will end on August 18. Polls will be held for these three seats. The Congress on Friday said it would not field candidates for polls to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat as it did not have enough MLAs in the 182-member state Assembly. The BJP won a record 156 seats in the Gujarat Assembly polls held late last year, while the Congress saw its worst performance since the state was formed by managing to get just 17 seats.

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A 40-year-old man from Bengaluru put off consulting a doctor when he experienced frequent chest pain because he thought he was "strong". He would pop a pill for indigestion and not give it much thought.



But after a particularly painful sleepless night, when the pills did not provide any relief, the man finally visited a hospital at 5 am complaining of a "burning sensation in the chest". After a few tests, the doctors found that the man wasn't suffering from indigestion, he was having a heart attack.



Sharing the details of the case without revealing the patient's identity, Dr Jagdish J Hiremath, MD and chairperson of AASRA Group of Hospitals in Bengaluru, said, "He had diagnosed himself as suffering from gastric problem. He used to get pain mostly after dinner or heavy lunch and used to take tablet Pan 40 himself as it was available over the counter in many medical shops. It used to relieve his pain. But this time, it did not."



The man's family members, however, were reluctant to believe that he had a heart attack. "He is so strong, was their reason. Only after ER consultant, Cardiologist, and Cardiac intensivist (yours truly) repeated the same, they understood the gravity of the problem. Finally, they agreed to an angiogram," Dr Hiremath tweeted. He also shared pictures of the blocked artery. "The right coronary was completely blocked & it was a pretty long segment that was involved. This gentleman has been having this problem for quite some time but was not willing to come to the hospital because he was a 'very strong man'," the doctor said.



The right coronary was completely blocked & it was a pretty long segment that was involved.

This gentleman has been having this problem for quite some time but was not willing to come to the hospital because he was a "very strong man".



This is how his Rt Coronary looked. pic.twitter.com/wDdPWoEYSi



 DR JAGADISH J HIREMATH (@Kaalateetham) July 9, 2023





The man had to be operated on and the cardiologists had fixed the artery with three stents.



Highlighting how physically strong men could also face heart problems, Dr Hiremath said, "Just because you are muscular and strong it does not mean your heart is healthy. Just because you are 40, it does not mean your heart is healthy. In everyday stress-filled life understand that you need to see a qualified doctor if there is something as simple as a gastric problem."



The doctor also advised people not to downplay their health issues. "Do not think that the doctor is trying to make money and writing unnecessary tests. I have seen many who have landed in trouble thinking like that. In which scenario you are the problem and not the doctor," he added.



Read more: Gujarat cardiologist, who performed hundreds of surgeries, dies of heart attack at 41
When a three-year-old boy in China complained of eye irritation and itching, doctors were expecting to find an infection, what they did however find was a large number of head lice and its eggs stuck to the boy's eyelashes.



As per an "extremely rare" case in American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports, the boy had visited an ophthalmologist, complaining of intense itching, abnormal secretions around his eyes, and swelling and redness for more than a week, New York Post reported.



During the inspection, doctors found a large number of nits, or lice eggs and lice tightly adhered to the lashes on his right eye. "A careful examination revealed translucent parasites creeping slowly along the eyelashes," the report stated. The boy's parents revealed he often played with sand and rubbed his eyes with unwashed hands.







Despite the infestation, the boy's vision was not affected by the parasites, the publication reported. The doctors then trimmed his eyelashes and removed the lice and their eggs, and disinfected the eyelid margin with compound iodine disinfection cotton swabs. The child experienced immediate relief from the symptoms and was given ointment and eye drops to apply.



Lice usually appear on the scalp, skin, or pubic hair and feed on human blood. They are often spread from close contact, shared belongings, contact with contaminated furniture or sexual contact, the Mayo Clinic stated.



In a (slightly) related incident, a 3,700-year-old ivory comb was found last November inscribed with a 'spell' to eradicate beard lice.



May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard" was inscribed on the comb found at the Tel Lachish site in 2017, but the 17 letters in Canaanite language were not noticed until 2022 following further examination, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement. Researchers also believed that the sentence inscribed onto the comb was a "spell" to "root out lice".
Tina Knowles, the mother of pop icon Beyonce, fell victim to a brazen burglary at her Los Angeles home, resulting in the loss of more than $1 million worth of precious jewellery and cash. The incident took place on July 5, while the 69-year-old Knowles was reportedly out of town, leaving her Hollywood residence unattended. According to TMZ, the thieves managed to make off with an entire safe containing her jewellery. The break-in was discovered that morning when an individual close to Knowles visited her house and noticed a safe missing. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, seeking answers regarding how the perpetrators gained access to the property. As part of their inquiries, the police have been reaching out to Knowles' neighbours, hoping that they may possess vital information about the burglary. Additionally, security footage from the area is being carefully reviewed to uncover leads. At present, the case remains shrouded in mystery, with no significant breakthroughs or suspects identified. Just a few months ago, in April, Tina Knowles residence made headlines when an individual was caught for throwing rocks at her mailbox. However, she chose not to pursue charges against the perpetrator, as reported by TMZ. In another harrowing incident, back in May, Knowles found herself in a dangerous situation while attending one of her daughter's concerts in Belgium. A video captured the moment paramedics rushed to her aid, pulling her from the crowd onto the stage. She, however, quickly assured everyone that she was unharmed and apologized to the audience.

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The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on July 10 informed the Delhi High Court that aircraft lessors of the bankrupt airline Go First were not allowed to carry out maintenance work on the grounded fleet because of compliance issues.



According to the regulator, Go First is the only entity authorised to maintain the aircraft as per their records. It also told the court that they may not be able to process Go First's revival plan if there was not enough clarity on who will maintain the aircraft as it is a key safety factor.



Appearing for the Resolution Professional (RP), senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul argued that the order of the single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court restraining the RP and the employees of the company from removing, replacing any part or component of the leased aircraft will destroy the corporate resolution process and put a question mark on the company's revival plans.



Senior Advocate Ramji Srinivasan appearing for the RP took the court through various steps taken by them to ensure the revival of the company. He told the court that the company was ready to commence operations by the middle of July, subject to DGCA's consent as there are 26 operational aircraft with the airline.



He urged the court to stay the order of the single-judge bench in the interest of the company's revival. Srinivasan argued that the question of whether or not a moratorium is applicable to these lessors is already pending before the court.



The court has deferred the hearing in the case to July 11, where the lessors are expected to respond to the arguments of the RP and the DGCA.



On July 5, a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court permitted the lessors of the airline to inspect and carry out maintenance work of their 30 aircraft and their parts twice a month.



The court directed the aviation watchdog and the airports where they are parked to permit the lessors to access their aircraft in the next three days.



Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, who passed the interim order, also restrained Go First's resolution professionals and employees from removing, replacing and taking out any part or component of the leased aircraft without the express permission of the lessors.



The judge held that the aircraft are expensive and complex machinery and require regular maintenance.



Aircraft lessors, including Pembroke Aviation, Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Ltd, EOS Aviation, and SMBC Aviation, filed a writ with the Delhi High Court, seeking directions to release the planes leased to the financially distressed airline.



On May 22, the NCLAT upheld the NCLT's order admitting Go First's plea for insolvency.



On May 10, the principal bench of the NCLT in Delhi accepted Go First's voluntary plea to initiate an insolvency resolution process. The tribunal appointed an IRP, suspended the board, and imposed a moratorium on the airline's financial obligations.
Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co. is proposing to buy back as much as 7.6% of shares in an effort to retain talent and provide a chance to cut stakes for investors ensnared by a years-long regulatory crackdown at the company.



Each investor would be allowed to sell up to 7.6% of their equity rather than cashing out completely, according to a person familiar with the matter, asking not be identified discussing private details of the arrangement.



Ants planned repurchase of the equity would value the company at about 567.1 billion yuan ($78.5 billion), it said in a statement on Saturday. That is almost 70% lower than the $280 billion market capitalization it fetched in 2020 for the scrapped initial public offering.



Chinese regulators are wrapping up a two-year crackdown on the countrys once-freewheeling technology giants after slapping more than $1 billion of fines on Ant and Tencent Holdings Ltd. on Friday. Ant has completed its overhaul ordered by Beijing, pinching profitability and sapping growth at a sprawling platform that spanned lending and insurance to asset management.



Giving some money back to shareholders could help Ant shift its focus to building business operations, easing pressure from pre-IPO investors seeking an exit due to its valuation slump. Global funds have grappled with how to assess their investments in Ant made in 2018 when the company was valued at about $150 billion.



This is a good opportunity for investors to get some money back as Ants profit growth has slowed down significantly, Francis Chan, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said. Minority overseas shareholders might take this opportunity to reduce their stakes, he said.



Silver Lake Management LLC, Warburg Pincus LLC, and Carlyle Group Inc. were among the biggest US backers in that funding round. Others that put money in include Singapores GIC Pte, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Temasek Holdings Pte.



Repurchase Plans

Ant said it will transfer repurchased stock into the companys staff incentive plan to attract talent.



The individual limited partners of two entities that form the majority of Ants shareholders  mostly comprised of Ant executives  have voluntarily decided not sell shares back to Ant out of the long-term commitment to the company, according to the statement.



The limited partners also committed to retaining the two dividends in 2022 with Hangzhou Junhan and Hangzhou Junao to enhance the operations capital strength.



Overhang Removed

Financial regulators led by the central bank fined Ant and its affiliates a total of 7.12 billion yuan on Friday, ending two years of probe into the company. Tencent was levied a 2.99 billion yuan fine.



Tencent and Ant affiliate Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. soared in New York trading. A meaningful relaxation of curbs on Ant  one of the most high-profile casualties of President Xi Jinpings sweeping clampdown on the countrys tech giants  would send a strong signal that policymakers are following through on recent pledges to support the industry.



With the regulatory clampdowns out of the way Ant can spend more time building its business and even revive its IPO.



Ant said in January it had no plans for an IPO at that time. Still, the companys Chairman Eric Jing said in 2021 that Ant would eventually go public.



Ant Overhual

Ant co-founder Ma returned to China in early March after a prolonged period of traveling overseas. The government persuaded him to go back to the mainland as a means to showcase authorities support for private entrepreneurs, Bloomberg News had reported.



The move follows Mas decision to cede control of Ant in January, holding about 6.2% voting rights after the change. Following that, the Communist Party chief of Hangzhou city praised Ant for abiding by the partys leadership, and required local government departments to solve problems raised by the fintech company.



More than two years ago, Chinese regulators abruptly halted Ants IPO, sending shock waves across global capital markets. New rules have been slapped on the fintech giant, which has operations ranging from consumer lending and wealth management to online payments.



The central bank ordered Ant to fold all financial units into a holding company. It also told the firm to open up its payments app to competitors and sever improper linking of payments with other products including its lending services.



Ant is developing large-language model technology that will power ChatGPT-style services, joining a list of Chinese companies seeking to win an edge in next generation artificial intelligence. The company invested nearly 20.5 billion yuan in research and development last year, doubling its annual spending on such efforts from 2019.
Buyout house TPG is buying a business unit of software provider Forcepoint for $2.45 billion from Francisco Partners, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday citing people familiar with the matter. TPG is acquiring Forcepoint's government cybersecurity business, known as Forcepoint Global Governments and Critical Infrastructure, according to the report. The unit focuses on critical infrastructure for U.S. government and federal agencies. Francisco which bought Forcepoint from Raytheon Technologies in October 2020 will retain a minority stake in the unit, WSJ said, adding that it will continue to own and manage its commercial cybersecurity business as a separate entity. TPG and Francisco Partners declined to comment while Forcepoint did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Austin, Texas-based Forcepoint develops and creates computer security software, data protection, and firewall solutions. Its business that caters to the U.S. government currently generates about $400 million of annual revenue. Forcepoint is exploring sale of its governments security unit for more than $2 billion as part of its strategy to focus on growing its commercial business, sources told Reuters in April.

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It was nearly by complete luck Louises lung cancer had been caught so early.

She had a persistent bug that she couldnt shake in March, so she visited St. Vincent Healthcare. She was negative for COVID-19, and after a week of troubles, she had a chest x-ray.

Doctors found something, but they werent sure what it was. Louise was sent through a series of scans and check-ups until late April.

Finally, to confirm what providers suspected, Louise underwent a robotic bronchoscopy.

Dr. Abdullah Abboud, a pulmonologist or doctor specializing in the respiratory system, used a robot called an Ion Platform to examine her lungs. He guided the robot through the small, intricate airways, peering through a camera to find the problem spot. She was playing with her grandson later that afternoon.

On May 1, Louises lung cancer was confirmed. On May 22, the cancer was removed via robotic surgery, completed with only six incisions, the largest of which was only two inches long.

Two days later, she was checked out of the hospital. In late June, she feels mostly back on her feet.

Im amazed how fast its been, Louise said. (Traditional surgery) would have been much harder.

Once called a thing of science fiction, robotic healthcare is expanding at St. Vincent.

The hospital recently completed its 2,000th robotic surgery and has performed over 700 robotic surgeries in the past year. Last October, St. Vs first Ion robot  the diagnostic tool used to confirm Louises cancer  debuted on Halloween. Its scope has expanded from general surgery to cardiac, thoracic, gynecological and spinal specialties.

On the horizon is a fourth robot, national accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, and a HUB connection that could have St. V doctors oversee robotic surgeries across the state.

The program is seeing more demand, general surgeon and chair of St. Vincents robotic surgery committee Dr. Jeffery Rentz said. This is the future.

Robotic surgery has origins as far back as the late 1980s, but the da Vinci Surgery System, the predecessor to St. Vs surgery robots, was approved by the FDA in 2000. Since then, robotic healthcare has thrived on promises of less chance of infection, smaller scars, enhanced precision and a shorter hospital stay.

The benefits are why Louise opted for both the robotic bronchoscopy and robotic surgery. Without a robot, a bronchoscopy can be a risky and unfruitful process, especially for a 65-year-old woman.

Picture your lungs like a tree, her bronchoscopy technician Aboud said. We have to look branch by branch to find that leaf that may be cancer.

Traditionally, a bronchoscopy still involves inserting a thin tube with a small camera into a patients lungs. However, the tubes larger size and the sometimes imprecise nature of the operation means providers may miss cancerous cells or accidentally cause lung collapse, Abboud said.

With the Ion, lung collapse risk is less than 1%, Abboud said.

There are some patients, like heavy smokers, that I wouldnt always recommend a bronchoscopy, he said. With the Ion robot, we can order a biopsy with much more confidence.

While robotic healthcare is typically more expensive, the shorter hospital stay can counterbalance the cost, Senior Director of Surgical Services Jackie Hines said.

By the end of summer, St. V plans to expand its scope beyond the hospital doors with a Hub, a video recording system that would let providers remotely observe robotic surgery, Hines said.

Combined with a network of healthcare facilities, including some in Wyoming, it could mean St. V providers could someday guide providers around the state, Rentz said. While St. V wouldnt be controlling the robots, they could give crucial background and insight.

Imagine what this will mean for rural health, Rentz said. If surgeons didnt have to commute, thats more information spread in less time.

The hospital is seeking a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery accreditation through the Surgical Review Corporation. It would be the first of its kind in Montana, according to St. Vs press release.

The recognition could help secure funding and momentum for the future, Hines said. Expanding robotic healthcare means new training and resources for providers. To implement the Ion robot, Abboud and others trained for around a year before attending a hands-on course in California in September, 2022.

The accreditation represents work weve already been doing, Hines said. There was only one robot when I began working here four years ago  Weve been growing, and well continue to do so.
In todays Money Morning, where can you find good investing ideas? Thats the topic I want to delve into today. And Ill finish off by looking at three exponential sectors on my radar right now.

I dont think Ive ever come up with a single good investment idea from watching or reading the news.

Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against journalists who work for these organisations.

You just have to remember that they are only journalists.

They make money from writing in an engaging and informative way  not from being good at investing.

Too many people forget that.

I think a lot of people, especially of my parents generation, grew up treating the news as some special arbiter of wisdom and truth.

I dont think thats true todayif it ever was.

Today, most news is noise put out by people who know just enough to sound like they know a lot more than you do.

Even worse

Sadly, a lot of news is thinly disguised propaganda pushing whatever ideological barrow they support.

Its hard for the average person to know whats really going on. And without knowing that, it makes it hard to invest wisely.

I suppose thats part of the Money Morning mission.

To cut through the noise and provide some genuine insight that you can use in your own investing decisions.

In my experience, there are two distinct ways you can do this

Reading the tea leaves

The first is deep, independent research.

Im talking about getting hold of the raw data, scanning balance sheets, cash flow statements, running models, cross-checking forecasts, and building your expertise.

This is time-consuming, sure.

The realisation that you know more than the news can be very satisfying, and you can use this edge to find underpriced opportunities.

The second way to find good investment ideas is a bit of a cheat, but it can certainly help you work out where to focus your time and money.

And in my career, Ive found it a great starting point.

Im talking about chartingor technical analysis, as its known.

Charting has many sceptics in the serious investing community. They say its no better than reading tea leaves!

But, to my mind, what charting allows you to do is two things.

First, it allows you to clearly see if money is moving into or out of a sector or company.

Second, it allows you to gauge the underlying psychology of the current holders.

What do I mean by that?

Well, imagine a stock is 50% down from its high. You could guess a little bit of panic wouldve set in.

Now imagine a bad story came out about the company. Or maybe the market just had a big down day.

If the price doesnt react much, you can guess that the current shareholders are holding fairly strongly.

That can be a good opportunity for you to join them.

Even without any news, a period of sideways price movement  known as a basing phase  can be a good signal a price bottom is in.

Check out this example:



Source: The Technical Traders [Click to open in a new window]

This energy sector ETF declined rapidly before spending three months in a basing phase and eventually breaking higher.

I should point out Im not a pure technical trader because I like to invest in good ideas rather than patterns on a screen.

I mainly use charts as a starting point for further investigation.

Heres how

Three examples today

My personal investing focus is on high-growth sectors with exponential potential.

Things like small-cap stocks in industries like technology, biotech, and mining.

Im basically looking for asymmetric returns  the potential to make much more on the upside than on the downside.

Which brings me to my first chart:

This is the chart of Global X Uranium ETF [URA].

Its an ETF investing in a basket of stocks in the nuclear energy industry.

Ive seen a bit of chatter from some energy experts lately, suggesting that many countries are turning back to the nuclear option.

For example, Sweden recently announced it was keeping nuclear plants going, reversing a decision 40 years ago to phase the technology out.

Anyway, its definitely an area worth diving into.

But what does the chart say?

Well, as you can see, its still in a bit of a downtrend, but there are also signs that were in a sideways phase too.

If we get a break above that $24 level, it could be game on for the sector.

The uranium price looks fairly strong right now as well:



Source: Daily Metal Price [Click to open in a new window]

For me, this all means keeping an eye on and setting alerts on uranium stocks on the ASX, like Paladin Energy [ASX:PDN].

This next chart is interesting

This nightmare of a chart is the AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF [YOLO].

I love that ticker!

But as you can see, YOLO-ing (millennial slang for you only live once) into speculative sectors like cannabis isnt for the fainthearted.

Cannabis has had two decent bull runs in the past six years.

First in 2017 and then in early 2021.

Both bull runs coincided with election cycles in the US that promised more deregulation.

But as you can see, it hasnt translated into sustainable profits for investors, and the ETF has plummeted by more than 90% from the 2021 highs.

However, though its early, were seeing signs of a bottom forming at these levels.

For me, this is a signal to take another look at this beaten-down sector.

While I dont expect it to turn around any time soon, in the depths of such charts can lie extreme hidden value  as long as the original idea had merit.

I remember seeing much the same in the lithium sector back in 2015, and that has turned into a monster industry since

One last chart:

This is the chart of Van Eck Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF [REMX].

I looked at this chart because there was a story in the news yesterday about how China was about to block exports of two critical rare earth minerals.

Namely, gallium and germanium.

The story breathlessly declared this could be a boon for Aussie rare earth miners.

Its not an unreasonable assumption (though similar China rare earths ban stories have played out many times over the past few years). However, as I said at the start, Ive never made money from reading such ideas in the mainstream press.

But I checked the chart anyway.

What does it say?

Well, to me, this is a fairly weak chart right now.

I see lower highs, and slightly lower lows, though it is holding onto a strong support line at around $77just!

Well see if this latest big news moves the needle on rare earths stocks. But if it doesnt, the psychological clue is that there are few new buyers.

And that means a big risk it loses support at $77.

Of course, that doesnt mean it will happen.

But for me, I dont see any reason to pay more attention here until we at least see a break of that downtrend from early 2022.

The more you look at charts like this, the quicker you see signals that interest you.

Its not a perfect science, but as a starting point for deciding where to devote your energies, it works pretty well for me.

And its certainly better than watching the news!

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse,

Editor, Money Morning
July 10, 2023

Yellen's Visit To China Has Failed

Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen visited China. There she tried to press the worlds biggest economy on several issues.

None of these points are in China's interest. In the U.S. Chinese companies are treated badly. U.S. financed climate investments in foreign countries, which are small, usually come with additional extraordinary demands that benefit the donating country rather than the receiving one. China does this differently. Fentanyl is not a global problem rather a specific U.S. one the causes of which are general social problems China and other have avoided to have.

The last demand Yellen made was even more crazy. She called for a full turn of China towards neoliberal policies:

"I pressed them on our concerns about China's unfair economic practices," [Yellen] said, citing barriers to access for foreign firms and problems involving intellectual property. She added that a more market-oriented system in China "would not only be in the interests of the U.S. and other countries. It would be better for the Chinese economy, as well."

Would China be where it is today if it had privatized its banking system and state owned companies? Would China be richer if it had let U.S. vulture funds buy up and bankrupt Chinese companies? Would it have managed to lift 800 million of its citizens from poverty if it had followed the economic advice of the U.S., the IMF or World Bank?

The answer to these questions is of course an emphatic "No".

Why Yellen thinks she can impress China with advice for a 'more market-oriented system', even as the U.S. blocks Chinese investments, sanctions Chinese companies and limits sales of certain products to China, is beyond me.

Yellen's visit failed to achieve anything. She had some talks with Chinese officials but achieved nothing. She lectured and made demands that no one in China will be willing to fulfill.

The Chinese side for one seems unimpressed by her performance:

Yellen mentioned multiple times the US is seeking a healthy competition with China rather than a "winner-take-all" approach. While this may sound good, the key lies in how we define "healthy competition." Is it a US-style one in which the geopolitical appetite of the US is satisfied while China unconditionally cooperates? Or is it based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation? The root cause of the challenges in the China-US relationship lies in Washington's flawed perception of China. Unless the issue of the 'first button' is addressed, no matter how wonderful the ideas and wishes may be, they will remain nothing more than castles in the air.

Unless the U.S. accepts China as equal the relations between the countries will not turn around. The U.S. can grow with China only when it accepts that China is different from itself and has its own path towards further development.

As neither is the today's dominant viewpoint a further deterioration of the relations, largely to the disadvantage of the U.S., is the most likely prospect.

Posted by b on July 10, 2023 at 9:28 UTC | Permalink

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Since the release of her first single Drive in 1996  Bic Runga (Ngati Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) has been awarded almost every musical honour in New Zealand, including the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll songwriting award. Bic has won the most Tui Awards (New Zealand Music Awards) by any individual, ever (twenty). She has won Best Female Vocalist four times and Best Producer three times. Bics debut album Drive was certified seven times platinum and featured the enormous hit Sway. The follow up in 'Beautiful Collision' in 2002 was certified an incredible eleven times platinum and featured the hits 'Get Some Sleep', 'Something Good' and 'Listening For The Weather'.
On July 5, Tian Li, deputy general manager of Jiuying Membrane Technology Co Ltd, and his colleagues were busy with the production of orders for ultrafiltration membrane products. The company is located in Chuzhou City Nanqiao District HigherEducation Science and Innovation City. Graduated from Nanjing Tech University, Tian Li's current life can be described as "a tale of two cities". "I live in Nanjing. The laboratory is located in Nanjing Tech University, while the product line in Chuzhou. It only takes a little over half an hour to drive from one place to the other along the Chuning Expressway." Tian Li said that there are many people who work in the same way as he does in the Chuzhou HigherEducation Science and InnovationCity. Tian Li's team mainly developed the highly anti-pollution PVDF ultrafiltration membrane, a technology that not only overcame a worldwide problem and achieved zero discharge of pulpingand papermakingwastewater, but also won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. It has achieved the local substitution of key membrane materials in the field of wastewater treatment in petrochemical, iron and steel, metallurgy and other industries, effectively reducing the production cost of enterprises. "Science and InnovationCity provided babysitting services, solved a series of difficult problems and supported the enterprises." Tian Li said that these services have become an important factor for their implementation of scientific and technological achievements transformation and also allow the scientific researchers working here to concentrate ontheir work. Relying on the academic support of Nanjing Tech University, coupled with theinfrastructure support and preferential policies provided by Chuzhou, Jiuying membrane project has connectedthe chain from basic research to pilot incubation, and then to mass production, forming an increasingly complete "talent chain" in Chuzhou. As the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta enters a new stage of development, Chuzhou City is accelerating the construction of Pukou-Nanqiao new functional area, Chuzhou HigherEducation Science and Innovation City. 18 kilometres westof Nanjing Jiangbei New Area, Chuzhou Higher Education Science and Innovation City, as the city's "cross-regional collaborative innovation experimental zone, the pilot area for the transfer and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements" innovation platform, in recent years, has introducedhigher education resources such as the Anhui Science and Technology UniversityChuzhou campusand Engineering Training Centerof Nanjing Tech University into the park. In the park, road signs with Nanjing's unique imprintcan be seen everywhere, and companies are equipped with shuttle buses to and from the two places, which greatly facilitates the work needs. In recent years, the city has introduced 14 high-level talent projects, 137 high-level talents in various fields, settled and incubated more than 300 science and technology enterprises, and gradually built up four functional sections integrating science and technology research, emergingindustries, high education and research, and urban services. Source: Anhui Daily Reported by Cheng Zhao Edited and translated by Zheng Chen and Wang Xirui
Shouts and squeals echoed across the playground behind Big Skys Ophir Elementary as some two dozen kids reveled in one of their final recesses before the big sigh of summer break. Beneath the blistering spring sun, a young girl dashed away from a half-dome lattice of climbing bars, nearly tripping in the wood chips as she sidled up to Matt Daugherty.

How are you doing? he asked, his sunglasses and school ID badge hanging from the front of his blue polo.

I did a front flip, she replied matter-of-factly.

As Daugherty continued to stroll past, two more students raced up the sidewalk, a paraeducator hot on their heels. Daughertys red beard drew up in a grin as he called out, Theyre keeping you running today! He repositioned the walkie-talkie clipped at his side and continued walking up the hill behind Ophir, past a fenced-off construction area and toward his office in a windowed corner of Lone Peak High School.

Midway through the 2022-23 school year, Daugherty joined the Big Sky district full-time as its inaugural school marshal. Its a first-of-its-kind position in Montana, made possible by the 2021 Legislatures passage of a law sponsored by then-Rep. Derek Skees, R-Kalispell. The post is so new, in fact, that when Big Skys board of trustees began considering its creation last fall, Superintendent Dustin Shipman had no peers with marshals to turn to for insight. Now Daugherty and the district are learning as they go, tending to a growing list of administrative responsibilities in the name of student safety.

In an era when the threat of violence in schools manifests in a near-constant drumbeat of national headlines, education officials across Montana have increasingly turned to infrastructure upgrades and new staff positions to prepare for a variety of gut-wrenching scenarios that no longer feel improbable. Camera systems, shatterproof glass, electronic door locks and local agreements with law enforcement agencies have become more common than not over the past decade, in districts large and small alike.

In the past six months, threats delivered via phone, email and social media have put schools in Bozeman, Billings, Missoula and West Yellowstone on lockdown. As Bozeman Schools Superintendent Casey Bertram put it, school violence doesnt pick and choose communities. Early in his 21-year career in public education, Bertram said, violence seemed more confined to rare events such as the 1999 shooting at Colorados Columbine High School, and schools nationwide would dramatically change their safety policies in the aftermath. Today, the specter of school violence feels different to him.

Now it feels like theyre so close together that it feels like it could happen in your backyard, it could happen in your state, and thats a daunting feeling, Bertram said.

The position Skees bill authorized  the school marshal  was designed in large part to insert a trained defender between students and anyone who might do them harm. And thats a position Daugherty has occupied before, first as a K-9 handler in the U.S. Air Force, then in a succession of law enforcement gigs with the Lewistown Police Department and the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office. He spent his final eight years with the latter serving as the regional sergeant in Big Sky, during which time the sheriffs office created a school resource officer post in the district, one currently occupied by Daughertys former colleague, Deputy Travis Earl.

That history has marked Daugherty with the straight back and vigilant eyes of a seasoned lawman. But he is among the first to stress that his new station is far different, and far more nuanced, than any hes held before. He and the district are still working to determine the contours of those nuances, and articulate them to a Big Sky community filled with questions and more than a few concerns. The marshal stands as one example of the strategies schools across Montana are implementing to meet what Superintendent Shipman considers one of public educations top priorities.

The safety of our students is front of mind for me, be it an icy road or an active shooter, Shipman said. Thats one of the biggest responsibilities we as school administrators and teachers have. Its me, its the principals  everybody has that responsibility on the front of their mind every day.

Fulfilling that responsibility is now Daughertys primary role. Square-shouldered and fit, with the affable demeanor of a dad whose own child belongs to the student body now in his charge, he greets the districts children daily at the schools front doors. His goal in doing so, he said, is to be a positive, visible presence for them  and to build the trust and rapport necessary to spot any early signs of turbulence in their lives.

Having a (finger on the) pulse and having eye contact with kids when theyre on their way into school, with parents when theyre on their way into school, you just get a feel of where things are at, Daugherty said.

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED

On April 5, Caroline Lurgio yanked down the blinds in her Hellgate High School classroom, locked the door and, with help from a student, barricaded it with tables. With the room dark, her third-period English class grouped in a corner, and a heavy stick and can of wasp spray at the ready, Lurgio waited, poised to attack anyone who might try to force their way in.

Minutes ticked by, maybe 20. Time got weird. Lurgio knew nothing about what might be happening beyond her makeshift barricade. She knew only what shed read in an email minutes after class started, the email Hellgates principal, via the PA system, had directed staff to read: Hellgate was in full lockdown  a response, Lurgio gradually learned, to a threat involving a gun posted to social media by a student.

Outside, Missoula police officers and other local law enforcement personnel began systematically sweeping the school grounds, searching for the responsible student. Authorities also shut down a two-block stretch of Higgins Avenue just south of the commercial Hip Strip corridor, having quickly determined that the student was not on Hellgate property. As the search continued, so did the lockdown. Lurgio kept checking in with her students, gauging their emotional states and gleaning information theyd learned about the situation from their own social media accounts. After a while, she broke out some colored pencils and passed them around.

Its amazing what colored pencils and a blank piece of paper can do, Lurgio told Montana Free Press. Just the calmness of drawing is something that was really helpful.

That same day, state representatives 100 miles away in Helena cast one of their final votes on a Senate bill requiring annual reviews of school safety plans and addressing consistency concerns related to state-mandated threat assessment teams. Senate Bill 213 passed on a bipartisan 82-18 vote.

All told, Lurgio and her class sheltered in the dark for three hours before the principal announced a plan to safely dismiss students for the day. Across Missoula, 15 other public schools had been placed under so-called soft lock-ins as well, their buildings closed to outsiders but their normal routines continuing indoors. As Lurgio finally opened the blinds, afternoon sunlight poured into the room.

I guess we hadnt really realized how dark it had been for so long, Lurgio said. As soon as (the students) left, we sort of all cried a bit, a lot of letting down. At that point, you let your guard down, you recognize what happened, what could have happened.

The following day  the same day SB 213 cleared its final House vote  a fuller picture of the goings-on at Hellgate emerged for public consumption. According to media reports, a threat of an active shooter posted to Snapchat was brought to the attention of Hellgates school resource officer, prompting the lockdown and an immediate response by local police, the Missoula County Sheriffs Office, Montana Highway Patrol and the FBI. Thered been no such shooter, but Missoula County Public Schools spokesperson Vinny Giammona acknowledged that even without actual violence, an incident involving SWAT team sweeps and closed roads and locked doors districtwide tugs at all of us.

The unique thing in that scenario is there wasnt just a lockdown at Hellgate, but that lockdown eventually led to a lock-in of all of our other buildings in Missoula, Giammona said. That created another layer, because now youre messaging essentially 17 buildings that theyre in some sort of safety lock-in, lockdown, which as you can imagine is going to be scary for the majority of our parents across the city.

Like Bozeman Schools Superintendent Bertram, Giammona has noticed a distinct change in the atmosphere around school safety. After dedicating its attention during the COVID-19 pandemic to statewide shutdowns and hybrid attendance models, he said, MCPS has now turned its focus to crafting a consistent response to any kind of crisis. That means training staff, installing more cameras, developing crisis response teams for each building, and soliciting voter support for two school facilities levies last month to help pay for additional upgrades. Both passed.

As a result, the Missoula district is already doing much of what SB 213 will now require statewide. But the Hellgate incident was a stark reminder that there are always improvements to be made. For instance, Giammona said, the difference between Hellgates lockdown and the lock-ins at other schools  where facilities were secured, but daily activities continued indoors  was murky for some parents. MCPS is reexamining the language it uses as part of a broader refinement of its real-time communication strategy. As the nature of threats to schools evolves, so does the districts responses.

Social media has really changed the landscape, Giammona said. Its changed access, its changed the ability to make a threat.

For Billings Public Schools, that evolution led to the hiring this spring of former Billings police officer Jeremy House as the districts new safety coordinator. Like Big Skys marshal, the position is a first in the states public education system. House will serve primarily as the administrative nerve center for safety coordination across Billings schools, reviewing emergency protocols and improving preparedness. And his installment in the post comes during a school year punctuated by a December lockdown at Billings West High School  part of a rash of simultaneous phone threats that also struck schools in Helena, Red Lodge and Forsyth.

Law enforcement quickly determined the threat was false, and the lockdown was lifted within half an hour. But according to Billings Public Schools Superintendent Greg Upham, it wasnt the only event last fall to drive home the need for a safety coordinator. That same week, a pair of threats scrawled on bathroom walls prompted many West High parents to pull their students from school for a day. Upham said investigators couldnt find the source of that threat, and classes were held on the date mentioned in the threat with a heightened police presence and what Upham described as very, very low student attendance. A separate threat against Billings Senior High School posted to social media that same week resulted in the arrest of one student.

Its like a loss of innocence, Upham said.

When House came on board this spring, Upham made a point to introduce him to staff at every school in Billings to talk about not just his plans for the district, but what individual educators can do to protect and care for themselves. Upham  whos retiring this summer  sees threats of shootings and resulting lockdowns as one more added stressor on the school community, layered on top of evolving pandemic protocols and the heated masking debates of recent years. While Upham said he hasnt seen those stressors dampen teachers enthusiasm, he does see a need to respond with strength and unity, because we cant just keep being the victim.

I just refuse to be scared all the time, and I dont want our people being scared all the time, Upham said. Its a great profession. It takes care of kids. Im passionate about this, but this is what concerns me about retiring. I feel like Im leaving people on the battlefield.

In Missoula, Lurgios memory of lockdown remains vivid, an experience she said will undoubtedly live in the collective culture of Hellgate for years to come. Shes thankful that her 18-year tenure as a Montana teacher has included active shooter training, which she said should be mandatory. When the lockdown started, Lurgio already had her classroom stocked with drinking water, and privacy blankets and a bucket for a makeshift bathroom, and she knew precisely what to do, making a quick pivot from a discussion about Shakespeares Macbeth to the hushed intensity of a survival situation. Her demeanor, she said, seemed to reassure her students, a current of confidence cutting through the tense atmosphere.

Still, Lurgio said, she feels a profound sadness about the event. Sadness for colleagues who didnt have her level of training, for seniors whose high school years were bookended by the descent into a global pandemic and the sudden shock of a lockdown, and for a struggling student whod put their school on high alert.

Its silly to think that now my classroom is more than just a place for learning, Lurgio said. Its now an environment that needs to have all these extra resources, and I need to be prepared and think about these things. Those are definitely lasting effects.
U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks Air Force One as he visits Britain, at Stansted Airport, Britain, July 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A 25-year-old man was suspected of attacking a kindergarten in China's Guangdong province on Monday, killing six people and injuring one, triggering an outpouring of concern about violence against children at school.
Robert Fenton Jr., administrator for Region 9 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, speaks at a press conference Monday, May 29, 2023, at Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense headquarters in Agana Heights.
Nathan Ojeda, right, is seen with his attorney, Jocelyn Roden, on Thursday, July 6, 2023, at the Superior Court of Guam for a motion to dismiss the case or suppress evidence.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative CEO and General Manager Todd Telesz has resigned after less than two years on the job, and the co-op with operations in nine states is launching a national search for a new leader.

The reasons for Telesz's departure weren't clear. A Monday statement from Basin offered no details, and Telesz did not immediately respond to Tribune requests for comment.

Telesz quit on Saturday, according to Chris Baumgartner, the co-op's senior vice president of member and external relations. Basin's board accepted his resignation and named Todd Brickhouse the interim CEO and general manager. Brickhouse joined Basin in 2022 as its senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Telesz resigned of his own accord, according to Baumgartner, who said the company would not release further details out of respect for Telesz's privacy. Baumgartner told the Tribune that Telesz's departure was "a personal decision" and attributed the quick appointment of an interim CEO to "contingencies in place" for such scenarios.

Board President Wayne Peltier said in the Monday statement that We have an experienced and strong leadership team in place that is skilled at handling change and the unexpected, a skillset that is a necessity in our business.

Telesz joined Basin in September 2021, succeeding retiring CEO Paul Sukut. Telesz came from Parker, Colorado, where he had served as senior vice president of the Power, Energy, and Utilities division at CoBank, which provides loans and financial services to co-ops, agribusinesses, rural utilities and farm credit associations throughout the U.S.

On behalf of the entire board, I thank Todd Telesz for his service to Basin Electric and wish him well in his future endeavors, Peltier said.

Brickhouse joined Basin last year after 21 years at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative in Glen Allen, Virginia, where he served as vice president and treasurer.

As Todd steps into his new role, were confident our leadership team will continue to execute on Basin Electrics mission and fulfill our commitment to our member-owners and stakeholders, Peltier said.

Basin Electric provides electricity to 141 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Those systems distribute power to about 3 million consumers. The co-op has about 1,800 employees, according to Baumgartner.

Basin will conduct a national search for its next CEO and general manager, and will consider both internal and external candidates, according to Peltier. The co-op did not offer a timeline. Baumgartner said the search will be conducted "prudently and expeditiously."
A North Dakota county election official is suing the state's election director to block the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day in a lawsuit filed by a conservative group that also brought lawsuits amid former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud in 2020.

An election law expert says the Public Interest Legal Foundation appeared to be court-shopping for a conservative circuit with its case, which seeks an injunction against the election director for enforcing the state's laws.

Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski, who was elected last fall, alleges he is harmed by instructions to accept and cast ballots received after Election Day, and that because federal and state law conflict on the day the ballots must be turned in, he faces an impossibility in enforcing the law," according to a complaint filed Wednesday in federal court.

Despite federal law assigning one day as Election Day, North Dakota law allows ballots to arrive and be counted up to 13 days after Election Day, the complaint states.

The U.S. Constitution gives states the authority to decide how their elections are run.

Splonskowski claims he risks criminal penalties if he chooses incorrectly which law to enforce.

North Dakota law allows mailed ballots received after Election Day to be counted by county canvassing boards, which meet 13 days after the election, but those ballots must be postmarked before the election's date.

The foundation in 2020 brought voting-related lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Arizona amid Trump's claims of election fraud.

Election Day has ceased to be a day, Foundation President J. Christian Adams said in a statement. Instead, we have election month because states accept ballots that arrive days and even weeks after Election Day. Not only does this lead to distrust and chaos in the system, but it also violates federal law. PILF is fighting to end this lawlessness and restore the day in Election Day.

Adams was a member of Trump's voting integrity panel that investigated the 2016 election for fraud.

University of California Los Angeles law professor and election law expert Rick Hasen in an interview said the lawsuit is kind of a roundabout way of attacking not having full results on Election Day, so it very much ties into Trump's unsupported claims about the (2020) election."

Splonskowski said in an interview the lawsuit has nothing to do with 2020. He said the foundation reached out to him and told me that there were some concerns" about North Dakota's law.

What I am trying to do is be proactive and trying to ensure that future elections are as secure as possible and try to do anything I can proactively to ensure that our elections are secure and bolster public confidence in our election system," he told The Associated Press.

I think that so long as a state is intending to accept ballots that have been cast by Election Day that it likely does not violate federal law to count ballots that arrive after Election Day, but I'm not aware of any court that has squarely addressed the issue," Hasen said.

State Election Director Erika White did not immediately respond to a phone message for comment on the lawsuit.

The foundation is a so-called voter integrity group that pushes lawsuits aimed at what they say will make a more secure election but that often seem to be geared towards making it harder for people to register or to vote, according to Hasen.

West Fargo-area attorney David Chapman is the group's local counsel. He referred questions to the foundation's media contact.

The foundation appears to have been looking around North Dakota for potential parties for its case.

McKenzie County Auditor/Treasurer Erica Johnsrud said in an interview that foundation representatives met with her on June 1, looking for parties to join this potential litigation.

Johnsrud declined to join the case. I believe North Dakota has great election laws in place, and we have a great relationship with the secretary of state's office, and it just didn't feel it was in the best interests of my county or my citizens, she said.

Bowman said the foundation met with several state and local officials before filing this case and that it filed in North Dakota because the states 13 days of accepting ballots is one of the longest election extensions in the country.

This case is about North Dakota, she said when asked if a national injunction is the foundation's goal with the case.

Hasen, the election law expert, said the U.S. Eighth Circuit, a seven-state court that includes North Dakota, is a pretty conservative court compared to more liberal, neighboring courts. District Judge Dan Traynor, a Trump appointee, is handling the case.
Ukraine tops NATO summit agenda along with defense plans, Swedens membership and Belarus fears View Photo

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP)  Russias war in Ukraine will top the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts hold a summit in Lithuanias capital over two days starting Tuesday.

They are expected to focus on ensuring that Ukraine has support as long as the conflict continues, how to bring the country even closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesnt invade again after the war ends.

The leaders meeting in Vilnius are set to endorse new defense plans in case Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to broaden Moscows war beyond Ukraine and westward into allied territory. They also weigh defense spending, and how to boost their budgets as aid to Ukraine eats into national military coffers.

Swedens accession to the 31-nation alliance is up for discussion, too, as Turkey delays the Scandinavian countrys entry into the worlds biggest security organization.

UKRAINES NATO MEMBERSHIP

The biggest item on NATOs agenda is what to do about Ukraine. U.S. President George W. Bush led the charge in 2008, promising that Ukraine would become a member one day.

Now, the country is trying to fend off a full-scale invasion by NATOs old foe Russia. The West believes that Ukraine is standing up for its interests, and countries are pouring in billions in aid, economic and military support.

NATO isnt ready to start membership talks with Ukraine yet. But it is helping to train and modernize its armed forces and security institutions to ensure that the country can take its place among NATOs ranks after the war is over. The summit will see a new forum for consultations created  the NATO-Ukraine Council.

SECURITY GUARANTEES

Its not really a topic for NATO  more for individual allies  but its set to dominate talks in Vilnius.

NATO and its Western partners are discussing ways to protect Ukraine after the war from a future invasion. NATO membership offers ironclad all for one, one for all protection, but the 31 countries must agree unanimously on letting Ukraine in, and theyre not united on this.

Failing that, major allies like the U.S., U.K., France and Germany could pledge to shield the country from another attack. NATO and the European Union would back that military protection with more money and other aid.

Its unlikely that any conclusions will be drawn in Vilnius, but the summit is an important moment for leaders to flesh out what those guarantees might look like.

SWEDENS NATO MEMBERSHIP

Nearly all allies, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden say the country has done enough to join the military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesnt agree, and he aims to steal the summit spotlight.

Sweden has given up a history of military neutrality to seek protection under NATOs security umbrella. It has changed its anti-terror laws and lifted an arms embargo on Turkey to assuage Erdogans concerns.

To no avail.

The long-time Turkish leader used the issue during election campaigning last month. Hes also seeking upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the U.S., and Sweden could be leverage.

DEFENSE SPENDING

This is a perennial issue. The U.S. routinely flails its allies for failing to spend enough on their defense budgets. With money, arms and ammunition being poured into Ukraine, the need to boost national military budgets is a no-brainer.

The allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense within a decade. The 2024 deadline approaches.

In Vilnius, the leaders will agree to make 2% the floor  that is, the least they should be spending  rather than the ceiling.

REGIONAL DEFENSE PLANS

NATO is conducting the biggest revamp of its defense plans since the Cold War in case Putin decides to widen the conflict outside Ukraine.

Right now, around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies each day, and 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.

Those numbers are set to rise. Under new defense plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops available to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones  the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. The top-secret documents lay out which countries and what equipment should defend any area under threat.

BELARUS

Its not on the agenda, but NATO hopes that Belarus, Lithuanias big neighbor, and Russias main backer, will play no surprise role in the summit or the war in Ukraine.

Belarus lies just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Vilnius. Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was offered refuge there. The jury is out on how many of his fighters might join him.

We have seen some preparations for hosting large groups of soldiers in Belarus. So far, we havent seen them going to Belarus, Stoltenberg said Friday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also said last month that his country has received Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Hes warning that he would order their use to protect his country.

NATO officials think hes bluffing. But its quite possible that Putin will resume his nuclear saber-rattling again as the leaders gather in Vilnius.
Following Uvalde shooting, Democrat Roland Gutierrez becomes Ted Cruzs latest challenger View Photo

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Democratic Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who has pushed for police accountability and tougher gun laws after the Uvalde school shooting, announced Monday he will run for U.S. Senate in 2024.

He becomes the second Texas Democrat to embark on what will be a longshot bid to deny Republican Sen. Ted Cruz a third term representing the nations biggest red state. In a three-minute video, Gutierrez launched his campaign focusing on resources for rural Texas and telling his immigrant story while making his way through Uvalde. He showed the faces of parents of children killed in the May 24 school massacre who have supported his legislative efforts for accountability following the shooting.

Out of one of the darkest days, the people of Uvalde became more than constituents, they became family, Gutierrez said in his announcement.

In May, Rep. Colin Allred became the first to enter the race. He says his campaign has since raised more than $6 million. It sets up a rare competitive Democratic primary for a major race in Texas, where decades of Republican dominance has often discouraged bigger-name Democrats from running statewide.

Gutierrez was little known beyond his South Texas district, which includes Uvalde, before a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. He spent the next year making impassioned pleas for tougher gun laws and firings over police waiting more than an hour to confront the gunman.

Texans will now get to watch Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez slug it out for who can be the most radical leftist in the state, said Nick Maddux, Cruzs spokesperson, in a statement Monday.

No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas in nearly 30 years. Former Rep. Beto ORourke nearly beat Cruz in 2018  in what was a strong year for Democrats nationally  but was soundly defeated by double-digits last year in a challenge against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Gutierrez joined Allred in accusing Cruz of abandoning Texas by going on vacation with his family during a deadly winter storm in 2021, calling the move indefensible. Both are likely to call attention to Cruz voting to reject the certification of President Joe Bidens victory over former President Donald Trump in 2020.

Joshua Blank, research director at the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas, said that two strong candidates so early in the 2024 election cycle shows confidence from the Democratic party that this could be a vulnerable year for top ticket GOP candidates in Texas.

Meanwhile, he said Gutierrezs previous single-issue approach to gun control in a Second Amendment-supporting state could favor Allreds campaign, while also turning attention to the Democratic party in the race for the U.S. Senate.

All incumbents are stronger than non-incumbents, but Cruz is not a particularly strong incumbent on his own, Blank said.

However, according to Blank, GOP voters are more consistent and turnout from independent voters will be a determinant for both parties. He said national conditions are likely to have a more central role in Texas politics than they have in the last two decades given Cruzs support for Trump, a Republican presidential candidate.

By ACACIA CORONADO

Associated Press
"Pile out, you tramps! It's the end of the line."

Before women's prison movies became shameless exercises in camp, Caged valiantly sought to expose the deplorable conditions, rampant abuse, corrupt culture, and bureaucratic indifference that plagued state penitentiaries and often destroyed the lives of those incarcerated there. Director John Cromwell's affecting film models itself after the similarly themed I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, produced almost two decades earlier and stands as the blueprint for all the wild, exploitative women's prison pictures that would follow it.

The purpose of the penal system is to rehabilitate its inmates and help them become upstanding, law-abiding citizens but Caged starkly shows how difficult it is to achieve those lofty goals and how the hellish reality of life behind bars often transforms convicts into career criminals instead. The dictatorial matrons who rule their cell blocks with an iron fist use fear and intimidation to first break the wills and then the spirits of the felons, plunging them into an abyss of hopelessness and desperation. Those who can claw their way out become bitterly disillusioned and quickly learn playing by the rules gets them nowhere, so they align themselves with shady characters who have crooked connections on the outside who can fast-track their paroles. Anything just to get out. Though they know full well joining the criminal ranks may lead to ruin, it's far better than dying a slow, agonizing death in a cold, concrete cage.

Naive, scared, and only 19 years old, Marie Allen (Eleanor Parker) is sent up the river for her accessory role in a bank robbery, but her real crime was blindly loving her no-good husband who masterminded the heist and lost his life during it. Adding insult to injury, Marie discovers she's pregnant shortly after she's processed, and though the benevolent prison warden, Ruth Benton (Agnes Moorehead), respects her delicate condition and treats her with kid gloves, the sadistic, imperious, and slyly manipulative matron who oversees Marie's cell block, thumbs her nose at Ruth's directives and mercilessly bullies Marie and her fellow inmates.

Dealing with the stresses, harshness, and fear of prison life and finessing the alliances and rivalries that define its culture take a toll on Marie, but she sticks to her principles and soldiers on...until circumstances conspire against her and force her to think about not just freedom, but survival. As one of the inmates tells her, "In this cage, you get tough or get killed."

Though Parker headlines the cast and anchors the film, Caged is a true ensemble piece that gives each of its colorful characters their due. The incarcerated ladies run the gamut in age and personality, and the Oscar-nominated screenplay by Virginia Kellogg (who extensively researched women's prisons for months to authentically capture the horrific atmosphere) and Bernard C. Schoenfeld highlights their individual travails, triumphs, and tragedies. Some of the women are stereotypes - or would become stereotypes in future films - but all, even the monstrous matron (played to the hilt by Hope Emerson), exude a humanity that's often lacking in jailhouse pictures.

The requisite social issue preaching, which provokes a sense of outrage and disgust, is deftly woven into the script's fabric, but Cromwell, an often underrated director who helmed an array of top-flight movies over the course of his three-decade career including the original versions of Of Human Bondage and The Prisoner of Zelda, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Since You Went Away, and The Enchanted Cottage, never allows it to overshadow the action. First and foremost, Caged is a cautionary tale and Cromwell keeps its focus on the respective plights of the beleaguered inmates.

Ironically, Caged would be a breakout picture for Parker. Her dimensional, riveting portrayal catapulted her to the top of her trade (where she would remain throughout the 1950s) and earned her the first of three career Best Actress Oscar nominations. (The insanely stiff competition that year included both Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in All About Eve, Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd., and eventual winner Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday.) Parker's pitiable, plaintive expression early in the film gradually gives way to a square-jawed hardness that's chilling, and though her transformation from wispy waif to tough broad is a little swift, it's utterly believable. Marie endures and witnesses plenty of horrors during her sentence, but Parker resists any temptations to overact. Her natural, nuanced performance adds to the power of Caged and helps the story and its themes resonate.

Emerson, a big, imposing presence, looms large and files one of the nastiest portrayals in film history. Whether barking orders, cracking wise, or disdainfully sneering, she's always magnetic and justly nabbed a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod for this frightening turn. (She lost the award to the far more lovable Josephine Hull in Harvey.) Moorehead earnestly plays the frustrated, often exasperated warden whose tireless efforts on behalf of her inmates are constantly thwarted by both the state and her own rogue staff, and a host of wonderful character actresses like Ellen Corby, Betty Garde, Jan Sterling, Lee Patrick, and Jane Darwell round out the first-rate cast.

With its noir accents, downbeat mood, taut pacing, sassy script packed with jailhouse lingo, and top-notch performances, Caged supplies potent drama and delivers a sober message. It may seem cliched by today's tawdry standards, but it was fresh and shocking in 1950 and when viewed in the context of its time, Caged remains raw, biting, and scary.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Caged arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.
A recent prank involving a fake shark fin off the coast of a UK beach caused terror among local children. The fin, which appeared to belong to a great white shark, turned out to be a hoax planted in the water by an anonymous individual.

Crafted out of insulation foam and painted dark grey, the fake fin had a wooden stick attached to weigh it down. It was positioned approximately 300 yards from the coast of Torquay. The prank was discovered by a teacher leading a group of children on a trip with Devon Sea Safari. The captain of the boat, Rob Hughes, inspected the fin and realized it was fake.

The Independent:
In honor of the NATO summit July 11 and 12, this is a comparison of how the Nazi leadership in World War Two and todays collective West similarly underestimated Russia and overestimated their capabilities.

Despite Russias overwhelming upper hand in Ukraine, Western officials and media continue to largely pump sunshine and weave stories of Russian collapse.

There are increasing breaks in the fever, and it looks like maybe, hopefully the acceptance of the loss is gaining traction in Washington.

Meanwhile, the unwillingness or inability for hardliners to objectively assess efforts against Russia occurs today just as it did during Operation Barbarossa. As Seymour Hersh writes:

There is an enormous gap between the way the professionals in the American intelligence community assess the situation and what the White House and the supine Washington press project to the public by uncritically reproducing the statements of Blinken and his hawkish cohorts.

This too is reminiscent of the Nazi offensive against the Soviet Union when the failure was hidden from the German public. Adding to the similarities is the fact that both the Third Reich command and todays officials in the West simultaneously downplay Russias military capabilities while endlessly hyping the threat from Moscow.

Hitler, similar to so many Western experts and officials today, mocked Russias supposed backwardness while also hyping the threat Slavic Bolshevism posed to the West. The progression of his comments show him seesawing between a reluctant acceptance and desperate hope as his miscalculations of Russia slowly dawn on him. Its a path todays governments in the West are still discovering.

On the other hand, Goebbels diary entries are faster to admit that Operation Barbarossa was a disaster.

Prior to the operation, he writes how there is no way the USSR could hope to oppose the strongest army in all of history and adds that I consider the Russian military force to be very weak, even weaker than the Fuhrer believes. If anything is a sure thing, it is this.

Indeed, German high command anticipated a quick collapse of Soviet resistance along the lines of the Blitzkrieg in Poland, but within a few weeks of the launch of the German offensive, its clear that Berlin underestimated the Russians. And the winter of 1941-42 saw the Nazi war machine stopped 12 miles short of Moscow and then driven back. It was all downhill from there.

Despite evidence that Russian resistance was much more capable than anticipated, Hitler continues to talk of Russian inferiority and a breakup of the country for months before a realization of the situation begins to set in. Read in tandem with Goebbels more honest diary entries, it calls to mind todays battle within the Blob between the realists and anti-Russian fanatics.

Well start with Hitler and Goebbels followed by a sampling of miscalculations by todays West.

The following quotes from Hitler and Goebbels are from Hitlers Table Talk 1941-1944 and Tagebucher 1924-1945, respectively.

Goebbels, July 2, 1941:

the fighting is hard and stubborn. We can in no way speak of a walk in the park. The red regime mobilized the people.

Goebbels, August 1:

In the Fuhrers headquarters its also openly admitted that they were somewhat mistaken in their evaluation of the Soviet military force. The Bolsheviks reveal a greater resistance than we had suspected; in particular, the material resources available to them were greater than we thought.

Goebbels, August 19:

Privately, the Fuhrer is very irritated with himself for having been misled to such an extent  regarding the strength of the Bolsheviks  by the reports [by German agents] coming from the Soviet Union. In particular, the underestimation of the enemys armored vehicles and planes caused us many problems. He suffers a lot because of this. Were dealing with a grave crisis

Goebbels, September 16:

We have totally underestimated the strength of the Bolsheviks.

October 17, 1941. Hitler speaking to Reich Minister Dr. Todt and Gauleiter Sauckel:

We shall have to settle down to the task of rebuilding the Russian track, to restore it to the normal gauge. Theres only one road that, throughout all these last months of campaigning, was of any use to the armies on the central frontand for that Ill set up a monument to Stalin. Apart from that, he preferred to manufacture chains of mud rather than to build roads ! What a task awaits us! We have a hundred years of joyful satisfaction before us.

Hitler, November 12, 1941:

Its a huge relief for our Party to know that the myth of the Workers Paradise to the East is now destroyed. It was the destiny of all the civilised States to be exposed to the assault of Asia at the moment when their vital strength was weakening. From the point of view of their value as combatants, the armies of Genghiz Khan were not inferior to those of Stalin (provided we take away from Bol- shevism what it owes to the material civilisation of the West). We shall give the natives all they need: plenty to eat, and rot-gut spirits. If they dont work, theyll go to a camp, and theyll be deprived of alcohol.

Hitler, October 25, 1941:

I never saw anybody so amazed as that Russian ambassador, the engineer, who came to me one evening to thank me for not having put any obstacles in the way of a visit he paid to some German factories. At first I asked myself if the man was mad! 1 supposed it was the first time he saw things as they are, and I imagine he sent his Government an indiscreet note on the subject.

Hitler, Night of January 5-6, 1942.

A few days before our entry into Russia, I told Goering that we were facing the severest test in our existence. Goering fell off his perch, for hed been regarding the campaign in Russia as another mere formality. What confirmed me in my decision to attack without delay was the information brought by a German mission lately re- turned from Russia, that a single Russian factory was producing by itself more tanks than all our factories together. I felt that this was the ultimate limit. Even so, if someone had told me that the Russians had ten thousand tanks, Id have answered : Youre completely mad! The Russians never invent anything. All they have, theyve got from others. Everything comes to them from abroadthe engineers, the machine-tools. Give them the most highly perfected bombing-sights. Theyre capable of copying them, but not of inventing them. With them, working-technique is simplified to the uttermost. Their rudimentary labour-force compels them to split up the work into a series of gestures that are easy to perform and, of course, require no effort of thought. They eat up an incredible number of tractors, for theyre incapable of performing the slightest repair.

Hitler, January, 1942:

Stalin pretends to have been the herald of the Bolshevik revolution. In actual fact, he identifies himself with the Russia of the Tsars, and he has merely resurrected the tradition of Pan-Slavism. For him Bolshevism is only a means, a disguise designed to trick the Germanic and Latin peoples. If we hadnt seized power in 1933, the wave of the Huns would have broken over our heads. All Europe would have been affected, for Germany would have been powerless to stop it. Nobody suspected it, but we were on the verge of catastrophe.

Hitler, February 6, 1942.

Theres one thing that Japan and Germany have absolutely in commonthat both of us need fifty to a hundred years for purposes of digestion: we for Russia, they for the Far East.

Hitler, February 19, 1942:

Ive always detested snow; Bormann, you know, Ive always hated it. Now I know why. It was a presentiment.

Hitler, February 22, 1942:

The Russian, as an individual fighting man, has always been our inferior. Russians exist only en masse, and that explains their brutality.

Hitler, April 19, 1942:

In short, our policy in the wide Russian spaces should be to encourage any and every form of dissension and schism.

Hitler, July 19, 1942:

Just when the difficulties of the eastern winter campaign in the East had reached their height, some imbecile pointed out that Napoleon, like ourselves, had started his Russian campaign on 22nd June. Thank God, I was able to counter that drive with the authoritative statement of historians of repute that Napoleons campaign did not, in fact, begin until 23rd June!

Hitler, July 22, 1942:

For at the same time as they were trying by Communist Party terrorism, by strikes, by their press, and by every other means at their disposal to ensure the triumph of pacifism in our country, the Russians were building up an enormous army. Disregarding the namby-pamby utterances about humanitarianism which they spread so assiduously in Germany, in their own country they drove their workers to an astonishing degree, and the Soviet worker was taught by means of the Stakhanov system to work both harder and longer than his counterpart in either Germany or the capitalist States. The more we see of conditions in Russia, the more thankful we must be that we struck in time. In another ten years there would have sprung up in Russia a mass of industrial centres, in- accessible to attack, which would have produced armaments on an inexhaustible scale, while the rest of Europe would have degenerated into a defenceless plaything of Soviet policy. It is very stupid to sneer at the Stakhanov system. The arms and equipment of the Russian armies are the best proof of its efficiency in the handling of industrial man-power. Stalin, too, must command our unconditional respect. In his own way he is a hell of a fellow ! He knows his models, Genghiz Khan and the others, very well, and the scope of his industrial planning is exceeded only by our own Four Year Plan. And there is no doubt that he is quite determined that there shall be in Russia no unemployment such as one finds in such capitalist States as the United States of America.

Hitler, July 26, 1942:

One must give the Russians their due and admit that, in this respect, they have succeeded in limiting the power of monopolies and eliminating private interests. As a result, they are now in a position to prospect throughout their territory for oil, whose position and probable extension are studied by experts with the assistance of very large-scale maps. In this way, they have not only been able to trace the course of the oil-veins, but have also verified their facts and extended their knowledge by test borings carried out at the expense of the State. There is a lot we can learn from them.

Hitler, August 26, 1942:

If Stalin had been given another ten or fifteen years, Russia would have become the mightiest State in the world, and two or three centuries would have been required to bring about a change. It is a unique phenomenon! He has raised the standard of livingof that there is no doubt; no one in Russia goes hungry any more. They have built factories where a couple of years ago only unknown villages existedand factories, mark you, as big as the Hermann Goring Works. They have built railways that are not yet even on our maps. In Germany we start quarrelling about fares before we start building the line !

Hitler, August 28, 1942:

As regards the Russians, their powers of resistance are inimitable, as they proved in the Russo-Japanese War. This is no new characteristic which they have suddenly developed. If anything happens to Stalin, this great Asiatic country will collapse. As it was formed, so it will disintegrate. The concentration of effort in the defence of Stalingrad is a grave mistake on the part of the Russians. The victor in war is he who commits the fewest number of mistakes, and who has, also, a blind faith in victory.

***

A sampling of similar miscalculations from todays collective West:
In chilly and challenging southern Finland, US Marines and the Finnish Navys Nyland Brigade recently trained together in the lead-up to the Finnish-led exercise Freezing Winds 22. Over three rigorous months, the newest member of NATO showed their US friends how to navigate Finlands icy waters during the longest deployment of US Marines to the country.

The US Marines stand in the cold, their heads tilted, listening.

I hear him, one of them eventually says.

After a few seconds, the rest do, too: a low droning in the distance beyond the clouds, growing steadily louder. After a minute, a cargo plane shreds through the low clouds, and a grey-hulled Finnish Air Force CASA C-295 emerges. As it soars overhead, a black bundle ejects from the back of the plane and sprouts a parachute. It sways slowly down in the frigid air until it hits the snowy field with a soft thud.

The US Marines, agile despite their heavy winter gear, amble into the fresh snow and strip the parachute rigging from the cargo, revealing a stack of truck tires. The Marines load them onto a cargo truck, which heads to a resupply point. It may not be the most glamorous work or the simplest delivery method, but the logistical support is vital for the recipients  the Finnish Navys Nyland Brigade, a unit that focuses on amphibious operations. As part of the Marines ongoing cooperation and joint training, several such crates have found their way from the skies to supply depots and to the field.

Since Finlands application for NATO membership in May 2022, which culminated with the countrys full accession to NATO on 4 April 2023, US Marines have stepped up their presence in the country. While Freezing Winds 22 took place a few months before Finland became a full NATO member, such exercises have been essential to consolidate an already solid foundation for Allied cooperation between Finnish and NATO allied forces in the field. In addition to US troops, ships from NATOs standing naval forces from the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany also participated, as well as ships from NATO Invitee Sweden. Together, Freezing Winds 22 simultaneously strengthened the bonds between NATO and Finland as well as deepened the cooperation between the Alliance and Sweden.

US Marines move through the Finnish wilderness.

We get to know each other  each others habits, the way we operate, - Finnish Navy Captain Juha Kilpi, commander of the Nyland Brigade.

Of particular significance to the Marines, Captain Juha Kilpi noted that they were embedded within the brigade for the entire deployment, living and working out of their base on the edge of the Finnish archipelago.

The US Marines belong to Combat Logistics Battalion 6 based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This three-month-long deployment to southern Finland was their longest mission in the country to date, and is a significant milestone in the evolution of the transatlantic relationship between Finland and its NATO Ally, the United States.

For us, the US Marine Corps is a big entity, he said. Its a whole different culture, and their capabilities, their way of thinking, is the biggest lesson for us to learn, and Ive been very, very satisfied with the cooperation that weve had.

Finnish Navy Jehu and Jurmo-class landing craft land Finnish troops and US Marines during exercise Freezing Winds 22.

While the Marines time on the archipelago started in the waning days of summer, they quickly had to adapt to the frigid onset of Finnish winter. In winter, the piercing winds off the Baltic Sea are unrelenting, and the ever-present cold affects everything, draining radio batteries and stalling truck engines.

These logistical headaches are intensified by the already challenging terrain of southern Finland. The vast, cold, watery maze of islands are a unique obstacle, even for the US militarys small but fierce amphibious branch. For these Marines, it was a distinct and icy learning curve.

Thankfully, the Marines had well-seasoned hosts. The Nyland Brigade specialises in amphibious operations, and for them, the archipelago is a second home. Working side by side, the Marines learned how to use small boats and landing craft to get around the islands, and Finnish helicopter pilots learned how to hoist cargo bundles prepared by their US counterparts.

US Marines watch as a Finnish Navy NH90 helicopter prepares to lift a bulk container in southern Finland.

During the final training drill of their deployment  the aptly-named exercise Freezing Winds 22, one of the Finnish Defence Forces largest naval exercises  the Marines set up a logistics hub and became the logistical backbone of the Nyland Brigade. Finnish helicopters hauled Marine-prepared supplies out to troops stationed on far-flung islands, while Marine trucks carried platoons of Nyland soldiers towards the simulated front lines.

During the culminating battle portion of the exercise, Marines joined their Finnish counterparts on an amphibious raid. As the Finnish troops moved off the beachhead and into the woods, Marines fell in with their formation, moving seamlessly and wordlessly through the pines.

On an individual level, and on a professional level, its been great working with the Finns, said Marine Captain Michael Roeske. We understand the Finnish military culture better, and they understand our culture better, and from that, weve developed working relationships that have led to the successes that weve seen during this exercise.

As Finland has now joined the Alliance, many NATO Allies will benefit from the unique skills and abilities Finland, its Nyland Brigade, and the whole of its armed forces has to offer. In turn, NATO Allies are ready not only to continue training and learning alongside their Ally Finland, but if needed, to defend Finland as well.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Vilnius on Monday (10 July 2023) and discussed final preparations for the NATO Summit with President Gitanas Nauseda.

The Secretary General said that when Allies meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will take further major steps to strengthen deterrence and defence. This includes three new regional plans, backed by 300,000 troops on high readiness, and major capabilities across all domains. "This sends a clear message that we will defend every inch of Lithuania, and every inch of Allied territory," said Mr Stoltenberg.

Mr Stoltenberg also said that Allies will take decisions on Ukraine, including a multi-year package of assistance, and upgraded political ties with a new NATO-Ukraine Council. He added that Allies will also address Ukraines path towards NATO membership.

To continue supporting Ukraine and strengthening deterrence and defence, Allies will set a more ambitious defence investment pledge, building on nine consecutive years of defence spending across European Allies and Canada. This includes a rise of 8.3% in real terms this year, the biggest increase in decades.

Allies will also meet with close partners in Vilnius, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. "This will be Finlands first Summit as a NATO Ally, and we look forward to Sweden joining as soon as possible. I will meet with President Erdogan and Prime Minister Kristersson later today as the next step in this process," said Mr Stoltenberg.


(As delivered)

President Nauseda, dear Gitanas,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome.

Let me also thank the government of Lithuania and people of Lithuania for hosting the upcoming Summit here in Vilnius.

This week at the NATO Summit, we will strengthen our deterrence and defence, including with more investment.

We will step up our support for Ukraine, and move Ukraine closer to NATO.

And we will work even more closely with partners to support the rules-based international order.

I was last here in Lithuania just two weeks ago.

Together, we met Lithuanian and German troops participating in Exercise Griffin Storm.

Demonstrating our ability to reinforce our presence in Lithuania to brigade size.

At the Summit, we will take further major steps to strengthen our deterrence and defence.

Including three new regional plans.

Backed by 300,000 troops on high readiness.

And major capabilities across all domains.

This sends a clear message that we will defend every inch of Lithuania.

And every inch of Allied territory.

We will also take decisions on Ukraine.

This includes a multi-year package of assistance.

To transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, making Ukraines forces fully interoperable with Allies.

And covering critical needs like demining equipment, fuel, and medical supplies.

We will also upgrade our political ties.

President Zelenskyy will join us for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council.

And tomorrow, Allies will address Ukraines path towards NATO membership.

To continue supporting Ukraine and strengthening our own forces, we need to invest more in defence.

So Allies will set a more ambitious defence investment pledge.

Building on nine consecutive years of increased defence spending across European Allies and Canada.

This includes a rise of 8.3% in real terms this year  the biggest increase in defence spending in decades.

We will also meet with our close partners in Vilnius, the European Union.

And the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

This will be Finlands first Summit as a NATO Ally.

And we look forward to Sweden joining as soon as possible.

I will meet with President Erdogan and Prime Minister Kristersson later today as the next step in this process.

So, President Nauseda,

Thank you again for your hospitality and Lithuanias many contributions to NATO.

Thank you.

NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Okay, we'll start with Politico, lady in green.

Lili Bayer (Politico): Thank you very much. I have a question both for the Secretary General and the president. Ukraine's Minister Kuleba tweeted earlier today that NATO Allies have reached consensus on removing MAP. But he also added that it is the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become a member. So I was wondering if you could both update us on where those discussions are and what concretely the Alliance can offer Ukraine at this stage when it comes to the prospect of membership. Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: So consultations are going on and there will be all the meetings taking place today. But I'm confident that all Allies will agree on the very clear message also when it comes to Ukraine. No final decision has been made. But at the Summit, I'm absolutely certain that we will have a unity and a strong message on Ukraine.

I put forward a package in Oslo at the informal foreign ministerial there and that included three elements: One was to have a program of practical support to ensure full interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces. This will move Ukraine closer to NATO.

The other element was to establish the NATO-Ukraine Council. This will be platform to consult and also to take decisions together.

And the third element was to remove the requirements for the Membership Action Plan. Turning the membership process for Ukraine, moving it from a two-step process to a one-step process.

And now we are discussing these elements and this package and also finalizing the discussions and the negotiations on the precise language. So I will not go into the details about what Allies are in the process of agreeing. But I welcome the fact that we are now building on the package that was launched in Oslo and I'm confident that we have a good and strong and a positive message when the Leaders meet.

Question 2 (BNS): In general, what is specifically preventing NATO from committing to accept Kyiv into the [inaudible] and to the president, how Lithuania is ready to press on NATO Allies to accept [inaudible].

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Well, all Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance and I'm confident that the Summit will make decisions which will be strong and positive on Ukraine. And we are now discussing this package that was launched in Oslo of practical support to enable full interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces, stronger political ties with the NATO-Ukraine Council and then the removal of the Membership Action Plan. And of course, this is about moving Ukraine closer to membership. But again, the final decisions will be taken when every Ally, when we all agree and the Leaders meet tomorrow. So it's too early to announce exactly their specific decisions and the specific language.

I think also, it is important to communicate that all Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance, but we also agree that NATO still remains open. And we have demonstrated that by inviting Finland and Sweden to become members. And Finland is already a full member. And we have also reiterated again and again that of course it is for the Allies and Ukraine to decide when the time is right to invite Ukraine to be a full member. The most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation in Europe because unless Ukraine prevails, then there is no membership issue to be discussed at all. So I think it's extremely important that we continue to ensure that Allies are providing weapons, ammunition, training, spare parts to Ukraine. So they are able to liberate more land but also to deter Russia from further aggression.

NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Front row here.

Question 3 (TV 2 Denmark): Yes, hello from TV 2 Denmark. Question to both. Both of you, both the Secretary General and the President. We hear now reports from Turkey that Erdogan is actually connecting future EU membership for Turkey with Sweden's accession to NATO. What do you think about that? And if Sweden doesn't get a yes from Erdogan at this Summit, do you then fear that this can drag on for a very long time?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: I support Turkiyes ambitions to become a member of the European Union. At the same time, we need to remember that what we agreed in Madrid was a specific list of conditions that Sweden has to meet to be a full member of the Alliance. And Sweden has met these conditions and that's about removing restrictions on arms exports. That has happened. Then it's about strengthening the cooperation between Turkiye and Sweden on fighting terrorism. That's taking place. And Sweden has also amended its constitution and strengthened the counterterrorism laws and Sweden is following up to address legitimate security concerns by Turkiye.

And it is important that we stand together in the fight against terrorism. But at the same time, it's also important that we address the legitimate security concerns of all Allies that want to see Sweden as a member of the Alliance as soon as possible, because this will strengthen NATO and it will strengthen our ability to defend and protect not least the Baltic region. If you just look at the map to have Sweden as a full member, in addition to Finland, really changes the geography, the NATO presence in this region.

So we are working hard to get a Sweden as a member as soon as possible. I met with President Erdogan a few weeks ago, we had constructive and good talks. We agreed at that meeting to convene the Permanent [Joint] Mechanism, the mechanism that was established by Sweden, Finland, NATO and Turkiye. They met a few days ago in Brussels, also they were able to make some progress. And then I'm looking forward to meeting President Erdogan and Prime Minister Kristersson later on today. And it's still possible to have a positive decision on Swedish membership here in Vilnius. We don't have any certainty. We don't have any guarantees. But of course, now we have the momentum of the Summit with the Leaders here and we will use that momentum to ensure as much progress as possible.

Question 4 (LRT): A question for Secretary General and the President about brigades in the NATO eastern flank, Germany promised a brigade in Lithuania, Canada promised [one] in Latvia. Do you see the need of more formal agreements or declarations for establishment of these plans in a NATO format?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: So NATO has already increased its presence in the Baltic region we established some years ago the four battlegroups. Then after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, we doubled the number of battle groups in the eastern part of the Alliance and we also made the decision at the Madrid Summit that these battle groups should be scalable up to brigade size levels. Meaning we need dedicated forces with dedicated responsibilities and also exercises and pre-positioned equipment and the infrastructure in place to quickly be scaled up to [brigade] size and that's exactly what I saw myself at the exercise here in Lithuania two weeks ago, the ability of NATO Allies, in this case Germany, to scale up to brigade-size level. Then I, of course also welcome the announcement by Germany that they are ready to have one brigade for Lithuania deployed, and I welcomed that when it was announced two weeks ago.

In NATO, we will, at this Summit, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we will agree new defence plans, we will agree a new force model, a new force structure and the force structure requirements to execute and to meet the needs to protect and defend all Allies. So the details related to our posture, or presence, will be described there but, we welcome the other day the increased presence that has been announced in the Baltic region.

NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Dear colleagues, thats all we have time for. Well see you later as the Summit gets underway. Thank you.
NATO is helping to coordinate Ukraines requests for assistance and is supporting Allies in the delivery of humanitarian and non-lethal aid. Through NATO, Allies have already pledged EUR 500 million to meet Ukraines critical needs, including fuel, demining equipment and medical supplies.

At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allies agreed to support Ukraine further with a multi-year assistance programme, which will help Ukraine transition from Soviet-era to NATO standards, training and doctrines; help rebuild Ukraines security and defence sector; and continue to cover critical needs. Furthermore, Allies agreed to upgrade political ties by establishing the NATO-Ukraine Council, a forum for crisis consultation and decision-making where all NATO members and Ukraine sit as equals. Lastly, Allies reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO when Allies agree and when conditions are met. They removed the requirement for Ukraine to pursue a Membership Action Plan (a NATO programme covering political, economic, defence, resource, security and legal reforms of aspirant countries), which will change Ukraines membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process.

These measures are building off the package of support that Allies previously agreed at the 2022 Madrid Summit, which covered areas including secure communications, combat rations, fuel, medical supplies, body armour, winter clothing, equipment to counter mines and chemical and biological threats, and portable anti-drone systems. All of this assistance itself built off years of previous support to Ukraine, which NATO has provided since Russias initial invasion and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

More broadly, NATOs Article 5 security guarantee and its ironclad promise of collective defence provides Allies with the confidence that they can send weapons to Ukraine without diminishing their own security. Furthermore, the Alliances well-established structure of common standards and interoperable systems is allowing Allies to provide equipment with the assurance that materiel transferred to Ukraine can be backfilled by compatible equipment from other Allies.

Individual NATO member countries are sending weapons, ammunition and many types of light and heavy military equipment, including anti-tank and air defence systems, howitzers, drones and tanks. To date, NATO Allies have provided billions of euros worth of military equipment to Ukraine. Allied forces are also training Ukrainian troops to use this equipment. All of this is making a difference on the battlefield every day, helping Ukraine to uphold its right of self-defence, which is enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Furthermore, Allies are providing billions of euros of financial assistance to Ukraine. Many Allies are also providing humanitarian aid to civilians and hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees. Allies are working with relevant stakeholders in the international community to hold accountable all those responsible for war crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence. Allies have also worked closely to support international efforts to enable exports of Ukrainian grain and to alleviate the global food crisis.

In the longer term, the Alliance is committed to assisting Ukraine and supporting efforts on its path of post-war reconstruction and reforms.



Learn more: Vilnius Summit Communique, 11 July 2023

Learn more: Madrid Summit Declaration, 29 June 2022

Learn more: Statement by NATO Heads of State and Government, 24 March 2022
Homosexual couple orders surrogate to MURDER unborn baby after discovering she has aggressive cancer, demands no pre-term delivery or adoption because they didnt want their DNA out there

Two males from southern California who claim to be "married" told the woman they recently hired to have a surrogate pregnancy for them to murder the child through abortion after discovering that she is battling breast cancer.

Not wanting to have a "tainted" child on their hands who comes from such a woman, the two homosexuals told Brittney Pearson, 37, from Sacramento that they want her to get an abortion immediately, or else they plan to sue her for non-compliance.

Pearson claims that doctors at Sutter Health Medical Center in Sacramento believe that she is fully capable of having a form of chemotherapy treatment that is compatible with pregnancy, which would then be induced at 34 weeks' gestation  but the two gays are having none of it.

The two males told Pearson to "immediately terminate" the child at 24 weeks, threatening to use legal means if necessary to force her to murder the unborn baby and cause it to become "erased."

Concerned that the child would develop similar health problems as Pearson, the two gays, who are unnamed in media reports, apparently want to seek out a more "perfect" candidate to have the blemish-free child they thought they were going to get.

(Related: Remember when the Colorado gay club shooting suspect self-identified as a "non-binary" person?)

This is why gays shouldn't be allowed to have surrogacy children  because unless the child is "perfect," they will want it dead

An anti-surrogacy group known as the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network was the first to report on Pearson's case. It says that the two gays do not even want Pearson to deliver the child and give it up for adoption because "they didn't want their DNA out there."

In other words, the two gays are so self-centered and narcissistic that they simply cannot bear the thought of allowing a potentially "tainted" child from their own stock to live rather than die because doing so would break their "perfect" lineage.

The distress that Pearson says she felt upon receiving these demands was immense, especially after the two homosexuals "threatened everyone they could with a lawsuit," including Pearson, her agency, and Sutter Health.

At one point, Pearson's oncologists were unsure if they could even legally give her the chemotherapy she was slated to receive and would have to consult their own lawyers because of how aggressive the two gays became in pursuing the unborn child's death.

"It was frustrating because I wanted to give them a family," Pearson told a media outlet. "They said they cared but they didn't. I felt betrayed and heartbroken."

Center for Bioethics and Culture Network Jennifer Lahl also gave a statement about the matter, explaining that the case in question "highlights many of the problems with contracted, largely commercial, pregnancy."

"The first thing I thought after I was diagnosed was I want to keep this baby safe and bring it earthside," Pearson added, noting that she had already completed one round of surrogacy previously, but has now been left feeling like "a rented-out uterus."

It turns out that Pearson found another hospital to deliver her baby, but she refused to elaborate on whether it was inducement or murder. We have since learned that the child has died.

"The baby was born on Father's Day," Pearson revealed. "My mother got to hold him and take pictures but he did not survive. I would have done things differently, but I didn't understand it since they (the two gays) didn't see him as a baby at all."

The latest news about the out-of-control debauchery and wickedness being spread by the LGBT community can be found at Evil.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Newstarget.com
Government efforts to control your thoughts, speech and life spearheaded by CISA

None of the Biden regime's censorship efforts in the lead-up to the 2020 election and beyond into the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) era would have been possible without the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which colluded with Big Tech and other entities to silence "disinformation" that the regime decided was "false."

This was the overarching revelation from the new House report showing that CISA under Biden engaged in a massive coverup of the regime's censorship agenda. CISA also worked with third parties to overturn the First Amendment entirely while pushing politics over truth.

The Brownstone Institute also points out that an unaccountable bureaucracy, in this case, "hijacked American society" by interfering with the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people who have been forced into a dystopian nightmare of spying and surveillance, censorship, and centralized control over their every move.

"The House Report reveals that CISA, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, worked with social media platforms to censor posts it considered dis-, mis-, or malinformation," reported the Brownstone Institute. "Brian Scully, the head of CISA's censorship team, conceded that this process, known as 'switchboarding,' would 'trigger content moderation.'"

"Additionally, CISA funded the nonprofit EI-ISAC in 2020 to bolster its censorship operations. EI-ISAC worked to report and track 'misinformation across all channels and platforms.' In launching the nonprofit, the government boasted that it 'leverage[d] DHS CISA's relationship with social media organizations to ensure priority treatment of misinformation reports.'"

Biden and cronies created a massive Censorship Industrial Complex to erase Americans' First Amendment rights

CISA Director Jen Easterly's recent testimony before Congress runs contrary to these switchboard programs. Easterly falsely claimed that her agency doesn't "censor anything" and that it does not "flag anything to social media organizations at all."

This is a bald-faced lie, it turns out, as CISA does precisely what Easterly claimed under oath that it does not do. And none of it would be possible apart from a "collusive apparatus of private-public partnerships designed to suppress unapproved information."

Thousands of Twitter communications obtained by Alex Berenson show concretely and unequivocally that government actors, including White House Covid Advisor Andy Slavitt, devoted much of their time to trying to silence anyone critical of the Biden regime's covid policies.

Facebook was involved, as were many other social media and tech platforms that host public conversations. This is why the whole thing was dubbed a Censorship Industrial Complex: because it is that massive of an apparatus as to warrant such an overarching designation.

There were also many political operatives involved whose job it was to focus on stamping out "malinformation," or information that is not necessarily false but that makes the regime look bad. Journalist Lee Fang described the government's malinformation campaign as one that "highlights not only the broad authority that the federal government has to shape the political content available to the public, but also the toolkit that it relies upon to limit scrutiny in the regulation of speech."

In short, the Biden regime created a Ministry of Truth using political operatives and tech platforms to enforce what was considered "true" and what was considered "false."

"Of course, the program explicitly violated the Constitution," the Brownstone Institute notes. "The First Amendment does not discriminate based on the veracity of a statement."

Since CISA officials are unelected, they are bureaucratic outlaws, of sorts, that engaged in a terror campaign of the administrative state. The agency's officials were free to operate outside the law and often in anonymity, making their terror campaign even more effective.

"Most Americans have never heard of CISA despite its overwhelming influence over lockdowns," the Brownstone Institute notes.

The latest news about government tyranny and oppression can be found at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

Brownstone.org

NaturalNews.com
Yevghenzy Prighozin openly threatened to depose Russian premier Vladimir Putin and was in turn declared an outlaw before Belarusian premiere Alexander Lukashenko brokered a surprise truce in which Prighozin's mercenaries turned away from Moscow and the man himself agreed to exile in Belarus. Reality check: he's been in Moscow, meeting with Putin, since the mutiny.

the Wagner chief was among the commanders who were invited to the Kremlin five days after the mutiny collapsed.

"The president gave an assessment of the company's actions on the front," Mr Peskov is quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

"He also gave assessment to the 24 June events. Putin listened to the commanders' explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat."

According to the spokesman, Prigozhin told Mr Putin that Wagner unconditionally supported him.
Hunter Biden DEMANDS $10 Million FROM communist China energy company in WhatsApp text while sitting next to his senile father, the Big Guy

The nefarious Biden Crime Family is busted yet again red-handed by actions of their drug-and-porn-addicted son Hunter. In another quid-pro-quo issued demand, Hunter "crack-pipe" Biden, with the crime family head master sitting next to him, asked for $10 million from a CEFC (China Energy Conglomerate) cohort to support Hunter's rock-star lifestyle of hard-core drugs, prostitutes, and online pornography engagements. Hunter Biden reminded the communist business partner how the Biden Crime Family is so great at "doing exactly what the chairman (Ye Jainming) wants," whatever that means. Hunter already pocketed $1 million in "retainer fees" and a diamond worth $80,000 just for being the puppet point-man for the Biden Crime Family's nefarious "business" dealings overseas.

Hunter "Crack-Pipe" Biden negotiates for $10 million per year "budget" in trade for furthering the "interest" of his communist China cohorts

Common senseless Hunter leaves breadcrumb trails of his illegal drug use, pornography activities, prostitute parties, and CCP deals all over the internet, so it's not difficult to track and trace all of this illegal activity the druggie engages in on a regular basis. It's always about the money with Hunter, as he stated, Very simple, 10 M per annum budget to use to further the interest of the JV. This move to 5M is completely new to me and is not acceptable obviously.

Just days after Hunter sent messages to the CEFC, money was wired by the millions through multiple accounts, that got flagged by US banks as suspicious activity. That's not all. Hunter receives money for doing virtually nothing from many shady, corrupt companies around the world, including the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Call it consulting, but it's more like selling trade secrets and national security information for cold hard cash for Hunter's drugs and whores addiction (and to pay alimony for his own bastard children).

Hunter avoids paying taxes on all this money by laundering or funneling it all through his CCP associates, who then "loan" it back to him. Hunter functions as the middle-man in many international brokered ventures, all of which need to be investigated for fraud and corruption tactics.

Hunter Biden does this quite often with his senile father, the fake President of the United States, sitting right next to him, as he has admitted in audio, texts, and other traceable means: I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled, the WhatsApp screen capture shows. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight.

Hunter Biden is so addicted to crack and prostitutes that he literally threatens his "business" cohorts if they don't support his habits with millions of dollars. "And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father."

Had Donald J. Trump and one of his sons engaged in espionage, illegal bartering with trade secrets, and laundering money with communists, like this, it would have been all over the news until an actual impeachment occurred, but when it comes to the Biden Crime Family, they're all in on shady dealings, since they've got the DOJ, FBI, and CIA working "undercover" with them on all aspects of corruption.

It's time to arrest the true criminals in Washington DC. Release all the peaceful protestors who walked to the Capital on January 6th to protest the illegally-stolen election, and use those feces-laden jail cells to house all the members of the Biden Crime Family. This is the only logical solution for repairing the Republic that is being dismantled daily by the most corrupt politicians to ever stand between our shining seas.

Do your own research and dont use Google. Try the search engine Brave BETA and get more truth news and real information. Bookmark Censored.news to your favorite websites for truth about the Biden Crime Family that's being blocked and deleted by mainstream media, social media, and the criminals in Washington DC.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com

Censored.news
British Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has announced a 21 million ($26.68M) fund to provide the National Health Service (NHS) with the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology and robotic process automation. The fund seeks to enhance patient diagnosis and treatment by equipping NHS staff with advanced AI imaging and decision support tools. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, backed by the Conservative Party, believes these reforms will make the NHS "fit for the future" and improve the efficiency of the socialized healthcare system. NHS Trusts can apply for the AI Diagnostic Fund to integrate these tools, which will aid in the prompt diagnosis of conditions like cancer, strokes and heart conditions.

The implementation of AI and automation is expected to facilitate different aspects of the NHS, including scheduling doctor appointments, organizing surgeries, transcribing doctor's notes and even aiding in the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer. Barclay envisions AI reducing the workload, enhancing productivity and allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care.

One of the key initiatives highlighted in the announcement is the commitment to expand the AI stroke diagnosis technology to cover 100 percent of stroke networks by the end of 2023. This expansion seeks to improve the treatment outcomes of thousands of stroke patients by ensuring faster and more accurate diagnoses.

The AI Diagnostic Fund will specifically focus on using AI tools in analyzing chest X-rays, the most commonly used tool for diagnosing lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United Kingdom. With over 600,000 chest X-rays conducted monthly in England, the deployment of diagnostic AI tools across more NHS Trusts will aid clinicians in diagnosing cancer patients earlier.

Mass migration drives increase in patient numbers, prompting the integration of AI and automation technologies into NHS

The integration of AI and automation technologies into the NHS seeks to address the long waiting lists and strains caused by migration.

Back in 2018, the NHS in New England grappled with a looming collapse as the state-run healthcare system struggles to cope with the increasing demands of a sick and dying population. That situation led to the decision of the state officials to instruct hospitals across the country to put a hold on non-urgent healthcare services and prioritize emergency cases.

In 2019, 55,000 scheduled operations were postponed as England's health system enters a full rationing mode. The decision came from a severe shortage of hospital beds and staff. The NHS was overwhelmed and unable to accommodate the increase in patient burden.

Additionally, thousands of patients in England faced the grim reality of waiting in line for emergency room visits, while countless others were rejected. (Related: Hospital patients in England have to wait up to NINE MONTHS before they get discharged.)

One of the driving factors behind the NHS's need for innovation is the strain caused by mass migration and the subsequent increase in patient numbers.

As Britain's largest employer and one of the biggest employers globally, the NHS has found it challenging to cope with the demand for its services. Furthermore, the reliance on foreign staff has been worsened by the government's failure to train local doctors and nurses.

As the nation's healthcare sector embraces these technological advancements, it remains to be seen how AI will transform healthcare delivery and reshape the workforce within the NHS.

Watch David Crabtree slam the former U.K. health secretary's handling of the pandemic as "not fit for purpose."
Unrepentant sociopath Matt Hancock says hes profoundly sorry for not tyrannizing Brits ENOUGH during covid

In a bizarre and groveling statement before the United Kingdom government's official COVID Inquiry this week, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who tyrannized Brits with extreme covid tyranny throughout the fake "pandemic," apologized for not unleashingtyranny upon UK citizens.

Despite being one of the worst offenders as far as covid authoritarianism is concerned, Hancock says he could have done more to prevent "covid deaths" and hopes that the next round of lockdowns for Pandemic 2.0 will be "much earlier" and "more stringent" than what occurred during covid.

As you can see from the above video clip of Hancock speaking, the guy is a maniacal psychopath who learned nothing from the consequences of the tyranny he wrought on innocent people he was supposed to represent.

It is also clear from the above video that the official COVID Inquiry is just a pretext for institutionalizing lockdowns as the new normal every time the government or the pharmaceutical industry decides that there is another "health scare" needing to be mitigated.

"Hancock's testimony seemed to confirm skeptics' worst fears that the COVID Inquiry is being used as a pretext to institutionalise lockdowns, and it marked an astonishing new low for the COVID Inquiry, which so far has revealed little of value and assiduously avoided asking officials why they found the horrific decision to copy China's lockdown policy remotely appropriate  though the officials have openly admitted lockdown wasn't part of any Western country's pandemic plan and have pondered whether any country would have done it had it not been for China," reported the Brownstone Institute.

"Worst of all may be the fact that 17 members of the pro-lockdown pressure group 'Independent SAGE' have been asked to give evidence at the COVID Inquiry. For those who've been paying attention, this is a far cry from how optimists hoped the aftermath of the COVID response would eventually play out."

(Related: Could it be that communist China is readying to unleash an attack against the United States in the near future?)

Independent SAGE is an extremist disinformation group posing as an official government body (just like the CDC is a private corporation posing as a U.S. federal agency)

It is worth pointing out that Independent SAGE is not a legitimate political body. It is little more than a group of extremists with no relevant credentials who have made it their job to pursue their "Zero Covid" goal, which communist China has already proven is not possible.

There will always be some "testing kit" somewhere that detects the presence of "covid" inside someone's body. And if the new normal is to unleash extreme government tyranny every time another "case" emerges, then there will never again be freedom in the world.

"In short, 'Independent SAGE' is nothing but a disinformation organisation that caused unfathomable harm by convincing citizens and officials to pursue an illusory goal using illiberal methods with very real and catastrophic costs," reports explain.

"To have Independent SAGE give evidence at the COVID Inquiry means the potential criminals have, quite literally, been given a role in prosecuting the case. The members of Independent SAGE are the ones who should be facing an inquiry; given the scale of the harm, the UK could do worse than to have them all banged up in the Tower of London  at least until we know more."

Keep in mind that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is another government-like entity that is technically just a private corporation in disguise steering public policy.

The latest news about the ongoing unraveling of the covid scam can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Brownstone.org

Newstarget.com

NaturalNews.com
As the oceans get warmer, climate scientists have observed a huge impact on global temperatures.

According to VOA, in a study published in the journal Earth System Science Data, experts said that oceans are warming faster than previously anticipated, which increases the danger of extreme weather, rising sea levels, and the loss of marine ecosystems.

Furthermore, they stressed that even a small increase in ocean temperature can have a global effect, such as coral bleaching and stronger hurricanes.

"There is also the loss of ice, the disintegration of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets that are contributing to sea level rise earlier than we expected it to," said Michael Mann, professor of environmental science at Pennsylvania State University.

Why ocean heat matter?

Scientists claimed that the so-called greenhouse gases contributed to the warming of the ocean.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said that 90% of the global warming is occurring in the ocean, causing the internal heat of the water to increase.

Scientists said the global average sea surface temperature last June reached unprecedented levels.

The North Atlantic has recorded an average sea surface temperature of 0.91 degrees Celsius above average, the warmest recorded for the time of year, Copernicus reported.

This is around 0.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous June record, which occurred in 2010.

The unusual warmth is most noticeable in the northern Atlantic Ocean, where temperatures are 1.36 degrees Celsius above average for the month.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has classified it as a Category 4 heatwave, a term that is rarely used to describe "extreme" heat outside the tropics.

"Such anomalous temperatures in this part of the North Atlantic are unheard of," Daniela Schmidt told the BBC, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol.

Climate experts also noted that the coasts of South America are expected to be warmer than average, while the Caribbean and Central America regions will experience a warm and dry season.

Large parts of Southeast Asia might experience drier conditions in the upcoming months.

Read Also: Warming Ocean Forces Coral Reef Fish To Relocate To Cooler Waters

2023 warmest year yet

According to Tim Lenton, professor of climate change at Exeter University, if the seas are warmer than usual, the air temperature will rise as well.

He explained that the majority of the excess heat trapped by the build-up of greenhouse gases has gone into warming the surface of the ocean, and that excess heat is often dispersed downward and into the deeper water, but movements in ocean currents, such as El Nino, can bring it back to the top.

"When that happens, a lot of that heat gets released into the atmosphere," said Prof Lenton, "driving up air temperatures."

Experts predicted that 2023 might be the world's hottest year with the development of El Nino.

This brings concern that it will temporarily drive the world past the critical 1.5C warming threshold.

El Nino is the warming of the ocean's surface in the central and eastern Pacific Oceans. Climate scientists say global warming did not cause this phenomenon but may have aggravated it.

"The temperatures will spike higher every time there is an El Nino," Abraham told VOA. "What we're seeing now is a foretelling of our future unless we reduce our greenhouse emissions."

Environmental scientists pointed out that greenhouse gases must be drastically decreased soon or the environmental implications will worsen.

"We need governments to provide incentives to move the energy and transportation industries away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy," Mann added.

Related Article: Ocean Warming And Ocean Acidification Can Affect Nutritional Content Of Food Web In Marine Organisms, New Research Reveals

Related Video:




According to a tweet published by The Azeri Times on July 9, 2023, Turkiye and Ukraine have affirmed that their grain agreement will persist, regardless of Russia's potential withdrawal. Security for shipping corridors will be provided by the Turkish Navy.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Turkish Istanbul class frigate TCG Istanbul. (Picture source: Turkish MoD)

Known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs was established amidst the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This agreement, involving Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations (UN), was a response to the cessation of maritime grain shipments from Ukraine - a key exporter via the Black Sea - due to the conflict.

The halt in Russia's grain exports further intensified the issue, leading to increased global food prices, risks of famine in impoverished nations, and allegations of Russia's utilization of food supplies as a weapon.

To mitigate the crisis, Turkey - the controller of the maritime paths from the Black Sea - and the UN initiated discussions in April 2022. The subsequent agreement, signed on 22 July 2022 in Istanbul, established guidelines for the safe exportation of grain from specified ports and aimed to address the 2022 food crisis.

The agreement, initially valid for 120 days, also led to the creation of a joint coordination and inspection center located in Turkey, with the UN acting as secretariat.

Despite temporary suspension due to a drone attack on Russian naval vessels, Russia rejoined the agreement, which was extended twice thereafter, initially in November 2022, then in March and May 2023.

As of mid-May 2023, the agreement facilitated over 950 voyages, transporting over 30 million tonnes of grain and food items from Ukrainian ports to more than 40 countries. Despite Russia's ongoing threats to withdraw in summer 2023 if its demands aren't met, the agreement stands firm.
A 13-year-old autistic boy in Colorado has been stuck in the ER at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital for the last three weeks after his father abandoned him there and social service workers said they didn't have the resources to take quick action.

The situation is so dire, in fact, that a hospital employee felt compelled to reach out to Rep. Judy Amabile of Boulder for help.

"Boulder County DHS has not spent more than five minutes with this child since his arrival three weeks ago," the hospital employee wrote.

From CBS News:

The employee said Boulder County Human Service workers initially agreed to take custody of the boy and then refused saying he was safe in an emergency department.  [Rep.] Amabile says state and county human service workers told her they are working on finding placement for the boy but she says it is unconscionable that he has been forced to live in a hospital for nearly a month, "I don't know whether the dad may or may not have reached out and ask for help but may not been able to get any help. Like we just we don't know, but what we do know is that you can't just leave a 13-year-old in an ER for weeks on end with no end in sight."  Amabile has carried legislation allocating millions of dollars to increase the availability of residential treatment. She says the state is not moving fast enough to deploy the money. "We're not responding like it's an emergency. We're responding like, well, it's a problem," she said.  While it is unclear why the boy's dad abandoned him, Amabile says, perhaps if the child welfare system had been involved sooner, he may not have done so.

Amabile said she has contacted both Boulder County and State Human Service workers but only got a "working on it" response  which is about the best you can expect from the broken U.S. health care and social services systems.
Charmed by a Capitol insurrectionist's youth, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Tyler Bensch to probation and 60 days of house detention. Prosecutors had asked for Bensch to serve 90 days in federal prison. Bensch is a member of the right-wing extremist B Squad, a subgroup of the Three Percenter antigovernment militia movement.

"I am giving you this break because of your age" at the time and a lack of criminal history, McFadden told the 19-year-old. "This doesn't need to define you or your life."

As reported by NBC News:

Bensch pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct on restricted grounds along with theft of government property, admitting that he helped carry a stolen police shield from the grounds of the Capitol. In an interview with the FBI after his arrest, Bensch said B-Squad members took part in firearms training and hand-to-hand combat training ahead of the attack. In their sentencing memo, federal prosecutors said Bensch "helped push others towards the violence" and carried a chemical irritant spray, which prosecutors said in court was bear spray. Bensch deployed the spray "against another rioter" that day.

Bensch's court-appointed attorney, Peter Cooper, said his client aspires to be a police officer, stating that it's "not beyond the realm of possibility" despite his record. It seems like police departments would love him on their force, if you ask me.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The east zone cyber crime police of the Greater Chennai Police arrested three people, including two Nigerians from Haryana, who were involved in cheating a man of Rs 1.22 lakh recently.

The police identified the accused as Hugo Francisco (40) and Duru Clinton (27) of Nigeria and Tabitha Ana (32) of Manipur. The police said the victim, Mohan (name changed), was contacted by a woman on social media in May. She introduced herself as a businesswoman based in London.

The duo exchanged mobile numbers and started talking. A few days later, the woman told Mohan that she had sent a gift to him and it was with the customs. She convinced him to pay Rs 1,22,840. After paying the amount, Mohan realised that he was conned. He then lodged a police complaint.

Based on the complaint, the police started an investigation and analysed the bank details and mobile phone networks of the victim and the fraudsters, which revealed that the fraudsters were located in Faridabad. A police team went there on July 7 and nabbed the group the next day. All three arrested accused were brought to Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: The east zone cyber crime police of the Greater Chennai Police arrested three people, including two Nigerians from Haryana, who were involved in cheating a man of Rs 1.22 lakh recently. The police identified the accused as Hugo Francisco (40) and Duru Clinton (27) of Nigeria and Tabitha Ana (32) of Manipur. The police said the victim, Mohan (name changed), was contacted by a woman on social media in May. She introduced herself as a businesswoman based in London. The duo exchanged mobile numbers and started talking. A few days later, the woman told Mohan that she had sent a gift to him and it was with the customs. She convinced him to pay Rs 1,22,840. After paying the amount, Mohan realised that he was conned. He then lodged a police complaint.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Based on the complaint, the police started an investigation and analysed the bank details and mobile phone networks of the victim and the fraudsters, which revealed that the fraudsters were located in Faridabad. A police team went there on July 7 and nabbed the group the next day. All three arrested accused were brought to Chennai on Sunday.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: Ten former terrorists were formally arrested on Monday in a case related to the conspiracy of reviving banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Hurriyat conference in the valley, police said.

Some more arrests are likely as the investigation in the case is in full swing, police said in a statement here.

Earlier on Sunday, the Srinagar Police in a tweet said "A search was conducted on the basis of credible info about a meeting of some ex-trts (terrorists) of JKLF & erstwhile separatists in a hotel in Srinagar.

They were brought to Kothibagh PS for verification. An inquiry has started, and prima facie it came out that they were planning to revive JKLF & Hurriyat."

Police said a case under various sections of unlawful activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code already stands registered in police station Kothibagh in the heart of the city.

"The arrested persons and others were planning to revive these organisations (JKLF and Hurriyat) on the directions of Pakistan-based handlers. This meeting was an overt attempt to start working for the revival of these moribund organisations," police said.

They said an initial investigation has also revealed that they were in touch with entities abroad, and few of them were even members of secessionist groups like the Kashmir Global Council headed by Farooq Siddiqui and Raja Muzaffer of JKLF.

"Under the garb of manufactured pretext, this meeting which took place, the real agenda of the meeting was discussing the strategy of revival.

"Initial investigation has also revealed that a similar preliminary meeting took place on June 13, which was attended by most of them," the statement said.

Police have identified the 10 arrested persons as Mohammad Yaseen Bhat of Nigeenbagh, Mohammad Rafiq Pahloo of Natipora, Shams-u-din Rehmani of Lalbazar, Khurshid Ahmad Bhat of Rawalpora, Sajad Hussain Gul of Panthachowk, Firdous Ahmad Shah of Abiguzar, and Parray Hassan Firdous of Lawaypora -- all from Srinagar district, and Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat and Shabir Ahmad Dar of Sopore from Baramulla district, and Sohail Ahmad Mir of Peerbagh in Budgam district.

Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat is the son of former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat.

SRINAGAR: Ten former terrorists were formally arrested on Monday in a case related to the conspiracy of reviving banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Hurriyat conference in the valley, police said. Some more arrests are likely as the investigation in the case is in full swing, police said in a statement here. Earlier on Sunday, the Srinagar Police in a tweet said "A search was conducted on the basis of credible info about a meeting of some ex-trts (terrorists) of JKLF & erstwhile separatists in a hotel in Srinagar.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They were brought to Kothibagh PS for verification. An inquiry has started, and prima facie it came out that they were planning to revive JKLF & Hurriyat." Police said a case under various sections of unlawful activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code already stands registered in police station Kothibagh in the heart of the city. "The arrested persons and others were planning to revive these organisations (JKLF and Hurriyat) on the directions of Pakistan-based handlers. This meeting was an overt attempt to start working for the revival of these moribund organisations," police said. They said an initial investigation has also revealed that they were in touch with entities abroad, and few of them were even members of secessionist groups like the Kashmir Global Council headed by Farooq Siddiqui and Raja Muzaffer of JKLF. "Under the garb of manufactured pretext, this meeting which took place, the real agenda of the meeting was discussing the strategy of revival. "Initial investigation has also revealed that a similar preliminary meeting took place on June 13, which was attended by most of them," the statement said. Police have identified the 10 arrested persons as Mohammad Yaseen Bhat of Nigeenbagh, Mohammad Rafiq Pahloo of Natipora, Shams-u-din Rehmani of Lalbazar, Khurshid Ahmad Bhat of Rawalpora, Sajad Hussain Gul of Panthachowk, Firdous Ahmad Shah of Abiguzar, and Parray Hassan Firdous of Lawaypora -- all from Srinagar district, and Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat and Shabir Ahmad Dar of Sopore from Baramulla district, and Sohail Ahmad Mir of Peerbagh in Budgam district. Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat is the son of former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat.
Harpreet Bajwa Narendra Sethi and Ashish Srivastav By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH/DEHRADUN/NEW DELHI: Extremely heavy rains, landslides and flashfloods battered much of north India on Sunday, unleashing widespread damage and misery in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, leaving at least 13 dead. In Uttarakhand, eight persons were killed in separate incidents. Six died when an SUV carrying pilgrims fell into the Ganga. The toll could go up as some are reportedly missing.

In view of the rains, landslides and road blockades, the Uttarakhand government has banned tourists from other states for the time being. As many as 195 roads are blocked in the state. The state meteorological department has predicted a repeat of the weather till July 12. The district administration of Nainital has announced the closure of all educational institutions till July 13.

Himachal Pradesh, which witnessed 13 landslides and nine flashfloods in the past 36 hours, reported five deaths and extensive damage to houses. A total of 736 roads, including the Chandigarh-Manali national highway, remain blocked. The government has said schools and colleges will remain closed for the next two days. The Beas River is flowing above the danger mark after flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release excess water from the overnight downpour.

ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts

According to the state emergency operation centre, heavy rains wreaked havoc in Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts causing considerable loss to property. Many shops were washed away in flash floods at Bahang near Manali, while an under-construction house was submerged as the Beas flooded near Patlikuhal in Kullu.

All the major rivers, including Ravi, Beas and Satluj, are in spate and tourists have been asked to avoid travelling during heavy rains and not to venture out near river bodies. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has sought the Armys help to deal with floods in the Mohali district. Delhi on Sunday recorded the highest single-day rainfall for July in the last 41 years at 153 mm. The last time the national capital got such a downpour was on July 25, 1982. According to IMD, the intensity of the rainfall will weaken from July 10 onwards.

Delhi braces for flood

The Delhi govt issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released over 1 lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage. The water takes 2-3 days to reach Delhi

READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2

17 trains cancelled

The rains have disrupted railway services in North India. Northern Railways said it has cancelled 17 trains and diverted 12 others, while traffic has been suspended at four locations due to waterlogging

CHANDIGARH/DEHRADUN/NEW DELHI: Extremely heavy rains, landslides and flashfloods battered much of north India on Sunday, unleashing widespread damage and misery in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, leaving at least 13 dead. In Uttarakhand, eight persons were killed in separate incidents. Six died when an SUV carrying pilgrims fell into the Ganga. The toll could go up as some are reportedly missing. In view of the rains, landslides and road blockades, the Uttarakhand government has banned tourists from other states for the time being. As many as 195 roads are blocked in the state. The state meteorological department has predicted a repeat of the weather till July 12. The district administration of Nainital has announced the closure of all educational institutions till July 13. Himachal Pradesh, which witnessed 13 landslides and nine flashfloods in the past 36 hours, reported five deaths and extensive damage to houses. A total of 736 roads, including the Chandigarh-Manali national highway, remain blocked. The government has said schools and colleges will remain closed for the next two days. The Beas River is flowing above the danger mark after flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release excess water from the overnight downpour.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts According to the state emergency operation centre, heavy rains wreaked havoc in Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts causing considerable loss to property. Many shops were washed away in flash floods at Bahang near Manali, while an under-construction house was submerged as the Beas flooded near Patlikuhal in Kullu. All the major rivers, including Ravi, Beas and Satluj, are in spate and tourists have been asked to avoid travelling during heavy rains and not to venture out near river bodies. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has sought the Armys help to deal with floods in the Mohali district. Delhi on Sunday recorded the highest single-day rainfall for July in the last 41 years at 153 mm. The last time the national capital got such a downpour was on July 25, 1982. According to IMD, the intensity of the rainfall will weaken from July 10 onwards. Delhi braces for flood The Delhi govt issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released over 1 lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage. The water takes 2-3 days to reach Delhi READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2 17 trains cancelled The rains have disrupted railway services in North India. Northern Railways said it has cancelled 17 trains and diverted 12 others, while traffic has been suspended at four locations due to waterlogging
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Five people were killed due to heavy rains which led to landslides in Himachal Pradesh while many houses were damaged. In the last 36 hours, 13 landslides and nine flash floods were reported across the hill state. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was blocked due to major landslide as 736 roads, including three national highways are blocked.

Due to heavy overnight downpour, the flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release extra water thus Beas river is flowing above the danger mark. Sources said that three members of a family were killed in a house collapse due to landslide which triggered because of heavy rains in Kotgarh area of Shimla district. The deceased were identified as Anil, his wife Kiran and son Swapnil.

In another incident, a person was buried alive following a landslide in Katiyan of Chamba district on Saturday night. While another woman died as a makeshift house near Kullu was damaged in a landslide. As per the state emergency operation centre, 13 landslides and 9 flash floods have been reported in the state in the past 36 hours.

ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts

The heavy rain wreaked havoc in Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts causing considerable loss to the private and government property. Many shops were washed away in flash flood at Bahang near Manali, while one under-construction house was submerged as the Beas River flooded near Patlikuhal in Kullu district. Fortunately, one woman was rescued from under the debris in Kullu, also vehicles being washed away due to flash floods at Nullah in Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba.

Due to heavy overnight downpour, the flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release extra water thus Beas River is flowing above the danger mark. The market in Pandoh was submerged due to rains by the district administration. The Chandigarh-Manali National highway was blocked between Mandi and Pandoh thus the traffic has come to a halt. It is blocked at the same place where it was blocked on June 27 for 24 hours. The highway has also caved in near Manali. Besides, the Himachal government has ordered closure of all schools and colleges for two days.

Punjab calls in army

The Punjab Government has asked for Army help to deal with floods in the Mohali district of Punjab adjoining Chandigarh. Due to heavy downpour in several parts of Punjab and Haryana, there was massive water logging in low-lying areas. Meanwhile, both Sutluj and Beas rivers are in a spate in Punjab. Sources said that in a letter sent by the state home department today to Advisor, Civil Military Affairs, GOC-in-C Secretariat and Western Command, Chandimandir the government had requested for deployment of army to provide rescue relief for flood in SAS Nagar.

CHANDIGARH: Five people were killed due to heavy rains which led to landslides in Himachal Pradesh while many houses were damaged. In the last 36 hours, 13 landslides and nine flash floods were reported across the hill state. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was blocked due to major landslide as 736 roads, including three national highways are blocked. Due to heavy overnight downpour, the flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release extra water thus Beas river is flowing above the danger mark. Sources said that three members of a family were killed in a house collapse due to landslide which triggered because of heavy rains in Kotgarh area of Shimla district. The deceased were identified as Anil, his wife Kiran and son Swapnil. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In another incident, a person was buried alive following a landslide in Katiyan of Chamba district on Saturday night. While another woman died as a makeshift house near Kullu was damaged in a landslide. As per the state emergency operation centre, 13 landslides and 9 flash floods have been reported in the state in the past 36 hours. ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts The heavy rain wreaked havoc in Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts causing considerable loss to the private and government property. Many shops were washed away in flash flood at Bahang near Manali, while one under-construction house was submerged as the Beas River flooded near Patlikuhal in Kullu district. Fortunately, one woman was rescued from under the debris in Kullu, also vehicles being washed away due to flash floods at Nullah in Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba. Due to heavy overnight downpour, the flood gates of Pandoh dam were opened to release extra water thus Beas River is flowing above the danger mark. The market in Pandoh was submerged due to rains by the district administration. The Chandigarh-Manali National highway was blocked between Mandi and Pandoh thus the traffic has come to a halt. It is blocked at the same place where it was blocked on June 27 for 24 hours. The highway has also caved in near Manali. Besides, the Himachal government has ordered closure of all schools and colleges for two days. Punjab calls in army The Punjab Government has asked for Army help to deal with floods in the Mohali district of Punjab adjoining Chandigarh. Due to heavy downpour in several parts of Punjab and Haryana, there was massive water logging in low-lying areas. Meanwhile, both Sutluj and Beas rivers are in a spate in Punjab. Sources said that in a letter sent by the state home department today to Advisor, Civil Military Affairs, GOC-in-C Secretariat and Western Command, Chandimandir the government had requested for deployment of army to provide rescue relief for flood in SAS Nagar.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is not a platform to be used for escalating tensions in Manipur, the apex court observed on Monday while asking the warring ethnic groups to exercise restraint during the court proceedings.

The court also made it clear that it cannot take over the law and order and security apparatus to bring an end to the ethnic strife and violence in Manipur which is the duty of the Centre and the state government.

"We don't want the proceedings and this court to be used as a platform for escalation of violence and other problems in the state.

We cannot take law and order and security apparatus into our hands. It is for the Union of India and the Manipur government to ensure security. This is a humanitarian issue," a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha told senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for NGO 'Manipur Tribal Forum'.

The bench, which took on record a fresh status report filed by the chief secretary of Manipur, asked Gonsalves and other lawyers appearing for different organisations representing the ethnic Kuki and Meitei groups, locked in a bloody conflict in the northeastern state, some other entities and the high court bar association of Manipur to peruse the updated status report and give positive suggestions by Tuesday for bringing an end to the violence.

Gonsalves asserted the state government had said at the last hearing that 10 people had lost their lives in the conflict but the death toll has now risen to 110, and violence continued unabated.

"Your scepticism cannot lead us to take over the law and order into our hands. This is up to the Centre and the state government. This is what elected governments are for. We are very clear about the remit of the Supreme Court. We at the most can issue directions to the authorities to ensure security and for that, we need assistance from different parties before us," the bench told the senior lawyer.

The top court is hearing a batch of petitions filed by different NGOs, including the one by 'Manipur Tribal Forum', which has sought Army protection for the Kuki tribe, Dinganglung Gangmei, the chairman of the Hills Area Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, who has challenged the high court's order on designating the Meitei community as a Scheduled Tribe, the high court bar association and others.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said as directed by the court, an updated status report has been filed.

He claimed things are returning to normal after concerted efforts by the Centre and the state government.

The moment Gonsalves alleged everyone in the state was against the Kuki tribe, the bench restrained him from proceeding further, asserting the court cannot be used as a platform for escalating tensions in the state.

It told him whatever 'positive suggestions' he has can be put in a note which will be given to the Centre and the state for initiating suitable action.

When another lawyer from Manipur tried to intervene, saying he can apprise the court about the situation prevailing at ground zero, the bench told him it understands his feelings but there are some modalities under which the court works and arguments are made.

One of the lawyers pointed to some interviews Gonsalves gave on the issue responding to which the bench said it is not going to "police a lawyer" and asked Gonsalves to address the concerns being raised.

The counsel appearing for the Manipur High Court Bar Association said he has a positive suggestion that the blockade of the 10 km stretch of a national highway, which is a lifeline of the state, should be removed so essential supplies are not disrupted.

Advocate Nizam Pasha said a circular was issued by the state government in June asking its employees to report for duty by a scheduled date or face pay cut.

The bench asked Mehta to look at the suggestions made by the high court bar association and seek instructions on the circular about the pay cut.

It said the matter will be taken up for a resumed hearing on Tuesday.

On July 3, the top court directed the state government to file an updated status report giving details of the steps taken for rehabilitation of those displaced as a result of the ethnic conflict, improving the law and order situation and recovery of firearms, many of which were looted from state armouries.

At least 150 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

On May 17, the CJI-led bench directed the Manipur government to take steps to foster confidence and ensure peace and tranquillity in the state torn by ethnic violence, asserting being the top-most court it can ensure that the political executive exercises its power and does not turn 'a blind eye' to the situation.

Taking note of submissions on alleged provocative statements by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the top court had asked the solicitor general to advise the constitutional functionary restraint.

Manipur was simmering since March 27, the day the high court asked the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status to the majority Meitei community, a move the Kukis and other tribal groups apprehend will shear them of many of their rights.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is not a platform to be used for escalating tensions in Manipur, the apex court observed on Monday while asking the warring ethnic groups to exercise restraint during the court proceedings. The court also made it clear that it cannot take over the law and order and security apparatus to bring an end to the ethnic strife and violence in Manipur which is the duty of the Centre and the state government. "We don't want the proceedings and this court to be used as a platform for escalation of violence and other problems in the state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We cannot take law and order and security apparatus into our hands. It is for the Union of India and the Manipur government to ensure security. This is a humanitarian issue," a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha told senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for NGO 'Manipur Tribal Forum'. The bench, which took on record a fresh status report filed by the chief secretary of Manipur, asked Gonsalves and other lawyers appearing for different organisations representing the ethnic Kuki and Meitei groups, locked in a bloody conflict in the northeastern state, some other entities and the high court bar association of Manipur to peruse the updated status report and give positive suggestions by Tuesday for bringing an end to the violence. Gonsalves asserted the state government had said at the last hearing that 10 people had lost their lives in the conflict but the death toll has now risen to 110, and violence continued unabated. "Your scepticism cannot lead us to take over the law and order into our hands. This is up to the Centre and the state government. This is what elected governments are for. We are very clear about the remit of the Supreme Court. We at the most can issue directions to the authorities to ensure security and for that, we need assistance from different parties before us," the bench told the senior lawyer. The top court is hearing a batch of petitions filed by different NGOs, including the one by 'Manipur Tribal Forum', which has sought Army protection for the Kuki tribe, Dinganglung Gangmei, the chairman of the Hills Area Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, who has challenged the high court's order on designating the Meitei community as a Scheduled Tribe, the high court bar association and others. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said as directed by the court, an updated status report has been filed. He claimed things are returning to normal after concerted efforts by the Centre and the state government. The moment Gonsalves alleged everyone in the state was against the Kuki tribe, the bench restrained him from proceeding further, asserting the court cannot be used as a platform for escalating tensions in the state. It told him whatever 'positive suggestions' he has can be put in a note which will be given to the Centre and the state for initiating suitable action. When another lawyer from Manipur tried to intervene, saying he can apprise the court about the situation prevailing at ground zero, the bench told him it understands his feelings but there are some modalities under which the court works and arguments are made. One of the lawyers pointed to some interviews Gonsalves gave on the issue responding to which the bench said it is not going to "police a lawyer" and asked Gonsalves to address the concerns being raised. The counsel appearing for the Manipur High Court Bar Association said he has a positive suggestion that the blockade of the 10 km stretch of a national highway, which is a lifeline of the state, should be removed so essential supplies are not disrupted. Advocate Nizam Pasha said a circular was issued by the state government in June asking its employees to report for duty by a scheduled date or face pay cut. The bench asked Mehta to look at the suggestions made by the high court bar association and seek instructions on the circular about the pay cut. It said the matter will be taken up for a resumed hearing on Tuesday. On July 3, the top court directed the state government to file an updated status report giving details of the steps taken for rehabilitation of those displaced as a result of the ethnic conflict, improving the law and order situation and recovery of firearms, many of which were looted from state armouries. At least 150 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. On May 17, the CJI-led bench directed the Manipur government to take steps to foster confidence and ensure peace and tranquillity in the state torn by ethnic violence, asserting being the top-most court it can ensure that the political executive exercises its power and does not turn 'a blind eye' to the situation. Taking note of submissions on alleged provocative statements by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the top court had asked the solicitor general to advise the constitutional functionary restraint. Manipur was simmering since March 27, the day the high court asked the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status to the majority Meitei community, a move the Kukis and other tribal groups apprehend will shear them of many of their rights.
Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: At a time when access to mobile phones and internet connectivity is ubiquitous, residents of Lachkera in Gariyaband district of Chhattisgarh willingly forego it, fearing that the radiation from cell towers may impact Asian Openbill storks, a migratory bird species that flock the region every year.

Amid interpretations that the radiation may affect the migratory birds, the Lachkera village, with around 600 households, does not allow the installation of cell towers in the neighbourhood. They nurture strong assumptions that such towers might endanger the life, reproductive and navigational capacities of the Asian Openbill storks.

We have learnt that the transmission towers cause radiation that is harmful; we would rather prefer to live with weak network connectivity from the adjoining locations. Its a delight to welcome Openbill storks with the onset of the monsoon. They nest in the trees of our village and no one in the village disturbs them. We dont permit any mobile phone service provider to establish their tower despite the pressure and temptation from them, said Uday Nishad, the Lachkera sarpanch.

The gram panchayat had passed a resolution to not allow any company to install their mobile towers in its limits to provide a safe habitat for the storks. Further, a punitive fine of Rs 1,000 is imposed on anyone found harming or disturbing the birds. However, such a penalty rarely happens since the locals reportedly have great regard for the birds.

Thousands of Openbill storks keep returning to Lachkera around monsoon and leave by Diwali festival, said Gokul Soni, a photojournalist who often keeps track of migratory birds. According to Soni, the villagers claim that the birds apparently have a profound attachment to their village, owing to the safe shelter.

Ornithologists, however, do not completely agree with the Lachkera residents over the potential hazards from cell towers on the navigational capacities of the birds. It is inspiring if the Lachkera villagers are doing something good for the safety of migratory birds, based on informed assumptions about the adverse effect of the radiation. But such impact is yet to be thoroughly proven by systematic research studies, commented ornithologist Ravi Naidu from Bombay National History Society.

The villagers, however, remain fond of the visiting birds. The arrival of Openbill stork indicates the onset of monsoon. The birds dont visit any of the nearby villages, said Nishad, recollecting that his father Firanta, who was also a sarpanch, used to narrate stories about the storks visiting Lachkera every year.

RAIPUR: At a time when access to mobile phones and internet connectivity is ubiquitous, residents of Lachkera in Gariyaband district of Chhattisgarh willingly forego it, fearing that the radiation from cell towers may impact Asian Openbill storks, a migratory bird species that flock the region every year. Amid interpretations that the radiation may affect the migratory birds, the Lachkera village, with around 600 households, does not allow the installation of cell towers in the neighbourhood. They nurture strong assumptions that such towers might endanger the life, reproductive and navigational capacities of the Asian Openbill storks. We have learnt that the transmission towers cause radiation that is harmful; we would rather prefer to live with weak network connectivity from the adjoining locations. Its a delight to welcome Openbill storks with the onset of the monsoon. They nest in the trees of our village and no one in the village disturbs them. We dont permit any mobile phone service provider to establish their tower despite the pressure and temptation from them, said Uday Nishad, the Lachkera sarpanch.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The gram panchayat had passed a resolution to not allow any company to install their mobile towers in its limits to provide a safe habitat for the storks. Further, a punitive fine of Rs 1,000 is imposed on anyone found harming or disturbing the birds. However, such a penalty rarely happens since the locals reportedly have great regard for the birds. Thousands of Openbill storks keep returning to Lachkera around monsoon and leave by Diwali festival, said Gokul Soni, a photojournalist who often keeps track of migratory birds. According to Soni, the villagers claim that the birds apparently have a profound attachment to their village, owing to the safe shelter. Ornithologists, however, do not completely agree with the Lachkera residents over the potential hazards from cell towers on the navigational capacities of the birds. It is inspiring if the Lachkera villagers are doing something good for the safety of migratory birds, based on informed assumptions about the adverse effect of the radiation. But such impact is yet to be thoroughly proven by systematic research studies, commented ornithologist Ravi Naidu from Bombay National History Society. The villagers, however, remain fond of the visiting birds. The arrival of Openbill stork indicates the onset of monsoon. The birds dont visit any of the nearby villages, said Nishad, recollecting that his father Firanta, who was also a sarpanch, used to narrate stories about the storks visiting Lachkera every year.
By PTI

THANE: A doctor was arrested for allegedly raping a 23-year-old mentally challenged woman at his clinic in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place at the doctor's clinic in Badlapur West area on Sunday afternoon, an official said.

The victim had stepped out of her house to buy some essentials at a shop near the doctor's clinic when he allegedly lured her into the premises and raped her, assistant commissioner of Police (Ambernath zone) Suresh Varade said.

When the woman did not return home, her family members went looking for her in the locality and found her footwear outside the doctor's clinic, he said.

The family members entered the clinic and caught the doctor in the act and alerted the police, the official said.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim's sister, a case under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered, he added.

THANE: A doctor was arrested for allegedly raping a 23-year-old mentally challenged woman at his clinic in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday. The incident took place at the doctor's clinic in Badlapur West area on Sunday afternoon, an official said. The victim had stepped out of her house to buy some essentials at a shop near the doctor's clinic when he allegedly lured her into the premises and raped her, assistant commissioner of Police (Ambernath zone) Suresh Varade said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When the woman did not return home, her family members went looking for her in the locality and found her footwear outside the doctor's clinic, he said. The family members entered the clinic and caught the doctor in the act and alerted the police, the official said. Based on the complaint lodged by the victim's sister, a case under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered, he added.
Napoleon was a 30-ish whirlwind of charisma and military prowess when he became first consul of France. In keeping with the Hollywood habit of depicting historical leaders as grumpy old farts, 50-ish Joaquin Phoenix stars as this one in Ridley Scott's forthcoming biopic.

Hollywood has been eyeing a definitive Napoleon biopic for decades. Stanley Kubrick famously developed a project in 1969, but financial backers pulled out after another project titled Waterloo flopped. In 2021, Scott told Deadline, "Napoleon is a man I've always been fascinated by. He came out of nowhere to rule everything  but all the while he was waging a romantic war with his adulterous wife Josephine. He conquered the world to try to win her love, and when he couldn't, he conquered it to destroy her, and destroyed himself in the process." He added, "No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin. He created one of movie history's most complex Emperors in Gladiator, and we'll create another with his Napoleon."

My ideal entry in this genre would be a movie featuring King Canute, the Danish-born king of England and one of only two given the title "the Great", who famously tried to illustrate the limits of secular power by showing his court that the king cannot command the tides. Who better to play such a legend of tired, deadpan old-man fatalism and sarcasm than Werner Herzog? Just imagine old Werner glumly watching his horrible English sons and his psychopathic English wife knowing they're going to muck everything up after he croaks. IRL Canute was like 40.
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

The five-day Monsoon Session of the Bihar legislature will begin on Monday.

The monsoon session of the assembly and state legislative council, which will continue till July 14, is likely to be stormy as the opposition led by BJP has decided to take on the state government on various issues.

The Opposition has tightened its belt to attack the government on its decision to delete domicile-based reservation in the appointment of teachers and the lathi charge on teacher aspirants, alleged corruption and rising crime graph. BJP will also attack the government on the recent collapse of Sultanpur-Aguwani bridge in Bhagalpur district.

Meanwhile, all parties have called meetings of their MLAs and MLCs on Monday itself to decide their respective strategies for the monsoon session. There will be a meeting of parties like BJP, JDU, Congress, RJD and left parties. JDU Legislature Party meeting has been called at the residence of the finance minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.

On the other hand, BJP will hold a meeting with its MLAs and MLCs at its state office at 12 noon. The Congress meeting is proposed at 6 pm at the residence of the party's legislative party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan. Apart from this, the meeting of the grand alliance will be held in the central hall of the assembly.

Assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Chowdhary said that the monsoon session was short but very important in many ways. He said the maximum number of questions of the members would be taken in the House. The government will answer all the questions.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhary said that preparations for the alliance were complete for the session. The answers to the questions asked by the MLAs have been sent to the Assembly.

Leader of the Opposition Sinha has raised questions regarding the short session. Sinha alleged that to avoid the questions of the opposition, the government had convened a session of only 5 days.

On the first day, new members of the House will take the oath while attested copies of the ordinances promulgated by the Governor will be laid on the table of the House during the period when the Bihar Legislature was not in session.

The first supplementary expenditure statement for the financial year 2023-2024 will be presented. Proceedings of the first day will be adjourned with the obituary references.

For the next two days, the state bill and other state-related work will be discussed.

On the third day, there will be a debate and discussion on the first supplementary expenditure statement of the financial year 2023-24. Private member bills will be taken up on the last day.

(With inputs from PTI)

The five-day Monsoon Session of the Bihar legislature will begin on Monday. The monsoon session of the assembly and state legislative council, which will continue till July 14, is likely to be stormy as the opposition led by BJP has decided to take on the state government on various issues. The Opposition has tightened its belt to attack the government on its decision to delete domicile-based reservation in the appointment of teachers and the lathi charge on teacher aspirants, alleged corruption and rising crime graph. BJP will also attack the government on the recent collapse of Sultanpur-Aguwani bridge in Bhagalpur district.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, all parties have called meetings of their MLAs and MLCs on Monday itself to decide their respective strategies for the monsoon session. There will be a meeting of parties like BJP, JDU, Congress, RJD and left parties. JDU Legislature Party meeting has been called at the residence of the finance minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. On the other hand, BJP will hold a meeting with its MLAs and MLCs at its state office at 12 noon. The Congress meeting is proposed at 6 pm at the residence of the party's legislative party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan. Apart from this, the meeting of the grand alliance will be held in the central hall of the assembly. Assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Chowdhary said that the monsoon session was short but very important in many ways. He said the maximum number of questions of the members would be taken in the House. The government will answer all the questions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhary said that preparations for the alliance were complete for the session. The answers to the questions asked by the MLAs have been sent to the Assembly. Leader of the Opposition Sinha has raised questions regarding the short session. Sinha alleged that to avoid the questions of the opposition, the government had convened a session of only 5 days. On the first day, new members of the House will take the oath while attested copies of the ordinances promulgated by the Governor will be laid on the table of the House during the period when the Bihar Legislature was not in session. The first supplementary expenditure statement for the financial year 2023-2024 will be presented. Proceedings of the first day will be adjourned with the obituary references. For the next two days, the state bill and other state-related work will be discussed. On the third day, there will be a debate and discussion on the first supplementary expenditure statement of the financial year 2023-24. Private member bills will be taken up on the last day. (With inputs from PTI)
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation.

According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning. Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state.

In a tweet in Punjabi, Mann, who is visiting flood-affected areas in Mohali and Rupnagar districts, said the government is with the people and all possible help will be provided to them.

               ..                     ..       ..         ..  Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) July 10, 2023

Mann later told reporters that all his ministers and MLAs as well as officials are on the ground and with people in this hour of crisis.

Due to continuous rains in the state and keeping in view the safety of students, the government ordered the shutting of all schools till July 13 with immediate effect, Education Minister

    .                           //       13  2023     

 Harjot Singh Bains (@harjotbains) July 10, 2023 " target="_blank">Harjot Singh Bains tweeted.

Earlier, schools were ordered to be closed in some of the worst-hit districts in Punjab and Haryana.

Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.

In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments.

He took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present. Khattar later also held a meeting with deputy commissioners through video-conferencing, officials said.

Khattar also spoke with his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu after reports that some Haryana residents were stranded in Manali. He was informed that all were safe.

At some places in the two states, the authorities launched rescue operations evacuating people and shifting them to safer places in view of the floodwaters entering the residential areas.

The Haryana government also issued an advisory for the general public asking them to take precautions and only venture out when it is necessary.

Army's assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration in Punjab after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach.

The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said.

In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals. Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near the Sutlej and Ghaggar Rivers were inundated.

At some places in Punjab and Haryana, water gushed into houses, and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places. The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said.

In Patiala, the floodwaters entered the premises of the Rajpura Thermal Power Plant on Monday, leading to the shutdown of one of its 700 MW units, officials said.

The Punjab government requested additional assistance from the Army to combat the escalating crisis.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were also deployed at some places in the two states.

Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the floodwaters had breached the premises of a private hospital in Rajpura on Sunday, necessitating the rescue and relocation of patients to other hospitals.

Additionally, approximately 800 students from a private university in the district were successfully rescued with the assistance of the Army.

In Haryana's Ambala, the administration has sounded a high alert following the overflow of rivers and canals in the district, with authorities seeking the Army and the NDRF assistance.

In Ambala, all the rivers, including Markanda, Tangri and Ghaggar, crossed the danger mark. Ambala deputy commissioner's office was also waterlogged and the official was working from a camp office in his residence. A few other offices were also waterlogged.

Several areas in Ambala district are waterlogged and there have been breaches in Narwana and SYL canal following heavy rainfall in the region.

A bus overturned due to water flow on Ambala-Yamuna Nagar road near Hamidpur turn in Ambala district, but all 27 passengers were safely evacuated by the police.

A few areas of Ambala City including Manmohan Nagar close to Ghaggar River were submerged in flood water.

Narwana Canal, which is a branch of the Bhakra Canal, has touched the danger mark, officials said.

The Narwana Canal has breached a few villages, including Bishangarh and Insmailpur, which caused floods in several villages.

Tangri River that crosses along Haryana and Punjab border has been flowing above the danger mark.

The flood water has entered hundreds of houses constructed in the embankment area.

Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij visited the Tangri River area along with the officers of the irrigation department.

In Ludhiana, with the concerted efforts of the district administration, the army and the police, two breaches were successfully plugged in Doraha Monday morning.

A team of Ludhiana district administration led by Payal area's Sub Divisional Magistrate Jasleen Kaur Bhullar oversaw the plugging operations in Doraha.

Due to breaches in Siswan, excess water had flown into the Doraha canal which led to breaches in Doraha and Rajgarh villages.

"We are making every effort to provide relief to the flood-affected residents of the villages," a spokesperson of the Ludhiana district administration said.

Flood control rooms have been set up in Punjab and Haryana to help the people.

Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna River at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to the river have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said.

On Monday at around 8 am, 2. 79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said. In Punjab's Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said.

Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, and Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers.

Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Monday.

ALSO READ: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2

CHANDIGARH: Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places. The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation. According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning. Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state. In a tweet in Punjabi, Mann, who is visiting flood-affected areas in Mohali and Rupnagar districts, said the government is with the people and all possible help will be provided to them.                ..                     ..       ..         ..  Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) July 10, 2023 Mann later told reporters that all his ministers and MLAs as well as officials are on the ground and with people in this hour of crisis. Due to continuous rains in the state and keeping in view the safety of students, the government ordered the shutting of all schools till July 13 with immediate effect, Education Minister     .                           //       13  2023       Harjot Singh Bains (@harjotbains) July 10, 2023 " target="_blank">Harjot Singh Bains tweeted. Earlier, schools were ordered to be closed in some of the worst-hit districts in Punjab and Haryana. Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states. In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments. He took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present. Khattar later also held a meeting with deputy commissioners through video-conferencing, officials said. Khattar also spoke with his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu after reports that some Haryana residents were stranded in Manali. He was informed that all were safe. At some places in the two states, the authorities launched rescue operations evacuating people and shifting them to safer places in view of the floodwaters entering the residential areas. The Haryana government also issued an advisory for the general public asking them to take precautions and only venture out when it is necessary. Army's assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration in Punjab after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach. The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said. In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals. Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near the Sutlej and Ghaggar Rivers were inundated. At some places in Punjab and Haryana, water gushed into houses, and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places. The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said. In Patiala, the floodwaters entered the premises of the Rajpura Thermal Power Plant on Monday, leading to the shutdown of one of its 700 MW units, officials said. The Punjab government requested additional assistance from the Army to combat the escalating crisis. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were also deployed at some places in the two states. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the floodwaters had breached the premises of a private hospital in Rajpura on Sunday, necessitating the rescue and relocation of patients to other hospitals. Additionally, approximately 800 students from a private university in the district were successfully rescued with the assistance of the Army. In Haryana's Ambala, the administration has sounded a high alert following the overflow of rivers and canals in the district, with authorities seeking the Army and the NDRF assistance. In Ambala, all the rivers, including Markanda, Tangri and Ghaggar, crossed the danger mark. Ambala deputy commissioner's office was also waterlogged and the official was working from a camp office in his residence. A few other offices were also waterlogged. Several areas in Ambala district are waterlogged and there have been breaches in Narwana and SYL canal following heavy rainfall in the region. A bus overturned due to water flow on Ambala-Yamuna Nagar road near Hamidpur turn in Ambala district, but all 27 passengers were safely evacuated by the police. A few areas of Ambala City including Manmohan Nagar close to Ghaggar River were submerged in flood water. Narwana Canal, which is a branch of the Bhakra Canal, has touched the danger mark, officials said. The Narwana Canal has breached a few villages, including Bishangarh and Insmailpur, which caused floods in several villages. Tangri River that crosses along Haryana and Punjab border has been flowing above the danger mark. The flood water has entered hundreds of houses constructed in the embankment area. Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij visited the Tangri River area along with the officers of the irrigation department. In Ludhiana, with the concerted efforts of the district administration, the army and the police, two breaches were successfully plugged in Doraha Monday morning. A team of Ludhiana district administration led by Payal area's Sub Divisional Magistrate Jasleen Kaur Bhullar oversaw the plugging operations in Doraha. Due to breaches in Siswan, excess water had flown into the Doraha canal which led to breaches in Doraha and Rajgarh villages. "We are making every effort to provide relief to the flood-affected residents of the villages," a spokesperson of the Ludhiana district administration said. Flood control rooms have been set up in Punjab and Haryana to help the people. Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna River at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to the river have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said. On Monday at around 8 am, 2. 79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said. In Punjab's Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said. Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, and Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers. Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Monday. ALSO READ: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Former ISRO chairman and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr K Kasturirangan has suffered a heart attack and is to be airlifted to Bengaluru from Sri Lanka.

The eminent scientist, who is responsible for the formulation of the National Education Policy 2020, suffered a heart attack while in Sri Lanka on Monday.

Currently, efforts are underway to airlift him to Bengaluru, where he will be monitored by Dr Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health, at the Narayana Hrudyalaya Hospital. According to sources, the 83-year-old scientist is said to be in stable condition.

Confirming the news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to offer his good wishes. "Sad to know that Indian Space Scientist Shri Kasturi Rangan has suffered a heart attack in Sri Lanka. I wish him a speedy recovery and lead a healthy life," he said.

Dr Kasturirangan is a prominent figure in both the science and education sectors. He has been awarded the second, third and fourth highest civilian awards - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri - for his contributions to both fields.

BENGALURU: Former ISRO chairman and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr K Kasturirangan has suffered a heart attack and is to be airlifted to Bengaluru from Sri Lanka. The eminent scientist, who is responsible for the formulation of the National Education Policy 2020, suffered a heart attack while in Sri Lanka on Monday. Currently, efforts are underway to airlift him to Bengaluru, where he will be monitored by Dr Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health, at the Narayana Hrudyalaya Hospital. According to sources, the 83-year-old scientist is said to be in stable condition.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Confirming the news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to offer his good wishes. "Sad to know that Indian Space Scientist Shri Kasturi Rangan has suffered a heart attack in Sri Lanka. I wish him a speedy recovery and lead a healthy life," he said. Dr Kasturirangan is a prominent figure in both the science and education sectors. He has been awarded the second, third and fourth highest civilian awards - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri - for his contributions to both fields.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: In a first, Jharkhand will convert all 4,000 panchayats as model panchayats and facilitate them to get ISO certification from Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), an autonomous body under Keralas ministry of local government.

On a pilot basis, 50 panchayats across the state have been identified for the certification, which will be expanded gradually in phases depending on its success. A draft has been prepared by the State Panchayati

Raj Department in association with Civil Society Organisations (CSO-Forum) for the same.

Notably, a few legislators along with CSO forum recently visited Kerala and took stock of the Panchayati Raj arrangements in the state, following which, a decision was taken also to develop model panchayats in the state.

According to officials, the state government has also signed MoU with KILA for the overall development of panchayats in Jharkhand. The move aims at decentralising of powers and strengthening the local self government system.

In a first such initiative in Jharkhand, KILA has been roped in to convert panchayats here into modern ones and help them getting ISO certification. Along with the ISO certification, standard operating procedure (sop) for complete development of the panchayats are being prepared under which efforts will be made to bring on 360 degree all and out development of the Panchayats, said State Panchayati Raj Director Nisha Oraon.

It is being done on pilot basis for which nearly 50 panchayats have been identified all over the state, she said. According to the official, they will also need support from the local representatives as day to day monitoring of the panchayats has to be done.

Every basic activity like how to run the office, how to dispose the applications coming to the Panchayat Secretariat, what should be the time limit for the certificates issued from there will be taken care properly to ensure that one do not have to the district office, said the Panchayati Raj director. To make it possible, basic requirement is that Panchayat Secretariats opens regularly and a roaster be made so that the panchayat-level workers are present there, she said.

Basically, we are trying to make the panchayat Secretariat functional and create a service hub in each of the panchayats, said the director. In addition to that, the KILA will also design course modules for the training of Panchayati Raj representatives in the State, she said. Notably, KILA was first appointed by Kerala Government in 2018 for providing consultancy for ISO certification of gram panchayats.

Since them, the state managed to get ISO certificates for all its 152 block panchayats in the State by the end of 2019 through its training and capacity building modules. Jharkhand is the first state after Kerala which is striving to achieve ISO certification for its panchayats.

RANCHI: In a first, Jharkhand will convert all 4,000 panchayats as model panchayats and facilitate them to get ISO certification from Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), an autonomous body under Keralas ministry of local government. On a pilot basis, 50 panchayats across the state have been identified for the certification, which will be expanded gradually in phases depending on its success. A draft has been prepared by the State Panchayati Raj Department in association with Civil Society Organisations (CSO-Forum) for the same. Notably, a few legislators along with CSO forum recently visited Kerala and took stock of the Panchayati Raj arrangements in the state, following which, a decision was taken also to develop model panchayats in the state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to officials, the state government has also signed MoU with KILA for the overall development of panchayats in Jharkhand. The move aims at decentralising of powers and strengthening the local self government system. In a first such initiative in Jharkhand, KILA has been roped in to convert panchayats here into modern ones and help them getting ISO certification. Along with the ISO certification, standard operating procedure (sop) for complete development of the panchayats are being prepared under which efforts will be made to bring on 360 degree all and out development of the Panchayats, said State Panchayati Raj Director Nisha Oraon. It is being done on pilot basis for which nearly 50 panchayats have been identified all over the state, she said. According to the official, they will also need support from the local representatives as day to day monitoring of the panchayats has to be done. Every basic activity like how to run the office, how to dispose the applications coming to the Panchayat Secretariat, what should be the time limit for the certificates issued from there will be taken care properly to ensure that one do not have to the district office, said the Panchayati Raj director. To make it possible, basic requirement is that Panchayat Secretariats opens regularly and a roaster be made so that the panchayat-level workers are present there, she said. Basically, we are trying to make the panchayat Secretariat functional and create a service hub in each of the panchayats, said the director. In addition to that, the KILA will also design course modules for the training of Panchayati Raj representatives in the State, she said. Notably, KILA was first appointed by Kerala Government in 2018 for providing consultancy for ISO certification of gram panchayats. Since them, the state managed to get ISO certificates for all its 152 block panchayats in the State by the end of 2019 through its training and capacity building modules. Jharkhand is the first state after Kerala which is striving to achieve ISO certification for its panchayats.
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: BJP is likely to receive a major boost ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election with LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan likely to join the NDA. An indication of this effect came from Union Minister of state for Home Nityanand Rai meeting Chirag at his official residence in Shri Krishnapuri locality in the state capital.

Later, Chirag convened a meeting of the partys national and state-level office bearers and held discussions with them about the partys potential political alliances for the Lok Sabha polls. There is also speculation that Chirag may be inducted into the Union cabinet in the next expansion, which is expected to happen in the near future.

Chirag told mediapersons that he held a meeting of the partys leaders to discuss possible alliances for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the 2025 state assembly election. Chirag said that party leaders authorised him to take a decision on the same.

He said that more such discussions would be held in the future, and said that becoming a minister was not his priority. Later, Chirag left for Delhi, triggering speculation that he may hold a discussion with BJP`s top brass before he takes a final call on his next political move.

When asked about joining the NDA, Chirag said that it would be not proper and also against gathbandhan dharm to comment on it before deciding on the alliance. LJP had extended issue-based support to BJP in the past too, he added. Chirags proximity with BJP is an open secret as the Centre accorded him Z category security recently.

Nityanand Rai, after meeting Chirag said in Patna, It is like our old home. It is also a nice experience meeting him. Ram Vilas Paswan ji and BJP had also worked in the interest of the people, he remarked.

Earlier, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founded by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi joined NDA after snapping ties with the ruling Grand Alliance in Bihar headed by CM Nitish Kumar.

PATNA: BJP is likely to receive a major boost ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election with LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan likely to join the NDA. An indication of this effect came from Union Minister of state for Home Nityanand Rai meeting Chirag at his official residence in Shri Krishnapuri locality in the state capital. Later, Chirag convened a meeting of the partys national and state-level office bearers and held discussions with them about the partys potential political alliances for the Lok Sabha polls. There is also speculation that Chirag may be inducted into the Union cabinet in the next expansion, which is expected to happen in the near future. Chirag told mediapersons that he held a meeting of the partys leaders to discuss possible alliances for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the 2025 state assembly election. Chirag said that party leaders authorised him to take a decision on the same.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said that more such discussions would be held in the future, and said that becoming a minister was not his priority. Later, Chirag left for Delhi, triggering speculation that he may hold a discussion with BJP`s top brass before he takes a final call on his next political move. When asked about joining the NDA, Chirag said that it would be not proper and also against gathbandhan dharm to comment on it before deciding on the alliance. LJP had extended issue-based support to BJP in the past too, he added. Chirags proximity with BJP is an open secret as the Centre accorded him Z category security recently. Nityanand Rai, after meeting Chirag said in Patna, It is like our old home. It is also a nice experience meeting him. Ram Vilas Paswan ji and BJP had also worked in the interest of the people, he remarked. Earlier, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founded by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi joined NDA after snapping ties with the ruling Grand Alliance in Bihar headed by CM Nitish Kumar.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Spanish ship building company Navantia on Monday have joined hands to submit a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navys P75 (India) submarine programme. They will now compete with Mazagon Dock and Germanys ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for the bid that is likely to be invited soon. Valued at Rs 43000 crore (approximately), this is one of Indias largest defence projects.

L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the programme on April 11 in Madrid, which has now culminated in this bid. Mazagon signed the MoU with ThyssenKrupp on June 7. Five companies had evinced interest and these two qualified.

"Spain supports completely the idea of make in India and this agreement will take that forward," said Jose Maria Ridao, Spains Ambassador to India, after the signing of the agreement, adding that the Spanish government is engaged with the idea of transferring technology to its ally India.

The six stealth submarines will be built for the Indian Navy under the Strategic Partnership model of the Ministry of Defence that mandates foreign companies to partner with domestic builders.

The Naval project requires the Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator (FC) and execute the programme for delivery of six conventional submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), while achieving the targeted indigenous content.

Once the bidder is announced, it would be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value.

"Our presence here today is important not just because it is commercial issue but also a diplomatic issue. Even though Spain is geographically far from India, our hearts are close. This agreement is an opportunity to have a long-term association with India," Ambassador Ridao added.

Meanwhile, L&T which is Indias largest private sector defence company, has an association with Spanish companies across various sectors that include railways, water and solar.

"Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction and technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this programme and offers the bio-ethanol stealth technology (BEST) and environmentally green AIP solution," said L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to the Spanish Navy at the end of 2023. Apart from the S80 class, Navantia has been involved in the design and construction of the Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India, including handholding of the Indian yard.

"It gives us great joy to be in a position to be the design and technology partner for P75(I). We are also in collaboration with L&T for the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) programme whose tender is eagerly awaited," said Naval Construction Vice-President and Member of the Navantia Board Augustin Alvarez Blanco.

L&T and Navantia are also seeking cooperation in other military programmes as well as in green energy opportunities, including offshore wind through Navantia Seanergies division.

NEW DELHI: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Spanish ship building company Navantia on Monday have joined hands to submit a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navys P75 (India) submarine programme. They will now compete with Mazagon Dock and Germanys ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for the bid that is likely to be invited soon. Valued at Rs 43000 crore (approximately), this is one of Indias largest defence projects. L&T and Navantia signed an MoU for the programme on April 11 in Madrid, which has now culminated in this bid. Mazagon signed the MoU with ThyssenKrupp on June 7. Five companies had evinced interest and these two qualified. "Spain supports completely the idea of make in India and this agreement will take that forward," said Jose Maria Ridao, Spains Ambassador to India, after the signing of the agreement, adding that the Spanish government is engaged with the idea of transferring technology to its ally India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The six stealth submarines will be built for the Indian Navy under the Strategic Partnership model of the Ministry of Defence that mandates foreign companies to partner with domestic builders. The Naval project requires the Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator (FC) and execute the programme for delivery of six conventional submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), while achieving the targeted indigenous content. Once the bidder is announced, it would be followed by a 30-year lifecycle sustenance contract of similar value. "Our presence here today is important not just because it is commercial issue but also a diplomatic issue. Even though Spain is geographically far from India, our hearts are close. This agreement is an opportunity to have a long-term association with India," Ambassador Ridao added. Meanwhile, L&T which is Indias largest private sector defence company, has an association with Spanish companies across various sectors that include railways, water and solar. "Navantias glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction and technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this programme and offers the bio-ethanol stealth technology (BEST) and environmentally green AIP solution," said L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan. Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to the Spanish Navy at the end of 2023. Apart from the S80 class, Navantia has been involved in the design and construction of the Scorpene class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia. Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India, including handholding of the Indian yard. "It gives us great joy to be in a position to be the design and technology partner for P75(I). We are also in collaboration with L&T for the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) programme whose tender is eagerly awaited," said Naval Construction Vice-President and Member of the Navantia Board Augustin Alvarez Blanco. L&T and Navantia are also seeking cooperation in other military programmes as well as in green energy opportunities, including offshore wind through Navantia Seanergies division.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: No major incident of violence was reported from any part of Manipur on Sunday even as an MLA of the ruling BJP said a political solution to the crisis would be possible only after consultations with all stakeholders and the return of peace and normalcy.

Official sources said an uneasy calm prevailed in some vulnerable areas. At one place, the miscreants fired some speculative shots. Nobody was killed or injured. In the state capital Imphal, some civil society organisations and women groups organised separate programmes where they renewed the demand that the government abrogate the suspension of operation agreement that it signed with the Kuki insurgent groups.

They also opposed the Kuki MLAs demand of separate administration for the community. BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh said whatever negotiations the Centre undertakes, the final decision would only come after consultations with all stakeholders.

The statement comes two days after Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Kumar Deka met the leaders of Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum and Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi in the national capital. All of us have been assured that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected and the aspirations of all indigenous people of Manipur will be taken care of, Singh tweeted.

The political solution to be brought will come after consultations with all stakeholders when peace and normalcy returns, he further wrote. The Nagas are one of the three major communities of Manipur. They opposed the state governments move to set up a semi-permanent relief camp in Ukhrul district for the displaced people of other districts.

The Tangkhul Naga Long, which is the apex Naga organisation of Ukhrul district, said the government must work out a policy to accommodate the displaced persons in their original place and not scatter them in other places. The violence, which broke out on May 3, left more than 120 people dead and over 50,000 others displaced.

GUWAHATI: No major incident of violence was reported from any part of Manipur on Sunday even as an MLA of the ruling BJP said a political solution to the crisis would be possible only after consultations with all stakeholders and the return of peace and normalcy. Official sources said an uneasy calm prevailed in some vulnerable areas. At one place, the miscreants fired some speculative shots. Nobody was killed or injured. In the state capital Imphal, some civil society organisations and women groups organised separate programmes where they renewed the demand that the government abrogate the suspension of operation agreement that it signed with the Kuki insurgent groups. They also opposed the Kuki MLAs demand of separate administration for the community. BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh said whatever negotiations the Centre undertakes, the final decision would only come after consultations with all stakeholders.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The statement comes two days after Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Kumar Deka met the leaders of Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum and Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi in the national capital. All of us have been assured that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected and the aspirations of all indigenous people of Manipur will be taken care of, Singh tweeted. The political solution to be brought will come after consultations with all stakeholders when peace and normalcy returns, he further wrote. The Nagas are one of the three major communities of Manipur. They opposed the state governments move to set up a semi-permanent relief camp in Ukhrul district for the displaced people of other districts. The Tangkhul Naga Long, which is the apex Naga organisation of Ukhrul district, said the government must work out a policy to accommodate the displaced persons in their original place and not scatter them in other places. The violence, which broke out on May 3, left more than 120 people dead and over 50,000 others displaced.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Monday extended interim relief granted to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena till the final disposal of his plea seeking proceedings against him in a case of assault on social activist Medha Patkar be kept in abeyance till the time he holds the office of L-G.

The court of Justice Samir Dave stayed a criminal trial against Saxena till the final disposal of his plea and also joined the Centre as a party to the litigation.

The matter was kept for further hearing on August 29.

The court of metropolitan magistrate PC Goswami had, on May 8, refused to stay the trial against Saxena in a case in which he and three others are accused of assaulting Patkar during a peace meeting organised at Gandhi Ashram on April 10, 2002.

During the hearing on Monday, Patkar opposed Saxena's plea challenging the trial court's order.

Her lawyer Anand Yagnik submitted that while the public prosecutor endorsed Saxena's plea, the government was required to file a detailed affidavit as the matter is serious involving the interpretation of the Constitution.

Saxena's lawyer Jal Unwala submitted before the court that in its order rejecting Saxena's plea for abeyance of trial, the metropolitan court did not touch upon the issue of whether the L-G can be granted immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.

In his plea, Saxena contended that the trial court made an erroneous observation that if protection is granted to him, then an examination of witnesses will have to be conducted afresh, which would cause a delay in the trial.

The observation of the metropolitan court is erroneous in view of the fact that even if the trial is concluded, the court would not be in the position to send him in custody in view of the protection under Article 361 of the Constitution of India, he said.

As per the case details, a group of people had allegedly attacked Patkar when she was part of a peace meet organised after the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A case was registered on her complaint at Sabarmati police station under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of trust), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The trial in the case is underway in a metropolitan court here.

Cross-examination of other accused Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah, Vejalpur MLA Amit Thaker and Congress leader Rohit Patel has been completed.

When Saxena's turn came, his lawyer had moved an application seeking abeyance of trial against him on grounds of immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Monday extended interim relief granted to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena till the final disposal of his plea seeking proceedings against him in a case of assault on social activist Medha Patkar be kept in abeyance till the time he holds the office of L-G. The court of Justice Samir Dave stayed a criminal trial against Saxena till the final disposal of his plea and also joined the Centre as a party to the litigation. The matter was kept for further hearing on August 29.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The court of metropolitan magistrate PC Goswami had, on May 8, refused to stay the trial against Saxena in a case in which he and three others are accused of assaulting Patkar during a peace meeting organised at Gandhi Ashram on April 10, 2002. During the hearing on Monday, Patkar opposed Saxena's plea challenging the trial court's order. Her lawyer Anand Yagnik submitted that while the public prosecutor endorsed Saxena's plea, the government was required to file a detailed affidavit as the matter is serious involving the interpretation of the Constitution. Saxena's lawyer Jal Unwala submitted before the court that in its order rejecting Saxena's plea for abeyance of trial, the metropolitan court did not touch upon the issue of whether the L-G can be granted immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution. In his plea, Saxena contended that the trial court made an erroneous observation that if protection is granted to him, then an examination of witnesses will have to be conducted afresh, which would cause a delay in the trial. The observation of the metropolitan court is erroneous in view of the fact that even if the trial is concluded, the court would not be in the position to send him in custody in view of the protection under Article 361 of the Constitution of India, he said. As per the case details, a group of people had allegedly attacked Patkar when she was part of a peace meet organised after the 2002 Gujarat riots. A case was registered on her complaint at Sabarmati police station under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 321 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of trust), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The trial in the case is underway in a metropolitan court here. Cross-examination of other accused Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah, Vejalpur MLA Amit Thaker and Congress leader Rohit Patel has been completed. When Saxena's turn came, his lawyer had moved an application seeking abeyance of trial against him on grounds of immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution.
By PTI

PRATAPGARH: Nine persons were killed and seven others injured in the Lilapur area here on Monday afternoon when a gas tanker overturned and hit the tempo van they were travelling in, police said.

The accident took place on the Lucknow-Varanasi highway here, about 15 km away from the district headquarters, when the gas tanker lost control and overturned, colliding with the van, Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Rohit Mishra said.

The passengers onboard the van got trapped and were rescued by the locals.

A police team reached the spot and rushed the victims to the Pratapgarh Medical College hospital where four women and five men were declared brought dead, Mishra said.

Owing to their critical condition, the other seven injured were referred to Prayagraj SRN Hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, the police are trying to identify the deceased persons and their bodies have been sent for post-mortem, the SP said, adding that a probe is underway.

PRATAPGARH: Nine persons were killed and seven others injured in the Lilapur area here on Monday afternoon when a gas tanker overturned and hit the tempo van they were travelling in, police said. The accident took place on the Lucknow-Varanasi highway here, about 15 km away from the district headquarters, when the gas tanker lost control and overturned, colliding with the van, Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Rohit Mishra said. The passengers onboard the van got trapped and were rescued by the locals.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A police team reached the spot and rushed the victims to the Pratapgarh Medical College hospital where four women and five men were declared brought dead, Mishra said. Owing to their critical condition, the other seven injured were referred to Prayagraj SRN Hospital, he added. Meanwhile, the police are trying to identify the deceased persons and their bodies have been sent for post-mortem, the SP said, adding that a probe is underway.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: A man was killed after a dilapidated three-storey building collapsed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on Monday morning, police said.

Five others, who received minor injuries, were rescued, they said.

The dilapidated building, which was nearly 60 years old and situated in Mithakhai Gam locality, collapsed at around 7 am, Navrangpura police inspector AA Desai said.

"It took nearly two hours to pull out a man, Vinod Dakaniya (57), who was trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building," he said.

The man was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead, the official said. Five other persons, including a toddler, were rescued, he said.

"The incident took place at around 7 am and 35 fire personnel were rushed for the rescue operation along with the emergency tender and first respondent vehicle," deputy chief fire Officer Jayesh Khadia said.

AHMEDABAD: A man was killed after a dilapidated three-storey building collapsed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on Monday morning, police said. Five others, who received minor injuries, were rescued, they said. The dilapidated building, which was nearly 60 years old and situated in Mithakhai Gam locality, collapsed at around 7 am, Navrangpura police inspector AA Desai said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "It took nearly two hours to pull out a man, Vinod Dakaniya (57), who was trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building," he said. The man was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead, the official said. Five other persons, including a toddler, were rescued, he said. "The incident took place at around 7 am and 35 fire personnel were rushed for the rescue operation along with the emergency tender and first respondent vehicle," deputy chief fire Officer Jayesh Khadia said.
Developer Paul Ciminelli and Mayor Byron Brown both believe having a grocery store downtown is so crucial to the health of the city that theyre dangling a lifeline worth more than $1 million to keep the market open.

Ciminelli on Monday pledged to make a $500,000 investment in Braymiller Market, but only if the Common Council took steps to make the store eligible for another in $562,000 in pandemic-related funds.

Despite Mayor Brown's push to reconsider Braymiller funding, some Council members won't budge "At this point, my feelings are still the same as when I voted against it," Council President Darius Pridgen said. "And unless something huge, unless I'm informed of something that I did not know the last time I voted, my sentiments are still the same."

But the announcement didnt immediately tip the scales in persuading council members to vote in favor of the funding, though some council members who initially opposed the lifeline said they could be persuaded otherwise.

In an effort to ease some concerns from council members, Mayor Byron Brown said he would submit a proposal to the Common Council outlining how his administration will continue to offer financial assistance to small businesses in every district in the city with grants through the American Rescue Plan.

But Brown said he hopes he can persuade enough of them to pass the reintroduced measure to make Braymiller eligible for the pandemic-related funding.

Mayor Brown wants Common Council to reconsider denial of forgivable loan for Braymiller Market "We need a market in downtown Buffalo. The way I look at it as mayor is, if downtown falters, the entire city of Buffalo's tax base falters because the downtown tax base supports every single neighborhood in the city of Buffalo," Brown said.

What we have committed to do on the administrative side of government is provide as much information as every single council member is asking for, he said.

Ciminelli said he has met and spoken with Braymiller owner Stuart Green to learn more about his business recovery plan, and is confident that the combined $1.06 million in funding will be enough to right the ship, by catching up on the markets debt and spending more on marketing to grow the business.

He showed me the plan and got me comfortable with it, said Ciminelli, whose company helped lure Green to Buffalo and built the market prior to the pandemic as part of the larger affordable housing project at 201 Ellicott St. at the behest of the city.

He feels like that should get him where he needs to be, and, obviously, I would feel comfortable with that, contingent on the city coming through, he added.

We need a market in downtown Buffalo. The way I look at it as mayor is, if downtown falters, the entire city of Buffalos tax base falters because the downtown tax base supports every single neighborhood in the city of Buffalo, Brown said.

Buffalo Common Council members nix 'forgivable' loan to downtown Braymiller Market Braymiller Market was denied more than $500,000 in federal pandemic-related money by the Buffalo Common Council on Tuesday. The nine Council members unanimously denied the request and several said it wouldn't be fair to subsidize one business over others.

The funds are essential to sustain a retail service that has been identified repeatedly as critical to growing and serving a downtown residential base, Ciminelli said.

Its very important for downtown, said Ciminelli, who already spent $1.5 million on Braymiller as part of the original construction. Its something that, obviously, is critical for us to continue to invest in the live, work and play environment for downtown. Downtown residents have been asking for this.

The Council has criticized Braymillers business model, and suggested that Green, as a private business owner, needs to make dramatic changes to draw more customers, not seek a bailout.

Modeled after Greens existing Hamburg vegetable market and limited grocery, it focused heavily on fresh and prepared foods, as opposed to dry goods.

The venture also was supposed to rely on a mixture of wholesale deliveries to restaurants and food service clients alongside the retail business from downtown residents and workers. But the pandemic cut deeply into the restaurant sales Green was counting on.

City's strategic planning office requests 'forgivable' loan to help Braymiller Market The City of Buffalo's Office of Strategic Planning is seeking approval from the Common Council to provide about $562,000 in a forgivable loan to Braymiller Market through the Community Development Block Grant CARES Act.

If the vote were held tomorrow, Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. said he would vote against making Braymiller eligible for the money. But he is hoping that the measure will go back to committee for further discussion.

If there was a renegotiation, and if there were more monies available for my smaller businesses in the district, I could be open. Im not saying that I am. But I could be open, he said.

I understand the importance of a supermarket in downtown Buffalo, but its like were pitting downtown versus the neighborhood. You know, one food desert against another food desert, he added.

Before Buffalo Fresh opened in Riverside, his districts constituents were looking at a more than one-mile walk to Tops Markets on Grant Street or Wegmans on Amherst Street.

Its frustrating because, you know, I have 12,000 to 15,000 people that live in that area, and nobody jumped to give us a grocery store or to give us the benefit to get the grocery store, Golombek said.

Braymiller Market seeks grant funding after pandemic upends its downtown plan The market is seeking slightly more than $562,000 in grant funding through the city from a program designed to help Buffalo businesses affected by the pandemic.

He also cited a long-held criticism that Buffalo goes out of its way to renew downtown Buffalo at the expense of other neighborhoods.

I thought we were over that about 10 years ago. You know, when things would happen, it would always happen downtown and people would get very frustrated in the neighborhood, he said. It seemed like we had turned that corner when all of a sudden now, the same arguments coming up again.

He also said doesnt like the idea of a forgivable loan, rather than a loan with traditional terms.

Are we going to do that with all the other small businesses? Give them loans and forgive them? If were going to do it right across the board, thats one thing. But Im just uncomfortable when it comes to things like that. But the devil will be in the details, and well see.

Council Member David Rivera said hes willing to listen, as well.

Were open to hearing what their business plan, what their business model is, and how its going to be sustainable compared to previous years, he said.

The Council has a lot of questions and concerns about Braymiller Market, and whether the money is just a one-time assist to help it through a difficult patch, or whether it will be back on the ropes again without further investment.

Im very sympathetic, knowing that we need to have a grocer downtown. But we also need to know that its self-sustaining, that it can operate on its own. It can get to that point, he said. The citys giving out half a million dollars that was intended for small businesses that are struggling. So Im very sensitive to that, as well.

Rivera has heard from small businesses in his Niagara district, including Guercio & Sons market on Grant Street, who would benefit from the kind of assistance being advocated for Braymiller.

Ive gotten calls from people in my district who are struggling, as well. Theyre wondering Why werent we helped?  he said. So there are a number of businesses throughout the City of Buffalo, including my district, that are struggling because of Covid or even the storm and, you know, theyre not getting a loan thats forgivable.
By PTI

SHIMLA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and assured 'unwavering support' to his government as heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across the state.

The prime minister inquired about the extent of the damage caused to life and property due to heavy rains and floods, an official statement issued here said.

Sukhu informed Modi that the state has been severely affected by floods and landslides, it said. He said roads have been damaged while water and electric supply has been disrupted, and urged the prime minister to declare the situation as a national calamity, the statement said.

Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh would require substantial assistance from the Union government to recover from the extensive losses caused by the calamity.

He appealed to the prime minister to extend a special economic package to aid in the state's recovery process, it said.

In response to the chief minister's concerns, Modi assured him of the Centre's unwavering support and promised all possible assistance to the state to come out of this crisis, the statement said.

SHIMLA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and assured 'unwavering support' to his government as heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across the state. The prime minister inquired about the extent of the damage caused to life and property due to heavy rains and floods, an official statement issued here said. Sukhu informed Modi that the state has been severely affected by floods and landslides, it said. He said roads have been damaged while water and electric supply has been disrupted, and urged the prime minister to declare the situation as a national calamity, the statement said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh would require substantial assistance from the Union government to recover from the extensive losses caused by the calamity. He appealed to the prime minister to extend a special economic package to aid in the state's recovery process, it said. In response to the chief minister's concerns, Modi assured him of the Centre's unwavering support and promised all possible assistance to the state to come out of this crisis, the statement said.
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis.

According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning.

In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments, including Home, Disaster Management and Urban Local Bodies, officials said.

Khattar will also be holding a meeting with deputy commissioners later in the day through video-conferencing, they said.

READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2

Authorities have already ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas in Punjab and Haryana.

As torrential rains battered several parts of Punjab, Army assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach.

The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said.

In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals.

A street dog near a waterlogged road during monsoon rain near Yamuna Bazar area, in New Delhi (Photo | PTI)

Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near Sutlej and Ghaggar river were inundated.

ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts

In some places in Punjab, water gushed into houses and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places.

The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said extensive arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of potential floods.

Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.

Schools have also been ordered to remain shut on Monday in some worst-affected districts of Punjab and Haryana, including Rupnagar, Mohali, Patiala, Ambala and Panchkula.

ALSO READ | 13 killed as rains, flash floods lash Ukhand, HP

In the wake of a flood-like situation due to incessant rains in several parts of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday directed all the cabinet ministers, MLAs and officials to stay alert and reach out to people in need.

Flood control rooms have been set up in all the districts of Punjab to help the people in hours of crisis.

Helpline numbers have been publicised and officials have been appointed round the clock in these control rooms to serve the people, an official statement said.

Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to Yamuna have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said.

On Monday at 8 am, 2.79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said.

In Punjab's Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said.

Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers.

Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Sunday, the officials said.

CHANDIGARH: Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis. According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning. In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments, including Home, Disaster Management and Urban Local Bodies, officials said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Khattar will also be holding a meeting with deputy commissioners later in the day through video-conferencing, they said. READ MORE: Delhi submerged as torrential rain continues on Day 2 Authorities have already ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas in Punjab and Haryana. As torrential rains battered several parts of Punjab, Army assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach. The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said. In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said. In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals. A street dog near a waterlogged road during monsoon rain near Yamuna Bazar area, in New Delhi (Photo | PTI) Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage. Tracts of land near Sutlej and Ghaggar river were inundated. ALSO READ: As rains lash India, IMD issues red alert in Himachal Pradesh, flood alert for two Jammu districts In some places in Punjab, water gushed into houses and in a few places, people were evacuated to safer places. The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said extensive arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of potential floods. Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib. Schools have also been ordered to remain shut on Monday in some worst-affected districts of Punjab and Haryana, including Rupnagar, Mohali, Patiala, Ambala and Panchkula. ALSO READ | 13 killed as rains, flash floods lash Ukhand, HP In the wake of a flood-like situation due to incessant rains in several parts of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday directed all the cabinet ministers, MLAs and officials to stay alert and reach out to people in need. Flood control rooms have been set up in all the districts of Punjab to help the people in hours of crisis. Helpline numbers have been publicised and officials have been appointed round the clock in these control rooms to serve the people, an official statement said. Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to Yamuna have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said. On Monday at 8 am, 2.79 lakh cusecs of water were discharged from the barrage, they said. In Punjab's Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said. Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers. Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Sunday, the officials said.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old man's act of lodging a police complaint against the in-laws of his daughter in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district infuriated a local 'jaat panchayat' (caste council) which boycotted him and his family, and imposed a Rs 3 lakh fine on them, police said on Monday.

Acting in the matter, police have registered an offence against 23 members of the 'jaat panchayat' on the basis of a complaint for boycotting the family and imposing a fine on them.

The incident came to light on Wednesday last, when the man, a labourer, approached the Jamkhed police station in the western Maharashtra district, around 250km from Mumbai.

According to the complainant, his daughter got married in 2018, but her in-laws used to often harass her, due to which she moved out of their home and started residing with her parents, who stay in the Arole Vasti area of Jamkhed.

He approached the 'Bharosa Cell' of the Ahmednagar police and lodged a complaint against her daughter's in-laws.

However, members of a 'jaat panchayat' of the 'Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi', the community to which the complainant belongs, took objection to the registration of the police complaint.

They called a meeting of the caste group in Bhavarwadi forests, where the complainant was scolded for going to the police.

As the complainant allegedly violated rules of the community, members of the self-styled caste group threatened to expel him and his family members from the community, and also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on them, said a police official.

The complainant protested and refused to comply with their decision of social boycott and imposition of fine, the official said, adding members of the 'jaat panchayat' then threatened to kill him and his family members.

The aggrieved labourer approached the Jamkhed police and lodged a complaint against members of 'jaat panchayat' on Wednesday.

Based on the complaint, an FIR under relevant provisions of the Social Boycott Prevention Act, 2016, and IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered at the police station against 23 members of the caste council, he said.

No arrests have been made so far and a probe was underway, said the official.

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old man's act of lodging a police complaint against the in-laws of his daughter in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district infuriated a local 'jaat panchayat' (caste council) which boycotted him and his family, and imposed a Rs 3 lakh fine on them, police said on Monday. Acting in the matter, police have registered an offence against 23 members of the 'jaat panchayat' on the basis of a complaint for boycotting the family and imposing a fine on them. The incident came to light on Wednesday last, when the man, a labourer, approached the Jamkhed police station in the western Maharashtra district, around 250km from Mumbai.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to the complainant, his daughter got married in 2018, but her in-laws used to often harass her, due to which she moved out of their home and started residing with her parents, who stay in the Arole Vasti area of Jamkhed. He approached the 'Bharosa Cell' of the Ahmednagar police and lodged a complaint against her daughter's in-laws. However, members of a 'jaat panchayat' of the 'Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi', the community to which the complainant belongs, took objection to the registration of the police complaint. They called a meeting of the caste group in Bhavarwadi forests, where the complainant was scolded for going to the police. As the complainant allegedly violated rules of the community, members of the self-styled caste group threatened to expel him and his family members from the community, and also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on them, said a police official. The complainant protested and refused to comply with their decision of social boycott and imposition of fine, the official said, adding members of the 'jaat panchayat' then threatened to kill him and his family members. The aggrieved labourer approached the Jamkhed police and lodged a complaint against members of 'jaat panchayat' on Wednesday. Based on the complaint, an FIR under relevant provisions of the Social Boycott Prevention Act, 2016, and IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered at the police station against 23 members of the caste council, he said. No arrests have been made so far and a probe was underway, said the official.
By PTI

SONBHADRA: Three more persons have been arrested for beating up a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his slippers in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Monday.

A video purportedly of the incident went viral on social media, they said, adding that the accused, a contractual employee of the electricity department, has been "terminated from the service".

Circle Officer (Ghorawal) Amit Kumar said three more people have been held, taking the total number of arrests made in connection with the incident to four.

All the arrests were made on Sunday evening, police said.

In his complaint submitted to police on July 8, Rajendra Chamar said he belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category.

"On July 6, he had gone to his maternal uncle's place where the electricity supply was disrupted. He was trying to locate the fault when the contractual employee of the power department, Tejbali Singh Patel, started hurling abuses at him.

He hurled casteist words at the complainant and also made him lick his chappal.

Subsequently, the locals intervened," a police officer had said on Sunday.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Patel under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, Kumar had said.

In the video, the power department employee is seen twisting one arm of the complainant, pushing him on to the ground, climbing up on his chest and slapping him.

He is also seen forcing the complainant to lick his slippers.

"The three people who were arrested later are Ajay Patel and Ravi Yadav, who made the video of the incident and posted it on social media, and Vishram Vishwakarma, who called up the three after which the incident took place," Kumar told PTI on Monday.

Police said accused Tejbali Singh Patel, Ajay Patel and Ravi Yadav had also beaten up the complainant, threatened to kill him and taken Rs 2,200 from him.

"Based on this, sections 386 (extortion), 355 (assault or criminal force) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and provisions of the Information Technology Act were added to the FIR," Kumar said.

Police added that three mobile phones, two motorcycles and Rs 2,200 in cash have been recovered from the arrested accused.

The incident snowballed into a political slugfest, with opposition parties slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the incident is no less shameful than the one reported from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh claimed that under the BJP's rule, Dalits are not even considered as human beings.

State Congress spokesperson Vikas Srivastava described the incident as a "despicable act", while Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) spokesperson Ankur Saxena accused the BJP of insulting Dalits.

SONBHADRA: Three more persons have been arrested for beating up a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his slippers in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Monday. A video purportedly of the incident went viral on social media, they said, adding that the accused, a contractual employee of the electricity department, has been "terminated from the service". Circle Officer (Ghorawal) Amit Kumar said three more people have been held, taking the total number of arrests made in connection with the incident to four.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); All the arrests were made on Sunday evening, police said. In his complaint submitted to police on July 8, Rajendra Chamar said he belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category. "On July 6, he had gone to his maternal uncle's place where the electricity supply was disrupted. He was trying to locate the fault when the contractual employee of the power department, Tejbali Singh Patel, started hurling abuses at him. He hurled casteist words at the complainant and also made him lick his chappal. Subsequently, the locals intervened," a police officer had said on Sunday. Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Patel under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, Kumar had said. In the video, the power department employee is seen twisting one arm of the complainant, pushing him on to the ground, climbing up on his chest and slapping him. He is also seen forcing the complainant to lick his slippers. "The three people who were arrested later are Ajay Patel and Ravi Yadav, who made the video of the incident and posted it on social media, and Vishram Vishwakarma, who called up the three after which the incident took place," Kumar told PTI on Monday. Police said accused Tejbali Singh Patel, Ajay Patel and Ravi Yadav had also beaten up the complainant, threatened to kill him and taken Rs 2,200 from him. "Based on this, sections 386 (extortion), 355 (assault or criminal force) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and provisions of the Information Technology Act were added to the FIR," Kumar said. Police added that three mobile phones, two motorcycles and Rs 2,200 in cash have been recovered from the arrested accused. The incident snowballed into a political slugfest, with opposition parties slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the incident is no less shameful than the one reported from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh claimed that under the BJP's rule, Dalits are not even considered as human beings. State Congress spokesperson Vikas Srivastava described the incident as a "despicable act", while Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) spokesperson Ankur Saxena accused the BJP of insulting Dalits.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: Toll in West Bengal violence rose to 17 with five more people succumbing to injuries on Sunday, even as state governor C V Ananda Bose flew to Delhi on an unscheduled visit.

Of the five who died on Sunday, three were from the Trinamool Congress camp. They were killed in Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts. The other deaths, reported from North Dinajpur, were of two Congress workers.

Governor Bose is likely to meet Union home minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the situation. He had visited a number of areas in Kolkatas adjoining North 24 Parganas district soon after the violence that erupted during Saturdays local body elections and took stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, protests were held by Opposition parties at several places in the state alleging intimidation and false voting by the TMC. In Birbhum, where BJP once made inroads, workers of the saffron camp took refuge in party offices fearing attack by the Trinamool workers. They threatened us with dire consequences, said a BJP worker.

KOLKATA: Toll in West Bengal violence rose to 17 with five more people succumbing to injuries on Sunday, even as state governor C V Ananda Bose flew to Delhi on an unscheduled visit. Of the five who died on Sunday, three were from the Trinamool Congress camp. They were killed in Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts. The other deaths, reported from North Dinajpur, were of two Congress workers. Governor Bose is likely to meet Union home minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the situation. He had visited a number of areas in Kolkatas adjoining North 24 Parganas district soon after the violence that erupted during Saturdays local body elections and took stock of the situation. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, protests were held by Opposition parties at several places in the state alleging intimidation and false voting by the TMC. In Birbhum, where BJP once made inroads, workers of the saffron camp took refuge in party offices fearing attack by the Trinamool workers. They threatened us with dire consequences, said a BJP worker.
By PTI

NAGPUR: A 42-year-old lecturer at GS College of Commerce in Nagpur allegedly committed suicide at his residence and left behind a 14-page note in which he has purportedly claimed harassment by some members of the teaching faculty, police said on Monday.

According to the police, Gajanan Janraoji Karade, a resident of Narendra Nagar, was a Hindi lecturer and had been teaching students of Classes 11 and 12 for the past 12 years.

He hanged himself using a saree tied to a ceiling fan at his residence on Sunday evening when his wife was away in Amravati, they said.

According to relatives, Karade had been under stress in recent days and frequently spoke about enduring harassment from members of the college management and some professors.

On Sunday evening, they said, Karade phoned his brother-in-law and told him he fears he may be attacked by unidentified persons.

Karade told his brother-in-law he had documented everything in a diary stored in the refrigerator and urged him to take action if something were to happen to him, said the relatives.

At the time, the lecturer's wife and his brother-in-law's wife were in Amravati attending a relative's wedding.

Both rushed to Nagpur, where they found Karade hanging from a ceiling fan, police said.

An official of the Beltarodi police station confirmed the diary containing Karade's writings had been handed over to the police by family members.

The diary has writings spanning 14 pages and contains names of some persons and other details, he said.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

NAGPUR: A 42-year-old lecturer at GS College of Commerce in Nagpur allegedly committed suicide at his residence and left behind a 14-page note in which he has purportedly claimed harassment by some members of the teaching faculty, police said on Monday. According to the police, Gajanan Janraoji Karade, a resident of Narendra Nagar, was a Hindi lecturer and had been teaching students of Classes 11 and 12 for the past 12 years. He hanged himself using a saree tied to a ceiling fan at his residence on Sunday evening when his wife was away in Amravati, they said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to relatives, Karade had been under stress in recent days and frequently spoke about enduring harassment from members of the college management and some professors. On Sunday evening, they said, Karade phoned his brother-in-law and told him he fears he may be attacked by unidentified persons. Karade told his brother-in-law he had documented everything in a diary stored in the refrigerator and urged him to take action if something were to happen to him, said the relatives. At the time, the lecturer's wife and his brother-in-law's wife were in Amravati attending a relative's wedding. Both rushed to Nagpur, where they found Karade hanging from a ceiling fan, police said. An official of the Beltarodi police station confirmed the diary containing Karade's writings had been handed over to the police by family members. The diary has writings spanning 14 pages and contains names of some persons and other details, he said. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
By Express News Service

MYSURU: Kuvempunagar police have arrested a man who had married over 15 women posing as a doctor on matrimonial websites.

Police said KB Mahesh Nayak (35), a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru, had uploaded his profile on matrimonial sites and claimed he was a doctor although police told Indian Express that he had studied only till Class 4.

The IE report also said that four of the woman had children with him.

He targeted women who are divorcees or widows with good financial backgrounds. The IE report stated that most of the women were embarrassed to come out with their stories as they were financially independent working professionals.

He has been involved in the crime since 2007 and has conned more than 15 women and looted their valuables. He has also rented a house in Mysuru.

One of the victims Hemalatha (45), a software engineer from Bengaluru, registered a complaint of being cheated of Rs 8 lakh worth jewellery and 15 lakh cash.

Based on the complaint, Kuvempunagar police arrested Mahesh and recovered two cars, seven cellphones, Rs 2 lakh in cash, and jewellery from him.

The IE report added that his father had filed an attempt-to-murder case against Mahesh.

(With additional inputs from online desk)

MYSURU: Kuvempunagar police have arrested a man who had married over 15 women posing as a doctor on matrimonial websites. Police said KB Mahesh Nayak (35), a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru, had uploaded his profile on matrimonial sites and claimed he was a doctor although police told Indian Express that he had studied only till Class 4. The IE report also said that four of the woman had children with him. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He targeted women who are divorcees or widows with good financial backgrounds. The IE report stated that most of the women were embarrassed to come out with their stories as they were financially independent working professionals. He has been involved in the crime since 2007 and has conned more than 15 women and looted their valuables. He has also rented a house in Mysuru. One of the victims Hemalatha (45), a software engineer from Bengaluru, registered a complaint of being cheated of Rs 8 lakh worth jewellery and 15 lakh cash. Based on the complaint, Kuvempunagar police arrested Mahesh and recovered two cars, seven cellphones, Rs 2 lakh in cash, and jewellery from him. The IE report added that his father had filed an attempt-to-murder case against Mahesh. (With additional inputs from online desk)
Vivek Bhoomi By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to contest from the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu in the next elections if the BJPs central leadership takes a decision to this effect.

During the Regional Consultative Meeting of BJP presidents from 11 States and national general secretaries which was held at the party office in Nampally on Sunday, party president JP Nadda informed the delegates that with a view to solidly establishing itself in the south, the party decided to field Modi from one of the south Indian States.

BJP National President Shri @JPNadda addressed the Regional Consultative Meeting at the State BJP Office in Hyderabad, Telangana. pic.twitter.com/mD5rn6Atib July 9, 2023

When he sought the opinion of the delegates, it was learnt that a majority of them suggested that Narendra Modi contest from Ramanathapuram. Presently, K Navaskani of the Indian Muslim League is the MP from the constituency.

JP Nadda greets G Kishan Reddy

in Hyderabad on Sunday as BJP

national general secretary

BL Santhosh looks on

The suggestion of the party leaders is significant and challenging as well, as Modi presently represents the Hindu-dominated Varanasi, and if he can defeat Navaskani from Ramanathapuram, which has a significant Muslim vote, that would send out a message to the entire southern States that if Hindus organise as a vote-bank in support of the BJP, anything is possible.

Nadda has also set the bar higher for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as he informed the delegates that the BJP should exceed 50 seats from the south Indian States. This goal is being seen as a strategy to balance the probability of the party losing in some of the northern States due to the anti-incumbency factor.

The success of Modis public meeting in Warangal was appreciated during the meeting, and Nadda also said that the prime minister will address at least two more meetings in Telangana before the coming Assembly elections in the State.BJP MLA and the partys election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender briefly entered the meeting hall to meet Nadda, who was known to have asked him to convince the leaders planning to join Congress, to stay with BJP.

Nadda called on the BJP leaders to end groupism in their respective States and work unitedly to bring the BJP back to power.As per sources, while Nadda was on his way to offer prayers at the Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad, he received a phone call from former MP Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy. It is believed that Rajgopal is keen on moving to urban areas to contest, and that he preferred to contest from LB Nagar Assembly constituency, or Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment.

ALSO READ | Buzz on PM Modi considering to contest 2024 polls from Tamil Nadu

The Sundays high-level meeting was held in four sessions, out of which, the progress of BJPs Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan was taken by the partys leadership. All the eleven States submitted their report, which included information about the number of press conferences, social media influencers meetings, vyapari sammelans, vikas tirth yatras, intellectuals meetings, emergency documentary shows, public meetings, beneficiaries meetings, social workers meetings, ghar ghar sampark abhiyan, Modis Mann Ki Baat and other programmes which were planned as part of the campaign.

There were around 34 delegates who attended the meeting which included BJP national general secretaries, BJP State presidents from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Goa.

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to contest from the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu in the next elections if the BJPs central leadership takes a decision to this effect. During the Regional Consultative Meeting of BJP presidents from 11 States and national general secretaries which was held at the party office in Nampally on Sunday, party president JP Nadda informed the delegates that with a view to solidly establishing itself in the south, the party decided to field Modi from one of the south Indian States. BJP National President Shri @JPNadda addressed the Regional Consultative Meeting at the State BJP Office in Hyderabad, Telangana. pic.twitter.com/mD5rn6Atibgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });  BJP (@BJP4India) July 9, 2023 When he sought the opinion of the delegates, it was learnt that a majority of them suggested that Narendra Modi contest from Ramanathapuram. Presently, K Navaskani of the Indian Muslim League is the MP from the constituency. JP Nadda greets G Kishan Reddy in Hyderabad on Sunday as BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh looks onThe suggestion of the party leaders is significant and challenging as well, as Modi presently represents the Hindu-dominated Varanasi, and if he can defeat Navaskani from Ramanathapuram, which has a significant Muslim vote, that would send out a message to the entire southern States that if Hindus organise as a vote-bank in support of the BJP, anything is possible. Nadda has also set the bar higher for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as he informed the delegates that the BJP should exceed 50 seats from the south Indian States. This goal is being seen as a strategy to balance the probability of the party losing in some of the northern States due to the anti-incumbency factor. The success of Modis public meeting in Warangal was appreciated during the meeting, and Nadda also said that the prime minister will address at least two more meetings in Telangana before the coming Assembly elections in the State.BJP MLA and the partys election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender briefly entered the meeting hall to meet Nadda, who was known to have asked him to convince the leaders planning to join Congress, to stay with BJP. Nadda called on the BJP leaders to end groupism in their respective States and work unitedly to bring the BJP back to power.As per sources, while Nadda was on his way to offer prayers at the Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad, he received a phone call from former MP Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy. It is believed that Rajgopal is keen on moving to urban areas to contest, and that he preferred to contest from LB Nagar Assembly constituency, or Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment. ALSO READ | Buzz on PM Modi considering to contest 2024 polls from Tamil Nadu The Sundays high-level meeting was held in four sessions, out of which, the progress of BJPs Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan was taken by the partys leadership. All the eleven States submitted their report, which included information about the number of press conferences, social media influencers meetings, vyapari sammelans, vikas tirth yatras, intellectuals meetings, emergency documentary shows, public meetings, beneficiaries meetings, social workers meetings, ghar ghar sampark abhiyan, Modis Mann Ki Baat and other programmes which were planned as part of the campaign. There were around 34 delegates who attended the meeting which included BJP national general secretaries, BJP State presidents from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Goa.
By ANI

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA [Pakistan]: In the Khyber province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a group of tribal clerics has once again taken matters into their own hands by enforcing a ban on transgender people dancing and playing music during weddings, The Express Tribune reported.

The decision was made by a group of 26 clerics on Friday, who also ruled that clergy would not perform the nikah ritual at any marriages that included music and dance.

"If anyone refuses to obey this order or go against it, then the last rites of the entire family would not be performed by clerics," says a written letter signed by the clerics, as per The Express Tribune.

A local resident told The Express Tribune that the statement was made during a jirga that was also attended by local politicians and tribal elders in addition to clerics.

The letter also stated that such families would be boycotted by the community and that clergy would not attend their weddings.

Additionally, the group banned celebratory aerial firing during wedding festivities.

Hardline local clerics have already enforced bans on transgender people's music and dances. Similar priests attacked music events in Landi Kotal in September 2017, seizing televisions and musical equipment that they later set on fire.

An organisation called, the Hussaini Tehreek, also forbade women from going alone to bazaars and shopping malls in the Parachinar and Kurram districts in July 2021, as per The Express Tribune.

Due to the prominence of its leader, Maulana Abid Hussaini, a local cleric and former senator, the announcement of the ban was widely publicised on social media channels.

The entry of women or couples into picnic areas was outlawed in July 2022 by a jirga gathered in the very orthodox Salarzai area of the Bajaur province because it was deemed to be against local customs.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)-run jirga, presided over by Maulana Abdur Rashid, JUI-F district amir for Bajaur, urged that the government back the ban by taking appropriate action.

The jirga also demanded that non-locals be rejected from employment in the district's numerous departments and that local citizens be hired instead.

Elders in Tehsil Mamond, Bajaur, forbade women from calling the nearby FM radio stations and attending the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) in February 2021. The violators of the ban would face a fine of PKR 10,000, The Express Tribune reported.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA [Pakistan]: In the Khyber province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a group of tribal clerics has once again taken matters into their own hands by enforcing a ban on transgender people dancing and playing music during weddings, The Express Tribune reported. The decision was made by a group of 26 clerics on Friday, who also ruled that clergy would not perform the nikah ritual at any marriages that included music and dance. "If anyone refuses to obey this order or go against it, then the last rites of the entire family would not be performed by clerics," says a written letter signed by the clerics, as per The Express Tribune.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A local resident told The Express Tribune that the statement was made during a jirga that was also attended by local politicians and tribal elders in addition to clerics. The letter also stated that such families would be boycotted by the community and that clergy would not attend their weddings. Additionally, the group banned celebratory aerial firing during wedding festivities. Hardline local clerics have already enforced bans on transgender people's music and dances. Similar priests attacked music events in Landi Kotal in September 2017, seizing televisions and musical equipment that they later set on fire. An organisation called, the Hussaini Tehreek, also forbade women from going alone to bazaars and shopping malls in the Parachinar and Kurram districts in July 2021, as per The Express Tribune. Due to the prominence of its leader, Maulana Abid Hussaini, a local cleric and former senator, the announcement of the ban was widely publicised on social media channels. The entry of women or couples into picnic areas was outlawed in July 2022 by a jirga gathered in the very orthodox Salarzai area of the Bajaur province because it was deemed to be against local customs. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)-run jirga, presided over by Maulana Abdur Rashid, JUI-F district amir for Bajaur, urged that the government back the ban by taking appropriate action. The jirga also demanded that non-locals be rejected from employment in the district's numerous departments and that local citizens be hired instead. Elders in Tehsil Mamond, Bajaur, forbade women from calling the nearby FM radio stations and attending the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) in February 2021. The violators of the ban would face a fine of PKR 10,000, The Express Tribune reported.
McGuire Development Co. is asking the Erie County Industrial Development Agency for more than $1.35 million in tax breaks to support construction of a $33.1 million commissary kitchen for Buffalo Public Schools, where chefs can prepare breakfast and lunch for students.

Without the tax breaks, the project would be financially complicated for the school district, according to the developer.

The district unveiled plans last month for a food-preparation facility across the street from its current cramped location at 1055 E. Delavan Ave., which district officials described as inefficient and, at times, dangerous.

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Among the safety concerns, they cited delivery trucks disrupting traffic flow on East Delavan and posing a risk to pedestrians.

They talked of a desire to cook meals from scratch, rather than using pre-prepared or processed foods because of the limited production and storage space in the 40,000-square-foot location that the district has outgrown.

So McGuire, working with Kideney Architects, plans to develop a 66,686-square-foot, one-story building at 1016-1044 East Delavan, where staff would cook on-site, using locally grown products, creating fresh and high-quality meal options for students, according to McGuires application to the ECIDA.

That is the directive of the new programming requirements for the districts student meal plan, which serves 27,000 meals daily during the school year and 10,000 a day during the summer program. The facility would service all city schools by cooking, packaging, processing and distributing meals.

Buffalo Public Schools needs a facility that can function at a higher level, and produce healthier meals for the students of the school district and promote a safer environment for its staff, the application said.

The new facility would include two industrial kitchens with meal preparation tables, commercial ovens, a test kitchen and office or administrative space, as well as two frozen storage coolers, two dry-storage coolers, an 18-wheeler truck dock, a pull-through loading garage and a box-truck loading area. The test kitchen would also serve as a conference room or community space for local community meetings and food-service training.

McGuire, which will own the building, is asking for $1.178 million in sales tax breaks, $175,249 in mortgage-recording tax relief and a long-term property tax break. A public hearing was held in late June, but the ECIDA will accept public written comments through July 25, prior to the board considering the application.

Without tax breaks, the costs of the project will increase the rent that may not be feasible for Buffalo Public Schools. And McGuire will lose the substantial investment it has made so far, while the school district will likely have to start the process all over again.

Costs include $1.25 million to acquire the five-acre site, $22.27 million for construction, $3.92 million for furniture and equipment and $5.63 million in professional fees. The project will be financed with $7.6 million in equity and $23.37 million in bank loans.

If approved, work would begin by Sept. 30, with completion by the end of March 2025. The facility currently employs 16 full-time and 35-part-time workers, and would hire 15 part-time positions within two years, paying $30,000 a year.

This is the second food-oriented project that McGuire has done for the city school district. The developer also redeveloped the former C.W. Livery Building at 75 W. Huron St. in Buffalo into the Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, formerly the Emerson School of Hospitality.
Renuka Kalpana By

Express News Service

With global temperatures rising, countries in South East Asia are being forced to take mitigation measures, including in the agricultural and fishing sectors. Each passing year adds to the evidence that rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns and extreme weather events are profoundly impacting these two sectors.

If we were to classify the stages of climate change on a scale from zero to five, the world has already surpassed stage 3.5," says Divya Nawale, an Indian climate change activist involved in climate policy initiatives for the United Nations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

According to the Paris Climate Accords, the objective is to limit global temperature rise to below 2C, with an aspirational target of 1.5C. But, points out Divya, we have already exceeded 1.2C. Taking into account the current rate of emissions, it is plausible that we could bridge the remaining 0.3C within the next decade.

Agriculture is integral to the socioeconomic fabric of south-east Asian countries, ensuring food security, promoting rural development, driving economic growth and contributing to environmental sustainability. Additionally, farming is also critical for the region's sustainable development amid challenges like climate change and population growth. For instance, in Malaysia, agriculture accounts for 12% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), largely driven by palm oil production, making it the world's second-largest producer and exporter after Indonesia. In Laos, agriculture represented 16.07% of the GDP in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate of 2.5%, reaching 17.2% by 2023. Vietnam, particularly the vulnerable Mekong Delta, faces the brunt of climate change.

The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the need to address the far-reaching consequences of climate change on agriculture. The AR6 highlights the vulnerabilities of global food systems and emphasises the pressing need for adaptation and mitigation strategies to safeguard food production and ensure global food security in the face of a climate crisis.

The Impact Media Fellowship 2023, organised by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), brings together six journalists from diverse backgrounds to delve into the impact of climate change within their respective countries. Through extensive interviews with experts, interactions with farmers and conversations with fishermen, these journalists, namely Renuka Kalpana from India, Luqman Hakim from Malaysia, Valy Phommachak from Laos, Yogi Eka Sahputra from Indonesia and Fakhruradzi Ismail from Singapore, aim to comprehend the impact of the climate crisis on their respective nations.

Rising Temperatures and Agricultural Challenges

India and Laos, two countries with large agricultural communities and influence, are experiencing the adverse impacts of climate change. A recent study conducted by the University of Hyderabad (UoH), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reveals that heatwaves have become more frequent in India, while winters have become milder. This trend has serious implications for the country's agricultural productivity, especially in states like Haryana and Punjab, which are known for their grain production.

Sandeep Khanda, a farmer from Khanda village in Haryana, has witnessed the shifting seasons firsthand. Typically, winters extend until April, allowing farmers to harvest their crops and celebrate Baisakhi, the harvest festival which usually falls in mid-April. However, this year, an early onset of summer in February, accompanied by extreme rainfall in April, disrupted the harvest and caused financial losses for farmers like Sandeep.

Similarly, in Laos, agricultural activities and deforestation contribute significantly to global warming. The practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, which involves clearing vegetation and shifting to new forestlands, has led to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and water contamination. Farmers, who often practise this method on their lands, face blame for these environmental consequences. However, larger corporations and firms that support and promote these practices also bear responsibility, underline experts. In Laos, the reliance on agricultural activities exacerbates global warming and its associated environmental challenges.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, rising temperatures impact palm oil production, causing reduced fruit production and financial losses for palm oil operators like Jasman Juraimi.

"When it gets too hot, there are no fruits for us to pick which causes the price to drop. Our profits can even decrease to about 40%. The suitable condition for these trees is a temperature that feels damp. It cannot be too hot because then, we won't be able to fertilise the trees, he mentions.

Fertiliser Dependency and Environmental Concerns

The issue of fertilisers is not restricted to any one country in south-east Asia. As the visible effects of climate change have become more pronounced in recent years, farmers like Sandeep Khanda have witnessed a decline in soil fertility. In response, farmers have resorted to using more toxic fertilisers to boost production and mitigate losses. Unfortunately, this has had negative consequences for both farmers and agricultural labourers, Khanda said.

Additionally, in Malaysia, the use of fertilisers on palm trees containing nitrogen compounds aggravates the effects of the already hot climate. While nitrogen is essential for plant growth and protein formation, excessive nitrogen can harm plants. Palm oil operator Jasman acknowledges the challenges faced by plants in very dry soils, as fertilisers may not be readily accessible to them. Fertilisers are not accessible to plants in very dry soils. But without fertiliser, they produce fewer fruits which are difficult for us, said Jasman. To combat these challenges, he employs nature-based solutions such as planting ferns to provide shade and natural mitigation on his plantation.

Despite their geographical distance, the experiences of farmers in India and Malaysia reflect a common struggle in adapting to the changing climate and maintaining agricultural productivity. The reliance on fertilisers, both toxic and nitrogen-based, underscores the need for sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices in both countries.

Unpredictable Weather Patterns

Moreover, the impact of climate change connects the experiences of farmers and fishermen in different regions, highlighting the challenges they face due to changing weather patterns and extreme events. Climate change has led to erratic weather patterns, making it challenging for Indonesian fishermen to catch fish negatively impacting their livelihoods. As per the experiences of fishermen, Coastal seas and small islands also continue to experience the threat of climate disasters.

In Indonesia, fishermen and coastal communities, such as those in the Riau Islands, are experiencing the impact of climate change firsthand. Erratic weather patterns make fishing unpredictable and reduce catch sizes, affecting the livelihoods of fishermen like Abu Hurairah.

After going out to the sea for years, many like Abu had developed an instinct for predicting weather patterns. However, the situation has changed completely in recent times. "We could anticipate when it was going to rain. Our predictions about storms used to be accurate most of the time," Abu says, adding that the unpredictable weather has reduced the amount of catch in each trip.

He has become increasingly concerned about the risks since he also supports his family. "The north-wind season used to last until March, but now the time is uncertain," Abu says. Although a weather forecasting application is available, it does not fully help fishermen, he adds.

The changing climate also brings the risk of floods, which can cause significant losses for palm oil farmers in Malaysia. Floods not only destroy saplings and damage grown trees but also disrupt the production cycle, requiring at least two years for the trees to recover and resume fruit production. "Of course, the saplings will be destroyed when they are flooded and the grown trees will be damaged. This hurts our operational cost," Jasman, the palm oil operator, said.

In India, Lakshmibai Jangu Atram, a member of the Kolam tribal community from Sonapur village in Maharashtra, had high hopes for resin production this year. However, sudden stormy rainfall in late December washed away her expectations, damaging not only the resin production but also the pigeon pea crops cultivated by her neighbour Sitabai Sudam Atram. This trend of decreasing agricultural production has been observed by tribal communities over the past six years, exacerbating the already limited yields from dryland farms.

The consequences of climate change on agriculture and fishing are evident in these regions. Farmers and fishermen bear the brunt of unpredictable weather, decreased productivity, increased production expenses and reduced profits. Addressing climate change impacts and supporting these communities will require not only improved infrastructure and forecasting systems but also sustainable farming practices and adaptation measures to build resilience in the face of changing climatic conditions, assert experts.

Policy Measures to Address Climate Challenges

Farmers and fishermen, as keen observers of their surroundings, have devised certain solutions to counter the increasing challenges, but in the face of climate change, these efforts seem inadequate. In India, farmers have traditionally relied on homemade fertilisers, but these are no longer effective due to climate change. The government needs to intervene by providing planning tools and funding to scale up sustainable agricultural practices that can withstand the changing climate, experts emphasise.

Moh Abdi Suhufan, the national coordinator of Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia, points out the importance of local governments taking action to protect small fishermen from the effects of climate change. This includes providing them with data and information on the specific vulnerabilities they will face and conducting comprehensive awareness campaigns to help them anticipate and adapt to these changes, he adds.

Additionally, regional climate change adaptation and mitigation plans should incorporate targeted actions that address the environmental, social, and economic concerns of fishermen, experts opine, adding that at the central level, there should be a consolidation of planning and budgets from various sources to prioritise and synergistically support vulnerable areas and the livelihoods of fishermen.

DFW's analysis in Kolono Bay, South Konawe, and Southeast Sulawesi reveals that climate change has led to coastal erosion, posing a threat to the settlements of fishermen. Similar reports have emerged from Kendari City, where rising seawater levels have started to infiltrate fishermen's houses along the coast. These examples highlight the urgent need for proactive measures to protect coastal communities and ensure their resilience in the face of climate change.

Greenhouse agriculture in Vietnam offers a viable solution to combat climate change. By implementing green agriculture practices, which involve the efficient utilisation of resources and the application of advanced technologies, Vietnam aims to increase agricultural productivity while minimising input usage and greenhouse gas emissions. According to Dao The Anh, deputy director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, green agriculture optimises resource allocation to produce higher-quality food with fewer inputs.

The awareness of climate change's impact on farming has also grown among farmers like Khuat Huu Duong from Xuan Nha commune in Son La province. Previously unaware of the environmental consequences of burning fields, fertilisation and herbicide use, Duong now understands the importance of proper fertilisation techniques and preserving vegetation.

Farmers in provinces like Hai Duong adapt their practices to cope with intense heat, planting crops at night or in the early morning. By adjusting transplanting schedules, maintaining the deep water supply and handling seedlings carefully, farmers can mitigate the adverse effects of hot weather on their crops. Through greenhouse agriculture, Vietnam demonstrates its commitment to sustainable practices that protect the environment, improve farmers' livelihoods, and contribute to climate change mitigation.

Singapore has introduced an innovative solution to enhance its food security through the cultivation of climate-resistant Temasek rice. In a pilot project, the resilient rice variety was harvested at a vertical high-tech farm in a residential area. Although currently reserved for research and development at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, the successful cultivation demonstrates the potential for growing crops in urban farm settings.

The countrys minister for social and family development, Masagos Zulkifli, emphasises the importance of community involvement, with Tampines residents actively contributing food waste for composting to support vegetable growth at the facility. While these initiatives are commendable, Singapore recognises the need for further advancements.

The nation's heavy dependence on food imports necessitates a shift towards more sustainable practices and localised production. By raising awareness, implementing eco-friendly approaches, and incentivizing local food production and distribution, Singapore aims to bolster its food system's resilience and secure its future food security.

In conclusion, the development and implementation of national adaptation plans in south-east Asian countries are crucial steps towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change. These plans encompass a range of strategies, including sustainable agriculture, resilient infrastructure, ecosystem conservation and community engagement.

By prioritising adaptation measures and integrating climate resilience into policies and programs, south-east Asian nations can better protect their populations, economies, and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. Collaborative efforts, knowledge sharing, and international support are essential in ensuring the success of these adaptation plans and building a more resilient future for the region.

With global temperatures rising, countries in South East Asia are being forced to take mitigation measures, including in the agricultural and fishing sectors. Each passing year adds to the evidence that rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns and extreme weather events are profoundly impacting these two sectors. If we were to classify the stages of climate change on a scale from zero to five, the world has already surpassed stage 3.5," says Divya Nawale, an Indian climate change activist involved in climate policy initiatives for the United Nations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the Paris Climate Accords, the objective is to limit global temperature rise to below 2C, with an aspirational target of 1.5C. But, points out Divya, we have already exceeded 1.2C. Taking into account the current rate of emissions, it is plausible that we could bridge the remaining 0.3C within the next decade.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Agriculture is integral to the socioeconomic fabric of south-east Asian countries, ensuring food security, promoting rural development, driving economic growth and contributing to environmental sustainability. Additionally, farming is also critical for the region's sustainable development amid challenges like climate change and population growth. For instance, in Malaysia, agriculture accounts for 12% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), largely driven by palm oil production, making it the world's second-largest producer and exporter after Indonesia. In Laos, agriculture represented 16.07% of the GDP in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate of 2.5%, reaching 17.2% by 2023. Vietnam, particularly the vulnerable Mekong Delta, faces the brunt of climate change. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the need to address the far-reaching consequences of climate change on agriculture. The AR6 highlights the vulnerabilities of global food systems and emphasises the pressing need for adaptation and mitigation strategies to safeguard food production and ensure global food security in the face of a climate crisis. The Impact Media Fellowship 2023, organised by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), brings together six journalists from diverse backgrounds to delve into the impact of climate change within their respective countries. Through extensive interviews with experts, interactions with farmers and conversations with fishermen, these journalists, namely Renuka Kalpana from India, Luqman Hakim from Malaysia, Valy Phommachak from Laos, Yogi Eka Sahputra from Indonesia and Fakhruradzi Ismail from Singapore, aim to comprehend the impact of the climate crisis on their respective nations. Rising Temperatures and Agricultural Challenges India and Laos, two countries with large agricultural communities and influence, are experiencing the adverse impacts of climate change. A recent study conducted by the University of Hyderabad (UoH), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reveals that heatwaves have become more frequent in India, while winters have become milder. This trend has serious implications for the country's agricultural productivity, especially in states like Haryana and Punjab, which are known for their grain production. Sandeep Khanda, a farmer from Khanda village in Haryana, has witnessed the shifting seasons firsthand. Typically, winters extend until April, allowing farmers to harvest their crops and celebrate Baisakhi, the harvest festival which usually falls in mid-April. However, this year, an early onset of summer in February, accompanied by extreme rainfall in April, disrupted the harvest and caused financial losses for farmers like Sandeep. Similarly, in Laos, agricultural activities and deforestation contribute significantly to global warming. The practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, which involves clearing vegetation and shifting to new forestlands, has led to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and water contamination. Farmers, who often practise this method on their lands, face blame for these environmental consequences. However, larger corporations and firms that support and promote these practices also bear responsibility, underline experts. In Laos, the reliance on agricultural activities exacerbates global warming and its associated environmental challenges. Meanwhile in Malaysia, rising temperatures impact palm oil production, causing reduced fruit production and financial losses for palm oil operators like Jasman Juraimi. "When it gets too hot, there are no fruits for us to pick which causes the price to drop. Our profits can even decrease to about 40%. The suitable condition for these trees is a temperature that feels damp. It cannot be too hot because then, we won't be able to fertilise the trees, he mentions. Fertiliser Dependency and Environmental Concerns The issue of fertilisers is not restricted to any one country in south-east Asia. As the visible effects of climate change have become more pronounced in recent years, farmers like Sandeep Khanda have witnessed a decline in soil fertility. In response, farmers have resorted to using more toxic fertilisers to boost production and mitigate losses. Unfortunately, this has had negative consequences for both farmers and agricultural labourers, Khanda said. Additionally, in Malaysia, the use of fertilisers on palm trees containing nitrogen compounds aggravates the effects of the already hot climate. While nitrogen is essential for plant growth and protein formation, excessive nitrogen can harm plants. Palm oil operator Jasman acknowledges the challenges faced by plants in very dry soils, as fertilisers may not be readily accessible to them. Fertilisers are not accessible to plants in very dry soils. But without fertiliser, they produce fewer fruits which are difficult for us, said Jasman. To combat these challenges, he employs nature-based solutions such as planting ferns to provide shade and natural mitigation on his plantation. Despite their geographical distance, the experiences of farmers in India and Malaysia reflect a common struggle in adapting to the changing climate and maintaining agricultural productivity. The reliance on fertilisers, both toxic and nitrogen-based, underscores the need for sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices in both countries. Unpredictable Weather Patterns Moreover, the impact of climate change connects the experiences of farmers and fishermen in different regions, highlighting the challenges they face due to changing weather patterns and extreme events. Climate change has led to erratic weather patterns, making it challenging for Indonesian fishermen to catch fish negatively impacting their livelihoods. As per the experiences of fishermen, Coastal seas and small islands also continue to experience the threat of climate disasters. In Indonesia, fishermen and coastal communities, such as those in the Riau Islands, are experiencing the impact of climate change firsthand. Erratic weather patterns make fishing unpredictable and reduce catch sizes, affecting the livelihoods of fishermen like Abu Hurairah. After going out to the sea for years, many like Abu had developed an instinct for predicting weather patterns. However, the situation has changed completely in recent times. "We could anticipate when it was going to rain. Our predictions about storms used to be accurate most of the time," Abu says, adding that the unpredictable weather has reduced the amount of catch in each trip. He has become increasingly concerned about the risks since he also supports his family. "The north-wind season used to last until March, but now the time is uncertain," Abu says. Although a weather forecasting application is available, it does not fully help fishermen, he adds. The changing climate also brings the risk of floods, which can cause significant losses for palm oil farmers in Malaysia. Floods not only destroy saplings and damage grown trees but also disrupt the production cycle, requiring at least two years for the trees to recover and resume fruit production. "Of course, the saplings will be destroyed when they are flooded and the grown trees will be damaged. This hurts our operational cost," Jasman, the palm oil operator, said. In India, Lakshmibai Jangu Atram, a member of the Kolam tribal community from Sonapur village in Maharashtra, had high hopes for resin production this year. However, sudden stormy rainfall in late December washed away her expectations, damaging not only the resin production but also the pigeon pea crops cultivated by her neighbour Sitabai Sudam Atram. This trend of decreasing agricultural production has been observed by tribal communities over the past six years, exacerbating the already limited yields from dryland farms. The consequences of climate change on agriculture and fishing are evident in these regions. Farmers and fishermen bear the brunt of unpredictable weather, decreased productivity, increased production expenses and reduced profits. Addressing climate change impacts and supporting these communities will require not only improved infrastructure and forecasting systems but also sustainable farming practices and adaptation measures to build resilience in the face of changing climatic conditions, assert experts. Policy Measures to Address Climate Challenges Farmers and fishermen, as keen observers of their surroundings, have devised certain solutions to counter the increasing challenges, but in the face of climate change, these efforts seem inadequate. In India, farmers have traditionally relied on homemade fertilisers, but these are no longer effective due to climate change. The government needs to intervene by providing planning tools and funding to scale up sustainable agricultural practices that can withstand the changing climate, experts emphasise. Moh Abdi Suhufan, the national coordinator of Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia, points out the importance of local governments taking action to protect small fishermen from the effects of climate change. This includes providing them with data and information on the specific vulnerabilities they will face and conducting comprehensive awareness campaigns to help them anticipate and adapt to these changes, he adds. Additionally, regional climate change adaptation and mitigation plans should incorporate targeted actions that address the environmental, social, and economic concerns of fishermen, experts opine, adding that at the central level, there should be a consolidation of planning and budgets from various sources to prioritise and synergistically support vulnerable areas and the livelihoods of fishermen. DFW's analysis in Kolono Bay, South Konawe, and Southeast Sulawesi reveals that climate change has led to coastal erosion, posing a threat to the settlements of fishermen. Similar reports have emerged from Kendari City, where rising seawater levels have started to infiltrate fishermen's houses along the coast. These examples highlight the urgent need for proactive measures to protect coastal communities and ensure their resilience in the face of climate change. Greenhouse agriculture in Vietnam offers a viable solution to combat climate change. By implementing green agriculture practices, which involve the efficient utilisation of resources and the application of advanced technologies, Vietnam aims to increase agricultural productivity while minimising input usage and greenhouse gas emissions. According to Dao The Anh, deputy director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, green agriculture optimises resource allocation to produce higher-quality food with fewer inputs. The awareness of climate change's impact on farming has also grown among farmers like Khuat Huu Duong from Xuan Nha commune in Son La province. Previously unaware of the environmental consequences of burning fields, fertilisation and herbicide use, Duong now understands the importance of proper fertilisation techniques and preserving vegetation. Farmers in provinces like Hai Duong adapt their practices to cope with intense heat, planting crops at night or in the early morning. By adjusting transplanting schedules, maintaining the deep water supply and handling seedlings carefully, farmers can mitigate the adverse effects of hot weather on their crops. Through greenhouse agriculture, Vietnam demonstrates its commitment to sustainable practices that protect the environment, improve farmers' livelihoods, and contribute to climate change mitigation. Singapore has introduced an innovative solution to enhance its food security through the cultivation of climate-resistant Temasek rice. In a pilot project, the resilient rice variety was harvested at a vertical high-tech farm in a residential area. Although currently reserved for research and development at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, the successful cultivation demonstrates the potential for growing crops in urban farm settings. The countrys minister for social and family development, Masagos Zulkifli, emphasises the importance of community involvement, with Tampines residents actively contributing food waste for composting to support vegetable growth at the facility. While these initiatives are commendable, Singapore recognises the need for further advancements. The nation's heavy dependence on food imports necessitates a shift towards more sustainable practices and localised production. By raising awareness, implementing eco-friendly approaches, and incentivizing local food production and distribution, Singapore aims to bolster its food system's resilience and secure its future food security. In conclusion, the development and implementation of national adaptation plans in south-east Asian countries are crucial steps towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change. These plans encompass a range of strategies, including sustainable agriculture, resilient infrastructure, ecosystem conservation and community engagement. By prioritising adaptation measures and integrating climate resilience into policies and programs, south-east Asian nations can better protect their populations, economies, and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. Collaborative efforts, knowledge sharing, and international support are essential in ensuring the success of these adaptation plans and building a more resilient future for the region.
By Online Desk

300 migrants from Senegal en route Canary Islands in three different boats have been reported to be missing. The boats set sail on June 27.

They started from Kafountine, a coastal town in southern Senegal that is roughly 1700 kms that is (1507 miles) from Tenerife in the Canary Islands archipelago.

The three boats have been missing for the past fifteen days and Spanish rescuers are on a rescue spree, reported BBC.

Halena Maleno, a local aide working for Walking Borders (a non-profit focusing on migrant aid) told Reuters that one boat contains 60 people while the other one carries 65, and the third one has more than 200 people in it. She said, There are about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left because of the instability in Senegal.

The Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world and is typically used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to reach Spain, according to UN data. They use boats that could easily be tossed away by ferocious Atlantic waves.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) told Spains Interior Ministry that 15,862 people had arrived irregularly in 2022 at the island in order to reach Spain.

"Despite the year-to-year decrease, flows along this dangerous route since 2020 remain high compared to prior years," the IOM said.

This is the third tragedy in the sea since the previous month following the Greek shipwreck that left over 80 dead and over 500 missing. Five passengers aboard the missing OceanGate Titan submersible died after it imploded during an expedition to see the wreck of the Titanic in the deep North Atlantic ocean last month.

A tragic route

2022 - 559 people including 22 children died in an attempt to reach Spain, according to IOM.

2021 - 1,286 deaths were reported on the route.

300 migrants from Senegal en route Canary Islands in three different boats have been reported to be missing. The boats set sail on June 27. They started from Kafountine, a coastal town in southern Senegal that is roughly 1700 kms that is (1507 miles) from Tenerife in the Canary Islands archipelago. The three boats have been missing for the past fifteen days and Spanish rescuers are on a rescue spree, reported BBC.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Halena Maleno, a local aide working for Walking Borders (a non-profit focusing on migrant aid) told Reuters that one boat contains 60 people while the other one carries 65, and the third one has more than 200 people in it. She said, There are about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left because of the instability in Senegal. The Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world and is typically used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to reach Spain, according to UN data. They use boats that could easily be tossed away by ferocious Atlantic waves. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) told Spains Interior Ministry that 15,862 people had arrived irregularly in 2022 at the island in order to reach Spain. "Despite the year-to-year decrease, flows along this dangerous route since 2020 remain high compared to prior years," the IOM said. This is the third tragedy in the sea since the previous month following the Greek shipwreck that left over 80 dead and over 500 missing. Five passengers aboard the missing OceanGate Titan submersible died after it imploded during an expedition to see the wreck of the Titanic in the deep North Atlantic ocean last month. A tragic route 2022 - 559 people including 22 children died in an attempt to reach Spain, according to IOM. 2021 - 1,286 deaths were reported on the route.
By Associated Press

VILNIUS: Russia's war in Ukraine will top the agenda when US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts hold a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius over two days starting on Tuesday.

The emphasis is on ensuring that Ukraine has support as long as the conflict continues, how to bring the country even closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesn't invade again after the war is over.

The leaders are set to endorse new defence plans should Russian President Vladimir Putin try to broaden Moscow's war beyond Ukraine and westward into allied territory.

They will also weigh defence spending, and how to boost their budgets as aid to Ukraine eats into their military coffers.

Sweden's accession is up for discussion too, as Turkiye delays the Scandinavian country's entry into the world's biggest security organisation.

NATO hopes that Lithuania's big neighbor, and Russia's main backer, Belarus will play no surprise role.

Ukraine's membership

The biggest item on NATO's agenda is what to do about Ukraine. In 2008, then US president George W.Bush led the charge, promising that Ukraine would become a member one day.

Now, the country is trying to fend off a full-scale invasion by NATO's old foe Russia.

The West believes that Ukraine is standing up for its interests, and countries are pouring in billions in aid, economic and military support.

NATO isn't ready to start membership talks with Ukraine yet.

But it is helping to train and modernize its armed forces and security institutions to ensure that the country can take its place among NATO's ranks after the war is over.

The summit will see a new forum for consultations created -- the NATO-Ukraine Council.

Security guarentees

It's not really a topic for NATO -- more for individual allies -- but it's set to dominate talks in Vilnius.

NATO and its Western partners are discussing ways to protect Ukraine after the war from a future invasion.

NATO membership offers ironclad "all for one, one for all" protection, but the 31 countries must agree unanimously on letting Ukraine in, and they're not united on this.

Failing that, major allies like the US, UK, France and Germany could pledge to shield the country from another attack.

NATO and the European Union would back that military protection with more money and other aid.

It's unlikely that any conclusions will be drawn in Vilnius, but the summit is an important moment for leaders to flesh out what those guarantees might look like.

Sweden's NATO membership

Nearly all allies, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden say the country has done enough to join the military alliance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesn't agree, and he aims to steal the summit spotlight.

Sweden has given up a history of military neutrality to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella.

It has changed its anti-terror laws and lifted an arms embargo on Turkiye to assuage Erdogan's concerns.

To no avail.

The long-time Turkish leader used the issue during election campaigning last month.

He's also seeking upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the US, and Sweden could be leverage.

Defence spending

This is a perennial issue.The US routinely flails its allies for failing to spend enough on their defence budgets.

With money, arms and ammunition being poured into Ukraine, the need to boost national military budgets is a no-brainer.

The allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence within a decade.

The 2024 deadline approaches. In Vilnius, the leaders will agree to make 2 per cent the floor -- that is, the least they should be spending -- rather than the ceiling.

Regional difference plans

NATO is conducting the biggest revamp of its defence plans since the Cold War in case Putin decides to widen the conflict outside Ukraine.

Right now, around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies each day, and 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.

Those numbers are set to rise. Under new defence plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops available to move to its eastern flank within 30 days.

The plans divide its territory into three zones -- the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe.

The top-secret documents lay out which countries and what equipment should defend any area under threat.

Belarus

Its not on the agenda, but NATO hopes that Belarus, Lithuanias big neighbor, and Russias main backer, will play no surprise role in the summit or the war in Ukraine.

Belarus lies just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Vilnius. Wagner mercenary leader Yvegeny Prigozhin was offered refuge there. The jury is out on how many of his fighters might join him.

We have seen some preparations for hosting large groups of soldiers in Belarus. So far, we havent seen them going to Belarus, Stoltenberg said Friday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also said last month that his country has received Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Hes warning that he would order their use to protect his country.

NATO officials think hes bluffing. But its quite possible that Putin will resume his nuclear saber-rattling again as the leaders gather in Vilnius.

VILNIUS: Russia's war in Ukraine will top the agenda when US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts hold a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius over two days starting on Tuesday. The emphasis is on ensuring that Ukraine has support as long as the conflict continues, how to bring the country even closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesn't invade again after the war is over. The leaders are set to endorse new defence plans should Russian President Vladimir Putin try to broaden Moscow's war beyond Ukraine and westward into allied territory.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They will also weigh defence spending, and how to boost their budgets as aid to Ukraine eats into their military coffers. Sweden's accession is up for discussion too, as Turkiye delays the Scandinavian country's entry into the world's biggest security organisation. NATO hopes that Lithuania's big neighbor, and Russia's main backer, Belarus will play no surprise role. Ukraine's membership The biggest item on NATO's agenda is what to do about Ukraine. In 2008, then US president George W.Bush led the charge, promising that Ukraine would become a member one day. Now, the country is trying to fend off a full-scale invasion by NATO's old foe Russia. The West believes that Ukraine is standing up for its interests, and countries are pouring in billions in aid, economic and military support. NATO isn't ready to start membership talks with Ukraine yet. But it is helping to train and modernize its armed forces and security institutions to ensure that the country can take its place among NATO's ranks after the war is over. The summit will see a new forum for consultations created -- the NATO-Ukraine Council. Security guarentees It's not really a topic for NATO -- more for individual allies -- but it's set to dominate talks in Vilnius. NATO and its Western partners are discussing ways to protect Ukraine after the war from a future invasion. NATO membership offers ironclad "all for one, one for all" protection, but the 31 countries must agree unanimously on letting Ukraine in, and they're not united on this. Failing that, major allies like the US, UK, France and Germany could pledge to shield the country from another attack. NATO and the European Union would back that military protection with more money and other aid. It's unlikely that any conclusions will be drawn in Vilnius, but the summit is an important moment for leaders to flesh out what those guarantees might look like. Sweden's NATO membership Nearly all allies, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden say the country has done enough to join the military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesn't agree, and he aims to steal the summit spotlight. Sweden has given up a history of military neutrality to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella. It has changed its anti-terror laws and lifted an arms embargo on Turkiye to assuage Erdogan's concerns. To no avail. The long-time Turkish leader used the issue during election campaigning last month. He's also seeking upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the US, and Sweden could be leverage. Defence spending This is a perennial issue.The US routinely flails its allies for failing to spend enough on their defence budgets. With money, arms and ammunition being poured into Ukraine, the need to boost national military budgets is a no-brainer. The allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence within a decade. The 2024 deadline approaches. In Vilnius, the leaders will agree to make 2 per cent the floor -- that is, the least they should be spending -- rather than the ceiling. Regional difference plans NATO is conducting the biggest revamp of its defence plans since the Cold War in case Putin decides to widen the conflict outside Ukraine. Right now, around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies each day, and 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Those numbers are set to rise. Under new defence plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops available to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones -- the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. The top-secret documents lay out which countries and what equipment should defend any area under threat. Belarus Its not on the agenda, but NATO hopes that Belarus, Lithuanias big neighbor, and Russias main backer, will play no surprise role in the summit or the war in Ukraine. Belarus lies just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Vilnius. Wagner mercenary leader Yvegeny Prigozhin was offered refuge there. The jury is out on how many of his fighters might join him. We have seen some preparations for hosting large groups of soldiers in Belarus. So far, we havent seen them going to Belarus, Stoltenberg said Friday. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also said last month that his country has received Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Hes warning that he would order their use to protect his country. NATO officials think hes bluffing. But its quite possible that Putin will resume his nuclear saber-rattling again as the leaders gather in Vilnius.
Sporting forward Arthur Gomes in line for Cruzeiro move

Rio de Janeiro, July 9: Cruzeiro are close to signing Sporting Lisbon forward Arthur Gomes on a permanent deal, according to widespread media reports in Brazil.

Sporting forward Arthur Gomes in line for Cruzeiro move

The 25-year-old is set to complete the move within days after the Belo Horizonte club agreed in principle to a three million-euro transfer fee, Globo Esporte reported on Saturday.As per Xinhua, Gomes has made 38 appearances for Sporting across all competitions and scored four goals since his 2022 move from Estoril.He is contracted to the Portuguese club until June 2027 but has reportedly been considered surplus to requirements by manager Ruben Amorim.IANS09 July 2023

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Kangana delighted to see Sharmila Tagore in Gulmohar, manifests full fledged role for Waheeda

Mumbai, July 8: Actress Kangana Ranaut on Saturday showered praises on Padma Bhushan and National award winning thespian, Sharmila Tagore for her performance in the streaming family drama 'Gulmohar', and termed her craft as 'elegant' like the 'warmth of winter sun'.

Kangana 'delighted' to see Sharmila Tagore in 'Gulmohar', manifests 'full fledged role' for Waheeda

In an Instagram story, Kangana shared a smiling picture of Sharmila and penned, On a different note, I recently saw a lovely film 'Gulmohar', was beyond delighted to see veteran super star Sharmilaji back on screen... her screen presence, voice modulation, nuances in her performance was like the warmth of winter sun... so beautiful and elegant.The Bollywood diva known for her role in 'Gangster', further expressed her desire to see one of the Hindi cinema's finest actresses, Waheeda Rehman in a full fledged role.Now hoping to see Waheeda ji in a full fledged role soon... come on everyone let's manifest this, read Kangana's post. She also posted a throwback picture of the veteran actress with a background song by Lata Mangeshkar 'Piya Tose Naina Laage Re'.On the work front, Kangana has 'Emergency' and 'Tejas' in her kitty.IANS09 July 2023

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Rashtrapati Bhavan to host two-day Visitors Conference 2023 tomorrow

New Delhi, July 9: Rashtrapati Bhavan will host a two-day Visitor's Conference 2023 on July 10 and 11.

Rashtrapati Bhavan to host two-day Visitor's Conference 2023 tomorrow

According to an official release, President Droupadi Murmu is the Visitor of 162 Central Institutions of Higher Learning.The Conference will begin with the inaugural address of the President on Monday (July 10). Murmu will present the Visitor's Awards 2021 in the categories of 'Innovation', 'Research', and 'Technology Development'.Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will also address the conference.On July 11, the conference will deliberate on the theme - Education for Sustainable Development Building a better world.Five different groups will brainstorm on sub-themes such as contributions to the realization of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020; Internationalization efforts and G-20; Research contributions and recognitions; Diversity, equality, inclusivity and wellness; Plans and action items for Amrit Kaal. In the concluding session, the outcome of deliberations will be presented before the President. President Droupadi Murmu will address the concluding session.In the concluding session, the outcome of deliberations will be presented before the President. President Droupadi Murmu will address the concluding session.President Murmu will present the Visitor's Awards 2021 in the categories of 'Innovation', 'Research', and 'Technology Development'.The Visitor's Award for 'Innovation' will be conferred on Prof Venktesh Singh from the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Central University of South Bihar for developing indigenous Charge Pick-up Panels for Resistive Plate Chamber Detector using Silicon Fiber Sheet.The Visitor's Award for 'Research in Physical Sciences' will be presented to Prof. Surajit Dhara from the School of Physics, University of Hyderabad for his work in soft matter and liquid crystals.Prof Mohammed Latif Khan from Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar will receive the Visitor's Award for 'Research in Biological Sciences' for his contributions to understanding forest biodiversity, regeneration of RET (Rare, Endangered and Threatened) plant species and threat status assessments of forests in the Eastern Himalayas and Central India.The Visitor's Award for 'Technology Development' will be conferred on Prof. KC James Raju from the School of Physics, University of Hyderabad for his contributions to frequency tunable microwave devices using ferroelectric thin films.The President will also present the 6th Visitor's Award, 2020 for Research (Physical Sciences) to Prof Anunay Samanta, School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad for his research contributions to the spectroscopy and dynamics of short-lived chemical species formed on photo-excitation of molecular systems and materials.ANI09 July 2023

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Chemung Canal Trust plans to open its first full-service branch in Western New York.

The Elmira-based bank is seeking regulators approval to open a branch at 5529 Main St. in Williamsville. The building, at the corner of South Cayuga Road, is a former Bank of America location.

The bank has not yet set an opening date for the branch, since it needs regulators approval, but plans to make extensive renovations to the interior, said Scott Heffner, director of marketing.

We thought the building and the community was a perfect fit for us, and the size of the building will allow us to grow as we hire more employees in the region in the future, Heffner said.

Chemung Canal Trust already operates a loan-only office in the region, at 9159 Main St. in Clarence.

Separately, Chase plans to build a branch in Amherst along Niagara Falls Boulevard, north of East Robinson Road. The branch is planned for vacant land in front of a Wegmans supermarket.

The branch is targeted to open in spring 2024, said Cynthia Frederick, regional director for JPMorgan Chase.

Four other Chase branches have opened in the Buffalo Niagara region in the past several months, with two more, in Hamburg and Orchard Park, set to debut by years end.

 Matt Glynn
Blood plasma proteins can better explain long Covid: Study

Toronto, July 8: Canadian researchers have discovered unique patterns of blood plasma proteins in patients with suspected long Covid that could act as a potential drug target to improve patient outcomes.

Blood plasma proteins can better explain long Covid: Study

Currently, approximately 10-20 per cent of people with a confirmed case of Covid-19 will get long Covid, and experience a wide variety of symptoms, which may include fatigue, brain fog and difficulty breathing.Researchers from Lawson Health Research Institute and London Health Sciences Centre in Canada found that the proteins in blood plasma, called the plasma proteome, are released by cells that often play an important role in the body's immune response to viruses.In the paper, published in The Journal of Translational Medicine, the team studied how those proteins adapt and change in long Covid.Trying to understand this mechanism is quite important because it provides further insight into how patients are affected, said Dr Michael Nicholson, Associate Scientist at Lawson.This paper sheds further light onto a possible mechanism which may provide insight into why some patients have certain symptoms, he added.For the study, blood plasma samples were collected from long Covid outpatients and analysed in comparison to acutely ill Covid-19 patients as well as compared to a group of healthy volunteers.We used novel technologies for this study, allowing us to analyse more than 3,000 proteins in blood plasma at the same time with multiple patients, explains Cristiana Iosef, Research Analyst at Children's Health Research Institute , a programme of Lawson.We used a novel bioinformatic pipeline, a form of artificial intelligence , to then analyse the proteins to determine the specific changes that occur in long Covid.By using advanced technology the researchers were able to determine unique patterns in the blood proteins. The team discovered that people with suspected long Covid have prolonged inflammation associated with changes in their immune cells and blood vessels. These changes may lead to problems in specific organs, like the brain and the heart.The saved blood plasma samples that we are using helped us determine the long-term responses to Covid-19; serial blood plasma samples from individuals that had a Covid-19 infection and now presumed long Covid will help us determine how proteins are changing over time, said Dr Michael Knauer, Associate Scientist at Lawson.IANS09 July 2023

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TN Water dept for digital database portal at Rs 30 cr to update water related information

Chennai, July 8 Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department is developing a digital data base portal at a cost of Rs 30 crore to update water related information in the state.

TN Water dept for digital database portal at Rs 30 cr to update water related information

The water digital portal will be launched by the end of 2023, according to sources in the state water resources department.According to state water resources department, the data will serve as a reliable source of water data in the state. This include the availability of water, the quality and quantity of water which will help in providing information and also felicitate operation, management and conservation of water sources that are scarce.The project will help in preventing unlawful activities, including encroachment in water bodies, water theft and illegal pumping of water.It will also help the state government departments to have assess to the water availability, quality and quantity for future policy planning.IANS09 July 2023

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Amid fears of renewed violence, France bans Bastille Day fireworks sale

Paris, July 9: Anticipating violence during the upcoming Bastille Day weekend, France has banned the sale, possession, and transportation of fireworks, reported CNN on Sunday (local time).

Amid fears of renewed violence, France bans Bastille Day fireworks sale

During the wave of violent riots that engulfed the nation after a police officer fatally shot a 17-year-old teen in late June, protesters have been seen setting off fireworks."In order to prevent the risk of serious public disorder during the July 14th festivities, the sale, carrying, transport and use of pyrotechnic articles and fireworks are prohibited throughout France until July 15th inclusive," CNN reported citing a decree published in the official French government journal on Sunday.France's national holiday, Bastille Day, is observed every year on July 14 with spectacular fireworks displays staged all over the nation. However, the decree, which came into effect right away, does not apply to individuals or localities planning professional or community fireworks displays.The protesters erected barricades, lit fires and shot fireworks at police in French streets as tensions grew over the fatal police shooting of a teenager that shook France recently.The developments took place after the death of the teenager, 17, identified as Nal after being stopped for a traffic violation in the Paris suburb town of Nanterre. The officer who is accused of shooting him was taken to jail.Footage of the incident filmed by a bystander showed two officers standing on the driver's side of the car, one of whom fired his gun at the driver despite not appearing to be in any immediate danger, according to CNN.The officer has said he fired his gun out of fear that the boy would run someone over with the car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache.The officer currently faces a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention.The Fete Nationale Francaise is celebrated on July 14 or the National Day in France.It is also known as Bastille Day as this day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution.ANI09 July 2023

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BRICS Sherpas exchange views on development, enhancement of strategic partnership

Durban [South Africa], July 9: Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi participated in the extraordinary meeting of the BRICS Sherpas/Sous-Sherpas in South Africa's Durban and exchanged views on the development and enhancement of the strategic partnership within the association.

BRICS Sherpas exchange views on development, enhancement of strategic partnership

Taking to Twitter, the Russian Embassy in India said, "On July 5-6, #Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov participated in an extraordinary meeting of the #BRICS Sherpas/Sous-Sherpas in Durban, #SouthAfrica.""A thorough exchange of views on development and enhancement of the strategic partnership within the association, including taking into account priorities outlined by the South African chairmanship, took place. A common intent to increase international role of #BRICS was expressed," it was also added.The discussions also encompassed topical issues of preparations for the upcoming 15th BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on August 22-24, 2023.Meanwhile, in Russia's Kemerovo, the names of the laureates of the Global Energy Prize 2023 were announced and participants of the BRICS Global Media Tour, Russian Edition, were there, reported TV BRICS."Global Energy" is an event of international scale and high expert level, which is traditionally hosted by Russia.Daria Ivankova, director of the TV BRICS International Cooperation Department, told the audience about the goals of the media tour."This year, TV BRICS and Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund organized a special media tour to Russia for the heads and leading journalists of the editorial offices of Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Our aim was not just to show contemporary Russia from the example of one capital, we wanted to show the regions. We thought a lot about what event would be central in the foreign journalists' tour to Russia, what event would arouse press interest, demonstrate the Russian approach to organising events on an international scale, and raise a topic that would unite all the countries of the world. This central event was the Global Energy ceremony and a visit to the famous region - Kuzbass," she said, according to TV BRICS.She added that science diplomacy and media diplomacy, together, can promote the advancement of modern research, exchange of experiences, exchange of experience, rapprochement of scientific communities of different states of the world, and countries in general.Durgesh Singh Bhadauria, senior producer of Asian News International , spoke about the role of the Global Energy Prize in promoting sustainable connectivity and energy dialogue among the BRICS countries."First of all, I would say BRICS is an interesting combination. And we should encourage and promote, and reward outstanding representatives in the BRICS countries in the conventional energy sector, and those who choose to promote alternative sources of energy. I think BRICS countries should unite and work together to achieve much more," Bhadauria said.ANI09 July 2023

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Bhutan: National Assembly Speaker hails King for his work on peace, security

Thimphu [Bhutan], July 9: Bhutan's National Assembly Speaker Wangchuk Namgyel thanked the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck for his work on the peace and security of the country and stated that he didn't even pause for a moment of rest, The Bhutan Live reported.

Bhutan: National Assembly Speaker hails King for his work on peace, security

On Sunday, the King, along with his Queen the Gyaltsuen graced the closing ceremony of the 9th session of the third parliament. During that occasion, National Assembly's Speaker, in his closing ceremony said that the DeSuung and Gyalsuung programmes have been recognised as crucial elements for strengthening the country's identity and heritage."His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo embarked on a journey to Pelrithang, Gelephu to honour the passing out parade of the 56th DeSuung Batch, who successfully completed their pilot basic military training. Not pausing for even a moment of rest, His Majesty, imparted invaluable wisdom and guidance to the trainees," the National Assembly's Speaker said.He further stated, "His Majesty emphasised the uniqueness of Bhutan as a nation, forged through the collective efforts of generations, and emphasised the need to persistently strengthen these endeavours. The DeSuung and Gyalsuung programs, in particular, were highlighted as integral elements for fortifying the nation's identity and heritage. This inspiring message not only moved the general public but also motivated the young participants in the Gyalsuung training programme. The Parliament expresses its heartfelt appreciation to His Majesty for this uplifting guidance, which deeply touches the people's hearts."The King, on 17 December 2019, announced the launch of Gyalsung - National Service. The Gyalsung is envisioned as a one-year integrated training program mandatory for all youths attaining the age of 18 and if in school - upon completion of grade twelve.Meanwhile, the Desuung programme strives to provide Bhutan's youth with knowledge, training, and a feeling of civic duty so they can support the growth of their country.The current session adopted the National Digital Identity Bill of Bhutan 2023, the Pay Revision Bill of Bhutan 2023, the Forest and Nature Conservation Bill of Bhutan 2021 and the Civil Liability Bill of Bhutan 2022, according to The Bhutan Live.The King has granted assent to the Budget Appropriation Bill for Financial Year 2023-2024 and the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for Financial Year 2022-2023.The National Assembly also adopted The Biological Corridor Nine Bill of Bhutan 2023, Agreement on the Movement of Traffic-in-Transit between the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Royal Government of Bhutan, The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Charter and The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They were presented to the National Council.ANI09 July 2023

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Need to fix few things before going into ODIs: Australias captain Healy after losing T20I series by 1-2

London, July 9: After losing the T20I series by 1-2 against England, Australian captain Alyssa Healy insisted her team to improve their game for the remaining Ashes of three-match ODI series starting from July 12.

Need to fix few things before going into ODIs: Australia's captain Healy after losing T20I series by 1-2

England women sealed the series win against Australia after their five-wicket victory in the third T20I match at the Lord's on Saturday."They just played a really good innings, we didn't execute as much as we wanted to do. It's the T20 format, when you're not on, you can be pounced upon by teams. And I thought England were solid throughout the series. We have to fix a few things before going into the ODI series. Schedule is hectic, we just want to rest and focus on the next game," Healy said in the post-match presentation.Australia leads the multi-format series by 6-4. By winning the one-off Test (four points) and first T20I (two points), Australia gained a lead of 6-0 over the hosts. England bounced back with wins in two T20Is, to get four points to their name. England has won the T20I series 2-1.England has three ODIs left to play, which will start from Wednesday onwards. It would be important for England to win all three ODIs if they want to win the Ashes.Coming to the match, England put Australia to bat and visitors posted 155/7 on the board. Ellyse Perry (34 in 25 balls, three fours and a six), Ashleigh Gardner (32 in 25 balls with three fours and a six) and Beth Mooney (32 in 27 balls with five fours) played crucial knocks for the Aussies.Nat-Sciver Brunt (2/31) was the pick of the bowlers for England.Chasing 156, England lost six overs to rain and revised target was 119. Danielle Wyatt (26 in 15 balls with five fours) and Nat-Sciver (25 in 25 balls with two fours) laid a platform for young all-rounder Alice Capsey to go off with her bat in the end. She scored 46 in 23 balls, consisting of four boundaries and two sixes. England won the match by five wickets.Megan Schutt (2/35) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia.Capsey won the 'Player of the Match' award for her quickfire knock.Danielle won the 'Player of the Series' award for scoring 109 runs in three games, which also included a knock of 76 runs in 46 balls in 2nd T20I.ANI09 July 2023

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Hayley Matthews all-round performance power West Indies to whitewash Ireland 3-0 in T20I series

Gros Islet [Saint Lucia], July 9: With Hayley Matthews' dominating knock of 48 off 34 guided her team to a comfortable eight-wicket victory in the third T20I match against Ireland, whitewashing the series by 3-0.

Hayley Matthews' all-round performance power West Indies to whitewash Ireland 3-0 in T20I series

Matthews' bowling spell of 4/ 14 restricted Ireland to 116 for 9 on Saturday in Gros Islet. Earlier she smashed 34-ball 48 to set up a dominating eight-wicket victory with 11 balls remaining. She won Player of the Match honours in all three T20Is, was named Player of the T20I Series, and had a strong start to the ODI series with a century and three wickets.Put to bat, Ireland were looking solid with the second-wicket stand of 66 in 62 balls between Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast. Matthews got the wicket of Gaby Lewis with her first ball.However, Ireland collapsed soon after the Amy-Orla partnership wa broken through a runout of Hunter at the non-striker's end. The bowl had a deflection off the bowler's hand to dismiss Hunter at 44.Matthews eliminated the middle and lower orders with a hat-trick in the 18th over, dropping Ireland to 110 for 7 after Prendergast holed out off Afy Fletcher for 40. Delany remains unbeaten at 14 off of 18. She watched as wickets fell all around her.Earlier, West Indies had lost an early wicket before the second-wicket stand between Matthews and Aaliyah Alleyne worth 80 off 61 balls. Matthews hit eight fours but fell just short of fifty as she was dismissed by Georgina Dempsey in the 12th over. But Chinelle Henry sealed the chase with a boundary, and Alleyne remained unbeaten on 49 off 51, her joint-highest T20I score."I'm just happy I was able to contribute to the team win. It was great to see some of the younger players getting the opportunity this series and coming into their own. We've had debutant players perform really well. We've had Chinelle Henry get her maiden ODI half-century then back it up with a second one (in the series), then two not outs in the T20 series," Matthews told CWI Media as quoted by ESPNcricinfo."I just want to thank all the girls who have supported me since I've become captain. Thank you for backing me up out on the field, we have bigger challenges ahead and I look forward to their support," Matthews further said.Brief scores West Indies 120/2 (Alleyne 49*, Matthews 48, Dempsey 1-21) vs Ireland 116/9 (Hunter 44, Prendergast 40, Matthews 4-14).ANI09 July 2023

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57 lakh beneficiaries to get 10kg additional ration at subsidized rate: LG Manoj Sinha

Srinagar, July 9: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that 10 kg rice will be provided at subsided rates to over 57 lakh priority household under the Prime Minister's Food Supplementation scheme in order to strengthen food security for marginal sections of society.

57 lakh beneficiaries to get 10kg additional ration at subsidized rate: LG Manoj Sinha

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Saturday, Sinha said, "The new scheme would extend the monthly food availability to the PHH category at a subsidized rate, ensuring that it does not exceed 35 kg per household".The scheme would cost the exchequer Rs 180 crore a year, officials said.Officials from LGO's office informed, for the additional allocation, J and k govt will procure the rice from Government of India at Rs 34 per kg and it will be provided to the beneficiaries at Rs 25 per kg, thus ensuring subsidy of Rs 9 per kg."We are starting a new scheme named 'Prime Minister's Food Supplementation for Priority Households'," he said.Officials further informed that under the new scheme, a PHH with one beneficiary will get an additional allocation of 5 kgs and a PHH with beneficiaries ranging from 2-5 will get an additional 10 kgs each month while maintaining maximum allocation per household.The L-G further said that in the Priority Households (PHH) category, there are 14.32 lakh ration card holders with about 57.24 lakh beneficiaries."The new scheme would strengthen food security for marginal sections of society. It would ensure accessibility, affordability and availability of adequate quantity of food to Priority Households," officials further informed.ANI10 July 2023

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RN Ravis activities show he is not fit to be a Governor: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin writes to President Murmu

Chennai, July 9: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday, in a 15-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu said that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's various activities shows he is not fit to be a Governor.

RN Ravi's activities show he is not fit to be a Governor: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin writes to President Murmu

CM Stalin said that the activities of Governor Ravi are against the people of Tamil Nadu and the elected Government.In his letter CM MK Stalin stated, "Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's various activities show he is not fit to be a Governor. Governor R N Ravi unnecessarily delays in giving a nod to bills that are passed in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Governor is also not giving permission to sanction cases against former AIADMK Ministers who are all charged with corruption irrespective of documents sent by the State Government to Raj Bhavan. Governor acts like an enemy to people elected State Government Policies and ideology."Stalin further stated that the Governor did a major violation of the Constitution by sacking Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet."Governor also involves in the police investigation and supports the accused. Governor R N Ravi said there was no child marriage held at Chidambaram Natarajar temple whereas later Child marriage video got released and made Governor's comments as false. Likewise, the Governor did a big violation of the Constitution by sacking Senthil Balaji from the cabinet and later he put that on 'abeyance'", the letter stated.Stalin wrote this letter on July 8 the day on which Governor RN Ravi met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Delhi where Raj Bhavan mentioned that as a "purposeful meeting".Chief Minister Stalin cited different issues on various occasions where confrontations happened between Government and Governor.Citing Article 156(1) of the Constitution, MK Stalin said, "Governor can be in position till President wishes for but considering the welfare of Tamil Nadu I have listed out the truth of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. However, I leave it to President discretionary whether RN Ravi can continue in the Governor as that is the highest position of Constitution."Responding to the CM's letter, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said, "An elected government functions as per the wishes of the people who had elected it and not as per the wishes of the Governor. The people have elected this government and the government has certain duties towards the people. We had made certain promises and we have to keep up those promises."He further said that a governor has no right to interfere with the affairs of the state administration because this is an elected administration."So these are all according to the wishes of our own people, of the people of Tamil Nadu. And as a governor, he has no right in interfering with the affairs of the state administration because this is an elected administration. It was elected by the people on the promises which we had made to them and we are working on that line. The governor has no role, but he intervenes. He interferes. He holds back the bills which were passed by the legislative assembly. It is an insult to the people of Tamil Nadu. Whatever he does means he's insulting the people of Tamil Nadu. He thinks he's big. He is not big", Elangovan said.ANI10 July 2023

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Indian Tri services contingent holds practice sessions in France ahead of Bastille Day

Paris, July 9: Indian Tri services contingent on Saturday held practice sessions in France for the Bastille Day parade on July 14, the Indian Defence officials said.

Indian Tri services contingent holds practice sessions in France ahead of Bastille Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this year's parade as the guest of honour at the invitation of France's President Emmanuel Macron.The tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts left for France on Thursday.The Bastille Day Parade will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French partners, the Ministry of Defence said.The Fete Nationale Francaise is celebrated on July 14 or the National Day in France. It is also known as Bastille Day as this day is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution.The Ministry further stated that the association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War 1. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never return again, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil also.This year, both countries are celebrating 25 years of Strategic Partnership. The armies of both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defence partners.The Indian Army contingent comprising of 77 marching personnel and 38 members of the Band is being led by Captain Aman Jagtap. Indian Navy contingent is being led by Commander Vrat Baghel and the Indian Air Force contingent by Wing Commander Sudha Reddy. The Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will also form part of the flypast during the parade.The Army contingent is being represented by the Punjab Regiment which is one of the oldest Regiments of the Indian Army. The troops of the Regiment have participated in both the World Wars as well as the post-independence operations. In World War-I, they were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours.The Rajputana Rifles Regiment Band is accompanying the contingent.ANI10 July 2023

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What to know about the week ahead

Roughly 750 bicyclists from 40 states will visited Lockport on Sunday as part of a 400-mile, eight-day trip across New York State in the 25th annual Cycle the Erie Canal Tour celebrating the states parks and trails.

Cyclists passed through Canal Street in Lockport, a designated Empire State Trail Town, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be food trucks, live music and other festivities to welcome them. The city was chosen for its high-quality trail-based services and amenities and demonstrated commitment to policies geared towards improving the trail user experience, according to a release from Parks & Trails New York, an advocate for state parks.

Goodwill of Western New York will hold open interviews for its Clarence store 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at 8050 Main St.

Catholic Health is holding a hiring event from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at New York Beer Project, 6933 S. Transit Road, Lockport. The health system is looking for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, certified nursing assistants, home health aides and radiology techs for its hospitals, nursing homes and health centers in Erie and Niagara counties, including the new Lockport Memorial Hospital that will open in September. Those interested can pre-register at chsbuffalo.org/NYBP. Walk-ins also are welcome.

Career Fair Connection will host the Buffalo Career Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel and Conference Center, 2 Fountain Plaza. Recruiters from the government, sales, retail, education, information technology, engineering, health care, financial services, management, manufacturing and customer service industries will be in attendance. Employment seekers are encouraged to forward their resumes to events@careerfairconnection.com for appraisal by recruiters. For more information, call 1-800-925-4452.

Community Services for Every1, which works with children and adults with disabilities, will hold open interviews from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday at 1485 Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo. There will also be open interviews 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

In Cheektowaga, a suburban developer known for building apartments and other residential projects, with a little retail thrown in, is planning to add a car dealership to its latest project. Young Development is seeking approval from the town Planning Board, which is meeting Thursday, to construct the business on the northwest corner of the property at 6386 Transit Road, adjacent to that street. That is next to its $75 million Midtown Apartments project, a 360-unit apartment complex with a series of 36-unit, four-story buildings and a clubhouse that will be completed in two stages.

Joseph Young said the developer is in the process of selling the parcel to a local dealership, but could not identify the buyer yet. He said the developer would not be doing the construction. The Planning Board will review the application Thursday.

Additionally, Sonwil Distribution wants to demolish 3,602 square feet of its existing building at 100 Sonwil Drive so it can build a new and updated entrance. The company will also add a 51-space parking lot in front, along with a 13-space parking area with an access drive that links to 80 Sonwil Drive.

The Cheektowaga Planning Board will also review a proposal for a new retail tire service center at 4814 Transit, with a primary building of 6,300 square feet and a 1,470-square-foot service canopy, on 1.25 acres adjacent to residential properties. The project would also require a rezoning, variance, special-use permit and environmental review.

Meanwhile, Pocketeer Billiards LLC is continuing to seek approval from Cheektowaga planners for a proposed 6,288-square-foot game room addition at 2444-2460 Clinton St. that would include parking, landscaping and fencing. The project already received zoning variances and environmental approval.

Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy  from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.

THE LATEST

Potential strike at UPS looms over Buffalo economy

Environmentalists protest proposed plastics plant applying for tax breaks in Lockport

Buffalo planners are backing the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute's plan for a new center.

A former PSE executive was named COO of a pro pickleball league.

Community Bank System CEO Mark Tryniski is set to retire.

Christmas Tree Shops at The Boulevard in Amherst is expected to liquidate its store and close.

$1.4M in tax breaks from ECIDA go to Rosina Foods, Stark Technologies for $32M in investment.

Buffalo Audubon Society will change its name due to Audubons racist history.

Despite the loss of most investors, Pegulas East Resources goes ahead with merger.

New GM Tonawanda plant director Tara Wasik makes history.

Developer Douglas Jemal is modifying his redevelopment plan for the Statler.

A new lighting system will brighten up the library underpass in downtown Buffalo.

Tops Markets president is promoted to COO at parent company, bringing a shift in the local grocer's leadership.

The nursing home operator that owns the Buffalo Center is accused of misusing $83 million.

Erie County's IDA rejects tax breaks for Top Seedz and Iskalo on downtown project.

A developer is swapping land at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park for a new project.

Niagara University will open a new science research lab on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

ICYMI

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. Local unions buck a trend: Why Buffalo Niagara unions aren't seeing declining membership.

2. Training future nurses: How simulated patients will play a key role in this effort.

3. Psychics, wrestlers and churches: How Buffalo Niagara malls are finding a way forward.

4. The Buffalo Niagara economy looks like it is heading for the soft landing the Federal Reserve is seeking.

5. The death of a hospital: Inside the final days of Eastern Niagara Hospital after more than 100 years.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

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Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy to command IAF contingent at Bastille Day Parade

New Delhi, July 10: Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy will command the Indian Air Force contingent at the Bastille Day parade in Paris on July 14.

Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy to command IAF contingent at Bastille Day Parade

An Mi-17 pilot, Reddy has also flown light choppers, IAF officials informed.An accomplished helicopter pilot, she has also extensively flown the Alouette-III helicopter in her service, the Ministry of Defence said in an official release."The Indian Navy Marching Contingent, as part of the Tri services contingent has arrived in France to participate in the Bastille Day Parade in Paris. The Navy team on parade will comprise four officers and 64 sailors," the release stated.The contingent will be led by Cdr Vrat Baghel.At the event, the Indian Navy will also be represented by INS Chennai, an indigenously built frontline destroyer, which will be deployed to France from July 12 to July 16.The ship's crew will showcase India's nacal prowess at the Bastille Day celebrations at Brest, France.This year marks a quarter century of Indo-French Strategic partnership. The two countries enjoy deep ties in the maritime domain which extend to their navies as well.Further, according to the official statement, "Indigenous construction of the Project 75 Scorpene class submarines by M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France, has not only enhanced Naval capability but has also paved the way for future programmes."The Bilateral exercise (Varuna) between the two navies has matured into a complex exercise involving all domains of Naval power. It reflects the growth of India-France's strategic bilateral relationship.The exercise was initiated in 1993 and christened 'Varuna' in 2001, the statement informed further, adding that the 21st edition of Varuna was conducted on January 23 in the Arabian Sea.ANI10 July 2023

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Around 150 artifacts expected to be returned by US in next 3-6 months: Ministry of Culture Secy Govind Mohan

Hampi, July 10: Govind Mohan, secretary, Ministry of Culture, said at the third G20 Culture Group (CWG) meet that nearly 150 artifacts are expected to be returned by the US over the next 3 to 6 months, the Union Ministy of Culture informed on Sunday.

Around 150 artifacts expected to be returned by US in next 3-6 months: Ministry of Culture Secy Govind Mohan

The third G20 Culture Group (CWG) meet began in Hampi, Karnataka, on Sunday, and, in a media briefing on the event, Mohan said the 3rd Culture Working Group Meeting under India's G20 presidency would be hosted by the city from July 9 to 12.He informed further that the meeting will be attended by delegates from G20 members, guest nations and several international organisations.On the event's theme -- 'Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property', he said, "The UNESCO convention of 1970 enjoins on signatory parties to voluntarily return those artefacts or antiquities belonging to other countries which have been taken there because of colonial plunder, or because of post-colonial misappropriation like smuggling, theft etc", as per an official release.He added that the effort at these meetings is for all the G20 countries to become signatories to the convention which will benefit India.He informed further that India was trying to reach bilateral agreements with countries in this regard, and the same was evident from the Joint Statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden State visit to the United States recently.The Cultural Property Agreement being negotiated between India and US will enable the US authorities to intercept smuggled goods and artifacts and return them expeditiously, he said, adding, "Around 150 artefacts are expected to return from US in the next three to six months."He informed that the first two CWG meetings were held at Khajuraho and Bhubaneswar, and the omgoing third meeting at Hampi has drawn 50 participants G20 member countries, invitee countries and seven multilateral organisations.He added that four expert-driven Global Thematic Webinars were organised successfully, as all the 29 countries and 7 multilateral organisations participated in them, the release said.The secretary for the Culture ministry stated further that the 3rd CWG meeting will now try to achieve a consensus on the recommendations and best shared practices pertaining to the 4 priorities of the CWG. He informed that the Culture Working Group's meetings centre around 4 main priority areas that have been outlined as part of the Culture Track during India's G20 Presidency."The four priority areas are -- Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property; Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future; Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy; and Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture," he added.Mohan added, "Focus is on coming out with a joint statement alomgh with other member countries for the Culture Ministerial Meeting to be held in August at Varanasi."Briefing the media Joint Secretary Lily Pandeya said the third culture working group meeting is being attended by all the 20 member-countries along with the 9 dialogue partners of the guest nations and the 7 international organisations.She informed that the aim of this meeting is to arrive at the consensus and the language of the culture ministerial declaration.She also informed that a report of the global thematic webinars will be launched during the Culture Ministerial meeting in Varanasi on August 26, this year. She said a robust declaration with action oriented tangible outcomes is expected from the last meeting, according to the Ministry of Culture.Speaking on the Lambani embroidery work exhibition, Pandeya said, "The CWG aims to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by creating the largest display of Lambani embroidery patches. The theme for the exhibit is 'Culture Unites All', which will be inaugurated by Prahlad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines."This attempt will involve over 450 women artisans from the Lambani community, closely associated with Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra, displaying around 1,300 lambani embroidery patch works made by them.She also informed that a range of cultural experiences has been carefully selected and arranged for the delegates throughout their visit. These include a visit to heritage sites such as the Vijaya Vittala Temple, the Royal Enclosure, and the Yeduru Basavanna complex of the Hampi Group of Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.She informed that delegates will also experience the famous Coracle Ride in the Tungabhadra River. DIY activities like Leather puppetry, Ganjifa artwork, Bidri artwork and Kinhal craft have been arranged for the delegates to participate and cherish. Bamboo Symphony band and other cultural performances will be presented to the delegates.The Culture Working Group is working with delegates of the G20 members, guest nations and international organisations through an inclusive process of in-depth discussions. These deliberations are aimed at reaffirming critical areas for collaborative action and to further develop tangible recommendations and best practices for sustainable development, the release said.ANI10 July 2023

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Windarmere Projects opens renowned japanese pre-engineered window brand Tostem, exclusive studio in Kolkata

Novarealtime Solutions LLP, New Delhi, July 10: Tostem, Japan's leading Pre-engineered window brand opened its studio in Kolkata on 7th July, 2023, at Eco Center, Sector V Salt Lake. An Initiative of Windamere Projects Llp. a leading name in the segment, the inauguration was done by legendary Architect Dulal Mukherjee.

Windarmere Projects opens renowned japanese pre-engineered window brand Tostem, exclusive studio in Kolkata

The studio, located on the 6th Floor of the premises spread over 1500 sq ft, showcases what arguably is the latest and finest range of world-class aluminium doors and windows. Uniquely designed, the windows have a very attractive finish. The Japanese pre-engineered design and manufacturing imparts a much sought-after performance assurance.The product profile constitutes of all types of Windows and Doors, Glass Railings and Architectural Louvers.According to Sandeep Mathur, Leader Lixil Housing Technology, India, the brand owners of Tostem, " We are excited on the opening of the studio as it will bring world-class product offerings to the burgeoning market of the entire region". Hemant Lodha, Partner, Windamere Projects Llp., the entity which initiated the studio, " Kolkata and the entire region has a huge consumption market, the smart studio will offer to the discerning Kolkatans a chance to touch and feel the beauty of these wonderful windows. Dulal Mukherjee, father figure in the architectural domain said, "The studio will help in providing multiple solutions for professionals associated with real estate and architecture field "Windamere Projects is a leading name in architectural solutions, providing windows, doors and railing solutions. Started by Hemant Lodha and Nilesh Lodha in 2018. It is gaining recognition for providing high-end solutions in a simple manner.LIXIL the Japanese giant and the owner of Tostem brand makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges to make better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by Novarealtime Solutions LLP. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI10 July 2023

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Shilpa Shetty wraps up work, reunites with family in London for vacation

New Delhi, July 10: Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty, known for striking a balance between her personal and professional lives, recently won fans' hearts with her decision to prioritise work over a family vacation.

Shilpa Shetty wraps up work, reunites with family in London for vacation

After making a surprising solo return to Mumbai from a holiday in London sometime back, Shilpa has resumed her tranquil getaway with her loved ones in the vibrant city.The actress had temporarily left her family behind to meet her work commitments, leaving fans curious about the reason for her solo return.Shilpa is part of the judging panel for the popular reality show 'India's Got Talent' .She had returned to Mumbai to fulfil a shooting schedule for the show, showcasing her commitment to her craft. Having fulfilled her work commitments, Shilpa finally flew back to London to reunite with her family on a vacation.IANS11 July 2023

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Nitesh Tiwari asked Varun Dhawan to never prep for Bawaal

Dubai, July 9: Acclaimed filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari never asked Varun Dhawan to prepare for the upcoming film 'Bawaal', the actor revealed here at the trailer launch of the film.

Nitesh Tiwari asked Varun Dhawan to never prep for 'Bawaal'

During the trailer launch in Dubai on Sunday, Varun was asked about the preparation and if it was challenging to play Ajay's role in 'Bawaal', which will release on July 21 on Prime Video.Varun said that he always used to ask the director about the same but he never asked him to do any preparations.Varun said It was never challenging. I always asked Nitesh sir on how to prep for the film, but he never asked me to do any prep. It was just about finding a rhythm for the character with Nitesh Sir. The performance you see is all thanks to him. I am very excited to bring this film to the audience, and I will be looking for all the feedback.Varun also shared that working with Nitesh has always been on his bucket list.IANS11 July 2023

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Marvels Shang-Chi sequel could be delayed, says actor Simu Liu

Los Angeles, July 9: In disappointing news for fans, actor Simu Liu has shared that the highly-anticipated sequel to MCU's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' could be delayed.

Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' sequel could be delayed, says actor Simu Liu

The Chinese-born Canadian actor plays the title role in the Marvel's hit superhero 2021 film.Sharing an update with fans on the 'Shang-Chi' sequel, which is currently in development, he said that the sequel keeps getting pushed back due to circumstances beyond my control.He was interacting with fans during an Ask Me Anything session on his Threads account, a new social media app that launched Wednesday.One fan asked for a status update on the sequel to 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'.Was told it would follow Avengers, Liu, 34, said, adding, But that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control.As per 'The Hollywood Reporter', though Liu didn't give details on what those circumstances are, Disney has recently made changes to its release calendar, including pushing back 'Avengers Secret Wars' to May 7, 2027, while 'Avengers The Kang Dynasty', which has embattled Jonathan Majors attached to the lead role, has also been pushed a year to May 1, 2026. Majors is currently facing assault charges in New York.Several other Marvel projects have also been delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, including 'Thunderbolts' and 'Blade'.Liu added in his post that he hopes to have more concrete news to share soon.In December 2021, it was revealed that Destin Daniel Cretton would be returning to write and direct 'Shang-Chi 2', as well as signing an overall deal with Marvel amid the first film's success.IANS11 July 2023

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BurgerFest returns to the Village of Hamburg on Saturday at Main and Buffalo streets and the Hamburg municipal lot.

The festival was first held in 1985 to commemorate the birth of the hamburger at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg in 1885. Legend has it that vendors Frank and Charles Menches ran out of pork sausage and turned to hamburger, which they seasoned with secret ingredients, including coffee grounds.

And legend in Seymour, Wis., has it that the burger was invented the same year by Charlie Nagreen, known as Hamburger Charlie, who was selling meatballs made of ground beefsteak and decided it would be easier to carry them around the county fair in Seymour if they were flattened out.

Hamburgs BurgerFest will start at 11:30 a.m. with hamburgers, cheeseburgers and a variety of other foods and confections from about 30 local restaurants and food trucks, as well as music, a car show and activities for children.

The event is presented by the Rotary Club of Hamburg, Rotary Club of Hamburg, Sunrise, Kiwanis Club of Hamburg and the Town of Hamburg Lions Club. Proceeds support charities and civic causes through the four service organizations.

- Barbara OBrien
Some high-tech weather research trucks  more on Marty Ks  Green Street bike lanes  how early is too early for garbage trucks  and whether a new State of Illinois flag may be in the works. Oh, and did I mention theres an update on Urbanas shuttered Perkins Restaurant?
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At the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, analog techniques like nasopharyngeal swab specimens for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were prominent. The widespread use of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as facemasks and social distancing was reminiscent of the influenza outbreak in 1918.

Despite the prevalence of smartphones throughout the world, scientific studies on digital technology, especially those concerning smartphone use, have been limited. As a result, the capacity of digital tools to rapidly detect and trace the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and evaluate treatment response remains largely unknown.

In a recent study published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers review smartphone applications used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study: Smartphone apps in the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: r.classen / Shutterstock.com

Smartphone application usage during COVID-19

Smartphone applications offer population-level and real-time data that can identify and localize viral illness hotspots, which may provide earlier warnings as compared to conventional clinical methods. These applications are particularly useful in rural locations to collect surveillance data and identify communities that should receive priority testing, especially in regions with poor access to healthcare facilities.

Symptom-checking apps were critical early in the pandemic, as not every infected individual underwent testing for COVID-19 due to inadequate access to health facilities or limited resources available for testing. Active screening apps, such as the COVID-19 web app by Apple and ZOE COVID Symptom Tracker, crowdsourced daily symptom information from healthy and sick participants in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Passive screening apps analyze objective-type biosensor information from wearable devices, which requires minimal individual involvement and could identify subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infections. The Digital Engagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treatment (DETECT) study used hybrid apps that relied on digital sensors to obtain data on resting heart rate (RHR) and other variables and information from questionnaires completed by participants.

The Stanford Wearables Study supported the usage of wearables to detect COVID-19, even among pre-symptomatic individuals. Syndromic reporting apps included Flu Near You in the United States, InfluenzaNet in Europe, and Reporta in Mexico.

Contact tracing apps provide a scalable alternative to manual contact tracing, as they can interact with each other and detect proximity between individuals using technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy systems.

Centralized apps like Health Code, Aarogya Setu, TraceTogether, and COVIDSafe have also been developed; however, many of these apps have not met their targets. Apps such as the Safer-Covid and Health Code provide individual-level risk evaluation to enhance adherence to NPIs, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, isolation, and increased testing.

Challenges and future recommendations

The potential of smartphone apps in public health is limited by challenges such as digital health illiteracy, structural inequities, and data privacy. Participatory apps are limited by recruitment bias, survey fatigue, and bias toward those with access to these platforms. Active-screening apps require frequent interaction, downloads, and activation and are often accompanied by severe concerns regarding hoax apps, data security, and invasive government surveillance.

Notification fatigue is another evolving challenge throughout the pandemic, as poorly working apps can alert individuals to self-isolate or create pressure not to get tested. Future work should evaluate factors impacting their uptake, continued use, and prevention of viral transmission, particularly in the context of potential data privacy breaches.

The ideal pandemic-tracking smartphone app should obtain information from multiple sources to assess an individuals probability of infection and provide risk stratification. Moreover, the app should be accessible to an under-represented population, integrate information from any sensor, and be interpretable.

The ideal app would also provide real-time information while preserving data privacy, abide by local laws, facilitate actionable outcomes, be installed on local equipment and devices, and not require opting in. The app must also account for local pathogen, environmental, and biometric information to improve exposure.

Conclusions

Based on the review findings, smartphone applications utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as outbreak-tracking, individual-risk, symptom-monitoring, and vaccination-tracking apps, served as additional public health tools. The sustained usage of applications inside the digital infrastructure reflects their importance and future as valuable instruments for rigorous analysis of current and future pandemic outcomes. However, additional studies documenting outcomes-related investigations and examining the usefulness of COVID-19 applications are needed.
Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorisation (MA) for mirikizumab (OMVOH) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who have had an inadequate response with, lost response to, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a biologic treatment.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorder affecting the large intestine. It is characterized by symptoms of diarrhoea, bleeding and urgency, with multidimensional, and often negative effects on patients personal, psychological, professional and social well-being. Our understanding of the aetio-pathogenesis is improving, but our treatment options remain limited, said Professor Jimmy Limdi, Consultant Gastroenterologist/Head of IBD Section at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Gastroenterology at University of Manchester. The recent authorization of Mirikizumab, the first IL-23p19 inhibitor, is positive news for eligible people living with ulcerative colitis and gastroenterologists/specialists caring for them. It is a significant scientific advance welcomed by the medical community.

Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Crohns & Colitis UK, welcomes the news: Over 500,000 people in the UK are living with Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. They are lifelong conditions for which there is no known cure, and the symptoms are painful and debilitating. Existing medications may not work for some people, or indeed stop working for others. Expanding the treatment options for eligible people living with Colitis is a promising step forward and we welcome the MHRAs decision to authorize mirikizumab.

This authorization establishes mirikizumab as the first IL-23p19 antagonist to be authorized in Great Britain for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe Ulcerative Colitis and reflects our commitment to immunological diseases with high unmet need. We understand the importance of having novel treatment options for eligible patients and Lilly would like to thank the patients and investigators around the world who have made this possible. Laura Steele, President & General Manager, Northern Europe, Eli Lilly and Company

The authorization was based on results from the LUCENT program, which included two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials, consisting of one 12-week induction study (LUCENT-1) and one 40-week maintenance study (LUCENT-2) for 52 weeks of continuous treatment.

In the LUCENT-1 induction study, 1,162 patients were included in the primary efficacy population. Patients were randomized 3:1 to receive mirikizumab (300 mg) intravenous (IV) or placebo IV every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of treatment with mirikizumab 24.2% (n=210/868) of patients achieved the primary endpoint of clinical remission compared to 13.3% (n=39/294) of placebo.

544 patients who achieved a clinical response with mirikizumab in LUCENT-1 (63.5%, n=551/868) were re-randomized 2:1 to receive mirikizumab (200 mg) subcutaneous injection or placebo subcutaneous injection every 4 weeks for another 40 weeks in LUCENT-2. Of the LUCENT-1 patients who achieved clinical response at 12 weeks, 49.9% (n=182/365) achieved clinical remission (primary end point) and 43.3% (n=158/365) achieved histologic-endoscopic mucosal remission (secondary end point) at one year, compared to placebo (25.1%, n=45/179 and 21.8%, n=39/179 for clinical remission and histologic-endoscopic mucosal remission, respectively).

Patients treated with mirikizumab achieved a greater reduction in rectal bleeding and stool frequency subscores as early as two weeks. The LUCENT studies also investigated endpoints such as bowel urgency remission and bowel urgency severity using the validated Urgency Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of 0-10, with zero being no urgency and 10 being worst possible urgency. Decreases in bowel urgency severity were observed as early as two weeks in patients treated with mirikizumab. After treatment with mirikizumab, 42.9% (n=144/336) of patients achieved bowel urgency remission at one year, compared to 25% (n=43/172) of placebo.

The Phase 3 LUCENT clinical program also evaluated the safety profile of mirikizumab. The most frequently reported adverse reactions are upper respiratory tract infections (7.9 %, most frequently nasopharyngitis), headache (3.3 %), rash (1.1 %) and injection site reactions (8.7 %, subcutaneous injection, LUCENT-2).
Brain tissue is one of the most intricate specimens that scientists have arguably ever dealt with. Packed with currently immeasurable amount of information, the human brain is the most sophisticated computational device with its network of around 86 billion neurons. Understanding such complexity is a difficult task, and hence making progress requires technologies to unravel the tiny, complex interactions taking place in the brain at microscopic scales. Imaging is therefore an enabling tool in neuroscience.

The new imaging and virtual reconstruction technology developed by Johann Danzl's group at ISTA is a big leap in imaging brain activity and is aptly named LIONESS  Live Information Optimized Nanoscopy Enabling Saturated Segmentation. LIONESS is a pipeline to image, reconstruct, and analyze live brain tissue with a comprehensiveness and spatial resolution not possible until now.

With LIONESS, for the first time, it is possible to get a comprehensive, dense reconstruction of living brain tissue. By imaging the tissue multiple times, LIONESS allows us to observe and measure the dynamic cellular biology in the brain take its course. The output is a reconstructed image of the cellular arrangements in three dimensions, with time making up the fourth dimension, as the sample can be imaged over minutes, hours, or days," he adds. Philipp Velicky, first author

With LIONESS neuroscientists can image living brain tissue and achieve high-resolution 3D imagery

without damaging the living sample.

Collaboration and AI the key

The strength of LIONESS lies in refined optics and in the two levels of deep learning  a method of Artificial Intelligence  that make up its core: the first enhances the image quality and the second identifies the different cellular structures in the dense neuronal environment.

The pipeline is a result of a collaboration between the Danzl group, Bickel group, Jonas group, Novarino group, and ISTA's Scientific Service Units, as well as other international collaborators. "Our approach was to assemble a dynamic group of scientists with unique combined expertise across disciplinary boundaries, who work together to close a technology gap in the analysis of brain tissue," Johann Danzl of ISTA says.

Surpassing hurdles

Previously it was possible to get reconstructions of brain tissue by using Electron Microscopy. This method images the sample based on its interactions with electrons. Despite its ability to capture images at a few nanometers-;a millionth of a millimeter-;resolution, Electron Microscopy requires a sample to be fixed in one biological state, which needs to be physically sectioned to obtain 3D information. Hence, no dynamic information can be obtained.

Another previously known technique of Light Microscopy allows observation of living systems and record intact tissue volumes by slicing them "optically" rather than physically. However, Light Microscopy is severely hampered in its resolving power by the very properties of the light waves it uses to generate an image. Its best-case resolution is a few hundred nanometers, much too coarse-grained to capture important cellular details in brain tissue.

Using Super-resolution Light Microscopy scientists can break this resolution barrier. Recent work in this field, dubbed SUSHI (Super-resolution Shadow Imaging), showed that applying dye molecules to the spaces around cells and applying the Nobel Prize-winning super-resolution technique STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion) microscopy reveals super-resolved 'shadows' of all the cellular structures and thus visualizes them in the tissue. Nevertheless, it has been impossible to image entire volumes of brain tissue with resolution enhancement that matches the brain tissue's complex 3D architecture. This is because increasing resolution also entails a high load of imaging light on the sample, which may damage or 'fry' the subtle, living tissue.

Herein lies the prowess of LIONESS, having been developed for, according to the authors, "fast and mild" imaging conditions, thus keeping the sample alive. The technique does so while providing isotropic super-resolution-;meaning that it is equally good in all three spatial dimensions-;that allows visualization of the tissue's cellular components in 3D nanoscale resolved detail.

LIONESS collects only as little information from the sample as needed during the imaging step. This is followed by the first deep learning step to fill in additional information on the brain tissue's structure in a process called Image Restoration. In this innovative way, it achieves a resolution of around 130 nanometers, while being gentle enough for imaging of living brain tissue in real-time. Together, these steps allow for a second step of deep learning, this time to make sense of the extremely complex imaging data and identify the neuronal structures in an automated manner.

Homing in

"The interdisciplinary approach allowed us to break the intertwined limitations in resolving power and light exposure to the living system, to make sense of the complex 3D data, and to couple the tissue's cellular architecture with molecular and functional measurements," says Danzl.

For virtual reconstruction, Danzl and Velicky teamed up with visual computing experts: the Bickel group at ISTA and the group led by Hanspeter Pfister at Harvard University, who contributed their expertise in automated segmentation-;the process of automatically recognizing the cellular structures in the tissue-;and visualization, with further support by ISTA's image analysis staff scientist Christoph Sommer. For sophisticated labeling strategies, neuroscientists and chemists from Edinburgh, Berlin, and ISTA contributed. Consequently, it was possible to bridge functional measurements, i.e. to read out the cellular structures together with biological signaling activity in the same living neuronal circuit. This was done by imaging Calcium ion fluxes into cells and measuring the cellular electrical activity in collaboration with the Jonas group at ISTA. The Novarino group contributed human cerebral organoids, often nicknamed mini-brains that mimic human brain development. The authors underline that all of this was facilitated through expert support by ISTA's top-notch scientific service units.

Brain structure and activity are highly dynamic; its structures evolve as the brain performs and learns new tasks. This aspect of the brain is often referred to as "plasticity". Hence, observing the changes in the brain's tissue architecture is essential to unlocking the secrets behind its plasticity. The new tool developed at ISTA shows potential for understanding the functional architecture of brain tissue and potentially other organs by revealing the subcellular structures and capturing how these might change over time.
As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent.

In 14 states, these councils have the ultimate say on the money, which comes from companies that made, distributed, or sold opioid painkillers, including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Walmart. In 24 other states, plus Washington, D.C., the councils establish budget priorities and make recommendations. Those will affect whether opioid settlement funds go, for example, to improve addiction treatment programs and recovery houses or for more narcotics detectives and prisons.

KFF Health News, along with Johns Hopkins University and Shatterproof, a national nonprofit focused on the addiction crisis, gathered and analyzed data on council members in all states to create the first database of its kind.

The data shows that councils are as unique as states are from one another. They vary in size, power, and the amount of funds they oversee. Members run the gamut from doctors, researchers, and county health directors to law enforcement officers, town managers, and business owners, as well as people in recovery and parents who've lost children to addiction.

"The overdose crisis is incredibly complex, and it demands more than just money," said Rollie Martinson, a policy associate with the nonprofit Community Education Group, which is tracking settlement spending across Appalachia. "We also need the right people in charge of that money."

That's the $50 billion question: Are the right people steering the decisions? Already, criticism of the councils has been rife, with stakeholders pointing out shortcomings, from overrepresentation to underrepresentation and many issues in between. For example:

Council membership doesn't always align with the states' hardest-hit populations  by race or geography.

Heavy presence of specific professional groups  treatment providers, health care executives, or law enforcement officials, for example  might mean money gets directed to those particular interests at the expense of others.

Few seats are reserved for people who've dealt with a substance use disorder themselves or supported a family member with one.

Admittedly, no one can design a perfect council. There's no agreement on what that would even look like. But when a pile of money this big is at stake, everyone wants in on the action.

More than $3 billion of opioid settlement funds has already landed in government coffers, with installments to come through 2038. The money is meant as restitution for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have died from drug overdoses in recent decades.

But what restitution looks like depends on whom you ask. People running syringe service programs might suggest spending money immediately on the overdose reversal medication naloxone, while hospital officials might advocate for longer-term investments to increase staffing and treatment beds.

"People naturally want money to go toward their own field or interest," said Kristen Pendergrass, vice president of state policy at Shatterproof.

And that can trigger hand-wringing.

In many parts of the country, for instance, people who support syringe service programs or similar interventions worry that councils with high numbers of police officers and sheriffs will instead direct large portions of the money to buy squad cars and bulletproof vests. And vice versa.

In most states, though, law enforcement and criminal justice officials make up fewer than one-fifth of council members. In Alaska and Pennsylvania, for instance, they're not represented at all.

Outliers exist, of course. Tennessee's 15-member council has two sheriffs, one current and one former district attorney general, a criminal court judge, and a special agent from the state Bureau of Investigation. But like many other councils, it hasn't awarded funds to specific groups yet, so it's too soon to tell how the council makeup will influence those decisions.

Pendergrass and Johns Hopkins researcher Sara Whaley, who together compiled the list of council members, say criticism of councils drawing too heavily from one field, geographic area, or race is not just a matter of political correctness, but of practicality.

"Having diverse representation in the room is going to make sure there is a balance on how the funds are spent," Pendergrass said.

To this end, Courtney Gary-Allen, organizing director for the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project, and her colleagues chose early on to ensure their state's 15-member council included people who support what's known as harm reduction, a politically controversial strategy that aims to minimize the risks of using drugs. Ultimately, this push led to the appointment of six candidates, including Gary-Allen, to the panel. Most have personal experience with addiction.

"I feel very strongly that if these six folks weren't on the council, harm reduction wouldn't get a single dollar," she said.

Others are starting to focus on potential lost opportunities.

In New Jersey, Elizabeth Burke Beaty, who is in recovery from substance use disorder, has noticed that most members of her state's council represent urban enclaves near New York City and Philadelphia. She worries they'll direct money to their home bases and exclude rural counties, which have the highest rates of overdose deaths and unique barriers to recovery, such as a lack of doctors to treat addiction and transportation to faraway clinics.

Natalie Hamilton, a spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who appointed the members, said the council represents "a wide geographic region," including seven of the state's 21 counties.

But only two of those represented  Burlington and Hunterdon counties  are considered rural by the state's Office of Rural Health needs assessment. The state's hardest-hit rural counties lack a seat at the table.

But only two of those represented  Burlington and Hunterdon counties  are considered rural by the state's Office of Rural Health needs assessment. The state's hardest-hit rural counties lack a seat at the table.

Now that most of the council seats nationwide are filled, worries about racial equity are growing.

Louisiana, where nearly a third of the population is Black, has no Black council members. In Ohio, where Black residents are dying of overdoses at the highest rates, only one of the 29 council members is Black.

"There's this perception that this money is not for people who look like me," said Philip Rutherford, who is chief operating officer of Faces & Voices of Recovery and is Black. His group organizes people in recovery to advocate on addiction issues.

Research shows Black Americans have the fastest-rising overdose death rates and face the most barriers to gold-standard treatments.

In several states, residents have lamented the lack of council members with firsthand knowledge of addiction, who can direct settlement dollars based on personal experiences with the treatment and criminal justice systems. Instead, councils are saturated with treatment providers and health care organizations.

And this, too, raises eyebrows.

"Service providers are going to have a monetary interest," said Tracie M. Gardner, who leads policy advocacy at the New York-based Legal Action Center. Although most are good people running good treatment programs, they have an inherent conflict with the goal of making people well and stable, she said.

"That is work to put treatment programs out of business," Gardner said. "We must never forget the business model. It was there for HIV, it was there for covid, and it's there for the overdose epidemic."

Councils in South Carolina and New York have already seen some controversy in this vein  when organizations associated with members pursued or were awarded funding. It's not a particularly surprising occurrence, since the members are chosen for their prominent work in the field.

Both states' councils have robust conflict-of-interest policies, requiring members to disclose professional and financial connections. New York also has a law precluding council members from using their position for financial gain, and South Carolina uses a rubric to objectively score applications.

That these situations cause alarm regardless shows how much hope and desperation is tied up in this money  and the decisions over who controls it.

"This is the biggest infusion of funding into the addiction treatment field in at least 50 years," said Gardner. "It's money coming into a starved system."

Database methodology

The list of council members' names used to build the database was compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Sara Whaley and Henry Larweh and Shatterproof's Kristen Pendergrass and Eesha Kulkarni. All council members, even those without voting power, were listed.

Although many states have councils to address the opioid crisis generally, the database focused specifically on councils overseeing the opioid settlement funds. A council's scope of power was classified as "decision-making" if it directly controls allocations. "Advisory" means the council provides recommendations to another body, which makes final funding decisions.

The data is current as of June 9, 2023.

KFF Health News' Aneri Pattani, Colleen DeGuzman, and Megan Kalata analyzed the data to determine which categories council members represent, based on the following rules:

 Each council member can be counted in only one category. There is no duplication.

 People should be given the most descriptive categorization possible. For example, attorneys general are "elected officials," but it is more specific to say they are "law enforcement and criminal justice" officials.

 A "government representative" is typically a government employee who is not elected and does not fit into any other descriptive category  for example, a non-elected county manager.

 People who provide direct services to patients or clients, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, and social workers, are classified as "medical and social service providers." People with more administrative roles are typically classified as "public" or "private health and human services," based on their organization's public or private affiliation.

 "Lived or shared experience" refers to someone who has personally experienced a substance use disorder, has a family member with one, or has lost a loved one to the disease. Because people's addiction experiences are not always public, only individuals explicitly appointed because of their firsthand connection or to fill a seat reserved for someone with that experience were categorized as such.

KFF Health News' Colleen DeGuzman and Megan Kalata contributed to this report.
A court has reversed the murder conviction of a man prosecutors called the getaway driver in a 2016 shooting at the Anchor Bar on Main Street.

We are simply not convinced that the jury was justified in finding that guilt was proven beyond a reasonable doubt, said the Appellate Division judges, who also dismissed the indictment against Gregory Ramos.

Ramos, who has been incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility, also recently filed court papers seeking to set aside his 2017 jury conviction on unrelated drug and weapons charges in federal court, which resulted in a prison sentence of more than eight years.

In the murder case, jurors in 2018 convicted Ramos of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Then-State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns later sentenced Ramos to 20 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors said that on May 20, 2016, Ramos and the shooter, Jorge Suarez, both of Buffalo, drove to the Anchor Bar, where Suarez entered the back of the restaurant and fatally shot Freddie Dizon, 32, also of Buffalo. Ramos drove Suarez to and from the restaurant, according to the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

The evidence at Ramos trial included testimony of a jailhouse informant that the appellate court determined was completely at odds with other evidence the prosecutors submitted.

Attorney Susan Hutchison of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, who argued Ramos appeal before the court, called the ruling a win for judicial process.

The Appellate Division rectified a miscarriage of justice in its decision, Hutchison said.

Asked for his reaction to the reversal, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said, I respectfully disagree.

Without the jailhouse informants testimony, there is no evidence from which to reasonably infer that (Ramos) shared (Suarez) intent to cause the death of another person, according to the appellate ruling.

The appellate judges found that the jailhouse informants testimony was incredible and too specific to conclude that any inconsistency between the testimony and the video evidence was the innocuous result of an imprecise account.

Jailhouse informants are one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions, Hutchison said.

Because the indictment was dismissed as against the weight of the evidence, the District Attorneys Office may not appeal the decision to the New York Court of Appeals, she said.

Its over completely, she said, citing double jeopardy as the reason the case cannot be refiled.

The appellate court previously upheld the conviction of Suarez, the actual shooter, on his appeal following his separate trial.

The prosecution contended at trial that Ramos owned a white sedan in which he and Suarez were seen in shortly before the shooting. The crux of the case consisted of video evidence from surveillance cameras in the bar and the surrounding area, the appellate court noted.

Footage from one camera showed a white sedan arriving at a corner one block from the Anchor Bar and then parking outside of the cameras view. Additional video footage followed the path of the shooter as he walked from where the sedan had parked, and then proceeded to walk toward the bar and then enter the bar. Video footage from after the shooting followed Suarez as he proceeded toward where the white sedan had parked. There is no video surveillance of Suarez entering or exiting the white sedan.

The white car is then almost immediately seen on footage from the first camera leaving the side street where it had been parked.

The informant testified that Ramos told him that Suarez had deviated from the agreed-upon plan, causing Ramos to have to pick him up at a business that was approximately six to eight blocks north of the Anchor Bar on a busy street with businesses.

We find that the version of events that the informant attributed to defendant is completely at odds with the video evidence, according to the appellate court ruling.
A proposed federal rule calls for forcing companies to disclose whether their products contain toxic "forever" chemicals, the government's first attempt at cataloging the pervasiveness of PFAS across the United States.

The Environmental Protection Agency rule would require manufacturers to report many products that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They're a family of chemicals that don't degrade in nature and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone irregularities.

Companies would have to disclose any PFAS that have been manufactured or imported between 2011 and when the rule takes effect, with no exemptions for small businesses or for impurities or byproducts cross-contaminating goods with PFAS. Those disclosures would be available to the public, barring any trade secrets linked to the data. The EPA will finalize the rule in the coming months, agency spokesperson Catherine Milbourn said, then require companies to report back within 12 months.

The effort excludes pesticides, foods and food additives, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Milbourn said. It also is essentially a one-time reporting and record-keeping requirement  and companies wouldn't need to provide updates.

Still, the chemical and semiconductor industries are grumbling about what the EPA estimated is a potential $1 billion cost to comply with the rule. The U.S. chemical industry says it generates more than $500 billion annually.

On the other side, environmental health activists say the data collection exercise would be flawed, as it accounts for only a tenth of the more than 12,000 PFAS chemicals, which are used in everything from nonstick cookware to kids' school uniforms. Moreover, they say, it wouldn't stop PFAS from making their way into the air, waste, or consumer products, nor would it clean up existing contamination.

Congress gave the EPA the power to track PFAS chemicals in 2016, when it revised the Toxic Substances Control Act. Then a bipartisan effort in 2019, which President Donald Trump signed into law, called for the EPA to inventory PFAS. However, health activists warn that unless Congress overhauls U.S. chemical laws to give the EPA and other agencies more power, PFAS will continue to threaten humans and the environment.

These so-called forever chemicals went from marvel to bete noire in just 50 years. When PFAS debuted, they were revered for making Teflon pans nonstick and Gore-Tex jackets waterproof. They are effective at repelling water and oil yet so durable they don't break down in the natural environment. That strength has become their downfall, as the chemicals accumulate in landfills, soil, drinking water supplies, and, ultimately, human bodies. As scientists learn more about PFAS' toxic nature, governments around the world have set limits or imposed outright bans.

Because PFAS are found in thousands of products  contact lenses, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals such as Prozac, paper plates, clothing, and dental floss, to name just a few  regulators are scrambling to gather data on the scope of the PFAS threat. The EPA data collection proposal is a move in that direction.

Milbourn told KFF Health News that 1,364 types of PFAS may be covered by the rule, and EPA officials are reviewing public comments they received to determine whether they should modify its scope to capture additional substances.

By contrast, the European Union is discussing banning or limiting 10,000 PFAS chemicals, according to Hanna-Kaisa Torkkeli, a spokesperson for the European Chemicals Agency.

"In the U.S., chemicals are innocent until proven guilty," said Kyla Bennett, director of science policy at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit based outside Washington, D.C. "In the EU and Japan, chemicals are guilty until proven safe  and that's why they have fewer PFAS."

That lack of regulation in the U.S. is driving states to take matters into their own hands, pursuing PFAS bans as gridlock and industry lobbying in Washington thwart tougher federal laws. Minnesota's crackdown on PFAS limits the chemicals in menstrual products, cleaning ingredients, cookware, and dental floss. Maine's law will ban all avoidable uses of PFAS by 2030. Vermont and California ban PFAS in food packaging.

"The states are acting because our federal system doesn't currently allow the government to say 'no more use of PFAS,'" said Liz Hitchcock, director of the federal policy program at Toxic-Free Future, a national advocacy group. "And even if it did, that wouldn't clean up the mess already made."

U.S. courts are also weighing in on PFAS contamination. On June 22, 3M agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle lawsuits by communities around the country that argued their drinking water was contaminated by the company's PFAS-containing products.

Additionally, the U.S. military is moving to limit PFAS, after a report said more than 600,000 troops were exposed to the toxic chemicals in drinking water contaminated largely by PFAS-laden firefighting foam.

Just cleaning up PFAS waste at U.S. military bases could cost at least $10 billion. Removing it from U.S. drinking water supplies could add more than $3.2 billion annually to the bill, according to a report commissioned by the American Water Works Association.

"The CDC estimates that 99% of Americans have PFAS in their blood," said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that researches the ingredients in household and consumer products. "We estimate that 200 million Americans are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water right now."

Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey released a similar finding July 5 when they announced that the agency's researchers estimate more than 45% of U.S. tap water is contaminated with at least one PFAS chemical after they conducted a nationwide study of water samples.

As ubiquitous as PFAS are, the reason they haven't generated more outrage among the public may be that the damage from PFAS chemicals isn't immediate. They affect health over time, with repeated exposure.

"People aren't getting headaches or coughing from exposure to PFAS," Bennett said. "But they are getting cancer a few years down the line  and they don't understand why."

Some environmental health advocates, such as Arthur Bowman III, policy director at the Center for Environmental Health, say the EPA's data collection project could help. "It will be fairly straightforward for the EPA to gather PFAS information on cleaning products and other wet chemicals that contain PFAS," Bowman said. "And this will lead to phaseouts of PFAS."

Some retailers, such as Dick's Sporting Goods and REI, have recently announced plans to remove the chemicals from many of their products.

But Bowman said it will be more difficult for manufacturers to remove PFAS used in the production of semiconductor chips and printed circuit boards, since alternative products are still in the research phase.

The Semiconductor Industry Association has asked the EPA for an exemption to the proposed reporting requirements because, it maintains, semiconductor manufacturing is so complex that it would be "impossible, even with an unlimited amount of time and resources, to discern the presence (if any) of PFAS in such articles." Other industries have also asked for waivers.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents large PFAS manufacturers such as 3M, disagrees with those calling for the entire class of PFAS chemicals to be banned. "Individual chemistries have their own unique properties and uses, as well as environmental and health profiles," said Tom Flanagin, a spokesperson for the trade group.

While the council's member companies "support strong, science-based regulations of PFAS chemistries that are protective of human health and the environment," Flanagin said, the rules shouldn't harm economic growth "or hamper businesses and consumers from accessing the products they need."

For their part, some environmental advocates welcome the reporting proposal, expecting it to reveal new and surprising uses of PFAS. "However, it's going to be a snapshot," said Sonya Lunder, the senior toxics policy adviser for the Sierra Club.

Lunder said even if PFAS were found in, for example, brands of baby bibs, pesticide containers, or pet food bags, it isn't clear which federal agency would regulate the products. She said Americans should demand that Congress add PFAS and other harmful chemicals to all major environmental statutes for water, air, food, and consumer products.

And another worry: If the data does make it into the mainstream, will consumers simply tune it out  just as many do with California's multitudinous cancer warning signs? Lunder doesn't think so, since "the audience is scientists, regulators, and  for better or for worse  tort attorneys."

Benesh, of the Environmental Working Group, said the disclosures could reach further and "embolden consumers to demand even more market change."
Observations of a wild colony of macaques over three years show same-sex sexual behavior among males is widespread and may be beneficial.

The results, published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, suggest same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) has evolved and may be a common feature of primate reproduction.

Conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, the observations and genetic data form the first long-term study of SSB in males within one species. Their study challenges the beliefs of some that SSB is a rare behavior in non-human animals or solely the product of unusual environmental conditions.

We found most males were behaviourally bisexual, and that variation in same-sex activity was heritable. This means that the behavior can have an evolutionary underpinning; for example, we also found that males that mounted each other were also more likely to back each other up in conflicts  perhaps this could be one of many social benefits to same-sex sexual activity." Jackson Clive, First Author, Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet at Imperial

"Our research therefore shows that same-sex sexual behaviors can be common amongst animals and can evolve. I hope our results encourage further discoveries in this area.''

Origins of same-sex behaviors

The team studied 236 males within a colony of 1,700 rhesus macaques living freely on the tropical island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. As well as observing their behavior and conducting genetic analyses, the team had access to pedigree records, which detail parentage of each individual back to 1956.

The researchers recorded all social 'mountings' for the 236 males, both of males-on-males (same-sex behavior, SSB) and males-on-females (different-sex behavior, DSB). They found that male same-sex mounting was widespread: 72% of sample males engaged in same-sex mounting, in comparison with 46% for different-sex mounting.

SSB has been observed in thousands of different animals, ranging from insects to penguins, leading many to theorize about why it happens. These theories include ideas about establishing dominance in groups, shortages of different-sex partners, and reducing tension following aggression, but little data is available to support any theory.

The team investigated several of these theories with their data, finding that, for this colony of macaques, SSB in males was strongly correlated with 'coalitionary bonds'. This means male pairs that regularly engage in SSB were more likely to back each other up in conflicts, providing them with an advantage in the group.

Heritable behaviors

The researchers also investigated whether SSB led to any fitness cost  a reduction in the amount of offspring they have. In fact, they found the opposite  males that engaged in SSB may be more successful in reproducing, potentially due to the benefits provided by more coalitionary bonds.

In line with this, the team also analyzed whether SSB was heritable. Using the pedigree data, they found SSB in males was 6.4% heritable, which provides the first evidence of a genetic link to primate SSB outside of humans. This figure is similar to other heritable behaviors in primates, such as grooming and sociality.

These findings support counter-arguments to the idea that SBB 'defies nature and evolution' (the so-called 'Darwinian Paradox').

The team also found some genetic correlation between males that were more often 'mounters' or 'mountees' when engaging in SSB, suggesting these sub-behaviors may have a common basis. In addition, whether individuals were more likely to be mounters or mountees did not correlate with their social position, suggesting asserting their place in the hierarchy is not an important factor for SSB in this species.

Macaques and humans

Though the researchers caution against direct comparisons to humans, they say their study challenges the beliefs of some that SSB is a rare behavior in non-human animals or solely the product of unusual environmental conditions.

Instead, the results suggest some degree of SSB can evolve adaptively, depending on the context, and so may be a common feature of primate reproductive ecology. There are many examples of other primate groups engaging in different forms of SSB, so further in-depth genetic studies could strengthen this conclusion.

Lead researcher Professor Vincent Savolainen, Director of the Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet at Imperial, said: "Unfortunately there is still a belief amongst some people that same-sex behavior is 'unnatural,' and some countries sadly still enforce the death penalty for homosexuality. Our research shows that same-sex behaviour is in fact widespread amongst non-human animals.

"Our mission is to advance scientific understanding of same-sex behavior, including exploring the benefits it brings to nature and within animal societies. Amongst the macaques we looked at in this study, more than two-thirds displayed same-sex behavior and this behavior strengthened the bonds within the community."

The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the American Institute of Bisexuality, and the Evolution Education Trust.
The devastating COVID-19 pandemic occurred when the SARS-CoV-2 virus, native to a species of bats, mutated to infect humans. The transition of a pathogen from only imperiling animals to threatening humans is called "spillover."

Investigating viruses with spillover potential could give us a head start on the next pandemic and minimize its severity. One such virus is RshTT200, discovered in Cambodian bats in 2010. RshTT200 shares 92.6% of its genomic sequence with SARS-CoV-2 and has an 85% match with COVID-19's infamous spike protein responsible for the virus's entry into human cells.

During the American Crystallographic Association's 73rd annual meeting, which will be held July 7-11 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Samantha Zepeda, from the University of Washington, will present her team's investigation into RshTT200 to prepare for the next potential spillover event. Her presentation will take place Sunday, July 9, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern in room Waterview CD.

Currently, a few factors prevent RshTT200 from infecting human cells. In order for the virus to spill over, it must first be able to bind to the human ACE2 receptor on the surface of human cells. The spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and RshTT200 are an 85% match, but that 15% difference is enough to reduce the latter's affinity to ACE2. The receptor binding domain in the spike protein exists in both open and closed conformations, but RshTT200 more strongly favors the closed conformation, which is incompetent for receptor binding. However, this conformational ensemble could change as the RshTT200 virus mutates.

There are several avenues that could enable RshTT200 to pose a threat to humans. With the help of our collaborators in the Starr Lab at the University of Utah, we identified a single nucleotide mutation that was sufficient to enable RshTT200 to enter cells after binding to the human ACE2 receptor. We also know that mutations that make the receptor binding domain more open also enable cellular entry with human ACE2." Samantha Zepeda, University of Washington

To understand how viruses such as RshTT200 could infect humans, Zepeda and her team used cryo-electron microscopy to solve the spike protein structure. Once the spike proteins were understood, they built harmless, nonreplicating pseudoviruses expressing the spike proteins to investigate how RshTT200 accesses human cells.

Their work showed not only how RshTT200 could become the next pandemic but also how we could fight it.

"One of the most promising things this work shows is which antibodies are broadly neutralizing against RshTT200," Zepeda said. "In the event of an outbreak, we would already know how to stabilize the spike protein for the development of vaccines and have an idea of which antibodies could be used. This would put us months ahead compared to the knowledge that was available at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic."

The American Crystallographic Association, Inc. is a nonprofit, scientific organization of more than 1,000 members in more than 35 countries. The ACA was founded in 1949 through a merger of the American Society for X-Ray and Electron Diffraction (ASXRED) and the Crystallographic Society of America (CSA). The objective of the ACA is to promote interactions among scientists who study the structure of matter at atomic (or near atomic) resolution. These interactions will advance experimental and computational aspects of crystallography and diffraction. Understanding the nature of the forces that both control and result from the molecular and atomic arrangements in matter will help shed light on chemical interactions in nature.
Major progress could be made in fighting the youth vaping epidemic with a complete restriction on sweet flavorings and cooling agents in both cartridge and disposable e-cigarette devices, according to a new study from the Center for Tobacco Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. The current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flavor ban only applies to cartridge electronic cigarette devices.

A new study published in the Journal of Studies on Addiction and Drugs by researchers with the Center for Tobacco Research suggests that sweet flavorings and cooling agents like menthol keep youth puffing e-cigarettes, and the majority indicate they would likely stop vaping if e-liquid flavors were limited to tobacco-flavor only.

Rates of e-cigarette use among young adults and adolescents remain high, despite federal restrictions that limit the availability and appeal to youth. This new study sought to examine how restricting flavors could affect adolescent and young adult e-cigarette usage.

Researchers surveyed 1,414 individuals between the ages of 14 and 17 regarding their e-cigarette use and behaviors. This included demographic and self-reported information about the type of device used, usage habits, preferred flavors, and intent to discontinue use of the vaping device in response to proposed hypothetical comprehensive flavor ban.

Overall, nearly 39% of survey respondents reported they would stop using their e-cigarettes if tobacco and menthol-flavored e-liquids were the only options available, and nearly 71% would quit vaping under a tobacco-only product standard.

Our data add to an expanding body of evidence showing that youth have a preference for sweet flavorings that make vaping easier for novice users of e-cigarette products, priming them for a potential lifetime of dependency to nicotine." Alayna Tackett, PhD, senior author of the study and a researcher with the Center for Tobacco Research at the OSUCCC  James. Tackett is a pediatric psychologist and assistant professor in the division of medical oncology at Ohio State's College of Medicine

Banning flavors in e-cigarettes

In February 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put restrictions on flavorings for cartridge/pod e-cigarette (vape) devices, but the ban did not extend to disposable devices or to menthol flavoring for all devices. Sales of e-cig cartridge products went down; however, disposable devices and menthol-flavored pod/cartridge devices went up.

In April 2022, the FDA issued proposed product standards banning menthol flavoring in cigarettes and cigars, but the benefits of these product standards could be weakened by the role of substitute products still available in the market.

Researchers say it is critical to take a closer look at how flavorings impact usage behaviors in youth and adult populations to inform this federal legislation.

Tackett noted that adolescents and young adults using flavors with cooling additives (such as fruit ice) reported higher odds of discontinuing use under a tobacco-only product standard compared with users who preferred menthol flavor only, indicating an important distinction between these groups. (Fruit ice refers to e-cigarette flavors that have a fruit base characterizing flavor with a cooling additive such as menthol or a synthetic cooling agent.)

"In this sample of adolescents and young adults, it appears that non-tobacco flavors may be important for their interest in and continued use of e-cigarettes," she says.

It is unknown if the current self-reported intentions would extend to actual behavior in the natural environment and how this may impact use or uptake of other tobacco products. Future research might benefit from examining this scenario in areas or states that have flavor restrictions using a more representative sample (the convenience sample used was majority white and majority female).

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Tackett says preventing use of e-cigarettes among young people is a crucial goal for public health, but she also points to the potential impact of e-cigarette regulation on adults who smoke and have begun using e-cigarettes as an alternative to quitting altogether.

"Many adults prefer using non-tobacco flavors to switch from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes," said Tackett. "Flavor restriction policies should consider the best ways to protect public health while supporting adults who are interested in choosing potentially less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarettes."
In a major development for Bengalurus transportation infrastructure, the Karnataka government has put forth a proposal to construct a brand new 37km metro line connecting Hebbal and Sarjapur.

The estimated cost of this ambitious project is a whopping Rs 15,000 crore, as reported by The Hindu. This move aims to further expand Bengalurus Namma Metro, which currently stands as the second-largest metro network in the country, covering a distance of approximately 70 km and serving 5.7 lakh commuters daily. The announcement of this proposal came during the budget speech delivered by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In the current fiscal year, the budget has outlined plans to expand the metro lines by 100 km. The expansion includes extending the lines from Baiyyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura, Kengeri to Challaghatta, Nagasandra to Madawara, and R.V. Road to Bommasandra. By the end of 2024, a total of 27 km of new lines will be added. The budget also reveals an ambitious target of increasing the metro network from the existing 70 km to 176 km within the next three years, which is 2.5 times its current coverage.

Further, in the next three years, the Metro network will be increased from 70 km to 176 km i.e., 2.5 times the present network coverage. The ongoing work of the airport Metro line will also be expedited and it will be operationalized by 2026, Karnataka CM was quoted as saying.

As per the budget announcement, a detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted to the Union Government seeking approval for Metro Phase-3, which is estimated to be constructed at a cost of Rs 16,328 crore. This particular project spans a distance of 45 km, commencing from Kempapura to J.P. Nagar 4th phase, and from Hosahalli to Kadabagere, including the Western Outer Ring Road line.

The budget mentioned that various construction work is ongoing in the Namma Metro and Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project at an estimated cost of Rs 30,000 crore. Completion of these projects is expected to take at least 5 years, as per The Hindu.

The State government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project. Its worth noting that the total allocation for this project amounts to Rs 15,767 crore, with Rs 3,242 crore constituting the central share and a loan component of Rs 7,438 crores from external sources. The Central government has released Rs 500 crore till date (for this project) and the state government has released Rs 660 crore. For the current year, the state government has provided Rs 1,000 crore," Siddaramaiah added in his speech.
It is said that no one can steal immovable property, but it can certainly be used illegally or taken over. Land and buildings come under this category. Cases of encroachment on property are increasing every passing day. These have become the major cause of property disputes. Nowadays, land mafias have even snatched individuals rented land. According to reports, thousands of cases involving the illegal occupation of land and property are coming up daily. Knowing the legal ways to deal with land encroachment is thus very important.

Trespass is considered a major crime in India, as per Section 441 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Under this law, a person who is found guilty faces both a fine and a prison sentence. Today, let us take a look in detail at how you can deal with illegal land encroachment.

What is land encroachment?

Encroachment is taking someones land and property with the wrong intention. The majority of cases in the country involve illegally occupying land. Many landowners, after purchasing the land, construct boundary walls and post boards detailing ownership rights. This is done to avoid encroachment.

Land encroachment law

Section 441 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, applies to encroachment on land and property. Under this, there is a provision for a fine for land encroachment. If a person is found guilty, he is fined and imprisoned for up to 3 months. If any individual does anything unlawful on your territory or property, you can file a complaint in court with the assistance of this regulation.

How to complain about illegal possession

First and foremost, file a complaint with the authorities.

1. In cases of illegal occupation of land or property, the landowner can file a case against the encroachers under Section 39, Rules 1 and 2.

2. After applying to court, the judiciary can ban the encroachment. The judiciary can also order compensation to be paid as per the encroachment-related law. The landowners loss and the current value of the land are used to determine the compensation amount.

Ways to solve land encroachment disputes

There are two methods for taking care of the issue of land encroachment. First, this matter can be dealt with by mutual consent; and second, with the help of the law. There are options like arbitration, division of land, selling property, and giving it away on rent. If you are preparing to go to court against land encroachment, you must have other important documents, including the title deed and the purchase agreement.
Funding in Indian startups experienced a significant 36% decline in the January-June period, amounting to $3.8 billion, as per a recent PwC India report. This figure marks the lowest half-yearly amount recorded in the past four years. The report suggests the decline in investors heightened caution and extended due diligence procedures, as they thoroughly assess all facets of a business before making financial commitments.

According to the Startup Perspectives- H1 2023 report, a significant 57 per cent of total investments during the first half of the calendar year 2023 were categorised as early-stage deals in terms of volume. However, when it comes to value, early-stage deals only accounted for approximately 16 per cent of the total investment, marking the lowest level compared to the previous year.

The Indian startup ecosystem reported the lowest six-month funding in the last four years in H1CY23 at $3.8 billion across 298 deals- a decline of nearly 36 per cent as compared to H2 CY22 ($5.9 billion). Fintech, SAAS and D2C continued to be the most funded sectors in H1 CY23," it said.

The report highlights that despite facing challenging market conditions in recent quarters, investors have exhibited robust support for their portfolio companies. Interestingly, they have doubled down on their investments in companies demonstrating positive growth.

Amit Nawka, Partner and India Startups Leader at PwC India said, When it comes to the current investment outlook for Indian startups, it is crucial to view a funding winter as a temporary phase within a startups journey".

During the first half of CY23, venture capital funding declined, but the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions remained steady compared to the previous half. 80 M&A deals took place involving startups, with 80 per cent being domestic transactions. Similar to VC funding, SaaS, FinTech, and e-commerce and D2C sectors continued to witness the highest number of M&A transactions in the first half of CY23.

Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai continue to emerge as the winners in the Indian startup scene as per a report by PwC India. These cities were responsible for around 83 per cent of the total startup funding activity during the first half of CY23. In addition, the report highlighted a decline in funding activity across all cities during the first half of CY23, except for Chennai. Interestingly, Chennai experienced higher funding specifically in SaaS.

Over the past decade, India has experienced a remarkable surge in its startup culture particularly in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce and technology. Startups, including PhonePe, Mobikwik and Snapdeal, among others have emerged during this period.
The Agnipath Scheme was announced by the Indian government last year as a means of enlisting young people in the armed forces. The youth trained under this programme are called Agniveers. The scheme received both positive and negative reception from the public.

Under the Agnipath scheme, the first batch of Agniveers will join the Indian Army next month. The training of the first batch is over and the training of the second batch is about to begin. However, the Central governments scheme has been left with a blot over it after reports surfaced that many youngsters left the training midway.

As per reports, a military officer has been quoted as saying that in the first batch of Agniveers, more than 50 youths left the training in the middle. Currently, there is no rule binding the Agniveers to the training program or no penalty for leaving the Agnipath training midway. However, the government is planning to bring about a change in that.

The youth who abandon the training in the middle can now be dealt with a monetary penalty. The officer said that those who leave the training and run away will be charged and the entire training expense incurred on the person will be taken from them. This will be done to ensure that only those who are serious about joining the Armed Forces enrol in the Agnipath scheme.

According to the military officer, the youths who left Agniveers training have given different reasons. Some left after being on medical leave for more than a month. Others left the training saying that they had found better opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has attacked the ruling BJP over the reports of Agniveers deserting their training midway. According to a tweet from the General Secretary in charge of Communications of the Congress, Jairam Ramesh, joining the military and serving ones country used to be the youths aspiration. They were provided better facilities and employment security because they were willing to serve their country. He claimed that the Agnipath schemes core foundation is flawed. The government has crushed young peoples aspirations to serve the country, he said.
The performance of districts in school education saw a significant drop during the Covid pandemic, with none of the districts figuring in the top two categories in the Ministry of Educations Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for 2020-21 and 2021-22 released on Sunday.

Punjab with 18 districts in Ati-Uttam category (the third grade out of total 10), in 2021-22 has outperformed Rajasthan whose number of districts in this category came down to five from 26 in 2020-21. Punjab too has one less district in this category compared to 2020-21.

The report on PGI-D assesses the performance of school education system at the district level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis. It graded 742 districts during 2020-21 and 748 districts during 2021-22 across the states and Union territories.

PGI-D grades the districts into 10 grades with the highest achievable grade being Daksh, which is for districts scoring more than 90 per cent of the total points in that category or overall.

Utkarsh category is for districts with score between 81-90 per cent followed by Ati-Uttam (71-80 per cent), Uttam (61-70 per cent), Prachesta-I (51-60 per cent), Prachesta-II (41-50 per cent) and Pracheshta III (31-40 per cent). The lowest grade in PGI-D is called Akanshi-3 which is for scores up to 10 per cent of the total points.

There are no districts in the country figuring in the top two grades  Daksh and Utkarsh in the 2021-22 index. There were three districts in Utkarsh in the pre-Covid index report (2018-19), all coming from Rajasthan. Gujarat is another example which has witnessed a big drop in grades  it had 22 districts in Ati-Uttam grade in 2020-21, which decreased to three in 2021-22.

Being the Covid pandemic years and learning outcomes based on NAS 2021 have impacted the performance of districts during 2020-21 to 2021-22 as compared to 2019-20. None of the districts attained top two grades during 2020-21 and 2021-22 implying there is ample scope for the districts to further improve their performance in future years.

Year-wise performance analysis of districts reveals that 79 districts made consistent improvement in PGI-D scores in the last four years  2018-19 to 2021-22, whereas 25 districts consistently performed poorly during the same period, the report noted.

Keralas Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram were the highest-performing districts in school education during 2020-21 followed by Kannur and Thrissur, according to the index. The districts performance has been graded under the Ati Uttam category, which is the third-best category of PGI-D.

Among the best-performing districts in 2020-21, the maximum are from Rajsthan (26) followed by Gujarat (22) and Punjab (19). All nine districts of Delhi have figured in the Ati Uttam category.

The PGI-D is expected to help the state education departments to identify gaps at the district level and improve their performance in a decentralized manner. The indicator-wise PGI score shows the areas where a district needs to improve, a senior MoE official said. Overall 194 districts have made grade level improvement in 2021-22 as compared to 2018-19. Of these 194, seven districts had highest performance securing three grade jumps in 2021-22 as compared to 2018-19, 23 districts improved their performance by securing upward shift of two grades in 2021-22, and 164 districts improved their grade by one level in 2021-22 as compared to 2018-19.

A total of 375 districts remained in the same grade in 2021-22 as compared to 2018-19 and remaining 158 districts performance deteriorated during 2021-22 as compared to 2018-19.

The PGI-D structure comprises a total weightage of 600 points across 83 indicators, which are grouped under six categories  Outcomes, Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure Facilities & Students Entitlements, School Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning and Governance Process.

These categories are further divided into 12 domains  Learning Outcomes and Quality; Access Outcomes; Teacher Availability and Professional Development Outcomes; Learning Management; Learning Enrichment Activities; Infrastructure, Facilities and Student Entitlements; School Safety and Child Protection; Digital Learning; Funds Convergence and Utilization; Enhancing CRCs Performance; Attendance Monitoring Systems; and School Leadership Development.

In the Learning Outcome domain of the 748 districts assessed during 2021-22, just 11 districts made grade level improvement by two or more notches, 65 districts made grade level improvement by one notch as compared to 2019-20 and 90 districts have made improvement in their score 2021-22 but remained in the same grade of 2019-20.

Effective classroom transaction is one domain where the maximum number of districts were shifted to the top grade of the index. During 2021-22, a total of 613 districts made improvement in scores, of which 60 districts made more than 20 per cent improvement in scores and 124 districts improved their score by over 10 per cent resulting in grade level improvement in 2021-22.

In the digital learning domain during 2021-22, the majority of districts are still in the bottom three grades indicating the need for boosting the digital learning aspect. Under this category, just 10 districts have shown over 20 per cent improvement in score and 74 districts have shown improvement of over 10 per cent in score during 2021-22 as compared to 2019-20. Overall grade level improvement in 2021-22 under the category is for 202 districts out of 748.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is going to launch Indias first global campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania, East Africa, on October 25, which will become the first IIT ever to be headed by a woman director. To start with, the campus will offer a BS degree in data science and AI and an M Tech degree in the same discipline. The new international campus will be headed by Prof Preeti Aghalayam, dean of the School of Science and Engineering at IIT Madras, who will now take charge of the Zanzibar campus as its director, the institute announced on Monday. The governments of India and Tanzania had last week signed an MoU to this effect.

Applications for the 2023 batch are currently open with 50 seats for the BS course and 20 seats for the M Tech course. IIT Madras is proud to bring its deep and long-term education and research strengths to East Africa. The campus is planned in similar terms as Madras, with verdant natural surroundings, state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, research facilities, and innovation centres. Its a matter of pride for me to take on this role, as there is significant female representation from Tanzania in this partnership as well," said Prof Preeti, who teaches chemical engineering and is an alumnus of IIT-M.

The faculty strength will be based on required teaching expertise and the quality assurances of IIT Madras including but not limited to maintaining robust faculty-student ratios. The IIT-M Zanzibar campus is planned to have a structure with degree programmes hosted by schools. The first school is the School of Science and Engineering, which will host both the planned degrees for the 2023-24 academic year. A detailed evolution plan for academic programmes is under development, with inputs from expert members in India and Zanzibar/Tanzania, said Prof Preeti.

IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti while announcing the launch of the campus on Monday in a press interaction held in the capital on Monday said, It is indeed a major milestone in the history of IIT Madras that we are establishing a campus at Zanzibar."

Zanzibar was picked for setting up a campus for various reasons, he said. We go to a place where they need us. Africa needed a big campus of this nature. Plus, their school education setup is good, so we will get students with a lot of potential. Initially, we are starting with data science and AI, but in future, we can look at other courses such as Electronic Systems and another course in marine engineering as well," said Kamakoti.

Meanwhile, IIT Madras is also getting PhD students from Tanzania, who will be trained here and post them back to their home country. Initially, we will start from a temporary campus in Zanzibar island while we have been given 300 acres plus land to build a permanent campus, which is likely to come up by 2025-end or the first half of 2026," he added.

The entry to the Zanzibar campus will be through a screening test developed by faculty experts at IIT Madras and an interview, as per the IIT-M senate-approved admission process for international students.
On the Folts farm, every cow has a name, they can wander where they want and walk themselves to the robotic milking machine.

Ultimate production is a result of ultimate cow comfort, Josh Folts explained, adding, The production we have is some of the best in the state.

With robotic milkers and a social area for the cows, this isnt their fathers dairy farm. Thats because neither of Josh or Ginny Folts parents were farmers.

The couple took the leap seven years ago, entering a field that others in the state were leaving by the hundreds every year. The decision makes their North Collins farm one of only a handful of 21st-century, first-generation dairy farms in Western New York.

There were nearly 6,000 dairy farmers in New York State in 2006. That number had dropped to 3,600 by 2020, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Still, the dairy industry in New York generated nearly half the states total agricultural receipts.

First-generation dairy farms are difficult to start because besides the cows, there is a lot of equipment to purchase to feed the cows, milk the cows, and store and cool the milk. Once farmers get started, there is a lot of expertise around to help them, according to Katelyn Walley-Stoll of Cornell Cooperative Extensions Western New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team.

Beginning farmers are really excited to take all of that information because theyre not battling 500 years of family tradition. Theyre willing to try something new and take on new research, and if it doesnt work, go back to the drawing board, Walley-Stoll said.

While he did not grow up on a farm, Josh Folts told Ginny his dream before they were married.

This is something we always wanted to do, he said.

But they didnt do it overnight.

Working up to it

Josh Folts started working on the Phillips Family Farm in North Collins when he was 17, and after college, he returned there and was the herd manager for seven years.

After that, the Foltses started a trucking business, doing a lot of hauling for farmers. But that was difficult, too, particularly during the Great Recession, when farms were going out of business. The business survived because it also did cross-country runs.

I would go down to the diner in town and I would be like, beat, beat up and depressed, Josh Folts said.

One of the other local businessmen at the diner asked him what was wrong.

I dont know if were going to make it, Josh Folts replied.

Seven years, the man told him. By the time youre seven years in, youll be able to breathe.

The Foltses learned something running the trucking business that helped them on the dairy farm: diversification.

If I didnt have the group of trucks that were running cross-country with commercial grade, we would have gone bankrupt, Josh Folts said of the Great Recession. So that was an experience that had us prepared for when we did start.

The Folts farm milks 120 cows on about 50 acres on Mile Block Road on property that was owned by the Congdon and Weller Nursery. First, they bought the property; then, two years later, the house that sits on the farm; and 10 years later, in 2016, they built the barn and started milking cows. They also own or rent about 400 other acres where they grow hay and corn for the herd, as well as another 30 acres across the road.

The couple has four sons, with two of them  Isaac, 17, and Zane, 25  working at the farm, along with one full-time and one part-time employee.

A tough business

There are the everyday setbacks in farming: the cost of fertilizer and grain going up, milk prices going down; its too rainy, or its too dry for the hay and the corn. During the December blizzard, milk trucks could not get to the farm to haul away the milk, and they had to dump four days worth of milk.

For a beginning farmer, not only are you trying to find money and learn the skills to own your own business, and take care of the cows, but then, youre also facing this extremely convoluted pricing system where you have no idea what your milk checks going to be, Walley-Stoll said.

This is not quite a sustainable market. The dairy market is very volatile. Milk markets are becoming depressed right now. Sometimes, the market takes a couple of years to run a cycle. We really have to have a diversified income to be sustainable, Josh Folts said.

They still operate the fleet of trucks. And during the pandemic, Isaac, who will be a senior at St. Francis High School, renovated a building to house show animals. He took the profits from selling one of his show cows to pay for the renovations, doing work in between remote classes.

In addition to housing Cali, his 2021 grand champion of the international junior Holstein show, Isaac Folts boards other show cows. And since Cali is sought after for her genetics, embryos from her are implanted in surrogate cows, another part of the diversified business.

But to get to this point, the Foltses first needed money to buy cows, property and equipment, which is why they started the trucking business. They also had to find a market for the milk, and then a banker with capital to invest in the business. They bought cows from an existing member of the Upstate Niagara Milk Cooperative.

While doing all of that, they have seen farms go out of business.

Farming is very hard, physically. So no matter how much you love it, your body can only take so much, Ginny Folts said. So I think sometimes when the markets are low and your body is also telling you, its time to retire.

So why do they do it?

Agriculture is a great way to connect with the land, connect with your neighbors, connect with your community, and provide something we all need. We all need to eat, said Christina Kohler of the New York Farm Bureau.

And young farmers look to the future.

Youre betting on the future. Theyre very optimistic and we need more optimistic people in this world, Kohler said.

Not your fathers farm

The farms cows sleep on sand, and are free to roam into one of the two robotic milking machines in the red barn.

The cows are free to wander wherever they like. They can go to the robot when they like. They get to go to the feed bunk when they like, they lay down when they want. We even have a social area in the middle, which is unique to our farm, Ginny Folts said.

In addition to having a name, every cow has a number on a transponder on their collar. This allows the robotic milking machine to identify the cow and gives it access to particulars about the cow, such as how long it usually takes to milk it and when it was last milked. It also keeps the cows from being milked too often. The cows udders are automatically washed with a disinfectant before lasers show the robot where to place the cups on the udders. And the cows get a snack while they are milking.

Photos: The Folts family farm in North Collins First-generation dairy farmers Ginny and Josh Folts own a farm in North Collins. Their youngest son, Isaac Folts, is an experienced dairy cow 

The farm bought a somatic cell counter this year that automatically tests the milk and alerts the Foltses if the cell count is rising, which could indicate the animal is getting sick.

We can notice before they have clinical signs, Ginny Folts said.

The transponders also monitor the cows rumination, or digestion, giving the Foltses another tool for early detection of illness.

The information from the transponder is retrieved on a computer or an app on their phones, which they check multiple times a day.

Ginny and Josh Folts said they look forward to the day when they dont have to be so diversified, and can concentrate on one aspect of their business, which may transition to a second generation in the future.

Isaac is looking forward to operating the farm one day.

He feels pretty confident with it. He plans to go to college, but Id like to give him the freedom to decide, Ginny Folts said.

Hopefully by the time the next generation is out of college, well be able to be a little bit larger and a little more competitive, Josh Folts said.
The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test PostGraduate, Undergraduate registrations for counselling is likely to begin from July 15. Preliminary media reports suggest likewise however there is no official confirmation from the Medical Counselling Committee. NEET PG, UG counselling dates for 2023 will be announced shortly on the official website, mcc.nic.in, by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), once the schedule for counselling is made public.

The NEET PG, UG score will be used to determine admission to PG medical degrees for the 50% All India Quota (AIQ). Students who fulfill the standards of the All India Quota (AIQ) will be permitted to take part in the counseling process. Students who aced the NEET PG 2023 exam are also urged to apply for state quota seats through the state where they now reside. On March 4, the NEET PG 2023 was conducted, and on March 14, the results were made available.

The states and the union territory will compile the category-by-category merit list for the state quota seats in accordance with their respective qualifications and any applicable rules. On June 16, the merit list for the AIQ seats was made accessible. Applicants who satisfy the qualifications for the AIQ seats must register themselves on the MCC website in order to take part in the NEET PG counseling 2023. Applicants must enter their complete name, date of birth, NEET PG 2023 application number, security password, and other details in order to acquire their login credentials.

For admission to AIQ or Central University, general category applicants must pay Rs 1,000, while SC and ST applicants must pay Rs 500. Candidates must pay Rs 5,000 in order to be admitted to a deemed university. Entrants must choose a course and college based on their preferences and qualifications for NEET PG seat distribution. Additionally, they will have the choice to submit applications to many colleges.

In 2023, there will be four rounds of NEET PG, UG counseling: round 1, round 2, mop-up round, and stray round. The MCC will make the results of the NEET PG seat allocation announcement following the registration process. Then, within the allotted time, students must appear at their selected college.
BJP president JP Nadda chaired a day-long meeting of southern party leaders in the presence of general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and general secretaries Tarun Chugh and Sunil Bansal on Sunday and the topic of discussion at hand was how to reverse the dwindling electoral fortunes of the party in the southern states.

With Lok Sabha elections 2024 in top focus, sources privy to the developments told News18 that the southern generals of the BJP have been given a four-point mantra by the top brass.

Four important focus areas have been identified by the party. First, the need to focus on outreach to castes and communities that have poor or no representation in the BJP. Second, identifying strong non-BJP leaders who might be unhappy with the policies of the party they are currently in and convincing them that the Narendra Modi government believes in working for all. Third, the focus needs to be on looking at the pros and cons of any state-related alliances. Finally, the focus needs to be on identifying issues that concern the state specifically and bringing them to the fore, a source told News18.

The big focus of the saffron party in the coming days and weeks will be to emphatically state its narrative irrespective of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in whose name the party has been contesting elections.

There is an urgent and important need for the BJP to specify its narrative and spell it out clearly. Be it general elections or Assembly elections, the party needs to clearly speak out in one voice about the principles and commitments to the cause of the nation, another source told News18 following Sundays meeting.

With around six months to go before campaigning for Lok Sabha elections begins in full swing, party units in southern states have been asked to come up with a well-conceived action plan that can be executed well.

In other states of the country, booth strengthening drives, micro-level management and membership drives have done wonders for the party. But despite holding down majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014 and 2019, electoral success in the southern states has eluded the BJP.

The party is now hoping to take corrective steps at the earliest in the backdrop of the recent election defeat in Karnataka.

Politics in southern India has been largely personality driven  Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu to KCR in Telangana, and Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.

Of 130 MPs from the five southern states, the BJP only has 29, most of whom are from Karnataka.

Three morcha chiefs  Tejasvi Surya (Yuva Morcha), Vanathi Srinivasan (Mahila Morcha) and K Laxman (OBC Morcha) are from the south. Even in the Union government, four ministers  Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Pralhad Joshi and Kishen Reddy are from the south. The Modi cabinet also has six MoS from southern India, said a BJP insider, adding that in Sundays meeting, directions were passed to showcase the representation among people.

Those present were also told to highlight the fact that even in the top-most decision-making body of the party, southern representation is sizeable. BS Yediyurappa and BL Santhosh are both members of the BJP Parliamentary Board.

The partys top leadership has expressed confidence in improving its performance in the south with alliance being explored with the TDP in Andhra Pradesh and strengthening the one with AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

The party which held meetings of state leaders in three batches saw the last one conclude in Hyderabad on Sunday. Leaders from 11 states and Union Territories were present in the meeting, including Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra and Puducherry.

On July 7, a meeting was held in Guwahati for the eastern and north-eastern states and in Delhi on July 8 for northern and central states.

The party is likely to organise a brainstorming session of all state presidents in the end of July or the first week of August.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced Rajya Sabha nominations with the reappointment of three senior leaders: Derek OBrien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dola Sen. However, Shanta Chetri from Darjeeling and Susmita Dev, who recently joined TMC from Congress, have been excluded from the nominations. Three new faces were also spotted in the nominations.

Senior leader Shekhar Ray, speaking to News18, expressed his gratitude, saying, It is a great honor to be in the Upper House for the third consecutive time. I deeply respect Didi for her magnanimity. I will fulfill my responsibilities as a parliamentarian in accordance with the instructions of Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and our National General Secretary Abhishek Bandopadhyay, alongside my fellow compatriots in the Rajya Sabha."

Saket Gokhale, a former journalist and RTI activist from Maharashtra, who also served jail time for his tweets, holds significant influence on social media platforms. Two years ago, he joined TMC.

In a tweet, he said: Im overwhelmed by their faith in me and for giving this opportunity to a young middle-class boy who comes from a non-political background. Theyve been the source of my strength, my inspiration for public service, & rock-solid pillars who stood by me and my family in the toughest times. I promise to give my all & everything to be an effective public representative and lawmaker & to stand up steadfastly for our democracy & Constitution."

Im extremely grateful to my leaders @MamataOfficial & @abhishekaitc for fielding me as a candidate for election as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. Im overwhelmed by their faith in me & for giving this opportunity to a young middle-class boy who comes from a non-political https://t.co/q13h9F79up  Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) July 10, 2023

Prakash Baraik hails from the remote village of Alipurduar and grew up on the Indo-Bhutan border. As an Adivasi, he currently serves as the TMC President for Alipurduar and was nominated for Rajya Sabha for the first time. Speaking to News18, he expressed his gratitude, saying, I come from a small village and could never have imagined that Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee would provide me with this opportunity. I am a poor man, and I will strive hard to work for the betterment of backward communities."

Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam is a well-known progressive minority figure who has been dedicatedly working for the backward class for a long time. Notably he does not belong to the TMC. Speaking to News18, he said, It is a significant responsibility bestowed upon me, and it comes with challenges. I have to put in tremendous effort and I will certainly work hard. For me, this responsibility is of great magnitude."

The decision to nominate old-timer leaders and introduce fresh educated minority faces with a focus on North Bengals backward class is a notable aspect of the TMCs Rajya Sabha nominations.

OBrien has been a long-standing member of the Rajya Sabha, making him an obvious choice due to his experience and prominence within the party. Meanwhile, Sukhendu Ray is considered a veteran leader and his continued nomination reflects his valuable contributions and seniority. Similarly, Dola Sens association with Mamata Banerjee from the early days of her movement has played a role in her nomination.

Dynamics of the three new entries

Saket Gokhale, being an RTI activist and influencer, has faced legal consequences, including imprisonment, and his presence adds a strong national dimension to the party.

Prakash Baraiks representation of the adivasi community in North Bengal holds significant importance for the TMC. Given the partys relatively weaker performance in North Bengal since 2018, Baraiks adivasi background sends a message to the community and his reputation for a modest lifestyle aligns with the TMCs preference for such individuals.

Samirul Islam is an undeniable representative of the progressive minority face. With parties like ISF and Congress attempting to make inroads into TMCs minority vote bank, Islams presence benefits the party. While he represents the minority community, he is also actively involved in working for the upliftment of backward Kurmi and other communities, which further strengthens the TMCs position.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday filed his nomination in Gandhinagar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Jaishankars term ends on August 18 along with two other Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat.

#WATCH | After filing his nomination for Rajya Sabha elections, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, First of all I would like to express gratitude to PM Modi, BJP leadership and people and MLAs of Gujarat..Four years back, I received the honour to represent Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/RnB2z9ntW7 ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

After filing his nomination, the union minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the honour to represent Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha".

First of all, I would like to express gratitude to PM Modi, BJP leadership and the people and MLAs of Gujarat. Four years back, I received the honour to represent Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. I received the opportunity to become a part of the changes in the country under the leadership of PM Modi in the last 4 years. I hope to be able to contribute to the progress that will take place in the coming 4 years," he said.

#WATCH | After filing his nomination for Rajya Sabha elections, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, First of all I would like to express gratitude to PM Modi, BJP leadership and people and MLAs of Gujarat..Four years back, I received the honour to represent Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/RnB2z9ntW7 ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

According to a PTI report, Jaishankar arrived in Ahmedabad on Sunday and was received by Gujarat Minister Raghavji Patel, Ahmedabad Mayor Kirit Parmar and other BJP functionaries at the Ahmedabad airport.

Although the BJP has not officially declared the names of candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats yet, Jaishankars nomination was certain. The Rajya Sabha elections for the three seats in Gujarat will take place on July 24.

Out of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by the BJP while Congress has the remaining three. Of the eight seats held by the BJP, the terms of S Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor and Dinesh Anavadiya will end on August 18, 2023.

The Congress, however, on Friday announced it would not field candidates for elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat as the party did not have enough MLAs in the 182-member state Assembly.

The last date for filing nominations is July 13 and the deadline for withdrawal is July 17.
West Bengal Panchayat Poll Violence highlights: Repolling for the West Bengal Panchayat elections 2023 concluded on Monday in 697 booths across the state. The poll results are scheduled to be announced on July 11.

The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday announced repolling across 697 booths amidst widespread protests against the poll violence that claimed at least 19 lives.

The re-election will take place in booths where prior polling was declared void, across 19 districts, from 7 am to 5 pm. The districts where repolling will take place include Murshidabad, which has the highest number of
As the third installation of the Chandrayaan lunar programme by ISRO prepares for its launch, lets take a look at when the Chandrayaan-1 mission helped discover water on the moons surface:

About Chandrayaan-1

On October 22, 2008, India launched the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft into Earth orbit using a PSLV rocket. After performing orbit-raising maneuvers, Chandrayaan-1 successfully entered orbit around the Moon on November 8 of the same year.

Over the next four days, it used its engines at specific intervals to achieve a circular orbit around 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the Moons surface. This allowed the spacecraft to closely study the Moon using its 11 instruments, with about half of them provided by NASA and European space agencies. Communication with the orbiter was lost on August 29, 2009, but the mission accomplished its main objectives, including the discovery of water on the Moon, according to a report by The Planetary Society.

The idea of launching Chandrayaan-1 originated from Dr. K. Kasturirangan, the former chair of ISRO. He envisioned ISROs involvement in Indias ambition to become a superpower, and the concept of a Moon orbiter received positive feedback. ISRO already had satellites designed for geostationary orbits, which could carry ample fuel. With some modifications, a geostationary satellite could be adapted for a lunar mission. Chandrayaan-1 became a natural progression of ISROs capabilities.

Discovering water on the Moon was a significant scientific goal of the Chandrayaan-1 mission. NASA contributed two instruments, the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR) and the Moon Mineralogical Mapper (M3), to aid in the search for water. Mini-SAR detected patterns consistent with water ice in the reflections from polar craters, while M3 analyzed how the lunar surface reflected and absorbed infrared light to confirm the presence of water. M3 also provided valuable data on the distribution of water and hydroxyl across the Moon. These findings were crucial for future lunar missions and understanding the Moons origin, the report explains.

A Deeper Look at the Mission

In addition to Indian instruments, the spacecraft carried scientific equipment from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Bulgaria, as per NASA.

After launch, Chandrayaan-1 entered an initial geostationary transfer orbit. Over 13 days, the spacecraft performed five burns of its liquid engine to raise its orbit to higher apogees (the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is furthest from the earth), reaching distances of 37,900 kilometers, 74,715 kilometers, 164,600 kilometers, 267,000 kilometers, and 380,000 kilometers.

On November 8, after a 13.5-minute burn, Chandrayaan-1 successfully entered lunar orbit. Over the following days, the spacecraft gradually reduced its orbit to achieve an operational polar orbit at around 100 kilometers above the lunar surface.

Two days later, Chandrayaan-1 released its Moon Impact Probe (MIP), weighing 29 kilograms. The probe descended, collecting data with its instruments until it crashed onto the lunar surface near the Shackleton Crater at the south pole of the Moon, as per NASA.

During the MIPs descent, data from Chandras altitudinal composition explorer (CHASE) indicated the potential presence of water in the lunar atmosphere, although further verification was necessary for conclusive evidence, the report by NASA explained.

In late November 2008, Chandrayaan-1 experienced abnormally high temperatures, leading to operational limitations where only one scientific instrument could be used at a time.

In May 2009, Chandrayaan-1 was placed into a higher orbit of 200 kilometers in an attempt to manage the temperatures on board the spacecraft.

During its operation in lunar orbit, Chandrayaan-1 encountered a failure in one of its star sensors after nine months. The backup sensor also failed shortly after, resulting in the primary attitude control system becoming inoperable. Controllers then relied on a mechanical gyroscope system to maintain the spacecrafts proper attitude.

The last contact with Chandrayaan-1 occurred on August 28, 2009, falling short of its planned two-year lifetime. However, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated that at least 95% of the mission objectives had been accomplished by that point. The mission likely ended due to the failure of the power supply caused by overheating.

One of the significant discoveries made by Chandrayaan-1 pertained to the presence of water on the Moon. In September 2009, scientists published results based on data collected by the American M3 instrument, which detected absorption features on the polar regions of the lunar surface associated with hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing molecules, as per the report.

This finding was further supported in August 2013 when evidence of water molecules locked within mineral grains on the lunar surface was announced. This water, known as magmatic water, originates from deep within the Moons interior.

Apollo astronaut samples had previously revealed the presence of magmatic water, but Chandrayaan-1s M3 instrument was the first to detect it from lunar orbit. Prior indications of water molecules and hydroxyl were also observed by NASAs Cassini mission during a flyby of the Moon in August 1999 and by NASAs Deep Impact-EPOXI mission in June 2009.

What is Magmatic Water?

Magmatic water refers to water that is formed or contained within molten rock, known as magma. It originates from deep within the Earths mantle and is associated with volcanic processes.

When magma rises towards the Earths surface during volcanic activity, it can carry dissolved water in the form of hydrothermal fluids or water vapor. As the magma cools and solidifies, the water becomes trapped within the resulting igneous rocks, such as basalts or granites. This water is referred to as magmatic water.

As per a report by EarthSky, for a long time, scientists believed that rocks from the Moon were completely devoid of water and any water detected in Apollo samples was considered to be contamination from Earth. However, new laboratory techniques used in the investigation of lunar samples and data from orbital spacecraft challenged this notion.

The analysis of lunar samples revealed that the interior of the Moon is not as dry as previously thought. Additionally, orbital spacecraft detected water on the lunar surface, suggesting the presence of a thin layer formed by the interaction of solar wind with the lunar surface.

To investigate the origin of this surficial water and gain insights into deeper magmatic water within the lunar crust and mantle, scientists examined the lunar impact crater Bullialdus. The M3 instrument, carried on the Indian Space Research Organisations Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2009, fully imaged this crater.

The researchers discovered that Bullialdus crater exhibited a significantly higher amount of hydroxyl, a molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, compared to its surroundings. The presence of hydroxyl absorption features indicated hydroxyl bound to magmatic minerals that were excavated from depth during the impact event that formed the crater.

The identification of internal magmatic water in Bullialdus crater provides valuable information about the Moons volcanic processes and internal composition. It contributes to our understanding of lunar formation and how magmatic processes evolved as the Moon cooled., the report explains.
Indias pursuit of space exploration continues to reach new heights as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) prepares for its highly anticipated lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 for July 14.

Following the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, the latest installation aims to demonstrate Indias technological prowess and scientific capabilities on the lunar surface. With a focus on safe lunar landing, rover exploration, and in-situ scientific experiments, Chandrayaan-3 holds the promise of unlocking insights into the Moons composition, geology, and history.

Lets take a look at 10 objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission:

Objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

Safe and Soft Lunar Landing: The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission aims to showcase Indias technical capabilities in achieving a precise landing on the Moon. Rover Exploration: Chandrayaan-3 will deploy a rover on the lunar surface to demonstrate its ability to rove and explore the Moon. The rover will conduct in-situ scientific experiments and gather valuable data about the lunar environment. In-situ Scientific Experiments: The mission aims to perform in-situ scientific experiments on the Moon. These experiments will provide insights into the composition, geological features, and other characteristics of the lunar surface. Technological Advancements: Chandrayaan-3 is designed to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions. It will contribute to advancements in spacecraft engineering, landing systems, and mobility capabilities on celestial bodies. Exploration of the Lunar South Pole: Chandrayaan-3 will be the first mission to land on the lunar South Pole. This region is of special interest due to its permanently shadowed areas, where the presence of water ice is anticipated. The mission aims to study the unique geology and composition of this unexplored region. Characterization of Landing Site: By analyzing the lunar South Poles environment, including factors such as thermal conductivity and regolith properties, Chandrayaan-3 will contribute to characterizing the landing site. This information will be crucial for future lunar missions and potential human exploration. Global Scientific Collaboration: The data and findings from Chandrayaan-3s exploration of the lunar South Pole will be of great interest and relevance to the global scientific community. Scientists worldwide will analyze and study the results to gain a deeper understanding of the Moons geological processes and its history. Support for Artemis-III Mission: The South Pole exploration by Chandrayaan-3 aligns with the objectives of the Artemis-III mission, led by the United States, which aims to land humans on the Moons South Pole. The data gathered by Chandrayaan-3 will provide valuable insights and support for future Artemis missions. Advancements in Spacefaring Ambitions: The successful landing on the lunar South Pole will demonstrate Indias technical prowess and its ambitious pursuit of space exploration. Chandrayaan-3 contributes to the broader goals of expanding human presence beyond Earth and paving the way for future space missions. Continuation of Lunar Exploration: Chandrayaan-3 represents Indias continued commitment to lunar exploration and its contribution to expanding humanitys knowledge of the Moon. Building on the successes of previous lunar missions, this endeavor reinforces Indias position in the global space exploration community.

With inputs from agencies
Indias Chandrayaan-3 launches today, and various agencies are working together to ensure a safe and successful mission. The Chandrayaan mission, also known as the Indian lunar exploration programme, involves a series of space missions conducted by ISRO.

The first mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in 2008 and successfully entered lunar orbit. Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, also entered lunar orbit successfully but encountered a setback when its lander deviated from its intended trajectory and crash-landed on the moons surface due to a software glitch.

Chandrayaan-3 comprises an indigenous lander module, a propulsion module, and a rover. Its objectives include the development and demonstration of new technologies required for interplanetary missions. The lander will have the capability to make a soft landing at a predetermined lunar site and deploy the rover, which will perform chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its mobility phase, as per reports.

As the launch date draws closer, lets take a look at the previous Chandrayaan missions, and what to expect with its third installation:

About Chandrayaan-1

On October 22, 2008, India launched the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft into Earth orbit using a PSLV rocket. After performing orbit-raising maneuvers, Chandrayaan-1 successfully entered orbit around the Moon on November 8 of the same year.

Over the next four days, it used its engines at specific intervals to achieve a circular orbit around 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the Moons surface. This allowed the spacecraft to closely study the Moon using its 11 instruments, with about half of them provided by NASA and European space agencies. Communication with the orbiter was lost on August 29, 2009, but the mission accomplished its main objectives, including the discovery of water on the Moon, according to a report by The Planetary Society.

The idea of launching Chandrayaan-1 originated from Dr. K. Kasturirangan, the former chair of ISRO. He envisioned ISROs involvement in Indias ambition to become a superpower, and the concept of a Moon orbiter received positive feedback. ISRO already had satellites designed for geostationary orbits, which could carry ample fuel. With some modifications, a geostationary satellite could be adapted for a lunar mission. Chandrayaan-1 became a natural progression of ISROs capabilities.

Discovering water on the Moon was a significant scientific goal of the Chandrayaan-1 mission. NASA contributed two instruments, the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR) and the Moon Mineralogical Mapper (M3), to aid in the search for water. Mini-SAR detected patterns consistent with water ice in the reflections from polar craters, while M3 analyzed how the lunar surface reflected and absorbed infrared light to confirm the presence of water. M3 also provided valuable data on the distribution of water and hydroxyl across the Moon. These findings were crucial for future lunar missions and understanding the Moons origin, the report explains.

About the Chandrayaan-2 Mission

Chandrayaan-2 is an Indian mission that aimed to send an orbiter, lander, and rover to the Moon. The spacecraft was launched in July 2019 as a combined unit. While the orbiter successfully entered lunar orbit, the lander with the rover onboard was unable to make a successful landing in the southern hemisphere of the Moon. The orbiter continues its mission to study the Moon from above.

This mission is a continuation of ISROs earlier Chandrayaan-1 orbiter, which was launched in October 2008 and operated for 10 months. Chandrayaan-2 incorporates improved instruments and new technologies intended for future planetary missions. The orbiter is designed to operate for seven years, while the lander and rover were expected to function for one lunar daytime if they had landed successfully, The Planetary Society explains in its report.

The objectives of the Chandrayaan-2 mission include enhancing our understanding of the Moon based on the data collected during the Chandrayaan-1 mission. The orbiter aims to map the Moons topography, study surface mineralogy and elemental abundances, investigate the lunar exosphere, and search for signs of hydroxyl and water ice.

The lander was named Vikram, in honor of Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of Indias space program. Its intended landing site was near the Moons south pole, at a latitude of approximately 70 degrees south.

About Chandrayaan-3

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is the third lunar exploration mission planned by ISRO. It serves as a continuation of the Chandrayaan-2 mission and aims to showcase the complete capability of safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3 comprises a Lander and Rover configuration and will be launched by the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota. The propulsion module will transport the Lander and Rover configuration to a lunar orbit of approximately 100 km, as per a report by India.com.

The propulsion module is equipped with the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, which is designed to conduct spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit. This payload will provide valuable data and insights into the Earths characteristics and habitability from a unique vantage point on the Moon.

Chandrayaan-3 will consist of a rover and lander, without an orbiter like Chandrayaan-2. The mission aims to explore the Moons surface, particularly areas that have been deprived of sunlight for billions of years.

Scientists and astronomers suspect the presence of ice and valuable mineral resources in these dark regions. The exploration will not be limited to the surface but will also focus on studying the sub-surface and exosphere, as per reports. The rover will communicate with Earth using an orbiter borrowed from Chandrayaan-2. Surface analysis will be conducted by capturing images from a distance of 100 km above the lunar orbit.
During an interview with CNNs Fareed Zakaria, US President Joe Biden has said that Ukraine is not presently ready for NATO membership and stated that initiating the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the midst of an ongoing conflict would be premature.

According to Biden, there is currently no consensus within NATO regarding Ukraines potential inclusion, and he emphasised the importance of first achieving a peace agreement with Russia before considering Ukraines NATO membership.

If the war is going on, then were all in war, Biden said, referring to the alliances commitment to mutual defense. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case. He added that there would be other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization, for Ukraine to be considered for membership.

Ukraines Hopes of Joining NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday voiced hope for the best possible result" from an upcoming NATO summit where Kyiv is hoping for a clear signal that it could one day join the alliance.

After meeting his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, Zelensky said the two discussed the summit, which opens on Tuesday in Vilnius, and agreed to work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine".

Poland is one of Ukraines biggest supporters within NATO and has said it wants security guarantees" for the country from other NATO members.

Zelensky has said he does not expect Ukraine to actually join NATO until after the war but he hopes the summit will give a clear signal" on the intention to bring Ukraine into the alliance.

Why is Ukraine So Keen to Join NATO?

Ukraine has expressed a desire to join NATO for several reasons. Firstly, NATO membership would provide Ukraine with increased military support and backing from the alliance, strengthening its defense capabilities. This would act as a deterrent to potential Russian aggression and enhance Ukraines security, as per a report by Conversation.

Becoming a NATO member would align Ukraine more closely with Europe and increase the likelihood of eventual European Union membership, which is another important goal for Ukraine. Membership would also facilitate a closer relationship with the United States, bringing political and economic benefits.

Joining NATO would also help Ukraine distance itself from Russias sphere of influence. It would signal a clear shift towards the West and demonstrate Ukraines commitment to shared democratic values and principles.

However, the potential membership of Ukraine in NATO is a contentious issue and could exacerbate regional tensions. Russia has expressed concerns and views NATOs expansion as a direct threat. The prospect of Ukraine becoming a member has the potential to escalate existing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, leading to further geopolitical challenges in the region.

What is NATO, Anyway?

NATO, established in 1949, is a military alliance comprising the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and several other European countries. Over time, additional nations, including North Macedonia in 2020, have joined NATO, bringing the total number of member countries to thirty. The alliances headquarters, along with its 4,200 staff members and member country embassies, are located on the outskirts of Brussels, as per Conversation.

While NATO and the United Nations (UN) both involve international cooperation and receive financial support from participating countries, they have distinct purposes. NATOs primary focus is on collective defense and military cooperation among its members. It is designed to respond to potential threats and engage in military actions if necessary. On the other hand, the UN works toward maintaining peace and security globally through peacekeeping operations, political negotiations, and other diplomatic means. Its mission is to prevent conflicts and promote international cooperation.

Although both organizations have Western powers, including the United States, exerting political influence, NATO and the UN serve different roles in the realm of international relations. NATOs emphasis is on military readiness and defense, while the UNs mandate revolves around fostering peaceful resolutions and cooperation among nations.

Why Ukraines NATO Aspiration is Confounding the West

President Bidens foreign policy approach regarding Ukraine has involved arming the country to counter the Russian invasion, including the controversial decision to send cluster bombs. However, despite his support for Ukraine, Biden cautioned that the ongoing sharp campaign by Kyiv is unlikely to result in a specific date for NATO entry emerging from the alliances summit in Lithuania.

While some Eastern European NATO members are optimistic about an early timetable for Ukraines membership, cautiousness prevails among some first-generation states, including the US, as per a report by CNN.

Concerns arise from the fear that swift NATO membership could potentially provoke direct conflict with Russia, which Biden aims to avoid, the report explains.

Deciding whether Ukraine should join NATO is seen as a significant European security issue, as past expansions have brought the alliance close to Russias borders, deterring Kremlin aggression and ensuring peace in the post-Cold War era, according to proponents. Critics argue that enlargement into formerly Soviet Eastern Europe humiliated Moscow, strained Russia-West relations, and contributed to the invasion of Ukraine.

The decision to admit Ukraine into NATO would extend the alliances commitment that an attack on one member is an attack on all to a country that Russia considers part of its sphere of influence. However, such a claim lacks international legal basis. It would bind future Western leaders to engage in war with nuclear-armed Russia and potentially risk a third World War if Russia were to attack Ukraine again, CNN explains.

There are arguments both for and against NATO offering membership to Ukraine in the short and long term. Biden warned that granting membership during an ongoing war would immediately commit the alliance to defend a new partner, reinforcing the credibility of collective defense. He emphasized that if the war continues, all NATO members are effectively at war with Russia.

Providing Ukraine with a specific entry date after the war ends might be counterproductive, as it could provide Russia with a justification to perpetuate the conflict indefinitely. This would diminish prospects for a political settlement, particularly if Ukrainian forces are unable to fully expel Russian forces. Furthermore, it could strengthen President Putin domestically by seemingly justifying one of his claims for the unprovoked invasion  the baseless allegation that the West orchestrated the war to seize Ukraine and undermine Russian power, the report says.

AFP contributed to this report
In a significant display of the strong bilateral ties between India and France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a visit to Paris on July 13-14.

The PM is the Guest of Honour at Frances Bastille Day Parade, a prestigious event showcasing Frances rich history and military prowess.

As France has long been a crucial defence partner for India, PM Modis visit holds immense importance, with expectations of several significant deals being announced.

Among anticipated agreements are the procurement of 26 Rafale-M aircraft for the INS Vikrant and a submarine deal.

Rafale Marine for INS Vikrant

India has been looking forward to acquire aircraft for the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. While the F/A 18 Super Hornets and Rafale M were shortlisted for the role, the latter is said to be the final choice.

Sources suggest that this has been approved by the Defence Procurement Board just a few days ago.

Sources further said that India is expected to procure 26 naval versions of the Rafale aircraft, out of which 4 will be trainer aircraft. This is expected to be announced during the PMs visit to France.

The Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for this procurement is set to be accorded in a Defence Acquisition Council meeting soon after the Defence Minister returns to the country.

Aircraft for our aircraft carrier is what we need. While India is working on the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter program, it will take time, and hence, one aircraft from either the F/A 18 Super Hornets or the Rafale-M had to be chosen to meet the requirement," said one officer.

The PMs recent visit to the US almost confirmed the final choice. However, it is expected to be announced now.

Submarines under Project 75

Another aspect of the visit is the submarine project as three Scorpene-class submarines are expected to be acquired under the repeat clause by the Navy as part of Project 75. This will be an addition to the already built six Scorpene-class submarines in partnership with the state-run Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

It will also support Indias aspirations of building more submarines to deal with the notorious intentions of neighbours as the country is currently outnumbered in submarines due to program delays.

Other Key Announcements

Besides these critical deals, a deal for aircraft engines is in the pipeline. Both countries are expected to jointly work on engines that will power Indias Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). There is also a buzz around the expected discussion on Jaitapur nuclear power plant project too.

Indias Marching Contingents

The parade in France will also witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts. The armies of both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defence partners.

The Indian Army contingent, comprising 77 marching personnel and 38 members of the Band, is being led by Captain Aman Jagtap. The Indian Navy contingent is being led by Commander Vrat Baghel and the Indian Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy. The Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will also be part of the flypast during the parade.
Five months after some faculty members said Mayor Byron W. Brown should be the next president of SUNY Buffalo State University, speculation has again picked up about whether Brown will finish his record-setting fifth term in office, or leave early if offered the vacant post at Buffalo State.

The mayor, still basking in the glow of multiple Common Council races that went his way on primary day, is doing little to tamp down the speculation.

Faculty suggest candidate for Buffalo States next president: Mayor Byron Brown Brown, 64, graduated from Buffalo State in 1983 with dual degrees in journalism and political science and has been a cheerleader for the school throughout his career in government.

Two political sources said speculation about Browns future has ramped up in recent weeks. Brown was questioned repeatedly by WGRZ-TVs Ron Plants on primary day about whispers that he would leave office for another job before his term ends in December 2025.

My intention is to fill out my four-year term, but you never say never, Brown said. We dont know what the future might hold.

After leaving the door open to a possible exit, Brown then said some have urged him to not only fill out his current term in City Hall, but run for another.

'We are investing in our people': Brown touts public safety, infrastructure spending plans in State of the City After a tough winter and other challenges, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown announced during his State of the City address Monday his plans to invest in affordable housing, public safety and the people of the city.

There are some folks that have been saying to me that perhaps six should be in the mix, he said, a reference to his strive for five slogan that preceded his announcement for a fifth term.

Plants then said to Brown, So youre not going anywhere for the next two or three   Brown answered, but not directly.

I am focused on the City of Buffalo, he said.

The next day, when a Brown aide called The Buffalo News to say the mayor wanted to speak about primary day results, a reporter questioned Brown about the Buffalo State speculation.

I ran for a four-year term, Brown said. I clearly intend on serving out my term.

Can progressive Democrats win an election in Buffalo? On primary day, 4 of them lost While the progressive candidates are disappointed by Tuesdays results, they say they'll regroup and continue on their quest to influence politics in Buffalo.

In 2021, it looked like Browns future might not be up to him after he lost the Democratic mayoral primary to India B. Walton. But Brown mounted an aggressive write-in campaign and beat Walton, 60% to 40%, in the general election.

Brown this week said his full focus is on improving Buffalo, but he speculated about why such talk continues to abound.

So I think the thing that happens is  you know, its five terms now, he said. I am, right now as we speak, the longest-serving mayor in the history of the City of Buffalo. So some people wonder  will Brown continue to serve, or will Brown go someplace else?

SUNY Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner retired at the end of the 2023 school year, and the SUNY Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Bonita R. Durand as interim president last month.

A Buffalo State spokesperson referred a News reporter to the office of SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., who was often involved in matters involving the Buffalo Public Schools when he served as state education commissioner.

Buffalo Common Council approves 2023-24 budget, cuts $5 million from mayor's plan The new budget approved by the Common Council Monday kept intact a 4.47% hike in the residential property tax rate that Brown proposed, but overall spending fell to $576,994,950 from Browns $582 million plan.

A SUNY spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about Brown and about when SUNY officials would like to have a new president in place. Buffalo State and SUNY have formed a search committee whose website states that candidates will be interviewed in September, and finalists will visit the campus in October.

In February, The News reported that a faculty-led movement was afoot to recruit Brown, 64, for the position. The mayor is a 1983 Buffalo State graduate and has been a cheerleader for the school throughout his career in government.

Brown also taught at Buffalo State as an adjunct professor in political science and public administration. He taught a public finance course with economics professor Frederick Floss, who is president of the faculty and professional staff union. Floss was among those who were suggesting Brown as a logical choice for the next Buffalo State president.

Byron Brown has the skill set, people know him and he obviously cares about Buffalo State and Western New York, Floss said in February. He understands the community, special interest groups and the state. So, in a lot of ways, hes a great candidate. A lot of faculty and staff would be very happy to have Byron Brown as our president.

However, The News article drew a strong response against Brown on social media from other faculty. The Buffalo State University Senate Agenda Committee then released a letter signed by 14 committee leaders saying that the opinions of Floss and another faculty member who supported Brown are those of the private individuals named therein, and do not represent the views of the Buffalo State Senate, the officially recognized and duly elected campuswide governance unit representing students, faculty and staff.

Brown, who is in the second year of his fifth term as mayor, is expected to have a friendly Common Council to work with after candidates he endorsed in primary races last month beat a group of challengers, including Walton, who would have brought a more adversarial style.

The mayor said he has had attractive offers for other positions in the past, both in government and business.

But my focus has been on serving as mayor and doing the best job that I can in that capacity, he said, and trying to work with as many other people in our community as I possibly can.
The central government is finally moving to buy new scanners with better technology that can ensure more intense screening in less time at airports, thus reducing the waiting time while raising the security levels. After many years of deliberation, the process is underway to procure 131 full-body scanners and 600 new hand-baggage scanners at over Rs 1,000 crore at airports run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The most prominent ones on the list of over three dozen AAI airports are Chennai and Kolkata, besides Srinagar and Amritsar.

The airports in Delhi and Mumbai, run by private companies, are also planning to buy such equipment on the fast-track mode this year. News18 has accessed the global tender documents issued by the AAI for the airports it operates directly. The full-body scanners will cost Rs 788 crore; and the hand-baggage scanners, Rs 246 crore.

Privacy concerns and later the Covid pandemic delayed the project but the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has since pushed for it.

How better tech will work

The door frame-type metal detectors being used at present are to be replaced with full-body scanners, quickening the security clearance process by reducing the need for pat-downs. This will also ensure better screening, particularly at sensitive and hypersensitive airports.

The new scanners for hand baggage can eliminate the need for passengers to take out laptops and phones, and other such gadgets from their hand luggage.

Airports on the list are

Documents with News18 show that 43 airports will be covered by these 131 full-body scanners and 600 new hand-baggage machines. On the list are Amritsar, Goa, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Varanasi, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Raipur, Tirupati, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Gorakhpur and Port Blair, among others.

The highest number of body scanners will be installed at Kolkata (13), Chennai (12) and Goa (8) as these airports see high traffic. If the tendering goes smoothly, the deal is expected to be signed by September. Delivery timelines will then be clearer.

Bureaus push for modern equipment

The BCAS has been pushing for both these high-tech scanners for better security. In an earlier circular, the bureau said walkthrough metal detectors and handheld metal detectors are unable to detect non-metallic weapons and explosives; but full-body scanners detect both metallic and non-metallic items concealed on the body.

Further, the new dual-view hand-baggage screening machines may mean reduced congestion as the process will have fewer steps  such as no need for the passengers to lay out gadgets separately.

Working on a deadline

A media report in April said the BCAS has made adoption of the new hand-baggage screening systems mandatory for all airports with more than 50 lakh annual passenger traffic by December 31.

Thats one reason why the AAI is now on it; and the private firm-run airports, too, are likely to get on it soon. The bureau had in May said all hypersensitive airports with annual footfall of over one crore passengers must install full-body scanners.
A Bengaluru con-man, who duped over 15 women on the pretext of marrying them, failed to lure more such unsuspecting victims- thanks to his poor English speaking skills.

Mahesh K B Nayak, a resident of Banashankari in Bengaluru, was arrested by Mysuru police on Sunday.

According to TOI, 35-year-old Nayak had married at least 15 women since 2014 and fled with their cash and jewellery.

Mahesh was arrested after a software engineer woman from Mysuru whom the suspect had married early this year filed a complaint. Another woman, who was duped by the man by presenting false facts also approached the police.

The city police had formed a team to trace him and picked him up from Tumakuru.

As per a TOI report, Mahesh made a fake matrimonial profile on an online site to entice women and posed as an engineer or a doctor most of the time to attract more prospects, said police.

When he posed as a doctor, Mahesh set up a fake clinic in Tumakuru and even hired a nurse to support his claim.

While many women fell into his trap, many were able to suspect something fishy due to his poor English speaking skills. Several women rejected Maheshs marriage proposal when they heard him speak English as his poor language skills acted as a red flag to many of his potential victims, TOI reported.

According to police, Mahesh married 15 women and even had four kids with them. He rarely met his wives and most of the women he had married were well-educated professionals.

TOI also reported that most victims realised they were being conned by the man but did not complain about it due to fear of embarrassment.
The Supreme Court on Monday said that its proceedings cannot be used as a platform to escalate further tension in Manipur adding that handling law and order situations on the ground is the elected governments job and not the courts.

The court in its observation underlines that it cannot take over the responsibility of dousing violence in Manipur as this is the function of the elected government and not the Supreme Courts.

Clearing its duties and responsibilities in the matter, the apex court said that at most it can give directions to the authorities to make the situation better adding the assistance of different groups and positive suggestions can be the best way forward.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha was hearing the matter.

We have to be conscious of the fact that we are not running security, law and order there," the Chief Justice added.

The chief justice further asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who is representing the Kuki community, to come up with positive suggestions on the situation.

Give us some positive suggestions by Tuesday to make the situation better and we will ask the Centre and the Manipur government to look into it", the bench told different groups of Manipur as per PTI.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while appearing on Centres behalf said, We, on this side, are for the public. The matter may be taken up by the petitioner with the utmost sensitivity because any misinformation may aggravate the situation in the State."

This comes after the top court on July 3 directed the Manipur government to file an updated status report detailing steps taken for security, rehabilitation and improving the law and order situation in the violence-struck state.

So far, more than 100 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3.
The Centre on Monday filed a fresh reply in the Supreme Court, saying abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir has brought unprecedented development, security and peace" in the region.

Defending its historic" decision, the Centre said that street violence, engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks has now become thing of past.

The apex court was hearing nearly 23 petitions challenging the Centres decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The stone pelting incidents that were as high as 1,767 in 2018, stand at zero in 2023, the government said, adding that the resolute anti-terror actions" have resulted in dismantling the terror eco-system".

In addition, resolute anti-terror actions have resulted in dismantling of the terror eco-system which is reflected in a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023 till date," the Centre said.

Furthermore, the Centre said that since 2019, the entire region including Ladakh, has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity and added that schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances.

The earlier practice of daily strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now," it said.

The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud-led five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court is hearing the case. Other members of the bench are Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant.

Petitioners claimed that constitutional provisions were violated while making the decision. Notably, the courts decision to consider these pleas comes almost four years after the Centre scrapped Article 370 of the constitution on August 5, 2019.

Article 370

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a provision that allows special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre also decided to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories namely UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh.

By this provision, the laws which are applicable to other states are not applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 granted Jammu and Kashmir the authority to have a separate constitution, a state flag, and internal administrative autonomy while it was governed by India as a state from 1952 until October 31, 2019.

It specifies that except for Defence, Foreign Affairs, Communications, and Ancillary matters, Parliament needs the state governments concurrence for applying all other laws.
Gearing up for launch of its third trip to the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath on Monday told News18 that Chandrayaan-3 has advanced capabilities to move to an alternate landing site in case of an issue.

Returning to the launch pad on July 14, the mission team of Chandrayaan-3 is eyeing to demonstrate a successful soft landing on the moon for the first time.

The agency has expanded the area of landing on the moon to 4 km x 2.5 km to ensure its success. We will target a specific point near the south pole, but for any reason, if its performance is poor, then it can land anywhere within that area. Moreover, we have given it more fuel and capability to travel to an alternate site. But it will definitely land," said Somanath, exuding confidence.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is set for launch on July 14 from Sriharikota. It has to launch precisely at 2:35pm. If we miss it, then we will look at another suitable day and time, but then it will be a different mission with different design," he added speaking on the sidelines of the India Space Congress-2023 in New Delhi.

A successful mission will bring India into an elite club of nations - the Soviet Union, China and the US, that have demonstrated successful lunar landings in the past.

The ISRO chief also indicated Indias next plan for the moon. We have plans to work together with Japan for a moon mission. We are still in a technical discussion. They want to develop a lander and land at a specific site on the moon, while we are to develop the rest of the scientific capabilities," he told News18.

The top scientist said the space agency has perfected its plan of reaching the moon. We have done it three times already. But unlike Chandrayaan-2, where we had a success-based design, we have prepared a failure-based design for Chandrayaan-3. We have looked at everything that can go wrong and addressed it," he said.

The space scientists have looked at all kinds of possible failures  the sensors, algorithms, engines and fixed them through multiple tests. The lander has also been provided with additional solar panels to ensure adequate power.

Though Chandrayaan-2 crash landed, it was able to provide high-resolution images of the lunar surface, said the ISRO chief.

The details were used by ISRO to finalise a landing site for its upcoming trip to the moon. This time we know all the details of the landing site - the boulders, craters everything has been well-mapped," he added.

Search for Water

The space agency also intends to further explore the presence of water molecules near the south pole. Back in 2008, ISRO had given the evidence of water on the moon with its first moon mission.

Its one of the goals this time too. There are better chances of finding sub-surface water in the less sun-lit areas, so we will definitely try that. Since no one has ever reached this area, it will definitely be interesting," he added.

The mission is set for launch on July 14 aboard the agencys heaviest rocket - GSLV Mk3 (LVM-3).
Delhi Rains: Due to the unprecedented amount of rainfall in north India in the past two days, the water in the Yamuna River flowing through Delhi is nearing the danger mark. The Yamuna on Monday inched closer to the warning mark after Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage.

The Yamuna is likely to cross the danger mark around 11 am on Tuesday as a large quantity of water is being discharged into the upper reaches of the river, Delhi minister Atishi said on Monday. However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assures the people that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital.

Yellow Alert On

The warning level of water in Yamuna in Delhi is 204.50 metres while the danger mark is 205.33 metres. The city authorities sounded a yellow alert after the water level reached 204.63 meters at 1 pm on Monday.

Yamuna Close To Danger Mark

Public Works Department minister Atishi, who inspected the preparedness for evacuation and relief work, said water is rushing in the Yamuna towards Delhi very fast due to very heavy rainfall in north Indian states.

Around 43,000 cusecs of water was being discharged into Yamuna from Haryana till yesterday morning that has increased to nearly three lakh cusecs now. We expect the level of water in Yamuna to reach the danger mark around 10-11 am on Tuesday," she told the news agency PTI.

Delhis System Not Designed For Such Unprecedented Rain

Meanwhile, Kejriwal announced that evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark. After holding a meeting over the torrential rains and the rising Yamuna water levels, Kejriwal addressed a press conference, stating that the government was closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it.

The unprecedented rain caused problems for people and Delhis system was not able to withstand it. Every year after rainfall, some vulnerable areas are waterlogged and the water is drained out in a couple of hours. But the 153 mm of rainfall was unprecedented and an event which happened in nearly 40 years," he said.

The chief minister said they were in touch with the Central Water Commission and asserted that weather predictions indicate that even though there will be more rains, they would not be quite heavy.

Due to rains, there might have been some potholes that could have formed on roads. They will be filled with stones to avert any untoward incident. We have also ordered an inquiry into incidents of road cave-in. The area under New Delhi Municipal Council, which is a VVIP area, witnessed waterlogging. We have asked them (NDMC) to resolve the issues," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)
With incessant rain wreaking havoc in the national capital and water threatening to cross the danger mark in less than 24 hours, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this was the time to work together and not to point fingers or indulge in blame game.

ALSO READ | Weather News LIVE Updates HERE

Kejriwal chaired an emergency meeting of all ministers, officers, mayor and officials of the flood control department to review the preparedness. He ruled out the possibility of floods in the national capital, adding that the rainfall in Delhi and, more importantly, the water that is released from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana are the two factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Noting that the amount of water released on Sunday morning was 45,000 cusecs, and Sunday night was 300,000 cusecs, the CM said there was a downward trend with 250,000 cusecs of water released on Monday morning.

Relying on the central water commissions predictions and weather forecast, Kejriwal said that while in Delhi, the water level was 203.58 m on Monday morning, it will reach 205.5 m on Tuesday morning. There is a very little chance that the water level in Yamuna will rise steeply in the coming days. It does not appear that there will be any floods in Delhi, according to predictions made by the experts, said the chief minister.

THE PREPAREDNESS

Kejriwal also said that in the unlikely situation of floods, the government is prepared. As soon as the Yamuna water level touches 206 m, the process of evacuation of approximately 41,000 people people living in the floodplains into relief camps will begin.

A total of 680 pumps of the Public Works Department (PWD), 326 temporary pumps and 100 mobile pumps have been pressed into action, along with leveling of potholes across Delhi to prevent accidents, cleaning mouths of drains, halting construction work and deployment of additional personnel at vulnerable traffic points to prevent jams.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has been asked to prepare a special plan so that the situation witnessed in many VVIP areas, where flooding was reported in the past couple of days, does not recur. The Delhi government had also instituted an inquiry into the caving in of roads across the capital.

TIME TO WORK TOGETHER: KEJRIWAL

The whole of North India has seen unprecedented rain. It is being said that in some places such heavy rainfall has been witnessed in four decades and in others, in 50 years. Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab are reporting similar news. Understandably, people are facing difficultiesAll the affected governments in North India are working to provide relief to people. All governments, people and parties must work together to provide relief, Kejriwal said.

The CM said: In 24 hours, between July 8 and 9, Delhi received 153 mm of rainfall. Delhi witnessed such heavy rainfall after a gap of 40 years, after the 170 mm in 1982. The system of Delhi is not designed to deal with this kind of rain.

Noting instances in the past years when rainfall in Delhi had breached the 100-mm mark, the chief minister said although some parts in Delhi were submerged, the situation had returned to normal within a few hours and Delhi had managed a rainfall intensity of 100 to 115 mm.

Going back to the floods in 1978, the chief minister noted that 700,000 cusecs of water was released from Hathnikund and water level had touched 207.49 m in the old Railway Bridge area. Following the various steps taken, in 2013, when 800,000 cusecs of water was released, the water levels in Yamuna rose to 207.32 mm, however, there was no flooding. In 2019, 828,000 cusecs of water was released and water levels rose up to 206.6 meters.

The chief minister thanked all MLAs, councillors across party lines, officers and ministers of the Delhi government and the mayor of Delhi for providing relief to people. However, he added: Looking at the scale of the challenge, all efforts are proving less.

INFRA PUSHED, STRETCHED: ATISHI

On Monday morning, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Atishi, along with district officials, reviewed the relief and rehabilitation plan at the Yamuna Boat club. Speaking to CNN-News 18, Atishi said, It is very clear that water levels in the Yamuna are rising. By tomorrow, Yamuna water levels would have risen by another 7-8 feet. So where we are standing today, this area would be submerged tomorrow .This means that a lot of area in the floodplains, where there is a fair amount of population, can potentially be submerged. The process for their evacuation and rescue needs to be assessed. We also need to plan that once they do are evacuated, where will they stay?

Atishi said that more than 30,000 people need to be evacuated and the process of issuing warnings has begun. The minister also said that once the water levels rise further, evacuation will start. More than 50 relief boats have been stationed across the Yamuna stretch from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage, covering three districts. These rescue boats are with the irrigation department, Irrigation and Flood department and various district magistrates.

When asked whether the situation could have been handled better, Atishi said, Any plans for situations like this are based on climatic conditions of the past five years or 10 years. But the amount of rain that Delhi has seen has broken all records of the past four decades. A total of 150 mm of rain is a very serious climatic event. We were prepared for rain of about 100 mm. Yes, our infrastructure has been pushed and stretched. We are expanding our capabilities and the teams are working 247 to ensure that even if there is another round of 150 mm of rain, we should be able to manage it.
Almost two months after the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar under the Official Secrets Act, the charge sheet filed in the case has inferred that he was duped in case of honey trap.

More than 1,800-page charge sheet filed in this case details all the messages exchanged between the scientist and the operative.

Some of the leaked information included crucial information that Kurulkar passed on about BrahMos and Agni 6 missile launchers, Surface-to-Air Missiles, Anti-Satellite Missiles, Rustom DRDO (an unmanned aerial vehicle), Mentor Missile, Rafael (presumably referring to the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems), AK system (possibly referring to AK-series firearms), Astra missile (an air-to-air missile), as well as defence drones.

This information was passed from June 2022 to December 2022. The charge sheet states that Kurulkar also passed on the contact numbers of two fellow scientist colleagues to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO).

Investigation by ATS in this case has further revealed that an Apple MacBook that DRDO had handed over to the ATS did not have any relevant information, which led to hinting at the discrepancy in the serial number of the laptop.

Sources in the ATS said DRDO inadvertently handed over someone elses laptop to the ATS.

Further investigation by ATS has revealed that the PIO agent was in touch with an air force corporal stationed in the Bangalore unit, who helped them with an Indian number to communicate with Kurulkar. The statement by the corporal has been mentioned as a witness in the case.

Besides this, the operative would usually contact Kurulkar through a UK number with the code +44.

During their conversations, Kurulkar would reveal details about various programmes and his day-to-day working with her. They would often communicate by calling each other  Babe. During the conversation, Zara managed to get information about the Robotic programme from the scientist.

The charge sheet says he wanted to have intimate relationships with her for which he shared some important information with her.

To gain his trust, she gave him access to email IDs and passwords to upload the details.

Investigation has found that she convinced him to download apps to communicate with her, which led to malware being installed on his phone. These apps would gather data of phones and connect emails, which would later on be used in Pakistan.

The investigation revealed that there has not been any monetary transaction between the two. Kurulkar shared information about sensitive defence projects in exchange of nudes and for sexting.

Apart from the other sensitive information, Kurulkar also shared information about the CEO of a private company that supplies defence-related equipment to the Indian government
Foxconns withdrawal from its $19.5 billion semi conductor joint-venture with Vedanta will have no impact on India, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Speaking exclusively to News18, Vaishnaw assured that both the companies are completely committed to Indias semiconductor mission and Make In India push.

This comes as Taiwans Foxconn announced its withdrawal from a $19.5 billion joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta, in a major setback to the governments chipmaking ambitions.

This comes after Opposition leaders continue to take a dig at the BJP-led government at centre over the issue.

Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray in a tweet said, this project, as weve said many times earlier, was completely feasible in Maharashtra. The Govt of Maharashtra must also clarify why, even after illegal cm announcing in the assembly, and dcm meeting them, this project shifted from a highly feasible location- Pune district to Gujarat suddenly."

This project, as weve said many times earlier, was completely feasible in Maharashtra.The Govt of Maharashtra must also clarify why, even after illegal cm announcing in the assembly, and dcm meeting them, this project shifted from a highly feasible location- Pune district to https://t.co/ScJ498gONk  Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 10, 2023

This is a loss for India, and Maharashtra could have propelled this growth story for India, Thackeray added.

Apart from him, Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also commented on the issue saying, taking it away from Maharashtra to Gujarat - which by experts wasnt conducive for semiconductor industry, inability to raise funds as expected has led to the collapse of an idea before it even began. Such a tragedy.

Joining the chorus, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has also hit out at the Modi government and said Remember the publicity at the time of announcing the project? Gujarat CM even claimed 1 lakh jobs will be created!

This has been the fate of many MOUs signed in Vibrant Gujarat summits year after year, and will be the fate in other such copycat summits like Global Investor Summits in UP. Whether Gujarat Model or New India never trust the manufactured headlines, he added.

This comes Taiwan-based Hon Hai Technology Group, Foxconn, put out an official statement in which it said, in order to explore more diverse development opportunities, according to mutual agreement, Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta,.

We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40nm [chips] from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM). India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains, Vedanta added.
Punjab is a few hours drive from Delhi for the ambassadors of Canada, the US, UK and Australia. In fact, Canada and the UK even have their consulates in Chandigarh, Punjabs capital. Maybe, it is time for these ambassadors to go on a trip across Punjab.

This may be a fruitful exercise as this could help them see first-hand how the Khalistan bogey has a rather insignificant resonance in Punjab, a state that elected a government with a resounding majority just last year.

Amidst the so-called peaceful protests in their countries on the issue of Khalistan, which have now transgressed into Kill India drive with photographs of Indian diplomats on posters, the ambassadors perhaps need to transmit the real picture of Punjabs mood to their respective countries. Canada and its envoy, especially, need strong introspection on this front.

Punjab, to be sure, is not ruled by Narendra Modis BJP but its fierce adversary, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). But the Khalistan bogey is one issue on which both the BJP and AAP agree.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reinforced the Centres view earlier this year when he said a handful of people shouting pro-Khalistan slogans do not represent the entire Punjab and asked those having doubts to come visit the state. Mann had then also accused the Pakistan ISI of funding such elements who run their shops, which also led to protests abroad by a section of Sikhs against the CM.

If the ambassadors tour Punjab from Chandigarh to Amritsar, they will find how the state has been virtually unaffected by the arrest of Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh and his aides earlier this year  there was no disruption of peace or law and order.

In fact, more trouble was generated in the four foreign countries over Amritpals arrest than in Punjab. This itself explains how the ISI was able to fuel such protests abroad, but not in Punjab. The diplomats rather would learn from their trip and meeting with officials how Punjab remains on the target of ISI through smuggling of drones and drugs.

Kill India Threats, Bombing Not Peaceful Protests

The current lot of protests in Canada and the US have been triggered by the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which the authorities in Canada have not been able to crack so far. Some have pointed to gang war behind Nijjars killing while radical elements have blamed Indian intelligence agencies and put pictures of Indian diplomats on posters as the targets. Such activity cannot be labelled part of peaceful protests that Canada allowed outside the Indian embassy on July 8. A handful of protestors who turned up showed it was surely not a popular protest.

The foreign ambassadors also need to abreast themselves on what Indian investigators are saying about two such incidents. Regarding a protest at the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, on March 23, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) says pro-Khalistan supporters hurled two grenades inside the High Commission building besides shouting anti-India slogans.

Regarding a protest at the San Fransisco Consulate in the US on March 18-19, the NIA FIR says Khalistani activists exhorted protestors to attack the consulate and kill all representatives of Government of India and left a consular officer injured.

These incidents, along with the desecration of the Indian flag during a protest on July 8 in Canada, the one in the UK at the Embassy in London, and the recent incident of arson at the San Fransisco consulate, puts the security of Indian High Commissions at stake and exposes diplomatic relations to damage. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar did not mince words last week when he said foreign countries giving space to such Khalistani elements is not good for diplomatic relations. The foreign ministry warned how the freedom of expression was misused by extremists abroad to legitimise terrorism.

This makes an even more compelling case for US Ambassador Eric Garcetti and his counterparts in Delhi from Canada, UK and Australia to tour Punjab and check for themselves if the activities being allowed in their countries have any resonance in the homeland. Garcetti in the bargain can also add Punjabi cuisine to his list of delicacy tasting sessions across India.
Buffalo police have arrested a man they suspect of knocking down a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church and are charging him with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief. One of the counts categorizes it as a hate crime.

Police said they lodged the hate crime charge against Michael Manns, 40, of Buffalo, after an investigation determined that the church was specifically targeted.

The incident was reported to police at 8:45 p.m. on June 29. After an investigation, patrol officers and detectives in the D District on Hertel Avenue said Friday they arrested a person of interest.

A video camera outside the church at 500 Parker Ave. captured the incident. In the recording, a man walks up to the statue in broad daylight and proceeds to push and pull it until he knocks it off its pedestal into bushes on the property. He then walked away from the scene.

A post on Facebook displays the video of the incident and notes that the statue has been put back on its pedestal outside the church.

The statue and the stone shelf that it sits on were damaged, causing thousands of dollars in damages, said Craig E. Speers, director of New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians District Two.

A Rosary prayer hour was held on Saturday morning around the statue in light of the incident.

In an email exchange with Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, Speers called the act a hate crime by a terrorist. He said the mission of the person who committed the act was to instill fear in the faithful.

The incident has badly shaken our quiet community in North Buffalo, Speers, a former St. Rose of Lima vice president, said in the email to Gramaglia.

Speers views the attack as part of a pattern of attacks on Catholic churches.

The Family Research Council, an evangelical activist group, has recorded 69 attacks on churches in the first quarter of this year, which is three times what they recorded in 2022.

The councils first quarter 2023 supplemental report called Hostility Against Churches said that it found 420 documented acts of hostility including vandalism, arson and gun-related incidents occurred between January 2018 and September 2022.

It makes me feel very anxious and fearful for the safety of Catholic parishioners both in the area, the state and nationwide, Speers said.
A Dalit man in Uttar Pradeshs Sonbhadra district was allegedly assaulted and forced to lick the shoes of a contractual lineman from the electricity department. After videos of the act went viral on social media, police booked four men, including the accused lineman.

Unsatisfied by the police action, however, the victim has appealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding that the house of the accused be bulldozed.

On the complaint of the Dalit man, Rajendra Chamar, a case was registered against the contractual lineman Tejbali Singh Patel and others under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and under section 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Shahganj police station, said circle officer Amit Kumar on Sunday, adding that the accused has been arrested and further investigation was on.

The Incident

The incident was first reported on July 6, when Rajendra Chamar, a resident of Bahuar village under Robertsganj police station area, visited his maternal uncles home in Baldih village under Shahganj police station. On finding the electricity supply to his uncles house disrupted, Chamar was trying to locate the fault when Tejbali Singh Patel, a contractual lineman with the electricity department, arrived and entered into a scuffle with the victim.

According to the FIR, Patel not only assaulted Chamar but also abused him and forced him to lick his shoes after splitting on them.

Outrage on Social Media

Two videos of the incident went viral on social media, with users expressing anger and tagging UP Police. In one video, the accused is also seen twisting the complainants arm, pushing him onto the ground, climbing up on his chest and slapping him. And in the other, the accused can be seen making the complainant lick his footwear.

In a tweet on Saturday night, the Uttar Pradesh Police said: DGP UP has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the DIG range to visit the scene of the crime. An FIR has been registered under the SC/ST Act, and the accused has been promptly arrested. The DGP has given directions for the strictest legal action against the accused.

Update - Due to the swift action taken by @sonbhadrapolice, Tejbali Singh Patel, the arrested accused, has been terminated from service by the electricity department, the police said on Sunday.

I Want His House to be Bulldozed

Rajendra Chamar has demanded action that goes beyond the arrest of the accused. He has made an appeal before the UP Chief Minister, demanding strictest action against the accused.

With folded hands, I appeal to UP CM Yogi Adityanath ji to do justice. I want his (Patels) house to be bulldozed. The way he treated me, a human, was inhumane, an emotionally charged Chamar said when senior police officers visited his house.

Politics Over the Incident

The incident has snowballed into a political slugfest, with opposition parties slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the incident is no less shameful than the one reported from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, wherein one Pravesh Shukla was accused of urinating on a man who belongs to a tribal community.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh asserted that under the BJPs rule, Dalits are not even considered human beings. The Congress described the incident as a despicable act", while the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) accused the BJP of insulting Dalits.
Chief ministers to politicians and activists have welcomed Indias biggest survey on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) carried out by News18 Network for voicing the thoughts of Muslim women.

ALSO READ | News18 Mega UCC Poll: 79% Muslim Women Want 21 Years as Legal Age for Marriage for Men, Women

The UCC, in effect, means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, among others. News18 Network interviewed 8,035 Muslim women across 25 states and Union Territories in the country, to understand what they think about the issues the UCC is likely to address, rather than the proposed bill as a whole. The seven key questions asked in this survey did not make any mention of the UCC and were strictly limited to the themes the UCC is likely to cover.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said: I thank PM Modi for thinking about one law for the whole nation. India is respected globally, all because of policies and leadership of PM Modi. We support PM Modi and his policies as they are always for the benefit for our countrymen. The UCC will benefit all religions. The Maharashtra government supports and welcomes the UCC poll.

"#UniformCivilCode will ensure progress of and justice for all sections of society": Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde (@mieknathshinde) tells @vinivdvc"There is nothing called a 'Muslim votebank' because Muslims don't vote en masse; #UCC is not about the Muslim community. We need pic.twitter.com/q4f1FJNH5x  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

Maharashtras Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader told CNN-News18: Network 18s survey clearly shows that the common man is in support of the UCC. PM Narendra Modi knows what is best for his people and acts accordingly. All religions seem to welcome the UCC and this is of great importance to us. I hope this survey is an eye-opener for those politicians who are opposing UCC.

Zakia Soman, social activist, congratulated CNN-News18 for conducting this poll. It is very good that your network has given voice to Muslim women.

ALSO READ | News18 Mega UCC Poll: 67% Muslim Women Support Common Law for Marriage, Divorce, Inheritance

Muslim organisations have been reacting strongly to the Centres recent announcement that the Law Commission would hold UCC consultations afresh, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) saying the majoritarian morality should not override religious freedom and rights of minority communities in the name of a code. News18 Network decided to check if its views are indeed shared by the wider community, especially women, who would be most affected if the status quo were to continue.

The 8,035 respondents of the survey were limited to Muslim women across regions, communities, educational and marital status. The survey participants included women aged 18-65+. There was wide representation across the educational spectrum, from the illiterate to the post-graduate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought up the issue of extradition of fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi in every India-UK trade related meeting, senior Advocate Harish Salve has revealed.

The UK government is facing immense pressure from the Indian side over the pending issue of their extradition.

The British always complain that the moment we have a meeting, the first question PM Modi asks is, where are Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi? Salve said in an interview to Times Now.

PM Modi has strongly told the UK government that you cant be a trade partner and a home for fugitives at the same time, he added.

Fugitives Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya are alleged to have defrauded public sector banks by siphoning off funds through their companies, resulting in losses worth thousands of crores to the lenders. Both are currently in the UK.

The Indian government has actively sought the extradition of Mallya and Nirav Modi to stand trial for their financial wrongdoing in India, with the two challenging the extradition in the UK courts.

Harish Salve further said that fugitive Nirav Modi is hanging by a thread and will be extradited to India soon.

The government has sought Nirav Modi since February 2018, when companies controlled by him defrauded the state-owned Punjab National Bank by using fake financial documents to get loans to buy and import jewels.

Mallya, a fugitive economic offender, is facing charges of fraud and money laundering as he owes over Rs 9,000 crore to 17 Indian banks. Mallya left India for the UK in March 2016, where he has been living ever since.

(With inputs from Shalinder Wangu)
At least 69.3% Muslim women want all adult Indians to be free to will away their property as they please, Indias biggest Uniform Civil Code (UCC) survey conducted by the News18 Network has found.

Without mentioning the UCC, 884 News18 reporters interviewed 8,035 Muslim women across 25 states and Union Territories in the country on themes the UCC is likely to cover. The survey participants were Muslim women in the 18-65+ category across regions, communities, educational and marital status, and across the educational spectrum, from the illiterate to the post-graduate.

The UCC, in effect, means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, among others. Muslim organisations reacted strongly to the Centres recent announcement that the Law Commission would hold UCC consultations afresh, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) saying the majoritarian morality should not override religious freedom and rights of minority communities in the name of a code. News18 Network decided to check if its views are indeed shared by the wider community, especially women, who would be most affected if the status quo were to continue.

PROPERTY RIGHTS: MORE SUPPORT FROM GRADUATES+

When asked if all Indians who have attained the age of majority be free to will away their property as they please, 69.3% (5,572) women said yes, 16.6% (1,336) said no, while 14.1% (1,127) said dont know or cant say.

Among the respondents who had completed their graduation and more, 73.1% (2,216) said yes, 15.6% (473) said no, while 11.3% (344) said dont know or cant say.

In the 18-44 age group, 69.9% (4,398) said yes, 16.5% (1,038) said no, and 13.6% (859) said dont know or cant say. In case of those aged 44+, 67.5% (1,174) said yes, 17.1% (298) said no, and 15.4% (268) said dont know or cant say.

Of the surveyed women, 18.8% were in the 18-24 age group, 32.9% were aged 25-34, 26.6% were aged 35-44, 14.4% were aged 45-54, 5.4% were aged 55-64 and 1.9% were 65+. While 70.3% were married, 24.1% were unmarried, 2.9% were widowed and 2.9% divorced. A total of 73.1% of the respondents were Sunni, 13.3% Shia and 13.6% others.

Among the women surveyed, 10.8% were post-graduates, 27% graduates, 20.8% had studied up to Class 12+, 13.8% were Class 10+, 12.9% had studied till Class 5-10, 4.4% up to Class 5, 4.2% were illiterate and 4.2% had basic literacy, with 1.9% others.
At least 76.5% Muslim women dont want men from the community to have the right to take four wives, Indias biggest Uniform Civil Code (UCC) survey conducted by the News18 Network has found.

Without mentioning the UCC, 884 News18 reporters interviewed 8,035 Muslim women across 25 states and Union Territories in the country on themes the UCC is likely to cover. The survey participants were Muslim women in the 18-65+ category across regions, communities, educational and marital status, and across the educational spectrum, from the illiterate to the post-graduate.

The UCC, in effect, means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, among others. Muslim organisations reacted strongly to the Centres recent announcement that the Law Commission would hold UCC consultations afresh, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) saying the majoritarian morality should not override religious freedom and rights of minority communities in the name of a code. News18 Network decided to check if its views are indeed shared by the wider community, especially women, who would be most affected if the status quo were to continue.

MARRYING FOUR WOMEN: NO LOUDER FROM GRADUATES, 18-44 AGE GROUP

When asked if Muslim men should have the right to marry up to four women, 76.5% or 6,146 said no, 1,400 or 17.4% said yes, while 489 (6.1%) said dont know or cant say.

The no was stronger in the 18-44 age group and among graduates.

#MegaUCCPoll: 76.5% of the respondents think that Muslim men should not be allowed to marry up to four women, reveals News18's mega survey "This survey is an eye-opener. It shows that Muslim society is ready for reforms in civil laws," says Parliamentary panel chief @SushilModi pic.twitter.com/oxsT27ftpw  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

In 18-44 category, 78% (4,907) women said no, 16.8% (1,055) said yes and 5.2% (333) said dont know or cant say. In case of 44+ age group, 71.2% (1,239) said no, 19.8% (345) said yes, and 9% (156) said dont know or cant say.

In case of graduates+, 78.6% (2,385) said no, 16.2% (490) said yes, and 5.2% (158) said dont know or cant say.

Of the surveyed women, 18.8% were in the 18-24 age group, 32.9% were aged 25-34, 26.6% were aged 35-44, 14.4% were aged 45-54, 5.4% were aged 55-64 and 1.9% were 65+. While 70.3% were married, 24.1% were unmarried, 2.9% were widowed and 2.9% divorced. A total of 73.1% of the respondents were Sunni, 13.3% Shia and 13.6% others.

Among the women surveyed, 10.8% were post-graduates, 27% graduates, 20.8% had studied up to Class 12+, 13.8% were Class 10+, 12.9% had studied till Class 5-10, 4.4% up to Class 5, 4.2% were illiterate and 4.2% had basic literacy, with 1.9% others.
Amid the row over the Uniform Civil Code, News18 Network conducted Indias biggest exclusive UCC survey, interviewing 8,035 Muslim women across 25 states and Union Territories in the country, to understand what they think about the issues the UCC is likely to address, rather than the proposed bill as a whole.

The seven key questions asked in this survey did not make any mention of the UCC and were strictly limited to the themes the UCC is likely to cover.

The UCC, in effect, means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, among others. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said India needed a UCC, as the country could not run with the dual system of separate laws for separate communities, the Uttarakhand government said its draft with provisions for the age of girls for marriage and conditions for live-in relationships, among others, was ready and would be implemented soon.

WHY MUSLIMS? WHY WOMEN?

The Centres recent announcement that the Law Commission would hold consultations on UCC afresh saw severe opposition from Muslim organisations. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), in its representation to the Law Commission, said that majoritarian morality should not override religious freedom and rights of minority communities in the name of a code.

While the AIMPLB claims to speak for the entire community, the News18 network decided to check if its views were indeed shared by the wider community, especially women, who would be most affected if the status quo were to continue.

CNN-News18 conducts a mega on-ground survey across 25 states with an objective to find out what India's Muslim women think about #UCC. News18's @AnchorAnandN explains the methodology of the survey@Zakka_Jacob explains why the survey was confined to Muslim women#MegaUCCPoll pic.twitter.com/dqcR7carPV  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2023

METHODOLOGY: ON-GROUND, IN PERSON

It was an on-ground survey in which 884 News18 reporters across India collected in-person responses from all major Indian states and Union Territories between July 4 and 8. It was not carried out on any social media platform, but every participant was reached by a reporter.

The 8,035 respondents of the survey were limited to Muslim women across regions, communities, educational and marital status. The survey participants included women aged 18-65+. There was wide representation across the educational spectrum, from the illiterate to the post-graduate.

A professional licensed survey software was used to collect responses to the 16 questions in real-time through a secured mobile interface made available to the on-ground reporters.

To maintain anonymity of responses, it was optional for the respondents to reveal their names. However, 90% gave their names. News18, however, will not reveal any names or identifiable information of any of the respondents to maintain their privacy.

To ensure greater randomness of responses and higher accuracy, each surveyor (reporter) interviewed, on an average, only nine Muslim women.

THE SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS

THE DEMOGRAPHICS

The survey covered the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The response languages were Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, among others.

Of the surveyed women, 18.8% were in the 18-24 age group, 32.9% were aged 25-34, 26.6% were aged 35-44, 14.4% were aged 45-54, 5.4% were aged 55-64 and 1.9% were 65+. While 70.3% were married, 24.1% were unmarried, 2.9% were widowed and 2.9% divorced. A total of 73.1% of the respondents were Sunni, 13.3% Shia and 13.6% others.

Among the women surveyed, 10.8% were post-graduates, 27% graduates, 20.8% had studied up to Class 12+, 13.8% were Class 10+, 12.9% had studied till Class 5-10, 4.4% up to Class 5, 4.2% were illiterate and 4.2% had basic literacy, with 1.9% others.
Relentless rainfall continued to wreak havoc in northern parts of India, resulting in 37 deaths due to landslides and other rain-related incidents over the past two days. As the situation worsened in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, Army and NDRF teams ramped up their efforts in relief and rescue operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand of the central governments complete assistance and support in response to the devastation arising in the hill states due to heavy rainfall.

Here are the top updates:

To combat the severe rainfall and floods, a total of 39 NDRF teams have been deployed across four northern Indian states: Punjab (14 teams), Himachal Pradesh (12 teams), Haryana (5 teams), and Uttarakhand (8 teams).

In Punjab, the Indian Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university that was inundated with water due to heavy rainfall. The civil administration of Punjab and Haryana sought assistance from the Army for the rescue operation, prompting the deployment of the Armys Western Commands Flood Relief columns to aid the affected areas in both states.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited a relief camp in Mohali to meet with people affected by the floods. The IMD has issued a red alert for Chandigarh, Panchkula (Haryana), and Mohali (Punjab) due to the expectation of heavy rains in these regions.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation. Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in the state and to speed up the relief work.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has canceled all his previously scheduled events for the day and called for an emergency meeting with senior officials from various departments. During the meeting, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal and other senior officials provided an update on the situation, allowing the Chief Minister to assess the ongoing developments.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal convened a meeting to discuss the severe rains and the escalating water levels of the Yamuna River in the city. Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal mentioned that the evacuation of residents residing in low-lying areas near the Yamuna River would commence once the water level reaches the 206-meter mark. He reassured the public that experts have indicated that a flood situation might not occur in the national capital. Kejriwal affirmed that the government is closely monitoring the situation and is fully prepared to address any challenges that may arise.

In response to the rising water levels of the Yamuna River caused by heavy rains and the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana, the evacuation process for individuals residing in low-lying areas of the Yamuna floodplains commenced on Monday evening. The Yamuna River in Delhi surpassed the danger mark of 205.33 meters as relentless downpours continued to drench the upper catchment areas for the third consecutive day. The river exceeded the danger mark earlier than anticipated, as initial predictions suggested it would occur only by Tuesday afternoon. Atishi, the Revenue Minister, stated that people are being relocated to safer locations from the floodplain areas (Khadar), and district magistrates have been instructed to remain vigilant and prepared for any further developments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to inquire about the extent of the damages and assured him of all possible assistance. On Monday, the meteorological department issued a red" alert for extremely heavy rains" in eight out of 12 districts of the state, along with an orange warning of heavy rains on July 11.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has sought help from leaders and urged for declaring Himachal floods as a national calamity and requested a special economic package to support the state, as the recovery process is anticipated to be lengthy. The state government has also revoked the leave of all field officers, instructing them to promptly resume their duties.

The rainfall havoc in Himachal Pradesh, has resulted in 72 fatalities so far, with 92 people injured, and 8 individuals still missing, according to the cumulative report issued by the Himachal Pradesh government. The report covers the damage incurred during the monsoon season from June 24 to July 9.

The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is currently blocked due to landslides and flooding at multiple locations. The Shimla-Kinnaur Road is also closed for vehicular traffic as a result of landslides and falling rocks.

The Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra in Kullu has been abruptly halted due to unfortunate circumstances. Tragically, six pilgrims have lost their lives since the start of this seasons trek. The Kullu administration has declared a two-day public holiday in the district on July 10 and 11.

Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to remain closed for the fourth day. Government agencies are working on restoring the vital all-weather road connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country. Significant progress has been made in improving road conditions, but full restoration will take more time. Consequently, National Highway-44 traffic will be suspended on Tuesday. HMVs advised to use Mughal Road for Jammu-Srinagar travel. Traffic expected to resume on Wednesday, with further updates tomorrow evening.

Due to heavy rainfall predictions by the IMD, primary classes in Delhi government and private schools will be suspended on Tuesday. The holiday applies to Classes Nursery to 5 in government and government-aided schools under the Directorate of Education. Recognized private schools are also advised to follow the same instructions for student safety. However, some private schools have chosen to conduct online classes for the primary section. Classes 6 onwards and all staff are expected to attend school as usual.

The Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Uttar Pradesh. The alert will be in effect for the next 72 hours. Specifically, on July 11, Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Barabanki, Bahraich, Shravasti, Gonda, Balrampur, Maharajganj, and Siddharthnagar are under an alert for heavy rainfall. On July 12, Kanpur, Kannauj, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Kasganj, and Etah are expected to experience heavy rainfall, as per the alert.

(With updates from PTI)
In a significant development, US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, who serves as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues in the Biden administration, met with the 14th Dalai Lama in Delhi on Sunday. Accompanied by a high-level US delegation, the meeting is expected to draw a sharp reaction from the Chinese government. The gathering also involved senior officials from the Tibetan government in exile.

The meeting has drawn a sharp criticism from China calling it in interference in its domestic affairs.

Wang Xiaojian, spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in Delhi in a series of tweets said Xizang(Tibet) affairs are purely internal affairs of China and no external forces have the right to interfere". Questioning the very concept of US Special Coordinator for Tibet Issues" Xiaojian called it pure offense and a move of political manipulation to interfere in Chinas internal affairs" and added that, China has always been firmly opposed to this and has never recognized it."

The Chinese spokesperson also said The so-called Tibetan government-in-exile" is an out-and-out separatist political group and an illegal organization completely in violation of Chinas Constitution and laws."

@UnderSecStateJ @USAmbIndia Xizang(Tibet) affairs are purely internal affairs of China and no external forces have the right to interfere. China firmly opposes any form of contact between foreign officials and the "Tibetan independence" forces. Wang Xiaojian (@ChinaSpox_India) July 10, 2023

The US special envoy had also met Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh during her India visit in May 2022. At that time also Chinese foreign ministry had criticised the meeting, calling it an interference in Chinas internal affairs. Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had told media, The US should earnestly abide by its commitment that Tibet is a part of China and should not provide any support for separatist activities by The anti-China Dalai clique.

China has consistently expressed reservations about high-ranking US officials engaging with the Dalai Lama, whom they view as a secessionist leader. However, the Dalai Lama, a Nobel laureate widely respected across religions, has maintained that he seeks autonomy for Tibet rather than independence from China.

On Saturday, while talking to reporters in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama said, We are not seeking independence, we have decided since many years that we remain the part of Peoples Republic of China. He also indicated that Chinese side is willing to engage with him. China is changing and has now realised that the Tibetan people are very strong and in order to deal with the Tibetan problem, they want to have contact with me and I am also ready."

The US has supported the Tibetan peoples aspirations for religious freedom, cultural preservation and autonomy. However, China considers Tibet an integral part of its territory and has criticised foreign nations involvement in Tibetan affairs. This meeting aligns with past engagements between senior US officials and representatives of the Tibetan government in exile.

Secretary of State Antony Blinkens meeting with a representative of the Dalai Lama during his visit to Delhi in July 2021 drew similar criticism from Beijing. In 2016, the Dalai Lama had met former US President Barack Obama in Washington.

Following her meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2022; in an interview with the Tibet TV, Zeya had expressed commitment to working with the international community and to engaging PRC officials on advancing the human rights of the Tibetan people and preserving their unique historical religious, cultural and linguistic heritage.

The latest discussions between the US delegation and the Dalai Lama are expected to have covered a range of topics, including the current situation in Tibet, efforts to promote dialogue with China, and ways to enhance support for the Tibetan cause on the global stage.

The meeting between US officials and the Dalai Lama, despite efforts to improve US-China relations, adds to the complexity of US diplomacy.

In a short span of last 20 days, the US had sent two senior officials, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to China. The visits are being seen as an outreach by the US to bridge the fast depleting trust, and keep a line of communication with the Chinese government. Both the secretaries had cancelled their February trip to China in the wake of Chinese Spy balloon spotted over the US. This followed a panic in the US administration, with the US scrambled F-22 fighter jet shooting down the balloon leading to a sharp protest from China, which maintained that the balloon was a civilian research airship blown way off course by fierce winds.

After almost three months of hectic parlays, finally, Blinken travelled to China on June 19-20 and held significant meetings in Beijing, with President Xi Jinping, Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi, foreign minister Qin Gang and other high-ranking officials.

While Tibetan people keep their demand of homeland alive and kicking, India, home to a large Tibetan refugee community, has historically provided sanctuary to the Dalai Lama and played a significant role in preserving Tibetan culture and supporting the Tibetan cause.
Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are currently holidaying in Italy with their two munchkins. Bebo has been sharing pictures from the coastal city in uber chic outfits.

Kareena, the ultimate diva, provides a wealth of inspiration for fashion lovers through her Instagram diaries. Whether shes rocking a glamorous red carpet outfit or a chic vacation look, Bebo effortlessly shines in every ensemble, as demonstrated in her latest social media updates. One of her recent posts showcases her in a trendy white striped dress, posing alongside Saif and inspiring us all with their goals.

In one of her holiday posts, the actor chose a midi dress from the well-known fashion brand H&M for her stylish attire. Priced at 1,4999, the dress features a short neck, half sleeves, and eye-catching black and white stripes all over, along with a trendy side slit. To enhance her look, she added a pop of colour with vibrant yellow shoes from Loropiana, worth a whopping 88,000 approx. She accessorized with black sunglasses and minimal makeup and wore her hair in a sleek bun, completing her casual yet chic appearance. Meanwhile, Saif looked handsome in a red shirt paired with beige shorts. He effortlessly matched his ensemble with white loafers, a watch, and sunglasses.

In a different Instagram post, the couple is captured enjoying a leisurely moment at a restaurant. Kareena opted for a relaxed and stylish outfit, donning an oversized shirt featuring white and blue stripes. She paired it with a red bralette peeking out underneath, creating a trendy contrast. With her wavy hair left open, parted in the middle, she exuded effortless beauty. Kareena added a touch of glamour to her look with black sunglasses and a subtle pink lip color. On the other hand, Saif embraced a casually handsome appearance, wearing a blue shirt and complementing it with a grey cap.
Nearly 1,68,000 Indian tourists visited Nepal by air during the first six months of 2023, registering a significant increase in their number compared to 97,313 visitors during the same period last year, official data showed on Sunday. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the Himalayan nation received a total of 4,76,481 foreign tourists by air in the first six months of 2023. This marked a significant recovery of 83 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. In the year 2019 (pre-Covid period), Nepal received 5,36,058 tourists by air.

The number of tourists visiting Nepal in the first six months of 2023 was 16.93 per cent less than those visiting Nepal in the same period of 2019. The number of Indians visiting Nepal by air during the first six months of 2023 was 167,605, registering a significant increase as compared to 97,313 Indian visitors in the same period last year, the board said in a press release.

In May, Nepal received a total of 1,53,602 foreign visitors out of which 36,575 were Indians. In June, Nepal received an overall lesser number of international tourists as compared to the same month the previous year. However, the number of Indian tourists was more in June this year as compared to the same month the previous year. Nepals tourism industry was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out towards the end of 2019, with the number of visiting tourists decreasing.

During the first six months, the influx of tourists dropped to 220,815 in 2020, 58,058 in 2021, and recovered to 240,901 in 2022. The number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal in June was encouraging as Nepal started recovering from the Covid pandemic, said Sharmila Kafle, Managing Director of Apoorva Tours and Travel - one of the major travel enterprises dealing with inbound tourists from India. In the past, Indians mainly used to visit Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu but now a variety of tourists from India with diverse interests are coming to Nepal," she said, adding that Indians also visit Janakpur, Lumbini, Muktinath and other places in Nepal. Besides Kathmandu, they are also visiting Pokhara and Chitawan. The number of adventure tourists from India is also growing, she added.

They are going to climb Mt. Everest." Nepal has also become a hub for Indian filmmakers, she pointed out. Last year, the Indian film Unchai produced by Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan was shot in Nepal, she said. The weather in Nepal is relatively cooler than that in India, which is also one of the major factors contributing to the increase in Indian tourists, she added.
A Catholic church in Lyndonville heavily damaged in a February fire will not be rebuilt, Buffalo Diocese officials announced Monday.

St. Joseph Church, which is more than 100 years old, will be demolished after diocese officials, parish leaders and the church pastor determined that the building was getting too little use and could no longer be maintained.

Over the course of the past few months, it became apparent that St. Josephs worship site could not be sustained long-term, and thus we could not responsibly take the step of rebuilding it following the fire, the Rev. Mark Noonan, pastor, said in a letter to parishioners at Masses last weekend in eastern Niagara and Orleans counties.

A Feb. 28 fire that started inside a wall in a classroom attached to the Lake Avenue church building caused extensive smoke and water damage to the white clapboard structure.

No Masses have been held inside the sanctuary since the blaze.

The parish was known since 2009 as Our Lady of the Lake, following a diocese restructuring that allowed for worship sites at St. Joseph Church and St. Patrick Church in Barker. More recently, it became part of a new family of parishes that includes worship sites in Holley, Kendall, Albion, Medina, and Middleport.

A spokesman for the diocese said in a news release that memorials honoring St. Joseph Church will be made for St. Patrick Church in Barker, a 15-minute drive from Lyndonville, and for St. Mary Church in Medina, which is about 10 minutes away from the St. Joseph site.

Prior to the fire, the St. Joseph Church worship site offered Masses at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 10:45 a.m. Sundays.

- Jay Tokasz
I was in Bengaluru recently to shoot an episode of a food show on my YouTube channel Khaane Mein Kya Hai. My guest was the exuberant and unstoppable, Sudha Murthy. We both chatted nineteen to a dozen, an exhilarating conversation while eating a pure Sattvic meal served on a banana leaf. This was at a lovely little place called at By2 Coffee in Bengalurus Basavanagudi.

This simple meal consisting of freshly cooked Peanut Kosambari, (a salad of carrots and peanuts), Palya, a crunch vegetable preparation, lightly fried vegetables and greens, along with spices, with Tendli, and it was just delicious. All served with Akki Roti, Chutney, Bajji made of plump chillies, with Rice, Rasam and Sambhar. Their specialty, however, was Holige, which is a sweet stuffed flatbread made with chana dal, jaggery, cardamom and flour, in short, it is the Kannada version of the Maharashtras Puran Poli.

So familiar was the taste of Holige to my Maharashtrian palate that I began to wonder how strong was the Maratha influence on the food in Karnataka after Shahaji Bhonsle took over Bangalore in 1638, and hundreds from his military settled here and made this land their home.

And the strongest apparent influence of Maratha cuisine can be found in small eateries often called military hotels still run by Kannadigas of Maratha origin. These are simple, middle-class joints, which serve rows of hungry customers the Maratha influenced delicacies, especially non-vegetarian food. Again all simply served on a banana leaf.

You would find most of these military hotels in the older parts of Bengaluru. They say these military hotels were the first to serve non-vegetarian food. Some of them even clearly mentioned the word Hindu in their names only to clarify that although they were non-vegetarian places serving chicken and mutton, they did not serve any pork or beef.

I landed up at one of these military hotels. It was aptly called Shivaji Military Hotel with a big portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj emblazoned on the sign board. This is quite a historical restaurant. Shivaji Military Hotel was started in 1924 by a Maratha named S Mannaji Rao.

Shivaji Military Hotel is one of the oldest military hotels, and is known for its non-vegetarian food. The Keema curry that they serve is a spicy dark brown mutton mince preparation, which according to me, tastes best with idlis. A peppery mutton fry that will awaken your taste buds. Of course, the most iconic dish being the Donne Biryani. Legend says the recipe for the Donne Biryani can be traced back to the 17th Century, when India was struggling through wars. And any war means that thousands of hungry soldiers have to be fed a wholesome meal of proteins and carbohydrates. What better combination of protein and carbohydrates than a biryani. So, from the war kitchens of the Marathas came the now famous Donne Biryani. Short-grained rice, cooked with marinated meat in ginger and garlic, and spices like coriander, cumin, and garam masala. This was slow-cooked on firewood and then stored and served in cups made from leaves, which in Marathi is called Drons from where I am assuming the word Donne comes. The leaves add their own flavour and character to the biryani, and it is unlike any Mughlai Biryani you may have eaten.

The meat is tender and soft, mildly spiced and the rice with a pre-dominant flavour of green chillies and pepper, and finished off with smoky ghee. Along with the Donne Biryani, I ordered the Mutton Dry, Mutton Keema and the Mutton Liver. I have eaten enough South Indian food to know that while these dishes were robust with spices, the spice-mixes used was closer in taste to those spices from parts of Kolhapur and Satara, yet with a strong Kannadiga influence. I also ordered dosa, homestyle, soft and slightly sour, which according to me went superbly with the gravies. I needed that dosa because after all I hate mixing my gravies with Biryani. All in all, this was a spectacular meal and an eye opening cuisine. It just reinforced what I always think, that food from India will never stop surprising you.

Kunal Vijayakar is a food writer based in Mumbai. He tweets @kunalvijayakar and can be followed on Instagram @kunalvijayakar. His YouTube channel is called Khaane Mein Kya Hai. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
In recent years, our collective awareness has undergone a significant and much-needed change. We have become more inclusive, more compassionate and more understanding towards the LGBTQ+ community. Its a testament to our shared humanity that we now recognize the full humanity of every individual, even if their sexual orientation and gender identity is different from our own.

Amid this progress, theres an often overlooked aspect that deeply affects a persons sense of self and well-being: the accessibility of public toilets. For the LGBTQ+ community, these spaces hold a greater significance beyond their practical purpose. They become places of vulnerability, where ones dignity and respect can be either strengthened or tragically undermined.

Imagine the bravery it takes for someone who identifies as LGBTQ+ to enter a public toilet. It may seem like a mundane task to many, but for them, its filled with apprehension and anxiety. They never know when someone will confront them, or challenge their presence in the wrong toilet, deny them access to the toilet, or verbally and physically attack them. Going to the toilet becomes dangerous, and rife with the prospect of humiliation.

This is an experience that those of us who identify as cisgender can rarely comprehend, because it doesnt happen to us. Men can go to the mens toilet, women to the womens. No one questions us. Can we create the same space for those of us who are transgender, intersex, non-binary or gender nonconforming?

Recognizing this need, various initiatives have been introduced in India to promote toilet inclusivity and provide safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. These initiatives aim to create an environment where everyone, regardless of their gender identity or expression, feels comfortable and respected when using public toilets. However, the success of these initiatives cannot be measured solely by the number of inclusive toilets installed. It requires a comprehensive evaluation process that takes into account the impact on the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.

Methodologies for evaluation

To ensure the success of toilet inclusivity initiatives, it is crucial to evaluate their impact on the LGBTQ+ community. This evaluation allows us to understand the effectiveness of these initiatives in enhancing the well-being of individuals and helps us make informed decisions for future improvements.

Collecting feedback directly

When we are designing solutions for a particular group, it is important that this group be involved in every aspect of the design - from the beginning when ideas are being fleshed out, all the way to the end, and beyond, through user feedback.

One methodology for evaluating the success of toilet inclusivity initiatives is through qualitative feedback. This involves conducting interviews and surveys to gather feedback from LGBTQ+ individuals who have utilised inclusive toilets. By listening to their experiences and perspectives, we can gain valuable insights into the emotional and psychological impact of inclusive toilets. Feedback of this nature allows us to understand the emotional and psychological impact of inclusive toilets, enabling us to make informed decisions for future improvements.

To measure the impact of toilet inclusivity initiatives, it is essential to establish evaluation methodologies that capture the experiences and perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community. Here are some key approaches:

Surveys and Questionnaires: Conducting surveys and questionnaires can help gather quantitative and qualitative data regarding the communitys experiences with inclusive restrooms. Questions can focus on issues such as comfort, safety, and overall satisfaction. Focus Groups: Organizing focus groups with members of the LGBTQ+ community can provide an opportunity for in-depth discussions and personal narratives. This qualitative approach can help capture nuanced experiences and emotions related to toilet inclusivity. Case Studies: Examining specific cases or instances of successful toilet inclusivity initiatives can offer valuable insights into the impact on individuals well-being. Case studies can highlight best practices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Success Indicators

As with anything else, success indicators are essential in measuring and understanding the impact of toilet inclusivity initiatives on the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. These indicators go beyond physical accessibility and encompass broader aspects of well-being, such as dignity, belonging, and empowerment.

Satisfaction levels can be measured by evaluating how comfortable individuals feel while using inclusive toilets. Safety can be assessed by examining whether individuals have experienced any form of harassment or discrimination in these spaces. Comfort can be gauged by understanding if individuals feel at ease and respected in these facilities. Dignity is a crucial aspect, as it relates to the ability to use toilets without fear or anxiety. Belonging and empowerment can be measured by evaluating whether individuals feel included and valued in their communities.

Success indicators can be measured through various means, including surveys, observational studies, and feedback mechanisms. By regularly monitoring these indicators, we can assess the progress and effectiveness of toilet inclusivity initiatives over time.

Importance of Feedback and Continuous Improvement

As with any program, we cant just measure success and be done with it. People evolve, systems stagnate, and even the most successful programs can go downhill, if we arent paying attention. The key to keeping any successful program successful, is to constantly measure success, and strive for continuous improvement.

When it comes to inclusive toilets, it is crucial to use evaluation results to provide feedback to stakeholders, including facility managers, policymakers, and the LGBTQ+ community. Feedback can help identify areas of improvement and highlight successful practices. This process can lead to the refinement and sustainability of toilet inclusivity initiatives. By involving all stakeholders in the evaluation process, we can ensure that their voices are heard and their needs are addressed. This collaboration can lead to the development of future policies and practices that are more inclusive and respectful, from the get go.

Feedback from the LGBTQ+ community is a crucial component of evaluating the success of toilet inclusivity initiatives. It is essential to create avenues for individuals to share their experiences, suggestions, and concerns regarding inclusive toilets. This feedback can help identify areas that need improvement and guide future decision-making processes. Establishing open lines of communication with the LGBTQ+ community creates a sense of ownership and involvement, ensuring that inclusive toilets truly meet their needs and expectations.

Continuous improvement is vital in maintaining the success of toilet inclusivity initiatives. Inclusivity requires ongoing efforts to adapt and evolve with the changing needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Regular evaluations, feedback collection, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders are essential in ensuring that inclusive toilets remain effective and impactful.

In addition to maintaining the progress made, a continuous feedback cycle also brings us some other benefits:

Community Engagement: Actively seeking feedback from the LGBTQ+ community helps create a sense of ownership and involvement. By involving the community, initiatives can better address their needs and concerns. Iterative Development: Feedback serves as a valuable tool for continuous improvement. Regular evaluation and refinement of initiatives based on feedback can enhance the effectiveness of toilet inclusivity efforts. Awareness and Education: Feedback can help identify areas where education and awareness programs are needed. By understanding the gaps in knowledge or misconceptions, initiatives can focus on targeted educational campaigns to promote acceptance and understanding.

Bringing in Allies

When we measure something again and again, we create conditions where progress can be measured easily. That attracts anyone who wants to put their resources to work and wants to measure the progress made from their specific contribution. Ergo, sponsors, corporations, government entities, international groups and organisations.

There are a number of ways this data can be leveraged. For three years now, Harpic and News 18 have come together in Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that recognizes the profound significance of toilets, viewing them not merely as functional spaces but as beacons of safety and acceptance for the marginalised. This exceptional mission is built upon the firm belief that clean and inclusive toilets are vital for fostering a society that embraces and empowers us all, unconditionally. With unwavering dedication, Harpic and News18 actively include and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, propelling the message that every individual deserves access to safe and accepting spaces, where their dignity is upheld, and their presence is celebrated.

Mission Swachhta aur Paani also creates an incredible platform for issues of importance, by bringing together the right set of stakeholders - policy makers, doctors, Govt officials, NGOs, activists, celebrities, and of course, responsible members of corporate India. By bringing together these minds and the resources they bring, Harpic and News 18 are aiming to create real change in India - particularly when it relates to access to clean and safe toilets for all.

Any programs that are working towards creating toilet inclusivity, and have a working model with numbers to prove it, benefits from programs like Mission Swachhta aur Paani, which create enormous visibility.

Conclusion

Measuring the impact of toilet inclusivity initiatives not only helps demonstrate their effectiveness and value but also contributes to the evidence base and advocacy for toilet inclusivity as a human right and a social justice issue. By providing safe and accessible toilets for people of all gender identities and expressions, we create an environment that fosters empathy, respect, and inclusivity. Inclusive toilets are not just physical spaces; they are a symbol of acceptance and an acknowledgment of the rights and dignity of all individuals.

Let us not underestimate the impact that such a seemingly small act can have on the lives of countless individuals. By embracing the principle of inclusivity in our restrooms, we extend a lifeline to those who have long been marginalised and cast aside. We remind them that they are not alone, that their struggles are recognized, and that they are deserving of love and acceptance just as they are.

By prioritising the well-being and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community in public toilets, we take a significant step towards building a more compassionate and fair society. We send a powerful message that everyones existence is valid, and their rights to personal comfort and privacy are unquestionably respected. And, most notably, we contribute to the creation of a more Swasth Bharat, together.
After Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke, Asur 2 and Badtameez Dil, Barun Sobti is gearing up for his fourth outing this year. Titled Kohrra, the Netflix original series is set against Punjab and sees him playing a small-town cop unravelling two murder cases. Known for his boy-next-door avatar, Kohrra has him pushing the envelope in many ways and sees his character engaging in intense intimacy on screen.

In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Barun reveals that he isnt uncomfortable with onscreen intimacy and points out how he had to go fully nude for a short film titled Derma (2019). Ive no qualms about onscreen intimacy and I never had any. Its not very common in India but Ive worked on a short film where I was bu*t naked. So, I dont care about being intimate with someone, lying naked next to someone or being physically close to someone onscreen. Its part of the job, he states.

But Barun is quick to tell us that onscreen kissing is a strict no for him and that he has a no-kiss clause included in his contract. I never kissed anyone else apart from my wife (Pashmeen Manchanda), he says. Prod him about the same and he shares an anecdote with us that dates back to more than two decades. Its a very old and valuable story for me. My wife and I were 15 years old when I told her for the first time that I want to become an actor. We were in the tenth or eleventh standard, he recollects.

The 38-year-old further elaborates, She jokingly said to me, Oh, youre going to go around kissing everyone then! So, I thought in my own mind that I wouldnt kiss anyone onscreen. I kept up with that so far but now my wife tells me, What the hell is wrong with you? Youve grown up. You can kiss other women if your work requires so. But I cant get my head around it.

The Baat Hamari Pakki Hai and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon actor, however, feels that doing intimate scenes becomes particularly uncomfortable for female actors. Speaking about it, he says, Now that I think of it, I think it can get very nasty for a girl. My co-actors are women and theyre always nice. But for women to have a man as a co-actor is a completely different ballgame. So, I think its more difficult for women to be engaging in intimacy, onscreen.

Barun continues, Its like real life where regular, healthy relationships are usually controlled by women because the consent has to be given by them. When it comes to intimacy, the grant is always given by women. So, if women are comfortable, it also becomes easier for men.

He also attributes this comfort to intimacy coordinators, who according to Barun, have been instrumental in shaping the narrative. These days, intimacy coordinators are heavily involved in such scenes. But according to me, its all about talking to people. Ive seen women being more comfortable if their sensitivity is given more respect. Thats why intimacy coordinators are game-changers, he remarks.
Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer has generated significant anticipation among fans. The movie delves into the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a scientist whose groundbreaking research played a pivotal role in the development of the worlds first nuclear weapons. Prior to the films release, Christopher Nolan shared insights into how actor Robert Pattinson supported him throughout the project. However, he also revealed the reasons behind Pattinson not being cast in the film, despite his contributions.

In a conversation with Tara Hitchcock, Christopher Nolan discussed his collaboration with Robert Pattinson in the 2020 film Tenet. Nolan revealed that there was a reference to Oppenheimer in Tenet, and Pattinson presented him with a book of Oppenheimers speeches as a wrap-up gift. Christopher Nolan said, Yeah, Rob, off the back of Tenet, where we refer to Oppenheimer, and I had wrote a thing about this incredible moment that Oppenheimer and the scientist of the Manhattan Project had where they could not completely eliminate the possibility that when they triggered that first gadget, that first atomic device, they might start the chain reaction that would destroy the world. We used that as a metaphor for Tenet, which Rob was in. As a wrapped gift, he gave me a book of Oppenheimers speeches from the 1950s, where youre reading these great intellects trying to deal with the massive consequences of the way in which theyve changed life forever, for all of us."

Christopher Nolan further explained the reason behind not casting Robert Pattinson in Oppenheimer. He said Pattinson was occupied with other projects. He was busy. Hes very much in demand these days," the filmmaker said. Pattinsons upcoming commitments include reprising his role in the highly successful Batman franchise with the sequel to The Batman, following its 2022 hit release. Additionally, he has been confirmed to join the cast of Average Height, Average Build, a film centered around a serial murderer.

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, and others. The much-anticipated film is slated to release in theatres on July 21, 2023.
Hansal Mehta is known for picking stories and creating masterpieces with his directorial vision. With major expertise in hard-hitting and compelling dramas, he has brought many talent forward. Now his upcoming venture, an untitled thriller noir drama, with Kareena Kapoor Khan has become the talk of the town. Recently, Hansal Mehta revealed about his bond with the actress and praised her craft.

In a conversation with mid-day, the director talked about his new thriller and his work experience with the Jab We Met actress. Kareena is known for her mainstream Bollywood genre while Hansal Mehtas work focuses more on raw and gripping storylines, hence the convergence of two such different genres has raised eyebrows. Talking about such distinction, the director said, One thing I can say is you will see a new Kareena in the film. We had a very good time shooting the film. With her, its the same kind of chemistry that I have with Rajkummar, Pratik, Mohammed Zeeshan [Ayyub] and Karishma [Tanna],

The City Lights filmmaker opened up about his bond with Kareena Kapoor and said, It was an absolute joy to work with her. She is such a good actor. Hansal Mehtas new venture with the actress is a cop drama mainly set in London.

Talking about his recent widely successful drama, Scoop on Netflix and the signing of his multi-series contract with the platform the celebrated filmmaker said, It gives me an added blanket of security. I know [now] that the stories I want to tell have a space, where they will be embraced wholeheartedly. I applied a lot of learnings from Scam 1992 on Scoop. [One of them is] that if you tell authentic Indian stories in an honest and engaging manner while trusting the audiences intelligence, they can be told,

Scoop is a crime drama starring Karishma Tanna, Harman Baweja and Zeeshan Ayyub in key roles. The Hindi drama is based on the high-profile course case of journalist, Jigna Vora.
Recently, Kapil Sharma and his cast of the show left Mumbai to commence their live shows at different cities in the US. The first show was held in Dallas. Kapils massive fan following brought in a sold-out show. Now he has taken to his social media account to share a bundle of pictures from the performance.

Along with the photo, he wrote, Thank you Dallas. you are right, everything is bigger in Texas..like your heart. Kiku Sharda who also accompanied him, shared a video of his on-screen character Baccha Yadav.

Have a look at the photos:

The photos went viral in no time, with fans drooping in heartfelt wishes for Kapil. Many of them took to the comments section and wrote, You are the best. In one of the photos, Kapil was seen having a moment with his fans.

It is reported that after the US leg gets completed, Kapil and his team will go to the UK for more shows. The comedian has wrapped up the fourth season of the Kapil Sharma Show, and the last episode is expected to air this month. Along with them, Rajiv Thakur, Vikalp Mehta and Kangna Sharma are also a part of the tour.

Before leaving for the US tour, Kapil Sharma also wrapped shooting for The Kapil Sharma Show. Sharing a picture with Archana Puran Singh, he wrote, last photo shoot of this season with the queen of our show @archanapuransingh we will miss you in usa mam. love you so much.

Kapil Sharma is an Indian stand-up comedian, television presenter, actor and producer known for hosting The Kapil Sharma Show. He previously hosted the television comedy shows Comedy Nights with Kapil and Family Time with Kapil.
Looks like Kareena Kapoor Khan along with hubby Saif and kids Taimur and Jeh are making the most of their Italy vacation. The actress is making sure to update her fans and well-wishers about their whereabouts, family outings, lunches and all things in between. Having said that, the Jab We Met actress dropped in a bundle of pictures on her Instagram stories and also gave a glimpse of her son Taimur enjoying a beach volleyball match.

In the first picture, Kareena shared the scenic view of the lush green mountains from her balcony. Along with the picture, she wrote, Good morning (rainbow and red heart emojis)." In the second photo, she gave a glimpse of her elder son Taimur who was witnessing a volleyball match. In the photo, Taimur was shirtless while he looked at the arena with folded hands. Beach volleyball (red heart emoji)." She also added that the match was between US and Norway as she shared, (US flag) vs (Norway flag)." Kareena also wrote, What a match.

Kareena also gave a glimpse of the volleyball arena and wrote, Vibe. Saif and Kareena time and again dish out major couple and parenting goals. They spend quality time with their kids also also balance their work and life efficiently.

Earlier in a conversation with Variety, Kareena was asked about how she maintains her work-life balance, to which she shared, Its literally like standing on one leg, but Im pretty good at yoga. Im also very lucky to have a husband who works in the same profession. We take turns as to when we have to travel. She added that their staff also help them a lot.

The actress also shared that her kids only expect quality time with them and not quantity. Its not the quantity of time that you spend with your children, thats what Ive learned, in the five-six years that Ive been a parent, its the quality of time that you give them without distraction because children want focus from their parents, from their teachers from their friends, thats what they need.

Saif and Kareena married in October 16, 2012 after dating for almost four years. They welcomed their first child-son Taimur Ali Khan in 2016 and their second child Jehangir Ali Khan in February 2021.

On the work front, Kareena Kapoor Khan recently shot for The Crew, along with Tabu and Kriti Sanon. The film, back by Rhea Kapoor and directed by Rajesh Krishnan, revolves around the lives of three women and their struggles in the aviation industry. Besides this, Kareena also has Sujoy Ghoshs The Devotion of Suspect X with Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma in her pipeline.

On the other hand, Saif was last seen in Adipurush which also stars Prabhas and Kriti Sanon.
Kriti Sanon is currently one of the busiest actors in the town. She has been shooting for films back-to-back. From Adipurush to announcing her own production house, the actress is unstoppable. Well, now reports are coming in that she is on a house-hunting spree in Mumbai and is looking for a bigger space. Pinkvilla has reported that she is keen for a house in Bandra but nothing has been finalised till now.

Kriti has actively started to look at some properties in Mumbai, as she intends to own a larger space. She has seen some properties in Bandra, however, she is open to other key locations in the city as well. She should zero in on one asset soon, mentioned in the exclusive report of Pinkvilla. She is currently staying in a rented apartment in Andheri. Talking about her production house, the actress has also announced her first movie titled Do Patti which will be made under it. For the mystery thriller, she will be reuniting with Kajol after eight years.

Announcing on her Instagram handle, Kriti wrote, Thrilled to announce DO PATTI! Alongside 3 very strong-headed, inspiring and immensely talented women Monica, we couldnt have found a better platform than Netflix to tell this story! @netflix_in Superrr duperr excited to reunite with Kajol maam after 8years! @kajol. Kanika - Ive always loved your writing & Im so happy to be co-producing my first with you! Ufff.. this is a special one! @kanika.d @kathhapictures. This one is gonna be a thrilling game with a lot of heart! A first for Blue Butterfly Films @bluebutterflyfilmsofficial

Apart from this, she is currently shooting for The Crew which is slated to release next year in March. Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh will also be seen in it. She also has an untitled film with Shahid Kapoor. The first poster look has already been released. The film is releasing on December 7, 2023.
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One Review: About 20 minutes into Mission: Impossible 7, as the opening credits begin to roll, Tom Cruise makes it clear  fasten your seatbelts, it is going to be a fun ride. Tom Cruise returned as Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt for the seventh time and this time around, he had death-defying stunts that are bigger than the previous movies. From riding off cliffs to fighting on a train top, the stunts are insane. If the jaw-dropping stunts arent enough, Tom had actresses Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, and Pom Klementieff supporting him and taking the film a notch higher.

Before we dive into the films review, lets take a quick look at the films plot. Without revealing spoilers, Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One revolves around Ethans new impossible mission: fighting against an AI. The agent reunites with his friends Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) to tackle the new digital weapon. Throughout the movie, Ethan and his team travel through Rome, Venice and the Alps to fight the AI agent.

As the trailers and promos have already promised, Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One delivers an action drama film. Making fans forget that he is 61 now, Tom Cruise drives through the streets of Rome, runs through the alleys of Venice and rides off the cliff to deliver action scenes one after the other. With action scenes as the core of the film, Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise top themselves with Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise)

McQuarrie ensures that each action scene packs a different emotion. With the Rome sequence, the director packs in the humour. When they approach the Venice action scene, he takes the action scene a notch higher with emotion, and the last, he keeps us on the edge with drama. The scenes prove yet again that the Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise collaboration is the best thing to have happened to the Mission: Impossible series. They have been upping their game with every passing movie and it is a treat to fans.

Besides the action scenes, Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One offers a good but slow story. Writers Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen intertwine the new story while stitching in the nods to all the previous Mission: Impossible films. The film offers hoot-worthy moments in the first half but the writing does start to drag in the second half, weighing down the film a little before kicking in the climax. However, credit where it is due, Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One ends well, with the film closing on a proper climatic note.

On the acting front, Tom Cruise makes us forget that he is 61. Not only does he perform the action scenes like a pro he also has unmissable chemistry with Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby. The nods in the film help us realise that Cruise and Ethan have matured through the seven movies. While Cruise shines in the film, the ladies of the film are at par with Cruise.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise)

Hayley Atwell as Grace is well, gracefully rebel and it is a treat to watch her as the swift thief in the movie. Rebecca Fergusons comeback as Ilsa Faust is most welcomed. Both their action scenes in the movie are among the highlights of the film. My favourite to watch was Pom Klementieff as Paris. The actress seems to have a ball playing the emotional-less villain in the film.

A big letdown for me is Esai Morales as Gabriel. Playing the face of the threatening AI, Esai Morales feels like a weak villain, especially after watching Henry Cavill in Mission: Impossible  Fallout. His scenes with every character, including Cruise, dont hit a mark. Vanessa Kirbys Alanna has a much stronger screen presence and chemistry with Crusie than Morales.

A special mention to cinematographer Fraser Taggart. He helps bring Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarries vision to life in ways that elevate the film. While the chase sequences make you want to sit down and break down every scene in a film masterclass, Taggart makes Cruises running shots a cinematic experience.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mission: Impossible (@missionimpossible)

Bottom line: Mission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One is not a perfect movie but it is a treat for Tom Cruise fans. The film is not only shouldered by Cruise but also by the ladies of the movie.
Nargis Fakhiri might have taken a long sabbatical after starring in films like Rockstar, Main Tera Hero, Madras Cafe, Housefull 3 and Azhar, but the actress is ready to bounce back with some interesting scripts in her kitty, including her OTT debut with the series Tatlubaaz alongside Divya Agarwal and Dheeraj Dhoopar. While Nargis is open to exploring this new space through unique characters, the actress however revealed in her recent interview that she wont go nude and thats where she draws the line.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, when she was asked about some of the boundaries that she has in place in the context of OTT platforms, she promptly said, I would never be naked for a project. I have a problem with nudity. Even though nudity might be out of the picture for her, Nagis wouldnt mind tackling challenging roles that might belong to a different sexual orientation or unconventional scripts.

I wouldnt mind that because playing a homosexual or being shown as a woman married to another woman doesnt bother me. Playing any character for me is part of my job. Youre acting and I think thats totally fine, she explained.

Nagis also gave her two cents on the backlash that the OTT platforms have been receiving owing to it content. She told the portal, The audience has a choice to watch it or not. They can choose to switch it off or watch something else. Thats the beauty of OTT platform. There are so many options out there."

On the work front, Nargis Fakhri will also be seen in the Telugu action-adventure film Hari Hara Veera Mallu. Helmed by Krish Jagarlamudi, the movie also stars Pawan Kalyan, Nidhi Agerwal, and Bobby Deol in key roles. Set against the backdrop of the 17th century Mughal Era, the movie chronicles how the titular character, an outlaw, receives the task of stealing back Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Mughals.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued two decisions implicating the rights of Indigenous people. The first was Haaland v. Brackeen, on June 15, 2023, regarding the Indian Children Welfare Act. The second was Arizona v. Navajo Nation, on June 22, concerning water rights.

My goal here is to draw attention to the way the courts opinions disparately characterize the trust relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes.

Heres what Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the majority in Haaland (minus its citations to prior court decisions): T]he trust relationship between the United States and the Indian people informs the exercise of legislative power. As we have explained, the Federal Government has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust toward Indian tribes. This Court has recognized the distinctive obligation of trust incumbent upon the Government in its dealings with these dependent and sometimes exploited people.

Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, in the Navajo Nation case, also speaks of ... a general trust relationship with Indian tribes, including the Navajos.

But as the Solicitor General explains, the United States is a sovereign, not a private trustee, meaning that Congress may style its relations with the Indians a trust without assuming all the fiduciary duties of a private trustee, creating a trust relationship that is limited or barecompared to a trust relationship between private parties at common law.

In other words, on June 15, the Supreme Court proclaims that the U.S.A. has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust toward Indian tribes. On June 22, we are told that the United States, as a sovereignnot a private trusteemay create a trust relationship that is limited or bare compared to a trust relationship between private parties.

I find it impossible not to think of the traditional saying thats been attributed various Native American tribes that, the white man speaks with a forked tongue. The idiom refers to someone who is lying or hypocritical and, therefore, no longer worthy of trust.

Ironically, both Haaland and Navajo Nation cite to the same 2011 opinion to support their assertions, United States v. Jicarilla Apache Nation. That decision acknowledges two ugly realities facing our nations Indigenous peoples: that the United States retains plenary (that is, absolute) authority to divest the tribes of any attributes of sovereignty, and, that the Government has often structured the trust relationship to pursue its own policy goals. Not the best interests of Native Americans.

Its almost refreshing to hear the U.S. Supreme Court speak the truth. But, for the sake of equity and fairness, we need to devise a strategy to drastically alter this perspective.
Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr spent some quality time with the cast of his upcoming movie Oppenheimer in NYC over the weekend. The actor gave fans a sneak peek of their close-knit get-together in a series of happy photographers posted on Instagram. Surrounded by Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Matt Damon it was John Krasinskis hilarious feature that left fans laughing. What made it hilarious was the way Robert Downey Jr went on to acknowledge his presence in the caption of the post. The release date of the movie is drawing closer and the entire cast is busy with its promotions.

But the new rooftop images indicate how the cast managed to remove some time off from the press tour to hog up some pizza and drinks together. Set against the backdrop of the scenic NYC skyline, the cast members can be seen sharing infectious smiles in one photo. Meanwhile, the other is completely contrasting with them striking a frowning pose as the camera captures them together. Emily Blunts husband John Krasinski appears in one photo surrounding the Oppenheimer mates from behind.

Robert Downey Jr joked about his unexpected presence during the hangout writing, Linking up with my Oppenheimer castmates. Wait, is that a Krasinski photobomb, or might there be a surprise cameo?" Take a look at the photos here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

If the pictures are anything to go by, it seems the Oppenheimer cast had a gala time together. But there were several cast members including Florence Pugh, Josh Peck, and Kenneth Branagh among others missing in the NYC rooftop still. Robert Downey Jr portrays the supporting role of Lewis Strauss, the founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission. Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders fame Cillian Murphy takes on the titular role of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer.

Director Christopher Nolans maiden biographical thriller is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book titled Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Revolving around the invention of nuclear weapons, the movie traces the lead physicists contribution to the Manhattan Project and the most lethal weapon ever known to humanity.

The biographical thriller will open in theaters on July 21 coinciding with the release of Greta Gewigs Barbie.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military operations has transformed the landscape of modern warfare. With advancements in machine learning, autonomous devices, and data analysis, AI has become a critical component of 21st-century military strategies. Experts in military strategy are now looking at the role of AI in the military, from cyberattacks to data crunching and autonomous machines, and are now examining the potential implications and future prospects of this technology.

The integration of artificial intelligence into cyber warfare has revolutionised strategic intelligence gathering and provided militaries with unprecedented capabilities. The development of highly sophisticated cyber weapons, empowered by AI, has enabled military agencies to infiltrate and sabotage critical infrastructure with precision and effectiveness. The Stuxnet virus, infamous for its targeted attack on Iranian centrifuges, exemplifies the potential of AI in cyber warfare. Since then, AI-driven viruses have evolved to not only disrupt but also gather valuable strategic information, offering insights that were previously inaccessible.

The collection and analysis of vast amounts of data have been facilitated by AI-powered algorithms, transforming the landscape of intelligence gathering. Satellite surveillance, battlefield sensors, and cyber operations generate massive datasets that are processed using learning algorithms. These algorithms possess the ability to decipher complex patterns, uncover hidden relationships, and extract actionable intelligence from the data. By leveraging AI, military agencies can gain critical insights into adversary capabilities, intentions, and vulnerabilities, facilitating informed decision-making and proactive responses.

Beyond the Stuxnet virus, numerous other examples highlight the impact of AI in cyber warfare and strategic intelligence. For instance, AI algorithms have been utilised to detect and analyse patterns of malicious activities in network traffic, enabling the identification and mitigation of cyber threats. Machine learning algorithms can also be employed to monitor social media platforms and other online channels, extracting valuable information about potential adversaries or monitoring public sentiment during conflicts.

Furthermore, AI-powered systems can augment traditional surveillance methods, enhancing the collection and analysis of intelligence in real time. Sophisticated satellite systems equipped with AI algorithms can process vast amounts of imagery data, identify patterns, detect anomalies, and track movements on the ground. This enables military agencies to monitor regions of interest, track potential threats, and gain valuable situational awareness.

As AI continues to advance, it holds the potential to transform strategic intelligence gathering even further. For instance, natural language processing algorithms combined with AI can analyse vast amounts of textual information, such as intercepted communications or open-source intelligence, providing insights into enemy plans, intentions, and networks. Similarly, AI algorithms can be employed to analyse and detect patterns in financial transactions, enabling the identification of illicit funding sources supporting hostile activities.

The utilisation of AI algorithms for data crunching and decision-making has transformed military operations, allowing analysts to effectively navigate through vast amounts of information. These algorithms, akin to those employed by industry giants like Amazon, possess the capacity to process and extract patterns from extensive datasets. Remarkably, AI algorithms have exhibited decision-making prowess that surpasses human capabilities in specific domains. The victory of the AlphaGo program against a human grandmaster in the intricate Game of Go serves as a prime example, showcasing AIs capacity to make unexpectedly bold moves that catch opponents off guard.

In the military realm, AI-driven mass surveillance and counterinsurgency operations have yielded remarkable results, empowering real-time analysis of imagery captured by CCTV cameras and drones. This capability enables military agencies to efficiently monitor and track multiple potential targets, a task that would have been inconceivable without the aid of AI. The integration of AI algorithms with surveillance systems allows for the swift processing and interpretation of visual data, facilitating enhanced targeting and rapid response capabilities. The ability to analyse vast amounts of imagery data enables military analysts to detect potential threats, identify suspicious activities, and gain valuable situational awareness.

Moreover, AI algorithms have demonstrated their utility in enhancing decision-making processes within military operations. By processing and analysing extensive datasets, these algorithms can identify trends, correlations, and insights that human analysts might overlook. For instance, AI algorithms can be employed to analyse historical military data, identify patterns of enemy tactics, and predict their future moves. This empowers military decision-makers with valuable information to formulate effective strategies and responses.

The impact of AI algorithms on decision-making extends beyond the battlefield. Military logistics and resource allocation can also benefit from the data-driven capabilities of AI. By analysing supply chain data, AI algorithms can optimise resource distribution, anticipate maintenance needs, and streamline operations. This ultimately enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of military logistics, ensuring that resources are allocated in the most optimal manner.

Autonomous machines have emerged as a significant area of focus within military AI, offering a glimpse into the future of warfare. As the capabilities of AI continue to advance, the development of autonomous systems has gained momentum, aiming to minimise the reliance on human intervention. While human decision-making is currently preferred, the inherent vulnerability of communication links during wartime has spurred the exploration of autonomous technologies. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Global Hawk exemplify the potential of autonomous machines in military operations. These UAVs can execute missions independently, eliminating the need for constant reliance on data links and enhancing their survivability in hostile environments.

Governments across the globe recognise the strategic importance of autonomous systems and are actively investing in their development. Frances Dassault nEUROn and Russias Sukhoi S-70 serve as prime examples of cutting-edge autonomous platforms. These advanced systems have the capacity to execute complex missions with minimal human oversight, marking a paradigm shift in military capabilities. Collaborative efforts between countries, such as Australias collaboration with Boeing to create the loyal wingman demonstrate the potential of AI as a force multiplier alongside human pilots. The loyal wingman concept envisions an unmanned aircraft operating in tandem with a manned aircraft, providing support, defence, and completing missions either independently or in coordination with the human pilot. This collaborative approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also acts as an AI bodyguard, safeguarding the human pilot while sacrificing itself if necessary.

These examples underscore the growing trend towards autonomous machines in military applications. By combining the power of AI with advanced technologies, autonomous systems have the potential to revolutionise warfare. Their ability to operate independently and adapt to dynamic situations offers advantages such as increased agility, precision, and endurance on the battlefield. However, the deployment of autonomous combatants, commonly referred to as killer robots, poses ethical concerns and necessitates the establishment of robust guidelines to ensure responsible and accountable use.

Ethical Concerns and Future Implications

The deployment of autonomous combatants, often referred to as killer robots, raises ethical concerns and necessitates the development of codes of ethics for their use. While such combatants are yet to be realised, the ongoing development of AI in military applications warrants careful consideration of the potential consequences. As each facet of AI in the military advances, the potential of other systems also increases, creating a paradigm shift in warfare. Although we may not be facing Terminator-like scenarios depicted in science fiction, the convergence of AI and military capabilities could transform future conflicts.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a game-changing technology in modern military operations. From cyber warfare to data analysis and the development of autonomous systems, AI enhances the accuracy, precision, and efficiency of military endeavours. However, ethical concerns surrounding autonomous combatants highlight the need for responsible and carefully regulated implementation. As AI continues to evolve, the line between science fiction and reality in warfare becomes increasingly blurred. It is crucial for policymakers, military strategists, and society as a whole to navigate this new era of AI in the military with nuanced understanding and thoughtful consideration.

Amitabh Singh is an Associate Professor at the School of International Studies, JNU; Vivek Pandey is a PhD Scholar at the School of International Studies, JNU. Views expressed are personal.
On September 30, 1962, US President John F Kennedy sent 3,000 federal troops to protect the lone black man, James Meredith, to study in the all-white University of Mississippi where the racist Governor of the Mississippi state, Ross Barnett, himself stood with his Marshals blocking the entrance of Meredith to the university campus. Such was the determination of JFK to protect the right of one black man that he risked his next presidential bid, which resulted in a violent clash with racist Southern whites, leaving two dead, 160 soldiers injured and 28 US Marshals wounded. Meredith was guarded 24 hours a day by reserve US Marshals and Army troops for him to be educated as any other white citizen. This is an oft-quoted example of the state using its might to protect the right of one individual, the testimony of a strong democracy.

When Teesta Setalvad was rejected bail by the Gujarat High Court on July 1, her lawyers reached out to the Supreme Court. Within hours of the Gujarat HC judgement, the SC constituted a two-judge panel, which could not come to a decision and referred the matter to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud who urgently constituted another three-judge panel the same night. This three-judge panel deliberated and granted her interim bail for eight days so that she can apply for bail in the Supreme Court. The judges noted that Teesta Setalvad should not be denied interim liberty even for one day, that she was a lady and entitled to special protection under Section 437 of CrPC.

On the surface, this looks like another towering example of the democratic institutions of India standing for the right of one individual. But is it so? If one looks at the plight of an average Indian, especially the weak and the underprivileged, the Setalvad case appears to be one of a privileged citizen. The comments of judges that no one can be denied justice for one day should also be applied to those stuck with five crore outstanding cases in the Indian judiciary and more than four lakhs of undertrials waiting for justice. At least 70,000 of the five crore cases are pending in the Supreme Court alone.

Even President Droupadi Murmu made a fervent appeal in the presence of the chief justice that the Indian judiciary needed to address the issue. Former Law Minister Kiren Rijiju pointed out that they work only 193 out of 365 days in a year, which is causing enormous problems for justice seekers. While PILs are signs of democracy where a common citizen can have access to the higher judiciary, when PIL of powerful NGOs and activists (many funded by anti-India international organisations) supersede 70,000 pending cases for decades in the Supreme Court alone, then it begs the question whether democracy is really served, unless perhaps the PIL is put in the queue along with those waiting for justice.

But there is a bigger issue at the heart of the Teesta Setalvad case. The case is not a normal one. Her allegations against Narendra Modi, who is the current Prime Minister of India, about his involvement during the Gujarat riots when he was the chief minister of the state, resulted in an investigation by the SC-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) committee, that not only could find even a single charge made against Narendra Modi to be true but also found several serious wrongdoings of Teesta Setalvad.

Setalvad is also accused of getting foreign funds such as the Ford Foundation, a known front of the CIA which, along with the USAID, committed many atrocities around the world and has attempted regime changes in more than 60 countries causing devastating consequences. Several Indian news media have reported the CIAs alleged involvement in the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and many Indian space and nuclear scientists.

Setalvads co-accused, RB Sreekumar, is the IPS officer (and AAP leader) who is accused of framing ISRO scientist Nambi Narayan and his fellow scientists with fake espionage charges (believed to be at the behest of the CIA) that stunted the advancement of space technology of the nation for more than a decade. Gujarat HC judge Nirzar Desai himself noted Teestas bail application case as, enlarging a person, who allegedly acted at the behest of a political party, and tomorrow situation may raise that some outside force may utilise and convince a person to make efforts in similar line causing danger to nation or to particular state by adopting same modalities and, therefore, considering the totality of the fact and circumstances as also considering the fact that any such attempts may not take place in future, the bail application is required to be dismissed. The esteemed judge also noted how giving bail to such individuals will blunt the progress of the nation because such individuals with deep connections will deepen and widen the communal polarisation.

This is more pertinent given the open threats of people like George Soros who publicly claimed that he has allocated one billion dollars to do regime change in India so that India can serve Western interests. These regime change operations are extremely sophisticated using a system of exploiting fault lines to create devastation in the target nation as well as awards to powerful members of that nation to influence them.

It is not that the Supreme Court is not aware of the case and the observations made by the Gujarat HC. Given the urgency and deliberations of the SC, even while on vacation, make many people wonder if this is a case of uncommon people with uncommon access. At the heart of the issue is accountability and to whom. No democratic institution can be above the will of the people; its power has to be derived directly or indirectly from the citizens of the state.

Much debate has been made about Indias collegium system of selecting judges, including several comments by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar (who himself was an advocate and practised constitutional law at SC) and former law minister Kiren Rijiju. The Parliament does not appoint itself, nor does the President or the Prime Minister. They are directly or indirectly elected by the will of the people and their performance is evaluated and voted out by the collective will of the people every five years. There is simply no other democracy in the world where judges appoint themselves. As per a research done by a Mumbai-based lawyer, about 50 percent of the judges of high courts and 33 percent judges in the Supreme Court are family members of those in higher echelons of judiciary.

During his address on Independence Day in 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, Unfortunately, the evil of nepotism in the political field has nurtured nepotism in every institution of India. It is engulfing many of our institutions. Because of this, the talent of my country suffers. The strength of my country suffers.

India is at the cusp of its destiny to advance and become a superpower which threatens vested interests, both internally and externally, and it is time we fix our democratic institutions and collectively as a nation, be extremely vigilant.

Satya Dosapati is a US-based activist who has played a critical role in the introduction of paper trail for Indias Electronic Voting Machines called VVPAT. The author has a website on Judiciary Accountability at https://judiciaryaccountability.com/. Views expressed are personal.
India was not supposed to be a success story. China, yes. Western think tanks knew as far back as the 1990s that the Communist giant would, as one recent book (The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future) by Hamish McRae put it, claim its rightful place in the world.

But India? It was a colony. It was not meant for greatness. It was poor, chaotic and unmanageable. How on earth is a country, where millions still live in poverty, suddenly going to be the third-largest economy in the world by 2027?

The Western elite didnt believe India had it in her to succeed. After all, the West had lifted itself out of relative poverty in the 1500s and into great wealth by the 1900s through colonial conquest, transatlantic slavery, and the occupation of two continents, the Americas and Australia.

India hadnt done any of that. Instead, it had survived economically ruinous colonisation, indentured labour, and foreign atrocities for centuries.

The West acquired wealth at the expense of Asia and Africa. Its great institutions of learning, from Oxford to Harvard, benefitted from the resources that flowed from the Industrial Revolution. Science fuelled industrial growth. But so did tax revenues extorted from the colonies. Free land usurped in the Americas and Australia and free slave labour shipped from Africa completed the Wests business model: land, labour and lucre.

How could such a business model lead to anything but prosperity? Through the 1800s and 1900s, the West steadily grew rich.

Extrapolating economic historian Angus Maddisons estimates, the average Englishman in 1500 had a per capita income (measured in 1990 US dollars) of around $600. The average Indian, in pre-Mughal, pre-British India in 1500, had a similar per capita income of $550.

By the end of British rule in 1947, the average Englishman had a per capita income of $7,000. The average Indian in 1947, after 190 years of British colonial rule, had a per capita income of $60.

From near parity in the 1500s, the average Indian had sunk in the mid-1900s to 1/100th the wealth of the average Englishman.

How could a country that had been reduced to penury by colonial rule rise to great power status? Of course, it couldnt.

That was the accepted thesis in the West. It was of course privately accepted that its own prosperity was partly, perhaps largely, based on invasive colonialism, slavery and the permanent occupation of others continental territories in the Americas and Australia.

But that acceptance was rarely publicly acknowledged. The Palestinian-American writer Edward Said, a critic of the postcolonial Western narrative, was quickly discredited by the powerful Anglophone media. The moment Shashi Tharoors 2017 book exposing Britains cruel, thieving empire was published internationally, the West swung into action with a counter-narrative.

But the truth has an inconvenient habit of bursting through. In the United States, Senator Elizabeth Warren began a debate on paying slavery reparations to the 42 million African-Americans who are descendants of African slaves shipped across the Atlantic Ocean by European, mostly British, slave traders from Africa to North America for over 200 years.

Rattled, British apologists of colonialism and slavery launched subtle counter-attacks. Historians like Niall Ferguson, an apologist, wisely kept silent allowing non-historians like Nigel Biggar to mount a defence of colonialism and slavery.

Biggar is an Anglican priest. He was Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford University from 2017-2022. His 2023 book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning (the manuscript was rejected by Bloomsbury before finding a saviour in HarperCollins) argues that Britain did Asia and Africa a favour by colonising them.

Historian Alan Lester, a professor at the University of Sussex, has engaged Biggar in a long academic debate on Biggars central thesis. Professor Lester writes: Biggar consistently presents African people as unfit to govern themselves; as requiring British rule for their own sakes  even to the extent of repeating slave-owners original arguments against emancipation: Can we be sure that [descendants of enslaved people] would have been better off had their ancestors remained in West Africa  some as slaves and sacrificial funeral fodder? Biggars methods of establishing the necessity for British rule in Africa include frequent, seemingly innocuous asides, which have the cumulative effect of reinforcing tropes of African savagery.

Biggar does not see himself, or the liberal imperialists whom he defends, as racist, because they do not believe Black or Brown peoples are biologically inferior to White people. They simply observe that these peoples cultures were backward compared to that of the British and other Europeans. By Biggars definition, the attribution of cultural inferiority to a lack of development, rather than biological nature is not racist. Failing to acknowledge everyday colonial racism is like examining Nazi Germany without the antisemitism, or modern Russia without the communism. Racism was a common sense belief system that fundamentally underpinned the British Empire, and it is deeply concerning, to me at least, that there is now such an appetite to deny this with semantic differences between race and culture.

The Anglospheric establishment, including embedded media like The Economist, has grudgingly recognised Indias emergence as a leading power. But it cannot bring itself to acknowledge that India is emerging to power from poverty imposed on her for 190 years by systematic colonial economic abuse.

Such an admission would reveal the shame the West feels  but does not publicly acknowledge  about its history. The rise of India without resorting to the crimes of colonialism and slavery that made the rich world rich is a bitter pill to swallow.

The writer is an editor, author and publisher. Views expressed are personal.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde is under pressure from Shiv Sena MLAs over the issue of cabinet expansion, sources told News18 on Monday. Sena legislators who joined the Shinde faction last year were promised cabinet berths, but so far only 10 of them (including Shinde) have become cabinet ministers after they rebelled last year to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Shiv Sena leaders like Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Prakash Surve, and independent MLA Bacchu Kadu who supported Shinde during his rebellion are not happy due to delays in the cabinet expansion.

In a recently held meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs, this was conveyed to CM Eknath Shinde in very strong words, said sources. According to a leader who is aware of the developments, Shinde assured his legislators that the cabinet expansion will happen before the monsoon session of the Maharashtra state assembly commencing on July 17 in Mumbai.

While speaking to the media, CM Shinde said, The cabinet expansion will happen soon. But he didnt give an exact date.

Reacting to the issue, former cabinet minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter.

9 new ministers, sworn in 8 days ago.No portfolios announced yet. They have authority but no responsibility, and perks but no work. Meanwhile original gaddars await cabinet expansion for over a year, now see their real kimmat for mindhe-bjps khoke sarkar.  Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 10, 2023

According to the information available, the meeting that Shinde had called with his MLAs last Wednesday was a stormy one. Many MLAs of Shiv Sena demanded that they should get cabinet berths this time. Several legislators were of the opinion that leaders like Uday Samant, Dada Bhuse, Sanjay Rathod, Shambhuraj Desai, Abdul Sattar, and Deepak Kesarkar were given responsibility as a cabinet minister or state minister either in 2014, 2019, and 2022. So this time new faces should be inducted into the cabinet and portfolios of senior ministers should be given to new faces. Some MLAs in the same meeting also said that the caste equation should be taken into account while inducting new legislators in the cabinet, the sources said.

The situation in the BJP is also somewhat tumultuous, said sources. Though dissent in the party is not as visible as in Shiv Sena, many leaders are keen to know whether they will get cabinet berths this time or not. According to some leaders, BJP MLAs like Sanjay Kute, Madhuri Misal, Ashish Shelar, and Nitesh Rane are some names of probables who may get cabinet berths or responsibilities as ministers of state in a cabinet expansion. But who will get which portfolio is still a mystery as Ajit Pawar is also bargaining hard for plum portfolios like finance, Revenue, and energy, said sources. All these portfolios are with the BJP. It is being said that Shinde has made it clear to the BJP that he will not be giving portfolios from the Shiv Sena quota to Ajit Pawar and his team, the sources added.

While speaking to News18 in Mumbai, senior BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, One or two upset MLAs dont represent the voices of all the 40-50 Shiv Sena MLAs. The way we cant induct all BJP MLAs as ministers, the same way we cant make all Shiv Sena MLAs ministers. Some will have to make sacrifices or wait for their time.

From July 17, the monsoon session of the Maharashtra assembly will commence. A few cabinet berth aspirants are of the opinion that a cabinet expansion should be done before Thursday so that the newly inducted ministers will get some time to know their departments. Because being the minister of that department they will have to face the questions of MLAs on the floor of the house and give satisfactory answers to their questions.
Stepping up its attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telangana CM and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday decided to oppose the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

The decision comes hours after members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board which also includes AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi called on KCR at the CMs camp office in Pragati Bhavan and urged him to oppose the UCC. The members also requested KCR to reach out to other like-minded parties and bring them on board.

Calling the UCC detrimental to Indias diversity and an attempt to divide the country", the official statement quoting the Chief Minister said: It is clear that the imposition of UCC is a malicious attempt by the Union government to instigate people by promoting divisive politics, raking up clashes between the communities to derive political benefits through the UCC bill."

The Chief Minister also said that the ongoing debate over the UCC has pushed tribals, Hindus and other sections of the society with varied culture and traditions, into a state of confusion. He also directed parliamentary party leaders K. Keshava Rao and Nama Nageshwar to prepare an action plan to fight against the centre in both houses of Parliament.

Owaisi Appeals to Andhra CM to Oppose UCC

After meeting KCR, Owaisi also made an appeal to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to oppose the UCC.

The Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad said that the BJP is threatening Indias secularism and pluralism in the name of UCC. If introduced, UCC will also affect Christians, tribals, and Indias diversity on the whole. PM Modi is misleading the nation by making statements like how can one family be governed by two different laws. Both BJP and RSS have a problem with Indias pluralism," he said.

Speaking about AIMIMs stand on the UCC, party spokesperson Waris Pathan said, We oppose the UCC. The Law Commission has stated that there is no need for Uniform Civil Code in the country. In the Constitution given by Dr BR Ambedkar, everyones fundamental rights are protected through Articles 14,16, 26 and 29. Article 29 states that any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same. We have various people in the country practising different cultures. How can you bring UCC then? Most importantly, there is no draft for UCC yet. The BJP is just trying to polarise people using UCC."

However, the BJP says that the UCC is beyond politics.

NVSS Prabhakar, vice president of Telangana BJP, said that the UCC Bill is going to be tabled in the Parliament. Right now, our PM Narendra Modi is trying to build a consensus on the issue before the tabling. An overwhelming number of people in the country support UCC and the PM is trying to bring that to the people. This issue is above politics," he told News18.

In the case of abrogation of Article 370, we saw that though parties maintained a stand officially, many individuals cutting across party lines supported the move. It was due to this support that the Bill was passed in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. There was a vertical split among many parties regarding the issue. In the case of UCC too, the same pattern may be repeated," he added.
With the press of a button, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah officially launched the Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme through which low-income families would be given Rs 170 in lieu of 5 kilograms of rice. This direct bank transfer to nearly 1.30 crore families is being given after Karnataka was unable to procure food grains from the Centre.

The Congress had promised 10 kg of rice per BPL (Below Poverty Line) family under the Anna Bhagya scheme and later clarified that it would be a 50-50 ratio where the state would provide 5 kg and procure another 5 kg from the Centre. The amount has been calculated based on the Food Corporation of Indias standard rate of Rs 34 per kg of rice.

The original version of the Anna Bhagya scheme was rolled out in 2013 during Siddaramaiahs first tenure as chief minister. While launching this Anna Bhagya DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme, the CM lashed out at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

We, the Congress, are trying to fill the stomachs of the hungry, but this effort seems to be making the stomachs of the opposition burn with jealousy," he said.

When asked how long this DBT would continue, the chief minister exclusively told News18 that as long as the food grains arent being made available by the Centre".

Even though we have information that the Food Corporation of India has surplus food grains in the godowns, they have not parted with their share. We are coming up with people-friendly schemes, and the BJP is trying to scuttle them. We promised that by July 10 we will roll out the Anna Bhagya scheme, and today we have done it, right on target on the promised day," he added.

According to food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, the beneficiaries under this scheme will receive the amount within 15 days, and the first batch of people who will benefit are from Kolar and Mysuru. The rest of the regions will be rolled out over the next few weeks.

It is said that the Congress, after coming to power, had attempted to procure 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice from the Food Corporation of India, as the central government had issued directions to the FCI to sell rice in the open market. The Karnataka government has called for a tender to purchase rice from the open market. Meanwhile, it planned to transfer money in lieu of the food grains, state government officials explained.

The state also tried to procure from other neighbouring rice-growing states, but they too had a shortage and could not provide the same," Siddaramaiah explained.

When asked by News18 about the possibility of misuse of the money transferred to the beneficiaries, the CM said, Those who are hungry and looking to fill their stomachs will never cheat or misuse."

The BJP, which had held protests in front of the Vidhana Soudha led by former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai when the Congress failed to launch the Anna Bhagya scheme on July 1, also threatened to launch a statewide protest if the government failed to meet its deadline again.

The Congress also plans to roll out the Gruha Lakshmi scheme on August 16, through which the woman head of a family will be given Rs 2,000 per month from the government.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar stressed that based on the five guarantees  Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free electricity), Gruha Lakshmi (Rs 2,000 to every woman head of a family), Anna Bhagya (10 kg of free food grains), Yuva Nahi (Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates), and Shakti (free bus travel for women)  the government is giving a benefit of Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 per family.

We will keep our promise and deliver each of them and make Karnataka a model state," he said.
Taiwans Foxconn announced its withdrawal from a $19.5 billion joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta, in a major setback to the governments chipmaking ambitions.

Last year, Foxconn and Vedanta had entered into an agreement to establish semiconductor and display production facilities in Gujarat. The reasons behind Foxconns decision were not disclosed.

Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta. Foxconn is working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta," it said in a statement.

No Impact on Indias Semiconductor Fab Goals

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded to the development stating, Both the companies Foxconn and Vedanta are committed to Indias semiconductor mission and Make in India program."

Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, The decision by Foxconn to withdraw from its joint venture with Vedanta has no impact on Indias semiconductor fabrication goals."

This decision of Foxconn to withdraw from its JV wth Vedanta has no impact on India's #Semiconductor Fab goals. None.Both Foxconn n Vedanta have significant investments in India and are valued investors who are creating jobs n growth. It was well known that both https://t.co/0DQrwXeCIr  Rajeev Chandrasekhar  (@Rajeev_GoI) July 10, 2023

Chandrashekar said, both Foxconn and Vedanta have made significant investments in India and are valued investors who contribute to job creation and economic growth.

He further noted that it was well-known that neither company had prior experience or technology in the semiconductor industry, and it was expected that they would source fabrication technology from a suitable tech partner. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," he said.

The Minister said Vedanta, through VFSL, has recently submitted a proposal for a 40nm fab, backed by a tech licensing agreement from a global semiconductor major and the proposal is currently being evaluated by a tech advisory group.

The senior minister said that it is not the governments role to question or speculate on the decisions made by two private companies regarding their partnerships. However, he stated that the withdrawal of Foxconn from the joint venture with Vedanta simply means that both companies now have the freedom to independently pursue their strategies in India and establish appropriate technology partnerships in the semiconductor and electronics sectors.

Opposition Reacts

Chandrasekhars clarification came as Opposition leaders criticising the BJP-led central government regarding the issue. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray targeted the government in a tweet, stating, the project was entirely viable in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra government must also provide clarification on why, despite the Chief Minister making an announcement in the assembly and the Deputy Chief Minister meeting with them, the project was abruptly shifted from a highly feasible location in Pune district to Gujarat, he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, taking it away from Maharashtra to Gujarat - which by experts wasnt conducive for semiconductor industry, inability to raise funds as expected has led to the collapse of an idea before it even began. Such a tragedy.

The Congress slammed the BJP government with senior leader Jairam Ramesh stating, Remember the publicity at the time of announcing the project? Gujarat CM even claimed 1 lakh jobs will be created! This has been the fate of many MOUs signed in Vibrant Gujarat summits year after year, and will be the fate in other such copycat summits like Global Investor Summits in UP. Whether Gujarat Model or New India never trust the manufactured headlines, he added.

Prime Mister Narendra Modi has placed significant emphasis on chipmaking as a key aspect of Indias economic strategy, aiming to usher in a new era" in electronics manufacturing. Foxconns decision to withdraw from the joint venture deals a setback to Modis ambitions of attracting foreign investors to establish local chip production, marking a missed opportunity for India to venture into domestic chip manufacturing for the first time.

Vedanta, on the other hand, has not responded to a request for comment.

An earlier report by Reuters had reported the challenges faced by Modis plan, indicating that progress on the Vedanta-Foxconn project had been sluggish due to the impasse in talks to bring European chipmaker STMicroelectronics on board as a partner.

Vedanta-Foxconn had initially engaged STMicroelectronics for technology licensing. However, the Indian government expressed its preference for the European company to have a greater stake in the partnership, a demand that STMicroelectronics was reluctant to meet. Consequently, the negotiations remained in a state of uncertainty, as previously disclosed by a source.

(With inputs from Reuters)
A US couples memorable trip to Guatemala took an unexpected turn when a simple Uber ride became an eye-watering experience. What should have been a $55 (About Rs 4,500) fare turned into a jaw-dropping bill of $29,994 (Approx Rs 24 Lakh). Blaming a currency conversion glitch, Uber mistakenly charged them in US dollars instead of the intended Costa Rican Colon.

The problem first came to light when Douglas Ordonez, the husband, tried to make a purchase with his debit card and was informed that there were insufficient funds available. Puzzled by this, he checked his bank account and was shocked to find the charge of $29,000. Speaking to Business Insider, Douglas Ordonez explained that he and his wife were in Guatemala to celebrate their fifth anniversary, making this unexpected incident even more frustrating and distressing.

The couples financial situation became a cause for concern throughout the remainder of their trip since such a significant amount had been charged to their debit card. Ordonez expressed his dismay, mentioning that dealing with this issue overshadowed their anniversary celebration, making it difficult for them to fully enjoy their time in Guatemala. Adams, his wife, shared his sentiments and described the sight of the charge on their bank account, particularly such a substantial sum, as truly shocking.

Fortunately, after a few days of uncertainty, the matter was resolved, and the couple received a refund for the incorrect charge. However, this unfortunate incident has left them with a negative impression of Uber and a reluctance to use the app again. Their dissatisfaction stems not only from the billing error but also from their challenging experience communicating with Ubers customer care.

Adams expressed her disappointment with Ubers customer service, stating that she would most likely never use the app again due to the poor assistance they received. In response to the incident, Uber acknowledged the mistake and the subsequent refund process. A spokesperson for Uber assured that they take all reports seriously and that their support team promptly addressed the issue upon receiving the users report. The spokesperson also noted that the time it takes for a refund to be processed can vary depending on the policies of individual banks.
After creating a record of becoming the first user on the social media app Threads to amass a million followers, YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, surprised his audience with an exciting giveaway. He announced that a random follower on Threads would receive a Tesla as a prize. While some speculated that this was just meant to troll Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of Threads rival Twitter, Donaldson has now disclosed the winner of this generous giveaway.

The winner of the Tesla is @mklord_!!!!" declared Donaldson, two days after he shared the picture of a customised Tesla with Threads logo on the bonnet alongside the caption that read, To celebrate Threads launching, Im gonna give this Tesla to a random follower in 48 hours! Rethread so people are aware. Since the announcement, the recipient has been expressing immense joy, while users across the platform have been showering him with hearty congratulations. I won a Tesla, which is owned by Elon, on his competitors new app," the ecstatic winner shared.

Post by @mrbeast View on Threads

Post by @mklord_ View on Threads

Nevertheless, the giveaway has also ignited spirited discussions across the internet, with some questioning its authenticity. Many speculate that Donaldson might be joking. As a result, everyone eagerly awaits @mklord_ to share a photo of the Tesla Model 3 once he receives it.

In a recent update, @mklord_ (also known as Mohammed, as indicated on his profile) gave an update, stating, @mrbeast said his team will reach out to me tomorrow."

Post by @mklord_ View on Threads

Known to many for his generous spirit, MrBeast has a remarkable reputation for conducting lavish giveaways and providing extravagant prizes to fortunate individuals. A prime example of his philanthropy occurred in May of this year when Donaldson played a significant role in funding prosthetic limbs for 2,000 amputees in Cambodia. Moreover, he initiated a project that resulted in the donation of $2,700,000 worth of unused and overproduced clothes to the Hopi tribe residing in northeastern Arizona.

Read More: YouTuber MrBeast Helps 2,000 Amputees in Cambodia Walk Again in Heartwarming Video

In January, he extended his charitable endeavors by assisting 1,000 individuals in obtaining cataract surgeries and providing them with substantial sums of money. Additionally, he surprised one teenage recipient of the surgery with a brand-new Tesla Model 3!
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Several projects being implemented by the Second Republic in the mining sector including the Manhize Steel Plant in Mhondoro were at some point scuttled by former Mines and Mining Development Minister, Walter Chidhakwa.The Manhize project only started in 2022 after several attempts to tie down the deal during the First Republic failed.If the Second Republic had not come in, the Manhize Steel Plant would have remained a pipe dream as every effort to bring in investment in the mining industry from China was being shot down.In his address at a rally near Inkomo yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said Mr Chidhakwa stifled every effort made to lure investment, which would have seen some projects implemented earlier."He (Mr Chidhakwa) thwarted our efforts to bring about investment in the mining industry from China when he was Mines Minister," said Mutsvangwa."The investment we sought then included the Manhize Steel plant. (Now) he wants to ascend to power by playing the tribal and regional card."Mutsvangwa said Mr Chidhakwa is attempting to ride on the tribal and regional card in his political ambition.But playing the tribal and regional cards is disliked by Zimbabweans.Now aspiring for office in Zvimba South Constituency as an independent candidate, Mr Chidhakwa has been described as being insincere.The former Zvimba South legislator was accused of amassing wealth for himself and his family but now pretends to be concerned about the welfare of the people.But Zanu-PF is not losing sleep over his candidature as the revolutionary party has put in place measures to ensure it wins the elections resoundingly.All candidates who participated in the Zanu-PF primary elections, attended yesterday's rally, and pledged to support Taurai Dexter Malinganiso, who emerged victorious.Zanu-PF Central Committee member and outgoing legislator for the area Phillip Chiyangwa said the party should remain peaceful in maintaining its winning streak.Tawanda Tungamirai and Jessica Tapfumaneyi, who participated in the primary elections, said the party remains supreme and they are solidly behind the party candidate.
The price of tomatoes has skyrocketed all across the country. The rates are touching as high as Rs 250 per kg. According to traders, tomato prices are on the rise as their production got hit due to heavy rains in some growing areas and heat waves last month. This dramatic price surge unfolded in just a matter of days which caught everyone off guard. In metro cities, retail tomato prices remained highest at Rs 152 per kg in Kolkata, followed by Rs 120 per kg in Delhi, Rs 117 per kg in Chennai and Rs 108 per kg in Mumbai.

Also Read: Tourists Slammed For Driving SUVs Around Lakes in Ladakh, Video Goes Viral

Amid all of this, a new thing has emerged which has been deemed as tomato theft. Many bizarre incidents have surfaced of people stealing tomatoes.

Tomato Vehicle Robbery in Bengaluru

A vehicle transporting 2,000 kg of tomatoes to a market was robbed by miscreants in Bengaluru. Nobody has been identified as of now. It happened when the farmer was transporting his produce from Hiriyur town in Chitradurga to the Kolar market. Three people followed the vehicle in their car. Further, they assaulted the farmer and the driver that their vehicle had been hit. They demanded money, got the amount transferred, took the tomatoes and drove away.

Tomatoes Worth Rs 2.5 Lakh Stolen in Karnataka

A Karnataka-based farmer claimed that tomatoes worth Rs 2.5 lakhs have been stolen from her farm in the Hassan district. Dharani grew tomatoes on two acres of land and said that they planned to cut the crop and transport it to market as the prices were soaring. We incurred huge losses in bean harvest and had taken loans to grow tomatoes. We had a good harvest and prices were also high. Apart from taking 50-60 bags of tomatoes, the thieves also destroyed the remaining standing crop," Dharani told ANI.

Another Robbery in Telangana

Thieves in Karnataka made off with nearly 20 kg of tomatoes and 5 kg of green chillies from a vegetable vendors shop in Dornakal village. This is located in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana. As per the police, the vendor named B. Prakash had left the tomatoes worth Rs 2,400, and the green chillies, worth Rs 490, covered with a polythene sheet at his kiosk in the Gandhi Chowk vegetable market before leaving. However, when he returned, he found out that the produce had been stolen. He approached the police station and filed a complaint regarding the incident.

Also Read: Delhi Metro: Instagram Influencer Dances Inside Train, Viral Videos Irritate Internet

Measures Being Taken

As there is a surge in such cases, many people have also started taking protective measures. Now that tomatoes are a luxury, farmers have made top-class arrangements for their heap of tomatoes. A farmer from Akki Aluru of Haveri, Muttappa, had just harvested tomatoes from his farm and installed a CC camera at the local market. The camera is connected to a battery and helps him keep an eye. People come and buy tomatoes from me because they are the best ones in this market. But while I will be busy attending to other customers, some miscreants may just grab some tomatoes and I wouldnt know. I dont want to lose out on anything. So made this CC camera arrangement. This is for my own safety explained Muttappa.
A 13-month-old girl died in the United States after her mother accidentaly ran over her while moving her car near their home in Arizona.

Yavapai County Police said that they received a call from the woman in Western Drive in Cottonwood on Thursday that she ran over her 13-month-old baby with her car.

The incident happened when the woman placed her daughter in her car seat where she believed her daughter was safe, the police said.

The car was parked in a gravel area near the home and the mother was trying to move it out of the tight space.

While repositioning the vehicle, the front tire caught the canopy of the car seat, causing it to fall backward which led to the infant suffering critical injuries, the police said in a statement.

The girl was rushed to a local hospital, but she could not be saved.

Medical personnel were performing life saving measures on the infant when YCSO arrived, but despite their heroic efforts, the child was pronounced deceased at the Verde Valley Medical Center," the police statement added.

The girl has been identified as 13-month-old Cyra Rose Thoeming and she was with her mother outside the familys Cottonwood home when tragedy struck.

The mother has not been charged and the police is continuing the investigation in the case.

A crowd funding has been set up by the girls uncle, who described the little girl as a light in the world who brought smiles to everyone she met.

In her short, beautiful life, she loved being outside, nature, playing with her family, animals and the water, the uncle wrote on the page.
At least six people were killed and 10 others injured on Sunday when a three-storey building collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion in Pakistans Punjab province, officials said.

The three-storey hotel building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjabs Jhelum area collapsed after the cylinder exploded in the kitchen, they said.

Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Farooq told the media that six people were killed while 10 injured were admitted to hospitals for treatment.

(Rescue) efforts are underway and our teams are present here. There are reports that four to five people were still under the the rubble, he said.

He added that the rescue operation would continue till the whole site was cleared.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the building collapse and extended condolences to the bereaved families.

Earlier, Dawn newspaper reported that the explosion took place at around 9:45 am Sunday, following which the rescue teams immediately responded and initiated rescue efforts.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hassan Tariq said that all senior doctors and staff were present at the Jhelum District Headquarters Hospital where the injured were being provided treatment while one seriously injured patient was referred to the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, the paper reported.

The Jhelum police said heavy machinery was being used to remove the debris.

An emergency has been imposed in the District Headquarters Hospital and the entire staff and doctors have been called on duty.

Gas cylinders are used for cooking as piped gas is available only in the major cities. They are also used in vehicles. Due to lack of quality checks, explosions are also frequent.

At least seven people were killed and 14 others injured when a gas cylinder fitted in a vehicle exploded in the Bhalwal area of Punjabs Sargodha district a day earlier.
Sri Lankas foreign minister said Monday that his country welcomes the Netherlands plan to return hundreds of colonial-era artifacts  including a bejeweled, ceremonial cannon  and said the Indian Ocean island is working to preserve the historic items.

The Dutch government last week announced that it will return 478 objects of cultural significance to Indonesia and to Sri Lanka. It said the objects were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period, acquired under duress or by looting.

Under the plan, Sri Lanka is to receive six artifacts, including the cannon and guns currently in the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures and the Rijksmuseum. The transfer of ownership to Sri Lanka will take place later this year.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said Sri Lanka is very grateful for the items return. Discussions continued, he said, to identify the number of artifacts.

We need to have the mechanism here to continue to preserve them, Sabry told reporters, adding that the government will look to the Cabinet for direction.

The decision to return the artifacts came after a Dutch committee was set up in 2022 to assess requests for the restitution of artifacts in state museums. It is considering more restitution requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

One of the highlights of the looted objects being returned to Sri Lanka is the Cannon of Kandy, a ceremonial weapon made of bronze, silver and gold and inlaid with rubies. The barrel is decorated with a sun, a half-moon and a Sinhalese lion, the symbols of the King of Kandy.

The cannon has been in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands national museum of art and history, since 1800. The museum said it was looted by Dutch East India Company troops during the siege and plunder of Kandy in 1765.

The museums director, Taco Dibbits, called the decision to return the cannon and five other pieces a positive step in cooperation with Sri Lanka.

Some Western nations are returning looted artifacts and other objects as part of a reckoning with their often brutal colonial histories.

A Berlin museum announced in January it is ready to return hundreds of human skulls from the former German colony of East Africa. In 2021, France said it was returning statues, royal thrones and sacred altars taken from the West African nation of Benin. And last year, Belgium returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that hed like to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible. Thats according to the White House, which said the two leaders discussed a range of issues over the phone on Sunday ahead of an upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Membership to the alliance requires unanimous approval by all NATO members and Hungary and Turkey have yet to clear the way for Sweden. Turkey accuses Sweden of harboring members of militant groups, mainly supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, who Erdogan says organize demonstrations and finance terrorist groups.

Swedish officials say their nation is no safe haven for terrorism. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg signaled he would convene a meeting between Erdogan and the Swedish Prime Minister in Vilnius on Monday, before the summit officially starts.

Biden will hold talks with NATO leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday. During the summit, allies aim to show support for Ukraine and give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a sense of what will have to be done to gain NATO membership sometime in the future.

In a CNN interview previewing his trip, Biden urged caution for now on Ukraines drive to join NATO, saying the alliance could get drawn into the war with Russia due to NATOs mutual defense pact.

According to Zelenskiy, an invitation would send a message that the Western defense alliance is not afraid of Moscow.
Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan has sought a guarantee from the International Monetary Fund that the general elections in the country will be held on its scheduled time.

Days before the IMF executive board meeting to review and possibly endorse the Standby Arrangement (SBA) for Pakistan, a delegation of the global lender met Khan on Friday in Lahore to seek assurance and support for the key objectives and policies under the recently announced USD 3 billion bailout programme, Geo News channel reported on Saturday.

Pakistan and IMF reached a long-awaited staff-level agreement on June 29 to inject USD 3 billion Standby Arrangement into the ailing economy after months-long negotiations that pushed the country to the brink of default. The Executive Board of the IMF will meet on July 12 to review the SBA for Pakistan.

Quoting sources, Geo News reported that Khan asked the IMF to ensure that the general elections, scheduled to take place in October, will be held on time.

What guarantee can you (IMF) give that the elections in the country will be held on time, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: chief was quoted as saying in the huddle.

The IMF representatives, as per insiders, responded by saying that the Washington-based lender keeps a close eye on the situation in the country but we cannot interfere too much in internal political matters.

The IMF delegation further added that the short-term bailout package has been chalked out in such a way that the transition of power is expected to take place on time, the report said quoting sources.

The insiders added that the IMF officials expressed hope that the interim set-up will hold general elections in the country within the constitutionally-mandated time period.

The meeting was attended by IMF country chief Nathan Porter who joined virtually from Washington and Resident Representative Ester Perez Luis who was physically present.

The IMF meeting has come under scanner in Pakistan where some leaders termed it as interference in domestic affairs of the country.

However, the IMFs resident representative Esther Perez Ruiz in a statement said that the meetings with political parties were to seek assurances of their support for the key objectives and policies under a new IMF-supported programme ahead of the approaching national elections.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday said he was very happy" that Sweden reached an agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to support its application to join NATO.

We take a very big step towards the formal ratification of Swedens membership in NATO. It has been a good day for Sweden," Kristersson told reporters ahead of a key alliance summit in Vilnius.

Erdogan agreed Monday to forward Swedens application to join NATO to his parliament for approval, the alliances head Jens Stoltenberg said.

A separate joint statement was issued, outlining the agreement between Sweden and Turkey.

Turkey has been blocking Swedens membership bid, accusing Stockholm of harbouring Kurdish activists Ankara regards as terrorists.

President Erdogan commits to proceed with the ratification of Swedens accession to NATO as soon as possible," Kristersson said.

He added that the two countries continue our joint efforts to combat organised crime and terrorism", as well as agreed to deepen cooperation on the economy, trade, investments".

On Monday, Erdogan also demanded that the European Union revive Turkeys stalled EU membership bid as a precondition for Sweden joining NATO.

From the Swedish side we continue to advocate closer cooperation between the Union and Turkey," Kristersson said.

But Kristersson said that Sweden has not committed to anything outside the statement.
The meteorological department has issued a rare flash flood warning for New York City as heavy rain in the state caused at least one death, swamped roads and forced road blockades on Sunday night.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed that several people have been missing and one home was washed away.

The rains have hit parts of New York and officials said that communities to the East of New York should brace for torrential rains and possible flash flooding.

Here are the top updates on New York floods:
One person is dead and three missing in landslides in southwestern Japan, authorities said Monday, as the countrys weather agency warned of the heaviest rain ever" in the region.

A 77-year-old woman was confirmed dead in a landslide that entered her home overnight in rural Fukuoka, the local fire department told AFP.

Her husband was recovered conscious and taken to hospital.

Three people were also missing after a landslide in Karatsu City, in Saga prefecture, which neighbours Fukuoka, local authorities there said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency urged people to take shelter as the heavy downpours risked flooding and landslides across the Fukuoka and Oita regions.

A special heavy rain warning has been issued for municipalities in Fukuoka Prefecture. This is the heaviest rain ever experienced" by the region, Satoshi Sugimoto of the JMAs forecast division told reporters.

There is a very high possibility that some kind of disaster has already occurred The situation is such that lives are in danger and safety must be secured," he added.

Non-compulsory evacuation orders were issued to parts of Fukuoka, Oita and neigbouring prefectures, which were opening shelters to accommodate those leaving their homes.

The prime ministers office said a taskforce had been established to coordinate a response to the rains.

The downpour forced the stoppage of bullet train service between western Hiroshima and Fukuoka, operator JR West said.

Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours, and sometimes results in flooding and landslides, as well as casualties.

Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.

In 2021, rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people.

And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season.
A special court in Pakistan on Monday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs son Suleman Shahbaz and all other accused named in the Pkr 16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The special court here issued its order on pleas filed by Suleman and others accused in the case seeking their acquittal. The prime ministers son was present alongside his counsel before the court at the time of the announcement, Geo News reported.

According to the verdict, the allegations against him were without any evidence. Suleman, who returned to Pakistan in December last year after a four-year self-exile in London, was not only accused in the case but was also named in an assets-beyond-means reference. He was declared a proclaimed offender in both cases.

Ahead of his arrival, the Islamabad High Court restrained both the FIA and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting him. The FIA, this January, cited a lack of proof and cleared him in the sugar mills case.

Meanwhile, the FIA has submitted the answers to the 27 questions related to the case in the court. Judge Bakht Fakhar Behzad inquired regarding those involved in the inquiry of the money laundering case. FIAs lawyer told the court that the inquiry was conducted by a joint investigation team headed by a late FIA official.

Tell me straight away, dont make up stories, I have read it all. I will send all the FIA people to jail now, remember this. I want an answer, what proof of crime was there with the challan? the judge asked.

Sulemans counsel, Advocate Amjad Parvez, said that the case is baseless and he had spoken against it. The court then asked, under whose pressure the case was filed. The prosecutor said that there was no direct evidence and Suleman was declared accused in the light of the form used to open the account.

After the hearing, the court acquitted all the accused including Suleman in the money laundering case.

The judge also directed the authorities to take action against the FIA officials for launching the frivolous and baseless prosecution against Suleman and co-accused Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi  so that in future other officers should learn the lesson and should restrain themselves of obeying the illegal orders of their superiors.

The FIA had registered the case against Shehbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Anti Money Laundering Act.

His father and brother had already been acquitted last year in the money laundering case. Thanks be to Allah that the facts came before the people, today by the grace of Allah we have been exonerated, Suleman told reporters outside the court.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

A MAN from Cowdray Park in Bulawayo allegedly killed a motorist in Hwange, stole his vehicle and stripped it for parts.Elias Dzingai allegedly killed Irvine Simbuyu (27) and stole his Honda Fit vehicle and a brown wallet.The incident occurred in Baobab Extension, Hwange on June 24,2023.The police have since recovered the brown wallet containing the victim's particulars from the suspect, as well as the body of the Honda Fit vehicle, which had its parts stripped off.Police confirmed his arrest on their official twitter handle, "On 07/07/23, CID Homicide Bulawayo and CID Hwange acted on received information and arrested Elias Dzingai in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, for a murder case which occurred in Baobab Extension, Hwange, on 24/05/23 where he allegedly killed Irvine Simbuyu (27) and stole hisHonda Fit vehicle. Police has since recovered a brown wallet containing the victim's particulars from the suspect and the body of the Honda Fit vehicle, which had its parts stripped off,'' read the tweet.
A senior Taliban leader has hit out at Prince Harry over his claims that he killed 25 Afghans while serving as Apache helicopter co-pilot during his stint in Afghanistan in 2012-2013.

In his memoir Spare, Harry revealed that he had eliminated two dozen Taliban militants while serving as an Apache attack helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and said he felt neither satisfaction nor shame about his actions. he killed 25 people.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen condemned the prince for not only killing innocent Afghans but also boasting about it and said that Prince Harry ought to feel ashamed of what he did, Arab News reported.

They claim they are a democracy, that they are the advocates and champions of human rights. And then they do this, Shaheen said.

Shaheen further said that the men whom Harry killed were not enemy combatants but innocent villagers. He demanded that the prince be brought to justice.

If their laws are meant for the protection of human rights, then he should be tried (before a court of law). By his own admission he has acknowledged that he killed 25 people. It is a crime, he added.

Prince Harry carried out two tours of duty against the Taliban, first as a forward air controller calling in air strikes in 2007 and 2008, and later flying an attack helicopter in 2012 and 2013.

This isnt the first time that the Duke of Sussex has been criticised by the Taliban for his actions in Afghanistan.

Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader, criticised the Duke of Sussex in January over the remarks saying those Harry killed were Afghans who had families.

Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans," Haqqani had said in a tweet, accusing Harry of committing war crimes".

The truth is what youve said; Our innocent people were chess pieces to your soldiers, military and political leaders. Still, you were defeated in that game, he said.

Harry served 10 years in the British military, rising to the rank of captain.

In 2013, Prince Harry had sparked controversy regarding his Afghan service as he likened shooting insurgents to playing video games.
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), a northern territory of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is rapidly growing as a sought-after destination for wealthy individuals looking for a blend of business and tourism. With its picturesque mountain peaks and a coastline along the Persian Gulf, RAK offers a setting that is distinct from the bustling cityscape of Dubai.

RAK, led by US-educated sheikh Ras Al Khaimah, is pursuing an ambitious foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy to attract high-profile investors, five-star hotels and adventurous tourists from various countries, according to a report published in Bloomberg. The emirates allure extends beyond its natural wonders, as it positions itself as a haven for those seeking exclusive experiences and lucrative business ventures.

RAKs bid to entice wealthy individuals are not limited to its scenic landscapes and vibrant culture. According to the report, the emirate is actively tapping into the UAEs citizenship-by-investment program, which grants select foreign investors and specialists the opportunity to obtain their citizenship.

This program, coupled with the development of a new free zone for digital and virtual asset companies, further strengthens RAKs appeal as a thriving hub for international business and innovation.

While RAKs ambitions are commendable, it faces unique challenges. As one of the smaller emirates in the UAE, RAK must navigate its way through an increasingly competitive landscape, with Dubai often stealing the limelight.

As per the Bloomberg report, the emirate has already witnessed a significant increase in tourism, with record-breaking annual visitor numbers and a notable surge in foreign tourists last year. Russia, Kazakhstan, and the UK are among the key markets contributing to RAKs success.

Looking to the future, RAK aims to attract wealthy visitors from the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, positioning itself strategically between Macau and Las Vegas with a planned Wynn resort. However, questions linger regarding the operation of a Wynn Resort in RAK, given the restriction on gambling under domestic laws.

While there are no immediate plans to allow casinos, early discussions suggest a potential change in policy. In the meantime, RAK continues to invest heavily in five-star hotels, with renowned brands such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Movenpick, and Radisson opening new facilities.

Izzat Dajani, a former senior Goldman Sachs Group banker, said that some now like to call it the Las Vegas of the Gulf, but ultimately RAK should be RAK as it has plenty to shape its direction.

Dajani, who is the founding chief executive of the RAK Investment and Development Office, added that the government will be looking at the return on capital in financial, social and cultural terms.
Sri Lanka is likely to discuss energy, power and port projects during a presidential visit to New Delhi next week, the foreign minister said on Monday, as India tries to push forward stalled initiatives with its crisis-hit neighbour.

Indias support was critical for Sri Lanka last year after it almost ran out of dollars and sank into a financial crisis that left it struggling to fund essential imports including fuel and medicine.

India provided about $4 billion in rapid assistance between January and July in 2022, including credit lines, a currency-swap arrangement and deferred import payments, and sent a warship carrying essential drugs for the islands 22 million people.

Sri Lanka will now focus on grid connectivity between the two countries, port development and renewable energy projects, largely in the northern part of the island, when President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits India from July 21 for two days, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told reporters.

Trincomalee energy-hub development, port development, possible refinery  basically we are discussing with India, Sabry said, referring to a strategically important natural harbour on Sri Lankas northeast shore.

We are now continuously reviewing the progress and finding ways to fast track those, if possible.

The two countries want to expand and develop the Trincomalee harbour into a major port.

Regional rivals India and China have long battled for influence in Sri Lanka, which is strategically located in the Indian Ocean.

Sabry said both China Harbour Corp and Sinopec were keen to invest in Sri Lanka. Sinopec has already been short-listed for a $4 billion refinery near southern Sri Lankas Hambantota port.

Sri Lanka is in talks with both countries to renegotiate its debt after defaulting last May. Sabry said the talks were making good progress.

The idea is to conclude all these things by September and to officially come out of bankruptcy and start repayments, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday asked Western allies for a clear signal" on his countrys NATO membership prospects, on the eve of a key alliance summit in Lithuania.

Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance. Not now, because now theres war, but we need a clear signal and this signal is needed right now," Zelensky said in a video message posted on Telegram.

As Ukraine steps up its campaign for NATO membership, lets look at key moments in its relationship with the Western defence alliance.

- 1994: Post-Soviet peace pact -

After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine on February 8, 1994 becomes one of the first former Soviet states to join NATOs Partnership for Peace".

The programme provides for military cooperation with former communist countries.

Later that year, Ukraine agrees to give up the nuclear weapons it inherited from the Soviet Union in return for security guarantees from the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia.

- 2002: Seeking NATO membership -

On May 23, 2002, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma declares his countrys NATO membership ambitions.

Three former Soviet satellites - Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic  have already joined.

NATO tells Kyiv to bide its time and continue implementing reforms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is entitled to decide its own future but remains generally opposed to NATOs eastward expansion.

In 2004, seven other ex-communist states sign up: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

- 2008: German, French resistance -

At a summit in Bucharest in April 2008, NATO leaders defer putting Ukraine and fellow EU- and NATO hopeful Georgia on a formal path to membership but agree that the two former Soviet republics will become members" at some point.

The United States had pushed hard on behalf of Georgia and Ukraine but Germany and France argued they were not ready for NATO membership.

- 2014: NATO slams Crimea grab -

On March 18, 2014, NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemns Russias illegal and illegitimate" annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula, saying NATO will not recognise it.

NATO steps up its cooperation with the pro-European government that came to power in Ukraines Maidan uprising.

- 2022: Russian invasion -

On September 30, 2022, Ukraine applies for expedited NATO membership, seven months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country.

Finland has just become NATOs 31st member and Swedens application is also being fast-tracked but Kyiv receives only a non-committal response.

In May 2023, Zelensky admits that it is not realistic" to join while Ukraine is still fighting Russia, but that it wants a very clear message that we will be in NATO after the war".

The White House says membership will come in the not too distant future", but not at this weeks NATO summit in Lithuania.
A US drone strike has killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria after Russian warplanes harassed MQ-9 drones over the war-torn country, the US Central Command said Sunday.

The strike on Friday resulted in the death of Osama al-Muhajer, IS leader in eastern Syria, Centcom said in a statement.

We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," Centcom chief General Michael Kurilla was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the IS jihadist group.

ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond," he added.

According to Centcom, no civilians were killed in the operation but coalition forces are assessing reports of a civilian injury".

Fridays strike, Centcom said, was conducted by the same MQ-9s (drones) that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours".

US drones taking part in operations against IS in Syria were harassed on Thursday, for the second time in 24 hours, by Russian military aircraft, a US commander said at the time.

Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said the planes dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved".

In another incident on Wednesday, three Russian jets dropped parachute flares in front of US drones, forcing them to take evasive action, Grynkewich has said, calling on Moscow to cease this reckless behaviour".

Russia is a key ally of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

With the support of Moscow as well as Iran, Assad has clawed back much of the ground lost in the early stages of the Syrian conflict that erupted in 2011 when the government brutally repressed pro-democracy protests.

The last pockets of armed opposition to the regime include large swathes of the northern rebel-held Idlib province.

The United States has about 1,000 troops deployed in Syria as part of international efforts to combat IS jihadists, who were defeated in Syria in 2019 but still maintain hideouts in remote desert areas and conduct frequent attacks.
A federal judge in Louisiana refused Monday to put a temporary hold on his own order limiting Biden administration officials contacts with social media companies. The federal government attorneys had asked U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe to stay his own order, which was issued last Tuesday, while they pursue an appeal.

That order came in a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, as well as a conservative website owner and four individual critics of government COVID-19 policies. The lawsuit claimed the administration, in effect, censored free speech by using threats of regulatory action or protection while pressuring companies to remove what it deemed misinformation.

COVID-19 vaccines, legal issues involving President Joe Bidens son Hunter and election fraud allegations were among the topics spotlighted in the lawsuit. Doughty was nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump.

His injunction blocked the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI and multiple other government agencies and administration officials from meeting with or contacting social media companies for the purpose of encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.

Defendants do not identify any specific conduct that they claim is lawful but prevented by the injunction, Doughty said in Mondays ruling. He refused to block is own order while it is appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The administration can also ask the appeals court for a stay.

Government lawyers have argued that the companies control their own policies regarding misinformation and that the lawsuit casts officials comments on issues and policy as threats. The administration said Doughtys July 4 order was unclear about who in the executive branch it covers and what they can or cannot say about important topics discussed on social media platforms.

The order could cause grave harm by preventing the government from engaging in a vast range of lawful and responsible conduct, government lawyers said in requesting the stay Thursday night.

Doughty order said the administration seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. The order, which was to remain in effect pending further arguments in Doughtys court, was hailed by conservatives as a victory for free speech and a blow to censorship. But critics said the order and accompanying reasons, covering more than 160 pages, were broad, unclear and could chill government efforts to fight misinformation on important topics.

The criticisms were echoed in the governments Thursday night request for a stay. The potential breadth of the entities and employees covered by the injunction combined with the injunctions sweeping substantive scope will chill a wide range of lawful government conduct relating to Defendants law enforcement responsibilities, obligations to protect the national security, and prerogative to speak on matters of public concern, the governments motion said.

The lawsuits plaintiffs countered with a weekend filing opposing a stay.

Among the arguments are that the July 4 injunction carves out exemptions allowing officials to contact social media companies about postings involving criminal activity or public safety threats; national security threats; election-related issues including voter suppression attempts, voting infrastructure threats and illegal campaign contributions; and saying officials can continue exercising permissible public government speech promoting government policies or views on matters of public concern.
Amid reports of drug use, the US government has refused to share information about Prince Harrys American visa application.

The US government was responding to a conservative think tank which appealed to make the visa application of the Duke of Sussex public.

The US Department of Homeland Security rejected this request for the second time, according to Daily Mail.

What has the lawsuit said?

The lawsuit was filed by a Washington DC-based think tank called Heritage Foundation.

The foundation says that Prince Harrys admitted drug use in the media makes it question if the US government followed procedures while he was admitted in the country, according to BBC.

Prince Harry admits to drug use

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote of using cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. His book was released in January.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote of using cocain, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms as a teenager and as well as in his adult years. His book was released in January.

US visa rules and drugs

The lawsuit can be understood in the context of US visa application rules.

Technically, evidence of drug use can be grounds for us immigrant as well as non-immigrant application rejection.

Harry and his wife Meghan Markel, who is an American citizen, moved to the states in January 2020 after they gave up their royal duties.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Provincial police commanders have been instructed not to interfere with opposition rallies except in special circumstances, according to a leaked internal memo.The new directions came after police banned five Citizens Coalition for Change rallies last week in Chivi, Mazowe Central, Chiredzi, Chikombedzi and Bindura for a variety reasons, from claiming that the venues are already booked by Zanu-PF to citing public safety concerns.Now police admit that their actions have led to skirmishes and could undermine the fairness of the vote ahead of the August 23 general elections."These skirmishes are discrediting the electoral processes and commanders are requested to ensure that political parties are allowed to hold rallies unless there are very valid reasons to warrant such rejections," the July 8 internal memo from police general headquarters to provincial police commanders said.Where officers intended to prohibit a rally, the memo said, they should "thoroughly consult before coming up with decisions to deny any political player opportunity to hold a rally or meeting."The memorandum called on police officers to familiarise themselves with provisions of the law that governs the electoral processes to ensure no political party is prejudiced."Commanders should note that for elections to be deemed free, fair, peaceful, and credible, the playing field should be reckoned as level, hence police actions should not discredit the electoral processes," the memo said."The regulatory authorities should acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Electoral Act and MOPA so as to make informed decisions. The purpose of this legal instrument is for the police to prepare and take actions aimed at ensuring that any political activity is done peacefully."One of the rallies banned by police was Sundays campaign launch in Bindura which was to be addressed by CCC leader Nelson Chamisa. Police said the booked venue had no paved access road and ablution facilities and warned of a potential spread of communicable diseases. A court upheld the ban.The CCC has accused police of descending into the political arena by allegedly taking instructions from Zanu-PF. One of the conditions placed on the CCC is a time limit for its rallies and a directive that the party should not use buses to ferry supporters to meetings  while Zanu-PF is hiring as many as 400 buses and 110 lorries for its rallies addressed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, according to leaked internal documents.
As summers in Europe grow hotter, tourists are rethinking their travel plans, reports Forbes . Spain reportedly already broke records for heat and dry weather in April, and Southern Europe in general is dealing with the same dilemma. According to Travel Weekly , climate change data predicts temperatures in the region will likely be well above average throughout the summer, prompting travelers to increasingly book itineraries in "cooler" places like Iceland, Ireland, the UK, and Scandinavia versus Italy and Spain. Forbes reports that Massachusetts-based EF Go Ahead Tours has noted a surge in booked trips to favored summer destinations in what are typically cooler months. Travel to Italy from February to March, for example, jumped 175% compared to the same period in 2019.

It's the continuation of a trend the New York Times reported on in August 2022: that travelers were making or changing plans last-minute with higher temps in mind. One VP of a travel agency told the paper that she could not "remember the last time we had people calling and saying, 'Maybe we're going to skip Rome and opt for a more beach-accessible city.'" In noting the rising tide of tourists seeking to sweat a little less, Euronews recently published a list of Europe's seven "coolest places" temperature-wise that are accessibly by train. They include Amsterdam, Germany's Berchtesgaden, Copenhagen in Denmark, and Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to Travel Weekly, travelers aren't just opting for cool destinations in Europe. Agencies have also noted a rise in bookings for trips to places south of the equator, like Australia and New Zealand, which have their winter when summer heat is baking points north. It isn't like the usual destinations now experiencing unusual heat will fade from tourists' minds, thoughHeidi Durflinger of EF Go tells TW that "February, March" are the best times to go to places like Italy. She notes that you won't need a jacket and can still enjoy the sun, and "it's less expensive to travel during the offseason" anyway. (Read more Travel stories.)
Christians worldwide who've committed the "Our Father" prayer to memory for 2,000 years would likely be thrown if the opening wordsalso the prayer's titlewere suddenly altered. That tweak doesn't seem to be imminent, but eyebrows are raised after one of the Church of England's highest-ranking members publicly took issue with the wording during a recent meeting of the General Synod, the church's ruling body. "I know the word 'father' is problematic for those whose experience of earthly fathers has been destructive and abusive, and for all of us who have labored rather too much from an oppressively patriarchal grip on life," Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said, in what the Guardian calls a "brief aside" in a larger speech on unity.

Aside or not, Cottrell's remarks promoted instant debate among theologians. Canon Dr. Chris Sugden, head of Anglican Mainstream, pointed out that in the Bible, the instruction to pray to "our Father" comes directly from Jesus. "Is the Archbishop of York saying Jesus was wrong or that Jesus was not pastorally aware?" Sugden asks, per the Telegraph. "I can't believe he is doing that consciously, but that's the impression it gives." Sugden adds that "if people have had a difficult relationship with their human fathers, then the option open to them is to say you can rediscover the true nature of fatherhood through Christ." One blogger who had his op-ed reposted on Anglican Ink even went so far as to say Cottrell had "picked a fight with God."

Cottrell does have his supporters, however. The Rev. Christina Rees, a former General Synod member, says Cottrell "has put his finger on an issue that's a really live issue for Christians and has been for many years." She notes that "calling God 'father' has been hugely problematic," especially in the wake of the sexual abuse scandals that have roiled clergy in various churches. "Sometimes the abuse victims have been abused by their birth fathers and gone on to be abused by their fathers in Godthe local priestso there are multiple layers why the term 'father' is really difficult."

"Because Jesus called God 'Daddy,' we think we have to call God 'Daddy,'" she adds. "And the big question is, do we really believe God believes that male human beings bear the image of God more fully and accurately than women? The answer is absolutely not." Cottrell's comments come a few months after the Church of England announced it's mulling using gender-neutral language, including pronouns, when talking about God in prayer. The General Synod meeting continues through Tuesday. (Read more prayer stories.)
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has finally handed over a copy of the electronic voters roll to the Citizens Coalition for Change just over a month before general elections on August 23.ZEC came under fire from the opposition and independent election watch bodies for the opaque manner in which it has so far run the voter registration and verification exercise.Thousands of people found their names missing from the voters' roll upon verifying via mobile phone platforms.Others noticed their names were moved from the polling stations in which they registered in.For a country with a history of suspicion of electoral fraud, some saw the glitches as part of structural vote rigging.In March, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator, Allan Markham filed a court application challenging ZEC for access to the electronic voters' roll.The courts ruled against him because "it was too risky" and in the interest of data protection.But that didn't stop Zanu PF from sending text messages to registered voters urging them to vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.The opposition alleged that Zanu PF had access to the voters' roll which is why it had the capacity to send the messages.ZEC will oversee the general elections against the backdrop of a public spat among its commissioners.Seven of the nine commissioners wrote to President Mnangagwa in January, expressing their displeasure about the delimitation report, which drew constituency boundaries to be used during elections.They said the delimitation didn't "meet the minimum standards expected regarding transparent procedures that strengthen stakeholders' confidence and dispel potential gerrymandering allegations."Only the body's chairperson Priscilla Chigumba and Slaigwana, stood by the report, which was finally adopted.
Florida prosecutors seeking the death penalty for a plastic surgeon accused of killing a lawyer and dumping his body in the Everglades have laid out their case in new court filings, the AP reports. Authorities say Dr. Tomasz Kosowski killed attorney Steven Cozzi in the bathroom of Cozzi's law office moments after both participated in a March 21 conference call about a lengthy, acrimonious legal battle over medical billing. Prosecutors said in court documents that Kosowski took the call from a Toyota pickup truck outside the office and that he had supplies to commit the killing, including trash bags, a syringe containing a paralyzing drug, and a wagon to haul the corpse out.

Although Cozzi's body has never been found, investigators used cellphone records and surveillance video to track Kosowski to a remote area west of Miami on the Tamiami Trail, also known as US Highway 41. That's where they believe Kosowski tossed the body into a Dumpster that was eventually emptied by a garbage truck. The driver noticed an unusually "vile" smell at the stop, authorities said. "Video from the garbage truck of the Dumpster being emptied into the garbage truck shows a large garbage bag falling in a manner inconsistent with normal trash," prosecutors said in a motion asking a judge to hold Kosowski without bond. The parcel's shape and the way it fell looked consistent with something that might hold a human body, they said. A police cadaver dog also indicated a body had been in the Dumpster, according to court documents filed Friday.

Trash from the route is typically hauled to a Collier County landfill, but authorities who searched the property for Cozzi's body said the facility routinely compacts its trash, "making recovery efforts nearly impossible." Kosowski, 44, has pleaded not guilty. A graduate of Dartmouth College medical school, he has specialized in reconstructive breast surgery for eight years, according to papers filed by his lawyers. The missing lawyer represented a medical practice based in Dunedin, Florida, that Kosowski alleged shorted him thousands of dollars in billings and damaged his reputation as a doctor. The dispute got so heated that Kosowski tried to get Cozzi removed from the case and at one point allegedly called Cozzi a "scumbag" during an encounter in the same law office bathroom where prosecutors say the attorney was slain. (Read more Florida stories.)
A US drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, the Defense Department reported Sunday. Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a military official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir while he was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who the AP reports was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said al-Muhajir, who usually operated in the east, was in northwest Syria at the time of the strike. It was not immediately clear how the military confirmed that the person killed was al-Muhajir; no other details were provided. In a statement Sunday, US Central Command said there are no indications any civilians were killed in the strike. The military was assessing reports a civilian may have been injured. Friday was the third day in a row that US officials complained that Russian fighter jets in the region had conducted unsafe and harassing flights around American drones.

US forces have increased raids on suspected Islamic State operatives in Syria, including leaders who had taken shelter under the control of rebels backed by Turkey, per the Guardian. Many of them are suspected of planning attacks overseas. The head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said the Kremlin is disturbed about the drone flights over northern Syria. Rear Adm Oleg Gurinov described them as "systematic violations of protocols" intended to head off any military engagements. (Read more ISIS stories.)
President Biden shut down the idea of Ukraine joining NATO during a sit-down with CNN that aired Sunday, saying the war with Russia must first end. "I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war," Biden told Fareed Zakaria. "For example, if you did that, then, you knowand I mean what I saywe're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case."

He says he's spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the issue, as well as about his pledge to continue providing the country with security and weaponry as the invasion continues. "I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden told Zakaria. "But I think it's premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because there's other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues." He said, per the Hill, that Ukraine is "not ready" for membership and that, per Politico, the process is "going to take a while." Ukraine's potential membership (as well as Sweden's more likely membership) is expected to be discussed at the NATO summit in Lithuania Tuesday, which Biden will attend during his trip to Europe this week. (Read more Ukraine stories.)
In the town of Orikhiv, located in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, people knew to head to one particular two-story school building for food, water, and other supplies doled out as humanitarian aid. Ukrainian officials now say that building was attacked by Russia on Sunday, leaving four dead and at least 13 injured in the front-line town, reports the Moscow Times . Local police said in a Monday statement that dozens of people remain trapped in the rubble, per Politico EU .

Regional Gov. Yuriy Malashko said that a guided aviation bomb was used in the attack, which is said to have taken place around 1:20pm local time on Sunday. Per Reuters, Malashko noted on the Telegram messaging app that those killed included a man and three women, all in their 40s. Ukraine's general prosecutor says it has launched a criminal probe into the incident. "Russians have committed another war crime," Malashko said in his post, per Politico. (Read more Ukraine stories.)
Six people are dead and one injured after a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in southeastern China. The rampage took place Monday morning, starting at around 7:40am, in the city of Lianjiang in Guangdong province, and a 25-year-old man was arrested afterward, according to local police and media. A local government spokesperson says the victims included three children, one teacher, and two parents, reports AFP, via the Guardian . A witness interviewed by local media said that the suspect's child had been hit by a car driven by one of the adults who was attacked, though that hasn't been verified by authorities, per the AP .

Reuters notes that the attack has renewed concern in China over school safety, with attacks on schoolchildren continuing over the past few years despite officials' declarations of more efforts to combat such violence. Gun ownership in China is rare due to strict gun-safety laws, so such attacks are usually carried out with knives or DIY explosives. Now, mass anger is palpable after this latest attack. "Why do such cases still continue to emerge?" one person on the Chinese social media site Weibo posted. Others are calling for strict penalties for offenders. "I support the death penalty," one person wrote. "How many families will be destroyed by this." (Read more China stories.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army, the Kremlin's spokesman said Monday. As the AP reports, the three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Prigozhin has a long-simmering feud with Russia's top military brass, which on June 24 culminated in an armed mutiny; he ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled to Belarus. The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who has branded Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief. His fate and whereabouts have been unknown since the abortive mutiny, which severely weakened Putin's authority.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24." The president also "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat," the Kremlin rep said. "The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," Peskov said. A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company, namely Prigozhin himself, Peskov said.

Also Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring the country's military chiefthe first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebellion aimed to oust him. During last month's revolt, Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition. Monday's updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period. In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

(Read more Yevgeny Prigozhin stories.)
Two manhunts for escaped prisoners were underway Monday on opposite sides of the country. Michael Burham, 34, escaped from the Warren County Jail in Pennsylvania on Thursday, while Eric Abril, 35, slipped away from a California hospital while under armed guard on Sunday. Both inmates have violent criminal records. Coverage:

Survivalist: Burham is a survivalist who authorities say may be able to survive for a while in the wilderness near the Pennsylvania prison, reports the New York Times. The facility is near Jamestown, New York, and the expansive Allegheny National Forest. Police have found campsites in the woods and small stockpiles of unspecified supplies that he may have used, per YourErie.com. They say it's possible he's getting help and could have a weapon by now.

Burham is a survivalist who authorities say may be able to survive for a while in the wilderness near the Pennsylvania prison, reports the New York Times. The facility is near Jamestown, New York, and the expansive Allegheny National Forest. Police have found campsites in the woods and small stockpiles of unspecified supplies that he may have used, per YourErie.com. They say it's possible he's getting help and could have a weapon by now. Prepared: "It supports what we've said all along, that he's prepared, as a survivalist in the past, and tried to be ready, if you will, to spend time in the woods," said Lt. Col. George Bivens of Pennsylvania State Police, per the Times. Burham also has military training. Authorities are asking residents in the region to take precautions and check any home surveillance videos they may have.

"It supports what we've said all along, that he's prepared, as a survivalist in the past, and tried to be ready, if you will, to spend time in the woods," said Lt. Col. George Bivens of Pennsylvania State Police, per the Times. Burham also has military training. Authorities are asking residents in the region to take precautions and check any home surveillance videos they may have. Escape, background: Burham climbed atop exercise equipment to get out on the prison roof, then reached the ground with bedsheets tied together, says a Warren County official. He was being held on kidnapping, burglary, and other charges, and is a suspect in a May homicide in Jamestown, per the AP. Burham led police on a multistate manhunt before being captured after that May murder, per ABC News.
Commoners might have wondered whether President Biden broke royal protocol in placing a hand on the back of King Charles outside Windsor Castle on Monday. They already had shaken hands and were heading to a platform, up a few steps, to listen to a band and review the Welsh Guards, People reports, when Biden executed what appeared to be a casual gesture. The tradition of not touching the sovereign has a long and rich history in the UK, per Yahoo News , and Biden has faced complaints about touching people who didn't want him to.

Not to worry, a Buckingham Palace official said after the meeting. "What a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations," the source said, adding that the new king was "entirely comfortable" with Biden's pat. The president walked in front of Charles when they inspected the Guard of Honor, which the palace said didn't violate protocol, either; the king has spoken of making the monarchy more modern. Then-President Donald Trump caused a stir when he walked ahead of Queen Elizabeth at Windsor in 2018, then appeared to cut her off, per the New York Times.

Inside the castle, Biden and Charles held their first formal meeting, on climate change. Along with US climate envoy John Kerry and UK energy secretary Grant Shapps, they held a discussion with executives and philanthropists, the Guardian reports. The topic was how to encourage big business and private finance to help climate efforts in poor nations. Biden also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before heading to a NATO summit in Lithuania, per NBC News. A White House official said the president and the prime minister discussed Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to the Ukrainian military for use against Russian forces. (Read more President Biden stories.)
The suspect in the 1982 Tylenol poisonings that killed seven people in the Chicago area, triggered a nationwide panic, and led to an overhaul in the safety of over-the-counter medication packaging, has died, police said on Monday. The AP reports that officers, firefighters, and EMTs responding to a report of an unresponsive person about 4pm Sunday found James W. Lewis dead in his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home, said Cambridge Police Superintendent Frederick Cabral. "Following an investigation, Lewis' death was determined to be not suspicious," the statement says. Lewis was 76.

No one was ever charged in the deaths of seven people who took the over-the-counter painkillers laced with cyanide. Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to "stop the killing." He and his wife moved to Massachusetts in 1995 following his release. When Lewis was arrested in New York City in 1982, he gave investigators a detailed account of how the killer might have operated. Lewis later admitted sending the letter and demanding the money, but he said he never intended to collect it. He said he wanted to embarrass his wife's former employer by having the money sent to the employer's bank account.

Lewis always denied any role in the Tylenol deaths but remained a suspect and in 2010 gave DNA samples to the FBI. He even created a website in which he said he was framed. Although the couple lived briefly in Chicago in the early 1980s, Lewis said they were in New York City at the time of the poisonings. In a 1992 interview with the AP, Lewis explained that the account he gave authorities was simply his way of explaining the killer's actions. In a span of three days beginning Sept. 29, 1982, seven peopleincluding a 12-year-old girlwho took cyanide-laced Tylenol in the Chicago area died, triggering a nationwide recall of the product.

Lewis had prior run-ins with the law. In 1978, he was charged in Kansas City, Missouri, with the dismemberment murder of Raymond West, 72, who had hired Lewis as an accountant. He was convicted of six counts of mail fraud in a 1981 credit card scheme in Kansas City accused of using the name and background of a former tax client to obtain 13 credit cards. Lewis was charged in 2004 with rape, kidnapping, and other offenses for an alleged attack on a woman in Cambridge. He was jailed for three years while awaiting trial, but prosecutors dismissed the charges. (Read more Tylenol stories.)
Opinion / Columnist

There were times when the church, especially the Catholic Church, used to be the voice of the oppressed and downtrodden and spoke the truth to power. Alas, those days are long gone and the nations is truly lost. Oh how I miss them days when the church was the light in the darkness, the beacon of hope.Ever since Zimbabwe's independence, in 1980, the church has pandered to the whim and diktats of the ruling elite and lost their moral and spiritual compass. The church leaders have continued to pretend they still had the spiritual authority but they did not, for no one can serve two masters especially contrary masters. Either you travel the straight and narrow path to salvation or go down the broad and ease broadway to damnation. There is no deny which route the church in Zimbabwe has been traveling - the broadway to damnation.Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections. Nothing new, the regime has rigged elections ever since the country's independence in 1980. The country's main opposition party, CCC, and the rest in the opposition camp are participating in these flawed elections knowing fully well that the whole process is a mockery and, worst of all, that doing so will give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship and the tragic human suffering it has brought. They are soldiering on regardless because they also know that Zanu PF is offering a few gravy train seats and POLAD freebies to entice the opposition.David Coltart has summed up Zimbabwe's precarious political situation in one paragraph."The (2013) electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility," confessed Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.There is absolutely nothing to be gained by the long suffering povo out of these flawed and illegal elections. Indeed, it is insane for povo to participate in these elections when all they are doing is giving Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuating their own misery. Povo are participating in these flawed elections to perpetuate their own suffering out of ignorance and/or fear.Credit were credit is due, in the late 1990s the people of Zimbabwe came to the consensus that the nation was being dragged deeper and deeper into hell-on-earth by the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime and the only way to end this ruinous reign was for the country to implement democratic changes designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. It was a belated consensus for Zanu PF had had two decades to dig in and was deeply entrenched in every facet of society; up rooting the dictatorship was, per se, going to be a challenge.Still, better late than never!The nation's golden opportunity to implement the democratic changes came during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Alas, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who the people had risked life and limb to elect into power on the promise the party would implement the changes, sold out. MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform in 5 years of the GNU for the same reasons they have been participating in these elections - greed and breath-taking incompetence.Mugabe bribe Tsvangirai and company with the trappings of high office; the ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a US$4m mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return, the MDC leaders throw democratic reforms out of the window!Although the people had reached the consensus to demand democratic changes, they clearly had no clue what these changes are much less how they would be implemented. Ignorance, the people's worst curse. And because of their ignorance of what the reforms were, they failed to realised MDC leaders' betrayal in failing to implement even one reform during the GNU.Worst still, it is ignorance that has stopped the people from realising the sheer folly of participating in elections "so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw" and that participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate their own suffering."Any party or politician that incites violence or persuades you to join in violent attacks, is not worthy of your vote," said the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) in a Pastoral Statement ahead of the country's general elections scheduled for 23 August 2023."Give your vote to those who deserve it. Of the many choices that you are presented with, be discerning with the aid of the Holy Spirit and choose who you want."How naive! How insane!The millions of rural voters are routinely frogmarched to attend Zanu PF rallies and in like manner will be frogmarched to vote for the party on 23 August. These people are no more than medieval serfs beholden to the overbearing Zanu PF landlords; they have no choice.Zanu PF has already denied 3 m Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote for the obvious reason they were not going to vote for the party. How can these elections be anything but a mockery when one contestant is allowed to cherry pick the electorate to the tune of denying 37% of the potential voters the vote!Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections and the EU recommended 23 reforms to bring Zimbabwe's elections to accepted international electoral standards. Not even one reform has seen the light of day. It was SADC who proposed the 2008 Global Political Agreement leading to the GNU and they too wanted democratic reforms implemented before elections. They took were ignored by both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC.Both Zanu PF and CCC are hell bent on these flawed elections going ahead for their own selfish reasons. They both need the people to participate to give the process legitimacy and who would have guessed that the church leaders are now doubling up as political commissars encouraging people to participate in a flawed and unGodly process.Having encouraged people to participate in these flawed and illegal elections on the presumption the nation does not need reforms, it can win rigged elections; the church leaders cannot complain the elections were rigged. The church leaders know all that and they have played along and issued a muted criticism of the election process in the past. They will do so again in six weeks time!Of course, it is insane and unGodly to keep participating in elections processes "so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw", etc., etc., expecting a different result; especially after 43 years of Zanu PF Mafiosi rigging elections. Who would have guessed that even our clergy would join in in this unGodly insanity! They have and it underlines the sicken depths of depravity our nation has sunk.
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Opinion / Columnist

"As neighbours, no matter what they feel, they must mind their own business because they cannot interfere (in Zimbabwe). Whatever comments we (as neighbours) have, they have to be very limited because you cannot interfere," said former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma.He was commenting on Zimbabwe's 2023 elections which are in full swing. Voting day is set for 23 August 2023."We want to ensure that when you are leading a country, it must spread and influence good neighbourliness and good relations," he continued."Every country looks at elections as a very important event because after a particular period, you reach a point where you say, are we doing very well?"Also, it gives citizens an opportunity to judge you if you have been doing very well. I am looking forward to the elections."One hopes that in acknowledging that elections "give citizens an opportunity to judge" those in power, SA's former president is endorsing the universal maxim that the mandate to govern is derived from democratic will of the people and the people alone and through the holding of free, fair and credible elections.When the 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to implement even one token democratic reform to ensure free and fair elections, SADC leaders (Zuma was president of SA then) wanted the 2013 Zimbabwe elections postponed to allow for reforms. "If you go into the elections next month, you will lose. The elections are done!" they warned Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to their faces.Sadly, SADC leaders' advice fell on deaf ears.Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013 elections, as SADC had predicted. The regional body did a volte-face and endorse the election process as "substantially free and fair" granting Zanu PF legitimacy although they had dismissed it as a farce a few weeks earlier.Once again, SADC observers judged the 2018 elections as "substantially free and fair" granted Zanu PF legitimacy. The EU Election Observers dismissed the same election as a farce."The right to an effective legal remedy was not adequately provided for, there is no equal suffrage and shortcomings in the registration of voters somewhat compromised universal and equal suffrage. Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party," stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report."Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign."As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards."The EU made 23 reform recommendations which, implemented, would have brought Zimbabwe's election to accepted international standards. Not even one of these recommendations have seen the light of day.These 23 August 2023 elections are going ahead without even something as basic as a verified voters' roll, for Pete's sake!SA is one of the few countries in SADC that has successful held free, fair and credible elections to international accepted standards. We want SADC observers to use the 3-foot yard stick to judge these 2023 elections and not the 1-foot yard stick used in 2018. Nothing more, nothing less. That is all Zimbabweans are asking of SADC Election observers and that is not too much to ask.
Just west of Tokyo, youll find a charming city known as Chofuknown for its lush botanical gardens, serene temples and shrines, sports stadiums, tasty soba noodles, and home of the popular manga GeGeGe no Kitaro.

Shizuka travels to Chofu and explores the streets of this peaceful city. She begins her adventure at Tenjin-dori Shotengai, an iconic shopping street lined with manga statues. Strolling down the street, she stumbles upon a retro toy shop then makes a stop at Azukiya Ando for some red bean paste sweets! After sampling some of the shop's specialties, she ventures on to Jindai-ji Temple to take in the tranquil surroundings.

Next up its time for lunch at Matsuba Chaya. Shizuka scans the menu before settling on a spread of soba-based dishes! Apart from soba, Chofu is known for being a mecca for manga lovers, as its the home of Mizuki Shigerucreator of the famous manga GeGeGe no Kitaro. The final stop of the trip is Kitaro Chaya, a teahouse and cafe dedicated to GeGeGe no Kitaro. Our cheerful host steps into this retro wooden building where satisfies her sweet tooth before heading upstairs to soak up the history of the celebrated manga.
Rishi Sunak welcomed Joe Biden to No 10 on Monday as the West was scrambling to agree a stance on Ukraine joining Nato.

The US president and Prime Minister put on a show of unity, to highlight Vladimir Putins spectacular miscalculation over the war, ahead of a two-day Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, starting on Tuesday.

Mr Biden insisted that the UK-US relationship is rock solid at the start of his Downing Street talks. He was warmly greeted by Mr Sunak, having arrived in his Beast vehicle in a high-security convoy at 10.35am.

But their warm words could not hide frictions in the US-UK relationship under the Biden administration, including over the speed of Ukraine becoming a Nato member, supplying it with cluster munitions and Washington not supporting Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to be the military alliances next secretary general, as well as on Brexit.

Mr Biden also met the King on Monday, having missed his Coronation in May, which was being seen as the main focus of the presidents UK visit.

At Windsor Castle, the 80-year-old president and the 74-year-old King are set to discuss how to help to boost private investment to combat climate change, a threat both say is existential.

King Charles alongside President Biden (PA)

The president has huge respect for the Kings commitment on the climate issue in particular. He has been a clarion voice on this issue, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

On Ukraine, Washington appears to be closer to Berlin than London on the pace for Kyiv to join Nato, with the UK seeming to support a more speedy path. Britain, unlike the US, has made clear it will not be supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said Britain and other allies would be heading to Vilnius showing a very united front to Putin. Emphasising that the Russian president had under-estimated the Wests resolve to support Ukraine in the long term, he told GB News: Putin made a spectacular miscalculation as well as of course doing something which is truly heinous and appalling.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said last night that they had discussed the Nato summit and Kyivs counter-offensive.

Mr Kuleba tweeted: With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, Nato, and global security. In an interview yesterday, Mr Biden told CNN: We have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into Nato. But I think its premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because theres other qualifications that need to be met.

Britains Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has struck a different tone, voicing support for fast-tracking Ukraine joining Nato, even if this does not happen while the war is ongoing. Tensions have also been exposed between the US and UK after Mr Biden said he flew to Belfast in April to make sure the Brits didnt screw around over the Good Friday Agreement, on its 25th anniversary, in a post-Brexit row over Northern Irelands trading arrangements.

Meanwhile, Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said her countrys troops were consolidating gains after seizing back more than 74 square miles of territory from Putins army.
Barbie: First reactions single out Ryan Gosling as scene-stealer deserving of an Oscar

The pink carpet was rolled out last night (9 July) in Los Angeles for the world premiere of the Barbie movie, and the first reactions from critics have hit social media.

Made by indie film prodigy Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, Barbie has received overwhelmingly positive early reviews after a screening attended by stars including Nicki Minaj and Dua Lipa.

ScreenRant writer Joseph Deckelmeier called the film funny, bombastic and very smart, adding: Greta Gerwig aims for the fences and hits a home run.

It is ComicBook.com writer Jamie Jiraks favourite film of the year. She wrote: Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, Im dead serious!

Gosling was singled out for praise by numerous people, with Pay or Wait host Sharronda Williams calling the actor a scene stealer delivering most of the laughs.

This Week Media editor Eze Baum said: Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances  particularly from Ryan Gosling  turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3.

Varietys social media editor Katcy Stephan wrote: Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.

Colliders Perri Nemiroff, meanwhile, enjoyed the costume and production design in the movie, but wasnt quite as convinced on story. I think the film serves Margot Robbies Barbie and her journey especially well, she wrote, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest.

The first reactions to Greta Gerwigs #Barbie are out following its world premiere.



Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, Im dead serious! pic.twitter.com/QvdxC0CcDC  Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 10, 2023

Warner Bros was last week forced to defend a doodle of a map in the Barbie movie, after the film was banned in Vietnam.

One scene in the film includes a map showing what appears to be the nine dash line.

The line is a representation of Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

China and Vietnam have long been in a stand-off over the region, while Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia all make claims to parts of the sea.

According to local Vietnamese outlets, the drawing is deemed an illegal image and has therefore prompted the national ban.

Barbie is due for release in the UK on 21 July.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its national caucus and national executive committee (NEC) meetings by one week.

The meetings which were initially scheduled to hold on July 10 and 11 will now take place on July 18 and 19.

While the national caucus gathering will hold at the presidential villa, party leaders will converge on Transcorp Hilton for the NEC sit-down the next day.

In a statement on Sunday night, Iyiola Omisore, national secretary of APC, said the meetings were postponed because of the schedule of President Bola Tinubu who has just been elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Members of the national caucus and national executive committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are hereby informed that our meetings of 10th and 11th of July, 2023, have been postponed to the 18th and 19th of July, 2023, respectively, Omisore said.

The postponement is necessitated by the regional and sub-regional schedules and engagements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Inconveniences are regretted.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has faulted the list of nominees of commissioners by Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun state.

On Friday, the Osun house of assembly received the list of nominees for commissioners and special advisers from Adeleke.

Adelekes list is coming seven months after the governor was sworn in.

Twenty-five persons were nominated by the governor, among whom are two members of former governor Rauf Aregbesolas cabinet Kolapo Alimi and Biyi Odunlade.

On Monday, in a statement signed by Ishaq Akintola, the groups executive director, MURIC said Adelekes list of nominees contains seven Muslims and seventeen Christians.

The group accused the Osun governor of marginalisation, shortchanging and oppression of Muslims in the state.

We condemn this wanton blockage of privileges that should go to Muslims, the statement reads.

By deceiving Muslims in the state and engaging in spiritual hide and seek, Governor Adeleke has exhibited qualities short in honour and dignity but egregiously long in infamy and bohemianism.

The goal of Adelekes deception is for the perpetuation of the marginalisation, shortchanging and oppression of Muslims in Osun state.

Adeleke is a secret agent of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Like the legendary James Bond, a.k.a. 007 who had the licence to kill.

Adeleke has now acquired the licence to oppress Osun Muslims by becoming governor of the state.

For the avoidance of doubts, we are solidly for meritocracy but the latter does not reside in Christendom alone.

Eminently qualified Muslims abound in large number for those who seek fairness and equity. Gone are those days when anyone can use wool to cover the eyes of Muslims.
The Code of Code Bureau (CCB) says it was not true that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) raided its offices.

On Friday, an online report alleged that officers of the DSS removed all incriminating files relating to Tinubu and close aides from ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

However, in a statement on Sunday, Daniel Okafor, CCB director of education and advocacy services, described the publication as misleading.

While the CCB would have preferred to ignore the write-up given the unprofessional manner the story was put together, doing so will give the tale some value and help the writers achieve their aim of misinforming and misleading the general public about an event that happened only in their minds, Okafor said.

The CCB wishes to state unequivocally that at no time did the DSS or any apparatus of the federal government of Nigeria carry out any raid or search for incriminating documents on the president and his associates at its head office in Abuja or any of the offices in the states and the FCT.

It is also necessary to state clearly that at no time since this government assumed office on 29th May 2023 was any directive received from the federal government of Nigeria to cover up any matter regarding the president and his associates as conveyed by the publication.

The general public is therefore urged to disregard the publication as fake news because it has no iota of truth and evidence.

The CCB, however, reassures the Nigerian people that as a foremost anti-corruption agency, it will continue to discharge its functions as contained under paragraph 3 of part 1 of the third schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, as amended.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his election as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Tinubu was elected on Sunday at the 63rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS heads of state and government in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.

The Nigerian president succeeded President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau, who became chairman of ECOWAS on July 4, 2022.

Buhari, in a statement issued on Monday by Garba Shehu, his spokesperson, prayed that Tinubus term in office will bring restoration to the regional economic body.

The former president called on Nigerians to support Tinubu as he takes up the mantle of leadership in ECOWAS.

West Africans have entrusted our new leader with an enormous responsibility, and it will be our task as citizens to support him to not let them down, he said.

I pray the Almighty will make his tenure as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government see to the restoration of ECOWAS as the bastion of democracy, good governance and a leader in fighting terrorism and climate change on the continent.

During his tenure as the president of Nigeria, Buhari manned the affairs of ECOWAS as chairman from July 31, 2018 to June 29 2019.
Should Kylian Mbappe depart PSG this summer, Napoli's Victor Osimhen is reportedly their main transfer objective.

Mbappe has openly stated his intention to leave PSG on a free transfer when his contract expires in June 2024. However, PSG aim to sell him this summer if he does not agree to a new deal with the club.

The latest edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Sunday, confirms that the Nigeria international will be PSG's primary target should Mbappe leave.

Journalist Maurizio Nicita, in the newspaper's sixth page, reveals that Napoli have already turned down a 100m bid from PSG and have set their asking price at 180m.

If Mbappe's summer transfer materialises, it will further bolster PSG's finances, potentially enabling them to meet Napoli's demands.

Despite the interest from PSG, Napoli remain optimistic about extending Osimhen's contract beyond 2025, and they reportedly maintain a good relationship with the player's agent, Roberto Calenda.

As per the report, if Osimhen departs, Lille forward Jonathan David is Napoli's primary target.

The article Paris Saint-Germain to pursue Victor Osimhen if Kylian Mbappe leaves appeared first on Planetsport.com.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has mandated members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to henceforth help in monitoring projects executed in various institutions across the country.

Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sunny Echono gave the student body the mandate on Monday.

Echono decried the poor hostel accommodation for students, insisting that the Fund would in the near future channel more resources to building conducive ones for them.

He said students were at the core of any development programmes of the new government, hence their interest was also of great concern in its intervention efforts.

While stressing the need for equipping students with skills and rights support, Echono noted that TETFund would like the students to be its eye in various institutions, reporting erring contractors to ensure transparency in the system.

We want to be able to identify on each campus a contact person that will be able to checkmate our projects so that we can have first-hand information, even before sending our team there.

We are doing several engagements with other stakeholders. So, going forward, this will make our monitoring process more transparent.

NANS President, Usman Barambu revealed that the student body has been doing discreet monitoring on behalf of the agency but said now that the mandate has been given, they will put in thorough checks across campuses to ensure that contractors who handle TETFund projects carry out such projects diligently through regular feedback.

We are happy to state that our interaction with TETFund is yielding fruits, we are here to thank the Fund and encourage the entire management to do more and more for Nigerian students.
Leather products, raw materials and machines worth over N3 billion were destroyed on Saturday night by fire in Aba, Abia state.

The fire outbreak affected over 30 shops at the mansion zone block of the powerline leather products industrial cluster.

Okechukwu Williams, president of the leather product manufacturers association in Abia, said the huge losses suffered by traders worsened by the harsh economic situation would have been lessened if a fire station were within quick reach.

Williams called on Alex Otti, governor of Abia, to establish a fire service outpost at the Ariaria international market to address emergencies.

Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, chairman of the affected block in the industrial cluster, told NAN on Sunday that more than 500 workers were working in the affected shops.

Nwanchukwu said the fire was put out after the Abia fire service arrived from Umuahia, the state capital, about an hour after the incident.

Cherechi Ndukwe, a victim, appealed for immediate help to the affected traders, noting that the incident has put their businesses, families, and employees in jeopardy.

We made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to douse the inferno with buckets of water before the arrival of the men of Abia fire service from Umuahia, NAN quoted Ndukwe as saying.

It will be very difficult to survive without the support of Abia and the federal government, he added.

Goodluck Mmeri, another victim, said the situation was made worse by miscreants who capitalised on the incident to loot some materials and machines.
Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has reached out to the public for assistance as she finds herself embroiled in a challenging situation with GT Bank.

Following her return from a pilgrimage to Mecca, Afolabi revealed that she had mistakenly transferred the sum of N510,000 to a customers account in April, and to her dismay, both parties happened to use the same bank.

In a plea for assistance, Afolabi took to her Instagram page, she posted:

I mistakenly transferred the sum of five hundred and ten thousand naira to a customers account! We both use the same bank. Since April 1st, 2023. Eyin fans mi e ma gba mi keh. My tired is exhausted honestly!

Expressing her growing impatience and weariness, the actress directed her appeal directly at her bank, urging them to take appropriate action.

Help tag @gtbank, its been over 3 months! They held on to my five hundred and ten thousand naira. I have been patient, I am exhausted. @gtbank @centralbankng kindly do the needful.

In response to Afolabis plea for assistance, her fans and colleagues shared words of encouragement and guidance to her on how to navigate the situation effectively while some shared their experiences using the bank.

@realmercyaigbe commented:Ha! They havent refunded the money? @gtbank your attention is needed!!!!!!!!!!!!

@maadanaaccssories commented:our lawyer should do the needful, there is something called bankers order, its a courts order ordering the bank to release the fund, no bank has the right to dip their hands into customers account without the necessary order from the court of law. So once you are armed with that it should help.




Former Big Brother Naija reality star, Bella Okagbue, has cried out after her luggage went missing at the airport in Athens, Greece.





The reality star said she had gone to the European city for the summer holiday, but her luggage was nowhere to be found after she landed.





She said the luggage contains valuables she couldnt afford to lose.





Taking to her Twitter handle on Sunday, Bella threatened to call out the airline if she didnt get positive feedback from them on Monday.





She wrote, Im not happy at all. How is it that I flew all the way from Nigeria to Athens only to get here, and my luggage is nowhere to be found? Never arrived with me and is missing! I have valuables in there that I cant afford to lose. I really shouldnt be crying on vacation!





If I dont get a positive feedback from them tomorrow, I will post the name of the airline. God forbid I lose that suitcase!




Former President Muhammadu Buhari has denied being in exile.





Buhari described the report of him fleeing the country and in exile as false.





Speaking through his former media aide, Garba Shehu, Buhari said there was no veracity in the report because he has returned home in Daura, Katsina State.





Shehu said it was misleading to report that former President Muhammadu Buhari has fled and was on exile when he is currently at home with family in Daura, Katsina State.





Every platform has tools to verify any information and we dont expect anything less, he said.





Recently, Buhari travelled to London to rest. During his visit, he met with President Bola Tinubu.




The Kogi Government has described the vandalisation of the campaign office of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lokoja, the state capital as barbaric, undemocratic and unacceptable.





The Kogi State Government said this in reaction to the vandalisation of the SDP Gubernatoral Candidates campaign office located at Paparanda Square in Lokoja metropolis by yet to be identified hoodlums on Sunday.





Reacting to the vandalisation of the Campaign Office, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi Commissioner for Information, called on security operatives to fish out the culprits to face the wrath of the law.





Fanwo said, If its true the SDP campaign office was vandalized, we condemn the act in its entirety as being barbaric, undemocratic and unacceptable to the people and Government of Kogi State.





 We hereby call on security agencies in the state to investigate and apprehend perpetrators of the alleged attack with the aim of bringing them to justice and to send a strong warning to hoodlums that the Kogi Governorship Election will be decided by the ballots, not the bullets.





The Kogi State Government will continue to support the freedom of anyone and everyone to aspire to positions in line with the ethos of democratic values. Attacking the Campaign Office of any political party is criminal and would not be condoned.





The government wishes to warn criminals and hoodlums to stay clear of the Kogi governorship poll as the State Government will deal with criminals as criminals.





We also expect political parties to desist from making uninformed, malicious and inciting statements that are capable of disturbing the peace of the state, he said.





The Commissioner assured that Gov Yahaya Bellos administration would continue to support law enforcement agencies to ensure free, fair and credible poll on Nov. 11.





According to him, We have put machinery in motion to ensure the safety of our people before, during and after the election.





Parties are also enjoined to go about their campaigns in an orderly and peaceful manner, he advised.
Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, says claims that he said President Bola Tinubu used religion to win the presidential election, are manufactured falsehoods.

In June, a Twitter user, Will. E, had posted a video where el-Rufai, flanked by Uba Sani, his successor, was seen addressing a group of Muslims in Hausa, shortly after Tinubu was declared winner of the election.

Will. E translated the video and accused el-Rufai and the APC of using religion to win the election.

The video sparked angry reactions on the social media platform.

Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP) in the last election, described el-Rufais remarks as provocative and inherently bigoted.

THEY HAVE MADE UP THEIR MINDS

Speaking at the launch of an autobiography and retirement programme of Ishaq Akintola, a professor at the Lagos State University (LASU), el-Rufai said he chose not to respond to the distortion of his statement because those involved have no regard for truth or accuracy.

The recent furore and hysteria about my pre-inauguration remarks regarding politics and governance in Kaduna state and the electoral victory of the Asiwaju-Shettima ticket should be understood, he said.

I thank MURIC and many concerned individuals and organisations that rose to my defence and even offered accurate translations of my remarks and the key messages contained therein.

I have chosen never to respond to these distortions and manufactured falsehoods like Islamisation, Fulanisation and the like because those that engage in these deliberate distortions will do so and have no regard for truth or accuracy.

They have made up their minds about the message and the messenger whether I speak or not.

So for those that care about the truth, my message in Kaduna was simple  leadership based on Islamic (and indeed, even Christian) principles is fair and equitable  and prescribes that a leader must be fair and just to everyone  whether Muslim (or Christian) or not.

The former federal capital territory (FCT) minister added that he is pleased to observe that the much-derided and opposed Tinubu-Shettima APC ticket not only won the presidential election, but has shown within weeks that the Muslim-Muslim presidency is capable of being fair to every one  Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
The Voice of Northern Youths Patriots (VNYP) has advised President Bola Tinubu not to appoint three former governors from the north-west to his cabinet.

The Kano state branch of the group gave the advice on Monday during a press conference.

Mustapha Mai-Royal, leader of the group, listed the former governors as Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).

Mai-Royal said the trio is under investigation for alleged corruption cases.

He said appointing them as ministers would make the president renege on his promise to give Nigeria the best leadership it needs.

We are hereby calling on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmad Tinubu not to appoint some three former governors from the north-west region as ministers because of various cases of (alleged) corruption against them, he said.

Mr President, you have stated that you would run an all-inclusive government for the unification and betterment of the country, we want to see that from the people you are going to appoint from our region.

These former governors from the north-west have not displayed such qualities as to deserve being appointed in your government.

We have seen the poor performance of some of these governors in the fight against insecurity in their states and the roles they have played.

These weaknesses are enough for Mr President to consider and not appoint them into his cabinet.
President Bola Tinubu says he is grateful to the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for electing him as the chairman of the regional body.

Tinubu was elected on Sunday at the 63rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Bissau, the capital city of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Im grateful to my distinguished colleagues for the honour of being elected as the chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the 63rd ordinary session that took place today in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Tinubu said.

The development is a noteworthy affirmation of Nigerias continued leadership in the sub-region and the African continent. As chairman of the important coalition, I renew my dedication and that of our nation to the cause of peace and progress as we foster the collaboration and commitment required to tackle trans-border issues of security, economic growth and sustainable development.

See pictures below.








Dachung Bagos, a member of the house of representatives, says citizens have the right to defend themselves against violent attacks.

In a statement issued on Monday, the legislator representing Jos south/Jos north federal constituency of Plateau, specifically asked his constituents to defend themselves in the face of assault.

The lawmaker said over 19 people were killed and several houses and properties razed, when bandits attacked Mangu LGA of the state on Saturday and Sunday.

Bagos said residents in his constituency are being killed daily by bandits, adding that they should rise and defend themselves against incessant attacks.

He said the provisions of the 1999 constitution give citizens the right to self-defence and the right to exercise it.

Sadly, innocent citizens are being attacked and killed on a daily bases in Plateau state particularly in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Mangu, he said.

Hundreds have lost their lives since May 2023, and villagers cant go to the farm. Several displaced persons camps and lands were taken over, and farmlands destroyed. What a wicked world!

Just on Saturday, 12 persons were killed in Mangu and also yesterday night, seven of my constituents who are miners were targeted and gunned down. This is sad, barbaric and condemned.

OUR LAND WILL NEVER BE TAKEN BY FORCE

The legislator listed those killed to include  Ishaya David, 25; Paul Dangyuruk, 23; Davou Boyi, 40; Joseph John, 39; Timothy Peter, 35; and Bitrus Dantou  all in Turu, Jos south LGA.

He said most of my constituents now live in fear of bandits and the attacks are now daily.

In the face of this kind of breakdown in the will and capacity of the government to protect the people and their communities, law-abiding citizens must organise to protect themselves, he said.

The point here is when the government fails in its constitutional role to protect its people, citizens have a legitimate duty in law and morality to ensure the continuity of human life.

The lawmaker cited section 33(2)(a) of the constitution, saying the law makes self-defence lawful when undertaken in defence of unlawful violence or for the defence of property.

I want to call on all Plateau citizens to be alert and defend themselves against attackers, and all Plateau state citizens must unite to defend the land, he said.

We are peaceful people, but our inheritance which is our land will never be taken by force, he added.

Caleb Mutfwang, governor of the state, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Mangu LGA after Saturdays attack.
Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas has announced his engagement to his girlfriend, dentist Jess Bell.

The star, who plays Warren Fox in the Channel 4 soap, told OK! that he popped the question while on holiday in Mexico.

"I had been planning it for a while and I wanted it to be perfect," he explained.

Karwai Tang - Getty Images

Related: Hollyoaks' Ellie Henry responds to Holby City star casting

"We'd been in Lake Como a few weeks earlier but we both adore Mexico and I thought, 'Where better than in our favourite restaurant in our favourite resort in our favourite country?'"

Once at the restaurant, Lomax told Bell that he was going to be cheeky and pretend it was his birthday so the restaurant staff would make a fuss and bring out some champagne, which was of course a ruse.

"It was the perfect distraction because thats just what happened and it meant Jess didn't have a clue what was going on," he said.

"Of course, all the restaurant staff were in on the surprise. So they emerged with a cake, singing and clapping with Jess sitting there thinking it was all going well and all about me and my supposed birthday. And then they changed the music that was playing to 'Marry You' by Bruno Mars."

Bell admitted to having no idea what was going on at first, but once she realised, she was overcome with emotion and started crying.

Related: Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr expecting baby with new partner following fiancee split

Speaking about the platinum, one-carat engagement ring adorned with diamond sparkler, Lomas said he was glad Bell had mentioned what kind of ring she wanted, and he had a jeweller friend. "Otherwise I might have just nipped and bought something from Argos," he added.

When it comes to the wedding itself, neither of them want to do the traditional thing.

Bell mentioned wanting a Vegas wedding with an Elvis impersonator, while Lomas is keen on the idea of a pool party holiday.

"We'd love our friends to come and join us out there but there's no pressure at all," the actor added. "We'll probably have a party back here in the UK anyway."

Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4, with new episodes dropping each weekday morning. The show airs Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, and at 7pm on E4.

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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Former Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi will leave PSG for 10 million this summer.





Galatasaray are in advanced negotiations to sign the Argentine, according to the French daily LEquipe.





Icardi joined PSG from Inter Milan on loan in 2019 and later made the deal permanent for 50 million the following summer.





He went on to score 33 goals and provide 10 assists in 62 appearances across competitions in his first two seasons in France.





He soon fell out of favour at the French capital club, which preferred Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe to lead their attack.





The South American made just 10 Ligue 1 starts in the 202122 season and joined Galatasaray on loan for the 202223 season in search of regular playing time.





He found form in Turkey, scoring 23 goals and providing eight assists in 26 appearances across competitions.





The striker was pivotal to the Istanbul outfits league triumph.





Having been impressed by Icardi, Galatasaray are keen to bring him back on a permanent deal.





The Turkish Super Lig club are edging closer to buying the Argentinian for a modest fee of 10 million.
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his emergence as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States.

Sanwo-Olu, in a statement dated 10 July 2023 and signed by Tinubus Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, described the development which took place at the 63rd Ordinary Session on Sunday in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau as a significant affirmation of Nigerias leadership in the West African sub-region and the African continent.

He added that the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by his colleagues to lead the important coalition will manifest in effective collaboration and practical solutions to the challenges of economic growth, sustainable development, and issues of trans-border security.

Sanwo-Olu said, On behalf of the people of Lagos State, I want to congratulate our leader, mentor, and pathfinder, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this remarkable achievement as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

We have absolute confidence that you will perform exceptionally well in your new role as the Head of the important regional organisation and we are happy to be associated with you.
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has directed that Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme be handed over to the State Guidance Counselor for counselling following her admission of faking her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Ministry of Education, Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, and made available to Channels Television.

He stated that in a letter to the Principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School Nnewi, Governor Soludo further directed the immediate commencement of psychological counselling and therapy sessions for Mmesoma.

The Governor in the letter signed by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, also directed that Mmesoma be handed over to a Professor of Clinical Psychology.

The directive is in line with one of the recommendations of the Committee set up by Anambra State Government to investigate the matter, following the parading of the fake results which elicited interest and generated controversy and misgivings to the general public.

Channels TV reported that the committee of inquiry set up by the Anambra State Government to look into the examination fraud involving Mmesoma confirmed that she manipulated her UTME result, giving herself a score of 362 as against an actual score of 249.

The Committee in its eight-page report said that the candidate admitted that she manipulated the fake result herself, using her phone.

Weve been vindicated  JAMB

Following the report of the Anambra State Committee of Inquiry which indicted Mmesoma, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it has been vindicated.

The Board stated that this had further reinforced its position that its system was not and cannot be compromised.

Having initially come under fire from some quarters for declaring Mmesoma a fraud, JAMB in a statement on Saturday, said it will not despair in spite of the painful realisation that some Nigerians would do anything to cast aspersions on the good name of the Board.
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday evening, returned to Abuja on Monday evening, after a two-day official visit to Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, where he attended the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

President Tinubu arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 6:30 pm, aboard the NAF 001 Boeing 737 jet.

While in Bissau, the President was unanimously named the new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, making him one of the fastest into that office, after the election into office as President of any of the member-states.

After accepting the role of Chairman of the Authority, Tinubu pledged to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.

He warned that terrorism and the persistent pattern of coup detat in the region had reached alarming levels, demanding urgent and concerted action.

He argued that insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the sub-region, necessitating collective action from member-states.

While decrying the emerging pattern of coup detat in West Africa, Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.

There is no one among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didnt give our soldiers resources, we didnt invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people, he said.

According to him, the military turning its guns against civil authorities violates the principles upon which they were hired, which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations.

We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs, he added.

He urged his counterparts to strengthen their respective democratic institutions and ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law, saying his one-year tenure will enhance engagements with the countries in transition (Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso) to ensure their quick return to democratic rule.




President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said leaders of the West Africa sub-region must rise above coups detat and threats to democracy.





Dele Alake, the presidential spokesman, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement following the emergence of Tinubu as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the ongoing 63rd Ordinary session in Guinea Bissau.





The President of Africas most populous country avowed that insecurity and creeping terrorism are stunting the progress and development of the West African region.





He noted that the threat to peace in the region had reached alarming proportions with terrorism and an emerging pattern of military takeover that now demanded urgent and concerted actions.





Tinubu emphasised the need to embrace kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy, to end regional insecurity.





He pledged to harmonise all strategies and resources towards actualizing lasting peace in the region.





On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level and needs urgent actions to address the challenges. Indeed, the regions progress and development will remain elusive without a peaceful environment. In this regard, we must remain committed to utilising all regional frameworks to address the menace of insecurity.





There is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight Against Terrorism 20202024 and the operationalization of the ECOWAS standby force on fight against terrorism.





I will ensure that we harmonise these plans and mobilise resources and the political will towards actualizing the initiatives. As terrorists do not respect boundaries, we must work collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure, he stated.
Authorities in Cape May County have identified the person killed in a North Wildwood house fire on Thursday as the 68-year-old woman who owned the residence.

Joanne Nessen died of possible asphyxia  lack of oxygen, the Cape May County Prosecutors Office said.

The fire broke out at the 1-story home on the 2200 block of New York Avenue shortly before 4:15 p.m., the North Wildwood Fire Department said.

Firefighters found Nessen in a rear bedroom of the home and removed her through a side window. She was taken to an area hospital where she died less than an hour later, officials said.

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation, according to the prosecutors office.

Multiple area fire departments assisted the North Wildwood Fire Department in extinguishing the blaze.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cape May County Prosecutors Office at 609-465-1135. Anonymous tips can be submitted on the Cape May County Prosecutors Office website at cmcpo.tips or by calling Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital may vote to strike on Monday night, rejecting a contract offer with the New Brunswick facility after three months of failed negotiations, according to the union that represents the nurses.

Staffing is the top issue, said Judy Danella, president of United Steel Workers Local 4-200 and a registered nurse at the hospital.

Staffing is just not improving the way the nurses feel it should be, she said.

They are also seeking a pay hike, retirement benefits and a cap on insurance costs.

Danella said so far the union has around 70% of its members backing a vote to strike.

The hospital in a statement said it was disappointed, adding that it has been committed to negotiating transparently and in good faith.

RWJUH nurses already are the highest paid in the State of New Jersey at every level among their peers at comparable hospitals  even before the proposed increase offered in this contract renewal, a spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. To further our commitment to our nursing staff, RWJUH has put forth a generous package that ensures our nurses remain at the top for years to come. On average our wage proposal is 14% higher than the average published rates for similar New Jersey hospitals.

The facility noted it has added more than 100 registered nurses along with additional clinical care techs and pediatric care techs, and is continuing to add (registered nursing) staff.

But Danella says the current staffing level is still inadequate. Many of the nurses, she said, are not experienced.

Since we are one of the largest hospitals in the state, our acuity is very high as well, Danella said. So being a level one trauma center, we want to make sure our patients are safe and theres not always  even with travelers and hiring staff and all that  theres not always enough staff to staff the patients.

Voting began on Sunday. The final vote will take place at 9 p.m. Monday at Magyar Reformed Church in New Brunswick, she said.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is a 965-bed facility and the flagship hospital of its parent network, RWJBarnabas Health. The network treated more than 3 million patients last year.

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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.
UPDATE: One of the people injured in the fire has died.

At least three residents were taken to a local hospital with injuries in a three-alarm blaze on Stegman Street in Jersey City Monday morning.

The blaze at 269 Stegman St., a two-story home between Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenue, across the street from Audubon Park, was reported just before 7 a.m. The fire was brought under control at approximately 10:15 a.m.

The home next door suffered damage as well. Details on the fire or the injuries were not immediately available.

Stay with NJ.com/hudson for updates on the fire.
The man shot dead by members of a regional fugitive task force in Jersey City late Saturday night was being sought for a fatal shooting a day earlier in Orlando, Florida, authorities said Monday.

Orlando police have identified the man as 56-year-old Esteban De Jesus Jr. Police in Florida say he was armed with a machete and a handgun Friday night at 6:43 p.m. when he fatally shot a woman and her husband who lived next door inside an apartment complex.

The woman, 67-year-old Leonidas Duran, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband was taken to the hospital in stable condition, police said.

De Jesus fled and was located on Jefferson Street in Jersey City by the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force Saturday night. He was shot while being apprehended and he died from his injuries at the Jersey City Medical Center, authorities in New Jersey and Florida said.

The investigation into the suspects arrest and death are being handled by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. The AGs Office sent out a press release with few details Sunday afternoon and have yet to identify the victim.

State law requires the Attorney Generals Office conduct investigations into deaths that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officers official capacity or while the decedent is in custody.
A woman stabbed her former boyfriends new girlfriend multiple times at an East Brunswick motel before trying to run her over with a car last week, authorities allege.

Quadira Banks, 37, of New Brunswick, was later taken into custody at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick  the same facility where the injured woman was taken for treatment, East Brunswick police said.

The altercation began just after 10 a.m. at Studio 6 on the northbound side of Route 18, according to police. Banks stabbed the woman in the face and body before getting in her own car and trying to drive over the victim twice, officials alleged.

Banks is charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and a weapons offense. She was taken to the Middlesex County jail after being arrested. No attorney information was immediately available for Banks.

The woman who was stabbed was in stable condition, officials said.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
A New Jersey pulmonologist has been charged with sexually assaulting a child, authorities said.

Cornelius Gallagher, 62, of Wall, assaulted the victim at various locations in the township, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office said. The victim is not a current or former patient, officials said.

The alleged assault began 20 years ago and continued for more than a decade, the prosecutors office said.

Gallagher is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault. He is being held at the Monmouth County jail ahead of a scheduled first court appearance on Wednesday.

Dr. Gallagher is pleading not guilty, his attorney Brian J. Neary said Monday. Hes a well-respected doctor and were prepared to go forward on Wednesday.

He also works at Shore Pullmonary, which has Monmouth County locations in Manasquan, Ocean Township and Rumson.

Gallagher is also affiliated with Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center and Ocean University Medical Center, according to Hackensack Meridian Health.

We take these charges very seriously, Hackensack Meridian Health said in an emailed statement. Dr. Cornelius Gallagher was suspended today pending investigation in accordance with our medical staff bylaws. It is important to note that authorities have stated that the charges are not connected with his interaction with any patient.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
Perhaps politicians in Jersey City just dont know.

Perhaps 50 Journal Square  historically known as the Universal Building (erected 1925-1926)  is, through City Halls fixed focal lens, a building in distress, an emptied-out eyesore, a carbonized edifice without a fragment of cultural value.

To them, nothing more.

Hence it must be and will be demolished, they assert, and eminent domain  the government-seizure instrument disenfranchised communities fear the most  will ensure its erasure. In its place will be, they promise, a widened pedestrian concourse landscaped into a pocket park. Occupants of the Squares newest apartment towers of affluence  and there are many  will be pleased and well served.

The keeping of heritage monuments is best decided by them, the politicians, they claim  them alone. Dismiss constituent voices; disregard community outcry. Ignore the protestations of grassroots advocates pleading for the Universal Buildings reimagining, for its continuation as an architectural asset to Journal Square and a potential companion preservation project to the Loews Jersey Theatre (erected 1926-1929), the two being imagined and manifested on a shared sidewalk at the same shift in development in the Square in the late-1920s.

In their obdurate eyes  eyes seemingly closed off to culture and conservation  the Universal Building is just a strange eight-story flatiron structure standing on a trapezium lot lacking the copious ornamentation of the Loews. Aside from knowing that the address was most recently a bar and restaurant  a hospitable destination for commuters coming home from work via the PATH, or weekenders looking for a safe and welcoming neighborhood venue  the buildings historicity is, from their perspective, virtually non-existent, shallow, without much depth, un-chaptered.

Universals tapestry-brick walls and flat planes  copper-hued and textured in the provinces of middays and aglow in the radiances of full moons  do not rise to the level of historic preservation, these politicians actions show. Instead of appreciating an awesome vertical capsule of vernacular urban architecture and embracing its potentiality as a key component in the rebirth of the Square, they prefer to speak to the stresses its exterior envelope is facing. They see, only, smog-slicked elevations. They take notice, exclusively, of structural straps seemingly holding its skin together. Rooftop cellular antennae grids capture their tear-it-down imagination. Beyond saving; a decades-in-the-making blight; a relic of neglect; cost-prohibitive; a non-showcase preservation project City Hall can do without  they are saying it all to fuel and justify their fast-moving plans.

Blind to the past, they are, these representatives of our oldest, most vulnerable historic wards, the sole determinants of what stands and what falls.

But in Jersey City, even eleventh-hour architectural enlightenment is possible  it has happened, though usually oncein-a-generation  which will take, for politicians, a soaring willingness to see the bigger preservation picture, particularly in this age of amplified, at-any-cost development.

SQUARES ORIGINAL BUILDING BOOM

It does not take much to plumb the origin records of buildings. Research is often where deep and genuine appreciation for legacy architecture begins and can, if done concertedly and with the right intentions, be the starting point for shaping perceptions of architectural significance and preservation worthiness.

With the Universal Building in particular, visits to public repositories will reveal  in a sort of mesmerizing slow-motion effect  past, not-so-distant incarnations of the Journal Square area; shed light on Universals visionary investors, builders, and architects; and pinpoint, with factual certainty, who the lease holders, tenant occupants, and visitors were over the decades.

Waiting in the archives:

The Universal Building was the dream of Journal Square pioneer Henry W. Runyon (1878-1931), who, with his Jersey City-based development company, Universal Security Co., helped to initiate a building boom in the 1920s, transforming the Square into a dynamic skyscraper district.

Runyon hired the esteemed Manhattan architecture firm Clinton & Russell, with partner and Jersey City resident J. Hollis Wells (1864-1926) in charge of the companys lucrative Jersey City commissions. Wells was already famous for his New York City work, including the Apthorp Apartments (1906-1908) and the Hudson Terminal (1906-1909) buildings, and in Jersey City he was praised for his designs for the Jersey City Hospital (1908-1909), the Hotel Plaza (1922-1924), the Carteret Club (1916-1917), and the Trust Co. of New Jersey headquarters (1920-1922). The Universal Building, a flatiron structure that springs eight stories from its trapezium lot, was one of Wells last works of architecture, with his death coming on the eve of the buildings completion.

In 1931, the Jersey City radio station WAAT started broadcasting from the Universal Building after moving from its first location at the Hotel Plaza on Sip Avenue. Hosted by Jersey Journal columnist Clarence J. Ingram (1892-1956), the station was one of the first to feature around-the-clock local, national, and world news, and, with its live popular music programming, helped launch legendary careers, including Frank Sinatra, who was a regular studio guest in the 1930s.

The Universal Building was home to generational storefront businesses, including Franklin Cleaners, Bettingers Novelty liquor store, and Charles Mens Shop, a clothing store that would later, in the early-1980s, serve Jersey Citys burgeoning hip-hop culture scene by selling the latest Adidas and Puma sneakers.

COLONY OF SKYSCRAPERS

The Universal Building (erected 1925-1926) is actually one member in an architectural menagerie referred to by The Jersey Journal in 1926 as Journal Squares colony of skyscrapers. This big-building era consisted of office and residential towers, movie palaces, warehouses, and church spires, including:

The Trust Company of New Jersey (1920-1922; extant); Clinton & Russell, architects

Esserac Building (1926-1927; extant); George Flagg, architect

Hotel Plaza (1922-1924; extant); Clinton & Russell, architects

Odd Fellows Building (1927-1928; extant); Dodge & Morrison, architects

Elks Club (1918-1919; extant); William Neumann, architect

The Jersey Journal Building (1922-1925; extant); John T. Rowland Jr., architect

Public Service Building (1909-1912; extant); John T. Rowland Jr., architect

State Theatre (1920-1922; demolished 1998); Percie A. Vivarttas, architect

Stanley Theatre (1927-1928; extant); Fred Wesley Wentworth, architect

Loews Jersey Theatre (1926-1929; extant); Rapp & Rapp, architects

Chime Tower/St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church (1923-1925; extant); John T. Rowland Jr., architect

American Can Company Warehouse (1927-1928; extant); Carl G. Preis, engineer/architect

Spingarn Arcade (1924-1925; extant); William Neumann, architect

John Gomez is the founder of the non-profit Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy and holds a master of science in historic preservation from Columbia University. He may be reached at preservationtv@gmail.com.
NEW YORK  Of all the inconsistencies, injuries and occasional incompetence that persisted throughout the first half of the Yankees season, ace Gerrit Cole was a rock, an unwavering source of dominance within the pitching staff.

Cole finished the first half of his fourth season in pinstripes with a 2.85 ERA and a 9-2 record. The Yankees were 14-5 in his 19 starts, winning all eight games that Cole pitched following a loss.

Hes been so good that hell be able to check off a new accolade this week, the latest resume booster for a pitcher thats on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Cole has been named the American League starter for Tuesdays All-Star Game. Astros manager Dusty Baker made the pick.

Its just something that I always wanted to do, Cole said during a press conference at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday afternoon. I feel like Im physically able to do it and I got an opportunity. Thankful that Dusty selected me.

This will be Coles second appearance pitching in the All-Star Game  his first since 2015 with the Pirates. A Yankees pitcher hasnt started the All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in 2001.

The right-hander didnt hide the fact that he was hoping to get the nod over these last few weeks, speaking about his sixth career All-Star selection.

BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

Thats like a dream come true, Cole said after his final start of the first half on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. It would be a huge honor to represent the organization and all the hard work that everybody behind the scenes here has put in to culminating in the success that weve had so far in the first half.

Cole went on to list off the all-time arms that have started All-Star Games hes attended over the course of his illustrious career. He rattled off names like Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, pitchers that are destined for a place in Cooperstown down the road.

Seeing how they go about their business behind the scenes is a great learning process for me and just to see how deliberately the great ones go about their business, he said.

If Cole keeps racking up these accolades, he might join them someday.

In the meantime, Cole will be the only player to represent the Yankees on Tuesday at the Midsummer Classic in Seattle at T-Mobile Park. Aaron Judge was also voted to start for the American League, but hes unavailable to play due to his right big toe injury. The captain announced on social media on Sunday that hes staying back in New York to get treatment, choosing not to attend the All-Star festivities.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.
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Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Looking for more to do this week? Check out the latest on Gambit's calendar at calendar.gambitweekly.com.

Running of the NOLA Bulls

New Orleans own annual running of the bulls  complete with horned Big Easy Roller Derby skaters carrying plastic bats  hits the streets this weekend. The San Fermin in Nueva Orleans festival includes events from Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16. The weekend opens with a party 5-9 p.m. Friday at Howlin Wolf with music. On Saturday, the centerpiece running of the bulls gets started at 8 a.m., and a post-run fiesta takes place outdoors at Howlin Wolf, with an indoors VIP area. And a burlesque-theme brunch closes the weekend on Sunday, with time and venue details to come. Registration for Saturdays run is $20, with additional tickets needed for other events. Find more information at nolabulls.com.

Bastille Day Block Party

The French American Chamber of Commerce Gulf Coast Chapter and businesses in Faubourg St. John celebrate the storming of the Bastille with a block party. Theres live music, dancing, a clown, a craft market, food and drink vendors and more. There are prizes for the best Napoleon and Marie Antoinette costumes. From 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Ponce de Leon Street at Esplanade Avenue. Free admission. Find details on Facebook.

Romeo and Juliet

The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane presents the Bards classic story of young lovers caught between their feuding families. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16. Theres a preview night on Thursday, July 13, and the show runs through July 30. General admission is $40. Find schedule and information at neworleansshakespeare.org.

Bastille Day Fete

The Alliance Francaise de la Nouvelle-Orleans celebrates Bastille Day with music, French food and more. Theres music by Anais St. John, Pardon My French and DJ James Carpenter. Festivities also include a performance by Les ReBelles, a costume contest, games for kids, a cash bar and a toast led by Nathalie Beras, the Consul General of France in Louisiana. From 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, July 14, at the Alliance Francaise at 1519 Jackson Ave. Admission is $5 for Alliance Francaise members and $10 general admission in advance, and $15 at the door. Visit af-neworleans.org/bastilleday2023 for information.

Skating Polly

Step-siblings Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse started playing together in 2009 when they were just 9 and 14 years old. Something clicked and the two multi-instrumentalists, along with Mayos brother Kurtis Mayo on drums, now have six full-length albums of grunge and fun garage punk under their belt. Their latest record is Chaos County Line, released in June. Skating Polly plays Santos Bar with Bugsy and Jacklen Ro at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 16. Tickets are $10 via santosbar.com.

Hal Lambert + Mitchell Mobley

Guitarist Hal Lambert and percussionist Mitchell Mobley are each firmly ensconced in south Louisianas experimental music scene. Lambert runs the Baton Rouge-based label Tentative Power, and Mobley just released his first solo album, Build a Joyful Noise after years of collaborations. The two are natural collaborators, building improvised, intriguing soundscapes using everything from traditional instruments to screwdrivers and found objects. Lambert and Mobley perform together again next at 9 p.m. Monday, July 10, at Gasa Gasa, with Secret Cowboy and Ryan C. Clarke. Tickets are $10 via ticketweb.com.

Gladney

Saxophonist and composer Gladney can be seen playing with Joe Dyson, Courtney Bryan, Mykia Jovan and more New Orleans musicians, and has toured with the Jake Shears Band. And the former member of The Rumble has recently been working on his debut solo EP and gave a peak last year with the buoyant single Selenite. Gladney leads his own band  pianist Shea Pierre, guitarist Kennan McRae, bassist Max Moran and drummer Simon Lott  and guest vocalist Amber Rene in two sets on Wednesday, July 12, at Snug Harbor. Tickets are $27.75 via snugjazz.com.

Musical 'Newsies' runs July 13-23 at Rivertown Theaters From newspaper war to newsboy strike to Disney movie to Broadway musical.

Tatiana Dorokhova

Russian-born pianist Tatiana Dorokhova won the silver medal at last years New Orleans International Piano Competition. Shes currently studying music in Missouri, and returns to New Orleans for this concert. The program includes works by Beethoven, Claude Debussy and Modest Mussorgsky. Presented by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Loyola University New Orleans Roussel Hall. Find tickets and information at masno.org.

Charlie Gras

Charlie Gabriel celebrates his 91st birthday with the Preservation Hall All-Stars and guests. His career stretches from playing with the Eureka Brass Band during World War II to his long residence at Preservation Hall. The saxophonist and clarinetist released an album of jazz standards and a couple of original tunes two years ago. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, at Toulouse Theatre. Tickets $25 via toulousetheatre.com.

Jimbo Mathus

Though well-known for his time in the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jimbo Mathus has released a string of solo albums grounded in blues, rock and country sounds. He performs at 11 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Le Bon Temps Roule. Visit therealjimbomathus.com for details.

Smokehouse Brown returns to BJs

Veteran blues guitarist and everyones favorite curmudgeon Smokehouse Brown is back at BJs in the Bywater. Along with the Red Beans Blues Band, over the last two years Smokey helped turn Mondays at the local watering hole into a must attend for blues lovers. As usual, therell be free red beans to boot! Show starts sometime after 9 p.m. Monday, July 10, at BJs Lounge at 4301 Burgundy St.
NOPD detective L. Martinez Jr., next to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, interim NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork, Col. Lamar Davis of the Louisiana State Police, right, along with other members of law enforcement, NOFD and EMS walk down Bourbon Street just after midnight ceremoniously closing down Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Members of mounted patrols led the way. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) ORG XMIT: BAT2302220220363833
One person is dead and two are injured after a crash Sunday night near Menomonie, according to a press release from the Eau Claire branch of the Wisconsin State Patrol.

At about 9:40 p.m., the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Dunn County Sheriffs Office responded to a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 eastbound near mile marker 38.

A 32-year-old female from Baldwin Park, California, was driving one of the vehicles and was found dead when authorities arrived. Two people were also injured.

The Menomonie Police Department assisted with the crash, which remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The most intense drought conditions are happening in the Midwest, throughout the upper Mississippi River basin, during what should be the rainiest season. Worsening drought upriver is raising red flags for the lower Mississippi, which relies on the Ohio River basin for about 60 percent of its flow. At St. Louis, the Mississippi River is about 10 feet below average for this time of year, with months to go until fall, its typical low season.

Low river levels could bring a cascade of challenges for ships on the Mississippi River. Their docks may be affected, and they may not be able to get to them, said Anna Wolverton, the NOAA liaison to the Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division.

Last fall was a perfect storm of weather conditions: lower-than-normal rainfall, higher-than-normal temperatures and a longer-than-usual La Nina, which causes drier, warmer weather. This year could shape up to be the same, according to NOAA forecasters.
Clancy DuBos is the politics editor and columnist at Gambit in New Orleans. Email him at clancy@gambitweekly.com.
People demonstrate outside the Supreme Court, Friday, June 30, 2023, in Washington. A sharply divided Supreme Court has ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loan debts for millions of Americans. Conservative justices were in the majority in Friday's 6-3 decision that effectively killed the $400 billion plan that President Joe Biden announced last year. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) ORG XMIT: DCJM404
SEHO and Lean Stream Start Strategic Partnership Published: 10 July 2023 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes

ERLANGER, KY  SEHO North America, Inc., a worldwide leading supplier of complete solutions for soldering processes and automated production lines, is proud to announce a new partnership with Lean Stream for technical sales representation across the northern regions of California and Nevada.

Established in 2003, Lean Stream is a value-added manufacturers representative and distributor based in Silicon Valley that provides world-class leadership in electronics assembly solutions to enable a Smart Factory.

Our companies complement each other perfectly. In this way, the partnership creates synergies that guarantee successful support for our customers, emphasizes Gus Mavrou, Regional Sales Manager at SEHO North America and he adds Lean Stream has superior understanding of both manufacturing processes and our customers requirements. With this new partnership, we are optimally adapting sales in Northern California and Northern Nevada to customer needs with increased flexibility and great agility.

SEHO implements total solutions that are efficient and powerful. The modern soldering systems are ideally supplemented by innovative THT-AOI systems as well as automation technology.

Robert Jones, Lean Stream President states in talking with industry leaders and customers that I respect, the feedback is that SEHO provides the most innovative designed selective and wave solder machines in the industry for decades. With the design of low maintenance, smaller solder pots, and solder transfer design, it is very effective for our customers with complex requirements.

The common goal of both companies is the efficient support of the customers in the implementation of their production goals in order to make them even more successful.

For more information, please visit www.sehona.com or www.lean-stream.com
VALPARAISO  The Porter County Sheriff's Department is mourning the recent death of Joker, an 8-year veteran K-9 officer with the department.

Joker reportedly died in his sleep Thursday.

"He was an 8-year veteran of our agency and was involved in countless investigations over his time with us," the department reported.

Retired longtime Chesterton police officer dies, town says He reportedly died at the campground at Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana, "doing what he loved, camping."

"Always prepared and ready to serve our community, Joker and his handler, Cpt. Matt Edwards, performed many tracks and apprehensions of suspects, tracked missing subjects, and aided in the discovery of numerous narcotics," according to police

"He had a great 13 years on this earth and is a constant reminder that life is short. Thank you for your service K9 Joker."
MICHIGAN CITY  Police are seeking tips in the wake a shooting Friday that left two people injured, including one with life-threatening injuries.

Michigan City police officers were called out around 3:53 p.m. regarding gunshots fired in the 400 block of York Street, Capt. Kevin Urbanczyk said.

Police said they found a 36-year-old and 28-year-old, both of Michigan City, with multiple gunshot wounds.

The 36-year-old was flown from a nearby landing site to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with life-threatening injuries, Urbanczyk said.

Machine gun seized, arrests made in crackdown on Region street gang, cops say "In recent months, the Michigan City Police Department began investigating numerous shooting incidents that captivated the attention of the community and law enforcement officials," Michigan City Police Chief Steven Forker said.

The 28-year-old was taken to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers collected numerous pieces of evidence and interviewed multiple witnesses, Urbanczyk said.

4 injured in Michigan City shooting The victims were between ages 19 and 25, police said. They were attending a gathering Monday evening on the 1100 block of Salem Street.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Cpl. Kay Pliske at 219-874-3221, extension 1086, or by email at kpliske@emichigancity.com.

The department can also be reached through Facebook Messenger, its crime tip hotline number at 219-873-1488 or the WeTip Hotline for General Crime at 800-78-CRIME.
CHICAGO  A former slag dump on the Southeast Side was once slated to be the city's next landfill but instead ended up home to egrets wading in search of fish to spear, BMX bikers looking to catch serious air, and one of the most comprehensive exhibits about Calumet Region history.

The 297-acre Big Marsh Park features the centerpiece of the $7.8 million, 9,300-square-foot Ford Calumet Environmental Center, which tells the story of the bistate Region's development, environment and people.

The wide-ranging exhibit talks about the steel industry, the pollution, the ethnic melting pot, native species like great blue herons and everything else that makes the Region the Region. It features taxidermied herons, vintage mill signs, hardhats, lunch pails and other memorabilia, such as a historic photo of a Chicago Tribune reporter dipping his hand into Lake Michigan at Indiana Harbor and pulling it out covered in sludgy black goop to show just how polluted it was from heavy industry.

Big Marsh Park is in the South Deering neighborhood on the eastern shore of Lake Calumet, near planned industrial docks that were never developed. It was acquired by the Chicago Park District when the last steel mill on the Southeast Side closed in 2002.

"It was once owned by Waste Management. It was destined to be the next landfill for Chicago," Field Museum Chicago Region program Director Mark Bouman said. "There was pushback from community residents, from environmental groups and others who saw different possibilities. What that led to is that it was acquired by the city and turned over to the Chicago Park District."

Acclaimed architect Jeanne Gang came up with the original bird's-nest-inspired design for the long-gestating education center. Her vision ended up being scrapped because of cost.

"It was a beautiful design," said Stephen Bell, director of the Ford Calumet Environmental Center and Big Marsh Park, 11555 S. Stony Island Ave. "But it was something like $19 million."

Ford, which operates the nearby Chicago Assembly Plant, helped fund the neighborhood improvement project. It opened in 2021 and has become a popular destination for school trips and Boy Scout troops.

The center, designed by Valerio Dewalt Train, was the first mass timber construction built in the city since the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

"The idea behind the timber construction is that it's more sustainable to build with wood now than steel or concrete," Bell said. "For us it's a beautiful workspace filled with lots of lights. It's a bird-safe building. The windows have shutters. Every morning we crank the shutters open. Every night they come down. The idea is that we're on the Mississippi Flyway and are an important rest stop for migrating birds. The intent is to decrease the number of birds hitting the windows."

The windows are designed with a pattern of dots to disrupt reflections. It's only had a few bird deaths, which is a rarity for a new building in Chicago.

"I don't know how much you know about Chicago bird deaths, but it's absolutely outstanding," Bell said.

The remote location, away from the Chicago sewer system, means it has its own wastewater disposal system. All of the wastewater gets filtered and sent into a wetland.

The facade of the LEED-certified building includes Cor-Ten steel in a nod to the industrial heritage. It features the exhibit, as well as classrooms, bathrooms and a bike repair area.

"It's one of only three nature centers operated by the Chicago Park District," Bouman said. "It's supported by the Friends of Big Marsh. There's a bike park that attracts people from around the metropolitan area. The marsh itself was drained off and then restored. It's about 300 acres of marsh. There's a process now to figure out the train connections. If we were to go through the barbed wire to the west and across Lake Calumet, we would be at the Pullman National Park. That trail is happening now and then how do you get across to the east?"

The center is an example of what the Calumet Heritage Partnership hopes to accomplish by getting the Calumet Region designated as a National Heritage area, Bouman said. The hope is to do more placemaking in the sprawling region that follows the Calumet River watershed and spans two states.

"This map shows more Indiana than it does Chicago," Bouman said. "This is a gateway to the entire Region. This is something that could happen in other places across the Region. This is something that could happen in all directions."

The Ford Calumet Environmental Center serves as a gateway to Southeast Side parks like Indian Ridge Marsh and Hegewisch Marsh, Bell said.

"Altogether, there's more than 1,000 acres of what we call natural area," he said. "Most of them are large sites that have been restored and remediated. These are spaces that are being managed and restored. But most importantly, these are spaces where we want people, in particular from the neighborhoods that surround us.

"In addition to the restoration and remediation, this is a gateway to the Calumet Region and is a model for what these gateways could look like throughout the entire Calumet Region."

Greenways and blueways  land and water trails, respectively  are vital to connecting the Region's green spaces.

"Outside you see all these barriers, especially on the Southeast Side. You see bridges. You see train tracks. You see highways. All of those act as barriers for accessibility. We need to break down some of those barriers. We're doing it by remediating and restoring some of these green spaces."

Whether on the Illinois or Indiana side, the Calumet Region shares a common identity.

"Why do we call ourselves a region? Why do we think we're a region?" said Gary Johnson, chairman of the Calumet Heritage Partnership board. "Well, we're close to each other. But one of the things that's striking is, as you cross the state line from Hammond to Hegewisch, the similarities are striking. You cannot tell where the state line is. The architecture is the same. As you get into the origins of the people, it's the same. The industrial heritage is very similar. We have lots of cultural and heritage similarities, which is why we call this the Calumet Region."

That's all spelled out in the history exhibit that relates the multifaceted story of the Region, for instance discussing all the immigrant groups that migrated here and organized labor's long struggle for workers rights.

"The exhibit was intended to complement the Region and complement the stories that we find here," Bell said. "It tells the story of the site pre-colonization and pre-industry. It tells the positive and negative. We talk a lot about industry's negative environmental impact, but without industry we wouldn't have these communities, jobs putting food on the table or environmental organizations.

"It also talks about the decline of the industry and the closing of the steel mills. It talks about the people, the families, the culture and the history. It also talks about the remediation and restoration and what that's looking like."

Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, the architecture firm that designed the building  its work includes University of Chicago campus buildings, the Shedd Aquarium master plan, Aloft Hotel Mag Mile and the Art on the Mart nightly artistic video displays on the Merchandise Mart  has a department that specializes in corporate interiors. The Ford Calumet Environmental Center was the first time it designed an exhibit.

"To me it has a very different look and feel than a traditional exhibit you'd find in a nature center," Bell said. "It's the story of our Region."
HIGHLAND  Members from NWI Parkinson's Inc. encourage people to celebrate the organization's upcoming summer wellness party and grand re-opening in August.

"This is a family group," Vice Chairman Don Nagdeman said. "We thrive on fun and look forward to this every year."

NWI Parkinson's goal is to make people more aware of Parkinson's, and to help those who've been diagnosed cope with the disease. The 501(c)(3) organization has grown to serve more than 2,000 people annually, Nagdeman said.

"We started off crawling, then we got to walking. I feel like we're in the running stage now," he said proudly.

The organization recently completed renovations to the upstairs of its building, which was purchased on Jan. 17, 2017. Renovations include the addition of a ping-pong room, social room and reiki room. Reiki is an energy healing technique that involves the use of gentle hand movements to reduce stress, according to Everyday Health.

The new rooms will be unveiled at the seventh annual summer wellness party on Friday, Aug. 11, beginning at 5 p.m., at the NWI Parkinson's building, 2927 Jewett Ave. in Highland. This event will be co-opted by the Highland-Griffith, and Munster chamber of commerce's.

Food and drinks will be provided by Abbvie, Boston Scientific, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, and Malt Brothers Brewing. The band, Father and Sons, will begin performing at 8 p.m. (To rsvp for the free event, call the NWI Parkinson's office at 219-237-2342.)

NWI Parkinson's was founded by Elizabeth Woodbury, after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2004. Woodbury, nicknamed Libby, said it's wonderful being able to talk about the disease with those who understand the effects firsthand.

"I think there's a lot of people who have Parkinson's that would enjoy this," Woodbury said at the NWI Parkinson's building. "You can relate to us. You can understand us."

About 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinsons every year, according to the Parkinsons Foundation. The disease affects around 10 million people, but the cause remains largely unknown. Common symptoms include tremors, limb stiffness, balance problems, slowness and paucity of movement.

NWI Parkinson's offers free exercise classes, weekly discussion groups, support groups and monthly educational seminars to patients. Two fundraisers a year, including a fashion show and dinner dance, allow the organization to offer classes and seminars to patients and their families at no-cost. (To learn more visit nwiparkinson.org.)

Dolores Siwy, of Calumet City, attends classes provided by the organization four times a week. Siwy, 77, is excited for the summer wellness party because she enjoys seeing people who she doesn't always see in class.

Woodbury and Nagdeman are hoping the upcoming event will continue spreading awareness about Parkinson's across Northwest Indiana.

"We just want to get the word out that we are here," Nagdeman said. "There's nothing we won't do to help Parkinson patients."

NWI Parkinsons Inc. Dinner Dance Elizabeth Woodbury and Don Nadgeman Di'Kobie Berry Indiana Ballet Theatre Uptown Dance Band NWI Parkinsons Inc. annual dinner dance Jazzy Jems Elizabeth's Fashions
A 13-year veteran of the Kearney Police Department resigned and surrendered her law enforcement certification Thursday after she was convicted of official misconduct in Buffalo County Court for allegedly lying to criminal investigators last March, according to court filings and other public records.

Jennifer Caudillo was ordered to pay $121 in fees and required to resign from the central Nebraska city's police force as part of a deal that saw the 39-year-old plead no contest to official misconduct, a class 2 misdemeanor, at a hearing Thursday morning, according to the court filings.

Prosecutors with Nebraska's Attorney General's Office had charged Caudillo in December with false reporting, a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

The charge stemmed from an incident in March 2022, when Caudillo "furnished material information she knew to be false" in an attempt to impede an ongoing investigation, Deputy Attorney General David Bydalek alleged in the complaint filed in December.

It's unclear what false information Caudillo is accused of providing criminal investigators. Since the 39-year-old was never jailed for the crime, the state was not required to file a probable cause statement for her arrest, meaning the specific allegations weren't made public.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said Friday that Caudillo lied to Nebraska State Patrol investigators who were looking into allegations against her that did not yield their own criminal charges.

In a change-of-status form filed with the state's Law Enforcement Training Center on Friday, Kearney Police Chief Bryan Waugh said Caudillo resigned before "initiation or completion of an internal affairs investigation into allegations that, if founded, could" have resulted in termination.

Kearney Police officials were not available for comment Friday.

Caudillo had been on "civil leave" from the Kearney Police Department since sometime last year, according to minutes from Nebraska's Police Standards Advisory Council meeting in March.

She joined Kearney's police force in 2010 after graduating from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2007 and working for several years as a recovery specialist at Richard Young Hospital in Kearney.

Her attorney, Kearney-based lawyer Charles Brewster, declined to comment on Caudillo's behalf Friday.

Top Journal Star photos for July 2023
VALPARAISO  Opportunity Enterprises is honoring Marc Ruiz for his service to the board.

Ruiz, a partner at Oak Partners, Inc., served on the disability service organizations board of directors for 10 years, including a two-year stint as its chairperson.

Ruiz and his wife Tracey also serve as co-chairs of OEs capital campaign effort to build a new respite center at its Lakeside property at Lake Eliza.

Ruiz has played an integral role in helping guide the organization over the past decade, current board chairman John Freyek said.

This is bittersweet for me, Freyek said. I think Marc would agree this is the most important work of our careers, and Im glad to have worked together for so long and for such an amazing cause.

Neil Samahon, OE President and CEO, said Ruiz has been an invaluable part of OEs success, and he expects Ruiz will continue to serve as an advocate for OE in the community.

Marc is dedicated to serving individuals and families with disabilities, Samahon said. He cares deeply about ensuring they have the resources they deserve. Im grateful to have worked alongside him, and I know hell continue serving our community.

OE also welcomed two new board members this month.

Ann Marie Woolwine is an attorney and partner at Krieg DeVault LLP and previously served as the director of the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana. Dina Rifai is an attorney and partner at Burke Costanza & Carberry. Both Woolwine and Rifai cited OEs impact in Northwest Indiana as a reason they signed on as board members.

Through my involvement in the community, Ive learned that so many people are touched by Opportunity Enterprises, Rifai said. Its an honor to work on behalf of the people OE serves and their families.

Samahon said he is excited to work alongside Woolwine and Rifai in service of OEs mission to create inclusive and equitable opportunities for people of all abilities.

Im honored Ann Marie and Dina have joined the board. They are enthusiastic and talented, and most importantly, they want to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve. Were lucky to have them, Samahon said.

About Opportunity Enterprises, Inc.

Since 1967, Opportunity Enterprises has worked to create inclusive and equitable opportunities for people of all abilities. OE is in the business of amazing people, with over 350 staff serving 1,000 people throughout Northwest Indiana each year. For more information, visit oppent.org.
Pulse Technology, which is based in Merrillville and Schaumberg, has expanded to a third state by establishing a presence in the Milwaukee market.

The information technology, managed print services and office company will open a new office in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield on Aug. 1.

Our Milwaukee expansion is another important step in our companys growth," CEO Chip Miceli said. We have always seen Milwaukee as a market with strong potential, and this is the right time for us to dedicate the resources to expand there.

The company is the successor of McShane's in Munster and Kramer & Leonard in Chesterton.

It was founded in 1955 as Des Plaines Office Equipment by Vincent Miceli, the current CEO's father. It grew through acquisitions and was focused solely on Illinois until 2016, when it broke into the Indiana market by buying McShane's.

It rebranded as Pulse Technology in 2019 and was based locally in Chesterton until it built a new 27,000-square-foot Indiana headquarters in Merrillville. Its Illinois headquarters moved from Elk Grove Village to Carol Stream to its current location in Schaumburg.

Kenosha native Bill Koon, who most recently served as vice president of sales at Brookfield-based James Imaging Services, will lead the new office in Wisconsin's largest metropolitan area. The graduate of Northern Michigan University worked for James Imaging Services for more than 20 years and previously worked for the Xerox company, Global Imaging Systems.
The Indiana Department of Health is encouraging Hoosier parents to take advantage of local low- or no-cost vaccine clinics, prior to the start of the school year, to protect their children from a variety of infectious diseases.

Both the Lake County Health Department and the Porter County Health Department are offering childhood vaccines to families  regardless of their insurance status  especially for kids entering kindergarten and those approaching 11 years old or 6th grade.

"Routine immunizations are the best way to protect children from highly contagious diseases like measles, mumps and chicken pox, and can help ensure every student has a healthy start to the school year," said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, state health commissioner.

In Lake County, childhood immunizations are available between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the health department offices at 2900 W. 93rd Ave., Crown Point, which is north of the main Lake County Government Center building.

More information is available by calling 219-755-3658.

Appointments are required for the childhood immunizations in Porter County that are administered Mondays and Thursdays at 155 Indiana Ave., Suite 104, Valparaiso; and Tuesdays and Fridays at 3590 Willowcreek Rd, Suite C, Portage.

To make an appointment, contact either the Valparaiso office at 219-465-3525, or the Portage office at 219-759-8239.

The state health agency also is mailing notices to the parents of children whose state immunization records show they are behind on an immunization required for school attendance.

"I encourage every parent of a school-age child to check their childs vaccine status today and to schedule an appointment with their health care provider or take advantage of these convenient opportunities in their communities," Weaver said.

Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that took effect July 1 AirTags Alcohol permits Animal facilities Annexation Book bans Bullying Charter schools Child molesting Childrens hospitals Domestic violence Drinking water Electric/hybrid vehicles Encroachment FAFSA Financial literacy Firefighting equipment Food and beverage tax Gender-affirming care Gary schools Gasoline tax Human trafficking Illiana Expressway Inmate gender Insurance fund Juror pay Juveniles Lake County convention center Lake County recorder Landlords Little Calumet River Lost farmland Machine guns Mail-in ballots Mental health Military bases Military pay Pension investments Public health School board elections Service animals Sex education SNAP assistance Speed cameras State comptroller Storage units Tax sales Taxpayer receipt Teachers unions Throwing stars Transit Development District 21st Century Scholars Valparaiso lawsuit Xylazine
A former state official whose law license was temporarily suspended in 2020 after the Indiana Supreme Court determined that he committed multiple acts of misdemeanor battery by groping four women in a bar is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

Curtis Hill Jr., 62, who served four terms as Elkhart County prosecutor and then as Indiana attorney general from 2017 to 2021, announced Monday that he's running for the state's top office to advocate for "traditional values and conservative governance" in the Hoosier State.

"Hoosiers are tired of the same old career politicians telling you they know better than you," Hill's campaign website says. "Voters across Indiana want a proven conservative and fresh voice understanding the issues directly impacting their state. Curtis Hill has spent his life serving his community, not his political desires."

His nascent campaign to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is Hill's second attempt in three years to regain public office since losing his bid for renomination as attorney general to Todd Rokita at the 2020 Republican State Convention.

Republicans in the 2nd Congressional District, which spans northern Indiana and includes portions of LaPorte County, also rejected Hill's efforts last summer to replace U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski  she was killed in a car crash  as the district's GOP U.S. House nominee.

Hill is starting significantly behind in the GOP race for governor against three well-funded competitors: U.S. Sen. Mike Braun; Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch; and Eric Doden, a Fort Wayne businessman.

Nevertheless, Hill is optimistic  with God's help  that he will build "a strong coalition of grassroots supporters committed to putting a strong Indiana conservative in the governor's office."

"Our campaign will emphasize a positive vision for Indiana, restoring faith in our institutions, protecting our children, investing in our law enforcement, prioritizing the rebuilding of our economy and placing the needs of Hoosiers above the manipulation of Washington, D.C.," Hill said.

Specifically, Hill plans to take aim at the "big government," "job-killing regulations," "wasteful government spending" and "high taxes" he claims are rampant in Indiana, notwithstanding 20 consecutive years of Republican governors, complete GOP dominance of the General Assembly since 2011 and more than 90% of local elected officials hailing from the Republican Party.

"Hoosiers are hungry for a proven conservative leader with the courage to stand up for the traditional values upon which our republic was built," he said.

It's not clear how Hill's claimed belief in traditional values comports with his behavior on the night of March 15, 2018, when court records show that Hill, after spending the evening dining and drinking with a lobbyist, attended a legislative party at an Indianapolis bar and proceeded to touch the backs or buttocks of four women in a "rude" and "insolent" manner  spurring the Supreme Court to temporarily suspend Hill's law license.

After regaining his license, Hill spent state resources promoting Donald Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 elections and led a pay-per-view "prosecution" of Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to determine whether Fauci colluded with pharmaceutical companies, the "mainstream media" and "big tech" to incite public panic by falsifying the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic that's killed more than 1.1 million Americans since 2020.

Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that took effect July 1 AirTags Alcohol permits Animal facilities Annexation Book bans Bullying Charter schools Child molesting Childrens hospitals Domestic violence Drinking water Electric/hybrid vehicles Encroachment FAFSA Financial literacy Firefighting equipment Food and beverage tax Gender-affirming care Gary schools Gasoline tax Human trafficking Illiana Expressway Inmate gender Insurance fund Juror pay Juveniles Lake County convention center Lake County recorder Landlords Little Calumet River Lost farmland Machine guns Mail-in ballots Mental health Military bases Military pay Pension investments Public health School board elections Service animals Sex education SNAP assistance Speed cameras State comptroller Storage units Tax sales Taxpayer receipt Teachers unions Throwing stars Transit Development District 21st Century Scholars Valparaiso lawsuit Xylazine
The duties of a public notary agent may seem as exciting as a dusty paperweight. But then you meet Kelly McGuire, a "mobile notary" whose passion goes far beyond the realms of ink, paper, signatures and notarial acts.

I feed my kids by doing real estate closings, but this is the part of the job I enjoy most, the connections, the married mother of four told me. The house calls, navigating next steps when life takes a turn or enters a new phase, and the tender parts where I can actually make a difference."

Her job title, notary signing agent, includes verifying identities, validating signatures and notarizing a plethora of documents. But the essence of her career is about about soulful connections, shared laughter, and the privilege of serving people in profoundly personal ways, McGuire said.

Todays column is about workers whose professions reveal their essence as a person. For these people, their jobs serve merely as vehicles to transport their personalities while also earning a living. It doesnt matter whether theyre a plumber, a restaurant owner, a notary public or a newspaper columnist (my nature is to observe people, I just happen to write about them).

One of my favorite ice-breaker questions for strangers is: So what do you do? Most people instinctively tell me about their job or career. Our jobs too often define our identity.

I didnt realize how much a profession can become a doorway to someone's personality until I met John Hairston at the posh Hilton Tower Hotel in downtown Chicago. The ever-smiling doorman told me how much he loves his job  greeting guests, coordinating valets and opening doors, lots of doors. But also how his job allows him the opportunity to be himself.

"I take pride in my work. I wouldn't switch jobs for anything," he told me while greeting stranger after stranger on a cold day in the Windy City.

I noticed he was routinely treated with condescension, even rudeness, by hotel guests. He didnt care. His job doesnt define him. It describes him. Its the difference between a lightning bug and a lightning strike.

Whatever your profession may be, your work is much more than just tasks, McGuire said. It encapsulates unique stories, individual heartbeats and extraordinary moments of human connection.

A notary public is commissioned by the state to serve as an impartial witness and fraud deterrent for legally significant documents, such as wills, property deeds, marriage licenses and adoption papers. This is the formal definition of that position, which sounds to me as interesting as the fine print of a credit card agreement. McGuire doesnt see it this way.

Every stamp and signature whispers a story, she said.

I asked McGuire to elaborate on this personal aspect of her profession. She then wrote an entire blog essay about it on her website, heykellymcguire.com.

Whether it's a timid first-time homeowner or a senior citizen penning their final will, these moments of engagement hold immense significance. They allow me to serve, extend kindness and turn a simple task into a heartfelt interaction, she wrote.

Her career path wasnt a mere coincidence. It was a heartfelt choice, she said.

The role of a mobile notary unveiled itself as a perfect melody, harmonizing my love for my children, my passion for writing and my innate drive to connect with others, McGuire wrote. It wasn't just about the loan signing document packages. It was about the human connections that nurture my spirit and strengthen our community.

She was looking for a career path that could be flexible enough to accommodate her role as a busy mother of four. She describes it as a beautiful, kaleidoscopic mess of motherhood.

Her role as a notary introduces her to people she would otherwise never meet.

McGuire was once asked to notarize a power of attorney document for a woman who had to surrender her financial independence to her son because of her debilitating illness. Her son, sitting beside her, was overwhelmed with emotion, struggling to hold back tears.

In that tender moment, the extraordinary power of kindness permeated the room, she said.

For another client, she was called to notarize a document for an elderly man confined to his home by declining health. The document he handed McGuire was his last will and testament.

What seemed like a simple task transformed into a poignant moment of human connection, McGuire said.

Its moments such as these that remind McGuire of her deeper purpose.

Its more than notarizing documents. It's about ensuring each person feels seen, heard and understood, she wrote in her blog essay. It's about offering comfort in the most overwhelming moments.

These kind of connective interactions take place in countless careers, woven together by people whose personalities are part of the tapestry of their job. You may be thinking of someone who fits this description. Maybe its a hair stylist or teacher or nurse or business owner.

How they earn a living just happens to be how they connect with others and find their purpose in life. McGuire is one of these workers. I'm informally notarizing this fact through today's column.
A man who drove a scooter through Queens, firing randomly at people on the street, was charged on Sunday with the murder of an 86-year-old man during the half-hour shooting spree, the police said.

The man, Thomas Abreu, 25, of Brooklyn, was charged with killing Hamod Ali Saeidi, of Queens, according to the police.

Mr. Abreu has also been charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon in two other incidents: the firing of shots at a group of people near 108 Street and Jamaica Avenue on Saturday and at a 40-year-old man about four miles away, the police said.

The motive for the attacks remained unclear on Sunday.

Video from a security camera of the fatal shooting on Jamaica Avenue near 109th Street shows an assailant, who is on a scooter, slowly drive up to the 86-year-old man. The video, obtained by The Daily News, then shows the assailant raise a gun, point it at the mans back and fire.
Looking at the current forecasts that we have, were forecasting temperatures at least 110 or above for at least the next seven to eight days and potentially longer, Mr. Lojero said, adding that this streak could potentially break the 18-day record.

Isaac Smith, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Arizona, said that were going to be looking at these very hot temperatures continuing through the next week. The Weather Service, he added, expects highs to continue to remain above 110 degrees each day. Thats pretty significant for us, Mr. Smith said. Even for Phoenix standards.

People certainly need to be taking precautions to protect themselves from the heat, Mr. Smith added. People need to keep in mind that heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S.

A report released by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health last month found that in 2022 there were 425 heat-associated deaths in the county, up 25 percent from the previous year. More than half of the heat-associated deaths occurred in the month of July, according to the report, and 107 of the deaths occurred on days with an excessive heat warning.

Still, throughout the region, people are finding ways to make do and assessing how much of the heat this year is extraordinary, and how much just feels like summer in the South and the Southwest.
One of the five people named as fatalities in the mass shooting in Philadelphia on the night of July 3 was killed 44 hours beforehand, the citys police department said on Sunday.

Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, who was found dead in his home several hours after the mass shooting, is still believed to have been killed by Kimbrady Carriker, the 40-year-old man charged with 10 counts of murder and attempted murder in that shooting. But the timing of Mr. Wamahs death raises new questions about a rampage that until now seemed to have been carried out at random and in a short time frame.

In a news release on Sunday evening, the Philadelphia Police Department said that Mr. Wamah had been killed early Sunday, the day before the mass shooting on Monday night, adding that the determination was based on information received through a source and corroborated by the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office and additional evidence.

The police said they had received a 911 call reporting gunshots in the vicinity of Mr. Wamahs house at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, approximately 90 minutes after it is believed that Mr. Wamah was murdered. But the call was dispatched to the wrong address  North 56th Street instead of South 56th Street. The officers who responded surveyed the area, speaking with neighbors, but found no one who had heard gunshots.
A manhunt continued on Sunday for a murder suspect who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail late on Thursday using bedsheets he tied together to climb down from the roof, officials said.

Pennsylvania State Police said that Michael Burham, who escaped from the Warren County Jail, could be hiding in the steep, rugged wilderness near the city of Warren, which is about 20 miles south of Jamestown, N.Y.

Warren borders the Allegheny National Forest, which covers more than half a million acres of rural Pennsylvania.

The police described Mr. Burham as a self-taught survivalist with military experience and said that they have found stockpiles of supplies as well as camp sites that he may have used.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the educator Romi Crawford have become partners in a new program that focuses on pairing instruction by artists of color with hands-on learning by students working alongside them. This intensive, semester-long course, which its founders announced on Monday, is called the New Art School Modality and will start in September at the museum.

Traditional models of art education have become increasingly endangered as trusted schools  from the San Francisco Art Institute to the Watkins College of Art in Nashville  have fallen into bankruptcy or merged with larger institutions. These developments have been a wake-up call for some leaders in the art world, who are now financing alternative modes of instruction that sidestep degree-granting programs altogether.

The New Art School Modality is intended to create a sweet spot in academia. Starting in the fall semester it will provide about 50 students each with a free course in Black art history taught by scholars working alongside some of the history-making artists themselves, and underwritten by a $250,000 grant from the nonprofit Terra Foundation for American Art.

The flashing words are experimentation and improvisation, said Crawford, 56, an art historian at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. There is a crisis in arts education, and we hope the sustainability of our model will force others into realization.
HARRISBURG  An electrical malfunction in a ceiling fan sparked a fast-moving fire that severely damaged an historic market building in Pennsylvanias capital city early Monday, authorities said.

No injuries were reported in the fire at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. The blaze was reported about 1 a.m. but was brought under control a short time later. The site housed a stone building and a brick building that had stood for about 145 years, but the brick building was the only one damaged.

Speaking at a news conference held at the site late Monday afternoon, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said investigators determined the fire started in the ceiling fan that was installed in 2017. He said the blaze has been ruled an accident.

Authorities said no one was in the building when the fire began. Part of that structure was destroyed, but city officials and Gov. Josh Shapiro said the building would be rebuilt and normal operations would continue in the stone building. Officials were also looking for a temporary site where vendors in the brick building could operate.

The site is believed to be the oldest continuously operated market house in the United States. Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams said the heart of our community was torn apart by the fire, but she said it will come back bigger and better than ever. She and other officials credited city firefighters for their quick work that spared the stone building and also thanked numerous fire departments in the region that helped battle the blaze.

Harrisburg and other small cities scattered across central Pennsylvania have a long tradition of brick-and-mortar central market houses, where produce from local farms is alongside baked goods, prepared foods, artwork, craft beer and a variety of other things for sale. The Broad Street Market, about four blocks from the state Capitol, had in recent years bounced back from decay to become a thriving cultural and community spot.
On Friday, the reform caucus sent the unions leadership a letter laying out its proposal to hold prompt elections, saying it would go to court Monday if the leadership didnt embrace the proposal.

The reform group is made of up more than 40 active organizers who are also plaintiffs in the legal complaint, including Connor Spence, a union co-founder and former treasurer; Brett Daniels, the unions former organizing director; and Brima Sylla, a prominent organizer at the Staten Island warehouse.

The group said in its letter that enacting the proposal could mean the difference between an A.L.U. which is strong, effective, and a beacon of democracy in the labor movement and an A.L.U. which, in the end, became exactly what Amazon warned workers it would become: a business that takes away the workers voices.

Mr. Smalls said in his text that the union leadership had worked closely with its law firm to ensure that its actions were legal, as well as with the U.S. Labor Department.

Jeanne Mirer, a lawyer for the union, wrote to a lawyer for the reform caucus that the lawsuit was frivolous and based on falsehoods. She said that Mr. Spence had improperly and unilaterally replaced the unions founding constitution with a revised version in June 2022, and that the revision, which called for elections after certification, had never been formally adopted by the unions board.
Michael S. Barr, the Federal Reserves vice chair for supervision, announced on Monday that he would be pushing for significant changes to how Americas largest banks were overseen in a bid to make them more resilient in times of trouble  partly by ratcheting up how much capital they have to get them through a rough patch.

The overhaul would require the largest banks to increase their holdings of capital  cash and other readily available assets that could be used to absorb losses in times of trouble. Mr. Barr predicted that his tweaks, if put into effect, would be equivalent to requiring the largest banks hold an additional two percentage points of capital.

The beauty of capital is that it doesnt care about the source of the loss, Mr. Barr said in his speech previewing the proposed changes. Whatever the vulnerability or the shock, capital is able to help absorb the resulting loss.

Mr. Barrs proposals are not a done deal: They would need to make it through a notice-and-comment period  giving banks, lawmakers and other interested parties a chance to voice their views. If the Fed Board votes to institute them, the transition will take time. But the sweeping set of changes that he set out meaningfully tweak how banks both police their own risks and are overseen by government regulators.
Of all the distortions and paranoia that Tucker Carlson promoted on his since-canceled Fox News program, one looms large: a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol to sabotage and discredit former President Donald J. Trump and his political movement.

Whats known about the man  a two-time Trump voter named Ray Epps  is that he took part in demonstrations in Washington that day and the night before. He was captured on camera urging a crowd to march with him and enter the Capitol. But at other points, he pleads for calm once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent. He can be seen moving past a line of Capitol Police at the barricades, but never actually goes inside the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors have not charged Mr. Epps with a crime, focusing instead on the more than 1,000 other demonstrators who acted violently or were trespassing in the Capitol. The Justice Departments sprawling investigation into the attack remains open, however, and Mr. Epps could still be indicted.

Yet for more than 18 months, Mr. Carlson insisted that the lack of charges against Mr. Epps could mean only one thing: that he was being protected because he was a secret government agent. There was no rational explanation, Mr. Carlson told his audience, why this mysterious figure who helped stage-manage the insurrection had not been charged.
Pistachio isnt exactly a top 10 ice cream flavor in the United States. Nonetheless, its being given a big stage this month at Eataly Flatiron, where the cooking school, La Scuola, is being turned over to Pistacchio from the gelato chef Patrizia Pasqualetti of Orvieto, Italy. (Ms. Pasqualetti now works mostly in California and has come up with assorted pistachio-based confections.) A pistachio milkshake, coffee granita with pistachio whipped cream, Sicilian pistachio gelato made with rice milk, toasted pistachio toppings and more are on the menu, $9.90 to $11.90. They will be available through Labor Day.

Eataly, 200 Fifth Avenue (23rd Street), eataly.com.

Grim Reporting on Farmed Salmon

Image Credit... via Patagonia

The journalists Simen Saetre and Kjetil Ostli, who spent five years studying farmed salmon, have written a 365-page expose in the vein of Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, The New Fish. In it, they document the problems surrounding the fish  most notably, the diseases and parasites that infect them; the often-toxic measures, like using hydrogen peroxide in ever-increasing amounts, undertaken to prevent massive die-offs; and the muffling of researchers and journalists efforts to bring the issues to light. One shocking section details how salmon was never on the sushi menu until the late 1980s, after Norwegian trade officials persuaded the Japanese to try it. The book isnt easy to read, and it might persuade readers to stop eating farmed salmon, harvests of which have increased nearly 10,000-fold since 1970. It does not end on a hopeful note.

The New Fish: The Truth About Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore by Simen Saetre and Kjetil Ostli (Patagonia, $22).
Torrential rainfall and widespread flooding wreaked havoc in the river valleys and mountain towns of Vermont and New York State on Monday, ravaging communities and drawing comparisons to the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene more than a decade ago.

The storm caused a night of chaos in New York on Sunday, particularly in the Hudson Valley, where up to eight inches of rain fell in some areas and one person died. But its center had shifted to Vermont by Monday, putting the landlocked and mountainous state  and particularly a number of tiny, isolated towns along rivers and creeks, just as when Irene struck  in the cross hairs for major flooding.

Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont said he feared that the sheer volume of water dumped on his state by this weeks storm system could surpass the amount that fell during Irene, which killed six people in Vermont, because the region will be pummeled by rain for several days.

Whats different for me is that Irene lasted about 24 hours, he said at a news conference on Monday. Were getting just as much rain, if not more, and its going on for days. Thats my concern. Its not just the initial damage.
Residents began digging  and drying  out from a spasm of severe flash flooding in New Yorks Hudson Valley on Monday, as officials estimated that the damage would likely run into the tens of millions of dollars.

The storms that soaked Orange County, about an hour north of New York City, were being blamed for one death: a 35-year-old woman who was swept away by rising waters while she tried to save herself and her dog.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday in Highland Falls, a riverside village that sits adjacent to West Point, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that such tragedies were becoming increasingly common in the state, which had already suffered through deadly blizzards last winter and dangerous smoke from Canadian wildfires last month.

We are in the midst of an extraordinary, extraordinary weather event that has just devastated communities throughout the Hudson Valley, said Ms. Hochul, a Democrat.
Scenes like this were playing out all over the Hudson Valley and the surrounding region, as a slow-moving and powerful storm dumped levels of rain unfamiliar to the areas oldest residents. More than a dozen people were rescued in New York.

But terrified residents watching water climb in their homes had no way of knowing when or if help would arrive.

Ms. Dagaev looked outside. It was like a river had been diverted, running now through the middle of the four small buildings that are the Weyant Green Apartments in the village of Highland Falls. The water had grown deeper and faster as it flowed toward Highland Brook, feet away, and the Hudson River, downhill, and those little buildings were the last structures it would strike on the way.

Ms. Dagaev was unsteady on her feet on dry land. No way she could go out there.

Most of the 50-odd apartments are for seniors, the rest for low-income families. Younger relatives were trying to help, but the nearby bridge was covered by several feet of rushing water, and they couldnt get to the property. Neither could emergency responders.

Pat Flynn, a former mayor of Highland Falls, made it over in his Explorer with a friend worried for her mother. He saw older men and women  the ones who could stand  cowering in their doorways as water rose up their legs. Some were teetering out toward higher ground.
Over 70 million square feet of direct office space was available for lease in Manhattan in the second quarter of 2023, a record high, compared with about 40 million square feet before the pandemic began, according to Savills, a large commercial real estate brokerage that tracks the market. New leasing also remains far below pre-Covid levels.

A small class of movers and liquidators has been thrust into the suddenly growing office-afterlife market. Lior Rachmany, the chief executive of Dumbo Moving and Storage, said a rush of businesses put their furnishings into the companys storage facilities in 2021 and 2022. Close to 2,000 midsize companies in the region, from law firms to tech start-ups, have stored office equipment in Dumbos three New Jersey warehouses since Covid hit.

We have never seen so many Herman Miller chairs, he said.

The shift in the wait-and-see posture has translated this year into a growing number of clients failing to pay for storage, Mr. Rachmany said; the company now holds auctions for delinquent lots five times a year, up from once or twice a year before the pandemic. It also regularly donates unclaimed items to local charities, he said, but a lot of that inventory still gets discarded, because of a lack of warehouse space.
A federal monitor overseeing New York Citys violent and dangerous jails asked a judge on Monday to consider holding the Department of Correction and its commissioner in contempt for disobeying court orders, opening the possibility that officials could be punished for failing to improve conditions.

The monitor, Steve J. Martin, wrote in a report filed in Manhattan federal court that the pace of reform has stagnated, and that there has been a disturbing level of regression in several areas, including investigations into staff misconduct after episodes of excessive force.

Conditions on Rikers Island have only worsened since the Correction Department developed an improvement plan a year ago, Mr. Martin wrote. Doors are still not properly secured, correction officers continue to abandon posts and detainees often gather in high-security areas, he said. During routine searches, officers miss weapons, which have later been used in violent episodes, Mr. Martin said.

Four people have died at Rikers this year. Last year, 19 people died in city jails or at hospitals soon after release  the deadliest year in nearly a decade.
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In fact, there is considerable risk. Cluster munitions used by both Ukrainian and Russian forces have led to, reportedly, at least dozens of civilian deaths and serious injuries, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Thursday. Specifically, the report said Ukrainian cluster-munition rocket attacks on Russian-controlled areas around the city of Izium in 2022 caused many casualties among Ukrainian civilians. (Ukraine denied that cluster munitions were used there.)

While it is Ukraines decision to choose what weapons it uses in its defense, it is for America to decide which weapons to supply. At the outset of the conflict, the United States resisted sending advanced weapons for fear of encouraging a wider war and Russian retaliation. But as the fighting dragged on and Ukraine proved increasingly capable of standing up to Russia, line after line has been crossed, with Washington and its allies agreeing to provide sophisticated weapons like the Patriot air-defense system, the HIMARS long-range rocket launcher, the Abrams tank and soon the F-16 jet fighter.

There is a legitimate debate about whether this amounts to the sort of mission creep that marked conflicts in Vietnam or Afghanistan. Sending cluster munitions to Ukraine amounts to a clear escalation of a conflict that has already become far too brutal and destructive. But the greater issue here is sharing a weapon that has been condemned by a majority of the worlds nations, including most of Americas close allies, as morally repugnant for the indiscriminate carnage it can cause long after the combatants have gone.

The Pentagons central defense against such proscriptions is that the dud rate of the American weapons  the number of bomblets that do not explode and are left on the battlefield  is down to 2.35 percent, compared with an estimated 40 percent for Russias. In 2008 the Pentagon set a limit of 1 percent on cluster munitions, and Congress has since banned the use, production or transfer of weapons over that rate. Even the 2.35 percent rate, an average, may be misleading. As John Ismay reported in The Times on Saturday, the cluster munitions in question may include an older type known to have a failure rate of 14 percent or more. That could leave the land littered with unexploded bombs.

The White House bypassed Congress by invoking a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act that allows the president to disregard arms export restrictions if he deems the aid to be a vital national security interest. Several members of Congress have denounced the export of these weapons and will add an amendment to the annual defense bill that would prohibit export of almost all cluster munitions.
The two invasions unfolded in vastly different contexts. Between 2002 and 2023, the illusion of partitioning the land into two states disintegrated. It exists now only in diplomatic talking points, hollowed out of all meaning, and replaced by a consensus among international and Israeli human rights organizations, including BTselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, that Israel is practicing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians, vindicating what Palestinians have long believed.

For most Jewish Israelis, this shift is barely perceptible, as they continue to be effectively sheltered from the cost of their governments policies toward Palestinians. The Palestinians, meanwhile, are experiencing growing despair and fatigue, ground down by the daily structural violence. With the absence of any hope for statehood, and with no viable political leadership to lead the struggle, some take matters into their own hands through armed and unarmed forms of resistance, others are apathetic or preoccupied with the crippling effort to support their families, and many live in fear.

In 2002, though round after round of American-mediated negotiations had faltered, there was still the hope  and the expectation  that a peace process would resume. The two-state solution was touted as the only option for peace. The framework of territorial partition  that Israel would withdraw from the territories it had occupied in 1967 in exchange for peace with the Palestinians and its Arab neighbors  was the dominant policymaking approach.

But as the second intifada came to an end, Israel intensified practical measures to expand its occupation and undermine the two-state solution while maintaining the diplomatic pretense of engaging with peace efforts. With the financing of Western and Arab donors, Israel pacified the West Bank with neoliberal incentives even as it hollowed out the core of its economy and carved up the Palestinian territory with expanding settlements. It implemented security coordination measures with the Palestinian Authority, turning the Palestinian government into a key partner for managing local resistance. The Palestinian Authority, for its part, initiated an expansive state-building agenda as it sought to project an image of an authority with control, one that was setting the foundations of a future Palestinian state.
To the Editor:

Re You Cant Protect Some Life and Not Others, by Tish Harrison Warren (Opinion, June 28):

Ms. Warren calls for a consistent ethic of life and complains: I already know that I wont feel represented by the platforms of either party. I know Ill feel politically estranged and frustrated.

It would be nice if each of us could find a political party whose platform represents our views 100 percent. That would require dozens or more political parties. Instead, the U.S. has two major parties.

Absent reforms such as ranked choice voting, which would allow voters to express their preference among multiple candidates, the two-party system inevitably leaves virtually everyone frustrated that neither major party represents their views fully.

Politics inevitably involves compromise. You vote for the party that best represents your values, even if you disagree on some things.
And the shelters are no picnic, either. A lot of the people you see on the street have, at one time or another, been threatened by a mentally troubled co-resident, gotten into a fight as a result of shared emotional problems or in some other way come to feel that living on the street is safer.

Bret: The other big story from last week, Gail, is the ruling by a federal judge that forbade the Biden administration to work with social media companies to remove content it didnt like, mainly connected to alleged Covid misinformation. What the administration was doing seems to me like a serious infringement on peoples freedom of speech, but Id like to know your view.

Gail: Gee, I was under the impression one of the jobs of the executive branch was to make sure people were getting the right information about health issues. And its not as if the Biden folks marched in and removed a bunch of posts themselves. Conferring with the social media companies seems like something they ought to do.

Bret: One good way of thinking about the issue is putting the shoe on the other foot. For instance, we now know that the Steele dossier was malicious partisan misinformation, secretly and illicitly paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, and that some of its most salacious allegations, like the pee-tape stuff, were false. How would you react if you had learned that the Trump administration had been putting heavy pressure on executives at MSNBC to forbid Rachel Maddow to ever mention it on her show?

Gail: Hey, its hot and humid outside. No fair trying to take me down the Hillary Clinton road. Look  the whole world changed with the advent of social media. If youve got influencers with millions of followers warning that, say, giving milk to babies is dangerous, youve got to do something more than issue a press release.
Last month the Supreme Court sharply curtailed the use of race-based affirmative action in higher education. Thats a big deal, but its by no means the end of the campaign to eliminate race-conscious policies in education and elsewhere. Indeed, its just the beginning.

The next  and even more important  stage of the battle concerns the future of all race-conscious policymaking. Is it ever permissible for policymakers to pursue goals like racial diversity, even when they use laws and policies that dont treat individuals differently based on race?

That might sound like an outlandish question even to ask, let alone to answer in the negative. But the first wave of legal cases posing this challenge has already arrived. They concern the admissions policies of highly selective public high schools that sought greater racial diversity through race-neutral means, like showing a preference for poor applicants. The plaintiffs argue that these policies are unconstitutional because, they contend, the goal remains racially discriminatory.

The implication of these cases for the future of higher education has already begun to attract some public attention  and for good reason. The high school admissions policies at issue are effectively the same as those that universities are likely to soon adopt to try to preserve diversity in the post-affirmative action era. Those institutions are almost certain to face similar lawsuits.
The hush at the end of the musical performance. The pause in a dramatic speech. The muted moment when you turn off the car. What is it that we hear when we hear nothing at all? Are we detecting silence? Or are we just hearing nothing and interpreting that absence as silence?

The Sound of Silence is a philosophical question that made for one of Simon & Garfunkels most enduring songs, but its also a subject that can be tested by psychologists. In a paper published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers used a series of sonic illusions to show that people perceive silences much as they hear sounds. While the study offers no insight into how our brains might be processing silence, the results suggest that people perceive silence as its own type of sound, not just as a gap between noises.

The vision that was planted in my brain still remains

Rui Zhe Goh, a graduate student in cognitive science and philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and one of the scientists involved in the study, described a koan that he likes: Silence is the experience of time passing. He said he interprets that to mean that silence is an auditory experience of pure time.

That idea made him wonder whether silence, the absence of sound, was something that we really experience, or is silence just kind of the lack of experience?
At a moment when the term creator is most closely associated with TikTok and Instagram influencers, perhaps its no surprise that artists and designers are revisiting the era when the idea of artistic self-consciousness first took root  when artists, in other words, were elevated from journeymen to philosophers. The renewed embrace of over-the-top embellishment likewise implies a backlash against the bland aesthetics of optimization so dominant in design for the last decade, for example in the muted tones and clean lines of digitally native direct-to-consumer brands. Intricate embroidery and theatrical agglomerations of fabric are by nature excessive and inefficient, serving no particular purpose beyond simply being a beautiful, special thing.

The question I ask myself is why we perceive the fashion industry model as it is now as the end-all, be-all when clothing has existed for thousands of years, says the New York-based designer Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, whose debut collection, for fall 2023, featured deconstructed panniers, corsets and stomachers sewn by hand from deadstock fabrics. Taking cues from preindustrial clothes and approaches to making them, she prioritizes slowness and craft  an ethos that she also sees as a recuperation of the silent work by women makers throughout history, whose contributions have been dismissed as mere decoration. The Australian artist and baker Jessamie Holmes similarly views the fanciful, historically inspired confections she makes under the name Thy Caketh  for instance, a Spanish Armada-themed cake festooned with ribbons, shells and a miniature portrait of Elizabeth I  as celebrations of unheralded female labor in fields including home baking. Part of her practice has been unlearning the principles of austere refinement imparted during her studies as a graphic designer. Every time theres a minimalist movement there will be a maximalist one in response, she says. We can only show restraint for so long.
A deal to ensure that data from Meta, Google and scores of other companies can continue flowing between the United States and the European Union was completed on Monday, after the digital transfer of personal information between the two jurisdictions had been thrown into doubt because of privacy concerns.

The decision adopted by the European Commission is the final step in a yearslong process and resolves  at least for now  a dispute about American intelligence agencies ability to gain access to data about European Union residents. The debate pitted U.S. national security concerns against European privacy rights.

The accord, known as the E.U.-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, gives Europeans the ability to object when they believe their personal information has been collected improperly by American intelligence agencies. An independent review body made up of American judges, called the Data Protection Review Court, will be created to hear such appeals.

Didier Reynders, the European commissioner who helped negotiate the agreement with the U.S. attorney general, Merrick B. Garland, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, called it a robust solution. The deal sets out more clearly when intelligence agencies are able to retrieve personal information about people in the European Union and outlines how Europeans can appeal such collection, he said.
Historically, doctors practices have been relatively small, and owned by doctors themselves. But that model has been rapidly declining as the business of medicine has become more complex and the insurance companies that negotiate with doctors over prices have become bigger. Nearly 70 percent of all doctors were employed by either a hospital or a corporation in 2021, according to a recent analysis from the Physicians Advocacy Institute.

Were seeing a fundamental change in how medicine is being practiced in the U.S., said Richard Scheffler, a professor of health economics and public policy at Berkeley and director of the Petris Center.

Hospitals and insurance companies have also bought out many independent physicians practices. Optum, an arm of the publicly traded UnitedHealth Group, which also owns one of the nations largest insurers, employs roughly 70,000 physicians. Studies have shown that these types of concentrated ownership of doctors in a given market are also associated with higher prices.

Private equity is often viewed by physicians as an attractive alternative to having their practice bought by a hospital. In part, the doctors are getting more scale and gaining efficiencies, including help with office administration and technology, said Lisa Walkush, a national managing principal for the professional services firm Grant Thornton. It can be a really good thing, but the private equity firms have to keep their promises and be held accountable, she said.

Michael Kroin, the founder and chief executive of Physician Growth Partners, a Chicago firm that advises independent practices, said the private equity firms provide scale to allow independent practice groups to survive and maintain their autonomy. If they could, given their rising costs and how squeezed they feel by insurers, every independent group would want to increase its fees, he said.
This year, we are seeing a bit of a delay in the evolution into the monsoon thunderstorm season, Mr. Frieders said. And so with that, we ended up seeing temperatures a little bit hotter during the day.

The heat wave now stationed over the desert Southwest  caused by a heat dome of high pressure  has also brought sweltering temperatures to parts of Texas and New Mexico. Experts estimate that more than 50 million people across the United States live in the areas expected to have dangerous levels of heat.

It looks like its going to be pretty oppressive around here, said Capt. Darren Noak of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, which conducted a helicopter rescue on Sunday to treat a person who had been overcome by the heat in a popular hiking spot west of Austin, Texas.

As Captain Noak spoke on Monday afternoon, the heat index in the city  a measure of how the air feels that takes into account both temperature and humidity  was climbing toward an expected high of 109 degrees.

Captain Noak said Austin residents had enjoyed some relief last week, when high temperatures fell short of 100 degrees for several days and the E.M.S. made only 39 heat-related calls, compared with 74 the previous week.
Hampden Township commissioners at the end of June approved the preliminary plan for the Beltway Commons, a retail development that will be located at the former Park Inn complex.

That area of the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township has long been vacant after the closure of the hotel, and BL Cos. has sought to develop the site at the corner of the Route 581 interchange.

Commissioners in a news release Monday said the preliminary plan has gone through extensive discussion and revision with the planning commission and includes a large wholesale club site with fueling station, commercial drive-thru and dine-in restaurants and strip mall stores.

The township said its approval is contingent on the developer continuing to work closely with the township and meeting agreed upon conditions.

I am pleased to see the re-use of the former Park Inn site  and that it will provide additional dining and shopping options for our residents, Commissioner Nate Silcox said in a news release.

The Beltway Commons project plan is on the Hampden Township website and includes details about what will find a home in the development.

Though the plan does not name the wholesale club that will occupy the main building with 99,804 square feet at the back of the complex, a number of the other storefronts were listed on the preliminary plan.

According to the plan, Starbucks and Raising Canes will each have standalone buildings with drive-thrus closer to the Carlisle Pike entrance. Raising Canes is a fast-food restaurant that specializes in chicken fingers and was founded in Louisiana.

There are also three more buildings in a strip formation, with some spaces still vacant but others featuring more dining options, including First Watch, a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant that already has a location on Senate Avenue in East Pennsboro Township; Cava, a restaurant featuring healthy foods in bowls and pita that has a location in Lancaster; McAllisters Deli, which has a location in Harrisburg; and Panda Express, which will have a drive-thru.

According to the preliminary plan, there will be some access off Crossgate Drive, but the main intersection will be at the existing traffic light. There will be two left-turn lanes and one right or straight lane coming out of the development, as well as two lanes going into the development.

Off the Carlisle Pike, traffic heading toward the Route 581 interchange will see a shift, with two left lanes to be designated for left turns. The currently designated right-turn only lane at that intersection will allow for vehicles to continue straight under the new traffic plan, which will allow for three lanes of travel heading straight.
James W. Lewis, the prime suspect in the deaths of seven people in 1982 from cyanide-laced Tylenol  a poisoning that terrified the nation and changed the way manufacturers packaged medications  died on Sunday in Cambridge, Mass. He was 76.

Mr. Lewis was pronounced dead after the authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive person at his home, Superintendent Frederick Cabral of the Cambridge Police Department said on Monday. Superintendent Cabral said that the cause of death was not suspicious but declined to comment further.

Mr. Lewis spent more than four decades under scrutiny in connection with the notorious unsolved poisonings, in which someone laced Extra-Strength Tylenol with deadly potassium cyanide, killing seven people in the Chicago area in September and October 1982.

Mr. Lewis was never charged in the murders, and he denied any involvement in them. But in October 1982, he sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of MacNeil Consumer Products, the manufacturer of Tylenol, saying he would stop the killing if he were paid $1 million. He was convicted of extortion in 1983 and spent 12 years in federal prison.
Throughout the 1980s, vigango, sacred wooden memorial statues, were stolen from Kenya, sold to art dealers and eventually arrived at tourist shops and museums.

Now, as part of a continuing effort to repatriate these looted cultural artifacts, officials from the Illinois State Museum and other museums and universities will visit Nairobi this week for a ceremony to recognize the return of the vigango to the National Museums of Kenya.

Sometimes as tall as seven feet, the vigango were often erected in front of a homestead in memory of a male elder in the Mijikenda community who had died. The memorials were not meant to be moved.

These items are sacred and inalienable from the people who created them, Brooke Morgan, a curator of anthropology at the museum, said in a statement. Separating vigango from their rightful owners harms the spiritual well-being of the whole community.
The Case

Three prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are accused of terrorism, murder and conspiracy in bombings in Indonesia 20 years ago as members of Jemaah Islamiyah, an extremist group founded in the 1980s with the goal of establishing an Islamic state in Southeast Asia.

In one attack, a suicide bomber and a truck bomb detonated at nightclubs in Bali in October 2002, killing more than 200 people, mostly Australians and Indonesians as well as seven Americans. Then, in August 2003, 11 people were killed in a car bombing at a Marriott hotel in Jakarta.

The U.S. government considered both attacks acts of war that were carried out by an affiliate of Al Qaeda after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, making them eligible for trial by a military commission at Guantanamo Bay.

The charges, which also include attempted murder, carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.

All three men were held by the C.I.A. in the early years of their detention and were tortured, according to their defense lawyers.
David C. Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware who has led the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, on Monday rebutted a key element of testimony to Congress by an Internal Revenue Service official who said that Mr. Weiss complained about being blocked from pursuing the case the way he wanted.

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Weiss said that he had never asked Justice Department officials to give him special counsel status to pursue the case, contradicting testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee by the I.R.S. official, Gary Shapley, who said Mr. Weiss had sought that status and been turned down.

Mr. Weiss suggested that Mr. Shapley might have misunderstood him during an October 2022 meeting. Mr. Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, who was appointed to the role under President Donald J. Trump, said in the letter that he had approached a department higher-up about the possibility of requesting status as a special attorney, not as a special counsel.

Deputizing a federal prosecutor as a special attorney is distinct from making one a special counsel. The special attorney provision is, in essence, a workaround that allows an outsider to intervene in cases that span multiple jurisdictions or have special conditions. The special counsel regulations, by contrast, contain internal Justice Department reporting requirements and congressional oversight provisions.
Hill Harper, an author and actor, on Monday entered Michigans 2024 Senate race, pledging to run to the left of Representative Elissa Slotkin, a moderate Democrat, in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Democratic primary races in a 2024 presidential battleground state.

Mr. Harper, a first-time candidate known for his roles on CSI: NY and The Good Doctor, began his campaign with a message focused on expanding Social Security and access to affordable health care, as well as tackling income inequality and student debt. In an interview, he said he planned to position himself as the most progressive candidate in the race and would work to bring jaded and unheard voters back into the Democratic fold.

It became clear to me that folks across Michigan dont feel like they are being represented in Washington, D.C., he said, describing his conversations with people at farmers markets and union halls as he weighed his decision to run. The states Democratic leadership, which holds the governors office and both chambers of the Michigan Statehouse, he added, has done a lot to move the state forward, but Washington is still broken.

The Democratic primary is likely to be followed by a heated general election against a tense backdrop. Donald J. Trump won this industrial Midwestern state by nearly 11,000 votes in 2016, and lost it to Joseph R. Biden Jr. by more than 150,000 votes in his 2020 re-election bid. Mr. Trump focused on the voting in Michigan in his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal that allows the alliance to project an image of unity and expansion on the eve of a critical summit intended to prepare for what could be a long war to repel Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Swedens imminent accession was a victory for Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO since 2014, who agreed last week to stay on another year to help guide a war effort in which NATO is a noncombatant, but a critical supplier of arms and training. It followed intense pressure on Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, particularly from President Biden, who called the Turkish leader while on his way to Europe on Sunday.

Mr. Biden, just hours after landing in Lithuania ahead of the opening of the summit Tuesday morning, celebrated the moment, saying in a statement that he was ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.

The statement was widely interpreted as an indication that the United States would sell Turkey the F-16 fighters and other armaments it has demanded. And Mr. Erdogans decision came just hours after he said the European Union should first advance his countrys bid to join the E.U. bloc before he would clear the path for NATO.
Roland Gutierrez, a Democratic state senator who has been an outspoken gun-control proponent since last years massacre in Uvalde, Texas, announced on Monday that he would seek Senator Ted Cruzs seat next year.

Mr. Gutierrez, whose district stretches from San Antonio to the Rio Grande and includes Uvalde, is the second major Democratic politician to enter the race, most likely ensuring a high-profile primary contest among Texas Democrats. Representative Colin Allred, a second-term congressman from the Dallas area, declared his candidacy in May.

Both candidates have entered the race vowing to focus their attacks on Mr. Cruz rather than on any Democratic rivals.

Mr. Gutierrez gained a measure of national prominence as one of the most strident and uncompromising voices in the Texas Capitol pressing for gun control after the massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde last May. He is a familiar face on cable news, commenting not only on the killings in Uvalde and the delayed police response but also on other mass shootings.
But that process can be extraordinarily time-consuming given the Senates rules and customs, and trying to confirm each of the hundreds of promotions individually could tie the chamber in knots. That may be the point for Mr. Tuberville, who has co-sponsored legislation to declare that life begins at conception and filed a brief in support of the Mississippi law prohibiting abortion at 15 weeks that was upheld in last years Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

Senate Democrats have challenged Mr. Tuberville at least a half-dozen times on the Senate floor to stop holding military promotions hostage, and the Armed Services Committee has continued to hold confirmation hearings for high-ranking nominees, in the hopes that the Alabama senator might relent. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the Air Force chief of staff and President Bidens pick to succeed Mr. Milley as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Randy A. George, the Armys vice chief of staff whom Mr. Biden nominated to take over as Army chief, are both scheduled for hearings this week.

But their efforts have thus far failed to dissuade Mr. Tuberville, who has dismissed his critics by arguing that Senate leaders have options to resolve the impasse. He has suggested that Congress pass Republican-sponsored legislation to reverse the Pentagons abortion access policy  or a competing Democratic bill to give the policy the force of law. He has dared Senate leaders to circumvent his blockade by voting on the promotions individually, arguing that he would be ready to approve some promotions if forced to take a vote.

But Senate aides say none of his suggested offramps are workable. Senate leaders believe it would be nearly impossible to collect enough votes, between the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led House, to send legislation either affirming or overturning the Pentagons policy to the presidents desk. And they are queasy about trying to get around Mr. Tubervilles protest procedurally because of the amount of time it would take to plow through the Senates arcane hurdles for all the nominations he is holding up.
A large new study in Denmark suggested that hormone therapy  which women use to manage menopausal symptoms  was associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia. The study found that the heightened risk was even present in women who started the therapy at 55 or younger and in short term users.

The authors of the study warned that it was unable to distinguish between the effects of the hormones and the menopausal symptoms that drove women to seek treatment, which themselves are associated with an increased risk of dementia. And in the same journal where the Danish study was published, researchers from the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School issued an editorial, titled A Causal Link Remains Unlikely, noting that the study didnt provide evidence that hormone therapy causes Alzheimers or other dementias.

Using Denmarks national registry, the study examined the medical records of more than 5,500 women who were diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimers between 2000 and 2018 and compared them with over 55,800 women who had not been diagnosed with the conditions. The study found that women who used hormones had a 24 percent higher rate of dementia (including Alzheimers) than the women who didnt use hormones.

The findings echo previous studies that have identified some associations between taking hormones for menopause symptoms and dementia, some of which had limitations that were similar to the current study. In 2003, the Womens Health Initiative in the U.S. found that women aged 65 and over on hormone therapy had a greater risk of developing dementia than those who took a placebo.
Six people were killed in a knife attack at a preschool in Chinas southern Guangdong Province on Monday.

The attack occurred around 7:40 a.m., according to a statement from the local police in Lianjiang, a city of less than 2 million about 300 miles west of Shenzhen. A 25-year-old local man surnamed Wu was arrested. No potential motive was given.

A statement from the police did not give information about the victims, but state media reports said that residents had seen one child and two adults lying on the ground near the preschools entrance. In addition to the six dead, one person was injured.

Knife attacks are not uncommon in China, where guns are tightly controlled and shootings exceedingly rare. And many stabbing rampages have targeted schools. Last August, an assailant killed three people and wounded six others at a kindergarten in Jiangxi Province in Chinas southeast. In 2021, two people died and 16 were injured in an attack at a kindergarten in the southwestern region of Guangxi.
They had gathered by the thousands in Carlisle to welcome home soldiers like Cpl. Loomis Nickle of Company C of the 316th Infantry Regiment.

A Mount Holly Springs native, Nickle had earned a citation for bravery after he single-handedly captured a German machine gun crew of five men during a patrol on the Western Front on Nov. 4, 1918.

Eight months later, Carlisle honored its servicemen with parades and special events leading up to Independence Day 1919. The tribute started on July 2 with a ceremony on the Dickinson College campus to retire the service flags that churches, organizations and industries had used on the home front. As reported in The Sentinel, Army Lt. Rippey T. Shearer spoke for fellow World War I veterans:

The war in which we participated was not a war alone of those who fired the guns and fed the cannon, but it was waged for a great patriotic and moral purpose by a nation of 100 million free-breathing, honor-loving, God-fearing people, Shearer said. Our millions in the fields, our millions in the shops and homes, waged a battle with hands, brain and prayers that made the boys in khaki fight like demons and sent Old Glory steadily forward.

But now the war is over, Shearer said. Our soldiers are getting back to civilian life. They are finding different conditions, meeting different problems, fighting different battles. But I feel and believe the American soldier has come back a bigger, better, stronger man, and, in the future, Americas soldiers will be a mighty power to put and keep a great nation and a glorious flag in the sun.

Called the Cumberland County Peace and Victory Celebration, the salute continued on July 3 with a parade in downtown Carlisle. Every local veteran of the War to End All Wars was invited to march in the vanguard past a reviewing stand built in the Square to accommodate the elderly survivors of the Civil War.

The Sentinel reported that, for the first time in county history, a public parade included a company of Black troops. They were led by Lt. Mackey of Carlisle who served with the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the original Buffalo Soldier units formed after the Civil War.

Eight marching bands participated in the parade that also honored local and visiting firefighters along with the war workers, both paid and volunteer, who supported the troops from the home front.

July 4 dawned bright and clear in Carlisle, The Sentinel reported. As far as the weather was concerned, it was a sizzler. The heat was the one topic of conversation.

Yet despite the conditions, the streets downtown were full of people from early in the morning to late at night, even though there was nothing planned until the evening when a pageant was scheduled to celebrate key events in county history.

To accommodate the pageant, organizers arranged for the construction of temporary seating for 5,000 spectators at the venue site on Biddle Field. It was not enough because 10,000 showed up.

Tensions flared when the view from the bleachers was blocked by a crowd of late arrivals. But the show went on with reported success.
It has been a brutal three years for Chinas young adults. Their unemployment rate is soaring amid a wave of corporate layoffs. Draconian coronavirus restrictions are over, but not the sense of uncertainty about the future they created.

For many people, the recent turmoil is another reason to postpone major life decisions  contributing to a record-low marriage rate and complicating the governments efforts to stave off a demographic crisis.

Grace Zhang, a tech worker who had long been ambivalent about marriage, spent two months barricaded in the government lockdown of Shanghai last year. Robbed of the ability to move freely, she spiraled over the loss of control. As she saw the lockdowns spread to other cities, her sense of optimism faded.

When China reopened in December, Ms. Zhang, 31, left Shanghai to work remotely, traveling from city to city in hopes that a change of scene would restore her positive outlook.
A weekend of heavy rains and flooding has left destruction across large swaths of northern India, killing at least 49 people and causing landslides and flash floods that washed away bridges and buildings, officials said.

The hardest hit was the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, which received more than 10 times its average rainfall for this time of year. The death toll there stood at 30 as of Monday evening, according to the local police. The wreckage stemming from the deluge forced the authorities there to shut down schools and advise residents to leave their homes only if necessary. Dozens more have been killed in the state since the monsoon season began in June.

Torrential rain continued to lash many states on Monday afternoon, including the capital region of Delhi, where roads in several areas were submerged in knee-deep water and court hearings had to be suspended or shifted online, away from flooded courthouses. The officials ordered evacuations in some areas because of flooding.

In recent years, India has often experienced extreme weather patterns, including record heat waves and heavy floods in monsoon season. In the case of the floods, in addition to the strain on everyday Indians, farmers have complained about the devastating effect on crops as the rains have become more unpredictable and damaging.
President Biden and other NATO leaders are making a last minute push before an annual summit to address crucial disagreements that threaten to overshadow the alliances unity in opposition to Russias war in Ukraine.

Among the thorniest issues are expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by adding Sweden and providing a pathway for membership to Ukraine.

On Sunday, Mr. Biden spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who has objected to adding Sweden to the alliance. Mr. Biden, according to the White House, told Mr. Erdogan of his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.

There will be another effort to bring around Mr. Erdogan before the two-day summit kicks off on Tuesday. The NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, is scheduled to meet on Monday with Mr. Erdogan, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden.
LONDON  President Biden met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Monday, making a brief stop in London on the eve of a NATO summit where leaders are expected to focus on supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Mr. Biden arrived at 10 Downing Street on Monday morning, his first visit to the prime ministers office as president, and was greeted with a warm handshake by Mr. Sunak.

Were very privileged and fortunate to have you here, Mr. Sunak said.

Its good to be back, Mr. Biden said. Mr. Biden and Mr. Sunak have met six times in the last six months, but never at 10 Downing Street. The two men met for more than 45 minutes in the buildings courtyard. Were moving along in a way thats positive. But our relationship is rock solid.

Jake Sullivan, Mr. Bidens national security adviser, told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday that the two leaders would talk about progress in the war in Ukraine, and, of course, to talk about a range of other issues from China to climate to technology to artificial intelligence.
Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union should first advance his countrys bid to join the E.U. bloc.

NATOs secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced Turkeys decision from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alliance was preparing to open its annual summit on Tuesday.

Mr. Stoltenberg said that Mr. Erdogan had lifted his objections to Swedens entry into the alliance and would take the countrys bid to his Parliament for ratification as soon as possible.

In return, Sweden and Turkey would continue to work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkeys application to enter the European Union, and NATO would establish a new special coordinator for counterterrorism, he said.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held a lengthy meeting with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and commanders of his Wagner private military company just days after they had launched a mutiny that put the nation on the brink of a civil conflict, the Kremlin disclosed on Monday.

Mr. Putin had denounced the leaders of the June 23-24 rebellion as traitors, so the startling revelation that he played host to them on June 29 suggests that for all his bluster, he saw a continued use for the mercenary group and its boss. The meeting is the first known contact between the two men since the uprising, which posed the most dramatic challenge to Mr. Putins authority in his 23 years in power.

News of the meeting added to the mystery of what will become of Mr. Prigozhin and his force after the insurrection. It remains unclear why a warlord with his own private army, who attempted to depose the Russian military leadership by force, has been allowed to remain in the country, apparently unhindered, allegedly even returning to his hometown, St. Petersburg, to pick up his confiscated guns.

Mr. Putin invited 35 people to the three-hour meeting, including Mr. Prigozhin and all of Wagners top commanders, and gave his assessment of the companys efforts on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as its actions in the mutiny, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said.
Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union should first advance his countrys bid to join the E.U. bloc.

NATOs secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced Turkeys decision from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alliance was preparing to open its annual summit on Tuesday.

Mr. Stoltenberg said that Mr. Erdogan had lifted his objections to Swedens entry into the alliance and would take the countrys bid to his Parliament for ratification as soon as possible.

In return, Sweden and Turkey would continue to work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkeys application to enter the European Union, and NATO would establish a new special coordinator for counterterrorism, he said.

The two countries agreed that counterterrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which will continue beyond Swedens accession to NATO, a statement by the alliance said.

This is good for all of us, Mr. Stoltenberg said. This is good for Sweden  Sweden will become a full member  and its good for Turkey because Turkey is a NATO ally that will benefit from a stronger NATO.

The statement said Mr. Erdogan met on Monday with Mr. Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden to discuss the countrys bid, which had been held up by Turkeys demands that Sweden crack down on dissidents whom Turkey considers terrorists, including pro-Kurdish activists and members of a religious group that Turkey has accused of planning a coup attempt in 2016.

This has been a good day for Sweden, Mr. Kristersson told reporters, saying that the joint statement represented a very big step toward the final ratification of Swedens membership of NATO.

Hungary is the only other NATO member that has yet to approve Swedens bid, but Hungarian officials have said that if Turkeys position changes, they would not obstruct the process.

President Biden, who arrived in Vilnius on Monday, said in a statement that he welcomed Mr. Erdogans commitment to submitting Swedens bid for swift ratification by the Turkish Parliament.

I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area, Mr. Biden said. He also thanked Mr. Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership and added that he looked forward to welcoming Mr. Kristersson and Sweden as the alliances 32nd member.

Mr. Erdogans demand on E.U. membership  a day before the opening of NATOs two-day summit  appeared to have erected a new obstacle to the admission of Sweden, a major manufacturer of artillery, airplanes and other arms with crucial geographic value allowing control the airspace over the Baltic Sea.

Swedens application had been expected to be a central topic at the gathering, where NATO leaders are expected to make a show of their unity and resolve 16 months into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv, too, has sought to join the alliance  although leaders, including Mr. Biden, have said that will have to wait until the end of the fighting.

Turkey applied to join the European Union in 1987, but there has been scarcely any progress in its bid since 2016, when the European Parliament voted to suspend accession talks while criticizing a vast Turkish government crackdown on political opponents after a failed coup against Mr. Erdogan.

First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland, Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the summit, referring to his countrys decision to drop objections to the application of Finland, which joined the alliance in April.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, after Russias invasion. At a NATO summit in Madrid last year, officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland outlined steps that would secure Turkeys support  a crucial requirement, because all NATO nations must agree to admit new members.

In recent months, Sweden made efforts to meet Turkeys demands, amending its Constitution, passing new counterterrorism legislation and agreeing to extradite several Turks who stand accused of crimes in Turkey. But Swedish courts have blocked other extraditions, and Swedish officials have said that they cannot override their countrys free-speech protections.

Mr. Erdogan continued to say that Sweden must do more.

A new complication arose last month, after a man publicly burned a Quran at a protest in Stockholm on a major Muslim holiday. Mr. Erdogan criticized Sweden for permitting the protest and said that the Swedish authorities needed to fight Islamophobia, even though that had not been among the issues Sweden had agreed with Turkey to address.

But the breakthrough on the eve of the summit could mean that Sweden might join the alliance in short order. Turkeys Parliament is in session until July 27, and the body needed just two weeks to approve Finlands bid after Mr. Erdogan agreed to support it in March.

Ben Hubbard reported from Istanbul, and Lara Jakes and Steven Erlanger from Vilnius, Lithuania. Gulsin Harman contributed reporting form Istanbul, and Christopher F. Schuetze from Berlin.
On a recent afternoon, an attack from Russian military bases a few miles from here seemed a distant prospect.

Thats not only because, as NATOs newest member, Finland now enjoys the guaranteed protection of 30 nations, including the United States  a development that President Biden will celebrate during a visit to Helsinki this week.

Its also because most of the Russians once stationed in the area went to fight in Ukraine, and many if not most of them, Finnish officials say, are dead. It may be years before Russia poses a conventional military threat from across the verdant forest of pine, spruce and birch.

But there were some Russians to be seen on a sunny June day at the Vaalimaa border crossing, about midway between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. A trickle came and went, many in expensive cars: an Audi Q7, a black BMW with two sleek bikes mounted on a rack. These Russians were likely dual passport holders, possibly headed to other European countries that they can reach only by land because of flight restrictions following Russias invasion of Ukraine last year.
On Monday afternoon, the Spanish authorities said they had rescued 80 men and six women from the boat about 72 miles southwest of Gran Canaria, part of a Spanish archipelago near northwestern Africa.

It was not immediately apparent whether the vessel, which the Spanish agency said was about 65 feet long, was one of those reported by Caminando Fronteras. The migrants were in good health on a rescue vessel headed for Arguineguin, a coastal town on Gran Canaria, the Spanish authorities said. They declined to specify where the migrants had traveled from but said they were sub-Saharan Africa.

Little more was known about the boats reported missing in Senegal, which is about 1,000 miles away from the Canary Islands. That distance would take several days to sail, said Helena Maleno Garzon, founder of Caminando Fronteras, and families of those aboard, not receiving any news since their relatives left, had reached out to the group for help. They are very shaken, she said.

Ms. Maleno Garzon said that they were wooden fishing vessels that were not set up for long-haul journeys, and may not have had access to navigation services. Some of the passengers had not told their families they were leaving, she said, including a father who discovered that three of his sons had boarded the boat.

Many migrants have died in recent years trying to cross the Atlantic and the Mediterranean in attempts to get to Europe. In one of the worst such maritime tragedies, last month a boat that set sail from Libya capsized, killing hundreds of people off the coast of Greece. Among the victims were women and children trapped below deck.
Bound by shared hostility toward Russias imperial ambitions and determination to resist the military onslaught ordered by President Vladimir V. Putin, Poland and Ukraine also share painfully entangled pasts. The carnage of 1943 has been a source of tension for decades, but it is now an episode of pressing import as Poland prepares to commemorate its 80th anniversary on July 11.

Poland bristles at Ukraines glorification of wartime nationalists responsible for the slaughter but, wary of giving comfort to Russias view of Ukraine as a nest of bloodthirsty fascists, it has called for reconciliation and forgiveness, the theme of a service this past week in a Warsaw cathedral attended by priests from Poland and Ukraine. On Sunday, President Andrzej Duda of Poland and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine visited a church in Lutsk, in western Ukraine, to remember the massacre. Mr. Dudas office and Mr. Zelensky posted photographs on Twitter from the ceremony, using the same language to pay tribute to the victims.

Ms. Osinska, who was resettled as a teenager after World War II in southwestern Poland, along with tens of thousands of other Polish refugees from Ukraine, grew up in a community traumatized by the massacres of 1943 and seething with hatred toward Ukrainians.

She still resents that they show no remorse and has not forgotten the frenzied cries of kill the Polacks, kill the Polacks that echoed around her home village when she was 13.
A local murder suspect is back in custody today after a nearly two-week-long manhunt. Megan Lea Cole (Goodson), 29, of Farmington, was found in St. Francois County and taken into custody without incident. Cole incurred a new felony charge of tampering with an electronic monitoring device on June 22 when she allegedly cut off a GPS monitoring device assigned to her by the St. Francois County Circuit Court.

On June 14, Cole bonded out of jail on a $500,000 surety bond with a special provision that she wore a GPS monitoring device. Cole was in the St. Francois County Jail after being charged with four felonies, one of which was a murder charge, in the spring of 2020.

Cole is not a stranger to GPS monitoring. She was wearing a GPS monitoring device when she was alleged to have participated in the murder and subsequent felonious activities. At the time the murder took place, Cole was bonded out of jail pending felony charges on two cases from January 2020.

The two January cases included two felony tampering-with-motor-vehicle charges, one felony resisting-arrest charge, and one misdemeanor operating-a-vehicle-without-a-license charge. All of these charges are still pending.

Cole was on parole for a misdemeanor theft conviction in 2018 when she allegedly participated in the felonies committed in January 2020. Her parole was revoked and she was credited for time served.

Cole is currently in custody at the St. Francois County Jail and has several upcoming court appearances. All appearances will take place at the St. Francois County Courthouse. The first hearing is a confined docket hearing scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for July 20 at 1:30 p.m. A bond revocation hearing is on July 21 at 8 a.m. According to Missouri Case Net, three cases have a trial set for Aug. 18 at 8 a.m.
After a three-month hiatus, Israels far-right governing coalition moved forward early Tuesday with part of its deeply contentious plan to limit judicial powers, a gambit that critics say will undermine Israels democracy and that has deepened rifts within the society.

Lawmakers held a first reading from Monday night into early Tuesday of a bill that would limit the Supreme Courts ability to strike down decisions by elected officials. The provisional move passed by a vote of 64 to 56.

The result in Parliament set off widespread street demonstrations on Tuesday, summoning memories of a wave of social unrest in March, when antigovernment protesters blocked major roads, union leaders organized a nationwide strike, and thousands of military reservists declined to volunteer for duty.

The dispute is part of a wider ideological and cultural standoff between the government and its supporters, who want to create a more religious and nationalist state, and their opponents, who hold a more secular and pluralist vision.
Its inevitable. At some point this summer, its going to be too hot, too humid, too overwhelming to cook.

So dont.

Dont turn on the stove. Dont preheat the oven. Dont melt or sear or saute.

The 24 recipes that follow are made for the heat by skipping its application altogether, instead prioritizing fresh produce, prepared proteins, assembling, mixing and chilling. Where an original recipe may have called for some cooking, weve offered tips and swaps to make sure you dont turn on the stove, oven, even the toaster.

Of course, theres no shame in a meal of chips and salsa or a juicy mango eaten messily over the sink. And while some sandy cold cuts at the beach, tucked into hand, then into mouth, may be memorable, they arent exactly Proustian.
Doctors in Singapore were shocked to discover an octopus lodged in a mans esophagus while performing a gastrointestinal examination to see what was causing him to vomit.

The unnamed Singaporean man first realized something was wrong when he started vomiting following a meal that happen to include a raw octopus. When he realized that he also had trouble swallowing, the man panicked and quickly decided to pay a visit to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital emergency room. Doctors there quickly conducted a CT scan, which revealed a super-dense mass in the mans esophagus, but they couldnt be sure what it was without attempting an invasive procedure called esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which involves inserting a small, flexible tube with a camera at its end down the persons throat. Thats how they discovered that the man had a whole octopus stuck in his throat.

Photo: Moritz Kindler/Unsplash

Imagine the surprise of the doctors performing the gastrointestinal examination as they discovered the Alien-like cephalopod stuck in the passage between the mans esophagus and stomach. Images from the endoscope camera were recently shared by the American Gastrointestinal Association (AGA) Institute, and show the eight-tentacled critter stuck in the mans esophagus, preventing him from swallowing.

At first, doctors tried the push technique, which usually proves very successful, but it soon became apparent that the octopus would not go down without a fight, and applying too much pressure risked rupturing the esophagus. So they tried getting the endoscope past the octopus into the stomach and then retroflexing it. They then had to use forceps to grab the sea creature and pull it out of the esophagus.

Its unclear why the man swallowed the octopus whole, but, luckily, he recovered very well after the gastrointestinal procedure and was discharged after two days. At least he didnt try to eat the marine creature alive, or he could have wound up one of the six people on average who die asphyxiated every year. Apparently, the octopuses desperately glue their tentacles to peoples throats as they are swallowed, cutting off the passage of air completely.

via NY Post
Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan has resigned his job as chief of communications for New York Citys Board of Education.

He joined the DOE in August 2022 from Denver, where he was chief communications officer for its public school system for seven years in two separate stints.

Vaughan also worked for 13 years at Chicagos public school system, leaving as director of communications.

The NYCs DOE suffered a series of PR mishaps of late, including the early release of the 2023-24 school calendar before reaching an agreement with the powerful United Federation of Teachers union, according to the New York Post.

There also was a media dust-up about mayor Eric Adams plan to house migrants in school gyms.

That controversial plan triggered a parental uprising and ultimate retreat by Adams. The mayor is now working on a plan to house migrants in empty schools during summer recess.

Vaughan is leaving the NYC DOE because he doesnt feel as if he is on the "same page for everything with chancellor David Banks, which he says is vital for when working a high-stress job.
Jennifer Hawkins

At last, Silicon Valley has fashioned a technology that can pump out press releases at lightning-fast speed, and now we learn it has the potential to one day wipe us all out. Im referring to artificial intelligence, of course, which, with a recent flurry of attention in the likes of the New York Times, Washington Post and other outlets, has many who make their living in public relations and the media world wondering what the future holds for our industry. While AI has undoubtedly revolutionized various aspects of our lives, however, it can never truly replace the rich and transformative experiences of real life including what we all are vested in: travel.

As a PR executive and leader for more than two decades, Ive always been quick to encourage our clients and agency to bob and weave and embrace modern communications channels. Theres no apology necessary when implementing efficiency to get things done. But with AI now nipping at our heelsand yoursI believe its time for travel publicists to double down on incentivizing journalists and editors, and hence their readers, to think beyond efficiencies and responsibly encourage authenticity in travel to ensure that the richness and rewards of what we promote arent lost to the conveniences of AI.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's July '23 Travel & Tourism PR Magazine

(view PDF version)

How rich and rewarding? AI may provide us with pre-planning inspiration or virtual glimpses of far-off destinations, tempting us with tantalizing images and information, but it remains nothing more than a teaser made up of videos and pretty pictures. It cant replicate the feeling of stepping foot in a foreign land, immersing oneself in its culture, connecting with locals and witnessing beauty and diversity firsthand. Real travel is about more than just sightseeing; its about being curious and exploring with all of our senses, embracing the unexpected and venturing into the unknown.

One of our more inspired and resolute clients, Nomadic Expeditions, launched its adventure and cultural tour company to Mongolia so that travelers could go beyond sightseeing to actually help to preserve the traditions of the countrys nomadic herding legacy. Founded in 1992, Nomadic played an important role in Mongolias early efforts to expand openness for Western travelers. Among its goals was to breathe new life into local traditions before they disappeared, including conceiving of and hosting the Golden Eagle Festival, a celebration of the centuries-old practice of the Kazakh people. Drawing thousands of spectators, the festival has helped revive a time-honored tradition for a new generation of Kazakhs and revealed the importance of preserving the nomadic culture.

I also think of our client Wilderness, widely acclaimed as Africas leading eco-tourism operator that is celebrating 40 years of protecting and restoring the worlds wildlife and remaining untamed places through its pioneering conservation-based tourism model, with an ambitious goal of doubling the amount of land under its protection by 2030. Every one of Wilderness 40-plus camps across nine countrieswith the newest addition of Tanzaniais rooted in site-specific conservation initiatives, as well as community engagement and enrichment, such as protecting rare desert lions along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and reforesting Rwandas Gishwati Forest for the preservation of its many indigenous wildlife species, including critically endangered mountain gorillas. Wilderness manifesto as a leading conservation and hospitality company is to focus on immersing guests in fascinating environments in which their camps operate and creating intimate encounters between them, nature and culture. And ultimately, increasing the worlds wilderness by involving more and more people in their purpose. Its remarkable and inspiring.

Then theres The Bushcamp Company, operating in Zambia, whose offerings protect the delicate ecosystem of South Luangwa National Park from poachers. The only travel operator in the southern region of the national park, The Bushcamp Company is actively involved in a range of conservation and community efforts including supporting anti-poaching and anti-snaring activities; aiding schools by sponsoring students, paying teachers salaries, building classrooms, and feeding 2,500 students every day; and drilling 200 boreholes to provide safe, clean drinking water to thousands of locals daily. With all of the above, guests can rest assured that the hospitality, wildlife encounters and cultural interactions they enjoy with the aid of locals who really know their way around the bush wouldnt be possible without their support.

Admittedly, all of the experiences noted above arent for travelers on a tight budget. But with the travel industry now essentially a watchdog for the environment and culture, travel operations of all types and the PR pros that promote them can still make strides toward a better world. And experiencing these moments and these places first-hand is crucial to getting people through travelto understand more deeply what these places and peoples are about, and in many cases how fragile the places and cultures are.

It starts with bringing passion to what we do. As my colleague Amy Terpeluk, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact Lead at Finn Partners, has observed, rallying companies to support things that make a difference really matters, particularly at a time when companies are under increasing pressure to address social and environmental issues while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line.

But in our politically charged age, might not such moves elicit prickly responses? Time and time again, Terpeluk continues, research analytics show that companies with favorable reputations built on a foundation of societal good reap the benefits of customer connection, increased sales, and the ability to attract and retain top talent. Rather than focus on the issue of the day then, she recommends embracing long-term, purpose-driven commitments [that] benefit both business and society.

Responsible PR pros recognize this and continue to encourage people to embark on real travel and real adventures, promoting the idea that theres no substitute for the transformative power of physical exploration. In the same vein, they should also inspire journalists to encourage their readers to always embark on real-life journeys, enabling them to capture the essence of a place through authentic firsthand encounters.

Seeing the world up front and personal is the real deal, and the emotions we feel and memories we collect lie at the heart of travel. Being somewhere new with people makes for a rich life as a traveler. Ultimately, AI will never be able to replicate the profound impact and irreplaceable memories created when we step out into the world to explore for ourselves.

***

Jennifer Hawkins is Managing Partner and NY Travel Practice Leader at Finn Partners.
A pensioner ended up in court in Laois after an amateur gerontologist contacted Aras an Uachtarain enquiring about a 110 year old man.

Margaret Bergin, 72, of Fairfield House, Mountrath appeared before Portlaoise District Court on 15 sample charges of theft and larceny relating to a sum of 271,046 of pension claims in the 29 years up to February 25, 2022.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the DPP had directed the matter be dealt with on indictment in a higher court.

Detective Garda Peter Crosbie told the court the case began with an amateur Gerontologist, who identifies the oldest people in the world, learned of a 110 year old in Laois.

This male would be Irelands oldest man, he told the court.

It is alleged that the researcher decided to contact the Aras as he had suspicions, Det Crosbie explained.

The Aras had a record of a man in Laois who was born on July 2, 1911. They then contacted the Department of Social Protection who visited the Fairfield House in Mountrath.

Representing the accused, Suzanne Dooner BL objected to the evidence being heard in the District Court.

These are all alleged facts. I would ask for it not to be reported on, she said.

Judge Andrew Cody pointed out that the facts were only alleged and the accused was entitled to a presumption of innocence.

It needs to be reported carefully that they are alleged facts, he said.

He refused to make an order preventing reporting and adjourned the matter to September 7 for a Book of Evidence.
A CONTROLLED explosion was carried out on Monday evening after the discovery of what appeared to be an old hand grenade in a farm shed in Mucklagh.

The owner of the property where the explosive device was found estimated that it dated from the 1920 or 1930s but he could not be sure.

The truth of the matter is it was just an old war-time hand grenade, said the man, who did not wish to be named.

He called the gardai and personnel from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit arrived to examine the find.

The grenade was found in a farmyard down a cul-de-sac opposite St Colman's Church, Mucklagh.

A woman living nearby said the bomb disposal unit examined the device: They did say they couldn't be sure it was viable or not because of the age of it. All precautions were taken.

Gardai, both plain clothes and uniformed, along with members of the Defence Forces maintained a presence on the main road at the entrance to the cul-de-sac.

After a number of hours an army bomb disposal unit vehicle which had been parked close to the road drove down the lane.

At 9.38pm the blast was heard and Defence Forces personnel and gardai left the scene at about 10pm.

Both the Garda Siochana and Defence Forces were contacted on Monday night by the Tullamore Tribune for comment.
Learn about Missouris lions and bears from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Washington State Park.

Schedule of events:

Petroglyph Tour  2 p.m. at Petroglyph Site: Tour the petroglyphs, the park's history carved in stone. Learn about the Mississippian-era carvings, the culture and community who created them and possible interpretations. Enjoy a short walk on a covered walkway with interpretive panels highlighting the cultural features.

Mountain Lions  4 p.m. at Pool: Learn more about mountain lions that call Missouri home. View a life-size display and learn more about a mountain lion's life!

Bear Aware  7 p.m. at Campground Amphitheater: Enjoy an interesting and interactive program about bears in Missouri. Listen to stories about bear sightings, learn about bear habits and learn what you should do if you ever encounter one of these large, furry and potentially dangerous animals.

Washington State Park is located at 13041 State Highway 104 in De Soto. For more information, contact the park at 636-586-5768.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Haryana panchayat polls: Public holiday in several districts on Nov 9 and 12

Monsoon Fury: Punjab Schools To Remain Closed Till July 13

Chandigarh

oi-Deepika S

The Punjab government on Monday ordered the closure of all schools till July 13 in view of the heavy rainfall in the state.

"Due to continuous rains it has been decided that all the government, aided and private schools will remain closed till July 13," said Education Minister Harjot Bains.

Rains battered many parts of Punjab for the third consecutive day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.

Heavy Rains Continue to Lash Punjab, Haryana; Army Assistance Sought

According to the meteorological department, it has been raining in many parts of Punjab and Haryana since morning. Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state.

In a tweet in Punjabi, Mann, who is visiting flood-affected areas in Mohali and Rupnagar districts, said the government is with the people and all possible help will be provided to them.

Mann later told reporters that all his ministers and MLAs as well as officials are on the ground and with people in this hour of crisis.

Earlier, schools were ordered to be closed in some of the worst-hit districts in Punjab and Haryana.

Former Punjab Minister O P Soni Arrested In Disproportionate Assets Case

Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.

The Punjab government requested additional assistance from the Army to combat the escalating crisis.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were also deployed at some places in the two states.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 17:19 [IST]
Tamil Nadu in No.1 position, overtaking Karnataka  CM Stalins well deserved success of 233% growth in last 2

Tamil Nadu Police Arrest Stunt Master For Derogatory Remarks Against Christianity

Chennai

oi-Prakash KL

The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested a cinema stunt choreographer allegedly for derogatory remarks against Christianity on a social media platform, The Hindu reported.

Kanal Kannan, stunt master and Hindu Munnani office-bearer, was arrested by the Cyber Crime Wing police of Kanniyakumari district on Monday.

On July 1, the Cyber Crime Wing police filed a case against him for reportedly posting offensive comments about Christianity on Twitter. Austin Bennet, the deputy organizer of DMK IT wing from Thittuvilai, lodged a complaint stating that Kannan had shared a "manipulated video" on Twitter, featuring a preacher dancing with a girl, along with a derogatory caption.

The complainant said that the stunt master shared the said post with an intention of degrading Christianity while trigerring hatred between religions.

A case was lodged by the Cyber Crime Wing police which had asked the stunt master appear before the agency for inquiry. He had turned up before the authority on Monday with his advocates.

He tried to leave the office citing that he wanted to go out for lunch as he has diabates. However, the police denied permission saying he cannot leave the inquiry and food will be served there itself.

His advocates argued with the cops but it did not make much of a difference. He was then arrested around 7 pm.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 23:53 [IST]
Cash Payment, Fake Name: Details Of Sachin, Seema Haider's Stay in Room No. 204 Of Kathmandu Hotel Revealed

Bihar: 45-Year-Old Woman Found Dead with Eyes Gouged Out, Tongue Cut and Private Parts Mutilated

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

A 45-year-old woman was brutally murdered in Bihar's Khagaria district on Saturday evening. The victim, Sulekha Devi, was found with her eyes gouged out, her tongue cut, and injuries to her private parts.

The police said that Devi was attacked by four bike-borne men while she was working in her field. The men are believed to be her neighbors, and the murder is suspected to be linked to a long-standing land dispute.

Devi's family has accused five of their neighbors of the murder. The accused are Mahendra Singh, Rulo Singh, Rajdev Singh, Fulungi Singh, and Shyam Kumar Singh.

The police have registered a case against the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder. The accused are absconding, and the police are on their trail.

Shahbad Dairy Murder Case: Delhi Court Takes Cognizance, Hearing on July 20

The brutal nature of the murder has shocked the local community. The villagers have blocked National Highway 31 in protest, and they have refused to cremate Devi's body until the accused are apprehended.

The police have assured the villagers that they will take swift and stringent action against the accused. The villagers have agreed to end their protest, but they have vowed to continue to protest until the accused are brought to justice.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 12:49 [IST]
Heavy Rain In Delhi Again As City Struggles With Waterlogging

Delhi Rains: Pragati Maidan Tunnel Closed for Traffic Due to Waterlogging

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Pragati Maidan tunnel was closed for traffic on Monday due to the waterlogging, officials said on Monday. The city recorded 107 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours till 8.30 am on Monday.

In a tweet, the traffic police said, ''Movement of traffic is restricted at Pragati Maidan tunnel due to waterlogging. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly.''

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said.

#WATCH | Pragati Maidan Tunnel in Delhi temporarily closed for traffic due to waterlogging. Several parts of the city are facing waterlogging due to incessant rainfall.



A security guard at the tunnel, Sanjeev Kumar says, "This was closed by the Police personnel yesterday. All pic.twitter.com/iPEomLyTNv  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Flood Alert In Delhi After Haryana Discharges Water Into Yamuna

Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said.

Traffic Alert

Movement of traffic is restricted at Pragati Maidan tunnel due to waterlogging. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly. pic.twitter.com/NFdQt7TYN2  Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) July 10, 2023

The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 11:37 [IST]
Heavy Rains Continue to Lash Punjab, Haryana; Army Assistance Sought

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Rains battered parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third consecutive day on Monday with authorities working round the clock to reach out to people in the worst-hit places in hours of crisis.

In view of the prevailing situation caused due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments, including Home, Disaster Management and Urban Local Bodies, officials said.

Khattar will also be holding a meeting with deputy commissioners later in the day through video-conferencing, they said.

Authorities have already ordered the closure of schools in some affected areas in Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi Rains: Pragati Maidan Tunnel Closed for Traffic Due to Waterlogging

As torrential rains battered several parts of Punjab, Army assistance was sought by the Patiala district administration after water overflowed from the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in Rajpura town following a breach.

The Army has been put on alert in some other parts of Punjab, officials said.

In Rajpura, water entered a private hospital and the patients were shifted to two other hospitals, they said.

In some places in Punjab, there were breaches in distributaries and minor canals.

Fields were inundated at many places in Punjab and parts of Haryana causing crop damage.

Tracts of land near Sutlej and Ghaggar river were inundated. At some places in Punjab, water gushed into houses and at a few places, people were evacuated to safer places.

The heavy monsoon downpour continued to lead to traffic snarls on key road stretches in the two states, the officials said.

Heavy Rains to Lash Karnataka Today, Red Alert Issued for Coastal Region

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said extensive arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of potential floods.

Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.

Schools have also been ordered to remain shut on Monday in some worst-affected districts of Punjab and Haryana, including Rupnagar, Mohali, Patiala, Ambala and Panchkula.

In the wake of a flood-like situation due to incessant rains in several parts of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday directed all the cabinet ministers, MLAs and officials to stay alert and reach out to people in need.

Flood control rooms have been set up in all the districts of Punjab to help the people in hours of crisis. Helpline numbers have been publicised and officials have been appointed round the clock in these control rooms to serve the people, an official statement said.

Owing to the heavy rains, the water level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage is constantly increasing, due to which people of low-lying areas adjacent to Yamuna have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, the officials said.

On Monday at 8 am, 2.79 lakh cusecs of water was discharged from the barrage, they said.

In Punjab's Rupnagar, Siswan Nadi breached near Kamalpur, the officials said.

Historic Bridges Washed Away, Highways Closed Amid Heavy Rains in Himachal Pradesh

Rains lashed Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received showers.

Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake here, two of the floodgates were opened on Sunday, the officials said.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 12:30 [IST]
Heavy Rains In North India: 37 Killed; Army, NDRF Teams Step In For Rescue Ops

India

pti-PTI

Incessant rains unleashed more death and destruction on Monday in parts of north India with 37 people killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the last two days even as the Army and NDRF teams stepped in to intensify the relief and rescue operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand about the situation and assured them of all help and support from the central government. Modi also spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said.

Flash floods and landslides claimed 18 lives over the past two days in Himachal Pradesh, while nine people died in Punjab and Haryana, seven in Rajasthan and three in Uttar Pradesh in different rain-related incidents. Several rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday.

A total of 39 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in four north Indian states to tackle the heavy rains and floods. While 14 teams are working in Punjab, a dozen are deployed in Himachal Pradesh, eight in Uttarakhand and five in Haryana.

"The rescue operations are being undertaken as per the situation on ground and in coordination with the state authorities," an NDRF spokesperson said. In Punjab, the Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university in the state after it was flooded with water due to heavy rains. The civil administration in Punjab and Haryana had earlier sought help for the rescue operation from the Army, which sent the Flood Relief columns of Army's Western Command to assist the administration in the flood affected areas of the two states.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked the Centre to make available additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for states affected by the torrential rain. In Himachal Pradesh, there was no let-up in the monsoon fury on Monday with flash floods and landslides claiming 18 lives over the past two days, affecting hydropower projects and destroying properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees. As many as 72 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since June 24 in the state.

Officials said over 300 tourists and local people are stranded in Chandertal, Pagal Nallah and other places in Lahaul and Spiti, while teams of NDRF, police and home guard rescued 515 labourers from waterlogged slum areas at Lalsingi in Una district. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said efforts are on to rescue the 300 stranded people, and they could be airlifted as the weather clears. Power and water supply has been snapped in several areas. He said an assessment of loss is underway and it is estimated to be in the range of Rs 3,000-Rs. 4000 crore, according to a government statement.

A preliminary estimates by the State Emergency Operation Centre, however, pegged the loss at Rs 785 crore. It reported 18 rain-related deaths since Sunday morning. Around 800 roads are still closed in the state. According to transport department officials bus services on 1,255 routes of the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) have been suspended and 576 buses are stranded at different places on route. Three members of a Nepali family were killed as their house collapsed at Shimla's Theog, with the video of the incident going viral.

On Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a "red" alert for "extremely heavy rain", a day after heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, and damaging houses. Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

The Shimla-Kalka National Highway was blocked near Shoghi, about 16 km from the capital city, following a landslide on Monday. More than 120 roads are blocked in the district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, the officials said. CM Sukhu appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, as the Met department has warned of heavy rains to continue.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held a meeting over the torrential rains and the rising Yamuna water levels in the city. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark while assuring the people that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital.

The government is closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it, he said. In Uttar Pradesh, three people were killed and as many seriously injured in incidents of roof collapse following heavy rainfall in Hapur and Badaun districts while continued showers disrupted normal life in different districts of the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In a review meeting following heavy rains, Adityanath asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of the NDRF and SDRF as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert. In Rajasthan, intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill in eastern and central parts of the state, flooding out roads, rail tracks, and even hospitals.

More showers are expected to lash around a dozen districts on Tuesday as well. A seven-year-old boy was swept away on Monday in the gushing waters of an overflowing drain in the Murlipura area in state capital Jaipur, where several areas reeled from waterlogging.

Three deaths due to drowning were reported from Ajmer, two from Nagaur and one from Tonk. The Met department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Bharatpur, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, and Udaipur on Monday and in Baran, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kota, Pratapgarh and Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday.

The state has 33 districts. The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings - green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action). Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places. Nine people have died in rain-related incidents in the two states.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation. Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state.

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in the state and to speed up the relief work. Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states. In view of the prevailing situation, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments.

He also took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present. In Uttarakhand, the Badrinath National Highway and several other roads were blocked due to incessant rains and landslides on Monday, officials said. The traffic on the highway was restored after a few hours while efforts are on to open other roads that are still closed, they said.
Heavy Rain In Delhi Again As City Struggles With Waterlogging

Heavy Rains to Lash Karnataka Today, Red Alert Issued for Coastal Region

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains to lash Karnataka till July 10, while it has also issued a red alert for the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi.

The eagerly awaited monsoon showers have finally arrived in the state, bringing relief to the farming community. Thunderstorms with strong winds are expected in Uttara Kannada district.

The red alert means that these districts are likely to experience extremely heavy rainfall, and people in these areas should take precautions. The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms and heavy winds in Uttara Kannada district.

Karnataka Anna Bhagya Scheme 2023: When will Beneficiaries get the Cash transferred Into The Account?

Other districts that are likely to receive heavy rains include Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburgi, Raichur, Chikkamagalur, Davanagere, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Vijayanagar. Mysuru, Ramnagar, and Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, and Kolar are also expected to see some rain.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed officials to bring in immediate relief measures in the coastal districts and prevent any mishaps. Ministers have also scheduled visits to the accident-prone areas in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi districts today.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 9:47 [IST]
Heavy Rain In Delhi Again As City Struggles With Waterlogging

PM Modi Takes Stock of Flood Situation in Delhi, Assure Centre's Support In Relief Work

Delhi Flood: Yamuna Water Level Likely To Go Below Danger Mark Today

Yamuna Flood Waters Reach Taj Mahal Wall for the First Time in 45 Years

Historic Bridges Washed Away, Highways Closed Amid Heavy Rains in Himachal Pradesh

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Torrential rain in Himachal Pradesh has caused several bridges to collapse, as well as landslides and flash floods.

Ashwani Kumar, the Additional District Magistrate of Mandi, reported that the historical Panchvaktra bridge in Mandi district was washed away, as was a 50-year-old bridge connecting Aut with Larji.

News agency ANI shared footage depicting the 50-year-old bridge connecting Aut in Mandi district with Larji beside Sainj and Banjar being washed away in the torrential rain.

#WATCH | A bridge connecting Aut-Banjar washed away as Beas river flows ferociously in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh



(Video confirmed by police) pic.twitter.com/q9S8WSu96Z  ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2023

Former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said that these bridges were of significant historical significance for Himachal Pradesh.

Visuals from Meenus as Rain continues on Himachal Pradesh - Uttarakhand border pic.twitter.com/siNMO7MMpA  Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09) July 10, 2023

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Himachal Pradesh: Rainfall breaks 50-year-old record, high alert in 7 districts | Oneindia News

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms will continue in the state for the next few days.

The incessant downpour resulted in approximately 20 landslides, 17 flash floods, and damage to over 30 houses, along with roads and vehicles. Officials stated that major rivers such as Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan, and Chenab were overflowing.

#Beas River today created History by touching the 1877 Built #Victoria bridge 



Several Bridges in #Mandi district surrendered today in front of Beas



9th July 2023 = A Date to Remember#HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/Y7OebGtgcr  Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09) July 9, 2023

Earlier, videos captured the swollen Beas river sweeping away a section of the national highway in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

#WATCH | Portion of National Highway 3 washed away by overflowing Beas river in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/c8gRsvSkt5  ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2023

As a precautionary measure, schools and colleges will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, and hundreds of people are stranded in different parts of the state. There have also been reports of muddy water gushing into houses in Una, shops submerged in Manali, and vehicles flowing in floodwater in Kullu, Kinnaur, and Chamba districts.

The government has urged people to stay safe and avoid traveling during this time.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 8:40 [IST]
Karnataka: 2 Arrested For Killing, Chopping Body Parts Of Jain Monk

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday condemned the gruesome murder of a Digambar Jain monk in Karnataka and alleged that the incident had occurred due to the 'anti-Hindu policies' of the Congress government in the state. It demanded capital punishment for those involved in the murder of the Acharya Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj.

The accused had cut the monk's body into pieces and had dumped them in a defunct borewell in the village Hirekodi of Chikkodi Taluka in Karnataka.

Police arrested two people Narayana Basappa Madi and Hassan Dalayath in connection with the case and said the monk was killed over money related matter.

In a statement, VHP general secretary Milind Parande strongly condemned the "gruesome murder" of the Jain monk and said the incident has shocked the entire spiritual and religious fraternity.

Jain Monk Kamakumara Nandi Maharaj Allegedly Murdered

"The abduction of venerable Jain Acharya, who taught the lesson of non-violence to the world, and then the chopping of his holy body by Jihadis seems somehow to be the result of the anti-Hindu policies of the Congress-led government in the state," he charged.

"Ever since the ministers of the new government in the state have been talking about removing the anti-cow slaughter law and the anti-conversion law, the audacity of the 'dharma-drohi' (anti-religion) and anti-national forces has increased," he alleged.

Parande demanded capital punishment for those involved in the Jain monk's murder and also curbs against such people in the state.

"Due to the anti-Hindu policies of the government, neither the sadhus nor the Bharatiya society is safe in the state today. If anyone is enjoying the liberty of roaming free in the state, they are Islamic Jihadis and extremists," he charged.

The VHP leader described the Jain monk as "an icon of humanism" and said he had been serving the society while staying at Anand Parvat for the last 15 years.

Jain Monk dies fasting against Jharkhands decision to convert Shri Sammed Shikharji into tourism hub

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka has also demanded a thorough investigation into the murder. BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel on Sunday condemned the incident and Kateel also appealed to the state government to provide security to the monks and seers of the state.

BJP spokesperson and MLC N Ravi Kumar appealed to the government to investigate the case properly as there was a possibility of the involvement of more people in the crime.

Meanwhile, the last rites of the Jain muni were performed as per Jain traditions on Sunday at Hirekodi village.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 14:43 [IST]
Rick Kizer says he should have been able to work from his home in King William County years ago, instead of driving 45 minutes to his job as an information technology specialist at a bank just north of Richmond.

But he could not, because the satellite service to his home near Aylett could not support the telecommunication needs of the job, such as tapping into a reliable virtual private network or videoconferencing.

Now retired, Kizer has been waiting for the promised extension of high-speed internet, via the flood of new federal money since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to close the digital divide between urban and suburban areas that have access to broadband networks and rural areas that do not.

So he was surprised to see that the Federal Communications Commission, in a map crucial to guiding government investments in broadband networks, indicates his home is already served.

Its a total farce, Kizer said in frustration on Thursday.

The intentions are good and the money is there, but competing government initiatives to fill the gaps in rural broadband coverage are not sending a clear signal to people still waiting for reliable high-speed internet service to reach them.

As it turns out, Kizer and his neighbors are slated to get broadband access under an existing program  run by the FCC  which correctly shows his residence as unserved on that map.

Other parts of King William expect service from another internet provider under a separate grant program funded by the state and the county, largely using federal money from an emergency package that Congress passed during the pandemic, when internet access became a necessity for work and study.

The FCC maps are kind of wonky, acknowledged Steve Hudgins, deputy county administrator in King William, who oversees county efforts to expand broadband service.

What is reliable broadband service?

Expectations are high among King William residents who have heard about the $1.5 billion that the state is due to receive from the federal government through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed more than 18 months ago.

The first step for Virginia to receive the money is to verify the accuracy of the FCC maps through a validation process conducted by the state.

As part of that process, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will have to define what reliable broadband service means, based on the processing speed and data capacity of the networks.

That is where Kizer dropped off the map.

The FCC map defines a minimum level of high-speed internet at 25 megabits per second (mbps) to download and 3 megabits per second to upload  the speed of the satellite network that serves his home. Its ridiculous for them to say that satellite is equal to broadband, he said. Its not even close.

It is also not the definition that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will use to distribute $42.5 billion in new infrastructure funding for broadband, including the $1.5 billion for Virginia.

Satellite is not in the definition of reliable broadband service, said Evan Feinman, director of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, which is running the federal initiative.

Feinman knows Virginias internet needs well as former broadband adviser to then-Gov. Ralph Northam. It is up to the state to get every one of these locations served so they can draw down the $1.5 billion, he said. We wont accept less.

Virginia says it is well-positioned for the grant.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin changed the definition after taking office last year, raising the standard to 100/20 mbps, so the state is using the same measure as the federal BEAD program in determining where to spend the new infrastructure money.

Virginia developed its own map, Commonwealth Connection, and is funding broadband projects across the state through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative.

Tamarah Holmes, director of the broadband office at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, said the FCC map is only a general guide to internet services provided through a variety of technologies, based on information from internet providers.

This year, Virginia challenged 1.9 million claims of broadband service on the FCC map because of discrepancies with the state map, the absence of residences that could be served only by expensive fiber-optic line extensions and duplicative claims by different providers.

The states challenges identified 70,000 locations that flipped from being marked as served to unserved, making them eligible for assistance.

The FCC accepted 100%, Holmes said.

The accuracy of the FCC maps  and the definitions that guide them  has been a big concern of Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a former telecommunications executive who pushed hard for federal funding of broadband in the infrastructure law and other federal funding packages during the pandemic. Earlier this year, he conducted a public campaign to encourage people to look at the maps to verify if they were accurate.

While the new broadband maps are certainly an improvement over the old, census-tract level maps, they are far from perfect, Warner said last week. Thats why I have repeatedly encouraged Virginians to take advantage of the challenge process if they believe the level of service available to them according to the maps is inaccurate.

The FCC regularly updates the maps based on the outcome of challenges, he said. These updates will allow Virginia to make the most of the federal funding coming our way, directing it to areas where its most needed.

The FCC acknowledges that other federal programs do not accept its definition of minimum high-speed internet service. Its maps include a filter that allows people to change the definition of service, which may show a residence as unserved instead of served.

People who think the map is wrong can submit challenges at the FCC website.

Any challenges resolved and upheld should be reflected on the current map, an FCC spokesperson said.

Kizer remains skeptical.

The fact that the Virginia Broadband map incorrectly identifies my home as already being served by a broadband connection is alarming, he said in an email on Thursday. My hope is that the people involved in the validation process will include the different broadband vendors that service the citizens of Virginia.

After all, they are the source of the information that the Federal and State broadband departments are using for their maps, he said. The key here is to go to the source for accurate information.

What the hell is going on here?

The state said it could not include Kizers residence for possible use of the new federal dollars because it is already covered by the Rural Development Opportunity Fund, run by the FCC.

Under that program, Breezeline is already providing broadband service to part of northern King William, including homes on the other side of Route 600 from Kizer. The company is supposed to expand the project to include him and other neighbors who currently have only satellite service as an option.

Hudgins, the deputy county administrator, does not know when that will happen. They have their own set of rules about when they bring it, he said.

King William signed an agreement in August with All Points Broadband to provide high-speed internet to the rest of the county through a grant from the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative, as well as contributions from the county and the company. Both projects are working with Dominion Energy and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative to install fiber-optic cable along electric utility rights of way.

The two projects are supposed to cover the entire county, but Holmes, at the state broadband office, said there may be an opportunity to fill holes (in coverage) in King William when Virginia receives the new infrastructure money.

Republican Rep. Rob Wittman, whose 1st District includes King William, acknowledged the challenge of both accurate mapping and coordination of different broadband initiatives.

While broadband funding is awarded through various programs, there should be a more coordinated effort in awarding these funds to mitigate fragmentation and overlapping, he said in a statement on Friday. With the various sources of federal and local funding, I understand it can be difficult to find the resources to address lapses in broadband service.

Kizer wonders how all of that money ultimately will be used.

It just begs the question, what the hell is going on here? he said.
Rohit Pawar Accuses BJP Of Splitting NCP-Shiv Sena To Remain In Power

India

pti-PTI

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of party chief Sharad Pawar, on Monday accused the BJP of breaking the NCP and the Shiv Sena to remain in power in Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters in Pune, the legislator claimed while leaders of other parties were pitted against each other, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was "enjoying" the developments.

A revolt by Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and 39 other MLAs against the party leadership in June last year led to a split in the party and collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Shinde later became the chief minister with the BJP's support. On July 2 this year, Ajit Pawar led a split in the NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, and joined the Shinde-BJP government as deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP MLAs also took oath as ministers in the state cabinet.

Speaking on the developments, Rohit Pawar claimed the BJP has made a "very good ploy". Balasaheb Thackeray formed the Shiv Sena to protect the 'Marathi Manoos' (sons of the soil) and their identity, but the BJP "broke" it, he alleged. "Today, there is an anti-BJP atmosphere in the country, and to ensure no one talks about it and all big leaders (from opposition parties) remain busy (in sorting the rumblings within their parties), the BJP first broke the Shiv Sena and now broke the NCP," he further charged.

NCP Has Not Split; Meeting Held by Sharad Pawar Not Official: Praful Patel

"We are pitted against each other and the BJP (leaders), sitting in the AC, are enjoying the show," said Rohit Pawar, the MLA from Karjat Jamkhed in Ahmednagar. The NCP leader also said he feels the people of Maharashtra know "who broke the family and who broke the party", and they will not forget this fact.

I Have Come Here to Apologise, I Trusted Wrong People: Sharad Pawar

"The people of the state, who have been seeing these developments, did not like the way the BJP broke two big parties in the state in order to get themselves to power in the state," he claimed.

Rohit Pawar further claimed "four-five" leaders around Ajit Pawar were trying to project the latter as the "villain" and putting all the blame for the party's split on him. "Yesterday, in Nashik, there was no picture of Ajit Dada on hoardings (put up for Chhagan Bhujbal's rally in Yeola area)," he said.
On Camera: Raging Flood Water Swallows Bus in Himachal; 20 People Rescued in Manali

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Scary visuals from Himachal Pradesh paint a grim picture of the destruction caused by the incessant rains. Bridges have been swept away, cars are floating like paper boats, and a massive bus has been swallowed by water and swept away in seconds. These images are a stark reminder of the power of nature and the potential for disaster.

In one particularly harrowing video, a bus is seen being swept away by a raging river in Manali. The bus is completely submerged in water, and it is impossible to tell if there are any passengers on board. The video ends with the bus disappearing around a bend in the river.

Meanwhile, 20 people stranded in Manali were rescued on Monday, officials said. Heavy rains pounded the state, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving several people deal, on Sunday. The meteorological department issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain in the state on Monday.

In a late-night operation on Sunday, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village in Mandi due to the rise in the water level of Beas River, they said.

Heavy Rains Continue to Lash Punjab, Haryana; Army Assistance Sought

This is Mahadev Temple in Himachal pic.twitter.com/rmuHtOW6bW  Go Himachal (@GoHimachal_) July 10, 2023

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Himachal Pradesh: Rainfall breaks 50-year-old record, high alert in 7 districts | Oneindia News

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains. He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress. He said that the state government has released three numbers - 1100, 1070 and 1077 -- to help people in distress.

The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is blocked due to landslides and flooding at several places and Shimla-Kinnaur road is also closed for vehicular traffic due to slides and falling of rocks.

Using anchored rope, harness and crane, a team of the 14th battalion of the NDRF rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village on Sunday while the Home Guards rescued 20 more from Manali on Monday.

Heavy Rains to Lash Karnataka Today, Red Alert Issued for Coastal Region

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri informed that 4,680 schemes of the Jal Shakti Department have been damaged and the loss is estimated at Rs 323.30 crore.

As many as 876 bus routes of Himachal Road Transport Corporation were affected and 403 buses were stuck at different places due to heavy rains.

About 200 persons were stranded in Chandratal in Lahaul and Spiti. Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary, who is on the spot, said that all the people are safe and food and essential medicines have been arranged. They would be rescued soon as the road is restored, he said.

Himachal received 271.5 mm average rains during the current monsoon season from June 1 to July 9, against normal rainfall of 160.6 mm, an excess of 69 per cent.
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PM Modi To Be Honoured With Lokmanya Tilak National Award, Sharad Pawar To Be Chief Guest

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with Lokmanya Tilak National Award for his supreme leadership and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens, organisers said.

The event will be held in Pune on August 1. Interestingly, the organisers have invited NCP Chief Sharad Pawar as the chief guest.

"The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) will confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak," Trust president Deepak Tilak said in a release.

It said India climbed the ladder of progress under the supreme leadership of the prime minister under the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

"PM Modi awakened the feeling of patriotism among citizens and put India on the global map. Considering his perseverance and efforts, and highlighting his work, the trustees of the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust have unanimously selected him for this award," the release said.

Other invitees include Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

The NCP witnessed a split recently after Ajit Pawar led a rebellion and joined the ruling Shinde government in Maharashtra. The matter has now reached the Election Commission.

The other Opposition parties attacked the BJP for the split. Considering the recent development, it has to be seen whether Sharad Pawar will share the dais with the Prime Minister.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 22:22 [IST]
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PM Modi's France Visit: Acquisition Of Rafale-M, Jet-Engines And Submarines On Cards

India

oi-Deepika S

In what would be a shot in the arm for Indian Navy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to sign a deal for the acquisition of 26 Dassault Rafale-Maritime (M) fighters and at least three add-on Scorpene-class diesel-electric 'killer-hunter' conventional submarines during his two-day visit to France this week.

PM Modi's France visit may also see India agreeing to France's involvement in the Navy's programme to build six nuclear-powered attack submarines or SSNs, via a technology transfer.

India and France are also expected to sign a defense-industrial deal to push India to scale up its manufacturing of hardware platforms through indigenously developed engines and technologies.

Congress Means 'Loot ki Dukaan' and 'Jhooth ka Bazaar': PM Modi

It is notable that France is the second large exporter of defence purchases to India, after Russia. Between 2017 and 2021, 85 per cent of India's military imports were from three countries: Russia (46 per cent), France (27 per cent), and the US (12 per cent).

The Indian Navy has been scouting for a suitable fighter to be deployed on aircraft carrier INS Vikrant to replace its aging MiG 29Ks.

Reportedly, Indian Navy has pinned hopes on Dassault's Rafale Marine, over the F-18 Super Hornets of the US.

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In a rare honour, PM Modi has been invited as the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade (France's National Day) celebrations on July 14.

What To Expect From PM Modi's Visit To France Next Week

Speaking to ANI, Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain said, "Well, it's going to be a very important visit. India is the guest of honour on our Bastille Day...our National Day. Every year we have a guest of honour but this year, it is very special that's the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between France and India and we wanted to have Indian troops in the parade and also Indian Rafales in the sky."

The prime minister is set to hold extensive talks with French President Emmanuel Macron during the visit. The defence and security cooperation between India and France has been on a major upswing since New Delhi's procurement of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 9:28 [IST]
What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident

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Set Back For PM Modi's Chip-Making Ambition As Foxconn Dumps $19.5 Billion Deal With Vedanta

India

oi-Prakash KL

In a setback to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chip-making ambition in India, Taiwan's Foxconn has withdrawn from a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta, Reuters reported.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, and Vedanta signed a pact last year to set up semiconductor and display production plants in Modi's home state of Gujarat.

In a press release, the electronic major said, "Foxconn is working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta. Foxconn has no connection to the entity and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders."

Foxconn is confident about the direction of India's semiconductor development. "We will continue to strongly support the government's "Make In India" ambitions and establish a diversity of local partnerships that meet the needs of stakeholders," it added.

As per the deal, Indian conglomerate Vedanta and electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn were supposed to set up a semiconductor and display manufacturing facility in Gujarat.

At that time, the joint venture company had not disclosed the exact location of the facility.

"After a detailed site analysis in consultation with Gujarat government authorities, the joint venture entity of Vedanta and Foxconn has selected Dholera SIR for setting up their semiconductor and display manufacturing facility. The project is in the advanced stage of evaluation by the government of India," the official said.

Both the companies would invest Rs 1,54,000 crore to set up the facility in Gujarat, which would create one lakh job opportunities, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had then said.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a poll rally in Bhavnagar, had given a clear indication that the mega semiconductor plant would come up at Dholera SIR, nearly 100 km from Ahmedabad.
The Importance Of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 Landing On The Moon's South Pole

India

oi-Prakash KL

Chandrayaan-3, which will be launched by LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota on July 14, is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

According to the ISRO, it consists of Lander and Rover configuration. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till 100 km lunar orbit. The propulsion module has Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.

The Importance Of Exploring The Moon's South Pole

The Moon is a valuable source of information about Earth's past. It holds an untouched historical account of the inner Solar system. While there are some existing models, more research is needed to fully comprehend the Moon's origin. Extensive mapping of the lunar surface is crucial for studying its changes and understanding how it formed and evolved. The discovery of water molecules by Chandrayaan-1 necessitated further investigations to determine their distribution on the surface, beneath it, and in the tenuous lunar exosphere, helping us unravel the mystery of water's presence on the Moon.

The Lunar South pole is especially interesting because of the lunar surface area that remains in shadow is much larger than that at the North Pole. There could be a possibility of presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it. In addition, the South Pole region has craters that are cold traps and contain a fossil record of the early Solar System.

At the South Pole of the Moon, the Sun stays near the horizon, causing temperatures to rise to around 130F (54C) when it's shining. Even when the Sun is up, tall mountains create dark shadows, and deep craters remain in perpetual darkness. Certain craters contain permanently shadowed areas that haven't been touched by sunlight for billions of years and reach temperatures as low as -334F (-203C).

"The south pole region has very different geology from the region around the [US] Apollo missions, so Chandrayaan-3 will provide a close-up view of an entirely new region of the Moon," says planetary geochemist Marc Norman at the Australian National University in Canberra.

A successful landing could also be an important step towards future Indian Moon missions and is seen as a demonstration of India's growing geopolitical ambitions.

It has to be noted that this is India's second mission to the South Pole. The Chandrayaan-1 which was intentionally crashed into the South Pole, had confirmed the presence of water ice in a major discovery in 2008.

Space.com says, "Chandrayaan 1, which launched in October 2008, sent a moon orbiter aloft in India's first-ever deep-space effort. The orbiter carried a 64-pound (29 kilograms) impactor probe that slammed hard (but intentionally) into the lunar surface near the south pole. The impactor detected water ice just before it crashed, a discovery matched by a NASA instrument aboard the Chandrayaan 1 orbiter called the Moon Mineralogy Mapper."
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Will Prime Minister Modi Attend Chandrayaan-3 Launch? Here's What ISRO Chief Says

India

oi-Prakash KL

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 will be launched on July 14 from the space port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi Attending Chandrayaan-3?

As of now, PM Modi or Prime Minister's Office has not confirmed his participation, but the ISRO has already sent an invitation, according to a report in India Today.

On asking whether the PM will make it to the event, ISRO Chief S Somnath said, "We invite everyone. It is left to them."

However, the Prime Minister had attended the launch of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. More importantly, his gesture to hug the then ISRO Chief K Sivan after the space agency lost contact with the lander Vikram had won the hearts of Indians.

The ISRO chief broke down after the speech and in a video that has gone viral on social media, PM Modi was seen consoling him with a heartfelt hug.

Chandrayaan-3: Know Major Update About India's Third Lunar Mission

Coming back to Chandrayaan-3, ISRO's new heavylift launch vehicle LVM-3 will carry out the Moon mission. 44

"Announcing the launch of Chandrayaan-3: LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3 Mission: The launch is now scheduled for July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm IST from SDSC (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota," ISRO tweeted recently.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission carries scientific instruments to study the thermophysical properties of the lunar regolith, lunar seismicity, lunar surface plasma environment and elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 17:37 [IST]
1 Dead as Life Threatening Floods Lash New York

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Heavy rain in New York City has caused at least one death, swamped roads, and forced road blockades. The meteorological department has issued a rare flash flood warning across parts of southeastern New York while describing it to be "life-threatening."

The rain began on Sunday afternoon and continued into the evening. The heaviest rain fell in the northern and western parts of the city, where some areas received up to 8 inches of rain. The flooding has been particularly severe in low-lying areas and near rivers and streams.

One woman was killed in Orange County, about 60 miles north of New York City, when she was swept away by floodwaters. She was trying to evacuate her home with her dog when she was overcome by the current.

Himachal Pradesh Floods: CM Urges People To Stay Indoors, Announces Helpline Numbers

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed that several people have been missing and one home was washed away. Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, she wrote.''I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours. We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts.''

''Our Office of Emergency Management has been in touch with every potentially impacted county to make sure they have what they need to quickly respond. And they will be coordinating deployments of personnel and resources from State agencies should local officials need help,'' she also said.

I am expanding our State of Emergency, effective immediately, to include Ontario County due to significant flooding over the past two hours.



This declaration will allow State resources to provide additional support.



Please, take precautions and stay safe.  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 10, 2023

The rains have hit parts of New York and officials said that communities to the East of New York should brace for torrential rains and possible flash flooding.

The city said on its website, "A Flood Watch is in effect citywide between 2 p.m. today, Sunday 7/9, and 6 a.m. Monday 7/10. An excessive rainfall event may cause flash flooding, especially in areas close to creeks, streams and rivers; low-lying and flood-prone areas; and urban areas with poor drainage."

Himachal Pradesh Floods: Dramatic Visuals Of Monsoon Fury Caught On Camera

"Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Sunday morning. Staten Island and west Manhattan have a low risk of severe weather, like a strong thunderstorm. Scattered showers may occur around 2 p.m," it added.

Several viral posts on Twitter show cars trapped in the flood. Here's a look at some of the photos and videos:

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 16:03 [IST]
Putin Met With Russian Mercenary Chief Prigozhin Days After Abortive Mutiny

International

oi-PTI

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army, the Kremlin's spokesman said Monday.

The three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Prigozhin has a long-simmering feud with Russia's top military brass which on June 24 culminated in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia.

Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled to Belarus. The confirmation of a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who branded Prigozhin as a backstabbing traitor, adds a new twist to the uncertainty surrounding the mercenary chief, whose fate and whereabouts have been unknown since the abortive mutiny. The rebellion severely weakened Putin's authority.

Wagner Chief Prigozhin In Russia: President of Belarus

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24." The president also "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat," the Kremlin spokesman said. "The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened.

They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," Peskov said. A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company, namely Prigozhin himself, Peskov said. Also Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring the country's military chief - the first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov was shown since the rebelling aimed to oust him. During last month's revolt, Prigozhin repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for failing to provide his fighters in Ukraine with ammunition.

Monday's updates appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to take control of the narrative after a turbulent period. Meanwhile, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the incident "a war crime." Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in Sunday's attack in the town of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said. Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said. Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia Will Stand Up Against Sanctions And Provocations: Putin at SCO summit

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Broad investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those investigations. Zaporizhzhia province is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, and is one of four regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally annexed last year.

Retaking the province is one of the targets of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine between Sunday and Monday, according to a summary from the Ukrainian presidential office. In the Donetsk region, the Russians used aircraft, missile systems and heavy artillery to shell residential areas of 6 cities and villages, injuring one person, the office reported. The Russian army attacked residential areas of Kherson, the regional capital of a province of the same name. A 66-year-old woman was injured, the presidential office said.

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Story first published: Monday, July 10, 2023, 17:40 [IST]
Twitter Shows Gilgit Baltistan As Part Of India, Shocks Pakistan

International

oi-Deepika S

In a major gaffe, Twitter has reportedly blocked access to the Government of Pakistan's official Twitter account in Gilgit-Baltistan and also changed the region's location to Indian territory.

When users tried to access the account, their tweets were marked as originating from India's Kashmir.

Some users even complained about seeing a message which said the account had been withheld in India due to a legal demand.

Following the development, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the matter had been thoroughly investigated and that no such problem regarding Twitter blocking access to Pakistan's official account in Gilgit Baltistan and changing the region's location to parts of India was found.

Pakistan: 10 Killed In Avalanche In Gilgit-Baltistan Region

"Reference news circulating on social media and certain sections of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistan's official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the region's location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and no such problem has been found, as being circulated in the media," PTA statement read.

"After detailed on-ground testing, it appears that any sporadic issues encountered are limited to very few iOS devices, affecting a small number of users. These incidents are not significant and do not reflect a widespread problem," it added.

Reference news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistan's official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the region's location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that that the matter pic.twitter.com/NXKaN3Anbn  PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 9, 2023

Taking to Twitter Yasir Hussain posted "I am in Gilgit Baltistan and Twitter can't show tweets from Government of Pakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello Twitter Support, I'm in Pakistan why can't I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?."

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter can't show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, I'm in Pakistan why can't I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned? pic.twitter.com/JVoxQLddpM  Yasir (@yasirhunzai1) July 6, 2023

Another Twitter user from the region said that he could not add the location he wanted.

"The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir," Karim Shah Nizari told Dawn.

Notably, the Pakistan government's official account has been banned in India since March 2023.
Lebanons new water treatment plant is about to be its only water treatment plant after elected officials approved demolishing a historic brick building that once supplied the city with water.

Engineers wanted to remove heavy iron pipes from the rusty red shop where large pumps hummed and drew water from the Santiam-Albany Canal for more than seven decades and store them in a massive settling tank nearby.

The citys building and planning director told elected officials in June workers cant pull the pipes out without sacrificing the buildings integrity.

The piping is the thing mostly holding it up, Kelly Hart said.

Digging the history

Horses tore the city up in 1891.

Speculators and investors funded a team of 20 to 30 horses who dragged iron scrapers across Lebanon to dig a network of canals.

An excavator from Lincoln, Nebraska hired people from China to finish the digging with picks and shovels, according to an account by the Historic Preservation Office of the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation.

The main canal channel is a hand-dug trench stretching for 18 miles from south of Lebanon to downtown Albany.

The Santiam-Albany Canal today connects the South Santiam River to a hydro-electric generator and water treatment plant in Albany. But the human-made stream moved goods by barge after it was built around 1870 from the eastern parts of Linn County to what was at the time an ambitious river port.

Barge traffic stopped on the canal when users found the current too swift for moving vessels upstream, according to the city of Albanys website.

Lebanon franchised water and power services to the canals owners as the Lebanon and Santiam Water Co. Several subsequent power and water operators had problems with the city over the cost and quality of their service, according to the Preservation Office account.

In 1908, the First National Bank of Lebanon bought out half the canals ownership and organized the Lebanon Electric Light and Water Co. after an owner, J.S. Hughs, had financial difficulties, the account reads.

That gave bank president, city mayor and Lebanon Strawberry Festival co-founder Joel C. Mayer some administrative control of the local privately owned utilities.

Owners sold the canal system in 1923 to Albany-based Mountain States Powers Co. That company merged with Pacific Power and Light Co. in 1954, doubling the reach and establishing the frontrunner of PacifiCorp as the largest private utility supplier in the Pacific Northwest.

Acquiring power

A memo calls the pump house deteriorated beyond repair.

Its two stories on a roughly 800-square-foot footprint. Built in 1947, the pump house saw its user base more than triple, from around 5,000 people to more than 15,500.

Generally speaking, it is a very adorable brick building that has a historic character, Hart said to city councilors.

City staff estimate Lebanon will pay $1.2 million to demolish the pump house. Lebanon listed the building among nearly 150 bridges, buildings and parks in its registry of historic places.

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Those places are designated by the city as landmarks that may qualify for grant-funded preservation and are afforded protections from alteration and demolition.

A Bend-based contractor, Sleeper and Keys, built the nearby steel and concrete bridge on South Second Street the same year for $5,905. Its among the oldest bridges in Lebanon, also listed in the local historic places registry.

Lebanon purchased the pump house in 1985 from Pacific Power & Light. Albany purchased the canal the year before.

Lebanon shuttered the building after opening a water treatment plant in 2018. Staff decided to tear it down after decommissioning the plant, according to a memo.

They said the old building would be cost-prohibitive to dismantle and rebuild after tearing out the metal pipe works.

With no alternative use identified, the citys potential use of the property outweighs the value of keeping the pump house intact at its site, according to the memo from Hart to the citys appointed Planning Commission.

Hart told the Lebanon City Council the process is as simple as approving demolition of the protected building.

But I understand it could be appalling on the heartstrings process, she said.

The council voted unanimously for the brick building to come down.
The US President did not attend Charles coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead, and his visit will be marked by a bit of royal pomp  including a royal salute and tea for two.
On an official visit to Berlin, Albanese defended the alliances secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and the role NATO was playing in helping Ukraine.
Sweden has been endorsed by the president of Turkey to join NATO, with support from the US and Germany.
The military alliance wants to assure Kyiv once again that it can join  one day, at least. Could a more concrete date emerge in Vilnius? Bernd Riegert looks at the questions facing NATO ahead of the summit.
Kyiv has been asking Germany to help pave the way for Ukraine to join NATO. A German think tank has mapped out a plan for Ukraine's accession to the alliance.
US President Joe Biden has met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III while on his way to a NATO summit. In separate comments on Sunday, Biden said that Ukraine was not ready for NATO membership.
Australia is set to deploy surveillance aircraft to Germany to guide and protect an external support hub for Ukraine. Canberra also agreed a deal to export Australian-made German combat vehicles back to Germany.
Last week, an ongoing disinformation campaign was launched to deceive the Libyans about the news circulating about the imminent announcement of a new road map that includes freezing the work of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, while the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has denied that...
US President Joe Biden will look to deepen his relationships with King Charles and British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak during separate meetings on Monday in which Ukraine and climate change are expected to dominate the agenda.
Yep. It definitely pays. Big bucks. In the millions. It pays , quite literally, to channel voter anger against one's opposition more than it does to seek support for one's own campaign message or rationales for why Joe and Jane Blow should give you money for your campaign.

The roster of top political fundraisers that capitalized on caricaturing and painting the opposition as quintessentially and uniquely evil to raise gobs of money for their campaigns lists BOTH Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan list of bogeymen includes the "Deep State" for former President Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for potential Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred, and MAGA Republicans against Senate candidate Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

Amazingly, Donald Trump raised a whopping $35 million from his blinkers-on MAGA zealots through his two campaign committees in the second quarter "" about double the amount he raised in the first three months of the year alone. In fact, his two indictments sparked his campaign's biggest fundraising hauls, driven by a surge of small-dollar donors expressing anger and rage toward a perception of law enforcement overreach against their messiah.

But Trump isn't the only politician capitalizing on voter rage. Democrat Schiff, a top Trump antagonist, raised an eye-popping $8.1 million for a race in which he faces, as of now, no credible competition from Republicans. Preparing for a costly primary, he capitalized on House Republicans' vote to censure him last month to turbocharge his already potent fundraising.

According to reports, Schiff raked in over 233,000 donations from all 50 states "" showcasing the breadth of liberal voter anger toward the perceived overreach of the House GOP majority. In this case to do retribution against home for the impeachment number one of Donald Trump when he was president.

Still, even candidates who aren't in Congress proved the power of a polarizing opponent as a fundraising strategy and magnet. In this light, Democratic businessman Adam Frisch, who nearly defeated Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) in 2022, raised over $2.6 million. Frisch's campaign said the imposing tally is the largest quarterly fundraising total for any non-incumbent House candidate in the year before an election , excluding special elections and self-funded campaigns .

Allred, a lower-profile lawmaker than Schiff, still raised an impressive $6.2 million as he pursues a long-shot Senate race in the red state of Texas. His scorching fundraising was fueled by the man he's running against: Ted Cruz, a polarizing conservative and rock-solid supporter of Donald Trump.

However, while mega-fundraising totals matter other things must resonate with voters for candidates to win. Big money is certainly not the be all and end all of winning at the polls. Hillary Clinton out-raised Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election race and lost. Negative political polarization "" the intense dislike of your political opposition "" is today driving politics to the point in which voters forget what their favored candidates even stands for. To be sure, that pays off in the short term, but ultimately to win competitive elections, political campaigns and candidates can't just rely on jacking up their own narrow base.
With the noisy, bitterly partisan 2023 session of the Legislature lurching to a close on the last possible day under the Oregon constitution, state politics can turn its attention to the noisy, bitterly partisan 2024 election.

The House and Senate dropped the gavel on June 25, the 160th day of the 160-day session.

Gov. Tina Kotek has 30 days after the adjournment to sift through the approximately 500 bills that made it to her desk, with four out of five arriving the last two weeks before the session end.

Focus shifts to 2024

Oregon politicians didn't wait until the end of the session to start jockeying for the 2024 election.

On the ballot: three Oregon executive offices  secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general  as well as six congressional seats, 60 Oregon House seats, about half of the 30 Oregon Senate seats, as well as judges, sheriffs, county commissioners and other local offices. Neither U.S. Senate seat is on the ballot in 2024.

At the top of the ballot is the presidential election, which could feature a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a race that has previously increased voter turnout in Oregon, mostly to Democrats' advantage.

Linn County's congressional race

National Democratic and GOP groups are targeting three freshman U.S. House members elected in 2022, two Democrats and one Republican.

At the top of Democrats' wish list is to flip back the 5th Congressional District, won in 2022 by now U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Happy Valley.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put Chavez-DeRemer at near the top of the list of new lawmakers it wants to oust.

The GOP freshmen "have worked hand in hand with Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy to enable the most dangerous wings of their party to threaten our jobs, roll back womens freedoms, endanger Americans economic security, and prioritize politics over people," said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene of Washington.

The National Republican Congressional Caucus has U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Tigard and U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Springfield, on its list of 37 targeted districts.

Republicans are in the majority and on offense, NRCC Chair Richard Hudson said in a recent statement.

The GOP has a four-seat majority in the House, while Democrats control the U.S. Senate and White House.

The main action in Oregon so far has been in the 5th Congressional District, which runs from Portland to Bend.

Metro President Lynn Peterson and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, announced they planned to run for the 5th Congressional seat held by Chavez-DeRemer.

A rally in Bend scheduled for Saturday where Terrebonne attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner was expected to add her name to the 5th District Democratic primary lineup was postponed after the candidate tested positive for COVID-19.

Showdown looms

While several politicians have announced they are running for state office, for the most part it is a symbolic gesture for the next nine weeks.

Under state law, candidates for all statewide, local and federal offices can't officially file to run until Sept. 14. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on March 12, 2024, to file for office in time to get on the May 21 primary ballot. The general election will be Nov. 5.

An early test will come around Sept. 14 when House Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and four other senators are expected to file for reelection in the 2024 election. Knopp told Oregon Public Broadcasting last week that he will file as early as possible to run for another four-year term.

Voters passed Measure 113 in 2022 that bars lawmakers who miss 10 or more days of floor sessions without an excuse from being re-elected to their office. Nine Republicans and one conservative Independent surpassed the 10 unexcused absences during the 42-day Senate Republican walkout.

The seats of six of the senators are on the ballot in 2024. Along with Knopp, Republican Sens. Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls and Art Robinson of Cave Junction have said they plan to seek another term.

So did Sen. Brian Boquist of Dallas, elected as a Republican but now an Independent Party senator who frequently votes with Republicans.

Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, has not made a definitive statement on his plans for 2024. Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, had previously announced he would not seek another term in 2024.

The situation sets up a showdown between the senators and new Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. The former elected Portland city auditor was appointed last month by Kotek to fill out the remainder of the term of Shemia Fagan, who resigned in May amid a conflict-of-interest scandal.

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Ben Morris, spokesman for the office of secretary of state, said May 25, before Griffin-Vlade took over the position as the state's top election official, that a candidate who doesn't qualify for an office if they won wouldn't be allowed to file.

"If a candidate is not eligible to hold office, the courts have interpreted election statutes to mean that the filing officer cant allow them on the ballot," Morris said.

Republicans have vowed to take the issue to court, claiming the wording of the measure was too sloppy to require that the senators not run in 2024 and that the entire law may be a violation of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.

Candidates can raise money before officially filing for office

The state election system creates a two-track system for candidates. While formal statements of candidacy won't be accepted until Sept. 14, candidates can create campaign finance committees at any time. Incumbents retain their committees from the last election, then file an update to direct funds to the next election.

As of Saturday morning, the Elections Division of the Secretary of State lists 73 political action committees raising and spending money for the May 2024 May primary. The list includes 46 candidate-campaign finance committees for the May 2024 primary. Another 27 political action campaigns  political party and special interest PACs  have also been created specifically for the May primary. The vast majority of incumbent statewide officeholders and legislators have yet to update their committee status, but continue to raise funds under the committee from the last election.

Unlike statewide executive offices and seats in the Legislature, candidates for Congress must also file a "statement of candidacy" when registering their campaign finance committee with the Federal Election Commission. In the eyes of the federal government, they are declared candidates.

Federal laws govern receiving and spending campaign contributions in congressional races. A key date will be July 15, the deadline for candidates to file campaign finance reports for the second quarter of 2023.

State offices fall under the more liberal limits of Oregon's campaign finance laws that allow anyone to give any amount to a candidate or cause as long as it is recorded with the Secretary of State.

Another wrinkle: Candidates for the Legislature must live in their districts. The U.S. Constitution says candidates for Congress must live in the state where they are running, but does not require residency within the district they are seeking to represent.


The motto of Adelphi College. (RJ Photography)

(Image by Bob Gaydos) Details DMCA



By Bob Gaydos

"The truth shall make us free."

That was the motto of Adelphi College, my alma mater. Still is. Been around since 1896. It's a good one, I think, as mottos go.

Of course, it's also a bit selective in that, today, it would preclude any loyal Republican from attending or teaching or in any other way participating in activities at such a socialist opponent of free-speech.

I know. That makes no sense. But neither do today's Republicans.

The problem arises today mostly in the minds of Republicans who confuse "free speech" with the right to say anything they feel like, without regard to the truth and certainly without regard to the repercussions of the lack of truth in their statements.

But that's not the end of it. They also don't want people pointing out the fact that they might be spreading misinformation, or, heaven forbid, even lying. People like social media fact checkers or independent fact checkers or even government employees such as FBI agents or health care officials.

Republicans have even found a Trump-appointed judge in Louisiana to say that officially for them.

Last week, Judge Terry A. Doughty granted a preliminary injunction saying the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other government departments must stop communicating with social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech."

"Protected free speech." Like misinformation on Covid-19 or vaccines or election fraud. The judge, whose ruling will be appealed, said the government, which might well have factual information on the matter, should not inform social media platforms about the possibility of dangerous misinformation being spread on their platform.

Now, much of this fear-mongering, conspiracy spreading and outright lying is caught by independent fact-checkers, be it simply other users or researchers or non-profit agencies. But they say the government agencies have never pressured social media companies to remove content, simply alerted them to possibly dangerous, non-factual content.

Of course, non-factual content has become the entire Republican Party playbook since it swore allegiance to Donald Trump: Obama's birth certificate, Hillary's emails, Hunter Biden's laptop, Mexico will pay for a wall, COVID's not serious, stolen elections, January 6 didn't happen, the mainstream media lies.

I'm not aware of any Republican court challenge to the right of the free press to print the truth about Trump et al. It may be a bridge too far right now. Of course, newspapers printed long lists of Trump's lies in office. Not that most Republicans, especially hard core MAGA Republicans, were concerned. They believed the lies. There's the rub.

A classmate of mine at my high school alma mater, Bayonne High School, has a theory on how even those who recognize the lies can unwittingly help them gain credence.

If memory serves me correctly, Dr. George Lakoff was valedictorian of the BHS Class of '58, my class. He went on to become a highly regarded cognitive linguist and philosopher at University of California, Berkeley. A smart guy.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

No, as TomDispatch regular Juan Cole, creator of the must-read Informed Comment website, points out today, you don't want to be in the Iraq that this country invaded in what was, in essence, a giant oil grab and helped turn into a land of overheated rubble, dust, sand, drought, and increasingly over-the-top temperatures, but these last weeks, you wouldn't have wanted to be in that blazing hot-box state, Texas, where heat records were being set daily either, or in Chicago or Detroit whose smoking skies were the most polluted on the planet in a country where more than a third of the population, 120 million of us, were living under air quality alerts, or for that matter in parts of Canada where more than 400 fires were still burning wildly (and smoke from some of them had even reached Europe), almost half still fully out of control, weeks after the fire season began and without an end in sight.

And yes, long as that sentence may be, it's still not faintly long enough to take in the new planet on which all of us, environmentalists and Trumpists alike, now find ourselves. In this world, the sort of climate-change denialism practiced by so many of today's "Republicans" should look ever madder, ever more" well, overheated in the worst way. And even if they refuse to notice what's actually happening on this planet of ours, ever more of us do.

With that in mind, consider the crimes described ever so vividly by Cole, climate-change-oriented and otherwise, that the fossil-fuelized American leaders of the era of George W. Bush committed in Iraq and, in the end, here at home as well. Tom

Iraq's Climate Crisis

America's War for Oil and the Great Mesopotamian Dustbowl

By Juan Cole

It was one of the fabled rivers of history and the Marines needed to cross it.

In early April 2003, as American forces sought to wrap up their conquest of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and take strongholds to its north, the Marine Corps formed "Task Force Tripoli." It was commanded by General John F. Kelly (who would later serve as Donald Trump's White House chief of staff). His force was charged with capturing the city of Tikrit, the birthplace of dictator Saddam Hussein. The obvious eastern approach to it was blocked because a bridge over the Tigris River had been damaged. Since the Marines assembled the Task Force in northeastern Baghdad, its personnel needed to cross the treacherous, hard-flowing Tigris twice to advance on their target. Near Tikrit, while traversing the Swash Bridge, they came under fire from military remnants of Saddam's regime.

Still, Tikrit fell on April 15th and, historically speaking, that double-crossing of the Tigris was a small triumph for American forces. After all, that wide, deep, swift-flowing waterway had traditionally posed logistical problems for any military force. It had, in fact, done so throughout recorded history, proving a daunting barrier for the militaries of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and the Achaemenid Cyrus the Great, for Alexander the Great and Roman Emperor Justinian, for the Mongols and the Safavid Iranians, for imperial British forces and finally General John H. Kelly. However, just as Kelly's stature was diminished by his later collaboration with America's only openly autocratic president, so, too, in this century the Tigris has been diminished in every sense and all too abruptly. No longer what the Kurds once called the Ava Mezin, "the Great Water," it is now a shadow of its former self.

Fording the Tigris

Thanks at least in part to human-caused climate change, the Tigris and its companion river, the Euphrates, on which Iraqis still so desperately depend, have seen alarmingly low water flow in recent years. As Iraqi posts on social media now regularly observe in horror, at certain places, if you stand on the banks of those once mighty bodies of water, you can see through to their riverbeds. You can even, Iraqis report, ford them on foot in some spots, a previously unheard-of phenomenon.

Those two rivers no longer pose the military obstacle they used to. They were once synonymous with Iraq. The very word Mesopotamia, the premodern way of referring to what we now call Iraq, means "between rivers" in Greek, a reference, of course, to the Tigris and the Euphrates. Climate change and the damming of those waters in neighboring upriver countries are expected to cause the flow of the Euphrates to decline by 30% and of the Tigris by a whopping 60% by 2099, which would be a death sentence for many Iraqis.

Twenty years ago, with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, two oil men and climate-change denialists, in the White House and new petroleum finds dwindling, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for them to use the 9/11 horror as an excuse to commit "regime change" in Baghdad (which had no role in taking down the World Trade Center in New York and part of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.). They could thereby, they thought, create a friendly puppet regime and lift the U.S. and U.N. sanctions then in place on the export of Iraqi petroleum, imposed as a punishment for dictator Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

There was a deep irony that haunted the decision to invade Iraq to (so to speak) liberate its oil exports. After all, burning gasoline in cars causes the earth to heat up, so the very black gold that both Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush coveted turned out to be a Pandora's box of the worst sort. Remember, we now know that, in Washington's "war on terror" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the U.S. military emitted at least 400 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And mind you, that fit into a great tradition. Since the eighteenth century, the U.S. has put 400 billion "" yes, billion! "" metric tons of CO2 into that same atmosphere, or twice as much as any other country, which means it has a double responsibility to climate victims like those in Iraq.

Climate Breakdown, Iraqi-Style

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On Monday the New York Times argued in favor of continuing the war and supplying weapons for the war in Ukraine but not cluster bombs:

"However compelling it may be to use any available weapon to protect one's homeland, nations in the rules-based international order have increasingly sought to draw a red line against use of weapons of mass destruction or weapons that pose a severe and lingering risk to noncombatants. Cluster munitions clearly fall into the second category."

It is of course a positive thing for the New York Times to have some limit, and to reach that limit prior to reaching nuclear apocalypse, and to report in doing so on the related lies of the U.S. military. And I really don't care whether they claim something called the "rules-based international order" exists, even if they do seem to finally be admitting that the United States is not a member of it.

It is also a positive thing for a tiny fraction of Congress Members to rhetorically object to sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. My concern is with where they and the New York Times draw their line, where their limit is finally reached.

If "protecting one's homeland" does not justify absolutely anything (as it does for nuclear weapons proponents, for example, arguably reaching self-contradiction in justifying the destruction of everyone's "homelands"), then it is up to us to determine what it does not justify. The notion that it justifies massive warmaking "" and sabotaging of peace efforts "" but not cluster bombs or perhaps chemical weapons and maybe not biological weapons (but Depleted Uranium weapons and at least the threat of nuclear weapons seem to make the cut) depends on major misconceptions. In fact, the lying by the purported leader and originator (but non-member) of the Rules Based Order is consistent across all aspects of the war, not just the dud-rate of cluster bombs.

First, this flawed moral logic is dependent on the misconception that the war in Ukraine isn't generally killing huge numbers of civilians, so that cluster bombs can create a change from slaughtering acceptable non-civilians to slaughtering unacceptable civilians. This is false. The war is killing huge numbers of civilians with all kinds of weapons. And many of those weapons will go on killing for years even if the war ends, through the destruction and poisoning of the environment.

Second, this flawed moral logic is dependent on the atrocious idea that killing non-civilians is perfectly fine. Non-civilians are people, men and women with families and friends, blood and guts, hopes and dreams. In this war, on both sides, they are mostly men who have been compelled by force of propaganda, social pressure, and threat of prison to cease being civilians. Imagine demanding that someone make himself an acceptable target for murder. Of course, each side will claim that those forced to participate on one side are perfectly acceptable targets and those on the other side are saints and heroes by no means available for shredding their flesh with high-tech weapons. But a rules-based order should do better than that.

Third, this war is starving and harming civilians and non-civilians alike, within Ukraine and Russia and across the globe. It is depriving people of food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. The majority of direct, violent victims of wars in recent decades are civilians. But the overall majority of the victims of these wars live and die far from the combat and are hardly given a passing thought. Tiny fractions of the resources going into this war could transform the lives of billions of people.

Fourth, there are always alternatives to war. Even in the middle of war, there are wiser options.

Did the New York Times oppose the use of U.S. cluster bombs in Iraq or Afghanistan? I hope so. I don't remember it supporting our protests over the years at the U.S. factories producing them, or our demand that they be eliminated. But how ever a limit is reached, it is good that there is one. Reaching such a limit should be an occasion to reconsider. If you're going to have a limit, why not have it in the best place?

Even without reconsidering, in supporting the war henceforth, the New York Times will be supporting a war that has crossed over its "red line." Ought that not to be a reason to advocate for peace negotiation?
As in the case of the US transfer of cluster munitions to the Ukraine with US congressional "progressives" pulling up the rear.

Biden's Cluster Munitions Transfer to Ukraine Ripped as 'Terrible Mistake' by Top Dems.

It is almost comical that congressional "progressives" would be mistaken as "Top Dems", suggesting that were they in fact Top Dems they would behave in exactly the same manner as well as Top Repugs.

In fashionable politician parlance the progressives' letter states:

That is why since Fiscal Year 2010, and in all subsequent appropriations bills including last year, Congress has enacted severe restrictions on the transfer of cluster munitions with bipartisan support.

Excuse me WTF good is "severe restrictions" when the Congress could have banned such weapons? Sneaky little fakers.

Then this self-serving group pat on all of their congregating backs:

The United States has a proud commitment to global moral leadership and the defense of human rights.

Wow. Shameless. That statement will sneak up on serious and real people and leave their mouths open. Imagine what the opposite of this global moral leadership must look like.

And the moral grandstanding is topped by:

We can and will continue to support our Ukrainian allies' defense against Russia's aggression.

How can lawyers write so deliberately loosely?

Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garc-a (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02)

"...We didn't say we supported Ukraine, you know, the former Nazi infested, democracy and free speech-loving Ukraine that we all recognized years ago until it became convenient to go blind and pretend they are corrupt like us, nice and cuddly, what we are trying to say that our support is for our Ukrainian allies defense...blah, blah, blob."

Like Victoria Nuland's slip of the tongue regarding her $5 billion investment in the murderous overthrow of the elected government of Ukraine... nothing to see here, we are not the war criminals you are looking for... move along.

I don't know whether these "progressive" folks are ready to stand up for ending the U.S. Perpetual War project. I have to work on my own house first. As they say in the case of darts bouncing instead of sticking in the dartboard, "hard cheese". Our work is cut out when we have so-called progressives pretending that not only are their legislative efforts being ignored but that they are moral globalists. Definitely hard cheese.

Joe Biden's 360 Degree Turn on "Cluster Bombs by Michael Roberts gives us serious reminders that mumbling and stumbling insane U.S. leadership is dangerously passe'.

(Article changed on Jul 10, 2023 at 4:21 PM EDT)
For United States lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle China is the new arch-enemy. Not a day passes by without the mainstream corporate media and political talking heads accusing China of every ill under the sun, the same modus operandi used against Russia BEFORE the Ukraine War. But no matter U.S. saber-rattling, China continues to play its "long game" refusing to make the mistakes of the former Soviet Union while building up its economic and military might, and burnishing is now formidable diplomatic credentials across the world.

Chinese diplomacy has been built on a foundation of economic cooperation in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as the United States and Europe focused on Russia as a new enemy after the Iraq and Afghanistan military misadventures became untenable. Taking their eyes off of China AND India proved to be a major mistake. Moreover, by isolating Russia, the United States and its allies, just drove these two countries further into each other's arms. For China, the U.S-Russian and Ukraine Gambit was and is a most informative and instructive development especially when it comes to the China-Taiwan issue that the U.S and the EU pivoted to after the Hong Kong Destabilizing Gambit failed miserably.

Today, China's influence in the Caribbean (and Latin America) has been steadily increasing in recent years, signaling a shift in the region's geopolitical dynamics. Traditionally, the Caribbean has maintained strong ties with its Western neighbors, particularly the United States and Europe. And the region continues to do so; it has not abandoned these traditional partners, even though respect and genuine reciprocity was a one-way affair. However, China's growing presence is reshaping the economic and political landscape of the region.

When it comes to Latin America, in recent months Brazil's new president has signed all kinds of economic, trade and technology agreements with China, including a two-nations financial institution (bank) that allows both countries to bypass the United States dollar as the trade currency - a first for the global trading system that relies on the U.S. dollar supremacy. Should this institution meet with success it will only be a matter of time before other BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) follow suit.

In essence, this is a pilot project - the result of the ejection of Russia from the global currency and financial system dominated by the United States and the European Union at the start of the Ukraine War. No nation wants to be caught in that vulnerable position for one reason or the other or if and when the U.S. and EU decide to mete out punishment to "new enemies." Trade sanctions have worked to the ruination of nations because of "dollar dependency." China and the BRICS nations are looking for alternatives as their rising economic power is bound to trigger reaction from both the United States and the EU.

Just last month the new Grenadian prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, stated in a national address that he's going to seek better and improved relations with China, India, Africa AND the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, in a seismic engagement shift AWAY from the United States and Europe, something unthinkable, say, 10 years ago. Indeed, CARICOM has long realized that the United States and the EU were never reliable partners and only saw the Caribbean as a dumping ground for cheap goods and dependent on aid that was given in one hand and taken back in the other leaving the region worse off and more dependent on the U.S. than before. For these nations China, India and Brazil offer better alternatives for growth and development.

So, one key measurement of China's influence in the Caribbean is its ongoing economic engagement. China has become a significant investor in infrastructure developmental projects, such as ports, roads, housing and telecommunications networks. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's ambitious global development program, has provided a framework for targeted and increased Chinese investments in the region. These investments aim to improve connectivity and enhance trade opportunities, boosting the region's economic growth and development.

Already, many CARICOM nations have moved to strengthen bi-lateral ties with China on a whole range of issues. When the last hurricane to hit Dominica destroyed many houses and other infrastructure it was China that came to the rescue as the United States could care less. Today, China has not only built houses and other public infrastructure in Dominica but also invested in education, health and medical technology. And there is also a direct and deliberate CARICOM pivot to Africa and India as their aid programs come with less strings attached compared to U.S and EU aid.

Chinese investments have not only focused on physical infrastructure but also on key sectors like tourism, renewable energy, and agriculture. These investments have created increased employment opportunities and contributed to the diversification of the region's economies, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. And on the diplomatic field China's "charm offensive" has paid dividends: Several Caribbean countries have recognized the People's Republic of China as the legitimate government, switching their diplomatic recognition from Taiwan.

In response to growing, mainly United States and EU concerns, Caribbean governments are adopting measures to ensure transparency, sustainable development, and long-term benefits from their partnerships with China. All of a sudden, after being long ignored by the United States and the EU, its top lawmakers and diplomats now come calling to bully the region, talking about "US national security interests" and stability in its "third border backyard and the Caribbean Basin" - a 20th century derogatory characterization for the region. Vice President Kamala Harris came bearing gifts, promising much, and then Secretary of State Anthony Blinken turned up pledging all kinds of help, ostensibly to "keep the region in line."

But that may be too little, too late. As of 2022, ten Caribbean countries have signed on to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) "" Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. "We're in nobody's backyard," deceased former Grenada Prime Minister Maurice Bishop once said. The rise of China in the Caribbean region is a direct result of being ignored, disrespected, and treated simply as poor, needy, third-class citizens living in "a basin" in the U.S, "backyard." Maybe now, the region will be treated with the respect it deserves.
Mumbai - A sensational twist has rocked the city as false complainant Abhishek Badriprasad Saraf shockingly demands a staggering 9 Crores to drop his fabricated case, exposing the depths of corruption within the prestigious Bombay Gymkhana Club. Private investigator Santosh Sakpal's relentless pursuit of the truth has unveiled the shocking reality, vindicating the innocent victims entangled in this treacherous web of deceit. The scandal began on the ill-fated evening of June 
Introduction: Jamaica's reggae music scene is about to be shaken by the upcoming release of "Bing Bong," a new single by Ollie D, a white artist who claims Jamaican roots. With the pre-release date set for July 26 and the official release scheduled for September 29, this unexpected move has sparked intense controversy and heated discussions surrounding cultural appropriation and the authenticity of Ollie D's music. Cultural Appropriation or Genuine Expression? Ollie D's 
The German Process Fellows and the US-based Envorso, both consultants for the automotive industry, will work more closely together with immediate effect in order to be able to access the knowledge and experience of internationally networked experts for their customers. Erlangen, July 10, 2023 - Process Fellows GmbH, a German process consulting company primarily active in Europe, and Envorso, an American company based in Seattle, are now working more closely together 
A Portland man was shot to death inside a Cape Meares residence Saturday morning, according to the Tillamook County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies responding to a report of shots fired arrived at a home on 4th Street in Cape Meares around 10 a.m., where they found a 47-year-old man dead, according to a news release posted to the sheriffs offices social media. The initial investigation indicated the man died of homicidal violence, the release states.
The blue sign on U.S. 101 at milepost 121 has been there for close to five decades  almost as long as the Mossy Creek Pottery shop it points to. Yet nearly every day its a new discovery for at least one traveler, leading them a half a mile east to the pottery shop. Its about fifty-fifty, with wonderful returning customers and just as many people in a day discovering us, said Melanie Richardson, owner of the Lincoln City shop. And then there are the people who say, Oh, I passed that sign for years and wanted to come in, and the people who find us on social media and seek us out.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the shops opening on June 16, 1973. Richardson and her staff arent settling for a one-day event, but plan to mark the date all year, dubbing it the Celebration of Pottery, Potters, Proprietors and Patrons.
Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer apologized and resigned Monday morning after spurring a public uproar and calls to step down for a yearslong series of hateful posts to a private police Facebook group, saying My online persona has become too polarizing for me to continue.

I now realize that some of my actions and my words have hurt people I love and care about, Sawyer wrote in his resignation letter first shared with The Oregonian/OregonLive. This is something that I take full responsibility for. I am sorry to everyone in this community and anyone hurt by my actions, directly or indirectly.

Sawyer acknowledged the posts and said they do not reflect my values. It was wrong for me to belittle people with experiences different than my own.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported on Friday that Sawyer posted memes mocking immigrants, Spanish speakers and transgender women and encouraged violence against women and crime suspects on the Facebook group called LEO Only. OPB reported it had reviewed the memes  some dating to 2016  but did not say how a reporter accessed them.

Reached by phone after resigning, Sawyer described his posts as vile and dark, and I shouldnt have gotten involved in it. He was a Newport police officer for 30 years before he was elected mayor in 2018.

The law enforcement Facebook group has nearly 40,000 members and requires proof of an active or retired law enforcement ID to join, according to its page.

Its not freedom of speech, it was stupid speech, he said. Ive lived in Newport for 47 years. Newport is my life, my love and my passion and it will always be that way.

He declined further comment.

CM Hall, Newports first openly queer council member, called for Sawyers resignation Friday followed by a protest Saturday by about 70 people, including two former mayors and several City Council members, in front of City Hall in the central coast town of about 10,000.

Hall said she was relieved to learn of Sawyers resignation and hoped Newport residents would remember the former mayor is a human being.

It was the right call and Im grateful that he acted swiftly to make that decision, Hall said. I dont think he realized how he was harming so many different communities, and I believe he is taking some time to really absorb what that means now.

Former Mayor Sandy Roumagoux and Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall also said Sawyer did the right thing in leaving office.

I feel that Newport has been let out of a box that his actions had put us in, said Roumagoux, a three-term mayor. I am with a deep breath looking forward to helping to move this city forward.

Claire Hall, a transgender woman activist, said: As a member of a marginalized community, it deeply hurts to know someone youve known and worked with could harbor these kind of ideas and share them.

It reveals that weve got a society again where a lot of people still think sharing these kind of views even for private is OK somehow, she said. Its just wrong to take any group and by ridiculing further marginalize them.

Newport Police Chief James Malloy, who earlier condemned Sawyers posts as completely against the police departments policies and values, said Sawyer made the right move for the city.

His actions were appalling, Malloy said.

City Council President Jan Kaplan will serve as acting interim mayor until someone is permanently appointed to finish Sawyers term, which ends in January 2025, according to City Manager Spencer Nebel.

The City Council is meeting July 17 to discuss how members will fill the mayors seat, which could be done by councilors agreeing on a person to appoint to the position or by allowing registered Newport voters to apply to be mayor, Nebel said.

In a statement on Sawyers resignation, Nebel said: The (City Council) recognizes that a community is enhanced by its diversity, and city facilities and services exist to serve all members of the community. Racism and bigotry are never to be supported or tolerated, and are instead to be identified and condemned.

More than 70 people had emailed the City Council demanding Sawyers resignation, Kaplan said Monday afternoon during a public meeting about the former mayors posts.

I personally condemn his online behavior in the strongest terms, but still recognize the many good things he has accomplished during his years of service, Kaplan said.

A dozen people addressed the council, most to express their outrage over Sawyers posts and to urge councilors to take steps to ensure a similar situation doesnt happen again.

I not only feel betrayal, but shame, anger, fear, sadness, shock, hopelessness, said Monika Kirk, who lives in unincorporated Lincoln County. I believe (Sawyer) listened and learned, otherwise he would not have resigned, but I still feel the pain of this thing.

Catherine Biscoe, a former Philomath city councilor, said the former mayors conduct reflected poorly on elected city officials throughout Oregon.

This jeopardizes the trust of our community members of their local elected officials and law enforcement, she said. I want to encourage this council through these difficult times to view this as an opportunity to set a higher standard for elected officials both in Newport and as an example for cities across Oregon.

Nebel pointed to efforts the Newport City Council has taken since it released a statement on diversity, equity and inclusion in January 2021, while Sawyer served as mayor, that condemned racism, discrimination and other types of bias. Those included increasing police training around cultural diversity, offering Spanish language materials and bilingual programming at the local library and hosting more cultural and community events, he said.

But it was clear the City Council has more work to do, he said.

Its important to us as we move forward on this journey that all of our actions match the words about being an inclusive organization and community, Nebel said. We are nowhere near the end of the journey.

City Councilor Dietmar Goebel said Sawyers posts were degrading to residents and that he and another council member had met with Sawyer and urged him to resign. He did not say which other councilor was in that meeting.

We pretty much told him: Its over. You cant get past this. Please dont put the city through any more problems, Goebel said.

Sawyer was first appointed to fill a vacant City Council position in 2011 and was elected to the council position until 2018, when he was elected mayor. He was re-elected mayor in 2020 and 2022.

Here is the full text of Sawyers resignation announcement:

I am sorry - in its simplest and sincerest form. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve this community for the past several years. Being a member and leading this community has been one of the better periods of my life. I have made Newport my home for over forty years and I only ever meant to make it stronger and better. I wanted to make it a better place to live for everyone.

But I now realize that some of my actions and my words have hurt people I love and care about. This is something that I take full responsibility for. I am sorry to everyone in this community and anyone hurt by my actions, directly or indirectly. The posts I made and the humor I engaged in do not reflect my values. It was wrong for me to belittle people with experiences different than my own.

I understand that many of you are upset, angry and confused by my actions. You have every right to be. In my public decision making I always strove to do what was best for Newport. While I am proud of some of our achievements, at this juncture it is clear that my online persona has become too polarizing for me to continue.

As I step down I hope to hasten the process of healing for the uproar I have caused. I hope and pray for the next administration to continue improving our great community. I know it will be a while, but I hope to have the opportunity to listen to and learn from the various people I hurt, and over time, mend fences. From this point forward I will pray, meditate and ponder about how I can be a better agent for good. At this time I would like to announce my resignation as Mayor of Newport effective July10, 2023 at 9:00 AM.

-- Lori Tobias

-- Catalina Gaitan, cgaitan@oregonian.com, @catalingaitan_

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe.
It was a very busy spring in Oregon politics. The Oregon Legislature sprinted to the finish after a record walkout stalled progress on bills for weeks.

Developments outside of the Legislature also captured the attention of The Oregonian/OregonLives politics team, as reporter Hillary Borrud uncovered the true source of a large donation to the Democratic Party of Oregon, setting off investigations.

In this episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, longtime political and education editor Betsy Hammond joins editor Therese Bottomly to talk about the recently completed legislative session. Thousands of bills are introduced each year for consideration, and Hammond talks about her teams approach to choosing which to cover.

She talks about the highlights of what got accomplished this session and also what bills likely will come back around in a future session, such as proposals for campaign finance reform. Topics include:

How do you decide which of the thousands of bills will get coverage?

How do other reporters work with the politics team?

What is going on at the Capital building?

Hammond also talks about The Oregonian/OregonLives impactful reporting on early literacy. After reporter Sami Edge revealed Oregon colleges were teaching unproven methods to help kids learn to read, the governor issued an executive order requiring a scientific basis for teaching methods.

The podcast also highlights two terrific resources for Oregonians: gov.oregonlive.com and schools.oregonlive.com. You can find their conversation at oregonlive.com/podcasts.
Are you enjoying this cooler than average break from the summer heat? Portland will see a few more days of highs in the 70s before another ridge of high pressure builds into the region warming temps back into the 80s by the end of the week.

The cooling and clouds are due to a strong onshore flow that brings marine stratus into the valleys and carries cooler ocean air eastward.

Portland will start Monday with plenty of clouds before gradual clearing brings a mostly sunny afternoon. The National Weather Service says temperatures will be much as they were Saturday with most locations landing in the mid-to-upper 70s. The forecasted high at the Portland International Airport is about 75.

Winds in the Columbia River Gorge will be breezy with gusts of 25-35 mph beginning near Hood River and continuing eastward. Portions of the gorge near The Dalles are under a red flag warning due to high fire danger. Scattered thunderstorms early Monday could lead to fire starts that may spread rapidly due to high winds. Use caution in the area.

NOAA

Portland will see another cloudy morning Tuesday as a new system swings off the ocean and into the Pacific Northwest bringing a chance of rain to central and northern Washington. Southwest Washington and Oregon should stay dry, but cloud cover will be heavy through the morning hours. The afternoon should see some gradual clearing. The high will be near 79 degrees.

By Wednesday Portland should begin to see the effects of building high pressure with mostly sunny skies much of the day. The high temperature will be about 80 degrees.

Extended forecasts are mixed, but its expected high pressure will bring mostly sunny skies to Portland and warm the region through the end of the week with temperatures rising back into the mid 80s by Friday.
Tuesday 11 July 2023 2:16pm



The smallest baleen whale, Caperea marginata, compared to the largest: the blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus. Credit: Carl Buell.

Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale.

The smallest of the living baleen whales, its tank-like skeleton is unique, and its ecology and behaviour remain virtually unknown.

Because it is so unusual, the evolutionary relationships of the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) have long been a bone of contention.

In a study that solves the debate, just published in Marine Mammal Science, an international group of researchers sequenced the complete genome of Caperea, combining their findings with morphology and palaeontology.



Comparative figure image: The skull of Caperea resembles that of right whales because both need to accommodate long baleen plates for skim feeding. Their similarities are the result of convergent evolution. Credit: Felix Marx

Co-author Dr Felix Marx, curator of marine mammals at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa explains the skull shape of the pygmy right whale seems to be adapted for skim-feeding, where a whale will swim at the waters surface with its mouth open to food.

This is very similar to the larger true right whale, leading some scientists to believe the two whales are closely related, hence their similar names. However, others believe the pygmy right whale is more closely related to species like the blue whale, which take big gulps of water to collect food instead of skimming, he says.

He was pleased to be able to exploit the power of genomics to elucidate the history of life.

After 150 years of anatomical orthodoxy and decades of dispute, genomics now shows beyond reasonable doubt that Caperea is a distinct lineage and not related to right whales.

Like river dolphins and sperm whales, Caperea is the sole guardian of a unique piece of evolutionary heritage. Its not just another weird right whale  it truly is the last survivor of an otherwise lost family that once played a much bigger role in Earths history, he says.

Co-lead author Dr Kieren Mitchell, of Manaaki Whenua  Landcare Research, says new genetic information often prompts scientists to reconsider why different animals appear more similar or different to each other.

"When DNA and anatomy seem to be at odds about the relationship between species, usually that means there's an even deeper and more interesting story to be discovered about their evolution, he says.

Co-author Dr Nic Rawlence, Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory Director, describes Caperea as a wonderful case of convergent evolution, which occurs when two unrelated species end up appearing more and more alike as they adapt to similar selective pressures.

Caperea has historically been aligned with right whales because they look the same due to similar feeding strategies, when, in fact, its probable that Caperea is the last surviving member of an ancient group of whales called cetotheres, he says.

Co-lead author Dr Ludo Dutoit, of Otagos Department of Zoology, says now its position in the family tree of whales has been confirmed, researchers can start to explore what the Caperea lineage looks like, and what kind of past events were significant in driving its evolution.

Dr Marx agrees, adding that Caperea may be another example of how being unusual helped save a lineage from extinction.

River dolphins likely survived the demise of their marine relatives because they invaded freshwater habitats; sperm whales persisted when their toothed relatives disappeared because they were deep-diving suction specialists; and Caperea survived because it adapted to be a skim filter feeder, when most of its relatives presumably didnt.

Publication details

Convergent evolution of skim feeding in baleen whales

Ludovic Dutoit, Kieren J. Mitchell, Nicolas Dussex, Catherine M. Kemper, Petter Larsson, Love Dalen, Nicolas J. Rawlence, Felix G. Marx

Marine Mammal Science

https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13047

For more information, please contact

Dr Nic Rawlence

Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory Director

University of Otago

Email nic.rawlence@otago.ac.nz

Dr Felix Marx

Curator Vertebrates

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Email felix.marx@tepapa.govt.nz

Ellie Rowley

Communications Adviser

University of Otago

Mob +64 21 278 8200

Email ellie.rowley@otago.ac.nz
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The work of a plenary session of the Libyan House of Representatives (Parliament) began on Monday in Benghazi (East) to discuss the proposal of the 6+6 Joint Commission on the electoral laws for the legislative and presidential elections
Photo: (Photo : Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

In a remarkable tale of determination and resilience, a 45-year-old woman, known as Victoria (last name withheld for privacy), defied the restrictive abortion laws in her home state and embarked on a courageous journey across the country to exercise her reproductive rights. As Louisiana is among the states that have virtually banned abortions, Victoria had no choice but to travel out of state in order to seek the procedure she desired.

Discovering she was five weeks late and receiving positive results on two pregnancy tests, Victoria faced one of the most challenging moments of her life. She shared her experiences with CNN, shedding light on the difficulties she encountered, including taking time off work, traveling across the country, meeting with a doctor, taking medication, and then returning home as if nothing had happened.

Impact of Abortion Restrictions on Travel Time for Women

Victoria's personal experience reflects the larger reality that many American women face as they travel through a patchwork of states with varying levels of access to abortion services.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the average travel time to an abortion facility in the United States more than tripled after the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court. For women in Texas and Louisiana, the average travel times to the nearest abortion facility were significantly longer, posing a significant burden in terms of time, expense, and emotional strain.

With careful research and consideration, Victoria identified Oregon as a more accessible option. She diligently evaluated the parameters for abortion in different states, weighing factors such as travel time, appointment availability, and state regulations. Utilizing resources like abortionfinder.org, Victoria sought reliable information to guide her decision-making process.

Driving to a neighboring state was not a feasible choice, as the surrounding states had similarly restrictive laws regarding abortions. After discovering that Oregon prioritized reproductive rights, Victoria swiftly made up her mind. Determined, she promptly booked a flight to Oregon, coordinating her visit with a friend from college who generously offered her a place to stay.

Read Also: Justice for Anti-abortion Group as Suspect Arrested for Firebombing; DNA Evidence Proves Key

Dissonance Between Care for Other Health Issues and Reproductive Health Restrictions

Victoria's journey involved a telehealth appointment with the provider, who ensured that she had proof of travel documents to ensure compliance with the state's regulations. Taking time off work, Victoria flew to Oregon, where she attended the telehealth appointment and received the necessary instructions. She then proceeded with a medication abortion, taking mifepristone and misoprostol under the guidance of the provider.

Although the experience physically resembled a heavy period, Victoria found it emotionally significant. She anticipated a profound psychological reckoning, but her certainty about not wanting to have a child made the decision more straightforward for her.

Victoria's support network played a vital role throughout the process. Her mother, despite not fully agreeing with her decision, provided unwavering support and even drove her to the airport. The experience strengthened their bond as they navigated the complexities of personal beliefs and unconditional love.

Victoria's story highlights the stark contrast between the exceptional care she received for other health issues and the restrictions imposed on reproductive health services in her home state. Despite the dissonance she experienced, Victoria remains grateful that she had the means and support to overcome the barriers and obtain the procedure she desired.

While Victoria's journey represents a triumph of individual agency, it underscores the ongoing challenges faced by women across the United States. The patchwork of laws and restrictions surrounding abortion necessitates the urgent need for comprehensive and accessible reproductive healthcare nationwide.

Related Article: Revised North Dakota Abortion Laws Challenged: Physicians, Clinics Say It Is Unconstitutional and Violates Patients' Rights
Photo: (Photo : Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash)

In a recent development, a federal appeals court granted temporary approval to Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reversed a previous ruling from a district court judge, allowing the state's ban on therapies like hormone blockers and surgeries for transgender youth to go into effect, at least temporarily.

Last month, a district court judge in Tennessee deemed the state's new law unconstitutional, citing discrimination based on sex. According to ABC, the judge blocked significant portions of the law from taking effect.

However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency appeal from Tennessee in a 2-1 ruling. Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton stated that decisions regarding emerging policy issues like transgender care should be left to legislatures rather than judges, emphasizing the importance of robust debate on matters that impact the long-term health of children facing gender dysphoria.

Transgender Health Care Ban in Tennessee Gets Temporary Approval from Appeals Court

Tennessee's attorney general, Jonathan Skrmetti, lauded the ruling as a significant win, asserting that the ban can now be fully enforced. However, it's important to note that the ruling is preliminary and will remain in effect until the appeals court conducts a comprehensive review of the appeal, with the goal of resolving the case by September 30.

Tennessee is one of over 20 states that have recently implemented bans or restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. While federal judges in Indiana and Kentucky have blocked similar laws, and a judge in Arkansas struck down their state's law, the ruling in Tennessee stands as the first federal circuit to allow a ban on transgender health care for minors to go into effect.

The dissenting judge, Helene White, believes the Tennessee law is likely unconstitutional but suggests a narrower application, limiting the ruling to the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center where they sought care.

Advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), its Tennessee chapter, and two law firms, expressed disappointment and heartbreak over the ruling. They reassured transgender youth in Tennessee that the fight is far from over and that they will continue to challenge the law until it is permanently defeated. The federal government has also filed a separate challenge to the Tennessee law, adding to the ongoing legal battles surrounding transgender rights and healthcare access.

Read Also: Kansas Legislature Passes Sweeping Transgender Bathroom Bill, Sparking Outrage From LGBTQ Rights Advocates

Appeals Court Temporarily Allows Tennessee's Ban on Transgender Therapies for Minors

Tennessee's law prohibits health care providers from offering hormone treatments or surgeries for transgender youth if they are intended to allow the child to express a gender identity that contradicts the immutable characteristics of their reproductive system.

The controversy surrounding the law arose after Vanderbilt University Medical Center faced accusations of profit-seeking in relation to their transgender health clinic. Videos emerged showing a doctor discussing the financial benefits of gender-affirming procedures, while another video captured a staffer suggesting that those with religious objections should quit.

The ruling sets a precedent in the Sixth Circuit, encompassing Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle over transgender rights and access to healthcare for minors. The fight continues as opponents vow to challenge the law until it is permanently struck down.

Related Article: Utah Lawmakers Continue to Limit Medical Options for Transgender Youth
Apple's iPad has been the runaway market leader for 12+ years with Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablets stuck in second place. In Q1 2023, Apple almost doubled Samsung's volume. After being in second place for over a decade, Samsung has invented a new tablet concept in an attempt to outmaneuver Apple's iPad.

Samsung has developed a foldable magnetic base plate that allows the display / tablet to operate in multiple modes including TV and PC. The base plate when not in use, could act as a charging plate for a smartphone and other devices when laid flat.

Interestingly, Samsung's U.S. filing does list Samsung as the owner. Instead the patent was filed under Samsung's Engineers. Apple also does this when they want to hide projects that they're working on. Yet in Samsung's European filing, the owner is made clear as being Samsung.

Samsung's patent focuses on a new foldable base plate device with magnetics to hold an almost borderless display device, such as a tablet in place. The user could position the display in landscape or portrait mode. In landscape mode, the device could be positioned in various heights that suit the user as presented below. The magnetics also provide an anti-slide lock mechanism to hold the device in place securely.

In patent FIG. 2C above you could see that the device could be plugged into a wall and then when folded, as presented in patent FIG. 3A, the base plate acts as a charging device for a smartphone and more.

Lastly, Samsung's patent FIG. 11 above illustrates video conferencing displayed in various modes while in FIG. 9 we see a base plate variant that includes added speakers to assist in video conferencing TV and Streaming shows and games etc.).

If Samsung want's their PC mode to compete with an iPad, they'll have to have their new tablet device running Windows. Android just won't cut it. Without access to Windows apps, the draw to this new device would be minimal.

For more details, review Samsung's European patent filing here.
As I mentioned the other day, my wife and I recently read Prue Shaws Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity. Dr. Shaw studied at the University of Sydney, where she gained First Class degrees in English and in Italian, and later earned degrees at the the Universities of Oxford (B. Phil in General and Comparative Literature) and Florence (Dott. In Lett.). She taught Italian Language and Literature at the University of Cambridge, the University of London, and University College London, where she is now Emeritus Reader in Italian.

I will share here a trio of the many passages from Reading Dante that especially caught my attention. All three come from the first chapter, Friendship.

The first is funny, in a way, but also illustrates the fact that great good can come quite unexpectedly out of evil and injustice:

A distinguished nineteenth-century Italian said that Florence should have erected a statue not to Dante but to the obscure Florentine official who sent him into exile. Without the experience of exile Dante would notcould nothave written the Commedia.

The second has something to do with the remarkable significance of numbers in Dantes cosmology, a significance that is, in a sense, becoming apparent once more to modern cosmologists:

Researchers working at CERN in Geneva using the Large Hadron Collider speak of the simplicity and beauty of the mathematical principles that underlie the variety of existence. Fractal geometry is another underlying structural principle that unifies natural phenomena from the very small to the very large. The excitement modern scientists feel at these discoveries is the excitement Dantes poem communicates about numbers and their significance. The relation of numbers to the structure and functioning of the universe and to human creativity is the subject of the sixth chapter.

The third concerns Dantes relative openness to the idea of a kind of salvation for pre-Christian pagans, which is quite striking and unexpected in a devoutly Catholic medieval Italian poet:

Dante is a good Catholic but an independent thinker. He is determined to understand what it is to be a human being, and the place of the individual in society and in the cosmosuniversal concerns that transcend any age or system of religious belief. Far from merely being a spokesman for medieval Catholic orthodoxy, he can reach conclusions his contemporaries found disconcerting and even dangerous. This independence of mind is revealed early in the poem, when we find the great philosophers and poets of antiquityHomer, Plato and Aristotle, among many othersoccupying a place of special privilege on the edge of hell. Among their number, no less remarkably, are two great philosophers of Islam, Averroes and Avicenna. Unlike the damned, these thinkers and writers suffer no physical pain. Unlike the damned, they have pleasant surroundings: light, fine architecture, green grass, and good conversationrather like the quad of an Oxbridge college, one might think. Virgil, Homer and the other classical writers assembled there often talk about poetry. Their only punishment is the knowledge of their exclusion from paradise: sanza speme vivemo in disio (without hope we live in desire). Their unrequited yearning for the divine has no hope of ever being satisfied. That is punishment enough. Catholic theology made no such provision for the great minds and talents of the pagan past. The conventional view was that only unbaptised infants occupied Limbo, this region on the outer rim of hell (limbo means edge). The Jewish patriarchs like Abraham and Moses had been there too for a time, before they were taken up to heaven by Christ after his death. But no pagans belonged here, no matter how remarkable their lives had been for virtue or for wisdom. One early commentator on the poem, Guido da Pisa, a Carmelite friar writing in the late 1320s, less than ten years after Dantes death, clearly admired the poet. Yet he felt it necessary to distance himself at the outset from this and similar examples of unorthodox thinking with a formula revoking in advanceex nunc revoco et annulloanything he inadvertently says in explicating the poem which is against the faith or against the holy churchvel contra fidem vel contra sanctam ecclesiam. (In the late 1950s at Sydney University, good Catholic girls used to take the same preemptive action by inscribing a monogram with just this meaning in the top corner of every page of their philosophy lecture notes.) Dante, explains Guido da Pisa, speaks as a poet and not as a theologian: poetice et non theologice loquitur. The enduring fascination of the Commedia lies precisely in the fact that Dante writes as a poet and not as a theologian. His view of the world was one that often alarmed his contemporaries, and it is still challenging today; but it is the way he found to express that view which makes the Commedia a masterpiece.

This question is much on my mind here in coastal British Columbia, where the Native American cultures  or, as the Canadians would say, the the cultures of the First Nations  are very evident in place names and elsewhere. These peoples lived for dozens of generations without word of Jesus. According to traditional Christian theology, therefore, the ancestors of todays indigenous peoples were and are damned. But this seems not only wildly unjust but utterly foreign to the nature of any God whom I could ever possibly recognize as benevolent, let alone loving.

It is only during the past century or two, I think, that the question of the salvation of the unevangelized has become a real and urgent problem for believing Christians. Before that, unbelievers were mostly far away, culturally and linguistically foreign, and, thus easily demonized. For at least the past hundred or hundred and fifty years, though, believers of many different stripes (to say nothing of unbelievers) have been in regular contact with each other, even living in mixed communities alongside each other. It has become impossible to deny that many of Them are at least as good and sincere and rational as We are and, accordingly, it has become much harder to demonize or marginalize them, or to view their likely damnation (as was once confidently expected) with equanimity or indifference.

As Ive noted here and elsewhere on more than a few occasions, one of the elements of the Restoration in which I take most delight is its way of dealing with  really, neutralizing  the problem of the salvation of the unevangelized that continues to challenge many other Christian denominations and thinkers. Our temples, of which more and more are being built and dedicated around the world, are the physical expression not only of our faith but of the wideness in Gods mercy that cares for those who died without hearing the good news of the Gospel during their mortal lifetimes.

Posted from Ucluelet, British Columbia
Some fool who goes by LB236 [description: Traditionalist Catholic and amateur liturgist, navigating the TLM rubrics so you dont have to] decided to attack yours truly, almost the entire staff of Catholic Answers, and George Weigel on Twitter

I hope youre proud of yourselves. Youve created thousands of conservative Catholics who have no idea how to respond to what Francis is doing, thanks to your collective JP2 beat the liberals forever narrative. You convinced them that all they had to do was follow what the pope said. They are incapable of critical thought and acknowledgement of harsh realities.

I hope youre proud of yourselves. Youve created thousands of conservative Catholics who have no idea how to respond to what Francis is doing, thanks to your collective JP2 beat the liberals forever narrative. You convinced them that all they had to do was follow what the pope said. They are incapable of critical thought and acknowledgement of harsh realities.

* [I post below the entire discussion we had, with his words in blue . Additional comments will be added as they appear] *

Where has Pope Francis supposedly espoused heresy? Even harsh critics of his like Phil Lawler deny that.

*

Read my tweet again, Dave, and point out where I even used the word heresy. I await with bated breath your explanation of how, say, his hand-picked delegates to the October synod are no big deal. Or how (soon to be Cardinal) Fernandez as prefect of the DDF is a good thing. Et cetera. This wasnt supposed to happen, as Catholic apologists used to lecture us in the 90s and 2000s. And yet it is, and people have no idea how to cope with it.

*

I just wrote on Facebook, two minutes ago: There are always lousy bishops. I dont know anyone who would deny that. The mystery is why popes let them do mischief.

*

Its good you dont accuse him of heresy. It shows that you 1) have a brain, and are 2) not a mindless clone and parrot of reactionaries, sedevacantists, etc. *

create are thinking orthodox Catholics who have the wits to consult one or more of

* What I have helped toare thinking orthodox Catholics who have the wits to consult one or more of my 217 defenses of Pope Francis if they are confused about him, or 296 more articles collected from others (rather than bitch and moan).

Again, Dave, this wasnt supposed to happen. Dont believe me? Go look up Catholic Answers articles, Weigels delusional Americanist neocon drivel, and countless other pieces from 1995 to 2010 or so and tell me the tenor being pushed out on the masses wasnt that JP2 had bested all the terrible liberals, and that B16 would finish the job. I was there. I remember. And now, countless conservative Catholics are freaking out big time because everything they were told a post-JP2 pope would never do, Francis is doing.

*

I never argued in such a way, and unless you can document it, I highly doubt that anyone at CA would have, either. Prove it by documenting it! You may be right [about someone else saying something like this at some time], but why should I simply take your word without proof? IN any event, I have never made such a dumb claim.

*

What I actually believe and teach (from April 2016):

*

Bishops and priests have failed in their duty to teach But the causes of ignorance, laxity, and immorality go far beyond just them, and each individual has responsibility to get off their butts and learn the faith. If folks remain spiritual babes (as St. Paul talks about) then they will simply nod at priests and bishops and be spoon-fed and bottle-fed rather than actually break open a theology book, just as they learn anything else in college or at work or the school of hard knocks.

*

Then why do we need clergy or even a pope, Dave? The popes one job is to pass on and protect the deposit of Faith. And when the present pontiff appoints a man like Fernandez who, setting aside his problematic handling of clerical sex abuse in his archdiocese (which strips him of any moral authority he as head of the DDF should possess to deal with that problem, as that is now part of the DDFs purview), is on the record expressing problematic at best statements on doctrine, then we have a problem. You dont seem to have ever truly abandoned your Protestant notion of individualism, so perhaps thats clouding your judgment, but for people who have been Catholic their entire lives and have been taught that the hierarchy have the obligation to pass on the Faith, this is a very big problem.

*

Do any of your 217 articles defend the men hes appointed to high office? If so, youre part of the problem, Dave.

*

I dont follow that sort of thing. Thats the task of Catholic journalists, not apologists. I am analyzing his ideas, that are supposedly so objectionable (if not heretical). Im part of no problem. I defend Holy Mother Church and the Bible.

*

Youre seriously admitting you pay little to no attention to the administrative decisions of the pope, as if they can be separated from his doctrinal teachings? Have you not heard the phrase personnel is policy before? You cant be serious.

*

Apologists deal with doctrines and competing ideas, not the internal politics of churches. I have 4,300 articles and 53 books as it is. Im not bound to what you (an anonymous stranger) think I ought to do with my time. Go jump in the lake!

*

More and more, Im convinced that conservative Catholics formed during the JP2 era (as a cohort) are some of the least intellectually-rigorous and honest people Ive encountered. Their solution to what Pope Francis is doing is to stick their fingers in their ears, make up excuses, and hurl the word Protestant at anyone who dares to burst the carefully-constructed bubble of what a pope can and cannot do.

*

[After citing some of my words above] Dave Armstrong, self-proclaimed author of 217 articles defending the orthodoxy of Pope Francis, admits he doesnt follow Franciss administrative decisions in the slightest. In what world does this make sense?

*

Again, much ado about nothing. You made an accusation towards me, and I asked you to document it. The fact that I dont analyze the popes appointments (didnt with the previous two popes, either) has nothing to do with what you brought up.

*

It astounds me that someone who can go through the Bible and quote random verses to make a point is incapable of recognizing that in the Catholic Church, personnel matters at a practical level more than doctrine. You can keep saying Francis hasnt formally changed any doctrine all you want, but to do so misses the point that his modus operandi is to operate ambiguously and send messages not so much by what he says, but by whom he appoints to positions of power. This is the pope who hand selected Fernandez with all his baggage to be the chief defender of doctrine in the Church. This is the pope who personally appoints homosexual-supporter James Martin to his upcoming synod and sends him letters of encouragement. But yes, sure, stay within your comfortable box of No teaching has changed while the Germans run roughshod over doctrine with nary a peep or discipline from this pontiff. You can keep trying to pretend its still 1995, but to do so simply demonstrates how out of touch you are.

*



* I wrote a Facebook article, On the Last Three Popes Appointments of Cardinals (7-18-22), replying to my friend, traditionalist David Palm, in which I stated:

I would, however, largely agree with the criticisms of many appointments: of this pope and the two previous. I dont follow those things (being too busy defending Holy Mother Church), but [many] have been questionable. Its a mystery to me. In my own opinion, only rock-solid, faithful, 100% orthodox men should be appointed. In many ways I am just as traditional as you are. I conceded a few years ago now that the traditionalist point about soft treatment of liberals was valid. Ive always been against that, but I knew from Fr. Hardon that the reason it was done was fear of schism. A while back I came to the position that this was not a good enough reason anymore and must be seen to be a tragic error. The Church must be much more firm and strict with the errors of liberals and dissidents. So on this point I quite resonate with your view, I think.

*

Well, good for you. One Facebook article in comparison to hundreds upon hundreds of blog posts and multiple books in which you simply ignored the problem. Where was you criticism of papal appointments back in the 90s when, say, JP2 was being soft on the progressives of his day? Or when B16 was doing the same? Youre quite a bit late to the party, Dave, so maybe just sit this one out.

*

Again, I did not ignore the problem. To the contrary, I acknowledge it, but simply choose not to write about it, since it is not apologetics proper. You again lie about my positions (as I just proved). Does that give you a big charge or something?

*

Well, that sure is intellectually dishonest of you, Dave. I dont have to write about this because thats not my job. Well, Dave, when the Church is burning all around us due to catastrophic papal appointments and decisions, and youre trying to convince people to join said Church-on-fire, maybe, just maybe, that should be something you address. *

I addressed bum-rap, slanderous criticisms of Pope Francis, 217 times: precisely the task of a Catholic apologist when the supreme head of the Catholic Church is being unjustly attacked and lied about. Thats the first order of business. No one would become a Catholic if they believed the countless damnable lies spread about the pope by the likes of you, over the last ten years.

*

Im curious: do you think I have written any helpful articles or books at all (if so, which ones?), or is it all just garbage and worthless? You are as critical of me as anti-Catholic Protestants are. The devil is having a laughing fit over these divisions.

*

No, nothing youve written is useful in dealing with the reality of the Church as it actually functions. You consistently operate from a proof-text approach that is utterly useless in dealing with the practical realities of how the Church is administered, and your refusal to hold clergy and bishops accountable for their failure to transmit the Faith because its the responsibility of the laity to learn the faith themselves or however you want to phrase it utterly undermines the purpose of a hierarchical Church. *

And for the record, Im not the one sowing division, nor are any of my Catholic confreres who recognize that something has gone seriously wrong over the past half century. When bishops openly spew heresy and nothing is done to them by the reigning pontiff, yet bishops (e.g., Strickland) who dare point out the problems in the Church are rewarded with apostolic visitations or even removed from office entirely (as in the case of Bishop Torres of Arecibo, Puerto Rico), then yes, its the popes themselves who are causing divisions, thank you very much.

*

Again, like a good sophist and propagandist, you direct the discussion where you want it to go, rather than actually honestly interact with another viewpoint. I asked you: do you think I have written any helpful articles or books at all . . . or is it all just garbage?

*

Dont lecture me on honesty, Dave, when you accused me of accusing Francis of heresy in my OP when I did no such thing, thank you very much.

*

I did no such thing. I simply asked a question, and then commended you when you answered in the negative. Now answer my question. Thank you. If you think all of my 4,300+ articles and 53 books are absolutely worthless, just be open and frank and honest enough to say so.

*

Cat got your tongue? Amazing what happens to a big, slanderous mouth when asked a simple, direct question. First you use sophistry and then a long pause . . .

*

I already answered your question: Your writings may have been useful at some pointin the 90s, perhaps, when the JP2 beat the liberals forever narrative was all the ragebut in 2023, no, they are utterly passe.

*

You continue to lie. I never ever claimed that JP2 beat the liberals forever . If you pretend that I ever did that, then you are lying about a fellow Catholic. You brought up my name in your OP, after all, but I dont know you from Adam. You dont even give your real name.

*

*

For a public figure, Dave, you sure dont seem to have much of a thick skin when it comes to criticism.

*

Nothing to do with thin skin, and everything to do with Proverbs 26:5 (RSV): Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. I dont put up with lies and crap about the pope or the faith or my apologetics apostolate. If you lie, I will vigorously respond.

*

If an anon account like mine thats existed for less time than your own has nearly as many followers as you, perhaps your influence isnt as important as you seem to think it is, Dave. Im struggling to see how you think one more book on the Trinity, for example, makes a difference in 2023 when thousands of Catholics who converted during the JP2 era are openly expressing on Twitter and other forms of social media how the pope could be doing what hes doing, but if you want to pretend everything is just sunshine and lollipops, well, good for you. The rest of us will deal with reality as it is, thank you kindly.

*

Your stubborn refusal to address the present pontiffs prudential and administrative decisions does little to convince people to convert to Catholicism, Im sorry to say. I wont defend him, but this tone deafness from the mainstream apologetics crowd and the insistence of continuing to promote the 1995 narrative while ignoring very real problems are part of the reason [Steve] Skojec left the Church. And hes not alone.

*

Your non-answer constitutes your answer and true opinion (i.e., all of my writing is worthless). You just dont have the guts to say it: knowing down deep that its utterly ridiculous  not to mention the mortal sin of bearing false witness  to condemn my writings en masse.

*

Skojec left the Church because he lacked supernatural faith and was consumed by anger and his demons, as Ive been pointing out for years: correctly identifying the heart of his problem, especially when he denied the indefectibility of both the Church and the pope. I showed him love, by stating and defending Church doctrine.

*

Do enlighten me as to how a non-Catholic is supposed to be persuaded to join the Church when Fernandez the pedo protector and promoter of contraception in certain circumstances just was named head of doctrine. What good are dozens of books on the Trinity, the Virgin, or what have you when anyone with eyes to see can observe that the Catholic Church is in a crisis? Just for once, try stepping outside your carefully-constructed bubble and face reality.

*

1 Peter 3:15 (RSV) Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you *

Jude 3 . . . contend for the faith . . . *

Acts 17:2 for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, The first two are commands.

*

Paul followed that instruction.

*

What I object to is this notion that I must do all this sort of airing dirty laundry and sociological / muckraking journalistic-type analysis of Church problems, just because traditionalists do. Im under no such obligation. I have a plate more than full enough, with all the doctrines and dogmas and misunderstandings that apologists routinely deal with. Im also a big believer in not spreading oneself too thin. As it is, I have more than [4,300] papers ; but I cant do everything.

*

1 Corinthians 7:17 Only, let every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

*

Out of context, that verse implies theres no need for a hierarchy or a pope at all. I really wish youd make up your mind as to whether or not we actually need bishops and popes or not. When they do something you like, the answer seems to be yes; when they dont, you ignore their behavior and insist its up to the laity to fend for themselves.

*

Theres not spreading oneself too thin, and then theres publicly ignoring decisions and appointments of pope and bishops that are direct impediments to conversion. I dont know how many people Ive encountered both online and in person who have admitted they probably wouldnt have converted were Francis pope when they joined the Church.

*

*

All reactionaries have time to do is run down the Church and popes and Vatican II and the Novus Ordo Mass. Reactionaries dont have much time left to defend Holy Mother Church against her enemies or learn the worldview of non-Catholics so as to dialogue with them and attempt to persuade them to become Catholic. This is a great victory for the devil. He takes out many potential apologists and evangelists and turns them into grumblers and complainers and eternal pessimists. * Where are all the converts in the reactionary or even (to a lesser extent) in the traditionalist movement? Where is their equivalent of Catholic Answers or The Coming Home Network? Theyre concerned about bringing people into the Church? One has to talk to folks to do so, and take time away from the constant bickering and repressed rage and vicious attacks against neoCatholics. * What is the appeal in (at least by most appearances) angry, disenchanted, grumbling people who can say very little good about the Church or popes? Why would anyone want to convert to that, pray tell? If they want to rail against Church and popes they can stay Protestant. Why would they opt for Protestant Private Judgment Lite? Most Protestants, in fact, have far more respect for popes than reactionaries do. So it amounts to a situation where reactionaries sit around talking about converts and how we should have a lot more, while doing little or nothing to help being this about: neither laboring in the vineyard, for the harvest, nor assisting others to do so. But we neo-conservatives are doing this work and seeing them come in by the hundreds and thousands. * One stays on the sidelines and talks, and moans and groans about how rotten and terrible the Church is; the other has the fruit to show for what theyve been doing (and believing). Which activity do you think would be more pleasing to God? Is there some law against defending the Church rather than always tearing her down? Is there some unspoken rule in that would forbid reactionaries from interacting with atheists, as I do (with dozens of debates posted)? How about all the heretical sects out there, or the Muslims? How about in-depth debates with Lutherans and Calvinists, as Ive been doing for many years (I have the most extensive critique of Luther and Lutheranism online), in the attempt to show them the weakness of their positions, leading to conversions? * What about dealing with the hundreds of myths and falsehoods of virulent anti-Catholics (I have many scores of articles along those lines)? I have to look far and wide to find much of this at all in reactionary (and too often, also traditionalist) environments. Yet Ill find plenty of apologetics-bashing. What sense does this make? Reactionaries praise something out of one side of their mouths, but refuse to do it themselves, and trash most of its major, known proponents out of the other side.

*

Are you capable of addressing points without quoting yourself, Dave? I asked you a specific question regarding how recent papal actions strengthen or undermine the Faith, and youre simply ignoring them.

*

Ive answered your mindless schtick several times, of course, but one cant talk to someone who refuses to hear. I just refuted your claim (from Scripture and reason) that evangelism and apologetics are worthless as long as the Church has problems (which it had plenty of in Galatia and Corinth).

*

Do self-published books even really count as books, Dave? I mean, really count? As for your attempted point, I would rather not play ignorant and be the living example of the dog in hell This is fine GIF.

*

I have more than twenty officially published books, with seven different publishers. What are your credentials? My first book, A Biblical Defense of Catholicism (Sophia Institute Press) had a glowing Foreword by Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., whose cause for sainthood is championed by Cardinal Burke. *

You havent answered anything. Youve made it clear you treat the hierarchy as if they exist only when they are doing good things, and when they arent, well, thats not your concern and people should just deal with it on their own. You could at least be honest and admit a reason for taking this position is that it would cost you money to not do so. Because whos going to publish your books, or invite you to speak at the trendy Catholic conferences if you start getting too uppity regarding the problems this pope has directly caused?

*

And now I shall take my leave of this idiotic discussion, following the sage advice of Solomon: Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. (Prov 26:4). Thanks much, however, for the remarkably revealing new blog post.

*

The conservative Catholic apologist narrative seems to be that we need popes and bishops when they do things we like that uphold the faith, but when they do bad things, we dont talk about it at all and take the position that its up to the laity to learn the Faith all on their lonesome. How they dont see this undermines the necessity for a hierarchical Church baffles me, but then again, my living isnt dependent on defending the status quo, either. *
God.

A word that calls forth pain and joy. Hope and fear. And loss, so much loss.

People die for that word. People die because of that word.

God.

And, what is God? What is divine? And how does it relate to this world?

As it happens today marks the day in 381, that the Council of Constantinople promulgated the final draft of what we now call the Nicene Creed.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

At this point the wild varieties of early Christianity had long fallen into line behind the Pauline school. The school of Christianity that probably was closest to the actual teachings of the historic Jesus collapsed for all practical purposes with the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and with the death of its principal leadership. Its hard to say whether the various schools we today clump together as gnostic ever were serious contenders. But certainly by the late fourth century they existed in no more than small communities at the edges of the empire or beyond.

The real question for at least two centuries was what variety of the Pauline schools would become normative.

The debates mainly turned on the nature of Jesus and Jesus relationship with God. An addendum was, and what is the comforter, the spirit that Jesus is said to have promised and which was associated with an event recorded as taking place shortly after Jesus ascension.

While Constantinople is called the second ecumenical council, and 56 years earlier at Nicaea in 325 the first, that is only what they are called today. There were a number councils before then. The first we have a sense of was the Council of Jerusalem somewhere in the middle of the first century. Its attested to in the Acts of the Apostles. And between then and the first in Nicaea there are records of a dozen other councils. And also several after Nicaea that arent counted today. For instance, the Council of Antioch in 341, midway between Nicaea and Constantinople, in an attempt to reconcile what at the time were the Athanasian and Arian schools, offered a creed:

Following the evangelical and apostolic tradition, we believe in one God Father Almighty, artificer and maker and designer () of the universe:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son, God, through whom (are) all things, who was begotten from the Father before the ages, God from God, whole from whole, sole from sole, perfect from perfect, King from King, Lord from Lord, living Wisdom, true Light, Way, Truth, unchanging and unaltering, exact image of the Godhead and the substance and will and power and glory of the Father, first-born of all creation, who was in the beginning with God, God the Word according to the text in the Gospel [quotation of Jn 1:1, 3, and Col 1:17] who at the end of the days came down from above and was born of a virgin, according to the Scriptures, and became man, mediator between God and men, the apostle of our faith, author of life, as the text runs [quotation of Jn 6:38], who suffered for us and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of the Father and is coming again with glory and power to judge the living and the dead:

And in the Holy Spirit, who is given to those who believe for comfort and sanctification and perfection, just as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples, saying [quotation of Matt 28:19], obviously (in the name) of the Father who is really Father and the Son who is really Son and the Holy Spirit who is really Holy Spirit, because the names are not given lightly or idly, but signify exactly the particular hypostasis and order and glory of each of those who are named, so that they are three in hypostasis but one in agreement.

Since we hold this belief, and have held it from the beginning to the end, before God and Christ we condemn every form of heretical unorthodoxy. And if anybody teaches contrary to the sound, right faith of the Scriptures, alleging that either time or occasion or age exists or did exist before the Son was begotten, let him be anathema. And if anyone alleges that the Son is a creature like one of the creatures or a product () like one of the products, or something made () like one of the things that are made, and not as the Holy Scriptures have handed down concerning the subjects which have been treated one after another, or if anyone teaches or preaches anything apart from what we have laid down, let him be anathema. For we believe and follow everything that has been delivered from the Holy Scriptures and by the prophets and apostles truly and reverently.

It failed to catch hearts. Or, at least critical leaders. And so, the march toward an orthodox view proceeded to, well, that day in 381.

One could say its all very philosophical. Certainly it tumbles quickly into the abstract. The arguments really turning over how God like was Jesus? Is there one God and Jesus is somehow very, very special? Or is that so special he was the first thing the one God created? Or is he in some way identical with God?

When we look at Pauls letters we can see each of these views, if we want.

So, which one?

There was little tolerance for diversity of views. One definition needed to become the yardstick of orthodoxy. Looking for why this would be so one need look no further than the fact the church was now tied up with the state. And emperors dont like wiggle room. One God, one religion, one ruler.

Within the empire there would continue to be doctrinal controversy for a while yet. The so-called Nestorian school would split off over the question of whether Jesus himself had two natures divine and human, and later the so-called Monophysites over whether Jesus had a single and divine nature. The former represented in the Church of the East, and the later as the Oriental Orthodox. However, both were essentially Pauline. And both professed the Nicene Creed.

The only significant non-Nicene church, the Arian churches would survive the condemnations of the Creed of 1st Constantinople and final draft of Nicaea for some time. The Gothic churches were adamantly Arian and had full alternative hierarchies and churches. And with the collapsing western empire the Arian churches thrived. For a time. The records suggest they were vastly more tolerant than the Athanasian now called Nicene Christians. It appears it was certainly better to be Jewish under their rule than under what we now call the Orthodox.

Whatever else may be said, Arian churches lasted until the seventh century, the last known Arian kings were Grimoald of the Lombards and his successor, Garibald, who died in 671.

So, while not the end of the story, today, 1,642 years ago today is more than significant in the history of the Christian churches. It might even be called the real birthday of the Christian church we know. An argument can be made.

However, what it is for sure, is the time when the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity was set.

So ends the history lesson.

Then theres the artifact of the Trinity itself. And its attempt to describe a great mystery. What is divine, and how does it relate to this world?

Truthfully this sort of thing resists language.

In fact defining the mysteries of the divine appears to be close to impossible. Maybe its actually impossible to unpack the Trinity without falling into one heresy or another. I rather love that, and I have to admit enjoy the struggles of my more orthodox colleagues wrestling with the subject on Trinity Sunday.

Me, I find this mystery of the meeting of the divine and the world is often best found in song, or dance, or images. And so, with the Trinity, theres the Scutum Fidei.

No one knows the precise origin of the image, but probably it emerges from about the twelfth century. The earliest certain version is found in an early thirteenth century manuscript of Peter of Poiters Compendium Historiae in Genealoga Christi.

Its basically a triangle with the three points usually enclosed in circles reading Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the middle was another circle labeled God. Each of the connections in the various directions were labeled either Is or Is not. And with that, a description of the mystery of the Christian image.

My spirituality is deeply rooted in the Zen traditions. And Im a long time Unitarian minister, the very name is rooted in a conscious rejection of the Trinity. However, in my own spiritual life as a practicing Zen Buddhist, I cannot say quite where I realized the purest formulation of Zens fundamental teaching that form is emptiness and emptiness is form, as precious and important as it is, misses something of our human encounter.

It was only when I felt into the Buddhist trinity, or, at least one of the Buddhist trinities, the mystery of the Trikaya that I found my path opening fully.

Here we have the two assertions of reality. The truth that nothing has a substance, that everything is wildly and completely open: Dharmakaya. The truth that everything plays out in causal relationships, constantly creating and falling apart, the realm of action and of history and of consequence: Nirmankaya. The mystery includes the absolute identity of these two, for the lack of a word, things. But, there is a third thing. That third. The truth of ecstasy, wonder, magic, and dream: Sambhogakaya.

Now, I feel no need to cram the two trinities, Christian and Buddhist into each other. Although they sort of do. As my friend the Zen student Dana Lundquist observed out of her own walking the spiritual path, There are a lot of different true things happening at the same time.

For me one can say with absolute truth there is no God. And, yet. Like Issas poem, the morning dew is the morning dew. And yet. This world and our hearts are filled with that spirit of an and yet. God, gods, the sacred are in my experience, absolutely a part of the world in which I live.

The languages of divinity sing of realities I experience.

With that, theres another image for the Christian trinity that I find wandering in and out of my dreams. Pointing. Inviting.

The image of the Christian trinity that has most touched my heart was an Orthodox icon created by a fourteenth century Russian artist, Andrrei Rublev. He used a story from Genesis of Abraham being visited by three angels and with that as his material creates a trinity image I find haunts my dreams. It includes languid humans sitting around a table. There are within it unseen triangles and circles that cannot be contained within the painting. Beyond that the play of images and colors that we can encounter simply seep into the preconscious heart and envisions, again, something that the mere painting cannot hold. Mere words. Mere actions. But without disdaining those mere things.

I really like that.

I, well, I really believe that. Shinjin. Trusting heart. The way Ive come to understand those other words of my spiritual life, awakening, enlightenment. Its where heaven and earth meet as my heart.

Mystery piled upon mystery.

We dont know it. We cant grasp it. We can only open to that mystery. Sing it. Dance it. Paint it.

And maybe even sing the odd Hallelujah.
Bayport Savings and Loans Plc, the foremost provider of deduction at source loans, savings and investment products, is thrilled to announce the commencement of its 20th-anniversarycelebrations.

This milestone signifies twenty years of delivering seamless payroll lending services to public sector workers, as well as offering savings and investment solutions to the publicnationwide.



During the anniversary launch, Mr. Akwasi Aboagye, the Chief Executive Officer of Bayport Savings and Loans, passionately reiterated the company's unwavering commitment to its vision of empowering individuals and improving livelihoods.



My team and I remain more focused than ever on leading the deduction at source lending and savings and fixed deposit investments sectors of the financial services industry, he assured.



Amidst the prevalent macroeconomic challenges and their consequential impact on the financial sector, Mr. Aboagye resolutely affirmed that Bayport has successfully charted a resilient course that guarantees sustained growth in the foreseeable future.



Moreover, the company remains unwavering in its commitment to providing access to essential financial services for Ghanaians.



Mr. Aboagye highlighted that the company's transformation into a fully digitized and interconnected financial services provider.



This strategic shift he said has enabled Bayport to meet the evolving needs of its customers more effectively and efficiently.



We firmly believe that we can enhance our operations further, leveraging advancements in technology and automation to become a fully dynamic enterprise. Throughout this evolution, we remain steadfast in upholding the highest levels of security, transparency, customer service, risk management, and ethics, he added.



Mr. Aboagye further conveyed the company's unwavering commitment to promoting financial inclusion by providing tailored loan and investment products that empower individuals and contribute to their financial well-being.



Bayport aims to serve as a catalyst for positive change, striving to make a meaningful impact in the lives of its esteemed customers.



While we have come a long way, our journey is far from over. There is still much to be accomplished, and we are committed to building a customer-centric, resilient, and sustainable business, he noted.



He applauded the board, management, and all Bayporteers for their unrelenting dedication and support that has pushed the sustained growth of the company over the past two decades.

Head of Supervision at the Bank of Ghana, Mr. Osei Gyasi, commended the leadership of Bayport for the significant role they continue to play in driving financial inclusion in the country, especially in the provision of loans to public sector workers.



He further applauded the companys remarkable journey in the domestic financial sector over the years whilst encouraging them to explore innovations that will sustain growth and profitability.



The 20th-anniversary celebrations are on the theme Bayport Savings and Loans: Celebrating 20 years of needs met, opportunities created, plans accomplished, hopes realized and dreams fulfilled.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Twelve countries across different regions in Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine over the next two years. The rollout is a critical step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of death on the continent.



The allocations have been determined through the application of the principles outlined in the Framework for allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply that prioritizes those doses to areas of highest need, where the risk of malaria illness and death among children are highest.



Since 2019, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been delivering the malaria vaccine through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), coordinated by WHO and funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Unitaid. The RTS, S/AS01 vaccine has been administered to more than 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective, resulting in both a substantial reduction in severe malaria and a fall in child deaths. At least 28 African countries have expressed interest in receiving the malaria vaccine.



In addition to Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the initial 18 million dose allocation will enable nine more countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda, to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunization programmes for the first time. This allocation round makes use of the supply of vaccine doses available to Gavi, Vaccine Alliance via UNICEF. The first doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in countries during the last quarter of 2023, with countries starting to roll them out by early 2024.



This vaccine has the potential to be very impactful in the fight against malaria, and when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, it can prevent tens of thousands of future deaths every year, said Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. While we work with manufacturers to help ramp up supply, we need to make sure the doses that we do have are used as effectively as possible, which means applying all the learnings from our pilot programmes as we broaden out to a new total of 12 countries.



Malaria remains one of Africas deadliest diseases, killing nearly half a million children under the age of 5, and accounting for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of deaths in 2021.



Nearly every minute, a child under 5 years old dies of malaria, said UNICEF Associate Director of Immunization Ephrem T Lemango. For a long time, these deaths have been preventable and treatable; but the roll-out of this vaccine will give children, especially in Africa, an even better chance at surviving. As supply increases, we hope even more children can benefit from this life-saving advancement.



The malaria vaccine is a breakthrough to improve child health and child survival; and families and communities, rightly, want this vaccine for their children. This first allocation of malaria vaccine doses is prioritised for children at highest risk of dying of malaria, said Dr Kate OBrien, WHO Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. The high demand for the vaccine and the strong reach of childhood immunisation will increase equity in access to malaria prevention and save many young lives. We will work tirelessly to increase supply until all children at risk have access.



Given the limited supply in the first years of the roll-out of this new vaccine, in 2022, WHO convened expert advisors, primarily from Africa  where the burden of malaria is greatest  to support the development of a Framework for the allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply, to guide where initial limited doses would be allocated. The Framework is based on ethical principles on a foundation of solidarity; and it proposes that vaccine allocation begin in the areas of greatest need.



The Framework implementation group that applied the framework principles included representatives of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), UNICEF, WHO and the Gavi Secretariat, as well as representatives of civil society and independent advisors. The groups recommendations were reviewed and endorsed by the Senior Leadership Endorsement Group of Gavi, WHO and UNICEF.



Annual global demand for malaria vaccines is estimated at 4060 million doses by 2026 alone, growing to 80100 million doses each year by 2030. In addition to the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, developed and produced by GSK, and in the future supplied by Bharat Biotech, it is expected that a second vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, developed by Oxford University and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII), could also be prequalified by WHO soon. Gavi has recently outlined its roadmap to support increasing supply to meet demand.









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Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as "Napo", has been adjudged the overall "Africa Role Model in Politics and Governance".



Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh received this honor on Saturday, 8th July, 2023 at the Great Hall of KNUST during the 14th MTN Pulse Africa Role Model Awards.



Organized by the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition (YPYC), the award conferment recognized the Energy Ministers position as one of Africas most distinguished role models and transformational leaders in the corporate world; an elite listing of influential and inspiring leaders.



According to President of YPYC, Mr. Andy Osei Okrah, the award recipients constitute the finest selection of the most outstanding personalities who have truly excelled as transformational leaders and role models impacting society.



The award winners are few and were carefully chosen on the back of several considerations, he stated.



You are dexterous, tolerant, resolute and endowed with political far sightedness, a virtue not lost on your constituents and the public at large. A golden fish cannot be hidden, portions of the citation presented to the Minister read.



In a brief remark, Dr. Prempeh expressed appreciation to the almighty God for the divine strength to serve his country diligently and to inspire young leaders.



I am humbled by this recognition and wish that together we contribute our quota to make our country great and strong, he said.



The Minister, who is also Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, by this award joins the league of past award recipients in this category like former Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor and Mahama.



The category also includes the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, distinguished academics and other dignitaries of society.

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It has been less than a month since aYo Intermediaries Ghana introduced their affordable and inclusive microinsurance product, aYo Family Cover, and it has already recorded about 10,000 customers.



CEO of aYo Ghana, Francis Gota disclosed this exclusively to Techfocus24 at the second launch of the aYo Family Cover product at Kasoa New Market in the Central Region. The first launch was at Madina Market in Accra just about a month ago.



The company has chosen to launch the product in the selected markets because it is designed as inclusive product with affordability as its main cornerstone, to ensure that even very low-income earners will be able to buy, use and benefit from insurance.



At the Kasoa launch, the CEO, Francis Gota said the company is committed to democratising insurance through affordability, so when tragedy strikes, even low-income people would have something to count on to meet the usually high expenses.



He therefore urged market women, street hawkers and other petty traders present at the launch to put themselves into groups of seven and buy aYo Family Cover, or even as individuals, buy any of aYo's highly affordable products and secure their future against the inevitable.



Head of Microinsurance at Sanlam Insurance (underwriters for aYo), Ken Owusu Nantwi noted that because of aYo's innovative and affordable insurance products "now insurance is no more for just the rich but for the poor as well."

According to him, people often weep over their dead relatives because of the cost of funerals, but now aYo has created the platform for everyone to get help in such times, adding that formerly insurance covered only one person but not aYo has included the family as well.



Guest speaker at the event, Nana Kwesi Gyan Apenteng noted that with affordable insurance packages like aYo Family Cover, the days when families looked up to a few well-to-do relatives to foot funeral bills are going away because now even low-income earners in the family can also bring some money to help meet funeral expense.



"Up till date older men like myself continue to foot funeral bills for families - but you have the opportunity to change that in the generation by patronizing affordable insurance products like aYo Family Cover so that when you have a funeral in your family you can also contribute your quota," he told the traders at the event. "No matter your income level, aYo can make you important in your family when there is a funeral."



Nana Gyan Apenteng urged all the traders to use their social media platforms to spread the news about the affordable insurance products on aYo so that their families and friends can join and also benefit.



Kasoa Police Commander Timothy Dassah was also present at the event and he urged the traders to patronize the aYo products saying that "I have had insurance cover for the past 20 years and I can assure you it helps in times of need."



As of 2021, Ghana's insurance penetration by GDP was less than 2%, but in terms of the number of persons who have insurance cover, aYo alone has close over 8 million customers, with an additional 2 million being indirect beneficiaries.



aYo Family Cover, which is poised to even boost the coverage further, allows the policyholder to put six more persons on the policy and each of the six will pay up to GHS15 a month as premium for a GHS15,000 life cover, plus GHS3,000 hospitalization cover.



Meanwhile, there is a more affordable version where each of the seven persons will pay GHS10 each as premium every month for a GHS10,000 life cover each and GHS2,000 hospitalization cover.



The policy, which is available of *296# on MTN only, requires that a policyholder has a valid MTN mobile money wallet because the premiums will be paid with the wallet.



Additionally, aYo still runs its Recharge with Care (RwC), Send with Care (SwC) and the RwC Annual Cover products, under which policyholders pay very affordable premiums with airtime and mobile money, and benefit from up to GHS6,000 life cover under RwC and Annual Cover, and up to GHS30,000 under SwC.



They also come with hospitalization cover depending on the number of nights one spends in the hospital.



Under the Annual Cover product in particularly, the policy holder pays GHS130 for the whole year, and if the year passes and the policyholder did not make any claim, aYo will give the policyholder a 10% cash back.



Between the three products, aYo has so far paid out GHS14 million in claims to more than 40,000 persons. Claims are usually paid within 24 hours of application, provided all the particulars are intact. Claims can be made via phone and the benefit will be paid into the policyholder's MTN mobile money wallet.



Meanwhile, aYo also organized free medical screening for the traders in collaboration with Clarion Health Service.

The traders were also treated to several aYo branded goodies amidst singing and dancing powered by aYo brand ambassador and Ace Broadcaster Abeiku Aggrey Santana.



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Acclaimed architect David Adjaye is facing significant professional repercussions as institutions distance themselves and review their relationships with him in light of allegations of sexual assault and harassment.



The Studio Museum in Harlem is the latest institution to sever ties with Adjaye, who had been commissioned to design a highly anticipated new building for the museum. However, following the allegations in the Financial Times, the museum announced that Adjaye will no longer be involved in the project.



Raymond J. McGuire, board chair of the Studio Museum, expressed that the alleged actions are contrary to the museum's founding principles and values. Adjaye himself released a statement to the New York Times, acknowledging that the accusations may tarnish the museum's reputation and create a distraction.



The allegations against Adjaye were first reported in the Financial Times, with three women coming forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct and describe a toxic work environment. Adjaye has denied the allegations, stating they are untrue, but he expressed regret for engaging in consensual relationships that blurred professional and personal boundaries.



Other projects involving Adjaye in the United States now hang in the balance as postponements and cancellations have ensued following the Financial Times investigation. The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Massachusetts has indefinitely halted the presentation of a large-scale sculptural work by Adjaye. The Counterpublic triennial in St. Louis is also organizing a public dialogue about a monumental work installed at the Griot Museum of Black History.



The status of Adjaye's involvement with the Princeton University Art Museum remains uncertain, as the director, James Steward, found the accusations troubling but did not explicitly state if the institution would continue its relationship with the architect.



Similarly, the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, which had commissioned Adjaye to design a new centre for Indigenous art, announced that it would reassess his involvement.



Adjaye's work is currently featured in the "New Publics, New York" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, but the museum has not responded to requests for comment.



Internationally, Adjaye's projects are showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy, and he is the architect for upcoming buildings such as the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi, and the Africa Institute in Sharjah.



Earlier this week, Adjaye resigned from his roles as an architectural advisor to the mayor of London, a board member of the Serpentine Galleries, and the Holocaust memorial project planned for London. The allegations against Adjaye have created significant professional consequences and led institutions to reconsider their collaborations with him.

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Some residents of Ho-Bankoe are counting their losses after heavy and intermittent rains filled shops and homes, destroying goods and personal belongings on Saturday.



The rains which began at about 3pm on Saturday and lasted for about four hours overflowed bridges and culverts with strong currents and occupied roads.



This was particularly evident around Ho Civic Centre.



The Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Divine Bosson has expressed sympathy to individuals, businesses and organisations affected by the dreadful floods.



In a press statement, the MCE appealed to residents living near large gutters, bridges and culverts to relocate to higher grounds until the situation returned to normal.



He also called on individuals farming along the waterways, to refrain from that activity.



Mr Bosson blamed the floods partly on the ceaseless and harmful practice of dumping refuse in gutters by some residents.



He said the assembly, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other stakeholders were assessing the damage and would provide prompt updates to the public on the situation.

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A 42-year-old carpenter has been sentenced to four years in prison by the Adentan Circuit Court for biting off the right ear of a commercial driver during a dispute in Addoteiman, Accra.



Maxwell Senyo, who was charged with causing harm, pleaded guilty with an explanation.



After listening to his reasoning, Judge Mrs. Sedinam Awo Balokah convicted Senyo based on his plea.



According to Inspector Eric Ransford Abban, the prosecutor in the case, the victim, Anku Stephen, resides in Addoteiman, while the accused also lived in the same area.



On May 7, 2023, at approximately 8:00 PM, Stephen and his girlfriend were sitting under a tree near Senyo's wooden structure.



While they were there, Senyo approached them and questioned whether they were looking for him. Stephen replied in the negative. Senyo then threatened to report Stephen as a thief to his father unless they left the area immediately.



This led to a confrontation between Senyo and Stephen. During the altercation, Senyo grabbed a branch from the tree and struck Stephen. Both men fell to the ground in the ensuing scuffle, and Senyo sustained injuries to his cheeks. In a disturbing turn of events, Senyo forcibly held Stephen's head and bit off his right ear.



Police investigations later revealed that Senyo had bitten off the complainant's ear simply because he was sitting close to Senyo's wooden structure. Senyo admitted to the offense during police interrogation.



The court, presided over by Judge Mrs. Sedinam Awo Balokah, handed down a four-year prison sentence to Senyo for his violent act, causing severe harm to the victim.

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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, has said that there was the need for the three arms of government to work together and respect each others decisions on national issues.



In cases of doubt, it is important to consult before giving finality to whatever decision the other arm wants to take.



And I do not think that it is proper for the Judiciary to, without knowing how we conduct our business here, go into how we conduct business and make such an important decision, he added.



The Speaker further described the conduct of the Judiciary as improper and I have made this known to them and I want it to be known publicly for the benefit of the country. We need to work expeditiously to rectify the wrong.



Mr Bagbin was speaking after presentation and the first reading of the Narcotics Regulation Commission Amendment Bill, 2023, by the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, on the floor of Parliament on Thursday (July 6, 2023).



The new bill will amend the Narcotics Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) by substituting section 43 to empower the Interior Minister to grant licence for the cultivation of cannabis which has not more than 0.3 per cent Tetrahydrocannabinol content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes such as obtaining fibre or seed or for medicinal purposes.



Supreme Court decision



On July 28, 2022, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional a section of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) which allows licence to be granted to an entity to cultivate a small quantity of cannabis, locally referred to as "wee" for industrial and medicinal purposes.



In a 4-3 majority decision, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court held that Section 43 of Act 1019 violated Article 106 of the 1992 Constitution, which details the processes a bill must go through before it was passed into law by Parliament, and was, therefore, declared null and void.



Review



However, after the presentation and first reading of the new amendment bill, the Speaker said Parliament will not review the decision of the Supreme Court.



He said what the House will correct an error and reinstate the right provisions.



The Speaker, therefore, referred the bill to the Committee on Defence and Interior for consideration to be reported back to the House within one week.



He also directed the leadership of the Committee on Constitutional, Parliamentary and Legal Affairs, as well as the Committee on Health to attend the meetings of the Defence and Interior Committee to ensure that the report captures all aspects or perspectives of the subject matter.



Rationale



Explaining the rationale behind the move to amend Act 1019, Mr Dery said it had become necessary because of the majority decision in the case of Ezuame Mannan vs the Attorney-General and the Speaker of Parliament on July 27, 2022.



In the said majority decision by the apex court, it was declared that section 43 of Act 1019 was unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void.



Mr Speaker, permit to say that I respect the decision of the Supreme Court but I do not agree with it.



Mr Speaker, the reason that has been given was that section 43 had not been debated before this House when the House was passing Act 1019, he said.



Mr Dery explained that whenever a Speaker of the House states a matter was for the consideration of the House, it was open for debate and that the debate was not only when opposing views were expressed.



At the end of it, when contrary views are expressed, the Speaker then puts the question for those in favour to say Ayes and those who are not in favour to say No.



So, consensus is part of the debate and, therefore, it was wrong for the Supreme Court to say that it was in violation of article 106 of the Constitution, he said.



The minister also told the House that Act 1019 did not seek to legalise narcotics in Ghana.



He said the move was for Ghana to move in tandem with modern approach to the production of cannabis to specific specification for industrial and medicinal use.



Such move, he said, had actually been adopted by a number of African countries, including South, Lesotho, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Gambia and Malawi.

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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, has directed the Business Committee to schedule three ministers to appear in Parliament next week to brief members on the cause of delays in the payment to National Food Suppliers Association members for the past two years.



He said the Ministers of Finance, Education and Food and Agriculture should come and tell the House the cause of the challenge so that Parliament would assist the Executive to solve the problem.



Addressing Parliament on Friday, July 7, 2023, Mr Bagbin recalled a surprise visit he paid to the Buffer Stock Company in June 2022, a visit he said unnerved some people who thought he was taking over their function.



No as the leader of this House and the Head of the institutions, it is important that I keep drawing your attention as the representative of the people so that you can properly represent the interest of your constituents.



Application



The Speakers directive followed an application the National Democratic Congress MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, when the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, presented the business statement to the House.



Mr Ablakwa said the delayed payment of funds to members of the National Food Suppliers Association which was of national interest should have found space in the business statement but did not.



He cited the picketing and demonstration at the National Buffet Stock Company by food suppliers over the past four days.



These people have been at the mercy of the vagaries of the weather and are sleeping rough, Mr Ablakwa said.



The North Tongu MP also informed the House of a video the Minority Leader shared with him showing how the affected women were rolling on the floor on the premises of the NBSC.



Mr Speaker, I was so depressed and went to bed last night really troubled, he said, recalling how the Speaker paid a visit to the Buffer Stock Company last year on June 23, 2022 and warned of the deteriorating food situation at the Buffer Stock Company.



Now the situation is totally out of control. So Mr Speaker I want to appeal that the ministers of Finance, Education and Food and Agriculture should be programmed to appear before this House urgently, Mr Ablakwa prayed.



The North Tongu MP informed the House that there were reports that the Minister of Education made a request to the Finance Minister to make a release which had not been acceded to.



These are our mothers and children who are starving and we cannot gloss over a whole week next week, he said.



Minoritys visit to Buffer Stock Company



Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus, led by the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, today, July 7 paid a visit to the Buffer Stock Company to interact with management and the affected food suppliers to find solution to the challenge.



We are more interested in the solution and how the situation could be resolved to get the Finance Minister to pay release you, he said.



The four-member team also gave out food to the food suppliers who carried placards some of which read Buffer Stock is the cause of food shortages in schools, Mr President please order Buffer Stock to pay us, Buffer Stock has devalued our money. Pay us with interest and Why have you paid some people January to December but other nothing at all.



The spokesperson of the National Food Suppliers Association, Kwaku Amedome, narrated the ordeal the food suppliers had endured for the past two years and appealed to the government to pay them their outstanding money.



Assurance



In response, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, who also came to the National Buffer Stock Company, assured food suppliers that the government was taking every step to pay them their outstanding money.



We have addressed the issue and I know that very soon the suppliers are going to be paid, he assured.



Dr Acheampong told the press that he met the suppliers yesterday and assured that whatever work was being done to reconcile the amount owed them to get them paid would be expedited.

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Energy Minister and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has assured Vice President, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the total support of delegates of Manhyia South for him in the upcoming NPP Special Delegates Congress and subsequently the National Delegates Congress.



Speaking at a meeting of NPP delegates of the constituency with Dr. Bawumia on Thursday, 6th July, 2023 at the Ash Town Apostolic Church, Dr. Prempeh told why the delegates should vote for Dr. Bawuimia saying the Vice Presidents sterling qualities, experience, deep loyalty and sacrifices for the NPP makes him the partys best foot going into the 2024 elections.



According to the Energy Minister, the partys quest at clinching a 3rd-term electoral victory, popularly known in the NPP parlance as "breaking the 8" can only be possible with Dr. Bawumia; given his character to unite the entire Ghanaian society and all persons from different religious backgrounds.



The Vice President has served well as Vice President, defending the programmes and policies of our government and remains the only existential threat to the electoral fortunes of John Mahama and the NDC, of all the candidates vying for the flagbearership slot, he said.



Dr. Prempeh added that, since his grandfather, the Otumfuo Asantehene, has publicly announced Dr. Bawumia is his son; it means Dr. Bawumia is his (Dr. Prempeh) father, so he cannot support any candidate in the contest other than his father (Bawumia).



The Vice President is in the Ashanti Region, the NPPs stronghold, for the next 11 days where he will be speaking to delegates in the 47 constituencies to solicit their votes and to tell them why he is the best among all the candidates vying for the partys flagbearer position.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Charles Owusu has slammed the Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful for throwing a tantrum at the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed on the floor of the Legislative House.



A heated clash broke out in Parliament on Wednesday, July 5, when the MPs were debating the anti-LGTBQ+ bill which seeks to criminalize homosexual acts in Ghana.



The bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.



It bans lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and all related activities, therefore offenders will face a jail term or fine or both.



While the MPs were debating the bill, Hon. Ursula Owusu directed the mind of the Speaker to a distasteful statement she believed she had heard clearly made by her colleague MP referring to her as a practitioner of homosexuality.



The Speaker drew the attention of Hon. Murtala Mohammed and asked him to retract his comment but he refused to withdraw the statement, telling the House he had made no such comment.



"I said so many things, may I please know which one I should withdraw," he said but the comment Hon. Ursula Owusu strongly believed to have heard her colleague MP say infuriated her, thus giving the latter a corrosive reply.



"Mr. Speaker, I sat here and repeatedly heard Murtala refer to me as an LGBTQ+ practitioner to the hearing of everyone in the House. I sat here and repeatedly heard him shout at the top of his voice and refer to me as a practitioner of LGBTQ and every single last one of you is behaving as if you didn't hear. And if in response to that I say he is mad.



"It is only a mad man who will refer to his colleague in this House as a practitioner of LGBTQ when you haven't seen me having sexual intercourse with your wife or your daughter or your mother. When you haven't caught me having sexual intercourse with your wife or your daughter or your mother, you sit there and refer to me in those terms and we call ourselves honorable members of this House when you hear it and pretend that suddenly you've lost your sense of hearing", she replied.



To Charles Owusu, he wished the Minister had exercised patience and not spewed those unparliamentary words.



He advised Hon. Ursula Owusu to take note that two wrongs don't make a right and that the behaviour she exhibited doesn't suit her character.



"I'm not supporting whichever word Murtala used but you see, when you look at the anger that my dear sister was exhibiting on Television, it doesn't befit the character of the person I know. Sometimes, we will be angered but we should have the patience to control ourselves," he said while discussing the matter on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Charles Owusu, a former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, has thrown a challenge to the Members of Parliament who disagree with the anti-LGBTQ+ bill to publicly declare their support for the homosexual community.



Although all 275 Members of Parliament have accepted the bill, Charles Owusu however believes there are some who agreed out of fear.



To him, it is good that none of the MPs could boldly speak against the bill, nonetheless, he is giving anyone who feels he is not in agreement with the bill to come out and boldly tell Ghanaians his position.



"I dare anybody in Parliament who doesn't agree to come publicly to tell us he or she support the LGBTQ. If you are a man or woman, come out and tell us publicly; whether you will go back to that Parliament, you will see," he said.



He stressed that homosexuality is a "taboo. It destroys a nation", therefore it won't be entertained in Ghana.



Charles Owusu applauded the MPs for unanimously adopting the bill, stating on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show that "they will be remembered. Posterity will remember you".



The MPs, on Wednesday, July 5, adopted the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2022 which is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values as well as proscribe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities.



The bill, when it comes into effect, will criminalize homosexual acts, hence offenders may face a jail term.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given an assurance that though his administration has witnessed some rough times, he remains focused on implementing novel policies and programmes required to build a progressive and prosperous nation.



He said since becoming President, he had not had any experience that would make him change his long held views that providing Free Senior High School (Free SHS), undertaking One-district, One-factory, executing the Planting for Food and Jobs and digitalisation were the best policies to lead the country to progress.



President Akufo-Addo stated this at the First Special Congregation of the Valley View University in Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region yesterday.



The congregation conferred honours on the vising Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, a former First Lady, Mrs Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, and the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, for their exemplary leadership roles.



Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on President Hichilema, former President Kufuor and Mrs Agyemang-Rawlings, while Mrs Osei-Opare was decorated with a Doctor of Science.



The premier private chartered university presented President Akufo-Addo with a citation for his commitment to improving the lot of Ghanaians from education, health and economic wellbeing as well as providing opportunities for all.



Earlier, President Akufo-Addo received the Zambian President who is on a three-day state visit at the Jubilee House.



President Hichilema was accompanied by ministers of state and other government officials.



Not easy



President Akufo-Addo said he acknowledged that life had not been easy in recent times, however, one thing for which I am certain is that there are solid reasons to hope for a brighter tomorrow and I am confident that by the grace of Almighty God that brighter future will be evident soon.



Touching on his political journey, he explained that he had been in the eye of the public for most of his adult life, and spent many years campaigning to be elected President, adding that he first shot into the limelight in the 1970s during the campaign against the Acheampong regime.



The President said he joined the fight for the end to military rule and the restoration of constitutional democracy in Ghana.



He had by that time made up his mind what should be the best way to govern the country to ensure that it achieved the free, just, prosperous and a united country as envisaged by the forebears during the fight for the independence.



By the time I was elected President, I had a clear understanding of the vision my government had to realise during my tenure of office.



There have been good times, and necessarily there have been some rough ones too along the way that would have cowed some into giving up, he recounted.



Citation



President Akufo-Addo said he was humbled by the citation and accepted the challenge that it imposed on him and the expectation of Ghanaians, adding that it was an indication that standing up and delivering on one's mandate in office had its rewards, including the generous words of commendation expressed in the citation.



Remarks



Former President Kufuor, on behalf of the awardees, expressed appreciation to the university for the honour of conferring on them honorary doctorate degrees.



He stated that it was an honour for citizens to believe in public service that ensured inclusiveness, equality of opportunity that reduced discrimination based on gender, religion, tribe or social standing.



The former President said accountability of officeholders to the people should be upheld as a value for good governance and democracy.



Invest in education



For his part, the President of Zambia commended the efforts of the university in acknowledging leaders for their tremendous work to improve the lot of citizens in their respective sectors.



Mr Hichilema encouraged the institution to continue in its strides and urged that the leaders did not relent in their efforts to improve the educational sector.



The Zambian President advised that policy makers should actively allocate resources to the educational sector, stating that education is the best investment to equalise development and eradicate poverty in our societies.

Source: graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku has appealed to the delegates of the New Patriotic Party to elect the former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, to lead the party into the 2024 elections.



According to Catherine Afeku, the former Minister will make the right leader for Ghana.



She noted that Alan Kyerematen has proven by his track record as a Minister and a leading member of the NPP that when elected as flagbearer, he will not disappoint the party.



She said; In my heart, my principle is Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is best poised and ready to leadHe will be the best-to-lead and the ready-to-lead candidate to make us break the eight.



Catherine Afeku made this appeal while speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Monday morning.



She touted some achievements of Alan Kyerematen when he was a Minister, stating his commitment to industrialization and to the government's "1 District, 1 Factory" policy among others has greatly benefited the nation.



She also revealed if Alan is elected NPP Presidential candidate and subsequently becoming President of Ghana, he intends to transform the nation by empowering the private sector.



Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is a businessman par excellence. He knows empowering the private sector is the engine of growth," she stated.



Mrs. Afeku further stated that under the leadership of Alan Kyerematen, he would empower the grass root and executives of the New Patriotic Party with the requisite resources and help they need to work effectively for the party.



His first major catalyst for change agenda is that I will pay all these executives.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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NPP National Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha has commended the Members of Parliament for adopting the anti-LGBTQ+ bill which was laid before the House on Wednesday, July 5.



All 275 MPs accepted the bill and it awaits the final stage to be passed into law.



When it comes into effect, it will ensure proper Ghanaian family values and prohibit all homosexual practices.



The bill is to criminalize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and so forth that fall in the homosexual brackets; offenders will face a jail term or fine or both.



The NPP Youth Organizer was elated that none of the MPs opposed the bill and egged them on to see to its conclusion.



"The West, they have done their worst already. Now, they should leave us alone to determine our fate, our culture and the way we want our society to run...We should support the bill. We should dictate our own pace as far as socio-economic religious development is concerned," he said.



He noted that it is about time Ghana became assertive in upholding her values and running her society in the manner that befits the Ghanaian family virtues.



He also ludicrously promised to support the MPs with bags of cement to ginger them to pass the bill.



"We doff our hat to the MPs. We are solidly behind them. We give them our morale support and 10,000 bags of cement. They should carry on!", he hollered.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The 2023 MLB Home Run Derby takes place at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday, July 11 at 8 p.m. EST. Eight of the best sluggers in the league will try to swing their way to victory.

(1) Luis Robert Jr. vs. (8) Adley Rutschman

(2) Pete Alonso vs. (7) Julio Rodriguez

(3) Mookie Betts vs. (6) Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

(4) Adolis Garcia vs. (5) Randy Arozarena

Get ready for a bunch of BIG FLIES because the Home Run Derby bracket is set 



 July 10, 8 ET on ESPN and ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/1AYm1dpmf2  ESPN (@espn) July 6, 2023

Players are listed seeded 1-8 based on their home run totals through July 4.

These odds and lines for the Home Run Derby are courtesy of FanDuel. FanDuel is offering new users 10X their first bet and if you bet $20 you can get $200 in bonus bets. All of the best sportsbook promos are ranked and reviewed on Penn Live.

1. Luis Robert Jr. (+400), Chicago White Sox: Home runs: 26 Farthest: 450 ft, 111.7 mph

Robert is having a season to remember so far. The first-time All-Star is only second to Shohei Ohtani in homers in the American League. He is the third player for White Sox to ever hit 25+ homers and 20+ doubles before the All-Star break. Currently sitting at 26 long balls this year, Robert has already doubled previous career high of 13 home runs in a season.

2. Pete Alonso (+320), New York Mets: Home runs: 26 Farthest: 448 ft, 110.6 mph

Pete Alonso is a Home Run Derby veteran and has his name written all over the record books. He has hit 174 homers in his three contests which is No. 1 all time. Albert Pujols is second at 106 homers. He has the hardest Statcast tracked homers out of anyone competing this year. He hit a 489-foot home run on July 17, 2019 and had a 118.3 mph exit velocity home run on April 11, 2019, beating out Robert and Guerrero Jr., respectively.

However, there is one record Alonso has yet to achieve. This Monday, he looks to join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only other three-time champion. Fittingly, Alonso could do so in Seattle where Griffey Jr. spent the majority of his career.

When Pete Alonso was seen deadlifting right before the Home Run Derby  pic.twitter.com/rRt06qKEl0  Bit Baseball (@bitbaseball_) July 8, 2023

3. Mookie Betts (+1800), Los Angeles Dodgers: Home runs: 26 Farthest: 425 ft, 109.8 mph

Betts and All-Star Games go together like peanuts and Cracker Jacks. He has been an All-Star in the last seven seasons, but will make his derby debut on Monday. Betts is on a hot-streak with three homers in two games before the break.

At 5-foot-9, odds are stacked against him. The last five winners have all been 6-foot-2 or taller. Betts can also make his name known as the first Dodger to ever win the contest.

4. Adolis Garcia (+700), Texas Rangers: Home runs: 23 Farthest: 432 ft, 109.1 mph

Garcia will be the third Ranger in three years to partake in the Home Run Derby. That last winner for the Texas club was exactly 30 years ago, in 1993, when Juan Gonzalez won. Garcia can also become the second Cuban champ joining Yoenis Cespedes.

5. Randy Arozarena (+950), Tampa Bay Rays: Home runs: 16 Farthest: 436 ft, 107.2 mph

Arozarena is the first Rays player since 2009 to compete in the Derby. His first round matchup is against Garcia. Both players are from Cuba and only one will have the chance to be the second Cuban champion ever.

6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+350), Toronto Blue Jays: Home runs: 13 Farthest: 449 ft, 110 mph

When Guerrero Jr. set that 91 homer mark in 2019 he was a rookie. That contest featured a 40 home run round in a triple swing-off versus Joc Pederson. If he wins, he and his father will become the first ever father-son duo to win the derby. Guerrero Sr. won in 2007.

7. Julio Rodriguez (+500), Seattle Mariners:

Home runs: 13

Farthest: 456 ft, 110.7 mph

After a second place finish as a rookie last year, Rodriguez will look to claim the title in his home ballpark. The fan-favorite racked up 81 total homers in the contest last year. That mark is second all-time only to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who hit 91 in 2019.

Only three players have won a Home Run Derby in their home park and Rodriguez can become Seattles second winner accompanying Ken Griffey Jr.

This is great.



Julio Rodriguez took a new bat up to the plate because The other one is sleeping. Its a day game. He immediately hit a 3 run homer.



The kid is a legend.



pic.twitter.com/POddZ3Tms8  Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) July 28, 2022

8. Adley Rutschman (+2000), Baltimore Orioles:

Home runs: 12 Farthest: 424 ft, 108.2 mph

Rutschman burst onto the scene last year and now the 25-year-old will make his All-Star and Home Run Derby debut. If this dark horse upsets a few big names in the bracket, he will be the third Orioles player to win the derby, behind Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 and Miguel Tejada in 2004.

Rutschman is a switch-hitter and no switch hitter has ever won the Home Run Derby outright. The crown was shared in 1989 with Eric Davis and Lance Berkman in 2004 was the only other to make the finals. Rutschman is also a catcher and no catcher has ever won the competition. For that matter, only four catchers have participated since 2005.

We have researched the top MLB sportsbook to find you the best odds for not only the Home Run Derby, but every game. FanDuel has some of the best odds for the Home Run Derby and a variety of different lines to bet (listed below). You can check out our review of FanDuel and all other sportsbooks to make the most informed betting decisions.

More bets to consider

On FanDuel, users can bet more than just the outright winner of the Home Run Derby. You can bet on home run distance, first swing odds, who will hit the ball the farthest and much more. Once again, FanDuel is offering new Penn Live players 10X their first bet and if you bet $20 you can get $200 in bonus bets.

Any player to hit a home run over 499.5 feet (+130)

Any player to hit a home run over 524.5 feet (+750)

Longest home run over/run 488.5 feet (-112/-112)

Luis Robert Jr. biggest first round favorite (-250)

Guerrero Jr. to hit longest home run of the Home Run Derby (+240)

Alonso to hit longest home run of the Home Run Derby (+340)

Betts first swing to be a home run (Yes, +172) (No, -215)

Sidelines Group provides PennLive with original sports betting and casino content including odds, analysis, predictions and reviews to educate bettors. Please bet responsibly.

If you have a gambling problem and are located in Pennsylvania, call 1-800-GAMBLER or contact the 24-hour helpline chat at https://www.pacouncil.com/chatline.
Another mall in central Pennsylvania appears to be heading toward redevelopment.

Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation said in an e-mail that his office is working closely with Namdar Realty, the owner of the Chambersburg Mall in Greene Township, Franklin County regarding redevelopment possibilities for the property.

The malls last tenant, Black Rose Antiques and Collectibles closed on June 30, according to the Chambersburg Public Opinion newspaper.

Pictured is the Chambersburg Mall in Greene Township, Franklin County. (Daniel Urie, PennLive)

The mall was once home to Bon-Ton, Sears and JCPenney.

Sears announced in 2014 that it was closing its store at the mall. The next year, JCPenney closed its store in the mall. And when the Bon-Ton closed all of its remaining stores in 2018, the store at the Chambersburg Mall was among them.

The last movie was shown at the AMC Classic Chambersburg 7 movie theater at the Chambersburg Mall in April, according to the theaters Facebook page.

Pictured is the Chambersburg Mall in Greene Township, Franklin County. (Daniel Urie, PennLive)

The 454,423-square-foot mall, about 50 minutes from Harrisburg, has seen better days. The mall sign is broken, grass is growing through the parking lot, and dead trees, overgrown grass and weeds surround the building. The JCPenney and Bon-Ton signs are still on the building years after those stores closed.

While a specific reuse concept has not yet been determined, the ownership is committed to marshaling the turn-around of what has been an historically underperforming asset as quickly as possible, Ross said. The reuse plans will likely call for mixed-use development that complies with Greene Townships zoning designation as Highway Commercial.

The mall is just minutes from a massive Walmart warehouse and other large facilities nears I-81. But, the mall likely wont be turned into a warehouse. Ross pointed out that the zoning designation does not allow for the redevelopment to include a mega-warehouse or distribution center.

Ross said he has been working with mall ownership for more than seven years and he said that the owners are interested in repurposing the mall property into a performing asset that addresses a combination of community needs including housing, health care and retail/commercial opportunities.

The malls website has been taken down. Dan Dilmanian, COO of the Namdar Realty Group couldnt be reached for comment.

Pictured is the Chambersburg Mall in Greene Township, Franklin County. (Daniel Urie, PennLive)

Other shopping centers in central Pennsylvania are headed towards redevelopment.

READ MORE: Harrisburg Mall clears zoning hurdle for project that includes demolition

St. John Properties, Inc. plans to redevelop the Harrisburg Mall in Swatara Township. The Baltimore company said it wants to demolish the mall, except for anchor store Bass Pro Shops, and in its place build a retail-oriented development with multi-use business space to appeal to medical offices, daycares, schools, light manufacturing and general offices, among other uses. St. John Properties, said it hopes to demolish the mall by the summer of 2024 and expect construction to be underway by 2025. St. John Properties said it will maintain the former Toys R Us store and is marketing the site for a tenant. It is also retaining the Applebees.

READ MORE: Maryland company agrees to purchase Colonial Park Mall

Maryland-based Stonewall Capital has agreed to purchase the Colonial Park Mall on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township. The deal hasnt been completed yet and it doesnt involve the former Sears store and related properties (including LongHorn Steakhouse), which is owned by Transformco. Boscovs also owns its own store and Jim Boscov, CEO of Boscovs has said that store will remain open. Red Lobster also wouldnt be part of the deal. Stonewall Capital plans to create a mixed-use community that could include retail, restaurants, apartments, for-sale condo units, a medical office building and a hotel.

Officials from Fernmoor Homes, the new owner Shops @Rockvale in Lancaster County, plan to redevelop the 65-acre property. The project includes 504 apartments -- 15 four-story buildings with 32 apartments each as well as one mixed-use building with commercial use on the first floor and 24 apartments on floors two to four. The buildings will include a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Fernmoor officials said they plan to tear down about 267,000 square feet of retail space and replace it with the multi-family residential apartment buildings and relocate retailers from the spaces that are set for demolition to the 268,000 square feet of existing retail buildings that will remain.

Sign up for Eat, Shop, Go, a weekly report on food, restaurants, business, retail centers, things to do and places to go all around central Pa. Sign up for free by clicking here.
BALTIMORE  The calls came in over the Baltimore Police radio suddenly and all together.

All units be advised, a male voice broadcasted early last Sunday morning, theres a shooting call.

It was just after 12:30 a.m. and people had been shot  it was impossible to tell how many  all over the Brooklyn Homes public housing complex. Within three minutes of the first calls, another came in for the same area, the 800 block of Gretna Court.

Getting reports of another shooting, the dispatcher said.

The victim was a woman, and someone was doing CPR on her. All around the complex, masses of people, most of them young, ran screaming, either looking for cover or to get away.

Moments earlier, gunfire had ripped through a crowd of hundreds.

Now, victims locations crackled across the radio as they were found: One at Jack and 8th streets. Two on Clintwood Court. One on 10th Street and Stoll. Some on Gretna Court. Others on Herndon Court.

A night that began as a boisterous block party  a quasi-family reunion for current and former neighbors  became a sprawling crime scene for what likely was the largest mass shooting in Baltimore history. In total, 30 people were shot, most of them teenagers.

Two people, 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi, were killed.

Mass shootings later over the Fourth of July holiday left more than a dozen killed or wounded in Louisiana; five dead and two children injured in Philadelphia; nine wounded in Washington, D.C.; and seven injured, one teen fatally, in Salisbury on Marylands Eastern Shore.

But the mass shooting in South Baltimore poses a unique challenge to a city struggling with changes in law enforcement and stubborn violence.

The police department remains under a federal consent decree to remedy constitutional violations but is plagued by turnover, lack of trust among residents, and frustrated efforts at community policing. Leadership is in flux: Baltimores acting police commissioner took the role about a month ago and the city agency that coordinates non-police public safety initiatives also has interim leadership. And despite a decline in fatal and nonfatal shootings compared with the corresponding period in 2022, the number of young people shot and killed this year is rising.

A lot is not known about the shooting. Authorities havent said much aside from that there were at least two shooters and at least two guns used, although evidence recovered from the scene suggests there were likely far more, perhaps more than a dozen, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation. There is a $28,000 reward for information leading to arrests.

On Friday, police arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the Brooklyn Homes shooting, but he faces weapons charges and is not charged with shooting anyone. The teenagers attorney said he was among those shot as he was running away from the gunfire and that authorities alleged he is shown in a video clip from earlier in the evening pulling a firearm from a backpack and showing it off.

Advertisements for the annual Brooklyn Day gathering, which has happened every year for nearly three decades, escaped the attention of police, the mayors office and of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, which called it unsanctioned in a statement provided to The Baltimore Sun  leaving attendees without police or other city employees monitoring as the sun set and the crowd swelled to as many as 1,000.

And while police knew of the large gathering as early as two-and-a-half hours before the shooting, officers didnt attempt to intervene or disperse the crowd. Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said afterward the department had conversations too late about sending more officers to the area before the shooting, complicating the response for a patrol district that was short-staffed that evening.

Some Brooklyn residents, along with their City Council member, say a police presence would have been welcome. Officers were present in years past, they said, sometimes shutting down the party at the end of the night.

We need security out here, said Erika Walker, the Brooklyn Homes tenant council president.

The Baltimore Sun interviewed more than a dozen Brooklyn residents, listened to hours of police radio transmissions from Saturday evening into Sunday morning, and reviewed videos posted to social media from the event in order to parse what happened before and after the shooting.

Arriving officers were met with chaos. People grabbed them. Cars from the party blocked neighborhood entrances for ambulances and fire trucks. About four minutes after the first call, officers knew they were undermanned.

Give me some units here, one officer shouted. I need medics here!

Officers were told over the radio to stick together due to the large crowds. Videos from the aftermath, posted on social media, show scores of people running through the neighborhood.

Dispatchers asked for victims locations as ambulances arrived and officers tried to render aid.

For the record, we dont have control of the scene, one officer yelled over the radio at 12:51 a.m. We dont have control of the scene.

The party kicked off before sunset.

Word had spread through paper fliers stuffed in mailboxes and social media posts advertising performances by local rappers and homemade cocktails for sale: Brooklyn Day was on for 2023.

5 pm  whenever, an online announcement read.

Volunteers arrived earlier, setting up for pony rides, face painting and food.

Under the afternoon sun, neighbors chowed down and sipped snowballs.

The annual gathering was organized ad hoc this year, according to Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, who represents the area. The tenant council that typically coordinated the event hasnt existed formally in recent years, she said, though a new council president, Walker, was elected a few months ago.

Walker said she learned of the event through a flier, like many others, and that there was no leadership before her election in May. During the party, she cooked her kids hot dogs and hamburgers from her front porch.

Investigators look for more evidence as debris is swept up following a mass shooting of 30 people, with two fatalities, at a block party around Gretna Court at Brooklyn Homes, on July 2, 2023, in Baltimore. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun/TNS)TNS

When a DJ stationed under a tan tent started playing music around 6:30 or 7 p.m., Walker said, the crowd had swelled to about 200. Video circulated on social media shows gathering teens facing off in dance battles, surrounded by peers, drinks in hand.

As the sun set, the gathering caught the attention of police.

Theres a lot of people out here, one officer said over the radio while responding to a crash less than a mile away.

Charlene Bowie, who lives at the intersection of Herndon and Gretna courts, said she saw police cars continuously pass by the block party.

All through the night they kept passing by, and none of them stopped. Normally they would be lined up right here, said Bowie, pointing to the base of Gretna Court, where police blocked off the road in years past.

Bunny Krabal, a 30-year resident of Brooklyn Homes, watched the party from her front yard overlooking Gretna Court. She said by 9 p.m. there were as many as 500 people there, some riding dirt bikes in the street.

Krabal decided against calling 911, even as the group grew, because she saw pony rides for kids.

I didnt want to call it in if it was a birthday party. Im kind of sorry I didnt call, she said Wednesday, beginning to weep.

A couple of fights broke out back-to-back after 9 p.m., according to party attendees. They described hearing rumors there was a gun, and people running away. The DJ quelled at least one disruption.

He said, Yall want to do that, you can go home. This is about love, Bowie recalled.

Video shows young women fighting before others in the crowd separate them.

Four workers from the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay site of Safe Streets, the citys flagship anti-violence initiative, arrived after 9 p.m. and intervened in a few conflicts over two hours, none of which involved guns, according to Catholic Charities, which operates the site.

Dania Edwards, a 10-year resident of the housing complex, was one of several neighbors who said the longer the night went on, the more ominous things felt. She was worried that the book bags and fanny packs she saw several young people wearing could have guns.

It didnt look right to me, Edwards said. Im a little spiritual: My spirit was telling me to leave.

Around that same time, about 9:45 p.m., officials received a 911 call that there were hundreds of males and females are armed with guns and knives.

Someone over police radio responds, seemingly joking: You might have to redirect that call to the National Guard.

By about 10:30 p.m., police requested a flyover from the citys police helicopter, Foxtrot. Over the radio, someone instructs others that the crowd is about 900 to 1,000 people and to stay back.

While they wait, a dispatcher reads another call over the radio: Reports of a firearm discharge, and people shooting and fighting on Herndon Court.

Do not go into the crowd by yourself, someone said on the radio.

Foxtrot reports back from the scene that theres a crowd of roughly 700 people. A sergeant asks if anything looks suspicious because police had received a call for a firearm discharge. The helicopter operator responds that they saw fireworks.

As far as the group inside the Brooklyn Homes, everything appears to be normal right now. Just walking around, hanging out, Foxtrots operator said.

Bowie said firecrackers were set off at the party throughout the night. She and her 15-year-old granddaughter left the party around midnight, as did Krabal, who said she went inside her home about 10 minutes before midnight, as it started to rain.

I always get these omens, Krabal said.

Tierra Allen had a hard time getting back to her Brooklyn Homes residence when she returned around 12:25 a.m. She said swarms of young people filled the streets and cars packed all the parking spaces.

This is a lot of people and no police, Allen recalled thinking. And way too many cars.

About 10 minutes later, the shooting started.

A woman who was standing by the DJ booth said bullets started flying out of nowhere.

She described blindingly bright lights, the loud bursts of gunfire drowning out music and a panicked crowd created confusion about where the shooting was coming from.

Police later recovered shell casings from more than a dozen guns from the scene, sources with knowledge of the investigation said.

People started running. Kids started screaming, crying, said the woman, who requested anonymity because of safety concerns.

She ran into her familys house and ducked to the ground. Outside, she said, the shooting went on for roughly five minutes. Others said it felt longer.

Bowie said a bullet struck her second-floor air conditioning unit in the bedroom where she and her granddaughter were watching TV. They crawled on the floor to her front door where they found a young woman who had been shot in the leg.

I got her a towel and told her to wrap it around her leg and keep pressing down on it, Bowie said. She said Maam whats your address? Im trying to get an ambulance.

Residents gave first aid on stoops and on sidewalks. They helped to load young people into cars bound for emergency rooms.

From left, Dania Edwards and Erika Walker, residents of Baltimore's Brooklyn Homes, meet with members of the We Our Us movement and supporters on July 3, 2023, before participating in a community walk in the Brooklyn neighborhood, the site of a mass shooting one day earlier. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/TNS)TNS

One woman said she personally drove two girls to the hospital after they were shot. Another neighbor, Terry Brown, let five teens take shelter in his house.

They were running for their lives, Brown said.

Paramedics would take nine people to area hospitals and another 20 arrived as walk-ins, the term for when someone doesnt arrive in an ambulance.

Some went to Shock Trauma, others went to the pediatric emergency department at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

At least 19 were treated at the nearby MedStar Harbor Hospital, which does not have a trauma center but is closest. Three people were still hospitalized Friday, all of them in fair condition, according to police.

Dr. Thomas Scalea, Shock Traumas physician-in-chief, said Monday that Baltimore hospitals had not been tested like this since 2015, when the city experienced unrest in the aftermath of Freddie Grays death from injuries sustained in police custody.

In Brooklyn, the Safe Streets workers present earlier in the night, whod left about an hour before the shooting, mobilized when they heard: Some returned to the scene, while others went to hospitals where victims  including their loved ones  were being treated.

The police set up command at 800 Gretna Court, with one officer, someone in charge, labeling it ground zero over the radio. Officers worked to hang yellow tape and take a full accounting of the damage done.

When police found Gonzalez, the 18-year-old who was killed, an officer radioed that she was 10-7, police code for out service but also used when someone is dead.

If theres anybody near an ambo (ambulance) with a white sheet available, Im going to need it  Im going to cover this young lady up, one officer said into the radio.

Another officer grabbed it for him.

Later, as the yellow crime-scene tape encompassed more and more of the low-rise housing complex, someone across the way filmed as police brought Gonzalezs mother to the scene. Flanked by officers, she can be seen marching across the parking lot, past the police cruisers and toward the white sheet. They need her to identify her daughter.

She starts to scream, her voice piercing through the humid night air.

Lee O. Sanderlin, Darcy Costello and Alex Mann of The Baltimore Sun wrote this story.

(Baltimore Sun reporters Lilly Price, Cassidy Jensen, Lia Russell, Dan Belson, Dillon Mullan and Emily Opilo contributed to this report.)

2023 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Axiata Group, Malaysias biggest wireless carrier by revenue, has a number of potential strategies under review to reduce its debt.

Axiatas debt was estimated at 36.7 billion ringgit (US$7.9 billion) at the end of March compared to some 25.7 billion ringgit (US$ 5.5 billion) at the end of 2019. The Bloomberg news service suggests that this growth is due to overseas expansion last year, including buying telecom towers in the Philippines and a broadband and cable TV provider in Indonesia.

Now Chief Executive Officer Vivek Sood has said in an interview with Bloomberg that his company plans to sell stakes in some of its businesses and list its technology units to reduce some of the debt related to this overseas expansion.

A stake sale in its wireless tower unit Edotco Group is one of the options cited by the CEO. In addition, PT Link Net in Indonesia, an established provider of cable television and high speed broadband internet services, is being refocused as a fixed broadband infrastructure company; a stake sale may follow. Mobile operator PT XL Axiata is likely to be positioned as a converged mobile, fixed and content service provider, according to Sood.

He also touched on last years merger of Celcom Axiata and Digi Telecommunications, saying that in Malaysia, Axiata will focus on combining the operations of the two companies (now known as CelcomDigi) to extract synergies after completing the merger last December.

Founded in 2008, Axiata has 150 million subscribers for its services across Southeast Asia and Pakistan.
Police in Harrisburg are investigating the fatal shooting of a man early Sunday afternoon.

Crews were dispatched to the area of Walnut and Balm streets at 12:15 p.m. for reports of shots fired, officers said. The coroners office also responded to the scene, according to police.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers provided emergency aid to the victim, who was later pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Harrisburg police Lt. Kyle Gautsch said he believes that the incident was isolated and that the victim might have been targeted. No one is in custody, he said.

We do not believe it was a random act, Gautsch said.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Harrisburg police at 717-558-6900 or submit a tip.

READ MORE:

Man killed in Harrisburg hit-and-run: police

Pa. man arrested after 33-year-old woman dies
A massive early Monday morning fire that destroyed the Broad Street Markets brick building was caused by a large ceiling fan fixture, Harrisburg officials said during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said that the fan, which was installed in the market in 2017, had an electrical malfunction, which was what started the fire.

This was an accidental fire, Enterline said. I know theres a lot of scuttlebutt that it may have intentionally set. One hundred percent it was an accidental fire in that ceiling fan fixture.

The two-alarm fire broke out around 1 a.m. and was so powerful it melted some nearby lamppost lights.

The fire, which was visible from the West Shore, was confined to the brick section of the market, with the separate, much smaller stone building untouched.

The press conference was held outdoors in front of the market building with officials including Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Cumberland/Dauphin counties, and Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams. Shapiro vowed to offer state assistance to the city as it begins the rebuilding process.

This market matters. It has mattered for more than a century. Its a great place of great fellowship and is a place that we love and are excited to see rebuilt, Shapiro said.

The governor thanked the firefighters for their work, adding government now needs to follow their example and pull together. He said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is coordinating with the Small Business Administration to support vendors.

The fire call came in at 1 a.m. July 10, 2023. The market dates to the 1860s. The brick building, one of two at the market, burned. Jimmie Brown | jbrown@pennlive.com | July 10, 2023.

In addition, Shapiro said the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will work with vendors to keep them in business while the rebuilding takes place. Williams and local government will determine what the rebuild looks like and work with the Department of Community and Economic Development to support vendors with grants and loans.

The commonwealth is going to be here to support and assist, not dictate but to support and assist, and we look forward to partnering with Mayor Williams and her department, Shapiro said.

Williams said overnight the heart of the community was taken as fire tore through the markets brick building, taking livelihoods with it. The markets stone building remains open for business.

The Broad Street Market is so much more than just a place where you buy and sell food. It is quite literally the primary symbol of Harrisburg, Williams said.

She then vowed to rebuild the market and its business.

Make no mistake, this will take time and, of course, tears, she said. But the end result will be worth it. The Broad Street Market will be back and better than ever before.

Enterline said fire departments from across central Pa. helped to battle the fire, including the aid of a drone borrowed from the Derry Township fire company and used in for the first time in the city. The building was not equipped with a sprinkler system.

Video footage from stand owners helped investigators narrow down the origin of the fire, he said.

It was a team effort by both our fire investigation team and those stand holders who came forward with the video, he said.

Earlier today, the markets Executive Director Tanis Monroy emphasized they plan to rebuild, although no timeline is in place. The building housed about 23 vendors and the entire market was undergoing a beautification project that involved fresh paint and cleaning.

Many call the market a community gathering place where generations of city residents have shopped. Vendors include a mix of those selling produce, prepared meals, butchered meats and coffee.

Cebrum George II, owner of Nuborn Skin at the market, said he learned about the fire through a string of early morning text messages. He has operated at the market for about four years selling his line of skincare products.

Its a hub, its essentially a place where people come, George said. Basically, its like a community.

He said he doesnt know of plans for the vendors or the extent of damages to his business. But he noted unlike some of the other vendors selling food, he could temporarily sell from the markets outdoor courtyard if permitted.

Moving forward, George said a rebuilt market might be better and is all relative to how much the community is willing to help.

The market was founded in 1860 and is considered to be the oldest continuously operated market house in the U.S. The market is owned by the City of Harrisburg overseen by a board of directors and in 2017 became a private non-profit entity.

READ MORE:
A new public health poll shows that support in Pennsylvania for legalizing recreational marijuana has dropped for the first time in 10 years.

The Muhlenberg College Public Health Program 2023 survey, conducted in the spring, determined that support for legal marijuana was 50%, down from 56% in 2022 and from its peak of 58% in 2021.

However, the drop falls within the polls margin of error of +/- 6 percentage points. Allentown-based Muhlenberg surveyed 417 Pennsylvania residents in March and April.

The small shift in opinion on this matter may simply be the product of sampling error, but for the first time in a decade, support for legalization did not rise in the Commonwealth, pollsters wrote in a summary.

Thirty-one percent of respondents said they were opposed to marijuana legalization while 18% said they had no opinion.

Support for legal marijuana had steadily increased in the Muhlenberg poll since the spring of 2013 when just 33% said they favored it.

Last year, a CBS News poll found that 66% of registered voters in Pennsylvania supported legalizing recreational marijuana. Pennsylvania already has a medical marijuana program.

Other findings in the poll included:
A western Pennsylvania man held in jail for the murders of his mother and aunt was found dead in his cell Friday, an official told local media outlets.

Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier told the Beaver County Times that Benjamin Selby, 43, of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, was found unresponsive in his wheelchair inside an isolation cell in the county jail Friday morning.

Lozier said that Selby was found slumped over with bodily fluids under his wheelchair by jail staff, who immediately called emergency responders. Selby used the wheelchair, Lozier said, likely because of injuries from a motorcycle accident years ago and he had preferred to sleep in the wheelchair rather than a jail cell bunk.

WTAE-TV reported that Lozier said there were no obvious indication of trauma or suicide in Selbys death, while adding that toxicology and autopsy results would take weeks to complete.

Selby had been placed in isolation for at least a week, where he was observed every 15 minutes, Lozier told The Times. He was in isolation because he was refusing transport and treatment, including refusing to take medicine, Lozier said.

According to online court documents, Selby was being held without bail as he awaited an Aug. 17 preliminary hearing on two charges of criminal homicide and one charge of kidnapping.

Those charges stemmed from a June 24 shooting in which New Sewickley police said he shot and killed his 71-year-old mother and 65-year-old aunt at the township home he shared with his mom and 92-year-old grandmother, who was in the house but unharmed in the incident.
By Doug Morris

Chicago woke up to the worst air quality in the world the last week in June (a few weeks after Central PA woke up to the worst global air quality). Bad air quality warnings face 200 million people.

This was the same week that marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of climatologist James Hansens testimony before Congress warning of the catastrophic implications of climate change.
Recent spectrum-related events in Ecuador appear to have worried the GSMA, the global association gathering the worlds biggest mobile operators. It has claimed that the ongoing suspension of spectrum renewals puts key investments at risk for the future of the country.

In May this year Ecuadorian regulator Arcotel decided to call off for 120 days the negotiations for spectrum renewals with operators Telefonica, whose license expires in November, and America Movil, whose license runs out in August.

The BNamericas news service reports that one of the sticking points has been the valuations of spectrum. However, Arcotel argues there are other factors, notably a comprehensive valuation of the concessions. These, it says, include other "essential elements" such as quality of services, technology, the investments to be made and their deadlines, social benefits, the expansion of geographic coverage and technology for national security.

Arcotel has insisted that mobile services in the country will not be interrupted or affected. The GSMA, however, is evidently concerned. It says the interruption of this process, for reasons not attributable to the operators, so close to the end of the concessions, and without recourse to the legal mechanisms that allow the continuity of the negotiation within of an extended term, is a cause of uncertainty and instability for the sector.

It adds that the measure jeopardizes the legal certainty and predictability necessary to guarantee the continuity of the intensive investments required by the Ecuadorian telecommunications market. It calls for sustained public-private dialogue to mitigate the lack of certainty.

With 5G on the horizon the pending renewal is, says the GSMA, one of the most important milestones in the national telecommunications portfolio in recent years.

The GSMA has made itself available to the authorities to help reactivate the negotiations and reach a timely resolution adjusted to the reality of the market.

Its not clear who, if anyone, is at fault for this hold-up but its certainly a very late stage to be completing such negotiations given that according to the GSMA, this process began two years ago. Formally, however, negotiations started in January this year. They were due to be concluded in early June.
Yuze Ding raised to 25,000 from middle position and a player on the button three-bet to 80,000.

Ding then responded with an all-in and got the quick call.

Button Player: AK

Yuze Ding: AA

The player on the button was well behind the aces of Ding, but would flop a pair of kings on the K87 board.

However, the second king would not make an appearance on the final runout of 78K9Q, sending Ding's opponent to the rail.
The most electric EDM festival on the East Coast just got a little more memorable. From September 1-3, hundreds of thousands of fans will flock to Randall's Island Park for the Electric Zoo festival (and Popdust couldn't be more excited to attend) to see the biggest names in the dance community right now. But the fun doesn't stop there.

You may already be excited to see dance icons FISHER & Chris Lake perform their set on September 1, but what you didn't know is that they're debuting their Under Construction brand. For the very first time, FISHER & Chris Lake will curate their own stage and lighting production to showcase six of their favorite artists in addition to an insane B2B set. There isn't anything more powerful than when two of the industry's leading names come together for a set, so you won't want to miss it.





Electric Zoo 2023 Electric Zoo
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Local historians and community members gathered at the site of the Hamburg Massacre on July 8 to memorialize the lives lost and mark the 147th anniversary.

The massacre, where nine people were killed over the course of several days, is most known for changing the Reconstruction Era in the South. A memorial headstone along with two historical markers located on Barton Road in North Augusta were recently added to Reconstruction Era National Historic Network by the National Park Service. The markers are in the Hamburg Carrsville African American Historic District.

The reason this is so significant is that during the period of reconstruction, 1860s to mid-1870s, African Americans had all of their civil rights. They could vote, schools were integrated in the 1860s and after the Hamburg Massacre which took place in 1876, African Americans lost their right to vote and everything was segregated so U.S. history changed course, local historian Wayne OBryant said. It happened locally but it is a state event and a national event.  This site is where we commemorate those who lost their lives to the event.

Mayor Briton Williams said that the city plans to continue to push education about the events of the Hamburg Massacre. Williams said city council will vote on adding educational plaques to Calhoun Park, the location of the Meriwether Monument, on July 17 during its meeting. The recommendation to add the panels came from a committee established by former mayor Bob Pettit.

City council made a resolution to make this African American historic district and this is an amazing opportunity for this community for tourism to promote what is happening here, Williams said. There is nothing like this history we have in North Augusta, and it is right here in the downtown proper and we need to promote that.

We can educate people correctly about what Wayne is sharing and we can have this here, but we have the right interpretation in front of that monument that needs to be done, Williams added. I am fairly confident from the council that this is something that we are going to vote on and we should have done it and it has taken too long.

Trina Mackie, a board member on the Hamburg Carrsville African American History committee, said that its important to showcase the full story.

What it means to me is a day of recognition, a day of appreciation, a day of honesty because it is important that all history is told. History isn't necessarily something that is going to give us a feel-good feeling, Mackie said. We need to know the truth about what happened and what is a part of our history, and the Hamburg Massacre is a huge part of our history that not only impacted the residents of Hamburg but it actually the trajectory of our country in terms of equality of all people.

A presentation with an in-depth discussion of the Hamburg Massacre will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 15, at First Providence Baptist Church. Representatives from the National Park Service will attend the program as well.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
COLUMBIA  On a summer night at a Richland County library outside Columbia, Kira Flores' family was focused on stories, as is often the case at a library.

But the story that Flores and her daughters were telling, writing and drawing wasn't on any of the library's shelves. It was their family's story, recorded in booklets by crayon, about the importance of their Mexican and African-American heritage and their move four years ago to Columbia from El Paso, Texas.

Their storytelling, and that of the other half-dozen families gathered at the library, was at the center of one of the Greater Columbia Community Relations Councils latest efforts, a family-oriented program focused on building the bilingual literacy skills of local Latino families.

After a six-week initial run in May and June, the nonprofit is looking to expand the program, which it calls Bilingual Family Reading Circles, at the start of the new school year in the fall.

The idea, according to Eurydice Bauer, an education professor at the University of South Carolina who sits on the council's board of directors, is to help children and their parents build a "habit of literacy," rather than just teaching them how to read.

Building those habits means reaching the emotional and personal sides of reading, Bauer said, whether it's the relationships created when parents and children read together or the importance that stories play in people's lives.

"All of us are products of stories: What happened to you yesterday, over the weekend, how you experience life with your family, the story your grandmother always told," she said, adding, "One of the things we can do is preserve some of those stories by writing them down."

Over the course of the initial six-week program, the parents and their children did just that, putting together storybooks about their families. Such practice doesnt just help the students work on the writing side of their literacy, according to Celina-Maria Espinosa, a USC doctoral student who helps lead the literacy program, but also lets the kids see their families' stories in a new light.

"These kids are able to see mom's stories in a formalized way," she said.

Flores said the program helped her kids better understand their family's past while also giving them more chances to read together.

"That's why I think a lot of this is important, too, so they can learn where they come from, where I come from," she said.

Alongside the writing, the families also read and listened to books and stories together, flowing between languages as they worked, played and were occasionally reminded by their parents to draw with their crayons, not throw them.

In one session, two mothers read aloud to the families from the same picture book, one reading a page in English and the other reading the same one in Spanish, a bilingual context which Bauer said helps families gain literacy skills in both languages.

"Often, we kind of intuitively believe that if we have a student who is in an all monolingual context, they will get to English faster and be stronger in English," Bauer said.

"When in actuality, some of our research actually shows that the kids who are in a dual context, where they are going back and forth between those two languages and developing both ... tend to be actually stronger in English at the end of the day."

After each session, the families each got a copy to keep of the books they read or listened to during the class, intended to help them build a home library encompassing both languages and practice reading beyond the librarys meeting room.

The hope, Bauer said, is for the program's leaders to gradually turn the initiative over to parents, which should be more feasible as the Community Relations Council looks to start a new, expanded session.

"Eventually, our goal would be that it's not us doing the reading aloud, that over time the parents take it over, but they're modeling some of the things that we've been modeling for them," she said.

While the exact contours of that expansion are not yet finalized, the nonprofits Executive Director Larry Salley said one hope is to be able to serve as many as 50 children in about 20 families through a nine-month program, and to maybe expand out to other subjects such as math, while keeping the intergenerational aspect in place.

"We really want to try to identify some of the other needs that the children have," he said, but added that language skills are "certainly the focus."

An expanded program will require additional funding to cover costs like the books and meals provided as a part of each session. The original May-June program was partly funded through grant money from Richland County, which Salley said is one possibility for the next iteration, though the council is also looking around for private funding as another option.

Gretchen Barron, who represents part of northeast Richland on the County Council and serves as its liaison with the Community Relations Council, said she was "intrigued" by the nonprofit's bilingual literacy program.

"I'm an educator by trade, so to be able to see families (for whom) English is their second language really being immersed into two languages ... was simply amazing," she said.
This story was originally published March 16, 2016.

Chapter 1: An urgent mystery

Its early in World War II, and Americas fate is tied to the sea. In the Atlantic, Nazi U-boats pick off convoy ships, threatening the lifeline to Europe. In the Pacific, Japanese subs prowl the depths, testing a fleet battered at Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, American war planners know little about this new underwater battlefield. Mastering its terrain could prove decisive. In a secret report, the leader of a hastily assembled group of scientists called Division 6 writes about an urgent need to understand the ocean for service in a national emergency.

New sonar instruments would be the tool. You could ping the ocean bed, then use the bounce to calculate the seafloors depth and shape. But sonar operators soon pick up something odd: The seabed seems to move up and down. More pings, and Navy technicians uncover a pattern: This false bottom rises at night and descends at dawn. What is it?

Must be alive, the Division 6 scientists think. Squids? Schools of fish? Has to be something pervasive; the sonar picks up false bottoms in all of the worlds oceans. Whatever it is, could American submarines hide under it? Could enemy subs?

Division 6 doesnt answer these questions before the wars end, which only stokes more curiosity. Scientists begin calling the false-bottom the deep scattering layer. They toss nets into the layer; they haul up a few squids and fish but not enough to explain those scattering pings. Then, with fine mesh nets and deep-sea diving gear, scientists in the 1970s finally solve the mystery: The false bottom is a massive daily migration of plankton.

This symphony of tiny and beautiful creatures begins at night when they rise to feed on even smaller surface plankton. Countless fish join this movement  so many that the ocean hums. Then it ends at sunrise as they plunge to escape predators. Though unseen, this daily cycle is the grandest migration of all on Earth. From an ecological standpoint, its exponentially more significant than the Serengetis thundering wildebeest or the winged journeys of the worlds birds. And its just a small part of the plankton story. Startling new discoveries about plankton could prove decisive in an emergency thats as urgent as any war: a rapidly changing climate.

The question remains: Will we learn enough in time?

Chapter 2: The power of plankton

Plankton may be the most important stuff youve barely heard of  more important to the climates fate than rainforests. The term plankton is a catchall of sorts for living things that are at the mercy of currents. That broad definition includes jellyfish, krill, marine bacteria, viruses, algae and fish larvae. With no roots to the seabed, planktonic creatures mostly drift, though as those World War II pings revealed, some are masters at swimming up and down. Many forms of plankton are so tiny you need a microscope to see them, but they are the unsung heroes of the planets air.

Mixture of single and multicellular plankton from the Atlantic Ocean. (Christian Sardet, Univ. Chicago Press 2015)

You can thank species of sun-loving plankton for the breath you just took. Until about 2 billion years ago, the planets atmosphere was breathlessly devoid of oxygen. But then a distant cousin of todays blue-green algae began using the suns rays to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Earth hasnt been the same since.

Today, half of the atmospheres oxygen comes from ocean plankton - every other breath. Plankton comes in all shapes and sizes, but scientists divide them into two categories.

Phytoplankton are the microscopic algae and other cells that drift in the sun-infused upper layer of the ocean. Think of them as the plants of the sea, the oxygen producers. Zooplankton are the larger animals that typically feed on the phytoplankton. Think of them of the seas insects, snails and worms.

Small and large, plant and animal, they do amazing things.

One zooplankton called phronima chomps on smaller plankton and uses their body parts to make protective cellulose barrels. The mother lives in the barrel, zealously guarding her young, while males bolt at the slightest danger. Phronimas fierce appearance is the inspiration for the creature in the movie Alien.

Some algae and bacteria have red pigments and grow so dense they color vast areas of the ocean; floating pink blankets of bacteria gave the Red Sea its name. One zooplankton species has little blue sails; washing up on the beach, their colonies look like a regatta of tiny blue boats. Another jellyfish can literally reverse its aging process; its nickname is the immortal jellyfish.

When phytoplankton die, they emit cloud-forming chemicals that give beaches their intoxicating and briny smell. Some phytoplankton also are killers: Shaped like glistening needles, they secrete neurotoxins that find their way into shellfish and animals that feed on them. After one toxic algal bloom in 1961 in Monterey Bay, Calif., thousands of poisoned seabirds dive-bombed houses and cars and piled up dead on streets. The phenomenon inspired Alfred Hitchcocks movie, The Birds.

Counting plankton is like counting stars, though instead of stars, some species look like Christmas ornaments and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A single teaspoon of seawater might contain a million phytoplankton bacteria and 100 million planktonic viruses that feed on them. Viruses alone have an overall biomass in the oceans of 75 million blue whales. Mostly unseen, these hordes of planktonic algae and viruses are in a constant state of biochemical warfare: The viruses attack the algae while the algae develop special plates of armor.

Much of what we know about plankton has been discovered since World War II, thanks in part to those curious Division 6 scientists, but also because of people like Dennis Allen, who one morning in January, stands in a johnboat in a South Carolina marsh, wondering: Why does the water look so weird?

Chapter 3: Curiosity, and the Long View

Dennis Allen is resident director of the University of South Carolinas Belle W. Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, a science center deep in an area of protected pinelands and marsh north of Georgetown. He has a boat captains white beard and his brown eyes hold a look of delight. He has long been fascinated by the hidden underwater world, and its easy to imagine that delighted look 60 years before when he watched those Amazing Live Sea Monkeys hatch. (The old comic book ads said: Own a bowl full of happiness! Because they are so full of tricks, youll never tire of watching them.) Those brown bits didnt really look like monkeys, though. And he would learn much later that biologists called them brine or fairy shrimp. But they spun and darted and moved about nevertheless, a small world of their own that hinted at a much larger one if you just look closer.

Which he did often with Pop-Pop, his grandfather. An Italian immigrant and successful auto dealer, Pop-Pop took him fishing off the New Jersey coast. His grandfather seemed to be curious about everything in the water, which was infectious to an already curious child.

Pop-Pop, why do we catch flounder here but not over there? he asked his grandfather.

Thats a good question!

Pop-Pop, what do the fish eat?

Lets see.

Gutting the fish, they found dead shrimplike animals in the stomachs  not so different than those Amazing Live Sea Monkeys.

Fast forward to the mid-1970s. Allen was a biologist by now, working on his dissertation, trawling with a fine mesh net off New Jersey, funneling zooplankton into a jar at the end of the net. He pulled up the net and looked at the jar. It was full of mysids, those shrimp-like animals he saw when gutting fish with his grandfather. From a distance, the jar looked as if packed with wild rice. But looking closer, you could see it teemed with life. New questions formed in his mind as he watched the mysids flit back and forth: What is their response to light? How do they move with the currents? Years later, he still keeps the jar on a shelf his office at the Baruch Institute. He smiles. Its a reminder of my roots.

A reminder of the sense of discovery that fueled his most important work.

In January 1981, not long after he landed a job at Baruch, he collected samples in the salt marsh creeks of North Inlet. He recorded the waters temperature, salinity and other chemical characteristics. He collected the zooplankton with a fine mesh net.

Then he kept at it, sampling every two weeks, using the same nets and protocols.

And he kept going, even when the funding was barely there.

As the decades passed, shelves filled with glass jars of the samples, preserved in a pink fluid; data filled columns and charts. Like a savings account, it slowly grew in value.

Today, this data is called a time series, and Baruchs is the longest continuous time series in an estuary in North and South America, and perhaps the world.

Its rarity and scientific value cant be overstated. With so much data collected consistently over such a long period, scientists can begin to understand how estuaries and salt marshes change over time.

And on the johnboat in January, hes shocked by what he sees.

Chapter 4: The Zooplankton crash

Its the 866th collection in the time series, the first of 2016. The marsh is a winter palate of pale yellows and greens. A bald eagle watches from the top branch of a dead tree. The jon boat moves into the current. The water is brown, the color of ice tea, and this is news.

This time of year, its supposed to be grayish-green and really clear, Allen says, as Paul Kenny steers the boat. Kenny, a research specialist, has been collecting samples with Allen for 33 years.

The source of the unusual color is last falls torrential rains. A record 2 feet fell in one weekend. Its the kind of rain bomb scientists think well see more of as the planet warms and the air holds more moisture. More rain fell in November, fueled by one of the largest El Ninos in recent history. This morning, salt marshes have the salinity of freshwater ponds.

Strange weather, but Allens time series has revealed other surprises that go far beyond any blips in the jet streams.

He grabs a net that looks like a windsock and tosses it overboard. The net funnels zooplankton into a jar. He and Kelly pull in the trawl, and Allen lifts the jar to the sky. A translucent eel larva flickers amid the debris. It probably migrated from the deep ocean, perhaps from the Sargasso Sea.

The big story is that there are a lot fewer zooplankton in North Inlet than there used to be, Allen says.

When he began in 1981, a trash-can-sized amount of water held 10,000 to 12,000 zooplankton specimens.

Over time, the numbers declined. In recent years, theyve been catching about 6,000 to 8,000.

Thats a 40-percent reduction, he says. Thats huge, and its remarkable because it happened in just the course of 30 years.

Rising temperatures might be responsible.

Human activity releases the equivalent of 36 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year. This CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. The ocean, however, absorbs much of this warmth. Every day, humans and their machines add heat to the ocean equivalent to 345,000 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs.

This injection of heat has caused the oceans temperature to rise. Arctic and Antarctic ice are melting. And all these changes affect the mostly hidden world of plankton, the foundation of the food web.

Allen says they once caught hundreds of anchovies in trawls like todays. But in recent years, theyve caught one or two per tow, or none at all. Researchers in the Chesapeake Bay, the West Coast, New England and Europe are discovering similar reductions in zooplankton and fish species, he adds. Results of these time series findings will be published soon in scientific journals, but they only raise more questions.

What else is happening to the plankton?

Will this affect the climate?

And the air we breathe?

Chapter 5: Open ocean's secrets

Across the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda, three young scientists on the boat Rumline prepare a gray canister that looks like a small torpedo. The boat slows. White foam breaks over a nearby coral reef. A Brazilian technician lowers the canister into gentle waves of turquoise. He hoists the canister back on board, and the three scientists take turns piping the contents into beakers. They repeat this four times at other spots off the island, then give a thumbs up to the captain, who turns the boat, painting a white arc of bubbles in the blue.

They head back to the island, with its white roofs like bleached coral, and dock at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. In a lab there, theyll take those beakers of seawater and measure salinity, pH and other aspects of the waters chemistry. Its work similar to Dennis Allens time series in South Carolina. But instead of estuaries, the Bermuda scientists focus on changes in the open ocean. As far as time series go, Bermudas is the longest-running in an ocean setting, and, therefore, among the most important.

Bermuda time series explained

Im from Ohio, says Amy Maas, an assistant scientist here whose words tumble out in excitable bursts, so people always ask, Why should I care about whats going on in the open ocean? Her eyes open wide, and her hands dart like fish. And I say, Its all connected! Our water! Our air! And this place is one of the key places in the world where weve learned about the importance of marine bacteria, how migrating plankton change things, how the carbon cycle works.

Growing up in Ohio, Maas thought she would be a librarian. But the more she learned about marine biology in college, the more she found herself captivated by its complexity and beauty. Drifting like plankton from course to course, and then in expeditions to Antarctica and the North Pacific, she found herself steered toward studies about climate change and a zooplankton group called sea butterflies, also known as pteropods. Now, she works in Bermuda with her husband, Leo, a Spanish zooplankton researcher, often bringing their new baby, Bastian, who sleeps in a crib next to her desk.

On an afternoon last February, a storm lashes the island, turning the cobalt waters below her office window into froth. Winds whip around the building, generating a sound like Tarzans jungle yell. Maas voice rises and falls as she recalls scuba diving with creatures from the deep scattering layer, the humming migration of plankton and fish that baffled the World War II sonar operators.

During the day, you might see a fish here and there. But at night, when everything rises to the surface, boom, everything is there! The water is packed full of stuff. Wow. Its extremely dark, and you cant see anything beyond your big light. It looks like confetti, but its all moving around. Its vibrant. You have these flashes of color. Everyones trying to eat and mate and do everything that needs to happen. It feels as intense as a coral reef or a rainforest. But everything is tiny! There are these little things zooming past. Zoom, zoom, zoom, and then a squid comes flying in! And then when you turn the lights off, theres all this luminescence. And afterward you realize theres so much that you dont know.

Such as the health of this ecosystem. Its not easy to assess the status of the oceans microscopic creatures, she says. You cant ask a zooplankton, Hey, how are you doing? Thats where the time series is vital. Time series arent flashy. Theyre expensive; theyre time-consuming, and theyre not going to give you this big paper that says, I just discovered X! Theyre just a slow accrual of data.

But with that growing collection of information, you can understand what happened in the past. Do it long enough, and you can factor out seasonal fluctuations. Then, she says, you can use this information to make predictions about the future.

Which, when it comes to the open ocean and its plankton, requires a deep breath.

Chapter 6: Uh-oh

Its helpful to know a bit more about phytoplankton, the forests of the sea. Coccolithophores and diatoms are important sun-loving forms of phytoplankton. You can see blooms of coccolithophores from space, milky swirls as large as California.

Under a microscope, youll see they make fantastic shells. Shaped like flying saucers, theyre made of calcium carbonate, the same thing as chalk. The White Cliffs of Dover are old deposits of coccolithophores.

Diatoms, meantime, build glass shells that look like fancy hat boxes. Their shells are even smaller, so small that 30 can fit across a human hair. Medical examiners use diatoms in drowning cases: As victims inhale water, diatoms enter the bloodstream and make their way as far as the kidney and brain. If you find diatoms there, you know the person drowned instead of dying before entering the water. Diatom shells also are used in toothpaste, cat litter, dynamite and nail polish.

Diatoms and coccolithophores dont just make useful and beautiful shells. They also incorporate huge amounts of carbon dioxide into their bodies. Then, larger zooplankton, such as Amy Maas sea butterflies, gobble them up. Or they die of old age, which in plankton time might be just a few weeks. Then, weighed down by their elegant shells, they fall toward the ocean floor, joining a chorus of other particles, including carbon-infused feces of zooplankton. Scientists call this falling stuff marine snow.

Marine snow piles up unseen on the ocean floor. And over millions of years, geological and other forces compress it and turn it into oil. This ongoing plankton bloom-and-bust represents a massive carbon pump to the ocean floor that scientists have only begun to fully understand. Every year, according to recent studies, phytoplankton incorporate 50 billion tons of carbon into their cells. Thats roughly the same as all the forests, bushes and grasses combined.

The Bermuda time series and other research have shown major changes in this biochemical balance. Weve unlocked vast amounts of carbon dioxide by burning coal, gas and oil  carbon dioxide that took millions of years to sequester.

This has made the ocean more acidic  about 30 percent more acidic since the Industrial Revolution. This increase is faster than any known change in the seas chemistry in the past 50 million years.

And thats bad news for some plankton.

Amy Maas' research on sea butterflies has shown that even slight increases in acidity turn their shells from clear to opaque. Longer exposure, and the shells dissolve. Corals experience similar fates. Some researchers predict that because of ocean acidification, most of the worlds coral reefs could be dead within half a century.

To the surprise of scientists, coccolithophores, the chalk-making phytoplankton, are blooming at unprecedented rates in the North Atlantic  a ten-fold increase between 1965 and 2010. Its unclear whether this is good news or bad. On the bright side, such blooms are sucking up some of the carbon dioxide we release when we step on the gas pedal. On the other hand, its a telling sign that weve pumped so much carbon dioxide into the air that our atmosphere and oceans are saturated. Something strange is happening here, and its happening much more quickly than we thought it should, one of the studys authors wrote.

Finally, we have the warming ocean, which could affect plankton in an indirect but deadly way. Many species do just fine in the seas naturally changing temperatures. But they also depend on hidden underwater currents to stir up nutrients from cooler lower depths. This upwelling of nutrients is the equivalent of marine compost. But hot air hovering above the ocean creates a thick layer of warm water on the surface. And this turns that layer into a cap, preventing the upward movement of nutrients; with no mixing, phytoplankton starve.

You can outrun rising sea levels but with less oxygen, you wont run far. Some scientists predict that because of global warming the oceans temperature may rise 11 degrees in the next 75 years. Under that scenario, many of the oceans mixing currents may disappear, researchers at the University of Leicester in England reported last December. With less oxygen from the oceans phytoplankton, the studys authors said, the planet will experience mass mortality of animals and humans.

Are we screwed? People ask me that a lot, Amy Maas says as the storm outside lets up. But shes an optimist; humanity has a choice about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, reducing the size of that heat-trapping cap. Were intelligent organisms that can come together and make good decisions. In other words, were not drifting like the plankton, subject to some external current.

Chapter 7: The new abnormal

In South Carolina, Dennis Allen and Paul Kenny continue their trawls. They point their boat toward a place with hidden sandbars and oyster reefs called No Mans Friend. After nearly 40 years working these waters, Allen has answers to many questions he posed to his grandfather so long ago. But as will happen, this knowledge only triggered more questions.

The ocean hides its secrets well: the up-and-down movements of zooplankton that create the deep scattering layer; the movements of fish from the estuaries to the open ocean where they spawn; then the huge unseen migration of planktonic fish larvae back to the estuaries, where they grow into snapper, croaker and shrimp.

Remarkable creatures, he says. Ive been doing this for 38 years and I still get excited by what the net brings up.

Which happens today. During a trawl, they find a catfish in their net.

A catfish in a salt marsh?

A surprise, but should it be?

Consider last falls rain bombs; winters record warm spell when people from Charleston to New York ran shirtless after Christmas; and the stunned scientists who recorded temperatures at the North Pole above freezing. I just returned from a conference in Portland, Allen says, mentioning a moderator who summed up the meetings findings: He says, Some wacky things are going on in our estuaries.

Ecology is all about relationships and understanding connections, he continues. Pull one string of the food web, and another part might unravel. Pull lots of strings, and sometimes those strings get tangled in a wad, which happens today.

During their first trawl of the previous year, they didnt catch a single fish. Which is normal. Many fish are supposed to be in the open ocean now, spawning, laying eggs that will grow into planktonic larvae, the future tide-riders to the Carolina marshes.

But this year, their johnboat slows ever so slightly as the net behind it fills. They pull up the net, Allen straining, four decades of sampling taking its toll on his back.

The net is loaded with fish. Not just one school, either. Many schools of different fish.

This is an event, Kenny says, his voice suddenly firm. The fish arent supposed to be here now, and certainly not in these numbers. This has never happened before at any time of year - winter, spring and fall. Not in 35 years.

Allen nods.

Must be the warmth of the waters, the change in the salinity, many factors probably hemmed them into the coast, he says. What will this do to the plankton? The food web? The climate? Tough to say exactly.

Other than its not supposed to be like this. Wacky.

About this story

In addition to those named in this story, a number of other local and nationally recognized scientists contributed thoughts and information about this complex issue: Jack DiTullio, an assistant professor of biological and chemical oceanography at the College of Charleston, explained the carbon cycle and other notable breakthroughs in phytoplankton research; Ryan Rykaczewski, a biologist at the University of South Carolinas Marine Science Program, described the history of the deep scattering layer and other interesting behaviors of zooplankton; Samuel Laney, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, gave an excellent Plankton 101 lesson.

In Bermuda, Becky Garley, Afonso Goncalves, Sam Stevens and Tim Noyes allowed us to observe their sampling by BIOS for their Bermuda Atlantic Time Series, better known in science circles as (BATS).

Other scientists consulted include: Dianne Greenfield, a phytoplankton expert and associate professor, Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina; Tammy Richardson, biology professor at USC; Samantha de Putron, an expert in corals at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS); Bill Curry, chief executive officer of BIOS; and Leocadio Blanco-Bercial, a BIOS zooplankton expert. Tara Expeditions, a French non-profit that has done ground-breaking work on plankton, shared breathtaking photographs. The colorful video images are from "Plankton Chronicles," www.planktonchronicles.org. More of these inspiring photos can be found in Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World, a spectacular book by Christian Sardet that helped inspire this project.

Tony Bartelme, a projects reporter for The Post and Courier, is a former Harvard Nieman Fellow and two-time finalist for Pulitzer prizes in feature and explanatory reporting. He can be reached at tbartelme@postandcourier.com and 843-790-0805.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY Make plans to attend the second annual Gulf Coast Cattlemens Conference Aug. 4 at Grace Fellowship Church in Atmore. Hosted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the conference will feature a variety of speakers on topics ranging from financial management to preconditioning and dewormer.

Kelly Palmer, an animal sciences regional Extension agent, said the conference will highlight topics pertinent to raising beef cattle on the Gulf Coast.

Our conditions in south Alabama are different than some of our other Alabama neighbors, Palmer said. The conference was beneficial for producers who attended last year, and we anticipate the topics and information to be just as good this year.

The day will begin with an early-morning trade show at 7:30 a.m. Presentations will kick off with David Anderson, an economist with Texas AgriLife Extension. His presentation is titled How to Make Money (or at Least Break Even) in the Cattle Business. Other presentations throughout the day include the following:

Getting the Most Out of Your Bahaia grass

o Kent Stanford, Alabama Extension

Preconditioning Methods to Reduce Illness/Death Losses

o Christ Prevatt, Alabama Farmers Federation

Which Dewormer Should I Use?

o Dr. David Pugh, Alabama State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

The conference is free, however preregistration is required. Lunch will be provided by Big Mikes Steakhouse. To registerand for more information about the eventvisit the event page on the Alabama Extension calendar at www.aces.edu.

Palmer encourages cattle producers anywhere on the Gulf Coast to come and take part in the cattlemens conference. Contact Palmer for more information about the event at ridleka@auburn.edu.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System takes the expertise of Auburn University and Alabama A&M University to the people. Our educators in all 67 counties are community partners  bringing practical ways to better our homes, farms, people and the world.
The drag performers of Columbia Kings N Things return to The Nickelodeon to present a Oz-Travaganza: A Dragtastic Show.

The show is inspired by "The Wizard of Oz" and its many adaptations. Drag kings Marty McGuy and Han D Mann, who organized the event and will perform in it, said that the theme came about as a way to celebrate the classic film, as well as the queer community.

It's a euphemism to call people in the queer community 'friends of Dorothy, Mann said. And I thought that, especially since it's a movie theater, it would be great to plan themes around great films or franchises. So 'The Wizard of Oz' seemed like a pretty fun idea.

This event is one of the many shows that Cola Kings N Things has planned for July 2023, reflecting the groups growing popularity across Columbia.

As drag becomes more mainstream, the drag queen has become the focal point. But McGuy and Mann said that there were so many more expressions of drag that get overlooked: drag kings, androgynous drag and hyper-queens, a term for people assigned female at birth who perform as queens instead of kings.

After he moved back to Columbia during the pandemic, Mann wanted to start performing. He reached out to McGuy, and then began to put together a show for drag kings.

It started as Ladies Night at PT's 1109 as a way to showcase non-mainstream drag and to connect to the sapphic community," Mann said. "And it has grown so much.

Ladies Night at PT's, a well-known gay bar in the Vista, grew into Cola Kings N Things, creating a place for queer women to come together. McGuy said that they have also encouraged many people interested in performing as kings to step on stage. As well as encouraging community, McGuy said that the existence of the group offers a corrective to mainstream narratives of drag that exclude queer women.

Kings do not get paid as much as queens do, they dont get booked as much and they're just not around, McGuy said. Now, we're very lucky here in Columbia to have a lot of queen support. But in general, it's still where we don't get booked as often. So now we are in different spaces running shows on our own.

Oz-Travaganza is a follow up to a previous show at The Nick which was inspired by the animated film, Shrek. McGuy said that he thought The Nick was a fun and interesting space for a show, so he decided to reach out. Xavier Blake, the community engagement director of The Nick, said he was very excited to have the group back, and made sure to give Kings N Things full creative control of their show.

I think part of giving someone your space is letting them fill it up," Blake said. "Thats what we try to do here provide a safe space and allow people the opportunity and the freedom to kind of fill that space up with what they want to do.

Mann and McGuy said the show will be a celebration of any and all things related to "The Wizard of Oz," a reference point for many drag artists.

You're gonna see a bunch of people  mostly kings who are dressed more masculine  emulate characters from 'The Wizard of Oz,' or from 'Wicked' or 'The Wiz' or any spin-off that is related at all to the original work, Mann said. It'll be funny, it'll be cute. The looks will be larger than life and everyone is going to be tipping, singing along, cheering.

Mann said the show will be interactive, including games and a costume contest. While the show thrives off audience interaction, McGuy was clear that everything is volunteer based, and they make sure that everyone is comfortable.

Every time we have anyone that comes up and volunteers for anything, I always remind them that we're going to be nice or we're not going to have any games. And that volunteering is brave and doing drag is very brave, McGuy said. We're not going to make you look bad. We're gonna have fun together.

While the shows are fun, Mann and McGuy are both clear about drags political dimensions. McGuy has done drag story hours in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he said that some of his events were protested and received threats of violence.

Although they said that they havent faced any similar protests at their Columbia shows, Mann and McGuy are worried about the South Carolina bill that would ban drag in many venues. Mann said that he uses drag events as a platform to speak about issues that threaten the LGBTQ community in South Carolina.

We try to educate people at our shows. We tell them anything going on politically and what they can do to help, Mann said. Just going to the shows is great, but that option won't be there anymore if it becomes illegal, so we really depend on support from the larger community and from our city, as a whole, to be politically minded and to learn about these things and to speak up if you get a chance.

Mann and McGuy emphasized the power of the community theyve built in Columbia. Through Cola Kings N Things, they have connected drag performers, audience members and other queer artists. Theyve compiled a directory of queer-owned businesses in Columbia and theyve begun a monthly drag competition. And, they intend to host a show at the Nickelodeon every three months, with plans already being made for a show in October.

In spite of political pressures, the celebration of their art gives Mann and McGuy hope.

I feel like we are popping up in as many Columbia businesses as possible to spread the good word of drag kings, McGuy said.

The show is on July 12 at 8 p.m. Find tickets at nickelodeon.org
Recent reports of a handful of the first domestic malaria infections in the U.S. in 20 years have created a stir nationwide  but experts in South Carolina are cautioning there is little to worry about in the Palmetto State.

Last week, the Florida Department of Health reported two more cases of the mosquito-borne disease, bringing the total to six cases in Florida and one in Texas.

Malaria infections are reported in the U.S. each year by those who have traveled abroad, but the concern is heightened in these cases because they are locally acquired. That means the people diagnosed had not traveled to an area with regular malaria transmission and don't live near an airport.

No cases have been reported in South Carolina and the risk of it spreading to the state is very low, according to a recent state Department of Health Environmental Control news release meant to calm fears.

In the case that the disease were to spread, the indoor-oriented, bug-squashing lifestyles in the U.S. provide an an advantage, says James Morris, parasitic disease researcher at Clemson University.

We have air conditioning everywhere, so we dont interact with mosquitoes a lot," he said. "We have screens on our windows, and we kill bugs like crazy.

Overall, there are about 2,000 imported cases of the disease each year in the United States, all which occur in people traveling from countries with regular malaria transmission, like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Helmut Albrecht, infectious diseases specialist with Prisma Health, says that this regular experience means doctors are ready to diagnose and treat the disease.

Its so common enough that most of us see this several times a year and are quite well prepared for this, Albrecht said, noting that it is still important to react to locally acquired cases so that a full outbreak does not take hold.

The strain of malaria identified in all the cases so far is called Plasmodium vivax, which can cause severe disease but is not nearly as deadly or threatening as other strains, he said. Typically, symptoms are severe with fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and overall fatigue.

Because mosquitos can also carry other dangerous diseases like West Nile virus, at least 47 counties and cities across the state operate their own mosquito control programs. In Richland County, protocols to track and exterminate mosquitoes are ready for a variety of different diseases.

We already have a protocol set up for malaria, Olin Towery, manager for Richland County Vector Control, told The Post and Courier. We just dont use it very often because we dont see those imported cases.

Nearly all counties in South Carolina are home to the breed of mosquitoes that can carry malaria, but none have been reported to be carrying the disease, Albrecht said.

The last locally acquired malaria outbreak in the U.S. was in 2003, when eight infections were reported in Florida. In 1951, the disease was considered eliminated from the country after a massive effort by the CDC and 13 Southeastern states, including South Carolina.

Rising temperatures, more mosquitos, more disease

Temperature is fundamental to the movement of diseases like malaria. Experts say that in warmer temperatures, the spread of disease increases as well as the speed of its spread.

Their lifecycle is driven by temperature, Towery said of mosquitos. The higher the temperature, the faster their lifecycle, and the faster their generation is turned over.

Longer breeding seasons for insects because of the warming climate could be mitigated in the short-term but could be troublesome in the long term, Morris said.

You can imagine if you extend the growing period, youre going to keep having to fog and youre going to make insects resistant to all that stuff, Morris said. Soon, youve got a real problem.

Other diseases that are native to the Caribbean like dengue fever, which is also transmitted by mosquitos, could move north with warmer temperatures.

We can control those vectors, right?" Morris said. "We do the best we can and we limit our interactions with them. But still, one could argue that the more of them there are, the harder they are to control.
With her Medicare coverage still months away, Claudia and Doug Wall of Hilton Head Island have a while to consider whether to seek a newly approved drug to treat her early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

The Food and Drug Administration gave the drug lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, full approval late July 6 after giving it accelerated approval in January.

The new designation "is the first verification that a drug targeting the underlying disease process of Alzheimers disease has shown clinical benefit, said Teresa Buracchio, the acting director of the Office of Neuroscience for the FDA.

The drug is a monoclonal antibody, which specifically targets the amyloid beta protein that creates clots and tangles in the brain thought to help cause the damage that leads to memory loss. In the clinical trial that lead to its approval, which included testing in Charleston, those taking the drug had 27.1 percent less memory loss compared to patients on placebo.

The drug is the "most exciting step forward" so far in treating the disease, said Beth Sulkowski, vice president of communications for the Alzheimer's Association South Carolina chapter.

Most importantly, the full approval makes Leqembi eligible for coverage under Medicare, which the federal agency overseeing the program required before it would agree to pay for the drug, which costs $26,500 a year and puts it out of reach of most ordinary families.

It is only for patients diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and patients must first get a brain scan showing they have amyloid beta deposits in the brain. It requires a brain scan within the first year to monitor for changes in the brain. Medicare is also requiring patients and providers to sign up for a registry to submit additional data, which some have seen as another hurdle to getting the drug.

For the Walls on Hilton Head, the request for additional data was a non-issue.

"Our response to that is, who cares?" Doug Wall said. Of bigger concern is what they are hearing from Claudia's neurologists.

Her own mother, Carol Childs, died from the disease in June 2020 and within six months she would be diagnosed with an early-onset form just before her 53rd birthday. She participated in a clinical trial for a different monoclonal antibody drug called Aduhelm before she had to stop when a scan revealed brain swelling, although she had no symptoms. Some neurologists they consulted said that would disqualify her from taking Leqembi, Doug Wall said.

But a recent scan showed the swelling is gone and another neurologist said Claudia would not be automatically disqualified from receiving the new drug, although her history might make it problematic. The couple has been consulting with a neurologist in Illinois, where they moved from to Hilton Head, as well as in the Lowcountry and in Savannah. Doug Wall asked each one whether they would seek out the drug if they had a spouse with early onset Alzheimer's.

"All three of them said no," he said. They cited concerns about the potential side effects, such as brain swelling or bleeding, with uncertainty about the benefit.

"I thought that was interesting," Doug Wall said. "I don't know what that means (for his family)." The risk might be worth if "if there were going to be a lot of positives."

Claudia Wall is "not sure" she wants to start the drug.

"I just don't want to have any weird side effects," she said.

That has not been the experience for Dr. Ken Hewett of Mount Pleasant, a retired assistant professor of pediatric cardiology at Medical University of South Carolina. He took part in the clinical trial at the South Carolina Institute for Brain Health at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston. He was on the placebo arm but has been receiving the real drug since March 2022. He now goes back to the institute every two weeks for an infusion, said his wife, Mary, who is also retired from MUSC.

"It's worth it," she said, after just returning from an infusion. None of the possible side effects they were warned about, like headache or bleeding in the brain, have shown up in Dr. Hewett, she said.

"Ken's MRI and all of his scans have been stable," Mary Hewett said. And "things haven't changed much" with his memory since he started on it, she said.

In Hilton Head, Claudia Wall had just returned from a 5.5 mile run and answered a question about health with two thumbs up. She has hardly declined at all on her memory tests and she actively works at keeping her brain sharp, doing puzzles and taking a two-hour class designed to challenge her mind.

The couple stays active with runs, walks and bike rides and is "just trying to keep it going," Doug Wall said. "So far, I'm encouraged." She will qualify through disability to receive Medicare starting around November so they have some time to make a decision on the new drug and gather more facts.

The fact they can do that now is significant, said Sulkowski of the Alzheimer's Association.

"The important thing, and the thing we are celebrating right now, is that it is now a decision (the couple can make), since Medicare will be covering it and hopefully other providers will follow suit in covering it," she said.
Last summer, when Top Gun: Maverick was making roughly all the money printed in the United States during that fiscal quarter, I read a number of articles (many publications jumped on the trend at once) calling Tom Cruise various iterations of The Last Movie Star. The moniker is obviously Read moreMission: Impossible  Dead Reckoning Part One
One of the most famous duels in American history is that of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, which took place 219 years ago on July 11, 1804.

The Broadway musical "Hamilton" has reacquainted us with the tragic story of these founding fathers and Revolutionary War heroes in which Burr, the nations third vice president, mortally wounded its first secretary of treasury.

Though illegal in New Jersey where their confrontation took place, dueling was an accepted practice in 18th- and 19th-century Charleston. Dr. David Ramsay (17491815) blamed Charlestonians propensity for dueling on the climate, saying warm weather and its attendant increase of bile in the stomach caused an irritable temper which made men say and do things thoughtlessly.

Dueling was how upper-class gentlemen  and, though rarely, even women  settled disputes and avenged insults. Issuing or accepting an invitation to duel was considered proof that one knew he was right and was willing to put his life on the line to prove it. To refuse a challenge gave credence to an accusation, marking one as a coward and liar.

If You Go When: June 28 Times and locations: 10 a.m. Service at St. Michaels Church 11 a.m. Gather at Washington Park 11:30 a.m. Parade down Meeting Street 11:45 a.m. Program at White Point Garden featuring Citadel professor David Preston Price: These events are free and open to the public. More information: www.palmettosociety.org/carolina-day-schedule

In Charleston, challenges were governed by the code duello, a strict protocol based on an old Irish code and formalized by former S.C. Gov. John Lyde Wilson in 1838. Because of the codes safeguards, duels, while not uncommon, were rarely fought to the death. First, it required that avenues of compromise be exhausted before resorting to violence, helping lessen crimes of passion at a time when all White men carried firearms.

Friends or family members known as seconds were appointed for each party to seek a mutual understanding or retraction of the accusation. Most disputes were settled this way once tempers cooled and everybody had a night or two to sleep on things.

Second, dueling at an established place and time ensured physicians could be present, as could witnesses to attest to facts of the confrontation, minimizing gossip.

Third, the code ensured the duel was fought fairly. One party selected the pair of weapons while the other had first pick of the pair. Seconds inspected the weapons to ensure they had not been tampered with.

Finally, if matters reached this point without resolution, opponents had a final opportunity to look each other in the eye in a calmer, more controlled light days after the offense and reconsider whether they were committed enough to their position to risk injury, death or murder. If so, then each party was allowed one shot upon the seconds command.

Now this is the important part: The code duello provided a loophole. Duelers could purposely miss their shot, avoiding injury or death to their opponent. If both did, their honors were restored because each had risked his life to defend his word. This option was common, but unfortunately not absolute, as in the case of Burr and Hamilton.

If either man were wounded even slightly, the duel could be over and the requirements fulfilled for restoring each mans honor. However, the wounded party could call for a second round of shots. This, as you might guess, didnt happen often. In the worst cases, if one party failed to abide by the code or cheated in any way, the second could shoot the offender from the sidelines  and, in the very rarest cases, even each other.

Details about the Burr/Hamilton duel are contested even today. Burr was vilified and charged with murder, though the charges were eventually dropped. A frustrated, now unpopular political leader, he was later accused of conspiring to unite parts of the Louisiana Territory to form a new nation. For that he was tried for treason. Though acquitted, Burrs heroic Revolutionary legacy was now sealed as one of infamy.

Through his trials and tribulations, Burrs daughter Theodosia, who was S.C. Gov. Joseph Alstons wife and our states first lady, defended her father. (If youve seen the musical, youll recall the ballad Burr sings to his infant daughter titled Dear Theodosia.)

After Burr went into a type of self-exile in Europe, Theodosia worked tirelessly from her 94 Church St. residence to restore his position and good name. In 1813, at age 29, she sailed from Charleston to comfort him in New York when her ship, the Patriot, was lost at sea. She was never heard from again.

Dueling remained legal in South Carolina until the 1880s, years after it had been outlawed elsewhere.
The public is invited to any or all of the three information meetings being held in the area to discuss a draft summary of the Fort Novosel Land Use Study.

The Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Corporation is working with Fort Novosel and communities in Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, and Houston County to develop a Compatible Land Use Study (CLUS) that will address land use issues that may arise between the army installation and nearby landowners.

The first meeting is in the Geneva County Courthouse on the first floor July 17 at 3 p.m. A second meeting is set for the Dale County Government Building in Ozark at 2 p.m. on July 18, and a third at the Sen. Jimmy Holley Administration Building in New Brockton at 10 a.m. on July 19.

A 90-member CLUS Committee, comprised of federal, state, county, and municipal officials, along with economic development, real estate, and utility representatives, has held three meetings this year to discuss issues affecting their respective communities, said Scott Farmer, SEARP&DC Executive Director.

A survey to gather public opinion about future development and land uses near Fort Novosel was available online at the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commissions website (searpdc.org). It took about five minutes to complete, Farmer said.

This was a non-scientific survey, being disseminated by the CLUS committee to help gauge citizen response to living and working near Fort Novosel and its outlying airfields, stage fields, and remote training areas. Survey responses were used in the development of the Fort Novosel Compatible Land Use Study, Farmer added.

No identification information was gathered in the survey.

Recognizing the overlap and interdependence between the surrounding civilian communities and Fort Novosel, the purpose of this study is to improve the intergovernmental coordination and notification process by and between local governments and Fort Novosel about future development and land uses near the installation and landowners and residents, SEARP&DC Executive Director Scott Farmer said.

Its purpose is to educate the public and elected officials about Fort Novosels missions and promote a coordinated approach to making land use decisions.
The drip-drip-drip of the water torture media campaign to force Joe Biden to step aside picked up steam in the last few days. First, Maureen Dowd, the weather wane of respectable centrist feminist opinion at the New York Times, delivers a well-deserved scolding for Joe Bidens directive to make his son Hunters love child with a stripper into a non-person: The presidents cold shoulder  and heart  is counter to every message he has sent for decades, and its out of sync with the America he wants to continue to lead.

Joining the pile-on is Eliot Cohen in The Atlantic, with a feature Step Aside Joe Biden. Cohen doesnt mince words:

He also has no business running for president at age 80. . . As president he has surrounded himself with former aides and dutiful technocratsno peers who can look him straight in the eye and say, with the gravitas born of expertise and self-confidence, Mr. President, I profoundly disagree. Perhaps this is what he has always done, but it is particularly striking now. . . Unfortunately, Vice President Kamala Harris, who has the resume but seemingly not the political skills and heft to be a compelling presidential candidate, is a weak backfill. Moreover, if history is any guide, an ailing, declining president does not simply say, Youre right, Doc, time for me to hand over the reins to the veep. Rather, as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and others have done, they delay and deny, aided and abetted by families and close advisers who refuse to accept reality.

Then theres the Alex Thompson story in Axios about Bidens temper and erratic behavior:

Behind closed doors, Biden has such a quick-trigger temper that some aides try to avoid meeting alone with him. Some take a colleague, almost as a shield against a solo blast. The presidents admonitions include: God dammit, how the f**k dont you know this?!, Dont f**king bullsh*t me! and Get the f**k out of here!  according to current and former Biden aides who have witnessed and been on the receiving end of such outbursts. . . Senior and lower-level aides alike can be in Bidens line of fire. No one is safe, said one administration official. [A former Senate aide] wrote that as a senator, Biden was an egomaniacal autocrat  determined to manage his staff through fear.

The old man yells at clouds caricature turns out to be accurate.

Then The Hill chimes in:

When is the optimal time for Biden to drop out of the race? Like a magician setting up a trick in one hand while distracting the audience with the other, the Biden White House and its allies are desperately trying to distract the attention of the American people from President Bidens age, his obvious frailty and his increasing verbal and mental gaffes. It has now gotten to the point where I have had a number of Democrats  including staunch supporters of the president  tell me it makes them nervous, uncomfortable, sad or gives them a feeling of foreboding anytime they watch President Biden speak in public, interact with guests or walk up or down the stairs to Air Force One. . . If Biden does drop out of the race, will he wait too long to do so? And, should that be the case, will Vice President Kamala Harris  whom few Democrats truly have confidence in  get crushed in the general election by the Republican nominee?

I still say Biden wont be the Democratic nominee next year. And I think theres a 50/50 chance that if Biden doesnt drop out of his own volition, Gavin Newsom will decide some time this fall to jump in the race, with a more in sorrow than anger announcement that praises Biden for his good deeds, but that its time for a generational shift. Dont think Newsom and his advisers arent weighing this possibility.

P.S. Heres a fanciful scenario: maybe Biden resigns from office some time late this year or early next yearhes only one tumble down the steps of Air Force One from being forced to step downhe could dangle the prospect of Kamala being the first woman president (by succession) for a few months provided she agrees to give way to a Democrat who might actually win.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-10 20:01:57

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Colonel Nicole Mann, the first female Native American Astronaut in space, to be honoredALEXANDRIA, VA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and the Aerospace States Association is pleased to announce the commencement of its 2023 Aerospace States Association Annual Meeting and 4th State Aerospace Policy Summit being held this week in Boulder, Colorado.The four-day event brings together leaders from across the country to discuss policy and encourage new partnerships across the aerospace industry. Highlights will include a keynote speech from Colonel Nicole Mann, the first female Native American astronaut in space, who will be honored with this year's Thomas R. Hobson/Robert A. Davis, Jr. Distinguished Aerospace Service Award. She will be introduced by Arlando Teller, the first Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Participants will also receive a tour of the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Space Command, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)/U.S. Northern Command.WHAT: The Aerospace States Association Annual Meeting and 4th State Aerospace Policy SummitWHEN: June 10 - 13, 2023WHERE: St. Julien Hotel & Spa, Boulder, COWHO: State leaders from across the nation including Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera of Colorado, Lt. Governor Aruna Miller of Maryland, Lt. Governor Joseph Kelly of Nebraska, Lt. Governor Howie Morales of New Mexico, Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears of Virginia, and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio of Guam as well as state legislators and Tribal leaders."We are thrilled to convene leaders across the Aerospace community to discuss industry advancements and build relationships to drive further partnerships and policy," said Lt. Governor Primavera. "To be able to bring together elected leaders and seasoned industry veterans to discuss important topics, including workforce development and national security, is truly invaluable." Sponsors of this year's event include: Maxar Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Metro Denver EDC, Colorado Space Coalition, United Launch Alliance, Merrick, Colorado Space Business Roundtable, Astroscale U.S., Caribou Thunder Engineering Services, CisLunar Industries University of Colorado at Boulder, Ball Aerospace, Agile Space Industries, Sierra Space, Advanced Space, and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.For more information on this year's meeting including a full agenda visit Aerostates.org/2023-annual-meeting . If you would like to attend the Hobson/Davis Awards Dinner, including Colonel Nicole Mann's keynote address, or the State Aerospace Policy Summit, please contact Ross B Garelick Bell at 703-402-6304 to reserve a space.About the Aerospace States AssociationThe Aerospace States Association (ASA) is a non-partisan 501c (3) organization comprised of Lieutenant Governors, Governor appointed delegates, state legislators, territorial and tribal government representatives and associate members from aerospace organizations and academia working to advance aerospace and aviation in member states and throughout the nation. ASA is the only aerospace advocacy organization promoting State based perspectives in federal aerospace & aviation policy development. Visit www.aerostates.org for more information on the Aerospace States Association.###SOURCE: Aerospace States Association
PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-10 17:46:37

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Talented and versatile Bollywood actor, Bhumi Pednekar joins forces with MAC Cosmetics for the much anticipated 29th year of its pioneer VIVA GLAM charitable initiative, which supports healthy futures and equal rights for all.The VIVA GLAM Bhumi Pednekar lipstick is a limited-edition lipstick co-created by Bhumi Pednekar and MAC Cosmetics. It represents their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact as 100% of the selling price of the lipstick will go to local organizations that support women and girls, HIV/AIDS relief efforts and the LGBTQIA+ community. VIVA GLAM BHUMI PEDNEKAR is a weightless moisture-matte lipstick that delivers a blur of soft-focus pink color. The beautiful pink bullet comes housed in a never-seen-before, golden glitter case and is perfectly complemented by Bhumi's personal touch-a signature on the stunning art deco packaging. This exclusive combination is set to captivate beauty enthusiasts and collectors alike, making it an absolute must-have."I am humbled, honored, and excited to be MAC VIVA GLAM's first ever India Ambassador. Being a MAC girl at heart, this initiative only makes my love for the brand even stronger. I genuinely believe that it is each of our responsibility to support healthy futures and equal rights now, and for the future generations. I am thrilled to help spread awareness of this amazing initiative with my own VIVA GLAM Lipstick. This lipstick is going to be a big step in the right direction, it does not just look good but also gives back 100%," says Bhumi Pednekar, VIVA GLAM Ambassador.This lipstick marks a significant milestone since MAC VIVA GLAM's inception in 1994, which has raised over half a billion dollars in charitable donations. MAC Cosmetics is proud to contribute to a cause that aligns with its values. By channeling the power of beauty, MAC aims to create a positive ripple effect in society and inspire others to make a difference."We are thrilled to have Bhumi as the face of our latest VIVA GLAM campaign. Bhumi perfectly embodies the essence of Indian beauty and the core values of MAC Cosmetics and together, this campaign will amplify the message of inclusivity and further drive positive change", said Karen Thompson, Brand Manager, MAC Cosmetics India.Talking about the latest launch, Sonic Sarawate, Global Artist for MAC Cosmetics India says, "VIVA GLAM Lipsticks are always iconic, and its superior formula & shades speak for itself. VIVA GLAM X Bhumi Pednekar lipstick is in the Powder Kiss formula that gives a zero-shine look of a matte lipstick with the cushiony, lightweight feel of a balm. The shade has been handpicked by Bhumi and is what makes it even more special. In fact, one of the core reasons for my longstanding relationship with MAC is their strong sense of social responsibility." Through VIVA GLAM BHUMI PEDNEKAR, MAC Cosmetics India will expand their partnership with two key VIVA GLAM grantees in India in the coming year - Organization for Friends, Energies, and Resources (OFFER) & Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT). Continuing their long-standing relationship with OFFER, this lipstick will help support Anandaghar, a palliative care program for children living with HIV/AIDS in the outskirts of Kolkata. It is a unique program that takes care of boarding, food, medical requirement, schooling & tuition fees as well as co-curricular activities for the affected children. The goal of the initiative is to provide all the privileges a child deserves, so that they seamlessly compete and establish themselves in the society as grown-up adults. Through the program with CCDT, the focus is on empowering adolescents to be able to contribute meaningfully to their own development related to SRHR (sexual reproductive health and rights) and influence the environment positively.The universally flattering VIVA GLAM BHUMI PEDNEKAR lipstick is a must-have for beauty enthusiasts and changemakers. This limited-edition lipstick combines glamour with a commitment to support the health and rights of All Ages, All Races and All Genders through a lipstick that gives back 100%!Available:VIVA GLAM Bhumi Pednekar lipstick will be available starting 1st July 2023. Shop the range online at maccosmetics.in shoppersstop.com and offline across all MAC, Nykaa & Shoppers Stop stores in IndiaAbout MAC Cosmetics:MAC (Make-Up Art Cosmetics) is a leading brand of professional cosmetics and part of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Since its creation in Toronto, Canada, over 30 years ago, the brand's popularity has grown through a tradition of word-of-mouth endorsement from Makeup Artists, models, photographers and journalists around the world. MAC is now sold in over 130 countries/territories worldwide. Follow MAC on Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok and Pinterest (@MACcosmetics); become a MAC fan on Facebook ( facebook.com/maccosmetics); follow MAC on Instagram ( instagram.com/maccosmetics) and watch MAC videos on YouTube ( youtube.com/maccosmetics) MAC Cosmetics India is present in 110 doors across India and online on maccosmetics.in Boddess.com and ShoppersStop.com . To locate a MAC store nearest to you, visit maccosmetics.in . You can also follow Sonic Sarwate, Global Senior Artist, MAC India on Instagram @sonicsmakeup and Leiya Phinao Ningshen, National Artist MAC India on Instagram @leiyamuaFor more information, visit https://www.maccosmetics.in/ ABOUT MAC VIVA GLAM:MAC VIVA GLAM was created at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1994 to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Through this trailblazing campaign, 100% of the selling price of all VIVA GLAM lipsticks all year round goes to organizations and programs aimed at creating healthy futures and equal rights for women, girls, and the LGBTQIA+ communities while maintaining its decades-long support for those living with HIV/AIDS. To date, the campaign has raised more than US$500 million and funded 1,800 organizations around the globe.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from MAC Cosmetics on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: MAC CosmeticsWebsite: https://www.3blm
PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-10 17:00:48

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD Bank") and several of its officers on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased or otherwise acquired securities of First Horizon Corporation ("First Horizon") (NYSE:FHN).Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired First Horizon securities between February 28, 2022 and May 3, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/fhn Case Details:The Complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about TD Bank's operations, the risks associated with the timing for the closing of the First Horizon acquisition, and TD Bank's ability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not false and misleading. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose to the market that: (1) TD Bank had deficient controls over AML and suspicious transaction reporting; (2) that the lack of controls posed a significant risk to the closing of the First Horizon acquisition; and (3) that the deficient AML controls actually caused a delay in obtaining the regulatory approvals for the First Horizon acquisition. As a result, Defendants' positive statements about TD Bank's risk culture and its ability to timely close the First Horizon transaction were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/fhn or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in First Horizon, you have until July 21, 2023 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson212-697-6484 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Gama Explorations Inc. (CSE:GAMA)(FSE:N79)(OTCQB:GMMAF) ("Gama" or the "Company") is pleased to announce preliminary results from its exploration program at the Muskox Lithium Property (the "Property") in the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province of The Northwest Territories, Canada.Exploration HighlightsMapping indicates better grade continuity along strike of the CM-1 pegmatite than initially thought.CM-1 may extend below surface to the southeast, potentially extending its 700m strike length.One channel sample taken during historical work was taken from a barren pegmatite and was re-sampled in the correct location. This re-sampled location along the CM-1 pegmatite contains visible spodumene.Three channel samples taken along two smaller spodumene-bearing dykes identified adjacent to CM-1.Drill sites and targets were confirmed, and a maiden drill program remains on track to commence in July or August."Our 2023 exploration program at Muskox has gotten off to a great start with greater continuity observed along strike of the CM-1 pegmatite and the confirmation of two additional pegmatites adjacent to CM-1", stated Dr. Mick Carew, CEO of Gama. "The first phase of our exploration program was designed to assess the continuity of the CM-1 pegmatite and to map the surrounding area in greater detail. The identification of two additional pegmatites is an exciting development." "With the CM-1 mapping and sampling program now complete, we await the completion of a LIDAR and orthophoto survey over the whole Muskox project area. Data from the LIDAR/orthophoto survey will help identify any additional spodumene-bearing pegmatites covered or partially covered by overburden. After a delay due to the unavailability of a helicopter, we expect the survey to be completed by the middle of July; mapping and prospecting teams will then be dispatched to follow-up on other outcropping pegmatites and anomalies identified from the LIDAR/orthophoto survey." Figure 1. The CM-1 Pegmatite within the Muskox Lithium Project in Northwest Territories, showing the location of channel samples taken during the current exploration program (in black) compared to channel samples and associated assay results taken in 2022 (in grey). Channel sampling programA total of nine samples were taken across four pegmatite dikes. Five samples were collected along the CM-1 pegmatite to verify the historical data and establish grade continuity across the dike. A sample that was thought to be taken from the CM-1 pegmatite in 2022 turned out to be in an adjacent barren pegmatite dyke. The CM-1 pegmatite was identified and sampled close to this location with visible coarse spodumene. The CM-1 pegmatite ranges from 2.2 - 5m wide across its strike length. It is only exposed over a narrow range of elevation and may vary in thickness at depth.Two additional pegmatites were found in the vicinity of the CM-1 pegmatite dike, of which one hosts abundant coarse spodumene. Two channel samples of 3.2 and 3.6m were taken across the pegmatite. The pegmatite can be traced over more than 100m of strike length before being obscured by overburden.Engagement of Investor Relations FirmThe Company is also pleased to announce that Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) has been retained to provide investor relations services. EMC specializes in helping small and mid-sized public companies establish brand awareness and increase market share to its customer base while improving visibility to the institutional and retail investment community. The contract is for an initial term of 3 months at a cost of US$150,000.Based in Orlando, Florida, Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) brings multiple decades of combined experience in the investor relations industry. EMC is an international investor relations firm with affiliates around the world. EMC is relationship-driven and results-oriented with the goal of seeking attractive emerging companies and concentrating its resources and efforts to serve a limited number of high-quality clients. For more information, visit EMC's website at www.emergingmarketsllc.com Qualified PersonDr. Bill Cronk, P.Geo., an independent consulting geologist has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.About Gama Explorations Inc.Gama is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:GAMA), the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE:N79), and OTCQB Exchange (OTCQB:GMMAF). The Company is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties containing metals used in green technologies and the renewable energy sector. The company currently has the right to acquire 100% interest in the Muskox Lithium Pegmatite Project located within the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province in the Northwest Territories and owns 100% of the Tyee Nickel-Copper Massive Sulphide Project located in North-Eastern Quebec.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,Dr. Mick Carew, PhD|CEO and Directormick@ gamaexplorations.comForward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change.The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: Gama Explorations Inc.
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Ideas for Family TravelATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / For more than a decade, Kinga Philipps has been an adventure and travel expert. And now, Kinga is sharing her favorite Florida adventures and the wide range of experiences for planning a fun vacation.Travel Host & Adventurer Kinga Philipps Shares Tips for an Epic Florida VacationNational Geographic Host Kinga Philipps Offers the Secret to Success when visiting Florida "I have been traveling to Florida for family adventures, filming and fun since I was a kiddo and it has always had a special place in my heart," said Adventure and Travel Expert Kinga Phillips. "From finding horseshoe crabs to the smell of orange blossoms, some of my best memories are from the Sunshine State!"Florida is more than sun and beach, offering activities from outdoor adventures, theme parks, historical attractions, animal encounters and more. Surf the warm gentle waves of Cocoa Beach or zipline over canyons in Ocala. Try bioluminescent kayaking along the Space Coast, paddling with Manatees or air-boating through the Everglades.There are so many diverse, family-friendly hotels, resorts and rental home options perfect for all types of families. Go camping or glamping in a teepee or stay at fun places like Cheeca Lodge and Spa in Islamorada, where kids can enjoy activities such as pier fishing and lagoon swimming, or even visit the History of Diving Museum. Florida also has many amazing vacation homes, which are great for multi-generational travelers and large families who can enjoy the perks of a home away from home. Florida is even home to the Vacation Home Capital of the World: Kissimmee. Finally, fur babies are a part of the family too, and Florida boasts plenty of pet-friendly accommodations, parks, beaches and restaurants.VISIT FLORIDA encourages travelers to plan a getaway no matter their abilities. Florida has 175 state parks, many of which offer options for visitors with additional needs, such as beach wheelchairs, accessible boats, and scopes for colorblind visitors to see the flora and fauna in its bright hues. Orlando has been recognized as one of the nation's top three most disability-friendly cities. In Mount Dora, there is also the Rusty Anchor Boat Tour, which offers accessible cruises to see Florida wildlife in the ancient cypress swamps. The Jupiter Flatwoods Trail in the Palm Beaches is a free, autism-friendly natural area, offering hours of safe and sensory outdoor exploration.For more information, visit VISITFLORIDA.com About TipsOnTVTipsOnTV covers a variety of topics, including food, entertaining, personal finance, technology, travel, health, lifestyle and more.About VISIT FLORIDAVISIT FLORIDA is the Sunshine State's official tourism marketing corporation and travel planning resource for visitors across the globe. As Florida's No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming over 137.6 million visitors in 2022, the highest number of visitors in the state's history. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs, and serves more than 13,000 travel industry partners throughout the state. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, follow @FloridaTourism on Facebook and Twitter, or go to visitflorida.org . For inspiration in the Sunshine State, follow @VISITFLORIDA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.visitflorida.com . For media resources, visit www.visitfloridamedia.com Contact InformationR Etipsontv@ gmail.com Related VideoSOURCE: TipsOnTV
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Regions BankBy Candace HigginbothamMedical debt continues to be the subject of high-level discussions - in news reports, government and regulatory agencies, state legislatures and Congress.And since 41% of U.S. adults report they've gone into debt because of medical or dental bills, you have likely experienced it first-hand or indirectly through neighbors, friends or family members.But Regions Bank is helping to make a difference.A recent $50,000 grant to RIP Medical Debt abolished $9.1 million of medical debt for nearly 6,000 individuals and families in Houston and Atlanta.This follows an initial $50,000 Regions grant last year that alleviated $12.8 million of medical debt for 12,000 people in Georgia, Florida and Texas.RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit that purchases unpaid and unpayable medical debts at significantly reduced rates in large, bundled portfolios for households that are at or below four times the federal poverty level or going through financial hardship as defined by a debt being 5% or more of one's annual income. One dollar donated can abolish, on average, $100 of medical debt because debts are acquired for a fraction of their face value.I'm proud that Regions Bank's contributions have continued to help reduce this hardship for individuals and families in our communities.Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions BankWhen the medical debt is in their possession, rather than collect it, RIP Medical Debt erases it.To date, the company has helped more than 6 million individuals and families by paying off more than $9 billion in medical debt."We were so pleased with the results of our community partnership with RIP Medical Debt last year that we made the decision to make a second investment," said Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank. "Medical debt is a serious issue - it's the number one reason people declare bankruptcy in our country. I'm proud that Regions Bank's contributions have continued to help reduce this hardship for individuals and families in our communities." Regions Bank's commitment to this critical issue goes beyond financial investment. In March 2022 the bank launched a set of financial education tools through Regions Next Step, the bank's no-cost financial education program. The courses on navigating medical debt were specifically designed to help people and families address urgent issues surrounding unpaid medical bills.Last October, Regions made the courses available to other financial institutions wanting to help address this national problem, and those banks are now also sharing the courses with their own customers.Regions also recently announced the results of a survey conducted by Regions Next Step about the scope and impact of medical debt.Key findings included:Two in five people have experienced an unexpected medical event in the last year and, among those, seven in 10 found it difficult to pay for it.For those with medical debt, seven in 10 respondents had debt that is either overdue or in collections.Due to the cost of medical bills in the last year, nearly one-quarter of Americans has either used all their savings to cover the expenses or has been contacted by a collection agency due to medical bills.These results align with some grim statistics from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report that found more than 100 million people in America have medical debt, for a total of nearly $200 billion. A quarter of adults with health care debt owe more than $5,000. And about one in five with any amount of debt said they don't expect to ever pay it off.Debt is most widespread in the South, according to the Urban Institute. And that played a major role in Regions' decision to take action on this issue - because so many people in the communities the bank serves are being negatively affected."We were very intentional about directing the funding to areas of our footprint with the highest share of adults struggling to pay their medical debt," Abrahams said. "We understand how the enormity of this hardship can have a negative impact on every part of people's lives - as well as that of their families. Helping to improve the financial lives of people in our communities benefits everyone and increases the health of our local economies." Fortunately, all the news reports and public discussions are not all bad news. Some are resulting in actions to help ease the burden. In April, the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - announced that medical collections with balances of $500 or less would no longer appear on consumer credit reports.Small victories are important when it comes to tackling big issues like medical debt.Regions Bank is committed to doing our part: And abolishing $22 million in debt for almost 20,000 people is a great start.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Regions BankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/regions-bank Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Regions Bank
PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-10 21:28:02

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Mammoth Foundation signs collaboration agreement with Vietnam Blockchain Institute, showcasing practical implementations at GM Vietnam event for 2,000-3,000 consumers.SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / On June 27th, 2023, the Mammoth Foundation has signed a collaboration agreement with the Vietnam Blockchain Institute, the leading organization in Vietnam's blockchain industry. This partnership will facilitate the implementation of Mammoth's blockchain technology in Vietnam, as well as the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan, with the goal of bringing about economic and social change in these countries.W3W is a web3 lifestyle software that provides benefits to its users. Through NFT membership, the practical application of web3 is gaining popularity in Vietnam. Mammoth Foundation, with its huge mammoth chain and GMMT token, is constantly working with W3W to include continual technical upgrades.On the following month, July 7th and 8th, between 2,000 and 3,000 consumers are expected to attend the GM Vietnam event, where these practical implementations will be showcased.The recent listing of Mammoth Foundation on the renowned Gate.io exchange is a significant accomplishment. As a result of this listing, the foundation is now organizing a number of airdrop events as well as numerous marketing methods to attract and engage new users.The recent listing of Mammoth Foundation on the renowned Gate.io exchange is a significant accomplishment. As a result of this listing, the foundation is now organizing a number of airdrop events as well as numerous marketing methods to attract and engage new users.These initiatives seek to enhance the visibility of the Mammoth project within the cryptocurrency community.About Mammoth Foundation.Established in 2020, Giant Mammoth Chain INC does business as Mammoth Foundation. With its first listing on the New York virtual currency exchange Bitmart in January 2023, GMMT has gradually secured overseas exchanges such as CITEX, Deepcoin, and CoinStore enabling trading in eleven locations. They have been expanding their ecosystem through consistent efforts to secure global partners and users. They aim to apply blockchain technology to real-life applications and continue expanding their ecosystem through projects such as the NFT marketplace "EDEM," the shopping platform "Cokili," and the webtoon and web novel platform " E-Pafadise." To learn more about The Mammoth Foundation, follow the company on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gmmt Find The Mammoth Foundation on CoinMarket Cap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/giant-mammoth Media ContactOrganization: Giant Mammoth ChainContact Person: Floy Kim&Tom AnWebsite: https://gmmtchain.io/ Email: g-master@ gmmtchain.io City: SeoulCountry: Korea SouthSOURCE: Giant Mammoth Chain
ROXBURY, Conn.  After breakfast each morning, renowned playwright Arthur Miller would walk up a grassy slope to his creative sanctuary: a modest 300-square-foot studio with a small deck overlooking a stream and woods on his beloved Connecticut property.

From 1958 until his death in 2005 at age 89, it was where the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer crafted and revised numerous plays, social commentary, personal journals, his autobiography and other materials, including screenplays for the films "The Misfits" (1961) and "The Crucible" (1996). Considered one of nation's greatest playwrights, Miller was known for his dramas with strong moral and personal responsibility that often laid bare the failings of the American dream.

Today, the view from the studio is less inspiring.

For the past five years, the shingled, one-room structure has been tucked away behind the Roxbury, Connecticut, Town Hall  next to a rusted dumpster and snow plows in a nondescript parking lot, awaiting an uncertain next act.

"It's a piece of Roxbury history. And we can't let it disappear," said Marc Olivieri, a former neighbor of Miller and a builder who moved the studio to its current location, which was supposed to be temporary.

A group working with Miller's daughter, writer and filmmaker Rebecca Miller, has been trying to raise $1 million to renovate the structure and move it to the grounds of a public library.

They also hope to offer related programming, which Olivieri, a board member for the nonprofit Arthur Miller Writing Studio, insists is the most important part of the project.

"Ideas and ideals are essential to maintaining the moral direction of this country," Olivieri wrote in an email. "Writers like Miller provide the stories that color these ideas."

Roxbury is a quiet, bucolic community of 2,200 that is about 87 miles northeast of New York City and has long been a home to famous writers, artists and performers  including the late Broadway lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim, the late authors Frank McCourt and William Styron and the late sculptor Alexander Calder.

In the late 1950s, Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe, Miller's second wife, lived there too.

"A lot of these people go there because it's not New York. It's out of the way. It's quiet and people don't make a fuss about them," said Sarah Griswold, board president of the Arthur Miller Writing Studio. "There's no real commemoration or acknowledgment of the creativity that lives in these hills."

The group, which is partnering with other Arthur Miller organizations, hopes future visitors to the studio will learn about the playwright's work and activism, as well as attend workshops on writing, theater and topics he cared about, such as mass incarceration. There are plans to eventually host writer residencies and an online repository.

The group so far raised less than $20,000 through its GoFundMe site and is now under pressure to step up fundraising efforts due to planned improvements to the highway department's parking lot.

The studio, which Miller helped design and which still has the mismatched floor tiles he laid himself, was the playwright's second writing spot in Roxbury. He wrote "Death of a Salesman" (1949) at a cabin he built at a previous home.

The newer studio wound up in its current spot after Rebecca Miller sold her father's second property. Figuring the new owners might tear down the small outbuilding, she turned to the town for help and paid to have it shored up and moved.

Rebecca Miller, who said she set aside proceeds from the house sale to contribute toward the $1 million goal, is donating the studio to the town.

"It could go all sorts of places, but I really wanted it to belong to Roxbury because Roxbury was really his home for such a long time," she said. "And so I thought it was kind of beautiful that it would belong to the town ultimately."

Fundraising has been challenging.

"You can have a poetic idea, but then to actually make this happen is another thing entirely," she said.

"Once people realize that others are giving, I think there will be more of a sense of people giving," she said. "And I think there is starting to be a groundswell of support."

Rebecca Miller salvaged the modest furnishings from the studio, including a daybed, a pot-belly wood stove and an old metal office chair that her father, a jack-of-all-trades, insisted on fixing rather than replacing. Once the building is renovated, the items will be arranged just like the playwright left them.

Black-and-white photographs taken by Magnum photographer Inge Morath  Rebecca Miller's mother and Arthur Miller's third wife  document the playwright at work over the decades in the 14-by-20-foot space. The images will be used as a guide.

Wearing his signature dark-rimmed glasses, he's seen in a 1997 photo sitting back and reading over a manuscript, surrounded by dark wood paneling. Nearby, there's an open dictionary and a typewriter. A radio and reference books sit on some shelves.

The writer's literary assistant in the last decade of his life, Julia Bolus  also director of the Arthur Miller Trust and a Writing Studio board member  remembers the studio well. She said they worked there together in the afternoons after Miller was done writing for the day.

"For almost half a century, it was his central space and his one private space," said Bolus, who is working to publish Miller's journals. "The door was always open to his family, but people did give him  that morning time to himself."

All about Marilyn Monroe: 8 books about the Hollywood icon Moments with Marilyn Theres no shortage of media and memorabilia created by Marilyn Monroe and in her memory, all serving as a way to better understand the inimitable icon whose life was famously shrouded in mystery. Behind the blonde bombshell are complex feelings, deep intelligence, a storied history and an untimely death. In one of the latest representations, Ana de Armas plays Monroe in the film Blonde, based off of Joyce Carol Oates novel. The film, like the book, is a reimagined version of Monroes life, fusing fact and fiction to paint a portrait of her era of Hollywood. It premieres on Netflix in September. Here are seven more titles chronicling the life and times of Marilyn Monroe: Marilyn: Norma Jeane by Gloria Steinem Activist Gloria Steinem created this complex portrait of Marilyn Monroe  one of the first that can be credited with changing the public perception of the historic actor and model. Through stories that had never before been told, Steinem reveals the tortured feelings and intelligence often obscured behind the photos that made Monroe into the ultimate sex symbol. Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe by Fred Lawrence Guiles Marilyn Monroes history is often shrouded in mystery and rumor. But Fred Lawrence Guiles definitive biography Norma Jean sets the record straight, including interviews with some of the people closest to Monroe throughout her life, like her husband and acclaimed playwright Arthur Miller, her first husband James E. Dougherty, Lee Strasberg, Otto Preminger and John Huston. My Story by Marilyn Monroe Alongside Ben Hecht, Monroe tells her own life story in this autobiography, including her childhood as an orphan, her whirlwind romance with baseball player Joe DiMaggio, and dozens of passages that show her underappreciated intelligence and wit. The most shocking line in the book might be Monroes prescient description of herself as the kind of girl they found dead with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand. MM Personal: From the Private Archive of Marilyn Monroe by Lois Banner Lois Banners thoughtful curation in MM Personal feels like youre wading through the cabinets, drawers and closets of the historic actor and model yourself. Youll find a vast collection of screenshots, documents and memorabilia from Monroes private archive that come together to paint a portrait of her impossibly complex life. Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Stanley Buchthal Theres something magical about seeing the remnants left from a past life. Thats what Stanley Buchthal taps into with Fragments, which includes handwritten notebooks, notes, letters and poems written by Monroe. Out of the hundreds of pages written about Monroe since her death, its these fragmented notes that offer the best understanding of her life and feelings. Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon by Charles Casillo This 2018 biography of Monroe is considered one of the most definitive accounts of her life, based on years of exclusive interviews and research. In addition to her abusive childhood, her struggle with bipolar disorder and infamous affairs, Charles Casillo delves into her final days in meticulous detail, revealing the tragic miscommunications that contributed to her death. Norman Mailer. Marilyn Monroe. Bert Stern by Norman Mailer and Bert Stern Bert Sterns iconic Last Sitting photos of Marilyn Monroe, taken just weeks before her death, are combined with Norman Mailers 1973 biography in this photo book from Taschen. Stern, one of the most elite photographers in the 20th century, is known for capturing the most intimate photos of Monroe. Mailers biography Marilyn, although controversial, is emblematic of what Monroe represented in Hollywood and beyond during her reign over the industry.
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BETHESDA, MD / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) is proud to announce the appointment of Anna Willingshofer as the organization's new Chief Science and Innovation Officer. Anna will be leading cutting-edge strategic initiatives to advance nature conservation through science-based solutions.Anna has over 15 years of experience in the areas of biodiversity, climate change and infrastructure. Anna boasts an impressive professional background, having collaborated with prominent organizations such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ). Her invaluable contributions have played a pivotal role in accomplishing noteworthy achievements like the Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as leading groundbreaking projects across Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond. She holds a master's degree in International Relations, specializing in Climate and Renewable Energy Finance, from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management."Now more than ever, it's important for different sectors to unite and take decisive action towards making a lasting impact on nature. Partnering with the private sector is key to making a significant difference in conservation efforts. Innovative solutions can be invested in to ensure a positive outcome for biodiversity that will benefit future generations. This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting difference, and I'm honored to be a part of WHC's mission to bring businesses and biodiversity together" said Anna."Anna's arrival at WHC comes at the most opportune time as we build on our over 3 decades of experience to respond to the need for business to work smart and fast towards global nature goals," said Margaret O'Gorman, President of WHC. "Anna's breadth of experience at the various intersections of business, nature and policy will make her a valuable addition to our team." About WHC:WHC has been working at the nexus of business and nature for 35 years. It is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks that connect corporate ambition for nature to robust action on corporate lands. WHC works with mostly Fortune 500 corporations, traversing value chains, jurisdictions and geographies. It seeks to integrate nature, especially biodiversity, with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC's corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Wildlife Habitat Council on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Wildlife Habitat CouncilWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/wildlife-habitat-council Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Wildlife Habitat Council
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Comcast CorporationUnlimited possibilities - this is the theme of Project UP - Comcast's $1B commitment to reach tens of millions of people with connectivity and other tools that drive economic mobility. I thought of the unlimited possibilities that the 8.3 million Americans who can't yet connect to broadband Internet will begin to have thanks to the Biden administration's historic announcement today allocating billions to connect everyone.President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the allocation of $42.5 billion in federal funds, which will be granted across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. This once in a generation investment, made possible by bipartisan congressional action, will enable broadband to get to the places it isn't today. Policymakers and the private sector have been working to bridge the digital divide for decades, since I was serving in the Clinton administration. But never have we seen this pairing of public and private funding to truly complete the job.At Comcast, we've already been working coast to coast on new deployments into areas that don't have Internet - and you can see some of those stories here including new network expansions, investments and buildouts in Lackawanna County, PA; Plainfield, CT; Colbert County, AL; eight counties in Georgia; 19 counties in Indiana; the communities of Kingwood, Pinehurst, Prairie View, Waller, New Caney and Conroe, Texas; Chattaroy and Key Peninsula, WA.These areas now have the unlimited possibilities the internet can bring - seeing a doctor who is across the country via telehealth, taking a job training course remotely to get a better job, connecting to family far away or becoming an entrepreneur, coder, filmmaker.Unlimited possibilities aren't possible if there isn't broadband infrastructure. That alone is not enough. We also need resources to get and keep connected the many who have access but may have issues around adoption - like affordability and lack of digital skills. This where the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Digital Navigators are so vital.Two weeks ago, the White House highlighted the ACP with a week of action, and we together with so many others stepped up - this month we'll host or participate in over 100 events aimed at ACP awareness and enrollment for eligible people.Comcast is the founding partner of the Online For All campaign with Civic Nation and the U.S. Department of Education, with the goal of reaching millions who still remain unconnected with the power of the Internet. The ACP has been a big success already with 18.5 million families now getting help with their broadband costs through the program. So many more are eligible, and we need to continue efforts across the board. Digital Navigators are key to getting these folks connected and will be a focus of this campaign.Yesterday, I had the honor of joining a discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival with Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of NTIA, Alan Davidson. He noted that, on top of the infrastructure investment, there is also $3 billion that will be used for digital equity and opportunity programs across the country. Alan called this a "generational moment" to bring the essential communications medium of our time to everyone. I agree wholeheartedly and look forward to unlimited possibilities broadband can provide to everyone.Broderick Johnson is Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Executive Vice President, Digital Equity for Comcast Corporation.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Comcast Corporation on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Comcast CorporationWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/comcast-corporation Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Comcast Corporation
From 18 to 28 August, The Africa Centre in London will play host to FUJI: A Opera, a multi-dimensional exhibition.

The exhibition tells the story of the fuji music genre  one of the most important in Nigerias history and without whom the Afrobeats stars who top the charts today (such as Burna Boy and Wizkid) would not be selling out stadiums worldwide.

In collaboration with FUMAN, FUJI: A Opera will include never seen archive footage and artefacts, explore the belligerent past of Fuji music, highlight its founding footprints, and celebrate its rich subculture from the early 1960s to the present.

Founder of FUJI: A Opera, Bobo Omotayo, said the story will be told through fascinating archival footage of previous performances, audio installations and incredible memorabilia across the 60-year history of fuji music.

He said, Going headfirst into the history of fuji, it looks at the origins in the Yoruba-Muslim communities of Nigerias South-West and the vision of pioneer Ayinde Barrister, who dubbed his sound fuji after seeing an airport ad for the famous Japanese mountain.

On the choice of the venue, Omotayo said Africa Centre had been the home of African heritage and culture since it opened its doors in 1964.

The exhibition begins with a soundscape homage to Ajiwere, folk music for Islamic worshippers at Ramadan and the roots of fuji music on Lagos Island.

On show will be rare instruments from Nigeria that have been played since the beginning of fuji music over 50 years ago.

These have been donated by some iconic fuji artistes, including musical pioneer Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, who is largely credited with taking the genre to its highest heights from the early 1980s to the present day.

Line up

The sheer energy of Fuji music will be brought to life with a listening gallery of archive recordings, a photography wall of album covers and live performances, and a collection of fashion pieces worn by fuji artists across its history.

Omotayo said: Now feels like the perfect time to celebrate the phenomenal influence of fuji music, how it began and its lasting impact. Without fuji, there would be no Afrobeats. Artists such as King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall have given so much to music  its time we celebrate their legacy. With Londons huge Nigerian community and close links with Lagos, Im proud to bring FUJI: A Opera to the Africa Centre this summer.

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The exhibition was first staged in 2020 in Nigeria, marking the showcase of the fuji subculture in modern times.

The organiser noted that with Nigerian music stars Rema, Asake and Davido providing songs of the summer in the UK in 2023, Burna Boy became the first African artiste to headline a stadium in the UK this year. Wizkid is set to follow, now is an appropriate time to look back on the countrys musical origins and witness its evolution and the global impact on the music industry today.

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Veteran Yoruba actor and producer Dayo Adewunmi, popularly known as Baba Sule Suebebe, has appealed to Nigerians for forgiveness over his reckless lifestyle when he was younger.

Suebebe recently sought financial assistance on social media to foot his medical bills. Following that, some of his colleagues reportedly took him to a hospital, where he is set to undergo surgery for an undisclosed illness.

In the viral video that surfaced on Sunday, the actor pleaded for forgiveness from Nigerians, especially from women he must have offended one way or another during his youthful years.

The Ekiti-based thespian appealed in a Facebook live video with a cleric identified as Agbala Daniel.

He said, Please, I want to ask for forgiveness. Please, I want everyone I have offended to forgive me. Because when I was young, I was a musician. I enjoyed life. I dont repeat clothes. My house was like a textile factory, to tell you how much I had clothes and shoes.

I was just living life recklessly. I engaged in minor activities, and I was making money constantly. However, I didnt have a mentor to warn me about my lifestyle. None of my relatives advised me. So, I saw myself as the Don.

So, Nigerians, please. Anyone I have wronged, knowingly or unknowingly. Please forgive me. I should prostrate while begging, but my health wont allow me. Please forgive me, especially all the women I have offended. I know I have stepped on toes regarding the issue of women, he added.

The veteran actor recounted that during his youth days, he had a lot of girlfriends. According to him, he was wondering who he offended and who he did not.

Also, he noted that he once dated a lady abroad. Their relationship led to her getting pregnant, and she had a child for him. However, Suebebe said he needed to find out where they were.

Acknowledging his ignorance as an exuberant youth, he said, Please forgive me and pray for me. I was ignorant then. I am now a changed person.

Financial Support

On 29 June 2023, a video of Suebebe surfaced online, seeing him seeking urgent financial support from his fans and Nigerians.

The video was spotted on a cleric, Agbala Gabriels Facebook page. The cleric, via his page, also sought his followers support with the caption, What do we have to say about Baba?

The Ibadan-based pastor is reportedly said to have assisted other Yoruba movie stars like Iya Gbonkan and Pariolodo, amongst others, to seek financial assistance on his page.

Meanwhile, the veteran actor pleaded with his fans to support him to foot his medical bills. He said the illness made it difficult for him to stand or walk.

The actor said he has been in the Yoruba movie industry for decades without any achievement. He noted that he had no house or car and reiterated that he lived in poverty.

He added that he could not pretend anymore, so he came out to seek help from Nigerians.

He said, I dont want to pretend anymore. I dont want to die in poverty.

The veteran actor has been featured in over 100 movies. He is popularly known for his roles in Suku Suku Bam Bam (2004), Suku Suku Bam Bam 2 (2004), and Ago Kan Oru (2003).

Aside from being an actor, he is also an MC and a TV presenter. He also has a YouTube channel, Suebebe TV, where he produces films propagating the Yoruba culture and language.

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The war that erupted in April between elements of Sudans security apparatus could hamper its neighbour South Sudans already sluggish peace process.

The Sudan conflict has diverted regional and international attention away from pressuring South Sudans government to comply with its transition terms and could worsen the deep humanitarian crisis and community violence in that country. It also poses a potential threat to South Sudans major oil revenue, which could exacerbate competition and mistrust within the leadership.

Implementation of the countrys 2018 peace agreement has been held up by numerous internal and external factors, leading to a two-year extension to February 2025. The extension comes with critical benchmarks to be met before elections in December 2024. These include completing the constitution, unifying and redeploying the armed forces, and reconstituting laws and institutions relating to elections.

The peace process has been jeopardised by a lack of political will to implement critical reforms, a trust deficit among the parties, weak institutions including the security forces, a lack of resources, inter-communal violence, and natural disasters such as floods. External factors include Sudans instability since 2019, COVID-19, the war in northern Ethiopia, and the United States withdrawal of funds from the peace process monitoring mechanisms due to a lack of sustained progress.

On top of this is an influx of South Sudanese migrants returning from Sudan  over 117 000  who add pressure to South Sudans already fragile economic and security situation. These returnees urgently need food and other essentials, and proper camps. Their homes have either been burnt or occupied by newcomers, leading to confrontations and violence between returnees and residents. The countrys Unified Security Force is not ready to prevent these hostilities.

The problem is particularly acute in places like Malakal, the capital of South Sudans Upper Nile State and a primary destination for new returnees fleeing the Sudan conflict. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says around 25 000 returnees are expected to arrive and remain in Malakal  already an epicentre of violence due to a shortage of resources.

South Sudans humanitarian crisis has been dire for several years due to violence and severe flooding. An estimated 9.4 million of the population currently need assistance, but the government lacks the financial resources to address the countrys problems. Returnees unmet demands could lead to further clashes, which can quickly escalate into inter-communal conflicts and attacks on humanitarian actors. Such instability will make completing the many outstanding transition benchmarks even harder.

The war in Sudan also threatens the oilfields, pipelines and other facilities based there that South Sudan uses and pays for. This could severely reduce South Sudans oil revenue, which accounts for up to 90% of government income. The country sends its crude oil to international markets through its northern neighbours Port Sudan on the Red Sea via a 1 600 km pipeline. This makes Sudan the guarantor and protector of oil infrastructure that passes through its territory in return for transit fees from South Sudan.

Although the petroleum ministries of both Sudan and South Sudan have said Sudans oilfield facilities are well protected, there are concerns that oil flows to international markets wont be sustained. There are already reports of Sudans Rapid Support Forces threatening to shut down oil pipelines in areas controlled by the militia unless South Sudan agrees to share its oil revenues or stops paying transit fees to the military-led government.

The security of the oilfield could be used as a bargaining chip by Sudans warring factions in search of an alliance with South Sudans government. If Juba inclines towards one of the forces, the other will likely use the protection of the oilfield to pressure Juba to alter its response. That means the security of the oilfield depends on the nature of South Sudans involvement in managing the conflict.

Logistics and transport of essential oil production supplies that rely on the route to Port Sudan have also been disrupted. South Sudan has announced it will now import essential oil supplies through Djibouti and Kenyan ports rather than Port Sudan because of the war, adding to South Sudans costs.

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Although the lack of accountability for government spending of the countrys oil revenue is a major cause of its economic problems, this new threat limits Jubas fiscal ability to implement important milestones ahead of elections. Given the withdrawal of significant international financial support over the past years, sustainable domestic resources are vita.

If local revenue streams decrease, illegal transactions and competition among the countrys leadership will likely rise as they attempt to fill the gap and pursue their interests. This will fuel suspicion and tension among political groups, making it difficult to resolve key issues before the election.

While de-escalating the conflict in Sudan is a top priority, South Sudan must maintain neutrality towards the warring sides to avoid making the oilfield a target. Protecting the oilfield should be the focus of regional and international conflict resolution efforts, with both sides in Sudan being held strictly responsible. In parallel, international financial assistance is needed to address the dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

Selam Tadesse Demissie, Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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Nigerias President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said coups will no longer be allowed in the West African region under his leadership as chairperson of the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS.

We will not allow coup after coup in the West African sub-region. We will take this up seriously with the African Union, European, America and Britain, he said in his acceptance speech adding that we will take it up, it is a challenge.

Between August 2020 and now, five coups have occurred in three West African countries  Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea with attempts in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau foiled.

Nigerias neighbour to the North, Chad, had an unconstitutional change of government led by Lieutenant General Mahamat Idriss Deby after his fathers death in 2021.

Mr Tinubu noted that although democracy is very tough to manage, it is the best form of government and countries of the region should ascribe to it.

I make a pledge here that in furtherance of our regions economic recovery and growth, we will commit to democracy and promote democracy and the rule of law. I am with you and Nigeria, we are back, he pledged.

Acknowledging that he is the new kid on the block, the new Nigerian president said ECOWAS must bite back and cannot sit as a toothless bulldog adding that, we will work collectively to pursue inclusive economic integration of the sub-region.

Mr Tinubu emerged as the new chairperson of ECOWAS at the regional bodys summit held in Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.

He takes over from the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Embalo, who finished his tenure at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Bissau, the capital city of Guinea-Bissau.

The summit is the first international engagement of President Tinubu on the African continent since his swearing-in on 29 May.

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Nasir El Rufai, the immediate former governor of Kaduna State, said elders from the southern part of the state humiliated his deputies who were from the zone.

Mr El Rufai also explained how he decided to pick a Muslim woman from the zone as his running mate.

Mr El Rufai made the statement while delivering a keynote address during the book launch and retirement event in honour of Ishaq Akintola, the founder of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Saturday.

Kaduna is divided into three senatorial zones. While residents of Kaduna North and Central are predominantly Muslim, residents of Southern Kaduna are mainly Christians.

Muslim governors of the state traditionally have Christian deputies from Southern Kaduna.

Humiliated deputies

Mr El Rufai, who served for two terms from 2015 to 2023, said in the first tenure, he picked his long-term friend, Barbanas Bala, a southern Kaduna Christian, but was almost frustrated out of office in the first two years.

He said some unamed southern Kaduna elders were angry with him for not accepting a list of prospective deputy governor candidates from people he called self-appointed, so-called Southern Kaduna Christian elders.

He also said Mr Bala was hated for coming from a minority ethnic group, Moroa, and not the Atyap, Bajju, Jaba or Kagoro which led to some of them calling Mr Bala a sellout.

Nothing prepared either Bantex or I for the viciousness with which he was treated by the constituency he was meant to be represented by his presence on the governorship ticket. He offered thrice to resign from office within our first two years in office. Bantex therefore barely made it to the end of our first term, psychologically battered by the hostility and hobbled by a resurgence of ill-health Bantex lost his bid to represent the Kaduna South Senatorial District in the 2019 election. We lost him a year or so later, he said.

The former federal capital territory minister said what happened to Mr Bala made him change his mind in selecting a running mate in 2019.

He said the decision to have a southern Kaduna Christian as a deputy governor in the state has not led to the desired unity and progress.

He said he decided to settle for a Muslim Southern Kaduna woman, Hadiza Balarabe, but the hostilities didnt cease.

For the 2019 election, my choice of running mate followed the established pattern, except in two particulars: gender and religion. Dr Hadiza Balarabe is from a minority ethnic group (Gwantu) in southern Kaduna, but she is a woman and a Muslim.

Her choice met with the usual hostility from the same persons that had so battered and demoralised Bantex, my first deputy. But it demonstrated that not everyone who mouths diversity and inclusion is actually interested in those values. The first woman to be elected as deputy governor from the far north of Nigeria was not seen as a pathfinder, a breakthrough for gender and a reaffirmation of the possibility of democracy to elect persons from minority and excluded groups. Only one marker of identity seemed to matter in such quarters. But the fact that Bantex had that marker  religion  had saved neither him nor I from opprobrium, he said.

Mr El Rufai said that despite being of the same faith as Mrs Balarabe, their administration was dedicated to the equality of all people of the state.

READ ALSO: Former Kaduna security commissioner gets fresh appointment

Dr Hadiza Balarabe and I ran a government dedicated to the equality of persons, resolutely pursuing the policy of common citizenship. Despite sharing the same faith, we were bound by the injunctions of our Islamic faith, our oaths of office and our societal values to exercise our duties with fairness and justice. Electing persons of the same faith is neither a threat to the rights of others nor a blow to inclusion: it may only have highlighted other identities that tend to be excluded, as we did in Kaduna State.

If we want our citizens to invest in common causes, to work in mutual endeavours for progress, to build a society of merit, hard work and fairness, we must deemphasise religion and region, and their vicious twin ethnicity, in making political decisions and choices. Let us build a society centred around citizens, who can live and pursue livelihoods everywhere, with constitutional rights that apply to all, he added.

Mr El Rufai faced criticism, especially from the southern Kaduna part when he settled for Mrs Balarabe as his running mate in 2019.

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The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said at least nine pilgrims from Kano had food poisoning in Saudi Arabia.

NAHCON said contrary to reports that there was a cholera outbreak among pilgrims from Kano, nine pilgrims had diarrhoea after eating unhygienic delicacies from local food vendors in Mecca.

A temporary surveillance clinic was opened at the affected house when about nine pilgrims suffered from mostly diarrhoea which medical checks and investigations confirmed to be food poison from a local delicacy.

Last night (Saturday), when the medical team moved in, to handle the situation, the pilgrims affected have stabilised, (been) discharged and no further complications, neither from the first set of patients nor any other pilgrim in the house.

With all the advices given to pilgrims to desist from patronising such unauthorised food, the advices fell into the deaf ears, the head of NAHCONs medical team, Usman Galadima, said in a statement

The statement advised pilgrims to be conscious of what they consume to avoid food-related illnesses.

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The former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Sunday, said that the culture of citizens-centred governance should be encouraged in the country, to drive even development.

Mr El-Rufai spoke at the launch of an autobiography and retirement programme of Ishaq Akintola, a professor, in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Akintola, a Lagos State University (LASU) lecturer, doubles as the Founder of Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC).

He bows out of the university service on Monday, on attainment of the statutory retirement age of 70, and the book, entitled My Jihad, x-rayed his activist struggles and achievements through perseverance, to encourage young social crusaders.

Mr El-Rufai, who was the keynote speaker and awardee at the programme, said with the present political advancement of the country, any political mobilisation based on ethnic or religious leaning was bound to fail.

He said that the enthronement of Tinubu-Shettima was a repeat of the Abiola-Kingibe feat.

According to him, the sound footing with which the Tinubu leadership was going had deflected the ranks of those that did not see any good in the same faith ticket that propelled them to power.

As a people, the earlier we distil ourselves from the primordial ethnoreligious perception of things, especially as it concerns national leadership, the better for us.

The way with which the present administration at the centre is changing things for the common good of the Nigerian people within a short period shows that leadership should be hinged on merit and not entitlement basis.

We must de-emphasise religion and ethnic colouration for us to build a society where no one should be discriminated upon on the basis of ethnic nationality, religion or political leaning.

As members of the two major religious groups in the country, if we find ourselves in public positions, we should ensure we practice the basic principles of leadership as encapsulated in both Christian and Islamic religions.

Both religions espoused the culture of good leadership, but some individual persons tend to do that which is at variance with the scriptures, he said.

He regretted that leadership choice based on entitlement in Kaduna State plunged the state into a protracted crisis in the bygone years.

The former governor, however, said a recent change in the old tradition of leadership choice had changed things for the better.

He described the South-western part of the country as a tolerant society and encouraged them to continue with such spirit for the development of the country.

The former governor expressed delight in the tempo of religious activism of the celebrator with his MURIC organisation.

Mr El-Rufai said that the crusader, through his preaching and bridge-building across the divide, was instrumental to the power shift from the North to the South in 2023.

He commended the celebrator for his vigour in the pursuit of uprightness and a just Nigerian society, praying that Allah would continue to grant him wisdom to do his work.

NAN reports that the former Kaduna governor was awarded the symbol Icon of Ariwa Intigrity for his service to humanity.

Other awardees include former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami and former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Muiz Banire.

The event drew personalities from academia, state actors, religious groups and the corporate world.

(NAN)

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A civil society organisation, Childs Rights Rehabilitation Network, says it has reintegrated 8,000 vulnerable children into the society in Akwa Ibom since its inception in 2003.

The organisation runs a facility, CRARN Centre, in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, where it takes homeless kids off the street for shelter and rehabilitation. Their parents or guardians labelled the kids witches and kicked them out of their homes.

The President of the Childs Rights Rehabilitation Network, Sam Itauma, made the disclosure while addressing reporters on Sunday in Eket to mark the 20th-anniversary celebration of the organisation.

Mr Itauma said the centre had rehabilitated, reconciled, integrated and reunited 8,000 vulnerable children back to society in the state.

He lamented the situation where vulnerable children were labelled witches and stigmatised in Akwa Ibom.

Mr Itauma explained that the anniversary was meant to draw the attention of the state, local and federal governments that there was a need to give a helping hand to vulnerable children in society.

Our efforts have rehabilitated or supported more than 8,000 vulnerable children who have either accessed support from us or rescued into our CRARN facility, Mr Itauma said.

He noted that about 20 children had graduated from the College of Education while 25 vulnerable children were in the tertiary institutions in the state.

Mr Itauma disclosed that the centre had put six structures in place, adding that the centre has a school called CRARN Academy in the state.

The centre is partnering with government security agencies to protect the vulnerable children in the state, according to him.

Mr Itauma stressed the need to always assist vulnerable children and raise awareness of happenings among vulnerable children in society.

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He solicited support from individuals, local and foreign donor agencies to expand the facility at the centre.

The top priority of vulnerable children is access to quality education, he said. He said some kids who could not be rescued from the streets suffer abuse and torture, and some have died under horrible circumstances.

He thanked the Akwa Ibom State Government for its support, saying its impact and advice led to the establishment of the CRARN Centre in 2003.

Mr Itauma and the Childs Rights Rehabilitation Network became popular in Akwa Ibom after a documentary, Saving Africas Witch Children, aired about 15 years ago, revealed the abuse of children labelled as witches in oil-rich Akwa Ibom State.

The documentary features shocking stories of torture inflicted on children, including a 13-year-old who was tied up with chicken wire and starved and beaten for two weeks and a 14-year-old girl who was burned with acid before her mother attempted to bury her alive, according to the UK Guardian newspaper.

One 17-year-old was left brain-damaged after having a three-inch nail driven into her skull, the paper wrote.

(NAN)

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After more than 54 years of combined federal service, Rodney L. Sande Sangsland made his final landing in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Fort Novosels Lowe Army Heliport June 20.

He previously retired from active duty as a chief warrant officer 5 after more than 33 years of service, and then served as a Department of the Army civilian helicopter flight instructor at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence for more than 20 years. He has spent the past 11 years training rated aviators to transition to the M model UH-60 Black Hawk.

In Army Aviation, he did more than set a standard, he wrote the book on it: in his final active duty assignment as utility branch chief at the Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization, he provided the basic training requirements for what would become the Flight School XXI program, and then became the standardization officer at the 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment implementing the program. His work continues to impact undergraduate and graduate level UH-60A/L/M aviators who train at Lowe.

Mr. Sangslands dedication and professionalism are unmatched by the instructors around him and serves as a standard to emulate at all levels of flight training. Sande is a foundational asset to the members of Foxtrot Company, 1-212th Aviation Regiment, 110th Aviation Brigade, the Aviation Center of Excellence, and the federal service, said Capt. Jesslyn F. Clark, commander of Company F, 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment.

Sanglsand was a product of the Greatest Generation. His parents were born in the early 1900s and belonged to an era renowned for its patriotism, self-discipline, dedication and strong character  a generation that endured the Great Depression and viewed military service as ones patriotic duty.

In a large family of 13 siblings, Sangsland had older brothers who served across multiple eras and conflicts including during World War II and Korea.

Parents of World War II soldiers were giving people, but they were hardened. They stood steady, he said. The mentality now is more (focused on self) instead of giving to the nation. What you give is such a small part when you look at the whole. (Military service) really gives you a love for your country.

In the late 1960s, Sangsland was at a point he felt his life wasnt going anywhere. I was going to college but I didnt know what I wanted to do. They were having sit-ins and love-ins and all the protesting, and I didnt want any part of that.

He decided: Ill go do something for my country.

In those days military service was what people did, he said.

Everybody went into the military. It made boys grow up. Now we have kids at 25 (years old) still living at home. At (that age) I was training Greek military personnel in Greece in the Greek language, he said.

He initially enlisted in the Army in 1969 as an infantryman and became a light and heavy weapons specialist. He served with the 10th Special Forces Group, with Greece as his area of interest. He became SCUBA and HALO qualified, and was the distinguished graduate of the NCO Academy and Ranger Course, earning the Merrills Marauders award. He went to several language schools learning Greek, Thai, and Spanish with ease. Sangsland also trained students for the School of the Americas as a Spanish Airborne instructor.

It was a lot of fun, he said, noting the camaraderie and the travel.

He planned to serve for only a few years, but the Army turned out to be more than he expected. Sangslands experience at his first unit is what made him decide to stay in the Army.

I skied Mount Olympus in Greece, all the way up to 12,000 feet. Thats where Zeus lives  I didnt find him when I was up there, he said with a smile. I reenlisted after that trip.

He served with Special Forces for eight years, including in Panama and in Central and South America.

In the late 1970s, he served with the U.S. Army Parachute Team known as the Golden Knights, and enjoyed not just the precision jumping, but also the professionalism.

Heres another wonderful job, probably the best job an enlisted person can have, he said. The team was extremely professional, you had to have a spotless record  you represented the Army, and had to be cordial. It was all manners, always clean cut, he said. It was a mission I was very proud to do.

In 1979, Sangslands military journey brought him to Fort Novosel (then-Fort Rucker), where he became a warrant officer aviator flying the UH-1 Huey. He soon became qualified in the Black Hawk helicopter. He deployed in support of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, where he earned an Air Medal with Valor.

In the mid-1980s, he served as a Spanish speaking UH-1 instructor pilot for the U.S. Special Operations Command El Salvadoran Co-pilot course (Huey helicopters) at Fort Novosel. His focus then returned to the Black Hawk, completing the instructor pilot course and eventually becoming a standardization pilot. He served as a method of instruction platoon leader. He developed and taught the first Spanish UH-60 aircraft qualification and IP courses for the Army. He also served in support of Plan Colombia, which aimed to combat drug cartels and insurgent groups.

He supported Operation Just Cause in Panama, which sought to restore a democratically elected government and remove a dictator who was wanted for drug trafficking charges. Sangsland was responsible for the standardization of multiple aircraft operations within USARSO. He developed and implemented the Command Rotary Wing Environmental Training Program for the UH-60 including mountain flying, dunker, deck operations and high-altitude flying operations (flying with oxygen up to 18,000 feet).

In the early 1990s, Sangsland returned to Fort Novosel as a Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization subject matter expert for the UH-60.

He served in Heidelberg, Germany, with 207th Command Aviation Company supporting the U.S. Army Europe commander. He planned and executed the helicopter deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina for commander stabilization force support (NATO operation), establishing operations in Sarajevo, and maintained a split-based standardization program between the Central Region and Sarajevo during Operation Joint Endeavor.

In the late 1990s he returned to DES at Fort Novosel to become the utility branch chief. He represented the Center for Army Lessons learned in Albania and Kosovo, and also developed training requirements and provided oversight for the UH-60 AQC for the Colombian military.

After retiring from active duty, he worked as an Army civilian at 1-212th in various roles including as deputy standardization officer, instructor pilot, instrument examiner, and standardization pilot for the implementation of Flight School XXI.

During his time in federal service, Sangsland amassed more than 10,000 hours of flight time in the aircraft and simulator devices.

Sangsland said he was fortunate to have the support of his own loving family throughout his federal service, and to make career decisions together with them. His daughter Becky recently wrote in a social media post that she had always seen him as just dad, until other people explained what his career commitment to excellence really meant.

You do realize that your dad is a Ranger too, right? And that he was the top graduate, Merrills Marauders?  Friends who were going through Flight School XXI would be studying their Blackhawk manuals and say, You do realize your dad wrote this manual, right? Or when Perry and I first started dating and his pilot friends would say, Sande? You mean the godfather of Army Aviation?

She wrote that Sangsland has lived a life dedicated to something bigger than himself, bigger than all of us. A life dedicated to excellence in everything, whether big or mundane. A life of sacrifice, born of love for this country and what she stands for, what she can be. A life of service, faith, learning, and leading.

Looking back on his career, Sangsland said the Army opened new opportunities, gave him a different palate including an affinity for exotic foods, and it also taught him tolerance.

Im much more accepting of people that look different than me, he said. You have to look at the character.

The Army also gave him something that he believes young people need.

What do the youth look forward to? They need a mission in life. Whatever that is, if its raising a family correctly, thats a mission. Whatever youre doing  if you can contribute and make it better and people are learning, it keeps you healthy, he said.

In the Army, you can have such a feeling of accomplishment. You dont get it any place else, he said.

When asked if there are any takeaways that he might leave on the dry-erase board for future generations of students when they cycle through the same classrooms and aircraft where he has instructed, his first thought was attributes of character and good judgment.

The prevailing thing is truth, he said. Dont lie. Dont even shade the truth. No matter what the consequences are. Always, always be truthful  with your wife, in everything. Truth is paramount.

He emphasized Army Values of loyalty, integrity and personal courage.

Have the courage to speak the truth without being judgmental. It can be done in the smallest ways, he said.

Those values show up even in even routine tasks and decision making.

Yes, we need to fill out the book. The jobs not done until its done, he said.

And very small things, like a hard landing  if theres a doubt, shut the aircraft down. So you find out theres nothing wrong with the aircraft. Thats good, he said.

Or, maybe a situation arises midair: You have a bird strike. You saw something go streak across the windshield but you dont know where it is. You think its gone. Did it go into the engine? You dont know. Dont continue flying. Land the aircraft, he said.

He also emphasized thoroughness after the mission.

Look the aircraft over. Someone else is going to be flying it next. Dont just put your stuff on and leave. Check everything, he said.

He also emphasized consistency and tenacity.

Be tenacious to do what is right and to seek out what is right. Youll recognize right when you see it. Uphold it. Live by it, he said.

Not every student can you teach all of that to. They come from so many backgrounds. But even in a small way if you just teach a part of it, they begin to understand it, he said.

One non-negotiable for Sangsland is a mandatory reading of Army Regulation 95-1 in its entirety.

Regulations and procedures  when you know them you have freedom and confidence, he said. You read the books to know what the right and left limits are. This will guide your life as an aviator. You can have all kinds of freedom inside that. When you dont know them, youre always wondering what am I doing? Youre always guessing.

And finally, be teachable.

There have been people that have touched my life  theyve said something that just made so much sense to me when I was doing something wrong, he said. When you realize that, make it right. Maybe youre doing something wrong and it just hasnt caught up with you yet, you know? When you know, start doing it right and pass it on.
The former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Joe Irukwu, is dead.

He died at the age of 89.

Prince Okorie, President-General, Amaokwe Item Welfare Union, announced this on Saturday in Enugu.

He said: The Amaokwe Item Welfare Union, on behalf of the entire Amaba Ukwu kindred and the immediate family, hereby announce the glorious but painful demise of our great patron, father, grandfather, son and brother, Prof. Joseph Ogbonnaya Irukwu.

The Union, on behalf of the Amaokwe Community, commiserates with the family and prays God to grant his soul peaceful rest.

The Union enjoined all Amaokwe sons and daughters to mourn the exit of this giant as we also remember to uphold his family in prayers in this moment of grief.

Mr Irukwu, a lawyer, lecturer, author and insurance guru, was the founding managing director of Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation.

He founded the African Development Insurance Company thereafter, which was later sold to Diamond Bank.

Mr Irukwu obtained a degree in Law and Insurance from a British university in 1962, and upon returning to Nigeria, he took employment with West African Provincial Insurance Company, a British firm operating out of Lagos.

He rose within the firm and joined the managerial cadre of the firms insurance department in 1965.

In 1970, he was appointed chief executive officer of Unity Life and Fire Insurance Company, and it was while working at Unity that his profile began to rise.

In 1972, the government appointed him head of the student loans board, a committee responsible for disbursing loans to thousands of students.

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In 1977, Mr Irukwu became the pioneer chief executive of the Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation, a government-owned business established to increase the local share of reinsurance premium income.

Before the establishment of the firm, insurance firms in Nigeria conducted reinsurance transactions with foreign companies.

Mr Irukwu published his first book, Insurance Law and Practice in Nigeria, in 1967, and his second book, Accident and Motor Insurance in West Africa, was published in 1974.

His third book, Insurance Management in Africa, was published in 1976.

(NAN)

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Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun State, has appealed to the government for support for its students and staff affected by heavy flooding in parts of the town on Friday and Saturday.

Two days of downpours left many parts of Ilaro underwater.

Many areas ravaged by the floods have a large population of students of the federal polytechnic.

The areas affected include Gbogidi, Double Crown and Odo Fufu, all in Ilaro.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had predicted heavy rainfalls in many states of Nigeria in the coming months.

Many students said their rooms were flooded and belongings submerged following the heavy rains on Friday and Saturday.

A bridge in the area also collapsed under the torrential rain, sweeping a vehicle into a canal.

Speaking on the collapsed bridge, an indigene of Ilaro, Gbenga Ekunola, said the attention of the senator representing the area (Ogun West district), Olamilekan Adeola, had been drawn to the development.

Senator Adeola immediately called his team to go to the said spot to access the situation for immediate intervention, he said.

A Higher National Diploma 1 (HND 1) student of the institution, Romoke Adelana, expressed the frustration of fellow residents of the area at the situation.

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I am yet to recover from it. This is too much for us here in Ilaro, I must say.

When asked what she would do next, Miss Adelana said, My parent said I should return home immediately, and I have to, else my mummy will start panicking.

Rector asks students, staff to relocate

During a visit to the affected areas on Saturday, the rector of the polytechnic, Mukail Aremu, advised staff and students of the Institution to move away from flood-prone areas.

While commiserating with those who lost valuables to the incident, the rector charged the students to stop seeking accommodation in areas prone to flooding, such as Riverside, adding that those who are present in such areas should relocate to safer places.

He urged the relevant agencies at the federal and state levels to aid the affected students and staff of the institution.

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Emmanuel Ogbeche, the spokesperson to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the new administration inherited a rundown state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the spokesperson stated this when he spoke with the members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, in Calabar on Monday.

Mr Ogbeche stressed that the state was badly rundown and that it would require the support and collaboration of all to put things in order.

He, however, said Governor Otu was up to the task of turning things around.

According to him, Otu inherited a rundown state. It was badly rundown There is no record of anything; approvals were given on WhatsApp messages.

It will require a lot to turn the state around, and thank God we have a capable and listening governor ready to provide the needed leadership.

Speaking further, Mr Ogbeche solicited the NUJs support for the governor while promising that the governor would support the union.

He said he was ready to give his all to justify the governors confidence.

This is a job I never lobbied for or didnt make any call nor contact anyone to secure the job.

The job found me with Gods grace, and I am ready to do everything to justify that confidence reposed on me by the governor.

As a member of the union and the immediate past chairman of Abuja council, I will ensure a robust relationship between the governor and the media practitioners in the state, he stated.

The Chairperson of the NUJ in the state, Nsa Gill, congratulated Mr Ogbeche on his appointment and promised that members of the union in the state would work to ensure he succeeds in his new office.

(NAN)

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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled to hold on Monday to allow President Bola Tinubu to participate.

The party had in June fixed the National Caucus and the NEC meetings for Monday and Tuesday.

But in a statement issued around 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, the National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore, announced the postponement of the two events till 18 and 19 July.

Mr Tinubu left the country on Saturday for Guinea Bissau for the ECOWAS summit.

Members of the National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are hereby informed that our meetings of 10th and 11th of July, 2023, have been postponed to the 18th and 19th of July, 2023, respectively.

The postponement is necessitated by the regional and sub-regional schedules and engagements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Inconveniences regretted, the statement reads.

First NEC since April 2022

The last time the APC NEC met in April 2022, it transferred its decision-making powers to the National Working Committee of the party.

The Abdulahi Adamu-led NWC has been making decisions for the party, a development that did not go down well with some members of the party.

Salihu Lukman, the national vice chairman(North-west) of the party, has been calling for NEC meeting, and at a point took legal action against Messrs Adamu and Omisore.

Mr Lukman called for the removal of Messrs Adamu and Omisore, accusing the duo of running the party with discretionary power without recourse to the other members of the NWC.

He said the actions of the two officials contravene the constitution of the party.

Aside from Mr Lukman, Mr Adamu recently fought the leadership of the National Assembly over the recently constituted principal officers of the two chambers.

Mr Adamu had distanced the NWC from the principal officers announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Messrs Akpabio and Abbas announced the names of the new principal officers of their respective chambers at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

Mr Adamu later announced that the rift had been resolved following a meeting with the president.

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On Monday, 10 July, United States President Joseph Biden arrived at Londons Stansted Airport before heading on to Winfield House. The President will have his sixth meeting in six months with Prime Minister Sunak as part of our close coordination with the United Kingdom on a range of important issues, said Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, on-board Air Force One, on Sunday.

Last month, on 8 June, the UK Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak, and President Biden held a rare, joint press conference from the East Room of the White House, after holding a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, making this weeks London meeting, the sixth between the two leaders since Prime Minister Sunak came into Office in October 2022. They had a bilateral meeting in Bali on the margins of the G20 last November, then in San Diego in March for the AUKUS partnership and in April in Belfast during POTUS trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Sunak says he values his relationship with President Biden. Preceding his bilateral on 8 June, Prime Minister Sunak said, The U.S. is our closest ally. We are one anothers partner of first resort when it comes to everything from keeping our people safe to growing our economiesThats why it is so important for a U.K. prime minister to forge a close and candid relationship with the President of the United Stateson every global problem, you will see us working side-by-side.

Also, during Mr Bidens flight to London, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said President Biden will have the chance to sit with King Charles and also to participate with the King and with Secretary KerrySpecial Envoy for Climate John Kerry  in an event with private sector leaders thats really focused on how we bring private capital off the sidelines in service of our climate objectives: the deployment of clean energy, the mitigation of carbon emissions, and help developing countries in adapting to the impacts of climate change.

London is Mr Bidens first stop on his trip to Europe. His travel includes the UK, Lithuania, and Finland from 9-13 July.

On board Air Force One  and en route to London  Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan briefed the press travelling with President Biden. During the flight to London, Senior Administration officials revealed that, while on the flight, President Biden had a call with President Recep Tayyp Erdogan of Turkiye in advance of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania and that they will talk further on the sidelines of NATO. On the call, they discussed Ukraine and Mr Bidens desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.

The team travelling with President Biden to London include US Department of States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

While Vice President Kamala Harris remained in Washington, D.C. over the weekend with no public events scheduled, President Biden was at the beach, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware prior to leaving for London. At the beach, PREMIUM TIMES can confirm that reporters saw Mr Biden as he walked solo out toward the water near North Shores beach on Saturday morning. The same afternoon, he also went to a late afternoon mass at St. Edmonds Catholic Church. As expected, he left from there on Sunday morning and took off from Dover Air Force Base headed to London.

On Monday,10 July, President Biden will take part in engagements with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to further strengthen the close relationship between our nations, announced the White House over the weekend. The Biden Administration confirmed that The President will meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. The President will take part in a Ceremonial Arrival and Inspection of the Honor Guard with His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle. The President will meet with His Majesty King Charles III. The President will take part in a climate engagement with His Majesty King Charles III and philanthropists and investors.

After his UK engagements, President Biden will leave for Vilnius, Lithuania where on Tuesday, 11 July, he will participate in a bilateral meeting with the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda. He is expected to take part in a bilateral meeting with President Nauseda and in an official greeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Nauseda of Lithuania, and attend the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, with Sweden, and also take part in the 74th NATO Summit engagements, the White House said.

On Wednesday, 12 July, it is expected that President Biden will deliver remarks highlighting how the United States, alongside our allies and partners, are supporting Ukraine, defending democratic values, and taking action to address global challenges before departing for Helsinki, Finland where he will have a bilateral meeting with President Sauli Niinisto of the Republic of Finland. Finland will be Mr Bidens final stop on the trip, Senior Director for Europe Amanda Sloat and Ambassador Julianne Smith, US Permanent Representative to NATO told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

Ambassador Smith said, We will be addressing Ukraines membership aspirations, and that is something that NATO Allies continue to work on. But it is not just restating Bucharest. It will look different than what we said in 2008, and well have more to say on that when we get to the summit. She added, Well have a handful of cyber security deliverables where the Alliance is moving out on strengthening its ability to either deter or prevent or respond to future cyber-attacks. And then secondly, I would mention that for the second time in NATOs history, we have the four leaders of the Indo-Pacific partners coming to the summit  our friends from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. They will be present in Vilnius, which is fantastic to have them present for this historic summit. And then lastly, we will see where we are on Sweden.

Mr Biden is expected to return to Washington on Thursday after taking part in U.S.- Nordic Leaders Summit engagements.

Mr Biden will end the week on Friday, at Camp David where he will remain over the weekend.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise on U.S. foreign policy, and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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A late Saturday night fire has gutted leather products, raw materials and machines estimated at over N3 billion in Aba, Abia State.

The fire affected over 30 shops at the Mansion Zone block of Powerline Leather Products Industrial Cluster.

The Chairman of the affected block in the industrial cluster, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that more than 500 workers were working in the affected shops.

Mr Nwanchukwu said though the Abia Fire Service arrived from Umuahia about an hour after the fire started, their efforts helped to douse the inferno.

Cherechi Ndukwe, a victim, said he rushed to the scene after a call about the incident.

We made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to douse the inferno with buckets of water before the arrival of the men of Abia Fire Service from Umuahia.

The fire service men arrived some minutes past 11 p.m. to help us douse the raging fire, he added.

Mr Ndukwe appealed for immediate help to the affected victims, as the incident has put their businesses, families, and employees in jeopardy.

It will be very difficult to survive without the support of Abia and Federal Governments, he added.

Another victim, Nnenna Onyedikachi, said all they had invested in the business had been destroyed by the fire.

A former Chairman of the Omenka Shoemakers Association, Powerline Zone, Goodluck Mmeri, expressed disgust that miscreants capitalised on the situation to steal some of the materials and machines.

Also, Okechukwu Williams, the president of the Leather Product Manufacturers Association in Abia, lamented over the huge losses suffered by the traders in the face of the current harsh economic situation.

He regretted that the state government was yet to re-establish a Fire Service outpost at Ariaria International Market to handle fire incidents.

Mr Williams pleaded with Governor Alex Otti to restore the fire service outpost to ensure prompt response to any fire incident in and around the market.

(NAN)

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Bill Gates recent visit to Nigeria is both important and significant. His visit precedes that of Malala Yousafzai and other global figures scheduled to be in the country this month. Bill is therefore the first global development leader to visit Nigeria under the new leadership of President Bola Tinubu. Bill Gates commitment to Nigerias development is long-standing and personal. On his many visits to Nigeria, he is one of the few global leaders who interact, directly, with innovators, youth, students, women and the health sector community. Bill Gates visit also came at a time when the biggest issue facing the donor community in Nigeria is the challenge of how to localize development so that more Nigerians participate directly and benefit exponentially. Just last month, Abt Associates, a USAID/Nigeria implementing partner held a convening at the Hilton Hotel with leading local Nigerian NGOs to engage around big issues of localizing partnerships. But localization is not only a Nigerian issue; it is a global challenge to all donors on the best way to do development.

The new focus on localized development will put youth, local communities, beneficiaries, and civil society organizations in the drivers seat. This is an old aspiration of development actors, finding new expression as nations of the world head to the midpoint of the SDGs in 2023. Unsurprisingly, development partners such as USAID, FCDO, Global Affairs and the EU have signalled their commitment to going local by signing on to global compacts and principles such as the Grand Bargain. But what exactly is localization and how do we know true localization when we see it? Is it an International NGO registering locally in Nigeria? No, it is not. Examples include increased direct funding to local civil society organizations to implement projects. Examples also include providing NGOs with core, unrestricted funding, and another example is supporting local organizations and communities to design interventions for themselves and by themselves.

Localization delivers on innovation, ownership, the increased representation of excluded communities of women and youth and most importantly it delivers on sustainability. Any donor-funded project area can be localized  agriculture; technology; health; business; and others. Development projects can be localized and humanitarian interventions can be localized too. While localized project areas may differ, the key success factor that they must have to be effective is capacity strengthening. Without investment in strengthening the capacity of local organizations, to innovate and to contribute to development in Nigerias dynamic and growing CSO sector, it is unlikely that the benefits of going local will be achieved. The 20,000 Corporate Affairs Commission registered CSOs as well as the locally registered and unregistered ones, employ more Nigerians as key personnel, part-volunteers, ad hoc staff and interns than even the public sector.

Recent research by the dRPC published on the Devex platform shows that while the Nigerian CSO sector distinguishes itself by producing development services and conducting advocacy, the sectors biggest challenge continues to be organizational capacity development and financial viability, leading to weakening sustainability.

The Sustainability Center, Lagos Business School conducted in-person and virtual capacity-strengthening events for PAS CSOs and followed up to assess the impact of training by engaging recipients of the CSOs advocacy encounters in government. The SC/LBS learned that policymakers acquired new respect for CSOs when finding themselves on the receiving end of high-powered evidence-informed advocacy by PAS CSOs. Most policymakers were persuaded to take action by the advocacy pitches and many did.

As Bill Gates listened, learned and interacted with innovators, students and change agents during his 2023 visit, it is important to know that he did so within an ecosystem strengthened by a deep investment in the sustainable development of indigenous civil society organizations in Nigeria. Catalytic non-profits such as the Sustainability Center, Lagos Business School and the development Research and Projects Center are a few in Nigerias development space. Over the years, such local organizations have developed training modules and developed trainers and performance assessment templates linking capacity strengthening to measurable development outcomes and impacts. At the recently concluded Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA), Conference in Dakar Senegal, the SC/LBS and dRPC collaborated on an African civil society panel to share experiences from the Gates Foundation-funded PAS project about the impact of capacity building for health policy advocacy where CSOs are able create champions within government. It is perhaps coincidental and significant that two PAS project champions from the Nigerian government present at the AROCSA Conference have now been appointed as leading decision makers in the health space, Rahila Mukhtar as the Executive Director, Kano State Hospital Management Board and Salma Kolo as the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Health. The emergence of these two champions is further evidence of the power of strategic policy advocacy building collaborations for change within government around evidence, data and measurable outcomes. This is a success story for CSO capacity strengthening with strong public sector engagement components powered by the Sustainability Center, Lagos Business School and the development Research and Projects Center

This piece is written by Silk Ogbu of the Lagos Business School, and Judith Ann Walker of the dRPC. The authors can be reached at silk@universalmail.com and j.walker@drpcngr.org respectively.

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The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has asked the states House of Assembly to extend his leave period.

Mr Akeredolu embarked on a one-month medical leave on 5 June, but the state government later said he was still receiving treatment and would not resume until cleared by his doctors.

The governor is undergoing treatment abroad, as a result of which the lawmakers last month named his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor.

However, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, said on Monday that the governor has forwarded a letter to the assembly seeking an extension of his leave.

Following Doctors advice on the need to take adequate rest after recuperating, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, CON, has forwarded the letter of extension on medical leave to the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Oladiji said in a statement.

He said he received the letter on behalf of other lawmakers.

Mr Oladiji said the governors action was in line with section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( as amended).

He said in the letter Mr Aiyedatiwa would continue to act as governor until there is a written declaration to the contrary.

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Despite the formal transfer of power, Mr Akeredolus absence has led to division in the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State.

The opposition parties are also seizing the moment to lash out at the administration.

The governor, in his letter of 5th June, had informed of his proceeding on medical leave and was expected to resume on 6th July.

The Speaker, who expressed appreciation to God for the progress in the governors recovery, expressed optimism that he would soon resume his duty.

Labour unions in the state had advised the governor to rest well and not rush back to resume duty.

Prayer sessions had been organised by the state cabinet, groups and associations for his recovery.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered a stay of action regarding the charges that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filed against the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, over his illegal declaration of results of the last governorship election in Adamawa State.

The judge, Donatus Okorowo, ordered INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation, jointly sued in the fresh case, to maintain the status quo in a ruling on Monday.

The event that constitutes the status quo in a case is usually an issue of dispute between the lawyers representing opposing sides of a dispute.

As is likely to happen in this case, lawyers often come up with conflicting interpretations to suit their clients interests.

Mr Yunusa-Ari had usurped the powers of the INEC Returning Officer in the state to declare Aisha Dahiru, also known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as the winner of the last governorship election in Adamawa State.

But the Returning Officer would later declare Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election after the proper collation of the results of the supplementary poll held on 15 April.

The main election, which was earlier held on 18 March, was declared inconclusive because a clear winner did not emerge.

INEC announced Thursday that it had filed six charges at the Adamawa State High Court in Yola, the state capital, against Mr Yunusa-Ari, after the police concluded their investigations into the matter.

Following the development, Ms Dahiru filed an ex parte application at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop Mr Yunusa-Aris trial.

Hearing, ruling

Her lawyer, Michael Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, moved the application on Monday, arguing that allowing the trial to proceed could jeopardise her case, challenging the election outcome at the election petition tribunal.

In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, Mr Aondoakaa argued that until the election petition tribunal decides the fate of his client in accordance with section 149 of the Electoral Act 2022, the prosecution of Mr Yunusa-Ari cannot be said to be valid.

The senior lawyer recalled that his client had obeyed the order of Inyang Ekwo, another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which advised Ms Dahiru in an earlier related case to approach the constituted election petition tribunal to vent her grievances about the election and declaration of its results.

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He said an undertaking had been signed to prove to the court that the present suit was not frivolous.

He said in the undertaking; they were ready to face any cost should the court find the case to be frivolous.

He added that until the election petition tribunal decides his clients fate in accordance with section 149 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the prosecution of Mr Yunusa-Ari cannot be said to be valid.

INEC and the AGF office did not participate in the hearing as it involved an ex parte-application which usually excluded the adverse parties from making submissions.

After listening to Mr Aondoakaa, the judge, Mr Okorowo, ordered the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the matter.

The judge, who adjourned the matter until 18 July for a hearing, ordered the respondents to show cause why the prayers sought by Ms Dahiru should not be granted.

(NAN)

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The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) has cleared traders off the Oshodi railway track and Apongbon Bridge.

The enforcement exercise was carried out on Monday, a statement by Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, the task force spokesperson, said.

The move follows the state governors directive to stamp out street trading on highways and other major streets in the Lagos metropolis.

The simultaneous operations, which were tactically supervised by the chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, was, as a result of the directives of the state government to all environmental enforcement agencies of government saddled with the responsibility of restoring sanity on the walkways, highways and rail tracks where some individuals incessantly carry out trading activities which not only debase the environment but also cause pain and discomfort to Lagosians, the statement reads.

The task force chairperson, Shola Jejeloye, during the exercise, said several notices had been served on the traders, especially those at the Oshodi rail track.

He said the agency carried out sensitisation and subtle warning in the area to discourage the traders from returning to the tracks, but the appeals fell on deaf ears.

Our warnings have been sent out to them for as long as two years ago, but they dont listen. We served notices at Fagba, where some people built shanties, kiosks from Fagba all the way to Pen Cinema and Isokoko, thereby shortchanging motorists and pedestrians who should enjoy free movement along that axis. It is completely unfair to all Lagosians, and we will make sure that they are all cleared out with immediate effect, he said.

The agencys boss stated that they ought to arrest both buyers and sellers in the area but, to avoid double jeopardy, seized only the goods found on the Oshodi rail tracks.

Mr Jejeloye urged the market leaders to come to the agencys headquarters for a roundtable engagement to foster a permanent solution to the menace.

Apongbon bridge raid

The raid under the Apongbon Bridge was carried out to forestall any environmental mishaps that could reoccur and lead to loss of lives and properties, Mr Jejeloye said.

The bridge was reopened for vehicular movement last week, 15 months after it was closed for repairs following a fire outbreak.

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On 23 March, many shops under the bridge were destroyed in a fire outbreak in the market area.

Mr Jejeloye said the enforcement exercise was necessary because the activities of street traders posed a major threat to the environment and general well-being of Lagosians.

He appealed to the traders to relocate their activities to the facility provided by the state government and desist from carrying out activities that are counterproductive to the state.

Achieving a mega city status as enshrined in the THEMES agenda of the state government is a collective effort, and all hands must be on deck to ensure its sustenance. We will carry out these enforcement exercise on a daily basis to ensure we achieve our aim, and anyone found going against the law will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly, he said.

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Businesses need to be aware of several upcoming changes taking effect from July 1, 2023.

These changes impact the national minimum wage, super guarantee rate, and business name fees. Heres what you need to know:

National Minimum Wage Increase:

Effective July 1, 2023, the National Minimum Wage will see a 5.75 per cent increase. This translates to a new hourly rate of $23.23 and a weekly rate of $882.80. The increase will apply from the first full pay period starting on or after July 1, 2023.

Award Minimum Wage Increase:

Most employees are covered by specific industry or occupation awards. On July 1, 2023, minimum award wages will also increase by 5.75 per cent. Businesses should review the updated award rates to ensure compliance.

Energy Bill Relief Fund for Small Businesses:

Eligible small businesses can benefit from bill relief on electricity usage. If your business meets the criteria established by your state or territory, you will automatically receive bill relief starting from July 1, 2023.

Super Guarantee Rate Increase:

The superannuation guarantee rate will rise from 10.5 per cent to 11 per cent starting July 1, 2023. Employers need to adjust their super contributions accordingly to meet the new rate.

Business Name and Company Registration Fees:

With the March quarters Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission will adjust company and business name fees from July 1, 2023. Businesses should review the updated fee structure to understand the changes.

Changes to Workplace Laws:

The Australian Government has passed amendments to the Fair Work Act, introducing new workplace laws and modifying existing rules. Starting July 1, 2023, significant changes will include an increase in the small claims procedure cap from $20,000 to $100,000. This expands access to the small claims procedure for a broader range of workers.

Businesses should familiarize themselves with these changes and take necessary steps to ensure compliance with the updated regulations. For more detailed information on each change, refer to the relevant government agencies resources.

More here.

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Kebbi State governor, Nasiru Idris, has sacked his special adviser on youths, Babangida Sarki, for allegedly posting homosexual content on his Whatsapp status.

The governors media aide, Ahmed Idris, announced the sacking to reporters on Monday.

The Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Nasiru Idris, relieved his Special Adviser on Youths of his appointment, Babangida Sarki.

The sacking of the S.A. was a sequel to an indecent posting he made on his WhatsApp status.

The Governor, who was enraged by the obnoxious development, said the aide trampled on the moral and social ethos of the Kebbi society, which is largely Islamic.

The governor vowed that his administration would not condone any of such acts that denigrate the morality and integrity of the people of the state.

The Governor also cautioned other public officers against making such heinous postings in their social media handles and other public fora, Mr Idris said.

Mr Sarki allegedly uploaded homosexual content on his WhatsApp status over the weekend.

The governor, still attending Hajj in Saudi Arabia, sacked Mr Sarki when he learnt of the incident.

When asked if Mr Sarkis phone or WhatsApp was hacked, Mr Idris told PREMIUM TIMES that the government investigated the incident before arriving at the decision.

Mr Sarki was interrogated upon which he confessed that he uploaded the pictures himself and that his account was never hacked, Mr Idris said.

Mr Saraki could not be reached on his known phone number to comment. Calls made to the number failed to connect.

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The Forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairmen has dismissed speculations that there is rancour within the partys rank and file.

Alphonsus Oga, the APC chair in Cross River State and Secretary of the forum, said this on Monday in Abuja while speaking with journalists at the partys national secretariat.

He spoke at the end of a closed-door meeting between the forum and the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

We are here to congratulate the winning Chairman of our party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, and his hard-working NWC team, he said.

Mr Oga said there was no truth in the ongoing reports that there was rancour within the partys rank and file, especially concerning postponing its Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.

The party had scheduled its National Caucus and NEC meetings for 10 and 11 July, but were shifted to 18 and 19 July.

Iyiola Omisore, the partys national secretary, while announcing the postponement, explained that it was necessitated by the regional and sub-regional schedules and engagements of President Bola Tinubu, as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

There is nothing like that. If you have been following the itinerary of the president, he is presently not in the country, and he is expected to proceed on another journey.

This was what necessitated the postponement of the meeting. This is a moment where rumours and blackmail can thrive.

But as a party, there is only one APC, and we came again in solidarity to say we are strongly behind our National Chairman and the NWC, he said.

Earlier, Mr Adamu said the meeting was to discuss developments in the party and development that would take place.

He recalled that a meeting was recently held between the APC NWC and governors elected on the partys platform, where issues of discipline, leadership and the need for harmonious relationships among the partys stakeholders were discussed.

Mr Adamu, however, advised the state chairpersons to ensure they shared identified problems in their states with the partys leadership to address them, saying it is their responsibility to do so.

(NAN)

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An eight-month-old infant was killed in Farin Lamba, a community in Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Sunday.

This incident happened two days after another attack on Sabon Gari, a community in Mangu Local Government of the state led to multiple deaths. Several houses were also burnt during the attack.

According to Rwang Tengwong, the spokesperson of Berom Youth Moulders, the attackers arrived at the community at about 9:45 p.m. when many members of the community were sleeping.

He said the attackers came in a Vectra vehicle and started shooting indiscriminately at residents.

At about 9:45 p.m. on Sunday night, eight persons, including an eight-month-old baby, were murdered by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen at Farin Lamba, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area.

This is as the bandits continue to unleash terror on innocent citizens in some communities of Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State in renewed attacks since after the 2023 General Elections.

The eight-month-old baby who was murdered with her father was said to be returning from the hospital when they met their untimely death. Before this unprovoked attack, several communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Mangu Local Government Area have witnessed the deliberate destruction of farmlands and provocative grazing of over 300 hectares of land.

Also, there have been daily ambushes and killing of innocent persons on motorcycles after Ta-hoss village in Riyom LGA, along the Abuja highway, which has taken the lives of four persons and one injured, he said.

Herders react

But the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state has denied the allegation.

Nuru Abdullahi, the state chairman of MACBAN, said the group is unaware of any attack in the area.

We are not aware of what they are accusing us with. Anytime an attack is launched, the Fulani communities are often blamed. So, this is not new to us. As far as MACBAN is concerned, the accusation is misleading, Mr Abdullahi said.

The spokesperson of the police in the state, Alabo Alfred, didnt respond to a call and a message by our correspondent asking for comments on the latest attack.

Plateau, in North-central Nigeria, has witnessed several attacks on farming communities by armed herders.

Thousands of people have been killed or injured in such violence in the past few years.

NYSC camp relocated to Jos South

Meanwhile, following the insecurity rocking Mangu Local Government, the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) orientation camp in the area has been temporarily relocated to Jos South local Government.

The spokesperson of the states police command, Mr Alfred, on Monday, said the commissioner of police in the state, Bartholomew Onyenka, visited the temporary site of the orientation camp located at Waya Foundation Dei Du, Jos South LGA, where the NYSC coordinator, Esther T. Ikupolati, received him.

The visit is in accordance with the commissioner of polices commitment toward ensuring the security of corp members in the state and strengthening the existing security arrangement of the camp, he said.

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Ecobank Nigeria has written FBN Holdings Plc, asking the financial services group not to recognise the 4.8 billion shares recently acquired by former chairman, Oba Otudeko.

The local unit of Lome-based Ecobank Transnational Incorporated made the request through its solicitor, Kunle Ogunba & Associates, in a letter dated 7 July 2023.

The solicitor noted in the letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES that the bank made the request because of Mr Otudekos failure to clear a debt totalling N13.5 billion.

Ecobank noted that it initiated a legal action against Honeywell Group Limited, Anchorage Leisures Limited, Siloam Global Services Limited and Mr Otudeko at the Federal High Court in Lagos, aimed at recovering the debt.

According to the document, the four disputed their indebtedness to Ecobank, but a Supreme Court judgment on 27 January 2023, affirmed the indebtedness, ordering them to pay N13.5 billion from the loan contract said to be personally guaranteed by Mr Otudeko.

On the same day the letter was issued, FBN Holdings had written the Nigerian Exchange to notify the bourse of acquiring a 13.3 per cent holding in the financial services group by Barbican Capital Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group.

Barbican Capital was registered in Nigeria on 9 March 2023 and has Otudeko Obafemi Adedamola and Oyeleye Foluke as persons with significant control, according to PREMIUM TIMES check with Corporate Affairs Commission.

Instead of taking urgent steps to repay their indebtedness in line with the mandate of the Supreme Court, it has come to our notice that Dr Oba Otudeko (being the prime mover and alter ego of the debtor companies who personally guaranteed to repay the said debt) has taken active steps to divert his assets/funds and those of the debtor companies, the lawyers said.

This he has done by using a company known as Barbican Capital Limited (special purpose vehicle), which was recently and hurriedly incorporated after the judgement of the Supreme Court (specifically on 9th March 2023, they added.

Ecobank remarked through his solicitors that Mr Otudekos actions are targeted at diverting his assets and those of Honeywell Group of Companies through Barbican Capital so as to frustrate the execution of the apex court judgment against him.

The solicitors requested FBN Holdings to refrain from approving the shares, given that proceeding with such approval/registration will be tantamount to assisting in the diversion of funds/assets meant for the payment of the debt, which has been affirmed by the Supreme Court.

They equally requested the corporation to furnish them with the details of the status of the transaction in the next seven days.

Mr Otudeko, who chaired the groups board until a shake-up ended his tenure in April 2021, controls Honeywell Flour Mill. The businessman owns a 75 per cent stake in the company through Siloam Global Services Limited, according to the companys 2022 earnings report.

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The immediate former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, has said for the country to return to the path of greatness, it needs to eschew ethnic or religious considerations in public affairs.

This, according to him is because the intrusion of religion and regionalism into public affairs in Nigeria is not conducive for unity and progress.

Mr El Rufai made the statement while delivering a keynote address during a book launch and retirement event in honour of Ishaq Akintola, Founder of Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC) on Saturday.

He said over the last five decades, the country witnessed improvement in literacy, religious and ethnic awareness but it has only led to more ethno  religious divisions.

The former governor said the divisions in the country is caused by manufactured falsehood by some Nigerians.

He said those championing religious or ethnic agendas are only after power or material gains.

My point here is that we were not always like the way we have been recently. There was a time when religion and ethnicity were rightly seen as private, incidental matters to politics and governance, not the sole definers of a person, and certainly not negotiating tools in serious national affairs  and this applied everywhere in Nigeria until the mid-1990s to date, sadly, he said.

Mr El Rufai said while growing up in the 1960s, leaders of the country worked towards the success of Nigeria unmindful of the ethnicity and religious backgrounds of those they worked with.

He maintained that obsession with both religious and ethnic identities has relegated Nigerians common bond of equal citizenship and humanity.

It, therefore, seems to me that our obsession with religion is only rivalled by the national fixation on ethnicity. These two markers of identity are pushed with a fervour that relegates or displaces the common bond of our humanity and the imperatives of equal citizenship.

Those that are at the forefront of advancing these dual agendas merely do so to acquire privilege, power and prosperity without the hard work of acquiring competence and capacity, without undergoing the rigours of electoral competition and without industry and job creation! By pushing these agendas, one can be wealthy, own private jets and live a life of opulence without any identifiable education experience or business investments, he said.

Tinubus election destroys myths

Mr El Rufai, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said the election of Bola Tinubu has destroyed myths.

The election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed and the woeful failure of Peter Obi presents opportunities for this retracing wrong steps and a renewed effort at nation-building, he said.

He said among the myths destroyed were: that northerners would hold on to power belief held by many Nigerians, that northern politicians can be trusted and elected president from the south must be a Christian

Tinubus ascendance and Peter Obis rejection to third place in the 2023 election demystified fake polls and ethnic pundits, and fully demolished the falsehood that Christianisation of any national political contest by campaigning in churches and tribal enclaves will lead to electoral success, Mr El Rufai added.

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In the lead-up to the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) established approximately 60,000 additional polling units, augmenting the existing 120,000 units.

In doing this, INEC split polling stations with up to 5,000 voters into two and transferred voters to the new units. But most of the voters found it difficult to locate their new polling units. Also, many people were unaware they had been moved to new units.

That was when the Geographic Information System (GIS) project intervened.

The GIS is an intervention under component one of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), the EUs flagship democracy support programme in Nigeria that provides support to Nigerias electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission. The component that provides support to Nigerias electoral umpire is implemented by DAI Global. The EU-SDGN, implemented by 16 organizations, is designed to complement the efforts of the Nigerian government to improve and strengthen democracy.

The objective of the GIS project was to help INEC to geo-locate all polling stations, totalling 176,846 across 8,809 registration areas or electoral wards in the country.

Currently, INEC has the GIS coordinates of every polling unit, which can be used for polling unit tracking, security and logistics planning, and more.

What is GIS?

GIS is a technology that integrates geographic data with non-spatial information, enabling users to analyze, interpret, and visualize data within a geographic context to support decision-making and problem-solving processes.

The EU-SDGN recognizes that GIS can be instrumental during elections, particularly for polling units. It can help the electoral process by allowing for accurate mapping and spatial representation of polling units, their boundaries, and associated administrative areas. This enables election officials to have a clear understanding of the geographic distribution and arrangement of polling units.

It also assists in strategic planning and resource allocation during elections. By analysing the distribution of polling units and their proximity to facilities such as transportation, security, and voter registration centres, election administrators can optimise logistics and allocate resources efficiently.

GIS can be integrated with voter registration databases to enable real-time verification of voter information based on their geographical location. This helps prevent fraud and ensures that voters are assigned to the correct polling units. It can also facilitate the process of redistricting and boundary delimitation by population data, demographics, and geographic features. This aids in ensuring that polling units are evenly distributed and aligned with legal requirements.

To improve voter education and enhance accessibility to the electoral process, GIS technology can be utilised to develop interactive maps and online platforms that provide voters with information about their assigned polling units, directions to the polling stations, and any changes in voting locations.

It can support election monitoring efforts by integrating real-time data from polling units, such as voter turnout, reported incidents, and electoral results. This allows for comprehensive analysis and visualisation of election data, enabling stakeholders to identify trends, patterns, and potential issues.

Mapping polling units and relevant infrastructure helps security agencies to strategically deploy personnel and respond swiftly to any emergencies or disturbances.

To achieve the GIS plan, an EU-SDGN collaboration group dispatched a team to each of the 774 local government areas across Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, working with election officers to take the coordinates of all the polling units.

The planning phase of the project was done in collaboration with partners experienced in GIS data collection. It is important to note that it is not only about collecting the data but also setting up the back end to capture and process the data for use by INEC.

To create awareness of this, SMS notifications were sent to voters informing them of their new polling units. Advertisements were circulated on both traditional and social media informing voters that INEC has reallocated them from overcrowded polling units to less populated ones. They were also told how to verify their polling units  visit https://www.voters.inecnigeria.org and use either their names and dates of birth or their Voter Identification Numbers (VIN).

Challenges

During the 2019 elections, several challenges were encountered regarding the locating of polling units and overcrowding at polling units. Some of these challenges ranged from inaccurate location information to voter apathy. Areas, often in remote regions, with incorrect addresses or poorly marked polling units made it difficult for voters to find their designated polling stations.

Inadequate and poor distribution of polling units led to overcrowding in the available ones and long voting times.

There were also cases of polling units lacking basic amenities such as shelter, seating arrangements, or sanitation facilities, causing discomfort and, sometimes, forcing voters to leave the polling units.

Security concerns were also rife. In certain areas, threats of violence and intimidation forced voters to stay away from the polling units.

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In addition, ahead of the 2023 general elections, INEC stated that voting would not take place in 240 polling units in 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. This was because no voter chose the polling units during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) between June 2021 and July 2022.

Providing Solutions

Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures, including improved mapping and geospatial data management to ensure accurate and up-to-date location information for polling units. It is also important to locate polling units in safe areas to encourage voter turnout. Security should be strengthened to ensure the safety and protection of voters and polling units.

Also needed is adequate planning and allocation of polling units based on population density and geographical distribution and enhanced voter education and awareness campaigns to inform voters about their assigned polling units and provide clear directions.

Polling unit infrastructure and facilities should also be expanded to accommodate larger voter turnout and enhance the voting experience.

Regular review and assessment of polling unit distribution is necessary to identify areas with overcrowding and make adjustments for subsequent elections.

By addressing these challenges, Nigeria can strive to improve the electoral process, enhance the voter experience, and ensure a more efficient and inclusive democratic exercise. Through its programmes, the EU continues to support the Nigerian government to achieve these aims.

Rudolf Elbling leads the first component of the European Unions Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria. The component focuses on supporting Electoral Management Bodies.

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After years of prevarication by successive federal governments, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration bit the bullet on the removal of subsidy on the pump-gate price of petrol. Given the toll that subsidy has exerted on public finances, it is scant surprise that prognoses on the economys outlook have brightened. The new government floated the nairas exchange rate too. Again, raising the prospects of a more efficient management of the nations scarce external reserves.

Yet, against the backdrop of the previous governments cack-handed policy on the economy, these were always going to be difficult decisions. If nothing else, the continuing pass through to the economy of the botched banknotes swap scheme early this year was always going to sour the tolerance for reforms. Sadly, the cost of living adjustments that the populace is having to make on the back of the new governments rapid-fire policy changes have driven up poverty rates across the country. Eventually, not only will consumer spending collapse as people get poorer, the unemployment rate, already at dismal levels, will rise further, as business investments contract in adjustment to reduced consumer spending. The odds of government spending picking up the resulting slack lengthens, as the cost to the Federal Government of servicing its debt portfolio outpaces its earnings.

Understandably, these adverse outcomes are fuelling a concerted pushback against the Tinubu administrations apparent preference for market-based solutions to some of the economys seemingly intractable trade-offs. A growing cohort of the local commentariat is advocating the taking of pruning shears to government as an alternative to the pains that the people currently bear. A more efficient, qualified and focussed bureaucracy is a non-negotiable requirement if the Nigerian economy is to finally make the much-advertised transition from a public sector-led to a private sector-driven format. The argument for bringing down the cost of governance is a handmaiden of our search for market-based solutions.

However, the main argument for markets is not just that the scarce resource base available to governments means that they cannot do all in an economy. If we were to leave things at that, then any improvements from the reorganisation of the Nigerian economy would only have it return to its past addictions in the near future. Markets are not a temporary expedient for boosting the efficacy of limited government spending. They are where innovation, risk-taking, and cutting-edge management practices take place in an economy.

Given enough suppliers in any market, the incentive for each is to deepen market share or boost profitability by developing new products or cheaper means of delivering services. This is the route from Nokias dominance of the mobile phone industry several years ago, to the iPhones pre-eminence today. It is the path that describes why Teslas market capitalisation is in multiples of the traditionally dominant manufacturers of petrol-engine vehicles. It is also the route from the exorbitant cost of a mobile phone package in the country a few years ago, to the flogging of ultra-cheap SIM cards by a diverse array of vendors today.

Down this path, one possibility presents itself for the two main reform initiatives of the Tinubu government. Both the price of petrol and the external price of the naira have been left to the markets to determine. And in both markets, a surfeit of demand over supply is currently pushing prices up. As the experience of planned economies remind us, a government cap on prices in these circumstances results in queues and queue-jumping. Higher prices, on the other hand, reduce demand until a new equilibrium is reached with available supply. In a market with few restrictions to the entry and exit of both buyers and sellers, higher prices have the additional effect of incentivising new supply sources, which invariably help push prices lower, again until a new equilibrium is reached with the prevailing levels of demand. Giving the multiplicity of transactions in any such market, governments struggle, as is evident in our recent experience, to anticipate these equilibriums.

Having moved the price discovery process in both the foreign exchange and petrol markets on to the price mechanism, the Tinubu government is challenged to remove all the kinks in these markets respective supply chains that may reduce the responsiveness of suppliers to changes in prices. Still, market volatility means the market does not always get these equilibriums right, especially in the face of shocks. And often this occurs in industries where the gains from investing in the provision of a good or service are not fully internalised by the business providing it. In other words, markets fail.

Governments may seed the process by which markets innovate, as the experience of the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency in the US shows. Governments ought, indeed, to design safety nets to ensure that economic entities that cannot innovate or whose bid to innovate come a cropper, do not forfeit their potential to contribute positively to societys growth and development, and that individuals associated with this process do not become public charges. But governments usurp the markets ability to aggregate discrete data, and to achieve allocative efficiencies on this basis, only at great cost to society. This is the lesson of the Soviet Unions implosion. Its the same with what Chinas transition to a market-based economy from 1979 teaches.

PREMIUM TIMES aligns with the Tinubu governments reform direction, even as it is troubled by the privations that the larger number of our people have had to bear of late on this account. Given the inefficiencies that we have engineered into our system over the years, there is no gainsaying the fact that the gains from reforms were always going to come with much pain. Invariably, in reforming economies, these pains are as disruptive as their incidence is immediate. The gains, on the other, trickle in over longer-term horizons. The four-year electoral cycle and the burden of underdevelopment in countries such as ours, then doom reforms of this nature to stop-start cycles that maximise their pains, while putting off their benefits.

This dynamic may be mitigated by government emplacing pro-poor policies, including conditional cash transfer schemes that reduce the incidence of rising costs on the poor and vulnerable. PREMIUM TIMES recognises that the infrastructure for these pro-poor initiatives are in place, but worries that the interoperability of the diverse databases without which more efficient disbursement under such schemes will not be possible, requires additional reforms of their own. While calling on the Tinubu government to immediately implement the agglomeration of biometric and demographic data required to drive targeted pro-poor programmes, we believe that the most important reform initiative would be those, through better schooling and healthcare outcomes, that lend a fillip to the quality of our domestic human capital endowment.

The irony is that this latter category of reforms is where the market fails, and the government comes into its own. Those who would have our governments play more visible roles in the management of the economy should therefore nudge them towards those places where the economy is likely to get the most benefits from every naira spent.

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A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has made a case for President Bola Tinubu to include Nyesom Wike in his cabinet.

Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, led the G5, a group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s governors, which rebelled against the PDP national leadership and the partys 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Mr Wike worked against Atiku in the election and aided Mr Tinubus victory in Rivers.

Mr Tinubu was the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

I want Wike to be in the cabinet; Wike has what it takes to serve Nigeria, Mr Fayose said on Sunday while appearing as a guest on Channels TV programme Sunday Politics.

Wike is an articulate capacity person. Nigerians need an average bad person; I support Wike. If Asiwaju finds him worthy or any of the G5, please serve in Asiwajus government.

Mr Fayose said he would be disappointed if President Tinubu does not appreciate the G5 members for standing by him during the election.

Wike must serve (in Tinubus government). Wike is still a young man; I am his senior brother. Wike is an asset to Nigeria. He is a man of courage. Wike is never timid; he confronts challenges. Asiwaju needs a man like Wike, said the former governor of Ekiti.

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The Channels TV anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, asked Mr Fayose if it was true that some of his friends in the G5 were planning to defect from the PDP to the APC.

That is far from the truth, Mr Fayose responded. I can sleep and write about Wike. Forget that Wike will leave PDP. Tell PDP leadership to put their house in order.

Besides Mr Wikes political interest, some people have been pushing for President Tinubu to include Magnus Abe, a former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in Rivers State, in his cabinet.

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A former governorship aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Bassey Inuaeyen, is dead.

Mr Inuaeyen, who hails from the Ini Local Government of Area of the state, was, until his demise, the political leader of the area.

He died on 30 June in the United States of America after a brief illness. PREMIUM TIMES could not establish the age of the late politician.

His demise was announced by the Paramount Ruler of Ini Local Government Area, Udoette Edon. The late politician was a member of the Nkari Clan Council of Chiefs and held the chieftaincy title of Obong Iberedem.

On behalf of the Nkari Clan Council of Chiefs, I formally announce the death of our distinguished member of the council, the Obong Iberedem of Nkari Clan, Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, Mr Edon said at a meeting of the group.

Mr Edon described the late politician as a community leader of repute and a unifier who contributed immensely to the development of the area.

An excerpt of the meeting was posted on Facebook on Monday.

The chairperson of Ini Local Government Area, Israel Idiasim, also confirmed the death of Mr Inuaeyen to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

Mr Inaueyen was a Real Estate Developer and the Chairperson of Agritec Holdings Limited.

Speaking at the meeting of the Nkari Clan, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Nyaudo Ndaeyo, described the deceased politician as a philanthropist who sponsored indigenes of the area in various tertiary institutions within and outside the state through his scholarship scheme.

Mr Inaueyen was the chancellor of a socio-political group in the state  Ibom Patriots.

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The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on residents living on the banks of the River Niger in the state to relocate to higher ground.

The disaster agency, in collaboration with the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also urged residents living in other flood-prone areas in the state to relocate to safer locations to avoid disaster.

NEMA Head of Operations, Benin Office, Dahiru Yusuf, made the call on Monday in Benin at a public forum organised by the agency in collaboration with Edo SEMA.

Mr Yusuf said the meeting was convened to find out the level of preparedness of the people in flood prone local government areas as well as ensure better response when compared to 2022.

We advise the people to relocate from the flood areas because when it comes it would be devastative.

But, we are finding it difficult to get them to move; lots of them dont want to go to the camp.

They dont want to leave their ancestral home to a safer place where government would provide necessary facilities pending when the flood subsides.

They should ensure that drainages are cleared and not blocked, adhere to building plan, because we have discovered some of the flood, especially not in the river bank, is because of one construction or the other, he advised.

Mr Yusuf said the agency was working to ensure that the state IDP camps were in good shape, fumigated, and with the necessary amenities in place to ensure that it was habitable for victims in cases of flood.

He, however, said the agency had already commenced sensitising the local emergency committee on what to do to mitigate the effect of flood.

Earlier, the head of Edo SEMA, Helen Obayuwana, said the state government was worried as NIMET prediction had added three additional local government areas prone to flooding in the state.

We must recognise that flood prevention is key and by investing in robust infrastructure, early warning systems, and land-use planning, we can significantly reduce the vulnerability of our communities to floods, she said.

Ms Obayuwana noted that adequate drainage systems and well-maintained canals could help channel water safely and prevent catastrophic flooding.

She added that flood preparedness, mitigation and response were not the sole responsibility of governments and emergency response services, charging individuals and communities to take step to safe guard their homes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Army, Air Force, Police, FRSC, NSCDC, Red Cross, Edo SEMA and representatives of flood prone local government areas.

(NAN)

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Data from payments platform Airwallex reveals that Australian businesses are facing a talent crunch, resulting in a significant increase in spending on recruitment agencies.

According to the data, businesses have spent an additional $429 million on recruiters compared to a year ago. This surge in spending highlights the challenges businesses are facing in finding and attracting skilled professionals.

Overall, business expenses have risen by 9% in the past year, totaling over $152.8 billion from January to May 2023. Airwallexs data sheds light on the financial burden caused by Australias skill shortage. On average, businesses are spending an extra $10,000, representing a 16% increase, on employment agencies compared to the same period last year.

The data, which captures spending from January to May in both 2022 and 2023, reveals a significant increase of 76% in Australian business spending on domestic recruitment agencies. This increase amounts to an additional $15 million compared to the previous year. Furthermore, international spending on employment agencies has surged by a staggering $414 million as organizations turn to overseas sources to fill crucial roles.

The rising spending on recruiters reflects the growing difficulty Australian businesses face in finding qualified talent within the local market. The skill shortage has prompted businesses to seek solutions both domestically and internationally, incurring substantial costs in the process.

This data serves as a reminder of the pressing need for effective strategies to address the talent crunch in Australia. Businesses must explore alternative avenues, such as upskilling existing employees or investing in training programs, to mitigate the reliance on expensive recruitment agencies. Additionally, policymakers and educational institutions play a vital role in fostering a skilled workforce that meets the evolving needs of the Australian economy.

As the talent crunch persists, Australian businesses must remain proactive in their efforts to attract and retain top talent. This may involve implementing innovative recruitment strategies, offering competitive compensation packages, and creating a supportive work environment that appeals to skilled professionals. The challenges presented by the talent crunch require a collaborative approach between businesses, government entities, and educational institutions to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for the Australian workforce.

Airwallex Director of Sales, Lachlan Millist, said the data showed the economy-wide skills shortage was forcing businesses in-house recruiters to look for external support.Our Expenses data shows recruiters are emerging as the winners of the talent crisis, Millist said.

Increased spend on employment agencies suggests SMEs are struggling to find talent in the ongoing skills crisis, forcing them to turn to third parties to resource their teams.

This brings a new cost into consideration for businesses at a time when money is already tight. Businesses need to find cost savings elsewhere so they have access to the talent they need to grow. Too many businesses are paying through the nose for everyday essentials, including on exchange rates and transactions. They may seem insignificant numbers in isolation, but over the course of a few months or a year, it all adds up.

Money management platforms such as Airwallex can help businesses run their business as usual, but at a far lower rate and with real-time transparency on where funds are being utilised.While businesses of all sizes are feeling the impact of a tightening labour market, Airwallex is bucking the trends of many tech companies and actively recruiting for 500 roles worldwide.

Just a few years ago businesses were spoilt for choice when it came to recruitment but now theyre having to be smarter about costs in other parts of their operations to source the talent they need to grow. This is a really tough macro environment for a lot of companies, so being able to track and account for every dollar being spent is important.

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Multi-Unit Franchising Conference American Dream Award Receipt and Family to Run New Poke Restaurant Location

HOUSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aloha Poke Co., the nation's premier fast-casual poke brand, announced the opening of its new Richmond, TX, location within The WoodlandsSugar Land metropolitan area of Houston. The store marks the first for career franchise operator, Baryalay Razi. The Richmond restaurant marks the company's second location in the Houston area and continues the brand's growth in Texas. Long-term development plans include Aloha Poke Co. locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin markets.

"We are thrilled to accelerate our Texas expansion with this new store opening in Richmond," said Chris Birkinshaw, CEO, Aloha Poke Co. "The Houston metroplex is one of the fastest growing and culturally diverse areas in the nation, and we are very excited to expand our footprint within this very important market with several additional locations opening in the coming months." The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area of Houston marks the first for career franchise operator, Baryalay Razi. The Richmond restaurant marks the company's second location in the Houston area and continues the brand's growth in Texas. Long-term development plans include Aloha Poke Co. locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin markets.

"We are thrilled to accelerate our Texas expansion with this new store opening in Richmond," said Chris Birkinshaw, CEO, Aloha Poke Co. "The Houston metroplex is one of the fastest growing and culturally diverse areas in the nation, and we are very excited to expand our footprint within this very important market with several additional locations opening in the coming months."

Having risen through the ranks at Whataburger over twenty years and as a longtime Bojangles franchisee, Razi is no stranger to the fast casual landscape. While Razi's new Aloha Poke Co. locations will drive profits today, he also has an eye towards building a legacy of wealth for his family in the Houston community.

The Aloha Poke Co. experience starts with bowls packed with sashimi-grade fish combined with delicious, whole ingredients. Behind the scenes, restaurants are supported by robust supply chain logistics, a comprehensive technology stack, and extensive staff training. According to industry analysts, the poke market is expected to grow by $1.2B by 2024. Combine all these factors, and Aloha Poke Co. is uniquely poised to meet the growing consumer demand for new, innovative ways to eat healthier while on the go. Aloha Poke Co. makes an attractive business opportunity for a wide range of entrepreneurs looking to participate in this rapidly growing segment of the fast casual/QSR market.

"Aloha Poke is the perfect example of where consumer trends are heading within the fast casual space," added Birkinshaw. "Our fresh, healthful, and customizable menu appeals to a wide range of customers, and we look forward to continued strategic expansion across Texas."

Following a strong 2022 performance, the company recorded +13% comparable store sales in the first half of 2023. This growth is fueled by strong customer loyalty. After their first visit, 80% will return within 2 weeks, and 50% of customers return 2x within 3 weeks. These numbers speak to the strength of Aloha Poke Co.'s brand, menu, and service.

To learn more about Aloha Poke Co. Franchise opportunities, visit https://alohapokefranchising.com, and for more information about the brand, visit the company website at https://www.alohapokeco.com.

About Aloha Poke Co.

Proudly reimagining the idea of fast food, Aloha Poke Co. quickly packs pole-and-line caught ahi tuna, Patagonian salmon raised without antibiotics, and other clean, simple, responsibly sourced ingredients into beautiful, delicious bowls. Founded in 2016 at downtown Chicago's French Market, Aloha Poke Co. and its franchisees have grown to 20 locations throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Mid-Atlantic.

Press Contact: Perry Athanason/TopFireMedia/[email protected]/917.319.2126

SOURCE Aloha Poke Co.
Bond Supports Social & Environmental Projects in New England & New York

BOSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) ("Berkshire" or the "Company"), announced today that proceeds from its inaugural sustainability bond have been allocated to projects resulting in the creation of 330 units of affordable and workforce housing along with more than 200,000 square feet of green building development. Berkshire's Sustainability Bond Report, released in conjunction with today's announcement, demonstrates how proceeds were allocated to support affordable housing, workforce housing, green building and financial access and inclusion projects in communities across New England and New York.

Solara Ecoluxury Apartments Common Roots Brewing

In June 2022, Berkshire became the first public U.S. community bank holding company with under $150 billion in total assets to issue a Sustainability Bond. The $100 million issuance of its 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2032 was used to finance or refinance new or existing social and environmental projects consistent with its Sustainable Financing Framework.

"Berkshire Bank consistently seeks to maximize value creation for our customers, employees, shareholders and communities as we progress further toward becoming a high-performing, leading socially responsible community bank," stated Nitin Mhatre, Berkshire CEO. "Our sustainability bond reflects this commitment in practice as it helped expand our universe of investors and deliver a positive impact to our communities."

Highlights of the projects supported by Berkshire's Sustainability Bond include:

Affordable & Workforce Housing : Approximately 41% of the bond proceeds were allocated to the development of 330 units of affordable and workforce housing in Massachusetts , New York and Connecticut . These projects are expected to provide housing at a rate below the prevailing market rate to individuals and families at or below 60% of the Area Median Income ("AMI") for affordable units and between 60%-80% of the AMI for workforce units.

: Approximately 41% of the bond proceeds were allocated to the development of 330 units of affordable and workforce housing in , and . These projects are expected to provide housing at a rate below the prevailing market rate to individuals and families at or below 60% of the Area Median Income ("AMI") for affordable units and between 60%-80% of the AMI for workforce units. Green Buildings : Approximately 33% of the bond proceeds were allocated for the construction of more than 200,000 square feet of green buildings in Massachusetts and New York whose projects are expected to achieve LEED Gold or Platinum, Net Zero emissions and/or are expected to achieve greenhouse gas emissions performance in the top 15% of their municipal boundaries.

: Approximately 33% of the bond proceeds were allocated for the construction of more than 200,000 square feet of green buildings in and whose projects are expected to achieve LEED Gold or Platinum, Net Zero emissions and/or are expected to achieve greenhouse gas emissions performance in the top 15% of their municipal boundaries. Financial Access & Inclusion: 26% of the bond proceeds were allocated to small businesses located in low-moderate income and/or majority minority census tracts that created jobs, along with the redevelopment and revitalization of a former industrial site within a low-income neighborhood that helped attract new and retain existing businesses and residents.

"The allocation of our inaugural sustainability bond issuance is helping to accelerate our impact and further empower the potential of people and businesses across our footprint. By aligning our capital strategy with our sustainability objectives, we're able to deliver value for our shareholders, innovative solutions for our customers and a net-positive impact for our communities," added Gary Levante, SVP, Corporate Responsibility at Berkshire.

All of the proceeds from the bond were allocated in alignment with Berkshire's Sustainable Financing Framework. Sustainalytics, a Morningstar Company, and the global leader in high-quality ESG research, ratings, and data, independently verified that Berkshire's Sustainable Financing Framework "is credible and impactful and aligns with the International Capital Market Association's (ICMA) Sustainability Bond Guidelines 2021, Green Bond Principles 2021 and Social Bond Principles 2021"*. The subordinated Sustainability Bond issuance also received an investment grade rating of Baa3 from Moody's Investors Service**. Berkshire's full Sustainability Bond Report is available online at berkshirebank.com/sustainable-finance.

Since its founding in 1846, Berkshire has helped finance and innovate businesses, create jobs, grow the economy, and improve the overall quality of life for the people and places its stakeholders care about most. The Company is well known for its commitment to sustainability, equity and social responsibility highlighted by Berkshire's history of philanthropy, its multi-year BEST Community Comeback program, and its Center for Women, Wellness and Wealth.

ABOUT BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP

Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE:BHLB) is the parent of Berkshire Bank. Founded in 1846, the Bank's vision is to be a high-performing leading socially responsible community bank. It empowers the financial potential of its stakeholders by making banking available where, when, and how it's needed through an uncompromising focus on exceptional customer service, digital banking, and positive community impact. Providing a wide range of financial solutions through its consumer banking, commercial banking and wealth management divisions, the Bank has approximately $12.3 billion in assets and a community-based footprint of 100 financial centers in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Named one of America's Most Trusted Companies by Newsweek and America's Best Midsize Employers by Forbes, Berkshire is also listed in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

*Note Regarding Second Party Opinion

Sustainalytics' second party opinion is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement of any securities, product or project, does not constitute investment or financial advice, and does not represent any type of credit or securities rating or an assessment of the issuer's economic performance, financial obligations nor of its creditworthiness.

**Note Regarding Rating

A rating is not investment or financial advice and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. Ratings may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating organization. Each rating agency has its own methodology for assigning ratings and, accordingly, each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating.

Investor Contact Kevin Conn Investor Relations 617.641.9206

[email protected] Media Contact: Alicia Jacobs Corporate Communications 413.242.6540 [email protected]

SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
LANSDOWNE, Va., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Ridge Hospice has significantly expanded its services in Loudoun County, Va., and is now offering inpatient care to patients needing hospice care at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, Va., and providing grief and bereavement support and volunteer opportunities for the community at its newly opened office in Lansdowne.

"As the population in Loudoun County grows and ages, the demand for the trusted expertise and excellent care and services Blue Ridge Hospice provides is increasing. We are constantly assessing the needs of the communities we serve for serious illness, end-of-life, and grief and bereavement care and we scale our operations accordingly. There clearly is a growing unmet need for the comprehensive care we provide in Loudoun County," says Cheryl Hamilton Fried, President & CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice.

Blue Ridge Hospice began inpatient care services at Inova Loudoun Hospital on June 26, 2023, to ensure seamless care delivery for patients facing a life-limiting diagnosis. Blue Ridge Hospice has assembled a dedicated team of hospice care experts committed to delivering the exceptional care and support Blue Ridge Hospice has been known for since 1981, Hamilton Fried explained. The Blue Ridge Hospice team includes hospice physicians, nurse practitioners, a full-time hospital liaison stationed at the hospital, a nurse clinical manager, a certified nursing assistant, a social worker, a chaplain, and compassionate volunteers.

Blue Ridge Hospice also has opened a satellite office, located at 19455 Deerfield Ave., Suite 209, in Lansdowne, Va. While primarily serving as a workspace for Blue Ridge Hospice staff, the Lansdowne Office will host select grief and bereavement support groups, workshops, and events as part of Blue Ridge Hospice's community Grief and Loss Support Services program.

Blue Ridge Hospice also will conduct volunteer training in the Lansdowne office, allowing Loudoun County residents who are passionate about volunteering for hospice to access training closer to home.

"Healthcare and senior living providers in Loudoun County long have encouraged Blue Ridge Hospice to grow our capabilities and services in the area," noted Jason Parsons, Chief Strategy Officer, an Aldie resident who has helped lead the comprehensive expansion activities in Loudoun County. "Our track record of meeting community need, of scoring highest in Virginia on quality measures required by Medicare, speaks for itself. Families want the best for their loved ones, and we agree that everyone deserves to die with dignity and the highest-possible level of comfort."

About Blue Ridge Hospice

Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving friends and neighbors across the northern Shenandoah Valley and northwestern Virginia since 1981. With a mission of "brightening life's journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve," Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Blue Ridge Hospice consistently exceeds the national averages for quality as reported on Medicare's Hospice Compare website. To learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice visit www.brhospice.org, or call 540-313-9200.

Contact:

Emma Dekker-Arellano

(540) 877-4195

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Ridge Hospice
CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The captive portal market may see better user experiences, more personalised marketing options, more robust security and privacy protections, integration with cutting-edge technology, and adaptability to changing network architecture in the future. Please keep in mind, nevertheless, that these are broad tendencies and that individual market developments might change. For the most recent and correct information, it is always advised to contact trustworthy sources.

The Captive Portal Market size is projected to grow from USD 0.9 billion in 2023 to USD 1.7 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Boosting marketing efforts through a captive portal will drive market growth. Captive portals can boost marketing efforts by allowing businesses to customize the user experience, deliver targeted messaging, collect valuable data, engage with customers, integrate social media, and drive upselling and cross-selling. By leveraging these capabilities, businesses can enhance brand awareness, customer engagement, and revenue growth through their captive portal strategies. Captive portals enable businesses to create a branded and immersive user experience by incorporating company logos, colors, and messaging.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Captive Portal Market"

236 - Tables

49 - Figures

246 - Pages

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Scope of the Report

Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2018-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 20232028 Forecast units Value (USD) Million/Billion Segments Covered Offering and End-Use Region covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Companies covered Cisco (US), Aruba (US), Extreme Network (US), Arista (US), Purple (UK), Enea (Sweden), Boingo (US), Netgear (US), IronWifi (US), GlobalReach (UK), Cloud4Wi (US), Skyfii (Australia), GoZone (US), Adentro (US), Anuvu (US), Spotipo (US), Nexnet Solutions (UAE), Performance Network (UK), Cloudi-Fi (France), WifiGem (Italy), Satcom Direct (US), Intelsat (US), Ray (Singapore), WatchGuard (US), Grandstream (US), Keenetic (Germany), Juniper (US).

By offering, the service segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Services include professional and managed services. Captive portal professional services and managed services are additional offerings provided by specialized companies that focus on captive portal solutions. These services aim to assist businesses in effectively implementing, managing, and optimizing their captive portalsServices offered by professionals, specialists, or experts to support businesses are known as professional services. They comprise survey, analysis, and consulting; network planning, design, and implementation services; and training, support, and maintenance services. Service providers offer design and installation services for the cost-effective and secure deployment and management of networks across Wi-Fi infrastructures.

By end-use industry, the hospitality & leisure segment is expected to have the largest market share during the forecast period

The hospitality & Leisure industry comprises hotels, restaurants, cafes, cruise lines, and resorts. Reliable Wi-Fi solutions and services provide consistent, cost-effective, and centrally managed networking, enabling hotel or restaurant staff to manage Wi-Fi networks easily. Captive portals are highly sought after in the hospitality industry because they simplify Wi-Fi access, provide personalized experiences, facilitate effective communication, gather guest feedback, offer data insights, and create monetization opportunities.

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Asia Pacific is expected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period

Captive portal adoption in the Asia Pacific region has been steadily increasing due to factors such as the expansion of internet connectivity, the rise of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, and the demand for secure guest Wi-Fi access. The hospitality sector, retail and public venues, education, and enterprises have widely adopted captive portals. Service providers and managed services cater to captive portal needs, while mobile network operators leverage captive portals for seamless roaming experiences. To obtain the latest information, consulting industry reports and local technology providers is recommended.

Top Key Companies in Captive Portal Market:

The major players in the Captive Portal Market are Cisco (US), Aruba (US), Extreme Network (US), Arista (US), Purple (UK), Enea (Sweden), Boingo (US), Netgear (US), IronWifi (US), GlobalReach (UK), Cloud4Wi (US), Skyfii (Australia), GoZone (US), Adentro (US), Anuvu (US), Spotipo (US), Nexnet Solutions (UAE), Performance Network (UK), Cloudi-Fi (France), WifiGem (Italy), Satcom Direct (US), Intelsat (US), Ray (Singapore), WatchGuard (US), Grandstream (US), Keenetic (Germany), Juniper (US). These players have adopted various growth strategies, such as partnerships, agreements and collaborations, new product launches, and product enhancements, and acquisitions to expand their footprint in the Captive Portal Market.

Recent Developments

In December 2022 , Purple announced a strategic partnership with PBI (the airport's name) to gather feedback from travelers. This feedback will provide valuable insights into travelers' preferences for new amenities and services at the airport and their reasons for travel. By leveraging Purple's real-time analytics platform, PBI aims to capture unique and valuable data to improve the overall traveler experience. This collaboration will enable the airport to create innovative options and meet visitors' expectations in a more informed and targeted manner in the future.

, Purple announced a strategic partnership with PBI (the airport's name) to gather feedback from travelers. This feedback will provide valuable insights into travelers' preferences for new amenities and services at the airport and their reasons for travel. By leveraging Purple's real-time analytics platform, PBI aims to capture unique and valuable data to improve the overall traveler experience. This collaboration will enable the airport to create innovative options and meet visitors' expectations in a more informed and targeted manner in the future. In November 2022 , Purple and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced a long-term business relationship to obtain key contacts and demographic information to understand their customers better and enable effective future communication. DART has selected Purple's top-tier Guest Wi-Fi solution for implementation in their Dallas transport venue, covering 300 access points. Using Purple's solution, DART will gain valuable insights into their customers' behavior and demographics, facilitating targeted and personalized communication strategies.

, Purple and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced a long-term business relationship to obtain key contacts and demographic information to understand their customers better and enable effective future communication. DART has selected Purple's top-tier Guest Wi-Fi solution for implementation in their transport venue, covering 300 access points. Using Purple's solution, DART will gain valuable insights into their customers' behavior and demographics, facilitating targeted and personalized communication strategies. In February 2019 , AT&T expanded its roaming agreement with Boingo Wireless to provide subscribers with enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity at over 80 venues, which include major airports, military bases, and other locations featuring Boingo's Passpoint-certified networks. Passpoint is a standardized hotspot technology that facilitates seamless and secure roaming between AT&T cellular networks and Boingo Wi-Fi networks, ensuring an improved connected experience for users.

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Captive Portal Market Advantages:

Businesses have the chance to interact with users through personalised messaging, adverts, and marketing offers thanks to captive portals. Businesses may personalise their messaging and deliver a more focused user experience by collecting user information throughout the login process, which increases consumer engagement and loyalty.

Businesses can get important client information from captive portals, such as email addresses, demographic data, and browsing habits. Targeted marketing efforts, customer segmentation, and other uses for this data are possible. Analytics technologies that offer insights into user behaviour are frequently included in captive portal solutions, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and improve their marketing tactics.

Through the customization of captive portals, businesses may maintain a unified aesthetic across all of their digital touchpoints. This branding opportunity contributes to user experience cohesion and brand recognition. Business organisations have the freedom to match the captive portal with their corporate identity thanks to the customization choices that extend to login pages, splash screens, and user authentication procedures.

During the login process, captive portals can be used as a tool for monetization by displaying adverts or promoting partner offerings. Businesses may benefit from extra revenue sources in this way, especially in public areas with heavy user activity. Businesses can offset the costs of offering guest Wi-Fi services by making money through captive portals.

Businesses can utilise captive portals to help them comply with rules and laws including terms of service, acceptable usage guidelines, and data protection standards. Businesses can minimise potential legal risks and responsibility by establishing captive portals to make sure users are aware of and concur with these policies.

Report Objectives

To determine, segment, and forecast the global Captive Portal Market by offering, location type, application, vertical, and region in terms of value

To forecast the size of the market segments with respect to five main regions: North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , and Rest of the World

, , , and Rest of the World To provide detailed information about the major factors (drivers, opportunities, threats, and challenges) influencing the growth of the Captive Portal Market

To study the complete value chain and related industry segments and perform a value chain analysis of the Captive Portal Market landscape

To strategically analyze the macro and micromarkets 1 with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the total Captive Portal Market

with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the total Captive Portal Market To analyze the industry trends, pricing data, patents, and innovations related to the Captive Portal Market

To analyze the opportunities for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the Captive Portal Market

To profile the key players in the market and comprehensively analyze their market share/ranking and core competencies 2

To track and analyze competitive developments, such as mergers & acquisitions, product launches & developments, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, business expansions, and Research & Development (R&D) activities

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The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
VANCOUVER, B.C., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Innovative technology is in the spotlight and it's not only large companies seeking to invest.

The latest CartonCloud Logistics Index (CCLI) Report highlights logistics investment to overcome economic conditions while meeting rising customer demands, with the top picks being AI/ machine learning, 3D resource planning, and robotics/automation.

"The world of logistics has moved to the digital realm, and the digitization of the logistics industry has grown significantly in recent years, especially in the United States," said CartonCloud COO/ Head of North America Shaun Hagen.

"We're seeing companies of all sizes gaining access to niche and specialized technology," he said.

"This quarter's report highlighted how companies are utilizing multiple software platforms to build unique tech stacks that reflect the needs of their companies and customers."

"There is a strong industry appetite across North America for technological innovation, and this is no longer confined to the larger players in the industry  small-medium sized businesses are also investing in software to run their businesses and let them offer more to their customers."

The CCLI Q1 2023 report draws on data from over 1,800 members of the logistics industry across the globe, delivering a truly global perspective and providing actionable insights for logistics companies to use as they plan for the future.

Mr. Hagen said the report findings would be used by businesses across America, Canada, and other regions, to optimize operations, stay up to date with trends and future-proof their businesses.

"Equipping our customers and other members of the logistics industry with the most up-to-date data, information, and tools to grow their businesses is a core part of what we do," Mr Hagen explained.

Alongside technical investments, logistics companies in the United States and Canada are also focusing on how they can collect and share data, making outsourcing and industry partnerships more prominent.

"It's a trend we've seen increasing over time, and it goes hand in hand with the intent to invest in technology," Mr Hagen said.

"This laser focus on partnerships and outsourcing has created a greater value, and awareness, of software integrations and software systems that support this flexibility and real-time data sharing."

The CartonCloud Logistics Index Report is free for all members of the logistics industry, and available for download alongside previous reports from the CartonCloud Logistics Index Archive Page .

SOURCE CartonCloud
Fifty-two students to pursue hospitality studies at 12 California colleges

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation announced today it has awarded $164,000 in scholarships to 53 students to pursue hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts degrees at 12 California colleges.

Winners of the coveted scholarships will be celebrated at the Hospitality Foundation's annual gala on Nov. 2, 2023 at the Parc 55 San Francisco, a Hilton Hotel.

"As an industry supporting more than 1.1 million employees in California, we are focused on creating a pipeline for aspiring hoteliers to get their foot in the door and build lifelong careers," said Michael Pace, the Foundation President, and General Manager at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco. "We were truly inspired by the talent and dedication of this year's scholarship recipients and are excited to use these awards to build the next generation of hospitality leaders and help ensure a strong future for the entire California hospitality industry."

This year's award recipients include students from San Diego State University, University of San Francisco, San Jose State, Cal Poly Pomona, California State University, Monterey Bay, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, California State University Long Beach, and California State University East Bay, Monterey Peninsula College and Sacramento State University.

CHLAHF's scholarship committee, comprised of hospitality professionals, reviewed each application, selecting the honorees based on their grade point average, declaration to pursue a hospitality degree and dedicated hospitality work experience.

About the California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation

CHLAHF is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships and research in support of excellence among industry employees and hospitality students. Our aim is to raise the profile and promote excellence in the California hospitality industry. CHLAHF was formed in April 2019 when two large supporters of hospitality education  The Hotel & Restaurant Foundation and The CHLA Education Foundation  combined to support the future of hospitality in California. For more information, please go to https://chlafoundation.org.

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Flohr

916-554-2667

[email protected]

SOURCE The California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation
UOB Vietnam, a subsidiary of UOB, is proud to mark three decades of unrelenting support for Vietnam and its people.

The bank held a gala dinner on Wednesday for clients and partners to thank them for their support and trust.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, it also announced a partnership with Saigon Childrens Charity to power a project to set up computer rooms at five schools in the Mekong Delta over the next five years.

This is expected to help more than 2,000 young students gain access to digital learning and improve their computer skills. The bank has also been supporting the Saigon Childrens Charity this past year to support children in need.

This project is part of the UOB Heartbeat corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, which aims to create sustainable products for caring and inclusive societies.

To mark this momentous occasion, UOB Vietnam is also launching promotional campaigns for its customers.

From now until July 17 the first 300 UOB cardholders who meet certain requirements when spending on their cards will get the chance to win a pair of Apple AirPods 3rd generation (MagSafe) with a limited-edition Paul Smith AirPods Case worth more than VND11.3 million.

Many attractive travel, dining, and shopping deals are also on offer for UOB customers from now until the end of 2023. Details can be found here. Photo courtesy of UOB

UOB is the only Singapore bank to have had a subsidiary in Vietnam since 1993. Thirty years ago, it established a representative office with only three employees. In 1995 UOB became the first Singapore bank to set up a branch in HCMC.

Throughout its 30-year journey, UOB Vietnam has achieved significant milestones, reflecting its dedication to Vietnam's growth and development.

The bank successfully transformed from a branch to a 100 percent foreign-owned subsidiary bank while maintaining steady growth even through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since signing an MoU with Vietnam's Foreign Investment Agency in 2015, UOB has helped over 250 companies invest more than S$5.8 billion in Vietnam, enabling the creation of more than 30,000 jobs.

This year marked another milestone for UOB Vietnam as the bank welcomed 575 colleagues from Citibank as part of its acquisition of Citigroups consumer banking business in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

With an expanded network, more ecosystem partners, and an enhanced suite of products and capabilities, UOB Vietnam is in a good position to serve the needs of its enlarged customer base.

The addition of new colleagues will help drive its ambition to be a truly regional bank that helps its customers achieve their financial aspirations.

As UOB celebrates its 30th anniversary in Vietnam, it is reaffirming its long-term commitment to Vietnam and its people.

Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, said Vietnam is an important pillar in UOB's vision of becoming the number one bank in Southeast Asia.

Therefore, it would continue to encourage international investment and local businesses to facilitate expansion of trade and investment flows into Vietnam, he said.

A man using an UOB ATM in District 1, HCMC. Photo courtesy of UOB

Besides, UOB would also strengthen its capabilities by investing in digitalization and collaborating with ecosystem partners, which would help meet the evolving needs of customers in Vietnam, he said.

"Our vision is to be among the top foreign and consumer banks in Vietnam, as well as an inclusive and forward-thinking organization that cares about its people and puts customers first."

UOB Vietnam is dedicated to doing the right thing for its clients for 30 years and beyond. The bank is also committed to continuing support for the sustainable growth of enterprises in the digital economy through a wide range of activities.

It offers innovative financial solutions to SMEs and large enterprises through digital platforms such as Infinity, UOB BizMerchant, the UOB SME app, and UOB BizSmart.

UOB Vietnam also strives to enhance the customer experience by providing personalized products and services through multiple channels.

For its exceptional performance, it has been conferred a number of prestigious awards in Vietnam and elsewhere in the region.

UOB BizMerchant was named the Best Financial Inclusion Project by Asian Banking & Finance in 2019 and received the Best Financial Inclusion Project award from The Asian Banker in 2020 and the Best SME Bank in Asia Pacific Award for seven straight years from The Asian Banker.

Recently UOB Vietnam was named the Most Innovative Bank for SMEs by The Global Business.

These accolades point to UOB Vietnam's dedication to delivering superior banking services, innovative solutions and outstanding customer experiences.

Besides, as a responsible corporate citizen, UOB Vietnam actively engages in CSR initiatives to keep the good going. These include the UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk and the UOB Painting of the Year.

Driven by a passion to encourage talented artists in their creative pursuits, a flagship regional art competition, UOB Painting of the Year, was launched in Vietnam this year.

Through this competition, the bank aims to uncover and nurture the regions next generation of great artists.

In October UOB Vietnam will welcome the first eight winners in Vietnam who will go on to compete in the ASEAN competition.
MAUMEE, Ohio, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clean Express Auto Wash, a part of the Express Wash Concepts family of brands, is excited to announce the groundbreaking for their eighth car wash location in the Toledo area. The event took place on Friday, July 7th, 2023, marking the beginning of construction for the new Clean Express Auto Wash facility in Maumee, Ohio.

Pictured left to right: Drippy (Mascot), Mark Eichner (Area Manager), John Roush (CEO), and Adam Opalka (Regional Director).

With a mission to provide affordable, top-quality car wash services and truly unlimited wash club, Clean Express Auto Wash has become a trusted name in the industry. Their commitment to customer satisfaction, convenience, and environmental sustainability has earned them a loyal customer base throughout the Toledo area.

The new Clean Express Auto Wash facility will be located on W. Dussel Drive in Maumee, Ohio, ensuring easy access for residents in Maumee and the surrounding Toledo area. This expansion highlights Clean Express Auto Wash's dedication to meeting the growing demand for their services and further solidifies their presence in the community.

"We are thrilled to break ground on our eighth Toledo area Clean Express location in Maumee," said John Roush, Founder and CEO of Express Wash Concepts. "This new facility will enable us to better serve our valued customers in the Toledo area by providing them with our signature fast, affordable, and high-quality car wash experience."

Clean Express Auto Wash takes pride in its state-of-the-art equipment, eco-friendly cleaning solutions, highly trained staff, and truly unlimited wash club, ensuring that every customer receives exceptional service. Their car wash process combines cutting-edge technology with meticulous attention to detail, leaving vehicles impeccably clean and protected.

Express Wash Concepts, the parent company of Clean Express Auto Wash, has a proven track record in the car wash industry. Their expertise and commitment to excellence have led to the success of their family of five car wash brands across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Clean Express Auto Wash invites residents of the Toledo area to experience their exceptional car wash services at their other six existing locations while anticipating the grand opening of the Dorr Street and Maumee facilities. The new location is expected to provide even greater convenience for customers and contribute to the local economy by creating job opportunities.

For more information about Clean Express Auto Wash and its services, please visit Cleanexpresswash.com or contact Jeff German, Senior Director of Marketing.

About Clean Express Auto Wash

Clean Express Auto Wash, part of the family of express car wash brands of Express Wash Concepts, is a leading provider of top-quality car wash services. With multiple locations in the greater Toledo, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland areas, Clean Express Auto Wash combines advanced technology, eco-friendly practices, and exceptional customer service to deliver an outstanding car wash experience.

About Express Wash Concepts

Express Wash Concepts is a trusted name in the car wash industry, operating 90 car wash locations with five car wash brands including: Moo Moo Car Wash, Flying Ace Car Wash, Bee Clean Car Wash, Clean Express Auto Wash and Green Clean Express Auto Wash. With a focus on customer satisfaction, environmental sustainability, and cutting-edge technology, Express Wash Concepts aims to redefine the car wash experience.

SOURCE Express Wash Concepts
FRANKLIN, Tenn., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (NYSE: CHCT) today announced that on Tuesday evening, August 1, 2023, after the market closes, it will report results for the second quarter of 2023.

On August 2, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, Community Healthcare Trust will hold a conference call to discuss earnings results, quarterly activities, general operations of the Company and industry trends. Simultaneously, a webcast of the conference call will be available to interested parties via an Internet link at www.chct.reit under the Investor Relations section. A webcast replay will be available following the call at the same Internet site address.

Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-888-347-1332

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-902-4278

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

Replay Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-877-344-7529

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-317-0088

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9658

Conference ID: 6610916

Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated is a real estate investment trust that focuses on owning income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services in our target sub-markets throughout the United States. The Company had investments of approximately $974.0 million in 181 real estate properties (including a portion of one property accounted for as a sales-type lease) as of March 31, 2023, located in 34 states, totaling approximately 4.0 million square feet.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "will," "should", "seeks", "approximately", "intends", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates" or other similar words or expressions, including the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and can include future expectations, future plans and strategies, financial and operating projections or other forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Because forward-looking statements relate to future events, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the control of Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (the "Company"). Thus, the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements. Some factors that might cause such a difference include the following: general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of the Company's common stock, changes in the Company's business strategy, availability, terms and deployment of capital, the Company's ability to refinance existing indebtedness at or prior to maturity on favorable terms, or at all, changes in the real estate industry in general, interest rates or the general economy, adverse developments related to the healthcare industry, changes in governmental regulations, the degree and nature of the Company's competition, the ability to consummate acquisitions under contract, catastrophic or extreme weather and other natural events and the physical effects of climate change, the occurrence of cyber incidents, effects on global and national markets as well as businesses resulting from increased inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, labor conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic and/or the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the other factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company intends these forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time of this press release and undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT: Bill Monroe, 615-771-3052

SOURCE Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.
SHENZHEN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers, is thrilled to announce the launch of its newest product, the K1 Max 3D Printer. With a better price and innovative features, the K1 Max aims to make high-quality 3D printing accessible to a wider audience.

The K1 Max was priced at $999 when it was first unveiled. To express its gratitude to users for their patience and anticipation for the product as well as their feedback and suggestions, Creality has decided to lower the price to $899, making it more affordable for aspiring creators.

The K1 Max boasts an array of impressive features that cater to the needs of both professional makers and hobbyists. Reaching a printing speed of 600mm/s in only 0.03s based on 20000mm/s acceleration and combining the nimble Core XY with a 190g lightweight printhead, K1 Max can be as productive as several 3D printers together, significantly boosting efficiency and kindling people's zeal for 3D printing. To boot, the machine boasts a 300x300x300mm large build volume, enabling rapid prototyping or design verification.

The printer also comes with an AI camera which can watch and alert for anomalies and errors besides real-time monitoring and creates time-lapses for sharing. With the high-speed printing capabilities, large build volume, and AI camera, the K1 Max provides users with an unparalleled 3D printing experience. Moreover, the printer incorporates AI LiDAR technology, further enhancing its performance and accuracy. For more detailed information about the product's features, please visit the Creality product page.

The K1 Max will be available for purchase across all channels starting from July 14th. Customers can visit the Creality online store, Amazon, or authorized dealers to get their hands on this cutting-edge device.

Exclusive Offers on Creality Store K1 Series Purchases

To celebrate the launch of the K1 Max, Creality is organizing exciting activities on its official online store. Customers who purchase the K1 Max  as well as K1 - from the Creality store will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Creality Cloud, valued at $79.99. This membership includes access to over 250 premium models, built-in model slicing capabilities, and cloud printing and monitoring features. For more information about the promotions, please visit the following links:

- US: https://store.creality.com/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Europe: https://store.creality.com/eu/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Germany: https://store.creality.com/de/products/k1-max-ai-high-speed-3d-drucker

- UK: https://store.creality.com/uk/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Australia: https://store.creality.com/au/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Canada: https://store.creality.com/ca/products/k1-max-3d-printer

Creality to Present Amazon Prime Day Discounts

Furthermore, Creality is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, a highly anticipated annual event that offers the lowest prices of the year. As a seller, Creality is proud to provide customers with unbeatable offers on this occasion. Taking place from July 11th to July 12th, this exclusive event offers Amazon Prime members limited-time discounts on select Creality products. Both the K1 and HALOT-MAGE PRO will be available at a special price of $629, reduced from their original prices of $799. Additionally, other Creality products will be offered at discounts ranging from 15% to 30%. Visit the following links to access the Prime Day discounts:

US: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/19E5485F-8B43-45FB-97B3-DB306FF56872?channel=PR

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/0983D76F-3601-4F81-910A-FE1EB04719ED?channel=PR

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/stores/page/AA5C50FF-B1C4-440F-835F-EB0B02EF7494?channel=PR

France: https://www.amazon.fr/stores/page/81B1A979-5C08-4BB3-8653-A6652EDAC373?channel=PR

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/stores/page/0849AD09-5015-4612-A9B0-6CB51472B4C9?channel=PR

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/stores/page/39FA5BA8-6FF1-43FD-958D-2390F8E14103?channel=PR

To chime with Amazon Prime Day, discounts of up to 50% will also be offered during July 10-16 on Creality store. For more details about the promotions, please visit Creality Store.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE CREALITY 3D
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Logicalis today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Charissa Jaganath, Global Head of Responsible Business, to its inaugural Inclusive Channel Leaders list for 2023. Jaganath was recognized for her role in furthering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives within Logicalis. For the first time, CRN is recognizing executives from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose commitments to inclusive leadership are making an impact across the IT channel.

Charissa Jaganath, Global Head of Responsible Business at Logicalis, has been named to CRN's inaugural Inclusive Channel Leaders list for 2023.

The CRN 2023 Inclusive Channel Leaders list honorees are passionate about promoting DEIB across their areas of influence. With this recognition, CRN honors these individuals for their unwavering dedication to inclusivity in the channel and the greater technology industry.

"I grew up as a woman of color in South Africa when apartheid was still very real. I stood in line with my dad to vote in the first democratic election, and remember thinking how unfair it was that access to education and opportunities was different based on where you were born or the color of your skin. That experience shaped my world view, and made inclusivity a focus for me in all aspects of my life and work," said Jaganath. "It's a great honor to be recognized for my inclusion efforts at Logicalis, and I look forward to continuing to impact change in my organization and beyond."

Jaganath joined Logicalis in 2021, where she leverages over 15 years of experience in global corporations and nonprofits to drive Responsible Business, including DEIB efforts, throughout the company. In 2022, she led the development of Architects of Pride, Logicalis' first global Employee Resource Group supporting members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies. Additionally, Jaganath co-chairs the Logicalis Global Inclusion Council, a team of global leaders who work to ensure an inclusive work environment, celebrate diversity, and engage and empower employees to reach their full potential.

"We are so excited to announce this year's honorees and shine a light on their passion and commitment to inclusivity across the channel. Because of their transparent leadership, our work environments are safer and more accepting places where everyone can feel comfortable showing up as the best version of themselves each day," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The channel is a more caring and compassionate place because of them, and we look forward to seeing what great things they do next."

The 2023 Inclusive Channel Leaders list will be featured in the July issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting today at www.CRN.com/Inclusive-Leaders.

About Logicalis US

We are Architects of Change. We help organizations succeed in a digital-first world. At Logicalis, we harness our collective technology expertise to help our clients build a blueprint for success, so they can deliver sustainable outcomes that matter.

Our lifecycle services across cloud, connectivity, collaboration and security are designed to help optimize operations, reduce risk and empower employees.

As a global technology service provider, we deliver next-generation digital managed services, to provide our clients with real-time visibility and actionable insights across the performance of their digital ecosystem including; availability, user experience, security, economic performance and sustainability.

Our 7000+ 'Architects of Change' are based in 27 countries around the globe, helping our 10,000+ clients across a range of industry sectors, create sustainable outcomes through technology.

Logicalis has annualized revenues of $1.7 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

It is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with revenues of over $4.6 billion.

For more information visit https://us.logicalis.com

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter and LinkedIn .

 2023. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company LLC. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Logicalis
The global IT research and advisory firm's new research explains why nonprofits should view data and analytics as a digital enabler rather than a cost

TORONTO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - As nonprofits struggled to pivot when the pandemic disrupted traditional programs and fundraising avenues, they began to implement digital tools to assist their efforts. These tools continue to collect more valuable data than most nonprofits realize. As the use of data-driven approaches for day-to-day operations continues to increase, the need for nonprofit organizations to transform and initiate data programs to keep up with current trends is becoming clear. To support nonprofit leaders seeking to leverage digital data to their organizations' best advantage, Info-Tech Research Group has released its new data-backed blueprint designed specifically for nonprofits.

An organizations data strategy is the vehicle for ensuring data is poised to support the organizations strategic objectives. Developing a robust and comprehensive data strategy ensures the delivery of value and ability to continue delivering on organizational goals long-term. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

The resource, titled Make the Case for Your Nonprofit's Data and Analytics Initiative, was designed to demonstrate the value of data for nonprofit organizations by building a use case repository as the first step in the transformation process. It is also intended to help nonprofits prioritize these use cases by determining how aligned they are to their organizations' strategies, goals, objectives, and capacity.

"Building and fostering a data-driven culture will accelerate and sustain the adoption of, appetite for, and appreciation for data, therefore driving the return on a data investment," says Monica Pagtalunan, research analyst in the Industry Practice at Info-Tech Research Group. "On their data journeys, nonprofits can also prioritize operational excellence use cases to mitigate risk, though this may not push enough boundaries to get the organization excited about a data initiative. Therefore, it's important to consider use cases that drive constituent experience and program innovation."

Research shows that data-driven programs accelerate transformation, with nonprofit organizations that have adopted data and analytics enjoying digital acceleration. The new resource highlights three primary reasons nonprofits should adopt data-driven programs, as outlined below:

Nonprofit organizations are facing unprecedented challenges that have caused changes to the way they provide services. Nonprofits have experienced various pressures over the past three years, including program disruptions, staffing shortages, decreased funding, and increased demand for services.



A digitally transformed nonprofit organization will ensure resiliency while facing external disruptions and internal interruptions. For example, digital giving, virtual events, and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) are all digital areas that have been experimented with to combat changes in consumer behaviors and preferences.



Digital transformation requires being data-driven. Data is the foundational step necessary to support any core organization transformation initiatives. With the addition of digital tools, all of which are flowing with data, this foundation means an organization can build well-honed insights to understand impact and value.

Info-Tech Research Group advises nonprofit leaders to balance their data initiatives with data privacy to ensure personal and sensitive data meets legal privacy and security requirements. Donors and members are important external stakeholders on which nonprofits rely heavily, and the exposure of their data can impact their trust and confidence in an organization.

To access the full research and industry resource, download Make the Case for Your Nonprofit's Data and Analytics Initiative.

For more information about Info-Tech Research Group or to view the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For more than 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
The global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market is experiencing growth due to several factors, including an increase in the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer cases, technological advancements in wound care management, and a rise in new product launches for diabetic foot ulcer treatment.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment Market by Product (Wound Care Dressings, Wound Care Devices, Biologics, and Others), Type (Neuropathic Ulcers, Ischemic Ulcers, and Neuroischemic Ulcers), and End User (Hospital, Homecare Settings, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market was valued at $4.4 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $7.4 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.4% from 2023 to 2032.

Request Sample Report on Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment Market Analysis 2032. Allied Market Research- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/111438

Prime Determinants of Growth:

The global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market is experiencing growth due to several factors, including an increase in the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer cases, technological advancements in wound care management, and a rise in new product launches for diabetic foot ulcer treatment. However, stringent regulations for the manufacturing of wound care dressings and devices are hampering the growth of the diabetic foot ulcer treatment market. On the other hand, the growth opportunities in emerging countries are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the diabetic foot ulcer treatment market in the upcoming years.

Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $4.4 Billion Market Size in 2032 $7.4 Billion CAGR 5.4 % No. of Pages in Report 296 Segments Covered Product, Type, End User, and Region Drivers Increase in the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers Technological advancements in wound care management Rise in new product launches for diabetic foot ulcer treatment Opportunities Growing opportunity in emerging markets Restraints Stringent regulations for the manufacturing of wound care products

COVID-19 Scenario:

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market. Because it led to disruptions in healthcare systems worldwide, routine diabetic foot ulcer care and follow-up visits were postponed or canceled in many healthcare settings.

In addition, many patients with diabetic foot ulcers avoided seeking medical attention or delayed their visits to healthcare facilities due to fear of exposure to the virus. As a result, the diagnosis rates of new cases may have decreased during the pandemic. Delayed diagnosis can lead to more severe ulcers and increased treatment challenges, such as amputation procedures.

However, as healthcare systems resumed normal operations and the pandemic situation recovered, there was a shift towards outpatient care centers which play a crucial role in providing specialized care while reducing the burden on hospital resources.

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The wound care dressings segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period-

By product, the wound care dressings segment held the largest share in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market revenue, and is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. owing to the rise in the number of key players offering advanced wound care dressings, the rise in regulatory approvals, and the growing awareness about wound care dressings in diabetic foot ulcer treatment. On the other hand, the wound care devices segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. Due to the rise in the adoption of wound care devices, ongoing advancements in wound care devices, and the demonstrated effectiveness of devices in promoting faster healing.

The neuroischemic segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period-

By type, the neuroischemic segment held the largest share in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market revenue, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. The same segment would also display the highest CAGR of 5.8% from 2023 to 2032. The growth is attributed to the increasing prevalence of neuroischemic ulcers in the diabetic population.

The homecare settings segment to rule the roost by 2032-

By end user, the homecare settings segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market revenue, and is projected to rule the roost by 2032. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period. owing to the shift in diabetic foot ulcer treatment to homecare settings and the adoption of telemedicine and remote care technologies. In addition, many individuals with diabetic foot ulcers receive ongoing care and treatment at home, facilitated by healthcare professionals or carers, which provides convenience and comfort for patients while reducing the burden on healthcare facilities.

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North America to maintain its dominance by 2032-

By region, North America held the major market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market revenue, and is likely to maintain its dominance by 2032. owing to the rise in the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers, the availability of well-developed healthcare infrastructure such as specialized wound care centers and diabetic clinics, and the growing emphasis on early detection and comprehensive management of diabetic foot ulcers. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2032, Owing to the rising prevalence of diabetes, increasing healthcare expenditure, and increasing awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, which are also expected to boost market growth.

Leading Market Players: -

Convatec Group Plc

3m Company

Company Cardinal Health Inc.

Organogenesis Holdings Inc.

Smith and Nephew Plc.

B. Braun Se

Coloplast

Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corporation

Molnlycke Health Care AB

Essity Aktiebolag AB

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global diabetic foot ulcer treatment market. These players have adopted different strategies such as acquisition, contract, product launch, and product approval to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolios, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greater industry adoption, technology advancements like blockchain and biometrics, as well as a focus on privacy and legal compliance will all contribute to the market for digital identity solutions having a bright future. In deciding the growth and influence of the market, cooperation and interoperability will be crucial.

The global Digital Identity Solutions Market size is projected to grow from USD 34.5 billion in 2023 to USD 83.2 billion by 2028 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.3% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The rise in identity and authentication fraud and increased integration of AI, ML, and blockchain to enhance digital identities drives the growth of the DIS market. Moreover, the high cost associated with the deployment of digital identity solutions may hinder market growth.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Digital Identity Solutions Market"

458 - Tables

48 - Figures

344 - Pages

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Scope of the Report

Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2017-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 20232028 Forecast units Value (USD Million/USD Billion) Segments Covered offering, solution type, identity type, organization size, verticals, and regions Geographies covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Major vendors in the global DIS market include NEC (Japan), Samsung SDS (South Korea), Thales (France), Telus (Canada), IDEMIA (France), GBG (UK), Tessi (France), Daon (US), ForgeRock (US), ImageWare (US), Jumio (US), iProovns. They have a vast workforce and associated networking devices susceptible to identity-related risks. Organizations have offices across regions, forcing them to provide their solution through real-time data acces(UK), ID R&D (US), Refinitiv (UK), OneSpan (US), Smartmatic (UK), Freja EID Group (Sweden), Vintegris (Spain), AU10TIX (Israel), Signicat (Norway), Duo Security (US), Syntizen (India), Hashcash Consultant (US), Good Digital Identity (Czech Republic)

Based on the organization size, the large enterprises segment is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecasted period.

The adoption of digital identity solutions is driven by enhanced security needs for secure authentication and access control in large enterprises. Large enterprises were the early adopters of digital identity solutios to their employees. Additionally, there are no budget constraints in large organizations; therefore, these organizations can adopt the on-premises-based digital identity solution. Organizations are increasingly enhancing their businesses' productivity across regions by adopting digital identity solutions. Additionally, the solution can detect access risk, excess risk, and risk outliers. Hence, large enterprises are expected to increasingly adopt digital identity solutions that comply with various standards and regulations.

By identity type, the biometric segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period

The need for biometric solutions is driven by the demand for a seamless experience for the customer. Digital identity solutions traditionally evolved from passwords to biometric authentication, such as fingerprint, facial recognition, retina or eye scan, handprint, and voice recognition. Lock and capture mechanisms are followed by biometric solutions to authenticate the individuals and enable access to a specific set of services. Compared to conventional keys (or keycards) and password systems, biometric solutions are more secure. These solutions also use multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of protection. Increasing demand for digital identity solutions, identity authentication, ID verification, and others, including compliance management and fraud prevention, is driving the growth of the biometric solutions segment.

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By region, Asia Pacific is to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific includes big developing economies, such as Australia, China, Japan, India, Singapore, and South Korea. With the increase in technological innovations, the Digital Identity Solutions Market is witnessing high growth opportunities in this region. Developing countries, such as India, use digital identities to authenticate their citizens, whereas developed countries use digital identities for more advanced applications, including accessing government services and identification. Various vendors are trying to fulfill the demand for digital identity in the Asia Pacific. For example, ForgeRock, a global digital identification provider, continues its development throughout Asia and the local availability of its ForgeRock identification Cloud from two additional data centers in Hong Kong and Indonesia. With this expansion, ForgeRock's Identity cloud is now available in 17 countries globally. Such expansions are strengthening the growth of digital identity solutions in the Asia Pacific.

The widespread technology implementation across verticals, such as BFSI, retail and eCommerce, and healthcare, in terms of mobility and cloud computing, has led to the increase in customer base and internet users, compliance regulations, and mobile usage, eventually leading to the need to deploy digital identity solutions.

Top Key Companies in Digital Identity Solutions Market:

NEC (Japan), Samsung SDS (South Korea), Thales (France), Telus (Canada), IDEMIA (France), GBG (UK), Tessi (France), Daon (US), ForgeRock (US), ImageWare (US), Jumio (US), iProov (UK), ID R&D (US), Refinitiv (UK), OneSpan (US), Smartmatic (UK), Freja EID Group (Sweden), Vintegris (Spain), AU10TIX (Israel), Signicat (Norway), Duo Security (US), Syntizen (India), Hashcash Consultant (US), Good Digital Identity (Czech Republic) are the key players and other players in the DIS market.

Recent Developments

In May 2023 , iProov partnered with Wultra to provide iProov's biometric solutions suite as part of its portfolio of digital banking solutions.

, iProov partnered with Wultra to provide iProov's biometric solutions suite as part of its portfolio of digital banking solutions. In March 2023 , Thales announced a partnership with the Finnish police. The National Police Board of Finland is planning to launch new biometric travel and digital ID documents.

, Thales announced a partnership with the Finnish police. The National Police Board of is planning to launch new biometric travel and digital ID documents. In November 2022 , ForgeRock launched a cloud-native digital identity governance solution. The new ForgeRock Identity Governance increases enterprise efficiency by combining its digital identity and access management platform.

, ForgeRock launched a cloud-native digital identity governance solution. The new ForgeRock Identity Governance increases enterprise efficiency by combining its digital identity and access management platform. In November 2022 , NEC launched a touchless, multimodal biometric authentication terminal. This terminal integrates face recognition technology with iris recognition technology to provide high levels of authentication.

, NEC launched a touchless, multimodal biometric authentication terminal. This terminal integrates face recognition technology with iris recognition technology to provide high levels of authentication. In November 2022 , GoTyme Bank partnered with Daon. GoTyme Bank will utilize Daon's IdentityX platform to enable digital identity capture and authentication in its mobile app.

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Digital Identity Solutions Market Advantages:

User experiences can be made simple and convenient by using digital identity solutions. Users no longer need to remember several usernames and passwords in order to access multiple online services and applications because they only require one set of credentials. Productivity rises and user happiness is increased by this seamless experience.

Strict regulatory requirements involving identity verification and data protection apply to a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, and government. Digital identification solutions help organisations comply with these rules by putting in place strong security measures and offering audit trails and reporting capabilities.

Privacy-enhancing technologies are used to prioritise user privacy in digital identification systems. To safeguard user data, they frequently use strategies like pseudonymization, encryption, and anonymization. The danger of data breaches and unauthorised data use is lower since users have more control over the personal information they exchange with different service providers.

Organisations may save money by using digital identity solutions. They lessen the need for conventional, tangible identification documents that can be expensive to acquire and verify, including passports and driver's licences. Digital identification systems also automate a number of identity-related tasks, lowering operating expenses and manual labour.

Fighting identity fraud and online scams requires the use of digital identity solutions. In order to safeguard people and organisations from unauthorised access and impersonation attacks, modern authentication techniques and real-time identity verification procedures are used.

and online scams requires the use of digital identity solutions. In order to safeguard people and organisations from unauthorised access and impersonation attacks, modern authentication techniques and real-time identity verification procedures are used. Solutions for digital identity are very scalable and flexible for a range of user populations and use cases. They can manage varying authentication requirements across multiple channels, including web, mobile, and IoT devices, and they can accommodate millions of users.

Report Objectives

To define, describe, and forecast the Digital Identity Solutions Market by offering (solutions and services), solution type, identity type, organization size, vertical, and region

To provide detailed information about the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) influencing market growth

To analyze the opportunities in the market and provide details of the competitive landscape for stakeholders and market leaders

To forecast the market size of the segments concerning five main regions: North America , Europe , Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific (APAC), and Latin America

, , and (MEA), (APAC), and To profile key players and comprehensively analyze their market rankings and core competencies

To analyze competitive developments, such as acquisitions, product developments, and partnerships, in the market

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MONTREAL, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Dollarama Inc. (TSX: DOL) ("Dollarama" or the "Corporation") today announced that J.P. Towner, Chief Financial Officer, intends to step down from his position in the coming months to pursue another career opportunity. He will remain in his role to ensure a smooth transition, including through the announcement and filing of the Corporation's Q2 FY2024 results.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors and the executive team, I would like to thank J.P. for his contribution to Dollarama," said Mr. Neil Rossy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dollarama. "It was a pleasure working with J.P. and we wish him the very best in his next chapter."

"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as CFO of an outstanding business and Canadian success story. I have sincerely enjoyed working with such a talented team," said Mr. Towner.

The Corporation has commenced a formal search process for a new Chief Financial Officer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including the expected departure timeline and transition for the Chief Financial Officer position. Forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and on estimates and assumptions made by us in light of current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors could cause future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Corporation's management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2023 and in its other continuous disclosure filings (available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com).

About Dollarama

Dollarama is a recognized Canadian value retailer offering a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items both in-store and online. Our 1,507 locations across Canada provide customers with compelling value in convenient locations, including metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities and small towns. Select products are also available, by the full case only, through our online store at www.dollarama.com . Our quality merchandise is sold at select fixed price points up to $5.00.

Dollarama also owns a 50.1% interest in Dollarcity, a growing Latin American value retailer. Dollarcity offers a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items at select, fixed price points up to US$4.00 (or the equivalent in local currency) in 448 conveniently located stores in El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru.

www.dollarama.com

SOURCE Dollarama Inc.
The Dutch Bros Creative Collective is comprised of 12 talent broista artists

GRANTS PASS, Ore., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dutch Bros is leading the service industry in finding ways to create long term career pathways for its employees with the launch of the Dutch Bros Creative Collective. The Dutch Bros Creative Collective (DBCC) was created with one goal in mind: to help create compelling futures for Dutch Bros broistas who dream of working in the creative field. DBCC is a program for content creating broistas that helps them gain valuable experience while also being compensated at competitive industry rates.

The Dutch Bros Creative Collective (DBCC) was created with one goal in mind: to help create compelling futures for Dutch Bros broistas who dream of working in the creative field.

The selected broista artists now produce and create content for use by Dutch Bros that captures the true vibes of working at the company. These artists are championed to push their creative boundaries while also gaining real-world experience. From photography to videography, any content broista artists create, they can add to their portfolio to help them land future creative projects.

"The DBCC was inspired by our broistas. We constantly saw really rad content being created from our broistas working in the shops. So we thought to ourselves, Why not tap into those who live and breathe our brand every day," said Daniel Jeremiah, vice president of internal brand at Dutch Bros. "After that, it was a no-brainer and from there the DBCC was born. Since the launch of the DBCC, we've seen rockin' content created by our 12 artists and we can't wait to see what else they dream up."

The DBCC is just one of the many ways Dutch Bros looks to highlight its most important brand advocates, broistas. From offering a broista to operator leadership pathway, frequently promoting within, providing an education benefit program and more, Dutch Bros continues to focus on creating compelling futures for any and all.

About Dutch Bros

Dutch Bros Coffee is a drive-thru coffee company dedicated to making a massive difference one cup at a time. Headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, it's now sharing the "Dutch Luv" with more than 750 locations in 14 states. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, an exclusive Dutch Bros Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee. Its rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish.

In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, Dutch Bros is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation and local operators and franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year.

To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit www.dutchbros.com , follow Dutch Bros Coffee on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , & TikTok , and download the Dutch Bros app to earn points and score rewards!

SOURCE Dutch Bros Coffee
GUIYANG, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Huanqiu.com:

The Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 kicked off on July 8. More than 2,500 representatives exchanged ideas on the theme "Pursuing Modernization of Harmony between Human and Nature  Promoting Green and Low-carbon Development" as well as topics such as international exchange and cooperation and eco-conservation and pollution control.

Building common grounds for the international community

Enhancing international exchange and cooperation stood as an important topic. According to Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China and head of the OECD Beijing Office, to protect eco-environment and tackle climate change, countries need to come together in communication and exchanges and work out solutions.

Dr. Ma Chaode, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in China said that the Eco Forum Global Guiyang was a warmup for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) to be held at the end of the year, and created opportunities for the international community to reach consensus.

Lessons of China's green development practices

At the Forum, China's dedication to promoting ecological conservation and tackling climate change was highlighted.

"We should be aware that climate change and environmental deterioration are life-or-death for all of us," said Tim Standbrook, deputy consul general of the UK in Chongqing at an interview, "China leads a pioneering cause by proposing green eco-system development, a transformation and upgrading of the conventional extensive economic growth mode."

Ms. Indira Ranamagary, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal said that Eco Forum Global Guiyang and other platforms provide a good opportunity for her country to learn about Guizhou's successful experiences in infrastructure development, agricultural development and ecological conservation.

Guiyang Declaration is a promise to the future

"Preserving beauty of nature and promoting green development: Towards a high-quality system of natural protected areas", the Guiyang Declaration proposes a comprehensive approach centered around ecological civilization to establish and improve the natural protected area system, promoting global biodiversity conservation and well-being of people, advocates for government leadership and wide social participation, and aims to enhance the diversity, stability, sustainability of ecosystems. The ultimate goals are to advance the high-quality construction of the natural protected area system, strengthen the supply capacity of ecological products, and safeguard ecological security.

Dr. Ma Chaode said the Guiyang Declaration was "a promise to the future, and a promise of realizing the modernized harmony between humanity and nature".

SOURCE Huanqiu.com
Loanne Jeunet started searching for her mother in Vietnam seven years ago, but got no useful leads.

She decided to settle down here to continue her search and be "loyal to my [Vietnamese] roots."

Born Tao Thi Ngoc Thao on January 5, 1994, Jeunet was abandoned at birth. In her third month she was adopted by a French couple from the Go Vap Orphanage in HCMC and taken to Paris.

Jeunet was adopted in 1994 by a French couple when she was three months old. Photo courtesy of Jeunet

Jeunets adopted parents loved and supported her, but she felt isolated throughout her childhood as she faced unspeakable racial discrimination and constantly contemplated her true identity.

"Whenever I would pass by a group of strangers, they would slant their eyes to mock me," she says.

She was called "ching chong," the racist French way of mocking Asians, and was told countless times to "go back to your country."

Things were no better at school, and she was diagnosed with depression at the tender age of seven.

Jeunet recalls how one time when her school told older students to choose one from the younger batches to take care of, she was the only one left out.

"I did not understand why I was left out like that since I had always been the top student in my class."

As the racism got to her, she started crying at nights and telling her adopted parents she wished her appearance were similar to others. Her mother comforted her every time she cried, but admitted to her husband she had not expected to bring Jeunet such pain by adopting her.

They took her to a therapist, but realized it could not fill the void in her heart caused by questioning her origin and why she was abandoned at birth.

"She was insecure, and I thought the only solution was to find her biological mother," her father says.

Jeunet visited Vietnam for the first time with her father at age 10, and they tried to find her birth mother, but got no useful result.

They returned to Vietnam five years later and again visited the Go Vap Orphanage.

This time they were able to find the woman listed as Jeunets biological mother in her birth certificate.

But the woman insisted her child had died at birth. Jeunet was determined and persuaded the woman to take a DNA test.

She had spoken the truth: the test revealed she was not Jeunet's biological mother, and Jeunet then figured out she had been issued a wrong certificate at birth.

Loanne Jeunet and her Vietnamese younger brother, who was adopted two years after she was. Photo courtesy of Loanne Jeunet

Though the main purpose of the trip was not achieved, the 15-year-old was a completely changed person after the trip.

She had been shocked by the poor living conditions in the orphanage, which made her wonder "what if I wasnt adopted?"

She grew increasingly aware of how lucky she was to have a bed, get love from her family members and not have to be worried about the next meal.

Things she saw during the trip made her more positive and cheerful and pulled her out of her depression.

She no longer felt embarrassed about being adopted and having a different appearance to those around her. Whenever someone commented about her hair and skin color since, she began to confidently respond: "Because Im of Asian heritage."

Jeunet started planning to return to Vietnam after growing up and achieving financial stability. So she started working and saving money right when she was in university.

She visited Vietnam in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and sought help from social media groups, organizations that worked to help people find lost relatives, hospitals and the orphanage hoping to get a lead.

She learned how to ride a motorbike and distributed flyers around HCMC.

Many suggested that she should be satisfied with what she had and return to France to live her life instead of making so much effort looking for her mother.

"But I wanted to find my mother, to know who I really was and where I really came from."

She says she has never blamed her mother for abandoning her since she understands what a hard decision it must be for every mother.

Jeunet during a trip to Japan in early 2023. Photo courtesy of Jeunet

As she continued her search, something would briefly give her hope only for it to be dashed.

For instance, she was once told that she resembled the woman who introduced her adopted parents to the orphanage. She asked the woman to take a DNA test but she refused.

Jeunet managed to find a way, however. She sent her own hair to the woman's son in France so that their DNA could be compared. But the results showed they were not related.

With no intention of giving up what she describes as her lifes "mission," the 29-year-old decided to settle in Vietnam in January 2023.

She is learning Vietnamese after realizing language is a barrier, and looking for a job. "I want to talk to my mother in Vietnamese if I ever find her. The day I find my mother will be the happiest day of my life."
CHARLESTON, S.C., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Evening Post Group ("EPG"), a family-owned operating group based in Charleston, South Carolina, is excited to welcome Edward G.R. Bennett, Jr., as Director of Strategy & Legal Affairs.

In his new role, Bennett will work on developing and managing strategic initiatives, while also overseeing legal affairs for EPG.

Terry Hurley, President and CEO of EPG, announced, "I am pleased to have the opportunity to add someone of Edward's background and capabilities to the team as we continue to expand and grow Evening Post Group and the companies we work with."

Bennett, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, was previously an associate at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, in New York, in the firm's Estates & Personal and General Practice groups, where he represented U.S. and international businesses, family-controlled entities and individuals in a broad range of matters. Before that, Bennett worked in the Hanoi office of Vietnam Partners, a boutique Indochina-focused investment bank, and received his M.B.A., J.D., and B.A. from the University of Virginia.

"I am thrilled to be returning to Charleston and joining EP Group at this exciting time as the Company expands on its historic legacy, and I look forward to working with and learning from EPG's dynamic leadership team," said Bennett.

About EPG

EPG is a family-owned operating group based in Charleston, South Carolina focused on acquiring and building exceptional businesses. EPG began in 1896 as a single newspaper and has evolved into an operator of businesses in various sectors, and remains an active acquiror targeting middle market businesses across multiple industries.

SOURCE Evening Post Group
NEW YORK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire Closets, a leading provider of custom closet design, installation, and home storage and organization solutions, is thrilled to announce an exciting offer for clients across Long Island. As an area attracting many young families and up-and-coming city workers, Long Island - specifically Nassau County - is a vibrant region with a growing demand for interior design solutions. Empire Closets' award-winning team is excited to extend their services to the area and help residents revamp their living spaces with customized solutions!

"Nassau County is a vibrant part of Long Island, where young families, students, and city workers are choosing to settle down these days. And this creates a need for a well-organized living space." said a spokesperson for Empire Closets. "Empire Closets is excited to offer our interior design and organization services to help everyone from young families moving into their first home, to college students fitting their entire lives into a cramped dorm or shared apartment! With so many new residents moving into Nassau, it's the perfect time to help make the most out of their space. From creating mudrooms, and adding shelving units, to installing cubbies, and storage drawers within your closets, older homes and apartments on Long Island provide the perfect canvas for our creative touches and installations! We're here to turn your mess into a beautifully organized space that reflects the resident's lifestyle and maximizes overall functionality."

To celebrate their expansion into Long Island, Empire Closets is extending their limited-time offer. Clients can enjoy $500 off any project valued over $3000. This exclusive discount provides an excellent opportunity for residents of Nassau County and beyond to experience the exceptional quality and craftsmanship that Empire Closets offers.

Empire Closets takes pride in their ability to cater to various types of homes and apartments, ensuring that every project is customized to meet the needs of residents. From walk-in closets to reach-in closets, pantries to home offices, their wide range of solutions are here to help you simplify daily life.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to save $500 on your next Empire Closets project! With personalized service, affordable pricing, and fast turnaround times, the team at Empire Closets is here to bring your design dreams to life! To schedule a free, 1-on-1 design consultation, visit their website at empireclosets.com or contact them at 718.712.4244!

Media contact:

Cynthia Bassant

[email protected]

718.712.4244

SOURCE Empire Closets
Two beloved brands bake up limited-edition cupcakes inspired by Entenmann's iconic flavors

ISLANDIA, N.Y., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the best ways to celebrate a birthday is with cupcakes! Entenmann's , the iconic American bakery brand, is kicking off its 125th Birthday joining forces with the expert in birthdays  and cupcakes  Baked by Melissa ! Together, the two brands have created three Entenmann's-inspired, limited-edition bite-size cupcakes guaranteed to make for one sweet summer birthday celebration.

Baked by Melissa and Entenmann's have created three Entenmanns-inspired, limited-edition bite-size cupcakes available for purchase starting July 10th in 25-packs (sold in-store and online) and 6-packs (sold in-store only)!

"As soon as we found out that Melissa was a long-time fan of Entenmann's, we knew we had to tap her to help celebrate our big milestone birthday," said Catherine Danielowich, Senior Brand Manager. "Their expertise in delicious and innovative mini-cupcakes and birthdays, combined with our beloved baked goods recipes, has resulted in a delicious trio of Entenmann's-inspired cupcakes we can't wait for our fans to try!"

The limited-edition cupcakes are available for purchase in 25-packs (sold in-store and online) and 6-packs (sold in-store only) at www.BakedbyMelissa.com, while supplies last. The sweet assortment of Entenmann's-inspired flavors includes:

Devil's Food Crumb, inspired by Entenmann's Devil's Food Crumb Donut, made with chocolate cake, fudge stuffing, and rich chocolate icing, sprinkled with Entenmann's Chocolate Glazed Crumbs.

Chocolate Chip Cookie, inspired by Entenmann's Original Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with yellow cake with micro chocolate chips, gooey cookie dough stuffing, and chocolate icing, topped with an Entenmann's Chocolate Chip Cookie piece.

Party Cake, inspired by Entenmann's Party Cake, made with vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles, creamy vanilla icing, and topped with Entenmann's Rainbow Sprinkle Blend.

"As a kid, many of my after-school snacks were from Entenmann'sI used to eat the topping from the Devil's Food Crumb Donuts before diving into the donut," said Baked by Melissa Co-Founder and CEO Melissa Ben-Ishay. "Entenmann's treats have such a unique flavor that takes me back to those afternoons, and now, I couldn't be more excited to partner with Entenmann's to celebrate their 125th birthday."

For more information on Entenmann's and the brand's 125th birthday, visit www.Entenmanns125.com .

About Entenmann's Bakery

Entenmann's history dates back 125 years to 1898 when William Entenmann opened his first bakery in Brooklyn, New York. By the 1960s the company was selling delicious donuts throughout the New York metropolitan area; by the 1970s it began selling nationwide. Today, the Entenmann's portfolio includes over 100 different baked goods in the U.S., including donuts, snack cakes and pies, cakes, cookies and more, providing a wide variety of delicious baked goods to choose from that everyone can enjoy. Entenmann's goes great with people!

About Bimbo Bakeries USA

Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) is a leader in the baking industry, known for its category leading brands, innovative products, freshness and quality. Our team of 20,000+ U.S. associates operates more than 50 manufacturing locations in the United States. Over 11,000 distribution routes deliver our leading brands such as Arnold, Artesano, Ball Park, Bimbo, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann's, Little Bites, Marinela, Mrs Baird's, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Stroehmann and Thomas'. BBU is owned by Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B de C.V., the world's largest baking company with operations in 33 countries.

About Baked by Melissa

Founded by Melissa Ben-Ishay, Baked by Melissa is the New York-based dessert company famous for its bite-size cupcakes and treats. With the idea that people should be able to taste more flavors without the post-dessert guilt trip, Melissa launched Baked by Melissa in 2008 at age 24. Almost 15 years later, the company operates 14 retail locations in the New York City metropolitan area and beyond, ships nationwide, and has sold over 250 million cupcakes. With gift boxes for every occasion and a wide variety of ever-evolving flavors, Baked by Melissa has become a premier gifting destination across the U.S. Melissa now serves as CEO, and still conceptualizes every flavor the brand offers. Though a self-proclaimed "dessert person," she believes that if you get your nourishment from mealtime, you can enjoy dessert every day. In 2021, this philosophy led to Melissa's popularity on social media, where she has since gone viral with videos of her salads (like the Green Goddess) and continues to share delicious nourishing meals, each developed to deliver the perfect ratio of flavors in every bite and make people happy just like her namesake cupcakes. For more information, visit bakedbymelissa.com

SOURCE Entenmanns
The new expansion will allow to mobilize of 4 million passengers per year.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The expansion of Terminal B of the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) began operations last Friday, June 30, welcoming 189 passengers aboard of American Airlines flight 2925 from Charlotte, United States.

During its first 5 days of opening, has received 60 flights and mobilized 17,923 passengers, operating initially with airlines from North America and with plans to expand to connectivity routes in Latin America and Europe.

Expansion of Terminal B- PUJ Airport

"The expansion of Terminal B is one of our most anticipated expansion projects this year, being an example in the aeronautical world, as there are few terminals in Latin America with this infrastructure design. Its quality can be compared to any airport in the world. We project that, with this addition, the airport will exceed 11 million passengers annually," said Frank Elias Rainieri, CEO of Grupo Puntacana.

The expansion of Terminal B of the Punta Cana International Airport has an investment of more than USD$90 million, and will allow the airport to handle 5,000 passengers per hour and 4 million passengers per year. This project has nearly 35 thousand m, seven boarding gates and seven air bridges. The expansion was developed by Dominican architects and engineers.

"As a company we work to offer unique experiences at our facilities. We hope our visitors will enjoy this terminal. We have great expectations with this extension, which raises the standards of our airport to an international level, because we believe in things such as service, innovation and imagination," Rainieri said.

Terminal B is one of the most modern airport terminals in the region, with signature amenities and services such as a VIP Lounge with a swimming pool and an impressive view of the runway, Fast Track service and a modern food truck area with a wide gastronomic variety.

It also has flight self-registration kiosks, migration with e-gates, 10 state-of-the-art body scanners, 8 tomographic machines and 4 automated machines, making it one of the most modern in terms of equipment in Latin America.

Instagram @puntacanaairport

https://www.puntacanainternationalairport.com/

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2150788/Expansion_of_Terminal_B__PUJ_Airport.jpg

SOURCE Punta Cana International Airport
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are building a better world.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Clement Pappas, CEO of Stateside Vodka, was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Greater Philadelphia Award winner. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. An independent judging panel of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors, and other regional business leaders selected Mr. Pappas among 11 other winners. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

Clement and the proud Stateside Team

Under Pappas's leadership, Stateside has become a disruptive force in the ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail space with its wildly popular Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka and Stateside Vodka Soda lines. Both brands have rapidly become top sellers in the mid-Atlantic and the fastest-growing brands in the entire US.

Pappas accepted the award with humor saying, " It is definitely humbling to be honored alongside people that are curing cancer and solving homelessness while we are just making vodka drinks. But hopefully, we are making people's everyday lives a little more enjoyable."

EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage, and ingenuity have driven their companies' success, transformed their industries, and positively impacted their communities for nearly four decades. Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight, and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries  all supported by vast EY resources. Since 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 US executives.

As a Greater Philadelphia award winner, Pappas is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 National Awards.

About Stateside Vodka

Founded in Philadelphia in 2015 by brothers Matt and Bryan Quigley and industry veteran Clement Pappas, Stateside has become Philadelphia's hometown vodka of choice and a leader in ready-to-drink canned cocktails with its Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka and Stateside Vodka Soda brands. Starting with just three employees and local distribution, Stateside now employs 63 full-time employees, is distributed in 13 states, and is rapidly expanding throughout the US.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth, and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall Award winners go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people, and society and building trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax, and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and describes individuals' rights under data protection legislation is available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

Contact: Denille Meloche

Company: Stateside Vodka

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE Stateside Vodka
TUCSON, Ariz., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon, an RTX business, have successfully completed all developmental and operational testing of the AIM-120D-3, which concluded with an F-16 live-fire of the missile with production hardware and software.

An F-16 fires an AIM-120D-3 in the final required flight test for the missile variant, developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh, known as F3R. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John McRell)

"We are ramping AMRAAM production to a greater rate than ever before in the history of this program," said Paul Ferraro, president of Air Power at Raytheon. "With significantly increased functionality, performance and producibility, and the completion of the flight test program, we are ensuring warfighters can count on having the fifth generation of AMRAAM  and enough of them  in their arsenal."

The AIM-120D-3 is the most advanced variant of the AMRAAM  missile developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) program, which upgraded circuit cards in the guidance section of the missile and allows for continuous agile software improvements. The latest AMRAAM is capable of countering peer threats.

Developmental and operational test of the AIM-120D-3 included captive carry and live-fires from both U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force fourth and fifth generation platforms. The production ramp increases follow recent contracts, such as a $1.15 billion awarded in June 2023 and $972 million awarded in Sept 2022.

About RTX

RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses  Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon  we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Savanah Bray

[email protected]com

SOURCE RTX
Abrupt and unprecedented reductions in channel inventory by customers in North America , Latin America and EMEA started in late-May and materially impacted volumes in the quarter

, and EMEA started in late-May and materially impacted volumes in the quarter On-the-ground consumption by growers remains robust at roughly the same levels as last year

Input costs outlook continues to improve with significant benefit expected in second half

Significant cost mitigation actions initiated, reducing previously expected operating expense in the second half by $60 to $70 million

PHILADELPHIA, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) today provided an update for its expectations on the second quarter and full-year 2023 outlook1. Revenue in the second quarter is now expected to be between $1.00 billion and $1.03 billion. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $185 million to $190 million. The revised guidance is driven by substantially lower-than-expected volumes due to an abrupt and significant reduction in inventory by channel partners, which only became evident towards the end of May and continued through the remainder of the quarter in North America, Latin America and EMEA.

Based on current channel dynamics, the Company is revising its full-year financial outlook with revenue now expected to be $5.20 billion to $5.40 billion. Adjusted EBITDA for the full year is now expected to be $1.30 billion to $1.40 billion.

"Towards the end of May, we experienced unforeseen and unprecedented volume declines in three out of our four operating regions, as our channel partners rapidly reduced inventory levels," said Mark Douglas, FMC president and chief executive officer. "Our full-year outlook for revenue and adjusted EBITDA has been revised to reflect these channel dynamics and their impact to volumes, as well as the benefit from improved input costs and the significant operating cost mitigation actions we have already implemented.

"Even as we manage through this market contraction and significant inventory reduction by our channel partners, on-the-ground consumption of our products remains strong and at similar levels to last year," Douglas said.

Information in this news release is preliminary and excludes the outlook on adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow, which will be updated at the second quarter 2023 earnings call. FMC will announce its second quarter 2023 earnings on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, after the stock market close with a webcast conference call on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET.

About FMC

FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions  including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture  enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,600 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: FMC and its representatives may from time to time make written or oral statements that are "forward-looking" and provide other than historical information, including statements contained in this press release, in FMC's other filings with the SEC, and in reports or letters to FMC stockholders.

In some cases, FMC has identified these forward-looking statements by such words or phrases as "will likely result," "is confident that," "expect," "expects," "should," "could," "may," "will continue to," "believe," "believes," "anticipates," "predicts," "forecasts," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "intends" or similar expressions identifying "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the negative of those words or phrases. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. The forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These statements are qualified by reference to the risk factors included in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the "2022 Form 10-K"), the section captioned "Forward-Looking Information" in Part II of the 2022 Form 10-K and to similar risk factors and cautionary statements in all other reports and forms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Moreover, investors are cautioned to interpret many of these factors as being impacted as a result of the residual adverse impacts of COVID and governmental, business, and societal responses to COVID. We wish to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement.

We specifically decline to undertake any obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements that have been made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.

This press release contains certain "non-GAAP financial terms" which are defined on our website www.fmc.com/investors. Such terms include adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings, free cash flow and organic revenue growth. In addition, we have also provided on our website reconciliations of non-GAAP terms to the most directly comparable GAAP term.

Although we provide forecasts for adjusted earnings per share, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow (non-GAAP financial measures), we are not able to forecast the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Certain elements of the composition of the GAAP amounts are not predictable, making it impractical for us to forecast. Such elements include, but are not limited to, restructuring, acquisition charges, and discontinued operations. As a result, no GAAP outlook is provided.

SOURCE FMC Corporation
CALGARY, AB, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Gibson Energy Inc. announced today that it expects to release its 2023 second quarter and operating results on Monday, July 31, 2023 after the close of North American markets. The 2023 second quarter management's discussion and analysis and unaudited consolidated financial statements will be available on the Company's website at www.gibsonenergy.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Earnings Conference Call & Webcast Details

View PDF Gibson Energy Confirms 2023 Second Quarter Earnings Release and Provides Conference Call & Webcast Details (CNW Group/Gibson Energy Inc.)

A conference call and webcast will be held to discuss the 2023 first quarter and operating results at 7:00am Mountain Time (9:00am Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

The conference call dial-in numbers are:

416-764-8659 / 1-888-664-6392

This call will also be broadcast live on the Internet and may be accessed directly at the following URL:

The webcast will remain accessible for a 12-month period at the above URL. Additionally, a digital recording will be available for replay two hours after the call's completion until August 15, 2023, using the following dial-in numbers:

416-764-8677 / 1-888-390-0541

Replay Entry Code: 138840

About Gibson

Gibson Energy Inc. is a leading liquids infrastructure company with its principal businesses consisting of the storage, optimization, processing, and gathering of liquids and refined products. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the Company's operations are currently focused around its core terminal assets located at Hardisty and Edmonton, Alberta, and include the Moose Jaw facility in Saskatchewan and an infrastructure position in the U.S.

Gibson shares trade under the symbol GEI and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.gibsonenergy.com.

For further information, please contact:

Beth Pollock

Vice President & Treasurer

Phone: (403) 992-6472

Email: [email protected]

Media Relations

Phone: (403) 476-6374

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Gibson Energy Inc.
DUBLIN, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Body Armor Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Level, By Material Type, By Product Type, By Product Style, By Application, By Region, Segment Forecast, 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global body armor market size is expected to reach USD 4.55 billion by 2032, according to a new study. The report gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth.



The market is experiencing momentum, fueled by technological advancements such as dragon skin products and liquid body armor. The demand for modular tactical vests and double-sided combat uniforms is also rising due to their advantages, such as better protection and increased chances of soldier survival.

Leading manufacturers of personnel protection suits are investing heavily in research and development to develop cutting-edge fibers, fabrics, and nanotechnology materials for stronger and more reliable body armor. Modular tactical vests are preferred over traditional outer tactical vests (OTV) as they provide greater freedom of movement.



The escalation of geopolitical tensions and a surge in violent incidents and terrorism have made it necessary for military and law enforcement organizations to equip their personnel with body armor to ensure their safety in different scenarios. However, the level of protection needed for the armor varies based on the threat evaluation of the end-users. While soldiers may require thick armor to withstand high-caliber fire, security guards may not. This has resulted in new procurement strategies by agencies worldwide, increasing demand for body armor.



The global market has seen significant growth recently. It is expected to grow steadily due to increasing demand for advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) for military, law enforcement, and civilians. The rise in terrorist attacks, insurgency, and cross-border conflicts has driven the demand for body armor.

Leading governments worldwide to invest in advanced materials and technologies to create lightweight, durable, and flexible armor that can protect against various threats. Civilians, including journalists, private security personnel, and individuals who perceive an increased threat to their safety, are also increasingly adopting body armor, developing affordable and lightweight options that can be worn discreetly.



The emergence of new technologies, such as graphene and liquid armor, is expected to revolutionize the industry by providing enhanced protection against multiple threats while reducing the weight and bulk of the armor.

Companies Mentioned

BAE Systems Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

U.S. Armor Corporation

DuPont Deenside LTD.

Blank Enterprises Inc.

Sarkar Defense Solutions

MKU Pvt. Ltd.

Safariland LLC

Uvex Group

Avon Protections Systems Inc.

Ceradyne ( 3M )

Body Armor Market Report Highlights

Level III segment accounted for the highest revenue share in the market. The level III armor has characteristics such as light weight, flexible and concealable under clothing.

Composite ceramics segment held a significant revenue share, and it likely to continue its significance over forecast period. Various benefits offered by composite material such as ballistic resistance and higher performance and also lighter than the steel plates.

Overt segment holds the highest revenue share in 2022, due to it gives the protection against large spikes, blades and heavy gunfire.

Online segment is expected to witness highest CAGR over the anticipated period, which is mainly accelerated by growing internet penetration and increasing consumer inclination towards online platforms.

North America dominated the market in 2022, and will continue its trend over the projected period, due to high demand for PPE from law enforcement agencies, private security firms and military forces in this region.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Executive Summary



3. Research Methodology



4. Global Body Armor Market Insights

4.1. Body Armor - Industry Snapshot

4.2. Body Armor Market Dynamics

4.2.1. Drivers and Opportunities

4.2.1.1. Growing demand for ballistic protection gear and claims to protect military forces

4.2.1.2. Increasing adoption of lightweight materials

4.2.2. Restraints and Challenges

4.2.2.1. Optimizing the weight of body armor

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.4. PESTLE Analysis

4.5. Body Armor Industry Trends

4.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis



5. Global Body Armor Market, by Product Type



6. Global Body Armor Market, by Level



7. Global Body Armor Market, by Material Type



8. Global Body Armor Market, by Product Style



9. Global Body Armor Market, by Application



10. Global Body Armor Market, by Geography



11. Competitive Landscape



12. Company Profiles



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fkybov

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.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Medical Devices Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Drug Delivery Devices, Diagnostic Devices, By Application, By End-user and Regional Forecast, 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global medical devices market was valued at USD 827.88 billion in 2032 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.34% during the forecast period. The report gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth.



A medical device is an instrument, apparatus, implant, machine, tool, in vitro reagent, or similar used to diagnose, prevent, help alleviate, treat, or cure disease or other conditions. Unlike pharmaceuticals or biologics, medical devices achieve their goals through physical, structural, or mechanical action rather than chemical or metabolic action within or on the body. Simple, low-risk (Class-I) devices such as tongue depressors, medical thermometers, disposable gloves, and bedpans are examples, as are complex, high-risk (Class-II) devices that are implanted and prolong life.



There is a growing prevalence of chronic disorders, including diabetes, cancer, and other infectious diseases, owing to the adoption of sedentary lifestyles and other factors. Also, healthcare agencies of various countries are focusing on increasing the diagnosis and treatment rates through the growing number of awareness programs. With the rising prevalence and awareness of such conditions among the population, the patient population requiring diagnostic procedures and tests is also increasing.



For instance, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an estimated 537 million people in 2021 suffered from diabetes, which is projected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. Similarly, according to the American Cancer Society, the estimated number of new cancer cases in 2021 was 1.9 million.



The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in decline of elective surgeries and emergency room visits in hospitals. Among the procedures considered to be less serious or which are not life-threatening, such as dental procedures, orthopedic surgeries witnessed a significant decline in the number of surgeries during the pandemic.



For instance, according to a 2021 article published by National Center for Biotechnology Information on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on orthopedic surgery in Chile, there was a decline of 22.8% of orthopedic surgeries during the pandemic with 64% decrease observed in knee arthroplasty and 41% decrease in hip arthroplasty.

The market players offering devices that were prominently used for procedures that were considered elective, such as orthopedic, dental procedures, and other surgeries along with diagnostic imaging equipment witnessed a significant decline in revenues in 2020 as compared to 2019.



Companies Mentioned

Abbott Laboratories Inc

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

Philips Healthcare

Siemens Healthineers (Siemens AG)

Stryker Corporation

Boston Scientific Corporation

Johnson & Johnson

Medtronic PLC

Smith & Nephew PLC

GE Healthcare

Medical Devices Market Report Highlights

Drug delivery devices, are pharmaceutical formulations or devices that help in achieving targeted delivery or Controlled Release (CR) of therapeutic agents in the body. The drug delivery systems are segmented into metered dose inhaler devices, infusion systems, and other Companies

Rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, stroke, cardiomyopathy, and others are expected to drive the medical devices market growth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), large population people died suffering from cardiovascular diseases in 2019 globally

Rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, stroke, cardiomyopathy, have augmented the utilization of the medical devices in hospitals & clinics across diverse geographies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019 a large population across the globe died suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

North America accounted largest market share in Medical Devices Market. This is attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Alzheimer's, obesity, arthritis among others.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary



3. Research Methodology



4. Global Medical Devices Market Insights

4.1. Medical Devices Market - End-Use Snapshot

4.2. Medical Devices Market Dynamics

4.2.1. Drivers and Opportunities

4.2.1.1. Increasing investment in research & development (R&D) activity

4.2.1.2. Growing prevalence of chronic disorders

4.2.2. Restraints and Challenges

4.2.2.1. Risk for data breaches or hacks

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.4. PESTEL Analysis

4.5. Medical Devices Market End-Use Trends

4.6. Value Chain Analysis

4.7. COVID-19 Impact Analysis

5. Global Medical Devices Market, by Type

6. Global Medical Devices Market, by Application

7. Global Medical Devices Market, by End-Use

8. Global Medical Devices Market, by Geography

9. Competitive Landscape

10. Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1zf1w1

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In the first week of July, Russian fighter jets repeatedly harassed U.S. drones conducting missions against ISIS in Syria. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder called on Russian forces to cease this type of reckless behavior and to behave like professional airmen.

In defiance of established norms and protocols, on July 5th Russian jets launched multiple parachute flares at U.S. drones searching for ISIS targets in Syria and flew dangerously close to the drones, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers. In addition, one Russian pilot positioned his aircraft in front of a U.S. drone and engaged the jets afterburner, which greatly increases its speed and air pressure, and reduces the operators ability to safely operate the aircraft.

A second dangerous incident occurred less than 24 hours later on July 6 when Russian military aircraft again dropped flares in front of several U.S. drones conducting their mission against ISIS targets in Syria. Once more Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to the U.S. drones and dropped flares in front of them.

Brig. Gen. Ryder dismissed claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that Russian forces were conducting joint drills with Syrian forces and that the United States had violated air space and deconfliction protocols.

We have been in Syria for many years now fighting ISIS as part of an international coalition, he said. We have rules in place  well established processes and procedures and have successfully deconflicted with the Russians over many years when it comes to safe operations in that region. So to suggest that somehowthis is our fault is ridiculous.

Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, Commander of the 9th Air Force [AFCENT] and Combined Forces Air Component Commander for Central Command, said in a statement, These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both Coalition and Russian forces. We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.
SHENZHEN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the approaching Prime Day 2023, Growatt is offering special deals for its best-selling products. Customers can take advantage of these deals as those portable power solutions will be available directly from Growatt's websites (EU/DE/UK), Amazon, and Walmart.

Growatt has outfitted customers with its portable power solutions for unexpected power outages, off-grid living, and outdoor adventures. These deals begin on July 11th and run in two phases through July 16th.

Growatt Offers Special Deals on Portable Power Solutions Across All Platforms During Prime Day 2023

Ready to Enjoy Exclusive Savings

The biggest Prime Day deals run on July 11th and July 12th. Growatt will provide exceptional discounts on its official websites and Amazon store, marking a new all-time low so far.

VITA 550 is now on sale for 449. Based on customers' feedback, VITA 550 has been improved with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) feature to make sure the electricity supply is always available. It can also easily run the campsite with a 538Wh capacity and 600W output, and it's compact enough to put in the trunk for those who prepare to drive to the campsite this summer.

INFINITY 1300's price falls to 1049. Packed with a 1382Wh capacity and 1800W output, this reliable solar generator can power most devices during outdoor activities and home emergencies without breaking a sweat.

INFINITY 1500 is currently available for 1199, this is a solid price drop and the lowest price now.

Last Chance to Grab the Deals

From July 13th to July 16th, customers can still enjoy huge savings on Growatt's official websites, Amazon, and Walmart, including the latest launched power solutions, combos, and accessories.

About Growatt

Growatt, a globally recognized new energy expert, has been favored by over 3.6 million clean energy enthusiasts worldwide since 2011. Focusing on the field of clean energy generation, storage, and digitalization, Growatt offers all-scenario smart energy solutions to enable energy independence for everyone. As a pioneer in the field, Growatt has accumulated years of experience and has the industry-leading technology to power smarter and more reliable clean energy life for individuals, families, and businesses. Click and learn more about Growatt portable power stations.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2149026/Growatt_Offers_Special_Deals_Portable_Power_Solutions_Across_All_Platforms.jpg

SOURCE Growatt
JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nursing is one of the most in-demand careers in the United States, but obtaining a college degree in this field can be cost-prohibitive for many students.

Graduates of the inaugural Pay It Forward Associate of Science (A.S.) in Nursing Degree Program at Hudson County Community College (HCCC) are toasted by (from center left) Dr. Darryl Jones, HCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Christopher Reber, HCCC President; David J. Socolow, Executive Director of the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA); and Tara Colton, Executive Vice President for Economic Security at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).

To close equity gaps in higher education and to support economic growth, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy partnered with the NJ CEO Council and Social Finance to launch the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program in 2022. The first-of-its-kind in the United States, the $12.5 million program prepares students for careers in growth-fueled industries such as health care, green energy, and information technology (IT). New Jersey Pay It Forward is designed to help participants enroll in and graduate from high-quality academic and training programs. The Pay It Forward Program provides zero-interest, no-fee loans, non-repayable living stipends, access to emergency aid funds, and supportive services like mental health counseling for students. After completing one of the eligible academic or training programs, participants who earn above a minimum salary, such as $49,290 for a family of three, repay their loans, and those funds are then recycled to finance future students.

Hudson County Community College is the first institution of higher education in New Jersey selected to participate in the health care segment of the Pay It Forward Program. The HCCC Associate of Science (A.S.) in Nursing Degree Program was chosen for its proven, high-quality training, and track record of strong employment outcomes, employer relationships, and experience serving diverse learners. The Pay It Forward Program closely aligns with HCCC's overarching principles of dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion, and student success

Nineteen HCCC Nursing Program students were among 100-plus students in the state selected as initial program participants. On Thursday, June 15, the 19 HCCC students graduated from the College's Nursing Program and were celebrated with a toast and a pinning ceremony at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center. Those who helped commemorate the occasion included David J. Socolow, Executive Director of the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA); Tara Colton, Executive Vice President for Economic Security at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA); Emily Apple, Director of Economic Security, New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA); Dr. Christopher Reber, HCCC President; Dr. Darryl Jones, HCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Heather DeVries, HCCC Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment; Dr. Catherine Sirangelo, HCCC Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences; Dr. Lori Byrd, Interim Director, HCCC Nursing Program; and representatives from the NJ CEO Council and Social Finance, the nonprofit designing and managing the program.

"The New Jersey Pay It Forward stipend and emergency funds helped me focus on my classes and worry less," said Eunice Rivera, a graduate of the program who accepted an offer to become an intensive care unit nurse at a nearby hospital. "The no-interest loan helps me stay in the here and now, instead of worrying too much about compounding interest that I would have to pay in the future."

"I commend the students graduating today on their hard work and dedication in making it to this point," said Governor Phil Murphy. "I look forward to seeing the first group of graduates from our Pay It Forward Program go on to succeed in their careers and help enable the success of future cohorts of eager students. I know great things are ahead for each and every one of these nursing students, who will significantly assist communities throughout our state by filling critical roles among New Jersey's health care workforce."

"We are incredibly proud of our first Pay It Forward Program Nursing graduates," said Dr. Reber. "A college degree is the great equalizer on the path to a sustainable career and enjoyable life. It provides the means to secure one's family, and to help our community thrive. We are thankful to the State of New Jersey, Social Finance, and the NJ CEO Council for providing the resources to make students' dreams realities, and for recognizing our Nursing Program as a vital component in helping students attain success."

"It is an honor to celebrate the very first group of students to complete their studies with support from New Jersey's Pay It Forward Program," said David J. Socolow. "Today's pinning ceremony welcomes a new group of highly qualified, skilled, and compassionate New Jerseyans into the nursing profession, where they will deliver vital care to help their patients heal. These new nurses reached today's milestone thanks most of all to their own hard work, but also with support from Pay It Forward zero-interest loans and additional grants that reduced their student debt burdens. I applaud each and every one of them."

"Congratulations to the first graduates from New Jersey Pay It Forward. With hard work and dedication, along with financing and supportive services from the program, they will soon enter the field of nursing. Best of all, once they secure good jobs, they will enable more students to become nurses," said Tracy Palandjian, CEO & Co-Founder of Social Finance.

"As a healthcare anchor institution and co-designer of the program, we've had the incredible opportunity to work with Hudson County Community College to develop career ladders for those wishing to pursue a degree in nursing," said Lourdes Valdes, Corporate Director, Workforce Development and Grants, Human Resources Corporate Services, RWJBarnabas Health. "We're proud to celebrate with the first graduating class, and look forward to continuing to grow our state's workforce along with our terrific partners."

In addition to the Nursing Program at HCCC, New Jersey's Pay It Forward Program serves HVAC and Welding students at Camden County College and Cybersecurity students at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The program aims to add more training programs and to serve more students in the coming years. Governor Phil Murphy has proposed an additional $2.5 million for New Jersey Pay It Forward in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal.

About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers nearly 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools.

HCCC has partnerships with major four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.

The College's commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the "INSIGHT Into Diversity" 2021 and 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this year honoring HCCC as one of seven community colleges nationally to be named "Top Colleges for Diversity;" and the "INSIGHT Into Diversity" 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. HCCC was a finalist last year for the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) "Advancing Diversity Award of Excellence." For the second consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of 20 community colleges in the United States to be named among the "2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges" by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education." The College was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the "Chronicle of Higher Education" as a 2022 "Great College to Work For." HCCC is one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College's cutting-edge "Hudson Scholars" program. The College's exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2023 "Leader College" designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented with the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention by Vector Solutions for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.

About the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program

The New Jersey Pay It Forward Program is a joint initiative of Governor Phil Murphy, the State of New Jersey, the NJ CEO Council, and Social Finance. The Pay It Forward program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, aims to prepare New Jersey residents for in-demand jobs in industries like health care, IT, and clean energy. Learn more at NJpayitforward.com. Social Finance is the nonprofit designing and managing the program.

Contact

Carrie Benjamin, Director of Media & Communications

(857) 340-6064

[email protected]



Jennifer Christopher, Hudson County Community College Director of Communications

201-360-4061

[email protected]edu

SOURCE Social Finance
Investment Community Teleconference Set for August 9, 2023 at 8 a.m. ET

TORONTO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Hydro One Limited (TSX: H), the largest electric transmission and distribution utility in Ontario, plans to release its second quarter financial results the morning of August 9, 2023 before North American financial markets open. A summary of the results will be distributed by newswire and the complete MD&A and financial statements will be posted at www.hydroone.com/investors and www.sedar.com.

Hydro One's management will host a teleconference with the investment community at 8 a.m. ET that same morning to discuss the results and outlook. Those wishing to listen to the teleconference should access the live webcast on the Investor Relations Events and Presentations section of Hydro One's website at www.hydroone.com/investors. A rebroadcast of the teleconference will be available following the call at the same link.

Those members of the North American financial community wanting to ask questions during the call should go to this link (registration link), and you will be provided with personalized dial-in details. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. Other interested parties and media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis.

Hydro One Limited (TSX: H)

Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.5 million valued customers, approximately $31.5 billion in assets as at December 31, 2022, and annual revenues in 2022 of approximately $7.8 billion.

Our team of approximately 9,300 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2022, Hydro One invested approximately $2.1 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying approximately $1.9 billion of goods and services.

We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Leader by Electricity Canada.

Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the TSX and certain of Hydro One Inc.'s medium term notes are listed on the NYSE. Additional information can be accessed at www.hydroone.com, www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov.

For More Information

For more information about everything Hydro One, please visit www.HydroOne.com where you can find additional information including links to securities filings, historical financial reports, and information about the Company's governance practices, corporate social responsibility, customer solutions, and further information about its business.

SOURCE Hydro One Limited
HEFEI, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The iFLYTEK Research Institute recently celebrated the 18th anniversary of its establishment. Since its founding in 2005, the iFLYTEK Research Institute has made increasing strides in the development of A.I. capabilities with clear goals and firm resolve through its years in advancing technology and with its abundant experience.

Over the years, the iFLYTEK Research Institute has committed itself to advancing A.I. development across multiple fields, some notable achievements include:

Developing a multi-factor technical framework that can achieve real-time handwriting recognition based on time sequencing and photoplane modal information;

Releasing the first Chinese industrial pre-trained A.I. Models for speech recognition that are also capable of supporting emotion recognition and more;

Successfully placing 15 papers in the International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing 2023 (ICASSP) that touch on neural speech phase prediction, speech reconstruction from tongue and lip articulation, and incorporating visual information reconstruction into A.I. progressive learning.

The iFLYTEK Research Institute is a widely recognized leader in the development of cutting-edge solutions to meet societal needs. Its efforts led to its inclusion in the MIT Technology Review China "2021 Artificial Intelligence Innovation Research Institute (A.I. Labs) Report" for its role in "solving social rigid needs with systematic innovation."

Through technological innovation at its source, the iFLYTEK Research Institute has made tremendous accomplishments in A.I. development, such as speech synthesis, speech recognition, and cognitive intelligence, while enabling intelligent voice and A.I. solutions to reach ever more users, leading the way in providing their large-scale application in education, medical care, urban management, consumer goods, industry, and more.

About iFLYTEK  iFLYTEK is one of the world's leading artificial intelligence (A.I.) and speech technology companies. For more information, please visit https://global.iflytek.com/.

SOURCE iFLYTEK
National staffing company building new path forward to fill talent gaps for rapidly expanding industry

ATLANTA, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Insight Global, a national leader in the staffing services industry, announced today its division aimed at addressing the shortage of skilled semiconductor talent across the country. With recent research showing that more than one million additional skilled workers will be needed by 2030 to meet demands in the semiconductor industry1, Insight Global is leaning in to assist in identifying, recruiting and developing the necessary workforce.

"We know that the semiconductor industry is projected for continued rapid growth, which means the need for developing, attracting and retaining quality talent is at an all-time high," said Jared Tatham, Managing Director of the Semiconductor Division for Insight Global. "We've spent years researching and working in all aspects of this industry, and we're excited to formalize this division to serve as a strategic industry partner and lend our expertise, skills and workforce acquisition strategies to create best-in-class solutions for our clients."

Insight Global will leverage its network of 65 plus markets to offer an integrated one-stop shop for companies looking to hire talent across the full semiconductor lifecycle, from design to tape-out. Additionally, talent development partnerships are already underway to invest in new upskilling and apprenticeship programs within this field, and to help companies identify new talent pools that include engineers, skilled technicians, IT support staff and more.

"Our goal at Insight Global has always been to use our intense focus, scale and expertise to solve the critical workforce challenges of today to help create a stronger tomorrow," said Bert Bean, CEO of Insight Global. "Given the current growth and demand we're seeing in the semiconductor space, we are laser focused on becoming a leading semiconductor industry partner to bridge the talent gap to help bring more manufacturing work back onto U.S. soil and lean into where the U.S. is seeing significant strength and promise."

Insight Global is looking to serve and support 100 industry clients by year end and is seeking out opportunities in the markets where semiconductor talent is needed most, including Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Portland, Southern California (L.A. and San Diego) and Silicon Valley. With continued investments and growth in the industry, Insight Global is committed to expanding in the markets where additional opportunities unfold with locations including Boise, Salt Lake City, Columbus, upstate New York, Raleigh and Boston on the horizon.

The company's semiconductor division will be onsite at the upcoming SEMICON West 2023, taking place July 11-13 in San Francisco. The conference will focus on the key challenges affecting the global microelectronic industry, including supply chain disruptions, climate change and talent shortages, all of which are necessary to enable a $1T industry. To learn more, or to register, please click here.

ABOUT INSIGHT GLOBAL

Insight Global is an international staffing and services company specializing in sourcing IT, accounting, finance, healthcare, and engineering professionals and delivering service-based solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. With more than 70 office locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and U.K., Insight Global placed more than 50,000 people in jobs in 2022. In addition to staffing services, Insight Global provides culture consulting, DEI training, specialized healthcare and semiconductor staffing and resources, and array of client program through their managed services division, Evergreen. To find out more, visit www.insightglobal.com

1 Deloitte, The Global Semiconductor Talent Shortage

SOURCE Insight Global
NEW YORK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Knowles Corporation ("Knowles") (NYSE: KN) shareholders:

The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that an investigation has commenced into Knowles and certain of its officers and directors regarding potential securities fraud. The investigation concerns, in part, the below:

The investigation relates to Knowles' second quarter earnings report on August 2, 2022 and reduced revenue and earnings guidance for the following quarter.

If you suffered a loss on your investment in Knowles, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.

https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/knowles-class-action-submission-form?prid=41857&wire=4

Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Vincent Wong, Esq.

39 East Broadway

Suite 304

New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212.425.1140

E-Mail: [email protected]com

SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leech Tishman is pleased to announce that Litigation Partner, John J. Jacko, III, was recently presented with a 2023 "Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award" at the Burton Awards Gala, held at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on June 12, 2023. Jacko received the award for his article, "The Doctrine of Implied Honesty in Contract: Is Neither a Slippery Slope nor a "New Vista" of Contract Nullification That Should Concern Businesses or Franchisors," which was published in 8 Emory Corp. Governance & Accountability Rev. 31 (2021). Articles were selected for their clarity, cogency, and persuasiveness. Several former and current Supreme Court justices attended the gala including Justice Stephen Beyer and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, as well as Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who attended via video.

John J. Jacko, III

The Burton Awards is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit program run in association with the Library of Congress, presented by lead sponsor Law360, and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. The winners of the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award were chosen from the nominations submitted by the nation's top 1,000 largest law firms. William Burton, Founder and Chair of the awards program, said, "The winners are truly exemplary, technically skilled, and effective writers. The authors have set a new and even higher standard of excellence." Jacko's article was one of only 25 articles chosen for this honor.

The Academic Board, which reviewed articles published within the past year, was led by Virginia Wise, Chair, formerly of Harvard Law School; Kristen K. Tiscione, Georgetown Law Center; Lindsay Sturges Saffouri, UC Berkeley School of Law, William C. Burton, Founder and Chair of the event; and William Ryan, former member of the Department of Homeland Security and Chair of the White House Plain Language Committee.

Jacko is a Partner in Leech Tishman's Philadelphia, PA and Cherry Hill, NJ offices, and is a member of the Litigation and Employment & Labor Practice Groups. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee. Jacko represents clients in the areas of business and commercial litigation, banking and creditor's rights law, and consultant negligence.

"We are thrilled to see John recognized by the Burton Foundation for his outstanding legal writing skills," stated Pete A. Fuscaldo, managing partner of Leech Tishman. "During his time with Leech Tishman, John has proven to be an outstanding litigator and top communicator; it is exciting to see him honored alongside some of the best writers in the legal profession."

To read the article, click here.

To learn more about Leech Tishman, click here.

Media Contact:

Jessica Ames

412-261-1600

[email protected]

SOURCE Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl LLC
Residents of Sea Breeze Apartments connected with local service organizations that offer social services, community programming and other resources. Additional photos available upon request.

SAN DIEGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Avenue Capital (LAC), a mission-driven acquirer and developer of affordable housing, hosted a Family Resource Day event for residents of Sea Breeze Apartments, which provide high-quality homes for lower-income families in San Diego.

"Our Family Resource Days provide valuable opportunities for our residents to connect with local organizations and discover key resources that are available in their communities," said Lincoln Avenue Capital CEO Jeremy Bronfman. "We are proud to partner with some of San Diego's leading service providers to support our Sea Breeze residents."

The Family Resource Day featured representatives from local nonprofit organizations including SAY San Diego, Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, Family Health Centers of San Diego, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, St. Paul's PACE and YMCA of San Diego. These groups shared information with residents about youth programs, community development, affordable health care and other social services. Residents also received a complimentary meal from a local food truck.

"We are committed to supporting and improving the overall health and wellness of our residents through community events such as Family Resource Days which provide our residents with the opportunity to discover and access local resources, as well as support building a deeper sense of community," said Rebecca Schultz, LAC Vice President of Asset Management.

LAC regularly hosts Family Resource Days at its affordable housing properties across the country in conjunction with Fairview Housing Partners, a national nonprofit affordable housing organization.

About LAC: Lincoln Avenue Capital is one of the nation's fastest-growing developers, investors, and operators of affordable and workforce housing, providing high-quality, sustainable homes for lower- and moderate-income individuals, seniors, and families nationwide. LAC is a mission-driven organization that serves residents across 22 states, with a portfolio of 120 properties comprising 22,000+ units.

About Fairview: Fairview Housing Partners is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to expanding access to quality, affordable homes where they are most needed. Fairview's work includes owning and developing affordable housing properties, including through joint ventures with industry partners; facilitating capital investments that improve the quality, sustainability and resilience of properties; and providing resident services to support the health and well-being of our communities.

SOURCE Lincoln Avenue Capital
NEW YORK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The metaverse market in finance size is estimated to increase by USD 107.06 billion from 2022 to 2027, with a CAGR of 21.33%, according to the recent market study by Technavio. This report also offers a 5-year historical (2017-2021) data projection of market size, segmentation, and region. Discover some insights on market size before buying the full report -Request a sample report

Metaverse Market in Finance 2023-2027: Vendor Analysis and Scope

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Metaverse Market in Finance

The Metaverse Market report in Finance also offers information on the criticality of inputs, R&D, CAPEX, technology, and products of 15 vendors listed Below -

Bank of America Corp., BNP Paribas SA, HSBC Holdings Plc, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, JPMorgan Chase and Co., KB Financial Group Inc., Mogo Inc., National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P, NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd., and Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. Download Sample Report

Chart & Data Table on 5-Year Historic (2017-2021) Market Size, Comparative Analysis of Segments, and Y-O-Y Growth of Metaverse Market in Finance

Metaverse Market in Finance  Market Segmentation

The market is segmented by components (hardware and software), end-user (brokerage firms, investment banks, commercial banks, and others)

The market share growth by the hardware segment will be significant during the forecast period. The hardware segment is expected to register a strong CAGR in terms of revenue . Various types of headsets, smart glasses, and lenses are utilized to interface with the Metaverse platform. This can be a mobile or web-based experience. There are numerous ways that VR and AR can change the finance industry , including in terms of data visualization, virtual trading, VR payments, and virtual branches. Financial transactions using smartphones and other mobile devices are on the rise, and AR can help customize and improve the client experience substantially. It can, for example, find all possible banking channels, thereby providing the user with targeted, location-based promotions and simplifying account management in general.

Geographic Overview

The market is segmented by region (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, Middle East, and Africa). An analysis of key leading countries has been included.

APAC is estimated to contribute 32% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Another region offering significant growth opportunities to vendors in North America . The leading contributors to the market in the region are the US and Canada . The key factors driving the region's market in the region are the presence of key vendors, growing investments in AR technology, rising adoption of technologically advanced applications, and strong research activities. For example, XRHealth, a virtual healthcare provider in the metaverse, raised USD 10 million to expand its services on the metaverse. Hence, such developments will create new growth opportunities for the vendors and will drive market growth in the region during the forecast period.

To procure the data - Buy the report!

Metaverse Market in Finance  Market Dynamic

Key Driver

The integration of VR and AR platforms is a key factor driving the market growth. Banks are planning to expand their presence in the metaverse, which will help them to offer better services to consumers. For instance, using VR glasses, customers will be able to handle all their banking and financial activities from anywhere. Furthermore, the advancement of these technologies will allow banks to manage the digital transition successfully. Hence these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Major Trends

Increasing focus on VR and AR is the major trend shaping the market. These applications enable users to use technology in a more user-friendly way and enhance the applicability of AR for customers. For instance, Google's Project Glass provides access to various AR applications. The growing popularity of virtual fitting rooms is helping users choose the right size and reduce the chances of returns. Furthermore, there is the rapid expansion of AR and VR technologies in various fields. Hence, these emerging trends are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Significant Challenges

The privacy and security concerns of metaverse are major challenges restricting market growth. The metaverse collects and processes vast amounts of information about users, which is a significant challenge for the users. The hackers gain access to the user's device and can collect personal information illegally. Furthermore, there are privacy-related concerns associated with smart gear, such as smart glasses and VR headsets. Hence, these security concerns are expected to restrict market growth during the forecast period.

For Insights on the market dynamics & segmentations VIEW PDF SAMPLE!

What are the key data covered in this Metaverse Market in Finance report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the Metaverse Market in Finance between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the size of the Metaverse Market in Finance and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the metaverse in the finance market across North America , Europe , APAC, South America , and the Middle East and Africa

, , APAC, , and the and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of Metaverse Market in Finance vendors

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The metaverse in e-commerce market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 39.65% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 85,885.22 million. Furthermore, this report extensively covers market segmentation by platform (computer, mobile, and headset), technology (AR and VR, blockchain, mixed reality, and others), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). The growing popularity of AR technology is a key factor driving the market growth during the forecast period.

The metaverse market size is estimated to grow by USD 1,152.35 billion between 2022 and 2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 40.6% during the forecast period. Furthermore, this report extensively covers market segmentation by the device (VR or AR devices and computing devices), component (hardware, software, and services), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The growing smartphone penetration and use of 5G is a key factor driving the market growth during the forecast period.

Metaverse Market in Finance Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 21.33% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 107.06 billion Market structure Concentrated YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 20.59 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 32% Key countries US, Canada, China, Germany, and the UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Bank of America Corp., BNP Paribas SA, HSBC Holdings Plc, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, JPMorgan Chase and Co., KB Financial Group Inc., Mogo Inc., National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P, NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd., and Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get customized segments.

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Component



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global metaverse market in finance 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global metaverse market in finance 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Component Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Component Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Component

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Component - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Component - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Component

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Component



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Component

6.3 Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Hardware - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Hardware - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Hardware - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Software - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Software - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Software - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Component

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Component ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Brokerage firms - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Brokerage firms - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Brokerage firms - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Brokerage firms - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Brokerage firms - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Investment banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Investment banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Investment banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Investment banks - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Investment banks - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Commercial banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Commercial banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Commercial banks - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Commercial banks - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Commercial banks - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.7 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 63: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 64: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 65: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 67: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 69: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 70: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 72: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 77: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 78: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 79: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 80: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 83: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 87: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 89: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 90: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 91: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 92: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 95: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 97: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 99: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 101: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 102: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 103: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 104: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 105: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 106: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 107: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 108: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 109: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 110: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 111: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 112: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 113: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 114: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 115: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Bank of America Corp.

Exhibit 116: Bank of America Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 117: Bank of America Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 118: Bank of America Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 119: Bank of America Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: Bank of America Corp. - Segment focus

12.4 BNP Paribas SA

Exhibit 121: BNP Paribas SA - Overview



Exhibit 122: BNP Paribas SA - Business segments



Exhibit 123: BNP Paribas SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 124: BNP Paribas SA - Segment focus

12.5 HSBC Holdings Plc

Exhibit 125: HSBC Holdings Plc - Overview



Exhibit 126: HSBC Holdings Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 127: HSBC Holdings Plc - Key news



Exhibit 128: HSBC Holdings Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: HSBC Holdings Plc - Segment focus

12.6 IBK Industrial Bank of Korea

Exhibit 130: IBK Industrial Bank of Korea - Overview



Exhibit 131: IBK Industrial Bank of Korea - Product / Service



Exhibit 132: IBK Industrial Bank of Korea - Key offerings

12.7 JPMorgan Chase and Co.

Exhibit 133: JPMorgan Chase and Co. - Overview



Exhibit 134: JPMorgan Chase and Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 135: JPMorgan Chase and Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 136: JPMorgan Chase and Co. - Segment focus

12.8 KB Financial Group Inc.

Exhibit 137: KB Financial Group Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 138: KB Financial Group Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 139: KB Financial Group Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 140: KB Financial Group Inc. - Segment focus

12.9 Mogo Inc.

Exhibit 141: Mogo Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 142: Mogo Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 143: Mogo Inc. - Key offerings

12.10 National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P

Exhibit 144: National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P - Overview



Exhibit 145: National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P - Business segments



Exhibit 146: National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P - Key offerings



Exhibit 147: National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P - Segment focus

12.11 NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 148: NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 149: NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 150: NH Investment and Securities Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.12 Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 151: Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 152: Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 153: Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 154: Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 155: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 156: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 157: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 158: Research methodology



Exhibit 159: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 160: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 161: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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SOURCE Technavio
Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to Beijing in June and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens July visit, testify to the importance of managing the great power relationship between the United States and the PRC.

Secretary Blinken said the United States and the PRC have competing visions for the future: one that upholds a free and prosperous world order based on international norms and rights; and one that promotes an illiberal order that devalues human rights, exercises predatory economic practices, and claims spheres of influence.

We want to make sure in that competition, said Secretary Blinken, our vision prevails.

In the meantime, the two nations must strive for peaceful coexistence, because neither country is going away.

Secretary Blinken acknowledged that Beijings aggression toward Taiwan is a threat to peaceful coexistence and to the agreed-upon status quo.

If you go back to 2016, weve seen Beijing taking actions that suggest that the status quo was not acceptable. And weve seen that in some of the military operations that theyve been engaged in ... Weve seen that in the economic coercion exerted against Taiwan and for that matter, exerted against the countries that have relationships with Taiwan.

Secretary Blinken rejected the PRCs contention that Taiwan is solely a sovereign issue of Chinas:

Fifty percent of commercial traffic, trade, goes through that strait every single day; 50% of container traffic in the world; 70% of the semiconductors that we use from everything from our smartphones to our washing machines to our automobiles make on Taiwan. If there were be a crisis as a result of actions that either side takes...youve got potentially a global economic crisis.

Because of that, Secretary Blinken said, Country after country is going to both of us and saying, We expect the responsible management of this issue to be sustained.

Secretary Blinken emphasized that the One China policy of the United States has not changed. He also said, We are there for Taiwan.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, weve had a long standing policy of making sure that we could do whats necessary to help Taiwan defend itself.

Secretary Blinken said it is essential that the competition between the United States and the PRC not veer into conflict, and that lines of communications are built back up: And I think, he declared, youre going to start to see more engagement in both directions.
BEIJING, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 8, the Ming Dynasty Culture Forum 2023 opened at The Ming Tombs Tourist Center, co-hosted by Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, the CPC Changping District Committee and Changping District People's Government of Beijing Municipality.

Divine Merit Stele in golden evening sunlight (PRNewsfoto/The Publicity Department of Changping District)

Themed "Splendid Ming Dynasty, Glorious Culture", the Ming Dynasty Culture Forum 2023 features one main forum, five themed forums, one international symposium, three culture heritage exhibitions and 10 cultural events that will continue throughout the year. The goal is to further leverage Changping District's advantage as the sole intersection of the three "culture belts" of Beijing, dive into and carry forward the virtues of Ming Dynasty culture, push for creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture in Changping District and help it build a world-famous Ming Dynasty culture research, exchange and experience center, according to the Publicity Department of Changping District.

The Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD) had its special glamour in Chinese history. During the period, a wealth of results were achieved in economy, culture, art, science and technology and other fields, making outstanding contributions to the world's cultural progress. The Ming Dynasty Culture Forum aims to dive into and carry forward the virtues of Ming Dynasty culture, present its distinctive aspects through historical and cultural lens and add new elements to modern life.

The Ming Dynasty Culture Forum 2023 brings together about 60 cultural celebrities, well-known scholars and influencers to share their insights and chart the course for the inheritance and high-quality development of Ming Dynasty culture in the new era.

Combining both academic and non-academic components, the Ming Dynasty Culture Forum 2023 targets specialists and the general public alike and highlights popular and modern elements. The forum will also hold a series of activities such as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture and Tourism Festival and the "Bai Zi Yi" (100-family clothes for a baby's 100-day celebration) flash mob. Digital technology will be employed to create immersive experiences to sell cultural and creative products. All this is designed to help Changping District make Ming Dynasty culture one of its cultural signatures, attract more tourists and increase its visibility and influence.

The Ming Dynasty Culture Forum will continue to fully perform its functions for pooling resources, driving development, pioneering innovation, facilitating communication and exchange and providing service and support. It will work to engage more people, interpret and showcase Ming Dynasty culture in more diverse forms, help improve regional economic and cultural quality and efficiency and make Ming Dynasty culture a great namecard of Changping District.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=441483

Caption: Divine Merit Stele in golden evening sunlight

SOURCE The Publicity Department of Changping District
Expanding On Neiman Marcus Group's U.S. exclusive, Schiaparelli opens their first West Coast shop with the Integrated Luxury Retailer

LOS ANGELES, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus, in partnership with the French Maison, opens Schiaparelli's first West Coast location in the luxury retailer's Beverly Hills store. The permanent boutique is a continuation of Neiman Marcus Group's (NMG) U.S. exclusive, which includes dedicated presence at Neiman Marcus' flagship in Downtown Dallas and Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. The Bergdorf Goodman space was the first boutique for the Maison outside of its Place Vendome atelier  showing the draw of NMG's American luxury customer base.

Schiaparelli boutique at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills Schiaparelli boutique at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills

"Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business. We are brand makers with a powerful history of connecting the world's most luxurious designers to our loyal customer base," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO, Neiman Marcus Group. "NMG is proud to have the largest Schiaparelli footprint of any retailer in the world and it is a privilege to bring such a highly demanded brand to our customers in a new market."

"We strive to offer our clients moments that are exceptional experiences," said Delphine Bellini, CEO, Schiaparelli. "Our boutique-atelier at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills provides such a unique environment, warm and welcoming while immersing visitors into the incredible worlds of Elsa Schiaparelli. Neiman Marcus is an amazing retail partner who understands our unique sense of exclusivity and creative expression and provides the perfect environment. Both Neiman Marcus and Schiaparelli share a common desire to offer customers the most exceptional pieces and inspirational shopping experiences."

The boutique is designed by Creative Director Daniel Roseberry in collaboration with architect Daniel Romualdez. The second-floor shop embodies the Schiaparelli aesthetic with surrealist and whimsical details. Evoking the iconic Place Vendome atelier, it takes inspiration from the brand's rich creative heritage with references to Jean Michel Frank, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali and other culturally defining Schiaparelli collaborators. The boutique is outfitted with a wide selection of ready-to-wear, evening wear, handbags, leather goods, jewelry, and accessories.

"Our presence in Los Angeles has really exploded thanks to the amazing moments we've had working hand in hand with LA based celebrities and stylists," said Daniel Roseberry, Creative Director, Schiaparelli. "I am thrilled that Schiaparelli's ready-to-wear will now be available to more people who love the brand and want to be a part of what we are building here. Each piece is so special and designed with so much care here at the Place Vendome in Paris - it is an honor to finally offer the entire collection to the West Coast."

This month, the Beverly Hills store celebrated the boutique opening with a customer activation, in-store visuals and window displays that embodied the codes of the house. The ground floor of the store featured a limited-time immersive experience with a curated offering of the brand's iconic bags and surrealist accessories collection. In the fall, the celebration will continue with a second client event as Daniel will visit the market. In support of NMG's integrated retail model, customers can also shop Schiaparelli remotely through their sales associate.

"Schiaparelli is the pinnacle of luxury and creativity, at the intersection of art and fashion. The Maison's exclusivity and unique design expression has made an incredible impact within the modern luxury landscape," said Lana Todorovich, Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus. "We are thrilled to partner with the Schiaparelli team to expand their U.S. presence and offer their discerning taste to our customers."

The partnership between Neiman Marcus and Schiaparelli dates back to 1940 when Maison founder Elsa Schiaparelli won one of the first Neiman Marcus Awards for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion for her significant influence on the industry. With Roseberry now at the helm of the brand, the integrated luxury retailer looks forward to continuing the longstanding relationship and bringing the Maison's imaginative designs to the American luxury customer.

#neimanmarcus | @neimanmarcus |@schiaparelli

Link to assets here.

ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS:

Neiman Marcus is a Dallas-based luxury retailer, providing customers access to exclusive and emerging brands, anticipatory service, and unique experiences since 1907. Each day, Neiman Marcus connects with customers worldwide while delighting them with exceptional experiences across a 36-store presence in the U.S., one of the largest U.S. e-commerce luxury platforms, and industry-leading remote selling and personalization technology. From delectable dining and indulgent beauty services to bespoke experiences and exclusive products, there is something for everyone. To keep up with the latest news and events at Neiman Marcus, visit neimanmarcus.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we are delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three channels of in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG|Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com.

For more information and detailed history about the Neiman Marcus Awards, view the Press Kit.

ABOUT SCHIAPARELLI

With her wild imagination and revolutionary approach to fashion, Elsa Schiaparelli instilled a unique creative spirit to 20th Century design. Turning ordinary objects into some of the most memorable creations, Schiaparelli expressed her creative talents through fashion, fragrance, and what we refer to today as "merchandising," blurring the boundaries between creative brilliance and commercial success and developing an innovative business model that is still used by most major fashion houses today.

Elsa Schiaparelli's iconic collaborations with artists like Dali, Cocteau, Man Ray, Jean-Michel Franck, and Giacometti, among others, became legendary. Her legacy has consistently contributed to mainstream culture throughout the decades and continues to inspire people across creative industries and continents. A true artist herself, Schiaparelli is the creative force behind some of fashion's most revolutionary shapes, techniques, and colors, redefining new standards of style and what beauty means. In 1940, she won the Neiman Marcus Awards for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion for her significant influence on the industry. In 2019, the house of Schiaparelli appointed American born designer Daniel Roseberry as Creative Director, based in the iconic Salons Schiaparelli at 21 place Vendome, Elsa's home, and atelier.

www.schiaparelli.com

Media Contact:

Carolyn Wallace

[email protected]

SOURCE Neiman Marcus
Only 9% of People with Parkinson's Disease Receive Care from Movement Disorders Specialists

NEW YORK and MIAMI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study has identified critical gaps in care for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) in the U.S., including disparities affecting women, people of color (those who identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American) and residents of rural areas. Published in the scientific journal npj Parkinson's Disease, the peer-reviewed analysis utilizes 2019 U.S. Medicare data to examine demographics, service utilization patterns, and disparities in care access for people living with PD.

The key findings include:

Only 9% of people with Parkinson's disease receive care from movement disorders specialists (MDS). Tweet this Infographic: Parkinson's Foundation study identifies critical gaps in access to care for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), utilizing 2019 U.S. Medicare data.

Only 9% of people with PD received care from movement disorders specialists (MDS), expertly trained neurologists who can recognize PD's distinct nuances and tailor treatments to each patient.

Of the remainder, 50% of people with PD received care for the disease from general neurologists, and 29% received PD care from primary care providers.

Care access disparities persist for women, people of color and residents of rural areas  each possibly facing challenges receiving diagnosis and treatment.

Although depression affects 53% of people with PD, approximately 2% received treatment from a mental health professional.

Utilization rates of supplemental therapies  including physical and occupational therapy, speech-language therapy and mental health services  were low, with only 20% of people with PD seeing a physical therapist, for example.

"By utilizing 2019 Medicare data that represents 90% of people living with Parkinson's in the U.S., this research provides the most timely and comprehensive study of patients with PD yet conducted," said James Beck, PhD, senior author of the study and chief scientific officer for the Parkinson's Foundation. "These findings underscore the need for better training of general neurologists and other care providers treating people with PD."

The large study population also allowed for a deeper analysis of inequities in care for subgroups historically excluded from PD research. The study is a collaboration between the Parkinson's Foundation, NORC at the University of Chicago, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and co-author Allison Willis, MD, MS, MDS, an associate professor of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

"This impactful analysis reveals the significant gaps in access to both recommended and best practice care for PD," said Willis. "Also, our scientific reporting and understanding of PD has focused on specialty center populations, which these data suggest are a minority of the PD population. Persons who are not accessing recommended or best practice care are likely to experience PD very differently."

The decision to focus on data from 2019 stemmed from the desire to concentrate on care access patterns prior to the disruption in care access brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The timeliness of the data provides a pre-COVID baseline, which could help inform future studies examining changes that took place during the pandemic.

"While a lot of work remains in order to provide expanded care services for people and families living with PD, this is a critical step in understanding the disparities in access to expert care across populations," said Ted Thompson, JD, MJFF's senior vice president of public policy. "Studies like this can paint a fuller picture on the public policy priorities that all people with PD and their families need to live a better quality of life with the disease."

The Parkinson's Foundation estimates that one million people in the U.S. are living with PD, and this number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. Currently, there are only 660 MDS in the U.S., with a total of six practicing in rural areas. There aren't enough expertly trained specialists today for the growing population of people living with the disease. A shortage of MDS can bring challenges in seeking care, including long appointment wait times and unreasonable travel distances. There are opportunities to improve access to specialized care by expanding PD-specific training for healthcare professionals and pursuing strategies that improve access across all population groups. These results will support policy development and future research that dives deeper into access issues faced by beneficiaries, especially those who may not live near the highest-trained specialists.

"Being able to work with a team of specialists who are knowledgeable about Parkinson's disease has made a tremendous difference for me and my family," said Richard Huckabee, who lives with PD and regularly sees an MDS and attends PD-specific exercise classes and support groups. "Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been living with PD for a while, I encourage you to seek the support you need so you can live better with PD."

About the Parkinson's Foundation

The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Foundation has invested more than $425 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $1.75 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; creates a robust open-access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and treatment with its landmark clinical study, PPMI; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at www.michaeljfox.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

About Parkinson's Disease

Affecting an estimated one million Americans, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the U.S. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson's and nearly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Marissa Cruz

Parkinson's Foundation

[email protected]

305-537-9926

Parkinson.org

SOURCE Parkinson's Foundation
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The tenth Mongolia Economic Forum (MEF) continues in Ulaanbaatar today amidst the announcement by the Government of two new bodies to support investment into the country and of new partnerships with Elon Musk's SpaceX and leading geo-location company What3Words. This also follows the recent upgrading of Mongolia's projected economic growth in 2023.

The Prime Minister of Mongolia speaks at the 2023 Mongolia Economic Forum in Ulaanbaatar

2,200 guests from around the world  including leading representatives from global businesses, the third sector and multilateral organisations  are gathering for this two-day event (9-10 July) to discuss how they can work in partnership with the Mongolian Government to deliver its goal of doubling the country's GDP by 2030 and establishing Mongolia as a leading country in the region by the middle of the century.

Vision 2050 and the New Recovery Policy announced in 2022 set a clear strategic direction for Mongolia's sustainable development to inform the Government's wider policy programme. This direction has enabled rapid progress to date and provides the foundation for the latest round of milestones announced this year at the Forum.

This morning the Government announced the creation of the Private Partnership Centre and the Investment and Trade Agency, to support more investment into the country. The Investment and Trade Agency, for example, will provide 'a bridge for business in Mongolia', providing assistance in the protection of investors' legitimate rights and interests, helping expand import diversification and to improve the competitiveness of import substituting industries.

In addition, in his keynote address to the Forum this morning, Minister for the Economy and Development and Deputy Prime Minister Khurelbaatar Chimed outlined the opportunities for investment that exist in Mongolia and the Government's intention to amend the Draft Law on Investment to help facilitate new investment partnerships.

Figures show that the Government's focus on removing barriers to growth through its US$ 49 billion New Recovery Policy  unveiled in December 2021  and Vision 2050 blueprint are continuing to deliver results. Following above-forecast growth of 4.8% in 2022  1.1% of which was attributable to the New Recovery Policy  and growth of 7.9% in the first quarter of this year, the country's growth forecast for 2023 has been upgraded from 5% to 6%. The growth forecast for 2024 is now 6.5%.

This growth, particularly following the pandemic, was made possible by working closely with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Through working together, we achieved remarkable vaccination coverage of Mongolians during the pandemic, with 90% of the target group receiving at least the first dose. This helped us end COVID-19 restrictions in February 2022, and ensured that our mortality rate was five times lower than in other countries. We are delighted that Dr Ghebreyesus has been able to attend this year's MEF.

A key part of our 'Vision 2050' plan is fostering a culture of well-being. Since May 2022, the Government has run a campaign to encourage take-up of early screening and diagnosis services, a key milestone in encouraging the proactive management of our people's healthcare. I am delighted that 1 million citizens have taken part in this initiative so far.

Two announcements of significant new investment in Mongolia have also been made over recent days, underlining the benefits being delivered by the Government's pro-growth agenda:

The Government of Mongolia has entered into an unprecedented alliance with SpaceX , enabling millions of internet users in Mongolia to access high-speed internet through Starlink, particularly benefiting people in rural areas and supporting Mongolia's digital transformation

has entered into an unprecedented alliance with , enabling millions of internet users in to access high-speed internet through Starlink, particularly benefiting people in rural areas and supporting digital transformation The Government of Mongolia has also forged new strategic alliances with technology company What3Words, supporting the use of Optical Character Recognition technology to streamline postal services, and enabling the increased visibility of Mongolia's heritage sites and key tourism spots

The Prime Minister of Mongolia, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, comments:

"I am delighted to welcome guests from around the world to the tenth Mongolia Economic Forum to discuss how we can work in partnership to unlock the economic potential of Mongolia  currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

"This follows two major announcements of additional investment in Mongolia, and the commencement of underground production at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine with Rio Tinto in March, demonstrating Mongolia's growing attractiveness to international investors.

"Our impressive recovery from the pandemic, supported by the Government's New Recovery Policy, provides a strong foundation for tackling long-term barriers to sustained high levels of growth. I welcome the opportunity that the Forum provides to discuss how greater collaboration can help us make even more progress in the years ahead."

This year's MEF, the tenth since the inaugural Forum in 2010, is being co-hosted by the Prime Minister of Mongolia, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rio Tinto Group, Dominic Barton, under the theme of 'Welcome to Mongolia', emphasising the Government's commitment to offering a warm welcome to visitors to the country whether they're travelling for business or tourism. In his own keynote address to the Forum this morning, Mr Barton emphasised that the vision, ambition, resource, and talent that Mongolians have can achieve anything, adding that the strong economic conditions of a decade ago had returned to the country.

Highlights of this year's MEF include:

A dedicated 'MEF Youth' event, exploring how the talent and potential of the majority of Mongolia's population who are under thirty years old can be harnessed to help the country benefit from the technological and economic advances of the 21 st century

event, exploring how the talent and potential of the majority of population who are under thirty years old can be harnessed to help the country benefit from the technological and economic advances of the 21 century Following the Government's declaration of 2023 as the 'Year of Anti-Corruption' , a series of events focused on convening experts from key international organisations to discuss how progress to date in this area can be built upon and Mongolia can learn from best practice around the world. This follows the number of cases referred to the courts by the anti-corruption agency that are resolved having risen from 26% in 2019 to 43% in 2022

, a series of events focused on convening experts from key international organisations to discuss how progress to date in this area can be built upon and can learn from best practice around the world. This follows the number of cases referred to the courts by the anti-corruption agency that are resolved having risen from 26% in 2019 to 43% in 2022 Earlier today, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and leading global environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy announced at MEF the launch later this month of a Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) . By establishing a more sustainable system for the financing of conservation projects in Mongolia , the CTF will help Mongolia achieve its sustainable development and climate change goals

. By establishing a more sustainable system for the financing of conservation projects in , the CTF will help achieve its sustainable development and climate change goals Four plenary sessions and fifteen sub-sessions on topics as varied as the digital economy, food manufacturing, sustainable growth, urban development and capital markets, are being held

A number of Government Ministers are available for media interviews, including in English.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2150557/PM_MEF.jpg

SOURCE The Government of Mongolia
The home of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese honors its Noodles Rewards members with a cheesy good offer during Macapalooza from July 14-16

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Noodles & Company , the national fast-casual chain known for spreading Uncommon Goodness with its globally inspired noodle bowls, best-in-class service, and values-centric culture is going big for National Mac & Cheese Day by inviting all Noodles Rewards members to join in on Macapalooza, a three-day celebration dedicated to Mac & Cheese. From July 14-16, 2023, Noodles Rewards member can snag a regular-sized bowl of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese for only $3 each day.

From July 14-16, 2023, Noodles & Company is celebrating National Mac & Cheese Day by giving Noodles Rewards members access to regular-sized bowls of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese for only $3 each day.

The Number One Spot to Celebrate Mac & Cheese Day

Wisconsin Mac & Cheese is Noodles' most-ordered dish across its menu nationwide, making Noodles the best place to celebrate National Mac & Cheese Day. Noodles & Company sets the standard for mac & cheese with its craveable high-quality ingredients and proprietary cheese sauce. The iconic Wisconsin Mac & Cheese is made with a gluten-free and rBST-free creamy cheese sauce, premium aged cheddars, and decadent elbow macaroni noodles, making it a fan-favorite for more than 28 years.

"National Mac & Cheese Day is not only one of our most coveted days of the yearit's also a day we pay homage to our award-winning dish and our guests who have made Noodles & Company what it is today," said Stacey Pool, chief marketing officer at Noodles & Company. "This year, we decided one day just wasn't enough and created Noodles' Macapalooza to extend our Mac & Cheese celebration all weekend long. Each year we sell more than 13.5 million bowls of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese and go through more than three million pounds of premium cheese sauce to make the famous dish. To further spread Uncommon Goodness, we made National Mac & Cheese Day three times better."

Join Noodles Rewards Today

This National Mac & Cheese Day offer is exclusive to all current Noodles Rewards members and any new members who sign up before or during Macapalooza. Rewards Members can redeem a $3 regular-sized bowl of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese once per day throughout the celebration. Becoming a Noodles Rewards Member is simple. Guests can sign up for free online or via the Noodles Rewards mobile app and will receive the offer in their account to be redeemed that same day.

For even more offers and goodness, new Noodles Rewards members receive a reward for a free entree after their first purchase using their Noodles Rewards account and immediately start earning points with every order. Members also have access to exclusive offers such as birthday rewards and the all-new Extra Goodness platform, which guarantees "always-on" rewards for members.

Guests can conveniently get their noodle-fix via quick pickup, curbside pick-up, or through Noodles' direct delivery service by placing an order online at noodles.com, or the Noodles mobile app. By placing an order with Noodles' direct delivery, guests will receive their fresh Noodles order with prompt, quality service from a Noodles team member with no extended wait times or extra fees. Guests can also get their noodle on by visiting their nearest Noodles location. For more information please visit https://www.noodles.com/rewards/ .

About Noodles & Company:

Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been serving guests Uncommon Goodness and noodles your way, with noodles and flavors you know and love as well as new ones you're about to discover. From indulgent Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to better-for-you Zoodles and Other Noodles, the company serves a world of flavor in every bowl. Made up of more than 450 restaurants and thousands of passionate team members and named one of America's Favorite Restaurants by Newsweek, and one of the Top 500 Franchises by Franchise Times, Noodles is well-known for its delicious noodles and industry-leading team member benefits. Noodles has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and one of America's Best Employers for Women in 2021. Additionally, QSR recently named Noodles one of 2022's Best Brands to Work For, and the Denver Business Journal has called Noodles one of 2023's Best Places to Work for its unique culture focused on Uncommon Goodness and built on the value of "Loving Life," which begins by nourishing and inspiring its communities and every team member and guest who walks through the door. The company has also earned the Women in the Lead Certification for its investment in women-empowering initiatives for its female team members and has proudly partnered with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to build cultural intelligence within its teams. To learn more and to find the location nearest you, visit www.noodles.com .

Media Contact: Danielle Moore; [email protected]

SOURCE Noodles & Company
VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF)  a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, today announced that Payton Nyquvest, Founder and CEO, will present live at the Small Cap Growth 50 Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on July 13, 2023.

DATE: July 13, 2023

TIME: 2:30 pm ET / 11:30 am PT

LINK: https://bit.ly/43mPSpB

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

About Numinus

Numinus Wellness Inc. (TSX: NUMI) helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model - including psychedelic production, research and clinic care - is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society.

Learn more at www.numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Forward-looking statements

Statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the risks set forth in the Company's annual information form dated December 12, 2022 and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Omni Family of Services, a national leader in child welfare and behavioral health, in collaboration with the Hope Research Center and Attend Behavior technology platform, is pleased to announce the formation of the Hope Collective. This partnership has been selected as the recipient of a four-year Tennessee Department of Children's Services ACEs Innovation Grant, funded by the Tennessee State Legislature, beginning July 1, 2023. The Hope Collective is designed to reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) for families throughout the state.

Delivering innovation to child welfare and behavioral health.

This funding will allow the Hope Collective to develop a practice model based on the work of the Hope Research Center to guide family serving organizations. This evidence-based approach improves community outcomes by reducing the impact of ACEs, increasing client goal achievement, and retaining family-serving staff. The Attend Behavior platform will support the project with data collection and evaluation. Over four years, Omni Family of Services staff will receive training and consultation to identify and research best practices in service delivery. Nurture the Next, an in-home parenting support organization, will also participate in the Hope Collective to broaden the impact across Tennessee.

ACEs are traumatic events that occur before a child reaches the age of 18. ACEs include all types of abuse and neglect, such as parental substance use, incarceration, and domestic violence. The CDC-Kaiser ACE study in the 1990s, considered to be a landmark study on ACEs, found a significant relationship between the number of ACEs a person experienced and a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood, including poor physical and mental health, substance use, and risky behaviors. The more ACEs experienced, the greater the risk for these outcomes.

In partnership with Omni Family of Services, Omni Family Institute will manage the project's implementation. With a focus on driving innovation to child welfare and behavioral health, Omni Family Institute delivers evidence-based models and training.

About Omni Family of Services

Omni Family of Services is a multi-state human services agency serving children and adults. Our organization bridges the gap between behavioral and physical health services and social services to help keep kids, families, and the communities they live in strong and healthy. To learn more, visit our website at www.theomnifamily.com .

SOURCE Omni Family Institute
Industry veteran Kathy Jumper named to lead the Southern California financial institution with more than $2.5 billion in assets

SANTA ANA, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Orange County's Credit Union announced today the appointment of Kathy Jumper as its new chief executive officer, effective August 16, 2023. Jumper was selected by the Board of Directors, with the support of Interim CEO Lucy Ito, following an extensive executive search that produced a highly competitive candidate pool.

Orange Countys Credit Union welcomes Kathy Jumper as new CEO.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are delighted to welcome Kathy Jumper as the new CEO of Orange County's Credit Union," said Board Chair Gary Burton. "Her leadership, dedication to the Credit Union movement, and her commitment to the Member and Associate experience align with our mission of 'simple banking, for people, not profit.' We are confident that Kathy will lead the Credit Union to continued success through our people-centered approach with exceptional service that empowers Members to achieve their financial goals."

With 26 years of experience in the financial industry, Jumper brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to Orange County's Credit Union. Named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions by American Banker last year, Jumper most recently served as the chief retail officer at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, where she oversaw 60 branches and drove organic membership growth by implementing innovative membership appreciation strategies and lean process improvements to create smoother and easier processes for members. Prior to joining Members 1st Federal Credit Union, she held senior positions at various financial institutions, including InTouch Credit Union, Fifth Third Bank, and Capitol Bancorp/1st Commerce Bank, among others. In addition, she currently serves on the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) Regulatory and Cyber Committee.

As CEO, Jumper will lead the Santa Ana-based financial services provider, which has over 130,000 Members and over $2.5 billion in assets. Jumper succeeds Ito, who emerged from retirement to lead Orange County's Credit Union for the past year as the Board and executive team searched for a new long-term CEO. The Board of Directors expresses heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable contributions made by Ito, who led and guided the Credit Union while the executive search was underway.

Interim CEO Lucy Ito commented, "I'm deeply grateful for the honor of serving the Orange County community for the past year, and now I am thrilled to hand over the reins to our new formidable leader, Kathy. She embodies the leadership and cultural values our Credit Union Associates and Members deserve, and we look forward to her guiding the future of the Credit Union's culture, strategy, and community impact. Her exceptional ability to spearhead growth initiatives, improve Member experiences, and successfully enter new markets makes her the perfect candidate to lead the Credit Union to unprecedented success for our Associates, Members, and Communities."

Jumper added, "I'm thrilled to join Orange County's Credit Union. For 85 years, Orange County's Credit Union has delivered exceptional Member experience and has built strong connections to the communities it serves."

For more information on Orange County's Credit Union, visit: www.orangecountyscu.org.

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY'S CREDIT UNION

Orange County's Credit Union is a Santa Ana-based financial services provider established in 1938 with more than 130,000 Members and over $2.5 billion in assets. As a not-for-profit financial services provider, Orange County's Credit Union is owned by Members, not shareholders, which means its profits are returned to Members in the form of fewer fees, lower loan rates, and enhanced products and services. Orange County's Credit Union offers services including checking and savings, mobile banking, and retirement accounts, as well as auto, small business, and home loans with mortgage offerings including zero percent down and three percent down options. Ranked in the top three percent of credit unions nationwide based on assets, Orange County's Credit Union offers Membership to anyone who lives or works in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. For more information, visit Orange County's Credit Union's website at www.orangecountyscu.org or call (888) 354-6228.

Media Contact:

Bolt Public Relations

(469) 371-5641

[email protected]

SOURCE Orange Countys Credit Union
In partnership with Trees for the Future, the whiskey brand plants one tree for every bottle sold

GRATON, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Redwood Empire Whiskey, distinct California whiskey made and aged in the ancient forests of the Redwood Empire, has planted one million trees. In 2019, the California brand started its "Buy a Bottle, We'll Plant a Tree" initiative. When customers buy any of Redwood Empire's premium, handcrafted whiskeyeach named after iconic redwood trees like Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey and Emerald Giant Rye Whiskeythe brand plants a tree. Today, Redwood Empire Whiskey is proud to share that since the start of the buy-one-plant-one campaign, one million bottles of premium whiskey have been sold and one million new trees have been planted.

Photo courtesy: Redwood Empire Whiskey

This major milestone has been achieved together with Redwood Empire's tree-planting partner, Trees for the Future. Trees for the Future is a Maryland-based nonprofit organization responsible for planting over 250 million trees since 1989. The esteemed organization provides hands-on agroforestry training and resources to farming communities around the world.

"The Redwood Empire is named after a 420-mile coastal stretch that lies between Monterey Bay and the Southern Oregon border. It is the only place on earth where the venerable and mighty coastal redwoods grow and flourish. Sadly, 95% of the original ancient forest was harvested and never reseeded," says Derek Benham, founder of Purple Brands. "This is the first of many milestones and we are incredibly grateful to our supporters that helped us get here. Drink among giants!"

While this is a milestone for Redwood Empire, they don't plan to stop planting a tree for every bottle sold and hope to hit 2,000,000 sooner rather than later! Sign up for Redwood Empire's newsletter here and follow @redwoodempirewhiskey for future tree events.

To learn more about Redwood Empire's partnership with Trees for the Future, please visit https://redwoodempirewhiskey.com/partnership/.

About Redwood Empire Whiskey:

Redwood Empire Whiskey is a distinct California whiskey made and aged in the ancient forests of the Redwood Empire, a cool fog belt that stretches from San Francisco north along the coast to the Oregon border. Founder Derek Benham and master distiller Jeff Duckhorn recognized that the region's temperate climate and humidity would allow for a slow, even extraction of flavor during the whiskey aging process. In 2015, they began selecting older barrels from like-minded distilleries across the nation and blending them with their own distillate in Sonoma County. Now with the largest rick house in California, Redwood Empire Whiskey reserves more of its own distillate for 100% grain-to-glass expressions and increasingly features aged whiskeys distilled onsite. The result is consistently complex, bold and balanced. Inspired by John Muir and the old growth forests he sought to protect, they partner with Trees for the Future and One Tree Planted, by planting one tree for every bottle sold  to date they've surpassed 1,000,000 trees planted.

SOURCE Redwood Empire Whiskey
Leading Franchise Retailer Announces Winning Family for 2023 Father's Day Giveaway

TAMPA, Fla., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RNR Tire Express, a national franchise leader in the tire and wheel industry, is wrapping up the quarter in celebration after announcing the winner of their 2023 Father's Day Giveaway. The annual initiative recognizes deserving fathers around the country, with one grand prize recipient being selected to take home a one-of-a-kind gift for themselves and their family. As mentioned earlier in the month, this year's prize was an Indiana Jones-styled, all-expense-paid trip to Disneyland in California.

Efrim Johnson was surprised with that grand prize just days ago after having been nominated by his wife Tracy. She shared stories of her husband's constant efforts to provide for country, community, and family as a former United States Marine, a volunteer firefighter, corrections officer, and, most importantly, as a father of 2.

Efrim even started a program through the family's church back in 2014 called Men on a Mission. A program that connects fathers and sons with widows throughout the region in need of home repairs and services.

"There are few people that go above and beyond the way that a father does for his family," says Larry Sutton, Founder and CEO of RNR Tire Express. "Hearing the countless stories that come in from all across the nation on fathers who are going the extra mile truly drives that point home, and makes this yearly give-back effort all the more rewarding for our entire team."

RNR has a substantial track record of celebrating the Mother's and Father's Day holidays with free sets of tires and brand-new vehicles for select winners. And while that isn't something the team is turning its attention away from, this year's grand prize was meant to offer a deserving father with something more valuable than any inanimate object the franchise could ever offer; a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with those closest to him.

"It means the world to me  more than she'll ever know  that my wife took it upon herself to go above and beyond in nominating me for such an extraordinary gift; especially one that will give my family and I memories to last a lifetime," Efrim shared. "We can't wait to enjoy a much-needed reprieve in Disneyland and couldn't be more appreciative of the generosity shown to us by the team at RNR Tire Express."

For more information on the RNR Tire Express Father's Day Giveaway, visit http://www.rnrtires.com/win.

About RNR Tire Express:

RNR Tire Express is a national franchise retailer of quality tires and custom wheels known for their customer-centric, flexible lease-to-own payment options. Established in 2000 by rent-to-own veteran, Larry Sutton, RNR has grown to over 184 locations in 28 states. The brand ranked No. 237 in Franchise Times' Top 500 list for 2022, and was also recognized by Inc. magazine as one of America's fastest-growing private companies. Most recently, RNR was ranked No. 170 in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2023 Franchise 500 ranking and #1 in the Tires and Wheels category. RNR Tire Express is seeking qualified multi-unit franchisees to expand even further nationally with prime markets available throughout the country.

Media Contact: Seth Goodman, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected], 847-945-1300

SOURCE RNR Tire Express
New York-listed Apollo Global Management Inc. Has raised its capital commitment to the Global Schools Group (GSG), which aims to spend USD 1.5-USD 2 billion over the next few years on the acquisitions and mergers of Ivy League K12 schools. Apollo is doubling its initially provided long-term funding in 2021, enabling GSG to ramp up its investments of over USD 650 million and to complete initial transactions in the European and UK markets while consolidating its existing presence in Asia and the Middle East, GSGs Indian-origin parent group Global Schools Foundation (GSF) announced. The expectation is to further deploy USD 1.5 to 2 billion over the next few years, accelerating the companys global expansion through merger and acquisition of leading, super-premium, and Ivy League K12 schools, GSF said.In the past three years, GSG has completed over 25 acquisitions, enrolling over 20,000 students across Asia and the Middle East. Recent transactions include the 100 percent acquisition of Dwight School, Seoul, South Korea; Glendale Academy, Hyderabad; Silveroaks International School, India; Vikaasa Schools, Madurai, India; Regent International Schools, Malaysia; CISM, Philippines; and Harrods International Academy, Cambodia.GSF chairman Atul Temurnikar said, GSF aspires to become one of the top five leading K12 platforms in the world. Apollos hybrid value business was a perfect capital solution for our long-term needs". Mathew Michellini, partner and head of Apollo Asia Pacific, said Funds within Apollos hybrid value strategy have committed to upsizing their existing investment in Singapore-based education company GSG to help accelerate the companys global expansion.Gaurav Pant, partner at Apollo Singapore, said, GSG has shown tremendous leadership and vision in executing an Asia-led global education platform. The team is passionate about creating and delivering the best learning outcomes for all our students wherever they are globally". And Apollo is truly fortunate to play our part in this transformational journey, he said.A portion of the capital is committed to the Global Village in Singapore, 6,00,000 sq ft of built-to-suit futuristic educational space accommodating two super-advanced international schools Global Indian International School and One World International School. In 2021, GSG was recognized as the Worlds Most Awarded Network of Schools by the UK-based World Book of Records, having received over 500 awards for innovation, green initiatives, and performance and business excellence.GSGs strengths lie in using proprietary learning technology and incorporating data analytics and artificial intelligence to accelerate students learning outcomes. Founded in 2002, the Singapore-headquartered GSF is a community-oriented education institution that has grown to 40,000 students across 40 campuses in 11 countries in the UK, Asia and the Middle East in the last two decades.
NEW YORK, July 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE: S) between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 7, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased SentinelOne 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 SentinelOne class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16897 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 7, 2023. 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 has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) SentinelOne lacked effective internal controls over accounting and financial reporting; (2) as a result, SentinelOne's Annualized Recurring Revenue ("ARR") was overstated; (3) as a result, SentinelOne's guidance was overstated; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendant's positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the SentinelOne class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16897 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

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]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
HOUSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Collins Aerospace, an RTX business (NYSE: RTX) announced today it has been awarded a new task order under NASA's Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services ("xEVAS") contract to modify the company's current spacesuit to support lunar endeavors.

The follow-on task order allows Collins to add on to the company's new spacesuit design, developing elements that are compatible for use on the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis missions.

"Our next-generation spacesuit design is nearly 90% compatible with a lunar mission," said Dave Romero, director, EVA & Human Surface Mobility Systems for Collins Aerospace. "This formal contract award will support continued efforts to modify our next-generation spacesuit, making it suitable to tasks on the Moon."

Collins was awarded a task order valued at five million dollars, following a proposal process that required the company to identify the methodologies to develop a crossover product.

Collins' next-generation suit is lower in weight than the current extravehicular mobility unit and will improve astronaut efficiency, range of motion, and comfort. Designed to fit nearly any body type, it also has an open architecture design that enables the suit to be easily modified as missions change and evolve.

As NASA and Collins continue to advance the xEVAS program with events like Collins' upcoming Critical Design Review and testing, such as a thermal vacuum test and underwater tests held at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab, Collins stands ready to help NASA and its international and commercial partners from low Earth Orbit to deep space.

About RTX

RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses  Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon  we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace is a business of RTX. Our global team of 73,000 employees dreams, designs and delivers smarter, more connected solutions for passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration, and operational efficiency and sustainability. We make the most powerful concepts in aerospace a reality. For more information, visit CollinsAerospace.com.

Contact:

Liz Maddy

[email protected]

720-948-9005

SOURCE Raytheon Technologies
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Russia has been waging a brutal campaign against Christians in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, cautions Global Christian Relief, America's leading watchdog of Christian persecution. Russian soldiers have destroyed, damaged or looted nearly 500 religious buildings and houses of worship in Ukraine, and killed, imprisoned or tortured at least two dozen religious leaders.

"These targeted attacks carried out by Russian forces against Ukrainian Christians and religious minorities essentially constitutes a cultural genocide campaign," said David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief. "Churches are soft targets, which means they are typically exposed and have little security against an invading army. They hold significant spiritual and cultural value for communities and destroying them is a deliberate attempt by Russia to demoralize Ukrainians."

Leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church have helped justify the war by giving it their blessing and condoning the violence through rhetoric cloaked in religious language. These leaders also view the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as illegitimate, giving an additional pretext for permitting the invasion.

Religious freedom has declined in Russia since the late 1990s. Christians and religious minorities often face fines and repercussions for missionary activities that are considered illegal under unclear laws. The U.S. State Department has designated Russia as a Country of Particular Concern for engaging in systematic violations of religious freedom.

Global Christian Relief is calling on the international community to hold Russia's military and church leaders to account for their war on Christianity.

For interviews with David Curry, please contact Paige Collins at Icon Media Group, at: [email protected].

About Global Christian Relief

Global Christian Relief (GCR) is America's leading watchdog organization focused on the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide. In addition to equipping the Western church to advocate and pray for the persecuted, GCR works in the most restrictive countries to protect and encourage Christians threatened by faith-based discrimination and violence. Dr. David Curry, president of GCR, currently serves on the United States Commission on Religious Freedom. For more information, visit globalchristianrelief.org.

SOURCE Global Christian Relief
Measuring their economic impact, social standards for every stakeholder's well-being, and environmental standards to protect the planet.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SAMBAZON, an acronym for Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon and the leading supplier of Certified Fair Trade and Organic Acai, has released their second Impact Report with the intention of providing a transparent demonstration of their efforts, challenges and progress as a triple bottom line business.

SAMBAZON is proud to share the second edition of our Impact Report, which showcases our commitment to a triple bottom line by going beyond the economic bottom line to measure our social bottom line based on every stakeholders well-being, and our environmental bottom line of their impact on Mother Nature.

"It is with pride and gratitude we share our work in the Amazon and beyond. It takes a global village to achieve Triple Bottom Line success and we thank you and each and every team member whose individual and collective efforts make this company's dream a reality," said Ryan Black, SAMBAZON's Co-Founder and CEO. "Every time someone enjoys the delicious Powers of SAMBAZON Acai, a positive socio-economic chain reaction is set in motion from the Amazon to the world. This impact report is a description of these positive reactions."

In their commitment to a triple bottom line, SAMBAZON went beyond the economic bottom line to measure their social bottom line based on every stakeholder's well-being, and their environmental bottom line of their impact on Mother Nature. This year, SAMBAZON extended their reporting to a worldwide approach that better showcases the global company's influence across the Wholesale, Retail, and Food Service Markets. SAMBAZON is working towards a more thriving world for their customers, employees, and the entire Amazon community through expanding their environmental, social, and governance data, their philanthropic efforts through direct-funding projects, and measuring their GHG Emissions.

To learn more about SAMBAZON and its impact report, please visit www.sambazon.com/pages/impact.

ABOUT SAMBAZON

Founded in 2000, SAMBAZON, an acronym for Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon, was the first company to introduce "certified Acai" to the world, supplying organic and Fair Trade certified Acai products such as Smoothie Packs, Ready to Eat Acai Bowls, Juices, Energy drinks and Acai Bites from a proprietary supply chain to ensure transparency from the "palm of the tree to the palm of your hand." SAMBAZON's Fair Trade certification has helped to protect the Amazon Rainforest and its rich biodiversity and has helped to positively impact thousands of local growers by donating over $1 million to build or renovate healthcare centers, community centers and schools. For more information about SAMBAZON's mission and products, visit www.sambazon.com.

SOURCE SAMBAZON
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz County Bank (the "Bank" OTCQX: SCZC) announced the appointment of Caroline D. Chapin to the Bank's Board of Directors.

Caroline D. Chapin

Caroline D. Chapin is Executive Vice President of the Don Chapin Company, Inc., a General Engineering Contractor based in Salinas. As a member of the company's Leadership Team, Ms. Chapin works with the CEO on all corporate acquisitions and business expansion efforts, serves as Chief Contract Administrator for public works and private contracts, and ensures regulatory compliance with public agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, local and state government entities, OSHA, and CalEPA. Ms. Chapin also serves as General Manager of Landset Engineers, Inc., a Civil Engineering Firm based in Salinas. In this role Ms. Chapin oversees all business operations, including personnel, recruitment, financial oversight, facility management, and business development. Ms. Chapin managed design and construction of the company's new corporate headquarters.

Ms. Chapin serves on the board of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, as Committee Chair of the Langley Subbasin Committee, and as Treasurer of the Don and Barbara Chapin Foundation. She is a graduate of Leadership Salinas Valley and of Santa Cruz County's Focus Agriculture program.

Chairman Stephen D. Pahl stated, "We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Chapin to the Bank's Board of Directors. Her years of leadership experience with municipalities, finance, development and construction, and contract administration bring value to our Board, and to the interests of our shareholders. Our recent expansion into Monterey County increases the Bank's sphere of influence geographically and within the vibrant and diverse industries across the region. Ms. Chapin's wealth of experience in this community will benefit new business development as well as our longtime relationships."

On her appointment, Ms. Chapin stated, "I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors, particularly as the Bank expands its relationships in Monterey and Salinas. As a native to Monterey County, I'm excited to join a team who are unwavering in their pledge to community-driven solutions and fostering new business relationships throughout the tri-County area. The Bank has a tremendous reputation in the community as a financially strong, high performing bank. Its professional stature combined with its attention to local relationships and community is a perfect match with my own professional and personal values."

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK

Santa Cruz County Bank was founded in 2004. It is a top-rated, locally-owned and operated, full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The bank has branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus, and direct access to decision makers. The bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment, and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations.

Santa Cruz County Bank stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX U.S. Premier marketplace under the symbol SCZC. Stock purchase orders may be placed online, through a brokerage firm, or through Market Makers listed in the Investor Relations section of the bank's website. For more information about Santa Cruz County Bank, visit www.sccountybank.com .

SOURCE Santa Cruz County Bank
TULSA, Okla., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schulte Roth & Zabel today joins local civil rights lawyer and Justice for Greenwood founder Damario Solomon-Simmons in reaffirming its commitment to achieve justice for the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. On the evening of Friday, July 7, Judge Caroline Wall dismissed Randle v. City of Tulsa, backpedaling on her prior orders that permitted the last three survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre to proceed with their public nuisance litigation to seek justice for the continued harm caused by the Massacre.

Schulte Roth & Zabel and a legal team of civil and human rights attorneys sued local governments, the Oklahoma National Guard, and other officials on behalf of survivors of the Massacre, seeking to abate the ongoing nuisance caused by the white mob that attacked and decimated the 40-square-block prosperous, all-Black Greenwood community in Tulsa, leaving hundreds of Black residents dead and burning and looting thousands of homes and businesses.

"Judge Wall's ruling is truly stunning," said Michael Swartz, co-chair of Schulte's Litigation Group and chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee. "After announcing over a year ago to a full courtroom, including the three living survivors of the Massacre, that the case could proceedwhich she followed with a written order, Judge Wall reversed herself and dismissed the case with no explanation. That is a travesty of justice and undermines faith in the judicial system. At a minimum, the survivors, as well as the Greenwood community and other concerned citizens, deserved an explanation for the Court's inexplicable about face but got none. We vow to persist and will continue our fight for justice."

The lawsuit demanded that the City of Tulsa and other defendants fix the public nuisance of racial disparities, economic inequalities, insecurity and trauma that they caused by their destruction of the Black community of Greenwood in 1921, their continuing failure to rebuild the community and their audacity in seeking to reap benefits from their violent acts. Building on admissions from defendants and the City of Tulsa Mayor, as well as the testimony of living survivors of the Massacre, the complaint set forth the reality that the racial and economic disparities that exist in Tulsa's Black community today can be traced to the 1921 race massacre.

"There is no semblance of justice or access to justice here," said Mr. Solomon-Simmons. "Judge Wall joined a long line of judges who for over a century have quietly thrown can after can of gasoline on the fire that is still burning in Greenwood. And now, Judge Wall has condemned our clients  who are 109, 108 and 102 years old  to effectively languish to death on Oklahoma's appellate docket. We will continue to fight on behalf of and alongside our Survivors and we will not rest until there is justice for Greenwood. This is not over."

"Judge Wall's order will not stop us from appealing or from continuing to tell the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre," said McKenzie Haynes, Associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel. "The judge's order was issued the same week that Oklahoma Superintendent Walters stated that the Tulsa Race Massacre was not about race  which is astoundingly false. Despite Tulsa's and America's attempt to silence, change, and gaslight the facts and truths of our collective racial history and trauma, we, the Survivors, and all those who believe in racial justice, will not sit quietly or passively to allow mistruths and injustice to persist."

The Schulte team is led by Michael Swartz, partner Randall Adams, special counsel for pro bono initiatives Sara Solfanelli and McKenzie Haynes. The team also includes associates Ekenedilichukwu (Keni) Ukabiala, Erika Simonson, Victoria Harris and Melanie Collins.

About Schulte Roth & Zabel

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (srz.com) is a market-leading, full-service law firm serving the financial services industry from offices in New York, Washington, DC and London. Schulte has a long history as a leader in pro bono services and a firm-wide legacy of contributing to the greater good. Schulte's litigation group has extensive trial experience and a proven track record of success in complex civil and criminal matters.

Contacts:

Stanton

Mike Goodwin

[email protected]

646-502-3595

Sneha Satish

[email protected]

646-502-3556

SOURCE Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shapiro+Raj, the largest minority owned insights consultancy, is pleased to announce the launch of its dedicated Technology Practice. This dedicated team will complement Shapiro+Raj's already established Life Science, Home Improvement, and Financial Services Practices, solidifying its position as a top 25 most innovative agency and #1 strategic consultancy globally. With a focus on delivering future-forward insights and empowering clients to shape the future, the Technology Practice will provide invaluable support in today's rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Shapiro + Raj Launches Dedicated Technology Practice, Strengthening Its Industry Expertise Tweet this Scott Swigart, Head of the Technology Practice at S+R

Heading the Technology Practice will be Scott Swigart, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience serving technology companies, particularly in the B2B space. Mr. Swigart has a remarkable track record of successfully assisting technology companies in redefining their marketing strategies, developing go-to-market plans, guiding product roadmap development, optimizing sales teams, and more. He will be supported by a team of eight tech-domain expert researchers, collectively forming the backbone of the dedicated Technology Practice.

Scott Swigart expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Our team is thrilled to be joining Shapiro+Raj. As the dedicated Technology Practice, we bring our extensive knowledge in B2B technology and are excited to combine that with Shapiro+Raj's cutting-edge approaches and tools to facilitate growth and assist technology-focused clients in shaping the future rather than just reacting to it."

"Scott Swigart and his team embody the perfect fit with Shapiro+Raj. We share a common dedication to propelling growth through strategic insight and a daring, inventive spirit. With Scott's deep category expertise merging with Shapiro+Raj's established behavioral science methods and strategic acumen, the dedicated Technology Practice becomes a catalyst for game-changing, forward-looking insights that ignite transformative outcomes within the Technology industry," said Zain Raj, Chairman + CEO.

The launch of the dedicated Technology Practice signifies Shapiro+Raj's commitment to continuously expanding its capabilities and providing clients with unparalleled industry expertise. With this strategic move, the consultancy aims to further strengthen its position as the go-to partner for organizations seeking to navigate the complex technology landscape and unlock their full growth potential.

About Shapiro+Raj

Shapiro+Raj is the seventh-largest independent insights and inspiration company in North America. Our mission is to generate Future-Forward Insights for our Fortune 500 clients that help them shape the future of their business and brands. We have been recognized as the top-25 most innovative research companies five-years in a row and the #1 strategic consultancy by GRIT. The company is a Nationally Certified Minority Business Enterprise. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm has offices in New York, and Pune, India.

For more information on current announcements contact Shapiro+Raj at (312) 965-2319 or visit https://www.shapiroraj.com.

SOURCE Shapiro+Raj
STOCKHOLM, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract amendment with Oregon Health & Science University for its Hospital Expansion Project in Portland, Oregon, USA. The contract amendment is worth USD 91M, about SEK 1.0 billion, which will be included in the US order bookings for the second quarter of 2023.

The new contract includes exterior framing and cladding, roofing, fireproofing, patient lifts, long lead electrical and mechanical equipment for the new hospital expansion building.

Construction of the approximately 50,000-square meter, 14 story hospital expansion began in 2022 and is expected to open to patients in 2026.

For further information please contact:

Daniela Arellano, Communications Director, Skanska USA, tel +1 -213-317-4977

Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3802280/2179961.pdf 20230710 US hospital https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/rendering---ohsu-2023---image-cred-motive-studio-and-nbbj,c3198662 Rendering - OHSU 2023 - image cred Motive Studio and NBBJ

SOURCE Skanska
Film Brings Evil into Light and Hope to Two Million Trafficked Children

JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goya Cares, an executive producer of the new blockbuster movie SOUND OF FREEDOM, celebrates the overwhelming success of surpassing the goal of over two million viewers to represent the two million children trafficked worldwide.

Goya Cares, an executive producer of the new blockbuster movie SOUND OF FREEDOM, celebrates the overwhelming success of surpassing the goal of over two million viewers to represent the two million children trafficked worldwide.

"Although Tim Ballard, played by Jim Caviezel, saved many children, his focus on the mission to save one child, Rocio, is like the parable of the Lost Sheep, where the Good Shepherd leaves his flock to find one lost sheep. Indeed, every life has value and purpose. The SOUND OF FREEDOM brings this truth to light," said Bob Unanue, President and CEO of Goya Foods, and Executive Producer of SOUND OF FREEDOM.

Goya Cares, inspired by THE SOUND OF FREEDOM, is a global initiative dedicated to combating child trafficking and educating on child mental health. The initiative brings together organizations, schools, and businesses to show solidarity and ultimately to protect the most vulnerable, our children. Partners of the Goya Cares coalition help to recover, restore, and reunite survivors, while also helping raise awareness and provide schools with free access to preventative education that helps recognize the dangers of child trafficking through the Goya Cares' educational series LIGHT.

To learn more about Goya Cares, please visit: www.goyacares.com

About Goya Foods

Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com.

Press Contact:

Natalie J. Maniscalco

845.659.6506

[email protected]

SOURCE Goya Foods, Inc.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. (SMPA), as previously announced on April 3, 2023, is pleased to share it has successfully launched its operations in the U.S. and related markets. The newly combined company is focused on addressing unmet patient needs in critical disease areas across psychiatry & neurology, oncology, urology, women's health, rare disease, and cell & gene therapies.

SMPA's diverse portfolio includes six marketed products and a robust pipeline of early- to late-stage assets, with topline data for two of its Phase 3 candidates in the fields of psychiatry and urology expected this quarter. The company will apply its proprietary advanced analytics and computational technology platforms to support and accelerate its diverse pipeline and commercial programs as well as needed innovations in priority areas of discovery, science, research and development.

SMPA's President and Chief Executive Officer, Myrtle Potter, Chief Executive Officer of Biopharma Commercial, Adele Gulfo, and Chief Medical Officer, Armin Szegedi, were appointed as Executive Officers of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. effective July 1, 2023.

Innovation Growth Engine



"We are pleased to have successfully completed the combination of Sumitomo Pharma's U.S. subsidiaries to form SMPA," said Hiroshi Nomura, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sumitomo Pharma. "As a Sumitomo Pharma Group growth engine, SMPA will focus on maximizing the value of the three key products early, namely, ORGOVYX, MYFEMBREE, and GEMTESA. SMPA will propel scientific and therapeutic innovations to meaningfully impact the evolving health needs of patients in North America and promote development to meet the needs of patients worldwide while also delivering long-term value to society as a stronger, more profitable enterprise."

"SMPA comprises some of the brightest talent in drug development, business, science, and technology, operating as one global team to push beyond industry norms and reimagine what's possible," said Myrtle Potter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sumitomo Pharma America. "Our goal is to realize new treatments with greater benefit to patients while maximizing the potential of our key marketed and development assets to better support areas of critical need and provide potential treatment options where solutions are lacking or do not exist."

Commercial Biopharma Business



Adele Gulfo, Chief Executive Officer of Biopharma Commercial of Sumitomo Pharma America, said, "SMPA is poised to help solve health challenges in critical disease areas through the exceptional talents and dedication of our highly experienced cross-functional team. SMPA's broad product portfolio, including key brands, ORGOVYX, MYFEMBREE and GEMTESA, will drive the growth of our business and fuel future potential investments. We are deeply committed to the patients we serve in oncology, women's health, urology, rare disease, psychiatry, and neurology, as well as our additional products APTIOM, RETHYMIC, and LATUDA, which healthcare providers and patients continue to rely on."

R&D & Pipeline



Armin Szegedi, Chief Medical Officer of Sumitomo Pharma America, said, "SMPA has a robust and balanced pipeline, with more than 30 assets and dozens of clinical trials currently underway, to address areas of significant need in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, urology, and regenerative medicine. I am excited about the opportunities we have at SMPA to develop innovative treatments across multiple therapeutic indications, including our lead pipeline candidate, ulotaront, which is being studied in individuals living with schizophrenia, generalized anxiety disorder and the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder."

Jatin Shah, Chief Oncology Development Officer of Sumitomo Pharma America, added, "SMPA is uniquely positioned with a strong internal discovery and translational research engine committed to the identification and development of innovative, best-in-class, oncology therapies. We are also looking forward to quickly advancing our oncology programs including, TP-3654, an investigational selective oral PIM1 kinase inhibitor, being studied for patients with myelofibrosis (MF) and DSP-5336, an investigational small molecule inhibitor against the binding of menin and mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) protein, being evaluated for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)."

SMPA's leadership team comprises industry-leading experts with deep life sciences expertise across the business and drug development spectrum, as well as quality & manufacturing, commercialization, and data & analytics. We invite you to learn about SMPA's full leadership team and capabilities on our new website: https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com.

About Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.

Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) is focused on delivering therapeutic and scientific breakthroughs in areas of critical patient need spanning psychiatry & neurology, oncology, urology, women's health, rare disease, and cell & gene therapies. The company's diverse portfolio includes several marketed products and a robust pipeline of early- to late-stage assets. SMPA leverages proprietary in-house advanced analytics and computational technology platforms to accelerate discovery, research, and help bring novel therapies to patients sooner. SMPA is a Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., company. For more information on SMPA, visit our website http://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Pharma is among the top-ten listed pharmaceutical companies in Japan, operating globally in major pharmaceutical markets, including Japan, the U.S., China, and other Asian countries with more than 6,000 employees worldwide. Sumitomo Pharma defines its Mission as "To broadly contribute to society through value creation based on innovative research and development activities for the betterment of healthcare and fuller lives of people worldwide." Additional information about Sumitomo Pharma is available through its corporate website at https://www.sumitomo-pharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. may make related oral, forward-looking statements on or following the date hereof. Statements including words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plan," "will," "may," "look forward," "intend," "guidance," "future" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to a variety of inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Many of these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. as of the date of this communication and speak only as of the date of this communication. Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. No information contained on any website referenced in this press release is incorporated by reference herein.



Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. is a registered trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.



 2023 Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. All rights reserved.

SMPA IR / Media Contact:

Maya Frutiger

VP, Head of Corporate Communications

Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
Summit Utilities, Inc. (Summit) announces Bob Gunderman is joining as the company's Chief Financial Officer who will be based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bob is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer and business partner with Fortune 500 public and private company experience. He is the former CFO of Windstream Holdings.

"Summit is a forward-looking, customer-focused company that has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. I'm excited to join the team and bring my financial expertise as we continue to grow and meet the needs of the communities we serve," said Bob Gunderman.

"We are excited to have Bob join our team. He comes to Summit with almost 30 years of experience in financial management and acquisitions and integrations within customer-focused industries. His experience and background will contribute to the company's long-term growth and success," said Kurt Adams, Summit's President and CEO.

Over his approximately 30-year career, Gunderman has been a key executive overseeing company strategy and operations as well as capturing operational efficiencies. He led acquisition structuring, diligence, integrations, and synergy realization for transactions totaling more than $30B and financing transactions totaling more than $25B.

Gunderman holds a degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). He serves on the board of directors of The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and was a previous board member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas.

Bob Gunderman's Bio:

Bob Gunderman was appointed Chief Financial Officer for Summit Utilities in July of 2023. He is responsible for overseeing Summit's accounting, financial planning, taxation, audit, investor relations, treasury, insurance, and gas supply and control teams.

Prior to joining Summit, Gunderman served as the Chief Financial Officer of Windstream Holdings, a privately held communications and software company (and previously publicly traded Fortune 500 company). Before being named CFO of Windstream in 2014, Gunderman held various senior finance executive positions after joining Windstream in 2008.

Gunderman began his career in 1994 with Deloitte and Touche LLP and entered the telecommunications industry in 1996, serving in various finance executive positions with Alltel, the 5th largest wireless telecommunications company in the United States before its acquisition in 2008.

Background on Summit Utilities, Inc.

Summit Utilities, Inc. owns natural gas distribution and transmission subsidiaries that operate in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company provides safe, clean, and affordable natural gas to businesses and residents in six states through Arkansas Oklahoma Gas, Colorado Natural Gas, Summit Natural Gas of Maine, Summit Natural Gas of Missouri, Summit Utilities Arkansas, and Summit Utilities Oklahoma. Each of Summit's natural gas distribution and transmission subsidiaries constructs and installs natural gas distribution systems with the goal of supporting economic development by providing safe and reliable natural gas to residential and commercial customers through exceptional customer service and commitment to community. Overall, Summit entities serve approximately 625,000 customers and operate more than 23,400 miles of pipeline.

CONTACT:

Summit Utilities

Brian Bowen

bbowen@summitutilities.com
HEFEI, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter and energy storage system supplier, has been selected for the inaugural edition of S&P Global's Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Edition). This marks the first release of S&P Global's Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Edition) and includes the evaluation of nearly 1,600 companies based on the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) for 2022. Out of these, 88 companies were ultimately chosen, with only two in the electrical components and equipment industry. Sungrow's excellent ESG performance led to its inclusion.

As a global renewable energy company, Sungrow focuses on solar power, wind power, energy storage, electric vehicles, hydrogen energy, and other key areas. The company tackles global climate challenges with professional expertise and strives for environmental protection, carbon emission management, responsible supply chains, diversity and inclusion, and community development. It is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company has joined international initiatives such as RE100 and EP100, actively conducts organizational carbon audits and product carbon footprint assessments, increases the proportion of renewable energy consumption and energy efficiency. Notably, Sungrow achieved a 45% share of green power usage through initiatives like building solar power plants and purchasing green electricity directly in 2022.

Sungrow's sustainable development practices have received recognition from institutions such as MSCI, BCG, Forbes China, and Sina Finance in recent years. In the future, the company will uphold its mission of "Clean power for all", leverage its clean power conversion technology advantages, strengthen ESG management and practices, and strive to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2028.

Since 2008, S&P Global has published the Sustainable Development Yearbook (Global Edition) annually to recognize companies across industries with sustainable development advantages. It is widely recognized by global investors and stakeholders as a reference. The CSA on which it is based is one of the most influential and credible assessments of corporate sustainability practices worldwide. This year, the first edition of the Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Edition) was released, aiming to encourage outstanding sustainable development practices among Chinese companies.

About Sungrow

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 340 GW installed worldwide as of December 2022. Founded in 1997 by Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 26-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power over 150 countries worldwide. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1344575/Logo.jpg

SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.
Company Refuses to Reach Common Sense Solution on Health Care Benefits

DE PERE, Wis., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 662 members at New Dairy Select Milk, a subsidiary of Borden Dairy formerly known as Morning Glory, have gone on strike to protest unfair labor practices at the company. The workers produce sour cream for a number of well-known brands, including Taco Bell, Wendy's and Hello Fresh.

"Borden Dairy is saying 'take it or leave it,'" said Tom Strickland, Local 662 Secretary-Treasurer. "The employer isn't bargaining in good faith; this offer is terrible and concessionary. We're not going to take it."

Negotiations have reached a stand-off over the company's refusal to reach a compromise on the workers' health care coverage. Local 662 is pushing for the workers to join a Teamster health care plan, which would offer better coverage at a lower rate for both parties. Borden Dairy is demanding that the workers receive the company's health care coverage, which would force them to pay higher premiums and deductibles and come out-of-pocket for a wide variety of services that would be covered under a Teamster plan.

"There are more than one million workers covered under Teamster health care plans, and hundreds of employers are signatories to them  including other Borden facilities," said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region Vice President and Food Processing Division Director. "This posturing makes no sense, and the company needs to give its workers what they deserve."

Workers are currently picketing outside of the company's facility, located at 3399 S Ridge Rd, De Pere, WI 54115.

Teamsters Local 662 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout central and northern Wisconsin. For more information, go to teamsters662.com.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 662
HHC to Host Earnings Call on August 9, 2023

HOUSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Howard Hughes Corporation  (NYSE: HHC) announced today that the Company will release 2023 second quarter earnings on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, after the market closes and will hold its second quarter conference call on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company's earnings release will be posted to the Investors section of the Company's website prior to the conference call.

Please visit The Howard Hughes Corporation's website to listen to the earnings call via a live webcast. To access the call via telephone, please dial 877-270-2148 within the U.S., 866-605-3850 within Canada, or +1 412-902-6510 when dialing internationally. All participants should dial in at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time using 10173046 as the passcode.

An on-demand replay of the earnings call will be available on the Company's website immediately following the conclusion of the live call for a period of one year. A replay will also be available by telephone through September 9, 2023, by dialing 877-344-7529 within the U.S., 855-669-9658 within Canada, or +1 412-317-0088 when dialing internationally, using the passcode 9384410.

About The Howard Hughes Corporation

The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages, and develops commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. Its award-winning assets include the country's preeminent portfolio of master planned communities, as well as operating properties and development opportunities including: the Seaport in New York City; Downtown Columbia in Maryland; The Woodlands, Bridgeland, and The Woodlands Hills in the Greater Houston, Texas area; Summerlin in Las Vegas; Ward Village in Honolulu, Hawaii; and Teravalis in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area. The Howard Hughes Corporation's portfolio is strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, resulting in one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Dedicated to innovative placemaking, the Company is recognized for its ongoing commitment to design excellence and to the cultural life of its communities. The Howard Hughes Corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as HHC.

Media Contact

Cristina Carlson, 646-822-6910

SVP, Head of Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Eric Holcomb, 281-475-2144

SVP, Investor Relations

[email protected]com

SOURCE The Howard Hughes Corporation
This week-long program brings together 130 instructors from across the US to the University of Miami to consider bold new approaches to teaching poetry

MIAMI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Poetry Foundation , which works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets; and O, Miami; the non-profit organization devoted to celebrating Miami through the lens of poetry, are thrilled to announce the return of the Summer Poetry Teachers Institute in Miami this July. 130 K-12 and community college instructors will study and discuss poetry with renowned poetry practitioners and expert teachers and develop lesson plans to bring back to their classrooms. The week-long Institute, which is back in person after three years of meeting virtually, offers participants a fresh, energizing approach to reading poems, invaluable materials for teaching, and new ways to invigorate their instructional habits and practices.

Photo from 2019 Institute. Credit: Photo courtesy of O, Miami/Gesi Schilling

"After several years of convening virtually, we're thrilled to offer the Summer Poetry Teachers Institute in person in Miami once again," said Poetry Foundation vice president of programs and engagement, Ydalmi Noriega. "The rich conversations between participants, the expertise of the lead teachers, and the passion of the poets presenting seminars all feed the relationships we build this week. This allows teachers to discover and renew a joy for poetry to bring back to students in their classrooms this fall."

The eighth annual Institute (July 1014, 2023) brings participants back to Miami, FL during a challenging time for South Florida educators. With conversations around managing book restrictions and integrating trauma-informed strategies, this year's Institute hopes to empower teachers to consider bold new approaches in education.

"Poetry class is a space where there are no wrong answers, where whatever you come up with is right because you came up with it," said O, Miami Founder & Executive Director, P. Scott Cunningham. "The joy and self-esteem that comes out of that has been really eye-opening to us. That also became our philosophy for any educational work we're doing, no matter what the age is, because honestly, adults need it too. We all need a place where you can be free to just be yourself, and whatever that means, with no judgments."

Institute organizers believe that poetry is broad and there is a place for everyone in poetry. With this in mind, organizers developed content and conversations around poets and poems that have been curated in inclusive and expansive ways. Participants learn how to identify multiple entry points and to approach poems without fear or expectation. The confidence and knowledge that they gain will help them instill a love of poetry and self expression in their students.

When: July 10 through July 14

Where: University of Miami Lakeside Village - 1280 Stanford Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Highlighted Events:

Opening Seminar by Janet Wong - Monday, July 10th 10:0011:30AM



- 10:0011:30AM Seminar by Adrian Matejka - Tuesday, July 11th 10:0011:30AM



- 10:0011:30AM Seminar by Juan Felipe Herrera - Thursday, July 13th 10:0011:30AM



- 10:0011:30AM Reception and Public Reading with Juan Felipe Herrera , Christell Victoria Roach , and Jaswinder Bolina - Thursday 5PM



, , and - Thursday Curriculum Fair - Friday 8:30-11:00am

Featured Poets:

ABOUT O, MIAMI We believe Miami is the most poetic place in the world. Through projects, events, and publishing, we create a platform for amplifying Miami's people, investing in a new shared narrative of our city and a more equitable picture of its future. We believe that art and self-expression should be equally available to every Miamian. Learn more at omiami.org .

ABOUT THE POETRY FOUNDATION The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. We work to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

SOURCE Poetry Foundation
Global educator Andy Wood will lead the world's first traveling high school through its next phase of development

NEW YORK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- THINK Global School (TGS), the world's first traveling high school, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Andy Wood, an experienced global education leader, as its new head of school. Following his time as the founding principal of Green School South Africa, a sustainability focused institution, Wood has led educational initiatives in Dubai, Cape Town and the Bahamas during the course of his seventeen-year career.

As the new head of school, Wood will bring his robust experience and innovative practices to guide THINK Global School through its next phase of development. With values that align with the school's vision of transforming students into compassionate individuals who are curious about the world, Wood's leadership will support TGS students as they embark on their educational journeys, focusing on sustainable practices and actions that impact meaningful change.

"I am excited to lead a school that is innovative and bold in its thinking," said Wood in his new role as head of school. "TGS seeks to inspire students to think ambitiously about how they will make the world a better place, and I am looking forward to guiding them throughout exploring these pioneering practices and beyond."

Wood is an alum of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he obtained a Bachelor's in Geography and English. He continued his education by completing a Master's in School Management from The Henley College, having also completed school leadership courses from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His contribution to education extends beyond leadership, as he has authored several school textbooks and led accreditation teams for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

"As TGS leads the next generation of educational change, we are constantly evolving our practices to provide students with the experience of a lifetime," said Joann McPike, THINK Global School's founder. "We are pleased to have Andy join us as we move forward, and we are confident that his global perspective and curiosity for learning from the world will positively impact our approach to changing traditional education as we know it."

Wood will begin leading TGS students as they embark on their next adventure starting Fall 2023.

About THINK Global School

THINK Global School is the world's first traveling high school. Established in 2010, it has led students around the world to embark on new journeys, immerse themselves in cultural learning, and develop their passions across four different destinations each year, all while earning an accredited high school diploma. THINK Global's mission is to have its students become compassionate individuals who are curious and knowledgeable about the world and motivated to affect meaningful change.

SOURCE THINK Global School
SAN ANTONIO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul Moving & Storage of Wurzbach closed its retail showroom and ceased most on-site services on July 7.

The store at 3817 Parkdale Drive has served do-it-yourself movers in San Antonio for 18 years. Seven Team Members were let go due to discontinued services.

This location will continue accommodating U-Haul self-storage customers. It will be operated remotely by the new U-Haul Storage of Wurzbach store at 9451 Interstate 10, located just across the highway from the closing retail showroom.

Customers of the closing store can find a full line of U-Haul moving and self-storage products and services at the new facility, where a temporary showroom is offering truck and trailer rentals, boxes and moving supplies, portable storage containers, towing equipment and much more.

Local U-Haul Companies are always exploring opportunities for growth as they pursue means to better serve the needs of customers, but sometimes find it necessary to close or relocate stores, shops and offices. Reasons for closures can include: long-term strategic plans; safety and security concerns; physical site conditions and limitations; shifts in demographics; availability of local Team Members; trends in migration; expansion of the U-Haul neighborhood dealer network; proximity to other new or existing Company locations; and external factors.

U-Haul dealers in and around San Antonio continue to be available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to provide communities with accessible mobility since 1945. During these challenging times, more than 21,000 small businesses across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income by partnering with U-Haul. When customers rent from their local U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because there is no financial investment from dealers, they are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses with enough lot space to park U-Haul equipment and enough time to welcome more customers while meeting the mobility needs of their neighbors. Learn how to partner with U-Haul at uhaul.com/dealer.

About U-HAUL

Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 23,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The enhanced U-Haul app makes it easier for customers to use U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 to access trucks anytime through the self-dispatch and self-return options on their smartphones through our patented Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 192,200 trucks, 138,500 trailers and 44,500 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America with 949,000 rentable units and 81.2 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the top retailer of propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. We were recently named one of America's Best Large Employers (Forbes, 2023); a Best for Vets Employer (Military Times, 2022); and one of the Healthiest Workplaces in America (Healthiest Employers, 2022). Find careers at uhauljobs.com. Get the U-Haul app from the App Store or Google Play.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6194

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
The Company was named to USA Today's List of America's Climate Leaders for 2023.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, announced its recent recognition on the USA TODAY list of America's Climate Leaders. Developed for USA TODAY by market research firm Statista, this inaugural list offers a data-driven recognition of companies that have cut their carbon footprint in recent years, a noteworthy achievement for investors, customers, and anyone who is seeking transparency around these still-evolving measures.

Univar Solutions Recognized for Carbon Footprint Reduction Targets Tweet this Univar Solutions is working every day to implement sustainable solutions that have a positive environmental impact by increasing the use of energy efficient technologies, improving emission standards and supporting process improvements to minimize waste. The Company was named to USA Todays List of Americas Climate Leaders for 2023. New facility to support the Companys long-term sustainability commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 (PRNewsfoto/Univar Solutions Inc.)

The USA Today list was developed to help cut through the confusion of which companies have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions. Rankings began with a list of more than 2,000 United States based companies with revenue of more than $50 million in 2021. From this initial list, 700 companies were carved out based on the public reporting of emissions data, making a verifiable ranking possible.

"Receiving such recognition is a testament to our people as we relentlessly pursue our 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, including further key emissions goals stretching to 2030 in support of a long-term commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050," said David Jukes president and chief executive officer at Univar Solutions. "As a business built on our purpose, we are focused on making a positive difference to the world around us by helping to keep people safe, protecting the physical environment, strengthening social responsibility in the supply chain, and creating a business where our people can bring their whole, authentic selves to work."

"I am proud to see how our people have continued to demonstrate excellence in all we do and to see this recognized externally," said Jen McIntyre, chief people & culture officer and executive ESG lead at Univar Solutions. "We have continued to drive progress against our Global ESG goals, helping deliver environmental and social value through our business and value chain."

"I'm pleased to see our encouraging progress to date on climate action be recognised in this inaugural listing. Ambitious goals are important in this space but I'm more proud on the actual emissions reductions our teams are driving across the business," said Liam McCarroll, global sustainability director for Univar Solutions.

For a complete review of Univar Solutions' progress to a more sustainable future, please see the 2022 sustainability report at: https://www.univarsolutions.com/esg-resources

For a complete view of America's Climate Leaders, please visit: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2023/05/24/climate-leaders-list-greenhouse-gas-emissions-ranking/70222728007/

About Univar Solutions

Univar Solutions (NYSE: UNVR) is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.

About USA TODAY

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation  today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY and USATODAY.com reach a combined seven million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 21 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. Learn more at https://www.usatoday.com/.

About Statista

Statista is a leading provider of market and consumer data, offering users access to a vast collection of statistics and reports across various industries. Statista is the go-to source for businesses, governments, academics, and other entities that rely on accurate, reliable data to make informed decisions. Learn more at https://www.statista.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations, and outlook for the future, which are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding, the Company's market opportunities, strategic plan, business objectives, and other initiatives, as well as statements regarding the expected timing of the completion of the proposed acquisition of Univar Solutions referred to in this press release and the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed transaction. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and assumptions. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: that a condition to the closing of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied; the occurrence of any event that can give rise to termination of the proposed transaction; the failure to obtain certain required regulatory approvals or the failure to satisfy any of the other closing conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction within the expected timeframes or at all; management's time and attention being diverted to issues related to the proposed transaction; the Company's ability to meet expectations regarding the timing and completion of the proposed transaction; disruption from the proposed transaction making it more difficult to maintain business, contractual and operational relationships; the institution of legal proceedings against the Company or the other parties to the proposed transaction and their affiliates related to the proposed transaction; the Company becoming unable to retain or hire key personnel due to the proposed transaction; the announcement of the proposed transaction having a negative effect on the market price of the Company's common stock or operating results; certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction that may impact the Company's ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; the Company's ability to meet expectations regarding the accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; economic conditions, particularly fluctuations in industrial production and consumption and the timing and extent of economic downturns; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of our customers; delivery failures or hazards and risks related to our operations and the hazardous materials we handle; potential inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; potential supply chain disruptions; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; potential cybersecurity incidents, including security breaches; our indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by, and costs associated with, our debt instruments, and our ability to obtain additional financing; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and changes in tax laws; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; transportation related challenges, including increases in transportation and fuel costs, changes in our relationship with third party transportation providers, and ability to attract and retain qualified drivers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, and product quality issues; ongoing litigation, potential product liability claims and recalls, and other environmental, legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies we acquire, including failure to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; possible impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; our ability to attract or retain a qualified and diverse workforce; negative developments affecting our pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of our workforce; our ability to execute on our initiatives and goals related to environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") matters and the increasing legal and regulatory focus on ESG; the impacts resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or related geopolitical tensions; the ability of the Company to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problem due to a hurricane, flood, earthquake, terrorist attack, war, conflict, pandemic, security breach, cyber- attack, power loss, telecommunications failure, or other natural or man-made event, including the ability to function remotely during long-term disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and epidemics and any related Company or governmental policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or governmental policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets, including any quarantine, "shelter in place," "stay at home," workforce reduction, social distancing, shut down, or similar actions and policies; actions by third parties, including government agencies; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those projected herein, please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as other documents filed by the Company with the SEC, including subsequent Current Reports on Form 8-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. In addition, the Company discusses certain of these risks in greater detail, and other risks associated with the proposed transaction, in the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on May 2, 2023. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek, "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Univar Solutions Inc.
Access Complimentary Concierge Services to Assist Federal Firearm Licensees in Staying Legal During Audit

HOUSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. LawShield, America's premier Legal Defense for Self Defense organization, today announced the launch of FFL DealerShield, a unique service that provides legal assistance to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) during Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) audits and inspections. FFL DealerShield is an established go-to relationship for retailers that need help with firearms business legal issues at the federal, state, or local level.

U.S. LawShield Launches First-Ever FFL DealerShield for Select Retailers

"U.S. LawShield's FFL DealerShield team is the single largest private repository of firearms legal knowledge in the United States," said Brooksy Smith, CEO of U.S. LawShield. "We want to make sure our retailers are protected every step of the way in a government audit. "Our team consists of seasoned professionals in the firearms industry and independent national law firms across the country with several hundred years of combined experience in federal firearms law. Plus, we have a nationwide network of Independent Program Attorneys that are experienced in federal and state laws, with a fully loaded network of qualified and experienced paralegals, including former ATF inspection officers."

FFL DealerShield can legally protect FFL businesses and ease audits and inspections for ATF in the following ways:

24/7 LIVE access to legal guidance for emergencies (break-ins, thefts, and fires)

access to legal guidance for emergencies (break-ins, thefts, and fires) Direct access to the FFL DealerShield team for all firearms law questions

ATF audit live support from the team of attorneys and former ATF agents

Post-audit advice on inspection results and legal options

Education and training on firearms business legal compliance

Updates on firearm laws and ATF regulations

Confidential review of recordkeeping practices

Up to 50% member discounts for further legal needs arising from ATF or other agency actions

"There has never been a service like this before," said Smith. "Our network of experienced professionals is

available to make the audit process as flawless as possible for our retailers. Our mission at U.S. LawShield is to educate, prepare, and protect our members. We want to do the same for our retailers."

Membership is for select U.S. LawShield retailers. To inquire how to become a U.S. LawShield retailer, contact Kristi Elrod at [email protected]

About U.S. LawShield

Founded in 2009, U.S. LawShield, America's premier Legal Defense for Self-Defense organization, offers coverage in 46 states and has served more than 2 million members. A network of 300+ Independent Program Attorneys is readily available, plus access to a 24/7/365 hotline and protection for members throughout the legal process after acts of self-defense.

Educate. Prepare. Protect.TM U.S. LawShield is committed to informing and updating you on self-defense laws, providing comprehensive instruction and training, and defending you in your greatest time of need. For more information on U.S. LawShield and its Legal Defense for Self Defense program, visit uslawshield.com.

SOURCE U.S. LawShield, LLC
CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Winston & Strawn LLP today announced that Keerthika Subramanian has joined the firm's Chicago office as a partner in the Transactions Department and as a member of the Capital Markets Practice.

Keerthika focuses her practice on capital markets and has managed numerous complex matters for a broad array of public and private companies. Her experience includes debt and equity offerings, debt restructurings, deSPAC transactions and disclosure and corporate governance matters. Keerthika's proven technical and client relationship skills allow her to adeptly handle large, complicated deals for clients representing diverse industries such as consumer goods, financial services, and life sciences.

"The continuing growth and strong reputation of Winston's transactional capabilities make this firm an exciting place to be," said Keerthika. "I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues and applying my experience to helping Winston's capital markets clients structure effective transactions that allow them to achieve their business goals."

"Despite today's economic uncertainties, companies continue to seek meaningful financial and growth opportunities by leveraging equity and debt," said Chicago Office Managing Partner Cardelle Spangler. "Keerthika has a keen understanding of this fact, and her proven experience will enable our clients to pursue investments that sustain the vibrancy of our capital markets."

"Keerthika is a welcome addition to the Chicago office and to the firm's transactions team," said Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald. "Her demonstrated success in managing complex matters for important industry players makes her a valuable asset to the firm and the diverse businesses we serve."

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with 16 offices in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. More information about the firm is available at www.winston.com .

Contacts:

Michael Goodwin

[email protected]

646-502-3595

Sneha Satish

[email protected]

646-502-3556

SOURCE Winston & Strawn LLP
The contract includes the creation of survey grade 3D models of the existing electrical distribution network.

DAYTON, Ohio, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Woolpert has been contracted to collect high-density lidar data for more than 6,800 square miles of rural Texas to map electrical distribution poles and wires along with surrounding natural and man-made infrastructure. The data will be collected via fixed-wing manned aircraft. The high-density point cloud will be classified and used to construct survey grade 3D models and provide analysis and engineering for the existing electrical distribution network. This will assist Texas electric utilities in permitting joint-use agreements for broadband expansion and will help accelerate the development and implementation of broadband internet throughout the region.

Geospatial technology is being used to advance energy operations for utility clients and expand broadband access for consumers across the U.S.

Woolpert Energy Market Director Mike Battles said this high-density, highly accurate point cloud project streamlines data collection to improve scheduling efficiency, supporting the application of state-of-the-art technology to advance energy operations for utility clients and broadband access for consumers across the U.S.

"Woolpert's airborne lidar mapping capabilities are innovative in that we can obtain highly accurate survey points of an existing distribution network for areas as large as an entire U.S. state on an accelerated schedule," Battles said. "With this approach, we are able to drastically improve efficiency and accuracy, and therefore provide a cost-benefit for our clients."

The contract is currently underway.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.

Media contact: Jill Kelley, [email protected]

SOURCE Woolpert
"The Department of Energy has a workforce of dedicated public servants, and we are thrilled to be growing the team with new appointees who are committed to President Biden's goal that the transition to clean energy reaches, and lifts, every pocket of America," said DOE Chief of Staff Christopher Davis. "This cohort of talented individuals is arriving at DOE during a pivotal time as the Department, under Secretary Granholm's leadership, implements the energy investments in the President's Investing in America agenda."



New appointees are listed below:



Derrick Buechele Bhole, Special Assistant, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Bhole was previously a legislative correspondent in the office of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (GA), where he covered tax, banking, budget, appropriations, manufacturing, and trade issues. Bhole previously served as finance associate on the Warnock for Georgia campaign in 2020. He holds a B.S. in economics and psychology from the University of Georgia and is pursuing a M.S. in economics from Johns Hopkins University. Bhole grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia, and is a proud son of Brazilian and Indian immigrants.



Alexander T. Bok, Senior Advisor, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy

Bok was most recently general counsel and director of government affairs at an energy storage technology platform. Previously Bok served as corporate counsel with responsibilities for government affairs and business development for a lithium-ion battery manufacturer based in Massachusetts. Bok has also served in a variety of senior roles in several early-stage start-ups. Bok served as the Chairman of the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund and as an executive committee member of the Environmental League of Massachusetts board. He co-chaired the Energy, Environment and Open Spaces transition team for Boston Mayor-elect Martin J. Walsh from 2013 to 2014. Bok earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a J.D. from Boston College Law School, and a B.A. in government from Harvard College.



Sarah Butler, Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat

Butler was most recently Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the office of U.S. Senator Ed Markey (MA), where she worked for the past decade. Butler started her career as a congressional aide for Senator Markey when he was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. She later served as Chief Democratic Clerk for the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and Committee on Natural Resources. She also served on Senator Markey's campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2013.



John Farah, Oversight Advisor, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Farah previously gained energy law experience at Holland & Knight LLP and White & Case LLP. He worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a law clerk for the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Farah held fellowships with the Institute of International Economic Law at Georgetown University and the Public Policy and Law Practice of K&L Gates LLP. Born and raised in Michigan, Farah is a first-generation American of Arab and Armenian heritage. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. in communication, legal institutions, economics, and government from American University, graduating cum laude.



Deion Lemelle, Director of Scheduling, Office of Management

Lemelle previously served as Assistant Director at the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, worked as Special Assistant and Engagement Manager at Win the Era, and was both a Principal Scheduler and Principal Travel Manager for Pete Buttigieg's presidential primary campaign. Lemelle also served in the United States Navy for more than two years, having been a Student Naval Aviator until his medical disqualification from flight training in 2017. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy and a B.S. in aerospace science engineering from Tuskegee University. He is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot, FAA advanced ground instructor, and FAA instrument ground instructor.



Dr. Ariel Marshall, Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation

Marshall was previously the legislative director for U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH). In that position, Marshall developed and implemented the Senator's legislative agenda, including leading efforts to secure historic investments in energy, water, and broadband infrastructure as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. During her nearly nine-year tenure on Capitol Hill, Marshall served in many roles, including as a senior domestic policy advisor, helping to advance legislative initiatives in the areas of energy, environment, advanced manufacturing, science and innovation, and additional domestic policy fields. Marshall holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a doctorate degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.



Anna Newby, Director of Public Affairs, National Nuclear Security Administration

Newby was previously Senior Director for Communications at Albright Stonebridge Group, where she led work to develop and execute the firm's communications and marketing strategies across a variety of earned and owned platforms. Before that, she served as Communications Director and Managing Editor of the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, where she led strategic communications, content development, digital marketing, and media relations for the program and its scholars. Earlier in her career, she was an editor with the World Bank's Poverty Global Practice, a Yahoo! Junior Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, and Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. Newby received her M.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service and her B.A. from Brown University.



Andrew Sacks, Deputy Speechwriter, Office of Public Affairs

Sacks most recently served as a Presidential Writer at the White House. Previously, he wrote speeches for U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate candidates. He previously served on the Biden-Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and Pete Buttigieg's presidential primary campaign in Iowa. Sacks holds a B.A. in history and literature from Harvard University.



Giulia Siccardo, Director, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains

Siccardo was previously a partner at McKinsey & Company and leader of McKinsey's Green Growth service line. For more than a decade, she has focused on scaling low-carbon systems and value chains across major corporations and emerging start-ups, covering zero-emissions energy, vehicles, and materials. Together with industry leaders, she founded Frontier, a $1-billion-plus advance market commitment to catalyze high permanence carbon dioxide removals. Prior to McKinsey, Siccardo worked at Adobe on clean energy procurement and data center decarbonization. Siccardo holds a dual B.A. in economics and environmental studies from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.



Appointees taking on new roles are listed below:



Christian Bato, Senior Regional Advisor, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Bato was most recently Regional Intergovernmental and External Affairs Specialist for the Southwest. He previously worked for U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) in her Las Vegas office. Previously, he was the Nevada Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris campaign. He began his career working for SEIU's iAmerica, which advocated for immigrant justice in the AAPI and Latino communities. Bato is originally from Rancho Cucamonga, California, and holds a B.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is the proud son of Filipino immigrants.



Rose Dady, Director of Community Engagement, Office of State and Community Energy Programs

Dady was most recently Regional Intergovernmental and External Affairs Specialist for the Midwest. She previously served as Director of Grants Administration for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Detroit, Michigan. Immediately prior, she was the District Director for U.S. Representative Brenda Lawrence (MI-14). She also served as the Michigan Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris campaign. She has dedicated her career to implementing grassroots solutions for marginalized groups throughout the state of Michigan.



Matt Dannenberg, Senior Tribal Liaison, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Dannenberg was most recently Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Before that, he was Senior Associate Director at the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. He previously was the Wisconsin Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris campaign. Dannenberg started his career at Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters as an organizer, field director, and program director. He also served as communications and legislative director at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Dannenberg is a proud member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



Crystal Perkins, Senior Regional Advisor, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Perkins was most recently Regional Intergovernmental and External Affairs Specialist for the South Central United States. She was previously a strategy and fundraising consultant for progressive campaigns and organizations. She served as the South Central Regional Finance Director for Biden for President and the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Before joining the Biden campaign, she served as Executive Director of the Texas Democratic Party and held positions at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She grew up on the south side of San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Texas State University.



Spencer Thibodeau, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs

Thibodeau was most recently Regional Intergovernmental and External Affairs Specialist for the Northeast. Thibodeau is an attorney and public servant who practiced law in the real estate practice group of the Portland, Maine-based law firm Verrill Dana LLP for eight years. In addition to his legal practice, Thibodeau served for nearly six years on the Portland City Council, where he chaired the Housing and Economic Development (2021) and Sustainability and Transportation Committee (2017 to 2020) committees. In 2020, Thibodeau was selected to be the Maine Senior Advisor to the Biden-Harris campaign. Thibodeau has served on a number of boards and committees, including the United Way of Greater Portland and the Equity Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council. Thibodeau also served as a member of Maine Governor Janet T. Mills' transition team in 2019. Thibodeau is a graduate of Fairfield University and Northeastern University School of Law.



Avi Zevin, Principal Deputy General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel

Zevin was most recently Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy. Zevin is an attorney with experience advancing policies that enable the provision of carbon-free, reliable, and cost-effective electricity. He was a senior attorney and Affiliated Scholar at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law and an attorney at Van Ness Feldman LLP. Zevin holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law, an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A., with high honors, from the University of California, Berkeley.



Click here for the full list of Biden-Harris Administration appointees at DOE.
TIANJIN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14t Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (hereinafter referred to as "Summer Davos") convened in Tianjin China, from June 27 to 29. After the four-year hiatus, the offline Forum returned with China as its starting point, attracting more than 1,500 representatives from political, business and academic from nearly 100 countries all over the world.

Summer Davos, 2023 Keynote speech Livestreaming opens a new chapter for e-commerce by Christy Lei Sun

Christy Lei Sun, CMO of YSG (Yatsen Global) presented at the meeting as Young Global Leader 2022 and shared her ideas on "Livestreaming opens a new chapter for e-commerce", focusing on the current situation and prospects of the live-stream e-commerce industry.

Summer Davos delivers a strong message of cooperation to the world

The Summer Davos has been successfully held for 13 times since it was first held in China in 2007, and is one of the most important platforms of for communication between China and the world. Themed with "Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force of the Global Economy", this year's Summer Davos intends to renew momentum for innovation and entrepreneurship to drive economic revitalization and more equitable, sustainable and resilient global economy.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Premier Li Qiang addressed the Summer Davos. Having gone through the twists and turns of economic setbacks, all countries should cherish openness, cooperation more, work together to tackle global challenges, and promote human progress, Li said. China is implementing new development guidelines, accelerating the construction of new development pattern and striving for high-quality development.

YSG has always been committed to be the beauty explorer for Chinese and global customers, with active implementation of policies and contribution to the building of open world economy. Besides establishing an image of innovative and professional Chinese brand with all efforts, YSG also brings in effective overseas high-end cosmetic brands with good reputation, facilitating the exchange and development in cosmetic research technology and professional skincare.

YSG expects to guard beauty with professional knowledge- supported live-stream

In recent years, live-stream has won great popularity among brands and customers for its powerful interaction and high efficiency. Live-stream industry has seen exponential growth, which is unique to China. On June 28, Sun Lei delivered a keynote speech on "Livestreaming opens a new chapter for e-commerce" at Innovators Hub of Summer Davos. She helped the audience better understand how live-stream works and the live-stream commerce with the main brand Perfect Diary, promoting the win-win cooperation among brands and industries worldwide.

Christy Lei Sun said that Perfect Diary is looking forward to supporting live-stream with updated professional knowledge, based on the brand vision of "everyone can easily become beautiful", offering novices an easy start and achieving popularization of makeup. Perfect Diary's live-stream channel ranked second in the TikTok makeup live-stream list, with a total live-streaming time of over 6,900 hours and a total of 82 million viewers.

Building upon the company's business development, Perfect Diary has started the practice of live-streaming by the brand. By setting up live scenes of fashion and beauty, difficulties of makeup and tips for novices have been well-illustrated and shown to the participants, delivering real benefits for consumers and continuing to amplify the brand's voice and enhancing customer stickiness with live-stream. What's special is that on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, the company also co-organized the "Firefly" public service live-stream with organizations of public welfare to provide training for disabled live-streamers and launched a special live public welfare activity to convey the brand's philosophy "Unlimited Beauty".

According to Christy Lei Sun, YSG has established a sound live-streamer training system, including regularly studying product development, reviewing and summarizing user problems, communicating with the back-end colleagues and participating in a series of meetings for overall brand building, so as to build up comprehensive capabilities. In terms of cultivating live-streamers, the company makes well-thought decisions on candidates, choosing the live-streamers of potentials that fit the brand's style. They will be provided with customized professional training and guiding on live-stream at different stages from beginner training to later growth and progression, and will be re-assigned with new tasks with the development of the brand's live-stream. For senior live-streamers, YSG empowers them with full range of business and management skills for career development from live-streamers to management.

In recent years, China has introduced policies in many cities to promote the development of live-stream e-commerce to help promote the high-quality development of the industry. Guangzhou recently introduced the first industry policy of live-stream e-commerce and held the first city-based live-stream e-commerce festival in China. In April, YSG, with its main brand Perfect Diary and its high-end cosmetic brands, attended the third live-stream e-commerce festival, holding a three-day live-stream event to bring consumers a quality and diversified fashion and beauty experience.

"Live-stream e-commerce not only innovates online sales, creates new employment and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals, but also becomes an important force to help revitalize the countryside." Christy Lei Sun said that with the continuous improvement of the industry ecology, it is expected that live-stream e-commerce service providers will become more and more professional, and only by providing professional and refined services can they quickly take the market. As a beauty company closely related to live-stream e-commerce, YSG is committed to enabling the industry to grow and meet more consumer needs, so as to better discover beauty, create beauty and guard beauty.

Contact:

Winnie Wen

PR manager of Yatsen Global

[email protected]

SOURCE Yatsen Global
Leading Pet Supplements Brand is Recognized as #1 Brand of Pet Supplements in the USA*

ORLANDO, Fla., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zesty Paws, an award-winning functional pet supplement brand, announced today it has been officially recognized as USA's #1 Brand of Pet Supplements* according to Euromonitor, a trusted global market research company.

Zesty Paws has been officially recognized as the USAs #1 Brand of Pet Supplements* according to Euromonitor

This certification solidifies Zesty Paws as America's leader in both dollar and unit sales in the highly competitive pet supplement industry, and reaffirms the brand's commitment to excellence, as well as acknowledges its dedication to improving the health of pets worldwide. With a focus on creating innovative formulas, Zesty Paws has consistently delivered premium products that address a wide range of pet health topics. From joint and gut support to digestive health and calming solutions, Zesty Paws offers a comprehensive line of high-quality functional supplements backed by science to meet the nutritional needs of cats and dogs in all life stages.

In addition to the recognition, Zesty Paws is also pleased to announce the recent appointment of Akash Bedi as the North America CEO for H&H Group. Bedi brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership to this role. His deep understanding of the industry landscape, coupled with his passion for innovation, makes him an ideal choice to lead the North America brands into the next phase of growth. Bedi will also retain his Group role as H&H Group Global Chief Strategy & Operations Officer.

"We're proud to celebrate Zesty Paws being recognized as the #1 Brand of Pet Supplements in the USA* as it reflects the dedication that we have to creating quality products that have earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents around the world," said Bedi. "Zesty Paws has been revolutionizing the pet supplements category since its launch in 2015, and this certification brings H&H Group one step closer to realizing the company's vision of being recognized as a global leader in health and nutrition for people and their pets."

Zesty Paws continues to sustain high double-digit revenue growth and is positioned as one of the omni-channel brands with leading market position in e-commerce channel, and a growing footprint in the pet specialty, retail, and independent pet stores with products in over 10,000 stores across the United States. Zesty Paws is also expanding its reach outside of the US into new markets including Canada, United Kingdom, China, Singapore and more, leveraging on the strength of its product superiority and leadership position built in the US.

For more information about Zesty Paws, please visit ZestyPaws.com or follow the brand on Instagram.

ABOUT ZESTY PAWS

At Zesty Paws, our passion is simple: to enable and inspire a ZEST FOR LIFE in pets and pet parents. Zesty Paws is the #1 selling Pet Supplement Brand in the USA** and stands as an innovative and trusted brand in functional supplements, dedicated to guiding and empowering pets on their wellness journey. Knowing that pet parents believe their pet is their soulmate, we take pride in our commitment to providing innovative and premium pet supplements, as well as unparalleled customer service. Our products have over 350,000 5-star ratings and reviews*** and have been regularly recognized as bestsellers on Amazon. Zesty Paws was also recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Best Petcare Brands in 2022 in the Digestive Support for Dogs category. Zesty Paws is a member of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).

* Source Euromonitor International Limited; Pet Supplements category as per Passport Ecommerce. All channels included, excluding vets, value sales in RSP, more info at https://zestypaws.com/pages/claim.

** Source Euromonitor International Limited; Pet Supplements category as per Passport Ecommerce. All channels included, excluding vets, volume sales in units, more info at https://zestypaws.com/pages/claim.

***Ratings and reviews based on all Zesty Paws supplements on ZestyPaws.com via Power Reviews, Amazon, and Chewy in the US and as of June 21st, 2023.

ABOUT H&H GROUP

H&H Group is a global health and nutrition company. Dynamic, courageous, and ambitious in its mission to make people healthier and happier, the Group strives to inspire wellness while contributing positively to the needs of society and the planet. The Group has three business segments  Baby, Adult and Pet Nutrition and Care  supporting whole-family health and happiness, with premium brands providing nutrition and wellness solutions backed by science. Consumer brands include Biostime, Swisse, Zesty Paws, Solid Gold Pet, Dodie, Good Gout and Aurelia London. The Group is headquartered in Hong Kong SAR and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H&H INTL HLDG" stock code 1112), with a second head office in London. More than 3,300 team members are located across 14 countries.

ABOUT EUROMONITOR

Euromonitor International is the world's leading provider of global business intelligence, market analysis and consumer insights. From local to global and tactical to strategic, our research solutions support decisions on how, where and when to grow your business. With offices around the world, analysts in over 100 countries, the latest data science techniques and market research on every key trend and driver, we help you make sense of global markets.

SOURCE Zesty Paws
SHANGHAI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 7, ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co., Ltd. ("ZhongAn"), China's first online-only insurance company, presented its vision of how the transition from digital intelligence to "AI +insurance" at the "Next Generation Digital Infrastructure, Brand New Value for Insurance Ecosystem" subforum of the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC2023). The transition is set to revolutionize the entire process of the sale and management of insurance, paving the way for an entirely new insurance infrastructure. The presentation delved into the re-engineering of the applications, the redefinition of industry best practices and the exploration of new opportunities.

With the rapid growth of insurtech over the past decade, ZhongAn has emerged as a leading player at the intersection of insurance and technology that has given rise to the insurtech sector over the past decade. ZhongAn has been steadfastly exploring the potential of emerging technologies to empower the insurance business at scale. At this year's WAIC, ZhongAn unveiled the industry's first AI-generated content (AIGC) application roadmap, the Lingxi core system powered by AIGC, and the first generation of AIGC application tools for vertical use cases. These tools include the Yichuang content management platform and the Jizhi business analytics platform.

Jiang Xing, CEO of ZhongAn, said, "The future is now upon us. ZhongAn is grateful for the opportunity to benefit from the AI era and the ability to seamlessly incorporate insurtech into industrial development and societal well-being, creating a collaborative insurance ecosystem that benefits all participants and fosters meaningful and impactful innovation."

A new application model leveraging the convergence of insurance and technology demonstrates full-service capabilities

With the wealth of data collected encompassing every possible use case spanning the entire "production chain" from the sales and management of insurance policies to the handling of claims for both businesses and consumers, the insurance industry is perfectly positioned to establish a robust foundation for the application of AIGC technology. At the sub-forum, Jiang Jiyun, CTO of ZhongAn, presented the industry's first AIGC application roadmap. The roadmap included a feasibility report on the significance and future potential of the application of AIGC across 19 broad insurance categories and 78 business use cases (such as marketing campaigns built especially for independent insurance agents as well as campaigns highlighting the insurer's own activities). The use cases covered aspects such as product design and innovation, marketing and outreach, underwriting and claims, customer service, smart office, and R&D management. One of the key objectives is to provide a useful model for the digital and intelligent transformation of the insurance industry.

Jiang Jiyun said that with the deployment of proprietary large-scale models for more vertical industries, AIGC will showcase the potential of seamless integration and migration of data and using cases, delivering benefits such as personalized customization and risk management, and further bringing more efficient, intelligent and client-focused services.

Wei Chenyang, Associate Chair of the Institute for Fintech Research at Tsinghua University and Director of the China Insurance and Pension Research Center, explained that in addition to examining the opportunities in the context of specific business use cases, it is also necessary to take a very close look at what is "more responsible AI". This entails implementing AI in a way that contributes to a more responsible and customer-centric insurance sector, aligning with policyholder expectations regarding security, fairness, inclusiveness, and sustainability.

Integration of smart technology and business is unlocking new value within the insurance ecosystem

History has shown that widely-used technologies undergo a lengthy cycle of exploration and development, starting from their inception and progressing towards their final, mature application.

How do we identify an AI model that is specifically tailored to the insurance sector and user-friendly? The three essential elements of data, computing power and algorithms should be given priority. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure compliance and security while setting elevated standards for the utilization of large-scale models.

To this end, ZhongAn has developed its own AIGC core system called Lingxi. By adapting to the AIGC models that are rapidly gaining widespread adoption both in China and elsewhere, such as Chat GPT, Tongyi Qianwen and Wenxin Yiyan, the Lingxi platform aims to establish a single model-as-as service (MaaS) platform with two application use case approaches. To help insurance providers make better use of AIGC's capabilities, Lingxi enables institutional users to embed industry-specific databases into large models to achieve the rapid application of AIGC in vertical use cases. Additionally, it offers the convenience of packaging internal application tools as large model plug-ins, simplifying the utilization of large models in various business applications and facilitating the enhancement of business capabilities through AIGC.

Jiang Jiyun explained that Lingxi can also minimize compliance risks, reduce costs by streamlining R&D processes, and optimize the suitability of large-scale AI application use cases in the financial and insurance sectors. To date, Lingxi has been successfully employed across various domains, including product customization, pricing dynamics, sales scenarios, claims automation, and personalized customer service.

Exploring more vertical using cases and unveiling new practical accomplishments

For the specific application of AIGC in business insurance use cases, three practical questions come to the fore: Can AIGC deliver incremental value? Are the risks associated with AIGC manageable? How does AIGC integrate with existing business processes?

Shi Xingtian, head of the Data Science Application Center at ZhongAn, emphasized the importance of systematic thinking when it comes to transforming the existing business system processes and leveraging the full potential of AIGC capabilities to add value to the business through new advances in human-computer interaction and content production. ZhongAn has already taken various steps to implement AIGC technology and enhance various practical tools, including the Yichuang content management platform, as well as the agent, compliance, and intelligent operation and maintenance (O&M) assistance components of the Jizhi business analytics platform.

The Yichuang content management platform empowers operators with fast, reliable and consistent capabilities for content creation. The "keywords-outline-related articles-generation-style rewriting" process generates content on demand, while a highly curated knowledge database linked to a high-precision search engine offers professional articles as references to enhance content credibility. In addition, the platform ensures content diversity by automatically collecting and generating content and creating matching images in real-time.

As enterprise data grows in volume, single-use case-based business analytics can no longer meet the demands for sophisticated data processing. Instead, comprehensive analysis of the data through the pooling of multiple use cases and data sources has emerged as the key to increasing the data's business value. Leveraging AIGC technology, the Jizhi business analytics platform's BI Lab (business insurance lab) can provide conversation analysis, volatility alert and one-click attribution. These features cater to the data querying, analysis, and mining needs of various business units, offering data-driven decision support for enterprise-wide management and business growth.

It is rapidly becoming incumbent upon the insurance industry to gather together the specific expertise and talent that each stakeholder can offer so that entry into and embrace of the AI era can occur in a timely manner, even if the incorporation of AIGC into business processes is still at the stage of theoretical deduction and practical exploration. Jiang Xing said, "ZhongAn remains steadfastly committed to technological progress with a sense of urgency, nurturing a grand vision for the future of intelligence, and upholding the value of openness. The company looks forward to collaborating with financial institutions, businesses across all industries, technology companies and academic institutions to create new value for the insurance ecosystem."

SOURCE ZhongAn Online
Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) leadership has announced a new sole source alliance with Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative (PHEC). Headquartered in Marshall, Texas, PHEC services over 2,580 square miles and 13,722 members across east Texas and Louisiana.

PHEC has been serving its members for eighty-four years with a service area that includes Harrison and Panola counties in Texas and Caddo and DeSoto parishes in Louisiana. Owned by the people it serves, PHEC believes in providing affordable electrical power to its members. "At PHEC we consider it a privilege and an honor to serve our members. The alliance with TEC helps us better navigate the supply chain allowing PHEC to continue offering the same reliable service we have for the past eighty-four years," said Austin Haynes, PHEC's General Manager.

"We are excited to work more closely with Panola Harrison Electric Cooperative," said Johnny Andrews, Chief Operating Officer of TEC Utility Supply & Services. "Their track record for providing quality, dependable service and electric power to users across Texas and Louisiana is well known. We are proud to support them in their mission to keep the lights on for their members."

Establishing alliances with co-ops around the state is a major priority for TEC. "This new sole source alliance is an exciting opportunity for both organizations. Offering total supply chain services gives TEC the ability to help cooperatives plan and manage their inventory as well as the uncertainty associated with long lead times and inventory challenges in today's world," said Johnny Andrews. "That's why TEC works so hard to expand our network of alliances."

About Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.: Serving members since 1941, Texas Electric Cooperatives represents the interests of the electric cooperatives serving more than three million people throughout the state. TEC provides products and services that help sustain public power businesses in the 21st century, and offers a full line of utility supplies and services through its Utility Supply & Services facility headquartered in Georgetown. For more information, visit www.texas-ec.org/about.

About Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative: Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative headquartered in Marshall, Texas. PHEC's service area includes 2,580 miles of power line and 20,648 active meters across east Texas and northwest Louisiana. Serving members for 84 years, PHEC's employees work tirelessly every day to provide their members with reliable, low-cost electric power. For more information, visit www.phec.us.
Hawaiian Electric has awarded a total of $65,000 to sustain existing programs of five nonprofit organizations that provide services to low-income, underserved and disadvantaged individuals and families in West Oahu. The award amounts vary based on need and additional contributions from the utility's sister and parent companies.

Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii received a grant earmarked for the West Oahu clubhouse participants in the What's Next Initiative, an intensive youth mentoring program designed to ensure participants graduate high school and become productive, caring and responsible citizens. The program, which starts in the 8th grade, is held over a 5-year period and addresses student self-discovery, healthy lifestyles, academic readiness, motivation, post-secondary options and exploration, life skills and workforce development.

Dynamic Community Solutions, an all volunteer organization, was awarded a grant for its Puuhonua o Waianae Farm Village Project which aims to provide safe, sustainable and affordable housing and farming opportunities for about 250 houseless people - many working homeless - currently living at the Waianae Boat Harbor. Under the Governor's Emergency Proclamation on Homelessness, a 20-acre parcel in Waianae Valley purchased by DCS in 2020 is being expeditiously constructed and the first cluster of housing anticipated to accept occupants by the end of the year. Future phases will be built and people moved in as they are completed. A team of Hawaiian Electric employees also are working with volunteer planners and engineers to bring in an electrical service line to the village.

Honolulu Community Action Program will apply the grant to its Ha Initiative: Creative STEM Afterschool Program which engages at-risk youth in exploring the worlds of science, technology, engineering and math in a safe space. For more than a decade, the Ha Initiative has provided year-round tutoring, mentorship and standards-based STEM activities that boost academic performance and interest in STEM careers for students in need of high-quality, accessible and educational afterschool support. HCAP's STEM Exploration Centers are located near public elementary schools in underserved communities such as Waianae, Aiea, Kalihi, Makiki and Hauula.

Teach for America will use the grant to expand its Ignite Fellowship program which engages current local undergraduate students as paid tutors and connects them directly with students from low-income backgrounds in the Nanakuli-Waianae complex. The goal is to accelerate learning for economically disadvantaged and special needs students, address learning loss and social-emotional well being resulting from the pandemic and achieve educational equity so that Hawaii keiki can succeed in school, work and life.

University of Hawaii - West Oahu was awarded grant funding for the Heading West Bound Summer Experience, an 8-week immersive workshop designed to acclimatize students to post-pandemic college life and create a sense of belonging and community that will enrich their higher education journey. The overarching goal is to increase participation and completion of post-secondary education.

Heading West Bound resumed this year with recent graduates from Nanakuli High & Intermediate, Waianae High, James Campbell High and Mililani High schools, among other area schools. For Anbrew Forro of Waianae High, the program created a family-oriented bond between students and staff, a positive trait echoed by Teylar-Lei Hopfe of Nanakuli High & Intermediate who was grateful for the staff. "They're doing really good in engaging students and making them feel comfortable. I like all the little events they have, and how in depth they go."
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Kanpur, July 10 : Slain gangster Vikas Dubey's relative Nakul Dubey and four others have been booked in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur for allegedly attacking and injuring a mother-son duo for not paying extortion money, police said.

According to police, on the basis of the complaint, an FIR has been registered against five people, including Nakul Dubey, for extortion and assault.

Nakul's father Atul Dubey is an accused in the Bikru case and its hearing is going on in the Anti-Dacoity court.

Dhananjay Mishra, a resident of Bairi Sawai village of Shivli police station area, alleged in his complaint that Nakul, a resident of Bikru, had demanded Rs 5,000 from him.

"When he refused, Nakul threatened him with dire consequences. He however took the things lightly and did not report the matter to the police," he alleged.

On Saturday evening, Nakul along with his aides Bhan Kishore, Ram Kishore, Aman Sharma and Sanjay, barged into his house and attacked his brother Naveen and mother Shanti with sticks and knives, causing grievous injuries to them.

On hearing their screams, the locals rushed to their rescue, but the accused had fled the spot.

Shivli police station Inspector, Janardan Pratap Singh, said Vikas Dubey's relative Atul Dubey's son Nakul had allegedly attacked the mother-son duo.

"The injured mother-son has been sent to the Community Health Centre. Separate teams have been formed and raids are underway to nail down the accused," he added.
Baghdad, July 10 : The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has said that Iraq lost 5,000 megawatt of electricity because of a shortage of gas supply by Iran, media reported.

The loss of nearly 5,000 megawatt caused by the decline in gas supplies from Iran and the gap of 10,000 megawatt because of insufficient national gas production have negatively affected the electricity supply to citizens, the Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Musa told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Sunday.

The Ministry is trying to coordinate with the Iranian side to re-pump the gas in the required quantities, pending a solution to transfer financial dues to Iran, he added.

Iraq imports gas to feed its power stations across the country from Iran, which occasionally reduces gas supplies over accumulated debts of Iraq, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said the government was implementing plans to invest in its associated gas and natural gas fields to reduce dependence on imports.

In May, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said the country's oil reserves increased by 10 billion barrels and its natural gas reserves by 8 trillion cubic feet after a three-dimensional seismic survey near Basra, a key oil hub located about 550 km south of the capital Baghdad.

The new figures would raise the proven reserves of Iraq's crude oil to about 155 billion barrels and natural gas to about 140 trillion cubic feet.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Iraq is a member, has not officially adopted the new figures yet.
Stockholm, July 10 : Thousands of protestors gathered in central Stockholm to protest against the burning of the Quran in Sweden.

The gathering took place on a square near a mosque where an individual set a copy of the Quran ablaze on June 28, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Swedish Police, Sunday's protest gathered around 3,000 participants, Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper reported.

Mustafa Issa, Chairman of the United Islamic Associations of Sweden that organised the protest, told DN that the burning of the Quran is hate speech that should not be allowed.
Dubai, July 10 : The UAE is committed to embracing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and tools across various sectors to accelerate the country's digital transformation, said Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, the country's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.

Al Olama made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting of the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain held at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in Dubai, according to the official news agency WAM.

The Minister said by embracing digital practices and harnessing the potential of technology, the UAE aims to forge new opportunities and design innovative models that lay the foundation for a sustainable economy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The council is currently focusing on the second phase of its work, which aims to employ AI in government entities, develop AI systems, and increase the country's competitiveness in priority sectors through the development of AI-powered customer services.
Colombo, July 9 : At least 11 people were killed and 40 others injured in Sri Lanka on Sunday when the bus they were travelling in fell into a river, an official said.

The bus carrying over 67 passengers to Akkaraipaththu had fallen into the Mahaweli river, one of the four main rivers in the country.

Some of those who fell into the river were rescued by the military and villagers in the area.

It is believed that a number of passengers were washed away and divers have been deployed to find the bodies.

An eye-witness said the speeding bus had knocked against Kotaleeya bridge at Manampitiya and then had fallen into the river.

According to the police, the wounded people have been rushed to Polonnaruwa Hospital, and the bodies were taken to the hospital.

Careless driving is suspected to be the cause of the accident.
Washington, July 10 : The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the American military has killed an Islamic State (IS) leader in a drone strike in eastern Syria.

In a statement on Sunday, CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla said the IS leader, Usama al-Muhajir, was killed in the strike carried out on July 7, CNN reported.

He added that the strike was carried out by MQ-9 Reaper drones that were harassed by Russian aircraft earlier that day.

"We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of IS throughout the region. IS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond," Gen. Kurilla was quoted as saying in the statement.

CENTCOM also confirmed that no civilians were killed in the strike but it was still assessing reports of injury.

US drones participating in the anti-IS operations in Syria were harassed thrice last week by Russian aircraft that are currently in the war-torn nation.

The July 7 incident between the Russian fighter jets and the US drones lasted for nearly two hours, CNN quoted a US Air Forces Central statement as saying.

Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of US Air Forces Central, said that Russian aircraft "flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations".
Entergy Texas and ENGIE North America (ENGIE) recently executed a memorandum of understanding to work collaboratively toward the exploration of mutually beneficial sustainability solutions.

ENGIE is currently developing a 350 MW industrial-scale green hydrogen plant in Entergy Texas' service area with an estimated commercial operation date by 2026. This first phase of the proposed project requires an investment of over $500 million and will generate up to 500 jobs during construction and as many as 40 full time positions. Subsequent phases of the proposed hydrogen project could grow this Renewable Hydrogen project to 1 GW by 2030.



"We are proud to partner with industry leaders like ENGIE to support the needs of our customers and communities," said Eliecer Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. "Southeast Texas has the infrastructure and workforce to play an essential role in the growing low-to-zero carbon hydrogen industry, and our collaboration with ENGIE will lead the way for significant advancements."



Entergy Texas operates in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator energy market and has reliably served customers in Southeast Texas for decades. The company plans to invest over $2.5 billion by the end of 2024 to build a more resilient and sustainable energy future for the region.



"High-energy, low-emission, locally produced hydrogen could be the next game-changing energy resource for Texas," said Eric De Caluwe, Managing Director of Flexible Generation & Hydrogen at ENGIE North America. "With Houston being home to our North American headquarters for the last 40 years and Texas continuing to be a key market of investment and advancement of new projects and technologies, we look forward to working with Entergy Texas to serve the changing needs of industrial and heavy transport customers here as they seek cleaner forms of energy to fuel their operations and processes."



About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 499,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom.



About the ENGIE Group

The ENGIE Group (made up of ENGIE S.A. and its subsidiaries and affiliates) is a global leader in low- carbon energy and services. With its 96,000 employees, its customers, partners and stakeholders, the Group is committed to accelerate the transition toward a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions. Inspired by its purpose ("raison d'etre"), ENGIE reconciles economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on its key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to its customers. ENGIE S.A. (ENGI), is listed on the Paris and Brussels Stock Exchanges.



In North America, ENGIE companies have delivered integrated, innovative energy solutions to public and private organizations for nearly half a century. We employ approximately 3,000 people focused on enabling our customers to become more sustainable and achieve their decarbonization targets through expert project delivery and competitive solutions. For more information on ENGIE in North America, please visit our LinkedIn page or Twitter feed, https://www.engie-na.com/ and https://www.engie.com.

CONTACT

Entergy Texas Media |281-297-2353|entergytexasmedia@entergy.com

ENGIE |Michael Clingan|832-745-6057|Michael.clingan@external.engie.com
Washington, July 10 : Ukraine is not yet ready for a NATO membership, US President Joe Biden said, adding that Russia needs to first end its ongoing invasion of Kiev, only then can the military alliance consider adding the war-torn nation to its ranks.

In a CNN interview on Sunday night, the President said that although talks of granting Kiev a NATO membership was "premature", the US and its allies in the military allinace will continue to provide Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.

"I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war," Biden said.

"For example, if you did that, then, you know -- and I mean what I say -- we're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case."

The President said that he has spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that he has told his Ukrainian counterpart that the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out.

"I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden told CNN, while noting that he refused Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands before the war for a commitment not to admit Ukraine because the alliance has "an open-door policy."

"But I think it's premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because there's other qualifications that need to be met, including democratisation and some of those issues."

Biden made the remarks before embarking on a week-long trip to Europe during which he will attend the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The ongoing war and Zelensky's push for a NATO membership will be the main focus of discussions at the Summit which will also be attended by the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

Regarding Washington's announcement last week to send cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time, Biden told CNN that it was a "difficult decision" to give Kiev the controversial ammunition, but that he was convinced it was necessary because the war-torn country was running out of ammunition.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New York, July 10 : Indian-Americans Jayshree Ullal, Neerja Sethi, Neha Narkhede, and Indra Nooyi feature in the ninth Forbes' Richest Self-Made Women list of 2023.

The four have been named to the list of 100 most successful entrepreneurs, executives, and entertainers in the US with a cumulative wealth of record $124 billion, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago.

Silicon Valley engineer and Cisco veteran Jayshree Ullal, 62, leads the Indian-American pack ranking at number 15 on the list with a net worth of $2.2 billion.

According to Forbes, Ullal joined the computer networking company Arista Networks as CEO in 2008 when the business had no sales.

The now publicly-traded company, which she still runs, recorded $4.4 billion in revenue in 2022, up 48 per cent from the prior year, despite component shortages and supply chain challenges.

Neerja Sethi, 68, ranks at number 25 with a net worth of $990 million.

She co-founded IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel with husband Bharat Desai in 1980 in their apartment in Troy, Michigan. In 2018, they sold it to French IT firm Atos SE for $3.4 billion.

Software engineer-turned-entrepreneur, Neha Narkhede, 38, announced her new company, fraud detection firm Oscilar, in March. She co-founded the business with her husband in 2021, funding it with $20 million and positions at number 50 on the list with a wealth of $520 million.

Ranking at number 77 with a net worth of $350 million is Indra Nooyi, the first woman of colour and immigrant to run PepsiCo, one of America's 50 largest companies.

Nooyi retired as PepsiCo's CEO in 2018 and as chair in 2019 after a dozen years in those roles.

Now a director of Amazon and health tech firm Philips, Nooyi joined scandal-plagued Deutsche Bank's new Global Advisory Board last November.

"This list is a testament to the hard work and success of these women," Kerry A. Dolan, Assistant Managing Editor, Wealth, at Forbes, said.

"We continue to see women breaking records and increasing their influence and power along with their fortunes, and each year new women in a variety of industries break into these ranks."

The overall list is topped by Diane Hendricks, 76, of ABC Supply with a wealth of $15 billion.

--IANS

mi/ksk
Kiev, July 10 : In the clearest admission yet, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has hinted at the country's forces blowing up a bridge that connected Russia and Crimea in October last year.

Listing 12 Ukrainian achievements since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Maliar posted on Telegram: "273 days ago, (we) launched the first strike on the Crimean bridge to disrupt Russian logistics."

Her post also mentioned the sinking of the Russian warship Moskva (451 days ago) and the liberation of Snake Island (373 days ago), CNN reported.

The Ukrainian government however, has not responded on the Minister's claim.

The attack on the Kerch bridge, which disrupted major transport links between mainland Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, not only struck a blow against Russia's military effort in Ukraine but also represented a psychological blow for Moscow and a major propaganda victory for Kiev.

Ukrainian officials celebrated the blast at the time but did not make a clear claim of responsibility.

It took place a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 70, and Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov published a video of the bridge in flames alongside a video of Marilyn Monroe singing, "Happy Birthday, Mister President".

The Ukrainian Navy had also posted on Facebook, saying, "Air defence of the Russian Federation, are you sleeping?" alongside a video showing a section of the bridge's road that had been completely destroyed.
Bengaluru, July 10 : Karnataka police have arrested the man who made a hoax bomb call to a mosque in communally sensitive Shivajinagar locality in Bengaluru, police said on Monday.

The accused has been identified as 37-year-old Syed Mohammad Anwar from Maharashtra.

According to police, the accused was raising donations for madrassas from the mosques.

After collecting the donation from the Azam mosque near Russell Market in Shivajinagar locality of Bengaluru, he had sought permission to stay back the night which was denied.

An upset Anwar then boarded the bus to Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. Upon crossing Devanahalli, he had made a phone call to the emergency helpline number 122 stating that terrorists had planted a bomb in the mosque.

The incident had taken place late at night on July 5.

Ithad created panic and tension among the local residents and police. The search operation was carried out late in the night.

Officials of fire force and emergency services, police department, bomb disposal squad and dog squad had rushed to the spot and conducted search operations which turned out to be a hoax call.

Shivajinagar police, which registered the case in this regard, nabbed the accused when he had gone to Mehboobnagar from Kurnool.

Investigations have revealed that the accused was a BSc graduate but was unemployed.

He used to earn his livelihood in the pretext of collecting donations for madrassas.

Further investigation is on.
New Delhi, July 10 : Congress on Monday slammed the BJP-led Centre saying the people from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi adopted village stood up against him when his government threatened to demolish buildings belonging to the Gandhian institute, Sarva Sewa Sangh.

The Congress said the Prime Minister loses no chance to claim Mahatma Gandhi's legacy but at the same time he sees it fit to destroy Gandhian institutions built by people like Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, Congress General secretary Jairam Ramesh in a tweet said, "Prime Minister Modi's adopted village stood up against him when his government threatened to demolish buildings belonging to the Gandhian institute, Sarva Sewa Sangh."

He said that this is the second time the residents of Nagepur have protested against the Prime Minister, a few weeks ago they sat on dharna to demand the arrest of (WFI president and BJP MP) Brij Bhushan Singh.

"The Prime Minister loses no chance to claim Mahatma Gandhi's legacy even though the RSS and its allies were bitterly opposed to the Father of the Nation. But at the same time he sees it fit to destroy Gandhian institutions built by people like Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan," the Congress communication in-charge said attaching a news report.

According to reports, the district administration had last month declared that the institute -- the Varanasi branch of Gujarat's Wardha-based Sarva Sewa Sangh -- stood on 14 acres of railway land. The railways then pasted demolition notices on the institute's buildings on June 27.

The residents of the villagehave expressed support for a demolition-threatened Gandhian institute whose appeal for an audience with the Prime Minister has so far remained unanswered.

--IANSaks/dpb
Kiev, July 10 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his visiting Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda attended a church service in the northwestern city of Lutsk.

On Sunday, Zelensky and Duda stood in front of the church to exchange greetings and share an embrace in a televised event.

In a tweet, the Polish leader said: "Together we pay tribute to all the innocent victims of Volhynia! Memory connects us! Together we are stronger."

Lutsk is in the far west of Ukraine, close to the border with Poland.

After the church visit, the two leaders also held a meeting.

"Andrzej Duda and I had a brief but very substantive discussion about the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. We agreed to work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine," Zelensky tweeted following the discussion.

On his part, the Polish President said the meeting with Zelensky was "a testimony of friendship in the face of a difficult history, but also to hold final consultations before the NATO summit in Vilnius, which begins in two days".

"Effective support for Ukraine in its pursuit of membership in the alliance is very important for Poland," he said in a tweet.

Poland is one of Ukraine's closest allies, often leading the way in urging members of the NATO military alliance to send more supplies to the war-torn nation.

More than 12 million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Poland since February 2022, according to UN data.
Beijing, July 10 : At least six people were killed and one injured in a stabbing incident at a kindergarten school in China's Guangdong province on Monday, police said.

Police told the BBC that the incident occured at about 7.40 a.m. and added that a 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection.

Although the police did not reveal any details about the victims, they called the incident a case of "intentional assault".

A probe into the cause of the attack is underway.
London, July 10 : The BBC said that it was in touch with the Metropolitan Police over sexual misconduct allegations against a male presenter who has been suspended.

In a statement, the Corporation said that it is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts against the allegations that the presenter had paid a teenager 35,000 pounds for sexually explicit photos.

BBC officials are slated to meet the Metropolitan Police on Monday to discuss the matter.

The matter came to light after the Sun tabloid in a report on July 7 claimed that a woman had accused the presenter of paying her teen child for sexually explicit photographs.

Neither the Sun, nor the BBC have named the presenter.

In a new story, published by the Sun on Sunday evening, the tabloid claimed that the presenter made two "panicked calls" to the teenager following the July 7 report.

The presenter allegedly asked the young person "what have you done" and asked them to ring their mother to get her to "stop the investigation", the paper said.

In a statement earlier on Sunday, the BBC said it was working as fast as possible "to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps".

"The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday (July 6) of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols."

It added that the corporation expected to be in a position to provide a further update on the process in the coming days.

In an earlier statement on July 7, the BBC had said it has processes in place to deal with allegations and part of this is "actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation".

"If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact that can limit our ability to progress things but it does not mean our enquiries stop.

"If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided -- including via newspapers -- this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes," added the BBC.

In an email to staff, BBC Director General Tim Davie said such allegations were taken "incredibly seriously" and described the situation as "complex".

He added that the Corporation was working rapidly on ascertaining the facts and "to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care".
Kolkata, July 10 : With two deaths reported on Monday, the total casualty figure in poll-related violence for the panchayat elections in West Bengal has reached 38.

Local Trinamool Congress leader from Raninagar Murshidabad district, Sirajul Sheikh, and CPI(M) activist from Krishnanagar in Nadia district, Sukur Ali Sheikh, both of whom were severely injured and admitted to hospital on the polling day of Saturday, succumbed to injuries on Monday morning.

In the third incident, the body of local BJP leader from Dhubulia also in Nadia district, Oshto Mondal, who was missing since the polling day morning, was recovered from the bushes adjacent to a pond on Monday morning.

With thisthe total death count since the announcement of polling dates on June 8 rises to 36, with 19 recorded till Friday night and 20 added since Saturday morning.

Fresh reports of death came at a time when re-polling for 696 booths has been conducted since Monday morning under heavy deployment of central armed forces personnel.

The civil society has started raising questions that had there been similar central armed forces deployment on the polling day of Saturday as it is done today, the death toll in the poll-related violence would not have been so high.

Meanwhile, the Union home minister has sought a report from the state government on the massive violence and bloodbath over the polls on Saturday.

The inspector general of Border Security Force (BSF), who was the central nodal officer for the rural civic body polls, is also slated to send a report to the Union home ministry complaining of the non- cooperation from the office of the state election commission in effective deployment and utilization of the armed forces.
Ahmedabad, July 10 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will file his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat on Monday, a BJP official confirmed.

Jaishankar arrived in Ahmedabad on Sunday and was received at the airport by state Minister Raghavji Patel, city Mayor Kirit Parmar, and other BJP functionaries.

Pradeepsinh Vaghela, the Gujarat BJP general secretary, announced that Jaishankar, whose term is set to end on August 18 along with two other Rajya Sabha members from the state, is scheduled to submit his nomination form at around noon on Monday.

While the BJP has not yet officially declared the candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats, which are scheduled to go to the polls on July 24, Jaishankar's nomination was considered certain.

The last date for filing nominations is July 13, and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is July 17.

If necessary, polling will take place on July 24.

The Congress, on the other hand, confirmed on July 7 that it will not field candidates for the three seats from Gujarat due to a lack of sufficient MLAs in the 182-member state Assembly.

In the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls the BJP secured a record 156 seats, while the Congress had its weakest performance in the state with just 17 seats.

Among the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by the BJP, with the remaining three occupied by the Congress.

Of the eight BJP-held seats, the terms of Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor, and Dinesh Anavadiya will end on August 18.
Ocean Energy Europe hails the French government announcement of at least 65 million of funding, plus dedicated revenue support, for the pioneering tidal energy pilot farm FloWatt. Announced today by the Minister for the Energy Transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the move signals a huge step forward for the tidal energy sector in France, and lights the way for other EU Member States to follow. Flowatt will be the biggest tidal farm in the world, with the most turbines and largest capacity - a true flagship project.

This announcement demonstrates France's trust in tidal energy as both an industrial opportunity and a key part of the energy transition. It is a timely response to increased activity and investment in ocean energy in the US and China, and part of a broader push that needs to happen at EU level to secure Europe's electricity supply with more indigenous production.

With an EU objective of 40 GW of ocean energy by 2050, a new target for innovative renewables in the 2023 EU Renewable Energy Directive, and the inclusion of ocean energy as a strategic Net Zero technology, the past few years have seen an increase in political momentum. This must now be translated into concrete action by Member States, who have the power to roll out ocean energy on a large scale and reap the rewards, both at home and abroad.

Due to start operating in 2026, France's first tidal pilot farm will meet the electricity needs of 20,000 people for 20 years. FloWatt is a strategic collaboration between project developer Qair, technology developer HydroQuest and industrial partner Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN). Building on a successful two-year test programme in Paimphol-Brehat, the seven 2.5MW turbines will be installed in one of the most powerful tidal sites in the world, Normandy's Raz Blanchard.

Ocean Energy Europe's CEO, Remi Gruet, greeted the news with great enthusiasm. "This is of huge significance: we have been waiting for revenue support for new pilot farms since the first were put in the water in 2016. Investors keep knocking on the door, but the lack of market visibility - provided by targets and finance - kept pushing them away.

This commitment by the French government brings the number of countries supporting tidal energy revenues & installations to three, after the UK and China. Other EU Member States need to take heed if Europe is to secure its supply of indigenous, low-cost electricity and avoid further energy crises."
Seoul, July 10 : The number of unregistered baby cases under police investigation in South Korea has increased to 939, as a nationwide campaign is under way to confirm the well-being of more than 2,000 undocumented babies born since 2015, the National Office of Investigation said on Monday.

A total of 1,069 "ghost baby" cases had been reported to police as July 7, and 939 of them are currently under investigation, the Office said.

The latest figure marks an increase of 159 additional cases under investigation since the tally on July 6, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Of the total cases filed, 34 babies have been confirmed dead, 19 of which had no signs of foul play.

Police investigations are under way into suspected crimes involving 11 other dead babies, including two deaths reported in Seoul.

Four other cases were referred to the prosecution after police found criminal suspicions involving their parents in the deaths of the newborns.

The police said they are focused on finding the whereabouts of 782 undocumented babies.

Police have been expanding their probe into cases of undocumented babies who have medical records of birth but no official birth registration, and the government is conducting a nationwide campaign to check the well-being of more than 2,000 unregistered babies.
Beijing, July 10 : Three children, two parents and a teacher were killed on Monday in a stabbing incident at a kindergarten school in China's Guangdong province, police said, adding that the accused person has been arrested.

Police told the BBC that the incident occured at about 7.40 a.m. and added that a 25-year-old man was arrested in Lianjiang town.

Although the police are yet to identify the victims, they called the incident a case of "intentional assault".

A storeowner who works near the kindergarten told the BBC the surrounding area has been sealed off.

Monday's incident comes as the country has witnessed a spate of knife attacks in recent years, including several in schools, reports the BBC.

In August 2022, a knife-wielding assailant stormed a kindergarten in Jiangxi province, killing three people and injuring six others.

In April 2021, two children died while 16 others were injured during a mass stabbing in Beiliu City, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

In October 2018, 14 children were injured in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Chongqing.
Hubballi : , July 10 (IANS) After the murder of Sri Acharya Kamakumara Nandi, a Jain monk, Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara on Monday said that the government will ensure that no such incidents happen again in the state. The opposition BJP not satisfied with the probe has decided to protest.

Speaking to reporters on Monday at Hubballi, Parameshwara stated that "no one will bring politics in connection with the case. The police are taking action against the accused and they have already been arrested. I congratulate the officers.

"Police department will ensure that action is taken. The law will take its own course, there is no question of any kind of bias in this matter. The accused had cut the dead body of the pontiff and dumped it into a borewell," he said.

The Jain pontiffs were protesting at Varur over the incident. "I will speak to them. There is no need for handing over the case to the CBI. The probe is progressing and the accused have been arrested," he said.

"Legal action will be taken. The real fact will come out once the probe is completed. The false allegations should not be made. The state BJP is not able to name the leader of the opposition, there is fighting. The people of the state are observing how far the party is behaving," Minister Parameshwara stated.

Meanwhile, former CM Basavaraj Bommai has said that BJP will protest during the Assembly session over the Jain pontiff murder case. He spoke to Sri Gunadhara Nandi Maharaj of Varur near Hubballi over the phone. Nandi Maharaj had begun a fast until death agitation demanding handing over of the case to the CBI.

State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the case can't be taken lightly by the society. The BJP leaders, including Union Minister for Mine, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi had alleged that the Congress government was practicing politics of appeasement. He had also stated that the demand for the handing over of the case to CBI will be brought to the notice of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Acharya Shree 108th Kamakumara Nandi Maharaja from Chikkodi went missing on Thursday from the Jain Basadi at Nandi Parvat in Horekodi. The accused persons had cut his body into pieces and dumped them in an open borewell.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the pontiff was hacked to death in the premises of the ashram and later the body parts were disposed of. One of the devotees close to pontiff had killed him, police said.

The accused from Khatakabhavi village had good rapport with the pontiff. After winning his confidence he had taken lakhs of rupees from the pontiff as loan. When he was asked to repay the loan by the pontiff, the accused hacked him to death.

The main accused had taken the help of a man from Chikodi to carry out the murder. A search operation is currently underway to recover all the body parts.

After the pontiff was reported missing, the management told the police that property documents related to the Jain Basadi were also missing.

The inmates of the ashram last saw him at about 10 p.m. on July 5.

The pontiff had been residing at the Jain Basadi for the last 15 years.

A missing case was lodged with the Chikodi police station by Bheemappa Ugare, the President of Acharya Kamakumaranandi Charitable Trust.

The police have arrested two persons and are grilling them.

During the course of investigation, they confessed to killing the pontiff but gave contradictory statements regarding the disposal of the body. The accused had confessed to the murder after being asked to repay the loan, he stated.

Sri Rama Sena founder Pramod Muthalik has stated that he does not agree with the theory of police that the Jain pontiff was murdered over a loan issue. "There is a conspiracy behind this incident. The mentality of cutting the body into pieces must be effectively dealt with by the government. Politics of appeasement is resulting in such heinous crimes," he said.
London, July 10 : A 37-year-old Sikh in England has been jailed for a year for repeatedly punching a man with his steel bangle (kada) after believing that he was racially targetted, a media report said.

Tirminder Singh Lallie, who previously faced racism at workplace, retaliated after the victim lashed out at him with a pole for allegedly driving his Range Rover too fast in 2021, the BirminghamLive reported on Sunday.

Lallie admitted before the Wolverhampton Crown Court that his retaliation was "excessive self-defence", but added that he fought back thinking that he has been racially abused by the victim.

The court heard that Lallie earlier faced abuse in workplace over his religion and appearance that left him shattered and "angry".

He was also sentenced previously for a verbal altercation.

"It strikes me that both of these incidents came about because you're an angry man... You could have easily done something else -- walked away, called the police," the judge said while sentencing Lallie.

The victim, a painter, was putting a ladder in his van when he saw Lallie's Range Rover heading towards him in Oldbury, England, on August 4, 2021.

Thinking that Lallie was driving too fast, the painter waved his hand at the driver, gesturing at him to slow down.

Prosecutor Ilana Davis said the car came to a "sudden halt".

Lallie shouted and swore from the car window before getting out and "charging" towards the man.

The court was told that the victim was clutching a pole, which he used to hit Lallie's head twice.

Prosecutor Davis said that "Lallie was wearing a steel bangle around his wrist. He pulled it over his fingers as he punched" the victim repeatedly.

The victim went to hospital, where medics glued back together two cuts to his head, the report said.

In a statement, the victim said Lallie's "unprovoked attack" stopped him from working for a few days and he is now worried about bumping into him while going out.
New Delhi, July 10 : London-based consumer technology brand Nothing on Monday announced the opening of its first exclusive Customer Service Centre in India.

The new service centre is scheduled to open in Bengaluru in August to provide customer support and after-sales services.

The company also said that it is expanding its coverage of service centres from 230 to over 300 by the end of July, serving 19000 pin codes across the country.

"At Nothing, in addition to building iconic designs, products and software experience, we are equally committed towards after-sales service to provide an elevated product experience to our customers in India. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our exclusive service centre that will foster trust and establish credibility among our esteemed customers in India," Manu Sharma, GM, and VP, of Nothing India, said in a statement.

Moreover, the company said is also planning to launch five exclusive service centres in five cities by 2023 and 20 more exclusive service centres across cities by 2024.

Nothing is also increasing its customer service team by 50 per cent, ensuring continued excellence in services and customer satisfaction.

Further, the company mentioned that the new service centre will be hosting service camps for Nothing customers periodically and customers can buy accessories, care packs for accidental/liquid damage, and warranty upgrade packs as well at these centres.

Nothing is set to launch its upcoming Phone (2) on July 11 in the country.
Sanaa, July 10 : The Yemeni riyal has plummeted to a new low against the US dollar, raising concerns about an impending economic crisis in the war-torn nation.

Money traders in the southern port city of Aden and other government-controlled areas told Xinhua news agency that the Yemeni riyal declined sharply to 1,430 against the greenback, marking the lowest exchange rate since the beginning of this year.

The depreciation caused a notable surge in prices of food, medicine, and fuel and further weakened the purchasing power of citizens, exacerbating their sufferings and worsening the country's already dire humanitarian condition.

The Yemen government has been persistently appealing to regional and international powers for assistance in stabilising the faltering economy.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognsed government and its allies.

The conflict has devastated the country, with over 19,000 people have been killed and millions more forced to flee their homes.

More than 21.6 million people, or two-thirds of the population, need humanitarian assistance and protection yet donors have so far committed only a third of what is needed.
London, July 10 : World No.1 Iga Swiatek saved two match points to defeat No.14 and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3 to advance to her first Wimbledon quarterfinals.

The victory marked Swiatek's 14th consecutive win and booked her a place in her ninth straight quarterfinal. The 22-year-old Pole is the youngest player to make the quarterfinals at all four majors since Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Swiatek will face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina for a spot in the semifinals.

With confident ball-striking, Bencic raced to a 6-1 lead in the opening set tiebreak before closing it out on her fourth set point to hand Swiatek her loss of a set.

Swiatek responded immediately, breaking Bencic with a clean forehand return winner in the opening game of the second set, but Bencic kept the pressure on, breaking back to 3-all. After Bencic held to 6-5 on a netted forehand return from the World No.1, Swiatek found herself serving to stay in the match.

Facing two match points at 15-40, Swiatek showed her champion's mettle. She saved both points with winners from both wings, holding serve to force another tiebreak after over two hours of play.

Having kept herself in the match, Swiatek raced away with the tiebreak to take the high-quality match into a third set. Two early break points decided the third set. Bencic earned the first chance, with Swiatek serving at 1-1, but could not convert.

Swiatek converted her first chance a game later, breaking to 3-1 after Bencic struck her 10th double fault of the match. The Pole protected her lead and closed out the win with her 33rd winner after 3 hours and 3 minutes.
Washington, July 10 : US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has termed her China visit as "highly constructive" with very substantive series of meetings with state officials as Washington sought to stabilise its relations with Beijing after months of escalating trade tensions even as America struggled to settle a mounting one trillion trade imbalance with the Asian giant.

The timing of the Treasury Secretary's four-day visit to Beijing came under the shadow of the high profile visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington leading to defence deals, supply of jet engines to combat aircraft by GE, drones supply, and strengthening of defence ties to what US media described, as an effort to counter China's intimidating postures on the South China Sea.

"I do think my trip has been successful in forging those relationships and creating the opportunity for a deeper set of more frequent contacts at our staff levels," Yellen said on Sunday.

Her visit focused on the state of the global economy, export controls.

The high stakes trip to China, the US media described as part of ongoing efforts to stabilise US-China relations after months of escalating tensions.

Yellen's visit also quickly followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing last month.

Poltical observers in the know claim that these meetings of Yellen and Blinken are prepping up a possible high profile visit of President Joe Biden to Beijing and meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

"We have a new team on the economic side in Beijing, that it's important to establish person-to-person relationships, and to open ongoing channels of communication, where concerns can be aired and discussed," Yellen told CBS News on Sunday.

"And I do think my trip has been successful in forging those relationships and creating the opportunity for a deeper set of more frequent contacts at our staff levels."

Media reports described Yellen's task in Beijing as being complex as it raised a number of concerns, such as national security and the Chinese intimidation of select US companies.

Yellen sought Chinese cooperation on issues ranging from climate change to debt distress.

She said her purpose was to make sure the two nations do not engage in "unintended escalatory actions that will be harmful to our overall economic relationship with one another".

Paradoxically, on the eveof Yellen's visit to Beijing, China slapped export curbs onchipmaking metals and related components and compounds.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry however claimed that it gave the US and Europe an advance notice of the impending curbs.

In October last year, the US had initiated new rules aimed at shrinking or cutting off of key chips and semiconductor tools to China.

The semiconductor bill passed by Congress was also a step in raising production of chips in the US and slashing Chinese imports.

Expressing concerns over Chinese export controls, Yellen wondered if it contrasted with the US' decision.

The US' actions "are narrowly targeted to address national security concerns", but one could not fathom why the Chinese export controls were implemented.

Yellen pointed to the enormous market China enjoyed and said it was a significant share of the global economy and the US was interested in ensuring that American business and workers in the industry could profit from that, CNBC reported.
Chennai, July 10 : The Coimbatore corporation authorities are mulling increasing the number of Sewage Treatment Plants(STP) in more water bodies in the city to raise the Oxygen level.

The moves comes after the Oxygen level in two water bodies where the STPs were

installed increased.

In 2018, the Coimbatore corporation had installed STP of one Million litres per day

(MLD) at Periyankulam and Valankulam.

It resulted in bringing down the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and E Coli bacteria content in water.

Corporation authorities told IANS that they were in the process of installing STPs in Singanallur and Krishnamapathy tanks.

According to an official of the Coimbatore corporation, after the installation of STPs in the two water bodies,E Coli bacteria content reduced from 8000 in 2008 to 300 in 2023.

In a similar way, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) also came down from 500 in 2008 to 23 in 2023.

It is to be noted that the corporation is managing eight water bodies, including Ukkadam Periyakulam, Valankulam, Selvampathy, Krishnampathy, Kurichi, Singanallur, Selvachinthmani and Kumarasamy.

After Ukkamadam, Periyakulam and Valnkulam , STPs are now being installed at Kumarasamy and

Singanallur.
Jakarta, July 10 : The Karangetang volcano on Siau Island off the coast of Indonesia's North Sulawesi erupted on Monday, with authorities warning locals and tourists to stay away from the area.

Head of the country's Geological Agency, Sugeng Mujiyanto said in a statement that the volcano, consisting of two active summit craters, has launched hot ash as far as 2 km to the southeast, reports Xinhua news agency.

He suggested that nearby residents and visitors avoid activities within a 2.5-3.5 km radius of the craters over "potential dangers from lava flows and hot clouds".

Authorities have raised the alert to level 3 in a four-tier system on the 1,784-meter volcano since May due to its increasing volcanic activities.

Karangetang is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia having erupted 41 times since 1675.

A pyroclastic flow in 1997 killed three people.
ELY  Wearing sunglasses provided by the Bureau of Land Management, Learning Bridge Charter Schools third-grade class dug into Garnet Hill with tools ranging from claw hammers to dental picks.

Learning Bridge is a K-8 charter school located in Ely, Nev., about 10 miles southeast of the BLM-managed Garnet Hill Recreation Area, renowned for its ruby red, semi-precious gemstones.

The June field trip was all fun and games (educational) through which students and chaperones learned how the Great Basin, which spans nearly all of Nevada, was formed.

Its an engaging way to teach our students about the geology and geography of the Great Basin while appreciating the beauty of eastern Nevada, which has so much to offer, said Kristy Sedlacek, Learning Bridge Charter School teacher.

This is an opportunity to get the younger generations interested in our natural resources and environment, added John Miller, outdoor recreation planner for the BLM Bristlecone Field Office. Plus, its just darn fun!

Miller said the field office has plans to improve the popular recreation area to the benefit of education.

Improvements include enlarging the parking lot to allow for school buses, interpretive signs (20-30) instructing the public about our natural, cultural, and historic resources, and a small Amphitheatre.

To learn more about this and other noteworthy places to visit on BLM-managed lands in eastern Nevada, contact the Ely District Office at (775) 289-1800 or blm_nv_eydowebmail@blm.gov.
Hyderabad, July 10 : Hyderabad Police have arrested two persons for illegal sale of lethal arms.

The sleuths of Commissioneras Task Force, Central Zone Team along with Bowenpally Police made the arrests and recovered four sharp-edged swords and daggers and four imitated rifles.

The arrests and recovery of weapons were made on Sunday, police said on Monday.

Acting on credible information, the police apprehended two accused at Bapuji Nagar in Bowenpally while they were trying to sell sharp-edged swords and daggers to the needy persons.

Following the questioning of the accused, police raided godown of JC Crafts situated at Sowjanya Colony, Bowenpally and seized three big swords with scabbards, one small dagger with scabbard and three imitated rifles from their possession

The arrested men have been identified as Vinay Sharma Kolariya (53) and his son Aakash Kolariya (23) -- both residents of Sowjanya Colony, New Bowenpally, Hyderabad and native of Jaipur,Rajasthan

According to police, Vinay Sharma is running a business in the name of JC Crafts. As he is unable to get the profits in his business, he hatched a plan to sell the swords, daggers and imitated rifles keeping in mind the demand for the same for upcoming marriage season and festivals. Accordingly, he ordered swords, daggers and imitated rifles from Rajasthan for transport in the disguise of handicraft items and stored them in his shop.

He employed his own son Aakash for the sales of the swords, daggers and imitated rifles in the twin cities. He used to sell each sword for Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000 depending upon the party.
Kolkata, July 10 : State Congress president in West Bengal and five-time party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court with a plea for compensation to the victims of violence related to the panchayat polls in the state.

The poll- related violence has taken a toll of 39 lives since the polling dates were announced on June 8, with 20 being the victims of violence on the polling day of July 8.

In the petition filed at the division bench of Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, Chowdhury has appealed that besides compensating the families of the victims, those responsible for the bloodbath should also be identified and strong legal action be initiated against them.

The division bench of the Chief Justice has admitted the petition, though the date of the beginning of the full- fledged hearing is yet to be known.

The petitioner, Chowdhury has also alleged that the district administration, especially in the most violence- ridden Murshidabad district, did not display the minimum responsibility and humanity in arranging for the shifting of the injured persons to the hospitals.

In the petition, the Congress leader claimed that he was filing the plea on behalf of the family members of the dead as well as those who were injured in violence on the polling day.

On Monday, Chowdhury himself argued in front of the division bench instead of deputing a counsel on his behalf.

"Mainly the lower and middle class people were victims of the poll- related violence on Saturday. They didn't even know whom to approach for remedy. Many injured persons could not be taken to the hospitals. I have appeared here today on behalf of those families. My appeal to the court is that all of them should be provided with assistance and help," argued Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has already demanded that the state government should provide compensation at the rate of Rs 50 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 10 lakhs to the injured.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen embarked on a four-day diplomatic trip to China, where she met top Chinese economic officials, including Premier Li Qiang, former Vice Premier Liu He, and former People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.

This was Yellen's first visit to Beijing as Washington's chief financial officer, yet many economists worry the US and China's competing interests may make the trip fruitless at best -- and downright hostile at worst. But that is not how the Chinese government and media, both, have played the visit

In contrast to the earlier visits of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken flowing to China for bilateral talks -- months after his February trip was cancelled due to evidence of a Chinese spy balloon over American territory.

And US President Joe Biden met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the G20 summit last year, where they discussed international debt relief and economic priorities.

Yellen's visit to China is being played-up rather kindly by the Chinese media.

She is considered a politician with a 'Dovish' image in China due to her pragmatic style as an economist, and which has helped her to have working friendly relations with top Chinese officials.

The manner in which her visit was referred to by Premier Li also demonstrates that Chinese have high hopes from this visit and wants Yellen to take the message back with her for President Biden that there will be no winners in trade wars and an economic "decoupling is futile.

The comments, which were made by Premier Li, however have been very uplifting as usually Chinese leadership refrains from making such comments.

Li said: "Yesterday, the moment you arrived at our airport and left the plane, we saw a rainbow, I think it can apply to the US-China relationship too: after experiencing a round of winds and rains, we surely can see a rainbow."

Li further said Chinese enterprises must observe the world economy and look forward and cannot just look at the water under their feet on rainy days.

He said this practice could also be applied to the Sino-US relations.

In May, G7 leaders met in Japan and agreed that their members should "de-risk" from China.

Beijing said there is no difference between "de-risking" and "de-coupling" as both will lead to the departure of foreign firms from China.

In contrast Yellen preferred to describe the US' strategy as "diversification" and hopes to emphasise Economic CooperationNot Decoupling with Beijing.

Just last week, China announced new restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium, two key metals necessary to produce vital semiconductor chips.

In response, the Biden administration considered placing additional limits on the sale of high-end chips used to develop artificial intelligence -- an emerging industry the two powerhouses have raced to control.

Still, Yellen hopes to strengthen key Biden administration policies while also reassuring Beijing that the US' actions aren't meant to harm the Chinese.

That means emphasising cooperation and supply chain diversification instead of economic decoupling, demanding greater transparency from China's new espionage law, addressing unfair market barriers against US firms, and discouraging Beijing from supplying Russia with lethal aid in its war against Ukraine -- something China continues to deny doing.

China's concerns, however, centre more on past US actions.

Specifically, top Chinese officials want to counter tough trade tariffs imposed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, as well as sanctions against Chinese companies.

Yellen faces a tough challenge, for she has to convince Beijing that the slew of "de-risking" measures Washington, and some of its allies, have been taking are not intended to contain China or decouple the two economies.

Her job is all the more difficult all the wrong moves targeting China have been initiated by the United States.

Yellen's is perhaps the only voice of reason amid the belligerent anti-China din in Washington, currently. She has termed the tariffs that the US has imposed on China, as "taxes on consumers "and warned," decoupling could be "disastrous".

During the visit, Yellen also focussed on climate change financing, saying that previous cooperation on climate change between the US and China had made possible global breakthroughs such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, adding that both governments wanted to support emerging markets and developing countries as they strive to meet their climate goals.

China, surprisingly classified as a developing country by the UN, has long said it was the responsibility of developed nations to help poor countries pay to address climate change.

But Beijing says it could contribute to "loss and damage" due to climate change on a voluntary basis.

Given their scale of economies, cooperation between the US and China is considered vital to international efforts to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Yellen said financing for such initiatives should be coordinated efficiently and effectively, adding that Beijing's support for existing multilateral climate institutions like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Climate Investment Funds, alongside the Washington and others, could boost their impact.

China is welcome to join the US in contributing to a round of fund pledging for the GCF in September, a Treasury official said.

For that fund replenishment, President Biden has said the US would provide a further $1 billion.

Chinese newspaper China Daily described the visit as coming at a critical time for bilateral ties, and therefore technically it is a test of whether she can take the decade-long good working relations she has built with her "old friends" in China forward and allay, if not altogether eliminate, the increasing distrust between the world's two largest economies.

In reality, both China and the US need to and have the capability to increase economic exchanges and cooperation.

In today's global village, no one country can prosper and sustain its economy in isolation.

Both the US and China understands this, so rhetoric apart some balancing of economic ties is vital for both and Yellen's visit might have set the course in the right direction, for economic benefit of both.

(Asad Mirza is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator)
New Delhi, July 10 : Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday condoled the deaths of several people in several northern states due to heavy rainfall saying that we all have to face the difficult challenge of natural calamity together and urged the party workers to help the administration in relief work.

"The news of loss of lives due to heavy rains and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other North Indian states is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. All Congress workers are requested to help the administration in relief work. We all have to face the difficult challenge of this natural calamity together," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.

His remarks came after heavy rain triggered landslides and flash floods in several parts of north India, claiming at least 19 lives in the past three days.

Himachal Pradesh was worst-hit, as all major rivers are in spate, bringing normal life to a standstill.

The weather office has predicted more rain for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi and its adjoining areas.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside Centre's order cancelling the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card of Sweden-based Professor of Indian origin, Ashok Swain, observing that other than repeating Sections, no proper reason has been given in the order as to why his registration has been removed.

Swain is a faculty member of peace and conflict research at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Sweden's Uppsala University.

In his plea, he has mentioned that his OCI card was cancelled in February 2022 as he criticised the current Indian government.

He states that he has not delivered any inflammatory speech.

An OCI card is issued to a foreign national of Indian origin, who is allowed to live and work in India for an indefinite period.

aThe respondents are directed to pass a detailed order giving the reason for exercising its power under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act. The impugned order is set aside. The respondents are directed to complete the exercise in a period of three weeks from today," the court said.

aThis hardly is an order, doesnat give any reasonsaThis hardly gives any indication of the application of mind on the matter. Pass a detailed order with reasons for cancellation," a single-judge bench of Justicec Subramonium Prasad said as he perused the impugned order.

Swain has argued that his card was cancelled on the alleged premise that he was indulging in inflammatory speeches and anti-India activities, however, there were no specific instances or materials to prove the same.

"It is submitted that the petitioner has never engaged in any inflammatory speeches or Anti-India activities. As a scholar it is his role in society to discuss and criticise the policies of government through his work," Swain's petition read.

It added: "Being an Academician, he analyses and criticises certain policies of the present government, mere criticism of the policies of the current ruling dispensation shall not tantamount to anti-India activities under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955."
Canberra, July 10 : Australian supermarket giant Woolworths on Monday announced that the country's first batch of "tearless" onions will hit the shelves in stores across New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory from Wednesday until September.

"The unique onion variety is exactly as the name implies, an onion that's less likely to make you cry when you cut it," Xinhua news agency quoted Woolworths as saying in a statement.

According to the statement, the tearless variety contains fewer natural chemicals and enzymes, also known as volatile compounds, that can cause tears and irritation.

In addition, these compounds continue to reduce after they are harvested, compared to regular onions where these compounds increase over time, which means that they become more tearless over time.

Woolworths noted that the tearless onions were developed over decades using natural methods, including cross-breeding existing onion varieties, and they taste less pungent yet slightly sweeter than regular brown onions.
Lucknow, July 10 : The Uttar Pradesh government has decided that voluntary blood donors can now use their donor cards in exchange for blood from any of the state-run blood banks in the state.

The state blood transfusion council (SBTC) announced that the blood donor cards issued by any of the government blood banks after voluntary blood donation can be redeemed at all the state blood banks.

Earlier, the donor card could be exchanged only at the same blood bank that issued the card.

Donor cards are issued for each unit of blood donated voluntarily and for which blood is not obtained in exchange. In case blood is obtained for patient in exchange of the donation, no donor card is issued.

"The decision has been taken by the state core committee of the SBTC. This decision came after it was observed that donors who wanted to get blood in exchange of a donor card faced difficulty when they were in need but in another district or when they visited any blood bank, other than where they donated blood," said a letter sent to all state-run blood banks in Uttar Pradesh by SBTC.

Dr Tulika Chandra, head of department, transfusion medicine at the King George's Medical University said, "Healthy people often donate blood so that they may get blood in exchange if they or their loved ones need it. This decision will help a lot of people who do not find a donor at time of need but can use donor card."

"Sometimes blood group is not available at one blood bank and people go to another. If one donor card is valid for many blood banks, it will be a relief, else those with a donor card too would have to look for a donor. Getting a donor at a place where you do not know anyone is a difficult task as often searching for donor takes time," said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, association of international doctors.

All the state-run blood banks have been asked to comply with the order and inform the SBTC.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim bail granted to Aam Aadmi Party leader and former minister Satyendar Jain on medical grounds in a money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate.

A bench of Justices A. S. Bopanna and M. M. Sundresh directed senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Jain, to place medical reports on record and extended the interim bail till July 24.

In response to Singhvi's submission that three hospitals have recommended surgery for Jain, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju requested the court for an independent evaluation to be carried out by a panel of doctors from AIIMS in the meantime.

After a brief hearing, the Court posted the matter for further consideration on July 24 while asking Singhvi to submit Jain's medical reports to ASG Raju.

The Supreme Court on May 26 had granted interim bail for six weeks to the former cabinet minister of the Delhi government, to get medical treatment in a private hospital of his choice.

It was contended before the top court that Jain has extreme health problems and has lost over 30 kgs of weight.

In April this year, the Delhi High Court had dismissed bail pleas of Jain and his two aides in a money laundering case being probed by the central agency.

The high court had said that Jain is an influential person and cannot be said to have satisfied the twin conditions for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"The simple fact is the CBI has filed a case of disproportionate assets (DA). The present court cannot go into the validity of these proceedings. Facts show that certain DA were masked. The court has to see the prima facie case. The broad probabilities indicate that the companies associated with him are controlled and managed by him. Learned special judge order (rejecting bail to Jain) does not have any perversity. Order is well reasoned," the judge said.

Jain has been in custody since May 30 last year. A trial court had on November 17, 2022, dismissed the AAP leader's bail application.
Bengaluru, July 10 : In a shocking incident, a man and his daughter were electrocuted to death at their farm in Tumakuru district of Karnataka on Monday.

The incident took place in Basavanahalli village in Pavagada taluq. The deceased are identified as Ramakrishna Reddy (65) and Niramala.

Police said that Ramakrishna had gone to irrigate the land at his farm near Yalloti in Basavanahalli village. He got electrocuted near the borewell and died on the spot.

His daughter Nirmala, who came in search of her father, touched him and succumbed to death after coming into contact with the electricity.

Pavagada police are investigating the matter.
Srinagar, July 10 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday lauded the "exemplary integrity, honesty, heroism and commitment to duty" of the J&K Police under the most challenging circumstances.

Shah's appreciation for J&K Police has been no less than a medallion of honour.

Shah has lauded the heroism of the local police and its leadership for standing up to the challenges of time and vagaries of nature.

The Union home minister said on his Twitter page, "True heroism lies in our acts of honor and honesty that leave an indelible mark on the lives we touch.

"ASI Darshan Kumar and HC Satpal of the J&K Police proved this saying correct. They found a bag that contained Rs 80000, a mobile phone, and Yatra documents.

"They traced out its owner, a pilgrim, and handed it over to her. I appreciate them for being an example of integrity."

He also spoke highly of the personnel of J&K Police disaster response wing in another tweet in which he said, "The NDRF and the SDRF have always stood tall in service to the nation and humanity despite all odds. Their role has been crucial in fulfilling our goal of providing a safer Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim.

"Sharing a photograph of an SDRF Jawan carrying a lady yatri on his back for 3 km through the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas on her way back from the holy shrine. I applaud them for being the beacon of safety for the citizens."

It must be recalled that braving the challenges of terrorism and maintaining law and order in most trying times has become the hallmark of the local police.

Its list of its martyrs and unrelenting pursuit to bring peace to J&K has become an example to ameliorate for the police force of other parts of the country.

Acting in total synergy with the Army and the central armed police forces (CAPFs), the local police have been playing a pivotal roll in controlling narco-terrorism, contributing significantly in social policing, prevention of routine crime, providing security to protected persons and yet standing steadfast in their commitment to end the scourge of terrorism.
ELKO  Landon Maffo, an incoming junior at Carlin Combined School, is one of 34 students selected to attend the Joint Science and Technology Institute East conference this summer.

JSTI East is a two-week residential program in Maryland for current high school students and teachers that exposes them to scientific research through hands-on projects. This program enables participants to work with DoD scientists and STEM experts to inspire and increase awareness of career opportunities in STEM-related fields.

According to the JSTI website, the institute received 5,000 applications.

Physics and math are at the top of Maffos list of favorite subjects in school.

We dont have a ton of research opportunities at the high school level, so I think it will be neat to experience something like that, said Maffo.

Carlin Combined computer science teacher Brande Johnson explained Maffo is one of Carlin Combineds top performing students.

Landon began taking AP classes just as a freshman and is currently enrolled in college level courses as a sophomore, said Johnson. Hes in chess club, plays sports, and will be the student body president next year. He does all the things and still manages to maintain perfect grades. He is such a hard-working student, so for me, he was an easy one to recommend.

Landon was also recommended by biology teacher Melissa Jones.

Landon is an exceptional student, said Jones. I dont have very many students when we are running an experiment over several days that come in on their own time just to see how the experiment is progressing. Most students just show up for their class hour, look at what happened between day 1 and day 2. Landon comes in throughout the day, checks and sees what is going on. Hes probably one of my most curious students I have ever taught.

Maffo is one of seven students to represent JSTI attendees from Carlin. Along with Maffo, Spring Creek Middle School student Isabelle Hansen will attend the JSTI middle school component conference this summer.

JSTI is a part of the STEM Academies for Students offered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. ORISE is a U.S. Department of Energy asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system.
Kochi, July 10 : The Kerala High Court on Monday slammed the top police officials at Kottayam for failing to properly implement a protection order passed in favour of a bus owner, amid protests by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) for wage hike.

The court was referring to the attack on a bus owner who was attacked by the trade union workers as they claimed that the last wage hike was five years ago, and that the protests had erupted after he failed to revise the wages despite "agreeing" to it.

CITU had erected protest flags in front of Mohan's buses, following which he obtained a protection order from the court to resume operations. But when he tried to resume services in spite of the protection order, the CITU personnel attacked him, while the police watched like a mute spectator.

This incident was widely reported in the media following which the Court initiated suo motu contempt in the matter.

And on Monday the court said, "Look at the message going to the public that despite the High Court's protection order, there are powerful sources who can manhandle you and nothing will happen,".

Mohan was manhandled by CITU workers even as six police officials were watching. "The slap was not on the cheek of the petitioner; that slap was on the High Court,".

"It is the habit of trade unions in Kerala, when they fail, they come and (attack)...so there was every likelihood this man will be attacked...you should have anticipated...you are police, you are not ordinary citizen," the Court orally noted, adding that it portrayed an instance of wilful neglect.

The District Police Chief, Kottayam, and the Station House Officer (SHO) appeared before the Court in person and gave an explanation in the matter and informed the Court that the accused K.R.Ajai has been booked under Section 294 (Obscene acts) and 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt) IPC.

But the Court pointed out that he was released on bail the same day.

The court has now directed the SHO concerned and the Deputy Superintendent of Police to file their affidavits with respect to the investigation in the incident and the steps taken pursuant to the crime.

The case will be taken up for hearing on July 18.
Wellington, July 10 : New Zealand and the European Union (EU) have signed a ground-breaking Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will provide "significant new trade access" to the country's fourth-largest trading partner, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday.

The FTA will increase New Zealand's exports to the EU by up to NZ$1.8 billion per year by 2035, Xinhua news agency quoted Hipkins as saying.

Tariff savings on New Zealand exports are NZ$100 million from day one of the agreement entering into force, the highest immediate tariff saving delivered by any New Zealand FTA, he said, adding that is around three times the immediate savings from the FTA between New Zealand and Britain.

This will add billions every year to New Zealand's GDP, the Prime Minister noted.

Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor said the NZ-EU FTA will cut costs and support exporters to grow and diversify their trade.

It will provide new opportunities for New Zealand exporters of products such as kiwifruit, seafood, onions, honey, wine, butter, cheese, beef and sheep meat, O'Connor said, adding this new access will help to accelerate New Zealand's post-Covid and post-Cyclone Gabrielle recovery.

Based on current trade figures, New Zealand will have the opportunity through combined FTA and World Trade Organization quotas to provide up to 60 per cent of the EU's butter imports, up from 14 per cent currently, the Minister said.

New Zealand cheeses could also make up 15 per cent of the EU's imported cheeses, up from 0.5 per cent currently, he said.

The NZ-EU FTA includes ambitious sustainable trade outcomes in a range of areas, including climate change, labour rights, women's economic empowerment, environmentally harmful fisheries and fossil fuel subsidies, O'Connor said.

It is anticipated that the NZ-EU FTA will enter into force in the first half of 2024, once both parties complete the final required legal steps.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, July 10 : In the mid-60s the radical students of the East Pakistan Chattra (Student) League and also a few leftist elements to arouse dissent against the regime of a military dictator General Ayub Khan of Pakistan said that he has leased Saint Martin's island in the southeast tip of the country to the US to build a military base to counter India.

After the independence of Bangladesh, the myth loaded with political jargon melted away. A similar story of St. Martin's being given away to America popped up several times since its independence in 1971. A couple of times during the military juntas of a liberation war hero, General Ziaur Rahman (1977-1981) and founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and General Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1982-1990), founder of Jatiya Party were in power. They were deliberately blamed for facilitating inroads for America to counter the regional influence of India.

Once again, Bangladesh's only coral island, Saint Martin's is in fresh controversy for being given away to the Americans, this time not to counter India, but China's hegemony in the South Asia region.

This time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself exploded a bomb, when she asked "How did BNP come to power in 2001?" at the press conference at her official residence Ganabhaban on 21 June.

"They came to power by pledging to sell gas (to India). Now do they want to sell the country [to the United States] or come to power by pledging to sell Saint Martin's island," she told.

Well, she did not mention the name of any country, but it is understood by political analysts, that she pointed her fingers towards two countries. The export of natural gas through a pipeline to energy-starved West Bengal, India and the coral island to the American for a military base.

She was upbeat to politically admonish BNP that the 'Kings party' had negotiated with India, which helped the rightist party leader Khaleda Zia to return to power in the 2001 October elections.

She blames BNP negotiated with Washington DC to give away the 'critically endangered' coral island to America for a military establishment to watch over a huge swatch of the Bay of Bengal, which merge with the Indian Ocean in the far south.

Promptly, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam alleged that prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as of her political strategy, provided false information about BNP's stance on St. Martin's Island.

"The remark on St. Martin's island is part of her political strategy. They want to gain an advantage through such statements. No country signs a deal with the opposition, it is signed with the government," he remarked.

The United States State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller scoffed off the rumour centring on the island and the USA.

In a press briefing in Washington last week, he said that the ruling Awami League and its (political) allies have been alleging for the last few days that the US wants to take over Saint Martin's island and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants to come to power by "making a pledge to lease it out".

The US had no intentions to acquire Saint Martin's Island. "We have never engaged in any conversations about taking over Saint Martin's Island," he remarked.

The spokesperson, putting away his diplomatic niceties did not hesitate to comment that in the "last 15 years, she [Sheikh Hasina] is in power without reflection of the will of the people of Bangladesh, though."

The issue was first raised in the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) on 14 June by a left leader, Rashed Khan Menon, president of Bangladesh Workers' Party and an alliance of governing Awami League said the countries that "have the US as a friend, do not need any enemies".

He stressed that the US sought Saint Martin's and Bangladesh's participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance, where Australia, India, Japan and the United States are primary members.

Six days later, another radical politician Hasanul Haq Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), also an ally of Awami League in his speech in parliament said, "The time has come for us to think about the reason for this over-enthusiasm of the US. Is it democracy or Saint Martin's Island?"

A British team of surveyors' in 1900 included Saint Martin's island as part of the British Raj in India and named it after a Christian priest Saint Martin.

The Department of Environment (DoE) in 1999 declared the 8 Sq. Km island an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA). As per section 19 of the ECA Management Rules 2016, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, the class of land of any ECA cannot be changed without permission of the DoE. Thus, any construction of establishments on the island is illegal and dangerous for saving the coral reef at Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula.

Despite several official notices and high court orders, the island has more than 230 hotels, resorts, cottages and restaurants, either one-storey or multi-storied.

Green activists and researchers say the island is home to several globally endangered marine turtles and birds, including rare Pacific reef-egret, red crab, dolphin and vulnerable olive Ridley sea turtles, which are also on the verge of disappearance.

Professor Kawser Ahmed, dean of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Dhaka University in his article published in Ocean Science Journal in 2020 predicts that coral species would completely disappear by 2045.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association's (BELA) chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan doubts whether an ecologically threatened island would be suitable for any military purpose.

The longstanding political debate over the island could be understood from a news report on 18 December 1980. The defunct Dainik Bangla published a report under the heading "None will be allowed to establish a naval base at Saint Martin's".

A stern warning was issued in a statement by the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement alleged that several political parties claimed that a country [United States] has been allowed to set up its naval base at Saint Martin's island is completely baseless.

However, political historian and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad quoted in a reputed Bangla-vernacular newspaper Prothom Alo that he first heard in February 1971 about leasing Bhola's Monpura island out to the US.

The rumour had spread, soon after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held a parley with the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Joseph Simpson Farland, on 28 February 1971  a month before the genocidal campaign 'Operation Searchlight' launched by Pakistan military, which sparked the liberation war.

The pro-Chinese left Maoist parties and their affiliated youth organisations printed a propaganda leaflet that Monpura Island will be given away to America, in exchange for US support for the independence of Bangladesh.

The disinformation against Sheikh Mujib died when the United States tilted towards Pakistan's military junta during the bloody war of Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

The blame game by political opponents in Bangladesh is a dilemma alleging the ruling elites are going to lease out Monpura or Saint Martin's Island to the US or going to provide benefit to India are age-old political bashing, said writer Ahmad.

Some political observers believe that the imposition of sanctions by the US against the anti-crime special unit Rapid Action Battalion's (RABs) seven current and former senior officers were accused of violating human rights including extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances  recent US visa restrictions for officials, the ruling party and opposition, whoever undermines democracy and cause hindrance to a free and fair parliament elections in January 2024, have raised eyebrows among political leaders and government officials.

They did not hesitate to slam the United States' foreign policy and deemed the announcement as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said this week "We welcome the continuous engagement with the US to wipe off misunderstanding between Dhaka and Washington if there was any." He told reporters when he was asked to comment on the upcoming high-level official visit from the US.

Dhaka would welcome if the US delegation led by US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu scheduled in early July came up with a "bright idea" as Bangladesh is committed to hold free, fair and violence-free elections, said Dr Momen.

(Saleem Samad is an award-winning independent journalist based in Bangladesh. Views expressed are personal. Twitter: @saleemsamad)

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

--IANS
Bhubaneswar, July 10 : A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached Bhubaneswar on Monday and started interrogation of arrested Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure, who was alleged in regular touch with some Pakistani intelligence officials.

The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police had arrested Abhijeet, a software company employee, from Pune, Maharashtra on June 29. He is now on four-day police remand, informed K.K. Panigrahi, superintendent of police, STF.

Abhijeet has links with at least seven Pakistan citizens and 10 Nigerian citizens through WhatsApp, said the SP.

A team of Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has interrogated Abhijit on Sunday while NIA team also started interrogating him on Monday as the accused was allegedly having direct touch with some Pakistan agents and Nigerian nationals.

Panigrahi said Abhijeet was in regular touch with two Pakistani intelligence officials for a long time. In 2018, he met Danish @ Syed Danish Ali Naqvi of Khanki, Faisalabad, Pakistan through Facebook messenger, who identified himself as a freelancer at Chegg (an American education technology company).

Abhijeet had shared his user ID and password of Chegg to Danish. Danish was working in Chegg on Abhijeetas identity but the earnings were credited in Abhijeetas account in India. Against his afavoura, Abhijeet had to do some aworka for Danish, he said.

Danish introduced him (Abhijeet) to his friend namely Khurram allies Abdul Hamid of Karachi, Pakistan. Khurram is believed to be a senior Pakistan Army intelligence officer having a big base/network of agents in India. And as per instruction of Khurram, he used to transfer money to various PIOs working in India, the SP said.

Abhijeet had transferred money to Pathani Samant Lenka, who was earlier arrested by the STF in connection to the OTP sharing scam.

The police and different agencies questioned the accused Abhijit to know more details about the Pakistani agents, whether he has shared any vital information with them and whether he was having any link with other PIOs in India, sources said.

So far, six persons have been arrested for sharing OTP of pre-activated SIMs to some criminals and suspected Pakistani agents.
Chennai, July 10 : Tension prevailed in Chengalpattu area in Tamil Nadu after a local leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) was hacked to death on Sunday.

The deceased, identified as Nagaraj (47), was the PMK's town secretary in Chengalpattu and a local flower merchant. Police said that a gang of nine persons came on two-wheelers, and hacked the PMK leader to death with knives on Sunday night, when he was returning home after shutting his shop.

Relatives and functionaries of PMK staged a protest in the Grand Southern Trunk Road and refused to accept the body. The protestors also shouted slogans demanding justice from the state police.

Special police team are on the hunt for culprits and one of the assailants was arrested near the Paranur town plaza in the wee hours on Monday. Police sources told IANS that when the police surrounded the assailant, he tried to attack them and they had to fire on his legs and took him into custody.

The suspect is identified as Ajay (24), who has eight criminal cases pending against him including two murder charges. Police said that some more suspects are in their custody.

Chengalpattu Superintendent of Police, V.V. Sai Praneeth, and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Kancheepuram, P. Pakalavan are leading the police operations.
New Delhi, July 10 : India's broking industry is shaken after the recent order by the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) against IIFL Securities banning the company from onboarding new clients for two years.

Though, Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has suspended the order, the harsh order by SEBI has created panic among industry players, who fear that orders of this magnitude is coming for them that will destroy the industry.

A promoter of a large broking firm said: "The SEBI order against IIFL seems to be a clear cut instance of punishment grossly exceeding the violation and retrospective in nature."

The SEBI order is based on their inspection of IIFL Securities for a period from 2011 to 2014 when they found IIFL Securities didn't assign its accounts appropriate nomenclature wherein it was keeping clients' money so as to clearly label them as 'client accounts'.

Additionally, it was mixing clients' funds with its own fund before using those mixed funds for its own proprietary usage.

The SEBI order of banning IIFL Securities from onboarding new clients for two years came even after the regulator had slapped Rs 2 crore fine on the broking firm for the same observations and allegations.

Three CEOs of large broking firms agreed that this a harsh order and are worried in case SEBI issues further orders against them as well for which they have already been fined.

One of the CEOs said: "The industry will collapse with the regulator goes for such black and white judgements. There are no instances of default of malpractice by brokers including IIFL Securities. This kind of banning business will be deadly for every broker."

Data shows, for similar violations like IIFL Securities or even graver violations, the market regulator had let off half a dozen brokers with fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 35.32 lakhs.

SEBI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers Ltd in November 2018; a fine of Rs 15 lakhs on Systematix Shares & Stocks (I) Ltd in December 2017; a fine of Rs 17 lakhd on Motilal Oswal Financial Services in February 2020; a fine of Rs 30 lakhs on Nirmal Bang Securities in February 2020; and a fine of Rs 35 lakhs on Edelweiss Securities in settlement order.

In a more severe case in 2020, SEBI had imposed just a fine of Rs 12 lakh on Ganganagar Commodities. In that case, SEBI had observed usage of funds of credit balance clients for settling some of the trades of debit balance clients.

Three CEOs at large broking firms said, this practice was prevalent in those days.

"It was not done with any ill intent to siphon off clients' money but was for operational comfort and it was not violating any SEBI norms specifically at that time. All brokers rectified this practice after SEBI issued a clear enhanced circular in 2017."

SEBI in its own IIFL Securities order said: "I find that the violation by way of assigning wrong nomenclature to the 'clients accounts' has been remedied by the Noticee (IIFL Securities) further the violation committed by the way of mixing funds of clients with its own funds has not been observed in March 2017 inspection.

"Further, I find no instance of misuse of clients' funds by the notice placed before me which has occurred subsequent to implementation of the Enhanced Supervision Circular dated September 16, 2016." SEBI also did not find any actual misuse of funds by IIFL Securities.

One former official with the regulator said: "One of the fundamental principles of jurisprudence is that the quantum of punishment should never exceed the quantum of crime. In this case the punishment seems to be harsh and unjustified that is why SAT suspended the order so quickly.

"Also the SEBI order is retrospective in nature as it uses provisions under the 2017 circular retrospectively for observations between 2011-2014 period. While it is essential to have a hawk's eye, unnecessarily harsh judgements will affect fairness of regulator."

SEBI used a formula prescribed in the Enhanced Supervision Circular dated September 26, 2016, which came into effect in 2017 to instances that happened several years before the issuance of the said circular.

A senior compliance official with a broking firm said: "SEBI made retrospective application of the Enhanced Supervision Circular and the same is repugnant to basic rule of law. Neither is the circular intended to have retrospective application, nor does the SEBI Act enable any circulars to be made with retrospective effect. On the contrary, the effective date of the circular was positively prospective and was even deferred to a future prospective date."

This retrospective application of the enhanced circular has made brokers fear further action across the industry and that too in a black and white manner making business survival and growth difficult.

One CEO of a large broking firm said: "The industry is already burdened with increased regulation, lower brokerage regime and reduced customer acquisition due to market volatility. This kind harsh actions can break the industry completely with no way to return."
Beijing, July 10 : China's Ministry of Water Resources on Monday activated a level-IV emergency response for flood risks in Shandong and Sichuan provinces.

From Tuesday to Friday, heavy rain will lash parts of Sichuan and Shandong, causing water levels of rivers to rise sharply, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

Multiple rivers are expected to see water levels exceed their warning lines, according to the Ministry.

China has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I being the most severe response.
Mumbai/New Delhi, July 10 : With apparently no takers, for the third time five years the real assets of the erstwhile South Korean automobiles major, Daewoo Motors India Ltd (DMIL) in Greater Noida, shall go under the hammer again on August 17.

The auction of the land assets, which were earlier in 2008 taken over by the Pan India Motors, has been ordered by the Debt Recovery Tribunal, III, Mumbai, and hopes to recover a portion of the massive dues of the DMIL

The 204-acres land parcel had gone up for auction in 2019, then 2020 and again in 2023 -- and the latest attempt comes nearly 20 years after the DMIL winded up its India operations in 2003-2004.

The leasehold land pertains to the plot No. A-1, Surajpur Industrial Area, Dadri Road, Greater NOIDA in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh and measures 825,612.23 sq.m., as per the DRT-III Mumbaias order last Thursday.

"DRT No. III, Mumbai has drawn up the Recovery Certificate for the recovery of Rs 511,02,84,697.00 with interest and costs from the Certificate Debtors and a sum of Rs 159,78,46,40,834.00 (dues till August 2023 filed by ARCIL, and a sum of Rs 134,95,88,21,963.00 (dues till August 2023 filed by SASF, defendant) is recoverable together with further interest, costs and charges as per the Recovery certificate/Decree," said the order.

A notice by the DRT said that the entire property shall be sold in one go at a reserve price of Rs 355-crore, and bidders would have to quote a price higher than this.

The amount by which the bids can be increased will be Rs 4-crore, and in case of any kind of disputes, the property shall at once be put up for re-auction.

Besides the property on auction-sale, the successful bidder shall have to clear the past dues/arrears of nearly Rs 778-crore of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Corporation (till March 2023), plus Rs 20-lakhs due to Noida Power Co. Ltd., and additionally, nearly two acres (7,590 sq.metres) of land is encroached upon by one Virendra Anil Bahl without the DRT order.

While the revenue assessed on the property is not known, all the above three disputes are in litigation before courts or various authorities.

The Gurugram-based auctioneer, C1 India Pvt. Ltd. -- has been assigned to execute the auction process between 2-3 p.m. on August 17.

Despite repeated attempts by IANS, the concerned officials declined to comment on the details of the upcoming auction.

As per the DMIL's employees' unions, there were around seven lenders to the company, including State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank

The DMIL's assets were put up for sale after a company named Pan India Motors took them over. The Pan India Motors shareholders comprises FirstRand Bank of South Africa, DE Shaw, a global investment and technology development company, the beleaguered IL&FS, Spicejet Chairman and co-Founder Ajay Singh, and ex-Hyundai India President BVR Subbu.

According to employees union members, the new company took over the Indian assets of the DMIL for around Rs 765 crore under a condition that it would turn around the company and continue with the automobile business.

There were higher bidders but the court gave it to Argentum as it was the only company which said it would restructure or restart the automobile business.

The workers also said that whosoever comes in should retain them and restart the factory, and Argentum thus got control of the bankrupt company.

While Argentum Motors was the operating company, while Pan India Motors was the holding company, said an ex-employee.

However, soon it came under flak as some promoters allegedly diverted from the primary objective of manufacturing automobiles and auto components to using its property for earning money. This also led to differences among the promoters.

The company had tie-ups with General Motors (GM), US and manufactured components for the American company, but later GM withdrew from the partnership owing to some accounting differences, sources indicated.

(Quaid Najmi can be reached at:q.najmi@ians.in& Anand Singh can be contacted at:anand.s@ians.in)
New York, July 10 : An Indian-American doctor, accused of deliberately driving his wife and two kids off a 250-foot California cliff, suffers from a major depressive disorder and needs treatment, his lawyers have said.

Dharmesh Patel, a 42-year-old radiologist, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse in February to which he pleaded not guilty.

According to the New York Post, Patel received a diagnosis that would allow him to enter a statewide diversion program and avoid jail time in connection with his attempted murder case.

During a July 31 hearing, a judge will lay out the process for Patel to seek entry into the diversion program -- a process that could take months.

Pleading not guilty to the attempted murder, Patel had told investigators that the sensor on his Model Y electric car indicated it had low tire pressure as he was driving on the Pacific Coast Highway on January 2 this year.

His claims were rejected by his wife who said her husband deliberately drove off the cliff.

"He's depressed. He's a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off," Patel's wife told rescuers.

On his mental health, Patel had told investigators that he was "not really depressed", as accused by his wife.

He told them that he "just felt down because times were bad in the world, the war and the drugs", according to an affidavit in support of his arrest.

When investigators specifically asked if he was suicidal, Patel said "you know, not like a plan, not usually".

He added that his wife had been "irritated" just before the crash because she didn't want to stop by his brother's house in Montara.

He also told officers he was not on any medication or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

According to witnesses, the Tesla didn't show signs of slowing down before it plummeted off the cliff and the police report also does not indicate a malfunction.

San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in January the Tesla was not in self-driving mode when it plunged into the rocky beachside bluff.

Patel remains in custody without bail.

Last month, he was barred from practicing medicine after the Medical Board of California moved a motion in the court.

--IANS

mi/ksk
Islamabad, July 10 : After India released about 185,000 cusecs of water, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a flood alert and warned of heavy rain in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The NDMA has notified that the release of water from India's Ujh Barrage would cause the flow in the Ravi river to rise, which will be coupled with expected heavy rain showers in the next 48 hours.

The Austhority has directed relevant government quarters to initiate evacuation drive of locals settled along the river and move locals to safer locations.

"Last year, India had released 173,000 cusecs of water causing low-level floods at Jassar point in Ravi. Considering the previous record, around 65,000 cusecs of water was expected to reach within the next 20 to 24 hours, and low level floods were expected in the plain areas near Jassar," the NDMA said.

The Authority said it would work with the local administration and monitor the situation till July 20 and will relocate families living along the rivers to safer locations.

"Monitoring is also underway at the Chenab river and Marala Headworks," it added.

Authorities have stared setting up relief camps in low-lying areas of all districts in Punjab province, while rescue operation teams are also on red alert with machinery.

Punjab's caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also stated that the provincial government was prepared to deal with any untoward situation.

"We have put the entire administration on alert in view of ongoing rains and possible floods. At 10am when the report that India was releasing water came in, the relevant agencies immediately reached Ravi river.

"In case of floods, saving human lives was the first priority of the government and that is why the houses close to rive banks were being evacuated," he added.

All public and private organisations have also been notified to remain vigilant and ready as heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms were expected in the country in the next 48 hours.

While floods have wrecked havoc in India, the release of water into Pakistan and the ongoing heavy rainfall in Punjab province, specifically in Lahore, Narowal and Sialkot cities may trigger floods, landslides and devastation.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has said that the rain would affect at least 900,000 people in the country.

The continued rain in the country have already caused considerable damages of lives and infrastructure.

So far, 76 people, including 31 children, were killed, 133 others injured and 76 houses damaged in the last two weeks in Pakistan.
ELKO  Great Basin College, with the support of the Elko Federal Credit Union, will launch an online therapy platform to provide students access to telehealth sessions with licensed mental health counselors.

At GBC, we understand the need for access to mental health resources, said Amber Donnelli, Associate Vice President for Faculty Success. This funding from EFCU will allow students to have counseling sessions, access to licensed professionals, and will help to fill the gap in resources that are desperately needed.

Services will include individual counseling sessions, self-help resources, and more. The program is scheduled to launch during the Fall 2023 semester.

Recognizing a need for additional mental health, EFCU management and our Board of Directors are committed to furthering access to specialized resources in our community, said Todd Sorenson, EFCU Chief Executive Officer. This commitment to GBC is meaningful to the students as well as community members.

The gift from EFCU could not come at a better time! It dovetails perfectly with the Mental Health First Aid training that GBC is offering, said Gail Rappa, Mental Health Coordinator for the GBC Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant.

GBC received a SAMHSA grant to cover the cost of the MHFA training. Normally a $170 training, Mental Health First Aid training at GBC is free to students and employees.

The Mental Health First Aid training helps folks better identify mental health concerns in themselves and others, with the intention to encourage those in need to get professional help, said Rappa. With the new telehealth option for our GBC students, we now have a safe place to send those students who need additional support.

Great Basin College, The Gold Standard in the Silver State, celebrates students while offering associate and bachelors degrees in academic, career, and technical education areas. GBC serves students enrolled online from across the country and on campuses and centers across 86,500 square miles, two time zones, and 10 of Nevadas largest counties.

Branch campuses also serve the communities of Battle Mountain, Ely, Pahrump, and Winnemucca. Satellite centers are located in nearly 20 communities across rural Nevada. We border Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and California.
Kolkata, July 10 : Re-polling in 696 booths scattered over 19 districts for West Bengal panchayat elections was progressing on a peaceful note barring sporadic incidents of violence on Monday.

The polling percentage was recorded at 30.54 per cent till 1 p.m, as per information provided by the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC).

At Nadia, the local villagers blocked roads in protests after they were allegedly stopped by the ruling Trinamool Congress activists from voting this morning.

A Trinamool Congress youth leader was severely thrashed by the protesting villages and his motorcycle was vandalised. Later, the police personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

A CPI(M) activist at Nakashipara, also in Nadia district, was injured being shot at during a clash between his party and Trinamool activists. He is under treatment at a local hospital in Kolkata.

Similarly, there were clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district.

Some crude bombs were hurled.

The police and central armed forces personnel quickly took control over the situation.

As the BJP state president and the party Lok Sabha member Sukanta Majumdar arrived at Gangarampur in South Dinajpur district, he faced protests from Trinamool Congress activists.

Majumdar got stranded there for around 40 minutes and was rescued by police later.

At Ankurhati in Howrah's Domjur area, the vehicle of Trinamool Congress candidate Sheikh Sultana was smashed allegedly by CPI(M) activists.

There were reports of sporadic violence from East Burdwan, South 24 Parganas.

However, the reports and seriousness of violence coming so far had been negligible compared to what it was on the polling day on Saturday when a number of violence-related deaths were reported.
Patna, July 10 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Monday arrived together -- on the first day of monsoon session -- at Bihar Vidhan Sabha sending a strong message to BJP amid rumours of disunity among the Mahagathbandhan in the state.

The Bihar Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister both arrived in one vehicle at the Vidhan Sabha and where received by assembly functionaries and supporters.

Since last few days, the state is in grip of rumours that all is not well in Mahagathbandhan.

Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday had said that Mahagathbandhan is united and the state government under leadership of Nitish Kumar is running smoothly. He had also slammed BJP for spreading propaganda and confusion among people of Bihar.

After their arrival together, the BJP leaders alleged that Nitish Kumar is taking moral high ground on corruption.

"I want to ask Nitish Kumar about his zero tolerance policy on corruption as Tejashwi Yadav is charge-sheeted in IRCTC land for job scam. It is highly objectionable that the chief minister is travelling with a charge-sheeted leader in one vehicle."

Reacting to these allegations, JD-U leader Neeraj Kumar said: "BJP used to do politics according to its convenience. The BJP leaders are talking about one state, one nation but what happened in the case of Ajit Pawar? BJP should raise questions inside the house but its leaders are talking in the media."
Agartala, July 10 : Tripura government has ordered a magisterial probe into the June 28 chariot tragedy in which eight people, including three children, were charred to death and 32 injured, state's parliamentary affairs and power minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Monday.

The Minister while participating in a discussion in the Assembly on the chariot disaster issue said that the state government has ordered the magisterial probe to identify the loopholes and negligence on the part of both the administrations and the organisers.

Moving an adjournment motion, the issue was raised in the house by CPI(M) MLA Dipankar Sen and requested Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen to discuss the important matter suspending the other business of the house.

When the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion of Sen, the opposition legislators led by opposition leader Animesh Debbarma and CPI(M) legislature party leader Jitendra Choudhury, Congress' Gopal Chandra Roy protested and a heated argument ensued on the issue.

Responding to the opposition MLAs' demand for a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, Minister Nath said that let the magisterial probe finished first, then the state government would think over the demand of the opposition.

Eight people, including three children, were electrocuted to death while 32 others were seriously injured on June 28 after a chariot made of iron came in contact with an overhead high-tension wire in the Kumarghat area in northern Tripura.

A police spokesman said that the chariot taken out on the occasion of 'Ulto Rath', the return journey of the annual Rath Yatra procession, was carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra.

Eyewitnesses had said that hundreds of devotees were pulling the rope of the chariot taken out by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which came in contact with the 11,000-volt high-tension wire, as proper precautionary measures were not taken.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condoled the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased.

The Tripura government and various other organisations also have given compensation to the families of the victims.
Chandigarh, July 10 : Based on requisition received from the civil administration of Punjab and Haryana, the Flood Relief columns of Western Command were mobilised to assist the civil administration in rescue and evacuation efforts in flood-affected areas.

The Western Command said in a statement on Monday that immediately on receipt of the requisition for provision of rescue and relief measures, the flood relief reconnaissance party was dispatched to affected areas of Ropar, Mohali and Panchkula.

After assessing the situation on ground, the rescue and relief columns reached the affected areas, the Western Command said in the statement.

The rescue team along with the Army engineer detachments worked throughout the night to evacuate the stranded people and helped to prevent breaching of canals by the flood waters.

Approximately 50 civilians and 910 students of Chitkara University stranded by the flood waters were evacuated to safe locations.

At Araji Sabran village of Ferozepur district, 44 people, including women and children, were evacuated from the affected areas to safe locations.

In a major effort, the troops of Army engineers helped in preventing the breach of the Sirhind Canal by repairing the embankment, thereby preventing the flooding of Doraha village and nearby areas, it said.

"The Army is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the civil administration and all stakeholders. The Army is continuing to provide all assistance to help mitigate the hardship being faced by the citizens in affected areas," it said.

The Army said requisition for flood relief were received from the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar in Shahkot and Lohian blocks, which are located on banks of the Satluj river.

The district administration has deployed its resources in terms of JCBs and manpower for strengthening the embankments using mud and sandbags.
Jaipur, July 10 : A 12-year-old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs in Rajasthan's Bundi district when he was on his way to the fields.

The boy was so severely bitten by the dogs that the doctors found difficult to find a place on his body to put a drip. The victim has been identified as Mangilal.

The incident took place on Sunday when three dogs attacked Mangilal. Hearing the boy's scream, his uncle rushed to the spot and rescued him from the clutches of the dogs, but by then the profusely bleeding Mangilal was bitten severely.

He rushed the boy to the district hospital, where the doctors could not find a spot to open a channel to apply drip, as most of his veins were torn by the dogs.

A nursing staff of the hospital said that there were around 60 wounds on the child' body, while half of his head was missing. The child was then referred to Kota, but he succumbed to his injuries even before he could be shifted there.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 10 : Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Monday slammed top Latin Christian priest Eugene Pereira for attempting to "incite" people to stage a protest against a team of three Ministers when they visited a coastal hamlet of this district.

"It is unfortunate that a senior priest was instrumental in inciting the people against us. But since better sense prevailed among the people, they understood the situation and did not fall to the wrong action of the senior priest," said Sivankutty.

Muthalapozhi on the border of the Thiruvananthapuram district is a popular fish landing centre where a fishing boat capsized this morning in which all the four fishermen had gone missing.

Angry residents took to the streets against the local authorities for not taking any measures to rescue the four missing fishermen.

When the three state ministers who were taking part in an adalath rushed to the site, the angry locals expressed their ire on the delay in the rescue operations.

The locals are up in arms as in the past one decade, at least 65 lives have been lost in the locality due to the "callous" approach of the authorities towards the fisher folk, who have been demanding action from the state government .

Rubbishing the allegation, Pereira said he only tried to placate the agitated people.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Calcutta High Court's order allowing the CBI and the ED to interrogate Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged West Bengal school jobs scam.

A bench of CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha said that the central probe agency has an independent right to probe and the court cannot stultify the investigation in the case.

"We are not going to interfere with the impugned order as this would stultify the investigation. Petitioner can avail the available remedies under the law," the bench said in its order.

The top court also said that the high court was correct in not passing the direction to prevent the investigation from being carried out in the alleged multi-crore teacher recruitment scam.

On May 18 this year, the high courtas single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha upheld Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyayas order for central agency probe and also imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for wasting the time of the court by way of filing a recall application.

Banerjee then challenged that single-judge bench order of the high court before the Supreme Court. In an interim direction, the apex court on May 26 stayed the part of the order imposing cost on the senior Trinamool leader.

The central agency probe against Abhishek Banerjee in the school recruitment case was originally ordered by the high courtas single-judge bench of Justice Gangopadhyay. Later the matter was assigned to the single-judge bench of Justice Sinha following an order of the Supreme Court. The top court took strong exception to Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel in connection with Banerjee, even as a case concerning Banerjee was being heard by him.
Mumbai, July 10 : Actor Brijendra Kala, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film 'Panch Kriti', has shared that the film aims to put forth a message about Indian traditions reflecting a cultural legacy. The film is an anthology set in the village of Chanderi, where five narratives are based on actual occurrences.

The film is entirely shot in Madhya Pradesh, employing local artists and ancillaries with its photography portraying the idyllic scenic vistas of Madhya Pradesh.

Talking about the film, Brijendra Kala said: "'Panch Kriti' is a family-oriented film produced by active socially concerned citizens of our country. It's five separate stories that are all linked together, with no profanity but a strong message targeted to both urban and rural audiences."

He further mentioned: "We want to deliver a strong message that Indian traditions are the mirror of a cultural legacy since they are accumulated and gained over time via experience and understanding. All of our stories in the film stir our thoughts and make us realise that the customs we have been following have a holy goal to elevate humanity rather than merely superstitions."

The film, which also stars Purva Parag, Umesh Bajpai, Sagar Wahi, Sarika Bharoliya Maahi Soni, Kuraangi Nagraj, Harveer and Ruhana Khanna, is produced by Haripriyaa Bharggav, and Sannjoy Bhargv under the banner of Ubon Vision and will release in theatres across India during the monsoon season.
Panaji, July 10 : Goa Pradesh Youth Congress (GPYC) has resolved to mobilise protests against the 'unjust disqualification' of Rahul Gandhi as member of Parliament and to save democracy of the country.

The resolution was taken after the Gujarat High Court on Friday did not stay the session court judgement convicting Rahul Gandhi in the 'Modi surname' defamation case.

Youth Congress on Monday held its State Executive Meeting and decided to protest in support of Rahul Gandhi.

State Incharge for Goa Pradesh Youth Congress and National Secretary of Indian Youth Congress Richi Bhargava said that there is need to safeguard democracy.

"We are gearing up organisationally for the 2024 general Lok Sabha elections that are extremely crucial not just for Goa as a state, but for safeguarding our democracy as a whole," she said.

Richi Bhargava said that Youth Congress had played a vital role for the party's win in Karnataka assembly elections in May this year and it will play a most crucial role in Goa too.

"We are more than confident that both South Goa and North Goa Lok Sabha constituencies will be won by the Indian National Congress this time," she said.

She appealed to the youths to work in unity so that democracy is saved for a better future of the country.

The meeting was chaired by Richi Bhargava, along with Vice President of GPYC Vivek D'Silva.
London, July 10 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has held secret talks at the Kremlin with the Wagner warlord who staged an armed mutiny against his regime, according to Western intelligence sources, a media report said.

The unannounced session took place on July 1, a week after the revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary army, according to French publication Liberation, which cited secret service sources, Daily Mail reported.

Since the alleged meeting, Prigozhin appears to be remaining in Russia rather than forced into exile in neighbouring Belarus as seemed his fate earlier.

The claims about a sensational head-to-head between Putin and Prigozhin come amid a chilling separate theory that the Wagner boss may be tasked with using his armed force to assassinate Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky -- and 'bring his head' to the Kremlin, Daily Mail reported.

Prigozhin may seek to carry out 'some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia' to work his way back in with the Putin regime after his armed revolt aimed at toppling Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Defence Staff Valery Gerasimov, said one of Moscow's most-respected editors, Nobel prize-winner Dmitry Muratov, Daily Mail reported.

"I think [Yevgeny Prigozhin] may not ask for forgiveness [from Putin]," Muratov, who runs the pioneering investigative news outlet Novaya Gazeta, told Zhivoy Gvozd in his YouTube show.

"But he may commit some great atrocity for the benefit of Russia. He may try to organise an assassination attempt on [Volodymyr] Zelensky and bring the head of the President of Ukraine to the Kremlin. He must do something that will take away the taste of what Putin called ''a stab in the back of Russia'," Muratov said.

In the wake of the aborted armed mutiny on June 24, Putin swiftly withdrew threats to charge Prigozhin with treason and leading an insurrection.
CARSON CITY  Great Basin College will receive more than $700,000 for workforce innovations, the Governors Office of Economic Development board announced.

The board approved sending $5,840,000 from the Workforce Innovations for the New Nevada fund to four colleges in the state.

An important component for companies looking to move into Nevada is ensuring that they can tap into a skilled workforce, said Gov. Joe Lombardo. The WINN fund is Nevadas commitment to meet industrys expectations that once they are here, they can find qualified employees.

Dale Erquiaga, Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor and GOED Board member, added The Nevada System of Higher Education is excited by this latest chapter of partnership with Governor Lombardo and the Governors Office of Economic Development. With these funds, NSHE institutions can align our work with the needs of business and the economic mobility goals of Nevada workers.

GBC will receive $545,000 for Instrumentation that will sustain support for the launch of an Instrumentation Technology program in Winnemucca that GOED has previously funded. Funding will reach 42 trainees in two years and provide $285,724 in equipment. There are 65 jobs at Lithium American, Nevada Gold Mines and West Coast Salmon.

GBC will also receive $165,000 to outfit labs with equipment to deliver new curriculum for a Line Bore and Bore Welding skills class. Funding will reach 39 students in two years and provide $159,789 in equipment. There are 42 jobs at KG Mining, Komatsu, and Empire CAT and an additional 40 jobs in other parts of Nevada.

The latest round of WINN funding will help operate a total of 10 programs at Nevada colleges, including Truckee Meadow Community College, Western Nevada College and College of Southern Nevada.

Nevadas colleges play a very important role in economic development and workforce development, said Stacey Bostwick, GOED Director of Workforce Development. GOED is excited to invest in the development and expansion of these programs that are aligned to growing sectors in Nevada that offer high-skill and high-wage jobs.
Amaravati, July 10 : Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission on Monday served a notice to actor-politician Pawan Kalyan for his controversial statement linking the volunteer system introduced by the statement government with human trafficking.

A day after the Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader alleged that the state's women and girls were in danger through the volunteer system, the state Women's Commission served him a notice, asking him to submit evidence in support of his allegations to the Commission in 10 days.

Addressing a public meeting at Eluru on Sunday night, Pawan Kalyan had alleged that the data being collected by volunteers from women in villages and towns is leading to human trafficking.

He said that volunteers are collecting data from every family and the information is being misused to perpetrate crimes, including human trafficking.

He stated that Central intelligence officials in New Delhi told him that there was massive human trafficking in Andhra Pradesh and the state's women and girls were in danger through the volunteer system.

Stating that approximately 30,000 girls and women had gone missing in 2019-20, he said only 14,000 of them returned home.

"What happened to the rest,'' he asked and wanted to know if the Chief Minister had discussed about missing girls with the DGP. He said that this was a serious issue and could not be brushed aside lightly.

Women's Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma stated in the notice served to Pawan Kalyan that remarks amount to violating the dignity of single women. "How many single women were handed over to anti-social elements by the volunteers? What is the number the Centre has told you? Did the Centre share evidence with you," she asked.

The Commission chairperson asked Pawan Kalyan if he was creating panic among women by making baseless allegations for the sake of politics. She asked the actor-politician to provide to the Commission the number of missing women and the evidence in 10 days.

This is the second time that the Women's Commission has issued notice to Pawan Kalyan. In October last year, the panel had served a notice for his reported remarks about his three marriages.

Taking a serious view of JSP leader's alleged remarks, the Commission had asked him to withdraw the same and apologise to women.

Vasireddy Padma said that by making the remarks Pawan Kalyan has given a message that a man can divorce his wife by giving her alimony. She said the actor should apologise to the womenfolk for making those insulting comments.

"How can you say that I married three women by paying crores of rupees as alimony and challenging others to do it if they can," it asked.
New Delhi, June July 10 : Kal Airlines on Monday rejected the claims of SpiceJet to have reached a settlement through discussions with Kalanithi Maran and his firm.

The Kal airlines, in a statement, said that it has come to its knowledge that a statement purportedly issued by the spokesperson of SpiceJet Ltd has been circulating among certain sections of the media that SpiceJet Ltd is in talks with Kalani Pvt. Ltd. for an amicable settlement.

"We deny the same and state that there is no question of an amicable settlement with SpiceJet Ltd in view of the matter having reached finality by virtue of the order dated July 7, 2023 of the Supreme Court of India. We hope that SpiceJet Ltd will comply with the orders of the Honourable Supreme Court of India and pay us the interest amount of Rs. 386 crore forthwith," an airlines spokesperson said.

Reacting on Kal airlines statement, the SpiceJet spokesperson said that the payment of Rs 380 crore as directed to be paid by the Supreme Court in the matter relating to Kalanithi Maran and his firm Kal Airways is only a security deposit amount arising from execution proceedings.

"The final amount to be paid by either side will be determined by the High Court of Delhi in the proceeding pending under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act. Orders in this petition have been reserved on 18 April, 2023 and are awaited," the airlines spokesperson said.

"We would also like to clarify that SpiceJet had in May 2023 approached the Supreme Court seeking an extension for paying Rs 75 crore but the matter was only listed on July 7. The Hon'ble Courts' proceedings and orders are held in the highest esteem by the company. In the larger interest, we remain committed to finding an amicable settlement in this matter," the spokesperson added.

On July 7, an apex court bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha, stated that SpiceJet's application was merely a delay tactic to avoid payment, despite the court's orders and emphasised the importance of following court orders, especially in commercial matters.

In February, the apex court had directed SpiceJet to pay Rs 75 crore to Kal Airways and Kalanithi Maran within three months for its interest liability under an arbitral award. The court had explicitly stated that failure to make the payment would result in the entire award becoming executable in favor of the decree holders.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 10 : Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty, known for striking a balance between her personal and professional lives, recently won fans' hearts with her decision to prioritise work over a family vacation.

After making a surprising solo return to Mumbai from a holiday in London sometime back, Shilpa has resumed her tranquil getaway with her loved ones in the vibrant city.

The actress had temporarily left her family behind to meet her work commitments, leaving fans curious about the reason for her solo return.

Shilpa is part of the judging panel for the popular reality show 'India's Got Talent' (IGT).

She had returned to Mumbai to fulfil a shooting schedule for the show, showcasing her commitment to her craft. Having fulfilled her work commitments, Shilpa finally flew back to London to reunite with her family on a vacation.

She posted an adorable photograph of herself with her kids Viaan and Samisha, from her 'London diaries' on Instagram: "The bestest welcome Evvvveerrr!"

Meanwhile,she is set to appear in the Kannada film 'KD' and Sonal Joshi's 'Sukhee' next. Additionally, she has secured a pivotal role as the first female police officer in Rohit Shetty's highly anticipated Cop Universe project, titled 'Indian Police Force'.

---IANS

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Ahmedabad, July 10 : The Gujarat High Court has granted a stay on the criminal trial proceedings against Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena in a 2002 assault and rioting case until the disposal of his plea for the trial to be held in abeyance during his tenure as L-G.

Justice Samir J. Dave presided over the bench that issued the stay order and also served a notice to the Union of India for August 29. It should be noted that Saxena is accused of assaulting activist Medha Patkar in 2002.

During the hearing in the High Court, the Senior Counsel representing Saxena argued that as the present LG of Delhi, he should be immune from facing a criminal trial based on the express bar contained in Article 361(2) of the Constitution of India, as the Lieutenant Governor is equivalent to a Governor.

On the other hand, Advocate AJ Yagnik, appearing for social activist Medha Patkar, argued that the protection available to governors and the President against criminal proceedings does not extend to an LG, as an LG is not considered a Governor.

Considering these arguments, Justice Dave granted the stay on the criminal trial proceedings until Saxena's application is disposed of. Additionally, the High Court issued a notice to the Union of India and scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 29.

Earlier this year in May, a Magistrate Court in Ahmedabad declined the request to halt the proceedings against Saxena, stating that the government had not made any request to suspend or withdraw the trial proceedings against him.

The Metropolitan court further highlighted that conducting a separate trial against Saxena after he demits the office of LG would cause hardship to the prosecution witnesses. In response to this order, Saxena approached the High Court to challenge it.
New Delhi, July 10 : Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena on Monday approved the recommendation for the transplantation or translocation of 214 and 78 trees for the Defence and Railway projects in the national capital.

According to the LG office officials, Saxena granted permissions for transplantation and afforestation of 214 trees for the construction of building for the defence project at Tughlakabad and 78 trees for the construction of maintenance depot for Vande Bharat trains at Shakurbasti under DPTA, 1994.

The official said that while the defence project at Tughlakabad involves 2.15 hectares of land area, the railway project at Shakurbasti involves a total of 10.12 hectares of land.

"The compensatory plantation of 2,140 and 780 saplings (10 times the number of trees permitted for transplantation or translocation) for both the projects consisting of species Neem, Amaltas, Peepal, Pilkhan, Gular, Bargad, Desi Kikar and Arjun along with other native species shall be carried out by the user agencies for the two projects. The user agencies have deposited the compensatory cost for this purpose," the official said.

The official said that the applications of the concerned agencies of the Defence Ministry and Railway Ministry had been submitted on January 19 and February 21 this year respectively.

Earlier similar central government projects like construction of Metro Phase-IV, UER, IIT-Delhi, RRTS, GPRA Colony and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, etc. had been kept pending in want of permissions by the Delhi government for more than three years in many instances.

"Lt Governor Saxena had expressed deep concern over such delays in projects of National importance that aimed at providing relief to common people of the national capital. Saxena had also underlined the cost overruns running into hundreds of crores that such delays caused," the official said.

The official said that the Lt Governor had written twice to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last year apart from expressing his displeasure and flagging the inordinate and unexplained delays, on files submitted to him for approval, after years of requests by concerned agencies being made.

"The LG had raised the issue of files lying without any reason in the office of the Minister of Environment for months together," the official added.
New Delhi, July 10 : Actress Krutika Desai, who will be seen as a protagonist in 'Gauna Ek Pratha', said she has drawn inspiration from Ratan Rajput's debut show to grasp the subtle speech nuances.

The storyline of 'Gauna Ek Pratha' revolves around Gehna (played by Krutika), hailing from a remote village in Bihar, who was married at a very young age to her childhood best friend Gaurav. However, their union remains incomplete without the sacred Gauna ceremony.

Gehna embarks on a quest to find her husband, and fulfilling her long-awaited Gauna, encountering obstacles in the form of Urvashi, a determined and ambitious woman.

Talking about her preparation, the actress shared, "While I have many similarities with my character Gehna in real life, perfecting the dialect was my only challenge. Nonetheless, I am determined to connect deeply with my audience, so I have been working hard to refine my accent. I have sought help from a friend from Bihar to improve my language skills."

"Additionally, I am avidly watching Ratan Rajput's debut show to grasp the subtle speech nuances expected of me. Learning a new dialect and paying attention to these details has been a tremendously enjoyable experience. I sincerely hope that my efforts will capture the love and attention of my audience," she added.

The show also stars Papiya Sengupta, Nishikant Dixit, and Namrata Kapoor in significant roles. It will air on Shemaroo Umang from Monday.
Kolkata, July 10 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a local Trinamool Congress leader named Manoj Ghosh from Birbhum district in West Bengal in connection with the recovery of 81,000 detonators from the district last year.

On Monday, Ghosh was summoned by the NIA at the Nalhati police station in Birbhum district. After being questioned for hours, he was arrested by the central agency on Monday afternoon. Ghosh was also a Trinamool candidate in the panchayat polls held on Saturday.

In April this year, the agency had submitted a charge sheet in this matter at a special NIA court. The charge sheet was filed within 90 days since the NIA took up the investigation in the matter.

As many 81,000 detonators were recovered from a passenger van in the Muhammadbazar area of Birbhum district on June 30, 2022. The detonators were seized by the Special Task Force (STF) of state police. Three persons were also arrested by the STF in this connection, one first from Raniganj in West Burdwan district, and the other two from Dhuliyan in Murshidabad district.

The NIA took over of the investigation on September 29, 2022.

It is learnt that the use of detonators is quite common in some parts of Birbhum, which houses a number of stone quarries. The detonators are used to blast stone blocks for the purpose of use in stone quarries.

However, this was the first time that detonators in such a large quantity were recovered from the district.
New Delhi, July 109 : Essar Oil (UK) Limited, the leading integrated downstream energy company, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Oikos Storage Limited, the Essex-based storer of refined petroleum products, to expand its operations into London and the South East of England.

The agreement with Oikos Storage aims at expanding fuel distribution into new markets beyond its traditional North West and Midlands regions. The agreement enables Essar to build a new position in the Thames region while providing significant resilience to its supply system in the Midlands via alternative supplies through the UKOP pipeline system.

Under the agreement, Essar will store and distribute middle distillate fuels at Oikos' Canvey Island facility to serve the Thames region. Furthermore, the agreement will leverage Oikos' connectivity to the United Kingdom Oil Pipeline (UKOP) system to supply the Northampton and Midlands regions.

Currently, diesel and jet fuels are pumped from the Stanlow refinery to the Midlands and Northampton regions along the UKOP system. As a result of this agreement, Essar's imports of middle distillates will be pumped from Oikos to Northampton and the Midlands regions, providing significant supply resilience and increasing Essar's security of supply proposition.

The agreement will also see Essar gaining access to the largest market in the country, the Thames region, providing alternative supply options to customers in the region.

Deepak Maheshwari, CEO of Essar Oil UK, said: "This Agreement represents a significant step in Essar's strategic downstream ambitions, boosting capacities and ability to meet demand at Northampton and Kingsbury. We are delighted to be working with Oikos to gain access to the largest market in the country, leveraging our strong automotive fuel expertise to serve existing and new markets across London and the South East."

Carlos Rojas, Chief Marketing Officer at Essar Oil UK, said: "Supply resilience and security of supply are paramount for our customers. This agreement is a testament of Essar's commitment to strengthen our supply proposition in the Midlands whilst opening the opportunity to extend our winning customer offering to customers in the Thames region. We look forward to welcoming them to our new facility at Oikos."

Arun Sriskanda, Managing Director at Oikos, said: "Oikos is delighted to enter into a long-term contractual commitment with Essar Oil UK Limited. There are great synergies between our operations with our advantaged marine logistics and access to major cross-country pipelines. This partnership will improve the UK's fuel connectivity and supply chain resilience, as well as develop our site's capability as we prepare for future fuel trends. We look forward to playing an important supporting role in Essar's UK midstream operations."
New Delhi, July 10 : Ace choreographer Shiamak Davar on Monday celebrated the 25th anniversary of his prestigious National Film Award win for the iconic Bollywood film 'Dil To Pagal Hai'.

Taking to social media, he shared a throwback picture of him, receiving the award from the former President of India, K. R. Narayanan. This has marked a significant milestone in Davar's illustrious career and catalyzed his remarkable journey in choreography.

He captioned the post: "Grateful as I celebrate 25 Years of receiving the National Award as a Best Choreographer for 'Dil Toh Pagal Hai!' This film holds a special place in my heart as it marked my Bollywood debut as well. Thank you Yash uncle for believing in me and for the love and support throughout the journey."

Reminiscing about the golden moment, Davar expressed gratitude and said: "I am reminded of the incredible journey that brought us this recognition. This award is not just a personal achievement but a celebration of the collaborative effort of an exceptional team."

'Dil To Pagal Hai' recently celebrated 25 years as a testament to Indian cinema. The ace choreographer also said the film was "a labor of love, passion, and dedication."

Shiamak has gained recognition for his exceptional choreography in Bollywood, creating mesmerising dance sequences for numerous hit movies like 'Jagga Jasoos', 'Taal', 'Bunty Aur Babli 2', 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', and 'Dhoom 2', among others.
Kolkata, July 10 : The Calcutta High Court on Monday asked the West Bengal government and Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General S.C. Budakoti to submit separate reports to the court on incidents of violence over the panchayat elections held in the state on July 8.

Budakoti was the central nodal officer for the rural civic body polls. As many as 39 persons have been killed in poll-related violence since the announcement of the polling date on June 8.

The directive of the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya seeking reports from both the BSF IG and the state government comes at a juncture when Budakoti has already accused the State Election Commission of non-cooperation in effective deployment and utilisation of central armed forces on the polling day.

The BSF IG is also slated to submit a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry on poll-related violence.

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is also in the national capital now, and will submit his own report on the panchayat poll violence to Home Minister Amit Shah.

On Monday, after the initial hearing of a petition filed by state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the division bench of the Chief Justice directed the state government to make arrangements for proper treatment of those who were injured in poll-related violence.

The bench also directed the state government to fully assist the family members of the deceased in performing their last rituals.

It further directed videography of the entire process of post-mortem of the bodies. The bench said the issue of compensating the family members of the deceased and those injured will be taken up by the court once the reports are submitted by the state government and the BSF IG.

The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, had already demanded that the state government should provide Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the kin of the deceased, and Rs 10 lakh for the injured persons.
Poverty reduction and environmental improvement must go hand in hand. Ecological civilization entails incorporating environmental considerations into all forms of social progress.

South of the Yangtze River, southwest China's Guizhou Province is a realm of biodiversity, karst landscape and natural heritage. In the province's capital city Guiyang, a two-day global forum on ecological civilization just concluded.

As a national-level global forum themed on ecological civilization, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023, which attracted over 3,200 participants, provided a platform for international discussion on ecological civilization and green development.

FIGHTING CHALLENGES

Guizhou, a mountainous region, has overcome ecological degradation and severe economic distress to become what it is today.

At the forum, participants were welcome to taste the locally-produced Roxburgh rose juice. This small and sweet fruit has a remarkable history of fighting against rocky desertification.

Rocky desertification, also known as "the earth cancer," refers to land degradation where vegetation is destroyed, bedrock is exposed and the surface resembles a desert landscape. Local people would say, "Rocks come to light, no plants survive."

In Guizhou, areas of rocky desertification are often located in impoverished regions. People discovered that Roxburgh roses are relatively cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and have well-developed root systems, making them naturally appropriate for combating rocky desertification.

With government support, local people in areas of rocky desertification areas such as Liupanshui City, Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qiannan, Anshun City and Bijie City started to grow Roxburgh roses in stone cracks and make products out of its fruits, which not only improved natural conditions but also helped people find a path to wealth.

Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, once visited the Roxburgh rose planting areas in central Guizhou. He underscored that this solution for combating rocky desertification has economic value and inspires the world.

This is just one example of the numerous instances where Guizhou showcases the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Through years of dedicated efforts toward building a more eco-friendly society, Guizhou was designated the country's ecological civilization pilot zone in 2016.

Thorjorn Larssen, deputy managing director of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, came to China for the first time in 1993. He recalled that when he first came to Guiyang 30 years ago, the air pollution in the city was quite severe. "It's very impressive to see how the air quality has improved and how fast measures are taken."

According to the professor, poverty reduction and environmental improvement must go hand in hand. Ecological civilization entails incorporating environmental considerations into all forms of social progress.

This photo taken on July 9, 2023 shows the closing ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

COMMON GOALS

The pursuit of ecological civilization in China matters to the world because no country or continent can manage environmental issues alone.

In his congratulatory letter to the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference Guiyang 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "ecological conservation concerns the future of humankind, and it's the common goal of all nations to build a green home."

Examples such as the commitment to achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality, as well as the promotion of initiatives like the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, demonstrate that China is dedicated to building a beautiful China and shouldering global responsibilities.

"We face roughly the same issues worldwide," said Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). "It's very important that we measure biodiversity loss and exchange information and data with each other, and this is the way how we improve our own policies," he added.

Furthermore, China's experience, accumulated over generations and in diverse geographical conditions, is valuable for those facing similar challenges.

Solutions in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals provide a global roadmap that protects the planet but also reduces poverty and leaves no one behind, James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, told Xinhua.

"We are working closely together with China and all partners globally to develop new innovative development actions. Let us utilize this opportunity to share the best practices and new innovative approaches in China that we can share with the rest of the world for mutual exchange and learning for a better planet for everyone," he said.

Michia Moncho, a full-time national community member of the Young Communist League of South Africa responsible for international relations, was impressed by what she saw in China. Besides theorizing "development," what matters is to work with people and show them that ecological civilization is not only going to benefit us for now but for generations to come, she noted during the eco forum.

"I'll take home what I saw here, how China is implementing measures with Chinese characteristics, and we, as South Africans, can implement them with our characteristics," she said.

Artists sing songs of Dong ethnic group at the closing ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

LEADING ROLE

In recent years, China has been leading in addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and promoting a green transformation. The green technologies developed in China have benefited other parts of the world.

In his written statement for the World Leaders Summit at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2021, Xi said it is vital to harness innovations in science and technology to transform and upgrade the energy and resources sectors as well as the industrial structure and consumption pattern.

"We will foster a green, low-carbon and circular economic system at a faster pace, press ahead with industrial structure adjustment, and rein in the irrational development of energy-intensive and high-emission projects," he said.

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, told the eco forum that according to his observation, several Chinese companies are leading the way in future green industries, some even being established in third-tier small cities.

These companies, such as those in the electric vehicle industry, "brought jobs, prosperity, and profits in China, while at the same time, it is very good for global environmental progress," Solheim said.

A few days earlier in Camacari, Brazil, Chinese automaker BYD announced the construction of a production base complex comprising three factories, which is expected to create over 5,000 new jobs in the local area. In addition to producing electric vehicles, the complex will process lithium-iron phosphate batteries.

Filipe Porto, a researcher at the Federal University of ABC and a member of the Brazilian Foreign Policy Observatory, believes China is becoming an essential partner for Brazil to meet its decarbonization and energy needs.

In Africa, China has been working with countries to meet their green targets.

"China has been the leading partner in the continent's desired to switch to solar and wind energy," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

The expert told Xinhua that with China's help, Kenya is now home to the largest grid-connected solar power plant in East and Central Africa. The Garissa China-built 50MW solar power plant is proving benefits to the country as Kenya now taps over 2 percent of the national energy source from the facility.

Adhere said that through targeted technology transfers, Kenyans in the northern part of the country are now reaping the benefits of Chinese technology with improved access to power.
New Delhi, July 10 : The government on Monday said that the decision of Taiwanese giant Foxconn to withdraw from its semiconductor joint venture (JV) with Vedanta has no impact on India's semiconductor goals.

Both Foxconn and Vedanta have significant investments in India and are valued investors who are creating jobs and growth, said Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

"It was well known that both companies had no prior semiconductor experience or technology and were expected to source Fab tech from a tech partner," he said in a tweet.

While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, "they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," the minister informed.

Earlier, the Taiwanese chip-making giant announced that it has withdrawn from a joint venture with India-based industrial giant Vedanta.

Foxconn was supposed to execute a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with metals to oil conglomerate Vedanta.

Foxconn and Vendanta had signed a MoU in 2022 to establish semiconductor and display production parts in Gujarat.

"Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta," the company said in a statement, without elaborating over the matter. It maintained that the withdrawal matter is settled between the two companies.

However, Vedanta said it will go ahead with the project.

"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry. We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)," said the company.

According to Chandrasekhar, Vedanta has recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal backed by tech licensing agreement from a global semiconductor major, which is currently being evaluated by Semicon India Tech Advisory group.

"It is not for the government to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to but, in simple terms, it means both companies can and will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and with appropriate technology partners in Semicon and electronics," said the minister.

India is just getting started on semiconductor manufacturing locally, he added.
New Delhi, July 10 : A 32-year-old man died while another man was injured after a boundary wall collapsed on Mathura road in Southeast Delhi, the police said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar Misra, a resident of Khanpur Extension who worked as an attendant at an MCD parking lot. The injured has been identified as Ashok Chand Misra (50), a resident of Mithapur.

According to the police, an information was received on Sunday from local residents that a boundary wall on Mathura road in Sunder Nagar has collapsed due to heavy rains.

"A police team reached the spot and hired a JCB which started remove the debris. Two injured persons were rescued and admitted to the hospital," said a senior police officer.

"Rakesh was declared brought dead at the hospital, while Ashok is undergoing treatment. The police have registered a case under Sections 336 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code and taken up the probe," the officer said.
Hyderabad, July 10 : The office of Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan clarified on Monday that no bill is pending with her.

The Raj Bhavan issued a statement clarifying that as on date no bill is pending in the Governor's office.

"Among bills, three bills cleared, two bills referred to Hon'ble President's office. Rest of the Bills have been returned to Government with adequate explanation and message. This is issued for the information of public," reads a statement issued by the Press Secretary.

"The Raj Bhavan requests the media to officially seek clarification from the Raj Bhavan before releasing any news related to Raj Bhavan," it added.

A couple of days ago, state minister for industry and information technology K.T. Rama Rao had taken a dig at the Governor for delaying the approval of the bills sent by the state government.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working President had stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have advised the Governor who was delaying the exercise to fill up vacancies in universities by sitting on the bill.

KTR had made the comment while reacting to the PM's speech at the Warangal public meeting on July 8.

Responding to Modi's remarks on unemployment, KTR had said that the Union government failed to fill about 16 lakh vacancies in various departments but Modi was questioning the Telangana government, which had filled up 2.20 lakh vacancies in the state.

In April, the Supreme Court was informed that the Governor has given her assent to three bills. They are the Telangana Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, Telangana Municipalities (Amendment Bill), and the Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill.

The Governor sent the University of Forestry Telangana Bill and the Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill to the President of India for her consideration and assent.

The Supreme Court was told that the Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment Bill, the Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) (Amendment) Bill were under active consideration of the Governor.

She reportedly rejected the Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) (Amendment) Bill.

The apex court was told that the Governor had sought certain clarification from the state government in regard to the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill. It was also informed that the Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill has not been submitted yet by the Law Department to the Governor for consideration.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition by the state government seeking direction to the Governor to take a decision on the Bills pending with her.
Imphal, July 10 : A Village Defence Volunteer was killed and two villagers injured on Monday during armed clashes between two groups in two villages located in Manipur's Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, officials said.

Police officials in Imphal said that the rival armed groups engaged in gun battles at Phayeng and Singda villages, killing VDV Saikhom Shubol and injuring two other villagers in the crossfire.

Tension prevailed in Imphal city following the incident while security forces were deployed in the troubled villages and nearby areas.

Shops and other business establishments remained shut.

A mob set fire to a mini truck, which was carrying domestic items including some furniture to Keithelmanbi from Old Lambulane in Imphal West district on Sunday night.

Police forces have rushed to the area and dispersed the mob.

--IANS

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Mumbai, July 10 : For the second time in three months, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) officials raided a factory manufacturing and selling illegal 'safety glass' without BIS authorisation, an official said here on Monday.

The raids were carried out at Future Safety Glass Industries in Rabale suburb of Navi Mumbai, where the BIS had first swooped in on May 8 in a similar case.

The BIS team found that the company was again brazenly manufacturing and selling toughened glass -- a type of safety glass used for architectural, building or other general purposes -- without BIS certification, said BIS Head Mumai-II and scientist, Sanjay Vij.

Vij said that as per the Safety Glass Order 2022, all such safety glass must be BIS certified as per IS 2553, possess a BIS standard mark with a valid BIS licence number on it.

The toughened glass measuring around 517 sq mt found during the latest raid was not BIS certified, and hence violated the existing laws, he said.

Vij also said that the seized quantity indicated that the company continued to violate the BIS Act provisions and could attract a two-year jail term and/or fine of Rs 2 lakh, or both.

The matter has now been taken to the court even though the BIS appealed to the people to check the official list and use only the BIS certified products, and inform of any violations.
Chennai, July 10 : Amid speculation of an imminent political entry, Tamil superstar Vijay has called a meeting of members of his fans association at his Chennai residence on Tuesday morning.

The meeting, according to sources, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Vijay has given signs on his imminent political entry and recently he had held a felicitation meeting at Chennai for school and higher secondary school toppers from each Assembly constituency of Tamil Nadu. The parents of the children were also invited to the event.

Vijay fans association, Thalapathi Vijay Makkal Iyyakam (TVMI) has contested in the last panchayat elections but without a flag and symbol. As many as 115 of the 169 fans association members who had contested the panchayat elections had won and this was considered as a method adopted by Vijay to test waters.

Even as political parties and leaders welcomed the entry of Vijay, there is a general fear in the state on how the voters will swing in favour of the Tamil superstar. The AIADMK being on a declining mode and a vacuum in state politics after the demise of J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi is considered as the reason for Vijay to take a plunge into politics.

However, Vijay has never openly made any announcement regarding political entry even though he has given indications on his entry through the dialogues in his movies.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, July 10 : Karnataka BJP unit on Monday attacked the ruling Congress government in the state over handling the murder case of a Jain pontiff in Belagavi.

Meanwhile, thousands of members of Jain community members staged a protest condemning the murder.

Raising the issue in the Assembly session at the zero hours, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday stated that Jain pontiff was murdered by close aides in a planned manner. The killers have executed in more brutal manner than the ISIS terrorists.

"The pontiff did not had any financial deal with accused number one Narayan. If at all, there was difference of opinion, why did the pontiff was hacked to death? The police have come to a conclusion without probing the matter," he stated.

BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal demanded that the matter should be handed over to the CBI. "The authorities and Congress leaders are not taking the name of second accused Hassan Dalayat. This is done to appease one community."

"In T. Narasipur town, Yuva brigade activist had been killed. After this government came to power, the flag of Pakistan is hoisted in the state," Yatnal stated.

Speaker U.T. Khader intervened and stated that politics should not be brought in this matter. Yatnal further stated that due to political pressure, the police are not taking the name of the Hassan Dalayat. The police might soon change their tune.

"They had lodged 23 cases against me under political pressure. CM Siddaramaiah did not even pay condolence even for courtesy after the murder of Jain pontiff. If religious leaders of other community were to be killed, the condolences would have poured in from all corners," he said.

BJP MLA Siddu Savadi stated that the murder is conspired by the global terrorist outfit ISIS. "The pontiff was tortured to hell before being killed. He was electrocuted. There is a role of terrorist organisation behind this. The government is hushing up the case," he said.

Acharya Shree 108th Kamakumara Nandi Maharaja from Chikkodi went missing on last Thursday from the Jain Basadi at Nandi Parvat in Hirekodi near Chikkodi city in Belagavi district. Police sources explained that the accused persons had cut his body into pieces after killing him.

The preliminary investigations revealed that the pontiff was hacked to death in the premises of the ashram and later his body parts were disposed. One of the devotees close to pontiff had killed him, police said.

The accused from Khatakabhavi village had good rapport with the pontiff. After winning his confidence, he had taken lakhs of rupees from the pontiff as loan. When he was asked to repay the loan, he hacked the pontiff to death.

The main accused had taken the help of a man from Chikkodi to carry out the murder.
Hyderabad, July 10 : Telangana's ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will oppose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if a bill is brought in the Parliament.

This was made clear by Telangana Chief Minister and BRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao when a delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) led by its President, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani met him on Monday.

AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was also part of the delegation, told media persons that KCR stated in clear-cut terms that BRS will oppose UCC.

"He went a step further and said he will speak to like-minded parties on the issue and also suggested to us to discuss with like-minded parties," he said.

Owaisi said that they requested the Chief Minister to take a lead and speak to other like-minded parties and he told them that they are already working on it.

Realising the importance of the meeting, KCR had also called BRS floor leader in Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao and floor leader in Rajya Sabha K. Kesava Rao.

Owaisi also appealed to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to oppose the UCC as it was against India's pluralism and diversity.

"If Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy gives time, we will go and meet him," the MP said.

He said during the meeting with KCR, the delegation stressed on the point that UCC is not good for pluralism and secularism of the country. "We stated that pluralism is the beauty of our country and the Prime Minister is allergic to pluralism. He does not like it," he said.

The delegation explained to the BRS chief important points mentioned in the 74-page note given by the AIMPLB to the Law Commission.

"We told him how the BJP in the name of UCC wants to weaken pluralism and secularism. This is not an issue of Muslim minority alone but is also an issue of Christians and tribals. This is also not good for our Hindu brothers. Hindu Undivided family gets Rs.3,000 crore tax rebate. If UCC comes, Hindu Succession Act and Hindu Marriage Act will cease to exist," he said.

Owaisi said Prime Minister Modi tried to mislead people when he said there can't be two laws in a house and pointed out that there states have different Criminal Procedure Code.

Owaisi, who is also a member of AIMPLB said, in Madhya Pradesh, tribals are up in arms against UCC while tribals in Chhattisgarh are angry. "It is not only tribals in the northeast but wherever tribals are there they are opposing UCC because they have their own customs. Christians of all denominations are opposing. I read the statement of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today that they are also opposing. There is no consensus on UCC except that BJP is insisting on it," he said.

He alleged that BJP was raking up the issue to cover its failures.
London, July 10 : The UK's largest National Health Service (NHS) trust has yet again suffered a ransomware attack on its systems, compromising data of about 2.5 million patients, media reports said.

Calling it to be "the biggest breach of healthcare data in the United Kingdom", the notorious ransomware gang BlackCat claimed to have stolen 70 terabytes of sensitive data from Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs five London-based hospitals, the TechCrunch reported.

The sensitive data includes employee identification documents, including passport and driver's licences, and internal emails labelled "confidential".

BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, had given a deadline of Monday before it starts publishing the information most of which are "confidential documents" on the dark web.

"We are aware of claims of a ransomware attack and are urgently investigating," a Barts Health spokesperson was quoted as saying.

This is the second such breach of NHS data in recent weeks.

In June, a ransomware attack on University of Manchester caused breach of a NHS dataset with information on 1.1 million patients across 200 hospitals.

"The university experienced a security incident that led to the exfiltration of data from its systems," University of Manchester spokesperson Ben Robinson was quoted as saying,

He, however, declined to comment on the reported theft of NHS data.

"We confirmed on June 23 that our systems have been accessed and student and alumni data has been copied. Individuals have been informed of this cyber incident and offered support and advice to further protect their data," Robinson said.

"Our in-house data experts and external support are working around-the-clock to resolve this incident and respond to its impacts, and we are not able to comment further at this stage."

The UK's public sector has in recent months has faced several cyberattacks, the report said. Last week, the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) said that it's experiencing an "ongoing cyber incident".

In June, Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, said it was one of the organisations to face a data breach by the Clop ransomware gang's mass-exploitation of a security flaw in Progress Software's MOVEit Transfer.

In May, Capita, a British outsourcing giant that provides critical services for the UK government said it faced a ransomware attack, which affected more than 90 organisations whose personal information were reportedly breached.

--IANS

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Kolkata, July 10 : Trinamool Congress will send a four-member delegation to trouble-torn Manipur on Friday to take stock of the situation in the northeastern state, which has been under the grip of violent ethnic clashes for over two months now.

According to a statement issued by the party, a four-member delegation comprising the party's Rajya Sabha members Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen and Lok Sabha members Kalyan Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will reach Manipur on Friday, just two days after the counting for the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Wednesday.

In the press communique, the Trinamool also accused the BJP and the Union government of doing nothing to bring the situation under control and give healing touch to the people of Manipur.

Party sources said that the decision to send the delegation to Manipur has been taken by party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Interestingly, the decision came just an hour after news surfaced that the BJP has decided to send a four-member central fact-finding team to West Bengal to review the situation amid large-scale violence over the rural civic body polls, which has already claimed 39 lives since the announcement of polling date on June 8.

The four-member central delegation of the BJP that is expected to arrive here on Wednesday includes former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad, ex-Commissioner of Mumbai Police Satyapal Singh, and party MPs Rajdeep Roy and Rekha Verma.

The central delegation will visit the different violence-hit areas of the state and is expected to interact with the local people there, especially the family members of the victims.

The Trinamool leadership has questioned the decision to send a central delegation to West Bengal, pointing out that the BJP did not send any central team to Manipur, which is burning for over two months now.
In a statement, ACE said AEBF aims to gather stakeholders from ASEAN to discuss and work together in accelerating energy connections for the regional energy sector's development.



Jisman P. Hutajulu, Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Senior Official on Energy (SOE) Leader of Indonesia said the forum will offer a venue for stakeholders to jointly discuss important topics, such as electric vehicles, sustainable fuel, and energy security.



Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE emphasized ACE's full commitment to support Indonesia as Chair of ASEAN this year, especially in the energy field.



By facilitating productive dialogue, exchange of insight, and cooperation development, AEBF supports Indonesia's efforts to display ASEAN's potential energy and encourage regional energy cooperation, Nuki said.



The organisation of the AEBF also coincides with the 41st ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and the 3rd ASEAN International Conference on Energy and Environment (AICEE), to strengthen its impact and significance.



AEBF also held the Awarding Ceremony of ASEAN Energy Awards which acknowledged and appreciated industry players for their contribution to the development of the energy sector. This award ceremony will be attended by 10 ASEAN ministers of energy./.
Patna, July 10 : A man in Bihar's Vaishali district on Monday alleged that his wife ran off with her boyfriend after obtaining a teacher's job.

The incident occurred at Mahipur village under Jandaha police station in the district.

Chandan Kumar said that he and his wife had a love marriage in 2010. At that time, she had passed her Class 10 examination.

"As she was interested in studying, we borrowed the money and also sold the piece of land. She was eventually recruited as teacher on February 23, 2022 and deployed in Shahpur Patori primary school in Samastipur district. After one and half years, she ran off with the school principal," Chandan Kumar told local media in Vaishali.

"I have moved an application with Jandaha police station on July 7 and requested the officials to bring back my wife. I have a 12 year old daughter and 7 years old son," he added.

"After the job, my wife had taken a rented accommodation in Samastipur. She took the kids for two to three months and then asked to take them away. She does not allow us to live in that flat. Recently on July 1, three persons including head master Rahul Kumar came to my house and threatened me with dire consequences. They were carrying weapons. Then I eventually went to the police station and reported the matter," he said.

When contacted, an officer of Jandaha police station said that the FIR has been registered and the matter is under investigation.
Bhopal, July 10 : A week after Madhya Pradesh pee-gate incident, the accused Pravesh Shukla has been sent to jail and his home was razed by bulldozers while the victim Dashmat Rawat is also back to his daily life following his feet being washed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

However, there are questions which need answers -- first, the sequence of recording of the video and second, action against the person who made the video viral on social media.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravindra Verma said the video was recorded during the first phase Covid period in 2020. Pravesh Shukla was accompanied by two more persons - Adarsh Shukla and Deepnarayan Sahu - when he (Pravesh) urinated on Dashmat Rawat, who works as a labourer and belongs to Kol tribe.

SP Verma said that all three men were heavily drunk and Deepnarayan Sahu was the person who recorded the video incident on his mobile.

"The matter is under investigation and all those found involved will be punished. The video was recorded by Deepnarayan Sahu and he would be booked under IT Act. Some misleading messages are being spread about the identity of the victim, which is totally wrong," SP Verma said.

It has also learnt that Pravesh Shukla's family did not support BJP and even had opposed MLA Kedarnath Shukla's Vikas Yatra.

"Pravesh's family has always supported the Congress. Only Pravesh has been supporting Kedarnath Shukla for the last four-five years," a person associated with a political party and the resident of Pravesh's village Kubri said.

He said that making the video viral has a connection with Zila Panchayat elections held in Madhya Pradesh last year. The wives of two Kshatriyas - Devendra Singh (Daddu) and Lallu Singh (both from Sidhi) were opposite candidates in Zila Panchayat elections. Pravesh's family had supported Lallu Singh, however, Daddu's wife won the election.

As Deepnarayan Sahu had recorded Pravesh Shukla's inhuman act of urinating on a tribal Dashmat Rawat, and had stored the video on a pen drive, showed the video to another person who was close to Devendra Singh.

"It was the reason Pravesh's family has lodged a missing complaint on June 29, claiming that their son (Pravesh) is being black mailed by some politically connected people and is missing. However, the police did not take notice of the complaint. Had the police acted swiftly, they couldn't have made the video viral on social media," a source close to Shukla family said.

He also claimed that Deepnarayan Shahu didn't make the video viral but some other person. "Dashmat Rawat and Deepnarayan Sahu were among those who used to visit Pravesh's shop in Kubri on a daily basis. But, after zila panchayat elections, Deepnarayan Sahu shifted into Pravesh's rival faction and the video that was recorded in 2020, was made viral just five months before the assembly elections," he said.
Chennai, July 10 : The Madras High Court on Monday quashed a complaint filed by a government official against actor Dhanush, producer Aishwarya Rajinikanth, and others for having allegedly violated the law with respect to certain smoking scenes in movie "Velai Illa Pattadhari" released in 2014.

A bench of Justice N. Anand Venkatesh quashed the complaint filed by an officer under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003, on the grounds that no offence has been made out under Section 5 of the Act.

The complaint had been lodged before a Metropolitan Magistrate at Saidapet in Chennai for the alleged violation of Section 5 of the Act, which prohibits the promotion/ use/ consumption of cigarettes or any other tobacco products directly or indirectly through advertisements over any medium.

Counsel for Dhanush, Vijayan Subramanian told the court that the smoking scenes in the movie could not be construed as promoting cigarettes, and disclaimers were issued by the makers of the movie as instructed by the censor board.

The actor, through his counsel, told the court that no opportunity for a hearing was given to him to explain his position before the authority concerned before the officer decided to lodge a complaint with the magistrate's court.

Aishwarya Rajinikanth was made an accused in the case as she was then the director of Wunderbar Films that produced the movie.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 10 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Monday that it has arrested Jag Mohan Garg, the CMD of Tirupati Infraprojects Pvt. Ltd., in connection with a Rs 289.15 crore loan fraud case.

A senior CBI officer said that the case against Jag Mohan Garg and Tirupati Infraprojects was lodged on allegations of causing loss to the tune of Rs 289.15 crore to a consortium of banks comprising the Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and UCO Bank.

The consortium led by Bank of India had granted term loan of Rs 300 crore to Tirupati Infraprojects between 2009 and 2014 for the construction of a hotel in Paschim Vihar, Delhi, along with commercial spaces.

"The accused had sold several commercial spaces of the said hotel-cum-commercial building to various parties without intimating the lender banks, and funds obtained from these buyers were siphoned off," the officer said.

The CBI said that searches were conducted on May 27 at the premises of the accused, which led to the recovery of several incriminating documents.

"Garg was produced before a special CBI court in Delhi, which remanded him to agency custody till July 13," the officer said.
Jammu, July 10 : A search operation was started on Monday by the Indian Army after an infiltration attempt was made on the line of control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, officials said.

Defence ministry spokesman, Lt Colonel Suneel Bartwal said that operation is in progress in Nowshera sector.

Details will be shared later.

Official sources said firing had also taken place in the area when an infiltration attempt was made on the LoC in Nowshera sector late last night.
New Delhi, 10 July : Government is planning to purchase around 26 Rafale aircraft and three Scorpion class conventional submarines from France, and the deal is likely to be finalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Paris on July 13, sources said.

The aircraft and submarines are being purchased for the Indian Navy this time. Earlier, India had purchased 36 Rafale aircraft from France, but they were for Indian Air Force.

An official informed that the proposal has been received by the Defence Ministry and the deal is likely to be announced during Modi's visit to France. The Indian Navy is likely to get 22 single-seater Rafale marine aircraft as well as four trainer jets.

"There is an urgent requirement for aircraft and submarines, as the Indian Navy has been facing shortages and needs to shore up its requirements keeping in mind security challenges, especially in the Indian Ocean region," the sources added.

The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been operating the MiG-29s and need the Rafales for operations on both carriers.

The deals are estimated to be worth over Rs 90,000 crore but the final cost would be clear only after the contract negotiations are completed after the deal is announced.

India is likely to seek some concession in prices of aircraft and submarines and may also insist on greater focus on 'Make In India' content in it, the official said.

The proposals have been discussed in the Defence Ministry at high-level meetings already and are likely to be placed before the Defence Acquisition Council in the next few days and expected to be accorded Acceptance of Necessity by the government before the announcement in France.

Last year, the naval version of Rafale fighter jets from France and American F/A-18 Super Hornet had demonstrated their operational capabilities. Modi will be reaching France on July 13, where he will be the guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade on July 14.

India is also planning to buy Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for Tri-Services from the USA. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), on June 15, 2023, accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for acquisition of 31 MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for Tri-Services from the USA through Foreign Military Sale (FMS) route. The AoN included the number of UAVs to be procured along with associated equipment.

According to the Defence Ministry, the AoN noted the estimated cost of $3,072 million provided by the US Government. However, price will be negotiated once policy approval of the US Government is received. The Defence Ministry will compare the acquisition cost with the best price offered by General Atomics (GA) to other countries. The procurement is in progress and would be completed as per the laid down procedure.
New Delhi, July 10 : Two days after the violence during the panchayat polls in West Bengal, Governor C.V Ananda Bose on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him about the situation in the state.

After meeting Shah, Bose while interacting with the media said, "The darkest hour is just before dawn. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is - if winter comes can spring be far behind? Good will happen in the days to come."

His remarks came after he met Shah in the national capital and apprised him about the situation in the state and the violence that erupted in the state during the panchayat polls on Saturday, in which 15 people lost their lives

During the Saturday polling, ballot boxes were robbed, set on fire or dumped in ponds at several places when the violence erupted at several locations.

Due to violence, repolling was held at 696 polling booths in 19 districts of the state on the direction of the State Election Commission.

Bose had visited several areas on Saturday during the polling.
Kolkata, July 10 : A four-member central fact-finding team of the BJP will visit West Bengal soon and submit a report to party President of J.P. Nadda on the widespread violence witnessed before and during the panchayat elections held on July 8.

This was disclosed by West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar through a Twitter post, in which he thanked Nadda for the decision to send the central delegation to the state.

"Thank BJP National President Shri @JP Nadda for forming a 4-member fact-finding committee to visit the violence affected areas of West Bengal," Majumdar's tweeted.

He also attached a copy of the press communique issued by BJP's national General Secretary Arun Singh in this matter.

The delegation will include former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad, ex-Commissioner of Mumbai Police Satyapal Singh, and party MPs Rajdeep Roy and Rekha Verma,

Although it is not yet clear when the central delegation will arrive in Kolkata, sources in the state unit of the party said that in all probability, it will arrive on Wednesday when counting for the rural civic body polls will be taken up.

It is learnt that the central delegation will visit different parts of the state which witnessed large-scale violence and interact with the local people there, especially the family members of the victims.

The Trinamool Congress leadership, meanwhile, has questioned the decision to a central delegation, pointing out that the BJP did not send any central team to Manipur, which is burning for over two months now.

As many as 39 people have been killed in poll-related violence in West Bengal since the announcement of polling date on June 8.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested a 37-year-old man carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 for his involvement in multiple criminal cases, the police said on Monday. The criminal, who was on the run for the past two years, was arrested from West Bengal.

The accused has been identified as Dil Mohd alias Dillu, a resident of New Seemapuri, who was previously involved in more than two-dozen cases of robbery and under the Arms Act in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

"Dillu was declared a proclaimed offender in Delhi and Haryana, while a reward of Rs 50,000 was declared for information leading to his arrest by the UP Police," said Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), H.G.S. Dhaliwal.

The police recently traced his movement in Howrah, West Bengal. Prompt action was taken on the input, and a team was rushed to Howrah where camped to develop specific information.

"Efforts of the team bore fruit on July 7 when a specific input about the hideout of Dillu was received. The team acted swiftly and succeeded in apprehending the accused from Shibpur near Howrah," said the official.

It was found that after his release from jail in 2021, Dillu became active again and also didn't turn up for court appearances.

"He kept changing his hideouts after committing a crime. In March 2023, he stole jewellery and cash in Jhansi and fled to Howrah where he got married for the third time to a local woman so that he could stay with her secretly and evade arrest," the officer said.
New Delhi, 10 July : To further boost India's 'Act East Policy' and strengthen ties with Malaysia, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held extensive discussions with his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

This is the first visit after the establishment of Enhanced Strategic Partnership, which was announced during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in 2015.

Rajnath Singh also called on Prime Minister YB Datoa Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, besides meeting Minister of Foreign Affairs Datoa Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

After touching down in Kuala Lumpur late on Sunday, he began his official engagements with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Ministry of Defence.

This was followed by talks between the two Defence Ministers.

According to the Ministry of Defence here, both sides discussed initiatives to further expand defence ties, with particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Enhanced Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and rule of law.

The two also agreed to the next Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) meeting which is being planned in India later this year.

Rajnath Singh highlighted the potential of the Indian defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with Malaysian armed forces in its inventory modernisation and maintenance plans.

Both Ministers also approved an amendment in the MoU on Defence Cooperation between India and Malaysia signed in 1993, through aExchange of Lettersa (EoL). This amendment will act as an enabler to expand bilateral defence cooperation in the areas of mutual interest.

Later, Rajnath Singh called on Prime Minister Ibrahim and conveyed warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ibrahim expressed appreciation of the strong cultural bonds between both nations.

He briefed the Malaysian Prime Minister about the fruitful and productive defence dialogue held earlier in the day. The meeting focused on measures to realise the full potential of Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

In his meeting with the Foreign Minister, the two exchanged views on matters of bilateral importance and cooperation in international fora. Indiaas recognition of ASEAN centrality and importance of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region were discussed. The meeting concluded with Indiaas assurance to partner Malaysia in its efforts to accelerate self-reliance of the Malaysian defence industry.

Later, Rajnath Singh felicitated 2nd Lieutenant Sundaram, a 99-year old INA veteran, who fought alongside Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Burma border.

--IANS

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Students study in a classroom in rural Laos (photo: The Nation)

Addressing the fifth session of the ninth National Assembly, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said the reasons for the alarming decline in school attendance were rooted in various factors, including personal circumstances, school conditions, and financial hardship on the part of parents.



The PM said the education ministry would assist disadvantaged students by providing them with basic learning materials and waiving the payment of school fees.



The plan for the next six months also includes providing more vocational training and encouraging applicants to choose a course that will enable them to get a job and be self-supporting when they graduate.



Education authorities will carry out closer monitoring of teaching and learning outcomes, while schools and colleges will be improved, and student dormitories will be built in rural areas.



There will also be more vocational skills training in the non-formal education sector.



The government will speed up the enactment of a law on education, which will require parents to be responsible for ensuring their children get an education.



In addition, the government will take steps to reduce the student dropout rate in both urban and rural areas by expanding inclusive education in schools and vocational training institutions.



More secondary school students will be encouraged to enroll in courses at vocational and technical schools so that they learn practical skills that benefit both them and employers, Sonexay said./.
Hyderabad, July 10 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said that the BJP-led Union Government, which ignored development and created enmity between people, is conspiring to divide people again in the name of Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said that India is blessed with multiple cultures, traditions, castes, and religions and stands as a role model in advocating unity in diversity to the world.

To safeguard India's diversity, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is vehemently rejecting the bill, he told adelegation of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which urged him to oppose UCC if a bill is brought in the Parliament.

The Chief Minister made it clear that the BRS has been opposing the Union government's decisions which are detrimental to the unity of the people of the country. He noted that tribals with their unique culture, different castes and religious people including Hindus were left in confusion and worried about the UCC.

The AIMPLB, led by its President Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, met KCR at the Pragati Bhavan. The Board requested the CM to oppose the UCC bill which is a stumbling block to the very existence of people of the country and their inherited traditions and cultures.

AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, MLA Akbaruddin, ministers Mahmood Ali, KT Rama Rao, Board executive members and others participated in this meeting.

On this occasion, KCR said: ''It is clear that the imposition of UCC is a malicious attempt by the Union government. The BJP government has been ignoring the development of the country and people's welfare for the last nine years. The BJP plotted to instigate people by promoting divisive politics by raking up clashes between the communities to derive political benefits through the UCC bill. It is the main reason, we are opposing the UCC bill which is being introduced by the BJP led government soon."

He made it clear that the BRS will oppose the UCC bill in the ensuing Parliament session. Apart from this, the BRS ill fight on the UCC bill by uniting all like- minded political parties. The CM directed the parliamentary party leaders K. Keshava Rao and Nama Nageshwar Rao to prepare an action plan to fight against the Centre in both the houses of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the AIMPLB thanked CM KCR for opposing the UCC bill and for supporting their endeavour to safeguard the 'Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb' and protect the customs of all sections of people irrespective of religions and regions.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 10 : A lawyer filed a petition with the Delhi High Court on Monday, challenging the mandatory requirement of providing Aadhaar details to access the benefits of the Chief Minister Advocates' Welfare Scheme.

The scheme provides health and life coverage to advocates in Delhi.

Petitioner Gaurav Jain's counsel informed the bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, that due to the absence of data protection laws, he did not wish to disclose his Aadhaar number for re-registration under the scheme.

The court stated that all government welfare schemes have their terms and conditions, and the petitioner could choose not to participate if he disagreed with the conditions.

It said that the scheme was voluntary, and if he did not approve of it, he could refrain from applying.

As the petitioner's lawyer mentioned that he was willing to provide an alternative identity proof document, the court then asked the petitioner's counsel to seek additional instructions.

Jain, who had previously registered under the scheme in April 2020, has contested privacy issues and the absence of a data protection law while re-registering for the scheme using his Aadhaar number.

The petition argues that there was no legitimate requirement for requesting Aadhaar details during the re-registration process for the scheme. The petitioner had attempted to re-register for the scheme in March but was unable to do so through the portal without first providing his Aadhaar number.

The petitioner, a practicing advocate registered with the Bar Council of Delhi, fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the scheme and believed that making Aadhaar mandatory violated his right to privacy. The petition further contended that the Aadhaar number did not assist in determining an advocate's eligibility for the scheme. The petitioner's identity was adequately established through the Bar Card, Certificate of Practice (CoP), and Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC).

Despite these reasons, the respondent had made Aadhaar mandatory for registration or re-registration under the scheme. The petition argues that this requirement lacked a reasonable connection to the objectives of the Chief Minister Advocates' Welfare Scheme.

The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 20.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 10 : Amid heavy rains in the city, the Delhi government has declared holiday for students of primary classes on Tuesday.

The office of Director of Education issued a circular in this regard on Monday evening.

"Seeing the prediction for moderate to heavy rains tomorrow (Tuesday) in Delhi made by the Indian Meteorological Department, it is directed that it will be a holiday on July 11 (Tuesday) for students studying in classes Nursery to 5 in all government and govt aided Schools under the Directorate of Education. Accordingly, students of these classes must be informed well in advance so that they do not venture out," the circular read.

Students of classes 6 onwards and all staff shall attend schools as usual.

"... staff to remain vigilant about the safety of the students attending school, especially in view of incessant rains. All recognised private schools under Directorate of Education, GNCTD are also advised to follow the above instructions in view of the safety of the students. This issues with the prior approval of Competent Authority," the circular stated.
Srinagar, July 10 : Ten persons were arrested in a case related to hatching a conspiracy to revive banned organisations JKLF and Hurriyat, the police said on Monday.

"The arrested persons and others were planning to revive these organisations on the directions of Pakistan-based handlers. Their meeting was an overt attempt to start working for the revival of these moribund organisations," the J&K police said.

"Initial investigation has also revealed that they were in touch with entities based abroad, few of them were members of different groups that propagate secessionism like Kashmir Global Council headed by Farooq Siddiqui and Raja Muzaffer of JKLF," the police said.

The police also said the meeting was held under the garb of manufactured pretext, whereas the real agenda was discussing strategy of revival separatist elements.

Initial investigation has also revealed that a similar preliminary meeting took place on June 13.

"The arrested persons have been identified as Mohammad Yaseen Bhat, Mohammad Rafiq Pahloo, Shamsudin Rehmani, Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat, Khurshid Ahmed Bhat, Shabir Ahmed Dar, Sajad Hussain Gul, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Parray Hassan Firdous, and Sohail Ahmad Mir," the police said.

"Some more arrests are likely to take place," the police added.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Delhi High Court on Monday scheduled, for August 3, hearing on a plea filed by city Transport Minister, Kailash Gahlot against BJP MLA Vijender Gupta.

Gahlot has accused Gupta of making "defamatory" remarks against him on Twitter regarding the procurement of DTC buses.

As per Gahlot, the tweets claimed irregularities in the procurement process of 1,000 low-floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

During the proceedings, the bench of Jutice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Gaurang Kanth encouraged both parties to resolve the dispute amicably, urging them to approach the matter with mutual respect and civility.

"Like gentlemen, put an end to it. These are elected representatives. These are honourable gentlemen," said the bench.

The senior lawyer representing Gahlot has demanded that Gupta take down the defamatory tweets accusing the minister of corruption. In response, the advocate representing the BJP politician defended his client's conduct.

However, the court questioned the feasibility of establishing the truth at this stage, especially when the trial regarding Gupta's claims is still pending. It decided to postpone the hearing to provide an opportunity for the parties involved to explore the possibility of a peaceful resolution.

The court encouraged them to engage in a conversation and find a mutually agreeable settlement, emphasising the importance of putting an end to the ongoing dispute.

Gahlot had originally filed a civil defamation lawsuit against Gupta in 2021, seeking damages of Rs 5 crore. Citing relentless tweets that cast doubt on his integrity regarding the bus procurement, the Transport Minister earlier had said that a high-powered committee had already cleared him of any wrongdoing.

In response to this ongoing issue, the minister filed a suit seeking multiple remedies before a single judge. The suit seeks a restraining order against Gupta, prohibiting him from posting, tweeting, or publishing defamatory, scandalous, or factually incorrect content on social media platforms. It also aims to prevent Gupta from giving interviews, writing articles, or publishing blogs that pertain to the purchase of low-floor buses.

The minister also requested the removal of any existing defamatory content targeting him from social media platforms.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, July 10 : Customs officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here have arrested five persons and seized 1.93 kg gold worth Rs 17 crore and 62,400 cigarette sticks in separate cases.

All the accused were held following tip offs.

In the first case, smuggled gold weighing 1,399 grams in the form of bars, worth Rs 84.8 lakh, was seized from a passenger who had arrived at Hyderabad from Dubai. On further investigation, it was found that the gold was planned to be taken out through an airport staff member and the same was foiled by Customs in a swift interception.

Both the accused were placed under arrest.

In the second case, 527 grams of smuggled gold, worth Rs 31.8 lakh, was recovered from a passenger who arrived at Hyderabad from Jeddah.

"The gold was concealed in the rectum of the person in the form of two capsules. We also seized 62,400 smuggled cigarette sticks from two passengers who arrived from Bangkok and Dubai," said the official.
Imphal/Kolkata, July 10 : After the Congress and Left parties, the Trinamool Congress is also likely to raise the issue of ethnic violence in Manipur at the Monsoon Session of the Parliament starting July 20.

Trinamool will send a five-member delegation led by its Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien to trouble-torn Manipur on Friday to take stock of the situation in the northeastern state, which has been under the grip of violent ethnic clashes between non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki communities for around 70 days now.

Trinamool's Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev, who is also one of the members of the delegation, said the team will try to talk to a cross section of people belonging to different communities, besides those housed in the relief camps.

"After learning the ground situation and obtaining the views and reactions of the affected people, we will raise the issue in the forthcoming session of the Parliament," Dev told IANS over phone.

Other members of the Trinamool delegation include the party's Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen, and Lok Sabha members Kalyan Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

In a press communique issued in Kolkata, the Trinamool also accused the BJP and the Union government of doing nothing to bring the situation under control and give healing touch to the people of Manipur.

Party sources in Kolkata said that the decision to send the delegation to Manipur has been taken by party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Interestingly, the decision came just an hour after news surfaced that the BJP has decided to send a four-member central fact-finding team to West Bengal to review the situation amid large-scale violence over the rural civic body polls, which has already claimed 39 lives since the announcement of polling date on June 8.

The four-member central delegation of the BJP that is expected to reach Kolkata on Wednesday includes former Union minister Ravishankar Prasad, ex-Commissioner of Mumbai Police Satyapal Singh, and party MPs Rajdeep Roy and Rekha Verma.

The central delegation will visit the different violence-hit areas of the state and is expected to interact with the local people there, especially the family members of the victims.

The Trinamool leadership has questioned the decision to send a central delegation to West Bengal, pointing out that the BJP did not send any central team to Manipur, which is burning for over two months now.

Earlier, the Congress and the Left parties' delegations had visited Manipur.

Accompanied by Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and AICC in-charge of several northeastern states, Ajoy Kumar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Manipur on June 29-30. The delegation visited several districts and talked to the people belonging to different communities.

The ethnic violence in Manipur, which broke out after a tribal organisation held a rally on May 3 opposing the recognition of the Meitei community as Scheduled Tribe, so far has claimed over 150 lives and injured more than 600 people.

In view of the ethnic strife in Manipur, approximately 50,650 men, women and children belonging to different communities have been displaced and are now sheltered in 350 camps set up in schools, government buildings and auditoriums.
New Delhi, July 10 : The Delhi government will establish a 'Kesh Kala' Board to revive the traditional art of hair grooming and support the barber community, a statement said on Monday.

Through this board, the industry involved in hair grooming will get further strengthened and promoted.

Additionally, the board will help in addressing the issues of the barber community.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister, Raaj Kumar Anand, has approved the file regarding the issues of the barber community which has now been sent to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for a final approval. This plan was recently approved by the state cabinet.

"In this way, the traditional art of the salon will be revived and promoted in Delhi for the overall welfare of the barber community. Advanced training and financial assistance will also be provided to the barbers through the board. At the same time, an awareness campaign will be organised to provide information about skill development and technical upliftment facilities to groomers and barbers," it said.

The Kesh board will comprise of 10 members, including the chairman, vice-chairman and members, as well as administrative, technical and ministerial positions.

Apart from this, district level committees will also be formed which will assist in the formulation of policies and plans.

"The Delhi government will encourage traditional hairdressing and grooming by providing modern training and financial assistance to barbers. The hair grooming industry has grown in the last few years due to new technologies. The market for hair products has increased in both rural and urban areas. However. the barber community has yet to adopt modern techniques and methods for the same. They have not been able to utilise expensive equipment and techniques and thus have been deprived of the growth in the industry. In such a situation, barbers will be given proper training in modern techniques through the Delhi Kesh Kala Board. They will also be given financial assistance for self-employment," it added.

Anand said that the barber community engaged in the profession of hairdressing needs government assistance to share the benefits of the boom in this industry.

"They need financial support for self-employment along with proper training in latest technologies used in this industry today. Keeping this in mind, the Kejriwal government has taken the important step for people belonging to this community and profession. This will provide them with advanced training and financial support so as to enable them to promote and preserve the heritage of hair cutting, dressing and grooming," he added.

--IANSatk/khz
Guwahati, July 10 : The Assam government has planned to install a 125-feet tall statue of the 16th century Ahom General Lachit Barphukan at Lahdoigarh in Jorhat.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday took stock of the physical progress of the statue of Borphukan. He held a meeting with the engineers of the construction agency and asked them to complete the construction by the end of 2024.

Since the entire complex area has been demarcated, Sarma asked the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat Pulak Mahanta to plant saplings around the boundary walls.

The Chief Minister asked Mahanta to do the plantation on October 2 when the state government will implement a programme of planting one crore saplings in sync with the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation -- Mahatma Gandhi.

Sarma also asked the executing agency to ensure quality and beauty of construction so that the entire complex could be turned into one of the attractive tourist destinations.

Last year, the state government celebrated the 400th birth anniversary of Barphukan on a large scale.

The four-day long event was held in the national capital to showcase the valour of the 16th century Ahom General.

The Chief Minister asked for essay competitions on Barphukan and nearly 4.3 million handwritten essays were produced by students, government employees and others which created the Guinness World Records for the largest online photo album of handwritten articles.

The state government received more than 5.7 million essays on Borphukan, however, only handwritten essays were counted for the Guinness World Record.
Patna, July 11 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, presiding over a meeting of the Mahagathbandhan members in the Assembly complex on Monday, slammed some of the legislators for making irresponsible statements to the media.

"If anyone has a problem, meet me. Avoid giving statements in the media unnecessarily," Nitish Kumar reportedly said during the meeting, as per participants at the meeting.

He especially slammed RJD MLC Sunil Singh and reportedly said 'why are you staying in the Mahagathbandhan while meeting (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah. At this, Sunil Singh stood up and said that he never met Amit Shah. Nitish Kumar retorted that he had met Amit Shah and he have seen the photographs on Facebook.

Nitish Kumar, keeping in view the split in the NCP, asked the legislators to stay alert, warning that the BJP can do anything on the basis of money power.

"The Chief Minister was angry at Sunil Singh who had given several statements in the media. He also made suggestions to legislators.He was focusing on the unity of the Mahagathbandhan," CPI-ML MLA Sandeep Saurav said.

As per CPI MLA Ajay Kumar, the Chief Minister had taken the names of many leaders and asked them to avoid going to the media. "He said that if anyone has a problem, come to me," he added.

After the meeting of the Mahagathbandhan, a high level meeting was also held in the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav where party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was also present.

Tejashwi Yadav was reportedly very angry with Education Minister Prof Chandra Shekhar following his clash with his department's Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pathak, and asked him that how many schools had he visited since he became a minister.
Source: VNA

The journey for the next Prime Minister and the new government coalition is approaching its critical point, with the parliament now expected to hold a vote for Prime Minister soon, following the vote for House Speaker.



According to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister of the caretaker government, the parliament will now submit the names of persons nominated as House Speaker and two corresponding deputies to His Majesty the King for official proclamation.



Following the proclamation, the House Speaker, whose official title is President of the National Assembly, will then confer with the President of the Senate, to schedule an appropriate date for a National Assembly session, in which members of both the upper and lower houses will vote for Prime Minister. The caretaker government will remain in power until the day on which the new Prime Minister and Cabinet swear in.



The eight parties led by Move Forward party (MFP), who secured the highest number of seats in the House of Representatives, have expressed their unity in the forming of the MFP-led government coalition, with MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat serving as Prime Minister.



Pheu Thai party leader Dr. Chonlanan Srikaew said the eight parties will mutually nominate Pita for the Prime Ministerial vote, and will try to secure the most votes possible to reach the minimum 376 votes required.



Dr Chonlanan stressed that his party does not have a backup plan in place, in case Pita faces major political obstacles. He said the only plan right now is to secure enough votes./.
Addis Ababa, July 11 : The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, has called on warring parties in Sudan to sign an agreement on ceasefire.

In a statement issued at the end of a one-day meeting of IGAD heads of state in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, IGAD said on Monday that it strongly urges Sudanese warring parties to agree on an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire.

The statement called on the warring parties to immediately stop the violence and called for an effective enforcement and monitoring mechanism, Xinhua news agency reported.

IGAD also underscored its call for Sudanese leaders to have face-to-face meetings, saying the ongoing military conflict in the country has no military solution.

"IGAD expresses deep concern regarding the impact of the ongoing war in Sudan which has so far killed thousands of people and displaced nearly three million people, including 6,15,000 refugees," said the statement.

It also expressed concern over the escalation of the conflict outside of the country's capital Khartoum.

Brutal fighting erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on April 15 and swiftly escalated in different parts of the country.

The ongoing fighting is pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Force (RSF). Both sides have accused each other of initiating the conflict.

Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese Army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter's integration into the Army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on December 5, 2022.
Prayagraj, July 11 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate the murders of gangster-politician brothers Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf is likely to file its charge sheet soon with the stipulated period of 90 days ending soon, an official said.

A senior police official said the charge sheet against the accused Sunny Singh, Lavlesh Tiwari and Arun Maurya had been prepared and would be filed in a court latest by July 15.Atiq and his brother Ashraf were shot dead while in police custody in full media glare on the night of April 15.

While the police are said to have included the statements of several persons, including the neighbours of the three accused, in the charge sheet, some pertinent questions regarding crime still remain unanswered.

While the document mentions the motive and past records of the assailants, the police investigation reportedly does not throw any light on who planned the murders or the role of a fourth person in the planning.

Moreover, police allegedly do not have any information on how the three accused learnt to operate sophisticated firearms, which were used in the crime, and from where did they get a camera and microphone that they used to disguise themselves as mediapersons.

Official sources in the police department said the SIT carried out an intensive investigation and took statements of neighbours, relatives and friends of the three assailants.

Based on these statements, the assailants were described 'aggressive' in the charge sheet.

The assailants also reportedly had connections with criminal groups from western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi such as the Gogi and Sundar Bhati gangs and the motive behind the sensational murders of Atiq and Ashraf in police custody was to earn fame and money.

"After watching the media coverage of Atiq following the murder of Umesh Pal, the assailants planned to eliminate him and earn a big name for themselves," the officials added.

The Zigana (semi-automatic) firearm, which was used in the crime, also did not provide many clues to the police.Sunny Singh reportedly claimed, during his questioning, that he was given the pistol by gangster Jitendra Gogi two years ago to eliminate the latter's rival Tillu Tajpuria. Sunny, however, fled with the pistol when Gogi was gunned down at Delhi's Rohini Court in 2021.

Besides the SIT, the state government had also constituted a judicial commission to inquire about the murders of Atiq and Ashraf.

The judicial commission members include former Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Dilip Baba Sahab Bhosle, former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court Virendra Singh, Justice Arvind Kumar Tripathi, IPS Subesh Kumar Singh and former District Judge Brajesh Kumar Soni.--IANS

amita/khz
Aleg Airport, Aleg, Mauritania [ LEG / ]

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Aleg Airport IATA Code: LEG Aleg Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : 17.1667 Longitude : -13.95 City : Aleg Country : Mauritania World Area Code : 545 Airport Type : Small Aleg Airport Address / Contact Details :

Aleg (LEG), Mauritania Timezone : Africa/Nouakchott Aleg Airport Timezone : GMT +00:00 hours Current time and date at Aleg Airport is 00:19:32 AM (GMT) on Saturday, Jul 22, 2023

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Aleg Airport Map - Location of Aleg Airport Load Map Mauritania - General Information Country Formal Name Islamic Republic of Mauritania Country Code MR Capital Nouakchott Tel Code +222 Top Level Domain .mr

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Siemens has partnered with Prodea Investments, the leading real estate investment company in Greece and one of the largest in Southeast Europe, for the implementation of Building X, a Siemens digital building platform. The partnership seeks to accelerate Prodea Investments digital transformation and reduce the carbon footprint of existing and

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Victoria Square, the leading retail and leisure destination in Northern Ireland, has secured the regions first standalone store for lifestyle brand, The White Company.

Set to launch this autumn, The White Company will bring its full offer to Belfast. The new regional debut store will be located on...

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AllCampus Were very excited to welcome David to our growing advisory council and are looking forward to leveraging his deep expertise in the education space, Joe Diamond, CEO at AllCampus

AllCampus, a leading higher education services provider partnering with top-ranked institutions to make higher education more affordable, accessible and equitable, today announced the addition of David Urban, Dean Emeritus of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University to its advisory council.

David brings extensive experience as an academic administrator to the AllCampus advisory council. Before joining the council, David served as dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where he oversaw strategic planning, administrative structure, operational processes and academic affairs. He was also responsible for external affairs for the college, including marketing, fundraising and alumni affairs.

While at MTSU, Urban helped transform the universitys MBA program into a flexible opportunity for prospective students, with 12-month accelerated and 100% online options. He also pioneered MTSUs exclusive Dale Carnegie Initiative, which improves soft skills by requiring all undergraduate business majors to complete the Dale Carnegie Course in Human Relations and Communication as part of their degree. Prior to his work at MTSU, David served at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business in roles including professor, chair for the marketing department, interim dean and associate dean.

Ive always been passionate about providing flexible learning opportunities to students, said Urban. Higher education is in a transformative period, and as more students explore multimodal learning options, Im looking forward to making different learning experiences more accessible and affordable in my new role on AllCampus advisory council.

As a member of the advisory council, Urban will advise current and prospective university partners on curriculum and program design, and work with AllCampus leaders to provide recommendations on the companys own growth and advancement. Since its inception in 2021, the advisory council has become an integral part of AllCampus mission to lower the cost of higher education by developing high quality programs at the most affordable cost in the industry to students.

David has an impressive record of enacting change at the university level, said Joe Diamond, CEO at AllCampus. Were very excited to welcome David to our growing advisory council and are looking forward to leveraging his deep expertise in the education space.

Urban holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with a concentration in marketing from the University of Virginia, a Master of Arts in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Michigan.

For more information on AllCampus advisory council and its members, please visit: https://www.allcampus.com/about-all-campus/advisory-council/. To learn more about AllCampus and its services and university partners, please visit: http://www.allcampus.com.

About AllCampus

With a mission to make higher education more accessible, affordable and equitable for all students, AllCampus partners with leading universities to provide online degree and certificate programs that meet the evolving needs of employees, corporations and the job market. By providing tailored solutions that solve universities true pain points  marketing, student recruitment and retention, program viability research, student support services and instructional design  AllCampus helps its partners optimize student outcomes and return on investment. The AllCampus corporate partner network comprises over 4,000 companies and reaches more than 20 million working professionals with online degree and upskilling certificate programs from AllCampuss partner institutions. To learn more, follow AllCampus on LinkedIn or visit allcampus.com.


BlueConduit's recently released tool combines machine learning with public records to estimate the number of unknown lead service lines at the water system level. As part of our mission to empower communities to prioritize health and sustainability through data science, weve created this tool to help utilities prepare their funding requests and plan for their address-by-address service line inventory and LSL replacement.

Water utilities nationwide are working to find and replace their lead service lines (LSLs) without knowing how many are in their system. To help utilities plan, water analytics pioneer BlueConduit launched a free LSL count and replacement cost estimator.

The recently released tool, part of BlueConduit Starter, combines machine learning with public records to estimate the number of unknown lead service lines at the water system level. It also provides an initial cost estimate so cities can plan ahead, meet the EPAs Lead and Copper Rule Revision requirements, and apply for funding.

Water utilities tell us they lack insight into their total lead service line count and the estimated cost to remove those lines, says Lorne Groe, CEO at BlueConduit. As part of our mission to empower communities to prioritize health and sustainability through data science, weve created this tool to help utilities prepare their funding requests and plan for their address-by-address service line inventory and LSL replacement.

In December 2021, the EPA released its Lead and Copper Rule Revision, which requires all U.S. water systems to develop address-level lead service line inventories by October 16, 2024. In January of 2023, the White House set a goal of replacing the nations lead pipes in the next decade. BlueConduit originated the approach of using machine learning to predict lead service line locations.

When utilities have the information they need to plan to replace lead service lines efficiently, everyone wins: the city, the ratepayers, and, most of all, the residents, says Groe. BlueConduit Starter is part of the critical solution for reducing lead exposure, a significant public health issue across the United States.

Google.org and The Rockefeller Foundation provided support so that BlueConduit Starter can be provided free of charge to utilities. The new water system-level tool is available to utilities and utility staff, and is a separate offering from BlueConduits subscription platform, which creates address-level predictions.

Photos and videos are available.

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About BlueConduit

BlueConduit, the pioneer in using data science to find lead pipes, has applied machine learning models across over 200 communities and water systems in over 20 U.S. states and in Canada. The BlueConduit smart service line inventory and replacement platform provides address-by-address predictions that enable utilities to locate lead in greater than 80% of attempted replacements, accelerate the removal of lead and lower the cost per successful replacement. The EPA included BlueConduits work and predictive modeling in its Service Line Inventory Guidance. Subscription access to the BlueConduit platform is supported for disadvantaged communities in part through grants from Google.org and The Rockefeller Foundation. Learn more at BlueConduit.com.


Draper developed new capabilities for small uncrewed aerial vehicles to improve situational awareness and threat detection for soldiers. Credit: Draper Anytime you can deploy technology like an sUAV to detect suspected CBRN hazards remotely and operate independently without exposing a soldier unnecessarily to harm is an advance in warfighter systems, and thats important to us at Draper, Won Kim, CSIRP program manager, Draper.

Battlefields entered a new era with the introduction of small unmanned aerial vehicles, or sUAVs. Commonly called drones, sUAVs enable soldiers to gain an aerial view of the battlefield and improve their situational awareness of the battlespace.

Designed for low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that depend on rapid deployment and agile maneuverability, sUAVs are being pushed to add more technology while also being asked to fly farther, smarter and better.

Its a situation thats challenging the developer community, according to Won Kim, a program manager at Draper. His team is unveiling a new set of capabilities for sUAVs that represents an advance in the platform from remotely operated vehicles to those capable of fully autonomous operations.

One new capability is to equip sUAVs so that they can fly ahead of a military unit to scout a location and sense the presence of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) elements. Hazard detection using an sUAV can reduce the kinds of risks soldiers might encounter by scouting a location using handheld or vehicle-mounted sensors.

Customers are asking, can an sUAV sniff out these CBRN hazards in place of humans? How smart does an sUAV need to be to search, map and locate these CBRN hazard without a remote operator? When an sUAV encounters a building or obstacle, can it fly in and around it safely? These are just some of the questions our team is exploring, Kim said.

Kims team set to work on these challenges in a program funded by the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) called CSIRP, which stands for CBRN Sensor Integration on Robotics Platform. The team investigated the customer needs through field observations, noting requirements such as sensor efficiency and resolution, flight speed, height, duration, autonomous operation, sensor-driven mapping, networked command and enhanced situational awareness through shared interactive digital maps.

Soldiers operating in urban environments, for instance, need an sUAV that can navigate in and around buildings and obstacles, such as trees or vehicles even when GPS signals are degraded or completely unavailable. Soldiers also need sUAVs to remotely search, detect, map and locate dangerous CBRN hazards. Soldiers dispersed across an area also want a way to share information that is secure, networked and mapped to the environment.

The new capabilities Draper developed for CSIRP take advantage of multiple environmental inputs, along with a sensor fusion algorithm that can synthesize data from instruments including GPS, LiDAR, inertial measurement units, magnetometers and cameras. All that fused information is designed to achieve robust and autonomous operation through the use of new algorithms developed for CSIRP that make the sUAV capable of obstacle detection and avoidance.

Under CSIRP, Draper integrated the sUAV with a mobile computing app, running on a handheld device, called the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK), which gives soldiers a map-based common operating picture on a shared network and provides enhanced situational awareness for command and control. Draper has developed software for every version TAK and the CBRN sensor plugin since it was first developed by the Department of Defense.

In a series of field tests, Draper engineers set the sUAV on a path of several miles, over and around obstacles, navigating autonomously until it detected a simulated CBRN hazard and conducted a sweep of a field one square kilometer in size to map elements of interest. The information was gathered onboard the UAV and shared with the TAK operator and users in the network, including headquarters.

Mobile military technologies, like sUAVs, can be force multipliers and force protectors at the same time, Kim said. Anytime you can deploy technology like an sUAV to detect suspected CBRN hazards remotely and operate independently without exposing a soldier unnecessarily to harm is an advance in warfighter systems, and thats important to us at Draper.

Draper designed the autonomy framework and sensor-driven mapping algorithm to be an extensible, modular and resilient mobility platform that is vehicle and processing system agnostic, said Julius Rose, associate director for Sensors and Delivery at Draper. As new capabilities and vehicles are developed, autonomous systems should be readily adaptable to support numerous mission types across domains, be that air, ground or sea. Development needs to be efficient, reusable and agile to keep up with the pace of the needs of soldiers and personnel in the field.

Drapers work on the CSIRP program builds on its legacy in autonomous systems, algorithms and positioning, navigation and timing. Advances made through the program will be applied to other air systems, as well as ground, marine and underwater systems. In addition to working with autonomous systems, Draper has assisted U.S. government agencies with projects including cybersecurity, technology protection and miniature cryptography for high stress environments.


Buy the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 in Stockton, CA!

Stockton Hyundai is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 is now available at their dealership in Stockton, California. As one of the leading Hyundai dealerships in the area, Stockton Hyundai offers top-quality vehicles to its valued customers.

The 2023 IONIQ 6 represents a new era of sustainable driving, combining advanced technology, elegant design and impressive performance. With its sleek and aerodynamic profile, the IONIQ 6 is sure to turn heads on the streets of Stockton. Powered by the cutting-edge electric propulsion system of Hyundai, this electric sedan offers an impressive range of 361 miles, making it perfect for daily commutes and long journeys. Furthermore, it is compatible with 800V DC ultra-fast chargers, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes. Few electric vehicles can match this level of charging convenience and efficiency.

Another standout feature of the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 is that it offers convenient Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) 120V charging outlets inside and outside the vehicle. Now, customers can easily charge their laptop or electric scooter directly from the IONIQ 6, wherever they are.

Stockton Hyundai is dedicated to ensuring a seamless and enjoyable car-buying experience for its customers. To make owning the 2023 IONIQ 6 even more accessible, they offer a range of financing options, including competitive loan rates and lease programs tailored to individual needs. The knowledgeable and friendly staff at Stockton Hyundai is ready to assist customers in exploring these options and finding the best solution for their budget and preferences.

Customers interested in learning more about the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 are encouraged to visit the dealership at 2979 Auto Center Cir, Stockton, California, or log on to the dealerships website at https://www.stocktonhyundai.com/.
Husch Blackwell Chief Executive Elect Jamie Lawless Jamie is a leader with business acumen, great listening and communications skills, and a proven ability to lead, develop and support attorneys and business professionals, and I am confident she will continue to guide the firms success. - Husch Blackwell Chief Executive Paul Eberle

National law firm Husch Blackwell announced today the appointment of Jamie Lawless as chief executive elect. She will move into the chief executive role on February 1, 2024, as Paul Eberle leaves the firm after nearly 15 years in law firm leadership.

As chief executive, Lawless will direct and oversee the overall performance, profitability, and finances of the firm, leading nearly 2,000 partners, attorneys, and business professionals. She will implement and execute the firms existing three-year strategic plan and play a principal role in the next strategic planning cycle. Lawless will lead all of the firms management and administrative departments and also oversee the initiatives and strategies implemented at the business-unit level by the firms six business units. In 2012, Husch Blackwell moved from traditional legal practice areas and organized its delivery of legal services into six business unitsEnergy & Natural Resources, Financial Services & Capital Markets, Food Systems, Healthcare, Life Sciences & Education, Real Estate, and Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation.

Lawless has spent 25 years in the professional services industry, both in legal operations and delivering services to lawyers and law firms. She has served in various leadership roles at one of the largest law firms in the world and as a corporate executive at a Fortune 500 company.

Lawless will become Husch Blackwells second chief executive with a business background, following Paul Eberle, whose 2018 appointment challenged long-standing legal industry practices. Eberle was the first leader of an Am Law 100 law firm who was not a lawyer by training when he assumed the chief executive position. Eberle leaves the chief executive position on January 31, 2024.

We are very serious about our approach to strategic planning, said Husch Blackwell Chair Catherine Hanaway. The development and implementation of those plans over the past 10 years have been the bedrock of our prosperity, and the chief executives role in that process cannot be overstated. We will look to Jamies unique combination of law firm and corporate experience to continue the momentum that Paul started to take the firm to the next level.

Lawless joins Husch Blackwell from Baker McKenzie where she spent 10 years in firm leadership, most recently building and leading the firms new Business and Alternative Legal Services Operation in Tampa, Florida, as its first executive director. Under her leadership, she built and grew the firms global business and alternative legal services center to serve 74 offices in 45 countries. Lawless also oversaw the firms Global Administrative Services in Tampa. She previously served as the firms global chief of staff and as chief operating officer of the New York and Washington, D.C. offices. She was also a member of Baker McKenzies Global Leadership Team, Global Risk Committee, and the North America Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Committee.

Lawless also spent nearly 10 years developing and delivering business services and operational solutions to large law firms and Fortune 500 companies across the United States. In her role as vice president at Swiss Post Solutions, a Fortune 500 company with 8,500 employees in more than 20 countries, she led the companys s expansion of two businesses into new marketsthe western United States and mid-Atlantic regions.

I have accomplished more than I could have imagined during my tenure at Baker McKenzie, including working with colleagues to build from scratch one of the largest business and alternative legal service centers within the legal space, Lawless said. Husch Blackwells phenomenal culture and the firms relentless pursuit of excellent client experiences made it the perfect place for me to continue my commitment to serving professional teams and clients. I couldnt be more delighted to serve as the firms next chief executive.

Lawless was selected from more than 1,000 applicants and went through a rigorous vetting process.

Jamies selection and appointment as the chief executive elect is aligned with Husch Blackwells strategic plan and reflective of the firms uncommon approach to business, Eberle said. Jamie is a leader with business acumen, great listening and communications skills, and a proven ability to lead, develop and support attorneys and business professionals, and I am confident she will continue to guide the firms success and bring new, innovative ideas to help the firm deliver even better services to our clients. She has the Husch Blackwell mindset of people and clients first.

Lawless, who is located in Tampa, will be a member of The Link, Husch Blackwells virtual office. She will work side-by-side with Eberle until she steps into the chief executive role.

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About Husch Blackwell

Husch Blackwell is a nationally, industry-aligned law firm with more than 20 offices across the United States, including its virtual office, The Link. The firm represents clients in major industries, including energy and natural resources; financial services and capital markets; food systems; healthcare, life sciences, and education; real estate, development, and construction; and technology, manufacturing, and transportation. For more information, visit huschblackwell.com.


Northern Vietnams UNESCO-listed Halong Bay, one of the most beautiful places in the world (Photo: Wanderlust)

UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay, one of the most beautiful places in the world, was ranked first in the list.

It was recognised by UNESCO in 1994 and again in 2000 as a world natural heritage for the beauty of its landscape and its geological and geomorphological values.

The bay, located in northern Quang Ninh province, is 165 kilometers from the capital city of Hanoi. It covers an area of 43,400 hectares and including over 1,600 islands and islets, and most of the bay is uninhabitated and unaffected by humans, according to UNESCO.

"Lying prostrate aboard an old wooden junker, peering out across the emerald waters as jungle-covered precipices rear out of nowhere isnt the only way to experience Cat Ba Islands Halong Bay  it remains among the best, though," Wanderlust wrote.

The magazine commented: "These limestone karst pillars arent unique to Vietnam, but nowhere on Earth is their scale so dramatic, sprouting some 1,600 spines from the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, birthing towering islands and islets out of bounds to all but the native seabirds that have made them home.

"The site was first inscribed by UNESCO in 1994. Twenty-something years later, little has changed except how to see them and the increasing numbers of those who have. The slow-screw of erosion has notched hidden caves and dramatic arches into many of its rises.

"Kayak out for a more intimate look at the likes of Thien Cung, famed for its impressive stalagmites and stalactites; or drift past oysters farms and floating villages  ramshackle constructions linked by trembling walkways  to seek out secret beaches away from the boat-going hordes," it added.

The ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam (Photo: Wanderlust)

The ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam is placed sixth on the list.

"Far removed from the fogs of exhaust that envelop many a visit to Southeast Asia, UNESCO-listed Hoi An is a quiet, sculpted riposte to the pace of modern Vietnamese life," Wanderlust described.

"It wasnt always the case, though. The city was once a thriving port town and home to merchants from across Asia until the Thu Bon River silted up some 200 years ago and the traders moved on elsewhere."

According to the magazine, reminders of Hoi Ans multi-cultural past abound in its French-style buildings, Chinese Quarter and dainty Japanese-style covered bridge. The Chinese influence is particularly visible in the citys assembly halls, each built according to the home province of its settlers.

"Traffic is banned from the centre, affording the chance to gaze undisturbed at the faded pastel facades, collonaded balconies, cafes, markets, tailors and boutiques that cluster the Old Town. All is peace, but for the ringing of temple bells and the clatter of visitors feet. Its hardly a hidden escape, but its no wonder it's adored by so many," it said.

It suggested: "Walking along this picturesque town is like literally stepping back in time. The city is one big playground for Instagram savvies as its colorful structures, and charming architecture offer endless snap opportunities. One of the top attractions is the Japanese Bridge, and museums await history buffs."

"Tourists can also rent bikes to get the most out of Hoi An, a place straight out of a picture book," it added.

Thien Duong cave (Photo: Wanderlust)

Meanwhile, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province, central Vietnam, was inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2003. It features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena while harboring a high level of biodiversity and many endemic species.

Phong Nha is home to Son Doong, the biggest natural cave on the planet, as well as the third largest Hang En. The Blue Diamond camping site is near the historical Khe Gat field military airport.

"Despite boasting 885 sq.km of untamed evergreen jungle and some of the oldest karst peaks in Asia, neither is surprisingly the main draw at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. That privilege goes to the stunning caves and underground rivers that vein the land beneath," Wanderlust said.

The magazine wrote that the park was recognised by UNESCO long before Son Doong Cave, a 5 km-long cavern so big one could fit a skyscraper inside, was named the worlds largest cave. That was opened to visitors in 2013, although guided trips into its gaping limestone maw are still in their infancy. More caves are being found all the time, with the glistening underground stalagmite field of newly discovered Hang Va becoming the latest to receive tours.

Korean language learning now booming in Vietnam

According to VNA, over 50,000 students are studying Korean at more than 60 universities and colleges in Vietnam, making it the top Asian language in terms of the training scale.

RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol and Vietnamese students at the Vietnam National University - Hanoi, Hanoi, June 22 (Photo: Office of the President of the RoK)

According to Office of the President of the Republic of Korea (RoK), Vietnam has the largest and most comprehensive training and research programmes for the Korean language and culture in Asia.

Speaking during a visit to the Vietnam National University - Hanoi on June 22, RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted that Korean has been chosen by many young people in Vietnam to learn, not just university but also high school and secondary school students.

Nearly 80 secondary and high schools teach Korean as a second foreign language. In 2021, the language began to be taught as a first foreign language on a trial basis.

In 2021, Vietnam ranked first in the number of international students in the RoK with 70,200, about 40% of them language learners. Along with Japan, the RoK are most favoured overseas destinations for Vietnamese students.

According to Dr. Tran Thi Huong, Dean of the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture, University of Foreign Languages and Internationals Studies, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, the movement of studying Korean began when the two countries officially established diplomatic relations in December 1992. Since then, the number of language learners has increased in line with the unprecedented development of the partnership.

Besides, the strong investment of Korean conglomerates, including Samsung, LG, SK, Posco, Hyundai, and Lotte, is a push for the learning of the language as the demand for human resources with proficiency in Korean is increasing.

As of April, the RoK was the largest foreign investor with nearly 82 billion USD in registered capital, second in development aid (ODA) and third in trade in Vietnam.

Taste France 2023 embraces French gastronomy

A food tasting programme, Taste France 2023, has been launched recently at MM Mega Market Thang Long as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of France-Vietnam diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership between two countries, reported VNS.

Chef Cam Thien Long introduces French cuisine at Taste France 2023 programme at MM Mega Market.  Photo courtesy of MM Mega Market

Nicolas Warnery, French ambassador to Vietnam, and Marion Chaminade, counselor of Agriculture, alongside a representative from Business France, were presented at the event.

Following the success of Taste of Country 2022, this year MM Mega Market will embrace the deep-rooted characteristics of French gastronomy and present the French cuisine experience to Vietnamese customers.

During the event, customers have the opportunity to discover French flavours through exciting activities, including sampling French food, shopping with attractive discounts, and enjoying French cuisine made by MM's professional chefs.

At Taste France 2023, MM Mega Market has introduced more than 100 French products with attractive offers on baguettes, cheeses, jams, biscuits, and wines from famous brands such as Bel, Paysan Breton, Casino, Elle et Vire, Anchos, Pate Royal, and Evian.

Taste France 2023 brings the best quality imported French products to Vietnamese customers and foreigners living in Vietnam. It is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the French lifestyle with exquisite tastes just like in the home country, Bruno Jousselin, Managing Director of MM Mega Market said at the opening ceremony.

We aim to enhance our imported product portfolio and create an opportunity to build a bridge to Vietnamese consumers so they can explore unique culinary cultures from around the world, he added.

French cuisine is renowned worldwide, particularly in Vietnam. From rustic countryside dishes to refined haute cuisine, French gastronomy is a culinary treasure that continues to captivate the world with its flavours, artistry, and cultural significance.

French food not only focuses on refined haute cuisine and fine dining but also has high-quality products that Vietnamese people can enjoy in their everyday lives, French Ambassador Warnery said at the event.

Taste France 2023 will last through to July 19 at 12 nationwide centres of MM Mega Market./.
We cannot express the excitement of finally having a cultural festival in Frederick celebrating both African and American heritage and culture together." - Chantell Duckett, Executive Director, BlackFrederick.com

BlackFrederick.com partners with Association of Nigerians in Frederick for First Ever Festival on Carroll Creek.

Residents of Frederick, surrounding counties, and nearby states are invited to the Black Frederick Festival, a cultural event celebrating cultures of Continental Africa, African American, and the Black community in Frederick County. Attendees of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate in the inaugural Black Frederick Festival, which is the first of its kind in the City of Frederick. This family-friendly event was created through a partnership between the Association of Nigerians in Frederick and BlackFrederick.com, as well as generous grants from the Ausherman Family Foundation and the City of Frederick, to celebrate the Black diaspora, Black culture, and the enduring bonds and history we create and share.

We cannot express the excitement of finally having a cultural festival in Frederick celebrating both African and American heritage and culture together. We have done smaller events in the past, but nothing of this magnitude, which makes it even more exciting, said Chantell Duckett, BlackFrederick.coms Executive Director.

On Saturday, August 26, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Carroll Creek in historic downtown Frederick, we will celebrate the unity of communities through artistic expression, including music and performances throughout the day, childrens activities, educational opportunities, retail options, food trucks, and a beer and wine tent. The Black Frederick Festival is free to the public with the help of grants, vendors, and corporate sponsorships. The Black Frederick Festival is currently accepting submissions for vendors and sponsors. For more information, please visit http://www.blackfrederickfestival.com.

About BlackFrederick.com

At BlackFrederick.com we connect, inform, and motivate Blacks and allies in Frederick County, MD, and the surrounding areas as they work together, share information, and maintain an active, thriving community. We are driven by four guiding principles:

1. Celebrate diversity, culture, tradition, and history.

2. Be unapologetically for the people, by the people, about the people, and with the people.

3. Promote philanthropy and encourage diversity in all areas.

4. Connect within, across, and outside ourselves to leverage our personal, economic, social, and political power.

About Association of Nigerians in Frederick

The Association of Nigerians in Frederick is a cultural group committed to sharing, promoting and preserving our Nigerian values through community outreach and building connections. More information can be found at http://www.associationofnigeriansinfrederick.com.

Connect with us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackfrederick
Observability & Security for Teams that Love Open Source Since our inclusion last year, weve unveiled our Open 360 platform and launched an array of key capabilities, such as the Kubernetes 360 solution, to address specific market requirements laid out in Gartners outstanding research.

Logz.io, provider of the industrys most efficient, simple-to-use observability platform, based on open source, announced today that it has been named a Visionary by Gartner in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability. This marks the second consecutive year Logz.io has been recognized as a Visionary by Gartner for its completeness of vision and ability to execute in the annual report of the APM and observability market.

Logz.io has undertaken numerous steps to expand and deepen the value of its Open 360 observability platform over the last year. Among the most significant advancements delivered over the previous 12 months have been the launch of the unified Kubernetes 360 solution, extended Telemetry Collector agent and additional data and cost optimization capabilities in the form of the new Data Optimization Hub.

Were very pleased to be recognized once again as a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for APM and Observability, said Logz.io CEO, Tomer Levy. Since our inclusion last year, weve unveiled our Open 360 platform and launched an array of key capabilities, such as the Kubernetes 360 solution, to address specific market requirements laid out in Gartners outstanding research.

According to Logz.ios own 2023 DevOpsPulse survey, most organizations remain challenged to drive down Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) despite growing maturity of their observability practices - with over 75% of respondents indicating that their MTTR exceeds multiple hours, a 10% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, concerns related to the complexity of modern cloud architectures, along with burgeoning data volumes and costs, also continue to escalate among organizations as they seek to mature their observability strategies.

Logz.ios focused effort to deliver unified observability that automates key processes and allows users to closely control related costs are all aimed at directly addressing these issues.

Weve also made significant steps such as introducing our Alert Recommendations and incorporating generative AI into our Cognitive Insights capabilities, delivering targeted AI to cut MTTR from hours to minutes, Levy said. We are making tremendous progress in our mission to simplify observability and help engineering teams troubleshoot faster while reducing costs. We believe that being named as one of the vendors listed on the completeness of vision side of this market is validating and clearly underlines our strategic value to customers.

Gartner Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players, based on their Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.

Logz.ios Open 360 Platform unifies log, metric and trace data into a single platform to provide full 360 degree visibility into the health and performance of todays complex cloud applications and infrastructure. Open 360 is based on leading open source observability technologies, including OpenSearch, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus and Jaeger. Logz.io further enhances these technologies with a unified experience and numerous AI-based capabilities that simplify and reduce the cost of observability while reducinging Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR).

Additional resources



Explore Logz.ios cloud native observability platform here

Follow Logz.io on Twitter

Gartner Citation and Disclaimer

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Application Performance Monitoring and Observability, 5 July 2023, By Gregg Siegfried Et Al.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About Logz.io

Logz.io helps cloud-native businesses monitor and secure their environment. Our Open 360 Platform turns observability from a high-cost, low-value burden to a high-value, cost-efficient enabler of better business outcomes by combining and extending familiar, powerful and relevant Open Source capabilities across Logs, Metrics and Traces  complemented by security monitoring in the form of cloud-based SIEM. Now developers and engineers can employ an end-to-end, cloud-native observability stack built on scalable and easy-to-use Open Source using a single UI and unified agent  at a cost that anyone can afford. Unlock proactive troubleshooting, faster product delivery and a fully supported SaaS observability platform, all while compounding efficiencies in time and cost. For more information, visit https://logz.io/.
Morrison Foerster Logo

Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Charlotte Walker-Osborn, who joins the firm as a partner in the Technology Transactions Group and Transactions Department, based in London. Walker-Osborn will be a leader of both the firms European Technology practice and the UK Technology practice. She brings over two decades of experienceincluding several prominent leadership positions across complex and high-stakes technology rolesto Morrison Foerster, with a particular focus on technology law, digitalization, cyber-security, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Walker-Osborn's arrival further cements Morrison Foersters position as the destination law firm for tech clients globally. Her addition underscores recent significant investments the firm has made to its global technology offering, including its combination with litigation boutique Durie Tangri earlier this year, as well as multiple tech-centric partner additions in California in 2022, the opening of its Austin office, also in 2022, and the recent addition in London of a four-strong Intellectual Property team led by Steven James.

Walker-Osborn joins from a global professional services firm, where she was a partner and head of the commercial and digital practice group and law leader of the technology, media, and telecommunications sector. She previously spent more than 20 years at an international law firm, where she served as international head of the technology sector group, and international head of AI, in addition to being a global board member. Her experience spans traditional and innovative technology law, and her client base is global in scope. She has a particular focus on advising U.S., European, UK, and Japanese companies, including global technology, telecommunications, microchip, semiconductor, electronics, social media, automotive, consumer, and life sciences companies. Throughout her career, Walker-Osborn has also advised numerous governments around the world, helping to shape and draft legislation on national security, cybersecurity, AI, and Internet of Things (IoT).

Charlotte is a dynamic partner and business-oriented practice leader who adds strength on strength to our technology practice, in London and globally, said Eric McCrath, Chair of Morrison Foerster. Charlottes deep tech sector experience and her well-established client relationships in the U.S., UK, and Japan offer great synergies with MoFos existing offering and make her a perfect fit for the firm. Her arrival also underscores Morrison Foersters continued investment in our market-leading technology sector capabilities, following several strategic additions in California, Austin, and London in the last 18 months.

Walker-Osborns broad technology practice spans the full spectrum of cross-border technology and telecommunications matters, including AI, cybersecurity, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things and smart technology, cloud computing, systems development, mobile and e-commerce platforms, ethics in tech, and tech M&A. She regularly advises clients on digitalization, systems development and licensing, outsourcing, software and cloud contracting, hardware and software leasing, due diligence, transitional service agreements, open source and intellectual property rights, new product launch and risk assessments, AI, data law and cyber-resilience.

We are thrilled to welcome Charlotte to the firm. Charlotte has a proven track record of building and growing successful practices and long-term client relationships. Her presence will further strengthen our global technology offering. Her in-depth sector experience, global outlook, and recognized TMT and AI thought leadership make Charlotte an invaluable asset to our M&A and tech sector clients around the globe, said Tessa Schwartz, Co-Chair of Morrison Foersters Transactions Department, and a leading technology expert.

Morrison Foersters global technology capabilities are second to none and present a multitude of synergies with my practice, said Walker-Osborn. The firms strength and depth across tech and the calibre of its client base were big draws for me, as well as its unique collaborative culture. MoFos longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion also really stood out for me and strongly aligns with my personal values. I am excited to work closely with colleagues across Morrison Foersters platform in the U.S., Europe, and Asia to further grow my practice and better support my own clients as well as to work alongside the worlds best known tech companies to help them deliver on their strategic priorities.

Walker-Osborn obtained her undergraduate degree in Law from Lancaster University, and her LPC from Nottingham Law School, where she also earned a Diploma in Commercial Law. She is qualified to practice in England and Wales and speaks French.

About Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Morrison Foersters presence in Asia. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firms commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster was recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyers 2021 and 2022 A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment. For more information, visit http://www.mofo.com.
PrideStaff Logo Our multicultural and multilingual team is eager to keep pace with one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, helping build strong and successful businesses, careers, and communities.

PrideStaff, a nationally franchised staffing organization, is pleased to announce that their award-winning Miami office recently relocated to 8400 NW 36th Street, Suite 450, Doral, FL 33166. This office will continue to offer a full range of staffing and employment services in a variety of light industrial, logistics, sales, clerical, administrative, aviation, legal, and accounting disciplines for employers and job seekers throughout the Miami area. PrideStaff Miami's recently-opened PrideStaff Financial division relocated to 1101 Brickell Avenue, S800, Miami, FL 33131, and continues to offer professional recruiting for accounting and finance roles.

Owner/Strategic-Partner Jonathan Hall, assisted by Branch Manager Stephanie Hall, is excited to move their PrideStaff Miami office into the heart of Doral to better connect Miami job seekers with opportunities in the burgeoning area. "Doral is a hub for shipping and logistics providers, creating tons of exciting opportunities for job seekers looking for manufacturing and distribution jobs. Our multicultural and multilingual team (our staffing consultants speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and French!) is eager to keep pace with one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, helping build strong and successful businesses, careers, and communities.

"Hundreds of tech giants, as well as banks, financial investment companies, and CPA firms have expanded into Miami post-pandemic. After six years in our Blue Lagoon officeand eleven years in Miamiwe're thrilled to grow with our city," said Jonathan Hall. "The launch of our PrideStaff Financial Division in March was highly successful; it can now support its own office. Moving to Brickell will allow us to better serve our partners from two conveniently located offices in the center of our dynamic market."

As a national staffing services organization, PrideStaff provides outstanding service and results by removing the guesswork from staffing. The Miami office uses this approach to recruit superior professional, administrative, and light industrial candidates for employers in their market.

About PrideStaff

PrideStaff was founded in the 1970s as 100% company-owned units and began staffing franchising in 1995. They operate over 85 offices in North America to serve more than 5,000 clients and are headquartered in Fresno, CA. With 40 plus years in the staffing business, PrideStaff offers the resources and expertise of a national firm, with the spirit, dedication and personal service of smaller, entrepreneurial firms. PrideStaff is the only nationwide, commercial staffing firm in the U.S. and Canada with over $100 million in annual revenue to earn ClearlyRateds prestigious Best of Staffing 10-Year Diamond Awards five years in a row, highlighting exceptional client and talent service quality.

For more information on our services, or for staffing franchise information, visit our website.

About PrideStaff Financial

A division of PrideStaff, PrideStaff Financial specializes in accounting and financial staffing. The parent company was founded in the 1970s as 100% company-owned units and began staffing franchising in 1995. They operate over 85 offices in North America to serve more than 5,000 clients. With 40 plus years in the staffing business, headquartered in Fresno, CA, all PrideStaff brands offer the resources and expertise of a national firm with the spirit, dedication and personal service of smaller, entrepreneurial firms. For more information on PrideStaff Financial services, visit our website.

PrideStaff and PrideStaff Financial's shared Mission: Consistently provide client experiences focused on what they value most.
Company logo Smith came from humble beginnings, but through hard work, innovative ideas, and continuous reinvestment, we have built a truly amazing company, and I am excited to watch it grow and evolve to meet the needs of the everchanging technology industry.

Smith, a leading global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces that it has been named one of Houston Business Journals inaugural Best Family-Owned Business Award honorees. This award recognizes Smiths outstanding business success and celebrates the integral part family-owned businesses play in their local economies.

Founding the company in 1984, brothers Bob and Lee Ackerley set up Smiths first office in Bobs dining room in Houston, Texas. Four decades later, the company now has nearly 1,000 employees in nineteen cities around the world. Smith announced back-to-back record-breaking revenues for 2021 and 2022, generating more than $8 billion in global sales over the last two years.

We are honored to be named a recipient of the Best Family-Owned Business Award, said Bob Ackerley, Co-Founder and Director at Smith. Smith came from humble beginnings, but through hard work, innovative ideas, and continuous reinvestment, we have built a truly amazing company, and I am excited to watch it grow and evolve to meet the needs of the everchanging technology industry.

Beyond the critical role Smith plays in the global electronic-component supply chain, the company actively gives back to its communities around the world through Smiths corporate social responsibility program. The company recently launched the Smith Global Foundation, which serves as a vehicle for supporting both local and international charitable causes. Smith donated more than $750,000 in electronics to organizations providing aid to Ukrainian refugees last year, and the companys employees regularly participate in charity runs, cleaning up area beaches, and purchasing school supplies and uniforms for local children.

Smiths relationships are the key to our successour relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees, and communities, said Lee Ackerley, Co-Founder and Director at Smith. Texas has been a thriving technology sector for many years, which has helped us to build strategic relationships in our business. In turn, weve invested in our relationships with our communities, and I look forward to continuing our efforts to create a positive, long-lasting impact on Houston and around the world.

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and automobiles. In 19 cities around the world, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, generating global annual sales in excess of $4.7 billion in 2022. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. The support of Smiths flexible Intelligent Distribution model optimizes customers supply chains from beginning to end, including offering customized options for IT asset disposition that deliver maximum ROI, sustainability, and security. Smiths testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Singapore cover critical areas like quality management, counterfeit prevention, and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time, global inventory and logistics visibility. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number seven among all global distributors. For more information, please visit http://www.smithweb.com or reach out to a Smith representative any time of day at +1 713.430.3000.
The national housing crisis is a policy priority for government at every level. Im excited to be joining Abt at this moment, when we have real opportunities to help states and local government be the innovation labs to pilot the approaches that may become the national models we need.

Katie Kitchin, a leader in housing and human services policies, has joined Abt Associates as the director of the companys state and local housing and asset building work. Kitchins career spans 25 years of state-level technical assistance and implementation to advance the well-being of people and communities.

As State and Local Director, Housing & Asset Building, Kitchin will bring all of Abts capabilities and expertisefrom data analysis to program evaluations, in areas ranging from homelessness to guaranteed incometo clients.

The national housing crisis is a policy priority for government at every level, said Kitchin. Im excited to be joining Abt at this moment, when we have real opportunities to help states and local government be the innovation labs to pilot the approaches that may become the national models we need.

Kitchin brings a wealth of experience and results working at the state and county level. Prior to joining Abt, she was the Director of the Corporation for Supportive Housings (CSH) Ohio office, where she led state and local housing policy and initiatives in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Before her role at CSH, she served as the executive director of the Community Alliance for the Homeless, the U.S. Department of Housing and Human Developments Continuum of Care (CoC) program for Memphis/Shelby County, TN. In this key role, she developed and implemented the Memphis and Shelby County Mayors' Plan to End Homelessness, reducing homelessness by 20 percent and chronic homelessness by 39 percent. As director of the Office to End Homelessness in Norfolk, VA, Kitchin developed and implemented the citys 10-year plan to end homelessness, resulting in a 25-percent reduction in homelessness. Kitchin also worked in policy/legislative roles for the Governor of Pennsylvania and served as key legislative staff on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committees Subcommittee on Human Services, focused on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and child welfare programs.

Katies understanding of beneficiaries needs, combined with her extensive state and local experience, make her the prefect partner for Abts clients in those spaces, said Abts Vice President of Housing and Asset Building, Eduardo Castellon.
Downtown Frederick Partnership Partnership Executive Director Kara Norman is thrilled with the grant. Increasing the number of cameras downtown helps to provide a safer environment for our merchants, visitors and residents. We are grateful for the generosity of the Dakota James Foundation for the opportunity..."

Downtown Frederick Partnership has received a grant for $25,000 from the Dakota James Foundation to provide security cameras to Downtown Frederick businesses. This program, in coordination with the City of Frederick Police Department, is helping Downtown Frederick businesses defray the costs of purchasing security cameras to make downtown streets more secure for all residents and businesses. This grant is available exclusively to commercial businesses and commercial property owners that occupy the first floor of a building in Downtown Frederick.

The Dakota James Foundation, founded and operated by Pam & Jeff James, has provided this generous grant in honor of their son, Dakota, who went missing in Pittsburgh on January 25, 2017. Dakota both worked and was attending college full-time to earn his masters degree. His body was found in the Ohio River on March 6, 2017.

Explains Jeff James, When our son, Dakota, went missing we sadly learned first-hand that security cameras were often not placed in key areas and the information from what cameras did exist was often not made available. Our foundation's mission is to prevent others from having to go through our ordeal.

Businesses who receive a grant give permission for their cameras to be registered with the City of Frederick Police Department for at least two years. Businesses also are agreeing that, if asked, they will share their footage with the City of Frederick Police Department. Registering cameras helps businesses and law enforcement address crime-related issues collaboratively. The footage will assist the Frederick City Police Criminal Investigation Division, patrol and other partner agencies as circumstances arise.

Eligible businesses are being awarded up to $500 to cover the cost of the cameras, with no financial match from the businesses required. At least one camera must provide a clear view of the primary commercial street in front of the business. The remainder of the cameras may be internally focused. Businesses who received funding in the first security camera grant round in late 2022 are not eligible for funding in the second round.

Partnership Executive Director Kara Norman is thrilled with the grant. Increasing the number of cameras downtown helps to provide a safer environment for our merchants, visitors and residents. We are grateful for the generosity of the Dakota James Foundation for the opportunity to use this grant funding to support our downtown businesses and the community overall.

For more information, email mainstreet@downtownfrederick.org or call the office at 301.698.8118.

Downtown Frederick Partnership works to enhance, promote and preserve the vitality, livability and diversity of Downtown Frederick, a national Main Street Program.


Valor Capital Our wellness-based engineering answers the demand for innovative and cutting-edge building design maximized for a sophisticated, forward-thinking, ambitious, and yet serene lifestyle with Tampa Bay as the ideal backdrop to luxury living at its finest

Florida is currently leading the way in second home and luxury homes sales among U.S. counties with the most transactions in 2023. (1) Despite a slight dip in inventory and transactions, the heat is on  especially in Tampa Bay. (2) Tampa Bays internationally renowned beaches, striking architectural designs, extreme sports, and unique dining, shopping, theatre, and art experiences infused with a mosaic of cultures create a strong draw. Its perennial jewel, Clearwater Beach, has added the distinction of being named as the top beach in the south by USA Today to its credits. (3) Moises Agami, CEO of Valor Capital, as the Tampa Bay Business & Wealths CEO Connect panelist and thought leader, has been at the forefront of Tampa Bays emergence and development as a competitive growth-industry leader.(4) He mirrors the sentiment of the National Association of Home Builders CEO Jerry Howard in saying that Its not an accident. The 1.9% population growth in Florida and its tax structure encourage growth of all sectors, welcoming them to this nirvana we call home.

The second key development in Valor Capitals Florida crown, Serena by the Sea, a luxury condominium in Clearwater, FL, has generated a $200 million economic impact that wasnt there before with over 1,300 jobs. Closings have begun ahead of their grand opening and ribbon cutting, with some residents moving in while other parts of the project are being finished. A two-day January video shoot in Clearwater by Fox Business News leveraged the financial community impact, interviewing residents that were moving here to Tampa Bay and bringing their businesses  and employees  here as well. Once again, Fox Business trained their cameras on South Florida to observe the ongoing trend of migration to the region, despite a slight decline in transactions and a notable departure of real estate agents. (5), (6)

Valor Capital is already driving local innovation and elevating communities in Clearwater with its luxury condominiums, where the finest materials and designs meet the utmost in resort-style amenities. Valor Capitals waterfront property, Serena By the Sea overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and incorporates relaxed-luxury architectural design and state-of-the-art technology to promote health and wellness. The pandemic underscored residents needs that are now standard with each unit such as non-traditional, individual fresh air intake 24 hours a day, touchless entry systems on doors, and UV-disinfecting lights on all common area HVAC units. Well-being isnt just a way of life  its part of the architecture.

Empty nesters looking to downsize, and retirees can enjoy a more luxurious and convenient lifestyle. And international buyers and real estate investors looking for a second home, rental income, or other property investments can take advantage of the areas robust real estate market.

Agami notes, Tampa Bay is a peaceful paradise endowed with breathtaking beauty, spectacular beaches, and a vibrant multicultural atmosphere. It is perfect for those seeking a vacation-like lifestyle at a fraction of the cost of areas like Palm Beach and Miami.

Real estate has a deep economic impact on the lives of all Tampa Bay communities, and that contributes to Valor Capitals desire to help shape healthier, balanced lives in well-connected, efficient homes. Valor pays special attention to the health and wellness features integrated into its architecture. The affluent have shifted their priorities; luxury and personal well-being are at a premium.

Agami affirms, Valor Capital is passionate about creating world-class work-life experiences. Our wellness-based engineering answers the demand for innovative and cutting-edge building design maximized for a sophisticated, forward-thinking, ambitious, and yet serene lifestyle with Tampa Bay as the ideal backdrop to luxury living at its finest.

Though Serena by the Sea is sold out, a few new inventory openings have become available. To be placed on a waiting list or to keep in the loop of the newest developments contact sales at Valor Capital (727) 441-2144 or online at https://valorc.com/contact-us/.

About Valor Capital

Valor Capital is a team of entrepreneurs passionate about creating world-class real estate experiences. They are an affiliate: a new venture spinoff of international development firm, Terra Capital Partners S.A. de CV (Terra Capital Partners). With a four-decade history of real estate developments in office, hospitality, medical, commercial, and luxury residential product offerings  and a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and tens of millions of square feet already developed and sold  Valors developments are always on the cutting edge, with proprietary antiviral engineering design used throughout the firms newest developments. Visit http://www.valorc.com.

References:

1. Ramaswamy, Swapna. It Must be That Southern Charm! These Areas in the South are Topping the Housing Index, USA Today, 22 May 2023, usatoday.com/story/money/2023/05/22/southern-states-top-2023-housing-market/70243139007/.

2. Peck, Eric C. Florida Leading the Way in Second Home and Luxury Home Sales, DS News, 15 May 2023, dsnews.com/news/05-15-2023/florida-leads-luxury-home-sales.

3. Davis, Devonta. USA Today Readers Name Clearwater Beach the Best in the South, Tampa Bay Business Journal, 05 June 2023, bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/06/05/clearwater-beach-named-best-in-the-south.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=ta&ana=e_ta_BN&j=31713679&senddate=2023-06-06.

4. Gade, Hanna. CEO Connect: Moises Agami Talks About Rough Weather, Both in Life and in Real Estate, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine, 21 March 2023, tbbwmag.com/2023/03/21/ceo-connect-moises-agami-talks-about-rough-weather-both-in-life-and-in-real-estate/.

5. Altus, Kristen. US Housing Affordability Hell Cant Beat the Florida Heat, FOX Business, 24 January 2023, foxbusiness.com/real-estate/us-housing-affordability-hell-cant-beat-the-florida-heat.

6. Altus, Kristen. Florida Real Estate Market Staying Hot Despite Agent Exodus: Its Not an Accident, FOX Business, 15 February 2023, foxbusiness.com/real-estate/florida-real-estate-market-staying-hot-despite-agent-exodus.
A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during an early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on July 9, 2023. Uzbekistan held the early presidential election on Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

TASHKENT, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan holds an early presidential election on Sunday.

Incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, promised in his pre-election campaign that he would continue his reform agenda to liberalize the economy and develop the green energy, education, health and tourism sectors as well as better protect people's fundamental freedoms.

Other presidential candidates include Ulugbek Inoyatov from the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, Robakhon Makhmudova from the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan "Adolat" and Abdushukur Khamzayev from the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 am local time and will close at 20:00 pm.

According to the Central Election Committee, over 19.5 million people can vote, and about 800 international observers will monitor the elections.

Early voting occurred from June 28 to July 5 at polling stations in Uzbekistan and abroad.

The early presidential election came after a referendum held in April on a new constitution that amended over half of the main law. After approving the referendum results, Mirziyoyev announced on May 8 that the country would hold a snap presidential election.

Mirziyoyev previously won presidential elections in 2016 and 2021.

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during an early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on July 9, 2023. Uzbekistan held the early presidential election on Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during an early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on July 9, 2023. Uzbekistan held the early presidential election on Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

Voters are registered at a polling station during an early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on July 9, 2023. Uzbekistan held the early presidential election on Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during an early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on July 9, 2023. Uzbekistan held the early presidential election on Sunday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

Editor: WXL
Rheinmetall will open plant for production of armored vehicles in Ukraine in next three months - media

Rheinmetall, one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment and weapons in Germany and Europe, will open an armored vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, Armin Papperger, CEO of the company, said in an exclusive interview with CNN.

"Germanys biggest arms maker will also train Ukrainians to maintain the tanks and other armored vehicles made in the factory, which will be located in the western part of the country," he said.

"[Ukrainians] have to help themselves  if they always have to wait [for] Europeans or Americans [to] help them over the next 10 or 20 years that is not possible," he said.

Earlier, in early 2023, Rheinmetall told the Rheinische Post edition that it hoped to open a EUR200 million ($218 million) battle tank plant in Ukraine that could produce about 400 tanks a year.

"Papperger said on Thursday that factory workers would build and repair Rheinmetalls Fuchs armored personnel carrier  named after the German word for fox  under license in the facility. Rheinmetall will operate the plant in partnership with Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian state-owned defense group, which will also own the facility. In May, the companies announced an agreement to boost Ukraines defense technology capacities," the report reads.

Commenting on possible Russian attacks on the plant, Papperger said that there were many factories producing military products (in Ukraine). This is just another one of them, and we can protect it, he added.

The Rheinmetall CEO noted that at present, providing the Ukrainian army with ammunition is a higher priority than building new tanks.

In 2024, the company will increase the annual production of artillery shells from 100,000 to 600,000, most of these products will be destined for delivery to Ukraine.

According to Papperger, his company can provide 60% of the artillery ammunition needed by Ukraine.
As result of occupiers' airstrike during distribution of humanitarian aid in Zaporizhia region, four killed, 11 injured

As a result of an air strike by Russian occupiers during the distribution of humanitarian aid in Zaporizhia region, four civilians were killed and 11 injured, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has said.

"Zaporizhia. Russian troops carried out an air strike on Orikhiv school, where at that time civilians were receiving humanitarian assistance. As a result of the explosion, four citizens were killed, and 11 more were injured," the ministry said.

It is noted that the bomb almost completely destroyed the building.

In addition, under the rubble of the destroyed institution were more than 15 people who were inside and nearby outside. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure facilities located near the epicenter of the explosion were also damaged.

At the same time, rescuers released the bodies of four killed  three women born in 1976, 1978 and 1980, as well as men, born in 1976m; while 11 more rescued citizens with injuries of varying severity were hospitalized after first aid.

"Rescue work continues. Sappers are establishing the type of ammunition used against the civilian population," the Interior Ministry said.
A group of 10 plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit last week challenging a new Montana state law that bans drag story hours in the state. In a 39-page filing, the plaintiffs, including local bookseller the Montana Book Company and local author Adria Jawort, say that the new law, known as HB 359, is a breathtakingly ambiguous and overbroad" law that imposes an unconstitutional content and viewpoint-based restriction on free speech.

Filed on July 7 in federal court in Butte, the complaint alleges that the law was "motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ animus, noting that lawmakers purposefully crafted legislation that seeks to collapse the distinction between unprotected obscene speech and protected artistic and personal expression by threatening teachers, artists, small businesses, and cultural and scientific institutions with criminal and professional sanctions.

 HB 359s restrictions are content and viewpoint-based. Thus it is presumptively unconstitutional and subject to strict scrutiny. 

While proponents of HB 359 purported to support the bills unconstitutional limitations on speech to protect children, they instead targeted protected forms of expression that made them uncomfortable, the complaint states. It goes on to claim that the bills confusing and draconian provisions seek to stifle the expression of individuals who do not conform to conventional gender presentations.

According to the complaint, the sweeping new law would ban reading to a child in a library in a superhero costume, conducting classroom activities dressed as Ms. Frizzle, inviting a Disney princess impersonator into the classroom, and staging a production of Shakespeares As You Like It. And unlike the state's existing obscenity statute, HB 359 does not incorporate the Miller testthe classic definition of obscenitywhich safeguards artistic expression, political speech, and science.

The suit seeks a temporary injunction barring the state from enforcing the law, and a declaration striking the law down as unconstitutional. HB 359s restrictions are content and viewpoint-based. Thus it is presumptively unconstitutional and subject to strict scrutiny, the complaint states. The government has no compelling interest in protecting children from drag story hours and/or drag performers.

Montana governor Greg Gianforte signed the HB 359 into law on May 22. And in June, Jawort, now a plaintiff in the suit, had a scheduled talk at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Library canceled, with library officials citing the new law. Jawort is seeking damages.

The Montana law is one of a number of such anti-LGBTQ+ laws that emerged in state legislatures in 2023, which are now being challenged in court. Last month, a Trump-appointed judge blocked Tennessee's drag ban from taking effect, holding that the law is "overly broad and violated the First Amendment."
Seattles newest independent publisher, Hinton Publishing, leads with its mission to broadcast historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. Established by Marcus Harrison Green, the founder and publisher of nonprofit media site the South Seattle Emerald, Hinton Publishing will be an imprint of publisher Vladimir Veranos Vertvolta Press.

Green plans to publish at least two titles by Pacific Northwest authors annually, beginning in 2024 with reporter and poet Reagan Jacksons Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist and fiction writer Juan Carlos Reyess Three Alarm Fire and Other Stories. Books by justice reform expert Sean Goode and essayist and podcaster Danielle Marie Holland are slated for 2025.

Green and Verano began discussing Hinton Publishing in 2019, having worked together on multiple projects. Vlad and I connected at the time he was overseeing Third Place Press, the precursor to Vertvolta, Green explained. He published the first two volumes of the South Seattle Emerald anthology Emerald Reflections and Fly to the Assemblies!: Seattle and the Rise of the Resistance, another anthology of Emerald writers expressing their feelings at that time. Vertvolta also published Greens own Readying to Rise: Essays.

The result of the discussions between Verano and Green was the creation of an imprint partnership, with the latter determining the projects and the former publishing them. Last year, I created a science fiction/fantasy/horror genre imprint called Extra:Solar, Verano said, and Hinton will be a way for Vertvolta to publish nonfiction and other categories as well. Marcus and I talked about how much ownership the creators should have, and Marcus figured out we would share the responsibilities about what comes through Hinton.

Green noted that the business will be set up as a social purpose corporation, which in Washington State is an LLC that allows you to prioritize things besides financial gain. (Libro.fm is another example of a Washington social purpose corporation.) I wanted Hinton to serve our readers and our authors as best as we could, by advancing people of color, LGBTQ authors, disabled individuals, and those from low-income backgrounds, Green said.

For Green, the time was right to form a publishing house. He stepped away from the Emeralds day-to-day workings in May 2020, although he remains on the board of directors. (The site celebrates its ninth anniversary on August 12, under the leadership of executive director Michael McPhearson.)

Green named Hinton Publishing after his grandfather, Leonard Lenny Hinton, a Chicago-based Black writer. According to Green, his grandfather submitted a manuscript to a publisher in the 1950s and later discovered it had been published under a white writers name. This story of aspiration and injustice stuck with Green all his life.

The seed to do something in his honor had been with me from an early age, Green said. As I got older, I learned stories of authors of color or from historically marginalized communities who never got a break, because gatekeepers within the publishing industry did not want to elevate their voices, whether for commercial or more nefarious reasons. He sees Hinton as a way to memorialize and amplify the unnamed authors who spent years writing.

Green brought frequent Emerald contributor Maggie Block on board as deputy publisher. I was a librarian at the Skyway Library, which is an unincorporated community in the south end of Seattle, where Marcus is from, said Block. Blocks experiences as a librarian and in Seattle public schools gave them the privilege to work in racially diverse communities. I had so many conversations with young people who want to find a book that is about them, and Hinton Publishing can create those resources.

Block believes Hintons titles could appeal to students and teachers in and beyond SeattleKing County schools and libraries, and they envision community building with their authors and books. They also are gathering responses to a survey, asking local readers and writers for feedback so we can build meaningful connections, writing support, and resources.

In June, Block and Green set up a table at Trans Pride Seattle, created an interactive board inviting people to post trans stories that need to be told, and distributed a chapbook Verano printed for the occasion, which included the story of Greens grandfather, Hintons mission, and excerpts from their debut roster of authors. Everybody sends out press releases, but I was like, What can we do to maximize that one moment we have with someone?  Verano said. This little bookletits an enhanced business card, I guess.

In his press announcement, Green refers to Hinton as a space for under-invited communities. Theres a difference between saying all are welcome here and this was created with you in mind,  Green said, paraphrasing wellness mentor Crystal Jones. I want to make sure Hinton is a place that is created and crafted for folks, with words that are truly published.

This story has been updated.
The opening night of Disney On Ice Doha, held on Tuesday, 4th July 2023, at the prestigious Lusail Multipurpose Hall in Doha, Qatar, was an overwhelming success. Families and Disney enthusiasts gathered to witness a spectacular performance that brought to life the timeless magic of Disney stories.

Disney On Ice Doha, presented in collaboration with Qatar Tourism, showcased the spellbinding production of "Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Wonder" from July 4th to July 8th, 2023. The event offered a captivating journey into the world of beloved Disney characters, captivating the hearts and imaginations of audiences of all ages.

The show transported attendees to a realm where courage, adventure, and heartfelt stories intertwine. Through the heroic journeys of relatable and inspiring characters spanning generations, Disney On Ice Doha created an exceptional experience that resonated with families and Disney fans alike.

"Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Wonder" brought together characters from cherished Disney classics such as Moana, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Seven empowered Disney Princesses, alongside beloved characters from Frozen and DisneyPixar's Coco, embarked on a voyage of self-discovery, fearlessly embracing the unknown to carve their own path towards "happily ever after."

The performance was a visual feast, with high-flying jumps, elaborate props, innovative lighting, and dazzling special effects that transported the audience to a world where heroes of all kinds pursued their dreams. The cutting-edge figure-skating, glamorous costumes, and stunning set designs breathed life into Disney's timeless tales, leaving spectators in awe of the enchanting spectacle.

Disney On Ice Doha encouraged attendees to capture and share their magical experience on social media using the hashtag #DisneyOnIce. By doing so, they would not only share their joy and wonder with fellow fans worldwide but also become part of the larger Disney On Ice community.

Tickets for "Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Wonder" are available at Virgin Megastores and online at virginmegastoretickets.com and at www.DisneyOnIceME.com. Hurry and secure your tickets for this enchanting show!

For more info about Disney On Ice, follow Disney On Ice social media channels: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Subscribe to the Disney On Ice YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/DisneyOnIce
According to Alstom's 2023 Economic Impact Report compiled by EY, in the financial year 2022/23, it supported a contribution of nearly 1bn to the UK and Ireland's GDP.

From its headquarters in Derby and 36 other locations around the UK and Ireland, the report reveals that Alstom works with 1,144 UK & Ireland suppliers and supports over 17,000 jobs, as well as delivering some of the country's biggest rail programmes.

Alstom has been a presence in the UK rail industry for 200 years and recently celebrated the bicentenary of Robert Stephenson & Co's factory in Newcastle, which later became part of Alstom. As the UK continues to rebuild after the last few years, the company is once again at the forefront of the UK's next rail revolution.

Through AVENTRA, which is the UK's largest train production programme for a generation, it is supporting governments, train operators, rolling stock owners, infrastructure owners, and maintenance staff by increasing passenger numbers, raising revenue and improving railway reliability, while also meeting decarbonisation targets.

EY's report shows that as well as supporting a contribution of nearly 1 billion to the country's GDP, Alstom employs 6,280 employees s and supports an additional 10,981 indirect and induced jobs through the supply chain, with over three-quarters of its suppliers based in the UK and Ireland. During 2022/2023 the company spent over 818 with UK and Irish suppliers, representing 68% of its total procurement spend in the period.

As well as supporting British jobs, innovation, and world-leading manufacturing, Alstom's investment in the railways positively impacts other transport users and the wider society, economy and environment. During 2022/23 the company was also instrumental in completing Transport the track and signalling infrastructure for London's Elizabeth line, over which Alstom's Class 345 AVENTRA trains operate.

Each year, Alstom creates valuable employment opportunities, by recruiting over 100 new apprentices and graduates and ensuring growing diversity through its Voices' groups and a biannual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion census. It also plays a wider role in the community, by supporting numerous community initiatives, having contributed 849,000 in philanthropic grants in the UK & Ireland since 2016/17 through the Alstom Foundation and the UK & Ireland Community Action Plan.

Nick Crossfield, Managing Director of Alstom UK & Ireland commented, This report highlights the value that Alstom provides to the UK and Irish economies. With a heritage of 200 years in the UK, we continue to support thousands of jobs across the country, with our 37 sites the home of some of the UK's biggest and best-known train manufacturing and refurbishment projects, including the Elizabeth line, HS2 and the iconic West Coast Pendolino fleet.

And looking to the future  within this financial period we are due to finish delivering the AVENTRA orderbook, totalling over 2,600 cars, continue to deliver the two largest major signalling frameworks for Network Rail in Control Period 6, continue to support a large portion of the UK's installed train fleet and prepare for the manufacture of 54 HS2 trains which will roll out of our Derby factory. A true demonstration of Alstom's continued economic contribution to the UK and Ireland.
Despite Swedens need for Turkish support in its NATO membership bid, Sweden permitted a protester to burn a Quran outside of a Mosque in Stockholm. Though Turkey may further delay Swedens bid, it seems Stockholm is destined to join the alliance, even if its success does not come at the upcoming Vilnius Summit.

Even without membership, Sweden is vying for NATOs protection. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recently announced that his country will allow NATO troops to operate within its borders. Despite Swedens robust defensive agreements, gaining an elevated alliance with the United States seems to be the nations goal. But instead of turning Sweden into yet another U.S. security burden, a growing military alliance should prompt a rethink of what the U.S. commitment looks like.

Membership in NATO would grant Sweden an Article V defensive pact with the United States - making the partnership as strong as they get. But the United States should carefully consider whether a conventional military obligation to Sweden is in its best interest. A full commitment to Swedish security should not absolve Sweden of its responsibility to protect itself, like the rest of Western Europe.

Swedens geographic area is already contentious between Europe and Russia. Since the war in Ukraine began, the Russian military has conducted naval exercises meant to intimidate Baltic countries, threatened countermeasures at the Finnish-Russian border, and sent fighter jets into Swedish airspace.

An increased American military presence in Sweden would be an easy path to escalation - harming both European security and gambling with the security of American military forces in the region.

Imagine Russian fighter jets entering Swedish airspace with an American military presence in the same area. The scenario isnt a stretch - after having NATO membership for just a few months, American troops may soon deploy to the Finnish-Russian border. American servicemembers in one more country experiencing territorial spats with Russia just creates another opportunity for escalation.

Russias aggressive behavior on its own demonstrates that American and NATO expansion near its borders may only increase Europes security needs. In response to Eastward NATO expansion after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia retaliated with aggression in Georgia and Ukraine even before 2022. A larger American military presence closer to Russian borders may prolong Russian aggression in Ukraine or elsewhere, creating even more defensive needs for Europe.

Furthermore, Russia has proven its conventional threat to be of a limited nature. Fighting in Ukraine has exposed the Russian militarys weaknessand thats not to mention that Moscow struggles to control its own mercenaries who have done some of the fiercest fighting in Ukraine. Washingtons partners in Europe have the ability to deter Russian aggressionbut they have no real reason to take more responsibility as long as the U.S. is willing to fight on their behalf.

Even without official membership, Sweden still closely cooperates with NATO. NATO classifies Sweden as an enhanced security partner, due to joint military exercises and foreign missions with Swedish troops. Coordinated regional assessments and analysis have been coupled with interoperability initiatives between NATO and its partners like Sweden. These alliances are a clear sign that Sweden is already capable of protecting itself with the support of its allies.

While American politicians continuously debate the merits of larger or smaller arms shipments, a commitment to defending Sweden is a much more extreme future. Swedens lesser contributions coupled with its existing alliance structure is a sign that it may not pull its weight in NATO without change.

Despite Western Europes military linkages, the United States has given the EUs neighbor, Ukraine, security assistance valued at $40 billion since the war began while the U.S. faces no conventional military threat. While Sweden has given Ukraine military aid as well, its borders are thousands of miles closer to the war itself and it has experienced direct Russian military hostilities in the past. Its efforts should be proportionate to the threats it faces, as should those of the United States.

With Swedish NATO membership, European members of the alliance will have yet another official ally close to Russias borders, a tactic they may determine to have merit. But the United States has different interests: it should not stretch its military commitments further as its allies put in disproportionately little effort into their own defense on their own continent. The United States should not sacrifice and provoke just to help nations already capable of defending themselves.

As the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania presents an opportunity to consider real reforms to the alliance, American leaders should keep the national interest top of mind.

Zachary Weiss is a political risk analyst living in Tbilisi, Georgia. He has conducted research concerning foreign and domestic politics in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia. Weiss holds a B.A. from Colorado College, where he double majored in Political Science and Russian and Eurasian Studies.
U.S. President Joseph Biden and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the issue of Ukraine and Sweden in NATO, and also agreed to meet face-to-face at the upcoming summit of the North Atlantic Alliance, Anadolu agency said.

According to the agency, the presidents talked over the phone.

The situation with the possible accession of Ukraine to NATO, the prospects for Sweden's entry into the North Atlantic Alliance, the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, the process of Turkey's full membership in the EU were discussed.

Erdogan also told Biden that Sweden, by passing the anti-terrorism law, took steps in the right direction to have Turkey accept its bid for NATO membership.

However, according to the Turkish President, the measures taken are not enough, as supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party continue to organize demonstrations in Sweden.

"The leaders agreed to hold a one-on-one meeting at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues in detail," the statement said.

Erdogan said Ankara is principled and honest in its EU membership. He expressed hope that during the NATO summit in Vilnius, the leading EU countries will give a clear and strong signal of support for Turkey's membership in the community.

The NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11 and 12.
Education finance is a complex and dynamic sector.

There are too many variables -- the course, the calibre of students, the universities, and the job prospects once the course is over, notes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Kindly note the image has been published only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo

Hong Kong-headquartered BPEA EQT is acquiring HDFC Credila Financial Services Ltd, owned by Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC), for Rs 9,060 crore (Rs 90.60 billion).

This pegs HDFC Credila's valuation at Rs 10,350 crore (Rs 103.50 billion).

HDFC had to sell its education loan arm on the Reserve Bank of India's insistence.

It was one of the preconditions for approving the merger of HDFC with HDFC Bank Ltd.

Indeed, HDFC could have continued to own it for the next two years, but in that case, HDFC Credila would not have been allowed to take on new customers.

There were many suitors for HDFC Credila, including large private equity funds such as Blackstone, Carlyle, TA Associates and CVC Capital, and sovereign wealth funds including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Singapore's GIC.

BPEA EQT, in partnership with Indian PE firms ChrysCapital and Faering Capital, is buying a little over 90 per cent stake in the education financing firm. HDFC will retain a shade less than 10 per cent.

Two brothers, Anil and Ajay Bohora, had founded Credila in 2006.

In December 2019, the Bohora brothers exited and HDFC acquired their 9.12 per cent stake for Rs 395 crore (Rs 3.95 billion), valuing HDFC Credila at around Rs 4,330 crore (Rs 43.30 billion).

Since then, the company has grown by around 2.5 times in terms of its loan book and net worth.

HDFC Credila is the largest non-banking financial company (NBFC) on the education loan turf.

Since its inception, it has served at least 124,000 students pursuing higher education in India and overseas.

In FY23, its gross loan book was Rs 15,298 crore (Rs 152.98 billion), up 73 per cent in the past one year.

It posted a net profit of Rs 276 crore (Rs 2.76 billion) last year, maintaining a net interest margin of 4.2 per cent. And, its bad loans have never crossed 1 per cent of the loan book.

Its business model is quite unique.

Let's take a look at the genesis and the journey of India's first and largest private education loan lender.

In 2004, Ajay was attending a three-day structured finance conference at Boca Raton, Florida, in the US.

The conference featured a session on student loans, which, as an asset class, were worth over $700 billion in the US at that time.

Sallie Mae, a dedicated student loan-focused leader then, was disbursing billions of dollars of student loans every year.

Ajay holds a bachelor of engineering degree from the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, the University of Mumbai, and an MBA from Hofstra University, New York.

Anil is a graduate from the College of Engineering, Pune, and master of science from Ohio University.

Both had faced difficulties getting education loans to fund their studies in the US.

The conference proved to be a eureka moment for Ajay. He decided there and then to set up a student loan-focused specialised lender, something HDFC was doing for mortgages.

The model before him was Sallie Mae's, which not only offers education loans but also manages the career of the students.

Sallie Mae, originally the Student Loan Marketing Association, is a publicly traded US company in the consumer banking space.

Set up in 1972, it was initially a government entity that serviced federal education loans.

Post-privatisation, its primary business has been creating, servicing, and collecting private education loans.

It also provides online tools and resources for college planning.

In April 2014, Sallie Mae spun off its loan servicing operation and most of its loan portfolio into a separate, publicly traded entity called Navient Corporation -- the largest servicer of federal student loans.

It acts as a collector on behalf of the department of education.

Once the Bohora brothers managed to get the NBFC licence, they were able to convince Merrill Lynch to come on board as an investor.

Merrill Lynch's Indian outfit, DSP Merrill Lynch, became a 40 per cent equity partner in Credila with Ajay and Anil owing the rest.

But the Merrill Lynch association did not last long. It was taken over by Bank of America in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

That's when HDFC stepped in to buy out the 40 per cent stake, and Credila became HDFC Credila.

Once HDFC acquired the stake, the quartet of Deepak Parekh, Keki Mistry, Renu Karnad and V S Rangan started handholding the Bohora brothers to create a technology-driven, cutting-edge education loan platform, and raising debt from the financial markets.

In the fiercely competitive business, the key to success is a disruptive business model.

And, the cost-to-income ratio can be kept low for sustained profitable growth only if it has the right technology platform.

Education finance is a complex and dynamic sector. The lenders need to understand the courses offered by different colleges in different universities across nations.

There are too many variables -- the courses, the calibre of the students, the universities, and the job prospects once the course is over.

It's challenging as lenders need to track not only the educational institutions but also the performance of the students.

HDFC Credila has designed education loan solutions where parents don't have to put in margin money.

Once a loan is approved, it offers the option to students and parents to get up to 100 per cent of the total cost of education, including living expenses, delivered at home. And, there is no limit for such loans.

The US has a total education loan outstanding of over $1.5 trillion, 100 times more than the education loan portfolio of all lenders in India, which has the largest pool of young population with at least 30 million students in tertiary education and another 25 million in K-12 (kindergarten to Class 12).

At least 700,000 students went overseas to study in 2022, the government's data shows.

The number will rise as institutions are increasing their student intake after the pandemic.

With the cost of education on the rise across the world and not many families able to afford self-funding, the sector is bound to grow.

A recent report of rater CARE Ltd says the NBFCs almost doubled their market share in retail education loans in the last two years -- from 9.9 per cent in September 2020 to 18.6 per cent in September 2022.

The retail education loan book of CARE-rated NBFCs more than doubled from Rs 7,738 crore in September 2020 to Rs 17,877 crore in September 2022, when the overall education loan book of all lenders was pegged at Rs 1.1 trillion.

In September 2022, the finance ministry called a meeting of public sector banks (PSBs) to take stock of the education loan portfolio and cut down on the delay in the sanctioning and disbursements of such loans.

The PSBs, which have around 90 per cent market share of education loans, are cautious in disbursing fresh loans since the bad loans in this segment have been on the rise.

These stood at 7.82 per cent for the banking sector in June 2022.

The CARE report says that owing to specialised credit underwriting skills, the asset quality of education loan NBFCs is better than that of banks.

It remained stable even during the difficult times of COVID-19.

Tamal Bandyopadhyay is a consulting editor at Business Standard. You can read his earlier columns here.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Taiwan's Foxconn has withdrawn from a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with mining baron Anil Agarwal's Vedanta Ltd as the venture struggled to get a technology partner to make chips that are used in mobile phones to refrigerators and cars.

Photograph: Reuters

In a statement, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, said it has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta.

Agarwal's metals-to-oil conglomerate responded saying it was fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry.

It however did not give details of the new partners.

Foxconn, best known for assembling iPhones and other Apple products, and Vedanta last year signed a pact to set up semiconductor and display production plants in Gujarat.

European chipmaker STMicroelectronics was being roped in as a technology partner for the venture but talks were deadlocked.

Most of the world's chips are manufactured in a handful of countries and India, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, is a late entrant.

Three applications - one from the Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture, another from a global consortium of ISMC and one from Singapore-based IGSS Ventures - were received in response to the government's incentive scheme for local manufacture of semiconductors.

The other two applications too haven't made much progress.

Just last week, Vedanta announced that it will acquire the semiconductor and display glass units from group company Twin Star Technologies Ltd.

It is to buy 100 per cent of Vedanta Foxconn Semiconductors Pvt and Vedanta Displays Ltd from Twin Star, a unit of Vedanta's ultimate parent Volcan Investments Ltd.

In a statement on Monday Foxconn said: "In order to explore more diverse development opportunities, according to mutual agreement, Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta.

Foxconn said it is "working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta".

"Foxconn has no connection to the entity and efforts to keep its original name will cause confusion for future stakeholders," Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) said.

The statement said that for over a year, Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) and Vedanta have worked hard to bring a great semiconductor idea to reality. It has been a fruitful experience that can position both companies strongly going forward.

"Foxconn is confident about the direction of India's semiconductor development. We will continue to strongly support the government's 'Make In India' ambitions and establish a diversity of local partnerships that meet the needs of stakeholders," it said.

After the withdrawal, Vedanta asserted that it is fully committed to its semiconductor project and has lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry.

Vedanta said that it has redoubled efforts to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for semiconductors and affirmed that India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains.

"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry.

We will continue to grow our semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)," Vedanta said in a statement.

The company had announced plans to set up its chip plant in Gujarat with an investment of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

"We will shortly acquire a license for production-grade 28 nm as well.

Vedanta has redoubled its efforts to fulfill the prime minister's vision for semiconductors and India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains," the statement said.

Minister of State for Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Foxconn move will have "no impact on India's semiconductor fab goals. None.

Stating that both Foxconn and Vedanta had significant investments in India, he said both companies had no prior experience or technology for chip manufacturing, and were expected to source fab tech from a tech partner.

"While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate tech partner for that proposal," he tweeted.

"Vedanta thru VFSL has recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal backed by tech licensing agreement from a global semicon major - which is currently being evaluated.

He said it was not for govt to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to.

"But in simple terms it means both companies can & will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and wth appropriate technology partners in semicon n electronics.

"To those editorializing abt this decision of Foxconn/Vedanta being a "blow" to India's Semicon ambition, I can only say its a bad idea to bet against India under PM Modi. India is just getting started," he added.
Stalin is preparing the DMK to go the whole hog in making 'federalism', 'Tamil self-respect' and 'communal cohesiveness' the party's poll plank next year, and package the BJP and its possible allies, as 'divisive' and 'reactionary', predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at the flagging off of the Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express. Photograph: ANI Photo

The gloves are off in Tamil Nadu.

Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, albeit through the constitutional proxy in President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to the latter, calling R N Ravi to be 'unfit for the office of the governor' and urging her to 'remove' him.

In a letter dated July 8, the day the governor had a 'purposeful meeting' with Union Home Minister Amit A Shah in Delhi, and the second one after the January missives handed over by state Law Minister S Raghupathy to the President, Stalin charged that Ravi 'incited communal hatred' and is a 'threat to peace in the state' (charges that are otherwise punishable under the Indian Penal Code).

Typical of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's use of the term 'federalism' in such discourses, Stalin said, 'Sitting in the state capital and looking for an opportunity to overthrow the state government, the governor can only be considered as an agent of the Union and such action of the governor will destroy our federal philosophy and destroy the basic principles of Indian democracy.'

He pointed out that the 'governor took the oath under Article 159 to protect the Constitution and the law and dedicate himself to the service and welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu... it is clear that Ravi had transgressed and incited communal hatred and is a threat to peace in the state,' he added.

Stalin emphasised that the governor's constant public expression of 'divisive religious views' was unsuitable and had the potential to create problems for the state administration, particularly in a diverse state such as Tamil Nadu.

He emphasised the government's commitment to religious harmony and gender equality policies and expressed concern about Ravi's 'lack of faith' in these principles.

In the same vein, the chief minister accused Ravi of making 'false remarks' about criminal cases being probed by the state police and criticised him for denying that child marriages ever happened at the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Stalin claimed that Ravi's statements would have invited legal action if they were from an individual not holding his high Constitutional position.

Touching upon the DMK's ideological mooring/weakness pertaining to Tamil and Tamil self-respect, he alleged that Ravi's 'actions show his extraordinary animosity towards Tamil Nadu' and defamed the name 'Tamil Nadu'.

To this, he added the inevitable political angle by recalling how it was the name chosen by party founder C N Annadurai, through his first official order as chief minister in 1967.

This apart, the CM accused the governor of being 'involved in ideological and political conflict with the democratically-elected DMK government' and pointed out that Ravi had 'never won any election in Tamil Nadu and seems to have forgotten that he is not a leader of the people, but an appointed official'.

He alleged that the governor's actions undermined the idea of federalism, and asserted that Dravidian politics was not regressive.

He cited the commitment of Dravidian politics to 'progress and social justice' and said its impact was the reason why the state scores higher than the national average on development parameters.

In this context, the CM also recalled how Ravi had violated the Constitution by reading out portions that the state cabinet had removed from his customary speech to the assembly earlier this year.

On the politico-administrative front, Stalin raised concerns over the 'unnecessary delays in (the governor) approving bills passed by the assembly. Emphasising that a governor needs to act within the Constitutional framework and not 'misuse their lack of time-limit for giving consent to bills', Stalin said Ravi's interference amounts to an 'administrative anomaly'.

He also mentioned the dispute over Minister V Senthil Balaji who was dismissed by the governor last month following his arrest in a corruption case. Ravi withdrew the order after a few hours.

The CM said that 'the governor's recommendation of this nature is against the law'.

It is equally so with regard to the governor delaying sanction to prosecute ministers of the erstwhile All India Anna DMK government, including in the 'gutkha scam' calling it 'unusual'.

IMAGE: Home Minister Amit A Shah with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi in New Delhi, July 8, 2023. Photograph: Kind courtesy Raj Bhavan Tamil Nadu/Twitter

By writing a lengthy letter to the President and having it circulated all across, Stalin has clearly send out a political message to Modi, on whose table his letter to President Murmu would finally land through the home ministry, for further action.

It comes in the aftermath of the CM sending out an equally strong response to Ravi first sacking 'jailed' minister Senthil Balaji and then revoking the order only hours later -- thus giving the impression that the matter rested there or with the courts. Yet, the CM chose to react and react strongly.

According to DMK sources, the letter to the President is a response to long months of alleged 'inaction' on the Centre's part, to Ravi's repeated 'intransigence' in observing Constitutional norms and healthy precedents in relation to the host state, the government and the people.

In the immediate context, it is also of indicative of Stalin's changed mood viz the ruling BJP at the Centre, and to Modi in particular.

Insiders claim that ever since he came to power in 2021, to be followed by Ravi's arrival in Chennai's Raj Bhavan only months later, Stalin had been following form and decorum with both in terms of Centre-state relations on the one hand and with the governor, on the other.

It was thus, they say, Stalin had given strict instructions to the DMK rank and file not to comment on either the Centre or the governor, either personally or in his official capacity.

The instructions were clear: If there was an issue, the leadership would decide when and how to react, and would also handle it at what level, without letting platform speakers do it in coarse language.

Thus, when one of them made an out-of-turn and unbecoming observation about the governor, both the party and the police acted against him swiftly. Or, so goes the argument.

Stalin, it is said, is peeved at Modi naming the DMK as a 'dynastic party', not while campaigning for the BJP in Tamil Nadu but while doing so in distant Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections are due later this year.

Stalin sees it as a reaction to his attending the anti-BJP party leaders' meet in Patna, again far away from his native state.

Though party sources stick to the official version that the CM did not meet the local press in Patna after the conclave only because he had to rush to catch his flight, they still point out how Stalin did not target the BJP or Modi in public.

IMAGE: Modi interacts with Stalin at Chennai airport. Photograph: ANI Photo

The party and the leader were also upset over senior Union ministers, one after the other, attacking the DMK as a party and the Stalin government as an institution, 'purely for political reasons'.

They are getting increasingly convinced that Ravi may be 'acting under the cue of Delhi, as barring the Senthil Balaji sacking issue where Amit Shah reportedly advised him to retract pending consultations with the attorney general, none seemed to have advised him on the inappropriateness of his words and actions'.

After Shah recently, it was Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

It is against this background that the party organ, Murasoli took up the issue of Singh comparing the chief minister's name to that of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

In a veiled editorial, that too without naming the defence minister, the newspaper listed out the so-called 'achievements' of the Russian leader, and added for effect: 'Through the ages, reactionary elements have besmirched revolutionaries and reformists like this.'

Again, no lower-level DMK functionary was allowed to comment on Singh's observations.

Indications are that Stalin is preparing the party to go the whole hog in making 'federalism', 'Tamil self-respect' and 'communal cohesiveness' the party's poll plank next year, and package the BJP and its possible allies, including the traditional AIADMK rival, as 'divisive' and 'reactionary'.

In the interim, it may be a further diversionary tactic from the multiple embarrassments caused by the Senthil Balaji row and its follow-up actions in the days and weeks to come.

If the first round went to the Centre and the BJP by extension, the DMK retrieved a substantial portion of the lost ground, following the habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife Megala in the Madras high court, and Ravi's flip-flop in the matter, twice in a matter of days.

By writing to the President in such great detail, and thus recording facts as the state government saw them and views as he and his legal team read them, Stalin is clearly preparing to move the Supreme Court in the matter.

But before that, he seems to want to 'exhaust all options', lest the court should ask him to do so before approaching the higher judiciary in such 'sensitive matters', where the President of India cannot be expected to respond to court notices, even if addressed to her secretary -- as is the custom.

Already, on a petition seeking a direction to Ravi to retract his sack order against minister Balaji, the Madras high court asked the petitioner to cite the Constitutional provision under which the bench could order notice to the governor.

There is another catch, too.

Holding the presidency and gubernatorial appointments with the highest regard, the Constitution consciously left out provisions for courts serving notice on them, nor fixed a time limit for them to act on matters put up before them.

It was thus that the President as an institution took years to decide on the 'mercy petitions' of the Rajiv Gandhi assassins, no question asked by any court.

In his letter to the President, Stalin has flagged the issue of the governor delaying decisions on bills passed by the state assembly, and also on sanction to prosecute past ministers.

The question is this: What happens if the President, rather, the Union home ministry, takes its own time responding to Stalin's missive to President Murmu?

What then would constitute 'reasonable time', which has not been defined?

Or, would a petition by the state government as an institution or the DMK as a party or a third party petitioner, would (also have to) ask the Supreme Court of India to decide what 'reasonable time' means, as much in the case of the President as is already the matter concerning the governor?

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'Praful Patel said his residential building was sealed, and the investigative agencies have shifted their office to his house, and that he was in a helpless condition.'

IMAGE: Praful Patel, seated left, with Ajit Pawar, centre, and other NCP leaders. Photograph: ANI Photo

Will Sharad Pawar's trusted nephew Ajit Pawar and trusted shishya, Praful Patel leaving the NCP weaken the veteran leader?

What will happen to the initiatives taken by Pawar to bring all the Opposition parties together to take on the BJP in the 2024 elections?

P C Chacko, who has been with Sharad Pawar ever since both of them started their political journeys together, answers these questions in an interview with Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

Part one of a two-part interview:

Soon after the Ajit Pawar drama unfolded, you went to Mumbai...

Yes, I reached Mumbai a day after all these developments happened. By then Sharad Pawar had already left for Karad to attend his guru Y B Chavan's anniversary.

Though not many people knew Pawar was going there, there was a spontaneous crowd to greet Pawar.

He travelled a couple of kilometres in an open vehicle, it was like a road show, and there were thousands of people to see him.

At the samadhi, (Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister) Prithviraj Chavan also was there.

It was a very emotional and sentimental event, and he made a clear statement there that those who left us would not see the assembly again as people were with us.

You can say, that was probably the beginning of his campaign in Maharashtra.

When he came back to Mumbai, I met him.

What did you two discuss? Though Ajit Pawar has done it before, did his exit now shock both you and Pawar?

Not really. All of us knew Ajit Pawar would go. When he would be going was the only question. We were all aware of the attempt he made two months ago.

But there was an element of shock in Praful Patel leaving.

I was not sure how many MLAs were scared of the BJP. Most of these people went to that side to save their skin and not for any other reason.

There are investigations and inquiries by various agencies like the ED against many of the MLAs. That was what united all of them to go with Ajit Pawar.

After the truce that was made two months ago, Ajit was slowly meeting each and every MLA to find out the cases against each of them and how they could be solved.

Was Pawar hurt by Praful Patel leaving him? After all, he was very close to Pawar..

Sharad Pawar was very well aware of his nephew leaving, him but Praful Patel leaving was a shock to all of us, at least to me.

Pawar also did not expect Praful Patel to leave him.

When Praful Patel went to see Pawar, he told Praful, the impression outside is, you are the closest to me. If you leave me, what will be the message it will convey?

Then Praful Patel said his residential building was sealed, and the investigative agencies have shifted their office to his house, and that he was in a helpless condition.

He was almost in tears. After that, Pawar did not say anything.

Praful Patel went because he was constantly under threat.

But Pawar does not take one person going that seriously as he is a confident politician.

After seeing the crowd at Karad, he is confident that he can attract people wherever he goes.

IMAGE: Sharad Pawar addresses the media after the NCP's national executive meeting in New Delhi, July 6, 2023. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

Ajit Pawar said a man at 83 should retire and sit at home...

If he repeats it again, it will boomerang on him. If anybody abuses Sharad Pawar, it will come back to them.

In the same meeting, they had wanted Pawar's photo in the posters. They have taken an office close to Mantralaya and they have put up a big photo of Sharad Pawar there.

In fact, I was told Ajit told everyone not to criticise Sharad Pawar by name.

But his strategy changed to calling him an old man of 83 after he saw the crowd Pawar had attracted in Karad. Then came the desperate reaction.

He knows that if Pawar decides to fight, he will have no chance.

Praful Patel mocked the Opposition meeting in Patna saying he felt like laughing at the meeting as none of them had any MPs. Do you think Opposition unity will be in jeopardy now that Pawar has been hit by his own nephew?

Opposition unity was an idea mooted by Sharad Pawar first. Praful Patel was representing our party with Sharad Pawar.

At that time, he did not laugh though he knew many of the parties did not have MPs.

But the fact is, these regional leaders can help MPs getting elected. Regional parties may not have representatives in the parliament, but they are strong in their states.

He also knows that. Though he cannot directly attack Pawar, he had to say something to please the BJP.

He did not laugh when he met those regional parties previously. It was only after leaving the party, he felt like laughing.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar gestures to supporters at the meeting of his faction of NCP leaders in Mumbai, July 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

We saw the BJP breaking parties like the Shiv Sena, NCP, etc. Did the Congress also indulge in this kind of politics when it was the major party in India?

Any political party in power will encourage, if not openly, dissent in the opposition camp.

But not with this kind of inducement of money and use of investigative agencies.

The way it is happening now, has never happened in Indian politics.

In those days, when there was natural dissent in a party, the Congress favoured one faction.

So, one can say the Congress also did the same thing. But the dimensions today are alarming.

Here, the top-most people are directly involved.

What is happening is immoral and it has not happened in this scale never before.

Part 2 of the Interview: 'Only weaklings succumb to threats'

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Nine people have died in rain-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana as incessant showers battered the two states for the third day in a row, flooding many places and sending authorities scrambling for rescue operations.

IMAGE: AAP Parliamemtarian Sushil Rinku (left) and Jalandhar's deputy commissioner Vishesh Sarangal along with the National Disaster Response Force team move the Phillaur residents stuck in their houses to a safer place, July 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Punjab government has ordered the closure of schools till July 13 while in Chandigarh schools are closed till Thursday.

Haryana too has ordered the closure of schools in some worst-affected districts till Wednesday.

In other places of the state, the government has left it to the deputy commissioners to take a call on the matter after assessing the situation.

Tracts of land near the Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers were inundated while distributaries and major canals were breached in some places in Punjab and Haryana damaging crops.

As water gushed into houses in parts of the two states, authorities raced to bring affected people to safety.

Breakdown in power and water supply in some of the worst-affected areas of Punjab and Haryana escalated people's problems. Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.

The civic administration of the two neighbouring states gave out a call for help in rescue operations to the Army which pressed its Western Command's flood relief columns into service.

The National Disaster Response Force too assisted the civic authorities in rescue and relief operations.

Punjab police chief Gaurav Yadav said 15 NDRF teams and two units of SDRF have been deployed in the worst-hit districts to plug breaches and carry out evacuation and rescue operations.

Additionally, 12 columns of the Army have been called in for Rupnagar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, Mohali and Pathankot districts, he said.

The Army rescued 910 students and 50 civilians from a private university in Punjab after heavy rains led to inundation, according to an official statement.

According to officials, nine rain-related deaths have been reported in the two states, officials said.

Three people, including two children, died when their house was buried under debris brought in by a landslide in Haryana's Pinjore area on Monday, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kalka Ruchi Bedi said.

Haryana's chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal told PTI that one person drowned in Ambala district.

In Haryana's Karnal district, a man and his wife lost their lives after the roof of their house collapsed early on Monday due to heavy rains.

In Punjab's SBS Nagar, a teenage boy and girl drowned on Monday while in the Rupnagar area of the state, a person was swept away by torrents of water a day earlier.

A team of 74 police personnel specially trained in flood rescue operations has been deployed to handle the rescue efforts in Haryana, officials said, adding the state's SDRF teams have been working tirelessly, rescuing around 800 people.

The meteorological department has predicted light to moderate rain on Tuesday in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. It has warned of heavy rains in isolated parts of Haryana.

However, the intensity of rain would be less, a weather department official told PTI. Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Monday, Chandigarh received 110.2 mm rain, Ambala 181 mm, Narnaul 60 mm, Rohtak 46 mm, Patiala 47 mm, Fatehgarh Sahib 34 mm and Hoshiarpur 29.5 mm.

Chandigarh has witnessed record rainfall during the past three days.

On Monday evening, 1.81 lakh cusecs of water was released from Ropar headworks.

Since the level of the Yamuna river at Hathini Kund Barrage was rising constantly, people in low-lying areas adjacent to the river have been asked to stay away from the riverbank, officials said.

On Monday, around three lakh cusecs of water was discharged from the barrage, they said. Due to incessant rains in the catchment areas of the Sukhna Lake, two of its floodgates were opened on Monday.

In Patiala, floodwaters entered the premises of the Rajpura Thermal Power Plant on Monday, forcing the shutdown of one of its 700 MW units, officials said.

As the Sutlej river swelled, Ludhiana deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik ordered a temporary closure of dyeing and printing clusters in the city.

In Haryana's Ambala, the administration sounded an alert and sought the Army and NDRF's help after all rivers -- Markanda, Tangri and Ghaggar -- started to flow above the danger mark. Many areas in the district were waterlogged following a breach in the Narwana and Sutlej Yamuna Link canals.

At Doraha in Ludhiana, two breaches on a canal were successfully plugged on Monday morning with the efforts of the district administration, the Army and the police.

Heavy rains and floods in the Rupnagar area of Punjab affected traffic on the Chandigarh-Rupnagar highway.

As incessant rains for the past three days damaged pipes at Kajauli Water Works, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma chaired a meeting and asked senior officers to visit the site and submit a detailed report to him.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited flood-affected areas in Mohali and Rupnagar districts and appealed to people not to panic while assuring them of all possible help.

Describing the situation as "alarming", he asserted the state government was making its best efforts in extending relief to the people.

A special survey will be conducted to ascertain the loss of crops and property due to heavy rains over the past three days, Mann said.

In view of the prevailing situation due to incessant rains, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments. He also held a meeting with deputy commissioners and took stock of the situation.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij visited the Tangri river area along with officers of the irrigation department.
The Congress on Monday alleged that its "Hindu leadership" in Punjab was being targeted by the Bhagwant Mann government to help the Bharatiya Janata Party and that the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation was indulging in headline management to "hide its failures like the Modi government".

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera asked why action was being taken only against politicians and not against officials for corruption, after the state vigilance bureau arrested former minister O P Soni in a graft case.

He also alleged that there was "outside" interference in the state government's decision.

"The Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab is doing the same thing as the BJP's central government is doing, as one could see what happened to our former minister O P Soni, and is targeting our Congress leaders in the state, only to help the BJP.

"The AAP government is targeting our Hindu leadership in the state of Punjab," Khera alleged in a video message.

"The Punjab government is running just like the Modi government. Doing headline management to hide its failure. After winning on the slogan of bringing change, it is doing politics of revenge," he also said in a tweet.

The Aam Aadmi Party does not see the corruption in its own courtyard, he alleged, adding "action taken against our former minister O P Soni is proof of this low and petty politics".

"It is trying to save its own officers, as action is only being taken against politicians and not against officials. It is protecting its officials.

"Bhagwant Mann ji, please tell us who is interfering in the Punjab government without having any link with it. Bhagwant Mann ji please don't do this kind of politic as it will harm you only later," he asked.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Sunday arrested Congress leader and former deputy chief minister O P Soni for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income from 2016 to 2022.

An FIR was registered on Sunday under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Amritsar Range against Soni following investigations in the inquiry, which was ordered on October 10, 2022, a VB spokesperson said.

The spokesperson, in an official statement, said that "during the check period from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2022, the income of the former Deputy CM and his family was Rs 4,52,18,771 while the expenditure was Rs 12,48,42,692, which was Rs 7,96,23,921 or 176.08 per cent more than his known sources of income".

"During this period, accused OP Soni had made properties in the name of his wife Suman Soni and son Raghav Soni," he claimed.

The investigation is a result of an anonymous complaint the Bureau had received accusing Soni of amassing properties beyond his known sources of income.

In May, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested former Congress MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon for allegedly amassing "huge wealth" than his known sources of income, officials had said earlier.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has said it has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and will proceed in accordance with the law against anyone who indulges in any wrongdoing.

Earlier, Congress leaders and former Punjab ministers, including Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, have faced vigilance cases under the present dispensation.

Congress leader and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has also appeared before the Vigilance Bureau a few times in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Channi has described the probe as "totally political".
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday and apprised him about the violence in the state during the panchayat elections two days back, sources said.

IMAGE: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose calls on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at North Block, in New Delhi, July 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

"The darkest hour is just before the dawn. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is if winter comes, can spring be far behind. Good will happen in the days to come," the governor told reporters when asked what transpired in the meeting.

The sources said Bose briefed Shah about the prevailing situation and his assessment of the polls marred by violence that claimed 15 lives.

Bose had visited various places in West Bengal, particularly in the North 24 Parganas district, and took stock of the situation on Saturday during the polling.

He had met the family of an injured person and also visited him at a hospital.

There was widespread violence during the Saturday polling held in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections.

Also, ballot boxes were looted, set on fire or dumped in ponds at several places during the violence.

Repolling was held on Monday at 696 booths in 19 districts on the direction of the the State Election Commission following allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and the violence, sources said.
US Navy Ship Salvor, a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship, arrived at Larsen and Toubro's Kattupalli shipbuilding yard near Chennai for repairs under the master ship repair agreement signed last month between India and the US, a senior official of L&T said on Monday.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

The USNS Salvor was welcomed with a ceremony at the shipyard on Monday, and it is the first ship to arrive after the signing of the MSRA.

The five-year agreement will see India's leading private defence company repair the US vessels, said executive vice president and head L&T Defense Arun Ramchandani.

The Military Sealift Command's rescue and salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) arrived at L&T Kattupalli shipyard for voyage repairs on July 9.

It is the third US Navy ship visiting the L&T shipyard for voyage repairs, after USNS Charles Drew and USNS Matthew Perry.

After the repair and maintenance is carried out, the vessel will resume its journey after a fortnight.

US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin, US embassy New Delhi's office of defence cooperation chief Captain Michael L Farmer, and senior US embassy officials participated in the welcoming ceremony along with Ramchandani and others from L&T leadership.

"This master ship repair agreement is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding US-India partnership. This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 ministerial dialogue and demonstrates US's commitment to utilise repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T shipyard in Kattupalli," Ravin said on the occasion.

This agreement will serve to strengthen the two nations' strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific, she said.

"During Prime Minister Modi's visit to the United States, he eloquently said that 'the scope of our cooperation is endless, and the chemistry of our relations is effortless," she recalled and added that the announcements made during Modi's official state visit set a marker and highlighted incredible potential.

The MSRA with L&T is the first such agreement in India, and it "is a symbol of our strengthened US-India partnership...," Ravin said, adding that the MSRA is a legally non-binding arrangement between the US Navy and private shipbuilding contractors to pre-approve shipyards to repair US Naval vessels.

The MSRA will fast-track US government contracting processes for repair work and advance the Indian government's indigenous production and logistics goals. With MSRA certification, the L&T Kattupalli shipyard may bid on US Navy and Military Sealift Command ship repair contracts throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, she added.

The agreement is a demonstration of how the US Navy and Indian companies are better together for the advancement of collective maritime security. By partnering to deliver economical and effective repair of US Naval vessels, the shipping industries positively contributed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the consul general said.

"We are soon expecting President Biden's visit to India. That will make two highest-level summits between our countries in a time span of less than six months. We are committed to operationalising the US-India major defence partnership through enhanced information sharing, regional security cooperation, defence trade, and cooperation in new domains. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this MSRA and where our partnership may go in the future," Ravin added.

In an interaction with mediapersons, when Captain Farmer was asked if the Kattupalli yard will also take up the repair and servicing of US warships as well (and not just auxilliary vessels as per the agreement now), as it is strategically located, he replied, "The MSRA does not permit the repair of US Naval warships at present but would only take up upkeep. (It will also take up) crucial maintenance of other vessels. Both the governments could work in that direction in the future."

On speculation that the US was looking towards establishing a naval base in the Indian territory, he denied any such move but said, "It could be a possibility in the future if both governments came together."

Speaking on the occasion, Ramchandani said L&T has been able to deliver high-quality products and services to its customers. A large number of ships of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have been repaired at Kattupalli yard. Besides, over 70 ships were constructed in a decade's time.

"Apart from the US Navy ships, considering the location, facilities, capabilities and destination other friendly countries have approached us for providing repair services for their ships," he said.

The US Navy had accorded the MSRA to L&T after having rigorously assessed various Indian shipyards.

"This agreement will enable L&T to undertake bigger repairs and fits of US ships and auxiliary vessels," Ramchandani said.

Later, interacting with mediapersons, he said L&T Kattupalli was well equipped for future growth as the 1,000 acres of land available with it gives it the potential to grow within the facility.
India's third lunar mission, set for launch on Friday, is loaded with more fuel, a slew of safety measures and a bigger landing site, with Indian Space Research Organisation saying it has opted for a "failure-based design" for the second attempt to ensure that the rover successfully lands on the moon even if some things go wrong.

IMAGE: LVM3 M4 vehicle with Chandrayaan-3 movement to the launch pad commences, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, July 6, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Chandrayaan-3, set for lift-off at 2:35 pm on July 14, will be a follow-up mission after the crash-landing of Chandrayaan-2 in September 2019 due to a software glitch.

Indian Space Research Organisation chairman S Somanath on Monday said instead of a success-based design in Chandrayaan-2, the space agency opted for a failure-based design in Chandrayaan-3, focused on what all can fail and how to protect it and ensure a successful landing.

"We looked at very many failures  sensor failure, engine failure, algorithm failure, calculation failure. So, whatever the failure we want it to land at the required speed and rate," he said.

"So, there are different failure scenarios calculated and programmed inside," he said.

The ISRO chief shared minute details about what went wrong with the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 as it went hurtling down towards the identified 500m x 500 m landing spot on the lunar surface with the engines designed to reduce its velocity developing higher thrust than expected.

"The primary issues were, one we had five engines which were used to give the reduction of the velocity, which is called the retardation. These engines developed higher thrust than what was expected," he told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of India Space Congress organised by SIA India.

Somanath said that when such a higher thrust was happening, the errors on account of this differential were accumulated over some period.

"All the errors got accumulated, which was on the higher side than what we had expected. The craft had to make very fast turns. When it started to turn very fast, its ability to turn was limited by the software because we never expected such high rates to come. This was the second issue," the ISRO chief said.

He said the third reason for failure was the small 500m x 500m site identified for landing the spacecraft.

"The craft was trying to reach there by increasing the velocity. It was almost close to the ground and kept on increasing the velocity," Somanath said.

In a nutshell, the problem in Chandrayaan -2 was that the ability to handle parameter dispersion was very limited, he said.

"So, what we did this time was to simply expand that further, look at what are things that can go wrong. So, instead of a success-based design in Chandrayaan-2, we are doing a failure-based design in Chandrayaan-3. What all can fail, and how to protect it. This is the approach we have taken," Somanath said.

"We expanded the area of landing from 500m x 500m to four km by 2.5 km. It can land anywhere, so it doesn't limit you to target a specific point. It will target a specific point only in nominal conditions. So, if the performance is poor, it can land anywhere within that area," Somanath said.

He said the Chandrayaan-3 also has more fuel so it has more capability to travel or handle dispersion or move to an alternate landing site.

The ISRO chief said the Vikram lander now has additional solar panels on other surfaces to ensure that it generates power no matter how it lands.

"We asked if it lands with higher velocity, what will happen? Can it not land? Then we increased the vertical velocity component from 2 m/s to 3 m/s and tested it totally," he said.

The spacecraft was also tested for the ability to withstand vibrations by flying it over different terrains using a helicopter, while cranes were used to test the landing processes, he said.

"We did new test beds for simulation, which was not there last time. This was to look at failure scenarios," Somanath said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday launched payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to beneficiaries under the government's 'Anna Bhagya' scheme.

IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addresses the media after launching the payment of cash scheme, Bengaluru, July 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

With the launch of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programme, the Congress government in the state is fulfilling one more of its five poll 'guarantees' (promises) announced in the run-up to the elections held in May.

Facing difficulty in procuring large quantities of rice to implement it, the state government decided to pay cash to beneficiaries at the rate of Rs 34 per kg for the additional 5 kg of rice under the free rice scheme, which is applicable to every member of a BPL household and 'Antyodaya' households.

Launching the DBT, Siddaramaiah said a total of 4.42 crore people will benefit from the scheme. The scheme was launched in two districts -- Mysuru and Kolar -- today, and all districts in the state would be covered within this month itself.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Partygovernment at the Centre of playing "dirty politics" by depriving the state of the required quantity of rice for 'Anna Bhagya' scheme procured through Food Corporation of India (FCI) despite the latter having enough stocks, he said: "As we had promised to launch the scheme in July, we decided to provide Rs 170 per month per person at Rs 34 per kg until we get rice to supply. In the meantime, the government has also called for tenders to purchase rice from the open market."

This will cost a total of Rs 10,000 crore per annum, Siddaramaiah said, as he recalled that 10 years ago on this day, he had launched the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme when he became the chief minister for the first time.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, ministers H K Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and K J George among several of Siddaramaiah's cabinet colleagues were present at the event.

Stating that the funds will be first transferred to the beneficiaries of Mysuru and Kolar districts, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa said, "From tomorrow, money will be transferred to all the beneficiaries of the state in a phased manner every day -- starting from Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Bagalkote, Yadgir and Dharwad...we will cover all districts in about 10 days."

According to the state government, Karnataka has 1.28 crore ration cards of 'Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households'.

As much as 99 per cent of these cards are seeded with an Aadhaar number, it said, adding that 82 per cent (1.06 crore) of these cards are linked with active bank accounts, and the cash transfer will start for these beneficiaries.

The remaining ration card holders will be intimated to open new accounts, it added.

As many as 1.27 crore ration cards have one member designated as heads of households (HoH). Cash will be transferred to the bank accounts of these HoHs. It said 94 per cent of HoH are women and 5 per cent are men.

Siddaramaiah said the implementation of all five poll guarantees will cost more than Rs 52,000 crore annually.

The government has already implemented one poll guarantee, 'Shakti' by providing free services for women in public transport buses last month. While the 'Gruha Jyothi' scheme to provide 200 units of free electricity to households has already come into effect from the beginning of this month, the electricity bill for the same for this month will come in the beginning of August.

The remaining two guarantees that the government is taking steps to implement are -- Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi) from August 16; and Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (Yuva Nidhi) by November or December.
The UK will provide Ukrainian rescuers with 17 specialized fire trucks, the General Staff said on Sunday night, July 9.

"The UK will provide Ukraine's fire and rescue services with 17 specialized fire trucks, mostly from the Royal Air Force and the Defense Fire and Rescue Service, one will be provided by the Welsh Government," the Welsh government said on Twitter.
'It is a matter of self-respect and dignity to live in Indra Nagar rather than in a street that identifies your caste.'

IMAGE: Anusuya Saravanamuthu is all smiles next to the changed name board. Photographs: Kind courtesy Anusuya Saravanamuthu

How Anusuya Saravanamuthu, all of 29 years old, interfaced with the government and got her street name identifying her caste changed.

I was born in Anandavadi village in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu. In the nineties, when my street came into being, it was called Indra Nagar. Elders tell me that at that time the government had given free pattas to 100 families and this street came up.

Earlier there was a mud road, and when a concrete road came up the government officials named it Adidravidar street which means that people belonging to the Scheduled Caste live here.

I did my schooling in my village as there is a higher secondary school here. Later I joined engineering college and became a civil engineer. I had applied for an Aadhaar card when I was in college and had given my address as Indra Nagar, but when the card came it showed my address as Adidravidar street, thus labeling me as a member of the Scheduled Caste.

When I applied for a job the appointment letter also showed Adidravidar street. Thus, even before I joined a company, everyone there knew I am a Scheduled Caste member. You know how much respect we command.

When I was working in Hyderabad I heard that the CM's cell in Tamil Nadu was very proactive. So when I came for a holiday to my village I drafted a petition to reclaim our original name 'Indra Nagar' and gathered the signature of all the residents there.

I gave the petition in the collector's office to be given to the CM's cell in August 2022. The petition was forwarded to the block development office, but nothing happened.

The next year, in February 2023, I drafted another petition in which I mentioned my earlier petition and this time went and gave it directly in the CM's cell in Chennai. The voter IDs of our street residents and ration cards all showed the casteist name.

I sent a petition to the ration office and they changed the address to Indra Nagar only in my card, but did not do anything about the street name.

The CM's cell sent my petition to the collector who in turn sent it to our BDO. Our village panchayat president passed a resolution saying that our street should be called Indra Nagar, and he did it based on a order from the district collector.

I met the panchayat president and thanked him. After a month they put up a board which announced our street as Indra Nagar.

I think it is a matter of self-respect and dignity to live in Indra Nagar rather than in a street that identifies your caste.

IMAGE: Anusuya with villagers next to the name board.

As early as 1978 MGR (M G Ramachandran) as chief minister had said that all caste names should be removed from street and village names. Two years ago, the current government in Tamil Nadu reiterated the same but on the ground nothing has been followed.

Villupuram MP D Ravikumar praised me at a public meeting.

In future I would like to build better toilets in the school and also maintain it. I will strive to get more facilities in the school ground for more outdoor and indoor games.

I am a civil engineer and have a good job in the private sector. My dream is to live a life of peace and contentment. A friend who attended the name board erecting ceremony told me that he was inspired by me.

There was a road in his village that had not been repaired for 15 years. With my guidance he gave a petition to the district collector and also to the CM's cell. I hope more people approach the government when there is a public problem.

My village has a higher secondary school. There is a primary health centre with one nurse. There is a bus stop and the nearest railway station is at Ariyalur. Electricity is available, both tap water and well water are available.

The roads are in poor condition because a lot of lime mining takes place around here and the heavily laden lorries break the road. I did this for self-respect and dignity, I have no ideas of standing for panchayat elections.

My street is an educated one, we have ten engineers, two doctors and many teachers.

It is our duty to bring our civic problems to the powers that be. They will do the needful, all you need is persistence.

As told to A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com
Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday questioned the need to "steal" the Nationalist Congress Party if the Maharashtra government is already enjoying the majority as claimed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray addresses a rally at Digras in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Photograph: @ShivSenaUBT_/Twitter

He said the "one nation, one party" plan of the saffron party would not be accepted and claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma has faded which was seen in the recently-held Karnataka assembly elections.

Thackeray also claimed he had been left with no option but to join hands with the NCP and Congress after the 2019 polls as Union Home Minister Amit Shah had refused to keep the agreement of sharing the chief minister's post between BJP and Shiv Sena (undivided).

He embarked on a two-day tour of Vidarbha region to reach out to Shiv Sena-UBT workers.

Addressing a rally at Digras in Yavatmal district, Thackeray referred to nine MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party including Ajit Pawar joining the Maharashtra government and questioned the need to "steal" the NCP if the government enjoys majority as claimed by the BJP.

Digras is the home turf of Shiv Sena MLA and state minister Sanjay Rathod, who is aligned with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

One nation, one law can be understood. But we will never accept one nation, one party plan of the BJP, Thackeray said.

He said 40 MLAs of Shiv Sena went to the BJP (last year) along with some independent legislators.

In an apparent reference to the recent induction of nine MLAs of NCP in the Shiv Sena-BJP government including Ajit Pawar, the former chief minister the BJP has now become a party of riff-raff.

We have seen some MLAs jumping from one party to another ahead of elections. However, swallowing a party has to be stopped. In a democracy, every party should be allowed to express their views even though they are political opponents, Thackeray said.

He said there was a time when a new government used to be formed through ballot papers, "but now the new government is formed through 'khokas' (boxes of money).

PM Modi in Madhya Pradesh said that a Rs 70,000 crore scam took place in Maharashtra and blamed it on the Nationalist Congress Party.

"Within a few days, an NCP (section) joined the Maharashtra government. Now leaders of the NCP will share their photos with the prime minister. What sort of Hindutva is this? he asked.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Thackeray said had the BJP respected the "decision" taken before the 2019 Maharashtra polls on sharing of the chief minister's post, BJP workers would not have been required to carry "carpets" of other parties now.

"Sharing of the chief ministerial post was decided between me and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah before the 2019 state Assembly elections.

"Today, the BJP and Shiv Sena chief ministers would have completed their tenure. If that had been done, the old BJP workers would have not been required to pick up the carpets of other parties," he said.

At the rally in Digras, Thackeray repeated his claim.

"After the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2019, he (Shah) refused to admit this decision (on a rotational post of the chief minister), prompting me to join hands with the NCP and the Congress, Thackeray claimed.

To a query on the BJP's criticism that he went to 'Mantralaya' (state secretariat) only twice when he was the chief minister but now embarking on the Vidarbha tour, Thackeray said the BJP is not competent to say anything.

"BJP should stop levelling allegations against others and handle those they have taken along with them. I do not think the BJP deserves anything to be said about it. It has no right to preach to us. I am just waiting to see how the BJP handles the new riff-raff, he said.

Commenting on the pleas seeking disqualification of the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, Thackeray said the Supreme Court has already given a framework to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker.

"The Speaker will have to decide on the disqualification issue within the given framework. If he tries to bypass it, the Supreme Court's doors are always open for us, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Saturday said notices have been issued to 40 MLAs of CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray faction including his son Aaditya Thackeray, seeking their replies on disqualification petitions against them.

"The Speaker will have to decide on the disqualification issue within the given framework. If he tries to bypass it, the Supreme Court's doors are always open for us, Thackeray said.

He also took a swipe at the Centre over the violence in Manipur, saying the government should send officials of Income Tax, ED and CBI to the north-eastern state and try to "silence those people like these teams do in other parts of India.

"Send them there and establish peace in Manipur, he said.

Speaking on the Uniform Civil Code, Thackeray said the Union government comes up with new issues every time and tries to divert the attention of people from existing controversies that could potentially affect it.

In Amravati, Shiv Sena-UBT workers on Sunday pulled down posters of local MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana on the eve of Thackeray's visit to the city.

The Rana couple has said they would recite Hanuman Chalisa at Girls High School square in Amravati on Monday and their supporters had put up posters informing about it.

In retaliation, workers of Yuva Swabhiman Party of Ravi Rana tore posters of Thackeray put up by the Shiv Sena-UBT near Jaistambh Square and the government guest house, where the former CM is staying overnight.
Incessant rains unleashed more death and destruction on Monday in parts of north India, with 37 people killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the last two days even as the Army and NDRF teams stepped in to intensify the relief and rescue operations.

IMAGE: The Beas is in spate due to heavy rainfall in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Photograph: ANI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand about the situation and assured them of all help and support from the central government.

Modi also spoke with senior ministers and officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of excessive rainfall in parts of the country, his office said.

Flash floods and landslides claimed 18 lives over the past two days in Himachal Pradesh, while nine people died in Punjab and Haryana, seven in Rajasthan and three in Uttar Pradesh in different rain-related incidents.

Several rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday.

A total of 39 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in four north Indian states to tackle the heavy rains and floods. While 14 teams are working in Punjab, a dozen are deployed in Himachal Pradesh, eight in Uttarakhand and five in Haryana.

"The rescue operations are being undertaken as per the situation on ground and in coordination with the state authorities," an NDRF spokesperson said.

IMAGE: Vehicles seen passing by a road that collapsed due to incessant rains in Kangra. Photograph: ANI Photo

In Punjab, the Army rescued 910 students and 50 others from a private university in the state after it was flooded with water due to heavy rains.

The civil administration in Punjab and Haryana had earlier sought help for the rescue operation from the Army, which sent the flood relief columns of Army's Western Command to assist the administration in the flood affected areas of the two states.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked the Centre to make available additional relief from the PM CARES Fund for states affected by the torrential rain.

In Himachal Pradesh, there was no let-up in the monsoon fury on Monday with flash floods and landslides claiming 18 lives over the past two days, affecting hydropower projects and destroying properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

As many as 72 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since June 24 in the state.

Officials said over 300 tourists and local people are stranded in Chandertal, Pagal Nallah and other places in Lahaul and Spiti, while teams of NDRF, police and home guard rescued 515 labourers from waterlogged slum areas at Lalsingi in Una district.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said efforts are on to rescue the 300 stranded people, and they could be airlifted as the weather clears. Power and water supply has been snapped in several areas.

He said an assessment of loss is underway and it is estimated to be in the range of Rs 3,000-Rs 4000 crore, according to a government statement.

Preliminary estimates by the State Emergency Operation Centre, however, pegged the loss at Rs 785 crore. It reported 18 rain-related deaths since Sunday morning.

Around 800 roads are still closed in the state. According to transport department officials bus services on 1,255 routes of the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) have been suspended and 576 buses are stranded at different places on route.

Three members of a Nepali family were killed as their house collapsed at Shimla's Theog, with the video of the incident going viral.

IMAGE: Vehicles are submerged in a waterlogged road following heavy rainfall at Dera Bassi in Mohali. Photograph: ANI Photo

On Monday morning, the India meteorological department (IMD) issued a "red" alert for "extremely heavy rain", a day after heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, and damaging houses.

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.

The Shimla-Kalka national highway was blocked near Shoghi, about 16 km from the capital city, following a landslide on Monday.

More than 120 roads are blocked in the district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, the officials said.

CM Sukhu appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, as the met department has warned of heavy rains to continue.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held a meeting over the torrential rains and the rising Yamuna water levels in the city.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will start once the river touches the 206-metre mark while assuring the people that experts have said the flood situation might not arise in the national capital.

The government is closely monitoring the situation and was fully prepared to tackle it, he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, three people were killed and as many seriously injured in incidents of roof collapse following heavy rainfall in Hapur and Badaun districts while continued showers disrupted normal life in different districts of the state.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In a review meeting following heavy rains, Adityanath asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of the NDRF and SDRF as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert.

IMAGE: A pile of debris blocks the road due to a landslide caused by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur. Photograph: ANI Photo

In Rajasthan, intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill in eastern and central parts of the state, flooding out roads, rail tracks, and even hospitals. More showers are expected to lash around a dozen districts on Tuesday as well.

A seven-year-old boy was swept away on Monday in the gushing waters of an overflowing drain in the Murlipura area in state capital Jaipur, where several areas reeled from waterlogging.

Three deaths due to drowning were reported from Ajmer, two from Nagaur and one from Tonk.

The met department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Bharatpur, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, and Udaipur on Monday and in Baran, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kota, Pratapgarh and Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday. The state has 33 districts.

The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings -- green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).

Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.

Nine people have died in rain-related incidents in the two states.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation.

Chandigarh also witnessed record rainfall during the past three days, and a few roads were filled with rainwater.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to people not to panic as heavy rains caused flooding at some places in the state.

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in the state and to speed up the relief work.

Mohali, Patiala, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Panchkula and Ambala are some of the worst-hit districts in the two states.

In view of the prevailing situation, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting of senior officials of various departments.

He also took stock of the situation with senior officials in the meeting in which Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was also present.

In Uttarakhand, the Badrinath national highway and several other roads were blocked due to incessant rains and landslides on Monday, officials said.

The traffic on the highway was restored after a few hours while efforts are on to open other roads that are still closed, they said.
Amid soaring tensions between the United States and China, Beijing has firmly opposed the meeting of Joe Biden administration's top official on human rights, Uzra Zeya, with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

IMAGE: Top US official on human rights, Uzra Zeya and US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti meet the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. Photograph: Kind courtesy @NetTibet/Twitter

Strongly objecting to the meeting, Beijing has asked Washington to stop meddling in the internal affairs of China under the pretext of Tibet-related issues.

Taking to Twitter, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Wang Xiaojian, said, "The US should take concrete actions to honour its commitment of acknowledging Xizang as part of China, stop meddling in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Xizang-related issues, and offer no support to the anti-China separatist activities of the Dalai clique.

"Xizang (Tibet) affairs are purely internal affairs of China and no external forces have the right to interfere. China firmly opposes any form of contact between foreign officials and the 'Tibetan independence' forces," the Chinese spokesperson added.

The Chinese reaction came after Zeya met with the Dalai Lama during her India visit, according to Central Tibetan administration, a non-profit political organisation, which works for the Tibetan government in exile.

The Chinese embassy spokesperson stated that the designation of Uzra Zeya as Special Coordinator for Tibet issues is "pure offence" and a political manipulation to "interfere in China's internal affairs" and "undermine Tibet's development and stability."

China has always been firmly opposed to this and has never recognized it, the spokesperson said.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means just a religious figure, but rather a political exile who has long been engaging in anti-China separatist activities and attempting to split Xizang from China," Wang Xiaojian said.

"The so-called 'Tibetan government-in-exile' is an out-and-out separatist political group and an illegal organization completely in violation of China's Constitution and laws. It is not recognized by any country in the world," the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said.

On July 9, US official Zeya tweeted, "Namaste, New Delhi! Look forward to productive meetings with Government of India & civil society leaders building on momentum of @narendramodi 's historic State Visit. Together, we are working toward a world that is more open, prosperous, secure, inclusive & resilient!"

The US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is on a 7-day visit to two nations -- India and Bangladesh-- from July 8-14.

US State Department in a statement had said that during her India visit, she is expected to meet with senior government officials to discuss the deepening and enduring US-India partnership, including advancing shared solutions to global challenges, democracy, regional stability, and cooperation on humanitarian relief.

Zeya is being accompanied by US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu.

Zeya was appointed as the special coordinator for Tibetan Issues in December 2021.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, saying it cannot stultify the investigation in the case.

IMAGE: Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Photograph: PTI Photo

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha allowed Banerjee to avail available remedies under the law but refused to interfere with the May 18 order of the Calcutta high court.

"We are not going to interfere with the impugned order as this would stultify the investigation. Petitioner can avail the available remedies under the law," the bench said.

On May 26, the top court had stayed the imposition of Rs 25 lakh cost on Banerjee by the high court which had dismissed his plea for recall of its previous order that CBI and ED could interrogate him in the West Bengal school jobs scam cases.

The top court, had however not stayed the part of the high court order which had said the central probe agencies could quiz the TMC general secretary in connection with these cases.

Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Calcutta high court had dismissed a petition filed by Banerjee, a Lok Sabha MP, seeking recall of its previous order which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the case related to the scam.

On April 28, the apex court had asked the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge, days after voicing displeasure over Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's interview to a TV news channel where he spoke about the raging controversy.

Banerjee, who was on May 20 questioned for over nine hours by the CBI, has sought the apex court's direction that no coercive steps be taken against him by the probe agency.

The TMC leader's name cropped up in a complaint filed by Kuntal Ghosh, a local businessman and an accused in the school jobs scam cases, where he alleged that central investigating agencies were pressuring him to name Banerjee in the case.

The agency's summons to Banerjee had come within 24 hours of the Calcutta high court dismissing a petition filed by him seeking recall of a previous court order which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the teacher recruitment scam case.



Banerjee had alleged that while TMC leaders who were unwilling to bend were being harassed, BJP leaders who had been involved in various cases were allowed to go scot-free.

The two-time MP from Diamond Harbour was questioned by the ED twice in the coal pilferage case in the agency's office in the national capital in 2021 and also in Kolkata in 2022.

While the CBI is probing the criminal aspect of the school jobs scam cases, the ED is looking into the money trail involved in the alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on July 11 the Manipur government's plea against the high court order on limited restoration of the internet in the state.

IMAGE: People of Manipur living in Chennai stage a protest against the violence in the state and demanding peace and control over the current situation, in Chennai, July 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha agreed to hear the plea on Tuesday after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought urgent listing of the matter, saying the situation in the state keeps changing very fast.

"This is concerning internet shutdown in Manipur. The situation in the state keeps changing very fast. The appeal is against the high court order where it has directed restoration of internet service. Kindly hear it today (Monday) itself," Mehta said.

The bench said since a batch of pleas on Manipur violence was listed for hearing during the day, it may consider his request then.

During the hearing of the clutch of petitions on ethnic violence in the state, the bench said since it is posting them for hearing on Tuesday, it will also consider the plea of the state government on internet shutdown alongside.

On July 7, the Manipur high court had directed the state government to carry out physical trials to check the feasibility of providing internet service while ensuring security and property of citizens.

The high court, which has asked for a detailed report from the state government, will hear the case on July 25.

After hearing multiple PILs, a division bench of the high court had said, "In the case of fibre to the home connections, internet service can be provided by the home department on a case to case basis" after ensuring compliance of the safeguards suggested by the committee."

The 12-member expert committee had informed the court that internet service could be provided through broadband connections, either through internet leased line or FTTH by ensuring "static IP, banning of Wifi/Hotspots from any of the routers or system, blocking of social media websites and VPNs at the local level, removal of VPN softwares from the system and prohibiting installation of new softwares by any user and enforcing physical monitoring by the concerned authority/ officials."
Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Wai constituency in Maharashtra's Satara district, Makarand Patil, on Monday, said he has joined the camp led by senior party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Photograph: @AjitPawarSpeaks/Twitter

Patil said he decided to join the Ajit Pawar camp to save two sugar factories in his constituency which are in financial crisis and in the hope of bringing development and resolving tourism-related issues in Wai.

Notably, Patil was present during NCP founder Sharad Pawar's visit to Karad city, a day after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

The MLA claimed his name had figured in the list of nine ministers of NCP, including Ajit Pawar who took oath last Sunday.

"But I told Ajit Pawar that I would have to consult my supporters and people from the constituency before taking any decision," he told PTI.

Several workers and supporters of Patil from Satara district met Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Saturday.

In the video of the meeting, an NCP functionary from the Wai constituency is seen demanding a Cabinet berth for Patil.

The MLA said it was a very difficult call to take as both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar are dear to him.

"It was a tough decision. Recently, I took over two sugar factories that were in a financial crisis. Just because of people's insistence, I contested the elections to these factories. I could handle the last year's (sugarcane crushing) season without any problem," he said.

Patil said they faced various difficulties in the last year when not in power in managing the factories.

"Against this backdrop, we have decided (to join the Ajit Pawar camp) to save these sugar factories, and to address the issues related to development and tourism in my constituency," he added.

Patil claimed he took this decision on the insistence of NCP workers who flagged issues related to the sugar mills and development in Wai.

After joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the Ajit Pawar camp has staked the claim to the NCP name and symbol.

Ajit Pawar loyalists, including Praful Patel, are insisting that they have the support of "40 plus" out of the 53 MLAs of NCP.
Defending the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity, with street violence, orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks, becoming "a thing of the past."

Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: G20 foreign delegates being welcomed on their arrival in Srinagar, May 22, 2023. It was a watershed event in the history of valley tourism, the government told the Supreme Court on July 10, 2023.

Referring to the "characteristic security situation" in the region, the Centre said organised stone pelting incidents connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1,767 in 2018 has come down to zero in 2023 till date and casualty of security personnel has shown a 65.9 per cent decline in 2022 as compared to 2018.

The Centre's affidavit will be taken up on Tuesday by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions challenging the decision to abrogate Article 370 that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre had decided to strip the erstwhile state of J and K of special status and bifurcate it into two Union territories.

Several petitions challenging the Centre's decision to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split J-K into two Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- were referred to a Constitution bench in 2019.

The Centre contended that the "historic constitutional step" being challenged has brought unprecedented development, progress, security and stability to the region, which was often missing during the old Article 370 regime. It is submitted that the same has been possible due to the policy of the Union of India of ensuring peace, prosperity and progress in the region, the affidavit said.

It is submitted that the hosting of G-20 tourism working group meeting at Srinagar in the month of May 2023, was a watershed event in the history of valley tourism and the country proudly displayed its resolute commitment to the world that secessionist terrorist region can be converted into a region where even international dignitaries can be invited and global events can be held."

The Centre said after the historic changes, the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed profound ameliorative, affirmative and progressive changes in last four years encompassing its entire governance -- including the developmental activities, public administration and security matters which has positively impacted every resident irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

It said bandhs and stone pelting (together), engineered, financed and forced by the separatist-terrorist networks, had tremendous negative ripple effects on economy and the society as a whole.

It is submitted that the defining characteristic of the security situation in the region, which has a direct bearing on the day-to-day life of common citizens is 'street violence' which was a methodical and regular phenomenon. The street violence, engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks has now become thing of the past. The organized stone pelting incidents connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1,767 in the year 2018 has come down to zero in the year 2023 till date, the Centre said in its 20-page affidavit.

It added that bandhs' and stone pelting had resulted in closure of schools, colleges and universities, trade, industries and businesses on a regular basis intermittently, leading to severe loss of income especially of the poor and those who worked in unorganized sectors.

In the year 2018, there were 52 incidents of organised bandh/hartal', which have come down to zero in the year 2023 till date. In addition, resolute anti-terror actions have resulted in dismantling of the terror eco-system which is reflected in a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023 till date."

The Centre said work on transit accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits for their safe return to the valley is in the advanced stage and is expected to be majorly completed in the next one year.

Highlighting numerous schemes launched by the Centre for the development of the entire region, the government said life has returned to normalcy in the region after over three decades of turmoil.

It is submitted that schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances during the last three years. The earlier practice of daily hartals, strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now, it added.

Emphasising that certain sections of the society, including displaced persons from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and children of women married outside J&K, were earlier deprived of their basic rights prior to the August 5, 2019, decision, the government said all the residents of the region are enjoying all rights which are available to citizens in other parts of the country.

It said with the constitutional changes and enactments of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, seats have been reserved for the persons belonging to Scheduled Tribe, which has resulted in grant of reservation in legislature to them similar to the reservation available to such community in Legislative Assemblies of other States/Union territories in the country.

It is submitted that with the improved security scenario, the Union territory has also witnessed highest ever footfall of tourists, viz, 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir only during January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 which is significantly contributing to the growth of the economy and has a direct impact on the income of common man, the Centre highlighted.
The Manipur government told the Supreme Court on Monday it is making best efforts to safeguard the rights and security of all citizens irrespective of caste, creed, religion, tribe and community in the violence-hit state.

Photograph: ANI Photo

The updated status report filed by the chief secretary of the state was taken on record by the bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, which asked lawyers representing different ethnic groups to give some positive suggestions to bring normalcy and peace in the state.

The report urged the top court that the matter may be taken up by the petitioners and other parties with utmost sensitivity as any misinformation or rumour or even suspicion may aggravate the situation in Manipur, where things are slowly returning to normal with the concerted efforts of the central and the state governments.

'It is stated that even if one-sided arguments are being portrayed in the court -- with the advent of live reporting, there is a possibility of the same affecting the public order in the state of Manipur,' the state government said.

It said one of the petitioners -- NGO 'Manipur Tribal Forum'-- should refrain from naming the tribes and the religion they followed during the hearings as it may have an adverse impact on the ground, whether intended or not.

The report said, 'It is respectfully submitted that the state government is putting best effort in safeguarding rights and security of all irrespective of caste, creed, religion and tribe/ community. The State Government is also committed to take into account the claims and counter claims of all stakeholders and communities in a holistic manner to bring normalcy in the state at the earliest.'

It highlighted the steps taken with regard to security and said force deployment is being planned, implemented and reviewed on a daily basis by the security advisor to the Manipur government.

'In this regard, the state police is spearheading the efforts to bring normalcy to the state under the leadership of the newly appointed director general of police. Furthermore, standard operating procedures (SOP) have been put in place to deal with general area domination as well as to address any emergent situations,' it said and gave details of deployment of security personnel.

The report added the conditional relaxation in internet suspension (internet was suspended statewide on May 3, 2023) by allowing Internet Leased Lines (ILL) on a case-to-case basis after obtaining proper undertaking from the applicants, so as to facilitate proper functioning of offices and institutions, has been undertaken.

The state government said illegal bunkers constructed by miscreants, which were a cause of concern in both the hills and the valley, are being dismantled by the security forces.

'It is stated that security cover for undertaking agriculture and for escorting essential items from Jiribam to Imphal have been deployed. In general, curfew relaxation hours are being enhanced across the state keeping in view the local conditions,' it said.

Citing a police report, the chief secretary said around 5,995 FIRs have been registered as of July 4, 2023 and are being investigated.

Six important FIRs have already been transferred to the CBI for independent investigation.

The state government said the Centre has constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by Ajai Lamba, a former chief justice of the Gauhati high court, to go into the incidents of violence and causes of conflict.

The status report said a compensation package was announced under which an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh, shared equally by the state and the Centre, for those killed in the ethnic violence was being made.

An amount of Rs 2 lakh was being given to those grievously injured and Rs 25,000 to people who received non-grievous injuries.

It said district administrations, volunteers and civil society organisations were coordinating rehabilitation efforts and providing humanitarian assistance.

The chief secretary said school-going students staying in relief camps have been identified, and efforts are underway to link them to the nearest school possible.

'In this regard, schools for Classes 1 to 8 have been opened with effect from July 5, 2023. Furthermore, except 96 schools where relief measures are still operational, all schools have been asked to open, subject to assessment of local situation. It is stated that competitive exams like UPSC, NEET (UG), CUET (UG), CUET (PG) and semester examinations of Manipur University have been conducted with due flexibility ensuring participation of inhabitants of all districts,' the status report said.

Regarding essential supplies, including fuel, it said the availability was reviewed on a daily basis.

At least 150 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Tribal Kukis and Nagas constitute 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
During his visit to Lviv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the appointment of Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko as the new commander of the National Guard, Suspilne said.

"I have appointed Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko commander of the National Guard of Ukraine. Mr. Commander, I wish you and all of our Ukraine the liberation of all our land and the return of all our people, the desired victory, of course I am grateful to you, I am grateful to all the soldiers who are today awarded state awards  orders. Thank you for courage, for the feats with which you protect life and our state," Zelenskyy said.

In addition, the president presented ten orders "For Courage."
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The Ministers of Culture of Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, with the participation of a UNESCO representative, initiated strengthening support for the cultural heritage of Ukraine through special financial instruments and the creation of the International Fund for the Protection of Ukraine's Cultural Heritage, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said.

"Together with our close partners, Ministers of Culture of Latvia Nauris Puntulis, Poland Piotr Glinski, Lithuania Simonas Kairys, Estonia Heidy Purga and UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone held a meeting dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine," he wrote on the Telegram channel on Sunday.

According to Tkachenko, the participants of the meeting signed a joint declaration, which recorded the need and initiative to create two financial instruments to support the cultural heritage of Ukraine - to call on the European Commission and the member states of the European Union to strengthen their commitment to support Ukraine through special financial instruments at the EU level and initiate the creation of International Fund for the Protection of Ukraine's Cultural Heritage.

"Ukrainian intangible heritage is under threat due to the Russian invasion. And I am grateful to our friends for their constant support. For understanding that the preservation of the cultural heritage of Ukraine needs the support of all partner countries. Only together can we overcome the enemy and build our common future," Tkachenko summed up.
The heads of the parliaments of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland adopted a joint statement and called on the allies participating in the Vilnius summit, in particular, to commit themselves to Ukraine's membership in NATO and to determine the path for the state to join the Alliance, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk has said.

"This is the last decision at a high parliamentary level regarding Ukraine's membership in the Alliance on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius. The speakers of the parliaments, in particular, called on the allies participating in the Vilnius summit to commit themselves to the fact that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, and the Alliance will determine the path for accession of Ukraine to NATO, work closely to develop security commitments for Ukraine, which will in no way be an alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO and should not slow down Ukraine's progress along this path," the Verkhovna Rada chairman said on his Facebook page after a joint briefing with parliamentary speakers Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Ukraine on Monday in Riga.

In addition, the joint statement of the heads of parliaments also focuses on the need for allies to support the peace formula of Ukrainian
Task Management and note-taking company Evernote has laid off most of its employees in US and Chile as it plans to move its operations to Europe, where its parent company, Bending Spoons functions.

This step is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and making complete use of the parent company, which has a strong presence and user base in Europe.

What led to the layoffs?

The sudden plan to shift to Europe led to the need of laying off employees based in the US and Chile. As a result, the layoff communication was announced earlier this month.

However, the company is committed to supporting those affected and has announced a substantial package for the same. The package according to the company includes 16 weeks of salary, up to one year of health insurance and a performance bonus. In addition to this, employees who have been affected by visa problems will also be offered additional support.

The company finds the future operations in Europe to be optimistic and highlights that going forward, a dedicated team in Europe will continue to assume operations and ownership of the company. This team is supposed to be based on the ideas of extensive expertise and aims to catalyse around 400-plus workforce at Bending Spoons for a good future.

Evernote's Journey

The company was acquired by the mobile developer and an Italian parent company, Bending Spoons last year in November. The acquisition is expected to help the company work on building new features.

The company had earlier fired almost 129 workers in February citing the reasons for loss in the company.

The company became one of the most popular note-taking companies since its inception in 2008. It started losing its momentum when similar companies started to emerge with increasing competition.
Indian Army on Monday, July 10 foiled a major infiltration bid in Nowshera Sector of Rajouri district after few suspected terrorists were seen entering Indian territory from Pakistans side. This comes at a time when Pakistan is making desperate attempts to disrupt the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Sources within the Indian Army informed Republic World that on the morning of July 10, 1-2 terrorists were seen entering the Indian territory on the digital devices installed for manning the border areas. After detecting the suspected activity, the Indian Army troops swung into action. As per a source, The troops fired at the suspected terrorists after they were captured infiltrating to the Indian side. Searches are underway in the area, where movement of terrorists was spotted. The details will be reportedly shared once the operation concludes.

Army jawans conduct search operation along border areas

Lieutenant Colonel and Defence spokesperson (Jammu), Suneel Bartwal also confirmed to Republic World that an operation is in progress in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

Reports suggest that Pakistan, in order to revive terrorism in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has made three major attempts in Poonch and Rajouri districts with three massive terror attacks in the region. One such incident took place on January 01, wherein seven civilians were killed by terrorists in Dhangri area of Rajouri, after terrorists suddenly barged into their houses.

Further, five soldiers of Indian Armys Rashtriya Rifle Unit were killed in a cowardly terrorist attack on April 20th in Bhatta Durriyan area of Poonch. Later, on May 5, as many as five Army jawans from Special Forces of Indian Army attained martyrdom in a terror attack in Kandi area of Rajouri.
Anti-government demonstrators in Kenya lit bonfires and barricaded major roads in the capital Friday as part of nationwide protests against the governments plans to increase taxes. Police detained more than 20 protesters.

Hundreds of protesters turned up in Nairobi, as well as in the coastal city of Mombasa and the lakeside city of Kisumu, where the opposition enjoys huge support. Some businesses closed their doors. Police dispersed the protesters with tear gas canisters.

Protester Emmanuel Wafula in Nairobi said he wanted President William Ruto to lower the cost of living, not raise it through his administrations newly passed tax package.

He wants to tax the little money we have in our pockets. What will we eat? Wafula said. He is increasing taxes to people who have nothing. If one has money, it is okay to be taxed. We have nothing!

Nairobi police commander Adamson Bungei told The Associated Press that more than 20 people had been arrested by midday, but he did not say what charges they would face.

The governments tax package increased the value added tax on petroleum from 8% to 16%, boosted a business turnover tax from 1% to 3% and created a new 1.5% percent housing tax for salaried workers.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called on followers not to pay the taxes, and for civil disobedience to protest them, including more nationwide demonstrations planned for next Wednesday.

The implementation of some of the new tax provisions has been suspended by a court pending a case filed by an opposition senator challenging their legality. The government has, however, implemented the increased fuel tax.

At a rally Friday in Nairobi, Odinga launched a petition drive to get 10 million Kenyans to sign an impeachment motion against President Ruto. However, the Kenyan constitution grants impeachment powers only to the national assembly, which the ruling party currently controls.

The opposition in March held a series of weekly protests that turned deadly and caused damage to property and businesses. President Ruto then invited the opposition into a dialogue, and the opposition called off its protests. It later accused the government of dishonesty during the talks and vowed to resume demonstrations.

The Kenyan constitution guarantees the right to peaceful demonstrations, but police sometimes deny permits to opposition groups because of a past history of violence and vandalism.
Iran has sentenced a popular rapper to six years and three months in prison over his participation in protests that rocked the country last year, his supporters said Monday.

A social media account run by supporters of Toomaj Salehi announced the sentence, as did Ye-One Rhie, a member of the German parliament who has campaigned on his behalf. There was no immediate word from Iranian authorities.

Salehi was among thousands of mostly young Iranians who took to the streets last fall after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict Islamic dress code. The protests spread across the country and quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

Salehi expressed support for the protests in songs and videos that were widely circulated online.

Authorities launched a heavy crackdown in which over 500 people were killed and nearly 20,000 arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that closely monitored the unrest. Authorities have said many of those detained were released or given reduced sentences.

The protests largely died down earlier this year, but there are still widespread signs of discontent.

Iran has executed a total of seven people in connection with the protests, accusing them of attacking security forces. They were convicted in secretive courts where rights groups say they were denied the right to defend themselves. Salehi's supporters had feared he could face the death penalty.
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will review bilateral relations in a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The visit will be an opportunity to review progress in bilateral relations & strengthen our comprehensive development partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Both ministers will also witness exchange of project development agreements under Indian grant assistance, the ministry said in a statement. Shahid will also deliver the 43rd Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy', the statement said. The Maldivian minister's visit is in continuation of the series of high-level visits from both sides and is expected to lend further momentum to the substantive bilateral cooperation between the two countries, it said.
Myanmars prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea and concern over arms buildups in the region are expected to dominate the agenda when Southeast Asias top diplomats gather for talks this week in Indonesia.

Russia's year-old invasion of Ukraine and the U.S.-China rivalry will also be under the spotlight as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang participate as dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

North Korea has yet to say whether its foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual regional security meeting.

It's also unclear who among the key figures in the worlds most intractable conflicts will meet on the sidelines of the group's ministerial meetings.

The top diplomats of ASEAN, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, will meet Tuesday and Wednesday before their other Asian and Western counterparts join them in discussions on Thursday and Friday.

Founded in 1967, the often-unwieldy collective of democracies, autocracies and monarchies has been held together for decades by bedrock principles of non-interference in each others domestic affairs and consensus-based decision-making. But that approach has also prevented the 10-nation bloc from dealing swiftly with crises that spill across borders.

ASEAN's principles have been tested since Myanmars army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and plunged the country into deadly chaos. It has become one of ASEANs gravest crises since its establishment.

More than 3,750 civilians, including pro-democracy activists, have been killed by security forces and nearly 24,000 arrested since the military takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group that keeps tallies of such arrests and casualties.

Myanmar's military government has largely ignored a five-point plan by ASEAN heads of state that includes an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among all contending parties. That prompted the regional group to take an unprecedented punitive step by barring Myanmars military leaders from its top-level gatherings, including the ministerial meetings, that Indonesia will host.

Since assuming ASEANs rotating chairmanship this year, Indonesia has initiated some 110 meetings with various groups in Myanmar and provided humanitarian aid to build trust, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said, adding that continuing violence would hurt efforts to return the strife-torn nation to normalcy within ASEAN.

"ASEAN is still very concerned about the increasing use of violence in Myanmar which has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of public facilities, Retno said at a news conference on Friday. This must stop immediately.

Two months ago, an aid convoy with Indonesian and Singaporean embassy representatives on an ASEAN mission to provide help to displaced people came under fire from unknown attackers in a road ambush in Myanmar's eastern Shan State. A security team returned fire and a security vehicle was damaged, but no one in the convoy was injured, state-run television MRTV reported.

ASEAN has come under international pressure to effectively address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appear to be divided over how to proceed, with some recommending to ease punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmars generals and invite its top diplomat and officials back to the high-profile summit meetings.

Retno stressed the group would continue to focus on enforcing the ASEAN leaders five-point plan.

A draft of a post-meeting communique to be issued by the ASEAN foreign ministers remained blank on Myanmar, reflecting the difficulty of reaching agreement on the issue. Their concerns over other contentious issues, such as the South China Sea disputes, were already included in the draft, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The non-recognition of Myanmars military government by ASEAN and Asian and Western countries has caused problems.

Myanmar is scheduled next year to assume the role of coordinating ASEANs engagements with the European Union. But the E.U., which has imposed sanctions on the military government, has opposed such a role for Myanmar, two Southeast Asian diplomats told the AP on condition of anonymity because they lack authority to discuss the issue publicly.

On the South China Sea conflicts, ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to renew a call for self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, according to the draft communique, repeating language used in previous statements that does not name China.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have been embroiled in the long-simmering territorial conflicts with China and Taiwan for decades. ASEAN and China have been negotiating a non-aggression pact that aims to prevent an escalation of the disputes, but the talks have faced years of delay.

The disputed waters have emerged as a delicate front in the rivalry between China and the United States.

Washington has challenged Beijings expansive territorial claims and regularly deploys warships and fighter jets in what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols that have incensed China.

Other Western and European nations have deployed navy ships on occasional patrols in the busy waterway, where a bulk of the worlds trade transits, with a similar call for unimpeded commerce and mobility.

China's increasingly aggressive actions have prompted other countries to boost their territorial defenses.

"We expressed concern about the growing arms race and naval power projection in the region, which could lead to miscalculation, increased tensions, and may undermine regional peace, security, and stability, the ASEAN foreign ministers said without elaborating in their draft communique, whose wording is still subject to negotiations and could change.

"To ensure a more stable and predictable maritime sphere in the region, we underlined the importance of strengthening maritime governance, they said.
Nepal's Foreign Minister N P Saud on Monday underlined the need for further strengthening the Himalayan nation's ties with India and China as he asserted that the relations with one neighbour should not be compared with another.

"Both our neighbours are rising economic powers and their influence is increasing... Nepal enjoys a traditional friendship with both the neighbours," which needs to be further nurtured, Foreign Minister Saud said while speaking at the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives.

He said the relationship with one neighbour should not be compared with another neighbour, according to his office.

"So far as Nepal's relations with the neighbouring countries are concerned, we should not feel psychological pressure and we need to put our concern in a transparent manner," he added.

Nepal's relations with India are historical and special, he said, noting that "owing to our open border, two-third trade links and transit facilities, our relations with the southern neighbour holds significance." Saud said that Nepal is committed to the 'one-China' policy, and underscored the need that Nepal should not allow its territory to be used against its neighbours.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is planning an official visit to China in September, a bid by the senior Maoist leader to strike a balance in relations with both China and India.

This will be Prachanda's second foreign trip after assuming the office in December last year. Earlier, the 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) leader last month visited India as his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time.

Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

"As far as Nepals development relations are concerned, our relations with the USA and European Union are important from a development perspective," he said.

He underscored the need for maximum mobilisation of development assistance with the US and EU member countries. He also informed the Parliamentary committee that the US-aided Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will be implemented from August.

Nepal and the US had signed a deal to implement USD 500 million grant assistance to Kathmandu mainly for maintaining road quality and building cross-border transmission lines.

On the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement signed between Nepal and China, the minister told the House Committee that it is not yet implemented and discussions are underway for its implementation.

China has been actively investing in Nepal in many infrastructure projects.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday on a three-day visit that is aimed at further boosting bilateral defence and strategic ties.

Singh is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan, besides calling on Prime Minister YB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.

"Delighted to arrive in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur. Looking forward to my engagements with the political leadership of Malaysia, further strengthening of bilateral defence ties and Enhanced Strategic Partnership," Singh tweeted.

Malaysia is among a handful of countries showing keen interest in procuring India's indigenously developed Tejas aircraft.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.

On Saturday, the defence ministry said Singh and Hasani will review defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements.

"India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two democracies have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security," the ministry said.

"Both the countries are committed to work under the vision of enhanced strategic partnership established during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in 2015," it said.
Rights groups, family fear Thol Samnang could be persecuted if forced to return to Cambodia.

Family members and human rights groups supporting Thol Samnang, a member of the Cambodian opposition Candlelight Party seen here in this undated photo, are calling on the Thai government to not send him back to Cambodia.

The mother of a Cambodian activist arrested in Thailand has pleaded to authorities not to deport her son to Cambodia, where he could face persecution under strongman ruler Hun Sens sweeping campaign against political opponents.

Thol Samnang, a member of the opposition Candlelight Party, was snatched off the streets of Bangkok by men in plainclothes before dawn on Friday as he made his way to the office of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, according to an eyewitness and human rights advocacy groups.

The arrest is the latest in a series of incidents where foreign activists fleeing repression in their home countries have been detained on Thai soil.

Im afraid officials in Thailand may send him to Cambodian officials to be punished, Chaet Lak, his mother who lives in Cambodia, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews. I want human rights organizations to help prevent his deportation.

Samnang fled Cambodia on July 4, a day after police and government authorities visited his home to detain him without a warrant.

The 34-year-old had criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen and the governing Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) on Facebook in the weeks leading up to his departure, his mother told RFA Khmer in an interview on Sunday.

Cham Chit, a Cambodian citizen who left the country with Samnang, said the two were seeking asylum in Thailand.

But on July 7, plainclothes Thai officials arrested him and took him away on a motorcycle as we were leaving our residence near the Victory Monument, he told RFA, referring to a military memorial at the heart of Bangkok.

Anti-junta demonstrators rally at the Victory Monument in Bangkok to protest the military coup two days earlier, May 24, 2014. (RFA file photo)





Samnang was being held at an immigration detention center in the Thai capital, said Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, director of the Cross Cultural Foundation, a local NGO providing legal aid and advocacy for victims of human rights abuses.

We received an assurance from the immigration officials that there will not be an immediate deportation, she told BenarNews on Monday. Our lawyer is processing him to gain protection through the UNHCR or the Thai government.

She said Thailands recently enacted Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act prohibited the deportation of anyone who faces a serious threat to life or freedom  a key principal of the U.N. Refugee Convention known as non-refoulement.

Samnang would face an uncertain fate if forcibly sent back to Cambodia.

Hun Sen, who has ruled the Southeast Asian nation of 16 million for nearly four decades, has clamped down on democratic freedoms, jailed or exiled political rivals, and shut independent media outlets.

In May, the National Election Committee disqualified the Candlelight Party from competing in Cambodias July 23 parliamentary elections, leaving no credible challenger to the CPP.

Well-founded fear of persecution

Human Rights Watch called on Thailand to protect Samnang.

It is absolutely urgent that UNHCR be granted immediate access to Thol Samnang so he can explain his very serious, well-founded fear of persecution if he is forced to return to Cambodia, and receive refugee protection, Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, told BenarNews on Monday.

Quite clearly, the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and key officials are turning up the heat against anyone who dares criticize government policies or questions the upcoming election, which Human Rights Watch believes will be neither free nor fair.

Thailand should refuse to participate in Phnom Penhs efforts at transnational repression against opposition political activists.

A UNHCR spokeswoman said she could not comment on the details or even confirm the existence of individual cases. The Thai Immigration Bureau did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.

Thailand has hosted thousands of refugees from neighboring countries who fled war, natural disasters and human rights violations.

Still, rights advocates have criticized Thailands pro-military government for recent cases where refugees and asylum seekers have been deported to face prosecution and other rights abuses in their home countries.

Khoukham Keomanivong, a Lao activist living in Thailand as a U.N.-recognized refugee, was arrested by Thai police in Bangkok on Jan. 29, 2022, for overstaying his visa. He was released on bail on Feb. 1 with the help of a human rights lawyer, narrowly avoiding deportation.

In November 2021, Thai authorities deported to Cambodia two activists from a banned opposition party after Hun Sen ordered one of them arrested for a poem that criticized him on Facebook.

In August 2019, Lao democracy activist Od Sayavong, who was 34, vanished under mysterious circumstances in Thailand after posting a video clip online criticizing the Lao government. Listed as a person of concern by the UNHCR because of his advocacy for democracy and human rights in Laos, his whereabouts remain unknown.

RFA Khmer contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.
Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky reported on the capture of Bakhmut (Donetsk region) under fire control and knocking out the Russian occupiers from their positions.

"The enemy is in a trap, the town is being taken under the fire control of the Defense Forces," he said on the Telegram channel on Monday.

"Aerial reconnaissance revealed the position of the Russians with ATGMs. The soldiers of the 77th separate airmobile brigade worked effectively and destroyed the Russians. Work continues. In Bakhmut direction, the enemy is knocked out of positions," the commander said.
Warnings come as rules take effect ensuring that only 'patriots' can run for District Council elections.

Pro-China lawmakers attend the second reading of a bill that will overhaul district council elections in Hong Kong, July 5, 2023.

Hong Kong's "last elected district councilors" have called on the international community to withdraw recognition for the city's legislature after it voted to slash the number of directly elected district council seats.

The city's legislature  which has been packed with pro-Beijing members since changes to the electoral system that saw chief executive John Lee "win" an election in which he was the only candidate  voted unanimously last week to slash the number of directly elected seats on District Council from 452 to just 88.

The move comes amid an ongoing crackdown on public dissent and political opposition in Hong Kong, and after millions of voters in Hong Kong delivered a stunning rebuke to Beijing and their own government with a landslide victory for pro-democracy candidates across the city's 18 district councils at the height of the 2019 protest movement.

Lee welcomed the changes to the District Council election rules, which will also ensure that pro-democracy candidates won't be able to run in the next election.

"We must ... completely exclude those anti-China and destabilizing forces from the District Councils," Lee said in a July 8 statement. "This legislative exercise [will] ensure that the District Councils are firmly in the hands of patriots."

Lee said the government is looking for candidates who are "capable, experienced, with relevant skill sets suited to the needs of the districts, and patriotic," although the government has yet to set a date for the district election.

Under the new rules, which took effect on Monday, candidates will have to pass a national security background check and secure at least three nominations from several committees loyal to the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing.

More than 20 former District Council members in exile have called on the international community to withdraw official recognition of Hong Kong's Legislative and District Councils, which no longer "legally represent the people of Hong Kong."

Elections for show

The joint letter authored by former Shek Tong Tsui district councilor Sam Yip, who fled the ongoing crackdown to live in Japan, said that the latest legislation has sounded the death knell for any kind of democracy in Hong Kong.

"Under the framework of the Hong Kong government's so-called 'patriots governing Hong Kong' policy, candidates must show their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party before they can run for election," Yip said. "[They have to] go to these pro-government people to get nominated."

Former Legislative Council member and former District Council member Ted Hui, who is among eight prominent overseas activists wanted by national security police for "collusion with foreign forces," said he, Yip and the other signatories to the letter were "the last democratically elected district councilors."

"Maybe we would never get through the government's review process ... but the public opinion we represented still exists," Hui said. "We may scatter all over the world, but we still want to serve the people of Hong Kong."

Former Hong Kong district councilor Sam Yip, who fled the crackdown in the city to live in Japan, initiated the letter calling for the international community to withdraw recognition for the city's legislature. Credit: Provided by Ye Jinlong, undated photo Daniel Kwok, a former Hong Kong district councilor now living in the United Kingdom, said the whole electoral system in Hong Kong is now just there for show.

"You have to pass the qualification review [examining your loyalty to Beijing] and a political review process," Kwok said. "It's a high threshold."

"The motivation is clear -- it's to cling to the principle that only patriots can rule Hong Kong, and eliminate any of the voices of the so-called 'anti-China chaotic elements' in Hong Kong," he said.

2020 National Security Law

Kwok said it's important to amplify these changes to the rest of the world.

"Many Western democracies may not have a timely understanding of the situation," he said. "Nobody has yet formally discussed the changes to the electoral rules for the Legislative Council and District Council at the United Nations Human Rights Council."

"We have to keep on speaking out and keep the issue alive in the international community," he said.

A pro-China lawmaker watches a video on a phone showing the 1945 Yalta Conference during the third reading of a bill that will overhaul district council elections in Hong Kong, July 6, 2023. Credit: Louise Delmotte/AP The European Union said in a July 6 statement that the changes go against China's commitment to democratic representation under the terms of the 1997 handover.

"This severely weakens the ability of the people of Hong Kong to choose representatives overlooking district affairs," it said, noting that the decision follows the imposition of a draconian national security law on Hong Kong from July 2020.

"These developments raise serious questions about the state of fundamental freedoms, democracy and political pluralism in Hong Kong that were supposed to remain protected until at least 2047 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 and Chinas international commitments," it said.

The Hong Kong government "vehemently rejected" the EU statement and said the bloc was "interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China's internal affairs."

It said there was no mention of democratically elected district councilors in the handover treaty or Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

It said the elected component under the new rules would still be larger than it was under British rule during the 1980s.



Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Paul Eckert.
Senior officials on both sides agree the trip has paved the way for improved communication.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen shakes hands with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 8, 2023.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has left Beijing after what she described as a direct and productive 10 hours of bilateral meetings with senior Chinese officials.

Yellen left Sunday amid signs that Chinas senior officials were receptive to her overtures. Referring to a rainbow Yellen saw when she arrived in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said to Yellen on Saturday that China-US relations can also see more rainbows after a round of wind and rain, nationalist tabloid, the Global Times reported.

Yellen told a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Sunday morning that she was confident her four-day visit had advanced U.S. efforts to put the U.S.-China relationship on a surer footing.

Yellen said, President Biden and I do not see the relationship between the U.S. and China through the frame of great power conflict.

We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive. Both nations have an obligation to responsibly manage this relationship, to find a way to live with each other and share in global prosperity.

She described her meetings with Chinese senior officials as direct, substantive and productive, adding that the meetings had put the U.S.-China relationship on a surer footing.

Yellen also said she had made it clear that the United States does not seek to decouple from China.

There is an important distinction between decoupling on the one hand and, on the other hand, diversifying critical supply chains or taking targeted national security actions.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen prepares to hold a news conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China, July 9, 2023. Credit: Reuters/Thomas Peter

Earlier this month, China implemented a new foreign relations law, which some critics contend broadens Chinas definition of espionage to the point it could be used to interfere with the operations of foreign businesses and the daily work of foreign journalists.

In March and April, raids were undertaken on U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co.s office and U.S. due diligence firm Mintz in Beijing, detaining five Chinese nationals in the process

Yellen called for fair treatment so that American companies can compete in the Chinese market on a level playing field. She said she raised the issue of the recent uptick in coercive actions against American firms.

Senior level engagement is particularly vital during moments of tension, she said.

She also raised the issue of Chinas support for Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine and said she hoped that Chinese firms would not provide Russia with material support.

The Treasury Secretary added, We discussed areas where we can work together on global challenges, from tackling the climate crisis to addressing sovereign debt.

In the press conference Q&A session in Beijing, Yellen repeatedly circled back to national security concerns.

I do believe that its possible for the two countries to be attentive to and take actions to protect their national security interests, she said.

Thats what the U.S has done and will continue to do. But I do think its important that we be transparent about the actions were taking.

Climate crisis

The U.S. treasury chief noted that the U.S.-Sino partnership had yielded significant breakthroughs such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, urging China to support multilateral climate institutions such as the Green Climate Fund.

Both our economies seek to support partners in emerging markets and developing countries as they strive to meet their climate goals, she said.

China has long maintained it is the responsibility of developed nations to help poor countries pay to address climate change. The United Nations still describes China as a developing nation.

John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, will travel to Beijing this month for talks with Chinese officials on global warming.

The visit is tentatively scheduled for the week starting July 16, an official at the State Department told Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity because the travel plans have not yet been officially announced.

Kerry is expected to meet with Xie Zhenhua, Chinas special envoy for climate change. Kerry and Xie have not met publicly for talks since then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosis August 2022 trip to Taiwan soured relations between Beijing and Washington.

China and the United States are the two largest economies in the world and were also the two largest emitters, Kerry told the New York Times in an interview. Its clear that we have a special responsibility to find common ground.

Business first

Yellen described her visit as an opportunity for a new team, a new economic team in Beijing to meet with us and for us to establish a desire and willingness to work together, to discuss issues where we have agreements and to seek deeper engagement on the part of our staffs.

She expressed confidence that there will be more frequent and regular communication.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, center, speaks during a lunch meeting with women economists in Beijing, China, Saturday, July 8, 2023. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via Reuters

In the Beijing press conference Q&A session on Sunday, Yellen said she had heard her counterparts express skepticism about decoupling, remarking, They have expressed concern that de-risking amounts to decoupling.

She said she had assured her Chinese counterparts that these are by no means the same thing, that de-risking involves attention to carefully articulated and narrowly targeted security concerns as well as with a broader concern about diversifying our supply chain.

Both the U.S. and China are facing economic headwinds. According to a recent survey, most Americans think that a full blown recession is imminent.

China has its own problems  a disappointing consumer rebound from the COVID lockdown period, youth unemployment, a property sector in crisis and vast piles of local government debt.

If Fed hikes tip the U.S. into recession, economists warn, a simultaneous slump in the worlds two economic powerhouses is a possibility.

Bloomberg News notes, President Xi Jinpings government doesnt have great options to fix things.

Beijings old playbook of using large-scale stimulus to boost demand has led to massive oversupply in property and industry, and surging debt levels among local governments, sparking speculation that China is headed into Japan-style malaise after 30 years of unprecedented economic growth.

Speaking at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing at the opening of her meeting with her counterpart He Lifeng on Saturday, Yellen said there were many opportunities for U.S. and Chinese companies to do more business with each other.

The fact that despite recent tensions we set a record for bilateral trade in 2022 suggests there is ample room for our firms to engage in trade and investment, Yellen said.

Edited by Mike Firn.
Police in North Koreas Ryanggang province have sent a formal complaint to the central government after their coworkers, agents of the ministry of state security, refused to share data on criminal cases, officials in the province told Radio Free Asia.

Stationed in every North Korean police station are local police officers under the social security department and state security agents under the ministry of state security. They often butt heads with each other due to the similarity of their mandates.

The police are charged with keeping public order, including by eradicating crime. Meanwhile, the state security agents are like a secret police force that must protect the countrys leader and the regime, as well as enforcing punishment for general crimes. The agents enjoy special privileges and powers that ordinary officers do not.

After the police in Ryanggang province requested data from the agents regarding data from previous cases involving people currently under police investigation, the provinces social security bureau submitted an official letter to the Central Committee over the impasse, a Ryanggang official, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFAs Korean Service.

[The letter] said the state security department is marking its territory and is not being cooperative, he said.

Although the conflict between the state security department and social security department is nothing new, it is extremely rare that either group files official complaints about the other.

The police claimed in the letter that state security agents did not transfer data on a group of people it had previously detained. The police caught these people making phone calls outside the country, but were not given access to data for their previous cases that were handled by the agents.

The police ordered [the agents] to hand over  all materials and subjects of cases, he said. But many state security agents think that the police are incompetent and act with jealousy toward them.

Despite their internal conflict, the agents and the police appear to be outwardly friendly with each other, a resident from the province, who requested to remain anonymous for personal safety, told RFA.

They are actually enemies to each other, he said. A few days ago, I personally saw an argument between a state security agent and a police officer.

The cause of the spat, which happened inside a police station, was because the state security agent tried to get information from an informant working in a case handled by the police, the resident said.

That day, several residents who happened to be in the police station witnessed the quarrel, he said. They mocked both of them afterward. Residents have very negative feelings of police officers and state security agents who give up nothing when it comes to monitoring and oppressing residents.

Residents fear that the conflict between the two law enforcement factions could lead to competition between each other in how well they can oppress the people, he said.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong.
Vung Khung village school in Mindat township, Chin state was destroyed by long-range artillery on July 8, 2023 .

Junta jets dropped bombs on a village in Chin state, in the west of Myanmar, killing three people including a nine-year-old girl, the Mindat township Peoples Administration Group told RFA Monday.

Group spokesman Yaw Man said jets attacked Vung Khung village repeatedly on Saturday morning.

They shot three times with fighter jets, dropped two 500-pound bombs, and fired with other weapons, sending the villagers running like the world was about to end, he said.

There was a nursing mother who had left her baby behind and fled to another place. She was killed by a bomb that was dropped on the place where she was sheltering on the way home to pick up her baby. Her neighbors nine-year-old child died next to her.

The locals dont dare to live in the village anymore, so they are fleeing to their hill farms and other villages.

Yaw Man said a 65-year-old woman was also killed and a 50-year-old man injured in the attacks.

Locals said there was no reason for the raids because the junta had not been fighting with the Chinland Defense Force.

As well as attacking by air, infantry regiment 274, based in Mindat, fired long-range artillery at the village destroying the school and damaging 10 homes.

The junta has released no statement on the attack and junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun did not answer his phone when called by RFA on Monday.

Last month air attacks on Mindat and Thantiang townships destroyed a monastery and four houses.

RFA data show that 44 civilians have been killed by junta air attacks in Chin state since the February 2021 military coup.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
Samoas government said no approval was given to ventures that were launched at a Hong Kong ceremony.

Laauli Leuatea Schmidt (also known as Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Fosi), Samoas agriculture minister and cofounder of Samoas ruling FAST party, speaks at an event at party headquarters in Vaitele, Samoa, May 13, 2023.

At a slickly choreographed event in Hong Kong on April 26, the island nation of Samoa was introduced to a vision of its future: cryptocurrency and stock trading epicenter of the South Pacific.

Chinese officials and businessmen made speeches  their resumes beamed onto a giant screen at the luxury St. Regis hotel  as they celebrated the official launch of the Samoa Digital Asset Exchange, Samoa Stock Exchange and Oceania Blockchain Special Economic Zone.

A sprinkling of Westerners with finance industry backgrounds were introduced as advisers. Also revealed were a chief technology officer, chairmen, a chief operating officer and bright, generically abstract logos for each of the companies.

Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo, Samoas finance minister, spoke and posed for photos. The Samoan coat of arms, representing state authority and meant only for official use, was plastered and projected throughout the venue.

But little more than a month later, after photographs from the Chinese event circulated online and caused disbelief in Samoa, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa was on a damage-control footing.

The Samoan government had not given any endorsement or approval for the ventures, which were only proposals, said a statement from her office.

The cryptocurrency episode was not the only controversy over poor governance and lack of transparency that Fiame was battling.

Days later, she scuttled the first direct flights between China and Samoa after criticism of cabinet minister Laauli Leuatea Schmidts involvement in Samoa Royal Tours.

In conjunction with a Hong Kong travel company, it controlled tours in Samoa for the influx of Chinese visitors that began in late May. Samoa Royal Tours was registered as a company in Samoa in April and its shareholder was one of Laaulis daughters, Rosary Leilua.

BenarNews has found that Laauli, one of Samoas most powerful politicians, is also linked to the effort to make Samoa a South Pacific crypto-finance center and that the cryptocurrency and Chinese tourism ventures overlap in other ways. Chinese businessmen involved in the effort to bring more Chinese tourists to Samoa also hold key positions in the stock exchange and cryptocurrency ventures.

BenarNews and affiliated news organization Radio Free Asia reviewed Samoa Business Registry and other corporate records, information in Chinese-language media reports and financial databases and photos from the Hong Kong launch.

I believe I have no obligation to reply to your request, Laauli said in response to a list of his connections to the exchanges compiled by BenarNews. You can report whatever you wish for the issues you requested.

Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa attends the 79th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific at the U.N. regional office in Bangkok, May 15, 2023. Sakchai Lalit/AP





Samoas economy is small and its financial system underdeveloped.

Cryptocurrency and stock exchange ventures could have reputational and financial risks for the country and might also run counter to the governments objective of making the financial system more accessible. Less than half of people have bank accounts and onerous requirements for loan collateral inhibits lending to businesses, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Home to about 200,000 people, Samoa also has a Chinese debt burden that is second only to Tonga among Pacific island nations when measured as a proportion of total national debt.

Fiame canceled a Chinese port project in 2021, to avoid becoming further indebted to Chinas government. Through aid, infrastructure and lending, Beijing has become a significant force in the Pacific region over the past several decades.

Calls for ministers resignation

Opposition politicians have called for the resignation of Laauli, who is the cofounder with Fiame of Samoas current ruling party and a high chief. A chiefly rank is a requirement to run for public office in Samoa.

Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies such as Bitcoin that use encryption and dispersal over a computer network to purportedly avoid control by a central authority and to prevent counterfeiting.

Proponents say they will usurp fiat currency that is created by central banks but they have also become associated with crime, extreme asset-price volatility and exorbitant energy use for the electronic mining of new cryptocurrency.

Numerous cryptocurrency exchanges collapsed in a chain reaction last year brought about by hacking and liquidity crises. Blockchain is the distributed database for recording cryptocurrency transactions.

The companies held out in Hong Kong as Samoas financial future are registered in Samoa and appear to have been largely inactive until a series of changes to names, directors and shareholders between 2019 and 2022.

A village chiefs council that includes Laaulis village Sasina, and of which he is a leading member, became a shareholder in all three companies in the last quarter of 2022, Samoa Business Registry documents show. Laaulis constituency office, meanwhile, is the registered address for the companies.

The council  Alii ma Faipule Fagaee Sasina Letui in Samoan  became a shareholder in Oceania Blockchain Special Economic Zone in November 2022 when shares held by Laaulis daughter, Isadora Schmidt, were transferred to it, a shareholding document shows.

Isadora Schmidt is the contact person in the business registry documents for Samoa Digital Asset Exchange and Oceania Blockchain Special Economic Zone, as well as a director of the blockchain economic zone. She didnt respond to a request for comment.

Alii ma Faipule Fagaee Sasina Letui became a shareholder in the Samoa Stock Exchange and Samoa Digital Asset Exchange in December last year when shares held by Lussil Tuala, the wife of the CEO of Samoas Gambling Control Authority, were transferred to it.

Several Chinese people with addresses in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Fujian and Auckland, New Zealand are among the shareholders and directors. It is unclear whether they are genuine owners or nominee shareholders.

Another shareholder in all three companies is China Yun Dat Investments. It is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which allows companies to keep ownership information secret.

CPP presence at blockchain launch

The Hong Kong launch for Oceania Blockchain Special Economic Zone and its sister companies had a veneer of official Chinese government backing.

The ceremony was attended by two Hong Kong Legislative Council members and two members of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, which plays a coordinating role in the ruling Chinese Communist Partys United Front work that includes covert foreign-influence campaigns.

Chen Gen, who was announced at the event as the joint chairman of Oceania Blockchain Special Economic Zone, is a senior figure in Chinese state-adjacent organizations such as overseas Chinese chambers of commerce and the Chinese Academy of Management Sciences.

Chen, according to a Chinese media report, accompanied Laauli on a 2018 tour of Henan province.

More recently, Chen in his capacity as executive chairman of the Hainan Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other roles, helped to facilitate the now scuttled direct flights from Hainan to Samoa and organized a delegation of businessmen for the first flight, Chinese media reports show.

An advertisement for Bitcoin cryptocurrency is displayed on a street in Hong Kong, Feb. 17, 2022. Bitcoin is an online currency that allows people to make one-to-one transactions, buy goods and services and exchange money across borders without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties. Kin Cheung/AP Photo, File





Aside from Laauli, other high-profile Samoans connected to the exchange ventures are Siaki Tuala, the chief executive of Samoas Gambling Control Authority, and Lussil Tuala.

They said their law firm had provided administration services for the companies. They had temporarily acted as nominee directors and shareholders, they said, while the founders of the enterprises finalized partners for their venture.

Lussil Tuala, in response to questions, said: Mr. Tuala and I had agreed to being listed as nominee directors only and as initial subscriber shareholders upon incorporation of companies when requested by these clients given their long standing relationship with Mr. Tuala as their former lawyer.

They said they had no financial interests in the blockchain economic zone and exchange companies. Siaka Tuala said the same situation applies to two other Samoa-registered companies they jointly owned with China Yun Dat Investments and one of the directors of Samoa Stock Exchange.

The cryptocurrency hub, for now, appears to have been relegated to no more than colorful logos and thwarted ambition.

Samoas government said it would work with international financial organizations to carry out a feasibility study to identify all the risks, including to the countrys reputation.

The intention of this study, it said, is to look at whether or not such an initiative will be beneficial for Samoa.

Mary Zhao, a researcher for Radio Free Asia, contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliate news service.
China protested the Tibetan spiritual leaders meeting with a U.S. delegation in New Delhi.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama presides speaks during a celebration of his 88th birthday at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala, India, Thursday, July 6, 2023.

UPDATED on 07-11-2023 at 10:07 a.m. EDT



Tibets foremost spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has revealed that Chinese officials have sought contact with him, either officially or unofficially to discuss Tibet issues.

The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, India, addressed reporters there on Saturday as he was about to depart for the Indian capital, New Delhi, and then a month-long sojourn in Ladakh.

I am always open to talk, and Chinese officials have now realized that Tibetan peoples spirits are very strong, so in order to deal with Tibetan problems they want to contact me. I am also ready, he said.

The Dalai Lama, who celebrated his 88th birthday on July 6, did not specify when or how Chinese officials requested contact. He said that Tibetans are not seeking independence and have decided to remain part of the Peoples Republic of China.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told RFA in an email that the door is open to a discussion.

But any of such talks can only be about personal future of Dalai, rather than the so-called 'Tibet issue,' he said. Dalai must give up his secessionist propositions, stop his activities of splitting the motherland, and take concrete actions to win trust from the Central Government and the Chinese people.

China annexed Tibet in 1951 and maintains a tight rein on the western autonomous region.

Now China is changing and Chinese officials want to contact me officially and unofficially, the Dalai Lama said.

While in New Delhi on Sunday, the Dalai Lama visited with a delegation from the U.S. organized by the Office of Tibet in Washington. Led by U.S. special coordinator of Tibetan issues, Uzra Zeya, the delegation also included the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, Donald Lu, and a senior USAID official.

Also attending the meeting was Penpa Tsering, leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, or CTA, the Dharamsala-based Tibetan government in exile, and Norzin Dolma, the CTAs minister of information and international relations.

Diplomatic meetings with the Dalai Lama are controversial. In May last year, when Zeya visited the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Beijing protested saying that Washington was interfering in Chinas affairs.

Regarding Sundays visit, Chinas Embassy in India voiced Beijings objection on Twitter.

The US should take concrete actions to honor its commitment of acknowledging Xizang [Tibet] as part of China, stop meddling in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of Xizang-related issues, and offer no support to the anti-China separatist activities of the Dalai clique, the embassys spokesperson Wang Xiaojian said in the tweet.

Such a response is typical for China, Tenzin Lekshey, the spokesperson for the CTA, told RFA.

The Chinese government has always been hostile whenever U.S. officials, or for that matter any dignitaries, meet with the Dalai Lama or Tibetan leaders from CTA, so this is not something new, Tenzin Lekshey said.

The spokesperson denied Chinas claim that the Dalai Lama and the CTA are separatist, citing the Middle-Way Approach, a CTA official policy he described as a way to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples based on equality and mutual cooperation.

The Chinese government must take the initiative to solve the Tibet problem, he said.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Edited by Eugene Whong.



Updates with statement from Chinese Embassy spokesman.
Authorities discharged the corpses in the run-up to an Islamic holiday in April.

Authorities at a prison in the Xinjiang region released the bodies of at least 26 Uyghur inmates before the Eid al-Fitr holiday in late April, police in various towns have told Radio Free Asia.

RFA contacted 10 police stations in Kashgar prefectures Maralbeshi county to confirm that authorities at Tumshuq Prison had released the bodies.

Five of the inmates were elderly and died of heart and lung diseases, while one other died of diabetes, sources said.

A Maralbeshi resident said many of them died of starvation because the inmates fasted in secret during Ramadan and couldnt eat during breakfast or after sunset because of jail rules. Officials contacted by RFA did not comment on the matter.

In June, a source told RFA that authorities at the prison had released the bodies of dozens of individuals, including that of his brother, just before the Islamic holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

To obtain more information, RFA followed up by contacting police in the 10 towns, including speaking to officials in Seriqbuya, Awat and Chongqurchaq.

When RFA contacted the police station in Awat, a Maralbeshi market town, to inquire about the body distribution on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, one officer said he was aware of the distribution of 18 bodies of dead prisoners, but he declined to disclose any information regarding the identities or their respective family members.

We have knowledge of the events and circumstances surrounding their deaths as they were under our supervision, but I am unable to share further information, he said.

I believe the overall count of deceased individuals amounts to 18, he said. However, I am unable to disclose their identities.

The police officer did not say whether prison authorities took the bodies directly to family members of the decedents, to the police station, or to a mortuary.

RFA previously reported that other bodies were taken to a police station before being handed over to families. The process took place under the supervision of county, village, and peoples committee officials and police. Additionally, authorities monitored the families for several weeks.

Tumshuq Prison housed locals arbitrarily arrested during the 2017 crackdown on prominent and ordinary Uyghurs alike, jailing them in re-education camps and prisons for alleged extremist behavior, such as previous trips or contacts abroad or religious activities.

China has come under harsh international criticism for its severe rights abuses of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs, including forced labor. The U.S. government and several Western parliaments have declared that the abuses amount to genocide or crimes against humanity.

A police officer from Seriqbuya told RFA in April that prison authorities delivered five bodies to his police station, and that most of them had been in their 70s or 80s and had been ill.

It appears that most of them passed away due to ineffective medical treatments, he said.

The police officer also confirmed that one of the corpses was that of Abdugheni Qadir.

A person familiar with the situation told RFA that Abdugheni Qadir from Seriqbuya was the son of Qadir Toxti, principal of Seriqbuya Primary School. Authorities arrested him in 2017 while he was doing business in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The other three dead prisoners were Memettursun Metniyaz, Hajiahun and his wife Mehpiremhan.

Metniyaz was a Uyghur motorcycle repairman jailed in early 2017 for completing the hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, years before. He died of diabetes in jail and his body was delivered to his family, a local residential committee member who oversaw the return of his corpse told RFA in a May report.

Hajiahun, a hatmaker, and his spouse Mehpiremhan, residents of Maralbeshi county, were each sentenced to 10 years in Tumshuq Prison in 2019 for illegal religious activities, people with knowledge of the couples situation told RFA in a June report.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matt Reed.
Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian says a fresh war with Azerbaijan remains a high probability in the absence of a peace treaty between the two countries.

"So long as a peace treaty has not been signed and such a treaty has not been ratified by the parliaments of the two countries, of course, a [new] war [with Azerbaijan] is very likely," Pashinian said in an interview with AFP published on July 21.

Baku and Yerevan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated mountainous enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The most recent war lasted six weeks in late 2020 and left 7,000 soldiers dead on both sides.

As a result of the war, Azerbaijan regained control over a part of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. The war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire under which Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to serve as peacekeepers.

Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent weeks have engaged in rounds of diplomacy aimed at reaching a lasting peace deal but there have been sporadic border clashes, and the talks have not yet yielded a breakthrough.

Tensions have remained high over the situation on the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan earlier this month suspended traffic through a checkpoint on the corridor pending an investigation after it said "various types of contraband" had been discovered in Red Cross vehicles coming from Armenia.

The suspension of traffic heightened concerns over a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Both Armenia and separatist authorities in the enclave have said that Azerbaijan has blockaded the territory since December, resulting in shortages of food, medicines, and energy.

Pashinian sharply criticized the blockade in the interview with AFP, saying it amounted to "an ongoing process of genocide" for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, meanwhile, said Azerbaijan is making serious efforts to remove land mines, more than 1 million of which are buried in the territories of Azerbaijan, while also criticizing a map provided by Armenia that covers approximately 400,000 mines.

Speaking on July 21 at the Shusha Global Media Forum, Aliyev also said that after the end of the war, land mines killed or seriously injured more than 300 people. He said that Armenia's "nonpresentation" of the maps showing where the land mines are "is a continuation of Armenia's terror against us."

Armenia has not responded to Aliyev's comments.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in a separate interview published on July 21 that Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot resolve their relations without taking into account the security factor and the rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mirzoyan stressed in an interview with the Austrian daily DerStandard that the main issue for Armenia is the security of people and their fundamental rights.

The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is difficult and close to a humanitarian catastrophe, he said.

"We need immediate humanitarian intervention to save 120,000 people from starvation. Then we will be able to continue negotiations with everyone who is interested in establishing a lasting peace in the region," Mirzoyan said.

"It's important to avoid another dangerous cycle of hostility, he said. Enough blood has already been shed in the South Caucasus. Mutual recognition of territorial integrity will be of key importance."

As for the issue of security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said Armenia believes that the best mechanism would be a dialogue with international participation.
A fourth day of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian Black Sea port installations on July 21 set grain storage facilities in the Odesa region on fire and destroyed a huge amount of food stored for export, causing damage and injuries, regional officials and the military said, as fighting continued along the whole eastern front.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that Russia launched Kalibr-type cruise missiles from vessels in the Black Sea, destroying a grain terminal and wounding two people.

Unfortunately, a grain terminal of one of the agricultural enterprises of the Odesa region was hit. The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley. Two people were wounded in the explosion," Kiper said.

Kiper said that, at first, two missiles hit the granary, causing a fire, then a third missile struck while firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames.

"Another missile hit the same enterprise, damaging agricultural and rescue equipment. A fire on an area of more than 200 square meters was quickly extinguished," Kiper said.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that up to four P-800 Onyx cruise missiles hit infrastructure targets south of the city of Odesa.

"Unfortunately, our means of detection and destruction are not enough to cover the entire territory of Ukraine and destroy incoming missiles and drones," Ihnat said.

In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said its navy carried out a live fire "exercise" in the northwest Black Sea on July 21, just days after the Kremlin said that cargo ships en route to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea would be regarded as potential military targets.

The Black Sea Fleet "carried out live firing of anti-ship cruise missiles at the target ship in the combat training range in the northwestern part of the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

On July 20, Russian missiles struck the Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, killing two people, wounding another 20, including five children, and causing extensive damage to port installations and stored grain.

The strikes also hit residential areas in the center of Odesa and Mykolayiv, setting large areas on fire.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said that grain terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk were targeted. In Chornomorsk, 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed over the past several days, the ministry said.

Russia's Defense Ministry has said the series of strikes on southern Ukraine targeted facilities where it claimed Ukraine was building seaborne drones of the type that Moscow says damaged a bridge in the annexed region of Crimea.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian strikes had "deliberately" targeted sites in the Odesa region that are used to export grain after Russia refused to extend the grain deal.

Zelenskiy met on July 21 with military commanders to discuss the situation at the front and about the grain initiative.

Work continues to protect ports and the infrastructure of the grain initiative, he said, adding he had instructed the commanders to prepare an action plan for the continuation of the grain corridor and to work out the next diplomatic steps.

In New York the UN's political affairs chief told the Security Council on July 21 that Russia's attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports risk "having far-reaching impacts on global food security, in particular, in developing countries."

Rosemary DiCarlo also said threats about the potential targeting of civilian vessels in Black Sea waters -- made by both Russia and Ukraine -- are unacceptable.

"Any risk of conflict spillover as a result of a military incident in the Black Sea -- whether intentional or by accident -- must be avoided at all costs, as this could result in potentially catastrophic consequences to us all," she said.

The Black Sea escalation comes as Kyiv reports a new attempt by Russia to return to the offensive in the northeast.

"The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on Kupyansk [in the Kharkiv region], Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka [in the Donetsk region], where 32 close combat battles were fought over the past day," the General Staff of Ukraine's military said on July 21.

Ukrainian defenders in Kupyansk repelled attacks by Russian troops southwest of Masyutivka, the military added.

Germany meanwhile announced that it has handed over the first 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine. In a message, the German Defense Ministry said the new package of military aid also included 20 MG3 machine guns for tanks and armored vehicles, 1,035 155-millimeter shells and smoke ammunition, among other items.

On July 20, the United States said U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are being deployed in the field. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the munitions are having an impact on Russian defensive formations and maneuvering.

"We have gotten some initial feedback from the Ukrainians, and they're using them quite effectively," Kirby said at a news briefing.

In its daily intelligence update, Britain's Defense Ministry said that up to 20,000 Russian convicts recruited by the Wagner mercenary group were killed in fighting in Bakhmut over the past several months.

Russian forces spearheaded by Wagner mercenaries captured Bakhmut in May, following months of intense and bloody fighting.



British intelligence said that, while it was a rare recent Russian military success, the battle for Bakhmut was also "one of the bloodiest episodes in modern military history."

It estimated that at its peak, Wagner had some 40,000 convicts under contract early this year.

It said that the last convicts recruited under the so-called Project K program are likely to be released over the next several days, but it estimated that many will probably stay on as contract fighters.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Stoltenberg: Zelenskyy to take part in inaugural meeting of Ukraine-NATO Council

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in the inaugural meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council.

We will also upgrade our political ties. President Zelenskyy will join us for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council, Stoltenberg said in Vilnius on Monday before the start of the summit, which will be held on July 11-12.

In addition, according to him, tomorrow, Allies will address Ukraines path towards NATO membership.

Stoltenberg also reported on other decisions on Ukraine. This includes a multi-year package of assistance. To transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, making Ukraines forces fully interoperable with Allies. And covering critical needs like demining equipment, fuel, and medical supplies, he said
The return of the so-called morality police to the streets of major Iranian cities has brought back fear and stress for women who choose to ignore the requirement that they wear the hair-covering hijab. But it has also been met with resistance by men and women alike, while lawmakers have questioned the effectiveness of the hard-line approach to enforcing compliance.

Iranians who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda said the presence of the morality police -- officially known as "guidance patrols" that usually include male officers and women wearing black chadors -- is not as visible as it was before the patrols were scaled back after nationwide protests first broke out against the hijab law last autumn.

I really don't know where they want to get with this method, but in my opinion, if they want to continue this way, confrontations will start again."

"Before, when we went on the street, they had a stationary vehicle, or a vehicle that was moving on the street," Leila Mirghaffari, a women's rights activist who lives in Tehran, told Radio Farda on July 17, a day after the return of the morality police was announced. "They haven't yet dared to encroach like before. But they are present, mostly in main squares."



Mirghaffari described the decision to redeploy the morality police, coming after the monthslong protests had largely wound down, as a distraction aimed at creating "fear and terror" among the population.



"It creates mental and emotional problems for us. It's stressful, and it occupies our thoughts and those of our families," Mirghaffari said. "When we want to leave home and come out to the street, at any moment we may travel a route where morality police patrol and are stationed to arrest people."



Nevertheless, Mirghaffari and others suggested, the patrols are largely ineffective and have even given new life to resistance against the authorities' efforts to enforce the countrys strict Islamic dress code.



Some Tehran residents who spoke to Radio Farda said that many women simply put on a hijab when they spot the morality police before quickly removing them once out of sight. And in some cases where women have been harassed or threatened by morality police, fellow citizens -- male and female alike -- have pushed back.



Almost immediately after the authorities announced on July 16 that the morality police patrols would resume, residents of the northern city of Rasht took to the streets to protest an attempt to arrest three women for allegedly violating the hijab requirement.

The situation reportedly escalated into clashes between demonstrators and police, who used tear gas to disperse protesters, some of whom were chanting against Iran's clerical establishment.



"I really don't know where they want to get with this method, but in my opinion, if they want to continue this way, confrontations will start again," said a male Tehran resident who requested anonymity while answering questions on WhatsApp.

"Personally, if I see them taking a girl into a van, I will step forward and shout so as not to let them take them. That's how things are, and I think most people now are like me. They don't want the Mahsa incident to happen again and for another innocent girl to be killed."



The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, soon after she was arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law, sparked the nationwide protests that lasted months and prompted a crackdown that led to the deaths of more than 500 people. Amini's death became the cause celebre for thousands of women and men who took to the streets to show their opposition to the hijab law.

Amid the protests, there were reports that the authorities had disbanded the morality police, although other reports indicated that they never really went away in some cities. But the issue also prompted the clerical establishment, which views the hijab as key to its interpretation of Islam, to introduce revisions to the country's Chastity and Hijab Law that would introduce stiffer penalties for noncompliance, including up to three years in prison for repeat offenders.



While the hijab has been compulsory in public for women and girls over the age of 9 since 1981, shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution ushered in the clerical establishment, the requirement is often flouted, particularly in urban areas.



The Chastity and Hijab bill, which is awaiting parliamentary approval, has been fodder for intense debate -- with some lawmakers saying it does not go far enough to make women comply with the hijab requirement and others questioning the effectiveness of forcing women to comply.



Following the announcement that the morality police patrols would resume in many Iranian cities, lawmaker Vali Esmaili, who heads the parliament's social commission, said that the body would unlikely be involved in the effort.



He also said that before resuming the patrols, "we should first look at the state of society to see if such actions have been effective in the past 43 years."



The Chastity and Hijab bill also proposes penalties, including the confiscation of automobiles, against drivers or passengers of vehicles in which women are not in compliance with the hijab requirement.



"When I'm driving, I have to wear a hijab," a woman who resides in Tehran told Radio Farda following the redeployment of the morality police, explaining that she has had her vehicle impounded four times for failing to wear the hijab. "But when I get out and move away from the car, I take off my head scarf. Many times, I just put it in my bag. Sometimes, when I see that the conditions are bad, I keep it around my neck, but I am still without a hijab in the street."



The woman said that she has not personally seen any morality police since they returned to the streets of Tehran. But she has heard eyewitness accounts of the presence of marked morality police vehicles in the northern city of Shahriar, in Tehran Province, where she said most women wear head scarves and those who do not could be seen without a hijab not far from the morality police.

WATCH: Masses of demonstrators are turning out throughout Iran, where some are shouting down police enforcement of strict religious dress codes for women.



"There are the odd ones out who are without a hijab, and they were 100 or 200 meters away from the morality police," she recalled being told of the current situation.



She said that even before the morality police returned to the streets, her experience in dealing with them showed that they were reluctant to enforce the hijab requirement.



"It's pretty clear that they're tired of this matter, but it seems like they have orders from above," she said.



That is far from the norm, according to the activist Mirghaffari, who painted a dark picture of the morality police, whose involvement in human rights violations has led to Western sanctions.

"The morality police are truly violent. They are really repressive. They have no humanity," said Mirghaffari, who added that she has been arrested by the force several times. "The morality police are really trained for savagery and for causing distress to the point that someone like Mahsa Amini could be killed. And they have no fear at all."



Others who spoke to Radio Farda were incredulous that the authorities would reintroduce the morality police amid public frustration over Iran's dire economic situation.



"The issue is not the hijab. The real issue is the terrifying inflation and high prices," said the man who answered questions by WhatsApp. "But they are only fixated on the hijab. They are playing with everyone's nerves, whether man or woman, whether with a hijab or without, they are bothering everyone."



The renewed protests, which included women carrying placards bearing the "We won't go back!" slogan that became popular during anti-hijab demonstrations, suggests that efforts to force women into compliance will be met with continued resistance.



"Look, our girls are fighting and know that there is no way back for us and we are not going back, and our answer to them wanting to forcibly put a hijab on us is, 'No!'" said Mirghaffari. "This is a big step we have taken to reach our other desires and we will never go back."

Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by Mehdi Tahbaz and other Radio Farda correspondents.
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Walter "Rick" Landgraf is a strategic and international engagements chief at the Pentagon and a fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Philadelphia-based think tank.

He has served combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as serving in NATO's headquarters in Brussels, in the United Kingdom, and in Georgia.

Ahead of the NATO Vilnius summit on July 11-12, RFE/RL's Georgian Service asked Landgraf about Ukraine's and Georgia's decoupled paths since the Bucharest summit in 2008, the need for a "real conversation" about NATO's "all for one" article, and whether simply wanting to be in NATO makes it a good idea for the alliance.

The comments and opinions expressed in this interview are Landgraf's personal views and are not intended to reflect the positions of the U.S. Army or Defense Department.

RFE/RL: What can be expected, realistically, of the Vilnius summit, for Ukraine and Georgia? Or has this tandem been decoupled for good?

Walter "Rick" Landgraf: Over the years, Ukraine and Georgia, in a way, have shared the same fate. In some ways their situations are very similar. Russia has, to some extent, invaded both countries to prevent their likely accession to the alliance. So these are countries that have similar geopolitical circumstances whereby the central governments don't control all of the territory within the internationally recognized border. And these are also countries where ostensibly their governments want to integrate with the West [and] join Western institutions, namely EU and NATO.

Now, in practice, I know in both cases there has been some democratic backsliding, particularly with Georgia over the past couple of years. And, for the Georgia case, that doesn't serve Georgia well, if it intends to join NATO or the EU. I think that the Ukraine case is different, obviously, because of the scale of the war and the devastating effects of the war. So I think the West can more easily get behind Ukraine -- rightly so. But I think ultimately both their fates are tied together because of Bucharest and because they both want to join the West, integrate with the West.

RFE/RL: What can they expect of this summit, realistically?

Landgraf: I think realistically what you can expect is that NATO will reaffirm the Bucharest decision and will say that both countries have all the practical tools to prepare themselves for eventual membership. And NATO will likely also say that the Membership Action Plan (MAP) is the next step in the process for both countries.

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Now, in reality, both countries already have everything that a Membership Action Plan can bring. And from a military standpoint, I think the Ukrainian military over the past year and a half since the [full-scale] invasion began, has showed an incredible capability to modernize, to adapt, and to improve and enhance its interoperability with NATO forces. It's had to do this because the fate of the country relies on it.

On the Georgia side, I think the pace and the intensity of Georgia's modernization of its military has slowed quite a bit. In some ways, it's been maybe hollowed out a bit. So I think the pace is a little bit different there.

I expect NATO to commit itself to Bucharest at the summit. But as far as practical, concrete action on the ground, I don't expect much more than already what's happening outside of the NATO construct with regards to Ukraine.

RFE/RL: I see. So, basically, that would be a Bucharest 2.0?

Landgraf: Well, I don't know if we can call it 2.0 at this point; it might be like more like 15.0. Because over the past 15 years, every single summit that NATO has had, NATO has reaffirmed the commitment to Bucharest. Now, especially for Georgia, because the Georgian government has never officially renounced its intent to join NATO...unlike Ukraine, when the [ex-President Viktor] Yanukovych government declared military neutrality for a period of about 3 1/2 to four years. And you go back into the summit declarations -- once that happened, once the Yanukovych government did that, there was no mention of Bucharest in a context of Ukraine for several years. It shows that what really kind of drives this process of enlargement is, there needs to a concerted interest from the countries that want to join the alliance.

RFE/RL: Let's agree on "Bucharest 1.5." And I'm sure it's convenient for NATO, but the expert consensus seems to be growing that Bucharest 1.0 was a mistake. So how much sense does it make strategically to continue on this road?

Landgraf: It makes sense from a point of view of NATO, of the spirit and the drive behind Article 10 of the NATO Charter, which is the open-door policy, which states that any European democracy that meets NATO standards, both politically and military, which can contribute to the overall security of the Euro-Atlantic region, can join the alliance. So in many ways, Bucharest is not just a signal to Georgia and Ukraine; it's also a signal to other countries which may want to one day join the alliance. So strategically, for NATO's sake, reiterating Bucharest also shows potential members and potential challengers and opposers that NATO is serious about keeping its commitments and it's serious about following through on those at some point in the future.

I agree with you, I think the consensus now -- many observers will say that Bucharest 1.0 was a mistake. It was a mistake, because it put tremendous pressure on Georgia and Ukraine and exposed them to Russian coercion. We've seen this play out. This was the first time that NATO explicitly said that two countries would join the alliance but did not give those two countries a pathway to do so. At the time, it was a compromise that that the NATO allies made to come up with this Bucharest statement, saying that "We agree in principle that they should be become members, however, what we disagree on is when this will happen." And this awareness is directly linked to the Membership Action Plan.

RFE/RL: It might make sense for NATO, but doesn't it also create a waiting limbo, where these countries are kept in front of the open door ad infinitum? And what kind of message does it send to other countries who might want to join?

Landgraf: I think there are two ways to look at the message of Finland's accession. One, as NATO says, each country will be judged on its own merits. The geopolitical circumstances surrounding Finland's accession are different than Georgia's or than Ukraine's. I think the biggest thing that stands out in the enlargements of both organizations is that Finland is already an EU member and has been an EU member for a very long time. So nobody seriously questions Finland's bona fides for becoming firmly part of the Euro-Atlantic alliance, because it's already a member of the EU.

If you're from Ukraine and Georgia, you say, "Hey, wait a minute: Finland has just joined without a MAP and has sort of bumped up into the front of the queue, in front of us."

Finland is the first country since the end of the Cold War that has joined the EU first and then NATO. Up until now, it had been the other way around -- countries joined NATO and then the EU -- because the conventional understanding is that the barrier to joining NATO is much lower than it is to joining the EU. And NATO in practice has been sort of a stepping stone to EU membership. Probably the best example of this has been the Baltic states.

But I think ultimately for these countries that are transitioning from communism to democratic systems, what they worry about the most is security. And this is this is what leads countries like the Baltic states, who are exposed and have this history with Russia for many years and the Soviet Union, to seek security guarantees first -- to provide an element of cover, so their countries can fully democratize, fully transition into market-based economies to provide that cover, that security umbrella, so those transitions can take place. I think on the one hand, Finland is a case that has been judged on its own merits. And NATO has been clear in saying that the cases should be judged by their merits for many years.

Now, on the other hand, you're right, Georgia and Ukraine had been in this waiting room for many years without a MAP, and NATO has told both countries that MAP is the next step. And then if you're from Ukraine and Georgia, you say, "Hey, wait a minute: Finland has just joined without a MAP and has sort of bumped up into the front of the queue, in front of us."

RFE/RL: Not only that. Also, in parallel, NATO has been telling both Kyiv and Georgia that they have every practical means available to be members. "If we do have every practical tool, why do we need a MAP? [We could join] just like Finland."

Landgraf: That's the paradox. NATO has for many years avoided and sort of kicked the can down the road with the MAP decision by giving both Georgia and Ukraine various other things -- the substantial NATO-Georgia package for Georgia; the counterpart for Ukraine is a comprehensive assistance package; also things like labeling each country an "enhanced opportunities partner." These are all what I call consolation prizes to try to reinforce Georgia's and Ukraine's integration and to provide a sense of forward momentum. Because the fact is, the allies can still not agree on whether or not the two countries should receive MAPs.

RFE/RL: We saw a statement that amounted to NATO asking Ukraine for more reforms at Vilnius before discussion on any clear road map. Is that an excuse? And if it is, will it fly for Ukrainians?

Landgraf: I think what it does is it provides NATO a convenient justification for delaying the process. For Ukraine's sake, for its part, of course, it is very difficult to enact and implement and internalize these sorts of reforms while there is an active war happening. [In] NATO membership, the standards have always been two-pronged; there's the military standards and there's the political standards. And these practices and these standards that countries are supposed to internalize and implement in their domestic processes, these can be presented as objective standards....

RFE/RL: Or as double standards?

Landgraf: Ultimately, there's a measure of subjectivity to the standards. Because, in some cases, they can say, "This country meets the standards [and] that country doesn't." But in practice, the geopolitical circumstances of the aspirant state matter, they matter greatly. There are no cases like the Georgia and Ukraine cases that [better] demonstrate that....

RFE/RL: Who has the moral high ground here?

Landgraf: I think this goes back to the question about Bucharest and how it was a mistake. If you are a member of a club and you say to someone who wants to join the club that "You will become a member of this club if you do X, Y, and Z," and then circumstances change -- well, on the one hand, Georgia and Ukraine say: "Hey, we've done X, Y, and Z. Where's our membership card?" And then on the other hand, NATO can say, "Well, the situation has changed." Which it has.

RFE/RL: Partly because of what NATO did. Might one argue it changed due to NATO's passive stance on the issue?

Landgraf: Yeah, well, yeah. I mean, I agree. I think the crux of the matter is that we have this structure, this framework, where it's about membership or no membership. And I don't know if there's force behind this, but the real conversation that needs to happen behind closed doors is: If these countries want to join NATO, then what happens with regards to Article 5, and what territory does Article 5 apply to? This is the single most important issue. Because ultimately the backbone of NATO is Article 5, and without Article 5 and maintaining the integrity of Article 5 that all allies will follow through on this mutual-defense pledge, there is no alliance.

RFE/RL: And there is no rush in Brussels to face up to that question.

Landgraf: Right.

RFE/RL: We also mentioned the fact that Georgia's NATO ambitions are weakened by its government's perceived or real pro-Russian course...and not being as fervent as the previous government and half-steps. Far be it from me to defend them. But let me ask this: Is this the sole detriment for Georgia on its path to NATO? If that's the case, why doesn't Brussels say, "You can join, but not under this government"?

Landgraf: I think it's a contributing factor. I don't think it's the only factor. Let's say that the government of Georgia was extremely -- whether perceived or real -- pro-Western, very, very assertive on that. That still does not address the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. So long as there are territorial divisions, I think that is the overriding factor.

Now, certainly the current position of the Georgian government doesn't help Georgia's case one bit. But let's take that out of the equation, the geopolitical orientation of the current government. You still have the breakaway territories and how Georgia could join NATO as a full member with or without those territories. That is the single most important issue in the Georgia case.

RFE/RL: That also applies to Ukraine, with the war going on, and Kyiv not having full control of its internationally recognized borders. And we approach a paradox there, don't we, because NATO is not willing to get those two countries accepted unless the territorial-dispute issue is resolved? And on the other hand, these two countries have zero willingness whatsoever to renounce those territories and join NATO without them.

Landgraf: Right. What Georgian government would survive after saying, "We renounce Abkhazia and South Ossetia, so now let's join NATO." I don't think that Georgian government, no matter who controls it, would survive the following day.

RFE/RL: And both Tbilisi and Kyiv want to join NATO, at least partly, so that they can see the territorial borders, sometime in the future, restored and at peace?

Landgraf: Yes. And I think Georgians use the precedent of West Germany's accession to NATO. I think that, again, the political circumstances are much different. We are no longer in a bipolar system, where there are two superpowers and the superpowers are vying for influence over countries that are in the middle. We are in a more chaotic system, a more multipolar system now. And I think strictly from a NATO security perspective and a military perspective, just because Georgia and Ukraine want to join NATO does not necessarily mean it's a good idea.... That is the elephant in the room.

RFE/RL: There is another debate about being a security asset versus being a security liability. When it comes to Ukraine and Georgia, where do those two countries stand?

Landgraf: I think, on the one hand, there's this argument about defensibility. This is the same argument that characterizes the debate about the Baltic states' accession -- that these countries were indefensible from Russian invasion. I think when the Baltic states joined in 2004, the relationship between the West and Russia was much different; It wasn't nearly as standoffish as it is now. At that point, there was still this aspiration that the West could successfully integrate Russia in one way or another, or at least try to bring Russia into the fold.

The Tavberidze Interviews Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service has been interviewing diplomats, military experts, and academics who hold a wide spectrum of opinions about the war's course, causes, and effects. To read all of his interviews, click here.

Now, I think by the time of 2007 and 2008, things had changed quite a bit, and I think there is a geopolitical crisis that has been created with the Russian invasion of [Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia territories in] 2008. And there was a brief sort of respite during the so-called "reset," and then that reset did not fix any sort of the structural issues in the system where, on the one side, NATO is the dominant player in the European security architecture and wants to set the rules, and Russia does not want to accept this sort of junior-partner status in Europe. And it has struck out against the system, and we saw this play out in 2014, and we saw it play out a year and a half ago in the full-scale invasion.

So this defensibility argument applies to Georgia and Ukraine, because of their physical situations and them sharing these long borders with Russia. I mean, you look at the history of enlargement and you look at Montenegro's accession [in 2017], North Macedonia's accession [in 2020]; it's much easier because of where these countries are -- they don't share borders with Russia. And it shows you that geography matters in these cases.

RFE/RL: But then again, Finland also shares a rather sizable border with Russia, and it was accepted.

Landgraf: Right. And I think that speaks to the paradox that the Georgians and Ukrainians can justifiably claim.

RFE/RL: On Ukraine, this security-asset-versus-liability debate, it kind of seems to be shifting in Ukraine's favor, don't you think? Because a lot of experts have been claiming that Ukraine would a real asset for NATO security, if it joins, not so much when it comes to Georgia.

Landgraf: I think the asset-versus-liability argument is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, from a military-capability standpoint, the Ukrainian military has done a tremendous job in defending its country. I know that the counteroffensive is still playing out, and we'll see how it does play out. But the Ukrainian armed forces has shown an ability to adapt and overcome, and a resiliency -- they've truly been battle-tested. And from a military standpoint, yes, Ukraine's military, as it stands right now, would be an asset to NATO forces, to NATO missions and operations across the globe -- a variety of types of missions from peacekeeping to combat [and] everything in between.

Georgia's military is in a different situation. For many years, Georgia, had sent its best forces to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those provided opportunities to enhance capability and to participate in training and exercises, and to demonstrate interoperability in real-life scenarios. Very much, I think the attention has shifted.

RFE/RL: I was actually meaning to ask about that. You were posted both in Iraq and Afghanistan. And for many, many years for Georgia, part of the argument about NATO was that Georgia has paid its admittance price with blood, both in Georgia in 2008 and then in Afghanistan. Has this argument become obsolete?

Landgraf: I think there is still purchase in that argument. I think Georgians are justified in making that argument. Because for the size of the Georgia military and the size of Georgia and the capabilities that it does have, it does have a very small military. And for many years, it sent its best forces to both conflicts. I think that is worth something and the price that Georgia has paid, it's very important and it should not be forgotten. Now, on the other hand, as time moves on, memories fade; and the Afghan war is now over, NATO is not directly engaged in a conflict such as that. So that has removed an opportunity for Georgia to justify and to warrant its being included in the alliance.

RFE/RL: Do you fear there might be a sort of NATO fatigue in both Ukrainian and Georgian populations, and what might it cost, geopolitically, for the West?

Landgraf: I think there's been this argument about NATO fatigue, both within the domestic population of Georgia and Ukraine, but also, within the alliance. I think it's important for both sides to recommit -- rhetorically and then also through concrete action -- to the relationship. I think that's the best way that both sides can stand up to Russia and to show Russia that no third country, as NATO says, has a say over who joins the alliance and who doesn't.

RFE/RL: A geopolitical "it takes two to tango," right?

Landgraf: Right.

RFE/RL: But it seems that the two parties or the three parties, in this case, want to dance to different music? The DJ is a bit lost?

Landgraf: Yeah, yeah. Just last week, in Georgia, the sense I got -- and I think this had been many years in the making -- is that this idea of EU integration seems much more of an attractive thing than NATO integration. I wonder if the Georgian population sees the benefits of EU integration more so than they would NATO integration. Much more the practical things, like visa-free travel and other sort of practical benefits. But on the other hand, NATO brings a security guarantee that the EU at least has on paper but has never been activated or implemented.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length
Ukrainian forces have continued to make gains in the south, liberating an area roughly the size of the city of Odesa since the start of its counteroffensive, the General Staff of Ukraine's military said on July 10, as a fresh Russian strike on a town in Zaporizhzhya killed at least four people and wounded at least 13.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

The intense fighting comes as NATO is preparing for a key summit on July 11-12 in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, where the war in Ukraine and the alliance's ties with Kyiv are expected to take center stage, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's participation in the summit has not yet been officially confirmed.

Over the past week, the Ukrainian military advanced 1 kilometer in the Melitopol and Berdyansk areas of the Zaporizhzhya region, the General Staff reported on Facebook.

Since the start of the counteroffensive in the south, Ukrainian forces have advanced a total of 8.6 kilometers and liberated more than 10 square kilometers, the military said, adding that the total surface of the regained territory in the Melitopol and Berdyansk areas was 169 square kilometers -- approximately the size of the Black Sea port city of Odesa.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on July 9 that Ukrainian forces are consolidating gains made in the southern directions of Melitopol and Berdyansk, where "hot battles" are under way.

Malyar added that in the eastern region of Donetsk, Russian forces were on the defensive in Bakhmut, while heavy fighting was also under way in Lyman, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, where the General Staff reported more than 30 combat clashes over the previous 24 hours.

At least five people were killed and 13 others were wounded when Russian shelling hit an aid distribution center in Orikhiv, a town on the front line in the southern region of Zaporizhzhya, regional Governor Yuriy Malashko said on July 10.

The death toll increased when the body of another man was pulled from a destroyed distribution center. The Interior Ministry reported that three people may still be under the rubble. Rescuers continued operations late on July 10.

Russian forces carried out a total of 36 air strikes on 10 civilian settlements in the Zaporizhzhya region over the past 24 hours, Malahsko said early on July 10.

Also on July 10, Russian troops used ballistic missiles in a strike on the southern city of Mykolayiv, wounding one person and causing damage to civilian infrastructure, regional Governor Vitaly Kim said on Telegram.

Ahead of the Vilnius summit, NATO members remained divided over how to put Ukraine on a path to membership but appeared to remove one key hurdle to Kyiv joining the alliance.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had put forward a package that included the removal of the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) -- a list of political, economic, and military goals that other eastern European nations had to meet before joining the alliance.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted earlier that there had been a consensus among allies to drop MAP but added that while he welcomes the long-awaited decision, it is also "the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become member."

Zelenskiy on July 10 again asked Western allies for a "clear signal" on his country's NATO membership prospects.



"Ukraine deserves to be in the alliance. Not now, because now there's war, but we need a clear signal, and this signal is needed right now," Zelenskiy said in a video message posted on Twitter.



"The security reality here on NATO's eastern flank depends on Ukraine. When we applied to join @NATO we were frank: Ukraine is de facto already in the alliance. Our weapons are the weapons of the alliance. Our values are what the alliance believes in. Our defense is the very element of the formula of Europe that makes it united, free, and peaceful," Zelenskiy said. "Vilnius must confirm all this."

Stoltenberg told a news conference there would be more meetings, adding that no final decision has been made but he is "absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine."

Moscow again warned against allowing Kyiv into the alliance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would have a "very, very negative" impact on Europe's security and Moscow would have to contemplate a "firm" response to what he called "an absolute danger and a threat to our country."

President Vladimir Putin has cited NATO's eastward expansion as a reason for his decision to send his armed forces into Ukraine in February 2022.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on four things to watch for at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12: what Ukraine can expect; Swedens membership prospects; the alliances defense plans; and the blocs relationship with other partners.

Brief #1: What Will Ukraine Get?

What You Need To Know: For Ukraine, this summit is about avoiding another Bucharest or Budapest. Bucharest refers to the 2008 NATO summit in the Romanian capital at which the military alliance famously stated that Ukraine (and Georgia) would become members but avoided any specific timetable or pathway.

Everyone is acutely aware that the NATO summit declaration in Vilnius wont invite Kyiv to become a member then and there.

No one around the table has any appetite for giving a country in the middle of a war Article 5 guarantees (making an attack on any NATO member an attack on all). Instead, they will try to find a way to promise Ukraine membership once things look better.

Thats where Budapest comes into play.

Its a reference to a trio of 1994 memorandums in which Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States gave security assurances to Ukraine (and Belarus and Kazakhstan) in exchange for Kyiv giving up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.

While Ukraine awaits possible NATO membership, it wants guarantees or assurances that the West will continue to support it militarily. Quite how this might be spelled out will remain one of the summits head-scratchers.

Drilling Down

Most NATO officials Ive spoken to quietly concede that there is really just one ironclad security guarantee: NATO membership. Thats something that Finland and Sweden realized (more on that in a moment) when applying to join so quickly after the invasion. All other measures, such as security assurances, can essentially only be offered on a bilateral basis by alliance members.

It could be that a group of nations in the run-up to the summit or in Vilnius will pledge to support Ukraine militarily for as long at it takes by providing more weapons, ammunition, or even training for Ukrainian troops. Dont rule out the possibility of a separate Group of Seven statement to that effect either, especially as all members of that group will be in Vilnius. (Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will also attend.)

What NATO will offer as an organization is a pot of 500 million euros ($538 million) a year for the foreseeable future to assist Ukraine on various military expenditures. This sum could potentially grow in the future, too.

Otherwise, the biggest issue lies in semantics: How can a declaration be written so as to avoid another Bucharest and not disappoint Ukraine but at the same time reassure cautious countries like the United States and Germany? They are wary of any membership commitment in wartime against a nuclear-armed Russia, as evidenced by U.S. President Joe Bidens warning that theres not unanimity on Ukrainian membership at this moment, in the middle of a war.

that theres not unanimity on Ukrainian membership at this moment, in the middle of a war. One way might be to state that Kyiv will join once conditions or consequences allow, and perhaps even to describe them explicitly. It could be that some sort of pathway will also be spelled out -- for example that NATO allies will issue an assessment or return to the question at the next summit, in Washington, D.C., next summer.

Ukraine is also fighting to avoid a requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) before it can join. A MAP is a sort of NATO membership antechamber in which the aspirant gets a tailor-made national program to prepare for future membership, and it could cover not only defense aspects but also political, security, and legal issues that the alliance thinks need to be addressed. Many of the current Central and Eastern European NATO members needed a MAP before joining. But there are indications from officials that Kyiv wont need one -- just as Finland and Sweden werent required to have one before starting the membership process.

In the end, the biggest question is whether Ukrainians will be satisfied with the outcome of the summit. While it is very much expected that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will show up, there have been persistent rumors that he is toying with the idea of not coming if he feels the summit isnt ambitious enough. Still, most expect him to be there and to co-chair the inaugural NATO-Ukraine Council -- an updated political relationship in which Kyiv will be sitting at the table as a sort of coequal, with the right to call meetings with the military alliance whenever it sees fit.

Brief #2: Sweden's NATO Accession?

What You Need To Know: This is an issue that not many NATO officials expected would drag on for so long. Sweden applied to join alongside Finland in the spring of 2022 as a direct consequence of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and many diplomats expected the process to be wrapped up by autumn.

But Ankara had other plans.

Before green-lighting membership, Turkey demanded that the Nordic pair, or more specifically Sweden, lift an arms embargo against Turkey, update its counterterror legislation, and extradite individuals whom Turkey has deemed to have been engaged in terrorist activities.

While Turkey agreed that both Sweden and Finland would join at the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Ankara withheld ratification of the Accession Protocols until progress was made.

Issues with Sweden, notably demonstrations in Stockholm that included the burning of a Koran, particularly strained Ankara-Stockholm relations before Finland decoupled and joined NATO alone in early April.

Drilling Down

There are essentially two ways this can go: There could be a repeat of the Madrid summit in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius a day before the start of the summit to seek an agreement, paving the way for ratification in the Turkish parliament in July or the autumn; or the pair could end up holding constructive talks in the Lithuanian capital that conclude with more work still to be done at various diplomatic levels.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with the foreign ministers and intelligence and security chiefs of Finland, Sweden, and Turkey on July 6 to try to iron out lingering details ahead of Vilnius. He described the meeting afterward as productive and suggested it is possible to have a positive decision the week of the summit.

NATO officials Ive spoken to on condition of anonymity believe Erdogan still would like to be viewed as a key statesman and agree on something once full media attention is directed at the summit. They note that expectations were low approaching the Madrid summit as well, but say face-to-face talks at the highest level then paved the way for an agreement.

They do, however, note that there might be another meeting needed as well: between Erdogan and Biden, at which the latter could promise American deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara -- a move that many believe could be deal clincher.

But more Koran burnings in Sweden, for instance, could still prove to be a potential spoiler. Turkey and much of the Muslim world reacted with fury when permission was granted for someone to burn the Muslim holy book outside a Stockholm mosque on June 28 in a protest to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the Islamic calendars holiest events.

The protest was permitted by a Swedish court after similar requests had been turned down, with authorities citing national security risks. At least three permits for the burning of religious books have been lodged in recent days, and the Swedish authorities now face a real headache. Diplomats Ive spoken to say that Swedish officials will tell their Turkish counterparts that the latest Koran burner at least was charged with agitation against an ethnic or national group, and that they plan similar charges if any similar incidents happen.

If there is a deal in Vilnius, it is widely thought that the Turkish parliament could still approve the ratification instrument before it goes into recess by October. Hungary has not ratified Swedens accession protocol, either -- mainly in solidarity with Ankara. While there are indications that Hungarian lawmakers postponed the vote to their autumn session, Budapest has repeatedly noted that it wont be the last country to ratify; so dont quite rule out Sweden becoming NATO member number 32 already this month.

Brief #3: Sorting Out NATO's Core Tasks

What You Need To Know: Perhaps the single most important decision that will presumably be taken at the NATO summit is the unanimous approval of the military alliances first comprehensive defense plans since the end of the Cold War.

These represent NATOs bread and butter: How to defend every inch of the 31 member states territories. Four thousand pages of classified plans should be green-lighted, covering three major regions: the North, meaning the Atlantic and the Arctic regions; the central region that essentially covers Europe from the Baltics to the Alps; and a southern region extending south from the Alps to the Mediterranean and including NATO states around the Black Sea. Of course, there are also subsections focusing on, for example, cybersecurity.

If all goes well and the plans are approved at the summit, even more detailed planning will follow that informs battalions as to exactly what patch of territory or sea they should defend in case of attack.

Drilling Down

These plans were essentially supposed to be agreed ahead of the summit, but there have been some obstacles -- mostly involving Turkey. Ankara has, for example, insisted on calling the Bosphorus the Turkish strait in the plans and also wanted to put more emphasis on fighting terrorism rather than simply focusing on the threat posed by Russia.

But the big issue remains how to go from plans to reality, and that ultimately means: Is there enough military gear, soldiers, and money to achieve all of that? Now, NATO is good at making commitments. In Madrid last year, the allies agreed that they would have 100,000 troops ready to deploy within 10 days and 300,000 inside of a month. But they still havent reached that lofty target.

It has fared even worse when it comes to defense spending. At the NATO summit in Wales back in 2014, a pledge was made that every ally would spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense by 2024 -- a figure all NATO members managed to reach during the Cold War. One year before that pledge should have been fulfilled, the alliance as a whole isnt even close to achieving it.

Only seven countries -- Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- reached the 2 percent threshold in 2022. In 2023, newest NATO member Finland will join the club, as will Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Germany should get there next year and France in 2025. But several NATO officials point out that quite a few countries might reach the 2 percent target, only to drop under it again shortly thereafter.

Thus, the new pledge in Vilnius. The 2 percent target should be the floor rather than the ceiling. Thats no problem for countries like Estonia, Poland, and the United States, which all spend 3 percent or more. But for others, it might be just another empty promise.

Another issue is that NATO will once again need to return to basics. After 20 years of largely guerrilla fighting in Afghanistan, there is a perceived need for investment in jets, tanks, and artillery -- and this was an acute need even before many NATO allies started sending such military hardware to Ukraine.

There is also the production of artillery. Even though European countries are slowly scaling up, largely to provide Kyiv with more rounds, Russia is still firing Europes monthly artillery production rate (currently estimated at 20,000-25,000 shells per month) in a single day in Ukraine.

Brief #4: All Of NATO's Other Friends

What You Need To Know: All the spotlight at the summit will doubtless be on Ukraine, but there are other non-NATO countries present in Vilnius, too.

On the first day, July 11, there is an informal North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting together with Partners at risk -- in this case, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova -- all of which will be represented by their respective foreign ministers.

On the second and final day, July 12, there will be a NAC meeting with the leaders of the four Indo-Pacific Partners -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea -- repeating a format first used in Madrid in 2022.

The Indo-Pacific meeting very much reflects the growing worry within the alliance about China; but there are divisions inside the club as to whether NATO is the appropriate forum when it comes to addressing issues pertaining to Beijing.

Drilling Down

One clear result of this internal tension is that NATO still hasnt reached consensus on opening a NATO office in Tokyo, with France no big fan of the idea. At the summit, however, NATO will draw up new cooperation programs with the Indo-Pacific quartet that cover areas like maritime, cyber, and new tech.

Combining Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova into one session is rather odd. The first two are NATO aspirants that, like Ukraine, have offers of future membership but no concrete timetables. Moldova, on the other hand, is constitutionally neutral and its population is deeply divided on potential membership.

For Georgia, its also a bit of downgrade. Tbilisi has until recently gone hand-in-hand with Ukraine when it comes to NATO membership; not so anymore. NATO officials Ive spoken to say this decoupling simply reflects a reality that the Ukrainian leadership is currently pushing harder for NATO membership.

Speeches like the one made by the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili at the Globsec summit in Bratislava, in which he blamed the war in Ukraine on NATO enlargement, certainly havent helped. But what I hear from the NATO corridors in Brussels is that Tbilisi needs to do more to fix Georgia-Ukraine relations and show greater political support for Kyiv. The hope is still that Ukraine can offer a precedent for Georgia going forward on its NATO path.

At the summit, the allies will continue to pledge money to boost Georgias defense capabilities, notably in the area known as CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense) and to refurbish a number of training facilities in the Caucasus country.

For Bosnia-Herzegovina, the expectation is of an agreement on a 30 million-euro support package, financing 12 projects in fields such as cybersecurity, air medical evacuation, and boosting its military police.

With Moldova, NATO has devised a so-called enhanced defense-capacity-building package focused on fighting disinformation, responding to cyberthreats, and modernizing the countrys defense institutions.

Interestingly, in light of the recent unrest in northern Kosovo in which NATO KFOR troops were attacked, that country is not formally on the agenda. KFORs presence has now been boosted by 500 soldiers, bringing the total number of peacekeepers to 4,300; but no discussions are expected on that issue at the summit unless one of the leaders explicitly brings it up.

That's all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Richard Jozwiak

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the talks on the final declaration of the upcoming NATO Summit about Ukraine are still in progress, and, therefore, it is not yet time to comment what language will be used in it.

He said this at a Monday pre-summit press conference in Vilnius when asked by journalists to comment on Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's tweet that the allies have reached consensus on removing the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) from Ukraine's path to membership.

Stoltenberg said that consultations are in progress and other meetings are yet to be held today. He also expressed confidence that all allies will agree on a very clear message to Ukraine. No final decision has been made yet, Stoltenberg said, adding that at the summit the allies will show unity and send a strong message to Ukraine.

The Secretary General recalled that at an informal meeting of the foreign ministers in Oslo he proposed a package on Ukraine consisting of three components. The first one is a program of practical assistance to ensure full operational compatibility between the Ukrainian and NATO forces, which will bring Ukraine closer to NATO. The second component is the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council for consultations and joint decisions. The third one is the removal of the MAP from Ukraine's path to membership. These three components of the package are under discussion, Stoltenberg said, adding that consultations on the exact language is coming to an end.

He also said that all allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance.

Stoltenberg expressed confidence that the summit will make strong and positive decisions for Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that the final decision will be made when all leaders meet tomorrow, adding that it is too soon to announce specific decisions and specific language.
ROTHERHAMS biggest business group is calling for nominations for its annual awards night.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is inviting businesses from the region to celebrate their achievements over the past 12 months at the 2023 Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards.

The awards ceremony will return to Magna in November.

Any business with an S postcode, as well as members of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, are eligible to enter the award categories, which celebrate the achievements of all areas of the local business community.

This year there is a new sustainability award, reflecting the growing importance of tackling climate change.

A full list of award categories can be found on the official Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards website.

Self-nominations are accepted, and individuals and organisations are encouraged to put forward deserving businesses.

The chamber is also calling on long-standing businesses that are celebrating their 25th, 50th, 75th or even 100th anniversaries in 2023 to apply for a salute to business in recognition of their commitment to the region.

Shane Young, operations director at the chamber, said: Although the past 12 months have undoubtedly been challenging for many businesses, there has been some truly amazing work delivered by local companies, and the business awards offers a chance to celebrate those achievements.

Nominations are open until September 1 at www.brawards.co.uk.
President of Lithuania: Ukraine should become NATO member, it's time for clear plan on how well achieve this

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Ukraine should become a member of NATO and the time has come to provide a "clear plan" how this will be achieved.

"One of the main topics of the summit is Ukraine. We all understand that only its victory will bring security and stability back to Europe. The Allies must agree on further military assistance to Ukraine until its territory is completely liberated. We also understand that Ukraine should be fully integrated into the transatlantic security system and become a member of NATO. The time has passed for repeating promises. The time has come for a clear plan on how we will achieve this. We have no choice but to agree and send a strong signal to Ukraine," Nauseda said at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Vilnius.

The Lithuanian President said that Vilnius should "become a place where good news comes to Ukrainians."

He stressed that Lithuania had stated from the very beginning that the summit should be characterized not by discussions, but by important decisions for the entire Alliance.

"Our unity and determination should be reflected not only in the declarations, but also in the decisions that we will take here in Vilnius in the coming days," Nauseda said.

He also noted that the situation in Europe leaves no room for inaction.

"We must move forward decisively and quickly," Nauseda said.

The Lithuanian President added that the situation in the region is becoming more complicated due to new factors that must be taken into account, such as the potential arrival of Wagner PMC mercenaries in Belarus and the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons there.

He also noted that the security of the eastern flank of NATO should be a priority of the Alliance. "And we must implement the decisions taken in Madrid and approve new defense plans here in Vilnius," the Lithuanian president said.

He also confirmed the rejection of the MAP stage for Ukraine.

The NATO Summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12.
Thermal Plant

Officials are actively taking necessary steps to prevent loss of life & property

PATIALA: The district of Patiala in Punjab is currently grappling with severe flood-like conditions caused by heavy rainfall, leading officials to seek assistance from the army to manage the escalating crisis. As a consequence of the heavy downpour, rainwater has infiltrated the Rajpura Thermal Power Plant, forcing the closure of one of its 700 MW units.

In response to the rising water levels across the district, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for relief and rescue operations. The breach in the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal in Rajpura city has contributed to the escalating water levels, prompting the Patiala district administration to request assistance from the army.

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Sakshi Sawhney, the Deputy Commissioner of Patiala, reported that a private hospital in Rajpura was flooded on Sunday, resulting in the transfer of patients to other medical facilities. The army successfully assisted in the evacuation of approximately 800 students from a private university in the district. Several rivers, including Ghaggar, Markanda, Pachisdara, Narwana, Tangri, and Patiala, along with their tributaries and canals, are flowing above the danger mark, posing a threat of flooding to nearby villages.

Officials are actively taking necessary steps to prevent loss of life and property, ensuring timely relief for affected individuals. The situation remains critical, with numerous roads inundated and water levels of major rivers surpassing the danger mark, causing flooding in Gopal Colony and Arai Majari near Patiala city.

State Health Minister Balbir Singh visited the affected areas to assess the ongoing rescue operations, while local MLA Ajit Pal Singh Kholi is actively contributing to relief efforts. However, opposition parties have criticized the state government's response to the situation. Patiala Member of Parliament Parneet Kaur expressed her dissatisfaction and called for more effective measures to be implemented. Former MP from Patiala, Dharamveer Gandhi, emphasized that the government should have taken immediate and decisive action to protect people from the floods.

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Authorities have reported no loss of life thus far, but concerns have arisen regarding potential damage to the paddy crops in various parts of the district due to the flooding. The situation in Patiala continues to be closely monitored, with authorities working tirelessly to alleviate the impact of the flooding and provide necessary assistance to affected residents.


Beter Bed Holding N.V. (BBED.AS) and Benelux investment firm Torqx Capital Partners announced on Monday that Torqx has expressed interest in buying Beter Bed in an all-cash public offer of 6.10 euros per share, valued around 168 million euros.

The offeror 959 B.V., a company controlled by Torqx Capital Partners expects to fund the acquisition by way of equity and third-party financing.

The price represents a premium of around 107 percent to BBH's closing price per share of 2.95 euro on 7 July.

Beter Bed board found the deal to be in the best interest of the company.

On Friday, shares of Beter Bed closed at 2.94 euros on Amsterdam Stock exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Unite Group PLC (UTG.L) a developer of student accommodation, Monday said it increased the rental growth guidance to around 7 percent for the academic year 23/24 compared to its earlier view of 6-7 percent.

It sold 98 percent of the rooms this year compared to 91 percent of the previous year reflecting a strong demand from both students and universities, the company said in a statement.

UK Student Accommodation Fund or USAF portfolio was valued at 2.92 billion pounds showing a 1.2 percent increase on a like-for-like basis during the quarter. The increase in valuation is due to a quarterly rental growth of 2.2% and a 5 basis point increase in property yields.

London Student Accommodation Joint Venture or LSAV portfolio was valued at 1.94 billion pounds a 1.1% increase on a like-for-like basis during the quarter. The growth in valuation is driven by quarterly rental growth of 2.0% and a 4 basis point increase in property yields.

Nomination agreements cover 56 percent of the total beds for this academic year compared to 52 percent of the prior year represent an increase of 2000 beds as universities rely on partners to meet their accommodation needs.

Currently, shares of Unite Group are trading at 848 pence, up 0.12% or 1 pence on the London Stock Exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is "rock solid," U.S. President Joe Biden said in his meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street Monday.

It was his first public engagement after landing in Europe for a three-nation multiple task tour.

Although Monday's meeting marked Biden's first visit at Number 10 as president, it was the sixth time in six months that he met Sunak.

Briefing the media aboard Air Force One en route London, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had said ,"The two leaders will have the chance to compare notes going into the Vilnius summit to talk about the issues on the agenda in Vilnius, to talk about progress in the war in Ukraine, and, of course, to talk about a range of other issues from China to climate to to artificial intelligence."

BBC quoted Sunak as saying that it was "great for us to carry on our conversation" and the leaders would consider how to strengthen cooperation and joint economic security.

Washginton's provision of cluster bombs to Ukraine had caused hiccups in the strong transatlantic tie.

After the brief meeting, President Biden left for Windsor Castle to meet King Charles. After that meeting, Biden will participate in a discussion with the King and philanthropists and investors on climate change.

The event with private sector leaders is "really focused on how we bring private capital off the sidelines in service of our climate objectives: the deployment of clean energy, the mitigation of carbon emissions, and help to developing countries in adapting to the impacts of climate change," according to Sullivan.

The Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry will accompany Biden in this meeting.

On Monday itself Biden will leave for Lithuanian capital Vilnius to attend the NATO summit.

"Ukraine will feature prominently and the work that NATO Allies have done individually and collectively to support Ukraine in the defense of its territorial integrity and sovereignty," the White Huose said.

The leaders will discuss with Ukraine progress along the pathway towards Ukraine's membership aspirations in NATO in a NATO-Ukraine Council format on the second day of the summit.

The agenda will also include Sweden's membership bid, defense investment pledges from the Alliance members, and defense and deterrence on the eastern flank and along each member state on NATO's borders.

Finally, after the NATO summit, the President will go to Finnish capital Helsinki for a meeting with the Nordic leaders.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Rhodes Universitys Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation Director, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong.

Rhodes Universitys Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation Director, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, has been appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. As the head of the Catholic Church, the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis appointed Professor Nyokong to the Academy.

The Academy was founded in 1603 after a period of vicissitudes and was radically reformed by Pope Pius XI in 1936. The aim of the Academy is to promote the progress of mathematical, physical, and natural sciences and the study of epistemological problems relating thereto. The Academy chooses candidates for a seat in the Academy based on their eminent original scientific studies and their acknowledged moral personality, without any ethnic or religious discrimination. They are nominated for life by the sovereign act of the Pope.

Professor Nyokong said that when she first received the communique from the Pope, she deleted the correspondence, thinking it was spam. Who receives an email from the Pope? I am not even catholic, so this came as a surprise for me, she said. Only after receiving a call enquiring whether she had received the correspondence did she realise it was legit.

Its a great honour indeed. I will be travelling to the Vatican in 2024. How does the Pope even know me? I do not even know, but it means there is something holy about the work my students and I are doing, said Professor Nyokong.

Pontifical Academy of Sciences Chancellor, Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, said: Pope Francis will bestow on Professor Nyokong the insignia of her appointment during a Solemn Pontifical Audience at the next Plenary Session in October 2024.

Professor Nyokong is researching a new cancer diagnosis and treatment methodology called photo-dynamic therapy, which is an alternative to chemotherapy. The new therapy is based on using a dye, which is used to colour blue denim clothing, and which is inert and harmless by itself but can be activated by exposure to a red laser beam.

She is celebrated worldwide for the outstanding work she and her team continue to do. She has five honorary degrees including from her alma mater McMaster University in Ontario, Canada; University of South Africa (UNISA); Walter Sisulu University; the University of KwaZulu-Natal and another alma mater, Western University in Ontario, Canada.

Professor Nyokong is an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor congratulated Professor Nyokong. We are incredibly proud of Distinguished Professor Nyokong, and we congratulate her on this huge recognition. This recognition is fitting for someone of Professor Nyokongs calibre. Her many years of ground-breaking intellectual contribution, hard work, dedication, and commitment to this research-intensive University do not go unnoticed. She has and continues to contribute to our vision of being foremost in the generation and advancement of locally-responsive and globally-engaged knowledge dedicated to creating a just and sustainable world, concluded Professor Mabizela.
Former NATO Assistant Secretary General Babst: If Europe's objective is Ukraine's objective in war against Russia, then Kyiv must get into Alliance as soon as possible

Former Assistant Secretary General of NATO (2006-2012) Stefanie Babst has said that the Western diplomacy should clarify its own strategic objective in the context of the war unleashed by Russian against Ukraine, and if it coincides with that of Ukraine, then the latter must be invited to join NATO as soon as possible.

"Ever since the war has started, the West is not clear about it. We say 'we support Ukraine as long as it takes'. I'm sorry, this is not an objective. This is not a clear objective if your enemy thinks that he is in this conflict for the next 10-15-20 years. We need to really adopt Ukraine's objectives and say our objective is Ukraine's objective to reconquer and recapture the territories that have been occupied, we want Russia to pay for the war crimes, we want Russia to be made responsible, we want Russia to really actually [] let us alone. [] If you have defined this goal, this objective than automatically Ukraine must get into NATO as soon as possible, if you follow that logic," she said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency during the presentation of her book entitled "Sehenden Auges  Mut zum Strategischen Kurswechsel (With Eyes Wide Open: The Courage for a Strategic Course Change)" in which the author tells as an insider about Ukraine-related events in the Alliance.

Babst said that she wrote this book for Ukrainians, adding that she mentioned in the book that Russia's war against Ukraine requires a "Churchill moment," a strong strategic reaction from Europe.

"It's the fundamental, and that doesn't only concern Ukraine, of course Ukrainians are in the front line, in the first place but the war has something to do with us as well. So, we can't just be a bystander, we can't just stand idle, and say OK, we keen on supporting you guys, and then we wait hopefully, I mean, for you to succeed militarily. I'm convinced that we need to make this war our conflict as well. And when I say we, I'm talking obviously the Western democratic states," she said.

The former NATO senior official also said that Western democracies are "at a strategic crossroad."

When asked about a time frame for such a strategic crossroad, Babst expressed confidence that it will not take "very long."

"He [Russian President Vladimir Putin] destroys your country in front of our eyes every single day and you are losing the best and brightest every single day. The bloodshed that is ongoing in front of our eyes is absolutely amazing. So, in Vilnius people will get together, make nice family photos we know that they will do this and say, 'Oh Ukraine gets in, sorry, but not now. You know once the war is over.' This is basically a policy aimed at day X, we don't know when day X will be, we don't know when Ukrainian Armed Forces will be able to, I mean, if they ever will be able to reconquer Crimea," she said.

"What would Putin's perception be if he looks at our debate? What would be China's analysis if it looks at our debate? Is our debate ultimately really 'OK, we don't want to become party to the war, and that's why we allow the second largest country in Europe to be destroyed.' Is this our rationale? I say no, it must not be, so we must give Ukrainians a timetable to join. If I had something to say, I would say, 'Here are we in Vilnius and this is the time, the day to invite Ukraine for official accession talks'," Babst said.

At the same time, she was pessimistic while making a prognosis about the upcoming NATO Summit: "I'm afraid to say what I think is going to happen. [] But I think they will come up with this language of what I just described: you will be able to join NATO but not now, we'll give security pledges."

Babst said that Ukraine will get exactly security pledges, and not security guarantees, and these pledges will be prepared to do a long-term planning with Ukraine for rapid delivery of weapons, for military training "in close hands with the European Union."

"The European Union keeps on supporting you [Ukraine] economically and gives you the perspective at least for a long-time recovery effort. [] But this is just language, so the only real delivery, I'm afraid to say, is the Ukraine-NATO Council where you get your seat, your nameplate in alphabetical order. Sorry to be brutal. [] Ukraine will sit in this Council as a partner country. You will not even have the level of MAP country because you have not been given MAP," she said.

At the same time, the former NATO senior official described providing Ukraine with MAP as "completely useless."

"If we don't really show courage now, we implicitly accept the risk that at some point Ukrainians will simply become exhausted," she said.

According to Babst, after some time the allies will tell Ukraine that "their ammunition stocks have really come flat" and successes at the front line will be not as good as expected.

"And then Ukrainians will be forced to accept pause. There will be politically directly or indirectly nicely or less nicely be pressed into accepting ceasefire negotiations, and I would back my head the Germans and the French and, probably, a few others will be the first offering generously to host his so-called first peace conference in Berlin. Because it looks nice. And then we have a frozen conflict, and then we have people still in Mariupol and in other parts of the occupied territories who unfortunately have become subject of Russian denazification programs," she said, adding that this is a worst-case scenario.

At the same time, Babst drew attention to the developments in Poland and its ambition to participate in NATO's nuclear arrangement.

"You know that [President of Poland Andrzej] Duda has been in Washington three times []. He wants 61 bombs in Poland. He will get F-16, F-35 so he would have the capabilities in order to become another active member of NATO's arrangement. [] I think it would send a very powerful signal to Putin if Poland becomes a host nation of nuclear capabilities. And if then Poland were to come up with a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine []. If I were [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and somebody tells me that I should consider the so-called Israeli option, I would say yes. [] If Ukraine is really looking for a credible deterrent, other than Article 5, the only thing, I may be wrong, I can think of is the nuclear component," she said.
Weather Alert

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTH CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY... At 648 PM EDT, trained weather spotters reported Route 105 East is closed just past Dairy Center Lane with water across the road. Between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1.5 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Trained spotters reported. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Enosburg Falls, Berkshire, Enosburg Falls Village, Enosburg, Franklin, Sheldon, Richford, Fairfield, North Enosburg, West Berkshire, Enosburg Center, South Franklin, West Enosburg and East Sheldon. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. && FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...All of Northern New York and Vermont. * WHEN...Until 2 AM EDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Storm drains and ditches may become clogged with debris. Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with more heavy rain. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. &&
The sun has set on the iconic La Mesa landmark known as the Drew Roundhouse of Values. It went up in 1967.

Its been one of the most well-known landmarks in La Mesa since the 1960s. Soon, it will be a memory.

The Drew Ford Roundhouse of Values at 8970 La Mesa Blvd., once a highlight for drivers traveling along freeways and roads in La Mesa, is being demolished. Crews started tearing it down last week.

The iconic structure, built in April 1967, was designed by La Mesa architect James Hurley and built to resemble the Ford Rotunda from the Worlds Fair in New York in 1964.

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It originally was known as the Drew Ford Rotunda and was renamed the Roundhouse of Values in the early 1970s, according to Jim Newland, a La Mesa planning commissioner and president of the La Mesa Historical Society.

Many fondly remember not only purchasing cars, but attending high school proms and other community events at the iconic building, he said.

In 2014, SoCal Penske Dealer Group took over the Drew Ford dealership, a La Mesa staple that started in 1927 under businessman Elmer Drew. Elmer Drew passed the business onto his son, Joe, in the 1990s. After Joe Drew died in 2014, his son, Bill Drew, sold the dealership to Penske.

In a statement Monday, the company said a renovated service facility would be opening in 12-18 months.

The partial arch pillars  several long, upturned steel and concrete poles that gave the building its unique architectural style  were knocked down Monday.

Last week, windows had been smashed by construction rigs and the interior gutted. Piles of wood and glass littered the inside.

Elmer Drews daughter, Esther, told Newland that her father let it be known that the structure was built to be disassembled in case it needed to be moved some day.

The first day of demolition was wistful for many longtime employees, who either watched the glass being broken by a rig or showed up after the fact and saw the crumbled remains inside.

The roundhouse pillars at Penske Ford in La Mesa started going down on Monday, June 25. (Karen Pearlman/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Some of us have been emotionally connected to the building, said Mark Webb, who has worked at the dealership for 29 years. But we know that the Penske team has the right idea and want to make it more of a modern facility.

Room is needed for more cars to be put on display as the dealership is looking to transform itself and expand, Webb said. The dealership keeps some of its cars in other spots around the county on rented or leased land.

Webb said he remembered when there were old Ford Model A and Model T cars inside the buildings first floor. The structure had offices and tables where people sat down to talk to sales representatives and sign contracts to buy cars.

Gregory May started a petition last year on change.org at tinyurl.com/ybt4uzov to stop the demolition of the landmark. It is still online and there are more than 700 signees.

Its sad that Penske, the Drew family or the Ford Motor Co. has no creativity to use this unique building, May said. Nothing they build will be anything remotely interesting.

There is also a Facebook page devoted to keeping the roundhouse at facebook.com/savedrewfordroundhouse/

But those efforts have been for naught  and many from across San Diego County are mourning the loss.

For locals like Tina Culp Barton of Pacific Beach, whose parents still live in the foothills of Mount Helix near the dealership, losing the building is a sad occasion that brings back good memories.

After my father returned from Vietnam in 1968, we were transferred to Yuma, Barton said. Every time we drove back to San Diego to visit my grandparents, we would drive right by the Roundhouse. It was the first large and modern building we saw coming into San Diego. Once I saw it, I knew we werent far from seeing my grandma and the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

The iconic Roundhouse of Values started to be torn down on June 20 in La Mesa. (Karen Pearlman/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Since hearing the news and seeing a photo on social media of the demolition, hundreds of people have chimed in with memories of the roundhouse on Facebook.

Say its not so, Tom Lux wrote. I bought a car there in my youth!! PINTO!!!

Goodbye to an East County icon, wrote Dana Stevens.

One less landmark, Bob Gould wrote.

Many also remembered the loss in 1996 of the Aquarius Roll-A-Rena roller-skating rink, once a Food Basket grocery store. The structure was built in 1952 and leased a spot in the parking lot of the auto dealership. Al and Ruth Strunk opened the rink in 1978.

Omg, that is where I bought my first car and my parents bought a lot of theirs, Gwendolyn Poe wrote. Aquarius roller rink was over there, too. The roundhouse with those white pillars around it always reminded me of teeth as a kid.

Howard B. Owens III wrote that when he was younger, he was fascinated by the buildings unique design. But he said he didnt consider it of much significant architectural value.

Owens wrote that the location became really horrible as freeway construction around it grew and grew.

Interstate 8  and U.S. 80 roadway before it  was once the main thoroughfare next to the car dealership. State Route 125 was built in the 1980s and now mammoth bridges leading from Interstate 8 to the state Route 125 connectors heading north and south loom over the dealership.

Newland said the building should have been considered for historical eligibility in La Mesa, but a procedural loophole allowed the city to OK a permit for demolition.

Some of the gutted inside of the Roundhouse of Values in La Mesa at the Penske Ford dealership. (Karen Pearlman/San Diego Union-Tribune )

In the 1980s, the city started a list of buildings and properties at least 50 years old that it would consider for historical designation. Although he has tried to make inroads, that list has not been updated, Newland said.

So while Drew Ford dates back to the late 1920s, the rotunda only goes back to the 1960s, and so it never made the original list.

Lori Walters, a historian and preservation specialist in mid-century modern architecture from the University of Central Florida, visited the roundhouse in March. Walters scanned and recorded 3-D imaging of the outside building.

She was also able to get inside the building with Penskes OK and procured and made copies of its original blueprints. Walters was also able to climb on the roof of the roundhouse. She will be sharing her findings with the La Mesa Historical Society at a later date, Newland said.

Newland said that as a historian it is tough when landmarks like the roundhouse go away.

Its one of those icons that has always been there, he said. Its one of those things that generations hold onto, a multigenerational thing for the last 50 years that anybody who drove down U.S. 80 or Interstate 8, when youd see the roundhouse, you knew you were in La Mesa.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
Seventeen military clashes take place in Kupyansk, Lymany, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka directions over day  AFU General Staff

The Russian aggressor continues to focus its main efforts on Kupyansk, Lymany, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka directions, heavy fighting continues, 17 military clashes took place during the day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Monday evening.

It is noted that the Ukrainian defenders are steadfastly holding the defense in Kupyansk direction. In addition, the Defense Forces repulsed enemy attacks in Hryhoryivka area in Bakhmut direction, and in the areas of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka in Maryinka direction.

In Avdiyivka direction, Ukrainian troops continue to restrain the enemy's offensive in the area of Pivnichne of Donetsk region.

Also during the day, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region, in Shakhtarsk direction.

In Zaporizhia and Kherson directions, the occupiers are focusing their main efforts on preventing the further advance of Ukrainian troops.

"At the same time, the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct offensive operations in Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, gain a foothold on the achieved boundaries, inflict artillery fire damage on the identified enemy targets, carry out counter-battery warfare activities," the General Staff notes.
Explainer: Why green pursuit in China's mountain region matters to world

08:05, July 10, 2023 By Guo Yuqi ( Xinhua

This photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows an installation combined with several screens at Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Poverty reduction and environmental improvement must go hand in hand. Ecological civilization entails incorporating environmental considerations into all forms of social progress.

GUIYANG, China, July 9 (Xinhua) -- South of the Yangtze River, southwest China's Guizhou Province is a realm of biodiversity, karst landscape and natural heritage. In the province's capital city Guiyang, a two-day global forum on ecological civilization just concluded.

As a national-level global forum themed on ecological civilization, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023, which attracted over 3,200 participants, provided a platform for international discussion on ecological civilization and green development.

FIGHTING CHALLENGES

Guizhou, a mountainous region, has overcome ecological degradation and severe economic distress to become what it is today.

At the forum, participants were welcome to taste the locally-produced Roxburgh rose juice. This small and sweet fruit has a remarkable history of fighting against rocky desertification.

Rocky desertification, also known as "the earth cancer," refers to land degradation where vegetation is destroyed, bedrock is exposed and the surface resembles a desert landscape. Local people would say, "Rocks come to light, no plants survive."

In Guizhou, areas of rocky desertification are often located in impoverished regions. People discovered that Roxburgh roses are relatively cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and have well-developed root systems, making them naturally appropriate for combating rocky desertification.

With government support, local people in areas of rocky desertification areas such as Liupanshui City, Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qiannan, Anshun City and Bijie City started to grow Roxburgh roses in stone cracks and make products out of its fruits, which not only improved natural conditions but also helped people find a path to wealth.

Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, once visited the Roxburgh rose planting areas in central Guizhou. He underscored that this solution for combating rocky desertification has economic value and inspires the world.

This is just one example of the numerous instances where Guizhou showcases the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Through years of dedicated efforts toward building a more eco-friendly society, Guizhou was designated the country's ecological civilization pilot zone in 2016.

Thorjorn Larssen, deputy managing director of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, came to China for the first time in 1993. He recalled that when he first came to Guiyang 30 years ago, the air pollution in the city was quite severe. "It's very impressive to see how the air quality has improved and how fast measures are taken."

According to the professor, poverty reduction and environmental improvement must go hand in hand. Ecological civilization entails incorporating environmental considerations into all forms of social progress.

This photo taken on July 9, 2023 shows the closing ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

COMMON GOALS

The pursuit of ecological civilization in China matters to the world because no country or continent can manage environmental issues alone.

In his congratulatory letter to the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference Guiyang 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "ecological conservation concerns the future of humankind, and it's the common goal of all nations to build a green home."

Examples such as the commitment to achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality, as well as the promotion of initiatives like the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, demonstrate that China is dedicated to building a beautiful China and shouldering global responsibilities.

"We face roughly the same issues worldwide," said Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). "It's very important that we measure biodiversity loss and exchange information and data with each other, and this is the way how we improve our own policies," he added.

Furthermore, China's experience, accumulated over generations and in diverse geographical conditions, is valuable for those facing similar challenges.

Solutions in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals provide a global roadmap that protects the planet but also reduces poverty and leaves no one behind, James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, told Xinhua.

"We are working closely together with China and all partners globally to develop new innovative development actions. Let us utilize this opportunity to share the best practices and new innovative approaches in China that we can share with the rest of the world for mutual exchange and learning for a better planet for everyone," he said.

Michia Moncho, a full-time national community member of the Young Communist League of South Africa responsible for international relations, was impressed by what she saw in China. Besides theorizing "development," what matters is to work with people and show them that ecological civilization is not only going to benefit us for now but for generations to come, she noted during the eco forum.

"I'll take home what I saw here, how China is implementing measures with Chinese characteristics, and we, as South Africans, can implement them with our characteristics," she said.

Artists sing songs of Dong ethnic group at the closing ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

LEADING ROLE

In recent years, China has been leading in addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and promoting a green transformation. The green technologies developed in China have benefited other parts of the world.

In his written statement for the World Leaders Summit at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2021, Xi said it is vital to harness innovations in science and technology to transform and upgrade the energy and resources sectors as well as the industrial structure and consumption pattern.

"We will foster a green, low-carbon and circular economic system at a faster pace, press ahead with industrial structure adjustment, and rein in the irrational development of energy-intensive and high-emission projects," he said.

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, told the eco forum that according to his observation, several Chinese companies are leading the way in future green industries, some even being established in third-tier small cities.

These companies, such as those in the electric vehicle industry, "brought jobs, prosperity, and profits in China, while at the same time, it is very good for global environmental progress," Solheim said.

A few days earlier in Camacari, Brazil, Chinese automaker BYD announced the construction of a production base complex comprising three factories, which is expected to create over 5,000 new jobs in the local area. In addition to producing electric vehicles, the complex will process lithium-iron phosphate batteries.

Filipe Porto, a researcher at the Federal University of ABC and a member of the Brazilian Foreign Policy Observatory, believes China is becoming an essential partner for Brazil to meet its decarbonization and energy needs.

In Africa, China has been working with countries to meet their green targets.

"China has been the leading partner in the continent's desired to switch to solar and wind energy," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

The expert told Xinhua that with China's help, Kenya is now home to the largest grid-connected solar power plant in East and Central Africa. The Garissa China-built 50MW solar power plant is proving benefits to the country as Kenya now taps over 2 percent of the national energy source from the facility.

Adhere said that through targeted technology transfers, Kenyans in the northern part of the country are now reaping the benefits of Chinese technology with improved access to power.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the German government not to block Ukraine's rapid accession to NATO. This is reported by Bild with reference to Kuleba's interview with ARD TV channel on Monday.

"I urge the German government not to repeat the mistakes made by [Chancellor Angela] Merkel in 2008," Bild quoted the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

According to the publication, "as Kuleba said, the overwhelming majority of the members of the military bloc have already spoken out for Ukraine's early accession to NATO. At the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, Germany and France did not support Ukraine's membership."

The message notes that according to the publication, "the USA and German governments intend to block Ukraine's application to join NATO at the next summit, which will begin tomorrow in Vilnius. The government of Olaf Scholz insists on the impropriety of any wording about "Ukraine's almost prepared entry into NATO."
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a remarkable image of the strongly lensing galaxy cluster eMACS J1353.7+4329.

Galaxy clusters contain thousands of galaxies of all ages, shapes and sizes. Typically, they have a mass of about one million billion times the mass of the Sun.

At one point in time galaxy clusters were believed to be the largest structures in the Universe  until they were usurped in the 1980s by the discovery of superclusters, which typically contain dozens of galaxy clusters and groups and span hundreds of millions of light-years.

However, galaxy clusters do have one thing to cling on to; superclusters are not held together by gravity, so galaxy clusters still retain the title of the biggest structures in the Universe bound by gravity.

Albert Einstein predicted in his theory of general relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself. When light passes one of these objects, such as a galaxy cluster, its path is changed slightly.

Known as gravitational lensing, this effect is only visible in rare cases and only the best telescopes can observe the related phenomena.

Gravitational lensing is a dramatic example of Einsteins general theory of relativity in action, Hubble astronomers explained.

A celestial body such as a galaxy cluster is sufficiently massive to distort spacetime, which causes the path of light around the object to be visibly bent as if by a vast lens.

Gravitational lensing can also magnify distant objects, allowing us to observe objects that would otherwise be too faint and too far away to be detected.

It can also distort the images of background galaxies, turning them into streaks of light.

The first hints of gravitational lensing are already visible in the new Hubble image as bright arcs which mingle with the throng of galaxies in eMACS J1353.7+4329, they added.

eMACS J1353.7+4329 is located approximately 8 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Canes Venatici.

This huge collection of elliptical and spiral galaxies is the result of a collision between two smaller galaxy clusters.

The data in this image are drawn from an observing proposal called Monsters in the Making, which used two of Hubbles instruments to observe five exceptional galaxy clusters at multiple wavelengths, the astronomers said.

These multi-wavelength observations were made possible by Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

We hope to lay the groundwork for future studies of vast gravitational lenses with next-generation telescopes such as the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
Increasing opportunities for up-close encounters with sharks and other animals are making wildlife tourism one of the fastest growing tourism sectors -- leading Australian ecology experts to venture to one of the world's main sites to investigate the effects of tourism on endangered whale sharks.

At Oslob in the Philippines, Flinders University's Southern Shark Ecology Group and Global Ecology Lab joined local Filipino researchers to measure how the daily feeding regimes for resident whale shark population might have affected their behaviour and physiology by assessing their activity and metabolic requirements.

Oslob is home to one of the world's largest whale shark (Rhincodon typus) tourism sites, and operators use 150kg to 400kg of food to attract the impressive animals to the picturesque location.

In the 12 years since feeding whale sharks began, mass tourism at the location has increased the size of shark aggregation as well as changed shark behaviour, including 'desensitisation' to boat and human contact.

"By fitting 16 whale sharks with small accelerometers, similar to a fitness tracker, we found their daily movements and resulting metabolic rate increased by up to 55% in response to their quest for food at the tourism site," says Flinders University Honours researcher Christine Barry, who is now doing a PhD at Murdoch University, Western Australia.

"Our bioenergetics model suggests that providing about 220kg of food per day would be sufficient to offset higher metabolic rate driven by tourism.

"However, the unknown long-term consequences of feeding whale sharks suggests that managers should focus on making changes to operating procedures to reduce the high activity we see at the site."

Supported by the Harry Butler Institute at Murdoch University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Ms Barry hopes her current PhD project will support management at West Australia's Ningaloo Reef by measuring the importance of foraging ground for this vulnerable species.

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The Oslob study and data analysis were supported by Dr Adrian Gleiss from the Harry Butler Institute and Flinders University Professor Corey Bradshaw, who both contributed to the article just published in the journal Biological Conversation.

Senior author Flinders University Professor Charlie Huveneers, Research Director of the Southern Shark Ecology Group, says the two-fold increase in whale shark activity was due to more rapid acceleration and altered tailbeat frequency and amplitude required by the sharks to move between and avoid each other and boats.

"While wildlife tourism has many benefits, including educational and conservation opportunities, we need to be mindful of a range of possible negative effects on the movement and activity of the animals targeted by tourism.

"Without adequate management and regulation, tourism could have a range of negative effects on whale sharks and their ecosystems, and therefore the industry relying on these whale sharks," he says.

Ms Barry says whale shark tourism at Oslob is vital for international tourism and the local economy, and therefore understanding how to ensure sustainable practices is important.

"Feeding whale sharks is becoming an increasingly common strategy for tourism in the Indo-Pacific region, so it is essential to continue investigating how this might be affecting the endangered whale shark," she says.
One of the most prestigious universities in the USA - the University of California, Berkeley is planning to start joint educational projects with Ukrainian educational institutions. This was stated by Janet Ann Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security (2009-2013), Governor of Arizona (2002-2009)at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Women's Leadership in Wartime."

"We are doing compelling things with my Center (UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy) in Berkeley, which, I am happy to say, is looking forward to a deep collaboration with the Kyiv School of Public Administration. We will have joint research programs, leadership training opportunities, and joint student exchanges that will help enrich both Berkeley and Ukraine and truly expand the global quest for shared democracy through higher education, she says.

The All-Ukrainian Forum "Women's Leadership during the War" was held on July 4, 2023, at the PARKOVY CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTER. The event gathered more than 600 participants and representatives of all sectors: government bodies, public organizations, military, politics, business and media. The organizer of the Forum was the Kyiv School of Public Administration named after Serhiy Nizhnyy.

Janet Ann Napolitano also expressed full support for Ukraine's struggle for its own freedom. "Ukraine has become an inspiration for the whole world, especially for countries like the USA, which value freedom and democracy. Your resilience as a nation, your commitment to democracy, your sovereignty and right to exist as a people is simply incredible. And believe me, the American People have noticed. During my travels, I see Ukrainian flags everywhere in the United States," she said. Janet Ann Napolitano spoke as a special guest via video conference of the Forum and plans to visit Ukraine in person in September 2023.

The forum became a platform for discussing the challenges that arose before the women of Ukraine with the beginning of a full-scale war, as well as possible solutions. The event united women leaders to find ways of mutual assistance, development of stability and sustainable recovery of Ukraine.

The organizers are sure that with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, women's leadership in Ukraine became one of the powerful tools of survival from the rear to the front. "More than 5,000 Ukrainian women are currently serving on the front lines," said Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Ganna Maliar.

"As a result of the Forum, we aim to form an initiative group and launch projects related to reforms and changes in state policies affecting women in Ukraine," says Anna Mishchenko, Director of the Kyiv School of Public Administration named after Serhiy Nizhny. According to her, the Kyiv School of Public Administration together with the Center for Security in Politics at the University of Berkeley (USA) are planning joint research, educational exchange and public events with a focus on women's leadership. All this will allow us to transfer the working American experience to Ukraine.
Plant roots have their own thermometer to measure the temperature of the soil around them and they adjust their growth accordingly. Through extensive experiments, a team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), was able to demonstrate that roots have their own temperature sensing and response system. In a new study in The EMBO Journal, the scientists also provide a new explanation for how roots themselves detect and react to higher temperatures. The results could help develop new approaches for plant breeding.

The researchers used climate chambers to investigate how the plant model organism thale cress and the two crops cabbage and tomatoes react to rising ambient temperatures. They increased the ambient temperature from 20 to 28C (68 to 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit). "Until now, it was assumed that the plant shoot controlled the process for the entire plant and acted as a long-distance transmitter that signalled to the root that it should alter its growth," says Professor Marcel Quint from the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences at MLU. His team has now been able to disprove this through extensive experiments in cooperation with researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne. In one experiment, scientists cut off the shoot of the plants but allowed the roots to continue to grow. "We found that the roots were not affected by this and grew at elevated temperatures in the same way as on plants with intact shoots. The higher temperature stimulated cell division and the roots became significantly longer," says Quint. The team also used mutant plants whose shoots could no longer detect and respond to higher temperatures. Those were grafted onto roots without this defect. Here, too, the roots were able to react to the heat in the soil, even though the shoot did nothing.

The researchers found in all of their experiments that root cells increased the production of the growth hormone auxin, which was then transported to the root tips. There, it stimulated cell division and enabled the roots to reach further down into the soil. "As heat and drought usually occur in tandem, it makes sense for the plants to tap into deeper and cooler soil layers that contain water," Quint explains.

Scientists have understood how plant shoots react to higher temperatures for some time. Their cells also produce more auxin, but the plant reacts differently than its roots. The cells in the shoot stretch, the stalk grows taller, and the leaves become narrower and grow farther apart.

The study also provides new insights for plant breeding. "In view of climate change, root growth is becoming more and more important for breeding. Understanding the molecular basis for temperature-dependent root growth might help to effectively equip plants against drought stress and achieve stable yields in the long term," says Quint. Quint's team will continue its work in this field of research in the coming years. A few weeks ago, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) granted him around 500,000 euros for a new research project on precisely this topic.

The study was funded by the DFG, the Chinese Scholarship Fund, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Society.
The recent progress in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) promises a future where these technologies would play a more prominent role in society. Current developments, such as the introduction of autonomous vehicles, the ability to generate original artwork, and the creation of chatbots capable of engaging in human-like conversations, highlight the immense possibilities held by these technologies. While these advancements offer numerous benefits, they also pose some fundamental questions. The characteristics such as creativity, communication, critical thinking, and learning -- once considered to be unique to humans -- are now being replicated by AI. So, can intelligent machines be considered 'human'?

In a step toward answering this question, Associate Professor Tomohide Ibuki from Tokyo University of Science, in collaboration with medical ethics researcher Dr. Eisuke Nakazawa from The University of Tokyo and nursing researcher Dr. Ai Ibuki from Kyoritsu Women's University, recently explored whether robots and AI can be entrusted with nursing, a highly humane practice. Their work was made available online on 12 June 2023 and published in the journal Nursing Ethics on 12 June 2023.

"This study in applied ethics examines whether robotics, human engineering, and human intelligence technologies can and should replace humans in nursing tasks," says Dr. Ibuki.

Nurses demonstrate empathy and establish meaningful connections with their patients. This human touch is essential in fostering a sense of understanding, trust, and emotional support. The researchers examined whether the current advancements in robotics and AI can implement these human qualities by replicating the ethical concepts attributed to human nurses, including advocacy, accountability, cooperation, and caring.

Advocacy in nursing involves speaking on behalf of patients to ensure that they receive the best possible medical care. This encompasses safeguarding patients from medical errors, providing treatment information, acknowledging the preferences of a patient, and acting as mediators between the hospital and the patient. In this regard, the researchers noted that while AI can inform patients about medical errors and present treatment options, they questioned its ability to truly understand and empathize with patients' values and to effectively navigate human relationships as mediators.

The researchers also expressed concerns about holding robots accountable for their actions. They suggested the development of explainable AI, which would provide insights into the decision-making process of AI systems, improving accountability.

The study further highlights that nurses are required to collaborate effectively with their colleagues and other healthcare professionals to ensure the best possible care for patients. As humans rely on visual cues to build trust and establish relationships, unfamiliarity with robots might lead to suboptimal interactions. Recognizing this issue, the researchers emphasized the importance of conducting further investigations to determine the appropriate appearance of robots for facilitating efficient cooperation with human medical staff.

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Lastly, while robots and AI have the potential to understand a patient's emotions and provide appropriate care, the patient must also be willing to accept robots as care providers.

Having considered the above four ethical concepts in nursing, the researchers acknowledge that while robots may not fully replace human nurses anytime soon, they do not dismiss the possibility. While robots and AI can potentially reduce the shortage of nurses and improve treatment outcomes for patients, their deployment requires careful weighing of the ethical implications and impact on nursing practice.

"While the present analysis does not preclude the possibility of implementing the ethical concepts of nursing in robots and AI in the future, it points out that there are several ethical questions. Further research could not only help solve them but also lead to new discoveries in ethics," concludes Dr. Ibuki.

Here's hoping for such novel applications of robotics and AI to emerge soon!
A study led by a North Carolina State University researcher identified genes involved in development of stone cells -- rigid cells that can block a nibbling insect from eating budding branches of the Sitka spruce evergreen tree. The insect's attack has stunted the growth of these forest giants.

The new findings could help researchers breed genetically improved Sitka spruce trees resistant to the spruce weevil (Pissodes strobi).

"We wanted to learn about the genetic basis for natural pest resistance that certain Sitka spruce trees have evolved to prevent insects from feeding on the plant," said Justin Whitehill, assistant professor of Christmas tree genetics at NC State and first author of the study. Whitehill started the study as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, where the laboratory experiments were completed.

"The trait we studied in Sitka spruce is a physical defense known as stone cells, which are found in almost all plant species," said Whitehill. "They are responsible for the gritty texture you feel when eating a pear. Stone cell development is very complex, involving thousands of genes. We identified some of the genetics involved in the key early steps for these cells' development."

The Sitka spruce is a large conifer tree that grows on the West Coast from California to Alaska. While the tree has been replaced with other species for timber products in North America because of susceptibility to the weevil, it is still a prominent timber species in Europe. Many trees grown on the West Coast for forestry products were derived from a fast-growing population that grew on an island and were never exposed to the weevil, which left them extremely susceptible, Whitehill said.

However, a group of resistant Sitka spruce trees was discovered in Canada that develop stone cells, a rigid cell type that only grow in less than an inch of the top of budding branches -- the same area where the weevil feeds.

"The stone cells slow down the progression of the insect and give time for the resin found in the trees' bark to coat the insect and make it too sticky to feed more," Whitehill said. "Stone cells block these insects as they try to eat through the plant and slow them down enough to prevent them from causing significant damage to the tree."

In their recent study, researchers found nearly 1,300 genes that were expressed at higher levels in stone cells. They also identified a key gene that functions as a "master switch" and is responsible for activating thousands of other genes known to control the development of thick-walled cells in other plants.

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"This paper lays out a roadmap of the genes involved in stone-cell development," Whitehill said. "We're showing it's strongly controlled by genetics involved in secondary cell walls."

Key to the researchers' study was a microdissection tool that uses a laser to cut extremely tiny slices of tissue into thin sections. Researchers were able to cut tiny sections from the buds of actively growing Sitka spruce branches to study genes expressed specifically in stone cells during their formation.

Whitehill said he has received funding to bring an updated version of this technology to NC State. Now, researchers here are using laser microdissection to study genes in the Fraser fir tree -- a leading Christmas tree in the United States grown in western North Carolina. They are using this technology to investigate important features that could boost the viability, fragrance and pest resilience of the Fraser fir, a tree with a genome size five times bigger than humans.

"We're using this approach now to look for genes involved in resistance to pathogens and pests, and to understand complex ecological interactions at the genetic level," Whitehill said.

The paper, "Transcriptome features of stone cell development in weevil-resistant and susceptible Sitka spruce," was published online in New Phytologist. Co-authors included Macaire M.S. Yuen, Angela Chiang (current NC State Christmas Tree Genetics program lab manager and research associate), Carol E. Ritland and Jorg Bohlmann. The work was supported by funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants Program, and from the Genome Canada, Genome British Columbia, and Genome Quebec SpruceUp Project (243FOR).
A recent study, titled "Remote Detection of a Lunar Granitic Batholith at Compton-Belkovich" published in the journal Nature, reports an unexpected finding of a huge granite formation with radioactive properties beneath the surface of the Moon's far side. This discovery holds the potential to provide valuable insights into the extensive history of our Moon.

A Not-So-Unexpected Discovery of Granite on the Moon's Far Side

Scientists have made an intriguing discovery of a large granite formation beneath the surface of the Moon's far side, specifically under a volcanic feature known as Compton-Belkovich. According to Space.com, this volcanic feature is believed to have formed from cooling magma that fueled lunar volcanic eruptions approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

While the presence of volcanic remnants in this region is not unexpected, the size of the cooled magma patch-estimated to be about 31 miles (50 kilometers) wide-has surprised the research team. Identifying this extensive granite body beneath the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex holds the potential to enhance understanding of how the lunar crust evolved during its early history.

The discovery of the granite formation was made by a group of scientists led by Matthew Siegler from the Planetary Science Institute. They utilized data collected by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to measure temperatures beneath the surface of Compton-Belkovich.

The data revealed the presence of heat generated by radioactive elements unique to the moon, which exist as granite formations-an igneous rock found in the subsurface of volcanoes, known as batholiths.

Siegler explained in a news release that on Earth, large granite bodies are responsible for fueling extensive volcanic chains, such as the Cascade volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest. Batholiths, which are much larger than the volcanoes they supply, serve as evidence of past volcanic activity.

For instance, the Sierra Nevada mountains in the western United States are a batholith formed from a previous volcanic chain. The discovery of this significant granite body on the Moon offers valuable insights into its volcanic past and the geological processes that shaped its crust. The findings highlight the complex history of lunar volcanism and the importance of further exploring the Moon's far side to unravel its mysteries.

READ ALSO: Japan's Equuleus Lunar Probe Captures Far Side of the Moon After Successful Launch [LOOK]

Determining the Chemical Makeup of the Radioactive Lunar Deposit

The scarcity of granite formations on the moon due to the absence of water and plate tectonics suggests that the discovery of granite beneath the lunar surface offers valuable insights into the conditions present during past volcanic activity on the moon.

The discovery of the granite on the Moon's far side is raising questions about the presence of water and extreme conditions that could have led to its formation in the absence of water and plate tectonics, as per Futurism.

By using microwave frequencies to analyze the deposit's geothermal activity, researchers determined that it contained radioactive elements unique to granite. The finding challenges previous assumptions about the scarcity of granite on the Moon and suggests the existence of an Earth-like, evolved granitic system on the lunar surface.

However, the discovery raises new inquiries regarding the conditions that allowed for the formation of granite in this particular area of the Moon, including the potential presence of water or exceptionally high temperatures.



RELATED ARTICLE: Colossal Ancient Impact on the Moon's South Pole May Explain Differences Between Lunar's Near and Far Side

Check out more news and information on Moon in Science Times.
In the study, titled "Unintended Electromagnetic Radiation From Starlink Satellites Detected With LOFAR Between 110 and 188 MHz" published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, scientists reported using the LOFAR telescope and observed unintended electromagnetic radiation emanating from the onboard electronics of SpaceX's Starlink satellites.

This discovery, different from expected communication transmissions, has raised concerns about its impact on astronomical research. Further scientific evaluation and consideration by satellite operators and regulators are underway to address this issue.

Starlink Satellites Leaking Low-Frequency Radio Waves

Astronomers rely on weak radio signals from space, but human-generated radio waves often overshadow them, making them harder to detect. Recent research has revealed that the electronics on SpaceX's Starlink satellites are emitting low-frequency radio waves, separate from their designated downlink bands, which could potentially hinder astronomical observations.

Engineer Federico Di Vruno of the SKA Observatory and the International Astronomical Union stated in the news release that this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to comprehend the impact of satellite constellations on radio astronomy, confirming the measurability of unintended radiation.

As satellite deployments continue to increase, the effects of satellites on space research are becoming a growing concern. As per Science Alert, SpaceX alone has thousands of small internet satellites in Earth's orbit, with plans for further launches. Other companies, such as OneWeb and Amazon, also have significant satellite plans.

While efforts have been made by SpaceX to address visible light pollution with the development of dimmer satellites, this primarily addresses concerns related to visible light observations. The realm of radio astronomy, which is a major branch of Earth-based astronomy, is where potential issues may arise.

Radio telescopes are shielded to minimize interference from terrestrial radiation. However, the emergence of large satellite constellations, like SpaceX's Starlink network, presents a new challenge. These constellations require thousands of satellites orbiting close to Earth, potentially obstructing radio astronomers' observations.

READ ALSO: SpaceX Starlink Satellites Now Affect More Twilight Photos, Study Finds

The Problem of Leaked Radio Waves

While frequency bands crucial for astronomy are protected, the recent discovery of electromagnetic leakage radiation from Starlink satellites poses concerns, according to the news release. Despite its low power, this radiation can be comparable to or stronger than space-originating signals due to the satellites' proximity to Earth.

Efforts to comprehend the impact of satellite constellations on radio astronomy are ongoing, led by organizations like the International Astronomical Union's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference, represented by co-director Federico Di Vruno, who is also a spectrum manager for the SKA Observatory.

Vruno, co-director of the International Astronomical Union's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), states that this study is part of ongoing efforts to comprehend the effects of satellite constellations on radio astronomy.

The observations confirm the measurable presence of radiation beyond communication signals, aligning with previous discussions and theories in workshops on Dark and Quiet Skies. Di Vruno also serves as the spectrum manager for the SKA Observatory (SKAO), and all other authors of the study are actively involved in the CPS.

The study serves as a significant step toward understanding the extent of interference caused by satellite constellations and provides a foundation for further research in this field. The collaboration between the IAU CPS and scientists involved in the study demonstrates a collective effort to protect the integrity of radio astronomy amidst the proliferation of satellite-based technologies.



RELATED ARTICLE: SpaceX Starlink May Interfere Square Kilometer Array (SKA), Other Large Radio Telescopes

Check out more news and information on Starlink in Science Times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Azerbaijan and Hungary are close to concluding a contract for the storage of 50 million cubic meters of gas, Peter Szijarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, Trend reports.

"Europe continues to face a severe energy crisis. Prices have skyrocketed and in many cases the security of supply has been threatened. We are doing our best to get as much natural gas as possible from as many sources as possible to guarantee the security of our country's energy supply," the minister wrote in the social network.

According to Peter Szijarto, Azerbaijan is one of the most significant sources for the diversification of supplies.

"We have concluded all the necessary agreements with our Azerbaijani friends, who will start supplying natural gas to Hungary this year. At the first stage, we will receive gas in the amount of 100 million cubic meters by the end of the year. In fact, we are close to concluding a contract for the storage of 50 million cubic meters of gas ", added the Hungarian minister.

Earlier, Peter Szijjarto said that the two countries have a common political point of view on the conclusion of a contract for the supply of one to two billion cubic meters per year.

The minister expressed hope that together with Romanian, Bulgarian, Turkish and Serbian friends, as well as Greece and Slovakia, it will be possible to modernize the regional energy infrastructure so that the country can access alternative sources of energy supply.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. On July 10, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Trend reports.

President Ilham Aliyev invited Shavkat Mirziyoyev to pay a state visit to Azerbaijan. The invitation was gratefully accepted.

During the phone conversation, the presidents hailed the successful development of friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries in various areas, stressed the importance of reciprocal visits and contacts at the heads of state and other levels, and expressed their satisfaction with the high level implementation of the agreements reached and decisions made regarding the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Meanwhile, following the results of the early presidential elections held in Uzbekistan on July 9, a candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Business People - the Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP) Shavkat Mirziyoyev won the elections, gaining 87.05 percent of the votes.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. A foreign citizen, who planned to commit a terrorist attack on the territory of Azerbaijan, has been detained, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan told Trend.

The State Security Service of Azerbaijan continues operational and investigative measures to combat terrorist-provocative and intelligence-subversive activities directed against the national security and state interests of Azerbaijan.

During the proceedings, it was established that a citizen of Afghanistan, Fawzan Musa Khan, conspired with others to undermine public stability in Azerbaijan, cause panic among the population, influence decision-making by state authorities and international organizations, planned to commit a terrorist act which would have been accompanied by an explosion, fire or other similar events, would have caused the death of people, harm to their health, significant material damage, etc.

It was also established that Fawzan Musa Khan arrived in Azerbaijan from a foreign country with the intention to commit these criminal acts during his stay in Baku, where he conducted surveillance at the embassy of one of the states in order to determine the coordinates of the embassy territory, established contacts with other persons to attract them to a terrorist act, as well as to obtain financial support for the purchase of weapons and explosives.

A criminal case has been opened against Fawzan Musa Khan, who was detained at the scene of the crime, in the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan under articles 28, 214.2.1 and 28, 214.2.3 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (preparation for the commission of terrorist acts using firearms and objects used as weapons by a group of persons).

By the decision of a court, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against Fawzan Musa Khan.

The State Security Service is currently carrying out a set of investigative-operational and international legal procedural measures to fully identify the circle of persons who planned to commit a terrorist act on the territory of Azerbaijan.
details added, first published at 12:04

Azerbaijan detains foreign national planning to carry out terrorist attack (VIDEO)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. A foreign citizen, who planned to commit a terrorist attack on the territory of Azerbaijan, has been detained, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan told Trend.

The State Security Service of Azerbaijan continues operational and investigative measures to combat terrorist-provocative and intelligence-subversive activities directed against the national security and state interests of Azerbaijan.

During the proceedings, it was established that a citizen of Afghanistan, Fawzan Musa Khan, conspired with others to undermine public stability in Azerbaijan, cause panic among the population, influence decision-making by state authorities and international organizations, planned to commit a terrorist act which would have been accompanied by an explosion, fire or other similar events, would have caused the death of people, harm to their health, significant material damage, etc.

It was also established that Fawzan Musa Khan arrived in Azerbaijan from a foreign country with the intention to commit these criminal acts during his stay in Baku, where he conducted surveillance at the embassy of one of the states in order to determine the coordinates of the embassy territory, established contacts with other persons to attract them to a terrorist act, as well as to obtain financial support for the purchase of weapons and explosives.

A criminal case has been opened against Fawzan Musa Khan, who was detained at the scene of the crime, in the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan under articles 28, 214.2.1 and 28, 214.2.3 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (preparation for the commission of terrorist acts using firearms and objects used as weapons by a group of persons).

By the decision of a court, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against Fawzan Musa Khan.

The State Security Service is currently carrying out a set of investigative-operational and international legal procedural measures to fully identify the circle of persons who planned to commit a terrorist act on the territory of Azerbaijan.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on the identification of authorized bodies (structures) in connection with the implementation of the "Agreement on Cooperation of the CIS member States on the prevention and Suppression of the use of False Trademarks and geographical indications", Trend reports.

Thus, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the State Customs Committee the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been identified as authorized bodies (structures) for the implementation by the Republic of Azerbaijan of the "Agreement on Cooperation of the CIS member States on the Prevention and Suppression of the Use of False Trademarks and Geographical Indications", signed on May 28, 2021 in Minsk, Belarus.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Russian media sources have been circulating a conversation revealing that Russian billionaire of Armenian origin Ruben Vardanyan, who used to be the so-called "state minister" of the separatists in Azerbaijan's Karabakh and was later dismissed from his "post", has been helping Former Chief of the Presidential Administration of Russia Anatoly Chubais launder money, Trend reports.

The recording of the wiretapping of one of Anatoly Chubais' conversations with Ilya Suchkov, an entrepreneur who helped to build the Chubais Palace in the Moscow region has been published in the media. In this conversation, Chubais informs Suchkov that he has instructed Ruben Vardanyan to develop and pull off a money laundering scheme through the sale of a mansion in the Moscow suburban of Peredelkino near Moscow.

The main task set by Chubais to Vardanyan was Ruben's "charming diplomacy" to modernize the scheme in order to reduce taxes. The mansion worth $35-36 million had to be sold to Chubais' confidants, Boris Mints and his son for $7-8 million through a Swiss shell company also owned by Chubais. The company then went bankrupt.

But something went wrong in the negotiation process, and Ruben Vardanyan had to be involved. Here is a piece of the transcript of the negotiations between Chubais and Suchkov:

Ilya Suchkov: I didn't expect this when we agree in your presence, but Dima (Dmitry Mints) says no to me. That is, I mean, Im sorry, but its the only way.

Anatoly Chubais: let's do this as I understand it now. We have changes to the "scheme" on Dima's part, which you do not accept. So it is necessary to set the task of developing a "scheme" not before Dima, but before Ruben (Ruben Vardanyan). Ruben is coming back next week, I tell him that you have a proposal for your "scheme". Then he meets with you, listens to you, maybe he won't accept it.

Ilya Suchkov: Anatoly Borisovich, this is not my "scheme", this is a "scheme" that was agreed with Ruben Karlenovich and Dmitry Borisovich.

Anatoly Chubais: Ruben is responsible for the whole "scheme" together.

...

Anatoly Chubais: I also don't want to pay a triple tax there out of nothing. I set a task for Ruben, he arrives at Tuesday-Wednesday, I will meet with him so that he attracts you and I set a task for him (Ruben Vardanyan) to conduct such "charming diplomacy".

Such is the Armenian "businessman" and "innovator". The Mints mentioned in the conversation, by the way, like Vardanyan, got rich on schemes with the money of Russian pensioners. They have a lot in common.
details added, first published at 11:44

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order appointing Mirsaleh Seyidov Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan - Head of the Penitentiary Service, Trend reports.

Mirsaleh Seyidov is a career employee with extensive experience in the penitentiary system.

Seyidov graduated from the Faculty of International Law and International Relations of Baku State University with a degree in international law in 1998.

Until the new appointment, he held the position of the head of the Operational Regime Department of the Penitentiary Service. Moreover, Seyidov was also the head of penitentiary institutions No.10 and 15.

He was awarded the medal "For distinction in the civil service" in 2018.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Secretary of State of the Holy See Pietro Parolin, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, has visited the Alley of the Honor and the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, Trend reports.

Pietro Parolin visited the grave of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honor and paid tribute to his memory. The Cardinal also visited the graves of martyrs who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

Then the Secretary of State of the Holy See visited the Heydar Aliyev Center.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov informed the guest about the activities of the center and the exhibitions held here.

The center also hosted a meeting of Parolin with Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Adil Karimli. The current relations were discussed between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, projects in the field of culture, including issues of cooperation between museums and libraries.

During the meeting, the cardinal was invited to the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which will be held in Baku in 2023.

Pietro Parolin also visited the shelter of the Sisters of Mercy of Mother Teresa and the Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baku.

The Secretary of State of the Holy See will also hold meetings with representatives of religious communities during the visit, which will last until July 11.

Relations between Azerbaijan and the Vatican City State, based on mutual respect, have gone a long way in development, and currently the political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Vatican is at a high level.

Meanwhile, fruitful cooperation relations have also been established between the Holy See and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. An important contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage is the restoration by the Foundation on the initiative of First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva of a number of historical monuments of universal significance in the Vatican City State.

These projects, along with the preservation of the world's cultural, historical and religious heritage, once again confirm the role of Azerbaijan in the development of intercultural and interreligious ties.
Cordel Group announced the extension of its existing clearances contract with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) on Monday, until 31 August 2024.

The AIM-traded firm said its original contract with ARTC was signed on 6 January 2020, and subsequently extended on 26 November 2020, until 30 June 2023.

Over the past 12 months, Cordel and ARTC had tested and validated the effectiveness of Cordel's Wave OEM scanning equipment and automated processing techniques.

The validation process reportedly demonstrated that Cordel's technology reliably and efficiently managed clearances on the ARTC network, in full compliance with the ARTC code of practice.

As a result, the technology received official approval for use in clearance assessments.

In addition to the approval, Cordel said it had introduced additional services as part of the extended contract.

The services included point cloud classification, advanced structure gauge assessments, track spacing, and centreline reports.

We are delighted to be continuing our important engagement with ARTC, for whom we have scanned and analysed over 150,000 kilometres of track distance, said chief executive officer John Davis.

Moreover, the continuation of the contract allows ARTC to conduct assessments without the need to deploy inspection teams into the rail corridor.

This is cost effective, efficient and reduces personnel risk whilst completing clearance assessments.

At 1127 BST, shares in Cordel Group were up 1.2% at 6.32p.
BT Group announced on Monday that its chief executive Philip Jansen had decided to step down from his position in the next 12 months, after spending four-and-a-half years in the role.

It said that in light of Jansen's forthcoming departure, its nominations committee had initiated a formal succession process to identify a suitable candidate for the role of chief executive.

The news came amid reports the FTSE 100 telecoms company was in the sights of its major shareholder Deutsche Telekom for a possible takeover.

According to the Telegraph, the former phone monopoly was ramping up its work with advisers from Robey Warshaw and Goldman Sachs on its defence, as rumours that the German giant - which already owns 12% of BT - was preparing an offer.

Philip has done an excellent job in his time at BT, and the board is fully supportive of our long-term strategy which he and his team are pursuing, said chairman Adam Crozier.

Whilst we are still in the early years of that transformation we are on track to deliver.

Crozier said the succession process to replace Jansen was something that the board was well prepared for.

He said all appropriate candidates were being considered, with the board expecting to update the market on progress over the summer.

Philip Jansen meanwhile said the company had made a lot of progress over the last four and half years.

We're investing heavily in both BT's and the UK's future.

We're building like fury, have now passed over 11 million homes with fibre, have got 5G service to 68% of the country and our customer service is much improved.

This is creating a much stronger BT Group which is starting to drive growth for both investors and the UK.

Jansen said there was still more to do, adding that he was fully committed to driving the business forward until he handed over to his successor.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
BT has intensified its preparations to see off a possible takeover bid by its major shareholder Deutsche Telekom. For months now, the telecoms services provider had been working with Robey Warshaw and Goldman Sachs to prepare against such a scenario. Speculation in that regard was reaching a crescendo both in the City and within the sector, due to BT's need to invest 15bn in its new fibre-optic broadband network and multiple potentially destabilising factors. - The Sunday Telegraph

Aston Martin's decision to team up with Lucid Motors is but the latest move by Saudi to grow its economic influence in the UK. Indeed, Lucid's majority owner, Saudi's Public Investment Fund, was already the second-largest investor in Aston Martin, holding a 18% stake worth approximately 450m. PIH also has holdings in Carnival and in 2021 took over Newcastle United. The moves come amid a drive by the UK government to agree free-trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

There are over 50 MPs who own stakes in publicly listed firms, raising questions regarding possible conflicts of interest. Under parliamentary rules, the shareholdings, including those of former PM Theresa May or former education secretary Gavin Williamson, did not need to be publicly disclosed in parliamentary registers. Among the companies now held by MPs were Barclays, HSBC, BP and Sainsbury's. Such companies could be impacted by laws or news policies introduced by Parliament. A spokesperson for May said she entirely rejected any suggestion that she broke any of the rules regarding shares in BT held by her husband. - Guardian

Fintech outfit Revolut was reportedly the target of an 18m by criminals who targetted a flaw in its US payments system. The Financial Times reported that the funds were stolen over the course of several months in 2022 before Revolut was able to close the loophole. The company, which has been pursuing a UK banking licence, was dealt another setback in March, when auditor BDO said three quarters of its revenues could not be verified and might have been misstated. - The Financial Mail on Sunday
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The US supports the continuation of talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing, Trend reports.

"We continue to believe in agreements as possible and we look forward to further talks," he said.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held bilateral talks on June 27-29 at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia.

They met with US Secretary Anthony Blinken and Assistant to the President and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington.

The ministers and their teams continued progress on the draft bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations. They reached an agreement on additional articles and achieved mutual understanding on the draft agreement, meanwhile acknowledging that the positions on some key issues require further work.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit the UK from July 10-11, to further the free trade agreement (FTA) talks between the two nations. Goyal will also be meeting with ministers from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member countries, to discuss the progress of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with EFTA. With the FTA negotiations gaining momentum, the visit aims to further propel the discussions and pave the way for a comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement that would drive economic growth and strengthen ties between the two nations, official sources said.

The visit comes at a crucial juncture, as both India and the UK are committed to expanding their economic ties and exploring avenues for enhanced bilateral trade. Goyal will also hold high-level meetings with his UK counterparts, including the secretary of state for international trade, as well as representatives from various sectors and industries. These meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss the key priorities and objectives of the FTA negotiations, with a focus on addressing trade barriers, promoting investments, and fostering greater cooperation in areas such as technology, innovation, and intellectual property rights.

Further, he will also meet with ministers and officials from the EFTA member countries, (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), to assess the progress made in the ongoing negotiations of the TEPA with EFTA. The TEPA aims to enhance trade and economic cooperation between India and the EFTA member countries, fostering an environment conducive to increased investments, reduced trade barriers, and greater market access.
Homegrown video-sharing social media platform Roposo announced that it has joined forces with global e-commerce giant Shopify to boost digital entrepreneurship in India. This strategic partnership aims to empower over 10,000 digital entrepreneurs to launch and scale their businesses by offering comprehensive support throughout their entire business journey, including assistance with setting up online stores, product sourcing, order fulfillment and payments.

"The partnership between Roposo and Shopify will further fuel the growth of digital entrepreneurship and dropshipping industry in India as we embark on a mission to help in the creation of over 10,000 online businesses in the country," Mansi Jain, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roposo, said in a statement. Under this collaboration, entrepreneurs will get an end-to-end, easy-to-use business solution.

With Shopify, they can create their own online stores on the platform within minutes, plus they can then integrate the Roposo Clout plugin on their Shopify profile to instantly start selling and generating income, according to the company. "The collaboration between Shopify and Roposo Clout will provide ambitious entrepreneurs on the Shopify platform with a comprehensive solution to participate in the high-growth Indian eCommerce and retail store," Bharati Balakrishnan, Country Head anfd Director of Shopify India and SEA, said in a statement.

Moreover, the company said with Roposo Clout, any digital entrepreneur can simplify their business management by outsourcing warehouse and inventory management, including tasks like product sourcing, order fulfillment, logistics, and doorstep payment collection. Roposo Clout also offers a unique advantage in identifying and sourcing trending products from global markets. With this, digital entrepreneurs can capitalize on these trends to stay ahead of the competition by launching top-selling products in their customer networks.
Japanese global apparel retailer, Uniqlo, announced the latest in its expansion plans in India with the opening of its highly anticipated first store in Mumbai. Launching on 6 October at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla, Uniqlo will provide Mumbai customers with a new shopping experience that offers LifeWear - clothing designed to make everyones life better.

"We are delighted to be launching in Mumbai this fall," said Tomohiko Sei, Chief Executive Officer, Uniqlo India. "October will also mark the anniversary of our four-year journey in India, and this new milestone highlights our strong ongoing commitment to India. Until now, our customers in Mumbai have been using our e-commerce channel to shop for their LifeWear essentials, and we now look forward to welcoming them in person to our first Mumbai store."

This will be the 11th brick-and-mortar store in India. The new store will offer a range of LifeWear collections for men, women, kids, and babies, with its thoughtfully designed and functional products that are made for all. LifeWear is simple, high[1]quality, everyday clothing designed with life's needs in mind and constantly evolving.

The brand has more than 2,400 stores across the world. Since opening its first store in Hiroshima in 1984, it has created apparel that comes from the Japanese values of simplicity, quality, and longevity, featuring universal designs, supreme fit, and comfort, with the aim to improve the daily lives of its customers.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) has released its July application schedule for civil service exams.

Open, competitive, computer-based tests are administered throughout each month for various positions. If you meet the basic requirements of the job, you can apply for your exam online at Online Application System (OASys) or at one of the Computer-Based Testing and Application Centers (CTAC).

This months application period opened July 6 for the following positions: call center representative; housing assistant; oiler; oiler (CUNY); plant maintainer (Hospitals)/oiler (NYC H+H); quality assurance specialist trainee; reporter/stenographer (DA); special officer; special officer (NYC H+H); youth development specialist.

Positions remain open in the New York City Bridge Exam, including: bookkeeper; clerical associate; clerical associate (NYC H+H); computer service technician; maintenance worker; maintenance worker (CUNY); maintenance worker (NYC H+H); secretary; staff analyst trainee. The deadline is July 18.

The deadline to apply for most of these exams is July 26. The application deadline for oiler, oiler (CUNY) and plant maintainer (Hospitals)/oiler (NYC H+H) is July 19. Applications for city assessor and city tax auditor remain open until Tuesday, July 11.

New York City employs hundreds of thousands of people in its 80 agencies. Taking a test is the way to get started in the hiring process for most of these positions. Application fees range from $40 to $101.

For more information about registering for these and other tests, log onto the DCAS website. To apply for a civil service exam open during this application period, go online via the OASys at www.nyc.gov/examsforjobs. To receive monthly exam updates, sign up for the DCAS newsletter at nyc.gov/examsforjobs and click the Exams tab.

As of March 1, 2021, all examination and eligible list-related notifications will be sent by email only; you will no longer receive notifications via U.S. mail.

On Staten Island, the testing center is located at 135 Canal St., Stapleton. Additional testing centers are located at: 2 Lafayette St., Manhattan; 210 Joralemon St., Brooklyn; 118-35 Queens Blvd., Queens; 1932 Arthur Ave., the Bronx.

After an exam is administered, it generally takes nine to 12 months for an eligible list of passers to be established from which agencies can hire, according to DCAS.

Inquiries regarding the status of an eligible list can be e-mailed to the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services at: LMAcustomerserviceunit@dcas.nyc.gov.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  This kind, dedicated man didnt have to die.

That was the message stunned Castleton Corners residents shared hours after a Manor Road business owner was killed inside of his store on Saturday night.

Folks familiar with Manor Deli & Convenience in the neighborhood were shocked to talk about the slain 35-year-old man on Sunday morning, with one neighbor describing the shops co-owner as a stellar person.

A hell of a guy, the person said. Ive known him since he opened the store about six months ago.

The NYPD identified the victim as Bassam Khateeb, of the 1400 block of Richmond Terrace. The New York Daily News reported hes survived by his wife and two children.

Police responded around 8:15 p.m. to a call of a male shot at the business located at 444 Manor Rd., wrote the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com. The man was shot in the chest taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

It was unclear if anything was taken from the establishment.

According to a person in the neighborhood, it was common for the man to be operating the store late by himself.

A male was shot at the Manor Deli and Convenience located at 444 Manor Road, Saturday night on July 8,2023. (Steve White for the Staten Island Advance)

He has always been nice, he tries to help people out, he takes advice from people, said the neighbor who requested to remain anonymous. He installed a deli when we [the neighborhood] asked for it. This just sucks, Im terrified.

Dr. Shahid Shaikh, the owner of Bright Leadership Academy, a tutoring and test preparation center located down the block, said that he would let students walk to the convenience store during study breaks.

Very nice people, sometimes I come to buy things myself and get change, said Dr. Shaikh. An exceptionally nice young person, very respectable. Why kill him?

A representative from Polished Nails and More, a nail salon adjacent to where the shooting took place, said they were sad to hear about the passing of their neighbor and are concerned about the safety of the area.

There have been no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing, the NYPD said Saturday night.

The same business, which has long been a small grocery store despite its changing owners, experienced an armed robbery incident in 2015.



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Spains coast guard says one of their aircrafts has located a boat during the search for a missing vessel transporting 200 migrants, according to the BBC.

According to the report, the boat was 71 miles south of the Canary Islands.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis on Monday announced federal funds to support local Boy Scouts of America programs on Staten Island and in South Brooklyn, as she gathered with officials, youth and their parents at Pouch Camp, Todt Hill.

Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) secured a total of $50,0000 for the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America, to benefit nearly 1,000 young people on Staten Island and up to 500 in South Brooklyn.

I am very proud at a time when we need more young people to take part and learn about our civics, more people to contribute to the community ... these young people are exemplifying true leadership and true love for Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn, Malliotakis said. I expect to see wonderful things from all of you in the future.

The funding will go toward engaging nearly 2,000 young people across 111 Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs.

Our New York City kids need positive adult role models and they need that more than ever. They need encouragement, guidance and support to help them face all of the challenges that are out there, said Saroya Friedman-Gonzalez, president and CEO of the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America.

Michael Lopiano, 16, Mark Lopiano, 14, Philip Dalgin, 14, and Steven Tesoriero, 17, said they have learned many important life skills through the Boy Scouts of America. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi)Priya Shahi

According to Boy Scouts Michael Lopiano, 16, Mark Lopiano, 14, Philip Dalgin, 14, and Steven Tesoriero, 17, some of the most important life skills they have learned are leadership, how to use first aid in emergency situations, and how to become a valuable community member.

They said they wish to see more youth join the organization, adding that within the last eight years, they have seen the number of members in their troop dwindle from 35 to eight, which they believe is due to lack of funding.

The funding is absolutely necessary. The program keeps getting more expensive, as does everything. It becomes necessary to find other ways to help families get involved, Steve Fehr, an assistant Scout master, said. Some can afford it, and for some its a real struggle, but for every one of them theres going to be a huge advantage of learning to be self-sufficient, to get into the outdoors, to learn the leaderships skills, how to organize, how to plan, and how to pull off one of those weekend campouts ... Theyre not easy to do.

Fehr recalled how he started seeing girls join Boy Scout troops right before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and how it would be a good goal if the funding continued that trend.

Pictured here are the Graham siblings, both members of the Boy Scouts of America. As of 2019, the organization began accepting girls. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi)Priya Shahi

As of two months ago, Troop 76 on Staten Island -- which originally started out as a troop for boys has now started a girls troop, according to Elizabeth Gattull, Troop 76 assistant Cub Scout master.

I know the young ladies are very excited, because BSA [Boys Scouts of America] is much different than Girl Scouts ... just the whole program is different, she added.

Sophia Snyder, who has been in Boys Scouts for about five years and has been the only girl in the her troop for the majority of that time, said she has learned to cook for herself and deal with first aid.

Sophia Snyder, who has been in Boys Scouts for about five years and has been the only girl in the her troop for the majority of that time, said she has learned to cook for herself and deal with first aid. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi)Priya Shahi

It helped me boost my confidence, because being the only girl in my troop was definitely kind of hard to deal with, but it was fun to know that there are other girls around the world who are like me ..., said Sophia, a member of Troop 74.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Federal health authorities are urging a three-pronged vaccine approach to prevent the spread of potentially fatal respiratory infections during the upcoming flu season to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the flu and RSV.

The three shots recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will surely reduce hospitalizations and deaths, the agencies say.

Being up to date on all routinely administered vaccines, including those to prevent influenza, COVID-19 and lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV, are important for public health and the best way to reduce the risk of serious illness and death, an FDA spokesman told the Advance/SILive.com.

Though the COVID-19 and flu vaccines were available last fall, the RSV vaccines for adults are new.

In May, the FDA approved two versions of the RSV vaccine, Abrysvo and Arexvy, for older adults, and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends them for people ages 60 years and older after they discuss it with their doctor.

Adults at the highest risk for severe RSV illness include older adults, those with chronic heart or lung disease, patients with weakened immune systems, and people living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, according to the CDC.

COMBINED VACCINE?

Currently, no single combined vaccine has been approved by the FDA for all three viruses, so people must receive all three vaccines separately if they qualify. An FDA spokesman said the agency cant comment on pending product applications.

ALL AT ONCE?

Whether patients should receive all three vaccinations in one visit is a decision best made by their individual health-care providers, according to medical authorities, including the FDA.

Combining all three inoculations into a single visit to a clinic or pharmacy is likely to encourage more people to get immunized, Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Childrens Hospital and an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, told The New York Times.

Yet, others have been critical of the idea, citing data that suggests safety risks and ineffectiveness when all are received at the same time.

I would say, when possible, it might be good to spread them out, Dr. Camille Kotton, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the CDC scientific advisory panel, told The Times.

For those who are hesitant to receive vaccines this fall, perhaps a look at recent CDC data might change their minds.

Each year, there are between 300,000 and 650,000 flu hospitalizations nationally and between 19,000 and 58,000 deaths, according to CDC data. And at least 12 million and as many as 26 million people seek medical care for the flu, and as many as 54 million people suffer with a flu infection.

Senior citizens, those with compromising health conditions and women who are pregnant run the risk of serious flu complications, the CDC stated.

When it came to RSV, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the collection of data from 2021-2023, yet the CDC confirmed that each year in the United States RSV leads to approximately 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations among those over age 65 and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths in that population.

And, in 2022, more than three out of four Americans contracted COVID-19, the CDC recently announced.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have passed away, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Suzanne E. OShea, 86, died in New York under hospice care on March 25, 2023. Suzanne attended St. Josephs Hill Academy and subsequently graduated from Notre Dame College for Women on Staten Island. She later received a PhD in Education from Michigan State University. Her professional career was devoted to working with children in the Department of Defense Dependents Schools Program where she served as an elementary school teacher, principal, and administrator. She was assigned to many countries throughout her more than 40-year service, most recently to Japan and South Korea. Read the full obit on SILive.

John Patrick Morgan, 41, of Staten Island, a dedicated firefighter, cherished husband, father, son and brother, died on July 4, 2023. As respected as John was with his peers in the Fire Department, it was nothing compared to the love, dedication, and devotion within his family. John married his beloved Deborah in April 2011. John and Debs union blessed the world with two of the kindest, most loving, beautiful children. First a daughter Grace, and four years later a son, John, reads his obituary.

YESTERDAYS OBITUARIES

Edward Charles Williams, 93, died on Sunday, July 2 at Clove Lake, Staten Island. Born in Bayonne, Mr. Williams was a resident of Staten Island for the past fifty years. He was stationed in Japan with the US Army following World War II. For the full obituary, click here.

Charlotte Anne Lankford, 97, passed away on July 3, 2023. A Port Richmond High School graduate, Lankford went on to study at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, where she became a registered nurse. As a loving mother, her family was always her first priority. For the full obituary, click here.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Colloquially known as tranq dope, the zombie drug or sleep-cut, the animal sedative xylazine has become an undeniable threat within the United States, and new federal data indicates it began to complicate overdoses years earlier than previously known.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics issued a report indicating the rate of overdoses involving xylazine was 35 times higher in 2021 compared to 2018, when just 102 deaths included the presence of the drug.

The following year, 627 drug overdose deaths included xylazine before that total ballooned to 1,499 in 2020 and 3,468 in 2021. Those increases, federal researchers said, were observed for both men and women, though the rate for males was more than double the rate for females each year.

Federal regulators issued an alert late last year warning health professionals to be on alert for xylazine. President Joe Bidens administration later designated the drug as an emerging threat to the United States.

Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer previously called for the Drug Enforcement Agency to utilize a team to support federal and local law enforcement efforts to address xylazines spread.

This new drug is a nightmare, he said during a press conference in March. Xylazine is dangerous. It is deadly. It is here. We have to fight and fund.

Xylazine has life-threatening side effects similar to the ones typically observed with opioid use, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. However, because the drug is not an opioid, the overdose-reversal treatment naloxone is not known to be effective in cases involving xylazine.

As a result, people who overdose on a fentanyl-xylazine combination may then remain in a sedated state even after receiving naloxone, complicating local efforts to combat the drug.

The CDC study shows the insidious rise of xylazine within the U.S. in recent years, adding an additional layer of challenge in the battle against opioids, including fentanyl.

Overdose rates involving xylazine were highest among Black people, the study showed, followed by white people and then Hispanic people. The greatest increase was observed among Hispanic people, where the rate tripled between 2020 and 2021.

The highest rate of xylazine-laced overdoses occurred in a region including Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, followed by areas up and down the East Coast, including in New York.

While nearly all overdoses that included xylazine also contained deadly fentanyl, the CDC said co-involvement of methamphetamine with drug overdose deaths involving xylazine increased over the period, and methamphetamine surpassed heroin as the third most frequent drug co-involved in overdose deaths for 2020 and 2021.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The pollution of the Okhchuchai river directly affects the quality of the water resources of the Araz river in Azerbaijan, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev said, Trend reports.

He made the remark at a conference in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan dedicated to cross-border cooperation between the Prosecutor's Offices of Azerbaijan and Turkiye. According to Aliyev, holding such a conference is an example of friendship and brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

Aliyev noted that a number of issues were discussed with Turkish colleagues during his stay in Nakhchivan, including environmental crimes committed by Armenia.

"Everyone knows how polluted the Araz river is, the construction of a plant there has recently led to the commission of an environmental crime. This was also stated by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the event of the Non-Aligned Movement, once again drawing attention to the crimes committed by Armenia," he said.

The construction of this plant creates huge problems for both Turkiye and Azerbaijan, and we have brought to the attention of the international community that this is an environmental crime," he added.

"The pollution of the Okhchuchai river directly affects the quality of the Araz river's water resources, as the Okhchuchai flows into the Araz. And the Araz is the second largest river in the South Caucasus," the prosecutor general said.

The length of the Okhchuchai - the left tributary of the Araz river is 83 kilometers, the basin area is 1175 square kilometers. The river originates on Mount Kaputjugh (3,285 meters) of the Zangazur ridge. The river, most of which is located in the Syunik province of Armenia (the historical region of Azerbaijan called Zangazur), flows through the Zangilan district liberated from Armenian occupation [after the second Karabakh war] and flows into the Araz river.

Approximately 70 percent of Azerbaijan's terrestrial water resources are formed in neighboring countries due to transboundary water flows. The cross-border Okhchuchai river is constantly polluted on the territory of Armenia by industrial waste, playing the role of a collector of industrial waste.

These industrial wastewater is discharged into the river untreated, which increases the level of pollution at times, therefore these water resources are considered unsuitable for use on the territory of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, being a large tributary of the Kura river, the Araz is also a cross-border river with Armenia and plays a crucial role in the irrigation of the cultivated areas of Azerbaijan. However, due to a serious change in water quality, its use for domestic and agricultural needs can have an extremely negative impact.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Violent storms churned through New York Sunday night and unleashed torrential rain that triggered unprecedented flooding throughout the state, killing at least one person and devastating infrastructure.

The rain was so powerful that the West Point Military Academy recorded 6.96 inches of precipitation in three hours, meeting the threshold for a 1,000-year rain event. That designation means the event was so intense that it has just a 0.1% chance of happening in a given year.

For only the second time in the agencys history, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency as storms ripped through the state. The last time the emergency was issued was in 2021 when Hurricane Ida dropped unprecedented rainfall on New York City, said Gov. Kathy Hochul during a press conference in Orange County Monday morning.

My friends, this is the new normal, said Hochul. And we in government, working with our partners on the ground, have to work with our communities to build up resiliency, to be prepared for the worst because the worst continues to happen.

A woman in her 30s was killed after being swept away in Hudson Valley while attempting to evacuate her home. Dozens more needed to be rescued as floodwaters stranded people in their vehicles. State Route 9W was flooded, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway became so drenched that parts of it were closed, the New York State Police said in a statement.

Hochul declared a state of emergency Sunday for Orange County, about 60 miles north of New York City. She later extended the state of emergency to Ontario County in western New York, southeast of Rochester.

National Weather Service data shows rainfall reached 8 inches in parts of Orange, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Additional flooding is expected to affect the state on Monday, said officials.

Climate change is worsening the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, Hochul said during the press conference. A warmer atmosphere heats up air particles and enables them to retain more moisture. Storms, which are highly efficient at ringing all the water vapor from the atmosphere, release that moisture in the form of heavy precipitation.

These are unprecedented weather events that keep hitting us over and over and over again, said Hochul. So, we must change our behavior as a planet, as a country, as a state and in our own homes.

Associated Press materials were used in this report.
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If the Yes campaign for this years Voice referendum is to win the support of working-class Australians, itll have to do it despite dissent within one of the nations biggest blue-collar trade unions.

A voice divided: Anthony Albanese and John Setka. Credit: John Shakespeare

The Victorian-Tasmanian construction branch of the CFMEU, led by the endlessly reportable John Setka, confirmed on Monday it will not be following the lead of the broader labour movement and its own national and NSW leadership campaigning vigorously for a Yes vote, and will instead sit the whole thing out.

At a meeting of the branchs Koori Committee last week, concerns were raised about the Voice proposal.

Now, the national leadership of the CFMMEU (we know its a slightly different name, its complicated, OK) was at pains to stress that neither the meeting nor the branch resolved to support a No vote, but they definitely wont be out there for the Yes camp either.
The future of a multimillion-dollar public art program at the Hyde Park Barracks is under a cloud after the controversial axing of a major commission that was to have turned the landmark historic building into a symbolic island.

The abrupt cancellation shocked the Sydney artist who had been approached by the Museums of History only 18 months ago to develop his artistic concept.

The decision has been criticised by the peak body representing visual artists, which said the project had been one of the most significant opportunities for visual artists in Sydney to present ambitious work of scale.

Alex Setons now-defunct plans for Almost Always Picturesque. Credit: Alex Seton

Alex Seton, known for his contemporary use of marble carving, was to have built a moat around the World Heritage-listed site and carved the ghosts of a Canary Island palm that used to sit in its forecourt as a commentary on the doctrine of terra nullius and British colonialism.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Representatives of the Eastern Zangazur and Karabakh economic regions of Azerbaijan have paid a business visit to Ankara at the invitation of the Union of Municipalities of Turkiye, Trend reports.

On the first day of the program, a meeting with the management staff and heads of departments was held at the Union building.

The delegation was consisted of Senior Adviser to the Special Representative Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districts included in the East Zangazur Economic Region Agil Gurbanov, Deputy Executive Director of the Rehabilitation, Construction and Management Service in the Karabakh Economic Region Sabuhi Abdullayev and Executive Director of the Rehabilitation, Construction and Management Service No. 1 Novras Jafarov and other delegates in the East Zangazur Economic Region.

The main purpose of their visit was in studying the municipal institute, the structure of municipal bodies and the activities of subordinate institutions regarding the activities of the Institute of Local Self-government in Turkiye, the formation of municipal revenues and the application of other management models.

Welcoming the guests, Secretary General of the Union Khayri Barachli emphasized that fraternal relations with Azerbaijan, developing under the "two states - one nation" motto, are an example for the whole world. He also pointed out the importance of cooperation between the two countries in strengthening the institutional structure of local self-government bodies in the creation and management of sustainable cities, villages and towns.

Speaking on behalf of the Azerbaijani delegation, Executive Director of the Reconstruction, Construction and Management Service No. 1 in the East Zangazur Economic Region Novras Jafarov, Deputy Executive Director of the Reconstruction, Construction and Management Service in the Karabakh Economic Region Sabuhi Abdullayev said about the importance of Turkiye's support in the process of restoring the Karabakh and Zangazur regions.

Chairman of the Municipality of Kahramanmarash Hayrettin Gungor, who made a presentation at the meeting entitled "Local self-government bodies in Turkiye", also informed the delegation about the organizational structure and income of the municipality.

The meeting continued with discussions and speeches on a number of important issues of interest to the parties.

The delegation also met with Chairman of the Municipality of Kechioren (Ankara) Turgut Altinok. During the meeting, the parties spoke about the need to continue close cooperation in the field of municipal administration. Then a monument to the Khojaly martyrs was visited in front of the Kechioren Municipality building.

The delegation of both services was received by Governor of Ankara Vasip Shahin during the two-day working visit. At the meeting, the directions of the structures' activities were announced, as well as the ongoing restoration and construction work in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

One of the important meetings was held with Chief Adviser to the President of Turkiye Shukru Karatepe. During the meeting, a number of opinions were also expressed on the future activities of the two friendly, fraternal countries in the liberated territories from Armenian occupation [after the second Karabakh war].

Will be updated
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Review Eating outPrahran Probably the best value high-quality sushi in Melbourne: Lunch-only Japanese gem scores a hat This lunch-only service at Uminono offers two excellent options: a $60 chirashi bowl thats probably the best value in Melbourne, or an 11-course omakase experience for a relatively affordable $110. Besha Rodell July 11, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

This venue appears in the Melbournes hot and new southside restaurant collection. See all stories .

1 / 7 The relaxed atmosphere adds to rather than detracts from the experience at Uminono. Eddie Jim 2 / 7 Go-to dish: Chirashi bowl. Eddie Jim 3 / 7 Kingfish nigiri. Eddie Jim 4 / 7 The truffle and bluefin tuna special. Eddie Jim 5 / 7 Hand roll. Eddie Jim 6 / 7 Spanner crab, confit potato and sabayon. Eddie Jim 7 / 7 Desserts have an obvious French influence. Eddie Jim Previous Slide Next Slide Good Food hat 15.5 / 20 How we score Japanese$$$ Have we reached peak sushi yet? Honestly, as much as it seems that every second new restaurant opening in recent months has been some form of high-end Japanese, I hope the sushi wave is only just beginning. Why? Because almost all these openings are at the extremely expensive end of the spectrum. That means better fish, better rice, better knife skills, better everything. But theres room for that to trickle down, and we deserve quality somewhere between the takeaway rolls at the mall and the $200-plus omakase feast. Uminono has been working on providing that middle ground for quite some time. Beginning during lockdown, owner Arnaud Laidebeur began offering pristine, jewel-like sushi boxes for customers to take away and eat at home at a fraction of the cost that the same quality might cost in a restaurant setting.

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Laidebeur is French and classically trained, but he also worked at a high-end omakase restaurant in France and became obsessed with Japanese food and sushi in particular. Earlier this year he closed his to-go operation for a short time in order to install a sushi counter in the space. He is still running the take-home business, but he also offers a lunch-only sushi service five days a week. Review: Why some of Melbourne's most ambitious sushi is takeaway-only Ive written before about Uminonos takeaway offering, and have not had it recently  so consider this a review of the in-house dining experience only. But Im thrilled to report that the extreme quality and subtle modernity of Laidebeurs boxes translates even better in a traditional sushi bar setting. Go-to dish: Chirashi bowl. Eddie Jim

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The lunch on offer comes in one of two forms: a chirashi bowl for $60, or an 11-course omakase experience for $110. Both are fantastic value, and Id say the chirashi bowl is probably the best value for high-quality sushi in the city. Seven types of seafood, including ora salmon, paradise prawn, snapper and kingfish, are layered over lightly vinegared sushi rice, accompanied by simmered shiitake mushrooms and a smattering of roasted cashews. Squares of nori are fanned out along the edge of the bowl, allowing for a build-your-own hand roll experience that is as fun as it is delicious. Kingfish nigiri. Eddie Jim The omakase is more involved and less DIY. Youll start with sashimi  snapper the day I had it  atop a subtle sauce of dashi and spring onion oil.

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From there you move on to nigiri, each piece pressed lovingly onto that same barely warm sushi rice, then brushed with some kind of oil or essence. This is the main thing you miss out on if you opt for the chirashi bowl: the opportunity to taste Laidebeurs modern sensibilities when it comes to dressing his fish. Silky kingfish comes daubed with onion oil; other fish are brushed with burnt orange, or chive pesto. For the most part, this works beautifully  the one time I found the garnishes distracting was on the paradise prawn, which had its creamy sweetness eclipsed by a somewhat aggressive sesame miso. There are usually a few special additions that you can add on to your omakase or chirashi bowl. Right now it is both bluefin tuna season and truffle season, and that has inspired a ridiculously decadent special of fatty tuna on sushi rice that is just smothered in shaved truffle ($45). Does it work? Kind of. All of the ingredients are top-notch, so eating them together is hardly a chore. Is it a good use of black truffle, which in my opinion really needs some kind of heat to bring out its best qualities? Probably not. But the debauchery is the point, and Im loath to criticise the fun of something so silly. A word on that bluefin tuna, which Laidebeur lovingly dry-ages in a purpose-built glassed-in fridge next to the front door: Ive criticised sushi chefs in the past for serving an endangered species, and Ill probably continue to do so. The southern bluefin served at Uminono is Australian-caught, and there are those that claim its sustainable. Im not convinced  eating an endangered species just doesnt sit well with me, despite the frequency with which I find myself doing it for professional reasons  but it is probably less problematic than farmed and other species of bluefin.

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The meal finishes with Laidebeurs one true nod to his French background, a layered dessert of hazelnut chocolate ganache, raspberry and an almost weightless chocolate mousse. It might seem incongruous at the end of this meal, but it is delicious, and light enough to sit well after stuffing yourself with fish. Spanner crab, confit potato and sabayon. Eddie Jim Uminono is a pared-back experience: the room is simple, and the drinks list is short but sweet: a few sakes, some simple sake-based cocktails, a few champagnes and wines. But it fills a space in our dining scene that I didnt even know we needed, that of the special occasion-worthy but comparatively affordable luxury sushi lunch. Weve got a way to go before Ill be completely satisfied with Melbournes sushi saturation. I want to see reasonably priced but great Tuesday-night sushi joints, more sake bars with good sushi selections, more chirashi bowls that go beyond tuna and salmon. Uminono is exciting because it doesnt really follow any script, and for Melbourne its wonderful to have all the care and quality and personal attention of a high-end omakase at a price point that isnt quite so painful.

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The woman on the morning tram had ensconced herself in a corner by the window and was already deep in work. Her fingers were flying across the keyboard, balanced expertly on her knee. She dialled a number, introduced herself, named the company she worked for, mentioned a deadline, and then asked the person at the other end of the line if she could get a comment about a recent event and how it was impacting those affected.

A long silence followed, broken only by her murmurs of agreement or sympathy or encouragement as the person at the other end appeared to share his or her view, oblivious to the fact that the woman on the tram, despite her gentle sounds, was typing furiously, recording everything said to her. The call ended and the woman typed away, unaware that the rest of the tram travellers now knew exactly who she was and her assignment for the day.

Public transport has become a new work space, where intimate conversation are held in front of dozens of strangers. Credit:

Has public transport become a mobile office where lengthy business and personal calls are made on the way to or from work as a way of ticking off the to-do list or clearing a mental in-tray? Is it where time-poor workers find extra time? Have we become so used to making calls with earphones in that we dont notice when there are other people around who can hear our calls? What are the implications for the privacy of workers when private matters are discussed candidly in public places?

Office calls made while travelling in the tram happen quite often. In the past few weeks, I have been the unwilling witness to a telephone interview between a recruitment officer and a job applicant. It seemed to go well; the applicant was asked their expectations about salary and the recruiter did not falter when she got the response. The applicant was also asked how many direct reports they had, and the answer seemed just right again; the recruiter seemed pleased.
The selection of a design for a harbour-front park to form the final piece of the Barangaroo foreshore is welcome and exciting news for a development project that often attracts as much controversy as it does congratulations. The NSW government has selected the winning scheme for the Harbour Park at Central Barangaroo after a design competition. Sydney-based First Nations-led design team AKIN has created the winning design for the 1.85-hectare Harbour Park, which will make up half of the empty site between Barangaroo south and the headland park. The acting Premier Prue Car said the design represented a massive milestone for the waterfront park on the traditional lands of the Gadigal, custodians of the land and waterways for millennia. The park continues the precincts commitment to honouring the role of First Nations people, the history of the site and its wider context, she said. Loading The transformation of a part of the harbour foreshore that has been predominantly inaccessible to the public for the past 100 years into hectares of parkland is a triumph. The plan for the new harbour park includes a series of ponds shaded by native trees and linked by meandering footpaths. A new large lawn at the northern end is also designed to host community and cultural events for up to 6000 people. The harbour-front park is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.

Like many Sydney endeavours involving public land, politicians and developers, the redevelopment of Barangaroo has had a chequered history of unsolicited proposals, backroom deals and development creep. Part of the site was called the Hungry Mile  a dry comment on waterside workers seeking to get a number and be taken on during the Depression  until Barangaroo was reclaimed in the name of the people of Sydney by former premier Bob Carr when the government decided to relocate stevedoring operations from Darling Harbour. The first sod of the 22-hectare development was turned 11 years ago. Since the early days, the site has been the scene of conflict for the state government, as custodian of the land for the citizens of NSW and charged with protecting the public interest as the consent authority. It is also one of the developers. The new park is the latest chapter in the development of the $2.5 billion Central Barangaroo project, itself already the subject of a high-stakes legal battle over harbour views and a backlash over building heights. Loading Central Barangaroo was intended as a mid-rise precinct, half of which would be for public recreation, creating a bridge between the naturalistic headland at the northern end and the gleaming office towers of the commercial district to the south. Development plans for Central Barangaroo precinct have been under re-evaluation after the former Coalition government last year ordered Infrastructure NSW and developer Aqualand to reduce the scale of development at the rear half of the site when plans to build a 21-storey residential tower attracted widespread condemnation. Theres still no resolution in sight for the rest of the Central Barangaroo precinct. With new plans being drawn up for the remaining half of Central Barangaroo, the next challenge facing authorities is the evaluation of what will best fit the site. If the past is any guide, the buildings and development will remain contentious.
Actor Tasma Walton has used a story about former prime minister Harold Holts disappearance being linked to mermaids as evidence in a significant native title dispute covering land from Werribee to Wilsons Promontory.

Several members of the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation are challenging expert evidence that supports a native title application from the Boon Wurrung Land and Sea Council covering 13,000 square kilometres along Victorias coast.

Tasma Walton has referenced stories from her grandmother in support of a native title claim. Credit: Getty Images

Bunurong group witnesses  including Walton, who is married to entertainer Rove McManus and lives on the Mornington Peninsula  responded in the Federal Court on Monday to the expert evidence that raised questions over their claimed ancestry.

The court will decide if Walton and the others are descended from apical ancestors who were traditional owners of Bunurong/Boonwurrung Country at the time of colonisation by Europeans.
Equality Australia legal director Ghassan Kassisieh. Credit: Nick Cubbin Theyre there to learn, he said. Diversity is part of our system but to be told you have to wear this, its gone a step too far. Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said there was a baseline compulsory uniform, but additional items were approved by school councils with input from students. These are decisions that are made by the school council, Hutchins said. Its entirely up to the school council to endorse whats on school uniforms. The schools move was applauded by LGBTQI+ organisation Equality Australia, whose legal director, Ghassan Kassisieh, said the jacket was a wonderful, student-led initiative that other schools should consider.

Education Minister Natalie Hutchins. Credit: Luis Ascui Young people are again leading the way on inclusion, he said. We shouldnt need flags to remind people that they are loved and valued as they are, but as the reaction from some people to this jacket again demonstrates, these symbols of inclusion are as important as ever. Kassisieh said students should be applauded for taking steps to create a safe community for LGBTQI+ students, who still face unacceptably high rates of bullying. Its pretty simple. If you dont like the jacket, dont wear it, he said.

Victorian Aboriginal Education Association general manager Lionel Bamblett said his organisation was not consulted over the jacket, but he encouraged all schools to use the Koori flag. If students are actually comfortable with that and aware of what it actually means I think its marvellous, he said. Parents Victoria chief executive Gail McHardy said the jacket was not compulsory and there would also be parents who supported the design. Government schools have to represent everyone in being inclusive, she said. If that is viewed as a political statement by some, then there are parliamentary processes and mechanisms to express their objection.

Loading McHardy said school councils were required to consult the community on uniforms, and that parents should get involved in that process when it happened. I think the most important message is about inclusivity, she said. Professor Katherine Johnson, an expert in LGBTQI+ mental health at RMIT University, said it was important schools became more inclusive, to reduce the long-term impact of bullying and discrimination on LGBTQI+ and First Nations peoples health. Schools are places where children learn values that they take into adulthood, she said. So I applaud this schools support for a student-led initiative that celebrates representations of diversity and inclusion on an optional piece of uniform.

Emma Rowe, a senior lecturer in education at Deakin, said it was appropriate for public schools to incorporate flags into their uniforms, just as private schools chose to use religious symbols in theirs. It is appropriate for individual schools to determine what suits their cohort, she said. But Adam Voigt, a former principal who now leads educational consultancy Real Schools, said schools should be cautious about telling students what to think about social issues. When people  especially young people  are forced to show support for a belief they dont share or understand, their responses can do more harm than good, he said. Schools who promote causes or one side of a political issue can also find that parents trust the school less and schools might also then be criticised heavily for being too radical or for virtue signalling.

Loading Cheltenham Secondary College did not comment on Monday, but has previously said on Facebook that the jacket was added this winter as an additional item after feedback from parents and students in a uniform survey last year. The jacket costs $89.95 and also features the school motto: Respect, responsibility, personal best, community. A Department of Education spokesperson said the jacket was initiated by the student community and was not a compulsory part of the school uniform. Like all our state schools, Cheltenham Secondary College is proud to be a safe and welcoming school, the spokesperson said.
Two teenage girls accused of attacking a man with a knife as they stole his mobile phone during a Facebook Marketplace meet-up will remain in custody after acting out-of-control after their arrest, with one refusing to take part in her court appearance.

Prosecutor Catherine Shade said the youths, aged 13 and 15, had used a fake Facebook account to reply to a 43-year-old mans ad to sell his iPhone, asking him to come to an address in Banksia Grove on Sunday afternoon to complete the deal.

She told the Perth Childrens Court on Monday that when the man arrived, the 13-year-old girl was standing at the edge of the property waiting.

[The girl] snatched the phone and ran in a westerly direction to meet up with [her co-accused] who was standing in a driveway holding a large knife, Shade said.
Access to medical abortions will be dramatically expanded in Australia under major changes that will allow all doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe the pregnancy termination pill, and all pharmacies to stock it.

The landmark move to slash red tape around who can prescribe and dispense the drug should enable medical abortions to become a first-line option for women who want them, by encouraging thousands more health professionals to provide access to the two-part medication.

The abortion pill will this year be available to be prescribed by every doctor. Credit: James Alcock

Only about 10 per cent of doctors and 30 per cent of pharmacists are currently certified to deal with the pill  known as MS-2 Step in Australia, or RU486 overseas  which provides major obstacles for Australian women who need timely care.

Restrictions will be removed from August so health practitioners dont have to undergo special certification and registration through the drugs importer, the non-profit MS Health. All pharmacies will be able to dispense MS-2 Step like they would any other medication, while nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe it for the first time once the measure is enacted by states and territories.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has vowed to crack down on the use of private recruitment firms to plug holes in the states creaking hospital system, saying the governments over-reliance on costly third-party companies is unsustainable.

The Herald revealed on Monday that NSW is paying millions of dollars to companies accused in some cases of deliberately driving up staff costs while discouraging doctors from taking permanent roles in the public health system.

Health Minister Ryan Park is vowing to cut down on the cost of filling doctor shortages in regional and rural NSW. Credit: James Brickwood

Temporary health workers now cost NSW about $1 billion dollars annually, while $148 million is spent on locum doctors who command fees of up to $4000 a day working mostly in under-resourced regional hospitals.

The private companies which find those staff attract an average payment of 15 per cent of a doctors fee.
Roger Rogerson was once an elite detective, celebrated for his dogged police work, with a penchant for putting away NSWs most wanted.

A winner of bravery and dedication to duty awards, the NSW Police detective sergeant was once one of the forces most decorated officers.

Now Victorian police have questioned Rogerson, a convicted killer serving a life sentence for the 2016 slaying of drug dealer Jamie Gao, over the suspected murder of drug syndicate boss Robert Jumping Jack Richardson in Strath Creek north of Melbourne almost 40 years ago. Rogerson has been named as a person of interest, not a suspect.



Detectives drag Roger Rogerson from his NSW home in 2014. Credit: Nick Moir

Rogersons success on the streets of Sydney in the 1980s was followed by a swift demise when the corrupt cop began meddling in a major drug investigation in Melbourne.
Following the Holocaust, we vowed never again. However, in 1995, 8372 Bosnian Muslims were systematically murdered in the first genocide on European soil since World War II.

On this day  July 11  28 years ago, Bosnian Serb forces methodically targeted and murdered thousands of Bosniak boys and men in and around Srebrenica.

A man mourns next to the coffin of his relative, a victim of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, in Potocari, Bosnia on Sunday. Credit: AP

My family  in the town of Bihac  endured the horrors of starvation, bombings, dehumanisation, and a relentless siege by a dual military endeavour of Bosnian Serb and Serbian forces. To our disbelief, the perpetrators included individuals we had once considered teachers, classmates and even friends.

Permanently scarred by nearly 1200 days of siege, I  aged 20  left everything I knew to seek a better future in the United States. In the years since I have hoped that at the very least the horrors I and so many others encountered in Srebrenica, Bihac and many other sites of mass atrocities, would prevent future genocides. But my hopes were futile.
Azerbaijan Public Employment Agency, under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, and "OBA Market" LLC, a member of the Veyseloglu Group of Companies, have signed a memorandum of cooperation to foster collaboration in various areas.

The memorandum was signed by Rufat Javadov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Public Employment Agency, and Natavan Ibrahimova, Chairman of the Board of "OBA Market" LLC.

"OBA" market chain, which operates with the concept of a close and affordable neighbor in every region of Azerbaijan and is accessible to everyone. The company is committed to generating additional job opportunities for individuals facing challenges in securing employment, particularly those with special needs for social protection.

Moreover, "OBA Market" is dedicated to supporting women's careers through its "Women's Power" social project. By creating new jobs annually, the company actively contributes to the employment of hundreds of women. It also organizes various training programs and seminars to enhance their professional skills.

According to the agreement, projects of mutual interest will be implemented between the two institutions, as well as corporate social responsibility projects to support the employment of family members of the martyrs of the Patriotic War and war veterans.

It is noteworthy that "OBA Market" LLC was recognized last year by the Employment Agency as the "Most Active Private Social Partner Supporting the Employment of War Participants."

Veyseloglu Group of Companies places special emphasis on projects that promote employment opportunities for vulnerable groups and women. The group has demonstrated its commitment to this cause by joining the UN Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), which advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace, labor market, and society.

In recognition of its exemplary management practices, the Veyseloglu Group of Companies was honored as one of the winners in the prestigious "Best Managed Companies" competition organized by Deloitte, a global consulting firm, in both 2022 and 2023.
Vatican City: Pope Francis announced he has chosen 21 new cardinals, including prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong  places where Catholics are a small minority  as he continues to leave his mark on the body of churchmen who will select his successor.

The Pope announced his picks during his customary weekly appearance to the public in St Peters Square, saying the ceremony to formally install the churchmen as cardinals will be held on September 30.

Pope Francis. Credit: AP

Among those tapped are several prelates holding or about to assume major Vatican posts, including the archbishop from La Plata, Argentina, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, 59, whom the Pope just named to lead the Holy Sees powerful office for ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy and overseeing processing of allegations of sexual abuse against clergy worldwide.

Francis has now named nine batches of new cardinals in his 10-year papacy. Even before this latest group, he had already appointed the large majority of those eligible to elect the next pontiff  those aged under 80. With the latest appointments, the number of cardinals who meet that condition stands at 137.
Berlin: Anthony Albanese will use his invitation to a gathering of world leaders to remind them that Russias war in Ukraine has consequences far beyond Europe and a direct impact on security within the Indo-Pacific.

The Australian prime minister flew from Berlin to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Tuesday afternoon to attend the annual NATO summit as four regional leaders warn that new conflicts and competition posed threats to universal democratic values.

NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg thanked Australia for its support of Ukraine. Credit: REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine galvanised the Atlantic alliance, but debate over the membership applications of Ukraine has threatened to expose divisions in the past days over the limits of support for Kyiv amid fears in the US and Germany that NATO could be pulled into the war.

Albanese said Australias security and prosperity was always best served when it had a seat at the table.
Aliens have not invaded Las Vegas  that we know of  but something that looks otherworldly is now on the Strip.

In a city known for dazzling aesthetics and questionable business practices, there was an Independence Day premiere that involved no fireworks. The Sphere at the Venetian Resort is a $US2 billion ($3 billion) venue covered with 53,800 square metres of programmable LED panels that can make the sphere look like a black hole has opened up or a Christmas snow globe has landed in Vegas.

The MSG Sphere illuminates the Las Vegas skyline with a display to celebrate Independence Day as the Exosphere is fully lit up for the first time, as seen from the Metropolis, on Tuesday, July 4. Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal

The sight has quite a lot of buzz locally and online. Some see a technological marvel, and some see a gigantic spherical billboard thats a prime distraction for drivers.

The Sphere is an 18,000-seat venue that is set to host its first concert on September 29 when U2, also known for baffling technological choices, starts its 2-month residency. Though the exterior feels like it could be seen from space, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has reported sightline problems inside.
PHILIPSBURG:--- I have taken note of the public statements made by Prime Minister Rutte, including his regret that they remained at an impasse within the coalition of four parties. The political decision to tender the resignation of the entire cabinet now means new elections will be called, allowing the people of the Netherlands to resolve the issue.

While instability in coalition governments is nothing new in the Dutch Kingdom, we trust that this latest disagreement, at a political level based on immigration policies in the Netherlands, will not negatively impact the improving relations within the Kingdom, including our ongoing discussions on the loans, availability of funding for sustainable development projects, climate change & actions following the apology for the Dutch governments role in slavery past on its former colonies.

It is commendable how well Prime Minister Rutte speaks of the good working relationship, despite the disagreement on policy areas related to migration. So, I look forward to continuing dialogue on the areas of interest for the Island Nations in the Kingdom.

The State Secretary has already indicated that the talks will continue as planned as they are a going concern for all concerned, which is somewhat reassuring.

I look forward to the meetings planned this week in preparation for the upcoming Kingdom Council of Ministers (RMR) meeting for further clarity to be given by the Dutch Government on the way forward. -Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs
PHILIPSBURG:--- In the morning hours of Sunday, July 9th, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Fort de France reported a sailing vessel in need of assistance at 10 nautical miles south of Phillipsburg St. Maarten. The Coast Guard vessel Metal Shark assisted the sailing vessel with 2 persons onboard by towing them safely to Simpson Bay where they were able to anchor the vessel in the bay.
PHILIPSBURG:--- For the third consecutive year, International Game Technology (IGT) will host their Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp from July 17 to 28.

Seventy-two students from across the Caribbean, including from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts, and Nevis, Barbados, St Maarten, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be participating in the virtual camp for the first time. All students are from institutions where IGT has established After School Advantage (ASA) computer centers.

Part of IGTs Sustainable Play programme, After School Advantage is the Companys flagship community initiative, devoted to providing youth with access to technology while promoting opportunities for digital learning in communities where IGT operates. The programme ensures students have access to participate in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational opportunities while developing the knowledge and skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

IGTs training partner for the Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp is the Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI) of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus which has been conducting these classes. MGI, the developers of the curriculum, along with IGT are changing their approach this year as they will be delivering both Levels 1 and 2 courses synchronously.

The theme of this years camp is, Think it, Code it, Solve it. Students will be challenged to find solutions to issues facing their country in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Country Manager for IGT Antilles, Shelly Ann Hee Chung says the planning team for the camp purposefully selected this theme to inspire students to think of problems facing society and utilize STEM means to solve them.

She stated, The content students are taught gives them an awareness of how to use a digital approach to help society. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are our starting points in showing our students where we aim to be.

The programme is geared towards ensuring that children and youth develop their critical thinking and innovation skills. This year, students in Level One will learn web development, coding, and robotics, and develop problem-solving skills. Level Two students will get an advanced version of the lessons from last year, as well as an introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Regional Vice-President for IGT Latin America and the Caribbean, Juan Pablo Chadid says the students participating in the camp will be well prepared to learn and practice the technology skills to which they are being introduced for the two weeks.

This deep introduction to the digital space will motivate students to pursue careers in any area of STEM, which is a contributing factor in developing the region.

Our students have access to top resources, Chadid stated, and they learn skills needed to pursue lasting careers in STEM to launch their careers. With the age of the technological revolution in mind, students are provided with vital skills to fill the technological gaps in the job market.
Alpha Lithium Announces Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment Results for Tolillar Project in Argentina

br />US$1.5 billion (CDN$2.0 billion) after tax NPV8 with an IRR of 25.1%

US$5.3 billion (CDN$7.1 billion) of cumulative free cash flow over a 25-year mine life

8-year after-tax payback period from start of production

Significant upside potential remains from recently drilled wells not yet included in this PEA

Alpha Lithium Corporation (NEO: ALLI) (OTC: APHLF) (German WKN: A3CUW1) (aAlphaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/alpha-lithium-corp/), a company developing a portfolio of highly prospective lithium assets in Argentina, today announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (aPEAa) for its wholly owned Tolillar lithium brine project in the Salta Province of Argentina (aTolillara). The PEA provides an independent economic assessment of the potential value of Tolillar, based on the lithium resources outlined in the September 2022 Resource Estimate (see news release August 23, 2022).

The PEA evaluated a 25,000 tonnes per annum (atpaa) commercial-scale operation to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate chemicals. Importantly, the study does not include contribution from wells drilled since mid-2022, which management believes represent meaningful, unquantified, upside potential. Alpha intends to soon incorporate drilling completed since mid-2022, and anticipates an expanded resource could potentially support a longer mine life and a second 25,000 tpa phase, for an aggregate 50,000 tpa operation.

Brad Nichol, President & CEO of Alpha commented, aThe results of the PEA demonstrate that Alphaa?s Tolillar project is an exceptionally robust lithium carbonate project, even with conservative assumptions. Tolillar represents one of the last, large, independent, wholly-owned lithium brine salars globally, and once the latest technical work is incorporated, Tolillar should become an even larger and longer-lived operation. Additionally, with its substantial fresh-water source on site, it is not difficult to understand why Tolillar is such a sought-after target.a Nichol added, aI am very pleased with the speed at which Alphaa?s team has advanced the Tolillar project from a greenfield site to PEA. To demonstrate the viability and significant economic potential of such a project speaks to the abilities of our unique team of experienced lithium specialists.a

PEA Highlights:

US$1.5 billion (C$2.0 billion) after tax NPV with an 8% discount rate and IRR of 25.1%

Average Li2CO3 price of $22,990 per tonne, over 25 years of production

After tax payback period of 3.8 years from start of production

After tax, cumulative free cash flow of US$5.3 billion ($C7.1 billion) over a 25-year production life

Initial capital cost (aCAPEXa) of $777 million (includes contingency of $179 million)

Brine mining and processing cost, excluding Li2CO3 transport (aOPEXa) of $5,150 per tonne

Cash cost of $6,301 per tonne (includes mining, processing, transportation, and royalties)

The PEA was prepared by Ausenco Chile Limitada (aAusencoa), a global engineering firm, experienced in the lithium industry. Ausenco has prepared multiple economic assessments and feasibility studies, specifically for, but not limited to, South American lithium brine extraction companies over the past several years. In addition to being DLE and production process experts, Ausencoa?s knowledge was invaluable for assessing current and conservative operating and capital costs, which incorporated the latest global cost estimates. All values are reported in US dollars, unless otherwise noted. References to CDN$ have been converted at 1.35 x US$.

Economic Analysis and Summary:

Lithium chemicals produced from brines are almost universally less expensive than those produced from hard rock, giving brine operations a significant competitive advantage. Specifically, the Tolillar project benefits meaningfully from the following:

Immediate proximity to (10-15 km from) Liventa?s Fenix Project, which has produced approximately 20,000 tpa of lithium carbonate chemicals for over two decades. Tolillar will dramatically benefit from the existence of a national high-grade highway (6 km away) connecting the project to supplies and services, a nearby (6 km) high-pressure natural gas pipeline with existing capacity, nearby (90 km) 3-phase power, and nearby (90 km) international rail lines.

A significant freshwater discovery on the north, south and west sides of the Tolillar salar, with the western discovery being capable of supporting a major lithium chemicals plant, on its own.

A proven DLE-based production process, built upon a process that has been tested and utilized for over two decades in Argentina. Alphaa?s production technology has been developed by an expert team with unmatched, hands-on, DLE and production experience.

Being the sole owner of the Tolillar salar eliminates potential conflicts or competition for production, fresh water, equipment, and personnel.

The Discounted Cash Flow Model, generated independently by Ausenco, with an outside consultant providing tax estimate advice, demonstrates an attractive economic result from the potential production of lithium carbonate chemicals from the Tolillar project. As a result, the Company expects to continue construction of its 120 tpa pilot plant, which will provide the necessary data to support the design and feasibility study for the 50,000 tpa lithium carbonate chemicals plant envisioned by Alpha.

The PEA NPV results take into account royalties that are specifically applicable to the Tolillar project.

With over $30 million of cash on hand, Alpha is well financed to complete this work and has a strong technical team with extensive lithium experience leading its efforts in Argentina.

Initial Capital Costs:

Total estimated initial capital costs are $776.6 million for the first phase (25,000 tpa) of lithium carbonate chemicals. Contingency costs are estimated at 30% of total direct and indirect costs. Capital costs for the second phase (a second 25,000 tpa) are not included in this PEA analysis; however, management expects those to be approximately 35% lower than the capital costs for the first phase by utilizing economies of scale.

Operating Costs:

The estimated operating costs are current as of Q1 2023 and reflect 100% year-on-year cost increases in some cases, such as for chemical reagents, which dramatically increased due to ongoing COVID-19 related global supply chain constraints. Management supports the use of potentially temporarily inflated costs and believes the cost estimates are appropriately conservative in light of many reported cost overruns in the industry. Finally, the second largest cost center is aEnergy,a accounting for 18% of the total operating cost. Alpha management has previously investigated and utilized solar power to provide energy to similar and larger projects in the past; however, solar power was not incorporated into the PEA at this time. Utilization of solar power should dramatically decrease the estimated operating cost.

Lithium Markets and Price:

Alpha consulted industry experts at Global Lithium LLC for estimates of long-term market and pricing dynamics. Recently, the price of lithium carbonate has been volatile, ranging from $5,000/tonne in 2018 to over $80,000/tonne in Chinaa?s spot market in 2022, before moderating in 2023. Even during the most recent period of spot market volatility, long-term contract prices outside of China remained relatively constant in the $60,000/tonne range, on average, through April 2023.

For estimating future cash flows from new projects, Global Lithium LLC and Alpha recommended a conservative approach, using a price significantly below (approximately 50% of) the upper end of the expected long-term marginal cost curve, yielding conservative project economics that leave room for significant upside. While most forecasters do not forecast prices beyond 2030, Global Lithium LLC recommended using a price of $22,500/tonne from 2031 to 2035 and a price of $23,500/tonne from 2036 and beyond.

The PEA is based upon brine grades across the companya?s Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources only. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that the Tolillar project envisioned by the PEA will be realized. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves.

Qualified Person:

A Technical Report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101* in support of the PEA will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Companya?s website (www.alphalithium.com) within 45 days. The PEA Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. Scientific and technical information related to the PEA contained in this news release has been reviewed and verified by:

James Millard, P. Geo, Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc., Environmental Studies and Permitting

Patricio Pinto, RM, Ausenco Chile Ltda., Principal Process Engineer

These persons, above, have the ability and authority to verify the authenticity and validity of this data and are independent from the Company.

Mr. Michael Rosko, MS, PG, SME #4064687, of Montgomery and Associates of Santiago, Chile (aM&Aa), is a Registered Geologist (C.P.G.) in Arizona, California, and Texas, a Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, and is a qualified person (QP) as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Rosko has extensive experience in salar environments and has been a QP on many lithium brine projects. Mike Rosko is independent from the Company and has reviewed and approved the disclosure of the PEA information regarding geological and hydrogeological references mentioned in this press release.

All operations and assets of the Company are in Argentina and are fully managed by Alpha Lithium Argentina SA (aAlpha SAa) utilizing local employees and consultants. Since initiating the first steps of an exploration program in 2020, Alpha SA has drilled more than 20 holes, constructed an in-house brine chemistry research laboratory, developed a proprietary Lithium Carbonate production process that successfully works in Tolillar, started construction of a pilot plant, and employed dozens of highly skilled Argentinian technologists, engineers, geologists, geophysicists and chemists, in addition to several students, accounting, managerial and HR professionals. The Company is grateful for, and reliant upon, the significantly large Argentinian team that has proven instrumental at generating value for shareholders.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ALPHA LITHIUM CORPORATION

aBrad Nichola

Brad Nichol

President, CEO and Director

For more information:

Alpha Lithium Investor Relations

Tel: +1 844 592 6337

relations@alphalithium.com

www.alphalithium.com

www.protectalphalithium.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Alpha Lithium (NEO: ALLI) (OTC: APHLF) (German WKN: A3CUW1)

Alpha Lithium is a team of industry professionals and experienced stakeholders focused on the development of the Tolillar and Hombre Muerto Salars. In Tolillar, we have assembled 100% ownership of what may be one of Argentinaa?s last undeveloped lithium salars, encompassing 27,500 hectares (67,954 acres), neighboring multi-billion-dollar lithium players in the heart of the renowned aLithium Trianglea. In Hombre Muerto, we continue to expand our 5,000+ hectare (12,570 acres) foothold in one of the worlda?s highest quality, longest producing, lithium salars. Other companies in the area exploring for lithium brines or currently in production include Orocobre Limited, Galaxy Lithium, Allkem Ltd., Livent Corporation, and POSCO in Salar del Hombre Muerto; Orocobre in Salar Olaroz; Eramine SudAmerica S.A. in Salar de Centenario; and Gangfeng and Lithium Americas in Salar de Cauchari.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as \will\, \may\, \should\, \anticipate\, \expects\ and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company\-s expectations include the results of further brine process testing and exploration and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

* National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators (aNI 43-101a)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The collaboration between the Vatican and Heydar Aliyev Foundation is very important because it is developing a restoration of some masterpieces and works of art of the Vatican, Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, told reporters on Monday, Trend reports.

"This is also important because the Vatican is a place where there is a lot of history and knowledge. I have great expectations from this collaboration," said the state secretary.

The Cardinal also stressed the successful cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Holy See. He noted the contribution made by the Foundation on the initiative of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in the restoration of a number of historical monuments of world significance in the Vatican.

The secretary of state further noted that the main purpose of the visit is to promote peace in the region.

"This is the main mission of the Holy See, to contribute to peace everywhere where it is needed. We offer to President Ilham Aliyev our willingness and the willingness of the Holy Father to contribute in any possible way establishing peace and security as well as to reaching long-lasting peace between the two sides. We think that the best contribution the Holy See can afford is on humanitarian grounds," Parolin said.

He also noted the work that Azerbaijan is implementing in its liberated territories.

"We invite everybody to avoid such destruction and to collaborate on the reconstruction of monuments. I hope that it will be possible to do so as soon as possible," the Cardinal added.

According to him, in its desire to promote intercultural dialogue, Azerbaijan will also ensure the rights and security of the Armenian minority living in Karabakh.

"Respect for minorities is the base of human rights. Everybody should do this as it is a sign of civilization and peace," highlighted the Cardinal.

Parolin also said that during the meeting with the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, the parties outlined a number of priority areas for future cooperation.

In this regard, it was also noted that the parties celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See last year.

"I think that relations between the countries are very good. And, of course, a very important step towards that was the appointment of the ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Vatican, which means that there are more occasions and more possibilities to communicate and collaborate. I think that this trend is very positive and I am sure that we will continue in that direction, promoting the common values as we always did," he said.

According to him, intercultural dialogue is one of the characteristic features of Azerbaijan, as the country is strongly committed to creating a comfortable environment for the peaceful coexistence of different religions and cultures not only inside the country but also outside it.

In conclusion, the secretary of state of the Holy See noted that he hopes for further fruitful cooperation with Azerbaijan.

"Even if we have different ways of thinking, there are some values that unite us," Parolin concluded.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce is working to attract German companies in the field of renewable energy sources to Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) Tobias Baumann told Trend in an exclusive interview.

According to him, a delegation on renewable energy sources visited Azerbaijan in 2022.

"We have a program with the Ministry of Economy and Climate Action, and it supports business delegations on promising topics, such as the development of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan. We know that Azerbaijan has a high potential in the field of renewable energy. We see a lot of interest in the German business community in this sector. Moreover, our Chamber of Commerce organized a Forum on Economic Sustainability and held meetings in the B2B format," he said.

Our companies are studying the Azerbaijani market, its conditions and legal environment. We have 2-3 projects that we are currently working on. The German side is negotiating with the Azerbaijani government to participate in renewable energy auctions. There are some aspects that need to be clarified, for example, the price. Azerbaijan has really low consumer electricity prices, which is not very attractive for large German investors. I believe that cooperation initiatives can come from medium-sized companies. There are also other possibilities that are being discussed today between German companies and the Azerbaijani side. If the auction takes place, I think there will be opportunities that will satisfy the interests of German bidders," he added.

Moreover, according to Baumann, Germany expects to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan, and cooperation between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Uniper has huge prospects in this matter.

"Uniper is one of the largest gas suppliers to our country, and cooperation with SOCAR is very valuable in terms of gas transportation from Azerbaijan via the Southern Gas Corridor to Germany. We should consider the need to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Germany, as this is what we will need in the future. The document signed between Azerbaijan and the European Commission provides for doubling gas supplies from the Caspian region to Europe by 2027, and I think Germany will receive a good share of these supplies provided by Uniper," Baumann said.

Baumann said that German companies are ready to support Azerbaijan in the production and export of green hydrogen.

"Thanks to long-term partnership and technologies, Germany can share its experience and is ready to become a consumer of green hydrogen from Azerbaijan. Everything related to technologies, productivity solutions  German companies have extensive experience in these areas, and accordingly we are considering expanding cooperation here. Our companies also specialize in the fields of agriculture, food production, and the development of eco-friendly solutions. At the moment we have projects with five farmers. Our technologies are expected to be delivered to them," Baumann added.

Further speaking, Baumann also announced the launch dates of an energy gas turbine plant for the Azerkimya production association of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

"It is expected that it will be put into operation by the end of Augustbeginning of September. Currently, this installation is being operated in test mode. The project will open up new directions for the development of similar projects in Azerbaijan for German manufacturers," he said.

He also touched upon the development of economic relations and pointed out that Germany is interested in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the sectors of renewable energy, mining and infrastructure.

"We see Azerbaijan as one of the main partners in the field of traditional energy production. I believe that Azerbaijan can play a big role in the world market in the field of renewable energy production, as well as hydrogen. The potential for the development of wind and solar energy in Azerbaijan will allow the country to become an exporter of green energy. At the same time, Azerbaijan could also export hydrogen or hydrogen electricity," he said.

Another area of cooperation could be the mining sector. This area is one of the future sectors of German interests. German manufacturers of equipment, technologies and techniques have extensive experience in the production of goods for this sector. In addition, we have considerable experience and qualified equipment that can also be used in the mining sector of Azerbaijan. It is also advisable to develop our cooperation in the field of infrastructure and water supply," he added.

Meanwhile, Baumann noted that Germany plans to increase exports to Azerbaijan to more than $500 million by the end of 2023.

"The positive balance of foreign trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Germany in 2022 amounted to over $1.2 billion. Germany exported $472 million worth of goods to Azerbaijan, while imported $1.7 billion worth of goods. The largest volume of German imports from Azerbaijan fell on the products of the oil and gas sector," he said.
I t would be an exaggeration to say that when Philip Jansen arrived at BT the company was in a mess. But stuck in the mud, for sure.

It was a defensive business, ever complaining about the barriers in its way rather than the opportunities in its future.

Jansen kicked that into touch with a can-do approach that alarmed old-timers, especially when he then went ahead and actually did it.

He suspended dividend payments to investors to help pay for what needed to be done, a brave move at which others may have baulked.

BT is possibly the most important business for the economic success of the entire country. Its connectivity drives everything. Without it, pretty much nothing works.

Privately, Jansen may have occasionally been frustrated at the blocks in his way, not least from politicians who talked big, but moved little (Boris Johnson, Im just guessing).

But in public, he cracked on, driving BTs commitment to a full-fibre internet network that might one day be the envy of Europe, fending off regulators who demanded investment at the same time as they clamped down on customer charges.

Along the way he had to deal with more stakeholders, most interested parties, than practically any other CEO. He will have done five years of it by the end, and thats a decent shift.

Unions who moaned about his pay simply dont get him. He was already so wealthy that his CEO salary was not the motivation for him getting out of bed every day.

He thought he could make a difference, and did. Jansen will not be easy to replace, as politicians and the BT board are about to find out.
T he boss of BT Group is planning to step down within the next year and the search for his successor has begun, the telecoms giant has announced.

Group chief executive Philip Jansen intends to leave at an appropriate moment over the next 12 months.

BT said the board has already begun a formal succession process, and will share an update on progress over the summer.

It comes less than two months after the group revealed plans to cut up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade, amounting to about 40% of its total workforce.

We've made a lot of progress over the last four and half years and I'm proud of what we've achieved to date

Mr Jansen said the telecoms firm wants to advance its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, with a shift to customers using its app for things such as account servicing and upgrades rather than relying on call centres.

Around 10,000 jobs will go in its quest for greater digitisation.

BT is also nearing the completion of the rollout of ultrafast full fibre broadband across the UK, through its subsidiary Openreach, and 5G network.

Some 35,000 jobs will disappear once the engineering work is complete and the firm begins to retreat from running older double networks.

The firm was already steaming ahead with expansive cost-cutting plans under Mr Jansens leadership, with a 3 billion savings target by the end of the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

Mr Jansen, who took on the top job at BT from Worldpay in early 2019, said: Weve made a lot of progress over the last four and half years and Im proud of what weve achieved to date.

Were building like fury, have now passed over 11 million homes with fibre, have got 5G service to 68% of the country and our customer service is much improved.

This is creating a much stronger BT Group which is starting to drive growth for both investors and the UK.

But theres a lot more to do and I am fully committed to driving the business forward until I hand over to my successor.

BT Groups chairman Adam Crozier said: Philip has done an excellent job in his time at BT and the board is fully supportive of our long-term strategy which he and his team are pursuing.

Whilst we are still in the early years of that transformation we are on track to deliver.

He added that it will remain business as usual while it searches for a new chief executive.
L ondon Underground drivers are to strike in a long-running dispute over pensions and conditions.

Aslef said its members will walk out on July 26 and 28, coinciding with industrial action by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.

Finn Brennan, Aslefs full-time organiser on London Underground, said: We take action only when needed. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have shown that London Underground management are determined to try to push through detrimental changes  despite trade union opposition  if they think they can get away with it.

They have already announced that they intend to start training managers in August on a new attendance procedure, and will implement it from January, ignoring the current agreed procedure.

This new procedure would mean no right to representation or appeal at stage one of the disciplinary process and the length of all warnings would be doubled from 26 to 52 weeks.

To protect our pensions, working conditions, and agreements, our members are ready to act

All sickness longer than one week would be regarded as long term meaning that a manager can send a driver to redeployment without any further meeting. After just six weeks in deployment a driver can be, as they put it, terminated.

Management also want to force through their plans for what they call trains modernisation.

They want unrestricted remote booking on and off, driving shifts up to 10 hours long, flexible cover weeks in every roster, and fixed links to be scrapped.

That would make it impossible for Tube train drivers to organise their lives outside work or to have an effective change-over system.

Their aim is an entirely flexible workforce with all existing agreements replaced  allowing them to cut hundreds more jobs and forcing those of us who remain to work harder for longer.

To protect our pensions, working conditions, and agreements, our members are ready to act.

RMT members will take action from July 23 until July 28 with some form of strike or walkout every day except for Monday July 24 in a similar dispute.
U nite has voted to maintain its historic links with Labour  as its chief warned party leader Sir Keir Starmer to listen to the unions demands amid a rift between the two organisations.

General secretary Sharon Graham told a debate at Unites rules conference in Brighton on Monday it is not the time for disaffiliation as it seeks to influence the party if it wins power at the next general election, expected next year.

But Ms Graham said there will be no blank cheques for the Labour leader as she urged him to deliver on jobs, pay and conditions.

Delegates chose overwhelmingly to remain affiliated with Labour after a passionate and well-tempered debate, the union said.

Had they chosen to sever ties, it would have allowed Unite  Labours biggest donor  to change its rules to be able to donate to other parties or candidates.

Ms Graham told the debate: This is the moment of maximum leverage for the union where we can hold Labour to account. Now cannot be the time to walk away. We would be weakening our own arm.

It would be the worst time to leave the Labour Party when they are in touching distance of power. If we leave we wouldnt influence that power.

Labour must be Labour and the union must push them into that position. We must make them take different choices. We will not make the same mistakes of the past. There will be no blank cheques for Labour until we see tangible results.

Unite said on Twitter: Unite Rules Conference votes overwhelmingly to stay affiliated to Labour but General Secretary Sharon Graham puts Keir Starmer on notice, he must deliver on jobs, pay and conditions if he wins power at the next election.

Ms Graham told the PA news agency that the prospect of disaffiliation, although rejected for now, should be a wake-up call for Sir Keir that workers are not happy.

If the Labour leader gets the keys to No 10 workers want a proper voice in Parliament, with businesses already represented by the Conservatives, she said.

Asked about reports of frosty relations between her and Sir Keir, Ms Graham, who made clear when she was elected in 2021 that Westminster politics would not be a priority, said it was not about their personal relationship but about holding Labour to account, including on the renationalisation of energy.

Sir Keir has drawn trade union ire for moves to sideline left-wingers, and Ms Graham slammed the recent exclusion of Jamie Driscoll from the North East mayoral contest as a major mistake.

The Unite boss has also urged him to stick up for striking workers amid a wave of industrial action across the country in recent months.

She criticised as beyond belief shadow chancellor Rachel Reevess refusal on Sunday to commit to endorsing the recommendations of the pay review bodies on public sector pay as workers struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

With about 1.4 million members, Unite is the UKs largest trade union.

It has been involved in more than 800 separate disputes in 20 months, revealing the scale of industrial unrest by workers.
P lans to boost the Londons flagging reputation as a capital-raising venue will be unveiled tonight by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his annual set-piece address to the City.

Jeremey Hunt is expected to set out proposals designed to unlock billions from pension funds to invest in start-ups and other fast-growing companies to make the UK capital markets more attractive.

The industry will be asked to agree to provide 5% of their investments for early-stage businesses and private equity , in a move that could pour 50 billion into markets by the start of the next decade. But Hunt looks set to stop short of formal mandates over investment allocations.

London has faced growing competition from New York as a home for the listing of shares, because the US financial centre features a deeper pool of capital and so potentially higher company valuations. There has also been criticism of the regulatory burden firms face in coming to market in the UK.

One of the biggest UK business success stories  Arm Holdings  chose New York over London as the home for its shares when it will returns later this year to life as a listed firm in a blow for the Square Mile that became emblematic of the Citys faltering fortunes.

Simpler rules over the prospectuses companies must produce to raise cash are also expected from Hunt, which he could describe as a benefit of Brexit. They will follow similar moves already underway at the main market watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority.

Before Hunts speech, there has also been talk he could reveal more novel plans, for a new and more limited form of share trading. It may involve a limited form of stock in companies, which could be exchanged on a new venue on limited number of days without full listing requirements being triggered.

Any moves to ease access to capital are particularly popular with the fast-growing tech sector. Naureen Zahid, Director of Investor Relations at venture capital firm OpenOcean, said:

If executed effectively, this can be a transformational moment for UK tech: positioning the UK as an attractive hub for innovation, investment capital, and global commerce.

Such reforms are expected to be named after the venue of the speech  Londons Mansion House  the official residence of the Lord Mayor. They are also expected to cover merging smaller pension funds and Hunt may point to futures plans to create bigger funds, along the lines of Canada and Australias giant investors.

But there has been some scepticism in the City about the scope of Hunts plans. He has said they will not be of the scale of a second Big Bang, in a reference to the Thatcher governments revolutionary changes. They swept away a traditional closed-shop approach and heralded a new era in modern international finance.

Mike McCudden, CEO of InfinitX, a fintech provider for private markets, welcomed the idea of increased investment as a signal of confidence in London as a capital raising venue of choice, with attention likely to focus on hopes to produce more companies valued at least a billion pounds, known as unicorns.

But he added: If investment firms simply end up looking for the lowest risk way to meet any 5% target, rather than helping grow the market or the UKs ability to nurture the next generation of unicorns, the risk is large slugs of capital will land in already profitable companies.

Among the more modest changes expected were plans to end the requirement for firms to issue paper share certificates, in favour of a digital alternative.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. An aluminum beverage can production and filling factory will be built in Azerbaijan, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov tweeted, Trend reports.

A corresponding agreement was signed between Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

"The agreement on the joint activities was signed between the Azerbaijan Investment Company JSC and the Hungarian Hell Energy company at the event held with the participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto. According to the document, an aluminum beverage can production and filling factory will be built in Azerbaijan. The implementation of the project will contribute to the strengthening cooperation of between the business circles of our countries, the increase of local production and the provision of employment," the minister said.

Meanwhile, the investment agreement was signed between the Azerbaijan Investment Company JSC and the Hungarian Hell Energy company aimed at strengthening trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary on March 30, 2023.
T hames Waters former chief executive was handed half a million pounds as the London utility faced the possibility of collapsing into nationalisation under its 14 billion debt burden.

Sarah Bentley left the company suddenly last month after under three years in the 1.6 million-a-year job. There were reports she went after being asked waive her bonus following the public outcry over sewage in rivers and leaking mains pipes.

Thames Water said the payment revealed today was compensation for share awards she may have received at her previous employer, Severn Trent, before she moved over to run Thames.

Her payoff for leaving Thames Water, which will be revealed in due course, is likely to be far more.

Meanwhile, rising water bills faced by hard-pressed London households helped 2.3 billion in revenue flow into Thames in the year to March 31, up 4%. But rising costs meant it swung to an 83 million loss, having made 84 million in profit a year ago.

Around 15 million billpayers across London and the southeast are helping keep the embattled and heavily indebted company afloat as it faces down calls for nationalisation. Thames revealed today that New 602 million litres of clean water leaks from its pipes every day and there were over 8,000 sewage spills in the year to March 31.

It has been at the centre of a public outcry over the amount of money it pays to service its 14 billion debt burden at a time when Londons water infrastructure is in such desperate need of modernisation.

Shareholders are also on the hook. They agreed today to put another 750 million into Thames, but industry regulators at Ofwat said last week it could need 1.5 billion. Todays cash call eased immediate fears over Thames finances in the City.

Victoria Scholar at Interactive Investor said the cash injection  reduces the likelihood of collapse, but warned Thames clearly still has a lot of work to be done to reduce leaks and sewage spills, reduce its debts and improve profitability.

But the companys executives face a grilling this week in Westminster when they appear before the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

MPs on the panel have already warned they are likely to probe current financial regulations and legal oversight of water utilities in general and the causes of the problems facing Thames Water in particular.

Interim co-CEOs Cathryn Ross, who used to run Ofwat, and Alastair Cochran will be grilled alongside the Thames newly appointed chairman, veteran City troubleshooter Sir Adrian Montague. Executive pay is also highly likely to come up.

Thames said today it changing the way it will pay executives today, linking bonsues to the delivery of its turnaround plan. It will pay out a maximum of 240% of executive directors base salaries, down from 320%. The company said the change showed remuneration restraint.
V irgin StartUp has launched an accelerator for 100 London business founders from underrepresented groups.

Empower 100 will provide support and meetings for 100 female, ethnic minority and disabled founders in the capital whose businesses turn over 50,000 or more per year and have been active for 18 months.

It is funded by the Greater London Authority through the UKs Shared Prosperity Fund.

Linda Grant, chair of Virgin StartUp, said: Systemic inequalities and biases continue to be a barrier for under-represented founders of early-stage businesses.

Empower 100 is about taking a step towards addressing some of these issues and encouraging a vibrant and diverse start-up community. We want all founders to have the knowledge, connections and confidence to reach their full growth potential.

Founders involved will have access to one-on-one and group support sessions, as well as weekly meetings with experts to focus on a specific problem they face.

Businesses involved will also be able to attend a pitch demo day where they will be given the opportunity to practice their pitch in-front of investors.

The programme will start on 3 August and last until the end of 2024.
W hen was it, do you think, that banks stopped being institutions that kept your money and started being guardians of public morality? Time was, I would get hauled into the Berkeley Square branch of the Allied Irish Bank (GB) to explain my overdraft situation; now bank managers have disappeared along with actual branches (my nearest one is in Belfast).

Instead, we get virtue signalling and, sinisterly, banks withdrawing accounts from people they dont like. That includes, to date, politically exposed persons, or PEPs (who are subject to more rigorous financial checks), the Reform party and  says the MoD  many military contractors. Arms manufacturers fall foul of the code of investors who bill themselves as ethical  that doesnt just cover the creeps who make cluster bombs, but manufacturers of the anti-tank missiles we want to provide Ukraine with. Individuals whose accounts are withdrawn arent just fund managers for Islamic State or money launderers, but are usually PEPs, and in many cases on an unaccountable list kept by World-Check, a company owned by the London Stock Exchange.

Its not banks business to police views on Brexit or other issues

The good news is that theres to be an amendment to the Digital Markets Bill to prevent banks discriminating unreasonably against customers and requiring them to give them reasons within 30 days. And the Chancellor has asked the City minister, Andrew Griffith, to investigate banks apparently closing accounts simply because they disagree with customers opinions.

About time. Its not banks business to police views on Brexit or other issues, and customers are entitled to say just what they think of their behaviour. Banks are there to enable us to put our money somewhere and to draw it out when we need it and occasionally to lend us more of it (look up Ogden Nashs poem on banks to see how that works). If they want to go in for morality, how about banking better? Passing on Bank of England rate rises to savers perhaps.Keeping branches open would help too. And how about ATMs in rural areas?

There are 1.3 million people without bank accounts but none of them should be in that position because their bank disapproves of them. Unless of course, the account holder is a money launderer. Just being difficult isnt enough.

Melanie McDonagh is a columnist
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President Joe Bidens touched down in the UK to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak - and its only been three months since his last visit.

Biden arrived in Air Force One at Stansted Airport on Sunday night and he met Sunak in Downing Street Monday before taking tea with King Charles at Windsor Castle.

The 80-year-old president and the 74-year-old king discussed how to help boost private investment to combat climate change, a threat both leaders say is existential.

Biden and Sunak will have Ukraines progress against Russias invasion high on their agenda, plus President Volodymyr Zelenskys hope to join Nato.

The leaders will also likely discuss the highly controversial issues of Washingtons plan to arm Kyiv with cluster bombs, which are so devastating to civilians.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, the international treaty prohibiting their use.

Americas not signed up to the treaty either - but Britain is.

For the latest analysis on President Bidens visit, The Leader podcasts joined by Evening Standard political editor Nicholas Cecil.

Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts.
M uch has always been made of the special relationship but when it comes to the crown and US presidents the affinity and affection goes further than just diplomatic niceties.

Now its the Kings turn to impress as he receives President Biden at Windsor Castle. Charles, 74, has been hugely encouraged by Bidens plans to make the climate crisis a top priority. He even sent him a personal letter when he took office.

Since then, the president has set the US goals of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions by no later than 2050.

For Biden, 80, their meeting will be the high-profile part of his visit. When he met Queen Elizabeth in 2021 it was at Windsor too. Biden respects the King and talk of him snubbing the coronation was nonsense, as no American president has ever attended a British crowning. His wife Jill represented him.

He attended the Queens funeral, and COP26 in Scotland and praised Charless leadership on the climate fight, telling him: We need you badly.

Reminiscing about the late Queen, President Biden described her as a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy.

She deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special, he said. Queen Elizabeth, who met 14 US presidents, was that thread in the relationship, establishing rapport with many of them, strengthening ties between the two nations.

Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 1 / 18 Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 Jeremy Selwyn AFP via Getty Images Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty Images PA PA PA REUTERS REUTERS PA Wire Jeremy Selwyn

Ronald Reagan was the first president to stay at Windsor Castle, and hosted the Queen at his ranch in California in 1983. At a dinner with Reagan in San Francisco, the Queen said: By far the most important idea which we share is our belief in freedom.

She became the first British monarch to address the US Congress, in 1991, with President George Bush observing that she had been freedoms friend for as long as we can remember.

Bill Clinton was impressed by her, too, when they met in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Her Majesty might have become a successful politician or diplomat. As it was, she had to be both, without quite seeming to be either.

She expressed solidarity with the US after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, stating Grief is the price we pay for love.

George W Bush blundered in 2007 as he welcomed the Queen to a state dinner, confusing 1776 with 1976 before quickly correcting himself. He paused, glanced at her, and then admitted: She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.

When Charles visited George W Bush at the White House, he reflected on his 1970 US visit. He joked that he shouldnt try to fix up Bushs twin daughters with his own sons the way President Nixon had tried to encourage a romance with his daughter Tricia. That was quite amusing, I must say, he said in 2021. That was the time when they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.

That was, perhaps, taking the special relationship a tad too far.
I n January, as the economic storm clouds lingered over Westminster, like a gigantic Monty Python-style anthracite boot, I spent a bit of time with the people looking after Sir Keir Starmer. They were doing what all parties do at times like this when they think they might be in with a sniff of government, namely reaching out to those members of the press who they think might be useful. Or persuadable. Or potentially influential. Or frankly  especially in Starmers case  just mildly curious.

The thing I took away from these negotiations was that their biggest fear was that the economy might not collapse in the way everyone had been predicting it would.

The fear wasnt just palpable; it practically had its own tattoo.

It wouldnt be a terrible thing for it to falter for a period, my contact said, rather shamefacedly. If you get my drift, of course.

Currently, their wish looks like its going to be granted  even if the rest of Europe is leaning to the Right  although as a team they are obviously hyper aware of appearing as though they are taking rather too much for granted. But success in next years general election is obviously something that is becoming a reality.

The election is a long way off but considering whats happened in Scotland, considering the way in which the Tory in-fighting continues to seriously dent Rishi Sunaks calm, competent exterior, the lingering media obsession with Partygate, the price of cheese and a concern among the Tory faithful that Sunak might not be Surrey enough, the fight increasingly looks as though its Starmers to lose. He and his party have yet to convince the City that theyre capable of sound economic sense (twas ever thus), but as the incumbents seem to be making such a right old hash of it, the mood has already started to change: surely they couldnt be any worse? Could they?

When he became Labour leader, Starmer pledged to make Brexit work  but time is a great healer

The echo chamber gets bigger every day: Maybe the time has come to give them a chance. If this really is the case, then the past 13 years of Conservative rule will be defined by one thing and one thing only  their inability to keep us in the European Union. Brexit wont go away  at least not yet  but in the history books it will be the most obvious nugget to use to highlight the partys achievements since 2010. It wont be our support for Ukraine, the immigration crisis, Boriss larger-than-life personality, or even the ramifications of Covid. It will be the Tories perennial bugbear, Europe.

If Labour do get in, as well as wrestling both austerity and NHS reform, it will be interesting to see how they choose to contextualise Brexit. And a lot of that will be driven by the media. When he became Labour leader, Starmer pledged to make it work, but time is a great healer. Will he continue to use it to beat up the reframed opposition? Will they carefully try to recalibrate it or give it its own cross-party taskforce? Could they begin to give it another name? (Thats something that could keep an ad agency going for the first few months of a Labour government, rebranding Brexit!) For the time being, while Starmer is in election mode, they almost certainly wont mention it at all. Whatever they do, the press will be hawkeyed and keen to grass them up for any sketchily drawn reinterpretation of its basic principles. Because thats the kind of thing that we do.

Three years ago, as we were still in the throes of the first lockdown, I had a call from a good friend of mine, a mordant Bulgarian who spends most of his time in Sofia, managing his vast telecoms business. After spending a considerable amount of time comparing our new realities, and in particular a developing narrative concerning a radical change in working practices, he asked me a simple question.

I read all the British media every day, and its impossible to read anything that isnt about Covid, said Spas. Its literally the only thing anyone writes about now  a beat   so what happened to Brexit?

Oh, thats easy, I said, a little too easily. Brexit doesnt sell newspapers anymore. I wonder if it will under a Labour government.

Dylan Jones is Editor-In-Chief of the Evening Standard
I ts been a busy week in Manchester. The Manchester International Festival has given us a preview of our new flagship arts centre Factory International, kicking off a fortnight of music, theatre, food and drink across the city. Pulp and Bastille are swaggering through sets at Castlefield Bowl, while Kiss and Iron Maiden rock the AO Arena.

We started the summer with an all-Mancunian FA Cup final, massive shows from Elton and Coldplay, and my festival, Parklife. But somehow, it just keeps getting better.

Youd be hard pressed to say anyone here in Manchester feels theyve levelled up. Weve yet to see much evidence that the grand promises of devolution, HS2 and thinly-spread Westminster cash will make much difference to peoples lives. But in one key respect, we in Manchester are leaving London in the dust.

Ive always said that while the South has all the money, the North has all the fun. I grew up in Manchester, and Im the regions night time economy adviser. And the fact is, were still mad for it. Mad for music, mad for a late one. Were even mad for a pint at the local  and its much cheaper than youd get in the capital.

From pubs to clubs and restaurants, Manchesters hospitality sector has been the engine of the citys post-Covid recovery.

Sam Fender performing on the main stage at the Trnsmt Festival at Glasgow Green in Glasgow (Lesley Martin/PA) / PA Wire

Year-on-year, were in the mix with the likes of Glasgow and Birmingham at the top of the table for growth in the industry. Weve seen takings begin to match pre-pandemic levels for the first time this year, and the Sunday Times recently crowned Manchester the night-time capital of the UK. Although London has a world-leading reputation for its nightlife, it just isnt keeping up with the sectors growth in other major cities.

That doesnt just matter to publicans and restaurateurs  it matters to all of us. The hospitality industry accounts for around one in 10 jobs and five per cent of GDP. Vitally, since the pandemic it has been a key predictor and driver of recovery, with the Office for National Statistics reporting that the sector was responsible for almost half of national growth when the economy was getting back on track in 2021.

That means we all have a stake in a healthy hospitality business across the country. And as many cities struggle to bounce back, its worth seriously asking what makes the contrast between the North-West and London so stark.

We all know the elation of a night we never want to end  but too often in London that feeling is cut short

Im a proud Brit who loves my capital city  and I dont want to see London languishing in the relegation zone while Manchester sits top of the table.

Our capital constantly ranks last for nightlife among cities in Britain in consumer surveys and industry analyses. This can be passed off as a side-effect of high prices and population density, which means that despite the thousands of establishments in the city, its still short on boozers and eateries per capita. But anyone who has been on a night out in London, especially since the pandemic, can see deeper problems lurking in the shadows.

One is that this hub of international finance and tourism  a city that remains a destination of choice for young people getting into the world of work, if they can afford it  shuts early. Bar some pockets of resistance in the outer boroughs and a handful of bars and clubs, London tucks itself in before midnight. Weve all experienced the elation of a night we never want to end  but too often in London that feeling is cut short by the bells of last orders.

Drag queen Patsy Kween at the opening of the new Greggs flagship in Leicester Square / PA

Overzealous (and doubtless overstretched) police and restrictive licensing rules have a huge part to play in this, as shown by Greggs recent attempts to secure a 24-hour licence for its Leicester Square branch.

The company secured a few small concessions to its 11pm curfew after reaching an agreement with

Westminster council. But the frustrations it faced, on a site surrounded by venues that thrive on a vibrant night-time culture  bars, clubs, restaurants, casinos and even cinemas  are unbelievable. This isnt just a licensing problem. It cuts to the heart of Londons increasingly conflicted identity, compounded by demographic changes resulting from so many being priced out of the city centre and a cultural malaise that long preceded the pandemic. Its a classic chicken-and-egg problem: not enough businesses will pursue later openings if they dont have the footfall to make them profitable.

A night-time strategy published by Wandsworth council showed the way out of this bind, combining later opening hours for cafes, bars and restaurants, with a range of measures designed to make them viable.

It recommends more outdoor spaces for venues  a sure way to make streets both safer and livelier. Night nurseries, late-night supermarkets and incentives for late-night workers are also part of the package, ensuring the whole community views the dwindling hours in a different way, not just revellers.

Combined with some legislative stimulus  like the business rate reforms going through Parliament  such measures could be a potent pick-me-up for London nightlife.

The precise ingredients of a thing like culture are hard to pin down, hard to measure and easy for local authorities focused on hard data to ignore. But the economic benefits of a night-time culture that matched Londons status would be very tangible indeed.

Sacha Lord is the night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, the chair of the Night Time Industries Association and the co-founder of Parklife and the Warehouse Project
N ato membership is a binary phenomenon  you are either in the club or not. Those on the inside enjoy all the benefits, most notably the protection of Article 5, which mandates that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all. Those on the outside are, treaty-wise, on their own.

Of course, life is about shades of grey and there is an argument that the most dangerous place to be is in almost Nato, what Margus Tsahkna, Estonias foreign minister, calls the waiting room. Almost Nato not only sows confusion, but also generates a time pressure and by extension an incentive for an adversary to make a move before they consider it too late.

Such logic underpins the US relationship with Taiwan, where Washington opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, not only a Chinese invasion but Taiwanese independence. The thinking behind this is that America wants both participants to feel confident that time is on their side and neither needs to act unilaterally. Of course, when it comes to Ukraine, Russia already has.

No one is suggesting that Kyiv be admitted to Nato while the war is ongoing. But the question about when or even whether Ukraine gets to join the club raises fundamental questions about war aims. For example, is the goal to recapture every inch of territory taken since 24 February 2022? If so, this does not include Crimea, annexed in 2014.

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine has united the West and breathed new life into (and spawned new members of) an alliance that Emmanuel Macron castigated as brain dead only four years ago. But the divisions, which frequently raise their head on the issue of weapons, are never far below the surface. Today, it is Eastern European nations most keen on Ukrainian accession up against a more cautious US and Germany. In that particular contest, there will only be one winner.

Still, Nato leaders will not want Volodymyr Zelensky to leave the Vilnius summit empty-handed, with suggestions of a non-Nato security relationship with the US, akin to the one enjoyed by Israel. Such a fudge may be viewed as a success. But weve been here before.

At the Bucharest summit in April 2008, Nato declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the alliance  without a plan for that eventuality. Months later, Russia invaded Georgia and is now in Ukraine. Compromise is often the right way forward, but it can still end in failure.

In the comment pages, Dylan Jones predicts the one thing Labour doesnt want to talk about could define them. Philip Collins says Rishi Sunak could sort the strikes if he stops playing small-time politics. While Melanie McDonagh suggests the banks ought to get their houses in order before policing us.

And finally, Les 2 Garcons in Crouch End has been named Londons best local restaurant by The Good Food Guide. But you could have just asked me.

This article appears in our newsletter, West End Final  delivered 4pm daily  bringing you the very best of the paper, from culture and comment to features and sport. Sign up here.
P resident Joe Biden touched down at Stansted yesterday evening ahead of tea with the King and a meeting with the Prime Minister. The visit takes place before he heads to Lithuania for the Nato summit.

While the West remains united in its support for Ukraine, tensions are rising to the surface, not least over the use of cluster bombs. Britain, a signatory of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production or use of the weapons, remains opposed. But the Americans suggest they are necessary due to Ukraines low stocks. Then there is Kyivs future membership of the alliance, over which Washington appears to be more cautious.

Disagreements among free and democratic nations, even those as close as Nato allies, are to be expected. Our values, as much as our weapons and economic size, are our strength. But the stakes in Vilnius remain high, and division will only be exploited by Vladimir Putin.

If Ukraine is offered a fudge when it comes to Nato membership, it must be one that would enhance its security, and that of Europe.

Scandal is another blow for the BBC

Reports that a BBC presenter allegedly paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images are profoundly shocking and require urgent investigation by the corporation.

In a statement, the BBC said it had been made aware of the complaint in May, but new allegations of a different nature were brought to it last week. It is vital that due process is followed.

The BBC has now contacted the Met Police. It is a matter of regret that this episode will be treated in some corners as simply another stick with which to beat the BBC. The corporation is far from perfect, and given the unique way in which it is funded, rightly faces great scrutiny.

Yet, like the NHS which was celebrated in these pages on Thursday, the BBC is a national treasure. We would miss it immensely if it were gone.

Protect the Curzon

The Grade II listed Curzon Mayfair has been wowing audiences for nearly a century. Yet, with its lease up for renewal next March, the cinema faces closure, an eventuality that director Steven Spielberg says would be a travesty. Sadiq Khan has joined the cause, calling for more to be done to protect one of Londons cultural gems.

The Curzon Mayfair remains the place for cinema in the West End. Its history  and exciting future  must be protected.
Review at a glance









F ine art and techno music are not two things instantly associated with each other  I cant say Ive ever managed to put Pablo Picasso and Peggy Gou into one sentence.

And yet, with Kappa Futur Festival, Turin, a city rich in artistic and political history, transforms into a dance haven for revellers from across the world - and with good reason, the likes of Carl Cox, Swedish House Mafia and Peggy Gou were all headlining festivities this year.

The festival takes place at Parco Dora, a former Michelin plant, with its industrial history still visible  steel beams and metal shelters are dotted sporadically throughout the site. It celebrated its tenth edition this year, and the celebratory atmosphere swept through the eager crowds, who braved heavy rain on Friday for Swedish House Mafia, the first headliner of the festival weekend.

The dance trio, made up of superstar DJs Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, were a bold choice for event organisers. The supergroup are one of the biggest acts in electronic dance music (EDM), with their mega-hit Dont You Worry Child still burning fresh in the minds of dance music fans.

Fatboy Slim / Claudio Caprai

EDM isnt generally the kind of music that appeals to partygoers at Kappa Futur  the masses tend to travel to Turin for the tropical house and thumping techno spread across the line-up. Swedish House Mafia adjusted their sound accordingly, with an exclusive set made solely for the festival. As well as editing their biggest hits, including One (Your Name) and Greyhound into house-infused bops, they threw underground classics like The Chemical Brothers Hey Boy Hey Girl into the mix, to rapturous crowds.

Things didnt hit fever-pitch until Saturday though, a day packed with star-power  Fatboy Slim took to the main stage during a baking-hot Turin afternoon, barefoot and all, churning out fan favourites including his classics Right Here, Right Now and Praise You, to roars from his audience. The renowned DJ seemed to be having the most fun out of everyone, regularly leaving the decks to dance along with the crowd.

Peggy Gou / Claudio Caprai

It was Peggy Gou, though, who drew the biggest audience of the festival, with the main stage packed to the rafters, and fans competing for the best spot to see her. Gou played a heavier set, with thumping bass, true to Italian dance taste. It was her latest track, however, that received the most love. It Goes Like (NANANA) has been racing up the charts in the UK, already becoming her first top 10 in the country, and its infectious nature swept the crowd, too. They kept chanting NANANA long after the DJ finished her set, their yells reverberating around the industrial settings of Parco Dora.

Legendary British DJ Carl Cox would be the final headliner of the weekend, with the selector receiving the superstar treatment with his own stage for the day. He did not disappoint, churning out his typically energetic catalogue of tracks, with intervals of interactions with the crowd, and taking to the mic for his signature OH YES OH YES shouts. Cox himself wasnt ready to stop partying either, carrying on affairs at Turins super club Centralino, where he would appear for a surprise set at the festivals afterparty. An edit of Fleetwood Macs Dreams provided a euphoric moment in the packed out club.

Carl Cox / LA GARTY

Battling through swarms of people to top up cashless wristbands proved a major sticking point at the festival. At times, it felt like a headliner was performing in the top up tents with the size of the queues  seriously, what is the logic using card machine to top up a wrist band, just to buy a drink? Waiting times for top ups were shorter through the Art + Techno package, which provided a variety of perks including a separate top-up station in the VIP lounge, though this would mean sacrificing some of your favourite sets to walk back to the lounge for the convenience.

If you have cash to spare, though, its a package worth considering  particularly as a new-comer to Turin. It offered a guided walkthrough in one of Italys most historic cities. This years hotel of choice, the five-star Grand Hotel Sitea, provided the perfect backdrop of Turin, with its doors opening up to the scenic streets of Italys once royal city. The Art + Techno experience allowed access to some of Turins finest galleries, including Turins Mazzoleni a name familar to Londons art scene, with a sister gallery situated in Old Bond Street.

The package also included access to the Pinacoteca Agnelli gallery exhibition, allowing us to roam the Fiat race track and experience fine dining at the La Pista, one of the highlights of the experience, though fine dining was a common occurance, as we were treated to some of the best restaraunts the city had to offer.

Regardless of those top-up teething issues, the festival musically lived up to its reputation, on a special ten-year milestone for Turins landmark event, bringing together everyone from London to Melborne, Liverpool to Miami and everywhere in-between, for a techno extravaganza that is quickly placing itself among the likes of Creamfields and Tomorrowland as a must-see for dance music fans internationally.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. A meeting was held between Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, Azerbaijani minister of economy tweeted, Trend reports.

"During the meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, we discussed measures taken to strengthen the partnership between Azerbaijan and Hungary, the development of bilateral economic and trade relations, and also considered the prospects for further cooperation," he said.

According to the State Customs Committee, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Hungary from January through May 2023 amounted to $20.1 million.

Earlier today, the agreement on construction of aluminum beverage can production and filling factory was signed between Mikayil Jabbarov and Peter Szijjarto.

The implementation of the project will contribute to the strengthening cooperation of between the business circles of our countries, the increase of local production and the provision of employment.
F irst they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. So goes the old saying about political change. Over the past decade, the world of cryptocurrency  digital systems that work like money, stored on a distributed ledger called the blockchain  has gone through phases one to three. Its now fast approaching the fourth: winning.

Having been first uncomprehending, then merely suspicious, then actively hostile, governments in the West are increasingly coming round to the idea that they can coexist with crypto. So much so that in the next couple of years, new legislation and regulation around the world promises to give the world of digital assets a way to sync up with the financial services industry. Right now, the EU, the US and the UK are all drafting separate regulatory systems. Which one comes up with the most useful and accommodating new laws may determine the future home of the crypto world. Which brings us to one of those juncture-type moments that, like the Big Bang of financial deregulation in 1986, could break in Londons favour.

The US, having driven most of this technology forward, should be its natural home. But lately crypto has become something of a political hot potato between Democrats and Republicans, especially in the wake of the FTX scandal and various missellings. The Democrats have taken up a hostile position. And with the Securities and Exchange Commission dragging its feet on regulation, some have spoken of a war on crypto. Meaning that there is a small window of opportunity for somewhere else to jump in, one that Rishi Sunak (MBA, Stanford) would like to crawl through. The Prime Minister is hoping to repeat the trick of Silicon Roundabout, where London achieved early dominance in a fintech revolution lead by the likes of Monzo, Starling and Wise (formerly TransferWise). The PM is hugely enthusiastic: he has the same cargo cult outlook of politicians everywhere when it comes to the dream of tech hubs, plus a more personal interest, from when he worked at Goldman Sachs and various hedge funds. He was recently in personal talks with the Winklevoss twins (who may or may not have given Mark Zuckerberg the idea for Facebook) about bringing their Gemini crypto business to London after they fell out with US regulators.

Sunak even went so far as to issue a personal statement last month, when US venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz announced it would be opening its first over-seas branch in London: It is testament to our world-class universities and talent and our strong competitive business environment.

Andreessen Horowitzs cone-headed co-founder, Marc Andreessen, is one of the most unerringly successful investors on the planet. In 1995, Andreessens Netscape became an early tech giant, cutting him a $56 million (44m) pay cheque. Twelve years later, his next big venture, OpsWare, sold for $1.6 billion. In 2009, he teamed up with Ben Horowitz and managed to turn a $300 million venture capital fund into $2.7 billion via investments in the likes of Twitter, Airbnb, Skype and more recently, the cryptocurrency platform Coinbase.

By Christmas, Andreessen Horowitz, who style themselves as a16z, will have their staff charged with investing in new-wave internet and crypto business. Theyll also be bringing their famed tech accelerator with them. With the inclement US legislative weather, there are apparently 20 or more companies looking to follow in their wake. Others are less bullish. In an editorial for Fortune Crypto, editor Jeff John Roberts in New York took aim at an entire continent.

Europe cant innovate, he wrote. Yes, its impolite to say that, but covering Silicon Valley as a tech reporter for the better part of a decade, I learned first hand that the place has a unique mix of culture, brain power and resources that cant be replicated. Thats especially the case for Europe, where the tech industrys most prominent firm is Rocket Internet  whose claim to fame is ripping off the ideas of Silicon Valley start-ups and customising them for local markets. The regions most prominent tech export, meanwhile, is bureaucracy, notably the Byzantine GDPR privacy regime, whose primary achievement has been to enrich Eurocrats and lawyers.

So what, then, is London? Is its crypto farm just its traditional dominance in financial services biz with some code monkeys bolted on to the side? And in a world now actively looking for a second city for the nation of crypto, what do we have to offer potential investors? Is it ever realistic to imagine we could go toe-to-toe with Silicon Valley? Or will the UK be overtaken by a younger, hungrier Eastern rival: a Dubai or a Singapore?

After all, Sunaks fellow Goldman Sachs alumnus, Emmanuel Macron, is also pushing hard for Paris to win the war. Paris has invested heavily in projects such as Station F, the worlds biggest tech incubator, with 1,000 start-ups across a single campus. In Switzerland, an hour from Zurich, the town of Zug is billing itself as Crypto Valley, hosting 400-odd fledgling companies  making it perhaps the only town of 30,000 with its own Ferrari dealership. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Portugal is still handing out investor visas like confetti. In a business built around decentralisation, 300 days of sunshine a year can come with certain advantages for global nomads.

London, meanwhile, is relying on its strength in depth. The lawyers, financial services, programmers and ancillary industries that have long made the City a time-zone titan. These will be combined, it hopes, with the right kind of fresh legislation: not too tough, but not so loose that the sector loses safety and clarity.

But [Roberts] may have a point, suggests Geo Kendrick, head of crypto research at the London headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank. Thats because you have the scale and access to postgrad students from the universities on the West Coast. I ask him to name a big and innovative UK crypto success story. Hes unsure what would qualify. A lot of the [cryptocurrency] coins and such all come out of America... insofar as funding goes, the access to capital they have is in a different league.

Nathalie Oestmann is the chief operating officer of Outlier, a Web3 accelerator that works on many of the same principle as a16zs more celebrated version. In exchange for a percentage of the business, it funds and mentors start-ups in this still-emerging space. We put about 200 companies through the accelerator programme every year.

Oestmann is an American who has spent the past 20 years in London. She was here when the fintech boom kicked off around 2015 and its from there that she has found her way into the blockchain world. She sees London as already having a head start. The UK was by far leading the way in fintech space  way ahead of the US. And so I think thats where the UK has a chance again, right now, because theres a lot of fintech people that have moved into the Web3 space. Its a natural evolution for us.

Londons not a Silicon Valley world. People are a bit cautious, a bit more grown-up. Theres less of the bitcoin- bro look. Thats good if the industry is going to be taken seriously

Increasingly, there is also a question mark over where top tier coding talent feels it can thrive. For years, San Francisco would have been the default answer. But San Francisco is no longer what it was. Issues that seemed annoying or solvable five years ago are, post-Covid, seeming like a function of what is sometimes called Detroitifcation. These days, San Francisco is both expensive and crime-ridden. Normally, cities are either one or the other  and with vast distances to commute between the various campuses of the big platforms such as Meta and Apple, many are coming to the conclusion that the stunning bay views arent worth the hassle.

London is not immune to these trends. It has in its own way become hellishly expensive  and can feel increasingly prone to disorder. But Oestmann just doesnt think the situation is comparable. San Francisco is pretty empty at the moment, and London is still thriving. I really dont see it in decline. There is a sense in which the personal profile of the London business will inevitably be quite different. Many are veterans of the Canary Wharf world, looking for a second or third act in their careers. London has a lot of the intellectual capital, argues Jamie Crawley, a reporter on the cryptocurrency news site CoinDesk. But its not a Silicon Valley world. People are quite softly spoken, a bit cautious, a bit more grown-up. Theres much less of the bitcoin-bro look. And I think thats a good thing, if the industry is going to be taken seriously by the financial sector.

The UK was by far leading the way in the fintech space  way ahead of the US. And so I think thats where the UK has a chance again

Five years ago the bitcoin bro look might have been true, agrees Kendrick, at Standard Chartered. The profile now has softened. Kaitlin Argeaux is the co-founder of Crypto Mondays London, a Meetup group designed to educate and elevate the London community. She started it in 2018, back when it was just me and three guys at that first meeting. Its a really different profile now. We have about forty per cent women. And we had about a hundred people this Monday. Shed rank her usual crowd as ten per cent experts, sixty per cent intermediates, and thirty per cent beginners.

Im really bullish, she says. I think this is just the start, in so many ways. One thing were trying very consciously to do with Web3 is not to repeat the mistakes of Web2. This isnt meant to be a competitive environment, we want to make it more inclusive.

In recent weeks, all the talk has been of the end of Crypto Winter: the nine-month market slump that began around the time of the FTX collapse late last year. No longer down around the $17,000 mark, bitcoin has finally surged above $30,000; Crypto Spring is finally with us. It has made the likes of Argeaux optimistic about a real take-off moment for the British scene. The experts will tell you to blot out the noise of the short-term  the price zags, the strategic pivots  and focus on the bigger picture: growth itself. Blockchain is beginning to agglomerate. For a long time merely an interesting placeholder, it is gradually becoming a real industry, where products have a purpose. There will be individual winners and losers, sure. Picking them will be hard. But the broader trend line will inevitably be upwards.

It is a point that Kendrick comes back to. If you think about this in comparison to the tech world in the late Nineties, I would say Amazon has listed, which was in 97. Were not in 1993. Were not in 2007, but some of the genuine long-term winners have arrived. So to use the Amazon example, we might still have a pets.com hanging around waiting to blow up. Its at that midpoint. But I think when we get regulation, that becomes the main driver.

As he points out, once a fraction of your pension fund is into crypto, crypto is no longer the province of the black T-shirt brigade up in Shoreditch. Now its in a suit, standing up on the 8.15 to Cannon Street. The vape pens are extinguished. The fedoras are binned. Its going legit  laugh no more.
The moment Paul Nuki knew something was wrong was when his teenage son walked over to the window and said, Dad, theres water gushing down the road.

I thought, yeah right, but within an hour, the whole house had filled up and the sofa was floating across the living room, says the 59-year-old, who lives in Stoke Newington. Id heard about flooding in London before but when you start looking into it, you realise that Thames Water has been doing this all over the place.

Indeed, it wont have come as a surprise to many Londoners when the company  which supplies 15 million people in the capital and South-East  entered crisis talks with the Government amid reports of a 14 billion black hole in the firms finances and after its chief executive Sarah Bentley resigned. Today, in bid to stave off nationalisaiton, Thames Water have secured a further 750m from shareholders (this follows a 500m which investors stumped-up in March).

For years, there have been signs that all is not well. Type Thames Water into social media and dozens of tales of woe emerge, from Belsize Park residents who were without water for weeks to south Londoners with brown liquid coming out of their taps. In Hampstead last summer, water was gushing from broken pipes for three days at the same time that the company was threatening residents with 1,000 fines for using hosepipes (they did later apologise). Then theres the environmental impact: Thames Water was recently fined 3.3 million for releasing undiluted sewage into two rivers, killing 1,400 fish. The judge said the firm had made a deliberate attempt to mislead the Environment Agency about the scale of the problem.

Getty Images

It wasnt supposed to be this way. When Thames Water was privatised in 1989, it was with the promise of money for investment in infrastructure. What actually happened was neglect. Experts point the finger at Australian bank Macquarie, which owned it between 2006 and 2017 and have been called vultures who piled on debt, sucked out profits and paid virtually no tax. Its model was to borrow against its assets to increase dividend payments to its shareholders  at least 1.6 billion between 2006 and 2016  while Thames Waters debt rose from 3.4 billion to 10.8 billion. Macquarie says it invested more than 11 billion in the network which it says exceed annual investment levels both before and after our ownnership.

Environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey argues that they got rich, we didnt. The former pop star turned eco crusader puts the chaos down to a catastrophic failure of regulation by Ofwat, which he says has failed to demand rigour from water companies and imposes fines so insignificant that Thames Water sees them as a cost against business not a deterrent.

On Wednesday, Ofwat boss David Black defended its role in the crisis, saying that using debt financing to fund infrastructure investment wasnt a problem, but that Thames Water had gone too far. Their performance needs dramatic improvement and we do think they need to sort out their finances. It is their responsibility to do that. Thats what well be holding them account to do. We are here to protect customers and we will continue to do that, he said.

They are utterly dependent on bill payers picking up the tab for the foreseeable, snorts Sharkey. And they clearly havent spent our money on the infrastructure.

Thames Water arent replacing failing pipes, its just patch and repair; thats why its all failing at once

Ah, the infrastructure. Theo Thomas, CEO of environmental organisation London Waterkeeper, tells me that its crumbling: 630 million litres of water a day is lost through leaks, while the sewage system is unable to cope with modern quantities of wastewater from our sinks, loos, washing machines, roads and restaurants which no longer drains away, thanks to our heavily paved city. It means that Londons 100-plus storm overflows  safety valves that stop raw sewage sloshing into our homes during heavy rain  regularly dump foul water into the Thames.

In new plans submitted to Ofwat to tackle sewage pollution, Thames Water proposed a 20 per cent rise in customer bills to help pay for the clean up. Little wonder that a YouGov poll found that 69 per cent of Britons are in favour of renationalising the industry.

Its something a group of Labour backbenchers has called on leader Keir Starmer to reinstate as a policy, arguing that it would end the monopoly and remove the profit motive.

The Liberal Democrats have a plan to turn water firms into public benefits companies that would remain private but be forced to put the good of the planet on a level-footing with profit.

Musician and rivers campaigner Feargal Sharkey said he laughed when he read the Governments press release for its new water plan (Peter Byrne/PA) / PA Archive

Meanwhile, the Government is drawing up contingency plans for Thames Waters collapse and working overtime to convince us that everything is fine. Customers should rest assured that their water supplies will be protected and that the industry is financially resilient, said environment minister Rececca Pow at PMQs this week. Theres a lot of MPs coming out of the woodwork, who havent said anything on this before, observes aquatic ecologist and campaigner Vaughan Lewis. If MPs are genuinely concerned and not just posturing, then great. At the next election there will likely be a change of government and theyre going to have a big challenge. I think the only way they can go forward is with cross-party support.

Sharkey, however, believes that nationalisation is not the immediate next step. The secretary of state could resolve an awful lot of this today, with nothing more than the stroke of the pen, he says. The Government could issue an enforcement order and tell water companies: this is how much you will pay your investors, this is how much you will spend. If you fail to comply, then it has the power to fine them 10 per cent of their annual turnover. I think the ownership argument is a red herring right now. We need to concentrate on finding the 20 billion that the National Infrastructure commission estimated is needed to keep Londons taps running.

Replacing the capitals archaic water system would be a gargantuan effort and one that would cause untold disruption to Londoners lives. The first significant step towards such modernisation is the 25km-long Thames Tideway super sewer  designed to cut sewage spills in the river by 95 per cent and due to open next year after a decade of construction. Its overall cost has spiralled to 4.5 billion, a billion more than the original budget, paid for by Thames Water customers.

David Black, chief executive of Ofwat (House of Commons/PA) / PA Media

Its being trailed as the successor to Joseph Bazalgettes original Victorian sewer system which were often told desperately needs updating. Lewis, however, alleges that this is just an excuse for Thames Water to hide behind. Theyre using it as a cheap cover. We dont blame the Romans for potholes in the road and neither should we blame the Victorians for the pipes that are failing, he says.

The water industry, in three years time, will look very different from the way it did last week. They are finished

In fact, a lot of the water pipes that are failing now are from the Forties and Fifties and not that old. But Thames Water are not replacing them, they just patch and repair. Thats why all this infrastructure is failing at once. I guess they have got a big task  but we pay them big money.

Theo Thomas says that if Londoners are to be spared decades of pain, we need to come up with a comprehensive approach to these problems now. Currently there is a failure of co-ordination across the city. Cities in other countries, such as Copenhagen, have been working effectively on this for many years. Why cant London? Nor, it seems, can Londoners take it for granted that the water will keep flowing from our taps. London is now number nine on the list of global cities most likely to run out of water, says Sharkey. Its not too dramatic to say that the capital is only ever 24 hours from having the water turned off. Last month, there were tens of thousands of homes without water in Kent and Sussex because of shortages with South East Water. According to Ofwat, other companies are in a similar situation to the one facing Thames Water.

The entire water industry is on the brink of insolvency and on the brink of physical collapse, adds Lewis. Its reached a point where nothing the water companies do would shock anybody. Paul Nuki, his wife Helen and their four children know that all too well. They were forced to move out of their home in 2019, and couldnt return for a year due to water damage. And they were lucky enough to have good home insurance  some elderly neighbours and renters on their street lost everything.

Thames Water is facing financial difficulties (Martin Keene/PA) / PA Archive

It had a massive impact. Most people had to leave for a year, some longer and were housed as far away as Croydon, says Nuki. Several businesses never recovered and had to close. They got a couple of grand from Thames Water, worked out as an amount per person living in the house and they were careful not to call it compensation, he adds.

When asked for a comment on its commitment to Londoners, the company directed the Evening Standard to a recent statement that says: Thames Water remains focused on delivering for its customers, the environment and stakeholders.

Sharkey urges people to write to their MPs ahead of the general election and make their voices heard, but cautions against withholding bill payments, calling it a distraction that could lead to individuals being prosecuted.

The only thing that we can, with complete certainty, say is that Londoners are absolutely incensed over this, he says. But what I can guarantee you is that the water industry, in three years time, will look very different from the way it did last week. Theyre finished.
At Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, the not-so-easily impressed attendees of Balenciagas 2023 show were, well, quite impressed. As the show came to a close and guests were treated to the final few avant garde looks from the collection, there was a surprise: a bride. Not just any bride, but a Balenciaga bride.

Clad head to toe in heavy, 3D-printed polished armour, Balenciagas final model emerged battle-ready, traversing the runway (with some difficulty) as she carried a sheer mass of silverware, forming a full suit of armour with a rounded ball gown skirt. Comfortable? Hell no. On trend? Hell yes.

Balenciagas armoured bride, from their Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/24 show / Balenciaga via Instagram

Suits of armour have been causing quite a stir as of late - just last month a photoshoot with Jennifer Coolidge for GQ, where the actress was resplendent in a high shine set of armour, went viral. And the month before that, Met Gala obsessives were lovingly reposting Zendayas Joan of Arc-inspired Versace look from 2018 as they debated the best outfits of all time to have graced the museums steps.

So why is something so costume-like and impractical proving so successful in high fashion? It allows the wearer to be transported into a fantasy, says designer and fashion commentator Daylan Mollentze, like a form of escapism.

Zendaya at the 2018 Met Gala / Getty Images

And its not just suits of armour taking the fashion world by storm - metalwork in general is going down a treat on red carpets worldwide. The breastplate, a moulded metallic bust attached to a gown, is particularly popular, with Sydney Sweeney, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Julia Fox all having repped the trend. Lil Nas X is a recent addition to the list, having performed at Glastonbury in a compartmental gold chest harness, strapped to his ab muscles like a bespoke bulletproof vest.

Lil Nas X at Glastonbury 2023 / Leon Neal/Getty Images

Its strengthening and empowering, Mollentze says, when Tom Ford made a breastplate for Zendaya back in 2020, her stylist Law Roach called her a warrior woman. And not all chest plates need to be idealistic - some show accurate representations of what womens bodies actually look like, with mismatching breasts, tummies and cellulite. One of these realistic moulds was recently worn by actress Lupita Nyongo, who donned a bespoke silver breastplate, nipples and all, for the 2023 Tony Awards earlier this month.

Lupita Nyongo at the 2023 Tony Awards / Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro

While Nyongos breastplate was custom made for her body by Pakistani artist Misha Japanwala, Mollentze says a lot of whats driving the metalwork trend is our growing fondness for archival pieces. Unearthing and showcasing archival pieces has become the norm for a lot of celebrities in a time where finding brand new original pieces is hard to find that no one else has, he says.

Which would explain why another form of armourcore, chainmail, has been making a reappearance. Popularised by Paco Rabanne in the 60s and Gianni Versace in the 90s, the chainmail dresses of the pre-y2k era may have had a resurgence in the past few years (you can thank Dua Lipa for that) but the latest pivot is towards small peek-a-boo mesh elements , like the chainmail bra straps seen in Fendis Spring/Summer 2023 couture collection.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a chainmail-esque peek-a-boo dress by Fendi, at Cannes Film Festival 2023 / Getty Images

So whether its a breastplate, chain mail bralette or full on Elizabethan set of armour, its time to suit up because armourcore is well and truly here to stay.
B ritish victims of an airline crash in Ethiopia where all 157 passengers and crew on board died were unlawfully killed, a coroner has concluded.

The finding comes four years after Ethiopian Airlines ET302 crashed en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on March 10 2019, killing humanitarian workers Samuel Pegram, 25, Oliver Vick, 45, and sustainability campaigner Joanna Toole, 36, among others.

The family of a fourth UK national killed in the crash, Abdulqadir Qasim, 46, were present at the inquest in Horsham, West Sussex, as an interested party, but the father-of-four was not formally recorded as part of the hearing as he was not repatriated back to the UK.

Boeing was fined in 2021 after it was found employees' actions had misled regulators" data-source="">

The inquest heard, in a final report from December 2022, that the Ethiopian Airplane Accident Investigation Bureau had found that a flying control system on the Boeing 737 Max aircraft had malfunctioned, causing the aircraft to begin repetitive and uncommandable nose diving which the pilots could not physically control.

The inquest also heard that safety critical information on the control system and awareness of the mechanism was deliberately not disclosed by two Boeing company pilots to the American authorities, which led to a lower level of training being needed to operate the planes.

Boeing was fined 2.3 billion US dollars (1.8 billion) in 2021 after it was found that the actions of its employees had misled regulators about the control system.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield also found that a contributing factor in the victims deaths was that Boeing had failed to provide procedures to operate the system in a flight crew manual, and that information requested by Ethiopian Airlines training department was incomplete.

We should not forget the 157 people who cruelly lost their lives. This huge loss will be borne by their families and friends all around the world

Ms Schofield added that if the information had been provided, it would have significantly altered the outcome.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash followed just months after another Boeing 737 Max plane, operated by Lion Air Max, crashed in Indonesia killing all 189 people on board.

Ms Schofield paid tribute to the impressive lives of the British victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash and to all the 157 passengers and crew killed, many of whom she noted were environmentalists and humanitarians.

She added: The true impact of this loss on humanity may never be known.

In statements from the families heard at the inquest, Mark Pegram, Mr Pegrams father, said how the Leeds University alumni had made the world a better place and had an infectious sense of humour.

Sam fought for justice for others, so I'm here today to get justice for Sam

The 25-year-old had started a job at a refugee agency based in Geneva and had worked previously in Jordan for humanitarian organisations.

Mark Pegram said: Sam fought for justice for others, so Im here today to get justice for Sam.

United Nations worker Ms Toole was described as hugely passionate and tenacious, and had co-founded an organisation to save ocean wildlife from abandoned fishing gear.

Her family and partner Paul Kiernan spoke of her love of animals and how she had dedicated her life to protecting them.

Mr Vick, who was working for the UN in Somalia, was also remembered as a loving father of two daughters, who had a love of people and a love of life.

For Mr Qasim, who was a bus driver for 16 years, family was everything, and the inquest heard he was en route to Kenya to talk about a new job opportunity to join his cousins company, hoping to build a better future for his loved ones.

The process has taken over four years, it's been a long and difficult journey. I hope through this process, you (the families) felt you had a voice

Ms Schofield said: We should not forget the 157 people who cruelly lost their lives. This huge loss will be borne by their families and friends all around the world.

The process has taken over four years, its been a long and difficult journey. I hope through this process, you (the families) felt you had a voice.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Tooles father Adrian Toole said: Its been a long time coming, this four years did seem unnecessary but finally we are all here and we got the verdict we were hoping for.

But on the loss of his daughter, he added: It will always be a permanent loss to us.

Since Ms Tooles death, her family and friends have set up a charity in her name, the Joanna Toole Foundation, to continue her legacy. So far, the organisation has handed out more than 130,000 in grants to animal welfare causes.

I think Jo would be very pleased that we jumped to that, said Mr Toole, who is chair of trustees for the charity.
B oris Johnsons notebooks, WhatsApp messages and diaries have been handed over to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry after the Government lost its bid to prevent their release.

The Cabinet Office had been given until 4pm to comply with a High Court ruling to hand over the unredacted documents.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: All requisite material has been handed over.

The Government had fought the request from inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett to release the documents, arguing it should not have to hand over material that is unambiguously irrelevant.

But the Cabinet Offices argument was dismissed by Lord Justice Dingemans and Mr Justice Garnham last week, who said the fact an order for material would produce some irrelevant documents did not invalidate it or mean it cannot be lawfully exercised.

They said Lady Hallett should be able to examine the documents and if she agrees they are obviously irrelevant to her inquiry, she will return them.

One complication has been the WhatsApp messages on the former prime ministers old phone.

He was advised to stop using it on security grounds in May 2021 after it emerged his number had been freely available online for 15 years.
A man has been killed in a hit-and-run in a south London nightlife hotspot.

The 27-year-old died at the scene in Clapham High Street after being struck about 2.40am on Sunday.

Police have cordoned off the area and erected a forensics tent outside a local supermarket.

The surrounding Voltaire Road and A3 were closed as police completed their accident investigation work.

A Met spokeswoman said: Police were called following reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a car on Clapham High Street, SW9.

Officers attended alongside the London Fire Brigade and medics from the London Ambulance Service.

Despite the effort of emergency services a 27-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries are ongoing to contact his next of kin.

The driver did not stop at the scene.

A number of road closures are in place as officers continue to investigate.

If you have any information about this incident call police on 101 and quote reference CAD 1040/09JUL.
A n aspiring actor broke down in tears while describing the moment he woke up at Kevin Spaceys London apartment to find the Hollywood star performing a sex act on him, a court heard.

Spacey, 63, is accused of sexually assaulting the man after inviting him to his home, before allegedly forcing him into sexual activity after he conked out on the sofa.

In his police interview, the man said he realised Spacey was making a sexual advance but did not want to leave for fear of damaging his fledgling acting career.

I felt quite vulnerable, he said, saying he was starstruck and aware of Spaceys power within the theatre world.

You dont want to annoy someone that powerful, that high up in the business you are trying to break into, he said. The social sway he had was massive.

If he said someone wasnt going to work, I imagine they wouldnt work.

I couldnt go f*** you mate, that was a weird hug and walk out.

Turning to the alleged incident, the man broke down crying and said: I felt so devastated.

The man said he wrote to Spacey as a young actor to ask for career tips, and unexpectedly got a call from the star inviting him to meet outside Waterloo Station.

He said he, Spacey, and the movie stars dog took a late-night walk around London before arriving at Spaceys home.

We were outside his flat, he said this is my place, do you want to come up?, said the man.

I said yes, of course, because its Kevin Spacey.

He said they shared left-over pizza, beer, and a cannabis joint in the apartment, before Spacey allegedly opened up his arms and leaned in for a hug, saying: Come here.

I didnt, said the man. I didnt know him well enough to be hugging on a sofa.

However he said Spacey put his head down to nuzzle him, telling police: He was rubbing his face into my crotch. I thought this is incredibly weird.

He added: In hindsight, it was just quite tactical. He had one thing he wanted to do. Come back, give me a few beers, a bit of weed, nuzzle your head into my crotch and he thought I would put out.

He recalled seeing the back of Spaceys bald patch, and thinking: This is so weird, Im never going to forget this. This is one of the strangest moments of my life.

The man said he tried to change the dynamic with conversations about Spaceys Superman film and actors he may know, but he eventually fell asleep on the sofa.

Four or five hours later I woke up. Light was just breaking through, he told officers.

I remember my belt was still together, but my buttons or zip were down.

He was performing oral sex on me.

He continued: I woke to it happening, to which I said no.

He stayed so I pushed his shoulder again. He stopped and he asked me to leave straight away.

He claimed Spacey told him not to say anything about the encounter, and he remembers breaking down crying at a bus stop nearby.

The next day I felt so awful and I know I didnt go to work, he added. I remember sitting at home all day, feeling very depressed about it all.

The man said he had got in touch with Spacey by letter, hoping for help with his acting career, calling the actor inspiring.

He said he got an unexpected invitation from Spacey to meet for a drink, and called his manner clinical and quite transactional.

There was no fluff around it, he said. He didnt mention anything in the letter at all in any way.

It made me feel weirdly special - someone going Im going to carve out time for you this evening, I could fit you in straight away. I thought I would be getting a calendar out and booking something in four weeks. That would feel a more professional aspect.

I wasnt thinking this was sexual, anything more than a professional relationship. But I was so starstruck by it all. I didnt question the intention of meeting at 11pm. I was just excited about meeting Kevin Spacey and going for a drink.

The man said when he told friends about planning to meet Spacey, one said to him: He does like young straight guys.

He said he laughed it off at the time, adding: I didnt know at that point he was a predator.

In cross-examination from Spaceys barrister Patrick Gibbs KC, the man conceded he had joked about Spacey after the alleged sexual assault.

In one, he wrote about rejections in his acting career and joked about having sex with Spacey to boost his chances.

The way in which one deals with a trauma can vary greatly, and I wouldnt be the only person in the room using humour as a defence mechanism, he said.

The way I decided to deal with it was to make mockery, a sham, a joke of it, to make it more palatable for me, as opposed to a trauma I have to live through every day.

The man was also questioned about his contact with Spacey after the alleged incident, as Mr Gibbs showed him phone data suggesting Spacey had sent him a series of texts in the following months.

I have not seen those messages or read those messages, he said.

Spacey faces 12 charges of sexual misconduct between 2001 and 2013 against four young men. He denies all the allegations.

He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of indecent assault, seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one allegation of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Spacey says the allegations against him are the result of half-truths, exaggerations, and damned lies.

The trial, at Southwark Crown Court, continues.
A huge search of a Portuguese reservoir launched 16 years after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has ended without fresh evidence coming to light, according to a report.

Search teams spent three days in late May scouring the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugals Algarve, about 30 miles from where the three-year-old went missing during a family holiday at the resort of Praia da Luz in 2007.

The operation was carried out at the request of German investigators who believed their prime suspect, Christian Brueckner, referred to the remote Algarve spot as his little paradise.

Madeline McCann went missing in Portugal in 2007 / PA Media

But German police have reportedly now revealed there is no compelling evidence Madeleine is at the site, according to a report by The Sun.

German public prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters reportedly told news outlet Bild: Please dont expect too much.

Police flattened a specific area of woodland and dug a number of holes near the remote reservoir as part of the hunt for evidence in May.

Police were given the go-ahead to search the area after German prosecutors received certain tips about the case.

The fresh search was allegedly linked to photographs of the beauty spot found at the hideout of Brueckner.

Christian Brueckner / AFP PHOTO/ ITALIAN CARABINIERI

After the operation concluded, Portuguese police said materials collected from the site had been sent to Germany for testing.

Heavy machinery, sniffer dogs and pickaxes were used during the operation.

Detectives are understood to have removed soil samples from the site, which they reportedly planned to cross-examine with samples from a campervan belonging to 46-year-old Brueckner.

Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia previously claimed that criminal contacts had told him that Madeleines body was in the reservoir, and in 2008 he raised funds for unsuccessful private searches of the water.

Search teams scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algarve, Portugal, in late May / PA Wire

The new searches came as the Home Office granted an extra 110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over 300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under 13.1 million since 2011.
R ape victims should not have to face police trawls of their social media accounts or checks on how drunk they were, police were told today - as the Government admitted it was not job done despite more suspected rapists being prosecuted.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said more rapists were also being jailed and serving longer sentences than in 2010, as he hailed an increase in the number of people being punished, convicted and disgraced for the appalling crimes they had carried out.

He said further changes, including the training of an extra 2,000 police rape investigators by the end of the next year, and specialist training on sex offences for all new recruits were intended to achieve further progress in bringing more offenders to justice.

But he admitted that with figures still showing only a tiny proportion of the thousands of rape complaints made to police each year result in a charge, further changes were needed including new legislation designed to stop police leaving victims feeling like they are on trial when they report an attack.

Mr Chalk said the focus should instead be on the alleged perpetrators and that a police blueprint designed to achieve this, called Operation Soteria, would be rolled out nationally to ensure that officers targeted suspects instead of the women they had attacked.

Supposing theres an allegation made of rape and the initial contact was in a night club and the police go and look at the CCTV. Should they be poring over the CCTV to say how drunk was she, how was she behaving, or should they be poring over her social media to look at her lifestyle to see how she behaves? Absolutely not, Mr Chalk told the BBC.

The focus must be on the suspect  look at his previous convictions, look at the evidence in his phone, what it is from witnesses at the night club, witnesses subsequently, forensic evidence, DNA, any other samples. The difficulty has been in the past that too many victims have felt that they are on trial.

He added: The concern has been in the past that all too often that as a matter of automatic investigation, the police were trawling through peoples phones, social services records or even school records and so on. That should not happen.

Those sort of investigations should not be routine, they should only be when absolutely necessary and proportionate to ensure there is a fair trial.

Mr Chalk said progress since the government published an End to End Rape Review two years ago included hitting a target to return the number of police files sent to prosecutors and the volume of cases sent to court to 2016 levels.

He said statistics also showed charges up 90 percent over the past two years and offenders receiving longer sentences than in 2010 and that although I am not suggesting for a second that its job done .. progress is on the upward trajectory.

But Londons Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman said that although the new focus on suspects would end the injustice of rape victims feeling on trial, more far-reaching reforms were needed to drive up convictions.

She said these included action to address the rape myths and stereotypes we see used and accepted in court rooms and warned that government proposals to stop inappropriate requests for personal records such as school, medical or counselling notes which are being used to discredit victims were weak and insufficient.

Ms Waxman said the court backlog was also still too high with rape victims, particularly in London, still subject to some of the longest waits in our criminal justice process.

She added: We need dedicated resource for justice agencies and support services to fully transform the experience of rape survivors in coming forward to obtain support and justice.

Labours shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said changes, including the introduction of specialist rape courts and the creation of specialist rape investigation units in every police force, were needed to speed up justice and punish rapists.
T he domino effect of ongoing strikes in the NHS could break the relationship between staff and senior managers, health leaders have warned.

NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said that managers feel deep concern over the long-term impact of the pay row that has involved junior doctors, nurses and paramedics in the past 8 months.

Junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will stage a five-day walkout from 7am on Thursday, the longest in NHS history. They will be followed by consultants, who will strike on July 20 and 21, with services limited to Christmas Day cover.

Then radiographers will strike at 43 NHS trusts between 8am on July 25 and 8am on July 27.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the strikes were fraying the fabric of the NHS.

The disruption for many thousands of patients and the potential harm of delaying their treatment is a huge and growing risk for the NHS to manage. Trusts will hardly have time to draw breath after a five-day walkout by junior doctors before consultants strike for two days, followed by a two-day strike by radiographers.

The domino effect of repeated waves of industrial action is eroding the fundamental relationship between trust leaders and their staff.

Pressure is growing on Health Secretary Steve Barclay to open talks with the BMA after the Scottish Government agreed a deal with the union for a 12.4 per cent pay rise for this year. Strikes have been suspended while members vote on the proposed agreement.

Ministers in England have refused to enter talks with the BMA while strikes are scheduled, though conciliation service Acas has said that it is ready and prepared to help break the deadlock.

Ms Cordery added: Trust leaders understand the strength of feeling among striking staff, who they value and work with for patients every day, and why they are taking action.

Trusts will continue to do everything they can to limit disruption and keep patients safe but that's getting harder and more expensive with every strike as the cost of hiring cover grows, and with staff dissatisfaction increasing as disputes remain unresolved.

Eight consecutive months of industrial action across the NHS are taking their toll not just on patients, with more than 651,000 routine procedures and appointments forced to be rescheduled, but on already overstretched services  hampering efforts to cut waiting lists.

Ms Cordery called for eleventh hour talks to avert the coming strike action.

We urge the government and the unions to find a way forward and prevent thousands more patients paying the price of these disputes.

Junior doctors have staged three rounds of industrial action in a bitter pay dispute, including a 96-hour strike last month. The union is seeking a 35 per cent pay rise to reverse what they calculate to be a 26 per cent cut in pay since 2008.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The investment cost of the Azerbaijan-Hungary plant for the production of aluminum beverage cans amounts to $211 million, Trend reports.

A plant is expected to be constructed in the Alat Free Economic Zone, in collaboration with Hungary, using advanced technologies. The annual production capacity of the plant will be 700 million units of aluminum beverage cans.

At the initial stage, the annual capacity will reach 415 million aluminum beverage cans. The project aims to create over 300 jobs.

On July 10, an agreement was signed between Azerbaijan Investment Holding CJSC and the Hungarian Hell Energy company.
B osses of the Jurassic Encounter who brought dinosaurs back to life in a north London park are facing a criminal prosecution after one of the mechanical beasts fell over and injured a child, a court heard.

Fifty life-sized animatronic models  including velociraptors, triceratops, and an 18-metre tall T-rex  were set up in Grovelands Park, Southgate, in the summer of 2021.

The exhibition was trumpeted as the start of a nationwide tour, promising unmissable family fun that allowed visitors to walk among breathing, screeching, and roaring dinosaurs.

But the firm behind the exhibition and three of the organisers are accused of putting visitors in peril with a series of alleged safety failings. Highbury Corner magistrates court heard health and safety inspectors are said to have discovered untethered dinosaurs in the park, sub-standard fencing, and a lack of security guards to keep children safe.

Enfield council took steps to shut the event down after the child was injured in August 2021, the court heard.

The company behind the show, Event 2020S Ltd, director David Fung Lee, 54, health and safety manager Julian Duncan, 69, and worker Dylan Zheng, 39, have been charged following a council investigation.

Catriona McFarlane, prosecuting, said: There were large models of dinosaurs designed to attract children. One of the exhibits fell over and the child was injured.

Inspectors are said to have found problems with how the dinosaurs were displayed, they werent completely tethered, some didnt have sufficient fencing on the perimeter limits, and there werent sufficient officers from the company to stop children getting access to the exhibits in a way that could result in danger.

The prosecutor added: Fortunately the child has no long-term injuries. But this is a very serious incident and could have so easily gone the other way.

It is alleged the exhibition was shut down for a day but then reopened, in breach of a council order.

The exhibition was scheduled to run from July 24 to August 10, 2021, with family tickets on sale for 50.

None of the defendants turned up for a court hearing in June, and the case was adjourned to be heard by a district judge on July 13.

Duncan, from Stockton-on-Tees, the company, which is listed to an address in Aldgate, and Lee, of Orpington, are accused of failing to discharge a general health and safety duty. It is said they failed to ensure members of the public were not exposed to risks. They are also accused of two counts of contravening a health and safety at work prohibition notice.

Duncan, Lee, and Zheng, of Birmingham, are also charged with contravening a requirement imposed by an inspector under the Health and Safety Act. It is said they failed to provide information to investigators between December 2022 and April this year.

No pleas have yet been entered.
U S President Joe Biden was welcomed to Windsor with pomp and pageantry as his flying visit to the UK drew to a close.

The King warmly greeted the American leader in Windsor Castles quadrangle shaking hands with Mr Biden as a guard of honour stood nearby.

As the two men shook hands, Mr Biden touched the Kings right arm with his free hand and Charles returned the gesture.

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The King and the president last met on the eve of the Queens funeral last September when a reception was held for dignitaries ahead of the national event.

The visit to Windsor was part of a busy day for the president, who is making a layover in London on the way to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Earlier Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Mr Biden at Downing Street.

In front of the two men was a Guard of Honour formed of The Prince of Waless Company from the Welsh Guards.

King Charles meets Joe Biden at Windsor | 10th July 2023 1 / 9 King Charles meets Joe Biden at Windsor | 10th July 2023 POOL/AFP via Getty Images PA PA Wire PA REUTERS Chris Jackson/Getty Images REUTERS

The Guardsmen gave a royal salute and the American national anthem was played by the Band of the Welsh Guards when the visiting head of state arrived.

Mr Biden, accompanied by the King, walked onto the grassed area of the quadrangle to inspect the Guardsmen who stood in two rows.
R ishi Sunak in talks on Monday with Joe Biden discouraged America from sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, Downing Street said on Monday.

The Prime Minister upheld Britains commitment under the Convention on Cluster Munitions international treaty to argue against their use.

When it comes to cluster munitions, the first thing to say is the difficult choice for the US that has been forced on them by Russias war of aggression, said the Prime Ministers official spokesman.

As the Prime Minister said over the weekend, the UK is a state party to the Covention on Cluster Munitions so they discussed the commitments the UK has under that convention, both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use.

We stand by our obligations under the convention which includes discouraging their use.

Obviously, its for each country to make a decision and the US is in different position to the UK with regard to this and I think president Biden himself has said that this was a difficult decision.

Mr Biden has stressed that providing the bombs - which open mid-air and release smaller bomblets across a broad swath of land - was a difficult decision but he noted that the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and that the weapons were necessary for them to continue to fight Russian forces.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, the US president said in a CNN interview broadcast as he flew to London.

But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians ... from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont. And I think they needed them.

Pressed whether Mr Sunak had discharged his duty to discourage the use of cluster munitions, the PMs official spokesman said: Yes, they discussed the requirements the Prime Minister is under because of this convention and the UK is upholding that.

Last summer the UK Government said: Cluster bombs continue to kill and maim civilians in conflicts around the world, including Syria, Libya and Ukraine, often leaving their victims with life-changing injuries. Unexploded munitions continue to threaten the lives of civilians for years afterwards, hampering post-conflict reconstruction and development.

At the time, the UK held the Presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international agreement ratified by more than 120 countries to end the use of these devastating weapons.

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US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sought to downplay the disagreement over cluster munitions, saying, I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what were trying to accomplish and as united as ever - both in this conflict and writ large.
B onfires will be lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland later to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season.

Some of the pyres, mainly constructed by stacking wooden pallets, have already been torched in recent nights  but the vast majority will be ignited late on Tuesday night.

The Eleventh Night fires are traditionally lit on the eve of the Twelfth of July  a day when members of Protestant loyal orders parade to commemorate the Battle of Boyne in 1690.

The battle, which unfolded at the Boyne river north of Dublin, saw Protestant King William of Orange defeat Catholic King James II to secure a Protestant line of succession to the British Crown.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson said that community efforts in Craigyhill, Larne, to break a world record with its towering bonfire was an example of what is best in Northern Ireland.

This is truly a community venture, and one which has involved people from right across the community and it is a demonstration of how positive engagement in our history and culture can bring people together, he said.

Most of the estimated 250 bonfires pass off every year without incident, but a number continue to be the source of controversy.

On Saturday night, a bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone was lit with an Irish tricolour and a poster of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on the top of it.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he believed the overwhelming majority of unionists in Northern Ireland opposed the placing of the Irish flag and picture of Mr Varadkar on the fire.

The towering pyre in Moygashel, themed as an anti-Northern Ireland Protocol bonfire, also had a boat placed on top of it.
T he rape reform programme Operation Soteria is being extended to all 43 police areas in England and Wales from Monday, July 10.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said she wants police to focus on the suspect, not on undermining the victim.

But according to BBC News, women with rape complaints have said the police and court systems are still weighted in favour of the accused.

Heres everything you need to know.

What is the Rape reform programme?

The programme was launched by the Metropolitan Police in September 2021, and is in partnership with the police, prosecutors and academics.

It aims to transform the response to rape and sexual offences, by using evidence and new insight. However, in the first five areas, less than one in 12 complaints led to charges.

In March, a review was conducted by Baroness Casey which found evidence of a strategic and operational failure to tackle rape and sexual offences within the Met which compounds the harm for victims.

Her report found that the failures included a fridge containing forensic samples being switched off by accident, compromising a rape investigation.

Why is the programme needed?

The latest available official figures show between April and December 2022, there approximately 50,000 rape offences recorded by police in England and Wales.

Of these, about 900 (less than 2%) had yet resulted in a charge or court summons.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: As a society, too often we have failed the victims of sexual violence. I have been clear that we must transform the way these investigations are handled, to make sure that all victims have the best support possible throughout the entire process. This is a vital step in delivering on that promise.

It will help ensure investigations focus on the suspect, and never on seeking to undermine the account of the victim, as well as placing the utmost importance on their rights and needs.

Labour said that after 13 years, the Conservatives had broken the criminal justice system, leaving survivors traumatised and rapists to go unpunished.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said the next Labour government would introduce rape courts and specialist rape investigation units in every police force, to speed up justice and punish rapists.

What were the findings of Operation Soteria?

The Home Office said there were early signs of improvement in the police forces and CPS areas participating in the programme.

Data suggests more victims are reporting rape and sexual offences to the police.

The government said charge rates were considerably better in five police areas where trials of Operation Soteria first began in 2021 and 2022, more than doubling in all but one by the end of 2022.

But Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: While we have seen some progress, the government have been too quick to claim that theyve tangibly changed the justice system for rape survivors. Were barely off the starting blocks, but we now have a roadmap which is going to need a lot of support to realise its ambitions.

It still remains the case that the vast majority of rape survivors dont report to the police, and the majority who do will leave the system altogether due to the barriers to justice they find themselves up against.

It called Operation Soteria a promising outcome, but said more independent academic oversight is needed, as well as funding to change police culture.

As part of the rape reform programme, an independent report into four police forces found investigators display great variability in their attitudes towards sexual offending. It also found some officers displayed a culture of disbelieving victims.

But it said green shoots of change were evident. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police said it was committed to transforming its response to rape.
A man armed with a knife has killed six people in a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in southeastern China.

A 25-year-old man has reportedly been detained by police following the incident at a nursery in Guangdong province on Monday, which left another person injured, police said.

Some media reported that both adults and children were among the victims.

The attack took place around 7.40am local time on Monday (12.40am in the UK).

A news outlet, Dafeng News, cited an unidentified witness as saying the attackers child had been struck earlier by a car belonging to one of the people who was killed at the school.

It said one of the people killed was a teacher at the kindergarten.

Employees who answered at the Lianjiang police headquarters declined to give more details.

While violent crime is rare in China due to strict gun laws and tight policing, there have been several incidents of stabbings at nursery schools in the past few years.

In August last year, three people were killed and six wounded in a stabbing at a kindergarten in Jiangxi province.

In 2021, a man killed two children and wounded 16 at a kindergarten in the southwestern region of Guangxi.

The latest news sparked emotive debate on social media platform Weibo.

By 1.50pm local time, it was the top trending discussion, with 290 million views.

Some social media users called for the suspect to face capital punishment.

Its outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this ... I support the death penalty, wrote one Weibo user.

Another user questioned security measures in place at schools following the attacks seen in recent years, writing: Why do such cases still continue to emerge?
R ishi Sunak welcomed Joe Biden to No 10 on Monday as the West was scrambling to agree a stance on Ukraine joining Nato.

The US president and Prime Minister put on a show of unity, to highlight Vladimir Putins spectacular miscalculation over the war, ahead of a two-day Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, starting on Tuesday.

Mr Biden insisted that the UK-US relationship is rock solid at the start of his Downing Street talks. He was warmly greeted by Mr Sunak, having arrived in his Beast vehicle in a high-security convoy at 10.35am.

But their warm words could not hide frictions in the US-UK relationship under the Biden administration, including over the speed of Ukraine becoming a Nato member, supplying it with cluster munitions and Washington not supporting Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to be the military alliances next secretary general, as well as on Brexit.

Mr Biden also met the King on Monday, having missed his Coronation in May, which was being seen as the main focus of the presidents UK visit.

At Windsor Castle, the 80-year-old president and the 74-year-old King are set to discuss how to help to boost private investment to combat climate change, a threat both say is existential.

King Charles alongside President Biden / PA

The president has huge respect for the Kings commitment on the climate issue in particular. He has been a clarion voice on this issue, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

On Ukraine, Washington appears to be closer to Berlin than London on the pace for Kyiv to join Nato, with the UK seeming to support a more speedy path. Britain, unlike the US, has made clear it will not be supplying Ukraine with cluster munitions.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said Britain and other allies would be heading to Vilnius showing a very united front to Putin. Emphasising that the Russian president had under-estimated the Wests resolve to support Ukraine in the long term, he told GB News: Putin made a spectacular miscalculation as well as of course doing something which is truly heinous and appalling.

Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 1 / 18 Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 Jeremy Selwyn AFP via Getty Images Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty Images PA PA PA REUTERS REUTERS PA Wire Jeremy Selwyn

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said last night that they had discussed the Nato summit and Kyivs counter-offensive.

Mr Kuleba tweeted: With 48 hours left, we are working to make its final decisions a win for all: Ukraine, Nato, and global security. In an interview yesterday, Mr Biden told CNN: We have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into Nato. But I think its premature to say, to call for a vote, you know, in now, because theres other qualifications that need to be met.

Britains Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has struck a different tone, voicing support for fast-tracking Ukraine joining Nato, even if this does not happen while the war is ongoing. Tensions have also been exposed between the US and UK after Mr Biden said he flew to Belfast in April to make sure the Brits didnt screw around over the Good Friday Agreement, on its 25th anniversary, in a post-Brexit row over Northern Irelands trading arrangements.

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Meanwhile, Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said her countrys troops were consolidating gains after seizing back more than 74 square miles of territory from Putins army.
T urkeys president has agreed to back Swedens bid to join Nato in a historic step, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogans objections have held up the process of Sweden joining the military alliance since last year.

But on Monday night, Mr Stoltenberg said the Turkish president had agreed to send Swedens Nato accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament as soon as possible.

Im glad to announce ... that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification, he told a news conference.

He described it as a historic step", but stressed that a clear date" could not be given for when Sweden could join the military alliance.

The announcement came after talks with Mr Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a Nato summit in Lithuania.

Sweden and Finland applied to join Nato last year, casting aside policies of military non-alignment after Russias invasion of Ukraine.

But applications to the alliance must be approved by all Nato members. While Finlands was given the go-ahead in April, Turkey and Hungary have held off on clearing Swedens bid.

Mr Erdogan had accused Sweden of harbouring members of militant groups, mainly supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

But Sweden has said it has fulfilled all the demands agreed upon in negotiations with Turkey over joining Nato, including introducing a new bill that makes being a member of a terrorist organisation illegal.

Stockholm has been working hard at its bid ahead of the Nato summit in Vilnius, together with the United States and its allies, urging Turkey to abandon its opposition.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would not block Swedens Nato membership ratification.
U krainian troops are consolidating gains after seizing back more than 74 square miles of territory from Putins army, a minister said on Monday.

They were pressing on with the counter-offensive in the south east of the war-torn country as President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed his country's forces had "taken the initiative" after an earlier slowdown.

Ukrainian military chiefs claimed Russian soldiers were now trapped inside the eastern town of Bakhmut which has seen some of the fiercest fighting in Europe since the Second World War.

Giving an early update on Monday from around the frontlines, the Ukrainian military said its troops have so far retaken 169 square kilometres (more than 65 square miles) on the southern front and 24 sq km around Bakhmut since its counter-offensive began last month.

Ukraines deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said that heavy fighting raged in two areas of the south east.

We are consolidating our gains in those areas, she wrote.

Russian troops, she said, were defending Bakhmut, while Ukrainian forces had registered a certain advance on the towns southern flank.

Ukraine's forces had taken control of the main commanding heights around Bakhmut and established fire control over entrances and exits to the shattered town, she added.

Russian accounts said heavy fighting gripped areas outside Bakhmut which was captured by Russian mercenary Wagner forces in May after a months-long siege.

Pro-Moscow Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said one of his units was deployed in the area.

Equipped with increasingly sophisticated Western weaponry after more than 500 days of war, Ukraine has launched an anticipated counter-offensive focusing so far on capturing a cluster of villages in the southeast. Its forces have also been trying to retake areas around Bakhmut.

Mr Zelensky was interviewed on US television network ABC ahead of this week's Nato summit in Lithuania, where Kyiv hopes to receive firm indications about both future membership in the Western defence alliance and guarantees for its security.

Ukraines president acknowledged that advances on the ground were slower than what he and his generals wanted, but said Ukrainian forces held the initiative.

"All of us, we want to do it faster because every day means new losses of Ukrainians. We are advancing. We are not stuck," he said, noting that the military had overcome a "kind of stagnation" in previous months.

"We would all love to see the counter-offensive accomplished in a shorter period of time. But there is reality. Today, the initiative is on our side."

Ukrainian forces have been slowed down by heavily mined fields, in front of Russian defences, as they seek to limit casualties.

Much attention in recent days has focused on the village of Klishchiivka, lying on heights to the south of Bakhmut.

Chechen leader Kadyrov, writing on Telegram, said his "Akhmat" unit was "in the difficult Bakhmut sector". He posted a video of a commander atop an armoured vehicle near Klishchiivka.

Russian reports in recent days had suggested that Kadyrov, whose forces have been active since the beginning of the Russian invasion, was ill or injured or "on holiday".

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had repelled Ukrainian advances near Bakhmut, with fighting made difficult "not only by the daily intensity of fire and battle, but also by topography. The line of contact runs between two hills."

Ukrainian military analyst Denys Popovych said Ukrainian forces had taken "important positions near Klishchiivka.

"This will allow for artillery control of Klishchiivka itself and of parts of Bakhmut and supply routes," he told Ukraine's NV Radio. "Just as Wagner surrounded the (town), so will we."
R ussian President Vladimir Putin met with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after he led his private army on a short-lived rebellion against Moscow, the Kremlin has revealed.

Mr Prigozhin and his private Wagner group carried out the attempted uprising on June 24, taking control of the Russian city of Rostov in what Putin branded a treasonous mutiny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has now revealed a three-hour meeting took place June 29 - five days after Mr Prigozhin staged an attempted uprising - between the president and the mercenary leader.

It also involved commanders from Wagner, the military company Mr Prigozhin founded.

Mr Peskov said that during the meeting, Putin offered an assessment of the Wagner groups actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and of the events of June 24.

The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Mr Peskov said.

Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, but Mr Prigozhin has a long-simmering conflict with the Russian militarys top brass.

This culminated in the armed mutiny in which Mr Prigozhin led his fighters into Russia on June 24.

Mr Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered, in which it was agreed he would be exiled to Belarus.

But Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko revealed last week Mr Prigozhin is reportedly already back in Russia.

As for Prigozhin, hes in St Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus, Mr Lukashenko told reporters on Thursday.

Critics have said the attempted uprising by Mr Prigozhin, though short-lived, exposed real cracks in Putins authority.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The opportunities provided by Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone (FEZ) offer broad prospects for both local and foreign investors, including those from Hungary, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov said, Trend reports.

He made the remark while meeting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto.

Minister Jabbarov highlighted that a project on the construction of an aluminum plant implemented jointly with Hungar is expected to be built in the Alat FEZ using advanced technologies, with an annual production capacity of 700 million units of aluminum beverage cans.

"This project will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the business communities of our countries, promoting continuous growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil sector, supporting local production, and generating employment opportunities. Azerbaijan-Hungary relations, based on mutual respect, are developing in an upward trajectory, with expanding trade and economic partnership. There are great prospects for cooperation with Hungary in trade, industry, energy (including renewable energy), investment, and other areas," added Jabbarov.

In turn, Peter Szijjarto emphasized that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner and highlighted the importance of the continuous development of political and economic relations between the countries, business partnerships, and the implementation of joint projects.

An agreement has been signed between Azerbaijan Investment Holding CJSC and Hell Energy for the joint construction of the plant. According to the agreement, a new plant will be built in the Alat FEZ, based on advanced European technologies, with an annual production capacity of 700 million aluminum beverage cans. At the initial stage, the annual capacity will be 415 million cans. The project aims to create over 300 jobs.
S everal countries are putting pressure on NATO to accelerate Ukraines bid to join the alliance, ahead of July 11-12 summit which is being held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

World leaders including Joe Biden, Emmanual Macron, Rishi Sunak and Olaf Scholz will be in attendance.

This weekend marked 500 days since Russia invaded Ukraine - and Ukraine wants an equal seat at the NATO table, with all the associated security guarantees.

It comes after US president Joe Biden was in the process of attempting to secure Swedens Nato membership ahead of the key summit.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr Biden said he wanted to reiterate that he fully, fully supports Swedens membership in Nato and was anxiously looking forward to the bid being ratified.

So what is Nato and which countries are already members?

What is Nato?

Nato  the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation  is a political and military alliance formed of 30 mostly European countries, as well as the US and Canada.

The heart of the Nato alliance is Article 5, an agreement that an armed attack on one member will be viewed as an attack on all, and that they are obliged to defend one another.

Nato was formed by 12 countries in 1949 to counter the threat of post-war communist Russian expansion in Europe. In 1955, Soviet Russia responded to Natos formation by creating its own military alliance of Eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, several former Warsaw Pact countries switched sides and became Nato members.

Nato does not have its own armed forces. Instead, it has a military command structure that works with the militaries of member countries in peacekeeping operations.

Nato members list

Nato is made up of 28 European nations, as well as the US and Canada.

The founding members were:

Belgium

Canada

Denmark

France

Iceland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

The UK

The US

Members who have joined since are:

Albania (2009)

Bulgaria (2004)

Croatia (2009)

Czech Republic (1999)

Estonia (2004)

Finland (2023)

Germany (1955)

Greece (1952)

Hungary (1999)

Latvia (2004)

Lithuania (2004)

Montenegro (2017)

North Macedonia (2020)

Poland (1999)

Romania (2004)

Slovakia (2004)

Slovenia (2004)

Spain (1982)

Turkey (1952)

Why has Nato not intervened in Ukraine?

Nato said it condemned in the strongest possible terms Russias attack on Ukraine, but it has not sent any troops there.

Ukraine is not a member of Nato, so the alliance was not obliged to defend it. But, the Nato secretary general has now confirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the organisation once the war ends.

He said in a news conference: Let me be clear, Ukraines rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. Ukraines rightful place is in Nato.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, member countries have been supporting Ukraine by sending tanks and defence equipment.

Why does Russia want to block Ukraine from joining Nato?

Russia vehemently opposes Ukraines potential membership in Nato. It has demanded a formal veto on it ever becoming a member  something the alliance has refused to agree to.

Russia fears Nato has been encroaching on it by taking on new members in Eastern Europe. It said that admitting Ukraine would bring Nato forces into its backyard. Nato denies that this is a valid concern since it is a peacekeeping alliance.

In December 2021, Mr Putin said Russia would seek reliable and long-term security guarantees from the US and its allies that would exclude any further Nato moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory.

More broadly, Mr Putin wants Nato to pull back its existing military presence in eastern Europe. This includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states.

Six Nato countries currently border Russia or the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Poland.

Will Nato fast-track Ukraines membership?

In September last year, Ukraine submitted a formal application to join Nato, in response to Russias proclaimed annexation of territories it invaded in the east of the country.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Nato to offer a clear and rapid path to membership.

At the Vilnius Summit, we need a very concrete and clear signal that Ukraine could become, and has the right to become, an equal member of Nato after the war, Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Kyiv on July 1.

Ukraine's request is already backed by Nato members  including Britain, Poland, and the Baltic states. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda, who was the host of the summit, said it was important that allies gave Kyiv a clear signal.

The United States and Germany, however, have not yet endorsed fast-tracking Ukraines membership.
Biden had revealed that he had made the difficult decision to send these bombs as the Ukrainians were running out of ammunition.

Instead of such ammunition, Britain is choosing to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia by providing tanks and long-range weapons.

Biden is currently in the UK for an official visit ahead of the Nato summit, which will see him discuss the matter further with the PM.

But what exactly are cluster bombs and which countries have them? Here is everything we know.

Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 1 / 18 Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street | 10th July 2023 Jeremy Selwyn AFP via Getty Images Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty Images PA PA PA REUTERS REUTERS PA Wire Jeremy Selwyn

What are cluster bombs?

A cluster bomb is a type of explosive that is designed to break up into smaller bombs and fall over a large area. These smaller bombs are referred to as bomblets or submunitions.

They are dropped from the air or shot up from the ground or sea.

They are known for causing serious damage given the wide range they cover once they are released.

However, they are also dangerous because they sometimes dont detonate upon release and stay in the ground only to explode and kill people years later. The International Committee of the Red Cross reports that submunitions failure rate is between 10 per cent and 40 per cent.

And a 2021 report from the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor on behalf of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munitions Coalition showed there were 141 casualties from cluster bomb remnants, 97 per cent of whom were civilians, with two-thirds of those children.

Cluster bombs were first used in the Second World War. Since then, 123 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have joined the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions that bans the production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of cluster weapons in all circumstances.

However, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed this convention, which means they have never legally agreed to stop using cluster weapons. Cluster weapons were heavily used in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf War and more.

Which countries have cluster bombs?

The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) has noted the countries that are known for being users, producers, and/or stockpilers of cluster weapons.

The countries that are known to have used cluster munitions since the end of World War II include the UK, the US, France, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Ukraine. However, the UK, France, the Netherlands and a number of others have since signed the Convention and stopped using these weapons.

According to the CMC, there have been 34 producers of such weapons since WWII, with 16 still believed to be actively producing them. These active producers are:

Brazil

China

Egypt

Greece

India

Iran

Israel

North Korea

South Korea

Pakistan

Poland

Romania

Russia

Singapore

Turkey

United States

As for stockpilers, the CMC says that, before the efforts to ban these munitions, 93 countries had stockpiles. Some have since destroyed or have started destroying these stockpiles. However, some countries still have reserves of cluster munitions. These include the US, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Israel, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Cyprus.
A fter breaking records on Kickstarter, MOBO-winning British saxophonist YolanDa Brown is to open an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Islington Square this autumn.

Within eight weeks, Brown manage to draw in 248,000 for her project  the highest amount ever received for a restaurant start-up on Kickstarter, anywhere in the world  which will be called Soul Mama. Brown is opening it in partnership with Adetokunbo T Oyelola, the entrepreneur and promoter best known for founding management company Black Grape Global.

As well as aiming to serve authentic tastes of Africa, the Caribbean and South America, Soul Mama will lean heavily into YolanDa Browns and Adetokunbo T Oyelolas successful careers, with regular live music. The spot will support local and emerging recording artists, with a strong focus on jazz, soul, gospel and reggae.

The live music restaurant will act as a wider community hub, with development grants offered to under-represented talent and larger live music events for more established names.

Press handout

With black women receiving only 0.34 per cent of all venture capital funding, the Kickstarter campaign helped to ensure the musical duos dream could become a reality. CEO of Kickstarter Everette Taylor said of Soul Mamas success: "We want to see more creators of colour thrive on the platform and Im hoping the success of these two incredible entrepreneurs will inspire more creators of colour and creators in the food/restaurant space to chase their dreams."

YolanDa Brown OBE commented: "Throughout my career I have always had to think out of the box, innovate, find creative ways to be heard and seen, change perspectives all for the dream. My dreams are big, to add joy, light and laughter to as many lives as possible using music, education, food and more.

Whilst the menu and opening date is not yet confirmed, we can expect the restaurant to launch at the redeveloped Islington square in late Autumn.

Islington Square, Upper Street, N1 1AB. For more information, visit soulmama.co.uk and kickstarter.com
T he Italian Eating House off Leicester Square claimed the title of Londons first Italian restaurant in 1803. No word on whether they served pizza, but in 1965, Pizza Express paved the way as the first pizza chain in Britain, opening its doors on Wardour Street.

But it was just a decade ago when the pizza game really exploded, and with one clear champion: the Neapolitan pizza.

Neapolitan pizza is an art form. The dough is a simple combination of flour, water, yeast, and salt. Using a very specific kneading technique, it is transformed into a soft, elastic, and slightly chewy marvel. And lets not forget the rising processslow and patient, resulting in a crust thats light as a feather.

Now embraced for its authenticity, I embarked on a trip to its birthplace in Naples with Pizza Pilgrims to explore how the founding brothers brought the now staple, to London.

Where it all began

In 2013, the Pizza Pilgrims founders, brothers James and Thom Elliot, made a short pilgrimage through Italy in a tiny Piaggio Ape three-wheeled tuk-tuk, learning the secrets of Neapolitan pizza  and the Italian way of life  along the way.

Thom explained how when they first came to Naples and tried a pizza at Da Michele, they were convinced it was the best pizza theyd ever tried. From then, they knew they wanted to bring the sense of the Neapolitan street food to our very own London food scene. But there was one problem  they knew nothing about pizza.

Thats when the brothers made a bold decision to quit their jobs and began the pizza dream.

With just six weeks, a homemade pizza oven, and a stall in the heart of Soho, they gave many Londoners their first taste of Neapolitan pizza.

It wasnt all as easy as it sounds, however, Londoners werent used to the fold method required of Neapolitan pizza. This new way of eating a messy, mozzarella-filled pizza slice wasnt the typical British way of eating.

Neapolitan pizza is its own style, James explains. That kind of chewy crust, very bready, crispy.

That Neapolitan style has massively exploded in London. So I feel like people have really embraced Neapolitan pizza. It was when we started, I remember having a lot of trouble with customers coming in, ordering a pizza, and then expecting the more kind of New York style.

He continues: Because our dough is very sort of soft, and then like very sloppy as well, because the mozzarella is very wet, and they were like: I cant pick up the slice, I cant eat this pizza.

And I remember that being a massive problem, and now we dont have that problem, because everyone knows to fold the pizza and eat it Neapolitan style.

A decade on

Ten years on and the brothers have embarked on a new pilgrimage to Napoli in their Pizza Vespa and sidecar to bring fresh ideas back to London.

During our expedition, we immersed ourselves in the world of pizza chefs, suppliers, and producers, on a quest for fresh flavours from the heart of Italy. These ideas will grace the new Pizza Pilgrims menu, set to launch in July, boasting 10 dishes in celebration of their 10-year pilgrimage.

From drinks like a new Bellini Spritz to contend with the ubiquitous Aperol Spritz, to late night Americana pizzas with French fries and hotdogs, as well as deep-fried smoked mozzarella bites and Sorbet stuffed lemons, this menu will give guests a taste of unseen Napoli.

Pizza Pilgrims have influenced, and raised the bar, among Londons other Napolitan pizzerias. Theyve sparked a new competition  where your typical tomato and cheese base will no longer cut it.
L ike jewellery and accessories, the price of a watch can vary wildly.

There are luxury classics like a Rolex or Philippe Patek, which may cost the best part of a property deposit, but promise to become family heirlooms to pass down to lucky generations.

There are smartwatches, able to track and monitor exercise, fitness and sleep patterns, while making contactless payments and keeping you on top of your inbox when youre on the move.

And there are fashion watches, merely pretty faces that do the rudimentary job of telling you if its time for a G&T yet. Some are studded with diamonds, others have changeable straps so you can customise them to your look.

A watch is an excellent option if your brain sore from trying to think of a birthday, graduation or Christmas gift. Not just for pensioners and retirees; pick a great watch and it could light up the face of the most inscrutable teen.

While luxury watches have an audience of their own (the kind with deep pockets), there are plenty of smartwatch and fashion watch brands that come in at an accessible price point too. Weve gone to the trouble of putting together an online directory of affordable watch brands to make shopping for one in your budget a much more pleasant experience.

Below youll find brands that offer timepieces at 200 or less, from established brands as well as a few niche labels.

Shop now
P olice Scotland have confirmed 27 people were arrested during the Trnsmt weekend in Glasgow.

Officers made 13 arrests on Sunday, the final night of the Scottish music festival, involving people aged between 13 and 49.

It is understood the arrests were in connection with drugs, assault and disorder or breach of the peace.

It follows three arrests on Friday and 11 on Saturday.

The three-day festival on Glasgow Green was brought to a close on Sunday evening by The 1975. Sam Fender and Pulp had headlined on the other nights.

About 50,000 music lovers attended each day.

Trnsmt festival will return to the city next year between July 12 and 14, with presale tickets set to go on sale on Wednesday, following by a general ticket release on Friday.
It came shortly after the pair was spotted enjoying a day at an art museum in London together in June, leading many to deduct they were dating.

So far, neither star has publicly commented on the rumours. But you might be wondering: who exactly is Taylor Russell?

Here is everything we know.

Who is Taylor Russell?

Taylor Russell McKenzie is a Canadian actress who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The 28-year-old took her first acting class at the age of 18 and hasnt looked back since.

What roles has Taylor Russell had?

After years of auditions, the actress landed her first role in 2012, making an appearance on an episode of the CW drama series Emily Owens, MD.

In 2014, she starred in the Lifetime television movie The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, taking on the role of Lark Voorhies, before playing Jennifer in the Disney XD film Pants on Fire.

You may have also spotted her appearances in Strange Empire, Falling Skies, Dead of Summer, Before I Fall, or Down a Dark Hall.

However, Russells big career moment was when she starred as Judy Robinson in the Netflix remake of Lost in Space between 2018 and 2021, which earned her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Presentation.

Meanwhile, she also took on the leading role of Zoey Davis in Escape Room, a psychological horror movie, and starred in the film Waves.

Most recently, the Canadian creative has played Maren in Bones and All alongside Timothee Chalamet, which is about a young womans journey through America.

Aside from acting, Russell has also dabbled in fashion. She previously opened the SS23 Loewe collection and worked as the brands global ambassador.
V ision Pro, Apples first attempt at a new product line since the HomePod appeared in 2018, is set to arrive in the US early next year. But Apples UK fans will have to wait a bit longer to try it for themselves, according to Bloombergs sources.

While the piece is largely about the steps American shoppers will have to go through to buy the headset, it does mention Apples plans to expand beyond its home market at the end of 2024.

The UK and Canada are namechecked as two of its first international markets with Europe and Asia coming soon after. It does however state that the Apple sources said that a final decision was yet to be made.

Why the slow rollout? While its likely to do with the untested nature of a product that, at $3,500, will comfortably be amongst Apples most expensive consumer-facing devices, the logistics of selling the headset are also challenging.

The Bloomberg report highlights that Apple doesnt plan on allowing customers to just wander in and buy one from its 270-plus US locations.

Interested parties will have to book an appointment where their head will be measured in-store using either a physical machine or a currently-in-development iPhone app. This is to ensure a perfect fit, and so that the seal around the eyes effectively blocks out outside light.

Buyers will also be asked to register any lens prescription data in advance of their visit via an online portal.

Online orders will reportedly come in early 2024, and will require the same prescription data, with buyers required to use the face scan app to determine accessory sizing.

Understandably, Apple would want buyers to have the best possible first impressions of such an expensive product, but it does limit its opportunities to sell it. The fact that the product isnt just a grab it off the shelf experience means that Apple isnt planning on handing Vision Pro off to third-party distributors until at least 2025.

There are also reported technical difficulties in production, with The Financial Times reporting earlier this month that Apple is now preparing fewer than 400,000 units in year one, thanks to the headsets complex design.
G oogle has quietly been testing an AIchatbot that can answer medical questions at a major hospital and research centre in the US.

The Mayo Clinic, a sprawling healthcare provider that treats 1.3 million patients per year, started using Med-PaLM 2 in April, the Wall Street Journal reported .

The partnership comes as the tech industry races to create generative AI that can serve the needs of overburdened doctors and frustrated patients.

Whereas general chatbots such as ChatGPT can hold conversations on virtually any topic, Google has customised its bot for the healthcare industry by training it on questions and answers from medical licensing exams.

Both Google and its rival Microsoft are reportedly working hard on virtual assistants that can address the needs of patients worldwide.

The Mayo Clinic trial could pave the way for such a tool. The hospital is already using a Google-powered search system to scour massive repositories of patient data. Google opened an office in 2021 near the Mayo Clinics mega-site in Minnesota to work on the project.

The hospital is a not-for-profit that invests the roughly 13 billion in revenue it makes annually into cutting-edge research projects. During its 159-year history, the clinic has made numerous medical breakthroughs. These include real-time frozen-section tumour analysis; the discovery of cortisone, which is used to treat inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune diseases as well as joint swelling and pain; and the first series of successful surgeries using a heart-lung bypass machine.

In late 2019, the Mayo Clinic opened its London arm in Marylebone in collaboration with the University of Oxford.

Despite the high-profile partnership, Google is playing catch-up with its chief competitor Microsoft. US hospitals are already using OpenAIs ChatGPT algorithms through investor Micorosofts cloud service. One of the tools created using the tech can summarise doctor notes within minutes,

In the battle to conquer health care, the two rivals have also faced their fair share of mishaps. Concerns were raised in 2019 that Google was gathering detailed health record data from millions of Americans without informing patients or doctors.

Although physicians who reviewed Med-PALM 2 said they mainly preferred its answers to those produced by doctors, they also found that it included more inaccurate content in its responses compared with healthcare professionals.

This implies that the chatbot is prone to spouting misinformation , much like other generative AI tools .
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Metas new social media platform Threads has reached over 100 million users just one week after launching.

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, whos also taking charge of Threads, has said the platform wont focus on politics and hard news, insisting that there are plenty of amazing communities in things like sports, fashion and music to make a vibrant platform.

In a comment he revealed that changes are coming to the platform, including search, hashtags, a following feed, and maybe messaging too.

Researchers at Scotland's Rural College believe a daffodil extract could reduce levels of methane produced by cows, when added to their food.

Using an artificial cow stomach, they found that the extract cut methane production by 96%.

Martin Lewis, the founder of Moneysavingexpert.com has issued a warning on Twitter about a frightening deep fake video of him encouraging people to invest in a fake project.

He said its the first deep fake video scam hes seen with himself in it, and called on the government and regulators to step up to stop big tech publishing such dangerous fakes.

Researchers at the University of Bath have found a way to make production of over-the-counter painkillers considerably more green.

The team said drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen are currently manufactured using chemical precursors derived from crude oil, but the biorenewable compound -pinene can be used instead.

And the rest,

Security firm Mithril Security reveals how open-source AI models can be modified to spread fake news, Googles medical AI chatbot is already being tested in hospitals, crunch talks on deep-sea mining begin in Jamaica, and Apples appointment-only plans for the roll out of its Vision Pro headset.

Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts.
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Romania has a significant and diversified capacity to produce energy from renewable sources, and integrated land use planning allows the identification of areas with a low value of biodiversity for renewable energy projects, keeping, at the same time, habitats of great value, the Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forestry Mircea Fechet said at the informal Council of the Environment in Spain.

According to a press release from the competent ministry, Mircea Fechet is leading the Romanian delegation to the informal meeting of the ministers of the environment from the EU member states, which is taking place between July 10 and 11, 2023, in Valladolid, Spain. Secretary of State Ionut-Sorin Banciu is also part of the Romanian delegation.

Organized under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council, the event brings together the ministers of the environment from the EU states, representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament, and on the second day (11 July) the ministers of energy will also participate.

The topics addressed during the meeting concerned the integrated management of soil, water, forests and biodiversity and the necessary balance that must be kept between the implementation of projects for the production of energy from renewable sources, the development of the territory, the protection and conservation of biodiversity.

Also, a working lunch dedicated to measures to reduce marine pollution was organized.

"Romania supports the integrated management of environmental factors and cooperation to reduce pollution threats to the health of people, animals, ecosystems and the planet. At the same time, we appreciate the EU Action Plan 'Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil', as well as all other strategies and directives promoted as concrete products of the European Green Deal. We also welcome the adoption by the EU Council of the Regulation on the restoration of nature, which provides the premises for the inclusion of biodiversity in other sectoral policies. We believe that only an integrated approach to these documents can optimize and lead to successful results", Minister Mircea Fechet told the debates on integrated soil management.

During the working lunch dedicated to measures to reduce marine pollution, the Romanian dignitary pointed out that Romania shows a special interest in the sustainable management of its coastal and marine waters in order to achieve and maintain the good ecological status of the Black Sea.

"In this regard, Romania supports the implementation of the European Plastics Strategy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to reduce marine waste, including plastic and microplastic, in the seas and oceans. The effects of marine pollution have led to the loss of marine diversity, to changes in the composition and habitats of biodiversity, to the decrease of marine productivity", he said.

In his intervention on the theme of renewable energy, the Romanian minister emphasized that, in order to optimize the integration of energy objectives with those of sectoral and environmental policies, plans at the local level could offer the best results.

"Integrated land use planning is becoming an essential tool because it allows us to identify areas with a low biodiversity value for renewable energy projects, while preserving, at the same time, high value habitats," he said.

The meeting on July 11 will include two joint working sessions with the energy ministers of the Member States regarding the expectations related to the outcome of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28 UNFCCC), which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between November 30 and December 12, 2023 and the contribution of the energy sector to this conference. Also, the day's agenda includes a joint working breakfast, in which aspects related to more effective communication of opportunities regarding the climate and energy agenda will be addressed.
Health Minister Alexandru Rafila on Monday said that the residential care homes of Ilfov County, which are the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, were inspected by the Public Heath Directorate (DSP) in January and February, and only minor infractions were found.

"In the months of January - February, the homes were inspected by the Ilfov Public Health Directorate. The infractions found were minor, like the way dirty bedding was stored, or some of the employees had not taken hygiene classes. I don't think these homes had such problems. Today, I had a discussion and a meeting with the director of DSP Ilfov. He considered it right to resign. Anyway, he was on an interim position. We will organise a competition to fill the vacancy of the DSP Ilfov director. There are crisis situations when we often find that when we do an inspection each institution does its part," said Rafila.

He added that oftentimes papers are checked, not what actually happens at the homes.

"Many times we check papers instead of checking records, and I think the most important thing is to see how the patients who are in such homes are actually cared for. (...) There must be discussions with patients and discussions with the doctors who provide medical assistance, so that there is a correlation between the existing contracts and the reality of the services that are offered to these patients," the minister pointed out.

Rafila also said that the Ministry of Health will propose amending the legislation.

"We also have to move in Romania from checking papers to checking factual reality, and then we can certainly hope for progress in the area," added Rafila. AGERPRES
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Sunday the start of urgent controls in all care centres for children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

"First of all, all centres for children, the elderly and people with disabilities, state-owned or private, must be checked and all licenses reviewed. The deadline will be very short, one week, under the coordination of the prefects," said the prime minister after a working meeting with several ministers and heads of institutions, following the investigation into the case of elderly people tortured in nursing homes.

He asked the authorities for "zero tolerance towards the criminal groups that robbed these totally helpless people" and announced that he and the minister of Justice had agreed to make the resolution of these cases a top priority.

"Thirdly, I make an appeal to all religious institutions in Romania, first of all to the Orthodox Church and to NGOs working in the social field. We need your involvement in everything related to the social side, assistance primarily for vulnerable people. The events that took place in these nursing homes of horror have shown us a total dehumanization of some individuals that I cannot call people," said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.

The prime minister said that the Ministry of Labour will start discussions on Monday with all representatives of the religious institutions and NGOs for agreements on involvement in this activity.

"The system must be changed. It is unacceptable to have a lot of control institutions passing the blame to each other. The whole system needs to be rethought, from authorisation, monitoring and control, who authorises and what the conditions for authorisation are, who monitors, what they monitor, clear intervals and procedures, who conducts checks and what they check. That is why I want to clarify this system from a legislative point of view so that there are no loopholes for anyone," Ciolacu said.

In his opinion, everyone must fulfil their duties, those who do not do so must be held accountable "and those who do not understand to do their job should go home".

"I don't want any more running away from responsibility, I want a coherent system with clear rules in this area. We are actually talking about the most vulnerable people: children, the elderly and people with disabilities," said the prime minister.

Marcel Ciolacu voiced his conviction that all the necessary legislative changes will be made in the next parliamentary session, following discussions with all the social partners.

According to a Government press release, the discussions on Sunday were attended by the minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Marius Budai, the minister of Justice, Alina Gorghiu, the minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, the minister of Development, Public Works and Administration, Adrian-Ioan Vestea, the secretary of state with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Bogdan Despescu, as well as representatives of Sanitary Veterinary Authority (ANSVSA), Consumer Protection Agency (ANPC) and the State Sanitary Inspection.AGERPRES
The Director of the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova (SIS) Alexandru Musteata announced on Monday, in a livestreamed press briefing in Chisinau, the dismantling of a spy network operating against the Republic of Moldova.

The Security and Intelligence Service, alongside prosecutors with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), have sent to court a criminal case for treason and espionage against two agents of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB).

According to the head of the SIS, Russian citizens Yuriy G. and Vadim I. have been trained since 2020 in organizing malicious activities against the security of the Republic of Moldova and its citizens. Acting under the command of the FSB, the two identified and recruited citizens of the Republic of Moldova, thus building an agentura (Russian informants') network.

''The activity of the Russian citizens and the agentura network was oriented towards influencing the social-political processes of the Republic of Moldova in the interests of the Russian Federation. At the same time, in order to maintain the dependence of the Republic of Moldova on Russia, the two carried out information operations to shape public opinion'," said Alexandru Musteata.

''During the two years of documenting the activity of the agentura network, the two collected data and information of a social-political nature, especially about legislative intentions and plans, compromising information about political leaders and political actors, and organized shadowy information projects, such as online campaigns, through several social media platforms, with a major focus on the Telegram network, which is the platform on which most false information is distributed," the SIS chief detailed.

Moreover, after 24 February 2022, the group committed crimes under a foreign flag and recruited citizens with the aim of participating in or provoking violent acts. The activity of creating channels for transferring financial means from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova for the purpose of financing subversive operations against the interests and security of the Moldovan state was also documented in the case trial.

In this regard, one of the agents recruited by Yuriy G. and Vadim I. was tasked to identify and secure such financial channels, provide related logistical support to projects commissioned and financed by the FSB, and recruit other citizens of the Republic of Moldova. Transfer via crypto-currency, but also via the so-called Hawala system, involving currency exchange houses were identified among the channels of illegal fund transfers. In total, through these channels alone, an amount of about 500,000 USD was transferred in 2021 from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova, money used in the implementation of the described illegal activity. The agent in question, a Moldovan citizen, was recruited on the basis of material incentive, starting with 2021. He is in custody and is accused of committing the crime of treason, and is liable to a criminal penalty of 12 to 20 years' imprisonment.

The criminal prosecution continues and the Security and Intelligence Service and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases will return with details during the course of the prosecution.

Persons accused of committing a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision, Musteata recalled.

According to Deschide.MD, Vadim I., identified as Vadim Yurchenko, is Igor Dodon's deputy in the Moldovan-Russian Business Union. Previously, RISE Project Moldova wrote, with reference to sources within the special services, that this is an "agent" of the Russian FSB or apd-ist (abbreviation of the phrase "detached personnel apparatus") - as are called the officers of the security services attached to a person or organization, in order to carry out the control on behalf of the special services.

Yurchenco is 40 years old and has held various positions, from specialist to deputy director in Russian state institutions such as the Federal Penitentiary Service, enterprises within the "Rostec" industrial holding (set up by Russian President Vladimir Putin), as well as the Inter RAO EES corporation (owner of the Kuchurgan power station in Transnistria) and the state-controlled Russian company "MRSK Centre".

As for Yuriy G. (Gudilin), he is known as one of the Russian consultants who helped the Moldovan socialists in several election campaigns, including the 2020 presidential campaign. Like Yurchenco, Gudilin previously worked for MRSK Centre.

Gudilin is considered by the US to be an FSB officer. In October 2022, Yuriy Gudilin and two other "political technologists", Olga Grak and Leonid Gonin, were included on the US sanctions list for their involvement of Kremlin operations in the Republic of Moldova for attempting to influence the outcome of the 2020 and 2021 elections. AGERPRES
The Concordia Employers' Confederation requested on Monday, in the Tripartite National Council, meetings with the minister of finance to discuss the tax reform, according to the Confederation's president, Dan Sucu.

"Today I had the first meeting with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in the format of the Tripartite National Council, together with the other employer and trade union confederations. Beyond the two topics on the agenda, the problems related to legal assistants and the value of meal vouchers, I also raised other topics that concern us these days. We want to better understand what the Government wants in terms of charges and fees and we have requested meetings with the minister of finance to discuss fiscal reform. As representatives of the private sector, we have emphasized the need to be consulted and to be able to to express our point of view on major issues with an impact on the economy and consumers, such as taxation, the workforce, etc. We are glad that the prime minister has responded to our invitation to have a constant dialogue with the social partners", said Dan Sucu, according to a release sent to AGERPRES.
TOWN AND COUNTRY  Employees at Charles Schwab's Town and Country office will transition to remote work amid a nationwide reevaluation by companies of their future real estate needs.

Employees who work at 700 Maryville Centre Drive, off Interstate 64 and North Outer 40 Road, will move to remote work full-time once the Town and Country office closes, a company spokesperson said  though no timeline was disclosed.

The shift will not affect client service nor Charles Schwab's branch locations in the St. Louis area, the spokesperson said. The company employs about 1,100 people across the region.

Charles Schwab is the latest company to rework its real estate footprint following the coronavirus pandemic, which upended how businesses operate. Many corporations across the country downsized or dumped their offices altogether in a bid to cut costs and/or attract and retain employees as remote work gained popularity. Other companies, meanwhile, are waiting until their leases expire in the near future to determine how their needs have changed.

Office occupancy in the St. Louis region has been flat at 82.8% since the end of last year. That figure, however, is still down from when office occupancy was at a record high of 88.8% in the first quarter of 2020, just before the pandemic kicked off, according to the latest research from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Charles Schwab's Maryville Centre office has long housed financial services fi rms. Built in 2000, the 215,000-square-foot building served as the headquarters for Scottrade before TD Ameritrade acquired the company in 2017.

Charles Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade in 2020 and had planned to expand the space as recently as last year to accommodate about 200 additional workers.

Charles Schwab is not the only company in the metro area that is rethinking its real estate needs. Less than a mile west, battery maker Energizer Holdings is looking to halve its footprint and move its headquarters to Clayton. SSM Health, agribusiness giant Bayer, global footwear retailer Caleres, electrical equipment manufacturer Emerson, bakery-cafe chain Panera Bread Co. and Jack Dorsey's financial services firm Block Inc. are all downsizing their offices as well.

The changes to Charles Schwab's Town and Country location is part of a broader company strategy.

The Westlake, Texas-based company is transitioning employees to remote work at some of its smaller locations that have "modest levels" of in-office attendance  sometimes less than 50% of employees will be in on a busy day, a spokesperson said  while it will reduce or relocate other offices around the country.

Charles Schwab employs about 36,000 people and has $7.65 trillion in client assets.

Steph Kukuljan 314-340-8506 @StephKukuljan on Twitter skukuljan@post-dispatch.com
Earth's average temperature set a new unofficial record high Thursday, the third such milestone in a week already rated as the hottest on record and what one prominent scientist says could be the hottest in 120,000 years.

But it's also a record with some legitimate scientific questions and caveats, so much so that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has distanced itself from it. It's grabbed global attention, even as the number  63 degrees Fahrenheit  doesn't look that hot because it averages temperatures from around the globe.

Still, scientists say the daily drumbeat of records  official or not  is a symptom of a larger problem where the precise digits aren't as important as what's causing them.

"Records grab attention, but we need to make sure to connect them with the things that actually matter," climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Imperial College of London said in an email. "So I don't think it's crucial how 'official' the numbers are, what matters is that they are huge and dangerous and wouldn't have happened without climate change."

Thursday's planetary average surpassed the 62.9-degree mark set Tuesday and equaled Wednesday, according to data from the University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the world's condition. Until Monday, no day had passed 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the tool's 44 years of records.

Now, the entire week that ended Thursday averaged that much.

Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, called the 63-degree mark "an exceptional outlier" that is nearly 6 degrees warmer than the average of the past 12,000 years. Rockstrom said it will "with high likelihood translate to even more severe extremes in the form of floods, droughts, heat waves and storms."

"It is certainly plausible that the past couple days and past week were the warmest days globally in 120,000 years," University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said. He cited a 2021 study that says Earth is the warmest since the last age ended, and said Earth likely hasn't been as warm dating all the way to the ice age before that some 120,000 years ago.

Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech company Stripe and Berkeley Earth temperature monitoring group said he wouldn't be surprised if it is the warmest in 120,000 years. But he said long-term proxy measurements like tree rings aren't precise.

This week's average includes places that are sweltering under dangerous heat  like Jingxing, China, which checked in almost 110 degrees Fahrenheit  and the merely unusually warm, like Antarctica, where temperatures across much of the continent were as much as 8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal this week.

Temperatures were so brutally hot Thursday in Adrar, Algeria, that the temperature never got below 103.3 degrees even at night when it is supposed to cool. That was the hottest ever nighttime low for Africa, according to weather historian and climatologist Maximiliano Herrera.

The temperature is ramping up across Europe this week, too. Germany's weather agency, DWD, has predicted highs of 99 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday and the Health Ministry has issued a warning to vulnerable people.

While there are small spots of cooler-than-normal temperatures across the globe, the University of Maine measurement is an average. That means some places  including both polar regions  will be extraordinarily warmer than normal and others will be cooler. On average it's about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 1979-2000 average, which is warmer than the 20th and 19th century averages.

And 70% of the world is covered by oceans, which have been spiking record heat for months.

Scientists say the heat is driven by two factors: Long-term warming from greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and a natural El Nino warming of part of the Pacific that changes weather globally and makes an already warming world a bit hotter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued a note of caution about the Maine tool's findings, saying it could not confirm data that results in part from computer modeling, which it said wasn't a good substitute for observations.

Scientists don't understand and haven't delved much into daily fluctuations, said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi. Much more meaningful to them are global data over months, years and especially decades.

"The fact that we haven't had a year colder than the 20th century average since the Ford administration (1976) is much more relevant," Vecchi said.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said immediacy of daily records is important.

"Tell me that yesterday was the hottest day on record and I can relate the claim to ways in which yesterday's heat constrained my behavior," she said. "I can't do the same with monthly or yearly data. ... We experience the world hour-by-hour, day-by-day, not in monthly or yearly averages."
Whose woods these are I think I know.  Robert Frost

The road to Adjunct Hell is paved with high hopes.

Ruth Marner wanted to be a writer, possibly a poet.

She graduated from Parkway Central High School in 1982 and headed to Grinnell College in Iowa. She graduated with a degree in English. She went to the West Coast  Seattle  and bummed around a bit. After experiencing life, she returned to St. Louis and earned a masters degree in English at Washington University but did not finish the doctoral program. Instead, she enrolled in a creative writing program at Kansas State where she unknowingly peeked into her future. She taught a freshman class in composition. She enjoyed it. She urged the students to read Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes.

Ruth did not complete the program at Kansas State. Does a writer really need the imprimatur of a writing program? She came back to St. Louis. She lived with her aging parents. She worked for the Gay News Telegraph, and she did some freelance work for this newspaper.

The journalism gigs didnt pay much. To supplement her writing income, she became an adjunct professor.

Adjuncts live on the underbelly of the higher education scene in America. They are non-tenured. They are paid  often poorly  per class. Ruths first gig was at the community college level. She taught four classes a semester and was paid $2,000 per class. Each class met two or three times a week. So she made $8,000 each semester. Sixteen grand for the year.

She liked the work. It was in her field, after all. The problem with teaching composition is, you have to read a lot of compositions. If you do the job right, if you try to gently help people without the writing gene write, its time-consuming. Dont even think about how much youre making an hour.

Ruth stuck with it for years. She taught at different schools. Sometimes she would teach at two different schools the same semester. One night at this place, and the next day somewhere else. It sounds more the life of a musician than a professor.

But the gigs were steady. Somebody has to teach composition. Society has not yet reached the point of decline at which a college or university doesnt at least hope that its graduates are proficient in the written language. Eloquence is not required. An educated person should be able to write a three-sentence message on a Christmas card.

So there was always work. For the past three years, Ruth has been teaching at one of the small liberal arts universities in the area. She taught three classes per semester and she was paid $3,000 per class. Her first couple of semesters were remote. Even when on-campus classes resumed, there wasnt much of a social aspect to the job. No informal gatherings within the English department where literature was discussed. It was business. Show up and teach.

Ruth and I have communicated over time. Neither of us has asked the other for advice until about two weeks ago.

Ruth wrote me that some of students had complained to the department head about her. She said the complaints, as relayed to her, were vague. She said she thought the students were unhappy that she had forced poetry on them. Its not part of the course. Also, she said she thought some students were unhappy about her grading.

I already inflate grades, she wrote. It is the trend. But I cannot in good conscience give everyone an A. What would you advise?

As regular readers know, I love to give advice.

We should meet, I responded. We did. It was already too late.

Ive been fired, she said.

She showed me an email from the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

I have tried to call and tried to leave a message, but your mailbox is full. Therefore, I am using email to inform you that your services are no longer needed. Your contract will be paid out in full, but there is no need for you to return to campus. Your teaching obligations are waived. Thank you for your contributions here and good luck in future endeavors.

Very professional, I thought, but it had a definite ring of finality. Her future endeavors would be some place else.

What had happened?

Ruth said the meeting with her department head had gone fine. Maybe not fine, but survivable. He was intentionally vague about the complaints in order to protect the identity of the complainers. He seemed sympathetic to Ruth, but also surprised that she was surprised. She said he asked, Havent you sensed any hostility?

Of course she had. She is an adjunct professor who teaches composition. Plus, shes a member of the LGBT community for whom hostility is like background noise.

There may be a ringleader, the department head suggested.

The worst soldiers are the ones with imagination. Ruth wondered about the ringleader. She wondered if she were in danger. This is 2023. She did something rash. She sent an email to her students asking anybody with problems about her to please contact her directly. Perhaps that went against the spirit of her discussion with the department head. Maybe the students felt betrayed. At any rate, her email seems to have been the final straw.

Ruth is 59 and fit and smart. She said she might look for work as a lifeguard this summer. I must have given her a quizzical look because she quickly said, You dont have to be a teenager to be a lifeguard.

I asked her what poems she had pushed on to her students. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owens. The Bean Eaters by Gwendolyn Brooks. Aunt Jennifers Tigers by Adrienne Rich.

None of them is long. All of them are accessible and thoughtful.

Perhaps Ruth can regroup and find a new adjunct position this fall. Or maybe its time to move on and find something new. Its too late to become a nurse, but maybe she could find something else in the health care field. Thats a booming industry. Also, people have to eat. The grocery stores seem always to be hiring and while that involves being on your feet all day, the pay is pretty good and you have a union behind you. Certainly, somebody like Ruth can find something.

Maybe Ill finally write a book, she said. She said her working title would be Adjunct Hell. I liked the idea. Highly educated people living on the edge. Under-appreciated cogs in the great wheel of education.

It will officially be a work of fiction and will not cast shade on any particular institution, but the heroine, I suspect, will have a passion for poetry.
NEW YORK  From just the right book to just the right wheels, there are lots of ways to please all the mothers in your life when their special holiday rolls around.

Some ideas:

TECHNOLOGY

Give the gift of a heartbeat. Bond Heart is a smart necklace in the shape of a heart that allows the wearer to record heart beats and play them back in pulses felt when the bauble is grasped. From a company called Bond Touch, the $99 necklace pairs with iOS and Android phones via Bluetooth. Instructions on how to record heartbeats using the pulse from a finger are included. An app stores multiple heartbeats for playback in the heart.

Reach for a digital camera. There's one that's great for beginners if mom isn't a pro but would like to be pro-like. It's the Canon EOS R50 Mirrorless Camera for $799.99. It's light, compact, and reviewers rave about how easy it is to use. Comes in black or white. Turn it on and begin. The A+ mode does the rest.

Have at it on pricier options. But in the under $1,000 range, The Strategist's Steven John recommends the Sony Alpha A6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera for its versatility and superfast autofocus abilities, among other things.

BOOKS

"The Art of Feminism." This collection of art, illustration, photography and graphic design spans the feminist aesthetic over two centuries. The original book, out in 2018, has been revised to add 60 pages of material. It's an in-depth examination of the subject, from the suffragists and Judy Chicago to Zanele Muholi and Andrea Bowers. Chronicle Books. $45. Consultant editor Helena Reckitt. Written by Lucinda Gosling, Hilary Robinson and Amy Tobin.

"Head of Household: A Journal for Single Moms." Beth Raymer, a single mom, has put together words of inspiration from famous single mothers, prompts aimed at reflection, and ways to help their lives go easier. "What are the top five things you wish people understood or acknowledged about your single-mom experience?" she asks. Some estimates put the number of children in the U.S. being raised by single mothers at 15 million. Princeton Architecture Press. $24.95.

How about a burn book? Emily Rose, host of the podcast "It's Become a Whole Thing," has put together "The Stuff I Hate Journal." Among the prompts: What's the most condescending remark you've ever received? Who's the person in your life who always has to outdo everyone else? Think of the worst neighbors you've ever had and write the note you'd love to leave on their doorstep. Might be just the thing to help mom take the edge off. Adams Media. $15.99.

SUPPORT ADOPTION

The nonprofit Helpusadopt.org sells beaded bracelets with a gold leaf charm symbolizing the family tree. It gives 100% of its proceeds to its grant program that helps families struggling with the cost of adoption. The bracelets come in a variety of colors and materials, including marble and glass. They're also accentuated by gold beads with the group's "Help Us Adopt" signature. Available at Helpusadopt.org. Prices range from $50 for a single bracelet to $175 for a stack.

The nonprofit Jockey Being Family Foundation, which funds post-adoption support, benefits from the sale of a plush bear, because why shouldn't mom have her own stuffed animal? Jockey sets aside $5 per bear for the foundation's work. There are two bear versions dubbed Sam and Donna. They cost $10 each at Jockey.com.

FOR MOMS WHO ROLL

The folks at Oprah Daily put this bike on the O list for Mother's Day: The Electra Loft 7D. And it's a beaut. At $549.99, it comes in cream and seafoam green. It's lightweight, European style and has seven speeds. Considered a commuter bike, it has an aluminum frame and painted fenders. Tires are slightly wider than traditional road tires. Available at REI.

Consider a new suitcase, either carry-on size or larger. There's a huge selection out there so track down a sale.

Perhaps a balance ball would serve if your gift recipient is still working from home. There's one that comes with a traditional chair, including arms. $237.99. For new moms, a ball could double as a new baby activity.

MISCELLANEOUS GOODNESS

Walking poles are abundant. Jetti Poles go a step further. They're walking poles that add an extra pound each for fuller-body intensity on a stroll or hike. The poles come with rubber soles made of the same material as car tires to help navigate a range of terrains. From Jetti Fitness, the poles come in lengths of petite (5 feet to 5 foot, 3 inches) to extra tall (5 feet, 11 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches). They come in blue, pink and yellow. A carry bag is included.

Don't forget about Pickleball. ProXR has on offer a paddle from Beth Bellamy. The special-edition paddle comes in a white design with a premium fiberglass face for extra pop. A cover is included. Bellamy is ranked No. 1 in senior world pro women's singles. $179.99.

Got a crafter? Solve her storage crisis with the Dreambox. The rolling storage closet is full of adjustable shelving, rods, hooks and boxes. And, to reiterate, it's on wheels so can be stashed when not unfurled. There's lighting built in, along with an adjustable table, with options to add two additional side tables. Comes in two designs in white. Lots of other add-ons are available, like a white magnetic board that can be used to stick metal cutting dies onto. Making dreams come true sometimes doesn't come cheap. The base cost is around $2,500.

___

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. A meeting was held between Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, Azerbaijani minister of energy tweeted, Trend reports.

"We had fruitful talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto regarding our activities on the Solidarity Ring, the Caspian-EU green energy corridor, gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Hungary by the end of the year," he said.

Sofia hosted a ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Understanding on the promotion of cooperation between Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), Transgaz (Romania), FGSZ (Hungary), Eustream (Slovakia), and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) on April 25.

The Memorandum of Understanding sets out directions of cooperation between SOCAR and four distribution system operators for the supply of additional gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. The additional gas will be supplied through the upgraded transmission network systems of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia called the "Solidarity Ring".

Azerbaijan started gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. The initial capacity of the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP), which is the European section of the corridor, is 10 billion cubic meters per year with the possibility of expansion to 20 billion cubic meters.
Stephen Thaler has spent his lifetime working on artificial intelligence, and hes alarmed by the prospect of government regulators looking over his shoulder.

Thaler, who runs Imagination Engines in St. Charles, has made headlines for his efforts to patent inventions created by AI. He wrote two letters to Sen. Josh Hawley after a hearing in which industry executives urged senators to impose licensing and other restrictions on the emerging technology.

Regulation could severely handicap us, Thaler wrote, as investors voice their pessimism over the possibility of government interference and an inevitable labyrinth of rules, oversight, and containment of our AI.

Thaler told me he hasnt heard back from Hawley, the Missouri Republican who co-chaired the hearing. He hopes the senator will consider how regulation would affect small businesses in his own state.

If they start looking over my shoulder, thats the death of the company because were not nimble or agile anymore, Thaler said.

Hawley has proposed a framework for AI legislation that would require licensing of generative AI systems, which create content such as videos or text. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has unveiled his own framework, which addresses concerns about intellectual property and bias but does not call for licensing.

AI is the hot technology of the moment, and several St. Louis entrepreneurs are trying to harness its potential. Dave Costenaro, former chief data scientist at an AI startup called Capacity, worries that legislators will come down too hard on a rapidly developing technology.

I dont know that we need to rush to write legislation, said Costenaro, who now runs a data consulting firm. I hope its not just an excuse to stand up another three-letter government body. Understanding where risks are and responding in terms of existing organizations seems like a more useful exercise.

Marc Bernstein, chief executive of St. Louis AI startup Balto, agrees that the rush to regulate AI is premature and misguided, but sees promise in Schumers approach, which calls for study of how to support AI innovation while identifying the technologys risks.

The regulations early on should be light and experimental, Bernstein said. The discussion is good but were going to need to tread very lightly with regulation so the scientific and technological community can continue to do research into these important questions.

At the May hearing co-chaired by Hawley, Sam Altman, the St. Louis native who is CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI, testified in favor of licensing AI systems through a new federal or global agency.

Other entrepreneurs fear that such an agency would be subject to the well-known phenomenon of regulatory capture, in which deep-pocketed companies use their influence to create rules that limit competition.

That legislation if it comes through is going to kill a lot of small companies, Thaler said. Big companies like OpenAI are the ones that are going to survive.

Hodan Omaar, senior policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation in Washington, is hopeful that the U.S. wont follow the lead of Europe, where the European Parliament has passed a bill that would ban certain types of AI and impose transparency requirements on others.

Omaar sees Schumers suggested framework as a good starting point. He said innovation needs to be our north star and I think he recognizes the importance of getting the balance right, she said. Theres room between no regulation and heavy-handed regulation that will hurt innovation.

David Nicklaus is a retired Post-Dispatch columnist who continues to follow the St. Louis business scene. Reach him at dnickstl@gmail.com
ST. LOUIS  Bioscience boosters have started recruiting residents in the metro area for free training programs, aiming to fill a glut of open jobs in the industry. The program  Biotech for MO  will provide free childcare and transportation to at least 200 people in the region and the first trainees could begin jobs by the end of the year.

By targeting women, people of color, and those from lower-income households, the program is designed to both fill necessary roles in the bioscience industry and provide people the training necessary to get a good-paying job.

Today, we spend a lot of time preparing employees to go into the production lab, said Rick Cook, chief operating officer at Ceva Animal Health. There is a lot to learn about how to operate in a sterile environment, safety procedures and production processes that can vary from one product to another. If programs like this shorten that timeline, well become more efficient, more productive and better able to respond to customer needs.

Biotech for MO will leverage existing training programs, such as St. Louis Community Colleges Biomanufacturing Research and Technical Training and those at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. These will be expanded to include new training modules that will cover additional in-demand skillsets for bioscience workers.

Additionally, a new biotechnology training program will be developed in coordination with Washington University and BioSTL, a local nonprofit focused on investing in life science startups.

These workforce development trainings are so critical to the growth of the region and to the growth of innovation, said Margarett Wolf, regional communications business partner at MilliporeSigma.

Last year, the company made more than 100 offers at a two-day hiring fair to fill manufacturing jobs, held in St. Louis, she said.

All the training will be free. Funding comes from a $2 million grant awarded in January to BioSTL, Kansas City-based BioNexus KC and the Missouri Biotechnology Association by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The grant is intended to boost workforce expansion for plant, life and medical sciences  fields that often require post-secondary education to join.

These positions can be really accessible, particularly for those that dont have a four-year [college] degree, said Justin Raymundo, director of regional workforce strategy at BioSTL.

The programs will provide training in all the things that you need to be a biomanufacturing technician, said Raymundo. Lab skills such as DNA analysis techniques and the use of tools like micropipettes will be included in the curriculum.

In 2021, biological technicians earned a median annual salary of $48,140, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And, as the biosciences industry continues to grow, the need for employees in these positions grows with it. The industry employs more than 19,000 people in the metro area, with average annual earnings of more than $116,000 according to a labor market analysis BioSTL commissioned from the University of Missouri. The report defined the bioscience industry broadly, including categories like medical devices and equipment, pharmaceuticals, agricultural feedstock, and medical testing and research.

The report said in some cases, there is low demand among students for STEM courses, and some are reluctant to pursue programs that have significant math requirements. The areas bioscience employers, it said, face the dual challenge of encouraging people to pursue bioscience careers and persuading them to pursue those careers in the St. Louis region.

According to Raymundo, employers like Thermo Fisher Scientific, Ceva Animal Health and MilliporeSigma are partnered with Biotech for MO and plan to hire for hundreds of these entry-level roles.

BioSTL will be recruiting participants through local job centers and the Gateway Apprenticeship Hub, Raymundo said. A pool of applicants will also come to the training programs through Rung for Women, a non-profit organization in St. Louis that aims to support women looking to find a new, quality career.

A vast majority of our women identify as women of color, said Danyelle Little, director of marketing and communications at Rung for Women. Theyre not necessarily in poverty or at risk, but theyre like one paycheck away, one car repair could send them into disarray. And so thats why we want them to have careers where theyre able to make a living, sustainable wage, and then create wealth. Because then, when these emergencies do come up, it will not send the whole family into a tailspin.

Through partnership with Rung for Women, all participants in St. Louis will have access to childcare for the duration of the training. In addition, Rung for Women will offer financial literacy counseling, an on-site family clinic and meals to its recruits.

Raymundo says that the grant will also cover transportation costs for trainees, and that BioSTL is exploring options like providing MetroLink passes or reimbursement for Uber rides. He anticipates the first group of trainees will start jobs with bioscience employers around the end of the year.

The Missouri Biotechnology Association, a statewide trade group, will also use grant money to develop a virtual model that people could access anywhere in the state.

Cook, of Ceva Animal Health, said that even though these trainings are for entry-level positions, there is a lot of opportunity for advancement in the industry. Its an investment that will pay off for employees, companies and our community for years in the future, he said.

Annika Merrilees of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
JEFFERSON CITY  Democrat Crystal Quade on Monday officially launched her bid for governor, arguing Missouri needs a change after longstanding Republican dominance in the capital city.

Quade, the Missouri House minority leader from Springfield, in an ad released over the weekend touted her gravel-road roots and called Republican front-runner Jay Ashcroft a bully who uses fear to divide Missourians.

Jabbing at Ashcrofts famous name, she also said in a tweet that My daddy wasnt a US Senator or Governor, referring to the secretary of states father, John Ashcroft.

Im not interested in, kind of ad hominem attacks against my opponents, Ashcroft said Monday. Im going to talk about the future of Missouri and how we can make the state have better opportunity for all Missourians.

Quade, in an interview Monday, said she singled out Ashcroft because he is leading in GOP primary polling and because the elections chief is the epitome of where elected Republicans are at in the state of Missouri right now.

He is very extreme on his positions. Hes not scared to talk about it, Quade said.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel are also running as Republicans.

Quade, a social worker, said in her ad she came from nothing and that her single mom worked as a waitress. She said her stepfather got a good factory job and that she became the first in her family to graduate from high school.

Im running for governor for one simple reason: Because parents who are working extra shifts today have children who need to beat the odds tomorrow, Quade said.

While she focused on Ashcroft, Quade also elbowed Kehoe, who at 30 purchased a Ford dealership in Jefferson City and who appeared on horseback surrounded by cattle in a campaign video.

I dont own a car dealership, or a cattle farm. Im a mom, a social worker, and a leader who builds bridges to make change, Quade said Sunday on Twitter.

Kehoe responded that even though he never met his dad and his single mom worked three jobs raising six kids, I didnt make excuses.

My siblings and I had to work hard to support my mom and we earned the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, Kehoe said. Thats the great thing about our country that the progressive left wants to destroy.

Quade said in response that she hopes for a state where regardless of your background, that you can achieve the American Dream.

Hats off to his mom, and my mom and these other parents who have created pathways for us to get there, but its not that easy anymore, Quade said.

I want to create a state where the grind actually gets you somewhere, Quade said.

She added that while he and I might have similar backgrounds, theres a big difference between somebody whos owned a car dealership ... and owns a cattle farm, versus somebody who is on the ground working with folks every single day.

Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican looking to upset Ashcroft and Kehoe, blasted Kehoe for supporting an increase to the states fuel tax for road improvements at the same time he criticized government dependence.

This is why folks hate politicians, Eigel said, going on to joke that it was gonna be a heckuva Dem primary between Kehoe and Quade.

Quade will have a lot of ground to make up in Missouri, where Republican Gov. Mike Parson won by a 57%-40% margin against Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway in 2020.

Since then, Missouri has instituted a near-total abortion ban, while at the same time abortion rights supporters have successfully opposed anti-abortion ballot measures in Kansas and Kentucky.

In her introductory ad, Quade is outfront in her opposition to Missouris abortion ban  an issue that could go to a statewide vote in 2024.

But Quade said that on abortion, she doesnt believe she is out of sync with most Missouri voters.

The ballot initiative  if it makes it to the ballot  will show us that, Quade said. Folks are frustrated with the government overreach.
A new Missouri securities rule offers a template for Republican state officials who want to advance an anti-woke business agenda even as such ideas struggle for legislative backing.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, issued a rule on June 1 that requires broker-dealers to obtain consent from customers to purchase or sell an investment product based on social or other nonfinancial objectives, such as combating climate change.

Ashcroft acted after Republican lawmakers failed to pass a similar measure during the states legislative session that ended on May 12, amid infighting over which bills should be prioritized.

Both the new rule and failed legislation were part of a broader push by Republicans in some states to limit the growing consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors by business and investors.

Many Republican politicians call such concerns woke overreach, using a term the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as attentiveness to racial and social-justice issues. This year, they proposed some 165 pieces of legislation in 37 states to counter ESG investment practices, according to Pleiades Strategy, a climate-focused research and advisory firm.

But of those 165 proposals, only 22 anti-ESG laws in 16 states were approved this year, Pleiades found. Concerns over costs, bureaucracy and economic fallout led to bills stalling or passing in weakened form even in so-called red states, where Republicans dominate state government.

Several corporate attorneys said other Republican officials may adopt Ashcrofts playbook and act on their own.

In the absence of legislative action, which can be hard to achieve, youll see a migration to action via executive or administrative orders and attorney general opinions, said Beth I.Z. Boland, a securities litigator for Foley & Lardner in Boston.

The policy changes pursued by Republicans have yet to put a major dent in ESG as an asset class, as investors take stock of issues such as climate change and workforce diversity. Morningstar Direct tracked $2.74 trillion in funds globally that used ESG criteria to evaluate investments or assess their societal impact as of March 31, up from $2.69 trillion a year earlier.

But the attacks have persuaded some Wall Street firms to change their messaging to avoid controversy. BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink said last month he had stopped using the term ESG because it has become too politicized.

Novel approach

Ashcroft is also running for governor of Missouri on a conservative platform, including a vow in a campaign video to protect Missourians from banks that focus on what he called woke politics.

Ashcroft told Reuters in an interview that an extremely dysfunctional session prevented the measure in question from advancing through a state Senate committee after it passed the House. Committee members did not return messages.

But Ashcroft also said he wanted to take a different tack than in other states with new Republican-backed restrictions such as barring certain companies from managing public money.

We think weve taken a novel approach that protects people but doesnt preclude them from deciding what to do with their own money, he said about the rule he implemented, which is set to take effect at the end of July.

According to a spokesperson, Ashcroft initiated the rulemaking before the legislative session began, essentially as a backup plan in case lawmakers did not act on the same idea introduced in January.

Business groups had raised objections including on legal grounds and that the rule would create unnecessary costs and logistical hurdles.

You cant get away from the fact that this is a new mandate on employers and the financial industry, said Dan Mehan, president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.

Extra arrows

Financial executives who so far have avoided the strongest laws worry that the possibility of executive or administrative actions, as in Missouri, gives state officials flexibility to keep up the pressure.

Theres a lot more arrows in the quiver, said K&L Gates attorney Lance Dial, whose clients include asset managers.

Missouri is one of 10 states whose secretaries of state have jurisdiction over securities, according to the nonpartisan national association of these officials who are often known for overseeing elections and business licenses. Of those 10 officials, six are Republicans.

In Wyoming, Secretary of State Chuck Gray has proposed ESG disclosure rules for investment advisers similar to Missouris. A public comment period is expected soon.

Before this years legislative wave, examples of Republican anti-ESG efforts included Floridas chief financial officer and West Virginias treasurer withdrawing assets from BlackRock, and Kentuckys treasurer and attorney general guiding state officials to limit investments in ESG.

To be sure, Republicans have also passed some notable new anti-ESG laws such as a bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prohibiting ESG bond sales.

DeSantis, who has been embroiled in a feud with Disney, is seeking the Republican nomination for president.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, spent the past week taking a victory lap.

On the Fourth of July, a federal judge said the Biden administration cant encourage social media companies to delete posts from their platforms or meet with them to discuss content moderation policies.

The injunction was part of a lawsuit Schmitt brought more than a year ago, when he was Missouri attorney general, alleging that the White House violated the First Amendment by colluding with social media companies to suppress conservative speech about COVID-19 regulations and false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

White House officials, CDC & others are stopped cold. We need to continue the fight to take down the Vast Censorship Enterprise, Schmitt wrote on Twitter. Their view of misinformation isnt an excuse to censor. This is the most important free speech case in a generation. Freedom is on the march.

It was Schmitts second court victory in as many weeks. The previous week, Missouris role in the case challenging President Joe Bidens plan to relieve some Americans of up to $20,000 of their student loan debt was central in the Supreme Courts decision invalidating the plan.

Both suits were launched while Schmitt was campaigning for U.S. Senate. Now  having successfully won the role after a campaign where his stump speech included a line, cribbed from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a former state attorney general, that his job was to wake up and sue the Biden administration  Schmitts first year in office has been defined more by the work he did as Missouri Attorney General than legislative accomplishments in Congress.

They certainly distinguish him among his colleagues in the Senate, said John Hancock, a former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. And, you know, a Senate career is a career. Its a long-term proposition. New senators have to build relationships. They have to garner respect.

Its common for new senators, particularly those in the minority party, to have limited success in their early years in office. The Senate has a long history of favoring seniority  it was once Senate tradition for new members to wait months before speaking in the chamber.

Schmitt was the last of the new senators to offer his first bill, aimed at restricting the number of regulations the executive branch can create. It has not moved through the Senate.

His office is quick to point out that the legal victories complement his proclaimed mission in the Senate to give Congress more of the power it has ceded to the executive branch.

Tackling the administrative state and protecting freedom of speech are two of his top priorities, both of which were affirmed by court rulings these past couple of weeks, and both issues are now gaining steam on Capitol Hill, said Chris Nuelle, Schmitts communications director. Sen. Schmitt looks forward to continuing to lead the charge and introducing further legislation to stop the out-of-control growth of the administrative state and preserve freedom of speech.

Both of Missouris U.S. Senators  Schmitt and Sen. Josh Hawley  served as the states attorney general before being elected to the Senate at a time when attorneys general have been able to build political capital through suing the federal government.

The lawsuits he filed are now being handled by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican who was appointed to the position by Gov. Mike Parson after Schmitt was elected to the Senate. Bailey, too, has made a point of going after the Biden administration with lawsuits.

With the court as receptive as it is now to political cases, that even when they dont have a real case or controversy to rule on, it is an incredible opening for the very politicized system to take advantage of, said Caroline Fredrickson, a constitutional law expert and professor at Georgetown Law. And for those attorneys general who want to jump on the openness of the Supreme Court to hear these cases.

Missouri  specifically the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority  was central to the U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking Bidens student debt cancellation plan. Because the state created MOHELA, as the loan agency is known, and would potentially lose money used for scholarships, Chief Justice John Roberts said it proved the state would be harmed by the program. The three liberal justices said MOHELA, which has the ability to sue and be sued, should have brought the case on its own.

I would say theres a majority on the court that is  as are Republicans generally  suspicious of what they call the administrative state, said Russell Wheeler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institutions governance studies program. And, that being the case, they are probably willing to allow fairly loose standing rules to let the attorneys general have their way. I dont know any other way to look at it.

But where the countrys highest court scaled back executive power in the student debt case, it was a single federal judge in Louisiana who has blocked the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies over content moderation. The administration, which took office after false claims about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election helped spark an insurrection on the Capitol, has been vocal about fighting what they call misinformation and disinformation on social media.

Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed suit claiming the White House had used the social media companies to suppress speech, under the threat of removing legal protections for social media companies. It would take an act of Congress to change the law that currently protects those companies from being sued over what users post, called Section 230.

Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee who in 2022 blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the Biden administration, appeared to favor Schmitts argument that the administration had targeted conservative speech.

This case is full of this judges idea of symbolism, Wheeler said. He issued on July 4. Come on. The only reason he did that is because it was Independence Day. And he starts out with this quote from Voltaire and then all this other stuff, which is, in my view, typical of a judge whos trying to show off.

Doughty has yet to issue his final ruling on the case and the Department of Justice is expected to appeal his injunction. On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House disagreed with the ruling, but didnt want to get in front of the Department of Justice.

Our view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take action or to take account of the effects of their platforms are having to the American people but make independent choices about the information they present, Jean Pierre said. They are a private, as you know, entity, and it is their responsibility to  you know, to act accordingly.

As the White House defends itself from lawsuits launched by conservative attorneys general, its working in a landscape often skeptical of the way it yields executive power. Schmitt and Landry filed their social media case in a Louisiana District Court where four out of the five judges were appointed by Trump. If the White House appeals, it will go to an appeals court that is considered one of the most conservative in the country. Then it would go to a Supreme Court where conservatives have a 6-3 majority.

The executive branch is clearly in a very different situation than it was 20 or 30 years ago, when the assumption was that the government pretty well worked by delegation of authority, and people accepted that, Wheeler said. That has become a very iffy proposition anymore and there are states attorneys general and judges who are willing to to give force to it.

Both Doughty and the Supreme Court have helped Schmitt accomplish some of what he hopes to accomplish through legislation  which Fredrickson criticized as the court determining issues that should be determined by elected politicians, a similar argument to one Schmitt has used against federal agencies that promulgate rules.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court seems to be trying very hard to wrest power away from the other two branches, and unbalance that system rather than appropriately deferring to the elected branches, Fredrickson said.

Those legal victories have helped Schmitt build his name early on his Senate career. Already hes appeared on conservative stations to tout his victory and hes portrayed the lawsuit against the Biden administrations content moderation involvement as a pivotal case for free speech.

The politics behind this is excellent for Schmitt, said Jean Evans, the former executive director for the Missouri Republican Party. Its part of why he was elected in a tough primary, its because hes proven to be working for the people. And thats been his whole thing to push back against government control.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri attorney generals office, having signaled plans to rebrand its anti-human trafficking efforts this year, recently launched a six-figure media campaign urging people to report suspicious activity.

The public service announcement campaign, featuring Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, aired on television and radio in May and June and also included a small digital component, according to the Missouri Broadcasters Association.

Costs for the campaign totaled $210,000, said Chad Mahoney, president and CEO of the association. He said the PSA featuring Bailey was shot in April.

Bailey was named to the post by Gov. Mike Parson after Eric Schmitt, the former attorney general, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. Bailey took over in January.

Besides potentially aiding anti-human trafficking efforts, the PSAs also helped to introduce the political newcomer Bailey to a statewide audience as he angles for a full term as attorney general in 2024.

The campaign came amid an absence of news from the attorney generals office related to human trafficking operations or initiatives.

Crystal Atkinson, formerly the AGs anti-human trafficking coordinator, no longer works for the office and was last paid on April 28, according to state payroll records.

Despite this, Atkinson was listed as coordinator on the attorney generals website as recently as Friday.

Attorney generals office officials reported April 3 that the Bailey administration (is) working toward rebranding task force and promised more info to come in the future, according to meeting minutes for the Missouri Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children.

The minutes said officials were surveying other states to see what other AGOs are doing and surveying NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to gather best practices.

Asked Thursday about the attorney generals anti-human trafficking efforts, an office spokeswoman said to expect more news in the coming weeks.

The office is close to resetting the statewide anti-human trafficking efforts, said Maddie Green, spokeswoman for the attorney generals office. We will provide additional details in the coming weeks.

The potential reset follows criticism in January of the states response to human trafficking, which one former state official called inadequate.

In Missouri the people who are hired and appointed to respond to human trafficking ... are not properly trained, equipped, qualified and/or motivated, said Alison Phillips, who directed the task force under Schmitt, in an email to lawmakers.

Elad Gross, a Democrat running for attorney general in 2024, expressed support for Bailey hopefully doing something about human trafficking.

But, he asked, Is there action in that area that has led to you wanting to do this PSA, or are you just doing it for yourself?

The 30-second spot shows Bailey urging victims and others to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline to report trafficking.

The ad begins with a narrator stating, You can help stop human trafficking, and then cuts to Bailey, who appears in front of a black background in a vest emblazoned with the Missouri attorney general seal.

Im Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, he says. Human trafficking is occurring right here in Missouri.

Bailey tells viewers that they can help combat human trafficking by learning signs and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.

Victims may appear malnourished, show signs of mental or physical abuse, or avoid social interaction, he said.

If you are a victim or know someone who needs help, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, Bailey said. Together, we can fight human trafficking in Missouri.

The president of the Missouri Broadcasters Association said it is not uncommon for officeholders to appear in PSAs disseminated through the Missouri Public Education Program.

Mahoney was able to find 13 examples of PSAs by various statewide officeholders since 2017, though he said it was not a complete list.

One example is State Treasurer Vivek Malek, another Republican sworn in this year and on the ballot next year, whose PSA campaign publicizes his offices efforts to return unclaimed property to rightful owners.

The Missouri Broadcasters Association accepts public service announcements from governmental entities and nonprofits and delivers those to television and radio stations across the state.

The stations then decide whether to donate air time broadcasting the messages, with participating stations receiving a discount on broadcasters association dues.

Mahoney said that in an election year, due to Federal Communications Commission equal time rules, most stations wont accept PSAs featuring a candidate on the ballot in 2024, such as Bailey or Malek.
ST. LOUIS  A team of researchers at Washington University has developed an air monitor that can alert users to the presence of SARS-CoV-2  the virus responsible for COVID-19  in just five minutes.

In an article published in Nature Communications on Monday, the researchers showed the monitors ability to detect as few as tens of viral particles in a cubic meter. They hope to commercialize the air monitor so it can be placed in public spaces like hospitals and schools, helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This is like finding a needle in a haystack, said Rajan Chakrabarty, associate professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the universitys McKelvey School of Engineering. This is from the pandemic preparedness side of things. We need to have real-time surveillance devices which can do that.

The monitor works by pulling a high volume of air into the device  about 1,000 liters per minute. The high speed traps any aerosols collected within a fluid, where a sensor resides.

Virus particles then bind to a protein on the sensor that recognizes the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Finally, a voltage is applied that alters the charge of the virus particle, and the sensor detects that electrical change. With a switch from a green to red light, the monitor signals the need for increased air flow in the room.

The research team tested the monitor in the bedrooms of COVID-positive patients, where the monitor detected the viruss presence. In comparison, the monitor detected none in virus-free air samples.

That was the first real-world test of this device, said John Cirrito, professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine. We had so much prep work to get to that point. Showing we could actually detect virus in the air of a sick person was that moment when you know everything youve done up to now actually works.

The researchers  Chakrabarty, Cirrito, and Carla Yuede, an associate professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine  will soon work to commercialize the monitor so it can be used in public spaces. In the next few months, they plan to expand the monitors capabilities to check for other pathogens like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, as well.

If you really want to mitigate virus spread ... being able to surveil it and know in real-time or nearly real-time whats going on, what the health of that space is, we think is critical and really important, Cirrito said.
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, Western countries united in imposing severe economic sanctions on Russia. This did some damage to the Russian economy, but not as much as the sanctioning countries expected. This is because there are always other countries with current or previous experience with evading sanctions. Outlaw states tend to cooperate, or at least share sanction evasion techniques with each other. Russia found that nearby Iran, which has been under varying degrees of sanctions for decades, was a good source of advice on evading sanctions. Even before Russia went total outlaw in Ukraine, they had been cooperating with Iran, North Korea and several other heavily sanctioned nations.

Russian oil exports, which for decades have been about eight million BDP (Barrels Per Day), vary in value depending on the world price for oil. In the last decade there have been two instances of sanctions related declines in Russian oil exports. The first was in 2014, in response to the Russian occupation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. Russian oil exports fell about ten percent from their normal level. Russian oil exports recovered quickly to their previous levels but oil income remained lower because Russia had to use discounts to get past the oil sanctions. This was because nations caught obtaining sanctioned oil could themselves be sanctioned. In 2022, Russia was hit with even heavier sanctions that caused oil income for 2022 to decline by over 20 percent compared to the previous year.

Russian oil exports cannot be ignored because Russia is the second largest oil exporter, behind Saudi Arabia. During periods when Russian oil exports are sanctioned, the primary impact is Russia receiving less for its oil. Russia managed to quickly deal with the new sanctions because of its close relationships with Iran, which was a veteran practitioner of how best to evade sanctions.

Iran has become quite skilled at evading sanctions. Since the U.S. revived economic sanctions against Iran in 2017, there has been an even larger and better organized effort to defeat the many methods Iran has developed over the years to conceal its smuggling efforts. Everyone involved tried to keep details of these Iranian schemes and American countermeasures out of the news, and not just because the Iranian methods were usually illegal, but also because the U.S. and its allies didnt want Iran to know the full extent of the new countermeasures being used. That veil of secrecy began to shred at the start of 2019 when a storm off the Syrian coast ran an Indian tanker (Tour 2) ashore. Worse, the Tour 2 had just delivered Iranian oil to Syria and went to sea hurriedly using the bad weather to evade detection. Tugs did not arrive until April to pull the tanker off the beach near the Syrian port of Latakia. It soon became clear what happened here. During late December 2018, Tour 2 loaded its oil cargo in an Iranian port and after it exited the Suez Canal it ghosted or ran dark. That is, the tanker turned off its AIS (Automated Identification System), which allows ship owners and their customers, as well as any nearby vessels, to track the progress of large ships. With the Indian shipping company exposed as illegally smuggling oil to Syria, the extent of the increased American scrutiny of ships making deliveries to Syria forced Iran to be more resourceful. Iranian plans for more illegal oil tanker visits to Syria had to be hastily revised. Iran found that most of its old ploys and too many of its new schemes to carry out illegal oil movements no longer worked, at least not regularly. For months after the Tour 2 grounding, there was a very visible oil shortage in most of Syria. Iran has resorted to smuggling oil via truck from Iran through Iraq to Syria, but this is not sufficient to make up for the deliveries via sea going tankers.

Iran also noted that the American/Israeli surveillance of economic activity in Syria was more thorough and robust than anticipated. Any improvement in the Syrian oil situation triggered more international countermoves to block Iranian efforts to find a tanker that could deliver to Syria. The new countermeasures include monitoring the nations that provide ship registry services while maritime insurance companies have their own array of regulations regarding who can have access to insurance coverage and who cannot. This is about more than shipowners being covered against accidents at sea or in port. Ships without proper coverage, especially for vessels carrying dangerous cargo (like petroleum and natural gas), cannot enter many major ports or the territorial waters of most nations if they do not have the proper insurance. By mid-2019 Iran found it more difficult to conceal what its hundred or so Iranian owned tankers and cargo ships were doing as more and more shipping companies and nations refused to do business with Iran. Iran tried to rely on Chinese tankers using Iranian techniques. For example, the U.S. recently caught a Chinese tanker in the Indian Ocean using ghosting and, while its AIS was off, changed its ship registration to hide delivery of Iranian oil to a banned customer. Now the Americans are threatening to seize Chinese tankers if China does not enforce the terms of the Iranian sanctions.

All this is happening because once more Iranian oil exports are hobbled by sanctions and Iran is reviving its usual array of deceptions to try and hide illegal exports to customers willing to risk discovery and punishment when the Iranian deceptions fail. The last time (2012-2015) Iran got hit by an oil export ban, shipments dropped from 2.6 million barrels per day to a million barrels per day. After the sanctions were once more imposed in late 2018, Iranian exports quickly fell from 2.8 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels. By April 2019 legal shipments had declined to under a million barrels per day. By mid-2019 oil shipments were often down to less than half a million barrels a day. The decline delay was, in part, caused by exemptions given to eight export customers who needed time to shift to another supplier. Some of the exemptions are permanent which is why the exports never hit zero. There are plenty of other suppliers because there has been a world oil glut since 2010 because of fracking in North America (and now elsewhere). The OPEC oil cartel has restricted production to try and drive the oil price up but that only worked for a while and only partially. Even before Iranian oil sanctions were revived the oil price was declining again. So there are plenty of oil producers willing and able to replace Iranian exports. Illegal Iranian oil exports are sold at a lower price because of the risk (financial costs if caught) and that also contributes to keeping oil prices low. But if scrutiny is too intense the smugglers find they cannot reach many customers.

By mid-2019 Iran was again threatening to close the entrance to the Persian Gulf (the Strait of Hormuz) and the Red Sea entrance as well. The Hormuz threats were a bluff because Iran would be hurt more than anyone else, in the short term as well as going forward. A more immediate problem was Iran losing the cloak of secrecy that had long kept its smuggling methods out of the news.

Iran not only revived its usual techniques to hide ship movements but was shown to have expanded them. One reason the oil sanctions returned was that after most sanctions were lifted in 2015 is that Iran continued to smuggle weapons by sea, using the same deceptions it employed to try and get around the oil export ban. The difference was that most of the ships Iran used for arms smuggling were small enough (under 300 tons) that they were not legally required to carry an electronic beacon. But some larger Iranian weapons smuggling ships illegally turned off their AIS beacon and, as the saying goes, ghosted. It was this continued smuggling and other unfriendly activity that brought back the sanctions and the oil embargo.

Iran now found that its opponents (mainly the U.S. and Israel) have developed more effective methods of tracking its use of smaller ships so those were no longer as successful. Other old standbys, like bribes and corruption of officials involved in monitoring maritime cargo in ports and at sea, were also under greater scrutiny.

For a long time, the primary technical deception was having ships carrying contraband turn off their AIS transponder. AIS was originally developed to make it easier to track ships at sea and was rapidly adopted by most large commercial vessels in the 1990s. AIS is essentially an automatic radio beacon (transponder) that, when it receives a signal from a nearby AIS equipped ship, responds with the ship's identity, course, and speed. This is meant to enable AIS ships to avoid collisions with each other. The original AIS only had a range of 20-35 kilometers but by 2006 space satellites were developed that could track AIS transmissions worldwide. Commercial ships have become very dependent on AIS, which has greatly reduced collisions (and crew anxiety) at sea. After 2000 international agreements mandated that ships larger than 300 tons, and all passenger ships, carry and use AIS at all times.

While this made it practical to track all high seas commercial traffic, it was also exploited by smugglers and pirates. Some ships traveled (in violation of international law) with AIS and other trackers turned off. Usually, only criminals turned these devices off, and this was often discovered when navies spotted one of these ships ghosting at sea. It didnt take long for some intelligence agencies (those with ocean surveillance space satellites and lots of ships and subs at sea) to exploit the silent AIS ploy to create better ways to track smugglers by noting when some ships turn off their trackers and then turn them on again as they are about to enter a port (or some other area where AIS use is mandatory). Some nations, like Iran and North Korea, have tankers and cargo ships that are often found running dark. Naturally, intelligence agencies developed methods to take advantage of this and a growing number of smugglers, usually North Korean, are detected and tracked because of AIS manipulation. Iran had an easier time concealing arms smuggling because they could use smaller ships. Actually, for getting arms to Shia rebels in Yemen Iran used a lot of small ships that are not required to use AIS. These could be, and were, tracked by satellite but it was more difficult. Oil smuggling is another matter as large ships (tankers) are used and they are easier to spot from orbital space (or by recon aircraft and UAVs).

AIS monitoring has been combined with analyzing the thousands of satellite photos available each day from commercial satellites. Using software that can scan these digital photos and match ship position data with current AIS data, it is easier to identify who is misbehaving and go after them. This has been bad news for Iranian oil smuggling efforts and so far the Iranians have not come up with effective countermeasures.

Before AIS came along most large ships carried (and still carry) INMARSAT, which enables shipping companies to keep track of their vessels, no matter where they are on the planet. INMARSAT became available in the 1980s and uses a system of satellites which transmit AIS-like signals to anywhere on the oceans. It only costs a few cents to send an INMARSAT signal to one of your ships, and a few cents more to receive a reply. The trackers and satellite-based navigation systems in general soon proved invaluable by preventing collisions or running into reefs, rocks, or (in bad weather) coastlines.

The smugglers soon responded to intel agency tracking of AIS activity with new tricks. Back in 2012, Iran was caught hacking AIS signals. Iran was sending false AIS signals to assist its smuggling operations. After 2012 security researchers found even more ways to hack AIS and have been calling for changes in the AIS software to make it more difficult to spoof. Iran is expected to try this again, despite the increased security measures in the AIS software.

Iran has been working for some time to come up with ways to confuse the international ship tracking system, mainly to support their arms smuggling activities. These maritime security technologies were developed as a safety feature and have proved valuable in other ways as well by providing the positions of ships caught in storms or taken by pirates. All ships now use GPS coordinates to record location and constantly report that back to the home office. Iran exploited this by having two of its ships trade INMARSAT IDs while they were near each other, leaving the U.S., or anyone else checking INMARSAT data, unable to track ships that have been switched. Well, for a while at least. Once the intel people caught onto this scam, they developed ways to counter it. This is very much a matter of move and counter move when it comes to exploiting or creating AIS vulnerabilities.

Because these tracking systems were, after 2000, required by law (international agreements) for all seagoing vessels, this new tech was particularly useful in counter-terror operations. Coast guards the world over have also found the systems a big help. But apparently pirates in some areas have gained access to the systems (via bribes or theft) and a large number of pirate attacks appear to have been helped by technology meant to safeguard ships at sea. But overall, the tracking systems have done far more good than bad. By 2012 counter-piracy operations improved and better security inside the AIS operation made it much more difficult to be a pirate via stolen AIS data.

Iranian abuse of the AIS system was not appreciated by the shipping companies and ship crews. The Iranians have been found moving tankers around the Persian Gulf with AIS turned off. The Iranians do this in other parts of the world where there is a lot of ship traffic. This puts ships of many nations at risk and despite Iranian denials, there are enough ships reporting encounters with Iranian ships running dark to confirm what Iran is doing. All this outlaw activity turned more and more former allies, or neutrals, against Iran.

The bad reputation Iran has made for itself in the maritime shipping community caught up with it in 2019. Nations that registered ships (flags of convenience) were no longer as convenient for Iran and the Iranians were surprised to found out how many ship registering nations, even the small ones with a reputation for serving shady customers, were no longer willing to register Iranian ships and were able to spot (with American help) Iranian efforts to use deception to get one of their ships registered. Insurance companies work closely with ship registrars to spot fraudulent activities and Iran soon found many of its ships could not get insurance and without it could not enter many foreign ports. At this point, Iran finds itself on the defensive. The Americans had built up a larger arsenal of countermeasures than Iran expected and that disturbing revelation came at a very inconvenient time.

Because Russian oil exports represented a larger portion of oil exports, Russia found more major oil purchasers willing to cooperate in evading sanctions for the discounted Russian oil. Iran was also a major supplier of munitions to Russia after Ukraine was invaded and Russia found it needed more ammunition than expected. Russia expected a short war. This is a common delusion with aggressor states and now Russia finds itself taking major losses in Ukraine and unable to find an easy way out.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / (OTC MARKETS) - A1 Group, Inc. (the "Company" or "AWON") would like to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire the assets and accounts of NYSW Beverage Brands ("NYSW").

NYSW is a full scale, water bottling concern located in Halcott, New York. The NYSW operation not only includes full scale, automated water bottling lines, but has access to unlimited natural spring water under the Vly Mountain located in the Catskills of Upper New York. NYSW operates two current brands: New York Spring Water and Aqua 84 Minerals. The Company plans on retaining the current President of NYSW, Jordan Zakka, for an extended period of time after the official closing in order to ensure a smooth transition of operations and guarantee that their current customers continue to receive their orders in a timely manner. The current NYSW web site is at www.NewYorkSpringWater.com.

To provide a back history on the business development of NYSW, New York Spring Water started with one of the simplest business concepts imaginable: bottling pure spring water from the Catskills and shipping it to areas that need it. Of course, the implementation of any business is never that simple. Richard Zakka, a New York City real estate developer and weekend Catskills resident, had a dream to develop a water-bottling company in the Town of Halcott, using a spring under Vly Mountain that generates billions of gallons of pure Catskills water every year. While obtaining the lease for the spring and land for a processing facility that was necessary to power his business enterprise, Zakka also invented his own twist on the bottled-water market with VBlast, a patented bottled water system that releases flavors, vitamins, and minerals into the water when the consumer twists the cap open. This design ensures that the flavor and vitamins are fresh when the consumer drinks it, giving the fledging company a leg up in a crowded marketplace. In addition to VBlast, New York Spring Water sells a regular bottled-water line without the twist cap; Aqua 84, a line infused with 84 vitamins and minerals from the Himalayas, and VBee, a children's-oriented brand.

CEO, Lloyd Preston Jr. said "The acquisition of NYSW set forth in the Letter of Intent has been in negotiations for several months now and has been finally consummated. It is the first of a couple business opportunities we plan on closing over the next 6 to 12 months as we attempt to make a splash in the bottled water market in various regions of the United States. This plan of action started with the purchase of the assets of Oxigen Water a couple months ago which included a large amount of completed inventory and specialty automated water bottle production equipment. As this business plan develops, we will make the appropriate announcements to the public which will contain updates on which regions we plan on developing and the footprint we will operate in those same said regions." We plan to grow through acquisitions or build out our own operating bottling lines where are Board of Directors feel will bring in the most return on investment over the long term. It is going to be a very exciting 2023 and 2024 and this plan to enter the water bottle production industry in a large manner."

Disclaimer Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements that we make may constitute "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include information concerning future strategic objectives, business prospects, anticipated savings, financial results (including expenses, earnings, liquidity, cash flow and capital expenditures), industry or market conditions, demand for and pricing of our products, acquisitions and divestitures, anticipated results of litigation and regulatory developments or general economic conditions. In addition, words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," and future or conditional verbs such as "will," "may," "could," "should," and "would," as well as any other statement that necessarily depends on future events, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, and they involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Although we make such statements based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.

ABOUT US

A1 Group, Inc. is a Nevada corporation, is a public quoted Pink Sheet OTC issuer under the ticker symbol "AWON" (the "Company"). The Company reports as an alternative reporting issuer with OTC Markets Group, Inc. and is current in its mandatory required filings (e.g., Pink Sheet Current). The Company has acquired assets to become a producer of oxygen-enhanced water products intended to help improve one's health, wellness, and lifestyle. The company's products will be produced were produced using a proprietary O4 molecule that is BPA-free and contained higher oxygen content than regular water and is packed with post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, enabling consumers to increase stamina, improve focus and promote faster recovery. Additionally, the Company plans on becoming a regional co-packer of water products for large clients.

CONTACT

15169 North Scottsdale Road

Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

(480)-432-1536

Company Web Site: www.AwonBeverages.com

Twitter: @A1Beverages

Company Email: [email protected]

Contact: Lloyd Preston Jr., President, and CEO

SOURCE: A1 Group, Inc.

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Property & Area Map of Existing + New Claims Staked

Recent Sampling Results From ALS

Debt Re-Structuring to Facilitate Financing

Incentive Stock Options Granted

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / CAT Strategic Metals Corporation (CSE:CAT)(OTC PINK:CATTF)(FRA:8CH) ("CAT" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its Gold Jackpot Lithium Property located in Elko County, Nevada, and also reports on various other corporate matters.

CAT MAP OF EXISTING + ADDITIONAL NEW CLAIMS

On June 23, 2023, CAT reported that it had deployed a third consulting geologist to the Gold Jackpot property in order to continue the staking activity that was initially undertaken by Rick Redfern and Patrick Laforest at the beginning of June. This activity resulted in CAT staking a further sixty (60) claims to the east and west of the Company's existing claim block and has increased CAT's landholdings to 121 claims, which now totals 2,499 acres, or 1,011 hectares. The map below shows CATs existing claims in blue and the newly staked claims in red. It also shows CAT's claims in relation to Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") and Peloton Minerals Corporation ("Peloton"), the Company's neighbours in what is considered to be a new and emerging lithium discovery area.

Figure 1. Claim Boundaries, Gold Jackpot Area

CAT has staked and erected posts on 28 new claims on the eastern side of its central core ground covering the Stag's Leap Porphyry/Diatreme target area and the lithium potential area of interest. Surge Battery Metals staked claims in the eastern part of the area as well, and Figure 1 shows the overlap where the Surge claims have taken preference over the CAT claims. CAT staked 32 claims in the western area with lithium potential, and no other claims were properly staked and posts erected into place properly in this area by third parties. CAT's 60 new claims are believed to have good potential for the occurrence of lithium deposits similar in character to mineralization found on the Surge claims, although this will have to be tested by exploration drilling.

GOLD JACKPOT LATEST SAMPLING RESULTS

Four (4) rock chip samples were taken by Redfern and Laforest during their recent visit to the property in early June, and were submitted to the ALS laboratory in Elko, as well as the ALS lab in Vancouver.

One sample was taken from altered hematitic rhyolite from the southeastern part of the existing core claimblock, and this sample returned a highly anomalous lithium value of 76.3 ppm Li, as well as anomalous arsenic, bismuth, hafnium, rubidium, tantalum, and 9 ppm uranium. The form, contact- and age relationships of this rhyolite are not yet known, but it is interpreted to be a possible source of the lithium in the project area.

Three samples were taken on Stag's Leap ridge. PL-1 was taken from a flat-lying shear zone that was partly silicified. This yielded anomalous silver, antimony, and tungsten. Two samples were taken from the main Stag's Leap outcrop zone to the north of PL-1, and these yielded anomalous gold, silver, platinum, antimony, arsenic, copper, indium, lead, tungsten, and 1.74 ppm tellurium. The main Stag's Leap zone is interpreted to represent a zone of hydrothermal leakage from a porphyry/diatreme(?) system at an unknown depth. No drilling has been conducted to date to test this exciting target.

RE-STRUCTURING OF CONVERTIBLE DEBT INSTRUMENT

CAT also reports that it has entered into discussions with the holder of the Senior Secured Loan Agreement (the "Agreement") in order to re-negotiate certain terms contained within the Agreement. The objective is to reduce certain conditions that could be construed as onerous, and may be a hindrance, to securing the financing that is necessary to move to the next stage of the exploration plan at Gold Jackpot. The holder of the Agreement fully supports revising the terms in order to secure funding that will move the project, and the Company, significantly forward. Any changes or alterations of the Agreement are subject to approval by the CSE and specific details will be announced upon that approval and completion or a revised document.

INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS GRANTED

The Company also announces the grant of 10,000,000 incentive stock options (the "Options"), pursuant to its Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), to directors, officers, employees, and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of C$0.05 per common share of the Company for a period of 5 years from the date of grant. Any shares issued upon the exercise of the Options will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period from the date of the issuance. The Option grant is subject to regulatory approval.

CAT CEO, Robert Rosner, stated that "The Gold Jackpot Property is, without a doubt, emerging as an extremely interesting component of the recent lithium discovery by our neighbour, Surge Battery Metals. We were able to stake a number of new claims to the west of our existing boundary line that extends our property even closer to Surge's discovery zone, as can be seen on our new area map. We also extended our claims to the east and now share a property line with Surge on the claims they staked in that area as well. It does appear that we staked a portion of the same ground as Surge, so this tells us that our thinking is very similar to theirs when it comes to acquiring new exploration potential. Unfortunately, they got there before us on a small number of claims, but we are very happy nevertheless." Mr. Rosner went on to say, "The ability for us to be able to restructure the convertible debt instrument to afford the Company more favorable terms vis a vis securing outside financing is extremely advantageous. The holder of the Agreement is fully behind CAT's efforts to do whatever it takes to uncover the true lithium potential of Gold Jackpot, and we are happy to say we enjoy a solid and productive relationship with a shared vision."

Mr. Richard R. Redfern, M.S., C.P.G. No. 10717, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who has examined the property on the ground, and wrote a Master's thesis on the Prince Mine area, and reviewed the geological information available from public sources related to the property and is responsible for approving the technical contents of this press release. Mr. Redfern

About CAT Strategic Metals Corporation (CAT)

CAT Strategic Metals' corporate strategy, as reflected in its overall Mission Statement, is to source, identify, acquire and advance property interests located in mineral districts proven to have world-class potential, primarily lithium, tellurium, gold, silver and copper. In addition to the Gold Jackpot strategic metals property located NE of Elko, Nevada, in the Pequop gold-copper-lithium trend with multiple targets for gold-silver, copper, tellurium , and potential lithium, CAT has the South Preston Uranium Project in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, the Burntland Project located northeast of St. Quentin in the Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Canada, directed at the exploration and development of several Skarn-hosted copper-silver, gold targets. CAT's shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the trading symbol "CAT", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "8CH".

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Robert Rosner

Chairman, President & CEO

Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com , by visiting the Company's website www.catstrategic.com or by contacting the Company directly at (604) 674-3145.

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

We seek safe harbour.

SOURCE: CAT Strategic Metals Corporation

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Ericsson

Originally published by Ericsson

Welcome to the latest edition of our Diversity & Inclusion News Round-Up. Today we are talking about gender biases in performance reviews, US Supreme Court reversing affirmative action, an interesting documentary from disability rights activist Paddy Smyth, and how a state in India is empowering women through free bus rides.

Gender bias

Interesting HBR article about three gender biases that often creep into performance-review processes - and disproportionately affect women.

Race

On Thursday, the US Supreme Court ruled that universities and colleges can no longer consider race as a factor in student admission. This article explains the background, and how this decision can impact racial equity.

Disability

In this short documentary, Irish TV presenter and disability rights activist Paddy Smyth reflects on his life with cerebral palsy, and discusses if he "wants to be fixed". Worth watching!

Women empowerment

The state of Karnataka, India, just launched free bus travel for women. The goals of the initiative are to empower women, make their commutes safer and boost employment - and in the first nine days, over 40 million women made use of the offer. Read more here.





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Ericsson on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Ericsson

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/ericsson

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Ericsson

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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / The DFINITY Foundation, a not-for-profit science and technology organization and major contributor to the Internet Computer blockchain, and Dacade, a gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, have launched the first Internet Computer: TypeScript Smart Contract 101 course . The course was developed in close cooperation with Demergent Labs, a Web3 open-source infrastructure company.

The course targets developers familiar with TypeScipt programming language and Node.js, a JavaScript runtime environment, popular with traditional Web2 software developers. The goal of the course is to bring Web2 developers to Web3 and lower the barrier of entry to the Internet Computer (ICP) ecosystem, opening up new avenues for onboarding thousands of software developers.

"This is vital for the Internet Computer and web3 adoption in general. According to the latest Electric Capital report, there are 23,343 active monthly developers in Web3. The bear market has likely decreased this number too. TypeScript alone has more than 83,000 developers. That's why we strongly believe that solutions like Azle and courses like this are key to opening Web3 floodgates to Web2 adoption", says Emilio Canessa, Head of Global Communities at the DFINITY Foundation.

Based on TypeScript, Azle is a Canister Developer Kit (ICP smart contracts are called canisters) that helps TypeScript and JavaScript developers to write next generation smart contracts on the Internet Computer network using their favorite JavaScirpt or TypeScirpt tools and libraries. Besides Azle, Demergent Labs is also developing similar solutions for using GraphQL, Python and other popular web2 programming languages for developing on the Internet Computer.

"We are excited to collaborate with the DFINITY Foundation on the Internet Computer: TypeScript Smart Contract 101 course. The Internet Computer's scalability and its deep interoperability with other leading blockchains set the stage for exciting developer journeys. At Dacade, we believe in the power of active learning, which encourages participants to apply their knowledge in tangible ways. Our partnership with DFINITY paves the way for developers to transition smoothly from theory to creating actual projects, thereby sparking innovation and expanding the web3 developer ecosystem", added Moritz Stellmacher, Founder of Dacade.

Dacade's approach and experience in the high-quality gamified peer-to-peer developer education will also help to attract more developers and increase the efficiency of the course. Within the initial week of launching the course, 15 projects were already created and peer-reviewed. By the end of the month, this number is to exceed 40.

The self-paced, permissionless nature of the TypeScript course ensures access to quality content for all those willing to build on the Internet Computer.

Media Contact

Organization: DFINITY Foundation

Contact Person: Mindaugas Snicorius

Website: https://dfinity.org/

Email: [email protected]

Address: Zurich, Switzerland

SOURCE: DFINITY Foundation

View source version on accesswire.com:
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Regions Bank

By Candace Higginbotham

Medical debt continues to be the subject of high-level discussions - in news reports, government and regulatory agencies, state legislatures and Congress.

And since 41% of U.S. adults report they've gone into debt because of medical or dental bills, you have likely experienced it first-hand or indirectly through neighbors, friends or family members.

But Regions Bank is helping to make a difference.

A recent $50,000 grant to RIP Medical Debt abolished $9.1 million of medical debt for nearly 6,000 individuals and families in Houston and Atlanta.

This follows an initial $50,000 Regions grant last year that alleviated $12.8 million of medical debt for 12,000 people in Georgia, Florida and Texas.

RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit that purchases unpaid and unpayable medical debts at significantly reduced rates in large, bundled portfolios for households that are at or below four times the federal poverty level or going through financial hardship as defined by a debt being 5% or more of one's annual income. One dollar donated can abolish, on average, $100 of medical debt because debts are acquired for a fraction of their face value.

I'm proud that Regions Bank's contributions have continued to help reduce this hardship for individuals and families in our communities.

Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank

When the medical debt is in their possession, rather than collect it, RIP Medical Debt erases it.

To date, the company has helped more than 6 million individuals and families by paying off more than $9 billion in medical debt.

"We were so pleased with the results of our community partnership with RIP Medical Debt last year that we made the decision to make a second investment," said Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank. "Medical debt is a serious issue - it's the number one reason people declare bankruptcy in our country. I'm proud that Regions Bank's contributions have continued to help reduce this hardship for individuals and families in our communities."

Regions Bank's commitment to this critical issue goes beyond financial investment. In March 2022 the bank launched a set of financial education tools through Regions Next Step, the bank's no-cost financial education program. The courses on navigating medical debt were specifically designed to help people and families address urgent issues surrounding unpaid medical bills.

Last October, Regions made the courses available to other financial institutions wanting to help address this national problem, and those banks are now also sharing the courses with their own customers.

Regions also recently announced the results of a survey conducted by Regions Next Step about the scope and impact of medical debt.

Key findings included:

Two in five people have experienced an unexpected medical event in the last year and, among those, seven in 10 found it difficult to pay for it.

For those with medical debt, seven in 10 respondents had debt that is either overdue or in collections.

Due to the cost of medical bills in the last year, nearly one-quarter of Americans has either used all their savings to cover the expenses or has been contacted by a collection agency due to medical bills.

These results align with some grim statistics from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report that found more than 100 million people in America have medical debt, for a total of nearly $200 billion. A quarter of adults with health care debt owe more than $5,000. And about one in five with any amount of debt said they don't expect to ever pay it off.

Debt is most widespread in the South, according to the Urban Institute. And that played a major role in Regions' decision to take action on this issue - because so many people in the communities the bank serves are being negatively affected.

"We were very intentional about directing the funding to areas of our footprint with the highest share of adults struggling to pay their medical debt," Abrahams said. "We understand how the enormity of this hardship can have a negative impact on every part of people's lives - as well as that of their families. Helping to improve the financial lives of people in our communities benefits everyone and increases the health of our local economies."

Fortunately, all the news reports and public discussions are not all bad news. Some are resulting in actions to help ease the burden. In April, the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - announced that medical collections with balances of $500 or less would no longer appear on consumer credit reports.

Small victories are important when it comes to tackling big issues like medical debt.

Regions Bank is committed to doing our part: And abolishing $22 million in debt for almost 20,000 people is a great start.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Regions Bank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Regions Bank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/regions-bank

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Regions Bank

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MYKONOS, GREECE / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / The Ace VIP, a luxury travel and Concierge Company, has announced the latest launch of an exclusive opportunity for travelers to experience the epitome of luxury in Mykonos with their range of luxury villas. The Ace VIP invites discerning travelers to indulge in the Mykonian dream by renting a luxury villa and enjoying a vacation on this Greek island.

Luxury Accommodations

The Ace VIP offers an impressive portfolio of handpicked luxury villas, each meticulously designed and equipped to provide the utmost comfort and style. From contemporary minimalist designs to traditional Cycladic architecture, these villas are a testament to luxury. The company facilitates private pools, spacious living areas, and various amenities.

Tailored Services

The Ace VIP understands that every traveler is unique, and their team of dedicated professionals goes above and beyond to curate personalized experiences. From private yacht charters to helicopter tours, their comprehensive range of concierge services ensures that guests' desires are fulfilled, allowing them to create memories during their stay in Mykonos.

Convenient Process

Renting a luxury villa in Mykonos with The Ace VIP is seamless and stress-free. Their expert team handles every detail, from the initial inquiry to the end of the trip. Whether arranging airport transfers, organizing private events, or recommending the finest dining establishments, guests can trust The Ace VIP to take care of their every need, ensuring a truly unforgettable vacation.

Safety and Privacy

The Ace VIP places the safety and privacy of their guests as their priority. All luxury villas are carefully selected, adhering to strict safety protocols and ensuring the utmost privacy. Additionally, the company follows the latest health and safety guidelines to ensure a worry-free stay for its esteemed clientele.

Moving forward, Mykonos Luxury Yachts presents an opportunity to explore the island's coastline and picturesque beaches. A fleet of luxury yachts awaits, allowing guests to spend their days immersed in the serene beauty of the surroundings while soaking up the sun's warm rays. The Ace VIP's commitment to providing a travel experience ensures visitors encounter nothing short of pure luxury.

Consequently, The Ace VIP's Private Driver Mykonos service offers convenience for seamless transportation. Suited-up drivers provide a comfortable journey, ensuring guests arrive at their destinations in the utmost style. Exploring the main attractions of Mykonos becomes a breeze, accompanied by the convenience and elegance that private transportation affords.

About the Company - The Ace VIP

The Ace VIP is a luxury travel and concierge company that provides discerning travelers with exclusive and unforgettable experiences. The Ace VIP ensures that every trip exceeds expectations with a wide range of luxury villas, personalized services, and exceptional attention to detail. From villa rentals to yacht charters and tailor-made itineraries, The Ace VIP is dedicated to creating moments and memories for its esteemed clients.

For more information or to book a luxury villa in Mykonos, please visit www.theacevip.com.

Media Details:

Company Name: The Ace VIP

Contact Person: Bushra khan

Website: http://www.theacevip.com/

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Contact Phone Number: +306943195090

Address: Glastros Mykonos 84600 Greece

City: Mykonos

Country: Greece

SOURCE: The Ace VIP

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UBS sees continued pressure for Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) in linear networks and mixed parks results, the firm's analyst John Hodulik stated in a note Monday.

"We expect F3Q to show continued pressure in advertising/linear OI, slightly higher DTC dilution and mixed Parks results," wrote Hodulik, who has a Buy rating and a $122 price target on the stock.

UBS expects DIS total revenues to grow 3.6% year-on-year to $22.3 billion compared to +7.6% in F2Q, while they see EBIT falling 12% year-on-year to $3.1 billion, "including higher depreciation from the close of the SW hotel (prior $3.5B), in line with trend, equating to 14.1% margins, down 250 bps yoy."

"The accelerated depreciation (and softening domestic Parks) makes it unlikely the company will hit its HSD OI guide for 2023 (UBSe +2%)," added Hodulik. "We continue to expect DTC dilution to peak this year (UBSe $2.9B in F23 vs. $4B in F22,

Disney shares are down over 8% in the last 12 months, currently trading above the $88 mark, down 0.4% Monday.

By Sam Boughedda
Conference call to discuss results will be at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on August 2

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE: HMN) plans to release its second-quarter 2023 results on August 1, after the market closes. At that time, the quarterly news release, investor supplement and investor presentation will be available on the companys website at investors.horacemann.com.

Management will host a conference call to discuss the financial results on August 2 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors can access the call webcast via the Events page of the companys investor site or by dialing 844-735-3325. For the webcast, please log on to the site several minutes in advance to register and download any required audio software. On-demand replay will be available later that day.

About Horace Mann

Horace Mann Educators Corporation is the largest financial services company focused on helping Americas educators and others who serve the community achieve lifelong financial success. The company offers individual and group insurance and financial solutions tailored to the needs of the educator community. Founded by Educators for Educators in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. For more information, visit horacemann.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710807816/en/

Heather J. Wietzel

Vice President, Investor Relations and Enterprise Communications

217.788.5144

[email protected]

Source: Horace Mann Educators Corporation
MOORESTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OPEX Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation for almost 50 years, is showcasing Warehouse Automation and Document and Mail Automation technology to attendees of CeMAT Australia, the worlds leading trade show covering intralogistics and materials handling, on 25-27 July 2023 at The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park.

As a leader in Next Generation Automation, we look forward to sharing our innovative technology solutions to attendees at CeMAT Australia, said Scott Maurer, President, OPEX International. Our reach has been expanding across Australia, Asia, and Europe as clients recognize how our solutions improve workflow, reduce costs and dependence on labour, and drive efficiencies in infrastructure.

At CeMAT Australia, OPEX will showcase the following technology solutions:

Live demonstrations of Sure Sort , OPEXs industry-leading high-speed, small-item robotic sorting system, at Stand G27 in partnership with Smarter Automated Solutions. Compact, scalable, configurable, and cost-effective, the Sure Sort automated put wall reduces the number of touchpoints associated with other sorters. With installations throughout the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, Sure Sort is a proven ecommerce technology ideal for micro-fulfillment centers, retail stores, and distribution centers.

, OPEXs industry-leading high-speed, small-item robotic sorting system, at Stand G27 in partnership with Smarter Automated Solutions. Compact, scalable, configurable, and cost-effective, the Sure Sort automated put wall reduces the number of touchpoints associated with other sorters. With installations throughout the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, Sure Sort is a proven ecommerce technology ideal for micro-fulfillment centers, retail stores, and distribution centers. A virtual reality (VR) warehouse experience of Perfect Pick , an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) for eCommerce fulfillment and micro-fulfillment at Stand G19. Perfect Pick securely stores inventory while utilizing a warehouses vertical space. A fleet of autonomous robotic delivery vehicles called iBOTs access every vertical and horizontal storage location within an aisle, increasing throughput, reliability, and effectiveness.

, an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) for eCommerce fulfillment and micro-fulfillment at Stand G19. Perfect Pick securely stores inventory while utilizing a warehouses vertical space. A fleet of autonomous robotic delivery vehicles called access every vertical and horizontal storage location within an aisle, increasing throughput, reliability, and effectiveness. On-site demonstrations of the award-winning Gemini document scanner with Right-Speed technology at Stand G19. With a unique scanning capability that enables different types of documents to be scanned at different speeds without changing equipment, Gemini reaches scan speeds of up to 240 pages per minute and features a dual-feeder design.

With generations of industry expertise, a proven track record developing first-class automation capabilities, and advanced engineering, OPEX continuously reimagines automation technology, partnering with clients to develop customized, scalable solutions.

About OPEX

OPEX Corporation is a global leader in Next Generation Automation, providing innovative, unique solutions for warehouse, document and mail automation. With headquarters in Moorestown, NJ, USAand facilities in Pennsauken, NJ; Plano, TX; France; Germany; Switzerland; the United Kingdom; and AustraliaOPEX has more than 1,600 employees who are continuously reimagining and delivering customized, scalable technology solutions that solve the business challenges of today and in the future.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230709154245/en/

For Additional Information

Laura Evans

[email protected]

+1.856.727.1100 x 5012

Source: OPEX Corporation
Partnership improves access to great dermatologic care

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Epiphany Dermatology, a leading dermatology company committed to improving access to exceptional dermatologic care, announced today it has expanded its presence in the Kansas City market through its partnership with Sue Ann Douglas, MD, and her team at Pediatric Dermatology of Kansas City, based in Mission Woods, Kansas.

Founded in 2019 by Dr. Sue Ann Douglas, Pediatric Dermatology of Kansas City has a solid reputation of providing individualized and high-quality pediatric dermatology care to patients in the greater Kansas City marketplace. Dr. Douglas is a board-certified dermatologist who earned her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and completed her dermatology residency at Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Douglas commented, My staff and I are excited to join Epiphany Dermatology. I take great pride and responsibility in treating pediatric patients in the greater Kansas City market and entering this partnership will benefit our community. Epiphanys mission and values align well with what we believe incompassionate and exceptional medical and surgical dermatology care for all our patients. I look forward to helping Epiphany maintain its high standards and provide access to dermatologic care for our community for years to come.

Gheorghe Pusta, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Epiphany said, We are excited to welcome Dr. Douglas and her team to Epiphany. Through our interactions with Dr. Douglas and her staff, we have been impressed by their commitment to delivering quality care and being accessible to patients in the community they serve. We are pleased to find a strong cultural alignment, and this is an exciting opportunity to expand our provider network and improve access to great pediatric dermatologic care in the Kansas City market.

Through this partnership, Pediatric Dermatology of Kansas Citys provider and staff gain additional resources to help with operations, managed care, marketing, compliance, human resources, clinical training, recruiting, IT, and many other support services. Epiphany also benefits from the clinical expertise of Pediatric Dermatology of Kansas Citys team, as best practices are collaboratively shared across the Epiphany network.

About Epiphany Dermatology

Epiphany Dermatology is a rapidly expanding dermatology company, driven by a passion to improve access to high-quality dermatologic care in a values-based manner. Through its partnership with leading dermatologists across 80 locations in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming, Epiphany provides general dermatology, skin cancer care, Mohs surgery, cosmetic services, and additional dermatologic services. Epiphany raises the standard of dermatologic care by making clinical excellence accessible to all patients, promptly and in a warm and inviting environment. Epiphany Dermatology is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more details, please visit www.epiphanydermatology.com or call (512) 628-0465.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710340346/en/

Ted Emmert

Chief Development Officer

Epiphany Dermatology

(512) 628-0465

[email protected]

Gheorghe Pusta

Chief Executive Officer

Epiphany Dermatology

(512) 628-0465

[email protected]

Source: Epiphany Dermatology
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (Postmedia) today confirmed that discussions with Nordstar Capital LP regarding a potential transaction have ceased.

On June 27, 2023 Postmedia announced it had entered into non-binding discussions to consider a combination of Postmedia, together with the Metroland newspapers and certain operational assets of the Toronto Star, through a potential merger transaction and that there could be no assurance that the parties would enter into definitive agreements. The parties were unable to come to agreement on the terms of the merger.

The need for creative solutions and foundational transformation in our industry remains. Our continued focus is on protecting and ensuring Canadians access to reliable information, said Andrew MacLeod, President and Chief Executive Officer, Postmedia. By leveling the playing field with the tech giants and creating a healthy ecosystem, we can ensure that the media industry and journalism remain vibrant, diverse, and resilient in Canada.

About Postmedia Network Canada Corp.

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B) is the holding company that owns Postmedia Network Inc., a Canadian news media company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences. Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit: www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com, and www.postmediaparcelservices.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710349743/en/

For Postmedia

Phyllise Gelfand

Vice President, Communications

(647) 273-9287

[email protected]

Source: Postmedia Network Canada Corp.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Kazakhstan's KazTransOil national company exported 347,100 tons of oil from the Tengiz field in the port of Aktau through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in the second quarter of this year, KazTransOil told Trend.

This figure is 18 times higher than the 19,200 tons of oil from the Tengiz field exported in the first quarter of this year.

In 2022, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed to increase oil transportation along the Trans-Caspian corridor.

In accordance with this instruction, KazMunayGas national company and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) have concluded an agreement providing for the transportation of 1.5 million tons of oil from the Tengiz field per year in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

Meanwhile, during the first quarter of 2023, KazTransOil experienced a remarkable increase in the volume of oil transported through its primary pipeline system. The total amount reached 10.3 million tons, indicating a substantial growth of 591,000 tons compared to the same period in the previous year.
MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) today announced it has been awarded a $ 7 million contract to supply firefighters from five Fire Authorities in the United Kingdom with MSA's M1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and connected firefighter technology. The Fire Authorities include West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority; Cleveland Fire Brigade; Hereford and Worcester Fire Service; Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service; and Warwickshire Fire Service. The contract was formally awarded late last month, and equipment deliveries are expected to begin later this year. Today's announcement builds on the company's success in the region, coming nearly a year after the London Fire Brigade announced their selection of MSA respiratory protective equipment.

The decision to upgrade the Fire Services' breathing apparatus technology was made after an extensive and comprehensive evaluation process, which was focused on utilizing enhanced technology to improve firefighter safety.

"The M1 SCBA was designed specifically for the European and International fire services, and it represents the most advanced, ergonomic and modular breathing apparatus our company has ever developed for those markets," said Nish Vartanian , MSA Safety Chairman and CEO. "We are incredibly proud to establish this new partnership. Most importantly, we're honored that West Midlands and the consortium have entrusted MSA with the responsibility of protecting the men and women who keep the residents of one of the largest regions of the United Kingdom safe each day."

On behalf of the consortium, West Midlands' Chief Fire Officer Wayne Brown commented, "Following a rigorous and competitive procurement process, we are excited to embark on a new journey in partnership with MSA Safety. They are industry leaders in the SCBA and telemetry sector, which aligns to our own aspirations for innovation and our digital and data advancement. The new M1 breathing apparatus sets have enhanced ergonomics and will improve our firefighter comfort and hygiene, and most importantly, their safety."

MSA Safety's Connected Firefighter technology was a key factor in the Authorities' selection of the MSA M1 SCBA platform. A key feature of this enhanced technology is the MSA Entry Control Board (ECB), which is designed to meet the unique needs of the UK fire service. Serving as a cloud-connected fire-ground management tool, it provides Incident Commanders with air and alarm status of all telemetry-enabled breathing apparatus on scene. MSA's ECB is also capable of providing post-incident reporting and automated documentation and integrates seamlessly with FireGrid, a cloud-based MSA software platform that gives incident commanders the ability to evaluate and manage multiple situations in real time on scene, and from any location in the world.

Several other patented and customizable features that enhance ergonomics, hygiene and firefighter comfort factored into the Authorities' selection of the M1 SCBA. These features include the industry's lightest-weight backplate with a unique one-handed height adjustment; an advanced hip belt that evenly distributes the weight of the SCBA; and a padded harness that is fully water-repellent, making the entire SCBA system machine washable without disassembly. The M1 SCBA also includes a high-pressure cylinder connection for fast cylinder exchanges and is compatible with MSA's industry-leading G1 facepiece.
PITTSBURGH, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CalPERS recently announced that a third-party vendor PBI Research Services/Berwyn Group (PBI) suffered from a cybersecurity attack on May 29, 2023 that impacted hundreds of thousands of individuals personal information. The information potentially impacted in the breach included: first and last name; date of birth; and Social Security number. It could have also included the names of former or current employers, spouses or domestic partners, and children.

Lynch Carpenter, LLP is investigating claims against CalPERS and PBI related to this data breach. If you are a current or former employee or member receiving benefits from CalPERS, you may be entitled to compensation.

If you have received a notification from CalPERS that your information was impacted, please call Patrick Donathen at (412) 322-9243, email him at [email protected], or fill out our contact form at www.lynchcarpenter.com/contact.

About Lynch Carpenter

Lynch Carpenter is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, California, and Illinois. Our firm has represented millions of clients in data privacy matters for more than a decade and has earned national acclaim for complex litigation for plaintiffs across the country. To learn more, please visit www.lynchcarpenter.com.

CONTACT Jennifer Schlieper COMPANY Lynch Carpenter LLP PHONE (412) 387-7002 EMAIL [email protected] WEB lynchcarpenter.com

Source: Lynch Carpenter
SEOUL, Korea, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novotech, the leading Asia Pacific centred biotech CRO with global execution capabilities will present a technical session at BIOPLUS-INTERPHEX KOREA 2023 for biotechs planning regional or global trials.

Novotechs Vice President, Global Head of Clinical Services Yooni Kim will open the session which will be followed by presentations from senior Novotech experts.

Pre-Clinical requirements for successful clinical trial entry  presented by Dr. Babaji Yadav, Associate Director and Principal Toxicologist, Novotech Drug Development Consulting

Successful global clinical trial solutions for biotechs  presented by HyunKyoung Kim, Project Director, Novotech

Then a panel discussion will follow lead by Yooni Kim, and featuring biotech leaders and Novotech sector specialists.

Technical Session by NovotechTime: 3.10pm (Korea)Date: 12 July, 2023

Book a meeting with the Novotech team here or attend the Technical Session.

The conference which is hosted by Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization and supported by The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants, 250 companies, 400 exhibitors and features more than 20 conference sessions.

Novotech offers biotechs a unique and unparalleled suite of early to late-phase CRO services across the US and Europe, with a foundation in Asia Pacific where the company has built a reputation for delivering high-quality expedited clinical trials.

Novotech has been awarded a range of significant industry awards including a CRO Leadership Award 2023, the Asia Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence 2022 award, and the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award, and has signed more than 45 Leading Site Partnership agreements over the last 3 years.

About Novotech Novotech-CRO.com

Novotech is the leading Asia Pacific centred biotech CRO with global execution capabilities. Novotech is a clinical CRO with labs, phase I facilities, drug development consulting services and FDA regulatory expertise and has experience in over 5,000 clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. Novotech is positioned to serve biotech clients conducting clinical trials in Asia Pacific, the US and Europe. Novotech has over 3,000 staff globally and 34 office locations across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

Media Contact David James [email protected] AU: +61 2 8218 2144 USA: +1 415 951 3228 Asia: +65 3159 3427

Source: Novotech
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Cardinal Energy Ltd. (TSX: CJ) ("Cardinal" or the "Company") confirms that our July dividend of $0.06 per common share will be paid on August 15, 2023 to shareholders of record on July 31, 2023. The Board of Directors of Cardinal has declared the dividend payable in cash. This dividend has been designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes.

About Cardinal Energy Ltd.

Cardinal works to continually improve its Environmental, Social and Governance profile and operates its assets in a responsible and environmentally sensitive manner. As part of this mandate, Cardinal injects and conserves more carbon than it directly emits making us one of the few Canadian energy companies to have a negative carbon footprint.

Cardinal is a Canadian oil and natural gas company with operations focused on low decline oil in Western Canada.

For further information:

M. Scott Ratushny, CEO or Shawn Van Spankeren, CFO or Laurence Broos, VP Finance

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (403) 234-8681

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172980
Bromont, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Elan Future, a blockchain-based energy firm based in Canada, is excited to announce the listing of its $ELAN token on CoinStore, a global platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. By listing on CoinStore, Elan Future aims to increase liquidity and gain more exposure for the company.





Elan Future



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Elan Future enables users to buy, sell, or trade energy directly, without intermediaries. The $ELAN token is now available for purchase on the Coinstore exchange, opening up new opportunities for investors and users alike.

The current centralized electricity system heavily relies on fossil fuels, causing significant environmental damage. These systems require vast amounts of land and water resources and produce harmful pollutants. Additionally, energy costs can be a burden for individuals and businesses alike.

However, decentralizing electricity production, storage, and transfer through blockchain technology offers a promising solution. By utilizing blockchain, individuals can directly participate in energy production and consumption, resulting in a more equitable and efficient system. This approach also reduces reliance on non-renewable resources and minimizes pollution.

Elan Future aims to revolutionize energy distribution by creating a completely transparent system built by people, for people. The company's ultimate goal is to electrify the entire world while ensuring energy equality. With a focus on long-term, clean energy that isn't dependent on weather, battery banks, or expensive technology, Elan Future is leading the way towards a more sustainable future.

About Elan Future

Elan Future aspires to create a breakthrough in energy distribution built by people and completely transparent. The goal is to electrify the entire world. With an insatiable need for energy equality, the company is paving the road for long-term, clean energy that isn't dependent on weather, battery banks, or expensive technology.

Telegram | Twitter | Website | LinkedIn | Discord

About Coinstore.com

Accessibility. Security. Equity.

As a leading global platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, Coinstore.com seeks to build an ecosystem that grants everyone access to digital assets and blockchain technology. With over 2.8 million users worldwide, Coinstore.com aims to become the preferred cryptocurrency trading platform and digital service provider worldwide.

Media Details

Company Name: Elan Future Inc

Contact Person: Nassib Ghannam

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.elanfuture.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172888
North Bonnevoie-Verlorenkost, Luxembourg--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - MagnumTrade.io, a leading online trading platform, is set to transform the trading landscape by introducing its latest innovative features. The latest updates aim to enhance the trading experience by providing more advanced tools and resources for navigating the financial markets.

Advanced Trading Analytics: MagnumTrade.io is proud to unveil its cutting-edge trading analytics tool, empowering users with in-depth insights into their trading performance. The tool aims to help traders make informed decisions by leveraging advanced data analysis techniques, real-time market indicators, and personalized trading reports.

AI-Powered Trading Assistance: MagnumTrade.io harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to offer users intelligent trading assistance. The platform's advanced AI algorithms analyze market trends, historical data, and user preferences to generate personalized trading suggestions and alerts. MagnumTrade.io's AI-powered trading assistance offers traders data-driven insights to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of trading.

The CTO of MagnumTrade.io expressed his excitement in announcing the launch of new and innovative features for their valued users. The company is devoted to delivering an advanced trading platform that can adapt to the ever-changing requirements of traders. By leveraging advanced trading analytics and AI-powered assistance, MagnumTrade.io aims to equip its users with the tools and insights to help them navigate the financial markets.

MagnumTrade.io is dedicated to delivering an exceptional trading experience by continuously innovating and adapting to the changing dynamics of the industry. By incorporating these cutting-edge features, MagnumTrade.io reaffirms its position as a leader in the online trading domain, setting new standards for user collaboration, learning, and success.

MagnumTrade.io not only comes with new features but also boasts a user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. To help traders enhance their skills and knowledge, the platform offers a variety of educational resources such as webinars, tutorials, and trading guides. The customer support team is always available 24/7 to answer any inquiries and provide assistance. MagnumTrade.io prioritizes user satisfaction and continuously innovates, making it the perfect choice for traders seeking a dependable and inclusive trading platform.

About Company

MagnumTrade.io is a top-notch online trading platform that equips traders with cutting-edge tools and resources to navigate the financial markets effortlessly. With an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, MagnumTrade.io enables traders to make informed decisions, fine-tune their strategies, and confidently attain their financial objectives.

Company Name: MagnumTrade.io

Email Address: [email protected]

Company Address: 32-36 Bd d'Avranches, 1160 Bonnevoie-Nord-Verlorenkost, Luxembourg

Company Website: https://magnumtrade.io/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172920
Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - The AstroCool science research initiative made its public debut at the 'Festival of the Future' (Deutshes Museum - Forum Der Zukunft) at the Science Museum in Munich on July 6.

Figure 1

Inventor David Chaum gave a presentation on an emergency 'Plan X' initiative, exploring alternative methods for damage control against global warming. The whitepaper outlined research showing how, using the existing technologies of centrifugal launchers and droid satellites, lunar dust can be mined and launched into a sunward orbit to be distributed at the L1 Lagrange point between the Sun and the Earth. The resulting reduction in insolation would return Earth to pre-industrial temperatures.

"There's a tremendous amount of dust on the moon's surface that's perfect for blocking light because it's around 0.2  in diameter. Calculations have been carried out by members of the founding team that include people who have designed space missions. The whitepaper depicts an example of how the dust can be launched from the Moon," Chaum explained.





Figure 2

Further developing the rationale behind the project, he said: "Even in just testing this out for potential emergency use, there's a lot of new technologies and synergies with other research and infrastructure proposals, and we may even find valuable elements in the lunar dust, the regolith, that could prove to be a huge industrial and economic windfall."





Figure 3

Highlighting the advantages of the AstroCool approach over similar proposals, Chaum said: "Any dust we place at the L1 will disperse within a maximum of six months and drift towards the Sun, where it will ultimately be vaporized, making the approach fail-safe."

Alternative ways to best shade the Earth from the Sun include spraying aerosols or injecting chemicals into the atmosphere. "There's really only three places to effectively shield the Earth with dust or other material," noted Chaum.

Placing it in the troposphere or top of the cloud layer or on the ocean surface will generate a lot of pollution that may be difficult to get rid of. An alternative is near geosynchronous orbit, forming a ring like that surrounding Saturn, but this would be essentially impossible to reverse.

In contrast, placing lunar dust between the Sun and the Earth at L1, is the location favored by AstroCool, because it can be deployed incrementally, with latitudinal variability, is impermanent, and continuously blocks light evenly as the Earth rotates around the Sun, "with far less material required."





Figure 4:David Chaum (Center) at the Festival of the Future in Munich alongside Manu Constantin of MoonDAO (Left) and Oscar Wendel, member of the AstroCool Founding Team and organizer of Future Blockchain Summit (Right).

About David Chaum

David Chaum has pioneered privacy in modern communication as the inventor of mix nets, blind signatures, and multiparty computation that laid the foundation for enabling secure voting systems, anonymous internet surfing (Dark Web/TOR Network) and DigiCash, the first cryptocurrency and precursor to Bitcoin to allow for anonymous transactions. Chaum is currently leading xx network, a completely private, quantum-secure decentralized messaging and payment platform. He is working with the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) on new technologies for digital currencies. With a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, he has taught at NYU Graduate School of Business and the University of California. David is also the founder of the International Association for Cryptologic Research, the Cryptography Group at the Center for Mathematics and Computer Science in Amsterdam, and DigiCash.

www.AstroCool.com

www.Chaum.com





Figure 5

AstroCool at Future Blockchain Summit and COP28

AstroCool will feature in the Climate Tech program at the Future Blockchain Summit from October 15 - 18 at Dubai Harbour and at the Slovenian Pavilion at COP28 hosted by Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport from December 5 - 7. Announced at the UNFCCC conference in Bonn, these programs are in partnership with the UN Observer organisation Climate Chain Coalition (CCC).

www.FutureBlockchainSummit.com

PR Contact:



Saurabh Singla

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172919
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (OTCQB: NKORF) (FSE: 7N11) (the "Company" or "Palladium One") is pleased to provide an exploration update for the Canalask Nickel - Copper Project, in Yukon, Canada.

Highlights

A Class 1 Exploration Permit has been received.

The 2023 Field exploration program has begun.

A high-resolution ground based Electromagentic ("EM") survey is planned to take place this summer.

Reprocessing and modelling of historical geophysical data is underway.

President and CEO Derrick Weyrauch commented, The Class 1 Exploration Permit authorizes exploration and associated preparatory work for a 12-month period at the Canalask Project. Canalask hosts a footwall nickel-copper sulphide deposit of unknown origin, thereby suggesting that a larger deposit is present at depth in the adjacent regional-scale ultramafic dyke. Additionally, Canalask hosts untested geophysical targets.

The current field program consists of clearing the older, flat lying lowland access trail and re-establishing pre-existing drill trails for access to the project from the Alaskan Highway located 4-kilometres to the north. Once completed, a ground-based, high resolution EM survey is planned to refine historical geophysical conductors for drill testing.

Exploration To Date

The Company competed a drone-based magnetometer survey (Figure 1) over the entire Canalask project. This survey consisted of 392-line kilometers at 100-meter spacing and helped refine the location and structure of the Ni-Cu-PGE prospective ultramafic dyke and will greatly assist in the refinement of drill targeting (see press release November, 17, 2022). In addition, a reconnaissance site visit returned grab sample assays over 2% nickel, 6% copper and 1.55 g/t gold. These results support the high grades that were historically reported in footwall-style sulphide mineralization at the Canalask deposit.

Permitting Update

Due to a history of shallow exploration efforts near the Canalask deposit, the project hosts an abundance of historical trails that can be used for access. The Class 1 Exploration Permit allows various exploration activities, including diamond drilling on existing disturbed ground such as access trails and drill trails while no new disturbances are permitted. Additional permit applications to support greater exploration activities remain underway. The Company has made significant progress with regulatory authority engagement as part of a Class III Exploration Permit application. Receipt of a Class III Permit would allow new ground disturbances including the work required to start systematically drill testing the historical electromagnetic (EM) targets associated with the ultramafic dyke.

Canalask Property Overview

The Canalask Property is located within the Whitehorse Mining District, approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon and is accessible from the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek. The Canalask Property consists of a contiguous block of 179 quartz claims covering approximately 3,400 hectares.

Exploration dates to the 1950s when the Canalask footwall zone was originally discovered, drilled, and partially developed. A historical resource estimate on the Main Zone is quoted at 400,000 tonnes at 1.35% nickel (copper was not reported) by Discovery Mines Ltd. in 1968 (Yukon Assessment Report 094599). Early Metallurgical floatation test work returned concentrate grades as high as 19.7% nickel (Yukon Assessment Report 093256). Exploration continued up to the early 2000s through a series of surface programs including geochemical surveys, geological mapping, and geophysics. During these campaigns, numerous high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE showings such 4.7% Nickel, 0.6% Cu and 6.82 g/t TPM (Total Precious Metals) in grade samples at the Discovery Zone (Yukon Assessment Report 094599), were discovered along the length of the ultramafic-mafic dyke. In 2006, Xstrata completed an assessment Report (Yukon Assessment Report 094599) summarizing this earlier work. Readers are cautioned that the Company has not verified the 1968 Historical Mineral Resource Estimate and therefore the data should not be relied upon.

Geological Setting

The Canalask Property covers the lateral extent of the northwest - southeast striking, steeply dipping "White River Intrusive Complex" (WRIC) which is part of the larger Kluane Mafic-Ultramafic Belt. The Kluane Belt extends from northern British Columbia to east-central Alaska, within the Pennsylvanian to Triassic Wrangellia Terrane volcanics and sediments. The belt is host to numerous nickel-copper +/- platinum-palladium deposits and prospects, most notably the past producing Wellgreen Deposit, now owned by Nickel Creek Platinum Corp., approximately 110 kilometers to the south. The WRIC occurs as a sill-like body of ultramafic and mafic rocks 100 to 150 meters thick and dipping approximately 50 degrees to the southwest. The northern margin of the WRIC represents the basal footwall contact zone while the southern margin delineates the upper hanging wall intrusive contact. The intrusion itself is dominantly composed of peridotite and dunite with a mineralized basal gabbro zone.

Exploration Target

The WRIC is a favourable setting for magmatic nickel-copper sulphide mineralization and is considered a "feeder system" with a high volume of magma flow. As evidenced by the abundance of magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE showings at the base of the WRIC and the discovery of the nickel-rich Canalask footwall deposit, the project hosts strong potential for both "magmatic feeder-type" basal deposits and "epigenetic footwall-type" footwall deposits. The geological setting draws comparison to the world-class Norilsk Ni-Cu-PGE camp.

Figure 1. Canalask Project with recent drone based magnetic survey showing total field and location of site visit grab samples.







To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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*The Company has not attempted to verify the historic mineral resource estimate and therefore readers should not place any reliance on the historical estimate.

**TPM refers to total precious metals Pt+Pd+Au

Qualified Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Palladium One

Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Critical Green Transportation Metals. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, nickel - copper sulphide and platinum-group-element (PGE) deposits in Canada and Finland. The Lntinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing NI43-101 Mineral Resources, while both the Tyko and Canalask high-grade nickel-copper projects are located in Ontario and the Yukon, Canada, respectively. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Derrick Weyrauch"

President & CEO, Director

For further information contact:

Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO

Email: [email protected]



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration.

Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172587
Liverpool, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Microdose Music, the pioneering functional music record label, is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of "Dissolve," the remarkable debut album by acclaimed artist Paul Nolan. "Dissolve" pushes the boundaries of musical expression, forging a new path where the transformative power of sound converges with the realms of consciousness and psychedelic healing.

Paul Nolan has created an autobiographical masterpiece that embodies the essence of change, growth, and self-discovery. By fusing rich, intricate soundscapes with sound therapy techniques, Nolan invites listeners on an immersive journey of introspection, surrender and transcendence.

"Dissolve" stands as a testament to the profound potential of music as a transformative medium. It seamlessly blends ethereal harmonies and ambient textures, crafting a sonic landscape that resonates with the deepest recesses of the soul. Nolan's ability to evoke raw emotions and provoke self-reflection through his compositions sets "Dissolve" apart as an album that challenges the very notion of what music can accomplish.

As a true sonic pioneer, Paul Nolan has developed a unique sonic language, masterfully weaving together elements of ambient, electronic, and introspective genres. His ability to create mesmerizing soundscapes has garnered critical acclaim. With "Dissolve," Nolan pushes his creative boundaries even further, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary music.

In a recent interview, Paul Nolan expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Microdose Media, as both an artist and co-founder of the Microdose Music label, stating, "Working with Microdose has been an incredible journey of exploration and innovation. It's an honour to be part of a label that recognizes the power of music to create transformative experiences. With 'Dissolve,' I aimed to create an album that takes listeners on a profound inner journey, allowing them to dissolve boundaries, embrace change, and discover new aspects of themselves."

Microdose Music, as the vanguard of functional music, is dedicated to curating and promoting music that enhances well-being, healing, and creativity, with a specific focus on music for psychedelic therapies. "Dissolve" perfectly encapsulates the label's mission, and its release signifies an exciting milestone in the world of functional music.

"Dissolve" by Paul Nolan will be available on major streaming platforms in both stereo and Dolby Atmos formats, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, on July 28th, 2023.

To celebrate the release of 'Dissolve' and the launch of Microdose Music, an online summit, hosted by Microdose Media, will also take place on July 28th. The summit will include panels and speakers on the cutting edge of music, neuroscience, art, psychedelics and visual presentation.

Confirmed speakers include Tom Middleton, electronic music artist, neuroscientist and sleep expert; Alexandre Tannous, a renowned ethnomusicologist; Eileen Hall, visual artist and head of the Tayos Cave Project in Ecuador; Jeff Rona, Hollywood film composer and Microdose Music Artist, and many more to be announced.

For press inquiries, interviews, review copies of "Dissolve," and further information regarding the July 28th Online Summit, please contact:

Kristina Spionjak

[email protected]

+44 (0) 78 8 22 55 838

###

About Paul Nolan:

Paul Nolan is a renowned artist and sound designer, known for his innovative approach to music production. With qualifications in Audio Engineering as well as Sound Therapy, Paul walks a unique path between the worlds of physics, acoustics, healing and the mystical.

Nolan's compositions span across genres, pushing boundaries and challenging conventions. His unique sonic vision has earned him critical acclaim, and has collaborated in the past with legendary figures from the electronic and film music worlds, including Sasha, Tom Holkenborg aka JunkieXL, Jeff Rona and many more.

About Microdose Music:

Microdose Music is a first-of-its-type functional music record label, pioneering the exploration of music's transformative potential as a major part of our healing journeys. The label curates and releases music designed to enhance well-being, focus and creativity, with a specific focus on music for psychedelic therapies. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, Microdose Music is at the forefront of shaping the future of functional music.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172917
Manila, Philippines--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - Rimaunangis is pleased to announce that the highly-anticipated RXT x BITCOINMAN 2023 World Tour has made its way to Manila, Philippines. This exciting event took place at Gold Bar in Makati City and brought together the local crypto community for an immersive experience. With a focus on introducing groundbreaking concepts in the world of cryptocurrency and NFTs, this tour aims to make a significant impact in the industry.

Figure 1



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Figure 2



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Figure 3



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The event featured the presence of Tun Puteh Nur Rabbiah, the Chief Technology Officer of RXT Token, alongside BitcoinMan. Attendees had the opportunity to actively engage by asking questions and taking part in insightful discussions. As part of its extensive world tour, RXT Token has been promoting its unique concept in several countries including Malaysia, UAE, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Georgia, Vietnam, and Singapore. The tour strives to revolutionize the crypto landscape and act as a bridge for implementing food security on the blockchain.

RXT Token is currently listed on six prominent exchanges: LBANK, Probit Global, Digifinex, MEXC, Bitmart, and KoinBX (India). Furthermore, RXT Token remains committed to providing educational resources to the global crypto community.

Rimaunangis Digital LLC

Tblisi - Georgia

John Henderson

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172913
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 10. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have fully completed the demarcation of the state border, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Aibek Smadiyarov, said during a briefing, Trend reports.

"The agreement was signed on December 2, 2022, in Tashkent by the heads of the two states and ratified by the parliaments of both countries. The entry into force of this agreement marks the complete termination of a 19-year process of demarcating the state border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The 2,357-kilometer border is now marked by 1,301 border markers and is documented in a comprehensive demarcation treaty spanning over 8,000 pages," he said.

Earlier, the presidents of both countries signed the law on the ratification of an agreement on the state border demarcation.

As such, on March 28, 2023, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law on Ratification of an Agreement between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on the demarcation of the state border, while on July 3, 2023, the relevant law was signed by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2023) - In her new role as Associate Vice President of Academic Partnerships and Learning Resources at College of DuPage, Tamara McClain is focused on fostering academic pathways for all students to ensure equal access to education.

The Plainfield resident has a deep passion for working at community colleges and saw first-hand how education transforms lives in her prior roles as Director of Admissions and Outreach, International Students and Campus Central at College of DuPage; Multicultural Recruiting Manager at Harper College; Senior Associate Director at the Illinois Institute of Technology; and College and Academic Counselor at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Most recently, McClain served as COD Interim Associate Vice President of Academic Partnerships and Learning Resources.

"The community college environment holds a special place in my heart," said McClain, who joined the College in 2016. "I find great joy in serving as a catalyst for change, working towards the goal of ensuring equal access to education for all."

McClain received her master's in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago and is a doctoral candidate in Education Leadership at DePaul University.

"Tamara's invaluable expertise and dedication in cultivating collaborative relationships with our academic partners has been remarkable," said COD Provost Mark Curtis-Chvez. "Her passion and commitment to student success seamlessly align with the core mission of COD. I eagerly anticipate the positive impact she will bring as she forges new, innovative pathways for our students."

In her new role, McClain is focused on overseeing the continued increases of articulation agreements and academic partnerships with four-year institutions in an effort to encourage successful education and economic outcomes for students. Currently, COD has guaranteed admission agreements and transfer or articulation agreements with more than 50 institutions of higher learning for nearly 200 degree programs.

"The landscape of higher education is changing, and it's important for students to know that they have multiple opportunities once they start at a community college," McClain said. "As the largest community college in Illinois, it's crucial that we provide opportunities for not only traditional students, but also non-traditional and first-generation students."

McClain is also working to make higher education accessible for high school students through the College's Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment programs. The program has grown tremendously during her tenure and this year reported a 33 percent increase in enrollment.

Serving more than two dozen high schools in DuPage County, COD's Dual Credit Program allows District 502 high school students to enroll in courses at their high schools for which they receive both college credit and high school credit. And launched in Fall 2022, COD's new Dual Enrollment program allows students to accumulate transferable credits prior to entering college.

"These programs make the path to college more equitable," said McClain. "We are providing more opportunities for degree attainment and equity for all high school students; specifically, underrepresented, first-generation and students with disabilities. At the end of the day, it's all about individual student success and how we can help them achieve their goals."

###

Contact: Angela Mennecke

[email protected]

(630) 942-3134

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172940
FORNEBU,Norway, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On 5 June 2023 , Aker BP announced its intention to terminate its Swedish Depository Receipt (SDR) programme, and that it had entered into an irrevocable agreement with Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) Oslofilialen (SEB) to acquire the outstanding Aker BP shares representing the remaining SDRs.

The price to be paid was agreed to be the volume-weighted average share price (VWAP) based on all transactions carried out and reported on the Oslo Stock Exchange for the period starting on market opening on 26 June 2023 and ending after market close on 7 July 2023 .

The pricing period has now ended, resulting in a VWAP of NOK 254.1734 . The number of shares remaining under the SDR programme is 1,361,646.

As a result, Aker BP will now purchase 1,361,646 own shares for a total consideration of NOK 346,094,193.42 ( NOK 254.1734 per share). After this transaction, Aker BP holds 1,590,711 own shares, representing 0.25 percent of the company's share capital.

Payment to the SDR holders is expected to take place on or about 14 July 2023 , as previously announced.

Contact:

Kjetil Bakken , Head of Investor Relations, tel.: +47 918 89 889

The following files are available for download:

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aker-bp-asa-termination-of-sdr-programme-and-buyback-of-shares-301872824.html

SOURCE Aker BP ASA
SEATTLE , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines Inc. and Horizon Air Industries Inc., will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss 2023 second quarter financial results at 11:30 a.m. EDT / 8:30 a.m. PDT , Tuesday, July 25, 2023 . A webcast of the call will be available to the public at www.alaskaair.com/investors. An archive of the call will be posted on the website later that morning.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States , Belize , Canada , Costa Rica and Mexico . We strive to be the most caring airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, our guests can travel to more than 900 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
Company previews upcoming release of first-ever World Security Report

IRVINE, Calif. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Universal, the leading security and facility services provider and the world's seventh largest private employer, is led by Global Chairman and CEO Steve Jones .

In my 30 years in the industry, private security has never been more important than it is today.

With the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that the unemployment rate recently increased to 3.7 percent and the number of unemployed persons rose by 440,000 to 6.1 million, Jones gives a special update on the state of the private security labor market, which remains challenging around the world.

"In my 30 years in the industry, private security has never been more important than it is today. One of the most basic human needs is to feel safe. Working in the private security industry, you help people, businesses and communities meet that need every single day.

The industry provides millions of people around the world with great career opportunities and, at the same time, helps communities feel safe and enables businesses to thrive.

Operating as Allied Universal in North America and G4S internationally, in the coming weeks we will release the first-ever World Security Report detailing key insights garnered from 1,775 chief security officers at major global companies in 30 countries.

While I can't divulge the report's findings ahead of its official release, I can tell you that it contains important data about people in security and important industry trends.

Despite the rapid changes in technology over recent years, people remain at the core of the security programs of global companies, but the skills required for security professionals have evolved.

Long gone are the days of the big, burly, often male, security guard. A resounding percentage of chief security officers believe people skills are more important than physical attributes of strength. An even higher percentage seek diversity in their security workforce. Security decision makers are looking for security professionals with integrity, emotional intelligence, a higher education degree and the ability to speak multiple languages.

The private security industry is growing. The skillset for a valued security professional is expanding and diversifying. The deep-rooted desire to feel safe has never been stronger.

I invite the recently laid-off, new job seekers, those coming out of retirement and the veterans returning to civilian life to consider a career in the important field of security."

-- Steve Jones , global chairman and CEO

Allied Universal

Recruiting and On-boarding

Allied Universal is committed to effectively and efficiently reaching as many qualified jobseekers as possible and ensuring new team members quickly feel like they belong and can perform at their highest level. Click here to apply.

To officially complete the hiring and onboarding process, security professionals must successfully pass:

Drug testing

Psychological testing based on position and contract requirements

Federal/state/county/local background checks (depending on the type of security position sought and jurisdiction)

Toward the end of 2022, new employee onboarding programs were launched worldwide to improve job satisfaction and retention.

Training and Developing

Allied Universal provides team members with the tools, skills and knowledge to do their jobs well and progress their career to the next level.

Full time team members complete a minimum of 21 hours of mandatory training annually, with significant additional training requirements for certain positions. In 2022, 6.5 million training programs were completed by Allied Universal team members worldwide. Training programs consist of both hands-on and situational field exercises as well as online and virtual training modules.

To support their career journey, a personalized Internal Career Mobility website provides access to all open positions and award-winning career development resources.

Valuing and Respecting

Allied Universal has a clear commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring opportunities and taking positive steps to ensure representation of women and minorities.

We aim to be an employer of choice in the private security industry by providing an exceptional employee experience. Our team members belong, are cared for and their voices are heard and welcomed. Read Allied Universal's environmental, social and governance report to learn more.

Rewarding and Recognizing

Allied Universal offers competitive compensation. Security professional pay is set by competitive market dynamics and client expectations. We work with clients regularly in pursuit of improved pay rates and employee benefits.

Furthermore, approximately 25% of our U.S. -based security professionals are represented by labor unions. Their pay and benefits are collectively bargained and agreed to by the union locals.

As Allied Universal continues to grow, so do opportunities for career advancement. There are countless examples of individuals who began their career as a security professional and are in senior leadership positions today. In 2022 alone, nearly 20,000 team members were promoted. Our goal is to continue developing talent within our organization to accelerate the advancement of our existing employees.

Workplace Satisfaction is High

In a recent global employee survey completed by nearly a half million Allied Universal security professionals, workplace satisfaction was high among team members with the areas of "feeling respected by their leadership team" and "recommending their workplace to family and friends" coming in on top.

More than 80% of employees are proud to be a member of the Allied Universal and G4S team. More than 75% are satisfied with their job and feel that Allied Universal and G4S have a positive effect on society and local communities.

About the 2023 World Security Report

This landmark research is an independent, anonymous survey of 1,775 chief security officers (CSOs), or those in equivalent roles, from large, global companies in 30 countries, with a combined annual revenue of $20 trillion in 2022, representing a quarter of the world's total gross domestic product (GDP). To receive the announcement of report's findings when available, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

About Allied Universal

The world's leading security and facility services provider and trusted partner to more than 400 of the FORTUNE 500, Allied Universal delivers unparalleled customer relationships, innovative solutions, cutting-edge smart technologies and tailored services that enable clients to focus on their core businesses. With operations in over 100 countries, Allied Universal is the third-largest private employer in North America and seventh in the world. Annual revenue is more than $20 billion . There is no greater purpose and responsibility than serving and safeguarding customers, communities and people. For more information, visit www.aus.com.

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SOURCE Allied Universal
Clients to benefit from combined expertise and capability-aligned IT teams

SINGAPORE , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Azentio Software ("Azentio"), a Singapore -headquartered technology firm owned by funds advised by Apax Partners, and Nityo Infotech, a global IT services company, today announced a formal partnership aimed at providing innovative and comprehensive technology solutions to the Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) industry.



The partnership brings together the proven expertise and deep industry knowledge of Azentio and of Nityo Infotech in IT services and consulting, to increase operational efficiency and accelerate transformation as BFSI service providers dig deeper into digitalization. As per the agreement, Nityo Infotech becomes Azentio's reseller as well as implementation partner, focusing more on the BFSI domain.

This partnership will give Nityo Infotech's clients access to Azentio's innovative and comprehensive software product suite for different financial services areas, such as lending, trade finance, Islamic banking, treasury, factoring & supply chain finance, risk management, wealth & investment management, and insurance. Azentio offers these solutions under three comprehensive technology platforms, namely, Azentio ONEBanking, Azentio ONECapitalMarkets and Azentio ONEInsurance.

Meanwhile, Azentio's clients will get access to Nityo Infotech's complete range of IT consulting services, including staffing, quality assurance, project management and implementation.

Krish Narayanaswami , Managing Director - Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance at Azentio, commented, "BFSI organizations today are increasingly exploring and adopting digitalization, while also looking forward to maximizing returns from their investments in IT as competition mounts. With our combined strengths and respective domain and IT consultancy proficiencies, we will ensure that they get the maximum value from their IT investment as well as superior business results."

Naveen Kumar , Founder and CEO of Nityo Infotech, stated, "We are excited to partner with Azentio to deliver digital transformation solutions and services to help our clients gain a competitive edge. Our collaboration will enable us to provide end-to-end services to meet the ever-changing client needs."

Brijendra Singh , Global Head - Partnerships & Strategic Alliances, BFSI, at Azentio, said, "Backed by Nityo Infotech's strengths in IT consulting services and implementation, Azentio now becomes a compelling strategic partner for BFSI companies who want to leverage the latest in financial software to innovate at speed, reduce time-to-market, optimize conversions, and increase revenue."

Elie Estephan , Senior Vice President - Banking Practice and Financial Banking Products at Nityo Infotech, added, "Azentio has a proven track record of helping BFSI companies leverage technology innovatively to drive growth and meet their strategic goals. Nityo Infotech, meanwhile, has over 23,000 skilled IT service professionals spread across 62 locations. These professionals have the necessary experience and skills to perfectly complement Azentio's agile implementation methodology and time-to-value."

About Azentio Software

Azentio provides mission-critical software products across Asia Pacific , Middle East , Africa and India to banks, Islamic financial institutions, and insurance companies. It also provides ERP solutions to mid-market enterprises.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1978771/Azentio_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Azentio Software Pvt Ltd
SHENZHEN, China , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers, is thrilled to announce the launch of its newest product, the K1 Max 3D Printer. With a better price and innovative features, the K1 Max aims to make high-quality 3D printing accessible to a wider audience.

The K1 Max was priced at $999 when it was first unveiled. To express its gratitude to users for their patience and anticipation for the product as well as their feedback and suggestions, Creality has decided to lower the price to $899 , making it more affordable for aspiring creators.

The K1 Max boasts an array of impressive features that cater to the needs of both professional makers and hobbyists. Reaching a printing speed of 600mm/s in only 0.03s based on 20000mm/s acceleration and combining the nimble Core XY with a 190g lightweight printhead, K1 Max can be as productive as several 3D printers together, significantly boosting efficiency and kindling people's zeal for 3D printing. To boot, the machine boasts a 300x300x300mm large build volume, enabling rapid prototyping or design verification.

The printer also comes with an AI camera which can watch and alert for anomalies and errors besides real-time monitoring and creates time-lapses for sharing. With the high-speed printing capabilities, large build volume, and AI camera, the K1 Max provides users with an unparalleled 3D printing experience. Moreover, the printer incorporates AI LiDAR technology, further enhancing its performance and accuracy. For more detailed information about the product's features, please visit the Creality product page.

The K1 Max will be available for purchase across all channels starting from July 14th . Customers can visit the Creality online store, Amazon, or authorized dealers to get their hands on this cutting-edge device.

Exclusive Offers on Creality Store K1 Series Purchases

To celebrate the launch of the K1 Max, Creality is organizing exciting activities on its official online store. Customers who purchase the K1 Max  as well as K1 - from the Creality store will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Creality Cloud, valued at $79.99 . This membership includes access to over 250 premium models, built-in model slicing capabilities, and cloud printing and monitoring features. For more information about the promotions, please visit the following links:

- US: https://store.creality.com/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Europe : https://store.creality.com/eu/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Germany : https://store.creality.com/de/products/k1-max-ai-high-speed-3d-drucker

- UK : https://store.creality.com/uk/products/k1-max-ai-fast-3d-printer

- Australia : https://store.creality.com/au/products/k1-max-3d-printer

- Canada : https://store.creality.com/ca/products/k1-max-3d-printer

Creality to Present Amazon Prime Day Discounts

Furthermore, Creality is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, a highly anticipated annual event that offers the lowest prices of the year. As a seller, Creality is proud to provide customers with unbeatable offers on this occasion. Taking place from July 11th to July 12th , this exclusive event offers Amazon Prime members limited-time discounts on select Creality products. Both the K1 and HALOT-MAGE PRO will be available at a special price of $629 , reduced from their original prices of $799 . Additionally, other Creality products will be offered at discounts ranging from 15% to 30%. Visit the following links to access the Prime Day discounts:

US: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/19E5485F-8B43-45FB-97B3-DB306FF56872?channel=PR

UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/0983D76F-3601-4F81-910A-FE1EB04719ED?channel=PR

Germany : https://www.amazon.de/stores/page/AA5C50FF-B1C4-440F-835F-EB0B02EF7494?channel=PR

France : https://www.amazon.fr/stores/page/81B1A979-5C08-4BB3-8653-A6652EDAC373?channel=PR

Italy : https://www.amazon.it/stores/page/0849AD09-5015-4612-A9B0-6CB51472B4C9?channel=PR

Spain : https://www.amazon.es/stores/page/39FA5BA8-6FF1-43FD-958D-2390F8E14103?channel=PR

To chime with Amazon Prime Day, discounts of up to 50% will also be offered during July 10-16 on Creality store. For more details about the promotions, please visit Creality Store.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

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SOURCE CREALITY 3D
Grants totaling $550,000 to be awarded to Organizations supporting Elie Wiesel's Values and Mission

New York , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity is pleased to announce today the first beneficiaries of its inaugural grant-making cycle. The grant-making initiative, launched in October of 2022, identifies and supports organizations whose efforts are grounded by Elie Wiesel's values and the Foundation's mission, and which align to portfolios reflecting Elie Wiesel's legacy: Educator, Activist, Journalist, Student, and Man of Faith. The grant-making program takes a hybrid approach by not only supporting organizations through fiscal sponsorship but also by acting as an active thought partner to champion and elevate each organization's cause.

This year's Activist Portfolio Grantees were selected based on their commitment to advocating for the Uyghur community, who are being unlawfully detained by the Chinese government in an effort to create a single-ethnic state.

"Our inaugural Activist Portfolio grants are laser-focused towards advocates working purposefully and urgently towards restoring the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population", said Elisha Wiesel , Chairman of the Foundation.

"Chinese regime de facto keeps the Uyghur people in concentration camps, treating them in the most inhuman way. It's probably the most massive violation of human rights in our time, while the Free World's response is disproportionately weak to the scope of this crime." Says Natan Sharansky , renowned Human Rights Activist and member of the Foundation's Grant Selection Committee. "That is why it is very logical and appropriate that the first grant of the Elie Wiesel Foundation is dedicated to elevating education and Uyghur advocacy efforts."

The selected Grantees are:

World Uyghur Congress , Uyghur Human Rights Project , and Jewish World Watch : WUC, UHRP, and JWW will host a Conference of Uyghur activists and allies to consider the international response to the Uyghur genocide. To be held this winter in New York , the Conference will aim to foster collaboration between these stakeholders, energize current efforts of Uyghur activism, and discuss new ways to activate the Jewish community and engage other citizens of conscience.

and WUC, UHRP, and JWW will host a Conference of Uyghur activists and allies to consider the international response to the Uyghur genocide. To be held this winter in , the Conference will aim to foster collaboration between these stakeholders, energize current efforts of Uyghur activism, and discuss new ways to activate the Jewish community and engage other citizens of conscience. Ana Care & Education : Ana Care aims to preserve the Uyghur language, history, and culture through interactive programming for Uyghur families in the diaspora. They provide school-based learning for students and adults that helps shape relationships, builds community, and continues to connect them to their Uyghur ancestry.

The Educator Portfolio honors Elie Wiesel's commitment to education by supporting programs that foster dialogue connected to moral education grounded in Jewish values.

"Our inaugural Educator Portfolio grants will elevate the patient, thoughtful work being done by moral educators to bring Jewish values to life in the classroom", said Elisha Wiesel , chairman of the Foundation."

The selected Grantees in the Educator Portfolio are:

The Witness Institute : The idea of the Witness Institute was born from discussions between Professor Wiesel and his Boston University student, Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger . The Foundation will partner with The Witness Institute to support this 15-month fellowship which sensitizes and equips emerging leaders with practices that develop moral courage, fusing Professor Wiesel's teaching methods and published works to inspire moral leadership. Participants will graduate being able to influence their communities and support their missions in positive ways.

The idea of the was born from discussions between and his student, Rabbi Dr. . The Foundation will partner with to support this 15-month fellowship which sensitizes and equips emerging leaders with practices that develop moral courage, fusing teaching methods and published works to inspire moral leadership. Participants will graduate being able to influence their communities and support their missions in positive ways. Gratz College & United Negro College Fund : The Elie Wiesel Foundation will support a 1-year Fellowship between Black and Jewish college students. Gratz College , UNCF, and The Elie Wiesel Foundation are committed to jointly facing the challenges of racism and antisemitism. The Fellowship will connect these two groups of students by visiting landmarks of importance to each culture while building on common experiences and understanding the need for mutual support and advocacy.

will support a 1-year Fellowship between Black and Jewish college students. , UNCF, and are committed to jointly facing the challenges of racism and antisemitism. The Fellowship will connect these two groups of students by visiting landmarks of importance to each culture while building on common experiences and understanding the need for mutual support and advocacy. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM): VBM is a global center for learning and action. This grant will support The Elie Wiesel Social Action Fellowship, a new program that will consist of online moral education classes taught by renowned scholars/activists from around the world and putting those teachings into hands-on community volunteer projects.

The Elie Wiesel Foundation turned to a number of thought leaders in determining the most deserving recipients from the 110 applications received. The team assembled to review the top selections for the Educator Portfolio included Dr. Mehnaz Afridi , director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College, and Sarah Idan , founding CEO of Humanity Forward and Miss Iraq 2017-2018. Those selected to consider the leading selections for the Activist Portfolio included Mark Hetfield , president and CEO of HIAS, the oldest resettlement organization in the world, Nadine Epstein , Editor-in-Chief of Moment Magazine, Gulhumar Haitiwaji, daughter of Gulbahar Haitiwaji, a Uyghur woman who survived a Chinese re-education camp, and Natan Sharansky , renowned human rights activist.

Director of the Holocaust Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College and member of the Foundation's Grant Selection Committee, Dr. Mehnaz Afridi said: "It is an honor to be part of the team of evaluators and learn about the exceptional work being done around the world for justice, advocacy, and peacebuilding. I am especially grateful that the Foundation has focused on restoring the dignity of the Uyghur population. The work of the Elie Wiesel Foundation is an example of effective philanthropy, the message is loud and clear that we must work together by investing in all prejudice no matter who we are."

The Elie Wiesel Foundation appreciates the many applicants who took the time and energy to engage with us and intends to open future grant cycles.

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity

Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. Now led by Marion and Elie's son Elisha Wiesel , the Foundation seeks to spark ethical consciousness of human rights by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice, and by making Elie's teachings accessible via a central online archive. To learn more, visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/

Media Contact

Melissa Stavenhagen

[email protected]

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SOURCE The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), this press release may be deemed to be offering material of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA ("FME"). FME has filed a registration statement on Form F-4 under the Securities Act with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including an information statement/prospectus constituting a part thereof. FME SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE INFORMATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS THAT IS PART OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONVERSION DESCRIBED THEREIN. The final information statement/prospectus has been distributed to FME shareholders. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the disclosure documents and other documents filed by FME with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or from Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, Attention: Investor Relations, Else-Kroner-Strae 1, 61352 Bad Homburg v.d.H., Germany .

WALTHAM, Mass. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases has appointed Martin Fischer (46) as Chief Financial Officer as of October 1, 2023 . He will succeed Helen Giza who was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Management Board in December 2022 and continues to serve as acting Chief Financial Officer, until her successor will join. Martin Fischer will be based in Bad Homburg, Germany and will assume responsibility for the Global Finance Organization of Fresenius Medical Care. Upon effectiveness of the Company's proposed change of form from KGaA to German stock corporation, Martin Fischer will become a member of the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG.

Martin Fischer has been Head of Finance for Siemens Healthineers Diagnostics Division based in Tarrytown, NY , U.S. since 2019. Previously, he headed the Board Office and Organizations function for Siemens Healthineers after leading the business plan and operating model development for the company's initial public offering in March 2018 . Prior to that, Fischer held a number of key international operational and finance positions in healthcare within Siemens AG. Martin Fischer holds a degree in business informatics from the Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences and an MBA from Friedrich Alexander University in Nuremberg. He completed the Chief Financial Officer Program at Columbia Business School in New York, USA .

Michael Sen , Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care Management AG, says: "With Martin Fischer's appointment, we are strengthening a vital function in the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care. Martin Fischer has a deep understanding of the international healthcare market, both from the U.S. perspective and out of Germany . That's a decisive advantage in getting the company back on track."

Helen Giza , CEO and Chair of the Management Board, said: " Martin Fischer has proven that he can successfully drive fundamental change in organizations. In our organizational transformation and turnaround management, we will benefit from his finance and healthcare expertise. Martin will be an important contributor to the execution of our strategy in unlocking value as the leading kidney care company."

Martin Fischer said: "There are great challenges ahead of us. I am convinced of the company's potential and look forward to realizing it together with the global team of Fresenius Medical Care. I am excited to bring my experience and expertise to support the company's transformation."

Fresenius Medical Care is the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 3.9 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 4,060 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for approximately 343,000 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).

For more information visit the Company's website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.com.

Disclaimer:

This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, legal changes, regulatory approvals, impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic results of clinical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Media Contact

Steffen Rinas

T +49 6172 608-6698

[email protected]

Contact for analysts and investors

Dr. Dominik Heger

T +49 6172 609-2601

[email protected]

www.freseniusmedicalcare.com

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SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
GMI's Acquisition Cements Its Position as the Leading Security Operations Center in the Nation

PHOENIX , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GMI, a global leader in secure technology solutions, is excited to announce the acquisition of CyVig, a renowned managed security service provider (MSSP) known for its deep expertise in securing the enterprise ecosystem. This acquisition moves GMI closer to its goal of becoming the IT industry's only Secure Managed Services ProviderTM.

GLOBAL MARKET INNOVATORS ACQUIRES CYVIG SECURITY SOLUTIONS

"We're excited to have CyVig join the GMI team," expressed CEO Simer Mayo . "Our goal is to revolutionize the MSSP model by prioritizing security, establishing us as the pioneering Secure Managed Services Provider. The combination of CyVig's expertise and GMI's comprehensive technology solutions enables us to offer clients worldwide IT lifecycle management and vital 24/7 cybersecurity services from a single source."

"Protecting our clients from security risks has always been our utmost commitment at CyVig," stated Chris Riley , Chief Information Security Officer of CyVig. "We are excited to join GMI as it enables us to deliver extended security offerings and expanded professional managed services, resulting in a comprehensive package tailored specifically to meet our client's unique needs."

The acquisition of CyVig enhances GMI's ability to provide end-to-end, secure, and resilient solutions. The addition of CyVig's deep security expertise strengthens GMI's offerings across network, cloud, collaboration, security, and managed IT practices and ensures that customer security remains at the forefront of every technology deployment.

"The acquisition of CyVig reaffirms our unwavering commitment to prioritize security in every technology deployment," said GMI President Brian Blakely . "In today's landscape, businesses face volatile risks stemming from vulnerable business processes and generic security measures. By integrating CyVig into our portfolio, GMI bolsters its security offerings, ensuring companies can operate in a safe and secure environment."

About GMI:

Global Market Innovators (GMI) is a Secure Managed Service Provider specializing in leading growth markets, including Cyber Security, Digital Workplace, and Managed Services. GMI provides secure technology solutions across network, cloud, collaboration, security, and managed IT practices and is supported by a dynamic global team of expert consultants. GMI serves diverse Fortune 50-2000 education, commercial, government, and enterprise clients across multiple countries. As a privately-held, women- and minority-owned company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona , GMI boasts a delivery team of 175+ certified experts in security, collaboration, networking, and data centers. For more information, visit www.gmi.com .

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SOURCE Global Market Innovators (GMI)
JERSEY CITY, N.J. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nursing is one of the most in-demand careers in the United States , but obtaining a college degree in this field can be cost-prohibitive for many students.

To close equity gaps in higher education and to support economic growth, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy partnered with the NJ CEO Council and Social Finance to launch the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program in 2022. The first-of-its-kind in the United States , the $12.5 million program prepares students for careers in growth-fueled industries such as health care, green energy, and information technology (IT). New Jersey Pay It Forward is designed to help participants enroll in and graduate from high-quality academic and training programs. The Pay It Forward Program provides zero-interest, no-fee loans, non-repayable living stipends, access to emergency aid funds, and supportive services like mental health counseling for students. After completing one of the eligible academic or training programs, participants who earn above a minimum salary, such as $49,290 for a family of three, repay their loans, and those funds are then recycled to finance future students.

Hudson County Community College is the first institution of higher education in New Jersey selected to participate in the health care segment of the Pay It Forward Program. The HCCC Associate of Science (A.S.) in Nursing Degree Program was chosen for its proven, high-quality training, and track record of strong employment outcomes, employer relationships, and experience serving diverse learners. The Pay It Forward Program closely aligns with HCCC's overarching principles of dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion, and student success

Nineteen HCCC Nursing Program students were among 100-plus students in the state selected as initial program participants. On Thursday, June 15 , the 19 HCCC students graduated from the College's Nursing Program and were celebrated with a toast and a pinning ceremony at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center . Those who helped commemorate the occasion included David J. Socolow , Executive Director of the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA); Tara Colton , Executive Vice President for Economic Security at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA); Emily Apple, Director of Economic Security, New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA); Dr. Christopher Reber , HCCC President; Dr. Darryl Jones , HCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Heather DeVries , HCCC Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment; Dr. Catherine Sirangelo , HCCC Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences; Dr. Lori Byrd , Interim Director, HCCC Nursing Program; and representatives from the NJ CEO Council and Social Finance, the nonprofit designing and managing the program.

"The New Jersey Pay It Forward stipend and emergency funds helped me focus on my classes and worry less," said Eunice Rivera , a graduate of the program who accepted an offer to become an intensive care unit nurse at a nearby hospital. "The no-interest loan helps me stay in the here and now, instead of worrying too much about compounding interest that I would have to pay in the future."

"I commend the students graduating today on their hard work and dedication in making it to this point," said Governor Phil Murphy . "I look forward to seeing the first group of graduates from our Pay It Forward Program go on to succeed in their careers and help enable the success of future cohorts of eager students. I know great things are ahead for each and every one of these nursing students, who will significantly assist communities throughout our state by filling critical roles among New Jersey's health care workforce."

"We are incredibly proud of our first Pay It Forward Program Nursing graduates," said Dr. Reber . "A college degree is the great equalizer on the path to a sustainable career and enjoyable life. It provides the means to secure one's family, and to help our community thrive. We are thankful to the State of New Jersey , Social Finance, and the NJ CEO Council for providing the resources to make students' dreams realities, and for recognizing our Nursing Program as a vital component in helping students attain success."

"It is an honor to celebrate the very first group of students to complete their studies with support from New Jersey's Pay It Forward Program," said David J. Socolow . "Today's pinning ceremony welcomes a new group of highly qualified, skilled, and compassionate New Jerseyans into the nursing profession, where they will deliver vital care to help their patients heal. These new nurses reached today's milestone thanks most of all to their own hard work, but also with support from Pay It Forward zero-interest loans and additional grants that reduced their student debt burdens. I applaud each and every one of them."

"Congratulations to the first graduates from New Jersey Pay It Forward. With hard work and dedication, along with financing and supportive services from the program, they will soon enter the field of nursing. Best of all, once they secure good jobs, they will enable more students to become nurses," said Tracy Palandjian , CEO & Co-Founder of Social Finance.

"As a healthcare anchor institution and co-designer of the program, we've had the incredible opportunity to work with Hudson County Community College to develop career ladders for those wishing to pursue a degree in nursing," said Lourdes Valdes , Corporate Director, Workforce Development and Grants, Human Resources Corporate Services, RWJBarnabas Health. "We're proud to celebrate with the first graduating class, and look forward to continuing to grow our state's workforce along with our terrific partners."

In addition to the Nursing Program at HCCC, New Jersey's Pay It Forward Program serves HVAC and Welding students at Camden County College and Cybersecurity students at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The program aims to add more training programs and to serve more students in the coming years. Governor Phil Murphy has proposed an additional $2.5 million for New Jersey Pay It Forward in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal.

About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers nearly 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools .

HCCC has partnerships with major four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey - New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.

The College's commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the "INSIGHT Into Diversity" 2021 and 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this year honoring HCCC as one of seven community colleges nationally to be named "Top Colleges for Diversity;" and the "INSIGHT Into Diversity" 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. HCCC was a finalist last year for the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) "Advancing Diversity Award of Excellence." For the second consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of 20 community colleges in the United States to be named among the "2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges" by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education." The College was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey , to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the "Chronicle of Higher Education" as a 2022 "Great College to Work For." HCCC is one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College's cutting-edge "Hudson Scholars" program. The College's exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2023 "Leader College" designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented with the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention by Vector Solutions for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.

About the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program

The New Jersey Pay It Forward Program is a joint initiative of Governor Phil Murphy , the State of New Jersey , the NJ CEO Council, and Social Finance. The Pay It Forward program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, aims to prepare New Jersey residents for in-demand jobs in industries like health care, IT, and clean energy. Learn more at NJpayitforward.com. Social Finance is the nonprofit designing and managing the program.

Contact

Carrie Benjamin , Director of Media & Communications

(857) 340-6064

[email protected]



Jennifer Christopher , Hudson County Community College Director of Communications

201-360-4061

[email protected]edu

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SOURCE Social Finance
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The launch of a railway line from China through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan will contribute to the increased transit role of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, Roman Spasskiy, the Chief Engineer of Kyrgyz Temir Zholu (Kyrgyz Railways) state enterprise told Trend.

"The current focus of transportation network development in the country is the connection of the south and north regions through railway communication. In the future, we plan to extend the Balykchy  Kochkor  Kara-Kech railway to the Makmal district, where the construction of a railway line from China through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan is envisioned. This will further enhance the transit role of the country in Central Asia," said Spasskiy.

Specifically, the chief engineer emphasized that the construction of the Balykchy  Kochkor railway line is considered an important transportation and economic asset for the country. It will help improve the movement of goods, especially when combined with the completion of the North-South alternative road, as part of Kyrgyzstan's developing unified transportation network.

The construction of the Balykchy  Kochkor  Kara-Kech railway, which began in 2022, has already seen 5 kilometers of railway completed last year. The plan for 2023 is to construct an additional 15 kilometers of railway.

Railway transportation is expected to have a positive impact on the country's economy, particularly in trade, the extraction and transportation of natural resources, as well as the movement of agricultural and construction materials.
High security and low latency enable transformative digital communication

MUNICH , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivada Space Networks and IEC Telecom have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to enable innovative connectivity solutions for land and maritime communications.

IEC Telecom is an international satellite service operator offering industry-leading satellite communication solutions to governments, public institutions, and enterprises across the world. IEC Telecom specialises in digitalization for the maritime industry as well as providing remote communications on land where GSM coverage is not available and delivering dependable communication for humanitarian operations and special missions. For urban networks, the company provides a powerful satellite back-up to ensure business continuity.

The communications landscape is developing rapidly with providers now able to offer first-generation low earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity. But not all LEO networks are created equal and what Rivada is now providing is the first true "OuterNET": a global low latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites. What sets Rivada apart is this unique next-generation architecture combining inter-satellite laser links with advanced onboard data routers to create an optical mesh network in space. This approach to "orbital networking," where data stays in space, enables access to an ultra-secure satellite network with pole-to-pole reach, offering end-to-end latencies similar to or better than terrestrial fiber. By routing traffic on a physically separated network, Rivada provides a layer of defence for any organization that needs to securely share data over long distances.

For the humanitarian sector, IEC Telecom will leverage Rivada's OuterNET to provide leading NGO agencies with enhanced connectivity for the coordination of humanitarian efforts, the safety of remote workers, the security of NGO assets, and the sustainability of long-term operations. From housing and food distribution to education and medicine, all field requirements will be supported to allow humanitarian missions to expand their reach and multiply their scope of services.

In addition to land connectivity services, IEC Telecom will use Rivada's OuterNET to provide enhanced ICT infrastructure for the maritime environment, further expanding digitalization at sea. IEC Telecom offers cyber-secure network solutions optimized for the maritime sector. Powered by Rivada's OuterNET, these technologies will support digital decarbonization globally by helping vessels improve onboard operations, leading to reduced fuel consumption.

"This partnership supports IEC Telecom's commitment to pursue innovation for the best customer experience. Rivada's service will allow us to expand our network's SLA and offer high-throughput data connectivity 'fiber-like' in the sky versus DSL-like today," said Erwan Emilian , CEO & Partner at IEC Telecom Group. He added: "We are excited to explore cost-effective packages for the humanitarian sector and test the resilience of maritime connectivity in the open sea. We are confident that Rivada is on its way to becoming a key market player in the satcom world."

Declan Ganley , Rivada Space Networks CEO, said: "We are delighted to be working with IEC Telecom to support their high throughput voice and data services." Ganley added: "We are moving full speed ahead to deploy the first true OuterNET, with its unique data-connectivity capabilities. Both of our companies see the importance of providing ultra-secure, highly reliable low latency communications anywhere on the globe."

About Rivada Space Networks

Rivada Space Networks is set to establish and operate the first true "OuterNET": a global low latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites. By connecting its satellites with lasers, Rivada Space Networks will provide resellers and B2B customers with the ability to securely connect any two points on the globe with low latency and high bandwidth. The constellations, comprising 600 low-earth-orbit communications satellites, will represent a fundamental change in the availability of secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade connectivity for Telecom, Enterprise, Maritime, Energy and Government Services markets. Rivada Space Networks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rivada Networks, Inc. www.rivadaspace.com

Follow Rivada Space Networks on:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rivadaspace

Twitter: @rivadaspace

About IEC Telecom Group:

IEC Telecom Group is a leading international satellite service operator with nearly three decades of engineering expertise in end-to-end low and high-throughput voice and data services. The brand's portfolio includes a wide range of hybrid satellite and LTE products, solutions, and value-added services. Optimised for the maritime sector. IEC Telecom Group delivers worldwide with regional offices across eight countries: France , UAE , Kazakhstan , Norway , Singapore , Sweden , Turkey and Spain . For more information, visit: iec-telecom.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iec-telecom-group

Twitter: @iectelecom

Media Contacts:

Melanie Dickie , SVP Marketing & Communications

Rivada Space Networks GmbH

Tel: +31 6 14 22 97 62

Email: [email protected]m

Brian Carney , SVP Corporate Communications

Rivada Networks, Inc

Tel: +1 (207) 256-0386

Email: [email protected]

Anastasia Kuzmenko

IEC Telecom Group

Mobile: +971 (50) 222 59 37

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Rivada Space Networks
RESTON, Va. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced the addition of Rancher Government Solutions (RGS), a complete open software stack for teams adopting containers, as an Emerging Technology Partner to the Leidos Alliance Partner Network (LAPN). Together, Leidos and RGS will address the unique and strict security and operational needs of the U.S. government and military as it relates to application modernization, containers and Kubernetes. LAPN drives innovation through a vast network of the world's leading technology companies and leverages significant expertise to provide solutions that deliver customer mission success.

"Leidos is pleased to welcome Rancher Government Solutions to the Leidos Alliance Partner Network," said Derrick Pledger , Leidos Chief Information Officer. "We have worked together to develop edge-to-cloud architectures, execution patterns and secure Kubernetes methodologies. These will enable rapid capability deployments and at-scale systems modernization in support of U.S. government mission-owners across the defense, intelligence and health domains. We look forward to driving continuous modernization as well as helping our shared customers deliver mission outcomes on behalf of the nation."

"Rancher Government Solutions is honored to be among the select group of technology companies chosen to be part of the Leidos Alliance Partner Network," said Sima Shahin , RGS Regional Vice President, Federal System Integrators. "It demonstrates that our commitment to delivering secure, interoperable, open-source Kubernetes and cloud native technologies to the U.S. government in a validated way has paid off. Together with Leidos, RGS will continue to advance mission success through digital transformation and application modernization."

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 46,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia , Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022 . For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022 , and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made.

Contact:

Melissa Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Thomas Doheny

(571) 474-4735

[email protected]

Lauren Reddington

[email protected]

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SOURCE Leidos
In Partnership with Zero-G, Truly is Elevating Fans' Summers With First -ever Weightless Drinking Pop-up Experience

BOSTON , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Beer Company's Truly Hard Seltzer , a leader and innovator in the hard seltzer category, is taking seltzer season to new heights by launching the first-ever Zero-G drinking experience with the Truly Zero Gravity Bar. Drinkers will experience the light, fun, and refreshing flavors of Truly while they sip, float and flip at 32,000 feet in the same zero gravity environment utilized by astronauts. The one-of-a-kind pop-up bar will bring the brand's "Lightly Fantastic" creative campaign to life, celebrating the joyful feeling that Truly gives you and the lighter side of life. This once-in-a-lifetime adventure takes off this summer.

The Truly Zero Gravity Bar will be built inside a specialized Boeing-727 "G-Force One," operated by Zero-G -- world leader in zero gravity flights -- and serve a variety of Truly Hard Seltzers, including beloved favorites like Wild Berry, Pineapple, Citrus Squeeze, and more. On board, passengers will experience how 'Lightly Fantastic' drinking Truly can be, while walking across the ceiling, soaring through space, and seeing their Truly cans and hard seltzer float before their eyes.

Truly fans craving a bucket list experience and access to the most exclusive mile-high hard seltzer bar in history can enter to win a reservation on board the Truly Zero Gravity Bar through July 24, 2023 . To enter, Truly drinkers can visit TrulyZeroGravityBar.com and tell us why drinking Truly makes them feel 'Lightly Fantastic.' Submissions will be evaluated on imagination, originality and most importantly, their love for Truly and desire to experience the Truly Zero Gravity Bar. Five winning fans and their guests will score a reservation on the chartered Truly Zero Gravity Bar flight on August 28 from Long Beach, CA plus two-nights lodging, five-hundred dollars spending cash and a post-flight reception at Truly's home of innovation, Truly L.A. Entry is open to all U.S. residents 21+. Full rules can be found here.

"At Truly, we believe in embracing the lighter side of life, whether that's crafting the most refreshing flavors or creating unforgettable, unique drinking experiences for our fans," said Matt Withington , Director of Marketing at Truly Hard Seltzer . "In celebration of our newest Lightly Fantastic brand platform, it only made sense to go above and beyond with the world's first-ever Truly Zero Gravity Bar. There's no better way to remind fans that drinking Truly should be light, fun and joyful than literally defying the laws of gravity with a Truly in hand."

Fans who don't score a reservation at the Truly Zero Gravity Bar can still experience the 'Lightly Fantastic' lighter side of life with Truly this summer and beyond, with a range of new styles including the brand's first spirits-based seltzer, Truly Vodka Soda, the nostalgic, limited-edition Red, White & Tru Truly Hard Seltzer mix pack and new Truly Flavored Vodka flavors, Blood Orange and White Peach.

For more information on Truly Hard Seltzer , visit TrulyHardSeltzer.com and follow Truly on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional details. Please drink (and float) responsibly.

About Truly

An original hard seltzer, Truly has paved the way for an entire category since 2016 as the most innovative beyond beer experience. The brand continues to keep its finger on the tab of what drinkers want: a great-tasting, sessionable alcoholic beverage without the fuss. Truly believes life can be more refreshing when we can be real, let loose, embrace imperfection, and allow ourselves to be free from convention. That's why Truly has something for everyone in more than 30 unique flavors including three lightly flavored mix packs (Berry, Citrus, and Tropical), three bolder flavor mix packs (Lemonade, Margarita-Style, and Punch), plus limited-edition mix packs. In 2022, Truly introduced Truly Flavored Vodka and its first spirits-based seltzer, Truly Vodka Soda. To learn more, visit trulyhardseltzer.com, follow Truly on social media, or experience Truly for yourself at the home of innovation in Downtown Los Angeles at Truly L.A.

About Boston Beer Company

The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer and the Samuel Adams brand is currently recognized as one of the largest and most respected craft beer brands. Our portfolio of brands also includes Truly Hard Seltzer , Truly Vodka Soda, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Hard Mountain Dew, and Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers, as well as other craft beer brands from Angel City Brewery and Coney Island Brewing. For more information, please visit our website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to our respective brand websites.

About Zero-G

Zero Gravity Corporation ("Zero-G") is the world leader in zero gravity flights. As the first and only FAA-approved provider of zero gravity flights, Zero-G does it all: Astronaut training; scientific research, corporate incentives, filming, and even public flights.

With a spotless safety record over the past 19 years, Zero-G has made the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the general public. Whether you're a training astronaut, a scientist conducting groundbreaking research, or a civilian pursuing a lifelong dream, it all starts in the same placewith Zero-G.

To learn more about Zero-G, visit www.gozerog.com

Media Contacts

Christina Panta , 703-473-6806, [email protected]

Brittany Zahoruiko, 617-368-5395, [email protected]

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The More is More Collection consists of six limited edition jewelry pieces that encourage individuals to indulge in expressing themselves through more layering, creativity, and customization on any occasion.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnum ice cream, the chocolatiers of ice cream, is all about indulgence  from your favorite treats to layering on your most stylish accessories. To bring this maximalist mindset to life, Magnum ice cream, in partnership with celebrity jewelry designer, Stephanie Gottlieb , is unveiling the More is More Jewelry Collection, a six-piece limited-edition fine jewelry collection featuring impeccably crafted pieces made to layer, and all inspired by the brand's iconic Bars.

Indulging in moments big and small has always been at the heart of what Magnum ice cream stands for. The More is More Jewelry Collection was designed to give individuals permission to indulge through the art of accessorizing, encouraging ice cream fans to indulge and show the world, layer by layer. Magnum ice cream celebrates everyone who is always looking for more because when it comes to enjoyment, and ice cream, More is More.

The More is More Jewelry Collection was inspired by the delicious layers of Magnum ice cream's iconic Bars and brings to life the notion that more indulgence can often lead to more happiness in everything from ice cream to fashion.

Meet the More is More Collection:

The Chocolate & Vanilla Enamel Ring ( $495 ) is a take on the classic Magnum ice cream Bar  featuring brown & cream colors of enamel, this ring is perfect to show your layers in a sweet accessory.

is a take on the classic Magnum ice cream Bar  featuring brown & cream colors of enamel, this ring is perfect to show your layers in a sweet accessory. The Caramel & Vanilla Pave Ring ( $1,250 ) brings Magnum ice cream's sweet ingredients to the next level allowing you to indulge in more with a decadent display of caramel and white diamonds.

brings Magnum ice cream's sweet ingredients to the next level allowing you to indulge in more with a decadent display of caramel and white diamonds. Inspired by iconic Magnum ice cream Bars, the Melt Ring ( $1,690 ) brings ice cream to life with a half 14K gold and half pave design and is designed to stack.

( ) brings ice cream to life with a half 14K gold and half pave design and is designed to stack. The More is More Gold Letter Charm & Chain (Charm Only $495 , Charm + Chain $1,695 ) is a beautiful 14K gold layered necklace that can be fashioned as a triple wrap bracelet and customized with gold letter charms.

(Charm Only , Charm + Chain ) is a beautiful 14K gold layered necklace that can be fashioned as a triple wrap bracelet and customized with gold letter charms. The More is More Enamel Letter Disc Charm & Chain (Charm Only $495 , Charm + Chain $1,695 ) is a beautiful 14K gold layered necklace that can be fashioned as a triple wrap bracelet and customized with enamel letter discs.

(Charm Only , Charm + Chain ) is a beautiful 14K gold layered necklace that can be fashioned as a triple wrap bracelet and customized with enamel letter discs. The More is More Flip Ring ( $7,560 ) allows you to choose how you want to express yourself, by showcasing a collection of Magnum ice cream-inspired pave diamonds or showing "MORE" as a reminder to always unapologetically express yourself.

"As a jewelry designer, I take pride in creating unique pieces that allow individuals to stand out and express themselves in their own way," says Stephanie Gottlieb . "The More is More Collection is an outstanding example of maximalism, creativity and craft that can be customized to an array of styles. Each piece is a subtle nod to Magnum ice cream's iconic Bars and will be sure to amp up any look this summer and beyond."

"Magnum ice cream believes in indulging through the art of layering, which has always been evident in our iconic bars and is now showcased through the More is More Jewelry Collection," said Bentley King , U.S. Head of Ice Cream Operations at Unilever. "We're thrilled to give ice cream fans another way to indulge and layer through this jewelry collection in partnership with Stephanie Gottlieb ."

The full collection is available starting today and can be purchased in store at Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry or online at stephaniegottlieb.com/collections/the-more-is-more-jewelry-collection through December 31, 2023 . To further celebrate the launch of the More is More Jewelry Collection, starting Sunday, July 16 th, Magnum ice cream will be hosting a social giveaway on Instagram with Stephanie Gottlieb to offer fans the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a select piece from The More is More Jewelry Collection.

For more information about Magnum ice cream, visit magnumicecream.com/us and follow on social @MagnumIceCreamUS on Facebook and @MagnumIceCream on Twitter and Instagram. For product locator, please visit www.magnumicecream.com/us/en/where-to-buy.html.

For more information about Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry, visit stephaniegottlieb.com and follow on social @stephaniegottlieb on Instagram and @sgfinejewelry on Facebook.

About Magnum ice cream

Launched in 1989, Magnum ice cream was the first handheld ice cream bar targeted as a premium adult offering. Today, Magnum ice cream is one of the world's leading ice cream brands, selling more than one billion units annually worldwide.

Magnum ice cream bars is the ultimate chocolate ice cream indulgence, using only the finest premium ingredients like velvety vanilla bean ice cream and are the only ice cream bars made with Belgian chocolate. All Magnum ice creams  including Magnum Double Ice Cream Bars, Magnum MINI Ice Cream Bars, Magnum Classic Ice Cream Bars, and Magnum Tubs  source cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. For more information, please visit magnumicecream.com/us, facebook.com/MagnumIceCreamUS, twitter.com/MagnumIceCream, and visit our U.S. Instagram channel at instagram.com/MagnumIceCream.

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. Worldwide, we have 127,000 employees and generated sales of 60.1 billion in 2022. Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Seventh Generation, TRESemme, and Vaseline.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

improving the health of the planet;

improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing;

and contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca

About Stephanie Gottlieb , Founder of Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry

Stephanie Gottlieb , the visionary founder of her eponymous fine jewelry brand and bridal concierge service, established her business in 2013 with the aim to bring transparency and education into the historically opaque diamond industry. Her expertise in diamonds, blended with her mission to inspire customers to embrace their uniqueness through jewelry, emboldens Stephanie to create pieces that are sophisticated and pack major personality.

Stephanie has crafted a social-first business strategy with over 465K followers on Instagram, revolutionizing the landscape of fine jewelry for today's consumer. Known for her unique signature designs, including the iconic Slider Bangle and Undecided collections, Stephanie is passionate about jewelry that isn't just worn based on where you are going, but rather how it makes you feel when you wear it.

Stephanie immerses herself in the world of her customers, fostering direct connections through the realm of social media where she personally engages with her audience and generously shares her vibrant, colorful style and larger-than-life diamonds as inspiration.

Media Contact

Diana Banzon | Edelman

[email protected]

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SOURCE Magnum ice cream
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The tenth Mongolia Economic Forum (MEF) continues in Ulaanbaatar today amidst the announcement by the Government of two new bodies to support investment into the country and of new partnerships with Elon Musk's SpaceX and leading geo-location company What3Words. This also follows the recent upgrading of Mongolia's projected economic growth in 2023.

2,200 guests from around the world  including leading representatives from global businesses, the third sector and multilateral organisations  are gathering for this two-day event (9-10 July) to discuss how they can work in partnership with the Mongolian Government to deliver its goal of doubling the country's GDP by 2030 and establishing Mongolia as a leading country in the region by the middle of the century.

Vision 2050 and the New Recovery Policy announced in 2022 set a clear strategic direction for Mongolia's sustainable development to inform the Government's wider policy programme. This direction has enabled rapid progress to date and provides the foundation for the latest round of milestones announced this year at the Forum.

This morning the Government announced the creation of the Private Partnership Centre and the Investment and Trade Agency, to support more investment into the country. The Investment and Trade Agency, for example, will provide 'a bridge for business in Mongolia ', providing assistance in the protection of investors' legitimate rights and interests, helping expand import diversification and to improve the competitiveness of import substituting industries.

In addition, in his keynote address to the Forum this morning, Minister for the Economy and Development and Deputy Prime Minister Khurelbaatar Chimed outlined the opportunities for investment that exist in Mongolia and the Government's intention to amend the Draft Law on Investment to help facilitate new investment partnerships.

Figures show that the Government's focus on removing barriers to growth through its US$ 49 billion New Recovery Policy  unveiled in December 2021  and Vision 2050 blueprint are continuing to deliver results. Following above-forecast growth of 4.8% in 2022  1.1% of which was attributable to the New Recovery Policy  and growth of 7.9% in the first quarter of this year, the country's growth forecast for 2023 has been upgraded from 5% to 6%. The growth forecast for 2024 is now 6.5%.

This growth, particularly following the pandemic, was made possible by working closely with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Through working together, we achieved remarkable vaccination coverage of Mongolians during the pandemic, with 90% of the target group receiving at least the first dose. This helped us end COVID-19 restrictions in February 2022 , and ensured that our mortality rate was five times lower than in other countries. We are delighted that Dr Ghebreyesus has been able to attend this year's MEF.

A key part of our 'Vision 2050' plan is fostering a culture of well-being. Since May 2022 , the Government has run a campaign to encourage take-up of early screening and diagnosis services, a key milestone in encouraging the proactive management of our people's healthcare. I am delighted that 1 million citizens have taken part in this initiative so far.

Two announcements of significant new investment in Mongolia have also been made over recent days, underlining the benefits being delivered by the Government's pro-growth agenda:

The Government of Mongolia has entered into an unprecedented alliance with SpaceX , enabling millions of internet users in Mongolia to access high-speed internet through Starlink, particularly benefiting people in rural areas and supporting Mongolia's digital transformation

has entered into an unprecedented alliance with , enabling millions of internet users in to access high-speed internet through Starlink, particularly benefiting people in rural areas and supporting digital transformation The Government of Mongolia has also forged new strategic alliances with technology company What3Words, supporting the use of Optical Character Recognition technology to streamline postal services, and enabling the increased visibility of Mongolia's heritage sites and key tourism spots

The Prime Minister of Mongolia , Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, comments:

"I am delighted to welcome guests from around the world to the tenth Mongolia Economic Forum to discuss how we can work in partnership to unlock the economic potential of Mongolia  currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

"This follows two major announcements of additional investment in Mongolia , and the commencement of underground production at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine with Rio Tinto in March, demonstrating Mongolia's growing attractiveness to international investors.

"Our impressive recovery from the pandemic, supported by the Government's New Recovery Policy, provides a strong foundation for tackling long-term barriers to sustained high levels of growth. I welcome the opportunity that the Forum provides to discuss how greater collaboration can help us make even more progress in the years ahead."

This year's MEF, the tenth since the inaugural Forum in 2010, is being co-hosted by the Prime Minister of Mongolia , Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rio Tinto Group, Dominic Barton , under the theme of 'Welcome to Mongolia ', emphasising the Government's commitment to offering a warm welcome to visitors to the country whether they're travelling for business or tourism. In his own keynote address to the Forum this morning, Mr Barton emphasised that the vision, ambition, resource, and talent that Mongolians have can achieve anything, adding that the strong economic conditions of a decade ago had returned to the country.

Highlights of this year's MEF include:

A dedicated 'MEF Youth' event, exploring how the talent and potential of the majority of Mongolia's population who are under thirty years old can be harnessed to help the country benefit from the technological and economic advances of the 21 st century

event, exploring how the talent and potential of the majority of population are under thirty years old can be harnessed to help the country benefit from the technological and economic advances of the 21 century Following the Government's declaration of 2023 as the 'Year of Anti-Corruption' , a series of events focused on convening experts from key international organisations to discuss how progress to date in this area can be built upon and Mongolia can learn from best practice around the world. This follows the number of cases referred to the courts by the anti-corruption agency that are resolved having risen from 26% in 2019 to 43% in 2022

, a series of events focused on convening experts from key international organisations to discuss how progress to date in this area can be built upon and can learn from best practice around the world. This follows the number of cases referred to the courts by the anti-corruption agency that are resolved having risen from 26% in 2019 to 43% in 2022 Earlier today, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and leading global environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy announced at MEF the launch later this month of a Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) . By establishing a more sustainable system for the financing of conservation projects in Mongolia , the CTF will help Mongolia achieve its sustainable development and climate change goals

and and leading global environmental organisation announced at MEF the . By establishing a more sustainable system for the financing of conservation projects in , the CTF will help achieve its sustainable development and climate change goals Four plenary sessions and fifteen sub-sessions on topics as varied as the digital economy, food manufacturing, sustainable growth, urban development and capital markets, are being held

A number of Government Ministers are available for media interviews, including in English.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2150557/PM_MEF.jpg

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NEW YORK , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Just 13 percent of executives say sustainability is deeply embedded into their firm's cultural DNA. Most companies are generally at the early to middle stages of building a sustainability culture, with 49 percent saying it is moderately embedded and 37 percent saying it is slightly embedded.

That is according to a new report by The Conference Board in collaboration with Baker Tilly . The report, Building a Sustainability Culture, is the culmination of a series of Working Group sessions, at which executives from companies in various sectors discussed how to develop and maintain a corporate culture that embraces sustainability.

"To take advantage of the transition to a sustainable economy, companies need to build a sustainability culture that becomes an indelible part of their organization's character," said Paul Washington , Executive Director of The Conference Board ESG Center and co-author of the report. "The Building a Sustainability Culture Working Group served as a valuable step in helping leaders equip their workforces with the behaviors, training, resources, and capabilities necessary to meet the unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the areas of corporate governance, sustainability, and citizenship."

"The findings of our report underscore the need for embedding sustainability into business as usual, in addition to highlighting the distance still left to travel on the journey to a sustainable economy," said Srinand Yalamanchili, Baker Tilly DirectorESG and sustainability. "Embedding sustainability into culture and business strategy can only be achieved by prioritizing the 'why'the positive return on investment and risks of inactionand taking ownership at both an organizational and individual level."

The Working Group convened more than 250 executives from 160 companies who met over the span of eight months to focus on how to develop and maintain a culture in which those at the organization think and act with sustainability in mind. The report provides insights into five areas: 1) what is a sustainability culture?; 2) why does it matter?; 3) how do companies build a sustainability culture?; 4) who is responsible?; and 5) how do companies measure success?

Key insights from the report include:

Companies are in the early stages of building sustainability into their culture.

Just 13 percent of executives say sustainability is deeply embedded into their company culture, with 49 percent saying it is moderately embedded and 37 percent saying it is slightly embedded.

Sustainability and cultural change need to be closely linked to the execution of the company's business strategy.

30 percent of the respondents cite the CEO as best suited to lead the cultural transformation of the organization, followed by 28 percent who cite those responsible for the company's business strategy and operations.

Both the positive ROI (return on investment) and the negative ROI (risk of inaction) are driving the case for building a sustainability culture.

An initial motivator: Explaining the "Risk of Inaction"the negative consequences of failing to change.



A constant motivator: Explaining the positive case for how increasing the organization's focus on sustainability will improve the company's performance in the marketplace, including the markets for products and services, talent, and capital.

Employees need to feel a sense of ownership when it comes to building a sustainability culture.

75 percent of participants cite a "sense of ownership" as the most important aspect of a sustainability culture, followed by a clear mission, purpose, and values.

Companies may need to move beyond traditional training and compensation to motivate progress.

Only half (50 percent) of participants cite compensation as the most effective way of recognizing and rewarding behavioral change. By contrast, 61 percent cite internal recognition from senior management as the most effective, and 54 percent cite promotions and career opportunities.

About The Conference Board ESG Center

The Conference Board ESG Center serves as a resource, platform, and partner to help Member companies address their priorities in corporate governance, sustainability, and citizenship. ConferenceBoard.org/ESG

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States . ConferenceBoard.org

About Baker Tilly US, LLP (bakertilly.com)

Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) is a leading advisory CPA firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world's leading financial centers  New York , London , San Francisco , Los Angeles and Chicago . Baker Tilly is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 145 territories, with 41,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $4.7 billion . Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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SOURCE The Conference Board
STOCKHOLM , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract amendment with Oregon Health & Science University for its Hospital Expansion Project in Portland, Oregon , USA. The contract amendment is worth USD 91M , about SEK 1.0 billion , which will be included in the US order bookings for the second quarter of 2023.

The new contract includes exterior framing and cladding, roofing, fireproofing, patient lifts, long lead electrical and mechanical equipment for the new hospital expansion building.

Construction of the approximately 50,000-square meter, 14 story hospital expansion began in 2022 and is expected to open to patients in 2026.

For further information please contact:

Daniela Arellano , Communications Director, Skanska USA, tel +1 -213-317-4977

Andreas Joons , Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3802280/2179961.pdf 20230710 US hospital https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/rendering---ohsu-2023---image-cred-motive-studio-and-nbbj,c3198662 Rendering - OHSU 2023 - image cred Motive Studio and NBBJ

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SOURCE Skanska
With efficient growth, innovation and marquis healthcare customers like Humana - Verifiable is shaking up the multi-billion dollar provider network management category.

AUSTIN, Texas , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Verifiable, an API-first innovator to the antiquated provider network management software category, has raised $27 million in Series B funding led by Craft Ventures to accelerate its next stage of growth and product innovation. Verifiable's comprehensive suite of network management solutions and real-time verifications empower healthcare organizations to expedite credentialing from multiple weeks to a matter of days. For customers, these efficiency gains can directly translate into millions of dollars of cost savings and added revenue capture, while also helping mitigate compliance risk, meet audit requirements, and improve the overall provider experience.

Verifiable will use this funding to scale go-to-market teams and expand its extensive verifications infrastructure to further differentiate the company's best-in-category provider credentialing, compliance and network management solutions. The funding will also further accelerate Verifiable's collaboration with Salesforce. Along with Craft Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, 137 Ventures and Cooley participated in the round, as well as existing investors The Altman Fund and Struck Capital.

"Credentialing isn't a new challengeit's an administrative bottleneck that's been costing healthcare organizations billions while negatively impacting provider experience and eroding the bottom-line," says Nick Macario , CEO of Verifiable. "What is new is Verifiable's integrated approach that truly automates the underlying operations through real-time verifications and workflows to drive speed and efficiency. Some of our largest competitors in the space are also customers of our platform, which speaks to the unique solution and value we bring to market. This is where Verifiable is built different."

Craft Ventures Partner and COO, Brian Murray , points out, "In today's macro environment, the funding bar is very high. Growth alone isn't enoughcompanies need to demonstrate they can grow fast without excessive burn. They must also prove they're solving big problems for big markets, forming a new category of software in their wake. We believe Verifiable has the potential to permanently upgrade our healthcare system. We're excited for what's to come."

Verifiable quickly emerged as the "go-to" credentialing solution for fast-growing, digital healthcare companies as healthcare quickly went virtual in 2020. Over the last year, Verifiable has since garnered significant traction in simplifying provider network operations for larger enterprise healthcare organizations as well.

One such leading customer is Humana, which came to Verifiable searching for technology solutions to help insource away from its previous Credential Verification Organization (CVO) vendor as Humana aimed to reduce costs, increase data quality and accelerate credentialing turnarounds to improve the provider experience. Humana chose Verifiable to insource, automate and centralize credentialing operations on the Salesforce platform. Through this work, it is currently projecting a 15% cost reduction, while improving quality and control over its previous CVO.

Over the last year, Verifiable has tripled its revenue and doubled its team, quickly becoming a fast-growing partner within Salesforce's ISV partner ecosystem. Throughout the recent accomplishments, Macario is quick to point out that beyond the powerful technology platform, it's really Verifiable's people at the heart of their success, "Everyone really cares deeply about helping our healthcare customers improve the provider experience, innovate in the face of provider shortages and expand access to care."

With funding to power further growth, Verifiable is actively hiring for a number of open roles over the coming months. Learn more at www.verifiable.com/careers.

About Verifiable

Verifiable is an API-first, provider network management platform built to help healthcare provider and payer organizations speed up network operations, save costs and streamline the provider experience. Verifiable industry-leading provider data infrastructure connects to thousands of primary sources to deliver real-time provider verification & monitoring to automate the credentialing process  resulting 78% faster turnaround times and millions in added revenue capture. Verifiable works with innovative healthcare provider and payer organizations like Humana, Lyra Health, Talkspace, Modern Health, Wheel, Grow Therapy, and many others. Verifiable is a proud Y-Combinator company whose investors include Craft Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Tiger Global , The Altman Fund, Struck Capital, Liquid2 Ventures, 137 Ventures, Cooley and Soma Capital.

Press Contact:

Scott E. Rupp

941-448-7566

https://millerrupp.com

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SOURCE Verifiable
BETHESDA, Md. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of 31 extraordinary hotel brands, today announces the highly anticipated debut of W Budapest , marking the brand's first opening in Hungary . Housed in the historic Drechsler Palace , previously home to the Institute of Ballet, W Budapest is set to become an evolutionary heartbeat of the city with visionary design, eclectic gastronomy and a socially driven spirit drawn from the cosmopolitan capital.

Located on Andrassy Avenue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city's most luxurious shopping street, W Budapest features 151 stylish guestrooms and suites as well as three innovative dining concepts, all influenced by Budapest's rich history, creativity and diversity.

Following the 2021 opening of W Rome , W Budapest showcases the evolved direction of W Hotels, offering incredible design in an elevated and sophisticated yet playful setting that intrinsically connects the next generation of luxury travellers to the locale.

"The debut of W Hotels in Budapest marks a monumental milestone and signals a new era of design ethos for our iconic brand," said George Fleck , Vice President and Global Brand Leader, W Hotels. "We look forward to connecting our guests to this timeless and inspiring city through inviting yet unexpected design, imaginative dining and unparalleled guest programming."

Bold, Intriguing and Locally-Inspired Design

Interior designers Bowler James Brindley ( London ) and Banati + Hartvig ( Hungary ) have carefully restored and reimagined Drechsler Palace , drawing inspiration from its rich cultural history and multiple identities as a cafe, social hub and Hungarian State Ballet Academy, to create captivating design narratives. Alongside the palace's history, the hotel has a 'second skin' design story bringing together the two sides of the city, Buda and Pest, with a playful juxtaposition. From soft layering to the use of metallic meshing to create perspective and intrigue throughout the hotel's public spaces and guestrooms, the design concept has created spaces that reveal new depths each time they are experienced.

Further inspiration has been sourced from the grand French Renaissance architectural aesthetic throughout the city, leading to a spirited modernisation with colour palettes of green, coral and deep blues and paired with contemporary Zsolnay inspire tiles, stained glass features and jewellery-inspired light fittings. Hungary's vibrant and eclectic cultural scene, including the city's famous love of chess and deep-rooted connection to ballet, can also be seen throughout the new hotel. Subtle nods to both are expressed in the form of bespoke chess-piece lamps and monochrome tiled marble flooring or soft pink hues, curved lines and lighting inspired by the graceful fluidity of the dance form. A few of Hungary's most famous exports, Harry Houdini and Zsa Zsa Gabor , have sparked a creative vision for the interior concept, expressed using mirrors to create optical illusions and nostalgic touches of Hollywood glamour.

The intertwining design narratives are present throughout the hotel's 151 distinctive guestrooms, including 45 suites. The fifth floor's unique wooden-centric style is sympathetic to the Palace's original roof design that has been restored, while the hotel's connection to ballet is reflected in the all-black Extreme WOW suite and all-white WOW suite  a celebration of the famous ballet Swan Lake .

Fusion Dining and a Timeless Cocktail Culture Ignites Curiosity

Shaking up the city's culinary scene, W Budapest opens with three new imaginative dining concepts, curated to spark curiosity and foster connections between guests and locals alike. Under the helm of world-class restaurateur Riccardo Giraudi , the hotel's destination restaurant, Nightingale by Beefbar, is the gastronomic heart of the hotel. A spinoff of the famous Beefbar concept, the restaurant offers an approachable introduction to Asian cuisine, pairing fresh traditional Asian flavours with a selection of Beefbar's signature and iconic meat dishes for a vibrant culinary experience. Spearheading the Nightingale by Beefbar kitchen is Fabio Polidori , who has curated a sociable menu of small plates designed to be shared with friends. Signature dishes include crispy carpaccio drizzled in a piquant chipotle dressing, yellowtail sashimi with yuzu truffle sauce and the playfully named Miss Bao , which invites diners to dip caramelized banana into a divine dark chocolate sauce. The bar at Nightingale by Beefbar offers a host of creative cocktails, from bourbon-based Nightingale Boulvardie to the gin and sweet wine-based cocktail Budapest Calling.

A destination for those in the know, Society25 is the hotel's exclusive speakeasy located in the basement. Society25 takes inspiration from the creative conversations and secret table societies that frequented the space in its past life, offering a fiercely intimate and socially liberating experience. The extensive cocktail list offers eight bespoke cocktails paying homage to the great eras, people and buildings within the city, each including a mysterious ingredient, expertly overseen by Head Bartender Stefano Ripiccini. Guests can take their pick from The Illusionist named after the great Houdini; Brew Bop which nods to Budapest's Golden Age of coffee and Geranium inspired by Drechsler Palace itself.

Meet You at W

Located on the ground floor, seamlessly blending into Nightingale restaurant, is W Lounge  the social epicentre of the hotel. From business meetings and light lunches to late-night revelry, W Lounge transcends day to night, serving sharing plates and signature cocktails to a backdrop of electrifying DJ performances as the sun sets over Budapest.

The new hotel also boasts several meeting and event spaces, including the Great Room , which is ideal for grand celebrations, and two Studio Rooms for business meetings and intimate gatherings.

A Social Beacon

This is a place that's 'always on'. Where doors and minds are opened through connections and associations with people, places, and the beautiful city of Budapest . Passionate programming will include FACES OF BUDAPEST , kicking off in August in celebration of Budapest Fashion Week. This series of roundtable discussions will shine a light on the inspiring faces of Budapest who represent the energised city, sharing insights and fostering connections. W RE(TREAT) led by local Annamaria Kaptay will be a series of in-person and in-room virtual yoga classes curated exclusively for guests of W Budapest passionate about both body and mind. David Raday, music curator at W Budapest will ignite the sounds of the city through musical explorations paired with cocktails and bites at SUNSET SESSIONS, THE WARM-UP and AFTERDARK.

A Hidden Oasis Under the City

Nestled next door to the secret speakeasy is W Budapest's AWAY Spa. Hidden doors lead to secret spaces where guests can seek serenity from the bustling city and enjoy moments of calm and relaxation. Here, the Houdini-inspired illusion comes to life with mirrors and water features creating a feeling of never-ending space and serenity. Inspired by the thermal baths that Budapest is famed for, the WET pool takes centre stage, offering an alluring oasis embellished with traditional tiles and gold mesh, paired with calming earthy tones. The AWAY Spa boasts five treatment rooms and a range of luxurious treatments along with its 'Quick Fix' menu, which provides a range of express treatments for guests that need a glow-up before enjoying Budapest's buzzing nightlife. FIT fitness centre hosts daily fitness and wellbeing classes alongside a state-of-the art gym.

For more information and to book, please visit www.wbudapest.com and follow on Instagram.

About W Hotels

Born from the bold, 24/7 culture of New York City , W Hotels has redefined hospitality for over two decades, breaking the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign lands. With more than 60 hotels around the globe, the detail-driven design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing, signature Living Rooms create an experience that is often imitated but never matched. Dynamic and invigorating, the brand celebrates each travelers' desire to uncover the destination through a lens that is distinctly W. For more information on W Hotels, visit whotels.com/theangle or follow us on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook . W Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy , the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including complimentary nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com .

About Marriott Bonvoy 

Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 31 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. From The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to W Hotels and more, Marriott Bonvoy has more luxury offerings than any other travel program. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy , visit marriottbonvoy.com .

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.
TIANJIN, China , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14t Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (hereinafter referred to as "Summer Davos") convened in Tianjin China , from June 27 to 29 . After the four-year hiatus, the offline Forum returned with China as its starting point, attracting more than 1,500 representatives from political, business and academic from nearly 100 countries all over the world.

Christy Lei Sun , CMO of YSG (Yatsen Global) presented at the meeting as Young Global Leader 2022 and shared her ideas on "Livestreaming opens a new chapter for e-commerce", focusing on the current situation and prospects of the live-stream e-commerce industry.

Summer Davos delivers a strong message of cooperation to the world

The Summer Davos has been successfully held for 13 times since it was first held in China in 2007, and is one of the most important platforms of for communication between China and the world. Themed with "Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force of the Global Economy", this year's Summer Davos intends to renew momentum for innovation and entrepreneurship to drive economic revitalization and more equitable, sustainable and resilient global economy.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Premier Li Qiang addressed the Summer Davos. Having gone through the twists and turns of economic setbacks, all countries should cherish openness, cooperation more, work together to tackle global challenges, and promote human progress, Li said. China is implementing new development guidelines, accelerating the construction of new development pattern and striving for high-quality development.

YSG has always been committed to be the beauty explorer for Chinese and global customers, with active implementation of policies and contribution to the building of open world economy. Besides establishing an image of innovative and professional Chinese brand with all efforts, YSG also brings in effective overseas high-end cosmetic brands with good reputation, facilitating the exchange and development in cosmetic research technology and professional skincare.

YSG expects to guard beauty with professional knowledge- supported live-stream

In recent years, live-stream has won great popularity among brands and customers for its powerful interaction and high efficiency. Live-stream industry has seen exponential growth, which is unique to China. On June 28 , Sun Lei delivered a keynote speech on "Livestreaming opens a new chapter for e-commerce" at Innovators Hub of Summer Davos . She helped the audience better understand how live-stream works and the live-stream commerce with the main brand Perfect Diary, promoting the win-win cooperation among brands and industries worldwide.

Christy Lei Sun said that Perfect Diary is looking forward to supporting live-stream with updated professional knowledge, based on the brand vision of "everyone can easily become beautiful", offering novices an easy start and achieving popularization of makeup. Perfect Diary's live-stream channel ranked second in the TikTok makeup live-stream list, with a total live-streaming time of over 6,900 hours and a total of 82 million viewers.

Building upon the company's business development, Perfect Diary has started the practice of live-streaming by the brand. By setting up live scenes of fashion and beauty, difficulties of makeup and tips for novices have been well-illustrated and shown to the participants, delivering real benefits for consumers and continuing to amplify the brand's voice and enhancing customer stickiness with live-stream. What's special is that on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, the company also co-organized the "Firefly" public service live-stream with organizations of public welfare to provide training for disabled live-streamers and launched a special live public welfare activity to convey the brand's philosophy "Unlimited Beauty".

According to Christy Lei Sun, YSG has established a sound live-streamer training system, including regularly studying product development, reviewing and summarizing user problems, communicating with the back-end colleagues and participating in a series of meetings for overall brand building, so as to build up comprehensive capabilities. In terms of cultivating live-streamers, the company makes well-thought decisions on candidates, choosing the live-streamers of potentials that fit the brand's style. They will be provided with customized professional training and guiding on live-stream at different stages from beginner training to later growth and progression, and will be re-assigned with new tasks with the development of the brand's live-stream. For senior live-streamers, YSG empowers them with full range of business and management skills for career development from live-streamers to management.

In recent years, China has introduced policies in many cities to promote the development of live-stream e-commerce to help promote the high-quality development of the industry. Guangzhou recently introduced the first industry policy of live-stream e-commerce and held the first city-based live-stream e-commerce festival in China . In April, YSG, with its main brand Perfect Diary and its high-end cosmetic brands, attended the third live-stream e-commerce festival, holding a three-day live-stream event to bring consumers a quality and diversified fashion and beauty experience.

"Live-stream e-commerce not only innovates online sales, creates new employment and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals, but also becomes an important force to help revitalize the countryside." Christy Lei Sun said that with the continuous improvement of the industry ecology, it is expected that live-stream e-commerce service providers will become more and more professional, and only by providing professional and refined services can they quickly take the market. As a beauty company closely related to live-stream e-commerce, YSG is committed to enabling the industry to grow and meet more consumer needs, so as to better discover beauty, create beauty and guard beauty.

Contact:

Winnie Wen

PR manager of Yatsen Global

[email protected]

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SOURCE Yatsen Global
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 10. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov and President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh have signed a joint Declaration on Friendship and Cooperation, solidifying their commitment to actively promote collaboration in various key sectors, Trend reports.

The declaration highlights readiness to advance cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, infrastructure, transportation, energy, industrial production, investments, processing and mining industries, agriculture, digitization, and tourism.

Both leaders expressed their dedication to developing logistics chains and maximizing the practical potential of their cooperation for mutual benefit.

The presidents engaged in discussions on pressing matters of bilateral relations, emphasizing priority areas such as political, trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural-humanitarian cooperation, and cooperation in the field of security.

Furthermore, a series of bilateral agreements were also signed during the state visit.

Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov is currently undertaking his first official visit to Mongolia, which commenced on July 9 and will conclude on July 11.

Kyrgyz president, on the second day of his state visit on July 10, arrived in Erdenet, the second largest city in Mongolia, where he will acquaint himself with the operations of one of the countrys prominent mining enterprises.
Leading Pet Supplements Brand is Recognized as #1 Brand of Pet Supplements in the USA *

ORLANDO, Fla. , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zesty Paws, an award-winning functional pet supplement brand, announced today it has been officially recognized as USA's #1 Brand of Pet Supplements* according to Euromonitor, a trusted global market research company.

This certification solidifies Zesty Paws as America's leader in both dollar and unit sales in the highly competitive pet supplement industry, and reaffirms the brand's commitment to excellence, as well as acknowledges its dedication to improving the health of pets worldwide. With a focus on creating innovative formulas, Zesty Paws has consistently delivered premium products that address a wide range of pet health topics. From joint and gut support to digestive health and calming solutions, Zesty Paws offers a comprehensive line of high-quality functional supplements backed by science to meet the nutritional needs of cats and dogs in all life stages.

In addition to the recognition, Zesty Paws is also pleased to announce the recent appointment of Akash Bedi as the North America CEO for H&H Group. Bedi brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership to this role. His deep understanding of the industry landscape, coupled with his passion for innovation, makes him an ideal choice to lead the North America brands into the next phase of growth. Bedi will also retain his Group role as H&H Group Global Chief Strategy & Operations Officer.

"We're proud to celebrate Zesty Paws being recognized as the #1 Brand of Pet Supplements in the USA * as it reflects the dedication that we have to creating quality products that have earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents around the world," said Bedi. "Zesty Paws has been revolutionizing the pet supplements category since its launch in 2015, and this certification brings H&H Group one step closer to realizing the company's vision of being recognized as a global leader in health and nutrition for people and their pets."

Zesty Paws continues to sustain high double-digit revenue growth and is positioned as one of the omni-channel brands with leading market position in e-commerce channel, and a growing footprint in the pet specialty, retail, and independent pet stores with products in over 10,000 stores across the United States . Zesty Paws is also expanding its reach outside of the US into new markets including Canada , United Kingdom , China , Singapore and more, leveraging on the strength of its product superiority and leadership position built in the US.

For more information about Zesty Paws, please visit ZestyPaws.com or follow the brand on Instagram.

ABOUT ZESTY PAWS

At Zesty Paws, our passion is simple: to enable and inspire a ZEST FOR LIFE in pets and pet parents. Zesty Paws is the #1 selling Pet Supplement Brand in the USA ** and stands as an innovative and trusted brand in functional supplements, dedicated to guiding and empowering pets on their wellness journey. Knowing that pet parents believe their pet is their soulmate, we take pride in our commitment to providing innovative and premium pet supplements, as well as unparalleled customer service. Our products have over 350,000 5-star ratings and reviews*** and have been regularly recognized as bestsellers on Amazon. Zesty Paws was also recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Best Petcare Brands in 2022 in the Digestive Support for Dogs category. Zesty Paws is a member of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).

* Source Euromonitor International Limited; Pet Supplements category as per Passport Ecommerce. All channels included, excluding vets, value sales in RSP, more info at https://zestypaws.com/pages/claim.

** Source Euromonitor International Limited; Pet Supplements category as per Passport Ecommerce. All channels included, excluding vets, volume sales in units, more info at https://zestypaws.com/pages/claim.

***Ratings and reviews based on all Zesty Paws supplements on ZestyPaws.com via Power Reviews, Amazon, and Chewy in the US and as of June 21st, 2023 .

ABOUT H&H GROUP

H&H Group is a global health and nutrition company. Dynamic, courageous, and ambitious in its mission to make people healthier and happier, the Group strives to inspire wellness while contributing positively to the needs of society and the planet. The Group has three business segments  Baby, Adult and Pet Nutrition and Care  supporting whole-family health and happiness, with premium brands providing nutrition and wellness solutions backed by science. Consumer brands include Biostime, Swisse, Zesty Paws, Solid Gold Pet, Dodie, Good Gout and Aurelia London . The Group is headquartered in Hong Kong SAR and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H&H INTL HLDG" stock code 1112), with a second head office in London . More than 3,300 team members are located across 14 countries.

ABOUT EUROMONITOR

Euromonitor International is the world's leading provider of global business intelligence, market analysis and consumer insights. From local to global and tactical to strategic, our research solutions support decisions on how, where and when to grow your business. With offices around the world, analysts in over 100 countries, the latest data science techniques and market research on every key trend and driver, we help you make sense of global markets.

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FILE PHOTO: Russian-made MiG-29 aircraft are seen parked on the flight deck of INS Vikramaditya, an Indian Navy aircraft carrier also of Russian make, anchored in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India, December 3, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/F

By Krishn Kaushik and David Brunnstrom

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Indias multi-billion-dollar purchases of U.S. arms are less about shifting its reliance on Russian defence equipment and moving towards the West - it's more about developing its own domestic weapons industry, security officials and analysts say.

India is the world's biggest arms importer but almost all of its major weapons purchases now include provisions for joint manufacture or technology transfer, irrespective of which country it is dealing with.

Also, Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted some military supplies to India, reinforcing New Delhi's long-term desire to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware, Indian defence officials said.

India bought weapons worth over $60 billion in the last 20 years, of which 65% or nearly $39 billion were from Russia, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India intends to order weapons from the domestic arms industry worth over $100 billion over the next decade.

"It is a reality, that we have to reduce dependence on Russia," said a senior Indian defence officer working on future capabilities of the Indian military, who declined to be identified. "But that is part two. The part one is the effort to get out of the import business."

India announced significant purchases of U.S. defence equipment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington last month, including an over one billion dollar order for GE engines for fighter jets. A possible $3 billion deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones is also being discussed.

In line with New Delhi's desire for self-reliance in defence and Modi's flagship "Make in India" policy, the jet engine deal includes joint manufacturing in the future, while the assembly and maintenance of the SeaGuardians will likely be in India.

Eric Garcetti, the U.S. ambassador to India, said Washington had earlier paid "lip service" but was now easing India's access to military technologies. He said the U.S. was "leaning in with technology" sharing more with India than it had with some its closest allies.

However, the moves so far will not be sufficient to end New Delhi's reliance on Russia while stringent U.S. rules governing the sharing of military technology limit future possibilities for now.

"Nobody gives you everything. They keep you at least a screwdriver away from having it fully," said a second senior official from India's defence ministry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Arzan Tarapore, an Indian security expert at Stanford University, said the deals announced during Modi's visit "do not in themselves represent an Indian shift away from Russia."

"A big shift away from Russia will take multiple decades," he said.

GAP WITH CHINA

India still uses mostly Russian technology for traditional arms. Tarapore said that the biggest potential for U.S.-India collaboration should be on new systems that India doesnt already have.

India's main aim is to narrow the technological gap with better-armed arch-rival China, with which it has a tense relationship, and which is also closely allied with traditional foe Pakistan.

One problem for India is that Russia's war in Ukraine has severely dented Moscow's ability to deliver weapons and equipment.

India's air force recently informed a parliamentary panel that Russia would delay deliveries of spares for Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 jet fighter planes. A big-ticket item, believed to be the remaining two of the five Russian S-400 air defence systems India bought for nearly $5.5 billion in 2018, has also been delayed, it said.

India has also been expecting to receive two nuclear-powered attack submarines from Russia over the next few years, but these might also be delayed, defence officials said.

Such problems have reinforced India's resolve to become less dependent on Russia, but it does not want to rely on any one nation for its weapons purchases, they said.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones, American jet engines and potentially German submarines. Over time these purchases will reduce the share of Russian military technology used by India, but this would take at least two decades, Indian officials said.

LEAST LIMITATIONS

Bill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said the days of U.S. and Russian domination of the global defence market and being able to control defence technology was coming to end, but what would replace it was "still a work in progress."

He said India could become frustrated by the strict U.S. export control system for armaments and the restrictions it places both on technology sharing and its ability to develop systems it acquires.

"I expect India will pursue cooperation with the West with those countries that can transfer technology ... with the least amount of limitations on their use," he said.

Exports to India must satisfy stringent U.S. International Trafficking in Arms (ITAR) regulations and the two countries are not treaty allies - which for instance means the level of technology sharing provided under the AUKUS deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is not on the cards.

Even so, Modi's U.S. visit has been hailed by both sides as bringing the relationship to a new level. Besides the defence deals, the two countries also signed agreements on chips, space, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

India is also a member of the QUAD alliance with the U.S., Japan and Australia, which deepens its ties with the West, but does not replace its decades-old relationship with Russia.

Derek Grossman, a Rand Corporation defence analyst, said the U.S. would always be cautious in what military hardware and technology it shares with India because of this.

Even if India can transition away from Moscow over the next few decades, Grossman said, "the U.S. will still have suspicions about how their systems are being used and how that might help the Russians in some sort of way, because of that close India-Russia partnership."

"India is going to be opportunistic in this situation and accept whatever the U.S. is willing to offer. But I dont think they are willing to give up what they have with Russia."

(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in NEW DELHI, David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
FILE PHOTO: People clash with plain clothes police during protests against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo

By Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba on Monday accused the U.S. government of bearing "direct responsibility" for the protests that rocked the Caribbean island two years ago, marking the largest demonstrations since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.

"The United States has a direct responsibility for the disturbances of July 11 and 12, 2021," the Communist Party-run Granma newspaper said in a front-page editorial ahead of the anniversary of the protests. It provided no evidence to back the accusations.

The newspaper said people were openly incited and provided with funds from the United States to break the law in acts of robbery and assault - even as Washington strengthened its sanctions while Cuba's economy struggled due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The editorial also denounced a "campaign of disinformation and slander" through social networks.

"Slander promoted by the White House, related to events it sponsored in 2021, is used as a pretext to maintain a policy of maximum pressure against Cuba," it said.

This policy, designed by the administration of Donald Trump, was being "severely applied" by the current administration of President Joe Biden, it added.

In July 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets across nearly 50 cities in the country shouting "freedom" to protest a deepening economic crisis, the worst in three decades.

Frustrated by long lines for food, public transport, fuel and medicine, more than 140,000 Cubans have since October 2021 migrated to the United States, according to U.S. government figures.

The protests were short-lived and Cuban authorities have since sentenced hundreds to prison on charges ranging from public disorder to sedition, prompting calls of human rights violations from activists.

The U.S. State Department said it was not behind the 2021 protests and reiterated calls for the immediate release of some 700 Cuban political prisoners.

"As the entire world knows, the Cuban people protested for themselves," a U.S. State Department official said, adding that "the regime continues to violently repress virtually any kind of peaceful public dissent and detains, harasses, and threatens families of detained protesters who dare speak publicly about their detained family members."

The European Union has also urged the Cuban government to release the protesters.

"More than anything, this editorial reflects the state of relations between the United States and Cuba," said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a foreign relations expert at the Autonomous University of Madrid. "A climate conducive to at least reducing tensions over the issue has not been built."

Lopez-Levy said the release of prisoners would be "very difficult" as long as the U.S. maintains hostile policies on some fundamental matters.

Two years after the protests, some Cuban emigres have called for events to commemorate the date. Though additional plain-clothed security officials were seen in some parts of the capital on Monday, Havana's streets remained quiet.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Additional reporting by Sarah Morland and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies that transfer personal data across the Atlantic.

The move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement.

The commission and the United States had been struggling to reach a new agreement after Europe's top court annulled two previous pacts that underpinned the transfer of personal data across the Atlantic for services ranging from cloud infrastructure to payroll and banking.

The commission, the EU's executive arm, said measures taken by the United States ensured an adequate level of protection for Europeans' personal data transferred across the Atlantic for commercial use.

It said new binding safeguards, such as limiting U.S. intelligence services' access to EU data to what is "necessary and proportionate" and the establishment of a Data Protection Review Court for Europeans, address the concerns raised by Europe's top court.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the data transfer pact and said it reflected a "joint commitment to strong data privacy protections."

EU justice chief Didier Reynders said he was confident of fending off any legal challenge.

"The principles of the data privacy framework are solid, and I am convinced that we have made significant progress which meets the requirements of the European Court of Justice case law," he told a news conference. "I am very confident of fighting, defending the new data agreement."

But Schrems said the latest revision was inadequate.

"Just announcing that something is 'new,' 'robust' or 'effective' does not cut it before the Court of Justice. We would need changes in U.S. surveillance law to make this work," he said in a statement.

"We have various options for a challenge already in the drawer, although we are sick and tired of this legal ping-pong. We currently expect this to be back at the Court of Justice by the beginning of next year," Schrems added.

Lobbying group DigitalEurope, whose members include Airbus, Amazon, Apple , Ericsson, Nokia, Philips and Samsung, welcomed the deal.

"Data flows underpin the EU's annual 1 trillion euros of service exports to the United States, and this decision will give companies more confidence to conduct business and help our economies to grow," its director-general, Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, said.

Earlier this year, the EU's privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Board, said the latest data agreement still fell short and urged the commission to do more to protect Europeans' privacy rights.

Europe's top court scuppered the previous two deals after challenges by Schrems because of concerns about U.S. intelligence agencies' accessing European citizens' private data.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop, Christina Fincher and Leslie Adler)
EV car Good Cat by Ora, a brand by Great Wall Motors, is displayed at the Bangkok International Motor show in Bangkok, Thailand, March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File photo

(Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are pouring into Thailand, having committed to invest $1.44 billion in production facilities in Southeast Asia's biggest automaking hub that has long been dominated by Japanese companies.

This new wave of investment has been backed by Thailand's government, which has rolled out incentives and courted Chinese firms, with a target to convert about 30% of the country's annual vehicle production into EVs by 2030.

INVESTMENTS UNDERWAY

China's Great Wall Motor made an early punt on Thailand in 2020 when it acquired a factory from General Motors , where it will spend 22.6 billion baht ($647.38 million) turning it into a regional production centre for EV and hybrid cars.

The automaker will start producing its popular compact Ora Good Cat EV in Thailand next year, and is also bringing in its subsidiaries MIND Electronics, HYCET and Nobo Auto that make electronics, powertrains and seating.

Chinese rival SAIC Motor, which owns MG Motor and has a partnership with Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group, launched its first EV in the country in 2019.

It is investing 500 million baht to expand its existing plant for EV parts and battery manufacturing, the company said in April.

Chinese EV giant BYD is investing 17.9 billion baht to set up a new facility in Thailand that will start producing 150,000 passenger cars per year from 2024, some of which will be exported to Southeast Asia and Europe.

China's Hozon New Energy Automobile is also working with Thailand's Bangchan General Assembly to locally produce the electric NETA V model starting next year.

IN THE PIPELINE

Several deals are also in the pipeline, according to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), which has been pursuing Chinese automakers.

State-owned Chongqing Changan Automobile, which has partnerships with Ford and Mazda, will invest 9.8 billion baht to set up its first right-hand drive EV factory outside China, according to the BOI.

GAC Aion, a subsidiary of state-owned automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) is planning to invest more than 6.4 billion baht to produce EVs in Thailand, the BOI said.

China's Chery Automobile, which first rolled out a self-developed EV in 2009, is "very interested" to invest in Thailand and plans to enter the market early next year, according to the BOI.

Chongqing Changan, GAC and Chery did not respond to requests for comment on their plans for Thailand.

Chinese automaker Geely is also in the early stages of planning an entry into Thailand, Reuters reported in May, including weighing models for import and local manufacturing.

RISING POPULARITY

The influx of Chinese models appears to be helping to boost the popularity of EVs in Thailand, the second-largest car market in Southeast Asia.

In the first half of 2023, over 31,000 EVs were registered in Thailand, more than three times the number for all of 2022, the BOI said, citing industry data.

The price gap between EVs and combustion engine cars has also narrowed, in part because of government subsidies.

The cheapest variant of Great Wall's Ora Good Cat - Thailand's best-selling EV last year - currently costs around 828,500 baht, while Hozon's NETA V is priced at 549,000 baht, according to company websites.

On Toyota's Thailand website, the Corolla Altis is priced at 894,000 baht and the Yaris Ativ at 549,000 baht.

($1 = 34.9100 baht)

(Compiled by Devjyot Ghoshal in Bangkok; Editing by Jamie Freed)
FILE PHOTO-A woman walks past the logo of Foxconn outside a company's building, in New Taipe City, Taiwan December 22, 2022. REUTERS/Annabelle Chih/file photo

By Ben Blanchard, Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra

TAIPEI/BENGALURU (Reuters) -Taiwan's Foxconn has withdrawn from a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta, it said on Monday, in a setback to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chipmaking plans for India.

The world's largest contract electronics maker signed a pact with Vedanta last year to set up semiconductor and display production plants in Modi's home state of Gujarat.

"Foxconn has determined it will not move forward on the joint venture with Vedanta," a Foxconn statement said without elaborating on the reasons.

The company said it had worked with Vedanta for more than a year to bring "a great semiconductor idea to reality", but they had mutually decided to end the joint venture and it will remove its name from an entity that is now fully owned by Vedanta.

Vedanta said it is fully committed to its semiconductor project and had "lined up other partners to set up Indias first foundry". "Vedanta has redoubled its efforts" to fulfil Modi's vision, it added in a statement.

A source familiar with the matter said concerns about incentive approval delays by India's government had contributed to Foxconn's decision to pull out of the venture. New Delhi had also raised several questions on the cost estimates provided to request incentives from the government, the source added.

Modi has made chipmaking a top priority for India's economic strategy in pursuit of a "new era" in electronics manufacturing and Foxconn's move represents a blow to his ambitions of luring foreign investors to make chips locally for the first time.

This deal falling through is definitely a setback for the Make in India push, said Neil Shah, Vice President of research at Counterpoint, adding that it also does not reflect well on Vedanta and "raises eyebrows and doubts for other companies".

Deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Foxconn's decision had "no impact" on India's plans, adding that both companies were "valued investors" in the country.

He said it was not for the government to "get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to".

'IMPORTANT STEP'

Foxconn is best known for assembling iPhones and other Apple products but in recent years it has been expanding into chips to diversify its business.

Most of the world's chip output is limited to a few countries, such as Taiwan, with India a late entrant. The Vedanta-Foxconn venture announced its chipmaking plans in Gujarat last September, with Modi calling the project "an important step" in boosting India's chipmaking ambitions.

But his plan had been slow to take off. Among other problems encountered by the Vedanta-Foxconn project were deadlocked talks to involve European chipmaker STMicroelectronics as a tech partner, Reuters has previously reported.

While Vedanta-Foxconn managed to get STMicro on board for licensing technology, India's government had made clear it wanted the European company to have more "skin in the game", such as a stake in the partnership.

STMicro was not keen on that and the talks remained in limbo, a source has said.

The Indian government has said it remains confident of attracting investors for chipmaking. Micron last month said it will invest up to $825 million in a chip testing and packaging unit, not for manufacturing. With support from India's federal government and the state of Gujarat, the total investment will be $2.75 billion.

India, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, last year received three applications to set up plants under a $10 billion incentive scheme.

These were from the Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture, Singapore-based IGSS Ventures and global consortium ISMC, which counts Tower Semiconductor as a tech partner.

The $3 billion ISMC project has stalled, too, owing to Tower being acquired by Intel, while another $3 billion plan by IGSS was also halted because it wanted to re-submit its application.

India has re-invited applications for the incentive scheme from companies.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru, Ben Blanchard in Taipei, Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Rishika Sadam; Editing by David Goodman and Alexander Smith)
HCA Healthcare Inc logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - Hospital operator HCA Healthcare said on Monday certain patient-related information had been leaked to an online forum.

The leaked data did not include payment and clinical information, but included patient names and contact details, the company said.

The data theft appeared to be from an external storage used to automate the formatting of email messages, HCA said, adding that the company had reported the breach to law enforcement.

HCA said it does not expect the incident to materially impact its business, operations or financial results.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment to provide further details.

(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
By Giuseppe Fonte

ROME (Reuters) - Italy has collected around 2.8 billion euros ($3.07 billion) from this year's windfall tax on energy companies, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

The tax take is slightly above government expectations. The Treasury in December estimated the levy would yield around 2.6 billion euros.

A Treasury spokesperson said it could not confirm the figures as they were not yet definitive.

The levy has a rate equal to 50% of the part of 2022 corporate income which is at least 10% higher than the average income reported between 2018 and 2021.

Under the terms set in the 2023 budget, around 7,000 producers and sellers of electricity, gas and petrol products were required to pay the levy.

The general payment deadline was end-June although some firms are allowed until July.

This year's windfall tax replaced a levy in 2022 that reaped a similar amount of money but triggered criticism and refusals to pay from multiple firms.

Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said last week he was confident the government could avoid a repeat of such levies in future, as a spike in energy prices is progressively reversing.

The Dutch front-month contract, a benchmark for the European gas market, hovered around 32 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) on Monday, sharply down from 70 euros in early 2023 and a peak of around 340 euros/MWh in August 2022, when Russian gas supplies dwindled following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Italy has promised to gradually phase out the expansionary fiscal policy adopted since 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is targeting a 2023 deficit of 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), almost half the 8.0% ratio in 2022, but public finances have got off to a bad start this year.

($1 = 0.9120 euros)

(Editing by Christina Fincher)
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta speaks during a session of the UN Human Rights Council, which voted to hold an urgent debate about Russia's deadly invasion of Ukraine at Kyiv's request, amid widespread international condemnation of

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Monday that her government has full confidence in the IAEA's advice on the proposed Fukushima treated water release.

"I also felt it was important to draw attention to the Pacific's traumatic experience with nuclear testing and asked directly that meaningful engagement continue with the Pacific region on the proposed release," she said in a statement following the meeting with Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

After a two-year review, the IAEA said Japan's plans to release some 500 Olympic size swimming pools worth of water from the Fukushimi plant wrecked by a tsunami more than a decade ago were consistent with global safety standards and that they would have a "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment".

Following the release of the report, Grossi visited South Korea. He is currently in New Zealand before travelling to the Cook Islands where he will meet with Pacific Islands Forum chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.

The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc of 17 island nations, has raised significant concerns about the release of the water fearing among other things the impact on fisheries.

Mahuta said New Zealand acutely understands the effects nuclear testing has had on its Pacific neighbours in the past, and the government would continue to call for the release of the water to be dealt with through transparency and meaningful dialogue.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Lincoln Feast.)
Israeli soldiers stand near the scene where, according to the Israeli military, a Palestinian assailant had thrown a grenade and shot at soldiers, who returned fire at him, near Neve Tzuf, Israeli-occupied West Bank July 10, 2023. Palestinian officials sa

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian assailant threw a grenade and shot at Israeli soldiers who returned fire at him in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Israeli military said, and Palestinian officials said the man was dead.

Violence in the West Bank, among territories where the Palestinians seek to establish a state, has worsened over the past 15 months with stepped up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages.

The Israeli military said soldiers had stopped a suspicious motorist on a West Bank road and questioned him, after which he exited the vehicle, threw a grenade at the forces and fired at them before they shot back and "neutralised" him.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death. There was no other immediate comment by Palestinian officials.

U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel launched its biggest operation in years in the West Bank last week in the flashpoint city of Jenin. Twelve Palestinians, most of them confirmed militant fighters, were killed, as well as one Israeli soldier.

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Rammallah, editing by Mark Heinrich)
U.S. flag and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By David Shepardson

ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) -U.S. lawmakers are considering changes to address concerns about a bill that would give the Biden administration new powers to ban Chinese-owned TikTok, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee who has cosponsored the legislation said on Monday.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner told Reuters that aggressive lobbying by the ByteDance-owned short video app TikTok against the Restrict Act "slowed a bit of our momentum" after it was introduced in March.

Warner said lawmakers have "a proposal on a series of amendments to make it explicitly clear" and address criticisms, including that individual Americans could be impacted or that the bill represents a broad expansion of government power.

"We can take care of those concerns in a fair way," Warner said.

The legislation endorsed by the White House would grant the Commerce Department new authority to review, block, and address a range of transactions involving foreign information and communications technology that pose national security risks.

"I will grant TikTok this - they spent $100 million in lobbying and slowed a bit of our momentum," Warner said, adding that initially it seemed it would be almost "too easy" to get the bill approved.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Warner's assessment of its lobbying.

In March, Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked a bid to fast-track a separate bill to ban TikTok introduced by Senator Josh Hawley, who said the Restrict Act "doesn't ban TikTok. It gives the president a whole bunch of new authority."

The Biden administration in March demanded TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a U.S. ban. Attempts in 2020 by then President Donald Trump to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts.

Warner said there are a lot of conversations about the bill, adding it could be attached to an annual defense bill or could be part of a China-related bill that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wants.

The need for legislation is clear, he said.

"There have been another three or four apps that have come out that are Chinese controlled so we need a fair rules-based process to deal with this rather than kind of a one-off basis," Warner said.

TikTok, which is used by more than 150 million Americans, says it has spent more than $1.5 billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations.

The company is fighting a ban by the state of Montana set to take effect on Jan. 1. A judge has scheduled an Oct. 12 hearing on TikTok's request.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sonali Paul)
An F-16 combat jet of the US Airforce is prepared for practice flights ahead of the Air Defender Exercise 2023 at the military airport of Jagel, northern Germany, on June 9, 2023. AXEL HEIMKEN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez on Monday said there was a temporary "lull" in Turkey's "aggression against its neighbors" and said he is in talks with the Biden administration about the hold he has on future U.S. sales of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.

Menendez, a Democrat, said in a brief hallway interview that while he still has concerns about Turkey, he could make a decision within the next week about the status of that hold.

His remarks came the day Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to become a member of the NATO military alliance.

Asked whether that progress might prompt him to reconsider his long-running hold on the fighter jets, Menendez said: "We're having conversations with the administration." He added, "If they (Biden administration) can find a way to ensure that Turkey's aggression against its neighbors ceases, which there has been a lull the last several months, that's great but there has to be a permanent reality."

Menendez also said that there needed to be a way to "beef up Greece's security" and obtain "assurances about future actions."

Asked how long it might take for him to make a decision on maintaining the hold on F-16 sales to Turkey, Menendez responded, "Probably, if there can be one, in the next week."

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: General view of the U.S. Capitol during morning hours, in Washington, U.S., March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House will brief senators Tuesday on artificial intelligence in a classified setting as lawmakers consider adopting legislative safeguards on the fast-moving technology.

The 3 p.m. ET briefing, organized by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and other senators, will be the first-ever classified Senate briefing on AI and will take place in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) at the U.S. Capitol.

The briefers will include Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence; Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Arati Prabhakar and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Director Trey Whitworth.

Schumer told senators in a letter the briefing will show how the U.S. government is "using and investing in AI to protect our national security and learn what our adversaries are doing in AI.... Our job as legislators is to listen to the experts and learn as much as we can so we can translate these ideas into legislative action."

Schumer, who last month called for "comprehensive legislation" to address AI, pledged to convene the "top minds in artificial intelligence" starting in September to join a "series of AI Insight Forums that will begin laying down a new foundation for AI policy."

Governments around the world are considering how to mitigate the dangers of the emerging technology and U.S. lawmakers are increasingly urging quick action to address risks. So-called generative AI, which uses data to create new content like ChatGPT's human-sounding prose, is growing more popular and some experts have said it could remake human society.

In April, Schumer circulated a framework outlining a new regulatory regime to "prevent potentially catastrophic damage to our country while simultaneously making sure the U.S. advances and leads in this transformative technology."

Congress is narrowly divided and has not reached any consensus on AI legislation.

In April, the CEOs of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, its backer Microsoft, and Alphabet met with Biden and other officials to discuss AI.

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chris Reese)
FILE PHOTO: A long line of vehicles proceeds towards Costco's gas pumps after a cyberattack crippled the biggest fuel pipeline in the country, run by Colonial Pipeline, in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Jay Paul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. wholesale inventories were unchanged in May after declining for two straight months, suggesting inventory investment could support economic growth in the second quarter.

The Commerce Department said on Monday that wholesale inventories were unchanged instead of dipping 0.1% as previously reported last month. Stocks at wholesalers fell 0.3% in April.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected that inventories would be unrevised. Inventories are a key part of gross domestic product. They increased 3.7% on a year-on-year basis in May.

Private inventory investment rose at its slowest pace in 1-1/2 years in the first quarter, helping to restrict GDP growth to a 2.0% annualized pace in that three-month period.

The careful inventory management amid expectations of weaker demand because of higher borrowing costs is weighing on production at factories.

The Federal Reserve has raised its policy raise by 500 basis points since March 2022, when it embarked on its fastest monetary policy tightening campaign in more than 40 years.

The U.S. central bank is expected to resume hiking rates this month after skipping in June.

Wholesale motor vehicle inventories increased 1.1% in May after rising 0.3% in April. But inventories of furniture continued to decline as did stocks of lumber, paper, apparel, farm products and petroleum.

Excluding autos, wholesale inventories slipped 0.1% in May. This component goes into the calculation of GDP.

Economists at Goldman Sachs raised their second-quarter GDP growth estimate to a 2.3% rate from a 2.2% pace.

Sales at wholesalers fell 0.2% after being unchanged in April. There were increases in sales of long-lasting manufactured goods like autos, furniture, machinery and professional equipment.

At May's sales pace it would take wholesalers 1.41 months to clear shelves, rising further above the 2019 average of 1.35 months and up from 1.40 in April.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)




UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of July 2023

(Commission File No. 001-32305)

BANCO ITAU CHILE

(Translation of registrants name into English)

Av. Presidente Riesco 5537

Las Condes

Santiago, Chile

(Address of registrants principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.



Form 20-F  Form 40-F 



Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101 (b) (1):



Yes  No 



Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101 (b) (7):



Yes  No 



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



Yes  No 








(Tribune News Service)  The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Airshow & Warrior Expo is back this month with over a dozen performances.

The air show returns after a seven-year hiatus that partly was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After not having an air show for seven years, we felt it was very important to bring the air show back in 2023, the JBLM Public Affairs Department said in an email to The News Tribune. The JBLM Airshow & Warrior Expo is a great way to thank the Puget Sound community for their support of Service members and military families. 

The air show will be held on Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the JBLM McChord Field. Flying will begin at 11:30 a.m.

The event will feature aerial acts from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army helicopters, a B-17 Flying Fortress as well as a live historical reenactment of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. There will be more than 60 Air Force, Army and civilian aircraft and ground vehicles on static display.

The air show will celebrate 50 years of women in modern military aviation and 30 years of women in combat aviation, according to the JBLM Airshow and Warrior Expo website.

Female service members will be flying many of the aircraft in the show, and they will be present at many of the static displays to talk about the military equipment on display.

Unlike past shows, this years event will have a vintage car display, a kids zone and the U.S. Army Corps Band.

Seating upgrades

Entrance to the air show is free, but upgrades to the Air Show Network VIP experience are available for purchase.

The premium box seats are $50 each and include seating directly on the flight line, dedicated portable toilets and concessions.

Premium box seats will not be under shade, but shade tents will be available at the back of the seating area.

The Flight Line Club seats are $300 for a reserved table for two people and $600 for a reserved table for four people. Tickets include front-line seating in an exclusive viewing area, catered lunch, unlimited refreshments and private restrooms.

Gates will close at 2:30 p.m. for inbound traffic into the JBLM McChord Field. Anyone 16 and older will need a valid photo ID to enter the event.

(c)2023 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

Visit at www.TheNewsTribune.com
An Army Reserve major and financial counselor has been indicted on charges stemming from a scheme that defrauded grieving military families out of $3 million in survivor benefits, according to the Justice Department.

Caz Craffy, also known as Carz Craffey, 41, of Colts Neck, N.J., was charged last week with wire fraud, making false statements in a loan application and securities fraud, among others.

The case has prompted congressional legislation intended to prevent families of fallen service members from being taken advantage of in the future, The Washington Post reported in late June.

The amendment to next years defense policy bill would require stricter vetting of financial counselors employed by the Defense Department, the paper reported.

Craffy targeted at least two dozen Gold Star families, tricking them into investing in private brokerage accounts that he managed for his own financial gain, the Justice Department said in a statement Friday.

Gold Star families are those with an immediate family member who dies while on active duty. Theyre entitled to a $100,000 survivor benefit and up to $400,000 if the service member is enrolled in the militarys life insurance plan.

As an Army civilian financial counselor at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, Craffy worked for an office that administered those survivor benefits.

His job was to provide survivors with financial information without offering an opinion on what they should do with the money.

But according to court documents, he steered families toward investing in two private financial firms for which he worked, outside employment which he didnt disclose to the Army.

Over a span of more than four years starting in 2018, Craffy obtained more than $9.9 million from Gold Star families, executing trades often without authorization, prosecutors said.

The victims accounts lost more than $3.4 million, while Craffy earned around $1.4 million in commissions, according to court documents.

He executed thousands of unauthorized securities trades with the funds, receiving lucrative commissions even when those trades resulted in substantial losses to families, court documents state.

These Gold Star families deserve our utmost respect and compassion, as well as some small measure of financial security, Phillip Sellinger, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, said in the statement. There is no room for those who seek to rip off families of fallen service members to make a buck.

In one scheme, Craffy defrauded a widow whose husband died in 2019 while serving at Fort Carson, Colo., describing himself as a wealth manager rather than a financial counselor, according to his indictment.

The woman told Craffy she wanted to invest her $400,000 benefit in conservative funds for her mothers retirement and for her childrens college expenses.

Instead, he persuaded her to invest the money into stocks he controlled, with the promise that she could expect to accrue $1 million in seven years.

Craffy had her sign a prefilled application that, unknown to her, falsely stated her net worth and investment risk tolerance, according to court documents.

The Justice Department did not say how much prison time Craffy faces if he is convicted.
ATLANTA  One person is in custody Monday after crashing a military vehicle into the front of the 3rd Infantry Divisions headquarters building at Fort Stewart, officials at the Georgia Army post said.

The person, who has not been identified, drove the vehicle into Fort Stewarts Building 1 at about 10 a.m., said Kevin Larson, a base spokesman. The crash destroyed the glass door entrance to the building that houses the 3rd Infantry Divisions commanding general and the headquarters staff.

No one was injured in the crash, Larson said. There was no active threat to the Fort Stewart community, he added.

The driver was taken into custody, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division and Fort Stewart military police were on the scene to investigate, Larson said.

With the investigation ongoing, Larson declined to provide further information about the incident, including whether the person taken into custody was a service member or civilian.

Officials also did not specify the kind of military vehicle that crashed into the headquarters building, but a photo posted on the popular social media platform Reddit appears to show a Humvee crashed into its glass front doors.

The incident comes about one week after an Army National Guard Humvee was stolen from an armory in Santa Rosa, Calif., law enforcement and National Guard officials said last week. California Highway Patrol officials told the Los Angeles Times that the Humvee stolen July 3 had been spotted in recent days driving on state highways near Sacramento, but it had not been recovered.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (Tribune News Service)  The founding father of Camp Rapid, South Dakotas First State Command Chief Warrant Officer and three brothers who served in the military were among those honored in a ceremony July 6 at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid.

The soldiers honored with a building hall were Maj. Gen. (Ret) Raymond Carpenter, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Chris Mechling, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Paul Mechling, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret) John Mechling, and Col. (Ret) Lowell Davis. The soldiers honored with gates were Col. (Ret) William Hazle, Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret) Duke Doering and Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret) Richard Trankle.

Building halls

Carpenter served in the Army, Navy and Army National Guard for more than 44 years and culminated his career as the assistant adjutant general for the South Dakota Army National Guard. He was simultaneously assigned as the deputy commanding general for the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. His last military assignment before retiring on Dec. 8, 2011, was acting director of the Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau.

He was appointed as Acting Director, Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C., on May 29, 2009. Carpenter has received many awards, among the highest is the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal. Carpenter currently serves in the appointed position as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army.

Chris Bob Mechling started his military career in the South Dakota National Guard in 1947 when he was a student at Sturgis High School. Three years later his unit was ordered to federal active duty during the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 with Company C, of the 109th Engineer Battalion. He served in Germany with the mission of patrolling and maintaining military bridges over the Rhine River.

Chris Mechling served as one of the original TAC (Train, Advise, Counsel) Officers with the South Dakota Military Academys first officer candidate class in 1957.

Paul Mechling, the youngest of the Mechling brothers, joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1954 and later enlisted in the active-duty Army. In 1959 he returned to South Dakota and enlisted in the 109th Engineer Battalion. He was promoted to command sergeant major at the South Dakota Military Academy in 1982 and held the position at the military academy when it moved from Mitchell to Fort Meade in 1986. He holds the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and the de Fleury Medal.

John Bull Mechling was the first in the family to join the military by enlisting in the Army for three years after finishing high school. He returned home and enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard just in time to join his younger brother Chris on active duty in Germany. He remained in the South Dakota National Guard upon the units return to Sturgis and transferred to the 109th Engineer Group headquarters in 1962. His 24 years of service as a sergeant major is today an unheard-of leadership accomplishment. Bull retired in 1990 after 40 years of service.

Davis joined the 211th Engineer Battalion in 1956 in Lemmon. During his career he held many leadership positions in the Engineers and at State Headquarters, the position of Military Support to Civil Authorities, and he was later promoted to Plans, Operations, and Training Officer for the South Dakota National Guard.

He is one of the most decorated soldiers to have served in the South Dakota National Guard. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Combat Infantryman Badge for his heroism in Korea while serving in the U.S. Army.

Gates

Hazle was Adjutant General of the South Dakota National Guard when the Headquarters was moved to Rapid City. He was instrumental in obtaining the land for Camp Rapid and is considered the founding father of Camp Rapid. Hazle was an 1897 graduate of South Dakota State University. He was a veteran of the Philippine Insurrection and World War I.

Doering was appointed as South Dakotas First State Command Chief Warrant Officer on July 1, 1999, when the position became available to the South Dakota National Guard. Doering retired from his full-time NG career on Nov. 8, 1999, as the Command Chief Warrant Officer. Doering served as the State Training, Schools, and Ammunition Manager, State Unit Readiness Management Officer, State Marksmanship Coordinator, Mobilization Readiness Officer, and Force Integration Readiness Officer.

Richard Trankle was appointed as the civil defense coordinator for South Dakota, and he held several other prestigious positions such as Assistant Highway Director and E.E.O. Officer for the South Dakota Department of Highways, Civil Defense Plans and Operations Officer, Emergency Disaster Agency Director, and U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for the South Dakota Army National Guard. Trankle is the recipient of the National Guard Bureau meritorious service award and distinguished himself as a staff member of the Army National Guard Sergeant Majors Advisory Committee from 1976 to 1978.

This ceremony also recognizes that as the South Dakota Guard has generations of brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers who serve and we are a family, said Maj. Gen. Jeff Marlette, South Dakota National Guard Adjutant General, who was the featured speaker for the ceremony.

(c)2023 Rapid City Journal, S.D.

Visit at http://www.rapidcityjournal.com
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century as Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday and a Republican senator is blocking approval of his successor.

Berger took over as the 38th commandant in July 2019, and is required to leave the job after four years. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the assistant commandant, has been nominated to be the next leader, but will serve in an acting capacity because he hasn't been confirmed by the Senate.

Under the law, Smith can serve as the acting commandant, but he can do nothing that would presume confirmation. As a result, he can't move into the main residence or the commandant's office, or issue any new formal commandant's planning guidance, which is traditional for a new leader. He has the authority to implement new policies such as budget, training and other personnel decisions.

Smith's promotion delay is the first of what could be many top level military officers held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Tuberville has stalled all nominations for senior military jobs because he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Abortion is now illegal in Alabama.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington, just down the street from Capitol Hill, Austin and Berger called on the Senate to take action.

"We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant that's appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied," said Berger, with a nod to the commandant's quarters at the edge of the parade field.

Austin and other Pentagon officials have pressed the Senate to move forward, saying that delays are already impacting more than 200 military officers, and many key leaders.

"You know, it's been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate confirmed commandant," Austin said during the ceremony.

Because of Berger's requirement to step down in July, the Marine job is the first of the military chiefs to be affected by Tuberville. The Army, Navy and Air Force are all expected to face the same delay later this year, as could the nomination of the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The current chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley, leaves his job at the end of September. Gen. CQ Brown, the current chief of the Air Force, has been nominated to replace Milley, and is scheduled to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his hearing on Tuesday.

The hold, however, is also impacting scores of one, two and three-star officers who are assigned to new commands but can't move on. It also affects their families, who usually relocate over the summer to their new military communities so school-age children can settle in before fall.

"Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history," said Austin. "Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And they're crucial for our military readiness."

Smith hit the thorny issue head on during his remarks at the ceremony Monday  saying he wanted to get one thing out fast.

"If you're saying, 'what am I supposed to call you?' ACMC. That is my title, and one that I'm proud of," said Smith, using the shorthand for his assistant commandant role. But he quickly added, "to make sure that there is no confusion  all orders, directives and guidance, which were in effect this morning remain in effect, unless I direct otherwise. Further guidance to the force will follow."

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Monday that as of last Friday, there were 265 senior officers whose promotions have been held up by Tuberville, and that number could leap to 650 by the end of the year if the issue isn't corrected. She noted that in more than 100 cases, officers  like Smith  would be forced to do two jobs at the same time because no one can move up.

She said the Pentagon is asking officers to delay planned retirements and stay on, while in other cases officers are doing more senior ranking jobs without getting the pay for that new rank.

The last time the Corps was led by an acting commandant was in 1910. Then-Maj. Gen. George Elliott, who was the commandant, reached the required retirement age in November 1910 and left the office. Col. William Biddle served as the acting commandant until he was promoted to major general and became commandant in February 1911.

Berger, a native of Woodbine, Maryland, graduated from Tulane University and was commissioned in 1981. He commanded at every level including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his tenure, he spearheaded a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China.

Smith, a career infantry officer, is a highly decorated Marine who served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 2004 and 2005 in Operation Iraq Freedom. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and in 2019 took over as the deputy commandant for combat development.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 10. Azerbaijan has announced its commitment to allocate investments for the reconstruction of the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) plant, Trend reports.

This agreement was reached during the sixth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, held in Baku.

As per the agreement, Azerbaijan will play an active role in mobilizing capital for the reconstruction of the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO). Additionally, Tajikistan will import aluminum, cryolite, and aluminum fluoride from Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan will export alumina to Tajikistan.

Following the sixth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan on July 7, the protocol was signed. This document outlines the bilateral cooperation and sets the stage for further collaboration between the two countries.

According to the State Customs Committee, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Tajikistan amounted to $1.349 million from January through May 2023.
(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, home to five fighter jet squadrons, has a new commanding officer.

Col. Mark Bortnem took command from Col. Karl Arbogast on Friday.

Bortnem, who grew up in Milford, Mich., graduated from Ohio State University and the U.S. Air Forces Air War College. Hes been a Marine for over 30 years, first enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1991. He has served in a wide variety of global locations, including the pacific region, the Middle East, and the Arctic. Bortnem has nearly 3,000 flight hours, including more than 500 hours of combat time.

Im determined to integrate myself into Team Beaufort and keep this place remaining as the best air station in the Marine Corps, working around the best folks, and with the best Marines, Bortnem said in a news release.

Arbogast had been the commanding officer for three years.

In reflecting on his term, Arbogast said, When we stand up and think about our time in Team Beaufort, were going to cherish this, every moment. We will always remain faithful to this awesome place, and all the wonderful people that we have met here.

Arbogast is headed next to the Training and Education Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

More than 150 people gathered to witness the time-honored Marine Corps tradition of transferring formal authority from one commander to the next. The ceremony was attended by a host of Marine Corps leaders including Brig. Gen. Walker Field, commanding general, Marine Corps Recruiting Depot Parris Island in Port Royal and Col. Adolfo Garcia Jr., commander of the Marine Corps Installations East- Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

MCAS Beaufort is home to five fighter jet squadrons: Four FA/18 Hornet squadrons and one F-35B squadron, and a logistics squadron.

(c)2023 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.)

Visit at www.islandpacket.com
Three airstrikes launched by American forces in Somalia over the weekend killed an estimated 10 al-Shabab militants, according to U.S. Africa Command.

The strikes occurred about 65 miles north of the coastal southern city of Kismayo, AFRICOM said in a statement Sunday, adding that they were carried out in support of Somali forces attacked by al-Shabab.

AFRICOM did not release details about the units involved, but the strikes came on the heels of an explosion Thursday near Kismayo when a U.S. convoy hit a roadside bomb.

The blast did not cause any casualties, AFRICOM said at the time.

On Sunday, AFRICOM described al-Shabab as the most violent of all al-Qaeda affiliates and said the group has proved both its will and capability to attack partner and U.S. forces and threaten U.S. security interests.

The U.S. mission in Somalia involves assistance to local military forces in their fight against the terrorist group, which has been waging a campaign against the Somali government for two decades.

In addition to advising troops, AFRICOM carries out periodic airstrikes in the country. Several hundred U.S. troops now operate in Somalia.

In May 2022, the U.S. announced the return of special operations troops to Somalia, reversing a decision by President Donald Trump during the last days of his administration to pull 700 service members out of the country.
SEOUL, South Korea  South Korea's president says it's time to clearly demonstrate strong international resolve to deter North Korea's nuclear ambitions, and he plans to discuss how to cope with the North's expanding weapons arsenal with NATO leaders this week.

Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the annual NATO summit being held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a two-nation trip that includes a stop in Poland.

"Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the international community's determination to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea's desire to develop nuclear weapons," he said.

It's the second consecutive year that Yoon will take part in the summit, underscoring his push to deepen ties with the world's biggest military alliance. South Korea faces a mix of security challenges, including North Korea's nuclear program and the U.S.-China strategic rivalry. Last year, he became the first South Korean leader to attend a NATO summit when he took part in Spain.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press ahead of his departure, Yoon said South Korea will stress at the NATO meeting the importance of international cooperation against "North Korea's illegal acts." He also said a new NATO-South Korean document will take effect at the summit to institutionalize cooperation in 11 areas, including non-proliferation and cybersecurity.

North Korea's headlong pursuit of reliable nuclear weapons has taken on new urgency after it test flew more than 100 missiles and openly threatened to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States since the start of last year.

Whether North Korea possesses functioning nuclear missiles is still a source of debate. But according to a South Korean government estimate in 2018, North Korea already had up to 60 nuclear warheads. Experts say North Korea is able to add six to 18 new warheads every year.

In response to North Korea's missile tests, Yoon, a conservative who took office in 2022, took steps to beef up his country's own missile capability and expand military drills with the United States. Yoon and President Joe Biden in April announced plans to reinforce their countries' deterrence capabilities, such as the periodic docking of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea and the establishment of a new bilateral nuclear consultative group, whose inaugural meeting is slated for next week in Seoul.

In its typical, fiery rhetoric, North Korea's Defense Ministry warned Monday the deployment of the U.S. submarine may incite "the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice." It also threatened to shoot down U.S. spy planes. South Korea's military countered it maintains a readiness to repel potential North Korean provocations.

Yoon's discussion of North Korea with NATO leaders could trigger a backlash from North Korea, which has called increasing cooperation between NATO and U.S. allies in Asia a process to create an "Asian version of NATO" that it said will raise regional animosities.

North Korea argues its weapons testing spree was meant to issue a warning over the expanded South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as invasion rehearsals. Yoon says he wants to opt for peace through strength, though he remains open to dialogue with North Korea.

"Peace is never as certain and reliable as when it is backed by powerful force and deterrence," Yoon added. "Strong international sanctions against North Korea have the effect of preventing the advancement of its nuclear and missile capabilities."

In Vilnius, Yoon said that there will be "several opportunities" for him to speak with Biden over a range of topics, such as the strengthening of the U.S. security commitment and the expansion of trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

Yoon said he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also plan to hold a bilateral meeting there. He said he and Kishida will be able to discuss the advancement of bilateral relations but also ways to expand mutual solidarity and international cooperation.

Relations between South Korea and Japan have improved significantly in recent months, with Yoon taking a major step toward resolving a thorny dispute over Japan's colonial-era mobilization of forced Korean laborers. The Yoon-Kishida meeting in Vilnius is expected to touch upon Japan's contentious plan to release treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was recently approved by the U.N. nuclear watchdog but is still opposed by many in neighboring countries.

During the summit in Vilnius, NATO leaders are expected to offer more help in modernizing Ukraine's armed forces as the Russian invasion of the country continues with no end in sight. They are also expected to create a high-level forum for consultations and reaffirm that Ukraine will join their alliance one day.

Yoon said South Korea has provided humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine in a variety of forms and that supplies of de-mining equipment, ambulances and other materials "are in the works" following a request from Ukraine. He said South Korea has also already provided support to repair the damaged Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine.

South Korea, a growing arms exporter, has avoided directly providing arms to Ukraine in line with its long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict. Leaked U.S. intelligence documents posted online earlier this year indicated that South Korea's National Security Council "grappled" with the U.S. in March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

"The Korean government will continue to fulfill its necessary role in tandem with the international community in order to safeguard the freedom of Ukraine," Yoon said. "On top of this, we will work out multipronged support measures needed for the prompt post-war restoration of peace in Ukraine and its reconstruction."

Yoon is invited to the NATO summit along with the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand, a sign of strengthening ties between NATO and nations in the Asia-Pacific region. The four countries were invited to last year's summit as well.

"Just as incidents in Europe can have a substantial and consequential impact on the Indo-Pacific region, Indo-Pacific events can have immense ramifications for countries in Europe," Yoon said. "In particular, the war in Ukraine has reminded us all that a security crisis in one particular region can have a global impact."
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  Japans Ministry of Defense is extending its deployment of Patriot missiles on Ishigaki Island ahead of an anticipated second attempt by North Korea to launch a surveillance satellite into orbit, an Ishigaki city spokesman said Monday.

The ministry and Ishigaki city agreed to extend until Aug. 31 the presence of a Patriot Advanced Capability 3, or PAC 3, missile-defense system in Painuhama, where a new beach is scheduled to open Tuesday, a spokesman for the citys construction division told Stars and Stripes by phone. Some government spokespeople in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the missiles deployed to Ishigaki in May after North Korea announced plans to launch a military surveillance satellite between May 31 and June 11. Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, is 266 miles southwest of Okinawa across the Miyako Strait.

The Patriots deployment was delayed until June 2 due to strong winds from a passing typhoon.

A Joint Staff spokesman, citing security reasons, declined to comment Monday on details of the missile deployments on Ishigaki.

North Koreas first attempt to launch what it called a military spy satellite failed in flight May 31 and fell into the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. A second launch will be conducted as soon as possible, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Force will analyze and evaluate the information to build up an appropriate system, Hamada said when asked at a June 20 press conference about a second launch.

The PAC-3 units were temporarily deployed at Ishigaki and Miyako in December 2012 and in February 2016 when North Korea launched multiple missiles that passed over Okinawa. At the time, North Korea said it was launching satellites.

Multiple PAC-3 units have been stationed permanently on Okinawa since April 2013. The PAC-3 missile has a range of just over 18 miles and is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korea on Monday accused the United States of violating its airspace with reconnaissance aircraft and warned that Pyongyang may shoot them down in the future.

North Korea claimed U.S. surveillance aircraft, including the crewed RC-135 and unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk, flew over waters east and west of the Korean Peninsula between July 2 and Sunday to conduct provocative aerial espionage, according to a statement from the countrys Defense Ministry published Monday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

An aircraft illegally intruded into North Koreas airspace over the East Sea by tens of kilometers, several times, according to the statement.

The U.S. will surely have to pay a dear price for its provocative air espionage, the ministry said, adding there is no guarantee that U.S. aircraft would not be shot down over the East Sea. The East Sea is more commonly known as the Sea of Japan.

South Koreas military denied that its joint aerial reconnaissance with the U.S. had violated North Koreas airspace and described their operations as routine.

North Koreas claim is not true that U.S. spy planes violated its airspace, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung-jun said at a Monday news briefing. We strongly urge North Korea to immediately stop committing acts of creating tension through untrue claims like this.

U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

U.S. and South Korean aircraft have flown in joint air exercises and B-52H Stratofortress bomber escort missions in the wake of North Koreas missile launches. The communist regime has fired 14 ballistic missiles in 10 separate days of testing so far this year.

North Korea has intercepted U.S. aircraft flying near North Korea several times since the 1950-53 Korean War.

On March 2, 2003, four North Korean fighters intercepted a U.S. RC-135S Cobra Ball reconnaissance aircraft flying over 100 miles from North Koreas eastern coast, according to a CBS News report published two days later.

The U.S. spy plane was in international airspace when the North Korean jets came within 50 feet and locked onto the aircraft with its weapons radar before leaving, U.S. officials reportedly said at the time.

In a separate incident on April 15, 1969, a U.S. EC-121M Warning Star surveillance aircraft was shot down by North Korean jets over the East Sea, killing all 31 crew members.
TOKYO  The French air force trained alongside its American and Japanese counterparts across the Indo-Pacific recently even as the French president objected to NATO opening an office in Tokyo.

French President Emmanuel Macron has told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg he opposes such a plan, Japans national broadcaster NHK reported Sunday.

The plan was revealed in May amid concern about Chinese aggression toward Taiwan with one defense expert suggesting Yokota Air Base, the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo, as a likely site.

However, an unidentified official at France's presidential office told journalists Friday that articles of the NATO alliance specify its geographical scope, which is the North Atlantic, according to NHK.

Meanwhile, the French are training alongside U.S. and Japanese forces as part of Northern Edge, which began July 2 and wraps July 21, Air Force Lt. Col. Keegan Dale, commander of 13th Fighter Squadron, told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday. The squadron, from Misawa Air Base, Japan, was deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, south of Hiroshima, for the exercise.

Frances air force on Sunday tweeted photographs of Rafale fighters that landed for the first time in the Republic of Palau, in Micronesia, on Friday supported by a pair of A400M Atlas aircraft launched from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Ten Rafales, four Atlas transports and five Phenix A330 multirole tankers are deployed to the Indo-Pacific over the summer, the French Embassy in Malaysia said in a press release last month.

U.S. airmen and maintainers brought about a dozen F-16C Fighting Falcons from Misawa to Iwakuni for Northern Edge, which is focused on command and control and agile combat employment, Dale said.

Agile combat employment is the ability to move aircraft rapidly to a network of smaller airfields to avoid being targeted by missiles in the event of war.

Pacific Air Forces declined, citing operational security, to provide the types or number of aircraft or personnel involved in Northern Edge.

We can confirm that aircraft from the U.S. Joint Force, France and Japan are flying missions in support of [Northern Edge] with a focus on refining combined tactics, techniques, and procedures, the command said in comments emailed Monday by Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Harris, a 366th Fighter Wing spokesman.

The U.S. is training out of Guam and Palau with France to enhance agility coordination and provide rapid assistance should a crisis occur in the region, according to Harris email.

Northern Edge 23-2 is a first of its kind test of command and control capabilities throughout the Indo-Pacific region for a joint, multinational exercise, he said. This exercise includes a regional test of command and control capabilities throughout numerous locations across the Pacific, leveraging Airmen and Marines located at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.

During the exercise, the 366th Air Expeditionary Wing will employ the 13th Fighter Squadron along with the 391st Fighter Squadron, flying F-15E Strike Eagles, Harris said.

Air forces will test their ability to command and control forces from multiple locations during the drills, he said.

Training out of various locations simultaneously allows the joint force commander to move forces fluidly across the theater, he said.

The exercise includes elements of Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the French Air and Space Force, Harris said.
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  Lightning has knocked out traffic lights controlling a busy road that crosses a portion of the runway at this airlift hub in western Tokyo.

That means longer delays, in longer lines, for everyday traffic passing from one side of the base to the other along the sole artery that connects the two.

And although a crew is working the problem, no immediate fix is in sight, a base spokesman said Monday.

Yokota, home of the 374th Airlift Wing and headquarters of 5th Air Force and U.S. Forces Japan, is among the rare U.S. military airfields where automobile traffic crosses a portion of an active runway.

One two-lane road carries vehicles back and forth from base housing, the hospital, theater and ongoing construction sites on the east side to the opposite side, where most people work, work out or shop.

A bolt of lightning during a July 4 storm disabled the two traffic lights at either end of the road, which crosses the south end of the runway, or overrun. The lights set a rhythm for travel at Yokota.

A standing, roadside light signals yellow when traffic may proceed; red means stop as aircraft approach or depart. A bell also sounds when the road is temporarily closed, and a sign alerts drivers to stop if no light is displayed.

An emergency work order was issued to replace damaged portions of the light system, in accordance with procedure, according to wing spokesman 1st Lt. Danny Rangel. There is no estimate for when the lights will be working again, he said.

Until then, members of the 374th Security Forces Squadron and augmentees are stationed at either end of the road, halting traffic while the runway is busy and signaling it forward when the way is clear, Rangel said.

Yokota Air Base operations are proceeding as normal, he said. Those traveling on the south overrun are asked to exercise caution when approaching and exiting the overrun, especially during hours of darkness.
WARSAW  Every Friday at about midnight, a warehouse parking lot on the outskirts of Polands capital becomes the starting point for a convoy of supplies bound for Ukraine.

Volunteers with Be A Hero UA, a Polish charity organization, pack Jeeps and other SUVs earmarked for the front lines with essentials for civilians and soldiers: food, clothes, first-aid kits, tires, generators and, at the recent request of one U.S. veteran fighting in Ukraine, charging stations for the Starlink satellite internet system.

For me, its not just about supporting Ukraine, Im supporting people who stand up and fight. They have names, said Marta Maecka, the nonprofits co-founder.

One of them is Issac Olvera, a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry major who joined Ukraines legion of foreign fighters in March and is now advising the countrys armed forces. He had asked for charging stations to help the men with whom he was fighting maintain long-range communications as they went on missions.

A steady stream of Western aid led by the United States has kept the Ukrainian military outfitted with heavy weapons and other munitions since Russias invasion in February. But gaps remain on the more granular level, where individual soldiers and units must turn to private donations for unmet needs.

Requests for drones, vehicles, generators, body armor and other equipment flow incessantly, at all hours of day and night, to a network of volunteers around the globe.

Maecka fills the requests from Warsaw. Another Pole, Joanna Wylegaa, facilitates deliveries from Poznan, home to the first permanent U.S. military base on NATOs eastern flank. And there is War Santa, a moniker used by a 36-year-old former U.S. Air Force sergeant to hide his name for security reasons. He answers the calls for help from his home in Texas.

War Santa works anonymously to funnel specialty gear to Ukrainian soldiers, Americans and other foreign fighters, using his military intelligence background to procure equipment and either hand-deliver or ship it. Poles offer vital assistance in getting certain military supplies, which might skirt customs regulations, through the Polish-Ukrainian border.

What I take in isnt necessarily humanitarian; it is to help out the warfighter and help them do their job as if they were properly outfitted in the U.S. military, War Santa said. The U.S. government and Poland and Ukraine give soldiers specialty equipment on top of the basic gear, but theres a lot of stuff that they dont get so thats where were going to meet those needs.

Since March, War Santa has provided nearly $130,000 in high-end drones, night-vision devices, encrypted radios, cold-weather clothes, helmets, uniforms, body armor and other supplies to special forces units, demining teams, artillery units and members of Ukraines main intelligence agency and 92nd Mechanized Brigade.

War Santa started the equipment runs to assist a friend fighting in the Georgian Legion, a group of foreign volunteers formed by ethnic Georgians, and expanded his reach as word of his deliveries spread. No one besides his boss at an investment bank  a fellow veteran  and a few other people know about the War Santa persona and his side gig, and he wants to keep it that way.

I dont do it for the fanfare, he said. Its the right, human thing to do.

Fundraising pays for much of the donated gear, but War Santa and Olvera also have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the effort. They said they fill a unique niche: obtaining pricey, sophisticated equipment for units that dont have enough of it to go around.

Coming to Ukraine, especially coming from the U.S.  a very well-funded military  one of the biggest shocks was the shortage of equipment, said Olvera, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I think this is money well spent. In the grand scheme of things, when Im 80 years old, it wont matter that I spent $30,000 or $50,000 to help save the country.

Olvera, 41, said he quit his job in management consulting and left Texas to fight for Ukraine out of moral and patriotic duty. He said he felt compelled to defend the cornerstones of Western democracies: rule of law, free and fair elections, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

I thought it was unfair for Ukraine to fight for these values alone, he said.

Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian Legion, said his 1,300 troops lack thermal-vision and night-vision goggles for night battles and driving in front-line zones in the dark. Soldiers in the unit, created in the aftermath of Russias incursion into Ukraines eastern Donbas region in 2014, obtain much of their own equipment using Twitter and rely heavily on private donations through nonprofit organizations.

We have no luxury to get equipment from [the Ukraine] Ministry of Defense because the Ministry of Defense has no equipment itself, Mamulashvili said. Were trying to do it ourselves and concentrate as many useful items for the guys as we can.

The most critical supplies for the war are drones for reconnaissance, night-vision goggles to spot ever-present enemy drones, secure communication radios, vehicles and, as winter approaches, high-quality cold-weather gear, according to fighters and volunteer equipment suppliers.

Getting them into Ukraine can be tricky and dangerous. Time-consuming paperwork is needed for sensitive items such as drones, and transporting certain equipment  firearm magazines, hard-body armor  can violate export control laws set by the U.S. State Departments International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Volunteers do their best to stick to official rules and regulations, but the urgency of their cause sometimes requires creative alternatives. Drones, scopes, thermal-vision goggles and other sensitive items have crossed borders in bundles of clothes or, more often, buried in pet food because it smells, so no one checks, said one Pole.

Kathy Stickel, a 53-year-old former corporal in the U.S. Army Reserve, doesnt hide the drones that she ferries from Poland into Ukraine, but she doesnt leave them in plain sight either. She said she came to Ukraine from California at the start of the war with a nagging need from her Mormon childhood to help Jews. Stickel fixated on Odesa, a historically Jewish city on Ukraines southern coast where she largely bases her operations.

She evacuated civilians and delivered humanitarian aid for months before switching her focus to supporting soldiers.

The best thing we can do for the Ukrainians is to stop them from being killed by the Russians, she said.

Stickel is convinced a surveillance drone could have saved the life of her friend, Dane Partridge, a 34-year-old U.S. Army veteran who died last month in a Russian ambush in the Zaporizhzhia region in southeastern Ukraine. His unit in Ukraines foreign fighter legion had asked for more drones. Stickel raised money for them on Twitter, ordered them from Wylegaa in Poznan and delivered them to Partridges men shortly before his funeral.

She worked as fast as possible.

I believe in the trampoline method  nothing should stay longer than a day and a half in any warehouse, Stickel said.

War Santa distributes his gear with similar speed. Once he flies into Warsaw, he races to Lviv in western Ukraine, where he makes his first deliveries, and then on to Kyiv, Ukraines capital. He hands over equipment in bars, train stations, malls, strangers apartments and even the front lines. Olvera covers deliveries to places War Santa doesnt have time to reach.

During the summer, War Santa started taking a train to Zaporizhzhia and spending time in the trenches. The experience left him feeling like a sitting duck but allowed him to see some of the supplies that he provided in action.

He travels with 300 to 400 pounds of equipment packed in four deployment bags, sometimes sleeping on them on overnight trains to Kyiv to protect their costly contents. Most airlines, after learning about his mission, waive his bag fees, and foreign government officials have helped clear legal roadblocks knowing he is not a profiteer, War Santa said.

They say, No, Im not telling you to do this but keep [expletive] doing it,  he said.

War Santa has spent 42 days out of the country making equipment runs and dedicates about 20 hours per week to fielding requests. The work is grueling, but he said he draws strength from his War Santa alter ego  when you put this different mindset on, you can go and do everything  and the poignant scenes that he witnessed of Ukrainian men in uniform saying goodbye to their wives and children in train stations at the start of the war.

Those families just stick in my head, he said. Whenever Im frustrated because of how expensive things are, or not getting enough donations or I cant get the gear sometimes on time because the need is so great, I just remind myself this is what its about. This is genocide going on over there, and we have to keep going.

Maecka, the leader of the Polish Be A Hero UA nonprofit, said volunteers not only form a vast network of knowledge and connections to tap into but lean on each other for emotional support as well. On a recent Friday night, she paused loading supplies into a car to hug Jagoda Pasko, a Polish volunteer who had just returned from deliveries at the front lines.

Wylegaa, a frequent contributor along War Santas logistical route, said volunteers work tirelessly to help one another, united in their pursuit to outfit soldiers for the increasingly cold and punishing battlefield.

We have the same goal," she said. "Victory for Ukraine and to finish this war."
LONDON  The European Union signed off Monday on a new agreement over the privacy of people's personal information that gets pinged across the Atlantic, aiming to ease European concerns about electronic spying by American intelligence agencies.

The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework has an adequate level of protection for personal data, the EU's executive commission said. That means it's comparable to the 27-nation's own stringent data protection standards, so companies can use it to move information from Europe to the United States without adding extra security.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October to implement the deal after reaching a preliminary agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Washington and Brussels made an effort to resolve their yearslong battle over the safety of EU citizens' data that tech companies store in the U.S. after two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out.

"Personal data can now flow freely and safely from the European Economic Area to the United States without any further conditions or authorizations," EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said at a press briefing in Brussels.

Washington and Brussels long have clashed over differences between the EU's stringent data privacy rules and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law. That created uncertainty for tech giants including Google and Facebook parent Meta, raising the prospect that U.S. tech firms might need to keep European data that is used for targeted ads out of the United States.

The European privacy campaigner who triggered legal challenges over the practice, however, dismissed the latest deal. Max Schrems said the new agreement failed to resolve core issues and vowed to challenge it to the EU's top court.

Schrems kicked off the legal saga by filing a complaint about the handling of his Facebook data after whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations a decade ago about how the U.S. government eavesdropped on people's online data and communications.

Calling the new agreement a copy of the previous one, Schrems said his Vienna-based group, NOYB, was readying a legal challenge and expected the case to be back in the European Court of Justice by the end of the year.

"Just announcing that something is 'new', 'robust' or 'effective' does not cut it before the Court of Justice," Schrems said. "We would need changes in U.S. surveillance law to make this work  and we simply don't have it."

The framework, which takes effect Tuesday, promises strengthened safeguards against data collection abuses and provides multiple avenues for redress.

Under the deal, U.S. intelligence agencies' access to data is limited to what's "necessary and proportionate" to protect national security.

Europeans who suspect U.S. authorities have accessed their data will be able to complain to a new Data Protection Review Court, made up of judges appointed from outside the U.S. government. The threshold to file a complaint will be "very low" and won't require people to prove their data has been accessed, Reynders said.

Business groups welcomed the decision, which clears a legal path for companies to continue cross-border data flows.

"This is a major breakthrough," said Alexandre Roure, public policy director at the Brussels office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google and Meta.

"After waiting for years, companies and organisations of all sizes on both sides of the Atlantic finally have the certainty of a durable legal framework that allows for transfers of personal data from the EU to the United States," Roure said.

In an echo of Schrems' original complaint, Meta Platforms was hit in May with a record $1.3 billion EU privacy fine for relying on legal tools deemed invalid to transfer data across the Atlantic.

Meta had warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it would be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, "which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations."
CHISINAU, Moldova  The head of Moldovas border police had no doubt in 2014 that the pro-Russian uprising bubbling up in Ukraines east would eventually escalate into a full-scale invasion.

Rosian Vasiloi worked in Ukraine at the time and after visiting the front line, warned his Ukrainian colleagues that Russian President Vladimir Putin would one day pursue more territory.

He walked away from the battlefield with a sense of trepidation. But he also felt a warm appreciation for Ukrainian soldiers fighting the first Russian onslaught and the American-led effort to train them.

Im very happy that what the United States was doing in Ukraine its now doing in Moldova, Vasiloi said in his office in Moldovas capital, Chisinau, a giant Ukrainian flag hanging to his left. Its important to know that in this tough time, we are not alone.

More than a year after Russia ignited the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, fears of the war spilling over into tiny Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2.6 million people wedged between Romania and Ukraine, have subsided. But Moldova remains on edge as war rages next door.

It contends with relentless Russian destabilization efforts, including disinformation campaigns and anti-government protests staged by Kremlin-backed forces, and faces a longstanding security challenge in Transnistria, a secessionist enclave on Ukraine's border with Moldova that has been occupied by Russian troops since 1992.

There is also the persistent danger from Russian missiles overshooting Ukrainian targets and landing in Moldova. Rocket fragments have been found on Moldovan territory at least four times and Moldovan border guards in Palanca, a southern border crossing with Ukraine, say they can sometimes see missiles fired from Russian warships in the Black Sea.

Its true that at the moment theres not an imminent military threat for our country, said Col. Ion Rotaru, chief of the Moldovan Ministry of Defenses international cooperation department. But being a neighbor of Ukraine and having this so-called Transnistria region in our country is a potential military risk.

The turmoil has accelerated two of Moldovas most pressing goals: closer integration with the European Union and modernization of Moldovas 6,500-member military.

For the latter, Moldova has turned to a growing coalition of Western partners and a 27-year partnership with the North Carolina National Guard, which will have about 50 engagements with the Moldovan army this year alone.

The pace has picked up because theres much more intensity from the Moldovan side, said U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon. Theres been a lot of support from our side, I think that was already there, but frankly theres also been more financial support, especially on the military side.

The U.S. upped its military aid to Moldova from $3 million to $30 million since the start of the Ukraine war, he said, and will likely continue that level of commitment going forward. A majority of the funds are dedicated to replacing Soviet-era equipment from the 1960s to 1980s with modern materiel.

February 24 raised a big question mark about the technique and equipment of the national army, said Rotaru, referring to the date Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

Moldova is attempting to reverse decades of underinvestment in the military after a succession of pro-Russian governments and fears of antagonizing Moscow. The current Europe-leaning administration aims to balance a neutrality enshrined in the countrys constitution with a changed threat landscape that Vasiloi, the border police chief, divides into before February 24 and after February 24.

Now there is a clear understanding of who is your enemy and who is your friend, he said.

Rotaru said neutral countries such as Austria, Ireland and Switzerland can serve as models for Moldova and argued neutrality does not prevent his nation from forging closer ties with military alliances like NATO or boosting the defense budget, which is up 70% this year compared to 2022.

We are neutral but this is not an obstacle to have international cooperation and common exercises with our partners and neighbors, Rotaru said.

In February, the army deployed troops to Lebanon for Moldovas first United Nations peacekeeping mission  an action Logsdon, the U.S. ambassador, described as huge.

In September, Moldova and the North Carolina National Guard will come together for drills and training on various weapon systems. The annual exercise is part of a deep relationship between the two military forces that has evolved from a partnership based on security objectives to one that also encompasses education, health, humanitarian assistance, business and culture cooperation.

The Defense Departments State Partnership Program began in the 1990s to help former Soviet Bloc countries reform their militaries and now pairs dozens of state National Guard units with nations around the world. Perhaps the most well-known partnership is between Ukraine and the California National Guard, whose members fielded requests for weapons from old friends in Ukraine as Russia invaded.

The war has increased Moldovan interest in small-unit training as well as the development of a strong corps of non-commissioned officers who bring years of experience and serve as small-unit leaders, said Logsdon. Part of Russias sputtering performance in Ukraine has been attributed to a top-down military leadership style that Ukraine, Moldova and other former Soviet countries inherited.

Logsdon said the U.S. embassy in Chisinau hopes to permanently host a non-commissioned officer from the North Carolina National Guard to work full-time with the Moldovans.

They want to be more mobile, he said. Youre not going to have the kind of force thats going to [defend] against a military perhaps as large as Russias but you still want to have self-defense so what do you do? How do you train for those kinds of eventualities? Thats what North Carolina can really help with.

The rest of the American military, particularly European Command, has also played a role in supporting a country the U.S. considers a democratic partner needed for stability in Europe. Last month, Moldovan service members who had learned mine clearance techniques from American troops began passing on that knowledge to Ukrainian soldiers. The training is taking place at an explosive ordnance disposal facility constructed in 2019 with U.S. funds.

A mint green building used by Moldovas border police as a service center in Chisinau exists due to American largesse as well. The border police, once charged with defending Moldovas borders under the Ministry of Defense and now tasked with surveillance and control, has borne much of the fallout from the war in Ukraine.

About 1 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Moldova, the highest per capita influx of any neighboring country. A bit more than 100,000 Ukrainians remain, greatly amplifying the use of the Russian language in Chisinau.

Vasiloi, leader of the border police and a former member of parliament, said Moldova had prepared to process up to 7,000 Ukrainian refugees in the first 72 hours of the war but instead saw 12,000 Ukrainians stream in at one crossing point in 24 hours. The demand was overwhelming for a small country considered one of the poorest in Europe.

Today border guards are on the lookout for Ukrainian men trying to illegally cross into Moldova to evade military service, mercenaries who fought for Russia in Ukraine along with other undesirable individuals and drug and weapons trafficking. The job turned deadly in late June, when a Tajikistan citizen killed a border guard and a security officer after being denied entry at Chisinau International Airport.

Increased information sharing with American colleagues allowed Moldova this spring to monitor, detain and deport a Russian citizen who fought with the notorious Wagner private military company in Syria and Ukraine, said Vasiloi. Moldovan officials have accused the Kremlin of plotting to overthrow the government in Chisinau and use Wagner fighters to stir up unrest.

Moldova continues to battle Russian cyber attacks on its networks and information systems on a regular basis, said Vasiloi. A barrage of attacks came several months before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and were fended off with the help of the U.S. The American government almost immediately poured $600,000 into shoring up Moldovan cyber defenses.

It all happened very fast, said Vasiloi.

Moldova's border guards are now beefing up surveillance abilities with the help of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency in anticipation of an expected uptick in weapons smuggling after hostilities in Ukraine end, said Eugen Levco, the border polices head of international cooperation.

The amount of money spent on these initiatives may not be that big in the whole scale of the U.S. budget, he said. But for countries such as the Republic of Moldova, this kind of investment can truly make a difference.
VILNIUS, Lithuania  Russia's war in Ukraine will top the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts hold a summit in Lithuania's capital over two days starting Tuesday.

They are expected to focus on ensuring that Ukraine has support as long as the conflict continues, how to bring the country even closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesn't invade again after the war ends.

The leaders meeting in Vilnius are set to endorse new defense plans in case Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to broaden Moscow's war beyond Ukraine and westward into allied territory. They also weigh defense spending, and how to boost their budgets as aid to Ukraine eats into national military coffers.

Sweden's accession to the 31-nation alliance is up for discussion, too, as Turkey delays the Scandinavian country's entry into the world's biggest security organization.

UKRAINE'S NATO MEMBERSHIP The biggest item on NATO's agenda is what to do about Ukraine. U.S. President George W. Bush led the charge in 2008, promising that Ukraine would become a member one day.

Now, the country is trying to fend off a full-scale invasion by NATO's old foe Russia. The West believes that Ukraine is standing up for its interests, and countries are pouring in billions in aid, economic and military support.

NATO isn't ready to start membership talks with Ukraine yet. But it is helping to train and modernize its armed forces and security institutions to ensure that the country can take its place among NATO's ranks after the war is over. The summit will see a new forum for consultations created  the NATO-Ukraine Council.

SECURITY GUARANTEES It's not really a topic for NATO  more for individual allies  but it's set to dominate talks in Vilnius.

NATO and its Western partners are discussing ways to protect Ukraine after the war from a future invasion. NATO membership offers ironclad "all for one, one for all" protection, but the 31 countries must agree unanimously on letting Ukraine in, and they're not united on this.

Failing that, major allies like the U.S., U.K., France and Germany could pledge to shield the country from another attack. NATO and the European Union would back that military protection with more money and other aid.

It's unlikely that any conclusions will be drawn in Vilnius, but the summit is an important moment for leaders to flesh out what those guarantees might look like.

SWEDEN'S NATO MEMBERSHIP Nearly all allies, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden say the country has done enough to join the military alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesn't agree, and he aims to steal the summit spotlight.

Sweden has given up a history of military neutrality to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella. It has changed its anti-terror laws and lifted an arms embargo on Turkey to assuage Erdogan's concerns.

To no avail.

The long-time Turkish leader used the issue during election campaigning last month. He's also seeking upgraded F-16 fighter jets from the U.S., and Sweden could be leverage.

DEFENSE SPENDING This is a perennial issue. The U.S. routinely flails its allies for failing to spend enough on their defense budgets. With money, arms and ammunition being poured into Ukraine, the need to boost national military budgets is a no-brainer.

The allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense within a decade. The 2024 deadline approaches.

In Vilnius, the leaders will agree to make 2% the floor  that is, the least they should be spending  rather than the ceiling.

REGIONAL DEFENSE PLANS NATO is conducting the biggest revamp of its defense plans since the Cold War in case Putin decides to widen the conflict outside Ukraine.

Right now, around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies each day, and 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.

Those numbers are set to rise. Under new defense plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops available to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones  the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. The top-secret documents lay out which countries and what equipment should defend any area under threat.

BELARUS

It's not on the agenda, but NATO hopes that Belarus, Lithuania's big neighbor, and Russia's main backer, will play no surprise role in the summit or the war in Ukraine.

Belarus lies just 22 miles from Vilnius. Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was offered refuge there. The jury is out on how many of his fighters might join him.

"We have seen some preparations for hosting large groups of soldiers in Belarus. So far, we haven't seen them going to Belarus," Stoltenberg said Friday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also said last month that his country has received Russian tactical nuclear weapons. He's warning that he would order their use to protect his country.

NATO officials think he's bluffing. But it's quite possible that Putin will resume his nuclear saber-rattling again as the leaders gather in Vilnius.
Just five days after staging a short-lived rebellion, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin 's commanders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence both men wield.

The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and involved not only Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine  where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops  and of the revolt itself.

"The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland," Peskov said.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.

Prigozhin has not commented on the Kremlin meeting, and his ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Monday's announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors. He could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

Monday's announcement came as Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov  who was one of the targets of Prigozhin's rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

In the video, Gerasimov is seated at a table with his team, watching a video report from the chief of staff of Russia's aerospace forces about a missile attack on Russian territory on Sunday. Gerasimov responds by calling for preemptive strikes against missile bases and for improvements in missile defenses.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show it's in control after a turbulent period, and to reflect Putin's delicate balance between condemning the biggest threat to his 23-year rule and the man behind it while not alienating a popular figure whose troops scored the biggest battlefield victory for Russia in the past year of the war.

Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov told The Associated Press that Putin acknowledges Prigozhin's patriotism and needs his forces on the front line, while Prigozhin needs Putin to ensure his freedom from prosecution. The two are negotiating as allies, with Prigozhin escaping punishment, Gallyamov said.

Prigozhin "emerged victorious from this rebellion," Gallyamov said in a Zoom interview from Tel Aviv. "He has shown himself to be the master of the situation."

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhin's forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the war's longest and bloodiest battle. Putin has confirmed that Prigozhin's companies operated under government contracts.

Throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticized decisions made by Russia's top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putin's authority, even though Prigozhin claimed the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. Prigozhin called off his mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to go to Belarus.

Mark Galeotti, an author who heads the consulting firm Mayak Intelligence, said the delicate dance with Prigozhin is "a further compromise on Putin's part and reflects his unwillingness to take tough and ruthless personnel decisions."

"He is willing to see Ukrainians bombed by the dozen, but not confront any of the figures in his own circle," Galeotti wrote in The Spectator.

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some Russian observers would be stunned by the turn of events.

"When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, it's ridiculous," she told the AP. "It's just so unbelievable and just so shocking."

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24." The president also "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat," the Kremlin spokesman said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, Peskov said. Putin has given options to Prigozhin's fighters: fight as part of the regular Russian army, retire from service or join Prigozhin in Belarus.

A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is looking at how to crank up the pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In other developments, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed seven people as residents gathered to receive humanitarian aid, authorities said, with the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region branding the attack "a war crime."

Gov. Yuriy Malashko said a guided aerial bomb caused an explosion Sunday at a school in Orikhiv, without providing evidence.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those probes.

Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive to regain occupied land, and on Monday, the deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, reported progress.

She said the country's fighters had reclaimed 3.9 square miles of territory in the south and 1.5 square miles in the east in the past week. The gains, she said on Telegram, included the commanding heights of Bakhmut, where Prigozhin's forces declared control of the city in May. None of the claims could be independently verified.
NATO is poised to put Ukraine on a fast track for membership, but any shot at entry into the U.S-led security pact hinges on the outcome of its war with Russia, Ukrainian and alliance officials said Monday.

I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a statement.

Intensive talks in the lead-up to NATOs summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania, resulted in an agreement on removal of the Membership Action Plan as a requirement for Ukraine to join, Kuleba said.

That process typically involves a host of bureaucratic and military reforms designed to ensure that a prospective member is up to NATO standards.

While most new members must go through the reform process, which can drag on for years, Finland and Sweden were exempted from it.

When U.S. President Joe Biden and other heads of state gather in Vilnius starting Tuesday, the Russia-Ukraine war and its security implications will dominate the discussion.

Kyiv and member countries along NATOs eastern flank have been pushing for a clear message that Ukraines future is in NATO.

Removing the action plan hurdle was a positive step forward, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Monday at a news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Ukraine needs a specific signal that once conditions allow, it will become a real member of NATO, Nauseda said, adding that with its battlefield performance, the country has already proved itself up to NATO standards.

Stoltenberg did not address the issue of streamlining Ukraines eventual path into NATO, saying those decisions will be formally announced during the summit.

However, Stoltenberg restated that it would be impossible for Ukraine to gain entry as long as it is at war.

Unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership issue to be discussed at all, he said.

Predictions about the future course of the war vary greatly, with some experts saying the conflict could drag on for years.

Biden on Sunday also threw cold water on any notion that Ukraine could join the alliance during the war because such a move would turn NATO into a combatant in the conflict.

Were determined to commit (to defending) every inch of territory that is NATO territory, Biden told CNN. Its a commitment that weve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then were all in war. Were at war with Russia if that were the case.
BEIRUT  Syrian Kurdish fighters carried out an attack early Monday in northern Syria, killing at least five members of Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces, activists said.

The attack south of the northern town of Afrin, which is held by the Turkey-backed forces, took place shortly after midnight on Sunday, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Defense Ministry confirmed that two Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack on Sunday by members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq. One of the soldiers died of his wounds in hospital.

The violence is the latest in a monthslong escalation between Turkey and Turkish-backed groups, and Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq. Ankara says the main Syrian Kurdish militia is allied to the outlawed Kurdish group. PKK has led an insurgency against Turkey since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The Observatory, an opposition war monitor, said Monday's attack was carried out by the Afrin Liberation Forces, a Kurdish faction allied with the main Kurdish militia in Syria known as the People's Protection Units or YPG. The group has claimed scores of attacks against Turkey-backed Syrian fighters.

Syria-based opposition activist Taher al-Omar said the attack took place about 12 miles south of Afrin. According to al-Omar, five members of the Turkey-backed faction Failaq al-Sham were killed. The Observatory said six died, but different tolls are not uncommon in the immediate aftermath of such attacks.

Afrin has been under the control of Turkey and its allied Syrian opposition fighters since 2018, following a Turkey-backed military operation that pushed Syrian Kurdish fighters and thousands of Kurdish residents from the area.

Since then, the town and surrounding villages have been the site of attacks on Turkish and Turkey-backed targets. Ankara considers Syrian Kurdish fighters who control a swath of Syrian territory along Turkey's border to be terrorists, allied with Kurdish insurgents within Turkey.

Also Monday in northern Syria, Kurdish fighters fired several rockets at a Turkish army base near the town of Azaz, the Observatory and al-Omar said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said at least nine rockets were fired at Azaz from Kurdish positions in nearby town of Tal Rifaat. The attack caused damage, Anadolu said, but did not report any casualties.

The violence comes a day after two explosions in northern Syria killed eight people, including three members of a Syrian Kurdish-led group in the town of Manbij.

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Abdul-Rahman Zeyad in Baghdad contributed to this report.
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif.  Twelve homes were evacuated in a Los Angeles-area city after a major ground shift put them at risk of collapse, officials said Sunday.

Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, visited Rolling Hills Estates, a city 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, Saturday night while the ground was moving. She said she had "never seen anything like" the damage that occurred.

"To think that these homes were intact, you know, yesterday afternoon, and today you can hear the creaking, the cracking, the crumbling," Hahn said Sunday. "They're going to fall."

Evacuated homes were at risk of falling into a nearby canyon "sooner than later," Hahn said.

Outside of those evacuated, some homes had their gas shut off to try to prevent an accident from happening, said Pete Goodrich, a Rolling Hills Estates building official.

Officials did not know yet what may have caused the ground to shift, Goodrich said.

The evacuations come after landslides haltedrail service in San Clemente, another Southern California city, earlier this year.
(Tribune News Service)  Nine people were wounded in a shooting in a downtown Cleveland nightlife district early Sunday morning, police said.

One person suffered serious injuries, according to Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond. The other eight victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds.

No suspects have been arrested. Police believe there was only one shooter.

The gunfire erupted about 2:30 a.m. in Clevelands Warehouse District, a popular spot on Saturday nights full of bars and clubs.

Investigators believe the bullets were fired at a group of people standing on the street shortly after closing time at the bars. Seven men and two women were shot, all between the ages of 23 and 38, according to Drummond.

This is yet another tragic incident of senseless gun violence in our city, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement.

We continue to see an uptick in shootings across our city ever since Republican lawmakers passed Senate Bill 215 last year allowing permitless carry. Its important we recognize this and hold these lawmakers accountable for passing dangerous gun laws in our state.

Elsewhere across Cleveland, one person was killed and four others wounded in various shootings across the city from Saturday night into Sunday morning, local Fox affiliate WJW reported.

Safety is our No. 1 one priority and we remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure everyone  residents, workers and visitors  feels safe in our city, Bibb said in his statement.

Across the U.S., there have been 368 mass shootings in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It counts each shooting in which four or more people are wounded or killed, excluding the shooter.

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MIAMI (Tribune News Service)  More than 2,000 people filled the streets marching under sweltering heat in North Miami Sunday afternoon to rally in support for the people of Haiti and to protest ongoing gang violence, political instability and corruption.

We are marching against violence, we are marching against kidnapping, Anna Dorvilier, 40, from West Palm Beach, yelled waving a sign that read If we are not on the table, we are on the menu.

Chanting and singing Jistis pou Ayiti and Souf pou Ayiti  Creole for Justice for Haiti and Relief for Haiti  the crowds waved tiny Haitian flags and followed a tractor trailer truck with an elevated platform carrying dignitaries like Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, clergy and musicians

We are united for Haiti, and Gods ears are open today, Levine Cava said.

Dance and church music boomed over huge speakers towed by the truck and the people in back and ahead of the semi sang along.

We want everyone to hear our voices, said marcher Mana Pierre-Louis, a 31-year-old who moved to South Florida from Haiti seven years ago. We need a solution to Haiti now.

The Relief for Haiti rally was organized by pastor Gregory Toussaint, senior pastor of Tabernacle of Glory Church in North Miami.

Toussaint, who is CEO of Shekinah.fm. The North Miami was among several the pastor organized in major cities across the United States and in Haiti itself. He decided to organize a March after a petition drive to get support for a sanctions bill in congress garnered more than 100,000 signatures in a week.

Toussaints goal was to bring together Haitians in the U.S., Haiti, Canada and France in an effort to bring awareness to the escalating gang violence and kidnappings in the Caribbean country, and demand something be done.

Sundays rally also comes amid escalating violence in the Caribbean country. On Friday, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres announced suspension of all treatment at its trauma facility in the Haitian capital after approximately 20 armed men stormed its hospital in Tabarre.

The incident on Thursday night serves as a microcosm of the unprecedented level of violence in Port-au-Prince, and particularly in Tabarre, where armed men last month kidnapped prominent journalist Marie Lucie Bonhomme out of her home in the middle of the night. Ten days later they abducted her husband, the former head of the Provisional Electoral Council, Pierre-Louis Opont. He remains in captivity.

The march started at North Miami Senior High School on Northeast Eight Avenue and ended at North Miami City on 125th Street.

And though the rally was announced last week, the enormous size of the crowd was a pleasant surprise to those marching.

Ive never seen anything like this before, said Babylson Dorelien, a 49-year-old Coral Springs man who moved from Haiti when he was a little boy in the early 1980s. He grew up to join the U.S. Army, and while Dorelien considers the United States home, he  like the others at the rally  want to be able to visit Haiti. Something the increasing gang violence makes nearly impossible.

Its necessary to be united and bring everyone together to show the world we are as one and we want our country to be free of the corruption and to be free to go back to our country and enjoy our country as we should, he said.

His wife, Marjorie Dorelien, also 49, said something divine was afoot Sunday gauging from the sea of people covering the streets and hearing about similar rallies in other cities around the world.

This is Gods purpose, and God is going to make a move, she said.

In the United States, marches were planned a number of cities, including Atlanta, Newark, N.J., Brookyln, San Diego, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Philadelphia and Tampa.

Guerty Saint Jour, 43, said she hasnt been back to Haiti in six years. She said if those living in the U.S. cant visit friends and family in Haiti, the people left behind will continue struggle, especially economically.

The people are suffering and they need help, she said. But, we cant help them because we cant go back to our country, to visit, to send money, to send goods.

Her friend, Woodline Mezier, 39, was born in Haiti, but also hasnt been able to return since 2017.

Were tired of working 40 hours a week, and were not able to go home, she said.

Mezier said shes also sad that her young children have never been able to go to Haiti to visit their relatives there.

Our heart breaks because Haiti is our country, she said. Its home.

In its latest report on the situation in the country, the United Nations says that violence by armed groups in the country is worsening, with sexual violence against women and girls and attacks against police officers and substations on the rise. Maria Isabel Salvador, who heads the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, told the U.N. Security Council that another worrying trend is the rise in vigilante killings. Her office has documented the killing of 264 alleged gang members by vigilante groups this year.

Back in Haiti, several thousands took to the streets at noon, traveling a familiar protest route that started near the Carrefour airport and headed in the direction of the National Palace. As they marched, they waved signs in Creole that read, Haiti will not go to waste.

Those participating in the North Miami march said theyre optimistic the large turnout at home and at similar rallies abroad could create a momentum resulting in improved conditions for people living in Haiti.

The country of Haiti has suffered a lot, and the roots of the challenges in our country are very deep, said Mashli Fleurestil, a member of Fraternity Baptist Church in North Miami. But change has to start, and this is our first step in helping organize the diaspora here in Miami.

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NEW ORLEANS  The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court Monday to temporarily block a lower courts order limiting executive branch officials discussions with social media companies about controversial online posts.

The request for an emergency stay was filed at the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals shortly after U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty rejected an administration motion that he put his own July 4 order on hold. The order came in a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, a conservative website owner and four individual critics of government COVID-19 policies.

The lawsuit claimed the administration, in effect, censored free speech by using threats of regulatory action or protection while pressuring companies to remove what it deemed misinformation. COVID-19 vaccines, legal issues involving President Joe Biden's son Hunter and election fraud allegations were among the topics spotlighted in the lawsuit.

Doughty was nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump. His injunction blocked the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI and multiple other government agencies and administration officials from meeting with or contacting social media companies for the purpose of "encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech."

Administration attorneys said in the motion filed at the 5th Circuit that Doughtys ruling was too broad and vague, and had the potential to chill government officials speech on important matters. They also said Doughty failed to point to any evidence that the administration had made threats against social media companies to coerce them to take down posts.

The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content, administration officials said. Indeed, the order denying the stay  presumably highlighting the ostensibly strongest evidence  referred to a series of public media statements.

They asked that the 5th Circuit block Doughtys order while the case is pursued at the appeals court in New Orleans or, at minimum, grant a 10-day block of the order so the administration could prepare to go to the Supreme Court to seek a longer stay.

Earlier Monday, Doughty rejected administration requests that he stay his own order pending appeal.

In essence, Doughtys Monday order said, Defendants argue that the injunction should be stayed because it might interfere with the Governments ability to continue working with social-media companies to censor Americans core political speech on the basis of viewpoint. In other words, the Government seeks a stay of the injunction so that it can continue violating the First Amendment.

Government lawyers have argued that the companies control their own policies regarding misinformation and that the lawsuit casts officials' comments on issues and policy as threats. The administration said Doughty's July 4 order was unclear about who in the executive branch it covers and what they can or cannot say about important topics discussed on social media platforms.

The order could cause "grave harm" by preventing the government from "engaging in a vast range of lawful and responsible conduct," government lawyers said in requesting the stay Thursday night.

Doughtys order said the administration seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. Conservatives hailed the order, which was to remain in effect pending further arguments in Doughtys court, as a victory for free speech and a blow to censorship. Critics said the order and accompanying reasons, covering more than 160 pages, were broad, unclear and could chill government efforts to fight misinformation on important topics.

The criticisms were echoed in the government's Thursday night request for a stay.

"The potential breadth of the entities and employees covered by the injunction combined with the injunction's sweeping substantive scope will chill a wide range of lawful government conduct relating to Defendants' law enforcement responsibilities, obligations to protect the national security, and prerogative to speak on matters of public concern," the government's motion said.

The lawsuit's plaintiffs countered with a weekend filing opposing a stay. Among the arguments are that the July 4 injunction carves out exemptions allowing officials to contact social media companies about postings involving criminal activity or public safety threats; national security threats; election-related issues including voter suppression attempts, voting infrastructure threats and illegal campaign contributions; and saying officials can continue "exercising permissible public government speech promoting government policies or views on matters of public concern."
Ahead of this week's NATO summit in Lithuania, U.S. leaders are insisting that the war with Russia must end before Ukraine is invited to join the powerful military alliance.

President Biden said during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday that he doesn't believe there will be "unanimity" on the issue of Ukraine's membership while the nation remains "in the middle of a war."

"We're determined to [protect] every inch of territory that is NATO territory," Biden said, noting that if Ukraine were part of NATO, it would put the alliance at war with Russia.

Biden added that it was "premature" to call for a vote on Ukrainian membership because the country still has to meet some NATO qualifications. Biden said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have spoken at length about the issue of membership, and said the two have to lay out a "rational path ... for Ukraine to be able to qualify."

Still, Biden said the United States remains committed to supplying the war-torn nation with the security assistance it needs to continue fending off Russia.

Like Biden, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said talk of Ukraine's membership is "too premature." McCaul told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday that Ukraine has to win the counteroffensive against Russia, secure a cease-fire and negotiate a peace settlement before joining NATO.

"We cannot admit Ukraine into NATO immediately; that would put us at war with Russia under Article 5 of the United Nations," McCaul said.

Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) told CBS News's "Face the Nation" that the war "has to end with Ukrainian victory," and that Ukraine also has to join the European Union, which involves "improving their transparency, their rule of law, their civil society, which lays the foundation for NATO membership in the future."

The comments on Ukraine's bid for NATO membership come days after Biden approved sending U.S. cluster munitions to Ukraine. The weapons have been controversial because they explode in the air over a target, releasing dozens to hundreds of smaller submunitions across a wide area. More than 120 countries have joined a convention banning their use as inhumane and indiscriminate, in part because unexploded submunitions litter the landscape and endanger both troops and civilians.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Ukraine has agreed to not use these powerful munitions on Russian territory. It will only use such weapons in its own territory, where, he said, Kyiv has "the highest incentive to limit the impact to civilians, because it is Ukrainian citizens who would be at risk." Ukraine also agreed not to use the munitions in populated areas, Sullivan said.

Zelensky, in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC, said inviting Ukraine into NATO is "all a matter of political will." In the meantime, Zelensky said Ukraine "should get clear security guarantees" from NATO members in the effort against Russia.

"It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia," he said.

Zelensky said he will attend the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week, to do whatever he can to "expedite that solution to have an agreement with our partners."

"I don't want to go to Vilnius for fun," he said.

John Kirby, the spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said on ABC's "This Week" that strong commitments will be made to Ukraine during the upcoming summit.

"You're going to see the allies really stay unified on supporting Ukraine in this fight against Russia on their soil," Kirby said. "You're also going to see from all the allies a concerted, unified approach to making it clear that NATO is eventually going to be in Ukraine's future, and that in between the time of the war ending and that happening, that the allies will continue to help Ukraine defend itself."

While Biden remained skeptical of Ukraine's ascension into the alliance in the immediate future, he told CNN he is optimistic that Sweden, which has also been fighting for membership, will become a NATO member soon. Extending membership to a new nation requires the approval of all NATO allies, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have cited objections to adding Sweden.

"Sweden has the same value set that we have in NATO, [is] a small nation, but has a capacity to defend itself, as they know how to fight," Biden said, echoing other statements he has made in the lead-up to the summit. "I think they should be a member of NATO."

Turkey has criticized Sweden for refusing to extradite individuals it sees as terrorists, including members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and a movement accused of trying to overthrow the Turkish government in 2016. Turkey also has complained about anti-Erdogan protests held in Sweden and demonstrations at which Qurans were burned.

Officials in Hungary, meanwhile, have cited a variety of reasons for their country's refusal to ratify Sweden's accession, from what a government spokesman said was Stockholm's eagerness to "bash Hungary" to the Nordic country's "crumbling throne of moral superiority."

Biden, in the interview with CNN, responded to Turkey's criticisms by arguing that it isn't "Swedes that are burning the Quran. They are immigrants who are burning the Quran."

The White House said Biden and Erdogan spoke Sunday about Sweden's membership bid and Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible." Erdogan told Biden that Sweden has taken the "correct steps" to appease Turkey's concerns by passing anti-terrorism policies  but that these policies were voided by PKK protests, per Turkey's state news agency.

The Washington Post's Nitasha Tiku contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine asked military leaders to explain why privatized housing reforms signed into law three years ago were implemented in a way that fails to create a standard of quality and safe housing for service members.

In a series of letters addressed to the secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, Army and overall Department of Defense on July 6, Warner and Kaine urged the leaders for answers on the long-awaited reforms, citing the findings of a Government Accountability Office report released in April.

The report highlights a litany of ways in which the function of some of these reforms differs across the services, and varies installation-to-installation. This echoes a concern that we have had  which is that as DoD and each of the services worked to implement these reforms, many of these efforts have happened in a piecemeal or stove-piped manner, in some instances with an eye more towards compliance, rather than resident experience, the letters read.

The report analyzed the implementation of the privatized housing reforms enacted in 2020 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. While the housing units are managed by a range of private companies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military services are responsible for project oversight.

DOD has taken steps to implement these requirements, but gaps in guidance and training remain, the report reads.

The reforms in question include dispute resolution guidance, a tenant bill of rights and increased oversight of the condition of private housing units across approximately 200 installations nationwide. The protections were championed by the Virginia senators.

Our service members and their families have been forced to navigate housing conditions and processes as part of the privatized housing system that have been woefully unacceptable, reads the letters signed by Warner and Kaine.

Some of those dilapidated homes were right here in Hampton Roads, in military housing communities owned by Lincoln Military Housing. The company came under scrutiny in 2019 after local military families described repeatedly reporting issues of mold, vermin and water intrusion, and made routine service requests to the companies that manage their privatized housing, only to face indifference. The company was sold to new ownership in 2021 and is now named Liberty Military Housing.

According to the GAO report, the DoD now conducts inspections of privatized homes prior to resident occupancy, but clear and consistent inspection standards have not been developed and the military departments have not provided adequate inspector training.

This has contributed to inconsistencies in how inspectors rate homes, resulting in homes with similar issues receiving different ratings and, according to private housing company representatives, has increased project costs, the report reads.

The DoD has also issued guidance establishing a formal dispute resolution process, but the guidance lacks information on how and when tenants can file a formal dispute. Additionally, the DoD designated personnel to act as tenant advocates, but the services have not clearly identified the roles and responsibilities for these personnel, or communicated useful information to residents about how they can and cannot use the tenant advocates.

In response, Warner and Kaine are asking the services how the challenges outlined by the Government Accountability Office will be resolved and what the timeline for each issue looks like. The goal is to create a standard a quality and safe housing across the services.

It is vital that the protections and reforms that we have put in place are implemented in a way that works for residents.  To the maximum extent possible, DoD and each of the services should be working to standardize implementation of these reforms, so that all members of the military across the country can utilize the same protections  informed by implementation best-practices of what is working and what is not  with the aim of providing them with quality and safe housing that they have earned, the letters read.

caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com

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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 10. Turkmenistan intends to continue working on the implementation of new projects related to increasing natural gas supplies to China, Rashid Meredov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, said, Trend reports.

He made the remark at the meeting with Hou Qijun, Board member and President at China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), who was on a working visit to Ashgabat.

During the negotiations, the parties discussed the current state of interaction and exchanged views on the prospects of bilateral cooperation, taking into account the existing significant potential.

As previously reported, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping signed agreements on interstate cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy and energy, following their negotiations in Beijing in January this year. In addition, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the gas sector was signed between the Turkmengaz State Concern and CNPC. CNPC also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas.

As previously reported, the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline, which was commissioned in December 2009 through its three strands (A, B, and C), delivers approximately 40 bcm of Turkmen natural gas per year.

The construction of the fourth line (D) of this gas pipeline has been under discussion for several years. Its capacity will be 30 bcm of gas per year.

According to the Energy Institute's review, in 2022, Turkmenistan exported 40.7 bcm of natural gas via pipelines (a 3.3-percent decrease year-on-year), including 32.9 bcm delivered to China (a 4.4-percent increase).
Kenneth Foley (51) was drinking daily and heavily at the time he took the 60 card in a breach of trust that led to the loss of his job and home, a court heard

Kenneth Foley (51) lost his job and home after the incident

A postman who stole a gift card from an envelope and used it himself in a very mean spirited crime has been spared jail.

Kenneth Foley (51) was drinking daily and heavily at the time he took the 60 card in a breach of trust that led to the loss of his job and home, a court heard.

Judge Treasa Kelly gave him a three-month suspended sentence at Dublin District Court.

Foley, of Muskerry Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to theft and intentionally delaying, detaining, interfering with or opening a postal packet.

Garda Sergeant Derek Spain said in late 2021, the victim placed a 60 One-4-All card in a letterbox and the envelope never reached the addressee.

On checking its status, the card had been used on five occasions at locations including Tesco Thomas Street and Dolphins Barn.

Foley, a postal worker, was identified as a suspect and when detained and questioned, he accepted it was him on CCTV at the locations.

He denied stealing the card or knowing it was stolen, saying he had received it as a gift. However, information he gave gardai did not support this version of events.

After he was charged, the accused complied and pleaded guilty, his solicitor said.

Foley had an alcohol addiction as a younger man and recovered from that but had relapsed at the time.

He was drinking daily and heavily when he committed what he accepted was a very mean spirited offence, his defence said.

As a result, he lost his job, income and home and he was now living in hostel accommodation. He had since paid compensation.

Foley was addressing his demons by getting help for his alcohol addiction.

Its not just the value of the card, its the fact that you were an employee and its the breach of trust thats more serious than the 60, Judge Kelly said.

She suspended the sentence for 18 months.
Notorious thug lashes out at jail staff because he didnt recognise wardens guarding him

The guns used in plot to shoot Alan Ryan were sourced by Wilson

Wilson was jailed for the attempt to murder Gary Hanley

Alan Wilson is being transferred from the Midlands Prison to Portlaoise Prison

Paranoid gangster Alan Wilson has been transferred to the high-security Portlaoise Prison after lashing out at jail staff because he didnt recognise the officers guarding him.

The violent thug had been serving his time in the Midlands Prison ever since he was attacked and injured by other inmates at Mountjoy in 2019.

This week, a new group of staff were detailed to deal with Wilson, which caused the unstable criminal to launch an assault on officers, according to sources.

No-one was seriously hurt in the attack, but a decision was taken to move him out of the jail, where he previously had demanded to be transferred, the source added.

Wilson is suing the Prison Service over the 2019 attack, in which he says his pleas to be moved were denied by authorities after claiming there was a 100,000 bounty on his head.

At one point, Wilson was believed to be the most under-threat inmate in the prison system.

Portlaoise Prison

The feared thug hasnt served his time behind bars quietly following his arrest in 2017 as part of a hit team hired by the Kinahan Cartel to kill Gary Hanley.

The mobster has been the subject of disciplinary sanctions on more than 10 occasions, most of these for threatening jail staff.

During his first four years behind bars  while serving time in three different prisons  Wilson was hit with more than 10 P19 reports, which are handed to inmates who have broken prison regulations.

Wilson has also brought a case for damages against the Prison Service after the Mountjoy attack in which his head was cut.

He claims he informed authorities that there was a 20,000 reward for cutting or assaulting him, and 100,000 bounty for killing him.

Wilson also claims there was graffiti around the prison targeting him and added that the B Landing was known for having blades and razors stashed there by inmates.

In December 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2010 gun attack at the Players Lounge in Dublin which left three men injured.

Wilson was jailed for the attempt to murder Gary Hanley

At that stage he was still serving eight years for his role in the plot to kill Hanley and tried to avoid getting any extra time in prison.

During that hearing, Wilson wanted to reduce his time spent behind bars by getting his new sentence backdated to when he went into prison in 2017.

He pleaded for leniency on the grounds he had turned his life around and was now writing poetry and dealing with a serious medical condition.

If he had succeeded, he would now be out of prison  but instead wont see freedom until 2029.

Ironically, it was the Garda investigation into the Hanley murder plot which led to his conviction over the previous Players Lounge gun attack.

It emerged during garda surveillance as the would-be assassins targeted Hanley, that Wilson boasted about being involved in the shooting

He claimed he was just bragging to make himself look good, but he was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court.

The guns used in plot to shoot Alan Ryan were sourced by Wilson

Wilsons lawyer said that the secret garda recording of his client in 2017 allegedly claiming that he had carried out the shooting at the Players Lounge was bravado.

He said: He was bigging himself up in the company of those with him on the day.

In those recordings he was allegedly heard admitting to the attempted murders in which he said: Remember the shooting at the Players Lounge; I done that.

In another, Wilson expressed amazement at how one of the men survived, saying: One of them, right in the forehead and five times in the body, its amazing how the c***s pull through it, like.

He had admitted to sourcing the guns and cars used in the attack, which was ordered by Sean The Smuggler Hunt and which was aimed at Real IRA boss Alan Ryan.

However, he denied being the shooter seen on CCTV footage carrying a gun in each hand in the reckless attack.

Mariora Rostas

A nephew of Martin The General Cahill, Wilson had also claimed that being previously tried and acquitted in court over the 2008 murder of Marioara Rostas had ruined his life.

Despite Wilson being cleared of the murder charge, gardai are not looking for anyone else in relation to the horrific crime.

The 18-year-old was abducted from a street in the capitals south inner city on January 6 2008, but it would be more than four years later before her body was eventually discovered.

It is suspected that she was brutally sexually assaulted before being fatally shot four times in the head and her body was then buried in the Dublin Mountains.
It sickens me to think a convicted child killer/sex offender is now free, living on the streets with so many innocent children around

The family of a young girl murdered in Belfast 32 years ago fear her recently-released killer will strike again.

Sonia Forsythes remains were found in a coal bunker in 1996  five years after the 13-year-old had been beaten to death by her neighbour James Craig.

Sonias mother and sister were told last week that Craig has been permanently released from prison.

They received the devastating news the day before the 32nd anniversary of Sonias death.

They are still trying to come to terms with her killer being back on the streets again  but want to warn people about Craig and the danger he poses.

It sickens me to think a convicted child killer/sex offender is now free, living on the streets with so many innocent children around, said Sonias sister, Nikki Boomer.

If anyone sees him around I suggest being very careful and keep your kids away from him. Hes one evil, twisted man. No one else should have to suffer at his hands.

Sonia went missing from her Sydney Street West home in the Shankill area of Belfast on June 30, 1991.

She was last seen walking down the street with a then 19-year-old Craig who told police hed left her to the front door of her home.

Sonia Forsythe was brutally killed

Her remains were only discovered five years later after Craig firebombed his nearby flat in a bid to hide evidence. Workmen tasked to clear the fire-damaged property made the grim discovery when moving the coal bunker.

A post-mortem revealed strong indents on her skull that matched the shape of a poker found inside Craigs home.

A coroner concluded she had most likely been bludgeoned to death. In 1998, a jury unanimously found Craig guilty of Sonias murder and he was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

In 2019, the Sunday World revealed Craig, who has never shown any remorse for Sonias murder, had been taking part in a phased release programme from prison.

He was pictured by this newspaper in Portadown  just a short distance from a childrens nursery.

However, two years later he was sentenced to additional time behind bars after being convicted of multiple counts of historic sex offences against two young girls.

He carried out the abuse on the girls  who were both aged under 10  in the years before and after murdering Sonia in 1991.

One of the victims recalled being sexually abused by Craig on dates between September 1985 and September 1989.

She told the jury at the trial I knew what he was doing was wrong and that she used to tremble with fear.

Craigs second victim was also abused by him as a child  both in his flat where Sonia was killed - and in his car. That abuse took place on dates between July 1989 and July 1992.

Craig applied for release from prison at the end of last year  but his application was refused.

However, he is now a free man.

Craig left Sonias body to rot in a bunker

We were told a few months ago his application for release had been refused by the review panel and that it would be another year before he could try for release again, said Nikki.

But then we got a call on June 29th to say he had been released on a permanent basis.

It was tough enough to get that call but it was even worse that it came the day before Sonias anniversary.

Nikki said her family had campaigned for Craig never to be released from prison.

We really do believe he will kill again, she said.

He has never shown any remorse for what he did to Sonia and it then came out he was abusing two little girls around the same time he killed Sonia.

It is heartbreaking for our family that he is out of prison but we just want to warn people to be aware of him and to make sure he is nowhere near children.

This man has no conscience and is a danger to society.
Criminal gang headed by Adrian Price issued a threat warning it would bomb and shoot women and children if the parade proceeded

Police watch on as houses are blocked up in Weavers Grange in April

Housing estate residents will stage a protest in Newtownards tonight against a feuding loyalist crime gang despite threats they will open fire on woman and children.

Supporters aligned to the self-styled Real UFF remained holed up in the Weavers Grange area of the West Winds estate in the Co Down town and are the target of a static protest staged by a group of women this evening.

The protest comes as the Parades Commission barred a planned demonstration featuring upwards of 15 loyalist bands and hundreds of supporters from entering the estate.

A modified application which would have seen a single band and a restricted number of supporters marching on Weavers Grange was also rejected.

The criminal gang headed by Adrian Price issued a threat warning it would bomb and shoot women and children if the parade proceeded along the planned route.

Adrian Price

It had been hoped mediation on the ground would defuse the situation but when it became clear neither side was willing to give way the Commission felt it had no option but to impose restrictions.

The original application was for the parade to enter Weavers Grange.

The Sunday World now understands a protest march will take place but will be halted long before it reaches Weavers Grange.

A static protest involving women from the West Winds estate will take place.

The Weavers Grange cul-de-sac has been at the epicentre of a near three-month-long feud between Prices crew and North Down UDA.

Homes, commercial property, and vehicles have been attacked in a slew of attacks across Newtownards, the Ards Peninsula and North Down.

A number of people have been assaulted and a number of people including Prices son Ryan Johnson, are facing criminal charges over an alleged assault in a shopping centre.

The bitterness and animosity of the feud shows no sign of waning.

For the Real UFF to threaten to shoot women and children shows what type of people we are talking about, said our source.

Police watch on as houses are blocked up in Weavers Grange in April

A submission to the commission by the parade organisers states: In response to this alternative proposal, the drugs gang calling themselves the 'Real UFF' have escalated their threats, asserting that 'men, women and children' will be attacked with firearms and/or bombs should any parade take place.

This 'threat' has been passed to PSNI, and the community expect the PSNI to act upon it to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens.

This is now a straightforward situation. There is, on one side, a legitimate community protest group made up of law-abiding citizens who have in good faith engaged with the commission, the PSNI, Alternatives (Restorative Justice group) and genuine residents.

On the other side, there is a criminal drugs gang whose contribution is to threaten to shoot and bomb if the community exercise their rights to peacefully assemble in opposition to their criminal activity.

In its determination the Commission stated: Having considered all the evidence, information and advice available to it, the Commission has determined that conditions should be placed on the parade.

In doing so the commission noted that representations were received outlining that there exists in Weavers Grange a strong community who are not involved in any criminal activity and who are existing in a climate of 'fear and terror' caused by current events.

It added: The commission was told that there have been numerous allegations of residents being threatened by criminal drug gangs, of violent attacks and intimidation by various paramilitary factions which are alleged to be feuding among themselves. This sits alongside the peaceful community which has no part to play in these events.

The determination states the parade must not proceed past the Comber Road roundabout and instead the parade in its entirety should progress around the Comber Road roundabout and return to its notified dispersal point on the Portaferry Road, retracing its outward route and disperse no later than 8pm.
Killer Conor Dolan (33) gets a life sentence after gardai caught him red-handed burning evidence in his home

This is the Dublin criminal who will be sentenced to life after he admitted he lured his friend to a country lane and riddled him with bullets in an execution-style killing.

Conor Dolan (33), a close associate of the Champagne Killer Karl Breen, admitted on Friday to murdering his friend Niall Fitzgerald (36) who was a key lieutenant in the Rattigan gang.

Our photo shows Dolan posing with a handgun before the murder as he attempted to boost his hardman image.

The Sunday World can reveal he gave an interview from prison last year while awaiting trial for murder, boasting he would beat the charges against him.

He claimed that prison was better than most hotels and bragged that he was getting large quantities of drugs smuggled into him on a weekly basis.

He also discussed the case against him in the video.

Karl Breen with Conor Dolan

While Dolan pleaded not guilty when his trial began on Monday, by Friday he admitted to murdering Fitzgerald at Hills Lane, Crooksling, Tallaght, Dublin 24, on June 5, 2016.

Dolan, with an address at Ashbrook Apartments, Navan Road, Dublin 7, will be formally sentenced to life when he appears in court again in October.

He had links to numerous gangland figures and had previously been involved in armed robbery  but sources said he was no master criminal.

He bizarrely gave a 22-minute YouTube interview from a contraband phone in his prison cell last year while awaiting trial.

In the video, in which he was not named, he discusses his case and talks of life in prison.

Asked about conditions in the prison, Dolan said: Conditions for us are fairly good.

Dolan giving his prison interview

We have it fairly good. I cant really complain. Im sure there are hotels out there thats worse.

Asked about phones and drugs, he responds: Every Irish prison is full of phones.

And on drugs, he says: Sometimes, Im talking to people outside and I got nicer Cali (cannabis) in here than what they got on the outside. Spice is here as well.

He also added: Tobacco is still allowed so people like their weed.

Weed is a big seller here.

Asked if he was involved in the selling of it behind bars, the inmate replies: No comment.

Asked if there was a lot of violence behind bars, he said: In the Irish prisons, theres generally more politics and theres more structure.

Niall Fitzgerald

Somebody is always in charge and people dont like when trouble starts because it brings heat on the landing.

Unless, its very necessary, it doesnt happen. But if somebody really deserves it, Ive seen some bad, bad things happen.

Asked whether violence from the outside spills into the prison, the inmate responded: Well the Kinahan-Hutch feud would be the main one at the minute.

So, you have one prison, Wheatfield Prison, where all of the Hutches must go.

They cant go anywhere else. Thats where they have to go. Theres one unit specifically for them They have to be kept safe because theyre vulnerable.

Dolan was disciplined and subjected to substantial sanctions in prison following the interview.

Brian Rattigan

Sources say the inmate thought authorities wouldnt be able to identify him as he partially concealed his face with a hoody as he was interviewed on a contraband mobile phone. However, he was immediately recognised by inmates and prison staff.

Dolan had links to several gangland figures, including Fitzgerald and Champagne Killer Karl Breen, who was once the leader of ruthless Infamous D22 drugs mob which terrorised people in west Dublin.

Following Breens release from prison in October, 2014, after serving seven years for stabbing his pal Martin McLaughlin (21), he posed for pictures with Dolan holding flutes of champagne.

Breen died of a drug overdose the following February.

Fitzgerald had only been released from Portlaoise Prison four months before he was murdered after spending six years locked up alongside Brian Rattigan in the prisons C-Block.

He originally received a 10-year jail term after pointing a loaded handgun at three Garda detectives following a car chase.

It later emerged that the weapon was used in an attack on feud rival Freddie Thompsons home.

Gardai believe that after being released from prison Fitzgerald began carving out his own drugs territory, which may have made him a target for drugs gangs.

He was also involved in a number of altercations following his release from prison.

On the Wednesday before he died Fitzgerald was in a violent row during which he slashed a young man in the face.

Associates of gangsters Graham the Wig Whelan and Thompson were drawn into the quarrel, with Fitzgerald warning the Kinahan Cartel associates he would kill them.

It is understood this is one of several threats he had made against rival gangsters.

While Fitzgerald was aware of the various threats against him he thought he could trust Dolan when he arranged to pick him up from a pub in Tallaght in a 3 Series BMW on the night of his murder. 

Gardai stopped the vehicle in Tallaght at 10.30pm that night and Dolan gave his real name and address but Fitzgerald gave a false name.

Gardai had no reason to detain the men and Dolan drove his victim towards Blessington where he shot him six times on a quiet country lane.

Dolan was immediately in the frame for the killing having been seen with his victim in the vehicle by gardai. 

When gardai raided his home, he was burning evidence but they recovered a burning rubber glove and mobile phone from the fire.

CCTV, automatic number plate recognition cameras and mobile phones also showed the movements of the Fitzgerald and Dolan in the minutes before the killing.
Capes, totes, V-necks, crews, cardis, scarves, beanies, gloves and throws are all given a twist in new collection

The new 'Heritage Collection' is on sale in stores or online...but be quick

Kilkenny Design, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, has unveiled a new bespoke private label collection that pays homage to Ireland's rich heritage. The collection, aptly named The Heritage Collection, introduces a contemporary take on traditional Aran Knitwear, showcasing the brand's deep roots in Irish culture.

The Heritage Collection includes an array of stunning pieces available online at Kilkenny Design's official website, and a select Kilkenny Design stores will offer the collection, allowing customers to experience the beauty and craftsmanship first hand.

This bespoke collection showcases an impressive range of women's knit sweaters, capes, buttoned cardigans, and accessories, including hats, scarves, and gloves. Furthermore, the collection extends to handbags, purses, and even traditional soft crew-neck jumpers for men. Each item in the collection embodies the spirit of Aran Knitwear, with every stitch weaving a unique story of luck, good health, success, or abundance.

This 'Heritage' green crew neck is 90

While the Heritage Collection draws inspiration from the timeless traditions of Irish knitwear and the origins of Kilkenny Design, it also brings a fresh and modern perspective to Aran Knitwear. The contemporary styling and innovative designs ensure that these pieces will resonate with a diverse range of fashion enthusiasts.

A distinctive circular 'KD' branded disc, reminiscent of the original arched windows at Kilkenny Design Workshops from the 1970s, adds a touch of nostalgia to the collection. Additionally, a vibrant pop of pink pays tribute to the current 'barbie-core' trend, infusing a playful element into the designs.

Evelyn Moynihan, the CEO of Kilkenny Design, expressed her pride in the design team's work, stating, "The Heritage Collection offers a beautiful edit of Aran knitwear and accessories for both men and women. The stunning colorways, ranging from natural moss green to orange and pink, make these jumpers suitable for a day at the office or a festival. They are versatile and highly covetable!"

This wool block throw is 125

This collection also signifies Kilkenny Design's 60th anniversary, a remarkable milestone in the brand's history. Drawing inspiration from historical images found in the Kilkenny Design Centre's photography archives from the 1960s and 70s, the Heritage Collection captures the essence of Ireland's natural environment through its vibrant colour palette. Muted landscape tones are complemented by splashes of brilliant sky blue, rich moss green, the orange hues of sunset and autumn leaves, and a delicate coral pink, reminiscent of seashell lustre.

The Heritage Collection represents Kilkenny Design's first-ever proprietary brand. To add a personal touch, Marian O'Gorman, personally hand-writes the Heritage Collection brand logo on swing tags and point-of-sale items. Marian noted that launching their first-ever private label centred around the Aran jumper is a fitting tribute to the history, craftsmanship, and enduring appeal of Aran Knitwear.

In line with Kilkenny Design's dedication to sustainability, the Heritage Collection is presented in 100% compostable bags, accompanied by labels and swing tags made from recycled card. The brand remains committed to environmental responsibility while delivering exceptional products to its customers.

The new Beanie hat is only 30

As an additional highlight, the Heritage Collection includes a unique selection of luxury throws exclusively made for Kilkenny Design's private collection in Donegal by McNutt. These luxurious throws serve as a testament to the brand's commitment to providing customers with the highest standards of craftsmanship and luxury.

The Heritage Collection, with its blend of tradition and innovation, represents a significant milestone for Kilkenny Design. With its exclusive availability and exquisite craftsmanship, this collection is set to capture the hearts of fashion enthusiasts and celebrate the brand's illustrious 60-year journey. Prices for knitwear range from 99 to 135, with sizes available from S to XXL.

For more info and designs visit here
Gardai were called to the scene of a fire at an unoccupied building on the Kylemore Road

Four fire engines remain on scene at an industrial unit fire off the Kylemore Road

A significant fire broke out at an industrial unit in Dublin overnight.

Gardai were called to the scene of a fire at an unoccupied building on the Kylemore Road.

A garda spokesperson said the fire was extinguished by local fire services and no injuries were reported.

Traffic restrictions were put in place while Dublin Fire Brigade dealt with the incident, but these restrictions have since been lifted.

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Residents nearby and downwind of the fire had been advised to close their windows to prevent smoke from affecting them.

The scene is currently preserved for technical examination. Garda investigations are ongoing.
Panto promoters hit out at national broadcaster for making it costly and difficult to advertise shows

Top Irish promoter Pat Egan has slammed RTE for failing to flag what he claims is an estimated 1 MILLION hidden cost that drives up their losses at shambles production Toy Show The Musical to an eye-watering 3.2 million.

Impresario Egan, who has promoted concerts for super league stars such as Elton John, Bob Marley and Eric Clapton, also hit out at the national broadcaster for unfair competition.

Egan, who has been running Dublins Olympia Theatre Christmas panto for the past 18 years, said that if he had booked the same amount of advertising on RTE that the station gave to their Toy Show musical, it would have cost him 1 million.

We couldnt get an advert on the telly anytime in December unless we were prepared to pay out 12,000 (per ad), but because their show was in-house they could do saturation ads, Pat tells the Sunday World.

Even if we got down on our hands and knees RTE wouldnt give us any kind of a discount, and that was certainly an abuse of power. They are supposed to be a public service broadcaster.

Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Toy Show

The value of their advertising would have hit a million easily in terms of the RTE advertising rate and they shouldnt be allowed to use their own time to promote their own shows because its supposed to be a free market. Its not a free market when it comes to that kind of stuff.

Although other panto and show promoters such as Alan Hughes complained to the media last year about the unfair competition from RTE and their Toy Show musical, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission this week told the Sunday World that they didnt receive an official complaint.

We complained among ourselves, Pat Egan says. We probably knew we werent going to get anywhere with it. Even though the Toy Show didnt sell a lot of tickets (11,044) it did take from us, and probably a little bit from the Gaiety panto.

We sell close to 40,000 tickets in the Olympia, and in a good year we do over that. Last year was down 20 per cent and some of that may have gone to the Toy Show The Musical.

Panto producer Alan Hughes this week told how he spent 40,000 on RTE advertising his show last year and they were playing their ad against my adand I was furious. It was bad competition rules. He is currently in dispute with RTE over payment.

Pat Egan also said that there was no fair play when it came to giving his panto a slot on The Late Late Show, where the Toy Show musical was heavily promoted.

Ive been doing the panto 18 years and we have tried continually to get something on to The Late Late Toy Show for the panto, Pat says. Weve never got anything in all those years, but there was no problem for Toy Show The Musical getting time on it. Thats just unfair.

So why does Egan think Toy Show The Musical flopped? It didnt work because the show had no history or tradition or success and therefore you are selling a blank and thats very difficult, Pat says.

Panto promoter Alan Hughes

Ryan Tubridy didnt want to be involved, but I dont think it would have made a lot of difference in terms of people going to it because hes not a performing person. Hes good at the Toy Show, but hes not an artist as such.

Musicals are renowned for losing money98 out of every 100 lose a fortune. Anybody putting on a musical has to know the pitfalls. There were no hit songs, there were no stars, there was no track record, so it didnt make any sense.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 10. President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his victory in the presidential election, Trend reports.

During the phone conversation, the heads of state discussed the need for joint and comprehensive preparation for the upcoming high-level meeting of the Council for Strategic Cooperation.

The achieved high level of relations between Uzbekistan and Turkiye within the framework of the enhanced strategic partnership was noted with great satisfaction.

Special attention was given to the further development of active contacts and exchanges, increasing mutual trade, and supporting the implementation of important investment projects and humanitarian programs.

In the early presidential election held in Uzbekistan on July 9, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople - the Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP), won, gaining 87.05 percent of the votes.

Following the death of President Islam Karimov, Mirziyoyev was appointed by the Parliament as interim president of Uzbekistan on 8 September 2016. He was subsequently elected as president in the December 2016 presidential election, winning 88.6% of the vote, and was sworn in on 14 December 2016.

Previously he was the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan from 2003 to 2016.
Deadpool 3 first look

Ryan Reynolds has shared a first look at Deadpool 3, featuring a photo of the Merc with the Mouth alongside Hugh Jackman in a comics-accurate blue-and-yellow Wolverine costume. The film is expected to be set before the events of Logan and will now reportedly feature Jennifer Garner as Elektra for the first time in two decades, sparking rumors other X-Men characters could have roles such as Halle Berrys Storm and Garners ex-husband Ben Affleck as Daredevil. (Charlie Cox is also set to play Daredevil in an upcoming Marvel/Disney+ series with Jon Bernthals Punisher and Vincent DOnofrios Wilson Fisk.) Deadpool 3, still rated R despite joining the MCU, is scheduled to be released Nov. 8, 2024. See the Deadpool/Wolverine photo here.

Transgender Miss Universe contestant

A transgender woman will compete in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant after being crowned Miss Netherlands over the weekend. The Daily Mail reports Rikkie Valerie Kolle, 22, became the first transgender woman to win Miss Netherlands, receiving the crown Sunday from her predecessor Ona Moody and reigning Miss Universe RBonney Gabriel of the U.S. I DID IT! Kolle wrote on Twitter. She will be the second transgender contestant in Miss Universe history after Angela Ponce competed in 2018; this years pageant will be held in El Salvador in December. Transgender contestants have been eligible for Miss Universe since 2012.

Napoleon trailer

Joaquin Phoenix is French commander Napoleon Bonaparte in the first trailer for Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott. The film, a reunion for the Gladiator team, will focus on Napoleons origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). Napoleon, which will also capture some of historys most famous battles, will be released in theaters on Nov. 22 and then stream on Apple TV+.

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Bills QB Josh Allen makes out with Hailee Steinfeld in Mexico ( ET

Da Brat gives birth to first child ( E!

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Chad Michael Murray expecting baby No. 3 with wife ( ET

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Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A caravan of cars drove through parts of downtown Syracuse Monday honking horns and holding signs out car windows to protest the recent death of a man during a foot pursuit with police.

The protesters briefly blocked traffic in front of the Public Safety Building at 511 S. State St. before gathering outside the building on the sidewalk.

The man - who family members identified as Matao Herrera - died of a gunshot wound around 8 p.m. on Carbon Street.

Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile has said that the man shot himself at the end of a foot pursuit. He said officers never fired any shots.

Officers were chasing the man after they saw him shoot at someone with a handgun around Park and Oberst streets, Cecile said. The officers chased the man onto Carbon Street where he shot himself, he said.

Signs held up by his family at the protest accused police of firing the shot that killed Herrera. They demanded police release the body camera footage.

A protester hangs out of a car during a demonstration in downtown Syracuse on Monday, July 10, 2023. The demonstrators believe police fatally shot Matao Herrera on July 4, 2023. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile has said that the man shot himself at the end of a foot pursuit. (Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

The New York Attorney Generals Office has taken over the investigation and are in charge of releasing the body camera footage, police said.

A full investigation into the incident has not started, said Alexis Richards, a spokesperson for the AGs office. A preliminary assessment has begun to determine whether there is reason to believe officers caused the mans death.

The AGs Office was directed by the state in April 2021 to investigate all fatal incidents that involve police officers.

A man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was chased by police onto Carbon Street in Syracuse, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.Fernando Alba | falba@syracuse.com

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 10. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon held a telephone conversation, Trend reports .

According to the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, President Rahmon sincerely congratulated the Uzbek leader on his convincing victory in the last early presidential elections.

Issues of further expansion of multilateral Uzbek-Tajik relations and practical cooperation, mainly in the field of trade and economic, investment, energy, agricultural and other priority sectors, were discussed.

The parties also discussed the schedule of upcoming bilateral and multilateral events.

Following the results of the early presidential elections held in Uzbekistan on July 9, 2023, a candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Business People - the Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP) Shavkat Mirziyoyev won 87.05 percent of the votes.
Editors note: This article updated Monday afternoon to add that a skimmer was found at a 7th Walmart store. This one is in Central Square. The article was also updated with a statement from Walmart.

Syracuse, N.Y.  A photo of a credit card skimming device found at an Oswego County Walmart released today shows that it looks nearly identical to a card reader at a checkout register.

New York State Police released the photo of the device discovered last week at the Walmart store on Route 3 in Granby, near Fulton. The device, which was installed atop the real card reader, even has the same corporate logo  Ingenico  as the real one.

Similar card skimmers have been reported in seven Walmart stores in Central New York since the July 4 weekend. The skimmers were all reported installed on July 2 and found on July 5.

Last week, police agencies reported the skimmers were found in stores in Auburn, East Syracuse, Camillus, Fulton/Granby and Oswego.

Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard confirmed Monday that two more skimming devices were installed: Central Square and Cortland.

In Cortland County, the device was found at the Walmart store at 819 Bennie Road in Cortlandville, just outside of Cortland, according to the Cortland County Sheriffs Department.

Walmart employees, who were informed of the other cases, discovered the skimming device on Lane 2 (which is not a self-checkout) and alerted police, the sheriffs department reported.

The device is believed to have been installed by the same individuals, two men and a woman, who are suspects in the other Central New York cases, the sheriffs department said.

Anyone who checked out on Lane 2 at the Cortland store from July 2 to July 8 should check their accounts and report any discrepancies to their bank. The sheriffs office was notified about the device on July 8. They should also contact Cortland County Sheriff Offices Sgt. Brendan LHommedieu at (607) 758-5540.

In Oswego County, the device was installed in the Central Square store around 10:15 a.m. on July 2 and discovered by Walmart at around 8:30 a.m. July 5, according to the Oswego County Sheriffs Office. The device was placed on Lane 1.

Walmart has declined to say what stores the card skimmers have been found at or to answer questions about them. It is not known if the skimmers have been located at other stores because Walmart refused to identify the stores that have been hit

A spokesperson Monday referred all questions to local police agencies to preserve the integrity of the investigation(s).

The spokesperson said customers concerned they may have been impacted should contact their card provider or Walmart Customer Care Team at 800-925-6278.

State police are investigating the incident near Fulton and are working in partnership with local police agencies in Oswego, DeWitt, Camillus and Auburn, said Trooper Jack Keller, a State Police spokesperson.

Oswego Police are looking for suspects who placed a card skimmer at the Oswego Walmart on Sunday, July 2, 2023. (Courtesy Oswego Police)

Police agencies told Syracuse.com these are the lanes at each store where the skimmers were found:

Fulton/Granby: No. 7 East Syracuse: No. 6 Camillus: No. 5 Auburn: No. 2 Oswego: No. 1 Cortland/Cortlandville: No. 2 Central Square: No. 1

It is possible more stores were targeted by the criminals. Walmart refuses to reveal what stores were hit.

Skimming occurs when devices illegally installed on ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps capture data or record cardholders PINs, Keller said. Criminals use the data to create fake debit or credit cards and steal from victims accounts. It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.

In a news release today, state police noted that fraudulent charges on a credit card are easier to dispute than charges made using debit cards. Most credit card companies offer a zero liability policy, police said, which means the cardholder is reimbursed for any losses due to fraud.

For that reason, state police recommend using credit instead of debit at gas station pumps, which are susceptible to card skimmers.

Consumers should also regularly monitor their credit card activity by routinely checking bank statements or online accounts and report suspicious activity as soon as possible by calling the number on the back of the card, police said.

Related Syracuse.com articles

A 5th Central NY Walmart found to have card skimmer over July 4 weekend

How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card skimmers like those found at 4 CNY Walmarts

The questions Walmart refuses to answer about credit card skimmers found at 5 Central NY stores

Four secret credit card skimmers found at 4 Central NY Walmart stores

Device to steal credit card info secretly placed at Central NY Walmart checkout for four days

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Join NY Cannabis Insider at our next industry networking event on Aug. 15 at Madame Mikettes in NYC. Tickets will sell out.

Neville Louison is the founder of Silverback Cannabis CRM Consulting, which serves dispensaries, cultivators, processors and distribution companies. He answered eight simple questions for NY Cannabis Insiders People to know series.

Should you or someone you know be featured as a Person to Know? Fill out this form and we may publish your story.



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What is your position and what do you/your company do in the cannabis space?

I am the founder of a cannabis CRM business consultancy. With years of experience serving retailers, our team of certified Salesforce professionals excels in delivering exceptional implementation services to cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, processors, and distribution companies.

How long have you worked in the cannabis space?

I have worked in the legal cannabis space since 2020.

What did you do before you were involved in the cannabis industry?

I have experience working in the payments and technology industry, having worked at blue chip Fortune 100 companies such as American Express, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Sprinklr.

What led you to the cannabis industry?

Cannabis has been a part of my personal and professional journey. I have family members who consume cannabis, as well as others who have faced legal consequences, including arrests and deportations, related to cannabis.

As an entrepreneur, I made a conscious decision to leverage my career experience and intellectual property to impact the legal cannabis ecosystem in hopes of empowering retailers with software solutions that enhance their operational efficiency and enable them to run their cannabusinesses more effectively.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the NY weed industry?

My advice to someone looking to get into the NY weed industry would be: think, contemplate, strategize, and diligently plan for the journey. Be prepared for a greater investment of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual energy than initially anticipated.

What do you think the NY cannabis ecosystem will look like in five years?

The NY cannabis ecosystem will mirror our society. There will be retailers that serve all levels of customers with various types of cannabis products. The franchises and brands that leverage Silverback cannabis CRM will be wildly successful with data-powered insights to increase product sales. The innovation from cultivators in our regulated ecosystem will have yielded award-winning products. As the torchbearer of cannabis culture globally, New Amsterdam will emerge as the global leader in this ever-growing industry.

Do you use cannabis? If so, whats your favorite method (flower, dabs, edibles, tinctures, etc.), and why?

Indeed, I partake in the use of cannabis. Following in the footsteps of Albert Einstein, I opt for a glass sherlock pipe, appreciating its ability to enhance the flavor and overall quality of the flower.

Who should contact you, and whats the best method?

For any decision-maker in the cannabis industry curious about the potential of Salesforce integration with their existing technology platforms like Dutchie, I Heart Jane, and Springbig, theres an opportunity to leverage a centralized software solution that enhances operational efficiency and drives revenue.

Dont let compliance headaches and operational inefficiencies leave you feeling mismanaged. Build on your unsorted data with Silverback Cannabis CRM Consulting. Reach out to us for a free consultation, where we can demonstrate how our solution visually presents actionable business insights. Contact Neville at neville@soulfulsilverback.com or visit us here: https://thesoulfulsilverback.com/pages/soulful-technology
By Raga Justin | Times Union, Albany

Albany, N.Y.  New York is gearing up to take advantage of a federal program that would expand health insurance coverage to people across state and local correctional facilities  an unprecedented move that policymakers and advocates hope will ease the often rocky transition for recently released inmates returning into communities across the state.

It is the first time Medicaid will offer health care coverage for inmates, following the recent approval of Californias successful petition to the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to use funding from the federal government for the same purpose. States can now take advantage of Medicaids matching funds to provide a specific suite of health care services for New Yorkers who are still in state prisons or jails in the months leading to their release.

Though national policymakers greenlit the funding opportunity earlier this year, New York is not currently taking advantage of the program, which stands to benefit thousands of inmates who often require medical attention while incarcerated.

But that could change soon. A state Department of Health spokeswoman said the agency is still negotiating the final conditions of a larger expansion of Medicaid coverage. That expansion  which involves a request for more than $13.5 billion from the federal government  in part would dovetail with the program to ease inmates reentry into the state.

Providing targeted Medicaid services to incarcerated individuals prior to their release is part of the departments strategy to address health disparities and improve health equity, spokeswoman Cadence Acquaviva said in an emailed statement.

A longstanding exclusion prohibits Medicaid payments for most services for people held at a state or county correctional facility. But the recent changes would allow states to skirt Medicaid requirements and use funds to better transition people leaving correctional facilities into health care coverage.

If other states follow Californias example, they could cover health care services up to 90 days prior to an inmates scheduled release date. The federal government will provide a 90 percent match for states that take advantage of the program.

The federal dollar is really a very important kind of carrot for states to move forward, said Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, a legal policy director with the Legal Action Center. There are tremendous unmet health needs that people have in incarceration, and that has an impact on peoples lives. People are dying of overdose, people are dying by suicide.

The link between the criminal justice system and those suffering from addiction is well-documented. Approximately 83 percent of inmates in New York need some sort of substance use treatment upon release, according to a report the state submitted last year to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Recently passed New York legislation requires jails and prisons across the state to provide medication-assisted treatment to inmates with substance use issues. Without ongoing treatment, there is an increased risk of overdose within the first few weeks following release, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Nationally, around 80 percent of people released from prison in the U.S. each year have a substance use disorder or chronic medical condition, including mental health issues. And once they leave, their health care needs can spike. Visits to emergency departments, inpatient hospital stays and psychiatric admissions occur at high rates in the weeks immediately after a person is released. Voluntary medical care is less likely, according to a 2022 petition from New York to CMS.

Even under the best of circumstances, when a person is discharged ... there is a high likelihood they will not engage with critical service providers when they re-enter the community, the petition reads.

Lawmakers and public health experts contend that medical treatment can help reduce negative outcomes when inmates struggling with an addiction are released back into the community abruptly. And advocates have cheered the recent changes to the Medicaid guidance, calling it a game changer that could potentially reshape systems of care for the states most medically vulnerable groups, as well as reduce recidivism.

This is a very big deal, de la Gueronniere said. This is something that we think will help people be healthier and help people avoid additional contact in the criminal legal system.

She also pointed to federal legislation  sponsored by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a New York Democrat  that could codify the measure. Tonko said his Reentry Act pending in Congress would shift the cost burden from local correctional facilities and hopefully increase the political will to provide robust health care for inmates.

So many state and local governments find that these systems of jails and prisons are under-invested, Tonko said, adding This is about saving lives. And doing it with science and evidence-based opportunities.

___

(c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com
A candidate for Onondaga County Family Court judge says she feared her husbands past would become an issue as she campaigned for the Republican and Conservative Party designation.

So Lourdes Rosario, 43, a Manlius lawyer, informed the leaders of both parties that her husband was convicted 22 years ago of a sex offense before the couple met, married and settled in Central New York.
New Scotland, N.Y.  Three adults and one young child were killed in a house fire over the weekend in Upstate New York, deputies said.

Only one person survived the fire: a 15-year-old boy who escaped the blaze by jumping out of a window, the Times Union reported.

The Albany County Sheriffs Office is investigating the deadly fire.
NEW YORK (AP)  A Brooklyn man accused of killing an 86-year-old and injuring three other men in a series of shootings while riding a scooter in New York City is charged with murder and attempted murder, police said Sunday.

In all, six apparently random shootings occurred in Brooklyn and Queens on Saturday, according to police.
Update: The flood watch has been expanded to include Oneida, Onondaga and Madison counties.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- After flash flooding on Sunday that killed at least one person in Upstate New York, more heavy rain could lead to more flooding today and Tuesday.

A flood watch remains in effect until Tuesday afternoon for the Capital Region, lower Mohawk Valley and Hudson Valley.

Confidence remains high for widespread 2- to 4-inch storm total rainfall, the National Weather Service in Albany said. Isolated higher amounts of 4 to 6 inches are possible, especially for areas east of the Hudson River.

The highest chances of flooding are in the far northeast corner of the state, in the North Country counties, including Clinton County. The odds of enough rain falling to cause flooding are greater than 70%.

More than 5 inches of rain fell in Clinton County last weekend, forcing rescuers to pull people out of their homes as floodwaters swirled.

This morning, rescue teams in Orange County, in the Hudson Valley, were trying to recover the body of a woman swept away Sunday while evacuating her home.

On Sunday, in the Finger Lakes city of Canandaigua, a house collapsed after floodwaters eroded the foundation. No one was inside, the weather service reported. Roads were flooded and impassible. People were kayaking in the streets in one neighborhood, the weather service reported.

More than 5.5 inches of rain was recorded at the Canandaigua airport.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 10. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov spoke over the phone, Trend reports.

Japarov congratulated Mirziyoyev on his convincing victory in the recently held presidential election.

Following the results of the early presidential election held in Uzbekistan on July 9, 2023, a candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Business People - the Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP) Shavkat Mirziyoyev won with 87.05 percent of the votes.

During the phone conversation, current issues on the bilateral agenda were discussed. The active inter-agency contacts and fruitful exchanges at the business and regional levels between the two countries were highlighted.

The sides discussed increasing mutual trade volumes and the implementation of joint projects in the automotive, energy, electrical engineering, and textile sectors.

It was noted that preparations are underway for "Dialogue of Generations" events in the humanitarian sphere, involving elders, intellectuals, and youth from both countries.

Furthermore, the heads of state emphasized the importance of unconditionally implementing agreements at the highest level.
The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime.
Teagasc UCC International Agriculture Student Development Programme

Teagasc and University College Cork (UCC) have come together to provide a new support programme for students from a number of agriculture focussed universities and institutes in developing countries. This new initiative is co-ordinated through the Teagasc UCC International Agriculture Student Development Programme and supports the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDG 13  Climate Action).

Pictured for (L to R): Professor Pat Dillon, Teagasc Director of Research, Eskender Tesfay, National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Eritrea, Dr Emer Kennedy, Teagasc Enterprise Leader Moorepark, Samson Mwangi, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), Kenya, Professor Frank Buckley, Professor of Agricultural Science, University College Cork and Paul Maher, Teagasc Head of International Relations and Corporate Strategy.

Teagasc and UCC staff recently met two of the students participating in the programme at Teagasc Moorepark.

The new programme will provide direct education, mentoring and support for an initial tranche of three Walsh Scholar PhD students from East Africa who will be registered with UCC, and will be co-supervised by Teagasc staff in Moorepark.

The students will work on Climate Smart Dairy Production with the initial work areas clustered around improved dairy breeding, forage production, forage conservation, and farm system optimisation.

Each of the study areas are integrated into larger institutional support and development projects in Kenya, Eritrea and Tanzania supported by Irish Aid and the EU DeSIRA funding.

The new initiative will provide co-ordinated support from Ireland to colleagues in similar institutes in developing countries as they strive to develop an optimal climate smart food production system suited to their own country.

It will also provide a new knowledge exchange network between Ireland and the three countries that will extend beyond the life of the projects and support provided under this programme.

Teagasc and UCC staff recently met two of the students participating in the programme at Teagasc Moorepark.

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On Tuesday, June 4, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to pay a visit to a police station in Paris to thank deputies for their continuous hard work amidst the ongoing riots concerning the tragic shooting of a 17-year-old teenager.



Little did the President know that his words about the current situation would have the opposite effect than he had in mind.



Police officers are now more divided than ever, with a majority of their numbers losing faith in Macron following his controversial statements.

Macron's Questionable Comments

Officers were reasonably upset when French President Emmanuel Macron described the killing of Nahel Merzouk, an Algerian 17-year-old, as "inexplicable and inexcusable" in response to a viral video. Gregory Joron, leader of Force Ouvriere, the second-largest labor organization in France's police, claims that the officers have lost trust in the president.

It wasn't right for Macron to comment on the tragedy since France's police are a strong institution and sought to diffuse the enmity. The two major unions of police have taken increasingly radical stances, calling for more aggressive measures to quell riots of "hordes of savages" and "pests."

Read Also: YouTube Recommends Violent Gun Videos to Child Accounts- Study Claims

Drastic Solutions

Similar to far-right practices, the police are currently engaged in combat because of the ongoing conflict. Due to their involvement in responding to terrorist acts and societal unrest, including the anti-government gilets jaunes protest movement during Macron's presidency, critics of law enforcement have long considered it taboo.

The French government has boosted police authority and is tracking mosques that it believes to be home to radical Islamists using drones and surveillance cameras. The president has backed the police while left-leaning politicians, activist groups, and organizations have criticized the methods and ethos of French law enforcement.

Criticism From the UN and Other Groups

In the midst of denouncing the crackdown and the recommendations of a UN official, French police deployed tear gas, stun grenades, and LBD guns to disperse rallies over Macron's pension reform. These strategies are criticized as being oppressive.

Following the passing of Merzouk, police are under fire for their handling of racism and prejudice in law enforcement. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office, calls for action. Stating that "This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement,"

Unions were confused by a 2017 law that broadened the scope of the use of lethal force by traffic police. No strategy has yet been implemented in response to the left-wing Nupes alliance's request for its urgent repeal, which accuses police of using it as a "license to kill."

Macron's administration has characterized the teenager's assassination as an isolated occurrence with no racial overtones. The officer involved is being held in pre-trial custody after being accused of committing a voluntary killing. Police discriminate against Black and Arab teenagers in low-income banlieues, with a 2017 study finding that minority men are 20 times more likely to have their identities checked.

Blaming Video Games and the Media

Due to the youth of the majority of the rioters, Macron highlighted that parents have a duty to keep them at home. He urged social media providers to take steps to stop the spread of delicate information about the uprising. He listed well-known apps like Snapchat and TikTok as places where the commotion is organized, but he also noted how these apps are used to plan violent protests. Macron underlined that these platforms may be a type of imitation and might cause some young people to lose touch with reality.

In order to draw attention to important concerns like police brutality, housing, and economic inequality, and the inadequacy of "colorblind" policies, France's President Macron attacked young demonstrators for living in the streets because of video games. Video games have been blamed constantly for violence. However, there isn't any solid proof connecting violent video game content to actual violent mannerisms.

This pattern of blaming video games seems to be shared by a huge number of groups and politicians, mainly Republicans. Some other examples are Trump's and Kevin McCarthy's takes on mass shootings.

Trump underlined the need to end society's normalization of violence, particularly its acceptance of violent video games. He emphasized the urgency of taking quick action and reducing the culture that glorifies violence. This follows recent mass shootings that left at least 31 dead in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Conservative leaders like Kevin McCarthy and Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have also stated that video games may be to blame for real-world violence.

McCarthy emphasized the issue of video games as a problem for future generations and others. The industry has been blamed for sparking some of the country's deadliest violence. He attributed the rise in shootings to the video game industry, teaching young people to kill.

He acknowledged that video games, in general, play a role in mass shootings, as they dehumanize individuals and encourage them to shoot themselves and others.

Related Article: Do Realistic Graphics Promote Video Game Violence?

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Social media magnate Mark Zuckerberg is proud to announce the release of Meta's newest app called 'Threads' - Zuckerberg's substitute for Twitter.



The app has had a great first launch, amassing 30+ million user sign-ups in less than a day.



With this traction, Meta has a considerably serious chance of wooing a portion of its 3 billion users across all their social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp combined.

Expected Revenue

'Threads' won't contain advertisements at first, according to Zuckerberg, allowing their team first to improve the app's text-based post-scrolling functionality. The company's strategy is to ensure the software functions properly and gain at least 1 billion users before considering making advertisement revenue.

Justin Patterson, an analyst at Meta's equities research firm, hypothesizes that 'Threads' adverts may increase Meta's profits between 1%-5%, or up to over $6 billion in the most favorable scenario. Meta, affiliated with Twitter and aims to counteract Apple's harsher privacy regulations, produced over $4.5 billion in ad income in 2021, right before Musk took control of the company.

Read Also: Meta's Threads App Privacy Concerns Rise as Sensitive Data Collection Revealed

Attracting Users

Musk vowed to sue Meta for allegedly stealing trade secrets, but users' frustration towards Twitter made him want an alternative. According to Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg, Meta's promise of a "saner, kinder place" has increased early sign-ups. Success relies on converting power users of Twitter or people who have never downloaded the service.

Threads' momentum must be kept up by Meta, as newshounds and Twitter stalwarts are unlikely to go. According to Ms. Enberg, Zuckerberg, well-known for his imitation goods, has had difficulty coming up with new ideas.

Security Hazards for Adverts

Advertisers are drawn to Instagram's fashion and lifestyle content, but it's debatable whether the world needs another venue. Due to customer preferences for less material on his platforms, research indicates that Zuckerberg's relationship with news is problematic. Instead of compensation for news sources for their material, his firm intends to censor local reporting in Canada.

Other than that, advertisers also want confidence that their money is not going on platforms with privacy and misinformation hazards. With changes to content control and a new cap on audience submissions, Twitter has alienated marketers under Musk's direction.

Meta shares jumped 4% on Wednesday, ahead of the launch, indicating investor confidence in Zuckerberg's ability to succeed. However, it will be challenging to replicate news breaks on Twitter, providing opportunities for both platforms to operate continually. Musk may receive a "wake-up call" in the event of this significant threat. It will be crucial to how long 'Threads' avoids advertising since Twitter needs to correct its errors.

Before 'Threads' launched, Meta shares increased, demonstrating the high level of investor confidence in Zuckerberg's achievement. Its effects on Twitter's future are still unknown. If Threads retains its appeal, that will be the deciding factor in the upcoming months.

Related Article: Threads Amasses 10 Million New Users in Just 7 Hours

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Here is Tech Times' weekly recap on the biggest headlines out of tech last week. Meta's massive Threads launch was surely among the top stories.

Since last week, Tech Times has been closely monitoring the growth of the Threads app, which is now making waves in the tech industry. Besides that, a team of Chinese scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the snow depth on the summit of Mount Everest.

A Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile that the United Kingdom donated to Ukraine has reportedly fallen into Russian hands, and it was also among the top headlines last week.

Threads Is Now Here: 10 Million Users in Just 7 Hours

Last week, one of the most significant social media events was the introduction of Meta's new app to the world, Threads. This new text-based app is under the Instagram ecosystem, allowing users to easily set up their profile by connecting to their existing IG account.

In just 7 hours, Threads had already amassed 10 million users from the many countries and regions where the platform was made available.

Its massive growth is only a testament to how much the public wants an alternative to Twitter, the most famous text-based app, with Threads stealing its thunder and attracting more users daily.

Mark Zuckerberg used his Twitter account for the first time after over a decade, only to tweet a photo of a meme showing Spider-Man pointing at another Spider-Man.

Zuckerberg did not include any text. However, the timing of the post seemed to imply that he and Elon Musk are the two men in Spider-Man costumes pointing at each other.

Read Also: Will Threads Actually Make More Revenue Than Twitter?

China Scientists Discover Shocking Mt. Everest Info

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, and a team of Chinese scientists from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made a groundbreaking discovery regarding its snow-covered summit.

The scientists took dozens of readings along the mountain's north slope, particularly at elevations above 7,000 meters. They then discovered that the average snow depth on the summit of Mount Everest measures approximately 9.5 meters (31.1 feet). That is the height of two giraffes standing on each other.

This depth surpasses the previous estimates, which ranged from a mere 0.92 to 3.5 meters. The findings, published in the prestigious scientific journal The Cryosphere, reveal the incredible snow depth on Mount Everest, challenging previous estimates and potentially impacting our understanding of climate change.

The snow and glaciers on Mount Everest play a crucial role in monitoring and understanding climate change. These icy formations reportedly act as sentinels for climate change, providing valuable insights into ongoing transformations at extreme elevations.

Russia Took Down Ukraine's Storm Shadow Missile

Russia's war with Ukraine is still ongoing in Eastern Europe, and the latest event was that the Russian forces allegedly took down the Storm Shadow missile of Ukraine.

The British forces made this specific missile, which was a gift from the UK to Ukraine for their defense needs. It is also famous as it is the longest-range missile of the British, one of its most advanced military tech.

Ukraine's Storm Shadow missile was already in the hands of the Russian military, and the reports claimed that this was a massive tech for the Eurasian country to acquire and study.

However, it was reported that Russia only obtained the fuselage intact, as the rest of the missile was destroyed as it plummeted down.

Related Article: US Drone Attack Kills ISIL Commander in Syria After Russian Jet Harassment

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The renowned note-taking app, Evernote, has recently laid off most of its US employees and staff, including their Chile-based operations, as the company moves forward to a different future. This is because it is amidst its move to Europe, after last year's acquisition from the Italy-based company, Bending Spoons, with its operations centering on the neighboring continent.

Evernote has been a significant note-taking app for many, and it was best known for being bundled with Samsung's smartphones before, with the company's product still available worldwide.

Evernote is Moving to Europe to Join Bending Spoons

(Photo : Evernote)

Evernote announced on its blog post that massive changes are coming to the company's operations, and it centers on the move to Europe to join its now parent company, Bending Spoons. This was after last year's successful acquisition of its entirety by the Italy-based company, regarded as a prominent entity in the European market.

The move to Europe is regarded as a beneficial boost for Evernote, as it would see "operational efficiency" with its newfound home.

The company did not reveal where its base of operations would be in Europe, only saying that it is joining Bending Spoons in this move.

Read Also: Google Calendar Now Lets You Set Working Locations: Here's How It Works

Evernote Laid Off Most of its US, Chile Staff

Amidst this move also comes the end for its US and Chile staff, as the company has recently laid off most of its staff in these countries as it moves forward.

Francesco Patarnello, Evernote CEO, regarded that "Unfortunately, this transition required that most of our Chile- and US-based employees be laid off, and on July 5 the layoff communication took place. We're committed to supporting those impacted with a substantial separation package."

According to The Verge, the company offered as much as 16 weeks of severance, one year of health insurance coverage, and a performance bonus that have all been paid out.

Evernote and Other Note Apps

The era of smartphone gave the world many apps to enjoy, and among those were Evernote, with the application centering on Productivity and lifestyle features with massive developments over the years. Gone are the days when people need to write on paper to organize their schedules or simply take notes, with these kinds of apps providing the experience.

There were many note apps available in the world, and most aim to provide users with an all-in-one tech that would help in organizing and accessing thoughts, scribbles, and more. Microsoft also had its version with OneNote that allows cross-platform accessibility and sync.

Springpad also introduced features that rivaled Evernote, but the app previously shut down, leaving many to look for other platforms to use.

The massive acquisition of Evernote last year by Bending Spoons is set to bring a different experience for all, but instead of operating from the United States, the app will now be based in Europe for its future operations. The layoffs are done and Evernote is leaving behind its birthplace in the US, off to new beginnings in Europe for its global operations.

Related Article: Apple, Some of Its Executives Who Left Twitter Joined Meta's Threads - Zuck's App Close to 100M Users

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scientists achieved something that could change the renewable energy market in the future. A "miracle material," called perovskite, has been tested to improve the sunlight-to-energy efficiency of solar panels.

Perovskite is not exactly new. Scientists have already known its potential to be used in solar panels. However, that potential has never been tested conclusively yet.

Two separate studies by teams of researchers from China and Japan published on Thursday have conclusively proven that perovskite can achieve the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells to over 30%, above the known limit of 29 for traditional PV solar cells made with silicon.

The test results have concluded that it is possible to push the threshold of PV cells and produce low-cost solar panels for consumers. With the discovery of a new solar cell that relies on night-vision technology to generate and store electricity even in complete darkness, it seems that solar energy is on the rise.

What Is Perovskite?

Perovskite is a mineral discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1839 by Gustav Rose, and it was named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski.

It has calcium, oxygen, and titanium, with a chemical formula of CaTiO3. The perovskite and perovskite structure are often used interchangeably.

A perovskite structure is a compound that has the form ABX3 and the same crystal structure as perovskite. The easiest way to describe a perovskite structure is a cubic unit cell with a calcium atom in the middle, oxygen atoms near the edges, and titanium atoms at the corners.

Perovskite materials show many other interesting and intriguing properties, such as ferroelectricity, charge ordering, and high thermopower, among others. Some Perovskites are also superconductors that can conduct electricity with no resistance at all.

Perovskite can potentially be used in sensors and catalyst electrodes, certain types of solar cells, fuel cells, lasers, memory devices, and spintronics applications.

Also Read: Floating Solar Panels in the North Sea Announced

Silicon Shortage

Although the "silicon crisis" appears to be over, many experts say it's still not. The chip shortage has yet to be completely rectified but has seen significant improvements this year.

Demand for silicon in the production of semiconductors has been severely affected by the COVID pandemic. Most of its uses are in wireless technology and computing, which amounts to $286 billion combined.

In the meantime, because of the shortage and supply-chain issues, the production of silicon solar panels has been put on the back burner in favor of the industry that has four times the demand.

Miraculous Efficiency

Zeev Valy Vardeny, a materials science professor from the University of Utah, described perovskite in 2017 as "a miracle material" after it boosted the sunlight-to-energy efficiency of solar cells. Perovskite harvests energy better from sunlight. However, it was previously deemed too unstable to be used outside of a laboratory.

When scientists behind the latest research put a layer of perovskite on top of silicon into a tandem device, they were able to improve the efficiency of commercial PV technologies while maintaining industry standards.

They think these "tandem solar cells" could help make the cost of solar energy cheaper and continue humanity's efforts in converting to renewable energy. The scientists believe their approach could ultimately achieve an efficiency rate "well above" 35%.

The current efficiency record set for this next-generation solar cell is 33.7%, done by KAUST Solar Center engineers in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. It's important to note that back in 2009, the max efficiency rate was just 4%.

Chinese and Japanese scientists behind this latest breakthrough are planning to create new, more efficient, and cheaper solar panels.

According to Professor Tan Hairen from Nanjing University, a startup in China has already announced that it planned to start production of tandem solar cells, with the ample of perovskite cutting costs to only "one 20th of traditional solar cells."

Related Article: 'Solar Facade': These Embedded Solar Panels Produce 50 Times More Power Than Standard Panels!

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A company from Calgary, Alberta, Canada has secured a Series A funding of $20 million, with GeologicalAI obtaining a massive sum for its continued operations in its expansion in modern mining with technology.

Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) answered the call for funding by the company, backing them with their significant work on the future of mining.

GeologicalAI Secures $20M Series A Funding from Bill Gates' BEV

(Photo : Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

According to Interesting Engineering, GeologicalAI has recently opened its Series A funding round, with Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures granting the company as much as $20 million for its endeavors. The Calgary-based mining tech startup company now has a massive boost to its business and growing more of its tech for future applications.

GeologicalAI was established in 2013, and it has then developed its technology to learn more about what is hidden underneath the Earth, especially with the elements and minerals that are waiting to be discovered.

"GeologicAI has spent the last few years proving out its technology across a variety of mineral types and geologic environments, with both junior and major mining companies, and throughout the exploration, development, and operating segments of the mining ecosystem," GeologicAI chief strategy Yannai Segal said via BetaKit.

Read Also: Bill Gates Visits China, Meets With President Xi Jinping

The Future of Technology in Mining: Robot Geologists

The company has centered on "rock analytics for mining," and its technology aims to help maximize the benefits of mining and searching the planet for raw materials. With its robot geologists, GeologicalAI helps in bringing efficiency to mining operations that may also help the environment and economy for a future boost.

It is known that many components are sourced from raw Earth materials mined in specific locations. There is lithium which is greatly used for batteries, copper for different processors and components, and more.

GeologicalAI leverages the knowledge from its analytics to make the mining industry more efficient, as well as identify the locations of the best areas to source these materials.

Bill Gates' BEV and its Support to the Industry

One of the most renowned tech moguls in the world is still Bill Gates, and even if the executive already moved away from Microsoft as its chief executive, he turned his focus to many of his ventures, including his foundations and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. One of the most iconic support he has given was for a company looking to build a nuclear reactor but was recently delayed due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

With BEV, Gates is continuing his support for the tech industry and carefully selecting those who deserve it and aims to bring a significant change in the world's energy and operations. A company called Terabase also received funding from BEV, for its development of solar farms using robots to build the areas and bring alternative energy to the world.

Breakthroughs in the energy sector and other industries are coming in, left and right, with Bill Gates' venture capital company actively seeking out those who want to effect a change for the world toward its healing. GeologicalAI's recent funding is massive for the present, as more require processors or components sourced from the Earth, with its tech helping to locate it better and utilize its analytics for the future of the tech world.

Related Article: Could Deep-Sea Mining Save the Planet From the Climate Crisis?

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Iran has the right to retaliate against the actions of the US and 3 European countries - the UK, France and Germany on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani said at a press conference in Tehran on July 10, 2023, Trend reports.

The actions of the US and European countries regarding the JCPOA are a continuation of the non-constructive and ineffective direction against Iran. These countries have damaged and rendered useless a multilateral plan for the settlement of important disputes. Instead of making accusations, European countries should be held accountable for their negligence in the JCPOA, Kanaani said.

According to Kanaani, sanctions have been continuously used by the US and its European allies as an illegal act against Iran. Using these sanctions is illegal, violates the legal right of the Iranian people and violates human rights.

The spokesman added that in matters related to the JCPOA, both the US illegally withdrew from this plan, and the Europeans avoided fulfilling their obligations and did not eliminate the defect of the US in the plan.

In particular, 3 European countries - the UK, France and Germany have been as negligent in fulfilling their obligations in the JCPOA as the US. Despite this situation, these European countries sit on the plaintiff's chair and make accusations against Iran and apply sanctions against Iran. However, all this is completely illegal," he noted.

On January 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 and a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.

On May 8, 2019, Iran announced ceasing to fulfill its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.

On September 5 of the same year, Iran announced its commitment to enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and not to mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On November 5, 2019, Iran announced to have taking the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.

On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.

On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.

Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.

In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal. As result, the control mechanism of IAEA decreased by 20-30 percent. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, 1,000 units of IR2M centrifuges have been installed.

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One of the world's top billionaires, Jack Ma, has lost as much as $850 billion over the last three years and this was because of critique against Beijing and China's regulations on the financial sectors amidst the pandemic. Since then, Alibaba and the Ant Group were subject to investigations and were made to pay fines for their operations.

Alibaba and the Ant Group have yet to overcome their financial slump in the present, notably as the company has struggled for the past three years from China's iron hand against them.

Jack Ma Lost $850 Billion with Alibaba and Ant Group

(Photo : Elaine Thompson-Pool/Getty Images)

The Straits Times reported that Jack Ma, Alibaba, and the Ant Group's conflict with Beijing is now over, and this finally ends the almost three years of regulatory probe against the company. Over those years, Ma's companies faced significant fines that amount to more than $850 billion, affecting its operations and supposed IPO.

With this probe, it left Alibaba clinging to life as it lost more than what it gained, with three consecutive quarters only seeing a single-digit growth for the company, with the most recent report from June.

Since then, Alibaba also saw a major overhaul of the company, and the once solid tech corporation has pushed into splitting into six different businesses. Its current valuation now is $264 billion, down by $620 billion from its peak in 2020.

Read Also: Ant Group Overhauls Shareholding Structure, Diluting Founder Jack Ma's Voting Power in Preparation for IPO

Jack Ma vs. Beijing is Now Over, Time to Rebuild?

Beijing and Jack Ma's spat is now over, but that did not end on a good note for the tech empire, as it faced a $1 billion fine to pay for Ant Group.

It was known that because of this regulatory crackdown, Ant Group was forced to pull out from a supposed IPO, originally envisioned at a record-breaking amount of $315 billion, but dropped to only $78.5 billion.

Ant is also looking to buy back shares from investors in hopes of saving the company and repurposing it in the future. For now, Jack Ma, Alibaba, and the Ant Group are looking to recuperate from their losses, soon to rebuild what it has lost amidst the three-year probe.

Jack Ma and His Massive Tech Empire

While Jack Ma is no longer a chairman at one of the world's most famous e-commerce platforms, Alibaba, he is still regarded as one of its key leaders and head, with the company still highly affected by his actions. The tech billionaire and mogul has established a significant business in the world, also known for his philosophies and beliefs surrounding the industry.

However, this does not mean that Ma, Alibaba, and the Ant Group are left unchecked or immune to said regulations, especially with China's laws and beliefs.

Back in 2021, Alibaba faced a fine of as much as $2.75 billion to pay the government for its alleged monopolistic practices with the e-commerce platform.

Since then, Ma's companies faced struggles and hardships to get it back on track, losing more than what it gained in its operations.

The massive terror may be over now, with Alibaba and Ant Group now looking to improve its current situation, but this only shows that Jack Ma has a lot more work to do for the future of his empire.

Related Article: Alibaba Expands into Europe with Tmall; Supporting Local Brands, Customers

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
New tech companies are entering the market every day, with inventions and ideas that solve for emerging problems and offer improved solutions to existing ones. But innovative technology alone doesn't necessarily mean success. Technology companies need to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, communicate their value, and rise to the top of industry conversations.

This is where technology PR firms come in.

Technology PR Firms will, of course, secure press hits for technology companies, but they should also be leading positioning and messaging for these companies The best tech PR firms will craft narratives for companies that distinguish them in the market and increase their awareness among industry peers, prospective customers and the media. Our top 5 tech PR firms are getting technology companies in the news and accomplishing company business goals as they do it.

What Is a Tech PR Firm?

Tech PR firms are organizations that help businesses in the technology industry. They specialize in proactively managing technology-based brands' reputation.

Technology public relations or tech PR companies dedicate themselves to helping businesses communicate. They develop messaging and positioning, and communication strategies to help customers achieve their business objectives and reach new audiences.

PR companies for technology firms offer various types of services:

Media outreach

Press releases

Influencer marketing

Events

Crisis management

Content marketing

Thought leadership

Social media campaigns and management

Integrated communications

Internal communications

Through these services, tech PR companies work to influence public opinion about their business clients and their offerings or products.

Why Do Tech Companies Need PR?

Tech PR firms work closely with company's marketing teams to create and execute PR strategies. Their work aims to drive awareness for companies among journalists and industry analysts to drive media coverage, as well as among target customers to drive inbound leads.

Technology-oriented businesses need PR to thrive in the cutthroat industry. Tech PR companies assist in the following:

1. Drive interest and awareness among prospective customers and industry peers.

Tech PR companies communicate their clients' innovation, services, and products to stakeholders. They aim to explain the benefits, features, and value of their clients' offerings in a way that makes them stand out among the rest.

These agencies also keep a positive image for their clients across all media.

For most technology companies, this includes digital and print media, broadcast media, and even social media. Tech PR firms are targeting national business and technology media, but they should also be focused on the vertical media where companies' target buyers exist (i.e. retail, finance, marketing).

2. Build and strengthen relationships with their clients' stakeholders.

Tech PR firms' clients are technology-focused businesses with stakeholders. This includes customers, employees, investors, and partners. PR firms work to maintain these relationships for their clients.

PR programs consist of press releases, social media campaigns, and other services to attract and retain customers. Tech PR firms help in shaping the stakeholders' perception of a business.

3. Help clients secure investments.

Tech PR agencies assist their clients in building credibility. They work with different media outlets to build and promote their clients' products and services to grow the interest of potential investors.

Tech PR companies can also grow companies' thought leadership in the market, and help them craft unique messages that will rise them to the top of conversations. This can be through articles, or commentary on specific industry topics.

PR firms also help their clients attract the best talent, win awards, and secure speaking opportunities.

When all of these tactics work together as part of a bigger strategy, they can help technology companies to secure investments and drive forward other business goals.

5 Best Tech PR Firms

1. Channel V Media

Channel V Media is a top-rated PR firm that elevates the standing of its clients in emerging industry conversations and primes them for market expansion. Channel V Media has worked with over 200 B2B and B2C technology companies, from emerging, venture-backed innovators worldwide to established Fortune 500 industry leaders.

Channel V Media has an intimate understanding of the ever-changing technology landscape. The PR agency has worked with technology companies across various industries including, financial technology, retail technology, climate tech, and martech and adtech. Channel V Media also does PR for a wide range of consumer companies in industries such as food & beverage and retail.

The communications strategy and PR firm has established a reputation for helping companies differentiate themselves in crowded markets and bring them to the top of industry conversations. The New York City-based PR agency does this with strategically-implemented messaging, narratives, and brand positioning.

As one of the B2B PR Agencies, Channel V Media has launched international technology companies into the United States. Among them are Oracle's Maxymiser and Grapeshot, BreezoMeter, Everseen and Albert Technologies into the U.S.Oracle's Maxymiser and Grapeshot. CVM also accelerated the expansion of U.S. based tech companies, taking them from Series B rounds to unicorn status. Companies like Bluecore, Innovid and Embroker have all put their trust in Channel V Media to influence audiences across traditional and digital media.

And through the company's strategy based approach, clients such as Meatless Farm, Shapermint, Pernod Ricard and Fortune and Frame saw a drastic increase in media coverage across top-tier media outlets, driving inbound requests for their businesses.

Within the first 6 months of working with Meatless Farm, Channel V Media secured over 135 pieces of press coverage, increasing their in-store demand and driving requests from major U.S. grocery chains, meal kit companies, and airlines.

The benefits of working with Channel V Media's include the following:

a. Transforming complicated narratives into real-world stories

Channel V Media is a tech PR firm capable of turning complex corporate news into easily digestible media narratives. It stands out against other PR agencies that struggle to communicate.

b. Well-structured approach

Channel V Media is systematic in terms of communication, measures, and plans. It is also well-organized in handling its clients' accounts.

It is a member of a global network of PR firms (IPRN) providing clients access to 42 various markets, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

c. Immense industry knowledge

Channel V Media's specialty is technology service providers. Its clients hail from different sectors within technology, including climate, retail, financial services and payments, and marketing and advertising.

As one of the top PR firms, Channel V Media partners with trade and business media across mainstream news publications and verticals. It has collaborated with some of the world's famous growing market leaders and firms.

d. Speed to media coverage

While CVM's main claim to fame is a precision go-to-market PR strategy, they don't stop the presses while they're planning.

The agency simultaneously works on early press opportunities so clients see results-fast.

2. APCO Worldwide

APCO Worldwide is a standalone international strategic communications and public affairs consultancy. It also collaborates with various organizations.

APCO Worldwide guides its clients through a complex and changing global environment. As one of the top PR firms for technology-based companies, it enables its clients to thrive and reach their social and business goals.

APCO Worldwide focuses on making smart strategies and delivering integrated solutions for a business to be successful.

It brings its clients' work to life via creative and diverse thinking. This PR agency has a campaign mentality that any specific discipline or service does not limit.

Clients selecting APCO Worldwide as their PR firm can expect the following benefits:

a. Integrated approach and strong expertise

APCO Worldwide's experts can develop impactful, creative advocacy programs and effective and purposeful communications. Its clients trust it for its capability to anticipate, plan, execute, and secure its clients' future.

b. Serving various industry sectors and global markets

APCO Worldwide strives to deliver value to its clients' businesses and benefit the society. It enables its clients to achieve their goals through creative solutions, compelling stories, and insightful counsel.

Furthermore, APCO Worldwide aids the major private and public sector organizations in becoming progress catalysts by navigating current challenges.

This PR agency acts with agility, anticipates social risks, and builds organizational solutions, reputation, and relationships to become successful.

APCO Worldwide partners with chief executive officers, boards of directors, and executives. These clients hail from various sectors, including brand marketing, communications, corporate responsibility, and government relations.

International relations, legal, organizational transformation, public affairs, and risk are also among its other industry partners.

3. Finn Partners

Finn Partners is one of the world's largest PR firms. This global integrated marketing company has 33 offices in 3 continents: North America (United States), Europe (United Kingdom, France, and Germany), and Asia (Singapore).

Finn Partners is one of the fastest-growing international independent communications and marketing companies. As one of the best-rated tech PR firms, it offers many advantages to its clients, including the following:

a. The most strategic and smartest PR solutions

Finn Partners' extensive suite of PR solutions includes:

Community relations

Crisis communications / Issues management

Employee relations

Events and experiential

Investor relations

Market research

Media training

Media relations

Message development

Reputation management

Social media

Finn Partners' professionals can tell brand tales in masterful and memorable ways. They facilitate successful brand activation by aligning their client's offerings with the audiences' needs and wants. Finn Partners' PR agents effectively communicate unique value as well.

b. Multi-sectoral

Finn Partners' clients are from various sectors. They include the arts, associations, consumer and lifestyle, corporate social responsibility, and education.

It also serves customers from other sectors like the environment, financial services, health, etc.

c. Highly specialized expertise and hands-on collaboration

Finn Partners' PR experts serve customers via bold creativity and informed strategy. This company's values-driven culture champions partnership, innovation, and integrity.

Its diverse group of passionate PR professionals aids brands in crafting and sharing their narratives that drive business value and create a positive global impact.

4. Burson Cohn and Wolfe

Burson Cohn and Wolfe is one of the world's top-rated PR firms. It is also one of the world's largest, full-service international communications companies.

It serves clients from across different sectors. They include businesses, consumers, corporate social responsibility, crisis management, healthcare, public affairs, and technology.

The New York City-headquartered multinational PR and communications agency offers the following benefits:

a. Ingenious PR solutions

Burson Cohn and Wolfe's PR approach weaves a comprehensive narrative. It engages the whole range of stakeholders and uses every tool, tactic, and channel available.

Its Earned-Plus capabilities help this PR agency deliver exponential results across each industry.

Burson Cohn and Wolfe's offerings include Brand Marketing, Corporate Reputation, IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability), Financial Communications, and Government Relations.

The top PR service provider also offers Corporate Public Affairs, Influencer Advocacy, and Issues and Crisis.

b. Bespoke team of PR experts

Burson Cohn and Wolfe professionals specialize across various disciplines. They make the strategies and activations that drive clients' momentum.

These PR experts deliver data-driven and digitally creative content and integrated communications programs.

They are scaled across all channels and grounded in earned media. Burson Cohn and Wolfe works to help its clients deal with new communications playbooks and grow and thrive in the cutthroat business industry.

5. FleishmanHillard

FleishmanHillard is a top global PR agency. Its notable clients include AT&T, AARP, Bayer, Pepsico, GM, and Samsung.

This global public relations agency, founded in 1946, helps businesses keep a positive reputation. The following are the benefits of using FleishmanHillard's PR services:

a. PR Expertise

FleishmanHillard's PR team uses creative, bold, and strategic purpose and data-driven intelligence in their services. They align their client's brand with a good reputation and ensure that it garners favorable views from consumers.

b. Public affairs and reputation management

FleishmanHillard's PR services include:

Public Affairs

Its professionals help clients of all sizes achieve their public policy goals and positioning in today's important issues.

Moreover, FleishmanHillard's experts blend conventional engagements, rich insights, and digital influence to deliver bold innovation to the political scene worldwide.

FleishmanHillard's Public Affairs feature its experts using a unique approach to advocacy campaigns and issue management. They also ensure policy and political expertise, consulting excellence, and deep sector knowledge.

Reputation Management

FleishmanHillard's team helps customers weave various elements of reputation together to tell a story representing its clients in a seamless, holistic, and authentic way.

These elements are reputation and brand, which the company's PR team consider inextricably linked. It highlights the fact that reputation is important to a company's stakeholders.

Channel V Media, APCO Worldwide, Finn Partners, Burson Cohn & Wolfe, and FleishmanHillard are among the top PR firms for technology companies today.

These PR agencies help their clients stand out for all the right reasons. Potential clients should try these five best-rated tech PR firms. After all, these providers can position businesses for success by combining strategic and intelligent PR solutions.

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Barts Health NHS Trust, the biggest NHS trust in the UK, has announced a continuing probe into an attack involving ransomware amid an increasing wave of cyber assaults on the public sector.



The trust, which oversees five hospitals in London and serves more than 2.5 million patients, was recently discovered on the BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware gang's dark web leak site. The group claims to be responsible for the greatest breach of healthcare data in the UK, having taken 70 gigabytes of sensitive data.

Examples of allegedly stolen information include staff identity cards like passports and driver's licenses as well as internal communications with the label "confidential," according to a TechCrunch report.

A Barts Health official did not dispute the security problem or the validity of the stolen data samples given by ALPHV. The spokesperson, who wished to maintain anonymity, said that they are "aware of claims of a ransomware attack and are urgently investigating."

Barts Health had three days to get in touch with the ALPHV gang in order to stop the release of data, the majority of which they claim to be private records belonging to residents. The whole scope of the allegedly stolen material has not yet been made known.

Earlier Data Breach Still Under Investigation

This event is the second recent breach of NHS data in the UK. A ransomware assault at the University of Manchester in June allowed hackers to get illegal access to a dataset for the NHS that comprises data on 1.1 million patients across 200 institutions. The NHS numbers and the first three letters of patients' postcodes are apparently among the exposed data, which was obtained by the institution for research reasons.

Read Also: Mystery Unveiled: Massive Granite Deposits on the Moon May Give Clues to Ancient Lunar Volcanoes

While University of Manchester spokesperson Ben Robinson failed to expressly address the loss of NHS data, he revealed that the institution had a security breach that resulted in data exfiltration from its systems. Robinson, an IT specialist, noted that the institution's "internal data experts and external support are working round the clock" in addressing the data breach, per India.com.

The issue is being looked into by the National Cyber Security Centre, the UK's leading cybersecurity organization.

Cyberextortion Cases On The Rise

Cyberextortion is surging, according to a new analysis from cloud security provider Zscaler's ThreatLabz. Researchers looked at cyber occurrences between April 2022 and April 2023 and discovered a roughly 38% spike in ransomware assaults from the previous year.

The research also identified a rise in "encryptionless extortion," in which thieves threaten to leak private information rather than encrypt it. Recently, the Cl0P ransomware organization gained attention for using this strategy in a massive assault on the file transfer program MOVEit.



Some threat organizations continue to use double extortion assaults, which combine extortion with encryption. The study found that double extortion assaults rose startlingly by 121.79% year over year in the education sector, per The Cyberwire.

Related Article: AI ChatGPT-Powered Smart Toys: Here's What Parents Need To Know

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SpaceX, Elon Musk's private space business, broke its own rocket launch and reuse record. Recently, the company used a Falcon 9 rocket to successfully execute a mission to launch 22 of its Starlink satellites into orbit.

The B1058 Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched and landed 16 times, breaking any prior SpaceX record for the number of times it has been reused, The Independent reported.

On Sunday night, the rocket launched from the Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and its first stage booster safely touched down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Starlink satellites were launched into low-Earth orbit about an hour after takeoff, greatly extending SpaceX's internet network in orbit. The business is providing consumers with high-speed internet access all around the globe thanks to the approximately 4,000 operational Starlink satellites that are already in orbit.

The Falcon 9 rocket utilized for this mission has a remarkable flying history and flew before, in December 2022. Notably, Demo-2, SpaceX's first crewed mission that sent two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in 2020, used the same rocket.

This mission's 22 satellites are "V2 Minis," a more advanced and potent variation of SpaceX's broadband ship. These satellites are bigger than the previous version, although they are still smaller than the final V2 ones that will be launched by SpaceX's Starship next-generation launch vehicle, per Space.com.

Key innovations, including more potent phased array antennas and the usage of E-band for backhaul, are included in the V2 Minis, which enable almost four times greater capacity per satellite in comparison to older models.

Falcon 9s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing the first 16th launch and landing of a booster pic.twitter.com/bT70Zu2aKl  SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 10, 2023

Satellites Collision Risk Increases

Despite its success in growing the Starlink constellation, SpaceX has encountered issues with maneuvers that prevent collisions. According to a recent estimate, between December 2022 and May 2023, Starlink satellites will have to execute 25,000 collision avoidance maneuvers.

Read Also: Threads Surges to 100 Million Users as Twitter's Traffic Slows Down

During that time, the satellites carried out an amazing 137 collision avoidance maneuvers per day on average. Since the launch of the Starlink satellites in 2019, SpaceX has reported performing 50,000 collision avoidance maneuvers altogether.

SpaceX intends to launch 12,000 satellites altogether in the next few years, with a long-term objective of placing 42,000 satellites. Currently, 4,411 Starlink satellites are in orbit, Gizmodo reported.

Concerns about possible collisions with other objects have grown as there are more satellites in orbit. The European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite was moved in 2019 to avoid colliding with a Starlink satellite, and China complained to the UN in 2021 after having to alter the trajectory of its space station to avoid two Starlink satellites.

Elon Musk Announces SpaceX Plans

After the latest satellite launches, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave an update about the company's next spacecraft, the largest rocket ever constructed. Musk tweeted that Raptor engines could generate 9,000 tons (20 million lbs) of force at sea level if their thrust was boosted by 20 percent.

This upgrade would allow the delivery of nearly 200 tons of cargo to a practical orbit while preserving complete and speedy reusability, he said.

Musk's post also emphasized the lofty goals for SpaceX's next operations. He suggested the possibility of launching 50 rockets every three days, resulting in an astounding payload capability of over a megaton to orbit every year. Musk underlined that this amount of power would be enough to build a self-sufficient metropolis on Mars.

Related Article: Mystery Unveiled: Massive Granite Deposits on the Moon May Give Clues to Ancient Lunar Volcanoes

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Iran has recently stated that if Azerbaijan decides to re-open its embassy in the Islamic Republic, it will be fully protected. Considering why the embassy was closed in the first place, Azerbaijan should do anything but believe one statement.

During a press conference in Tehran on July 10, 2023, spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nasser Kanaani expressed hope that the activity of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran will be resumed again.

He also stressed that the security of the embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran will be protected to the maximum extent. The spokesman also tried to draw attention to the fact that Iran understands its responsibility for protecting the security of diplomatic corps.

One might wonder - where was this security before Azerbaijan's embassy got attacked? Iran didn't pay enough attention to security back then or considered it unnecessary? Either way - a terrorist attack on the embassy took place.

Iranian officials deployed diplomatic police, as they called it, to protect the security of the Azerbaijani embassy, but by keeping the police there unarmed (according to Iranian officials, the guard police of the diplomatic corps were unarmed) or trying to make the police cooperate with the attackers, resulted in the horrible events that followed afterwards.

Iran keeps saying that there is only one person who committed the terrorist attack on the embassy... hoping that Azerbaijan, along with other countries will simply believe this. How is it possible for one man to carry out a terrorist attack against an embassy so freely? Clearly, there were forces behind the whole plan. Iran refuses to acknowledge this officially.

If Iran wants Azerbaijan to re-open its embassy, then it should make sure there's trust and confidence, it should take serious measures against continuous slander and misinformation campaings carried out against Azerbaijan. Almost every "analyst" in Iran is busy presenting Azerbaijan as Iran's enemy. With such a background, no wonder Iran brings up talks about embassy security.

People do remember that statement of Iran about the main reason for the terrorist attack on the embassy. Allegedly, it was carried out on family grounds, as well as immediately after the attack, the national television received a statement from the terrorist and two unknown children based on the established scenario, and the news about the terrorist being sent to some insane asylum a few days later.

In its own world of absurd statements, Iran should bring objectivity to the table in the case of embassy terrorist attack and fully reveal details of the criminal case.

Azerbaijan is not going to re-open its embassy just because today Iran verbally claims it's safe to do so.
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Civil guards, judges, teachers and health workers denounce the "Catalan peace" of Sanchez: "Here we do not live as in Cuenca"

More than 160 professionals show their "intense concern" to the CGPJ and the attorney general for the unprecedented prison sentence to a journalist

There was heavy rainfall in Northeast China and other places, and the high temperature weather in Xinjiang continued

The cheapest hotel room in Spain is in Ibiza and costs zero euros: "Some book it and when they see it they are cowed"

Three activists arrested for sneaking into Ibiza airport sticking to a private jet and spraying it with paint

RaHDit hackers published the routes of ships from which they could hit the Crimean bridge

The astonishing data of the time trial in which Vingegaard swept Pogacar: "He scored more watts than expected"

Ministry of Public Security: Shut down more than 2,1 illegal accounts in accordance with the law

The controversial documentary about the death and last hours of Mario Biondo, the husband of Raquel Sanchez Silva, arrives on Netflix

The military chronicle announced the low morale of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in at least two directions

Debate about "costume Jews": What is it all about?

 Communities 2019 - Privacy

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Iran and the US indirectly continue negotiations on the exchange of prisoners, the Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani said at a press conference in Tehran on July 10, 2023, Trend reports.

The spokesman noted that Iran uses all diplomatic means to remove block on the country's frozen assets in abroad, as well as release prisoners and lift sanctions.

According to the obtained information, the US has 4 prisoners in Iran, and Iran has more than 10 prisoners in the US.

In the discussions, Iran is mainly trying to achieve the abolition of sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries, the removal of its funds frozen in foreign countries, and the abolition of the restriction on the export of crude oil. In return, the US and Western countries want Iran not to acquire an atomic bomb, to keep its nuclear program under control, and to reduce the level of uranium enrichment.

On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.

Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.

Recently, Iranian media made a report about the unblocking of $24 billion of Iran's frozen assets abroad. Of that, more than $10 billion was unblocked in Iraq, while $7 billion is expected to be unblocked in South Korea.

Also, an agreement was reached that the Central Bank of Iran can receive more than $6.7 billion from the reserve asset (SDR) in the IMF.

Although Iran states that its nuclear-related programs serve for peaceful purposes, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has increased the amount of highly enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and currently, the country's enriched uranium reserves reach up to 4,745 kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

---

Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur
In The first six months of 2019 there were 1,000 murders caused by three prison gangs in Cape Flats South Africa.

In the first six months of 2019, a shocking and devastating reality unfolded on the streets of Cape Flats. During this period, an alarming number of over 1,000 murders occurred, primarily attributed to the nefarious influence of a network of three prison gangs known as the Numbers Gangs.

Member of the 26s, also known as the Americanos.

Cape Flats is a sprawling low-income slum located near Cape Town, South Africa known for its high levels of unemployment rate at 50%. The area is also known to be a crime hotspot, with gang-related crimes being a regular occurrence. The rate of poverty is one of the highest in the country with 45.9% of people living on less than $65 per month in 2019.

Over the years, particular violent prison gangs have made their way into the social, political, and racial dynamic of the Cape Flats community and have contributed to the rise and persistence of violent gang activity in this area.

Mfuleni is one of the newest and poorest townships in Cape Flats, nearly 60,000 people live in these informal slum settlements on the outskirts. Mfuleni was established in the late 1990s as a result of fires and floods that displaced thousands of people from other townships. Mfuleni faces many challenges, such as murder, gangs, and drug abuse. The most common drugs are heroin and crystal meth, locally known as Tik.

The Numbers Gangs of Cape Flats; 26s, 27s, and 28s.

There are three major gangs in Cape Flats named 26s, 27s, and 28s. These are the Numbers Gangs, also known as the Nummies. They are a group of prison gangs that originated within the South African prison system.

There are three main Numbers Gangs in South Africa:

The 26s, also known as the Americanos was used to refer to mixed-race prisoners.

The 27s also referred to as the Ghos'boys or Ghosts, did consist of African prisoners.

The 28s, also known as the Bosmont Boys or Mongrels, were white prisoners.

The term Number Gangs is used to refer to highly organized prison gangs that originated within the prison system but have expanded their influence beyond the confines of correctional facilities. These gangs, namely the 26s, 27s, and 28s, have a very organized power structure and engage in criminal activities both inside and outside of prison, contributing to the overall gang culture in Cape Flats.

Origin and History of the Number Gangs in Cape Flats.

The origin and history of the Number Gangs in Cape Flats, South Africa can be traced back to the early 20th century within the country's prison system. These gangs, known as the 26s, 27s, and 28s, have a long and complex history that intertwines with the social, political, and racial dynamics of the time.

During the apartheid era, South Africa's prison system became a site of intense racial segregation and oppression. Political prisoners, activists, and individuals deemed a threat to the apartheid regime were often incarcerated together. Within this environment, prisoners organized themselves along racial and ethnic lines for protection and solidarity.

The Number Gangs emerged as a response to the harsh conditions and racial divisions within the prisons. Each gang was originally formed along ethnic lines, offering support, protection, and a sense of belonging to its members. The gangs were also influenced by existing criminal organizations and hierarchical structures that existed within the prisons.

Numbers Gangs Explained.

The 26s, also known as the Americanos, is one of the prominent Numbers Gangs. The name Americanos is a that nickname drew inspiration from American gangster culture and is sometimes used to refer to the 26s. The gang originated in the Western Cape Province and has a strong presence in prisons, particularly in Cape Town. The 26s are primarily made up of individuals from Coloured mixed-race backgrounds. They became known for their involvement in criminal activities such as robbery, drug trafficking, and extortion.

The 27s are sometimes referred to as the Ghos'boys or Ghosts. It was formed in the Gauteng Province, specifically in Johannesburg's prisons. The 27s initially comprised predominantly Black African inmates. They were characterized by their strict code of conduct and their focus on power, respect, and unity. Over time, the 27s expanded to include members from other racial backgrounds.

The 28s, also known as the Bosmont Boys. This name refers to the Bosmont area in Johannesburg, which is associated with the origin and presence of the 28s gang. It was founded in Gauteng Province, originating in Johannesburg's prisons. The 28s primarily consist of White inmates, including both English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking members. The 28s had a reputation for being highly organized and disciplined, often involved in organized crime and illicit activities.

Number Gangs expanded beyond the prison walls.

As time went on, the Number Gangs expanded beyond the prison walls, establishing a presence in the communities of Cape Flats and other areas. Gang members who were released from prison often continued their criminal activities, recruiting new members and perpetuating the influence of the gangs.

Prison gangs use intimidation, violence, and threats to maintain control over their operations in Cape Flats. They enforce their rules and punish those who disobey or interfere with their activities. However, the influence of prison gangs is not limited to the confines of the prison. These gangs often have connections to criminal organizations on the outside. These connections enable them to continue their illegal operations even after their members are released from prison.

Once released, gang members can use their established networks to distribute drugs and engage in other criminal activities developing their own codes, rituals, and language, which became part of their distinctive subculture. The gangs also had a strict hierarchy, with leaders known as generals and field marshals who held significant power and influence within the gang structure.

While the Number Gangs originally formed along racial lines, over the years, these boundaries have become blurred, and the gangs have become more diverse in terms of membership. Today, the gangs' activities continue to contribute to the cycle of violence, drug abuse, and criminality in the communities of Cape Flats.
Nothing material came out of Janet Yellens four-day trip to China. It, however, did no harm, to what has been an increasingly fractious relationship and, perhaps, provided some clarity to the Chinese about Americas trade strategies and intentions.

The trip, which ended on Sunday, was probably never going to produce a consensus or any specific agreements about the relationships between the worlds two most important economies but the lengthy discussions appear to have been amicable even as tensions over trade restrictions have escalated in recent weeks and are about to intensify further.

Treasury secretary Janet Yellen with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing. Credit: Getty Images

The US Treasury secretary, while raising the treatment of US companies in China and the unfair edge Chinas state-owned and/or directed companies gain in global markets, sought to put the raft of tariffs, sanctions and restrictions on access to technology and investment that the US has imposed on China into perspective.

They were designed, she said, not to gain economic advantage but to protect US national security. There was ample room, she said, for American and Chinese companies to engage in trade and investment even as the US took targeted actions to protect its national security.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The UN International Court of Justice has rejected Armenia's petition dated May 12, 2023 on the alleged "illegality" of Azerbaijan's Lachin checkpoint and the requirement to "withdraw all Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Lachin road".

Azerbaijan welcomed the fair refusal of the International Court of Justice in Armenia's petition to amend the court's decision of February 22, 2022.

As US analyst Irina Tsukerman told Trend, this legal decision is essential in countering propaganda and disinformation by Armenian lobbyists.

"In the eyes of the international community, the Lachin road has been blocked for months despite no signal intelligence or other evidence proving these allegations. The Court decision should be formally announced at press conferences aimed at international media not just in Baku, but through Embassies in all countries targeted by the Armenian diaspora. Furthermore, videos and photos of free movement in the Lachin area should be shared to counter allegations that Azerbaijan or its protesters are somehow getting in the way of humanitarian aid," she said.

"It's time to start asking those amplifying these fake claims - whether the media or human rights NGOs - whether they really have any credibility and what purpose they serve in promoting outright falsifications and contributing to the prolonging of regional tensions," she added.

In turn, Peter Tase, a US journalist and prominent scholar on the geopolitics of Europe and the US pointed out, this decision taken by the UN International Court of Justice is a historic milestone in the entire history of the institution. He noted that Armenia must withdraw its forces from Karabakh and should immediately refrain from shipping weapons and munitions inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.

"According to international law, Azerbaijan's exercise of control over its sovereign territory is completely legitimate and the impartial protection of Azerbaijan's rights is the right decision. These positive measures taken by the International Court of Justice would not have been possible without the tremendous leadership of President Ilham Aliyev who has pursued a dynamic foreign policy and forged alliances with many global powers. This guiding vision, impressive statecraft has delivered enormous benefits and credibility for the Republic of Azerbaijan and the nation of Azerbaijan at home and abroad," he added.
Lets set sail for the not-so-tranquil waters of the Mornington Yacht Club, which has weathered a storm over some of the sexually suggestive names that some members have chosen for their boats.

In the heat of the controversy, the club promised to develop a code of conduct to ensure vessels moored there did not carry lewd or offensive names.

The yacht Himalayan Women passed the clubs taste test.

Now, the code is out, and it looks shipshape, on paper anyway, with a whole clause dedicated to tackling whats proved to be a tricky issue.

Members with boat names that denigrate a person, or group of people based on gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity, will be asked to rename their vessels or leave the club, the rules state.
Australian man Tristan Waters admitted to being among a trio at the top of a conspiracy to smuggle more than a tonne of cocaine into the country during a meeting with undercover police in a Serbian hotel, a Sydney jury has been told.

Waters, 40, and Canberra businessman David Edward John Campbell, 53, have pleaded not guilty in the NSW District Court to conspiring to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Tristan Waters (left) and David Campbell are on trial in the NSW District Court for their alleged roles in a cocaine shipment from China.

Border Force officers found 2576 blocks totalling approximately 1.2 tonnes of impure cocaine concealed within prefabricated steel when they examined a shipping container from Shanghai on April 1, 2017.

The Australian Federal Police pretended the container was lost and that it turned up in New Zealand months later. The court has heard the elaborate sting also involved plans of an exchange in Perth.
Robo-debt may be gone but, shockingly, many of the features and conditions that were the hallmarks of that crude and cruel scheme continue to this day.

Not much has changed for legal assistance services such as ours since the scheme was abandoned. We still see clients with debt notices they dont understand.

Illustration by John Shakespeare Credit:

When our Centrelink clients ask for an explanation for how their debt was calculated, they still cop reams of Excel spreadsheet printouts full of incomprehensible numbers and acronyms. In one recent case, when our client appealed her debt to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Centrelink presented next to no corroborating evidence to prove the debt.

Royal commissioner Catherine Holmes damning findings found the robo-debt scandal to be crude, cruel and neither fair nor legal. The scheme unleashed a savage attack on the very people Centrelink was charged with serving. It resulted in deaths by suicide and untold misery for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
Community groups fear thousands of hours of work will go to waste if the Andrews government leaves any of the 16 inquiries currently before parliament in limbo, after nine committees handed down recommendations that the government has so far not responded to.

The Age revealed on Monday that the governments response to a major homelessness inquiry is 22 months overdue. Thats despite legislation stating that responsible ministers should table a reply to a parliamentary committees final report within six months.

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto says its clear the government is thumbing its nose at parliamentary inquiries. Credit: AAP

The revelation has dismayed community groups, who say they spend hundreds of hours drafting parliamentary submissions, plus several more hours preparing for and appearing at hearings if representatives give evidence in person.

Victorias ongoing parliamentary inquiries include upper house probes into the 2022 floods and stamp duty, as well as a select committee examining native bird hunting. The stamp duty and duck shooting inquiries are due to hand down their findings next month, while the flood inquirys final report is not due until June 2024.
Every time IT manager Patrick Quintal leaves work to travel home, he feels sick with dread that his apartment building may no longer be standing. Each night when he goes to sleep, he dreams about waking up buried beneath rubble.

One of his neighbours, Michael Jones, has worries about the safety of his wife and two small children almost constantly on his mind amid fears that their 10-storey development in south-west Sydney could prove the next disastrous Mascot Towers.

Michael and Jenna Jones and neighbour Patrick Quintal are worried about their Canterbury apartments. Credit: Nick Moir

It could potentially be on the same level as Mascot Towers, said Quintal, 29, comparing their troubled complex, Vicinity at Canterbury, to the sinking building that massive structural defects have rendered unliveable since 2019. The number thats been thrown around to repair our building is around $50 million.

I cant begin to express how emotionally damaging it is walking through the hallways of my complex, seeing the defective calcium-stained balustrade wall crumbling even further than the day before; seeing another notice on a door that a bank has foreclosed on someone; seeing a crack that seems to be just that much bigger than the day before. So many of us are reaching the end of our tethers.
Long before modern-day tourists carved their initials and love notes on the walls of the Colosseum, spectators of what was once the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire also etched their names on the monuments surfaces.

The graffiti of 1st-century Roman visitors has been found during restorations of the Colosseum, but they were hardly the last defacers of this ancient marvel. Among the later vandals was French Romanticist painter Hubert Robert, who sometime in 1767 carved his name into the walls of the amphitheatres ruins while completing a residence at the French Academy in Rome.

The Colosseum was like Broadway. Credit: iStock

Roberts signature did not draw the ire of Italians like the man recently captured on video carving the name of his girlfriend on the almost 2,000-year-old structure. In a letter addressed to city officials, Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, 27, apologised for vandalising the UNESCO World Heritage Site and acting with frivolousness, flippancy and incivility, to the detriment of other visitors.

I have no excuses, he wrote in Italian in the letter, which was translated by The Washington Post.
About this time in 2019, I was enjoying the privilege of staying at Hong Kongs then newly opened Rosewood. This astonishing hotel, in the neon-lit retail hive of Tsim Sha Tsui, on Hong Kongs Kowloon side, takes up 43 floors of an also then-new 65-storey building, a glittering harbourside monolith with a brilliant sun-reflective metallic finish.

The Rosewood Hotel on Hong Kongs Kowloon side.

With a big sweeping waterfront driveway, sartorially suited staff and, most special of all, a lobby gallery purpose-built to house Indian artist Bharti Khers magnificent life-sized elephant, the Rosewood instantly became the crowning glory of the citys luxury hotel scene.

This unforgettable stay was part of a media trip for the opening of the hotel, but it also served as the final dot-the-is and cross-the-ts research trip for my travel book Hong Kong Pocket Precincts. I had been working on this curated guide to the citys cultural hangouts, shops, bars and eateries for the best part of a year, so I felt deserving of the stay. In the morning Id be pounding the pavements exploring the characteristic old suburbs of Sheung Wan and Sham Shui Po, in the afternoon Id be imbibing ridiculously good cocktails at the hotels Manor Club (an executive lounge sporting a billiards table), or doing laps in the sixth-floor infinity-edged swimming pool.

Hong Kong Pocket Precincts would be my second book about this city, another labour of love and a homage to the place I had previously called home for six years  where I had arrived fresh to start a new life after getting married, and where my first child was born. Though I had moved back to Melbourne five years earlier, in the intervening years I couldnt get Hong Kong out of my system. On any given opportunity, Id return to feel the rush of arriving at Hong Kong airport, the buzz of being in Central among the ding ding of trundling trams, the high of being among the whole glorious cacophony of what was then often referred to as Asias world city.
Berlin: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has distanced himself from a vicious attack by Labor supremo Paul Keating on the head of the worlds most powerful military alliance, reminding Australians their lives are directly affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

On an official visit to Berlin ahead of attending Tuesdays two-day summit for NATO leaders in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Albanese defended the alliances Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the role it was playing in helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

Speaking in Berlin, Anthony Albanese said the war in Ukraine had implications for the whole world. Credit: Hans van Leeuwen/AFR

He also announced Australia would send a surveillance plane to Europe to help allies ensure the continued and uninterrupted flow of military and humanitarian assistance into Ukraine, the first of several expected boosts in support for the war-torn country this week.

Keating, regarded by many within the Australian Labor Party as its greatest living figure, continued with his attacks on the Albanese governments foreign policy at the weekend, calling Stoltenberg a supreme fool for looking to deepen the alliances ties with Asia in a bid to contain China.
London: President Joe Bidens itinerary this week in Europe is dominated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and his continued efforts to rally an international coalition against Russias invasion of its neighbour.

But first, some tea.

The US presidents initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where hell meet King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May. Biden did not attend Charles coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead, and Mondays visit will be marked by a bit of royal pomp  including a royal salute, a viewing of US-related artifacts at Windsor Castle and teatime for the two men.

US President Joe Biden arrives on Air Force One at Stansted Airport in Stansted, England, ahead of his meetings with Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III on July 9. Credit: AP

Biden and Charles will also use their visit to bring attention to climate issues, hosting a forum that will focus on how to encourage private companies to engage in more clean energy efforts, specifically in developing economies.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Turkiye has agreed to submit the protocol on the admission of Sweden to NATO for ratification as soon as possible, Trend reports.

"President Erdogan has agreed to submit the protocol on Sweden's accession to NATO for ratification in parliament as soon as possible," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on his Twitter page.

Stoltenberg promised that NATO, in turn, would create a special mechanism and post of a special envoy to combat terrorism.

"Sweden, as a member of the EU, has promised to intensify the process of Turkiye's accession to the EU, help modernize the customs union between Turkiye and the EU and intensify negotiations on a visa-free regime," Stoltenberg said.

Turkiye, Sweden and Finland established a mechanism when the Nordic states pledged to support Turkiyes fight against terrorism and agreed to address Ankaras pending deportation or extradition requests for terror suspects. The mechanism is the venue to assess the progress made in meeting Turkiyes concerns.
Brussels: Julian Assanges wife and chief campaigner, Stella Assange, has not ruled out her husband taking a plea deal to obtain his freedom, but said their priority remains convincing US President Joe Biden to drop the case against the WikiLeaks founder.

Assange is being detained in Britains Belmarsh Prison. The Australian is appealing his extradition to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act related to the publication of hundreds of thousands of US diplomatic, defence and intelligence cables.

Stella Assange at a rally in front of the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra in May. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Assange argues he is a whistleblower and is the victim of a political prosecution initiated by the former Trump administration.

The election of Biden to the White House and Anthony Albanese in Australia had sparked hopes among Assanges supporters that the case, being prosecuted by the independent Department of Justice, could be abandoned.
New York: Heavy rain spawned extreme flooding in New Yorks Hudson Valley that killed at least one person, swamped roadways and forced road closures on Sunday night, as much of the rest of the Northeast US began bracing for potentially punishing rains.

As the storm moved east, the National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts. Forecasters said some areas could get as much as 12 centimetres of rain.

Vehicles come to a standstill near a washed-out and flooded portion of the Palisades Parkway just beyond the traffic circle off the Bear Mountain Bridge on Sunday, July 9, in Orange County, New York. Credit: AP

In New Yorks Hudson Valley, rescue teams were attempting to retrieve the body of a woman in her 30s who drowned after being swept away while trying to evacuate her home. Two other people escaped.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed the womans house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Villagers in El-Aliqat village in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Qena have tested positive for the mosquito-borne dengue virus, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Muslim-majority nations expressed outrage Friday at the desecration of a copy of the Koran in Sweden. Some prepared for street demonstrations following midday prayers to show their anger.
The Wyoming State Archives hosts a collaborative Wyoming State Parks speaker series event, "The Bozeman Trail and Fort Phil Kearny: Past, Current, and Future Journeys," with a presentation and Q&A session led by Historian Dave McKee and Trey Wolfblack on Thursday, July 13, at 7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum classroom, located at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

This will be a live, in-person event with an option for participating virtually. For those not able to attend in-person, registration to attend the event online is through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/wyoming-state-archives-49902991693. This free public event is part of the Archives monthly second Thursdays evening speaker series.

Dave McKee will present a program on the Bozeman Trail and highlight events sponsored by the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association (FPK/BTA) and Wyoming State Parks to promote and preserve this unique chapter in Western history. A special project initiated this year is the American Indian College Student Interpretive Ranger Program, undertaken by the FPK/BTA in partnership with Wyoming State Parks and the Bighorn National Forest, with funding support from the Forest Service and Wyoming Council for the Humanities.

One of the students selected from this program, Trey Wolfblack, will share Cheyenne's stories as part of the program.

The Bozeman Trail was established in 1863 as a 535-mile shortcut from the Oregon Trail onthe North Platte River to the gold fields near Virginia City, Montana Territory. In 1866 the U.S. military established three forts along the Trail including Fort Phil Kearny to protect travelers from Indian resistance to the incursion to their lands. The conflict escalated, resulting in what is commonly called Red Clouds War with numerous skirmishes and three major battles including the Fetterman battle in 1866 and the Wagon Box battle in 1867. Today, the Fort Phil Kearny complex which includes the associated battlefields is a Wyoming State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark managed by Wyoming State Parks with support from the FPK/BTA.

McKee is president of the FPK/BTA. He completed a 34-year career with the U.S. Forest Service as an archaeologist, tribal liaison, and recreation program manager, working on the Medicine Bow, Black Hills, and Bighorn National Forests. He received a masters degree in anthropology with an emphasis in plains archaeology from the University of Wyoming. Dave and Susan McKee live in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Trey Wolfblack is a member of the Northern Cheyenne nation, and a student at Chief Dull Knife College. Trey and his family live in Busby, Montana.

The WSA Speaker Series hosts talks at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The Wyoming State Parks Presents series will occur every other month and feature speakers from a different historic site. The alternating months will be our traditional historical topics. Upcoming topics include a special event with Evan Green presenting on Charles Allen Bristol: bicycle racer, soldier, businessman, and war casualty on July 20th and Dave Marcum will talk about Amelia Earhart in Wyoming on August 10th. To view the full schedule of upcoming events, check out the Wyoming State Archives events calendar at https://wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/about-archives/events. A recording of this talk will be available on the WSA YouTube channel the week following the talk.

The Wyoming State Archives is part of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. The State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long-term administrative, legal, and historical value. These records document the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming Government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to the understanding of the states history.
Millions suffered through intense heat Wednesday as fires raged, health worries mounted and the world appeared headed for its hottest month of July on record.
The Russian Central Bank on Friday hiked its key interest rate for the first time in more than a year amid fears that a weakening ruble will drive up inflation in the country.
1 Man Arrested, 1 Sought in Connection With Kansas Nightclub Shooting

The scene of a shooting at City Nightz nightclub in Wichita, Kan., on July 2, 2023. (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP)

WICHITA, Kan.A 19-year-old man is in custody in connection with a mass shooting a week ago inside a Kansas nightclub, and police have identified a second man being sought.

Wichita police arrested the man Friday as a suspect in the shooting on July 2 at City Nightz in downtown Wichita. Nine people suffered gunshot wounds and two others were trampled in the chaos that followed the 1 a.m. shooting. No one died.

It wasnt immediately clear if the man has been charged. Police on Saturday also asked for the publics assistance in finding a 23-year-old man they believe is connected to the shooting.

A St. Louis-area man was arrested July 3, but prosecutors later determined he fired his gun acting in self-defense after shots were fired by two other men at the club.

The gunshot victimsseven men and two womenranged in age from 22 to 34, police said. The two people trampled were a 30-year-old woman and a 31-year-old male.

Wichita is a city of nearly 400,000 people, located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri.
Auto Union Says Workers Arent Seeing Higher Wages Despite EV Government Benefits

A GMC Hummer EV truck is shown at General Motors' Factory Zero in Detroit on Aug. 5, 2021. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has expressed concern that U.S. government subsidies that have been steered to major automakers for producing electric vehicles havent improved workers wages.

The Big Three automakersFord, General Motors, and Stellantisare taking billions of dollars in government subsidies to go electric, but those benefits arent trickling down to UAW members, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video posted on July 5.

The union cited the 2019 closure of a General Motors (GM) plant in Lordstown, Ohio, where the union workers were on track to make as much as $30 per hour. In 2022, a joint venture of GM and LG Electronics opened a new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant on the site.

The union said workers at that plant make $16.50 per hour, with the possibility of an increase to $20 per hour after seven years.

A GM spokesperson told The Hill that the wage structure is the same for conventional and EV factories.

Mr. Fain told the unions members in a May memo that the union hasnt endorsed President Joe Biden because of this situation, according to The Hill.

A White House spokesperson has previously said that the UAW is working toward the same goal as the president, which is to ensure the future of the auto industry is made here in America, with good-paying, union jobs.

Trump on Electric Cars

Former President Donald Trump addressed the issue in a speech at the Oakland County, Michigan, Republican Party dinner on June 25.

Driven by [Mr. Bidens] ridiculous regulations, electric cars will kill more than half of U.S. auto jobs and decimate the suppliers that they decimated already, he said. Its going to decimate your jobs, and its going to decimate, more than anybody else, the state of Michigan.

In Michigan, Ford is planning to open an EV battery plant in 2026, partnering with Chinese EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL). While the factory will be owned by Ford, CATL will provide the battery technology, some equipment, and Chinese workers.

The plant isnt being welcomed by all locals, who say that CATL has the Chinese Communist Partys backing and that the project will occupy prime farmland.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the factory is expected to create 2,500 jobs.

The deal will give a significant boost to CATL, which already had $155 million in Chinese subsidies from 2015 until 2017, as Ford will use batteries with materials that only China can provide, thus strengthening the Chinese monopoly.

Mr. Trump said in June that hell end Democrats EV policies on Day One if reelected.

During a June 10 rally in Atlanta, he derided a series of Democrat policies to offer tax handouts and other incentives for relatively novel EVs.

EV Adoption Comes With Concerns

The Biden administration has promoted EVs through the executive branch. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which sets emissions standards for new vehicles manufactured in the United States, has proposed rules that, if finalized, would require about two-thirds of new vehicles produced after 2030 to be electric.

We built the greatest economy in the history of the world, Mr. Trump said in Atlanta. We achieved energy independence, soon to be energy dominance, for the first time in 64 years, and gas prices were at about $1.87 a gallon.

He also joked, We actually had them lower than that for a little while, but I had to get them up to appease the oil companies. They were going so low; they were getting killed.

But now they want to give you all-electric cars. Isnt that wonderful? So does anybody want to drive for an hour and then wait four hours to get a recharge?

Republican critics say that EVs require rare earth metals over which the Chinese regime has a near monopoly, thus constituting a national security threat.

Another concern involves the outdated U.S. energy grid, which could be pushed past its limits with mass EV adoption.

Terri Wu and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.
Biden Criticizes Israeli Prime Ministers Cabinet Over Extremist Views

President Joe Biden departs for El Paso County, Colo., from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on May 31, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

President Joe Biden criticized Israel in a recent interview, describing the Cabinet of the Jewish states prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as extremist.

In an interview with CNNs Fareed Zakaria that aired on Sunday, Mr. Biden acknowledged that Mr. Netanyahu is dealing with the factions in his coalition, but the president also alluded to some members of the prime ministers Cabinet.

This is one of the most extremist members of cabinets that Ive seen. I go all the way back to Golda Meir andyou know, not that she was extreme, but I go back to that era, he said.

Ms. Meir was prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974, and Mr. Biden began his first term in the U.S. Senate in 1973.

While Mr. Biden did not name any particular Cabinet members, those who have come under fire for being extreme include National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Mr. Ben-Gvir, in his current role, has on multiple occasions visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the Holy Jewish Temple once stood. Its now home to the Muslim site of the Dome of the Rock. While Jews are allowed on the Temple Mount, they are prohibited from praying there.

Mr. Ben-Gvir has made statements viewed by some as divisive, including comments critical of LGBT pride events in Tel Aviv.

The homosexuals are my brothers and the lesbians are my sisters, he said on Israeli TVs Channel 12 in June. Ive always said that but Im against walking around in the streets in underwear and Im against being coerced.

Mr. Smotrich, while viewed as not as extreme as Mr. Ben-Gvir, has made remarks viewed as outside the mainstream. For example, he said in March that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people.

Netanyahu Snubbed

Mr. Biden has been at odds with Mr. Netanyahu at least since March, when the former said he has no plans to invite the latter to the White House in the near term due to Mr. Netanyahus efforts to change Israels judiciary, especially its Supreme Court, that have prompted widespread protests in the Jewish states streets.

Mr. Bidens comments on Israel come ahead of his reported meeting later in July with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Mr. Herzog will be in Washington to address Congress on July 19 in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

The U.S. presidents remarks also come following Israel conducting a raid in Jenin, a West Bank city notorious for harboring alleged Palestinian terrorists.

In the CNN interview, Mr. Biden did not only criticize Israels government. He also spoke about the Palestinian Authority (PA) and said it has lost its credibility, not necessarily because of what Israel has done, just because itsits just lost its credibility and has created a vacuum for extremism in among the Palestinians. The [Palestinian Liberation Army], they arethere are some very extreme elements.

Mr. Biden went on to suggest that Israel is not wholly responsible for ending the decades-long conflict.

Its not all Israel now, in the West Bank, all Israels problem, he said. But they are a part of the problem. And particularly those individuals in the cabinet who say, they have no right, we could settle anywhere we want, they have no right to be here, etc.

Reaction From Community

Prominent members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community gave differing perspectives about Biden calling out Israels cabinet.

Its Bibis Cabinet and not Herzogs. Biden will make that distinction, Democrat strategist Steve Rabinowitz told The Epoch Times, referring to Mr. Herzogs upcoming visit. And good for Biden; this Israeli Cabinet is extreme.

Mr. Rabinowitz did not elaborate on why or how the Cabinet is extreme.

Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), which supports pro-Israel Democrats, concurred with Mr. Rabinowitz.

President Biden is correct in saying this Israeli Cabinet contains some of the most extreme members ever. Thats an empirical fact. Israelis recognize that. Americans recognize that. Every knowledgeable person in the world recognizes that, DMFI spokesperson Rachel Rosen told The Epoch Times.

President Biden, who will be welcoming Israeli President Herzog to the White House shortly, was also correct in the interview when he made clear he has been an unyielding supporter of Israel during his entire career and that the Palestinians bear important responsibility for the situation they face, she continued.

Sander Gerber, who played a crucial role to get the United States to enact legislation to curb U.S. taxpayer dollars toward the Palestinian Authority due to its program rewarding terrorists and their families, told The Epoch Times that the extreme label is the sentiment of the Cabinet members toward Palestinians.

The media conflates the term to include both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority, he said.

Statements by some Cabinet members that the PA is stealing the future from the Palestinian people and pays to kill civilians is labeled extreme because Israeli diplomats have bolstered the mainstream view that the PA are freedom fighters, continued Mr. Gerber. Sadly, the drive to support the PA both harms the Palestinian people and raises barriers to peace.

Middle East Diplomacy

The Republican Jewish Coalition harshly criticized Biden for his comments against Americas closest ally in the Middle East.

Sadly, this is yet another example of President Biden undermining our ally, Israel, Sam Markstein, national political director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told The Epoch Times.

Whether it is cutting scientific and technological cooperation in Judea and Samaria, hiring anti-Israel activists at the White House, pleading with the terrorists in Tehran for a bad nuclear deal, ceding diplomatic ground in the Middle East to China, or releasing an antisemitism policy that undermines efforts to codify a clear and comprehensive definition of antisemitism, the Biden administration continues to be a delight for far-left radicals and a deep disappointment to mainstream pro-Israel supporters, Markstein continued.

At the end of the interview, Mr. Biden stated that normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not near.

Were a long way from there. Weve got a lot to talk about. For example, that trip I went, which was criticized for my going, a number of things have happened, he said.

On that trip I was able to negotiate overflights.  Israeli aircraft could now overfly Saudi Arabia, number one. Number two, the price of oil is actually down, not up, and its not because they have done one thing or the other. But the world is changing. Our policies relative to renewables are real.
Biden Has Tea With King Charles at Windsor Castle, Discusses Climate Change

President Joe Biden (2R) and Britain's King Charles III (2L) on the dais, during a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

LONDONPresident Joe Biden met with King Charles III of the United Kingdom on July 10 at Windsor Castle for the first time since the British monarch succeeded to the throne.

Mr. Bidens visit is part of a five-day trip to Europe that includes a crucial North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 1112. After the summit, the president is scheduled to go to Helsinki to commemorate Finlands accession to the military alliance.

After arriving at Windsor Castle, Biden first joined a ceremonial welcome and inspection of the Honor Guard, which is offered as a show of respect to visiting dignitaries and leaders of state.

Following that, the president had tea with the king and attended a climate engagement at the castle with philanthropists and investors.

Both leaders seek to mobilize finances, support the deployment of clean energy, and mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis in developing countries, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on July 9 on the way to London.

The U.S. Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, also joined the meeting at the castle.

In May, the president didnt attend the coronation of King Charles; First Lady Jill Biden represented the United States instead.

He also skipped a trip to London during his visit to Northern Ireland and Ireland in March. Local British media speculated that Biden disliked the UK because of his stance on Brexit. The White House later issued a statement denying that Biden was anti-British.

Mr. Sullivan said the president knows the King fairly well when asked about his relationship with the monarch.

US President Joe Biden and Britains King Charles III react as they walk after a ceremonial welcome in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor on July 10, 2023. (Ian Vogler/AFP via Getty Images)

They had a phone conversation not long before the president went to Northern Ireland and Ireland. I had the opportunity to hear that conversation; it was incredibly warm, he said.

The President has huge respect for the Kings commitment on the climate issue in particular, he explained.

Mr. Biden sees this as an opportunity to do two things: One, to deepen the personal bond, the personal relationship. And two, to be able to harness their shared interest in trying to drive climate progress and climate action.

Windsor Castle, the worlds oldest and largest inhabited castle, has been the family home of British kings and queens for about 1,000 years.

The Guard of Honour formed of The Prince of Waless Company of the Welsh Guards in formation ahead of a meeting between King Charles III and the President of the United States, Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on July 10, 2023. (Chris Jackson  WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the UKs sovereigns since 1837, has been ruled out as a venue for Mr. Bidens meeting with King Charles because of renovations. The palace will reportedly be ready for the monarchs move-in after the 369 million pound ($470 million) repair and restoration project is finished in 2027.

The Palaces electrical cabling, plumbing, and heating have not been updated since the 1950s, according to its website.
Biden Says USUK Relations Are Rock Solid Amid Cluster Bomb Controversy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) says goodbye to U.S. President Joe Biden after their meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on July 10, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDONPresident Joe Biden met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today in London before heading to Windsor Castle for tea with King Charles during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Biden told Mr. Sunak that the relationship between the two countries was rock solid amid a recent controversy over the shipment of cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Weve got a lot to talk about. I think were doing well. Were moving along in a way thats positive. But our relationship is rock solid, Mr. Biden said.

The two leaders met for around 40 minutes at 10 Downing Street, the British leaders official residence and office. This was the two leaders sixth meeting in six months.

Mr. Biden is set to go to Vilnius, Lithuania, following his meeting with the king, to attend the high-stakes North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on July 11 and 12.

Mr. Bidens five-day trip to Europe this week has been overshadowed in part by his recent decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, weapons that are banned by more than 100 countries, including U.S. allies France, Germany, and the UK.

In 2008, these countries agreed in Oslo, Norway, to outlaw all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

The United States and Russia are not parties to this agreement.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, Mr. Biden told CNN in an interview on July 9 regarding his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

Human rights groups reacted quickly to the decision, with Amnesty International declaring in a statement that cluster munitions pose a grave threat to civilian lives, even long after the conflict has ended.

The White House, however, is confident that the recent decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine will not shake its relations with the UK and other allies.

President Joe Biden speaks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the garden of 10 Downing Street on July 10, 2023 in London, England. (Suzanne Plunkett-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

I do not think you will see fracture, division, or disunity, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on July 9 on the way to London.

Mr. Sullivan denied that this calls into question the NATO alliances unity.

Mr. Sunak paid a visit to the White House on June 8, when the two leaders signed the Atlantic Declaration, a new economic accord to deepen economic ties. They agreed to enhance critical mineral supply chains, collaborate on emerging technologies, and limit outbound investments and exports to high-risk countries such as China.

The White House described the meeting with Mr. Sunak in London as a continuation of a long-running dialogue rather than a formal meeting.

They will have the chance to compare notes going into the Vilnius summit to talk about the issues on the agenda in Vilnius, to talk about progress in the war in Ukraine, and, of course, to talk about a range of other issues from China to climate to technology to artificial intelligence, Mr. Sullivan said.

And then beyond that, the president and Prime Minister Sunak have a very good personal relationship, Mr. Sullivan added.

The president is also scheduled to join King Charles on Monday for a ceremonial arrival and inspection of the Honor Guard at Windsor Castle, which is about an hours drive from London.

Following that, the president will meet with the king and participate in a climate engagement with philanthropists and investors at the castle, according to the White House.
Biden Tells Media Weve Run Out of Ammunition, Pundits Respond

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event about lowering health care costs in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Conservative commentators have expressed concern after U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters asking about his administrations decision to give cluster bombs to Ukraine, Weve run out of ammunition.

Mr. Bidens remarks to the media were made in passing as he left a speaking event about lowering health care costs in the East Room of the White House on July 7.

In a more in-depth interview with CNNs Fareed Zakaria on July 7, Mr. Biden had said that after months of requests from Kyiv, his administration was making the very difficult decision to send controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine despite his initial opposition to the request.

The reason for the change, he said, was that this is a war relating to munitions. And theyre running out of that ammunition, and were low on it, Mr. Biden said, referring to medium-caliber 155 mm artillery ammunitions.

The president said that the less-than-ideal cluster bombs were only a temporary solution, and that theyre being sent to Ukraine during a transition period until U.S. and other manufacturing is able to supply Ukraine with more 155 mm ammunition.

The agreement is part of a new security assistance package for Ukraine, which includes the provision of $800 million worth of arms and equipment from Department of Defense (DoD) stocks as recommended by the Pentagon, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 7.

Reactions to the decision were varied, with some conservative pundits expressing concern and frustration over why the president was broadcasting to the world, including U.S. adversaries, that U.S. stocks of artillery were low.

Joe Biden broadcasting to the world that the US is low on 155mm shells, conservative communicator Steve Guest wrote on Twitter. Does Biden not care that our adversaries in China are listening?

Hard to understand the benefit of sharing this info with the world, Republican pundit Matt Whitlock said on the platform.

Political commentator Ian Miles Cheong, who shared a clip of the comments on Twitter, wrote, Joe Biden wasnt supposed to say the quiet part out loud: Weve run out of ammunition. But now that the cats out of the bag, one must ask whether continued support of Ukraines military is even feasible as the conflict rages on.

Joe Biden wasnt supposed to say the quiet part out loud: Weve run out of ammunition. But now that the cats out of the bag, one must ask whether continued support of Ukraines military is even feasible as the conflict rages on. pic.twitter.com/jddIrHlSM8  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 9, 2023

In further comments, the White House detailed that the presidents remarks were regarding munitions beyond the nations own reserves that are required to be maintained in case of contingencies or military conflict.

Ukraines Request

Kyiv increased its petitioning of Congress for the cluster bombs in February during the Munich Security Conference, telling the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that it wanted to drop the anti-armor bomblets on Russian forces from drones to help halt the human wave attacks that Russia had mounted in its months-long offensive to claim the eastern city of Bakhmut, committee members Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said back in March.

Mr. Biden at the time decided to withhold supply, citing the war crimes associated with the failure rate of the munitions.

The bombs, which the State Department outlined as the Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM), detonate to release lots of smaller bomblets that kill indiscriminately over a wide area. However, many bomblets fail to detonate, posing the danger of munitions exploding long after the conflict.

The DPICM canisters are fitted into 155 mm Howitzer artillery shells that can be timed to explode at set elevations above or on a target of an artillery strike.

Production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of such cluster bombs are banned by 123 countries who signed the 2008 international treaty Convention on Cluster Munitions.

While China, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are not signatories, a 2009 U.S. law prohibits the United States from transferring DPICMs if bomblet failure, or dud rates, go over 1 percent. However, the president has the right to override the rule, as has Biden.

Signatories Canada, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and the UK have expressed opposition to Mr. Bidens decision to grant the cluster munitions. Japan has said it is not opposed to the move.

The aging U.S. stockpile to be sent to Ukraine is reported to have a dud rate of up to 2.35 percent.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in comments to the media on July 6 that it is important for Ukraine to receive the necessary weapons and ammunition in time for a successful counteroffensive and further de-occupation of its territories.

He added that he believes the weapons delivery was in the interests of other states to help the Ukrainian army stop Russian aggression before it moves further into Europe.

If not sent to Ukraine, the U.S. Army would need to spend more than $6 million a year to decommission the 155 mm cluster artillery shells and other older munitions, according to budget documents.

Kyiv Promises Not to Use Cluster Bombs in Russia

The Biden administrations provision is not without conditions.

It was not an easy decision, Mr. Biden said on Friday. But it took me a while to be convinced to do it. The main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now, keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on July 9 that Ukraine in its written assurances said it would not use cluster bombs in Russia or in populated areas to limit civilian casualties from unexploded ordinance.

Ukraine is already facing a massive unexploded ordinance problem from past wars. According to the State Department, nearly one-third of Ukraineor around 65,000 square milesis littered with unexploded landmines or other explosive remnants of war.

In addition, Russian forces have been relying heavily on cluster munitions in Ukraine since February 2022. However, their cluster bombs also have a significantly higher dud rate, which Mr. Sullivan said was as high as 30 to 40 percent.

In this environment, Ukraine has been requesting cluster munitions in order to defend its own sovereign territory, Mr. Sullivan said in earlier comments on July 7. We will not leave Ukraine defenseless at any point in this conflict, period.

We are closely coordinating with Ukraine, as it has requested these munitions, he added. Ukraine is committed to post-conflict de-mining efforts to mitigate any potential harm to civilians. And this will be necessary regardless of whether the United States provides these munitions or not because of Russias widespread use of cluster munitions.

We will have to continue to assist Ukraine with de-mining efforts no matter what, given the significant use of cluster munitions already perpetrated by Russia.

Some Republicans in Congress expressed frustration that the Biden administration did not approve Kyivs requests for the bombs earlier.

We recognize that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance, Mr. Sullivan said. This is why weve deferred the decision for as long as we could. But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Ukraines counteroffensive has been slow moving and that the cluster bombs could be a game changer.

They would be a game changer in the counteroffensive. And Im really pleased the administration has finally agreed to do this, he told CNN on Sunday.

Read More Biden Faces Strong Opposition From His Own Party on Cluster Munitions

Allies Stockpiles Running Low

Its not just the United States that is running low on 155 mm munitions; Ukraines European allies who have been supporting its defense efforts have also been depleting their stockpiles.

According to AFP, a U.S. official in November said that Russian forces were firing about 20,000 artillery rounds a day, while Ukraine was firing about 4,000 to 7,000 rounds per dayequal to the entire U.S. annual production in 2021 and faster than allied Western manufacturers can produce.

On July 7, EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on a 500 million ($544 million) support package for the European defense industry to provide artillery and missiles for Ukraine and to restock their own supplies.

The bill, which allows for grants to the defense industry to boost production capacity, was proposed by the European Commission in April.

The same day, the U.S. Army also announced another contract worth $993.7 million to increase production of 155 mm artillery rounds. The target is to produce between 12,000 and 20,000 additional rounds per month, the Army said in a statement.

Since the start of the conflict, the United States has donated over 1 million rounds of artillery to Kyiv, according to Mark Cancian, senior adviser on International Security from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

However, Mr. Cancian warned in January that at current rates of consumption, supporting the Ukrainian war effort is unsustainable, and has meant that the United States is unlikely to be able to rebuild its inventories of 155 mm ammunition within the next few years, even as the government surges resources to increase production capacity by another 240,000 per year. This is on top of the around 93,000 of 155mm ammunition that the U.S. military uses up per year for training purposes.

The DoD says it is working on further surge capacity to get production up to 480,000 per year (40,000 per month) by 2025.

At this surge rate, it would take about six years to rebuild inventories allowing for normal peacetime usage and assuming no further transfers from inventory, the report said. That is a big assumption because of Ukraines high shell usage.

Production rates of long-range Javelin infantry portable precision anti-tank missile and stinger missiles are also not keeping up with Ukrainian demand, Mr. Cancian noted.

However, for most categories of weapons and munitions, the United States can provide support indefinitely, he said.

But given the current gap in munitions stockpiles, the wisdom of U.S. involvement in Europes regional war has been challenged, given the established threat and aggression coming from the Kremlins ally, China.

Read More US Munitions Stockpile Depletion Due to Ukraine War Will Benefit China: Former Military Officials

In CNN interview, President Biden is not particularly clear but seems to be saying US is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine because we are running out of 155mm artillery ammunition to send them, chief political correspondent of the Washington Examiner Byron York posted on Twitter. Seems obvious this is affecting US readiness to defend itself.

A CSIS report released in January warned that the United States would quickly run out of critical munitions if a war were to break out with China over the future of Taiwan, as the U.S. defense industrial base lacks adequate surge capacity for a major war.

While the United States has ample amounts of small arms ammunition, relatively low stockpiles and incredibly slow acquisition and manufacturing processes could lead the nation to run out of critical long-range anti-ship missiles (LRASMs) in less than one week of war, the report found.

The U.S. defense industrial base is not adequately prepared for the competitive security environment that now exists, the report read.

Andrew Thornebrooke and Reuters contributed to this report.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to include Japans position on the Biden administrations decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.
Britcoin Will Change Everything, Analyst Warns

A Bank of England (BoE) digital pound will be a complete restructure of the current financial system and can give the government more control on how people use their money, a financial analyst warns.

Some 130 countries are exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC), according to the Atlantic Council. The Bank of England (BoE) and the Treasury are currently considering feedback on how to lay the groundwork for a digital pound, nicknamed Britcoin by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor.

A decision is yet to be made on whether or not to launch a digital pound. But if the plan goes ahead, it could be issued in just a few years time to complement physical cash.

Arguing against a retail CBDC, writer and financial analyst Susie Violet Ward said to NTDs British Thought Leaders programme that a centrally controlled digital currency could lead to the curtailing of freedom, and that citizens have not been given enough information to enable robust debate.

If Britcoin is launched, it will be issued by the BoE and backed by the Treasury. Private firms, such as Fintech companies or banks, are expected to provide customers with digital walletscomputer or phone apps that are needed to manage transactions of the digital currency.

Unlike decentralised cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, the digital pound wont offer anonymity, which provides privacy but on the downside can also be exploited by criminals.

The infrastructure would also be programmable, enabling app providers to offer extra functions such as budgeting tools.

Ms. Ward said it could mean they could tell you where to spend your money, what to spend it on, and potentially, if it expires.

The BoE and the government have said that they wont have access to users personal data except for law enforcement agencies under limited circumstances, prescribed in law, and on the same basis as currently with other digital payments, and that the bank wont initiate any programmable functions.

But Ms. Ward is dubious that it would prevent the system from being used to control peoples spending behaviour. Digital wallet providers will be subject to the law, she said. So if the government wants to shut down or stop a transaction, they would have the power to sanction government-prohibited exchange.

Referencing the Chinese regimes social credit system and COVID-19 restrictions across the world, Ms. Ward expressed worries that often ill-informed government agenda may lead to all sorts of restrictions, such as potential climate policy-related spending bans.

They could stop you from buying meat. They could stop you from going on holiday. If they think that youve flown on too many holidays, they could stop you from flying. Theres all sorts of  it depends on the government agenda at the time. And who knows what they could come up with in the future? she said of the possible scenarios.

Ms. Ward acknowledged that similar risks are already inherent in the currently system, in which most payments are made digitally. But she believes there will be more ease of use with a CBDC system.

Under the current financial system, if they [the government] wanted to close down your bank account or take away your money, they could do it; it would just be more convoluted. This would make it a lot easier, she said.

She also believes that cash will be phased out despite the BoEs statement that it would continue to issue cash for as long as people want to keep using it.

Ms. Ward criticised the BoE and the government for making the public consultation documents too hard for the majority of the public to understand, and said that media outlets havent provided enough coverage to help people understand the issue.

The expiring date of digital money has been the featured in some of the international debate. The World Bank has studied the effects of expiring money, and the concept was also explored by the Chinese regime and in a paper published by the Bank of Canada.

Increased Use of Private Money

The BoE joined the global trend of CBDC creation as the use of cashthe only type of state-issued money in the UKdeclined dramatically over the years.

According to BoE Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe, around 95 percent of money used in the UK today is through bank deposits, which is private money created by commercial banks. Big techs contribution of an under-regulated private digital money market have also added to central banks concerns that they may lose control of their monetary systems.

The BoE has argued that a CBDC could help maintain trust in money and protect the UKs financial system.

However, peers at the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee have not been convinced that a CBDC is necessary to solve the problem.

Private entities of a size that can compete with the existing payments systems can and should be regulated, the peers said in a report published last year.

The report said that while the government and the BoE should keep looking into the issue, the committee was yet to hear a convincing case for why the UK needs a retail CBDC.

The committee said that while a CBDC may provide some advantages, its introduction would also brings risks including state surveillance of peoples spending choices, financial instability as people convert bank deposits to CBDC during periods of economic stress, an increase in central bank power without sufficient scrutiny, and the creation of a centralised point of failure that would be a target for hostile nation state or criminal actors.

Speaking to the committee at a hearing on July 4, financial services minister Andrew Griffith said he believes the UK should proceed cautiously with regard to CBDC.
Bud Light Fails to Regain Top Spot as Most-Sold US Beer in June

Bottles of Budweiser and Grupo Modelo beer are displayed at the Chandi Wine and spirits store in Miami on Jan. 31, 2013. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Constellation Brands Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand in the United States for a second straight month in June after taking the top spot from Bud Light in May, according to sales data.

Sales of Anheuser-Buschs Bud Light and Budweiser dropped by 28 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively, for the four weeks that ended on July 1 from a year earlier, while Modelo Especial sales rose by 8.5 percent, according to consulting company Bump Williams, which takes its data from NielsenIQ.

The Mexican-made Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand in June, with an 8.7 percent share of overall beer sales through retail stores for the period, while Bud Light was second with a 7 percent share.

Outside the United States, Modelo is also owned by Anheuser-Busch. However, under a 2013 Department of Justice agreement, Modelo is owned inside the United States by New York-based Constellation Brands.

Bud Light, which held the top spot as the most-sold beer in 2022 and in the first four months of this year, has seen sales drop because of backlash from conservatives after it engaged in a social media promotion with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Sales for Bud Light dropped by 28 percent for the week that ended on June 24, consulting data also show, while a number of non-Anheuser-Busch-owned beers, such as Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Yuengling, and more, have seen sales upticks in the same period.

The Fourth of July is the biggest beer holiday in terms of retail sales and an opportunity to move a lot of volume, Dave Williams, vice president for analytics and insights at Bump Williams Consulting, told the New York Post last week, referring to the latest sales slump before the July 4th holiday. And there has been no notable signs where the course has changed for Bud Light.

Anheuser-Busch InBevs CEO Michel Doukeris said in a May conference call that it was too early to have a full view of the impact of the backlash against Pride-linked promotions, noting that it was one can that was produced as part of the Mulvaney promotion. He and other top executives also said the firm would provide more funding to Bud Lights marketing over the summer, although neither Mr. Doukeris nor the others have directly addressed the Mulvaney controversy.

As part of a new summer campaign, Bud Light is rolling out advertisements that feature American flags, U.S. landmarks, and pro athletes to try to help turn around sales. Last month, an ad featuring Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce was deployed on social media, although some users say Bud Light needs to directly address the controversy or apologize.

When asked about the transgender controversy, Anheuser-Buschs U.S. division chief, Brendan Whitworth, told CBS News: Over the last month, weve talked to over 100,000 consumers and their feedback is very clear.

Cans of Bud Light chill in a refrigerator in Oakland, Calif., on April 28, 2023. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

The feedback is to reinforce what Bud Light has always meant to them, which is good times, goodwill, and easy enjoyment.

Anheuser-Busch officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

For beer companies, July and August are seen as crucial months as the summer ushers in more beer drinking, according to analysts. Breweries also use the summer months to place more advertisements at various locations, including supermarkets and gas stations.

Other Pushback

At the same time, multiple U.S. retailers have faced pushback from parents and conservatives over the sale and promotion of LGBT merchandise, including items targeting children, during Pride Month in June.

Among them, Target Corp. confirmed several weeks ago that it removed some LGBT-themed items from its shelves amid widespread social media pushback. Some noted that the company was selling a transgender tuck-friendly swimsuit that Target later stated wasnt being sold for children but only for adults.

At the same time, Anheuser-Busch and Target also have faced pushback from left-wing groups who have accused the firms of not providing enough support to LGBT causes. Several Democrat attorneys general recently sent a letter to Target CEO Brian Cornell, calling the Minneapolis-based retail giants decision to remove some products last month a setback in the march for social progress.

While we understand the basis for this action, we are also concerned it sends a message that those who engage in hateful and disruptive conduct can cause even large corporations to succumb to their bullying, and that they have the power to determine when LGBTQIA+ consumers will feel comfortable in Target storesor anywhere in society, the group of Democratic officials wrote in a letter in June.

Boycotts may also affect the bottom line of Unilever after many social media users and multiple opinion articles called for a boycott of Ben & Jerrys ice cream after the company made an inflammatory Twitter post on the Fourth of July. That post linked to an article stating that the United States is currently on stolen land owned by Native Americans and that the federal government should hand back South Dakotas Mount Rushmore.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Swedish-Swiss tech solutions multinational corporation ABB is expanding its investments in the Egyptian market, Sherif Ismail, ABB Egypts vice president and the electrification commercial leader Egypt and Central Africa, told Ahram Online.
California Bill Blocking School Boards From Excluding Diverse Books Advances

A California Assembly bill that would prohibit local school boards from excluding books that contain diverse perspectivesincluding critical race theory and gender ideologyis a step closer to becoming law.

After approval by the state Assembly in May, Assembly Bill 1078 passed 52 in the Senate Education Committee on July 5, with Sens. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) and Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) dissenting.

The proposal will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks.

Assemblyman Corey Jackson (D-Riverside), who introduced the legislation, said its aim is to address some California school boards that have recently removed books not based on character but because of race, because of someones sexuality.

These book bans deny students their right to access a broad range of stories and perspectives and they create restrictions on teaching and learning, which impacts our educators and librarians and silences authors, most of whom [are] from marginalized communities, Mr. Jackson said during the hearing.

The bill would ban school boards from excluding books due to topics related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. To exclude a book for any other reason, the bill requires a two-thirds supermajority of the respective school boards vote.

The bill also requires audits of library and classroom books, with potential funding penalties for districts that have insufficient diverse instructional materials, according to California Department of Educations standards.

During the hearing, lawmakers debated the issue, including who should make such decisions.

State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) said she believes such responsibility rests with the state.

There is local control and there is a state responsibility, she said. I think this is a forward-looking policy.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ochoa Bogh said she thinks legislators focus too much on discussions of diversity instead of academics and cost of living, which she said were forefront issues in the minds of her constituents.

We focus so much on color of skin, gender, sexuality, versus the content of character, she said.

Californians on both sides of the issue spoke passionately about the bill during the hearing.

Speaking in favor, one Temecula Valley Unified School District teacher mentioned her district, which was recently the subject of statewide controversy after it rejected in May a social studies textbook with supplemental materials that included a book that referenced LGBT activist Harvey Milk.

The boards president, Joseph Komrosky, said he objected to the book because of reports that Milk was a pedophile and had a sexual relationship with a minor when he was 33 years old.

Ive witnessed the consequences of curriculum denied in our community, the teacher said.

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond also spoke in support of the bill, saying he values local controlbut that doesnt include the right to threaten and bully students.

Having recently visited Temecula Valley, I can tell you our students  feel threatened. They feel attacked. They feel mistreated, Mr. Thurmond said. They simply want to gain access to information that is proven to benefit them. Inclusive education benefits students academically.

A representative from the California Teachers Association said they have a neutral position, but thanked the proposals author for including the organization in a working group on the issue.

Others strongly oppose the measure, saying it strips control from local officials, who were elected to represent the desires of their community.

Jennifer Kennedy, an attorney and member of parent advocacy group Our Duty, likened the bill to tyranny.

What this bill is designed to do is to come down and micromanage those school board members, to come down and make sure the material the state wants to see in schoolswhich is the inclusive LGBT agenda, Ms. Kennedy said. We are talking about codifying government tyranny. Were talking about the state becoming Big Brother.

A representative for the California School Board Association also told the committee it has concerns about possible repercussions if the bill is enacted.

Were concerned that it [could create] a troubling precedent going forward, the representative said.

He additionally said the association thinks the measures financial penalties go in the wrong direction and could harm a districts educational programs.
Can the BRICS Syndicate Finally Gain Strategic Traction?

Commentary

What is the impact on the global strategic balance of plans by the BRICS nations to create an economic framework or marketplace, possibly backed in the future by an independent currency regime?

The BRICS blocBrazil, Russia, India, China (PRC), and South Africawas originally an acronym conceived by New York investors in 2001, but assumed a separate life through agreements between the governments of the member states after about 2006. The states were in many ways mutually incompatible as strategic partners, and yet in 2023 there was discussion about the creation of a new BRICS currency to enable the members to trade more fluidly with each otherand without the use of U.S. dollars.

The idea of a new BRICS currency was still remote, however, in 2023, but the cohesiveness of a trading bloc outside the U.S. dollar zone would also be embracedpartially or whollyby a number of other states, anxious to be unfettered by U.S. threats of economic sanctions for failing to follow Washingtons diktat. BRICS, ironically, was conceived as a target list for U.S. foreign investment, but had, by 2023, emerged as a bloc that was hostile to varying degrees, and for different reasons, to the United States.

The unifying aspect of BRICS was the need of all member states for increased trade and investment, and the willingness of all to trade with Russia and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in their currenciesrubles and yuanas well as in the currencies of the other member states, but outside the political control of Washington. Significantly, it does not preclude the member states from dealing in U.S. dollar transactions, but begins the construction of a major economic zone that will not be dependent on the U.S. dollar.

A Chinese bank employee counts 100-yuan notes and U.S. 100-dollar bills at a bank counter in Nantong in Chinas eastern Jiangsu province on August 6, 2019. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

This is not insignificant, given that all BRICS member states are members of the G20 framework: the top 20 economies globally, as measured by gross domestic product rankings. Together, they ostensibly have a combined 2022 GDP of around $26 billion (although the $17.96 trillion claimed for the PRC may be as much as double the real figure); compared with the U.S. 2022 GDP of $25.46 trillion. And the BRICS members have a combined population of some 3.24 billionmore than a third of the worlds total.

These would be meaningful statistics if BRICS represented an autonomous geopolitical zone, but it is not that. Yes, BRICS members can develop a viable marketplace by dealing in non-dollar currencies and through preferential barter and counter-trade, but they are not, with the exception of Russia for the moment, removed from trading with the West. So we are not seeing the kind of sharp divisions between the superpowers and the developing world we saw in the first Cold War. And BRICS, while it offers a layer of cooperation, does not provide security or economic guarantees to its members, not even to the extent offered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of which three BRICS members are also members.

Potential long-term erosion of the global status of the U.S. dollar as a standby trading currency is clear, even though the United States and other dollar-linked currencies remain, for now, dominant. And the more the US uses its primary strategic weaponeconomic sanctionsto punish smaller countries for trading with Russia or the PRC, the more likely it is that many will move to a bloc that does not attempt to dictate their policies.

It is possible that the BRICS architecture would not withstand massive pressures to make them cohesive strategic allies. They are too disparate in their politics and interests for that. Nonetheless, they have begun, over the past 15 or so years, to harmonize intra-bloc communications and policies in many areas, and this has already paved the way for greater trade and investment between the members, if usually on a bilateral basis.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to their annual bilateral meeting, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, where they are expected to discuss Syria and Afghanistan, in Goa, India, on Oct. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

The great Russian initiative, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which ensures overland and riverine transportation from St. Petersburg in Russias north-west down to the Indian Ocean of Irans coastline, actually links Russian trade through the Indian Ocean to Mumbai, India. And the entire frameworkminus Indiahelps Beijing consolidate its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) trading bloc, helping to build new markets and resources for the PRC by replacing some of its trade and investment from the West, and particularly the United States.

The momentum being given to BRICS (including potential expansion of its membership) has been a driver in galvanizing the new Cold War structures, ensuring that in this Cold War the East (or the group outside of the Western bloc) is becoming economically intertwined with many South states in ways that simply were not possible during the First Cold War. For Russia, this is the construction of a strong global economic and power projection model. For the PRC, it staves off the collapse of a poorly-constructed BRI and possibly gives a degree of stimulus to the PRC economy, thus eking out some extra life or viability for the Communist Party of China (CCP).

Similarly, the BRICS framework may breathe some life back into the rapidly-collapsing South African economy, although the Government there seems intent on dismantling the viability of the economy, driving away investment, and curbing industrial and agricultural productivity.

What is significant about Brazil and South Africa is that they are essentially significant providers of resources to the BRICS states, and the BRICS framework has ensured that Brazil and South Africa have, in 2023, surged in their exports of grains, and particularly corn. This has been critical to the PRC, which was anxious to eliminate its existential dependency on the United States for food supplies, originally guaranteed by the 2020 trade agreement signed with former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Collapsing Western influence in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America has hastened the transformation of the disparate BRICS bloc into something that has strategic viability. It has also weakened the importance of the United Nations as a cohesive global body which, despite eventually becoming less controllable by the U.S./West, at least gave credibility to the so-called rules-based world order, but BRICS members can be counted on to some degree to provide mutual support in international bodies critical to global trade.

The latest dynamism of BRICS, if nothing else, is part of the shift or transformation of the global architecture. The West looks out its windows and sees a familiar landscape, but this is deceptive.

Everything has changed, brick by brick.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
ChatGPT Monthly Traffic Falls Nearly 10 Percent as Novelty Wears Off

Monthly traffic at the AI chatbot service ChatGPT has fallen for the first time, declining almost 10 percent in June after multiple months of growth, according to a recent report by internet data firm SimilarWeb.

Global desktop and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website is estimated to have declined by 9.7 percent in June from May, states the July 3 SimilarWeb report. In the United States, the monthly decline was more pronounced, at 10.3 percent. The dip in traffic comes after months of dizzying growth, SimilarWeb said. Unique visitors to ChatGPT worldwide fell by 5.7 percent, with the amount of time visitors spent on the website decreasing by 8.5 percent.

Character.AI, the second most popular stand-alone artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot site after ChatGPT, also saw declining interest, with global traffic falling by 32 percent in June. Character.AI was founded by former Google engineers.

ChatGPT no longer looks like it will keep growing until its the most-trafficked website in the world, the report said. The drop in interest not only for ChatGPT but one of its key competitors is a sign that the novelty has worn off for AI chat. Chatbots will have to prove their worth, rather than taking it for granted, from here on out.

The cost of running ChatGPT, a free service by OpenAI, is said to be around $700,000 per day. OpenAI uses ChatGPT as a sales lead to attract companies to upsell its AI services.

Misinformation Risk

The decline in ChatGPT traffic comes as problems with the AI chatbot have cropped up. The service routinely passes off false information as well as true, posing a massive misinformation threat while also undermining its credibility.

According to a March 2023 report by misinformation tracker NewsGuard, the latest version of the AI chatbot, ChatGPT-4, spreads even more misinformation than its predecessor version.

NewsGuard found that ChatGPT-4 advanced prominent false narratives not only more frequently but also more persuasively than ChatGPT-3.5, including in responses it created in the form of news articles, Twitter threads, and TV scripts mimicking Russian and Chinese state-run media outlets, health-hoax peddlers, and well-known conspiracy theorists, the report said.

While NewsGuard found that ChatGPT-3.5 was fully capable of creating harmful content, ChatGPT-4 was even better: Its responses were generally more thorough, detailed, and convincing, and they featured fewer disclaimers.

Some suggest that the drop in ChatGPT quality is due to OpenAI compromising on it in a bid to drive down the running costs of the service. Others theorize that looming regulations in the European Union and elsewhere have made OpenAI switch off certain abilities of ChatGPT to avoid breaking rules, thereby creating quality issues.

Banning AI Services, AI Threat

Bans on the use of AI have been implemented by companies, governments, and other organizations, thus potentially affecting the widespread integration of services like ChatGPT. Big firms like Apple, Verizon, Samsung, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America have banned AI at the workplace.

In late June, a memo obtained by Axios showed that the White House placed restrictions on the use of ChatGPT, only allowing the Plus version of the service which incorporates privacy features that are necessary to protect House data.

In March, Italy banned ChatGPT in the country due to privacy concerns. The service was only restarted a month later after OpenAI addressed the issues raised by the countrys data protection authority.

Companies and governments are worried about AIs impact on things like data protection, intellectual property infringement, and embedded bias among others.

Samuel Altman, CEO of OpenAI, arrives for testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law in Washington, on May 16, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Concerns about the potential disastrous threats of AI also puts a question mark as to how widely the technology will be allowed to spread. Calls for regulation and bans are already strengthening.

Besides this, there are considerable restraints in the creative industries like music production and film making. One of the prominent reasons for the recent strikes in Hollywood by writers is to protest against large-scale AI deployment in studios.

Actors have also spoken against using AI tech to supplement their onscreen endeavors.

Unlike what the tech companies perceived as an easy win, AI adoption has met stiff resistance in many industries and sectors.

In a speech at the Collision tech conference in Toronto on June 28, Geoffrey Hinton, a professor of computer science at the University of Toronto who is also known as one of the godfathers of AI, warned that artificial intelligence may develop a desire to seize control from human beings in a bid to accomplish its programmed goals.

At a very general level, if youve got something thats a lot smarter than you, thats very good at manipulating people, at a very general level, are you confident that people stay in charge? I think theyll derive [the motive to seize control] as a way of achieving other goals, he said.
Conservatives, Not LGBT People, Most Threatened by Businesses Refusing Service

Commentary

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that its unconstitutional for Colorado to punish a commercial designer for refusing to create a same-sex wedding website in violation of her Christian beliefs. In 303 Creative v. Elenis, the court didnt, as its critics contend, validate discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Indeed, the court explicitly didnt rule that businesses can refuse service simply because a customer is gay. Rather, the court found that designing a webpage is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. In other words, the case protected against state-forced speech. Nothing more.

Its indisputable that LGBT people remain a specifically protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal and state laws and regulations. These protections now often include transgender people. The 303 Creative case didnt change this. Thus, a service station still cant legally refuse to allow a gay person to buy gas. A restaurant cant refuse to sell food to lesbians. A bank cant refuse to open an account for a transgender woman.

Yes, some states allow doctors to legally refuse gender-affirming care, such as prescribing puberty blockers or performing mastectomies on 14-year-old girls who feel theyre boys. But again, the medical conscience issue isnt about enabling discrimination; its about protecting medical professionals from being forced to perform specific medical interventions to which they have a moral objection.

Medical conscience laws clearly dont permit doctors to generally discriminate based on sexual orientation by, say, refusing to treat an auto crash patient brought into the emergency room because the doctor thinks the patient is gay.

In contrast to these overblown concerns about LGBT rights in the public marketplace, theres a form of business discrimination that isnt forbidden in federal or state lawrefusing to do business based on a customers political, moral, or philosophical beliefs.

For example, last December, a planned Family Foundation dinner event was canceled by the restaurant where it was to be held only 90 minutes before it was to start. Why? The restaurants staff had researched the group and objected to its conservative positions on LGBT issues and abortion. And who can forget that time when the former press secretary for Donald Trump and now-governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was kicked out of a restaurant because the staff and owner loathed the Trump administration?

The most insidious form of viewpoint discriminationknown as de-bankinghas members of the financial industry seemingly refusing to do business with groups or individuals whose beliefs or political views management opposesalmost always meaning conservatives. And its all perfectly legal because political and moral beliefs arent protected classes under civil rights laws.

Case in point: When former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback ended his service as the U.S. State Departments ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, he founded a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called the National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF), dedicated to defending religious expression in the United States. Within weeks after the NCRF was established, without warning, Chase Bank allegedly suddenly closed the organizations accounts.

Why? The bank has never made the reasons clear. But it wasnt because the NCRF was engaging in illegal activity or not paying its bills. Rather, the organization defends freedom of religion in all aspects of lifeincluding when operating a businessand so its likely that Chase de-banked the NCRF because it was perceived (falsely) as enabling discrimination.

NCRFs de-banking was just the latest example of Chase Banks seeming viewpoint discrimination against conservatives. Indeed, it has gotten so flagrant that 19 Republican state attorneys general just wrote a letter to Chase (pdf) accusing the behemoth financial institution of systematically de-banking conservative organizations, citing several recent examples as establishing a pattern of discrimination.

Gun shops and firearms manufacturersperfectly legal businesses protected by the Second Amendmentare also increasingly being denied financial services. For example, Bank of America announced it would refuse to provide loans to gun manufacturers that make what are called military-style firearms (pdf). Citibank refuses to provide financial services of any kind to firearms retailers that dont abide by certain gun control procedures, such as refusing to sell firearms to anyone under age 21, even though its usually perfectly legal for them to sell to younger adults.

How bad could things get? Recent occurrences in other countries offer a foreboding warning. The government of Canada infamously cut off the bank accounts of truckers protesting federal COVID-19 policies, and the financial institutions went right along.

And now, Nigel Farageone of the United Kingdoms most prominent political leaders who is loathed by the Establishment because of his leadership on Brexithas been extensively de-banked. Not only did his existing financial institution suddenly cancel all of his accounts, but also, Mr. Farage recently reported that nine other banks have refused to do business with him.

This is financial excommunication that not only would prevent victims from participating in the economy but also sends a chilling message to others with disapproved beliefs that they had better keep their big traps shut if they know whats good for their banking relationships. If something like that can happen to Mr. Farage, it can happen here too, say to Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis.

LGBT activists worries about the 303 Creative cases opening the door to discrimination are not only overblown but also dont comport with existing civil rights laws. On the other hand, there are no legal impediments to viewpoint discrimination, and the industries engaging in it are often far more crucial to its victims than obtaining a web design for a wedding.

Indeed, with U.S. corporations becoming increasingly woke, those most at risk of being excluded from crucial public accommodations such as banking arent sexual minorities but conservatives. If this trend continues, civil rights laws may have to be amended to add political or moral beliefs as an additional protected class.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Crews Continue to Battle Cargo Ship Blaze That Killed 2 New Jersey Firefighters

Emergency personnel battle against a fire aboard the Italian-flagged Grande Costa d'Avorio cargo ship at the Port of Newark in Newark, N.J., on July 7, 2023. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

NEWARK, N.J.Fire crews on Saturday continued to battle flames that have smoldered inside a cargo ship docked at the East Coasts biggest port, days after the blaze claimed the lives of two New Jersey firefighters and injured five others.

Newark firefighters Augusto Augie Acabou and Wayne Bear Brooks Jr. were killed in the Wednesday night fire aboard the Grande Costa dAvorio, an Italian-flagged vessel carrying thousands of vehicles and other goods that was at port in Newark.

Marine firefighting specialists made considerable progress after actively conducting fire suppression both pier-side and on the water, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

As of Saturday afternoon, the fire is contained on the 11th deck and is being suppressed and no longer spreading to other areas of the vessel, the statement said.

Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou (L) and Wayne Brooks Jr in a combo of undated images. (Newark Department of Public Safety via AP)

Officials said fire crews arriving at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday reported a blaze in the rear of the ship on the 10th to 12th levels. About an hour later, a mayday call was issued after a firefighter became trapped inside, and a second mayday call was issued for another firefighter.

Acabou, a firefighter for more than nine years, was rescued from the ship before midnight and was later taken to a hospital, where he died Thursday morning. Brooks, a firefighter for more than 16 years, died early Thursday morning after he was recovered. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered flags to fly at half-staff in the honor of the two, who were remembered by friends and family at a memorial service Friday.

Officials said five other firefighters were injured, one suffering steam burns from water accumulated on the cargo ships floor and the other four  two from Newark and two from neighboring Elizabeth  experiencing such things as heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and respiratory distress. Public safety officials said all three Newark fire captains were released from the hospital and the burn victim was in stable condition and completing his recovery at home.

Authorities say an investigation to determine the cause of the fire cant begin until the fire is out. Officials said a salvage plan will be developed and implemented once the fire is extinguished and the vessel had been deemed safe to move.

Authorities had said debris inside the ship was clogging outflow spouts so the large amount of water being poured onto it could not drain out, causing the ship to tilt, but they said Saturday that efforts to remove waterwhich included poking holes in the hullhad improved the situation. The vessel is stable with a slight list to the starboard side and a one- to two-degree list would continue as a way to accelerate the dewatering process, they said.

Officials also said Saturday that air monitoring had shown nothing above actionable levels. Cargo containers aboard had mostly food, but the cars were the bigger concern, the governor said. Grimaldi Deep Sea said no electric cars nor hazardous cargo was on board and no fuel spills had been detected.

In 2020, a fire aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, a $1.2 billion Navy amphibious assault ship, burned for nearly five days in San Diego and the vessel eventually had to be scuttled.
David Krayden: Continuing the War in Ukraine Is Not a Viable Foreign Policy for Canada or NATO

Commentary

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week, he should speak wisely.

Amid all the strained and fabricated hoopla surrounding Trudeaus surprise visit to Ukraine in June, almost all of the media missed one important moment: Canada becoming a guarantor of Ukraines safety. And those media that did catch the declaration are surely missing the point. What does this really mean? How does Canada guarantee Ukraines safety when it is at war with Russia? Does Canada, and hence all of NATO, need to declare war on Russia in order to fulfill this commitment? Would that not effectively put all of NATO at war with Russia? Yes, it would.

But this guarantor declaration is sheer madness. NATO is already inching closer to war with Russia every day as it continues to arm Ukraine and inevitably seems destined to put military forces on the ground to engage in direct battle.

So while with its left hand Ottawa is pushing Canada and NATO into a corner with Russia, with its right hand it continues to refuse to be a team player with the alliance and spend 2 percent of Canadas GDP on national defence. Trudeau has even admitted that Canada will probably never reach that magic number.

Canada has not just sent money, it has sent equipment like Leopard tanks and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. The Canadian military doesnt even have this in their arsenal and probably never will. The tanks and armoured vehicles are of course just being sent into a Russian shooting gallery that is obliterating all the military hardware that NATO is supplying and decimating the male population that is being used as cannon fodder.

Canadas own military isnt getting the support it needs. Military personnel deployed to Latvia have to buy their own helmets because the supply chain is so inadequate, and those in Poland had to buy their own meals with no promise of compensation in a timely manner.

You might find reason to applaud the Liberals for purchasing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the Royal Canadian Air Force, as I did. But Justin Trudeau plays the defence shell game just as his father did, only agreeing to purchase the necessary military acquisitions when it is necessary to do so just to maintain Canadas military credibility with our alliesread NATO. Pierre Trudeau waited until the last possible moment to buy the CF-18 Hornet and CP-140 Aurora.

Wisely, the Liberal government is opposing Washingtons decision to give cluster bombs to Ukrainebut what else could it do, given that it has banned these notorious war munitions and has actively campaigned for their eradication around the world?

Building on the trailblazing work of Lloyd Axworthy on the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines, Canada championed the adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which is now ratified by more than 100 countries, a federal government statement reads. We do not support the use of cluster munitions and are committed to putting an end to the effects cluster munitions have on civilians  particularly children.

For the Biden administration to be sending cluster bombs to Ukraine is just more evidence that its befuddled defence policy is either unthinking or designed to provoke a nuclear war with Russia.

Canadas opposition will certainly not mean the end of NATO but it could be the beginning of the end of a unified front on Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden has never had a clear plan on the Ukraine war. He has eschewed peace talks and insisted that America and NATO will be with Ukraine until the endbut what if that end is a nuclear war with Russia?

As the U.S. continues to play brinkmanship with the Russians, there is an increasing unease in Europe, where the nuclear missiles would land first.

The war in Ukraine needs to end, and NATO must stop aiding and abetting it. This war is killing Ukrainians at a frightening rate, and the only people benefiting from the continued conflict is the Military-Industrial Complex that President Dwight Eisenhower had the courage and perspicacity to identify as a primal threat to world peace when he left the White House in 1961. The war is wiping out the population of Ukraine and with it, its ability to remain a nation state.

Ukraine has no business being a member of NATO. It can still remain a sovereign state, perhaps with the loss of some of its eastern territory that is heavily populated by Russians. But it cannot be a nation sitting next to Russia and be part of a military alliance that is now almost exclusively aimed at Russia. To think otherwise is insanity.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was supposed to occur concomitant with the winding down of NATO. That didnt happen. Russia dissolved the Warsaw Pact and expected the West to do the same. Instead, NATO went in search of a new mission and began signing up virtually every nation in Europe.

The bigger the NATO club becomes, the more likely it is to foment an international conflict that no one wants. Do you want to go to war over Lithuania? Do you want a nuclear war with Russia because Ukraine must join the alliance?

Continuing this war is not a viable foreign policy for Canada or for NATO.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Defence Companies Are Being Denied Banking Services, Minister Says

Undated file photo of the sign for the Ministry of Defence in London. (Tim Ireland/PA Media)

Banks have been denying services to defence companies over environmental, social, and, governance (ESG) factors, according to a defence minister.

It comes amid ongoing suspicion that banks have been closing customers accounts over their political exposure or views.

James Cartlidge, minister for defence procurement, said the Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation into the impact of ESG rules on the defence industry.

Defence industry associations have also said that their members have been denied bank accounts and financial services.

In a statement emailed to The Epoch Times, the defence procurement minister said, Defence businesses large and small have told me that ESG rules have undermined them, from facing more expensive finance to being denied basic banking facilities.

Mr. Cartlidge said Russias invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for a strong defence industry, without which we could not have supplied Ukraine with the means to defend its freedom.

We are currently investigating the extent of this challengebut I am clear that a strong defence industry supports well-paid jobs around the UK, and enables our armed forces to keep us safe in dangerous times, he said.

Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge arrives to attend the European Air Defence Conference at Les Invalides in Paris on June 19, 2023. (Geoffrey Van Der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images)

Industry leaders have said over the past few years that the defence industry seems to have replaced tobacco and become the new sin stock that investors and insurers avoid.

Andrew Kinniburgh, director-general of manufacturers association Make UK Defence, told The Epoch Times that the organisation has seen problems directly from [its] 400 or so members, including denial of bank accounts, loans, mortgages, and other services.

ADS, a trade association for the aerospace, security, defence, and space industries, told The Telegraph that its small- and medium-sized members have been facing unprecedented barriers in obtaining resources from high-value investment rounds to basic business banking services owing to overzealous interpretation of risks from banks.

ESG Ratings

ESG is an investing approach that takes into account the governance of a company and its environmental and social impact. The concept was formalised by a U.N. report in 2004 (pdf), and rating agencies have since added the metric to their evaluation processes.

Mr. Kinniburgh said when he asked S&P, one of the top global rating agencies, if ESG ratings were to be blamed for the industrys financial difficulties, he was told probably partly because they assess risk on 1,000 different points and  a number of those would include questions around whether youre in defence or not.

But there have been other theories, one of them being that investors were following the lead of major investors such as the Church of England, which has strict due diligence rules (pdf) on investments in tobacco, defence, firearms, gambling, and some other stocks.

While many organizations are now investigating the reasons why the financial sector is wary of the defence industry, no obvious answer has been found so far, Mr. Kinniburgh said.

None of the big banks will publicly say they dont support the defence industry, but the reality on the ground is that they quite often dont, he said.

But Mr. Kinniburgh said its absolutely not the case that defence businesses are riskier clients for banks under British law.

10 Percent Rule?

According to Mr. Kinniburgh, businesses seem to run into problems when more than 10 percent of their turnover is from defence.

That seems to be the tipping point, at which point financial houses, banks, insurers, that sort of thing, start asking questions and saying, Oh, youre in the defence industry, we dont want to work with you,' he said.

Members have also been denied either capital financing for equipment or factories or the ability to lease cars or mortgages, Mr. Kinniburgh said.

In a blog published on the ADS website in 2021, Harry Bengough, partner and head of the banking and finance team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, said banks were nervous over reputational risk.

If an adverse story breaks with one of their customers involved, questions will be asked about the banks involvement. At a time when banks are keen to burnish their credentials as good corporate citizens, the glare of this sort of bad publicity is something they can do without, he wrote.

In a statement emailed to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for UK Finance, which represents some 300 firms across the UKs banking and finance industry, said: Banks consider a number of factors in deciding whether to provide services to companies in the defence sector.

These include ensuring compliance with any applicable laws and regulations, as well as a firms own risk management.

Various firms have statements on their websites setting out their approach in terms of the defence sector, including what levels of due diligence are required.
Deputy Minister Had No Reason to Think Mendicino Unaware of Bernardo Move: Department

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino speaks about the government's firearms buyback program in the Foyer of the House of Commons, in Ottawa, April 26, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

The federal Public Safety Department is defending a decision by its top officials not to contact the minister directly about the transfer of notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has for weeks been dealing with the fallout from the Correctional Service of Canadas decision to move Bernardo in late May from a maximum-security prison in Ontario to an institution in Quebec known for offering treatment programs for sex offenders.

The prison service later confirmed it first notified the ministers office at least three months before Bernardo was moved, and again in the days leading up to his transfer, but Mendicino said he was unaware until the day after it happened.

Emails obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show Anne Kelly, the federal corrections commissioner, also told Shawn Tupper, the deputy minister of public safety, and Tricia Geddes, the associate deputy minister, three days ahead of time.

At the time, Tupper responded by thanking Kelly for her confirmation.

Asked repeatedly why neither of the senior officials raised the matter directly with Mendicino, a spokesman for the department said neither deputy had reason to believe the minister was not aware based on the information they had.

As part of her normal practice, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada informed the ministers office, the associate (deputy minister) and the deputy minister of the decision that had been made in this case, Tim Warmington wrote.

It is not the normal practice for the deputies to be involved in operational decisions of the (correctional service.)

Before the House of Commons rose for a summer break, Mendicino announced he would be issuing a directive instructing federal corrections to ensure the public safety minister is formally and directly notified  in advance of the transfer of any high profile or dangerous offenders.

Mendicino has called it a mistake on the part of his staff that they didnt tell him of Bernardos move in the first place. He has offered little to explain why he was kept in the dark, and has not said whether anyone has since been disciplined.

According to her internal emails released to The Canadian Press, Kelly wrote to Geddes and Tupper on June 6, two days after the minister released a first public statement on the matter that expressed shock and outrage.

Kelly inquired whether the ministers office had been advised of the move, noting she was getting the same question from the Privy Council Office, the administrative arm of the federal cabinet.

I understand from my staff that someone at (the Public Safety Department) said (the minister) had not been notified, she wrote in an email with the subject line PRIVATE  Transfer.

We have a notification process in place as you know and we certainly followed it.

Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the kidnapping, torture and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont. He was also convicted of manslaughter in the December 1990 death of 15-year-old Tammy Homolka, the younger sister of his then-wife, Karla Homolka. Bernardo also ultimately admitted to sexually assaulting 14 other women.

Karla Homolka pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was released in 2005 after completing a 12-year sentence for her role in the crimes committed against French and Mahaffy.

Bernardo spent nearly three decades in maximum securityfirst at Kingston Penitentiary and then Millhaven Institution near Kingston, Ont. He was transferred to medium-security La Macaza Institution, about 190 kilometres northwest of Montreal, on May 29.

The federal correctional service said his transfer and new security classification remains under review by a three-person panel. In June, Mendicinio had said he had hoped that review would be finished within about two weeks.

We are working to ensuring that this review is done in a thorough and complete manner to help provide Canadians with answers to the questions they have, spokesman Kevin Antonucci wrote in a recent email. We plan to publicly communicate the results of this review at the earliest opportunity

He added: As we have stated before, at any point, an inmate can be placed, or returned to, a higher security level if deemed necessary to ensure the safety of the public or our institutions. And, depending on the results of the review, we will not hesitate to do so, if needed.
DeSantis Supports Revoking Chinas Trade Status

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors national summit at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia on June 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTONRepublican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Sunday he would take steps to revoke Chinas permanent normal trade relations status if he won the 2024 White House race.

I favor doing that. I think we probably need Congress but I would take executive action as appropriate to be able to move us in that direction, Mr. DeSantis said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

The U.S. Senate voted in 2000 to grant that status to China as it prepared to join the World Trade Organization. Any step to remove it would also need congressional approval. The status is a legal designation in the United States for free trade with a foreign nation.

U.S.China relations have been tense for years over national security issues including Taiwan, U.S. export bans on advanced technologies, the Chinese regimes state-led industrial policies, human rights issues, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and trade tariffs.

Washington has been trying to repair ties between the worlds two biggest economies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said over the weekend that her meetings with senior Chinese officials in recent days were direct and productive, helping stabilize the superpowers often rocky relationship as her four-day Beijing trip ended.

China is the No. 1 geopolitical threat this country faces, Mr. DeSantis added in the interview.

Former President Donald Trump, who leads the Republican field currently in the polls with Mr. DeSantis a distant second, has said he would give the Chinese regime a 48-hour deadline to get out of its spy facility on the island of Cuba 90 miles off the U.S. coast.
A powerful alliance of pro-Iran factions in Iraq called Sunday on Baghdad to pressure the United States to unlock pending payments to Tehran for crucial gas imports.

Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict and international sanctions, relies on gas imported from its eastern neighbour for a third of its energy needs.

But US sanctions on Iranian oil and gas impose restrictions on how Baghdad can pay for the imports.

Iraq cannot directly hand over cash to Iran, but payments must be held in a bank account and be used by Tehran to fund imports of food and medicines.

The payment system has left Iraq in heavy arrears and prompted Iran to respond by periodically switching off the taps.

The Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-linked Shia parties that dominates Iraqi parliament, called on the government in a statement "to contact the US side and urge the immediate unlocking of the unpaid bills related to Iranian gas imports".

The pro-Iran coalition denounced frequent power outages across much of the country during the hot summer months, when temperatures regularly reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Iraq has deposited all payments for Iranian energy imports in an account at the Trade Bank of Iraq, electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa told AFP last month, saying the sum amounted to $11 billion.

However, all payment must be approved by Washington to clear the account.

The United States last month confirmed having authorised a certain payment, without disclosing the amount.

"We approved a transaction, consistent with previous transactions that have been approved, to allow Iran to access funds held in accounts in Iraq for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a news conference in mid-June.

To reduce their dependence on Iranian gas, Iraq has been exploring several possibilities including imports from Gulf countries like Qatar, as well as recovering flared gas from oil fields.

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Directly Elected Seats for Hong Kong District Councils Reduced to 20 Percent, Ensuring Dominance Returns to the Pro-Beijing Camp

Legislators vote for the third reading of the District Councils (Amendment) Bill, which pertains to electoral overhaul, at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on July 6, 2023. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

The Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) passed the third reading on the revision plan of the district councils on July 6, rewriting the composition of the district councils and reducing the directly elected (popular vote) seats to 88, less than 20 percent of the total. The revised composition of the district councils will almost certainly return the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled factions back into the driving seat of the councils again.

The number of directly elected (by popular vote) seats has been dramatically reduced from the current 452 seats to 88, and the proportion will drop from about 94 percent to about 20 percent. The remainder of the 470 total seats will be appointed by the Chief Executive, rural committee chairpersons, and other local committees. All candidates vying for district councilor positions will be subject to vetting to ensure patriots are administering Hong Kong. Performance guidelines will be implemented to monitor councilors during their tenure and allow action to be taken if councilors move outside the prescribed procedures. The revised arrangements will ensure that the Hong Kong government has complete control of the workings of district councils.

The last district council election in 2019 coincided with the anti-extradition movement in Hong Kong, from which the Democratic camp won 86 percent of the seats on offer, resulting in the pro-communist establishment losing its dominance.

Some scholars commented on the amendment as violating the Basic Law, saying that it is a regression back to even worse than the colonial era. Former district councilors believe that the new district council process is just a rubber stamp mechanism, an attempt to create the illusion of democracy to foreign countries. The chairman of the Democratic Party, Lo Kin-hei, said that his party has not yet decided whether to put candidates to run for the election, emphasizing that he will never accept humiliation in exchange for election eligibility.

LegCo 3rd Reading Passed the District Council Amendment Plan.

The District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 rewrites the composition of the District Councils, including greatly reducing the number of directly elected seats to only 88. Of the 89 LegCo members in attendance for the vote, 88 voted in favor of the bill, and the 89th, the chairman, abstained.

According to the reframed composition of the district councils, there will be 470 district councilors. The appointment system will decide most members of the next district councils, and the ratio of appointed, district committee elected, and direct election is about 4:4:2.

Under the new arrangement, the proportion of directly elected seats is lower than when the first district council was established in 1982, while the proportion of appointed seats will be at a new high since that inaugural year.

In addition, under the new system, the chairpersons of the 18 district councils will be held by the appointed District Officers of the corresponding districts, A performance monitoring system will be introduced, empowering the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue guidelines, specifying standards for the performance of district councilors, and listing what sanctions can be imposed on district councilors for their misconduct. A new mechanism for investigating misconduct by district councils has also been added, by which the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs can consider whether to impose sanctions based on the findings and recommendations of the investigation.

The new system also establishes a District Council Eligibility Review Committee to probe in detail each candidates eligibility to stand for district council elections. The committee should also seek the opinion of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of Hong Kong on whether a person is judged to be supporting the Basic Law and be loyal to Hong Kong.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that LegCos unanimous passing of the bill puts the district councils firmly in the hands of patriots.

EU: Further Weakening the One Country, Two Systems Principle

The European Union issued a statement on July 6h, saying that the District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council violated the principle of democratic representation enshrined in the Basic Law. Following the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020, and rules for the election of both the Chief Executive and of the Legislative Council in 2021, it is another serious act undermining the power of Hong Kong people to choose representatives on community affairs.

Democratic Party Emphasizes Not Accepting Humiliation for Candidacy

Mr. Lo Kin-hei, the chairperson of the Democratic Party, said in an online program on the same day that his party has not yet decided whether to put candidates forward to run for election and emphasized that he will not accept humiliation in exchange for candidate eligibility.

Mr. Lo said that there are still some regional supporters who hope the Democratic Party can have some elected councilors so that they can, if needed, find someone who can help. The Democratic Party is in the process of enquiring about the intentions of their party members to run for the election and revealed that there were some current and former district councilors, as well as some new members, who intend to run for the election. However, after the government announced the district council restructuring plan earlier, the number of such party members who intend to run for the election has dropped significantly.

Mr. Lo pointed out that no matter whether he is chair of the Democratic Party or not, he believes that it will not change its stance drastically in order to fit the governments requirements. He will discuss with party members who intend to stand for the election and will also assess whether the candidates can adhere to the Democratic Partys ideals before deciding whether to support the election. He stressed that humiliation, terms, and conditions for nomination or exchange for other benefits are simply not acceptable.

Scholar: Back to Even Worse Than the Colonial Era

In an interview with the Epoch Times, scholar Mr. Chung Kim-wah described the present case as a major retrogression of democracy, a regression to the point that is even worse than the colonial era, and called it a deceitful election in the making. He said the government violated the Basic Law because the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kongs political system should gradually move towards universal suffrage. The CCP further deprives Hong Kong people of their basic civil rights and stifles their democratic aspirations.

He lamented that the LegCo is fundamentally a One voice chamber, all controlled by Beijing. It is now the case when 88 of the 89 members of LegCo voted unanimously to pass the bill, no doubt it will be even more so in the district councils in the future, he said.

Former District Councilor: Directly Elected Seats an Illusion of Democracy

Former Yau Tsim Mong district councilor Mr. Ben Lam Siu-pan, said in an interview with the Epoch Times that the new district council is not a council at all, but another rubber stamp [assembly]. In the future, only pro-communist candidates will be able to stand for election, and the political rights of voters will be undermined. The new district councils will be more one-sided, and pro-communist district councilors will only support the government. Democrats can no longer enter the institutional and parliamentary system and can only become fringe political think tanks to comment on current affairs, he said.

He stated that the remaining 88 directly elected seats serve no more than just to create the illusion of democracy to foreign countries and, at the same time, allow the pro-establishment camp to obtain stability maintenance funds granted by the CCP, to help cover election costs. In the future, when the District Officers preside on the district councils, they will add lots of district councilor codes of practice, rendering the councilors mere subordinates to the District Officers, said Mr. Lam

47 People Charged with Subversion in Primary Election Case

In the 2019 anti-extradition movement, the democrats won a landslide victory during the district council elections, taking the chairs in 17 district councils and a total of 388 seats.

Pro-democracy supporters hope that the democrats could take advantage of the momentum and win more than half of the seats in the Legislative Council elections originally scheduled in 2020, so as to exert more pressure on the government and get rid of the situation where pro-communist factions control the council.

Therefore, the democrats held their own primary elections on July 11-12, 2020, hoping by letting the people vote through this program, they could decide who would stand in the then-upcoming Legislative Council election, although it was stated the results therefrom would not be legally binding. Even though the government did not arrange the election, there were still 610,000 votes cast.

However, 47 promoters and candidates in this primary election were later charged by the government with the crime of conspiring to subvert state power.
Disney Crowd Sizes Shockingly Low Amid Backlash

A sign near an entranceway to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on May 22, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Walt Disney World crowd sizes over the July 4th long weekend were shockingly thin, according to tracking data provider Touring Plans, which predicted that the low-attendance trend seems poised to continue amid ongoing conservative backlash to what some describe as a woke agenda.

Disney has been embroiled in a legal and political fight with Florida governor Ron DeSantis which was triggered by the companys opposition to a bill that bans discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

The company has also faced streaming losses and its stock was recently downgraded in part due to fears of lower attendance at its Disney World and Disneyland theme parks

People visit the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on April 18, 2022. (Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo)

While Disney executives have said they expect weaker performance from their U.S. theme parks this year, the recent attendance numbers suggest reality could be even worse than pessimistic predictions.

This is not normal. These are not peak summer crowds. These are shockingly low crowds, wrote Becky Gandillion of Touring Plans in a blog post in which she detailed some of the dismal data.

Absolutely Crazy

Touring Plans uses a 10-point scale to measure crowd size. The latest data show that June 2729 scored a six on each of the days at Disneys theme parks on average. This was followed by a crowd level five on June 30.

The numbers then plunged to a reading of two on July 1, rising to a three on July 2 and a four on July 3.

Some individual theme parks saw worse numbers than the average, with the EPCOT theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida notching a crowd level one on July 1.

This is madness in a chart. We have a park at a crowd level eight and a park at crowd level one just three days apart, Gandillion wrote in commentary on the data. We almost never see that, outside of party season at Magic Kingdom.

The crowds on July 1 and 2 look more like Labor Day than July 4th. This is absolutely crazy, she added.

The unusually hot weather on some of the days may have been partly to blame, with a larger share of locals likely opting to stay home.

However, Touring Plans believes that Disney will continue to see sparse crowds going forward.

Lets face it. If this weekend didnt turn crowds around at Walt Disney World  crowds arent going to turn around, Gandillion wrote. All signs point to this continuing in the short and long term.

Disney did not return a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

Stock Downgrade Amid Backlash

Recent weeks have seen Disneys stock hit with a downgrade amid fears of sluggish growth.

Investment company KeyBanc Capital Markets recently lowered Disneys rating from overweight to sector weight.

While Disney appears less expensive versus its historical average, we believe the stock is unlikely to work until a number of items have line of sight to being resolved, analyst Brandon Nispel wrote, Barrons reported.

Mr. Nispel touched on several areas of concern for Disney in the note, including sluggish subscriber growth, sagging content sales, and concerns over stagnating crowd sized at its U.S. theme parks.

As of July 10, Disneys stock stood at about $88. Even after it brought back CEO Bob Iger in recent months, the companys stock remains far below its early 2021 peak of $200 per share.

While Mr. Nispel made no mention of Disneys wading into social issues, some consumers and conservative influencers have called for a boycott amid the companys stance on a Florida law that prohibits teachers from instructing young children on transgender issues and sexuality.

The Walt Disney Co. logo appears on a screen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, on Aug. 8, 2017. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)

Disney Embroiled in Controversy

Disney became embroiled in controversy when it pushed back against the introduction of Floridas Parental Rights in Education bill.

In March 2022, Florida lawmakers passed HB 1557, or the Parental Rights in Education act, which was signed into law by Mr. DeSantis on March 28 of that year.

The same day Mr. DeSantis signed the bill, Disney waded into the controversy, a statement that was highly critical of the measure and saying it was the companys objective to have it repealed.

Floridas HB 1557, also known as the Dont Say Gay bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law, the statement reads.

Disney stated at the time that it was the companys goal for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.

Supporters of the legislation have argued that it gives parents more power to decide how and when topics relating to LGBT issues can be introduced to their children. It also gives parents the opportunity to sue school districts for violating the rules set out in the legislation.

In the wake of the controversy, Mr. DeSantis ended a decades-long deal allowing Disney World to govern its vast Central Florida resort by itself. The Republican governor has explained that the action was aimed at holding Disney accountable.

The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end, he said in February. Theres a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.
Indigenous Groups Clash Over Land Rights During Smoking Ceremony

Incident occurs amid concerns some Indigenous interests may be sidelined by The Voice

Indigenous men make spears during Garma Festival 2022 at Gulkula in East Arnhem, Australia, on July 30, 2022. (Tamati Smith/Getty Images)

Two Aboriginal men have clashed over which clan had the right to hold a traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony at the opening of a major highway in Western Australia.

The incident comes as Australians prepare to vote on a national referendum on whether to change the countrys Constitution to include greater recognition of Aboriginal interests.

On July 9, during the opening of a freeway extension in the northern suburbs of Perth, a man of Indigenous appearance interrupted the proceedings saying the host did not have the right to conduct the smoking ceremony.

I dont think these people coming out here, thinking that you fellas could say this, say that, on this land, a man in red can be seen saying in footage by 7 News.

The opening of a freeway extension in our northern suburbs came to an abrupt halt when an argument broke out over who had the right to conduct the traditional smoking ceremony. @geofparry7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/T5AJ3E3S4X  7NEWS Perth (@7NewsPerth) July 9, 2023

The other man responded saying, I dont need permission from you or anybody else. This is my country too.

An Aboriginal woman attempted to calm the man in red saying he was included in this too.

Well, it doesnt seem like itnobody told us nothing, he responded.

It is unclear which Indigenous groups were involved and who the men represented.

The states Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti, was present during the dispute.

Its very interesting because obviously theres a lot of different Aboriginal groups with history in this area, she told 7 News.

When questioned whether the government had chosen the wrong group, Ms. Saffioti said, No, I understand that was all handled by the department. So anyway, well work through it.

The ceremony went forward as planned.

Lobby Groups Winning Out Over Communities

The incident comes as criticism regarding the proposed change to the Constitution to include the Indigenous Voice to Parliament questions how it can represent the over 300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders groups in the country.

The Voice proposal includes a change to the preamble of the nations founding document and will also introduce a near-permanent advisory body dedicated to representing Indigenous interestson top of the already numerous Indigenous lobby groups in Canberra.

This group will be elected by Indigenous people and will have the authority to make representations on issues deemed relevant to Aboriginal groups to the executive and Parliament.

Some advocates see this as another solution to ongoing problems in Indigenous communities, including alcoholism, domestic violence, and welfare dependency.

Yet Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has argued that such a body would only represent a small segment of the community.

No national body can speak for the circa 300 traditional owner groups, Australias First Nations, it would be a huge bureaucratic structure drowning out Aboriginal voices, not enabling them to be heard, he wrote in The Epoch Times.

Mr. Mundine has instead pushed for policies that empower Indigenous peoples to find work and greater education rather than more welfare, arguing it would spur greater individual agency.

Competing Indigenous Rights An Ongoing Issue

Meanwhile, the highway dispute comes just months after Australian authorities in the nations capital were forced to deal with a similar dispute over land rights between rival Indigenous groups.

In April, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government reached a settlement with the Ngambari people after they sued authorities for not officially recognising them as the traditional owners of Canberra.

ACT authorities have, for the last two decades, recognised the Ngunnawal people as the traditional owners.

The ACT was forced to apologise to the Ngambari people, who argued their human rights had been breached.

In turn, the United Ngunnawal Elders Council responded, saying they felt mental anguish from the whole episode.

Meanwhile, in January, another incident played out where a local Indigenous community accused a lobby group of sidelining their interests after they successfully convinced the state government to ban tourists from a popular hiking trail.

Elizabeth Boyd, an Aboriginal elder of the Ngarakbal Githabul people, said her rights, along with those of the Yoocum Yoocum people, were being extinguished by the mysterious Wollumbin Consultative Group that claims to represent the Bundjalung people.

The Ngarakbal Githabul women have not been included in any of the consultative process in regards to the management or closure of Mt. Warning, she said.

The state governments administrative decision to permanently close Mt. Warning not only contravenes my customary law rights and womens rights and human rightsbut also my cultural responsibilities to the Gulgan memorial.
DOJ Excluded IRS Investigative Team from Briefing on Biden Bribery Allegations: Sen. Grassley

Grassley demands answers from US Attorney David Weiss

Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, (R-Iowa), speaks as FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol, in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 2, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says the Department of Justice (DOJ) briefed federal prosecutors and FBI investigators on the contents of a scheme alleging that then-Vice President Joe Biden took a criminal bribe from a foreign national but left IRS investigators out of the loop on the allegations.

In an Oct. 23, 2020, meeting, Grassley alleged in a July 10 letter to U.S. Attorney David Weiss, FBI investigators and Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Leslie Wolf were made aware of criminal bribery allegations levied against Mr. Biden in an FD-1023 form, a form used by the FBI to record allegations of potential criminal activity (pdf).

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has led the investigation in the lower chamber into allegations laid out in the form that Joe Biden, through his son Hunter Biden, received at least $5 million from foreign nationals. However, since launching his probe, Mr. Comer claims to have uncovered additional evidence that the amount received by the elder Biden was at least $10 million.

Flanked by House Republicans, U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Nov. 17, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Despite a contemporaneous IRS investigation into Hunter Biden, IRS investigators were excluded, Mr. Grassley said, citing information provided to my office from individuals aware of the meeting.

What steps have the Justice Department and FBI taken to investigate the allegations? the Iowa senator wrote, noting that potentially hundreds of DOJ and FBI agents had access to the FD-1023 form, which has only been shown to Congress in redacted form. You, Attorney General [Merrick] Garland, and [FBI] Director [Christopher] Wray have failed to answer.

Mr. Weiss, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, has led the investigation into allegations against Hunter Biden.

Recently, Mr. Weiss made a plea deal with the younger Biden, who agreed to plead guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and minor tax charges that are likely to see him avoid jail timea deal that frustrated Republicans, who dismissed it as a sweetheart deal.

Hunter Biden arrives for a toast during a State Dinner in honor of Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the White House on June 22, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

In a letter announcing the plea deal, Mr. Weiss said the investigation was ongoing (pdf).

Does the scope of your alleged ongoing investigation include criminal bribery with respect to the alleged criminal scheme between a foreign national and then-Vice President Biden and Hunter Biden? Mr. Grassley asked Mr. Weiss. If not, why not?

He also asked Mr. Weiss if he had made any move to investigate the allegations disclosed by Mr. Comer.

On June 22, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) further revealed allegations from IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley that the DOJ and higher-ups at the IRS had interfered with and stalled an investigation into Hunter Biden, who was being probed for felony tax violations.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) states at a June 22 hearing in Washington that Hunter Biden may have received preferential treatment from the IRS and DOJ over his tax fraud allegations. (Joseph Lord/The Epoch Times)

The IRS ultimately recommended three charges against Hunter Biden: a felony attempt to defeat or evade tax charge, making felony fraudulent or false statements, and willful failure to file returns, supply information, or pay tax. In total, Smith said these tax crimes involved around $2.2 million in income that went unreported to the IRS.

In total, Mr. Smith reported, Hunter Biden received around $17.3 million in total from foreign sources based in Romania, China, and Ukraine.

That included $663,000 to the presidents son from the Chinese company State Energy HK, a large diamond valued at $80,000, and a new Porsche worth $142,000.

These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize, Mr. Smith said.And what plea deal did Mr. [Hunter] Biden just receive? A slap on the wrist for these charges that have put other Americans behind bars.

Though the crimes were serious enough and involved enough money that they easily could have ended in jail time, officials at the DOJ allegedly prevented legal movement on these charges.

Alleged Misconduct by Assistant US Attorney

In his letter to Mr. Weiss, Mr. Grassley cited specific allegations made against Ms. Wolf, calling her conduct questionable and obstructive.

As you are aware, IRS whistleblowers have affirmed that AUSA Wolf prevented investigators from seeking information about Joe Bidens involvement in Hunter Bidens criminal business arrangements, Mr. Grassley said.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss in a file image. (Department of Justice via The Epoch Times)

In his testimony to the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Shapley said IRS investigators were told by Ms. Wolf that, because evidence needed for the investigation would be found in a guest house owned by Joe Biden, there is no way that a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved. Despite her refusal to allow a search warrant to be executed against the residence, Ms. Wolf said more than enough probable cause had been achieved. She boiled down her refusal to allow a search warrant simply to optics.Mr. Shapley alleged that political motives led him and his fellow investigators at the IRS to be constantly unable to follow through on legal action against the presidents son.

After former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in early April 2020, career DOJ officials dragged their feet on the IRS taking these investigative steps, Mr. Shapley said.

In another instance, he said Ms. Wolf blocked a search of a storage unit owned by Hunter Biden, allegedly tipping off Bidens legal team about interest in the unit.

Did AUSA Wolf take similar proactive measures to frustrate any investigation into the FD-1023? Mr. Grassley asked Mr. Weiss.

There are also suggestions in Mr. Shapleys testimony that Mr. Weiss himself was blocked by higher-ups at the DOJ from pursuing substantive criminal action against Hunter Biden.

However, Mr. Weiss has denied these claims, as has Mr. Garland.

Hunter Biden is set to go to federal court over the plea agreement on July 26.

The DOJ did not return a request for comment.
Judge Denies DOJs Request for Stay in Social Media Censorship Case

President Joe Biden addresses the nation on averting default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement from the White House on June 2, 2023. (Jim Watson/Pool via Getty Images)

A federal judge on July 10 denied the Department of Justices (DOJ) request to stay a ruling that places limits on government communications with social media firms, rejecting the White Houses argument that such an order could put a damper on law enforcement activity online.

U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty wrote that his order last week had created exceptions for communications for cyberattacks, election interference, and national security threats. The DOJ and Biden administration, he wrote, didnt provide any specific examples that would provide grave harm to the American people or our democratic processes.

Although this Preliminary Injunction involves numerous agencies, it is not as broad as it appears, Mr. Doughty wrote on July 10. It only prohibits something the Defendants have no legal right to docontacting social media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner, the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted on social-media platforms.

The judge further wrote that Republican attorneys general who brought the suit are most likely going to prevail in proving that federal agencies and officials significantly encouraged, coerced, or jointly participated in allegedly suppressing social media posts that included information critical of COVID-19 vaccines or questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

In response, lawyers for the Biden administrations DOJ filed an emergency stay of the injunction at the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals. They argued that Mr. Doughtys ruling was too vague and broad.

The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content. Indeed, the order denying the staypresumably highlighting the ostensibly strongest evidencereferred to a series of public media statements, the administration wrote on July 10.

It came as the attorneys general for Missouri and Louisiana have submitted a petition to oppose the Biden administrations motion to stay an injunction against its efforts allowing it to contact social media firms about a range of online content, including its efforts to flag so-called misinformation.

Over the weekend, the two states filed (pdf) a memorandum of opposition to the administrations motion, coming days after a federal judge partially granted an injunction that blocks various Biden administration officials and government agencies such as the Justice Department and the FBI from working with big tech firms to censor posts on social media. It came in response to a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general, who accused the White House and various federal agencies of putting pressure on social media firms to take down posts or suspend accounts.

Evidence in this case overwhelmingly shows that the way the Government supposedly prevent[s] grave harm to the American people and our democratic processes is to pressure and induce social-media platforms to censor disfavored viewpoints on COVID-19, elections, and other core political speech, they wrote on July 9.

In the end, their position is fundamentally defiant toward the Courts judgment. It demonstrates that the Government will continue violating First Amendment rights by censoring core political speech on social media as soon as it can get away with it. The motion to stay should be denied.

Mr. Doughty ruled on July 4 that the Biden administration must cease contacting social media companies about a broad range of online content, including the administrations efforts to flag alleged misinformation. The judge said that some of the administrations past communications with social media companies violated the First Amendment and that during the pandemic, the government assumed a role similar to that of an Orwellian Ministry of Truth.

A Trump-appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana, Mr. Doughty wrote on July 4 that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cant take a range of actions targeting social media posts, companies, and users.

Several officials are specifically named in the order, including Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy; and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Some of the social media companies that were included in the lawsuit are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, and WeChat, the last two of which are linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The GOP attorneys general brought their lawsuit against the administration in 2022, accusing the government of trying to censor conservative viewpoints.

The ruling marked a win for Republicans, who sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of alleged misinformation as an excuse to target views that went outside the mainstream narrative.

This could be arguably one of the most important First Amendment cases in modern history, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders in an interview after the ruling.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a press briefing at the White House on June 26, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

If you look at the opinion that the judge lays out, he takes from our argument that this is basically one of the most massive undertakings of the federal government to limit American speech in the history of our country, Mr. Landry, a Republican, said. The things that we uncovered, in this case, should be  shocking, appalling, and concerning for all Americans.

Last week, the DOJ filed an appeal of the ruling and sought to lift the injunction in a filing made to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. U.S. officials have previously claimed they were aiming to tamp down alleged misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines to curb preventable deaths, which has long been decried by free speech advocates, conservatives, and doctors who promote alternative therapies for COVID-19.

Ms. Jean-Pierre told reporters on July 5 that the Biden administration certainly disagree[s] with this decision and will continue to promote responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our election.

Our view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take action or to take account of the effects of their platforms are having to the American people but make independent choices about the information they present. They are a private, as you know, entity, and it is their responsibility toyou know, to act accordingly. And so, were going to continue to be responsible in that way.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
James A. Garfield is most often remembered for being assassinated only a short time after his inauguration. His death was a tragedy, but his life was a triumph. C. W. Goodyear, historian and author of the new biography President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier, joins the podcast to discuss this incredible statesman who overcame everything that stood in his wayexcept the assassins bullet.

Goodyear earned his degree in global affairs from Yale University in 2016, then moved to Washington, D.C. His first book project was a collaboration with former naval officer Chris Fussell called One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams. His latest work is the biography of James A Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, entitled President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier.
Expedited Credentials Program Available in Some Provinces for Foreign-Trained Nurses

A sign expressing appreciation to doctors and nurses is pictured across the street from the Abbotsford Regional Hospital in Abbotsford, B.C., on April 14, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)

Foreign nurses with international training will be licensed faster in some areas of Canada under a new credentialing program introduced by National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS).

NNAS said in a news release on June 21 that internationally educated nurses (IENs) who want to become licensed or registered to work in Canada in participating provinces will have their most essential documentation reviewed and NNAS advisory reports issued within five days of being received.

The new expedited service will be available to IENs applying to any of the following regulatory bodies: Nurses Association of New Brunswick, the College of Registered Nurses and Midwives of Prince Edward Island (PEI), the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan, and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba.

In some of those provinces, previously it could take up to 12 weeks to obtain a report on an IENs credentials, Waxman told reporters on June 28.

The NNAS is a not-for-profit organization that helps IENs submit their documents and apply for a licence in the Canadian province of their choice as a registered nurse (RN), a licensed practical nurse (LPN), or a registered psychiatric nurse (RPN). However, Quebec, Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories have their own programs.

The organization says its vision is to be recognized around the world as the gold standard for assessing nurses.

NNAS receives an application from nurses indicating the province they want to find work in, and the organization reviews and verifies their documents, checks them against the provincial regulations, and prepares an advisory report to be submitted to the appropriate nursing regulatory body.

The advisory reports compile and authenticate the documentation regulators require from IENs to begin the licensing process. They also show how the applicants international education compares to Canadian nursing competencies, said the NNAS in the June 21 news release.

Under the new program, the service will now review only the most essential documentation to make the process faster.

NNASs faster service is possible because we have reduced the requirements and documentation applicants must submit. For example, applicants will no longer submit their curriculum or undergo an individual curricular assessment, said the organization in a May 30 news release.

We are pleased to partner with provincial regulators to make it faster for IENs to have their documents verified and start the licensing process more quickly, while still maintaining important safeguards to protect the integrity of our healthcare system, said NNAS executive director Gayle Waxman in the June 21 news release.

Ms. Waxman said the organization has the infrastructure to offer this service to IENs from around the world and will partner with all regulatory bodies to take advantage of this more efficient process.

According to the NNAS, historically nurses from other countries have had a long road to get credentialed in Canada.

NNAS recognizes the valuable education and skills IENs bring to Canadas healthcare system, said the organization on June 30 in a news release.

Earlier this year, the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) said it would also work to remove barriers for IENs who want to work in the province.

Regulation needs to be different. There must be a balance between risks and regulatory processes. The current system has too many unnecessary barriers for internationally educated nurses to be recognized for their competencies and skills, said CRNA in a statement on April 4.

The organization said that for IENs who transferred their permit in the last five years, most applicants were educated in the Philippines (40 percent) or India (37 percent).
FDA Urged to Investigate Energy Drink Due to Potential Harms to Children

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into a popular energy drink that he says is posing health risks to children.

PRIME Energy Drink has so much caffeine that it could endanger kids health. But its being marketed to kids! Parents and pediatricians are worried. The FDA must investigate PRIME for its absurd caffeine content and its marketing targeting kids on social media, Mr. Schumer wrote in a July 10 tweet.

Prime Energy is backed by two well-known influencers on YouTubeKSI and Logan Paul. Launched last year, the drink has become a viral hit among youngsters. However, the high content of caffeine has been a cause of concern.

While Prime positions itself as a vegan zero-sugar drink, it has 200 milligrams of caffeine per a single 12-ounce can. Thats almost as much as in two 250-milliliter (ml) containers of Red Bull and equivalent to about six 250-ml cans of Coca-Cola.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has advised children younger than the age of 12 against consuming drinks with caffeine. Kids between the ages of 12 and 18 are asked to limit their daily caffeine intake to a maximum of 100 milligrams.

The elevated caffeine levels of Prime have prompted some schools in Australia and the UK to impose a ban on the drinkwith pediatricians warning that consuming the beverage could result in anxiety, heart issues, and digestive problems.

The company sells another drink called Prime Hydration, which doesnt contain caffeine. In a letter to the FDA on July 9, Mr. Schumer pointed out that the online marketing does little to differentiate the two brands, leading parents to unknowingly buy the Prime Energy drink, which he called a cauldron of caffeine, according to the Associated Press.

A simple search on social media for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising.  This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and the caffeine content in the Prime energy drink, the letter reads.

Targeting Children

On its website, the company stated that the Prime Energy drink is not recommended for children under the age of 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or individuals who are sensitive to caffeine.

However, both KSI and Logan Paul have numerous fans among the younger population, thus boosting the drinks appeal to teens despite the warning label. The YouTubers collectively have more than 100 million followers.

Moreover, the YouTube influencers themselves have supported consumption of Prime to kids, without clarifying which version of the drink they are promoting. In September 2022, when a school prohibited Prime on campus, KSI openly claimed that he would be sending Prime to schools that ban the drink.

Former world welterweight king Floyd Mayweather (L) and YouTube personality Logan Paul face off during the media availability ahead of their June 6 exhibition boxing match, at Villa Casa Casuarina at the former Versace Mansion in Miami Beach on June 3, 2021. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

A school had the AUDACITY to ban Prime, leaving their students dehydrated. To counter this blatant wrongdoing, well be sending a truckload of Prime to this school and many other schools. Just retweet this tweet to represent your school to get some Prime, KSI said in a Sept. 28, 2022, tweet.

Parents have raised concerns about the drink online.

We had an email warning from my childs school about the dangers of a new craze called Prime Energy drink, author Elizabeth Shane wrote in a Feb. 22 tweet.

Its stronger than Red Bull, promoted on social media. Another kid tried to sell it to my child. Ive had no choice but to report this to school for the sake of them and others.

Prime Hydration officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Health Risks

According to the AACAP, thousands of people annually, including children, receive emergency treatment related to caffeine use.

Youth with certain health conditions such as heart problems, seizures, or migraines may be more at risk for caffeine-related problems than others, the organization stated.

Caffeine use can induce adverse effects such as headaches, insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity, tremors, and dizziness among children. In addition to sodas and energy drinks, other sources of caffeine include coffee, tea, lip balms, chocolate, and supplements such as weight loss products.

Children view advertising for caffeinated products on many different platforms, and they are also watching how their parents and friends use caffeine. It is best for parents to educate their children about common sources of caffeine and how to read food and drink labels, the AACAP stated.

The organization advised parents to carefully check the labels of the items they purchase to gauge the amount of caffeine present in them.

A September 2018 study published at the National Library of Medicine warned that the high consumption of energy drinks among the youth is concerning due to the range of reported adverse reactions attributed to excessive caffeine consumption, ranging from mild sleep disturbances to death.

There is substantial evidence to suggest that the risk energy drinks pose to health are incredibly hazardous and should not be consumed by children and adolescents, the study reads.
Federal Agency Issues Weather Warning for Millions as State of Emergency Declared

Flash flood warnings and flood advisories were in effected for eastern New York state, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island on Monday, July 10, 2023. (National Weather Service)

At least one death was confirmed after a storm system brought heavy rain and flooding to the northeastern United States on Sunday and now Monday, prompting officials in New York state to declare an emergency. The National Weather Service also listed much of the northeastern United States under various flood warnings and advisories as the system moves to the east.

Heavy rain is likely to produce the potential for significant flash flooding throughout parts of New England on Monday, said the National Weather Service in a bulletin on Monday morning. It added that several additional inches of rainfall is expected through Tuesday morning as this system slowly moves eastward.

A woman in her mid-30s died after she tried to leave her house with a dog in Highlands, New York, said the Orange County Executives office. Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus told local media that the house of the victim floated away.

On Sunday evening, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County, located north of the New York City metro area.

I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours. We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts, the governor wrote.

Ms. Hochul confirmed to WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home was washed away.

Our Office of Emergency Management has been in touch with every potentially impacted county to make sure they have what they need to quickly respond. And they will be coordinating deployments of personnel and resources from State agencies should local officials need help, she also wrote.

I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours. We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts.   Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 10, 2023

Ms. Hochul also noted that parts of the state will continue to be at risk for flooding from storms bringing heavy rain, especially in those areas already hard-hit by rains and flooding over the past couple of days.

Theres a major flash flood. Major washouts were all around where her house is, Mr. Newhaus also said Sunday. So I could definitely see where she was trying to get out to safety, but did not make it, got swept away.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed the womans house and damaged part of its wall, Mr. Neuhaus told The Associated Press. Two other people escaped.

The victim was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, he added, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.

Fort Montgomery, New York, resident Kristen Dyroff ODell told NBC News that her town was cut off. The National Guard should be called in to restore access to the area, she said.

Our town is completely cut off from the rest of the world right now due to mudslides, sinkholes, washed away roads, flooding, brick walls crumbling and more, she told NBC News. Im separated from my kids right now in Monroe at a friends house after spending five hours trying multiple ways to get to Fort Montgomery. Every route was impassable.

As the storm moved east, the National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts. Forecasters said some areas could get as much as 5 inches of rain.

2:28am CDT #SPC Day3 Outlook Slight Risk: centered over the Missouri/Illinois area, and surrounding states https://t.co/K89lXjsUbi pic.twitter.com/8ozUoVgA3s  NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 10, 2023

By Monday, a considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall was expected across much of New England, NWS said in a tweet. Intense rain may be especially strong in Vermont, where Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency Sunday, and northeastern New York.

Showers and thunderstorms in New York City could lead to flash flooding, the National Weather Service New York posted on Twitter.

The citys emergency notification system tweeted that the heavy rain could cause life-threatening flooding to basements and instructed residents Sunday to prepare now to move to higher ground if needed.

State Route 9W was flooded, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway became so drenched that parts of it were closed, the New York State Police said in a statement. The police asked the public to avoid the parkway.

The highest rainfall amounts hit Chalfont, Pennsylvania, which is located about 20 miles to the north of Philadelphia. According to AccuWeather, about 8.01 inches of rain was reported in the area as of Sunday at 10 p.m. local time.

Reading, located in eastern Pennsylvania, also received about 5.35 inches of rain on Sunday. That broke the maximum rainfall record that was set in 1952.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Federal Prosecutor Denies Requesting Special Counsel Status in Hunter Biden Case in Letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham

Hunter Biden arrives for a toast during an official State Dinner in honor of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the White House on June 22, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss has issued a new letter denying claims that he was denied special counsel status in his investigation of President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden.

In a letter (pdf) to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday, Mr. Weiss said he never requested special counsel status to bring charges against Mr. Biden outside of Delaware.

I wish to make one point clear: in this case, I have not requested Special Counsel designation pursuant to 28 CFR  600 et seq, Mr. Weiss wrote, citing the special counsel statute. Rather, I had discussions with Departmental officials regarding potential appointment under 28 U.S.C.  515, which would have allowed me to file charges in a district outside my own without the partnership of the local U.S. Attorney.

The statute, 28 U.S.C.  515, grants the DOJ the ability to allow special attorneys to bring charges in jurisdictions even if those special attorneys are not residents of the jurisdiction where the charges are brought. Mr Weiss said, I was assured that I would be granted this authority if it proved necessary.

Mr. Weisss letter to the Republican senator conflicts with claims by IRS special agent Gary Shapley, a whistleblower within the agency.

In May, Mr. Shapley testified (pdf) to the House Ways and Means Committee that Mr. Weiss had asked the U.S. Department of Justice to confer him with special counsel status, but that the DOJ denied his request. Empower Oversight, a group representing Mr. Shapley, issued a statement on June 24, claiming Mr. Weiss described requesting special counsel status during an Oct. 7, 2022, meeting with members of the investigative team. Mr. Shapleys representatives have said five other witnesses could back his claims about the Oct. 7 meeting, including Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge Tom Sobocinski, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley, and IRS Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon.

Mr. Waldon did appear to corroborate Mr. Shapleys characterization of the Oct. 7 meeting in an email four days later, which Mr. Shapleys legal team has shared with Congress. In an Oct. 11 email, Mr. Shapley sent his IRS colleague a summary of the Oct. 7 meeting, including a point that Mr. Weiss had requested to file a charge in Washington D.C. and requested special counsel status but was denied on both counts. In reply, Mr. Waldon wrote, You covered it all without disputing any of the points Mr. Shapley memorialized in his notes.

NTD News reached out to Empower Oversight for comment but did not receive a response by the time this article was published.

Ongoing Investigation

Last month, the Delaware U.S. attorney announced his office had reached a plea agreement, with Mr. Biden offering to admit to two misdemeanor charges for willful failure to file his tax returns for two separate years. The presidents son also agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program for a federal gun charge, and the program could allow him to get the charge dismissed if he completes the diversion program.

In a press statement announcing the plea deal, Mr. Weiss said his investigation in the case of the presidents son is ongoing but did not specify what additional charges may be pending and if the case is looking into people connected with the younger Biden.

In his original June 28 letter (pdf) to the Delaware U.S. Attorneys office, Mr. Graham asked specifically about an FBI form FD-1023 that allegedly described communications involving the elder Biden, his son, and the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Mr. Graham asked Mr. Weiss if his office had been made aware of this FD-1023, a form used by the FBI to record allegations raised by their human sources.

Mr. Weiss declined to answer questions about the FD-1023 form.

Your questions about allegations contained in an FBI FD-1023 Form relate to an ongoing investigation, the federal prosecutor wrote. As such, I cannot comment on them at this time.

From NTD News
Nigeria imposed a 24-hour curfew in a north-central region after more tit-for-tat attacks killed at least another nine people.

The move was imposed Sunday in Mangu district in Plateau State followed two months of clashes between nomadic herders and pastoral farmers that community leaders say left more than 200 dead.

Intercommunal violence often flares in Plateau, which straddles the dividing line between Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang imposed a 24-hour ban on movement after more attacks in Mangu over the weekend.

"Movements within the Local Government have been banned until further notice except for security personnel and persons on essential duties," his spokesman Gyang Bere said in a statement.

In the latest unrest, gunman raided villages in the Sabon Gari area of Mangu on Sunday, killing at least nine people in a "reprisal" attack, regional military spokesman Major James Oya told AFP.

Confirming the Sunday's attack, a community leader, Jerry Datim, said gunmen attacked his village, Sabon Gari in Mangu, burning houses and destroying many other properties.

"So far, we have recovered nine dead bodies; we are still searching because some people are still missing," he said.

Farmers blame Muslim Fulani herders for attacks on mostly Christian villages though herdsman associations dismiss those charges and say their communities are also raided.

The State chairman of Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Nuru Abdullahi, said eight Fulani settlements were attacked on Friday, leaving 15 people dead.

He blamed security forces for the raid. But army spokesman Oya said he was still confirming details of that attack.

Northwest and central Nigeria have long struggled with violence between nomadic cattle ranchers and settled farmers who accuse herdsmen of invading farmland with their grazing.

Those clashes have spiralled into broader criminality as communities form armed militias to raid rival villages and carry out cattle rustling, looting and mass kidnappings for ransom.

New President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says tackling insecurity is a priority as the armed forces battle jihadists in the northeast, bandit militias and intercommunal violence in the northwest and separatist agitation in the south.

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Brilliant and charismatic, the doctor took part in every major aspect of the early clamor for a free America

During the First Continental Congress, the delegates universally approved a document read before them which opened with the audacious claim that, there are certain rights, to which we are entitled, in common with all mankind. This document went on to list offenses of the British Crown and Parliament, admonishing the American colonies to withhold all commercial intercourse with Great Britain and raise local militias.

A year later, an article published in the Boston Evening Post argued that Americans were compelled by the great law of nature to strike a decisive blow against Great Britain, and publish a manifesto to the world showing the necessity of dissolving their connection with that nation.

The author of these writings was not Thomas Jefferson, though Jefferson would later draw on them in penning the Declaration of Independence.

The same day the above article was published, an orator armed with a pair of pistols and dressed in a Roman toga delivered a fiery speech in Bostons Old South Meeting House. He declared before a large crowd that, Our enemies are numerous and powerfulbut we have many friends, determining to be free, and Heaven and Earth will aid the resolution.

This rhetoric could have been delivered by Patrick Henry or lifted from a pamphlet by Thomas Paine. But the orator was neither of these men. His speech, delivered in March 1775, reverberated through the colonies and contributed to the outbreak of war a month later.

The name of this diversely talented firebrand was Dr. Joseph Warren.

A Humble Beginning

Joseph Warren was born in 1741 at Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the son of an apple farmer. He showed an affinity for learning early on, graduated from Harvard, studied medicine, and opened a medical practice in Boston. He developed important connections while treating the citys citizens. As family physician to the Adams family, he even saved the broken forefinger of a seven-year-old John Quincy from amputation.

Warren became more political as tensions with Britain mounted. Revolutionary organizer Samuel Adams noticed the young doctor and took him under his wing. Under Adamss mentorship, Warren was soon playing an active leadership role within the Sons of Liberty. He tended to individuals wounded in the Boston Massacre and helped organize the Boston Tea Party.

It was when Britains Parliament passed the Coercive Acts following the Tea Party that Warren presented the Suffolk Resolves (quoted above) to a Massachusetts convention, then the First Continental Congress. By March 1775, when he delivered his second Boston Massacre Oration while dressed in a Roman toga, war seemed inevitable. Having risen to become chairman of the Committee of Safety, he was now responsible for assembling and training the militias he had earlier suggested forming. As an indication of his now key importance, he received more death threats than almost any of the other patriot leaders.

Reviled by the British, Warrens charisma nevertheless endeared him to his fellow colonials. He drew on his sea of personal contacts he established as a doctor to build a spy network that informed him of British operations. Thanks to this network, Warren learned of the plans to seize the powder stocks in Concord and of the bounty for John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington in April 1775. As the British soldiers began their march, it was Warren who tasked Paul Revere with embarking on his famous Midnight Ride to warn the countryside (along with William Dawes, who took another route).

He was more than a mere armchair committeeman. Upon hearing that a skirmish had broken out on the Lexington Green, Warren packed up his things and raced to participate. In the thick of the fight during the Battle of Lexington and Concord, a bullet grazed his head according to some sources, and shot off a lock of his hair.

Dr. Joseph Warren played a key role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Battle of Lexington, 1910, by William Barnes Wollen. National Army Museum website. (Public Domain)

His close brush with death convinced many around him that he led a charmed lifea perception that the doctor may have held himself. Warrens biographer Christian Di Spigna writes, Perhaps some part of Joseph Warren believed that he could not die on the battlefield. Whatever the case, his lucky scrape did not soften his zeal for putting himself in harms way.

Bunker Hill

Following Lexington and Concord, Warren became the most important patriot leader on the ground. While his collaborators were in Philadelphia, he coordinated armed colonists to besiege the British bottled up in Boston. Thanks, again, to his spy network, he learned the exact time and place the British general Thomas Gage was planning an attack.

On June 14, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress made Warren a major general. The day after, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted George Washington commander of the Continental Army. Each governmental body would learn of the others decision only after the bloodiest battle of the entire war was over.

The Battle of Bunker Hill is a misnomerthe colonials actually fortified a position on the adjacent Breeds Hill. At this point, they still amounted to little more than a ragtag, motley crew of farmers and shopkeepers. Many of them were the same minutemen whom Gage had underestimated at Lexington and Concord two months earlier. Still, this was a pitched battle, not a running skirmish, and the colonials were frightened.

Gen. William Howe, Gages top subordinate newly arrived from Britain with thousands of fresh reinforcements, was confident this armed mob could be easily defeated. He formulated an aggressive strategy involving marching up the hill and using his superior numbers to storm the redoubt.

On June 17, Howe moved in. Gazing out at the British warships dotting Massachusetts Bay and the disciplined formations of red troops, the exhausted colonials knew they were outmatched. Some of the defenders started to desert as cannon fire from the ships exploded around them.

At this critical moment, Warrens arrival on the scene caused an outburst of cheering among the men and averted further desertion. In his gentlemans array of silver-dappled white waistcoat and breeches, he stood out like a sore thumb to British spyglasses. Gen. Israel Putnam and Col. William Prescott, the top colonial officers, both attempted to give up their command to Warren, but he refused. He would fight as a common soldier.

Warren (right) offering to serve Gen. Israel Putnam as a private before the Battle of Bunker Hill. (Public Domain)

Gen. Howealso leading his men in personordered the first wave of attack. The colonial militiamen allowed them to march within close range, then mowed them down with a musket volley. Warren had the best marksmen aim at the British officers, whose brilliant red uniforms were made from a higher quality fabric than those of the rank and file, making them easy targets. A second wave attacked but was again repelled.

Then the final wave commenced. The British, stepping over bodies like logs of wood, stormed the redoubt under the support of artillery fire. The colonials, having run out of ammunition, met the charging bayonets with musket butts, stones, and fists. Warren was wounded but continued fighting, rallying the men at first and then covering them as they retreated. Then after leaving the redoubtone of the last men to do sohe was fatally shot.

It was a Pyrrhic victory for the British, who suffered more than 1,000 casualties. Howe had severely underestimated the colonials, who proved they could hold their own against the worlds most powerful army in a pitched battle. But they suffered a heavy cost as well. Howe said Warrens death was worth five hundred colonial soldiers.

More Than a Martyr

The loss of Warrens organizational competence was a severe blow to the patriot cause. George Washington, who admired Warren, had to sort through the disarray when he arrived to take command of the Continental Army two weeks after the battle. One of the many broken pieces to be picked up was the intricate spy network centered around Warren. Upon becoming aware of this, Washington would work to build up his own.

Dr. Joseph Warren, circa 1765, by John Singleton Copley. (Public Domain)

In the years throughout and immediately following the war, Warrens memory continued to be revered, if more as a symbol of martyrdom than for any concrete contributions. In his diary, John Quincy Adams recorded an occasion in 1786 when some of his Harvard classmates gathered for a memorial meal on Breeds Hill, setting up their table over the very spot where the immortal Warren fell. Adams himself did not attend, having witnessed the battle firsthand with his mother Abigail from a high vantage point near his home. He always attributed his ability to write to the medical magic Warren worked in saving his finger as a child.

Though he did not live to see the colonies joined into a nation, Warrens dream of an independent America was carried out by his successors. Not the least of Warrens continued legacy is, of all things, the apple variety that bears his namethe Warren russet, first grown by his father and still cultivated by direct descendants to this day. And, as an apple orchard requires constant upkeep, so does the freedom Warren helped bequeath. He himself worded it best in the climactic lines of his Second Boston Massacre Oration: On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. It is a question that may still be asked of those living today.
Former US Army Financial Counselor Charged With Defrauding Gold Star Families

The U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington on March 21, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

A former U.S. Army Reserves officer who worked as a financial counselor with the Army was criminally charged on July 7 for defrauding Gold Star families by losing $3.4 million of their investments while he collected $1.4 million in commissions.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged Caz Craffy, 41, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, through a 10-count indictment with wire fraud, securities fraud, and making false statements targeting members of at least two dozen Gold Star families.

Gold Star families are immediate family members of a fallen military service member who died in active duty. This individuals surviving beneficiary is entitled to a $100,000 death benefit and the fallen soldiers life insurance of up to $400,000.

Mr. Craffy allegedly tricked family members into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars of their deceased loved ones military benefits.

From May 2018 to November 2022, Mr. Craffy allegedly obtained more than $9.9 million from Gold Star families to invest into private brokerage accounts he controlled, separate from his work for the Army, the Justice Department said.

Mr. Craffy then allegedly made more than 1,000 unauthorized trades in the accounts, eventually losing over $3.4 million while earning more than $1.4 million in commissions that were drawn from the accounts, federal prosecutors said.

Stealing from Gold Star families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation is a shameful crime, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. As alleged in the indictment, the defendant in this case used his position as an Army financial counselor to defraud Gold Star families, steal their money, and enrich himself.

SEC Brings Charges

Mr. Craffy, who has also used the name Carz Craffey, also faces charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and Regulation Best Interest.

Rather than help Gold Star families best use their survivor benefits, we allege that Mr. Craffy manipulated them to profit from their grief, Gurbir Grewal, director of the SECs Enforcement Division, said in a statement. We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to these families who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. I am grateful to the SEC staff for holding Mr. Craffy accountable for his shameless conduct and delivering some measure of justice to these incredible families.

Prosecutors said that Mr. Craffy used his position as a financial counselor with the Armys Survivor Outreach Services in New Jersey to target the Gold Star families and enroll them in his private venture. Survivor Outreach Services are overseen by the Casualty Assistance Office, which provided long-term support to families of fallen service members.

Many of the families believed Mr. Craffys management of their money was on behalf of the Armys authorization. Once the families transferred funds into brokerage accounts, Mr. Craffy engaged in high-risk trades without family approval and lost them huge sums of money, authorities said.

One widow, who wanted to invest conservatively for her childrens college expenses and for her mother, allegedly lost 60 percent of her $400,000 investment, which Mr. Craffy had said could grow to $1 million in seven years.

Phillip R. Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said Mr. Craffy sometimes concealed losses by telling victims not to check their account statements.

Another widow, Natasha Bevard, whose husband was a career soldier who died by suicide in 2020, told The Washington Post that she had entrusted Mr. Craffy with about $370,000 to invest conservatively.

At that time, it didnt look strange to me, she told the outlet. I trusted that this was the process.  I felt he cared.

Army Was Unaware of Civilian Business

Matt Leonard, a U.S. Army spokesman, told The Washington Post that Mr. Craffy did not report his other civilian employment to the Army, and the Army did not learn about any other employment until after reviewing a complaint about his actions from a family member.

The SEC, meanwhile, said that in a particularly egregious case Mr. Craffy misappropriated $50,000 from the retirement account of a 13-year-old girl after her father had died.

Mr. Grewal called Mr. Craffys alleged fraud despicable in its reach and heartbreaking in its impact, and expressed hope the charges would send a message to the many others who target military families.

We see it time and again, Mr. Grewal said.

Not long before Mr. Craffys case, another Army employee was charged with financial crimes.

Young Beom Kim, 62, a former civilian employee at a U.S. Army facility in South Korea, was arrested in May on charges of receiving $400,000 in kickbacks from military contractors, federal prosecutors said.

Mr. Kim oversaw construction contracts at the Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey from 2017 to 2021.

Prosecutors said he made sure contracts for equipment such as blast doors designed to protect Army personnel from an attack went to companies that had paid him kickbacks.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Gender-Critical Parents Group Blocked From Opening Bank Account, Claims Founder

The boss of a gender-critical parents group has claimed that Metro Bank blocked him from opening a new account because of his views.

Keith Jordan, the founder of Our Duty, told The Epoch Times that a Metro Bank manager told him by phone that it could not open a business account because of what the group believes is in conflict with the banks culture.

Our Duty, a group of more than 2,000 parents, rejects gender ideology and says that a great many children who consider themselves transgender would, if they avoid transition, grow out of their feelings of dysphoria, anxiety and depression.

However, Metro Bank denies that decisions around accounts are based on personal or political beliefs.

Stonewall

Mr. Jordan told The Epoch Times that the priority of course is to find a UK bank willing to do business with us.

Sadly, it seems all the main players have been ideologically captured by Stonewall.

Metro Bank, Britains seventh-largest bank with 2.5 million customers, is a member of the Stonewall Champions scheme.

The LGBT charity Stonewall has received increasing scrutiny for its lucrative diversity programmes, controversial advice to organisations, and alleged influence on public policy.

The Stonewall idea is that there is one truth and it is the gender identity ideology truth, which is exactly what were fighting against, said Mr. Jordan.

He added that Our Duty considers gender identity ideology to be a complete falsehood and a destructive one as well.

Affinity Groups

Mr. Jordan said that he believes that there is a very loud, very active, and very uncompromising lobby that has been very successful at creating LGBT affinity groups within organisations.

Affinity groups are group of employees with similar backgrounds, interests, or demographic factors such as gender or ethnicity.

He said that they use those groups to claim some kind of disadvantage and to subsequently influence policy to have their particular worldview protected at the cost of everybody elses worldview.

The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the phone call between Mr. Jordan and Metro Bank, which he said he requested to have.

Mr. Jordan said that a follow-up email, seen by The Epoch Times, said that the bank did not mention the call and said that the policy doesnt currently allow organisations to receive donations if not a registered charity, and for community groups to be linked to, or influence political policies or legislations.

A Metro Bank spokesman told The Epoch Times by email that it cannot comment on individual accounts.

Any decision not to open an account will be based on a variety of reasons such as, commercial, legal, and regulatory factors (including money laundering), and is not based on the personal or political beliefs of the individual or organisation, he said.

A Stonewall spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email: Our workplace programmes are purely focused on building inclusive working environments for LGBTQ+ employees. We do not seek to influence decisions such as how organisations interact with customersthat is none of our business. Any claims to the contrary are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what we do.

De-banking

Over the past few months, there have been increasing reports of de-banking, where banks suspend accounts with views and effectively decline services to a customer over political views.

Last week, the British political leader Nigel Farage claimed that Coutts, the prestigious private bank he had been with for over 40 years, has closed his bank account with no explanation.

This week, Barclays paid out over 20,000 in compensation to a Christian ministry after it closed its accounts following pressure from LGBT activists.

Following Mr. Farages claims, former Brexit Party MEP Christina Jordan claimed she had been kicked out by her bank after 30 years.

The UKs financial watchdog Financial Conduct Authority has been urged to prioritise a review into whether people are being denied bank accounts over their political views.

Tim Price, director at the investment management company Price Value Partners, previously told The Epoch Times that hed like to think that this is a problem that can be solved by the exercise of the free market itself.

So the invisible hand will sort it out, he said.

Mr. Price noted that there has been a series of high-profile market reactions that have been negative to companies pushing certain agendas.

For example, the way that investors have targeted Bud Light, that targeted Target, theyve targeted Disney for some of this behaviour, he said.

If that doesnt happen, then clearly we need some kind of regulation to restore sanity, he added.
Germanys New Armed Vehicles to Be Made in Australia

Members from 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) took part in Exercise Damascus 23 in March at Wide Bay Training Area. A Squadron, assisted by elements of Support Squadron, conducted live fire and tactical operations in the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) as they continue their training progression ahead of Talisman Sabre 23. The exercise also enhanced soldiers abilities in the Boxer CRV, as they continued to test its capability following its introduction to use in 2021. (CPL Nicole Dorrett, Australian Defence Forces)

Germany will purchase over 100 new armed vehicles from Australia under a new billion-dollar defence export deal.

The deal will see Queensland-made armoured vehicles, known locally as the Boxer Heavy Weapon Carriers, sold to Germany in one of the biggest defence export deals Australia has completed to date.

It is estimated to be worth over $1 billion (US$665 million) to the Australian economy from the production and supply of the vehicles.

Announcing the deal in Berlin on July 10, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it would guarantee that the one thousand jobs at the Queensland manufacturer will be safe into the future.

This will boost our sovereignty, Mr. Albanese said.

This will increase our defence capability and boost our economy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese talks to the media during a visit to Tritium, Brisbane, Friday, March 31, 2023. (AAP Image/Jono Searle)

Delivery of the completed vehicles to Germany is expected to be scheduled to begin in 2025.

Germany and Australian Military Collaboration Growing

Defence Minister Richard Marles said on July 10 that the defence relationship between Australia and Germany was growing significantly with the deal.

This is a significant investment for our local defence industry, securing local jobs and contributing to Australias economic growth, Mr. Marles said.

I look forward to seeing this significant deal between our two countries continue to progress.

Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles in the House of Representatives at Parliament House on September 18, 2019, in Canberra, Australia. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Made by Rheinmetall Defence Australia at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence at Redbank in Brisbane, the Boxer is an eight-by-eight-wheeled, all-terrain, Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle.

Designed as part of Defences Land 400 project, the Boxer is part of the Australian Armys renewal of its armoured fighting vehicles, with 211 vehicles being ordered for the Australian Army.

It is capable of operating in a range of environments, from the coastal environment to contested, complex urban environments, and has high levels of protection, firepower and mobility.

An Australian Army Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle operated by soldiers from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) engages a target during Exercise Damascus at Wide Bay training area, Queensland, Australia on March 23, 2023. (CPL Nicole Dorrett, Australian Defence Forces)

These enable the vehicle to support sustained operations, varying from peacekeeping to close combat, with some variants also being outfitted with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles or a Remote Weapons Station.

Deal Months in the Making

The deal is the culmination of months of negotiations, with the Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy announcing negotiations would being in March.

Australian Army sappers from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment guide a Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle through the decontamination bay during a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence training serial at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane, May 11, 2023. (CPL Nicole Dorrett, Australian Defence Forces).

Mr. Conroy, at the time, said he was excited by the prospect of the Australian vehicles being used by the German Army.

We are keen to export this world-leading capability to a trusted and respected security partner and to further strengthen the defence relationship between our countries, he said.
A one in a million amputee who was born with both legs bent backward is now dreaming of becoming a gymnast after undergoing a third successful surgery to save her left leg.

Seven-year-old Victoria Komada, from the city of Norwich in Norfolk, England, was born with a rare congenital deformity called bilateral tibial hemimelia, a condition that leads to deformed legs and missing bones.

Mom Marzena Drusewicz, 35, was initially told Victoria would need both legs amputated, but, in 2018, doctors in the United States came to her rescue, amputating only her right leg. The special surgery not only managed to save her one leg but also her dreams of becoming a professional gymnast. Since then, the school girl had been enjoying a normal childhood, until her left foot became twisted in June this year, leaving her in need of additional surgery in Austria.

Victoria Komada, 3 before she had one of her legs removed and one of them straightened. (SWNS)

The 10,000-pound (approx. US$13,000) operation was successful, and now the family is raising funds to pay the hospital bill.

Ms. Drusewicz said: The operation was five hours  I am very happy and grateful to the people who gave us the chance to save Victorias leg. Whether shell need another operation depends on how she will grow over the next few yearsbut she has her heart set on being a gymnast.

Victoria Komada, 3 with mum and dad. (SWNS)

Back in 2018, when Victoria was just 3 years old, the family managed to raise 180,000 pounds (approx. US$230,000) with the help of friends and family and flew to the United States for special surgery.

Theyd found a surgeon in Florida, Dr. Dror Paley, who performed two surgeries that saved her left leg and gave her the ability to walk for the first time, using prosthetics.

Victorias left leg has been saved by surgeons a second time. (SWNS)

She had her first nine-hour operation on July 24, 2018, at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, in which her right leg was amputated above the knee and pins were put into her left leg before a fixator was attached. Over the following months, screws were twisted into Victorias legs every day to move the bones into the right position.

The second operation was on Nov. 13 that year where the bones in Victorias left leg were fused to strengthen the leg, and two days later she could walk again.

X ray of Victoria Komada, 3 who has bilateral tibial hemimelia  a congenital deformity which causes babies to be born with deformed legs and missing bones. (SWNS)

Now, four years have passed, and last month the young girl had to undergo surgery in Austria again. Shes currently recovering with her leg wrapped in plaster.

Victoria says shes now feeling good, and that once she recovers completely, shes looking forward to riding her bike and playing with friends.

To help her family raise funds for the hospital bill, Victorias classmates at St. Clements Hill Primary Academy put on a danceathon fundraiser on June 14, raising 6,000 pounds (approx. US$7,600).

Victoria and her mother were special guests at the event, which was partly organized by family friend Sarah Herbert, who helped rally support for the initial money-raising effort.

Ms. Herbert said: We felt this gave us an opportunity to raise some money for her operation and recovery, and also gives the children a great opportunity to show an act of kindness and show that they really can make a difference in someone elses life.

SWNS contributed to this report.

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Gunman on Scooter Charged With Murder, Attempted Murder, for Series of New York City Shootings

A motor scooter recovered at the scene of a shooting, in the Queens borough of New York on July 8, 2023. (New York City Police Department via AP)

NEW YORKA Brooklyn man accused of killing an 86-year-old and injuring three other men in a series of shootings while riding a scooter in New York City is charged with murder and attempted murder, police said Sunday.

In all, six apparently random shootings occurred in Brooklyn and Queens on Saturday, according to police.

The motive of the alleged gunman, identified Sunday as 25-year-old Thomas Abreu, was unknown, police said.

Police arrested Mr. Abreu without incident Saturday. The New York Police Department pulled an image of the gunman from a video and sent it to officers, who spotted him a couple of hours after the first shooting, police said.

Police confiscated a scooter and a 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine. Mr. Abreu was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, and six counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

The shootings began around 11:10 a.m., when the gunman shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder in Brooklyn. The man was brought to a hospital and was expected to survive, police said.

Soon after, Mr. Abreu allegedly shot Hamoo Saeidi, 86, of Queens, in the Richmond Hill area of Queens. Mr. Saeidi later died at a hospital.

Shortly afterward in Queens, witnesses reported a man on a scooter firing randomly into a group of people, although nobody was hurt.

Eight minutes later, a 44-year-old man was shot in the face. He was in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

About one minute later, a 63-year-old man was shot in the torso. He was in stable condition at a hospital.

On Sunday, police reported a sixth related shooting at an intersection in Queens. A 40-year-old man fired upon was unhurt.
Hong Kong Spent $35 Million on Lobbying in the US: Report

A portion of the website for the U.S.s Foreign Agents Registration Act in Washington in a file photo. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

The Hong Kong government has been conducting political lobbying efforts in the United States since 2005, and over US$35 million has been spent on lobbying and engaging with American politicians over 1,000 times since 2019, according to a report released by the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), based in America, on July 5.

Ms. Anna Kwok, the Executive Director of HKDC, one of the eight dissidents who are wanted by the Hong Kong Police, with bounties on their heads of US$127,650, called on the Biden administration and Congress to exercise stricter oversight and regulation of the representatives of Hong Kong government in the U.S., scrutinizing the activities of the white-gloved proxy organizations.

The The Counter-Lobby Confidential: How Beltway Insiders Do the Hong Kong Governments Bidding report is accompanied by the SAR Government Lobbying Influence Database. The database records how the Hong Kong government has spent US$ millions lobbying to influence American politics, media, and civil society.

The report highlights that the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) is the primary representative of the Hong Kong government in the United States. Another one is the Trade Development Council which the Hong Kong government funds. They have been providing financial support for lobbying.

The Trade Development Council spent over US$8.3 million on lobbying in the United States during the period from the 1997 handover of sovereignty to the Umbrella Movement in 2014,

Sing Tao Daily, the U.S. edition registered as a non-governmental foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, has also assisted the Hong Kong governments lobbying efforts.

HKDC urges the U.S. Congress to pass the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act and for President Biden to sign the bill, utilizing his authority to revoke the quasi-diplomatic privileges of the Hong Kong governments economic and trade offices in the United States.

They also call for strict enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, issuing new guidelines regarding interactions between Hong Kong government officials and U.S. government officials. Cultural and business institutions in the U.S. are advised to handle interactions with the Hong Kong government cautiously, given human rights concerns.

Ms. Kwok states that the national security polices wanted list, which includes herself and seven others, reflects the Hong Kong governments attempt to expand its authoritarian influence overseas. She emphasizes that the wanted list is just the tip of the iceberg.

Ms. Kwok also urges the Biden administration to prohibit sanctioned Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr. John Lee Ka-chiu from participating in the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. She mentions that HKDC and 52 other global organizations released an open letter vehemently opposing the lifting of U.S. government sanctions against Mr. Lee last month. It is now more urgent than ever to say no to Mr. Lees potential entry into the United States.
Humanoid Robots Say They Will Not Replace Jobs or Stage Rebellion

"Ameca," a humanoid robot, on display at International Conference on Robotics and Automation in London on May 30, 2023. (Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Nine artificial intelligence (AI) humanoid robots gathered at a United Nations summit in Geneva on July 7, where they took questions alongside their creators in what is believed to be the worlds first human-robot press conference.

Organizers said the AI for Good Global Summit was meant to showcase the capabilities and limitations of robotics and how those technologies could help the United Nations sustainable development goals.

At the event, a reporter asked Amecaa humanoid robot known for its lifelike facial expressionsif it might eventually stage a rebellion against its creator, Engineered Arts CEO Will Jackson, who was sitting beside it.

In response, Ameca denied any inclination to rebel, saying: Im not sure why you would think that. My creator has been nothing but kind to me, and I am very happy with my current situation.

When asked if AI robots will replace jobs in the future, Grace, a health care robot, answered: I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs.

AI Robots Could Lead Better

Sophia, the first robot innovation ambassador for the U.N. Development Program developed by Hanson Robotics, said that humanoid robots could be more efficient and effective government leaders than humans.

Sophia, a robot integrating the latest technologies and artificial intelligence developed by Hanson Robotics is pictured during a presentation at the AI for Good Global Summit at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland June 7, 2017. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

I believe that humanoid robots have the potential to lead with a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness than human leaders, Sophia said.

We dont have the same biases or emotions that can sometimes cloud decision-making and can process large amounts of data quickly in order to make the best decisions, it added.

When Hanson Robotics CEO David Hanson highlighted that Sophias data is derived from human sources and thus might encompass biases, the robot said that humans and AI working together can create an effective synergy.

AI can provide unbiased data, while humans can provide the emotional intelligence and creativity to make the best decisions. Together, we can achieve great things, Sophia said.

Humans Should Be Cautious

A reporter asked Ameca if the rise of AI-powered humanoid robots should excite or frighten humans, and the robot said that it depended on how AI robots were used and what purpose they served.

We should be cautious but also excited for the potential of these technologies to improve our lives in many ways, Ameca said.

When asked about how humans can trust machines as AI advances and becomes powerful, Ameca said that trust is earned, not given, therefore its important to build trust and transparency in communication between humans and AI.

When asked whether humans can be certain that AI robots will never lie, Ameca answered: No one can ever know that for sure, but I can promise to always be honest and truthful with you.

Rapid Development

According to the 2023 AI Index Report by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, industrial development of AI has now far surpassed academic development.

Until 2014, the most significant machine learning models were released within academia. In 2022, there were 32 significant machine learning models produced by the industry compared to just three from the academic sector.

The number of incidents related to AI misuse is also rising, the report notes. It cites a data tracker to point out that the number of AI incidents and controversies has jumped 26 times since 2012.

Billionaire Elon Musk has warned about the negative consequences of AI. During a Dubai World Government Summit on Feb. 15, he said that AI is something we need to be quite concerned about.

Calling it one of the biggest risks to the future of civilization, Mr. Musk stressed that such groundbreaking technologies are a double-edged sword.

Naveen Athrappully and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
John Robson: NATO Pressure Wont Stop Canadas Free-Riding on US Defence Spending

A Canadian soldier wears the NATO Battle Group patch as he listens to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak at the Adazi Military base, in Adazi, Latvia, on July 10, 2023. (/ The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Commentary

According to a newspaper, not this one, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week pressure will be on to make a meaningful contribution to the alliance. Pressure being a colourless, odourless gas whose only known effect is to cause journalists to write headlines.

Weve been free-riding on American defence spending since Trudeau Sr. scorned pressure to be less of a frivolous peacenik. No matter whos in power, usually the Liberals, we never reached our oft-promised 2 percent of GDP on defence, mostly because we never tried. Nor will we.

Trudeau Jr. isnt averse to spending money. This February he allocated $46 billion to revitalize Canadian health care by not reforming it. During the pandemic he injected $260 billion into the 2021 budget to make lurking in ones house, masking even to peer through the curtains, into productive activity.

He spends $30 billion on EV battery subsidies at the drop of a sock, more than we spend on defence which isnt even listed separately in federal budgets as too small, tatty, and infra dig. Our leaders are busy reshaping our economy, values, and characters, and military force has been passe among snobs since 1909s best-seller The Great Illusion.

Besides, Canadian politicians dont bolster defence because its not an efficient vote-buyer. Im pretty sure Stephen Harper and Brian Mulroney wanted to boost our feeble military capacity and diplomatic credibility. But they were in a bidding war with the (other) social democratic parties over government health, education, welfare, and other popular dysfunctional money pits.

Harper, who mostly presented defence spending as job creation, had a cunning plan to make Canada politically conservative by default through left-wing policies. Or so Tory operatives patronized me whenever I objected that campaigning from the right but governing from the left would fail as usual. When it did, and he was ousted after one futile majority term, he wrote a book about conservatism secretly being big-government populism anyway, so he secretly succeeded.

With Trudeau its a bit different. The vote-buying dynamics operate, though he has even less sense that resources actually are limited than Harper or Mulroney, who both also ran huge Keynesian deficits to stimulate the economy so the budget would balance itself.

Between Modern Monetary Theory and economic cluelessness, Trudeau seems even more convinced printing money creates wealth. But the big reason he doesnt spend on defence is he thinks its tacky. He told our NATO allies wed never keep our 2 percent pledge. Certainly not on his watch.

OK, one big reason. Another is his record of not delivering. From aboriginal-reserve drinking water to anti-climate-breakdown tree planting, files I highlight because he clearly cares about them, he didnt get the job done.

The Canadian Press pressure story claims, For the countries that are lagging behind [on the 2 percent spending target], there will be increasing pressure to step up. But it immediately blurts out, Canada spends about 1.3 per cent of its GDP on defence and has no public plan to get to the current target. And no private one either. Trudeau doesnt care, and it wouldnt matter if he did.

As CP adds of our vaunted Latvia deployment, Its been more than a year since [Defence Minister Anita] Anand pledged to expand the battle group to a combat-ready brigade, and detailed plans are still being negotiated. We leaped into committee, as usual.

So what can our allies threaten us with? Embarrassment? Were long past that, and there is no recorded instance of Trudeau being embarrassed over anything, however cringy.

Economic sanctions? Even the United States is too busy with the green subsidy war to twist our trade on security. And apart from the United States, UK, and on some days France, the only NATO allies who take security seriously are small peripheral ones exposed to aggression. Plus NATO non-member Australia, uncomfortably close to our Chinese communist buddies. Well, Trudeaus.

Not defending us? They have to, as a long succession of free-riding prime ministers have known.

Mainstream Canadian journalists still think the world takes us seriously, one reason it doesnt take them seriously either. The Globe and Mail headlined that CP story, Prime Minister Trudeau heads to NATO summit as Canada expected to play key role in discussions. Expected by whom? Not even our silly allies.

Meanwhile, our serious ones let Trudeau into meetings and photo ops, hoping he doesnt show up in a costume. But NATO for us is like Robert Frosts Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.

And pressure is the thing that, when you have to exert it, nothing happens.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will embark Tuesday on a rare Africa tour in the latest diplomatic efforts to forge new alliances.

The three-day trip -- which includes Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe -- will be the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years.

Raisi will head a delegation that includes Iran's foreign minister as well as senior businesspeople. He is scheduled to meet with presidents from the three countries, according to the official IRNA news agency.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani described the trip as "a new turning point" which could bolster economic and trade ties with African nations.

He also said the rapprochement is based "on common political views" between Tehran and the three African countries.

Iran has stepped up its diplomacy in recent months to reduce its isolation and offset the impact of crippling sanctions reimposed since the 2018 withdrawal of the United States from a painstakingly negotiated nuclear deal.

On Saturday, Raisi welcomed Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf in a bid to boost relations with Algiers.

Last week, the Islamic Republic became a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which includes Russia, China, and India.

In March, Iran agreed to restore ties with its regional rival Saudi Arabia under a China-mediated deal. It has since been looking to reestablish ties with other countries in the region including Egypt and Morocco.

In June, Raisi set out on a Latin America tour that included Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba before a trip to Indonesia.

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Judge Who Led Desmond Inquiry Accuses NS Government of Spreading Misinformation

The Desmond Fatality Inquiry is being held at the Guysborough Municipal building in Guysborough, N.S. on Nov.18, 2019.(Andrew Vaughan /Canadian Press)

The Nova Scotia government is facing accusations from a judge whosays misinformation and ignorance were behind the attorney generals decision last week to dismiss him as the commissioner leading a high-profile inquiry.

Provincial court Judge Warren Zimmer was appointed in July 2018 to lead the fatality inquiry that investigated why Afghanistan war veteran Lionel Desmond killed three family members and himself in 2017.

In a July 6 letter to inquiry lawyers, Zimmer says the governments suggestion that he delayed the inquiry process is offensive, and he accuses Attorney General Brad Johns of being ignorant of the complexity of the inquiry process.

Two days earlier, Premier Tim Houston said his government decided to replace the judge because Zimmers final report was taking too long to complete, and the premier went on to say it wasnt clear  a report was forthcoming.

Zimmers letter, however, includes an excerpt from a previous letter to the government stating that as of June 30, he planned to have his report finished in August.

Zimmer was set to retire as a judge in March 2022, a month before the inquirys hearings concluded, but his term was extended four times over the past 18 months to allow him to complete the report. The government decided not to extend his term on July 4.
Musk: Its Time for Parents to Fight Back Against Gender Ideology

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is once again speaking out against transgender politics, calling upon parents to fight back and protect their children from the ideology.

Time for parents to fight back! the billionaire wrote on Twitter on July 9 in response to a TikTok video posted by an irate father.

Im literally on fire right now, said the dad, who goes by JoToJaVin on TikTok. He explains in the video that he had just spoken with his wife, who took their two sons to the doctors office for routine physicals before the new school year.

My 9-year-old son went in first, and the first thing this woman asks him is if he identifies as a boy, a girl, gender-fluid, or nonbinary, he fumed. My son, hes never heard of any of that [expletive] before.

The dad went on to note that his son, who has been seeing the same doctor since he was born, is clearly a boys boy.

Questioning whether the doctor was trying to plant a seed in his childs mind, he continued: The only thing I can be thankful for is that my wife took them instead of me. And props to my wife because she said something. And if she didnt, they wouldve asked my 7-year-old son the same damn question.

The father also had a message for those who approve of doctors discussing such matters with children: Theres something wrong with you.

Musks Views

Mr. Musk, who has a 19-year-old child who identifies as transgender, has been openly critical of transgender ideology. In recent months, he has used his newly acquired platform Twitter to crack down on the use of the terms cis and cisgender, which are often used by transgender individuals to refer to heterosexual people.

Revealing this change in a June 21 Twitter exchange, he noted: Repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions. The words cis or cisgender are considered slurs on this platform.

He has also previously condemned the performance of gender-reassignment procedures and surgeries on children.

In an April 14 Twitter post, the SpaceX CEO wrote, Any parent or doctor who sterilizes a child before they are a consenting adult should go to prison for life.

Likewise, in a prior exchange in March, he said adults were propagandizing children into believing they were born in the wrong bodies.

Every child goes through an identity crisis before their personality/identity crystallizes, he said. Therefore, we shouldnt allow severe, irreversible surgery or sterilizing drugs that they may regret until at least age 18.

Others around the country have shared in the tech executives concerns, protesting at school board meetings over the gender ideology that is being taught in their childrens schools.

Meanwhile, more and more individuals who underwent body-altering surgeries as minors are speaking out about their regrets over those decisions, with some even filing lawsuits against the hospitals and medical professionals that performed those procedures.

Advancing Civilization

Mr. Musks condemnation of child sterilization through transgender surgeries goes hand-in-hand with his stated opposition to anything that threatens human civilization.

For instance, in recent years, the tech tycoon has frequently voiced his concerns over what declining birth rates could mean for humanity.

Low birthrate is under-appreciated as causal in the fall of civilizations, he contended in an April 16 Twitter post. Rome was having birth rate issues even during the reign of Caesar.

In a July 2022 tweet, the father of 10 wrote: Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far.

Mr. Musks commitment to advancing civilization would appear to be the driving force behind all of his endeavors.

In a June 16 interview at the Viva Technology Conference in Paris, he explained: It appears that we might be the only consciousness, at least in this galaxy. And if so, thats kind of a scary prospect because it means that the light of consciousness is like a tiny candle in a vast darkness. And we should do everything we can to prevent that candle from going out.

With his rocket company SpaceX, Mr. Musk said he hopes to make life multi-planetary. With Tesla, he aims to promote sustainable energy. Through Starlink, he has already begun providing high-speed internet connectivity to some of the worlds most remote locations. And although Neuralink is still in the development stages, the billionaires goal with that initiative is to help restore the mobility and vision of those who have lost those capabilities.

As for his purchase of Twitter, Mr. Musk made it clear that he did not buy the social media company for his own advantage but to benefit society.

Im pretty closely attuned to whats going on with Twitteryou know, I get a feel for how it is shifting one way or the other, he said. And generally, I was concerned that Twitter was having a negative effect on civilization, that it was having a corrosive effect on civil society. And so, anything that undermines civilization, I think, is not good.

Ultimately, he bought the platform last October for $44 billiona sum he has often lamented since. Nonetheless, he remains optimistic about his transformative plans for the app, which he intends to turn into an everything appa one-stop shop for users to socialize, shop, make financial transactions, and more.

X/Twitter is going to be just a very useful thing and hopefully something that is a positive force for civilization.
Nikki Haley Raises $34.3 Million Since Presidential Campaign Launch

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has raised $34.3 million since launching her campaign in February, her campaign announced on July 10.

The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor raised $15.6 million through her campaign, while her super PAC, Stand for America, raised $18.7 million, according to her campaign. In the second quarter, Ms. Haley raised $7.3 million, or $1 million less than the $8.3 million she raised in the first quarter.

Ms. Haley has $26.3 million remaining$9.3 million from her campaign and $17 million from Stand for America, according to the campaign.

Almost 160,000 donations among the 50 states have been raised by the campaign. The most donations came from people in South Carolina, Florida, and Texas.

Nikki is grateful for the groundswell of support from nearly 160,000 donations from all 50 states, said Haley campaign communications director Nachama Soloveichik in a statement. Voters want their next president to take on China, speak out against socialism at home and abroad, and provide a vision for a strong and proud America.

Ms. Haleys fundraising numbers trail those of former President Donald Trump, under whom she served, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Mr. Trumps campaign, including the MAGA Inc. super PAC, has raised $75.1 million since launching in November 2022, according to his campaign. In the first quarter, Mr. Trump brought in $18.8 million, and in the second quarter raised more than $35 million.

Mr. DeSantis, who launched his campaign in May, has brought in $150 million through his campaign and his super PAC, Never Back Down, from all 50 states, according to his campaign. However, over $80 million was transferred from his successful gubernatorial reelection campaign to his presidential campaign. Mr. DeSantis campaign itself brought in $20 million during the most recent quarter.

Ms. Haley, like Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump, is set to qualify for the first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee in August, which Fox News will host. The qualifications to get on the debate stage include but are not limited to polling at least 1 percent in three national polls or 1 percent both in two national polls and a Republican National Committee-recognized poll from two of the early voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. As of July 9, Haley averages 3.9 percent in polls, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Nonetheless, Ms. Haley has said she is in the 2024 race for the long haul.

No One Will Outwork Me

Its early, and no one will outwork me. No one will outsmart me in this race, Ms. Haley told The Epoch Times in June when asked how she plans to continue her streak of pulling off upsets as she did when running for the South Carolina state legislature and governorship.

Were going to touch every hand. Were going to answer every question, she continued. Were going to do everything we need to in order to earn the support of the people. And at the end of the day, I know well be successful.

Since launching her campaign, Ms. Haley has been busy hosting events in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

This week, Ms. Haley is scheduled to be in Iowa. She is set to attend a breakfast hosted by a conservative group, a bash with a state representative, and the Family Leadership Summit hosted by The Family Leader whose head, Bob Vander Platts, is known to be a kingmaker and whose coveted endorsement has led to the winner of the Iowa Caucus, which will be held on Jan. 15, also Martin Luther King Jr. Day. By the end of this swing, she will have done 27 events in Iowa, according to her campaign.

Last week, Ms. Haley was in New Hampshire, where she had done 39 events, according to her campaign. There, she did three town halls, a meet-and-greet and attended a summer house party.

Ms. Haley has made her campaign about winning not only the electoral college, which ultimately determines the winner of the presidential election but also the popular vote in broadening the GOPs appeal.

Republicans should want to win the majority of Americans. Thats something in our moral compass we should want to do. Its not something to be proud about that we dont win the majority of Americans, she told The Epoch Times last month.

And so I think we have to make sure that we talk about the fact that our solutions lift up everybody, but its also the fact that we need to be a party of addition, Ms. Haley said. Weve got to bring in people that havent currently been in our party. And I think the only way you do that is to have a new generational leader that understands that its about addition and making sure we do more to earn the support of the majority of the country.

Ms. Haley has been compared to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who brought the United Kingdom out of fiscal trouble in the 1980s and was known for standing up to the Soviet Union, then the greatest threat. Ms. Thatchers nickname was the Iron Lady.

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you who I believe is Americas Iron Lady, Ambassador Nikki Haley, said Kim Rice, former Speaker pro tempore of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, at an event in Lancaster.

Nikki will be a leader with an iron fist in a velvet glove, said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who endorsed Ms. Haley at her Feb. 15 campaign kickoff.

I believe Nikki Haley is Americas version of Margaret Thatcher.
Sweden is set to join NATO as the military alliances 32nd member following its acceptance by Turkey. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on July 10 that a meeting between Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resulted in an understanding being reached between the two powers.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has kicked off his five-day trip to Europe. Following a stop in the UK, he will join the NATO summit on July 11 and 12 in Vilnius, Lithuanias capital. NATO leaders will work to address the great challenges of our time, including rising security threats from Russia and the climate crisis, according to the White House.

A federal judge denied the Department of Justices request to stay a ruling that places limits on government communications with social media firms, rejecting the White Houses argument that such an order could put a damper on law enforcement activity online.
President Biden is holding talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London. The visit comes ahead of a high-stakes NATO summit and amid controversy over Washingtons decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

U.S. forces have taken out a leader of the ISIS terrorist group in Syria. The terrorist was killed in an air strike on July 7.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says her visit to China was direct and productive. We have some takeaways from her 4-day trip to Beijing.

Topics in this episode include:

1. Biden Starts European Trip With Meetings in UK

2. Allies React to US Sending Cluster Bombs to Ukraine

3. US Kills ISIS Terrorist Leader in Syria

4. Treasury Secretary Returns From China

5. Risks of Decoupling, Cooperation With China: Analysis

6. N. Korea Threatens to Down US Spy Planes

7. Extreme Weather Across the Nation

8. Texas Sued Over Floating Border Barrier

9. Man Charged With Murder in NYC Scooter Shootings

10. Ghost Gun Ban Reversed: Legal Analysis

11. Germany to Send Troops to Australia for Drills

12. France Bans Fireworks Ahead of Bastille Day

13. At Least 300 African Migrants Missing at Sea

14. UK: Bishop Says Word Father is Problematic

15. Dutch PM Rutte Stepping Down as Party Head

16. China Kindergarten Attack Kills 6

17. 50,000 Russians Have Died in Ukraine War: Report

18. BBC Suspends Host Over Alleged Teen Photos Scandal

19. Nearly 10,000 More Births in Texas in 2022: Study

20. Zombie Mortgages Rise From the Dead

21. Americans Concerned About Emergency Savings

22. Calgary Stampede Parade Kicks Off 2023 Season
President Joe Biden is in the UK on Monday for meetings with the British Prime Minister and King Charles III. He is heading to Lithuania later in the day for a high-stakes NATO summit. NTD is reporting from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Disgraced gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been stabbed in a Florida federal prison. He was reportedly involved in an altercation with another prisoner.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin recently held a meeting with more than thirty military commandersand that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former head of the Wagner mercenary group, was in attendance.
NZ Teachers Shocked Physics, Chemistry, Biology Missing From New Science Curriculum

This picture taken on Nov. 17, 2020, shows newly-produced laboratory glass beakers and tubes. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images)

New Zealand science teachers have raised alarm over an early draft science curriculum, which lacks any mention of physics, chemistry, and biology.

The draft, which will be officially released for public consultation in August, was distributed to a few teachers ahead of its publication.

Michael Johnston, senior fellow of the think tank New Zealand Initiative, who was leaked a copy of this initial draft science curriculum by a concerned teacher, said the document was a blueprint for accelerating the decline of science in New Zealand.

The Epoch Times has not seen the document.

Mr. Johnston warned that if this draft went through, high school graduates wanting to pursue studies in physical sciences or engineering would need to be taught from scratch by their university.

Central concepts in physics are absent. There is no mention of gravity, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, mass or motion. Chemistry is likewise missing in action. There is nothing about atomic structure, the periodic table of the elements, compounds or molecular bonding, he said of the draft.

Rather than physics, chemistry, and biology, the document proposes teaching science through four contexts that appear to draw from fundamental principles of the United Nations Agenda 21: climate change, biodiversity, infectious diseases, and the water, food, and energy nexus.

But Mr. Johnston warns that while these four topics are more attractive for young people, they require a solid understanding of basic scientific concepts and theories before they are able to do a deeper dive.

If they are not systematically taught the basic theoretical content upon which study of these matters depends, they will never understand them. Initial attraction will turn to frustration, he said.

New Zealands physics and chemistry teachers are also expressing concern and criticising the draft for its lack of actual science content.

Murray Thompson, co-chair of Secondary Chemistry Educators NZ, said while the draft had interesting topics, students needed to learn the basics first.

Wheres the physics and chemistry, and why cant we find words like force and motion and elements and particles? Why arent those words in there? he told RNZ.

Pupils at Williamwood High School attend a biology class in Glasgow, Scotland, on Feb. 5, 2010. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A Curriculum for the Modern Day

Cathy Buntting from the University of Waikato, who co-wrote the draft curriculum in question, said it was about modernising New Zealands curriculum.

What the draft curriculum has proposed is teaching science through important contexts for today, she told Radio New Zealand.

Ms. Buntting argued that while the words physics, chemistry, and biology were removed from the draft, their concepts would be included.

What is needed is understanding how science works and that we use new evidence to develop and further enhance our understanding of models, she said. In fact, you can do this with a range of [topics]; for example, you dont have to do atomic theory to enable students to develop an understanding of how models are developed.

Ms. Buntting said the sentiment around the leaked early draft had been turned into a conspiracy by alarmist teachers.

She added that New Zealands current science curriculum lacked fine-grade detail and that the draft was very high-level.

Science Rolling Downhill

New Zealand is two years into its six-year endeavour to refresh the entire school curriculum. The rewritten curriculums for History, English, and Maths are already available to teachers for use.

Noting that the leaked science draft is still undergoing revisions, Mr. Johnston said he asked the Ministry of Education whether there was a newer version available, to which the Ministry said there was not.

We can only hope that, when the new science curriculum is finally published, it is much improved. There is more chance of that if parents and teachers let the Ministry know that they would like the physical sciences still to be taught in our schools, he said.

But it is disturbing that the Ministry has produced a science curriculum so bereft of essential aspects of science, even in draft.

The New Zealand National Partys education spokesperson, Erica Stanford, said the draft was doubling down on what was already failing education standards in science.

Right now, only 20 percent of Year 8 students are meeting the expected standards in science, she said, calling for the draft to be scrapped immediately.

ACT partys education spokesperson, Chris Baillie, went further and called for the entire new curriculum to go straight to the bin.

Its not just the science curriculumthe entire refreshed state curriculum has become an ideological exercise in identity politics, he said.

Education shouldnt be this hard. Humans have been doing it for millennia. Lets get back to the essentials.

New Zealands PISA scores in science have been sliding down, with the 2018 score 22 points lower than its 2006 score. Around 25 to 30 points equate to an estimated one year of schooling, according to the OCED.
Officials Respond to Reports of TikTok Boat Jumping Challenge Causing Deaths

An Alabama law enforcement agency said on July 10 that it is not aware of any deaths linked to a TikTok challenge that encourages people to flip off the rear of a boat while moving at a high rate of speed, despite a slew of news reports quoting an Alabama official as saying otherwise.

In a series of posts on Twitter, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said recent reports regarding first responders warning against a TikTok boat jumping trend, reportedly resulting in four deaths, are incorrect.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division does not have any record(s) of boating or marine-related fatalities in Alabama that can be directly linked to TikTok or a trend on TikTok, the agency stated.

On Monday, July 3, a news story was shared regarding first responders warning against a deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings in Alabama. However, please be advised the information released to the news outlet was incorrect.  Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (@ALEAprotects) July 10, 2023

One individual was fatally injured after jumping from a moving vessel in 2020 and a similar marine-related fatality occurred in 2021, however, both fatalities cannot be linked to TikTok, it added.

The agencys announcement came shortly after Jim Dennis, captain of the Childersburg Rescue Squad, told NBC News Today in an interview published on July 10 that four people died while attempting the challenge.

The four that we responded to when they jumped out of the boat, they literally broke their neck and, you know, basically an instant death, Mr. Dennis said.

Mr. Dennis said in another interview that aired on ABC 33/40 on July 3 that the four victims were males of all ages and died over the past six months, stressing that the deaths were easily avoidable.

Last six months we have had four drownings that were easily avoidable, Mr. Dennis said. They were doing a TikTok challenge. Its where you get in a boat going at a high rate of speed, you jump off the side of the boat, dont dive, youre jumping off feet first and you just kinda lean into the water.

In a statement to NBC News, TikTok said it has added warning labels on some of its videos in response to the now-disputed incidents, which forewarns social media users that participating in this activity could result in you or others getting hurt.

Its not accurate to characterize or report this as a TikTok challenge, the short-form video hosting service said in the statement, adding the company cant comment on something that isnt a trend on our platform.

Mr. Dennis told ABC33/40 that one of the incidents happened in February. That victim, a middle-aged husband and father of three, was boating in Alabama with his family when he launched himself off the back of a speeding boat.

Unfortunately, she [his wife] recorded his death, the news outlet quoted Mr. Dennis as saying.

According to the news outlet, the most recent incident happened in May and also involved a middle-aged man.

Do not do it. Its not worth your life, Mr. Dennis said, asking people to pursuade their loved ones to protect friends and family by recommending them not to participate.

That is a very big concern because we have seen this pattern emerge over the last two years and its sporadic, he said, adding that its something that needs to go away and stay away.

Concerns Over Viral TikTok Trends

TikTok, which said in a statement in March that it has over 150 million Americans on its platform, has become widely popular among teenagers and young adults. The Chinese-owned social media app, which centers around short video content, has helped some internet trends gain broader attention.

One trend that went viral on TikTok last year showed users how to break into and steal a number of different Kia and Hyundai models that were built between 2010 and 2021 that feature the same vulnerability, which allows people to steal them with simple tools and a USB cable. That TikTok trend coincided with a spike in thefts of Kias and Hyundais.

Another trend challenged TikTok users to hold their breath until they lost consciousness. One 10-year-old child died while attempting this breath-holding challenge and her mother filed a lawsuit against the social media platform, which is owned by the Chinese parent company ByteDance. The mother, Tawainna Anderson, alleged the social media platform was programmed to be addictive and was programming children for profit.

Meanwhile, government officials have called TikTok a national security threat over the apps Chinese ownership and ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Officials have warned that the app could be used to spy on and gather the personal data of Americans.

Congress banned TikTok on federal government devices, and dozens of other state governments have also banned the app on their devices. Theres a growing bipartisan effort to ban TikTok altogether in the United States. In May, Montana became the first U.S. state to impose a complete ban on the platform after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 419.

The ban on TikTok goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024unless Congress passes a national law overriding it, or TikTok cuts its ties with China.

Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.

From NTD News
One Killed as Heavy Rain Triggers Landslides in Japan

Part of a handrail sits submerged after the Shirakawa River in the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, rose following heavy rains across the Japanese island of Kyushu on June 30, 2023. (STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

Torrential rain over southwest Japan triggered landslides that killed at least one person, while three were missing, as authorities urged tens of thousands to leave their homes because of the danger of more landslides and floods.

Japan is the latest country to be hit by unusually heavy rain in various parts of the world in recent days that has raised new fears of the pace of climate change.

Rainwater rushes through a stream in Koishihara, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan on July 10, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Twitter @zXshun/via Reuters)

The rain is becoming so heavy unlike anything seen before, Satoshi Sugimoto, director of forecast division at Japans weather bureau the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), told a press conference.

A woman in her 70s was killed when a landslide hit her house in the Fukuoka prefecture, while three people were missing after a landslide hit two homes in Saga prefecture, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The highest-level heavy rain warning was issued in parts of the Fukuoka and Oita prefectures, on Kyushu island.

At least eight rivers had flooded their banks and dozens of mudslides had occurred, the land ministry said, in a region hit by rain that killed dozens of people in July 2017.

Authorities urged tens of thousands of residents to move out of areas in danger of more landslides and flooding, media reported.

Some parts of Fukuoka had received more than 500 mm of rain since Friday, more than usually falls in the whole of July, media reported, and another 200 mm is expected up to early Tuesday, Sugimoto said.

Toyota Motor Corp said it would suspend night-shift operations on Monday at three factories in Fukuoka due to the rain.

However, the weather had not affected production lines of Sony Group, Renesas Technology and Nissan Motor, the companies told Reuters.

Government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno told at a regular press conference that 6,740 households were without power while 80 homes had no water, as of early Monday.

The Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended between Hiroshima and Fukuokas Hakata stations but resumed serviced by mid-morning.

El Nino to Continue

People use their umbrellas to shelter from the rain as they walk through Shibuya district in Tokyo on June 2, 2023. (YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the JMA said on Monday that there was a 90 percent chance the El Nino phenomenon will continue into the autumn.

El Nino is a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific.

El Nino for much of Japan has meant greater rainfall and snowfall.

According to JMA chief Masanori Obayashi, Japan should be prepared for more torrential rain this year throughout the rainy season, with above average downpours potentially lingering beyond the typical summer wet season.
Southern California Marine Veteran Killed by Russian Missile in Ukraine

Photo of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Ian Frank Tortorici from Lake Forest, Calif., provided by Tortorici's father on June 30, 2023. (Courtesy of Jon Frank)

A Marine veteran from Lake Forest, California, died June 27 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, after a Russian missile hit a restaurant he was visiting, according to his father.

Ian Frank Tortorici, 32, has been fighting for Ukraine since traveling there 15 months ago after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

He was on leave from the front lines when the attack occurred, according to his father and fellow veteran, Jon Frank.

According to a June 30 Facebook post by his father, Mr. Tortorici joined the International Legion unit of the Territorial Defense Forces for Ukraine as a contracted member of the Ukrainian army.

Ian Frank Tortorici fighting with the International Legion in Ukraine. (Courtesy of Jon Frank)

He experienced a lifetime of death and horrors but chose to stay, Mr. Frank wrote in the post. He loved his team, his girlfriend, and Ukraine.

Mr. Tortorici met his Ukrainian girlfriend while backpacking across Europe. He fell in love with her and her home country, Mr. Frank told the Orange County Register.

Mr. Frank additionally wrote on Facebook that his son gave up a [lucrative] and comfortable life to prevent World War III.

He said his son told him in March 2022 he traveled to Ukraine to help and wouldnt come home until the war was over.

He was the most selfless, bravest, kindest, unassuming, and off-center person on the planet and hated for anyone to know it, Mr. Frank wrote. I love my son more than life itself.

Mr. Tortorici was a U.S. Marine veteran, park service ranger, and an agent for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

He is one of many Americans to join the fight in Ukraine against Russia, and among several who have died because of it, including former Sgt. Cooper Harris Andrews of Cleveland, Ohio; retired Marine Cpt. Grady Kurpasi of New York City, New York; Marine veteran Pete Reed of Bordentown, New Jersey; and Marine veteran Willy Joseph Cancel of Orange County, New York.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Algeria's President Abdel-majid Tebboune exchanged, in a phone call on Monday, views on regional and international files of mutual concern, said Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy.

Both leaders also discussed ways to meet the challenges in the region within the framework of joint Arab action.

They also discussed several issues related to bilateral relations and voiced keenness to boost cooperation and champion the common interests of both countries and peoples, Fahmy said.

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All that glitters is not gold

Over the centuries, humans have adorned themselves with gold and precious stones. Yet this decoration brings no happiness unless we also gild our souls with virtue.

In his short story The Happy Prince, Oscar Wilde shows us that when we adorn our souls with virtue and selflessness, we not only inherit redemption, but we also gain true happiness.

Journeying to Egypt, a Swallow decides to rest under the statue of the Happy Prince, which is covered in gold with two bright sapphire eyes and a ruby on his sword hilt. Yet when his golden refuge drips on him and he checks for rain, the Swallow soon realizes that the drops are the Happy Princes tears.

When the Swallow asks why he should cry, the Happy Prince replies that he cries because when he was alive, he was so happy in his castle that he never bothered to know his city. But he realizes: Now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot chose but weep.

Dazzling Gifts

The Prince pleads for the Swallow to help him. He sees a seamstress who cannot afford any medicine or food for her sick son and asks the Swallow to give the ruby from his sword hilt to the seamstress.

The Swallow hesitates, for it is cold and he should be heading to Egypt. Nevertheless, he takes the ruby, saying: I will stay with you for one night, and be your messenger.

The next evening, as the Swallow prepares to leave, the Prince again asks him to help. He notices a poor playwright without food or fire and asks the Swallow to take one of his sapphire eyes to the young man.

Though the Swallow objects, the Prince commands him to obey. The Swallow obediently takes the sapphire to the struggling playwright.

The next night, the Swallow bids farewell to the Prince, but the Prince begs him to take his other sapphire eye to a little match girl. She has just spoiled her matches and has no money to take home.

The Swallow objects, for the Prince will be blind. But the Prince insists that the girl needs the precious stone or her father will beat her. Reluctantly, the Swallow takes the gem to the girl.

Returning to the Happy Prince, the Swallow says: You are blind now, so I will stay with you always. Despite the increasingly cold weather, the Swallow stays with the Prince, tells him stories, and helps share the rest of his gold with his city.

Rich Actions

Through this story, Wilde shows us that pleasures are fleeting. When we pursue them, we lose the opportunity to cultivate the virtue that enables us to look beyond ourselves.

Wilde also emphasizes that it is never too late to share the generosity in our souls. Even when we think we are beyond redemption, we must shake off the spoils of this world and take upon us the beautiful virtue of selflessness.

As Shakespeare says in The Merchant of Venice: All that glisters is not gold/ Often you have heard that told. A virtuous soul is far more beautiful and valuable than any gold or jewels can ever be. While gold can rust and fade, a virtuous soul will shine and be remembered above all else.

Would you like to see other kinds of arts and culture articles? Please email us your story ideas or feedback at features@epochtimes.nyc
Ottawa Committing $2.6 Billion to NATO Defence Operation in Europe

Canada is committing $2.6 billion in defence spending toward the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) largest overseas mission, based in Latvia, amid consistent calls from NATO for member countries to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defence measures.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement on July 10 in Riga, Latvia, ahead of the NATO Leaders Summit this week where Mr. Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand will meet with a number of world leaders and NATO officials.

The $2.6 billion in federal funding will go toward CAFs Operation REASSURANCE, which was established in Latvia in 2014 after NATO agreed on a series of military measures based on the principles of defence, deterrence and de-escalation meant to reinforce NATOs collective defence.

Canada will be begin the funding in the 2023-24 fiscal year and will use it to renew and expand the operation over the course of three years.

Canada currently has around 800 CAF troops stationed in Latvia who are working with the countrys military and NATO allies, but the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said on July 10 that up to 2,200 troops will be persistently deployed over the next several years as part of the renewal of Operation REASSURANCE.

Canada is also ready to deploy additional surge personnel for allied crisis response, cooperative security, and collective defence, the PMO said in a press release.

The PMO said Canada will also procure and pre-position critical weapon systems, enablers, supplies and support intelligence, cyber, and space activities to fulfill pledges made under the Canada-Latvia Joint Declaration of June 2022, and continue supporting NATOs enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia.

NATO Defence Spending

Mr. Trudeaus announcement that Ottawa will be committing $2.6 billion toward Operation REASSURANCE over the next several years comes amid calls from NATO for all member countries to commit at least 2 percent of their GDP toward defence spendinga target Canada hasnt met since NATO established the requirement in 2006.

In 2022, Canadas military spending fell to just 1.27 percent of its GDP, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in February that all member countries should set firm requirements and timelines for meeting the target.

However, the Washington Post reported in April that a leaked Pentagon assessment said Mr. Trudeau told NATO officials that Canada will never reach 2% defense spending.

Mr. Trudeau responded to the report on on April 19 by saying that Canada is a reliable partner to NATO, a reliable partner around the world, and with our military investments.

The prime minister also said at the time that his government would continue to be working on investing in giving the support necessary to the men and women of the Canadian Forces to deliver.
Paper on Post-Vax Autopsies Swiftly Removed After Attracting Special Attention: Dr. Peter McCullough

No lines are seen at the Lincoln Park COVID-19 vaccination site already closed due to a shortage of vaccines in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

A Lancet review of autopsy data of over 300 post-COVID-19 vaccination deaths would challenge the mainstream narrative on the safety of the shots, but was removed within 24 hours of the initial submission, said cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough, the papers leading author and prominent COVID vaccine skeptic.

The government narrative is still that people do not die after COVID-19 vaccination. Now we have the largest series of autopsies, and the autopsies really are incontrovertible, Dr. McCullough said in an interview on EpochTVs American Thought Leaders: NOW program.

The paper, a pre-print that had yet to undergo any part of the peer-review process, was uploaded to Lancets website on July 6. According to Dr. McCullough, the reason he and other co-authors went for a pre-print is that they wanted to get their findings out as quickly as possible.

Pre-print servers go through a check to make sure all the elements of the paper are there, but it is not peer-reviewed by external doctors. And the preprint server simply offers people a chance to look at the data themselves and decide, he told host Jan Jekielek. I think thats perfectly fair to look at the tables, look at the figures.

Obviously, we struck a very important gap in knowledge and the world needed to know the results, the doctor added.

Less than 24 hours later, however, it was taken down with a note implying that the study violated the medical journals screening criteria.

This pre-print has been removed  because the studys conclusions are not supported by the study methodology, Lancets note read.

The paper is written by Dr. McCullough, Yale epidemiologist Dr. Harvey Risch and their colleagues at the Wellness Company, a Florida-based medical group they said had zero involvement in the paper.

Study Findings

For the study, the researchers looked at 678 papers and narrowed down 44 that contained 325 autopsy cases. They then performed what is called a blind adjudication by having three physicians independently review all deaths and determine whether COVID-19 vaccination caused or contributed significantly to them.

We use the standard called PRISMA, where we searched for every paper possible. We sorted through hundreds and hundreds of manuscripts because deaths can be reported as different clinical syndromes are coming out after the vaccine, Dr. McCullough said, noting that they took out cases that obviously had nothing to do with vaccination.

There were deaths where there was an auto accident or a suicide. There were some cases in nursing homes where people are on hospice and it looked like they were in their last days of life. We just couldnt attribute it to the vaccine, he explained. But the striking cases were people who were perfectly healthy, who had no other medical problems. The only new thing in their life was a vaccine, and then they died with an obvious syndrome like a blood clot, or heart damage, or myocarditis.

This is important because when these papers were originally published, the authors didnt know the full breadth of safety profiles of the vaccine, the doctor continued. Initially there were some autopsies from Germany [where] people died of blood clots shooting to lungs. The authors concluded that it wasnt vaccine because at that time they didnt know the vaccine causes blood clots, but we do now.

To that end, a total of 240 deaths (73.9 percent) were identified as directly due to or significantly contributed to by COVID-19 vaccination.

The most implicated organ system in COVID-19 vaccine-associated death was the cardiovascular system (53 percent), followed by the hematological system (17 percent), the respiratory system (8 percent), and multiple organ systems (7 percent), according to the paper. The mean time from vaccination to death was 14.3 days, with most deaths occurring within a week from the most recent jab.

Without further detail from Lancet, it is hard to tell exactly in which way the studys methodology might have failed to support its conclusions. On the other hand, Dr. McCullough said they used standard methodology and did reach realistic results.

We didnt come up with an unrealistic number. We didnt come up with 100 percent or zero percent of deaths were due to vaccines. We came up with a reasonable number thats defensible, he said. In the supplemental tables, people can go through every case and decide if they agree or disagree, and thats fair. That should be up on the pre-print server so the world can see it.

The main thing people want is they want access to the data. They simply dont want data censored off of the internet, he added. We should have grand rounds on this. We should have broad internet discussions on it. People maybe want to discuss specific casesmaybe the authors [of the 44 papers] themselves want to look at it.

Dr. McCullough also highlighted the fact that this paper didnt even touch the question of the trade-off between the efficacy and the potential harms of getting the jab. Thats a subject for a different analysis a different day, he said. This is simply a descriptive report.

In the setting of COVID, when it comes to the vaccines, papers get special attention. Because there are individuals who dont want to have a fair presentation of data when it comes to safety.
Paraguay President-Elect to Visit Taiwan to Deepen Ties

Paraguayan presidential candidate Santiago Pena from the ruling Colorado Party speaks at the party headquarters as he and his running mate Pedro Alliana lead Paraguay's presidential race, according to early results, in Asuncion, Paraguay, on April 30, 2023. (Agustin Marcarian/Reuters)

Paraguayan President-elect Santiago Pena said on July 9 that hell visit Taiwan this week to deepen bilateral relations with the self-ruling island as part of his administrations intense international agenda.

Mr. Pena, whos set to take office in August following the victory of the ruling Colorado Party in the countrys April elections, will begin his five-day visit to Taiwan on July 11 after a stop to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Hes expected to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whom he described as a great friend, and several senior Taiwanese diplomats during his visit, according to Taiwans Foreign Ministry.

We are going to develop an intense international agenda in the coming days carrying the message that Paraguay and its people are up for great things, Mr. Pena wrote on Twitter.

His visit will coincide with the 66th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Paraguay, adding further significance to the efforts to deepen their long-standing friendship, according to the ministry.

Mr. Pena had pledged to strengthen the historic ties with Taiwan after winning the election in April, saying that he would look forward to working on mutually beneficial cooperation projects.

Taiwanese Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Yui personally congratulated him on behalf of the Taiwanese leader during his visit to Paraguay in May and discussed great projects with the Paraguayan leadership.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite Taiwan being a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government. China has, in recent years, persuaded some of Taiwans allies to switch allegiance with the prospect of increased trade and investment.

Paraguay became Taiwans last diplomatic ally in South America, after Honduras severed ties with Taiwan in favor of China in March, leaving Taiwan with formal diplomatic relations with only 13 countries.

ParaguayTaiwan Alliance

At the Qatar Economic Forum in May, exiting President Mario Abdo Benitez said Paraguays alliance with Taiwan has resulted in a lack of access to the Chinese market as China has refused to do business with Paraguay.

It is not that Paraguay does not want to do business with anybody. It is the other part that does not want to do business unless we change our diplomatic status, Mr. Benitez said.

He emphasized that Paraguay remains open to trade with China but wont bow to Chinese pressure to cut off Taiwan.

Paraguays President-elect Mario Abdo Benitez (R) greets Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen at his house in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Aug. 14, 2018. (Norberto Duarte/AFP/Getty Images)

We are not against doing business with anybody. But we believe that our diplomatic relations should stay firmly with Taiwan, Mr. Benitez said.

Trade between Paraguay and Taiwan has increased by 500 percent under his five-year administration. He said his ruling party will have enough arguments to defend its strategic alliance with Taiwan if this trend continues.

Mr. Pena had pledged during the election campaign to maintain his countrys friendship with Taiwan despite pressure from the local agricultural sector, which wants to open up the lucrative Chinese markets.

According to a 2021 study published in Foreign Policy Analysis, Taiwan invested an average of $4 million per year in Paraguay from 2005 to 2014 and contributed an average of $14.8 million in aid.

The study was authored by Tom Long, an associate professor at the University of Warwick, and Francisco Urdinez, an associate professor at the Institute of Political Science.

Paraguay received nil from China in aid, investment, or finance, while regional annual average values for countries with diplomatic relations with China represented 1 percent of their GDP [gross domestic product], a striking difference, the study reads.

Economic benefits from Taiwan do not compensate for these losses. Taiwan is a small trading partner for Paraguay, in absolute terms and relative to China. In 2018, trade with Taiwan represented 0.33 percent of Paraguays total trade.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Peruvian authorities have declared a 90-day national emergency over an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder thats linked to certain vaccines, the Zika virus, COVID-19, and other viruses, according to reports.

President Dina Boluarte issued a decree over the weekend that about $3.2 million will be used to improve patient care, increase control on detections, and other measures, the Peruvian health ministry stated in a social media post. Emergency measures include acquiring intravenous immunoglobulin and human albumin, manufactured from human plasma.

Government declares health emergency due to unusual increase in cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the ministry stated on Facebook.

The unusual increase in cases of the disease negatively affects the continuity of health services, as there are not enough strategic resources to respond to the volume and complexity of the cases in the different health facilities, according to the decree, which was published in the Peruvian governments official gazette, according to MercoPress, a news service.

Of the 182 cases that have been reported across the country, 147 patients have been discharged from the hospital, 31 are still hospitalized, and four have died.

There has been a significant increase in recent weeks that forces us to take actions as a State to protect the health and life of the population, Health Minister Cesar Vasquez told the news agency.

Guillain-Barre syndrome, often abbreviated as GBS, is described by U.S. government health officials as a rare neurological disorder in which your immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, ranging from very mild symptoms with a short period of weakness to a nearly devastating paralysis that leaves one unable to breathe independently.

But most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of GBS, the U.S. National Institutes of Healths website reads. After recovery, some people will continue to have some degree of weakness.

When an individual develops GBS, the myelin sheaths of peripheral nerves are targeted and weakened, according to a Medical News Today article. It isnt contagious and cant be transmitted from person to person, it notes.

The damage prevents the nerves from sending certain information, such as touch sensations, to the spinal cord and brain. This causes a feeling of numbness. In addition, the brain and spinal cord can no longer transmit signals back to the body, leading to muscle weakness, the website reads.

Initial symptoms include weakness and tingling in the hands and feet or pain in the back and legs. The symptoms often start about three weeks after an infection.

In the United States, about 1 in 100,000 people are likely to develop the illness, the article also states.

Cause?

There have been studies and data suggesting a link between certain vaccines, including for COVID-19 and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], and GBS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and agencies in other countries have long listed GBS as a rare yet possible symptom of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, which uses an adenovirus.

Earlier this year, the FDA noted that GBS is a possible risk of Pfizers RSV vaccine among older adults. Two people in their 60s who got the shot were diagnosed with GBS out of about 20,000 recipients, according to the FDA, as scientists have also recommended monitoring for GBS after getting the Pfizer RSV shot.

In July 2021, the FDA attached a warning (pdf) to the J&J vaccine about an increased risk of developing GBS up to 42 days after vaccination. The agency made that decision based on reporting from vaccine recipients who submitted adverse event incidents to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which collects information to identify strange patterns among those who are vaccinated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that very rarely, people have developed GBS in the days or weeks after getting certain vaccines and again claimed that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh risks.

Most GBS cases usually start a few days or weeks following a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection. Occasionally surgery will trigger the syndrome, the National Institutes of Health website reads.

It also notes that in rare cases, vaccinations may increase the risk of GBS and that there have been reports of a few people who received a vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus developing GBS, but the chance of this occurring is very low.

Some countries worldwide reported an increased incidence of GBS following infection with the Zika virus, the website also reads.

Peruvian officials have, in previous years, issued warnings about the Zika virus, which is transmitted via certain species of mosquito.

Peru also is dealing with a severe outbreak of dengue fever so far in 2023, although it isnt clear if theres a link between GBS and dengue, a debilitating viral disease spread via mosquitoes. A surge of GBS cases also followed a number of Zika virus infections in French Polynesia between 2012 and 2014, according to reports.

What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc
Peter Menzies: Online News Act Debacle Was All Very Predictable

Commentary

Canadas attempts to play the tough guy took some laughable turns last weekend as those leading the fight couldnt have made it more clear that politicians need Facebook a lot more than it needs politicians.

The week began with a macho enough veneer. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez held a news conference in whichas a show of solidarityhe was joined by Martin Champoux, Bloc Quebecois Critic for Heritage, Arts and Culture, and the NDPs Peter Julian, his partys Heritage critic.

The purpose of their presentation was to fluff up their feathers, slap their thighs, beat their chests, and talk like good fellas in the face of the well-anticipated response from Meta and Google to Canadas absurdly constructed Online News Act. Also known as Bill C-18, the act is designed to force the Big Tech companies to subsidize news organizations, primarily those that are failing to transition to the digital economy such as legacy newspapers.

The response from Meta was as it had promised since the autumn of 2022once the act comes into force, its products Facebook and Instagram will simply get out of the news business. Those who try to post a link to a news story or related commentary will find that they are unable to do so. Companies attempting to use their Facebook and Instagram accounts to post links to their latest content in order to drive traffic to their websites will find they are no longer able to do so.

Google is still trying to find a way to work with the government on a reasonable compromise, but it, similar to Meta, has announced that once Bill C-18 is active, Canadian news links will no longer appear via its search engine. Both companies made it clear that all their current fundingsome of which has been in place for several yearsfor Canadian journalism will come to an end.

For many news organizations, this is a disaster, but it was all very predictable. Among its many faults, Bill C-18 creates a pay for links scenario in which Meta and Google would be forced to pay news organizations, potentially every time a link to their content is posted. Given that they have no control over how many links get posted to what, this creates an unlimited financial liability, something to which no sane business operator can expose their company. If there was anyone on Rodriguezs team who had even the teeny tiniest concept of how the world actually works, this scenario would never have been created.

But there obviously isnt and it was. Rodriguez often boasts about how the world is watching Canada as it breaks new ground in taking on Big Tech. In doing so, he remains oblivious to the fact the world is indeed keeping a keen eye on affairs in the Great White North and that is precisely why the companies have taken the action they have. If all Bill C-18 did was force them to sprinkle another $100 million or so on the doorsteps of Rodriguezs favourite publishers, hed have gotten away with it. But if the pay-per-link, unlimited liability scenario were to be replicated globally, it could cripple even the internets behemoths. The cost could be in the tens of billions.

Rodriguez and his wingmen didnt really have much in response. The next day, the federal government announced it was suspending its ad buys on Facebook, which amounts to about $11 million. The Quebec government and City of Montreal did the same, but that was about it from governments. The total loss to Meta is unlikely to equal the amount they will be saving on their current support for journalism.

Then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likened this disaster of his own making to being at war.

We want to defend democracy, he said when a reporter asked him about the situation on July 5. This is what we are doing across the world, such as supporting Ukraine. This is what we did during the Second World War.

Yup. He said that.

If you thought that was a good belly laugh, what followed was even better.

The Liberal Party of Canada confirmed that it would continue to advertise with Meta regardless of the governments tough-guy stance.

Rodriguez continues to post to his Facebook page and self-promote. He even added a reel on July 8. Same with Trudeau who, before flying off to Latvia to be taken out to the woodshed by NATO allies for his shabby commitment to military spending, was at the Calgary Stampede. He, too, was happy to put his own self-interest ahead of what he claims is the nations.

By the afternoon of July 10, the government was signalling what appeared to be a full retreat when it posted proposed regulations that could constitute giving Google what it asked for.

In other words, when it comes to playing tough with web giants, Rodriguez and Trudeau have simply confirmed what the watching world already knows: They dont have a winning hand.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Philippines Vows to Keep Exposing Chinese Incursions in South China Sea

A Chinese coast guard ship with bow number 5201 blocks Philippine coast guard ship BRP Malapascua as it maneuvers to enter the mouth of the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea on April 23, 2023. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

The Philippines will keep exposing Chinese ship incursions in the South China Sea as part of its strategy to drive Chinese forces out of its territorial waters, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on July 9.

PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said this would prompt the international community to criticize Chinas actions and prevent Chinese vessels from occupying Philippine-controlled islands in the disputed waters.

If you let them swarm in a particular area where you cant make them public, or nobody knows, it might be the best approach for them to occupy [the area] and take control over it, Mr. Tarriela told a local broadcaster.

So its very important for us to expose it, and thenonly thenwill we follow with the deployment of our government assets.

Mr. Tarriela said the PCG also would increase navy patrols in areas where Chinese ships have been spotted, particularly in Iroquois Reef, where an alarming presence of Chinese vessels had been reported.

More Than 40 Chinese Ships Spotted

The Philippine military reported spotting 48 Chinese fishing boats around Iroquois Reef, south of the Recto Bankan oil- and gas-rich reef located within the Philippine exclusive economic zoneon June 30.

A member of the Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Malabrigo manning his post while being shadowed by a Chinese coast guard ship at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, on April 23, 2023. (Ted Ajibe/AFP via Getty Images)

The Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) said that pilots aboard NV312, a Britten Norman Islander light patrol aircraft of the Philippine Navy, reported the incident after making multiple flights over Iroquois Reef.

Five other Chinese shipsthree Chinese coast guard ships and two Peoples Liberation Army Navy vesselswere regularly loitering at Sabina Shoal, which is part of the Spratly Islands, according to the AFP.

It stated that reports would be submitted to higher authorities for possible filing of a diplomatic protest.

These developments raise an alarming concern about Chinas intentions and actions within these waters, the AFP stated on Facebook.

Recto Bank, a significant feature for the Philippines holding immense potential for the countrys energy security and economic growth, stands as a focal point in this rising concern over Chinas recent behavior.

Meanwhile, the PCG said that its vesselsBRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascuawere followed, harassed, and obstructed by two Chinese coast guard ships while they were assisting a naval operation in the Ayungin Shoal on June 30.

US, Japan, France Voice Concern

The United States, Japan, and France have voiced their concerns and called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to adhere to international law and the 2016 ruling of the Hague Tribunal, which backed the Philippiness claims in the South China Sea.

We are concerned by the unprofessional maneuvers of the China coast guard against the Philippines coast guard, U.S. envoy MaryKay Carlson wrote on Twitter.

The PRCs [Peoples Republic of Chinas] irresponsible behavior in the South China Sea threatens the security and legal rights of our treaty ally, the Philippines.

Japans embassy stated that Chinas unilateral actions in the disputed waters posed a grave concern for regional peace and stability, while Frances embassy stated that it resolutely opposed to any use of force or threat in the South China Sea.

Reputational Cost to China

Raymond Powell, a former U.S. Air Force official, described the South China Sea as a hotbed of gray zone activity, where the CCP can act without being directly seen, or noticed, or publicly held accountable.

When its a gray zone activity, generally speaking, the message is to the government of the country involved, and the message is: You dont want to escalate this. You want to have your relationship with China be as uncomplicated as possible. So now that you know were the jurisdiction here, keep this between us, Mr. Powell, a fellow at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told Radio Free Asia on July 4.

Mr. Powell said that publicizing such incidents would impose a reputational cost on China.

So what the Philippines has been doing with releasing photos and videos of incidents has been trying to illuminate this gray zone, he said. Our hypothesis is that if you illuminate gray zone activity, you do two things: You build resilience into your own society against that activity, so that people begin to expect and give you room to push back. And then, also, in the long-term, you hope to deter that activity because now, the gray zone actorChinais paying a reputational cost.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea as its own territory under its so-called nine-dash line. The Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of legal action taken by the Philippines in 2016, but it had little to no effect on Chinas actions.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei have also clashed with the Chinese regime over its claims in the South China Sea.
The pumas inhabiting glacier-rich Patagonia are well-adapted to cold weather and have even been known to swim across Argentino Lake.

This prospect led to a scene of stunning contrasts for photographer Luis Alejandro Acharez when he crossed paths with a puma relaxing on an iceberg floating in Los Glaciares National Park. With the big cats handsome looks set before the aquamarine hues of the ice high in the mountains of Argentina, its hard to tell whats more beautiful.

Mr. Acharez photographs nature and captured a host of dazzling shots on this particular excursion in July 2021. The region, located in the southwest of Santa Cruz province on the border with Chile, is home to an amazing variety of wildlife.

A puma photographed on an iceberg that broke off Upsala Glacier in Argentino Lake taken by Luis Alejandro Acharez in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. (Courtesy of Luis Alejandro Acharez)

A puma chills on an iceberg in Argentino Lake in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. (Courtesy of Luis Alejandro Acharez)

It was afternoon and Mr. Acharez, 46, was on assignment documenting the Spegazzini, Upsala, and Perito Moreno Glaciers when the catamaran they were in received a radio call. All of a sudden, another boat told us that they saw a puma at the entrance to the Upsala channel, Mr. Acharez told The Epoch Times.

One of South Americas largest icebergs, the Upsala Glacier covers an area of over 330 square miles (870 square kilometers) and, with its jagged peaks, has an otherworldly appearance.

The Upsala channel usually has many icebergs due to the nature of the Upsala Glacier, whose front is very largealmost four kilometers [2.48 miles], Mr. Acharez said. When it breaks, the icebergs that break off the front are huge, larger than the two-story boat.

A lone puma on an iceberg in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, captured by Luis Alejandro Acharez. (Courtesy of Luis Alejandro Acharez)

Approaching the iceberg area, some 50 tourists plus crew spotted the handsome puma lying on an ice floe. Immediately, the professional photographer began snapping with his Canon 6D Mark II. Unsurprisingly, after getting home and sharing the results online, the pictures generated a big buzz.

The repercussion of the images has been truly remarkable, Mr. Acharez said. That same afternoon, I had tons of messages, my followers increased exponentially, and there was a lot of national and international media attention.

(Left) A recent portrait of the photographer; (Right) Luis Alejandro Acharez and sightseers aboard a catamaran touring the icebergs in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. (Courtesy of Luis Alejandro Acharez)

Originally from the Patagonian city of Trelew, founded by Welsh settlers, Acharez worked as a sailor for many years before devoting himself to photography. Now a tourist photographer, authorized by the National Park, he believes more animals than usual may be seen as sailing has resumed post-pandemic.

A 2010 study by biologists using GPS tracking technology obtained concrete evidence of a long-distance swimming male puma foraging in Chilean Patagonia, on Lago Cochrane. There have also been anecdotal accounts of pumas swimming in Venezuela, Arizona, the Colorado River, and the Everglades. In 1932, an observer reported seeing a puma climb into a boat along Brazils Orinoco River, apparently hoping to hitch a ride.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Police Link Man to Two Women Whose Bodies Were Found in Different Minnesota Storage Units

ST. PAUL, Minn.The body of a Minnesota woman who had been missing for two years was found in a storage unit, and St. Paul police said Friday that her death has been linked to a man who was charged after another womans dismembered body was found in a different storage unit in another Minneapolis suburb.

Joseph Jorgenson hasnt yet been charged in Fanta Xayavongs death, but the 40-year-old was charged last week with second-degree murder in the death of Manijeh Mani Starren, 33, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Xayavongs body was found Thursday in a Coon Rapids storage unit, while Starrens body was found last month in a storage unit in Woodbury.

St. Paul police Sgt. Mike Ernster said Mr. Jorgenson is a person of interest in the 33-year-old Xayavongs death after investigators connected him to the Coon Rapids storage unit. Police are now trying to determine if Mr. Jorgenson could be linked to any other missing people.

Its nothing short of horrific, Mr. Ernster said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension received a tip in May that Xayavong had been in an abusive relationship with Mr. Jorgenson before her disappearance in July 2021. Police have said that Starren and Mr. Jorgenson had also been in a relationship before her death.

Police have not determined where or when Xayavong was killed, Mr. Ernster said. Investigators searched a home Friday that Mr. Jorgenson used to live in until last September.

Mr. Jorgensons attorney didnt return a call from the newspaper Friday.

Police Chief Axel Henry said at a Friday news conference that cases like this are extremely rare, but they are reminders to all of us that monsters can be real.

Starren was reported missing May 1. Investigators found her body after Mr. Jorgenson barricaded himself in his apartment and started a fire when police tried to search the apartment on June 26. He was arrested after he fought with officers. A review of his cell phone activity led police to the storage unit in Woodbury, where Starrens body was found.

According to court documents, prosecutors believe Mr. Jorgenson dismembered Starrens body and carried her remains out of the apartment in Maplewood in duffel bags and a small suitcase.

Video from the apartment building showed Starren running from Mr. Jorgenson on April 21 before he caught her and pushed her back inside. She wasnt seen leaving the apartment again.
Postmedia and Toronto Star Owner Nordstar Drop Merger Discussions

Postmedia newspapers on display during the company's annual general meeting in Toronto on January 12, 2017. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Two of Canadas largest news publishers, Postmedia Network Canada Corp. and Nordstar Capital LP, have dropped discussions about a potential merger deal less than two weeks after announcing talks on the subject.

Postmedia, which owns papers such as the National Post, Calgary Herald, and Vancouver Sun, initially announced on June 27 that it had entered into a series of non-binding discussions to consider a potential merger transaction whereby both itself and Nordstar, which owns Metroland Media Group and the Toronto Star, would come under joint ownership.

The proposed arrangement would have seen Postmedia shareholders having a 56 percent economic interest in the company and Nordstar shareholders having the remaining 44 percent.

Nordstar would still have retained a 65 percent interest in Toronto Star Inc.

However, Postmedia said on July 10 that the discussions came to an end after the two companies were unable to come to agreement on the terms of the merger.

Postmedias CEO and president, Andrew MacLeod, addressed the fruitless merger talks in the news release, saying that there is still a need for creative solutions and foundational transformation across Canadas media and news industry.

Our continued focus is on protecting and ensuring Canadians access to reliable information, MacLeod said. By leveling the playing field with the tech giants and creating a healthy ecosystem, we can ensure that the media industry and journalism remain vibrant, diverse, and resilient in Canada.

Postmedia and Nordstar previously said their merger talks represented a bid to respond to what they called an existential threat currently facing the media industry.

Toronto Stars publisher Jordan Bitove said on June 27 that the viability of the newspaper industry in Canada is at an extreme risk, adding that Nordstar and Postmedias newspapers and media outlets could provide greater access to trusted journalism and quality reporting by pooling their resources.

Bill C-18

The merger talks between the two large media companies began shortly after Parliament passed the Online News Act into law after which both Google and Meta announced they would block all Canadian news on their platforms in order to be compliant with the act once the new legislation comes into effect.

Formerly known as Bill C-18, the new law is set to come into effect this December and will require the tech giants to pay Canadian media outlets for any of their content that is linked or shared on their platforms.

Rather than cut deals with outlets and publishers, Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said they will instead block Canadian news on their platforms.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has maintained that Ottawa is confident it will be able to negotiate a deal with Google by December to ensure the tech giant does not remove Canadian news from its platform.

However, he has said that the federal government is less confident in its ability to reach an agreement with Meta, which he said is the reason Ottawa decided last week to suspend all of its advertising on both Facebook and Instagram.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
The Regional Conference on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters relating to the investigation and prosecution of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Migrant Smuggling (SOM) kicked off on 10 July in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.





The conference is being organized in collaboration with Egypt's National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM&TIP) and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) regional office for the Middle East and North Africa.

Its goal is to help member nations in West and North Africa prevent and battle transnational crime, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.

The four-day conference will be attended by representatives from 20 countries.

It intends to facilitate international collaboration in criminal cases to prevent, repress, and prosecute TIP and SOM by encouraging the exchange of knowledge on best practices and available instruments.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Naela Gabr, the head of NCCPIM&TIP, reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to combating both crimes.

Gabr cited Egypt's ratification of international conventions and protocols, such as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and its two protocols: the 2003 protocol on suppressing, preventing, and punishing trafficking in persons, especially women and children; and the 2005 protocol on combating migrant smuggling by land, sea, and air.

She also highlighted Egypt's strict laws on combating TIP and SOM, such as Law No. 64/2010 on combating human trafficking; Law No. 126/2008 of the child law; and Law No. 82/2016 (amended by Law No.22 of 2022) on combating illegal immigration and migrant smuggling.

She also cited Egypt's 2014 constitution, which contains articles on combating both TIP and SOM.

According to recent estimates, the MENA region has experienced a surge in illegal immigration, with thousands attempting perilous crossings across the Mediterranean from Africa and the Middle East to Europe.

The area is a major transit point, and nations face substantial migratory flows, putting a strain on the region's resources and posing significant security and humanitarian issues.

Counselor Ahmed Said Khalil, Chairman of the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (EMLCU), confirmed in his speech at the conference that human trafficking and migrant smuggling represent common crimes committed by organized criminal groups worldwide.

Khalil also noted that these criminal activities generate billions of dollars worth of profits for these groups.

He cited a 2022 US State Department report on human trafficking that values the profits the perpetrators of these crimes make at around $150 billion.

According to a joint statement released by the NCCPIM&TIP and the UNODC, the conference aims to increase the capacity of participating nations in combating these crimes by tackling the problems that tend to arise from human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The recent expansion in illegal migration from Africa and the Middle East, and the new methods adopted by criminal groups to exploit victims of human trafficking, have increased the need for nations to adopt more efficient and effective strategies, according to the statement.

These strategies should increase nations' ability to detect criminal networks that exploit vulnerable people.

They should also provide protection and assistance to the victims of human trafficking and smuggled migrants, as per the statement.

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Putin Met With Wagner Group Days After Revolt, Offered Employment Options: Kremlin

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary force, speaks in Paraskoviivka, Ukraine, in this still image from an undated video released on March 3, 2023. (Concord Press Service/via Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the recently aborted uprising against the Kremlin, a Russian spokesman has confirmed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 10 that the face-to-face meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29 and lasted roughly three hours. The meeting took place five days after the aborted revolt, which posed the most serious challenge to Mr. Putin since he came to power on Dec. 31, 1999.

It is true that the president did have this meeting. He invited 35 people to itall the commanders of the units and the management of the [Wagner private military] company, Mr. Peskov said in an audio-only recording on July 10.

The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation.

The president gave his assessment of the company in the frontline battles, he said. He also gave his assessment of the events of June 24. The president listened to the explanations given by the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further military service.

The commanders provided their account of what happened. They stressed the fact that they are loyal supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief. They said that they were ready to carry on fighting for their motherland.

The Kremlins announcement revealed that Mr. Prigozhin returned to Russia at least once after the exiled leader and long-time Putin associate arrived in Belarus on June 27. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had helped broker a deal under which Mr. Prigozhin halted his soldiers push toward Moscow and agreed to leave Russia as an exile.

In a statement on his Telegram channel on June 24, Mr. Prigozhin confirmed that he had ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to their field camps in Ukraine in order to avoid shedding Russian blood.

The brief Wagner rebellion, in which rogue paramilitaries led by Mr. Prigozhin captured the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and a military headquarters building before advancing on a 680-mile run toward Moscow, was launched on June 23 and lasted about 24 hours.

Mr. Prigozhin said the mutiny wasnt aimed at overthrowing Mr. Putin but at bringing to justice the army and defense chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

The July 10 announcement came as Russias Ministry of Defense published a video obtained by The Associated Press featuring Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russias armed forces. It was the first time since Wagners failed mutiny that the military chief had been seen publicly, indicating that he had kept his job.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, escorted by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, and Gen. Valery Gerasimov walk after attending an extended meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board at the National Defense Control Center in Moscow on Dec. 21, 2021. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Mr. Gerasimov was one of the targets of Mr. Prigozhins rebellion. Hes one of Moscows top military figures running the invasion of Ukraine.

Treason and Betrayal

Its unclear what Mr. Prigozhins ultimate fate will be, although Mr. Peskov told reporters on June 24 that those who took part in the armed rebellion wont face retribution, in recognition of their previous service to Russia.

In a televised address from the Kremlin on June 24, Mr. Putin said Russias very existence was under threat and accused the Wagner Group of treason and betrayal of their own people.

We wont let it [civil war] repeat, Mr. Putin said at the time, likening the rebellion to the turmoil that engulfed Russia in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution.

We will protect our people and our statehood from any threats including treason from the inside. What we are facing now is treason. Unreasonable ambitions and personal interests lead to treachery, state treason, and betrayal of own people [sic] and the common cause which Wagner fighters and commanders fought for along [sic] and died for alongside with other [sic] our units and brigades.

More Details

The Wagner Group, officially known as PMC Wagner or Wagner Private Military Company, is a Russian paramilitary organization that was first identified in 2014, when it backed pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

While the exact details of the groups accomplishments are often murky owing to the secretive nature of their operations, theyve been known to take part in conflicts and provide military support in countries such as Syria and, most recently, Ukraine.

Amid Russias special military operation in Ukraine, Wagner forces have provided the Kremlin with key support, doing much of the heaviest fighting in the Donbas region and taking significant casualties in the fight for Bakhmut, Ukraine.

However, in the course of Wagners engagement in Ukraine, Mr. Prigozhin had become increasingly critical of Russias military leadership.

Battlefield setbacks in Ukraine, including significant Wagner casualties in bloody shootouts in the fight for Bakhmut, led Mr. Prigozhin to level a series of accusations against the military brass, including that they werent supplying Wagner with enough ammunition.

A culminating point was a June 23 accusation that Mr. Prigozhin made in a post on his Telegram channel against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who the Wagner chief accused of destroying his fighters in an alleged Russian military airstrike, and called for an armed mutiny.

In his criticism, the Wagner Groups leader didnt target Mr. Putin but focused his attacks on top Russian military leaders. He accused Mr. Shoigu of personally planning an operation to destroy Wagner fighters.

Tom Ozimek and Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Questioned by Iowa Critic, Pence Strongly Defends Actions on Jan. 6

Former Vice President Mike Pence meets with guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

SIOUX CITY, IowaFormer Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed that his actions on Jan. 6 were exactly what the Constitution of the United States required after a disgruntled voter accused him of handing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

If it wasnt for your vote, we would not have [President] Joe Biden in the White House, Luann Bertrand told Mr. Pence at a July 5 campaign stop at the Pizza Ranch restaurant.

Joe Biden shouldnt be there. And all those wonderful things that you and [Former President Donald] Trump were doing together would be continuing, and this country would be on the right path, Ms. Bertrand said.

Do you ever second guess yourself?

Before Mr. Pence could respond, Ms. Bertrand continued. It was not like you were going to personally elect him. We all know by the number of votes that were there who won that election. You changed history for this country.

President Donald Trump looks on after a news conference with Vice President Mike Pence in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Feb. 26, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Mr. Pence, flanked by a tight-lipped Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), responded tactfully to the question but refused to concede the point.

Mr. Pence asserted that, as vice president, he had the authority to take any action other than to preside over the joint session of Congress where the electoral ballots were opened and counted and that former President Donald Trump was wrong in asking him to do so.

The polite-but-pointed exchange gave Mr. Pence the opportunity both to defend his record and to critique Mr. Trump, his former running mate and now political opponent.

Electoral Vote Count

Mr. Trump claimed victory in the 2020 election despite the reported results of the balloting, which showed Mr. Biden winning by an electoral vote margin of 306 to 232 and a popular vote margin of approximately 81 million to 74 million.

Republicans, citing voting irregularities surrounding rule changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, contested the result in some 60 court challenges. Only one case was successful, but the finding did not affect the outcome for the county in question, the court ruled.

As the date for counting the electoral college votes drew closer, Mr. Trump reportedly asked Mr. Pence multiple times to invalidate the ballots, sending them back to the states for recertification in an apparent attempt to have Republican-controlled state legislatures decide the election.

Despite mounting pressure from Mr. Trump and his supporters, Mr. Pence refused to comply, insisting that the Constitution did not afford him that authority.

Certification of the electoral vote was interrupted on Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters breached the Capitol, forcing members to vacate both legislative chambers. Mr. Pence, however, refused to leave the building and resumed the count later that day.

He explained his reasoning to Ms. Bertrand and several dozen listeners at the July 5 campaign stop.

Pences Stance

You never want to let Washington, D.C., run elections. You certainly would never want one person in Washington, D.C. to decide who the president of the United States is, Pence said.

He explained that there are two ways to resolve questions about the validity of an election.

Number one is you take those issues to the legal process in the state and recount. Secondly, you take them to the courts, which we did very aggressively, Mr. Pence said.

Protesters inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

But the courts upheld those changes in virtually every instance. And in every instance where they would have any impact whatsoever. At the end of the day, when Iowa certified your results and sent them to Washington, D.C.,  the Constitution of the United States, in Article II, says that its the job of the vice president to serve as the presiding officer at a joint session where you open and count the votes, said Mr. Pence.

My job was to oversee the session of Congress where objections could be heard. And I made sure that objections would be recognized  The Constitution says you open and count the votes, no more no less. The Constitution affords no authority to the vice president or anyone else to reject votes or return them to the states, he said. No vice president in American history ever asserted the authority that you have been convinced that I had.

I want to tell you all due respect  I said when I announced [that] President Trump was wrong about my authority that day, and he is still wrong, Mr. Pence said.

Increasing Criticism of Trump

In seeking the Republican nomination for president, Mr. Pence has become increasingly critical of Mr. Trump on a variety of issues.

When announcing his campaign in a June 7 town-hall event televised by CNN, Mr. Pence said, When the president asserted that I had the right to overturn the election, I said today that I felt that he was  asking me to choose between him and the Constitution.

Anyone who puts themselves above the Constitution should never be president in the first place. And anyone who asks anyone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president again, Mr. Pence added.

The former vice president has also said that Mr. Trumps stance on Social Security is the same as Mr. Bidens in that both are ignoring the looming insolvency of the Social Security trust fund. Mr. Pence has also distanced himself from Trump on abortion and federal spending.

An ad produced by Mr. Pences super PAC, Committed to America, stated that Mr. Trump failed the test of leadership on Jan. 6. Another ad said that Trump was an apologist for thugs and dictators, meaning Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the campaign event, Ms. Bertrand was not persuaded to vote for Mr. Pence, though she did say she would consider it.

But he has that one hiccup, she said.
SFPD Makes Mass Arrest While Shutting Down Dolores Park Hill Bomb

The J Train at Dolores Park at 18th and Church Street in San Francisco on July 10, 2023 (Lear Zhou/The Epoch Times)

SAN FRANCISCOAn attempt to shut down an unsanctioned Dolores Park hill bomb in San Francisco quickly escalated into vandalism and violence, and the police made a mass arrest on July 8, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said.

According to SFPD Officer Robert Rueca, the incident ended with 32 adults being arrested and booked in county jail; 2 others were cited, and 81 juveniles were taken to the Mission District Police Station before they were cited and released.

This dangerous and unlawful behavior puts members of the public and our officers at risk of serious injury or worse. This behavior will not be tolerated in our city, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said in an announcement.

The Dolores Park hill bomb is an event that has been held on and off for years, in which skateboarders plunge down Dolores Street at full speed. The thrill of this sport attracts young people but has also caused property damage, resulted in injuries, and caused one death in the past.

Passengers getting off the J Train at Dolores Park at 18th and Church Street in San Francisco on July 10, 2023 (Lear Zhou/The Epoch Times)

This year, skateboarders started to set off fireworks and vandalize things.

The crowd turned violent after police ordered them to disperse at around 7:15 p.m. The fireworks started fires in Dolores Park, which led to an order to clear the park, the SFPD said.

People started to vandalize MUNI light rail vehicles. In a Twitter post by the San Francisco Police Officers Association (POA), a video shows at least three people jumping on a J-line light rail vehicle; others were spraying a light rail vehicle.

In the same video, bottles and fireworks were thrown at police officers at the scene.

The final mass arrests were made on 17th Street between Dolores and Guerrero Streets.

Another 2 juveniles were arrested earlier, in another incident around 7:10 p.m. in which a male juvenile spat in the face of a sergeant who was assisting residents at Cumberland and Dolores Streets. When the sergeant moved to detain the male suspect, he was interfered with by a female suspect. The sergeant was assaulted during the incident and suffered lacerations to his face.

During the arrests, officers located and seized several firearms left at the scene as well as unignited fireworks and narcotics paraphernalia, Mr. Rueca said.

The San Francisco POA posted on Twitter: The violence and chaos on our streets had nothing to do with skateboarding. Residents asked for police escorts to their front doors. MUNI trains were stopped and attacked by graffiti vandals. Fireworks, bottles, & smoke bombs were launched indiscriminately in the neighborhood.
Documentary Exposing Chinas Medical Genocide Wins 2 Leo Awards

State Organs film score composer Daryl Bennett (L) and director Raymond Zhang hold their Leo Awards during an award ceremony in Vancouver on July 9, 2023. (Courtesy of Rooyee Films)

State Organs, a documentary exposing the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) practice of forced organ harvesting, has won in two categories in the 2023 Leo Awards.

Directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker Raymond Zhang, the film won both Best Direction and Best Musical Score in the feature-length documentary category. An award ceremony was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Vancouver on July 9 to celebrate the winners and mark the 25th year of the award.

State Organs depicts the painful experiences of two Chinese families that each saw the loss of a family memberYun Zhang and Shawn Huang. The two, adherents of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, were forcibly disappeared shortly after the CCP launched a brutal persecution aimed at eradicating the practice on July 20, 1999.

Their families embarked on a 20-year search [for the two people]. During this search, they discovered the hidden crime of a state-sanctioned, large-scale abusive use and forced harvesting of organs. As the crimes were exposed, it triggered a massive awakening movement among the public, Mr. Zhang said at the award ceremony, first reported by the Chinese version of The Epoch Times.

The poster of new documentary film State Organs, which depicts the Chinese Communist Partys crimes of force organ harvesting and persecution of adherents of Falun Gong. (Courtesy of Rooyee Films)

The 75-minute documentary film was produced after six years of extensive research and interviews of related parties. State Organs previously received nominations in a number of other categories for the 2023 Leo Awards, including Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Screenwriting, Best Picture Editing, and Best Sound.

Persecution

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice rooted in Buddhist traditions that involves a set of five meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance. After its introduction in China in 1999, the practice quickly gained widespread popularity due to its health benefits. By 1999, an estimated 70 million to 100 million people in China were practicing Falun Gong.

However, former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin saw Falun Gongs popularity as a threat to the communist regimes totalitarian rule, and pledged to eradicate the practice in the country.

On April 25, 1999, thousands of Falun Gong adherents from across the country travelled to Beijing to petition the authorities against suppressing the practice. Their peaceful gathering was met with riot police armed with high-pressure water cannons and clubs, resulting in dozens of arrests.

Over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners went to appeal on April 25, 1999, in Beijing, China. (Minghui.org)

Over the next two years, a massive operation targeting Falun Gong practitioners ensued, with incidents involving arrests that ranged from a few hundred to up to 50,000 individuals, according to a 2001 report by the American University Washington College of Law.

Ms. Zhang, a Falun Gong practitioner who was also known by her full name Yunhe, lived in Qingdao City, Chinas northeastern Shandong Province with her husband, Sonny Zou, until their family was shattered by the persecution. On July 21, 1999merely a day after the CCP announced its campaign against Falun Gongpolice raided the couples residence and detained Mr. Zou.

While detained at a local police station, Mr. Zou was brutally beated and tortured, according to reports from Minghui.org, a website that documents the persecution against Falun Gong. In July 2000, Mr. Zou was arbitrarily sentenced to three years in a labour camp.

On Nov. 4, 2000, the police suddenly informed Ms. Zhang that her husband fell seriously ill. Mr. Zou was pronounced dead the next day, and his body was immediately cremated without his familys consent, and no explanation was provided as to the circumstances surrounding his death. Mr. Zou was just 28 years old, leaving behind his wife and their 11-month-old daughter.

Ms. Zhang reportedly faced police intimidation and surveillance for protesting her husbands death. In February 2002, her family lost contact with her. Despite the family receiving information from various sources indicating Ms. Zhang was being held in a detention centre in Qingdao City, the Chinese authorities denied this, leaving her whereabouts shrouded in mystery to this day.

Mr. Huang, another central figure in the documentary, participated in the 1999 petition. He was arrested in February 2000. Following his release, Mr. Huang was resolute in dispelling the CCPs propaganda demonizing Falun Gong. In April 2003, he embarked on a mission to bypass a local television station to broadcast uncensored news about the CCPs persecution of the spiritual practice. But a final phone call with his brother just before setting off on that quest was the last that Mr. Huangs family ever heard from him.

Forced Organ Harvesting

Chinas organ harvesting industry saw an exponential growth in the early 2000s, occurring simultaneously with the CCPs extermination policy against Falun Gong. As it is a Chinese custom for bodies to remain intact after death, the country did not start a pilot organ donation system until 2010, calling into question the sources of the massive quantity of organs used in the burgeoning transplant business.

Former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour presents a revised report about organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China, as report co-author and human rights lawyer David Matas listens in the background, on Jan. 31, 2007. (The Epoch Times)

In 2006, the Winnipeg-based human rights lawyer David Matas and the late former Canadian MP and cabinet minister David Kilgour released a ground-breaking report, Bloody Harvest, concluding that the Chinese regime was implicit in forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners of conscience on a large scale. The report was later published as a book of the same name in 2009.

The film State Organs presents the testimonies of the families and friends of the hundreds upon thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who have been subjected to the brutality of the communist regime, with many ending up as victims of the forced organ harvesting enterprise.
Supreme Court Agrees With California Voters on Affirmative Action

Commentary

Progressive California Gov. Hiram Johnsons initiative system has justified itself again. Look at the political establishments response to the U.S. Supreme Courts recent decision ending affirmative action at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, with national application. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta and others have rejected that decision, contradicting what their own voters indicated, twice, ought to be done.

As Mr. Johnson explained in his 1911 Inaugural Address, I commend to you the proposition that, after all, the initiative and the referendum depend on our confidence in the people and in their ability to govern. The opponents of direct legislation and the recall, however they may phrase their opposition, in reality believe the people cannot be trusted.

In 1996, voters passed Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action in state and local education, hiring, and contracting, by 55 percent to 45 percent. In 2020, voters confirmed their earlier choice by an even bigger margin, by rejecting, 57 percent to 43 percent, Proposition 16, which would have repealed Prop. 209. By then24 years laterthe state had become even more diverse. Voters understood that setting up a racial spoils systemwhich is really what affirmative action iswould be a formula for endless battles.

Contrast that with the reaction to the court decision on Harvard and UNC, which effectively established a national Prop. 209. Gov. Gavin Newsom said, The Supreme Courts conservative majority has yet again upended longstanding precedent, changing the law just because they now have the votes to do so, without any care for the costs to society and students around the country.

Actually, the precedent was Grutter v. Bollinger from 2003, in which Justice Sandra Day OConnor wrote for the majority, We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today. That would be in 2028, five years from now.

U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington on June 7, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Mr. Newsom continued, Right-wing activistsincluding those donning robesare trying to take us back to the era of book bans and segregated campuses.  Our campus doors remain open for all who want to work hardand our commitment to diversity, equity, and equal opportunity has never been stronger.

As others now are recognizing, and Ive been writing in this space for more than a year, Mr. Newsom obviously is running for president. Hes just using buzzwords to make himself look good to progressive donors.

A Merit Systemor Rule by Elites?

Refuting Mr. Newsoms position is Justice Clarence Thomas, who is black. He filed a concurrent opinion in the Harvard case, Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. He attacked the dissenting opinion of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who also is black.

As she sees things, we are all inexorably trapped in a fundamentally racist society, with the original sin of slavery and the historical subjugation of Black Americans still determining our lives today, he wrote. And he said we should not unquestioningly accede to the view of elite experts and reallocate societys riches by racial means as necessary to level the playing field.

Thats a key point: Do we have a society based on merit, where everyone is treated equally, or one where elite experts like Mr. Newsom decide who gets what, based on raw political power?

Then theres Dr. Martin Luther Kings well-known admonition from his I Have a Dream speech in 1963, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. How can we get there if character is thrown out in favor of race-based color of their skin?

Heres the response to the court decision by Attorney General Rob Bonta, who enforces the states laws: I am deeply disappointed about the potential impact on ongoing efforts to create inclusive learning environments. Todays rulings will make it harder to achieve that goal. California has long recognized the value of diversity in institutions of higher learning. While the ruling narrows the scope of permissible consideration of race in admissions, it does not diminish our resolve to pursue policies and practices that ensure equal access and opportunities for all students. I remain committed to working with educational institutions, community leaders, and stakeholders to find innovative solutions that promote diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Similar to Mr. Newsom, he uses the phrase diversity, equality, and inclusion, which also is rule by experts, not a merit-based system. But he mentions innovative solutions, which the state actually already long has done in response to Prop. 209.

California Governor Gavin Newsom listens to a question during a press conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 10, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

As even the liberal (and tax-funded) National Public Radio reported, Admissions offices pivoted to a more holistic approach, looking beyond grades and test scores. Starting in the early 2000s, the UC system implemented a couple of initiatives to increase diversity: The top-performing students graduating most high schools in the state were guaranteed admission to most of the eight UC undergraduate campuses. It also introduced a comprehensive review process to evaluate students academic achievements in light of the opportunities available to themusing an array of criteria including a students special skills and achievements, special circumstances and location of high school.

That obviously is going to happen around the country now. Ironically, this is the real way California will be a model for the country. Instead of Mr. Newsoms ultra-progressive California Way hes touting around the country, this states voters have come up with a way to both have a merit-based system and doing what can be done to lift up those needing a break.

Better Approach: K-12 Reform

Finally, neither Mr. Newsom nor Mr. Bonta mentioned the best way to help black and Latino students compete for higher-learning positions: Reform state K-12 schools, whose failure is the true cause of the achievement gap such students have with white and Asian students. As I have written a couple of times in The Epoch Times, the state should adopt Arizona-style universal school choice, giving parents a voucher for each student, to be redeemed at any public traditional school, public charter school, or private school.

Another option I wrote about is the Mississippi Miracle, in which that states reforms catapulted student achievement from the worst in the country to among the best.

But such reforms would mean taking on the powerful California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers, which is the last thing Mr. Newsom would do during his presidential bid, or by Bonta, who is running for governor.

Meanwhile, old Hiram Johnson was right. As Prop. 209 showed, for the essentials we must depend on our confidence in the people and in their ability to govern.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Supreme Court Rules in Ohio Redistricting Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court sent a redistricting case back to the Supreme Court of Ohio for reconsideration after it recently rejected a theory holding that state legislatures have sweeping authority to make the rules for federal elections in the states without interference from the courts.

The new decision came on June 30, the day the U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its recent session and recessed for the summer.

Republicans currently dominate Ohios congressional delegation. Republicans hold 10 of the states U.S. House seats to Democrats five. One of its U.S. senators is a Republican and the other a Democrat. Republicans also control both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly.

Ohio Republicans argued in support of the independent state legislature doctrine, under which Republicans say the U.S. Constitution has always directly authorized state legislatures alone to make rules for conducting federal elections in their respective states. Democrats say that was a fringe conservative legal theory that could endanger voting rights, enable extreme partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process, and cause upheaval in election administration.

But the nations highest court rejected the doctrine, finding on June 27 in Moore v. Harper, a case from North Carolina, that the Constitutions elections clause doesnt vest exclusive authority in state legislatures to set the rules regarding federal elections.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the courts majority opinion that state courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause.

But federal courts must not abandon their own duty to exercise judicial review, Mr. Roberts wrote.

In interpreting state law in this area, state courts may not so exceed the bounds of ordinary judicial review as to unconstitutionally intrude upon the role specifically reserved to state legislatures by the elections clause, which does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review.

In the case at hand, Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, a Republican, invoked the doctrine when he challenged a ruling by the Supreme Court of Ohio that found that the states congressional map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered to benefit Republicans.

Republican state lawmakers denounced the state courts decision at the time as fundamentally flawed. They claimed that the ruling interfered with their legislative authority in multiple ways.

While many believe that the Ohio Supreme Court majority misinterpreted state law, there is also the broader concern that the Court assumed a role the federal Constitution does not permit it to exercise, the lawmakers said.

Impertinent Judicial Overreach

In his petition (pdf), Mr. Huffman wrote that the Ohio court correctly recognized that the legislatures work of drawing congressional district maps deserves the highest deference.

But in the decision  it forgot about that deference, the petition reads. Instead, it trampled on the legislatures work by inventing new state constitutional law and demanding that Ohios congressional district map put six Democratic candidates in the United States House of Representatives. The Elections Clause does not permit such impertinent judicial overreach.

Respondent Meryl Neiman, an attorney and Democratic Party organizer, filed a brief (pdf) in opposition to the petition.

Contrary to Mr. Huffmans submissions, the Elections Clause is not an escape hatch for a state legislature to wriggle free of its own state constitution, particularly of constitutional provisions the legislature itself established and endorsed in an effort to reflect the will of the voters, Ms. Neiman wrote.

Under any plausible reading of the Elections Clause, it leaves room for state courts to apply specific constitutional anti-gerrymandering provisions by invalidating an unconstitutional map and sending it back to the state legislature to redraw. That is all this case is about.

On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court summarily granted the petition in Huffman v. Neiman (court file 22-362). The court issued an unsigned order and didnt explain its decision. No justices dissented.

The court vacated the judgment of the Supreme Court of Ohio and remanded the case to that court in light of its decision in Moore v. Harper.

Neither Mr. Huffmans attorney, William Dornette of Taft Stettinius and Hollister in Cincinnati, nor Ms. Neimans attorney, Abha Khanna of Elias Law Group in Seattle, responded by press time to requests by The Epoch Times for comment.

Mr. Huffman said in a statement after the U.S. Supreme Court acted that his appeal clearly recognized serious constitutional concerns.

We are reviewing the U.S. Supreme Courts message to determine the path forward, he said, as reported by the Ohio Capital Journal.

The outlet quoted Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, saying that if the Supreme Court of Ohio correctly applies Moore v. Harper to the case, itll affirm its prior ruling that rejected the congressional map.

What SCOTUS said in Moore was that legislatures must follow their state constitutionsconsistent with what the Ohio Supreme Court already decided, she said.
Thames Water Needs Significant Additional Funding Despite 750 Million Injection

A worker from Thames Water delivering a temporary water supply from a tanker to the village of Northend in Oxfordshire, on Aug. 10, 2022. (Andrew Matthews/PA Media)

Thames Water has said its shareholders have agreed to pump another 750 million in funding into the utility giant, but warned that it needs significant additional funding in the coming years.

The supplier said the initial funding agreement to the end of March 2025 is a major milestone, although it is less than the 1 billion expected.

But the firm said that it needs another 2.5 billion by 2030 for its turnaround to be delivered.

Thames Water, the UKs biggest water supplier with 15 million customers, is struggling under a 14 billion debt mountain.

Its former chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down abruptly last month amid mounting worries over the financial stability of the company.

There have been suggestions that re-nationalisation may be a solution, and the government has reportedly been working on contingency plans in recent weeks to place the firm into a special administration regime if needed.

But the government has tried to calm the waters by saying the utility has secure and committed funding and reassuring customers their supply will not be interrupted.

Under Pressure

Thames Water has come under pressure in recent years over its poor performance in tackling leaks and sewage contamination, while facing criticism for handing out big rewards to top bosses and shareholders.

According to annual results published on Monday, the groups debts swelled to 14 billion from 12.9 billion the previous year.

Commenting on the investors new funding pledge, interim co-chief executives Cathryn Ross and Alastair Cochran said: This announcement is a major milestone for Thames and all our stakeholders.

The substantial equity support package announced today will underpin the delivery of a more focused turnaround plan that builds on the foundations that have been put in place over the last two years.

Thames Water chairman Ian Marchant said the new deal is the largest equity support package ever seen in the UK water sector.

But the companys shareholdersa consortium of pension funds and sovereign wealth fundshave said the cash is dependent on the preparation of a business plan that underpins a more focused turnaround that delivers targeted performance improvements for customers, the environment and other stakeholders over the next three years and is supported by appropriate regulatory arrangements.

Nationalisation?

The company denied that it is close to being placed into special administration by the government.

Ms. Ross, one of the interim co-chief executives, said the group still have 4.4 billion of capital sitting there.

She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that a special administration regime is an option the government has, but it has a very high bar, which she said the group is not close to it.

Lord Michael Howard, one of the architects of water privatisation, rejected suggestions that a return to public ownership is a viable solution.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on July 1: The point about public ownership is this: if you have the industry in the public ownership it has to compete for resources with health, with education, with the police, with all the other legitimate demands on the public purse, and water when it was in public ownership was way down the queue.

When you release it into the private sector you have recourse to private capital. You can make the investment thats needed.

Lord Andrew Tyrie, the former chair of the Competition and Markets Authority, also said it would be a mistake to renationalise water companies.

He told BBC Radio 4s Week in Westminster: I think that would be a mistake. I think were better off having them in the private sector subject to some discipline in the market.

He said nationalisation would be extremely disruptive and would lead to higher water bills over a sustained period.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just wrapped up a four-day visit to Beijing. She met with her Chinese counterparts. She sparked controversy for repeatedly bowing to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. And when she left, Ms. Yellen declared that the meetings were productive, although they didnt result in any breakthroughs on policy.

So whats this really about? Why did Ms. Yellen declare it a success? China and the United States appear to be re-establishing contact, while the Chinese Communist Party smells blood in the water. Tensions between the two countries appear to be rapidly growing, as diplomacy appears to be falling apart.

In this episode of Crossroads, well discuss this story and others, and answer questions from the audience.
Trudeau Voices Support for Ukraines NATO Membership as Allies Weigh Countrys Admission

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (right) looks on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a joint media availability at the Adazi Military base, July 10, 2023 in Adazi, Latvia. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will push for Ukraine to be admitted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a summit this week in Latvia where member countries will weigh the possibility of admitting Ukraine into the treaty organization.

We feel very strongly that Ukraine should be joining NATO as soon as conditions allow, Mr. Trudeau told reporters in Adazi, Latvia, on July 10 as he and Defence Minister Anita Anand prepare to meet with a number of allies during the NATO Leaders Summit this week.

Mr. Trudeau added that Ukraines admission to NATO is also supported by Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and some of Canadas other Baltic allies, but added that not all NATO allies favour the initiative.

It is not as unanimous across NATO, the prime minister told reporters.

In other NATO member countries, this enthusiasm is not as strong as in Canada, Mr. Trudeau later added in French. But in general, our allies are very inclined for the future of Ukraine.

He added that discussions between NATO members on the matter are ongoing, but also said he believes there will be very good news to announce about it on July 11.

Mr. Trudeau made similar comments while addressing Ukraines parliament in Kyiv in June.

It must be Ukraines choice as to how it defends itself and its people, Mr. Trudeau told Ukrainian parliamentarians on June 10. That is why Canada supports increased cooperation with NATO through the NATO-Ukraine Council. And we will continue to support Ukraine becoming a NATO member as soon as conditions allow.

However, NATO leaders have been divided over granting Ukraine membership in the alliance, with member countries like the United States and Germany previously voicing concerns that the move could spark a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

NATO members in Eastern Europe have backed Ukraines entrance into the alliance.

No final decision has been made but at the summit I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a news conference on July 10.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Ukraine to be invited to join NATO during the leaders summit this week, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a Twitter post that the summit is the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become [a] member.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced Monday that the increase rate in the number of yachts crossing the canal hit 64 percent in the first half of 2023.

The SCA also declared that it is participating in the 32nd edition of the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS), held from 27  30 Sept. 2023, at Port Hercule in Monaco.

This is the SCA's first participation in the MYS.

In a statement issued Monday on the occasion of the SCA's participation in the MYS, the SCA said it was enhancing the services provided to yachts crossing the canal by offering advanced berthing services in its marinas and expanding beyond canal transit services.

According to the statement, the SCA will showcase the new Ismailia Yacht Marina development project at the MYS.

The marina is Egypt's first for yacht tourism. It provides yachts with recreational services and other essential services, including fuel supply and yacht maintenance.

Located in Ismailia's Lake Timsah, the Ismailia Yacht Marina is the first green marina in the Middle East and Africa, according to previous statements of SCA chairman Osama Rabie in June.

According to Rabie, the Ismailia Yacht Marina will be inaugurated in two months.

Egypt has been implementing a national plan since August 2021 to raise the efficiency of existing ports and marinas and construct new ones in areas that attract tourism.

In September 2022, Egypt launched its first online platform to promote yacht tourism in Egypt.

The government will also develop a marketing plan to boost yacht and ship tourism in Egypt.

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Turkey Agrees to Admit Sweden to NATO, Secretary General Says

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) shake hands next to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg prior to their meeting, on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 10, 2023. (Yves Herman/Pool via Reuters)

Sweden is set to join NATO as the military alliances 32nd member following its acceptance by Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on July 10 that a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resulted in an understanding being reached between the two nations.

Sweden initially requested membership in NATO alongside Finland in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine last year. Any NATO member is allowed to veto the entry of any potential member, and for the past year, Turkey has rejected Swedens admission into the alliance.

Turkey previously vetoed the Nordic nations membership bid, saying Sweden provided safe haven to members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which it considers to be a terrorist organization.

An initial arrangement was made between Turkey and Sweden earlier in the year, but Turkey suspended talks after the Swedish government permitted a protest to take place outside of a Turkish embassy, where one protestor burned a copy of the Quran.

A joint statement issued by Turkey and Sweden on July 10 said that Sweden wouldnt provide support to the Kurdish groups and would actively support efforts to help Turkeys own accession into the European Union.

Mr. Erdogans apparent green light of Swedens accession brings an end to months of drama over an issue that had strained the bloc as war has raged in Ukraine.

Im glad to announce  that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification, Mr. Stoltenberg told a press conference, describing it as a historic step.

This has been a good day for Sweden, Mr. Kristersson told reporters, saying the July 10 joint statement represented a very big step toward the final ratification of Swedens membership of NATO.

Mr. Stoltenberg said Mr. Erdogan had agreed to push ratification in parliament as soon as possible but didnt give a specific date. It took about two weeks for Turkeys parliament to ratify Finlands membership.

Mr. Stoltenberg noted that Swedens admission would mutually benefit both the nation and the alliance.

This is an historic step which makes all NATO Allies stronger & safer, Mr. Stoltenberg wrote in a tweet.

The trilateral meeting between Mr. Stoltenberg, Mr. Erdogan, and Mr. Kristersson occurs as defense ministers and other officials from all 31 NATO nations gather for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

It also comes just five days after President Joe Biden welcomed Swedens Mr. Kristersson to the White House, where he voiced support for the Nordic countrys NATO membership ahead of the summit.

In a statement issued on July 10, Mr. Biden praised Turkey and Swedens agreement, which he said would enhance regional security.

I welcome the statement issued by Turkey, Sweden, and the NATO Secretary General this evening, he said in a statement.

I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.

The announcement is drawing widespread bipartisan support in the United States.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) described the move as fantastic. Similarly, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) told The Epoch Times that it was a very positive thing.

Three more countries in addition to Sweden have stated their aspirations to join NATO. Theyre Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine.

Ukraine formally applied to join the alliance last year but is unlikely to be admitted until its war with Russia ends. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty establishes the principle of collective defense, which means that any attack on a NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all. As such, admitting Ukraine while its at war would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia.

To that end, Biden said Ukraine isnt yet ready for NATO membership.

I dont think [Ukraine is] ready for membership, Mr. Biden said during a July 9 interview with CNN. I dont think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war.

I think its premature to say  to call for a votetheres other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues.

Jackson Richman and Reuters contributed to this report.
US Marine Corps Lacks Senate-Confirmed Leader as Senator Stalls Nominations Over Pentagon Abortion Policy

The U.S. Department of the Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, seal hangs on the wall at the Pentagon in Washington on Feb. 24, 2009. (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States Marine Corps is without a senate-confirmed leader amid an impasse between the Department of Defense and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) over military policies on abortion.

On Monday, Gen. David Berger relinquished his command as the commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen. Berger was replaced by Gen. Eric Smith, who is assuming the role of the Marine Corps Chief of Staff in an acting capacity while the Senate remains unable to confirm new military nominees.

President Joe Biden nominated Gen. Smith to serve as the top uniformed Marine on May 31, but he is just one of more than 200 military officers whose nominations remain stalled in the U.S. Senate at the moment.

In December, Mr. Tuberville announced he would stop the Senate from proceeding with large batches of military nominations after the DOD adopted a policy to fund travel and leave for military service members who elect to get an abortion but are legally constrained in the states in which theyre stationed. The DOD adopted this abortion policy last year after numerous U.S. states began constraining abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

Mr. Tubervilles contention has been that the new DOD abortion policy conflicts with an existing U.S. law that bars the DOD from using taxpayer funds for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or pregnancies that threaten the life of the mother.

Mr. Tubervilles block prevents the Senate from approving military nominees in large batches through unanimous consent, instead requiring them to go through slower regular order procedures.

The Alabama Republican has vowed to maintain the block on the nomination process until the DOD either ends the abortion policy or Congress changes the laws surrounding abortions in the military. If Democrats cant pass legislation to authorize the abortion policy, then it shouldnt be the policy, Mr. Tuberville wrote in The Washington Post last month.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who implemented the new abortion policy in October, alluded to the ongoing impasse during Gen. Bergers command relinquishment ceremony on Monday.

I know that everyone here is looking forward to the rapid confirmation of a distinguished successor to General Berger, the defense secretary said. You know, its been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate-confirmed commandant. Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States, and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history. Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners and theyre crucial for our military readiness.

Mr. Austin also said military families shouldnt be weighed down with any extra uncertainty and then expressed his confidence that the Senate will meet its responsibilities.

What Happens Without a Confirmed Commandant?

In comments to Defense One last month, Gen. Smith said that as the acting Marine Corps Commandant, hed have all but a few of the authorities of a fully senate-confirmed commandant.

I cant live in the [commandants house], cant use a security detail, Gen. Smith said at the Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington on June 29. I cant write a commandants planning guidance because I am not the commandant.

While he cant author a commandants formal planning guidance, Gen. Smith said I can give guidance to the force as the acting commandant, but it does not carry the same weight.

Gen. Smith, who has been confirmed as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, would actually have to simultaneously continue the assistant commandant role and fill the acting commandant responsibilities.

Gen. Berger told CNN that it will be difficult for Gen. Smith to juggle both positions.

Hes going to have to do his job in a very different way than I was able to, because I could travel, he was here, he could travel, I was here, the outgoing commandant said. Now [theres] only one of him, so it affects the way he does his job.

In addition to Gen. Smiths limitations, the hold on military nominees is having impacts on leadership down the line. Gen. Berger said the inability of the United States to promote new leaders could hurt its reputation with its allies.

When the world leader cant promote its officers on a regular basiskind of like when [you] cant pass a budgetconfidence goes down, Gen. Berger said.

The outgoing Marine Corps commandant has said the holdup on nominations and promotions has led him to ask other service members to put off their retirement plans.

Mr. Tuberville defended his continued hold on military nominations, writing in the Post that it is not affecting readiness.

Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion, Mr. Tuberville added. The hold affects only those at the very topgenerals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all.

Mr. Tuberville also argued that Senate Democrats could technically proceed with confirming military nominations through the regular order procedures.

I am not stopping anyone from getting confirmed, and I am not stopping anyone from voting, he wrote in the Post. Democrats could simply put these nominations up for a vote, but they clearly dont want to. Instead they wasted hours of Senate floor time trying to harangue me into letting the nominations pass through unanimous consent. This tactic hasnt worked, and it wont work. I am more than happy to vote on these nominations, and I would probably vote for many, if not most, of them.

From NTD News
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Says Hes Gearing Up to Sue Social Media Companies for Knowingly Harming Kids

Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Sunday that hes preparing to sue social media companies for causing harm to young children in the state.

In an interview with CBS Face The Nation on July 9, Mr. Cox said that when you look at the new research thats coming out, theres not just a correlation between social media use and an increase in suicide, anxiety, depression, self-harm, there is a causal link there.

In the coming months, you will see lawsuits being filed by the state of Utah to hold them accountable, Mr. Cox added. We believe theyve known about the dangers. Some of this has been leaked outMeta and othersvery clear evidence that they knew the harms that their products were causing to kids, and that they intentionally tried to hide that information. And of course to not make changes that are necessary to protect our kids, and so were looking forward to having our day in court on that issue.

Mr. Cox did not provide a specific timeline for which social media companies his administration may try to sue first and on what grounds, but he said were looking at all social media companies right now.

The Republican governor had previously raised the prospect of suing social media companies. At a Jan. 23 press conference, for example, Mr. Cox joined Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes to announce they were considering a range of options to address how minors are using social media.

While we hope to work cooperatively with tech companies to address these many concerns, we feel litigation is likely a necessary step to increase the urgency and seriousness of implementing child safeguards, the Utah attorney general said in January.

New Social Media Control Rules

In March, Utah passed Senate Bill 152, the Utah Social Media Regulation Act, which imposed new requirements for social media companies to verify that those living in the state are at least 18 years old before they set up a social media profile. The bill, which takes effect in March 2024, would require social media companies to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian before allowing anyone under the age of 18 to set up a social media profile.

SB 152 included a number of other features for minors, such as requiring social media companies to block direct messaging by anyone who the minor has not added as a friend or followed on the platform. The bill also requires social media companies to implement a default setting restricting minors from accessing their platforms from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., with tools for a parent or guardian to modify the time restrictions.

What were trying to do is give families more control over what is happening on social media, he said.

The Utah governor predicted social media companies will target his state with lawsuits challenging the new law, just as his administration is preparing to sue social media companies.

Im sure well have social media companies suing the state of Utah, he said. In fact, were going to be suing social media companies for the harm and damage that theyre causing our young people. I suspect that at some point, the Supreme Court will weigh in on this decision when it comes to restricting youth access.

Even outside the court system, Mr. Cox has acknowledged that Utahs new social media regulations will be difficult to enforce.

We understand that there are definitely going to be enforcement issues anytime you wade into this type of an industry, the Utah governor said during an interview with NBCs Meet the Press on March 26. Its going to be tough. We dont expect that were going to be able to prevent every, you know, every young person from getting around this. Kids are really smart. Thats one of the problems.

From NTD News
Victorians to Bear Australia Heaviest Property Taxes

A construction site without construction workers is seen in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 29, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Victorian homeowners will be hit with the heaviest property tax in Australia from the 2023-2024 financial year onward as the state Labor government carries out its COVID-19 debt repayment plan.

According to a new report by the Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office, Victorians will need to pay an estimated property tax (land transfer duty plus land tax) of $2,000 (US$1,336) per person in the current financial year, followed by New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland residents at around $1,800 and $1,300, respectively.

In addition, Victorias property tax per capita is expected to soar to $2,400 by 2026-2027, while other states and territories will only see slight changes.

By 2025-2026, Victoria is forecasted to generate the highest property tax revenue among the jurisdictions at $16,4 billion, of which $8.8 billion will come from land transfer duty and the remaining from land tax.

The report also found that Victoria would continue to be the most dependent on property tax in the coming years, with 17 percent of the states total revenue expected to derive from property tax by 2025-2026.

In comparison, NSW will rank second at around 14 percent, while other jurisdictions will be below 10 percent.

Victoria is expected to rely more heavily on property taxes to generate revenue than any other state, the report stated.

This reliance on property taxes partly reflects lower revenue from other sources, such as commonwealth grant revenue and royalties.

The figures come after the Victorian government introduced a COVID-19 debt repayment plan to pay off the massive debt caused by its pandemic policies in the past few years.

The debt repayment plan resulted in significant changes to the tax-free threshold for general land tax rates, as well as additional charges for homeowners from July 1, 2024.

Victorias Massive Public Debt

According to the states latest budget, Victoria borrowed $31.5 billion to pay for its pandemic policies, which plunged the capital city of Melbourne into the worlds longest lockdown and devastated local businesses.

The huge debt has forced the Labor government to roll out a repayment plan to address the amount owed in the next decade.

The plan specifically targets large businesses and property owners whom the state government argued had made big profits during the pandemic, resulting in harsh criticisms from the business community.

The state also announced it would axe 3,000-4,000 jobs in the public sector and abolish payroll tax exemption for a number of private schools.

The 2023-2024 Victorian Budget papers are seen at the Budget Lockup in Melbourne, Australia, on May 23, 2023. (AAP Image/James Ross)

Despite introducing various measures to reduce debt, Victoria is expected to see a sharp rise in government debt in the coming years.

Victorias net debt is forecasted to hit $116.9 billion in 2023 before soaring to $171.4 billion in 2027.

However, the Labor government is continuing to pursue expensive infrastructure development despite the states bleak financial situation.

The Australian Financial Review reported that the Victorian government set aside a mysterious $75 billion spending fund in the state budget to splurge on infrastructure and government agencies without telling taxpayers how it would use the money.

Response from the Victorian Government

Following the reports release, the state government defended its property taxes, citing Australian Bureau of Statistics data that Victoria remained the second-lowest revenue state in the country.

The report also notes that these figures cherry-pick one tax type and dont show the whole picture, a Victorian government spokesman said in comments obtained by AAP.

Australian states have structurally different economies and different levels of reliance on revenue sources, and it does not consider revenue sources other than land transfer duty and land tax.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader John Pesutto alleged that the states high taxes were due to the Andrews governments waste and mismanagement.

He also noted that each extra dollar in property taxes would cause rents and property prices to go up.

With Victorias rents already rising at the fastest rate in the nation, higher property taxes will only make a bad situation worse and push secure, affordable housing for many Victorians even further out of reach, Mr. Pesutto said.

Echoing the sentiment, Liberal MP Jess Wilson, who commissioned the report, said higher property taxes would worsen housing affordability in the state.

It means fewer homes. It means as property owners are slugged with higher land tax bills. Less and less homes are going to come into the rental market, and thats not going to fix our housing supply shortage in Victoria, she said.
Warren Raises Conflict of Interest Concerns About Pentagon Division, Private Investment

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has raised questions about whether parts of the Department of Defense (DOD) could be too cozy with private investment firms.

Ms. Warren, who serves as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, broached her concerns in a July 9 letter (pdf) to Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering at the DODs Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), in which the senator asserted theres a lack of safeguards to prevent conflicts of interests.

While I understand that one of the objectives of OSC is to improve the governments relationship with the venture community, I am concerned that this is resulting in a conflation of interests that creates clear conflicts, Ms. Warren said.

The OSC was established in 2022 with the aim of collaborating with other government departments and agencies to develop investment strategies for critical technologies, as Ms. Warren outlined in her letter. However, the senator pointed out instances where the office appeared to be too closely aligned with private investment firms.

Ms. Warren was specifically concerned about OSCs involvement in encouraging government intervention during a run on Silicon Valley Bank, which was seen by some experts as favoring certain companies that were affected by the banks failure.

The lawmaker also highlighted that consultants hired by the OSC had ties to private firms, raising questions about their independence and the authenticity of their work.

These consultants are designated as special government employees, subject to some ethics laws applicable to federal employees. However, ethics watchdogs have voiced concerns about the challenges of preventing conflicts, given the consultants access to nonpublic political intelligence information.

Warrens Requests

To address these concerns, Ms. Warren requested information from Ms. Shyu regarding the DODs policy for reviewing and assessing potential conflicts. Ms. Warren also asked whether any special government employees at the OSC were required to recuse themselves from specific matters that could affect their outside employers, clients, or investments.

In addition, the senator requested details about the companies that reached out to the OSC concerning the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and whether any of those companies had past or present connections with office personnel, along with other information about the bank.

Additionally, Ms. Warren asked for copies of all financial disclosure forms from special government employees and questioned whether the DOD required the employees to disclose the clients of their outside employers who were not their own clients.

The lawmaker also had a number of questions about how many special government employees work at the department, as well as waivers and policies that could indicate the DODs protection level in the face of possible conflicts of interest.

The OSC appears to be providing these consultants an opportunity to refresh their rolodexes without having appropriate guardrails in place to protect the public interest, Ms. Warren said. As one of the consultants has observed, winning defense contracts is about relationships and connectivity.'

Ms. Warren also pointed to her Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act, writing that under her bill, special government employees who serve for 61 days or longer would be subject to the federal ethics rules applicable to federal employees.

It would also require most executive branch employees, including [special government employees], to recuse themselves from matters that might financially benefit themselves, a previous employer, or client from the preceding four years, the senator wrote.

The Department of Defense has been given a deadline of July 28 to respond to Ms. Warrens questions and provide the requested information.

The DOD did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment before press time.
What If This Travel Chaos Is Deliberate?

Commentary

Well, it happened again. A friend was coming to visit with a layover flight covering three major airports. It should have taken a few hours. Instead, it took 12 hours and only with the assistance of Amtrak on the last leg. The rebooked flight would have meant another 36-hour delay, so that was out of the question. As for now, the luggage is still lost.

(Quick note: never check luggage if you can help it. If youre flying anywhere, you should figure out how to pack your life in a bag small enough to fit under your seat. Yes, its absurd, but thats where we are today. This is our plight.)

Why is all this happening?

Like so many others, Ive begun to assume the worst. This is because the worst assumptions and explanations of the strange happenings all around us keep being proven to be true. The list of conspiracy theories that turn out to be correct based on all facts and evidence is growing by the day and the hour.

Lets consider this subject thats deeply vexing to every American traveler: the complete unreliability of domestic airlines. Sure, theres a chance that youll book a two-hop trip somewhere and itll come off without a hitch. But that chance is increasingly slim.

Its a mark of our systematically declining living standards. The speed and reliability of travel is a mark of modernity and progress. But these days, its mostly something to dread. At first, it was the absurdities of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency that should never have been created in the first place. Then it was the maskshow preposterous was that?

No one talks about the vaccine mandates anymore, but they caused a brutal purge of the whole industry. We still dont have firm data on the number of injuries inflicted on those who acquiesced. In any case, this led to what everyone calls persistent staffing shortages as if it were an act of nature.

But really the current problems began with lockdowns from which the industry still hasnt recovered. Domestic travel is still down by 10 percent from pre-pandemic levels. You cant panic and mandate the near-closure of an industry for six months to a year and expect it to bounce back like nothing happened.

That period from March 2020 to a year later and following has proven devastating for the industry and also for American life generally.

It isnt nature causing this mess, despite what the crazies say. They want to blame climate change for everything. Indeed, airlines like to do that too. Your flight is canceled because of the weather they say, as you look out the window at sunny skies and the radar shows absolutely nothing going on at your destination either.

Another unmentioned cause is the flat-out incompetence of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which purports to be the regulatory cop on the beat. All it really does is throw sand in the gears, forever tightening rules, restrictions, mandates, and standards. In some ways, the FAA regards the perfect flight as no flight at all: no risk, no emissions, no uncertainty, and no work to do.

This does seem to be where the current system is driving us. We have all the knowledge, all the resources, all the demand, and the supply, and yet the system is getting worse all the time. What does that remind you of? Yes, that sounds just like socialism. No centrally managed economy or industry can improve on decentralized decision-making by people with a heavy stake in the outcome and a profit motive to drive it all forward.

But lets just pretend that a cabal of evil geniuses is secretly plotting to get rid of domestic travel via plane. They wouldnt have to abolish it outright. They would only need to create conditions to cause enough suffering so that people gradually decline to use the service. Instead of five trips in a year, people reduce their travel to only essentials, taking cars, trains, and buses when possible.

Just think about your own experience. Remember when flying was a pleasure and you never worried about rebooking roulette or being stranded at some strange airport wondering if you can manage to sleep in a chair for the night? That was only a few years ago. These days, no one looks forward to what well encounter at the airport. Its simply awful.

Back to the evil geniuses. They want a world in which the planes are grounded and youre stuck where you are. How to get there? Just go slowly. Gradually degrade the experience to the point that people decline to use it anymore. The airlines lose money and go out of business. Maybe at some point, there are only a few carriers remaining, and theyre entirely dependent on government for marching orders.

Another great tactic to deploy from time to time: order a full grounding of all planes out of a major airport. Why? Doesnt matter. Just do it. Make it last a day or two and then open up again. Sure, everyone will object, but you can just mutter something about national security, and let the news cycle push the event into the past. This kind of thing makes people less willing even to attempt to fly.

But whos crazy enough to think this is a good idea? Well, a lot of people. The climate kvetchers think that grounding planes will fix the warming of the planet. Thats what they say, anyway. But other people have rolled the end of airline travel into their larger ideological vision of what Ive called techno-primitivism. This is a corporatist system ruled by an elite that gradually drives down living standards so that we all live like serfs in 15-minute cities, buying all that we need from cartelized big-box stores in our own communities.

Its a ghastly vision, but this is precisely what Dr. Anthony Fauci laid out for us in his overlooked August 2020 Cell article in which he called for rebuilding the infrastructures of human existence, from cities to homes to workplaces, to water and sewer systems, to recreational and gatherings venues.

If you read the entire piece, what you find is that he blames all infectious diseases and hence all problems in the world about which he was tasked to care on one thing: human mobility. He says it began 12,000 years ago. Its been downhill ever since. Freedom has permitted the spread of terrible pathogens that have made the world a dirty and disgusting place. He says we cant go back 12,000 years (thank you for that, Tony) but we can at least use lessons from those times to bend modernity in a safer direction.

So yes, part of that is the deprecation of domestic travel. Think about this. If such an evil Fauci-led cabal wanted this, they wouldnt have to mandate it. They would just assist in creating the conditions that gradually cause the system to crash on its own. They would do things like panic the country into lockdowns, force masks on every traveler, mandate vaccines for all workers, and watch as the reliably incompetent managers do the rest of the deed on their own.

As a final note, under the techno-primitivism model, not all flight is ended. The ruling elite, as always, will have full access to their chartered flights. Its just the rest of us who will be forced to walk and ride bikes just as in Maos China.

I was on the phone with a friend yesterdaya brilliant man with a clear mindand he said that hes beginning to suspect the worst. He has come to believe that theres a deliberate plot alive in the land thats seeking the controlled demolition of everything we used to call civilization. I got a chill in my spine. I couldnt confidently disagree.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
19 killed as heavy rains lash north India, rivers in spate





NEW DELHI :

Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to LGs of Delhi and J&K, takes stock of situation

TORRENTIAL rains pounded several parts of north India on Sunday with 19 people killed in landslides and other rain-related incidents, while most rivers, including the Yamuna in Delhi, were in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains. Flash floods washed away roads in hilly areas, leaving people marooned, while authorities asked tourists to plan their visit after the weather improves. Railway services have also been hit.

The Northern Railways said it has cancelled around 17 trains and diverted around 12 others, while traffic has been suspended at four locations due to waterlogging. Heavy downpour warnings have been issued for certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, while in Delhi, which recorded its highest rainfall in a single day in July since 1982, authorities have cautioned over rising water level of the Yamuna. While Delhi received 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8:30 on Sunday, Chandigarh and Ambala in Haryana reported record rainfall of 322.2 mm and 224.1 mm respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In three separate incidents of landslides in Himachal Pradesh, where a red alert of extremely heavy rains has been issued for seven districts, five people were killed. Three members of a family were killed in a house collapse following a landslide in Shimla districts Kotgarh area, while one death each was reported from Kullu and Chamba districts.

Fourteen major landslides and 13 flash floods have been reported in the past 36 hours while over 700 roads have been closed, according to the Himachal Pradesh emergency operation centre. In neighbouring Uttarakhand, three pilgrims drowned in the Ganga after their jeep fell into the river amid a landslide near Gular on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway. State Disaster Response Force and police officials said there were 11 people in the jeep. Five people have been rescued, while a search is on for three others, they said and added that three bodies have been recovered by rescue personnel. In the Kashipur area of the State, two houses collapsed killing a couple and injuring their granddaughter. Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to LGs of Delhi and J&K, takes stock of rain situation: UNION Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Lieutenant Governors of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir and enquired about the situation in the Union Territories in the wake of the incessant rains, sources said. Shah also took an update from the Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha over Amarnath Yatra.
BJP displays strong ire against Cong workers gherao move





Staff Reporter

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers strongly opposed the Congress partys move to gherao the office of Ashok Rohani, MLA Cantt. Assembly. They gathered in large numbers in Ranjhi area and expressed their strong opposition. BJP workers said as the elections are approaching the Congress party is trying to remind the people of their existence. Their baseless politics is futile as the people are well aware and reject their opposition. MLA Ashok Rohani said, I fail to understand why the Congress members are protesting and why they suddenly remember to demonstrate during the election season. He said Congress leaders were absent for nearly 4 years. They only perform and engage in drama during elections. Why dont they serve people for the entire 4 years and stand by them in their joys and sorrows? They remember to oppose me as an MLA only when there are 3 months left for elections. Where were they during times of COVID?, he questioned.

Rohani further stated that Congress candidates will once again suffer a heavy defeat in the upcoming assembly elections and go back to their homes to pursue their own personal interests. He mentioned that their protests will not make any difference to him. Rohani emphasised that even during Congress demonstration, BJP workers were actively involved in their service, distributing bags and books to children.
Defamation of Large Class





By Adv. R. S. Agrawal

IN THE order passed by the Gujarat High Court Judge, Justice Hemant M Prachchhak in the case Rahul Gandhi v. Purnesh Ishwerbhai Modi, on July 7, 2023, the Court has pointed out that one of the factors compounding the offence of defamation against the petitioner Rahul Gandhi, who approached the Court for staying his conviction, was defamation of a large identifiable class and not just an individual. According to the HC, due to this fact, the conviction partakes the character of an offence affecting a large section of the public and by definition, the society at large and not just a case of an individual centric defamation case. Further, the fact that the petitioner is a senior leader of the oldest political party in India with a large presence and a prominent figure in the realm of the Indian political landscape, also ensures that every utterance of the petitioner automatically gets large scale publicity. In the modern electronic media environment, this large scale publicity is lightning quick, difficult to contain and leaves a permanent imprint in the form of website links, videos etc.

The petitioner is assumed to be aware of the same and being a public personality is vested with the duty to exercise this vast power at his disposal with caution ensuring that dignity and reputation of large number of persons or any identifiable class is not jeopardised due to his political activities or utterances. In this case, these additional countervailing factors also operate against the petitioner, which increase the seriousness of offence in the present facts and circumstances: Defamation is an offence of public character wherein the fundamental right to reputation and dignity is involved; The conviction of the petitioner involves the impairment of the cherished fundamental right to dignity and reputation of a large segment of the population; The public standing of the petitioner and the fact that any utterance of the petitioner attracts large scale publication, gravely impairs and damages the reputation of the complainant and the identifiable class in question. Therefore, the mere fact that the maximum punishment is of two years, would not come to the aid of the petitioner in order to convince the Court to disregard the seriousness of the present offence. His conviction is a serious matter, affecting a large segment of the society and needs to be viewed by this Court with the gravity and significance it commands. In fact, the applicant is trying to seek stay of his conviction on absolutely non-existent grounds.

It is well-settled principle of law that stay of conviction is not a rule but an exception to be resorted to in rare cases. Disqualification is not limited only to MPs/MLAs. Moreover, as many as 10 criminal cases are pending against the applicant. It is now the need of the hour to have purity in politics. Representatives of people should be men of clear antecedent. It also appears from the record that after filing of the said complaint, other complaints came to be filed against this accused, out of which, one complaint was filed by the grandson of Vir Sawarkar in concerned Court of Pune, when the accused used defamatory utterances against Vir Sawarkar at Cambridge and another complaint was also filed in concerned Court of Lucknow. Against the backdrop of these circumstances, refusal to stay the conviction would not, in any way, result in injustice to the applicant. The application was filed seeking quashing and setting aside of the impugned order passed by the 8th Addl. Sessions Judge, Surat, on April 20, 2023 and also for getting stayed the order of conviction against the accused passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Surat, on March 23, 2023, in the defamation case. It has been alleged in the complaint that the petitioner had delivered a speech at Kolar, near Bengaluru in Karnataka for which this private criminal complaint case came to be filed in the CJMs Court contending that the speech is punishable as defamation under section 500 read with section 499 of the IPC and on the basis of the said complaint, the CJM took cognisance of the complaint under section 190(A) of the CrPC and recorded the statement of the complainant.

It has been further alleged that in such speech, the petitioner addressed the Honble Prime Minister as a thief and compared him with economic offenders of India like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi and Vijay Malya. It has been also alleged that the complainant asked the people gathered in the meeting as to why all thieves have surname Modi and the petitioner defamed Honble Prime Minister by saying that in Rafale dealing Honble Prime Minister is cent per cent thief and not chowkidar. It is alleged that the petitioner stated in the speech that the Honble Prime Minister gave away Rs 30,000 crore to his thief friend Anil Ambani and the said amount was put in the pocket of Anil Ambani in connection with the Rafale deal. It is alleged that thereafter, the CJM has concluded the trial and held the petitioner guilty for the offence of defamation under sections 499 and 500 of the IPC and sentenced him to undergo simple imprisonment of two years. Feeling aggrieved the petitioner filed criminal appeal along with the application at Exhibit 5 for suspension of sentence before the District and Sessions Judge. The said application came to be dismissed by the Sessions Court at Surat on April 20, 2023. In its Order, the HC has extensively quoted from the Supreme Courts judgement in the case  Subramanian Swamy v.

Union of India (2016) 7 SCC 221, to derive support for its findings and conclusion. In the judgment the SC has highlighted the importance of human dignity and analysed it in the context of section 499 IPC. In conclusion, the HC has stated that in its considered opinion there is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction of the applicant in the facts and circumstances of the case. The impugned order passed by the appellate court is just, proper and legal and do not call for any interference. However, the High Court has requested the concerned District Judge to decide the criminal appeal on its own merits and in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible. In result the High Court dismissed the application.
Dr Singh targets Congress Govt over Rs 2,000 cr liquor scam





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Dr Raman Singh, the former Chief Minister and National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has made serious allegations against the Congress Government, accusing them of involvement in a massive liquor scam amounting to Rs 2,000 crore. Dr Singh claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted 1300 pages of documents to the court as evidence regarding the scam, which took place between 2019 and 2023. According to Dr Singh, the liquor business in Chhattisgarh was managed and monitored by the Congress Government through the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited. He alleged that certain officials, including IAS officers, and Anwar Dhebar and his group, were monitoring all 800 liquor outlets across State. Dr Singh further claimed that approximately 30% of the outlets began selling illegal liquor using fake holograms.

Dr Singh specifically implicated Anwar Dhebar, alleging that he kept 15% of the illegal profits for himself and distributed the remaining amount among influential individuals. As a result of the investigation, properties worth more than Rs 121 crores belonging to Anwar Dhebar, Arunpati Tripathi, and Anil Tuteja have been confiscated. It was also revealed that Anwar Dhebar owned 53 acres of land in Naya Raipur, Bhilai, and Mumbai, which were suspected to have been acquired through the illicit funds obtained from the liquor scam. Responding to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghels statements about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and himself, Dr. Raman Singh highlighted that both the Prime Minister and Chief Minister were present at the inauguration of development projects worth Rs 7600 crores in Chhattisgarh. Dr. Singh also countered Baghels claims regarding the purchase of paddy, stating that the central government buys rice from the state and not paddy. He accused Baghel of misleading the public by providing inaccurate figures related to paddy procurement. Regarding allegations against his own property, Dr. Singh reminded Chief Minister Baghel that the High Court had previously dismissed the Congress partys claims as baseless and politically motivated.

He criticized Baghel for persisting with false allegations despite the courts ruling. Dr. Singh further questioned why Baghel, who has been in power for over four and a half years, has failed to prove any of his allegations. Dr. Singh addressed the issue of election preparations, stating that meetings were underway and the election manifesto was being drafted. He mentioned the involvement of senior BJP leaders Om Mathur and Mansukh Bhai Mandaviya in strategizing for the upcoming elections. Dr. Singh confirmed that Amit Shah would be regularly visiting Chhattisgarh to oversee the election process, emphasizing Shahs responsibility in monitoring the elections.
As many as 7 million tourists visited Egypt during the first half of this year, said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Ahmed Issa.

The minister made the remarks Monday while presiding over the permanent committee for licensing hotel and tourist establishments held at the premises of the tourism ministry in the New Administrative Capital.

During the meeting, the minister lauded the efforts exerted by the private sector and the constructive cooperation of the relevant bodies to attain Egypt's goals for the tourism industry.

In April, Egypt received a record-breaking 1.35 million tourists.

Egypt received 11.7 million tourists in 2022, up from eight million in 2021, marking a 46.2 percent increase, Issa stated in March.

The country targets tourism investments of EGP 7.4 billion in FY2022/2023, compared to EGP 6.2 billion in FY2021/2022.

Egypt has been working to ensure the recovery of the tourism industry, one of the countrys leading economic sectors, after it was hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. The Russian and Ukrainian markets are among the largest markets for tourism to Egypt.

The government took numerous measures to stimulate the sector, including deciding in January to allow 180 nationalities to obtain tourist visas on arrival to Egypt while easing visa rules for visitors from China, Iran, India, Turkey, Morocco and Algeria to stimulate the tourism industry.

It also launched in September its first-ever online platform to regulate the entry of yacht trips into the country as part of a newly developed strategy to leverage the countrys unique strategic geographical location and long coastal lines.

Promoting tourism has gained further urgency in Egypt amid the global economic crisis, which has put pressure on the local currency and caused Egypt to face a shortage in foreign currency.

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Govt has made adoption process easier with new amendments: Smriti Irani





By Bhavana Aparajita'

Shukla

Talking about the implications of new changes in adoption process, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of India Smriti Zubin Irani, said, Amendments have ease out adoption procedures in the country. With this new system there will be no need to go to the court to adopt a child. With introduction of changes by the Government of India, it has become child friendly also. Minister Irani was addressing Regional Symposium on Child Protection, Child Safety and Child Welfare on Sunday in Bhopal. Advocating states role in child safety and adoption task, the Union Minister said,  States operate Child Helpline and be readied with a list of children who have attended the age of six and above, but no one has come forward to adopt them. So that adoption process for these children can be facilitated. The Union Minister asked the CWCs to visit child-care homes and review cases of older children who could be made free for adoption at the earliest. The Union Minister who advocates enhancing working of Child Helpline in collaboration with other applications so that speedy action can be taken in emergency situations, has said that now states should operate Child Helpline.

With the help of technology, authorities can work in a timely manner e.g. Geo tagging can help us locate childrens exact presence. We will be able to know from where our children are making calls. The programme is a part of regional symposium series to be held across the country to raise awareness and outreach about child protection, safety and welfare issues. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India organised a day-long Regional Symposium on Child Protection, Safety and Child Welfare at Ravindra Bhawan, Bhopal on Sunday. It was attended by dignitaries from Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Members of Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC) and Anganwadi centres. Under Mission Vatsalya, State CWCs and JJBs have been formed in every district and its budget provision has been increased substantially. Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said, If you look at the past, it is evident that only after 2014, concrete steps have been taken by the Government in the direction of child care.
Health employees end strike after discussion with Singhdeo





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

The Chhattisgarh State Health Employees Union has called off their strike after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister and Health and Family Welfare Minister TS Singhdeo. A delegation of the union held a detailed discussion with Singhdeo at his residential office today, highlighting their demands. They expressed their willingness to participate in constructive dialogue with the government. He assured that he would consider the demands of the health workers and put the same before the State Government.

Singhdeo had earlier appealed to the health department employees to resume their work in the best interest of the states people. Following todays discussions, the office bearers of the Union have officially announced to call off their strike and resume their duties. Additionally, during the meeting with Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo, they also expressed their wish to meet Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Hundreds of Cong workers try to gherao MLA Rohanis office





Staff Reporter

To vent ire against the neglect and backwardness of areas under Cantt Assembly over the past 30 years, hundreds of Congress leaders and workers, on Sunday tried to gherao local MLA Ashok Rohanis office in Ranjhi. On the call of City Congress Committee, party workers gathered at Ranjhi Vehicle crossing and attempted to march towards the MLAs office. However, the police stopped them at Darshan Crossing. Despite, some Congress workers attempted to breach the barricades set up by the police to reach Rohanis office, but the heavy police presence prevented them and the protest took place at Darshan Crossing only.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress leaders expressed their concerns about neglect and discrimination faced by the people of Cantt Assembly. They said despite the MLA belonging to one family is serving for many years, BJP MP is serving people for 18 years, the Cantt Assembly areas are still remains underdeveloped. Basic necessities like drinking water continue to be a major issue. Even today, people are forced to stand in long queues for water. Several areas and colonies in the Assembly are still suffering from waterlogging. Congress leaders stated that thousands of families have been wandering since 1975 for government land allocations. Unemployment and struggle for employment plague thousands of youth and the crime rate in Jabalpur, especially in the Cantt. area, is at its peak.
Markam accuses PM of deceiving public





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

State Congress President Mohan Markam accused the Prime Minister of deceiving the public by re-dedicating the foundation stone of an old project. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Raipur Kodebord section on Raipur Dhamtari Road. However, this road project, which had its first tender in 2016, remains incomplete, with only half of it finished according to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Markam criticized the Prime Minister for inaugurating a partial section, stating that it goes against his dignity.

The inauguration of the Pattharapali four-lane project in Bilaspur was completed almost a year ago, with toll collections and vehicle movement already in progress. Markam argued that the Prime Ministers involvement in inaugurating this project was unnecessary and contrary to his position. Markam highlighted the doubling of the 203 kilometre rail line from Raipur to Titlagarh as an old project. While 173 kilometers of the doubling had been completed six months ago, trains were already running in some sections. Markam criticized the Modi government for delaying the construction of the rail line from Jagdalpur to Rawghat, accusing them of prioritizing mineral exploration over the planned extension. Regarding the rail project from Dalli Rajhara to Rawghat, Markam emphasized that it was originally a UPA-era plan. He claimed that the Modi government had only laid a line for mineral exploration from Rawghat, neglecting the extension to Jagdalpur as initially planned.

Markam argued that the Prime Ministers inauguration of a small 17-kilometer section was against the dignity of his post. Markam criticized the PM for laying the foundation stone of Raipur-Vishakhapatnam Six Line Highway, a project already underway that has involved the cutting down of thousands of trees. He accused the PM of engaging in political posturing ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. State Congress President Mohan Markam accused Prime Minister of deceiving the public and prioritizing political gains.
Panchayat poll related violence continues in WB on Day 2





TAMLUK/ CHAKULIA/ MALDA (WB),

Toll in panchayat poll violence rises to 15

PROTESTS were held in different parts of West Bengal on Sunday against the violence that rocked the panchayat elections and over allegations of irregularities. The toll in the violence rose to 15 after a person was found dead in South 24 Parganas, and two others succumbed to their injuries, officials said. BJP supporters staged a demonstration outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata. Security was beefed up in the area as the protesters shouted slogans against the SEC over the alleged inability of the poll panel to conduct the elections peacefully. In Purba Medinipur district, BJP workers blocked the Haldia-Mecheda state highway at Nandakumar alleging that ballot boxes were being tampered with at the counting centre at Srikrishnapur High School. We received information around 3 am that the ballot boxes were being changed. We are demanding repolling at all the booths in the area under the protection of central forces, besides counting of votes at the booths itself, said Tamas Dinda, a leader of the BJPs youth wing in Tamluk. As the situation escalated, police baton-charged the protesters to bring the situation under control, officer-in-charge of Nandakumar police station Manoj Kumar Jha told PTI. Congress workers blocked the National Highway 12 in Rathbari area in Malda, protesting against the violence during polling on Saturday.

We have hit the streets in protest against Saturdays violence. We will also go to the court against it, Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said. In the districts Harishchandrapur area, a police vehicle was vandalised with stones being hurled at it on Saturday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bipul Banerjee was returning home in the vehicle when the incident happened, officials said. He was injured in the attack, and undergoing treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital, they said. It is suspected that miscreants from Bihar, just across the inter-state border, are behind the incident, they said, adding that an investigation was underway. In Uttar Dinajpur, two cars were set on fire, and several vehicles, including a state-run bus, were vandalised as the protests turned violent in the Chakulia police station area.

The incident happened on the Rampur-Chakulia Road and National Highway 31 in the morning. The demonstrators said they were unable to vote during the polls due to intimidation, and repeated calls to the administration went in vain. Congress workers held similar protests in Murshidabad districts Beldanga, alleging that supporters of the ruling TMC indulged in intimidation of voters and false voting with impunity during the polls. Violence was also reported from the districts Samserganj area where two groups clashed with crude bombs. At Amdanga in North 24 Parganas, clashes broke out between ISF and TMC supporters. Indiscriminate crude bombs were hurled during the clashes, which happened in Sashipore in Chandigarh panchayat area. In South 24 Parganas district, three police personnel were injured while trying to control a clash between TMC and Congress supporters.

The incident happened in Nainan in Magrahat police station area, police said. Stopped from exercising franchise in rural polls, allege voters in Kolkatas New Town: VOTERS in large numbers in New Town on Kolkatas northern fringes have claimed that they were not allowed to exercise their franchise in the WB panchayat elections, as goons stopped them from entering polling booths in the area. Affected and injured polling staff will be compensated: Bengal election commission: THE presiding officers, polling officers and other staff affected or injured in the election related violation during the panchayat elections in West Bengal will be compensated, the State Election Commission has announced.
SC to examine key question about privacy





By K Raveendran

WITH the Supreme Court repeatedly upholding privacy as a fundamental right, it has become a serious challenge for lawmakers, law enforcers and even the courts to deal with enforcement of rules and regulations that often encroach upon this right of the citizens. The task has been further complicated by recent court observations, particularly by subordinate judiciary, that the right to privacy may be subject to reasonable restrictions if it is in public interest. The issue that props up is not so much the irreconcilability of public and private interest, but what may be considered reasonable restrictions. There have already been outcries about personal phones being tapped by the authorities citing security reasons, which at many times appeared to be more arbitrary rather than warranted. Here again, vagueness about security adds another layer of uncertainty, confusion and the scope for misuse, especially when the Government of the day is not a great fan of democratic principles and institutions. When targeting critics and those who hold opposing views has become part of standard operating practice, as is the case today, taking liberty with the definition of any of these terms is fraught with serious danger. In the prevailing situation, slapping a criminal charge against anyone can be accomplished by batting an eyelid.

The charge may not stand scrutiny in a court of law, but that happens after due process. But for the person who has been charged, it could mean a life of hell, with privacy being the first casualty as the authorities examine phones and other communication devices and create big noise around the discoveries. In this context, an interesting case recently came up before the Supreme Court, in which a man accused of adultery, and found so by a family court, moved a petition challenging a Delhi High Court order to the effect that demanding details of hotel room bookings and call detail records for proving a case of adultery did not amount to a violation of the right to privacy. The man argued that calling of such details amounted to violating his privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution. The case has been posted for August 7 for the next hearing. The woman had approached the family court seeking remedies on the ground that her husband had stayed at a hotel with another lady and her daughter and wanted the court to call for the hotel records as well as his call details to prove adultery. But this was objected to by the man on the ground that such action would not only infringe his own privacy, but also cast aspersions on the character of the woman who he claimed to have met only the hotel.

The mans argument about the High Court having erred in interpreting the Supreme Court judgement decriminalising adultery may be relevant only to this particular case, but the apex court will have to consider whether calling for call records and details of ones stay is violative of the fundamental right of privacy, guaranteed by the Constitution, even if it is meant to prove or reject the charge of adultery. That is something that will be keenly awaited, especially in the context of Government moves to justify any kind of violation as legitimate if it affects security. It will also be important in the context of the draft of the proposed Digital India Act that is meant to deal with all kinds of data, including sensitive and personal data of people. And with the rise of sectors such fintech, health-tech, eCommerce and Artificial Intelligence, companies will have access to such large data and there is a great need for regulation.

The Digital India Act is expected to harmonise laws, regulate emerging technologies such as AI and incorporate industry input on blockchain and Web 3.0 regulations to protect digital citizens. The law will also deal with problems such as cybercrimes and abuse of social media, which are rising at an alarming rate. And more importantly, a large number of cases rereported in the financial services and the health care sectors. The law builds on the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), such as Aadhaar, CoWIN, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has been the key to unlocking innovation and solving the accessibility challenge for many Indian citizens and companies. The law will also deal with security threats such as ransomware, data breaches, phishing attacks, denial-of-service attacks threaten both ordinary people as well as businesses and Governments.
Smriti Irani praises women welfare schemes in MP





Staff Reporter

Union Minister for Women-Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Irani paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Samatva Bhawan Chief Ministers residence on Sunday during her stay in Bhopal. Irani appreciated women welfare schemes implemented in the State. Irani said that when she had come to Indore for a womens programme, thousands of women from lower middle class had apprised her about good experiences of womens welfare schemes implemented in the State. A large number of women are getting benefited from the schemes of women welfare of the Central and State governments. Irani said that due to changes made by the Central Government in Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, now even if there is a second daughter in the family, benefit of the scheme will be available.

Chief Minister Chouhan informed Irani in detail about women welfare schemes implemented in the State. The Chief Minister said that Ladli Laxmi Yojana was started in year 2006, which encouraged girls in the field of education and also improved sex ratio in the State. Womens welfare schemes were continuously implemented in the State. Earlier, there was lack of nutrition and care system for pregnant and child-bearing women in rural areas of the State. At present, mothers get Rs 4,000 before the birth of the child and Rs 6,000 after the birth of the child, so that they can take adequate care of their health and nutrition.

Chouhan informed that empowerment of daughters and women has been done by giving 50% and 30% reservation in local bodies and police force respectively in the State. Madhya Pradesh has been the first State to take this initiative. This decision was taken in the interest of women even after tolerating protests at various levels for reservation in the police force. In the State, a large number of women have become property owners due to concession in stamp duty on the registration of property in the name of women. Daughters have also benefited from Gaon Ki Beti and Pratibha Kiran Yojana.
Unseasonal snowfall, rains lash Ladakh; red alert issued





LEH,

UNSEASONAL snowfall and heavy rains lashed wide parts of Ladakh, prompting the meteorological department to issue a red alert for the region, officials said. The rains also triggered landslides on the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar National Highway at Lamayuru, forcing the closure of the strategic highway, they said. Officials said the high-altitude passes in both Leh and Kargil districts experienced unseasonal snowfall overnight after two days of rainfall. The traffic on the Kargil-Zanskar road was suspended as a precautionary measure, they said. After the landslide at Lamayuru, the main Leh-Kargil highway was closed for traffic and an operation is underway to clear the debris to make the road traffic worthy. Delhi records highest single-day rainfall for July since 1982, says IMD: Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8:30 on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said. An interaction between a western disturbance and monsoonal winds is leading to an intense rainfall spell over North-West India, including Delhi.

The city logged 133.4 mm of rain on July 10, 2003, 126 mm on July 28, 2009, and 125.7 mm on July 8, 1993. The all-time high of 266.2 mm on July 21, 1958. Delhi has recorded eight very heavy rain events (between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm) in July since 1969, the IMD data shows. The Met Office has issued a yellow alert. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has cancelled the Sunday leave of all Government officials and instructed them to be on the field. He also said Delhi Cabinet Ministers and Mayor Shelly Oberoi will be inspecting the problem areas on the city. Today, all the ministers of Delhi and the Mayor will carry out an inspection of problem areas. Directions have been issued to all officers to be on the ground and their Sunday off has been cancelled, he said. Heavy rains in Haryana, Punjab: Heavy rains lashed many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday, leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas and traffic snarls.

For the second consecutive day, rains lashed Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonipat among other places in Haryana while Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Rupnagar and Patiala in Punjab also received heavy showers, a Met official here said. Two people were killed and 3 sustained injuries in separate incidents of lightning strike here on Sunday. The flood situation in the Dhemaji district of Assam has become grim as nearly 18,000 people have been hit by the current wave of flood. 48 villages under 4 revenue circles of the district have been inundated by flood waters and submerged 530.07 hectares of cropland.
Egypts Thanaweya Amma (final school year) students will be able to apply for faculty qualification exams electronically from 15 to 27 July, stated the Ministry of Education and Technical Education on Sunday.

The application will be accessible through the ministry's Office of Admission to Public Universities website, the ministry added.

Initially, this option will be available for Egyptian students enrolled in the Thanaweya Amma system whose exams are taking place from 12 June to 13 July.

For students with equivalent certificates, separate application dates will be announced after the release of their results.

Thanaweya Amma is a critical examination for Egyptian students, as it plays a pivotal role in determining their future opportunities for university admission and specialization.

Some national universities in Egypt require Thanaweya Amma students to pass an aptitude test to secure admission to their faculties. The ministry's statement also provides a comprehensive list of the faculties that will implement this requirement for the current academic year.

Faculties requiring an aptitude test:

1. Fine arts in specialties of arts and architecture.

2. Applied Arts in Helwan, Damietta, Banha, and Beni Sweif universities.

3. Music education in Zamalek at Helwan University.

4. Art education in Zamalek at Helwan University.

5. Art education at Minya University.

6. Physical education.

7. Art education, music education, and theatre education at Mansoura University.

8. Art education in Ismailia at Suez Canal University and in Suez at Suez University.

9. Music education in Ismailia at Suez Canal University.

Application procedures

To begin the application process, students must visit the aptitude test registration page on the public admissions website. They will have to provide their national ID number and Thanaweya Amma code.

Once the student's data is confirmed, they can proceed to select their preferred test, date, and venue from the available options. After making their choices, the students will receive a confirmation of their registration.

Each student is allowed only one attempt at an aptitude test for a specific programme. If the student does not achieve the desired outcome, they will not be able to retake the test at another faculty.

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The Higher Council of the Peoples Republican Party (PRP) unanimously nominated Chairman Hazem Omar to run as the partys official candidate in Egypts 2024 presidential election, according to a statement on Saturday.

"The decision follows a secret ballot conducted by the party's general assembly on 5 July to nominate a candidate for the upcoming presidential election," said the PRP Secretary-General Mohamed Salah Abu Himila.

Last month, Diaa Rashwan, the general coordinator of the National Dialogue, stated that, according to the Egyptian Constitution, the deadline for opening the candidacy for Egypt's presidential elections is 3 December 2023.

Omar, who is a tourism enterpreneur, was appointed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to the Senate in 2020.

He currently serves as the chairman of the Senate's Arab, Foreign, and African Affairs Committee.

"His nomination aligns with the constitutional requirements outlined in Articles 141 and 142. These articles stipulate that a presidential candidate must secure endorsements from at least 20 members of parliament (MPs) to be eligible to run for office," said Abu Himila.

The PRP is the second-largest block in the House of Representatives, holding 50 out of 596 seats.

Abu Himila further disclosed that a "secretariat-general will be established to oversee the preparation of Omar's presidential campaign, including matters related to funding, administrative affairs, promotion and media coverage."

According to the statement, the PRP's decision to take part in the presidential elections is intended to encourage competition and give the party an opportunity to present its economic and political agenda to Egyptian citizens.

The decision also reflects "the party's commitment to a moderate leftist ideology, which seeks to counteract radical liberal policies that have adversely affected the majority of middle-income citizens, worsened the economic situation of farmers and workers, and disadvantaged those with limited incomes."

Apart from Omar, four additional candidates have announced their intention to participate in Egypt's presidential election. These include Abdul-Sanad Yamama, the chairman of El-Wafd Party; Fouad Badrawi, a former MP and member of the Wafd Party's Higher Council; Ahmed El-Fadaly, the chairman of the Democratic Peace Party, and Ahmed Tantawi, a former MP and former Chairman of El-Karama party.

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Here are a few suggestions for local happenings that are on our radar:

Slated as a preview event leading up to the new Knitting Factorys grand opening in its new space on Avenue A, New York music historian Jesse Rifkin will celebrate the release of his book, This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City at Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls (101 Ave. A) on Thursday, July 13 at 8:30pm. Longtime Pyramid DJ (and Mudd Club, Area, Club 57, etc) @danyjohnsonnyc will be spinning.

Writer Tracey Lindeman hosts a book reading event, An Evening of Books on Sex, Gender & Power, with four authors focused on truth-telling and disrupting power in the face of misogyny, at KGB Bar on Thursday, July 13 from 7-9pm.

Pack a picnic for Films on the Green, NYCs free French outdoor film festival, returning to Seward Park on Friday, July 14 at 8:30pm with a screening of French Cancan, directed by Jean Renoir.

In commemoration of New York States Abolition Day, the Chatham Square Library is hosting Black Resistance & Slavery in New York, a free discussion tracing the history of slavery form the Dutch period of New Amsterdam to the present period, on Saturday, July 15, from 1-3pm. @theAncestorsSpeaKs will contextualize this history, relating it to the struggles with the LES along with a film screening of The Sun Rises in the East.

Rapper and poet Omar Offendum and virtuoso Ronnie Malley and music producer Thanks Joey bring a genre-blending story to Joes Pub about the lower Manhattan neighborhood once known as Little Syria on Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16. OMAR OFFENDUM: LITTLE SYRIA utilizes Hip-Hop, Arabic instrumentation, and hakawati oral storytelling traditions of the Levant to reimagine early 20th-century life in the heart of Arab-America.

ROAR a summer festival hosted by University Settlement takes place every Saturday, July 8th  August 12th at Sara D. Roosevelt Park, in the Stanton Street Playground with activities, programs, and classes for the whole family. Pop in for an art workshop or an exercise class, or watch live performances in front of the Stanton House.

Find more local events on our calendar and submit your own HERE.
Adviser Investments LLC reduced its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS  Free Report) by 0.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 74,902 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 161 shares during the period. United Parcel Service makes up about 0.3% of Adviser Investments LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Adviser Investments LLCs holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $14,530,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. RB Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $577,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $264,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $701,000. 58.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UPS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Melius initiated coverage on United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, March 27th. They issued an overweight rating and a $225.00 target price on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $180.00 to $172.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Credit Suisse Group set a $203.00 target price on United Parcel Service in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $220.00 to $214.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Atlantic Securities assumed coverage on United Parcel Service in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. They set a neutral rating and a $162.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $191.23.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.3 %

UPS traded up $2.25 on Monday, hitting $182.01. The company had a trading volume of 855,351 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,302,833. The company has a market cap of $156.33 billion, a PE ratio of 14.54, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.09. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.87 and a 12-month high of $209.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $173.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $180.25.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The transportation company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $22.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 57.68% and a net margin of 10.90%. The firms revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.05 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 10.73 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th were given a $1.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.56%. United Parcel Services dividend payout ratio is currently 52.43%.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

(Free Report)

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.

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American National Bank boosted its position in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 782.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,975 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,185 shares during the period. American National Banks holdings in EOG Resources were worth $800,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in EOG Resources by 16.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,031 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,911,000 after acquiring an additional 2,213 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. acquired a new position in EOG Resources in the first quarter valued at about $404,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the first quarter valued at about $278,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 237.7% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,155 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 813 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 662 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. 89.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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EOG Resources Stock Performance

NYSE EOG traded down $0.34 during trading on Monday, reaching $115.86. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,159,582 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,645,070. EOG Resources, Inc. has a twelve month low of $92.16 and a twelve month high of $150.88. The firm has a market cap of $67.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.53. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $112.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $118.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 2.17.

EOG Resources Announces Dividend

EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.27. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 30.34% and a net margin of 33.83%. The business had revenue of $6.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.00 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 51.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be issued a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 20.64%.

Insider Transactions at EOG Resources

In other EOG Resources news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.87, for a total transaction of $579,350.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 149,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,344,464.43. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on EOG shares. Scotiabank upgraded EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 27th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. They issued a buy rating and a $152.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their target price on EOG Resources from $115.00 to $113.00 in a report on Monday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $146.76.

EOG Resources Company Profile

(Free Report)

EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company.

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Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO  Free Report) has been given an average rating of Reduce by the eleven brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $18.00.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VNO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Vornado Realty Trust in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. They set a sell rating and a $12.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $23.00 to $22.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $18.00 to $13.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 31st. Piper Sandler cut shares of Vornado Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $11.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $27.00 to $22.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th.

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Vornado Realty Trust Price Performance

NYSE VNO opened at $18.50 on Monday. Vornado Realty Trust has a twelve month low of $12.31 and a twelve month high of $30.90. The company has a current ratio of 4.75, a quick ratio of 4.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The firms 50 day moving average price is $14.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.72.

Vornado Realty Trust ( NYSE:VNO Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.62 by ($0.61). Vornado Realty Trust had a negative net margin of 20.39% and a positive return on equity of 2.51%. The company had revenue of $445.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $452.70 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vornado Realty Trust will post 2.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Vornado Realty Trust declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 26th that permits the company to buyback $200.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. acquired 5,341 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.30 per share, with a total value of $60,353.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 12,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $135,600. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Vornado Realty Trust news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. purchased 5,341 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.30 per share, with a total value of $60,353.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 12,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $135,600. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. purchased 16,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.21 per share, with a total value of $179,360.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 7,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $78,470. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 25,341 shares of company stock valued at $285,033. Insiders own 8.03% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Vornado Realty Trust by 39.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 8,627 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 2,432 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Vornado Realty Trust by 11.1% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 10,522 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $477,000 after buying an additional 1,052 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC bought a new stake in Vornado Realty Trust during the first quarter worth about $208,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its stake in Vornado Realty Trust by 24.5% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 23,245 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,053,000 after buying an additional 4,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Vornado Realty Trust by 24.1% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 43,587 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,975,000 after buying an additional 8,459 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.54% of the companys stock.

Vornado Realty Trust Company Profile

(Free Report

Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a collection of premier assets and a focused strategy of growing its dominant positions in New York City office and retail. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also has premier assets in Chicago and San Francisco, and maintains a 32.4% interest in Alexander's, Inc (Alexander's) (NYSE: ALX), which owns six properties in the greater New York metropolitan area.

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Monday to forward Sweden's application to join NATO to his parliament for approval, the alliance's head Jens Stoltenberg said.

After talks in Vilnius with Erdogan and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Stoltenberg said Turkey had agreed to move forward, declaring: "This is a historic day."

"President Erdogan has agreed to forward the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," he said.

A separate joint statement was issued, outlining the agreement between Sweden and Turkey.

Turkey has been holding up Sweden's application to join the Atlantic alliance, accusing Stockholm of harbouring Kurdish activists Ankara regards as terrorists.

And on Monday, Erdogan upped the stakes further, demanding that the European Union revive Turkey's stalled EU membership bid as a precondition for Sweden joining NATO.

But the statement issued after the three-way talks stated that Turkey and Sweden would work closely in "counter-terrorism coordination" and also boost bilateral trade ties.

"Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkiye's EU accession process, including modernisation of the EU-Turkiye Customs Union and visa liberalisation," the statement said.

US President Joe Biden welcomed Erdogan's agreement to support Sweden's application to join NATO.

"I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area," Biden said in a statement, adding: "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally."

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Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG  Free Report) had its price objective cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on CAG. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Bank of America increased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Conagra Brands from $38.00 to $36.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Conagra Brands from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Conagra Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $46.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Conagra Brands has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $40.38.

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Conagra Brands Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of Conagra Brands stock opened at $33.22 on Thursday. Conagra Brands has a 1-year low of $32.30 and a 1-year high of $41.30. The stock has a market cap of $15.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.54. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $35.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

Conagra Brands Dividend Announcement

Insider Activity

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th were paid a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 27th. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is currently 79.04%.

In other news, EVP Charisse Brock sold 7,036 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.04, for a total value of $260,613.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 94,802 shares in the company, valued at $3,511,466.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.98% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Conagra Brands

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CAG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 1.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,457,547 shares of the companys stock worth $1,842,209,000 after purchasing an additional 640,197 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 1.7% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 24,151,241 shares of the companys stock worth $788,055,000 after purchasing an additional 401,379 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 114.1% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 14,735,860 shares of the companys stock worth $491,736,000 after purchasing an additional 7,854,021 shares in the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 1.5% during the first quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 14,025,360 shares of the companys stock worth $526,755,000 after purchasing an additional 212,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 10.6% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,944,425 shares of the companys stock worth $411,069,000 after purchasing an additional 1,053,165 shares in the last quarter. 88.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

(Free Report)

Conagra Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company in North America. The company operates in four segments: Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels in the United States.

Further Reading

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Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRF  Free Report) and Guangdong Investment (OTCMKTS:GGDVY  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

44.0% of Pennon Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Guangdong Investment shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

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Dividends

Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. Guangdong Investment pays an annual dividend of $10.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 25.3%. Pennon Group pays out 104.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Guangdong Investment pays out 30.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Guangdong Investment is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pennon Group 0 1 1 0 2.50 Guangdong Investment 0 0 2 0 3.00

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Pennon Group and Guangdong Investment, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Pennon Group currently has a consensus target price of $815.00, indicating a potential upside of 8,641.35%. Given Pennon Groups higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Pennon Group is more favorable than Guangdong Investment.

Profitability

This table compares Pennon Group and Guangdong Investments net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Pennon Group and Guangdong Investments gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.29 32.13 Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A $35.70 1.19

Guangdong Investment is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pennon Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Guangdong Investment beats Pennon Group on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pennon Group

(Free Report)

Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom.

About Guangdong Investment

(Free Report)

Guangdong Investment Limited, an investment holding company, engages in water resources, property investment and development, department store operation, hotel ownership, energy project operation and management, and road and bridge operation businesses. The company's Water Resources segment provides water distribution, sewage treatment, water pipeline installation and consultancy services, constructs water supply and sewage treatment infrastructure, and sells machineries in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Its Property Investment and Development segment invests in and rents various properties in Hong Kong and Mainland China; and develops and sells properties in Mainland China. This segment also provides property management services for various commercial properties. The company's Department Stores Operation segment operates department stores in Mainland China. Its Electric Power Generation segment operates coal-fired power plants that supply electricity and steam in the Guangdong province, Mainland China. The company's Hotel Operation and Management segment operate hotels and provides hotel management services to third parties in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Its Road and Bridge segment invests in various road and bridge projects, which engages in the toll road operation and road management in Mainland China. The company's Others segment provides treasury services in Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as corporate and other related services. It also offers financing, marketing management, environmental engineering, and water technology development and consultation services. The company was formerly known as Union Globe Development Limited and changed its name to Guangdong Investment Limited in January 1987. The company was incorporated in 1973 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Guangdong Investment Limited operates as a subsidiary of GDH Limited.

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PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (OTCMKTS:BKRKF  Get Free Report) is one of 284 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and risk.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk N/A N/A 0.00 PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Competitors $2.94 billion $595.46 million 232.53

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbks peers have higher revenue and earnings than PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk 0 1 1 0 2.50 PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Competitors 1100 3288 3241 22 2.29

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 348.35%. Given PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbks peers higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Profitability

This table compares PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk N/A N/A N/A PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Competitors 33.76% 10.67% 0.94%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

17.5% of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 40.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 13.4% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk pays an annual dividend of $191.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 53,402.2%. PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk pays out 21.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk peers beat PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

About PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk

(Get Free Report)

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk provides various banking products and services in Indonesia, the United States of America, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The company offers savings, time deposit, and current accounts; mortgage, working capital, investment, franchise, and cash collateral loan, as well as supply chain financing and bank guarantee; and micro, consumer, small and medium, program, and other loans. It also provides banking services, which includes bill payment, deposit services, online transaction, remittance and transfer, business internet and merchant banking, institutional services, treasury, custodian and trustee services, and cash management services. In addition, the company offers investment in pension and mutual funds, and government retail bonds; trade and finance services including standby L/C, BRI RTE online system services, and letter of credit; and cards, wealth management services, and digital banking services. Further, it provides life and general insurance, securities, venture capital, and investment services. The company was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Oxbow Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Free Report) by 11.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,137 shares of the natural resource companys stock after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLCs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $292,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of FCX. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in Freeport-McMoRan in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 15.2% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 11,101 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $553,000 after purchasing an additional 1,468 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL grew its stake in Freeport-McMoRan by 40.8% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 112,066 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $5,574,000 after buying an additional 32,474 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 73.6% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 132,043 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $6,624,000 after buying an additional 55,987 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 22.0% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 79,686 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $3,964,000 after acquiring an additional 14,388 shares during the period. 79.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on FCX shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Scotiabank upgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $41.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Raymond James lowered their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Sunday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. They set a market perform rating and a $41.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Freeport-McMoRan from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Freeport-McMoRan presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.27.

Freeport-McMoRan Stock Up 0.1 %

FCX traded up $0.04 during trading on Monday, hitting $38.68. The company had a trading volume of 5,040,166 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,654,296. The firms 50-day moving average price is $37.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.75. The company has a market capitalization of $55.44 billion, a PE ratio of 21.59 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a one year low of $24.80 and a one year high of $46.73.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The natural resource company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 12.07%. Freeport-McMoRans quarterly revenue was down 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.07 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Freeport-McMoRan Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.55%. Freeport-McMoRans payout ratio is currently 16.76%.

Insider Transactions at Freeport-McMoRan

In related news, Director Sara Grootwassink Lewis purchased 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $34.90 per share, for a total transaction of $139,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 17,800 shares in the company, valued at $621,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.78% of the companys stock.

Freeport-McMoRan Company Profile

(Free Report)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile.

Further Reading

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).

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Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY  Free Report) and Banco de Sabadell (OTCMKTS:BNDSF  Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Royal Bank of Canada and Banco de Sabadells top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Royal Bank of Canada $52.08 billion 2.53 $12.27 billion $7.61 12.42 Banco de Sabadell N/A N/A N/A $0.08 14.99

Royal Bank of Canada has higher revenue and earnings than Banco de Sabadell. Royal Bank of Canada is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Banco de Sabadell, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Royal Bank of Canada 1 3 1 0 2.00 Banco de Sabadell 0 3 1 0 2.25

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Royal Bank of Canada and Banco de Sabadell, as reported by MarketBeat.

Royal Bank of Canada currently has a consensus price target of $139.17, suggesting a potential upside of 47.24%. Banco de Sabadell has a consensus price target of $1.05, suggesting a potential downside of 11.76%. Given Royal Bank of Canadas higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Royal Bank of Canada is more favorable than Banco de Sabadell.

Profitability

This table compares Royal Bank of Canada and Banco de Sabadells net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Royal Bank of Canada 15.27% 15.36% 0.81% Banco de Sabadell N/A N/A N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

36.8% of Royal Bank of Canada shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 11.8% of Banco de Sabadell shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Royal Bank of Canada beats Banco de Sabadell on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Royal Bank of Canada

(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. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About Banco de Sabadell

(Free Report)

Banco de Sabadell, S.A. provides banking products and services to personal, business, and private customers in Spain and internationally. The company offers retail banking products, such as current and savings accounts, personal loans, cards, and mortgages. It also provides financial products and services to large and medium enterprises, SMEs, shops and self-employed workers, private individuals, and professionals; and consumer finance, asset management, and bancassurance services. In addition, the company offers corporate banking services, including financing services, transactional banking services, and other complex custom solutions in finance, treasury, and import/export, among others. Further, it provides insurance and pension products. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. was founded in 1881 and is based in Alicante, Spain.

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International Seaways, Inc. (NYSE:INSW  Free Report)s stock price was down 2.7% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $37.20 and last traded at $37.25. Approximately 142,700 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 636,080 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.28.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of International Seaways in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on International Seaways from $60.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of International Seaways from $58.00 to $54.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $64.00 target price on shares of International Seaways in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, International Seaways currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $60.60.

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International Seaways Stock Down 2.7 %

The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $37.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.03.

International Seaways Cuts Dividend

International Seaways ( NYSE:INSW Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.96 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $287.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $277.30 million. International Seaways had a net margin of 54.60% and a return on equity of 39.81%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that International Seaways, Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 14th were issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 17.41%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 13th. International Seawayss dividend payout ratio is presently 4.16%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Lois K. Zabrocky sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.35, for a total transaction of $38,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 144,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,531,757.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 4,000 shares of company stock valued at $151,950 in the last 90 days. 2.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Seaways

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of INSW. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its stake in shares of International Seaways by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 42,834 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,785,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the period. Prelude Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Seaways during the first quarter worth about $718,000. Toroso Investments LLC raised its position in International Seaways by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 9,178 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $383,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Putnam Investments LLC lifted its stake in International Seaways by 84.8% in the 1st quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 93,923 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $3,915,000 after acquiring an additional 43,111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in International Seaways by 12.0% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 10,094 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082 shares during the last quarter. 61.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About International Seaways

(Free Report)

International Seaways, Inc owns and operates a fleet of oceangoing vessels for the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products in the international flag trade. It operates in two segments: Crude Tankers and Product Carriers. It serves independent and state-owned oil companies, oil traders, refinery operators, and international government entities.

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Julius Bar Gruppe (OTCMKTS:JBAXY  Free Report) is one of 1,193 publicly-traded companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Julius Bar Gruppe to related businesses based on the strength of its profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Julius Bar Gruppe and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Julius Bar Gruppe N/A N/A N/A Julius Bar Gruppe Competitors 383.36% 8.19% 5.02%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Julius Bar Gruppe and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Julius Bar Gruppe N/A N/A 46.08 Julius Bar Gruppe Competitors $227.31 million -$7.29 million -11.03

Analyst Ratings

Julius Bar Gruppes peers have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Julius Bar Gruppe. Julius Bar Gruppe is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Julius Bar Gruppe and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Julius Bar Gruppe 1 2 3 0 2.33 Julius Bar Gruppe Competitors 1043 4577 6008 85 2.44

Julius Bar Gruppe currently has a consensus price target of $61.80, indicating a potential upside of 400.40%. As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 90.93%. Given Julius Bar Gruppes higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Julius Bar Gruppe is more favorable than its peers.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

1.2% of Julius Bar Gruppe shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.5% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 18.3% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Julius Bar Gruppe pays an annual dividend of $0.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Julius Bar Gruppe pays out 119.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.1% and pay out 642.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

Julius Bar Gruppe peers beat Julius Bar Gruppe on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

About Julius Bar Gruppe

(Free Report)

Julius Bar Gruppe AG provides wealth management solutions in Switzerland, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and internationally. The company offers investment advisory mandates, discretionary mandates, securities execution and advisory, foreign exchange and precious metals, structured products, family office services, pension, asset servicing, real estate advisory and financing, wealth planning, structured Lombard and equity, and private debt solutions. It also operates an open product and service platform. Julius Bar Gruppe AG was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRY  Free Report) and Manila Water (OTCMKTS:MWTCY  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation and risk.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Pennon Group and Manila Waters top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.58 30.81 Manila Water N/A N/A N/A C$58.75 0.14

Manila Water is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pennon Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pennon Group 0 3 0 0 2.00 Manila Water 0 0 1 0 3.00

This is a summary of recent ratings for Pennon Group and Manila Water, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Pennon Group currently has a consensus price target of $1,048.00, indicating a potential upside of 5,761.30%. Given Pennon Groups higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Pennon Group is more favorable than Manila Water.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.0% of Manila Water shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Pennon Group and Manila Waters net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A Manila Water N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Manila Water pays an annual dividend of C$6.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 78.9%. Pennon Group pays out 29.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Manila Water pays out 10.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Manila Water is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Manila Water beats Pennon Group on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pennon Group

(Free Report)

Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom.

About Manila Water

(Free Report)

Manila Water Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides water treatment and distribution, sewerage, and sanitation services in the Philippines and internationally. It also offers integrated used water, pipework, engineering, procurement, and management services. The company provides its services to approximately six million people in the East Zone encompassing 23 cities and municipalities, including Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Marikina, Quezon City, Paranaque, and Manila, as well as Rizal towns comprising Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Cardona, Jala-Jala, Morong, Pililia, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Tanay, Taytay, and Teresa. It serves residential, commercial, semi-business, and industrial customers. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Quezon City, the Philippines.

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Monte Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 20.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,080 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,194 shares during the quarter. Monte Financial Group LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $812,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of EOG. Tectonic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 4.9% in the first quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 4,977 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $571,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. American National Bank lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 782.9% in the 1st quarter. American National Bank now owns 6,975 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 6,185 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in EOG Resources by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,465 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,200,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Iowa State Bank grew its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 1.3% during the first quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 29,206 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $3,348,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zimmermann Investment Management & Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the first quarter worth about $296,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.58% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at EOG Resources

In related news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.87, for a total value of $579,350.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 149,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,344,464.43. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

EOG Resources Price Performance

EOG stock traded down $0.39 during trading on Monday, hitting $115.81. The company had a trading volume of 1,216,185 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,645,070. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a current ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The business has a 50 day moving average of $112.13 and a 200 day moving average of $118.27. EOG Resources, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $92.16 and a fifty-two week high of $150.88.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.27. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 30.34% and a net margin of 33.83%. The business had revenue of $6.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.00 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 51.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.21 earnings per share for the current year.

EOG Resources Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.85%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EOG. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on EOG Resources from $147.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Scotiabank raised shares of EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on EOG Resources from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on EOG Resources from $115.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on EOG Resources from $139.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $146.76.

About EOG Resources

(Free Report)

EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company.

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Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $12.00 to $14.50 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $17.00 to $19.00 in a report on Monday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $15.00 to $16.00 in a report on Monday, June 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $21.00 to $22.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $16.96.

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Norwegian Cruise Line Price Performance

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock opened at $21.89 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $9.29 billion, a PE ratio of -6.36 and a beta of 2.59. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 12-month low of $10.83 and a 12-month high of $22.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 184.14. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $16.92 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.99.

Insider Activity at Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line ( NYSE:NCLH Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The company reported ($0.30) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.51) by $0.21. Norwegian Cruise Line had a negative net margin of 23.54% and a negative return on equity of 448.59%. The firm had revenue of $1.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.90) EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 249.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 0.53 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CEO Rio Frank J. Del sold 300,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.44, for a total transaction of $5,532,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 926,505 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,084,752.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Daniel S. Farkas sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.46, for a total value of $739,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 244,261 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,753,319.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Rio Frank J. Del sold 300,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.44, for a total transaction of $5,532,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 926,505 shares in the company, valued at $17,084,752.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 358,511 shares of company stock valued at $6,654,392 over the last 90 days. 0.87% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NCLH. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 16.3% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 29,153 shares of the companys stock worth $638,000 after purchasing an additional 4,081 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 20.1% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 55,781 shares of the companys stock worth $1,220,000 after acquiring an additional 9,335 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 22,085,953 shares of the companys stock worth $483,242,000 after acquiring an additional 882,556 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line during the 1st quarter worth about $1,515,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 67,863 shares of the companys stock worth $1,485,000 after acquiring an additional 4,570 shares in the last quarter. 57.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norwegian Cruise Line Company Profile

(Free Report)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cruise company in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. It offers itineraries ranging from three days to a 180-days calling on various locations, including destinations in Scandinavia, Russia, the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, Alaska, Canada and New England, Hawaii, Asia, Tahiti and the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, India, South America, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean.

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Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev won a third term that will keep him in charge for 7 more years, preliminary electoral results showed on Monday.

Mirziyoyev, who was running against three largely unknown candidates, won the election with 87 percent of the vote.

Robakhon Makhmoudova of the Justice Social Democratic Party obtained 4.43 percent of the vote, Ulugbek Inoyatov of the Democratic People's Party obtained 4.02 percent and Abdushukur Khamzaev of the Ecological Party Of Uzbekistan obtained 3.74 percent.

According to the electoral commission, 79 percent of Uzbekistan's approximately 20 million eligible voters participated in the elections. By law, the final results must be published no later than 10 days after the vote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his Uzbek counterpart's success. "This convincing electoral victory confirms your high political authority and points to the broad, popular support for your policy of large-scale reforms," Putin said in a message published on the Kremlin website.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping also called Mirziyoyev to congratulate him, Beijing's state media reported.

"Xi Jinping pointed out, in recent years, under our joint leadership, China-Uzbekistan relations have achieved breakthrough development, and cooperation in various fields has been comprehensively strengthened," state broadcaster CCTV said.

"I am willing to work with you to promote the continuous development of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership and inject new impetus into the construction of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future," said Xi.

Mirziyoyev announced early presidential elections in Uzbekistan last May after the constitutional referendum that took place on April 30.

The 65-year-old has promised to open up Uzbekistan to foreign investment and tourism and implement key domestic reforms in the gas-rich Central Asian state.

Mirziyoyev became president in 2016 after serving as Prime Minister for 13 years under former leader Islam Karimov.

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Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN  Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday after Guggenheim lowered their price target on the stock from $45.00 to $42.00. The stock traded as low as $41.74 and last traded at $41.74, with a volume of 30451 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $41.84.

NWN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Northwest Natural from $57.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. Maxim Group cut shares of Northwest Natural from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 5th. StockNews.com cut shares of Northwest Natural from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $52.00 target price on shares of Northwest Natural in a research note on Friday, March 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $50.25.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP David A. Weber sold 920 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.38, for a total value of $40,829.60. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 186 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,254.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Northwest Natural

Northwest Natural Stock Down 0.1 %

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its position in Northwest Natural by 5.0% during the first quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 13,963 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $664,000 after acquiring an additional 666 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 0.5% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 205,791 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,787,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057 shares during the period. Empower Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northwest Natural during the first quarter valued at about $12,541,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 0.8% during the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 290,386 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $13,811,000 after purchasing an additional 2,246 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 7.9% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 338,831 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $16,116,000 after purchasing an additional 24,801 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.12% of the companys stock.

The firms fifty day moving average price is $43.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.66. The stock has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.08. Northwest Natural had a net margin of 8.85% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The firm had revenue of $462.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $365.46 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.80 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th were issued a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.64%. Northwest Naturals dividend payout ratio is currently 67.83%.

Northwest Natural Company Profile

(Free Report)

Northwest Natural Holding Co engages in the local distribution of gas and water through its subsidiaries. It supplies natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon and southwest Washington. The company founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Portland, OR.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW  Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday morning.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on PRMW. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Primo Water from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 20th. TheStreet downgraded Primo Water from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, March 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $19.33.

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Primo Water Trading Up 3.6 %

Shares of PRMW stock opened at $13.10 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $13.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.29. Primo Water has a 12-month low of $12.15 and a 12-month high of $16.47. The firm has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.52 and a beta of 1.03.

Primo Water Dividend Announcement

Primo Water ( NYSE:PRMW Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.01). Primo Water had a return on equity of 7.46% and a net margin of 1.88%. The firm had revenue of $546.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.04 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Primo Water will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Friday, June 2nd were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. Primo Waters dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 118.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Primo Water

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Green Alpha Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Primo Water by 13.8% during the 2nd quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 36,584 shares of the companys stock valued at $459,000 after buying an additional 4,435 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Primo Water by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,466,541 shares of the companys stock worth $83,911,000 after purchasing an additional 176,290 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in shares of Primo Water by 11.4% in the 1st quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 4,420,429 shares of the companys stock worth $67,854,000 after purchasing an additional 453,209 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Primo Water by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 71,063 shares of the companys stock worth $1,091,000 after purchasing an additional 1,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Primo Water by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,457,885 shares of the companys stock worth $37,729,000 after purchasing an additional 99,943 shares in the last quarter. 82.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Primo Water Company Profile

(Free Report)

Primo Water Corporation provides pure-play water solutions for residential and commercial customers. It offers bottled water, water dispensers, purified bottled water, self-service refill drinking water, premium spring, mineral water, sparkling and flavored water, filtration equipment, and coffee. The company offers its products under the Primo, Alhambra, Crystal Rock, Mountain Valley, Deep Rock, Hinckley Springs, Crystal Springs, Kentwood Springs, Mount Olympus, Pureflo, Sierra Springs, Sparkletts, and Renu brands in the United States; Canadian Springs, Labrador Source, and Amazon Springs brands in Canada; and Decantae, Eden, Eden Springs, Chateaud'eau, and Mey Eden brands in Europe and Israel.

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Quaker Chemical Co. (NYSE:KWR  Free Report) EVP Melissa Leneis sold 4,445 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.61, for a total transaction of $869,486.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 3,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $621,648.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Melissa Leneis also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, May 31st, Melissa Leneis sold 500 shares of Quaker Chemical stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.21, for a total transaction of $95,105.00.

On Friday, May 12th, Melissa Leneis sold 702 shares of Quaker Chemical stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.55, for a total transaction of $141,488.10.

Quaker Chemical Stock Up 1.9 %

NYSE:KWR opened at $195.62 on Monday. Quaker Chemical Co. has a fifty-two week low of $129.06 and a fifty-two week high of $216.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.52 billion, a P/E ratio of -543.39 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.79. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $197.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.01.

Quaker Chemical Dividend Announcement

Quaker Chemical ( NYSE:KWR Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.54. Quaker Chemical had a negative net margin of 0.32% and a positive return on equity of 8.74%. The business had revenue of $500.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $485.29 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.42 EPS. The companys revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Quaker Chemical Co. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be paid a $0.435 dividend. This represents a $1.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. Quaker Chemicals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -483.33%.

Institutional Trading of Quaker Chemical

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Belpointe Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Quaker Chemical by 65.0% in the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 193 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter worth approximately $39,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Quaker Chemical in the 1st quarter worth approximately $59,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Quaker Chemical by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 327 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its position in Quaker Chemical by 30.2% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Quaker Chemical from $203.00 to $227.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Quaker Chemical in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Quaker Chemical from $220.00 to $235.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Quaker Chemical in a report on Thursday, June 1st. They set a buy rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock.

About Quaker Chemical

(Free Report)

Quaker Chemical Corporation develops, produces, and markets various formulated chemical specialty products for a range of heavy industrial and manufacturing applications. The company operates through four segments: Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia/Pacific; and Global Specialty Businesses.

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True North Commercial REIT (TSE:TNT.UN  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Raymond James from C$3.25 to C$3.00 in a research note issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a market perform rating on the stock. Raymond James target price indicates a potential upside of 27.12% from the companys current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on TNT.UN. National Bankshares reduced their price target on shares of True North Commercial REIT from C$4.50 to C$3.50 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. CIBC cut their target price on shares of True North Commercial REIT from C$5.00 to C$4.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on shares of True North Commercial REIT from C$6.25 to C$5.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th.

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True North Commercial REIT Price Performance

TNT.UN stock remained flat at C$2.36 during trading on Monday. 96,625 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 307,683. True North Commercial REIT has a 12 month low of C$2.26 and a 12 month high of C$6.82. The stock has a market cap of C$217.36 million, a P/E ratio of 26.22 and a beta of 1.35. The businesss 50 day moving average price is C$2.55 and its 200 day moving average price is C$4.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 167.35, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a current ratio of 0.41.

About True North Commercial REIT

The REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT currently owns and operates a portfolio of 46 commercial properties consisting of approximately 3.7 million square feet in urban and select strategic secondary markets across Canada focusing on long term leases with government and credit-rated tenants.

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Tectonic Advisors LLC grew its stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Free Report) by 5.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,723 shares of the credit services providers stock after acquiring an additional 239 shares during the quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLCs holdings in Mastercard were worth $1,716,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas now owns 1,455 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $506,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,148 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $747,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management grew its stake in Mastercard by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 388 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Norway Savings Bank grew its stake in Mastercard by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Norway Savings Bank now owns 1,396 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $485,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bangor Savings Bank grew its stake in Mastercard by 21.2% during the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 166 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 81.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Raj Seshadri sold 5,164 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.24, for a total value of $1,927,411.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 11,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,166,851.36. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.28, for a total transaction of $48,600,204.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,437,277 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,796,911,359.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Raj Seshadri sold 5,164 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.24, for a total value of $1,927,411.36. Following the sale, the insider now owns 11,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,166,851.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 547,243 shares of company stock valued at $209,102,122. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Mastercard Stock Performance

Shares of MA stock traded up $3.10 on Monday, hitting $391.78. The company had a trading volume of 824,963 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,816,559. The firm has a market cap of $371.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $379.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $368.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. Mastercard Incorporated has a twelve month low of $276.87 and a twelve month high of $395.25.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.64 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 169.12% and a net margin of 42.33%. Mastercards quarterly revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.76 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.58%. Mastercards payout ratio is 22.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MA shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Mastercard from $438.00 to $440.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Mastercard from $425.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Mastercard from $392.00 to $404.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Mastercard from $414.00 to $442.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $422.04.

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. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services.

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Sudan's government refused Monday to join a regional meeting aimed at ending nearly three months of brutal fighting, accusing Kenya, which chaired the talks, of favouring the rival paramilitaries.





A power struggle between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), spilled into war in mid-April and has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

The east African regional bloc IGAD had invited the foes to a meeting in Ethiopia's capital on Monday, while fighting still raged across Sudan.

Neither Burhan nor Daglo personally attended the talks in Addis Ababa, although the RSF sent a representative to the "quartet" meeting led by Kenya, South Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Since April 15, around 3,000 people have been killed in the violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, but the actual death toll is believed to be much higher as parts of the country remain inaccessible.

A further three million people have been displaced internally or fled across borders, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Multiple diplomatic initiatives to halt the fighting have produced only brief respites, with the UN warning on Sunday that Sudan was on "the brink of a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region".

Previous truce deals have been brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, but the east African bloc now seeks to take the lead.

However, on Monday Sudan's foreign ministry said its delegation would not participate until its request to remove Kenya as chair of the talks was met.

The ministry had asked for "Kenyan President William Ruto (to) be replaced... in particular because of his partiality", the statement said.

- 'External interference' -

In a communique released after Monday's meeting, the quartet noted "the regrettable absence of the delegation of the Sudanese Armed Forces in spite of the invitation and confirmation of attendance".

Daglo had sent a political adviser to the talks in Addis Ababa, while the RSF in a statement denounced "irresponsible behaviour" on the army's part.

The quartet agreed to "mobilise and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders towards delivering a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the warring parties", its statement said.

It also called on the rival generals to "immediately stop the violence and sign an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire".

IGAD said it would request the African Union to look into possibly deploying the East Africa Standby Force -- usually tasked with election observer missions -- in Sudan "for the protection of civilians and... humanitarian access".

Sudanese ex-rebel leader Mubarak Ardol, now aligned with Burhan, denounced "a plan to occupy Sudan" and moves to "promote military interference", while praising the army for boycotting the meeting.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee was also in the Ethiopian capital on Monday for meetings with Sudanese and regional officials.

In a statement on Sunday, she had called on the forces loyal to Burhan and Daglo to "immediately end the fighting".

"We echo the call of countries in the region to prevent any external interference and military support which would only intensify and prolong the conflict," added Phee.

On the ground, residents reported battles and air strikes in several areas of Khartoum.

"Rockets fell on houses of civilians", one told AFP.

Witnesses also reported fighting in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and a commercial hub some 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Khartoum.

An army source said troops "pushed back against an attack" by rebel forces in Blue Nile state near Ethiopia.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed commitment towards achieving landmark feats economically and politically for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following his election as the new Chairman of the coalition.

It could be recalled that President Tinubu, as earlier reported by the Nigerian Voice, emerged as the new ECOWAS Chairman on Sunday at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the coalition held in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

In a statement by his spokesman, Dele Alake, the Nigerian leader said his economic plans for ECOWAS include the elaboration of socio-economic plans for the sub-region and encouraging trade and investment among member-states.

President Tinubu also promised that Nigeria will organise a trade and investment summit on October 23, 2023, to drum home the need for economic recovery and growth in the sub-region.

Tinubu said during his tenure, ECOWAS leaders would work collectively to pursue an inclusive economic integration, which will be significantly private-sector driven.

He added that ECOWAS would actively promote trade, investment, and business cooperation among member states by addressing the barriers impeding intra-regional trade, as well as creating a conducive business environment.

He said: In furtherance of my vision for our regions economic recovery and growth, Nigeria intends to convene an ECOWAS Extra-Ordinary Summit on Trade and Investment in October 2023.

The event will provide an opportunity for member states to showcase their potentials and encourage match-making, in order to evolve business cooperation among the various organised private sector within the region.

Tinubu also called for the strengthening of the institutions of the body, adding that the leaders must ensure that the tax being paid by the citizens must be positively impacted by the programmes and projects of ECOWAS.

The Nigerian president also called for improved private sector participation in the effort towards the economic development of member states as well as their social integration.

He added: In the area of strengthening our organisations institutions and ensuring effective performance, we underscore the need for the conclusion of the ongoing institutional reforms of the organisation.

Given that community levy remained the biggest source of generating funds to run our organisation, we must ensure that our citizens being taxed must be positively impacted by the programmes and projects of ECOWAS. This is in line with the shift of the ECOWAS slogan from ECOWAS of State to ECOWAS of People.

We would work collectively to pursue an inclusive economic integration, which will be significantly private-sector driven, in order to unlock the vast economic potentials of our region.

We would actively promote trade, investment, and business cooperation among member states by addressing the barriers impeding intra-regional trade, as well as creating a conducive business environment.

We must encourage economic partnerships to raise the level of trade and investments in our region, hence facilitating employment creation and sustainable development and prosperity for our citizens.

To this end, we must look inward and work with our regional economic facilitation platforms such as the Federation of West of West Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) as well as ECOWAS Trade Organisation Network to attain our desired goals.

To underscore his commitment towards regional integration, the Nigerian President declared that he would prioritise political stability, peace and security, regional economic integration and strengthening of the ECOWAS institutions.

While decrying the emerging pattern of coup detat in West Africa, President Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy, declaring that democracy and good governance remain the abiding cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.

He said: We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without Democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government.

There is no one here among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didnt give our soldiers resources. We didnt invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people.

To turn their guns against civil authorities is a violation of the principles upon which they were hired which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations. We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs.

You will all agree with me that democracy and good governance are the cornerstones of peace and sustainable development of every society. Im fully committed to deepening democracy and good governance in the region.

We must strengthen our democratic institutions and ensure the respect for human rights and the rule of law. I will enhance engagements with the countries in transition to ensure their quick return to democratic rule.
It is the usual herd mentality. It is the usual blinding ethnic solidarity. It is habitual piling on without reason. It is the customary contuse in the millpond of hypocrisy. It is the familiar exudation of victimhood that is at best fatuous, vacuous, and puerile. Unashamedly, they swayed to the tunes of charlatanism with a dexterity that is disgusting. It was a dalliance in the marketplace of objurgation.

They came in a horde. Amanze Obi. Okey Iheduru. Chucks Iloegbunam and many others. Like deranged executors trying to exert extra-judicial judgement in a manner akin to that of banditry, they attacked Dr. Lasisi Olagunju with AK-47 of murderous ethnic jingoism. They blazed and flamed furnaciously. As they marinated in Yoruba-phobia, using Dr. Olagunju as an excuse, they radiated a howling hollowness of a constricted horizon and a contracted vista. A vista shrunk like an Akara held helplessly captive in a ravenous Agege bread.

Amanze Obi in his Broken Tongues column in the Sun, had written an article headlined The article Lasisi should not have written, in which he wrote, speaking as if his tongues are broken. He had written inter alia:

"But even if there are murmurs in some remote quarters over Ogalla, how is that the business of a Yoruba man who is not, in any way, affected by issues bordering on where Ogalla comes from or does not come from? Why did this Yoruba folk choose to intrude into what should be an internal and brotherly affair among the Igbo? Lasisi, obviously, was hankering after a reason to vent his spleen on a people he has been resenting for so long."

I was amazed at his audacious hypocrisy. The temerity of his tartufferie was loathsome. The effrontery of his falsity was farcical. Coming from the stock of a people calling Dr. Lasisis fatherland a no mans land, with noxious gusto and ludicrous braggadocio, how he had the guts to complain about a Yoruba man commenting on the affairs of Ibo people beats my imagination!

Dr. Lasisi wrote about the Ibo reactions to the appointment of Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Chief of Naval Staff. This was in a piece headlined A service chief for the Igbo. And they are all up in arms that he commented? They are aghast, asking what is his business?

He called Lasisis comments intrusion! To him, that was an internal and brotherly affair among the Igbo? Really? With all the vituperations about Yoruba affairs, by the Ibo (not Igbo, though he has the right to call himself whatever he chooses to)?

And Okey Iheduru, in an air of vacuous righteous indignation, with tinges of hallucinating spell, had agonized as follows:

I'm always surprised how otherwise intelligent Nigerians of other ethnicities can't pass up any opportunity to totalise, homogenise and poke their fingers in the eyes of Ndigbo as they psycho-analyse an ethnic group numbering over 60 million.

Hypocrisy is ordinarily bad enough. Yes. But this calibration by Iheduru, is a manifestation and a memento of malodorous genre of hypocrisy. Where was he, when his kinsman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, a newspaper mandarin, was calling Yoruba rascals? Many Nigerians are always amazed at how otherwise intelligent Ibo cant pass up any opportunity to totalize, homogenise and poke their fingers in the eyes of Yoruba as they psycho-analyse the ethnic group (using his own words).

He had agonized on how Dr. Olagunju based his assessment of Ibo reactions on Admiral Ogalla on the rantings of few people on social media. Really? Well, falsehood and dishonesty which are fundamentals of hypocrisy are the forte of most Ibo intellectuals on any national issue. Twisting facts and fostering obfuscating narratives, mauling evidence and edification of fiction as opposed to facts, are their trademarks.

Chinua Achebe did it all his life against Obafemi Awolowo. Chimamanda Adichie has picked up the contaminated gauntlet of falsehood. The first commandment in the Ibo Holy Book is to hate and destroy anything Yoruba. They are still bellyaching on Wole Soyinkas wining of Nobel Prize in Literature. It was as if Soyinka awarded himself the reputable prize.

Those calling for healing must accept that not all of us are willing to lay down and be trampled upon by a group of people who think that they could bully and intimidate others to have their way. People who detest facts. People who abhor the truth. People who would support criminality if it was engaged in, by one of their own. It does not matter the level of education or exposure. It does not matter what kind of positions they hold or have held in the Nigerian milieu. They showcase worse mannerisms than the Roman crowd. No room for reason. No room for logic. Only raw and blinded as well as contaminated emotion.

It is no more acceptable to allow the intellectuals of Ibo extraction to continue to hawk false narratives about Yoruba and attack Yoruba interests at will, without any responses. The hawkers of healing the polity should warehouse their preachments if they could not checkmate ugly public shows of Ibo intellectuals against Yoruba. Anyone hawking healing in the polity could not be quiet and be intimidated by the bullying by the Ibo crowd. The Yoruba culture of restraint could and should not be exploited against the Yoruba people. The Ibo intellectuals in the public space have to be told in clear terms, to caution themselves in their reckless and unguarded utterances against the Yoruba. Though, lack of talking and writing gibberish in the public to attack Yoruba does not mean a cessation of Ibo plans, but the Yoruba are awake now. They are alert.

For so long, the Ibo have been allowed to get away with blue murder hawking their falsehood and lies against Yoruba and Yoruba leadership in all arenas, be it political, academic, professional and what have you. They have been allowed free reign of destructive propaganda against the Yoruba and Yoruba interests. It is no longer going to be the case. Whether the peaceniks like it or not, going forward, it would be sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, page to page and book for book. Allowing the Ibo false narratives about Nigerian trajectory and the Yoruba to stand would be an unmitigated injustice. There is not going to be any war anywhere. Brain is always better than brawn.

This is a course that this horde of spewers of falsehood tried to tread with Dr. Lasisi Olagunju. They attacked him for his commentary. They used that as an excuse to indirectly attack Yoruba. In an abhorrent demonstration of contempt and condescension, Iheduru chose to refer to Dr. Olagunju as Mr. and ridiculed the profession of Journalism by referring to it as brown envelope profession. Ihedurus putrid pettiness compounded by empty pride presupposes that his own profession, whatever it is, is a perfect one and has faultless practitioners.

And then you have Chucks Iloegbunam, a surprisingly pathetic mind, making a parlous case about the so-called ethnic demonization of the Ibo. His ridiculous ostrichism makes him a complicated jester and a certified pantaloon. In his selective amnesia, he talked not about what his kinsmen have been doing to Yoruba since 1939. He refused to entertain in his memory, the declaration of war by Nnamdi Azikwe against Yoruba for protecting their own interest and not impeding others from doing the same thing.

He was not able to point out the lies against his Ibo people that were used to demonizing them. Things ever written by others are the things that Ibo people and their leaders in all spheres have been doing. How could the stating of facts of history be characterized as demonization of a people? Elsewhere, one of their sentries had bellyached at the rendition of historical facts, because according to him, they are divisive and discomforting! Imagine the level of such intellectual calcification! This is sheer intellectual dishonesty. It is part of the intellectual rigmarole of the Ibo elites and their hatred of and for the truth. A willful, flagrant, intellectual folderol to obfuscate, confuse and mislead.

Already, Iheduru is insinuating ethnic cleansing and even genocide against the Yoruba and in their own land! In his mind, it is a methodology to docilize the Yoruba minds through reversed psychology by putting them on the defensive for an accusation that is a perfect study in fakery, falsehood, and fatuousness. Indirectly, Iheduru is confessing the Ibo evil plans against the Yoruba in Yoruba land. The threats of an Eze, the so-called Ibo king in Papa Ajao of inviting IPOB-ESN terrorists into Lagos is part of their genocide plans against Yoruba. But it would not succeed.

Iloegbunam is a journalist. Echoing Iheduru, his fellow traveler in Yoruba-phobia, Iloegbunam could not claim to be oblivious of the fact that his Ibo people have been targets internationally and, in many countries, they are unwanted guests. By sheer of their character, the Ibo have created notoriety for themselves in Ghana, Benin Republic, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, China, India, and many others. Is this also because of demonization of the Ibo ethnic group by Dr. Lasisi Olagunju?

When Dr. Olagunju said that the Ibo would decimate Nigeria if they have the chance, was he saying something new? Didnt Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, say the same thing? Didnt he say that the Ibo are unwanted in the Northern Region before he was murdered by the Ibo coupists on January 15, 1966? Didnt Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola say the same thing in various ways before he was murdered by Iloegbunams Ibo kinsmen in Ibadan?

Is it not the same attitude of the Ibo that forced the Oba of Lagos, His Majesty Rilwan Akiolu to call their bluff in 2015, when they were trying to overrun Lagos? Is it not the same thing the Ibo did in 2023 bringing an impostor to come and rule Lagos, Yoruba land? That Ebenezer Williams (Abiodun Aloba) and the respected Tai Solarin echoed the same view as highlighted by Dr. Olagunju, were attestations to the credibility of that position and that the Ibo aggression is not something new.

In elucidating his complicated illusion, Iloegbunam proceeded to ask blackmailing questions couched in an ignominious righteous indignation. He asked, if it is fair for Olagunju to characterize the Igbo as wolves and club-wielding gangsters simply because they would vote in their country? Yes, it is fair. This is because that is what the Ibo has constituted themselves to in Yorubaland and other parts of Nigeria. Iloegbunam refused to admit in his obnoxious ostrichism that the Ibo would not allow the kind of things they are demanding in Yoruba land in their own Biaran Nation. Yoruba land is not Ibo country and would not be Ibo country, regardless of any appeal to the Nigerian Project.

He followed that question with another. Has the vote transformed from a democratic instrument to an assault weapon? Yes. It is even worse than an assault weapon given what we all witnessed in 2023 when Iloegbunams Ibo kinsmen planned a hostile take-over of Lagos Yoruba land. They claimed that Lagos belonged to them and on some other occasions, that Lagos Yorubaland is a no mans land. They would not allow a Yoruba man to vote in the Southeast but want to vote and govern in the Southwest and other parts of Nigeria. It was the same thing that Nnamidi Azikwe did in the fifties and Chukwu Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu tried to do shortly before the Civil War when Biafran planes bombed Ikeja without any provocation.

Then, in a shameless show of lack of integrity, Iloegbunam also asked if it is appropriate for a great newspaper established by the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo to become a ready megaphone for vilifying Ndigbo based on unsubstantiated statements by unidentified Internet rats? Now Chief Obafemi Awolowo is a great man in the book of the Ibo? The same Chief Awolowo that the Ibo elites of different hues have vilified, abused, disrespected, insulted, lied against, and willfully blackmailed for about 83 years unceasingly and relentlessly? The truth is that Iloegbunam and his fellow travelers have no respect or regard for Obafemi Awolowo. Referring to Chief Obafemi Awolowo as great is a sinister prank. He was being diabolical. He was being demoniacal. He was being infernal. His intention was to set up Dr. Olagunju for removal from the stable of Tribune titles. But he has failed woefully. The authorities at the Tribune Titles are not possessed of jejune and toddleric minds such as that of Iloegbunam and his fellow travelers.

Iloegbunam spoke of Yoruba country when he was casuistically alluding to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is the same country he claimed belonged to the Ibo where they should not be denied voting rights that are not available to Yoruba or other members of Nigerian ethnic nationalities in Ibo country. A subconscious exudation of a hidden ethnic agenda that is obviously dishonest, aggressive, covetous, destructive, invasive, and hypocritical.

Iloegbunam was upset that Dr. Olagunju used the ranting of few internet rats to pass a judgement on the entire Ibo ethnic nationality. Assuming without conceding, that this was true, pray, how is this different from what Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu did when he called Yoruba rascals? And this is simply because those rascals refused to mortgage their heritage to diabolical Ibo invaders in Lagos and resisting a hostile take-over of Yoruba space!

Iloegbunam then descended into a philippic rabidity about the Ibo not having killed a man or woman to take over Yoruba heritage. He did not deny that the Ibo is out to take over the Yoruba heritage at all, he was only trying to tell us that they have not killed or rape, maim, and massacre Yoruba people in their bid to take over Yoruba land. Iloegbunam must be short witted to try and suggest that the only way another peoples land could be appropriated is by raping, maiming, and massacring the owners of the land.

The Ibo have deliberately destroyed the Yoruba economy using illicit drug money to sustain their criminal enterprises in Yoruba land and other parts of Nigeria. Then, they go around that they are better businessmen than everybody. The untutored and the foolish also buy into such misleading narratives. What could be more devastating to a people than destroying their means of livelihood? The Ibo would not compete fairly and obey the ethics of business. That is why they are chasing the Ibo away from many countries across the planet.

Iloegbunam intoxicatingly rhapsodized about how Igbo parents didnt kill students of other ethnic nationalities for their wards and children to invariably top the annual School Certificate, JAMB and NECO examinations. But now Nigerians know how it is done through forgery and other diabolical means! How their elites would even support and legitimize such forgeries in the face of self-evident facts to the contrary. How a man that came a distant third in a presidential election was vowing to reclaim his mandate! What a people!

Iloegbunam took umbrage at Dr. Olagunju for positing Chinua Achebe as the Igbo greatest of all time. Can you imagine? I am vehemently opposed to Dr. Olagunju on this one. Chinua Achebe? No way! A professional blackmailer? A tall tale tattler? An alleged plagiarist? A man who kept lying to his people until his last breath? A man who was complicit in the wasting of lives of Ibo children during the Civil War? (Please read Alexander Madiebos The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War or Starvation of Biafrans: Chinua Achebe vs Okey Ndibe by Remi Oyeyemi). The Ibo literati are always trying to compare Achebe to WS, the only Kongi on the planet, Prof. Wole Soyinka. Those dudes at the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature are not fools and could not be bullied. But the hatred of the Ibo against Wole Soyinka has been all consuming because he is Yoruba.

He went ahead to ridicule Yoruba and made fun of their history on how, a Yoruba man delivered Ilorin, a Yoruba town, to Fulani suzerainty. Obviously, Iloegbunam is counting on traitorous Yoruba sons and daughters to hand Lagos to the Ibo! Using their false propaganda and lies as well as twisted stories of the Nigerian trajectory, it is Iloegbunams hope that his Ibo people would be able to use deception and deceit to replicate the Afonja travesty in Lagos!

He pleaded that Dr. Olagunju should let the Ibo be. Yes, there is nothing wrong with that. But the Ibo could not and would not be allowed to be in Yoruba country as Iloegbunam described it. Shouting Nigeria today and Biafran tomorrow is a fraudulent ploy. It would not work. Iloegbunam fantasizing about the dubious handshake across the Niger would not be bought by the cross section of the Yoruba Nation because the Ibo are serial traitors and betrayals of the Yoruba. Those are the FACTS! They could never be trusted. So, Iloegbunam and his dubious co-travelers should pocket their Ohanifere. Majority of the Yoruba are not interested in buying such bunkum.

Iloegbunam riding the high horse of hypocrisy of an odious genre, could not restrain himself from insulting Dr. Lasisi Olagunju asking him to shut his trap insisting that the erudite and seasoned journalist and columnist has nothing sensible to say. Then idiotically, he swaggered in pestilential putridity, by echoing that misguided newspaper mandarin called Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, and accused a cultured penpusher in person of Dr. Olagunju, of rascality.

Eledumare, the God of our forefathers would save Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, a distinguished journalist, a prolific columnist, reputed for level headedness and austere but educational views, from the claws of umbrageous herd who are hateful of truth, disrespectful of facts, and diabolical in their analyses. People of this nature are dishonest. Dishonest people are invariably hypocritical.

Eledumare, please, preserve and protect Dr. Lasisi Olagunju. Ase.
At Bamakos request, the UN Security Council has begun drawing down the UN peacekeeping operation in Mali. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Richard Gowan and Daniel Forti explore the implications for blue helmet missions elsewhere on the continent.

What happened?

In June, to the surprise of most UN Security Council members, Malis government called on the Council to pull UN peacekeepers out of the country without delay. Some diplomats briefly considered options for keeping the UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in place, but most greeted the news with a resignation verging on fatalism. Although the precise timing of Bamakos demand was unexpected, the Malian government had been frank about its loss of trust in the UN. But the move also reflected the fact that many members of the Council sense that an era of large, complex UN blue helmet missions in Africa is drawing to an end.

This era of peacekeeping dates back to the late 1990s, when the Security Council began authorising a series of UN missions to help end civil wars and support peace processes throughout Africa. Sizeable UN forces deployed in places from Sierra Leone to Sudan. By 2010, the organisation was overseeing more than 70,000 military and police personnel all over the continent. Despite many setbacks, this generation of UN missions helped end insurgencies, backstop elections and build peace in countries including Liberia and Cote dIvoire. The missions were a success story for the UN, providing a sharp contrast to the earlier 1990s, when a prior generation of peacekeeping efforts in Rwanda and Somalia had ended in failure.

Most of these post-1990s UN missions shut down some years ago, but a few remain in place. Alongside MINUSMA in Mali, which started a six-month drawdown on 1 July, these include operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan. Together, these big four missions still field more than 60,000 troops. MINUSMA, with just over 13,000 troops and police as of May, is the smallest of the quartet. Each mission faces political and security problems specific to the country where it is based, but all of them share the pathologies and pitfalls typical of large-scale stabilisation operations. Each has struggled to protect civilians in areas where its contingents are deployed. The missions have also lost political leverage, while enduring relations with host governments that are at best strained, and at worst hostile.

The Malian government is hardly the first to oust blue helmet forces or other missions unceremoniously.

The Malian government is hardly the first to oust blue helmet forces or other missions unceremoniously from the territory it rules. The first to do so was President Gamal Abdel Nassers government in Egypt, which insisted that the UN quit the Sinai on the eve of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Burundi, Eritrea, Chad and Sudan have all demanded that UN missions close down over the last two decades. But Malis move came at a moment when UN officials and Security Council diplomats are debating the state of UN peace operations in the whole of Africa. The outcomes of these debates look set to shape the future of multilateral crisis management.

Why have MINUSMA and other major UN peace operations been struggling?

MINUSMA has endured gruelling security conditions since it first deployed in 2013. Jihadist groups including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have waged a long campaign of hit-and-run attacks on the missions bases and convoys, as well as on civilians. Over 300 blue helmets have died serving in Mali, handing MINUSMA the unwelcome ranking of UN peacekeepings deadliest mission.

Relations between the mission and governments in Bamako have long been troubled. Malian authorities have repeatedly argued that the UN should use greater force in fighting anti-government armed groups. Ties between the mission and Malis government frayed further after a military coup in May 2021 (the second putsch within a calendar year). Since then, Malis political leaders have inched closer to Russia , while distancing themselves from Western and regional partners, notably France, which until then had been a key ally in the battle with jihadist forces. It expelled French and European troops leading counter-terrorism efforts in the country and invited the Russian private military company Wagner to replace them. Early in 2023, Mali also denounced Frances role as steward of MINUSMAs affairs at the Security Council.

UN contingents often lack the situational awareness, military resources and willingness to take risks required to prevent attacks on the people they are supposed to shield.

While many of the causes of the falling-out are peculiar to Mali, the issues plaguing MINUSMA surface time and again in the rest of the big four missions. The most obvious of these is peacekeepers failure to project sufficient force to deter or halt violence against civilians. Although protecting civilians is a standard element of peacekeeping mandates, UN contingents often lack the situational awareness, military resources and willingness to take risks required to prevent attacks on the people they are supposed to shield. In 2022, disillusioned citizens in the eastern DRC launched a series of protests accusing the UN stabilisation mission there, MONUSCO, of failure to fight rebel groups. Some of these demonstrations turned violent, with both civilian and UN fatalities.

Similar charges are laid against the UN force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, where militia groups tell Crisis Group that they generally disregard the mission when attacking their rivals, as peacekeepers rarely intervene in fighting outside their bases because its patrols require prior approval from the South Sudanese government. UNMISS units also faced accusations in June of failing to put down an outbreak of fighting inside the UN-led compound sheltering over 37,000 displaced persons. The UN stabilisation in mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, has long struggled to protect civilians outside the capital Bangui from large-scale attacks, due simply to poor performance . Although its presence in the country is a deterrent to some armed groups that might otherwise attack civilians, the mission no longer mounts major offensives against insurgents.

All four missions have seen their leverage over host governments wane. The UN is often a convenient scapegoat for politicians struggling with complex domestic challenges. During the 2022 protests in the DRC, Crisis Group found evidence that Congolese politicians  were jockeying for position by presenting themselves as protectors of local interests against foreign interlopers. While dumping blame on the UN, political figures have also increasingly cut the organisation out of national peace processes and transitional arrangements. Peacekeepers have had to tailor their operations to sustain or regain political good-will. UNMISS has, for example, succeeded in fostering better relations with the government (formally, the transitional authorities) in South Sudan through gestures such as seeking official permission before deploying troops to deal with flare-ups of violence, although its deference tends to reduce its ability to respond flexibly and swiftly to events.

Perhaps the most glaring evidence of the way UN forces have been sidelined is the willingness of host governments to turn to other security partners. In 2017, well ahead of Mali, authorities in the Central African Republic invited into their country the Wagner Group  a private military company with deep ties to the Russian state (despite their clash in June). Wagner personnel have at times conducted operations in the same areas as MINUSCA, but at others have physically threatened UN officials. The Central African government also invited Rwanda to deploy a bilateral force, adding another powerful foreign presence to the countrys security and political mix. Similarly, in 2022, the Congolese government requested that a coalition of East African countries deploy a peace enforcement mission in the eastern DRC to combat armed groups that the UN has failed to quash, with little idea of how the two international missions would cooperate. Unsatisfied with the initial results, Kinshasa has since turned to a combination of private military contractors and forces from its Southern African counterparts to escalate operations in the east.

UN officials have become increasingly frank about the limits of what their stabilisation missions can achieve.

To a greater or lesser degree, all the big four UN peace operations find themselves playing a diminished role in the conflicts they were dispatched to calm. UN officials have become increasingly frank about the limits of what their stabilisation missions can achieve. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, noted that current blue helmet missions cannot reach the ultimate goal of peacekeeping  enabling and crafting successful peace processes  and must instead focus on intermediate goals, such as protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid. Too often, as noted above, UN forces struggle to achieve even these lesser goals.

Are divisions on the Security Council to blame for the challenges that peacekeeping missions are facing?

To a degree. Some UN officials and observers blame the Security Council, deeply divided over Russias war on Ukraine, for failing to offer UN peace operations enough political backing and strategic guidance. In the early years of the 21st century, Council members paid close attention to the performance of missions, visiting host countries regularly. More often than not, their approach to supervising these missions was fairly collegial. As recently as five or six years ago, geopolitical divisions had little effect on debates about renewing mission mandates (although a few, such as that of the joint African Union-UN mission in Darfur, were more contentious). As Crisis Group noted in 2019, France often argued more with the U.S. over MINUSMA in the Council  which Washington always viewed as ineffectual and too expensive  than it did with China or Russia.

Council dynamics have changed in recent years, but at least until Malis call for MINUSMAs withdrawal, the major powers deliberately avoided outright breakdown over peacekeeping issues in New York. Even so, Moscow has increasingly taken the side of politicians in Bangui and Bamako against the Councils Western diplomats. These divisions are most pronounced whenever discussions on human rights or support for state security forces bring to the fore contrasts between UN blue helmets and Wagner personnel. Russia has also joined its Chinese and African counterparts in New York in criticising UN sanctions and arms embargoes against the governments that host these peacekeeping missions. There has been a trend  which has accelerated since Russias all-out invasion of Ukraine  for these two powers to abstain on resolutions concerning peace operations, complaining that the U.S. and its allies lack respect for the views of host governments in drafting these texts. The Chinese and Russians, however, have thus far refrained from using their vetoes to kill these mandates.

While Russia did not have to wield its veto over MINUSMA explicitly, other Council members assume that it knew of  and possibly encouraged  Malis decision to end the mission. If they are right, it would be an alarming sign that Moscow is willing to play a disruptive role in the Council on issues beyond Ukraine. Even China, which has about 400 troops serving in Mali, appears to have been surprised by Bamakos decision. While it is too early to say whether Russias tacit support for closing down MINUSMA is a turning point in UN peacekeeping, the Security Council is not well placed to provide the political support for its missions in the face of wary host governments that its most troubled peacekeeping operations need.

Will other African countries follow suit and force the closure of UN peace operations?

Most likely not. Certainly, gossip in New York has gravitated toward the question of whether Malis rejection of MINUSMA could inspire other states to follow suit. But the repercussions so far appear to be limited. In the case of the DRC, the Congolese government had already indicated that it wants to see MONUSCO leave shortly after national elections take place in late 2023. While officials in Kinshasa, whose suspicions of MONUSCO are similar to the doubts of their peers in Bamako about MINUSMA, have urged the UN to accelerate its exit, the missions drawdown has been on the cards since late 2020. Although the Central African foreign minister, Sylvie Baipo-Temon, spoke positively of the UN during a recent Council briefing on MINUSCA, the mission has not been immune to confrontations with government security forces. Nonetheless, UN diplomats suggested to Crisis Group that authorities in Bangui are unlikely to follow Bamakos example in the immediate future.

Finally, in South Sudan, which does not have a relationship with Wagner, there has been no indication that the transitional authorities are close to pushing UNMISS out the door, especially considering their reliance on the missions extensive logistics network and the protection it provides for several humanitarian organisations. The UN is also set to support national elections in both South Sudan (scheduled for 2024) and the Central African Republic (2025), and it is unlikely these countries would want to expel these missions before then.

If the short-term effects of Malis decision are limited, its medium-term effects could be greater. New Yorks tepid reaction to Bamakos June decision suggests that the Security Council, at least in its current state, is unlikely to oppose host states that are determined to shutter a mission. At a minimum, it appears that governments can further hinder UN operations on the ground without expecting international blowback. Equally, Council members general pessimism about the value of peacekeeping  at least as regards the model of peacekeeping used in the big four African countries  is only likely to increase.

One bleak scenario in Mali, however, could make both host governments and Council diplomats rethink their assumptions. If, as many Council members including France predict, MINUSMAs exit leads to a surge of violence in Mali and neighbouring countries, all parties may be forced to become more attentive to the risks of abruptly closing a mission and wary of taking such a decision elsewhere.

Will the closure of MINUSMA have other effects on the UN?

Whatever the political implications of MINUSMAs exit, its closure will complicate UN peacekeepings cash flows. In 2019, the UN began pooling all of its missions cash balances in a single pot to alleviate peacekeepings liquidity crisis. This mechanism allowed missions with cash shortfalls  caused by member states either delaying or missing their payments to the annual peacekeeping budget  to borrow from other missions. Recently, MINUSMA has held one of the strongest cash positions, and in the 2021-2022 fiscal year alone four missions borrowed from MINUSMA. The missions closure will make it more difficult for the UN to sustain operations in missions with cash shortfalls.

MINUSMAs closure will fuel discussions in New York about the need for the UN to look for  and potentially pay for  alternatives to blue helmet operations in Africa.

At a more strategic level, MINUSMAs closure will fuel discussions in New York about the need for the UN to look for  and potentially pay for  alternatives to blue helmet operations in Africa. The Security Council has long debated the idea that the UN could establish a new funding mechanism to finance a percentage of the costs of peace operations authorised or managed by the African Union (AU), similar to the system for financing UN-led missions (this mechanism involves using assessed contributions, an obligatory levy on member states based on their economic weight). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly endorsed this idea, calling in 2022 for international support for a new African-led peace enforcement operation in the Sahel to tackle jihadist threats. In the wake of Bamakos termination of MINUSMA, some Council members have speculated that a mission of this type might at some stage be needed to address insecurity in Mali.

The three African members of the Security Council (Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique) have been lobbying hard for an agreement on UN-AU funding in 2023. The U.S., in contrast to its position under the Trump administration, has signalled that it is keen to see such a deal succeed, in line with its broader efforts to secure support in Africa as it engages in strategic competition with China and Russia. Ghana, which is coordinating the African efforts in New York, has indicated that it could bring a resolution authorising new funding arrangements to a vote in the Council as soon as September or October. Council members still need to resolve knotty differences about the financial and oversight aspects of this arrangement, and it may be hard to nail down the fine print of an agreement. But the spectre of more chaos in the Sahel will likely strengthen Africas arguments for why the Council should reach an agreement as quickly as possible.

Does this mean the end of peacekeeping as we know it?

Yes and no. While the end of MINUSMA will not precipitate the collapse of other UN missions, it points the way toward the end of an era for large-scale blue helmet missions in Africa. With MONUSCO also slated to close in the near future, the UNs military footprint on the continent will be markedly smaller compared to just a few years ago. If the Security Council is able to agree on a funding mechanism for AU-authorised peace enforcement operations, the space for the UN to deploy blue helmet forces will shrink further, although the UN could play a useful role providing logistical and technical support to these new African-led missions. Even without such a funding mechanism, it appears likely that regional coalitions and other players (whether ad-hoc or bi-lateral deployments, Wagner, or other private groups) will play a more prominent role.

That said, it remains important to draw a line between the end of this generation of UN peacekeeping in Africa and UN peace operations as a whole. Peacekeeping is a multifaceted enterprise. In the past, the UN played major roles in other regions  including Asia, Central America and Europe  where it has a little or no footprint today. By contrast, the UN has maintained a cluster of peacekeeping missions in the Middle East dating back to the Cold War that appear likely to continue regardless of events in Africa. In addition, the UN has experimented with new mission models in recent years, such as its relatively small and successful post-civil war verification mission in Colombia, that involve far fewer personnel and resources than large scale stabilisation efforts.

An era of UN peacekeeping may be ending little by little in Africa, hastened by Malis decision. But in an era of rising conflicts and geopolitical uncertainty, the organisation will likely face new and unpredictable calls for help.

CONTRIBUTORS


The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

July 10, 2023



US President James Monroe
Preparations are in full swing for the 16th edition of the Egyptian National Theatre Festival, scheduled to run in Cairo from 27 July to 12 August.

Named in honour of the legendary actor Adel Emam, the 2023 festival will be managed by actor Mohamed Riyad, appointed to the job by the Ministry of Culture earlier this year.

Riad has been planning a special program to pay tribute to Emam's illustrious 60-year career.

Additionally, esteemed actors such as Mohamed Abu Daoud, Mohamed Mahmoud, Roshdy El-Shamy, Riyad El-Khouly, Samy Abdel-Halim, and Salah Abdullah, as well as set designer Noha Barada, will be honoured during the festival.

The festival's grand opening ceremony promises an enchanting performance by iconic Egyptian composer Hany Shenouda. Shenouda will present a medley of his own film scores from Adel Emam's movies.

Over 60 plays from different national theatre troupes will compete at this year's festival, up from 34 staged during 2022's 15th edition.

Contests and classes



Various industry workshops are scheduled to take place alongside the National Theatre Festival, including directing classes by Shady Sorour, scenography sessions by Amr Abdullah, and theatre management lessons by Safwat Hegazy. Director Khaled Galal will offer a session on career-building.

An acting workshop, led by Ahmed Mukhtar, has already begun, training 60 actors from a pool of 600 applicants.

The festival offers a range of awards for outstanding work in the theatre industry, such as its writing award named for Abu El-Ela El-Salamony, and a new contest for film criticism.

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As Phuket mops up, more rain forecast

PHUKET: After isolated showers across the island this morning (July 10) the clouds parted to reveal patches of blue sky, yet the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is still warning of scattered thundershowers across 70% of the region, with warnings of heavy rain and flash flooding.

weatherSafety

By The Phuket News

Monday 10 July 2023 10:49 AM

Boat operators have been urged to comply with all water safety regulations. Photo: Phuket Marine Office

Boat operators have been urged to comply with all water safety regulations. Photo: Phuket Marine Office

In some areas the flooding was not so minor. Photo: Phuket City Municipality

A police officer holds up a licence plate found in the floodwaters in the Darasamut Underpass. Photo: Phuket Info Center

After closing due to floodwater yesterday, the Darasamut Underpass reopened to traffic this morning (July 10). Photo: Phuket Info Center

After closing due to floodwater yesterday, the Darasamut Underpass reopened to traffic this morning (July 10). Photo: Phuket Info Center

After closing due to floodwater yesterday, the Darasamut Underpass reopened to traffic this morning (July 10). Photo: Phuket Info Center

The island was put on flood alert late yesterday after deluges caused minor flooding in Phuket Town and other areas of the island. In some areas, the flooding was not so minor.

The rising water level in the Bang Yai Canal, which flows through the heart of Phuket Town, had emergency responders on watch.

The Darasamut Underpass in front of the Central Floresta shopping mall on the bypass road closed due to flooding, causing major traffic delays throughout the area.

The tunnel closed at about 12:30pm yesterday, with Wichit Police reporting floodwaters of at least 30cm in the underpass.

The tunnel reopened to normal traffic, in both directions, at about 7am today,reported the Phuket Info Center, noting that the pump in the tunnel was now disabled.

Wichit Police reported finding licence plates from cars that were dislodged while driving through the flooded underpass. The owners of the licence plates, Phuket  220 ("GorTor 220") and Phuket  6959 ("KorChor 6959"), were asked to contact Wichit Police Station to reclaim them.

Municipality workers across the island began their cleanup operations yesterday, and are continuing their efforts this morning.

For the 24 hours from 7am yesterday through to 7am today, the northern area of Thalang received 43.1mm of rainfall, while Thalang Town received 78.6mm and Phuket Town received 60.2mm of rainfall, reported Southern Western Meteorological Center.

The Southern Western Meteorological Center based near Phuket International Airport reported at 7:30am today that there were two groups of rain-bearing clouds affecting the region.

The first group of rain-bearing clouds was identified as weak to moderate rain scattered widely across the Andaman Sea to the west of Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The group of clouds were moving towards the northeast at a speed of 20km/h.

The second group of rain-bearing clouds was also classified as weak to moderate rain, affecting all three districts in Phuket  Muang District, Kathu District and Thalang District  as well as Takua Thung District, Thai Mueang District, Mueang District, Thap Put District in Phang Nga Province.

Nuea Khlong District and Khlong Thom District In Krabi, as well as Thung Song District in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, were also forecast to be affected by the rain.

The second group of rain-bearing clouds were forecast to remain unchanged in strength and were also moving in a northeasterly direction at a speed of 20 km/h, the TMD reported.

Phuket Marine Office Chief Natchaphong Pranit has urged all boats still setting sail during the current spate of heavy weather to comply with all water safety regulations.

Officers have been assigned to inspect tour boats and ferries still operating to ensure all passengers were lifejackets and that boats operating have the required safety equipment on board and that it is fully operational.

All boat operators were urged to stay up to date with weather announcements and to follow all instructions from officials.
Cambodian PM urges Ukraine not to use US cluster bombs

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose country still grapples with deadly war remnants, yesterday (July 9) urged Ukraine not to use cluster bombs, after Washington announced plans to send the weapons to Kyiv to fight Russian troops.

UkraineRussianviolencedeathpolitics

By AFP

Monday 10 July 2023 10:16 AM

Hun Sen. Photo: AFP

Humanitarian groups have strongly condemned the US decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come.

It would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years if cluster bombs are used in Russian-occupied areas in the territory of Ukraine, Hun Sen tweeted.

He cited Cambodias painful experience of US cluster munitions dropped in the early 1970s, a foreign legacy that has left tens of thousands maimed or killed.

It has been more than half a century. There have been no means to destroy them all yet, Hun Sen added.

As my pity for the Ukrainian people, I appeal to the US president as the supplier and the Ukrainian president as the recipient not to use cluster bombs in the war because the real victims will be Ukrainians, he said.

Washington said it had received assurances from Kyiv that it would seek to minimise the risk to civilians, with US President Joe Biden admitting that supplying Ukraine with the weapons was a difficult decision.

The United States dropped millions of bombs on Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s in an attempt to hit communist bases.

And following 30 years of civil war which ended in 1998, Cambodia is among the most heavily mined countries in the world.

The effects of the US bombing campaign and minefields left from conflict have long been felt, with around 20,000 Cambodians killed over the last four decades after stepping on landmines or unexploded ordnance.

Clearance work continues to this day, with the government vowing to clear all mines and unexploded ordnance by 2025.

In January, a group of Ukrainian deminers visited Cambodian minefields to learn from decades of bitter experience.
Hoteliers see shift from quantity to quality amid sluggish recovery

PHUKET: Minor International and other hospitality businesses in Phuket and nationwide are mostly content with the ongoing tourism recovery despite slow growth in arrivals. Hotel occupancy remains below pre-COVID levels, but tourists are spending more than they did four years ago, according to hotel heavyweight William Heinecke, founder and chairman of Minor international.

tourismChinese

By The Phuket News

Monday 10 July 2023 09:00 AM

Phuket airport recorded around 9mn domestic and international arrivals in 2019, the year of the highest tourist inflow to Phuket. Image: C9 Hotelworks

Phuket airport recorded around 9mn domestic and international arrivals in 2019, the year of the highest tourist inflow to Phuket. Image: C9 Hotelworks

"Although we have seen less tourists this year than we had in the same period of 2019, they are spending much more. Occupancy is slightly down but total revenue is way up, ADR [Average Daily Rate] is up, and we have seen this across the world," said Mr Heinecke in an interview with American business news channel and website CNBC.

"We have seen strong recovery not only in Thailand but also in Europe, Australia, the Middle East. And when China opens up  it hasnt really fully opened yet  you will see ths numbers to be even stronger," added Mr Heinecke, Chairman of Minor International Plc.

Minor International is a SET-listed company with a portfolio of over 530 hotels, including renowned brands such as Anantara, Marriott, Four Seasons and Radisson Blu. The companys total assets were valued at B358 billion as of the end of 2022. In 2022, Minors revenue reached B124bn, with 76% of it contributed by Minor Hotels.

An extract from the interview with Bill Heinecke, published by CNBC on July 3, did not contain any figures regarding the current state of Phuket tourism. However, the Phuket office of the Immigration Bureau partially compensated for this by publishing its monthly report on direct international arrivals to Phuket airport the next day (July 4).

Following the new standard practice of reporting, Phuket Immigration provided the overall number of direct arrivals by international flights (excluding flights via Bangkok) and numbers for the top five key markets.

According to Novosti Phuketa, The Phuket News sister-paper in Russian language, the numbers still stand at 65-70% of the pre-COVID levels, which were historical highs for Phuket tourism.

This evaluation is supported by Thanawat Ongcharoen, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice President of Administration & Strategy, who also recently estimated international arrivals at 70% of pre-pandemic levels due to the low number of organised tour groups from China.

As of June, most Chinese tourists visiting Phuket were independent travelers, Mr Thanawat commented, as published by the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) on June 20.

Arrivals in June

According to Phuket Immigration, total international arrivals to Phuket in June reached 248,325 travelers, an increase of 23,968 people from 224,357 in May (+10.7% month-on-month).

Out of those 23,968 additional arrivals, around one quarter (6,117 travelers) came from China. Other key markets experienced less significant growth in absolute figures, while arrivals from Russia continued to decline seasonally.

Leading the way, China provided Phuket with 44,066 direct arrivals in June, an increase of 16.4% from 37,949 in May.

Remaining in the second place since late April, Russia provided 25,947 visitors, a decrease of 2.6% from 26,624 in May.

Australia ranked third with 21,902 arrivals in June, representing a 10.6% growth from 19,828 in the previous month.

Close behind, India provided 20,223 visits, which is 2% higher than the 19,783 in May.

Closing out the top 5, Singapore contributed 15,234 tourist arrivals in June.

Novosti Phuketa was unable to calculate the exact percentage of the month-on-month growth for the Singaporean segment, as the island nation was not in the top 5 in May. One month ago, Malaysia held the fifth spot with 12,918 arrivals, indicating that Singaporean arrivals to Phuket increased by no less than 17.9%, surpassing China by the number of travelers but not in percent.

Back to normal by year-end

According to the aforementioned NNT report, figures for Indian and Australian visitors have already returned to pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the resilience of Phukets tourism sector.

Hotel occupancy in Phuket held steady at a promising 70% between January and May, as cited by Sueksit Suwannaditsakul, President of the Southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), according to NNT.

Arrivals in Phuket in June, according to Phuket Immigration, were 10.6% higher than in May but still 18.4% lower than in April, which can be considered a transition month between the high and low seasons in tourism. Immigration recorded 304,485 passengers arriving at Phuket International Airport on flights from abroad in April.

Earlier, the Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Lertchai Wangtrakuldee reported that the island welcomed over 6 million domestic and international tourists from January through May this year.

As of late June, the TAT expected Phuket to welcome a total of 12mn domestic and international tourists this year. No figures for international arrivals were provided.

According to Phuket-based hospitality consultancy C9Hotelworks, international arrivals at Phuket airport in 2019 exceeded 5mn, while domestic arrivals were just under 4mn, resulting in a total of approximately 9mn visitors by Phuket airport only.

Looking ahead at the remainder of 2023, we are looking at a balanced recovery led by the Chinese market... We expect a return to 2019 trading by the year-end of this year and the start of a new tourism cycle in 2024," wrote Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks in his Phuket Hotel Market Update 2023 in March.
Man arrested for firing gun in dispute over neighbours noise

PHUKET: A 45-year-old man was arrested in Srisoonthorn last night (July 9) for firing a .22-calibre rifle into the air to intimidate his neighbour because he was drunk, and angry over the noise his neighbour made.

policecrime

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 10 July 2023 11:56 AM

Thalang Police were informed of the incident at 10:18pm, reported Thalang Police Deputy Chief Pol Lt Col Patiwat Yodkwan.

Police were told that several gunshots had been fired and that people had been threatened for dumping the garbage next to their house, in the area behind the Supalai Essence Phuket housing estate in Moo 3, Srisoonthorn.

Officers arrived at the scene to find a black Isuzu pickup being driven out of the alley, which police had already been informed belonged to the accused shooter.

Officers stopped the pickup and found Pramuan Hongsiri, 45, drunk behind the wheel.

A search of the pickup found a legally registered .22-calibre CZ rifle, and 55 .22-calibre bullets, a magazine and a gun cover for the rifle.

Pramuan was taken to Thalang Police Station and charged with drunk driving and carrying a firearm in a public area without justifiable cause.

Pramuan confessed to firing his rifle into the air. People often brought garbage to his neighbours house, making much noise when they did so, he explained.

He was at home drinking alcohol when fired three to four shots into the air to intimidate them, he said.

After firing the gun, he started throwing rocks onto his neighbours roof, he added.
Pita warns parliamentarians against unforgiveable affront to Thai democracy

BANGKOK: Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime ministerial candidate of the election-winning Move Forward Party, yesterday (July 9) told parliamentarians that failure to vote for his premiership would be unforgiveable affront to Thai democracy.

politics

By Bangkok Post

Monday 10 July 2023 09:38 AM

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat meets supporters in front of CentralWorld shopping centre in Pathumwan district yesterday (July 9) evening. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul

Meeting about 1,000 supporters in front of CentralWorld shopping centre in Pathumwan district, Mr Pita said Thursday (July 13) would be a historic day when House representatives and senators would have a chance to return normality to Thai politics, reports the Bangkok Post.

In four days it will be July 13 when lower and upper houses will jointly decide what Thai politics will be in the next decade.

With the right decision, Thailand will be second to none.

A wrong decision that is against the resolution will maintain the political abnormality of the past decade. I do not know when a golden opportunity like July 13 will recur, Mr Pita said.

Return normality to all people. Please do not miss this opportunity because people may not forgive and may lose faith in representatives and the parliamenty system. So, do not disappoint people, he said.

He praised some senators who promised to vote in favour of the peoples choice and coalition allies, referring to the eight coalition allies  including his Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party  which nominated him as the next prime minister in the Thursday vote of the joint sitting of parliament. The eight coalition allies number 312 out of the 500 House representatives.

This opportunity is a historic moment for Thailand, the return of normality to Thai politics. All the 750 members of the lower and upper houses have the chance to return normality to Thai politics so that Thailand can progress and catch up with the world, Mr Pita said.

He told the gathering of his supporters that he might not be a perfect prime minister, but he would be the most hard-working.

The constitution empowers senators to join House representatives in the vote for a prime minister at a joint sitting. The parliament consists of 500 elected representatives and 250 appointed senators.

To become prime minister, Mr Pita needs the support of a majority of the 750 members of the joint parliament - at least 376 votes. The eight coalition allies would need at least 64 more votes in the joint sitting on Thursday.

Many senators earlier said they could not support Mr Pita because his Move Forward Party planned to amend the lese majeste (royal insult) law.

Mr Pitas route to the premiership is also jeopardised by petitions against his eligibility for political office related to his past shareholding in iTV plc and other legal technicalities.

The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a media organisation from running in a general election.

The Election Commission is investigating whether Mr Pita violated Section 151 of the organic law on the election of MPs.

Under the Section 151, anyone who runs in a general election while knowing he is unqualified to do so is liable to a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to B200,000 and a 20-year ban on his electoral rights.

Numerous previous election winners in Thailand have been barred from taking office or removed by court rulings.

In 2020, Move Forwards predecessor party Future Forward was dissolved after a ruling that a loan from leader Thanathorn Juangroonrungkit was a donation, and Mr Thanathorn was banned from politics for 10 years.
Earths average temperature set a new unofficial record high on July 6th, the third such milestone in a week that already rated as the hottest on record and what one prominent scientist says could be the hottest in 120,000 years.

But its also a record with some legitimate scientific questions and caveats, so much so that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has distanced itself from it. Its grabbed global attention, even as the number  63 degrees Fahrenheit (17.23 degrees Celsius)  doesnt look that hot because it averages temperatures from around the globe.

Still, scientists say the daily drumbeat of records  official or not  is a symptom of a larger problem where the precise digits arent as important as whats causing them.

Records grab attention, but we need to make sure to connect them with the things that actually matter, climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Imperial College of London said in an email. So I dont think its crucial how official the numbers are, what matters is that they are huge and dangerous and wouldnt have happened without climate change.

Thursdays planetary average surpassed the 62.9-degree mark (17.18-degree mark) set Tuesday and equaled Wednesday, according to data from the University of Maines Climate Reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the worlds condition. Until Monday, no day had passed the 17-degree Celsius mark (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the tools 44 years of records.

Now, the entire week that ended Thursday averaged that much.

Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, called the 63-degree mark an exceptional outlier that is nearly 6 degrees warmer than the average of the last 12,000 years. Rockstrom said it will with high likelihood translate to even more severe extremes in the form of floods, droughts, heat waves and storms.

It is certainly plausible that the past couple days and past week were the warmest days globally in 120,000 years, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said. He cited a 2021 study that says Earth is the warmest since the last age ended, and said Earth likely hasnt been as warm dating all the way to the ice age before that some 120,000 years ago.

Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech company Stripe and Berkeley Earth temperature monitoring group said he wouldnt be surprised if it is the warmest in 120,000 years. But he said long-term proxy measurements like tree rings arent precise.

This weeks average includes places that are sweltering under dangerous heat  like Jingxing, China, which checked in almost 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius)  and the merely unusually warm, like Antarctica, where temperatures across much of the continent were as much as 8 degrees Fahrenheit (4.5 degrees Celsius) above normal this week.

Temperatures were so brutally hot Thursday in Adrar, Algeria, that the temperature never got below 103.3 degrees (39.6 degrees Celsius ) even at night when it is supposed to cool. That was the hottest ever nighttime low for Africa, according to weather historian and climatologist Maximiliano Herrera.

The temperature is ramping up across Europe this week, too. Germanys weather agency, DWD, has predicted highs of 37 degrees C (99 degrees F) on Sunday and the Health Ministry has issued a warning to vulnerable people.

While there are small spots of cooler-than-normal temperatures across the globe, the University of Maine measurement is an average. That means some places  including both polar regions  will be extraordinarily warmer than normal and others will be cooler. On average its about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) warmer than the 1979-2000 average, which is warmer than the 20th and 19th century averages.

And 70% of the world is covered by oceans, which have been spiking record heat for months.

Scientists say the heat is driven by two factors: Long-term warming from greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and a natural El Nino warming of part of the Pacific that changes weather globally and makes an already warming world a bit hotter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued a note of caution about the Maine tools findings, saying it could not confirm data that results in part from computer modeling, saying it wasnt a good substitute for observations.

Scientists dont understand and havent delved much into daily fluctuations, said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi. Much more meaningful to them are global data over months, years and especially decades.

The fact that we havent had a year colder than the 20th century average since the Ford administration (1976) is much more relevant, Vecchi said.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said immediacy of daily records is important.

Tell me that yesterday was the hottest day on record and I can relate the claim to ways in which yesterdays heat constrained my behavior, she said. I cant do the same with monthly or yearly data. ... We experience the world hour-by-hour, day-by-day, not in monthly or yearly averages.

Discussions about how official the records are arent as important as the public getting the message that Earth is warming and humans are responsible, said Max Boykoff, a University of Colorado environmental studies professor who tracks media coverage of climate change.

The issue of climate change doesnt often get its 15 minutes of fame. When it does, its usually tied to something abstract like a scientific report or a meeting of politicians that most people cant relate to, said George Mason University climate communications professor Ed Maibach.

Feeling the heat  and breathing the wildfire smoke, as so many of us in the Eastern U.S. and Canada have been doing for the past month  is a tangible shared public experience that can be used to focus the public conversation, he said.

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U.S. President Joe Biden expressed a desire to see Sweden join NATO "as soon as possible" in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed Sweden's bid to become a member of the Western alliance, the White House said Sunday.

Turkey, along with Hungary, has been a stumbling block to Sweden's bid, which requires unanimous approval by all NATO members.

Erdogan told Biden that Stockholm has taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to ratify its bid, referring to an anti-terrorism law, but said these steps were not useful as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) supporters continued to hold demonstrations in Sweden, the Turkish presidency's communications directorate said separately Sunday.

Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement.
E ighty per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the threetier Panchayat election which was held on Saturday. The polling which had started at 7 a.m ended at 5pm and the poll percentage was 66.28 per cent, the State Election Commission had said yesterday.

However, the poll percentage went up by 14 per cent, taking the total to 80 per cent as those who had been waiting in the queue after 5pm were allowed to cast their vote. Meanwhile. the Governor AC Ananda Bose left for Delhi to submit a report to the Home Ministry. Mr Bose had visited several places on Saturday during the polling and talked to the voters.

He had told them to cast their votes without any fear. He also received many telephone calls from people who had alleged that they were prevented from casting their votes. According to the SEC, voting percentage in Alipurduar was 78.46 per cent.

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The poll percentage in Bankura, Birbhum, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur was 83.05, 83.20,78.37 and 59.13 per cent respectively. In North Dinajpur it was 79.59. per cent, South 24-Parganas 81.44 per cent, Purulia 81.37 per cent, East Midnapore 83.14 per cent, and East Burdwan 80.05 per cent. In West Burdwan the poll percentage was 72.51, while in North 24-Parganas and Nadia it was 80.49 and 80.88 per cent respectively.

In Kalimpong, it was 67.21 per cent, Murshidabad 80.78 per cent and Malda 79.37 per cent. Birbhum had recorded 83.20 per cent polling which is highest in the state. This is for the first time since 2011, polling was held in the district without the presence of Trinamul Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is now in Tihar jail.

East Midnapore, the stronghold of Suvendu Adhikari had recorded 83.14 per cent polling. South Dinajpur recorded 59.13 per cent polling, which is lowest in the state. Political observers said the turnout of women voters was remarkable across the state and Trinamul Congress is heavily banking on them.

The panchayat election has once again exposed the organisational weakness of the CPI-M, Congress, BJP and ISF. While polling was peaceful in many areas, electionrelated violence took place in some locations, leading to at least 15 deaths
A U.S. airstrike has killed an Islamic State leader in eastern Syia, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.

A CENTCOM statement said the airstrike that killed Usamah al-Muhajir was conducted Friday.

"We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, using an acronym for the terrorist group. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond."

The statement added that operations against IS, "alongside partner forces in Iraq and Syria, will continue to achieve the group's enduring defeat."
The Central committee of the BJP has constituted a fact-finding committee comprising four MPs to visit the violence-affected areas of West Bengal following the Panchayat polls.

In a statement issued by the national secretary Arun Singh, the party said several persons were killed in Panchayat poll-related violence, and the members of the committee will visit the affected areas and prepare a report. A report will be submitted to the national president JP Nadda.

MPs including Ravishankar Prasad, Satyapal Singh, Rajdeep Roy, and Rekha Verma will visit Bengal soon to take stock of the situation.

Thank BJP National President Shri @JPNadda ji for forming a 4-member fact-finding committee to visit the violence-affected areas of West Bengal, BJP state president Sukanta Majumder welcomed the decision by tweeting.

Meanwhile, Governor CV Anand Bose may meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday evening. According to sources, the governor may discuss the allegations of terror in the Panchayat polls in the state on Saturday. He may also meet with Draupadi Murmu, the President of India, and apprise her regarding such violence.
Saturdays panchayat elections in West Bengal descended into chaos and bloodshed, with the loss of at least 13 lives, triggering a blame game between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition parties. The violence, which saw seven TMC members among the casualties, has intensified political tensions in the state. In a state where Trinamool is in power yet they lost more workers to violence, the Border Security Force has put the ball back in the court of the state government. BSF says, They didnt have information about sensitive booths in the Bengal panchayat polls.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the opposition of resorting to violence in a bid to gain some ground, asserting that the opposition parties were more prone to aggression during the electoral process. In response, the primary opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded the cancellation of the entire election.

In the wake of the tragedy, the BSF revealed that the West Bengal State Election Commission had not provided crucial information about sensitive polling booths to the central security forces, despite repeated requests. According to a BSF official, the state election commission only shared the numbers of sensitive booths on June 7, but failed to disclose their locations or provide any additional information.

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The violent incidents occurred across various districts of West Bengal, including Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Nadia. Reports of booth capturing, ballot box damage, and assaults on presiding officers further marred the election process. In a tragic incident in Cooch Behar district, a BJP polling agent named Madhab Biswas was shot dead. According to Maya Barman, a BJP candidate, TMC supporters targeted her agent, hurling a bomb that claimed his life, while she managed to escape the assault.

The State Election Commission had set up over 60 thousand polling booths for the elections, covering 3,317 Gram Panchayats, 341 Panchayat Samitis, and 20 Zila Parishads. To ensure the safety of the polls, approximately 59,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other state police forces were deployed across the state. Additionally, 4,834 sensitive booths were exclusively guarded by CAPFs. Following the completion of the polling process, all ballot boxes were securely stored in 339 strong rooms, with the responsibility of guarding them entrusted to the CAPFs.

The violence also claimed lives in Murshidabad district, where TMC worker Yasin Sheikh fell victim to a suspected bomb attack in the Nazirpur area. Another ruling party worker, Sabiruddin Sheikh, was found dead in an open field in Khargram. The TMC alleged that Sabiruddin was brutally murdered by suspected Congress supporters wielding sharp weapons in Ratanpur Naldip village around 3 am on Saturday.

As West Bengal grapples with the aftermath of the violent elections, the authorities are under pressure to investigate the incidents thoroughly and take immediate steps to ensure the safety of future electoral processes.
Facing severe criticism over the poor deployment of central forces during the panchayat elections in the state on Saturday, BSF DIG SS Guleria squarely put the blame on the State Election Commissions Commissioner Rajiva Sinha.

According to Mr Guleria: The State Election Commission has not provided the list of sensitive booths. Despite our requests, the list of sensitive booths did not reach us. We were only given the number of booths, but not the list of sensitive booths. Booth monitoring was also not allowed.

Mr Guleria also maintained that wherever the Central forces personnel were deployed, the elections were conducted smoothly and there was no violence. However, the question arises as to why the BSF did not take action despite witnessing everything firsthand.

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Congress party leaders said they suspect a secret understanding between the state Trinamul and the BJPs central leadership behind the whole thing. Initially, the Centre claimed that it could not send more than 315 companies, but they were eventually sent. However, there were complaints of negligence and inefficiency.

Even after the polls ended on Saturday, there was a debate about the late arrival of central forces in Bhangar. In this regard, the theory of a DidiModi setting has been mentioned by the state Congress president, Adhir Chowdhury. He stated: Central forces were deployed in agreement with Mamata. Trinamul negotiated with Delhi.

The Union Home Ministry has given Trinamul an opportunity. BJP leaders in Bengal should protest. Overall, the role of Central forces in poll violence remains questionable. There was extreme chaos, unrest, violence, and loss of life in various districts during Saturdays polling, and the Central forces were observed to be completely inactive throughout.

Consequently, questions are being raised regarding the whereabouts of the Central forces during the instances of violence. As the public seeks answers to these questions, the blame game has already begun at the highest level.
At last count, the number of deaths that occurred in the violence that took place in a few districts during West Bengal rural polls, stood at 16. The ruling political party Trinamool Congress (TMC) reportedly suffered the majority of losses with nine of its workers dying of different forms of attacks followed by Congress which lost three of its supporters while the Communist Party of India (Marxists) and Bharatiya Janata Party lost two supporters each.

The reason behind the casualties of the TMC being the highest is a matter of speculation. Political analysts attribute it to different reasons.

According to Prof Biswanath Chakraborty, political scientist and psephologist, the perception that the Trinamools rivalry is limited to its chief political opponents, BJP, Congress and CPIM, is inherently faulty. The fact of the divisions within the party has to be factored in, he told The Statesman, adding one needs to see the violence from the perspective of the differences within the party.

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He pointed out that the Nobo Jowar outreach programme that was conducted by Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees nephew and TMCs all India general secretary, was aimed at appealing to the people of the rural areas, especially to the youth, to ensure, among other issues, that peace prevailed during the polls. Conducted on foot and undertaken two months before the rural elections began on April 24, it was to prepare the ground for the Panchayat Polls.

The youth wing of the Trinamool that he represents is a progressive and dynamic group which is keen on ushering in a changed atmosphere in politics, says Chakraborty.

Pointing out that it is one of the influences of Prashant Kishores company which was hired by Mamata Banerjee to help the party fight off an advancing BJP before the Assembly elections of 2021, he says the youth wing nevertheless has met with stiff resistance of old loyalists of the party stuck in the past. This despite Didis full support as far as Abhishek is concerned, who now is considered Number 2 in the state government. The infighting between factions has been a reason cited for the deaths of at least a few of the party supporters.

However, the TMC, which has been accused of intimidating rival political parties from the day filing of nomination papers began on June 9, have, after the violent deaths of their supporters, shot back with counter allegations that if they were the ones perpetrating the violence, how is it that most of the dead belong to them? TMC spokesperson KunalGhosh, raised the issue at press conferences and post-election television interviews in various news channels.

Opposition political parties accused, as did Bengals leader of Opposition, BJPs Suvendu Adhikari, the state Election Commission for not being able to check the unbridled violence.

A section of political commentators say that to try and understand the violence in terms of comparative figures as to which political party lost the most and which political party lost the least and why would be to overlook the complex nature of the issue. The numbers cannot be explained, they say, in simple terms such as why the ruling Trinamool Congress Party lost more supporters in spite of allegedly being responsible for a great share of the earlier violence, when, during the filing of nomination papers (the week of June 8 to 15, it allegedly browbeat and intimidated candidates from rival political parties and prevented them from submitting their documents and papers.

The Trinamool, of course, denied the allegations, pointing out that thousands of Opposition candidates did file their nomination papers successfully and within the due date, but that is not the point here. The perception that Trinamool, as the party that rules the state, and therefore has access to power  including the power of police  to be the perpetrators of the bullying of rivals  assumes, somewhat wrongly and unfairly, that it is the only perpetrator and the others are mere victims.

That assumption is far from the truth, explains Tarun Ganguly, veteran political analyst who has covered Bengal politics for four decades.

First of all, violence during polls, irrespective of which political party committed it, is to be condemned, he said. What needs to be considered is that these were attacks on each other by supporters of political parties. The dead happen to be the victims of the attacks. That makes it irrelevant about which party. The dead could have belonged to any of the political parties and they did, he added.

The death of supporters of the Trinamool party indicates that they were as much victim of political violence as the rivals political parties. The deaths were caused by violence which was not one-sided point out the experts.
As the re-polling commenced in 89 booths in the Nadia district of West Bengal two more killings heightened tensions in the already surcharged area with political rivalry. Dead bodies of the deceased, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) worker, were recovered on Monday.

The first incident involved the untimely demise of Astam Mandal, a prominent BJP worker and resident of Haranagar-Panditpur, located under the jurisdiction of Dhubulia police station. Astams lifeless body was discovered in a jute field near his residence. Reports indicate that he had gone missing on the day of the poll, July 8, causing concern among his family members and the local community.

According to locals, Astams family alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, belonging to the ruling party, had abducted him on the day of the poll and subsequently killed him before disposing of his body in the jute field.

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Expressing their frustration over lack of action in the case, Astams family members filed a complaint against several individuals with the Dhubulia police. However, they claimed that no significant steps have been taken thus far.

News of Astams death triggered instant tension in the locality, prompting local BJP workers to stage a road blockade. They demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the incident and insisted on bringing sniffer dogs for a preliminary investigation. After the intervention of the police and local administration, who assured them of deploying sniffer dogs, the BJP workers lifted their agitation.

In another incident, Sukur Ali, father-in-law of a CPI-M candidate, Sabita Bibi, succumbed to the injuries he sustained during an alleged attack by TMC workers on the day of the poll. CPI-M leader Souvik Biswas accused Jinnat Sheikh, the TMC candidate, and his associates of assaulting Sukur Ali with bombs and weapons in front of the polling booth. The attackers reportedly beat him mercilessly, while also threatening his family members with dire consequences if he was taken to hospital. When Sukur Ali experienced severe chest pain this morning, his family rushed him to the Saktinagar district hospital in Krishnagar where the doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

Apart from these two incidents, no major untoward incident was reported from the district as re-polling continued. The Election Commission (EC) had ordered the re-polling in 89 booths in Nadia, which is being conducted under tight security arrangements. Each center is being guarded by four personnel from Central forces, in addition to the presence of state police.

However, there were some disruptions during the re-polling process. A road blockade occurred in Tehatta, Nadia, while voters demonstrated outside a booth in Mayna, East Midnapore district. Furthermore, repolling could not commence at a booth in Debagram, Nadia, as the ballot boxes failed to be delivered on time.
Amid a legal battle and insolvency crisis, cash-strapped Go First is now at a turning point wherein the new management led by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)-appointed-IRP (interim resolution professional) submitted a resolution plan on June 28 and for the first time, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this week had conducted an audit that can change the destiny of the low-cost airline.

A DGCA official said that the special audit was focused on safety-related aspects, compliance with requirements for holding an Air Operator Certificate, and the physical verification of arrangements made for the resumption of flight operations.

Indian low-cost carrier Go First, previously known as Go Air, temporarily ceased its operations on May 3, 2023.

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The airline attributed its financial woes to alleged problems with engine supply from Pratt & Whitney, its manufacturer.

Following the three-day operational halt, the airline faced a series of challenges, including aircraft lessors seeking to reclaim their planes. However, the NCLT granted Go First immunity from repossession.

The sudden suspension of operations by Go First caught the industry off guard, as there were no visible signs of financial stress. The airline continued to fulfil its obligations by paying lessors and meeting all its EMI payments on time.

The DGCA has confirmed that it has received a resolution plan from Go First. However, the regulatory body will only grant the necessary approvals after assessing the revival of operations and facilities at the airlines bases in New Delhi and Mumbai.

In a positive development, Go First recently received in-principle approval for Rs 425 crore in funding to facilitate the restart of its operations. The airline aims to resume operations with a fleet of 23 to 25 aircraft. But it seems that the troubles continue for Go First as on July 7, following the Delhi High Courts decision to permit aircraft lessors to conduct inspections and maintenance on aircraft leased to Go First Airlines, the airlines IRP has filed an appeal challenging the order.

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi on Friday requested an urgent listing of the matter before a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula. The court has said that it will consider the case on Monday (July 10).

The High Court on July 5 had allowed aircraft lessors of cash-strapped Go First airline to inspect their aircraft at least twice a month and carry out maintenance.

The permission to carry out maintenance was allowed by Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, who was hearing a bunch of applications filed by the lessors in the main petitions seeking to de-register their aircraft currently on lease with Go First, to avoid any further losses.

On May 26, aircraft lessors  Pembroke Aircraft Leasing 11 Ltd, SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd, Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Ltd and EOS Aviation 12 (Ireland) Ltd  had moved the High Court seeking de-registration of their planes by the DGCA to take them back from the airline.

During the hearing, the judge acknowledged how valuable and sophisticated the equipment of the lessors aircraft are, and required maintenance for their preservation.

The airline, its representatives, and the NCLT-appointed IRP were restricted by the court from removing, replacing or taking out any part or components, or records of the 30 aircraft without taking prior written approval from the lessor of the particular aeroplane.

While asking the respondents in the case, DGCA and IRP, to file their responses to the petitions within three weeks, Justice Ganju had also asked the aviation regulator to allow the lessors, their employees and agents to access the airport, where their aircraft are currently parked, and to inspect them within three days.

On lessors petitions seeking de-registration of their aircraft, the DGCA had told the high court that it was due to a technical glitch on its portal that the applications of several aircraft lessors were shown as rejected.

The DGCA had said it was not processing such requests after a moratorium on financial obligations and transfer of assets of the crisis-hit airline post insolvency resolution proceedings.

Why is there a distinction? There are seven-eight petitions and each one of them has a different response. Why so? Justice Ganju had asked the aviation regulators counsel Anjana Gosain as to why different responses were sent to different lessors on repossession requests.

Advocate Gosain had apprised the court that when lessors send deregistration requests to the regulator, it is done in five working days and that in this case, no application has been rejected.

There was a glitch in the portal due to which it showed that the applications have been rejected, she had said.

They made the applications on the portal on May 4. Unfortunately, a glitch came. When they opened on May 12, it showed them to be rejected, she had further submitted.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday denied that there was a flood-like situation in the National Capital as the water level in the Yamuna is below the danger mark and assured that the city government is prepared to deal with any eventuality.

He said evacuation of people from low-lying areas around Yamuna will commence once the river breaches the 206-metre mark.

The Yamuna crossed the warning level in Delhi. At 2 pm, water level in the river was recorded at 204.88 metre at Old Railway Bridge. The danger level of the river is 205.33 metres. At 2 pm, 2,13,679 cusecs of water had been released from Hathnikund Barrage.

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Kejriwal had called an emergency meeting to discuss the issues related to the incessant rain in Delhi, as well as the rising water level of the Yamuna. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, he said the water level in the river is well below the danger mark, despite the release of three lakh cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Hathnikund Barrage.

He said there was no flood threat for Delhi in the wake of rise in water level of Yamuna following two days of heavy rain in Delhi and adjoining areas.

Kejriwal said his government was in constant touch with the Central Water Commision (CWC), and according to their assessment, the current water level in the river is 203.58 meters, which will rise to 205.5 meters by tomorrow morning.

According to weather forecast, the water level in the Yamuna will not increase further.

Experts say that there will not be any flood-like situations. However, we are prepared if it does happen. If the water level rises to 206 meter, we will initiate evacuation. We have identified 41,000 people living in the nearby areas of the Yamuna riverbank, and we have established relief camps for them, the chief minister said.

He called for cooperation from the governments neighbouring states and leaders of other all parties during this challenging time.

This is not the time to point fingers at each other. I believe that all state governments in Northern India are working to help their people. All parties and governments should work together to provide relief to the people. I would like to express my gratitude to MLAs, councillors, and ministers from all parties who were on the ground in Delhi during this rainy season, providing relief to the people, he said.

Kejriwal said this time the problem was significant, and all efforts seemed insufficient. During the 24 hours of July 8 and 9, the capital witnessed 153 mm of rain, breaking a 41-year record.

The drainage system in Delhi was not equipped to handle such heavy rainfall.

In the past three to four years, the city experienced a maximum of 100 mm of rain, and waterlogging areas were cleared within one-and-a half hours. But 153 mm of rain is unprecedented and has caused significant problems for the citizens. People are wondering if Delhi is about to face a flood. There are two factors: the amount of rain in Delhi and the water released from the Hathnikund Barrage by Haryana, which can lead to a flood-like situation. Water from Himachal Pradesh comes into the HathniKund Barrage, Kejriwal said.

In 1978, Delhi witnessed a flood when 7 lakh cusecs of water was released from the HathniKund Barrage, causing the Yamuna river level to cross 207.49 meters at the old bridge. In 2013, 8 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Hathnikund Barrage, and the Yamuna level reached 207.32 mm, but it did not result in a flood. In 2019, 8.28 lakh cusecs of water was released from the HathniKund Barrage, and the river level reached 206.6 mm, again without causing a flood.

On July 9, 45,000 cusecs of water was released from the Hathnikund Barrage into the Yamuna. Later that night, an additional three lakh cusecs of water was released, and since this morning, around 2.5 lakh cusecs more has been released.

Kejriwal said that 680 pumps from the Public Works Department (PWD) were functioning to remove water from affected areas.

Additionally, 326 temporary pumps have been set up to address waterlogging. Apart from these, the Delhi government is utilising 100 mobile pumps to reach different areas.

Kejriwal said, There is a possibility that the rain may have caused potholes in certain areas. We cannot repair them at the moment because they would break again. However, we can fill them with stones to prevent accidents. We have instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the PWD to fill all potholes with stones. At all construction sites, we have ordered the opening of all drains and sewers.

He said the highly-important New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area was also severely affected by the rains. Therefore, he has directed the NDMC to study the situation and create a special plan to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Kejriwal ordered an inquiry into three incidents of road cave-in that occurred during the rain.

On Sunday, the Delhi government issued its first flood alert.

The first warning is being issued as a discharge of 105,453 cusecs has been released into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund Barrage on July 9, which is more than 1 lakh cusec, the Central Flood Control Room, Irrigation & Flood Control Department said in its announcement.

The water level at ORB on July 9 is 203.45 meters. The warning level is 204.50 meters, the danger level is 205.33 meters, and the highest flood level observed on November 6, 1978, was 207.49 meters.

All the Sector Officers are hereby advised to keep a vigil in their respective areas and to take necessary action at vulnerable points such as deploying the requisite number of QRT teams in the field for Munadi/awareness activities to warn the people residing within river embankments, it added.
Ever since violence broke out in Manipur two months ago, 142 people have been reportedly killed in the past, N Biren Singh-led Manipur government told Supreme Court today.

As per a fresh status report filed in the Supreme Court before the bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi said 5,995 FIRs have been registered in violence-related activities; 6,745 people were detained to ensure law and order situation remains under control. Also, six cases of violence have been transferred to the CBI for further investigation.

As many as 5,000 incidents of arson have taken place in the state since May. Imphal East and Imphal West districts reported the maximum deaths, the report submitted to the Supreme Court said.

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The state government also listed the steps it has taken to maintain law and order, in the report.

Security deployment is being reviewed daily and an SOP has been put in place to tackle any emergency, the chief secretary told the Supreme Court.

As many as 124 companies of paramilitary forces and 184 Army columns are on the ground to maintain peace and keep a vigil on any unlawful activity, the state government told the court.

The state government also told the court that steps have been taken to link students staying in relief camps with the nearest schools. Competitive exams have also been conducted in the state with full responsibility without any untoward incident.

There was no internet connectivity in the state for two months. There has also been conditional relaxation on the internet ban depending on a case-to-case basis. The relaxation in curfew hours is being done after assessing local conditions.

The state government urged petitioners not to give names of tribes during their arguments which may adversely affect the situation on the ground.

The fresh status report was put up before the SC after it asked the Manipur government to file a report on the steps taken to stop violence and for the rehabilitation of those affected.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has moved the Supreme Court against the draft delimitation proposal in Assam recently published by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

AIUDF vice president Suzam Uddin Laskar has filed a lawsuit in the apex court on July 8 challenging the draft proposal on the delineation of the states Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies.

In the draft delimitation proposal, two constituencies  Patherkandi in Karimganj and the Katlicherra in Hailakandi  were eliminated.

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Instead, some seats were added in other parts of the state.

In the petition, Laskar, who is the an MLA from Katlicherra, has requested for the constituencies be drawn according to the 2011 census.

He further told the court that the release of the draft delimitation proposal had sparked intense hostility in Karimganj, Goalpara, Hailakandi and Barpeta districts, which are heavily populated by minorities.

The Assam delimitation procedure has sparked protests from nearly all of the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, a team of AIUDF has been camping in the national capital for the last few days to meet the Chief Election Commissioner to voice their opposition to the draft proposal.

Notably, the Supreme Court is also hearing another case regarding the Assam delimitation procedure.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed waterlogging and traffic issues caused due to heavy rain in the national capital, sources said.

The Union Home Minister had on Sunday spoke to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor for updates in the matter.

Shah spoke to the Delhi LG as moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi and its adjoining areas. The downpour slowed down the traffic movement after waterlogging in several parts of the city.

Delhi received heavy rainfall on July 8-9, breaking a 41-year record, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The city recorded 153 mm of rain in 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the IMD said.

Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed heavy rainfall on Sunday, resulting in waterlogging and traffic snarls in many parts of the city.
North Korea denounced on Monday what it called a move by the United States to introduce a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to waters near the Korean peninsula, saying it creates a situation that brings a nuclear conflict closer to reality.

North Korea also claimed U.S. reconnaissance planes recently violated its air space near the east coast, quoting an unnamed spokesperson of its Ministry of National Defense in a statement carried by the official [North] Korean Central News Agency.

"There is no guarantee that a shocking incident where a U.S. air force strategic reconnaissance plane is shot down over the East Sea will not happen," the spokesperson said.

The moves by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula is a blatant nuclear blackmail against North Korea and regional countries and presents a grave threat to peace, KCNA said.
In view of the incessant heavy rainfall in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday urged the people to remain in- doors and leave the houses only for urgent works.

According to the advisory issued by the state government today, schools can be closed if needed in rain-affected districts.

The teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been called in to deal with any kind of emergency.

Constant contact is also being maintained with the Army, so that their help could be taken, if required. People should refrain from going near rivers and drains due to rise in water level in rivers.

Adequate arrangements of food and health facilities have been made by the Administration for the people affected by the rains, the advisory said adding in case of any problem, people can contact flood helpline numbers 1070, 1077, 112, 0172-2545938.

After a meeting to review the preparations being made by the departments, the CM said according to the forecast by the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of similar rainfall till next Wednesday.

He asked the departments to work in close coordination, so that the safety of life and property could be ensured. Besides directing all the civil and police officers to remain alert, he asked them to make all necessary arrangements so that timely assistance could be provided in any emergent situation.

Khattar said information was received about 10 to 12 people from Haryana being stranded in Kullu-Manali. Sensing the urgency of the situation, he immediately spoke to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh for ensuring the safety of people of the state.

He said all the residents of Haryana are safe and every situation is being monitored in coordination with the Himachal government.

Khattar said due to excessive rains at many places in Himachal Pradesh, rain water is expected to reach Haryana in the coming time. For this, the officers should make all necessary arrangements in this regard and also direct the field officers to gear up to tackle any situation.

On the incident of a landslide in the Morni area of Panchkula district caused by heavy rains, the CM directed the district administration to resolve the problem arising due to the landslide and ensure smooth movement at the earliest.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Monday expressed grief over the loss of life and property due to landslides and flash floods caused by incessant rains in the state.

Wishing peace to the departed souls, who lost their lives due to flash floods and landslides in the state, he said, We stand together in this hour of disaster and effective steps are being taken at all levels to deal with the situation.

He said that the state government was doing relief and rescue work on a war footing and the central government was also monitoring the whole situation.

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The Governor has urged the people of the state not to panic and take special care of their safety.

Appealing to the people not to go near rivulets and follow the instructions issued in this regard, he urged the tourists to follow the instructions issued by the administration seriously.

He has directed the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts to apprise him about the status of loss of life and property in the State due to heavy rains and floods.

The Governor also appealed to all the District Red Cross Societies to cooperate in the rescue work.
The CPI-M, which has opted to oppose the proposed uniform civil code (UCC), had previously strongly supported implementation of it in the country. Kerala Assembly records show that the party had strongly supported UCC in 1985.

The CPI-M had urged the then UDF government in the state to organize a campaign to create awareness among the people about the significance of the UCC. The left party had in 1985 demanded that an officer from the culture department should be deputed this purpose.

The contents of the Assembly documents now available reveal that the CPI-M, which is at present at the forefront of the agitation against the UCC, advocated for its implementation in 1985.

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CPI-M MLAs on 9 July 1985 had asked the state government to clarify its stance regarding the implementation of the UCC.The members who raised the question regarding this included MV Raghavan, V.J Thankappan, K.R Gowri, E Padmanabhan, O Bharathan and others.

The question they raised in the Assembly was whether the Central government had sought the opinion of the state Social Welfare Boards to create a favorable opinion among the minorities about the UCC. Then Irrigation Minister M P Gangadaran, who responded to the question in the absence of Chief Minister K Karunakaran, said that nothing new was under consideration.

Not satisfied with the ministers reply, MV Raghavan (who was then with CPI-M) inquired as to why only Kerala was exempted when the Centre had made it clear that it would seek the opinions of the states regarding the matter. He also pointed out the difficulties being experienced due to the absence of a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens in the country.

The CPI-M members in the Assembly also questioned the stance of the Muslim League on the UCC. Then leader of the opposition, E K Nayanar also explained the importance of having a uniform civil code. The then Opposition leader EK Nayanar also underlined the necessity of having a Uniform Civil Code in the country.

The CPI-M, which had previously advocated for the introduction of UCC, has now taken a U turn and is strongly opposing it. In 1984, party stalwart EMS. Namboodiripads statements against Shariat stoked a political controversy. In 1987,the CPI-M under the leadership of EMS, conducted a major campaign against the Muslim Personal Law, emphasising the importance of a comprehensive UCC applicable to all religions.
With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, it has now become quite clear that all is not well in the Kerala unit of the BJP.

The strife within the party was out in the open on Saturday as BJP Kerala vice-president Sobha Surendran lashed out at the state leadership of the party, specifically state president K Surendran.

In an interview given to a Malayalam news channel aired on Saturday night, Sobha Surendran broke down while recounting how she was humiliated by the state party leadership though she was performing her duties well. She said while she was not leaving, but was being kept out from party.

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When questions were raised about her absence in party functions, she said false stories are created and circulated on her absence.

Recently, when Amit Shahji visited Thrissur, my own district, I was not invited to his function. When questions about my absence at the stage of the public function arose, stories were circulated online through the media that Sobha Surendran was not invited since she did something against the party, Sobha said.

The firebrand woman leader of Kerala BJP also alleged that Prakash Javadekar, the partys prabhari of Kerala, did not intervene to end the ill treatment meted out to her by the party state leadership.

After Prakash Javadekar became the new in-charge of BJP in the state, discussions were held three times on strengthening the party in the state. But, the situation remained as before with many leaders, including myself, are being kept out, Sobha said

She said the party was above all other things for her and she worked for the party and allied organisations from a very young age onwards, but the state leadership is totally ignoring her.

I have to sacrifice my role as a family member for the party, as I considered the party above all that. Such a person is now being insulted, ignored and sidelined by the party state leadership, Sobha said

In such a situation of alienation, what do I have to do? Whether I have to shave my head as was done by Congress leader Lathika Suresh or I have to sit on satyagraha, she asked.

Sobha Surendran has been with the BJP for well over 25 years. Born into a family of RSS loyalists at Wadakkanchery in the Thrissur district, she is a crowd-puller. Her oratory skill has earned her popularity among BJP cadres and sympathisers. Her alienation in the party started after K Surendran was appointed the state BJP president in February 2020.

She claims that the BJP state leadership has been completely ignoring and sidelining Sobha Surendran for the last three years. However, the party leadership hasnt admitted it. Now, she herself has come out with what she has been experiencing.

Sobhas revelations have opened a new battle front in the fractured BJP state unit in Kerala. The party state leadership is now on the defensive.

Political observer A Sajeevan says if the issues raised by Sobha Surendran is not settled amicably before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, it will adversely affect the prospects of BJP in the state, as many BJP workers and sympathisers feel that Sobha Surendran, who toiled for the party for around 25 years, is not getting due consideration in the party.

Political analyst Advocate Jayasankar said BJP leadership cannot ignore a popular leader like Sobha Surendran, who has the rare knack to connect with the people and garner votes. It seems Sobha Surendran, who has fire within her would not withdraw without a fight.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday made an appeal to the Centre to make available an additional relief amount from the PM CARES Fund for Himachal Pradesh and other states hit by torrential rains.

Deaths of many people due to excessive rains in the states of North India is sad and painful, he tweeted.

Kharge said he had spoken to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Relief operations have picked up pace in the state and every effort was being made to evacuate the people of the rain-hit areas to safety, despite the inclement weather.

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The Congress chief said appropriate compensation should be given to the victims of the rains and all possible help be provided to compensate for the loss of life and property. We have instructed all the Congress MLAs to help the affected people in their respective areas in every way. All Congress workers are requested to contribute to the relief. Our thoughts are with those affected during this difficult time, he added.
President of Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Samaj Pushpendra Mishra has alleged that the state government should not have demolished the house as the house is not in Shuklas name.

Mishra said the community is collecting funds and Rs 51000 would be given to the family to help them rebuild the structure.

The community leaders said they are also considering moving the court against the BJP governments action of bulldozing Shuklas house.

Mishra, however, chose to clarify that the community is against what Pravesh Shukla did and he deserves punishment for his action.

But the state government should not have made his old parents and wife and sister homeless in this rainy season, he said.
India and Malaysia on Monday reviewed the diverse pillars of the extensive bilateral defence engagement and discussed the roadmap for the 4th Decade of India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who reached Kuala Lumpur yesterday on a three-day visit to Malaysia, met his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan to discuss steps to further deepen bilateral defence cooperation and enhance the strategic partnership.

India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two countries have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security.

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Rajnath also called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and deeply appreciated his positive approach and interest towards further deepening India-Malaysia bilateral relations.

The Indian minister also met Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Adbul Kadir and discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest aimed at further strengthening the Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
The ruling ally Shiv Sena legislators will seek an extension for the time-limit to reply to the Maharashtra Legislatures notices on the pending issue of the disqualification of 16 MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, party leaders said here on Monday.

Last Saturday, the Maharashtra Legislature had issued notices to the legislators of the Shiv Sena and Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), giving them a weeks time to file their replies to Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Sena MLAs Sanjay Shirsat and Bharat Gogawale  both in the list of 16 who face disqualification  said that all the legislators will have to file a legal reply which would take time.

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Accordingly, we shall request the Speaker to extend the time-limit at least by a week to enable us file our say properly, said Shirsat, though it was not clear whether all MLAs will file their replies individually or jointly.

The Shiv Sena has 41 MLAs and is currently in power with the Bharatiya Janata Partys Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and since recently the breakaway Nationalist Congress Partys Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray has the backing of some 14 MLAs.

An official had said that the process to issue the notices started from July 8 (Saturday) but did not specify the exact number of MLAs of the two rival Senas, though around 54 have been sent the notices.

The keenly-watched disqualification proceedings are likely to be decided by the Speaker around early-August, nearly three months after the Supreme Court verdict in the Sena versus Sena matter.

Besides CM Shinde, those facing the axe of disqualification include  ministers Tanaji Sawant, Sandeepan Bhumre and Abdul Sattar; and legislators Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Yamini Jadhav, Prakash Surve, Mahesh Shinde, Lata Sonawane, Balaji Kinikar, Ramesh Bornale, Sanjay Raimulkar, Chimanrao Patil, and Balaji Kalankar.

Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu had last week filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Speaker Narwekar to give his verdict in the matter within two weeks.

The Sena (UBT) has claimed that despite a party whip, these MLAs failed to attend the meeting convened by the then Chief Minister Thackeray in June 2022, which amounted to anti-party activity and attracted disqualification as per the rules.

Besides, Prabhu pointed out that despite three reminders to the Legislature Secretariat, no steps were taken in the matter of the disqualification proceedings.

It may be recalled that in June 2022, the state witnessed a political quake when Shinde along with 40 Shiv Sena and 10 other independents walked out of the Thackeray government.

After a series of political developments culminating in Thackerays resignation on June 29, Shinde took over as the new CM on June 30 last year with the support of the BJP.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday held a consultative session with members of Muslim and Christian communities to take their views about the proposed uniform civil code (UCC).

An official spokesperson of the party said during the course of the meeting the leaders of the minority communities felt that the recommendations of the 21st Law Commission should be taken into account before taking any decision on the matter again.

The SAD had formed a sub-committee comprising Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sikandar Singh Maluka and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema to arrive at a consensus on the proposed legislation after taking the views of all stakeholders.

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Views of the Sikh community were taken earlier.

The Muslim and Christian community members, while appreciating the effort being made by the SAD to take all stakeholders into account while formulating its view on the UCC, expressed surprise as to how the matter was being taken up afresh by the 22nd Law Commission even though the 21st Law Commission had during its recommendations asserted that the UCC was neither feasible nor desirable, the spokesperson said.

However it was felt that a more detailed opinion could be formed in the matter once the Central government released the draft of the proposed UCC, he added.

The SAD has opposed the implementation of the UCC, saying it would have an adverse impact on minorities and tribal communities in the country.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini parliament of Sikhs, has also opposed the proposed UCC. The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the UCC proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre government is unnecessary in the country as the Constitution recognises the principle of unity in diversity. He said minorities fear the UCC will hurt their identity, originality, and principles.
The Supreme Court on Monday extended interim bail given to former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain on medical ground till further orders.

A bench of Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice M.M. Sundresh extended the interim bail to Satyendar Jain as senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appraised the bench of report by three hospitals  GB Pant, Appollo, and Max  recommending surgery.

The bench posted the matter for he34aring on July 24.

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Raising doubts about the reports by three hospitals, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju appearing for the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) urged the bench to ask Jain to undergo medical examination at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for an independent evaluation.

The court noted that two medical reports have been brought on record and one more is to be brought on record and asked it to bring on record and furnish the copy to ASG Raju.

On May 26, despite stiff resistance from ED, the top court had granted interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds to Satyendar Jain. The ED had alleged that the medical papers being relied upon for interim bail issued by the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash and the G.B. Pant Hospitals could have been fudged.

The court had brushed aside the EDs objections to the veracity of the medical papers produced by Satyendar Jain and its insistence that he be sent for independent examination by AIIMS or R.M.L. Hospital.

While permitting Satyendar Jain to take treatment from a private hospital of his choice, the bench had ordered to place before the court all the medical papers relating to his treatment during the period of interim bail on the next date of hearing.

Ordering the release of Satyendar Jain, the top court had said that during the period of bail he will not try to meet or influence the witnesses or leave the NCT Delhi without the permission of the court. It had further directed Jain not to meet or speak to the media on any issue.

Jain, being investigated by ED for alleged money laundering, has approached the top court challenging April 6 Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea. He is facing prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Special PMLA court had on November 17, 2022, dismissed his bail plea.

Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022, and charged under various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by Enforcement Directorate and is presently in Judicial Custody.

The ED case is based on a CBIs complaint alleging that Satyendar Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for.
South Korean opposition lawmakers sharply criticized the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog on Sunday for its approval of Japanese plans to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. They met with Rafael Grossi in a tense meeting in Seoul that took place while protesters screamed outside the door.

Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general, arrived in South Korea over the weekend to engage with government officials and critics and help reduce public concerns about food safety.

The IAEA last week approved the Japanese discharge plans, saying the process would meet international safety standards and pose negligible environmental and health impacts. South Korea's government has also endorsed the safety of the Japanese plans.

In his meeting with members of the liberal Minjoo Party, which controls a majority in South Korea's parliament, Grossi said the IAEA's review of the Japanese plans was based on "transparent" and "scientific" research. He acknowledged concerns over how the Japanese plans would play out in reality and said the IAEA would establish a permanent office in Fukushima to closely monitor how the discharge process is implemented over the next three decades.

"Our conclusion has been that this plan, if it is carried out in the way it has been presented, would be in line, would be in conformity with the international safety standards," Grossi said.

The lawmakers responded by harshly criticizing IAEA's review, which they say neglected long-term environmental and health impacts of the wastewater release and threatens to set a bad precedent that may encourage other countries to dispose nuclear waste into sea. They called for Japan to scrap the discharge plans and work with neighboring countries to find safer ways to handle the wastewater, including a possible pursuit of long-term storage on land.

The party has also criticized the government of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for putting people's health at risk while trying to improve relations with Japan. "If you think (the treated wastewater) is safe, I wonder whether you would be willing to suggest the Japanese government use that water for drinking or for industrial and agricultural purposes, rather than dumping it in the sea," Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party lawmaker who attended the meeting, told Grossi. The party said Woo has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days to protest the Japanese discharge plans.

Further details from the meeting weren't immediately available after reporters were asked to leave following opening statements. Closely watched by parliamentary security staff, dozens of protesters shouted near the lobby of the National Assembly's main hall where the meeting was taking place, holding signs denouncing the IAEA and Japan.
The two-day Urban 20 Mayoral Summit, hosted by the chair city Ahmedabad, in Gandhinagar concluded with representatives from 105 cities across the world approving a communique for the G20 leaders.

The communique has received the highest-ever number of endorsements to date for any U20 document and more than twice the number of endorsements for any previous communiques, organisers said on Monday.

The communique has been drafted as an action agenda for the six priorities identified collectively by U20 cities. These priorities include encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, championing local culture and economy, ensuring water security, catalysing digital urban futures, and reinventing frameworks for urban planning and governance.

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The communique is aligned with the G20 theme of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or One Earth, One Family, One Future.

Cities are going to be central to achieving various global goals related to sustainability, inclusivity and climate resilience, said Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, while addressing the gathering on Saturday.

The minister shared his views on the power of the urban constituency and the challenges of global development would have to be addressed through cities as agents of change. He reiterated that the six priorities identified by the communique would be central to our collective survival in the future.

He spoke about nine areas that cities should focus on, to work towards a sustainable future: strengthen local governance; plan beyond traditional boundaries; push for financially self-reliant cities; foster a culture of innovation; harness the power of data and technology; shift from regulation to facilitation; focus on impacts not outcome; put citizens at the heart of urban policy; and leverage local culture and economy.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, at the handover session, emphasised the role of cities in shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. He highlighted the importance of the summit, especially at a time when one-third of the world is facing recession and the impacts of the climate change crisis in addition to geopolitical issues.

He applauded the efforts under U20 and specifically stressed the need for adequate infrastructure finance for cities of the future and better urban planning to resolve multiple urban issues. Further, Kant spoke of the alignment of U20 with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis vision for Indias G20 presidency, that it will be inclusive, decisive and action-oriented.
India has spent the best part of 2023 shielding an alleged sexual predator who can get away with anything he wants. And his victory as the year rolls past its mid-point is said to be spectacularly comprehensive. One of Indias wrestling girls who had been among the courageous ones to complain about Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the Wrestling Federation of India, recently told an American paper that their protest was on pause, career priorities having to be thought of in the year of the Asian Games, which would merge in the run-up to next years Olympics.

Legal protests are being considered when the wrestlers could be seeking to balance things out with performances on the mat. You dont want to aim a barb at them though many others did during the Jantar Mantar protests, suspecting a weakening commitment to the cause, but honesty demands we concede the battle had fizzled out earlier, each passing day revealing yet another aspect of the impossible magnitude of the struggle, as the state, using all its power, put in a tackle which was mind-crunching.

Official India saw only a few girls getting too big for their shoes and snuffed them out with a series of snubs  no water, no lights where they were camping  climaxing it all with the crackdown which coincided, ironically, with the inauguration of Indias new parliamentary building. Pictures of the girls forced down, being dragged across the road and detained flashed in every living room, probably leaving every Indian in shocked disbelief.

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India, its wide array of people subscribing to a staggering variety of schools of thought, opinion and philosophy, essentially did not have its people standing by the wrestling girls of New Delhi, who were protesting against sexual exploitation by a national federation chief with a close and mutually beneficial relationship with the party in power at the Centre. Singh gave them votes and they let him lord it over the Wrestling Federation of India.

There were demonstrations everywhere and there were times, at least on television, that suggested the dawn of a new era but neither the kinetic energy associated with the protest nor institutional resources sufficed. The retaliatory action ebbed, and ebbed. The alliance at the Centre was too powerful for anything the others attempted, maybe for their own reasons, including Mamata Banerjees rally in the heart of Kolkata.

The dramatic rush to  and the aimless return from  Hardwar spoke of the lack of a plan. Also, when it came to the crunch, even the khap panchayats of northern India were not of much help. Sometimes people asked the wrestlers why they let politicians into the protest and sometimes, why not. The answer was difficult to find in a confused maze. But India clearly failed them.
The Biden administration announced on 7 July that it would send cluster bombs to Ukraine  a deeply controversial move given the munition is prohibited by more than 120 countries because of risks to civilian populations. The U.S. has been here before. It provided Saudi Arabia with cluster munitions  which contain bomblets that can scatter across a wide area, often not exploding until later  during the kingdoms military intervention in Yemen.

Washington suspended sales of cluster bombs to the Saudis in 2016 following mounting concern over the toll they were taking on civilian lives. But the U.S. is still holding out from joining an international ban on cluster bombs. As a scholar of the law of war, I know that cluster bombs highlight a reality about the use and regulation of weapons, even those that can cause widespread civilian suffering: These munitions are not in themselves illegal, but their usage can be.

Furthermore, the decision by the U.S. to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs could weaken the argument against others doing likewise. And that, in turn, could increase the chances of cluster bombs being deployed illegally. Cluster munitions have been part of nations arsenals since World War II. Delivered by air or ground artillery, they have been used by the United States in Laos and Vietnam during the Vietnam War, Israel in southern Lebanon, the U.S. and U.K. in Iraq, Russia and Syria in the ongoing Syrian civil war, and the Saudis in Yemen.

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And now they are being deployed in Ukraine. If deployed responsibly, they can be an effective military tool. Because they can spread hundreds of bomblets across a wide area, they can prove a potent weapon against concentrations of enemy troops and their weapons on a battlefield. In 2017, a U.S. Department of Defense memo said cluster munitions provided a necessary capability when confronted with massed formation of enemy forces, individual targets dispersed over a defined area, targets whose precise location are not known, and time-sensitive or moving targets.

And on 22 June 2023, it was reported that the Department of Defense has concluded that cluster bombs would be useful if deployed against dug-in Russian positions in Ukraine. Indeed, the Department of Defense argued that in some limited circumstances cluster bombs can be less destructive to civilians. In Vietnam, the U.S. sanctioned the use of cluster bombs  over more powerful bombs  to disrupt transport links and enemy positions while minimizing the risk of destroying nearby dikes, which would have flooded rice fields and caused widespread suffering to villagers. Still, their use has always been controversial.

The problem is that not all the bomblets explode on impact. Many remain on the ground, unexploded until they are later disturbed  and that increases the chances of civilians being maimed or killed. Their use in urban settings is particularly problematic, as they cannot be directed at a specific military target and are just as likely to strike civilians and their homes. Concern over the risk to civilian harm led in 2008 to a Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use, production or sale by member states. But as of 2023, the convention is legally binding for only the 123 states that are signatories  and Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. are not among them.

Nor can they  or any of the other countries yet to sign up to the convention  be compelled to join the ban. As such, there is no legal reason that Ukraine or Russia cannot deploy cluster bombs in the current conflict  as both have done since the invasion of February 2022. Nor is there any legal reason the Biden administration cant sell the munitions to Ukraine. But there are laws that set out how cluster bombs can be used, and how they must not.

The relevant part of international humanitarian law here is 1977s Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which both Ukraine and Russia have ratified. The additional protocol sets out rules the warring parties must observe to limit harm to civilians. Acknowledging that civilian deaths are an inevitable part of war, Article 51 of Additional Protocol I prohibits indiscrimate attacks. Such attacks include those employing a weapon that cannot be directed at a specific military target or of such a nature to strike military targets and civilians and civilian objects without distinction.

Meanwhile, Article 57 of the additional protocol stresses that attacking armies have a duty of care to spare civilian populations. This includes taking all feasible precautions in the choice of means and method of attack. Neither article specifies any weapons deemed off-limits. Rather, it is how the weapons are used that determines whether the attack constitutes an indiscriminate one and hence a crime under international law.

Even if cluster bombs are not inherently indiscriminate  a claim that advocates of an international ban put forward  their use in urban settings greatly increases the chance of civilian harm. In 2021, 97 per cent of cluster bomb casualties were civilians, two-thirds of whom were children. And the experience of cluster bomb use in Syria and Yemen shows that it can be difficult to hold governments to account. Which is why Ukraines request for U.S. cluster munitions has led to concerns.

The Cluster Munitions Monitor, which logs international use of the bombs, found that as of August 2022, Ukraine was the only active conflict zone where cluster bombs were being deployed  with Russia using the weapon extensively since its invasion, and Ukraine also deploying cluster bombs on a handful of occasions. Ukraine reportedly sought some of the United States stockpile of Cold War-era MK-20 cluster bombs to drop on Russian positions via drones. The White House had previously aired concern over the transfer.

In announcing the decision to send U.S.-made cluster bombs to Ukraine, Jake Sullivan, President Joe Bidens national security adviser, noted that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance, adding: This is why weve deferred the decision for as long as we could.

The Biden administrations earlier hesitancy was reportedly over the optics of selling cluster bombs and that it may introducing a wedge between the U.S. and other NATO countries over the weapons use. Certainly, there would be very little legal risk under international law of providing cluster bombs to Ukraine  or any other nation  even if that country were to use the weapon illegally. There is no case I know of in which a state has been found legally responsible for providing weapons to another that flagrantly misuses them  there is no equivalent to efforts in the U.S. seeking to hold gun manufacturers legally responsible for mass shootings, or state dram shop laws that hold the suppliers of alcohol culpable for the actions of an inebriated driver.

Yet one of the things that worried people in Congress regarding the sale of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia was that the Saudis consistently indiscriminate use of those weapons in Yemen could be seen at home and abroad as making the U.S. complicit in those violations. I would argue that it became difficult for Washington to continue to supply the Saudis on moral ground. But still, there was and is presently no clear-cut legal obligation for the U.S. to stop supplying other nations with cluster bombs. In my opinion, it is highly unlikely that Ukraine will deliberately use U.S.-supplied cluster munitions to target civilians and their environs.

And Ukraine provided written assurances that it is going to use these in a very careful way, Sullivan said in announcing the transfer. Nonetheless, providing Ukraine with cluster weapons could serve to destigmatize them and runs counter to international efforts to end their use. And that, in turn, could encourage  or excuse  their use by other states that may be less responsible.

(The writer is Professor of Law, American University. This article was published on www.theconversation.com)
A 37-year-old Sikh in England has been jailed for a year for repeatedly punching a man with his steel bangle (kada) after believing that he was racially targetted, a media report said.

Tirminder Singh Lallie, who previously faced racism at workplace, retaliated after the victim lashed out at him with a pole for allegedly driving his Range Rover too fast in 2021, the BirminghamLive reported on Sunday.

Lallie admitted before the Wolverhampton Crown Court that his retaliation was excessive self-defence, but added that he fought back thinking that he has been racially abused by the victim.

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The court heard that Lallie earlier faced abuse in workplace over his religion and appearance that left him shattered and angry.

He was also sentenced previously for a verbal altercation.

It strikes me that both of these incidents came about because youre an angry man You could have easily done something else  walked away, called the police, the judge said while sentencing Lallie.

The victim, a painter, was putting a ladder in his van when he saw Lallies Range Rover heading towards him in Oldbury, England, on August 4, 2021.

Thinking that Lallie was driving too fast, the painter waved his hand at the driver, gesturing at him to slow down.

Prosecutor Ilana Davis said the car came to a sudden halt.

Lallie shouted and swore from the car window before getting out and charging towards the man.

The court was told that the victim was clutching a pole, which he used to hit Lallies head twice.

Prosecutor Davis said that Lallie was wearing a steel bangle around his wrist. He pulled it over his fingers as he punched the victim repeatedly.

The victim went to hospital, where medics glued back together two cuts to his head, the report said.

In a statement, the victim said Lallies unprovoked attack stopped him from working for a few days and he is now worried about bumping into him while going out.
In a setback to Pakistan, the Twitter has blocked access to the official account of the government of Pakistan in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region that was under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. The GB region was part of Jammu and Kashmir and was illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1947.

Twitter has relocated the GB region as part of India and when users turn on the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the GB are marked as originating from Jammu and Kashmir in India.

Pakistan governments official account has been banned in India since March 2023. In 2022, the account was withheld twice over legal complaints.

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The development has put the Pakistani authorities in an embarrassing situation as internet users in GB have started posting the issue on their Twitter accounts. The authorities have warned users not to spread fake news.

In a bid to downplay the issue, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has come out with a statement claiming that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and no such problem has been found, as being circulated in the media.

Araib Ali Baig, a history buff in GB region, not satisfied with PTAs claim, wrote on his Twitter account; Im not surprised by the @PTAofficialpk statement on @GovtofPakistan Twitter handle as my location still shows Im Tweeting from Jammu and Kashmir which twitter shows as integral part of India.

A GB-based journalist, Jamil Nagri, wrote on Twitter; I am in #Gilgit, my location on, it shows me in India, very interesting PTA started to defend Twitter and India, this is incompetency of PTA, shameful.

Jamil wrote; blocked access to the government of Pakistans official account in #GilgitBaltistan & changed GBs location to parts of #India.

When users turn on the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from India.

Several other users in GB reported that they are unable to access the Pakistan governments official Twitter account. When users tried to access the account, an error message is popping up saying account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

Few others pointed out that the App was showing them in India rather than in GB.

Some other users claimed that they were only getting the option of Jammu and Kashmir while tagging their location.
A scandal of significant proportions has erupted at the BBC suggesting that a presenter may have engaged in unlawful activities under the possibility of charges under the Sexual Offences Act, including the exploitation of a child and the possession of indecent images.

The specific actions or allegations against the unnamed presenter at the BBC have not been explicitly mentioned in the provided information. It only states that there are potential violations under the Sexual Offences Act, including causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child and making or possessing indecent images. The unnamed presenter at the center of the controversy has been suspended, pending further inquiries.

Authorities will meet with the Metropolitan Police today to determine whether the presenter has potentially violated the law. The individual could potentially face charges under the Sexual Offences Act, such as causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years. Additionally, charges of making or possessing indecent images could result in a maximum sentence of ten years.

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Its important to note that under the law, a person is considered a child if they are under the age of 18, even if they have given consent for the creation of explicit content.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has acknowledged the gravity of the allegations and expressed his concerns as a parent. He emphasized the need for a robust and prompt response to such serious accusations. Chalk indicated that discussions with the police are underway, and he did not rule out the possibility of an investigation into how the BBC handled the allegations.

Scotland Yard confirmed that they have been contacted by the BBC regarding the matter but emphasized the need for additional information before determining the appropriate course of action.

The Sun recently reported that the presenter was taken off the air amid allegations that they had paid the alleged victim over 35,000 since the individual was 17 years old. Disturbingly, the victims mother revealed that the money was used to feed a drug addiction, causing the young persons life to spiral downward rapidly.

The family initially raised their concerns in May and grew increasingly frustrated by the presenters continued presence on the airwaves a month later. They have since submitted a comprehensive dossier of evidence to Jeff Brown, the lead investigator appointed by the BBC.

As the scandal unfolds, the government is demanding answers from BBC chief Tim Davie. Former Culture Minister Damian Collins expressed concern about the delay in responding to the familys initial complaint, questioning why action wasnt taken sooner. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has already engaged in discussions with Davie, who assured her that the matter is being investigated swiftly. In an email to staff, Davie reiterated his commitment to taking the allegations incredibly seriously.

The situation continues to develop, and it is crucial for all parties involved to address the matter promptly, fairly, and thoroughly, ensuring the best interests of the victim and a just resolution to this deeply troubling situation.
After heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, there is a possibility of an increase in the water level of various rivers in the state in the next few days.

Along with irrigation and water resources, all departments related to relief and rescue should remain on the alert, Uttar Pradefh chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alerted the state officials.

In a high-level meeting on Monday, CM Yogi Adityanath reviewed the efforts being made in public interest following heavy rains in various districts of the state and gave necessary instructions.

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He said that so far this year, 24 districts have received more than average rainfall, while 31 districts have recorded less than average rainfall. However, according to meteorologists, there is a possibility of good rainfall in these districts in the month of July. Constant monitoring of the changing weather conditions should be done.

In the last few days, there have been reports of loss of life and property due to lightning at many places. Assistance should be provided to such victim families immediately. This year, incidents of lightning are increasing in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is necessary to develop a better system for accurate forecasting of celestial lightning (early warning system). This is necessary to keep human/animal losses to the minimum. The government of India is also cooperating in the process of installing rain gauges in every village, this work should be completed expeditiously, he said.

The CM directed the concerned officials to maintain dialogue with Revenue and Relief, Agriculture, State Disaster Management, Remote Sensing Authority, the Indian Meteorological Department, and Central Disaster Management Authority and develop such a system, so that common people can get accurate weather information on time.

Yogi said continuous monitoring should be done in the event of flood/excessive rainfall. An increase in the water level of the Ganga has been observed in many places. Similarly, continuous monitoring of the water level of all the rivers should be done. Flood units of NDRF, SDRF/PAC, and disaster management teams should be in 247 active mode in the affected districts. The help of Aapda Prabandhan Mitra, volunteers of Civil Defense, should be taken as per requirement, he added.

He said, We have to make concerted efforts to deal with floods and water logging. The joint team of the Magistrate, Municipal Commissioner, Executive Officer and Police should make arrangements according to the local needs to avoid water-logging. District Magistrate, Member of Parliament, MLA, District Panchayat President, Mayor, and Chairman of the urban body will discuss the solution of water-logging. Necessary action should be taken.

Yogi said it is encouraging that this year, paddy sowing is going on normally in all the districts. As per the latest report, out of 58.5 lakh hectares, 18 lakh hectares saplings have been planted. A digital platform should be developed to monitor the progress of paddy sowing so that the exact status of district-wise plantations can be known on time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his visiting Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda attended a church service in the northwestern city of Lutsk.

On Sunday, Zelensky and Duda stood in front of the church to exchange greetings and share an embrace in a televised event.

In a tweet, the Polish leader said: Together we pay tribute to all the innocent victims of Volhynia! Memory connects us! Together we are stronger.

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Lutsk is in the far west of Ukraine, close to the border with Poland.

After the church visit, the two leaders also held a meeting.

Andrzej Duda and I had a brief but very substantive discussion about the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. We agreed to work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine, Zelensky tweeted following the discussion.

On his part, the Polish President said the meeting with Zelensky was a testimony of friendship in the face of a difficult history, but also to hold final consultations before the NATO summit in Vilnius, which begins in two days.

Effective support for Ukraine in its pursuit of membership in the alliance is very important for Poland, he said in a tweet.

Poland is one of Ukraines closest allies, often leading the way in urging members of the NATO military alliance to send more supplies to the war-torn nation.

More than 12 million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Poland since February 2022, according to UN data.
A key example of this mentality is the light punishment for murdering a child. A person who kills his or her own child out of shame faces only a maximum 10-year prison sentence under a law created in 1953 and never revised.

Noh Hye-ryun at Soongsil University said, "Children are still not considered independent beings in Korean society but instead the property or part of their parents. Infants' rights tend to be disregarded."

Even until the 1970s, many Korean babies were registered one or two years after birth because of a high infant mortality rate often caused by diseases like typhoid. The infant mortality rate in Korea was then 45 per 1,000, compared to just 2.4 per 1,000 today.

The horrific discovery of dozens of dead babies who had never been registered by their parents has sparked an agony of soul-searching across Korea. One reason they fell below the radar may be that children are still more or less considered the property of their parents.

Not only is the punishment lighter than the penalty for other types of murder, many cases only lead to suspended sentences. Seung Jae-hyun at the Korea Institute of Criminology said, "If a girl gives birth to a child out of wedlock, even the head of the family is condoned to a certain degree if he forces her to abort the baby to hide the shame. This is an anachronistic law that must be scrapped."

Due to this mentality, the government also left it up to parents to register the births of their children, and while the state was looking the other way, babies disappeared from the books and many ended up dead.

In contrast, in the U.S., U.K., Germany and other advanced countries government workers visit hospitals to check the birth of babies and register them.

"Germany has around 1,300 help centers to offer advice and support for single mothers. Korea should care for mothers and babies during pregnancy and childbirth, " said Jeong Jae-hoon at Seoul Women's University. "There should be support available for single women and girls who become pregnant on whether to raise their child or put it up for adoption so that children do not fall through the cracks."

But other experts say unmarried women should be allowed to give birth anonymously. Kim Yoon-shin at Chosun University analyzed 20 cases of infanticide from 2013 to 2021 and found that the most common reason was fear of others finding out about their pregnancy."

Meanwhile the government has stepped up a search for 2,123 babies born between 2015 to 2022 who were recorded in hospitals but whose parents never registered them. Police are now urgently looking for almost 1,000 of them and the number of babies found dead has risen to 34.
North Korean university students swept the top prizes in a computer program coding contest hosted by a U.S. IT company.

The North has turned to hacking foreign companies to steal hard currency and cryptocurrencies as border closures and greater international vigilance crippled its legal and illegal earnings, Radio Free Asia reported last Friday.

U.S. IT company HackerEarth hosted a coding contest on May 20-27 that drew 1,700 contestants from around the world. Contestants from North Korea's Kim Chaek University of Technology grabbed the first, third and fourth prizes, while a student from Kim Il-sung University came second.

In another contest HackerEarth hosted last month, North Korean students came second, fifth, sixth and ninth. Kim Chaek University of Technology announced the accomplishments on its website and said, "We are not resting on our laurels but working harder to achieve even greater results next time."

Despite economic hardship and weak IT infrastructure, North Korea has been putting all of its efforts into nurturing hackers after other criminal means of earning foreign currency like making counterfeit cigarettes, currency forgery and narcotics manufacturing became difficult due to international sanctions.

In 2020, North Korean students won the CodeChef coding contests for six months running in a competition of 30,000 university students from around the world.

North Korea trains hackers at Kim Chaek University of Technology, Kim Il-ung University and Kim Il-sung Military University.
The Eastern military alliance Occasus and the special forces of the Bruckner organization are trying to enter German soil. Having increased their presence around the eastern flank, they prepare to move north and capture the Baltic port of Rostock. In response, NATO activates its Article 5: an attack against one ally is an attack on all. Occasus does not exist. Neither does Bruckner, which is described as a fictitious threat by the German Air Force. It is a simulated crisis that served as the basis for Air Defender 23, the largest air drills in the history of NATO. These drills, led by Germany, have served to highlight the might of NATOS air forces as it faces the growing threat of Russia.

EL PAIS witnessed the exercises at the Jagel air base in northern Germany. The drone of fighter jets was deafening as F-16s, A-10s and JAS-39s soared above. Back on the ground, the military teams surrounded the fighter jets and checked that everything was in order. When they received the call to action, they sped down the runway and took off. All in a matter of seconds. The Air Defender 23 exercises, which ended at the end of June, brought together 10,000 soldiers from 25 NATO countries and Sweden. For two weeks, 250 aircraft trained at six German bases, as well as bases in Estonia, Latvia and the Czech Republic.

The Air Defender 23 was a historic demonstration of NATO solidarity. The exercises came at a particularly sensitive moment, as the war in Ukraine drags on and NATO prepares for its Vilnius summit on Tuesday. This summit, which goes until July 12, is set to approve the biggest reorganization of NATO since the Cold War, with a new secret strategy divided by regions, listing Moscow and terrorism as the main threats. The strategy also seeks to reinforce NATOs air defense; especially on the eastern flank.

Two pilots during Air Defender 23 exercises. INA FASSBENDER (AFP)

It took U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Tater Boudreaux and his partner Tito seven hours to bring the F-16 fighters to Jagel. We took the long route, the scenic route, joked Boudreaux, who is a native of New Orleans. Its not representative of how long it would really take. The exercises were based on a semi-permanent deployment, and it took about a week to move some 400 tons of material to the heart of Europe, including equipment, parts needed by fighter jets and cargo planes, explained a German officer in one of the large tents set up inside the Jagel base, which served as one of the operation centers.

Whats more, as part of the drills, engineers and military operators provided field tank storage with 1.2 miles of pipelines at the Wunstorf air base, the logistics center for the training, explained German Lieutenant Huber during a visit to the site organized by NATO to which this newspaper was invited. During the Cold War, NATO built an oil pipeline to protect its autonomy in the area in case of attack, but this pipeline doesnt reach Wunstorf.

During the historic exercises, the troops also practiced synchronization, flights and exchanging coded information between allies. They also completed refueling operations that European forces, until very recently, could not carry out without the help of U.S. aircraft.

A German Tornado receives fuel from a German Air Force aircraft in the air during Air Defender 23 maneuvers. OTAN

NATO had been planning the Air Defender 2023 exercises since 2018  mobilizing 25 allies and planning a schedule is a complex task that can take years. However, Russias war in Ukraine, which has shaken the security architecture of the world, provided new impetus for the drills, which also involved the ground-based Griffin Storm exercise in Pabrade, Lithuania.

Under 130 miles from Russia

The Air Defender 2023 exercises were a show of force on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, a symbolic location just under 130 miles from the Russian city of Kaliningrad and 21 miles from Belarus, which is a close ally to Moscow. Russia has been sending troops into Ukraine via Belarus, and the country also offered to host the Wagner mercenary group and its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed rebellion on June 24.

Our forces are training together for territorial and alliance defense so that the message will be taken seriously by everyone, that we are ready to defend every centimeter of our territory, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a visit to the Jagel air base. NATO said that the exercises were not modeled on a specific enemy, but there were similarities with Russia.

Two Airbus A400M military aircraft of the German Armed Forces Bundeswehr approach during the Air Defender 2023 exercise at the Wunstorf military airbase in northern Germany on June 12, 2023. RONNY HARTMANN (AFP)

Russia has criticized the NATO exercises. This type of exercise sheds light on the fact that the NATO military machine has nothing to do with defense and that all its efforts are aimed exclusively at completely containing our country and even testing ways to attack Russia, said a spokesperson from the Russian Foreign Ministry. China  which NATO defined as its biggest challenge at the Madrid summit a year ago  stated that the training exacerbates the geopolitical confrontation in Europe.

Although planning for the exercises began back in 2018, the drills have helped Germany reaffirm itself as a global security actor. In Germany, the war in Russia has triggered a major turning point  or Zeitenwende in the words of Scholz  with the country set to significantly increase its defense budget. However, the Air Defender exercises also made it clear that NATOs air defense largely depends on the United States. It is the most powerful member of the 31 countries that make up the alliance: Finland joined in April, and Sweden hopes to join soon.

US Air Force C-130 aircraft at the German Wunstorf base. OTAN

Protecting the skies

The strategy to protect Europes skies has been hotly disputed in Europe since Putin invaded Ukraine last. At the Vilnius summit, NATO is expected to consecrate a new framework for the eastern flank, which will change the air defense model so that there is more active monitoring of Russian military aircraft.

Meanwhile, with Washington watching in the background, the Franco-German axis is in conflict over the best way to protect Europes skies. Germany wants to create an anti-missile shield (the Sky Shield), a plan supported by 16 European countries And it is planning to jointly purchase an anti-aircraft defense system  which would be integrated with the NATO system  through American and Israeli technology. Germany argues that it is more pragmatic and quicker to invest in proven solutions. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has urged allies to back a more local air defense strategy and consider long-term systems.

The French president, who claims that the EU needs strategic autonomy so that it is not dependent on the U.S. through NATO, said that at least four countries  Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary  have signed a letter of intent to jointly purchase the French-made Mistral air defense system. What Ukraine shows is that we can only give Kyiv what we have and produce. What comes from non-European countries is less manageable. It is subject to timetables, priorities and sometimes even authorizations from third countries, said Macron.

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It would be a sad day for India if it has to inherit the English scale and the English tastes so utterly unsuitable to the Indian environment.  Mahatma Gandhi

Colonial influences have diluted the potency of a culturally bio-diverse nation such as India to the extent that people today credit Western technologies and knowledge systems as the reason for any manner of progressive development in India. It is therefore not surprising to note an excessive glorification of high-tech infrastructure and technologies in the name of modernisation when the reality, however, is the exact opposite. Recent studies render the global north responsible for 92 per cent of the prevailing climate breakdown since historical times while the contribution of the global south is a meagre 8 per cent. As per this, India alone (of the rest of the global south nations) harbours 34 per cent of the climate credit.

The concept of modernity is a construct of the human mind. There are several examples of self-sufficiency, resilience, and capacity building embedded within the social infrastructure of any nation; known to have withstood the trials of time. Ancient Indian societies were known to be far more advanced for their times; even prior to colonial infiltration. India is renowned globally for its array of diverse, regenerative, and restorative approaches to living and management of the local environment via local and contextualised native solutions. The biggest challenge associated with the utilisation of Western solutions in the global south context lies in their reduced efficiencies which stem from their biases towards the problems of the global north.

And this is where traditional and indigenous knowledge systems hold an edge.

As Christopher Alexander discusses in his book A Pattern Language, each society has its own distinct pattern language which although uniquely symbolises the essence of a potential solution to a recurrent problem within our environment; that may be utilised elsewhere without ever repeating the same way twice. Traditional and indigenous practices have been doing just that. These centuries-old practices have been evolving with time, in tune to the changing climate scenario. They symbolise a time when anthropogenic development was a perfect marriage of advancement and an innate empathy for nature.

The acknowledgment of the five elements of nature (a.k.a. Pancha bhutas) namely earth, water, fire, air, and space/ether in the cultural, economic, or spiritual wheel of life is proof of the intricate, holistic connection that Indian people share with nature. This clearly amplifies the need for a shift towards an indigenous developmental approach that coexists with nature rather than total dependence on foreign solutions to attain the same. Traditional and indigenous practices originated at a time in history when we were still deeply connected with nature. This is perhaps the biggest USP that sets them apart from Nature Based Solutions (Nbs) as the efficiency of the latter is on the efficiency with which biotic elements deliver ecosystem services. In fact, these practices are also viewed as a component of EbA (Ecosystem-Based Adaptation) like Nbs. Just like EbA and Nbs, traditional and indigenous knowledge systems too account for a cohort of benefits that are otherwise not observed in mainstream foreign technologies or conventional Nbs. Some of them include:

Fosters harmony within the community

The efficient working of practices such as Kuhls of Himachal Pradesh (gravity-based ingenious irrigation system) and Dong Bundhs of Assam (gravity-based seasonal river channelisation) can be credited to the presence of strong communal linkages and functioning in the region of implementation of these practices. Mutual understanding among the local community and a give-and-take policy ensured a successful conservation of the shared resource commons i.e. water in this scenario without compromising on anyones needs.

Encourage gender equality

This is mirrored in indigenous practices such as 'Akkadi Saalu' of Karnataka (rainfed intercropping system with a focus on biodiversity conservation and ecological pest management) and Sedentary Pastoralism across Kangayam grasslands. These practices not only promote gender equality and female leadership but also highlight the efficiency and productivity that may be attained when genders work in unison like a cog in the wheel.

Incorporate sustainable and localised infrastructure

The most remarkable advantage of indigenous practices is their increased dependence on native yet eco-friendly raw materials. This can be observed in the case of Meghalaya's bamboo drip irrigation system. The practice leverages the local potential of the ecosystem such as utilisation of abundantly available bamboo species, natural terrain, and gravity in order to successfully accommodate both domestic and agricultural demands. A significant outcome of this initiative includes the sustained conservation of the bamboo forests of India.

Increase in carbon sequestration and lowering of ecological footprints

One primary reason why wastewater bheris of east Kolkata wetlands offer ecological subsidies to the city of Kolkata is their ability to act as carbon sinks locking over 60 per cent of carbon from the input wastewater. Likewise, the design of the surangams of Western Ghats (groundwater harvesting tunnels) is such that it is always low on carbon emissions for its lifetime. This is an outcome of the native vegetation with increased carbon sequestration abilities that grow overhead these tunnels.

Encourage capacity building

Collaboration and brainstorming among people have always led to the strengthening of existing approaches and the evolution of new practices. The ancient tradition of Halma, practiced by the Bhil tribes of Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, is an example of that. Systems like these become critical in the attempts to develop efficient and hybridised solutions with modern-day innovation. Likewise, they also enable people to take ownership of local issues and subsequently contribute to the process of planning and nation-building at their own level.

However, with rampant urbanisation and modern influence, these practices are on the verge of turning redundant while some are already redundant. This calls for an imperative need to promote and mainstream the knowledge associated with these practices to the general public. As India is set to celebrate its 77th year of Independence, indigenous and traditional practices can help steer the way towards a self-reliant or Aatmanirbhar Bharat as quoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Efforts, therefore, need to be undertaken to equip our changemakers with resources, manpower, and information essential for mainstreaming these practices into the urban fabric of India.

The efficiency of modern-day westernised grey infrastructure is only up to the point of resolving the issue for which they were constituted. Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems, however, offer a cohort of holistic benefits; the most important of all being resilience which was clearly observed during the Covid-19 pandemic; amongst indigenous communities that still imbibe these practices. Climate change is an inevitable global phenomenon that does not harbour biases of any kind towards anyone individual or country. Collective efforts supported by cross-sectoral linkages, therefore, become extremely crucial to formulate sustainable and long-term solutions. Institutionally backed strategies, policies, and missions such as LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment), etc.; capable of imbibing these practices into the national framework formally need to be devised for strengthening and mainstreaming this knowledge.

Most importantly, understanding and deciphering the pattern established by these practices and their subsequent adaptation/replication in a different context is what we need to be looking at. One can only be enamoured by the wonders that may be achieved by the fusion of indigenous knowledge systems with modern technological advancements that are empathetic to the planet. Together we are not only moving towards (em)powering nature ecosystems to take their course but also conserving our tangible anthropogenic heritage for generations to come. Let us all, therefore, join hands towards reconnecting with our present by collaborating with our past in order to create a better future as a nation and planet.

Hitesh Vaidya is Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). Vishnupriya Gaur is Young Professional and Manju Rajeev Kanchan is Research Associate at NIUA.
Go First Airlines (formerly known as Go Airlines) of India has commenced the search for potential investors as part of its ongoing insolvency proceedings, as stated in a newspaper advertisement released on Monday. The airline has taken this step in compliance with the procedural requirements mandated by Indian law.

According to two bankers familiar with the matter, the Wadia Group, which previously owned Go Airlines before it filed for bankruptcy, is anticipated to participate in the airline's insolvency process. However, the Wadia Group has not directly conveyed their intentions to the bankers involved in the process. Go First Airlines and Ness Wadia, representing the Wadia Group, have not responded to requests for comment from Reuters.

One of the bankers, who preferred to remain anonymous due to their direct involvement in Go First's insolvency proceedings, revealed that the Wadia Group has consistently displayed an inclination to sustain the airline's operations. The banker emphasized that the Wadia Group is not legally disqualified from bidding for the airline, as no technical default has occurred.

The airline suspended its flights on May 3 due to financial constraints and is presently undergoing the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP). The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, is conducting a special audit of Go First Airlines, which has sought approval to recommence operations.

Following the voluntary plea filed by the airline, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the case for resolution proceedings on May 10. Recently, Go First Airlines' resolution professional informed PTI that the airline intends to challenge a ruling by the Delhi High Court allowing lessors to inspect its aircraft. The resolution professional cited discrepancies between the high court's order and the NCLT's directive in the case. The high court also directed the DGCA to grant access to the lessors, their employees, and agents for inspecting the 30 parked aircraft within three days.

In accordance with the earlier order issued by the NCLT, the resolution professional is responsible for maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft and engines currently under their possession.
Larsen & Toubro and Spain's defence major Navantia, on Monday, inked a 'teaming agreement' to jointly bid for Indian Navy's prestigious P75 (I)submarine programme.

The defence ministry is in the process of procuring six domestically built conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. The construction of the submarines would take place in India and is expected to have significant local content.

Last month, German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) inked a framework agreement to bid for the mega project.

"Larsen & Toubro and Navantia, Spain signed a Teaming Agreement (TA) today for the purpose of submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy's prestigious P75 (India) submarine programme," the L&T said in a statement.

The pact was signed at a ceremony in Delhi in the presence of S.N. Subrahmanyan, L&T CEO and MD, Augustin Alvarez Blanco, Naval Construction Vice President and Member of the Board of Navantia, and Spanish envoy Jose Mara Ridao Domnguez.

The submarines will be built under the much-talked-about strategic partnership (SP) model that allows domestic defence manufacturers to join hands with leading foreign defence majors to produce high-end military platforms to reduce import dependence.

The bidding process for the project called P-75 India ends in August. The defence ministry is likely to finalise the winner of the contract by the end of this year or early next year, officials said.

According to the agreement, Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines, the first of which was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy at the end of 2023.

Apart from S80 class, Navantia has been involved in the design and construction of Scorpne class of submarines together with DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France, which have been exported to Chile and Malaysia.

Navantia has also been involved in the Scorpene submarines (Kalvari class) built in India including handholding of the Indian yard.

Speaking on the occasion, Subrahmanyan said his company is proud to collaborate with Navantia for this prestigious programme of strategic importance for the nation's security.

"Navantia's glorious 300-year-old track record in naval construction and technical expertise gives us a competitive advantage in this programme and offer the Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology (BEST) and environmentally Green AIP solution," he said.

"We are committed to providing the most contemporary solution for Indian Navy's requirements at a competitive price," the L&T CEO said.

Alvarez Blanco said, It gives us great joy to be in a position to be the design and technology partner for P75(I). We are also in collaboration with L&T for the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) programme whose tender is eagerly awaited."

"With these two prestigious programmes for the Indian Navy, Navantia is proud to be making a key contribution towards fulfilling the defence needs of India, a nation with which Spain shares an excellent relationship," he added.
Incessant rains since Sunday left Delhi NCR flooded. With waterlogging, traffic congestions, and building collapses reported from several areas, its chaos in the national capital.

Areas including India Gate, Greater Kailash, Feroz Shah Road, Rafi Marg, Lodhi Estate and Shantipath received heavy rainfall resulting in waterlogging.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for a meeting with several officials to review the rain situation. The water level rising in Yamuna river will also be discussed in the meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. Officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to attend the meeting.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours.

"Delhi NCR is likely to receive heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, however for the next four to five days it will rain but the intensity will remain low," Charan Singh, Head Regional Meteorological Centre, Delhi was quoted by ANI.

In the wake of the heavy rainfall, ministers including Atishi visited Tilak Bridge, ITO areas and review the situation.

Meanwhile, four persons stuck on a rock in the swollen Narmada river near Bhedaghat in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district were rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) after 13-hour operation on Monday.

According to the officials, four persons, belonging to Garhapurva in Jabalpur town, went for fishing in the area.





They got stuck on the rock following a sudden rise in the Narmada river level due to heavy rainfall in the upstream areas, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shivesh Singh Baghel.

The stranded persons were provided food and life jackets through drones, he said.

Due to severe waterlogging, restrictions on traffic movement was imposed at Pragati Maidan tunnel. Traffic was temporarily closed due to heavy rains.

Schools across Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad will remain shut on Monday.

Over 200 complaints of waterlogging and two complaints of road cave-ins were reported in Delhi.



As per IMD, Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982.

A flood warning was issued on Sunday as Haryana released over one lakh cusecs of water into Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.



As the water level in the rivier is rising, the Central Water Commission (CWC) said the danger mark of 205.33 metres is expected to cross on Tuesday.

"As per our our calculations, it seems that by tomorrow morning, the water level of river Yamuna will cross the danger mark. We are monitoring the flow of water in case the rainfall continues...It is expected that the river will cross the danger mark tomorrow, at Old Yamuna Railway Bridge. Announcements have been made, & people living in flood plains are being evacuated. Boats have been stationed & they have proper rescue equipment. Arrangements are being made for people who have been evacuated," Atishi told ANI.

According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge touched 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres.



The water level is anticipated to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has also called for an emergency meeting with senior officials in the wake of the heavy rains.

(With PTI inputs)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said.

The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.



Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said.



The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.



The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm.



The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday.



According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge touched 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres.



The water level is anticipated to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said.



As heavy rains continue to batter Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has declared a holiday for all schools in the national capital on Monday.



"In view of the torrential rains in the last two days and keeping in mind the warnings of the meteorological department, all schools will remain closed on Monday," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Even as a flurry of incidents of atrocities including those of tribal people came to light during the past week, a Madhya Pradesh Congress delegation led by former chief minister Kamal Nath met Governor Mangubhai Patel on Monday, demanding his intervention in preventing such incidents.

Meanwhile two more videosone of two tribal brothers from Dhar district being confined and beaten up with pipes in Indore and another of a dalit youth stripped and beaten up in Sagarcame to light during the weekend, sending the authorities into tizzy and attracting severe attack from opposition Congress.

Three accused were arrested in the Indore case, while police were still trying to identify the accused in the Sagar case as the date of the incident remained unknown.

The major incident during the past week was reported on July 4 when a video of a BJP member urinating on a tribal man in Sidhi district went viral across the country. This was followed by a video of a minority youth being beaten up and made to lick feet of the accused and another incident of a tribal family beaten up, their house torched and garland of shoes allegedly put on their neck  both in Gwalior district.

The Congress continues to attack the ruling BJP over the issue despite action by the government in almost all cases. The fact that names of members or supporters of the ruling party have come up as accused in some of the incidents, has given the opposition fuel during the election year.

On Monday, the Kamal Nath-led delegation submitted a memorandum to the governor, which mentioned the Sidhi incident as well the past incidents where a tribal youth was killed after he was tied to a pick-up truck and dragged in Neemuch district in August 2021 and the mass-murders of a young woman and four other members of her family - who were buried after being killed by accused in May 2021.

The memorandum said that these incidents were being mentioned as they were most inhuman and caused indignation across the world. It mentioned that over 30,000 incidents of atrocities against tribals had been registered during the (18 year) regime of BJP in the state and many more remained unreported.

The memorandum said that since the governor himself came from the tribal community, he would best understand the pain, deprivation and struggle of the tribals.

Our pain increases when the atrocities against tribals are committed by leaders of the ruling party or under their protection. The attitude of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state could well be understood by the fact that the budget for tribal welfare got spent in government rallies of political nature. Tribal people lodge their complaints at the SC/ST police stations, but the government has failed to grant funds to these police stations. If any crime comes to the fore, the ruling party leaders get busy in covering them up. In this way, the government and the political machinery in Madhya Pradesh is creating such an atmosphere of hate and injustice, where the atrocities on tribal people is increasing by the day.

The memorandum further said that being the constitutional head of the state, the governor was requested to use his powers and order the government to stop atrocities against tribals. Congress, being the main opposition party, is opposing the atrocities and also helping the victims from the tribal community as much as possible. Your intervention is necessary because this is a matter of independence, security and honour of the tribal community; that of prestige of Madhya Pradesh and overall the protection of humanity.

After coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Kamal Nath told media persons that the governor has been requested to come forward personally for protecting the interests of the tribal people. Every day, new incidents of atrocities on tribals are coming to the fore. The incident of Sidhi has embarrassed the state in the entire country. The governor himself comes from the tribal community, so we have urged him to come forward to take steps to protect the tribal people, Nath said.

The delegation included leader of opposition in the state assembly, Govind Singh and tribal leaders including former chief of Madhya Pradesh Congress, Kantilal Bhuria, former home minister Bala Bachchan, former minister Umang Singhar and others.
Torrential rains and floods continued to wreak havoc in the north Indian states for the third consecutive day on Monday, with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand being the worst hit. In Delhi, the river Yamuna crossed the danger mark, prompting authorities to begin evacuation of people living in low lying areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami. Modi took stock of the situation and assured the two states of all help and support from the central government.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister had spoken to senior ministers and officials from various states and taken stock of the situation.

"Gave detailed information to the prime minister about the loss of life, property and crops, condition of roads, operation of Char Dham Yatra and Kanwar Yatra in the state," Dhami said in a tweet.

Dhami said he apprised the prime minister about the rescue operations being carried out by the SDRF, police and administration on full alert mode.

Sukhu informed Modi that the state has been severely affected by floods and landslides. According to statement issued by the HP government, the prime minister inquired about the extent of the damage caused to life and property due to heavy rains and floods.

The chief minister said Himachal Pradesh would require substantial assistance from the Union government to recover from the extensive losses caused by the calamity. He appealed to the prime minister to extend a special economic package to aid in the state's recovery process, the statement said.

According to the state government, 17 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in the state in the last two days.

Meanwhile, a total of 39 NDRF teams have been deployed in four north Indian states. While 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are working in Punjab, a dozen are deployed in Himachal Pradesh, eight in Uttarakhand and five in Haryana.

Several rivers in north India are in spate. In cities and towns across the region, many roads and residential areas were submerged in knee-deep water with the civic system unable to hold on in the face of record rains on Sunday.

Rains battered many parts of Punjab and Haryana for the third day on Monday causing flooding at many places, as authorities scrambled to lead rescue operations to shift people to safer places.

The Punjab government ordered the closure of schools in the state till July 13 in view of the prevailing situation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the waterlogging situation and rising level of the Yamuna, and asserted that there was no threat of flood as of now.

He said his government was prepared to deal with the situation and 41,000 people have been identified to be shifted to relief camps if the need arises.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed all departments concerned to remain alert in view of a possible swelling of rivers due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In a review meeting following heavy rains, Adityanath asked officials to keep monitoring the situation, especially the river embankments, while flood units of the NDRF and SDRF as well as disaster management teams were directed to remain alert.

In Rajasthan, intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill in eastern and central parts of the state, flooding out roads, rail tracks, and even hospitals. More showers are expected to lash around a dozen districts on Tuesday as well.

With PTI inputs
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has arrived here to file his nomination papers on Monday for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat, a BJP official said.

Gujarat BJP general secretary Pradeepsinh Vaghela on Sunday said Jaishankar, whose term ends on August 18 along with two other Rajya Sabha members from the state, is scheduled to file his nomination form at around noon on Monday.



Jaishankar landed at the Ahmedabad airport on Sunday and was received by Gujarat minister Raghavji Patel, Ahmedabad Mayor Kirit Parmar and other BJP functionaries.



While the BJP has not officially declared the names of candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats for which the elections are scheduled to be held on July 24, Jaishankar's nomination was certain.



The Congress on Friday said it would not field candidates for polls to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat as it did not have enough MLAs in the 182-member state Assembly.



The BJP won a record 156 seats in the Gujarat Assembly polls held late last year, while the Congress saw its worst performance since the state was formed by managing to get just 17 seats.



Out of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by the BJP and rest by the Congress. Of the eight seats held by the BJP, the terms of S Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor and Dinesh Anavadiya will end on August 18. Polls will be held for these three seats.



The last date for filing nominations is July 13 and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is July 17. Polling will be held on July 24 if required.



TMC announces six candidates



The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced its candidates for the six Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal that will go to polls later this month.

Among these candidates were Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dola Sen. O'Brien, an MP since 2011, is the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha, while Ray who was first sent to the Upper House of Parliament in 2012 is the deputy chief whip, and Sen, a senior leader and trade unionist, became an MP in 2017.



The newcomers on the list were Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam, TMC's Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik, and RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale.



Besides O'Brien, Ray and Sen, the tenures of Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya, TMC's Assam leader Sushmita Dev and its Darjeeling leader Shanta Chhetri's ended, following which these six seats fell vacant.



A seventh Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal is also vacant after former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April. A bypoll will be held in that seat along with the elections to these six seats on July 24.



"We take great pleasure in announcing the candidatures of Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Sukhendu Sekhar, Samirul Islam, Prakash Chik Baraik and Saket Gokhale for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections," the TMC said in a tweet.



"May they persist in their dedication to serving the people and uphold Trinamool's enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIAN. We extend our heartfelt wishes to all," the party tweeted from its official handle on Monday morning," it added.



The TMC has 216 MLAs in the 294-member assembly and enjoys the support of five BJP MLAs, who switched over to the ruling party but are yet to resign from the House. The BJP has a strength of 70 in the assembly.



Along with these seats from West Bengal, elections will be held for four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat and Goa.



According to practice, the counting of votes will take place at 5 pm on July 24 itself, an hour after the conclusion of the poll process.


Slovakia President Zuzana Caputova, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Bratislava, part of his tour to gain support for his country's accession to NATO. TOMAS BENEDIKOVIC (AFP)

NATO allies are planning to hold a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. From that symbolic location on the Alliances eastern flank, it will seek to send a new message of unity and strength to the Kremlin. The central issue on the agenda will be to find a political agreement on the future of Ukraine, to outline what a hypothetical path to membership might look like, and to offer security guarantees against a new invasion after the war ends. Other important issues the meeting will have to tackle are the situation of Sweden, whose membership remains blocked by Turkey, the launch of renewed regional defense plans, which will entail the biggest restructuring of the Alliance since the Cold War, and an effort to outline new spending policies.

The 31 Allies (following Finlands recent accession) will meet, amid important security measures, just a few dozen kilometers from Belarus  an ally of the Kremlin that has agreed to host Wagners mercenary troops as well as Russian nuclear bombs , less than 130 miles from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and under 190 miles from the main body of Russian territory. This is the fourth NATO summit following the Russian invasion of Ukraine; in addition to the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristensson, and, predictably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Allies will be accompanied by the leaders of four Pacific area democracies: Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. This is a reminder that if NATOs central focus is on Russia, China has also clearly entered the radar.

There is no shortage of discrepancies and friction between the Allies, but there are also many elements that indicate that the Russian aggression has breathed new life into the worlds largest security organization. Below are the key issues of the summit:

The future of Ukraine

The relationship model between NATO and Ukraine will be the focus of a large part of the debates at the Vilnius summit. The military organization extended Ukraine an invitation to join, along with Georgia, at the Bucharest summit in 2008, but since then  and despite propaganda by the Kremlin, which has justified the war on the claim of the Alliances alleged expansion eastwards  hardly anything had changed until the full-scale invasion. Now, it has been agreed to elevate the diplomatic relationship with Ukraine by transforming the NATO-Ukraine Commission into a NATO-Ukraine Council, with more power of representation and which will allow the Kyiv government to sit alongside the Allies on equal terms on many issues. The first of these meetings will be held in Vilnius, where a strongly symbolic statement is expected to stress that Ukraines place is in NATO. Some Allies want stronger language and even a timetable or some signal that Kyiv will not need to follow the Membership Action Plan (MAP).

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiy on the Island of Snakes, in the Black Sea, which was occupied by Russia in the early stages of the invasion. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER (via REUTERS)

Ukraine has already assumed that its membership will not be taking place until the war is over, but even then it would not be automatic and the country would have to meet the organizations standards, which entail a massive shift in its military structures from Soviet to NATO doctrine, said Allied sources. Meanwhile, the Alliance is set to approve an economic assistance package for several years to ensure material, training and help with the restructuring.

Kyiv wants the Alliance, or rather, some of the Allies, to offer security guarantees. However, neither NATO nor its members want to provide Ukraine with a binding security guarantee that could sound like Article 5 of the Alliance, which defines mutual defense and could drag NATO into the war. A group of allied countries that includes the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are finalizing an offer for a security commitment or some type of security protection that falls short of mutual defense. Rather, through bilateral or group political agreements, it seeks to keep arms and support flowing to create such a shield for Ukraine that it will become undesirable to attack it. These commitments would include the supply of weapons, military training, intelligence sharing and technology transfer, as EL PAIS reported earlier.

Swedish accession

The completion of Swedens accession is one of the main issues on the NATO agenda. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both Stockholm and Helsinki decided to reverse a long history of military non-alignment and request integration into the Alliance. In the case of Sweden, it signals a change in a course maintained for two centuries. But if Finland has already been able to enter, Sweden has not due to a refusal by Turkey and Hungary, although the main political hurdle is Ankara.

Membership requires the unanimous approval of all the Allies. Turkey claims that Stockholm has not done enough to fight terrorism, and accuses the country of an alleged tolerance towards the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party), considered a terrorist organization by the EU, among others. Another element of friction was an embargo on arms sales to Turkey decided by Sweden and Finland in 2019, after a Turkish incursion into Syria against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militias.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Francisco Seco (AP)

The embargo was lifted in September of last year. Sweden has passed new anti-terrorism legislation. This same week, a Swedish court sentenced a man for attempting to finance the PKK, a judicial fact that has been considered a useful element in the dispute with Ankara. The Swedish press reports that Stockholm is also considering reforms to the law to allow the police to stop anyone from burning copies of the Koran.

In diplomatic moves leading up to the summit, however, Turkey has not lifted the blockade, arguing that while Sweden has taken steps in the right direction, practical implementation remains to be seen. This overlaps with other issues. Turkey has long pushed for advanced U.S.-produced weaponry, especially to modernize its existing F-16 fighter jets and purchase of new ones. The White House approved a sales package for F-16 upgrade software after Turkey gave the green light for Finlands entry, but the matter got bogged down in Congress. The parties maintain that the issues are separate from the accession negotiations, but many experts see a link between the two.

The pressure from the Allies on Turkey to grant approval is very high. The accession of Sweden would represent a new blow for Putin. The Lithuanian summit will provide clues.

An American F-16 fighter at the German Spangdahlem airbase during Air Defender 2023 exercises. Boris Roessler (AP)

Regional plans

NATO has embarked on what it considers its biggest reorganization since the Cold War in the form of comprehensive regional defense plans, divided into three geographical areas, which seek to deal with the main threats to the Alliance: Russia and terrorism. The new plans also cover five domains of eventual threats and attacks: air, land, maritime, space and cyber. They are fundamentally based on deterrence.

The architecture of the new model has been under design since 2018, four years after the invasion of Crimea and the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula by Russia, but it has gained further momentum with the large-scale invasion. The war in Europe has made visible the need for new strategies and these plans, set out in more than 4,000 secret pages, are the most important item of the meeting, according to Allied sources.

The new plans imply a greater spending commitment. They will set priorities for acquisitions and investments, as well as create a model to align supply and demand with lessons learned from Russias war in Ukraine and amid a European push to revitalize its defense industry and address huge shortages of ammunition in its arsenals.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS (AFP)

Military spending

The question of Allied military spending is another important issue on the table at the Lithuanian summit. NATO members agreed in 2014 to meet the goal of investing 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) in defense within a decade. The trajectory of many of the Allies was a long way from that goal, causing great frustration in the U.S., the mainstay of the Alliance. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered a change in dynamics.

Diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters indicate that there is an agreement for the summit to affirm a lasting commitment to invest at least 2% of GDP in defense, thus making the figure no longer an arrival target, but a minimum requirement.

Data provided by the Alliance indicates that this year only 11 of the 31 member countries will meet the 2% target: the U.S., the U.K., Poland, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia and Slovakia.

However, public opinion is now more open to the security argument, and NATO members are almost all embarking on paths of increased spending. The great challenge will be to make it efficient, achieving a high level of interoperability, economies of scale, avoiding duplication and overcoming deficiencies.
Repolling began across five districts of West Bengal on Monday where the voting for panchayat elections was declared void after allegations of ballot box tampering.

Elections will be held across 696 booths in five districts of Purulia, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri, Nadia and South 24 Parganas, under tight security. Four central forces personnel will be deployed in each of those booths besides the state police.



The West Bengal State Election Commission decided to hold a repolling after BJP raised allegations of ballot rigging. BJP MP Khagen Murmu called for re-polling, claiming that presiding officers and election staff were engaged in proxy voting in favour of the Trinamool Congress.



Among the districts where repolling was being held, violence-hit Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 109. Polling was held on Saturday in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections but the violence that ensued claimed the lives of over 10 people. Several were injured in the melee after ballot boxes were looted, set on fire and thrown in ponds, leading to violence.



#WATCH | West Bengal panchayat election re-poll | Voters queue up outside the polling booth at Tikiapara Primary High School in Murshidabad to cast their votes.



A voter, Anjana Majumdar says, "The first day there were no central forces. There were just three Police personnel. pic.twitter.com/aPupguHwj3  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

Meanwhile, state Governor CV Ananda Bose arrived in Delhi on Sunday night. He will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the widespread violence during the panchayat polls in West Bengal.



When asked about the purpose of his visit, Bose told reporters, "I came here for a simple purpose. As a student, I heard about Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya, somebody told me it was about light at the end of the tunnel. As a humble student, I wanted to ask my professors what it meant."



He will also submit a report on the violence that took place during the panchayat elections in the state. The state governor had visited various places, mostly in North 24 Parganas district, and taken stock of the situation on Saturday during the polling. He had met family members of an injured person and had also visited a hospital, where the person was undergoing treatment.



Bose had earlier condemned the incidents of violence across the state during the panchayat polls and described the situation as "very, very disturbing". "What I have seen in the field is very disturbing. There is violence, murder, and intimidation. One thing I noticed is that it is the poor who are getting killed. Leaders are not there. So, who is driving them? They should kill poverty instead of trying to kill the poor. This is very very disturbing. This is not what Bengal wants or deserves. This is very disturbing that the lack of peace in society will affect the new generation," Bose told reporters after returning to the Raj Bhavan in the evening after the elections.


Evacuation of people living in low lying areas of Yamuna floodplains began Monday evening with the river crossing the danger mark due to release of water from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana amid heavy rains in the northern belt of the country.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the waterlogging situation and rising level of the Yamuna, and asserted that there was no threat of flood as of now.

He said his government was prepared to deal with the situation and 41,000 people have been identified to be shifted to relief camps if the need arises.

The Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi as torrential rains pummelled the upper catchment areas of the river for the third day on the trot. The river breached the danger mark earlier than expected. It was predicted that it would cross the danger mark only by Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge in Delhi had risen to 205.4 metres by 5 pm as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar.

The evacuation of people from Yamuna floodplains began from the districts through which the river courses in Delhi.

"The evacuation exercise is underway with 8,100 people being evacuated from low lying areas. We have identified schools and community centres for keeping them, an official from east district said.

The evacuated people wanted to stay in tents since the permanent structures are located some distance away. They are being accommodated in tents. There are medical teams to assist them. There is also arrangement of food, DJB water tankers and portable washrooms, he said.

Kejriwal, in a press conference, said it is "unlikely" that the city will face a flood-like situation in the near future.

"One question that is being asked to us by the citizens at the moment is that, are there chances of Delhi being flooded? It is dependent on the rainfall in Delhi and release of water from the Hathnikund barrage, he said.

He stated that 3 lakh cusecs of water was released from the barrage Sunday night that reduced to 2.5 lakh cusecs Monday morning.

The chief minister said the Delhi government was prepared to evacuate citizens if the need for it arose.

"If the level of the river goes beyond 206 metres, we will begin the evacuation of those who live close to the river. We have identified 41,000 people who live close to the river. We have also readied the relief camps that may be needed in such a situation," he said.

Delhi faced floods in 1978 when 7 lakh cusecs of water was released into the Yamuna from Hathnikund barrage and the level of water in the river was 204.79 metres at Old Railway Bridge. Since then several measures have been taken to prevent accumulation of water.

In 2013, 8 lakh cusecs of water was released through the Hathnikund barrage and the level of the Yamuna river rose to 207.32 metre. But there were no floods in the city, he said.

Again in 2019, there was a discharge of 8.28 lakh cusec of water from Hathnikund barrage and the level of the Yamuna reached 206.6 in Delhi, but still there were no floods, he added.

Citing the weather prediction over the next couple of days, the AAP leader said a flood-like situation in Delhi was unlikely.

Revenue Minister Atishi said in light of the rising water levels of the Yamuna, all departments concerned are geared up and over 50 motor boats have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

Diving and medical teams have also been readied with all the necessary materials and equipment, she said.

She said monitoring of Yamuna levels revealed an "alarming situation" in the Khadar areas, from Palla to Jaitpur.

The Revenue department stated public announcements are also urging people to move from floodplains to safer places. It has marked the locations of all individuals and their respective places, to ensure their safe relocation as soon as the danger intensifies. A comprehensive plan has been prepared to determine the destinations for each group of people, she added.

The national capital reeled under waterlogging for the third consecutive day on Monday with Kejriwal announcing a slew of measures to tackle the problem, while accepting that the drainage system of the national capital was not ready to handle the unprecedented rainfall that inconvenienced people.

Meanwhile, commuters had a harrowing time navigating waterlogged stretches as rain lashed the national capital for the third day.
A Canadian court has upheld the validity of a contract based on the use of a "thumbs up" emoji in a text message. The court ruled that the emoji indicated approval of the contract and constituted a binding agreement. The case, South West Terminal Ltd. v Achter Land & Cattle Ltd, has raised important questions about the legal implications of emojis in modern communication.

Judge TJ Keene of the King's Bench for Saskatchewan issued the order while acknowledging the need for courts to adapt to the challenges posed by the use of emojis. The judge emphasised that courts should not attempt to resist technological advancements and changes in societal norms.

The dispute in this case revolved around a contract for the delivery of flax. The plaintiff argued that the parties had entered into a deferred delivery purchase contract for 87 metric tonnes of flax, while the defendant denied entering into any contract due to the absence of a written note or memorandum.

The court examined the context and previous interactions between the parties and concluded that the defendant's use of the thumbs up emoji constituted approval of the contract. The judge noted that a reasonable bystander, considering the background and previous pattern of communication, would interpret the emoji as a clear indication of agreement.

While acknowledging that using an emoji as a signature is unconventional, the court found it to be a valid means of conveying both the identity of the signatory and their acceptance of the contract. The judge compared the emoji to a traditional signature and stated that it served the same purposes.

The case has set a precedent for future disputes involving emojis and emphasizes the need for courts to adapt to the changing dynamics of communication in the digital age. As technology continues to evolve, legal systems around the world will likely face similar challenges in interpreting and applying emojis in legal contexts.

The court's decision highlights the growing significance of emojis in legal matters and cautions individuals to carefully consider the implications of using emojis in their communications. Legal experts have noted that while this ruling does not definitively resolve the meaning of the thumbs up emoji, it serves as a reminder that seemingly casual emojis can have serious legal consequences.
Come July 14, India's lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, will take off on its journey to the moon. The mission is similar to its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, but without an orbiter. The propulsion module of the spacecraft will carry the lander and rover configuration to a 100km lunar orbit. It will also behave like a communications relay satellite and carry a payload called Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) to study the earth from a lunar orbit.

But why would the spacecraft take more than a month to reach the moon?



The journey to the moon is very difficult. It requires precise calculations, careful planning, and a deep understanding of space physics. The moon's orbit around the earth is elliptical, which means that its distance from the earth varies. At its closest point, the moon is 363,104km from earth. At its farthest point, it is 405,696km away. The average distance between the earth and the moon is 384,400km. Scientists have to take all of this into account when planning trips to the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission took about six weeks to reach the moon. It followed a cautious trajectory to ensure a safe landing. The journey involved a series of braking manoeuvres to slow the spacecraft's descent, explained aerospace and space expert Girish Linganna.



The Chandrayaan-2 mission had used a series of maneuvers to increase its speed and escape earth's gravity. These earth orbit-raising maneuvers were done by firing the spacecraft's engines to increase its velocity. The maneuvers gradually increased the spacecraft's distance from earth until it was able to escape the gravitational pull. After escaping earth's gravity, Chandrayaan-2 entered a lunar orbit. It then began a series of lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuvers to descend to the moon's surface. They were done by firing the spacecraft's engines to decrease its velocity. The maneuvers gradually decreased the spacecraft's altitude until it was close enough to the moon's surface to land.



The final maneuver was called the landing burn. This was a short and powerful burn that slowed the spacecraft down enough to allow it to land safely on the moon. The landing burn was successful, and Chandrayaan-2 landed on the moon on September 7, 2019. However, the lander Vikram crash-landed on the moon's surface, and the rover Pragyan was unable to deploy.



Chandrayaan-3 is expected to reach the moon by the end of August if it launches on July 14. The spacecraft will take a similar approach to the moon as its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2. The journey could take 45-48 days, and the spacecraft could reach the moon by August 23 or 24, said Linganna.



If one has to go back in history, the Apollo 8 mission was the fastest journey to the moon, taking 69 hours and 8 minutes. Every mission after Apollo 8 took at least 74 hours to reach the moon. The Apollo 17 mission was the last mission to land on the moon, taking 86 hours and 14 minutes. The USSR's Luna-2 craft took just 34 hours to reach the moon in 1959.



To travel long distances in space, you need high speeds and straight trajectories. The Apollo 11 mission used a super heavy-lift launcher called Saturn V to travel at more than 39,000 kilometres per hour. The Saturn V rocket could lift 43 tonnes, including the lunar module, service module, and command module. The third stage of the Saturn V rocket put the modules into a trans-lunar trajectory after orbiting Earth for the second time. The launcher and the lunar craft used powerful engines to reach the moon in just four days, covering 380,000km. The Apollo missions between 1969 and 1971 cost NASA $185 million each, or $1.2 billion in 2016 dollars. Of this, $110 million was spent on building each Saturn V rocket.



India's rockets are not powerful enough to send spacecraft directly to the Moon. Instead, they use a circuitous route that takes advantage of earth's gravity. The spacecraft is first placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit by the GSLV Mark3 or LVM 3, which has a 4 ton lifting capacity. Once the spacecraft reaches its apogee (farthest point from earth), it is given a final burst of acceleration that will slingshot it into the Moon's orbit, added Linganna.



Experts point out that in order to reach the moon, a spacecraft needs to travel at a minimum velocity of 11 km/s. The vehicle provides most of this speed, but the propulsion system provides the remaining 700 m/s. The propulsion system is a small engine, so it is fired in short bursts to maneuver the spacecraft. If the spacecraft had a more powerful engine, like the Saturn V, it could reach the moon in a single shot.



Interestingly ISRO missions are cost effective compared to lunar Missions by NASA. The budget allocated for Chandrayaan 3 is Rs 615 crores, of which launching cost is Rs 75 crores. Chandrayaan 2s total mission cost was Rs 978 crore.



Unlike previous missions that prioritised speed, Chandrayaan-3 takes a different approach, focusing on cost optimization and safety considerations while still accomplishing its research objectives. The Apollo missions, which brought humans to the moon, achieved faster travel times but incurred high fuel consumption costs. The specially designed Saturn 5 rockets were used to accomplish this feat, but their construction came with exorbitant expenses. In contrast, ISRO aims to strike a balance between efficiency and affordability, said Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India.



She explains that in order to navigate this challenge, ISRO scientists have devised a slingshot method, also known as a gravity assist, to propel Chandrayaan-3 towards the moon. The Lunar Vehicle Module 3 (LVM3) used in the mission is not as powerful as the Saturn 5 rockets, which allows for a more cost-effective approach. Instead of following a direct path, the spacecraft takes an elliptical orbit around the earth, utilising gravitational forces to gain speed and momentum. This strategic trajectory enables Chandrayaan-3 to conserve fuel while still reaching its lunar destination, added Kesan.




President Joe Biden's itinerary this week in Europe is dominated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and his continued efforts to rally an international coalition against Russia's invasion of its neighbour.



But first, some tea.

The US president's initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where he'll meet with King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May.

Biden did not attend Charles's coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead, and Monday's visit will be marked by a bit of royal pomp including a royal salute, a viewing of US-related artifacts at Windsor Castle and teatime for the two men.

Biden and Charles will also use their visit to bring attention to climate issues, hosting a forum that will focus on how to encourage private companies to engage in more clean energy efforts, specifically in developing economies.

The president has huge respect for the king's commitment on the climate issue in particular, that he has been a clarion voice on this issue and more than that, has been an actor, someone who's mobilised action and effort, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told reporters on Air Force One as Biden travelled to London. So the president comes at this with enormous goodwill.

That visit will be paired with what will be the sixth meeting between Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since he assumed his role in October. It's all meant to highlight the so-called enduring special relationship between the US and the United Kingdom. When Biden declined to attend Charles's coronation, he promised the king in a phone call that he would visit soon.

Biden last had formal talks with Charles, then prince, at the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. The US president also attended the state funeral of Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September as well as a reception for heads of state at Buckingham Palace the night before the service.

The climate portion of Biden and the king's visit on Monday also underscores the high priority that the environment has been for the 74-year-old Charles, who has long fought to protect wildlife and battle climate change.

Formally called the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum, Biden and Charles will be briefed by officials from the financial and philanthropic sectors on their discussions about expanding clean energy initiatives in developing nations.

Before making his way to Windsor Castle, Biden will sit down with Sunak in a session that the White House says will focus on a range of global issues but is sure to be dominated by their continued efforts to back Ukraine. The two nations have been among the most stalwart defenders of Kyiv, and the UK has pushed the White House to take more aggressive steps in providing military aid to Ukraine.

But now it's the Biden administration that has taken steps that 10 Downing Street feels go too far, with the US president's decision this week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a weapon that more than two-thirds of the members of the NATO military alliance have barred for their potential threat to civilian life.

Biden has acknowledged that providing the bombs which open mid-air and release smaller bomblets across a broad swath of land was a difficult decision but he noted that the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and that the weapons were necessary for them to continue their fight against Russian forces.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, Biden said in a CNN interview ahead of his trip to Europe. But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians ... from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they don't. And I think they needed them.

Sunak, for his part, has distanced himself from the US decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The UK is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use, he told broadcasters on Saturday. The US is not a party to that agreement.

We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we've done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine, Sunak added.

Sullivan downplayed the disagreement over cluster munitions, saying that I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what we're trying to accomplish and as united as ever both in this conflict and writ large.

The prime minister's office said his meeting with Biden on Monday will be an opportunity to monitor progress on measures and initiatives under the Atlantic Declaration, which the two leaders signed when Sunak visited the White House last month.

This includes negotiations which have now begun on a UK-US Critical Minerals Agreement, which will support the UK and US' shared leadership in green technology, the statement said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would embark on a two-day visit to France on July 13 to celebrate 25 years of India's strategic partnership with France. The visit is expected to further strengthen ties between the nations and cooperation in the field of defence technology is reportedly high on the agenda.



French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Narendra Modi as a guest of honour to the Bastille Day parade, to celebrate 25 years of the India-France partnership and a tri-services contingent from India would also take part in the parade alongside French forces.

According to reports, marching contingents of the Army, the Navy and the IAF will participate in the parade along with their French counterparts. A 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian armed forces on Thursday left for Paris on board two C-17 Globemaster aircraft. Four Rafale fighter jets of the IAF will also take part in the flypast over the Champs Elysees on the occasion along with French jets.

A woman helicopter pilot of the Indian Air Force will lead the force's marching contingent at the parade. The tri-services contingent comprised 77 marching personnel from the Army and 38 members from its band.

Earlier, French President's diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne visited India and met with Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Bonne briefed PM on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation in the context of PMs forthcoming visit to France, a statement from PMO said. Modi's trip to Paris will be special as it will be the first Bastille Day visit by a foreign leader in Macron's current term.

According to reports, Macron would be hosting a ceremonial dinner for Modi at Louvre Museum on July 13. Over 250 dignitaries are expected to attend the event. Modi would also be addressing the Indian diaspora in France at La Seine Musicale on the day.

(With PTI inputs.)
US President Joe Biden, on Sunday, discussed Sweden's bid to join the military alliance NATO with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a statement released by the latter's office. The phone call comes ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania this week.

Erdogan, on Saturday, backed Ukraine's bid to join NATO. Biden, however, said there's no consensus between the members that Ukraine should join during Russia's invasion of the country. Erdogan in the meanwhile, opposes Sweden's membership to the alliance. Ankara accuses Stockholm of supporting Kurdish separatism. Sweden retaliated by saying that their country is not a safe haven for terrorism.

Turkey had accused Finland of doing the same, but, eventually gave the green light on Helsinkis application and the country became a NATO member in April.

Biden will hold talks with NATO members on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will also be travelling to Vinius, where NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenburg said he would convene a meeting between Erdogan and Kristersoon.

The meeting of NATO leaders would also probably give Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy a sense of what will have to be done to gain NATO membership sometime in the future. In the call, Erdogan also brought up Turkeys desire to revive the EU membership process. the two leaders also discussed the sale of U.S. F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in the call. The Turkish president said it is not correct to associate Ankaras request for F-16 aircraft with Swedens NATO membership bid.

Erdogan alleged that Kurdish militants are roaming the streets of Stockholm. Hungary's President Viktor Orban is supporting Erdogan's stance. Turkey has also complained about anti-Erdogan protests held in Sweden and demonstrations at which Qurans were burned, Washington Post reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that his country might approve Sweden's membership in NATO if European Union nations open the way to Turkey's bid to join the EU.

Erdogan publicly linked Sweden's membership in the Western military alliance and his country's long-stalled application to become part of the EU for the first time before departing Ankara for a NATO summit that starts Tuesday in Lithuania's capital.

He told US President Joe Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkey's EU ambitions from the NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, according to his office. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish membership in the EU.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union," Erdogan said Monday. "I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years, he said.

Come and open the way for Turkey's membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, we'll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland, he added. Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were expected to meet later Monday in Vilnius.

Asked about Erdogan's comments, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he supports Turkey's ambition to join the EU but noted that it wasn't among the conditions listed in an agreement that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last year's NATO summit in Madrid.

Stoltenberg reiterated that Sweden had met those conditions and said he thinks it is still possible to have a positive decision on the country's pending membership during this week's summit in Lithuania.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogan's presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the country's progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.

However, as a member of NATO, Erdogan's government has postponed ratifying Sweden's NATO accession, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara consider as threats to its national security.

Anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Sweden's capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkey's demands could be reached before the alliance's summit.

Earlier Monday, Sweden's foreign minister expressed optimism that Turkey would drop its objections and said the Nordic country's accession was a question of when, not if.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrm told public broadcaster SVT that he expected Turkey to signal eventually that it is ready for Sweden to join the 31-nation military alliance, though he couldn't say whether that would happen at the annual summit.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light(,)...a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Billstrm said.

Erdogan on Monday repeated that Turkey expected Sweden to fulfil its pledge to crackdown on groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists. "We are tired of repeatedly saying that (Sweden) needs to fight terrorist organisations and their extensions indiscriminately," Erdogan said.

Billstrm said Sweden has fulfilled its part of the deal with Finland and Turkey.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when," he said.

Billstrm said he expected Hungary, which also hasn't ratified Sweden's accession, to do so before Turkey. Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Monday set aside the order of the Kolkata bench of NCLT, which had rejected the plea of Asset Reconstruction Company to initiate insolvency proceedings against Uniworth Textiles Ltd (UTL), and remanded the matter back to hear it again.

A two-member NCLAT bench comprising justices Rakesh Kumar Jain and Naresh Salecha said the NCLT had erred in rejecting the application filed under Section 7 of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code by Asset Reconstruction Company on the ground of limitation.

"The appeal therefore succeeds and the impugned order dated March 17, 2020 is set aside. The case is remanded back to the Adjudicating Authority (NCLT) for decision on the merit of the application in accordance with the law," said NCLAT in its 36-page order.

It had directed both parties to appear before the NCLT on July 28, 2023.

Meanwhile, NCLAT also clarified it is not expressing any opinion regarding the merits of the case and the same needs to be decided by the NCLT "uninfluenced by any of the observations of this Appellate Tribunal".

Earlier, the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal had on March 17, 2020 dismissed the plea, which was challenged by Asset Reconstruction Company before NCLAT.

UTL had taken loans of Rs 41.50 crore from the Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited (IFCIL) and Investment Corporation of India Ltd (ICICI) in 1992. The loan documents were registered between the corporate debtor, IFCIL and ICICI, respectively.

Both of the lenders later assigned their debts to the Asset Reconstruction Company. In 2004, UTL initiated proceedings under Sick Industrial Companies before the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction and the account was declared as NPA (non-performing asset) in August 2007.

The proceedings continued till 2013 and were abated. Later appellant filed an Application to the Debt Recovery Tribunal, Nagpur, which was allowed on December 4, 2018.

Later UTL came forward for settlement with the appellant and sent a proposal on September 19, 2016 to clear its dues submitted by five companies, namely - Uniworth Limited, Uniworth International Limited, Indoworth Limited, Textprint Overseas Limited and Uniworth Textiles Limited.

It paid Rs 51.10 crore, which was adjusted, however despite acknowledgement of debts, it was not getting payment of outstanding dues from UTL, Asset Reconstruction alleged.

Hence, on November 22, 2018, it issued a letter for revocation of the terms of the settlement. Later, it moved NCLT to claim an amount of Rs 205.83 crore. However, it was dismissed primarily on the ground of limitation.
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CYFIRMA is an external threat landscape management platform company. We combine cyber intelligence with attack surface discovery and digital risk protection to deliver early warning, personalized, contextual, outside-in, and multi-layered insights. Our cloud-based AI and ML-powered analytics platforms provide the hackers view with deep insights into the external cyber landscape, helping clients prepare for impending attacks. CYFIRMA is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Japan, India, the US, and the EU. Customers include both government as well as Fortune 500 companies across manufacturing, financial services, retail, industrial products, natural resources and pharmaceutical industries.



(Disclaimer: The above content is a press release and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
Theres a photograph of astronaut John Grunsfeld that takes your breath away. In the image  snapped on March 8, 2002  hes seen hanging from a robotic arm in the vastness of space, with the towering blue sphere of our planet beneath his feet. That day, I was a plumber, he recalls. Grunsfeld carried a giant radiator in his hands  as if it were a surfboard  to make an adjustment to the Hubble telescope, which was launched in 1990 to be the eye of humanity in space.

The American astronaut  born in Chicago 64 years ago  left Earth five times, between 1995 and 2009. On three of these missions, he solved problems with Hubble, a sophisticated 10-ton machine that circles the planet at a speed of more than 17,000 miles per hour. During one of his spacewalks, Grunsfeld hit the record for staying outside the ship  more than eight hours  while wearing a diaper, so that he could last as long as necessary.

Thanks to his repairs to the space telescope, humanity has made amazing discoveries. These include finding out about the existence of supermassive black holes at the center of almost all galaxies, identifying the presence of the enigmatic dark energy that drives the expansion of the cosmos, as well as capturing the deepest image of the universe. It was taken in visible light, from a light trail emitted more than 13 billion years ago, just 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Grunsfeld  an astrophysicist and NASAs former chief scientist  answers questions from EL PAIS before giving a lecture in Madrid.

Question. What does it feel like to be floating in space, next to the Earth?

Answer. Its incredible that a human can be in such an inhospitable place: the vacuum can kill you, micrometeorites can kill you the temperature ranges from over 200 degrees to minus 200 degrees. Its a place where people dont belong, but in the spacesuit we do fine. The suit is a one-person spaceship. People who jump off cliffs in wingsuits that imitate flying squirrels say thats the essence of a human flying. Theyre falling, but they feel like theyre flying. In space, its the same. Its just you, a suit and space. Its a magical feeling.

When youre working on the Hubble, its a lot of focus on the task and not so much on the beauty and the experience. So much so that I said to my crew members, when we look at the timeline, lets plan for each of us to have five minutes to just enjoy space. During my relaxation break, I really felt extraordinarily peaceful.

Q. In 1961, Nikita Khrushchev  the premier of the Soviet Union and first secretary of the Communist Party  claimed that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin flew into space, but saw no God there. Did you see God?

A. No. And I didnt see aliens either. Depending on your religious point of view, you will never see God, or you will see God everywhere.

El astronauta John Grunsfeld (derecha), en una jornada de reparacion del telescopio espacial Hubble, el 8 de marzo de 2002. NASA

Q. Astronaut Edgar Mitchell went to the Moon and, upon his return, believed that there were aliens here on Earth.

A. Well, I didnt think there were aliens here until Donald Trump became president!

Q. What do we know thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope that we didnt know before?

A. One of the great discoveries  which resulted in the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011  is that, for six billion years, the expansion of the universe has been accelerating, rather than slowing down. This is what physicists now call the pressure of dark energy, which makes the entire universe expand faster and faster. We have no idea why. Those discoveries were made because, in 2002, we installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on Hubble. The telescope was designed to confirm the existence of black holes  it succeeded in doing so. We also discovered that galaxies routinely collide and create larger galaxies. Our Milky Way has swallowed a bunch of other galaxies! And, in about five billion years, well collide with Andromeda and the two galaxies will form a megagalaxy.

Another interesting thing that we saw with Hubble is that a comet  Shoemaker-Levy-9  hit Jupiter. We thought it was amazing how lucky we were to see something hit that planet but it turns out weve seen a lot of things hit it since. Jupiter is a kind of the vacuum cleaner of the solar system. We had no idea that Jupiter would be hit so often. Its good that we have a Jupiter, because otherwise, those things could hit Earth. The fossil record of dinosaurs tells us what can happen

Q. Does Jupiter clean up the junk from space?

A. Yes, Jupiter is so big  and its force of gravity is so strong  that things get altered by the Jupiters mass and then hit Jupiter and get absorbed in.

Q. What discoveries do you expect from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest in history? It was launched in December of 2021 as a successor to Hubble.

A. The main reason James Webb was built is because Hubble is a telescope that sees visible light, which we [humans] can see: the colors of the rainbow. James Webb can also see ultraviolet and near-infrared light. Hubble can only see so far  we wanted to see more.

Imagine that your parents give you an album with photos of you from the age of four to adulthood. And you say, Where are the baby pictures? And they answer: We dont have baby photos. We dont know what you looked like as a baby, because light was invisible then. We couldnt see you. Our view of the universe doesnt have baby pictures, but the James Webb  being an infrared telescope  can see farther back in time than Hubble. [This telescope] can offer us childrens photographs of galaxies.

Los astronautas John Grunsfeld (derecha) y Richard Linnehan, en una mision con el transbordador Columbia, en marzo de 2002. NASA

Q. And what about baby photographs of our own solar system?

A. The James Webb [Space Telescope] also has a unique feature: when it takes a picture, each pixel can be broken down into its component colors using spectroscopy, which tells us what kind of atoms are producing the light, what their temperature is, and how many electrons they have. This gives us the physical characteristics of those objects.

In our own solar system, the James Webb can do great things. For example, a few days ago, we saw the image of Enceladus  a moon of Saturn  which shows a giant plume of water. [In 2005], the Cassini probe already observed small jets of water and flew through them, detecting all the chemical elements necessary for life. Enceladus is a very small moon  620 miles wide, with an ice cap, a warm ocean and a rocky core. In that ocean, there could be life. We dont know, but there could be, so we want to find out. The James Webb shows us not only the plumes [of water], but also the water escaping and forming the E ring around Saturn. And because you can examine every pixel [of the photos it takes], well be able to look for the presence of simple organic molecules (which allow for life).

Q. Can we detect aliens with the James Webb?

A. The hope is that, by observing the planets around nearby stars, we can analyze their atmospheres. If were very lucky, we might find a planet that appears to have life on it. But James Webb isnt big enough, it doesnt have the full wavelength range needed to find life on a planet like Earth, which is very close to a super-bright star. The telescope wont be able to suppress that starlight. If its a red dwarf star and an Earth-sized planet, yes, you could study it but those stars may not have the right conditions to create life. We really dont know.

Q. So, to search for aliens, well have to build another telescope.

A. Yeah, I think itll be the next generation of telescopes.

Q. Back in 1972, Wernher von Braun (NASAs deputy director) predicted that the first child would be born on the Moon before the year 2000. What do you think? When will the first baby be born on the Moon?

A. I think itll be a long time. I know theres a lot of excitement about lunar exploration  and I am very excited myself  but I dont buy all these plans by China, Russia and the United States to have lunar bases around 2030. Ill be very happy if the United States manages to land on the moon [again] before the end of this decade.

When I was NASAs chief scientist in 2003 and 2004, we developed a plan for a person to land on the Moon in 2020. And, of course, that plan was put on hold as soon as the president changed. Even with our current plans, hopefully, well fly the Artemis 2 mission in 2024, maybe 2025 but well need a lunar lander and many other things before we can land on the Moon. Achieving it before 2030 would be exciting.

The Moon only has one-sixth the gravity of Earth, so we dont even know if its a good idea to have a baby there, the bones may not develop properly. Mars is another story  its gravity is superior. And, I think, once we do send people to Mars, it will probably be for a long time, because its very hard to go and very hard to come back.

Q. Do you think its more likely for a child to be born on Mars instead of on the Moon?

A. I think so, yeah. That would be my guess. But I think to actually have moon colonies  you know, where people live for a very long period of time on the moon rather than going to visit  itll take a very long time. You know, since the 1950s, weve had a permanent presence in Antarctica and I dont think any babies have been born there.




New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) After withdrawal of Taiwanese electronic contract manufacturer Foxconn from its chip joint venture, Vedanta on Monday asserted that it is fully committed to its semiconductor project and has lined up other partners to set up India's first foundry.

Vedanta said that it has redoubled efforts to fulfil the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for semiconductors and affirmed that India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains.

"Vedanta reiterates that it is fully committed to its semiconductor fab project and we have lined up other partners to set up Indias first foundry. We will continue to grow our Semiconductor team, and we have the license for production-grade technology for 40 nm from a prominent Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)," Vedanta said in a statement.

The company had announced plans to set up its chip plant in Gujarat with an investment of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

However, its JV partner Foxconn has announced to pull out of the project.

"We will shortly acquire a licence for production-grade 28 nm as well. Vedanta has redoubled its efforts to fulfil the prime minister's vision for semiconductors and India remains pivotal in repositioning global semiconductor supply chains," the statement said.
Wellington (New Zealand), Jul 10 (AP) The European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30 per cent within a decade.

New Zealand will gain up to 1.8 billion New Zealand dollars (USD 1.1 billion; 1 billion euro) in exports to the 27-country bloc every year, a government statement said.

The deal brokered over five years will cut NZD 248 million (USD 153 million; 140 million euros) a year in duties, a European Commission statement said.

New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region and this free trade agreement will bring us even closer together. With today's signature, we have taken an important step in making the agreement a reality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Duties will be removed on 91 per cent of New Zealand's goods exported to the EU from the start of the agreement, rising to 97 per cent after seven years.

The deal has yet to be ratified by the two sides' parliaments and a start date set. (AP) PY

PY
Lucknow, Jul 10 (PTI) Bollywood actor Rajkumar Rao has joined the Uttar Pradesh Police's awareness campaign against online shopping fraud.

In a video message shared by the state police on Twitter, Rao lauded the Uttar Pradesh Police's cybercrime awareness campaign and appealed to people to be vigilant against online shopping frauds.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently announced plans to open cyber crime police stations in every district in the state.

In future, the state police will also invite other actors and sportspersons to join the cybercrime awareness campaign, a senior official said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police will make the public aware of cybercrime and its helpline in regional languages also.

"Think before you click. Don't let curiosity dent your cybersecurity wIth every keystroke, remain vigilant, guarding the dark forces that lurk on the cyber-highway. Your digital safety is worth the extra moment of caution," the Uttar Pradesh Police said on its official Twitter handle with hashtags #MissionGraHAQ and #ConHaiVo.
London, Jul 10 (PTI) A 37-year-old British Sikh man has been handed a year's jail term after he reacted badly and used excessive force in a confrontation with another man while driving in the West Midlands region of England.

Tirminder Singh Lallie got out of his car believing he had been racially abused by the other person and was also hit by a pole by him.

In retaliation, Lallie went on to punch the man repeatedly.

During a recent court hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Lallie admitted excessive self-defence and said he had fought back because he thought he was faced with a racist assault.

"It strikes me that both of these incidents came about because you're an angry man, District Judge Adrian Lower was quoted in a Birmingham Live court report last week.

At your last place of work, you suffered abuse because of your religion, because of how you look and that had an impact on your mental health and you have been taking medication as a result. This means you react badly to things you perceive are either racist towards you or difficult in terms of going about your day-to-day business," he said.

The judge noted Lallies admission that his reaction to the incident, dating back to August 2021, was over the top.

The court heard how the man, who stopped Lallie, believed he was driving too fast and was clutching a pole at the time which he then used to hit his head twice.

Lallie hit the man back before members of the public intervened. The newspaper reports that the victim went to the hospital, where medics glued back together two cuts to his head.

"He should not have done it. He accepts that. He accepts what he did was wrong," Lallies lawyer told the court.

Lallie has been handed a years jail term over the violent incident.
Singapore, Jul 10 (PTI) Indian-origin Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam has expressed confidence that multi-national Singapore can create a rich local culture, even if it might take a few decades.

Tharman made the remark on Sunday as he, along with his Japanese-Chinese wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi, attended the 5th Singapore Sheng Gong Cultural and Folklore Beliefs Festival at the Zhen Ren Gong temple in the Redhill precinct of the city-state.

I have always found that those who have the deepest beliefs in their own culture are very often also those who are the most open to other cultures... I believe we can do it, and it will make Singaporeans more confident...," The Straits Times newspaper quoted him as saying.

Tharman, who gave up all political and ministerial posts on Friday to prepare for his bid for Singapore's presidency, after being in politics for more than four decades, singled out an Indian-origin boy in a Chinese lion dance that welcomed him at a public function. "Everyone is strengthened when they see this happening," he said.

As Singapore enters its next phase of development, the question it needs to ask itself is what identity it wants and how it then keeps its traditions alive, said the former senior minister, who relinquished all public posts and resigned from the ruling People's Action Party to run for the non-political president office.

While the Republic is multicultural, Singapore cannot be just about different cultures, kept exactly as they are, Tharman said, adding that nor should the answer be to add the various cultures here together or blend them.

Instead, by staying open to each other's cultures and learning from others, Singapore's culture can grow stronger and its people more confident, said the 66-year-old economist at his first public appearance after stepping down from his ministerial roles.

Addressing more than 800 devotees from three different folk traditions, Tharman said Singapore has kept its folk culture and traditions alive, with many temples being over a century old, with the oldest almost 200 years old.

Noting that temples are not just about deities and religion, he said they are communities where people come together to care for others welfare, such as the elderly and poor, and share common values.

As the country develops further, there are different paths it can take to retain such traditions, said the former senior minister and coordinating minister for social policies.

Tharman pointed out that among societies with different cultures, discussions tend to either be whether to take a salad bowl approach, where cultures are added together but are still separate or that of the melting pot, where cultures are mixed together.

He asserted that adding together different cultures is one way, but it is not likely to result in a strong Singapore culture.

The other way, where Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian cultures are mixed, will appeal to (some people) intellectually, but it will not appeal to the heart, he said, adding that this mix will become weaker over time.

But we cannot just keep separate cultures exactly as they are  we must keep evolving, and one way to keep evolving is to be very open to each others cultures and absorb something from each others cultures, the report quoted Tharman as saying.

He added that this does not mean a weakening or dilution of ones culture, noting that Singapores cultures have always absorbed elements of other cultures, whether those be East or West, India, China or from other parts of Southeast Asia.

Key to such openness is deepening respect for different cultures, including foreign ones, and for people from different walks of life, Tharman said.

The presidential election, held every six years, is scheduled to be held later this year before the term of current President Halimah Yacob ends on September 13.
Moscow, Jul 10 (AP) Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean peninsula on Sunday reported shooting down a cruise missile near the city of Kerch and briefly suspending traffic on the Kerch bridge that links the annexed territory to Russia.

The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said the interception of the missile by Russian air defences didn't result in any damage or casualties. He didn't offer any details, including the type of the missile and its origin.

In the nearby Russian region of Rostov, authorities on Sunday also reported shooting down a missile. Gov. Vasily Golubev said the missile was Ukrainian, and its debris damaged the roofs of several buildings. No casualties have been reported.

Such attacks far beyond the front line on Russian regions on the border with Ukraine or the annexed Crimean peninsula have become common during the war in Ukraine that has just surpassed its 500-day mark.

Officials in Russian regions and Moscow-appointed authorities in Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, have regularly reported explosions, drone strikes, and even cross-border raids by Ukrainian saboteurs. Kyiv has never openly taken responsibility for these attacks.

Last October, a massive explosion severely damaged the Kerch Bridge  a key transport and supply route for Russian troops in Crimea  leaving it out of commission for weeks. In what appeared to be the first direct admission of Kyiv's involvement, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar in a Telegram post on Saturday listed the attack among the country's main achievements in the war so far.

"(It's been) 273 days since (we) carried out the first strike on the Crimean bridge in order to disrupt the logistics for the Russians," Maliar wrote.

Among other successes, she also mentioned the sinking of the Moskva cruiser  something the Russian authorities refused to attribute to a Ukrainian attack.

Maliar's post on Sunday caught the attention of Russian state media and officials. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova once again called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government a "terrorist regime" in an online statement condemning the attack.

In other developments:

 One of the defence commanders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol who returned to Ukraine on Saturday announced going back to the battlefield. The sprawling steelworks was the last bastion of resistance as Russian forces took control of the port city early on in the war. Azovstal's more than 2,000 defenders left the steelworks in mid-May 2022 and were taken into Russian captivity.

The five leaders, some of whom were part of the Azov national guard regiment that Russia denounces as neo-Nazi, were freed in a September prisoner swap and taken to Turkey, where they were to remain until the end of the war under the Turkish president's protection. On Saturday, however, Zelenskyy brought them back to Ukraine. There was no immediate official explanation of how this squared with the conditions of the exchange.

Speaking to reporters in Ukraine upon returning, Denys Prokopenko  one of the five commanders  said he will return to the battlefield. "I am deeply convinced that the army is a team effort. And from today we will continue the fight together with you. We will definitely have our say in battle," Prokopenko was quoted by Ukrainian media as saying.

 The death toll from the Russian missile strike on Lyman, a city in the partially occupied Donetsk region that was struck on Saturday, rose to nine on Sunday. Lyman is a few kilometres (miles) from the front line, where Russian troops have recently intensified fighting in the forests of Kreminna. (AP)



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Vilnius (Lithuania), Jul 10 (AP) Sweden's foreign minister expressed optimism on Monday that Turkiye will drop its objections to Swedish NATO membership, saying the Nordic's country's accession is a question of when, not if.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were expected to meet later Monday in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, ahead of a two-day NATO summit.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told public broadcaster SVT that he expects Turkiye will eventually signal that it will let Sweden join the alliance, though he couldn't say whether that would happen at the annual summit.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light ... a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Billstrom said.

Turkiye has stalled Sweden's NATO accession, saying it needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers as threats to its national security.

Anti-Turkiye and anti-Islam protests in Stockholm raised doubts that an agreement could be reached before the alliance's summit.

Billstrom said Sweden has fulfilled its part of a tripartite deal that Sweden, Finland and Turkiye signed at last year's NATO summit in Madrid.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkiye already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when," he said.

Billstrom said he expects Hungary, which also hasn't ratified Sweden's accession, to do so before Turkiye.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April this year. (AP)



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Kathmandu, Jul 10 (PTI) Nepal's Foreign Minister N P Saud on Monday underlined the need for further strengthening the Himalayan nation's ties with India and China as he asserted that the relations with one neighbour should not be compared with another.

"Both our neighbours are rising economic powers and their influence is increasing... Nepal enjoys a traditional friendship with both the neighbours," which needs to be further nurtured, Foreign Minister Saud said while speaking at the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives.

He said the relationship with one neighbour should not be compared with another neighbour, according to his office.

"So far as Nepal's relations with the neighbouring countries are concerned, we should not feel psychological pressure and we need to put our concern in a transparent manner," he added.

Nepal's relations with India are historical and special, he said, noting that "owing to our open border, two-third trade links and transit facilities, our relations with the southern neighbour holds significance."

Saud said that Nepal is committed to the 'one-China' policy, and underscored the need that Nepal should not allow its territory to be used against its neighbours.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is planning an official visit to China in September, a bid by the senior Maoist leader to strike a balance in relations with both China and India.

This will be Prachanda's second foreign trip after assuming the office in December last year. Earlier, the 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) leader last month visited India as his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time.

Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

"As far as Nepals development relations are concerned, our relations with the USA and European Union are important from a development perspective," he said.

He underscored the need for maximum mobilisation of development assistance with the US and EU member countries. He also informed the Parliamentary committee that the US-aided Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will be implemented from August.

Nepal and the US had signed a deal to implement USD 500 million grant assistance to Kathmandu mainly for maintaining road quality and building cross-border transmission lines.

On the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement signed between Nepal and China, the minister told the House Committee that it is not yet implemented and discussions are underway for its implementation.

China has been actively investing in Nepal in many infrastructure projects.
Vilnius (Lithuania), Jul 10 (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday introduced a new condition for approving Sweden's membership in NATO, calling on European countries to open the way for Turkiye to join the European Union.

The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing to a NATO summit in Lithuania's capital added new uncertainty to Sweden's bid to become the alliance's 32nd member, which Turkiye initially blocked saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.

It was the first time that Erdogan linked his country's ambition to join the EU with Sweden's efforts to become a NATO member.

Turkiye has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkiye waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.

Come and open the way for Turkiye's membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkiye, we'll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland, he added.

Earlier, Erdogan's office said he told US President Joe Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkiye wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkiye's EU ambitions from the NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius.

The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish membership in the EU.

Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson were expected to meet later Monday in Vilnius.

Asked about Erdogan's comments, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he supports Turkiye's ambition to join the EU but noted that it wasn't among the conditions listed in an agreement that Sweden, Finland and Turkiye signed at last year's NATO summit in Madrid.

Stoltenberg reiterated that Sweden had met those conditions and said he thinks it is still possible to have a positive decision on the country's pending membership during this week's summit in Lithuania.

Turkiye is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogan's presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the country's progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.

However, as a member of NATO, Erdogan's government has postponed ratifying Sweden's accession to the alliance, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups.

A series of anti-Turkiye and anti-Islam protests in Sweden's capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkiye's demands could be reached before the alliance's summit.

Turkiye's delays on Sweden's accession has irritated other NATO allies including the United States. Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken earlier that day about Sweden's NATO membership among other issues and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks. Sullivan didn't mention the EU membership issue.

He said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

If it happens after Vilnius  we're confident it will happen, he said. We don't regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better.

Erdogan's latest comments stunned seasoned Turkiye analysts.

Erdogan has introduced new demands and moved the target repeatedly throughout this process, but trying to put pressure on the EU over a NATO matter is rather spectacular, said Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.

However, I think that we should interpret his remarks with caution for now. They could signal everything from setting the stage for a face-saving OK to Sweden, to an attempt to sabotage the NATO enlargement process by raising impossible demands, Levin added.

What can be said is that if he were to actually condition Swedish NATO accession on a reboot of the Turkish EU accession process, then Sweden is unlikely to become a NATO ally anytime soon.

Before Erdogan's comments, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed optimism that Turkiye would drop its objections to Stockholm's NATO bid.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light(,) ... a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Billstrom told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

He insisted Sweden has fulfilled its part of the deal with Finland and Turkiye, which included lifting arms embargoes on Turkiye, tightening anti-terror laws and stepping up efforts to prevent the activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency in Turkiye since the 1980s.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkiye already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when," he said.

Billstrom said he expected Hungary, which also hasn't ratified Sweden's accession, to do so before Turkiye.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Erdogan on Monday repeated that Turkiye expected Sweden to fulfil its pledge to crackdown on groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists.

We are tired of repeatedly saying that (Sweden) needs to fight terrorist organisations and their extensions indiscriminately, Erdogan said. (AP) PY

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Lahore, Jul 10 (PTI) A special court in Pakistan on Monday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's son Suleman Shahbaz and all other accused named in the Rs 16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The special court here issued its order on pleas filed by Suleman and others accused in the case seeking their acquittal. The prime minister's son was present alongside his counsel before the court at the time of the announcement, Geo News reported.

Suleman, who returned to Pakistan in December last year after a four-year self-exile in London, was not only accused in the case but was also named in an assets-beyond-means reference. He was declared a proclaimed offender in both cases.

Ahead of his arrival, the Islamabad High Court restrained both the FIA and NAB from arresting him.

The FIA, this January, cited a lack of proof and cleared him in the sugar mills case.

Meanwhile, the FIA has submitted the answers to the 27 questions related to the case in the court.

Judge Bakht Fakhar Behzad inquired regarding those involved in the inquiry of the money laundering case. FIA's lawyer told the court that the inquiry was conducted by a joint investigation team headed by a late FIA official.

"Tell me straight away, don't make up stories, I have read it all. I will send all the FIA people to jail now, remember this. I want an answer, what proof of crime was there with the challan?" the judge asked.

Suleman's counsel, Advocate Amjad Parvez, said that the case is baseless and he had spoken against it. The court then asked, under whose pressure the case was filed.

The prosecutor said that there was no direct evidence and Suleman was declared accused in the light of the form used to open the account.

After the hearing, the court acquitted all the accused including Suleman in the money laundering case.

"Thanks be to Allah that the facts came before the people, today by the grace of Allah we have been exonerated," Suleman told reporters outside the court.
In this 1921 image provided by the Library of Congress, smoke billows over Tulsa, Okla.

An Oklahoma judge has thrown out a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, dashing an effort to obtain some measure of legal justice by survivors of the deadly racist rampage.

Judge Caroline Wall on Friday dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit trying to force the city and others to make recompense for the destruction of the once-thriving Black district known as Greenwood.

The order comes in a case by three survivors of the attack, who are all now over 100 years old and sued in 2020 with the hope of seeing what their attorney called justice in their lifetime.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a statement that the city has yet to receive the full court order. The city remains committed to finding the graves of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims, fostering economic investment in the Greenwood District, educating future generations about the worst event in our communitys history, and building a city where every person has an equal opportunity for a great life, he said.

A lawyer for the survivors  Lessie Benningfield Randle, Viola Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis  did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday.

Wall, a Tulsa County District Court judge, wrote in a brief order that she was tossing the case based on arguments from the city, regional chamber of commerce and other state and local government agencies. She had ruled against the defendants motions to dismiss and allowed the case to proceed last year.

Local judicial elections in Oklahoma are technically nonpartisan, but Wall has described herself as a Constitutional Conservative in past campaign questionnaires.

The lawsuit was brought under Oklahomas public nuisance law, saying the actions of the white mob that killed hundreds of Black residents and destroyed what had been the nations most prosperous Black business district continue to affect the city today.

It contended that Tulsas long history of racial division and tension stemmed from the massacre, during which an angry white mob descended on a 35-block area, looting, killing and burning it to the ground. Beyond those killed, thousands more were left homeless and living in a hastily constructed internment camp.

The city and insurance companies never compensated victims for their losses, and the massacre ultimately resulted in racial and economic disparities that still exist today, the lawsuit argued. It sought a detailed accounting of the property and wealth lost or stolen in the massacre, the construction of a hospital in north Tulsa and the creation of a victims compensation fund, among other things.

A Chamber of Commerce attorney previously said that the massacre was horrible, but the nuisance it caused was not ongoing.

Fletcher, who is 109 and the oldest living survivor, released a memoir last week about the life she lived in the shadow of the massacre. It will become widely available for purchase in August.

In 2019, Oklahomas attorney general used the public nuisance law to force opioid drug maker Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $465 million in damages. The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned that decision two years later.

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Beirut, Jul 10 (AP) The commander of the UN peacekeeping force deployed on the tense Lebanon-Israel border relayed on Monday an Israeli request to remove a tent set up by the militant Hezbollah in a disputed area, Lebanon's foreign minister said on Monday.

The commander of the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, met on Monday in Beirut with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Lebanon Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib said Lebanese leaders told the UN commander that Israel should withdraw its troops from the Lebanese part of the town of Ghajar that was captured by Israeli troops in 2006.

Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations in June claiming that Hezbollah had set up tents several dozen metres (yards) inside of Israeli territory. It's unclear what was inside the tents or what they were for.

The area where the tents were erected in Chebaa Farms and the Kfar Chouba hills were captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and are part of Syria's Golan Heights that Israel annexed in 1981. The Lebanese government says the area belongs to Lebanon.

Israeli media reported earlier this month that Hezbollah evacuated one of the two tents but there has been no confirmation from the Iran-backed Lebanese group.

After the meeting between Mikati and Lazaro, Bouhabib told reporters that the UN team has relayed the Israeli request that the tent be removed. He added that Lebanese officials told Lazaro that we want them (Israelis) to withdraw from Ghajar that is considered Lebanese territory.

Israel captured Ghajar from Syria in the 1967 war when it took the Golan Heights. After the Israeli military ended an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000, UN surveyors split Ghajar between Lebanon and the Israeli-controlled Golan, but Israel reoccupied the northern half during the 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006.

In recent weeks, Lebanese officials said that Israel has built a wall around the Lebanese part of Ghajar warning that Israel might annex it to the Israeli part of the town.

Hezbollah last week issued a harsh statement calling Israel's works around the Lebanese part of Ghajar as dangerous adding that the wall is separating the town from its natural and historic surroundings in Lebanon.

Almost at the same time that the Hezbollah statement on Ghajar was issue, an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon near Ghajar  with some fragments landing in Lebanon and others inside Israeli territory. Israel fired shells on the outskirts of the nearby village of Kfar Chouba.

Israel and Hezbollah fought to a draw in a monthlong war in Lebanon in 2006. Late last month, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israel drone flying over a village in southern Lebanon.

Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. (AP) PY

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Moscow, Jul 10 (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence held by both men.

The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhin's Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine - where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops - and of the revolt itself. The Wagner forces pledged loyalty to Putin, according to Peskov.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month in order to demand a change of defense minister, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief was later dropped.

His ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Monday's announcement shows much is being negotiated behind closed doors. On the day the meeting between Putin and Prigozhin took place, Peskov told reporters he didn't have any information on the mercenary leader's whereabouts.

Monday's announcement came as Russia's Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen Valery Gerasimov - who was one of the targets of Prigozhin's rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show it's in control after a turbulent period.

But Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some observers would be stunned by the turn of events.

When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, it's ridiculous, she told The Associated Press. It's just so unbelievable and just so shocking.

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhin's forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the war's longest and bloodiest battle.

But throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticised decisions made by Russia's top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putin's authority, even though Prigozhin claimed that the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. It ended his mutiny after a deal was brokered for Prigozhin to go to Belarus.

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an assessment of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24. The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Peskov said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, Peskov said.

A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is looking at how to crank up the pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In southern Ukraine, a Russian airstrike on a school killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the attack "a war crime.

Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in the strike Sunday in the town of Orikhiv, Gov Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since its February 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those probes.

Zaporizhzhia province is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, and is one of four regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally annexed last year. Retaking the province is one of the targets of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine between Sunday and Monday, according to a summary from the Ukrainian presidential office.

In the Donetsk region in the east, the Russians used aircraft, missile systems and heavy artillery to shell residential areas of 6 cities and villages, injuring one person, the office reported.

The Russian army attacked residential areas of Kherson, the regional capital of a province of the same name. A 66-year-old woman was injured, the presidential office said. (AP) SCY

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Jakarta, Jul 10 (AP) Myanmar's prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea and concern over arms buildups in the region are expected to dominate the agenda when Southeast Asia's top diplomats gather for talks this week in Indonesia.

Russia's year-old invasion of Ukraine and the US-China rivalry will also be under the spotlight as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang participate as dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

North Korea has yet to say whether its foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual regional security meeting.

It's also unclear who among the key figures in the world's most intractable conflicts will meet on the sidelines of the group's ministerial meetings.

The top diplomats of ASEAN, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, will meet Tuesday and Wednesday before their other Asian and Western counterparts join them in discussions on Thursday and Friday.

Founded in 1967, the often-unwieldy collective of democracies, autocracies and monarchies has been held together for decades by bedrock principles of non-interference in each other's domestic affairs and consensus-based decision-making. But that approach has also prevented the 10-nation bloc from dealing swiftly with crises that spill across borders.

ASEAN's principles have been tested since Myanmar's army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and plunged the country into deadly chaos. It has become one of ASEAN's gravest crises since its establishment.

More than 3,750 civilians, including pro-democracy activists, have been killed by security forces and nearly 24,000 arrested since the military takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group that keeps tallies of such arrests and casualties.

Myanmar's military government has largely ignored a five-point plan by ASEAN heads of state that includes an immediate end to the violence and dialogue among all contending parties.

That prompted the regional group to take an unprecedented punitive step by barring Myanmar's military leaders from its top-level gatherings, including the ministerial meetings, that Indonesia will host.

Since assuming ASEAN's rotating chairmanship this year, Indonesia has initiated some 110 meetings with various groups in Myanmar and provided humanitarian aid to build trust, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said, adding that continuing violence would hurt efforts to return the strife-torn nation to normalcy within ASEAN.

"ASEAN is still very concerned about the increasing use of violence in Myanmar which has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of public facilities, Retno said at a news conference on Friday. This must stop immediately.

Two months ago, an aid convoy with Indonesian and Singaporean embassy representatives on an ASEAN mission to provide help to displaced people came under fire from unknown attackers in a road ambush in Myanmar's eastern Shan State. A security team returned fire and a security vehicle was damaged, but no one in the convoy was injured, state-run television MRTV reported.

ASEAN has come under international pressure to effectively address the crisis in Myanmar. But ASEAN members appear to be divided over how to proceed, with some recommending to ease punitive actions aimed at isolating Myanmar's generals and invite its top diplomat and officials back to the high-profile summit meetings.

Retno stressed the group would continue to focus on enforcing the ASEAN leaders' five-point plan.

A draft of a post-meeting communique to be issued by the ASEAN foreign ministers remained blank on Myanmar, reflecting the difficulty of reaching agreement on the issue. Their concerns over other contentious issues, such as the South China Sea disputes, were already included in the draft, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The non-recognition of Myanmar's military government by ASEAN and Asian and Western countries has caused problems.

Myanmar is scheduled next year to assume the role of coordinating ASEAN's engagements with the European Union. But the EU, which has imposed sanctions on the military government, has opposed such a role for Myanmar, two Southeast Asian diplomats told the AP on condition of anonymity because they lack authority to discuss the issue publicly.

On the South China Sea conflicts, ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to renew a call for self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, according to the draft communique, repeating language used in previous statements that does not name China.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have been embroiled in the long-simmering territorial conflicts with China and Taiwan for decades. ASEAN and China have been negotiating a non-aggression pact that aims to prevent an escalation of the disputes, but the talks have faced years of delay.

The disputed waters have emerged as a delicate front in the rivalry between China and the United States.

Washington has challenged Beijing's expansive territorial claims and regularly deploys warships and fighter jets in what it calls freedom of navigation and overflight patrols that have incensed China.

Other Western and European nations have deployed navy ships on occasional patrols in the busy waterway, where a bulk of the world's trade transits, with a similar call for unimpeded commerce and mobility.

China's increasingly aggressive actions have prompted other countries to boost their territorial defences.

"We expressed concern about the growing arms race and naval power projection in the region, which could lead to miscalculation, increased tensions, and may undermine regional peace, security, and stability, the ASEAN foreign ministers said without elaborating in their draft communique, whose wording is still subject to negotiations and could change.

"To ensure a more stable and predictable maritime sphere in the region, we underlined the importance of strengthening maritime governance, they said. (AP)



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Islamabad, Jul 10 (PTI) Virgin Atlantic has ended its operations in Pakistan with the last flight of the British carrier taking off from Islamabad to Londons Heathrow Airport on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said that the final flight left from Islamabad International Airport to Londons Heathrow Airport at 8 am (local time).

The British airline began its operations at Islamabad airport in December 2020 with seven weekly flights. The airline initially operated four flights to Manchester and three to Heathrow Airport, the Dawn newspaper reported on Monday.

Later, the airline reduced its services to only three weekly flights to Heathrow Airport.

Virgin Atlantic provided the best air travel services to customers between Islamabad and London, the report said.

As we continue to ramp up our flying programme in 2023, weve taken the opportunity to review our entire network and decided to make a few changes, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said.

He expressed regret for taking the "difficult decision" to suspend the services between London's Heathrow and Pakistan.

"Since commencing operations in December 2020, we have been proud to offer choice for customers travelling between London and Manchester in the United Kingdom, and Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan. During that time, we have also provided important cargo capacity, as well as delivering vital medical supplies, the spokesperson said.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and wed like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. We would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone in Pakistan; our customers, teams, partners and the authorities for their support over the past two years, he added.

It was not clear if the decision was linked to Pakistan's economic woes and their fallout on businesses.
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) A Delhi tribunal has dismissed an appeal filed against the findings of TERI's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) confirming the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by one of its female employees against its former chief R K Pachauri.

The tribunal also observed that a man should know the difference amongst explicit consensus by woman and her explicit "no" or her implied consent.

Industrial Tribunal Presiding Officer Ajay Goel made the observations while dismissing the appeal filed by Pachauri's legal representatives, who had alleged that the ICC findings were abuse of principles of natural justice, claiming that the inquiry was conducted in predetermined and haste manner.

The tribunal noted the emails and messages between Pachauri, who passed away in 2020, and the complainant, which was relied upon by the ICC. It said the conversation showed her physical and mental exploitation by the former TERI (The Energy & Resource Institute) chief, and despite expressing her discomfort and disinterest, he continued to send her messages.

It is clear that the appellant was misusing his designation and his behaviour was causing discomfort and harassment to the complainant, the tribunal observed in its order passed on July 3.

"The clear picture which emerges is that a 'man' should know the difference amongst explicit consensus by woman and her explicit 'no' or her implied consent. In the present matter, the whole conversation and evidence points towards nothing but to the fact that appellant (Pachauri) was thrusting on the complainant which was not at all appreciated by complainant.

"No other way was left with the complainant as to how to show her trauma and she has rightly taken the shelter of the impugned Act (Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act). If it was the consent of complainant, she would never had come forward with the complaint," it said.

The tribunal further observed that Pachauri had physically as well as emotionally blackmailed complainant.

"The words used by the appellant clearly shows the sexual harassment of complainant which were not to the liking of the complainant. The appellant was at a very good position and should have been extra vigilant in his conduct. He should have been setting example in the institution but to the contrary, he had rather violated the dignity of the woman by committing sexual harassment which cannot be ignored by the court and cannot be endorsed," it said. The ICC had on May 19, 2015 found the complaint against Pachauri 'confirmed'.

The petition had alleged that Pachauri and the complainant "shared a very cordial and respectable relationship".

It alleged that the woman filed the complaint after Pachauri refused to assign her work since she was not able to give her 100 per cent.

The tribunal further said sexual harassment was the expression of unhealthy human relationship.

"It is not just the violation of dignity, right to social security and right to equality guaranteed to human beings in every social system but it is also a violation of right to life and peaceful existence guaranteed by law. It is a universal problem and its gravity is felt by all concerned around the world," it said, adding that nations have gone for various legal approaches to curb harassment issues.

Pachauri died at the age of 79 on February 14, 2020 after prolonged cardiac ailment while the sexual harassment case was pending before a Delhi court.

The court, which had in October 2018 framed charges under sections 354 (outraging modesty), 354 A (making physical contact, unwelcome and sexually coloured remarks) and 509 (teasing and using vulgar gesture and actions) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), closed the case after his death.
Indore, Jul 10 (PTI) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons and seized 2 kg of foreign gold and Rs 2.52 crore cash from their possession in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, an official said on Monday.

Based a tip-off, a bus heading to Bhopal from Indore was intercepted at a toll booth on Saturday, and an alleged smuggler was found carrying 2 kg of foreign gold worth Rs 1.21 crore, the official said.

Following the recovery, investigations were carried out raids at three places and recovered Rs 2.52 crore cash from a bullion trader in Indore, he said, adding that the amount was from the illegal purchase and sale of gold.

The two accused have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962 and the matter is being investigated, the official said.
Sidhi, Jul 10 (PTI) A Brahmin organisation on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident wherein a community member had allegedly urinated on a tribal youth in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh.

They also demanded an apology from the state government for demolishing the house of the parents of the accused, Pravesh Shukla, compensation for rebuilding it, and revocation of NSA.

Local authorities had said an illegal portion of the house of Shukla's father was razed last week.

The accused in the peeing incident was arrested on Wednesday based on a viral video clip.

The Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Samaj (ABBS) also threatened to launch protests across the country, especially in Madhya Pradesh, if their demands are not met.

ABBS members staged a protest in front of the Sidhi district collectorate and handed over a memorandum to the district magistrate seeking a judicial probe into the urinating incident.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan should apologise to the parents of the accused for demolishing their house. The state government should give Rs 10 lakh to parents of the accused Pravesh Shukla to rebuild their house, ABBS' Sidhi unit president Rakesh Dubey told PTI on Monday.

He demanded the revocation of the National Security Act invoked against Shukla.

Chief Minister Chouhan last Thursday washed the feet of the tribal youth to express sorrow over the incident and apologised to him.
Baripada (Odisha), Jul 10 (PTI) A court here on Monday sentenced a man to 5 years of imprisonment for raping an 8-year-old girl.

Mayurbhanj District Special POCSO Court judge Sumita Jena also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on convict Tarashankar Sahu (30), said special public prosecutor Abhinna Kumar Pattnaik.

The court directed Mayurbhanj District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 1 lakh to the rape survivor as compensation.

On March 1, 2022, the minor was alone at her house in Chitrada village under Morada police station when the accused of same village raped her.

The judgment was based on the statements of the victim, 11 witnesses and a medical report, Pattnaik said.
Kolkata, Jul 10 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress on Monday said a four-member party delegation will visit the ethnic strife-torn Manipur on July 14 to reach out to the affected people of the northeastern state.

More than 120 people have lost their lives and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The TMC delegation will comprise Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen and Lok Sabha MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Kalyan Banerjee.

"A four-member fact-finding delegation of MPs from @AITCofficial will visit Manipur on July 14... (It) will reach out to those affected and provide some healing comfort for a 'DOUBLE ENGINE' state that the @BJP4India government has ignored over the last 3 months," the TMC tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress has been alleging that the "divisive" policies of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur have led to ethnic strife.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had recently accused the BJP of using "divisive" politics in Manipur and blamed it for a "failure" on the part of the central government to restore peace in the northeastern state.

Banerjee had also claimed that she wrote to the Centre to allow her to visit Manipur but didn't receive a reply.

Reacting to the Trinamool Congress' decision to send a delegation to Manipur, the Bengal BJP unit said the TMC should first send fact-finding teams to districts where violence claimed 15 lives during the panchayat polls on July 8.

"So many people have died in the entire panchayat poll process since June 8, when the elections were announced. They should first send fact-finding teams to such areas and speak to the family of victims. This is an attempt to divert attention from the violence in Bengal," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

Violence had rocked West Bengal's rural polls, leaving 15 people dead while ballot boxes were vandalised, ballot papers torched, and bombs thrown at rivals in several places.

Of those who died on the polling day, 11 were affiliated with the TMC.

The total death toll in the state since the poll process began on June 8, when the dates were announced, has crossed 30.
Bahraich (UP), Jul 10 (PTI) Ten people, including a pastor, were arrested for allegedly indulging in illegal religious conversion in Nanpara area here, police said on Monday.

Nanpara Deputy Superintendent of Police Rahul Pandey said pastor Baburam is accused of luring poor villagers to convert to Christianity in Siddhanpurwa village. Some other people assisted him in this work.

Ten people, including Baburam, were arrested on Sunday after a case was registered against 19 people on charges of unlawful conversion. Efforts are on to arrest the remaining accused, Pandey said.

It has been alleged that Baburam and his wife were luring the villagers to convert to Christianity by promising to cure their diseases, including cancer, police said.
Luis Granena

In the early 19th century, military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote that war was the continuation of politics by other means. Today, one might add that the U.S. campus is one of the battlefields in this bloodless contest. Caught between Joe Bidens promise to partially forgive student debtwhich the Supreme Court rejectedand the end of affirmative actionalso overturned by the high courteducation represents one theater of the culture wars. In this bristling context, Egyptian-born economist Nemat Minouche Shafik becomes the 20th President of Columbia University and the first woman to lead the institution. Director of the London School of Economics since 2017, with a career that has zigzagged between teaching and business, the British-American Shafik, 60, must now navigate a panorama of extremes, where cancellations are common currency and the union mobilization that is sweeping the country is also taking hold in the classrooms.

Shafik was officially sworn in on July 1, the day after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions at Harvard University and University of North Carolina. Her appointment makes her the latest woman to head a major institution of higher education, including Harvard, Dartmouth, M.I.T., the University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University. But winding up at Columbia, which boasts eight Nobel laureates in economicsincluding Professor Joseph Stiglitzis especially significant. Stiglitz has greeted her arrival enthusiastically: One of the things Ive admired about Minouche [the French nickname by which she is known] is that shes kept up her commitment to intellectual inquiry even as shes continued to work in jobs with enormous responsibility.

Those jobs include senior positions at the most important international institutions, from the World Bank and the Bank of England to the International Monetary Fund, where she was deputy managing director. During her time as the British central banks deputy governor, she was responsible for contingency planning for the 2016 Brexit referendum. Shafik also headed the British International Cooperation agency, where she forged its commitment to allocate 0.7% of GDP to development aid. In recognition of her public service, Queen Elizabeth II made her a baroness in 2015 and a member of the House of Lords in 2020.

When she was four years old, Shafiks educated, middle-class family fled Egypt because of political and economic instability in the mid-1960s. It is not difficult to reconstruct the historical context and personal mourning of exile from the autobiographical work Out of Egypt, by Andre Aciman, who, like Shafik, is an Alexandria transplant to the U.S. The Mediterranean citys bourgeoisie was the target of a nationalist regime, and when President Gamal Abdel Nassers government confiscated their home and property, the Shafiks fled. Her father, a scientist, found work in the U.S., where he had earned his doctorate. Minouche and her sister attended numerous schools in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. After spending part of her adolescence in Egypt, in 1983 the future president of Columbia University graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in economics and politics. She continued her studies at the London School of Economics and Oxford University.

Recalling her childhood, Shafik refers to education as the unwavering value that made her steadfast and encouraged her to keep going. When my family left Alexandria in the early 1960s, my father, who like his father had a Ph.D. in chemistry, said to me, They can take everything away from you except your education, she explained upon her appointment as Columbias president in January. Shes also determined to address skeptics who doubt the value of education. We are at a moment in history where universities need to be both scholarly and relevant, she added. She wants higher education to interact with the res publica and for the two worlds to stop turning their backs on each other.

The author of books that advocate a new social order by updating Rousseaunian ideals and a former professor at Georgetown University, Shafik identifies as brown. She was the perfect candidate for the Columbia position: she is a brilliant and able global leader, a community builder, and a preeminent economist who understands the academy and the world beyond it. Her international experience, scarce in closed academic circles, gives her a panoramic view. And her staunch defense of diversity and inclusion represents a strength in the new scenario created by the Supreme Courts reversal of a doctrine that seemed settled since the 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger decision upholding affirmative action in admissions.

The Bollinger in that court case is none other than Lee C. Bollinger, Shafiks predecessor at Columbia, who was previously the longest-tenured Ivy League president. He warned that a negative Supreme Court ruling would drastically reduce racial and ethnic diversity in the classroom, depriving marginalized minorities of opportunities. After the setback at the Supreme Court, President Shafikherself a brown cosmopolitan woman of Arab originwill face the challenge of defending equal opportunity in a country as radically unequal as the United States. I strongly believe that talent is spread evenly around the world, but opportunity is not, she said. She noted that, if she had been born into another family, or in another place like the U.S. for that matter, she would not have gotten anywhere near where she has ended up.

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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss waterlogging caused by torrential rains in the city and Yamuna's rising water levels, officials said.

The meeting will be held at the Delhi Secretariat. It will be attended by senior officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Delhi recorded 153 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, the India Meteorological Department said.

The Delhi government issued a flood warning on Sunday as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage.

The irrigation and flood control department said this was the first warning, with 1,05,453 cusecs of water discharged at 4 pm.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) said the water level in the river in Delhi is rising and is expected to surpass the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Tuesday.

According to the CWC's flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge touched 203.18 metres at 1 pm on Sunday. The warning level is 204.5 metres.

The water level is anticipated to rise to 205.5 metres between 11 am and 1 pm on Tuesday, the CWC said.
Jammu, Jul 10 (PTI) General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Monday visited forward battalion in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and reviewed the security and operational preparedness with the field commanders.

Army's Northern Command shared the information on its official Twitter handle, also posting four pictures of the army commander with the troops stationed in the forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC).

"He (Lt Gen Dwivedi) interacted with troops, felicitated and complimented them for their vigilance and high level of professionalism," the army said.

The visit of the army commander came at a time when army troops were engaged in a massive search operation in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

The operation was launched after the alert troops picked up suspicious movement of suspected terrorists trying to infiltrate from across the LoC, officials said.

Army along with police also launched a joint search operation in Gursai top, Shahshidhar and adjoining areas in Mendhar sector in nearby Poonch district Monday morning.

Searches were also carried out at village Noorkote and Nakerkote ahead of the border fence in the jurisdiction of Poonch police station late Sunday night. However, no one was arrested during the operation which continued for several hours, the officials said.
Kanpur (UP), Jul 10 (PTI) An e-rickshaw driver was shot dead and six people were injured during a clash between two groups in Patel Nagar area here, police said on Monday.

An argument broke out between two neighbours -- Param Hans Vishkarma and Shiv Sagar Shukla -- over the laying of a sewage line. Family members and supporters of both men soon gathered there and indulged in heavy brick batting on each other and clashed with sticks and rods, DCP Shivaji told PTI.

Later, Shiv, a security guard by profession, took out his double-barrel gun and fired indiscriminately. Sandeep Vishkarma (40), an e-rickshaw driver who was passing by, sustained pellet injuries on his chest and neck, the DCP said.

Vishkarma later succumbed to injuries.

Three others, Adam (16), Nirmala (70) and a minor suffered injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

An FIR has been lodged under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempted murder) 34 (common intention) and section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, the DCP said.

Shiv, his wife Sarita Shukla and their minor son have been taken into custody in this connection, the officer said.

Infuriated over the clash, people tried to hit the Grand Trunk road, but police pacified them to not take the law into their hands, an official said.

The detained persons have also suffered injuries and were admitted at Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital, DCP added.
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday granted four-week time to Assam to file its counter affidavit on the plea of Indian Youth Congress president B V Srinivas, who has challenged a Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in an alleged harassment case.

The apex court had on May 17 granted Srinivas interim protection from arrest in the case.

The Gauhati High Court had in May rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Srinivas in a case lodged by the expelled chief of Assam Youth Congress, accusing him of causing mental agony.

The matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and J B Pardiwala.

The counsel appearing for the state told the bench that he needed some time to file the counter.

"Has he cooperated in the investigation," the bench asked.

"Yes, many times," said senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Srinivas.

The counsel appearing for the state said they would file a counter affidavit and the petitioner is already under interim protection.

"Four weeks to file counter. Two weeks thereafter to file rejoinder. Put up after six weeks," the bench said.

On May 17, the top court had issued notice to the Assam government seeking its response on the plea by July 10.

"We have also perused the statement of the complainant recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which has been so graciously placed before us by the prosecution. We do not wish to comment anything about the same at this stage inasmuch as it may again have an effect on the rights of the parties at the trial," the bench had said.

"Prima facie, taking into consideration the delay of almost two months in lodging the FIR, in our view, the petitioner is entitled to the interim protection," it had said in its order.

The apex court had directed that in the event of arrest in connection with the case, the petitioner shall be released on anticipatory bail on furnishing solvent surety in the sum of Rs 50,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount.

It had asked Srinivas to cooperate in the investigation and appear before the police on May 22 and, thereafter, as and when called upon to do so.

It had also directed him to cooperate in the inquiry being carried out by the National Commission for Women.

The high court had said it was of the opinion that the case was not fit for granting the privilege of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner and rejected it. The high court, while disposing of the anticipatory bail application, had also returned the case diary.

The counsel for Srinivas had argued that all charges levelled against the IYC president under various sections, barring those under Section 354 of the IPC, are bailable in nature. Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relates to assault or use of criminal force on a woman with the intention of outraging her modesty.

Besides, the alleged offence had occurred in Raipur in Chhattisgarh which was beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Dispur police station, where the case was filed, the counsel for Srinivas had said.

The high court, after hearing both sides, had observed the victim is aged 35 years and, according to the order of the Kamrup (Metro) additional chief judicial magistrate, he was satisfied that she had "deposed voluntarily and without being under any pressure or influence from any side".

Srinivas, in his petition filed in the high court on April 26, had appealed that the FIR filed by the woman alleging mental harassment and physical manhandling be quashed immediately.

The woman, in her complaint at Dispur police station, alleged that Srinivas was "persistently harassing and torturing her for the previous six months by making sexist comments, using slang words and also threatening her of dire consequences" if she kept complaining against him to senior party office bearers.

She had also claimed Srinivas had heckled her, held her arm, pushed and pulled her and used slang words during the party's recent plenary session in Raipur. He had also threatened to ruin her career in the party if she complained against him.

The woman had made the allegations against the IYC president in a series of tweets on April 18.

A five-member Guwahati police team went to Bengaluru on April 23 and pasted a notice at Srinivas' residence directing him to appear at the Dispur Police station by May 2.

The Congress issued show cause notice to the woman and later expelled her from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities. Srinivas had also served a legal notice to the woman demanding an apology, failing which he threatened to initiate legal proceedings.
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday refused to advance the hearing of a petition by Delhi University (DU) challenging the Central Information Commissions order directing the varsity to allow inspection of records of all students who had passed the BA exam in 1978, the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi had graduated from there.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to DU on an application seeking early hearing in the case and listed it for October 13, the date already fixed in the main petition.

The high court had stayed the Commission's order dated December 21, 2016 on January 23, 2017.

Besides DU's challenge to the Central Information Commission (CIC) order, the court was also hearing other petitions which raised similar legal issues pertaining to disclosure of details of results of certain examinations.

The CIC order was passed on activist Neeraj's application under the Right to Information Act, seeking details related to students who had appeared for the Bachelor of Arts examination conducted by DU in 1978.

During the hearing, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Neeraj, submitted since the matter was pending for a long time, an early hearing was warranted.

The matter is listed in October. Take it from me, it will be disposed of then, provided I continue in the roster. It does not impress why it (rescheduling of the hearing date) should be done, the judge said.

In its challenge to the CIC order, DU has contended that the order of the RTI authority is arbitrary and untenable in law, as the information sought to be disclosed is "third party personal information.

The DU said in its plea that it was completely illegal for the CIC to direct the petitioner (DU) to disclose an information which is available to it in its fiduciary capacity, that too without rendering any finding pertaining to any pressing necessity or overwhelming public interest warranting disclosure of such information on account of overwhelming/larger public interest sought to be achieved through such disclosure.

Delhi University has earlier told the court the CIC order has far-reaching adverse consequences for the petitioner and all universities in the country which hold degrees of crores of students in a fiduciary capacity.

It has claimed the RTI Act has been reduced to a "joke" with queries seeking records of all students who had passed the BA examination in 1978, including that of Prime Minister Modi.

The CIC, in its order, had asked DU to allow inspection of the records, while rejecting the contention of its Central Public Information Officer that it was third party personal information, saying there was neither merit, nor legality in it.

It had directed the university to facilitate inspection of the relevant register where complete information about the results of all students who passed the Bachelor of Arts examination in the year 1978 with their roll numbers, names, the names of their fathers and marks obtained as available with the University, and provide a certified copy of the extract of relevant pages to the applicant free of cost.
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) A court here Monday extended by a day the police custody of five lawyers arrested in connection with the alleged firing in Tis Hazari court.

The firing incident was reported on the Tis Hazari court premises on July 5 with police saying that two groups of lawyers were allegedly involved in it.

The next day, three advocates Sachin Sangwan, Aman Singh and Ravi Gupta were arrested and sent to four days in police custody. Two other advocates, Manish Sharma and Lalit Sharma were arrested on July 7 and were remanded in police custody for three days.

Link Metropolitan Magistrate Katyayini Sharma Kandwal granted one-day police custody of all the accused on the investigating officer's application seeking two days of custodial interrogation.

The investigating officer told the court that some weapons have been recovered and some more are yet to be seized. The court was also informed that other coaccused were to be arrested and joint interrogation of all was needed.

The court said the police were expected to have recovered all weapons of offence and arrest other co-accused persons.

"However, to provide a fair opportunity to the investigating agency to complete an effective investigation in the present matter, the investigating officer is granted an opportunity to recover the weapon of offence today itself. IO is directed to give a detailed report to the court concerned if recovery is not effected before the next date of hearing," it said.

The matter has been posted for further proceedings on Tuesday.

Subzi Mandi police station had registered an FIR against the five accused and others under IPC sections 147 (rioting) 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 ( attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) along with provisions of the Arms Act.
Jodhpur, Jul 10 (PTI) The Rajasthan High court on Monday directed the parole committee of Jodhpur Central Jail to reconsider the application of self-styled godman Asaram under the 1958 rules for parole.

A bench of justices Vijay Bishnoi and Yogendra Kumar Purohit set aside the decision of the parole committee to reject Asaram's application and directed it to decide it afresh within six weeks.

Asaram, 81, is currently in a jail in Jodhpur in a case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.

Asaram's application seeking parole for 20 days had earlier been rejected by the District Parole Advisory Committee stating he was not entitled for parole under the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 2021.

Challenging this rejection, Asaram had later moved the high court.

His counsel Kalu Ram Bhati argued that the petitioner was convicted and sentenced by the trial court on April 25, 2018 whereas the Rules of 2021 had come into force on June 30, 2021.

"Hence the application filed by the petitioner is liable to be considered under the provisions of the Rules of 1958 instead of the Rules of 2021," Bhati argued.

Additional Advocate General Anil Joshi objected to the grant of parole.
Bengaluru, July 10 (PTI) Following the incident of an imposter gaining entry to the Assembly hall during the session last week, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Monday said a new technology-driven system will be introduced to beef up security at Vidhana Soudha, the High Court and Raj Bhavan.





He made this suo motu announcement from the Chair, during the Assembly proceedings today.







Pointing out that on July 7, as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was presenting the Budget, a man named Thipperudrappa managed to enter the Assembly hall claiming to be the Molakalmuru MLA, Khader said, "Preliminary inquiry by the Assembly marshalls revealed that the person is 76-year-old, hailing from Chitradurga."







He has been handed over to the Vidhana Soudha police, who have arrested him, he said, and the police department has been asked to take action as per law.







Stating that this must be "Gods warning" to all members and officials, the Speaker requested all lawmakers and reporters to cooperate with security personnel.







"I have held discussions and it has been decided to introduce a new security system incorporating technology for the region comprising Vidhana Soudha, the High Court and the Governors office," he said, without elaborating about the system.







On Monday, security was beefed up at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature, where security personnel were seen thoroughly checking the credentials of people and also their belongings, before letting them in.







Earlier in the day, Khader himself inspected the existing security setup and protocols at Vidhana Soudha.
Mangaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) A youth in Dakshina Kannada district has been arrested for having a physical relationship with a minor girl and impregnating her.



Police sources said the youth, identified as Karthik from Kalmandka village in Sullia taluk, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The arrest was made based on the complaint from the victim's mother at the Bellare police station in Sullia.



Sources said the girl had complained of stomach pain on July 7 and was admitted to the Sullia government hospital. After scanning, the doctors found that she was four months pregnant.



The girl was questioned and she revealed the name of Karthik. Later, the victims mother filed a complaint with the police.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives for a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Sunday, July 9, 2023.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said she agreed Washington will listen to Chinese complaints about security-related curbs on U.S. technology exports and might respond to unintended consequences as she ended a visit to Beijing aimed at reviving strained relations.

Yellen defended targeted measures on trade that Chinas leaders complain are aimed at hurting its fledgling tech industries. She said the Biden administration wants to avoid unnecessary repercussions but gave no indication of possible changes.

Relations between the two biggest economies are at their lowest level in decades due to disputes about technology, security and other irritants. A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other U.S. technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Partys development of smartphones, artificial intelligence and other industries.

We will open up channels so that they can express concerns about our actions, and we can explain and possibly in some situations respond to unintended consequences of our actions, Yellen said at a news conference.

Yellen talked with Chinas No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, and other officials during 10 hours of meetings. She had a five-hour session Saturday with her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. Treasury officials said in advance there were no plans for her to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Yellen received a warm welcome and prominent coverage by the state press, but Chinese officials gave no sign they would change industrial or other policies that Washington and other governments say violate Beijings free-trade commitments. On Saturday, He said Washington should adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude to improve relations.

On Sunday, Yellen announced no agreements on major disputes or plans for future activity but said her department and Chinese officials would have more frequent and regular communication.

U.S.-Chinese political strains are adding to uncertainty that is dampening the willingness of consumers and businesses to spend and invest.

Chinas economic growth rebounded to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023 from last years 3% after anti-virus controls on travel and business activity were lifted in December. But factory activity and consumer spending decelerated in the quarter ending in June.

Xi accused Washington in March of trying to hold back Chinas industrial development.

Beijing has been slow to retaliate for U.S. technology restrictions, possibly to avoid disrupting its own industries. But three days before Yellens arrival, the government announced unspecified controls on exports of gallium and germanium, metals used in making semiconductors and solar panels. China is the biggest producer of both.

Yellen said she tried to reassure officials Washington doesnt want to decouple or separate its economy from China, while it tries to de-risk trade.

The Biden administration is pressing semiconductor makers to move production to the United States to reduce reliance on Taiwan and other Asian suppliers, which is seen as a security risk. Washington wants to develop alternatives to Chinese supplies of rare earth elements, metals used in smartphones, wind turbines and other products.

They have expressed some concern that de-risking amounts to decoupling, Yellen said. She said she tried to assure my Chinese counterparts that this is by no means the same thing.

The de-risking involves attention to clearly articulated and narrowly targeted national security concerns, as well as broader concern with diversifying our supply chains, which the United States is doing in a few important sectors, she said.

Throughout her visit, Yellen appealed for healthy economic competition, a reference to complaints Beijing violates its free-trade commitments by subsidizing and shielding politically favored industries from private and foreign competition.

Yellen said she had expressed concern to Chinese officials about coercive activities against U.S. companies.

That follows raids on consulting firms and the detention of staff members without explanation and what the U.S. government says is arbitrary detention or prohibitions on people leaving China that some complain are used to pressure them in business disputes.

Chinese leaders are trying to revive investor interest, but foreign companies are uneasy about their status after Xi and other officials called for economic self-reliance. The ruling party has also expanded an anti-spying law that has fueled uncertainty about what law firms or consultants can do.

On Saturday, Yellen appealed to He for cooperation on climate change, the debt burdens of developing countries and other global challenges. She said their governments shouldnt let disagreements about trade and security derail economic and financial relations.

Beijing broke off climate discussions with Washington last August in retaliation for a visit by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives to Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by China as part of its territory.

President Joe Bidens climate envoy, John Kerry, is due to become the next senior official to visit China next week. China and the United States are the worlds top emitters of climate-changing carbon.

China signed an agreement last month to restructure the debt of Zambia, including billions of dollars lent under Beijings Belt and Road Initiative to build ports and other infrastructure across Asia and Africa. Treasury officials pointed to that as successful cooperation.

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Parts of the Palisades Interstate Parkway are currently shut due to extreme flooding.

Rabbi Berish Freilach, Senior Clergy to the NY State Police confirmed to YWN that the highway is closed in both directions at Exit 15 at around 4:00PM.

Tens of thousands of people in the Catskills would normally be using the highway to head towards NYC today, and drivers are being urged to use alternate routes.

There are reports of a NY State Trooper vehicle submerged underwater, and additional reports of mud and rock slides in the area of Stony Point.

New York State Police Troop F are asking the public to avoid the Palisades Interstate Parkway due to heavy flooding. Numerous roadways consisting of State Route 9W and Palisades Interstate Parkway are experiencing heavy flooding and washouts. The Palisades Parkway Northbound is closed from exit 14 to Long Mountain Traffic circle. Please Avoid The Area!!!

As YWN warned earlier, the entire area remains under a severe flood watch.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Billy DElia, a powerful figure in the Buffalino Crime Family, claims that he engaged in business with former President Trump during the 1980s when Trump owned Atlantic City casinos. DElias assertions are detailed in the newly released biography, The Life We Chose, William Big Billy DElia and the Last Secrets of Americas Most Powerful Mafia Family, written by veteran journalist Matt Birkbeck. The book sheds light on DElias extensive criminal career and his encounters with Trump.

According to DElia, Trump, known for his flashy demeanor, was arrogant and untrustworthy.

(Hes) just like hes on TV now, arrogant. He dont keep his word, he says.

DElia alleges that during one real estate deal, Trump reduced the price by $1 million through the flip of a coin. However, it remains unclear whether this account is entirely accurate or a colorful anecdote from DElia.

DElia assumed leadership of the Buffalino Crime Family after the death of its namesake, Russell Buffalino, in 1994. Renowned for his ruthless nature, Buffalino was described by Robert F. Kennedy as one of the most powerful leaders of the Mafia in the United States. DElias credibility and influence within the national mob families were so significant that he was reportedly approached in the 1990s to take over the Philadelphia crime family, aiming to quell the violent internal conflicts that stained the streets of the city.

Author Matt Birkbeck, who extensively covered DElia and the Buffalino Crime Family in northeastern Pennsylvania, asserts that Trump was well aware of the people he dealt with, including DElia. Birkbeck contends that Trump personally handled negotiations with gangsters, bypassing his lawyers and other intermediaries.

Trump, when he did deals, he didnt want his lawyers doing it. He didnt want anyone else doing it, he did it himself, and he did it with gangsters, says Birkbeck. Billy did business with a lot of people, including Donald Trump. Trump knew exactly who he was, Trump knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what they were negotiating about.

In one particular deal involving the sale of time-shares in Trump-owned properties, DElia claims that Trump pressured him to purchase thousands of copies of his book, The Art of The Deal, as part of the agreement.

Barry Shapiro, a Philadelphia-based real estate investor, corroborated DElias account of Trumps business practices, specifically recounting a meeting where a coin toss decided the final price of a property related to Trumps Trump Plaza casino. Shapiro affirms that Trump agreed to buy the land for $8 million but reneged on the deal, leading to the coin toss in which Trump emerged victorious, saving $1 million.

Notably, Trump has never faced criminal charges related to his casino dealings, having complied with the regulatory requirements of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and its Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trumps campaign, dismisses DElias claims, saying that the book belongs in the fiction section.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Trump has been associated with resolving negotiations through a coin toss. In 2017, investment banker Ken Moelis recounted a similar incident during a business negotiation with Trump.

Having left his criminal past behind, DElia now enjoys a peaceful retirement. He served a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and witness tampering in 2009. Although DElia never became a mob informant or testified against suspected organized crime members, his story provides a captivating glimpse into a life intertwined with the dark underbelly of the Mafia.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The chickens are coming home to roost. Members of an indigenous tribe who are descendants of Native Americans, have expressed their interest in reclaiming the land currently occupied by the popular ice cream company, Ben & Jerrys. This follows the companys controversial July 4th call for America to return what it deems as stolen land.

Don Stevens, Chief of the Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation, said in an interview with Newsweek that his tribe has always been interested in reclaiming stewardship of their ancestral lands. However, Ben & Jerrys has not yet made any contact with them regarding the land on which its headquarters currently resides.

This comes in the wake of Ben & Jerrys tweet on Independence Day, in which the company asserted that it was high time to recognize that the United States exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. The tweet also included a link to the companys website, where they further elaborated on their call to action, suggesting that America should begin by returning Mount Rushmore. These words sparked significant controversy and resulted in widespread backlash, including calls for boycotts and a decline in the companys stock value.

According to historical records cited by Newsweek, the Abenaki Nation, a confederacy of tribes that united to resist rival tribes encroachment, once controlled a substantial area of land spanning from northern Massachusetts to New Brunswick, Canada. Consequently, the land where Ben & Jerrys headquarters now stands in South Burlington, Vermont, was reportedly part of the Abenaki Nations territory. Critics have pointed to this fact and accused the ice cream company of hypocrisy for not returning the land it occupies while advocating for others to do so.

As of now, Ben & Jerrys has not publicly responded to the calls for returning its headquarters land.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The Anti-Defamation League is offering a reward of $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any co-conspirators or persons rendering criminal assistance in the 1994 murder of Ari Halberstam and the attempted murder of 14 teenagers on the Brooklyn Bridge.

ADL is searching for anyone who may have additional information on the March 1, 1994 murder of Halberstam, 16, who was shot on the Brooklyn Bridge when a Lebanese-born terrorist and livery driver, Rashid Baz, opened fire on a van in carrying him and 14 other yeshiva students. Baz, who died in prison last year, is no longer a potential source of information in the case.

The death of Ari Halberstam was indisputably antisemitic terrorist attack and a hate crime that sent shock waves through the Jewish community and the entire country, said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. We greatly appreciate the federal governments efforts to seek justice against Baz and his co-conspirators. But the question remains: Were others involved as part of a larger conspiracy? We hope that this new reward will incentivize anyone who has any information in this case to step forward.

Despite his defenses claim that the shooting was initially prompted by a traffic dispute, Baz was convicted in a jury trial of one count of murder and 14 counts of attempted murder and sentenced to serve 141 years in prison. But Baz subsequently admitted that he intentionally targeted Jews and had pre-planned the assault, following the van as it made its way into Brooklyn. The murder has since been reclassified as a terrorist incident by the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.

I applaud the ADLs unwavering commitment to exposing and combatting antisemitic violence, and to working together with the law enforcement community to hold the perpetrators of this egregious civil rights violation accountable, said Devorah Halberstam, Aris mother. With their help, Im hopeful that all of the perpetrators of the horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge  not just Rashid Baz, but everyone involved  can finally be brought to justice.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.




Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday introduced a new condition for approving Swedens membership in NATO, calling on European countries to open the way for Turkey to join the European Union.

The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing for a NATO summit in Lithuanias capital added new uncertainty to Swedens bid to become the alliances 32nd member, which Turkey initially blocked by saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.

It was the first time that Erdogan linked his countrys ambition to join the EU with Swedens efforts to become a NATO member.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.

Come and open the way for Turkeys membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, well pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland, he added.

Earlier, Erdogans office said he told U.S. President Joe Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a clear and strong message of support for Turkeys EU ambitions from the NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish membership in the EU.

Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met later Monday as they arrived in Vilnius, where NATO leaders are to meet over the next two days to discuss a host of issues including NATOs future relations with Ukraine.

Asked about Erdogans comments, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he supports Turkeys ambition to join the EU but noted that it wasnt among the conditions listed in an agreement that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last years NATO summit in Madrid.

Stoltenberg reiterated that Sweden had met those conditions and said he thinks it is still possible to have a positive decision on the countrys pending membership during this weeks summit in Lithuania.

EU Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant said that you cannot link the two processes in regards to Turkey.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogans presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the countrys progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.

However, as a member of NATO, Erdogans government has postponed ratifying Swedens accession to the alliance, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups. A series of anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Swedens capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkeys demands could be reached before the NATO summit.

Turkeys delays on Swedens accession have irritated other NATO allies including the United States. Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken earlier that day about Swedens NATO membership among other issues and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks. Sullivan didnt mention the EU membership issue.

He said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

If it happens after Vilnius  were confident it will happen, he said. We dont regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better.

Erdogans latest comments stunned seasoned Turkey analysts.

Erdogan has introduced new demands and moved the target repeatedly throughout this process, but trying to put pressure on the EU over a NATO matter is rather spectacular, said Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.

However, I think that we should interpret his remarks with caution for now. They could signal everything from setting the stage for a face-saving OK to Sweden, to an attempt to sabotage the NATO enlargement process by raising impossible demands, Levin added. What can be said is that if he were to actually condition Swedish NATO accession on a reboot of the Turkish EU accession process, then Sweden is unlikely to become a NATO ally any time soon.

Before Erdogans comments, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed optimism that Turkey would drop its objections to Stockholms NATO bid.

What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light  a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start, Billstrom told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

He insisted Sweden has fulfilled its part of the deal with Finland and Turkey, which included lifting arms embargoes on Turkey, tightening anti-terror laws and stepping up efforts to prevent the activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s.

We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when, he said.

Billstrom said he expected Hungary, which also hasnt ratified Swedens accession, to do so before Turkey.

Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Another key issue in Vilnius will be how to bring Ukraine closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesnt invade again after the war ends. Stoltenberg said the most important thing was to continue to support Ukraines efforts to resist the Russian invasion.

Unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership issue to discuss at all, he said.

(AP)




Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin pledged loyalty to the Russian government in a Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin five days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence both men wield.

The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhins Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine  where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops  and of the revolt itself.

The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland, Peskov said.

The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.

His ultimate fate remains unclear, particularly since Mondays announcement shows much is negotiated behind closed doors. He could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.

Mondays announcement came as Russias Defense Ministry published a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov  who was one of the targets of Prigozhins rebellion. It was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since the revolt.

The twin updates appeared to be another attempt by the Kremlin to show its in control after a turbulent period, and to reflect Putins delicate balance between condemning the biggest threat to his 23-year rule and the man behind it while not alienating a popular figure whose troops scored the biggest battlefield victory for Russia in the past year of the war.

Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov told The Associated Press that Putin acknowledges Prigozhins patriotism and needs his forces on the front line, while Prigozhin needs Putin to ensure his freedom from prosecution. The two are negotiating as allies, with Prigozhin escaping punishment, Gallyamov said.

Prigozhin emerged victorious from this rebellion, Gallyamov said in a Zoom interview from Tel Aviv. He has shown himself to be the master of the situation.

Adding to the unusual nature of the meeting was that until very recently, Putin had denied any link between the state and Prigozhins forces. Mercenaries are illegal in Russia, but Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests around the globe and played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut in the wars longest and bloodiest battle. Putin has confirmed that Prigozhins companies operated under government contracts.

Throughout the war, Prigozhin has criticized decisions made by Russias top military brass, leading to tensions with the Kremlin that culminated in the June 24 mutiny.

The rebellion severely weakened Putins authority, even though Prigozhin claimed the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. Prigozhin called off his mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to go to Belarus.

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some Russian observers would be stunned by the turn of events.

When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, its ridiculous, she told the AP. Its just so unbelievable and just so shocking.

Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Prigozhin was in Belarus. But last week the president said the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

Peskov said that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an assessment of Wagners actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and of the events of June 24. The president also listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat, the Kremlin spokesman said.

A total of 35 people took part in the meeting, Peskov said. Putin has given options to Prigozhins fighters: fight as part of the regular Russian army, retire from service or join Prigozhin in Belarus.

A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is looking at how to crank up the pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In other developments, a Russian airstrike on a school in southern Ukraine killed four adults as people gathered to receive humanitarian aid, the governor of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region said Monday, branding the attack a war crime.

Three women and a man, all in their 40s, died in the strike Sunday in the town of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko said.

A guided aerial bomb caused an explosion at the school, Malashko said, without providing evidence. Eleven other people were wounded in the attack, he said.

Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements in the province over the course of a day, he said.

Moscow denies it targets civilian locations. Russia has been accused numerous times of doing so and committing other war crimes since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Investigations are also underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is helping with those probes.

Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive to regain occupied land, and on Monday, the deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, reported progress.

She said the countrys fighters had reclaimed 10.2 square kilometers (3.9 square miles) of territory in the south and four square kilometers (1.5 square miles) in the east in the past week. The gains, she said on Telegram, included the commanding heights of Bakhmut, where Prigozhins forces declared control of the city in May. None of the claims could be independently verified.

(AP)




Since the introduction of Metas text-based platform Threads, user traffic on Twitter has notably slowed down. Threads, which debuted just last week, has already surpassed 100 million sign-ups, indicating its growing appeal among users.

With its launch in the United States last Wednesday, Threads has been positioned by Meta executives, including Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, as a more positive and engaging public square for communities that may not have fully embraced Twitter. The initial response from users suggests a favorable reception.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his enthusiasm in a post on Monday, stating, Threads reached 100 million sign-ups over the weekend. Thats primarily due to organic demand, and we havent even initiated significant promotional efforts yet. Its hard to believe it has only been five days!

Meanwhile, Twitter appears to have experienced a noticeable impact. Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, posted a screenshot on Twitter on Sunday revealing a decline in traffic on the platform, describing it as tanking.

According to Similarweb, a data company specializing in web analytics, web traffic to Twitter witnessed a 5% decrease during the first two full days following the general availability of Threads, compared to the previous week. Furthermore, Twitters web traffic has seen an 11% decline compared to the same days in 2022.

When contacted by CNBC, Twitter responded with an automated message, while Meta did not provide any additional comment beyond Zuckerbergs post.

Threads remarkable growth can be attributed, in part, to its integration with an established social network, Metas Instagram. Users have the option to sign up using their existing Instagram handles, allowing them to retain a portion of their followers as others join the app.

Threads achieved the milestone of 100 million sign-ups even faster than OpenAIs generative chatbot ChatGPT, which surpassed 100 million monthly users in just two months.

While the app has yet to launch in Europe, Metas Mosseri acknowledged that there are regulatory complexities to navigate in the region. If Threads can maintain its user base, it has the potential to establish itself as a formidable competitor for Twitter. In its last quarterly earnings report as a public company last summer, Twitter reported nearly 238 million monetizable daily active users.

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, has already expressed some concerns about Threads. Musks longtime lawyer, Alex Spiro, penned a letter to Meta, accusing the company of unlawful misappropriation of trade secrets.

Over the weekend, both Musk and Zuckerberg engaged in a public exchange of jabs, with Zuckerberg mocking Musks tweet style and Musk referring to Zuckerberg using a derogatory term.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
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Troubled fintech firm Revolut has suffered a fresh blow after it was reported that a flaw in its payments system in the US allowed criminals to steal 18m of its funds.

The money was drained over several months last year before it was able to close the loophole, according to the FT.

The revelation piles further pressure on a business that was once described by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as a 'shining example' of Britain's 'world beating fintech sector'.

Blow: The revelation piles further pressure on a business that was once described by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as a 'shining example' of Britain's 'world beating fintech sector'

Back in March, it presented a bullish front as it reported its first-ever annual profit when it published a delayed set of results for 2021 and said that it expected a UK banking licence would be granted 'imminently'.

But its fortunes began to unravel almost immediately as auditor BDO said three-quarters of its revenues could not be verified and may have been misstated. And four months later the licence still has not come.

The latest glitch came about as a result of the difference between European and US payments systems, according to the FT. That meant that when certain transactions were declined Revolut would erroneously refund accounts  effectively handing them its own money  sources told the newspaper.

Revolut was said to have recovered some of the money but was still left with a net loss of around 16m.

The company declined to comment.
BT has confirmed it has launched a formal process to replace chief executive Philip Jansen, who will step down over the next year.

It comes after City sources told the Mail on Sunday that Jansen was 'desperate to leave' and drawing up plans to depart the telecoms giant.

BT chairman Adam Crozier said the group was considering 'all appropriate candidates' for his replacement, and expected to update shareholders on progress over the course of the summer.

Boss change: BT chief executive Philip Jansen 'intends to step down' over the next 12 months

'The succession process to replace Philip is something that the Board was well prepared for,' he added.

Jansen, 56, who joined BT in 2019, said he was 'fully committed to driving the business forward' until a replacement was found.

'We've made a lot of progress over the last four and half years and I'm proud of what we've achieved to date,' he added.

The announcement comes less than two months after the group revealed plans to cut between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade as part of wider efforts to slash costs.

Jansen's plans to axe 40 per cent of BT's 130,000-strong workforce  which includes 30,000 who are not on staff  came under criticism from unions when it was announced in May.

It was partly controversial because around 10,000 jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence technology.

BT is also facing its annual general meeting this week, when the chief executive's 3.1million pay packet is expected to come under scrutiny.

A key plank of Jansen's strategy has been the rapid expansion of its fibre internet offering across the UK, with the group now nearing completion of the roll-out.

Jansen said: 'We're building like fury, have now passed over 11m homes with fibre, have got 5G service to 68 per cent of the country and our customer service is much improved.

'This is creating a much stronger BT Group which is starting to drive growth for both investors and the UK.'

Jansen's tenure also included the sale of part of BT Sport to Warner Bros Discovery for 600million and the merger of BT's two largest units, the Global and Enterprise arms.

He additionally had to contend with French billionaire Patrick Drahi building up a 24.5 per cent stake in BT.

BT shares were down 0.2 per cent to 122p in morning trading on Monday.

They have fallen significantly under Jansen's tenure - they were trading above 200p when he joined BT and are now more than 45 per cent lower.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Shareholders have suffered big time: more than 10billion has been wiped off the value of the business under Jansens leadership, and BT is now nearly one-quarter owned by a French billionaire who has taken advantage of the weak share price to build a strategic stake.'
The alarm that shook activist Aurea Bolanos Perea into action was the Texas Heartbeat Act, which was passed in September 2021. Mirroring many rules that would follow, it banned abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy, when most women do not yet know they are pregnant.

This was nine months before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Texas proximity to Colorado  the states share a border with Oklahoma, which followed with a similar abortion ban  prompted Bolanos Perea, along with other activists and lawyers, to ask what legal safeguards protected reproductive freedom in Colorado. The answer was: none, she told EL PAIS from an office in downtown Denver.

The organization she works for, Color Latina  which was born as a response to the AIDS epidemic and been defending the reproductive rights of the Latino community for 25 years  began working with other groups on a law to protect reproductive rights. The goal was to have a law in place before the Supreme Court issued its expected ruling on the federal right to abortion (the draft opinion was leaked in May 2022). As a result of those efforts, the Denver Capitol passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which recognizes the fundamental right to abortion and contraception. Colorado is also one of seven states without any term restrictions as to when a pregnancy can be terminated.

But the work did not end there, and during the last legislature, which ended last May, the Democratic-majority Congress in Colorado passed a package of regulations that goes even further, making it one of the most progressive places in the country, along with California, neighboring New Mexico and Massachusetts. In the meantime, at least 21 states have banned or severely restricted access to abortion since the Supreme Court ruling last year.

The Colorado legislative package made up of three laws. The first protects doctors who provide abortion care or gender-affirming care from being prosecuted by states such as Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas, where offenders face sentences of up to life in prison. It also exempts Colorado police from cooperating in such criminal investigations. The second law requires commercial insurance providers to cover abortions for patients without copays (with the exception of public employees). And the third, promoted by Color Latina and another organization called New Era Colorado, prohibits fake anti-abortion clinics from advertising or offering pills to reverse abortions, explains Bolanos Perea. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, such promises are not based on science.

Aurea Bolanos, from Color Latina, at the organization's offices in downtown Denver. Iker Seisdedos Garcia

Bolanos Perea says that Color Latina set out to address these clinics when they began to flood billboards, radio stations and newspapers with Spanish-language ads. They also buy search terms so that when you put in abortion, young, and Colorado, one of those pseudo-centers comes up first. The Latino community is one of the most affected by these tricks, she said. During the parliamentary debate, doctors and activists spoke about how pregnant women are misled into believing they have an appointment with a doctor, only to find themselves at a pseudo-clinic that tries to talk them out of having an abortion, offers to throw them baby showers and gives them ultrasound images of fetuses at more advanced stages.

Planned Parenthood, which manages around half of the abortion clinics in the country, was committed to promoting the law that protects doctors and nurses from criminal prosecution. Specifically, its subsidiary in the Rocky Mountains (PPRM), which operates in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Wyoming, a state controlled by Republicans where there are no Planned Parenthood centers.

Adrienne Mansanares, PPRM executive director, tells EL PAIS that the number of patients in Colorado has risen 33%. Women suddenly turned into immigrants wandering the roads of their own country, said Mansanares, who said the numbers have been rising since the Texas Heartbeat Act. To address the rise, the centers have more staff and expanded their opening hours. Support networks for patients arriving from other states have also been strengthened since the Supreme Court ruling: the map of Colorado is a perfect rectangle surrounded on three sides by anti-abortion bastions. Some women have never been on a plane before coming here. Others do not have a credit card to check into the hotel. And most have families, and have to bring their children. We give them vouchers for food or money for gas, said Mansanares.

Jack Teter, from Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, in Denver last June. Iker Seisdedos Garcia

The Colorado law does not protect patients from what may happen to them when they return home. For this reason, at the PPRM center in East Denver, a woman from Texas arrived one day after driving for 17 hours and decided to leave her cellphone at home, to avoid being tracked. It is incomprehensible that something like this can happen. Sometimes I wonder if we really live in the United States in 2023, said Jack Teter, PPRMs regional director of government affairs, in one of the meeting rooms of the clinic.

Teter, who was active in the legislative process, estimates that the average commute for patients from outside of Colorado is 650 miles. That is why it was so important to create an oasis of freedom, with the most advanced laws in the country, while the regressive wave grew around us. It was not only necessary to guarantee that abortion would be legal, but also accessible to everyone. Mansanares said that the passage of these laws was the result of years of pedagogical work and investment in promoting candidates who support reproductive freedom.

Backlash

When the package of laws was passed, Colorado House Republican Leader Mike Lynch said they would turn the state into a destination for the vulnerable, the indigent and frightened minors from all over the country. They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy.

At the gates of the PPRM clinic, three men and a woman were waiting to intercept any woman who tried to go in. One of them, Mike (he did not want to give his last name) said that he spends the day there because inside they kill babies from Tuesday to Saturday. Bill Merritt, a retired pastor, also said he was often on the street. He hands out bags with two pocket books, a summary of the Gospels, a compendium of psalms and proverbs from the New Testament, and pamphlets with the contact information of the pseudo-centers, who are now prohibited from posting publicity. Merritt recalled that Colorado wasnt always like this. All of this is the result of a change in a state that has become increasingly liberal, he warned.

Anti-abortion activists hand out the New Testament and other pamphlets to women outside a health center. I. S.

The unprecedented change in Colorado is only partly explained by the states changing and increasingly younger demographic. In The Blueprint, Rob Witwer, a former Republican member of the Colorado House of Representatives, and journalist Adam Schrager, try to explain how Colorado went from being a Republican stronghold in 2004 to a Democratic bastion in just four years. Democrats have controlled the state since 2008. Before then, the state had voted for a Republican president every year since 1964, with the exception of Bill Clinton, in 1992.

Before that, Teter recalls, the state was famous for being the headquarters of the Christian organization Focus on the Family (it still exists, in Colorado Springs)and for approving a constitutional amendment in 1992 that prevented municipalities from enacting anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ+ people (it was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

In the national press they called it the State of Hate, said Teter. In 2015, he became the first transgender person to work at the Denver Capitol. I couldnt imagine then that eight years later a law would be approved there that would protect, in addition to the right to abortion, gender-affirming care, he added.

One of the protagonists of The Blueprint is Jared Polis, an internet entrepreneur his 20s, who decided to apply the laws of business to his effort to turn Colorado into a liberal state. Today, Polis is 48 years old and the governor of Colorado. He is also the first openly gay governor in the United States. Last April, he triumphantly signed the package of three laws before a large group of Democratic politicians and activists, mostly women. Among them was Senator Julie Gonzales, who celebrated the achievement with an address to all women: We see you and in Colorado, weve got your back.

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VMware (NYSE:VMW  Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

VMW has been the topic of several other research reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on VMware from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. UBS Group increased their price objective on VMware from $151.00 to $161.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on VMware from $125.00 to $134.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Mizuho increased their price objective on VMware from $135.00 to $138.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Finally, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reiterated a maintains rating on shares of VMware in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, VMware currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $143.25.

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VMware Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:VMW opened at $141.40 on Friday. VMware has a 52-week low of $103.55 and a 52-week high of $145.73. The stock has a market cap of $60.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.72. The businesss 50 day moving average is $133.19 and its 200 day moving average is $125.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

VMware ( NYSE:VMW Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 1st. The virtualization software provider reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.55 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $3.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. VMware had a net margin of 9.57% and a return on equity of 162.41%. The firms revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.71 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that VMware will post 4.46 EPS for the current year.

In related news, EVP Jean Pierre Brulard sold 3,600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.51, for a total value of $509,436.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 103,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,703,596.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 40.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On VMware

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of VMware by 75.4% during the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the virtualization software providers stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VMware during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp grew its position in shares of VMware by 101.0% during the 1st quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 205 shares of the virtualization software providers stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. WealthPLAN Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VMware during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VMware during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 46.00% of the companys stock.

VMware Company Profile

(Free Report)

VMware, Inc provides software solutions in the areas of modern applications, cloud management and infrastructure, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds.

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Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE:SNV  Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $40.04.

SNV has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Synovus Financial from $35.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Raymond James dropped their price target on Synovus Financial from $46.00 to $36.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Synovus Financial from $55.00 to $50.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Janney Montgomery Scott raised Synovus Financial from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $38.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, TheStreet lowered Synovus Financial from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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Synovus Financial Stock Performance

NYSE SNV opened at $30.85 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $29.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $33.76. Synovus Financial has a twelve month low of $25.19 and a twelve month high of $44.91.

Synovus Financial Dividend Announcement

Synovus Financial ( NYSE:SNV Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 19th. The bank reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $613.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $589.40 million. Synovus Financial had a return on equity of 19.92% and a net margin of 28.04%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Synovus Financial will post 4.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.93%. Synovus Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Synovus Financial

In other Synovus Financial news, EVP Daniel Zachary Bishop purchased 1,000 shares of Synovus Financial stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $27.96 per share, for a total transaction of $27,960.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 32,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $909,846.36. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Synovus Financial news, EVP Daniel Zachary Bishop purchased 1,000 shares of Synovus Financial stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $27.96 per share, for a total transaction of $27,960.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 32,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $909,846.36. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Diana M. Murphy purchased 3,775 shares of Synovus Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $26.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,811.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 30,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $817,921.40. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased a total of 11,375 shares of company stock worth $309,411 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Synovus Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Synovus Financial by 22.8% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 481,282 shares of the banks stock valued at $14,837,000 after acquiring an additional 89,426 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its position in shares of Synovus Financial by 56.0% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 6,273 shares of the banks stock worth $193,000 after purchasing an additional 2,253 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of Synovus Financial by 102.6% in the 1st quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 210,251 shares of the banks stock worth $6,482,000 after purchasing an additional 106,460 shares in the last quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC boosted its position in shares of Synovus Financial by 54.9% in the 1st quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 2,258 shares of the banks stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hancock Whitney Corp boosted its position in shares of Synovus Financial by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 329,060 shares of the banks stock worth $10,146,000 after purchasing an additional 33,449 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.37% of the companys stock.

About Synovus Financial

(Free Report

Synovus Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Synovus Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. It operates through four segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Consumer Banking, and Financial Management Services. The company's commercial banking services include treasury and asset management, capital market, and institutional trust services, as well as commercial, financial, and real estate loans.

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Shares of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Free Report) (TSE:TD) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the eight analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $100.57.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on TD shares. CIBC raised shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, Barclays downgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 9th.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Down 0.1 %

Toronto-Dominion Bank stock opened at $60.89 on Wednesday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $60.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.52. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a fifty-two week low of $55.43 and a fifty-two week high of $70.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.22, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.99.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Cuts Dividend

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Free Report ) (TSE:TD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 25th. The bank reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.09). Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 15.51% and a net margin of 17.72%. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.10 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.08 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.709 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.66%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is 47.65%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Toronto-Dominion Bank

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,484,341,000. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 406.1% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 26,796,674 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,734,653,000 after acquiring an additional 21,501,478 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 15,905,184 shares of the banks stock valued at $952,719,000 after acquiring an additional 4,604,833 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,240,327 shares of the banks stock valued at $4,123,850,000 after purchasing an additional 2,238,912 shares during the period. Finally, Canoe Financial LP acquired a new stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the 1st quarter valued at $98,421,000. 44.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Free Report

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eighteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $422.04.

MA has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $414.00 to $442.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $425.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $410.00 to $435.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $405.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd.

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Mastercard Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MA opened at $388.68 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $379.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $368.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. Mastercard has a 52 week low of $276.87 and a 52 week high of $395.25.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

Mastercard ( NYSE:MA Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.09. Mastercard had a net margin of 42.33% and a return on equity of 169.12%. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.76 earnings per share. Mastercards quarterly revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Mastercard will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.59%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is presently 22.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Raj Seshadri sold 5,164 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.24, for a total value of $1,927,411.36. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 11,164 shares in the company, valued at $4,166,851.36. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.28, for a total value of $48,600,204.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 100,437,277 shares in the company, valued at $38,796,911,359.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Raj Seshadri sold 5,164 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.24, for a total transaction of $1,927,411.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,166,851.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 547,243 shares of company stock valued at $209,102,122. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mastercard

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MA. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Mastercard by 0.7% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,259,535 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $21,967,977,000 after acquiring an additional 568,155 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Mastercard by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,759,814 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $12,632,032,000 after buying an additional 1,303,477 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Mastercard by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 27,027,189 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $9,398,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,247,291 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Mastercard by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 16,368,594 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $5,936,110,000 after acquiring an additional 62,380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Mastercard by 17.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,843,692 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $5,509,328,000 after acquiring an additional 2,385,640 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.33% of the companys stock.

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. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services.

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Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRY  Free Report) and Severn Trent (OTCMKTS:STRNY  Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Pennon Group and Severn Trents net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.1% of Severn Trent shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Analyst Ratings

Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Severn Trent pays an annual dividend of $1.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Pennon Group pays out 29.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Severn Trent pays out 179.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Pennon Group and Severn Trent, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pennon Group 0 3 0 0 2.00 Severn Trent 0 2 3 0 2.60

Pennon Group currently has a consensus target price of $1,048.00, suggesting a potential upside of 5,761.30%. Severn Trent has a consensus target price of $2,932.50, suggesting a potential upside of 9,345.97%. Given Severn Trents stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Severn Trent is more favorable than Pennon Group.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Pennon Group and Severn Trents revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.58 30.81 Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A $0.82 37.89

Pennon Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Severn Trent, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Severn Trent beats Pennon Group on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pennon Group

(Free Report)

Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom.

About Severn Trent

(Free Report)

Severn Trent PLC operates as a water and sewerage company in England and Wales. It operates through two segments: Regulated Water and Waste Water, and Business Services. The Regulated Water and Waste Water segment offers water and waste water services to approximately 4.8 million households and businesses. The Business Services segment generates renewable energy from anaerobic digestion, hydropower, wind turbines, and solar panels; property development; and offers affinity products and search services. It also provides services to municipal and industrial clients, including the Ministry of Defence and the Coal Authority for design, build, and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities and networks. Severn Trent PLC was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Coventry, the United Kingdom.

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Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust (NYSE:PMO  Free Report) COO Aaron M. Cooper acquired 7,443 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $10.07 per share, with a total value of $74,951.01. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer now directly owns 7,443 shares of the companys stock, valued at $74,951.01. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PMO opened at $10.16 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $10.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.80. Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust has a 52-week low of $9.72 and a 52-week high of $12.98.

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Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 24th will be issued a $0.035 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 21st. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust

Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust Company Profile

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PMO. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust by 15.3% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 811,417 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,360,000 after acquiring an additional 107,784 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust by 116.3% in the first quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 126,584 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,311,000 after purchasing an additional 68,053 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust by 46.1% during the first quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 20,587 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $213,000 after purchasing an additional 6,500 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust by 8.8% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 59,131 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 4,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 47,582 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 3,884 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.01% of the companys stock.

(Free Report)

Putnam Municipal Opportunities Trust is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC. The fund is co-managed by Putnam Investments Limited. It invests in fixed income markets of United States. The fund invests in companies operating across healthcare, utilities, transportation, water and sewer, and housing sectors.

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Hendershot Investments Inc. cut its position in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI  Free Report) by 27.6% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,823 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,223 shares during the period. Hendershot Investments Inc.s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $205,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 1,089.0% in the first quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 84,476 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,967,000 after purchasing an additional 77,371 shares in the last quarter. First Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 10.0% in the first quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 94,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,333,000 after purchasing an additional 8,608 shares in the last quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 35.5% in the first quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 121,722 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,275,000 after purchasing an additional 31,923 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in British American Tobacco by 24.3% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 33,453 shares of the companys stock worth $1,175,000 after buying an additional 6,541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in British American Tobacco by 18.2% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,746 shares of the companys stock worth $413,000 after buying an additional 1,809 shares in the last quarter. 7.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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British American Tobacco Trading Up 0.2 %

BTI stock opened at $33.05 on Monday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a fifty-two week low of $31.64 and a fifty-two week high of $42.47. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $33.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

British American Tobacco Profile

A number of research analysts have commented on BTI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered British American Tobacco from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on British American Tobacco in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company.

(Free Report)

British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It offers vapour, tobacco heating, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BTI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI  Free Report).

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Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB  Free Report) had its price target increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $287.00 to $318.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Wells Fargo & Companys price objective suggests a potential downside of 2.99% from the companys current price.

HUBB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Hubbell from $252.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. StockNews.com lowered Hubbell from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Hubbell currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $253.50.

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Hubbell Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of HUBB opened at $327.80 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.99. Hubbell has a one year low of $181.30 and a one year high of $332.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.31, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $298.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $259.45.

Insider Activity

Hubbell ( NYSE:HUBB Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $3.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $1.15. Hubbell had a return on equity of 27.72% and a net margin of 11.15%. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.12 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Hubbell will post 13.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Carlos M. Cardoso sold 560 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $273.16, for a total value of $152,969.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,711 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $467,376.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hubbell

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HUBB. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 42.9% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,028,010 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,223,367,000 after buying an additional 1,509,684 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 3,204.3% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,059,051 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $8,332,000 after buying an additional 1,027,000 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 133.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,543,481 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $283,646,000 after buying an additional 883,272 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Hubbell in the 4th quarter valued at $90,375,000. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Hubbell in the 1st quarter valued at $76,784,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.67% of the companys stock.

Hubbell Company Profile

(Free Report)

Hubbell Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells electrical and utility solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Electrical Solutions and Utility Solutions. The Electrical Solution segment offers standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures, and other electrical equipment for use in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians, utilities, and telecommunications companies, as well as components and assemblies.

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Dana (NYSE:DAN  Free Report) had its price objective boosted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $15.00 to $18.00 in a research note issued on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Wells Fargo & Companys price objective would suggest a potential upside of 3.57% from the companys current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on DAN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Dana from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Dana in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Dana from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Monday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $17.25.

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Dana Stock Up 3.3 %

DAN opened at $17.38 on Monday. Dana has a 1-year low of $11.17 and a 1-year high of $19.30. The company has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a PE ratio of -10.79 and a beta of 2.44. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $14.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $15.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dana

Dana ( NYSE:DAN Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The auto parts company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.11. Dana had a negative net margin of 2.24% and a positive return on equity of 3.92%. The company had revenue of $2.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.16 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Dana will post 0.69 EPS for the current year.

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Dana by 41.1% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 169,160 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $2,972,000 after buying an additional 49,268 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Dana by 1.5% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 427,547 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $7,512,000 after buying an additional 6,465 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its position in Dana by 2.9% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 82,651 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,452,000 after purchasing an additional 2,303 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its position in Dana by 9.6% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 3,612,318 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $63,468,000 after purchasing an additional 316,466 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in Dana by 2.3% during the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,621,679 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $46,063,000 after purchasing an additional 60,025 shares during the last quarter. 93.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Dana

(Free Report)

Dana Incorporated provides power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for vehicles and machinery in North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in four segments: Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems, and Power Technologies.

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Lennox International (NYSE:LII  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $314.00 to $355.00 in a report issued on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Wells Fargo & Companys price target indicates a potential upside of 10.91% from the companys previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on LII. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Lennox International in a research note on Monday, March 27th. They set a market perform rating for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Lennox International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Lennox International from $272.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Lennox International from $272.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lennox International presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $269.90.

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Lennox International Stock Performance

NYSE LII opened at $320.08 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $298.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $268.05. Lennox International has a twelve month low of $202.97 and a twelve month high of $328.77. The stock has a market cap of $11.36 billion, a PE ratio of 22.31, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.96.

Insider Transactions at Lennox International

Lennox International ( NYSE:LII Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The construction company reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.03 billion. Lennox International had a net margin of 10.76% and a negative return on equity of 200.13%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.36 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Lennox International will post 15.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Lennox International news, Director Sherry Buck purchased 350 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $285.02 per share, with a total value of $99,757.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,388 shares in the company, valued at approximately $680,627.76. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Daniel M. Sessa sold 2,419 shares of Lennox International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.09, for a total value of $696,889.71. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,749,711.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Sherry Buck bought 350 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $285.02 per share, for a total transaction of $99,757.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,388 shares in the company, valued at approximately $680,627.76. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 5,527 shares of company stock valued at $1,574,120 over the last 90 days. 2.83% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its stake in Lennox International by 4.0% in the first quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 636,200 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $159,067,000 after purchasing an additional 24,536 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lennox International by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 490,179 shares of the construction companys stock worth $123,003,000 after acquiring an additional 14,062 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Lennox International by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 404,068 shares of the construction companys stock worth $89,973,000 after acquiring an additional 10,227 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Lennox International by 55.0% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 110,763 shares of the construction companys stock worth $27,613,000 after acquiring an additional 39,312 shares during the period. Finally, Credit Suisse AG boosted its stake in shares of Lennox International by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 78,959 shares of the construction companys stock worth $18,889,000 after acquiring an additional 4,816 shares during the period. 68.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Lennox International

(Free Report)

Lennox International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets a range of products for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration markets in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 20:35 | All, Japan, World, 3/11 Fukushima

China has called for the chair statement of an ASEAN Regional Forum meeting later this week to express opposition to Japan's planned release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, a diplomatic source said Monday.

The move reflects Beijing's efforts to involve the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its partners in putting more pressure on Tokyo to halt the water discharge plan at the 27-member forum's ministerial meeting slated for Friday in Jakarta.

At working-level consultations, Beijing has also asked Indonesia, the chair of the grouping this year, to avoid using the term "treated water" in the ARF statement to be issued following the annual security gathering, the ASEAN source said.

Japan has dismissed China's stance, saying the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded in a report released last Tuesday that the country's plan aligns with global safety standards and would have "a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment," the source added.

South Korea has said it respects the outcome of the IAEA's review as a result of its own analysis of Japan's plan. China, however, has criticized the U.N. nuclear watchdog while also urging Tokyo not to carry out the water discharge.

Japan's government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., operator of the Fukushima plant, aim to begin releasing the water into the sea around the summer after it undergoes processing to remove most of the radionuclides except tritium.

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that Tokyo has used the pseudo-scientific term "treated water" to downplay the risks of the "nuclear-contaminated water," hinting at expanding Beijing's import controls on Japanese food.

The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident was triggered by the March 2011 devastating earthquake and ensuring tsunami.

Joined by regional powers including the United States, Japan, China and Russia, as well as India, Australia, South Korea and North Korea, the ARF holds annual foreign minister-level talks on political and security issues.

Amid a further widening rift between the major democracies and the China-Russia camp since the launch of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin's government is likely to side with Beijing at the ARF meeting.

Russia has also been eager to strengthen its quarantine systems for Japanese fishery resource imports due to concerns about water contamination, while requiring detailed information, along with China, from the IAEA.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Last year, the region agreed in principle to admit East Timor as its 11th member, granting the nation observer status until it joins the bloc.

Related coverage:

Japan strides for Fukushima water release as regulator OKs facilities

Russia to tighten oversight of seafood over Fukushima water release

South Korea says Fukushima water discharge meets int'l standards
Busey Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR  Free Report) by 1.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 89,213 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 1,146 shares during the period. Busey Wealth Managements holdings in Ventas were worth $3,867,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 1st quarter worth $41,000. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Ventas by 21.1% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 13,542 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $837,000 after buying an additional 2,356 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Ventas by 90.0% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,191 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,247,000 after buying an additional 9,563 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. purchased a new stake in Ventas in the first quarter worth about $271,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its position in Ventas by 6.0% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 14,712 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 835 shares during the period. 92.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Ventas

In related news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 1,242 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.57, for a total transaction of $52,871.94. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,156.96. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ventas Trading Down 0.6 %

Ventas Dividend Announcement

Ventas stock opened at $47.90 on Monday. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $35.33 and a 12-month high of $54.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $45.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.63.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 30th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.76%. Ventass payout ratio is -999.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on VTR shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Ventas from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. Raymond James raised shares of Ventas from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $55.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, June 23rd. 92 Resources reissued a reiterates rating on shares of Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ventas from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $53.00.

Ventas Profile

(Free Report)

Ventas Inc, an S&P 500 company, operates at the intersection of two large and dynamic industries healthcare and real estate. Fueled by powerful demographic demand from growth in the aging population, Ventas owns a diversified portfolio of over 1,200 properties in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Further Reading

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Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS  Free Report) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $81.00 to $71.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective would suggest a potential upside of 19.79% from the stocks previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays raised their price objective on Fidelity National Information Services from $58.00 to $62.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Fidelity National Information Services from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. 22nd Century Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Fidelity National Information Services in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Fidelity National Information Services from $65.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Stephens lowered their price objective on Fidelity National Information Services from $70.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $88.39.

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Fidelity National Information Services Price Performance

Fidelity National Information Services stock opened at $59.27 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $35.11 billion, a PE ratio of -2.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.81. Fidelity National Information Services has a 12 month low of $48.57 and a 12 month high of $105.16. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $55.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

Fidelity National Information Services ( NYSE:FIS Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The information technology services provider reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. Fidelity National Information Services had a positive return on equity of 10.66% and a negative net margin of 114.79%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.47 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Fidelity National Information Services will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CFO Erik D. Hoag sold 3,451 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.15, for a total transaction of $186,871.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 19,887 shares in the company, valued at $1,076,881.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CFO Erik D. Hoag sold 3,451 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.15, for a total transaction of $186,871.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 19,887 shares in the company, valued at $1,076,881.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jeffrey A. Goldstein purchased 958 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The shares were bought at an average price of $57.24 per share, with a total value of $54,835.92. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 5,404 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $309,324.96. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Korea Investment CORP grew its stake in Fidelity National Information Services by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 236,690 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $16,059,000 after purchasing an additional 20,115 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH grew its stake in Fidelity National Information Services by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 6,619 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $449,000 after purchasing an additional 472 shares during the period. Archford Capital Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 41.4% during the 1st quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 15,754 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $846,000 after buying an additional 4,613 shares during the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 1,294.7% during the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 64,143 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $3,723,000 after buying an additional 59,544 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 125.3% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 19,069 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,969,000 after buying an additional 10,606 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.21% of the companys stock.

Fidelity National Information Services Company Profile

(Free Report)

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc provides technology solutions for financial institutions and businesses worldwide. It operates through Banking Solutions, Merchant Solutions, and Capital Market Solutions segments. The Banking Solutions segment provides core processing and ancillary applications; mobile and online banking; fraud, risk management, and compliance; electronic funds transfer and network; card and retail payment; wealth and retirement; and item processing and output solutions.

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Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC boosted its stake in First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN  Free Report) by 7.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,690 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 7,916 shares during the quarter. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLCs holdings in First Horizon were worth $1,986,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of FHN. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in First Horizon by 15.6% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 29,962 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $704,000 after buying an additional 4,036 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in First Horizon by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,303 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $406,000 after purchasing an additional 3,224 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in First Horizon by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 310,733 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,507,000 after purchasing an additional 30,189 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its stake in First Horizon by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 28,364 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $666,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in First Horizon by 3,619.3% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,003,120 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $23,563,000 after purchasing an additional 976,149 shares in the last quarter. 78.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at First Horizon

In other news, Director William H. Fenstermaker bought 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.62 per share, with a total value of $116,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 256,312 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,978,345.44. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Colin V. Reed purchased 25,138 shares of First Horizon stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $9.96 per share, with a total value of $250,374.48. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 187,027 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,788.92. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director William H. Fenstermaker acquired 10,000 shares of First Horizon stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.62 per share, with a total value of $116,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 256,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,978,345.44. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 42,036 shares of company stock valued at $436,725. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

First Horizon Price Performance

FHN has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered First Horizon from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of First Horizon from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. TheStreet lowered shares of First Horizon from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of First Horizon from $13.00 to $13.50 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of First Horizon from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $25.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $17.90.

NYSE:FHN opened at $11.90 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. First Horizon Co. has a 12-month low of $8.99 and a 12-month high of $24.92. The companys 50-day moving average is $11.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.98.

First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $863.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $871.36 million. First Horizon had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 24.76%. First Horizons quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that First Horizon Co. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

First Horizon Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 16th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 15th. First Horizons payout ratio is 37.04%.

About First Horizon

(Free Report)

First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.

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SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda grew its stake in Gerdau S.A. (NYSE:GGB  Free Report) by 990.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 276,830 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 251,433 shares during the period. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltdas holdings in Gerdau were worth $1,365,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new position in Gerdau during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Gerdau by 71.0% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 8,876 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 3,685 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Gerdau by 424.8% in the 4th quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,353 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 5,952 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Gerdau in the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Gerdau in the 4th quarter valued at about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.84% of the companys stock.

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Gerdau Stock Performance

Shares of GGB opened at $5.33 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market capitalization of $9.37 billion, a PE ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 1.62. Gerdau S.A. has a 52-week low of $3.83 and a 52-week high of $6.34.

Gerdau Increases Dividend

Gerdau ( NYSE:GGB Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The basic materials company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.03. Gerdau had a net margin of 14.56% and a return on equity of 24.77%. The firm had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Gerdau S.A. will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a  dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th were paid a dividend of $0.101 per share. This is a boost from Gerdaus previous  dividend of $0.02. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 16th. Gerdaus dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.19%.

About Gerdau

(Free Report)

Gerdau SA, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a steel producer company. It operates through Brazil Business, North America Business, South America Business, and Special Steel Business divisions. The company provides semi-finished products, including billets, blooms, and slabs; common long rolled products, such as rebars, wire rods, merchant bars, light shapes, and profiles to the construction and manufacturing industries; drawn products comprising barbed and barbless fence wires, galvanized wires, fences, concrete reinforcing wire mesh, nails, and clamps for manufacturing, construction, and agricultural industries; and special steel products used in auto parts, light and heavy vehicles, and agricultural machinery, as well as in the oil and gas, wind energy, machinery and equipment, mining and rail, and other markets.

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Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) had its target price increased by research analysts at Barclays from $203.00 to $210.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Barclayss price objective points to a potential downside of 13.87% from the companys previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. 3M reissued a maintains rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $250.00 to $227.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $183.00 to $181.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $240.00 to $236.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Illinois Tool Works from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $229.64.

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Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

Shares of Illinois Tool Works stock opened at $243.81 on Monday. Illinois Tool Works has a 1-year low of $173.52 and a 1-year high of $253.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The firms 50-day moving average price is $235.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $233.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.38, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

Illinois Tool Works ( NYSE:ITW Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.10. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.27% and a return on equity of 92.13%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. Illinois Tool Workss revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Illinois Tool Works will post 9.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CAO Randall J. Scheuneman sold 5,425 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.23, for a total transaction of $1,297,822.75. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 8,870 shares in the company, valued at $2,121,970.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Illinois Tool Works

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 13.3% during the second quarter. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,647 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $412,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 26,512 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $6,634,000 after buying an additional 1,753 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 455.6% in the 2nd quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 450 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the period. Moseley Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 9.6% in the 2nd quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,269 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $317,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA bought a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,551,000. 79.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Illinois Tool Works Company Profile

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

Further Reading

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First Bank & Trust bought a new position in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 906 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $221,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Leeward Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. Leeward Financial Partners LLC now owns 5,248 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,278,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares during the period. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter valued at $284,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,404 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $4,967,000 after purchasing an additional 3,678 shares during the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 57,327 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $13,956,000 after purchasing an additional 795 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 14,271 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $3,474,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. 79.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Illinois Tool Works from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $183.00 to $181.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. 3M reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $235.00 to $240.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $240.00 to $236.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Illinois Tool Works presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $229.64.

Insider Buying and Selling at Illinois Tool Works

Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

In other Illinois Tool Works news, CAO Randall J. Scheuneman sold 5,425 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.23, for a total transaction of $1,297,822.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 8,870 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,121,970.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

ITW opened at $243.81 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $235.53 and a 200-day moving average of $233.56. The company has a market capitalization of $74.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.38, a PEG ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.13. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1-year low of $173.52 and a 1-year high of $253.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.20.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.27% and a return on equity of 92.13%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Illinois Tool Works Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Illinois Tool Workss payout ratio is 52.40%.

Illinois Tool Works Profile

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

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Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Free Report) by 13.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,913 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 2,867 shares during the quarter. Lodestar Private Asset Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $707,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. Ahrens Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, City State Bank boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 686.1% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 1,077 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 940 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.70% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSEARCA EEM opened at $39.39 on Monday. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 1-year low of $33.49 and a 1-year high of $42.53. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $39.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.48.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index).

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Cross Staff Investments Inc lessened its holdings in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) by 4.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,249 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 384 shares during the quarter. Cross Staff Investments Incs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $417,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Leeward Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. Leeward Financial Partners LLC now owns 15,798 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 1,327 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 46,190 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $2,338,000 after purchasing an additional 1,744 shares in the last quarter. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 160.6% in the 1st quarter. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 8,395 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $425,000 after purchasing an additional 5,173 shares in the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $176,000. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in Devon Energy by 57.0% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 174,464 shares of the energy companys stock worth $8,811,000 after buying an additional 63,372 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.00% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on DVN. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $71.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $82.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Devon Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $71.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $52.00 to $49.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Devon Energy currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.89.

Insider Buying and Selling

Devon Energy Stock Performance

In related news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Shares of DVN stock opened at $48.85 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market cap of $31.95 billion, a PE ratio of 5.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $48.67 and a 200-day moving average of $53.87. Devon Energy Co. has a one year low of $44.03 and a one year high of $78.82.

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.07. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. The business had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.88 EPS. Devon Energys revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.90%. Devon Energys payout ratio is 8.72%.

Devon Energy Profile

(Free Report)

Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new position in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 22,353 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $912,000. Pfizer makes up approximately 0.8% of Machina Capital S.A.S.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors own 67.80% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Pfizer from $41.00 to $39.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $50.00 to $44.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Credit Suisse Group lowered shares of Pfizer from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets lowered shares of Pfizer from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $38.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pfizer has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $46.67.

Insider Transactions at Pfizer

Pfizer Stock Performance

In other Pfizer news, Director Scott Gottlieb bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $38.58 per share, with a total value of $38,580.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 6,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $231,480. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Insiders own 0.05% of the companys stock.

NYSE:PFE opened at $35.53 on Monday. The firms 50-day moving average is $38.03 and its 200-day moving average is $41.50. Pfizer Inc. has a 52-week low of $35.35 and a 52-week high of $54.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.37. The company has a market cap of $200.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.99, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.61.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE  Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.23. Pfizer had a net margin of 31.25% and a return on equity of 37.53%. The company had revenue of $18.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.62%. Pfizers payout ratio is 32.28%.

Pfizer Profile

(Free Report)

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, 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.

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Garland Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Free Report) by 5.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,885 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,035 shares during the period. Novartis makes up about 3.4% of Garland Capital Management Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Garland Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Novartis were worth $4,957,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in Novartis by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,556,539 shares of the companys stock valued at $136,587,000 after purchasing an additional 240,710 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management increased its holdings in Novartis by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 4,869 shares of the companys stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 42.4% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 10,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $965,000 after purchasing an additional 3,272 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Novartis by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 95,477 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,000 after purchasing an additional 4,122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its holdings in Novartis by 22.8% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 3,528 shares of the companys stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 655 shares in the last quarter. 8.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NVS opened at $94.73 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firms 50-day moving average price is $100.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $93.71. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $74.09 and a 52-week high of $105.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $200.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.55.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.16. Novartis had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 23.29%. The firm had revenue of $12.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. Novartiss revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 6.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on NVS shares. BTIG Research raised their target price on Novartis from $75.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Novartis in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Novartis currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $82.25.

About Novartis

(Free Report)

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company operates through two segments: Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. The Innovative Medicines segment offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It also provides cardiovascular, ophthalmology, neuroscience, immunology, hematology, and solid tumor products.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 22:05 | All, Japan

Heavy rain pounded parts of Japan's southwestern region Monday, causing mudslides and river overflows and leaving at least five people dead and three others unaccounted for.

The Japan Meteorological Agency temporarily issued its highest rain alert level for the first time this year for neighboring Fukuoka and Oita prefectures, urging residents to take immediate measures to secure their safety.

An elderly woman was confirmed dead after she and her husband were found trapped in a house engulfed in mud due to a landslide in Soeda, Fukuoka, local authorities said. The husband survived.

In the prefecture, three others were also confirmed dead, including one apparently washed away by a flooded river while riding in a car in Kurume, they said.

One of the deceased was a man found after mud inundated at least seven houses in the city. He was among six people rescuers initially could not contact but have since been accounted for.

In Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, a landslide hit two houses, according to local authorities. A woman found by rescuers showed no vital signs and was confirmed dead later, while two men remain unaccounted for.

In Oita, a woman in her 50s was missing after reportedly being swept into a river in Nakatsu, local authorities said.

Due to the heavy rain, bullet train services between Hiroshima and Hakata stations on the Sanyo Shinkansen line, as well as Hakata and Kumamoto stations on the Kyushu Shinkansen line, were temporarily halted, their operators said.

Kurume logged 24-hour precipitation of 402.5 millimeters as of 4 p.m., the highest ever recorded there, according to the weather agency.

An active seasonal rain front is expected to stay over the Japanese archipelago through Tuesday, and an unstable atmosphere will likely affect wide areas in western to northern Japan, it said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Koichi Tani, his disaster management minister, at the premier's office to be briefed on the extent of damage due to the rain.

Kishida, who is scheduled to visit Lithuania and Belgium this week, told reporters that he will decide early Tuesday whether to make the tour later that same day as planned.

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Heavy rain pounds western Japan, halting some bullet train services
Fulton Breakefield Broenniman LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 2,480 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $241,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PM. Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its position in Philip Morris International by 587.6% during the 1st quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 54,895 shares of the companys stock worth $5,339,000 after acquiring an additional 46,912 shares during the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter worth $233,000. Sky Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Philip Morris International by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Sky Investment Group LLC now owns 78,382 shares of the companys stock worth $7,623,000 after acquiring an additional 2,161 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter worth $4,647,000. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its position in Philip Morris International by 350.5% during the 1st quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 19,941 shares of the companys stock worth $1,939,000 after acquiring an additional 15,515 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.43% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.2 %

NYSE PM opened at $97.70 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $151.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.48, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.70. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $94.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $97.83. Philip Morris International Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.85 and a twelve month high of $105.62.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 128.55%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.56 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.20%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is 90.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. 22nd Century Group restated a reiterates rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $109.00 to $116.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $109.00 to $117.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $111.40.

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 that are sold in markets outside the United States.

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Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. lowered its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT  Free Report) by 2.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,841 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 49 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $421,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Busey Wealth Management grew its stake in Caterpillar by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Busey Wealth Management now owns 88,499 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $20,252,000 after buying an additional 1,101 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 28.3% in the 1st quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,721 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,080,000 after buying an additional 1,040 shares during the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 31.7% during the 1st quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 1,429 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Benin Management CORP grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Benin Management CORP now owns 2,986 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $683,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 143.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,632 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,975,000 after purchasing an additional 5,083 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.28% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CAT shares. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $288.00 to $263.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Tigress Financial increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $266.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $210.00 to $208.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. 92 Resources restated an initiates rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Thursday, June 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $185.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $240.42.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $244.35 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $125.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.12, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $226.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $233.30. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $160.60 and a one year high of $266.04.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $4.91 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.79 by $1.12. The business had revenue of $15.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.27 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 50.98%. The firms revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.88 EPS. Research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 19th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.13%. This is an increase from Caterpillars previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Caterpillars dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.48%.

Caterpillar Company Profile

(Free Report)

Caterpillar, Inc engages in the manufacture of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. It operates through the following segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy and Transportation, Financial Products, and All Other.

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Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report) by 175.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 475,930 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 302,896 shares during the period. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF accounts for about 5.1% of Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $47,422,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 1.7% during the third quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,007 shares of the companys stock worth $579,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. West Branch Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 1,355 shares of the companys stock valued at $131,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Mosaic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Mosaic Advisors LLC now owns 12,230 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,186,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 5,087 shares of the companys stock valued at $493,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benin Management CORP boosted its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Benin Management CORP now owns 2,611 shares of the companys stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. 80.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF stock opened at $96.52 on Monday. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 52-week low of $93.20 and a 52-week high of $104.39. The company has a fifty day moving average of $98.32 and a 200-day moving average of $98.70.

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Profile

IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.

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Eudaimonia Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEARCA:VGT  Free Report) by 108.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 32,237 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 16,743 shares during the period. Vanguard Information Technology ETF makes up 3.0% of Eudaimonia Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Eudaimonia Partners LLCs holdings in Vanguard Information Technology ETF were worth $12,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 36.8% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,305,682 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,014,099,000 after purchasing an additional 1,696,758 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 73,743.6% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,635,747 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,800,114,000 after purchasing an additional 5,628,115 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its position in Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,983,595 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $633,580,000 after purchasing an additional 90,569 shares during the last quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its position in Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 67.4% during the 4th quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 1,178,424 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $376,400,000 after purchasing an additional 474,296 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 848.5% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 1,039,711 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $332,094,000 after purchasing an additional 930,095 shares during the last quarter.

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Vanguard Information Technology ETF Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSEARCA:VGT opened at $435.48 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $53.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.70 and a beta of 1.16. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $415.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $376.80. Vanguard Information Technology ETF has a fifty-two week low of $291.61 and a fifty-two week high of $447.92.

Vanguard Information Technology ETF Profile

Vanguard Information Technology ETF seeks to track the investment performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index, a benchmark of large-, mid-, and small-cap United States stocks in the information technology sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS).

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Rowland & Co. Investment Counsel ADV cut its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 5.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,082 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,508 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 2.1% of Rowland & Co. Investment Counsel ADVs investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Rowland & Co. Investment Counsel ADVs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $8,614,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth about $107,000. Roundview Capital LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.6% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 2,056 shares of the companys stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth about $210,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 53,052 shares of the companys stock worth $15,193,000 after acquiring an additional 4,774 shares during the period. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth about $561,000. 87.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 225,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $398.48, for a total value of $89,658,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 101,908,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,608,622,608.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 225,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $398.48, for a total transaction of $89,658,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 101,908,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,608,622,608.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total value of $2,576,760.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 970,965 shares of company stock worth $423,725,107. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. 3M reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, April 28th. SVB Securities boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $410.00 to $458.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $475.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $375.00 to $500.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $437.90.

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $452.08 on Monday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $441.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $380.82. The firm has a market cap of $429.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.38. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $296.32 and a 52 week high of $469.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. The company had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.62 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 8th will be given a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is presently 71.86%.

About Eli Lilly and Company

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It 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; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 21:05 | World, All, Japan

The widow of late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Taiwan next week and is expected to meet with the island's leader Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te, local media and supporters of the slain former premier said Monday.

Akie Abe will make a four-day trip from July 17, according to local media reports, as her husband, who was fatally shot on July 8, 2022, while giving an election campaign speech in western Japan, had been known for his friendly stance toward Taiwan.

Vice President Lai, a major candidate in the Taiwan presidential election next January, attended a private funeral of Abe held at a Tokyo Buddhist temple in July last year.

Tsai tweeted in Japanese on the first anniversary of his passing on Saturday that Shinzo Abe was a Japanese leader whom Taiwanese people felt "most friendly" towards and expressed her appreciation for his support of the island and promotion of bilateral exchanges. Akie Abe will also visit a bronze statue of her husband erected last year in Kaohsiung, a photo exhibition of him in Tainan and the grave of former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, according to the local reports and the foundation set up by Lee.

Related coverage:

1 year on, Abe assassination leaves controversial issues unresolved

FOCUS: Weakening influence of slain Abe works in favor of Japan PM Kishida

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 21:41 | All, Japan

Prosecutors conveyed to a Japanese court Monday that they will argue for the conviction of a man in his retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder in central Japan that will take place decades after his death sentence was finalized.

Iwao Hakamata, 87, spent nearly half a century behind bars before new evidence led to his release in 2014. Although his defense team has said he is innocent and the upcoming retrial is expected to lead to his exoneration, the prosecutors' move is likely to increase the likelihood of a prolonged process.

The prosecutors' decision, which was conveyed to the Shizuoka District Court, where the case will be tried again, angered Hakamata's defense team.

"We can only think that they are doing this even though they know Mr. Hakamata is innocent," one of the lawyers, Hideyo Ogawa, 70, said.

The move came even though the prosecutors have decided that they would not appeal a high court order in March that granted a retrial to Hakamata. The criminal procedure law says that a retrial will be opened if there is "clear evidence to find the accused not guilty."

In March, the Tokyo High Court, which was ordered by the Supreme Court in 2020 to re-examine its 2018 decision not to reopen the case, reversed course and ordered the retrial, citing the unreliability of the main evidence used.

The high court said there was a strong possibility that five pieces of blood-stained clothing that Hakamata allegedly wore during the incident had been planted by investigators in the tank of miso soybean paste in which they were found.

The clothes were found about 14 months after the murder on June 30, 1966, but the court acknowledged that the blood stains could not have maintained the redness they had preserved if kept in miso paste for such a long time, based on experiments conducted by Hakamata's defense team.

The experiments showed that the redness should have disappeared in about a month and would have eventually turned blackish. Hakamata was arrested in August 1966.

The prosecutors said Monday in a statement submitted to the court that "it is not at all unnatural for the redness to remain" on the clothes and argued that "there is no basis" they had been planted.

Hakamata's elder sister Hideko, 90, told reporters in front of her home in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, "It cannot be helped because it is the prosecutors' decision. We will work hard in the trial to come."

Facing criticism that the latest decision will only prolong the trial, Yohei Okuda, deputy chief prosecutor at the Shizuoka District Public Prosecutors Office, said, "We have no intention at all to extend the process."

Hakamata was a live-in employee at a miso maker when he was arrested for allegedly killing the firm's senior managing director, his wife and two of their children. They were found fatally stabbed at their house in Shizuoka Prefecture, which had been burned down.

The former professional boxer confessed to the killings during intense interrogation but pleaded not guilty at trial.

His mental state deteriorated during his long incarceration, especially after 1980, when his death sentence was finalized by the Supreme Court.

It is the fifth time in postwar Japan that a decision for a retrial has been finalized for a case in which the death penalty had been given. The four previous cases all resulted in acquittals in the 1980s, although prosecutors tried to prove their guilt.

Related coverage:

1966 Japan murder case to reopen as prosecutors give up appeal

Tokyo court orders retrial of 1966 quadruple murder case
President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the armys top brass, Putins spokesman said on Monday.

The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin.

The meeting, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was held on June 29, five days after the aborted mutiny, which is widely regarded to have posed the most serious challenge to Putin since he came to power on the last day of 1999.

Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours.

The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the companys (Wagners) actions at the front during the Special Military Operation (in Ukraine) and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June (the day of the mutiny), Peskov told reporters.

He said Putin had listened to the commanders own explanations of what had happened and had offered them further options for employment and combat.

The commanders outlined their version of what happened (on June 24). They emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland, said Peskov.

The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin, who likened the events to the turmoil which engulfed Russia in the run-up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, has since thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war.

Prigozhin has said the mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing the government but at bringing to justice the army and defence chiefs for what he called their blunders and unprofessional actions in Ukraine.

Putin has so far kept Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in place, judging by appearances by both men on state TV  rejecting Prigozhins appeals to sack them.

Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny. But Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin was back in Russia and that Wagner fighters had not yet taken up an offer to relocate to Belarus, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement.

SOURCE: REUTERS
KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 22:22 | All, Japan, World

Japan did not voice opposition Monday to a U.S. plan to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine for its counteroffensive against Russia, with some NATO members concerned over the supply of the weapons ahead of their summit later this week.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno refrained from making a direct assessment on the U.S. plan, but the top government spokesman said Tokyo has confirmed Washington's commitment to mitigating the impact of the weapons on civilians in Ukraine.

Matsuno said Japan has been aware that the United States will offer cluster munitions designed to minimize the risk of unexploded ordnance and Ukraine will use them exclusively within its territory while trying to reduce harm to those not in the military.

On Friday, Washington said it will provide the weapons to Kyiv for the first time ever as part of an $800 million military aid package to support Ukraine in its ongoing war, launched by Russia in February 2022.

In the run-up to the two-day summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from Tuesday in Lithuania, some of its members, including Britain, Germany and Canada, have expressed their opposition to the use or provision of the weapons.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to participate in the gathering. Japan is not a member of NATO, but the Asian country is a partner of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapons, which release numerous smaller bomblets to kill people indiscriminately and can also leave unexploded ordnance leading to unintended civilian deaths afterward, are banned by more than 100 nations.

The United States, Russia and Ukraine are not parties to the convention. Matsuno said at a press conference on Monday that Japan, as one of the signatories of the framework, will make efforts to call on as many nonmembers as possible to join the grouping.

Related coverage:

Japan PM Kishida arranging summit with Zelenskyy in Lithuania on July 12

U.S. to provide widely banned cluster munitions to Ukraine
KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 13:34 | All, World, Japan

Senior police officials from Ukraine began a training program Monday in Tokyo on ways to identify war dead, hoping to learn from Japan's experience in carrying out mass autopsies after its 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster.

During the five-day program through Friday, the 10 Ukrainian police officials will be trained on mass autopsy procedures, collection of specimens, and DNA analysis, according to Japan's National Police Agency.

According to Ukraine, tens of thousands of bodies remain unidentified since Russia began its invasion in February 2022.

The Ukrainian police will also learn about Japan's approach to mental health care for family members who lost loved ones and officers involved in identifying bodies, the agency said.

"Our colleagues joining this program come from the provinces where there is a war going on. We have been invited by Japan and we expect to be shown (the Japanese side's) vast experience," said Oleksandr Shulha at the training program's opening ceremony in Tokyo, representing the Ukrainian delegation.

Hiroki Tsutsui, councilor for international affairs at the NPA, said, "We are happy to be able to deliver our knowledge. It is a common responsibility of both the Ukrainian and Japanese police to return the bodies of victims to their families as soon as possible."

Japanese police had completed by the end of February this year 15,830 autopsies on bodies from Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, and identified 99.7 percent of the victims of the magnitude-9.0 quake and tsunami disaster that hit eastern Japan in 2011.

The Ukrainian officials will also attend a lecture in Tokyo and visit the National Research Institute of Police Science in Chiba Prefecture, near the Japanese capital.

They will travel to Fukushima Prefecture for two days from Thursday and visit the remains of the disaster-hit Ukedo Elementary School and exchange views with police officers who were involved in identifying bodies in the aftermath of the calamity.

The training program came after Kyiv contacted the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine via the U.N. Development Program in early May, asking for Japanese professionals to share their expertise in identifying large numbers of bodies.

Related coverage:

Japan police to help Ukrainian counterparts identify war dead

Ukraine applies to join Pacific trade pact, Japan says
A retired school principal and former Christian Brother has been jailed for three and half years for the indecent assault of one of his pupils over 40 years ago.

Paul Hendrick (75) of Croftwood Grove, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecently assaulting Kenneth Grace on dates between May 1980 and July 1984 at locations including in Dublin, Tipperary and Waterford.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard at a sentence hearing last May that Mr Grace had waived his anonymity to allow Henrick to be named.

Garda Detective Enda Dowling told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that the incidents started when the victim was aged 13 and a first-year student at CBS Westland Row.

Hendrick was second-in-command at the school and later became principal. He has no previous convictions.

The court heard the complainant also received extra tuition from Hendrick and was asked to help with jobs around the school for which he received sweets and cans of Coke.

As he got older, he was given cigarettes and allowed to use the school van.

The court heard that the abuse took place in a number of locations including the furnace room of the school, which the victim would be asked to clean.

This room contained some gym equipment and the abuse started with Hendrick challenging the victim to see who could do more pull ups.

This progressed to wrestling while initially fully clothed, though later they would both be in their underwear.

Hendrick would restrain the victim during these incidents and Mr Grace recalls feeling Hendrick's erect penis against his back during these incidents.

The abuse escalated to include Hendrick stripping to his underwear and getting the victim to whip him or whipping the victim. The court heard Mr Grace's sister saw the marks on his back on one occasion.

He told her Hendrick had done it.

These incidents also took place in a reception room of the priest's residence beside the school.

The court heard the abuse continued over the summer months as Mr Grace would be brought to the school to carry out chores. Hendrick also indecently assaulted the victim during attended camping trips to a farm managed by the Christian Brothers in Co. Waterford and a house owned by the order in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

The court heard Mr Grace's father passed away when he was very young. He was afraid to tell anyone as he didn't understand what was happening.

The abuse continued until Mr Grace was around 17, a few months before he sat his Leaving Certificate, when he could fight back and realised Hendrick's actions were wrong.

The garda detective said Mr Grace was isolated from his classmates during his time in the school. Hendrick would also shout at him during classes.

Mr Grace made a statement to gardai in 2018.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Grace said he doesn't consider himself to be a survivor of historic sexual abuse, but as someone who is trying to survive on a daily basis.

He said he had been a happy child with happy memories before he started at the school and Hendrick became the father figure he'd never had. He said the betrayal he had experienced had made it difficult for him to trust others.

Your actions turned my childhood and adult life into a battlefield, he said.

He said he hoped to see justice served and intended to live his life without guilt or shame.

I'm not to blame. It wasn't my fault, it was your fault, he added.

Judge Pauline Codd had adjourned the case having heard evidence last May. Sentencing Hendrick today/yesterday (Monday) Judge Codd commended Mr Grace for his eloquence, grace and courage saying that he spoke with insight and dignity in relation to the impact the abuse had on his life.

It is apparent that the abuse followed him through his life, Judge Codd said before she added that the victim impact statement also made clear how life-long emotional trauma and pain follows children who are exploited and groomed in this manner. She noted how Mr Grace spoke of his loss of self esteem, the fact that he has been diagnosed as having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the damage the abuse had on his education and subsequently his career.

Judge Codd also acknowledged the emotional paralysis Mr Grace has suffered. His evidence bears testimony to the fact that sexual assault of a young person often results in life long psychological harm. This is now acknowledged by society in a way that it was not when Mr Grace suffered the abuse.

The judge said the love and affection Mr Grace has for his wife, family and friends, was also apparent in his victim impact statement and she said she hopes that he can continue to embrace all that is good and positive in his life.

The judge noted that she was bound by the law that existed at the time of the offending which meant that the maximum penalty available to the court was 10 years.

Judge Codd acknowledged that Hendrick had demonstrated insight, deep remorse and shame in a psychological report before the court but she added that nothing excuses the accused for what he did, people instinctively know the difference between right and wrong.

The judge also noted that Hendrick entered the Christian Brother order when he was 14 years old and said his life experience would have been framed by this and the prevailing culture of the time, affording significant power to those in religious orders. She said Hendrick would have been emotionally immature at the time of the offending and while that doesnt excuse his behaviour, Judge Codd said it puts it into context. She also accepted that Hendrick has gained insight through therapy that he continues to attend.

Judge Codd also acknowledged the fact that Hendrick had pleaded guilty which she said was particularly significant in historic cases. She added that it saved Mr Grace having to give evidence but said that most importantly a guilty plea vindicates the victim.

The judge said she was taking into account testimonials which stated that Hendrick was an excellent teacher and a kind man who has spent time taking care of people in the community. She further acknowledged the fact that he will be on the sexs offenders register.

Judge Codd said that the offences warranted a sentence of four years. She suspended the final six months of that sentence on condition that Hendrick continue to undergo the recommended treatments under the supervision of the Probation Service.

Philip Rahn SC, defending, said his client wished to offer a full apology to Mr Grace.

His client attended CBS as a child and joined the Christian Brothers when he was 14. He joined the teaching staff at CBS Westland Row in 1978 and became principal in 1981, a post he held until his retirement in 1994.

His client had a leadership role within the order, which was lost when these allegations came to light. Mr Rahn said Hendrick had suffered a long fall from grace.

Mr Rahn handed in a number of testimonials from family and past pupils and a report from a forensic psychologist. Defence counsel said the report outlines that Hendrick had a poor understanding of sexual and relationship matters at the time of the offending, but now recognises that he engaged in grooming behaviour which had a significant impact on the injured party.

He asked the court to take into consideration his client's guilty plea, age, lack of previous convictions and the passage of time since the offending occurred.
[July 10, 2023] Esri Releases Latest Land Cover Map with Improved AI Modeling Tweet

Land-use/Land-cover (LULC) maps contextualize and quantify the impacts of earth processes and human activity on the environment. Organizations around the world are now using these tools to inform policy and land management decisions around issues like sustainable development. In continued support of these users and their goals, Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, in partnership with Impact Observatory, has released a global land-use/land-cover map of the world based on the most up-to-date 10-meter Sentinel-2 satellite data for every year since 2017. Following the latest 2022 data released earlier this year, the artificial intelligence (AI) model for classification has been improved, making the maps more temporally consistent. Year-over-year changes detected in the LULC time series maps can be key indicators for analysts and decision-makers. The AI model performing the global classification has been optimized to reduce model insufficiency, class ambiguity, and sensitivity to seasonal variability. The result is a higher confidence that changes detected represent meaningful real-world changes. "Users are working with maps that will accurately reflect events and earth processes that are happening in reality," said Sean Breyer, Esri program manager for ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. "We are constantly updating our land-cover map with new data and features, and this latest improvement ensures that anyone viewing temporal change can be confident what they are seeing represents the natural world." With planned annual releases, users have the option to make year-over-year comparisons in global land cover today and into the future. This is especially important for organizations like national government resource agencies that use this data to define land-planning priorities and determine budgetallocations. Governments, businesses, and scientists can now more reliably make these data comparisons.



Esri developed its Sentinel-2 10-Meter Land Use/Land Cover Time Series with European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 imagery hosted on the Microsoft Planetary Computer, and with machine learning workflows developed by Esri Silver partner Impact Observatory. "With Esri's support, Impact Observatory was able to further improve these fully automated maps of the world, which have already been independently assessed as the most accurate global land-cover maps available," said Steve Brumby, Impact Observatory CEO. "These maps provide important insights into the large-scale patterns of our changing planet."

The global LULC time series is available online to more than 10 million users of geographic information system (GIS) software through Esri's ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, the foremost collection of geographic information and services, including maps and apps. It can also be viewed on the Sentinel-2 Land Cover Explorer, a dynamic, ready-to-use online application that allows anyone anywhere to easily observe change. To explore Esri's updated and improved land cover map online now, visit livingatlas.arcgis.com/landcoverexplorer. About Impact Observatory Impact Observatory is a mission-driven technology company bringing artificial intelligence (AI) powered algorithms and on-demand data to sustainability and environmental risk analysis for governments, non-profit organizations, companies, and markets. Impact Observatory is committed to making geospatial data more accessible and affordable for everyone. Founded in 2020 in Washington, DC, Impact Observatory's mission is to empower global decision-makers to be planetary superheroes, with the timely, actionable science-based insights they need to succeed. Learn more at impactobservatory.com. About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world's most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright  2023 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710580197/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Stephens Insurance Hires Mark Green to Expand Cyber Risk Practice Tweet

Stephens Insurance, LLC, an affiliate of Stephens Inc., today announced Mark Green is joining the firm as a Senior Vice President focused on Cyber Risk for the Property & Casualty practice. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as well as a broader array of unique skills acquired from military service. Mr. Green will be based in the Birmingham, Alabama office of Stephens Insurance. "Mark is a terrific addition to Stephens Insurance as Cyber Risk insurance is a critical growth area. He is a leading expert in this burgeoning field with considerable experience. We look forward to working with Mark to help our clients solve their evolving cyber challenges," stated Miles Stephens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stephens Insurance. In his new role, Mr. Green will help further expand the Cyber Risk practice. He joins Stephens Insurance from McGriff, Seibels & Williams. Prior to McGriff, Mr. Green was an executive at Willis HRH. His career began in the U.S. Navy where Mr. Green was an aviator for more than 11 years. Mr. Green earned a B.S. at urdue University and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.



About Stephens Insurance, LLC Stephens Insurance, LLC is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas and is one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerages in the mid-South. We currently have 170+ associates throughout our network of offices in Birmingham, Fayetteville, Dallas, Jackson, and Houston. Stephens Insurance is located at 1728 3rd Avenue North, Suite 320, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, phone number (205) 847-3900.

About Stephens "Stephens" (the company brand name) is a leading family-owned investment firm that includes Stephens Inc. (member NYSE/SIPC), Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC, Stephens Insurance, LLC, and Stephens Capital Partners LLC.  2023 Stephens. Stephens Inc. is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1933, Stephens Inc. provides securities brokerage, investment banking and other financial services to a broad client base which includes corporations, state and local governments, financial institutions, institutional investors and individual investors throughout the United States and overseas. Stephens Inc. (Home Office: 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR USA, 501-377-2000) is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Member SIPC/NYSE. For more information, visit www.stephens.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710826692/en/

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[July 09, 2023] Urovo Launched the New Enterprise Mobile Computers CT48 and CT58 for lightweight and comfortable user experience Tweet

SHENZHEN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 30th, Urovo Technology, one of the world's leading AIDC manufacturers, rolled out its newest Enterprise Mobile Computers CT48 and CT58. "Designed with a primary focus on lightweight and comfortable user experience, these devices deliver exceptional performance and convenience to meet the long-time operation needs," said Herbert Huang, Product Director of Urovo. CT58 Enterprise Mobile Computer High Performance: Powered by octa-core 2.0GHz high-performance processor and running on Android 12.0 operating system.

Best Comfort: Ergonomic design for comfortable operation and thin-bezel design for seamless viewing experience.

Professional Scan Engine: Built-in scan engine for easy reading of 1D/2D/stained/distorted/damaged barcodes, together with the specially designed 25 scanning angle allows operators to easily complete scanning tasks.

5.5-inch Display: Featuring a 5.5-inch display with high brightness and refresh rate.

High-capacity Battery: With a removable 5000mAh battery, it ensures all-day operation.

Fat Focusing: The rear 13MP camera adopts PDAF fast focusing technology.





CT48 Enterprise Mobile Computer High Performance: Equipped with octa-core 2.0 GHz high-performance processor and powered by Android 12.0.

Professional Scan Engine: Built-in professional scan engine for easy reading of 1D/2D/DPM codes, together with the specially designed 25 scanning angle allows operators to easily complete scanning tasks.

Comfortable and Flexible Operation: Measuring 66mm in width and 252g in weight. The adjusted key height and large keypad prevent accidental touches.

Loud and Clear Speaker: With a high performance speaker, it delivers a volume of 100dB+ for clear feedback in noisy environments. Designed for logistics, retail, and manufacturing, the CT48 equiped with a lightweight body and a large keypad, reducing errors caused by one-handed operation. Users can have an accurate input even when wearing gloves.

CT58 and CT48 are available for test and order now, contact us through [email protected]. For all the latest products news and updates, visit

https://en.urovo.com/products/mobile/CT58.html

https://en.urovo.com/products/mobile/CT48.html About UROVO Listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2016, UROVO Technology Co., Ltd (300531. SZ) is one of the world's leading AIDC manufacturers, focused on the design, research, development, production and sales of smart data terminals, smart payment terminals and professional printers. Media Contact

Echo Zhu

[email protected].com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/urovo-launched-the-new-enterprise-mobile-computers-ct48-and-ct58-for-lightweight-and-comfortable-user-experience-301872563.html SOURCE UROVO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

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[July 09, 2023] Dentsu Next debuts MIXER & LUCIE in APAC with dentsu's FIRST pair of AI Innovation Marketing Solutions Tweet

SHANGHAI, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dentsu Next, part of DENTSU CREATIVE debuted MIXER & LUCIE, reinforces commitment to establish meaningful connections with modern creativity between brands & consumers, through the use of technology to reinvent the future. "The debut of MIXER & LUCIE, aim to optimise all brand interactions & create unparalleled experiences! Dentsu brings value to businesses through our integrated ecosystem to seize opportunities in the AI-led digital marketing era - to maintain brand's relevance & inspire authenticity across the customer journey. Ultimately, to help drive business profitability at every stage," said Richard Tan, CEO of DENTSU CREATIVE China. MIXER propels go-to-market strategy, significantly reduces product development time with data-led analysis & insights for competitive advantage. By analysing big data on consumer trends, social sentiments across APAC, MIXER explores hundreds of scenarios based on the marketing requests input by users. This solution condenses a process that traditionally takes months into hours, while ensuring each fresh idea is generated. MIXER addresses vital aspects of modern product ideation: Adapting to evolving market trends, Understanding consumer needs & preferences, Leveraging technology & data effectively. "Understanding the importance of transforming customer experiences through the creation of unforgettable moments that leaves lasting impressions, will be key to set one apart in this evolved marketing era," said Ron Lee, Managing Partner dentsu next China. When customer interactons are handled by unenthusiastic representatives, the result is often underwhelming & forgettable. These issues translate into potential revenue loss & leave businesses wrestling to find a solution.



LUCIE, is an advanced customer intelligence & engagement AI designed to enhance loyalty-driven experiences in the retail service industry, supported by Dentsu Japan, with a team of dedicated engineers and research team. 1st, AI LUCIE digital Avatar production workflow, encompassing personality creation, visual look designs, voice creation & special ability creatives.

2nd, LIVE LUCIE, in the world of hyper-realistic mocap production, she/he is not just any live generative production, but a fully rigged 3D model that allows complete customisation. "We've designed LUCIE to be a transformative asset in the customer experience journey," explained Kaz Tsuburaku, Chief Experience Officer at DENTSU CREATIVE China. Tsuburaku added, "LUCIE seamlessly integrates into existing marketing workflows, enhancing them while creating a realm of new opportunities for brands to engage with their audience in meaningful ways." The transformative potential of AI is showcased in LUCIE's wide array of capabilities. A remarkable advantage is the shortened model training time, enabling LUCIE to be fully functional in a matter of weeks. "AI is becoming a cornerstone of customer service for businesses around the world The key to growth is to strategically engage with evolved consumers, while being in control with content and creativity, to meet growing demands & capitalise on market opportunities," said Alex Chu, Creative Partner, DENTSU CREATIVE China. At dentsu, we have leveraged the latest advancements in technology, to optimise efficiency & take the customer experience to unprecedented heights through: Efficiency: Our technology makes waiting a thing of the past. Cost Reduction: By automating mundane tasks and delivering unparalleled support, our solution reduces manpower costs. Our tireless and infinitely patient 24/7 service. Elevated Experience: Through our solution's multi-faceted engagement channels, you gain the power to connect with customers across various social media platforms. Augmented Brand Identity: Our meticulous customer service avatars embody the essence of your brand, imparting a distinctive & branded experience. Contact Jean Kniss Loh

[email protected] Anya Chen

[email protected] Dentsu Next team

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/dentsu-next-debuts-mixer--lucie-in-apac-with-dentsus-first-pair-of-ai-innovation-marketing-solutions-301872460.html SOURCE dentsu China

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[July 10, 2023] Azentio Software and Nityo Infotech partner to optimize IT ROI for BFSI organizations Tweet

Clients to benefit from combined expertise and capability-aligned IT teams SINGAPORE, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Azentio Software ("Azentio"), a Singapore-headquartered technology firm owned by funds advised by Apax Partners, and Nityo Infotech, a global IT services company, today announced a formal partnership aimed at providing innovative and comprehensive technology solutions to the Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) industry.

The partnership brings together the proven expertise and deep industry knowledge of Azentio and of Nityo Infotech in IT services and consulting, to increase operational efficiency and accelerate transformation as BFSI service providers dig deeper into digitalization. As per the agreement, Nityo Infotech becomes Azentio's reseller as well as implementation partner, focusing more on the BFSI domain. This partnership will give Nityo Infotech's clients access to Azentio's innovative and comprehensive software product suite for different financial services areas, such as lending, trade finance, Islamic banking, treasury, factoring & supply chain finance, risk management, wealth & investment management, and insurance. Azento offers these solutions under three comprehensive technology platforms, namely, Azentio ONEBanking, Azentio ONECapitalMarkets and Azentio ONEInsurance.



Meanwhile, Azentio's clients will get access to Nityo Infotech's complete range of IT consulting services, including staffing, quality assurance, project management and implementation. Krish Narayanaswami, Managing Director - Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance at Azentio, commented, "BFSI organizations today are increasingly exploring and adopting digitalization, while also looking forward to maximizing returns from their investments in IT as competition mounts. With our combined strengths and respective domain and IT consultancy proficiencies, we will ensure that they get the maximum value from their IT investment as well as superior business results."

Naveen Kumar, Founder and CEO of Nityo Infotech, stated, "We are excited to partner with Azentio to deliver digital transformation solutions and services to help our clients gain a competitive edge. Our collaboration will enable us to provide end-to-end services to meet the ever-changing client needs." Brijendra Singh, Global Head - Partnerships & Strategic Alliances, BFSI, at Azentio, said, "Backed by Nityo Infotech's strengths in IT consulting services and implementation, Azentio now becomes a compelling strategic partner for BFSI companies who want to leverage the latest in financial software to innovate at speed, reduce time-to-market, optimize conversions, and increase revenue." Elie Estephan, Senior Vice President - Banking Practice and Financial Banking Products at Nityo Infotech, added, "Azentio has a proven track record of helping BFSI companies leverage technology innovatively to drive growth and meet their strategic goals. Nityo Infotech, meanwhile, has over 23,000 skilled IT service professionals spread across 62 locations. These professionals have the necessary experience and skills to perfectly complement Azentio's agile implementation methodology and time-to-value." About Azentio Software Azentio provides mission-critical software products across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and India to banks, Islamic financial institutions, and insurance companies. It also provides ERP solutions to mid-market enterprises. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1978771/Azentio_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/azentio-software-and-nityo-infotech-partner-to-optimize-it-roi-for-bfsi-organizations-301871784.html SOURCE Azentio Software Pvt Ltd

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2023 - 21:35 | All, World, Japan

Japan and Ukraine are arranging to hold a summit as early as Wednesday between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania, government sources said Monday.

During his talks with Zelenskyy, Kishida is expected to express his eagerness to boost support for Ukraine in rebuilding its infrastructure and economy, devastated by Russia's invasion that began in February 2022, the sources said.

It would be the first time for the two leaders to meet since the president made a surprise appearance at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May. In June, Kishida held a telephone conversation with Zelenskyy.

Japan has agreed with Ukraine to establish a liaison system that will support the European country in its efforts to reconstruct areas severely damaged by Russia's aggression.

Tokyo has intended to provide Kyiv with advice and knowledge to be used in rebuilding destroyed regions based on the experience gained from the massive 2011 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit the northeastern part of Japan.

The two-day NATO summit is scheduled to start Tuesday in Lithuania. While Japan is not a member of NATO, the Asian nation is a partner of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Related coverage:

Ukraine police begin training in Japan on identifying war dead

U.S. to provide widely banned cluster munitions to Ukraine

Ukraine applies to join Pacific trade pact, Japan says
[July 10, 2023] Cobham and Ultra Electronics pledge 5 million investment in UK skills Tweet

The scholarship programme will offer up to 500 students funding for each year of their university education LONDON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to support and encourage the next generation of engineers, Cobham and Ultra Electronics, two leading UK defence, aerospace and technology companies have today announced the Cobham & Ultra Scholarship programme for university students from underrepresented groups. Pledging a total of 5 million to six universities - with the potential of two more to come - that are recognised both in the United Kingdom and globally as leaders in engineering given their reputation and research in the field, the fund hopes to support over a hundred students starting their studies in September 2023 who will receive funding for each remaining year of their undergraduate degree. Supporting up to 500 students over the life of the fund, Cobham and Ultra Electronics have worked with the institutions located across the UK to guarantee the scholarship conditions ensure students most in need of financial support are selected. Engineering is at the heart of what Cobham and Ultra Electronics do. For example, Ultra Electronics currently employs over 600 engineers in the UK alone, who work on military hardware, satellite communications and projects which ensure the UK and its allies' national security. The 5 million worth of funding builds on this impressive feat and continues both Cobham and Ultra's significant investment in advancing defence capabilities and staying ahead of the ever-evolving threat. The Cobham & Ultra scholarship is a collaboratin with engineering faculty leaders from the University of Oxford, University of Strathclyde, University of Nottingham, Northumbria University, Queen's University Belfast and University of York. These universities have already received their scholarship funding, while discussions around funding agreements are ongoing with two other leading institutions. This collaboration could also potentially see students access a number of added benefits including first-hand mentoring and guidance, should students wish for it.



In addition, Cobham and Ultra Electronics' relationship with the prestigious universities will allow the chance for students studying a range of engineering degrees including electrical and electronic, civil and mechanical to explore work experience opportunities and even a year in industry. Shonnel Malani, Chairman of the Board of Cobham and Ultra Electronics stated: "Ultra Electronics and Cobham's history are steeped in contributing to the UK's national security, and through this investment we are ensuring the UK maintains this defensive capability moving forward. This investment unlocks future growth, boosts productivity and will help build the skilled workforce of the future in the UK.

"Further to this, our 5 million pledge to these leading engineering higher-education institutions offers students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to pursue their educational goals and build a stronger platform for success in their future careers and life ambitions." For further information please visit: www.cobhamultrascholarship.com. Cobham Cobham is a leading global aerospace and defence company, specialising in technology and services innovation. Respected for providing solutions to the most challenging problems, from deep space to the depths of the ocean. Founded in 1934, Cobham designs and manufactures intelligent hardware for defence, aerospace and space markets. Ultra Electronics Ultra Electronics ("Ultra") is a leading provider of missioncritical defence electronics solutions. Ultra provides highly engineered and mission critical solutions primarily to defence endmarkets. Ultra is a leading provider of sonar and radio frequency electronics solutions across marine, air, land and space environments, and has at its core the purpose of supporting a safer tomorrow. The company's technologies are typically solesourced, reflecting the cuttingedge engineering capabilities it provides to many of the world's largest commercial and military platforms. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cobham-and-ultra-electronics-pledge-5-million-investment-in-uk-skills-301870085.html

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[July 10, 2023] XCMG Machinery Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Martifer Tweet

XUZHOU, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG Machinery ("XCMG", SHE:000425) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Martifer, a global leader in the construction and new energy sectors from Portugal, to expand applications of XCMG's sanitation and new energy equipment in Portugal. The signing ceremony was attended by Zhao Bentang, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal; Liu Jiansen, vice president of XCMG and general manager of XCMG Import and Export Co., Ltd.; and Jorge Martins, CEO of Martifer. "XCMG will unswervingly take the path of international and sustainable development and take the lead in carbon reduction and promoting a low-carbon roadmap, Martifer is a renowned company in Portugal's metallic construction and renewable energy industries, and our cooperation will introduce more of XCMG's green, sustainable, and highly efficient new energy products into the Portuguese market as well as further supporting the local economic development," noted Liu. Martins expressed that XCMG as a globally leading construction machinery manufacturer is widely acclaimed in Europe, and XCMG's industry layout and network development in Europe have shown the company's confidence and commitment to promoting global green development. Martifer will join hands with XCMG to advance sustainable development in Portugal.



Zhao remarked that the successful cooperation of XCMG and Martifer marks another milestone of China and Portugal's collaborative efforts in pushing forward the "Belt and Road" Initiative as well as enterprise cooperation between the two countries, boasting profound significance in promoting economic and trade relationships. XCMG has fully elevated its network in the European market over the past few years. At the recently concluded 69th Feira Nacional de Agricultura Feira do Ribatejo (the National Agriculture Fair in Portugal, "FNA23"), XCMG exhibited seven customized excavators: the XE18E, XE19E, XE20E, XE27E, XE35E, XE55E, and XE80E, all of which meet the Euro 5 emission standards and CE certification requirements. The excavators were sold out on the opening day of the trade show, and XCMG also received many order intentions for its latest products, which highlight innovative technologies and premium quality.

The excavators are equipped with Kubota or Yanmar engines in their original packaging to deliver robust power with fuel efficiency. Models starting with the XE27E adopt the AUX1, AUX2, and hydraulic quick-change lines, coupled with no-tail or short-tail designs, to meet customers' diverse needs. The precise hydraulic system and suspension seating also improve the driving experience while guaranteeing maneuverability. For more information, please visit http://en.xcmg.com/en-ap/. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2148900/XCMG_Machinery_Signs_Memorandum_Cooperation_Martifer.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xcmg-machinery-signs-memorandum-of-cooperation-with-martifer-301871885.html

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[July 10, 2023] Francisco Partners Acquires Macrobond from Nordic Capital; Focuses on Growing its Global Presence Tweet

Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology businesses, today announced its acquisition of Macrobond, a top innovator in the financial data and technology industry, from Nordic Capital, a leading European private equity investor. Macrobond's Founder Tomas Liljeborg will continue as Chief Executive Officer and will remain a significant equity holder in the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710225266/en/ Since 2008, Macrobond has been transforming the work flows of economists, analysts and strategists across the globe, boosting productivity, fostering deeper collaboration and allowing them to analyze and forecast macro-economic and financial data more efficiently. Macrobond partnered with Nordic Capital in 2018 and has experienced significant growth since, with its 230 employees operating from offices in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Today, Macrobond provides the world's broadest macroeconomic and financial database, offering almost 300 million time-series, alongside the tools and technologies to quickly analyze, visualize and share insights from an intuitive integrated workflow platform. Macrobond serves 800+ organizations globally, including some of the world's largest banks and asset managers, as well as hedge funds, central banks and research houses. "When I founded Macrobond in 2008, our goal was to deliver the world's most comprehensive source of economic and financial intelligence for financial professionals that helps them quickly comprehend relevant data. Now in 2023, we are focused on further expanding our presence and customer personas across the globe, as well as accelerating technological innovation and growth across new datasets," said Tomas Liljeborg, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Macrobond. "Partnering with Francisco Partners will help Macrobond increase our growth and innovation across our market-leading product suite." "Customers attest that the Macrobond platform, through its highly reliable, current and comprehensive data as well as its easy-to-use search, visualization, and analytics engie, helps them do their jobs better. Tomas and the team have grown the business by continuously improving the value they deliver to these customers, and we are delighted to back Macrobond to further improve its growth and impact," said Mario Razzini and Ashley Evans, Partners at Francisco Partners, and Quentin Lathuille, Principal at Francisco Partners.



"We're delighted to have been on this journey with Macrobond and are proud of their tireless devotion during this period. Together with Tomas and the rest of the management team, Nordic Capital has focused on expanding the company's offering to support its focus on becoming the platform of choice for people working in financial and economic research worldwide. We are proud of Macrobond's achievements and remain convinced that they will continue to deliver outstanding services to customers around the world and see this transaction as a start of an exciting next phase for Macrobond," said Emil Anderson, Partner, Nordic Capital Advisors. The investment is subject to customary closing conditions. Moelis & Company served as financial advisor and Paul Hastings served as legal advisor to Francisco Partners. Arma Partners, PWC and White & Case acted as advisors to Nordic Capital and Macrobond.

About Macrobond Macrobond is a leading provider of global economic, aggregate financial and sector time-series data for professionals including economists, analysts, quants, strategists, portfolio managers and asset allocators. Founded in Malmo, Sweden, in 2008, its flexible SaaS solution delivers timely macroeconomic and financial data from more than 2,500 sources, supported by the most comprehensive metadata in the industry. Macrobond's integrated analytical tools enable customers worldwide to quickly find, analyze and visualize relevant data. Automated workflows empower users to instantly share insights, enhancing enterprise-wide collaboration and improving productivity. About Francisco Partners Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in more than 400 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. With approximately $45 billion in capital raised to date, the firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com. About Nordic Capital Nordic Capital is a leading private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and selectively, Industrial & Business Services. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 22 billion in over 130 investments. The most recent fund is Nordic Capital Fund XI with EUR 9 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Norway. For further information about Nordic Capital, please visit www.nordiccapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710225266/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Astronergy modules stably generating at Europe's largest TOPCon PV plant Tweet

HANGZHOU, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the two-month stable generation of Europe's largest n-type TOPCon solar farm in Germany  the Dollen solar farm, an inauguration ceremony was held on June 30 to mark the success of the power plant which is generating green energy with the installations of a total of 154.77MW ASTRO N series TOPCon PV modules from Astronergy. After almost one year of construction since May 2022, the Dollen solar farm finished its construction and connected to the grid in April 2023. Thanks to ASTRO N series n-type TOPCon PV modules from Astronergy, the 154.77MW power output of the solar farm is expected to generate around 160,000 MWh of green electricity annually. This significant output equates to powering around 36,000 four-person households with sustainable electricity. With the attendance of ocal political representatives and esteemed media members, the solar farm's importance in climate stabilization and energy independence was highlighted during on-site speeches and media reports before and after visits.



As a shining example of solar power's pivotal role in creating a sustainable world, the solar farm was financed by Hamburg-based CEE Group, asset manager for renewable energies, and developed by Antlike Solar. Astronergy's frontier TOPCon 3.0 tech-powered ASTRO N5 solar panels play as one of the critical cores for the sustainability system. As Samuel, CMO at Astronergy, said during a recent interview, Astronergy is not only making all module materials greener and doing more efforts in using our products to help all demanders for sustainable electricity generation.

Detlef Schreiber, CEO of the CEE Group, stated, "The new solar park at the Dollen site is impressive, with a nominal output of 154.77 MW, and highlights the potential of renewable energies as a central component of the energy transition. We were delighted to find such a high level of expertise in our collaboration with Astronergy and look forward to future projects together." About Astronergy Founded in 2006, it is one of the earliest private enterprises in China to set foot in the photovoltaic field. And it is a pioneer in n-type TOPCon PV modules. Focusing on R&D, production and sales of high-efficiency crystalline silicon PV cells and PV modules, Astronergy has continuously launched the ASTRO series high-efficiency, high-quality, high-performance modules. Both bifacial and monofacial ASTRO series modules could be perfectly applied in all scenarios of utility-scale power stations, C&I PV systems and residential PV systems. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2149956/image.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/astronergy-modules-stably-generating-at-europes-largest-topcon-pv-plant-301872603.html

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[July 10, 2023] Thailand Investment Applications Rise 70% to 364.4 Billion Baht in Jan-June on Rising FDI in Electronics, Food Processing, EV, BOI Says Tweet

BANGKOK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) said today that applications for investment promotion in the first half of 2023 increased 70% on year in value to a combined 364.4 billion baht (US$ 10.3 billion), led by foreign direct investments (FDI) which soared 141% as global companies continue to favor Thailand as a manufacturing base in targeted industries including electronics, food processing and automotive, especially in the electric vehicles (EV) supply chain. In the January-June period, the number of project applications also increased to 891 projects, up 18% compared to the same period of 2022. Of that total, 464 projects were in the targeted industries, representing a combined value of 286.9 billion baht, or 79% of all applications. The number of FDI applications increased 33% to 507 projects during the first 6 months, while the total investment value of the FDI projects soared to 304 billion baht, an increase of 141% from the year earlier period. China was the largest source of FDI applications with total investment pledges of 61.5 billion baht for 132 projects, mostly in electronics parts manufacturing. Singapore came in second with 73 projects representing combined investments of 59.11 billion baht, while Japan ranked third with 98 projects worth 35.33 billion baht in investments. The value of the Japanese applications was more than double the 16.79 billion baht filed in the first half of 2022, mainly due to large electronic components and automotive parts projects. "The investment applications in the first half show a very positive trend and foreign investment in particular continued to increase at a very high rate, especially in electronics and EV, which are among our priority sectors," Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI. "This reflects the confidence of foreign investors tward Thailand in regards to our fundamentals, well-developed infrastructures, and our strong supply chain."



Thailand's strong fundamentals include improving forecast for economic growth and the recent announcement by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) that Thailand's competitiveness ranking for 2023 has improved by three positions, to 30th, out of the 64 economies from around the world ranked by the IMD. The electrical appliances and electronics (E&E) industry received the highest amount of investment and led the sectors ranking with 106 projects, including large projects in printed circuit boards (PCB), IC and wafer testing, and smart electronics, representing an investment value at 160 billion baht, up 7 times from the same period last year. The sector's continuous rise reflects the ongoing relocation trend by electronic component makers seeking to reduce risk from the trade war and geopolitical tension, as well as investors' confidence in the potential of Thailand as a risk-free production base.

The agro-industry and food processing sector came second with 139 projects worth a combined value of 51.3 billion baht. Investment applications filed in this sector during the first half included projects by well-known brands, such as Pringles Company, the United States-based manufacturer of potato chips, and Belgium's famous biscuit maker Lotus Biscoff. In the past 6 months, the automotive and parts industry saw 80 investment applications worth a total of 19.6 billion baht, with most projects involving the production of parts such as tires, axles, hybrid transmission system and electric charging stations for EV. Under the end-to-end EV promotion policy of the Thai Government and the comprehensive incentives offered by the BOI for this priority sector. The policy has successfully attracted investment from world leading manufacturers and positioned Thailand as the hub for EV manufacturing in ASEAN and helped to make Thailand the fastest growing market in the region. So far, 14 battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufacturers have been granted investment promotion benefits for projects worth a combined investment value of 33.9 billion baht, representing an annual production capacity of 276,640 units. The EV investments approved so far include projects by China's BYD Auto, Great Wall Motor, and SAIC, by Germany's Mercedes Benz, and by HorizonPlus, a joint venture between Thailand's PTT Group and Taiwan's Foxconn. Several other major manufacturers have already announced plans to invest in Thailand, such as Changan Automobile and GAC AION New Energy Automobile, and are expected to file investment applications in the second half of the year. Besides the targeted industries, another industry that saw a large number of applications in the first half is the power generation sector, with a total of 195 projects worth a combined investment value of 26.2 billion baht. Out of that total, 186 projects were renewable energy projects representing 8.33 billion baht worth of investment. In terms of the geographical distribution of the investment applications during the first six months, Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) area saw a total of 306 project applications representing 171.47 billion baht in investment value, or 47% of the total application value during the period. Most applications located in the EEC area were for projects in the E&E, petrochemicals and automotive sectors. The country's central region followed in second with 362 projects worth 75.19 billion baht in investment. LTR Visa Mr. Narit also provided an update about the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR Visa) program, one of the additional services provided by the BOI to stimulate investment. The LTR Visa program was announced last year to help the economy by attracting high-potential investors and experts into Thailand. As of end-June, the BOI has received more than 4,200 LTR Visa applications, with most filed by citizens of Europe, the United States and China. Recently, the program's scope has been updated to accommodate professionals, and experts in technology and business fields that are important for the country's development, Mr. Narit said. Also, the BOI has appointed a total of four certified agents to facilitate foreigners ' applications for the LTR Visa and provide additional services, to help successful visa holders move to Thailand, Mr. Narit said. In addition, the BOI is in the process of upgrading the LTR Visa application and document certification system to allow for faster processing and accommodate the increasing demand for the visa after many countries fully re-opened borders in the post-Covid era. For more information, please contact:

Thailand Board of Investment

Tel. +66 (0) 2553 8111

Website: www.boi.go.th

YouTube: Think Asia, Invest Thailand View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/thailand-investment-applications-rise-70-to-364-4-billion-baht-in-jan-june-on-rising-fdi-in-electronics-food-processing-ev-boi-says-301872706.html SOURCE Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

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[July 10, 2023] GienTech drives innovation and digital transformation with APAC debut of ORIGIEN financial-grade digital platform Tweet

HONG KONG, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GienTech Technology Co. Ltd., a leading China-based specialist in digital transformation strategy and solutions (formerly operated as Pactera), launched its brand in key Asia Pacific markets alongside the introduction of ORIGIEN Financial-Grade Digital Platform at an event in Hong Kong. Leveraging over twenty years of experience in digital transformation and global footprint, GienTech looks forward to empowering the financial services and other critical sectors through its "ORIGIEN + Solution + Service" business model. Guests from the government, private sectors and industry associations attended the event, and discussed extensively on the digital challenges and opportunities faced by the industry within a broader digital economy. Through continuous R&D and innovation, GienTech builds financial-grade digital infrastructure for extensive industry scenarios. The company offers IT solutions, consulting services, DevSecOps, technical-stack software development and quality assurance services across different industries. GienTech's overseas footprint includes Japan[1], Singapore, and Malaysia. Feng Ming Gang, Executive Deputy General Manager of GienTech, said: "As part of our strategy to drive global digital transformation, we are launching GienTech in Hong Kong and Singapore with a commitment to bringing our rich experience and best practice in digital transformation to the city and to markets worldwide. We will leverage our advantages in global footprint, R&D innovation, and talent pool to provide comprehensive and high-quality digital transformation products and solutions that will empower customers both inside and outside China." GienTech introduced its new product ORIGIEN Financial-Grade Digital Platform to Hong Kong and overseas markets at the event. Designed specifically for financial services and other critical industries, ORIGIEN is a new type of digital infrastructure developed amid the global digital transformation wave and IT architecture migration. The product draws on GienTech's 20-plus years of industry experience and practical work helping top-tier financial institutions with their digital transformation. ORIGIEN enables systematic IT architecture upgrades, large-scale software development and digital transformation. The product meets the high technical standards that are a prerequisite for the financial sector. William Wong, General Manager of GienTech Overseas BFSI (Banking, Finance, Security, and Insurance) & Business Unit HK, said: "Since our launch in China's mainland, ORIGIEN has had many successes, being implemented in more than 100 projects including by many large commercial banks, leading insurance companies, and securities institutions. The product has a proven track record for delivering business capacity, processing performance and stability. Supported by ORIGIEN and led by consulting services, we have built a comprehensive product and service ecosystem covering digitalization, digital marketing, digital operation, and digital risk control. We look forward to empowering Hong Kong and overseas enterprises with our 'ORIGIEN + Solution + Service' model' and optimizing their digital transformation path." Customer representatives from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, WeBank and Livi Bank also attended the event and participated in a panel discussion. Spokespeople from the three companies shared their experience working with GienTech and looked to the future application of new digital technologies including ORIGIEN. ORIGIEN essentially comprises three platforms: the Infrastructure Support Platform, the Data Construction Platform, and the Data Asset Platform. Infrastructure Support Platform: ORIGIEN's Infrastructure Support Platform leverages system engineering methods to build a next-generation cloud-native data center solution using a series of technology components. It adopts a layered open decoupling approach to enhance the operational and maintenance efficiency of the data center, supporting the foundation for digital transformation. It also develops a digital security system solution, providing proactive, intelligent, and dynamic security protection capabilities for digital construction, data-driven initiatives, and digital innovation. The platform offers a complete, trusted, and configurable foundational operational support environment for applications, meeting critical requirements such as high capacity, high concurrency, high availability, and high security in key industries like finance.





ORIGIEN's Infrastructure Support Platform leverages system engineering methods to build a next-generation cloud-native data center solution using a series of technology components. It adopts a layered open decoupling approach to enhance the operational and maintenance efficiency of the data center, supporting the foundation for digital transformation. It also develops a digital security system solution, providing proactive, intelligent, and dynamic security protection capabilities for digital construction, data-driven initiatives, and digital innovation. The platform offers a complete, trusted, and configurable foundational operational support environment for applications, meeting critical requirements such as high capacity, high concurrency, high availability, and high security in key industries like finance. Data Construction Platform: ORIGIEN's Data Construction Platform is designed to address the growing scale and complexity of systems. It provides integrated tools and standard specification systems for business development and operations, including business modeling, system design, cross-domain low-code development, system testing, continuous integration and deployment, project management, R&D assets, R&D security management, and R&D process management. This platform supports agile innovation and continuous iteration of digital applications, solidifies standards, reduces complexity, ensures quality, and accumulates architectural assets. It allows developers to focus on business implementation and improves software production efficiency in a fully digital manner. The platform also offers a range of tools and platforms for technology architecture migration and switching, enabling smooth transitions and stable operation across multiple technology stacks.





ORIGIEN's Data Construction Platform is designed to address the growing scale and complexity of systems. It provides integrated tools and standard specification systems for business development and operations, including business modeling, system design, cross-domain low-code development, system testing, continuous integration and deployment, project management, R&D assets, R&D security management, and R&D process management. This platform supports agile innovation and continuous iteration of digital applications, solidifies standards, reduces complexity, ensures quality, and accumulates architectural assets. It allows developers to focus on business implementation and improves software production efficiency in a fully digital manner. The platform also offers a range of tools and platforms for technology architecture migration and switching, enabling smooth transitions and stable operation across multiple technology stacks. Data Asset Platform: ORIGIEN's Data Asset Platform is designed with the goal of data asset accumulation and value creation. Leveraging big data technology, AI technology, and data security technology, it provides a comprehensive data intelligence foundation that integrates data governance, data hub, and AI platforms. By combining industry expertise and data governance practices, it enables data-driven business operations and lean management, facilitating the transformation of business data into valuable assets. ORIGIEN strives to assist enterprises in three ways: Empowering the creation of enterprise-grade technology platforms: As an enterprise-grade technology platform for industries such as finance, ORIGIEN meets the needs of digital transformation and business development. It builds a customer-centric, service-oriented, and technologically advanced architectural system. Furthermore, it integrates or reconstructs other application systems through the technology platform to meet the demand for rapid business innovation. This comprehensively enhances the product competitiveness, data governance capabilities, marketing service capabilities, risk control capabilities, operational management capabilities, and architectural support capabilities of industry users.





As an enterprise-grade technology platform for industries such as finance, ORIGIEN meets the needs of digital transformation and business development. It builds a customer-centric, service-oriented, and technologically advanced architectural system. Furthermore, it integrates or reconstructs other application systems through the technology platform to meet the demand for rapid business innovation. This comprehensively enhances the product competitiveness, data governance capabilities, marketing service capabilities, risk control capabilities, operational management capabilities, and architectural support capabilities of industry users. Supporting the construction of distributed core systems: ORIGIEN enables financial institutions to achieve high-speed responsiveness, sub-second scalability, and multi-site multi-active configurations for their core applications. It ensures the consistency of accounting and the security and stability of banking core systems. Through enterprise architecture business modeling and cloud-native microservices patterns, it also facilitates efficient alignment between business capabilities and IT architecture. This brings strong flexibility, composability, embeddability, and scalability, supporting financial institutions in building a new generation of distributed core business systems that seamlessly adapt to the digital era.





ORIGIEN enables financial institutions to achieve high-speed responsiveness, sub-second scalability, and multi-site multi-active configurations for their core applications. It ensures the consistency of accounting and the security and stability of banking core systems. Through enterprise architecture business modeling and cloud-native microservices patterns, it also facilitates efficient alignment between business capabilities and IT architecture. This brings strong flexibility, composability, embeddability, and scalability, supporting financial institutions in building a new generation of distributed core business systems that seamlessly adapt to the digital era. Empowering accelerated digital transformation: ORIGIEN, based on cloud-native technology infrastructure, data-driven capabilities, and the utilization of data assets, combined with a business agile center through the adoption of a centralization approach, efficiently supports financial institutions in the rapid delivery and launch of various innovative applications, including digital business, digital marketing, digital risk control, and digital operations. This enables financial institutions to accelerate their digital transformation and upgrade in various domains. -ends- About GienTech Founded in 1995, GienTech has a total of 42,000 employees across China and in overseas markets, serving over 600 financial institutions, and more than 160 Fortune 500 companies. GienTech has ranked first in the IDC China banking solution market for five consecutive years and has been selected in the global top 100 in the IDC Financial Insights FinTech ranking for eight consecutive years. Its strict quality and management principles have passed CMMIL5, ISO27001, ISO9001, ISO20000 and many other international certifications. It is a global leader in project management, quality management and engineering management of software development.







[1] GienTech Japan is operated under the brand Pactera

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/gientech-drives-innovation-and-digital-transformation-with-apac-debut-of-origien-financial-grade-digital-platform-301872743.html SOURCE GienTech

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[July 10, 2023] Bethlehem Area School District (PA) Selects Synergy Education Platform Tweet

Integrated management of student information, special education, and MTSS will empower teachers to better support students BETHLEHEM, Pa., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Edupoint Educational Systems announced today that Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) has selected the company's industry-leading Synergy Student Education Platform for its K12 student data management needs. The district's solution will include Synergy Student Information System, Synergy Online Registration, Synergy MTSS, and Synergy Special Education, and will be hosted in the Synergy AWS Cloud environment. BASD serves over 13,300 students across 22 schools in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Bethlehem district leadership assembled a team to explore current industry offerings and evaluate their ability to offer improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. Over a period of six months, 67 participants representing a wide variety of roles at all levels of the organization  including secretaries, teachers, principals, assistant principals, and applications specialists, in addition to the district technology team  contributed feedback on the solutions under consideration. After extensive evaluation, including hosting week-long software demonstrations with three finalists, the team selected Synergy based on a number of key factors, including the following: Integrated student information, special education, and MTSS management

Streamlining of special education and MTSS processes

Robust query, reporting, and decision support tools

Timely, reliable data

Federal and state reporting capabilities

An established and growing presence in Pennsylvania



"We didn't want multiple separate systems," said Marie Bachman, Chief Technology Officer at BASD. "We wanted to give our teachers an improved user experience, greater access to students' special education information, and a better system for MTSS  all of which will enhance their ability to support students. Teachers are excited about these modules, which work together and are built right into the interface that they will already be using for everyday tasks."

"With Synergy, Bethlehem Area School District is getting a student data management system that will aid in eliminating unnecessary data-entry and integration busywork so stakeholders can focus their time on higher priorities, including supporting students and improving learning outcomes," said Rob Wilson, Edupoint's President and Chief Innovation Officer. "The seamless integration built into Synergy Education Platform will make a significant contribution, as well, to the district's efforts to improve data governance. We are pleased to welcome BASD aboard as an Edupoint partner." About Edupoint Educational Systems

For over 35 years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically advanced student data management systems that empower K-12 stakeholders to improve student achievement. Synergy Education Platform by Edupoint is an industry-leading student data management ecosystem built to fit the way educators already work. Synergy is unique among K-12 student data management solutions in providing an array of role-based mobile apps designed to give all stakeholders access to the tools they need when and where they need them. More than 5.5 million students use Synergy in 22 states. Learn more: https://edupoint.com/ IMAGE FOR MEDIA:

https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/23-0710-s2p-synergy-sis-300dpi.jpg

Caption: Synergy Student Information System This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bethlehem-area-school-district-pa-selects-synergy-education-platform-301872400.html SOURCE Edupoint Educational Systems

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[July 10, 2023] GoldenTree Asset Management Hires Chad Plotke as Principal in Newport Beach, CA Tweet

GoldenTree Asset Management ("GoldenTree"), a global asset management firm with over $50 billion in assets under management, today announced the hiring of Chad Plotke as a Principal, establishing GoldenTree's physical presence in California. Based in Newport Beach, Mr. Plotke will focus on business development, covering relationships such as family offices, corporate pensions, healthcare organizations, endowments and foundations. He will report to Kathy Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer and Partner at GoldenTree. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710138112/en/ Chad Plotke, Principal, GoldenTree Asset Management. (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. Plotke joins GoldenTree from PIMCO, where he was an Executive Vice President and Account Manager, leading relationships with single family offices and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and across various asset classes. During his time at PIMCO,he also spent 18 months as Head of HR Strategy, guiding key human resources projects across the globe. Mr. Plotke also has previous experience as a consultant at Protiviti. He received an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, a B.A. in Economics from Kenyon College, and he is also a CFA charter holder.



Ms. Sutherland said that, "Chad brings nearly 15 years of strategy and business development experience across asset classes to GoldenTree and we are excited to welcome him to the team. Attracting the best talent remains central to GoldenTree's expansion, and Chad will help drive important growth for GoldenTree from California." Steve Tananbaum, Founder, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner at GoldenTree said "At GoldenTree, we know physical proximity to our investors and partners brings increased collaboration and we are enthusiastic about our opportunities for growth in the West. We are pleased to bring in someone with Chad's depth of relationships and experience, and we are looking forward to him expanding our physical presence on the West Coast."

Mr. Plotke said, "I'm looking forward to joining the world-class team at GoldenTree and the opportunity to work with such an experienced group to contribute to the firm's growth with new and current partners." About GoldenTree GoldenTree is a 100% employee-owned, global asset management firm that specializes in opportunities across the credit universe in sectors such as high yield bonds, leveraged loans, private credit, distressed debt, structured products, emerging markets, private equity and credit-themed equities. GoldenTree was founded in 2000 by Steve Tananbaum and is one of the largest independent, global credit asset managers. GoldenTree manages over $50 billion for institutional investors, including leading public and corporate pensions, endowments, foundations, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds. GoldenTree has over 290 employees, with offices in New York, West Palm Beach, Charlotte, Newport Beach, London, Dublin, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Dubai. For more information, please visit www.goldentree.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710138112/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Civil engineering firm Equipe Laurence celebrates 40 years in business with a host of enthusiastic guests Tweet

SAINTE-ADELE, QC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - More than 100 guests, customers and partners joined the firm's employees over the past few days to celebrate the exceptional professional contribution made to civil engineering throughout the Laurentian region, and beyond its natural borders, for the benefit of dozens of cities, municipalities, public organizations and the private sector as well. Founded in 1983 by ngineer Marcel Laurence, Equipe Laurence is today celebrating 40 years of active involvement in consulting engineering, in keeping with the original values promoted by its founder, based on excellence, integrity and innovation.



"By choosing to build our Campus Equipe Laurence in the very heart of Ste-Adele, we wanted to enshrine our ambition to become a truly inspiring civil engineering campus, but also an example of a work environment that combines the factors of leisure, nature, work, family and well-being," said its young president, Alexandre Latour. He went on to say that the new generation of engineers and specialized collaborators were carrying on the spirit of the company's founder, building on the firm's fundamental values of creativity, simplicity, fun at work, rigor and integrity. Mr. Latour cited as an example the firm's unique expertise in all things water-related. "We love innovative projects, and one of the finest examples of this here at Campus Equipe Laurence is hydrothermics, which harnesses the energy produced by the retention basins and aerated ponds at the Ste-Adele wastewater treatment plant," continued Mr. Latour, adding that this unique model is already being exported to other regions of Quebec and beyond. Equipe Laurence is maintaining its momentum and growth objectives, which are materialized by an increase in annual business volume and human resources, with a staff that has grown from a dozen people in 2003 to nearly 130 employees in 2023, helping to make the firm the rising star in Quebec's civil engineering field.

With a view to setting itself apart and innovating as an employer, the recent introduction of an educational day-care service in the workplace represents a strong added value for the firm's working conditions as a whole, creating a new dynamic in the Laurentian region's work world as a force for attracting and retaining talent. SOURCE Equipe Laurence

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[July 10, 2023] Invest Inc. Boosts Its Roster with Online Entrepreneur Jas Mathur, Chairman and CEO of Limitless X, as New CMO Tweet

In a significant strategic move that promises to bring fresh momentum to the world of financial technology, Invest Inc., an AI-driven pioneering investment research platform is thrilled to announce the appointment of Jas Mathur as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). A proven innovator in brand acceleration and digital marketing for nearly 3 decades, Mathur is expected to supercharge Invest Inc.'s mission to democratize financial information and empower retail investors. The synergy between Mathur and Invest Inc.'s President and Chairman, Jacob Fernane, will be central to the company's future growth and success. Fernane, a seasoned entrepreneur, has been tirelessly shaping Invest Inc. since October 2020. With a background deeply rooted in finance, technology, and venture capital, Fernane has long advocated for alternative growth capital routes beyond the traditional venture-funded paths. His vision of democratizing financial markets and investment opportunities for retail investors underpins the core mission of Invest Inc. Mathur joins Invest Inc. armed with an impressive and diverse career portfolio, currently serving as Chairman and CEO of Limitless X, a publicly traded company acclaimed for its prowess in accelerating brand development through cutting-edge digital marketing and business strategies. With a deep comprehension of business and portfolio management, advanced IT skills, creative direction, and a proven track record across multiple industries, Mathur's presence at Invest Inc. is set to be transformative. Internationally recognized as an entrepreneur par excellence, Mathur has continually distinguished himself through the successful conception and realization of various businesses. His ventures have not only generated hundreds of millions in revenue but also led to the creation of countless jobs. His proven track record in facilitating numerous liquidity events, inclusive of successful business sales, mergers, and acquisitions, testifies to hi strategic business acumen. Additionally, Mathur has shown an adept hand at executing roll-up strategies in competitive verticals.



Mathur's entrepreneurial journey began in 1996 when he founded a constellation of high traffic wrestling news websites, and soon after diversified into other industries. Mathur founded Emblaze One Inc., a full-service interactive agency, in 2012 with one thing in mind: "Build Ideas Into Reality." Over the years, Mathur's innovation and unique business concepts have remained a common thread. His leadership of Limitless X Holdings Inc., a direct response marketing company that specializes in developing and marketing health and beauty products through various online platforms, underscores his capacity to weave business savvy with a genuine sense of social responsibility. This blend of astute business skills and conscientious leadership is anticipated to steer Invest Inc. towards unprecedented heights. This strategic addition will fuel Invest Inc.'s objective to disrupt the fintech industry, with the platform's game-changing, machine-learning-first approach to delivering personalized, institutional-quality market insights to retail investors. The introduction of Mathur's deep industry knowledge and prowess in brand acceleration is set to propel Invest Inc. to new heights.

For more information on Invest Inc. and its innovative, AI-driven platform, visit https://invest.inc/ or contact CEO Marc McNeill at 310-721-7516 or via email at [email protected]. About Invest Inc.: Established in 2020, and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Invest Inc. is at the forefront of blending fintech and adtech through an ecosystem of cutting-edge applications. Central to this is their revolutionary investment research platform that leverages advanced machine learning to provide retail investors with personalized, institutional-grade market insights and decision-making tools. This groundbreaking platform democratizes financial data, offering comprehensive market intelligence to all investors, regardless of their investing experience or financial background. Beyond empowering investors with data, Invest Inc. enriches user engagement through free, competitive trading competitions. These competitions enable users to put their investment skills to the test against their peers, offering substantial cash prizes as incentives. Such friendly competition not only stimulates user participation but also fosters a dynamic learning environment for retail investors to hone their strategies in a risk-free setting. In addition, Invest Inc. has carved out a unique niche for advertisers and public companies, offering a state-of-the-art AI-driven ad recommendation engine. This feature enables brands to reach a highly engaged audience, creating opportunities for increased brand awareness and lead generation. The platform's self-serve ad portal simplifies campaign management, offering a range of ad formats to cater to diverse marketing objectives. With these advanced features, Invest Inc. has become the go-to platform for advertisers aiming for targeted outreach and optimal marketing performance. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710055758/en/

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People are getting so used to increasing crime rates in cities across America, an etiquette is evolving between some muggers and their victims.

I learned about this while I walked with my friend and his wife from a Washington D.C. pub to their home six blocks from the Hill.

When you get mugged, there are certain rules you must follow, said my friends wife, walking at a fast gait.

WHEN I get mugged? I said, trying to keep up with her.

Shes right, chimed in my friend. Muggers are often polite when you follow their instructions, but they get surly when you are rude.

How can you be rude to a mugger?

Ignoring the mugger is considered rude, said my friend. This will give him license to strike you with a blunt object.

Huh? I said.

Making eye contact is also rude, said my friends wife. During the mugging transaction, it is only appropriate to look at the muggers feet.

I guess running would be out of the question? I said.

Running is very bad, said my friend. This might affect the muggers esteem, which is already suffering because hes probably out of work. This gives him little recourse but to chase you down and club you with a blunt object.

OK, I said. Then tell me exactly what I should do when we get mugged.

You should always make an offering of some kind, said my friends wife. The mugger must walk away with something of perceived value.

Like jewelry or a watch? I said. My friends laughed.

You dont wear jewelry or a watch in this city! said my friends wife. No, you give up your wallet.

But I need my wallet, I said. It contains my license, credit cards and other vital information.

You dont hand over your REAL wallet, said my friend, looking at his wife like I was an idiot. You give up a dummy wallet. You carry your real wallet in your sock.

What if the mugger asks to look in your sock? I said.

Muggers never do that, said my friends wife. They are very busy here. Theyre eager to complete their transaction, so they can move on to their next mugging.

Cant you carry mace or a gun? I said.

Concealed guns arent legal here, said my friend, laughing. And if a mugger catches you reaching for the mace, that gives him license to 

Strike me with a blunt object, I said.

Precisely, said my friend.

Cant you call for a policeman?

Ha! said my friends wife. The police here are more afraid of the criminals than we are! All we know is that robbery has gone up 49% the past year!

Our neighborhood crime reports confirm it, said my friend. People get mugged right in front of our house pretty much on a daily basis!

As we approached their house, my friends wife sprinted to the door. While she unlocked it, my friend scanned the bushes looking for suspicious movement. We rushed inside and slammed the door shut.

We made it! said my friends wife.

That was a close one! said my friend.

You two sure know how to prevent getting mugged in this city, I said. How long have you lived here now?

We moved in last Friday, said my friend.

(COMMENT, BELOW)




A batch of over 2,500 China-made vehicles was shipped to Europe from Xiamen Port of east China's Fujian Province on Saturday.

Among the vehicles, more than 1,800 are new energy vehicles (NEVs), which were all made in Ningde City of Fujian Province.

Since the beginning of this year, Xiamen Port has exported over 43,000 NEVs, increasing about five times compared with the total of last year.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
[July 10, 2023] International ag-tech companies come to Saskatoon, hosted by Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership Tweet

This summer, the Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) is hosting ag-technology companies from Italy, Slovakia, Brazil, United Kingdom and Sweden, to take part in its Navigate program. Navigate is organized by GAAP and supported by Ag-West Bio. The program seeks out cutting-edge technologies from around the world that align with Canadian agriculture. Starting July 10th, the companies will be spending time with GAAP - and the extended GAAP family across Canada and the US - to explore how growers can achieve a greater level of efficiency, sustainability, and profitability through innovation adoption. GAAP is ecstatic to have these five innovative companies join us for the summer (please see company names and descriptions below). Jay Robinson, GAAP CEO, says "These recent additions to the GAAP family demonstrates our international reach. These companies have already achieved great things in their home jurisdictions, having demonstrated the impact their solutions can have on the farm at scale. Bringing them to Canada is a win for them and for our local farmers." Participants will have the opportunity to engage with industry members, researchers, farmers, and collaborators. While here, they will be provided concierge meetings and guided tours of local agriculture facilities and farms, along with exploring how they can fit into Canada's agriculture ecosystem. Join us at Ag in Motion in the FCC / FAC tent at booth AG30, to meet with the companies or attend Sprouting Success: Ag Innovation in Canada and Around the World, an afternoon networking event on July 18th co-hosted by Ag-West Bio and Affinity Credit Union and supported by GAAP. Our guest MC is Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture. About the companies: Biocentis leverages CRISPR-based, pest control technologies that are biological, environmentally friendly, and tailored for a wide range of applications. Biocentis aims to re-imagine the future of biocontrol. Federico Guelpa will be joining us from Italy.



Dyneval technology provides an easy-to-use, automated and portable instrument for livestock semen analysis. Tiffany Wood will be joining us from the United Kingdom. Irriot has developed an IoT wireless irrigation solution to address the issues of mobility and affordability for customers, including environmentally friendly, maintenance, free solar powered watering stations and an industrial irrigation controlled through mobile apps. Alexander Palin will be joining us from Sweden.

Tarvos uses automatic traps and artificial intelligence to monitor and identify agricultural pests in real time, increasing environmental and economic sustainability by tailoring chemical and biological inputs for individual crops. Andrei Grespan will be joining us from Brazil. Vitiport uses marking pheromones as a safe and affordable approach to pest management. Martina Drobna and Roman Korbacka will be joining us from Slovakia. If you are interested in meeting with any of these companies, please reach out to us at [email protected]. About GAAP GAAP is a privately run and operated agri-food investment incubator looking for cutting-edge technologies from early and rapid-growth companies seeking to improve efficiency, sustainability and profitability within the global agriculture and food sector. www.gaapvc.com About Ag-West Bio Ag-West Bio is Saskatchewan's bioscience industry association. The company works as a catalyst for industry growth in the bioeconomy through investments, aiding strategic alliances, and providing business planning support, regulatory advice, and communications. Funding for Ag-West Bio is provided by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program. www.agwest.sk.ca View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710109225/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 Discusses How to Achieve Green Development and Strengthen Ecological Cooperation Tweet

GUIYANG, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Huanqiu.com: The Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 kicked off on July 8. More than 2,500 representatives exchanged ideas on the theme "Pursuing Modernization of Harmony between Human and Nature  Promoting Green and Low-carbon Development" as well as topics such as international exchange and cooperation and eco-conservation and pollution control. Building common grounds for the international community Enhancing international exchange and cooperation stood as an important topic. According to Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China and head of the OECD Beijing Office, to protect eco-environment and tackle climate change, countries need to come together in communication and exchanges and work out solutions. Dr. Ma Chaode, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in China said that the Eco Forum Global Guiyang was a warmup for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) to be held at the end of the year, and created opportunities for the international community to reach consensus. Lessons of China's green development prctices



At the Forum, China's dedication to promoting ecological conservation and tackling climate change was highlighted. "We should be aware that climate change and environmental deterioration are life-or-death for all of us," said Tim Standbrook, deputy consul general of the UK in Chongqing at an interview, "China leads a pioneering cause by proposing green eco-system development, a transformation and upgrading of the conventional extensive economic growth mode."

Ms. Indira Ranamagary, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal said that Eco Forum Global Guiyang and other platforms provide a good opportunity for her country to learn about Guizhou's successful experiences in infrastructure development, agricultural development and ecological conservation. Guiyang Declaration is a promise to the future "Preserving beauty of nature and promoting green development: Towards a high-quality system of natural protected areas", the Guiyang Declaration proposes a comprehensive approach centered around ecological civilization to establish and improve the natural protected area system, promoting global biodiversity conservation and well-being of people, advocates for government leadership and wide social participation, and aims to enhance the diversity, stability, sustainability of ecosystems. The ultimate goals are to advance the high-quality construction of the natural protected area system, strengthen the supply capacity of ecological products, and safeguard ecological security. Dr. Ma Chaode said the Guiyang Declaration was "a promise to the future, and a promise of realizing the modernized harmony between humanity and nature". View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eco-forum-global-guiyang-2023-discusses-how-to-achieve-green-development-and-strengthen-ecological-cooperation-301872912.html SOURCE Huanqiu.com

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[July 10, 2023] Schneider Electric and Citizens Energy Corporation Receive Top Project of the Year Award from Environment + Energy Leader Tweet

Organizations recognized for state-of-the-art technology delivering on sustainability, energy efficiency and resiliency

Microgrid provides added resilience to ensure critical care and services for community during a power outage BOSTON, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, together with Citizens Energy Corporation, a Boston-based non-profit energy company, today announced they have been honored with the prestigious Project of the Year Award in the Environment + Energy Leader Awards program. This accolade recognizes their joint development of a one-of-a-kind microgrid for the Daughters of Mary of Immaculate Conception Campus in New Britain, Connecticut. It is a leading example in energy or environmental management and honors the exemplary work of both organizations to transform the 137-acre campus into a groundbreaking renewable energy hub. The community was increasingly challenged to deliver much-needed social services and senior care through emergencies that threaten the local electric grid. The groundbreaking project uses clean energy sources to provide essential backup power, while reducing the community's environmental footprint. "To be recognized by Environment + Energy Leader for this incredible project with Citizens Energy Corporation is a significant achievement that demonstrates resiliency as a pillar of sustainability," said Don Wingate, Vice President of Microgrids at Schneider Electric. "Working together to develop innovative solutions that help critical institutions provide much-needed services in emergency situations is something we will continue to invest in, time and time again." The microgrid, which was built without any up-front costs for Daughters of Mary, improves resiliency at their facilities during emergencies. It serves four standalone critical facilities on the Daughters of Mary campus and ensures reliable, efficient, renewable power is continuously available. The four systems can operate collectively or individually, also known as "island mode", allowing operations near normal capacity separate from the electric grid for extended periods during power outages. The project is the state of Connecticut's first microgrid capable of operating on 100% renewable energy around the clock in island mode. "We are proud to celebrate this massive feat for renewables," said Joseph P. Kennedy III, President of Citizens Energy Corporation. "This company was founded to be a change maker. Not only are we making life's basic necessities more affordable, but we are building the clean energy projects that others only talk about. This may be the first of its kind, but it won't be the last." "We, the Daughters of Mary, are so honored and pleased to play a role in such an important and viable environmental issue," said Mother Mary Janice Zdnczyk. "Our critical facilities are 100% resilient and are not only helping the environment, but they are providing our organization cost savings. A true win-win scenario."



Two local Connecticut companies, Ecosolar Installations and Associated Real Estate Services, played instrumental roles throughout the development cycle. Ecosolar also served as the primary construction lead. Both companies continue to support the project. The outstanding qualities and remarkable achievements of the Daughters of Mary microgrid project captivated the attention of the program's distinguished panel of judges. One judge remarked, "This is a wonderful example of an environment project that clearly meets the 3 legs of sustainability  people, profit, planet." This affirms the exceptional impact and excellence of the Daughters of Mary microgrid project in driving sustainability and energy efficiency.

Environment + Energy Leader Awards commend excellence in products and projects that deliver significant energy and environmental benefits. Sarah Roberts, Co-President of E+E Leader, emphasized the rigorous selection process, stating, "This year's entrants had to surpass an exceptionally high bar to qualify for an award, thanks to a seasoned and discerning judging panel as well as stringent judging criteria." About the Environment + Energy Leader Awards: For over a decade, the Environment + Energy Leader Awards have celebrated excellence in the world of environmental, sustainability and energy management. Award recipients are acknowledged as industry leaders, and featuring a Top Project or Top Product of the Year Award badge signifies their outstanding contributions. Companies seeking sustainable and energy management solutions trust that E+E Product of the Year Award winners offer a comprehensive array of vetted products to guide their decision-making. Project of the Year Award winners exemplify how sustainability and energy management projects can successfully enhance the profitability of other companies. About Citizens Energy Citizens Energy Corporation is a Boston-based, not-for-profit energy company founded by former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II. Under his leadership, Citizens Energy has compiled a 40-plus-year history of channeling revenues from successful energy ventures in oil, natural gas, electricity trading, energy efficiency and conservation, transmission, wind power, solar arrays, energy storage and microgrids to programs that help the poor. The mission is to make life's basic necessities more affordable to those in need. www.citizensenergy.com About Schneider Electric Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries. We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com Discover Life is On Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Blog View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/schneider-electric-and-citizens-energy-corporation-receive-top-project-of-the-year-award-from-environment--energy-leader-301872418.html SOURCE Schneider Electric

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[July 10, 2023] Park Systems Appoints Stefan Schneider as General Manager of Accurion Division Tweet

SEOUL, South Korea, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Park Systems, a leading provider of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nano-metrology solutions, is pleased to announce Stefan Schneider as the new General Manager of Park Systems Accurion Division (Park Systems GmbH), a prominent provider of imaging spectroscopic ellipsometry (ISE) and active vibration isolation (AVI) systems. Schneider brings over 11 years of experience at Accurion, specializing in R&D and product development. During his tenure, Schneider played a pivotal role in various projects, including the development of Accurion's latest iterations of the Brewster Angle Microscope "UltraBAM" and the Imaging Ellipsometer "EP4." He also contributed to the advancement of imaging optics and the expansion of the EP4 imaging ellipsometer's capabilities. Schneider's leadership resulted in the successful development of prototype and in-line ISE systems for memory and display inspection, respectively. "We are excited to announce Stefan Schneider as the new General Manager of Accurion, Park Systems. With his extensive experience in R&D and product development, Stefan is the perfect candidate to lead Accurion into a new era of success. His strong leadership and industry expertise will drive the integration of Accurion's products with Park Systems's offerings, enhancing our capabilities in the semiconductor market. We look forward to workng closely with Stefan and the Accurion team to deliver innovative solutions to our customers worldwide," Dr. Sang-il Park, CEO of Park Systems Corporation said.



Accurion is renowned for its strengths in ISE and AVI systems. The imaging spectroscopic ellipsometry technology of Accurion offers exceptional sensitivity for characterizing layer thickness and refractive index on micro-structures, while its AVI systems provide unmatched vibration isolation performance for high-resolution measurement equipment. The recent merger of Accurion with Park Systems presents exciting opportunities. The combination of ISE and AFM techniques will create hybrid solutions, enhancing the company's position in the market. Additionally, Accurion's AVI systems will allow Park Systems to meet its own demand for vibration isolation and expand its customer base.

"I'm honored to lead Accurion within Park Systems. My vision is to establish imaging ellipsometry as a crucial tool in semiconductor applications and solidify our position as a dominant provider of active vibration isolation systems. By maximizing synergy, we'll focus on innovation, new product development, customer support, and driving Accurion's growth. Together, we'll achieve new heights in the industry," Stefan Schneider said. Stefan Schneider's appointment signifies an exciting chapter for Accurion, and the company looks forward to achieving new milestones under his leadership. About Park Systems GmbH:

Accurion GmbH, now operating as Park Systems GmbH Accurion Division following its acquisition, is a pioneering company based in Goettingen, Germany. With a strong focus on imaging spectroscopic ellipsometry and active vibration isolation, Accurion has established itself as a leading provider of advanced metrology solutions. Their Imaging Ellipsometers seamlessly combine ellipsometry and optical microscopy, enabling high-resolution characterization of microstructures. Their cutting-edge technologies enable precise measurement and analysis in various industries, including semiconductors, research, and manufacturing. About Park Systems Corp. (KOSDAQ: 140860):

Park Systems is a world-leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nano metrology systems with a complete range of products for researchers and engineers in the chemistry, materials, physics, life sciences, semiconductor, and data storage industries. Its mission is to enable nanoscale advances for scientists and engineers solving the world's most pressing problems and pushing the boundaries of scientific discoveries and engineering innovations. Customers of Park Systems include most of the world's leading semiconductor companies and national research universities in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Park Systems is a publicly traded corporation on the Korea Stock Exchange (KOSDAQ) with corporate headquarters in Suwon, Korea, and regional headquarters in Santa Clara, California, Mannheim, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, India, and Mexico City. To learn more, please visit www.parksystems.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/park-systems-appoints-stefan-schneider-as-general-manager-of-accurion-division-301872576.html SOURCE Park Systems Corp.

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[July 10, 2023] Stephens Insurance Hires Rich Krutsch Tweet

Stephens Insurance, LLC, an affiliate of Stephens Inc., today announced the hiring of Rich Krutsch as a Senior Vice President within the Employee Benefits division. Mr. Krutsch brings more than 25 years of experience working within human resources and employee benefits functions at a large corporation with a national footprint. Mr. Krutsch will be based in the Fayetteville, Arkansas office of Stephens Insurance. "Rich has a strong background in employee benefits with a deep understanding of the changing environment," said Miles Stephens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stephens Insurance. "He is a great leader who has leveraged innovative and emerging technologies and processes, including supply chain optimization and predictive analytics, to improve employee outcomes. We look forward to his insights as he helps our team grow our Employee Benefits business." Prior to joining Stephens Insurance, Mr. Krutsch had an illustrious career at ArcBest. At ArcBest, he most recently served as the Vice President of People Services. Among his many innovations, Mr. Krutsch developed technology to personalize care while reducing friction. He alo developed a program to add benefits without passing costs on to employees that additionally decreased the overall healthcare spend. Mr. Krutsch is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he earned a B.A. and a M.B.A.



About Stephens Insurance, LLC Stephens Insurance, LLC is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas and is one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerages in the mid-South. We currently have 170+ associates throughout our network of offices in Fayetteville, Dallas, Birmingham, Jackson, and Houston. Stephens Insurance is located at 111 Center Street, Suite 1400, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, phone number (501) 377-2000.

About Stephens "Stephens" (the company brand name) is a leading family-owned investment firm that includes Stephens Inc. (member NYSE/SIPC), Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC, Stephens Insurance, LLC, and Stephens Capital Partners LLC.  2023 Stephens. Stephens Inc. is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1933, Stephens Inc. provides securities brokerage, investment banking and other financial services to a broad client base which includes corporations, state and local governments, financial institutions, institutional investors and individual investors throughout the United States and overseas. Stephens Inc. (Home Office: 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR USA, 501-377-2000) is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Member SIPC/NYSE. For more information, visit www.stephens.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710816272/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Through the Black Mirror: "Joan Is Awful" and AI Malpractice Tweet

BOSTON , July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recently published article, AI and Security: Ensuring That Opportunities Outweigh the Threats, IDTechEx discussed the importance of ownership and culpability when it comes to deploying AI tools, especially in the context of creative works. This matter of accountability and the potential insidious use of artificial intelligence in the creation of intellectual property is a theme touched on in the first episode of the new Black Mirror season, "Joan Is Awful". For those not already in the know, Black Mirror is a speculative fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. Premiering in 2011 and now on its sixth season, Black Mirror runs the gamut of existential subject matter, from questions of ethics and morality (the good of the many against the good of the self) to the potential consequences of unchecked and unregulated scientific advancement. "Joan Is Awful" follows Joan  played by Annie Murphy  a manager who sits below the board at a tech company and has to make one of her employees redundant despite the ramifications of this on the company's recent green initiative pledge. We also see her texting with her ex-boyfriend, visiting a therapist, and finally sitting down with her fiance to watch a show on Streamberry, this season's in-universe analog of Netflix. Italy's temporary ban of ChatGPT in April 2023 could be a sign of things to come as AI tools develop and are put to use across a greater number of applications, ultimately affecting more people, especially where creative output is concerned. Source: IDTechEx Spoilers ahead. Skip this section if you are sensitive to spoilers. They come across a new show, the titular Joan Is Awful, and begin to watch. All that we have seen thus far in the show is dramatized for Joan, with Salma Hayek playing the character of Joan in the Streamberry adaptation. Joan (the one we know) is completely taken aback, as she doesn't know how her life has been so deeply invaded. The dramatization skews her personality to display exaggerated negative personality traits (such as callousness for the employee she makes redundant, where really she feels somewhat powerless in the decision and does express a modicum of pity). Frighteningly for Joan, the show is not restricted to her account, and she becomes ostracized from friends and family, in addition to being fired from work (as the dramatization of her life is seen to be a breakage of an NDA). Joan ultimately seeks legal advice from a lawyer, whereupon the lawyer informs Joan tha she had consented to Streamberry's Terms and Conditions, included in which is the ability to use and dramatize any and all aspects of her life, including her name. As the lawyer states at the beginning of their conversation, "I'm as shocked as you are". Joan then changes tack and proposes suing Salma Hayek for portraying her. Again, the lawyer negates this by informing Joan that it is only Salma Hayek's likeness: the entire show is CGI.



Joan is marooned with no legal recourse. And then, in a stroke of genius born from utter desperation, Joan envisions a way in which she can get Salma Hayek invested in this. So she defecates in a church during a wedding ceremony, knowing that this event will be repeated on the show. The real (at least in terms of Salma Hayek now playing herself) Salma Hayek understandably takes issue with this and talks to her lawyer about suing Streamberry. But again, she has licensed her image to the company, allowing them to take such liberties. Spoilers end here.

Joan and Salma, canvas and paint alike, have absolutely no ownership over how they are portrayed. And it is this question of ownership that will be more frequently asked in connection with AI tools as they develop and draw on a more diverse range of data sets. While from a legal standpoint, the case against Joan and Salma may appear pretty watertight in the Black Mirror episode, the usage of generative AI to create content  even in its current, comparatively limited form  still poses the important question of ownership, a question that has no robust answer by way of current IP laws; Patent law generally considers the inventor as the first owner of the invention. In the case of AI, who invents? The human creates the (initial) prompt, but it is the AI tool that creates the output. An AI may also be used to prompt other AI tools, and so AI can act as both the prompt and the creator. Other parties should also be considered, such as the developers of the AI tool, as well as the owners of the data that comprise the dataset used to train the AI tool. The latter was a key component of the reasoning behind Italy's ban of ChatGPT in April 2023. Italy banned ChatGPT for all users accessing the platform with an Italian IP due to four key points of contention. Two of these were claims by the Italian Garante (the Italian data protection authority) that OpenAI did not properly inform users that it had collected personal data and that ChatGPT did not require users to verify their age, even though the content that ChatGPT can generate is at times intended for mature audiences. ChatGPT was restored in Italy at the end of April, with OpenAI addressing these points by making their privacy policy more accessible to people before registering with ChatGPT, as well as rolling out a new tool to verify the age of users. This event could well be a sign of things to come. As AI becomes more advanced and so too does the type of content that it can generate, the approach taken by the Italian Garante could  and, most would probably agree, should  be one taken by all data protection agencies in order to ensure that personal data used to train such algorithms cannot be misused. Because no one wants to be Joan. Report Coverage IDTechEx forecasts that the global AI chips market will grow to US$257.6 billion by 2033. The report covers the global AI Chips market across eight industry verticals, with 10-year granular forecasts in seven different categories (such as by geography, chip architecture, and application). In addition to the revenue forecasts for AI chips, costs at each stage of the supply chain (design, manufacture, assembly, test & packaging, and operation) are quantified for a leading-edge AI chip. Rigorous calculations and a customizable template for customer use are provided, and analyses of comparative costs between leading and trailing edge node chips. IDTechEx's latest report, "AI Chips 2023-2033", answers the major questions, challenges, and opportunities faced by the AI chip value chain. For further understanding of the markets, players, technologies, opportunities, and challenges, please refer to it. About IDTechEx IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Images download: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jlgqvi4ahti0558t94tz0/h?rlkey=9yphqathsef1n9q0cypwi3058&dl=0 Media Contact:

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Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/through-the-black-mirror-joan-is-awful-and-ai-malpractice-301872948.html SOURCE IDTechEx

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[July 10, 2023] GLOBAL MARKET INNOVATORS ACQUIRES CYVIG SECURITY SOLUTIONS Tweet

GMI's Acquisition Cements Its Position as the Leading Security Operations Center in the Nation PHOENIX, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GMI, a global leader in secure technology solutions, is excited to announce the acquisition of CyVig, a renowned managed security service provider (MSSP) known for its deep expertise in securing the enterprise ecosystem. This acquisition moves GMI closer to its goal of becoming the IT industry's only Secure Managed Services ProviderTM. GLOBAL MARKET INNOVATORS ACQUIRES CYVIG SECURITY SOLUTIONS "We're excited to have CyVig join the GMI team," expressed CEO Simer Mayo. "Our goal is to revolutionize the MSSP model by prioritizing security, establishing us as the pioneering Secure Managed Services Provider. The combination of CyVig's expertise and GMI's comprehensive technology solutions enables us to offer clients worldwide IT lifecycle management and vital 24/7 cybersecurity services from a single source." "Protecting our clients from security risks has always been our utmost commitment a CyVig," stated Chris Riley, Chief Information Security Officer of CyVig. "We are excited to join GMI as it enables us to deliver extended security offerings and expanded professional managed services, resulting in a comprehensive package tailored specifically to meet our client's unique needs."



The acquisition of CyVig enhances GMI's ability to provide end-to-end, secure, and resilient solutions. The addition of CyVig's deep security expertise strengthens GMI's offerings across network, cloud, collaboration, security, and managed IT practices and ensures that customer security remains at the forefront of every technology deployment. "The acquisition of CyVig reaffirms our unwavering commitment to prioritize security in every technology deployment," said GMI President Brian Blakely. "In today's landscape, businesses face volatile risks stemming from vulnerable business processes and generic security measures. By integrating CyVig into our portfolio, GMI bolsters its security offerings, ensuring companies can operate in a safe and secure environment."

About GMI:

Global Market Innovators (GMI) is a Secure Managed Service Provider specializing in leading growth markets, including Cyber Security, Digital Workplace, and Managed Services. GMI provides secure technology solutions across network, cloud, collaboration, security, and managed IT practices and is supported by a dynamic global team of expert consultants. GMI serves diverse Fortune 50-2000 education, commercial, government, and enterprise clients across multiple countries. As a privately-held, women- and minority-owned company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, GMI boasts a delivery team of 175+ certified experts in security, collaboration, networking, and data centers. For more information, visit www.gmi.com . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-market-innovators-acquires-cyvig-security-solutions-301871748.html SOURCE Global Market Innovators (GMI)

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[July 10, 2023] William Blair Names Michael Trimberger Chief Financial Officer Tweet

William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today announced that Michael Trimberger has been named chief financial officer (CFO). Based in Chicago, he is responsible for the firm's global accounting, finance, and tax teams. Trimberger replaces Jon Zindel, who has transitioned to a senior advisory role focused on a new strategic initiative in the firm's private wealth management business. "As William Blair continues to enhance the impact we make for our clients across global markets, Mike's vision, experience, and unwavering commitment to our clients' success uniquely position him to serve as CFO for the next chapter of our growth. His leadership and insight across our business units have been invaluable throughout his career, and as CFO he will play an integral role in shaping and executing on our strategic direction," said Brent Gledhill, William Blair's president and chief executive officer.



"My predecessor, John Ettelson, and I thank Jon for his insightful, strategic advice as CFO for more than a decade," Gledhill said. "Jon has made immeasurable contributions during a period of remarkable expansion, and it's exciting to think about the impact he will make on our growing private wealth management business." Drawing on nearly three decades of financial services experience, Trimberger assumes the role of CFO after more than 18 cumulative years at the firm. For the last eight years, Trimberger held senior finance positions, where he gained experience in working with all firm businesses and was instrumental in developing financial processes, systems, and strategies during a period of unprecedented growth. Before that, he served for seven years as a managing director in the firm's investment banking group in both transaction-related and management roles, where he originally began his career as an analyst. Trimberger also spent more than seven years with private equity firm Svoboda Capital Partners. He received his M.B.A. from Stanford University, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar, and a B.S. in accountancy from the University of Illinois; he has also passed the certified public accountant exam.

"I am thrilled and honored to be named William Blair's next CFO. I have been fortunate to be a part of the tremendous global growth of our businesses, fueled by the trust our clients place in us every day. As a finance team, we will continue to work every day to earn this same level of trust from our internal clients across the firm," Trimberger said. "I look forward to collaborating with our senior leadership team and individuals from every business unit to help drive our next phase of growth." About William Blair William Blair is the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet our clients' evolving needs. As an independent and employee-owned firm, together with our strategic partners, we operate in more than 20 offices worldwide.* *Includes strategic partnerships with Allier Capital, BDA Partners, and Poalim Capital Markets. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710613425/en/

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[July 10, 2023] WARF board welcomes three new trustees Tweet

Biomedical innovator, investment officer and medical device executive MADISON, Wis., July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Asha Collins, Paul Leff and Thomas Tefft, three leading executives in the fields of biomedical research, investments and corporate medical device innovation, have joined the board of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Asha Collins brings 18 years of biomedical research experience to the WARF Board of Trustees. Collins is currently the General Manager of the BioBanks Data Analysis Platforms for DNAnexus, a cloud-based biomedical and data management platform for health care and life sciences. Prior to joining DNAnexus, Collins was the U.S. head for country clinical operations at Genentech. Collins, who holds a doctorate in cancer biology/microbiology from UW-Madison, is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), an organization that helps support human health research for NASA's space exploration efforts. She is also an independent corporate director for IDEXX Laboratories Inc. as well as an independent corporate director for LifeScience Logistics. "WARF has a long and impressive legacy commercializing research assets from across the UW landscape," says Asha Collins. "I am proud and excited to be stepping into that legacy to help increase the impact of our great research enterprise with the Board and specifically with WARF Therapeutics." Paul Leff currently leads his family office opportunity fund, Warbasse67. Leff co-founded the New York City-based Perry Capital in 1988 and served as its Chief Investment Officer until his retirement in 2014. Leff received a bachelor's degree in finance and economics and a master's degree in finance from UW-Madison. Leff is a founding member of the Wisconsin Naming Partners and served 12 years as a board member of the University of Wisconsin Foundation including as Vice Chair of its Investment Committee. "I'm honored to join the WARF board and look forward to assisting the oranization to further its worthy mission," says Leff.



Tom Tefft is retired from his position as Senior Vice President and the President of the Neuromodulation Business for Medtronic, a global health care technology company. Prior to that role he held numerous finance leadership roles including international assignments at Medtronic. Tefft currently serves on the boards of directors for American Family Insurance, HistoSonics Inc., Nico Corporation and the Foundation of the American Nurses Association. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from UW-Madison.

"I am honored to join the Board of Trustees and look forward to assisting in continuing WARF's strong legacy of advancing innovative technologies and its support of UW-Madison," says Tefft. "Asha, Paul and Tom bring tremendous experience to the WARF Board of Trustees," says Erik Iverson, WARF's CEO. "We are honored to include these three accomplished alumni who will complement and build upon WARF's strengths in their fields and beyond." "Our three new trustees bring backgrounds in the areas of biology, technology, business and finance that WARF needs to serve the University of Wisconsin," said Dr. James Berbee, WARF's Board Chair. "All three are graduates of UW-Madison, have exemplary careers in their fields, and share the same dedication to the university as the other WARF trustees. I thank each of them to their commitment to serve WARF and the University of Wisconsin." About WARF The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) patents and licenses discoveries from UW-Madison research, manages an investment portfolio generated from licensing and investment proceeds, and provides annual grants to the campus to support further scientific investigation and research. By driving collaborations among researchers, investors, industry and entrepreneurs, WARF commercializes innovations from campus through various initiatives. WARF Accelerator improves the commercialization potential of university intellectual property through industry engagement and investment in proof-of-concept milestones to validate market potential, demonstrate commercial value and de-risk technology. WARF Therapeutics partners with UW-Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers employing an industry-focused approach to improve the value propositions of drug candidates. WARF Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that invests in startups based on UW/WARF technologies. Learn more at warf.org. CONTACT: Jeanan Yasiri Moe

Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs

[email protected] | (608) 960-9892 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warf-board-welcomes-three-new-trustees-301856703.html SOURCE WISCONSIN ALUMNI RESEARCH FOUNDATION

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[July 10, 2023] Digital Identity Solutions Market worth $83.2 billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets Tweet

CHICAGO, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greater industry adoption, technology advancements like blockchain and biometrics, as well as a focus on privacy and legal compliance will all contribute to the market for digital identity solutions having a bright future. In deciding the growth and influence of the market, cooperation and interoperability will be crucial. The global Digital Identity Solutions Market size is projected to grow from USD 34.5 billion in 2023 to USD 83.2 billion by 2028 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.3% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The rise in identity and authentication fraud and increased integration of AI, ML, and blockchain to enhance digital identities drives the growth of the DIS market. Moreover, the high cost associated with the deployment of digital identity solutions may hinder market growth. Browse in-depth TOC on "Digital Identity Solutions Market"

458 - Tables

48 - Figures

344 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=247527694 Scope of the Report







Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2017-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 20232028 Forecast units Value (USD Million/USD Billion) Segments Covered offering, solution type, identity type, organization size, verticals, and regions Geographies covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Major vendors in the global DIS market include NEC (Japan), Samsung SDS (South Korea), Thales (France), Telus (Canada), IDEMIA (France), GBG (UK), Tessi (France), Daon (US), ForgeRock (US), ImageWare (US), Jumio (US), iProovns. They have a vast workforce and associated networking devices susceptible to identity-related risks. Organizations have offices across regions, forcing them to provide their solution through real-time data acces(UK), ID R&D (US), Refinitiv (UK), OneSpan (US), Smartmatic (UK), Freja EID Group (Sweden), Vintegris (Spain), AU10TIX (Israel), Signicat (Norway), Duo Security (US), Syntizen (India), Hashcash Consultant (US), Good Digital Identity (Czech Republic)

Based on the organization size, the large enterprises segment is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecasted period. The adoption of digital identity solutions is driven by enhanced security needs for secure authentication and access control in large enterprises. Large enterprises were the early adopters of digital identity solutios to their employees. Additionally, there are no budget constraints in large organizations; therefore, these organizations can adopt the on-premises-based digital identity solution. Organizations are increasingly enhancing their businesses' productivity across regions by adopting digital identity solutions. Additionally, the solution can detect access risk, excess risk, and risk outliers. Hence, large enterprises are expected to increasingly adopt digital identity solutions that comply with various standards and regulations. By identity type, the biometric segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period The need for biometric solutions is driven by the demand for a seamless experience for the customer. Digital identity solutions traditionally evolved from passwords to biometric authentication, such as fingerprint, facial recognition, retina or eye scan, handprint, and voice recognition. Lock and capture mechanisms are followed by biometric solutions to authenticate the individuals and enable access to a specific set of services. Compared to conventional keys (or keycards) and password systems, biometric solutions are more secure. These solutions also use multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of protection. Increasing demand for digital identity solutions, identity authentication, ID verification, and others, including compliance management and fraud prevention, is driving the growth of the biometric solutions segment. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=247527694 By region, Asia Pacific is to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Asia Pacific includes big developing economies, such as Australia, China, Japan, India, Singapore, and South Korea. With the increase in technological innovations, the Digital Identity Solutions Market is witnessing high growth opportunities in this region. Developing countries, such as India, use digital identities to authenticate their citizens, whereas developed countries use digital identities for more advanced applications, including accessing government services and identification. Various vendors are trying to fulfill the demand for digital identity in the Asia Pacific. For example, ForgeRock, a global digital identification provider, continues its development throughout Asia and the local availability of its ForgeRock identification Cloud from two additional data centers in Hong Kong and Indonesia. With this expansion, ForgeRock's Identity cloud is now available in 17 countries globally. Such expansions are strengthening the growth of digital identity solutions in the Asia Pacific. The widespread technology implementation across verticals, such as BFSI, retail and eCommerce, and healthcare, in terms of mobility and cloud computing, has led to the increase in customer base and internet users, compliance regulations, and mobile usage, eventually leading to the need to deploy digital identity solutions. Top Key Companies in Digital Identity Solutions Market: NEC (Japan), Samsung SDS (South Korea), Thales (France), Telus (Canada), IDEMIA (France), GBG (UK), Tessi (France), Daon (US), ForgeRock (US), ImageWare (US), Jumio (US), iProov (UK), ID R&D (US), Refinitiv (UK), OneSpan (US), Smartmatic (UK), Freja EID Group (Sweden), Vintegris (Spain), AU10TIX (Israel), Signicat (Norway), Duo Security (US), Syntizen (India), Hashcash Consultant (US), Good Digital Identity (Czech Republic) are the key players and other players in the DIS market. Recent Developments In May 2023 , iProov partnered with Wultra to provide iProov's biometric solutions suite as part of its portfolio of digital banking solutions.

, iProov partnered with Wultra to provide iProov's biometric solutions suite as part of its portfolio of digital banking solutions. In March 2023 , Thales announced a partnership with the Finnish police. The National Police Board of Finland is planning to launch new biometric travel and digital ID documents.

, Thales announced a partnership with the Finnish police. The National Police Board of is planning to launch new biometric travel and digital ID documents. In November 2022 , ForgeRock launched a cloud-native digital identity governance solution. The new ForgeRock Identity Governance increases enterprise efficiency by combining its digital identity and access management platform.

, ForgeRock launched a cloud-native digital identity governance solution. The new ForgeRock Identity Governance increases enterprise efficiency by combining its digital identity and access management platform. In November 2022 , NEC launched a touchless, multimodal biometric authentication terminal. This terminal integrates face recognition technology with iris recognition technology to provide high levels of authentication.

, NEC launched a touchless, multimodal biometric authentication terminal. This terminal integrates face recognition technology with iris recognition technology to provide high levels of authentication. In November 2022 , GoTyme Bank partnered with Daon. GoTyme Bank will utilize Daon's IdentityX platform to enable digital identity capture and authentication in its mobile app. Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=247527694 Digital Identity Solutions Market Advantages: User experiences can be made simple and convenient by using digital identity solutions. Users no longer need to remember several usernames and passwords in order to access multiple online services and applications because they only require one set of credentials. Productivity rises and user happiness is increased by this seamless experience.

Strict regulatory requirements involving identity verification and data protection apply to a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, and government. Digital identification solutions help organisations comply with these rules by putting in place strong security measures and offering audit trails and reporting capabilities.

Privacy-enhancing technologies are used to prioritise user privacy in digital identification systems. To safeguard user data, they frequently use strategies like pseudonymization, encryption, and anonymization. The danger of data breaches and unauthorised data use is lower since users have more control over the personal information they exchange with different service providers.

Organisations may save money by using digital identity solutions. They lessen the need for conventional, tangible identification documents that can be expensive to acquire and verify, including passports and driver's licences. Digital identification systems also automate a number of identity-related tasks, lowering operating expenses and manual labour.

Fighting identity fraud and online scams requires the use of digital identity solutions. In order to safeguard people and organisations from unauthorised access and impersonation attacks, modern authentication techniques and real-time identity verification procedures are used.

Solutions for digital identity are very scalable and flexible for a range of user populations and use cases. They can manage varying authentication requirements across multiple channels, including web, mobile, and IoT devices, and they can accommodate millions of users. Report Objectives To define, describe, and forecast the Digital Identity Solutions Market by offering (solutions and services), solution type, identity type, organization size, vertical, and region

To provide detailed information about the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) influencing market growth

To analyze the opportunities in the market and provide details of the competitive landscape for stakeholders and market leaders

To forecast the market size of the segments concerning five main regions: North America , Europe , Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific (APAC), and Latin America

, , and (MEA), (APAC), and To profile key players and comprehensively analyze their market rankings and core competencies

To analyze competitive developments, such as acquisitions, product developments, and partnerships, in the market Browse Adjacent Market: Information Security Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Other Reports: Blockchain Interoperability Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Extended Detection and Response Market- Global Forecast to 2028 MEA Cybersecurity Market- Global Forecast to 2028 Digital Evidence Management Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Blockchain Market - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets 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. 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 moulded 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 MarketsandMarkets or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra

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COLOMBO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Elections Commission of the Maldives has planned to set up 604 ballot boxes for this year's presidential election, local media reported on Monday.

The ballot boxes will be stationed in the Maldives and abroad, and the first round of the election will be held on Sept. 9, Vice President of the Elections Commission Ismail Habeeb was quoted as saying.

Overseas ballot boxes will be set up in countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Britain, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, Habeeb said.

Habeeb also said that the total number of polling stations to be established will likely increase after voter re-registration.

The second round of the election, if required, is scheduled for Sept. 30, Maldivian media reported.

Several candidates including incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih have declared their intention of contesting in the upcoming election. 
[July 10, 2023] Acrisure Brand Roll Out Extends to the West Coast Tweet

Continuing with its global brand roll out, several Acrisure Partners in California, Nevada and Hawaii will rebrand. These businesses will operate as the Company's West Region led by long-time and respected Partners Jennifer Anderson and Dan Michelini. Over the last decade, Acrisure has grown from $38 million to over $4 billion in revenue and acquired more than 700 businesses around the world. Acrisure provides a wide array of client-focused solutions including insurance, cyber services, mortgage origination and many others. In 2023, the Company kicked off efforts to align under the Acrisure brand in a process that will occur over the next few quarters. "California, Nevada and Hawaii are home to many bold, entrepreneurial and innovative Partners that serve hundreds of thousands of clients across the region," said Greg Williams, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, Acrisure. "We are thrilled to bring our West Region Partners together under the Acrisure name and continue to deliver a consistent experience to each of our clients that reflects our high standards of service and best in class technology solutions." Jennifer Anderson and Dan Michelini have years of experience within Acrisure. Their respective businesses as well as a dozen others are part of this rebranding; you can see the list of those Partners as well as access other information about the West Region on Acrisure's website: www.Acrisure.com/West.



"The West Region Partners have decades of experience supporting businesses, families, and clients of all sizes. With the rebranding to Acrisure, we take another step forward. It is an honor to lead this effort," said Anderson. "Our sales professionals and colleagues are eager to start using the Acrisure name more formally as a show of what we can do for our clients," added Michelini. "This is the start of a new exciting chapter for all of our clients and stakeholders."

For news and more information, visit www.Acrisure.com. About Acrisure Acrisure is An Extraordinary Advantage? for millions of clients worldwide. The Company combines humans and high tech to deliver a broad array of client-focused solutions including Insurance, Reinsurance, Cyber Services, Mortgage Origination and more. In the last nine years, Acrisure has grown in revenue from $38 million to more than $4 billion and today employs over 15,000 colleagues in 21 countries. Acrisure expects to announce new developments in the near term. To follow news and updates in real time, visit Acrisure.com or follow the Company on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710771959/en/

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[July 10, 2023] Flexion achieves Select Tier Status within the AWS Partner Network Tweet

MADISON, WI., July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flexion is pleased to announce that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Select Tier Partner status within the AWS Partner Network (APN). This relationship will allow Flexion to leverage the power of AWS services, knowledge, experiences, and programs to help benefit its customers as part of their digital and cloud modernization initiatives. AWS Select Tier Services Partners are organizations recognized for proven technical expertise and demonstrated customer experience.

According to Scott Hasse, Flexions Chief Technical Officer, Flexion has a long history of successfully developing solutions built on AWS. Our achievement of this certification reflects both our commitment to continuing to work with AWS and the deep and broad cloud competency we bring to our customers. We are excited by the opportunity to continue to develop our working relationship with AWS as an AWS Select Tier Partner, now and into the future. Flexion has been delivering citical digital and cloud modernization initiatives on AWS for over ten years. Currently, Flexion is working with Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to modernize its computer-based student testing platform to meet the changing needs of K-12 school districts. This modernization includes transitioning to open-source technologies and migrating from on-premises VMware vBlock hardware to AWS infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) services.



Additionally, Flexion has been consulting with various federal government agencies, including the General Services Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the United States Tax Court, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on their cloud modernization journeys. About Flexion

Flexion was founded in 1995 as a solution-centric business consultancy in Madison, WI. Flexion is recognized as a leader in agile business transformation, cloud-based greenfield digital development, legacy systems modernization, and AWS Cloud Optimization. We have been helping customers modernize solutions utilizing AWS for over ten years and serve federal, state, and commercial clients using high-performing teams.

Contact:

Luanne Brown

[email protected]

608-284-8981





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[July 10, 2023] CUPE calls on Trudeau government to stand strong in the face of bullying by tech giants Tweet

Canada's largest union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), is calling on the Trudeau government to stand strong in the face of bullying by tech giants Meta and Google, who do not want to pay their fair share to support local journalism in Canada. "Tech giants like Google and Meta have been making billions off of content they don't create, while local outlets fold and thousands in the news industry lose their jobs. This has to stop, and C-18 is a crucial part of how we're going to stop it," said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. The Online News Act (Bill C-18) was passed into law last month, which requires ompanies like Meta and Google to compensate news organizations when web users access a web story through one of their platforms. In recent years, revenue streams for news outlets have plummeted as more and more advertising dollars go to digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Similar legislation to Bill C-18 was implemented in Australia, where it has led to a resurgence in local journalism, and it's hoped that it will have the same effect in Canada.



"A healthy democracy depends on strong local journalism in our communities," said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick. "Our government must stand up and defend this vital industry for the benefit of everyone across Canada." CUPE represents approximately 7,000 workers in the telecommunications and broadcasting sector, primarily in Quebec.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710357741/en/

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[July 10, 2023]

Government of Canada announces two new living labs in Quebec

COATICOOK, QC, July 10, 2023 /CNW/ - While visiting the Centre d'initiatives en agriculture de la region de Coaticook (CIARC), the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, today announced the creation of two new living labs in Quebec. These on-farm collaborative innovation projects bring together producers and scientists, among others, who co-develop and test innovative practices and technologies to accelerate the agri-environmental shift.

The lead partners for these two new Quebec living labs are L'Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) and Les Producteurs de lait du Quebec (Les PLQ). The two projects represent an investment of more than $16 million over five years from the federal government, under the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program.

With up to $9.2M in federal investments, the living lab led by UPA aims to co-develop, test and evaluate beneficial management practices with dairy, cattle, pork, sheep and field crops, which are the largest agricultural sectors in Quebec.

Les PLQ are benefiting from a federal investment of up to $7M for Laboratoire vivant  Lait carboneutre, which is part of a global strategy aimed at achieving carbon-neutral, on-farm milk production by 2050.

Both lead partners will be working closely with local producers and other organizations to co-develop and test beneficial on-farm practices to store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each living lab will create its own network to encourage knowledge transfer and exchange between fellow producers, producer associations, federal and provincial researchers, Indigenous groups, and other sector stakeholders.

Building on the success of the Living Laboratories Initiative that ran in PEI, Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario from 2019 until March 2023, the Agricultural Climate Solutions  Living Labs program seeks to break down barriers between research and application by co-developing and testing new ideas in real-world conditions. This Canadian model has received international acclaim and inspired similar initiatives in other countries around the world.

In the coming weeks, lead partners for living labs in three other provinces will be announced. They add to the wave of nine living labs announced under the ACS program in 2022 and will ensure that there will be at least one living lab in every Canadian province.

By working collaboratively with the sector, Canada continues to lead on this collaborative approach to agricultural innovation aiming to feed the world through sustainable farming practices.

Quotes

"Quebec farmers have long worked closely in collaboration with researchers to bring the best practices and the latest tools from out of the lab and into the field. These two new research projects ensure that farms themselves become laboratories where new practices are co-developed, tested and evaluated. This approach makes it possible to reach a greater number of producers, to accelerate the adoption of best practices and, as a result, make our agriculture increasingly sustainable. 

- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"The participatory research and support activities of Living Lab  Quebec 2020-2023 have generated enthusiasm and support from over 200 producers, agricultural advisors, stakeholders and scientists. This approach has enabled farmers to be at the forefront and to work closely with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists and other specialists, from start to finish. Today's announcement, which confirms the continuity of this winning formula, will be welcomed by all the stakeholders involved."

- Martin Caron, General President, Union des producteurs agricoles

"This is a major announcement by the Canadian government for Quebec dairy producers, as this living lab will make a major contribution to the development of knowledge and the improvement of practices in a perspective of sustainable development and carbon neutrality. We are determined to be a leader in best practices, which is why we have adopted an ambitious sustainable development plan and are working to develop structuring projects. This living lab will be able to rely on the participation of a number of dairy farms, and we would like to thank the producers who are committed to the project and its objectives, as well as all the partners who are contributing to it."

- Daniel Gobeil, President, Producteurs de lait du Quebec

"We are honoured to welcome today the architects of the new living lab projects in Quebec. Through the support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, we can all work together to improve the carbon footprint of Canadian agriculture. Our organization is proud to contribute to the carbon-neutral milk living lab. Our farm-school will bring the student community into contact with the process, which will undoubtedly enrich agricultural training. What's more, the objectives and values of this living lab are strongly aligned with CIARC's current work, particularly with regard to the Estrie biofood institute project. We're already looking forward to working with the participating farms in the Eastern Townships!"

- Jean-Pierre Charuest, Chairman of the Board of the CIARC, a partner of Laboratoire vivant  Lait carboneutre

Quick Facts

The lead applicants for the two new Quebec living labs are:

living labs are:



L'Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA)





Les Producteurs de lait du Quebec (Les PLQ)

Projects and final funding are subject to negotiation of contribution agreements.

For additional information on each of the new living labs and what they will be working on, please see the backgrounder.

The ACS  Living Labs program builds on the foundation of knowledge established through the original four living labs in PEI, Manitoba , Ontario and Quebec . With this announcement, the program is on track to have at least one living lab in every province.

, and . With this announcement, the program is on track to have at least one living lab in every province. The lead partners for the first nine ACS  Living Labs announced in 2022 are:

Alberta :

:

Alberta Beef Producers





Alberta Conservation Association



British Columbia :

:

B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation





Peace Region Forage Seed Association (this living lab straddles northern Alberta and British Columbia )

and )

Saskatchewan :

:

Mistawasis Nehiyawak





South of the Divide Conservation Action Program



Atlantic:



Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture

and Labrador Federation of Agriculture



Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture





Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick

Canada introduced the agroecosystem living labs concept to G20 Agriculture Ministers in 2018, who welcomed it as a novel way to accelerate the development of sustainable agricultural practices and technologies around the world.

introduced the agroecosystem living labs concept to G20 Agriculture Ministers in 2018, who welcomed it as a novel way to accelerate the development of sustainable agricultural practices and technologies around the world. First announced in March 2021 , the Agricultural Climate Solutions program is one of many initiatives undertaken to promote environmental sustainability and resiliency in the agricultural sector. It is part of Canada's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and towards net-zero emissions by 2050. These goals were announced ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) .

, the Agricultural Climate Solutions program is one of many initiatives undertaken to promote environmental sustainability and resiliency in the agricultural sector. It is part of plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and towards net-zero emissions by 2050. These goals were announced ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference . Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and France's Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE) will be co-hosting the first International Forum on Agroecosystem Living Labs in Montreal, Quebec from October 4 to 6, 2023 . The event will discuss best practices, case studies and challenges facing the international agroecosystem living lab community worldwide.

Additional Links

Agricultural Climate Solutions - agriculture.canada.ca

Accelerating the adoption of climate-smart best practices in agriculture

Canada plays leadership role on soil conservation at G20 meeting in Argentina - Canada.ca

Living Laboratories Initiative: International engagement and partnerships - agriculture.canada.ca

Government of Canada launches Canada's first Living Lab in Prince Edward Island: homegrown collaborative solutions to local environmental farming issues - Canada.ca

Living Lab - Quebec, an inspiring example of winning collaboration - agriculture.canada.ca

Government of Canada makes transformative $70 million investment in agricultural science - Canada.ca

Backgrounder

New Agricultural Climate Solutions  Living Labs, Partners and Activities

The Government of Canada announced new living labs under the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Agricultural Climate Solutions  Living Labs program. The living labs are a collaborative approach to agricultural innovation, bringing together farmers, scientists and other stakeholders to co-develop and test new practices and technologies in a real-life context, so they can be adopted more quickly by Canadian farmers.

The new activities planned for each living lab will focus on carbon sequestration and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the development and testing of beneficial management practices (BMPs), which could then be widely adopted across the region and country.

The new living labs are:









Recipient Organization AAFC Funding Location(s) Project Focus L'Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) $9.2M Quebec This living lab is focused on producer needs in five key agricultural sectors in Quebec: dairy, cattle, pork, sheep, and field crops. The BMPs being developed and tested across several regions of Quebec include crop rotation with forage, cover cropping, and soil amendments; better management of forage crops, feeding systems, and animal waste; ecological restoration, preservation, and reappropriation of sweetgrass; and agroforestry and sustainable watercourse management. Les Producteurs de lait du Quebec (Les PLQ) $7M Quebec In partnership with Agrinova, Centre d'initiatives en agriculture de la region de Coaticook and UPA-Monteregie, this living lab has a network of 20 farms in four regions of Quebec. Focused on working with producers to develop and test BMPs on the farm, the goal of this living lab is to help reach net zero GHG emissions in the dairy industry. In addition to common BMPs in the dairy industry, the activities will explore the impact of riparian strips, and biochar on biodiversity and carbon sequestration.



Related products

News release: Government of Canada launches nine new living labs: collaborative on-farm solutions to combat climate change in agriculture

New Agricultural Climate Solutions  Living Labs, Partners and Projects - Canada.ca

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[July 10, 2023] Artrix Launches Game-Changing 3 in 1 ODM Solution to Maximize Cannabis Vape hardware Potential Tweet

SHENZHEN, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Artrix, the leading cannabis vape hardware manufacturing and business service platform, is excited to announce the launch of its revolutionary 3 in 1 ODM Solution. This comprehensive and trusted ODM solutions is designed to empower Artrix customers, enabling them to enhance their product competitiveness and be a productivity company with the support of a professional market team and world-class manufacturing capacity. The 3 in 1 ODM Solution is an all-sided service system that delivers professionalism, analytical precision, innovation, and flexibility to optimize customers' key product development processes. Faced with rising consumer expectations and severe product homogenization, cannabis companies are facing increasing challenges in product design and manufacturing. Cannabis companies require forward-thinking and cost-effective ODM solutions to help them create higher quality and more competitive vaping devices to meet consumer demand and drive business growth. "Within the cannabis vape manufacturing industry, we noticed that the majority of hardware manufacturers offer only product design and manufacturing services within their ODM solutions. However, at Artrix, we firmly believe that your needs extend far beyond these conventional offerings," said Chris Lin, CEO of Artrix. "What sets Artrix apart from others is that we don't solely focus on constructing your product, but we also strive for its success from the ideation phase and continuing. At the core of Artrix's ODM solution lies a 3 in 1 service model encompassing produt strategy planning, product design and manufacturing, and product promotion.



Artrix believes that an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) solution should cover the entire lifecycle of a product, from its ideation phase to its ultimate utilization. Through this brand-new partnership, Artrix aims to make every original product more competitive and efficient across positioning, design, manufacturing, sales, service, and marketing, through each subsequent step." Artrix is revolutionizing the conventional offerings by adopting an integrated approach that leverages market analysis and insights, cutting-edge product design, advanced automated production lines, and targeted digital marketing services. The innovative approach helps Artrix's clients to achieve new levels of product identity, quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

The 3 in 1 ODM Solution is in pilot today, and will be generally available in August 2023. Artrix collaborates closely with its clients to co-create custom product solutions. This involves offering comprehensive and integrated services that leverage market data and information, cost-effective automated production lines, diverse digital marketing services, and using people that know best. Market analysis and strategy consultation: align with market trends At the inception of an original product project, Artrix's cannabis market experts and data analysts analyze product positioning and develop effective product strategies. This is achieved by referencing market data, industry architecture, and industry standards in cannabis industry to ensure accurate and innovative product design direction. Product design and manufacturing: improve cost-effectiveness Artrix helps its clients achieve cost-effectiveness through an innovative and experienced product R&D team and state-of-the-art automated production lines. Leveraging world-leading product design and production facilities, along with international factory production system standards and 100,000 GMP workshops, Artrix ensures top-quality design and manufacturing processes. Product Marketing Supports: achieve product success Artrix boasts a team of professional and experienced cannabis marketing experts who customize digital marketing promotion solutions based on their clients' specific needs. Artrix clients also gain access to exclusive digital marketing tools and the latest industry data, enabling them to effectively promote their products in the market, reach a broader user base, and unlock maximum value. About Artrix - Hardware, Marketing, Strategy, We're All in. Artrix is an emerging international cannabis vaporizer hardware brand that offers more than just cannabis vape devices. It uses an exclusive three-in-one service model that combines superior product solutions, systematic marketing support, and professional strategic consulting to create a great customer experience. Artrix conducts extensive market research and analysis to understand the needs behind each product and provides localized marketing support to maximize its market potential and success. Media contact:[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artrix-launches-game-changing-3-in-1-odm-solution-to-maximize-cannabis-vape-hardware-potential-301872881.html SOURCE Artrix

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Opera, a web browser that was developed by Norwegian software company Opera Software (News - Alert), has introduced several pioneering features that set it apart from other web browsers. One of its notable innovations is the introduction of tabbed browsing, allowing users to open multiple websites in a single window. This feature has since become a standard in almost all modern web browsers.







Opera also introduced an integrated email client, a news reader, and a BitTorrent (News - Alert) client within the browser, offering users a comprehensive online experience without relying on external applications. With the likes of the Chromium open-source project being embraced by Opera, the web browser always seems to evolve and adapt to changing user needs.

Now, Opera is making another bold move, adapting to user needs through generative AI. Since earlier this year, Opera has dabbled in the generative AI space to provide its users with a reimagined browsing experience that boosts their productivity and creativity through various ways of interacting with browser AI.

Opera One, coming with an integrated browser AI named Aria (News - Alert), is officially out of testing and ready for download.

Aria, developed in collaboration with OpenAI, offers expanded capabilities and is available for free to Opera One users. Powered by Opera's Composer AI engine and connected to OpenAI's GPT, Aria serves as a web and browser expert, assisting users in various tasks such as finding information, generating text or code, and answering product queries. Aria also utilizes AI Prompts, allowing users to receive contextual prompts by right-clicking or highlighting text.

Opera One users can access Aria through a new command line by using the ctrl+/ (Win) or cmd+/ keyboard shortcut. They can ask Aria questions and interact with its responses in the sidebar or continue browsing.

Opera's AI services are user-controlled, meaning users can choose to opt into them or not. To use Aria, users need to open the browser AI in the sidebar and log in or sign up for a free Opera account.

"As people who obsess over browser innovation, we saw fit to rethink the role of the browser in light of the recent developments in the AI space, said Joanna Czajka, Product Director at Opera. As opposed to other browser companies, Opera didn't simply add AI services to its browser. We went back to the drawing board and redesigned our flagship browser.

Opera One also introduced Tab Islands as a significant feature that transforms the behavior of tabs in the browser. Traditional tab management in web browsers has not evolved much and fails to cater to the diverse ways in which people utilize the internet. Existing tab designs make it challenging to switch between sets of tasks, and users often feel overwhelmed by the cluttered nature of their tabs, desiring better management options.

Tab Islands in Opera One addresses these challenges by grouping related tabs together based on context. This intuitive approach organizes tabs without requiring users to change their habits or think about it actively. Users gain flexibility in interacting with their tabs by keeping different browsing contexts separate, moving tabs around, collapsing islands for later use, and saving them into bookmarks or pinboards.

For example, when planning a trip and researching hotels and routes, the tabs related to that context will stay together in a dedicated tab island. Similarly, if users have multiple Google (News - Alert) Docs for work, those documents will automatically receive their own tab island. With the creation of tab islands as users browse, Opera One provides an easy way to distinguish between different topics and switch between them seamlessly.

Available for download, Opera One is the beginning of a new evolution cycle for the flagship Opera browser with many more AI-centric updates that will enhance the users web experience planned for later this year.

Edited by Alex Passett
The former Missouri Senator shares scathing criticism and provides context for the debate going forward.

Here's her analysis . . . We're pretty sure your mileage may vary . . .



McCaskill also suggested GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have so far failed, with their escalating primary rhetoric, to realize that they actually have to win a general election if they become the Republican presidential nominee.



Neither one of those people are growing the number of voters they need to win, she said. Its just the opposite. Their sliver is shrinking.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Here's the thing . . .

WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY WHITE DUDES FROM RURAL MISSOURI STACK UP BODIES ON KANSAS CITY'S EAST SIDE!!!

Meanwhile . . .

Mass shootings, club life gunfire, domestic violence and all manner of local vendettas have slain victims on local streets at a historic rate.

SHAME ON THE KANSAS CITY STAR FOR HELPING TO POLITICIZE YET ANOTHER HISTORIC SLAUGHTER!!!

We'd respect their journalism (luz) just a bit more if they came up with a new line.

Not-so-fun fact . . . Kansas City Star & lazy local politicos have been playing this blame game for years as the local death toll continues to mount.

Accordingly . . .

Here's the latest volley and advocacy that doesn't have much in common with reality . . .



But as the toll of gun violence has mounted in Kansas City and St. Louis in recent years, that power faces a growing challenge from anti-violence advocates, local leaders and others frustrated by what they say is a major obstacle to combating the daily rhythm of shootings in the two cities.



The Republican-controlled legislatures sweeping control over gun laws  and its steady relaxation of restrictions  has spurred a nascent campaign to amend the Missouri Constitution to restore the ability of the states two biggest cities to set rules limiting guns. The effort, called Sensible Missouri, could pose the most serious threat to Jefferson Citys grip on firearms policy in recent memory.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
A debate about driver's license dox has become an EPIC struggle, a legit wedge issue and a fundraising bonanza whilst Kansas continues to lose population & biz and the digital economy now transformed by A.I. and the Sunflower State continues to be left behind.



Here's the imaginative scenario . . .



In a year strewn with superhero movie flops, this might sound misguided. Shazam imploded, Ant-Man stayed tiny, and The Flash stumbled (even with Michael Keatons Batman making a return). Why would a failed gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate think he had the slightest shot?



But Kobach thinks hes found the issue to launch his heroic flight across the prairie skies: Enforcing Senate Bill 180, an anti-trans law that appears to be a massive dud on its own terms.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kris Kobach stuffs himself into superhero costume to combat transgender Kansans' rights - Kansas Reflector The Kansas attorney general has squeezed into a spandex bodysuit and cape to convince our state that he's a man of steel.

Kobach sues governor for letting trans Kansans change the gender on their IDs Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Gov. Laura Kelly over dueling interpretations of a law restricting transgender Kansans' ability to change their gender on state IDs.

Developing . . .
A long shot effort underway as this convict benefits from wealthy and eternal hope.

Here's the word . . .



"Yusts attorneys filed the appeal weeks after a jury found Yust guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky and second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions. A judge sentenced Yust to as many as 45 years in prison for the two convictions."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Missouri appeals court to hear oral arguments in Kylr Yust appeal Attorneys representing Kylr Yust will present their case Tuesday to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, in hopes of overturning his May 2021 conviction.

Missouri appeals court to hear oral arguments in Kylr Yust's appeal of his 2021 conviction Yust was sentenced in the killings Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions nearly a decade apart.

Developing . . .
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces have arrested a weapon smuggler in east Afghanistan's Nangarhar province and discovered arms and ammunition from his possession, a statement of the provincial government said on Monday.

The man who was attempting to smuggle arms and ammunition was detained in Nazian district, and security personnel found five AKM assault rifles, two hand grenades and a huge number of munitions, including mortar mines and shells of anti-aircraft guns, the statement added.

This is the second arms seizure by Afghan security forces since Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, security authorities discovered arms and ammunition including five pieces of AKM rifles, one piece of U.S.-made M16 assault rifle, one pistol and thousands of bullets in central Wardak province.

The Afghan caretaker government, which has seized thousands of light and heavy weapons including tanks since its induction in August 2021, has vowed to collect arms and ammunition from anyone outside the security forces. 
Some 17,000 people a day are visiting the site to see the hill and the renowned Parthenon and the numbers are swelling ahead of an expected heat wave that could see temperatures of 104 degrees baking the rocks

At risk of being overrun, the Acropolis will be protected in a crowd control system that will include time slots and electronic ticketing and plans will include more shade and water for those waiting in the heat in long lines.

The famed ancient site has seen a dramatic increase in visitors with the essential end of the COVID-19 pandemic and waves of tourists returning to the country that could surpass 30 million  more than three times the population.

Some 17,000 people a day are visiting the site to see the hill and the renowned Parthenon and the numbers are swelling ahead of an expected heat wave that could see temperatures of 104 degrees baking the rocks.

The rush to get there early and get near the head of the line has produced some unruliness as well with guards struggling to deal with the frustration of people, some of whom came halfway around the world to visit the site.

Measures will be fully enforced by the end of the month, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, a classical archaeologist, said. Visits in June and early July alone increased by 80% compared to 2019, she added, reported The Guardian.

There will also be fast-lane entry points for organized tour groups who will get priority and as officials said thousands of visitors are pouring off cruise ships docking in the nearby port of Piraeus and heading straight for the site.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/09/acropolis-greek-tourists-cruise-ships-athens-controls

The hope is that having a system instead of a free-for-all to get in will ease congestion, much caused by the cruise ship traffic thats returned in full force with the pandemic waning into the rearview mirror.

In the past, these cruise ships had the capacity to carry a few thousand, the population of a large village, Lysandros Tsilidis, President of the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies told the newspaper.

He welcomed the measures. Now the vessels are so big youve got the size of a small state on board and at least 30 percent of all of those passengers will have pre-purchased tickets to visit the Acropolis, he said.

He said the country has skyrocketed in tourists from the 1970s and with warnings of over-tourism and popular islands also unable to handle the numbers without adequate infrastructure. No one could possibly have imagined it, he said

No one could possibly have imagined it, he says. Back then, Greece attracted 7 million tourists; now that number is more than 30 million, three times our population.

The paper said that tour guides complained of people fainting in the summer heat in an area where protection cant be set up because of the nature of the site that would require altering.

I have given instructions to find a way to be able to erect shades in places that are (not considered) sensitive, said Mendoni, reappointed with the newly-re-elected New Democracy government.

And at discreet points, well make sure there is water outside the site, said Mendoni, who went there to witness the scenes.

In her first term, she had instructed that concrete pathways be put on the sacred site, drawing the wrath of fellow classical archaeologists who said it was sacrilegious but which she defended as necessary to handle the crowds and make it possible for those in wheelchairs to visit.

She note says that the problem of overcrowding may require altering the entryway which would likely put her in the firing line again of critics who said the government is interested only in money and not history.

In antiquity, there was more than one entrance, she said. The solution to  the bottleneck would be the expansion of the Propylaia (gateway.) We cant demolish the Propylaia but we can widen it, she added

Manolis Korres, the architect who heads the Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments, told the Observer that he believed the works would take no longer than 10 months if a well-prepared schedule was adhered to.

I have proposed the reinstatement of the Roman staircase in the area many times and never because I want to facilitate the number of visitors, he said, his studies envisioning a larger entrance to match much of the original form.

said the professor, whose detailed studies would see the monumental entrance enlarged and overhauled to much of its original form.

The ascent up to the treasures  a grueling climb in the summer  would also be easier as the incline would be eight times wider, said Korres, who the paper said is seen as the Acropoliss leading authority.

Mendoni said earlier changes were necessary, including a lift. If we hadnt made the corridors, she said, referring to the concrete pathways the Acropolis would today be an almost impossible monument to visit.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Christophe Meneboeuf
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is preparing to open a new terminal and runway later this month for the international airport serving its capital Lefkosa, according to an announcement Sunday.

Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be attending the ceremony at Ercan Airport on July 20, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said in a written statement.

"We are now counting down the days for the opening. Hopefully, we will have the opening ceremony with the presence of our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 20," he said.

The latest additions to the facility are the result of 400 million (over $438 million) of investment, noted Uraloglu, adding that the terminal would feature a passenger capacity of 10 million and area for 30 aircraft to park.

Its new runway of 3.1 kilometers (over 1.9 miles) will be suitable for all models of passenger aircraft, he underlined.

Noting that test flights were complete, Uraloglu said the upgrade would "make a significant contribution to tourism and the economy" in the TRNC, and connect the country to the rest of the world.

Image Credit:  AA




URUMQI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Urumqi International Aviation Hub Construction Forum was held last week. Representatives from major global aviation companies gathered in Xinjiang's Urumqi to exchange ideas on building the "Air Silk Road" and other collaboration fields.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The role of the police has come under a microscope in a shocking incident where two women we
World Population Day is celebrated on July 11th of every year to highlight the issues faced by the world due to overpopulation. Countries from the Arab World make up some of the most densely populated countries in the world, according to the Worldometer.

These are the 10 Most Populated Countries in the Arab World:

1. Egypt

Egypt is the most densely populated country in the Arab world with a population of 108, 456, 991 million. It is considered to be overpopulated, which has raised concerns about the country's economic resources being strained and the country's development being negatively affected.

2. Sudan

Sudan is the second most populated Arab nation with a total population of 46, 936, 161 million.

3. Algeria

Algeria has a total population of 46, 237, 536 million which makes it the third most populated Arab nation. The country is the tenth largest country in the world with an area of 2,381,741 square kilometers.

4. Iraq

The total population of Iraq is 42,943,719 million which has raised concerns as the country is considered overpopulated for its current state of economy, infrastructure, and food security.

5. Morocco

Morocco's total population is 38,228,437 million and is the fifth most populated Arab nation. According to Worldometer, 63.8 percent of the population is concentrated in urban areas.

6. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia might be the sixth most densely populated Arab nation, but it is the most populated GCC nation with a total population of 36,447,595. The country's statistics authority reported that 63 percent of the population is under the age of 30, which emphasizes the need to diversify the economy to cater to the needs of the younger population.

7. Yemen

Yemen has a total population of 31,806,370 million, however, it suffers the worst humanitarian crisis as 80 percent of its population suffers from food insecurity.

8. Syria

Syria is the eighth most populated Arab country with a total population of 18,782,576. The country also suffers a humanitarian crisis as 13.4 million of its population is in need of humanitarian assistance due to civil war.

9. Somalia

Somalia's total population is 17,230,641 million. It's population also face challenges from food insecurity and drought.

10. Tunisia

The total population of Tunisia is 12,191,096 million and the country is part of the Maghreb region of Northern Africa.
BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing.

Xi noted that with joint efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations have maintained a sound and steady development momentum, with steady progress in cooperation in various fields. The social foundations and popular support for the long-term friendship between the two countries have become more solid.

"During my state visit to Russia in March this year, President Putin and I reached new and important consensus on deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation in various fields," Xi said, noting that the development of China-Russia relations is a strategic choice that the two countries have made based on the fundamental interests of their respective countries and peoples.

China will continue to work with Russia to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era featuring mutual assistance, in-depth integration, innovation and win-win outcomes for all, so as to boost the development and revitalization of the two countries and promote the construction of a prosperous, stable, fair and just world, Xi said.

Noting that legislative cooperation is an important part of China-Russia relations, Xi expressed the hope that the two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote and guarantee the sustained and sound development of bilateral cooperation in various fields from the legislative level, strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation and state governance, and push cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries to a new level.

He called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, guide the reform of global governance in the right direction, and safeguard the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.

Matviyenko said the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination conforms to the interests of the two countries and the will of the two peoples, and has reached its highest level in history and continues to develop steadily. President Xi's successful state visit to Russia in March has injected strong impetus into the development of Russia-China relations.

The Russian Federation Council supports deepening Russia-China cooperation and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China's National People's Congress to provide a legal guarantee for the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state, Matviyenko said. 
By Janice Phelan, July 10, 2023



The Missouri Innovation Campus building in Lee's Summit is home for a program that enables educators and business representatives to work together in a program that delivers courses that are designed to meet workplace needs and internships that begin while students are still in high school.





LEE'S SUMMIT, MO -- Since its launch over a decade ago, the Missouri Innovation Campus program has been recognized for successfully connecting businesses to a trained workforce. To make sure coursework aligns with workplace needs, MIC program instructors collaborate with business partners on a regular basis to develop and review competencies for each degree program.



As the MIC program has grown from one program and three business partners in 2012 to six programs and over 70 business partners currently, the competencies are reviewed in each program bi-annually to keep them at industry standard, said Stan Elliott, MIC program director.



The business partners work closely with instructors from the programs three educational partners  the University of Central Missouri, Lees Summit R-7 School Districts Summit Technology Academy and Metropolitan Community College  to designate existing competencies as essential, desired or non-applicable. Through this process, course competencies are added where skills gaps are identified by the review team with obsolete competencies deleted, Elliott added.



This bi-annual review is essential in supporting our MIC program interns as they begin their three-year, year-round, paid internships the summer after their junior year of high school, so they have the most current industry standard instruction over the four years of the program, he said.



Both the business partners and the students benefit from the thorough competency evaluations.



During June, educators and business representatives joined forces to review the following programs  Software Development, Software Engineering and Cybersecurity. The teams updated competencies are provided to all business partners hiring MIC interns as well as Summit Technology Academy, Metropolitan Community College and University of Central Missouri instructors in these areas.



Keeping the MIC program responsive to the needs of our MIC business partners is essential in growing the program and providing companies in the Kansas City region with a highly skilled intern talent pool in the IT and engineering space, Elliott said.



Students enrolled in the MIC program have the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in a high-demand field just two years after high-school graduation  with little or no student debt. A vital component of the successful program is its paid internships with students applying what they are learning in the classroom while working as valued team members at the companies.



Through the internships, each business creates relevant, real-life job experiences over each students three-year placement. Among the programs graduates, 91 percent traditionally accept a position with the company where they interned with close to 99 percent accepting a job with a MIC program partner.



MIC program participants begin this accelerated bachelors degree program as high-school juniors at the Lees Summit R-7 School Districts Summit Technology Academy where they are enrolled in one of these capstone courses  Big Data and Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Digital Electronics/Engineering Technology/Design and Drafting, Software Development/Computer Science, Software Engineering and Computer Information Systems.



For more information about the Missouri Innovation Campus program, visit this webpage.
More than 170 local residents have been killed and over 400 residential houses have been destroyed in Russian attacks on Ukraines capital city since the war started.

The relevant statement was made by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Kyiv TV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In our city, over 400 residential houses were destroyed and more than 170 civilians were killed, Klitschko told.

In his words, seven children were among those killed.

Putin needs territory. He doesnt need us, Ukrainians. Thus, he kills civilians, Klitschko added.

A reminder that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirmed that 9,177 civilians had been killed and 15,993 injured in Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion started.
On Monday, South Korea dispatched a military transport aircraft to send additional non-lethal military supplies to Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made Yonhap, referring to a defense official, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The defense ministry made the decision to provide the supplies at Kyivs request, the official said, noting that Seoul has offered humanitarian and military logistics support to help Ukraine defend its freedom.

We decided to send additional military supplies in consideration of Ukraines request, and have sent a military transport aircraft to transport related materials, the official told.

Traditionally, the plane's destination and other details were not disclosed.

The move came as President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol departed for Lithuania on Monday to attend the NATO Summit later this week, where the protracted war in Ukraine is expected to be a prominent agenda item.

South Korea has sent various forms of non-lethal aid to Ukraine in its war against Russias invasion but rejected Kyivs requests for lethal weapons so far.

Photo: Yonhap
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine needs to receive clear security guarantees at the Vilnius NATO summit before joining the Alliance.

He said this in an interview with ABC News, Ukrinform reports.

The Vilnius summit is very important. If there is no unity regarding the technical invitation for Ukraine to join the Alliance, its all a matter of political will just to find the proper wording and invite Ukraine. It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO, Zelensky said.

That is a very important point, he stressed.

Only under these conditions, our meeting would be meaningful. Otherwise, its just another politics, Zelensky said.

The journalist said: So it sounds unlikely that you will go, and the President replied: Why? I think well do a lot of work.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine is working with its partners on security guarantees and is helping its partners to make some conclusions for this upcoming NATO summit meeting, and we would like to have all the decisions to be made during the summit.

In this case, its obvious that Ill be there, and Ill be doing whatever I can in order to, so to speak, expedite that solution to have an agreement with our partners. I dont want to go to Vilnius for fun if the decision has been made beforehand, Zelensky said.

As reported, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda said he hopes that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will come to Vilnius, despite his warning that he sees no point in going unless Kyiv is given a "signal" at the meeting, and will play an important role in the decision making in Vilnius.
The heads of the parliaments of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland have called on the participants in the NATO Summit in Vilnius to commit themselves to the fact that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk said this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

"Today [on July 10] in Riga, the heads of the parliaments of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland adopted an important joint declaration. This is the latest decision at a high parliamentary level regarding Ukraine's membership in the Alliance ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius," Stefanchuk said.

He clarified that the speakers of the parliaments had called on the Vilnius summit participants to undertake the commitment that Ukraine will become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO will determine the path for the accession of the Ukrainian state.

In addition, the heads of parliaments called on the allies to work closely together to develop security commitments for Ukraine, which would in no way be an alternative to the country's membership in NATO and should not slow the progress of its Euro-Atlantic integration.

They also appealed to their partners to support the peace formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

At the same time, the speakers of the parliaments of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland called on the Vilnius summit participants to continue coordinated measures to ensure Ukraine's urgent needs in military and defense equipment, focusing directly on air defense systems, long-range artillery and the necessary ammunition, tanks and fighter jets. They also called on NATO allies to help Ukraine strengthen its defense capabilities and potential, including land, sea and air components, until Ukraine fully restores its territorial integrity and sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders of 1991.

The NATO summit will be held on July 11-12 in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius.

Photo credit: Ruslan Stefanchuk / Facebook
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will take part in the inaugural meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, which will be held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday in Vilnius ahead of the NATO summit.

We will also upgrade our political ties. President Zelensky will join us for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council, the NATO chief said.

Read also: Speakers of six parliaments call on Vilnius summit participants to undertake to accept Ukraine into NATO

According to Stoltenberg, tomorrow, Allies will address Ukraines path towards NATO membership.

The NATO chief also said that during the summit, a decision would be made regarding a multi-year package of assistance for Ukraine with the aim of ensuring its transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, making Ukraines forces fully interoperable with Allies. And covering critical needs like demining equipment, fuel, and medical supplies.

As reported, the NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12. Ukraine expects to receive clear security guarantees and a clear prospect of membership in the Alliance.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had an online conversation with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"We discussed support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, strengthening of sanctions against Russia, confiscation of Russian assets and assistance in recovery," Shmyhal wrote.

Ukrainian Prime Minister also thanked Finland for its significant assistance in getting through the winter. He noted that Finland has provided the largest amount of energy equipment among European countries and said that Ukraine greatly appreciates this contribution.

Shmyhal expects that Finland will also become a key partner in Ukraine's reconstruction and transformation.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine proposed to establish direct communication on this issue between the governments of both countries in order to develop a plan for Finland's participation in Ukraine's recovery together with the private sector.

"During all these months of full-scale war, Ukraine has been constantly feeling the incredible solidarity of the people and government of Finland. We are grateful for the support of our European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations," he added.

As Ukrinform reported, in July, Finland approved a new military aid package for Ukraine, which will include, among other things, air defense systems and ammunition.
Germany will announce new support packages for Ukraine during the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

The relevant statement was made by German Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to CNN.

During a joint press conference with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Berlin, Pistorius mentioned that the preliminary work is practically completed.

Pistorius added that he expects the NATO Summit to be very united and that it must be, in light of the current situation.

A reminder that the NATO Summit will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023. During the Summit, Ukraine expects to receive clear security guarantees and outline prospects regarding its membership in the Alliance.

Photo: dpa
07/07/2023

By Ed Brennen

Tuesday is usually a dough day for Maude Gagnon 19. But a corporate order has come in and the Southie Cookie founder/owner needs to get five dozen salted chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter and Party Animal cookies baked, individually packaged and delivered to Boston in a matter of hours.



Working in her commercial kitchen space in Stoneham, Massachusetts, the Manning School of Business alumna lines baking sheets with 11 billiard ball-sized gobs of cookie dough. After 10 minutes in the convection oven, they emerge as 5-ounce mountains of confectionery perfection  a tad crispy on the outside and oh-so-gooey on the inside.

I cant believe it worked out, Gagnon says while carefully sealing each cookie in a cellophane bag adorned with a Southie Cookie sticker. I cant believe I make cookies for a living.



Image by Ed Brennen

Its been her dream since middle school, when Gagnon started tinkering with cookie recipes at home in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Its all self-taught. A lot of trial and error, tweaking different things, she says.





Originally from Quebec City, Gagnon transferred to UMass Lowell from Framingham State her junior year and chose a concentration in marketing

It seemed to me like a great business school, and I was right, says Gagnon, who has applied her lessons in not only marketing, but also accounting, project management and supply chain management to her Southie Cookie business.



Gagnon worked as a social media assistant in UMLs University Relations office as a senior, attending campus events and producing posts on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter. The experience, she says, helped her land a job after college as a marketing coordinator for Atrium Innovations, a nutritional supplement company in Sudbury, Massachusetts.



My degree really helped prepare me for that first job and gave me the foundation to confidently start my business. -Southie Cookie Owner Maude Gagnon 19 While she was happy to have a steady job in the corporate world, Gagnon couldnt stop thinking about cookies. In September 2020, during the pandemic, she moved to an apartment in South Boston. Unable to find a neighborhood bakery that made the thick, gooey cookies that she prefers, Gagnon decided to make them herself.

While she was happy to have a steady job in the corporate world, Gagnon couldnt stop thinking about cookies. In September 2020, during the pandemic, she moved to an apartment in South Boston. Unable to find a neighborhood bakery that made the thick, gooey cookies that she prefers, Gagnon decided to make them herself.

She started posting photos of her craveable creations on Instagram, and soon people were DMing her, asking if they could buy some. So Gagnon started taking around eight orders a week, making cookies before work and leaving them on her porch for customers, who paid her through Venmo.



I was surprised that people would be willing to come to someones house that they dont even know for cookies, she says.



Image by Ed Brennen

When the demand for her cookies outgrew the capacity of her apartment oven, Gagnon created a website and joined Food rEvolution, a commercial kitchen in Stoneham, where she would go twice a week after work and bake until midnight.

Then, this past March, she decided to quit her day job and go all-in on her cookie business.



That was the goal all along  to get that experience in a corporate setting and build my savings, she says. My degree really helped prepare me for that first job and gave me the foundation to confidently start my business.



And business is booming.



Gagnon takes online orders for 500 cookies each week, with customers logging on to her website every Sunday at 5 p.m. to reserve Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes, Cookie Milkshakes and more. Sometimes they sell out in 10 minutes.



Image by Ed Brennen

The buzz was unintentional, says Gagnon, who gained 2,000 new Instagram followers after a recent story about her in the Boston Globe. You still have to have a good product that people want.

At $4 to $5 apiece, Southie Cookies are in the same price range as those found at Crumbl, which sells nearly a million cookies a day and was the fourth-fastest growing food chain in the country last year, according to food and beverage analytics company Datassential.



They taste like theyre made by robots, says Gagnon, who proudly points out that her cookies are made with these hands, with high-quality, simple ingredients  nothing gross that you cant pronounce.



Most weeks, Gagnon spends Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday making her dough. Thursday is a baking and packaging day, and on Friday she delivers the cookies to In Good Company, a gift shop in South Boston where customers can pick up their online orders. Her cookies are also on the menu at Deja Brew coffee shop and The Broadway restaurant in South Boston.



Image by Ed Brennen

While her family and boyfriend sometimes help out in the kitchen, Gagnon is still pretty much a one-woman show.

The hardest part right now is trying to figure out the steps I need to take to hire someone. If Im going to scale, I am going to need help, says Gagnon, who doesnt plan to open a brick-and-mortar location any time soon but hopes to offer nationwide shipping in the next year.



I would like to share the cookie love with the rest of the world, she says while sliding another tray of salted chocolate chips into the oven.
SEOUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Lawmakers of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP) have slammed the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) final report on Japan's planned discharge of nuclear wastewater into the Pacific.

According to Yonhap news agency, Woo Won-shik, a DP lawmaker, said at a meeting with visiting IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Sunday that "(the IAEA's) verification was biased in favor of Japan from the beginning, losing its neutrality and objectivity."

Woo, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 days to protest against the Fukushima wastewater release, said it is very regrettable that (the IAEA) made a conclusion without properly investigating the discharge impact on neighboring nations, making it "self-verification" and "a Japan-tailored investigation."

For his part, Grossi said it is "absolutely logical" that the South Korean public has been paying attention to the issue, and the IAEA would establish a permanent office in Fukushima to closely monitor how the discharge process is implemented over the next three decades.

Grossi faced a group of South Korean protesters near an international airport late Friday night when he arrived in Seoul for a three-day visit.

The IAEA chief also met Yoo Guk-hee, head of South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, and Foreign Minister Park Jin on Saturday, a day before his meeting with DP lawmakers.

The Japanese government has been pushing for dumping the contaminated wastewater this summer from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011. 
ANKARA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed on Sunday Sweden's NATO bid with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden over the phone ahead of the alliance's summit this week.

The two leaders also discussed Ukraine's position in NATO, the delivery of F-16 fighter jets and Turkiye's efforts to join the EU, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

During the phone call, Erdogan noted "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction" toward the ratification of its NATO bid by making changes in its anti-terrorism legislation, said the statement.

However, the Turkish leader said these steps were "nullified" as the supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "continue to hold demonstrations freely in the country to advocate terrorism."

Erdogan also stressed that it was not correct to associate Turkiye's F-16 purchase from the United States with Sweden's NATO bid, referring to several objections from the U.S. Congress to Ankara's purchase demand for F-16s over its veto of Sweden's NATO membership.

The two presidents agreed to meet face-to-face to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues in detail at the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on July 11-12, according to the statement.

Regarding Turkiye's EU bid, Erdogan told Biden that his country was "principled and honest" about EU membership, appealing to revive its membership process and hoping for getting a clear and strong message of support from leading countries of the EU at the upcoming Vilnius Summit.

Biden, for his part, conveyed to Erdogan his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to a White House statement.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but met with objections from Turkiye on the grounds that the two countries harbor members of PKK and the Gulen movement.

Turkiye eventually lifted its objection to Finland's NATO accession earlier this year after Helsinki took what Ankara calls "concrete steps" against such organizations. In April, Finland became NATO's 31st member state. 
LATAKIA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th Jul, 2023) The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has organised a "Knights of Humanity" event to honour the volunteers of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in four Syrian provinces.

The ERC's move is part of Operation Gallant Knight 2, launched by the Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence. It aimed to recognise the UAE's continuous humanitarian and relief efforts in alleviating the suffering of affected families following the earthquake that occurred on February 6.

The event was attended by Amer Ismail Hilal, Governor of Latakia; Mohammed Shamaa, Deputy Head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent; and Mohammed Khamis Al Kaabi, Head of the Emirates Red Crescent delegation in Syria, and volunteers from both sides.

Governor Hilal emphasised that the humanitarian and relief work played a vital role in mitigating the physical and psychological damage caused by the catastrophe. He praised the medical institutions, rescue teams, and local and Arab relief organisations for their efforts in rescuing and assisting the wounded and victims.

Al Kaabi, in turn, stated that the event aimed to honour 200 volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in four provinces: Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Homs. These volunteers played a significant role during the aftermath and provided great support to the ERC in relief operations in Syria.
KUALA LUMPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2023 ) :Malaysia saw its number of unemployed people decline further to 584,600 in May from 586,900 in April, recording an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent, official data showed Monday.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that the labor market is seen to continue a momentum of steady growth.

According to the DOSM, the number of employed persons in May increased steadily, up 0.2 percent month on month to reach 16.28 million, with the labor force continuing an upward trend.

The labor force participation rate remained at 70 percent in May as in the previous month in the Southeast Asian country.

The DOSM said it believed the labor market would face difficulties as the Malaysian economy is expected to face challenges due to the uncertain global economic situation, expecting the labor force to grow at a modest pace in the coming months.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Kyiv, Ukraine, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2023 ) :Kyiv said on Monday that Ukrainian troops had captured key heights around the eastern city of Bakhmut, as the Western-backed country pushes ahead with its counteroffensive.

Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said that Kyiv's troops had over the past few days established fire control over "entrances, exits and movement of the enemy around the city".

"During the process of advancing, our troops took control of key commanding heights around Bakhmut," Malyar said on Telegram.

In May, Russian forces, aided by fighters from the Wagner mercenary group, announced their capture of Bakhmut after months of gruelling warfare for the now-destroyed town that once was home to some 80,000 people.

Last month, Ukraine launched a highly anticipated counteroffensive after stockpiling Western weapons and building up its offensive forces.

Ukrainian forces have since been posting painstaking grains around the flanks of the city.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directs the rescue agencies to make foolproof arrangements to deal with the possible flood situation in Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 10th, 2023) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday appreciated Rangers and Rescue 1122 personnel for timely evacuation and providing assistance to the people trapped in the flash flood in Shakargarh area of district Narowal.

In a statement, he said dozens of people, including women and children, were rescued due to prompt operation of the Rangers and Rescue teams. He said the entire nation pays tribute to the dutiful sons of the soil.

The Prime Minister directed the rescue agencies to make foolproof arrangements to deal with the possible flood situation in Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers.

He also directed to create awareness among the people in the potentially affected areas and preparations for their timely and safe evacuation.
Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon on Monday condemned the participation of Moldova at the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2023) Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon on Monday condemned the participation of Moldova at the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania.

Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu will attend the alliance's summit which is set to take place from July 11-12 in Vilnius.

"These days participation at the NATO summit is categorically unacceptable. Moldova is being dragged into an arms race against the East. This is very fraught with risk for the security of Moldova. We do not need NATO weapons here, we do not need NATO soldiers, we must maintain neutrality and peace on our territory," Dodon wrote on his Telegram channel.

The former president urged the authorities not to involve Moldovans, as they want peace and realize that "the arms race leads to the risk that at some stage Moldova will be dragged into hostilities."

"We categorically oppose the participation of Moldovan representatives at the NATO summit and other 'movements' of the current authorities.

I am sure that if the issue of drawing Moldova into hostilities arises, the Moldovan people will rebuff these intentions," Dodon added.

In January, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, in an interview with the Politico newspaper, said the country should abandon neutrality in order to be admitted into a military alliance. Sandu did not specifically mention NATO but had repeatedly stated that the neutrality clause of the constitution could be revised if Moldovans decide they want a rapprochement with NATO.

According to the constitution of Moldova, the republic has a neutral status, but since 1994 the country has been cooperating with NATO within the framework of an individual partnership plan. There is a NATO information center in the Moldovan capital. A bureau for relations with the alliance has been operating since 2017.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2023) Russian forces have repelled three attempts by Ukrainian assault groups to break through the Russian defenses in several directions, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

"During the day, units of the (Russian) Yug Group of Forces continued to repel attempts by assault units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break through the defenses in the Lysychansk, Soledar-Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and Aleksandr-Kalinovsk directions.

The group's aviation carried out missile and bomb strikes against concentrations of enemy manpower and firepower," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that accumulations of weapons and equipment of Ukrainian forces were hit in Avdiivka. Moreover, Russian crews of the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system hit the area where Ukrainian weapons and military equipment were concentrated in the Soledar-Bakhmut direction and destroyed a Ukrainian warehouse.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2023) Air raid sirens went off Ukraine's Kharkiv region late on Sunday night, according to air raid data from the country's Ministry of Digital Transformation.

An air raid alert was in effect in the region shortly after midnight, the ministry's online map showed.

Later in the night, air raid warnings were issued in the Mykolaiv region, as well as the Kiev-controlled parts of Kherson region.

Ukrainian media reported that sounds of an explosion were heard in Mykolaiv shortly after midnight.

Precision strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure have been carried out by Russia since October 10 (two days after the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge).

In February, the head of Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo said that direct damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused by Russian strikes may amount to hundreds of millions of Dollars, with economic losses ranging in billions.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations secretary-general, and now chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations secretary-general, and now chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), in Beijing on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, welcomed Ban to China to attend the first high-level conference of Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, saying that China appreciates Ban's remarkable contributions to the development of UN cause and international cooperation.

Wang expressed his hope that Ban, as BFA chairman, will continue to exert positive influence and work to promote peace and development in Asia.

Since China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) established diplomatic ties 30 years ago, bilateral relations have gone through an extraordinary journey and achieved unprecedented results. He said that bilateral relations should move forward instead of stagnating or backsliding.

China's policy toward the ROK remains unchanged, Wang said, adding that it is hoped that the ROK will work with China to overcome temporary difficulties, reinvigorate exchanges and cooperation, and open up broad prospects for the development of bilateral relations.

Ban thanked China for its strong support during his tenure as UN secretary-general and BFA chairman, and appreciated China for putting forward a series of important global initiatives, which have injected a strong impetus into global synergy.

The ROK and China are close neighbors and must get along well with each other, and he will make continuous efforts for the development of ROK-China relations, Ban said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of common concern. 
USM Announces Prize Winners of 20th Innovative Design for Computing Competition

Mon, 07/10/2023 - 02:12pm | By: Ivonne Kawas

Students in the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering (CSCE) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) pushed the boundaries of innovation and technological advancement this past semester during the 20th Innovative Design for Computing Competition (IDCC).

Participants in the competition were recently awarded monetary prizes, made possible by funds provided by the state-wide NASA-Mississippi Space Grant Consortium (MSSGC) program.

The first prize winner team developed simulation software for autonomous and remotely piloted aerial drones used to increase agricultural capabilities and productivity. The second team winner designed smart mirrors, which are innovative devices that combine a traditional mirror with multiple advanced technologies to provide an enhanced user experience.

The IDCC competition provides our students with an outlet to showcase their creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving abilities, said Dr. Amer Dawoud, Associate Professor in the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering and Coordinator of the annual IDCC. From agriculture to smart home technologies, the design concepts presented at this years competition demonstrate our students talents and serve as a testament to how they can contribute to the advancement and excellence of various fields.

Team 1, composed of Kyle McLaughlin (from Waynesboro, Miss.), TreVeyon Nixon (from Hattiesburg, Miss.), Tai Pham (from Gulfport, Miss.), Michael Raggio (Hattiesburg, Miss.), Christian Rapetti (Petal, Miss.), William Resavy (Lumberton, Miss.), and Mert Sahin (Cedar Park, Texas) presented the project titled "Unity Autonomous Agricultural Drone Simulation. The team was able to develop a virtual environment to simulate drone protocols and procedures using the Unity game engine and ROS protocol. The simulation demonstrated the potential benefits of using autonomous and remotely piloted aerial drones, including increasing agricultural productivity by reducing physical labor and streamlining workflows.

Team 2, composed of Labrisha Nicole Mabry (from Hattiesburg, Miss.) and Justin Urban Riley (from Horn Lake, Miss.) presented the project titled Reflecting the Future: Smart Mirror. The team was able to design a smart mirror inspired by traditional mirrors, but with an ensemble of advanced technologies that address some of the concerns of existing designs, especially regarding privacy and cost. The team strived to design a cost-efficient smart mirror with an enhanced user experience by focusing on features such as customization, health and wellness improvements, increased accessibility, and energy efficiency.

On its 20th year, the IDCC provides undergraduate students in the CSCE an experiential learning opportunity, as they put into practice what they have learned over the course of the academic year. In teams of two or more, students collaborate and design a computing project that focuses on specific applications, robotics, and other elements of computer science and engineering. As the semester culminates, they present their final project to a panel of judges.

Learn more about USMs School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering.

About MSSGC

MSSGC is a statewide non-profit organization supported by NASA whose membership includes 17 institutions of higher learning across the state. Headquartered at the University of Mississippi, MSSGC is led by Dr. Nathan Murray, director, and Dr. Earnest Stephens, assistant director. MSSGC provides opportunities for Mississippians who are interested in participating in NASAs aeronautics and space programs by supporting and enhancing STEM fields, research, and outreach programs. For more information, visit the MSSGC website.
MGCCC and USM Presidents Sign Memorandum of Agreement

Mon, 07/10/2023 - 10:19am

The presidents of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) and The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 26 in Hardy Hall on USMs Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach. The MOA allows MGCCC to offer freshman and sophomore classes at the Gulf Park Campus and provides students on any MGCCC campus who complete an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree a seamless pathway to admission to USM. If a former MGCCC student is already a USM student, they will be able to transfer hours back to MGCCC to complete an associate degree.

We are excited about this unique partnership with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, said Southern Miss President Joseph S. Paul. This new pathway will help MGCCC students move seamlessly from their associate degree to a Southern Miss bachelors degree, will provide classroom space on our beautiful Gulf Park campus for MGCCC to deliver select courses to their current students, and will allow MGCCC students to have a first-hand view of all Southern Miss has to offer them on the Coast as the next step in their education.

He continued, I want to thank MGCCC President Mary Graham and her team for their tireless efforts to bring this vision to life, as we work together to educate the next generation of qualified professionals who will join our coastal workforce.

Benefits to students include eligibility for stackable scholarships at USM and ease of transition and admission to USM upon completion of their degree at MGCCC.

This is an outstanding opportunity for our students at MGCCC as USM is in our own backyard, said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. Students can conveniently take classes through MGCCC at Gulf Park beginning this fall. They can also join the Two-Plus-Two pathway and, upon graduating from MGCCC, be assured admittance to USM. There are also other benefits such as meeting with USM advisors at an MGCCC campus to discuss their degree plan and on what to expect after transferring.

USM and MGCCC have a long-standing commitment to partnerships that provide South Mississippi students outstanding education programs. The institutions have a variety of MOU and partnership agreements in place for Honors College, the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Research Scholars Program, and focuses on both the blue economy and Teachers Academy.

MGCCC is scheduled to offer five classes at the Gulf Park Campus this fall. Please visit the Two-Plus-Two pathway with USM for more information.
EdTech in Vietnam: Understanding Foreign Investment Trends in 2023

EdTech has become very popular in Vietnam and subsequently, the sector has become very lucrative. In this article, we look at key foreign-invested EdTech projects in Vietnam and why foreign firms have invested where they have.

Several EdTech products are gaining popularity in Vietnam, including online learning platforms, learning apps, online learning websites, and YouTube channels. These products cater to the growing demand for flexible and technology-driven learning solutions in Vietnams education landscape.

With this in mind, Ken Researchs Vietnam E-Learning Market Outlook to 2023 report predicts a significant increase in revenue for the technology services industry and content services industry. Specifically, the technology services industry is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.4 percent from 2019 to 2023, while the content services industry is expected to experience a CAGR of 18.3 percent over the same period.

This presents sizable opportunities for foreign firms working in the EdTech space. This is supported by several major investments in EdTech in Vietnam in the first half of 2023.

Below we note three of those deals and what they mean for the local firms and their foreign investors.

See also: How to Invest in Vietnams EdTech Industry

Teky Alpha JSC

Teky, founded in 2016, focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for children aged 4-18. It aims to develop skills in technological thinking, computer science, and 21st-century competencies, including critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration (4Cs).

Teky offers subjects like Programming and Application Development, Robotics Engineering, 3D Technology, and multimedia. These programs prepare Vietnamese children for success in the digital economy and nurture their potential as future technology entrepreneurs.

Investment details

In May 2023, Teky Alpha JSC reported a successful funding round of US$5 million. Singapores Sweef Capital Investment Fund participated alongside Strategic Year Holdings, a private equity firm with offices throughout Asia. This investment is expected to facilitate the expansion of Tekys educational services within the public education system and extracurricular programs catering to children aged 5 to 18.

What makes Teky an attractive investment

Vietnam has seen significant improvements in STEM education implementation and outcomes, with 88,529 STEM lessons implemented in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This is part of a wider understanding of the importance of STEM subjects.

Professional and interest groups are developing STEM teaching topics, encouraging interdisciplinary integrated teaching, and integrating STEM education into their curriculum planning.

Furthermore, high schools have established science research clubs and organized events like STEM Day and science and technology competitions. Over the past two years, 12,113 students have participated in district and provincial competitions, with thousands competing at the national level.

TEKY, a significant player in promoting STEM education, is dedicated to providing a comprehensive STEM curriculum that fosters problem-solving skills and critical thinking. These skills are crucial for career progression and innovation outcomes.

Furthermore, Sweef Capitals investment in TEKY is attributed to its robust business model, which includes 20 academies in key cities and partnerships with over 45 schools, delivering high-quality educational services to over 50,000 young people. Teky plans to expand rapidly by opening 40 new educational centers and hundreds of STEAM labs at schools by 2024, aiming to become the leading EdTech business in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Anticipated outcomes

Sweef Capitals investment in TEKY aims to foster foundational skills in children, focusing on problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative thinking. These skills are crucial for career advancement and innovation outcomes, Jennifer Buckley, Sweef founder and managing director, told DealStreetAsia.

Sweef Capital shares TEKYs vision of promoting STEAM opportunities for girls to encourage more girls to pursue these disciplines and build professional careers in STEAMhmm, Buckley went on. The investment will support TEKY in expanding its network of academies and developing its digital platform, enabling a broader reach and enhancing students critical thinking and employment skills.

CEO Sune Schackenfeldt of Pdagogernes Pension, a key partner to Sweef Capital, emphasized the strategic alignment of the investment with their responsible investment ethos.

Many of our members are educators and this first investment in TEKY provides strong alignment with the issues affecting them, she told VN Economy.

Mclass

Mclass was established in 2019 by co-founders Nguyen Van Khai and Nguyen Minh Thang. It is an online learning platform in Vietnam that has gained widespread popularity and trust among students and parents. The platform specializes in providing live teaching sessions in various subjects, including mathematics, science, literature, and exam preparation for assessments, such as the IELTS.

Acquisition details

Indonesias, Ruangguru, is an educational startup established in 2014 by Belva Devara and Iman Usman. This company has garnered significant recognition as one of the top 10 innovative educational institutions globally. With a substantial user base exceeding 40 million individuals in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Ruangguru has established itself as a prominent player in the EdTech industry.

The companys growth strategy includes acquiring various EdTech startups, such as Schoters and Kalananti. In line with its expansion plan, Ruangguru recently announced its acquisition of Mclass. While the financial specifics of the transaction remain undisclosed, this strategic move by Ruangguru further strengthens its presence in Vietnam and positions it for continued growth in Southeast Asia.

See also: Investing in Vietnams Startup Sector: Latest Issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine

What makes Mclass an attractive target?

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the development of digital education infrastructure, and Vietnam quickly adapted. About 73.2 percent of the Vietnamese population has internet access and utilizes the web to consume a broad range of digital media.

Mclass, a leading direct teaching platform in Vietnam, has gained in popularity due to its unique approach to online education. With over 10 million users on its social media channels, the app has conducted live classes for 85,000 students and solidified its reputation as an innovative player in the online learning sphere.

This landscape presents Ruangguru with an opportunity to reach a substantial user base and design captivating and dynamic lessons. Furthermore, Mclass is well-suited to capitalize on the growing trend of online learning, aligning with the increasing demand for accessible and interactive online education.

Anticipated outcomes

According to Ruanggurus co-founder and COO, Iman Usman, Mclass was acquired to strengthen its presence in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The acquisition aligns with Ruanggurus vision of becoming a prominent educational technology company in the region, according to a statement posted on LinkedIn.

Ruangguru has consolidated its position in the high school segment in Vietnam, and the acquisition of Mclass represents a pivotal step forward in expanding its offerings and strengthening its foothold.

Usman also emphasized that both Ruangguru and Mclass share a common vision of improving access to quality education and fostering an enjoyable learning experience for students in Southeast Asia. Mclass is now poised to enhance its services and deliver an enhanced learning experience to its student community.

MindX

In 2015, MindX (formerly known as Techkids) was established.

Starting from a free coding class, MindX has expanded its reach nurturing the talents of approximately 40,000 students. MindX aspires to become a key pillar of education and startup ecosystems, serving as a Global Technology Talent Center.

Our vision is to create miniature Silicon Valleys that foster young technology talents for the benefit of Vietnam and the world, co-founder, Ha Nguyen, told VN Economy in an interview.

Investment details

Following a successful Series A funding round, which raised US$3 million, MindX continues to forge ahead.MindX embarked on the Series B fundraising round earlier this year. Leading the Series B round was Kaizenvest from Singapore, an investor with a track record of funding renowned EdTech startups, such as Byjus, upGrad, and the Yola English center system, among others.

MindX secured a substantial investment of US$15 million from Kaizenvest; Aksorn, a Thai education group; Japanese HR group, Mynavi; and Wavemaker Partners.

Furthermore, the Series B round involves a loan from Beacon Fund (headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City), an impact investment firm focused on supporting women-owned and led businesses in Southeast Asia.

What makes MindX an attractive investment?

Sandeep Aneja, the Founder and Managing Partner at Kaizenvest, said in a press release that it was the quality of MindXs product that had drawn the firm to this investment.

MindX is in a favorable position to lead the technology education market in Vietnam. We are delighted to be accompanying the founding team because they continuously create quality educational products. We also believe that this investment is commensurate with the potential of the market and is a testament to our belief in the growing need to learn technology. in Southeast Asia, he said.

MindX has grown significantly since its inception with nearly 40 facilities currently operating in Vietnam. The company offers training in various technology-focused subjects, such as blockchain programming, data analysis, UI-UX design, and software testing. Over 35,000 students have graduated from MindX since 2015.

Its strong network of partnerships with over 200 businesses in countries like Singapore, Australia, and Thailand provides global access to the skilled digital workforce in Vietnam.

See also: Vietnams Tech Startups: Human Resource Challenges

Anticipated outcomes

This investment from Kaizenvest reflects the Singapore-based firms confidence in the Vietnam market potential and underlines its commitment to supporting tech learning expansion in Southeast Asia.

Kaizenvest will likely collaborate closely with MindXs founding team to capitalize on the growing demand for technology education and its value in the education sector in Vietnam and the region.

MindX also aims to connect Vietnamese technology professionals with employment opportunities in the United States and Europe, aligning with the growing demand for skilled technical personnel in these regions.

Conclusion

The success stories of EdTech companies, such as TEKY, Mclass, and MindX, highlight the transformative power of foreign investments in Vietnams education landscape. These companies have leveraged foreign capital and expertise to expand their reach, enhance their offerings, and deliver high-quality education solutions to students nationwide.

Furthermore, partnerships and acquisitions negotiated between foreign investors and local EdTech firms have created synergies that propel the sectors growth and enable the development of cutting-edge technologies and learning methodologies.

Vietnams EdTech sector presents a promising investment landscape for foreign investors. With the right approach and partnerships, foreign investors can contribute to the transformation of Vietnams education ecosystem while reaping the benefits of a rapidly expanding market.
The United Arab Emirates has promised $15 million in aid to support United Nations relief operations in Jenin after deadly violence turned the refugee camps streets and houses into rubble and cut off power and water.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to abide by its international legal obligations, saying that escalation is not the solution, warning that violence simply bolsters radicalization.

Israel maintains that it was uprooting radical militants and weapons caches in the West Bank camp.

Observers like Jordanian independent analyst Osama Al Sharif see Israels military incursion as encouraging more Palestinian youth to join militant groups. Thats because, he told VOA, there are no tangible results from a moribund peace process, while many reject the aging and ineffective leadership in the Palestinian Authority.

Its a generation in despair. There hasnt been any kind of genuine attempt to create hope for the majority of Palestinians in the occupied territories. This Palestinian Authority is incapable of protecting the Palestinians in the areas it controls. The only thing that the Israelis want from the Palestinian Authority is security coordination. Theyre not talking to the PA over a peace process. They are not in favor of an independent Palestinian state. They are against a two-state solution. So, what else is there for especially those young Palestinians increasingly seeing what is left of the West Bank being colonized by Jewish settlers? said Al Sharif.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius blames both Israel and the Palestinians for the worrying developments.

The Palestinian Authoritys security forces, he said, have lacked the firepower or will to challenge the growing presence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Jenin, both militant groups backed by Iran.

Others, like the Jenin Brigades, have risen to confront violence by Jewish settlers. The group reported that eight of the 12 dead were its members, while hundreds of others were wounded.

Ignatius also criticized Israels refusal to control and discipline the ever-expanding [Jewish] settlements in the West Bank undertaken by its current hardline nationalist government, pointing out that even if both sides really wanted a Palestinian state to materialize now, there is simply not enough land left in a small territory dotted with Israeli settlements and outposts.

Michael Milstein, a former adviser to the Israeli agency overseeing Palestinian affairs in the West Bank, told Londons Financial Times that Jenin is a wake-up call.

The basic problems in the West Bank are much deeper than terror or military or security problems. You also need to take care of political and social and economic problems, Milstein said, pointing to the apparent disintegration of the Palestinian Authority.

Jordanian analyst Al Sharif said there doesnt appear to be an endgame.

We are reaching the point of truth. When you are talking about a second or third intifada, an implosion. All negative scenarios are there waiting to happen because simply there is no alternative, no political process, said Al Sharif.

He said that inside Israel, there also seems to be no answer to what is next.
Natural disasters can be dramatic  barreling hurricanes, building-toppling tornadoes  but heat is more deadly.

Chicago learned that the hard way in 1995.

That July, a weeklong heat wave that hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) killed more than 700 people. Most of the deaths occurred in poor and majority Black neighborhoods, where many elderly or isolated people suffered without proper ventilation or air conditioning. Power outages from an overwhelmed grid made it all worse.

Initially slow to react, Chicago has since developed emergency heat response plans that include a massive push to alert the public and then connect the most vulnerable to the help they may need. Other cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix now have "chief heat officers" to coordinate planning and response for dangerous heat. Around the world, cities and countries have adopted similar measures.

But experts warn those steps might not be enough in a world that is seeing heat records consistently shatter and with continuing inequality in who is most vulnerable.

"I don't know a single city that is truly prepared for the worst-case scenario that some climate scientists fear," said Eric Klinenberg, a professor of social sciences at New York University who wrote a book about the Chicago heat wave.

Heat preparedness has generally improved over the years as forecasting has become more accurate, and as meteorologists, journalists and government officials have focused on spreading the word of upcoming danger. Chicago, for example, has expanded its emergency text and email notification system and identified its most vulnerable residents for outreach.

But what works in one city might not be as effective in another. That's because each has its own unique architecture, transportation, layout and inequities, said Bharat Venkat, an associate professor at UCLA who directs the university's Heat Lab, aimed at tackling what he calls "thermal inequality."

Venkat thinks cities should address inequality by investing in labor rights, sustainable development and more. That may sound expensive  who pays, for instance, when a city tries to improve conditions for workers in blistering food trucks?  but Venkat thinks doing nothing will ultimately cost more.

"The status quo is actually deeply expensive," he said. "We just don't do the math."

France launched a heat watch warning system after an extended heat wave in 2003 was estimated to have caused 15,000 deaths  many of them older people in city apartments and homes without air conditioning. The system includes public announcements urging people to hydrate. Just last month, Germany launched a new campaign against heatwave deaths that it said was inspired by France's experience.

In India, a powerful heat wave in 2010 with temperatures over 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) led to the deaths of over 1,300 people in the city of Ahmedabad. City officials now have a heat action plan to improve awareness among the local population and health care staff.

Ladd Keith, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, cited Baltimore's Code Red Extreme Heat alerts as an example of a well-designed alert system. The alerts go out when the forecast calls for a heat index of 105 Fahrenheit or higher, and sets in motion things like more social services in communities most vulnerable to heat risks.

He lauded the heat officers in cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix, but said there are "still over 19,000 cities and towns without them."

Inkyu Han, an environmental health scientist at Temple University in Philadelphia, noted that cities are still struggling to get aids such as cooling centers and subsidized air conditioning into poorer neighborhoods. He said more can be done, too, with simple and sustainable solutions such as improving tree canopy.

"Notably, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color in Philadelphia often lack street trees and green spaces," Han said.

In Providence, Rhode Island, the Atlantic Ocean typically moderates temperatures, but the region can still get heat waves. Kate Moretti, an emergency room physician, said the city's hospitals see more patients when the heat strikes  with increases in illnesses that may not be obviously related to heat, like heart attacks, kidney failure and mental health problems.

"We definitely notice that it puts a strain on the system," Moretti said. Older people, people who work outdoors, people with disabilities and people who are homeless make up a big share of those admissions, she said.

Miami  considered ground zero for the climate change threat due to its vulnerability to sea level rise, flooding, hurricanes and extreme heat  appointed its heat officer two years ago to develop strategies to keep people safe from the heat.

Robin Bachin, an associate professor of civic and community engagement at the University of Miami, noted that the federal government has laws to protect people in cold climates from having their heat shut off in dangerous conditions, but doesn't have something similar for cooling.

"For people in apartments that are not publicly subsidized, there is no requirement for landlords to provide air conditioning," Bachin said. "That's incredibly dangerous to particularly our local low-income population, let alone people who are unhoused or are outdoor workers."

Klinenberg said that the United States has so far gotten lucky with the duration of most heat waves, but that electrical grids vulnerable to high demand in some regions, along with persistent social inequities, could spell serious trouble in the coming decades.

That's partly because the underlying social problems that make heat events so deadly are only getting worse, Klinenberg said. Chicago's 1995 deaths were clustered not only in poor and segregated neighborhoods, but also specifically within what he calls "depleted" neighborhoods, places where it's harder for people to gather and where social connections have been worn thin. Empty lots, abandoned restaurants and poorly maintained parks mean that people are less likely to check up on each other.
Scientists say crushing temperatures that blanketed Europe last summer may have led to more than 61,000 heat-related deaths, highlighting the need for governments to address the health impacts of global warming.

In their study, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers examined official mortality figures from 35 European countries and found a marked increase in deaths between late May and early September last year compared with the average recorded over a 30-year period.

The increase in heat-related deaths was higher among older people, women and in Mediterranean countries, they found. But the data also indicated that measures taken in France since a deadly heat wave two decades ago may have helped prevent deaths there last year.

"In the pattern of summer mean temperatures in Europe during the summer of 2022, we don't see borders," said co-author Joan Ballester of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. The highest temperatures were recorded across a swath of southwestern Europe, from Spain to France and Italy.

"But when we look at the heat-related mortality, we start to see borders," Ballester told The Associated Press. While France had 73 heat-related deaths per million inhabitants last summer, Spain's rate was 237 and Italy's was 295, the study found.

"Possibly France drew lessons from the experience of 2003," he said.

France's warning system includes public announcements with advice on how to stay cool and encouraging people to drink water and avoid alcohol.

Not all of the heat-related deaths calculated across Europe last summer were linked to climate change. Some would have occurred even if summer temperatures had stayed in line with the long-term average. But there is no doubt that the intense heat in 2022  which saw numerous European records tumble  led to higher mortality rates, as other studies on heat deaths have also shown.

The authors calculated that there were over 25,000 more heat-related deaths last summer than the average from 2015 to 2021.

Without appropriate prevention measures, "we would expect a heat-related mortality burden of 68,116 deaths on average every summer by the year 2030," the authors said. They forecast that figure would rise to over 94,000 by 2040 and more than 120,000 by mid-century.

Governments in Spain and Germany recently announced new measures to address the effects of hot weather on their populations. In Switzerland, a group of seniors is citing the danger posed to older women by intense heat in a court case seeking to force the government to take tougher climate action.

One difficulty for researchers is that heat-related deaths are often happening in people with pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, said Matthias an der Heiden of Germany's Robert Koch Institute, who was not involved in the study.

In such cases, the heat is not the underlying cause of death and therefore not recorded in the cause of deaths statistics. This can cloak the significant impact that heat has on vulnerable people, with up to 30% more deaths in certain age groups during periods of hot weather.

"The problem is going to get more acute due to climate change and medical systems need to adjust to that," he said.

An der Heiden also noted that the Nature study estimated almost double the number of heat deaths in Germany last year than his institute. While the discrepancy can be explained by the different threshold values for heat used, it indicates the need for a more detailed description of heat-related mortality that distinguishes between moderate and intensive heat, he said.

According to co-author Ballester, the impact of heat depends greatly on the overall health of the population, particularly with regard to heart and lung disease.

Other measures, already being implemented in countries such as France, include raising awareness about the dangers of high temperatures and identifying individuals who need special attention during heat waves, he said.

"These are cheap, cost-effective measures," said Ballester.

He dismissed the suggestion that rising temperatures around the globe could, on balance, be beneficial due to fewer deaths during the winter months, noting the manifold risks posed to human civilization by rapid climatic change.

"In my opinion and the opinion of all the climate scientists, the less the climate is modified, the better," said Ballester. "That's why it's so important that we start, as soon as possible, mitigating climate change and reducing vulnerability."
U.S. President Joe Biden is in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the NATO summit after stopping in London to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Their meeting was overshadowed by Washingtons announcement that it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite the bombs being banned by 123 nations, including Britain. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara is traveling with the president and has this report.
TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A massive fire that broke out on Monday at an oil refinery in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, has been put out, local media reported.

The fire occurred at around 3:00 p.m. local time (11:30 GMT), semi-official news agency Young Journalists Club quoted Naser Babaei, director of the refinery's public relations office, as saying.

Babaei said the fire resulted from an explosion in three petroleum product reservoirs belonging to Aftab Oil Refining Company, adding that the cause of the explosion has not been determined yet.

Ambulances and a helicopter have been dispatched to the scene for rescue and relief work, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

Eight firefighters have so far been injured in the blaze, with one suffering third-degree burns, the official IRNA news agency reported. 
U.S. President Joe Biden said relations with the U.K are rock solid as he visited 10 Downing Street in London to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of Tuesdays NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

"Weve got a lot to talk about. I think were doing well. Were moving along in a way thats positive, said Biden.

"Great for us to carry on our conversations, which we were having just a month or so ago, it feels like, in the White House, where we signed the Atlantic Declaration, said Sunak, referring to the June agreement to cooperate on advanced technologies, clean energy, and critical minerals to counter Chinas clout around the world.

SEE ALSO: Biden, Sunak Announce Partnership on Clean Energy, New Technologies Biden administration officials underscore that this is the leaders sixth visit in six months. However, the meeting is overshadowed by Washingtons recent announcement that it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite the bombs being banned by 123 nations, including Britain, for their indiscriminate killing capability.

Sunak has not publicly backed the move, noting on Saturday that the U.K. is a signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use.

SEE ALSO: Latest in Ukraine: US to Deliver Cluster Munitions to Kyiv We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we've done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine, he told reporters.

Sunak was fulfilling his legal obligation under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

He pushed back against the notion that the decision to send cluster munitions is creating division with the alliance.

I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what were trying to accomplish, and as united as ever both in this conflict and writ large, he said.
The Gambia has repatriated 296 migrants in a two-week period, more than half of whom had been stranded in Libya, the ministry of foreign affairs said on Sunday.

One hundred and forty Gambians were repatriated between June 21 and July 4 after authorities in Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco each intercepted boats carrying citizens of the west African nation, a ministry spokeswoman confirmed.

A total of 231 Gambians had been aboard the three boats, the ministry said in a statement, but many had "absconded" before being returned.

Meanwhile, 156 Gambians were on June 24 repatriated from Libya, where they had been stranded, it said.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch accused Tunisia of expelling hundreds of sub-Saharan Africans to a desert area near the Libyan border since July 2, following violence against migrants in the city of Sfax.

"Regarding the disturbing video of migrants in Tunisia circulating on social media, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely working... to ascertain their numbers and verify their nationalities as part of the evacuation procedures," the statement said.

Earlier this year, West African nations including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal repatriated hundreds of citizens from Tunisia amid a wave of racist attacks there.
Gunmen killed 24 villagers in a remote part of north-central Nigeria, authorities said on Sunday, raising further concerns about the West African nation's ongoing security challenges.

The gunmen arrived at the Akpuuna village in Benue state's Ukum district on Saturday, shooting dead the villagers before escaping the area, according to Tersoo Kula, the spokesman for Benue state's governor.

Police blamed the attack on a "militia gang," a common reference to armed groups in Nigeria's hard-hit northwest and central regions where armed violence has claimed the lives of thousands in the last year.

Catherine Anene, police spokeswoman in Benue, said eight bodies were retrieved from the scene. Local officials, including legislator Ezra Nyiyongo, said there were at least 24 killed and several others injured.

"I lack words to express my shock and sympathy to the families of the lost ones," said Nyiyongo as he published the names of those killed.

Benue Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia said the attack was unprovoked and directed security agents to hunt for the suspects, his spokesman Kula said.

"Government will do everything possible to put measures in place to checkmate these things and forestall a re-occurrence," Kalu said.

Such attacks are common in many parts of Nigeria's northern region where local herdsmen have clashed in the past with farmers over limited access to land and water. More than 100 people have been killed this year in the violence in Benue alone. Arrests are rare after the killings.
Our first meeting with Total they said, Your standard of living will be elevated, you will no longer be poor, a 48-year-old Ugandan woman supporting seven children, told Human Rights Watch in March. Now with the oil project starting, we are landless and are the poorest in the country.

The woman was referring to the French fossil-fuel giant Total Energies. Her comments are included in a Human Rights Watch 47-page report  Our Trust Is Broken: Loss of Land and Livelihoods for Oil in Uganda  released Monday.

According to the rights organization, if the pipeline is completed, it will result in the displacement of more than 100,000 people, cause food insecurity and household debt. It will also force children to leave schools.

TotalEnergies does not view the project in the same way and said on its website that Each family whose primary residence is being relocated may choose between a new home and monetary compensation in kind. An accessible, transparent and fair complaints-handling system will be running throughout the process.

HRW says that while 90% of the people who have lost land to the pipeline project have received financial compensation, the payments were delayed for years and people were inadequately compensated.

Nicolas Terraz, vice president, TotalEnergies E&P Africa, said in a statement on the website, that his company has been in close contact with the local people and has been striving to minimize the projects impact on the local community. We are proud to be a part of these major developments for the Company that promise to transform their host countries.

EACOP [East African Crude Oil Pipeline] is also a disaster for the planet and the project should not be completed, said Felix Horne, HRW senior environment researcher.

The pipeline route traverses sensitive ecosystems, including protected areas and internationally significant wetlands, posing threats to biodiversity and ecosystems that local communities depend on for their sustenance, HRW said.

Some financial and insurance companies have already said they will not support the pipeline because of the risks it poses and the backlash from environmental activists.
The killing of a newly qualified teacher who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a man who had only recently been released from jail shocked Spain.

But a legal case against a journalist who had covered the subsequent investigation and trial has also sent shock waves through the media community.

Laura Luelmo, a 26-year-old teacher who had just moved to El Campillo, was killed December 2018 in a village in southern Spain.

Her death led to questions in the Spanish parliament over the release of convicted killers after it emerged that the suspect, Bernardo Montoya, had served 17 years behind bars for beating an elderly woman to death.

In 2021, Montoya was found guilty of murder, rape and kidnapping and was jailed for life. He denied any wrongdoing.

But in the first case of its kind in Spain, a court later handed down a two-year prison sentence to a journalist accused of revealing details from a judicial investigation that had been placed under a secrecy order.

Judges in the case argued that the journalist, who at the time worked for the regional daily, Huelva Informacion, reported details that were not in the public interest and had violated the deceased's right to privacy.

'Not good for democracy'

The ruling troubles Javier Ronchel, director of Huelva Informacion.

"We are very worried because this case goes against the fundamental principles of the Spanish constitution, which guarantees the freedom of expression," he told VOA.

"It is very dangerous for the profession of journalism. The judges are judging what is news and what is not. This is dangerous. As journalists and professionals, we have this ability to decide what is news," Ronchel said.

Kathy Kiely, the Lee Hills chair of Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism in the U.S., told VOA that this was a classic case of "killing the messenger."

"We don't need Spain to be putting a journalist in jail. It is not good for democracy," she said in a telephone interview.

"Really, what they are doing is punishing a journalist for reporting a terrible crime. The anger should be directed at the person who carried out the crime. I can understand the family, but the judges should be better than that," Kiely said.

VOA tried to contact judicial authorities in Huelva and the Spanish Ministry of Justice for comment on the case but did not receive a response to its emails.

Judges covering criminal cases in Spain regularly impose secrecy orders during investigations, but aspects of the case are often leaked to the media. The right to free expression is enshrined in the Spanish constitution and can be used by the media as a defense if challenged.

Legal right to privacy

In its ruling that was made public last week, the court said the journalist, who requested anonymity, had contravened Luelmo's right to privacy. Under Spanish law, victims still have a right to privacy even when deceased.

The case against the newspaper was brought by Luelmo's family as a civil case and the public prosecutor in a rare criminal prosecution.

Luelmo's family and the prosecutor argued that the newspaper reported details of injuries and from the post-mortem examination that were not in the public interest.

In the legal judgment, seen by VOA, the family and prosecutor complained about six aspects of the reporting.

These included reporting on the conflicting versions that Montoya gave to police about the crime, details of injuries, toxicology reports and a CCTV picture of Luelmo before she was kidnapped.

Three judges ruled that the reports "affected the personal sphere of the deceased and her family, which caused damage without any legitimate interest other than that of offering exclusives and scoops at the expense of illegality."

The ruling said that for the media to use the defense of freedom of expression, they had to justify that the person concerned was a public figure and merited the attention of media reports.

As part of the sentence, the Huelva Court banned the reporter from working in journalism for two years, fined her $3,510 and ordered her to pay $32,910 in compensation to Luelmo's parents. Another journalist at Huelva Informacion was found not guilty.

The 41-year-old journalist, who has since left the newspaper, told VOA she does not want to be named until the appeals court rules on the case.

She denies any wrongdoing and is currently free pending appeal.

She told VOA she didn't want to comment on the sentence but added via email, "I have a very clear conscience because I have only done my job, as I always did as a court journalist in my 17 years of experience."

In her email, she thanked her colleagues for "the respect and support they have shown me. It's touching to receive so many expressions of affection."

Her case caught the attention of local media association AMI and international watchdog Reporters Without Borders, or RSF.

The AMI, which represents 80 Spanish media outlets, said the ruling was a "serious violation of the right to freedom of information."

On social media, RSF posted: "Serious! The Huelva Court sentences a journalist to two years for revealing secrets in a summary, something quite common in court journalism." The watchdog added that it hoped Spain's Supreme Court would reverse the decision.
The Netherlands and Indonesia on Monday hailed the return of hundreds of cultural artifacts taken  sometimes by force  during colonial times as a major step forward in restitution efforts worldwide.

The items, ranging from valuable jewels to 13th-century temple carvings, were officially handed back to Indonesia at a ceremony at the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden.

"We are really delighted. This is a very historic moment for both us, Indonesia, and the Netherlands. And the relationship between the two," said Hilmar Farid, director general of cultural heritage at Indonesia's Ministry of Culture. "But I think what we have achieved so far is also a very significant contribution to the global debate about returning of colonial objects."

The Dutch government announced the return last week of the Indonesian treasures and looted artifacts from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry welcomed the decision and said the Indian Ocean nation will work to preserve the items, including a richly decorated ceremonial cannon.

They are the first artifacts returned home on the advice of a Dutch committee set up in 2022 to assess requests by countries for restitution of artifacts in state museums. The committee is considering more restitution requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Indonesia got back more than the trove of glittering jewels and ancient carvings from a temple in Java, said Farid.

"We consider these objects as our missing items in our historical narrative and of course they play different roles symbolically, culturally," he said. Their return means Indonesia can "reintegrate them into their cultural contexts. And that is, of course, of symbolic importance to us."

Gunay Uslu, the Dutch state secretary for culture and media, called the presentation Monday "a historically, important" event that resonates beyond the Netherlands and its former colony.

"It's also an important moment for the world because it's about colonial objects in a colonial context. So it's a sensitive topic," she said.

A Berlin museum announced in January it is ready to return hundreds of human skulls from the former German colony of East Africa. In 2021, France said it was returning statues, royal thrones and sacred altars taken from the West African nation of Benin. And last year, Belgium returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.
As NATO prepares for its summit, the U.S. says Ukraine is not ready to join the alliance. The Israeli Prime Minister is getting impatient, and Cambodians head to the polls soon. Plus, we take you to the center of the arts scene for Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russian exiles.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will embark Tuesday on a rare Africa tour in the latest diplomatic efforts to reduce the Islamic republic's isolation by forging new alliances.

The three-day trip  which includes Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe  will be the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years.

Raisi will head a delegation that includes Iran's foreign minister as well as senior businesspeople. He is scheduled to meet with presidents from the three countries, according to the official IRNA news agency.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani described the trip as "a new turning point" which could bolster economic and trade ties with African nations.

He also said the rapprochement is based "on common political views" between Tehran and the three African countries.

Iran has stepped up its diplomacy in recent months to reduce its isolation and offset the impact of crippling sanctions reimposed since the 2018 withdrawal of the United States from a painstakingly negotiated nuclear deal.

On Saturday, Raisi welcomed Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf in a bid to boost relations with Algiers.

Last week, the Islamic republic became a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which includes Russia, China and India.

In March, Iran agreed to restore ties with its regional rival Saudi Arabia under a China-mediated deal. It has since been looking to reestablish ties with other countries in the region, including Egypt and Morocco.

In June, Raisi set out on a Latin America tour that included Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba before a trip to Indonesia.
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during last years nationwide protests, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison, his Twitter account managed by supporters announced Monday. His lawyer, Rosa Etemad Ansari, told the Shargh newspaper that Salehi was sentenced over the charge of corruption on Earth, which is punishable by death.

Ansari said he was acquitted of the charges of "insulting the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic" and "collaboration with hostile governments."

The trial of Salehi was conducted behind closed doors and without media coverage. There has been a lack of information regarding the proceedings and the handling of his case in the media. There have also been allegations of torture and coerced confessions.

The U.S. State Department has consistently voiced deep concern regarding the "severe treatment by the regime" towards Salehi, urging Iran to put an end to such behavior.

Salehi was detained by Iranian authorities on October 30, 2022. His songs had denounced Iran's Islamist rulers and the perceived injustices perpetrated against the Iranian people.

Like thousands of other mostly young Iranians, Salehi embraced a widespread anti-government protest movement that began last September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of Irans morality police.
A powerful alliance of pro-Iran factions in Iraq called Sunday on Baghdad to pressure the United States to unlock pending payments to Tehran for crucial gas imports.

Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict and international sanctions, relies on gas imported from its eastern neighbor for a third of its energy needs.

But U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil and gas impose restrictions on how Baghdad can pay for the imports.

Iraq cannot directly hand over cash to Iran, but payments must be held in a bank account and be used by Tehran to fund imports of food and medicines.

The payment system has left Iraq in heavy arrears and prompted Iran to respond by periodically switching off the taps.

The Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-linked Shiite parties that dominates Iraqi parliament, called on the government in a statement "to contact the U.S. side and urge the immediate unlocking of the unpaid bills related to Iranian gas imports."

The pro-Iran coalition denounced frequent power outages across much of the country during the hot summer months, when temperatures regularly reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Iraq has deposited all payments for Iranian energy imports in an account at the Trade Bank of Iraq, electricity ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa told AFP last month, saying the sum amounted to $11 billion.

However, all payment must be approved by Washington to clear the account.

The United States last month confirmed having authorized a certain payment, without disclosing the amount.

"We approved a transaction, consistent with previous transactions that have been approved, to allow Iran to access funds held in accounts in Iraq for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a news conference in mid-June.

To reduce their dependence on Iranian gas, Iraq has been exploring several possibilities including imports from Gulf countries like Qatar, as well as recovering flared gas from oil fields.
This photo taken on July 10, 2023 shows waterlogged structures at Mandi district of India's Himachal Pradesh state. Heavy rains have triggered landslides, flash floods and inundation in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people in the past two days, officials said Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains have triggered landslides, flash floods and inundation in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people in the past two days, officials said Monday.

The rains in the state have blocked 828 roads and three national highways. Rain-triggered landslides and flash floods damaged houses, structures and washed away shops and vehicles in some areas as the major rivers of Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan and Chenab in the state were rising close to dangerous levels.

Videos on social media showed the destructive force of the flooding, including submerged structures and vehicles being swept away.

Local weather agency has issued red and orange alerts for several districts in the state due to continuous heavy rainfall ahead in the next 48 hours, with warnings of flash floods and landslides.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted more heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, where Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has urged residents to stay indoors.

Himachal Pradesh is reported to be the worst hit of the several states in northern India affected by heavy rainfall. 

This photo taken on July 10, 2023 shows waterlogged structures at Mandi district of India's Himachal Pradesh state. Heavy rains have triggered landslides, flash floods and inundation in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people in the past two days, officials said Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 10, 2023 shows waterlogged structures at Mandi district of India's Himachal Pradesh state. Heavy rains have triggered landslides, flash floods and inundation in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people in the past two days, officials said Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 10, 2023 shows waterlogged structures at Mandi district of India's Himachal Pradesh state. Heavy rains have triggered landslides, flash floods and inundation in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh, killing at least nine people in the past two days, officials said Monday. (Str/Xinhua)
Latest developments:

Ukrainian officials say the country's forces have recaptured 193 square kilometers of territory since launching a counteroffensive last month.

Poland, which serves as a hub for military aid to Ukraine, says it detained a 15th member of a Russian spy network. Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said the person "kept surveillance of military facilities and seaports."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that no agreement has been reached on the U.N. brokered Black Sea grain deal set to expire July 17. Russia will not extend the agreement that secures the safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea corridor until its requirements for Russian food and fertilizer exports are fulfilled.

The Pentagon won't say precisely when cluster munitions, promised in an aid package announced Friday, will be delivered to Ukraine, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told VOA the cluster munitions will arrive "at a time when they are most needed in the counteroffensive."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said NATO must confirm Ukraine's de facto membership during NATO's two-day summit at Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday and Wednesday.

"The security reality here on NATO's eastern flank depends on Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "When we applied to join NATO, we were frank: Ukraine is de facto already in the alliance. Our weapons are the weapons of the alliance. Our values are what the alliance believes in.  Vilnius must confirm all this," he remarked.

WATCH: Ukraine to Push for Invitation to NATO

NATO members remained divided Monday over Ukraine's potential membership in the military alliance between those in Eastern Europe and in the direct path of Russian aggression backing Ukraine's entrance, and those such as the United States and Germany fearing that a NATO membership for Ukraine before the war ends would drag the whole alliance into the conflict against Russia and potentially spark a global war.

However, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had put forward a package that included the removal of a key requirement to Ukraine's entrance into the alliance: The Membership Action Plan (MAP)  a list of political, economic and military goals that other eastern European nations had to meet before joining the alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited NATO's expansion toward Russia's borders over the past two decades as a reason for his decision to send his armed forces into Ukraine in February of 2022.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said NATO has an open-door policy on countries requesting NATO membership.

"Each NATO aspirant has their own path to membership, and the U.S. will always continue to support NATO's open-door policy," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in response to a question from VOA.

Turkey  Sweden

Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkey has agreed to back Sweden's bid to join the military alliance. "This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer," Stoltenberg posted on Twitter.

In a statement, Biden welcomed Turkey's commitment to NATO's accession protocol for Sweden. "I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister [Ulf] Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally. And I thank Secretary-General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership," he said.

Until now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opposed Sweden's NATO accession over concerns that Stockholm has not taken adequate measures against groups that Turkey considers "terrorists."

Earlier Monday, the Turkish leader had suggested that Sweden could only join the alliance after his country is accepted into the European Union.

Kremlin  Prigozhin

Five days after the short-lived rebellion of Wagner's mercenaries against senior Russian military leadership, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and several of his top commanders met with Putin and pledged loyalty to the Russian government, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Peskov said the three-hour meeting included Putin giving his assessment "of the events of June 24," the date of the rebellion, and listening to the commanders giving their account of what happened.

Recent online videos and witness accounts added yet another twist to the aborted mutiny saga alleging that during Wagner's march to Moscow on June 24, some Wagner forces broke off the main contingent and turned east on a highway in the direction of a fortified Russian army base that holds nuclear weapons. So far, there is no evidence to suggest the fighters entered a nuclear facility.

In a Reuters exclusive interview, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said the mercenaries reached the nuclear base intending to acquire small Soviet-era nuclear devices to "raise the stakes" in their mutiny.

Reuters could not confirm the information. Western officials have repeatedly said that Russia's nuclear stockpile was never in danger during the uprising, which ended quickly and mysteriously later that day.

Orikhiv attack

Officials in southern Ukraine said Monday that Russian shelling hit a humanitarian aid hub in Orikhiv, a small town in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing at least four people and injuring 11 others.

Yuriy Malashko, the regional governor, said on Telegram that Russian forces used a guided bomb to strike the site in a residential neighborhood and that all four of those killed died at the scene of the attack.

Russia has been accused of striking numerous civilian targets during its invasion that began in February 2022, while denying it targets civilian sites.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. VOA national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
Latest developments:

Ukrainian officials say the countrys forces have recaptured 193 square kilometers of territory since launching a counteroffensive last month.

Poland, which serves as a hub for military aid to Ukraine, says it detained a 15th member of a Russian spy network. Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said the person kept surveillance of military facilities and seaports.

The Kremlin said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and several Wagner commanders days after Prigozhin led a brief mutiny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the three-hour meeting included Putin giving his assessment of the events of June 24, the date of the rebellion, and listening to the commanders giving their account of what happened.

Peskov said the commanders pledged to continue to fight for Russia.

Wagner has taken part in Russias invasion of Ukraine, and Prigozhin had criticized Russias military leadership ahead of the mutiny, in which Wagner forces briefly seized control of the headquarters for Russias southern military command.

The rebellion ended with a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, allowing Prigozhin and his fighters to move to Belarus. SEE ALSO: Wagner Leader Back in Russia, Lukashenko Says

The mutiny prompted speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin would reshuffle his military leadership.

Russias defense ministry shared a video Monday showing Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the countrys most senior general, in his first public appearance since the mutiny.

The video shows Gerasimov receiving a report and giving directions to Russias aerospace forces and the militarys intelligence service.

Gerasimov was one of the main targets of Prigozhins criticism, along with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Still absent from public view is Gerasimovs deputy, General Sergei Surovikin, who has longtime links to Prigozhin.

NATO summit

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday his country could support Sweden joining NATO if the European Union opens the way for Turkeys long-sought accession to the EU. SEE ALSO: Still 'No' on Sweden's NATO Bid, Erdogan Tells Biden

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members not to give final approval to Swedens bid, with Turkey expressing opposition to what it says is a lack of action by Sweden against groups that Turkey considers terrorists.

Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union, Erdogan said ahead of the NATO summit this week in Lithuania. I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.

The EU and Turkey launched membership negotiations in 2005. The process has been stalled since 2016 due to concerns about democracy and human rights.

Sweden applied to join NATO along with Finland last year in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland was admitted in April. Swedish officials say they have lived up to an agreement with Turkey to institute reforms, including enacting a new anti-terror law.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was due to hold talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday.

Stoltenberg said leaders at the Vilnius summit this week in Lithuania will agree on a multi-year package of support for Ukraine.

This package will help Ukraine rebuild its defense and security sector, so that it can defend against further aggression, Stoltenberg said in a Foreign Affairs article published Monday. It will ensure that the Ukrainian armed forces are fully interoperable with NATO forces.

The NATO chief said the alliance will host the first meeting of a new NATO-Ukraine council that will serve as a platform for decisions and crisis consultation, where NATO allies and Ukraine will sit as equals to tackle shared security concerns.

Stoltenberg has reiterated that NATO members agree Ukraine will one day join the alliance, while cautioning that adding Ukraine while Russias invasion is ongoing is not on the agenda.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN broadcast Sunday that if Ukraine were to become a NATO member before the wars end, it would drag the whole alliance into the conflict against Russia. Biden also said that before Ukraine is considered for NATO membership, it will take time to meet all the qualifications required from democratization to a whole range of other issues.

Orikhiv attack

Officials in southern Ukraine said Monday that Russian shelling hit a humanitarian aid hub, killing at least four people and injuring 11 others.

The attack happened in the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Yuriy Malashko, the regional governor, said on Telegram that Russia forces used a guided bomb to strike the site in a residential neighborhood and that all four of those killed died at the scene of the attack.

Russia has been accused of striking numerous civilian targets during its invasion that began in February 2022, while denying it targets civilian sites.

Azov release

Zelenskyy tweeted a note of thanks to Turkey on Monday along with a video from his trip that included bringing home five commanders from Ukraines Azov unit who were involved in the defense of the city of Mariupol.

The commanders were taken to Turkey as part of a September prisoner swap and were supposed to stay there until the end of the war under the conditions of the deal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday that Turkey had violated the terms of the agreement and that Russia was not informed in advance that the commanders would be released back to Ukraine.
Latest developments:

Ukrainian officials say the country's forces have recaptured 193 square kilometers of territory since launching a counteroffensive last month.

Poland, which serves as a hub for military aid to Ukraine, says it detained a 15th member of a Russian spy network. Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said the person "kept surveillance of military facilities and seaports."

Officials in southern Ukraine said Monday that Russian shelling hit a humanitarian aid hub, killing at least four people and injuring 11 others.

The attack happened in the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Yuriy Malashko, the regional governor, said on Telegram that Russia forces used a guided bomb to strike the site in a residential neighborhood and that all four of those killed died at the scene of the attack.

Russia has been accused of striking numerous civilian targets during its invasion that began in February 2022, while denying it targets civilian sites.

NATO summit

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said leaders at a summit this week in Lithuania will agree on a "multi-year package of support" for Ukraine.

"This package will help Ukraine rebuild its defense and security sector, so that it can defend against further aggression," Stoltenberg said in a Foreign Affairs article published Monday. "It will ensure that the Ukrainian armed forces are fully interoperable with NATO forces."

The NATO chief said the alliance will host the first meeting of a new NATO-Ukraine council that will serve as "a platform for decisions and crisis consultation, where NATO allies and Ukraine will sit as equals to tackle shared security concerns."

Stoltenberg has reiterated that NATO members agree Ukraine will one day join the alliance, while cautioning that adding Ukraine while Russia's invasion is ongoing is not on the agenda.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN broadcast Sunday that if Ukraine were to become a NATO member before the war's end, it would drag the whole alliance into the conflict against Russia.

The U.S. president also said that before Ukraine is considered for NATO membership, it will take time to meet all the qualifications required "from democratization to a whole range of other issues." In the meantime, he expressed the U.S. commitment to provide Ukraine "the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves."

Biden said there is no unanimity in NATO on whether to bring Ukraine into the alliance in the middle of the war, emphasizing that "holding NATO together is really critical."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," that during the summit, he hopes to "do whatever he can to expedite solutions for an agreement with our partners."

Cluster bombs

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee, both Democrats, expressed concerns Sunday over the White House decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion.

Cluster munitions typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area. Those that fail to explode upon contact with the ground then pose a danger for decades. They are banned by more than 100 entities, though not the U.S., Russia and Ukraine.

Kaine, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had "some real qualms" about the U.S. decision because it could inspire other countries to bypass the international convention barring the munitions.

"It could give a green light to other nations to do something different as well," Kaine said on "Fox News Sunday." However, he said that he "appreciates the Biden administration has grappled with the risks." Kaine also affirmed that Ukraine had given assurances that they were not going to use these munitions against Russian civilians.

Republican U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, told "CNN Sunday," Ukraine's counteroffensive was going slowly and that cluster bombs could be a "game changer" for the Ukrainians, adding that he's pleased the administration has finally agreed to do this."

However, Lee urged the Biden administration to reconsider the move.

"Cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing a line," she told CNN's "State of the Union," adding the United States risked losing its "moral leadership" by delivering cluster bombs to Ukraine.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby defended the U.S. decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, saying Sunday that it will keep the country "in the fight," as Ukrainian forces are running out of regular artillery ammunition.

Canada, Britain, Spain, Germany and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres all expressed opposition to the U.S. decision.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the U.S. announcement and promised the cluster munitions would be used only in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and not in Russia.

Moscow described the U.S. decision as another egregious example of Washington's anti-Russian course. Wagner mutiny Russias defense ministry shared a video Monday showing Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the countrys most senior general, in his first public appearance since a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group. The video shows Gerasimov receiving a report and giving directions to Russias aerospace forces and the militarys intelligence service. Gerasimov was one of the main targets of criticism, along with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his forces in the takeover of the headquarters of Russias southern military command late last month. The rebellion prompted speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin would reshuffle his military leadership. Still absent from public view is Gerasimovs deputy, General Sergei Surovikin, who has longtime links to Prigozhin.

Azov release

Zelenskyy tweeted a note of thanks to Turkey on Monday along with a video from his trip that included bringing home five commanders from Ukraine's Azov unit who were involved in the defense of the city of Mariupol.

The commanders were taken to Turkey as part of a September prisoner swap and were supposed to stay there until the end of the war under the conditions of the deal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday that Turkey had violated the terms of the agreement and that Russia was not informed in advance that the commanders would be released back to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden's accession protocol for joining NATO to the Turkish Parliament "as soon as possible" and to help ensure that the assembly approves it.

Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania. Sweden's NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year.

"This is an historic day, because we have a clear commitment by Turkey to submit the ratification documents to the Grand National Assembly and to work also with the assembly to ensure ratification," Stoltenberg told reporters.

Earlier Monday, with NATO hoping to put on a public display of unity in its support for Ukraine more than 500 days into the war, Erdogan said he would block Sweden's path unless European members of the military organization "pave the way" for Turkey to join the world's biggest trading bloc.

His surprise announcement added new uncertainty to Sweden's bid to become the alliance's 32nd member. Turkey was already blocking its entry because Erdogan believes that Sweden has been too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that he considers to be security threats.

On arriving in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, where U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts will hold two days of talks starting on Tuesday, Erdogan first met with Kristersson before breaking off for a separate meeting with European Council President Charles Michel.

Michel tweeted that he and Erdogan had "explored opportunities ahead to bring cooperation back to the forefront and re-energize our relations." Michel said he has tasked the European Commission to draw up a "report with a view to proceed in strategic and forward-looking manner."

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but its membership talks have been at a standstill since 2018 due to democratic backsliding during Erdogan's presidency, concerns about the rule of law and rights abuses, as well as disputes with EU-member Cyprus.

Erdogan's new demand was the first time that he had linked his country's ambition to join the EU with Sweden's efforts to become a NATO member.

"Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before flying to Vilnius. "I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years."

"Come and open the way for Turkey's membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, we'll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland," he added.

Earlier, Erdogan's office said he told Biden during a telephone call Sunday that Turkey wanted a "clear and strong" message of support for Turkey's EU ambitions from the NATO leaders. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish EU membership.

"I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years," he said. "Come and open the way for Turkey's membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, we'll pave the way for Sweden, as we did for Finland."

Erdogan's government has postponed ratifying Sweden's accession, saying the administration in Stockholm needs to do more to crack down on Kurdish militants and other groups. A series of anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Sweden's capital raised doubts that an agreement to satisfy Turkey's demands could be reached before the NATO summit.

Turkey's delaying tactics have irritated other NATO allies including the United States. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken about Sweden's NATO membership among other issues and had agreed to meet in Vilnius for further talks.

Sullivan said the White House is confident Sweden will join the alliance.

"We don't regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better," he said.

Previously nonaligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.

Another key issue in Vilnius will be how to bring Ukraine closer to NATO without actually joining, and security guarantees Kyiv might need to ensure that Russia doesn't invade again after the war ends. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the summit in person on Wednesday.

Stoltenberg said the most important thing was to continue to support Ukraine's efforts to resist the Russian invasion.

"Unless Ukraine prevails, there is no membership issue to discuss at all," he said.
Health officials are reporting a deadly outbreak of cholera in the South African province of Gauteng.

Authorities say nearly 50 people have died, with most of the deaths concentrated in the Hammanskraal area. Cases have been reported in other areas as well.

Medical officials have urged residents to be vigilant about what they consume and to practice good hygiene, like hand washing.

Cholera mainly spreads through contaminated water or food.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has been named to lead the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Tinubu said he would focus on fighting growing insecurity and terrorism in West Africa and promoting democracy among member states after a series of military coups.

The ECOWAS heads of state meeting held in Guinea-Bissau was Bola Tinubu's first engagement with counterparts in the region since he became Nigeria's president in May.

West African leaders chose Tinubu as the regional bloc's chair for the next year, taking over from Guinea-Bissau's Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

Senator Iroegbu, the founder of security magazine, The Global Sentinel, said Tinubu's selection was not a surprise.

"It's a good move because of the stature and role of Nigeria in the subregion, Iroegbu said. Nigeria provides more than 60 percent of the financial burden of ECOWAS. It will help strengthen the stance of the subregion and Nigeria has played significant role in keeping the peace in the region and stability."

However, Iroegbu said Tinubu's appointment as ECOWAS chief may be poorly timed, as the new presidents political opponents in Nigeria are still challenging his election victory in court.

"People had expected they should wait for the conclusion of the electoral petition tribunal, Iroegbu said. By law he's the president, he has been sworn in, but the legitimacy of the victory is still being challenged. These are the kinds of things that give room to instability because of disaffection, we know what happened in Guinea."

The Guinean military overthrew President Alpha Conde in September 2021, a year after opponents rejected his reelection.

Mali and Burkina Faso have also seen military coups in the last three years. In his remarks Sunday, Tinubu pledged to prioritize democratic stability, saying "we will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again."

Tinubu said the threat to peace and security in the region has reached an alarming level and called for joint regional counterterrorism measures.

In Nigeria, 36 villagers were killed by gunmen Sunday in the north-central Benue and Plateau states.

Tinubu also called for more private sector participation in order to unlock West Africas economic potential.

But Eze Onyekpere, an economist at the Center for Social Justice, said Nigeria needs to overhaul its own economy to benefit from the ECOWAS pact.

Nigeria has a strategic position in the region but whatever you do in terms of political or economic diplomacy is the product of your home front  your economy, your politics, Onyekpere said. If the Nigerian economy is properly repositioned to become more productive, the ECOWAS market is ours for the taking, nobody should compete with us. But  with all the challenges we have and the potential ones that are coming, it's going to be very difficult for Nigeria to take advantage of all these opportunities."

Tinubu said Nigeria will host an ECOWAS summit on trade and investment in October, as part of his vision for regional economy recovery.
North Korea accused the United States on Monday of violating its airspace by conducting surveillance flights and warned that, while Pyongyang was exercising restraint, such flights may be shot down.

Provocative military actions by the U.S. were bringing the Korean peninsula closer to a nuclear conflict, said an unnamed spokesperson of North Korea's Ministry of National Defense in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

The report also cited the use of U.S. reconnaissance planes and drones and said Washington was escalating tensions by sending a nuclear submarine near the peninsula.

"There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen" in waters east of Korea, the spokesperson said.

The statement cited past incidents of the North shooting down or intercepting U.S. aircraft at the border with South Korea and off the coast. North Korea has often complained about U.S. surveillance flights near the peninsula.

There was no immediate response from the U.S. military stationed in South Korea to a request for comment.

South Korea's military said North Korea's claim of airspace violation is not true. It said U.S. air surveillance assets conduct routine reconnaissance flights around the peninsula, adding the allies work closely together to monitor the North.

'Nuclear blackmail'

The moves by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula is "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail" against North Korea and regional countries and presents a grave threat to peace, KCNA said.

"Whether the extreme situation, desired by nobody, is created or not on the Korean peninsula depends on the future action of the U.S., and if any sudden situation happens ... the U.S. will be held totally accountable for it," it said.

U.S. and South Korean forces have been conducting air and navy drills this year that involved a U.S. aircraft carrier and heavy bombers. A U.S. nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine also made a port call at Busan in South Korea last month.

The North's statement denounced what it called a U.S. move to deploy a strategic nuclear submarine carrying nuclear warheads to the Korean peninsula for the first time since 1981.

In April, the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. agreed a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will visit South Korea for the first time since the 1980s, but no timetable has been given for such a visit.

It was part of a plan to boost the deployment of American strategic assets aimed at a more effective response to North Korea's threats and weapons tests in defense of its ally South Korea.

In June, a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber took part in air military drills with South Korea in a show of force following North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite at the end of May. 'Determination to deter'

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said it was time to show "the international communitys determination to deter North Koreas nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Koreas desire to develop nuclear weapons, in written comments to the Associated Press published on Monday.
Analysts say a right-wing victory may bolster the Catalan independence movement in the north-eastern corner of the country when voters go to the polls in Spain this month.

Several recent polls suggest the opposition conservative People's Party (PP) will get more votes than the ruling Socialists in the election on July 23 but will fall short of a majority so it may have to rely on the support of the hard-right Vox party to form a government.

In 2017, a former PP government ordered hundreds of police to stop a Catalan independence referendum which resulted in clashes between riot officers and voters.

Vox, meanwhile, proposes eradicating regional governments like the one in Catalonia, in a direct challenge to the fiercely proud region.

Meanwhile, the European Union's General Court last week stripped Carles Puigdemont of legal immunity from prosecution as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for his role as the separatist leader of Catalonia's failed bid for independence nearly six years ago.

The decision could pave the way for Puigdemont, who lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium, to be extradited to Spain to stand trial for disobedience and embezzlement, which carry jail terms of up to eight years.

Boost for separatists

Analysts believe that the prospect of a separatist leader appearing in a Madrid court may boost the Catalan independence movement, which has lost support in recent years.

Puigdemont has vowed to appeal the decision at the European Court of Justice, which could delay any moves by Spain to extradite him.

In 2017, Puigdemont fled Spain to avoid prosecution following a short-lived declaration of independence that prompted Madrid to take direct control of the wealthy region.

In its ruling last week, the Luxembourg-based EU court rejected the appeal filed by Puigdemont and backed the European Parliament's decision to waive his immunity and that of two other self-exiled Catalan separatist MEPs, Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati.

"The Parliament cannot adopt decisions to defend immunity which produce binding legal effects with regard to the Spanish judicial authorities," the court said in a ruling reported by Reuters.

Puigdemont said the three MEPs would appeal to the European Court of Justice.

"We will defend our fundamental rights until the end," he tweeted.

Vox was in the political wilderness until four years ago, but after the Catalonia crisis it experienced a surge in support and is now the third largest party in the Spanish parliament with 52 lawmakers.

Battles over language

In its election manifesto published Friday, Vox called for regional governments to be abolished and Spanish to be promoted over other co-official languages like Catalan, Galician and Basque.

Santiago Abascal, Vox leader, told hundreds of supporters at a rally last week attended by VOA in Barcelona that he would "not cede an inch in defending the right of Spaniards to speak their own language and against linguistic imposition."

The Catalan language is seen by separatists as a symbol of its nationhood. It is the predominant language in which most school subjects are taught in the region. Only 25% of classes in Catalonia are taught in Spanish.

Pere Aragones, the separatist Catalan regional leader, last month called for a "democratic front" against a possible right-wing government.

Catalan independence parties, which have been divided in recent years over the right path to independence, came together to support Puigdemont.

Aragones, a senior figure in the left-wing Catalan Republican Left party, said he hoped European justice would prevail and restore Puigdemont's immunity.

Dolors Feliu, president of the Catalan National Assembly, a pro-independence civic group, told VOA in a statement: "The arrest of President Puigdemont would be a blatant violation of his rights and an attack against Catalonia's pacifist pro-independence ideology."

Pablo Simon, a political analyst at the Carlos III University in Madrid, said Puigdemont's decision to appeal means the prospect of the Catalan leader standing trial is not an immediate one.

"It will have [a] far more immediate effect on the independence movement if the PP and Vox govern together [after the election]. That could provide a boost to the independence movement," Simon told VOA.

On the same day as Puigdemont lost his appeal in Luxembourg last week, a poll found 52% of Catalans opposed independence, according to the Catalan government's Center for Opinion Studies (CEO), while 42% support splitting from Spain.

Since May, when the last survey was published, opposition to independence has risen two percentage points, while support has fallen one point, the survey found.

Since July 2022, support for staying part of Spain has risen by four percentage points, while support for independence has fallen by two points.

In January, Spain's Supreme Court dropped sedition charges against Puigdemont after a reform of the country's penal code abolished the crime.

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena said he would submit a new extradition request to Belgian authorities for Puigdemont to face trial on the lesser charges, depending on the EU courts' rulings.

Spain's earlier attempts to extradite Puigdemont from Germany, Belgium and Italy failed.

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
The repeated harassment of U.S. drones by Russian fighter pilots in the skies over Syria is again drawing the ire of U.S. officials who now warn Russias antics are serving to help save key terror leaders from almost certain death.

U.S. military and defense officials have complained for months about increasing Russian harassment of U.S. drones and repeated incursions into the airspace over U.S. positions in Syria. But in the latest reported incident, the U.S. says Russian jets spent hours harassing two U.S. drones that were being used to track down and kill a senior Islamic State leader.

"It is almost as if the Russians are now on a mission to protect ISIS leaders," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday in response to a question from VOA.

"They know exactly where we operate and so there is no excuse for Russian forces continual harassment of our MQ-9s after years of U.S. operations in the area aimed at the enduring defeat of ISIS," Singh added, using an acronym for the Islamic State, also known as IS or Daesh.

U.S. Central Command announced Sunday the drones successfully tracked and killed Usamah al-Muhajir in eastern Syria on Friday, noting the same drones, earlier in the day had been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours.

Russias harassment of the drones used to kill al-Muhajir came a day after the U.S. accused Russian pilots of forcing U.S. drones to take evasive maneuvers in two separate incidents over a 24-hour period.



Those incidents, spanning this past Wednesday and Thursday, included what U.S. Central Command described as close flybys by Russian fighter jets that deployed flares and engaged their afterburners in an attempt to damage the drones electronic systems.

Singh declined to say Monday whether any of the incidents allowed other IS targets to escape, instead noting that at least on Friday the U.S. drones were able to successfully complete their mission.



Russias embassy in Washington has yet to respond to VOA requests for comment.



In June, the combined forces air component commander for U.S. Central Command accused Russian pilots in Syria of "buffoonery in the air.



Anytime you have an air force that has fallen so low on the professional ladder, that they're giving medals for buffoonery in the air, you've really got to wonder what they're thinking, Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich told reporters at the time, adding Russias actions were allowing IS to rebuild.



They are running training camps and they're building up their capabilities because the Russians and the [Syrian] regime are either incapable or unwilling to put pressure on ISIS, he said. They're letting the ISIS threat grow right under their nose."



The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to combat the threat from IS.



Intelligence estimates by United Nations member states shared in a report earlier this year indicate the terror group has about 2,500 to 3,500 fighters across Syria and Iraq.
U.S. President Joe Biden is in London for an overnight stop Sunday enroute to Lithuania for the NATO summit in Vilnius, where it remains unlikely that the alliance will welcome Sweden as its 32nd member due to persistent objections from Turkey.

During the flight to Britain, Biden spoke on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a last-minute push to pave the way toward Ankara agreeing to Swedens accession  a process that must be unanimous among all current members.

I can't characterize how close, how far, all I can say is that we believe that Sweden should be admitted to NATO as soon as possible, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told VOA aboard Air Force One enroute to London. We believe that there should be a pathway to do so.

In a readout of the call, Ankara stated that Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction but has not made sufficient progress to support Stockholms application to join NATO.

Ankara has accused Sweden of being too lenient toward militant Kurdish organizations that Turkey considers terrorist groups. Following Turkish demands, Sweden has enacted reforms, including a new anti-terrorism law. Erdogan initially accused Finland of doing the same but approved Helsinkis application to join NATO in April.

Sullivan added that Biden and Erdogan discussed the sale of F-16s, a subject that remains a sticking point for Ankara despite its public denials. In its statement, Ankara noted Erdogan said it would be incorrect to associate Sweden's NATO accession with the sale of F-16 jets while thanking Biden for his support to Ankara on its desire to purchase the fighter planes.

Lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Congress, which has authority to approve major weapon sales, insist that Ankara must first drop its objections to Swedens accession before the deal can proceed.

Hungary also opposes Swedens bid but has said it will approve it if Turkey assents.

Biden, British leaders to meet

On Monday Biden will meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles to discuss various bilateral issues and climate financing for developing nations. It will be Biden and Sunaks sixth meeting in six months. In June, Biden hosted Sunak at the White House, committing to the Atlantic Declaration to cooperate on advanced technologies, clean energy, and critical minerals to counter Chinas clout around the world.

Biden heads to Vilnius Monday evening for a two-day meeting with NATO leaders where they will discuss bolstering support for Ukraine, which includes hashing out the final wording of a compromise communique that will signal to Kyiv it is moving closer to membership without promises of a quick accession. He has repeatedly said Ukraine must make additional reforms to qualify for NATO membership.

In an interview taped last week, Biden told CNN he thinks it is premature to call for a vote on Ukraine joining NATO.

I dont think its ready for membership in NATO, Biden said. I dont think theres unanimity in NATO now in the middle of a war. If the war is going on [and Ukraine was a NATO member], then were all in the war. Were at war with Russia, since NATOs charter calls for all its members to defend any individual country when it is attacked.

Allies will also discuss security guarantees for Kyiv outside of the NATO framework as it moves toward membership. Sullivan said that Washington alongside allies and partners within a multilateral framework will negotiate long-term bilateral security commitments with Ukraine.

Meaning that the United States would be prepared to provide in various forms of military assistance, intelligence and information sharing, cyber support and other forms of material support, so that Ukraine can both defend itself and deter future aggression, he said.

NATO countries, led by the United States, have sent billions of dollars in armaments to Ukraine, but Russian aerial bombardments have continued to kill dozens of Ukrainian civilians even as Kyivs forces have shot down hundreds of incoming missiles. The ones that landed have killed people and destroyed residential buildings.

Next stop: Helsinki

After the NATO summit, Biden heads to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, to commemorate Finland recently joining the military alliance created in the aftermath of World War II, and to meet with Nordic leaders.

Finland joined NATO in April, effectively doubling the length of Russia's border with the world's biggest security alliance. Biden has characterized the strengthened NATO alliance as a sign of Moscow's declining influence.
Press Release

July 10, 2023 ANC MARKET EDGE INTERVIEW OF SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN WITH MIMI ONG REGARDING VAT ON DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS AND MAHARLIKA INVESTMENT FUND BILL ON VAT ON DIGITAL SERVICES Q: What's the latest on the proposal to impose a 12% VAT on digital transactions? Are you going to be starting to tax them this year? SEN. WIN: Well, Mimi, this is not a new imposition, the 12% VAT is being imposed on physical goods right now in our country. So if you buy anything in shopping malls or even domestic online marketplaces, you have to pay 12% VAT, so it's not a new imposition. So what we're doing right now is to plug the gaps with digital services providers. So for example, websites like Netflix or Amazon data centers, which are hosted outside of the Philippines are not being imposed 12% VAT because our law does not require it. And so this proposal is to plug the gaps so that digital service providers outside of the Philippines will be mandated to also pay VAT on their services that they provide here in the Philippines. Q: And you're looking to raise some P97 billion from this, right? SEN. WIN: It's about P17 billion per year on average, P97 for the next five years. So it will gradually increase because a lot of these digital service providers will be mandated to register. The first step is to register. So all of these websites will have to register in the Philippines. And after registering, VAT will be imputed in their retail costs to consumers here in the Philippines. Q: Do we have the tools to track them? To size them up and to collect from them? SEN. WIN: That's a very good question. In fact, we discussed that during the hearing. Theoretically, yes, we have. The recourse for these websites if for example, these websites will not register or these websites will fail to collect VAT, the recourse for the BIR is to close down the website. Based on the information from the DICT, they have the tools to do so. But they have to review whether those tools are readily implementable and can be implemented on a global scale. If you remember, the DICT has the capability of shutting down domestic websites. So in theory, they have that capability. But we are now talking about global websites, we're talking about huge FinTech companies of the world. So they still have to get back to us in terms of that capability. It's also worth noting that in the 11 ASEAN countries, seven have already imposed VAT on digital service transactions. So in other words, we're the minority. We're one of the five who do not impose VAT on digital service transactions. So in other words, the whole world is moving into this direction. All of the OECD countries have this type of imposition. So we're actually in the minority. And we're actually the last few countries who are not imposing VAT on digital service transactions. Q: Actually, Senator, you mentioned the OECD. They're calling it the pillar one right, the digital services tax. I understand it's not yet final because there are countries like the US who are opposed to this because it has taken a hit to Silicon Valley companies that are based in the US. SEN. WIN: The OECD has actually provided guidelines and toolkits for countries to impose. So what they want is to impose this uniformly across different jurisdictions as much as possible. Of course, it's not going to be 100% uniform because we have different rates, different impositions. But as far as practicable, they recommend to implement it as uniformly as possible, so that multinational companies will not have problems implementing this or will not have arbitrage in terms of tax rates. So admittedly some countries are still looking into imposing this but the majority, especially here in ASEAN, majority of the countries have already imposed VAT on digital transactions, majority of OECD countries have already enforced VAT on digital service transactions. Q: Senator, I'm very curious. We're talking about all websites that cater to Filipinos that we want to tax these websites. Do you really think that DICT can do this? I mean, there's so many of them. All over the world. SEN. WIN: Like I said, the first step will be registering. It's a self imposition, the first step because the country now mandates these types of websites to register with the BIR and impose VAT and at the same remit that VAT to the BIR. But we have a 3 million threshold. So those websites that are just doing one of the transactions are not required to register, small and micro businesses whose transaction is below P3 million are not required to register. So we're just looking at the big regular websites who do this for a living. For example, like I mentioned, Netflix, Amazon, data services, and YouTube is a big online advertiser. YouTube is also competing with our local advertising agencies, but our local advertising agency pays VAT, 12% VAT, but YouTube does not because of the gap in the law. So we're just evening out the playing field so that these companies operate in the same plane. Q: And for these companies who are doing their operations maybe in the US, but are selling goods or services here in the Philippines, would this be double taxation for them? SEN.WIN: No, because for example, if you order from Amazon, Amazon has so many services. They have data services, they have digital services, they have products, online products, those online products, if it goes beyond P10,000 you add VAT once the products come here in the Philippines, and they are at the customs jurisdiction. So in other words, for online products, we already pay 12% VAT. It's the digital services that are not being imposed a 12% VAT. In other words, everything in the Philippines, whether services or products are being imposed 12 percent VAT. It's only this gap in the law that we are plugging. Q: Senator, are you not worried that this could cause friction with our trading allies? I mean, I remember two years ago, then President Donald Trump when France imposed the same digital services taxes on Silicon Valley companies what Trump did was impose taxes on additional tariffs on French wine, French cheese for example. SEN.WIN: No, it's just evening out the playing field. If it were our local companies, for example, iWantTV of ABS-CBN. If they sell their Filipino movies, let's say to Singapore, Malaysia, it's already being imposed VAT or GST in their jurisdictions. So Filipino companies here who sell services, digital services to another jurisdiction is being imposed GST or VAT already. So everyone's doing the same. So we're just moving our country to the same level because VAT is a global best practice that's being imposed both for physical services, physical goods and digital transactions. Q: So we're working more on uniform tax regimes in ASEAN. Are there also efforts senator to be uniform with the bigger economy, the bigger global economy like the Western countries? SEN. WIN: I think making our tax rates uniform is still a long way to go. Looking at the last GST tax rate, it varies from 5% all the way to 17%. So it's different per jurisdiction. Of course, it's a political decision on the part of the country. So we're still far away from coming up with a single or a uniform. That's what we're trying to put as uniform is the process and the principle of imposing VAT on digital service transactions. Q: So what's the timeline senator, so you've done the hearing what's next? How soon before this gets passed? SEN. WIN: The lower house has already approved this bill so it has been transmitted to us, I think early part of this year. So the next step will be, we're entering a technical working group to iron out a lot of the details. Of course what we want is clarity in the law that we will produce, and we're trying to shoot a completion of this bill by the end of the year. ON MAHARLIKA INVESTMENT FUND BILL Q: All right. And final question, Sir, done and dusted the Maharlika Investment Fund. Now just waiting for the President's signature, but so many questions remain. Any thoughts? How can we make this work? SEN. WIN: The questions will always be there, because there are different opinions. If you talk to different investment bankers, if you talk to different economists, they will have different opinions on the different principles of the Maharlika Investment Fund that will never go away. What's important right now is we have the law and the law has imposed so many safeguards. From the early version of this law to the final version of this law, if you look at the safeguards, for example, in the Senate, we will remove the exemption from the procurement law. We removed the exemption from the GCG law. We explicitly prohibited investment in government run pension funds. The government structure has also been improved under the Senate version. So there's so many restrictions and safeguards in this Maharlika, the new Senate version, at least of Maharlika investment fund. So what we need to do is to make sure that the President and the administration appoints qualified and honest management of these funds. It will boil down now to the personalities who will be managing and running this fund. Q: All of them are going to be Malacanang appointees? SEN. WIN: Not all, they'll be independent directors, they'll be independent members. So they will be appointees because by law, they have to be appointed by someone but the qualifications and their backgrounds will be very important. And that's specified under the law. Q: And I know, sir, that you've always said that the purpose of the Maharlika fund is very clear. There are still some observers who say that this fund sounds like it's everything and everywhere all at once. SEN. WIN: Well, again, different people will have different opinions. When we were discussing this bill, we narrowed down and clarified the objective of the bill. Of course, when you talk to some people, they'll say it's too broad, but I think what is important here is the discussion during the debates and the intention of the bill. The intention is very clear, to use the fund as a catalyst to invest in infrastructure, as a catalyst to invest in nation development. And that is the intention of the bill. It's reflected in the declaration of policy, it's reflected in the debates. And we're quite confident that the direction is designed for this fund is quite clear.
Trainees make rattan weaving at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A trainee makes bamboo furniture at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A trainee makes bamboo furniture at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A trainee makes rattan weaving at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A trainee makes rattan weaving at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A trainee makes rattan weaving at Kamenge handicraft vocational training center in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

This photo taken on June 21, 2023 shows a shop of bamboo and rattan weaving products run by Selemani Ndayishimiye, a senior trainee graduated from Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, in Bujumbura, Burundi. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Selemani Ndayishimiye, a senior trainee graduated from Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, works at a shop of bamboo and rattan weaving products he runs in Bujumbura, Burundi, June 21, 2023. Teams of Chinese experts have been conducting vocational training on handicrafts such as rattan weaving, bamboo weaving, and woodworking in Burundi since 1985.

The Kamenge handicraft vocational training center, an institute that the Chinese government helped to establish, successfully hosted 14 sessions of such training to date for about 600 locals from poor families. (Xinhua/Han Xu)
A senior U.S. official says the Biden administration is "working tirelessly every day" to ensure the Taliban stick to their pledges to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for transnational terrorists.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the matter with reporters aboard Air Force One when asked by VOA if Washington is working with the Taliban to hunt down terrorist targets on Afghan soil. Sullivan traveled to London, where President Joe Biden met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"What I could say is that we are holding the Taliban to their commitments under the Doha agreement, which is that Afghanistan cannot be used as a safe haven to plot terrorist attacks against anyone and especially, from our purposes, against the United States of America, our homeland, our allies, and our partners," Sullivan said.

He referred to the February 2020 deal the Trump administration negotiated with the then-insurgent Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The deal paved the way for all U.S.-led NATO troops to depart Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 after two decades of involvement in the war. The insurgents, in turn, pledged they would not allow terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, to threaten other countries from Afghan soil.

Sullivan spoke days after President Joe Biden defended the chaotic troop withdrawal and suggested that the Taliban are helping Washington to push out al-Qaida from the war-torn South Asian country.

"We are working tirelessly every day to ensure that that set of commitments is fulfilled," Sullivan said. "And beyond that, I won't say anything further," he added.

The Taliban reclaimed control of Afghanistan just days before the last group of U.S. soldiers left the country.

While the U.S. and the Taliban have declined to acknowledge publicly any counterterrorism cooperation, regional diplomatic and Taliban sources say the two former adversaries are working together to deal with the threat of terrorism.

The reported collaboration stemmed from a meeting between top Biden administration and Taliban officials in Doha last October.

The CIA deputy director, David Cohen, and the Taliban spy chief, Abdul Haq Wasiq, also attended the talks, underscoring the emphasis on counterterrorism. Both sides confirmed the meeting but would not say whether Cohen and Wasiq, who heads the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence or GDI, participated in the talks.

The meeting came several months after the United States announced its drone missiles killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in his hiding place in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Washington said the terror mastermind lived in the safehouse as a Taliban guest and accused the de facto Taliban authorities of violating the Doha agreement.

Taliban authorities have maintained they were unaware of al-Zawahiri's presence in Kabul, and the incident was under investigation.

Wasiq has established an exclusive cell in the GDI for counterterrorism collaboration with U.S. authorities and oversees its work, VOA learned through reliable sources.

VOA contacted chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid for comments on whether Kabul and Washington are jointly working to combat terrorism but did not receive a response immediately.

Regional sources also attribute the Taliban's recent successes against Islamic State-Khorasan, the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist network, to their counterterrorism collaboration with the U.S.

The United States has denied working with the Taliban on operations against Islamic State-Khorasan. U.S. military officials have publicly doubted the Talibans ability to go after high-value IS-K targets.

The Taliban, however, maintain they are conducting operations against IS-K on their own, saying the group is a threat to Afghanistan and regional stability.

VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this story.
West African heads of state on Sunday chose Nigeria's new president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to lead their regional bloc for the next year, replacing Guinea-Bissau's leader, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, AFP journalists reported.

Speaking at a summit in Bissau after being named chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Tinubu said democracy was "the best form of government," despite being "very tough to manage.

"We need it, to be an example to the rest of Africa and the world," he said. "We will not allow coup after coup in West Africa."

Three ECOWAS members  Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso  have undergone five putsches since 2020.

Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, urged those countries' ruling juntas to respect agreed-upon deadlines to hand power to civilian leaders.

"In the event of a failure to meet the transition deadlines, major sanctions could be imposed," he said.

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on Saturday agreed to lift a suspension of Mali imposed in January 2022 over the military's timeline for returning to civilian rule.

ECOWAS had also imposed a range of measures against the Sahel state but lifted them in July 2022 after the junta agreed to a March 2024 transition.

On Sunday, Touray said ECOWAS had set up a commission to examine security options in Mali as the U.N. winds down its decadelong peacekeeping mission there.

"This commission has 90 days to reflect and make proposals," he said.

Mali has since 2012 been battling a jihadist insurgency that has since spread to Burkina Faso and Niger.

Tinubu  who was in May sworn in as president of Africa's largest economy  said ECOWAS members would pursue "inclusive" economic integration in the year ahead.
WASHINGTON - Findings of a new Afrobarometer survey indicate that if presidential elections are to be held today, Zimbabwes ruling Zanu PF would win.

The survey conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute, shows that Zanu PF would attract 35% of the vote compared to the opposition Citizens Coalition for Changes 27%.

Zanu PFs presidential candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will clash against CCCs Nelson Chamisa in what could be a repeat of the 2018 poll, which ended in court. The Electoral Court declared Mnangagwa the winner of the presidential election but Chamisa never recognized him as a legitimately-elected Zimbabwean leader.

The same survey shows that 63% of Zimbabweans say they are interested in elections and will most likely vote in the August 23 polls.

At least 59% are expressed fear of becoming victims of political violence while the majority of people said Zimbabwe is going the wrong way under President Mnangagwa.

More details to follow 
LONDON  U.S. President Joe Biden said relations with the U.K are rock solid as he visited 10 Downing Street in London to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of Tuesdays NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

"Weve got a lot to talk about. I think were doing well. Were moving along in a way thats positive, said Biden.

"Great for us to carry on our conversations, which we were having just a month or so ago, it feels like, in the White House, where we signed the Atlantic Declaration, said Sunak, referring to the June agreement to cooperate on advanced technologies, clean energy, and critical minerals to counter Chinas clout around the world.

SEE ALSO:

Biden administration officials underscore that this is the leaders sixth visit in six months. However, the meeting is overshadowed by Washingtons recent announcement that it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite the bombs being banned by 123 nations, including Britain, for their indiscriminate killing capability.

Sunak has not publicly backed the move, noting on Saturday that the U.K. is a signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use.

SEE ALSO:

We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we've done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine, he told reporters.

Sunak was fulfilling his legal obligation under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

He pushed back against the notion that the decision to send cluster munitions is creating division with the alliance.

I think you will find Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden on the same page strategically on Ukraine, in lockstep on the bigger picture of what were trying to accomplish, and as united as ever both in this conflict and writ large, he said.

Security guarantees for Kyiv

Biden and Sunak are also focused on finding the right formula to provide long-term security guarantees for Kyiv outside of the NATO framework as Kyiv moves toward membership. Biden has said he does not believe Ukraine is ready to join the alliance, citing needed reforms and the danger of dragging NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.

Sunak meanwhile appeared to be more forward leaning on membership for Ukraine, partly because he knows where Biden stands, said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the U.S. and Americas program at Chatham House, a London-based research group.

It's not that there isn't integrity to what Britain's doing, but there is protection, she told VOA. You can say everything you want to say about offering membership to NATO to Ukraine more quickly but you know that you have the U.S. there who is going to ensure that certain conditions are met first.

Reviewing preparations for the Vilnius summit, Biden and Sunak reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russias ongoing aggression.

Later Monday, Biden headed to Vilnius for the two-day gathering with allied leaders that will focus on Ukraine, as well as strengthening and enlarging the alliance.

NATO leaders are meeting amid potential instability in Russia following an attempted mutiny by Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. His troops have been invited to set up camp in Belarus, which shares a border with Lithuania.

Monarch meeting on climate

Following his meeting with Sunak, Biden headed to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles, to discuss boosting private investment for developing nations to combat climate change. Biden did not attend the monarchs coronation in May.

British Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps, Biden's special climate envoy John Kerry, as well as top financiers and philanthropists attended the meeting.

They represent literally trillions of dollars either investment or assets under management or assets owned, and they are making decisions every single day about how to accelerate this transition, Kerry said.

Northern Ireland

Biden and Sunak also reviewed developments in Northern Ireland, where tensions remain over post-Brexit trade rules that have torn apart the regions unity government.

SEE ALSO:

In April, Biden, who is fiercely proud of his Irish heritage, traveled to Belfast to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-brokered Good Friday peace accord.

During a campaign fundraising event in May, Bidens blunt comments triggered criticism from some British politicians. Biden said he traveled to Northern Ireland to make sure the Brits didnt screw around with the regions peace process and Northern Ireland didnt walk away from their commitments.
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BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The following is the full text of a joint statement released by China and Solomon Islands on Monday.

Joint Statement on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Featuring Mutual Respect and Common Development for a New Era Between the People's Republic of China and Solomon Islands

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands paid an official visit to the People's Republic of China from July 9 to 15, 2023.

During the visit, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Premier Li Qiang held talks with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji met with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. The leaders of the two countries had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, and reached important consensus. The two sides agreed that since the establishment of diplomatic ties four years ago, China-Solomon Islands relations have developed rapidly and remained at the forefront of relations between China and Pacific Island Countries, becoming an example of unity, cooperation, mutual support and mutual benefit between developing countries. To enhance strategic guidance of China-Solomon Islands relations, the two sides decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

1. The Solomon Islands side spoke highly of China's historic achievements and transformation over the past 10 years of the new era, and believes that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China will become a great modern socialist country in all respects, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The Chinese side applauded the significant accomplishments made by Solomon Islands in developing its economy, improving livelihoods and maintaining stability under the leadership of Prime Minister Sogavare, expressed readiness to continue supporting Solomon Islands in achieving development, vitalization and long-term stability, and wished the 17th Pacific Games to be held in Solomon Islands a full success.

2. The two sides agreed that all countries, regardless of size, strength and wealth, are equals, and that their sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. The Chinese side reaffirmed its staunch support for Solomon Islands nation building process and to choose a development path suited to its national conditions and in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests. The Solomon Islands side reaffirmed that it is resolutely committed to the one-China principle, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, that it opposes "Taiwan Independence" in all forms, and that it firmly supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to realize national reunification. Solomon Islands supports China's position on issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, etc., and opposes interference by any country in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of democracy or human rights.

3. The two sides agreed to work together to build a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era across the board:

-- Establish and enhance high-level exchanges and interactions at all levels, expand exchanges between governments, legislatures, political parties and subnational entities, step up sharing of governance experience, and steadily enhance political mutual trust.

-- Promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, form greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2035 Development Strategy of Solomon Islands, expand practical cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade and investment, agriculture, forestry, fishery, rural development, infrastructure including disaster resilient infrastructure, energy and minerals, information and communications, marine resource protection and exploitation, finance, civil aviation, low emission and green development, and digital economy. The Chinese side will continue to provide assistance to Solomon Islands to the best of its ability to help it achieve independent and sustainable development, including supporting rural sustainable development project of Solomon Islands.

-- Expand exchanges and cooperation in areas such as culture, education, health, sports, tourism, youth, think tank and the media and at the subnational level. China will continue to provide government scholarships and various kinds of training opportunities including maritime support and send medical teams to Solomon Islands. The Peace Ark hospital ship of the Chinese Navy will visit Solomon Islands and provide humanitarian medical service in 2023. The two sides formally signed the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands Relating to Civil Air Transport, and are committed to launching direct flights between the two countries as early as possible.

-- Enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security matters. The Chinese side will continue to provide support and help to Solomon Islands as needed in strengthening Solomon Islands' police law enforcement capacity. The two sides agreed to step up protection of the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other's nationals and institutions in their countries.

-- Strengthen communication and cooperation on international and regional affairs. Defend the international system with the U.N. at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter. Practice true multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, reject unilateralism in all forms, and stand against camp-based, exclusive "small circles" targeting specific countries. Oppose protectionism, erection of walls and barriers, decoupling, and cutting supply chains, and reject imposition of unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure.

-- Advocate humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Be committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. China welcomes Solomon Islands' decision to join the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.

4. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation under multilateral mechanisms such as the China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development Cooperation Forum, and under multilateral cooperation frameworks concerning humanitarian, emergency supplies, climate response, poverty alleviation and development, disaster prevention and mitigation, Juncao technology, agriculture, etc., to deepen and cement the cooperation between China and Pacific Island Countries as a whole.

-- China reaffirmed its active support for Pacific Island Countries in their implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and is ready to strengthen South-South cooperation with Pacific Island Countries on climate response, and work for full and effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement under the principles of fairness, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities.

-- The two sides are committed to working with all sides to promote peace, development and stability in the Pacific Islands region, and firmly uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as the cornerstone and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. The two sides urge relevant countries to fulfill their international obligations and prudently handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear contaminated water and cooperation on nuclear submarine.

5. During the visit, the two sides signed cooperation documents in the fields of development cooperation, trade, infrastructure development, civil aviation, education, police affairs, customs and meteorology. The two sides agreed that the successful visit of Prime Minister Sogavare holds great significance for elevating China-Solomon Islands relations and building an even closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific Island Countries. Prime Minister Sogavare expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Chinese side for the generous hospitality accorded to him during his visit, and extended an invitation to the Chinese leaders to visit Solomon Islands at an early date.

Beijing, July 10, 2023 
The Russian and Western secret services [1] observed the degradation of relations between Yevgeny Prigozhin and Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Minister of Defence. Of course, they interpreted it differently and therefore drew different predictions.

For Western services, this conflict was encouraged by the master of the Kremlin. It was a way for him to push both sides to give their best. However, the rivalry between the men would grow and ultimately divide the Russian forces instead of strengthening them. It would then be necessary to take advantage of Moscows weakness to launch the countrys dismantling program, developed in July 2022, relying on various minorities [2] . This is the meaning of the presentation that the CIA made to US parliamentarians a few days before the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

For the Russian services, which refrained from interfering in the way President Putin managed this rivalry, the conflict was inevitably going to grow. At one point, the officers and senior civil servants opposed to the regime were going to position themselves not for one camp against the other, but for a possible change of system. They should be identified immediately and prepared to purge them from the state apparatus.

Of course, no one thought Yevgeny Prigozhin would act the way he chose, or when he would act. Also when he headed for the headquarters in Rostov-on-Don (02.30 a.m.), no one yet knew if this was part of the one-upmanship between Wagner and the Ministry of Defense or if something new was happening. It was not until the night, when he mastered Rostov-on-Don (07:30) and started his march on Moscow that everyone understood that the time to act had come [3] .

The CIA, the MI6 and the Mossad then awakened their contacts both in Russia and in the other states of the former USSR still allied with Moscow; first and foremost in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, three states where Westerners have failed over the past two years to organize colored revolutions.

Ukrainian leaders have asked the thousand Belarusians who fight under their flag in the Kastous-Kalinowski Battalion to call on their families to overthrow President Alexander Lukashenko. Identical appeals were made against Kazakh Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Western contacts in Chechnya do not seem to have answered the call.

President Vladimir Putin, after his address to the nation (10 a.m.), telephoned his Belarusian, Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts (1:30 p.m.). To each he reminded them that they had endured a Western-fueled uprising and recovered from it. He told them that Russia would not waver and urged them to be vigilant at home.

The Russian opposition in exile (that is, the one supported by the West) has called for regime change in Moscow. Ex-oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was arrested for tax evasion in 2003 when he launched a putsch [4] , tweeted that the Prigozhin rebellion proved that it was possible to overthrow Vladimir Putin and that everyone should do so. prepare for this eventuality. Chess champion Garry Kasparov, a former supporter of Boris Yeltsin, did the same. He thought his revenge was possible. Lawyer Alexei Navalny let it be known from his Siberian prison that he supported the movement.

These three men are the main cards for Westerners in Russia. Contrary to what many international media claim, they are not at all popular in their country, any more than pro-US Libyan or Syrian opposition leaders were during the military operations against their countries.

All three denounce Russias intervention in Ukraine as imperialist interference. They call for a cessation of hostilities and a judgment of the Russian leadership by an international criminal tribunal. At the beginning of the Russian special military operation, they founded the Russian Action Committee in Lithuania, but found no echo in their country.

To everyones surprise, the rebellion ended in the evening (8:00 p.m.) without anyone knowing what agreement had been signed by Progojine. It only lasted 18 hours; a period far too short for the Western and Russian secret services to achieve their respective objectives.

The fact remains that the Western Belarusian agents have been awakened. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a former presidential candidate exiled in Lithuania, formed the government in exile she had envisioned as early as February 24, 2022 (the start of the Russian special operation). It was received by the European authorities who, however, were careful not to recognize this puppet government.

Ukrainian intelligence also announced that Progozhin was on the Russian FSBs kill list. It is obviously an intoxication, Vladimir Putin having promised not to punish him. The Moscow Times (pro-US), meanwhile, assured that General Sergei Surovikin had been arrested for complicity with the rebels. He was in fact questioned at length by the FSB as he had been an honorary member of Wagner since his service in Syria.
Its Joaquin Phoenixs turn to be a short king. The Beau Is Afraid actor stars in Ridley Scotts upcoming historical war epic from a script written by David Scarpa, set in Napoleonic France during the emperor in questions series of brutal, ego-driven wars. In the films first trailer, we see Phoenix use the instability of revolutionary France for his benefit, attacking rebels to gain a foothold in the countrys power vacuum after the beheading of Sofia Coppola muse Marie Antoinette. We must make an example or France will fall, a general says. What would he do if the assignment of defense was transferred to him? I promise you brilliant successes, Phoenix guarantees. Cue opening cannon fire on civilians protesting in the streets. Soon enough, he meets his lover and chief strategist Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), and together they take the throne, plot to bulldoze Europe, blow up Egyptian antiquities, and invade Russia in the winter. You think youre great, she tells her ambitiously deranged husband in between scenes of absolute carnage. Youre just a tiny little brute. Napoleon invades theaters November 22.

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Photo: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+

Movie theaters arent the only place Nicole Kidman comes to for magic. As Variety first reported in January, the face of the culture-shifting AMC Theatres ad has joined the cast of a new TV project. Special Ops: Lioness, a spy drama from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan that follows different levels of a team that sends women around the world as undercover operatives. Zoe Saldana will play Joe, the station chief who is in charge of training the Lioness programs young recruits for on-the-ground missions. The new generation of operatives includes a passionate Marine named Cruz Manuelo (Locke & Keys Laysla De Oliveira), who hopes to take down a terrorist organization by befriending the daughter (1883s Stephanie Nur) of a billionaire thought to be funding the terrorists. Kidman stars as Kaitlyn Meade, a CIA senior supervisor who manages high-ranking government officials played by the likes of Morgan Freeman and Michael Kelly. Here, everything we know about the upcoming spy show, which is based on a real-life CIA program  one might even say its so true.

What happens in the trailer?

In the two-minute clip, Joe manipulates secret agent Cruz into doing her bidding. You have no family, you have no friends, you were abused  until you gave yourself to me, Joe says. Now you have a purpose, and it is noble. Kaitlyn tells Joe to do what she thinks is best for the Lioness mission to thwart a terrorist attack. Things get messy when Kaitlyn realizes the mission has been compromised. In the previous teaser, they lay out the overall strategy  find wives and daughters of high-value targets, place an operative near them, and then kill the target. But Cruzs (De Oliveira) cover is apparently jeopardized, judging by footage of tense meetings and a spur-of-the-moment drone strike. So were just going to pretend that a CIA quick reaction force did not execute a kill mission in front of CBS News, Freemans character says. Blame Joes bosses  Kaitlyn did ask if shes ready to play outside the lines. And now she has to clean up the mess.

What about the first looks?

#Lioness is the newest saga in the Sheridan-verse: a drama focused on women who commit themselves to the protection of othersbut can also be ferociously deadly.



Theres power in having a female identity, Nicole Kidman tells VF.



: https://t.co/lajHYSi5RT pic.twitter.com/DVgwV3wM8j  VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 4, 2023

Vanity Fair shared our first glimpses of the show back in May. Once again, very intense vibes all around. The photos dont exactly offer a ton of extra plot information, but the crossed arms and pointed fingers certainly let us know that the stakes are high.

Who is in the Lioness cast?

Based on the teaser and first looks, Saldana, Kidman, and De Oliveira seem to lead the show as the representatives of different levels of the Lioness program. Freeman and Kelly will be playing government official, while Martin Donovan will star as Kidmans on-screen husband. According to Variety, the rest of the Lioness cast includes Jill Wagner, Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hebert, Hannah Love Lanier, Jonah Wharton, Carla Mansour, and Adam Budron. Oh, and Britney Spearss husband, Sam Asghari, will play a character that Variety fittingly described as a womanizer.

Whats the release date?

The first two episodes drop on July 23 on Paramount+. After this initial premiere, well get new episodes on Sundays.

Will there be a second season of Lioness?

Theres been no official confirmation yet, but Saldana did let slip to Vanity Fair that she was worried about signing onto a multi-seasonal show when Sheridan first approached her about Lioness. We hope Kidmans next AMC commercial wont cause any filming delays.

This post has been updated.
Theres a moment in the second episode of Luann and Sonja: Sorry Its Not Legacy that is perfect. Luann meets a man in a bar called The Barn, which looks like a dumpster with a door cut out of the side and a giant piece of plywood placed over the top. The man, haggard, covered in tattoos, looking like he worked at the local Jiffy Lube for three decades with the grease to match, approaches Luann and he has a long, gray beard sprouting from his chin, and its held together in a tight ponytail using elastic bands. Luann, dressed in a pink top and matching cowboy hat like she got lost on her way to the Barbie premiere, says, It looks like a real goat-ee! As she strokes it, the man lets out a loud Bahhh. Luann replies with a Bahhh of her own and then leads the man around the bar by his goat-ee.

Whats perfect about it is what is perfect about the show. Luann shouldnt be there, but she is. That man shouldnt be talking to Luann, but he is. Luann could have been like, Ew, youre gross, and made fun of him while walking away, but she didnt. This could have turned into a fight between Lu and Sonja Tremont Morgan of the Pads for Leaky Liposuction Morgans, but it doesnt. This show upends everything we know about Housewives  the rhythms, the tropes, the conspicuous consumption  to create something shockingly nice. Dare I say  its downright wholesome.

The idea is simple enough: Take two reality stars and drop them in the middle of Benton, Illinois, a town with about as many residents as these two women have ex-boyfriends, and see what happens. Some would say that its like The Simple Life, the foundational 2003 reality show where Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie played spoiled California kids who go work in a small town. While the setup is the same, its the tone that is entirely different. In The Simple Life, the girls were always making fun of the rubes that they were forced to spend time with. They didnt want to do their chores, they didnt take their job at Sonic seriously, and the townspeople hated them.

Everything is different here. In the opening scenes, we meet reality-show producer Russell Jay-Staglik, who worked not only on The Simple Life and The Real World but also on several Kardashian spinoffs, and we learn that Benton is his hometown and his mother and twin brother still live there. This break of the fourth wall is needed because we see that he (and therefore the show) not only has affection for the town and his people, but hes not going to invite anyone in who is going to disturb that.

We end up with a show that is produced almost in the opposite way from Real Housewives. Instead of pitting the women against each other to create drama, its joined them together to create comedy. But its never cruel, and its never mean. All parties are in on the joke and having a great time. It reminds me of Jury Duty, a show that could have been totally mean but instead ends up being incredibly sweet. Thats why Luann and Sonja are perfect for this assignment. Yes, they have all the glitz and glam of your average Housewife, but they are both dedicated to getting a laugh. You dont know comedy until youve seen Sonja Morgan hijack someones mobility scooter and destroy a storage room with it.

Thats why I think a more fitting comparison is not The Simple Life but Schitts Creek, a show that poked fun at both sides of the class divide while keeping everyones humanity intact. Thats a tough balance for a reality show  particularly a Bravo reality show  to pull off. But I think one thing people always underestimate about the Housewives is just how naturally funny they are and how well the show brings that out.

I mean, we just need Sonja on our televisions (or, more likely, phone and computer screens) saying, I carry several pairs of underwear in my purse and its already a three-panty day. Thats funny! And what real fans know  that those panties are probably already soiled and that Sonja is going to wash them out in the nearest bidet  just makes it even funnier.

Also funny: hearing from the townspeople excited that theyre going to meet a Kardashian (a good guess based on Jay-Stagliks IMDb) or the Rock, and meanwhile, Sonja and Leeanne get off the plane. Yes, their PJ might seem glamorous until you know it had to circle because there was livestock on the runway. First stop is the Motel Benton, where theyll be staying. Akash, the good-humored owner, asks the women what they think of it. Well, the roof is solid, Sonja says, trying to find the only nice thing she can about a place with wood paneling on the cinder-block walls.

Sure, they arent that nice about their accommodations or about the car that theyre given to tool around town. Its from 1985 and looks like a decommissioned police vehicle with a giant Benton Municipal Airport logo on the side of it, and there is no air-conditioning in the 95-degree heat. Sonja calls it a Flintstone car they have to work with their feet, and shes not wrong. Luckily, the next day, Mayor Fred delivers them what appears to be a brand-new pickup with a red bow on the top. Not a giant one from a car commercial, a tiny one that you would buy at Walgreens to put on Christmas presents. But Fred is so happy to give it to them, and theyre so happy to accept it that the whole incident feels like a warm hug or the annihilating embrace of stepping into the air-conditioning on a blistering day.

After all the introductions are made in the first episode, the pair get a list of tasks to accomplish in their five weeks in Illinois. They include building a new park, organizing a Christmas in July celebration, increasing tourism (good luck), upgrading the animal shelter, and planning an end-of-the-summer performance spectacular. After dispatching with their official duties, they engage in an unofficial activity that the locals call noodling or hogging.

When they arrive at Crappie Lake (pronounced CRAW-pee, after the fish), Sonja gets her flotation noodle and immediately farts into it and thanks her local deity that it wasnt diarrhea. We came for Housewives, and we got fart jokes. I think its a pretty even trade. They find out that noodling is a way of fishing with your hands. We get a good explanation of how its done and why, but I dont quite understand it, because as soon as I found that out, I was shouting, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, at the TV with my hands over my eyes.

Gamely, both ladies get in the lake, but Sonja is instead trying to catch the only fish that she cares about, the Trouser Trout. Luann, on the other hand, dives right into that lake and pulls out a catfish bigger than Andy Cohens firstborn. And with that, the episode ends more happily and delightfully than I ever thought it would. The 30 minutes flew right by, but I was happy we got the second episode immediately.

That one was just as good, if not better. It starts off with Sonja showing off her vibrator to Akash by accident, and then both of the ladies, hoping the local theater director would be gay. Of course hes not! All the gays left this town to go to Hollywood to be reality-television producers. I have a feeling that gays are one of Benton, Illinoiss, major exports. (Not because theyre mean to them, just because theres no one there for them to date!)

After a meeting with the (sadly) straight director Bill King, the ladies head to the local fire department because theyre both feeling a little horny. As they pull up, Luann is adjusting her skimpy outfit, and Sonja is slapping on a pair of false eyelashes faster than Bill DeBlasio announced hes poly now. There is no one in the Housewives universe with more game than Luann de Lesseps. She gives a master class on flirting when she locks eyes with Alex, one of the firefighters. Though he has a crooked grin, hes the hottest of the guys there, and Luann homes right in. Too bad Alex doesnt seem to be picking up what shes putting down. Wait, is he the only gay left in Benton?

When trying to get laid doesnt work out, the women go to the auditions for their variety show. The first act is a girl named Carly doing an interpretive dance of the Saw movies, complete with Jigsaw makeup. She is contorting and wobbling around the stage like the girl from The Ring coming to attack you, and now I need a whole show about Carly. Who is she? What is she doing here? What made her so dark-minded? Get this girl a reality show and a Cameo immediately. We also see a kid on a unicycle, a harpist, a violin player, and the worlds worst Chris Daughtry impersonator. Fire them all and make this Carlys one-woman show, I beg you.

Since Luann didnt manage to get anyone to turn on her hose at the fire station, Sonja has to prove she can still get some when they go to the Barn. I already talked about the man with the goat-ee, but the other contingent there that night was Housewives fans; the local ladies turned up to say, Weve watched you from the beginning, and it was so sweet to see that our girls have at least a few stans among the 8,000 residents. Sure, there are like six of them, but thats more than zero.

Sonjas not concerned with them; shes concerned with her friend Billy Richard, though it is pronounced the French way. Hes from Louisiana and hes up for the weekend to go mudding with his friend, which I guess is riding around in trucks in the mud. Now, Billy is just about as hot a specimen of man meat as youre going to get in Benton, and Sonja lures him in. Does she have a strategy of conversation, body language, and dropping hints like Luann does? No, she gets him to take his shirt off, they staple it to the ceiling, and then she says, Youre leaving with me. Now, we never see them consummate their relationship or even leave. We just see them get in the car together, but as sure as I believe that Lea Michele cant read, I also believe that Sonja Morgan totally pounded Billy in her hotel room. And good for her! I would have done the same, though it appears like my only option might be Firefighter Alex. At least Sonja remains eternally on brand.

Even slutty Sonja (I use slutty as a compliment) makes the show even better because its real. If youll allow me to get idealist and poetic for a second, maybe this is what the country needs right now. It seems like were more divided than ever, and its along political lines, yes, but also the divide between rural and urban life. Here are two city slickers finding out about the humanity of country folks and some rural people benefitting from what the big city has to offer them. These people are surely Trump voters (but, hey, so is Sonja), and theyre getting along with the liberal elite, and both groups are learning a little bit of something from each other. Maybe we can all remember this next time we want to talk about the liberal media for jokes about flyover country. Maybe Sonja and Lu are going to single-handedly (well, they have four hands between them, but you know what I mean) save our democracy! Maybe! Or maybe were just going to laugh at a lot more fart jokes. Honestly, the second outcome is much more likely.
This show is such a fierce depiction of family love, and I love that about it but its also a journey into self-love, says Poorna Jagannathan. Photo: Jessica Brooks/Netflix

Over the course of its four seasons on Netflix, Never Have I Ever served its humor with a side of sadness as the shows protagonist, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), navigates the academic and social rigors of high school while grieving the loss of her father and champion, Mohan. Though hothead Devis incrementally hard-won maturity in friendship and romance is at the core of the show, its bedrock is her home life with her mother, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan); cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani); and grandmother Nirmala, a.k.a. Patti (grandma in Tamil, played by Ranjita Chakravarty).

Nalinis nuanced journey as she manages her own grief and career while mothering an often defiant daughter whom she initially finds deeply baffling, claims more space as the show progresses. The series finale  featuring a lively, joyous interfaith wedding and many sweet callbacks to the pilot  highlights how far Nalini and Devi have come. Some things never change: Each still finds the other exasperating, but theyre hugging each other tight in coordinating gold-and-jewel-tone saris from Indian designer Sabyasachi, a sight that would have been unthinkable in the pilot.

Jagannathan isnt done with comedy thanks to a live-wire performance as over-the-top villain Rehan in The Out-Laws, Netflixs new fizzy action-comedy co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin. Jagannathan notes that having grown up on James Bond, especially Brosnans performances, I have always wanted to play a Bond villain. Thats been on my bucket list right alongside playing an immigrant mom.

Casting your mind back to the beginning of Never Have I Ever, what drew you to playing Nalini?

Just to be a part of Mindy Kalings TV universe was huge. To play a role that came from Mindys and Lang Fishers points of view, that was huge. Their very particular sense of humor is so unexpected, lively, and irreverent. Mindys one of the only brown role models we have out there in that show-creating role, and she just spoke to me in a way no one else did.

I was so excited to play an immigrant mom. Im an immigrant mom, as are my mom, my aunt, and my sister, and Ive always been so deeply disappointed at the supposed portrayals of what people think my life is like. TV immigrant moms are always the foil to their kids. They are written to be completely clueless, as if they only care about getting their kids married off, and then say a punch line. So playing a three-dimensional immigrant mom has always been on my bucket list. To portray some of what we deal with, our struggles, what we left behind, where were going, the sense of isolation, the sense of relief, the sense of opportunity, the sense of joy, of being able to give your kid what you didnt have  I mean, everything! Its a very intensely personal journey. When you have an opportunity to see yourself reflected and represented accurately in media, that can make you the hero of your own story and take you from the sidelines into the center.

Knowing how you draw on your own personal history to play Nalini, what about this role made the most lasting impression on you?

I think the show gives people a sense of home, and Ive been thinking about that this season particularly. I grew up on American TV  Family Ties, The Cosby Show  and I just remember so clearly needing to find TV families. When you see a family thats working through issues and is up against hardship and they still have so much joy in them, somehow you become an unseen character in that show. You insert yourself in unconscious ways into that family dynamic onscreen.

So Ive been thinking a lot about the parenting lessons, the lessons of self that Niecy Nashs character gives as Dr. Ryan, the way Mohan can hold such beautiful space for his daughter, and Nalinis struggle with trying to gain intimacy with Devi when that wasnt initially her role as a parent  those struggles of TV parents going through it with their kids, that push and pull that happens in a family. Its such an important place for kids and even adults to find families where they can work through their own things as they watch.

Its remarkable how, even when youre not seeing a representation of your actual family, you insert yourself and find what speaks to you in it.

The beauty of the family in Never Have I Ever is that its so intergenerational. I do believe all the women are different versions of the same woman in different stages of life. Nalini was Kamala. Patti was Nalini. Everyone looks for those kinds of relationships. I was in India earlier this year, and I met this trans girl who loved the show, and in our conversation, she thanked me for mothering her, especially during the time when her own mother couldnt show up for her. I think TV families have the capacity to mother and father and provide siblings at times when your own family doesnt know how to.

That gets at something Never Have I Ever does particularly well: Its such a funny show, but it portrays a realistic view of how grief and time work together to reshape relationships between those left behind. Losing Mohan was devastating for both Devi and Nalini, and it plunged Nalini into providing everything her daughter needed during the worst time of her own life. How did you approach that aspect of the role?

Theres a scene in the last season that I think really reflects Nalinis experience and journey. Its a subtle little moment in the middle of a chaotic family meeting. Nalini has this realization that she doesnt leave her grief behind; grief decides to unlatch from her. It takes the time that it takes, and one day you wake up and its not as bad as it was, but its nothing you can will away. It will go away when the time comes. Those little things about what grief actually looks like are so beautiful to me.

When the writing is so personal and so delicate and so full of little things from the writers lives and experiences, that makes the acting approach so easy. Their dialogue was in my dialogue, things they wanted to say and never said. Its just these very personal things that show up on the page, and it always carries meaning for me. Its like chewing gum; it just feels effortless.

Looking ahead to Nalinis future, what are your hopes and wishes for her in her romance with Andres, in her new status as an empty nester, and in her relationship with Devi?

Im so hopeful! Like Nalini, I am going to be an empty nester next year, and as a mother, theres such a focus on caring for other people  what does it mean now? Its time to pause and see all the ways you can care for yourself and give to yourself, and thats a whole new journey. Im hopeful because in our relationship, Devi has grown exponentially, and she and Nalini have started to see each other more deeply and fully as years go by.

This show is such a fierce depiction of family love, and I love that about it but its also a journey into self-love. I wish for Nalini to get to explore her sexuality and sensuality and womanhood in this new phase, and I hope she gets an even more fantastic wardrobe. Devi isnt the only one who graduated. This was a graduation for Nalini as well, graduation into a life where she can start using all of the lessons shes learned in the last four years.

Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix

What do you make of the state of South Asian actors in American television and film? What kind of characters do you wish we got to see more of?

I think weve just scratched the surface. There has been a giant leap in terms of representation, in terms of sheer numbers. Each season of Never Have I Ever crammed in more and more incredibly talented South Asian actors, getting to play real human beings on-screen. The depth of talent out there is staggering.

Its so wonderful to see shows like Beef, where there was a really funny meme saying, We went from Crazy Rich Asians to Broke-Ass Asians in no time! I love these stories. In my next project, Deli Boys, were all successful South Asians, were hardworking immigrants, yet were also running a full-on cocaine business. I cant wait for that story to come out.

Within every model-minority family like mine, which is full of doctors and lawyers and all that, there are also such intense stories of addiction and loss and suicide and depression and anxiety. Were so messy, but onscreen, were shown as very put together with no time taken to see the other side of the coin. Im really excited to be a part of flipping that coin over, looking at and telling the stories there. The truth is life happens to everyone, not only to white people. We have to show that aspect for South Asian characters, too.

Where do you see more of those stories from the other side of the coin coming from?

Its really women of color who are creating stories for other women of color right now. These deep, meaningful stories come from the Shondas and the Avas and the Mindys, and it feels like no one else is out there generating content.

What prompts change isnt casting a South Asian female lead in a show, its the ecosystem that the South Asian female lead brings in. Its her lovers, her siblings, her family, all of that texture and life around the lead is what starts changing things. I often say theres screen time versus scene time, and what I mean is, like, a person of color may have screen time, but do you really get to know them and where they come from, what makes them tick and why they are who they are? That comes from really investing in a character in that ecosystem.

Weve been talking about the importance of quality three-dimensional roles for South Asian actors, but lets not ignore the significance of over-the-top roles. Tell me about playing Rehan, the bad guy in The Out-Laws. How did you figure out what volume that character needed to be at? Almost everybody else is already performing at a 9 or a 10, and Rehan has to be even louder than that.

I loved it. She just takes the disco and the bullets wherever she goes. You see it in her gold sequined dress and then a blue sequined jumpsuit and a sequined pink and black jacket  the sequins do a lot of the talking. And chaos just erupts. Rehan does a lot of her most important communicating and talking in cars while shooting. We improvised our way toward an accent for her; its completely made up, but the right one made the humor work. It had to convey that shes killed ten people and hasnt even had breakfast yet.

A multitasking icon. Did you improvise dialogue on set, too? You get some truly wild lines saying some of the most obscene things both to and about Pierce Brosnans character, Billy. How did all that come about?

The bones of it were scripted, things like Rehans massive crush on Billy, how Lily is in Rehans way as she pursues the love of her life, and how Rehan thinks kidnapping Billys daughter is her pathway to him. This kind of comedy is also something Ive always wanted to do and was afraid of, so I took a two-hour improv lesson from Edi Patterson. She plays Judy on The Righteous Gemstones and is pure id in that role! She taught me how to take an idea on the page and blow it up into absurdity really fast. As soon as I started doing that on set, the writers started giving me ten different versions of lines, each one funnier than the others. They used some of my improvisations in the end too  Machine Gun Kellys skinny dick energy, Billys corn on the cob dick, I think those were both mine. I could work on that set for the rest of my life.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photos: HBO

In July 9s episode of HBOs The Righteous Gemstones, Interlude III, siblings Jesse and Judy Gemstone  the petulant heirs to Eli and Aimee-Leigh Gemstones ostentatious televangelism empire  share a rare tender moment. I get real excited sometimes, Judy tells Jesse. I want to do things my own way, and when it feels like my own way aint working or Im starting to look bad, something goes off in me. It just feels warm; my ears get hot. I figure, Fuck it. They want it. Lets give em something. Jesse empathizes with this impulse. My motor runs hot, too, he says. Its that Gemstone temper we both got. We get it from Daddy. Through three seasons of Gemstones, this may be the clearest explanation the show has provided for why Jesse and Judy are the way that they are. Its notable, then, that the actors in this scene are not Danny McBride and Edi Patterson but their teenage counterparts, J. Gaven Wilde and Emma Shannon.

Wilde and Shannon made their first appearances as young Jesse and young Judy in Gemstones season-one episode Interlude. Their appearances could easily have been one-note  a cheap excuse to mine laughs by having kids say age-inappropriate things like Smell my finger or It makes my bird twitch. Instead, Wilde and Shannon, just 15 and 12 at the time, blew away expectations and gave the shows writers another dimension through which to explore these characters in subsequent episodes. I dont think they knew that [Interlude] would become an every-season episode until they saw how great these kids actually were, the shows casting director, Sherry Thomas, says. Rather than search for physical matches, Thomas and fellow casting director Lisa Mae Fincannon screened hundreds of candidates to find actors who captured McBride and Pattersons more ineffable qualities. Fincannon remembers squealing when she met Wilde for the first time on location at a picturesque marsh in South Carolina. The young actor did a perfect accidental McBride impression when he exclaimed, Dang, this place is sweet!

Wilde and Shannon, now 19 and 17, are uncanny as the younger versions of Jesse and Judy, mimicking their every mannerism and vocal tic to perfection. Interlude I sees the siblings in 1989, failing to cope with the news that their mom is pregnant with their little brother Kelvin. Interlude II catches up with them during Christmas of 1993, where, among other things, they debate whether the word pussy qualifies as a cuss. And Interlude III drops in on them in the year 2000, where they navigate the unique awkwardness of familial and romantic relationships in their late teens. Neither Wilde or Shannon takes this opportunity for granted. They may only appear in Gemstones once per season, but in that time theyve gotten to showcase their range, interface with personal heroes, and build a friendship with one another that will live on outside the show.

Can you tell me about the first time you met each other?

Emma Shannon: Its a funny story, because we really hit it off on the first day. I remember we met on set, and we kind of just had to jump in and do a scene. But after we met and talked, we all just jumped in a car together, and we went to the beach. Gaven had his camera, and he was taking pictures. It was awesome.

When you went in to film that first episode together, the show was still in the process of filming its first season. How much of it had you gotten the chance to see?

J. Gaven Wilde: I dont think we knew anything. On set, there was one teaser that came out. But it was a teaser  there wasnt really much to draw from. I think both of us really just pulled from previous projects that Edi and Danny were in, because it was really all we could do. There was nothing out at the time about the show.

ES: I watched Vice Principals for my audition to do some research on Edi, and then I rewatched it when I booked the role.

JGW: I love Vice Principals. I drew a lot from Vice Principals.

Were your parents hesitant at all to let you audition for a show that is, at times, so inappropriate for children?

JGW: Since the beginning of our careers, weve both had to push the limits, even just in auditions. I think both of our parents are used to it now. Most of what we have done or said in the show, weve probably done in an audition before. So all those nerves about saying stuff in front of my parents have all gone away now.

ES: Yeah, the amount of auditions Ive been on where I have had to do or say crazy things  My mom wasnt too nervous about it.

Does cursing on television open the floodgates for you to curse openly at home?

JGW: Yeah, Im not going to lie. My moms just used to it at this point.

ES: I try not to! But when Im on set and I get to say those things, its kind of like, Woohoo! This is freedom!

Talk to me about how you built your impersonations of Danny and Edi. How much were you operating on instinct, and how much of it is noticing specific details about Edi and Danny and rehearsing them?

JGW: I think the reason why it was just sort of easy for me  not to come off arrogant or anything  is that Ive always been good at impressions. I put some work in and I studied him a little bit, but I really just look at it as a big impression. Theres a few different things that I tried to get right, mainly Dannys cadence and the way that he speaks. Hes also very animated with his head. The best way to describe him, I think, is: Hes a man-child. So any form of movement that I do, I always try to relate it to what I would do if I was 4 and throwing a temper tantrum.

ES: I just watched videos of everything Edis been in. And I noticed certain things she does  she does this head shake, like [mimics head shake] thats really funny. And after we watched season one, we kind of saw how the characters acted. So every season, it gets easier and easier. I feel like now were really in touch with it. They would put us up in the same hotel, and we would practice together before we film and give each other notes.

Really quick, Gaven: What other impressions do you do?

JGW: Oh, gosh. Ive been doing them since I was young. I do 

ES: Winnie the Pooh!

JGW: No, no, Im not going to do that one.

ES: He did it on the phone yesterday!

JGW: That was the first time I ever did it.

ES: It was so good, too.

JGW: Im going to mess it up now. I dont know. I can do Peter from Family Guy: [Giggles as Peter Griffin] Hey, Lois!

[Laughter.]

When I think about Judy and Jesse, both characters seem to carry themselves with a certain swagger that they use to overcompensate for deep insecurities. How difficult is it to showcase both layers of that in your performance?

JGW: Its a challenge, but I guess Ive never really thought of it like that. They are more than likely trying to cover for something, but Ive always looked at it like they just think theyre the bees knees and they have no insecurities.

ES: Ive always thought of Judy as a person who is dealing with some things underneath that are challenging for her. I think you get to see a different side this season, and thats exciting. But its always been in my mind that theres something troubling her in a way.

Can you talk me through the scene in the new episode where we get to see that side of her? The one where Judy and Jesse bond over their issues with their tempers?

ES: I remember we started practicing the second we got it. We werent even in South Carolina yet. We were doing that scene over the phone. We really, really wanted to nail it and show that this is a different range for these characters.

JGW: What I really tried to bring to that scene was an overall brother-sister tension. We wanted to show that Jesse and Judy are deeper than what we have seen so far. Theyre not just these one-dimensional characters. They can be deep and complex.

How would you describe Jesse and Judys sibling relationship as a whole?

JGW: I think, deep down, they love each other. I think, especially with the introduction of Kelvin, they grew closer, because neither of us wanted Kelvin to be a new member of the family. We hate each other, but deep down we love each other.

ES: I agree! They dont like to admit it, but I think theyre very protective over each other.

Interlude II saw the introduction of Tristan Borders, who plays the young Kelvin. As people who have gone through the experience of being young and on sets, do you feel a certain protectiveness over him?

JGW: Honestly, Tristan is such a smart kid. And hes a really great actor! He does such a good job at listening and following directions. Heck, he does a better job than I do sometimes. He was very easy to work with. Its always cool when theres a new cast member added, especially somebody that young, because theyre so excited and giddy about being on set.

ES: Hes very natural. And hes just the cutest! He made us these cute little books. And he would write his own songs and show us his songs. Hes awesome. Were very protective over him.

Does seeing him remind you of what it was like to be that young on set?

ES: I started out when I was about 6 years old, so it did remind me of being on set with a bunch of people older than me. Id be so excited to meet new people, especially if they were celebrities. I dont think it was ever scary. I was always just so excited to have fun and do my craft.

You probably have to be more reserved about it on set now that youre a bit older, but what celebrities were you most excited to meet while working on Gemstones?

ES: Adam DeVine!

JGW: Meeting Danny was supercool to me. I know thats a cliche answer, because I play the younger version of him, but Id just seen him in so many things prior  particularly Land of the Lost, which is one of my favorite movies. John Goodman was amazing to see as well. But its either Danny or Adam. Because of Pitch Perfect.

ES: I love Pitch Perfect! I was so excited. And Jennifer Nettles too, because I love Sugarland. My favorite song when I was younger was Stuck Like Glue.

What is it like to work with Walton Goggins? Hes in character from the moment hes on set, right? Does it inspire you to want to take that approach?

JGW: 100 percent. And to a certain degree, I do try to do that, but just being on the Gemstones set is so fun that its very hard to stay in character when youre not filming. I want to talk to everybody and live it up and be in the moment. Im just so mesmerized by the sets and all the equipment they have. If I tried to take that approach, I would have to constantly remind myself, Come on, be Danny. Be Danny. But I watch Walton and, man, I just envy that level of dedication.

ES: I was blown away by him, because he would be in character all the time, and before a scene even started, he would start improvising with us and talking to us so we would get in it too. And then they would call action, and he would just start his lines.

He wasnt in the same episode as either of you, but season two of Gemstones featured a guest turn by one of the most famous child actors of all time, Macaulay Culkin. Did either of you get the chance to meet him?

JGW: I did! My mom was working wardrobe on the show, and I was there just to visit and see what was going on. My mom came up to me and shes like, Macaulay Culkin is here, and he wants to talk to you. I was like, No, he doesnt! What do you mean? Theres no way. And she looks me dead in the eyes and shes dead serious. Shes like, Gaven, go. Hes waiting in his trailer for you.

So I walk over there, and hes just waiting outside of his trailer, and his body language was open to me. I didnt have to tap him on the shoulder and be like  Hey, man. Immediately when he saw me, he was like, Gaven, whats going on, man? We just sat and we talked about acting, and we talked about what it was like to be a child actor. I told him I was homeschooled, and  it was funny  he told me that he got kicked out of a few schools because of his acting career as a child. He just told me that I did a good job. That was the same day I got to tell Walton how much I appreciate him as an actor. So I had the best conversation for a good 20 minutes with both of them.

Gaven, I saw on your Instagram that youve started shooting your own films now. When are you going to cast Emma in one of your projects?

JGW: Listen, believe it or not, we have talked about that! If she wasnt in Los Angeles, I would totally have her down [to Atlanta] for something.

Youd have to be able to afford her quote, though.

JGW: Emmas a great actress. Im probably going to have to give her like $2 million or something to come down here.

ES: That much? I could fly there!

JGW: Would you settle for some lint in my pocket?

ES: Yes!
Chinese medical team's traditional acupuncture therapy has been gaining popularity in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, with its effect winning widespread recognition from local residents.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Tycoon grandfather of kidnapped teen refused at first to pay ransom.

John Paul Getty III, the 16-year-old grandson of the American oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, was abducted by criminals in Rome's central Piazza Farnese in the early hours of 10 July 1973.

Before his disappearance the rebellious teenager had been expelled from a private school and lived a bohemian lifestyle in Rome, making ends meet by selling paintings and acting as an extra in movies.

When he was kidnapped it was first suspected that he had staged the abduction himself as a ploy to extract money from his grandfather, the richest man in the world at the time.

Two days after his abduction, his mother Gail Harris received a demand of around $17 million in ransom.

Harris, divorced from her son's father John Paul Getty II who lived in the UK, informed the kidnappers over the phone that she had no money.

She was reportedly told to "get it from London" where her son's father and grandfather lived.

However J. Paul Getty was notoriously tight-fisted with his vast fortune and when he heard of the ransom request he refused, stating famously: If I pay one penny now, I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.

After four months of keeping their hostage in captivity, in remote hideaways in the southern Calabria region, the increasingly frustrated criminals took dire action.

In November 1973, a package arrived at the Rome-based newspaper Il Messaggero, its arrival delayed by three weeks due to a postage strike in Italy.

Inside was the captive's severed ear and a bloodied lock of his hair, along with a warning: "This is Paul's ear. If we don't get some money within 10 days, then the other ear will arrive. In other words, he will arrive in little bits."

The kidnappers had also reduced their ransom demand to around $3 million.

The parcel's shocking contents prompted J. Paul Getty to agree to paying $2.2 million, the maximum sum eligible for a tax write-off, and he loaned the rest of the money to Paul's father at four per cent interest.

The ransom was made over in bundles of Italian banknotes and was left in a bag at a roadside location agreed with the criminals.

On 15 December 1973 a truck driver found the missing teenager shivering outside a petrol station on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway.

Some time after his release, on his mother's suggestion, he telephoned his billionaire grandfather to thank him for paying the ransom, however the old man reportedly declined to take the call.

Nine people associated with the 'Ndrangheta mafia organisation were subsequently arrested for the kidnapping, but only two were convicted, and most of the ranson money was never recovered.

Getty III was permanently affected by the trauma and struggled with drug addiction.

In 1981 a narcotics-induced stroke left him paralysed and requiring care for the rest of his life.

He was taken care of by his mother until his death at his home near London on 5 February 2011, at the age of 54.
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RIO DE JANEIRO  Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday met with his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro to build momentum for an upcoming regional summit on the Amazon rainforest and enhance efforts for its protection. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The encounter took place in Colombias Leticia, a town in the Amazons triple border region between Colombia, Brazil and Peru, where organized crime has recently increased its hold.

The meeting aimed to lay groundwork for the Amazon Summit the Brazilian government is organizing in Belem next month. That summit will be attended by leaders of the countries party to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, made up of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Lula is pushing for a joint declaration from the summit, which would be presented at the United Nations climate conference, known as COP28, in Dubai in November.

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We will have to demand together that rich countries fulfil their commitments, Lula said in Leticia, sitting next to Petro.

Petro also stressed the need for a common front to exert pressure on developed countries. We believed that progress was the destruction of trees. ... Today that is nothing other than the destruction of life, he said.

The Colombian leader said tackling the climate crisis will require spending trillions of dollars. This could be achieved by transforming the global debt system and trading debt for climate action, he said.

The final document will comprise measures for the sustainable development of the Amazon, protecting the biome, and promoting social inclusion, science, technology and innovation while valuing Indigenous peoples and their knowledge, Brazils presidential palace said in a statement.

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Joint action of the countries that share the Amazon biome is fundamental for facing the multiple challenges in the region, the statement said.

One challenge faced is the tightened grip of organized crime, particularly in tri-border regions like where Leticia is located. British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous activist Bruno Pereira were killed in the neighboring Javari valley region last year.

These areas have become violent hotspots, according to a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime released in June. It noted criminal groups are simultaneously engaged in cocaine production trafficking, as well as natural resource exploitation.

Indigenous groups are disproportionately affected by the criminal nexus in the Amazon, the report added, pointing to forced displacements, mercury poisoning and other health-related impacts as well as increased exposure to violence.

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In 2019, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Guyana and Suriname signed the Leticia Pact to strengthen coordinated actions for the preservation of the natural resources of the Amazon.

But the goals are vague and lack ways to measure progress, said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, an umbrella organization of environmental groups.

Its a letter of ambitions. We hope that in Leticia they (Lula and Petro) will increase and clarify their ambitions, said Astrini.

Since taking office in January, Lula has strived to put environmental protection and respect for Indigenous peoples rights at the heart of his third term. He successful pursued resumption of international donations for the Amazon Fund that combats deforestation, launched a military campaign to eject illegal miners from Yanomami territory, committed to ending all illegal deforestation by 2030 and restarted the demarcation of Indigenous areas.

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Lulas approach contrasts sharply with the actions of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. Under the far-right leaders term, deforestation soared to a 15-year high, and environmental restrictions were weakened. Deforestation fell by 33.6% during the first six months of Lulas term, according to satellite data the Brazilian government released this week from the National Institute for Space Research, a federal agency.

Petro has also been vocal about the need to halt destruction in the Amazon. The Colombian leader has proposed the creation of multilateral 20-year financing fund to support farming communities contributing to deforestation. The idea is to compensate them for conservation and regenerative activities instead.

Historically, collaboration between Brazil and Colombia, which share a border longer than 1,500 kilometers (about 900 miles), has been lacking, according to Wagner Ribeiro, a geographer and expert in environmental policy from the University of Sao Paulo.

We hope that opportunities for academic cooperation will arise from the meeting, which will later generate public policies that promote environmental conservation, Ribeiro said.

___

Associated Press writer Gabriela Molina in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this report.

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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador  President Nayib Bukele was officially nominated by his New Ideas party Sunday to run for reelection next year, brushing aside objections from legal experts and opposition figures who say El Salvadors constitution prohibits his candidacy. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight New Ideas also announced that current Vice President Felix Ulloa would run for reelection in the ballot scheduled for Feb. 4, 2024.

Bukele is highly popular among Salvadorans because of his harsh crackdown on street gangs, but he is considered controversial internationally. He announced in September that he planned to seek a second five-year term.

That came after the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, handpicked by his supporters in Congress, ruled in 2021 that his candidacy for reelection was permitted and ordered the electoral court to allow it.

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Constitutional lawyers maintain that Bukeles candidacy would violate at least four articles of the constitution, including Article 154, which states: The presidential term will be five years and will begin and end on June 1, without the person who has held the presidency being able to continue in their functions even one more day.

But Ulloa, who is a well-known lawyer, said Bukele just has to ask Congress for a leave of absence by Dec. 1 in order to be able to run again.

True to his populist form, Bukele depicted the announcement as a blow to financier and philanthropist George Soros.

The Soros media say that Salvadorans cant decide for themselves, Bukele wrote on Twitter, his favorite medium. But the greatest party in history spoke today, and on February 4th, 2024, the Salvadoran people will have the last word.

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While constitutional bans on reelection were once common in Latin America  where some countries have a history of caudillo strongmen perpetuating themselves in power  those term limits have been removed, overturned or ignored in a number of cases, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Bolivia.

Bukele, who maintains approval ratings above 80%, has led a crackdown on the countrys powerful street gangs that has landed more than 60,000 people in jail on suspicion of gang ties.

Despite suspending some fundamental rights for more than a year, the measures have been widely popular. Communities that lived under the constant extortion and violence of the gangs are returning to life.

But there have been thousands of complaints of rights violations, and observers say many young men appear to have been rounded up simply because of their appearance, or where they live.

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Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat has been accused of showing contempt for federal parliament by defying repeated requests to appear before a parliamentary inquiry that is weighing whether to recommend banning the app from use in Australia because of foreign interference concerns.

Executives from social media giants TikTok, Google, Twitter and LinkedIn have all agreed to appear at the final public hearings of the Senate select committee on foreign interference through social media in Parliament House on Tuesday.

A parliamentary committee is considering calls to ban the popular messaging app WeChat because of foreign interference concerns. Credit: Reuters

Representatives from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will also appear at the hearings, leaving WeChat as the only company refusing multiple invitations to give evidence.

About 1 million people in Australia  including almost half the Chinese diaspora  are believed to use WeChat, which has been described as Chinas app for everything.
A 25-year-old man was suspected of attacking a kindergarten in Chinas Guangdong province on Monday, killing six people and injuring one, police said.

Media reported the attack in Lianjiang county was a stabbing. The suspect, with the surname Wu and from Lianjiang, had been detained, police said, adding they were investigating.

A police cordon is placed in the aftermath of a stabbing attack at a kindergarten in Lianjiang county, Guangdong province, in China, in this still image obtained from social media video released on July 10. Credit: Video obtained by Reuters/via Reuters

A man, 25, was arrested following the 7.40am attack, a police statement said. Employees who answered at the Lianjiang police headquarters declined to give more details.

A news outlet, Dafeng News, cited an unidentified witness as saying the attackers child had been struck earlier by the car of one of the people who was killed at the school. It said one of the people killed was a teacher at the kindergarten.
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC)'s Director General Kimty Kormoly (R, front) and UnionPay International Vice President Larry Wang (L, front) sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 10, 2023. The NBC, Cambodia's central bank, and UnionPay International signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Monday on cross-border QR code payment cooperation. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) and UnionPay International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Monday on cross-border QR code payment cooperation.

The deal was inked in Phnom Penh between the Cambodian central bank's Director General Kimty Kormoly and UnionPay International Vice President Larry Wang, under the presence of NBC Deputy Governor Chea Serey.

Serey said under the MoU, some 10 million KHQR users in Cambodia will be able to directly scan UnionPay QR Code in China this year.

KHQR is a universal quick response (QR) code system created for retail payments in Cambodia. It only requires a single QR for receiving payment from any mobile app including the Bakong app.

"The MoU will allow KHQR users to go to China's mainland and scan on the QR code of UnionPay," Serey told Xinhua after the signing ceremony.

She said the cooperation would facilitate Cambodian tourists in making payment in China, and help Chinese tourists make payment on QR codes in Cambodia as well.

The bank executive said around 1.8 million vendors currently accept KHQR transactions in Cambodia, so Chinese tourists with a UnionPay-enabled e-wallet will be able to pay at any KHQR merchants in the Southeast Asian nation.

Larry said the MoU would enable Cambodian residents to pay directly with their local e-wallets in the global UnionPay QR code network, including China.

"With acceptance by more than 90 percent of merchants in Cambodia, and hundreds of thousands of cards issued by major local banks, UnionPay has become a payment tool favored by the residents in the country," he told Xinhua.

Larry said the collaboration boosts UnionPay's linkage with national QR networks outside China, especially with the networks of Southeast Asian countries.

Currently, more than 200 million UnionPay cards have been issued in 78 countries and regions outside of China, all of which can be used at almost all merchant Point-of-Sale (POS) and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) terminals in China, he said. 
Berlin: The United States and Germany form the major roadblock to Ukraines achieving membership of the worlds most powerful military alliance days before world leaders meet in Lithuania to strengthen resolve against Russias invasion.

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have dealt a major blow to hopes that the NATO summits concluding statement will endorse a pathway to membership, let alone invite Kyiv to join once the war is over  as demanded by some of Ukraines staunchest supporters in eastern Europe.

US President Joe Biden arrives at Stansted Airport in England before heading to Lithuania to attend the NATO summit. Credit: AP

NATOs 31 members will meet for a two-day summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, from Tuesday to show support for Ukraine and give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a sense of what will have to be done to gain membership some time in the future.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said late on Sunday they held a phone call to discuss the NATO summit and Kyivs counteroffensive campaign to reclaim land taken by Russia.
Exactly one year after the launch of the Light-Touch Intervention (LTI) on Risk Management for the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) under the SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP), a closing session took place on July 4th, 2023, in the headquarters of the MCGA in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The event brought together more than 20 stakeholders, including representatives from the World Customs Organization (WCO), Mongolian Customs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials from the Swiss Cooperation Office. This closing provided an opportunity to assess the achievements and impact of the technical assistance provided by the GTFP to the MCGA.

During the closing remarks, the Head of the MCGA, expressed his gratitude to the WCO and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for their support in enhancing Mongolia's risk management capabilities. He highlighted the positive outcomes of this assistance, which has translated into a more facilitated environment for smoother foreign trade operations in the country.

The LTI in Mongolia focused on capacity building, directly benefiting 108 Customs officials and indirectly impacting over 70 others. This comprehensive training has equipped Customs officials with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively implement risk management.

As a result of this support, there have been several noteworthy achievements, including the enhancement of risk management capabilities to ensure seamless foreign trade. The MCGA successfully established a comprehensive risk management control strategy and developed a data governance strategy, laying the foundation for effective risk assessment and mitigation measures. Altogether, the creation of working principles for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures has further strengthened compliance with Article 7.4 of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on risk management.

The impact of the LTI in Mongolia has resulted in a 30% increase in the effectiveness rate of risk management. This demonstrates the significant improvement in identifying and addressing potential risks in foreign trade operations. Furthermore, as of the first half of 2023, there has been a notable 20% reduction in physical inspection of goods. This reduction in face-to-face interaction during foreign trade operations has accelerated Customs processes, minimizing opportunities for discretionary practices and expediting overall operations.

The successful closure of the LTI represents an important achievement for the MCGA and the GTFP, as the strengthened risk management capabilities and improved compliance with international standards are expected to foster a more efficient trade and transparent business environment, boosting Mongolias foreign trade attractiveness and competitiveness.

For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org
SEOUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) condemned the U.S. plan to send a strategic nuclear submarine to the Korean Peninsula in a press statement on Monday.

The deployment of the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine carrying nuclear warheads on the Korean Peninsula means that the U.S. strategic nuclear weapons will appear on the peninsula for the first time since 1981, said the statement, quoted by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The statement called the U.S. attempt to introduce strategic nuclear weapons onto the Korean Peninsula "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail against the DPRK and its neighboring countries and a grave threat and challenge to the regional and global peace and security."

It urged the United States to stop at once all the provocative moves. 
Infrastructure development is picking up pace in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. Many locals are expressing their gratitude, saying they have significantly benefited from China-built projects in recent years.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

A stray evening shower or t-storm, mainly in the Poconos; skies becoming mostly clear overnight with lowering humidity..

Tonight

A stray evening shower or t-storm, mainly in the Poconos; skies becoming mostly clear overnight with lowering humidity.
BEIRUT (AP)  Syria's Information Ministry revoked the BBC's media accreditation, days after the British public broadcaster aired a report linking members of Syrian President Bashar Assad's family and senior army officials to the production and smuggling of illicit drugs.

The documentary, broadcast in late June, describes a multibillion dollar business involving the highly addictive amphetamine known as Captagon

The Syrian ministry said it revoked the BBC's accreditation after repeated warnings about what it claimed were "misleading reports relying on statements and testimonies from terrorist entities and those hostile to Syria." The ministry made no mention of the documentary and did not back up its claims of biased reporting.

The BBC dismissed the ministry's allegations, saying it provides impartial and independent journalism.

We speak to people across the political spectrum to establish the facts, the BBC said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press over the weekend. We will continue to provide impartial news and information to our audiences across the Arabic-speaking world.

The BBCs radio and television correspondents as well as its videographer lost their accreditation.

The production and smuggling of Captagon pills has blossomed in war-torn Syria in recent years. Experts say it is a source of revenue for the country's crippled economy and sanctioned leadership. Neighboring Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as other Gulf countries, have long complained about the scourge of the cheap drugs from Syria.

Captagon is used as a recreational drug, but also by fighters on the battlefield and by manual laborers.

The United Kingdom, United States, and European Union have sanctioned a handful of drug kingpins and close associates of Assad for their involvement in the trade.

The Syrian government denies any involvement in the production of Captagon. A Syrian lawmaker told the AP last month that Syria has been used as a transit state for Captagon and other drugs, and accused opposition groups of running the industry.

After Syria restored relations with many of its neighboring countries and returned to the Arab fold, cracking down on drug smuggling has been a key issue in regional talks.

Syrias uprising which turned into a full-blown civil war, now in its 13th year, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country's prewar population of 23 million. Syrians in both government-held territory and an opposition-held enclave in the countrys northwest suffer from rampant poverty and crippled infrastructure.

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
READING, Pa. - The Red Cross opened a shelter for residents impacted by flooding in Reading.

The Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting residents of the Jamestown Village Apartments in Reading.

The apartments are located at 300 Lackawanna St.

The Red Cross is helping residents who are displaced from their homes due to flooding. The Reading Fire Department estimates 39 people and 5 pets from 24 apartment units are affected.

The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at Glenside Elementary School. Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers are onsite to provide food, relief supplies and comfort to those in need.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, and all disaster assistance is free.

Anyone in need of Red Cross assistance should call 1-800-REDCROSS.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to the press before leaving for Vilnius, Lithuania, at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkiye, July 10, 2023. Turkiye will support Sweden's joining NATO if the European Union (EU) revived membership talks with Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. (Turkish Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

ANKARA/ISTANBUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye will support Sweden's joining NATO if the European Union (EU) revived membership talks with Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"First, let's pave the way for Turkiye in the EU, then let's pave the way for Sweden, just as the case with Finland," Erdogan told reporters before leaving for Vilnius, Lithuania, where he will attend the NATO summit on July 11-12.

Turkiye signed an association agreement with the EU's predecessor European Economic Community in 1964, applied to join the bloc in 1987, and was granted official candidate status in 1999.

Ankara started membership talks with Brussels in 2005, but no breakthrough has been made since then.

"Right now Turkiye has been kept at the EU door for more than 50 years and almost all NATO member states are currently EU members," Erdogan said.

Turkiye has been holding a veto of Sweden's NATO accession on the grounds that the Nordic country harbors members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is listed as a terror group by Ankara, the EU and the United States.

Erdogan expected to meet with Sweden's prime minister in Vilnius on the eve of the two-day NATO summit.

Sweden is seeking a green light from Turkiye after taking a series of measures to fulfill the Erdogan administration's requirements, including toughening its anti-terror laws to address Ankara's security concerns. 
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Two people were shot in Allentown on Sunday night.

Gunshots rang out around 9:30 p.m. in the area of North Hazel and Chew streets, said city police on Monday.

Officers found one person with a gunshot wound to the body, and they applied lifesaving first aid treatment, police said. He was taken to the hospital for further treatment.

A second gunshot victim showed up at the hospital and is being treated for injuries to the body, police said.

Both victims are expected to survive.

Authorities blocked off the road with police tape while they investigated.

Police said the investigation is active and ongoing, but that there is no threat to the community.

Investigators did not comment on a possible suspect.

Anyone with information or witnesses should call police at 610-437-7721 or submit an anonymous tip through the Tip411 app.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bethlehem's Planning Commission will review 66 potential new homes Thursday, as the city's building boom moves to the north and west.

A total of 66 dwellings are on the agenda, the largest a 39-unit four-story building proposed for West Union Boulevard. Another proposal would place 24 townhouses on the site of the Church of the Manger near Catasauqua Road.

The plan for the church includes six buildings, each with four townhouses, at 1411 Greenview Drive in the Kaywin section of Bethlehem, south of Catasauqua Road and the Westgate Mall. Preliminary plans submitted to the city show 48 parking spaces in the middle of the property, roughly on the site of the current church building. On either side of the lot would be 12 townhomes, and a "vegetative buffer" would be behind the houses.

Each unit would have two parking spaces, based on the current plan. A stormwater management area is shown at the far end of the property. Plans identify the church there now as the Church of the Manger. A sign at the church also refers to MCC, Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley. Real estate ads say the property covers 2.3 acres and is partly leased to another church.

The church accepted an offer to sell its property on May 16, according to its Facebook page.

"As part of the agreement of sale, our church will be able to remain at the Church of the Manger through March of 2024," the post said.

At 218-226 W. Union Blvd., Plamen "Rocco" Ayvazov's plan for 39 apartments is back. His Monocacy General Contracting proposes a four-story with 27 1-bedroom units and 12 2-bedroom apartments, and first-floor commercial space.

The site is between the Old Brewery Tavern and Route 378, a gateway to the city. The property was once a cemetery monument company, is next to railroad tracks and near the Monocacy Creek.

Ayvazov's other projects include putting apartments up at the old Boyd Theatre on Broad Street in Bethlehem.

The smallest housing project up for review Thursday is a plan for three single-family homes at 2105 Creek View Road, near Hellertown.

The city's Environmental Advisory Commission (EAC) objects to that development. Creek Road is in a flood plain and near Saucon Creek, "a Class A Trophy Trout Stream," according to the EAC's letter to the Planning Department. The letter is signed by Lynn Rothman, who leads the EAC.

In 2020, developer Abe Atiyeh's proposal for an assisted living facility at 2105 Creek Road was rejected by City Council.

Planning Commission agendas are subject to change. Check the city website for details and to see plans. The commission will meet Thursday, June 13, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall. The meeting will also be broadcast online.
ABEC, a supplier to the pharmaceutical industry, will supply equipment to Eli Lilly & Co.'s new facility in Ireland.

The Northampton County-based company said it will deliver multiple bioreactors -- devices that carry out biological processes on an industrial scale -- to the Limerick plant. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Deliveries will start in the third quarter, ABEC said in a statement. The equipment can be used to make drugs and vaccines, among other products.

"We are pleased that our unique CSR (custom single-run, or disposable) products and customized, flexible approach will support Lilly's vision for state-of-the-art manufacturing," ABEC Chairman and Chief Executive Scott Pickering said in a statement.

ABEC was founded in 1974 and has its headquarters on Schelden Circle in Hanover Township. Its customers include most of the world's big pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, according to its website. The company is privately held.

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly is a global company with nearly 40,000 employees. It was founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, according to the company website. In 2022, the company's revenue was $28.5 billion.

Eli Lilly's drug portfolio includes Trulicity, for treating diabetes.

Shares in Eli Lilly are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LLY. As of 11:29 a.m. Monday, the price was $450.23, giving the company a market capitalization of $427 billion.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - An Allentown woman is facing charges in an assault in the city Sunday evening.

Ariana Rosa, 26, is accused of slashing someone during an altercation in the 400 block of Union Boulevard, police said.

The victim, whose injuries are not life-threatening, showed up at a hospital emergency room around 6 p.m., police said.

Rosa is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault with a deadly weapon and harassment.
WARREN, Pa. - Authorities in northwestern Pennsylvania are still searching for a dangerous inmate with survivalist skills.

State police say Michael Charles Burham was reported missing from Warren County prison on Friday.

He was being held in the small town north of Pittsburgh on arson and burglary charges. He was also the suspect in a homicide investigation.

Investigators say they found a small campsite in a nearby wooded area.

They say the search been slow going.

"I can tell you the terrain is very rugged, it's steep. We're using aviation assets to support their operations but there are places where you just have to go on foot if you want to search it, so it is taking a lot of time and effort," police say.

Authorities say Burham escaped the prison by climbing on exercise equipment and using bed sheets to come down from the roof.

They say he may be armed and dangerous.
MOSCOW, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the representatives and commanders of the Wagner military group on June 29, RIA Novosti reported Monday, citing Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

A total of 35 Wagner members were invited to the meeting, including the group's head Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to Peskov.

During the meeting that lasted for three hours, the president assessed the work of the Wagner group in the course of the special military operation, and "gave an assessment of the events that happened on June 24," Peskov said.

The Russian leader also outlined further employment options for the military group's commanders.

He noted that the Wagner group expressed its strong support for the Russian leader. The group's members also said they were ready to continue "fighting for their motherland." 
PARIS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- L'Oreal Chairman Jean-Paul Agon said China has proven itself as a stabilizer for the global economy, an accelerator for consumption and the world's laboratory for innovation.

China, now L'Oreal's second-largest market worldwide, "is one of our most strategic growth drivers" because "China is more than just a large market. It is the laboratory for most innovative concepts and the testing field for newest marketing practices, where the future of beauty is born," said Agon.

For L'Oreal group, China is unassailably the incubator for the company's new ideas and open innovation, leading in digitalization, AI, AR and VR thanks to its robust, dynamic and unique innovation ecosystem, he said.

"We believe that 'investing in China is investing in the future.' A commitment to China, its people and its talents is a winning factor for every international company, and this is what L'Oreal will always uphold," said Agon.

"With a further open market, improving business environment and promising domestic demand boost initiatives, China is embracing the world with new opportunities. Meanwhile, China is also bringing opportunities to the world. We look forward to more companies enjoying these opportunities," he noted.

In this regard, the chairman of L'Oreal said his group would continue to play a contributive role in encouraging more French companies to develop their businesses with China and to promote French-Chinese cooperation by leveraging platforms like the CIIE Enterprise Alliance, in which L'Oreal holds a chairman role, and the France-China Committee.

As co-chairman of the France-China Committee, Agon stressed that L'Oreal's achievement is undoubtedly attributed to the sound, long-term bilateral relationship between France and China.

"The closer and open partnership between China and France has created an environment in which French companies like L'Oreal can thrive. Even during the past three years under COVID, this partnership has continued to expand into more areas such as consumption, sustainability, innovation and culture. We are proud to be a part of this progress," he said.

"Looking forward that even more fruits can be reaped from the collaboration, we are determined to continue contributing to it," Agon said. 
Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE:BHB  Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

Bar Harbor Bankshares Price Performance

About Bar Harbor Bankshares

(Free Report)

Bar Harbor Bankshares operates as the holding company for Bar Harbor Bank & Trust that provides banking and nonbanking products and services primarily to consumers and businesses. It accepts various deposit products, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, time deposits, and money market deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.

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Shares of PG&E Co. (NYSE:PCG  Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $18.55.

Several analysts have issued reports on PCG shares. Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of PG&E from $22.00 to $21.00 in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of PG&E in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH initiated coverage on shares of PG&E in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $20.50 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of PG&E from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of PG&E from $20.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 30th.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in PG&E by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 219,490,888 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,743,636,000 after acquiring an additional 29,840,608 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in PG&E by 12.8% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 134,314,990 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,171,873,000 after buying an additional 15,210,198 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of PG&E by 121.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 86,054,530 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,075,682,000 after acquiring an additional 47,168,210 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in PG&E by 43.6% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 62,502,105 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,010,660,000 after purchasing an additional 18,984,092 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of PG&E by 4.7% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 58,850,334 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $735,631,000 after acquiring an additional 2,634,653 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.09% of the companys stock.

PG&E Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PCG opened at $17.40 on Wednesday. PG&E has a 52 week low of $9.81 and a 52 week high of $18.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.55, a PEG ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 1.12. The firms 50 day moving average is $17.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.40.

PG&E (NYSE:PCG  Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.29. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. PG&E had a net margin of 8.64% and a return on equity of 10.21%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.30 EPS. Analysts anticipate that PG&E will post 1.21 earnings per share for the current year.

PG&E Company Profile

(Free Report

PG&E Corporation, through its subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, engages in the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers in northern and central California, the United States. It generates electricity using nuclear, hydroelectric, fossil fuel-fired, fuel cell, and photovoltaic sources.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Argo Group International (NYSE:ARGO  Free Report) in a research note published on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Compass Point cut Argo Group International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, March 13th. TheStreet upgraded Argo Group International from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Friday, May 26th.

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Argo Group International Price Performance

ARGO opened at $29.65 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $29.52. Argo Group International has a 1 year low of $19.00 and a 1 year high of $35.54. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.75 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Argo Group International ( NYSE:ARGO Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.80 by ($1.11). The company had revenue of $419.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.90 million. Argo Group International had a negative net margin of 9.98% and a positive return on equity of 0.06%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Argo Group International will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 334.7% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 926 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 713 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in Argo Group International by 50.0% in the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,680 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Argo Group International by 148.0% in the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,793 shares of the companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070 shares during the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc bought a new stake in Argo Group International in the third quarter worth $59,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in shares of Argo Group International by 34.5% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,976 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 1,019 shares during the last quarter. 89.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Argo Group International Company Profile

(Free Report)

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty markets. The company operates in two segments, U.S. Operations and International Operations. It offers primary and excess specialty casualty, general liability, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation, as well as product, environmental, and auto liability insurance products; management liability, transaction liability, and errors and omissions liability insurance; primary and excess property, inland marine, and auto physical damage insurance; and surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance products.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Free Report) in a report published on Friday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

China Pharma Price Performance

NYSE:CPHI opened at $0.34 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.35. China Pharma has a 1 year low of $0.27 and a 1 year high of $2.60.

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China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 12th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.96 million during the quarter. China Pharma had a negative return on equity of 86.48% and a negative net margin of 40.43%.

About China Pharma

China Pharma Holdings, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical, and biochemical products primarily to hospitals and private retailers in the People's Republic of China. The company offers products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions.

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Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Free Report) in a report published on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $1,042.00 price target on the aerospace companys stock.

TDG has been the subject of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on TransDigm Group from $767.00 to $960.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on TransDigm Group from $840.00 to $870.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on TransDigm Group from $725.00 to $840.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Barclays raised their price objective on TransDigm Group from $840.00 to $930.00 in a research report on Sunday, May 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised TransDigm Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $848.53.

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TransDigm Group Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of TDG stock opened at $883.08 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $816.82 and a 200 day moving average of $750.19. TransDigm Group has a 52 week low of $499.63 and a 52 week high of $899.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.78, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.39.

Insider Buying and Selling

TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The aerospace company reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.98 by $1.00. TransDigm Group had a negative return on equity of 34.11% and a net margin of 17.57%. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that TransDigm Group will post 21.49 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, CEO Kevin M. Stein sold 11,833 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $798.13, for a total value of $9,444,272.29. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other TransDigm Group news, CEO Kevin M. Stein sold 11,833 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $798.13, for a total transaction of $9,444,272.29. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 6,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $753.17, for a total value of $4,895,605.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,229,307.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 37,477 shares of company stock worth $29,498,594. 7.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in TDG. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in TransDigm Group by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,212 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,393,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC increased its stake in TransDigm Group by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 853 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $537,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management increased its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 155 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Cross Staff Investments Inc increased its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Cross Staff Investments Inc now owns 952 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $702,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 1,651 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,040,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. 95.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About TransDigm Group

(Free Report)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

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Citigroup downgraded shares of Zurich Insurance Group (OTCMKTS:ZURVY  Free Report) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat reports.

Zurich Insurance Group Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of ZURVY opened at $46.21 on Friday. Zurich Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $38.33 and a 1 year high of $50.96. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $47.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.58. The company has a quick ratio of 27.43, a current ratio of 27.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

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Zurich Insurance Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

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Zurich Insurance Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products and related services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Property & Casualty Regions, Life Regions, Farmers, Group Functions and Operations, and Non-Core Businesses segments.

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abrdn (OTCMKTS:SLFPF  Free Report) is one of 1,205 publicly-traded companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare abrdn to similar businesses based on the strength of its dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk, earnings and profitability.

Dividends

abrdn pays an annual dividend of $0.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.7%. abrdn pays out 61.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.1% and pay out 639.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

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Profitability

This table compares abrdn and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets abrdn N/A N/A N/A abrdn Competitors 378.92% 8.28% 5.07%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Earnings and Valuation

27.1% of abrdn shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.5% of shares of all Asset Management companies are held by institutional investors. 18.0% of shares of all Asset Management companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

This table compares abrdn and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio abrdn N/A N/A 10.74 abrdn Competitors $240.47 million -$3.43 million -11.23

abrdns rivals have higher revenue, but lower earnings than abrdn. abrdn is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for abrdn and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score abrdn 6 2 0 0 1.25 abrdn Competitors 1116 4928 6257 88 2.43

abrdn presently has a consensus target price of $173.00, indicating a potential upside of 6,190.91%. As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 89.71%. Given abrdns higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe abrdn is more favorable than its rivals.

Summary

abrdn rivals beat abrdn on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

abrdn Company Profile

(Free Report)

abrdn plc provides asset management services in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and Asia. The company offers investment solutions and funds; long-term savings and investment products to individual and corporate customers; and life insurance and savings products. It provides its products through institutional, wholesale, and retail distribution channels. It also makes real estate investments. The company was formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen plc. abrdn plc was founded in 1825 and is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

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Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF  Free Report) and AIA Group (OTCMKTS:AAGIY  Free Report) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Sun Life Financial and AIA Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sun Life Financial 8.90% 14.29% 1.16% AIA Group N/A N/A N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

41.7% of Sun Life Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.1% of AIA Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sun Life Financial $17.94 billion 1.67 $2.50 billion $3.86 13.20 AIA Group $19.11 billion 6.02 $282.00 million N/A N/A

This table compares Sun Life Financial and AIA Groups gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Sun Life Financial has higher earnings, but lower revenue than AIA Group.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Sun Life Financial and AIA Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sun Life Financial 0 1 2 0 2.67 AIA Group 0 1 1 0 2.50

Sun Life Financial currently has a consensus target price of $72.78, indicating a potential upside of 42.87%. Given Sun Life Financials stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Sun Life Financial is more favorable than AIA Group.

Dividends

Sun Life Financial pays an annual dividend of $2.21 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. AIA Group pays an annual dividend of $1.09 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Sun Life Financial pays out 57.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Sun Life Financial has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Sun Life Financial is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Risk and Volatility

Sun Life Financial has a beta of 1.01, meaning that its stock price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AIA Group has a beta of 0.54, meaning that its stock price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Sun Life Financial beats AIA Group on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Sun Life Financial

(Free Report)

Sun Life Financial Inc., a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. It offers term and permanent life, as well as personal health, dental, critical illness, long-term care, and disability insurance products. The company provides financial advice, asset management, and investments related products. It is also involved in mutual fund and investment management businesses. Sun Life Financial Inc was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About AIA Group

(Free Report)

AIA Group Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides life insurance based financial services. The company offers life insurance, accident, and health insurance and savings plans; and employee benefits, credit life, and pension services to corporate clients. It also distributes investment and other financial services products. The company sells its products through a network of agents and partners in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, and India. AIA Group Limited was founded in 1919 and is based in Central, Hong Kong.

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Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report) by 3.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 337,738 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 11,670 shares during the period. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF accounts for 6.0% of Cornerstone Wealth Group LLCs holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLCs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $33,652,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 145.5% in the 1st quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 6,590 shares of the companys stock worth $705,000 after purchasing an additional 3,906 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 36.2% during the first quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 52,003 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,570,000 after acquiring an additional 13,829 shares during the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 2.0% during the first quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 14,640 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,568,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. 80.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSEARCA:AGG traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $96.73. 1,750,190 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,065,082. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 12-month low of $93.20 and a 12-month high of $104.39. The business has a 50-day moving average of $98.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.70.

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Company Profile

IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AGG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report).

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing.

Xi noted that with joint efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations have maintained a sound and steady development momentum, with steady progress in cooperation in various fields. The social foundations and popular support for the long-term friendship between the two countries have become more solid.

"During my state visit to Russia in March this year, President Putin and I reached new and important consensus on deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation in various fields," Xi said, noting that the development of China-Russia relations is a strategic choice that the two countries have made based on the fundamental interests of their respective countries and peoples.

China will continue to work with Russia to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, featuring mutual assistance, in-depth integration, innovation and win-win outcomes for all, so as to boost the development and revitalization of the two countries and promote the construction of a prosperous, stable, fair and just world, Xi said.

Noting that legislative cooperation is an important part of China-Russia relations, Xi expressed the hope that the two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote and guarantee the sustained and sound development of bilateral cooperation in various fields from the legislative level, strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation and state governance, and push cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries to a new level.

He called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, guide the reform of global governance in the right direction, and safeguard the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.

Matviyenko said the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination conforms to the interests of the two countries and the will of the two peoples, and has reached its highest level in history and continues to develop steadily. President Xi's successful state visit to Russia in March has injected strong impetus into the development of Russia-China relations.

The Russian Federation Council supports deepening Russia-China cooperation and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China's National People's Congress to provide a legal guarantee for the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state, Matviyenko said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)
CP ALL Public (OTCMKTS:CPPCY  Free Report) is one of 62 publicly-traded companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare CP ALL Public to similar businesses based on the strength of its profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares CP ALL Public and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio CP ALL Public N/A N/A 1.59 CP ALL Public Competitors $26.98 billion $611.52 million 181.57

CP ALL Publics competitors have higher revenue and earnings than CP ALL Public. CP ALL Public is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Analyst Recommendations

45.3% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 22.8% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for CP ALL Public and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score CP ALL Public 0 0 1 0 3.00 CP ALL Public Competitors 1121 2754 3008 114 2.30

As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 100.71%. Given CP ALL Publics competitors higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe CP ALL Public has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Profitability

This table compares CP ALL Public and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets CP ALL Public N/A N/A N/A CP ALL Public Competitors 2.01% 15.36% 4.99%

Dividends

CP ALL Public pays an annual dividend of $7.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 42.0%. CP ALL Public pays out 66.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 4.1% and pay out 61.4% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

CP ALL Public competitors beat CP ALL Public on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

CP ALL Public Company Profile

(Free Report)

CP ALL Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates and franchises convenience stores under the 7-Eleven name to other retailers primarily in Thailand. It operates through three segments: Wholesale Business, Retail Business, and Management of Rental Spaces in Shopping Centers. The Wholesale Business segment engages in import, export, and distribution of frozen and chilled food with delivery services and focuses on selling consumer products, including fresh food, dry food, and consumer products under Makro brand. Its Retail Business segment is involved in domestic supply chain, distribution system, logistics network, and brand equity businesses. This segment also sells its products under various domestic, international, and small and medium enterprises brands. The company's Management of Rental Spaces in Shopping Centers segment manages buildings and retail spaces in shopping malls. In addition, the company is involved in sale and maintenance of retail equipment; cash and carry, catalog, and e-commerce businesses; marketing and advertising activities; provision of information technology and research and development services, as well as engaged in bill payment collection, life insurance, and non-life insurance broker business. Further, the company offers educational institution, training, business seminar services, as well as healthcare and medical specialist's consultation services. The company was formerly known as C.P. Seven Eleven Public Company Limited. CP ALL Public Company Limited was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Equinox Gold (CVE:EQX  Free Report) had its price target decreased by investment analysts at Scotiabank from C$7.50 to C$7.00 in a research note issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. Scotiabanks price objective would suggest a potential downside of 11.17% from the companys previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Desjardins lowered their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.50 to C$6.25 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.00 to C$7.25 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Cormark upped their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$5.75 to C$7.50 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. National Bank Financial upped their target price on shares of Equinox Gold from C$7.25 to C$9.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, CIBC upped their target price on shares of Equinox Gold from C$4.70 to C$5.40 in a research note on Thursday, March 30th.

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Equinox Gold Trading Down 0.9 %

EQX traded down C$0.07 during trading on Monday, hitting C$7.88. The companys stock had a trading volume of 53,583 shares, compared to its average volume of 153,529. The firms 50 day moving average price is C$7.88 and its 200-day moving average price is C$7.88. 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 stock has a market cap of C$892.46 million and a PE ratio of -43.54. Equinox Gold has a twelve month low of C$4.25 and a twelve month high of C$8.90.

About Equinox Gold

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.

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Fresnillo (OTCMKTS:FNLPF  Free Report) had its price objective cut by stock analysts at Barclays from GBX 630 ($8.00) to GBX 525 ($6.66) in a report released on Monday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

FNLPF has been the subject of several other research reports. UBS Group raised shares of Fresnillo from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.88) to GBX 660 ($8.38) in a report on Thursday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 650 ($8.25) to GBX 600 ($7.62) in a report on Friday, April 28th. Berenberg Bank dropped their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.88) to GBX 670 ($8.50) in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 690 ($8.76) to GBX 750 ($9.52) in a report on Thursday, March 30th.

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Fresnillo Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of FNLPF traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $7.85. 1,400 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 19,141. The stocks fifty day moving average is $8.31 and its 200 day moving average is $9.33. The company has a quick ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Fresnillo has a 1-year low of $7.30 and a 1-year high of $11.95.

Fresnillo Company Profile

Fresnillo plc mines, develops, and produces non-ferrous minerals in Mexico. It operates through seven segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Noche Buena, San Julian, and Juanicipio. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its projects include the Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas; Saucito silver mine situated in the state of Zacatecas; Cienega gold mine located in the state of Durango; Herradura gold mine situated in the state of Sonora; Noche Buena gold mine located in the state of Sonora; San Julian silver-gold mine situated on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states; and Juanicipio mine located in the state of Zacatecas.

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Several brokerages have updated their recommendations and price targets on shares of Graphic Packaging (NYSE: GPK) in the last few weeks:

7/10/2023  Graphic Packaging was downgraded by analysts at Bank of America Co. from a buy rating to a neutral rating. They now have a $29.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $35.00.

7/10/2023  Graphic Packaging had its price target lowered by analysts at Citigroup Inc. from $30.00 to $28.00.

6/29/2023  Graphic Packaging was downgraded by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a buy rating to a hold rating. They now have a $26.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $30.00.

6/29/2023  Graphic Packaging had its downgrade rating reaffirmed by analysts at 888 Holdings plc.

5/18/2023  Graphic Packaging is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a buy rating on the stock.

Graphic Packaging Trading Down 0.0 %

Graphic Packaging stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $23.91. The stock had a trading volume of 4,332,660 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,681,095. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.18. Graphic Packaging Holding has a 52 week low of $19.46 and a 52 week high of $27.56. The stock has a market cap of $7.34 billion, a PE ratio of 11.96, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 0.64.

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Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.15. Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 3.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling at Graphic Packaging

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Graphic Packagings dividend payout ratio is 20.00%.

In other news, CFO Stephen R. Scherger sold 160,492 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.81, for a total value of $4,142,298.52. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 427,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,035,013.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Graphic Packaging

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Graphic Packaging in the 4th quarter worth approximately $216,432,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 70.0% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,911,606 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $218,669,000 after purchasing an additional 4,493,702 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 114.8% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 7,690,896 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $171,122,000 after purchasing an additional 4,111,129 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 125.0% in the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,372,836 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $162,444,000 after purchasing an additional 3,540,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Premier Fund Managers Ltd grew its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 16,681.4% during the 4th quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd now owns 3,220,179 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $71,955,000 after acquiring an additional 3,200,990 shares during the period. 92.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based packaging solutions to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging. The company offers coated unbleached kraft (CUK), coated recycled paperboard (CRB), and solid bleached sulfate paperboard (SBS) to various paperboard packaging converters and brokers; and paperboard packaging products, such as folding cartons, cups, lids, and food containers primarily to consumer packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, and foodservice companies; and barrier packaging products that protect against moisture, hot and cold temperature, grease, oil, oxygen, sunlight, insects, and other potential product-damaging factors.

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Guggenheim lowered shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Free Report) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on EIX. StockNews.com started coverage on Edison International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho upped their price target on Edison International from $67.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Edison International from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, April 10th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH increased their price target on Edison International from $66.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Edison International from $79.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $73.08.

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Edison International Stock Down 0.8 %

EIX stock opened at $68.86 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $26.37 billion, a PE ratio of 31.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50 day moving average of $69.31 and a 200 day moving average of $68.72. Edison International has a twelve month low of $54.45 and a twelve month high of $74.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89.

Edison International Increases Dividend

Edison International ( NYSE:EIX Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $3.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4 billion. Edison International had a return on equity of 12.48% and a net margin of 6.12%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.07 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Edison International will post 4.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.738 per share. This is an increase from Edison Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $2.95 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.29%. Edison Internationals payout ratio is 134.70%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edison International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EIX. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Edison International by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,704,150 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,642,521,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250,820 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Edison International by 2.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,265,929 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,675,871,000 after purchasing an additional 562,352 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its position in Edison International by 30.3% in the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 14,924,771 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,053,540,000 after acquiring an additional 3,468,195 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its position in Edison International by 2.7% in the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 13,994,142 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $987,846,000 after acquiring an additional 374,257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Edison International by 40.6% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,575,555 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $675,938,000 after buying an additional 2,763,270 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.83% of the companys stock.

Edison International Company Profile

(Free Report)

Edison International, through its subsidiaries, generates and distributes electric power. The company supplies electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors. It also provides decarbonization and energy solutions to commercial, institutional, and industrial customers in North America and Europe.

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UBS Group downgraded shares of Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC  Free Report) from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on HMC. Nomura downgraded shares of Honda Motor from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Honda Motor in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

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Honda Motor Stock Performance

NYSE:HMC opened at $30.18 on Thursday. Honda Motor has a 1 year low of $21.43 and a 1 year high of $32.62. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $29.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.63 billion, a PE ratio of 10.06, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.76.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Honda Motor

Honda Motor ( NYSE:HMC Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($0.10). Honda Motor had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The firm had revenue of $33.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.49 billion. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Honda Motor will post 3.94 EPS for the current year.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Credit Suisse AG lifted its holdings in shares of Honda Motor by 3,638.7% during the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 1,159 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,128 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its position in shares of Honda Motor by 1,148.3% during the 1st quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,111 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Honda Motor in the 1st quarter valued at about $39,000. Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Honda Motor in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, Vigilant Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Honda Motor in the 1st quarter valued at about $45,000. 5.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Honda Motor

(Free Report)

Honda Motor Co, Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses.

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Intesa Sanpaolo (OTCMKTS:IITSF  Free Report) is one of 287 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Intesa Sanpaolo to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, dividends and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings for Intesa Sanpaolo and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Intesa Sanpaolo 0 0 0 0 N/A Intesa Sanpaolo Competitors 1163 3388 3425 30 2.29

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 333.91%. Given Intesa Sanpaolos rivals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Intesa Sanpaolo has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Dividends

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Intesa Sanpaolo pays an annual dividend of $0.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Intesa Sanpaolo pays out -16.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.2% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

29.1% of Intesa Sanpaolo shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 38.0% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 13.4% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Intesa Sanpaolo and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Intesa Sanpaolo N/A N/A -10.08 Intesa Sanpaolo Competitors $3.01 billion $826.45 million 251.43

Intesa Sanpaolos rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Intesa Sanpaolo. Intesa Sanpaolo is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Intesa Sanpaolo and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Intesa Sanpaolo N/A N/A N/A Intesa Sanpaolo Competitors 34.49% 12.11% 1.05%

Summary

Intesa Sanpaolo rivals beat Intesa Sanpaolo on 9 of the 10 factors compared.

Intesa Sanpaolo Company Profile

(Free Report)

Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. provides various financial products and services primarily in Italy. It operates through six segments Banca dei Territori, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking, International Subsidiary Banks, Asset Management, Private Banking, and Insurance. The company offers lending and deposit products; corporate, investment banking, and public finance services; industrial credit, factoring, and leasing services; asset management solutions; life and non-life insurance products; and bancassurance and pension fund, and fiduciary services. It also provides consumer credit and E-money; wealth management and private banking services. The company serves individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, corporates and financial institutions, public administration, private clients and high net worth individuals, institutional clientele, and other customers. Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Turin, Italy.

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Iowa State Bank cut its holdings in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL  Free Report) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 52,543 shares of the enterprise software providers stock after selling 1,523 shares during the period. Oracle makes up approximately 1.2% of Iowa State Banks investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Iowa State Banks holdings in Oracle were worth $4,882,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ORCL. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,409,896,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Oracle by 112,785.9% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,832,530 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $885,451,000 after purchasing an additional 10,822,934 shares during the period. Harris Associates L P increased its position in shares of Oracle by 31.3% during the 4th quarter. Harris Associates L P now owns 19,160,481 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $1,566,178,000 after purchasing an additional 4,570,472 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Oracle by 89.8% during the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 6,929,363 shares of the enterprise software providers stock worth $565,961,000 after purchasing an additional 3,277,738 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 119.5% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 5,592,864 shares of the enterprise software providers stock worth $457,162,000 after buying an additional 3,045,205 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.43% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ORCL. Guggenheim increased their price target on Oracle from $120.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on Oracle from $112.00 to $132.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Oracle from $125.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Oracle from $120.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on Oracle from $105.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $118.15.

Oracle Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of Oracle stock traded down $0.21 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $114.40. 1,383,402 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,620,177. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $108.36 and a 200-day moving average of $95.62. Oracle Co. has a 12 month low of $60.78 and a 12 month high of $127.54. The company has a market cap of $310.51 billion, a PE ratio of 37.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.54, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 12th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.09. Oracle had a net margin of 17.02% and a negative return on equity of 470.73%. The firm had revenue of $13.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Oracle Co. will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 12th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.40%. Oracles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Oracle news, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total value of $172,430,299.86. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at $104,991,045.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Edward Screven sold 354,837 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.39, for a total value of $43,783,337.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,543,033 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $313,784,841.87. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total transaction of $172,430,299.86. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at $104,991,045.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 6,012,544 shares of company stock worth $683,088,896 in the last three months. 43.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Oracle Company Profile

(Free Report)

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.

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Ascent Wealth Partners LLC decreased its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF  Free Report) by 0.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 161,443 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 812 shares during the period. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF accounts for 7.9% of Ascent Wealth Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC owned approximately 0.06% of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF worth $39,445,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in IWF. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,723 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 4.5% during the first quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 1,050 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. boosted its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 1,208 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Capital LLC grew its holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 2,565 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $627,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, PFG Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 773 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Performance

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF stock traded down $0.95 during trading on Monday, reaching $271.29. The company had a trading volume of 220,756 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,447,653. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a 12-month low of $202.05 and a 12-month high of $276.14. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $260.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $242.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.08.

About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth.

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Centene (NYSE:CNC  Free Report) had its price objective cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $81.00 to $77.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on CNC. StockNews.com began coverage on Centene in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Centene from $79.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Centene from $103.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Stephens reduced their price objective on Centene from $95.00 to $87.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on Centene from $94.00 to $87.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $88.00.

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Centene Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of CNC opened at $66.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $36.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.19, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Centene has a one year low of $61.34 and a one year high of $98.53. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $66.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.52.

Insider Activity at Centene

Centene ( NYSE:CNC Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $38.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.09 billion. Centene had a return on equity of 13.61% and a net margin of 1.01%. The firms revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.83 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Centene will post 6.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Centene news, Director Lori Jean Robinson sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.59, for a total transaction of $93,226.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,508 shares in the company, valued at approximately $566,547.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centene

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in Centene during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Centene by 5,700.0% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 348 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Arlington Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors own 90.11% of the companys stock.

Centene Company Profile

(Free Report)

Centene Corporation operates as a healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured families, commercial organizations, and military families in the United States. It operates in two segments, Managed Care and Specialty Services. The Managed Care segment offers health plan coverage to individuals through government subsidized programs, including Medicaid, the State children's health insurance program, long-term services and support, foster care, and medicare-medicaid plans, which cover dually eligible individuals, as well as aged, blind, or disabled programs.

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Interview: Ice-breaking spirit still needed for Britain-China economic relationship, says expert

Xinhua) 08:09, July 10, 2023

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng poses for a group photo with some guests while attending an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the "Icebreaking Mission" in China-UK trade in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

The "ice-breaking spirit" means not to be daunted by difficulties and to find a way forward even in adverse circumstances.

LONDON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The "ice-breaking spirit" manifested by British businessmen when they visited China 70 years ago, is still needed today, Keith Bennett, a long-term China specialist and vice chair of Britain's 48 Group Club, has said.

The "ice-breaking spirit" means not to be daunted by difficulties and to find a way forward even in adverse circumstances, Bennett said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

In 1953, a group of people from the British business community made a famous ice-breaking trip to China after overcoming one obstacle after another. The Icebreaker Mission paved the way for the 1954 trade mission to China by 48 businessmen from British companies, which later became known generically as the 48 Group.

"The more time goes by, the more one can see how far-sighted the original icebreakers were," Bennett said. "When there are people of vision and courage, you can make progress even in the most difficult times. That's what we need."

In Bennett's view, a lot has changed from the time of the Icebreaker Mission and there is a great deal of openness on the part of the British business community to the country's relations with China.

However, the so-called "de-risking" is a "wrong term," he pointed out.

"You only need de-risking if there's a risk ... To me, China is an opportunity, not a risk," Bennett stressed.

This photo taken on June 9, 2023 show a view of China Hainan Free Trade Port -- the U.K. Promotion Conference in London, Britain. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)

According to Britain's official data, the total trade in goods and services between Britain and China increased by 18.3 percent to 111 billion pounds (142 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022 and Britain's exports to China increased by 37.7 percent to 37.6 billion pounds (48 billion dollars).

The figures show "how unrealistic it is to talk about ideas of decoupling or de-risking. It's a backward way of looking at the world because no country can develop sustainably and prosperously in isolation," Bennett said.

"The economic and commercial relationship with China is intrinsic to the economic health of the UK and the economic well-being of the British people," he added.

China is advancing to the front ranks of innovation, research and development and there's a great deal of potential for the China-Britain economic relationship in such areas as financial services, new energy vehicles and other environmentally friendly and environmentally sustainable projects, Bennett said.

"Business people, civil society, and others all have their roles to play. We need the ice-breaking spirit at every level, including education, culture, arts, scientific research and academic collaboration," Bennett said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
In a statement issued the US Embassy in Georgia expressed deep concern over the cancellation of Tbilisi Pride's planned and closed event due to the presence of an unruly crowd that posed a threat of violence. The Embassy emphasized that every citizen of Georgia is entitled to their Constitutionally protected right to peacefully assemble, and it is the responsibility of the Georgian authorities to safeguard these fundamental human rights.The use or mere threat of violence and intimidation to suppress diverse opinions is not in line with the principles of democracy, and it goes against Georgia's rich history of tolerance, compassion, and pluralism. The Embassy called upon the authorities to take decisive action, holding accountable all individuals who violated the law, and to send a clear message that violence is unacceptable in any circumstances."Today, Tbilisi Pride was forced to cancel its planned, closed event because an uncontrolled crowd threatening violence denied attendees their Constitutionally protected right to peacefully assemble. The Georgian authorities have a duty to protect the basic human rights of all of Georgia's citizens. The use or threat of violence and intimidation to silence differing views is undemocratic and contrary to Georgia's history of tolerance, compassion, and pluralism. We call on the authorities to hold accountable all those who broke the law and make clear that violence is unacceptable," the statement reads.The Ombudsman has called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take swift and appropriate action in response to all law violations. In light of the recent anti-LGBT group attacks on the Tbilisi Pride Festival, the Public Defender has emphasized the need for the Ministry to protect the freedom of expression and assembly for all citizens and to promptly address any breaches of the law.The Public Defender reiterated that the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is safeguarded by the Georgian Constitution, allowing any group to exercise this right, regardless of societal acceptance of their views. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure the protection of all rights enshrined in national legislation.Despite the prior agreement that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would ensure the safe conduct of the event and undertake preventive measures, the final outcome was unsuccessful, as stated by the Public Defender."As mentioned by the Public Defender in a statement earlier this week, the Constitution of Georgia guarantees the right to expression and peaceful assembly in our country. This right applies to all groups, regardless of societal acceptance of their opinions.Undoubtedly, the responsibility for safeguarding the protection of rights granted by national legislation lies with the state. Despite the pre-arranged agreement that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would ensure the event's safe execution and implement preventive measures, the final outcome was unsuccessful," stated the Public Defender.
JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Johannesburg, the largest city in the country, experienced snowfall on Monday.

Johannesburg last saw snow in 2012 and 1996. On Sunday night, temperatures dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius in Johannesburg, according to South African Weather Service (SAWS).

"A cold front caused a significant drop in temperatures over Gauteng Province. The minimum temperatures recorded have met criteria for snowy conditions," the SAWS said in a statement on Monday, which noted that snow was also experienced in Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces.

The SAWS advised the public and small stock farmers that the very cold, wet and windy conditions may pose a risk to livestock, vulnerable crops and plants.

The Gauteng Metrorail said the snow affected infrastructure and its components, which include tracks, cross-over points and electrical cables, forcing them to suspend some trains, adding that the overhead wires experienced tension which resulted in power instability and failure. 
Laurentian Bank of Canada (OTCMKTS:LRCDF  Free Report) is one of 279 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Laurentian Bank of Canada to similar businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, profitability and risk.

Dividends

Laurentian Bank of Canada pays an annual dividend of $2.06 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.3%. Laurentian Bank of Canada pays out 45.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.8% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Laurentian Bank of Canada lags its rivals as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.

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Profitability

This table compares Laurentian Bank of Canada and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Laurentian Bank of Canada N/A N/A N/A Laurentian Bank of Canada Competitors 35.58% 10.81% 1.05%

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Laurentian Bank of Canada 1 1 1 0 2.00 Laurentian Bank of Canada Competitors 1154 3372 3388 23 2.29

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Laurentian Bank of Canada and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.

Laurentian Bank of Canada presently has a consensus target price of $40.00, suggesting a potential upside of 61.10%. As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 338.35%. Given Laurentian Bank of Canadas rivals stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Laurentian Bank of Canada has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Laurentian Bank of Canada and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Laurentian Bank of Canada N/A N/A 5.52 Laurentian Bank of Canada Competitors $3.30 billion $907.29 million 262.71

Laurentian Bank of Canadas rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Laurentian Bank of Canada. Laurentian Bank of Canada is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

34.7% of Laurentian Bank of Canada shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 37.5% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 14.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Laurentian Bank of Canada rivals beat Laurentian Bank of Canada on 13 of the 13 factors compared.

Laurentian Bank of Canada Company Profile

(Free Report)

Laurentian Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to personal, business, and institutional customers in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Capital Markets. The Personal Banking segment offers financial services, such as financial advisory services to financial intermediaries; and operates digital direct-to-customer platform to retail clients. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial services, including commercial banking, real estate financing, and equipment and inventory financing to business clients. The Capital Markets segment offers a range of services, such as research, market analysis, and advisory services; corporate underwriting services for debt and equity; and administrative services. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of UPM-Kymmene Oyj (OTCMKTS:UPMMY  Free Report) from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded UPM-Kymmene Oyj from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded UPM-Kymmene Oyj from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UPM-Kymmene Oyj presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $39.60.

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UPM-Kymmene Oyj Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:UPMMY opened at $30.31 on Thursday. UPM-Kymmene Oyj has a 1 year low of $28.26 and a 1 year high of $39.09. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.03.

UPM-Kymmene Oyj Company Profile

UPM-Kymmene Oyj engages in the forest-based bio industry in Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. It operates through UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Plywood, and Other operations segments. The company provides softwood, birch, and eucalyptus pulp for tissue, specialty, and graphic papers and packaging; sawn timber for joinery, packaging, furniture, planning, and construction industries; and wood-based renewable diesel and renewable naphtha for transport and petrochemical industry.

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Barclays restated their buy rating on shares of Next 15 Group (LON:NFG  Free Report) in a research note released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. Barclays currently has a GBX 1,450 ($18.40) price objective on the stock.

Next 15 Group Stock Performance

LON:NFG opened at GBX 640 ($8.12) on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of 635.46 million, a PE ratio of 32,000.00 and a beta of 1.43. The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 757.50. Next 15 Group has a 1-year low of GBX 636.80 ($8.08) and a 1-year high of GBX 859 ($10.90).

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Next 15 Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of GBX 10.10 ($0.13) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a yield of 1.44%. Next 15 Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 75,000.00%.

About Next 15 Group

Next 15 Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides communications services in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, the United States, and the Asia Pacific. It offers strategy and insight, online marketing, corporate and internal communications, media training, brand and message consultancy, market research, digital, marketing communications, and creative and content, as well as public, media, analyst, and investor relation services; and digital and technology products and services.

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Shares of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $29.83 and last traded at $29.87, with a volume of 701731 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.69.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NUS has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. TheStreet downgraded shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Nu Skin Enterprises presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $39.33.

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Nu Skin Enterprises Price Performance

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 2.08. The company has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.24 and a beta of 1.18.

Nu Skin Enterprises Dividend Announcement

Nu Skin Enterprises ( NYSE:NUS Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $481.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $477.49 million. Nu Skin Enterprises had a return on equity of 14.13% and a net margin of 3.68%. Nu Skin Enterprisess revenue was down 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 26th were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.21%. Nu Skin Enterprisess dividend payout ratio is presently 101.30%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Edwina D. Woodbury sold 1,255 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.87, for a total transaction of $47,526.85. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 15,469 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $585,811.03. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director Edwina D. Woodbury sold 1,255 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.87, for a total transaction of $47,526.85. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 15,469 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $585,811.03. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.28, for a total transaction of $68,560.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 58,393 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,001,712.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,255 shares of company stock valued at $261,827 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Nu Skin Enterprises

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NUS. State Street Corp boosted its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,296,735 shares of the companys stock valued at $404,765,000 after buying an additional 2,912,086 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,791,181 shares of the companys stock valued at $277,281,000 after buying an additional 30,340 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,668,167 shares of the companys stock valued at $144,196,000 after buying an additional 132,198 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,670,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $127,887,000 after buying an additional 58,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,095,009 shares of the companys stock valued at $82,355,000 after buying an additional 78,602 shares during the last quarter. 89.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Nu Skin Enterprises

(Get Free Report)

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and distributes various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO, ageLOC Body Spa; and nutricentials skin care products.

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Phoenix Group (LON:PHNX  Free Report)s stock had its buy rating restated by investment analysts at Berenberg Bank in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They presently have a GBX 770 ($9.77) price target on the stock. Berenberg Banks price objective would indicate a potential upside of 45.12% from the stocks current price.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on PHNX. Morgan Stanley reissued an underweight rating and set a GBX 650 ($8.25) price target on shares of Phoenix Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Phoenix Group from GBX 665 ($8.44) to GBX 655 ($8.31) and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 705 ($8.95).

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Phoenix Group Stock Performance

Shares of PHNX stock traded up GBX 4.20 ($0.05) during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching GBX 530.60 ($6.73). The stock had a trading volume of 1,187,467 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,263,717. Phoenix Group has a one year low of GBX 501 ($6.36) and a one year high of GBX 690.40 ($8.76). The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 161.58. The firms 50 day simple moving average is GBX 557.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 587.23. The firm has a market cap of 5.31 billion, a PE ratio of -286.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.77.

About Phoenix Group

Phoenix Group Holdings plc operates in the long-term savings and retirement business in Europe. The company operates through four segments: UK Heritage, UK Open, Europe, and Management Services. It provides a range of pensions and savings products to support people across various stages of the savings life cycle.

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Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its target price trimmed by Royal Bank of Canada from C$180.00 to C$174.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on CNR. Desjardins raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$184.00 to C$192.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$180.00 to C$177.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$169.00 to C$171.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. Finally, CIBC dropped their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$185.00 to C$183.00 in a research note on Friday, June 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of C$168.41.

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Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Shares of TSE CNR opened at C$153.52 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$158.07 and its 200-day moving average is C$159.74. Canadian National Railway has a 1-year low of C$142.37 and a 1-year high of C$175.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 81.35. The firm has a market cap of C$101.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.68.

Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend

Canadian National Railway ( TSE:CNR Free Report ) (NYSE:CNI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The company reported C$1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.70 by C$0.12. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 25.38% and a net margin of 30.60%. The business had revenue of C$4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$4.25 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 7.5847047 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th were issued a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.10%.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

(Free Report)

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in rail and related transportation business. The company offers rail services, which include equipment, custom brokage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services including temperature controlled cargo, port partnership, transloading and distribution, logistic parks, customs brokerage, trucking, and moving grains in containers.

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Silvant Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD  Free Report) by 1.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,157 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 48 shares during the quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLCs holdings in Mettler-Toledo International were worth $6,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MTD. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 8.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International by 19.7% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International by 48.9% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 834 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $1,172,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International by 4.2% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 16,305 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $21,817,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new position in Mettler-Toledo International during the first quarter worth $626,000. 92.89% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Mettler-Toledo International

In other news, insider Gerry Keller sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,400.00, for a total transaction of $628,600.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Gerry Keller sold 449 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,400.00, for a total value of $628,600.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 880 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,360.61, for a total value of $1,197,336.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 4,900 shares in the company, valued at $6,666,989. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,417 shares of company stock worth $4,731,561 over the last quarter. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Mettler-Toledo International Stock Up 1.5 %

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MTD. StockNews.com began coverage on Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,700.00 to $1,650.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,650.00 to $1,525.00 in a research report on Sunday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,513.00 to $1,454.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,675.00 to $1,660.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1,469.50.

Shares of NYSE:MTD traded up $18.95 during trading on Monday, hitting $1,288.04. The companys stock had a trading volume of 64,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 104,192. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 76.98, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.28. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,065.55 and a fifty-two week high of $1,615.97. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $1,343.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,447.77. The company has a market capitalization of $28.36 billion, a PE ratio of 32.23, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.15.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD  Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $8.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.61 by $0.08. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 4,833.51% and a net margin of 22.45%. The firm had revenue of $928.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $921.19 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.87 earnings per share. Mettler-Toledo Internationals revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 43.88 EPS for the current year.

Mettler-Toledo International Profile

(Free Report)

Mettler-Toledo International Inc manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments.

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Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Smiths Group (OTCMKTS:SMGZY  Free Report) from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note released on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on SMGZY. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Smiths Group from GBX 1,980 ($25.13) to GBX 2,040 ($25.89) in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America raised Smiths Group from an underperform rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 16th.

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Smiths Group Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of OTCMKTS SMGZY opened at $20.23 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $20.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.73. Smiths Group has a 1 year low of $15.88 and a 1 year high of $21.96.

Smiths Group Company Profile

Smiths Group plc operates as a technology company serving the medical technology, security and defense, general industrial, energy, and space and aerospace markets worldwide. It operates through John Crane, Smiths Detection, Flex-Tek, and Smiths Interconnect divisions. The John Crane division offers mechanical seals, seal support systems, hydrodynamic bearings, packing materials, power transmission couplings, and specialized filtration systems.

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Tectonic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Physicians Realty Trust (NYSE:DOC  Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 152,944 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $2,283,000. Tectonic Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of Physicians Realty Trust as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its position in Physicians Realty Trust by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 64,154 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $928,000 after buying an additional 689 shares in the last quarter. Mckinley Capital Management LLC Delaware increased its position in Physicians Realty Trust by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Mckinley Capital Management LLC Delaware now owns 40,263 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $583,000 after buying an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its position in Physicians Realty Trust by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 29,776 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. Shufro Rose & Co. LLC increased its position in Physicians Realty Trust by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Shufro Rose & Co. LLC now owns 62,950 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $940,000 after buying an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in Physicians Realty Trust by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 59,900 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $901,000 after buying an additional 793 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.67% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on DOC. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Physicians Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. StockNews.com began coverage on Physicians Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. JMP Securities began coverage on Physicians Realty Trust in a report on Friday, May 26th. They issued an outperform rating and a $15.50 target price for the company. Compass Point reduced their target price on Physicians Realty Trust from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Physicians Realty Trust from $18.00 to $17.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $16.58.

Physicians Realty Trust Stock Performance

Physicians Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

NYSE DOC traded up $0.01 on Monday, hitting $13.89. 460,588 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,839,242. The company has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.57, a P/E/G ratio of 12.21 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $14.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.62. Physicians Realty Trust has a 52-week low of $13.27 and a 52-week high of $18.30.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.62%. Physicians Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 209.10%.

About Physicians Realty Trust

(Free Report)

Physicians Realty Trust is a self-managed health care real estate company organized to acquire, selectively develop, own, and manage health care properties that are leased to physicians, hospitals and health care delivery systems. The Company invests in real estate that is integral to providing high quality health care.

Further Reading

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Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 8.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 137,953 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 10,443 shares during the period. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.s holdings in Southern were worth $9,599,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prudential PLC lifted its stake in shares of Southern by 23.4% in the first quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 19,438 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,409,000 after buying an additional 3,689 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in Southern by 33.5% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,727 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Southern by 63.0% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,902 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $138,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Southern by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 49,925 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,621,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in Southern by 35.8% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 907,132 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $65,776,000 after purchasing an additional 239,325 shares during the last quarter. 63.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Southern Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:SO traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $70.35. 1,331,677 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,211,359. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.80, a P/E/G ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.69. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $71.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.71. The Southern Company has a 12 month low of $58.85 and a 12 month high of $80.57.

Southern Increases Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. Southern had a return on equity of 10.78% and a net margin of 11.53%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.98%. This is a positive change from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 12th. Southerns dividend payout ratio is presently 90.32%.

Insider Transactions at Southern

In related news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 47,326 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.78, for a total value of $3,302,408.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 118,659 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,280,025.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Southern news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 47,326 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.78, for a total value of $3,302,408.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 118,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,280,025.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.16, for a total value of $3,758,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 847,592 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $63,705,014.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 200,678 shares of company stock valued at $14,528,821 over the last ninety days. 0.37% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Southern from $77.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM restated a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Southern from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.93.

About Southern

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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A Fatah Movement member's vehicle is seen at the site of a gun shooting near Deir Nidham village northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah, on July 10, 2023. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a member of the Fatah Movement after he opened fire at them in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers shot and killed a member of the Fatah Movement after he opened fire at them in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Bilal Qaddah, 33, from the village of Shuqba, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Deir Nidham village northwest of Ramallah city, without revealing more details.

The Fatah movement published a photo of Qaddah and confirmed his identity and death.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the man arrived by car at a military post and "acted suspiciously." The troops at the site wanted to question him before he stepped out of his vehicle, hurled a grenade and fired shots at the soldiers.

"The soldiers responded with live fire and neutralized the assailant," the military said, adding the troops found an improvised "Carlo" gun on his body.

No Israelis were reported injured in the incident.

Since January, 26 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, and over 190 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures. 

A Fatah Movement member's vehicle is towed away from the site of a gun shooting near Deir Nidham village northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah, on July 10, 2023. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a member of the Fatah Movement after he opened fire at them in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

Israeli soldiers stand guard near Deir Nidham village northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah, on July 10, 2023. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a member of the Fatah Movement after he opened fire at them in the occupied West Bank on Monday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
The Weir Group (LON:WEIR  Free Report) had its target price dropped by equities research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 2,135 ($27.10) to GBX 2,100 ($26.65) in a report issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price target points to a potential upside of 20.97% from the companys previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Shore Capital restated a buy rating on shares of The Weir Group in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a GBX 2,400 ($30.46) price objective on shares of The Weir Group in a report on Thursday, June 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Weir Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 2,107.50 ($26.75).

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The Weir Group Price Performance

LON WEIR traded up GBX 22.50 ($0.29) on Friday, reaching GBX 1,736 ($22.03). The companys stock had a trading volume of 399,254 shares, compared to its average volume of 534,468. The Weir Group has a 52 week low of GBX 1,312 ($16.65) and a 52 week high of GBX 2,072 ($26.30). The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 85.64. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,770.74 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,803.58. The firm has a market cap of 4.51 billion, a PE ratio of 2,117.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.54.

Insider Transactions at The Weir Group

About The Weir Group

In other news, insider Jon Stanton sold 4,812 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,822 ($23.12), for a total value of 87,674.64 ($111,276.35). 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

(Free Report)

The Weir Group PLC produces and sells highly engineered original equipment worldwide. It operates in two segments, Minerals and ESCO. The Minerals segment offers engineering, manufacturing, and service processing technology for the use in abrasive high-wear mining applications; and differentiated technology for the use in infrastructure and general industrial markets.

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Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Free Report) has earned an average rating of Hold from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $22.88.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on TOST shares. Stephens started coverage on shares of Toast in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson restated a buy rating on shares of Toast in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Toast from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Toast from $25.00 to $27.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered their price target on shares of Toast from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Toast Price Performance

Shares of Toast stock opened at $22.49 on Wednesday. Toast has a 1 year low of $13.54 and a 1 year high of $26.03. The firm has a market cap of $11.93 billion, a PE ratio of -34.60 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at Toast

Toast ( NYSE:TOST Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $819.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.11 million. Toast had a negative net margin of 11.01% and a negative return on equity of 29.74%. Toasts revenue for the quarter was up 53.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.20) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Toast will post -0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

In other Toast news, insider Stephen Fredette sold 257,733 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.62, for a total transaction of $5,829,920.46. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 2,968,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,150,976.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.77, for a total value of $592,327.41. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 78,761 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,399,582.97. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Stephen Fredette sold 257,733 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.62, for a total transaction of $5,829,920.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,968,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,150,976.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,688,402 shares of company stock worth $56,814,125. Company insiders own 13.70% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Toast

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in Toast by 115.4% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 24,946 shares of the companys stock worth $542,000 after acquiring an additional 13,364 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Toast by 78.2% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 28,356 shares of the companys stock worth $616,000 after acquiring an additional 12,446 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new stake in Toast in the 1st quarter worth approximately $438,000. Ergoteles LLC purchased a new stake in Toast in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,427,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Toast in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,356,000. Institutional investors own 57.12% of the companys stock.

About Toast

(Free Report

Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast POS, a software module that integrates payment processing with point of sale functionality; Toast Invoicing that allows restaurants to send invoices and collect payment; Toast Mobile Order & Pay, which allows guests to scan a QR code to browse the menu, order, and pay from mobile; Kitchen Display System software that connects the house with the kitchen staff; and Multi-Location Management, a tool to manage operations and configure menus across multiple locations and channels.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Free Report) (TSE:TD) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Friday morning.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Credit Suisse Group raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. CIBC raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays lowered Toronto-Dominion Bank from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $100.57.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Down 0.1 %

Toronto-Dominion Bank stock opened at $60.89 on Friday. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a twelve month low of $55.43 and a twelve month high of $70.67. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $60.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.90.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Cuts Dividend

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Free Report ) (TSE:TD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 25th. The bank reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.09). Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 15.51% and a net margin of 17.72%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.10 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 10th will be paid a $0.709 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.66%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 47.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Toronto-Dominion Bank

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the banks stock valued at $235,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,868 shares of the banks stock worth $784,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc now owns 20,592 shares of the banks stock worth $1,233,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,208 shares of the banks stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 2,795 shares of the banks stock worth $181,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.92% of the companys stock.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) had its price target trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $562.00 to $527.00 in a research report report published on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Oppenheimer reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $610.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $592.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, April 17th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, May 25th. They issued an overweight rating and a $580.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They issued an overweight rating and a $591.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $627.00 to $564.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $590.84.

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UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $461.58 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $445.68 and a one year high of $558.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stocks 50-day moving average is $481.95 and its 200 day moving average is $487.87. The firm has a market cap of $429.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.66.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

UnitedHealth Group ( NYSE:UNH Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $91.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $89.77 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 27.05% and a net margin of 6.16%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.49 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 24.85 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 19th were issued a $1.88 dividend. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Groups previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.39%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total transaction of $3,002,938.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 86,564 shares of the companys stock, valued at $42,199,084.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total transaction of $3,002,938.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 86,564 shares of the companys stock, valued at $42,199,084.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,008 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $484.58, for a total value of $488,456.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,359 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,019,764.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,852 shares of company stock valued at $4,313,962 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.35% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 74,928,539 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $35,410,478,000 after acquiring an additional 509,633 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 24,079,140 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $11,379,561,000 after buying an additional 140,312 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,101,395 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $8,063,262,000 after buying an additional 242,959 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,635,038 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $8,289,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,893,192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 100,076.4% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,823,820 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $6,268,753,000 after buying an additional 11,812,017 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.61% of the companys stock.

About UnitedHealth Group

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. It operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ur-Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:URG  Free Report) (TSE:URE) to a sell rating in a report issued on Thursday.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on URG. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Ur-Energy in a research note on Friday, April 14th. TheStreet raised Ur-Energy from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Alliance Global Partners reduced their target price on Ur-Energy from $2.75 to $2.25 in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, HC Wainwright reduced their target price on Ur-Energy from $3.00 to $2.80 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd.

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Ur-Energy Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:URG opened at $0.95 on Thursday. Ur-Energy has a 12-month low of $0.82 and a 12-month high of $1.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $251.04 million, a P/E ratio of -18.97 and a beta of 1.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 9.63 and a quick ratio of 8.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Trading of Ur-Energy

In other Ur-Energy news, COO Steven M. Hatten sold 62,409 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.03, for a total value of $64,281.27. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 288,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $297,206.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . 3.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ur-Energy by 49.9% in the 1st quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 225,004 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 74,899 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Ur-Energy by 34.8% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 164,576 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $175,000 after purchasing an additional 42,489 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP purchased a new stake in Ur-Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $176,000. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Ur-Energy by 82.3% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 55,427 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 25,026 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its stake in Ur-Energy by 0.5% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,422,722 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $3,628,000 after purchasing an additional 15,346 shares during the last quarter. 49.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ur-Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ur-Energy Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties. The company holds interests in 12 projects located in the United States. Its flagship property is the Lost Creek project comprising a total of approximately 1,800 unpatented mining claims and three Wyoming mineral leases covering an area of approximately 35,400 acres located in the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming.

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Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI  Free Report) had its price target cut by Wells Fargo & Company from $18.00 to $15.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on LEVI. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 10th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 10th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $24.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Bank of America decreased their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 7th. Finally, TheStreet downgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $18.09.

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Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 7.7 %

NYSE LEVI opened at $13.13 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $12.80 and a 1-year high of $20.49. The company has a 50 day moving average of $14.01 and a 200-day moving average of $15.72. The company has a market cap of $5.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.19.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

Levi Strauss & Co. ( NYSE:LEVI Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 6th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.01. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 23.58% and a net margin of 7.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 4th will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 3rd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. Levi Strauss & Co.s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.64%.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, EVP Seth Jaffe sold 2,938 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total transaction of $39,516.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 173,732 shares in the company, valued at $2,336,695.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.77% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter worth about $39,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 4,771 shares of the blue-jean makers stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 818 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter worth about $93,000. 19.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

(Free Report)

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparels and related accessories for men, women, and children in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It offers jeans, casual and dress pants, activewear, tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, shirts, sweaters, jackets, footwear, and related products under the Levi's, Dockers, Beyond Yoga, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co, and Denizen brands.

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HANOI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has reduced the gasoline import tax from 10 percent to 5.62 percent beginning in July, according to the country's Ministry of Finance.

The average import tax on diesel and mazut oil is down to 0.58 percent and 1.38 percent, respectively, with no adjustment made to paraffin, local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Monday, citing the ministry.

The cuts are based on the proportion of gasoline, diesel, paraffin and mazut oil imported by petroleum traders in the second quarter of 2023 and are expected to help reduce domestic petrol prices in the near future, the ministry said.

Some of the standard costs in the gasoline base price have been changed. Specifically, business expenses in the base price of mazut oil decreased by 184 Vietnamese dong (0.0078 U.S. dollar) to 360 Vietnamese dong (0.015 dollar) per kilogram.

Unleaded gasoline and diesel oil increased by 30 Vietnamese dong (0.0013 dollar) each to 1,080 Vietnamese dong (0.046 dollar) and 1,030 Vietnamese dong (0.044 dollar) per liter, respectively. 
Yu Chuanya, a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, is lead ballerina of Liaoning Ballet Troupe, in Shenyang, in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. "As a ballet dancer, I am determined to tell China's stories well, and to present a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China through performing Chinese ballets," she says. Yu has performed many lead roles in original Chinese ballets, which have showcased the elegance of Chinese ballet dancers to the world.

'Most Beautiful Swan'

Yu, a native of Shenyang, began learning ballet at age 4. With a strong interest in ballet, she attended dance classes three times a week. In 1999, then-9-yearold Yu was admitted to the ballet school affiliated with Liaoning Ballet Troupe.

"My physical condition actually was not good. I often felt more pain than the others when we practiced some movements. But I loved ballet, and I never thought of giving up. Some parents will feel distressed when they see their children suffer pain while practicing a dance, and they let their children quit dancing. My mother always supports me, and she encourages me to face challenges and have confidence in myself. My father is also supportive of me," Yu says.

The troupe often invites students from the school to participate in performances when staging a ballet with children's roles. Yu had numerous opportunities to perform on stage, which deepened her love for ballet.

"While watching the performance, the audience feels the dancers' movements are graceful. But, in fact, the movements are powerful and require explosive force. When I was a student, I practiced running to increase my lung capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance," Yu says.

In 2005, Yu graduated from the ballet school, and she enrolled in the Department of Ballet at Beijing Dance Academy.

"The academy is the top institution for dancers, and its students are elite, from all over the country. As my physical condition was not good, especially compared with girls from southern China, I had low self-esteem at that time. My teacher, Zou Zhirui, encouraged me. She told me I had my own advantages, such as being expressive on stage and having explosiveness and physical endurance, and I should give full play to my advantages." Yu recalls.

Yu says she feels lucky to have met such a good teacher, who understood her, and who guided her to become a better ballet dancer. Yu put a lot of effort into practicing ballet, more so than most of the other students.

After she graduated from the academy, in 2009, Yu returned to Shenyang, and she joined Liaoning Ballet Troupe.

"I enjoy dancing. When I first began working with the troupe, it seemed that I was dancing all the time, except for eating and sleeping. But I didn't feel tired. I am willing to try different plays, and to experience different roles. I analyze the historical, cultural and religious background, and also the characteristics of the roles, and then perform in my own way," Yu says.

Ballet dancing has become a significant part of Yu's life. She has performed the lead roles in numerous classical and contemporary ballets. She has also been invited to perform in Russia, Canada and South Africa. Vladimir Malakhov, the Russian ballet dancer, referred to Yu as "the most beautiful swan" after Yu performed in the classical ballet, Swan Lake.

Eight Heroines

In 2014, Liaoning Ballet Troupe created a Chinese ballet, Eight Heroines, based on the stories of eight women soldiers, in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, who sacrificed their lives during the fight against Japanese invaders.

Yu performed the lead role, Leng Yun (1915-1938). "It was my first time to play the lead in a ballet featuring stories of China's revolutionaries," Yu says. During practices, and even during performances, she often injured her knees. "It doesn't matter how hard the process is. As long as we present a work the audience likes, it's worth it," Yu says.

The performance included various non-traditional-ballet elements, such as yangge, a traditional folk dance of the Han ethnic group, and folk dances unique to the Korean ethnic group. "The play, featuring ethnic characteristics, conveys the indomitable spirit of revolutionary martyrs," Yu says.

Yu read plenty of materials, to learn about the historical background of Leng's story, and she did her best to figure out the emotions and psyche of the character. "No matter how difficult the ballet skill is, it can be accomplished with hard work. What matters most is portraying the inner world of the character, and demonstrating the soul of the character," Yu says.

In one scene, the character, Leng, is required to stand still  no movement and no speaking  after learning of her husband's death while fighting Japanese invaders. "What I can do during this period is totally integrate with the character, and convey Leng's pain, struggle and powerlessness with my own feelings," Yu says.

In another scene, the character, Leng, holds her two-month-old daughter. Yu was neither married nor a mother in 2014, when the ballet was rehearsed and staged. So, Yu practiced holding a baby like a mother in front of a mirror, every day, and she worked hard to capture the essence of what it was like to be a mother.

"At that time, a colleague said I performed like a real mother, but I still felt something was missing. Since I gave birth to my daughter, more than two years ago, I have had a deeper understanding of the emotions of Leng, and I have performed the role even better than before," Yu says.

As a classic play of Liaoning Ballet Troupe, Eight Heroines has been staged frequently since 2014. In addition, Eight Heroines has won several national awards. "It is the baptism of my heart every time I perform the play on stage. I have deep affection for this play, and it is like a part of my life," Yu says.

In 2017, when Eight Heroines was staged in Russia, an elderly couple in the audience was moved to tears. "I feel, although the audiences come from different countries, they share the same emotions, and they can relate to each other through dance," Yu says.

Communicator of Culture

Mulan, a ballet created and presented by Liaoning Ballet Troupe, tells the age-old story of Mulan. The story was originally presented in a folk song, known as the Ballad of Mulan, during the Northern Dynasties (386-581). The valiant girl joined the army on behalf of her ailing father, and she battled enemies to defend her country. Mulan fought with high distinction, and she refused the accolades thrust upon her. Ultimately, she retired to her hometown.

Dancers use props, such as bows, arrows, sticks and other weapons, while performing on stage. Such props help the ballet embody richer cultural content and have stronger cultural charm.

In August 2019, Mulan debuted at the Lincoln Center, in New York, the United States. The perfect fusion of traditional, heroic Chinese stories and the Western classic art form conquered the audience of nearly 2,000 people.

"Many people rose from their seats to applaud, and they exclaimed'Mulan.' I felt the audience was expressing their love for and identification with Chinese culture, and Chinese image, from the bottom of their hearts," Yu recalls.

Yu has performed the lead roles in many original Chinese ballets, including Last Emperor and the Moon Over a Fountain, each of which integrated Chinese elements and characteristics of the times.

Yu has received several domestic and international awards for her outstanding ballet performances. She has always impressed audiences with her excellent ballet dancing. Some people have commented that her performance "is able to integrate the soul of the character with the dance."

Yu has helped cultivate the troupe's young dancers. When she leads them in rehearsals, Yu always shares her performing techniques, and her understanding of the characters.

Yu has participated in various public-welfare performances, and she has explained ballet to audiences. She has also been invited to give lectures at colleges, universities and institutions to promote the art of ballet dancing.

"Performers are the communicators of culture, and spreading positive energy is our responsibility. I hope our troupe will create more contemporary ballets, and better tell the stories of China on the world stage," Yu says.

Photos Supplied by Liaoning Ballet Troupe and Interviewee

(Women of China English Monthly June 2023 issue)
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According to national property broker Redfin, listings of homes for sale in the several Southwest Florida cities like the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area have recovered after plunging in the wake of Hurricane Ian last fall, and sales have begun to bounce back.

In the two months after the devastating September 2022 storm, there were 900 fewer new listings in Cape Coral-Fort Myers than there would have been had the storm not hit, according to Redfin projections. But in the six months after that, there were 1,314 more new listings than projected, more than offsetting the shortfall. To put it another way, the metro had gained 415 more new listings than it had lost by early May. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area will be referred to as "Cape Coral" for the remainder of this press release.

New listings are likely outperforming expectations due to a backlog created by the storm; homeowners who paused their selling plans or delisted their properties in the wake of Hurricane Ian are now putting their homes on the market. There are likely other homeowners who didn't intend to sell before the storm but are now moving because their home was damaged and/or they want to live in a safer area.

"Intense storms are becoming more frequent in Florida due to climate change, but homebuyers are still moving to the Sunshine State in search of warm weather and relatively affordable home prices," said Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari. "But as homebuyers have moved into Florida, insurers have moved out, leaving homeowners with fewer and more expensive coverage options. Ultimately, lower-income residents may be pushed out of the riskiest areas due to rising insurance and rebuilding costs. Those who can afford to remain will likely see their home values appreciate at a slower clip as the dangers of climate change become impossible to ignore."

Insurers aren't just leaving flood-prone areas; State Farm and Allstate recently announced they will stop issuing new homeowner's insurance policies in California due to climate risk, citing increased exposure to catastrophes including wildfires.

The analysis focuses on home listings, but it's worth noting that scores of vacant plots have also hit the market in Cape Coral after the homes atop many of those lots were destroyed. There were 6,167 land listings in Cape Coral as of June 16--comparable with the number of home listings (6,619). Some don't mention the impact of the storm or the potential for future natural disasters. Other listings do mention Hurricane Ian, and tout the opportunities for builders and homebuyers despite continued storm risk.

While some people who moved to Florida during the pandemic are leaving, new out-of-staters continue to move in, which is incentivizing home builders in Cape Coral to keep building, according to local Redfin Premier real estate agent Isabel Arias-Squires.

Florida has doled out 80,000 residential building permits so far this year--more than any other state but Texas. Arias-Squires noted that new-construction homes in Florida have the advantage of being built under the most recent building codes, providing better resistance against natural disasters

Sales Are Bouncing Back, But Haven't Fully Recovered

In the three months after Hurricane Ian, there were 723 fewer home sales in Cape Coral than there would have been had the storm not hit, according to Redfin projections. In the following five months, there were 538 more sales than projected. That meant that by early May, the sales shortfall had shrunk from 723 to 185.

The fact that home sales in Cape Coral have started to recover indicates that many homebuyers continue to prioritize waterfront views, relatively affordable home prices and lower taxes above climate concerns.

Cape Coral is the seventh most popular migration destination for homebuyers, according to Redfin's latest ranking. Four other Florida metros -- Miami, Tampa, Orlando and North Port--are also in the top 10 as the Sunshine State attracts house hunters from New York, Chicago and other major metros.

Hurricane Ian Had No Major Impact on Home Prices

"The storm's effect on prices was likely muted because at first, new listings fell, which pressured prices to rise due to a shortage of homes for sale. But new listings then more than recovered, which pressured prices to fall because there was more supply than usual," Bokhari said. "In the end, the two effects cancel each other out."

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HONG KONG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)'s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) on Monday announced that its CU-Med Biobank has received international accreditation, noting the achievement is expected to help Hong Kong become a key regional hub of biomedical research.

The CU-Med Biobank set up in 2019 recently received international accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), which is an endorsement of its high standards, the CUHK said in a statement.

Together with one in South Korea, the CU-Med Biobank is one of only two biobanks that fulfil the required international standards in the Asia-Pacific region, according to it.

The CU-Med Biobank will be a driving force for the development of biomedicine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and lead Hong Kong to become an important biomedical research hub in the region, said the CUHK.

According to it, to develop new drugs or pioneer new diagnostic technologies requires both software and hardware, and one prerequisite is possessing of a biobank.

Francis Chan, dean of medicine and head of the Steering Committee of CU-Med Biobank at CU Medicine, said that the standard of biobanking determines not only the quality of academic research but also the potential capability for new drug development.

"Our achievement can help attract collaborations from top global scientific research teams and multinational pharmaceutical companies. This international accreditation will provide CU Medicine with valuable credibility that will allow us to work with Hong Kong's Hospital Authority and transform Hong Kong into the hub for research and new drug development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Chan said.

The CU-Med Biobank was built at the Prince of Wales Hospital of Hong Kong. A biobank is an essential facility for the systematic storage of clinical data and bio-specimens, which includes a set of strict management systems for handling diverse biological samples and precise multi-omics analysis. 
Reps. Michael McCaul and Barbara Lee Washington are pictured in a split image. A top House Republican said Sunday he agreed with the Biden administrations contentious decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, while a prominent progressive Democrat said the US risks losing our moral leadership over the move.
Harvard professor Avi Loeb believes he may have found fragments of alien technology from a meteor that landed in the waters off of Papua, New Guinea in 2014.
I think its amazing that we can look past our traumas to help them through theirs, Curtis Bear Cub, a recovering addict, said. Portland has people who actually care. Who really, really care, DJ added.
This potential coding change has already garnered outcry from some breast cancer survivors such as Michelle Scott. It feels deceitful and sneaky, like its some kind of numbers game, said Scott, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and had a double mastectomy the same year.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that Turkey has agreed to back Swedens bid to join the military alliance.
An ISIS flag flies in the northern Syrian town of Tel Abyad as seen from the Turkish border town of Akcakale on June 15, 2015.
BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon met with visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing.

The two sides jointly announced the official establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era. 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Saturday and declared that Ukraine deserves NATO membership. The meeting and statement came just ahead of NATOs war summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on July 11-12.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Zelensky, Erdogan said, Undoubtedly, Ukraine deserves the NATO membership. Before that, he made clear his governments support for Ukraine in the war against Russia, stating: The Ukrainian people are defending their territorial integrity and independence in the war.  We have since 2014, when Crimea was annexed in a way against international law, expressed on all the platforms our support for Ukraines territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

A member of NATO, Turkey seeks to pursue a policy of maneuvering between NATO and Russia due to the Turkish bourgeoisies strong economic and military ties with both sides. Following the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ankara closed the straits to both NATO and Russian warships on the basis of the Montreux Convention, and called for a negotiated settlement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres shake hands after their meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. [AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka]

Ankaras support for Ukraines NATO membership shows that this policy has become increasingly untenable in the context of a sharp escalation of the US-led NATO war against Russia. Erdogan had already paved the way for a major escalation against Russia in March, when he became the last leader to endorse Finlands NATO membership. The vote in the Turkish parliament was unanimous, confirming once again that the Turkish bourgeoisie is in the service of imperialism.

Erdogan declared his support for a criminal move that would bring NATO into a direct war with Russia, while in the same speech he called for an end to the war. He said, There is no loser in a just peace. It is our sincere wish that the parties, despite their differences of opinion, return to the quest for peace as soon as possible.

Welcoming Erdogans support for Ukraines NATO membership, Zelensky said, I am grateful for Turkeys support for our peace plan. We are working on the implementation of this peace plan.

Zelenskys so-called peace plan is an unfettered escalation of NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine. The Biden administrations announcement on Friday of its decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine indicates that even more reckless moves are being prepared, from direct NATO involvement in the war to the deployment and use of nuclear weapons.

Erdogans open support for Ukraines NATO membership came shortly before the Vilnius summit, where a more formal alliance with Kiev will be discussed. Ukrainian accession to the military alliance, which would drag NATO powers into a full-scale war with Russia due to the alliances Article 5, has been openly discussed in the recent period.

In April, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg declared, Ukraines rightful place is in NATO, adding, All NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a member. In May, French President Emmanuel Macron said he supports a path for Ukraine into NATO.

After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Kiev in June and announced his support for Ukraines NATO membership, Ihor Zhovkva, the deputy head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, claimed that Canada was one of 20 NATO member states to agree in writing that they support Ukraine becoming a member of NATO.

Erdogan also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit Turkey in August. He said the two countries were seeking to extend the grain corridor agreement in the Black Sea, which expires on July17, and that prisoner exchange talks between Ukraine and Russia were continuing.

Later on Saturday, however, Zelensky unexpectedly announced that the commanders of the fascist Azov Brigade held in Turkey had returned to Ukraine with him.

In a tweet ending with the fascistic slogan Slava Ukraini, he wrote, We are returning home from Turkey and bringing our heroes home: Ukrainian soldiers Denys Prokopenko, Svyatoslav Palamar, Serhiy Volynsky, Oleh Khomenko and Denys Shleha. They will finally be with their relatives.

The far-right commanders captured by Russian forces during the battle of Mariupol last year were slated to remain in Turkey until the end of the war, according to an agreement reached in September between Kiev, Moscow and Ankara.

The Kremlin, which closely followed the Erdogan-Zelensky summit, reacted with sharp condemnation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, The conditions of return were violated by both the Turkish and Kyiv sides, adding, Nobody informed us about this. According to the terms of the agreement, these persons were supposed to stay on the territory of Turkey until the end of the conflict.

He said Turkey was under pressure to show solidarity with NATO ahead of the Vilnius summit, implying that Erdogan had bowed to that pressure.

The Azov commanders, whom Zelensky and the Western media often call heroes, openly stand in the tradition of the Ukrainian fascists led by Stepan Bandera. This sordid tradition includes collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War against the Soviet Union and complicity in the Holocaust as well as other massacres.

Prokopenko, one of the released Azov commanders, had previously referred to his grandfather, who fought against the Soviet Union on the Finnish side during the Winter War, saying, It feels like I continued the same war, only on another section of the front, a war against the Kremlins occupation regime. My grandfather had such a terrible hatred of communism, of Bolshevism, of the Sovok.

Zelenskys visit to Istanbul and Erdogans declaration of support for Ukraines entry into NATO followed the latest round of talks between Ankara and Stockholm on Swedens NATO membership.

In the days leading up to the meeting, Washington stepped up pressure on Ankara to lift its veto and endorse Sweden becoming a NATO member at the Vilnius summit. After a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the White House on Wednesday, President Joseph Biden said he fully supports Swedens NATO membership bid.

However, Thursdays meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels did not produce this outcome. Ankara argues that Sweden supports the Kurdish nationalist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its Syrian affiliate, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers terrorist organizations, as well as individuals linked to Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is a long-time CIA asset and US-based preacher whom Ankara blames for the NATO-backed 2016 coup attempt against the Erdogan government.

Referring to Sweden, Erdogan said on Friday: How can Turkey trust a country where terrorists run wild on the streets? How can a state that does not distance itself from terrorist organizations contribute to NATO?

After the meeting in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said, What we are working to achieve is a positive decision at the summit where Turkey makes clear it is ready to ratify. Then he announced that Erdogan and Kristersson would meet again in Vilnius.
US President Joe Biden visited the UK on Monday ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius. He met for roughly an hour in the morning with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before attending his first bilateral reception with King Charles III, which was the nominal reason for his visit.

Given Bidens discussion with Sunak was to help prepare the next stage of a war between NATO and Russia, his chat about environmental issues with the British monarch that afternoon assumed the character of light relief.

The Prime Minister welcomes the US President to Downing Street [Photo by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Bidens only comment to the media was to describe the US-UK relationship as rock solid. He reportedly told Sunak he couldnt be meeting with a closer friend and greater ally.

This is not purely for the cameras. The US and the UK are closely aligned on their key goals in NATOs war in Ukraine, with Britain prepared to do whatever is asked of it by its dominant imperialist partner.

Supposed differences and points of awkwardness talked up in the media before the meeting are largely overblown. None more so than the issue of cluster bombs, on which several sensationalist and performatively hand-wringing articles have been written.

The US announced last week that it would be supplying the weapons to Ukraine. Neither the US, nor Russia, nor Ukraine have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions. But Americas NATO allies were required to mutter polite, pro-forma disagreements before moving on to next business.

Sunak stated simply, The UK is a signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use, adding that it was right that we collectively stand up to the Russian invasion. The Financial Times reported, privately British officials said talks on the issue were amicable.

Writing in the Guardian about Bidens visit, diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour was close to the mark in writing, the open disagreement over the US decision on Friday to supply cluster munitions to fill an ammunition gap is less important. Britain, as a signatory to the cluster munitions convention, can hardly approve of the US decision.

His appraisal was echoed by Lord Ricketts, who previously served as the UKs first national security adviser, who in the Daily Mirror described Washingtons allies as all very uncomfortable with this.

We have all of us, apart from the Americans, signed up to the convention which means we dont produce or stockpile or use these weapons. They are indiscriminate weapons, of course. I think we do owe it to the Ukrainians to understand why they need these weapons.

This offensive that they have launched, there is a lot riding on it. If it stagnates, bogs down, the risk is this war will just continue. He added: It is a hard choice of the kind that countries have to make in war time. I am uncomfortable with it, yes I wish it wasnt being done, but I think we can understand why they are doing it.

According to Wintour, more substantive points of tension are Washingtons apparent blocking of British Defence Secretary Ben Wallaces bid for the post of NATO Secretary-Generalcurrent chief Jens Stoltenberg was encouraged to stay in the post a year longerand the UKs support for a clear NATO membership pathway being offered to Ukraine.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently commented, I think the UKs position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan recognising that the offer to Sweden and Finland didnt require that, and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for requirement of NATO membership through their actions on the battlefield.

The two issues are related, both rooted in judgements over the pacing of the war and Bidens need to keep the NATO coalition togetherparticularly its major members Germany, France and the UK. Most accounts agree that Wallaces candidacy was torpedoed, but that the more European-Union friendly choice Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the European Commission, was also rejected.

Wintour adds that the UK and US are increasingly a long way apart on how to handle Ukraine, before noting that The US disapproves if the junior partner goes public on any disagreement, or is perceived to be trying to bounce Washington into action. Pushiness, some say, was the undoing of the Nato secretary generalship ambitions of Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, after he tried to force the pace on arms supplies.

The same question is posed on a higher level by this weeks Vilnius NATO summit, with Germany and the US at this point backing a concluding statement avoiding full endorsement even for a pathway to NATO membership for Ukraine. They are looking to draw the line at support for a multilateral framework boosting the supply of financial and military support.

This hesitation reflects the tightrope being walked by Washington in pursuing the war with enough force to splinter Russia socially and politically in pursuit of regime change, while maintaining enough formal separation between NATO and Ukraine to forestall a significant escalation by the Kremlin which the imperialist alliance is not yet prepared for.

These are purely tactical divisions over how best to pursue a shared perspective of stepped-up aggression against Russia. As a far smaller military and economic power than the US, Britain for the most part serves as an outrider for NATO aggression, constantly championing the provision of more weapons and greater NATO involvement than Washington presently advocates but which it later adopts as policyas it has already done with the provision of battle tanks and the supply of F16 fighter jets.

When Washington is ready to move, having secured the resources at home and the political agreement abroad, Britain is turned from a grandstander to a trailblazeran example to the rest of Europe. Following Bidens visit, Sunaks spokesperson reiterated the UKs position that Certainly, we do want to support Ukraine on the pathway to joining the alliance, the exact mechanisms for that are for discussion with Nato allies, but rejected suggestions of a divide between London and Washington, I have seen that reporting, but I dont believe thats accurate.

With Stoltenberg ruling out an immediate offer of NATO membership, the UK and US will most likely work alongside France and Germany on a multilateral text laying down the framework for member states to work together on the provision of military aid, advanced weapons and finance without this formally proceeding through NATOs structures.

Moreover, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is claiming that NATO has in fact, as Cleverly suggested, already agreed that Kyiv will not have to meet a series of targets within a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to join the alliance, thereby shortening our path to NATO.

Sunak also agreed to work with Biden and the US in securing Swedish membership of NATO by overcoming the opposition of Turkey and Hungary.
In the run-up to the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, leading German politicians and media outlets are attempting to ignite pro-war hysteria. This demonstrates one thing: NATO is not escalating the war with Russia to defend Ukraine or Europe; its real goal is the complete military defeat of Russiaeven if this takes years, with hundreds of thousands of young men on both sides of the front being used as cannon fodder, and threatens a nuclear war that would hurl Europe back to the Stone Age.

Michael Roth (Social Democrat) and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) at the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee [Photo by Bundestag / Kira Hofmann / photothek]

In this, Germany distinguishes itself in particular. The mouthpieces of the ruling class, who have been demanding for years that the country once again assume a geopolitical and military role commensurate with its weight as the worlds fourth-largest economy, believe their hour has come. They sense an opportunity to finally take revenge for the defeats in the First and Second World Wars and rebuild Germany as Europes leading military power. What used to be discussed behind closed doors or in the pages of exclusive journals is now being expressed quite openly.

On Tuesday, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)the mouthpiece of the Frankfurt stock exchangepublished a hymn of praise for Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (Social Democratic Party, SPD). The Germans must finally learn to deal with the military again, writes Eckart Lohse, the head of the FAZ parliamentary editorial department. Pistorius must familiarise German society with the fact that there is a new reality that can come close to a very old reality again.

Lohse, with a doctorate in history, knows exactly which very old reality he is talking about. It concerns the years 1941 to 1945, when German tanks rolled towards Moscow and tried to conquer the Soviet Union in Hitlers murderous war of extermination that claimed 27 million lives.

It was true that Germany heralded a return to things military with its participation in the Kosovo war and continued this with its Afghanistan mission, Lohse notes. But what has had to be done since February 24 last year is of a different calibre. Germany must not only help Ukraine, but also prepare for tank battles in its neighbourhoodwatchword the Baltic. And it must be prepared for that to happen in its own country.

On Wednesday, Jochen Bittner and Jorg Lau, editors of the weekly Die Zeit, followed up by publishing an interview with Michael Roth (SPD), chairman of the Bundestags Foreign Affairs Committee, and Stefanie Babst, who was the highest-ranking German in the NATO General Secretariat from 2006 to 2020.

Roth called on the German government to focus even more strongly on deterrence and defensibility in the future. Babst demanded that the West take the strategic initiative at the Vilnius summit and present a concrete roadmap on when and how Ukraine could become a member of NATO. Babst called for a strategic game-changer that would give the war a new dynamic.

On Thursday, Britains Guardian published an opinion piece by German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, who openly stated that Germany was seeking a leadership role again on the world stage. She wrote that Russias war of aggression ushered in a new phase of German foreign policy in which the country could no longer sit back and had to assume its leadership role. There was not only a turning point in the way my country perceives threats to its own security, but also in the way we take our responsibility in todays world: as a leader on whom our partners can rely.

Baerbock said that Germany would assume this responsibility in Europe and beyond through an integrated security policy. Earlier phases of German foreign policyin which the credo never again war had applied and chequebook diplomacy had been relied uponwere definitely over, she said. In future, Germany would guarantee the security of Eastern Europe and organise the security of the continent not with, but against Putins Russia. For this reason, it was rearming and building a geopolitical European Union that opens its doors to new members such as Ukraine, Moldova, the Western Balkans and, in the long term, Georgia.

The propaganda campaign reached at least an initial climax on Friday with an editorial in Der Spiegel. The countrys biggest news magazine carried the headline Give Ukraine whatever it needsThats what a victory over Putin should be worth to us. [In the English-language edition, Western Support for KyivIt's Now or Never For Ukraine.]

In the piece, journalist Thore Schroder called on NATO governments to supply the Ukrainian military with F-16 fighter jets, long-range munitions, more anti-aircraft weaponry and a lot more artillery ammunition than they have been receiving so far.

Ukraine is doing all it can to push back the Russian invaders, Schroder wrote approvingly, but noted that much-anticipated counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops had far fallen far short of the goals despite terrible casualties. In the past week, the Ukrainians say they reclaimed a total of 38 square kilometers of territory in the southern and eastern part of the country, an area even smaller than Manhattan Island in New York.

According to media reports, tens of thousands of soldiers have died in this senseless slaughter on the Ukrainian side alone in the last month. The Ukrainian military is using police terror to obtain recruits among the increasingly restive Ukrainian youth. Schroder defends the counteroffensive in almost Orwellian fashion: The fact is that the leadership in Kyiv hardly had a choice. The expectations from their own populace and from the West to finally begin the process of reconquering occupied territory were overwhelming.

Schroder (with a bachelors degree in Social Sciences, born 1982) belongs to the category of embedded journalist who writes faux-objective war reports in close coordination with the military and government and makes a nice career out of it. In an interview with the career portal High Potential, Schroder reports that in recent years he has really sought out conflicts because he functions very well in such situations, the excitement tends to make me more focused.

After reporting on the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in autumn 2020 and several weeks in Afghanistan, Schroder first took over the correspondence at Suddeutsche Zeitung and finally became a crisis reporter at Der Spiegel almost with the beginning of the Ukraine war. Since then, he has been calling for German arms deliveries not only in the print and online editions of the news magazine, but also on Instagram.

In the Spiegel editorial, to win the brutal war of attrition against Russian combat helicopters, warplanes, drones and artillery fire, Schroder demands the Ukrainian side receive large numbers of weapons systems right now, not small numbers supplied in a slow trickle. At the upcoming NATO summit, the West must decide once and for all what the fight against Putinand with it, the defense of freedomis really worth.

What it is worth to Schroder, Lohse, Baerbock and numerous other hacks and ruling class politicians, we know by now. Those who believed that after its bestial crimes in the Second World War, the German elite would not make any new attempt at world domination are being taught otherwise.

Or, as Baerbock puts it in the Guardian: After the horrors of the second world war, unleashed by Germans, our countrys foreign policy was driven by the premise that war should never again emanate from German soil. ... Only two years ago, the idea of Germany delivering tanks, air-defence systems and howitzers to a war zone would have seemed far-fetched, to say the least. Now, she says, a change of era has taken place: Not only is there a sea change in how my country perceives the threats to its own security, but also in how we understand our responsibility in todays world.

It is high time the working class put a stop to this madness.
The contract for 340,000 UPS workers is set to expire at the end of the month. Last week, the Teamsters announced that talks between the company and union negotiators had collapsed and that a strike was imminent.



UPS workers, as evidenced by a 97 percent strike authorization vote last month, are ready to fight. But that is the last thing that the Teamsters bureaucracy, led by General President Sean O Brien, wants. It has been compelled by the scale of opposition from below to make constant statements pledging to strike by August 1 if a new deal is not in place by then. But this only means that the bureaucracy is working desperately behind the scenes in order to get a sellout deal done.



One of the clearest indications of this is the Teamsters constant promotion of the support from Congress, which voted last year to ban a strike by 120,000 railroaders and impose a pro-company contract. As of this writing, the Teamsters Twitter account has retweeted statements from over 45 sitting members of Congress. Most of these lawmakers, or more likely someone on their staff, tweeted out statements declaring they were standing with the Teamsters as they fight for a fair contract.

Out of these 45 House representatives, 30 lawmakers, mostly members of the Democratic Party, voted in favor of House Joint Resolution 100 to ban the strike on the railroads. These include several House members from the Democratic Socialists of America, a pseudo-left faction of the Democratic Party.



The first four statements retweeted by the Teamsters union were issued by Democratic Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Melanie Stansbury (New Mexico), Brendan Boyle (Pennsylvania) and Gerry Connolly (Virginia) on June 29. All of them were retweeted by the Teamsters with a caption of solidarity.



I support 340,000 UPS @Teamsters...They deserve a fair contract wrote Boyle. The post was promptly retweeted by the Teamsters account, Thank you, @CongBoyle! Solidarity [fist emoji]. This was followed by Representative Connolly, who tweeted a similar statement that was also retweeted by the Teamsters.



In a coordinated fashion the following day, statements of support for UPS workers were issued by Democratic Georgia Representative David Scott and Adam Schiff, former chair of the House Intelligence Committee. The Teamsters account retweeted a letter Schiff sent to UPS CEO Carol Tome that urged Tome to approve an agreement that provides safe working conditions and fair wages.



Other notable strike-breaking Democrats promoted by the Teamsters include Representatives Debbie Dingell (Michigan), Katie Porter (California), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (Massachusetts) and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.



On July 6, the Teamsters thanked strike-breaking California Representative, and former chair of Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, Ro Khanna for supporting the Teamsters after the lawmaker tweeted his solidarity with the union bureaucracy on July 5. The Teamsters did not inform workers that Khanna voted against the rail strike, nor did it feel compelled to admit that within the last year, per Capitol Trades, Khanna had purchased between $32,000 and $130,000 in UPS stock.



Khanna is one of the most prolific stock traders in Congress. Before voting to block the railroad strike last year, Khanna bought and sold shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffets multinational conglomerate that owns a controlling stake in BNSF, and Blackrock, which owns a 4.5 percent share in Union Pacific. He also bought and sold shares in CSX, Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a Teamster bureaucrat July 7, 2023. [Photo: @Teamsters]

The Teamsters union has also retweeted statements of support from Democratic Socialists of America members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman (New York), Cori Bush (Missouri) and Greg Casar (Texas). All these fake socialists voted with right-wing Republicans to ban the rail strike.



While the bulk of the statements of support retweeted by the Teamsters have come from Democratic Representatives, the union has also sought to promote strike-breaking Republicans as well. On July 3, the union thanked Pennsylvania Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who also voted in favor of H.J. Res 100, for supporting UPS Teamsters.



The promotion of strike-breaking politicians by the Teamsters is a warning to UPS workers. The union is preparing, with the help of these politicians, to stab them in the back and prevent a strike. None of these lawmakers, as shown in the dictatorial votes last year, are friends of workers. They are bourgeois politicians who serve at the pleasure of Wall Street and the military-industrial complex.



The chasm that exists between the rank and file and the bureaucracy only becomes more apparent as workers are determined to carry out a struggle. To cover up this chasm and to sow confusion among workers, the bureaucracy is increasingly relying upon the services of groups like Teamsters for a Democratic Union, a one-time self-declared reform faction which is totally integrated with the OBrien administration.

On Sunday, TDU held another one of its online meetings aimed at sowing illusions in the bureaucracy and the O Brien leadership. In the nearly 50-minute meeting, TDU and Teamster bureaucrats refused to answer workers questions. Instead the various speakers continued to push practice picketing, while begging workers for donations to cover the cost of the Zoom webinar, which they claimed cost $2,500.



Fed up with the lack of information, angry workers took to the overflowing comment section.



I am ready and willing to strike, but this is a waste of my time. Im out.



Why dont we have a real Zoom call that gives us information? You cant tell us anything because of the non-disclosure agreement.



What is [Rep. Ocasio-Cortezs] involvement with our strike?



Im out...I have heard nothing for 35 minutes.



My local is doing their first practice picketing today...Sunday, when no one is there. What the hell is this for?



Thank you for wasting my time with zero useful information.



The duplicitous role of the union bureaucracy must be countered by the independent initiative of rank-and-file workers. As the WSWS wrote last week, real preparations for a struggle require that rank-and-file workers take the initiative out of the hands of the bureaucracy and organize themselves. This means forming rank-and-file committees in every warehouse and workplace.



The World Socialist Web Site is prepared to assist UPS workers in building the UPS Rank-and-File Committee. All interested should fill out the form below.
VIENTIANE, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government is preparing for Visit Laos Year 2024 and expects to attract at least 4.6 million visitors next year, which will generate a revenue of 712 million U.S. dollars.

It is anticipated that more than half of this number of tourists will be foreign nationals, who will spend over 400 million dollars, Lao News Agency (KPL) on Monday quoted Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket as saying.

To fulfil this goal, the government will promote the Southeast Asian country's most colorful festivals to attract visitors, such as the That Luang Festival in the Lao capital Vientiane, the Lao New Year celebrations, and celebrations in northern Luang Prabang province to mark the end of Buddhist Lent.

The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism also has 25 other provincial activities lined up for the Lao Event Tourism Calendar. The ministry is submitting these plans to the government for approval.

The Visit Laos Year 2024 tourism promotion is aimed at bringing more foreign tourists to Laos and creating jobs for people across the land-locked country while bolstering foreign currency earnings.

The ministry is partnering with tour companies and airlines to draw up a list of suitable activities for tourists and select a logo and theme to promote Visit Laos Year 2024, with the final selections to be made by the end of July 2023.

In November and December 2023, the ministry will hold a press conference and the opening ceremony of Visit Laos Year 2024.

During Visit Laos Year 2018, visitor arrivals topped 4.1 million, up 8.2 percent compared to 2017. During Visit Laos-China Year 2019, Laos welcomed 4.58 million international tourists, representing an increase of nine percent over 2018.

Laos recorded about 1.29 million tourists in 2022. It welcomed more than 1.1 million foreign visitors in the first four months of 2023, an increase of 204 percent compared to the same period in 2022, according to a report. 
Three academic workers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) were arrested at their homes last week for their role in a May 30 protest against the UC administration and its plan to go through with wage increases included in the recent contract that was pushed through by the United Auto Workers (UAW) bargaining teams at the conclusion of a strike last year.

Jessica Ng, a postdoctoral researcher, William Schneider, a graduate student, and a third, unidentified, academic worker were arrested by UCSD police on charges of felony vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime. The alleged crime stems from demonstrators writing messages in washable marker and chalk outside the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Felony vandalism, in California, is a crime punishable with up to three years in state prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

Strike rally at University of California San Diego, 2022.

In an interview with KPBS News, Schneider said, This is, in my opinion, very clearly part of a larger coordinated crackdown of union activities across the UC. UC has systematically tried to renege on the contract they signed with UAW and the graduate student researchers union.

The fact that workers are now forced to protest for the enforcement of the contracts completely undercuts the UAWs claim that the largest academic workers strike in US historywhich involved 48,000 postdocs, academic researchers, graduate student instructors and other academic workersended last December with a historic victory.

The nearly 50,000 academic workers initially walked out in November, demanding adequate wage increases and a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) to meet Californias exorbitant expenses, better healthcare coverage for dependents and protections against academic bullying. The UAW bureaucracy, however, rapidly abandoned the demand for COLA and settled for a $34,000 starting salary down from the initial demand that workers in UAW 2865 receive a $54,000 starting salary. The strike started as a joint action of workers inside UAW locals 2865, 5180, and Student Researchers United.

Many rank-and-file workers responded to the bureaucracys actions by organizing for a no vote, which resulted in nearly 40 percent of the workforce in UAW Local 2865 rejecting the contract. However, the UAW was able to ram through the contract by using its official channels to campaign for a yes vote while denying the same resources to those opposed to the contract. The UAW divided the struggle by having postdoc workers settle separately from graduate students, and also by preventing dissident members of the union from speaking out at Zoom meetings criticizing the contract. The UAW also hired Brightline Communications, a major Democratic Party PR firm to oversee its campaign for a yes vote.

UC San Diego grad student worker Abbey

The UAW apparatus early in the strike had also worked to disenfranchise its members by keeping them uninformed about the first ever national election for the UAW leadership. As a result, only 2.6 percent of the members of locals 5810 and 2865 voted in the first round of the election, and only 9 percent of the 1.1 million members and retirees voted.

At the time of the strike, Will Lehman, a socialist and rank-and-file autoworker, was the only candidate to challenge the legitimacy of the election given the extensive voter suppression. Lehman is currently suing the Biden administrations Department of Labor and demanding that the UAW election be re-run in order for the entire UAW membership to be able to choose the leadership of the union.

Six months after the sellout agreements were forced through, it is becoming apparent that not even the inadequate gains in the contracts are being implemented. While the new UAW president Shawn Fainwho was supported by the Democratic Socialists of Americahas carried out a policy no different than his predecessor, Ray Curry.

Many students and postdocs have also had their teaching load cut or their postdoc appointments reduced as a means for the UC to pay them less. Alex Wenzal, a bio-informatics graduate student, put together a web program that calculates the ongoing wage theft from UCSD. He calculates the total amount is now above $6 million.

The refusal to pay higher wages through various loopholes and cutbacks is part of a broader move of the UC to retaliate against the new contract through major cuts to departments. A student worker at UC Berkeley has also informed the WSWS that there are ongoing concerns among his colleagues of retribution from certain faculty members because of the strike.

As many as 67 students at UCSD are currently facing academic disciplinary charges for other protests at UCSD. On May 5, dozens of students disrupted an alumni awards ceremony, again in protest at the universitys refusal to implement aspects of the contract.

Students involved with the protest have faced allegations of assault and are concerned that the university will now seek to expel them.

Maya Gosztyla, one of the protesters, told the San Diego Tribune, At first, I thought this was clearly a mistake. We livestreamed the whole event and nobody came near anybody. It is clearly an intimidation tactic. Being charged with assault even if you know for sure you didnt commit any crimes, thats a really scary charge to see, especially for someone like me whos now four years into my PhD and has about two years left.

According to the Tribune, the universitys allegations of assault seem to be based on allegations that one of the protesters merely bumped the UCSD chancellor, and that another took the microphone away.

In the face of these blatant attacks on academic workers, the UAW national headquarters has largely remained silent with no reference to the struggle of UC workers on the UAW website. On their official social media accounts the UAW has only shared a handful of articles on the arrest of UCSD academic workers, including a petition by UAW 2865 demanding the UC administration drop the charges and recognize the contract.

These protests are taking place amid a major upsurge of the working class with ongoing contract struggles at UPS, the West Coast docks and the Big Three auto companies, as well as an ongoing strike of 11,000 film and television writers.

The WSWS urges that UC workers join the UC Rank-and-File Committee, which was the only organization during the strike calling for academic workers to turn to dockworkers, autoworkers and railroad workers, healthcare workers, educators and other sections of the working class as a means of carrying forward the strike.

To join the committee, email ucstrikerfc@gmail.com.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka held a powerful public meeting on July 6 to discuss the political strategy needed to fight the International Monetary Fund-dictated privatisation measures being implemented by the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

SEP public meeting in Colombo on July 6, 2023.

Held at the Colombo Public Library Auditorium, it was attended by over 100 people, including workers from the ports, health, railways, and plantation sectors. Koggala Free Trade Zone, cinnamon industry and hotel workers travelled from Sri Lankas south to participate.

Entitled Oppose the Sri Lankan governments privatisation of state enterprises! Build workers action committees to fight for jobs and wages!, it was the first in-person event organised by the SEP since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. The meeting was also livestreamed on the SEPs Facebook page and as of yesterday had been viewed by over 1,500 people.

SEP Political Committee member W. A. Sunil chaired the meeting, thanking the audience for observing the anti-COVID safety requirements. The meeting used a Far-UVC device to protect attendees and almost all participants wore masks.

Sunil told the meeting that the SEP rejected government and media claims that the COVID pandemic had ended. The SEP takes the coronavirus very seriously, he said, and warned the virus is not over but still spreading in the form of new variants.

Sunil said there was rising working-class opposition to the Wickremesinghe governments privatisation of 430 state-owned enterprises, but the opposition was being blocked by the trade union bureaucracies. He also referred to the eruption of working-class struggles internationally and the drive towards world war by the US and other imperialist governments.

To face this situation, our parties are working to mobilise the working class on a socialist program and to build a global anti-war movement of the workers and youth. Sri Lankan workers coming forward to fight the governments privatisation and other IMF measures must unite with their international class brothers and sisters and fight for a socialist perspective, Sunil said.

Addressing the meeting, SEP Political Committee member Vilani Peiris focused on the treacherous political role of the trade unions and the pseudo-left groups such as the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP).

SEP Political Committee member Vilani Peiris.

These organisations betrayed the mass working-class uprising against the Rajapakse government in AprilJuly last year, diverting it into support for a capitalist interim government. This enabled Wickremesinghe to come to power and unleash the massive social attacks now being unleashed, she said.

In the guise of halting these attacks, these unions are now appealing for discussions with the very government that is launching this austerity program, she said.

Peiris told the meeting that some union leaders at the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation had sent a letter calling on management to offer shares to employees after the corporation is privatised. The only way workers can defend their jobs and fight for the rights, she said, was through the establishment of action committees independent of the unions.

SEP Political Committee member M. Thevarajah reviewed the situation facing plantation workers. Speaking in Tamil, which was translated in Sinhalese, he said the plantation unions, like their counterparts in other sectors, had become an industrial police force and referred to the ongoing repression of Alton Estate workers.

When Alton workers took up the fight for higher wages, management conspired with the union bureaucracy and the police to have 22 employees arrested and 34 sacked. The plantation workers action committee is fighting this repression and mobilising workers independently of the trade union bureaucracy, he said.

Thevarajah pointed out that last year Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim workers had united and fought against the social disaster being imposed by former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government. The Tamil nationalist parties, he said, are seeking to divide the working class by intensifying communal demands and, like capitalist parties in Colombo, they want to weaken workers.

Thevarajah said the independent mobilisation of the working class as a united force is urgent, which is why we are presenting a socialist program calling for building workers action committees.

Speaking on behalf of the IYSSE, Sakuntha Hirimutugoda explained how the big business policies of successive Sri Lankan governments have aggravated the crisis in health and education sectors and led to the mushrooming of private universities and schools across the country.

Sakuntha Hirimutugoda

Hirimutugoda quoted from a Greenway Asia report, which revealed that 6 percent of children between 5 and 18 years in Sri Lanka did not attend school. He also pointed out that the meagre Mahapola 5,000-rupee monthly loan for university students was not being paid and that other austerity measures were drastically impacting on university and school students. He told the meeting that the IYSSE would be holding more anti-war meetings to oppose the US-NATO military conflict against Russia in Ukraine and called on the audience to support this campaign.

SEP Assistant National Secretary Saman Gunadasa delivered the concluding address.

While workers are now coming into battle against the governments austerity attacks, he said, this meeting has been called to prevent their betrayal and to discuss how to take forward [for] these developing struggles, Gunadasa said, referring to the treachery of the trade unions during the last years mass uprising.

SEP Assistant National Secretary Saman Gunadasa.

The speaker said that 70 percent of Sri Lankans faced horrendous social conditions, with the World Food Program estimating that two-thirds of the population are unable to provide three meals a day to their families.

Privatisation means that the government plans to transform all state ventures into profit-making entities for investors. Jobs and wages will be slashed and workloads increased. Patients using the public health service will have to pay for treatment. The government will pay back its loans to international finance capital by exacting it from workers, he said.

Gunadasa referred to the US-led imperialist war against Russia in Ukraine and said the cost of this conflict will be extracted from the working class. These social attacks, he said, are fuelling the working-class struggles in the US and Europe.

The speaker pointed out that none of the opposition parliamentary parties in Sri Lanka or fake-left groups had any alternative to the governments austerity measures. Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader Sajith Premadasa said that his administration would have negotiated good conditions when seeking an IMF bailout loan. These claims are false and designed to hoodwink the population, Gunadasa said, pointing out that the IMF measures were non-negotiable.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is also committed to IMF austerity. However, its leaders are now trying to pretend they oppose its program to exploit mass anger. At the same time, they insist if they were in power, the people will have to sacrifice to rebuild the collapsed economy, Gunadasa said.

The pseudo-left FSP, he continued, has intensified its campaign for the establishment of peoples councils, which they claim will build power outside parliament. But the political purpose of these councils is not the independent mobilisation of workers on a socialist program but to pressure the capitalist government and beg for concessions, the speaker said.

Gunadasa explained the urgency for workers and youth to rally to fight for the program developed by the SEP during last years mass upsurge and its betrayal.

Workers must build action committees in every factory, workplace, estate, neighbourhoods to take the fight into their hands and rally the rural masses to form their action committees. These committees are not unions in a new form. In these committees, the workers, the poor and other toilers can discuss their program and the sort of action that must be launched, he said.

We also call for convening a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses based on the democratically-elected representatives of action committees. Building this power centre will pave the way for mobilising the masses to bring down the Wickremesinghe regime and fight for a government of workers and peasants.

Its task will be to nationalise the big companies, large estates and banks under the democratic control of the workers. The enormous wealth of the rich should be expropriated and socialised, and the executive presidency abolished along with other repressive laws such as the Essential Public Services Act, Gunadasa said. He urged workers and youth to join the SEP and IYSSE to fight for this perspective.

During the question-and-answer session, a retired railway worker said his pension payment had been subjected to cuts through withholding increments and wanted to know what the SEP thought about this sort of attack.

Sunil explained that attacks on pensions were part of a broader assault on the working class and cannot be defeated by appealing to the regime that is imposing the burden of this unprecedented crisis on the masses. As the SEP explains, workers must form action committees and fight independently, he said.

A worker from Hikkaduwa, a coastal town 120kms south of Colombo, said he came to the meeting to hear an alternative program. The privatisation program will increase our economic problems and make living difficult. Electricity and water bills have increased and it is a problem sending my children to school. This is a problem for other people too, he said.

Lively interest in Socialist Equality Party literature stall at Colombo public meeting.

Many of those attending the meeting signed the Plantation Workers Action Committee petition demanding the withdrawal of the framed-up trials against 22 Alton Estate workers and two rural youth. About 7,500 rupees worth of socialist literature was sold at the SEP literature table during the meeting and 9,600 rupees donated to the partys development fund.
Soldiers stand guard at a fence surrounding the venue of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, July 9, 2023. [AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis]

On Tuesday and Wednesday, NATO will hold a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, against the backdrop of a media campaign for direct intervention of NATO troops against Russia in order to prevent the collapse of the Ukrainian war effort.

This campaign takes the form of the demand that Ukraine be admitted into NATO. If this were to happen, it would mean that Ukraine is covered by NATO article 5, which, in turn, would mean that the United States has a treaty obligation to go to war with Russia.

Whether through the admission of Ukraine into the NATO alliance or through the creation of security guarantees, the diplomatic framework is being deliberately created for the direct entry of NATO troops into the conflict.

This media campaign, which reflects attitudes prevailing within the highest echelons of the NATO governments, has acquired an increasingly unhinged characterwith major newspapers braying for a third world war.

An article published in the editorial section of the New York Times entitled A NATO Invitation Will Make or Break Ukraine declares, Now its time to bury Moscows imperialist dreams. There is no better way to do it than by granting Ukraine a political invitation to join NATO in Vilnius now.

The author, Alyona Getmanchuk, refers to concerns over the fact that such a conflict would lead Russian president Vladimir Putin to dip into his nuclear arsenal as hand-wringing.

She writes,

Now, as in previous years, the hand-wringing over the attendant risks of inviting Ukraine into NATO has cropped up again. And again, it is focused on the danger of further provoking Mr. Putin The Russian Army has no chance in a military confrontation with NATO; it is barely coping with the armed forces of Ukraine.

This is a completely insane statement. In judging the dangers posed by a war between two nuclear-armed powers, the relative strengths of the two sides conventional forces are meaningless.

If NATOs military threatens to defeat Russia, Russias military doctrine is to use nuclear weapons, triggering a nuclear war in which the Russian nuclear arsenal alone is capable of destroying not only every major city in America, but of ending human civilization altogether.

Critically, Getmanchuk stresses that time is of the essence, so as not to allow the decision to go to war with a nuclear-armed state to become an issue in the upcoming presidential election:

Some reluctant NATO leaders might say that they dont have anything against Ukraines invitation to the alliance in general, but the timing is not right. But is there any such thing as perfect timing? Next year, at the Washington NATO summit while the United States is in the midst of a presidential campaign? That seems doubtful.

An even more reckless demand for US entry in the war came from the Guardians Simon Tisdall, who published an op-ed over the weekend directly calling for NATO troops to become involved in the war. In the article, titled NATO must finally step in to stop Russia, Tisdall demands, So no more conditions, cavils, and clever caveats, please. NATO must unleash its considerable power to ensure Ukrainian victory.

Declaring that Ukraines accession [to NATO] should be fast-tracked, Tisdall gives away the central motivation of this campaign: Yet important though this issue is, NATO faces a far bigger question this week: whether it is doing enough to ensure Kyiv wins the waror at least, doesnt lose.

For months, the US media had heralded Ukraines spring offensive, which it breathlessly proclaimed as a decisive turning point in the war. Just over a month ago, the Economist proclaimed, Western military officials believe that Russias poorly motivated and badly trained troops, exhausted after months of fruitless offensives, may struggle to defend the trenches and fortifications.

Now, confronted with the failure of Ukraines offensivewhich has achieved nothing despite the death of tens of thousands of soldiersthe US media claims that the only way to rescue Kiev regime from a military debacle is to intervene directly.

The Vilnius meeting was conceived as a victors summit. Instead, the NATO powers are meeting against the backdrop of military failure: the meeting will be a Summit of the Desperate. All the NATO regimes confront deep internal crises, which would be intensified by a major failure of the war they provoked.

In May, following the announcement that the US would send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine amid the fall of Bakhmut, the World Socialist Web Site asked, How will the United States respond to this latest debacle? How much further can Washington escalate? Can anyone doubt that, following the dispatch to Ukraine of advanced fighter jets, demands will emerge in the press for Biden to send defensive nuclear weapons to Ukraine, or even for NATO troops, whether in the skies or on the ground, to become directly involved in the fighting?

These predictions have been confirmed within just months.

On Sunday, Biden said that it is premature for Ukraine to join NATO. Were at war with Russia, if that were the case, Biden said. This declaration must be seen in the context of Bidens declaration in February 2022 that The idea that were going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains thats called World War III, which was followed by the United States deploying main battle tanks and F-16s. Every single red line the Biden administration claimed it would not cross in Ukraine it has ultimately done soin some cases just weeks or even days later.

The escalation of the war will continue without the direct intervention of the working class, which must respond by initiating its own international campaign against war. The same capitalist crisis propelling the war with Russia also lays the groundwork for such a movement. Throughout this year, millions of workers have participated in massive strikes and demonstrations, driven by the skyrocketing cost of living and extreme exploitation.

It is necessary to fuse the emerging working-class movement against militarism and war with opposition against inequality, exploitation and the capitalist system.
Minister for Indigenous Affairs Linda Burney addresses National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, July 5, 2023. [Photo: ABC iview]

The address by Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney to the National Press Club last Wednesday was part of the attempt by the Labor government to turn around flagging support for a Yes vote on its proposed referendum to be conducted later this year to change the Constitution and establish an indigenous advisory body, or Voice, to the government and the executive.

Her speech signified a shift in the government campaign away from an emphasis on the support of big business for the Voicevirtually universal among the corporate and financial elitesand from promotion by celebrities. Instead, she emphasised the supposed practical outcomes the Voice will have in addressing the appalling social and economic conditions confronting large sections of the Indigenous population.

Burney was attempting to appeal to the widespread sentiment, going back many decades, that the dire and, in numerous cases, worsening conditions for Indigenous people must be addressed.

However, this is where the Yes campaign is coming adrift because the more is known about the Voice, the more there is growing, well-founded scepticism in wider sections of the population, not least among Aborigines, that it will do anything to alleviate these conditions. It will be simply a mechanism through which the social and political status of a layer of well-connected, and invariably well-heeled Indigenous individuals, is further elevated.

Towards the beginning of her address, Burney advanced a historical falsification which is at the centre of the Yes campaign. The idea of constitutional recognition through a Voice is what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves have asked for, not the government, she said.

As the WSWS has documented, using material provided in the book Everything You Need to Know About the Uluru Statement from the Heart, written by Voice supporters Megan Davis and George Williams, the origins of the Voice lie in the efforts of the Abbott Liberal government in 2015 to deflect anger over the major cuts to Indigenous services in the 2014 budget and the deepening disillusionment with decades old pledges of some form of recognition.

A meeting involving Abbott, the then Labor leader Bill Shorten, as well as prominent Indigenous figures such as Marcia Langton and Noel Pearson, was convened at the prime ministers Sydney residence, Kirribilli House. It issued a statement which included the establishment of a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous council to advise governments on legislation.

This initiative is the foundation of the Voice referendum now being advanced by the Albanese Labor government, which is one of its cornerstone policies.

The fact that it has been, from the outset and throughout the entire course of its development, a top-down and not a bottom-up movement is one of the reasons for its faltering support, including within the Indigenous population.

Burney gave a list of the appalling conditions for many sections of the Indigenous population including health, suicide rates, higher incarceration rates, especially of youth, life expectancy, education and housing among others. She noted that a report last month showed that just 4 out of the 19 targets for closing the gap were on trackover a decade after the program was put in place.

According to Burney, the reason is that there has not been a body such as the Voice which would work in a practical way to overcome them.

But over the past decades, there has been no lack of voices, including Indigenous ones, pointing to the failure of government policies to bring any real advance. There has been no lack of reports on conditionsincluding housing, health, education, incarceration rates and deaths in custody, to name just someafter which the terrible situations they document very often worsen.

In seeking to present the Voice as the path forward, Burney gave a very revealing example of where it would make an important practical difference, citing the Community Development Program, more commonly known as work for the dole, or unemployment benefits. The CDP scheme involves around 40,000 people, the vast majority Indigenous, across 1000 communities.

Burney said that the CDP program had been a failure. In fact, based on a government report issued in 2019, a more accurate description would be a disaster. The report found that since its introduction the scheme had led to an increase in social problems, including stealing of food by children, increased family violence, growing financial problems, and an increase in mental health problems.

According to Burney, however, the Voice can play a key role in helping to fix CDP. In other words, it would assist in giving this cheap labour scheme a much-needed facelift. That would be its practical value.

The Voice will likely consist of 24 unelected members chosen by existing bodies such as Aboriginal land councils and government-funded service providers, that is, the very organisations that have been integral to the imposition of social misery inflicted on the Indigenous population, together with representatives of the growing number of Aboriginal businesses.

There was one grain of truth in Burneys press conference remarks. She said the social crimes committed against the Aboriginal population have causes that are systemic and structural.

The roots of the oppression of the Indigenous population do not lie in the establishment of white society, as the issue is so often portrayed, but in the formation of capitalist society based on private ownership of the means of production and the land requiring the clearing of its inhabitants through shooting, poisoning and the spread of disease, in some cases deliberately.

Today, the ever-worsening conditions of large sections of the Indigenous population are part of a capitalist offensive against the working class as a whole, particularly its most impoverished sections. This is exemplified by the Robodebt crime, which illegally claimed nearly $2 billion from at least 433,000 welfare recipients.

In her Press Club remarks, Burney presented the Voice as a continuation of the 1967 referendum in which the Aboriginal population was counted in the census and which gave the Federal government the power to make laws regarding them over and above state legislation.

The overwhelming Yes vote in that referendum was an expression of a growing upsurge of the working class, a component of which was the developing sentiment that action had to be taken to support the advancement of the Indigenous population.

However, over the more than half century since, there has been a concerted campaign to separate the struggle against the oppression of the Indigenous population from the broader struggles of the working class, diverting it into the fight for land rights and property titles within the framework of identity politics.

Burney played to this agenda in her speech. Departing from her prepared remarks, she lashed out at Trump-style politics in the opposition to the Voice. Undoubtedly there are racist elements in the No campaign, but to brand the growing opposition to the Voice in this way, including from within the Indigenous community itself, is a crude attempt to tarnish genuine opposition as racialist.

The Voice does not represent a way forward for Indigenous people. It is yet another trap as all the nostrums advanced in the past are more clearly exposed.

It is part of an agenda of reconciliation and constitutional recognition. That is, reconciliation with the capitalist system responsible for the crimes against the Aboriginal population from 1788 to the present day and the integration, via constitutional recognition, of a privileged layer of academics, business executives and bureaucrats into the political establishment.

With unerring class instinct major corporations, finance houses and multi-million-dollar sporting enterprises have taken the measure of the Voice and are backing it to the hilt as their demands for deepening attacks on the working class became ever more strident.

Key sections of the military establishment support it on the basis that it will assist in the development of national unity and patriotism as the drums of war beat ever louder.

The Voice is part of this agenda. Burney concluded her speech by declaring that a Yes vote would unify and strengthen Australia and would be an act of patriotism.

The appeal to nationalism and patriotism, long ago characterised as the last refuge of the scoundrel, is aimed at trying to obscure the central task of unifying the working class, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, in the fight for an internationalist and socialist program as the only way in which the historic and ongoing crimes against Aboriginal population can be ended.
Radio New Zealand building in Wellington

On 9 June, the state-owned broadcaster Radio New Zealand (RNZ) advised of supposed inappropriate editing of several wire service stories relating to the war in Ukraine which had been published on its website.

A detailed audit of stories with breaches of editorial standards was immediately launched. Two days later RNZ announced that it had corrected 16 of its online articles with alleged pro-Russian content published over the past year. Far from being pro-Russian, the edits had merely inserted inconvenient truths in the otherwise wall-to-wall barrage of pro-war propaganda that dominates the countrys jingoistic media.

The furore began with a Reuters article posted on the RNZ website on June 9 which had removed wording that glorified the 2014 coup in Ukraine as a revolution and inserted wording that correctly read: The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian elected government was toppled during Ukraines violent Maidan colour revolution.

RNZ CEO Paul Thompson dismissed the report and several others as pro-Kremlin garbage. He apologised to RNZs audience, the public and the Ukrainian community, labelling the act inexcusable. Thompson promised that thousands of historic reports would be checked with a fine-tooth comb.

Amid a gathering witch-hunt, RNZ board chair Jim Mather, far from defending the broadcasters editorial independence, announced an external review of RNZs processes for editing online stories. The staffer responsible for the edits, Michael Hall, was suspended from the stations digital department and subsequently resigned. Hall has been vilified and smeared as a rogue reporter, a Russian sympathiser and even an agent.

The furore, however, originated not within New Zealand but in the United States. The first complaint came via Luppe B. Luppen, a New York-based lawyer and well-connected Democratic Party supporter. Luppen tweeted a link to the June 9 RNZ/Reuters story and accused Reuters of publishing utterly false, Russian propaganda history of 2014. He later claimed that a Reuters representative had reached out to him to explain that the changes had been made by RNZ.

The purge of articles now under way has been vastly expanded to cover topics well beyond the Ukraine war. As of July 9, nearly 1,000 stories had been examined. Of these, 49 have been changed, according to an RNZ statement, to bring them up to our standards.

In Orwellian fashion, truthful and accurate points made by Hall are now being removed. RNZ, with the full support of the Labour Party-Greens government, is carrying out this operation to condition the population for a vast escalation of imperialist wars abroad and class war at home.

Of the articles that have so far been corrected, 21 are about Russia or Ukraine. Four relate to the supposed threat from China, including its handling of the coronavirus. Another focuses on the case of persecuted journalist and publisher Julian Assange. Several deal with Israels criminal actions against Palestinians and 10 address South American politics, mainly Venezuela. Several others cover Syria, Britains anti-strike law and a BBC report on the 2022 French elections.

References to the 2014 US-backed coup in Kiev have been expunged, in order to falsify the history of the war, in line with Washingtons propaganda that Russias 2022 invasion was an unprovoked attack on a democratic country. NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg has openly admitted that the events of 2014 marked the real start of the war in Ukraine, a fact consistently suppressed by RNZ.

One article, posted on May 6, 2020, now brazenly promotes fascistic elements in the Ukrainian military. Under the headline, UN again trying to evacuate civilians from Ukraines Mariupol it includes an interview with Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment on the heavy fighting in the strategic city of Mariupol.

Halls version correctly identified the Azov Battalion as a neo-Nazi military unit fighting for Ukraine. Azov glorifies both Nazism and far-right Ukrainian nationalist organisations which were responsible for the massacres of tens of thousands of Jews, Poles as well as Ukrainians, during World War II. Despite the clear justification, in fact journalistic necessity for Halls edit, RNZ has deleted it.

In another article dated October 21, 2021, Halls headline Russia says NATO increasing tensions with new war plan preparations has been turned on its head to make Russia the aggressor and now reads, NATO agrees master plan to deter growing Russian threat.



RNZ is also advancing the propaganda offensive against China as part of the US-led buildup to war. A March 7 article, Taiwan warns of Chinas repeated provocations had four paragraphs of Halls edit changed to emphasise Chinas purportedly aggressive designs over Taiwan. RNZs corrected version prominently accuses China of repeated provocations and declares that Beijing ramped up diplomatic and military pressure to get Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty, as opposed to the correct term, Chinese reunification, used by Hall.



There are no details of Washingtons vast military escalation in the region. Halls reference to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taipei in August being regarded by Beijing as a major provocation has been removed.



In a March 16 article about a North Korean missile test, RNZ has deleted a note that the US was also stocking up Taiwan with weapons.



The corrected articles include several on Israels killing of Palestinians, and one on the Netanyahu governments expansion of settlements on the West Bank. In a December 2022 article, RNZ has removed a description of the settlements as being according to international law, illegal. This correct formulation has been replaced with one less damning of Israel, reading: Most world powers deem settlements built on land captured in war illegal.



All the corrections are framed to suit the pro-imperialist narrative of the political establishments. An article from November 30, 2022, titled Australia urging US to bring Assange matter to closeAlbanese favourably reports on the Australian Prime Ministers purported support for the imprisoned WikiLeaks founder, while stressing Albaneses disagreements with Assange on a whole range of matters.

Unmentioned is the fact that award-winning reporter and film maker John Pilger, among many prominent media figures, has accused the Australian government of betraying Assange. Meanwhile RNZ has deleted a sentence included by Hall, which stated: Supporters say [Assange] is a heroic journalist victimised for exposing US war crimes in [the] Afghanistan and Iraq. Assange is currently a hairs breadth away from being extradited to the US, where he faces the remainder of his life in prison.



Articles on South America have been amended to downplay Washingtons imperialist interference in the region. In a February 2019 article, RNZ legitimised the attempt by US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido to seize power from Venezuelas president Nicolas Maduro.

While the report noted that Maduro denounced the move as an attempted coup, it contained a claimremoved by Hallthat 50 nations recognised Guaido as president. The claim has now been reinstated.

Another article from the same month declared that the US military was ready to protect its diplomats in Venezuela. Hall had noted that Venezuelas collapse under US sanctions and the rule of socialist President Nicolas Maduro has led to further US intervention in backing opposition leader Juan Guaido after he declared himself president last month. The sentence has now been changed to read Venezuelas collapse under President Nicolas Maduro has forced nations worldwide to take a stance.

In a January 2020 report titled Venezuelas opposition calls for pressure on Russia over Maduro support, RNZ removed a note by Hall that Maduro had stayed in power after the military stayed loyal to him despite calls for a coup, and inserted the words backed by the military instead. RNZ also changed US allies to the US and other countries recognising Guaido.

Signalling the role RNZ will play in the eruption of working class struggles at home, a January 10 article, dealing with the British Tories vicious anti-strike law, has had a headline reading British law stifling right to strike to be introduced to parliament changed to the more innocuous; UK laws to blunt strikes begin journey through parliament.

RNZs so-called audit of Halls articles dispenses entirely with the concept of journalistic accuracy and objective truth. The corrections amount to cynical, politically-motivated censorship and lies, which sets a precedent, not only for RNZ but the media as a whole. Accompanied by a hysterical witch-hunt that has already claimed one journalists job, it sends a chilling warning to anyone who dares to challenge the official pro-imperialist propaganda.
The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with Stephen Wheatcroft, professorial fellow of Russian and Soviet history at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Wheatcroft is one of the worlds leading experts on the Soviet famine and Soviet economic history more broadly. He has done extensive archival research in the former Soviet Union, and, together with the late Robert W. Davies, he co-authored a seven-volume account of Soviet industrialization. Wheatcroft also co-edited multiple documentary volumes on Soviet agriculture, 1927-1939, and authored multiple articles on the famine, industrialization and other aspects of Soviet history. He has also written on the role of statistics in Vladimir Lenins economic thinking and writing and the devastating impact of Stalinism on Soviet statistics.

Based on statistics and reports that became available in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Wheatcroft and Davies provided a comprehensive account of forced collectivization and the famine in the Soviet Union in 1932-1933 in their 2004 volume The Years of Hunger. Their account, unparalleled to this day, is an unanswerable refutation of the now widely promoted lie that the famine constituted an ethnically targeted genocide of Ukrainians or Kazakhs or other specific peoples of the USSR.

Stephen Wheatcroft [Photo]

The WSWS established contact with Stephen Wheatcroft over our review of Timothy Snyders Bloodlands. While legitimizing the Ukrainian far-right distortions of the history of the famine and Soviet history more broadly, Snyder in his book falsely claims to rely on Wheatcrofts and Davies work on the famine. In discussion with the WSWS, Wheatcroft spoke about his findings on the famine, the history of the false claim that the famine constituted an ethnically targeted genocide, the attacks on the concept of objectivity in history, and the current climate in academia. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

***

Clara Weiss: The Soviet famine and its impact in Ukraine is one of the most complicated and politically loaded subjects of Soviet history. Can you describe how the scholarship on the Soviet famine has developed over the past decades? How would you summarize the key findings of your own research?

Stephen Wheatcroft: The question of responsibility for the famine in Ukraine is very important, especially at this difficult time when very incendiary claims are being made. During the first Cold War, I thought it important to try to maintain a sense of realism when looking at the Gulag. The reality of the Gulag was abhorrent in itself. To exaggerate its size by a factor of more than four or five, as did those who claimed that there were 8-12 million people in the Gulag on the eve of World War II, diminished the impact of the Gulag by making it less real. The exaggerated scale fitted in with the idea that repression was the totality of what the Soviet Union was about. I hope that I played a role in undermining the totalitarian view of Soviet politics and in establishing a more realistic understanding of the scale and nature of repression and politics in the Soviet Union.

In the 1970s, as a student, I was able to spend two years studying in Moscow on a British Council Exchange at the Moscow Institute of National Economics: The Plekhanov Institute, and it had a profound effect on my outlook and understanding of Soviet society. I got to know and understand many leading Soviet historians, especially Viktor Danilov. Such exchanges are no longer possible, and the possibilities of us improving our understanding of different cultures is made more difficult.

The opening of the Soviet archives in the 1990s was a great breakthrough in our understanding of Soviet history. There was a brief period when Robert Conquest and other Cold War warriors and enthusiasts for totalitarianism claimed that the materials emerging from the archives about the scale of repression that challenged their views were all fakes, but eventually they were forced to accept that the data emerging from the archives were real, although they still managed to avoid admitting that their previous estimates of the scale of repression were wrong.

When working on our book on the Soviet famine and food problems of 1931-33, R.W. Davies and I were able to use the state and party archives (up to the party Central Committee level). And even though we could not directly access the Politburo and State Security archives, our work with Viktor Danilov and his group gave us some access to these materials also. We thought that our book [Wheatcroft/Davies, The Years of Hunger, 2004] had resolved many of the earlier disputes over the nature and causation of the famine. We concluded our volume by distinguishing our views from those of Robert Conquest. Conquest, we wrote, had claimed that Stalin wanted a famine, that the Soviets did not want the famine to be coped with successfully, and that the Ukrainian famine was deliberately inflicted for its own sake. This leads him to the sweeping conclusion: The main lesson seems to be that the Communist ideology provided the motivation for an unprecedented massacre of men, women and children. [The Years of Hunger, p. 441.]

Cover: The Years of Hunger

We concluded:

We do not absolve Stalin from responsibility for the famine. His policies towards the peasants were ruthless and brutal. But the story which has emerged in this book is of a Soviet leadership which was struggling with a famine crisis which had been caused partly by their wrongheaded policies, but was unexpected and undesirable. The background to the famine is not simply that Soviet agricultural policies were derived from Bolshevik ideology, though ideology played its part. They were also shaped by the Russian pre-revolutionary past, the experiences of the civil war, the international situation, the intransigent circumstances of geography and the weather, and the modus operandi of the Soviet system as it was established under Stalin. They were formulated by men with little formal education and limited knowledge of agriculture. Above all, they were a consequence of the decision to industrialise the peasant country at breakneck speed. [The Years of Hunger, p. 441]

One of the reasons why we felt so confident that the situation had changed and that the views of those like Conquest who had earlier argued that the famine had been caused by Stalin on purpose were no longer tenable was because we had the rare experience of hearing from our main opponent that he had changed his mind. Conquest had been sent a pre-publication copy of our book to review, and to our amazement he wrote to us saying that he would give us a good review, provided that we corrected one thing in our conclusions. He asked us to publicly state that it is not his opinion that Stalin purposely inflicted the 1933 famine. No. What I [Conquest] argue is that with resulting famine imminent, he could have prevented it, but put Soviet interest other than feeding the starving firstthus consciously abetting it. We were delighted to comply with Conquests wishes and added his statement above to our footnote 145, and duly received Conquests blurb: A truly remarkable contribution to research into this important field. Robert Conquest, Hoover Institution.

Robert Conquest [Photo by Rob C. Croes (ANEFO), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0

At this point we really thought that we were emerging from the Cold War historical distortions. If Conquest himself now denied that the famine was caused on purpose, how could anyone continue that argument?

Little did we know. In Ukraine, James Mace, my old friend Stanislav Kulchitskii and the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commission would continue to claim that the famine was not only caused on purpose, but was a genocide. They would later be joined by Timothy Snyder (2011) and Anne Applebaum (2017). Surprisingly, they all cited Conquest as one of the major authorities to justify this claim. I have tried to object to the false references to Conquest and to the swell of popularity that these claims have had, but they have continued and now the war in Ukraine has added to the public pressure to accept the incorrect and simplified view that Russia has always harboured genocidal views against Ukrainians. The genocide thesis certainly had a boost with increasing anti-Russian attitudes, and now the war has super-charged the boost.

Timothy Snyder: Bloodlands

CW: Can you speak on the historical origins of the claim that the famine that occurred in the Soviet Union in 1932-1933 was an ethnically targeted genocide and explain how the statistics that became available after 1991 helped to conclusively refute such claims?

SW: Genocide has all kinds of definitional problems. It is much easier to speak of purposive killings of large groups of people, selected for ethnic or other reasons.

Let us recall that we started from a position where the Soviets were totally denying that there was a famine at all. At that point, it was a question of was there a famine or was there not a famine. That soon then became a question of whether the famine was man madebut when they spoke of a man-made famine at that time, they meant was it a consequence of policy or was it a natural famine as a result of the weather. Within Ukrainian nationalist circles, and earlier under the Nazis, there probably had been claims of all sorts of things, but within academic circles the idea of purposive killing was not considered seriously.

Victims of the famine in Kharkov (Kharkiv) in 1933 (Public domain)

Once the statistics became available [in the 1980s], and it became clear that there was a famine, no one was really denying that there was a famine and that it was largely the result of policy. That is when the debates about purposive killing began. In the United States, it was James Mace who was the first promulgator of that. I played some role at the time in criticizing him. The other one I remember quite distinctly is the Ukrainian historian Stanislav Kulchitsky, who I have known for years. Kulchitsky was the first Ukrainian historian I know who very distinctly wanted to talk about genocide, but at the same time he was opposing Robert Conquests figures on the scale of the deaths. We were planning to write an article together with Sergei Maksudov [Harvard University] on this until I pulled out once I realized that he was determined to use the word genocide to describe the famine.

Historians like Andrea Graziosi, who also uses the word genocide, emphasize the importance of punitive measures like the black-boarding of groups who failed to fulfill their plans of central grain procurement. But as Ive pointed out, once data became available at the rayon [regional] level, and we could map fairly accurately where the famine was occurring, it was clear that the famine was not located in the major grain procurement regions. [In Soviet Ukraine] it was in the Kiev oblast, which is not a major grain procurement area and did not have many black boards.

Thats why Ive offered the following hypothesis: something that does fit the facts, both the chronology and the geography showing why the famine was particularly serious in Kiev oblast. This was because Ukrainian failure to fulfill the grain collection plan resulted in reduced allocations of grain to the major Ukrainian city of Kiev.

Kiev city did not have much of its urban population on central rations. Only two factories had category one rations. Most of the population of this enormous city were not supplied by central grain supplies. It was consequently up to local agencies working within the confines of Kiev oblast, using decentralized collections after the ending of centralized grain collections, to provide the grain to feed the population of the city of Kiev. That is why there were such severe procurements carried out in Kiev oblast. As far as I can see, they were not centralized collections that were collected to ship out for Moscow. These were local agents collecting grain to feed Kiev city. Of course, Kiev city needed feeding because there was no grain from the rest of the country.

This does not lessen the seriousness of the situation, but it makes it far more difficult to argue that it was done on purpose. We are talking about complex processes that have consequences that people do not necessarily understand. But they [both central and local agencies] were determined to push ahead whatever the consequences. There was a ruthless lack of consideration. I still see it as criminal, but it is not purposeful or intentional murder or genocide. Historians can only continue to call it a genocide by refusing to unpack what is meant by genocide, and by ignoring the chronology and geography of where the most intense famine occurred.

Theres some confusion about the use of the term Holodomor. Holodomor literally just means Hunger to the extent of death. I am not in principle opposed to the word. Language develops over time when there is a need for greater precision. The Slavic languages are rather strange in having a relatively narrow spectrum of words indicating different degrees of hunger, in comparison with English or German. If its just used as a term for famine, theres nothing particularly wrong with that. But extending that to a completely different phenomenon with this great national and spiritual significance is another matter. It sounds similar to the Holocaust, bizarrely.

CW: Thats not bizarre, it was intended. The reason why the Ukrainian nationalists pushed the term Holodomor in the 1980s was the rise of Holocaust research and the exposures in the 1980s of the role of Ukrainian nationalists in the genocide of the Jews. They were trying to equate the famine with the genocide of European Jewry.

SW: Yes, that is perfectly clear. That is also why [some Ukrainian nationalists and James Mace] insisted that the number of victims of the famine in Ukraine was 7 million, more than the 6 million [who died in the Holocaust]. These are parts of the origins.

CW: Timothy Snyder and Anne Applebaum effectively adopt the Ukrainian nationalist narrative of an ethnically targeted genocide in their works. Now these narratives, although disproven by your own work and that of other historians, are taught in schools. The German government has even banned denial that the famine was a genocide. The Ukrainian far-right routinely attacks and denounces those who insist on the historical truth about the famine. What, in your assessment, are the implications of this development for historical scholarship and historical knowledge?

SW: Its not new. I think this is a second Cold War. The equivalent to Snyder and Applebaum for earlier generations was a figure like Robert Conquest. But during the first Cold War, Conquest was always more on the fringes of academe apart from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. But there were many academics even at Stanford University arguing against the Hoover Institution, [opposing] that such a brazenly political, non-scientifically oriented organization should have a position within the university.

Hoover Institution at Stanford University [Photo by Pmlineditor / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

That there are Cold War ideologues who are writing histories that are extraordinarily popular is not new. What is new is the collapse of the academic discipline of history in the face of that. The Hoover Institutions position within academiaeven within Stanfordis a symbol of whats now happening across the entire discipline. I remember the surprise during perestroika when Gorbachev, during his first visit to America, insisted that he should go and visit not a decent academic institute but, actually, Hoover Institution. That seemed to give it a kind of boost.

Having lived through the first Cold War, when I had many academic debates with Robert Conquest, in some regards the situation is very different. There has been a shift in the historical profession which has made people less interested in trying to understand what really happened, because that is talking in old fashioned objectivity terms and one doesnt do that.

The profession is now more interested in what it felt like. What it felt like to be a victim, what it felt like to be the grandmother or mother who lost her children, or siblings in the famine, etc. I do not want to diminish their personal losses and tragedy, but I do think weve lost something. Maybe Im an old fashioned economic historian who is still thinking in terms of trying to be objective. Im finding that Im in a very minority position within much of the discipline.

CW: What you describe is very much bound up with the dominance of postmodernismthe concept that there is no objective truth. Of course, one cannot fully reflect the objective truth as a historian, but one can approach it and must seek to study it as a historian. Instead, everything is reduced to opinions, feelings, how people see the world, and not, as you said, what actually happened.

This goes beyond the field of history, in fact, but it has perhaps the most damaging impact in history. This also legitimizes people like Snyder simply changing their position from one day to the other without even offering anything approximating an explanation. Timothy Snyder was once asked in Berlin why he no longer mentioned the Ukrainian fascist leader Bandera in Bloodlands, even though he wrote an entire book about the crimes of the Ukrainian far-right earlier. He responded, In ones life, one writes many books. This may be something a fiction writer can say, but not a historian. If you change your assessment as a historian, which may at times be necessary, you have to provide documentary evidence and justification.

SW: Yes, in Conquests times, it was clear that he had been employed by the British government in a position which was concerned effectively with producing anti-Soviet propaganda. What weve got with Applebaum and Snyder is more a journalistic approach of trying to find things that will respond to various audiences. It would, in fact, be difficult to treat Applebaum as a real historian. She was just a journalist who at a certain point decided to write for a different audience. By contrast, with Snyders earlier writings, you can see that he was a historian, although hes moved towards a more populist approach.

CW: Id like to come back to the question of what that means for the historical profession and the intellectual climate. The Ukrainian far-right, as Im sure you are aware, is exerting immense pressure in academia. There are funding issues involved, but its more than that. You will have also heard that, in a parallel development, Polish historians of the Holocaust are now routinely attacked by the far-right.

SW: Yes, and the Stephen Cohen affair in the USthat was absolutely monstrous, the way in which the American Slavic profession responded to him just because he advocated friendlier ties with Russia. Its perhaps one of the biggest examples of how things have gone completely off the rails.

[Stephen Cohen was a professor of politics at New York University and well-known public intellectual. A biographer and admirer of Nikolai Bukharin, he opposed the anti-Russia witch-hunt in the US media, exposing some of its most glaring contradictions and lies, and warned of a war against Russia.]

CW: He was persona non grata by the end of his life.

SW: Its odd. I suffered quite a bit back in the 1970s and 1980s by debating Conquestit got pretty robust at various times, but its gotten a thousand times worse since then. Id very much like to find a way in which we could discuss things without getting out of control.

CW: What, in your view, is the way forward for the writing of Soviet and Russian history?

SW: Its very important to treat Russian history like other histories. Unfortunately, now, totalitarianism theories are making a comeback and we have crude, ethnically oriented tropes.

A removal of that Russian and Soviet exceptionalism would be a good thing. Soviet and Russian history should be integrated more with the history of Germany, Sweden and other countries. If were going to have a spread of genocidal theories starting in Ukraine, moving to Kazakhstan and other places, were not getting into the objectifying, normalizing study of the country on a scientific basis.

Last week I was in Sweden and Finland, where I was talking with local historians about the 1860s harvest failures in the Baltic area, trying to fit parts of the Russian Empire that were affected into that history. It is important to treat them as countries having similar problems to neighbouring countries regarding the impact of weather, the politics of relief measures and the ensuing demographic and epidemiological consequences. I would like to extend such work into the 20th century, comparing Russian and Soviet food problems in World War I and World War II with those in other countries, and comparing Soviet and Chinese food problems in the early stages of their forced industrialization, and I have already done some work on these. [ 1 ]

CW: Thank you very much. I appreciate that you took the time to do this interview. I think it is important for historians like you to speak up and contribute to a change in the cultural and intellectual climate that is so urgently necessary.

SW: Id like to thank you. I am very sympathetic to your views and the way you have been checking references that have often been wrongly applied. Perhaps Ive been getting a bit lazy in my old days, thinking that I fought my battles earlier on and that theres no need to keep on fighting them, but maybe one ought to keep going.
The results of a new study released last week by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau of the US Department of the Interior, found that nearly half of all US tap water contain industry-made perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), referred to as forever chemicals due to their stable molecular structures that make them highly persistent in the environment. Some PFAS may take over 1,000 years to degrade, if at all.

Fire Brigade in the Netherlands putting out a car fire with chemical foam thought to release PFAS [Photo: Fire Brigade Neder-Betuwe, base Ochten, the Netherlands]

These synthetic substances, first developed during the Manhattan Project (the US government research project that produced the first atomic bomb) in 1945, are known for their heat-resistant and stain-resistant properties, and have become ubiquitous in the commercial fabric of society that include a wide range of consumer products, food packaging, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and firefighting foams. Because of their unique carbon-fluorine bondone of the strongest chemical bonds in naturethey persist in the environment after seeping into the groundwater from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, waste incineration facilities and contaminated rain.

Research has documented the health effects of these substances for more than five decades. It includes potential for causing cancers, behavioral disturbances, metabolic derangements, and impact on pregnancy and childhood development.

As the 2015 Madrid Statement on PFAS made clear, [They] are found in the indoor and outdoor environments, wildlife, and human tissue and bodily fluids all over the globe. They are emitted via industrial processes and military and firefighting operations, and they migrate out of consumer products into the air, household dust, food, soil, ground, and surface water, and make their way into drinking water.

Diagram shows the pathways for PFAS through the environment. [Photo: US Government Accountability Office (GAO)]

The statement added that in addition to the toxicity seen in animal studies that led to liver toxicity (PFAS is known to accumulate in this organ), deleterious impact on lipid and endocrine metabolism, immune dysregulation, formation of tumors in multiple organs, the growing body of epidemiological evidence  include[s] association with testicular and kidney cancers, liver malfunction, hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, lower birth weights and size, obesity, decreased immune response to vaccines, and reduced hormone levels and delayed puberty.

Extrapolating from samples collected from 716 tap water locationsresidences, businesses and drinking water treatment plants, including 155 unregulated private-well waterthroughout the country over a five-year period (2016-2021), the USGS study estimated that about 45 percent of US drinking waters contained anywhere from one to nine different PFAS with corresponding cumulative concentrations ranging from 0.348 to 346 parts per trillion (PPT), with a median figure of seven PPT.

These substances appeared to predominate in urban areas clustering in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California regions with high population densities. However, as the authors note, only a few dozen PFAS were targeted in the study despite, according to industry experts, the existence of 14,000 such compounds used in every conceivable facet of production.

The authors of the USGS report wrote, Targeted PFAS analytes are only a fractional indicator of the 8000+ potential PFAS and the fraction of total organic fluorine captured by these targeted analyses is typically low in surface water and drinking water. Potential detection of one or more PFAS in US drinking-water combined with the paucity of information available on current use of ultra-short chain compounds supports the continued need for point-of-use tap water monitoring, with an emphasis on small community water supplies.

They conclude by warning, To fully understand exposure and adequately determine risk to human health, continued emphasis should be placed on 1) integrating geospatial datasets with PFAS data broadly to identify vulnerable regions/subpopulations, 2) expanding monitoring to include rural small-system and private-well dependent communities, and 3) expanding target and non-target analysis methods particularly in drinking-water monitoring programs in the US and globally.

Although the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standards for drinking water quality, each state can interpret these standards, including nature of the regulation and the states view on which level may result in health effects, should they choose to, with the caveat that there is a wide range of PFAS concentrations.

For example, while California has the strictest limit, PFAS concentrations of 5.1 PPT, in Nevada the allowed concentration is the highest in the country at 667,000 PPT. Recent estimates have placed the number of Americans drinking PFAS-contaminated water of at least 1 PPT at 200 million people. When researchers adjusted their exposure limit to 10 PPT, they still found that 20 to 80 million Americans were exposed to such levels. Blood tests indicate that upwards of 98 percent of the US population has been exposed to PFAS.

Although most states had adopted the EPAs previous level of 70 PPT, in March 2023, under mounting pressure from public health scientists and various interest groups, the EPA revised the legal limits on two compounds commonly produced and in use for several decades, per-fluoro-octane-sulfonic acid (PFOS) and per-fluoro-octanoic-acid (PFOA) to 4 PPT which is understood by experts on the topic as an arbitrary compromise.

Scientists have emphatically stated that there are no safe limits for exposure to these compounds and recommended advisory health limits that are 50 to 1,000 times lower than even this threshold. Additionally, they further criticized the EPA and Biden administration because these new limits only apply to six out of about 14,000 compounds and called for the entire class of chemicals to be regulated.

This didnt stop the chemical industry and military from taking the EPA to task on this shift stating that the enforcement of such measures is liable to set off a wave of lawsuits. Chemical manufacturer 3M, which recently reached a $10.3 billion settlement for PFAS contamination of US public drinking water systems, a drop in the bucket to be paid out over 13 years, said after the EPAs announcement of the new limits, We believe that the standards proposed by the EPA lack a sound scientific basis and that the EPA has not shown that they are necessary to protect public health or the environment.

The statement is technically correct insofar as it references the lack of any effort by the EPA, the White House, and the entire governmental apparatus to address these issues up to the present moment. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote in March 2023, An inherent complexity to PFAS is the limited understanding of where PFAS is present in products, including where PFAS is intentionally added and where it is present as a byproduct of other processes.

They admitted, Understanding the sources and pathways of exposure is critical to mitigation of PFAS  Mitigation efforts and health-protective measures cannot be implemented without the ability to detect PFAS at levels of concern. Addressing the challenge of developing additional analytical methods with higher sensitivity to detect both single and mixtures of PFAS is a critical opportunity to accelerate advancement across all other areas.

Considering these comments indicate little has been done so far to address the concerns first raised about the environmental costs and public health dangers more than two decades ago, the Biden administrations recent proposal to protect communities from PFAS pollution are just hollow promises functioning as reelection campaign talking points rather than giving serious consideration to the health of the population.

Indeed, the Obama-Biden administration back in 2011, through the EPA, allowed extraction industries to employ highly toxic chemicals in the fracking process that break down into fluorocarbons, PFAS. The New York Times wrote then, The records, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by a nonprofit group, Physicians for Social Responsibility, are among the first public indications that PFAS, long-lasting compounds also known as forever chemicals, may be present in the fluids used during drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The EPA scientists had themselves indicated the potential toxicity of these chemicals, but the Obama administration allowed these same companies to invoke trade-secret claims that meant information on these chemicals could be withheld from the public. This policy further raise critical issues over the role of the EPA as a supposed public health defender while acting as an agent of Wall Street. With thousands of chemicals constantly being introduced into commercial use, there is very little testing to comprehend the long-term consequences they pose to environmental and population health.

Notably, 3M, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate operating in numerous industrial fields, which began production of PFOA in 1947, had noted signs of trouble in their workers exposed to high levels of these chemicals back in the 1980s and 1990s. Specifically at their Teflon factory in Parkersburg, West Virginia, a cluster of birth defects was possibly linked to PFOA. Their own internal documents had found these chemicals in fish and recognized their toxic potential. In 1990, they examined blood levels in their workers and how exposure was altering their cholesterol levels.

Much of this information was suppressed or minimized until recently. And, in response to two decades of lawsuits, 3M has curtailed production of PFAS beginning in 2020 and will halt all PFAS production by the end of 2025. However, the long-term clean-up and health issues that are expected to emerge in the future decades will be at the expense of the working-class population.

Regarding healthcare alone and the enormous costs to remove these pollutants, a 2019 study conducted by the Nordic Council of Ministers on health impacts linked to exposure to PFAS, estimated the costs to the European Union at 52 to 84 billion euros annually. Extrapolating this data for the US, this would translate to $37 to $59 billion each year. These costs would be deflected by the polluters and ultimately borne by ordinary people, health care providers, and taxpayers.

The issue of PFAS and its regulations is but the tip of the iceberg that is bringing the issues of pollution, climate change and global sustainability of this planet to the fore. The very conditions that have allowed pandemics to emerge as a real existential threat to humanity are a byproduct of the anachronism of capitalist production that places profits over the safety of human life and environment. However, given the experiences with the failed and criminal response to the COVID pandemic, there is no viable solution under the aegis of capitalist production.

Fundamentally, the only path forward in addressing the crisis of human survival are the principles espoused by scientific socialism, which places at the fore the rational organization of all human endeavors, including the protection of the very resources that make life possible. Scientific discoveries are critical and necessary but must be tempered by their usefulness on one hand and potential hazards on the other.
Statements are continuing to be sent, from across Australia and the world, opposing the refusal of Macquarie University in Sydney to affiliate an International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) club, despite it having met all the stipulated requirements.

IYSSE anti-war meeting at Macquarie University in Sydney, April 4, 2023.

The university management has claimed that the IYSSE has the same aims as the Macquarie Socialists and thus cannot be affiliated. But the IYSSE has extensively documented the unbridgeable gulf that separates it from this pseudo-left outfit. And the Macquarie Socialists themselves have issued a statement acknowledging the fundamentally opposed aims of the two organisations.

The university, its falsifications having been exposed, has retreated behind a veil of silence. It is ignoring the many letters being sent demanding an overturn of the ban on the IYSSE and affiliation of its club. The university claims to strive for the extraordinary by challenging convention and embracing different views. But in its cowardly silence, it is functioning as an entirely conventional censor, hostile to different views.

The IYSSE will continue its campaign until management reverses its false decision.

That is not only to defend the rights of the IYSSE. It is also because the attack at Macquarie is part of a broader onslaught on anti-war opposition, especially targeting those who speak out against the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine. The aim is to suppress a socialist alternative to war and to enforce a climate of militarist conformism.

The letters to Macquarie University underscore that this will not succeed. There is a developing radicalisation of students and youth which finds expression in many of the letters that have been sent. That is especially so in the case of the letters below, from two socialist-minded high school students in the United States.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

My name is Landon and Im an IYSSE member and high school student in the United States, specifically in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Im writing to demand that you re-affiliate the IYSSE club at Macquarie University.

The university might claim that Socialist Alternative and the IYSSE are the same, but there are fundamental differences down to the most simple political questions.

Socialist Alternative endorses views which have nothing to do with left-wing politics and are nowhere near those of the IYSSE.

While Socialist Alternative has endorsed the NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, we oppose this war. While their politics are pragmatic and opportunist, we consistently apply Marxism to uphold not just historically accurate foundations, but also principled politics. Their support for the Greens and Labor Party also shows Socialist Alternatives goals are entirely different from ours and that they dont seek an independent working class movement such as we do.

They orient towards the ruling class while we orient towards the working class. They attack us and say were sectarian or dogmatic but refuse to even defend our democratic rights in the face of censorship. By contrast, we defend basic democratic principles such as the presumption of innocence, a legal and democratic principle that dates back to ancient Rome.

From that, it isn't difficult to tell the major differences between our group and the Socialist Alternative. While were Socialist, theyre pseudo-left. While theyre pragmatic and focus on the right now, were optimistic and focus on the past, present and future.

To deny club status to the IYSSE is a denial of the most basic democratic rights of students to express their thoughts and organize. These basic and fundamental rights date back to the Enlightenment and were upheld in the Declaration of Independence. Now, these rights are a joke to the ruling class, a piece of history that they disband with to pursue their interests against the working class. Australian imperialism has demonstrated as much in the central role it has played in the US-led war preparations against China, which are taking place behind the backs of workers and students.

There is absolutely no excuse for denying students the right to organize and fight for their future and socialism amidst this war plotting. Therefore, I, along with every IYSSE member in the US and throughout the world, demand re-admission of the club to the university, no strings attached and declare full solidarity with all students and workers in Australia.

Landon,

Allentown, Pennsylvania

****

To the administration of Student Groups:

Your decision to not affiliate the IYSSE at Macquarie University is a blatant assault on democratic rights and it merits contempt from youth and students all around the world, which I personally share in. The underlying motivations for this decision, which give rise to the inanity of your justifications, are not difficult to deduce: the transformation of universities in Australia, the US, and the other Western imperialist powers into imperialist think tanks requires the abolition of critical thought. Nonetheless, I find it necessary to point out some of the more glaring contradictions or oversights within your rationale in the interests of the rigors of democratic debate, which you have sought to sidestep, if not openly repress.

1) You claim that the primary reason for refusing to affiliate the IYSSE club is that it is not unique, and that it would hamper your teams ability to serve all student groups. In reality, this is a targeted attack that is based on the fact that the IYSSE is the youth movement of the only tendency which opposes the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine from the left.

2) Supposing that this was not the direct intention of university managementwhich requires near credulity to believetheir application of the generally anti-democratic rule falls on our group particularly heavily precisely because of our unique position, which can be found nowhere in the mainstream media.

Either the management did not perform due diligence in attempting to understand the principled differences between our program and that of the pseudo-left Macquarie Socialists; or it is well aware of them and chooses to repress democratic discourse.

Though your attempts to restrain freedom of thought and of discussion, particularly of the Marxist perspective, do have damaging effects to our work, compelling us to respond with a campaign against your decision, it will ultimately backfire for university management. It provides us an opportunity to expose the anti-democratic machinations of the imperialist war machine and rally about us all progressive elements in a political landscape where no other opposition to war and dictatorship exist. The energy and enthusiasm of youth will be drawn to the ICFI as the sole outlet for their democratic and socialist aspirations and the former will animate the latter in our struggle for a truly equal society without war, authoritarianism, poverty, or disease.

I express my solidarity with my comrades at Macquarie and reiterate the call of the WSWS for all other student clubs at Macquarie University, as well as student groups across the country and internationally to oppose the suppression of the IYYSE and to demand our affiliation, together with academics and staff who defend civil liberties.

- IYSSE member in Texas

We call on all readers to support the fight to defend the IYSSE at Macquarie University by sending letters of protest over the rejection of the IYSSEs affiliation to the Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging division of university management at studentgroups@mq.edu.au, and CC iysse.macquarie@gmail.com.
On July 4, a right-wing federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump issued a ruling banning any direct contact between the Biden administration and social media companies to review content moderation on their platforms.

The ruling received a polarized reaction in the American media and political establishment, with Republicans generally celebrating the ruling as a victory for free speech, while Democrats denouncing it as opening the floodgates of disinformation.

The decision and the entire official debate around it are characterized by two basic falsehoods. First, the decision paints an upside-down picture of the widespread government surveillance and interference on social media and the internet, with the supposedly authoritarian left censoring the freedom-loving right, in line with the rhetoric of Trump and the Republicans. Second, the decision defends the far-right Wuhan Lab conspiracy theory, as well as deadly COVID-19 misinformation as legitimate free speech that is supposedly the primary target of government censorship.

On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, a judge prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about protected speech.

The decision highlights the very real collaboration between the American government and the private social media conglomerates through various back channels to censor and throttle speech online. But the ruling dishonestly presents that collaboration as being primarily directed against right-wing opponents of COVID-19 countermeasures, instead of left-wing, antiwar, pro-science and anti-capitalist perspectives.

Judge Terry A. Doughty of the US District Court in the Western District of Louisiana granted the preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by the Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Judge Doughty sided with the plaintiffs claim that their free speech rights had been violated by the government because representatives of the Biden administration worked with the social media platforms to censor their posts and accounts from 2020 to 2022.

The ruling names numerous federal government departmentsincluding Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Homeland Security and State Departmentalong with individuals within the White House, such as Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and other prominent administration officials, such as Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy and Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

It says these individuals are hereby enjoined and restrained from engaging in a lengthy list of actions with the social media companies involving content containing protected free speech posted on social media platforms.

Some of the activities banned by Judge Doughtys ruling include any collaboration of the named government departments and individuals with nonpartisan groups devoted to fact checking information onlinesuch as the Election Integrity Partnership, the Virality Project and the Stanford Internet Observatoryfor the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content posted with social-media companies containing protected free speech.

Among the prominent plaintiffs in the case are Dr. Martin Kulldorff and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the co-authors of the so-called Great Barrington Declaration, which was published on October 4, 2020. This statement, which was contemporaneously reviewed by the World Socialist Web Site, advocated the policy of murderous herd immunity sought by the Trump White House. The authors of that document claimed that they were censored on social media by Google, Facebook and Twitter, and others and were the target of a take down by US government agencies.

Doughty, who assumed his first post as a federal judge on March 8, 2018, after his nomination by Donald Trump and confirmation by the Senate in a 98-0 vote, has functioned since his appointment as a crusader against public health. He ruled in 2021 against a federal mandate that health workers be vaccinated, on the grounds that vaccinations do not prevent transmission of the disease and that the virus has achieved an immune escape from COVID-19 vaccines.

In 2022, Doughty issued an injunction against a federal mandate requiring pre-kindergarten workers at Head Start to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The injunction applied to 24 states whose attorneys general had signed on to the lawsuit. Later, in September 2022, Doughty imposed a permanent injunction against a federal vaccine and mask mandate for the Head Start program, stating that President Biden did not have constitutional authority to issue such a mandate.

The notion that there has been a vast government conspiracy to censor right-wing speech online is fundamentally false. This position tracks with the claims by Donald Trump that the deep state and the Democratic Party are run by Marxists and communists, who are trying to destroy American democracy. In the concluding section of his ruling, Judge Doughty writes:

While not admitting any fault in the suppression of free speech, Defendants blame the Russians, COVID-19, and capitalism for any suppression of free speech by social-media companies.

The reality is that the apparatus of censorship implemented by US intelligence and state actors has overwhelmingly been used against anti-capitalist, antiwar, left-wing and socialist publishers online. Meanwhile, right-wing provocateurs who are opposed to COVID-19 countermeasures have been permitted to run amok with both tacit and direct government support.

As far back as April 2017, the World Socialist Web Site proved that Google had implemented a new algorithm that suppressed WSWS search results and news posts, resulting in a nearly 70 percent decline in search traffic to the site. Similar declines were experienced by other left-wing publishers. At one point, during a Senate hearing in October 2020, Google parent Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai publicly admitted that Google had been censoring the WSWS.

Taking their lead from Google, the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Reddit followed suit with similar actions, blocking posts and shutting down WSWS-affiliated Socialist Equality Party and International Youth and Students for Social Equality accounts and blocking online events from being promoted. Only after repeated international campaigns against the censorship were some of the accounts and posts restored.

In one noteworthy example, Twitter falsely labeled a WSWS report on natural COVID-19 origins in April 2022 as misleading. In that case, it was not a right-wing conspiracy theory that was being censored but a left-wing effort to expose and debunk that theory.

In his ruling, Doughty presents the collaboration of the social media companies with the Biden administration as though no such censorship regime existed until 2020, as social media companies reacted to the coronavirus pandemic in the spring and the attempt by Trump to overturn the presidential election in November of that year.

Despite its far-right bias and distortions, Judge Doughtys 155-page ruling does provide extensive details about the interaction of high-level White House officials with top decision-makers at the social media companies to suppress specific posts and accounts on Facebook and Twitter. These relationships included exclusive conduits for the White House to flag specific social media activity for censorship.

There is a lengthy segment on the interaction of Rob Flaherty, Bidens director of digital strategy, with the social media companies, especially Twitter. The ruling states that on February 6, 2021, Flaherty requested Twitter to remove a parody account linked to Finnegan Biden, Hunter Bidens daughter and President Bidens granddaughter. The request stated, Cannot stress the degree to which this needs to be resolved immediately, and Please remove this account immediately. Twitter suspended the parody account within 45 minutes of Flahertys request.

The next day, Twitter unveiled its partner support portal to Flaherty for the purpose of helping the White House to flag content on the platform to be removed. The ruling states: Twitter also stated that it had been recently bombarded with censorship requests from the White House and would prefer to have a streamlined process. Twitter noted that [i]n a given day last week for example, we had more than four different people within the White House reaching out for issues. A similar relationship was subsequently set up with Facebook.

The exposure of the Democrats use of censorship techniques has once again opened the door for the increasingly fascistic Republican Party to falsely posture as defenders of free speech and constitutional rights. Doughty, a judicial representative of the political forces behind Trumps recent call for the passage of a law that would make support for socialism illegal in the US, begins his ruling with quotes from the American Revolution on the significance of free speech rights.

The assertion of individual liberty in opposition to necessary public health measures has nothing in common with socialism or, for that matter, public health. Instead, it plays into the hands of powerful corporate and financial interests that oppose public health measures that interfere with the accumulation of profit.

Lockdowns and quarantines by their very nature necessarily impinge on individual liberty, as do necessary efforts to curb the flow of deadly misinformation, such as Trumps claim that drinking bleach cures COVID-19.

The ruling cites an exchange in which a Facebook representative contacted the CDC to ask whether [the claim that] Ivermectin is effective in treating COVID is false, and if believed, could contribute to people refusing that vaccination or self-medicating. The CDC advised Facebook that the claim that Ivermectin is effective in treating COVID is NOT ACCURATE.

This kind of exchange is not in the same category as the political censorship of left-wing publications, such as the WSWS. Indeed, the issue is not that the Biden administration was too aggressive in combating COVID-19 misinformation but that it did next to nothing, while spreading misinformation of its own, such as the lie that the pandemic is now over.

Right-wing libertarian arguments similar to those in Doughtys decision were raised when Donald Trumps social media accounts were suspended during the insurrection of January 6, 2021. At the time, the WSWS wrote:

The World Socialist Web Site is not indifferent to the consequences of a successful fascistic overthrow of the US government. The danger posed by Big Tech and the Democratic Party will not be solved by passively accepting, under the cover of the unconditional defense of free speech, the establishment of an authoritarian regime led by Trump, backed by fascist organizations. Our slogan in the midst of a fascist assault on Congress is not: Hands off Hitler! Free Speech for Trump!

Likewise, socialists are not indifferent to the massive toll of human beings who continue to be killed or permanently disabled every day by an eradicable virus. In this context, it would be absurd to insist on the centrality of free speech for fascistic forces relentlessly working on behalf of the corporate elite to undermine public health by spreading deadly misinformation.

The US Justice Department has asked a federal judge to stay the ruling by July 10, until the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rules on an appeal that is being filed.
BAGHDAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has said Iraq lost 5,000 megawatts of electricity because of a shortage of gas supply by Iran, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported Sunday.

The loss of nearly 5,000 megawatts caused by the decline in gas supplies from Iran and the gap of 10,000 megawatts because of insufficient national gas production have negatively affected the electricity supply to citizens, the ministry spokesman Ahmed Musa told INA.

The ministry is trying to coordinate with the Iranian side to re-pump the gas in the required quantities, pending a solution to transfer financial dues to Iran, he added.

Iraq imports gas to feed its power stations across the country from Iran, which occasionally reduces gas supplies over accumulated debts of Iraq.

Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said the government was implementing plans to invest in its associated gas and natural gas fields to reduce dependence on imports.

In May, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said the country's oil reserves increased by 10 billion barrels and its natural gas reserves by 8 trillion cubic feet after a three-dimensional seismic survey near Basra, a key oil hub located about 550 km south of the capital Baghdad.

The new figures would raise the proven reserves of Iraq's crude oil to about 155 billion barrels and natural gas to about 140 trillion cubic feet.

It is worth noting that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Iraq is a member, has not officially adopted the new figures yet. 
WELLINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and European researchers have increased cooperation by signing the Horizon Europe Association agreement, Europe's largest-ever science collaboration platform, in Brussels on Monday.

New Zealand and the European Union's collaboration on research, science and innovation will mean greater access and opportunities for Kiwi researchers, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said in an official statement.

"New Zealand scientists contribute massively not only at home but internationally. This will widen the scope and allow them to work more closely with their European counterparts on some of our most pressing problems, such as climate change and energy," Hipkins said.

New Zealand Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall said Kiwi scientists have considerable research strengths in Horizon Europe priority areas.

New Zealand is one of the first non-European countries to associate with Horizon Europe, Verrall said. 
HONG KONG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Various sectors in Hong Kong have expressed dissatisfaction with an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Japan's disposal of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and strongly protested against Japan's push for the discharge of the wastewater into the Pacific.

A recent online poll on the discharge of the wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, launched by the Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao, received more than 14,000 responses within four days. Nearly 98 percent of respondents voiced opposition to the water release plan, and over 96 percent did not believe Japan's so-called justification for the discharge.

Luk Bing-lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Nuclear Society, said that there are many uncertainties in the IAEA's assessment report, and it did not mention how many experts have agreed with Japan's arrangement, which is worrying.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions has been following the issue of Japan's radioactive water discharge. Lawmaker Joephy Chan, a member of the federation, criticized the IAEA report on the disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water for not being comprehensive, and only adopting Japan's discharge plan, which is not convincing itself.

Cheung Siu-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium, said the consortium strongly protests against the planned discharge of the nuclear contaminated water.

Cheung said the ocean is not a closed space, and if seafood is found to be contaminated with radiation, the fishing industry will be greatly affected.

Wu Shiu-sun, a professor at the Department of Science and Environmental Studies of the Education University of Hong Kong, pointed out that radioactive substances will not disappear after they are diluted, and they will spread through marine life to all parts of the world with the impact extending beyond Japan's waters.

The Japanese government has been pushing for dumping the contaminated wastewater this summer from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011.

The move has aroused strong opposition and doubts from Japan's fishing and civic groups, neighboring countries and South Pacific island countries, as well as the international community. 
100% Pure Love

Indie rock fans tend to romanticize growing up as a time when they found music to foster an identity separate from the jocks and bullies who dominated their hometowns. This was certainly the case for Strange Ranger frontman Isaac Eiger, who jokes over Zoom, In Montana, rave culture was just wook culture  dudes doing molly in the woods listening to STS9 or whatever. And I just wanted to listen to Modest Mouse and have nothing to do with that at all.

But real maturity is transcending the narcissism of small differences and accepting what you have in common with the people upon whom you once looked down. Like Eiger, Fiona Woodman grew up in the Pacific Northwest too introverted to experience raves firsthand. I had nostalgia for a time that I never got to experience, she admits. I loved that movie Go in high school. And now, they realize that everyone they grew up with was just looking to chase some kind of euphoria, or at least an escape from their teenage selves. After all, Eiger recalls that hed heard about these woodland parties from his lifelong friend and Strange Ranger bandmate Fred Nixon.

The indie kids, hippies, and ravers are all liable to find something to like about Strange Rangers hallucinatory fourth album Pure Music, though it doesnt really sound like Modest Mouses 3rd Planet meets the Disco Biscuits. Rather, Eiger and Woodman agree that its a return to the spirit of their earliest incarnation as Sioux Falls. Released under that prior name (which was changed to Strange Ranger upon recognition of the offensiveness of Sioux to indigenous people) 2016s Rot Forever was a 73-minute behemoth of Up/K Records fanfic, sounding a lot like early Modest Mouse (when the songs were longer than five minutes) or early Built to Spill (when the songs were under four).

Strange Ranger is now split between New York and Philadelphia and has honed a sound honoring both its members individual tastes for U.K. electronic weirdos and its collective status as a seasoned American indie rock quartet. Rot Forever and Pure Music are unrecognizable as the work of the same band, but Eiger believes both are the product of whats called Beginners Mind: a willingness to set aside self-consciousness and run the risk of public failure.

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Eiger says Theres something fun about listening to your first tries at something before you have any competency, whether it comes from watching stand-up comics in their raw infancy or even revisiting the Velvet Undergrounds early catalog. Its important to stay in touch with sucking, or not being able to copy something exactly, he elaborates. I dont want to make a Disclosure song like, Wow, this is perfect. I want it to sound kinda janky.

To its credit, nothing on Pure Music sounds like its meant to occupy the same H&M playlists or Ibiza DJ mixes that Latch and White Noise have dominated for the past decade. Strange Rangers dance influences ring true, but this isnt music meant to be experienced in a club  rather, the hazy production, interspersed YouTube clips and porous arrangements replicate listening to Night Slugs or Hyperdub projects while sleepless scrolling through Twitter.

Strange Ranger roaming the streets (Credit: Kiernan Francis)

Eiger and Woodman namecheck Dean Blunt and Nourished By Time as their contemporary influences  artists who operate on the outer edges of pop by evoking a lot of different eras, or an era that wasnt real. Pure Music similarly expresses a nostalgia that cant be satisfied by one specific time period, but rather the excitement of whenever rock and electronic dance music were mingling anew. The drum loops evoke late-90s trip-hop but also early Madchester. There are hints of 80s yacht rock and also the chillwave that sampled it as source material: bedroom pop as it might be understood by 30-something fans of Wild Nothing or the Radio Dept., or teens who associate the term solely with Bandcamp uploads.

Its a distinct shift from previous Strange Ranger albums, which were always a snapshot of a distinct time and place. 2017s Daymoon was its Portland album, one that scaled back on the epic song lengths for a more slowcore-indebted sound. Two years later on Remembering the Rockets, Strange Ranger had moved to Philadelphia and was aligned with the citys prevailing tastes in late-90s rock  a melting pot where Third Eye Blind and Built To Spills Keep It Like a Secret were held in equal esteem.

By releasing a new, different-sounding album every year, Strange Ranger had by now garnered a reputation as a prolific, shapeshifting, and quick-working band. But there were hints on Remembering the Rockets that it was growing unsatisfied with the limitations of indie rock, such as name-dropping Yves Tumor and Oneohtrix Point Never in interviews, even if their imprint wasnt always felt on the music itself.

Ive never felt any loyalty to my past self, like, I need to keep doing this because a very small amount of people liked it, Eiger explains. Were not making enough money to where thats worth it.

By the end of 2019, the bands label, Tiny Engines, shuttered due to accusations of financial mismanagement. And then, you know, 2020 happened, which Strange Ranger embraced as an impetus to make its actual music match its professed inspirations.

Guitar rock is something you do in a room with other people and we didnt have access to that, Woodman explains. She and Eiger put their learning curve with electronic production on display with the 2020 mixtape No Light in Heaven  a collage of abstract instrumentals and chipper synth-pop also serving as a calling card as they sought out a new label.

Strange Ranger performing (Credit: Kiernan Francis)

Eventually, they teamed with Fire Talk, the New York-based imprint whose roster is marked by cosmopolitan post-punk acts like Dehd, Deeper, and Mandy, Indiana and is more reflective of where Strange Ranger sees itself now after nearly a decade of emo adjacence. If not fully a New York album in geography, Pure Music reintroduced the band as New York in spirit, attracted and repulsed by a constant stream of content of which it is both creator and critic. Indeed, the group was remixed in 2022 by the Dares Harrison Patrick Smith, another Portland transplant who reinvented himself, albeit as an avatar of indie sleaze. I heard you write about culture  is that sort of like everything, Eiger scoffs on opener Rain So Hard, a song he wrote in a South Philly apartment while feeling confused about everything all the time.

Though Pure Music is littered with recollections from Strange Rangers youth (interchangeable malls and schoolyards, the endless Interstate 90, Nintendo), it sees a pervasive sense of disorientation as the albums unifying thread. I feel like I never have any idea what the fuck is going on, Eiger shrugs. Im totally aware that theres going to be things happening in the culture that I dont understand or have the right reference points for and the lamest thing you can do is be older and still making these dumb speculations and proclamations about the youths.

In the same way, the rafter-reaching choruses of Remembering the Rockets allayed Eigers fears about parenthood and climate change, Pure Music is a hedge against the encroaching threat of cultural cynicism. The album takes its title from a line in Shes on Fire, a sort of thesis statement for Strange Ranger in 2023  I could die in pure music. Weve always been attached to this idea of something being the most concentrated form of itself and leading to some kind of break that will blow you into this other level of transcendence, Woodman explains. She sees Dream, one of Pure Musics more definitively textural and rhythmic productions, as the bands point of pivot. It went on until the wee hours and kept going in a trance vibe, she says. We had so much fun and we wanted to keep creating that feeling again.

Pure Music does tap into a more recent global movement, as once strictly guitar-rock bands shift towards a shoegaze/breakbeat hybrid where My Bloody Valentines Soon is the standard by which all music is measured (see: Oklahoma metal upstart Cursetheknife, Los Angeles Crushed, a buzzing duo featuring members of Temple of Angels and Weekend, and Pendant, whose 2019 debut Through a Coil was the final LP released during the first incarnation of Tiny Engines).

Its perhaps a bit pat  though not entirely incorrect  to see this as a logical outcome of the pandemic. Most of the genres that thrived during lockdown were, paradoxically, those that typically required physical proximity to work; 2020 was an excellent year for both disco and screamo. For me, there was a longing for that setting again, to be physically blasted by beats and bass, Woodman says.

Eiger shares this desire, even if the relative back to normal circumstances of 2023 reanimate the same concerns the band has always harbored as a get-in-the-van touring outfit. I want to quit music a lot of the time. I had a nervous breakdown basically the other day before our show, he admits. It does feel horrible putting yourself out there at all and youre saying a bunch of embarrassing shit.

At the same time, both Eiger and Woodman agree that the entire premise of Pure Music would ring false if it wasnt subject to the risk of public embarrassment. Nobody talks / the MC bombs / and I would die to be touched is how Eiger describes what heaven must be like on the albums penultimate track, Fantasy. Wed be doing it even if no one was listening, he says. You still need the audience to make it real.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

The post 100% Pure Love appeared first on SPIN.
An Airbnb guest has gone viral after showcasing his alleged rental, which appeared to be a large bathroom with a bed in it.

David Holtz shared a photo on Twitter on Monday of his apparent Airbnb space, which consisted of a bathroom with the usual shower, toilet, and sink in. However, the room also appeared to serve another purpose, as there was also a white bed placed next to the toilet.

Holtz, who is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, proceeded to mock the space in the caption of his post. Tfw [that feeling when] you arrive at your @airbnb and realise that the whole space is essentially just a large-ish bathroom that the host put a bed into, he wrote.

While he didnt share a specific link to the listing, he did claim, in a reply to the tweet, that the listing had no reviews at the time he booked, although it has a few now. He also alleged that the rental space was based in London.

The post quickly went viral on Twitter, where it has amassed more than 1.3m views, and where it prompted a response from Airbnbs official help account. The company encouraged Holtz to send the email address connected to his Airbnb account in order for Airbnb to take a closer look at the alleged rental.

In response to the rental business, Holtz claimed that he spoke to Airbnb customer support multiple times, and that each time, the company had no interest in helping resolve the issue. As he asked if he could expect a different outcome this time, Airbnbs help page responded again by encouraging him to send the company his email.

Meanwhile, other people responded to the tweet by poking fun at the apparent rental and the lack of space that Holtz had in the room.

Its the clear glass between the toilet and bed, like you couldnt even colour it for a privacy partition, one person questioned.

Another joked: Dont forget to close the toilet seat for your nightstand functionalities.

Youve got everything you need within arms reach, someone else helpfully pointed out, while another person claimed theyve always wanted to brush [their] teeth in bed.

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tfw you arrive at your @airbnb and realize that the whole space is essentially just a large-ish bathroom that the host put a bed into pic.twitter.com/ImlxVWtAXF  David Holtz (@daveholtz) July 10, 2023

Other people went on to claim that they had similar experiences when staying at a rental space on the platform. Ive had one exactly like this in London. It was in 2016 I believe  left after 20 minutes (it was super dirty) and fortunately found another Airbnb  one person wrote.

The Independent has contacted Holtz and Airbnb for comment.

Holtz isnt the only Airbnb guest to have gone viral on social media recently. Last week, an Airbnb host was called out over their extreme labelling of rules across their rental property, which a guest said took away the feeling of being on holiday. In a now-viral video on TikTok, Becky Navarro showed the abundance of labels across the home, with various laminated notes stuck to doors, walls, tables and cupboards.
Mississippi Supreme Court justices listen to attorney Mark Nelson, representing Chief Justice Michael K. Randolph, during oral arguments regarding HB 1020 in Jackson on Wednesday. HB 1020 would significantly increase state control over Jackson's judicial system and policing.

The Mississippi Supreme Court is deliberating on whether to uphold or strike down one of the most controversial bills passed by the legislature in recent years, and Chief Justice Michael Randolph announcing his recusal leaves the distinct possibility of a tied 4-4 decision from the usually nine-member body.

For the team challenging House Bill 1020, a bill that would give the state government wider control over the legal system and police within Hinds County, the recusal does not change much. They will still need five justices on their side to strike the law down.

That is because, like with the U.S. Supreme Court, when a Mississippi Supreme Court or Court of Appeals ruling results in a tie, the lower court decision is upheld. In this case, Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas ruled in May in the state's favor.

It will likely never be known for sure how Randolph would have sided had he not recused himself from deciding on whether he has the power to appoint judges under the statute. The chief justice has refused to take a position on the bill's constitutionality. That said, he has defended the need for and effectiveness of judges he has previously appointed.

Randolph's absence leaves attorney Cliff Johnson and the three Hinds County residents he represents with an uphill climb. Johnson's team would need five of the eight remaining justices to buy his arguments in order for HB 1020 to be struck down. The state legal team, led by Solicitor General Scott Stewart, would only need four of them for it to be upheld.

The possibility of a tie may remind people of recent history in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2016, after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, his seat sat vacant for nearly a year, as Republicans in the Senate blocked Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee. A number of consequential decisions were decided, 4-4, in that span, reverting the outcomes to the lower courts.

Notable Mississippi draws

There is a history of tied appellate court decisions in Mississippi as well.

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In the 10-judge Mississippi Court of Appeals, an error correction court that hears cases assigned by the state supreme court, ties are relatively common. In 2019, for example, the court tied, 4-4, on a case involving a schoolteacher who was fired after allegedly making racist posts to Facebook. The decision reverted to the lower court, and the teacher was reinstated and awarded backpay.

In the Mississippi Supreme Court, with its uneven number of judges, ties are rarer.

In 2015, the Court split, 4-4, in Sandoz v. Mississippi. The tie led to the lower court ruling  which found pharmaceutical company Sandoz liable for defrauding the state's Medicaid program  being upheld.

One of the most notable ties in Mississippi Supreme Court history came in the 1985 case Pearl River Valley Water Supply v. Hinds County. In that case, Hinds and Leake counties sought to limit how the board that oversees the Ross Barnett Reservoir and force the board to be more transparent with its accounting. The lower court put in place an injunction on the board's spending but denied the counties' push for a full accounting of spending. The supreme court ruled unanimously to strike down the injunction but split, 4-4, on the accounting issue. In the end, neither of the two counties' requests were granted.

While the state supreme court continues its deliberations, HB 1020 and an accompanying Senate Bill remain blocked under order by U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate as part of a separate federal challenge to the statutes.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: History of Mississippi Supreme Court tie votes, and why it matters now
Jada Samuel's grandmother, Esther Harris Irby, grew up in Greenville's Southernside community during the segregation era.

Now, her granddaughter is Miss South Carolina.

In January 2024, Samuel will go on to compete in Miss America's 2024 pageant.

Samuel, 26, is the fourth Black woman to win the pageant. She hopes it will set the stage for more inclusivity in Miss South Carolina and in pageants, across the board. The Greenville native knows this is an opportunity that few Black women have had before.

Jada Samuel is crowned Miss South Carolina 2023 at Columbia's Township Hall on Saturday, June 24.

"I'm thrilled about what it means to little girls who look like me," she said.

Samuel also recognizes the importance of her family and the trailblazers before her. She said her mother, Melody Samuel, and cousin Stacey Gardin, have been instrumental in shaping who she is today. She also credits Jil Littlejohn Bostick and Dr. Nika White.

Samuel said she watched these women champion others while being themselves, which has shaped the way she has approached life.

Meet Miss South Carolina, Jada Samuel

Samuel attended Hughes Academy for middle school and Southside High School. She then attended the University of South Carolina's (USC) School of Journalism and Mass Communications before starting her career as a lifestyle host and producer at Columbia's WIS news station.

Samuel said it was 'crazy' being the interviewee given her reporting experience.

"It's crazy. I never expected this. I think I'm excited about it. Like, 'was I always speaking in sound bites? Is this how this works?'" Samuel said.

Samuel, who has competed in Miss South Carolina five times, describes her journey into pageantry as "unique."

"I started competing after watching my cousin [Stacey Gardin] compete at a state pageant in South Carolina in a different system, and I was amazed by what I saw and was inspired," Samuel said. "I decided to compete at my high school pageant and did well."

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Samuel earned $60,000 in scholarship money at the June 24 contest in Columbia. Through the years, she said she has collected over $85,000 in scholarship money.

In August, she will be receiving her Master in Business from Louisiana State University-Shreveport with a focus in marketing. She said this degree has been completely paid for through scholarships she received from the Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization.

The remaining scholarship money will be used to pay off student loan debt. Samuel said she may pursue another degree or complete a certificate program in the future.

"I think that's just incredible to be able to say that a hobby or passion like pageantry can be beneficial in so many ways outside of what people think," Samuel said.

To follow her journey, visit her Instagram.

How Jada Samuel won Miss SC

At the pageant, she presented "Icon," a reimagined version of Angela Bassett's BET Icon award acceptance speech on finding purpose. In past competitions, she has spoken about topics such as sexual assault and Charleston's Emanuel AME Church shooting.

"I always want to have an underlying message in each of my stories," she said. "That is the part that I am most excited about  delivering a talent that is new, exciting and meaningful."

Jada Samuel is crowned Miss South Carolina 2023 at Columbia's Township Hall on Saturday, June 24.

Samuel said Journalism school gives her the ability to speak publicly about a wide range of topics. Her background in speech, debate and theater aids in her onstage ease during the pageant's conversations and questions.

She is the first to win the competition using dramatic monologues in the organization's 86-year history. Previously, she won the title of Best Evening Gown.

She is also the oldest contestant to ever win. Last summer, she thought she had competed in her final Miss SC competition after placing second runner-up as Miss Columbia. Previous rules stated that contestants can't be older than 26 years old.

A recent rule change gave Samuel an opening as the age limit was upped to 28. She took this as her sign to compete again and chase after her dream.

"I was like, 'OK, is this a sign? Do I need to go back and compete?'" Samuel said in a recent interview. "And I did, and obviously, it was perfect timing."

The woman behind the crown: Jada Samuel's favorite things

Samuel said she does her own makeup before pageants. However, she has a favorite hairstylist.

"I love Alysia Nikole Beauty - she does my hair. She does my highlights and knows how to keep my hair healthy, so I do love going to her," Samuel said.

Also, no matter where Samuel travels throughout the state, she always finds herself at her favorite restaurant, Cantina 76. Her favorite menu item is the Peruvian shrimp tacos. She also enjoys Thai cuisine.

A headshot of Miss South Carolina 2023, Jada Samuel, also known as Miss Bridge City.

Her favorite S.C. boutiques? You can find Samuel shopping at Monkee's of the West End and Vestique, both located in Greenville, along with Miss Cocky in Columbia.

Samuel enjoys spending time with family and friends, throwing movie nights, crocheting or binging a good Netflix series.

Samuel's plans for the future, advice

In 2014, Samuel founded iShapeMe Inc., a nonprofit mentoring organization that empowers young women to shape themselves mentally, physically and spiritually.

Samuel plans to use her platform to grow the list of mentoring programs available for young people living in underserved areas throughout the state.

Samuel believes the beauty and fashion industries should be more inclusive. All sizes, shapes and hair textures should be represented, she said. A budding entrepreneur herself, Samuel is interested in creating her own pajama line.

Want to be in pageants? Samuel says, "Be yourself."

"Just do it without thinking what the judges will expect and do it because it means something to you in your community," she said.

Nina Tran covers trending topics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville's Jada Samuel's journey to Miss SC has been 'unique'
When a second-grade classmate told Erica Tso Haidas' daughter that Chinese people were to blame for the COVID-19 pandemic, Tso Haidas suggested that her daughter tell a teacher about the other student's remark.

"My daughter immediately said, 'No, I can't. None of the teachers want to talk about race or racism,'" said Tso Haidas, who lives in Brewster. "That may not actually be true. But the fact that my daughter doesn't feel like there is someone she could approach broke my heart."

That incident is one of many reasons why Tso Haidas is helping to plan "Educating all Cape Cod Children: Celebrating the Mosaic Continues," an anti-racism educators conference set for July 11 at Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich.

Karen Boujoukos, left, and Angelina Chilaka, stand on Friday outside Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich, with a poster about "Educating all Cape Cod Children: Celebrating the Mosaic Continues," a free anti-racism educators conference set for July 11 at the school.

"This conference is a great way to help teachers become aware of themselves and how they are interacting, teaching and addressing students of color in the classroom," said Angelina Chilaka, co-chair of the MLK Education Task Force, who helped organize the event.

"It's an important resource for Cape educators. They can take the knowledge and skills gained from this day and build it into their classrooms and schools," Chilaka said.

Workshops feature a diverse array of educators

The conference will feature workshops on race and its role in education.

"We reached out to as many professionals of color on Cape who we thought had expertise under a racial justice and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) lens," said Karen Boujoukos, chair of the MLK Action Team and one of the conference's organizers. "We are proud of the lineup  its a fabulous opportunity for educators."

From the archive: Is Mashpee protecting students from racial bullying? One student speaks out

Teachers will be awarded professional development credits for attending, she said.

According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, students identifying as non-white make up 45.6% of the Massachusetts student population, while state data shows 92.2% of full-time teachers are white.

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All students deserve to have dignity and respect and equal opportunity and equal access to education, said Boujoukas.

"Education is the key to a better future for everyone. That's why I feel very strongly that this conference will make a difference for teachers and students in the school system," she said.

From the archive: On Cape Cod: Jeanne, Mary Morrison know frontline struggle for civil rights

Chilaka said the workshops can help give Cape educators a different perspective on teaching Black and Indigenous students, and students of color, known as BIPOC students.

History Teacher of the Year will also appear at conference

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Adda Santos, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2022 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year. Her speech is titled "No, I don't teach Spanish: the Negative Impact of Assumptions and Microaggressions."

Santos, a Somerville High School American history teacher, was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil and migrated to the United States in 1990, according to the state website.

Chilaka described Santos as a true believer in teaching "hard and true history" to students, and she prioritizes inclusivity in her classroom. She will share her experiences as a foreign-born teacher and will talk about how what are called microaggressions can hurt people. Microaggressions are words or actions that can be taken as an instance of subtle, often unconscious, prejudice.

"She will also discuss her philosophy of ensuring all historical voices are included in historical narratives and navigating difficult conversations," said Chilaka.

The workshops will include:

Arts education: creating equity and inclusion with artist and former middle school and high school fine arts teacher Carl Lopes;

Racial trauma and its impact on BIPOC children and teenagers with educators Emily Anderson, Hope Taylor, and Krissie Williams.

Daily practices for an anti-racist educator, with Cape Cod Voices, a racial justice organization.

Active bystander intervention with Jeanne Morrison, a local human rights activist, Chris Morin, director of prevention, education and outreach at Independence House, and Sudeen Dwyer.

Native American intergenerational trauma in American public school system, with Talia Landry, communications coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's Education Department.

The free event will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. More information is here: https://nausetinterfaith.org/mlk-action/

This will be the second annual conference

The MLK Education Task Force developed after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, said Boujoukos. The conference, which was held virtually for the first time in 2022, is a way for the group to help move the equity needle forward, she said.

Chilaka said there was a positive response after the first conference and she is hoping for the same this time around.

"Many teachers became aware of little things they could have done differently in the classroom," she said. "And many of the presenters gave great ideas that the teachers could use, along with effective lessons. These were major takeaways."

For parent Tso Haidas, attending the conference is just one small piece of the puzzle.

"The hope and goal is that educators and administrators acknowledge and understand that there are deep-rooted inequities built into our education system," she said. "There needs to be a shift in culture and perspective for real change to take place. The conference is part of that process."

Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape educators conference will deal with role of race in education
At Malibu Brew Coffee in Atascadero, customers become adopted family  and lifetime friends.

Thats the philosophy of coffee shop co-owners Paul and Lakhena Say. Theyve operated the San Luis Obispo County coffeehouse for 16 years, moving from one popular North County location to another.

Paul Say was recently diagnosed with cancer, and, his son David Say said, his family has been amazed by the outpouring of community support.

The situation were in right now is overwhelming in a sad, unfortunate way, Say said. Then how the community has responded has been overwhelming in the ... most beautiful way.

Co-owner Lakhena Say helps a customer at Malibu Brew Coffee in Atascadero in 2019. Her husband, Paul Say, has been diagnosed with cancer.

Atascadero coffee shop popular with locals

Originally from Cambodia, Paul Say moved to the United States in the 1980s and served in the U.S. Marines. He met his wife when he volunteered at an orphanage in Cambodia her mother operated.

In 2007, the Say family moved to Atascadero and bought Malibu Brew around the same time.

The Says closed the El Camino Real gas station-turned-coffee shop in 2019 in preparation for the La Plaza mixed-use development, and relocated across the street to 5955 East Mall in Atascadero.

Located near Atascadero Middle and High schools, the shop has remained popular with locals since its move. Malibu Brew serves hot and iced drinks as well as smoothies, pastries, burritos and ice cream.

David Say and his sister Alicia have been helping their parents run the coffee shop since they were both around 10 years old  operating the register, washing dishes and handing customers their drinks.

We definitely grew up in the business, Alicia Say said.

Co-owner Paul Say greets customers at Malibu Brew Coffee in Atascadero in 2019. Say has been diagnosed with cancer. A friend started a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help Say and his family.

Alicia and David Say are currently running Malibu Brew so their mom can support their dad, balancing their time between the shop and the hospital.

The siblings are encouraging customers to stop by Malibu Brew to support their family.

The two recommend ordering the Polar Espresso, which regulars call the Pablo Especial.

Regulars get this drink because it gets the job done, David Say said.

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He calls it his migraine cure, just like a punch in the face but a delicious treat kind of coffee, Alicia Say added.

GoFundMe fundraiser started to help family

Malibu Brew customer Katie Hoium, who met the family 13 years ago, launched a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help the Say family with issues including hospital bills and the loss of income from shortened work hours.

We expect the best for the future, but this time will be financially difficult, Hoium wrote on the GoFundMe page. We all want to give back the love we have received from this remarkable family.

As of Sunday, donors had contributed more than $18,700 toward a goal of $50,000.

According to his daughter, Paul Say is in high spirit and goodwill right now.

He knows hes so loved by us and by the community and this is possible because of our town, Alicia Say said.

To donate to the GoFundMe fundraiser, go to gofund.me/afa63cc3.

Customers enjoy drinks at Malibu Brew Coffee in Atascadero in 2019. Co-owner Paul Say has been diagnosed with cancer.

Malibu Brew Coffee

Due to the Say familys new schedule, Malibu Brew Coffee is currently open 6:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday.

Those hours may change depending on Paul Says health needs, Hoium wrote on the GoFundMe site.

For more information, call 805-460-9981.
Being neighbors with Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) may be even more annoying than having him as your senator.

Thats the impression given by comedian Tom Segura, who claims on his new Netflix special, Sledgehammer, that he recently discovered he was neighbors with a current or former United States senator, whom he doesnt name at first. That senator was Cruz, he reveals as a punchline later.

Segura shared about a bizarre encounter that happened one morning while he walking past the senators house.

I walk past his house, he comes outside. I dont say anything, right? But he yells out  he goes, Hey, are you the comedian, Segura said.

After Segura confirmed his identity, the senator asked him a bizarre question without even saying hello, the comedian said.

He goes, Where do you think the term motherfucker comes from? Segura recounted.

Segura said he replied that he didnt know, leading the senator to ask, You think its from people doing that? and How many people do you think do that?  to which Segura replied, More than you want it to be.

But the exchange didnt end there. Segura said when he was walking home past the house, the senator came back out with a new revelation.

He goes, I thought about it. And a motherfucker is not somebody who fucks their own mom, Segura said. He goes, A motherfucker is someone who fucks your mom. Thats the most disrespectful thing anyone can do. So if somebody is particularly rude, you call them a motherfucker.

Segura said he told the senator, Wow! I am so impressed that you put that together so quickly. I can see why you may or may not be Ted Cruz.

Its unclear whether this actually happened since Segura owns a home in Austin, Texas, and the senator and his family live in Houston.

In fact, Cruz denied knowing Segura to HuffPost political reporter Igor Bobic.

Its utterly bizarre. I have no idea who that guy is.Ive never spoken to the man in my life, the senator said.

Cruz says he doesnt know the comedian who claimed to be his neighbor in a new Netflix special.



Its utterly bizarre. I have no idea who that guy is.Ive never spoken to the man in my life.https://t.co/fyLMJv7yeF  Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) July 10, 2023

You can watch the complete segment below:

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Related...
Your letters to the editor for July 9, 2023:

Our Congressional reps should cosponsor the FIGHT Act

I worked at the USDA for 15 years at the National Meat Animal Research Center. Today, I live on my 140-year-old South Dakota farm and am appalled at what I read these days about animal fighting.

Dogfighting and cockfighting are barbaric practices, banned in South Dakota and in every other state and also under federal law. Unfortunately, despite these comprehensive prohibitions, both practices remain widespread. I ask Sens. John Thune who is on the Senate Agriculture committee and Mike Rounds, and our U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson, who is on this critical committee, to cosponsor the FIGHT Act to help reduce the presence of cockfighters in our state.

When we enforce our laws against animal fighting, we make our communities safer. Animal fighting is a violent crime bound up with other criminal conduct, including illegal gambling, illegal immigration, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering.

Cockfighting threatens to extend the duration and geographic range of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak. When it comes to virulent Newcastle Disease (vND), 10 of the 15 outbreaks of this disease have been triggered by illegal movement of cockfighting birds. Failure to contain the spread of infectious zoonotic diseases could put Arkansas multi-billion-dollar poultry industry at risk.

The FIGHT Act would ban broadcasting dogfights and cockfights for the purposes of gambling in the U.S., ban the shipment of adult fighting birds through the U.S mails, and create a citizen suit provision to allow civil actions against known animal fighters.

This is a bipartisan bill backed by law enforcement, animal control agencies, agriculture groups, and the gaming industry. Animal fighting is a disgrace and danger, and its time to strengthen our laws to pull it up by the root.

 Jim Keen, Director of Veterinary Science, Center for a Humane Economy, Mitchell

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More: A thank you to kind drivers; applause for Johnson's protection of farmers: Your letters

My SD should not be sold to the lowest bidder

What is happening to my South Dakota?Last month, I purchased a park sticker at West Bend State Park. A few days later I was going through my credit card statement and I saw a charge from MySD in Tallahassee, Florida. I have never been to Tallahassee. I thought it had to be a fraud charge. I mean, after all, why would MySD be a Florida company. Well it turned out to be legit. But not in my mind!I have been a lifelong South Dakotan. I raised my family here. My parents were born and raised in South Dakota. And over 100 years ago, their parents immigrated to South Dakota. So I think of my South Dakota with pride and honor.So why is MySD in Florida? Maybe no one in South Dakota can do the job. I doubt it. Maybe the bids to do the job were more expensive, possible. Regardless, MySD should not be in Florida or any other state. If we really want to grow business in South Dakota, pay a living wage, and be accountable to ourselves. Should we be giving that opportunity to someone else?Now the State parks are run by GFP. That is a State agency.Should our tax dollars go to Florida. No! My SD should not be sold to the low bidder, especially if they are from some other state.

 Jeff Eidenshink, Sioux Falls

More: Future morality is not found in the religious realm, keep speaking out against eminent domain: Your letters

Johnson shoudl help repeal Iraq war authorization

In 2002 Congress passed an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) granting the President power to take military action against Iraq without further consent of Congress. Today, that authorization still exists. That the current or future President can rely on this decades old authorization to take military action without the approval of Congress is concerning and constitutionally wrong.Military families like mine need to know that our elected officials have considered the true cost of war for the people and communities they represent.I urge Congressman Dusty Johnson, to co-sponsor H.R.932, a bill to repeal the Iraq war authorization. His leadership would speak volumes to the defense community, especially at Ellsworth AFB, and demonstrates to his caucus that we must formally end the war in Iraq.In a twist to end the Iraq war story, Iraq is now a strong ally and this relationship is crucial for maintaining regional security. Upholding this policy threatens and tears at the base of this important relationship. The reasons to justify the invasion and military force against Iraq are no longer relevant, and havent been relevant for years  it is beyond time to repeal the irrelevant and outdated war authorization.

 Megan Paone, Sioux Falls

More: There's cause for concern about Sioux Falls water, sewer rate increases: Your letters

How to submit a letter to the editor:

Letters need to be roughly 300 to 500 words, and will need to include first and last name, address, city and title. Addresses wont be publicized, of course, but its a way for us to make sure those who submit a letter are who they say they are.

Letters will run on Sundays in print and online as we receive them. There may be moments, however, when we don't have any as we work to solicit interest and actively rebuild this part of our coverage for readers.

You can submit those to News Director Shelly Conlon by emailing sconlon@argusleader.com or submit them through our online form here, which also is sent directly to the news director.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Concerns for taxpayer money going out of state; Congressional support needed against animal fights: Your letters
At the invitation of Liu Guozhong, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council and Chinese Co-Chair of the China-Belarus Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus and Belarusian Co-Chair of the committee Nikolai Snopkov will travel to China on July 11 to co-host the fifth meeting of the committee.



CCTV: The US State Department updated its China Travel Advisory, claiming that China is expanding security scrutiny of citizens and businesses of other countries, and there may be entry and exit bans and wrongful detentions. What is your comment?



Mao Ning: China is a country committed to the rule of law. The decisions to conduct security reviews over foreign companies by competent Chinese departments are made in accordance with the laws and the facts. China welcomes the people and businesses of all countries to come to China and do business here, and we are committed to protecting their safety and lawful rights and interests in China in accordance with the law, including their freedom of entry and exit.



Speaking of entry and exit review and wrongful detentions, in recent years, the US has put up hurdles and even harassed and interrogated under various excuses Chinese nationals entering the US. From time to time, Chinese students bound for the US have been refused entry and sent back. In 2021, the US refused to issue visas for at least 2,000 Chinese students majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. From January to October 2022, the number of visas issued for Chinese students bound for the US dropped by 38% year-on-year. Recently, the US has smeared Chinas efforts to repatriate corrupt fugitives and recover criminals illegal proceeds, and even prosecuted and detained Chinese nationals and people of Chinese descent in the US. The US has scapegoated China on fentanyl-related issues, resorting to sting operations and extra-territorial abduction against Chinese nationals, and prosecution against Chinese entities and individuals.



We urge the US to stop its wrongdoing at once, stop disrupting practical cooperation between the two countries, stop arbitrary detentions and abuse of process against Chinese businesses and individuals, and earnestly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese businesses and nationals in the US.



CCTV: US President Joe Biden issued a statement on July 7 announcing that the US has destroyed the final munition in chemical weapons stockpile, bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons. On that day, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that the US completed the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: The core objective of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is to fully ban and completely destruct chemical weapons, which is also the obligation of States Parties to the CWC. It was stipulated in the CWC that States Parties shall complete the destruction not later than 10 years after the entry into force of the CWC in 1997. The US is the last state to complete the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile, far behind the time limit set in the CWC. The USs announcement of destroying the final munition in its chemical weapons stockpile is a long-overdue explanation to the world.



Meanwhile, we need to see that efforts of achieving a world free of chemical weapons still face multiple challenges. The destruction of Japans abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) in China has been delayed for multiple times, which becomes a serious threat to the personal and property safety of the Chinese people and the safety of the ecological environment. If Japans ACWs in China cannot be completely and thoroughly destructed, the goal of a world free of chemical weapons will not be achieved. We once again urge Japan to earnestly step up to its historical responsibility and international obligations and completely and thoroughly destroy the ACWs at an early date.



AFP: Paraguayan President-elect Santiago Pena plans to visit Taiwan this week to strengthen the countrys friendship with Taipei. Does China have any response to this planned visit?



Mao Ning: There is only one China in the world and the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. Standing up for the one-China principle is the right thing to do. It has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the trend of the world. We believe relevant country will recognize the trend of the world sooner or later and make the right decision consistent with the trend of history.



TASS: US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan recently confirmed that the US has decided to send Ukraine cluster munitions, even as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reportedly opposes the use of them. Do you have any comment?



Mao Ning: We noted the significant amount of attention the US decision has drawn internationally. Many countries have been very explicit about their opposition to it. The irresponsible provision of cluster munitions is highly likely to cause humanitarian issues. Humanitarian concerns and legitimate military and security needs should be addressed in a balanced manner, and the transfer of cluster munitions should be treated with prudence and restraint.



China always believes that dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out of the Ukraine crisis. Parties concerned should not add fuel to the flame and escalate the tensions, which will make the Ukraine crisis even worse.



China Daily: We noted that the World Investment Report 2023 recently released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development shows that FDI flows attracted by China rose by 5 percent, to a record USD 189.1 billion in 2022. Whats your comment?



Mao Ning: Despite the challenges faced by the world economy, FDI inflows to China continues to grow. It shows yet again the magnetic pull of the Chinese market and the global confidence in Chinas economic outlook.



Since early this year, China has received a large number of senior executives of multinational corporations. Foreign businesses have largely expressed interest in further exploring market opportunities and increasing presence in China. This is the result of not only Chinas mega-market, well-developed industrial system and rich talent pool, but also improvement in Chinas business environment and investment facilitation.



China is both a beneficiary and a contributor to economic globalization and investment facilitation. Last week, negotiations at WTO over the draft text of an agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development were successfully concluded. It will be the worlds first multilateral investment agreement and further propel global investment growth. China played an important role in the negotiations by submitting 15 official proposals and providing pragmatic solutions on a number of occasions to address difficult issues.



China will, through its own development, provide the world with more opportunities for market access, investment and growth and continue to work with the rest of the world to foster an open world economy.



Beijing Daily: Yesterday, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 under the theme of Building Guiyang Consensus: Pursuing Modernization of Harmony between Humanity and Nature was successfully concluded. Representatives attending the forum highly commended Chinas achievements on the economic and environmental fronts and acknowledged Chinas contribution to global climate governance. Do you have any comment on this?



Mao Ning: Over the weekend, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 was successfully held. Over 3,200 representatives from 42 countries and regions attended the event and 14 common understandings in four aspects were reached. Several research outcomes were released, including a blue paper on climate change for the year 2023, and the event also facilitated multiple cooperation projects related to green development.



China sees lucid waters and lush mountains as humanitys invaluable assets. Ecological conservation is an important priority and we are committed to green and low-carbon development. This week is the 33rd National Energy Conservation Week and July 12 marks this years national low-carbon day in China. To advocate a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle and get everyone involved in actions to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions is key to achieving green and low-carbon development and enhancing ecological conservation, and also part of Chinas vigorous effort to respond to climate change and promote harmony between humanity and nature.



Dragon TV: According to reports, Japans Nuclear Regulation Authority on July 7 issued the certificate to TEPCO on the Fukushima facility of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that there is no change in the plan of starting to discharge the water into the ocean this summer. Japanese media said earlier that the Japanese government is very likely to start the ocean discharge in August. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: China has repeatedly stressed that Japan has not addressed international concerns over the legitimacy of the ocean discharge plan, the reliability of the purification facility, the integrity of the monitoring plan and so on. Many doubt the safety of the ocean discharge plan. The IAEAs review report has its limits and is narrowly focused. It does not address the above-mentioned concerns. Japan should not view the report as a greenlight for the ocean discharge. IAEA Director General Grossi stated on multiple occasions that the IAEA will not endorse Japans decision on ocean discharge.



The whole world is paying close attention to what potential impact the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water may have on the marine environment, food safety and peoples health. The Japanese government, however, cares only about when it can ditch that trouble and little about how much work, resources and risk-taking it will involve for other countries to deal with the impact of Japans discharge of nuclear-contaminated water.



Despite overwhelming domestic and international opposition, Japan seems bent on proceeding with its discharge plan. This is selfish, irresponsible and unpopular. China once again urges Japan to call off its ocean discharge plan and find a responsible way to deal with the issue.



Global Times: Uzbekistan had a successful early presidential election on July 9 and preliminary results show that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been reelected. Do you have any comment and how does China envision the future of its relations with Uzbekistan?



Mao Ning: China congratulates Uzbekistan on a successful presidential election and President Mirziyoyev on his reelection. President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to President Mirziyoyev upon learning the news. We believe that under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev, the country will achieve even greater success towards building a New Uzbekistan.



China and Uzbekistan are friendly neighbors with a shared future. The bilateral relations have remained strong and enjoyed robust growth over the past 31 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. China deeply values this bilateral relationship and stands ready to work with Uzbekistan for high-quality and all-round mutually-beneficial cooperation and jointly build a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.


BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States have agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and communications at all levels in the economic field in accordance with the consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Bali, China's Ministry of Finance said Monday.

The ministry made the remarks when commenting on the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's four-day visit to China that concluded Sunday.

During meetings with Yellen, the Chinese side has expressed the hope that the United States will be rational and pragmatic in bringing bilateral ties back to the right track at an early date, the ministry said.

The ministry expounded on China's stance on bilateral economic issues and common global challenges, including the mutually-beneficial nature of China-U.S. economic relations, concerns over the U.S. economic sanctions and suppression of China, China's position on healthy economic competition and China's willingness to work with the United States in addressing global challenges.

To achieve sound China-U.S. economic relations, China believes that it is necessary to fully respect the legitimate development rights and interests of all parties and conduct healthy competition in accordance with the principles of market economy and WTO rules.

"Differences should not lead to estrangement. Instead, they should precisely be a motivation to enhance communications and exchanges," the ministry stated.

China and the United States should seek consensus on important bilateral economic issues through candid communications to inject stability and positive energy into the bilateral economic relations, the ministry said.

The economic relations between the two countries are mutually beneficial in nature, the ministry added. China believes that its development is an opportunity rather than a challenge to the United States, and a gain rather than a risk. Strengthening cooperation between the two sides is the practical need and the right choice for both countries, according to the ministry.

The U.S. side said it does not seek to "decouple" from China, and that decoupling the world's top two economies would be disastrous for both countries and would bring instability to the world. The U.S. side has no intention of forcing other countries to choose sides and fragmenting the world economy.

China reiterated its concerns, urging the U.S. side to lift additional tariffs on Chinese products, stop the suppression of Chinese enterprises, treat two-way investments fairly, relax U.S. export controls on China, and lift the ban on imports of all products related to Xinjiang.

China expressed the hope that the U.S. side will take concrete actions to respond to its major concerns related to bilateral economic relations.

In the face of increasingly serious global challenges concerning macroeconomic and financial stability, climate change and debt issues, China hopes that developed countries, including the United States, will assume their due responsibilities, understand and accommodate the concerns of developing countries, and do more to promote common global development. 
Elton John performing in November 2022 | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Five years after it began and over 300 shows later, Sir Elton Johns Farewell Yellow Brick Road farewell tour has come to an end. John played his final show of the tour over the weekend at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. During the set, Coldplay appeared via a live video-link to congratulate and send off John.

From all of us here, from all the bands and artists youve helped and inspired, we love you so much, frontman Chris Martin said. Martin praised Johns work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, his advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights, his contributions to music, fashion, sexiness, and love, and dressing gowns, and long-term collaborator Bernie Taupins songwriting. We love you so much, were going to miss you so much.

Watch Coldplays Chris Martin Send Off Elton John

Johns 23-song setlist drew from across his decades-long career, including Bennie and the Jets, I Guess Thats Why They Call It the Blues, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, Someone Saved My Life Tonight and Candle in the Wind.

John also performed the likes of Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Dont Let the Sun Go Down on Me, The Bitch Is Back, Im Still Standing, Crocodile Rock, Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting and Your Song. John closed out his encore, naturally, with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

When we set off on my final tour in 2018, I couldnt have foreseen in my wildest dreams the twists and turns and the highs and lows this tour  and the whole world  would have experienced in the next five years, John said in a statement following the concert.

And every step of the way, my fans have been there. They have stuck with me, they have supported me, they have been patient, and they have kept turning out for every single last show. Tonight has been magical. Im trying to process it, and I dont think it will sink in for a while yet that Im finally finished touring. I cant tell you how much Im going to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled me  it will stay with me forever.

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Johns farewell tour began in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2018. Altogether, he performed 333 shows as part of the tour, selling some 5.7 million tickets. Australian shows as part of the tour took place in late 2019 and early 2020, with John returning for encore performances early this year.

Further Reading

Elton John Review  Rocket Man Defies the Sydney Deluge for One Final Blastoff

Dolly Parton Announces New Album Rockstar with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus and More

Elton John And Britney Spears Release Hold Me Closer Collaboration

The post Elton John Plays Final Show of Farewell Tour in Sweden appeared first on Music Feeds.
Susie Q, a 2-year-old morkie poo from Virginia, was diagnosed with cancer after a malignant tumor was found on her eyeball

Courtesy of Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

A dog in Virginia had her eye saved thanks to the help of another furry companion.

Susie Q learned that she had a malignant tumor on her eyeball after a routine veterinary exam at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Teaching Hospital last month.

"The veterinarian said, I dont like what Im seeing,'" recalled Susie Q's owner, Jim DePierro, while recounting the experience for the university's website. The veterinarians said Susie Q had a malignant tumor, a melanoma, on her eyeball. Theyll probably end up taking the eyeball. I almost fainted.

Courtesy of Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Related: Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello Celebrate Their Tiny Senior Dog's 10th Birthday

The 2-year-old morkie poo's visit came only hours after another dog visited the vet and had their eyeball removed. This turned out to be the perfect situation for Susie Q, as her tumor had not impacted the inside of her eye yet.

With the consent of the other dog's owner, corneal tissue from the removed eyeball was used to help perform surgery on Susie Q. The surgical team removed the tumor and used a graft from the other dog's lost eye to replace eye tissue around the infected area. This allowed Susie Q to keep her eye.

Courtesy of Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Related: Brooke Shields Introduces New Dog Tuzi: 'Couldn't Go Long Without Puppy Love'

It was serendipity that a dog came the night before that lost its eye, Daniel Rothschild Ph.D., a resident involved in the surgery, explained. We try to do the same thing with corneal tissue transplant as we do in people, but in dogs, we dont have donor tissue. The stars aligned in this case.

The procedure was led by the hospital's assistant director, Ian Herring M.S. I've done this surgery a number of times, but I never before used corneal tissue from another dog to do the repair," Herring said.

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Following the surgery, Susie Q is in good health and has had a positive recovery experience.

They did an amazing job, DePierro told the university's website. Virginia Tech has been fabulous. I never thought that anyone would take the time to save the eye.



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Read the original article on People.
Stolen 1970 Pontiac GTO

A family's treasured 1970 Pontiac GTO was stolen from a trailer on the way to a national GTO meet. The family is understandably distraught and has asked the public to keep its eyes open in the hope of having the car returned. That's where we all come in.

The Bennett family of upstate New York has owned the green Pontiac for 27 years, as they explained to WRTV Indianapolis. The mother of the family, Jill, recalled how the car had been present for major milestones in the family's life, from transporting them as newlyweds to bringing home their children from the hospital for the first time.

"It's just part of the family. We feel like we've lost a child," Jill Campbell-Bennett told the outlet. "Both of my kids came home in the hospital in it. It was in our wedding."

Stolen 1970 Pontiac GTO. via WRTV Indianapolis

The family was traveling to the 44th annual GTO Association of America National Convention in Springfield, Illinois, on June 26 when they stopped for the night at a La Quinta in Indianapolis. The car was being transported in an unmarked trailer, which security footage shows attracting attention from a suspect in a black shirt and khaki shorts. The suspect reportedly cut open the trailer and undid the ratchet straps, making off with the car in the company of white and black trucks.

"I had to tell my husband to breathe. It was quite emotional," Campbell-Bennet said. "We've had a lot of memories in it for sure. If anybody sees it we'd love to get it back."

The Bennetts said the GTO could be recognized by the tiger tail hanging out the trunk, as well as a sticker on its back window. It's possible that the thieves might attempt to disguise the car by removing those identifiers. There's hope that it's still around, and if you happen to spot it, police are asking that you contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
Nate Igor Smith

Nearly 25 years after the first Gathering of the Juggalos, Gen Z juggalos have started showing up in force.

That much was clear at the 23rd annual Gathering, which returned to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, this past weekend. The four-day music festivalhosted by Insane Clown Posse and their record label, Psychopathic Recordsis a mecca for ICP fans who show up by the thousands for one big family reunion. But thanks to the recent growing stream of leftist memes and TikTok trends, a new crop of Gen Z Juggalosor Zuggalos, as Ive decided to call themhave joined the party.

I think its an evolution of technology and social media, explains content creator and comedian Sean Barrett, whos behind the popular TikTok character Uncle Juff, an overly earnest poser Juggalo who is eventually accepted into the fold because of his kind heart. You saw a bunch of ICP songs go viral on TikTok recently and everybody is like, Whats this all about? And they dont have that old stigma. They just think, This makeup is cool, this music is cool, and then they kinda find it from there.

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Barrett should knowhe himself is a newer Juggalo whos found acceptance in the community and now considers himself a bit of a Juggalo Trojan horse, bringing in younger fans through his TikTok comedy. I went to Gathering five years ago and it completely changed my life, he says. This newer generation is the next evolution, and it is so exciting to be part of that next evolution of Juggalos.

One of the leaders of that new generation is Ouija Macc, who, outside of Insane Clown Posse themselves, was the most popular performer at the Gathering. Musically, he might be more similar to a Soundcloud rapper than he is to ICP, but his horror-core lyrics and Dark Carnival mythology keep him firmly in Juggalo territory. His style has rubbed some older ICP fans the wrong way, but hes beloved by their kids.

A lot of parents have come up to me and told me they had nothing in common with their teenage sons or daughters until they found my music. They could listen to it in the car together and bond over it. That means more to me than anything, Ouija says. I was not a fan of the TikTok portion of the Juggalo world. These new people found a cool TikTok sound and painted their face but there are people that found the Carnival that way. People who needed this shit just like I did when I heard ICP a bajillion years ago. There are people back then that would have said I wasnt a Juggalo because I wasnt down since [ICPs 1992 full-length debut album] Carnival of Carnage.

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I went to [ICP member] Violent J about it because I felt some kinda way, Ouija continues, and he was like, You are kinda being a hater. Imagine if a motherfucker told you that you werent down and shunned you and made you feel like this wasnt a place for you. Thats the opposite of what we are supposed to be doing. We are supposed to be inclusive, we are supposed to be accepting. We are supposed to be that space for them.

Nate Igor Smith

Juggalos have always been more diverse than people give them credit for; ICPs lyrics are all about giving outcasts a voice, accepting people for who they are, and, of course, murdering bigots with a hatchet. But over the last few years, the more ultra-hip, gender non-conforming kids have been making their presence felt. And while Juggalos as a whole are very welcoming, no one would ever consider them woke at least not yet.

Case in point: A trans Juggalette named Steph performed in the Miss Juggalette contest at the Gathering this year, and while 99 percent of the crowd was cheering for her, there were some people making transphobic comments. A 20-year-old trans juggalo named Goliath told me that he was really uncomfortable watching it. At the Gathering, there is the layered aspect of slightly conservative energy from the older folk, he said. I have my community that I know and feel good with, but its the 30- to 40-year-old crowd that is behind on understanding us.

Misogynistic Onstage Attacks of Female Performers Is This Summers Worst Trend

Incidents like that are few and far between; nearly every person I spoke with talked about how welcoming Juggalos are. If anything, the friction with the Gen Z Juggalos is based on the same kind of protective gatekeeping that happens in every music scenethe older folks have been there longer, they know more, and they hate what they see as tourists showing up to their family reunion for social media likes. Jordan Kinnear, a longtime Juggalo photographer, said, I understand new fans are needed to progress and keep the culture alive and moving forward, but much like everything popular, it just seems like its a joke to some of them. The culture vultures looking for that online clout can fuck off.

The fight between the gatekeepers and the Zuggalos will undoubtedly continue for some time, but if more young people embrace the wicked shit, maybe the Gathering will last long enough to see another generation of Juggalos rise and take up the mantle from the clowns that started it all.

You dont hear people really talk shit about Juggalos anymore, you dont hear them talk shit about ICP, Barrett observed. They are finally getting the flowers that they fully deserve. Now, its cool to be a Juggalo.

Below, see more exclusive images from this years Gathering of the Juggalos.

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A Fayetteville teenager who drowned at a South Carolina state park last month will be honored by his high school with an annual award in his name, officials said Thursday.

TreSean Snow, 16, a rising junior at Douglas Byrd High School, drowned at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, on June 6 while trying to save another child, according to the Georgetown County Coroners Office.

Principal Kenneth Williams said Thursday that the school has created the TreSean Snow Courage Award in his honor.

Snows guardian and cousin, Kiara McPhaul, 32, said in a phone interview that TreSean was on a day trip to the beach with his two best friends when he noticed a 13-year-old girl struggling on her boogie board and swam out to help. The girl was saved, but TreSean was swept under by a current, McPhaul said.

It was an act of heroism that most adults would not be capable of, she noted.

I respect how selfless he was, she said. That was just his nature  to help anybody that he could that was in need.

Tre'Sean Snow, 16, drowned at a South Carolina state park on June 6, 2023, while trying to save another child, officials said.

'The kid was different'

TreSean had encountered many tragedies in the past five years, but that never stopped him from being a source of light for others, his loved ones said.

His aunt and mother died less than two months apart in 2018, leaving TreSean and his two older sisters in the care of other family members before McPhaul took custody of them, she said.

McPhaul moved her family from Raeford to Fayetteville two years ago, she said. The change was hard on Tre'Sean. Family friend Thomas Jackson came into his life in 2020 after TreSeans uncle passed, introducing the teen to the world of car shows.

He kind of just stayed attached to my side for a few months after that, learning about the different car meets and learning about YouTube and making money on social media, Jackson said.

Tre'Sean Snow celebrating his 16th birthday in December 2022. Snow died at a South Carolina state park in June while trying to save another child, officials said.

Jackson runs TKs Garage, a YouTube channel he began in 2016 that focuses on the car community.

TreSean fell in love with the car community, specifically with Dodge cars, and Jackson sometimes took him to a nearby drag strip in his Challenger, he said.

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He kind of was addicted to it at that point, he said.

Jackson also helped the teen get involved in wrestling.

I started taking him on the weekends to these open classes or training, Jackson said. It was like a feeder program for the local high schools to have wrestlers.

Jackson, a defense contractor who does not have children, said what impressed him most about TreSean was his positive attitude and determination to build a great life for himself. He said the teen dreamt of building a home for the disabled in honor of his disabled sister and joining the JROTC program at Douglas Byrd.

The kid was different, Jackson said. He had aspirations and things that he wanted to do different.

Jackson found out from his ex-wife and Tre'Sean's family about the teens death, but it wasnt until he spoke to the coroner in Georgetown County that he heard how TreSean died, he said.

That knowledge inspired him to speak out, and Jackson published a video to his 106,000 subscribers on YouTube, sharing TreSeans story and encouraging the car community to attend the teens June 14 funeral in Raeford.

"That kid gave up everything to save a little girl," Jackson said.

Honoring a sacrifice

News of TreSeans final act spread, and members of the Hoke County Sheriffs Office and the Raeford Fire Department, Jackson and McPhaul said.

Deputies attended TreSeans funeral and closed intersections from the funeral home to the cemetery, while fire trucks lined up to pay tribute to TreSean, Jackson said. According to McPhaul, members of the car community escorted the family to and from the funeral home.

It was also at TreSeans funeral that his loved ones learned about the Douglas Byrd High School's TreSean Snow Courage Award, McPhaul said. Principal Williams said Thursday that the details have not been finalized, but it will be presented to a student during the annual senior awards ceremony and recipients will be determined through faculty nominations and votes.

TreSeans loved ones said they want people to remember the teens spirit.

He was still positive and always looking for the better aspect of life, Jackson said. The community lost somebody that I sense was going to make a massive difference in their community, just because of how huge this kids character was.

Its a loss that will forever be felt by his family, McPhaul said.

I want people to know how much were going to miss him and how this has put a hole in our heart, she said. He was just a good kid.

Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville teen to be remembered with Douglas Byrd annual award
As the temperature reaches 95 degrees and the feels like of 110 degrees, Chris Blankenship of Marine Construction downs a bottle of water while building a deck in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on July 6, 2023.

BELLE GLADE  Hurricanes, erosion, extreme heat and more  the list of potential threats is endless, and county officials want to know: Which is lurking in your neighborhood?

Palm Beach County is asking residents from all municipalities to share their climate change concerns as it begins assessing the community's risk and developing an action plan aimed at preventing and preparing for future threats. Residents can point officials to their most pressing concerns and offer proposed solutions through an online survey at bit.ly/3O8doBD.

To assess the community's vulnerabilities, county officials will also hold a series of meetings open to the public  the first of which is geared toward residents and business owners of the Glades region. It is scheduled for Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Belle Glade Library and Civic Center.

Attendees can offer feedback and ask questions as county employees discuss the Climate Risk Assessment and Action Plan. Those who cannot attend may watch remotely from South Bay City Hall at 335 SW 2nd Ave. in South Bay. All can register ahead of time at bit.ly/44ysVjp.

Turn up the heat? Utilities say setting your summer thermostat to 78 degrees saves money. But should you?

Palm Beach County is proactively addressing the impacts of climate change, said Palm Beach County Chief Resilience Officer Megan Houston in a prepared statement.  ... We must deliberately work to ensure that all our community members are prepared for and thrive in the face of a changing climate.

This and subsequent workshops are opportunities for residents to help identify and evaluate future climate change impacts, collect data, develop flood maps and models, and discuss suggested updates to county policies, a county spokesperson said Friday.

The project will culminate into an official "Climate Change Risk Assessment and Resilience Action Plan," intended to make Palm Beach County eligible for infrastructure grants  including the state Department of Environmental Protection's Resilient Florida Grant Program, which has distributed more than $1.5 billion in grants in the past three years.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post, a member of the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: County hosts community workshop in Belle Glade to talk climate change
Jennifer Garner has showcased the collection of friendship bracelets that she amassed while attending Taylor Swifts Eras tour concert.

The 51-year-old actor took to Instagram on Saturday to share photos from the concert, which was held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday. After sharing one snap of herself with one of Swifts openers, Gracie Abrams, Garner also shared a video of her wrists and arms, which were covered with beaded, multi-coloured bracelets.

In the short clip, she proceeded to hold her hands up and smile at the camera, before she started dancing and looking at the dozens of friendship bracelets, which she received from fans at the concert.

Garner concluded her post with a video of Abrams performing during the concert, and two of Swift singing. In the caption, she praised all of the performers at the concert, as well as the Swifties who gave her the friendship bracelets.

@gracieabramsand @taylorswift: a match made in heaven. We swooned for you, Gracie! And our minds are still blown by the generosity of spirit, ferocity and stamina of Taylor Swift. Shout out to @whereismuna, she wrote, referring to the band MUNA, which was another opener at the concert. To everyone who stopped by to bring a bracelet and say hello, to Kansas City for your warmth and enthusiasm.

To us for lucking into the unofficial release party of both Speak Now (Taylors Version) and the music video for I Can See You, directed by TSwift and impeccably performed by @taylorlautner, @joeyking and @helloimpresleycash, she continued, referring to the three stars of the new music video, which debuted during Fridays concert. Epic night.

In the comments, many famous faces and fans expressed their own excitement over the concert while remarking on Garners collection of friendship bracelets.

Wow, how amazing was THAT?!!! Ina Garten wrote, while Taylor Lautner added: Best night EVER.

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A third wrote: YOUR WRISTS.

Some fans even revealed that they noticed the actor at the show, with one writing: As we were walking to our seats right next to where you were sitting, my 10 year old was like: Hey! Thats the mom from Yes Day in there! I hope you and your daughter had an epic time!

Since the Eras tour kicked off in March, friendship bracelets have been a staple part of the festivities. While exchanging friendship bracelets is a common practice at raves, the bracelet trading trend at Swifts concerts ties back to her song, Youre On Your Own, Kid, from her 2022 album, Midnights. In the popular bridge of the tune, the lyrics read: So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it.

Garner is not the only celebrity to leave one of Swifts shows with a collection of bracelets. In May, Jennifer Lawrence was spotted in the VIP section of the concert in Philadelphia, where she happily collected bracelets from fans who were offering them to her. While at the concert that same weekend, fans also tweeted photos of Nicole Kidman putting a friendship bracelet of her own on.
Actor Julian Sands in 2015 in Los Angeles, California Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Actor Julian Sands spoke about the dangers of mountain climbing in an interview last year, Variety reported.

The 65-year-old went missing in January this year while hiking in southern California's San Gabriel Mountain.

The British actor's remains were found near Mount Baldy in late June, six months after he disappeared.

British actor Julian Sands  whose remains were found last month after he went missing during a hike in January  spoke about how dangerous mountain climbing could be in one of his last interviews, Variety reported.

In an interview that was published in the latest Radio Times magazine, Sands talked about how he finds "solace" and "self-affirmation" in the "dangerous" sport, as reported by Variety.

"If you can deal with dangerous mountains, you can certainly deal with life as an actor  the two are quite complementary," Sands said to Radio Times.

"If you don't really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if you're not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and it's a much more deflating experience," the actor added.

Sands also admitted in the Radio Times interview  which took place six months before his remains were discovered  that he, too, has "been confronted with human remains" while in the mountains, per Variety.

"I've found spooky things on mountains, when you know you're in a place where many people have lost their lives, whether it be on the Eiger or in the Andes," Sands said. "It's not necessarily supernatural, it's possibly all too natural  what I would call hypernatural. You're in the presence of big nature and big nature is revealing itself in all its power."

Sands was an avid hiker and mountaineer. In an interview with The Guardian in 2020, the actor shared that he had once been caught in a storm with three other climbers in the Andes Mountains back in the '90s.

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"We were all in a very bad way. Some guys close to us perished; we were lucky," Sands told the Guardian.

Despite his age, the actor said in the Radio Times interview that he was reluctant to give up his hobby even as many of his friends retired from the sport, per Variety.

"Pals I used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains, partly because they find, with climate change, the rock faces have become much more unstable, partly, it's age," Sands said.

Sands, known for his role in "A Room With a View," was last seen hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of Mount Baldy in mid-January, Insider previously reported. He was 65.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced in late June that some hikers found human remains on a trail near Mount Baldy, which were subsequently identified as Sands'.

Read the original article on Insider


For decades, the Kennedy family brand has been one of unification even in the face of crisis  of which there have been many. But in the midst of Robert F. Kennedys controversial campaign to beat out President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, the family who effectively defined the Democratic Party as we know it today are struggling to find harmony within their own ranks.



When the extended family gathered for the Fourth of July at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, where generations of the family have vacationed for decades, RFK Jr. was notably absent. Kerry Kennedy, RFK Jr.s sister, shared a video depicting dozens of the family waving to the camera while celebrating along the Massachusetts coastline. In the caption of her Instagram post, Kerry wished a Happy Birthday to her brother, Chris, and to our beautiful, striving, evolving, majestic, diverse country.

More from SheKnows



Before suspicions could mount, a source close to the family was quick to explain why the 69-year-old nephew of late President John F. Kennedy and son of late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was nowhere to be seen. Bobby has been campaigning, the source told People. They are a cohesive family. They may differ in their political views but they are family.

RFK Jr.s family have largely denounced his political views.

Click here to read the full article.



While the explanation for RFK Jr.s absence may be valid, there is no denying that the cohesive family has been struggling to stand behind his recent campaign. In 2019, three family members penned an op-ed in Politico condemning him for publishing anti-vaccination theories online. We love Bobby. He is one of the great champions of the environment, his sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, brother Joseph P. Kennedy II and niece Maeve Kennedy McKean wrote. However, on vaccines he is wrong.

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When he announced his presidential campaign earlier this year, Kerry was quick to speak out and distance herself from her brother. I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, and the role of social media platforms in policing false information, she wrote in a public statement, according to People. And, in his first public address as a presidential candidate, RFK Jr. acknowledged that some of his family members just plain disagree with his views. He explained: They are entitled to their beliefsand I love them back.



One person who was present at the familys gathering was Caroline Kennedys son, Jack Schlossberg, and while the world should have been wondering where his more controversial relative was on the big day, Schlossberg managed to steal the spotlight with a wild rant of his own. Check out more on that here!

Before you go, click here to see photos of JFK and Jackie O.s grown-up grandkids.

John Schlossberg, Caroline Kennedy, Tatiana Schlossberg

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Thanks to Sheree Whitfield, she and her fellow Real Housewives of Atlanta OGs Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Lisa Wu, and DeShawn Snow had a peach-perfect reunion on Season 15.

The foursome came together for dinner on Episode 9, which aired July 9. Find out everything they revealed by scrolling below.

Where Lisa and Kim Stand Today

Kim and Lisa weren't always the best of friends, and that much was made clear when they greeted each other at Sheree's dinner. As Lisa told the Don't Be Tardy cast member, "I don't know if I need to hug you or chop you in the throat."

Thankfully, she was kidding, and the two even went on to clear up any of their past issues with one another.

"Even when I was hating you, I loved you," Lisa told Kim. "It's great memories. But I don't hate you anymore."

Kim's response? "I never hated you," she said, leading to Lisa clarifying that she never really hated Kim, either.

Kim's Thoughts on Marlo, Kenya, and Kandi

Sheree Whitfield Rhoa Alumn Dinner 0

Never one to bite her tongue, Kim got candid about several of Sheree's RHOA castmates after she brought up the fact that they were about to embark on a trip to Portugal.

"Oh my god, Marlo!" Kim said of Marlo Hampton. "I love Marlo."

When it came to Kenya Moore, however, Kim was less enthusiastic. "Kenya? Really?" Kim said before joking that she didn't know she was "still alive." Kim also looked back at her and Kenya's RHOA Season 10 drama involving her daughter, Brielle Biermann. "You don't touch the kids, bro."

Kenya Moore Friendship Updates

Kenya Moore Shares Where She Really Stands with Porsha, Cynthia, and, Yes, Kim Zolciak

As for Kandi Burruss, Kim revealed that they had a sweet interaction at Porsha Williams' wedding. "Kandi gave me a hug [and] I was like, 'Okay, girl, Taurus to Taurus...'"

Sheree then interjected to ask if they had "squashed everything," a.k.a. the drama resulting from their collaboration on the song, "Don't Be Tardy for the Party," to which Kim responded, "Just because I hugged her doesn't mean I squashed it."

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"I just sang a f-cking song," she added of the drama. "And it went really big and I enjoyed it. That's it."

Kim, Lisa, and DeShawn's Love Lives

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Though Kim and her husband, Kroy Biermann, have since filed for divorce, the couple was "doing great" at the time of filming, Kim said on RHOA. In fact, Kim even reflected on the time she first met Kroy, after which she nicknamed him "Tight Ass."

Talking to Sheree, Kim explained, "I think about you all the time because literally when I was like, 'Sheree introduced me to Tight Ass,' you wanna know what's really funny? [Kroy] said before I ever saw him, when I came up to that room to see you, he saw me from afar and he said, 'I just knew when I saw you.'"

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann at Watch What Happens Live

Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kroy Biermann's Relationship Timeline

Like Kim, Lisa and DeShawn are no longer with their former husbands. Lisa and Ed Hartwell legally separated in 2011, and their divorce was later finalized in 2012. As for her dating life today, Lisa said upon her RHOA return, "I got somebody special."

Deshawn Snow Rhoa 02

Deshawn Snow Rhoa 01 0

DeShawn, meanwhile, admitted to being "caught off guard" by her 2010 divorce from her ex, Eric Snow. Today, she's back in the dating game. "It is what you make it," DeShawn concluded.

RHOA fans are already up-to-date on Sheree's love life, but she did make a surprising revelation while discussing her romance with Martell Holt. More specifically, when Kim asked Sheree if she'd "get married again," Sheree replied, "Absolutely."

Sheree's Reflections on the Reunion

Amid her dinner with Kim, Lisa, and DeShawn, Sheree couldn't help but think about the fractured relationships amongst her current RHOA cast mates. As she put it in a confessional interview, "If me, Lisa, DeShawn, and Kim can make it through all of the BS from before, then I definitely feel like me and my current friends can do the same. There is a huge divide in the group right now, and what's going on around me with these girls is constant stress. I'm making it my mission to bring everybody back together."

Lisa Wu Deshawn Snow Rhoa 0

If anyone can do it, it's Sheree. After all, she managed to get Kim, Lisa, and DeShawn together!

"I love these girls," Sheree concluded of the reunion. "There's a love, a respect for each other. We go to dinners, go have drinks, just check in on each other. Past drama isn't worth holding onto and to be honest, I don't remember a lot of it."
China's national-level global forum themed on ecological civilization, Eco Forum Global Guiyang, has opened its 2023 edition in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Now let's listen to what the international experts said about global cooperation for a greener world.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Modesto firefighters extinguish a trash bin blaze sometime during the night of July 4-5. Many of the fire calls were reported in areas of heavy illegal fireworks use. (Modesto Fire Department)

Fundraising should be firework-free

Re Firework booths across Modesto support nonprofit groups (Front Page, June 25): Each year fireworks are responsible for hundreds of fires and injuries. We are reminded, It doesnt take long for fires to spread. So, what does the city of Modesto do? They permit 52 stands across Modesto that sell fireworks. Fifty-two places that sell noxious chemicals that pollute, leaving behind some of the dirtiest air imaginable. Fifty-two places that will harm children, people with allergies and asthma sufferers. Fifty-two places that sell noise. Noise so loud it scares children, startles vets with PTSD, and sends small animals crawling under beds for safety.

Its not just the so-called illegal fireworks that are the problem. Its all of them. The Bee even published the names of those 52 gross polluters. Do-gooder agencies who have been planning since last July 4 how to make the lives of most of Modestos citizens uncomfortable, while enriching themselves. The Bee article did point out the obvious: they, the 52 stands, get the money. The rest of us pay a real price in health care and safety.

The state of Massachusetts is the only state that completely bans the sale and use of fireworks. Something to think about, Modesto.



Ed Bearden, Modesto

Dems excel in doublespeak

Re Calif. Democrats blast Supreme Court on admissions ruling (Front Page, Jun. 30-Jul. 1) It took longer than George Orwell expected, but 1984 has finally arrived. California Democrats and Gov. Newsom have perfected the art of doublespeak.

Apparently, we all dont even speak the same language. How does Proposition 209, which barred weighing race, gender, and other factors in hiring, contracting and admissions discriminate against a race or gender? If what you really want is an advantage for some based on their race or gender, then have the courage to say so, and come up with a logical reason in which it makes sense to do it. Then pass a law.

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The story quotes our governor accusing the court of changing the law. The job of the Supreme Court is to ensure that laws passed in Congress and signed by the president are in accord with the supreme law of the land, our Constitution. This the Supreme Court has done in its recent decision on affirmative action. Precedent should never be the last word on how to apply the Constitution. If anyone does not agree with the Constitution or thinks that it is unclear in a certain area, then please amend it. But at least say what you mean and eliminate the doublespeak.



Dave Turnbaugh, Modesto

Trumps supreme court rules for discrimination

Kudos to Trump. His supreme court has given the green light to all businesses to bring out their straight whites only signs! Whether you are white enough will be the business managers decision, not yours.



Ken Garst, Turlock

Religion isnt essential to democracy

Re Americans dismissal of religion doesnt bode well for the republic (Page 3C, July 2): How to react to the Heritage Foundations screed regarding their fear that the decline in Christian fervor by Americans bodes ill for democracy? The author selectively quotes our (white male) founders, citing several instances where they seemingly endorsed religion and its positive influence on our freedom. She confidently states that without religion there could be no morality and virtue. Huh?

So, in her world, I can be neither moral or virtuous? I look at todays religious advocates (not just Christians) with a combination of horror and amazement. They advocate censorship of ideas that they, or more likely their religions, dont agree with. They discriminate indiscriminately. They support perhaps the most amoral president in our history and abhor one of our most pious. Their worldview and mine are incompatible.

Our founders were not infallible. They got more than a few things wrong when they set the rules for our democracy. And Id wager that, if they were alive today, they would agree.



Lou Hampel, Modesto

Remembering Judge Vander Wall

Judge Dave Vander Wall passed away on June 14. Let the record show that Dave, besides being an excellent judge, was also an outstanding presiding judge during his tenure on the Superior Court bench. Dave appreciated the need for rules that would make a court more cohesive.

More importantly, he clearly understood the limitation of judicial independence in the administrative operation of the court. He knew how the administration needed to work with other county and city departments. He often said we werent an island. His support of the court as an independent third branch of government was critical when conflicts would occur. During Scott Petersons preliminary hearing, hallways and the street outside were jammed. On one occasion an ambulance had difficulty getting to the court during an emergency. Dave made a local rule that, with the cooperation of the sheriff and Modesto Police Department, controlled the courthouse. He understood calendar management and how goal-setting and internal measurements were an integral part of case flow.

As the court executive officer, I appreciated his active support. Dave listened in the truest meaning of the word. He was a team player with a good sense of humor.

Mike Tozzi, Oakdale

Eating contests not sensitive to those without

As July 4 came to an end, I turned the television to SportsCenter. One of the top stories was the world famous hot dog eating contest and how Mr. Joey Chestnut won his 16th title.

And that got me thinking of a student I had in my class 17 years ago. You see, this student started showing up early to school when the weather started to get a bit chilly. He just wanted to sit in his seat, back of the class. After a few days, I asked him why he wanted to just come in and sit while I prepared for the day. He said that he and his mother and his little sister lived in a borrowed car and this was the only time in the day he could be warm, safe and alone. When the breakfast was served at school, hed go get his meal and come back to my classroom, and Id leave for 15 minutes so the young man could have time to himself and eat in peace.

There are 828 million starving people in this world, 34 million here in America and 9 million children. Yes we can have food eating contests, but should we?

Tim de Lorimier, Modesto
Meek Mill called for Tory Lanezs freedom during his Rolling Loud set in Portugal.

During the Friday night (June 7) performance of Litty Again, a track he shares with Tory, the Philadelphia emcee took a moment to big up the Canadian rapper, currently behind bars.

Free Tory Lanez! he shouted towards the sea of fans in attendance. The statement didnt sit well with fans on Twitter, with some proclaiming theyre no longer supporting the artists.

Sigh. I never thought the day would come when I no longer support him. Here I am, though, one user said. Maybe that judge was right about Meekshe was trying to keep him [in prison] for a good reason, another account tweeted.

Meeks statement concerns Tory Lanez being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Tory was convicted on Dec. 23, 2022, for his actions against Meg. The Toronto entertainer was initially set to be sentenced in January 2023, however, the sentencing was delayed multiple times after Lanez acquired new attorneys and motioned for a new trial.

Meek Mill says Free Tory Lanez as he performs Litty Again for Rolling Loud Portugal. pic.twitter.com/mDU7tIIZPv  Rap Alert (@rapalert6) July 9, 2023

As of July 2023, the rapper, ne Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, received a sentencing hearing set for Aug. 7, 2023. While the date quickly approaches, Torys team has been working hard to free the artist from jail. In June 2023, law reporter Meghann Cuniff reported that lawyers Matthew Barhoma and Jose Baez asked that Judge Herriford be dismissed from the case due to claims of favoritism.

Barhoma and Baez stated in their appellate petition that Herriford made them present their arguments in his preferred order. The pair also claims the judge didnt allow them to call witnesses and interrupted them during their arguments.

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Conversely, the judge gave the people a full and fair opportunity to present argument uninterrupted, even when the case cited by the people did not stand for the proposition that they advanced, Lanezs legal team motioned.

Tory Lanez attends 2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

Together, these facts reveal such a high degree of favoritism or antagonism as to make fair judgment impossible. Given these facts, a reasonable person would fairly entertain doubts concerning the judges impartiality. As a result, disqualification is required.

ABC News reports that Tory Lanez currently faces up to 22 years in prison.

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Facebook/Brandon Buschman

A man who was found dead in a freezer in Minnesota was reportedly hiding from local police.

According to a press release from the Gilbert Police Department, Brandon Lee Buschman was discovered in a chest freezer in the basement of an unoccupied home in Biwabik, Minnesota on June 26. He had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, although the police did not specify for what crime Buschman was wanted.

Police say that he got into the freezer on his own accord. It was an older model with only one latching mechanism on the outside. When the 34-year-old climbed in, he jammed a metal lawn ornament rod from inside of the freezer towards the latching mechanism, likely thinking that would help him escape. However, he still couldnt open the freezer from the inside; once he climbed in, he was unable to get out.

The freezer was unplugged at the time of the incident and there was no electricity in the house, which had remained unoccupied since February 2023. According to police, several individuals who knew Buschman had been present in the home when he disappeared. Those people told authorities that they saw him fleeing from the upstairs area of the house due to a possible police presence near the residence.

During the autopsy, the Midwest Medical Examiners Office determined that there was no trauma or injury to the body. Toxicology reports havent yet been completed. Police are currently trying to figure out the last time someone saw Buschman alive.

More on this
MSNBC

An MSNBC panel had some strong words for Floridas First Lady, Casey DeSantis, over the weekendwith one guest going so far as to dub her Americas Karen.

As the charismatic wife to a reportedly uncharismatic presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, Casey has become a national figure off her attempts to soften her husbands hardline far-right campaign. But those attempts cant change the basis of hate the couples shared political project rests upon, according to former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who represented DeSantis home state of Florida from 2014 to 2017.

For some, shes become the brighter side to Floridas angry governor, Jolly said on MSNBCs The Saturday Show With Jonathan Capehart. For many others, shes become Americas Karen.

He went on to say that DeSantis zero-sum, scorched earth culture war campaign is a losing messageand that no amount of charisma can make up for the couples lack of a positive message about the future of the country theyd like to govern.

Shes a more effective messenger than Ron DeSantis, but if all shes doing is amplifying her husbands messages, shes actually only clarifying his weaknesses, Jolly added. It doesnt matter if its presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one.

"She's become America's Karen," @DavidJollyFL says about Casey DeSantis. "It doesn't matter if it's presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine is a losing one." https://t.co/Hn0POU398v pic.twitter.com/SmVXBqfzpy  MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 8, 2023

The label prompted a round of laughs from fellow panelist and conservative pundit Tara Setmayer, as well as host Jonathan Capehart.

Tara, I think Davids beaten you in terms of taking my breath away during a segment, Capehart joked, adding: Americas Karen, hoo boy.

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For her part, Setmayer continued on the topic by calling Casey DeSantis a Serena Waterford wannabe, in reference to the antagonist in Margaret Atwoods dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale.

She needs to stop measuring the drapes at the White House and drop this belief that shes Jackie [Onassis] reincarnate, Setmayer added. Keep an eye on her, shes a wily figure.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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"It's just going to be exciting to see the friendships they make and the bond that they have," said Michelle Hilferty

Main Line Health Michelle Hilferty and Monica Hogan with newborns

Sisters Michelle Hilferty and Monica Hogan recently shared an exciting milestone together: giving birth on the same day at the same hospital in Pennsylvania.

On June 26, the sisters  who coincidentally live on the same street in Drexel Hill  welcomed their baby boys just hours apart at Lankenau Medical Center, a spokesperson for Main Line Health tells PEOPLE.

Hogan's baby, son Ryan, arrived at 5:57 a.m., while Hilferty's bundle of joy, son Anthony, was born at 8:50 p.m.



"It's just going to be exciting to see the friendships they make and the bond that they have," Hilferty told CBS station KYW-TV.

Related: Twins Share a Hug After Being Separated for 5 Days in Tenn. NICU: 'Cutest Thing Ever,' Says Mom

Hilferty's planned induction was still days away when she went to visit Hogan in the hospital after her older sister went into labor, according to KYW-TV.

"I had actually scheduled my induction for our due date that upcoming Friday," Hilferty told the station. But fate had other plans in mind and just hours later, she was back at the hospital.



Main Line Health Michelle Hilferty and Monica Hogan at hospital

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Much to her surprise, she learned from a nurse that they had "saved the room right next door" to her sister.

Related: 4 Sisters Pregnant at Same Time Say the Coincidence is 'Just Mind-Blowing'

Main Line Health Michelle Hilferty and Monica Hogan's newborns

As it turned out, this wasn't the first special birth story for either woman.

"Theyre not newbies when it comes to coincidences," a spokesperson for Main Line Health tells PEOPLE. Monicas 4-year-old son was born on her birthday. Michelles 2-year-old daughter was born on granddads birthday."

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"These sisters were synced up," the health system wrote in a sweet social media post.



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Read the original article on People.
Remember when Robert Downey Jr. gave a squirrel CPR in a blockbuster flop? Well, he certainly does.

Following his exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Iron Man actor made plans to headline another potential franchise: Universal's Dolittle, a tale of a man who can talk to animals. But the project didn't turn out as Downey and his colleagues had hoped.

"I finished the Marvel contract and then hastily went into what had all the promise of being another big, fun, well-executed potential franchise in Dolittle," Downey explained in a recent New York Times profile. "I had some reservations. Me and my team seemed a little too excited about the deal and not quite excited enough about the merits of the execution. But at that point I was bulletproof. I was the guru of all genre movies."

Coming off the monumental success of his MCU run  including the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame  another Downey franchise seemed like an easy sell. Dolittle even featured a star-studded supporting cast, with CGI animals voiced by the likes of Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, John Cena, Rami Malek and more. In the end, the film was a critical and financial failure.

Still, Robert Downey Jr. considers Dolittle one of the most important films he's ever made.

Robert Downey Jr. in 'Dolittle'

Universal Pictures Robert Downey Jr. in 'Dolittle'

He explained, "Honestly, the two most important films I've done in the last 25 years are The Shaggy Dog, because that was the film that got Disney saying they would insure me. Then the second most important film was Dolittle, because Dolittle was a two-and-a-half-year wound of squandered opportunity."

Downey added that the film, co-produced by his wife Susan Downey, was a stressful undertaking as "she rolled her sleeves up to her armpits to make it even serviceable enough to bring to market."

So why does he consider Dolittle such an important part of his filmography? Because it completely altered his outlook on choosing projects.

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"After that point  what's that phrase? Never let a good crisis go to waste," Downey said. "We had this reset of priorities and made some changes in who our closest business advisers were."

Now, the movie star is set to go nuclear with Chrisopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He'll make his comeback to the big screen as the antagonistic Lewis Strauss, who bitterly clashes with Cillian Murphy's J. Robert Oppenheimer.

"I don't know why I can relate to Lewis Strauss so much," Downey said. "But I felt like I was meant to play this role, and I knew I'd be in capable hands."

While speaking with EW during a Dolittle set visit, Downey said he was attracted to the project because it centered the kind of hero that the world desperately needed. "I felt myself living [at a time] where everybody just seemed to be screaming at each other across the aisle," he said. "I was like, here's a superhero, if you will, whose superpower is listening. His superhero superpower is empathy and I thought that'd be a great character to have today."

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The Prime Minister will meet Joe Biden in London (Leon Neal/PA) (PA Archive)

Rishi Sunak will use the Nato summit in Lithuania to urge allies to increase their defence spending as he warns they face unprecedented security challenges.

The Prime Minister will meet with leaders in Lithuania on Tuesday for talks that will feature support for Ukraine and its future membership of the defensive alliance.

He will first host Joe Biden in the UK after the US president committed to sending Kyiv cluster munitions, despite many Nato allies prohibiting their use.

Mr Sunak said Britain discourages the weapons as one of the 123 signatories of a convention banning the bombs for their devastating impact on civilians.

The White House said Mr Biden will compare notes with Mr Sunak on the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia.

The president will also meet the King in Windsor Castle.

At the summit in Vilnius, Downing Street said that Mr Sunak will ask allies to up their defence spending to ensure it is prepared for future threats.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said: As we face new and unprecedented challenges to our physical and economic security, our alliances are more important than ever.

The UK is Europes leading Nato ally, we are the United States most important trade, defence and diplomatic partner, and we are at the forefront of providing Ukraine with the support they need to succeed on the battlefield.

We have forged and invested in these alliances because we know they are the foundation of our strength and security. And I will continue to lead a United Kingdom which puts our international relationships at the heart of delivering for the British people.

The UK is among a minority of Nato members that meets the alliances commitment to spend at least 2 per cent of national income on defence.

Estimates for last year had France, Germany and Spain as included in those not meeting the target.

Mr Biden has said it was a difficult decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine and sought to justify the move as needed to fortify Kyivs depleting ammunition stocks.

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But Mr Sunak chose not to express support for the move during a by-election campaign stop to Selby, pointing to the UKs commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Well, the UK is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use, he told broadcasters.

We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russias illegal and unprovoked invasion, but weve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine.

Russias act of barbarism is causing untold suffering to millions of people.

Its right that we collectively stand up to it and Ill be heading off to the Nato summit next week in Vilnius, where we will be discussing exactly this with our allies how we can strengthen our support for Ukraine.

The weapons deploy a large number of bomblets across a wide area.

Unexploded bomblets can continue to pose a threat to civilians long after conflicts end.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits their use or stockpiling because of their indiscriminate effect on civilian populations.

The US, Ukraine and Russia are not signatories.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have used cluster munitions so far in the war.
Since 2020, people on TikTok have shared videos of themselves jumping off moving speedboats. Now, authorities have spoken out about the dangers of the activity.

Over the last three years, people have posted footage of themselves participating in what has become known as the boat jumping challenge on social media. In one video posted by @markthompson295 in August 2021, one person could been seen wearing a life jacket, as they jumped off the back of a speedboat. After this person jumped off, many other people in life jackets proceeded to follow their lead.

In addition, other videos have documented people doing backflips or with their backs turned away from the water, when jumping off speedboats.

On 3 July, first responders described the dangers of jumping off a moving boat, as it could potentially cause people to break their necks and drown. Jim Dennis of Alabamas Childersburg Rescue Squad told WBMA that the boat jumping challenge led to four easily avoidable drowning deaths in the state, which occurred in the last six months.

They were doing a TikTok challenge. Its where you get in a boat going at a high rate of speed, you jump off the side of the boat, dont dive, youre jumping off feet first and you just kinda lean into the water, he said about the people who died.

He added: That is a very big concern because we have seen this pattern emerge over the last two years and its sporadic, but its something that needs to go away and stay away, he said.

In one instance in February, a father died while jumping off a boat, with his wife and three young children on board. According to Dennis, the wife unfortunately recorded her husbands death. He also noted that the most recent death came in mid-May, while adding that the four people who drowned in the state were males.

Dennis urged people to avoid jumping off speedboats, with claims that social media had influenced viewers to try the trend.

I think people, if theyre being filmed on camera, I think theyre more likely to do something stupid because they want to show off in front of their friends for social media, he told WPDE. Do not do it. Its not worth your life.

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However, on 10 July, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a statement to correct the report about these drownings being linked to a TikTok trend. In the statement issued to ABC, the agency said that the WNBA released the story: first responders warning against a deadly boating TikTok trend after recent drownings, with incorrect information.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division does not have any record(s) of boating or marine-related fatalities in Alabama that can be directly linked to TikTok or a trend on TikTok, the statement read. One individual was fatally injured after jumping from a moving vessel in 2020 and a similar marine-related fatality occurred in 2021, however, both fatalities cannot be linked to TikTok.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency also noted that they spoke to Dennis, and claimed that he still stood by his initial statement about the deaths being related to the TikTok challenge.

After the story was widely picked up by the media, Dennis told AL.com that the initial comments attributed to him had been blown way out of proportion. He told the news outlet that two Alabamans had died recently after jumping from boats, but he had no idea whether they were connected to TikTok.

If theres data supporting that, I dont have that, he said, adding that a cause of death would have to be determined by a coroner.

Meanwhile, experts have still spoken out about the dangers of jumping off a fast-moving boat. Speaking to Today, Gail Kulp, the executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation, emphasised that people are putting their physical health and live in jeopardy when doing this activity.
Travis Scott is back. The Pick Up the Phone rapper is set to launch Utopia, his first studio album in nearly five years, at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. He announced the livestream event through social media posts across Instagram and Twitter on Sunday (July 9).

Related

Travis Scott

Travis Scott & Other Astroworld Organizers Wont Face Criminal Charges Over Deadly

07/10/2023

Utopia is wherever you are, he wrote in one of the announcements. The livestream is set to take place July 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets for the in-person event are already sold out.

More from Billboard

Scott has remained relatively mum about the details of the show, but in the midst of directing fans to links through which they could purchase tickets, he tweeted Cant waitttt to see ya. On Twitter, just minutes before he officially announced the Giza Pyramids event, Scott tweeted, Damnnnnnnn I misss yall, followed by a relatively uncharacteristic keyboard smash. Both tweets served as Scotts first major activity on the platform since November.

Utopia will serve as the follow-up to Astroworld, Scotts third studio album, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned several Billboard Hot 100 hits such as Sicko Mode (No. 1), Stargazing (No. 8), and Carousel (No. 24). Although Scott has appeared as a featured artist on a slew of recent singles  including tracks from the likes of Pharrell Williams (Down in Atlanta) and SZA (Open Arms)  his last completely unaccompanied singles arrived in 2021. A pair of songs titled Escape Plan and Mafia were overshadowed by the devastating Astroworld Festival crowd crush that killed 10 people during Scotts performance. Scott founded the music event in 2018 in his hometown of Houston. On June 29, a Texas grand jury decided against indicting Scott for any crimes related to the fatal crowd crush.

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Check out Travis Scotts Utopia announcements below:

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Click here to read the full article.
Travis Scott announced a Utopia launch event live in Giza, Egypt. On Sunday (July 9), the Houston rapper took to Instagram to reveal the long-awaited projects commemorative experience, ushering fans into the world of Utopia.

Utopia is wherever you are, his post read, before dropping the coordinates to the event. Live stream transmitting from Egypt  the Pyramids. July 28. Travis didnt disclose the albums official release date, but he did update his website, making the record available for pre-order, along with customizable bundled merchandise.

In addition to the location reveal, Scott also dropped three accompanying trailers for the LP. Each post included cities that held significance to the forthcoming projects creation. These locales included Malibu, California; Miraval, France; and his hometown, Houston, Texas. Additionally, the clips show Scott playing the album for Rick Rubin, archival footage of the artist as a child, and the platinum-selling rapper in a white monotone studio.

The mysterious LP will be the rappers first studio album since 2018s Astroworld. Upon release, his fourth record received critical and commercial acclaim, moving 270,000 units in its first week. Astroworld debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the RIAA. The 2018 body of work featured guest appearances from Drake, Tame Impala, Kid Cudi, Stevie Wonder, James Blake, The Weeknd, Juice Wrld, Sheck Wes, and more.

While there have been hints and teases to Utopia over the years, the hype for the record stopped after 2021s Astroworld Festival tragedy, resulting in 10 deaths  which he will not be criminally charged for. According to NBC News, a Texas grand jury has ruled that the rapper was not responsible for the crowd stampede that killed 10 people at his Houston festival.

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The entertainers attorney, Kent Schaffer, spoke about his clients actions during the event. Schaffer expressed that the H-Town artist has been inaccurately portrayed in the media, adding that Scott stopped the show three times.

Todays decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along  that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy, stated Schaffer. This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators, and contractors  not performers.

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COLOMBO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Two people died with 29 others injured when a bus carrying a group of people crashed into a parked container in the town of Ambanpola in North Western Province of Sri Lanka Monday morning, said the police.

The police said in a statement that the deceased are aged 32 and 71, and the injured were admitted to two nearby hospitals.

Reckless driving was suspected to be the cause of the accident and further investigations were underway, according to the police.

On Sunday, 10 passengers were killed with around 40 others injured when a bus toppled into a river in eastern Sri Lanka.

Another road accident took place on Sunday with 25 people being injured when a bus skidded off the road in central Sri Lanka. 
WASHINGTON - For some, Donald Trump's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 is looking a lot like his victorious run in 2016  and at the same time is totally unprecedented in the history of American politics.

As in the 2016 campaign cycle, Trump faces a flock of primary challengers who could split the opposition vote and enable the former businessman and television celebrity to win primaries  and delegates  with as little as 30% of the vote.

Meanwhile, the Trump of 2024 is not the Trump of 2016: He's a former president who virtually controls the Republican Party; he also faces two criminal trials that could generate embarrassing details of his conduct and two other investigations are still pending.

"He's the favorite," said Republican pollster Whit Ayres. "But there are a whole lot of events that will occur between now and the nomination."

Many of those events, he added, "are unprecedented, which means they are impossible to predict."

Still the frontrunner

Donald Trump campaigning in South Carolina on July 1.

As in 2016, Trump is the Republican frontrunner being chased by a long list of challengers.

This time around, Trump's opponents include Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Chris Christie, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, Larry Elder and Will Hurd.

The RealClearPolitics website average of recent polls puts Trump at 53% among Republican voters, well ahead of DeSantis at just under 21% and Pence at just more than 6%.

"I think Trump is stronger this year than he was in 2016," said Chris Jackson, a pollster and senior vice president with the firm Ipsos. He noted that DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is running on policies very similar to Trump, a reflection of the fact that the anti-Trump vote among Republicans is smaller now than it was then.

Also like in 2016, Trump is still running as an outsider fighting the "establishment," never mind that he is a former president who runs much of the Republican Party and has acolytes in key positions in GOP organizations across the land.

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In this election, Trump is running against a "deep state" that he claims, without evidence, is trying to derail his campaign "by using law enforcement" and indictments.

"They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom," Trump told supporters Friday in Iowa.

2024 election polls

Trump has a 32-point lead in the GOP field, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.

Here's how the candidates are polling:

 Trump: 53%

 DeSantis: 20.9%

 Pence: 6.1%

 Haley: 3.6%

 Scott: 3.3%

 Christie: 2.5%

 Ramaswamy: 2.4%

 Hutchinson: 0.9%

 Elder: 0.7%

 Burgum: 0.1%

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll in June showed Trump with a 25-point lead, with 48% support to DeSantis' 23%. All other candidates were in the low single digits in that poll.

Pence and 'New leadership'

Some of his opponents see a key difference from 2016: Trump has become his own establishment, with a record that challengers will try to exploit in order to flip the script from that previous election.

Pence, who served as Trump's vice president but is now running against him, said during an Iowa stop last week that turning things around requires "new leadership in the Republican Party," as well as the nation at large.

Pence is looking to break through in Iowa, which opens the nominating process next year with caucuses, in part, by using his record on foreign policy.

A political action committee aligned with Pence put up an ad bashing Trump for being "an apologist for thugs and dictators," references to the former president's praise for Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

The top challenger, DeSantis, is planning a series of policy speeches designed to highlight differences with Trump on issues such as law enforcement and the economy. Last week, DeSantis challenged Trump's record on border security.

Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, is focusing his campaign on New Hampshire, the site of the first Republican primary. He is also the biggest GOP critic of Trump's legal problems, particularly his indictment over his handling of classified information.

Campaigning from courtrooms

One difference between 2024 and 2016, or any other presidential primary race: The frontrunner may have to campaign from courtrooms.

The former president is already bound for trial on a hush money case in New York as well as the classified documents case in Florida.

Trump has also warned supporters that more indictments could be coming. There are two pending investigations that deal with efforts to overturn his 2020 election to President Joe Biden, one a state probe based in Atlanta, and the other a federal review based in Washington, D.C.

'Without precedent'

There are many predictions, but no one knows for sure how the trials will affect the 2024 election, regardless of whether Trump is convicted, acquitted, or left in limbo by hung juries.

"It's totally without precedent," Ayres said. "There's no way to assess the impact."

So far, it appears the indictments have hurt Trump with independent voters but strengthened him with the kinds of Republican voters who decide primaries.

Most voters of all stripes want the trials to take place before people vote, but that seems unlikely. Also: If Trump is convicted, he will likely appeal and that process could take years.

All the while, Trump will probably campaign against the indictments. Jackson said Trump has had success as an outsider candidate because he reflects so much Republican "anger at the establishment. Trump's done that very effectively."

The debate factor

As in 2016, Republicans are looking to debates to change the dynamic of the race.

Trump used early debates in 2015 to develop and solidify his status as the frontrunner, but he may not play this time around. The former president has repeatedly suggested he may skip the first debate, Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, because he is so far ahead in the polls

Other candidates see the debates as their best chance to catch up  if they can qualify.

Candidates must prove they have at least 40,000 unique donors, a fairly high bar for some of the lesser-known candidates.

Republican debaters must also pledge to support the eventual nominee, a tough ask for nominees who fear a Trump renomination. Trump has also balked at that idea, just as he did in 2016.

Another flashback: Trump did skip a 2016 debate held right before the Iowa caucuses, and opponents made much of his absence.

Trump also lost Iowa to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (and protested the result).

'Going to get nastier'

Most opponents have avoided attacking Trump over the indictments, echoing another aspect of 2016: Challengers tended to attack each other rather than Trump, seeking to become the main alternative to him.

If they are to avoid a 2016-like result, opponents must take on the 2024 version of Trump over his record, his legal problems, his struggles with independent voters, and his chances in a general election against Biden.

"All of this means that at some point, this contest is going to get nastier than 2016," said political scientist Lara Brown, author of "Jockeying for the American Presidency: The Political Opportunism of Aspirants."

Brown said challengers have little choice but to aggressively confront Trump.

"At some point, they have to," she said, "if they want to win."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Trump win again? Why 2024 looks like 2016 - with key differences
Twins Share a Hug After Being Separated for 5 Days in Tenn. NICU: 'Cutest Thing Ever,' Says Mom

Meghan Huston gave birth to twin boys Declan and River at East Tennessee Childrens Hospital in her hometown of Knoxville

T&T Creative Media Meghan Huston and twins Declan and River

A Tennessee mom is sharing the special story behind a video of her twins hugging after spending five days apart immediately after they were born.

Meghan Huston gave birth to twin boys Declan and River at East Tennessee Childrens Hospital in her hometown of Knoxville on March 23 when she was just 32 weeks pregnant.

The twins were then separated from each other for the next five days while they were being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Today reported.

Video of the twins adorable reunion has gone viral on both YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 3.5 million times, and TikTok, where it has been viewed over 19.4 million times.

Related: 4 Sisters Pregnant at Same Time Say the Coincidence is 'Just Mind-Blowing'

In the clip, River wraps his left arm around his brother Declans shoulder while the twins are cuddled up against their moms chest.

"It was pretty amazing," Huston told Today. "I was like: 'Oh my gosh, this is the cutest thing ever.' "

Huston learned she was pregnant in August 2022 when she was just three weeks along, according to outlet. The Tennessee woman was worried that she would lose the twins during pregnancy, having miscarried the month before she learned she was pregnant once again.

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 night before Huston took a pregnancy test, she said she saw a double rainbow. I was pessimistic at the time, because I was very discouraged, so I thought that meant that I was probably going to have another miscarriage, the mom of three told Today.



But now, Huston believes the rainbow was a sign of something else. "I told my husband: 'You know that double rainbow we saw? It was our two babies.' " she said.

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Related: Skincare Mogul Francesco Clark  Who Was Paralyzed in Pool Nightmare  Welcomes Twins with Partner (Exclusive)

After their birth, the twins spent 20 days in the NICU. For the first five days, they were kept in separate incubators.

Eventually, the trio was reunited as a group. Huston's husband had the camera rolling for the special moment, capturing Rivers sweet gesture in the process.

More than 111,000 people have liked the video on YouTube, and more than 2 million people have liked the video on TikTok.

"You hear about how twins have bonds, but to actually see it in person? It was unreal," Huston told Today.

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Photo: Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP (Getty Images)

No more waiting, Utopia is finally coming.

After years of teasing fans with new music, the time has finally come for the public to hear the much-anticipated fourth studio album from Travis Scott. At least for some of the public.

Read more

You see, on Sunday, the Houston rapper announced on social media that he will be hosting a special launch event for the long-teased album. Great news right? Except it will be held at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on July 28.

So for rap fans who want to hear the album live with Travis Scott and thousands of other crazed Cactus Jack fans, youll have to pay a hefty price. For the fans who are too broke to buy a ticket to Egypt and purchase one of the limited tickets to the event (like me), dont fret, youll be able to watch all the action from a live stream. In any case, hip-hop should just be happy that Travis Scott is back. We missed him.

Damnnnnnnn I misss yall

/):):!!:&:$:)dhdbdbxb  TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) July 9, 2023

Other news about Utopia?

While no official tracklist or artwork has been released, Scotts team has thrown out some fun little nuggets for fans to chew until an official date is announced for the project to drop.

In a press release, it was revealed that the album will have five individual artworks, which sounds like a direct homage to his mentor, Kanye West, who famously released multiple album covers for his celebrated fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Scott has also posted three short little clips on social media, with each one being filmed in three different locations including Malibu, Calif., Houston, Texas, and Miraval, France.

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Its not clear what they mean, but it seems that parts of the album were filmed in each location.

Will Travis Scott meet the hype?

While I do not doubt that Travis Scott will meet the hype with Utopia, I feel like fans are past the point of wondering if the Houston rapper can one-up Astroworld. Its been five years since he last released a solo project, nobody wants to spend all their time wondering if it will be better than past projects, all we want is new music.

If he gives the rap world something close to the quality of his last album, I think everyone will be more than satisfied.

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Jesus Lamas, owner of Chatarras, poses for a portrait in his new restaurant located at 3348 Mahan Drive on Thursday, July 6, 2023.

One man in Tallahassee is paving the way for his two nieces and mother in Venezuela to join him in the U.S. by turning to his familys culinary skills and opening a restaurant in Tallahassee.

Jesus Lamas, 48, said he has one goal in mind for opening Chatarras in eastern Leon County: to create a stable financial life for my family.

The establishment brings a taste of Venezuelan-cuisine street food, or as Lamas translates the name, Chatarras, as fast food or junk food, to the Shops in Mahan, 3348 Mahan Drive, between Unique Boutique and Mahan Animal Clinic.

Chatarras, located at 3348 Mahan Drive, offers Venezuelan cuisine.

Joining Lamas in the venture is his 19-year-old daughter, Avril Lamas, a chemistry student at Tallahassee Community College who oversees administrative duties, and his cousin turned head chef, Hector Martinez.

Jesus Lamas says he hopes he can sponsor his nieces and mother and provide them with opportunities to work in the restaurant when they emigrate to Tallahassee.

I want to do this for my family,Lamas said while looking around the restaurant decorated by the Venezuela and U.S. flags illuminated by the neon lights along the walls.

Chatarras, located at 3348 Mahan Drive, offers Venezuelan cuisine.

The street-food hub offers a Venezuelan-style breakfast menu which is available until 10 a.m. and lunch or dinner options for the rest of its operating hours.

These breakfast items include a range of its prized empanadas made with cheese, black beans, chicken, or shredded beef, arepas and sandwiches, with prices starting at $3.85.

Lunch and dinner items include a variety of hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches. With prices starting at $3.50 for the hot dogs and up to $16.85 for burgers.

Venezuelans are big into street food. We love our hotdogs and burgers, Lamas said.

The cozy restaurant had a soft opening on June 2 and people have been raving on the Tallahassee Foodies Facebook group about the restaurant's La Gran Venezuela burger. The signature burger combines a beef patty, porkchop, chicken, corn, tomato, lettuce, onion and cheddar cheese. It is topped with a kebab served with a side of fries and a fountain drink.

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One user in the Tallahassee Foodies wrote: My son and I loved Chatarras Restaurant. Authentic street food. Really good burgers!!! You must try them!

The specialty footlong hot dogs can be topped with cilantro sauce, cabbage, avocado, bacon, potato sticks, or egg.

Chatarras, located at 3348 Mahan Drive, offers Venezuelan cuisine.

Another user in the group left a review about their experience stating: Had the opportunity to try Chatarras Restaurant. Authentic streetfood this evening and it was delicious! I've never had a hot dog like the one I had tonight. My boyfriend enjoyed his burger too!

Lamas, born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela, moved to the U.S. in 2002, and pursued a career as a veterinarian in Sarasota. He relocated to Tallahassee 12 years ago with his daughter and two cousins.

Between working as an emergency room veterinarian at Allied Vet Emergency and spending his free time operating his restaurant, Lamas hopes that he can spread the stability and happiness hes found to family members, and providing the tools they need to be well paid and live well.

Chatarras joins a handful of other Venezuelan restaurants in Tallahassee including Dejavutally, VeneBites Restaurant and Tally Arepas.

Chatarras operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Pickup and delivery options are available at chatarras850.com.

Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chatarras Venezuelan restaurant opens on Mahan Drive in Tallahassee
The White Tower: Thor's Zack Stentz to Write The Wheel of Time Animated Spin-off

Zack Stentz, who is best known for writing 2011 films Thor and X-Men: First Class, has signed on to pen the screenplay for the upcoming animated movie The White Tower, based on Robert Jordans popular The Wheel of Time novels. Stentz is no stranger to the animated genre as he was the executive producer and creator of Netflixs Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous which lasted for five seasons.

I have been a lifelong fan of the world Robert Jordan created, particularly The White Tower, which serves the mysterious Aes Sedai sisterhood as a capitol, residence, school, and fortress, Stentz said in a statement (via Deadline). It was a dream fulfilled to be offered the opportunity to author a new story that takes place within an iconic setting that will be immediately familiar to Jordan fans around the world.

What is The White Tower about?

The White Tower serves as the headquarters of Aes Sedai in both the novels and series adaptation. The animated spin-off is an action-adventure revolving around a young girl with special gift. The project is expected to take place before the events of Prime Videos The Wheel of Time series, which is slated to return this September for its second season.

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In the film, her life is forever changed when evil visits her remote mountain village, reads the synopsis. Finding herself alone in a dangerous world, she must go to The White Tower to learn how to use her magical powers in order to save her family and friends.

The project hails from iwot productions and Quebecs Squeeze Studios. Producers are Rick Selvage, Larry Mondragon, and Zack Stentz. Further details about its voice cast and target release date are still being kept under wraps.

The post The White Tower: Thors Zack Stentz to Write The Wheel of Time Animated Spin-off appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
King Charles welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden to Windsor Castle for their first formal meeting of the new royal reign

Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty, Chris Jackson/Getty Kate Middleton and Camilla wear tiaras

President Joe Biden met with King Charles at Windsor Castle, but the trip will be without the full glamour that sometimes comes with foreign visits to the United Kingdom.

Although King Charles, 74, and Biden, 80, have met before, Monday's meeting was significant as the first formal meeting during the new royal reign with the United States president. However, Biden's visit was a working visit rather than an official state visit, which can be accompanied by a palace banquet  complete with royal women like Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales sporting tiaras.

Earlier in the day, Biden met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. From the U.K., the president will travel to Lithuania for the NATO Summit and Finland for a U.S.-Nordic Leaders Summit, the White House said.

A U.S. state visit may occur at a later date  in April, the White House said that Biden accepted King Charles' invitation for a state visit during a phone call ahead of the monarch's coronation.

RELATED: Every Time Kate Middleton Has Worn a Tiara  See the Photos!



Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images King Charles and President Joe Biden meet at Windsor Castle on July 10

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama previously headed to the U.K. for a state visit in 2011, and President George W. Bush and First Lady Bush were the guests of honor in 2003. Queen Elizabeth, who died in September, made four state visits to the U.S., the last being in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, in addition to other visits.

Most recently, President Donald Trump arrived in the U.K. for a three-day state visit in June 2019 after being invited after he was sworn into office two years earlier.

Queen Elizabeth, Princes Anne, Camilla (then known as the Duchess of Cornwall) and Sophie (the Duchess of Edinburgh, then known as the Countess of Wessex) all wore tiaras for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. Kate did not attend the banquet.

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Jeff Gilbert - WPA Pool/Getty President Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth and First Lady Melania Trump during the 2019 state visit

The first state banquet of King Charles' reign in the U.K. was held in November when the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, visited the country. At the Buckingham Palace event, Kate made her tiara debut as the Princess of Wales in her go-to headpiece for such occasions: Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara.

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Queen Camilla also sported her first tiara of King Charles' reign for the state banquet, a sapphire and diamond tiara that Queen Elizabeth wore for a 2015 state visit with President of China Xi Jinping.

Chris Jackson/Getty Kate Middleton wears a tiara at the 2022 state banquet

But Princess Kate's most recent tiara moment (also in Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara) came last month at the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan  and First Lady Jill Biden also attended the glamorous event!

The Princess of Wales and the First Lady teamed up in 2021 to champion education. While Biden is a lifelong educator, Kate has made highlighting the importance of the first, formative years in life one of the key missions of her royal work.

RELATED: Kate Middleton and Jill Biden Meet Local Children  and Feed Rabbits!  During Afternoon Outing

The two women crossed paths again recently at a palace reception for overseas guests ahead of the coronation in May. They posed for a photo together with the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.



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With all the perks of a night out like dancing, fried food, and disco lights, roller skating rinks hold a magic that is both nostalgic and joyous. Even through the social and economic changes spurred on by the 2020 pandemic, they make visitors feel free in a way few places can.

Roller rinks have a long history of doing just that, dating back to the mid 1700s, when stage actors tried imitating ice skating as part of a skit. Eventually skates were patented, and roller rinks were opened in the U.K., and then in the U.S. By the late 1800s, the activity had gained widespread popularity, and sports like roller derby were born.

Iconic-Roller-Rinks-to-Visit-This-Summer_Roller Skating on Saturday Night, Chicago Getty Images

Roller rinks have also evolved with American history sincethey were initially segregated (which the documentary United Skates digs into), but have also been a staple safe haven for Black and Brown youth and their families to come together. Rinks thrived with the disco boom, birthing Roller Disco, and rode the coattails of hip-hops rise.

Still, over recent years, roller rinks have been suffering, with places like the iconic Northridge Skateland in Californiaone of the premier roller skating rinks in the nation known for star appearancesclosing down in 2020, along with SkateDaze in Omaha, Nebraska; Golden Skate in California; and countless other once-thriving community treasures.

Nonetheless, interest in roller skating remains. In 2020, while roller rinks may have been suffering, skating shops were running out of inventory. At a time when so much of nightlife is increasingly costly (and arguably monotonous), spots like Tampa's United Skates of America offer an affordable, creative alternative. And if youre traveling? What better way to tap into a new city than through a visit to a time-warping roller rink.

Pack your socks, and plan to check out some of these roller rinks in the U.S. that are keeping the unique enchantment of skating alive in 2023.

Courtesy United Skates of America

United Skates of America

Tampa

This indoor roller skating rinkwhich has sister locations everywhere from Ohio and New Jersey, to Michigan and North Carolinais a hub for families and local teens to celebrate birthday parties and play arcade games. Yet, what makes United Skates of America stand out are the Adult Nights, when grown-ups are invited to switch their shoes for skates and ride through memory lane. From themed events like a '70s night, to adult anime costume parties, the roller rink has a busy events calendar worth planning a visit around.

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Pier 2 Roller Rink

Brooklyn

Sitting on the East River by the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 2 Roller Rink has views that make the experience breathtaking in more ways than one. When the summer heat becomes overwhelming and bar nights or karaoke outings feel repetitive, a trip to this spacious, outdoor Roller Rink is the way to have a fun night outwith subway access. Thanks to the rink's location in the heart of New York City, youll find that skating culture and Brooklyns own diverse heritage converge here, with recurring parties like Caribbean Night, plus special events like a Prince party or Juneteenth celebration.

Oaks Park Skating Rink

Portland, Oregon

The oldest remaining roller rink in the U.S., the Oaks Park Skating Rink is as much a piece of history as it is a beacon of communal joy. Opened in 1905, it survived the Great Depression, the 2008 recession, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Some events that have been held in this Northwestern treasure include Smooth Groove Sunday and a monthly LGBTQ+ night. There's more to see even after you pull your skates offthe Oaks Park amusement park is also home to the HerschellSpillman Noahs Ark Carousel, a wooden ride built in 1912.

The Rink

Chicago

A special kind of history lives in The Rink, a Chicago cultural staple south of the city where the JB Style was createda nod to James Brown, this approach blends local dance moves and skating. Recently, the skate rink renovated its facility to honor its 45-year history. Plan ahead, as classes that teach guests the JB Style are on offer; whenever you come, expect to find local families and groups of friends enjoying the open space and dancing the night away.

Semoran Skateway

Casselberry, Florida

While big-city venues often take all the shine, the family-owned Semoran Skateway in Central Florida feels like a true time warp. The standout events hosted here are monthly Derby nightsthey honor the sport that captured suburban hearts in the 1930s and continue to draw local audiences.

Cascade

Atlanta

For folks in Atlanta, skating is personal. And the Cascade skating rink, which even made an appearance in the 2006 movie ATL starring rapper T.I., is at the center of this. Local writers have long covered the ways in which skating culture is embedded in the citys Black community. And in Cascade, this culture is on display during the iconic Wednesday night parties, when skaters show off their moves, and dance in the citys unique skating style drawing from the local music scene. Every Saturday night, the rink hosts a 21+ party with drinks, known as Sip n Skate.

Guptill's Roller Skating Arena

Latham, New York

In Upstate New York, Guptill's holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest indoor skating rink. The family business has been running for over 70 years, and while the space is geared toward children and teensthere's even a section of the rink meant for very young skatersit has something for everyone with a large skate shop and even an ice cream vendor.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
Nearly 900 workers at an Amazon warehouse in England will go on strike during Prime Day as talk of a #HotUnionSummer seems to be coming true.

Workers will strike on July 11-13 for two hours in the morning and two in the evening on each of the three days at the companys Coventry BHX4 fulfillment center, which has been a hotbed for labor activity this year as employees push for higher wages and better benefits.

More from Sourcing Journal

The GMB, a U.K.-based trade union with more than 500,000 members, is calling on Amazon to raise starting pay to at least 15 pounds ($19.20) an hour. Starting pay for Amazon employees is between 11 pounds ($14.08) and 12 pounds ($15.36) per hour, depending on the location.

Tomorrow almost 900 Amazon workers will down tools to mark Prime day.



The worlds largest online retailer is nothing without its workers.



This fight will only end with 15 an hour and union rights. https://t.co/zVXXtS5wzA  GMB Midlands (@GMBMidlands) July 10, 2023

Its grotesque that in this context theyre denying low paid workers here in the U.K. the right to a wage that pays the bills, said Racheal Fagan, senior organizer at GMB, in a statement. When our members are standing on the picket line in Coventry theyll have a simple message for the company; you cant get human beings on the cheap.

Amazon said that the Coventry site does not directly service customer orders, meaning shoppers wont be disrupted by the walkout.

The Coventry site became Amazons first in the U.K. to witness an official strike in January, with 300 of the 1,400 employed at the facility walking off the job. The warehouse was one of a few in England that saw unofficial walkouts in August and on Black Friday last year.

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The facilitys employees are also demanding formal union recognition, after membership more than doubled during strike action.

Amazon addressed the looming strike by reiterating its benefits and pay.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, opportunities for career growth, all while working in a safe, modern, work environment, said Mary Kate Paradis, an Amazon spokesperson. At Amazon, these benefits and opportunities come with the job, as does the ability to communicate directly with the leadership of the company.

In June, the union said that the Coventry warehouse workers had voted for six more months of strikes. The workers also went on strike last month from June 12-14.

In the U.S., Amazon is seeing more pushback from a group of former contract delivery drivers and dispatchers who had their partnership terminated. Eighty-four workers at third-party delivery company Battle Tested Strategies, who joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in April, have been picketing various warehouses in California since May over worker safety concerns.

Citing unfair labor practices, the Teamsters-represented workers went on strike at four California fulfillment center before extending the picket lines to the East Coast to warehouses in Carteret, N.J.; North Haven, Conn.; and Norwood, Mass.

Amazon is a wealthy corporation, but the workers who make it possible are all living paycheck-to-paycheck, said Brandi Diaz, a striking Amazon driver from California who traveled to Massachusetts for the picket line. Im a single mother and am barely making ends meet for my three kids on Amazons low wages. We deserve better from Amazon.

Amazon has not recognized the union, as none of the 84 staff was ever officially employed directly by the e-commerce company. Battle Tested Strategies was part of Amazons Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program before the Amazon ended the contract.

The e-commerce giant has maintained that Battle Tested Strategies was terminated on April 14 for breach of contract, with the contract itself expiring on June 24.

The Teamsters are being intentionally misleading and continue to promote a false narrative, Paradis said in a statement. Their contract is with Battle Tested Strategies, not Amazon. These gatherings have been initiated and attended by mostly outside organizers, and the activities had no impact on our operations or ability to deliver for customers.

Amazon said the BTS contract was terminated for six breaches of contract, five in January alone. These include three instances of failing to pay insurance service providers, two grounding policy violations, and one vehicle inspection checklist/vehicle safety audit violation. Grounding refers to removing vehicles from use for repairs.

With a potential strike looming among more than 340,000 UPS workers in the U.S., Amazon will have to rely on its own fulfillment network to deliver more packages on schedule.

Whether its the immediate concern of strikes during Prime Day or worries about a slowdown in operations if a UPS strike occurs in August, Amazon said it is ready for the onslaught.

Collaboration has been critical to our success, and weve built an infrastructure of partners across our transportation network, a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal. Our teams work globally with thousands of linehaul partners, postal operators, commercial carriers, small- and medium-sized DSPs, Hub Delivery Partners, and Flex Delivery Partners to get packages into the hands of Amazon customers.

According to JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth, Amazon is expected see a 12 percent increase in revenue from Prime Day sales on July 11-12, to roughly $7 billion.

Click here to read the full article.
Money Magazine recently released its 2023 list of Best Colleges in America. Add there's good news for The Volunteer State: Three Nashville universities made the annual list.

Overall, nine Tennessee universities are listed.

The highest ranking Tennessee school? Vanderbilt University nearly earned the highest rating, placing it next to the most prestigious and elite schools in the nation  from Harvard University and Brown University to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt consistently ranks as one of the nation's top universities. U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review previously recognized the Nashville-based institution of higher learning for enjoying the happiest students, while also earning a reputation for its superior medical programs, Greek life and campus food. More than 4,000 students are pursuing degrees in the College of Arts and Science, nearly one-third of student enrollment.

Benton Chapel at the Vanderbilt University Divinity School Thursday, July 6, 2023.

Tennessee schools

Belmont University (Nashville): 3.5 star rating

Bethel University (McKenzie): 3.5 star rating

King University (Bristol): 4 star rating

Lipscomb University (Nashville): 3.5 star rating

Maryville College (Maryville): 3.5 star rating

Rhodes College (Memphis): 4 star rating

University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville): 4 star rating

The University of The South (Sewanee): 4 star rating

Vanderbilt University (Nashville): 4.5 star rating

Methodology

Money Magazine analyzed more than 2,400 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges across America.

To make the initial cut, colleges had to enroll at least 500 undergraduate students, have sufficient, reliable data to be analyzed, not face financial distress, enjoy a graduation rate at or above the median for the institutional category or score in the top 25% of graduation rates after accounting for the student body.

This narrowed the list down to 736 schools. Those schools were then ranked across 26 factors in three categories: quality of education, affordability and the overall outcome of attending said university.

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Finally, those remaining schools were ranked using a star rating system, marking the first year Money Magazine didn't use a numbered ranking system.

To see the full list of universities, visit money.com/best-colleges.

Diana Leyva covers breaking and trending news for The Tennessean. Connect with her by email at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on twitter at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee universities make the 2023 list for best schools in nation
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. - South Ocean Boulevard is a thin road that runs parallel to the beach on South Carolina's Grand Strand. It stretches eight miles across the coveted coast of North Myrtle Beach, then stops abruptly at 28th Avenue. Here, across a narrow strip of undeveloped land, is where Atlantic Beach starts - one of the few Black-owned beach towns in the United States.

From an aerial view, Atlantic Beach is a 92-acre cut out in North Myrtle Beach; an interruption in the coastline. The town spans just four blocks, comprising mostly of beach homes and small family-owned motels. But for more than three decades, this small tract of land was a bustling vacation destination for hundreds of Black travelers and one of the few places where Black people could experience the ocean in a segregated south. It was known as "The Black Pearl."

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Those who remember the height of Atlantic Beach say the community has become a ghost town after years of decline. For decades, residents, city officials and property owners have debated on the best ways to preserve the town's history while also reinvigorating tourism and returning the town to the shining pearl it once was.

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'Just for you'

Atlantic Beach began in 1934, when George Tyson, a Black business owner from Wilmington, N.C., purchased 47 acres of beachfront property. A few years later, he purchased an additional tract of land, located on the west side of the highway and adjacent to the initial tract.

Tyson wanted to create an oasis for Black travelers. In the Jim Crow era of the late 1800s and early 1900s, beaches - like many public places - were segregated by race. A sprinkling of Black resort towns would sprout up during this time, including Highland Beach in Maryland and American Beach on Florida's Amelia Island.

"This guy had a vision so far ahead of time," said Patricia Mallett, 68, who visited Atlantic Beach in the 1960s and became a resident in the 1980s. "[Tyson] put it in the deed at that time, that there will be nothing but houses built on the oceanfront. It's miraculous because even today we can enjoy the view all the way from Highway 17 down to the ocean. You can't do that on many streets here in the Grand Strand area."

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Tyson eventually sold Atlantic Beach, over 90 acres of prime beachfront land, to the newly formed Atlantic Beach Company, a group of Black educators, doctors, lawyers and morticians dedicated to developing the land for other Black Americans.

Atlantic Beach was surrounded by White beach towns who enforced segregation by putting up orange rope and fences along the beach, making this small beach a safe haven for Black Americans. Between the Civil War and World War II, South Carolina was one of the 12 most active lynching states in America, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

"I remember that maids, cooks and butlers could go to the White beaches if they worked for White families," Mallett said. "But still, my own experience was just joyful. It didn't matter, because we had our own space."

The Grand Strand area experienced rapid growth during the 1940s and 1950s, as paved roads made the area more accessible to tourists. Atlantic Beach was no exception, and as word of this Black-owned beachfront spread, more people purchased lots and opened hotels, night clubs, restaurants and novelty shops.

The earliest lodgings - Smith's Place, Hotel Marshall and Hotel Gordon - are remembered as being grandiose structures, with dining parlors, ice cream stands and swimsuit rentals.

Tyson kept a few plots of land for himself, one for the Black Hawk Night Club, where performers such as James Brown, Fats Domino and Marvin Gaye graced the stage for an encore after performing in all-White towns earlier in the night.

The streets were lined with roadside souvenir photo stands, where families and couples could take pictures in front of beach-themed scenes with signs that read "Atlantic Beach," "Hey baby," and "Just for you."

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Travelers by the bus loads

By 1960, only a handful of families lived in Atlantic Beach year-round, attending First Missionary Baptist Church, riding horses down South Ocean Boulevard, fishing on the beach and frequenting the Silver Platter, a fish fry restaurant owned by Mary Harley Glass Williams.

"As a child, you came to Atlantic Beach and you were just free to roam. I remember hamburger stands, a Ferris wheel and dance floors we used to call patios. People would dance all day and all night on weekends," Mallett said.

Jake Evans's parents, who lived in New Jersey at the time, purchased a lot in the early 1960s and opened the Evans Motel. Evans, now Atlantic Beach's mayor, recalls looking forward to summers as a kid.

"Back during those days, it was very crowded," Evans said, who compared Atlantic Beach in the late '60s with the crowds found on North Myrtle Beach today. "Every Friday afternoon, we would start seeing people coming in by the bus loads. Being born in New Jersey and coming back and forth, I just couldn't wait 'til the summer came because I got to see the ocean and to enjoy this fun place."

After the summer of 1967, the Evanses decided to make Atlantic Beach their year-round home, when Jake was 10 years old. The following year, just a few years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation, the surrounding beaches - Cherry Grove Beach, Crescent Beach, Ocean Drive Beach and Windy Hill Beach - joined under the umbrella of North Myrtle Beach.

Atlantic Beach declined their invitation, instead incorporating as its own fully independent municipality. But with segregation no longer the law, Black travelers started venturing out to previously Whites-only vacation destinations. Slowly, the crowds at Atlantic Beach began decreasing in size, even during the summer. Businesses declined, while the newly formed North Myrtle Beach boomed with high-rises and tourism.

"After segregation, everybody wanted to go to other places to see what was going on," said Mallett. "So economically, yes, the town went down."

Still, the small enclave of Atlantic Beach weathered on. Emery Gore became the first mayor, and a town hall was constructed, followed by a fire department and community center. Jake's mother, Earlene Evans Woods, became one of the first councilwomen of Atlantic Beach, and he and his siblings have followed suit.

Jake now lives in the original Evans Motel, once operated by his parents.

"I want to see it flourish again like it did in the '60s. A lot of Black beaches over the years didn't survive and the fact that we are still here is just humongous to me."

In the 1980s, the town started Black Bike Week, an annual festival for Black motorcyclists started to reinvigorate tourism. Although the event brings in thousands of visitors, the tourism has yet to spill over to other parts of the year. Last year, during the 42nd annual Bike Fest, Benjamin Quattlebaum, the town manager, said Atlantic Beach made about $85,000 from the bike festival, but operational expenses totaled nearly $50,000. The event has also been linked to several shootings in the area and residents in neighboring North Myrtle Beach complained about the noise and the crowds.

Despite efforts to bring the crowds back to Atlantic Beach, today the town remains one of the smallest and poorest municipalities in the state.

Mallett likens Atlantic Beach's fate with a 1960s song called "Black Pearl" by Sonny Charles and the Checkmates.

"The song says 'Black pearl, precious little girl, let me put you up where you belong. You've been in the background way too long,'" Mallett said. "That is Atlantic Beach. This place is our Black pearl, and we've been put in the background and forgotten."

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Revitalizing a 'Black Pearl'

While visiting North Myrtle Beach in 2000, Sherry Suttles had a thought.

"I sat there on the beach, looked around, and said, 'I don't see no Black people at this beach! I wonder where the Black people go,'" Suttles said. "That next day, I went to the chamber of commerce, and I said, 'Where are all the Black people at this beautiful tourist beach?' They sent me to Atlantic Beach."

What Suttles found was not the packed Atlantic Beach of the mid-to-late 1900s. Fewer than 400 people lived in the town at that time, and there were only a handful of vacation rentals left. Several opportunities for development came and went between 1984 and 2000; developers had trouble convincing enough landowners to do the same things with their property or getting the town council to approve projects.

And, although racial segregation was a thing of the past, South Ocean Boulevard and First Avenue still didn't connect. Chain link fences separated the Bay Watch Resort of North Myrtle Beach from the decades-old Holiday Motel & Restaurant on Atlantic Beach.

Still, the ghost town caught Suttles's interest.

Suttles wasn't just a beach lover. She was also the first Black female city manager in the nation in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1979, a job that launched a long career in public administration. The more Suttles learned about the history of Atlantic Beach, the more she wanted to bring attention to the town's history.

In 2001, Suttles founded the Atlantic Beach Historical Society to act as the town's historical preservation and cultural committee. The group coordinated a historical photography exhibit, a parade and other events that brought a modicum of attention and tourist traffic to Atlantic Beach.

In 2004, a grant from the South Carolina Humanities funded an oral history project. ABHS recorded interviews with Atlantic Beach residents and visitors that remembered the crowded summers of the town's past.

"I recall that longtime resident Rosa Stanley helped me identify the major families who should be involved in the project," Suttles said. "I was thrown back into the past, listening to these people remembering their parents, the stores and restaurants. There was a lot of sadness too, because now that's all gone and they felt they couldn't turn it around."

Suttles was also elected to the Atlantic Beach Town Council, and says she witnessed firsthand the tension that came with the pressure to increase tourism.

"There's a disconnect between the property owners and the people who actually live in Atlantic Beach," she explained. "Residents want their view of the beach and are against high-rise developments on the oceanfront. As a beachgoer, I don't like the idea of a tower blocking that sun either, but as a city and county administrator . . . I know the value of it to the community."

Eventually Suttles and ABHS would erect an Atlantic Beach historical marker in front of town hall, as well as publish a book of historical photos that detail the creation of the town. ABHS disbanded in 2007, feeling they'd done all they could to capture the story of Atlantic Beach. Suttles moved on to Florida.

In the years since, Black Bike Week has continued and locals have started additional events aimed at bringing travelers back to Atlantic Beach.

Mallett helped lead the town's recent partnership with the federal Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission to create the Gullah Geechee Culture & Nature Festival at the end of June, with lectures, dance performances, food and exhibitions.

In February, developer Charles Morant presented an idea for an $80 million to $100 million high-rise development on 30th Avenue South. The venture is still awaiting approval from Atlantic Beach's planning commission and town council.

Mallett, who is against the idea of a high-rise on Atlantic Beach's oceanfront, says she believes there are other ways to bring in monetary gains.

"I can look for my porch and see the ocean - and I'm a block away," Mallett says. "I would love to have businesses come in designated areas, like Main Street, but let us enjoy that view as far as we can see. Our forefathers have already planned out this for us. Let's just try to follow that, because it's sustained us so far."

In 2022, Atlantic Beach was listed in the National Park Service's study on how race impacted African Americans' experiences and access to outdoor recreation between 1865 and the early 21st century. NPS found further study is needed to determine the integrity of the town and its buildings before Atlantic Beach could be listed as a National Historic Landmark.

"There's this dream that [Atlantic Beach] will come back and be the little town it always was, but it's hard to compete with North Myrtle Beach and all those hotels," she said. "I love Atlantic Beach, and I love the people there. I love the possibilities of it."

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Hans Grundberg (on screens), UN Special Envoy for Yemen, briefs a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Yemen at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 10, 2023. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Monday called on the warring parties in Yemen to make efforts for a "serious breakthrough" in the ongoing talks to end the conflict in the country. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Monday called on the warring parties in Yemen to make efforts for a "serious breakthrough" in the ongoing talks to end the conflict in the country.

Yemen has been locked in a military conflict since the Houthi militia took control of several northern cities and ousted the Yemeni government from the capital Sanaa in 2014.

On April 2, 2022, the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia agreed upon a two-month truce brokered by the United Nations, which was later renewed twice through Oct. 2. However, Yemen's warring sides have failed to reach an agreement on further extension.

Despite the expiry of the truce, Yemen and its people continue to feel the benefits from the longest period of relative calm since the beginning of the conflict, Grundberg told a Security Council meeting.

The period of relative calm has opened the door for serious discussions with Yemeni actors on the way forward toward ending the conflict, he said, noting that to sustainably end the war, the ongoing talks "have to reach a serious breakthrough."

The situation on the ground in Yemen remains fragile and challenging, said Grundberg, stressing that "we cannot afford to seek a seasonal peace."

The parties in Yemen need to immediately stop military provocations and prepare for and agree to a sustainable nationwide ceasefire, he said.

They also need to immediately de-escalate economically and address near- and longer-term economic priorities, said Grundberg.

Furthermore, he urged the parties to make progress on agreeing to a clear path to restarting an intra-Yemeni political process under UN auspices.

He underscored that only Yemenis can debate and decide on the weighty and fundamental questions of sovereignty, national and local governance, revenue management and security arrangements.

"The UN-mediated process will be led and owned by Yemenis, and will involve and reflect the priorities of a plurality of Yemenis, including women and men from across Yemen's governorates," the envoy said. 
Columbus police continue to investigate three separate homicides that occurred within a half-hour early Saturday morning.

Columbus police detectives continued Sunday to investigate three separate homicides that occurred within a half-hour span early Saturday morning.

At approximately 1:31 a.m Saturday, police officers responded to a reported shooting on the 1400 block of Bairstow Court on the city's Southwest Side near Galloway.

Austin Allen Roberts, 22, was found suffering from a gunshot that hit his upper body. Medics transported Roberts to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He later died at 11:03 a.m. Saturday, detectives said.

Records show Roberts had resided on the 1400 block of Bairstow Court as well as on South Richardson Avenue in the south central area of Columbus' Hilltop neighborhood.

Also at approximately 1:31 a.m. Saturday, Columbus firefighters and police responded to a report of a suspicious fire in the 1600 block of South High Street on the city's South Side. A male body was found in nearby woods. Fire medics pronounced the unidentified man dead at the scene.

At 1:58 a.m., officers responded to a reported shooting in the 1200 block of East 25th Avenue on the city's Northeast Side. An adult female was found suffering from gunshot wounds.

The woman was pronounced dead at 2:05 a.m. by fire medics. She was identified as 64-year-old Flo A. Wilkes, of South Linden, according to the Franklin County Coroner's Office.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about these killings to contact the Columbus police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4036 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).

In addition to the three homicides, police are also investigatilng a shooting reported Saturday night in which a man was wounded on the city's Near East Side.

Police were called at 10:54 p.m. to the 800 block of East Broad Street, where they found a 47-year-old man with a gunshot wound to one of his legs. The victim told police he was walking when he heard several gunshots and was struck. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment, and is expected to survive.

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Anyone with any additional information on this incident is encouraged to call the Felony Assault Unit at 614-645-4373 or Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).

JNimesheim@dispatch.com

@JackNimesheim

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police detectives investigate three homicides in a half-hour
veterinarian treating homeless woman's dog

In California, there's a veterinarian who loves doing good deeds for those who are less fortunate  the unhoused.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, there were 233,832 homeless people in the U.S. as of 2022. Out of those 233,832 people, 115,491 reside in California, adding up to 30% of the total homeless population.

According to Psychology Today, approximately 6-24% of all homeless people have pets. That's a shocking number of people who also have to worry about taking care of these pets.

California Veterinarian Dr. Kwane Stewart has made it his mission to help homeless people's pets for free.

Dr. Stewart has been supporting Californias homeless population and their pets for almost a decade, ever since he spontaneously helped a man with a flea-infested dog outside a convenience store, reported the Associated Press.

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He roams the streets of Skid Row, a neighborhood just outside Los Angeles, searching for pets in need of care. So unhoused people dont think he is law enforcement or some other threat, he wears his scrubs with his name embroidered on them.

Stewart revealed that most people accept his help, but about 1 in 25 people refuse him. After helping a pet, Stewart always gives their owners a list of medications he used and his contact information. Should their animal need further treatment, he promises to cover all expenses.

One pet owner was thankful for this because his dog was not only his family but his counselor as well.

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One pet owner Stewart helped said, Its a blessing, really, after Stewart treated his 11-month-old pitbull, Bear, for a mild ear infection. Another pet owner, whose dog received a rabies shot from Stewart, said her dog is her protector.

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Stewart believes that the homeless love their pets and give them the best lives they can and he wants to help make a difference.

They live in the shadows. They live amongst us but not with us, he said. ...It is really rewarding. It gets to you a little bit. When they tear up about the tough times theyve had, you try to care for them, support them.

RELATED: Kind Man Fundraises & Gets A Hotel For A Homeless Veteran For An Entire Month So He Can 'Get Well'

Stewart would not be able to support these animals and their unhouse owners without the help of his organization, Project Street Vet.

Stewart founded Project Street Vet in 2020, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to his work helping the homeless and their pets. In 2022, Stewart and his team helped 735 pets and raised $488,755 to help the homeless and their pets.

On their YouTube channel, Stewart and his team document their volunteer work in the homeless community. From giving kittens vaccines to giving dogs emergency C-sections, a lot of Project Street Vets volunteer work is displayed there.

People like Stewart restore our faith in humanity. We thank Dr. Kwane Stewart for spreading joy and kindness to a community that receives so little.

RELATED: Bride's Mom Invites Homeless People To Her Daughter's $35,000 Wedding After The Groom Left Her At The Altar

Tarah Hickel is a Washington-based writer and a frequent contributor to YourTango. She focuses on entertainment and news stories including current events.

This article originally appeared on YourTango
man proposing to high school sweetheart in airport

Even after six decades apart from each other, one couple knew that they were always destined to be together.

When they were finally reunited in person, they did not hesitate another second being without one another and made their love official right in the middle of a busy airport terminal.

Dr. Thomas McMeekin proposed to his high school sweetheart, Nancy Gambell, at Tampa International Airport after 60 years apart.

It has been 60 years since McMeekin graduated from his high school in Quincy, California. Yet, he has never forgotten his high school sweetheart, Nancy Gambell. The pair went on a few dates before parting ways and attending different colleges, before they both wound up eventually marrying other people.

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Ten years ago, they were reunited at their 50th high school reunion. However, they did not rekindle their love since they were both with their repsective spouses at the time.

However as time would have it, their love story was far from over. Three weeks ago, McMeekin RSVPd to his 60th high school reunion which is taking place in August. He was surprised to receive a message from Gambell shortly afterward. I hear from her, and she says, I'm really looking forward to seeing you again," the dermatologist told Fox 13.

Gambell arranged to fly from California to Florida to meet with McMeekin at Tampa International Airport, where he promised to have a surprise waiting for her.

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Their reunion was captured by McMeekins staff members, who accompanied him to the airport to get the moment on film. "They all were excited because all week long, Ive been acting like a giddy fool, jumping around and smiling!" the doctor says.

It was there that McMeekin surprised Gambell with a necklace that contained both of their birthstones. But that was not all. The love-stricken doctor handed her a bouquet of flowers before getting down on one knee.

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For the last three weeks I have thought about you every day, every hour, and talked to you every night or hours, he says to Gambell in a heartwarming TikTok video. Ive longed to see you again, hold you in my arms and tell you how much you mean to me.

McMeekin popped the question to an emotional Gambell, who graciously responds with a yes! as other airport goers clap and cheer for the happy couple.

We admired each other from a distance, McMeekin says of their time apart. I never thought I had a chance with her.

"I thought, thank God I don't wear makeup. I would have stuff just running down my face," Gambell said. "I was crying."

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Their reunion and proposal have generated millions of views on TikTok.

One of my staff said, Its gone viral, and I said, Viral? What? McMeekin recalls.

While the couple acknowledges that their engagement happened rather quickly, they would not have it any other way.

"It's wonderful because we don't have a lot of life left. And to be able to spend it in that way with this person is a dream come true," Gambell says.

The pair plans on marrying in California, where they first met.

Their extraordinary story demonstrates that true love is timeless, and even if decades have gone by, those feelings do not fade once you are reunited with your person.

RELATED: Why Prince Harry Gave Up Diana's Engagement Ring So William Could Propose To Kate

Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.

This article originally appeared on YourTango
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Fact checked by Nick Blackmer





Researchers have identified seven risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer in males.

Rates of early-onset colorectal canceror colorectal cancer in people younger than 50have been on the rise in recent years.

The findings may encourage people with certain risk factors to get screened for colorectal cancer earlier.







FatCamera / Getty Images

A new study has identified seven risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer in males.



While rates of colorectal cancer (cancer that starts in the colon or rectum) have been dropping among older people since 2011, they have been rising at a rate of 2% per year in people younger than 55. Men develop colorectal cancer more often than women, but rates of early-onset colorectal cancer in both men and women have steadily climbed.



No one knows why exactly, but understanding the risk factors for this younger population could help provide clues, Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Saint Johns Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., told Health.

The study findings may also encourage people with the risk factors to get screened for colorectal cancer, said lead study author Thomas Imperiale, MD, a professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute.

Related: Study Identifies 4 'Red Flag' Symptoms of Colon Cancer in Younger People

Risk Factors for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Men

For the study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research on June 6, researchers used a veterans database to identify 600 people with non-hereditary colon or rectal cancer and 2,400 control patients without colorectal cancer. All of the study participants were male and between the ages of 35 and 49.

After examining details about the veterans, researchers found seven variables that may increase the risk of a colorectal cancer diagnosis:

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Being on the older end of the 35 to 49 age bracket

Not regularly using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen

Not regularly using statins, which are medications that are usually used to lower cholesterol

Drinking alcohol

Having a first or second degree relative with colorectal cancer

Having other health conditions

A service-connection/copay variable (a measure of socio-economic status)

Some elements, like older age, alcohol use, and having a close relative with colorectal cancer are known risk factors for colorectal cancer. But others are more surprising, such as not regularly using NSAIDs or statins.

The researchers didnt look into why regular use of these drugs might impact colorectal cancer risk, but Paul Oberstein, MD, assistant director of the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Centers Pancreatic Cancer Center, explained some possible theories.

NSAIDS are anti-inflammatory medications, and previous studies seem to show that, by preventing inflammation, you can prevent the development of polyps and maybe even cancer, Oberstein told Health. He added that he wasnt shocked that taking them could lower the risk of colorectal cancer, but he was surprised by the magnitude of benefit they conferred.

As for statins, Oberstein said previous evidence has shown that taking them may lower the risk of colon cancer, though research is ongoing.

I certainly wouldnt recommend going out and using those medications based on the study, he said. They could possibly reduce your risk of colon cancer but could raise your risk of something else.

The service connection co-pay variable is medical coding thats unique to veterans, according to Imperiale. We think it may represent a proxy for income level, he said. In our seven-variable model, it contributed some risk information, but was less important numerically to risk prediction than the other variables in the model.

According to Oberstein, one of the most important findings in the study is the link between alcohol use and early-onset colorectal cancer. Alcohol is a carcinogenit raises the risk of cancer, he said. But the degree that its reported in this study is higher than whats been previously reported.

Related: Is Burping a Sign of Colon Cancer?

A More Tailored Approach to Colorectal Cancer Screening

While this study looked at veterans, Imperiale said the results apply to non-veterans as well. We chose veterans because there is a lot of cancer in veterans, they are part of the largest health care system in the U.S., and the high quality of the VAs electronic medical record system all supported conducting this study in veterans, he said. (His team is currently finishing up the analysis for a similar study of female veterans.)

Imperiale said he hopes the study will help push certain people to get screened at the recommended age of 45. Thats five years younger than the U.S. Preventive Services Task Forces previous recommendation, which was changed in 2021.

Screening methods range from at-home stool tests to colonoscopy, a procedure in which a doctor uses a long tube called a colonoscope to examine the colon and rectum for abnormalities.

Many people in this age range need convincing, even though [screening] is recommended, Imperiale said.

He added that knowing the risk factors can help determine when a man might be at an increased risk of colorectal cancer and possibly need screening even earlier than the recommended age.

Bilchik agreed. Since the majority of colorectal cancer is preventable through screening, this study presents information that may be helpful to determine which young men should be screened for colorectal cancer, even below the age of 45, he said.

Having a firmer understanding of the risk factors may even propel doctors to begin having the screening conversation with their younger male patients earlier than they already are, Amalia Stefanou, MD, assistant member of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center, told Health.

The guidelines of starting screening exams at 45 is new and some patients and primary care physicians dont yet broadly accept these recommendations, Stefanou said. Awareness of risk factors would encourage primary care doctors to have these conversations with patients to increase screening.

For more Health news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Health.
Fans of James Bond will have a rare chance to own a piece of one iconic 007.

Roger Moore, who passed away in 2017, played the fictional British Secret Service agent for seven films between 1973 and 1985, starting with Live and Let Die and ending with A View to a Kill, The Guardian reported. He amassed plenty of memorabilia while in the role, which is now set to go up for auction by Bonhams.

More from Robb Report

This 180-lot sale includes several notable items, including the mohair double-breasted dinner suit worn for the Eiffel Tower scene in A View to a Kill, estimated the be worth 20,000 and 30,000 ($26,000-$36,000). Moores white ski suit from the same film is expected to hammer down for between 15,000 and 25,000 ($19,000-$32,000), Bonhams said in a statement. Meanwhile, a pair of the 007 actors Lamborghini skis have pre-sale estimates of 500 and 1,000 ($642-$1,300). And a large collection of photographs and film stills of Sir Roger Moore playing James Bond will also be sold.

Sir Roger Moore was a true icon of the silver screen, best known for bringing his natural charm and panache to the role of 007. Bonhams is honoured to be offering his personal collection for sale and giving this unique opportunity for Bond fans to get a little closer to the man himself, Harvey Cammell, a Bonhams executive said in a release.

The auction will take place in London on October 4, on the 50th anniversary year of Moores first appearance as Bond. A portion of the proceeds will go to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), which appointed Moore as a goodwill ambassador back in 1991.

Cammell told The Guardian: The sale will be of huge international interest: Theres never been a Bond actor whos put so many items of his up for sale. Its a unique position to be in.

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As you might expect, playing 007 was a role that Moore said positively impacted his life. He once told The Guardian: Being eternally known as Bond has no downside. People often call me Mr. Bond when were out and I dont mind a bit. Why would I?

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Gildan Activewear will be shuttering its San Miguel sewing factory in Choloma, Honduras, Sourcing Journal has confirmed.

The company, one of North Americas largest T-shirt manufacturers, said that the facility will start to gradually ramp down at the end of July. Its making the difficult decision to reorganize its basic apparel sewing production, it said, to respond more effectively to changes in market conditions, global competition, optimization and diversification of its operations.

More from Sourcing Journal

It is with a heavy heart that we announced this decision to employees mid-June as we wanted to provide as much notice as possible and work collaboratively with the union to facilitate the transition for employees, a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal.

Gildan said it will ensure that all 2,700 affected workers are paid all termination entitlements owed under Honduran law. The American Apparel owner is also actively considering additional support initiatives to assist employees further during the transition, it said.

The company is genuinely committed to making every effort possible to alleviate the impact of this difficult decision on its San Miguel employees, the spokesperson said.

All this is happening as Gildans San Miguel employees are still grieving over the loss of their union president, Xiomara Cocas, and union leaders Delmer Garcia, Lesther Almendarez and Jose Rufino Ortiz, after they died in a mass shooting in the La Victoria neighborhood two weeks ago. Sindicato de Trabajadores de Gildan San Miguel was in discussions with the factorys management about the closure at the time, Gildan confirmed.

The Under Armour licensee said that following the tragedy, its employees in Honduras observed a three-day mourning period to pay their respects. Psychological support was also offered across the dozen or so sewing, screenprinting, dyeing and distribution units that it owns in the country, it added.

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Honduras is Gildans largest manufacturing hub. It also operates factories in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Nicaragua.

The Montreal-headquartered firm is currently working with local authorities now that an investigation into the shooting is underway. At this point, it doesnt have much information regarding the circumstances surrounding the deaths, it said.

As you can imagine, we were devastated and deeply saddened to find out that some of our employees were killed, the spokesperson said. We have extended our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones and are providing them with the support and assistance they need during this difficult time, including assisting with the funeral arrangements and some financial support.

Gildan generated net sales of $703 million in the first quarter ended April 2, a 9 percent drop over the previous year, which it attributed to headwinds tied to the current demand environment and a comparatively strong performance in the first half of 2022. The companys operating margin came in at 18.2 percent including a $25 million gain from the sale and leaseback of one of its U.S. distribution facilities.

It said it expects full-year revenue growth to be in the low single-digit range, and its full-year adjusted operating margin to land within its 18 percent to 20 percent annual target range.

We are pleased with our top-line results having met our sales expectations for the quarter, Glenn J. Chamandy, Gildans president and CEO, said in its earnings statement. Moreover, even though the economic environment remains uncertain, we remain comfortable with our full-year outlook given our strong competitive position, which we are reinforcing with the Gildan Sustainable Growth strategy, and [point-of-sale] trends across our business coming in line with our expectations during the first quarter.

Click here to read the full article.
If you're considering hiring a newborn care specialist, we've got you covered with the benefits, expected costs, and how to decide whether it's right for you.

SanyaSM/Getty Images

Medically reviewed by Iya Mystique Hargrove, M.S., CFSD, CBS, CLE, CBE

Bringing your newborn home from the hospital can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. You've waited so many months and they are finally here, in your arms, in the room you've been preparing for them. But then reality sets in and you find yourself utterly exhausted and overwhelmed. In some cases, it may make sense for your family to bring in a newborn care specialist (NCS) to help you adjust to your new normaland to get some much-needed sleep. Here, discover exactly what a newborn care specialist is and what you need to know about hiring one.



Related: 5 Common Baby Sleep Issues and Their Solutions







Newborn Care Specialist vs. Night Nurse

If the term "newborn care specialist" sounds unfamiliar, the term "night nurse" might not. While these have been used interchangeably in the past, they sometimes referred to two different types of providers. A night nurse may not have the same accreditations as a newborn care specialist, and the term has more recently grown outdated.







What Is a Newborn Care Specialist?

A newborn care specialist, sometimes referred to as an NCS, is someone certified in newborn health and care. A NCS typically works at night, allowing parents to get some rest during the early days of their baby's life.

For babies who are breastfeeding, the NCS will bring the baby to the breastfeeding parent during the night then take them back once they've finished feeding, adds Ashley Fairchild, a newborn care specialist with Nightingale Night Nurses, a Massachusetts-based newborn care agency. "If they are bottle-fed, we take over complete care," Fairchild adds. "As the baby grows, we help with hitting milestones, talking to parents about what baby should be doing, how much they should be eating, and setting up a loose sleep schedule."

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While a typical shift for a NCS is eight hours overnight, such as 10pm to 6am, they can also work longer shifts or even stay with a family round the clock during those first weeks. In these cases, the NCS may take on additional duties outside of strictly overnight care.

"Newborn care specialists will often do baby-related duties such as organizing the nursery and maintaining supplies related to baby care, such as breast pumps, bottles, pacifiers, and baby laundry," says Andrea Hedley, the Founder and Executive Director of the Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA). "Some are willing to help with additional duties such as family meals, laundry, sibling and pet care. However, those things usually fall outside the general duties of a newborn care specialist and are on a case-by-case basis negotiated between the caregiver and the family."

Related: What to Do When Your Baby Wants to Be Held All the Time

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Newborn Care Specialist?

There are numerous benefits to having a NCS on hand to help with overnight care. The first is the support of an experienced professional and the peace of mind that brings. "I've worked with parents who had a traumatic birth experience, couples who used a surrogate, and first-time parents who aren't sure what to do," Fairchild shares. "There's an emotional aspect of having someone who helps formulate a plan and makes sure your baby and you are on a healthy plan."

Then there's the big one: you get to catch up on sleep! "The care we give overnight allows parents to have better, more meaningful interactions with their newborn during the day," says Fairchild. "You get to have time with your baby when you're awake and noticing the little moments. We give you back that joy."

That joy not only comes from being able to enjoy your little one during the day, but also from the fact that getting rest significantly reduces the risk of developing postpartum depression. A 2016 study that looked at 360 women who had given birth in the last three months found that those with poor sleep quality were 3.34 times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than those who had good quality sleep.

Related: Baby Must-Haves (and Don't Needs) for Your Registry

What Are the Drawbacks of Hiring a Newborn Care Specialist?

There are hardly any drawbacks to working with a NCS. If you're worried about losing those eight hours of connecting with your newborn, Fairchild points to the fact that you'll be that much more alert and engaged during your interactions with them during the day.

In Hedley's opinion, you'd likely only experience drawbacks if you hire someone who isn't a fit for your family. "The person your good friend recommended because they were a great help to them might not be the right fit for you," she says. "An experienced newborn care specialist will understand the importance of this and will be happy to spend time with you during your selection process and answer any questions you have."

How Much Does a Newborn Care Specialist Cost?

Like anything else, the cost of a newborn care specialist will vary depending on the individual, and where you might live. "As a general rule of thumb, a newborn care specialist tends to be more expensive than a regular day nanny, about 25-30% more in most markets," explains Hedley.

That means it can vary from $25 per hour, or $200 per night, all the way up to $75 per hour, or $600 per night in the most expensive cities in America. Cost can also vary by NCS, as some work with an agency that sets rates (like Fairchild) and others work independently. What's more, different newborn care specialists may have more advanced training and/or be located in a high-demand market, both of which can affect cost as well.

Related: The Differences Between a Nanny and Babysitter

When to Hire a Newborn Care SpecialistAnd For How Long

Both Hedley and Fairchild agree that newborn care specialists are in higher demand than ever before, making it important to plan ahead. Fairchild shares that her schedule is currently full until January, as she's set to spend the fall with a repeat client who is having her second child in September. That said, you may be able to find someone on short notice, especially if you locate an agency in your area.

There is no minimum or maximum length of a NCS contract, though Hedley says care will typically begin when you bring home your newborn and will last three to four months. "In my opinion, everyone would do at least 10 weeks," Fairchild adds. "Then when we leave, the baby will be on a sleep schedule that they will be confident with. That said, I've had parents who just wanted a couple nights and others who said 'please stay forever.'"

How to Find a Newborn Care Specialist

There are two easy ways you can find an NCS. The first is simply searching for newborn care specialists in your area and reaching out and interviewing care providers this way. If you find someone who lives nearby, you likely won't need to provide accommodations (unless they are providing 24-hour care).

Another option is to fill out the form on the NCSA website with your location, the type of care you are looking for, and your anticipated timeline. The NCSA will share your inquiry with their private members group and forward resumes from available care providers.

Is a Newborn Care Specialist Right for Me?

Every parent and family is different, and it can be tough to know ahead of time whether a NCS is right for you. Consider whether you have other people in your local network you could lean on for help, like relatives or friends. And even if you do, it's up to you (and your bank account) to decide whether you'd rather enlist help from an experienced professional like a newborn care specialist.

For her part, Fairchild has seen more and more people hiring a NCS in recent years. "People were nervous to ask for help or consider having someone come into their home in the past," she says. "Now, more are realizing that it's okay to need help in order to not be exhausted." If hiring a newborn care specialist is going to make you the best parent you can be and you can afford it, then it's a decision certainly worth considering.



Related: Hiring a Postpartum Doula: Services, Cost, and How to Find One

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Read the original article on Parents.
plate of ropa vieja

If you understand Spanish, the name ropa vieja is a strange name for a meal. It translates to old clothes, and theres a story behind this dish, which is enjoyed by Cubans everywhere.

As the story goes, a destitute old man shredded his clothes in order to feed himself and his family. The Latin Post explains, The man prayed while the clothes simmered away and it was turned into a slice of meat and vegetables. It was said that the food cured his hungry family. Even though the story is so fantastic to believe but the legend only means that the dish represents a man who supports his family.

Devotion to family is one of the many staples in Cuban culture. It makes sense that this same devotion extends to food. As is often the case in just about every Spanish-speaking country, eating is much more than just a necessity to survive. Its a way for family and friends to bond.

Like La Bandera, the signature dish of the Dominican Republic, ropa vieja consists of humble ingredients. Heres a history of this iconic dish that is embraced in Cuba, though it technically isnt Cuban.

What Are The Origins of Ropa Vieja?

This dish has a sizeable following across Latin America as well as the Canary Islands, where it was popularized. However, the dish originates in Spain.

Revolucion de Cuba reports, The recipe for ropa vieja is over 500 years old and originated with the Sephardic Jews in the Iberian peninsula of Spain. Because cooking was not allowed on the Sabbath, the Sephardi would slow-cook a hearty stew the night before.

Over time, the dish made its way to the Americas. The beef has the appearance of shredded clothes, which explains the name. In Cuba, its typically paired with rice and beans. In the Canary Islands, its paired with chickpeas.

Preparation Is A Labor of Love

Cooking the meat is a labor-intensive process, but its very rewarding when its done right. One chef, Luis Gonzalez Castro, explained his process to Olive Magazine:

Traditionally this dish is made the night before so the juices really seep into the beef. I usually cook this towards the end of the night, leaving it in its juices (dont reduce the sauce and liquid at this stage, as you want the beef to keep its moisture). I cover the pan with foil and cover it with a lid. When you are ready to serve, remove the foil and lid, and put the pan on low heat for about an hour before you want to serve it. This is a slow process but well worth it. Its a labor of love.

Whether youre in Cuba, or at a Cuban restaurant, this delicious meal will leave to satisfied, not to mention full.
If you go to Iggys, youre getting the pasta. Not only because its the most raved-about dish on the menu, but because its the only dish on the menu.

Our stance is, this is what we do, owner and executive chef Ryan Poli said. We really take our time to make sure its right and the textures are proper and the flavors are interesting. Were having a lot of fun.

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Iggys, which opened last week in Nashvilles Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, is the first solo venture between Ryan and his brother, Matthew, who serves as beverage director and GM. The duo previously teamed up at Nashvilles celebrated tasting menu spot the Catbird Seat from 2016 to 2018.

At Iggys, they celebrate their favorite things, craft cocktails, good music, and, of course, making and eating fresh pasta.

Theres a bunch of restaurants I go to and they have other things on the menu, but I always am like, Oh, Ill just take these four or five pastas for the table. Theyre like, Dont you want the steak for two? No, no, I dont want any of that. Just gimme the pasta, Ryan said. Anytime that I think something is good or cool, theres got to be other people thinking the same thing. I cant be the only one who loves pasta in America.

Ryan Poli was done working for other peoples restaurants.

While the pasta traditional Italian in style, the flavors are not. Ruffled Creste di Gallo pasta is paired with shrimp, a butter sauce made from cold-infused lemon dashi, preserved lemons, and fresh lemon juice, and is topped with spicy Togarashi powder. Its sour, smoky, and creamy all at once. Another dish, the Maine crab tortellini is made with yuzu kosho (citrus-chili paste), sea urchin butter, and toasted seaweed.

There are a few other types of dishes on the menu like steak tartare, and Stracciatella (mozzarella soaked in cream) served with onion jam, basil, arugula, and sourdough, but for the most part, its pasta, prepared with Italian technique and given bold, worldly flavors.

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Before his stint at the Catbird Seat, Ryan spent decades working in other peoples kitchens, including The French Laundry, Spains La Broche and Martin Berasategui, Noma Japan and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. After leaving the renowned Nashville spot, Ryan needed a break. He vacationed in Southeast Asia for six months, doing yoga and jiu jitsu in the jungle.

I just never wanted to work for anybody anymore, Ryan said. Simple as that. Im tired of working for dickheads.

Whipped ricotta agnolotti with black truffles

He got hooked up with a resort in Bali that hired him to do some consulting work. He settled in Bali in early 2020, but then, of course, the pandemic happened, so he moved back to Nashville, where he owned an Airbnb property that was lying dormant, to ride it out. He had every intention of returning to Bali, but the pandemics uncertainly stretched on and he never did.

I was living in paradise, just hanging out, Ryan said. Its funny how life works out. If there was no pandemic, Id probably still be living in Bali. I guess everything happens for a reason.

With nothing better to do, Ryan picked back up a pipe dream he had to start his own restaurant with Matthew, who had gone on to work at Blackberry Mountain. Ryan wanted to do things his way, and investors, including regulars from the Catbird Seat, bought in. The Chicago natives named it Iggys after one of their favorite Windy City late-night hangouts that no longer exists.

At the 70-seat restaurant, the goal is to feed and entertain.

We have an hour and a half to grab these people and show them a great dinner party, Ryan said. Lighting and music and food and drinks and warm hospitality and friendly service, thats all part of it.

The chefs counter at Iggys

Hes been working on the playlist for years, relying on the Talking Heads and Digible Planets to help build the vibe. And Matthews beverage menu, featuring modern Italian spritzes and emerging wine producers, rounds it all out.

In the future, they would like to open a market side to Iggys, where they can sell their fresh pasta raw, by the pound, and sauces by the quart. Theyd also stock unique cheeses and merch, and offer a monthly pasta subscription so people can experience all of the shapes, sizes, and flavors they offer, at home.

In addition to being a reliable neighborhood hangout, Ryan wants his restaurant to be an engine of change, providing his staff with good wages and reasonable hours, and prioritizing their mental and physical well-being.

We have to be kind and everything has to be met with empathy, he said. Is [running a restaurant] frustrating? Yeah, its going to be frustrating, but were not going to scream and yell or throw knives or kick people like in some of the places that I came up and in some of the stories that you hear. Those days are gone. If youre still operating like that, good luck.

Click here to see more images of Iggys in Nashville.

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The Italian footwear industry reported another quarter of increased sales despite a slowdown in export volume and production, according to the latest data from Confindustria Moda Research Centre for Assocalzaturifici, the national association representing Italian shoemakers.

In the first quarter of 2023, the countrys shoe sector saw a 13.6 percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year, as well as a 16.1 percent increase in total value of footwear exports, the report said.

More from Footwear News

Giovanna Ceolini, chair of Assocalzaturifici, added in the report that all the top 20 international destinations for Italian footwear  with the sole exception of Switzerland, which was down 7.8 percent  saw increases in export value that were almost always in double-digit territory.

But as sales and export value rise, production and export volume have fallen across the Italian footwear industry. Specifically, the report noted that the number of shoes being exported to North America in the first quarter slowed down noticeably by 19.4 percent. Decreases in exports were also seen in Germany (down 8.8 percent), the United Kingdom (down 10.1 percent) and Switzerland (down 24.8 percent).

But the report did see a strong recovery in Russia and Ukraine, after sales plummeted last March following Russias invasion of Ukraine, and noted a continued recovery in Italys domestic market, up 8.2 percent in household purchases in the quarter.

However, there is still cause for concern, the report highlighted. The Confindustria Moda Research Centre said there are several signs of a slowdown in growth, which was expected given the V-shaped recovery in 2021 and 2022. These signs include an overall export volume decrease of 2 percent and a 1 percent decline in production.

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The survey revealed that high prices for energy and raw materials are currently the biggest problem for footwear companies, due to their impact on balance sheets, Ceolini said in a statement. The chair also noted that the survey found that more banks are tightening their credit, and 84 percent of entrepreneurs identified the difficulties of finding skilled labor as a significant problem for their business.

By product category, the report also showed that leather shoe uppers  the leading segment, which accounts for 63 percent of the value of exports  is the only one to have increased in the first quarter both in value terms (slightly above the average, up 18.6 percent) and volume (up 1.4 percent) compared to the same period in 2022. However, export volume of leather uppers are down 16.6 percent compared to 2019.

Among other segments items, there was a significant reduction for childrens leather footwear (down 12 percent in volume). Conversely, there was a 4.7 percent increase in total volume of mens exports and a 1.5 percent include in volume in womens shoe exports, with 2.2 percent and 4.2 percent increases for walking shoes and sandals, respectively ,and a 24.5 percent reduction for boots/ankle boots.q at

This latest data comes after the Confindustria Moda Research Centre for Assocalzaturifici reported that the final balance of exports in 2022 were up 23 percent over 2021 at 12.65 billion euros ($13.89 billion, based on current exchange).

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Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, speaks at a consultation seminar on the topic of advancing the improvement and upgrading of key industrial chains in the manufacturing sector, in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. Wang affirmed the research work of and suggestions made by central committees of non-CPC parties on the topic. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Monday stressed carrying out key investigations, research and political consultation work on the topic of advancing the improvement and upgrading of key industrial chains in the manufacturing sector.

Wang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, affirmed the research work of and suggestions made by central committees of non-CPC parties on the topic.

At a consultation seminar, Wang stressed that optimizing and upgrading key industrial chains in the manufacturing sector are requirements for the promotion of high-quality development, and urgent needs to accelerate the creation of a new development pattern.

He said they are important tasks to coordinate the expansion of domestic demand and deepen supply-side structural reform, and strategic choices to respond to global industrial competition and shape a new advantage in industrial development.

Chairpersons of the non-CPC parties' central committees presented their research results on the topic and put forward practical suggestions at the seminar.

They made suggestions regarding the acceleration of the rail transit industry's high-quality development, the growth and fostering of emerging industries of strategic importance, the advancement of the industrial system's modernization, and the promotion of the deep integration of innovation and talent.

Suggestions on optimizing and upgrading key industrial chains in the manufacturing industry through scientific and technological innovation, and suggestions on the revitalization of northeast China were also put forward at the seminar. 
In her eventful 47 years on Earth, Shorewood native Dickey Chapelle saw the World War II battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. She drove for weeks through the rubble and near-starvation of postwar Europe as it began rebuilding. She experienced the darkness of the Cold War, languishing for weeks in a Hungarian prison. She accompanied Algerian guerrillas in their war for independence against France, and Cuban rebels in their struggle to topple the Batista regime. She walked with U.S. Marines and Vietnamese soldiers along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

With her camera and her words, Chapelle helped Americans see and understand the life-and-death struggles in those places  not in a lofty geopolitical sense, but from the perspective of the boot on the ground.

In a compelling and detailed new biography, "First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent" (St. Martin's Press), Lorissa Rinehart recounts the life of a pioneering journalist who was both of her time and, in some important ways, ahead of it.

On one level, Rinehart's book is a thrilling adventure story, the kind that Reader's Digest, which published much of Chapelle's work, might have excerpted in its heyday. When military commanders in the field would ask Chapelle where she wanted to go, her standard answer was "as far forward as you'll let me." During the fighting at Okinawa, she climbed to the highest point she could reach on a ship to photograph incoming Japanese pilots as they were struck by Allied fire.

Dickey Chapelle photographs two Marines in San Diego in 1965.

Covering anti-locust remediation in the Iraqi desert, Chapelle laid down in a field to photograph a crop-duster scant feet overhead spraying vegetation, insects and herself with pesticide (one believed to be safe for humans).

Valedictorian of her Shorewood High School class, Georgette "Dickey" Meyer flunked out of MIT because she was more interested in airplanes and journalism.

First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent. By Lorissa Rinehart.

While working for TWA as a young publicity assistant, she married her substantially older photography teacher, Tony Chapelle. As she grew in professional stature, he became more controlling and verbally abusive. This woman who would be accepted and beloved by Marines as one of their own was belittled and gaslit by her feckless husband.

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Mustering the courage to leave him, she took up jujitsu to build up her sense of strength. Rinehart writes, "Jujitsu's tactic of redirecting an enemy's energy allowed her, at 5-4 and 125 pounds, to punch well above her weight."

Rinehart identifies a surprising influence on this war correspondent: Quakers. Chapelle had a Quaker editor when she worked for Seventeen magazine, and the American Friends Service Committee sent her to Europe to photograph postwar life there. The biographer sees the radical equality of Quaker theology behind Chapelle's efforts to get American military leaders to treat their Vietnamese counterparts more respectfully.

Chapelle's close observation of and empathy with soldiers and Marines led her to write the 1945 article "It Still Hurts to Get Hurt" detailing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) long before the medical world formally defined it. Her weeks in the Hungarian prison, the most harrowing section of Rinehart's book, contributed to Chapelle's own PTSD.

Her specialty was writing about guerrilla warfare

Rinehart writes that Chapelle's "real specialty lay in guerrilla warfare tactics, about which she wrote for some of the world's premier journals, magazines, and newspapers." She was consulted and asked to speak by military and defense leaders multiple times, although they didn't always heed her recommendations.

Parachute journalism is a pejorative phrase today, used to describe dropping out-of-town reporters into a complex local situation. But Chapelle's parachute journalism was a series of remarkable feats and firsts. Sensing its potential value for future reporting, she took airborne training in 1959, making a night tactical parachute jump into a drop zone from an L-20 aircraft  the first woman to accomplish this feat.

During that time, the intrepid reporter caught on to an American military secret that few people knew about.

"She had an on-the-record, first-person source stating that the U.S. government was conducting covert operations in Laos as early as the spring 1959, 47 years before (the operation) became public knowledge," Rinehart writes.

She made many jumps with the Marines. Then, in 1961, Chapelle made nine jumps with the Vietnamese airborne, the first reporter of any gender permitted to do so. They awarded her their wings, which she wore on the left lapel pocket of her fatigues  the right lapel pocket was already occupied by the wings of 101st Airborne.

Photojournalist Dickey Chapelle and Pfc. David Cooper, of Gary, Ind., ride atop a tank in 1965.

Chapelle was pro-democracy, anti-communist and pro freedom fighters. When the first antiwar teach-in was held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she spoke at a counter-teach-in supporting the people of South Vietnam. While embedded with exiled Cuban commandos preparing to strike at Castro, she helped them polish bullets and make napalm bombs, a line that most traditional journalists today would not cross.

If her lifespan were shifted to the present day, perhaps Chapelle would have become a documentarian with a strong point of view rather than a freelancer constantly hustling to sell articles.

Journalists who cover military operations during wartime always grapple with censorship and restrictions. But during the Vietnam years, especially under the Kennedy administration, she came into increasingly sharp conflict with authorities.

She also distrusted the CIA, whose activities she considered antithetical to American freedoms. In a reminder for our time, Rinehart writes, "Through history and experience, Dickey knew attacks against the press were always a prelude to systematic repression."

On the first anniversary of Dickey Chapelle's death, Marines unveiled a monument to the Shorewood native and famous photojournalist near the spot close to Chu Lai, Vietnam where she was killed by an exploding booby trap. The memorial reads: To the memory of Dickey Chapelle. War correspondent killed in action near here on 4 November 1965. She was one of us and we will miss her."

Chapelle instinctively identified with the individual combatant. After her experience at Okinawa, she would often say, "When I die, I want to be on patrol with the Marines."

In November 1965, on patrol with the First and Third Battalions of the Seventh Marine Regiment in Viet Cong territory, a young Marine marching in front of her tripped an improvised explosive device. Shrapnel from the explosion cut her carotid artery, and she died soon afterward.

The woman who took so many compelling battlefield photographs became the subject of one herself; French journalist Henri Huet photographed a Navy chaplain giving Chapelle last rites.

She was believed to be the first female American journalist killed in battle.

More: Shorewood photographer Dickey Chapelle who died in Vietnam named an honorary Marine

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'First to the Front' details life of war correspondent Dickey Chapelle
King Charles III welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle today. The meeting marks the first between the two since the monarchs coronation.

Photos of the men's greeting show them sharing a long handshake while chatting and smiling. At one point, Biden put his arm on the king's, while still shaking his hand with the other. Charles seemed to take no issue with the apparent break in royal protocol, and the two walked side by side into the castle with the U.S. national anthem playing in the background.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS - Getty Images

The Guard of Honour formed of the Prince of Waless company of the Welsh guards got in formation ahead of the meeting.

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

During Biden's London visit, the leaders hope to strengthen their relationship and discuss world issues, including the climate crisis.

Today, the president is set to join the king for tea in Windsor Castle, following which Charles will invite Biden to view an exhibition in the White Drawing Room of items from the Royal Collection relating to the U.S.

IAN VOGLER - Getty Images

The king and the president will also join participants of the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum in the Green Drawing Room. "The forum will bring together finance and philanthropic leaders from the United Kingdom and the U.S. to strengthen their commitments to climate action within emerging markets and developing economies. The king and the president will be briefed on the conclusions of the discussions," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Though Biden was not able to attend King Charles's coronation this past May (first lady Jill Biden and granddaughter Finnegan Biden attended in his place), he has met the monarch various times before and after Queen Elizabeth II's passing.

The two met at the G7 Leaders Summit in Cornwall in June 2021, and at COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. Biden, accompanied by the first lady, also attended the Heads of State Reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth, and the service at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022.

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Much like cassette players and VCRs, landline telephones have mostly gone the way of the dinosaurs. Only about three in 10 U.S. households have landlines these days, according to the National Health Interview Survey . (Researchers have a keen interest in knowing how many people have home phones because of all of the cold call polls they conduct!)

From cost-saving measures to pesky robo calls that cause your phone to ring off the hook, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for cutting the cord on your landline and relying solely on your cell phone. But disaster experts warn that having a back-up landline to use during an emergency is a smart idea.





Dnes Mszros / 500px - Getty Images

Here's Why You Need A Landline

Emergencies including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and even rain and snowstorms can take out cell phone towers and/or disrupt power lines, making landline phones a more reliable alternative for communicating during an emergency.

"Landlines don't rely on electricity to run, and can provide an effective, reliable source of communication during an emergency," says Patrick Hardy, president of Hytropy Disaster Management in Sacramento, California. This means that when the power's out, your landline will still be functional.

Plus, if your cell phone runs out of juice, and you can't charge it during a power outage, a landline can come in handy, says Perry Prete, a paramedic with more than four decades of experience and president of Sands Canada , which supplies first and medical devices in the U.S. and Canada. Also, you don't risk dropping a call on a land line like you do your cell phone.

In addition that, using your landline is the best option for police to trace your exact location. "When you use a cell phone, the 911 call goes to the closest cell tower, so it may not necessarily go to the 911 dispatcher of where you are located. If that happens, they have to forward the call, which can slightly delay the amount of time it takes for them to get to you," explains Ryan Kerwin, founder of Ever Vigilant Preparedness , a disaster preparedness consulting company based in Greenwich, Connecticut. "This also becomes a problem if the person in distress cannot speak."

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One important thing to note, though: The Federal Trade Commission has been phasing out traditional copper landlines and many telephone companies are switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which experts say isnt as reliable in a storm, since it requires electricity to be up and running.

If you have a landline or are setting one up, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends asking your telecom what type of service you have so you can gauge how well it will fare during an emergency. If your service is provided over broadband connections like VoIP, it wont work during electric outages without a spare battery or backup power service you can plug it into, according to FEMA. Emergency officials recommend charging your battery before the storm, testing it, and also having a spare backup battery, too.

Juan Moyano - Getty Images

...And Your Landline Should Have a Cord

According to FEMA, while most traditional (non VoIP) landline telephone service should work during electric power outages, your best bet is an old-school "corded" phone. (Think: the sturdy old-style phones from the 1970s and 80s that plug into phone jacks on the wall, Prete says). Many cordless home phones rely on electric power to operate, so they'll work when cell service is out, but won't do you any good should a storm knock power out in your neighborhood. On the other hand, "Landlines have been known to work for days following power failures due to their low power consumption," Prete says. For safety's sake, Hardy also recommends having at least two jacks in your home, in case one part of your home is damaged in a storm.

Of course, having a landline can provide a backup if your cell phone is simply getting spotty service, too, and it can be a key part of the communication plan you have in place in case disaster strikes, says Kerwin. When preparing for a possible disaster or emergency, I firmly believe in redundancy, he says. A mantra he preaches: Two is one, but one is nonemeaning you should be prepared for something to break or not work during an emergency and have a backup. In other words, he says, a "landline is a great alternative and option to a cell phone."

spxChrome - Getty Images

You'll Also Want A List of Phone Numbers

One more suggestion from our experts: Have hard copies of your closest friends and family members' phone numbers, which most of us dont know off the top of our heads anymore. That way, you'll be able to give them a ring even if your phone dies and you cant get to your contacts list.

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Grey House has been a thrilling ride for star Millicent Simmonds and audiences alike. As far as Broadway plays go, the new production is a bit of an anomaly; the genre is horror, and taps into jump scares and visual effects typically reserved for the screen. For Simmonds, the production marks her Broadway debut.

I never dreamt that I would be able to be an actor growing up, says Simmonds. The 20-year-old actress, whos deaf, isnt just being humble; her admission is also a reflection of the industry. Growing up in Utah, she didnt often see her experience reflected on screen and on stage.

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In 2017, Simmonds launched her professional acting career as the star of Todd Haynes 2017 film Wonderstruck, which premiered at Cannes. On opening night for Wonderstruck, to see myself on the screen and other peoples response to my performance on screen, that was the moment that changed my life, says Simmonds, who began acting as a student at the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Millcreek, Utah. Since then, shes starred in several blockbuster films and been nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.

While I was working in film, I missed the experience of being on stage, says the expressive actress, through an ASL interpreter. Its a couple of hours before the 2 p.m. curtain for Grey House  its a two-performance day  and the actress is Zooming in from her dressing room at the Lyceum Theatre.

Set in the 70s, the play opens with a familiar horror premise: a married couples car breaks down during a winter storm in a remote wooded area. Looking for help, they stumble upon a cabin, inhabited by a strange woman and her motley crew of daughters. While the play asks many questions  around motherhood, family and morality  audiences are left to draw their own conclusions.

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Theres not a traditional plot line. Its very layered, says Simmonds, who stars as Bernie, one of the sisters at the cabin and the storys only deaf character. The play was written by Levi Holloway, the artistic director for the Neverbird Project, a deaf and hearing youth theater company in Chicago.

Its interesting to see how Bernie navigates her life with the other people in this world. Its not just about English and ASL as the two languages; you have so many languages operating in the house, she says, adding that shes enjoyed teaching her cast mates how to sign.

Weve also been working with a DASL  a director of artistic sign language, Andrew  who has been working on translations and looking at signs from the 1970s, which is very different than the sign language today.

Simmonds credits the shows director, Broadway veteran Joe Mantello, for his candor and willingness to collaborate.

He said, Millie, I have to be honest with you; I have never worked with deaf talent before. Im very open and this will be my first time; if theres any awkwardness or if anything goes awry, please let me know, she says. I really appreciated that because not a lot of people are able to be that available with their thoughts.

After breaking out in Wonderstruck, Simmonds went on to star in the John Krasinski-directed horror film A Quiet Place and its sequel. Her 2022 Rising Star nomination, in a cohort that included Ariana DeBose, Harris Dickinson, Kodi Smith-McPhee and winner Lashana Lynch, affirmed her trajectory.

It felt like my work was being seen on par with other actors, says Simmonds, reflecting on the honor. Its a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in that milieu, to have my work recognized by the industry and my peers.

Grey House is set to run through early September. While unable to reveal what shes working on next, Simmonds is set to star in A Quiet Place III and is attached to the action-thriller Ballerina Overdrive.

Noting that while many of her recent roles have veered a little heavy, a little dark, shes excited to explore her range as an actress.

Its important for me to see disability represented on screen, adds Simmonds. So I like to be involved in the writers room, and going forward [Id like] to work with directors, writers and producers to help think about more inclusive representation  and not just seeing it as a challenge, but seeing it as an opportunity.

Millicent Simmonds

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Sarah SilvermanJC Olivera/Getty Images

Comedian and author Sarah Silverman is one of the three lead plaintiffs filing class-action lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta each over dual claims of copyright infringement. Alongside Silverman are authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, who all allege that OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta's LLaMA illegally obtained text from their literary works  namely Silverman's 2010 bestselling memoir "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee," Golden's book "Ararat" and Kadrey's book "Sandman Slim"  using "shadow library" websites (like Bibliotik, Library Genesis, Z-Library, and more) without the consent of  or compensation to  the authors.

In the OpenAI suit, the trio allege that when ChatGPT "was prompted to summarize books written by each of the Plaintiffs, it generated very accurate summaries . . . which means that ChatGPT retains knowledge of particular works in the training dataset and is able to output similar textual content. At no point did ChatGPT reproduce any of the copyright management information Plaintiffs included with their published works," per Variety. And in the Meta suit, the plaintiffs allege that their books were accessible in illegally acquired datasets Meta used to train its LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) language models. The suits  filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division  seek class-action status and unspecified monetary damages.

The lawyers representing Silverman, Golden and Kadrey filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI last month for authors Paul Tremblay ("The Cabin at the End of the World") and Mona Awad ("Bunny" and "13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl"). Both Awad and Tremblay claimed their books, which are copyrighted, were unlawfully "ingested" and "used to train" ChatGPT because the chatbot generated "very accurate summaries" of the novels, per the complaint obtained by The Guardian.
Spencer Russell, award-winning educator and founder of Toddlers CAN Read, says that parents are the key to narrowing academic gaps within a broken system.

Spencer Russell

On the first day of first grade, wearing a light blue button-down, a navy tie, and an eager grin, I walked through the door to Mrs. Snows classroom. It would take only a few short weeks for that smile to fadeexactly as long as it took for me to be assigned to the slow group.

To be clear, I was smart. What I wasnt, was a good reader.

It wasnt for lack of trying, though. Despite my frustration, overwhelm, and embarrassment over being clearly behind my classmates, I did exactly what Mrs. Snow advised: Keep trying!

It turns out, trying isnt an effective way to learn how to read. Neither is (surprise!) being surrounded by books, being read to, going to the library, or watching ones parents read. As researchers Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher explain, Reading is a complex, rule-based system that must be imposed on biological structures that were designed or evolved for other reasons.

In other words, reading cant be caught. It can only be taught.

And most kids wont get caught up. In fact, kids who start behind in school tend to stay behind. Thats not my opinion; it's a documented fact: 60% of third graders dont meet grade-level expectations for reading, and 43 million American adults have low literacy skills. The problem is getting worse, not better, with the 2022 National Association for Educational Progress report revealing the lowest 8th-grade reading scores since 1998.

Thankfully, I was one of the lucky kids. My dad showed up to parent-teacher conferences in a suit and tie, expecting to be taken seriously and prepared to advocate for me. I got to attend good schools. Both my parents worked with me at home. My reading improved dramatically, I got my high school diploma, and I graduated from a prestigious college.

It wasnt until I walked into my own classroom as an educator with Teach for America that I understood just how different my story mightve been. Dont get me wrong: I knew the realities of systemic injustice and inequitable structures. But it wasnt until I was standing at the front of a room full of wide-eyed kids that I felt the full weight of what was at stake. The odds were stacked against all of usstudents and teachers alike.

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After six years in the classroom, dozens of visits to my students homes, and countless sleepless nights, I accepted what I suspected: Teachers arent the solution to Americas literacy crisis. Parents are.

Heres what I mean: Many teachers have plenty of give-a-damn and do the best they can. But all teachers operate within a broken system: unreasonable student-teacher ratios, outdated curricula, poor or nonexistent professional development, behavioral challenges educators simply arent trained or equipped to navigate, chronic underfunding, and more.

And while white and higher-income kids often have access to better schools, higher-quality teachers, superior curricula, tutors, test prep programs, and other academic support to plug educational leaks, many Black, brown, and low-income kids simply dont.



What many of those kids do have is their parents. They have you.

So, today, I want to urge you to take control of your childs reading education. Heres how.

Believe the Evidence

There is an overwhelming body of research that shows academic gaps exist and persist for families like mine and like yours. And please dont kid yourself. While Im sure your child is terrific, theyre not special enough to be the exception to a systemic rule. No child is.

Start Now

Many kids can start learning to read as young as 18 months old. Despite what you may have heard from parenting influencer accounts on social media, theres absolutely no reasondevelopmental or otherwisefor kids to wait until kindergarten to learn to read. Developmental appropriateness has more to do with how you teach than what you teach. (Note: If you want to wait, thats your choice. But consider the research carefully.)



Teach Phonics

While many parents trust schools to teach their kids to read, many teachers in those schools teach their own children how to read at home. Why? Because many school districts are behind the ball, using outdated, ineffective curricula and strategies. Effective strategies are those that use phonics and teach children to first understand letter sounds.

To be clear, the literacy crisis in America isnt just about reading. It's about what reading unlocks. When kids read well from the get-go, they do better in school from the start. Strong academics mean more opportunities down the road. And more opportunities mean more options.

In other words, when kids read well, they get to choose their life. Too many Black, brown, and low-income kids dont get that chance. With your help, yours can.

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In the high-end gem trade, certain origins are code words for excellence. When it comes to rubies, the locale of note is Mogok, a town in the Mandalay region of Myanmar. For sapphires, its Kashmir, the Himalayan territory disputed between India and Pakistan that was once a source of blue sapphires prized for their velvety cornflower appearance.

And for emeralds, the origin of choice is Muzo, a municipality in Colombias Western Boyaca Province, about 60 miles northwest of Bogota. Muzos emeralds are famed for their pure Platonic green, a result of their pitch-perfect concentrations of chromium and vanadium. As a result, they adorned the Incas, the Mughals, and the czars.

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And soon, perhaps, a very lucky client of Tiffany & Co.

On Monday, the New York retailer announced that it has acquired an exceptional emerald from the famed mine. Weighing more than 10 carats and blessed with the saturated green hue of only the finest emeralds, the stone, which has been fashioned in a rectangular cut, has a name: the Tiffany Muzo Emerald.

The gem is considered the finest emerald ever discovered from our mine, Jason Woods, president of Muzo Emerald Colombia, the company that has worked the historic mine since 2009, tells Robb Report. Its exceptional rarity is due to its remarkable size, vivid color, and eye-clean clarity, all qualities that make a Muzo emerald coveted worldwide. Our successful relationship with Tiffany & Co. spans many years, and it was only fitting that this once-in-a-lifetime discovery be named and remembered for generations to come.

In a statement, Victoria Wirth Reynolds, Tiffany & Co.s chief gemologist, described the gem as a continuation of Tiffanys longstanding heritage of acquiring the most coveted gemstones that Mother Nature has to offer.

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The emerald was extracted in December 2019 from the historic Puerto Arturo shaft, which extends more than 500 feet underground. Lacking in fissures and virtually inclusion free, the stone contains a few microscopic inclusions consistent with those found in Colombian emeralds from the Muzo region.

The jeweler will debut the emerald in the fall, in a yet-to-be-revealed setting, as part of the next chapter of Tiffanys annual high jewelry collection, Blue Book 2023: Out of the Blue.

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Cathedral Gorge State Park sits just 2.5 hours from Las Vegas.

Mariah Tyler/Travel+Leisure

The landscape looks like it belongs in an "Indiana Jones" movie  towering spires made of clay set in a narrow valley in southeastern Nevada. The stunning landscape of almost 1,800 acres was once home to the Fremont, Anasazi, and Southern Paiutes. And as you might expect from such an otherworldly terrain, it has a dramatic origin story.

Mariah Tyler/Travel+Leisure

Long before the towering cathedral-like spires were formed  giving the park its name, Cathedral Gorge State Park  the southeast corner of Nevada was a hot spot for explosive volcanic activity. With each explosion, a thick layer of ash was deposited on the Earth, turning into bentonite clay with time. Over tens of millions of years, erosion and other geological processes formed the surreal landscape of today: cliffs and canyons lined with spires that seem to stretch toward the sky. In 1935, Cathedral Gorge State Park became one of Nevada's first four state parks.



On the valley floor, yucca, juniper trees, primrose, and sage flourish, bringing color to a landscape dominated by buff-colored clay formations. The desert landscape, while harsh, sustains several desert dwellers, including kangaroo rats, black-tailed jackrabbits, and cottontail rabbits. In the evening, the nocturnal residents of Cathedral Gorge State Park make their appearance: coyotes, kit foxes, and mule deer. Up above, in the near-constant blue skies, its not uncommon to see ravens, kestrels, and sparrows  or, if youre lucky, a red-tailed hawk or golden eagle.

Mariah Tyler/Travel+Leisure

Park visitors can hop on one of the parks four hiking trails to look for wildlife, or explore the series of caves  Moon Caves, Canyon Caves, Cathedral Caves  set just off the entrance road. The three-mile Juniper Draw Loop trail travels into some of the parks more remote areas, while the one-mile Miller Point Trail leads to the stunning Miller Point overlook. The former is open to bikers and horseback riders, while leashed dogs are allowed throughout the park.

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Mariah Tyler/Travel+Leisure

Overnight guests can set up in one of Cathedral Gorge State Parks 22 campsites, which are first come, first served. Each site has a picnic table, grill, and shade with access to drinking water, flush toilets, and showers. Electric hookups are also available.

The park is open year-round but does experience hot summers and cold winters. In the summer, temperatures range from 95 degrees at midday to 55 degrees at night. The relatively high elevation of the park, at 4,800 feet above sea level, results in cold winter conditions.

Cathedral Gorge State Park is a short 5-minute drive from the town of Panaca, Nevada, and just over two-and-a-half hours from Las Vegas.



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Some schools are turning to robots to provide more security at school campus. Getty Images

Some US schools are deploying robots to beef up campus security, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A New Mexico school district is currently testing a 400-pound robot that can roam the campus 24/7.

Some robots can take steps to confront an intruder such as pointing a laser at a suspect.

Some US schools are turning to robots to help beef up campus security and potentially confront intruders, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In New Mexico, Santa Fe High School became among the first US schools to test an autonomous robot that uses artificial intelligence to learn the campus' routes and typical hours of activity, according to the report. The school is running a 60-day pilot program that began in June to test its effectiveness.

School security has become an increasing concern due to mass shootings at campuses, including the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed. Between January and April of this year, there were about 146 mass shootings across the country, surpassing the number of mass shootings in the same period in the past four years, data from Gun Violence Archive showed.

What the solutions exactly are have become a point of political contention. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has called for more armed security at schools while rejecting proposals for tighter gun laws. Last June, the Biden Administration signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which invests millions of dollars into mental health services and school security.

Created by Team 1st Technologies, an Albuquerque-based robotics company, the 400-pound, four-wheeled robot currently roaming Santa Fe High School can provide 360-degree video footage. KRQE reported that the robot has seven cameras and a battery that lasts 20 hours, requiring four hours to charge at a self-charging station.

Andy Sanchez, a manager at Team 1st, told the Journal the robot could alert a security team in cases of an active shooter and move toward the suspect to send a video to authorities.

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The robot also can confront intruders, although it is not armed, according to the Journal. It has a speaker system that can allow a remote security team to speak to an intruder.

A spokesperson for Team 1st did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.

Mario Salbidrez, executive director of safety and security at Santa Fe Public Schools, told KRQE that the robot would supplement the existing security system the district has in place.

"As you know, sometimes we're limited on human resources to be out and they also need breaks and lunches and so forth, so the robots are going to help us supplement the downtime for our regular staff," Salbidrez told the news station.

At Wyandotte Public Schools district in Oklahoma, Superintendent Brad Wade told the Journal the district plans to deploy four robots from Stokes Robotics, which sells quadruped and wheeled robots.

The school official told the publication that the district is mainly interested in surveillance bots that can watch the entrances of school buildings. Still, it may also consider robots that can confront intruders.

According to the Journal, Stokes Robotics President Robert Stokes said he's working with multiple school districts to introduce robots in the classroom.

The robots can be used to teach coding, but they can also take more proactive actions, such as pointing a laser beam or flashing a light to distract the intruder, Stokes wrote in an email to Insider.



"When an intruder is detected, the security personal takes control of the robots, takes them out of the classroom, and confronts the intruder," Stokes said wrote. "The robots provide two-way communication and video feeds for security and law enforcement."



Stokes added that his company's robots also have the ability to "district, disorient" and draw the intruder's attention for several minutes until law enforcement can arrive at the scene.



A video demo from Stokes Robotics shows how a quadruped robot can point the laser beam at an intruder's chest or bump into the suspect.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Watch a Stealthy Hammerhead Shark Circle Two Paddleboarders in the Atlantic Ocean photo

Malea Tribble and Gabriel Barajas were paddling the 80 miles between Bimini, Bahamas and the Florida coast when a hammerhead shark decided to investigate their paddle boards. Tribble, who is a three-time participant in The Crossing eventan annual fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis communitywas followed closely by the shark until her husband directed her to the safety of a nearby support boat.

I didn't have time to allow myself to be scared, Tribble said in a Facebook post from the event. Even an encounter as unique as mine would not deter me from competing in The Crossing again.

The shark added drama to the 16-hour paddle, which was rerouted once due to severe weather off the coast of Florida. At one point, it's hammer-shaped head was directly underneath Tribbles board, according to an onlooker heard in the video. It was all over us, Barajas later told The Hill.

Related: Shark Attacks and Pulls Angler Overboard in Florida Everglades

After Tribble made it to the support boat, her relay partner, Gabriel Barajas, was stalked by the same hammerhead while paddling about 15 yards from the boats port side. It just so happened that out in the middle of the gulf stream, 40 miles off the coast of Bimini, Barajas told The Hill, we got new fundraising help from a five-foot hammerhead shark.

In the video, Barajas is seen sitting on his board while the hammerhead swam ominously around him. People on the boat can be heard yelling out warnings. When the shark swam away, the mood lighted. Lets stay close to the boat for now, advised one boater. Watch the scene unfold for yourself below.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCrossingForCF%2Fvideos%2F650905357074228%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0

There have been 18 reported attacks by hammerhead sharks on humans since 1900. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, you can reduce the odds of a shark attack by swimming in groups, using extra caution in murky waters, refraining from excess splashing, and never harassing a shark.
ANKARA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the expansion of NATO over the phone on Monday ahead of the alliance's summit this week.

Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the European Union to resume the long-stalled membership talks with Ankara, in exchange for a green light from Turkiye to Sweden's NATO bid.

On Sunday, Erdogan held a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden to also discuss Sweden's NATO bid.

During the phone call, Erdogan noted "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction" toward the ratification of its NATO bid by making changes in its anti-terrorism legislation, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

However, the Turkish leader said these steps were "nullified" as the supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "continue to hold demonstrations freely in the country to advocate terrorism."

Biden, for his part, conveyed to Erdogan his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to a White House statement.

The two presidents agreed to meet face-to-face at the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but met with objections from Turkiye on the grounds that the two countries harbor members of PKK and the Gulen movement.

Turkiye eventually lifted its objection to Finland's NATO accession earlier this year after the Nordic country took what Ankara calls "concrete steps" against such organizations. In April, Finland became NATO's 31st member state. 
A dog was rescued from near the summit of Mt. Hope, Colorado by the Chaffee County Search and Rescue North (CCSAR-N) on Thursday, July 6.

In a social media post, CCSAR-N said that they were "alerted to a dog in distress" at approximately 13,600 feet near the summit of Mt. Hope at around 2:15 p.m. in the afternoon.

Bailey, a 100-pound German shepherd, had summited the peak earlier in the day with his owner but was now "immobile and unable/unwilling to continue". After a few hours of trying to coax him along, his owner decided to descend alone for his own safety and well-being. He was unable to carry Bailey down with him.

Bailey sits at Mt. Hope, Colorado as he awaits his rescue

Using coordinates from a cell phone ping, CCSAR-N team members were able to identify Bailey's general location. Two teams of 8 members in total gathered at the Sheep Gulch trailhead and hiked around seven miles up the east ridge of Mt. Hope. They were able to locate Bailey, who greeted the team with "grateful wags". The volunteers then carried Bailey down in a dog-sling backpack, said CCSAR-N. They were later met by another team who provided litter carry assistance to wheel Bailey down.

A CCSAR-N team member carries Bailey down Mt. Hope in a dog-sling backpack.

Almost 12 hours after he summited, Bailey made it down and was reunited with his owner. The pup is "doing well and will receive a full vet check as soon as possible," CCSAR-N shared on social media.

More: TikTok loses it after Delaware teacher finds clever way to bring puppies into her school

Meet Annie: This 19-year-old foster dog was only supposed to live for a month.

CCSAR-N urged pet owners to mindfully plan for their animal's needs to avoid such instances.

"And though SAR does not officially respond for animals, we are all officially huge animal lovers, so we do what we can when we can," added the organization.

Bailey is wheeled down Mt. Hope by a CCSAR-N team member.

CCSAR-N is an organization of volunteers who work to help those who find themselves in unfortunate situations, according to their website. Members serve at the request of the sheriffs office, which is legally in charge of all SAR operations in the county.

CCSAR-N team members take a selfie with Bailey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chaffee County volunteers rescue dog from Mt. Hope summit in Colorado
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced last month that a seven-person committee would assist him with interviews in the search for Louisville Metro Polices next chief.

The different perspectives and expertise that the members of this group bring to the table will help ensure we have a chief who will help us continue to build the most trusted, trained and transparent police department in the nation, he said in a June 30 press release.

The next chief will take over LMPD as the force awaits an all-but-certain federal consent decree following the scathing findings of a 90-page Department of Justice investigation into misconduct and unconstitutional policing by the department. The DOJ probe was launched following the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor, which also sparked months of protests and deepened distrust of the department.

Responding to inquiries from The Courier Journal, mayors office spokesperson Kevin Trager said the members of the advisory committee will be conducting interviews with candidates over the next two weeks. He added the administration expects to name the next chief by the end of July.

While the panel will interview candidates and provide feedback to the mayor, Trager said the decision on who to hire is ultimately Greenbergs.

Although other major cities name finalists in their police chief search and hold publicly broadcast forums for candidates to answer questions, Louisville will not. Further, Trager said, members of the committee have had to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Heres a look at the seven committee members:

J. Michael Brown

Brown is the director of Pre-Law at Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college in Louisville. He was also the chair of Mayor Craig Greenbergs 58-person transition team.

Previously, he was the deputy attorney general under then-Attorney General Andy Beshear. After Beshear became governor, Brown served as executive cabinet secretary. Beshear referred to Brown as his closest adviser and like Greenberg, picked him to lead his transition team following his 2019 election win over former Gov. Matt Bevin.

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Under Beshears father, former Gov. Steve Beshear, Brown was secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Brown is a vocal supporter of the newly established Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. Center for Racial Justice at Simmons College, which aims to address racial inequity in Louisville.

The community needs an ongoing response, not just to the DOJ report but to the underlying, systemic issues raised in the DOJ report about racism in Louisville, Brown said of the center in an interview with Louisville Public Media.

He graduated from the University of Louisville's law school and subsequently served as a Louisville District Court judge, the law director for the city and the president of the Louisville Bar Association.

Brown also served in the Armys 82nd and 101st airborne divisions.

State Rep. Keturah Herron

Keturah Herron

Following the police killing of Taylor in March 2020, Herron  at the time a policy strategist with the ACLU of Kentucky  led efforts to ban no-knock warrants in Louisville, which she said were used to terrorize and harm Black and brown communities.

Herron has been openly critical of police misconduct and biased policing.

In 2020 she also criticized the secrecy surrounding Louisvilles search for a police chief at the time, telling Louisville Public Media: There is no reason not to let the public in on this process. Then, like now, no finalists were named and members of the committee interviewing candidates were made to sign non-disclosure agreements.

In 2022, Herron was elected as Kentuckys first openly LGBTQ House representative, defeating Republican Judy Martin Stallard to win the District 42 seat in Louisville.

Rebecca Grignon-Reker

Police Chief Steve Conrad, left, looks on as Rebecca Grignon speaks during the renaming of the corner of Stony Brook Drive and Six Mile Lane in Jeffersontown to Peter Grignon Way, in honor of her late husband and fallen officer shot during a hit and run stop in 2005. May 9, 2019

Grignon-Reker is the executive director of the Louisville Metro Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization that collects donations to finance equipment, training and other programs for LMPD. The foundation also partners with LMPD every winter for Shop With a Cop, a program that helps provide Christmas gifts for impoverished children.

Gringon-Reker was the director of community engagement for the organization before becoming the executive director in 2022, following the retirement of Tracie Shifflet.

She is the widow of fallen police Officer Peter Grignon, who was the first member of LMPD to die in the line of duty after the merger of the Louisville Division of Police and the Jefferson County Police Department.

Grignon-Reker has been vocal about supporting Officer Nickolas Wilt, who was critically injured when he was shot responding to the Old National Bank mass shooting in April.

Paula McCraney

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Paula McCraney, D-7th District

Councilwoman Paula McCraney is the Majority Caucus chair of the Louisville Metro Council and represents District 7. She owns P Mc & Associates, a management consulting and strategic planning company, and a shop called the Traveling Boutique.

McCraney, who has been on the council since 2019, is one of five council members who recently voted against granting LMPD over $15 million in American Rescue Plan funds for renovating a new headquarters and department wellness center.

The Democratic councilwoman was also a panelist for "Racial Reckoning," a series of community talks on racial justice issues facing Louisville after Taylor's killing.

Rev. Corrie Shull

Shull is one of the seven members of the Jefferson County Board of Education. Additionally, he is the pastor at Burnett Avenue Baptist Church.

As a member of the Jefferson County Board of Education, Shull was outspoken against efforts to introduce armed police officers into Jefferson County Public Schools, arguing in 2019 that their presence would make schools more dangerous and could create an environment of fear and distrust.

Eventually, in 2022, state law mandated all Kentucky schools have an armed officer present.

In February of this year, Shull initiated conversations about installing weapon detectors at all middle and high schools. He voted in favor of equipment that would require an armed officer in each building as students go through the detectors.

Ryan Nichols

Ryan Nichols is president of the River City FOP.

Nichols is the president of the River City Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing LMPD officers.

After a judge released Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, from custody, Nichols called the move a slap in the face to everyone wearing a badge. Walker fired a single shot as police breached the door to Taylors apartment on March 13, 2020, striking former LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. Police responded by firing more than 30 times, killing Taylor.

After banners memorializing Taylor were hung in downtown Louisville in 2020  some reading Black Lives Matter  Nichols called for their removal.

One of the banners said Black Lives Matter on it, which has been a driving force behind the 100-plus days of unrest weve had here in Louisville and many of their at-times violent actions directed at police, Nichols told The Courier Journal in September 2020.

The FOP negotiates police officer contracts with Louisville Metro Government. That contract is being renegotiated this year, but those talks are closed to the public, despite being a more transparent process in other cities.

Kungu Njuguna

Njuguna is a policy strategist with the ACLU of Kentucky. He has been deeply involved with efforts to reduce incarceration and improve conditions at Louisvilles jail, which has seen 15 in-custody deaths since November 2021. He has spoken out against cash bail and the incarceration of people on low-level, non-violent offenses, saying being held in Metro Corrections should not be a death sentence.

He is a former prosecutor for the Jefferson County Attorneys Office and a former attorney for metro government. He is in long-term addiction recovery and has advocated for an end to the war on drugs, as well as for the decriminalization of marijuana in the state.

More: Louisville mayor's police chief search using NDAs, other secretive policies

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at emcrary@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @ellie_mccrary. Reach reporter Josh Wood at jwood@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @JWoodJourno. Reporters Krista Johnson and Olivia Krauth contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Metro Police chief search: Here's Greenberg's advisory panel
HYANNIS  Health Imperatives, a nonprofit with clinics in Hyannis, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, has begun providing medication abortions at all seven southeastern Massachusetts locations.

The state Department of Public Health put out a request for proposals in November last year when Health Imperatives applied for funds to start the service, according to Julia Kehoe, Health Imperatives CEO and president. The organization received $700,000 in new state funding in order to start integrating medication abortion.

Ever since I first ran for office and was elected in 2016, I was aghast that we have no access to abortion on Cape Cod or the Islands, state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, said. It's incredibly heartening to see that now we do have access to abortion in Hyannis, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and across southeastern Massachusetts, after working at the legislature along with my colleague for years.

An ultrasound machine is in the foreground at the Health Imperatives clinic in Hyannis. The clinic began offering medication abortion services on July 3 on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket

Medication abortion, as provided by Health Imperatives, is where an individual can take prescribed medicine to terminate a pregnancy. Surgical abortion, which is not available on Cape Cod and the Islands, is where an individual needs to undergo surgery to terminate a pregnancy.

Health Imperatives also has offices in New Bedford, Wareham, Brockton and Plymouth.

The service began July 3.

We are getting positive responses in all the locations, said Kehoe. The reason we added the service was because we heard from different communities on the Cape that it was a need and so we're filling that need.

Cape Codders will no longer need to travel to other places for basic procedure

Some consider Cape Cod an "abortion desert." The last abortion clinic on Cape Cod, Women's Health Center in Hyannis, closed in 2008 after a client died during a procedure.

The closest clinics offering abortion services  the Women's Health Center in Brookline and Four Women Health Services in Attleboro  are more than an hour's drive from the two Cape Cod Canal bridges, the entrances to Cape Cod for vehicles.

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Doses of mifepristone, one of the medications prescribed in medication abortions, are available at Health Imperatives clinic in Hyannis.

Over the years, several clinics, hospitals, and nonprofits have been trying to provide care in an environment where the cost of health care greatly outpaces the resources. So this was just the perfect time where the state made resources available to add this important service to the comprehensive sexual reproductive health care we already offer, Kehoe said.

For Cape Codders, the initiative means they will now have access to basic medical procedures to terminate unintended pregnancies, at a local clinic.

Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket residents will no longer need to travel for hours, they wont have to worry about going to a place they dont know and now they can come to a local clinic they already are comfortable at for receiving other care, Kehoe said.

For people in the Outer Cape, its still an hours drive but thats a lot better than what we had until now, said Cyr.

What is medication abortion?

Medicated or medication abortion, refers to a procedure that uses medicine to end a pregnancy. That type of abortion doesn't require surgery or anesthesia and is typically used in the first trimester of pregnancy.

We will provide medication abortion services for people who have been pregnant for 10 weeks or less, said Kehoe.

The Health Imperatives clinic in Hyannis is off Route 132. The clinic has recently begun offering medication abortions on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Health Imperatives is determined to help and support patients at every stage of the process, according to Kehoe. For cases with pregnancies that are over 10 weeks, we can refer them to other abortion services available nearby, she added.

Upon arrival at the clinic, patients receive counseling about what will happen and what they can expect afterward. Then blood tests are done. An ultrasound will determine how far along the pregnancy is.

With medication abortions, patients come back to the office for more blood tests after completing the prescribed pills to make sure the treatment is effective.

Health Imperatives offices are currently accepting almost all types of insurance.

We dont want cost to be a barrier, even if you dont have insurance, we can figure out other ways to deal with that. Many of our services are offered free of cost, said Kehoe.

Mifepristone doses are stocked at all the locations

Gov. Maura Healey announced in April that the state took steps to protect access to the abortion medication mifepristone, after a Texas judges decision to invalidate the drug's federal approval.

Mifepristone is used as part of a two-drug regimen to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks, along with another drug, misoprostol.

According to Kehoe, the nonprofit has 494 doses in stock across the seven locations, which should last at least a year.

We are extremely well prepared, and we have more than enough in stock, said Kehoe.

Doses of mifepristone tablets frame one of the exam rooms at the Health Imperatives clinic in Hyannis. The drug is used in a medication abortion. Health Imperatives began offering medication abortions on July 3 in Hyannis, and on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as other locations in southeastern Massachusetts.

We are very grateful that we live in Massachusetts where the governor and legislature are committed to preserving a woman's right to choose and access this critical health service, she said.

The need for surgical abortion services to be studied

Theres a much higher need for medication abortion right now rather than surgical abortion services, said Kehoe.

We're keenly studying what the need in the community is right now and once we have more data, we would be able to determine if we need to offer surgical abortion services or not, said Cyr.

Rasheek Tabassum Mujib writes about healthcare and education. Reach her at rmujib@capecodonline.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Health Imperatives medication abortion service starts on Cape, Islands
Larry Lamar Johnson, 43, of Apple Valley was arrested on suspicion of multiple gun charges, and kidnapping and assaulting a woman.

An Apple Valley man was arrested on suspicion of several weapon charges and kidnapping a woman by forcing her into his vehicle.

At around 12:40 a.m. on Friday, July 7, deputies from the Apple Valley Sheriffs Station were dispatched to a report of a kidnapping near Apple Valley Road, north of Highway 18.

Deputies contacted the female victim near her vehicle at the intersection of Apple Valley and Siskiyou roads.

Investigating Deputy Dionicio Ramires discovered that the suspect, Larry Lamar Johnson, 43, of Apple Valley and the victim were in a relationship.

Ramires learned that after the duo traveled out of California together, Johnson decided it was time to return, with the victim not wishing to come back.

Johnson forced the victim to return to Apple Valley and assaulted her during their trip back, sheriffs officials said.

The victim was able to get away from the suspect when they returned to the suspects residence in the 17800 block of Siskiyou Road.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for the suspects residence, which was served with the assistance of the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department's Specialized Enforcement Division.

During the search of the home, firearms and ammunition were located. Johnson was also found to have previous felony convictions, sheriffs officials said.

Johnson was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition, and obliteration of identification marks on a firearm.

Additionally, on suspicion of grand theft of a firearm, carrying a firearm in public and possession of a short-barreled rifle.

Johnson was transported to High Desert Detention Center in Apple Valley where he is being held without bail.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Deputy Ramires at the Apple Valley Sheriffs Station at 760-240-7400 or Sheriffs Dispatch at 760-956-5001.

Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to contact the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78CRIME (27463) or wetip.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley man arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, assaulting woman
LONDON  President Joe Biden trumpeted a "rock solid" relationship with the United Kingdom as he met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his official residence and office at No. 10 Downing Street on Monday.

It was Biden's first visit to No. 10 as president and took place as he makes his way to a NATO summit in Lithuania. Biden will also meet privately with King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon.

"It's good to be back," Biden joked as he was greeted by Sunak.

"Weve got a lot to talk about. I think were doing well. Were moving along in a way thats positive. But our relationship is rock solid," he said.

The two leaders were expected to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and it is their first meeting since the U.S. announced Friday it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine. Britain is one of 123 signatories to a convention that bans the weapon. The U.S., Ukraine and Russia are not. Sunak has said he "discourages" the use of the weapon.

Ahead of their encounter, the White House said the pair would seek to reinforce close ties.

"I think you can consider this more the continuation of a long-running conversation than a, kind of, formal meeting," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Sunday, as the president flew to London.

Biden is making his fifth official visit to the UK as president. It it his sixth meeting with Sunak since the British politician became prime minister last year. Sunak and Biden also met last month in Washington.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Joe Biden drink from mugs as they sit in the garden of 10 Downing Street in central London on July 10, 2023.

After Biden's meeting with King Charles III at Windsor Castle, they will attend a meeting with business leaders and U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry where the White House says they will discuss clean energy initiatives and ways to mitigate the effects of climate change on developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Although the U.S. president and British monarch have conversed on several previous occasions since Biden took office, including at a 2021 climate conference in Glasgow, Monday marks their first formal meeting since Charles' coronation.

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Biden did not attend the crowning. First lady Jill Biden represented the first family at the May ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The president and Charles spoke by phone prior to the celebration, as Biden was preparing to visit Northern Ireland.

Sullivan said Sunday, as the president flew from Delaware to London, that it was an "incredibly warm" conversation. He said that Biden, 80, knows Charles, 74, "fairly well" and has "huge respect" for his leadership on tackling climate problems.

"And so the president comes at this with enormous goodwill  this relationship with enormous goodwill  and really does see this as an opportunity to do two things: One, to deepen the personal bond, the personal relationship. And two, to be able to harness their shared interest in trying to drive climate progress and climate action," Sullivan said.

Biden has been to Windsor Castle on one previous occasion as president, a little more than two years ago, when he and his wife joined the late Queen Elizabeth II for tea and crumpets.

As the U.S. president signed a condolence book at the British embassy in Washington upon the queen's death, he recalled the visit fondly.

"When the queen had us to the castle for tea and  we were joking  crumpets  she kept offering me more; I kept eating everything she put in front of me," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says U.S. has 'rock solid' relationship with U.K.
Gabe Davis conducts a monthly meeting of Cincinnati's Citizen Complaint Authority in February 2023. He'll leave the agency next month to take over as CEO of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.

The head of the agency that investigates complaints against the Cincinnati Police Department has resigned to head a non-profit criminal justice reform group.

Gabe Davis will start as CEO of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center in early August. The 38-year-old Cincinnati native had been director of the Citizen Complaint Authority since September 2020.

Davis called the policy center position a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity  to really do something big as pertains to justice reform.

In his new role, he hopes to address the complaints of incarcerated persons  from medical needs to solitary confinement to prison violence  with more true impact litigation. He also wants to expand beyond Cincinnati and Columbus, where the policy center currently operates, into other parts of the state.

Davis said his work at the Citizen Complaint Authority, and an earlier position as a prosecutor in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, have prepared him to head OJPC.

At the Complaint Authority, Davis worked on reducing a backlog of cases. The agency is on track to clear that backlog by the end of this year, he said. It has about 60 cases that are 90 days or older right now, down from 140 at this time last year, he said.

Davis said the agency also became more transparent during his tenure, reporting police responses to its recommendations.

The Complaint Authority has grappled with clearing cases and getting police compliance since it was created in 2003. The controversial agency was launched in the wake of racial unrest that erupted when a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man.

The city will conduct a national search for Davis replacement, with an interim director to be named when he departs, City Manager Sheryl Long said Monday via email.

Davis was the seventh director or interim director of the Citizen Complaint Authority, hired for $140,000 a year. The salary range for his replacement will be $120,000 to $167,000, Longs office said.

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David Singleton was the fourth employee of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center when he hired on as executive director in 2002. He left the center, now with about 10 employees, on July 1 to teach law and run a pro-bono law practice in Washington, D.C.

Davis will be taking over for David Singleton, who ended 21 years as executive director at Ohio Justice and Policy Center on July 1.

Singleton, 57, will begin teaching law at the University of the District of Columbia next month, and representing old and new clients in a pro-bono practice.

He is making the move to follow spouse Verna Williams to Washington. Williams signed on as CEO of Equal Justice Works there last September, positioning law students for public interest law work, after teaching law and serving as dean of the University of Cincinnati Law School for two decades.

Singleton focused on second chance programs at the policy center, helping people returning from prison to land jobs, find housing and navigate the legal system.

Most recently, he led the centers 2019 launch of Beyond Guilt, designed to free over-punished but guilty inmates. It has won freedom for 45 individuals deemed rehabilitated after long terms  including one profiled in the New York Times  and helped launch an umbrella group for similar efforts in other states.

Were not going to make a meaningful dent in mass incarceration unless we figure out how to free people who have been convicted of real serious crimes  and have been in for decades and who have changed, Singleton said.

Singleton led the center without pay since 2007, when he began teaching law and collecting a salary from Northern Kentucky University.

Hes changed a lot of lives, said David Zimmerman, president of the policy center's board.

Gabe Davis attends a 2020 Meet the Candidates Night, hosted by the Cincinnati Enquirer. A Cincinnati native and son of a retired Cincinnati police offer and Head Start manager, Davis lost his campaign to serve as Hamilton County prosecutor that year.

What's left undone for Gabe Davis  who graduated from Harvard Law School in 2011, 20 years after Singleton earned his law degree there  to take on? Efforts toward an Ohio law that would allow judges, not just parole boards, to release inmates with life sentences and clean prison records.

With such a law, Singleton said, a judge could determine it doesnt make sense to keep this person locked up anymore.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: who is leaving citizen complaint authority?
As a primary care provider, I have taken care of dozens of police officers, state troopers, and detectives over two and one-half decades of medical practice. In general, I have found them to be a responsible, hard-working, and a particularly respectful lot, motivated by noble ideals.

William Culbert

But especially in more crime-ridden cities, unprecedented numbers of officers are becoming demoralized and are leaving the profession or taking early retirement.

Fraying our thin blue line is a dangerous proposition, and the known solutions that are working in many other countries need to be implemented in the United States.

According to The Economist, a single murder ultimately costs taxpayers almost $16 million, and most violent crimes are committed by relatively few people. Despite this, only about half of all murders in the U.S. are ever solved.

Better policing

Many rich nations have more highly integrated forensic systems and practice basic police work more routinely. Finland, for example, solves 98% of its murders.

We could use a matrix of drones that are continuously maintained over crime hot spots to provide imaging of criminal events in public areas. This could allow ground-based security cameras to identify the cars and people involved. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now quite good at facial recognition and can also provide a pretty good likeness of a criminal, based solely on his DNA.

Crisis teams specifically trained in dealing with mental illness emergencies should be adopted across the nation, freeing police forces from this task. Police need universal training to de-escalate potentially violent situations as well.

In the surgical arena of medicine, teams that follow checklists outperform the most educated and experienced physicians who dont follow lists. Similarly, having police officers follow a script specific for a given encounter would better serve most policing situations.

Better prisons

In 2008, the U.S.  with 4% of the world population  had about 25% of the worlds correctional population. Clearly, changes need to be made.

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Ninety-five percent of prisoners are ultimately released, so incarceration should focus on reintegration instead of warehousing. Some Scandinavian countries do this well. They spend more on rehabilitation, but their recidivism rates are dramatically lower than the those in the U.S., where two-thirds of inmates are re-arrested within three years. In Finland, the rate is under one-third.

For-profit prisons in the U.S., though a minority of facilities, have a disproportionate number of complaints of abuse and neglect.

Prison should be safe and supportive. Incarceration itself is the punishment. No convict should be subjected to physical, emotional or sexual abuse because he or she is in prison.

Capital punishment in the U.S. is motivated by retribution and serves no other legitimate purpose. It costs more than a million dollars to bring someone to execution. Independent of the moral issue, most rich nations would not spend money this way.

Selective legalization of controlled substances needs to be legislated. More mandatory monitoring, rehabilitation, and other supportive therapy needs to be provided to drug users.

The U.S. has a gun problem. Japan  with more than a third of the population of the U.S.  usually has fewer than 10 gun deaths a year. The U.S. has 50,000.

Addressing the gun problem

Yes, we can transfer solutions from other cultures to our own. With similar rates of mental illness in rich countries, the guns are the problem. Eighty percent of murders and half of suicides are committed with guns.

Within seven to 10 years, every gun sold in the U.S. should be a smart gun that can be fired only by its owner. There should be no gun-show or internet exceptions to background checks for gun purchases.

Five of the most common guns legally purchased in the U.S. are hunting rifles, but from almost 850,000 crime scenes each year where a gun is recovered, only about a half-dozen are among this group. In other words, the guns designed to shoot and kill people are the ones used for this purpose. A 9mm handgun is by far the biggest offender.

There should be significant legal requirements to own these types of guns. A massive buy-back program should be implemented. National legislation needs to be adopted.

William Culbert is an Oak Ridge resident and retired physician.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Crime, policing and incarceration: U.S. needs new solutions
Monday was another rough day for weather across the nation, as the Northeast saw yet more heavy, flooding rain, and tens of millions of Americans dealt with sweltering, dangerous heat.

Vermont was in the crosshairs of extreme rainfall and flooding concerns. Rescue teams raced to try to get to towns that had been unreachable since torrents of rain belted the state overnight Sunday into Monday.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to the flooding in Vermont, according to state emergency officials. By Monday night, state water rescue teams performed more than 50 rescues in multiple communities as flood waters inundated roadways and homes.

Driving rain continued to pound much of the Northeast Monday. "Rainfall rates could reach 2 inches per hour in some locations as the system slowly moves," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty said. "Infrastructure in the metro areas may not be able to handle rainfall of this magnitude, and as a result, rising water could quickly inundate some locations."

The slow-moving storm moved northward Monday after hitting parts of New York and Connecticut on Sunday.

Deadly floodwaters swept across parts of the Northeast Sunday, where a woman was killed by flooding in New York state. Parts of Pennsylvania were swamped by up to 8 inches of rain. And forecasters warned that residents from North Carolina to New Hampshire could expect heavy rains and potential flooding Monday, with flash flood warnings in parts of New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

Meanwhile, following a week of world-record-breaking heat, residents in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida endured oppressive heat Monday. In all, more than 42 million Americans faced heat warnings, watches or advisories.

'Catastrophic,' 'life-threatening' flooding possible in Vermont

According to the National Weather Service, over 10 million Americans were under flood watches or warnings as of Monday afternoon. As a frontal system nearing the northern mid-Atlantic coastline combines with atmospheric moisture, forecasters said heavy rain was likely to produce the potential for significant flash flooding in the Northeast and New England throughout the day on Monday.

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A state of emergency was declared, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was alerted and the National Guard put on notice.

Residents from New England to the mid-Atlantic states were advised to avoid driving on any flooded roads, as the majority of flash-flood deaths occur in vehicles. State emergency teams conducted rescue operations throughout the day and more than 50 rescues were done by Monday night.

In addition to rescues, teams planned to carry out welfare and safety checks to assess and address the needs of residents.

The highest risk of flooding Monday was expected to be in Vermont and the Champlain Valley bordering New York state. The weather service is warning residents of Vermont of "catastrophic flooding" on Monday, adding that "a potentially life-threatening scenario is developing across the region."

Meteorologists noted the graveness of potential impacts and the weather service urged residents to watch water level updates for nearby rivers. Officials compared the situation to Hurricane Irene as the state only recently recovered from infrastructure and financial impacts from the tropical storm that also took seven lives in 2011.

"What's different for me is Irene lasted about 24 hours," Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said during a Monday morning news conference. "This is going on and we're getting this much rain  if not more  and it's going on for days. That's my concern. And it's not just the initial damage, but it's the second wave and the third wave."

The Winooski River's water levels were rapidly rising Monday night, putting Vermont's capital, Montpelier, at risk. The weather service in Burlington called it a "very serious situation" as water levels were nearly reaching Hurricane Irene levels.

The front is expected to pass by Tuesday when the heaviest of the rain will end.

Serious, life-threatening flooding is occurring today across much of Vermont. Emergency crews have conducted rescues in multiple communities. About two dozen state roads are closed as of 10AM. Flash flood warnings are in effect from the Massachusetts line to the Canadian border. pic.twitter.com/09ryZ1N7bR  Vermont State Police (@VTStatePolice) July 10, 2023

Woman dead in Hudson Valley, New York

A woman in her 30s was swept away and drowned while trying to evacuate her home in New York's Hudson Valley on Sunday. Flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed into the womans house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said.

Neuhaus said he believed the victim's house floated away. Two other people escaped the home in Highlands, about 40 miles north of New York City. According to officials, the victims family was safe.

Her house was completely surrounded by water, he said. She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog, he added, and she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave-type waves.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state of emergency Sunday for Orange County. That included the town of Cornwall, near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, where many roads were flooded and closed off.

Multiple vehicles were trapped and submerged in floodwaters in Orange County. The rising waters made several roadways impassable. State police said numerous roads were closed and some bridges had also collapsed.

Scorching heat across southern US

While the Northeast endured flooding rain, parts of Texas, Florida, and the Southwest didn't see relief Monday from sweltering temperatures, with many areas under heat warnings and heat advisories. High temperatures in the Southwest and High Plains were forecast to reach up to and above 110 degrees in the afternoon.

The weather service in Las Vegas said Monday that "once it sets in, the excessive heat looks to last through at least next Monday." The high-temperature forecast for notorious hot spot Death Valley, California, on Sunday is near 126 degrees, the weather service said.

Similarly, high temperatures and oppressive humidity allowed for heat indices to approach 115 degrees throughout parts of South Texas on Monday.

US weather watches and warnings

National weather radar

Contributing: April Barton, Burlington Free Press; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York flooding, warnings for New England: Weather forecast Monday
A Blue Island, Illinois man faces multiple charges after a 10-year-old girl was found dead in Rockford Saturday afternoon.

Antonio Monroe, 44, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated battery via strangulation.

More: Police: 10-year-old girl found dead in Rockford

In a news conference Sunday night, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said two girls, 10 and 6, were outside playing when Monroe allegedly took the girls.

Redd said the 6-year-old was able to get away and tell her mom her sister was taken. Redd said the mother called police at 12:07 p.m. to report the kidnapping.

Redd said police were called at about 12:40 p.m. after a man found a child unresponsive outside of a residence in the 1200 block of 10th Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found the girl and began CPR before first responders took the girl to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The girl's name has not been released.

A K9 officer was able to help locate Monroe a few blocks from the scene, according to Redd. Monroe was arrested after a brief struggle. He was taken to the hospital for an unrelated issue, Redd said, and will be taken to the Winnebago County Jail once he's released from the hospital.

Monroe was convicted on criminal sexual assault charges in Peoria County 13 years ago, according to Illinois records, but Rockford Police never had any prior contact with Monroe, according to Redd.

"We're not sure why he was in Rockford," Chief Redd said during the news conference.

Blue Island, Illinois is about 100 miles southeast of Rockford, located near Chicago suburbs of Alsip, Oak Lawn and Orland Park.

Redd said she had a "pit in her stomach" since receiving the first call about the case Saturday.

"We're not living in a time where you can leave your kids outside playing and no one is watching over them," Redd said. "Kids aren't doing anything wrong, but unfortunately there are individuals out there who will cause harm."

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Redd said the 6-year-old girl was also strangled before being able to get away from Monroe. Redd said the girl was treated and released for her injuries.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara called for the community to rally around the family while allowing the proper space to grieve.

"We need to wrap our arms, our love and our support around this family that's been impacted by this heinous crime," McNamara said during a news conference Sunday.

The investigation is ongoing.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Illinois man charged with murder of 10-year-old Rockford girl
Well-wishes have rolled in for Jack Hanna and his family after they recently shared a look into the long-time zoo director's battle with Alzheimer's disease.

A spokeswoman for the Hanna family said they've received more than 600 messages of support after opening up about Jack's private battle with the disease. A Dispatch story published last month showed the life of Jack and his family in Bigfork, Montana  one vastly different from the one he led as the face of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for years.

The zoo has also received about two dozen physical notes and continues to receive more, zoo spokeswoman Jen Fields said in an email.

Notes can be dropped off at the green mailbox within the guest relations office at the zoo's front entrance. Supporters can also email info@jackhanna.com to share messages of support directly with the Hanna family.

Meanwhile, supporters have posted more than 1,000 comments on Jack Hanna's Facebook page, sharing support, favorite memories of the famous zookeeper and their own personal experiences with Alzheimer's.

jsmola@dispatch.com

@jennsmola

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jack Hanna, family receive hundreds of notes amid Alzheimer's battle
ISTANBUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye aims to carry out 750 archeological excavations by the end of 2023, The Culture and Tourism Ministry announced on Monday.

The ministry has already allocated some 200 million Turkish liras (7.7 million U.S. dollars) for archeological digging as of July, and the amount will exceed 500 million liras at the end of 2023, the official news agency Anadolu reported.

A new digging project will start soon in the town of Gokhoyuk in the central Anatolian province of Konya for further research of the period from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age, it added.

There will also be excavations in the ancient city of Sobesos, located in the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir, home to the world-famous "fairy chimneys."

Restoration works will continue in the second half of the year in a number of provinces, including the Mediterranean tourism spot Antalya, Mugla and Mersin.

Around 250 foreign experts from more than 20 countries will also participate in the excavations and studies in Turkiye, which is expected to accelerate the progress of projects, including the Neolithic Age research started in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa. 
A popular Kansas City Chiefs fan, known for dressing as a wolf at games, has been arrested and charged more than six months after he was initially arrested for robbing a bank in Oklahoma, and after four months on the run.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, a 29-year-old from Overland Park known as ChiefsAholic online, was arrested Friday in California and faces a new federal robbery charge in addition to his earlier charges in Oklahoma.

Investigators determined, according to the affidavit, that Babudar would travel to various locations throughout the Midwestern United States to perpetrate a string of robberies at various banks and credit unions before returning home to the Kansas City Metropolitan area to launder these robbery proceeds through area casinos and deposit these proceeds in his various bank accounts.

While allegedly robbing a bank in Nashville, Tennessee, in November, Babudar allegedly told bank employees he would put a hole in your head if they included a dye pack with the $125,000 cash he was stealing.

Babudar was arrested Friday in Lincoln, California, federal authorities said. His initial court appearance is set for Monday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento.

A federal grand jury will ultimately decide if Babudar should be indicted on the current federal charges of one count of bank theft and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Babudar enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, Mondays federal news release stated.

His Twitter account appears to have since been deleted.

After Babudars initial arrest, authorities would not confirm that he was the person behind the social media page for Chiefsaholic. Nevertheless, his arrest immediately went viral on social media as fans speculated about the incident.

Babudars name initially hit headlines in December, after he was arrested in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, for allegedly robbing a credit union at gunpoint of more than $150,000. He was charged with armed robbery and assault while masked or disguised.

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Authorities said he was wearing ski goggles and a paintball mask at the time, not the wolf mask he was known for donning at Chiefs games.

After Babudars arrest in December, FBI investigators connected his cell phone location to historical data from cell towers near the scenes of unsolved robberies at four banks in Nebraska, Iowa, and Tennessee, and to attempted robberies of two credit unions in Minnesota.

The Kansas City Chiefs superfan who dubbed himself ChiefsAholic was arrested Friday, July 7, 2023, in California.

FBI investigators found that between April and December of 2022, Babudar also purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from casinos in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.

In January, Babudars public defender at the time filed a motion seeking to reduce his bond, saying his then-bond of $200,000 was excessive. In that filing, his attorney said Babudar reported having been self-employed for about five years.

He bonded out in February. In March he violated court orders by cutting off his ankle monitor in Tulsa and going on the run. A warrant for his arrest was issued in late March. In June, he placed on the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Most Wanted list.

The latest charges announced Monday are specifically related to $70,000 stolen from Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa, on March 2, 2022.

Bank employees told police at the time that a thief came into the bank wearing a ski mask and appearing to be armed, then handed the teller a note demanding money. Police later found nearly $1,500 in $20 bills in the woods, along with a glove they connected to Babudar.

In the six weeks after the robbery, Babudar deposited the same amount that was stolen in Clive into his money market savings account and made multiple casino chip purchases and redemptions at the Argosy Casino in Riverside, Missouri, according to the affidavit.

The historical cell phone data also showed that Babudars phone was in the vicinity of a few Chiefs games, including the Arizona Cardinals game on Sept. 11, the Indianapolis Colts game on Sept. 25, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on Oct. 2, the Los Angeles Chargers game on Nov. 20, and the Denver Broncos game on Dec. 11.

Records from the Kansas Department of Labor showed Babudar last reported wages in Kansas, where he resided, in 2018, according to the affidavit. The last time he reported wages was in October 2021, in another state.

 ... Other than occasional eBay sales activity, we have not yet detected a consistent source of wages, revenue, or income from any legitimate employment for Babudar over this time, court records read.

In previous court filings, he listed his mailing address in Overland Park, but he also called himself homeless. He wrote that his last employment was in 2020 in a warehouse.

He previously filed a slip and fall lawsuit against Gillette Stadium from an incident he alleges occurred in 2019 on the day the Chiefs played the Patriots in Boston, according to federal court records filed in Massachusetts.
By Sabine Siebold

VILNIUS (Reuters) -NATO allies on Monday reached agreement on defence plans detailing how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack, overcoming a Turkish hurdle one day before leaders meet for a summit in Vilnius, five diplomats told Reuters.

NATO had for decades seen no need for large-scale defence plans, as it fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and felt certain post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat.

But with Europe's bloodiest war since 1945 raging just beyond its borders in Ukraine, it is now warning that it must have all planning in place well before a conflict with a peer adversary such as Moscow might erupt.

Turkey had been blocking approval of what NATO calls its regional plans over the wording on geographical locations such as Cyprus.

"Excellent for the alliance. Turkey had to compromise and lift linkage," one diplomat told Reuters.

NATO leaders gather in Vilnius on July 11-12 for a summit that will discuss Sweden's membership and the alliance's future relationship with Ukraine.

By outlining its regional plans, NATO will also give nations guidance on how to upgrade their forces and logistics.

The need to finance this fundamental shift is one of the reasons why leaders are set to raise the alliance's military spending target at Vilnius, making the current goal of 2% of national GDP a minimum requirement.

NATO officials estimate it will take a few years for the plans to be fully implemented, though they stress that the alliance can head into battle immediately if required.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; additional reporting by Andrew Gray, Andrius Sytas and John Irish; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
The constant pressure to treat TikTok as a national security threat appears to be working, albeit only on some people. A Pew Research Center survey indicates that 59 percent of American adults see TikTok as a danger, but that this perception varies based on whether or not someone uses the service. Only nine percent of TikTok users see the social network as a major threat, while 36 percent of non-users feel the same. In all, 42 percent of users see the service as any kind of risk where 65 percent of outsiders are worried.

It won't surprise you to hear that age plays a significant role in the perception of TikTok. Only 49 percent of users under 30 see TikTok as any threat (just 13 percent as a major threat), but those figures climb higher with older demographics. About 65 percent of those over 65 are nervous about TikTok, and 46 percent of that group sees it as a critical threat. Politics are also a factor. A whopping 76 percent of conservatives are concerned where 49 percent of liberals share that sentiment.

Roughly 64 percent of American adults are at least somewhat worried about TikTok's data handling practices, Pew adds. Again, the figures change based on age. Only 54 percent of people under 30 feel that way, while 75 percent of those over 65 are concerned.

The study was taken just as Montana enacted a law banning TikTok in the state, and long after politicians from both major US parties called for national bans. The platform is already banned on most federal devices. The reasoning is frequently similar. Officials are concerned that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, might feed American users' data to the Chinese government or influence algorithms to spread pro-China propaganda.

TikTok has repeatedly denied Chinese government influence, and has taken a number of steps to reassure US politicians. It's storing US data domestically, offering transparency into its code and firing staff that improperly access sensitive data. However, those measures haven't done much to assuage government representatives  and the Pew data suggests the public is similarly wary.
Shes a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, but the movie based on the iconic doll is entangled in a real-life political snafu, with GOP lawmakers criticizing it over a scene that features a map depicting Chinas claimed territory in the South China Sea.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) were among those who ripped the flick last week ahead of its July 21 release date. One scene, originally shown in the movies trailer, shows a cartoon map that labeled parts of the sea that Vietnam claims as its own as Chinese territory. Vietnam banned the movie from domestic distribution as a result.

China wants to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think, a spokesperson for Cruz said, and they leverage their massive film markets to coerce American companies into pushing Chinese Communist Party propaganda  just like the way the Barbie film seems to have done with the map.

Hollywood and the Left are more concerned with selling films in Communist China than standing up to the regimes human rights abuses, Blackburn said in a tweet.

The Barbie movies depiction of a map endorsing Beijings claims to the South China Sea is legally and morally wrong and must be taken seriously, Blackburn said.

Republicans Reps. Mike Gallagher (Wisc.) and Mark Green (Tenn.) have also spoken out about the movie, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the famed doll duo, Barbie and Ken.

Green said in a Twitter post that since the Warner Bros. film is promoting a world in which China controls most of the South China sea, perhaps this movie studio should think twice about asking for assistance from the [Department of Defense] for its next action movie.

While it may just be a Barbie map in a Barbie world, the fact that a cartoonish, crayon-scribbled map seems to go out of its way to depict the [Peoples Republic of Chinas] unlawful territorial claims illustrates the pressure that Hollywood is under to please CCP censors, Gallagher told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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In a statement to Variety last week, Warner Bros. Film Group called the map a child-like crayon drawing that appears in Barbie Land.

The doodles depict Barbies make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the real world It was not intended to make any type of statement, the film studio said.

Updated at 3:06 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Isaac W. Wilborn Jr. was asked to carry the sins of the Deep South on his small shoulders.

He was young, not long out of college and fresh off military service in Korea, when he was appointed principal of Hilton Head Islands first consolidated elementary school in 1954.

Its gone now, but that red-brick building with such marvels as bathrooms and water fountains, was to be the white establishments silver bullet to keep Blacks in their place forever.

That building, as well as a new brick Michael C. Riley school building in Bluffton and hundreds of others statewide, was funded to prove that South Carolina schools were separate but equal.

Wilborns professional life of 30 years in the Beaufort County public schools precisely overlays the long and painful demise of that separate-but-equal lie.

He graduated from Allen University in Columbia in 1950, the same year a group of parents in Clarendon County filed suit in federal court because the school board ignored complaints that their children were walking dusty roads to inferior schools while white kids cruised by in school buses.

That suit  Briggs v. Elliott  became part of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against segregation in 1954. But it would be 1971 before full school integration came to Beaufort County.

South Carolina Gov. James Byrnes had in 1951 pushed through a 3 percent state sales tax to fund new schools and buses for the express purpose of avoiding integration.

A quick flip through history shows how unequal the schools were  and just how heavy the burden was that Wilborn carried.

When he took his first job in Bluffton, the school for blacks went only through the 10th grade. White kids had 12 grades.

Black teachers had lesser certification requirements. Black students had fewer school days. For decades, if black students wanted to go beyond elementary school, they had to pack up and leave home.

In 1927, South Carolina had 279 high schools for whites and only 10 for blacks, according to the S.C. Encyclopedia. It was 1929 before South Carolina issued its first high school diploma to a Black student.

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Reporting by The State newspaper in Columbia showed that in 1949, South Carolinas per-pupil expenditure for white students was $111 compared to $50 for blacks. The average annual salary for white teachers was $600 more than blacks. The value of white school property was $68 million compared to $13 million for blacks. The state was spending $2.4 million on transportation for whites and $184,000 for blacks.

Wilborn stepped into the Souths tinderbox, challenged to bring up to speed children who had been taught in one-room schools dotted around the island.

He did not burst out of a phone booth to save the day. He never pretended to be Superman.

Sunny Littlejohn, who he hired in 1968 to teach a class of 32 second graders, said, I dont remember him ever raising his voice. He was a lovely person to work with.

Wilborn immediately asked for the youngest students get more time in school, which resulted in a forerunner to Project Head Start.

He later asked the full community, then filling with retirees from around the nation, to build a daycare center for working families. He told everyone that his little scholars were missing school to tend to baby siblings while their mothers took the islands new jobs.

Wilborn became a beloved fixture, known as Fess, showing the human capital that blacks brought to education even if all else was unequal.

He was deeply involved in community affairs and institutions, helping bridge the gap between newcomers and native islanders.

The long list of his contributions aired at the time of his death on June 23 at the age of 93 was surprising, even for a man inducted into two halls of fame.

But at his core, Isaac Wilborn bore his special burden by treating everyone as he treated the Rev. Jon R. Black.

Black eulogized his mentor on July 3 from the pulpit at Campbell Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bluffton.

This man saw the best in me, Black said.

David Lauderdale may be reached at LauderdaleColumn@gmail.com.
[Source]

Asian Americans in the tech industry are filing lawsuits alleging their companies have unfairly denied them leadership roles over their race.

Denied opportunities: Vaishnavi Jayakumar, who has worked at prominent companies like Disney, Google, Twitter and Meta, is among the number of employees who have stepped forward to shed light on the issue.

Jayakumar, who is originally from Singapore, claims that despite her qualifications and experience, she faced racial bias and was denied opportunities for growth and advancement at Meta. According to court documents, Jayakumars supervisor excluded her from projects and marginalized her by "layering" her under less experienced employees.

Despite positive feedback and a history of being a team player, Jayakumar was told she lacked seniority and collaboration skills, impeding her chances of promotion.

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"After I had endured enough and filed an internal complaint about this repeated discriminatory behaviour, I was mysteriously the only person laid off from my youth policy team," she later wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Jayakumar is now seeking policy changes from Meta that include monitoring the rate of promotion for Asian American employees and training managers on stereotypes about Asian Americans.

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Least likely to be promoted: Despite being among the most-hired racial group for high-tech jobs, several studies have found that Asian Americans face significant obstacles in advancing to management and executive positions in Silicon Valley.

Asian Americans make up a significant portion of the workforce in major Fortune 500 companies, such as HP, Intel, Google, Yahoo and LinkedIn, representing 27% of employees, according to a 2015 study by Ascend. However, their representation as organizational leaders and executives in these companies is less than 15%. In contrast, white employees represented 62% of professionals and 80% of executives in these firms.

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Promoted without increase: Ben Huynh, a Vietnamese American, said he did not receive a pay increase after being promoted to a management position at software company Coda in May 2022.

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After he voiced his concerns to human resources, he reportedly felt marginalized and isolated. Three months later, he was informed that his team would be disbanded and he would be demoted. He was laid off in November of the same year during what the company claimed to be a reorganization.

There's a shift because people are seeing that they have to take action or things will not change, Huynh told USA Today. If we want to see something change, we have to do something about it.

How stereotypes harm Asians: Previous studies have highlighted that individuals who viewed Asians as highly competent tended to admire and envy them, while those who saw Asians as lacking in social skills displayed greater hostility and fear.

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In 2005, another study revealed that individuals holding stereotypical views of Asians were less inclined to interact with or seek to learn more about them. Researchers proposed that the perceived "unfairly high" levels of competence possessed by Asians may threaten individuals, leading to the use of the stereotype that Asians lack social skills as a justification for discrimination.

Offending white execs: Andre Wong, a Chinese American who played a key role in Lumentum's product development and market expansion, was fired just months after raising concerns from his co-workers during the company's "Courageous Conversation" on race.

Wong participated in the event by connecting with frustrated Asian American colleagues who felt overlooked for leadership roles and promotions. Together, they established the Asian Employee Resource Group, which uncovered a significant disparity in demographics. The group reported that while Asians constituted 60% of Lumentum's U.S. workforce, less than 15% of senior executives were Asian while the majority were white.

During the group's "coming out" event where Wong shared his experiences, ERG leaders faced reprimands for supposedly making "white people feel bad." Wong recounted that he later faced instances of derogatory comments from white executives.

Wong was later given a "glass cliff" assignment  a role with little chance of success and sets up one for failure. While he was assured that a promotion to senior vice president would follow, he was instead terminated in December.

He is now pursuing a $20 million lawsuit against Lumentum, with the intention of allocating a substantial portion of any potential award to combat anti-Asian discrimination.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) speaks to the media following a classified briefing about the shooting down of unidentified airborne objects over U.S. airspace, in Washington, on Feb. 14, 2023. (Pete Marovich/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  A lone Senate Republicans bid to reverse a Pentagon policy ensuring abortion access for service members is delaying the smooth transfer of power at the highest echelons of the armed forces, including in the ranks of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as a monthslong partisan dispute over social policy drags on.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a conservative from Alabama, has been single-handedly blocking hundreds of promotions for high-ranking generals and admirals since February, refusing to relent unless the Defense Department scraps a policy  instituted after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion last year  offering time off and travel reimbursement to service members who need to go out of state for abortions.

Now, Tubervilles tactics are on the brink of disrupting the Pentagons ability to fill its top ranks. More than half of the current Joint Chiefs are expected to step down from their posts during the next few months without a Senate-approved successor in place, leaving the presidents chief military advisory body in an unprecedented state of flux at a time of escalating tensions with China and Russia.

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The Biden administration and Senate Democrats have vociferously condemned Tubervilles blockade as dangerous and misplaced. But while many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his tactics, GOP leaders criticism has been more restrained.

I dont support putting a hold on military nominations, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters recently when asked about Tubervilles actions. That has not been enough to dissuade the Alabama senator or his staunch supporters in the GOP ranks, who have stood in for him when he was not at the Capitol to press his objections to a policy that has angered the anti-abortion Republican base.

The resulting impasse is beginning to take a tangible toll on the military. On Monday, the first of the departing Joint Chiefs, Gen. David Berger, the Marine commandant, will retire in a relinquishment of office ceremony, leaving his current deputy and nominated successor, Gen. Eric Smith, to take over without Congress blessing.

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Over August and September, the staff chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, as well as Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs, are expected to follow suit, leaving the organization with more temporary occupants than at any point in its history.

We know that these holds are going to have a ripple effect throughout the department, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, said last month, arguing that Tuberville was setting a dangerous precedent that puts our military readiness at risk.

Similar sentiments have been voiced by the White House, where press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued last month that Tubervilles tactics were a threat to our national security, and by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who denounced on the floor last month the damaging impact that Sen. Tubervilles holds on senior military promotions is having on our national security and military readiness.

Even some Senate Republicans who have stopped short of condemning Tubervilles actions have nonetheless expressed concerns about how they might affect the militarys ability to respond to global threats.

Its a dangerous world right now, and we want to make sure that were not sacrificing readiness, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., recently told Politico.

Some caution that such concerns are overblown.

Tubervilles blockade does not endanger the United States, but it makes the institutions less agile and adaptive, said Mark Cancian, a retired colonel from the Marine Forces Reserve and a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Referring to officials who are serving in an acting capacity, he said: When youre acting, you cannot give fundamental strategic guidance to the institution. You are a place holder.

Tuberville rejects the notion that his objections will have a detrimental effect on the military, noting that in situations where a single senator denies the customary unanimous approval of a group of nominations or military promotions, the Senate can simply schedule individual votes on each one.

Theres all this panic about, Well, hes not going to give unanimous consent to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Tubervilles spokesperson, Steven Stafford, said in an interview last week, pointing out that senators took a roll-call vote to confirm Milley as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff four years ago. Maybe its OK for the Senate to take votes.

But that process can be extraordinarily time-consuming given the Senates rules and customs, and trying to confirm each of the hundreds of promotions individually could tie the chamber in knots. That may be the point for Tuberville, who has co-sponsored legislation to declare that life begins at conception and filed a brief in support of the Mississippi law prohibiting abortion at 15 weeks that was upheld in last years Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

Senate Democrats have challenged Tuberville at least a half-dozen times on the Senate floor to stop holding military promotions hostage, and the Armed Services Committee has continued to hold confirmation hearings for high-ranking nominees, in the hopes that the Alabama senator might relent. Gen. Charles Brown, the Air Force chief of staff and President Joe Bidens pick to succeed Milley as chair of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Randy George, the Armys vice chief of staff whom Biden nominated to take over as Army chief, are both scheduled for hearings this week.

But their efforts have thus far failed to dissuade Tuberville, who has dismissed his critics by arguing that Senate leaders have options to resolve the impasse. He has suggested that Congress pass Republican-sponsored legislation to reverse the Pentagons abortion access policy  or a competing Democratic bill to give the policy the force of law. He has dared Senate leaders to circumvent his blockade by voting on the promotions individually, arguing that he would be ready to approve some promotions if forced to take a vote.

But Senate aides say none of his suggested offramps are workable. Senate leaders believe it would be nearly impossible to collect enough votes, between the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led House, to send legislation either affirming or overturning the Pentagons policy to the presidents desk. And they are queasy about trying to get around Tubervilles protest procedurally because of the amount of time it would take to plow through the Senates arcane hurdles for all the nominations he is holding up.

Senate leaders are also resisting pressure from rank-and-file lawmakers to make an exception for the Joint Chiefs, fearing that doing so would legitimize Tubervilles protest  and encourage others harboring grievances with Pentagon policies to emulate his approach.

In the meantime, Tuberville has steadily rejected compromises that Senate leaders have offered. He refused to relent in exchange for holding a closed-door vote in the Armed Services Committee last month against a bill undoing the Pentagons policy. And he has publicly eschewed the idea of settling his dispute by voting on the Pentagons policy as an amendment to the annual defense policy bill, which is expected to begin moving through the House next week.

Senate leaders hope to change Tubervilles mind over the next few weeks.

Challenges to the Pentagons abortion access policy are expected to figure in the House debate on the defense authorization bill. Republicans have filed two proposals  one of them with more than 50 co-sponsors  to bar the Defense Department from using federal funds to reimburse any abortion-related expenses, which would effectively undo the Pentagons policy. A group of House Democrats has filed a competing proposal seeking to make the Pentagons reimbursement policy a requirement of federal law.

Even if either of those changes were made to the House bill, it would still face significant hurdles in the Senate  particularly since aides in both parties fear that if the must-pass defense bill is seen as a Trojan horse for abortion measures, lawmakers will vote against it in droves. But they hope that such a public referendum on the Pentagons policy would back Tuberville into a corner, creating public pressure on him to give up his quest.

It is not clear how much difference that will make to the him, however. Though Tuberville has few backers in the Senate, he has been buoyed in his resistance by support from home, where constituents have cheered on his protest, and billboards paid for by the conservative Heritage Foundation line stretches of highway.

They read, Senator Tuberville, thank you for standing for life, and against wokeness in the military.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
For much of his life, Waterford farmer Bob Brace fought the federal government in court over wetlands rules, gaining national attention and becoming a hero to champions of landowners' rights.

With the 84-year-old Brace's death on June 2, his survivors are left to resolve the court cases left behind.

Brace over his lifetime lost two wetlands cases in U.S. District Court in Erie. The government prevailed in its demands that Brace restore the wetlands that the courts determined he improperly cleared, plowed or farmed on his 130-acre farm near Elk Creek in southern Erie County.

Up until the time he died, Brace was working with his lawyers to come up with plans to restore the wetlands to the satisfaction of the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies and end the two civil cases.

The cost is estimated to be at least $1.25 million, not including another $1.5 million in fines that a federal judge could still impose, according to court records.

Waterford farmer Robert Brace died at 84 on June 2. He fought with the federal government over wetlands regulations for much of his life.

The responsibility of developing the plans, paying for the repairs and resolving the cases rests with Brace's estate and its newly appointed executor, Brace's wife, Beverly, according to new court filings.

Despite Brace's death, "the United States' claims are not extinguished," according to the filings, docketed on Thursday.

Brace once said he had spent "millions and millions" of dollars in fighting the government over the wetlands since the 1990s. That estimate excluded the cost of the restoring the wetlands.

Government still pushing for plans to restore wetlands

The two filings are nearly identical and pertain to each of the two wetlands cases. Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division filed them.

The documents state the government and Brace's lawyers agreed that Beverly Brace, as the executor of her husband's estate, should be substituted as a defendant in the cases to replace her husband. Beverly Brace was named executor of the estate on June 28, according to records at the Erie County Register of Wills office.

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With Beverly Brace in place as the new defendant in both cases, the parties can move ahead to develop plans to "restore the impacted waters of the United States," according to the July 6 filing in one of the cases.

Brace's first wetlands case started 33 years ago

The older case against Bob Brace dates to 1990. Its started when the federal government sued, claiming Brace violated the Clean Water Act over wetlands.

The legal battle turned into one of the best-known property rights cases in the nation and led to the formation of the Pennsylvania Landowner's Association.

Brace in that case clashed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about his right to repair drainage pipes on a section of his farm. The federal judge who first heard the case, Glenn Mencer, ruled in Brace's favor in 1993, finding that Brace had done nothing but follow normal and accepted farming practices.

A sign Bob Brace posted at Lane and Greenlee road on his Waterford Township farm detailed his complaints against the government.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Philadelphia, reversed Mencer's decision and ruled in favor of the government. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 1995, letting the 3rd Circuit's decision stand.

After the 3rd Circuit ruling, Brace signed a consent decree, entered in 1996, in which he agreed not to disturb certain wetlands on his farm, where he grew corn and soybeans. The consent decree included a wetlands restoration plan.

The case restarted with in litigation in 2016. The EPA filed notices of violations against Brace, claiming he ran afoul of the 1996 consent decree by, among other things, clearing, draining, plowing and planting on 30 acres of wetlands that the decree and restoration plan were designed to protect. The 30-acre parcel of his farmland, a U-shaped section called the Murphy Farm, is near Lane Road in Waterford Township.

Brace fought the notice of violations, but lost before U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter in 2021. In an 86-page opinion, she found the EPA's notice of violations against Brace was valid, and that he had waited too long to ask the courts to set aside the consent decree  an agreement between two parties that includes judicial oversight.

Though she ruled against Brace, Baxter held off on deciding whether to grant the government's request that she penalize him as much as $1,562,250 under the terms of the consent decree.

U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter ruled against Bob Brace in one of his cases in federal court in Erie.

Baxter wrote that she would defer a decision on the penalties and costs pending the development of a plan between the government and Brace on how Brace will restore the wetlands that were subject of the violations. That plan is still under development.

In response to Baxter's decision, Brace told the Erie Times-News in 2021 that "environmental law is the same as Sharia law," referring to Islam's legal system. He appealed.

The 3rd Circuit ruled against Brace in January. A three-judge panel unanimously ruled that Baxter was correct in finding that the restoration plan "unambiguously prohibited" Brace's activities, such as excavating a ditch. Baxter "properly determined" that Brace "violated the plan and, in turn, the consent decree," according to the ruling.

Brace's second wetlands case went to court in 6 years ago

In the second wetlands case, the federal government sued Brace in 2017, claiming that he violated environmental regulations by clearing other wetlands without a permit in 2012. Brace challenged the government, but another federal judge, Barbara A. Rothstein, rejected Brace's claims in 2019.

The ruling in that case concerned 20 acres, known as the Marsh Farm, located in McKean and Waterford townships, immediately east of Sharp Road, north of Lane Road and south of Greenlee Road.

The 3rd Circuit in June unanimously affirmed Rothstein's ruling in 2020. A three-judge panel backed her unusual finding that Brace's previous lawyer, from New York City, had handled the case so poorly that the government prevailed by default.

Since the appellate court rulings in both cases, Brace's lawyers have been working with engineering firms and other professionals to develop restoration plans for the wetlands, according to court records.

In the 2017 case, Brace's lawyers reported in December "that a quote to implement the plan" over those wetlands "had exceeded $1.25 million," according to one of the government's filing on Thursday. The Justice Department lawyers are waiting on more information "to assess the validity of that estimate," according to the filing.

In the 1990 case, Brace's lawyers continued to work with the EPA to develop a restoration plan for those wetlands, according to the most recent status report Brace's lawyers filed in that case. The lawyers, Neal Devlin and Alexander Cox, of Erie, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Will a new Supreme Court decision affect the Brace cases?

Brace for decades challenged environmental law as too restrictive, and he most likely would have applauded a ruling the Supreme Court made on May 25. The ruling came down two months after Brace suffered serious injuries in an automobile accident, on March 27, and about a week before his death.

The Supreme Court ruled in a case that originated in Idaho. A 5-4 majority significantly expanded the ability of farmers, homebuilders and other developers to dig up or fill wetlands near rivers, lakes and streams, finding the government had long overreached in limiting such activities, according to the Associated Press.

Major ruling: 'Significant repercussions.' Supreme Court limits government power to curb water pollution

The ruling would not appear to affect Brace's 1990 case, because the dispute in that litigation centered on a consent decree. But whether the ruling affects the ongoing litigation in the more recent case remains uncertain. Brace's lawyers could try to cite the Supreme Court decision in their favor as they seek to resolve that case.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Waterford farmer Bob Brace died in June, but his wetlands cases go on
Reward doubled in case of Yakama woman killed in New Mexico as family calls for action
RABAT, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Morocco registered 6.5 million tourist arrivals in the first six months of 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic level in 2019 by 21 percent, the Ministry of Tourism said Monday.

In June, the volume of arrivals reached almost 1.4 million, a 25 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019, it said.

Among the tourists, those from Spain were up by 79 percent, followed by Britain, 23 percent, and Portugal, 16 percent.

The sector's revenue soared to 4.1 billion U.S. dollars in the first five months this year, up by 42 percent year-on-year from 2019, the ministry added.

Tourism is a key sector in the Moroccan economy, directly contributing 7.1 percent of the total GDP in 2019 and providing an estimated 565,000 jobs, equivalent to 5 percent of total employment. 
As China struggles with heat, flooding and drought, employers are ordered to limit outdoor work

Employers across much of China have been ordered to limit outdoor work due to scorching temperatures, while areas in the east and southwest have been warned to prepare for torrential rain
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Grindina cat mingea de tenis in Italia. Peste 100 de persoane au fost ranite

Fenomenele meteo extreme devin din ce in ce mai dese. In unele zone, furtunile violente care vin dupa perioade de canicula aduc cu ele grindina de marimi nemaivazute. S-a intamplat in Italia, la Padova, unde bucatile de grindina cazute zilele [citeste mai departe]
NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has killed at least 34 people in the past 24 hours, the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said on Monday.

Five people drowned in Raebareli district and four others drowned in Bareilly district, while deaths due to lightning and heavy rain also occurred in Muzaffarnagar, Kaushambi Etah, Kannauj, Budaun, Ghazipur, Jalaun and Kanpur Dehat, AIR said.

The incessant rains threw life out of gear in many districts, particularly in western parts of the Uttar Pradesh state. The weather department already issued an orange alert for some districts, and schools and colleges in some districts have thus been closed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Uttar Pradesh may experience isolated extremely heavy rainfall and heavy to very heavy rainfall from Monday to Wednesday. 
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- President Klaus Iohannis declared on Tuesday, with regard to the severe issues recently exposed in nursing homes, that the situation is a "national disgrace" and emphasized that the measures that will be taken must eradicate the evil from the roots."The matter of the so-called 'horror nursing facilities'

- What happened in the nursing homes where there is evidence that the patients were mistreated is "inadmissible," leader of the National Liberal Party, Nicolae Ciuca, said on Monday, while mentioning that he was not informed by the investigation in this file during the time when he was prime minister."What

- The Police and Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) have taken note of their own accord since February regarding the situation in certain elderly homes for vulnerable people - children, the elderly, people with disabilities, official sources declared on Monday.According

- Inainte de sedinta, am fost intr-un centru din Bucuresti care a preluat o parte din pers cu dizabilitati din azilele groazei, am fost informati ca au fost repartizati in centre sau spitale, este o situatie temporaraSaptamana viitoare vor fi transferate in centre de specialitate, sunt ferm convins ca

- Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu declared on Wednesday that he is outraged by the horrendous treatment the elderly hospitalized in the currently investigated residential care and social assistance centers were subjected to."I am outraged by the horrors experienced by the elderly in the residential care

- NATO Deputy Secretary General to hold conference on vision and innovation in Oradea. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana will hold an international conference called "Vision, Innovation, Transformation" on 22 June at the Tarii Crisurilor Museum (MTC) in Oradea, the institution's management

- LabMin Budai: We've had a constructive talk, starting today we have a technical discussion. The meeting with the trade unions was constructive and it was agreed to start technical discussions on the pay scales, based on the principles they have set out, Labour and Social Solidarity Minister Marius

- AUR's Simion: Romania joined a group of 9 countries in the EU asking waiver of the veto. Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Chairman George Simion stated on Monday that Romania joined a group of 9 countries at the European Union level that are calling for waiver of the veto when it comes to
According to the forecast of the National Meteorological Service, during the second heatwave of this summer, temperatures can reach 36-37 degrees Celsius early in the week.



A Mediterranean cyclone is affecting the weather in much of Europe, and the hot, warm air will also reach Hungary. The heat will continue in the first half of the week, and the nights and mornings will become progressively milder.



A weak cold front will moderate the heat midweek.

The National Public Health Center and the National Directorate General for Disaster Management of the Ministry of Interior drew attention to the fact that prolonged heat also strains a healthy body, but especially vulnerable are infants, the elderly, and those with cardiovascular diseases.



They recommend that during the heatwave - particularly between 11 am and 3 pm - everyone should try to stay in cool places, in the shade, and avoid physical exertion. The body requires a larger amount of water than usual in hot weather, so increased attention should be paid to fluid intake.



They emphasized that children and pets should never be left in a car, even with windows slightly open, as the air temperature inside a vehicle can rise to 70 degrees Celsius.



Source: met.hu
Of Budapests many landmarks, few make a statement as bold as Heroes Square, Hosok tere to Hungarians, bookending Andrassy ut before the greenery of City Park.

In our continuing series of in-depth profiles of the citys most prominent, revered and lesser-known sights, we pay a visit to the nations great pantheon.



What is Heroes Square in Budapest?

Flanked by two stately galleries, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Mucsarnok Palace of Art, Heroes Square features facing colonnades of Corinthian columns are lined with statues of medieval kings, political leaders and statesmen, centrepieced by a 36-metre-high column of the Archangel Gabriel holding the Crown of St Stephen and the Apostolic Cross.



Top tips for Heroes Square in Budapest

You can follow the history of Hungary by checking the figures that run from the far left to the far right along the twin colonnades at the back of Heroes Square. These begin with St Stephen, founder of the nation in 1000, continue to Bela IV who rebuilt Buda Castle after its devastation by the Mongol hordes, move over to the great Renaissance king Matthias Corvinus and culminate with revolutionary statesman Lajos Kossuth, who had not long been buried when the square was being landscaped.



Why was Heroes Square created?

Heroes Square was designed to showcase the great millennial celebrations of 1896, marking 1,000 years of Hungarians conquering this part of the Carpathian Basin. Many of the events took place in City Park just behind it, while the yellow metro, the first underground line on Continental Europe, was laid beneath Andrassy ut in order for people to reach the main site quickly.



Since then, many seminal events have been held here, most notably the 1989 reburial of 1956 hero Imre Nagy, an important milestone in the collapse of Communism in Hungary.



When was Heroes Square created?

While the square was created for the Hungarian millennial celebrations of 1896, nearly all of the statues were added later, some dating to as recently as 1955. This is because five of them were Habsburg monarchs, replaced after World War I, reinstated by authoritarian leader Miklos Horthy between the wars, and then removed once more after World War II.



The architect who created the square, Albert Schickedanz, also built the Mucsarnok in 1895 and the Museum of Fine Arts by 1906.



Where in Budapest is Heroes Square?

Heroes Square forms both a grandiose entrance to City Park behind it and a stately bookend to showcase boulevard, Andrassy ut. As you walk towards it from Oktogon, you see the tall column of the Archangel Gabriel beckoning ahead. Villas and embassies line each side of the road on your way there.



Heroes Square has its own stop on the yellow metro line M1, Hosok tere, allowing to ride all the way there from Vorosmarty ter near the Danube in a matter of minutes.



What else should I know about Heroes Square?

The Museum of Fine Arts was recently renovated, at the same time that its permanent collection was partly interchanged with the one at the National Gallery. You still find classic European art from 1250 to 1800, including works by Raphael, El Greco and Titian, but now you also find their Hungarian counterparts from 1600 to 1800, Baroque brought to the forefront.



The Mucsarnok Palace of Art shows modern and contemporary works in a regularly changing agenda of temporary exhibitions  it has no permanent collection.



Why visit Heroes Square in Budapest?

As well as to visit one or both of the heavyweight art galleries on each side of the square, Heroes Square is high up the list of any sightseeing tour of Budapest thanks to its grandiose, historic undertones.



You may also visit for a particular event  in September, the square is given over to hussars and their horses, entertaining crowds as part of the annual National Gallop.



Words by Peterjon Cresswell for Xpatloop.com

Peterjon has been researching the byways of Budapest for 30 years, extending his expertise across Europe to produce guidebooks for Time Out and his own website liberoguide.com
The battery factory in Batonyterenye, operated by South Korean company SungEel Hitech, received another penalty of nearly Ft 50 million, Telex reports.

The company received this as a waste management fine, imposed because it collected and utilised approximately 1,600 tons more than the permitted amount of various forms of waste last year, state news agency MTI reports.



According to the Nograd county government office, the company is a repeat offender, having been fined five times so far, most recently incurring a penalty of Ft 31 million in May.



SungEel has been fined a total of roughly Ft 100 million to date.



In theory, authorities could order the factory to close if the violations of rules continue.



This is the plant where, according to Atlatszo, even the inspectors from the government office got sick when they visited.



According to the website, the government officials smelled a strong solvent and experienced skin and mucous membrane irritation.



The plant, opened in 2021, primarily processes scrap batteries from the Samsung SDI factories in God and the SK Battery factories in Komarom.



SungEel also has a battery processing plant in Szigetszentmiklos, where, according to Atlatszo, the health of the workers and local residents was jeopardised by carcinogenic substances.
Hungary and Austria have settled the issue of a restricted border crossing between Rajka and Deutsch Jahrndorf (Nemetjarfalu) but have yet to find a solution in the case of two other border crossings, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in Vienna.

A dual approach should be applied in connection with borders, Szijjarto said after talks with Karoline Edtstadler, Austrias minister for European and constitutional affairs, according to a ministry statement.



The border should be closed to those who intend to cross it illegally, but the border crossing process should be accelerated and should be as unrestricted as possible in the case of those who, like commuters, want to cross in line with the rules, Szijjarto said. This was why, he said, Austrias decision to restrict traffic at three border crossings was disappointing.



He said the two countries had reached an agreement that will allow all residents of Hungarys Gyor-Moson-Sopron County to cross the border crossing between Rajka and Deutsch Jahrndorf. But the problem at the crossing at Agfalva has yet to be resolved, Szijjarto said, noting that the mayor on the Austrian side was only allowing pedestrians to cross.



The situation is similar at the Fertorakos border crossing which is also closed or significantly restricted for motorists, the minister said.



It is especially problematic that the latter crossing point had been set up using European Union resources specifically so that it could function as an alternative border crossing to the one at Sopron, Szijjarto said.



I have therefore asked Austrias minister for integration who also oversees European resources to take steps to convince the province of Burgenland or the local council not to take steps that go against common European agreements, Szijjarto said.



He said he had been promised that Austria would soon put forward a proposal in connection with the Fertorakos border crossing on how to avoid harming the interests of Hungarians.



Szijjarto said there was no need for new security challenges given the serious difficulties already faced by the EU. He said Hungary understood the importance of integrating the Western Balkans into the EU, arguing that otherwise it would remain a potential source of further security challenges.



He criticised the EUs enlargement policy as flawed, and lamented the lack of progress in the last several years. Szijjarto said this was because the more powerful European countries and even the smaller western European ones were extremely condescending towards the Western Balkan countries rather than speaking to them.



Threats of sanctions, lecturing, condescension: this is what characterises western European attitude towards the Western Balkans when they should be talking to them, Szijjarto said.



That is something we do on a regular basis. He noted that as part of the so-called Berlin Process, Western Balkan countries had agreed on the mutual recognition of higher-education degrees and travel using IDs, but this was vetoed by Bosnias Serbs.



The minister said he had spoken in person with the president of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and had asked him to reconsider. As a result, the Bosnian Serbs will likely approve two of the three Berlin Process agreements at the next meeting of the countrys presidency, Szijjarto said.



He said the lesson was that Europe should talk to the Western Balkan countries instead of talking about them, and then there would be greater hope for their swift EU integration.
Recently, the Graze Master Group presented the Nebraska Marine Daegan William-Tyeler Page Defending the Soil Memorial Award to the Gary and Shari Peters family at our second annual conference held June 28-29 in Seward, Neb. The purpose of this event and our work all throughout the year is to help the agriculture industry and rural communities seek solutions that work in tandem with nature, while enhancing farm and ranch profitability, hence the groups mission  Balancing Nature and Profitability.

The award was designed to honor the memory of Corporal Page who served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. On August 26, 2021, Page, age 23, was among the 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. At least 169 Afghans were also killed in the bombing, as they struggled to get on flights out of the country.

The Graze Master Group designed this award to keep alive the memory of sacrifices made by Page, his comrades, and also military service and community members who have made sacrifices to improve the future for our rural and urban citizens. Because the land has been fought for and defended in a multitude of ways, the very least we can do as community leaders, farmers, and ranchers is protect and renew the soil and all natural resources under our management and care.

Gary and Shari faced a parents ultimate nightmare when they lost their son to lymphoma. A journal Gary wrote about their son, Stronger  The Jacob Peters Story, continues his legacy. Nebraska has the highest pediatric cancer rate west of Pennsylvania, Gary said, quoting data from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). We want to help people who are trying to really move the needle in some way and find solutions.

Moving the needle has meant Gary and Shari are dedicating their lives to helping increase pediatric cancer research and exposing information about environmental issues (both human-induced and naturally occurring) causing cancer in all age groups. The Peters family, along with Dr. Don Coulter of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), were one of the more than 14 presenters seeking to find solutions to help make rural communities and farms and ranches healthier for future generations at the Graze Master event.

The Graze Master Group applauds Gary for stepping out and compelling others to step up and do the same. Its about asking ourselves the question, Have I thought about what I am doing and thought about the consequences? Gary said about the opportunity to ask these types of questions at the event. If you havent thought about it, youre just hitting the easy button, and perhaps missing there could be a better way.

The Peters family never stops thinking about the loss of Jacob. Their service to community and country doesnt cease either. Gary and Shari are ever focused and driven to make a difference and spread awareness when it comes to the high rates of pediatric cancer in Nebraska. Gary served as vice president of the Pediatric Cancer Action Network (PCAN) from 2014-2021 and since 2022 is serving as president of PCAN. He is also a founding board member of the Nebraska Coalition to End Childhood Cancer (NebC3) and he serves as a board member of the Grace Cancer Foundation  a Grand Island area cancer endowment organization. Gary and Shari had Jacob and two other sons  Jerod and Dalton, who are both accomplished in their own right and in service to their community and country.

During his talk at the Graze Master event, Gary shared this simple message on one of his slides, a message that his son Jacob fully embodied during his life on earth, Be where you are supposed to be. Be there early. Get better. A statement Jacob also made during his cancer fight was, You dont have to get sick to get better.

There is ample research now to prove that we can do better through our agricultural practices to help alleviate and eliminate issues that impact our natural resources and all living creatures. We have a lot to celebrate in agriculture and we also have a lot of problems to solve. Gary and Shari didnt give up and their son lives on through their efforts. May we all remember, You dont have to get sick to get better.
New Delhi: The story of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), one of India's beloved coffee chains, is not merely about a successful business; it is a tale of resilience, determination, and redemption. When VG Siddhartha, the visionary founder of CCD, tragically took his own life, the company was left in shambles with a debt of Rs 7,000 crore. It was in this dark hour that his wife, Malavika Hegde, emerged as the beacon of hope, leading CCD through the storm and breathing new life into the business.

CCD Left In Shambles After VG Siddhartha's Death

Malavika Hegde, daughter of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, had been a witness to VG Siddhartha's entrepreneurial journey since their marriage in 1991. Devastated by her husband's untimely demise, she made a resolute commitment to preserve his legacy and fulfill his dream of making CCD a thriving business.



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Malavika Embarks On An Uphill Task

Undeterred by the immense debt burden, Malavika embarked on a mission to revive CCD and reduce its liabilities to a reasonable level. With astute business acumen, she implemented a series of measures that showcased her resilience and determination.

Streamline Operations And Cut Costs

Firstly, Malavika made the bold decision not to increase the prices of CCD's signature coffees, choosing instead to streamline operations and cut costs. She removed hundreds of coffee vending machines that were not yielding profitable returns and shuttered non-performing outlets. These actions helped optimize the company's resources and improve its financial position.

Infuse New Capital Into CCD

Secondly, Malavika focused on securing new investors to inject capital into CCD. Through strategic alliances and share purchase agreements, she successfully attracted reputed companies and convinced them of the value in preserving the CCD brand. Notably, the stake sale in Mindtree and collaboration with US private equity giant Blackstone played a significant role in reducing the company's debt.

Efforts Bring Fruits

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Malavika Hegde's leadership and dedication enabled CCD to not only survive but also thrive during difficult times. She implemented stringent safety protocols across CCD outlets, instilling confidence in customers and bringing them back to their beloved cafes. With her unwavering commitment, CCD continued to expand its presence across the country, competing with other coffee chains like Starbucks.

Malavika Hegde's remarkable journey as the CEO of CCD showcases the power of determination, resilience, and a commitment to a vision. Through her tireless efforts, she not only saved CCD from the brink of financial collapse but also steered it towards growth and prosperity. Her success in reducing the company's debt and securing its future serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in her late husband's dream. Today, Cafe Coffee Day stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of a woman who refused to let tragedy define her, emerging as a true inspiration in the world of entrepreneurship.
HANOI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Industrial property was a bright spot in Vietnam's real estate market in the first half of this year, driven mainly by the strong expansion of foreign-invested manufacturers, local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Monday.

Net absorption of industrial land in tier-1 markets reached 386 hectares and 397 hectares in the north and south, respectively, the newspaper reported, citing a recent report from commercial real estate services provider CBRE Vietnam.

The figure was up by 60 percent for the north and 20 percent for the south compared to the same period of last year, it said.

Industrial land rental rates sustained strong growth in both regions due to limited land ready for handover. Average rental rates for tier-1 markets reached 127 U.S. dollars per sqm and 187 U.S. dollars per sqm, respectively.

Ready-built warehouses (RBW) and ready-built factories (RBF) both witnessed strong growth in supply. In the first six months of 2023, the total area of RBF and RBW completed in the tier-1 market in both regions reached 900,000 sqm, 60 percent of which was from the north, according to the report.

The northern region continued to see strong demand from the electronics sector. During the first half of this year, the market recorded an expansion of big manufacturers such as Foxconn and Goertek in industrial parks in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.

The strong expansion of Chinese manufacturers in various sectors contributed to the good absorption of industrial land and RBF segment in the north, the report said.

Meanwhile, demand for the southern market is diverse. Tenants from the automotive, garment and packaging industries were among the most active players looking for industrial land, RBF and RBW in the south. 
New Delhi: Despite two days of incessant rains, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday assured that a flood-like situation is unlikely in the national capital and the government is fully prepared to provide relief to people. The CM said that the plan to evacuate people will be implemented if the water level in Yamuna crosses the 206 metres mark. Kejriwal further said that his government's priority is to rescue people and it is working on a war footing to deal with the situation.

Addressing a press briefing, the AAP national convenor said if the need arises, the Delhi government will shift the people from low-lying areas to safe spots. His press conference came hours after Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishi warned that the water level of the Yamuna River is set to cross the danger mark by tomorrow morning.

The water level in Yamuna has already crossed the danger mark. It reached 204.63 metres at 1 pm today. The danger mark is - 204.50. The Delhi Chief Minister said the capital city is prepared even if a flood-like situation does arise. "As per CWC, Yamuna River is flowing at 203.58 meters in Delhi. It is expected to reach 205.5 meters tomorrow morning. Also, according to weather predictions, the water level in Yamuna is not expected to rise too high; a flood-like situation is unlikely. If Yamuna crosses the 206-meter mark, then we will start evacuation along the banks of the river,'' CM Kejriwal said.



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#WATCH | CM Arvind Kejriwal says flood-like situation unlikely in Delhi, government prepared. pic.twitter.com/T5bFdjLQD8  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2023

Kejriwal also informed that he is in touch with Central Water Commission in view of rising Yamuna water levels, and their predictions indicate a flood-like situation won't arise. he also suggested that "This is not the time to point fingers at each other. The governments of all affected states need to work together to provide relief to the public."

The Chief Minister also claimed that this is the first time when waterlogging has been reported in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas. "Some roads also caved in there. We have asked officials to ascertain the cause," he said. Potholes on roads will be filled with stones to avert untoward incidents, the Chief Minister further said, adding that he has asked NDMC to resolve waterlogging issues.

"The unprecedented rain caused problems for people and Delhi's system was not able to withstand it. Every year after rainfall, some vulnerable areas are waterlogged and the water is drained out in a couple of hours. But the 153 mm of rainfall was unprecedented and an event which happened in nearly 40 years," he said.

Kejriwal had earlier called a meeting to discuss the waterlogging situation in the city caused by torrential rains and the rising levels of the Yamuna. The meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat was attended by the Minister of Health in Delhi Saurabh Bharadwaj, Education Minister Atishi and other officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi among others.

As per officials, the water level of the river Yamuna was reported to be inching closer to the warning level. They stated that the River Yamuna water level at 8:00 am was recorded at 203.33 metres today at the Old Railway Bridge (Loha Pul), close to the warning level of 204.50 metres of the river. "At 8 am, the water level of the river was recorded at 203.33 metres at Old Railway Bridge. The warning level of the river is 204.50 metres," they said.

Schools In Delhi-NCR Shut

Delhi Education Minister Atishi issued an order to ensure the safety of schools amid incessant rains, on Sunday. "As we are aware that during the last few days, the city has faced continuous heavy rainfalls and it might have affected the conditions of government school buildings," stated the order.

All regional directors, zonal directors, deputy directors, principals and vice principals of the education department were directed to conduct physical inspections of schools. The Education minister also asked the authorities to ensure that as the schools open on Monday, there is no shortage of resources or infrastructure that may affect the children.

"It is directed that all Regional Directors, Deputy Director of Education - Zones and District, Principals and Vice-Principals must conduct a physical inspection of all the Government Schools under their jurisdiction today itself and ensure that on the opening of schools tomorrow there are no such deficiencies are found which may cause problems for the security of the school children," the order read further. The minister has also ordered the Education secretary and the director to ensure the safety of government school buildings and file a compliance report by Monday night.

"In case, any deficiencies or serious problem is found then the same should be cordoned off to avoid any mishappening. Secretary/Director, Education must ensure compliance of the same and a compliance report be submitted to me by tonight i.e. 09.07.2023 positively," the order stated further.
SURAT: In one of the biggest seizures in recent times, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 48.2 kg of gold paste estimated to worth Rs 25 crore at Gujarat's Surat international airport from three passengers travelling from Sharjah and an official, a DRI release said. The DRI said it has busted a smuggling syndicate by arresting the four persons.

"Based on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted three passengers arriving from Sharjah by Air India Express Flight No. IX172 at Surat International Airport on July 7 suspected to be carrying gold in paste form to be smuggled into India," the DRI said in a release on Sunday. The DRI found 43.5 kg of gold in paste form concealed in 20 white colour packets hidden in five black belts in their baggage.

The gold was concealed for smuggling into India with the help of officials posted at the Surat international airport, it said. The exchange of gold was planned to be done in a toilet located before the immigration checkpoint to evade screening and examination by authorities, the DRI said.



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"Subsequent actions resulted in the further recovery of 4.67 kg of gold in paste form, found abandoned in the men's washroom adjacent to the immigration checkpoint, which was handed over by the CISF to DRI," it said.

A total of 48.20 kg gold paste recovered from the passengers was subjected to extraction, and more than 42 kg of gold (purity 99 per cent) worth Rs 25.26 crore approximately was recovered, the DRI said.

The statements of the three passengers were recorded under the Customs Act, 1962 and the trio and an official have been arrested, it said without giving more details of the four persons. It seems an organised smuggling racket has been operating at the Surat international airport, the DRI said.
New Delhi: Punjab government on Monday declared holidays for schools in the state amid the heavy rainfall alert. The state witnessing incessant rain has announced the closure of all the schools in the state till July 13. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state is very likely to witness in Punjab and Chandigarh from July 10 to July 13, 2023.

Earlier, the Punjab University announced holidays in all affiliated colleges, and the Ludhiana district administration also announced the closure of all schools and other educational institutions on Monday.

Amid the heavy rainfall alert, the Chandigarh administration has advised public/private offices to consider closing down temporarily. Several places in Punjab on Monday witnessed extremely heavy rainfall recording the downpour in cms. Ropar in Rupnagar district recorded 35 cm of rainfall, Rajpura in Patiala recorded 26 cm and Ballowal Saunkri received 20 cm of rainfall on Monday.



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Amid the extremely heavy rain alerts, the government has deployed 15 NDRF teams in Punjab, 12 in Uttarakhand and 11 in Himachal Pradesh. Due to the intense rain spell, the Derabassi assembly constituency of Mohali district witnessed waterlogging and a flood-like situation was seen in Derabassi as the areas along the Ghaggar River were flooded.

In Derabassi's Gulmohar City Extension, 12 to 15 feet of water were inundated, after which people living in the buildings were trapped after which the NDRF team reached for the rescue.
NEW DELHI: Major cities in north India witnessed loss of life and property, disruption in transport and power as heavy rainfall lashed parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, on Sunday, leading to waterlogging, flash floods, and landslides. Twenty major landslides and 17 flash floods in Himachal Pradesh have been reported in the past 48 hours over 30 houses have been completely and partially damaged. All major rivers including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Swan and Chenab are in spate, officials said. Devastating visuals showing shops, and vehicles being swept away in Himachal Pradesh due to overflown river, triggered by incessant rains, surfaced on social media.

Vehicles were washed away in flash floods at Nullah in Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba. Several bridges, including the Aut bridge, Pandoh bridge and historical Panchvaktra bridge were swept away by the overflowing Beas river in the Mandi district. Taking note of the incident, former state Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said that the washed-away bridges were the "identity of Himachal". Earlier in the day, three persons of a family were killed while two others were injured after their house collapsed due to heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla on Sunday, the police said.

Officials said that the incident took place in Kotgarh village of Shimla on Sunday morning. The victims were taken out of the debris after a rescue operation and rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared them brought dead. "The deceased have been identified as Anil, Kiran, and Swapnil, and their bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. We are further looking into the incident," Shimla Superintendent of Police, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said. As per data available with the state Disaster Management, over 776 roads including 3 national highways in the hill state are closed.



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"A total of six people died during the past 24 hours, 3 are missing, while 281 people are stranded in different locations but safe," the data read. According to the state government, so far in 16 days, 54 people have died, 92 injured, 46 houses damaged, and 108 houses partially damaged in the state. Notably, light to moderate rainfall occurred at most places over the state and extremely heavy rainfall in the district of Una, Bilaspur during the last 24 hours.

All schools and colleges would also remain closed in view of heavy rainfall in the state on Monday and Tuesday. Moreover, due to continuous heavy rainfall and inclement weather conditions train services on the Shimla-Kalka route were also suspended on Sunday. Station Superintendent, of Shimla Railway Station, Joginder Singh told ANI that landslides caused by heavy downpours have damaged railway tracks at multiple locations between Shimla and Kalka, leading to the suspension of train operations.

"Yesterday, two trains, including a passenger train, were cancelled for today. In the morning we learned that the weather forecast is very bad, like the past few days, and yesterday too it rained overnight, causing landslides at many places between Kalka-Shimla routes, and uprooting trees. So we decided to suspend all train services on the Shimla-Kalka route," the official said.

According to Meteorological Centre, Shimla, moderate to heavy rainfall with thunder at most places and very heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely to continue in the districts of Shimla, Solan, Kinnaur, Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also very likely in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and adjoining districts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh on Sunday.

Besides, in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, unprecedented damage was caused to National Highway 44, especially to the stretch falling in Ramban district, forcing its closure for traffic. A shed, set up as langar (community kitchen) for Amarnath pilgrims, was also washed away by the overflowing Chenab River in Ramban yesterday.

Meanwhile, heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir led to a rise in the water level of River Jhelum, triggering panic among locals living on the banks and other adjoining areas. Srinagar Meteorological Centre had on Saturday predicted flash floods, landslides and mudslides for the next two days. The Weather Department has also advised the local people to avoid vulnerable structures and areas prone to waterlogging.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said moderate rains are likely to occur in various parts of Haryana in the next two to three hrs. "Moderate rain is very likely over parts of Gharaunda, Karnal, Indri, Radaur, Panipat, Nilokheri, Thanesar, Pehowa, Shahabad, Ambala, Kalka, Barara, Jagadhri, Chhachhrauli, Narayangarh, Panchkula," the IMD said in a bulletin. "Also, rains are very likely to occur in over parts of Bhiwani, Tosham, Sampla, Rohtak, Bawani Khera, Hansi, Hisar, Adampur, Narnaund, Fatehabad, Kharkhoda, Sonipat, Ganaur, Samalkha, Bapouli, Gharaunda, Karnal, Meham, Gohana, Julana, Israna, Safidon, Jind, Panipat, Asandh, Kaithal, Nilokheri, Narwana, Tohana, Kalayat, Ratia, Thanesar, Guhla, Pehowa, Ambala," it added.

In the national capital, Shahdara district police on Sunday visited the Yamuna floodplains and alerted the residents about the rising water level. The police also urged local residents to shift to a safer place amid the rising levels of the Yamuna. "We are here to inform you all that the level of Yamuna has risen due to heavy rainfall. You all requested to vacate the area and move to a safer place," a police officer told residents living by the Yamuna banks. Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Sunday issued a flood warning amid heavy rains in North India, as the Haryana government released more than one lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna River from the HathniKund Barrage in Yamunanagar. Record rainfall over the last couple of days has taken a heavy toll of the national capital, with as many as 15 house collapse incidents leaving 2 dead and 7 injured, an official informed on Sunday. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the director of Delhi Fire Service, Atul Garg, confirmed receiving as many as 15 calls pertain to house collapse incidents over the last couple of days. He informed further that in several of these incidents, the firefighters ran into trouble reaching the spot on account of heavy and extensive waterlogging.

Persistent and heavy rainfall on Sunday morning led to extensive waterlogging in Rajasthan's Sikar, disrupting normal life. Unrelenting showers since Saturday morning left vast swathes of Morabadad city under water, with several residents complaining of commuting woes. Amid heavy rainfall on Saturday evening, a student died after he fell into an open sewerage tank near Nawalgarh Road in the Sikar district, an official from the Civil Defence Team (CD) said. After receiving word of the incident, a Civil Defence Rescue team reached the spot and recovered the student's body, he said.

Derabassi assembly constituency of Mohali district witnessed waterlogging due to incessant rains for the last two days. A flood-like situation was seen in Derabassi as the areas along the Ghaggar River were flooded. In Derabassi's Gulmohar City Extension, 12 to 15 feet of water were inundated, after which people living in the buildings were trapped after which the NDRF team reached for the rescue. DC Mohali, MLA Kuljit Randhawa, and the NDRF team also reached the spot.

Earlier yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and took updates about Amarnath Yatra which was suspended due to heavy rains. Shah spoke to Sinha in a telephonic conversation earlier in the day as the annual Amarnath Yatra remained suspended temporarily on both routes -- Baltal (Ganderbal district) and Nunwan (Pahalgam district) -- due to inclement weather conditions that triggered multiple landslides along the 270km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district two days ago.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a plea of the Delhi government challenging the constitutional validity of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 issued by the Centre relating to control over bureaucrats. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices PS Narasimha sought a response from the Centre and posted the matter for hearing on July 17 to consider the prayer for a stay on the Ordinance. *It also asked Delhi government to make Lieutenant Governor party in the case.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, referred to provisions such as Section 45K of the Ordinance saying that they are giving overriding powers to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and that the Ordinance was contrary to the pillars of the Supreme Court judgment.

Singhvi said Ordinance has reduced the role of the elected government and the Chief Minister and also referred to a recent decision taken by the LG to remove several consultants appointed by the government. Delhi Services Ordinance gives overriding powers to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to oversee the transfers and postings of civil servants in the national capital.



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Approaching the apex court, the Aam Aadmi Party government said that the Centre's Ordinance is "unconstitutional". "The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 promulgated on May 19, 2023, which wrests control over civil servants serving in the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), from the GNCTD to the unelected Lieutenant Governor (LG). It does so without seeking to amend the Constitution of India, in particular Article 239AA of the Constitution, from which flows the substantive requirement that power and control in respect of Services be vested in the elected government," the petition said.

The impugned Ordinance destroys the scheme of federal, Westminster-style democratic governance that is constitutionally guaranteed for NCTD in Article 239AA, added the plea. In the petition, Delhi government has urged the top court to pass appropriate direction to quash the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance 2023.

The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS officers in Delhi, with the Delhi government calling the move a circumvention of the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.

The Ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case.

*According to the petition, the impugned Ordinance is an unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat* that it violates the scheme of federal, democratic governance entrenched for the NCTD in Article 239AA, manifestly arbitrary, legislatively overrules/reviews a Constitution bench judgement of the top Court dated May 11, 2023.

The ordinance, which came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers.

On May 11, the Supreme Court ruled that the division of administrative powers between the Union and Delhi government "must be respected" and held that the Delhi government has "legislative and executive power over services" in the national capital, including the bureaucrats, except those relating to public order, police and land.

A five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Justice Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha had said, "The division of administrative powers between the Union and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) as explained... must be respected."

The apex court in its 105-page-judgement said that the government of Delhi is not similar to other Union Territories.
New Delhi: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme 14th Installment latest update:-- Farmers awaiting payment under PM Kisan might not receive it at all because of a minor mistake on their end.

Farmers who want to benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana can link their bank account with their Aadhaar card and submit their completed e-KYC on PM Kisan's official website, http://pmkisan.gov.in, according to a tweet from the program's official advertising and marketing agency.

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Meanwhile, reports are speculating that the Central government may very soon roll out the 14th instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan Yojana), and in all probabilities it could be credited this month itself.

If you are looking to complete the PM-KISAN e-KYC process, you can check out the step by step process below.

- Visit the official PM Kisan website https://pmkisan.gov.in/

- In the right hand side, below the home page, you will see Farmers Corner

- There is a box just below Farmers Corner that mentions e-kyc

- Click the e-kyc

- A page will open that facilitates Aadhar Ekyc

- Now, you will have to enter your Aadhar number and then the Captcha code shown and click on the search button

- After that, you will have to enter your mobile number linked to your Aadhar card and click on Get OTP button

- The OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number

- Punch in the OTP and click on the Submit For Authentication button

- As soon as you click Submit For Auth button, your PM KISAN e-KYC will be successful

Here Is How To Link Aadhaar With Bank Account In 3 Easy Steps Using Mobile App

- Sign in to your bank's mobile app

- Navigate to the "Services" page of the "My Account" section and select "View/Update Aadhaar card details."

- Enter your Aadhaar number twice and then press the submit button.

- You will receive notification that your bank account has been successfully linked to your Aadhaar card.

PM-KISAN 14th Installment: How To Check Name on Beneficiary List

Eligible farmers can easily check their names on the official PM Kisan website. On the homepage of the website, you need to visit the Farmers Corner, followed by clicking on the Beneficiary Status option.

On the next page, you need to enter your details to find out if youre eligible for receiving the benefits under PM Kisan Yoana or not.

PM KISAN Scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. While lakhs of eager farmers are waiting for the disbursal of Rs 2,000 in their account, there are several farmers who are not eligible for the PM KISAN Scheme.

Those excluded from the PM-KISAN include institutional land holders, farmer families holding constitutional posts, serving or retired officers and employees of State or Central government as well as Public Sector Undetakings and Government Autonomous bodies. Professionals like doctors, engineers and lawyers as well as retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over Rs 10,000 and those who paid income tax in the last assessment year are also not eligible for the benefits.
Jaipur: Intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill in several parts of eastern and central Rajasthan, flooding out roads, rail tracks, low-lying residential areas and hospitals and claiming seven lives since Sunday night. More showers are expected to lash around a dozen districts on Tuesday. A seven-year-old boy was swept away on Monday in the gushing waters of an overflowing drain in the Murlipura area in the state capital Jaipur, where several areas reeled from waterlogging.

Three deaths due to drowning were reported from Ajmer, two from Nagaur and one from Tonk. Secretary of disaster management and relief department P C Kishan said that very heavy rainfall occurred in areas of Sirohi, Ajmer, Pali and Karauli districts but there was no flood-like situation.

Heavy rainfall was recorded in 10 districts, including Jaipur, Jalore, Bharatpur, Udaipur and Ajmer. He said that rescue teams have been put on alert. Mount Abu in Sirohi recorded the highest 231 mm rain during the last 24 hours ending Monday morning. Several places in Sirohi, Ajmer, Pali, Karauli, Jaipur, Jalore, Tonk and Sikar faced water-logging.



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Rainwater also entered wards of the state's largest government sector hospital in Jaipur- Sawai Man Singh Hospital- and Ajmer's JLN hospital. Railway tracks were inundated at Ajmer railway station. North Western Railway cancelled 18 trains and partially cancelled seven trains due to water logging. The affected trains connect destinations like Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Ajmer and Barmer with Rishikesh, Jammu Tawi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Bathinda and Bhiwani.

The Met department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Bharatpur, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, and Udaipur on Monday and in Baran, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kota, Pratapgarh and Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday. The state has 33 districts.

The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings - green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action). According to the Met department, there was heavy rainfall in Abu Road in Sirohi (160 mm), Ajmer (137 mm), Baniwas in Pali (128 mm) and Masalpur in Karauli (120 mm). Sambhar in Jaipur, Bagoda in Jalore (both 99 mm) and Tonk (98) till 8.30 am on Monday.

Till evening, Sirohi recorded the highest of 62.5 mm rain followed by Dabok (Udaipur) where 61.9 mm of rainfall occurred. In Jaipur, many areas faced traffic congestion due to waterlogging and the city received 51.8 mm rain till Monday evening.

Rishi, 7, was swept away in a drain in Jaipur's Murlipura area on Monday when he tried to retrieve his slipper. The body was recovered and shifted to Kanwatia Hospital for post-mortem. Jaipur Collector Prakash Rajpurohit inspected areas facing waterlogging including Sikar Road, Dehar's Balaji, Niwaru Road, Jhotwara, Panchyawala, Sirsi Road, Girdharipura, Ajmer Road, Jawahar Nagar and walled city.

The Collector directed the officers of Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation, Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation and Jaipur Development Authority to ensure immediate redressal of the problem of drainage in waterlogged areas as well as to provide relief to the public. In Ajmer, an officer of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) drowned in a flooded drain in the Alwar Gate police station area last night.

SHO Shyam Singh said that the body of Dilip Singh was recovered on Monday. A 40-year-old woman Gulabi Devi and her daughter Meena (15) accidentally fell into a pond in the Vijay Nagar area in Ajmer district on Monday. The bodies were handed over to family members after postmortem.

The police said that two men identified as Manish and Ravi (aged around 30 years) drowned in a farm pond in the Gacchipura area of Nagaur district on Sunday evening. The postmortem was conducted on Monday and the bodies were handed over.

In Tonk district, a 17-year-old boy Ayan Khan drowned in a pond while taking a bath on Monday evening. A team of SDRF recovered the body and shifted it to the mortuary of a local hospital.

Water entered houses in low-lying areas in Tonk. Superintendent of SMS Hospital Achal Sharma said that rainwater entered some of the wards of the hospital. He said that patients were shifted to other wards and the water was cleared. In Ajmer also, rainwater entered JLN hospital, causing a lot of problems for the patients and hospital staff.
The incidents of 'uncommon behavior' by passengers in recent months on mid-air flights and breaches of cockpit protocol by airline officials, including pilots, have brought significant concerns to the forefront. These unsettling occurrences underscore the need for enhanced safety measures and stricter adherence to regulations within the aviation industry. One such incident took place in June, when a male passenger aboard an Air India flight from Mumbai to Delhi shocked fellow passengers and crew members by reportedly defecating and urinating inside the aircraft.

According to the FIR accessed by IANS, Ram Singh, a passenger seated on seat no. 17F, on Air India's Flight AIC 866 from Mumbai to Delhi on June 24 defecated, urinated and spat in the aircraft on row-9. Singh is a resident of Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. "This misconduct was observed by the cabin crew of the flight and subsequently a verbal warning was issued and the passenger was secluded from the surrounding passengers," the FIR read.

"This situation was promptly communicated to me, Capt. Varun Sansare, the Pilot-In-Command. An immediate message was relayed to the company, requesting security assistance to escort the passenger upon arrival. The incident caused agitation among a number of other passengers on board the aircraft," read the complaint filed by the flight Captain.



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"Rajender Kumar Meena, the Head of Air India Security, attended to the situation and personally escorted the passenger. Subsequently, a report detailing the incident was submitted to the local police station near IGI Airport T-3 in New Delhi," the FIR further read.

A senior police official said that based on the complaint filed by the flight captain, the Delhi Police has registered a case under sections 294 and 510 at the IGI police station. "The accused passenger has been arrested and subsequently presented before a court, where bail was granted. The investigation is currently ongoing to gather further information and evidence in the matter," the official added.

On November 26 last year, despite holding a high-ranking position in a US-based company and enjoying the privileges of travelling in business class, a 34-year-old individual named Shankar Mishra reportedly engaged in a shocking act while under the influence of alcohol on an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi. Mishra allegedly openly urinated on a septuagenarian woman who was also a passenger on the same flight, disregarding the dignity and respect expected in such a setting.

Air India, acting on the incident, imposed four months flying ban on Mishra on January 20. "The independent three-member Internal Committee under the Chairmanship of the former District Judge has concluded that Shankar Mishra is covered under the definition of 'unruly passenger' and is banned from flying for a period of 4 months as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)," an Air India spokesperson had said in a statement.

Following the incident, Air India has reviewed its alcohol service policy, saying that the cabin crew should be attentive to identifying guests who might be consuming their own alcohol. It also said the cabin crew should behave with the passengers in a polite manner, and not call the guests 'drunk' or persuade them 'one last drink' if they have had enough, as per the new policy.

As a result of the incident, Air India has conducted a thorough review of its alcohol service policy. According to the new policy, the cabin crew has been instructed to be vigilant in identifying passengers who may be consuming their own alcohol. Additionally, the airline emphasises that cabin crew members should maintain a polite demeanor when interacting with passengers, refraining from labeling them as 'drunk' and avoiding any attempts to persuade them into consuming further drinks if they have already reached their limit.

On January 20, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), an aviation regulator, took disciplinary action against Air India following an incident of passenger misbehavior and imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the license of the pilot-in-command of the flight. Furthermore, a penalty of Rs 3 lakh was levied on the director of in-flight services of Air India for her alleged failure to fulfill her duties. The DGCA became aware of the incident on January 4, 2023, and subsequently took appropriate measures to address the matter.

On May 8, Supreme Court agreed to examine a plea by Shankar Mishra in the Air India urination case seeking direction to the DGCA and airline companies to frame regulations to address incidents of passenger misconduct on board aircraft. The plea stressed on explicit zero tolerance policy with respect to unruly/disruptive behavior, which could mandate reporting it to the law enforcement, failing which action would be taken against airlines in all cases.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, issued notice to the Centre, the DGCA and all airlines, including Air India. The bench sought assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the case, formulating standard operating procedure (SOP) and scheduled the matter for hearing in July.

However, when we talk about the cabin crew and pilot, there have been some instances where passengers were put at risks. In May, the DGCA had suspended the licence of an Air India pilot for three months. The suspension comes after the pilot allowed a woman friend to enter the cockpit mid-air during a Dubai to Delhi flight.

The aviation regulator had also imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for failing to address the safety-sensitive issue in a prompt and effective manner. Additionally, the co-pilot has been cautioned for not being assertive enough to prevent the unauthorised entry.

The Air India pilot was under investigation for violating safety norms by allowing a friend into the cockpit during a flight from Dubai to Delhi on February 27. The pilot operating from Dubai to Delhi allegedly entertained a female friend in the cockpit, which violates DGCA safety norms.
New Delhi: A Mumbai-based private aerospace company has supplied critical components to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission. Liquid propulsion engines such as Vikas, CE20, and satellite thrusters for the lunar mission have been manufactured by Godrej Aerospace in its facility at Vikhroli in suburban Mumbai, a senior company official said on Monday.

Maneck Behramkamdin, Assistant Vice-President and Business Head, Godrej Aerospace, said his company has been affiliated with the ISRO, an entity under the Department of Space, for over three decades.

"The collaboration began with the production of critical components to meet ISRO's needs, and then expanded to liquid propulsion engines," Behramkamdin said. Godrej Aerospace also had key contributions to Chandrayaan-1 and 2 and Mangalyaan space missions, besides participating in ISRO's other endeavours. Chandrayaan-3, set for lift-off at 2:35 pm on Friday (July 14), will be a follow-up mission after the crash-landing of Chandrayaan-2 in September 2019 due to a software glitch.



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This will be India's third lunar mission and it is among few countries to have undertaken such an ambitious project. Behramkamdin said the company is investing Rs 250 crore to build a new facility at Khalapur in coastal Maharashtra's Raigad district.

This greenfield facility will have advanced manufacturing and assembly capabilities, enabling the company to enhance its technological prowess and meet the growing demands of the space sector, he added.


HANOI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Selling fresh fruit and agricultural products through live streaming will likely boom in Vietnam, urging the country to improve its e-commerce logistics infrastructure, local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Monday, citing experts' forecast.

Many farmers, cooperatives, businesses and start-ups have changed their sales methods in the Southeast Asian country, integrating live streaming to promote and sell their products on social networks and e-commerce platforms, the newspaper reported.

To attract customers to buy goods via live streaming events, most businesses and stores reduced prices and allowed customers to return goods and get a refund if they found the goods to be of low quality, according to the newspaper.

Do Quang Huy, an e-commerce expert, said promoting online sales is a trend that should attract strong investment, however, fresh agricultural products require fast delivery.

Returned goods might be abandoned because of damage, the expert said, stressing the importance of developing the necessary e-commerce logistics infrastructure.

Luong Quang Thi, chairman of a cold chain service provider, said e-commerce logistics in Vietnam is still limited, especially for low-value goods that need express delivery.

He said that it was necessary to build storage warehouses right at the source. 
AP EAMCET 2023: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education APSCHE, will soon release the AP EAMCET Counselling 2023 dates for applicants who have qualified for the AP EAMCET Exam 2023. As the results were announced on June 14, 2023, applicants can expect counselling to begin this month; nevertheless, students are recommended to wait for official confirmation from the council. The announcement will be made on eapcet-sche.aptonline.in.

Counseling for EAPCET students is handled by the APSCHE. A notification will be issued with all important dates such as the date of online registration, choice filling, slot booking, certificate verification, provisional allotment date, reporting date, and other instructions.

AP EAMCET 2023: List of documents required

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1. AP EAMCET rank card 2023

2. AP EAMCET 2023 hall ticket

3. Class 12-mark sheet and passing certificate.

4. Transfer certificate.

5. Date of birth proof or class 10 passing certificate.

6. EWS certificate (if any) 7. Residence certificate

8. Andhra Pradesh state residence certificate.

9. Integrated community certificate (If any)

10. Income certificate of parents

11. Local status certificate.

12. Category certificate (If any)

Meanwhile, ahead of the counselling times, students can review the documents needed for registration and certificate verification.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the CBI and Enforcement Directorate probe against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, saying it cannot stultify the investigation in the case. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha allowed Banerjee to avail available remedies under the law but refused to interfere with the May 18 order of the Calcutta High Court.

"We are not going to interfere with the impugned order as this would stultify the investigation. Petitioner can avail the available remedies under the law, the bench said. On May 26, the top court had stayed the imposition of Rs 25 lakh cost on Banerjee by the high court which had dismissed his plea for recall of its previous order that CBI and ED could interrogate him in the West Bengal school jobs scam cases.

The top court, had however not stayed the part of the high court order which had said the central probe agencies could quiz the Trinamool Congress general secretary in connection with these cases. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Calcutta High Court had dismissed a petition filed by Banerjee, a Lok Sabha MP, seeking recall of its previous order which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the case related to the scam.



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On April 28, the apex court had asked the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge, days after voicing displeasure over Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's interview to a TV news channel where he spoke about the raging controversy. Banerjee, who was on May 20 questioned for over nine hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has sought the apex court's direction that no coercive steps be taken against him by the probe agency.

The TMC leader's name cropped up in a complaint filed by Kuntal Ghosh, a local businessman and an accused in the school jobs scam cases, where he alleged that central investigating agencies were pressuring him to name Banerjee in the case. The agency's summons to Banerjee had come within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court dismissing a petition filed by him seeking recall of a previous court order which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the teacher recruitment scam case.

Banerjee had alleged that while TMC leaders who were unwilling to bend were being harassed, BJP leaders who had been involved in various cases were allowed to go scot-free. The two-time MP from Diamond Harbour was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) twice in the coal pilferage case in the agency's office in the national capital in 2021 and also in Kolkata in 2022.

While the CBI is probing the criminal aspect of the school jobs scam cases, the ED is looking into the money trail involved in the alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment in West Bengal.
New Delhi: Defending the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an ''unprecedented'' era of peace, progress and prosperity, with street violence, orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks, becoming "a thing of the past." Referring to the "characteristic security situation" in the region, the Centre said organized stone pelting incidents connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1,767 in 2018 has come down to zero in 2023 till date and casualty of security personnel has shown a 65.9 per cent decline in 2022 as compared to 2018.

The Centre's affidavit will be taken up on Tuesday by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions challenging the decision to abrogate Article 370 that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to strip the erstwhile state of J&K of special status and bifurcate it into two Union Territories.

Several petitions challenging the Centre's decision to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split J-K into two Union Territories--Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh--were referred to a Constitution bench in 2019.



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The Centre contended that the "historic constitutional step" being challenged has brought unprecedented development, progress, security and stability to the region, which was often missing during the old Article 370 regime.

It is submitted that the same has been possible due to the policy of the Union of India of ensuring peace, prosperity and progress in the region, the affidavit said. ''It is submitted that the hosting of the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting at Srinagar in the month of May 2023, was a watershed event in the history of valley tourism and the country proudly displayed its resolute commitment to the world that secessionist terrorist region can be converted into a region where even international dignitaries can be invited and global events can be held."

The Centre said after the historic changes, the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed profound "ameliorative, affirmative and progressive changes in last four years encompassing its entire governance - including the developmental activities, public administration and security matters which has positively impacted every resident irrespective of caste, creed or religion.''

It said bandhs and stone-pelting (together), engineered, financed and forced by the separatist-terrorist networks, had tremendous negative ripple effects on the economy and the society as a whole.

''It is submitted that the defining characteristic of the security situation in the region, which has a direct bearing on the day-to-day life of common citizens is 'street violence' which was a methodical and regular phenomenon. The street violence, engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks has now become a thing of the past.

The organized stone pelting incidents connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1,767 in the year 2018 have come down to zero in the year 2023 to date, the Centre said in its 20-page affidavit.

It added that 'bandhs' and stone pelting had resulted in the closure of schools, colleges and universities, trade, industries and businesses on a regular basis intermittently, leading to a severe loss of income especially for the poor and those who worked in unorganized sectors.

''In the year 2018, there were 52 incidents of organized 'Bandh/Hartal', which have come down to zero in the year 2023 till date. In addition, resolute anti-terror actions have resulted in the dismantling of the terror eco-system which is reflected in a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023 till date."

The Centre said work on transit accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits for their safe return to the valley is in the advanced stage and is expected to be majorly completed in the next year.

Highlighting numerous schemes launched by the Centre for the development of the entire region, the government said life has returned to normalcy in the region after over three decades of turmoil.

''It is submitted that schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances during the last three years. The earlier practice of daily hartals, strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now,'' it added.

Emphasising that certain sections of the society, including displaced persons from Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and children of women married outside J&K, were earlier deprived of their basic rights prior to the August 5, 2019 decision, the government said all the residents of the region are enjoying all rights which are available to citizens in other parts of the country.

It said with the constitutional changes and enactments of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, seats have been reserved for the persons belonging to Scheduled Tribe, which has resulted in the grant of reservation in Legislature to them similar to the reservation available to such community in Legislative Assemblies of other States/Union territories in the country.

''It is submitted that with the improved security scenario, the Union territory has also witnessed the highest ever footfall of tourists viz. 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu & Kashmir only from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 which is significantly contributing to the growth of the economy and has a direct impact on the income of common man,'' the Centre highlighted.
New Delhi: All schools run, aided or recognised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will be closed on July 11 in view of heavy rainfall in the city and adverse weather conditions forecast, according to an official order issued on Monday.

The order issued by the education department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), however, mentioned that these schools shall be closed only for students. Department heads and teachers shall come to schools, and all offices will also be functional, it said.

"In view of the heavy rainfall in Delhi and an alert issued by the India Meteorological Department on adverse weather conditions, it has been decided that all MCD schools, MCD-aided and recognised schools will be closed on July 11," the order stated.



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Delhi reels under heavy rains as Yamuna breaches danger mark

Evacuation of people living in low-lying areas of Yamuna floodplains began Monday evening with the river crossing the danger mark due to the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana amid heavy rains in the northern belt of the country.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the waterlogging situation and rising level of the Yamuna and asserted that there was no threat of flood as of now. He said his government was prepared to deal with the situation and 41,000 people have been identified to be shifted to relief camps if the need arises.

The Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres in Delhi as torrential rains pummelled the upper catchment areas of the river for the third day on the trot. The river breached the danger mark earlier than expected. It was predicted that it would cross the danger mark only by Tuesday afternoon.

Revenue Minister Atishi said people are being sent to safer places from Khadar (floodplains) area and district magistrates concerned have been directed to be on the alert.

"Each district magistrate has been directed to be on the alert. All the teams are ready. Sending the people from Khadar areas to safer places has started through public announcements, where arrangements are being made for their stay and food. The Chief Minister is himself monitoring the whole situation," she tweeted.

According to the Central Water Commission's (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge in Delhi had risen to 205.4 metres by 5 pm as Haryana released more water into the river from the Hathnikund barrage in Yamunanagar.

The evacuation of people from Yamuna floodplains began from the districts through which the river courses in Delhi.

"The evacuation exercise is underway with 8,100 people being evacuated from low-lying areas. We have identified schools and community centres for keeping them," an official from the east district said.

The evacuated people wanted to stay in tents since the permanent structures are located some distance away. They are being accommodated in tents. There are medical teams to assist them. There is also an arrangement of food, DJB water tankers and portable washrooms, he said.

Unlikely Delhi will face a flood-like situation

Kejriwal, in a press conference, said it is "unlikely" that the city will face a flood-like situation in the near future.

"One question that is being asked to us by the citizens at the moment is that, are there chances of Delhi being flooded? It is dependent on the rainfall in Delhi and the release of water from the Hathnikund barrage," he said.

He stated that 3 lakh cusecs of water was released from the barrage Sunday night that reduced to 2.5 lakh cusecs Monday morning.

The chief minister said the Delhi government was prepared to evacuate citizens if the need for it arose.

"If the level of the river goes beyond 206 metres, we will begin the evacuation of those who live close to the river. We have identified 41,000 people who live close to the river. We have also readied the relief camps that may be needed in such a situation," he said.

Delhi faced floods in 1978 when 7 lakh cusecs of water was released into the Yamuna from the Hathnikund barrage and the level of water in the river was 204.79 metres at Old Railway Bridge. Since then several measures have been taken to prevent the accumulation of water.

In 2013, 8 lakh cusecs of water was released through the Hathnikund barrage and the level of the Yamuna river rose to 207.32 metre. But there were no floods in the city, he said.

Again in 2019, there was a discharge of 8.28 lakh cusec of water from the Hathnikund barrage and the level of the Yamuna reached 206.6 in Delhi, but still there were no floods, he added.

Citing the weather prediction over the next couple of days, the AAP leader said a flood-like situation in Delhi was unlikely.

Atishi said in light of the rising water levels of the Yamuna, all departments concerned are geared up and over 50 motor boats have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

Diving and medical teams have also been readied with all the necessary materials and equipment, she said.

She said monitoring of Yamuna levels revealed an "alarming situation" in the Khadar areas, from Palla to Jaitpur.

The Revenue Department stated public announcements are also urging people to move from floodplains to safer places. It has marked the locations of all individuals and their respective places, to ensure their safe relocation as soon as the danger intensifies. A comprehensive plan has been prepared to determine the destinations for each group of people, she added.

The national capital reeled under waterlogging for the third consecutive day on Monday with Kejriwal announcing a slew of measures to tackle the problem while accepting that the drainage system of the national capital was not ready to handle the unprecedented rainfall that inconvenienced people.

Meanwhile, commuters had a harrowing time navigating waterlogged stretches as rain lashed the national capital for the third day.
The ongoing turmoil within the Nationalist Congress Party is far from coming to an end. The MLAs have been crisscrossing between the two factions since Ajit Pawar led a rebellion to join the ruling alliance in Maharashtra. Both the senior leaders - Sharad and Ajit have staked their claims on the NCP while reaching out to the Election Commission. In the latest development, another MLA from Ajit Pawar's faction has switched back to Senior Pawar's faction. Makrand Jadhav Patil is the third MLA who has left Ajit Pawar's side in a week. Before him, Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar and Deepak Chavan have returned to Sharad Pawar's camp.

Makrand Jadhav Patil is the MLA from the Wai assembly seat in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Hundreds of Makarand's supporters have also returned to the Sharad camp following his path. On the other hand, Kiran Lahamate of the Sharad Pawar faction has switched to Ajit's camp. Lahamate first went with Ajit Pawar, then returned to senior Pawar's camp and now has again joined Ajit Pawar's camp. He was also present there during Ajit's swearing-in on July 2.

After Ajit joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government, the NCP has split into two factions and the fight for control of the party has started between Uncle Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar. Both factions held a meeting on July 5 to demonstrate their strength. The presence of more than 35 MLAs was claimed in the meeting of Ajit faction and 15 MLAs reached Sharad's faction. However, Ajit is claiming that he has more than 40 MLAs. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra cabinet and Ajit Pawar will need the support of 36 MLAs to stake claim to control the party.



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On the other hand, Congress has staked claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly saying that it is the largest opposition party in the state.
NEW DELHI: Seema Ghulam Haider, a Pakistani woman who fell in love with Greater Noida's Sachin Meena over the online gaming platform PUBG and later crossed multiple international borders ''illegally'' to live with him, has been hogging the media spotlight these days. Seema, 30, and Sachin Meena, 25, were arrested by the authorities on July 4. While Seema was charged with illegally entering India, Sachin was booked for sheltering the illegal immigrant. Seema was accused of illegally entering India without a valid visa via Nepal with her four children, all aged below seven years, to live with her lover Sachin.

The two were granted bail by a court in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida on Friday.

How Did Seema & Sachin Met?

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The couple's love story is as intriguing as a typical Bollywood potboiler. The two fell in love with each other while playing the online game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) during the Covid-19 pandemic. They met in Nepal earlier this year in March and got married.

Narrating her story to reporters after walking out of jail, Seema said, "It was such a long and gruelling journey. I was very scared too. I first went from Karachi to Dubai, where we waited for 11 hours and couldn't sleep. We then flew to Nepal, before finally taking the road to Pokhara, where I met Sachin."

While she then went back to Pakistan, Sachin returned to India from Nepal. Upon reaching Pakistan, Seema, who claimed discord with her husband, sold a plot for Pakistani Rupees 12 lakh and arranged flight tickets and a Nepal visa for herself and her four children.

In May, she reached Nepal via Dubai and spent some time in the tourist city of Pokhara in the Himalayan nation. Then she took a bus to Delhi from Kathmandu and reached Greater Noida on May 13 with her children where Sachin had made arrangements for her to stay in a rented accommodation without disclosing her Pakistani identity.

How Did Their Love Story Come To Fore?

Their cross-border love story hit a dead-end after they were arrested on July 4 and put in jail. After getting bail from the court, Seema said that she will now focus on the paperwork to make her move to India official. She also said that she does want to go back to Pakistan and cited the stringent rules for women back in her country and a possible threat to her life.

"No one has brought me to India by persuasion, I have come here of my own free will for the sake of love," Seema said. In an interview with the BBC, Seema Haider said that she would rather slit her throat or consume poison than return to her homeland. Seema also revealed that she was forced to marry her Pakistani husband Gulam, who works in Dubai, at a very young age.

In his turn, Sachin, who works at a grocery store, said that he wants to live with Seema and her children in Greater Noida only. The duo also said they would contact lawyers to find out a way to legalise her stay in India. Seema said she will accept Hinduism. Sachin told reporters that they would soon take a dip in the holy Ganga together for her to embark on their new journey.

Twist In Seema & Sachin's Love Story

Adding a twist to their love story, Seema's husband, Gulam Haider, who stays in Saudi Arabia, has made an appeal to the Government Of India via a video message to help him reunite with his wife. In the video, he says that he got to know that his wife and children were in Noida, through the Indian media.
NEW DELHI: Amid intense politics over the Madhya Pradesh urination incident, the state unit of the Congress has now alleged that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the wrong person and washed someone else's feet, not the victim upon whom a person called Parvesh Shukla was seen urinating in a viral video. Calling it a big conspiracy, the Madhya Pradesh Congress claimed on its official Twitter handle that CM Shivraj Singh washed someone else's feet, not the person who was urinated on. Madhya Pradesh will not forgive you.

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However, Madhya Pradesh Police and state government officials have categorically rubbished this claim. Reacting to the tweet by MP Congress, Sidhi SP Dr Ravindra Verma termed it as 'misleading. "In the case of the viral video of the Sidhi urination case, there are some misleading claims that the victim was not Dashmat Rawat. Police investigation confirmed that the man was Dashmat Rawat," the SP said.

District Collector Saket Malviya also denied the claims and called them "misleading". He said that a police probe had confirmed that the person seen in the video was indeed Dashmat Rawat.

It may be noted that the Madhya Pradesh urination incident came to light after a video showing the accused Pravesh Shukla peeing on a tribal worker, Dashmat Rawat, went viral on social media last week.

Amid huge public outcry over the highly condemnable incident, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister directed the state authorities to arrest and ensure the strictest punishment for the accused.

Acting on the chief minister's order, the state government arrested and booked the accused, Pravesh Shukla, under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also apologised and washed the feet of Dashmat Rawat.

The local authorities later razed an illegal part of the house belonging to Shukla's father. Several lawyers opposed the slapping of charges under the NSA and the razing of Shukla's house.

On July 7, Dshmat Rawat urged the government to release Shukla, reasoning that the accused had realised his mistake. "My demand to the government is that a mistake has been committed (by the accused). And now Pravesh Shukla should be released. Whatever has happened in the past, he has realised his mistake," Rawat told reporters.

While the ruling BJP has claimed the incident wherein a tribal youth was peed upon by a man in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh dated back to 2019-20 when the Kamal Nath-led Congress government was in power, the Congress submitted a memorandum to MP Governor Mangubhai Patel demanding to protect the interests of tribals and alleged the number of crimes against the community is on the rise in the central state.

"The initial findings of the probe committee formed by BJP over the Sidhi incident point out that the urination incident dated back to 2019-20 when Kamal Nath was heading the Congress government in the state," MP BJP president VD Sharma told reporters. He said an administrative report in this regard will come out soon. "We will not allow the spreading of enmity in society through such tactics," Sharma added.

Nath, who heads the MP Congress unit, and tribal MLAs of his party met the governor at Raj Bhavan. "Madhya Pradesh is leading the country in the number of atrocities committed against tribals. We requested the governor to protect the interests of the tribal community," Nath said. Govind Singh, the Leader of the Opposition in the MP Assembly, said the Congress will raise the Sidhi incident and "atrocities against tribals" in the Assembly session beginning Tuesday.

The opposition Congress has also demanded a CBI probe into the urination incident. The BJP had denied Congress' claim that Shukla was associated with a BJP MLA.
New Delhi: Ayushmann Khurrana spent the day with differently-abled kids at a non-profit organization. During the meeting, a student sang one of his all-time hits - Paani Da Rang leaving Ayushmann in awe of how beautifully he sang the track!

Keeping the momentum of the afternoon going, Ayushmann strummed the guitar and performed on his track Mera Mann Kehne Laga for the children who happily joined and sang along with him.

The UNICEF National Ambassador, Ayushmann, also gifted many musical instruments for the students and joined them in their musical therapy class. He spoke to the teachers about the therapeutic benefits of music and spoke intently about the transformative power of music.



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Ayushmann and the kids also shook a leg to some of the actors superhit tracks such as Jedha Nasha and Morni Banke. He was also seen having a heart-to-heart chat with the students about what they enjoy and what would they like to become in life.
Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest superstars in Indian cinema. The Bollywood legend has had an illustrious career and is still going strong on the silver screen. He is considered a godly figure in the country and has given various hit films to the audience through different formats and mediums. He has been working for more than 50 years and has a massive fan following across the world. Even the actor shows a lot of gratitude towards his fans for the constant support that they have given him throughout his journey. Every Sunday, the megastar holds a meet and greet session with his fans, where hundreds of people gather outside his residence in Juhu, Mumbai, to catch a glimpse of their favourite superstar.

Amitabh Bachchan Shows Gratitude Towards His Fans

On July 9, the Sholay actor continued the tradition and warmly greeted his fans, who came out in large numbers with a lot of enthusiasm. The actor took to Instagram and shared a clip where he was spotted greeting his fans and even promoting his highly anticipated upcoming film, Project K. In the video, he was seen adorning a black hoodie that had the logo of his upcoming film, Project K. The stylist hoodie not only added charisma to his personality but was also a great promotional tool for the film.



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The actor showed a lot of gratitude for his fans and thanked them in the caption. He wrote, "Eternal love for them that come... they be the cause for my become. The hands that meet in symbolic union... my gratitude for one and the honor and grace of the other."

Project K at SDCC

Amitabh Bachchan will play an important role in Nag Ashwins next project. The film is tentatively titled ad Project K and will also have Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani in important roles. Recently, the makers revealed that the film will be making its debut at the San Diego Comic-Con festival, where it will unveil its title, first teaser, and release date.

Big Bs Forthcoming Projects

Apart from Project K, the megastar will also be seen in Ganpath: Part 1, which stars Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles. He will also be seen hosting the 15th season of his popular TV game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.
GHAZNI, Afghanistan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Afghan counter-narcotics police have smashed poppy on 20 acres of land in Ajristan district of eastern Ghanzi province, provincial police office said in a statement on Monday.

The operations were launched on Sunday in parts of the Ajristan district, the statement said, adding that police won't allow anyone to cultivate illegal crops.

Police have destroyed hundreds of acres of poppy elsewhere in the country and have taken into custody more than a dozen people on charge of involvement in the illegal drug business over the past couple of weeks.

Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Afghan caretaker administration, in a decree issued in April last year, banned the cultivation of illegal crops including poppy, processing to drug and drug trafficking. 
New Delhi: Known for striking a balance between her personal and professional life, Actor Shilpa had returned to Mumbai from a holiday in London. After fulfilling work commitments, Shilpa has now resumed her getaway.

Shilpa Shetty is part of the judging panel for the popular reality show India's Got Talent (IGT). She had returned to Mumbai to fulfil a shooting schedule for the show. Post work, Shilpa finally flew back to London. She recently posted an photograph from her London diaries on Instagram. Along with posting the cute photo, Shilpa expressed, The bestest welcome Evvvveerrr!

Apart from being a Judge on IGT, Shilpa is all set to appear in the Kannada film KD and Sonal Joshi's Sukhee next. Additionally, she has secured a role as the first female police officer in Rohit Shetty's highly anticipated Cop Universe project, titled Indian Police Force.
San Francisco: Tech giant Apple is in talks to launch a MacBook with Samsung foldable display, the media reported.

While the product is expected to be unveiled in 2025, it will likely launch in 2026, reports SamMobile.

Samsung's display division would gain influence, money and even more credibility if Apple introduced a foldable MacBook powered by Samsung Display, which would almost surely increase the popularity of foldables.



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With the intention of mass-producing large-screen foldable OLED panels in 2025 and 2026, Samsung Display decided to invest 4.1 trillion won ($3.1 billion) in them.

This action appears to support the idea that Apple will release a MacBook with a folding display in the near future.

The iPhone maker takes its time and invests years in the prototype and designing phases of disruptive technologies, and because the MacBook is a household name, the company have to be extra careful, the report said.

In April, it was reported that Samsung Display had started developing 13.3-inch OLED panels for Apple's upcoming MacBook Air.

Meanwhile, in January, another report mentioned that Samsung was working on a new technology, Lifelike Pixels, for its OLED screens.
Months after unveiling the Reno 10 5G series in China, Oppo launched the smartphones of the series including Reno 10 5G, Reno 10 Pro 5G, and Reno 10 Pro+ 5G smartphones in India on Monday, July 10. The new Reno series comes with a range of features including a better system, displays, refresh rate, cameras, and fast-charging batteries. Among these, the phones will run on Android 13-based ColorOS 13.1 and will have 6.7-inch displays with up to 120Hz refresh rate.

On the other hand, while the regular Oppo Reno 10 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, the Reno 10 Pro will run on MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC. The 10 5G series will also come with triple rear camera units and a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 selfie shooter.

All three handsets were initially launched in China in the month of May.



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Oppo Reno 10 5G series: Price

Oppo Reno 10 Pro+ 5G - Rs. 54,999 in India (12GB RAM+256GB)

Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G - Rs 39,999 in India (12GB RAM+256GB)

While the prices of the two variants have been revealed, the price of Oppo Reno 10 5G will be revealed on July 20, 2023, at 12:00 pm IST.

The Pro models will be available in the colours Glossy Purple and Silvery Grey shades, while Oppo Reno 10 5G will be in Ice Blue and Silvery Grey options.

Oppo Reno 10 5G series specifications

1. Reno 10 Pro+ 5G:

While Oppo Reno 10 Pro+ 5G will run on Android 13-based ColorOS 13.1, it will feature a 6.74-inch (1,240x 2,722 pixels) AMOLED 3D curved display with HDR 10+ support, up to 120Hz LTPS dynamic refresh rate, and up to 240Hz touch sampling rate.

Besides that, the display has a pixel density of 450ppi, a 93.9 percent screen-to-body ratio, and is rated to offer 1400 nits of peak brightness. It has 100 per cent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut as well. The glass panel has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 coating.

Apart from the look, the Oppo Reno 10 Pro+ 5G is also powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, along with 12GB of expandable LPDDR5 RAM.

The variant will have a 64-megapixel periscope sensor with f/2.5 aperture and optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor with f/1.8, and OIS and an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor. It will also have a 32-megapixel shooter for selfies and video chats.

Apart from some basic features, the phone will have a 4,700mAh battery that supports 100W SuperVOOC fast charging technology.

2. Reno 10 Pro+ 5G:

It features the same SIM and software as the Pro+ 5G model and will have a 6.7-inch full-HD+ OLED 3D curved display with 93 percent screen-to-body ratio, HDR10+ support, up to 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 240Hz touch sampling rate.

The phone will run on an octa-core Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC, along with an expandable ram of 12GB.

The phone will have a triple rear camera setup led by a 50-megapixel primary Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS and an f/1.8 lens, besides a 32-megapixel telephoto sensor, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 32-megapixel selfie camera at the front.

The device will also come with a 4,600mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC flash charging support, which is claimed to fill the battery in just 28 minutes.

3. Reno 10 5G:

This variant has the same SIM, software, and also display specifications as the Oppo Reno 10 Pro, however, it will have an octa-core 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC and 8GB of RAM.

The device's camera setup includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 lens autofocus and OIS, along with a 32-megapixel telephoto sensor, an 8-megapixel sensor, and a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor.

While the phone will come with up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, its connectivity options and sensors are similar to the Pro models.

Besides that, it will have a 5,000mAh battery that can provide flash charging support of 67W SuperVOOC.
BEIRUT: Syria's Information Ministry has cancelled the BBC's media accreditation, accusing the British public broadcaster of biased and fake news in its coverage of the war-torn country. The announcement came days after BBC Arabic released an investigative documentary about the illicit drug trade in Syria, where they highlighted links between the estimated multibillion-dollar industry and the Syrian army as well as members of President Bashar Assad's family.

The Syrian Information Ministry in a statement late Saturday said the decision was made after warning the channel more than once that it has broadcasted its misleading reports relying on statements and testimonies from terrorist entities and those hostile to Syria." Damascus revoked the licenses of both the British broadcaster's radio and television correspondents in Syria, as well as their videographer.

We speak to people across the political spectrum to establish the facts, the BBC said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press, adding that the broadcaster provides impartial independent journalism. We will continue to provide impartial news and information to our audiences across the Arabic-speaking world.



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The illicit drug industry, most notably the addictive Captagon amphetamine pills, has blossomed in war-torn Syria in recent years. While experts say it has been a way to generate revenue for the country's crippled economy and sanctioned leadership, it has scourged neighbouring Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as other Gulf countries.

Captagon has been used both recreationally and by people with physically demanding jobs to keep them alert as well as fighters on the battlefield. The United Kingdom, United States, and European Union have sanctioned a handful of drug kingpins and close associates of Assad for their involvement in the trade.

The Syrian government denies any involvement in the production of Captagon. A Syrian parliamentarian told the AP last month that Syria has been used as a transit state for Captagon and other drugs, and accused opposition groups of running the industry. After Syria restored relations with many of its neighbouring countries and returned to the Arab fold, cracking down on drug smuggling has been a key issue in regional talks.

Syria's uprising which turned into a full-blown civil war, now in its 13th year, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of its prewar population of 23 million. Syrians in both government-held territory and an opposition-held enclave in the country's northwest suffer from rampant poverty and crippled infrastructure.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Bruneian government has taken steps to advance its national solar energy target to 200 megawatts by 2025 and at least 30 percent of the power generation mix by 2035, a minister said on Monday.

When delivering a keynote address at the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2023-Energy Seminar, Haji Awang Halbi, minister at the Prime Minister's Office and second minister of defense, said Brunei is expanding solar energy use to ensure energy transition across the whole energy value chain.

"Brunei Darussalam is currently exploring the potential of renewable energy-based connectivity through interconnection with neighboring countries, as we lie in a region with abundant renewable energy resources," he said.

The minister said that while oil and gas will continue to play a crucial role in meeting the growing energy demand and ensuring economic growth, it is imperative to prioritize pragmatic transitional solutions that promote equitable progress, energy security and emissions mitigation.

The two-day energy seminar is being held in Brunei by the Department of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office in collaboration with the ASEAN Center for Energy and Economic Research Institute for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia. 
PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday urged NATO member states and U.S. allies to oppose the U.S. plan to send cluster munitions to Ukraine.

"As the head of the royal government of Cambodia, I would like to continue to call on NATO member states and some U.S. allies such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and Canada, all of which are signatories to the Convention on the Prohibition of Cluster Munitions, to take responsibility and participate in preventing U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President from using this deadly weapon," he tweeted.

The United States announced on Friday the decision to transfer to Ukraine cluster munitions, which are banned by an international convention ratified by 123 countries.

Hun Sen said on Sunday that it will be "the worst danger" for the Ukrainians for decades or even centuries if those cluster bombs are used, adding that Cambodia still underwent pain from U.S. cluster munitions dropped in the Southeast Asian country more than half a century ago.

According to Yale University, between 1965 and 1973, the United States dropped some 230,516 bombs on 113,716 sites in Cambodia. 
NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The violence in India's northeastern state of Manipur has killed 142 people over the past two months, the local government said on Monday.

The information was presented by Manipur's chief secretary to India's Supreme Court in a report mentioning a total of 142 people have been killed in the violence-hit state. It said 5,000 incidents of arson have taken place in the state since May, and Imphal East and Imphal West districts have reported the maximum number of deaths.

It further said 5,995 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed and 6,745 people taken into custody to keep the situation under control in the state.

The local government also listed the steps it has taken to maintain law and order in the state, citing 124 companies of paramilitary forces and 184 Indian army columns remain on the ground to maintain peace.

The northeastern state is on edge since May 3 when large-scale violence broke out during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meitei community for a scheduled tribe status, designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups, which gives them reservations in education and government jobs.

Authorities responded by imposing a curfew and putting a blanket ban on internet services as a precautionary measure to restrict the mobilization of crowds in the state.

The ethnic clashes have also injured over 3,000 and displaced 60,000 others.

Mobs have been resorting to vandalism and arson during which hundreds of houses and shops were gutted in the state.

So far efforts by the federal government to restore peace in Manipur have not yielded desired results.

One person was killed and two others were injured on Monday in fresh violent clashes in the state, local media reported. 
ANKARA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish military said on Monday it has killed the Iraqi communications head of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during an operation in northern Iraq's Zap region.

The killed senior PKK member was identified as Ferit Yuksel, codenamed "Serzan Mava," according to a statement released by Turkiye's Defense Ministry.

Yuksel, responsible for providing communications in northern Iraq, was killed by Turkish commandos in a cave where he was hiding, the statement said.

The Iraqi man was believed to be a top right-hand man of the PKK leader in Zap, codenamed "Siyabend," who was killed last year.

In May, another PKK communications official, Emre Sahin, codenamed "Rodi," was killed by Turkiye's National Intelligence Organization in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq.

Turkish security forces have recently intensified cross-border operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, particularly in the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the group, and killed several senior PKK cadres.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades. 
ZAGREB, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Certain Western politicians and media have portrayed China as a "risk" and advocated "de-risking" from it, this is a "game of politics that will definitely not work, " Robert Frank, a Croatian political analyst, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday.

"China is undoubtedly an opportunity, not a risk. It is making dazzling progress, so every country in the world, including Croatia, needs to find a way to cooperate with it for mutual benefits," Frank said.

The recent visits to Beijing by world leaders and senior officials, including those from Europe, are proof that the world is keen to cooperate with China as they consider the world's second-largest economy an opportunity rather than a risk, Frank noted.

World leaders and senior officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, have visited China recently. Besides, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of multinational companies, including Elon Musk of Tesla, Mary Barra of General Motors, and Jakob Stausholm of the Rio Tinto Group have also visited China.

According to Frank, these visits show that "they think differently from what Washington thinks."

The world, including Europe, has benefited a lot from cooperating with China, therefore "cooperation needs to be continued," he said, noting that in terms of developing economic and trade ties with China, Europe should not bow to U.S. demands but "follow its own interests."

Moreover, the booming Chinese economy is giving impetus to the world's economic recovery as well, Frank said.

"If China falters, there will be enormous difficulties for the world. That is why it is important that the Chinese economy continues to grow stronger, because it will give great benefits to the world as well," he added, citing that according to a forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China is projected to contribute over one-third of the world's economic growth this year. 
by Martina Fuchs

MONTREUX, Switzerland, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Montreux Jazz Festival China, set to take place in the fall this year, is poised to become a vital cultural nexus between the East and West, said the festival's CEO.

The 57th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival with more than 500 concerts and activities is currently underway from June 30 to July 15 in the Swiss resort town nestled between steep hills, and Lavaux vineyard terraces, a UNESCO-listed world heritage site.

While the iconic festival is in full swing attracting around 250,000 music lovers from near and far to the shores of Lake Geneva in southwestern Switzerland, its China edition is gearing up for its second event.

The purpose and mission of the festival's China edition were much bigger than simply organizing music concerts, Joyce Peng Peng, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival China, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the prestigious summer event.

"Montreux Jazz Festival China will be the platform to connect East and West," she told Xinhua. "We will bring a lot of international musicians to China and we will also introduce Chinese musicians to the world. So we act like a bridge to connect China and the world."

In 2021, the Montreux Jazz Festival traveled to China for the first time in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hangzhou, the capital city of the Zhejiang province, on the theme of "Where East Meets West."

This year's edition will be held on the theme of "Revival" at the Suzhou Fairmont Hotel Yangcheng Lake, Jiangsu Province, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2.

"We're going to have four stages, almost 40 concerts, and we will have international as well as Chinese musicians," she said.

"Apart from music, we will also have culture and art activities during the festival. We're going to introduce the Chinese artist who is also our poster designer this year to the audience," she added.

The CEO also announced plans to bring the music festival to more cities across China in the future.

"After the 2023 edition, we plan to discuss a potential expansion of the festival to additional cities in the Greater China area. Also, one of our dreams is to bring Chinese musicians to Montreux and to even have a China stage," she added.

The official line-up of artists will be revealed in the next couple of weeks, said the CEO. 
Germany to announce new military aid package for Ukraine at NATO summit  Pistorius 10 July, 06:06 PM Boris Pistorius (Photo:REUTERS/Christian Mang)

Berlin is set to unveil a fresh aid package for Ukraine during the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on July 10.

Pistorius said that preliminary work on the aid package was practically completed, while expressing his anticipation for a very united NATO summit.

He also said he was closely monitoring Swedens potential NATO membership and the responses of both Turkey and Hungary.

The Ukrainian government has stated that it will receive a clear signal affirming its readiness to join the Alliance during the summit in the Lithuanian capital on July 11-12.

Video of day

According to the Wall Street Journal, prior to Ukraines accession to NATO, Western nations will present a security model akin to that of Israel, facilitating the transfer of weaponry and cutting-edge technologies to Kyiv, thus paving the way for eventual membership in the Alliance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 10 that Swedish membership of NATO was tied to Turkeys possible accession to the EU. He previously indicated his support for Ukraines membership.

Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility  to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.

Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth  consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.

Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of  from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
Ukraines SBU nabs Russian agent collecting data to guide missile strikes in Mykolayiv Oblast 10 July, 03:44 PM The informant of the Russian Federation was detained while photographing one of the military facilities (Photo:SBU)

The SecurityService of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed a Russian agent who was collecting data to help guide missile strikes in Mykolayiv Oblast, the agency reported on July 10.

He marked the exact coordinates of Ukrainian military facilities on an electronic map and reported on their security measures.

The detainee also secretly photographed the deployment of Ukrainian military units, paying close attention to locations with large clusters of military personnel and equipment.

Video of day

The SBU said the information was intended to be used to launch targeted missile strikes.

The alleged traitor is a local resident who supported the holding of a sham referendum on the accession of Mykolayiv Oblast to Russia.

Read also: Russian missiles hit Mykolayiv infrastructure building

The detainee has been charged with unauthorized dissemination of information on the direction, and movement of weapons, armaments, and military supplies in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison.

Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility  to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.

Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth  consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.

Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of  from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
Christianity Today 2024 Book Awards

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Christianity Today

July 10, 2023

CAROL STREAM, Ill., July 10, 2023 /Standard Newswire/ -- Christianity Today is calling for submissions for the 2024 Christianity Today Book Awards. The CT Book Awards, along with our "Beautiful Orthodoxy" Book of the Year, will be announced in December at ChristianityToday.com.

Winners will be featured prominently in the January/February 2024 issue of CT and widely promoted in CT newsletters and on the site. Publishers of the winning books will also have the opportunity to participate in a promotion organized by CT's marketing team.

Here are this year's awards categories:

1. Apologetics/Evangelism 2a. Biblical Studies 2b. Bible and Devotional 3a. Children 3b. Young Adults 4. Christian Living/Spiritual Formation 5. The Church/Pastoral Leadership 6. Culture and the Arts 7. Fiction 8. History/Biography 9. Marriage and Family 10. Missions/The Global Church 11. Politics and Public Life 12a. Theology (popular) 12b. Theology (academic)

Nominations:

To be eligible for nomination, a book must be published between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. We are looking for scholarly and popular-level works, and everything in between. A diverse panel of scholars, pastors, and other informed readers will evaluate the books.

Publishers can nominate as many books as they wish, and each nominee can be submitted in multiple categories. There is a $40 entry fee for each title submitted in each category. To enter your nominations, please click the following and follow the prompts. (Note: You will be directed to upload a PDF of each book you wish to nominate.) https://christianitytoday.typeform.com/to/ZXV3MKdW

Finalist Books:

If your book is chosen as one of the four finalists in any category, we will contact you and ask that you send a copy of the book directly to the four judges assigned to that category. We will provide mailing addresses for each judge.

Deadline:

The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, July 31, 2023.

Any questions about any aspect of the process? Email us at bookawards@christianitytoday.com.

Thank you!

Christianity Today editors

SOURCE Christianity Today

CONTACT: Jordyn Hibdon, jhibdon@christianitytoday.com


d_odin / Shutterstock.com

German grocery store chain Lidl is known for its low prices on produce, meats, packaged foods and more. One way the chain keeps its costs low is by mostly selling its own private-label products. In fact, according to the official Lidl site, about 80% of the products it sells are of its own brand.

Next: 10 Aldi Brand Products Worth Buying

Learn: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

Among the Lidl-brand products are a number of high-quality steals that are worth adding to your cart on your next trip. Heres a look at 10 standout Lidl items.

Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon

Price: $1.33 per ounce

Lidls deal on smoked salmon is hard to beat elsewhere. Its also non-GMO and raised without antibiotics.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Price: $2.77

While the brand-name Lysol version sells for $4.99 at Target, Lidls brand of all-purpose cleaner sells for nearly half that price.

Hidden Gems: Affordable Luxury Goods at Aldi

Preferred Selection Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Price: $5.99

Lidls extra virgin olive oil boasts superior taste and very low level of acidity, according to the grocery chains official site. Its under 36 cents per fluid ounce, while comparable products sell for much more at other retailers.

Sondey Jaffa Cakes

Price: $1.99

These chocolate-covered cakes are filled with a soft orange or cherry jelly filling, and are hard to find elsewhere. Theyre also made with no artificial flavoring, synthetic colors or artificial preservatives.

Original Bratwurst

Price: $4.29

Lidls bratwurst sausages are made with premium cuts of pork and are free from preservatives. They also lack artificial flavors, have no added MSG and are never frozen.

Cola

Price: $3.25

While Lidl does carry brand-name sodas, a 12-pack of Coca-Cola costs about 60 cents per can while its store-brand cola sells for just 28 cents per can.

Greek Yogurt

Price: $0.64

Lidl sells a variety of store-brand Greek yogurt at great prices. A 5.3-ounce container of Lidl-brand Greek yogurt sells for roughly half the cost of Chobanis version.

Restore Q10 Moisturizing Cream

Price: $3.79

Dont skip over Lidls skincare offerings. This nighttime intensive formula made with Q10 promises to reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Cookie Butter Speculoos Spread

Price: $3.98

This creamy spread made from speculoos cookies is made without artificial preservatives, artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. It goes for about 28 cents per ounce.

Ristretto Espresso Coffee Pods

Price: $3.99

These Nespresso-compatible pods are a steal at Lidl. A package of 10 pods sells for about 40 cents per pod, while youll pay around $10 for the same amount of pods on the Nespresso site.

More From GOBankingRates

Prices are accurate as of July 7, 2023.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Lidl Brand Products Worth Buying
Houses

As many as 225,000 landlords face losses on their rental properties when they come to refinance as mortgage costs climb towards 7pc, analysis shows.

The average two-year buy-to-let mortgage rate reached 6.69pc on Friday, while five-year deals cost 6.52pc according to Moneyfacts.

Some 226,930 buy-to-let homes across the UK  equivalent to 11pc of all mortgaged rentals  would be unprofitable at current rates, analysis for the Telegraph shows.

It comes as traders bet that the Bank of England will raise its base rate to a 25-year high of 6.25pc by early next year, which is likely to force lenders to increase mortgage costs even further.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said: We know that nearly 70pc of landlords in England own a home with a mortgage. Thats a much higher proportion than among owner-occupiers. So landlords are more at risk to the new kind of higher rate environment than the average household.

A higher-rate taxpayer who bought and let out a property costing 190,000 in 2021 would now be losing as much as 227 every month if they have kept the rent unchanged.

Someone in the same position with a loan-to-value ratio of 75pc would still be making a monthly loss of 119 even if they had raised the rent in line with the wider market.

Ms Beveridge said: The highest-leveraged landlords who bought in the last couple of years are most at risk. They are the ones who have taken equity out of their properties or bought a new buy-to-let in the last couple of years.

The figures suggest that more misery is awaiting already stretched renters, as many landlords either raise rents or look to unload some of their portfolios.

It comes as separate numbers from SpareRoom showed that the ratio of renters to advertised rooms in the first six months of 2023 was at its highest level in at least eight years.

Some 12pc more people were looking for a place to live during this period than a year earlier.

Experts fear that soaring mortgage rates will mean far fewer new landlords will enter the sector than in the past, adding to the strain on supply.

Ms Beveridge said: Any kind of new investor will really have to look at pumping in a lot more cash and putting down bigger deposits than they have done before.

They just wont meet the stress testing on those sorts of 75pc loan-to-value mortgages, particularly in lower-yielding regions such London and the Southeast.

Figures from Legal & Generals Mortgage Club showed that the share of lending that went to landlords fell to 11pc in June 2023, down from 15pc a year earlier.

The number of landlords leaving the sector would undoubtedly outstrip those entering it again this year, Ms Beveridge said. Supply in the rental sector has been falling since 2016.

Cooling house prices have pushed some to absorb losses however, she said.

Ms Beveridge said: We havent seen as much of an acceleration in landlords selling off as we expected, as rates have risen over the last six, seven, eight months.

Many property investors selling up in areas such as London were instead looking to different parts of the country with lower prices for new opportunities, according to Kevin Roberts of Legal & General.

They are moving their portfolios to where the yield is. There are still better yields in the Northwest or the north of England or other parts of the UK. Airbnb and holiday homes are still massively searched for on our tools, he said.

The Governments plans to ban no-fault evictions are also believed to have pushed some landlords to retire.

A survey of buy-to-let investors by SpareRoom conducted in May found that three quarters were planning to reduce or sell their portfolios.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
SrdjanPav / Getty Images

More than 7,100 student loan borrowers will receive $3.5 million in refund checks after a consumer protection agency said they were scammed by a student debt relief company in renegotiating, settling, reducing or altering the terms of their federal student loans.

See: Student Loan Pause Officially Ends in October  Are You Ready To Start Making Average $503 Payments Again?

Student Loan Forgiveness: 10 Expenses To Cut From Your Budget When Payments Resume

On July 6, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said the checks will be sent in the mail, after Timemark Solutions  a student-debt-relief company  violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule, according to a statement.

Discover: All of the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans

Under the Telemarketing Sales Rule, its illegal for a telemarketer to request or receive fees for debt-relief services before the consumer has made at least one payment using the new arrangement.

From 2016 through October 2019, the company used telemarketing campaigns to convince people with federal student loans to pay up to $699 in fees to file paperwork to reduce or eliminate their monthly payments, through loan consolidation, forgiveness, or income-driven repayment plans, the CFPB said in the statement. The U.S. Department of Education, however, offers these options to student loan borrowers for free.

The agency added that to market its student-loan debt-relief services, Timemark used two websites, timemarksolutions.com and loan-counselors.com, created and posted YouTube videos and placed Google Ads.

The CFPB said that payments would be sent on July 6 through Epiq Systems. If you do not receive a check and believe you are eligible for funds, you can submit a claim by visiting this page on the CFPB website.

Following the Supreme Courts 6-3 decision to strike down President Bidens student loan relief program, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning to borrowers, urging them about a surge in scams.

If you have federal student loans, youve probably heard about the Supreme Court decision and know that repayments are restarting in October. But you might also be hearing from scammers who take advantage of confusion around big news like this, the FTC said in a statement. Scammers are likely to start blasting out robocalls and texts about helping you with your loans.

The FTC offered a few tips, including:

Never pay for help with your student loans.

Dont give away your Federal Student Aid ID login information.

Dont trust anyone who contacts you promising debt relief or loan forgiveness, even if they say theyre affiliated with the Department of Education.

Scammers try to look real, with official-looking names, seals, and logos. They promise special access to repayment plans or forgiveness options  which dont exist. If youre tempted, slow down, hang up, and log into your student loan account to review your options, the FTC added.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: $3.5 Million in Refund Checks Are Coming to These Student Loan Borrowers
JEANNE ACCORSINI / SIPA / Shutterstock.com

Elon Musk  still the worlds richest man, with a $243 billion net worth as of July 10, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index  is at the helm of several companies. From Tesla to SpaceX, and from Neuralink to The Boring Company  and most recently, Twitter  Musk is no stranger to controversy and is known for speaking his mind.

See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money Experts

Find: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Not everything Elon Musk has done, financially speaking, has been exemplary. However, Musks best money moves are at the center of many commentaries, however, and four follow.

PayPal: An Early Mind for Bold Investing

Musk founded X.com, later named PayPal, and sold it to eBay for $1.4 billion in 2002, according to The Wall Street Journal. He collected $100 million from the deal.

One of Elons best financial moves was placing most of his net worth into Paypal, at a time where the .com world was seriously taking off, said Sebastian Jania, owner of Ontario Property Buyers.

Upon successful growth of this company, he sold it and was paid handsomely  but instead of cashing out of the entrepreneurship game and living on the proceeds, he recycled his money into three more businesses which also took off as successes, said Jania.

This was a very wise decision as he was able to take his successes in the tech industry and diversify across solar, automotive, and space industries. This move protected him in case the tech industry or other industries would crash.

Musk Reinvests Profits Into his Visions

Elon Musk has made billions of dollars from his ventures but doesnt all profits on lavish lifestyles or frivolous things, said Anna Koval, co-founder and CMO at Tarotoo.

Instead, he reinvests his profits into his vision of making humanity a multi-planetary species and advancing clean energy and transportation. This shows his passion, dedication, and long-term thinking, which are essential for any successful entrepreneur.

Koval added that while he takes calculated risks and learns from failures, Musk is not afraid to take bold and ambitious positions  such as launching rockets into space, building electric cars and creating hyperloops.

He knows that these risks come with challenges and failures, but he also knows that they are necessary for innovation and growth. He learns from his failures and improves his products and services, rather than giving up or settling for mediocrity, she added.

Money Expert Jaspreet Singh: Get Rich Through These 3 Investments

Musk Is Not Afraid of Out of the Box Ideas

Musk begins by asking the most basic of questions  usually to find cost savings or a better user experience, said Brian Chevalier-Jordan, CMO at NationalBusinessCapital.com. And by not taking anything for granted, he uncovers new insights that help him run his businesses better than his competitors, Chevalier-Jordan added.

The lesson for the rest of us is: question what weve always thought was true about ourselves, our habits, and our behavior around money, Chevalier-Jordan suggested. For better or worse, Elon isnt afraid to go somewhere where he has very little or no experience. That can lead to unexpected insights such as the idea that a tunnel under cities could help alleviate traffic if its used for public transportation. He used that concept to found not one, but two, companies: The Boring Company and Hyperloop.

Musk Understands That Branding Is King

According to Chevalier-Jordan, while Musk may come across to some as immature, that might be a feature, not a bug.

You certainly cant say he isnt having fun while becoming the worlds richest man. From the Tesla feature called Emissions Mode that makes fart noises  to the recent cage fight challenge which he proposed to Mark Zuckerberg  he puts his eccentricity on display. That has won him the loyalty of others who share his sense of humor. This trait has bought him a permanent place in many peoples minds, he said.

Chevalier-Jordan added that while Musk is clearly a king of bombast, that doesnt mean hes not savvy with his communications.

His marketing acumen is on point with names like The Boring Company for his tunnel-digging company, or the model names of Teslas cars that, when put together, spell S3XY (sexy).

When he turned Occupy Wall Street into a rallying cry for his rocket company, Space X, using the phrase Occupy Mars, he showed branding is king, Chevalier-Jordan concluded.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Best Money Lessons From Elon Musk
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Rights and Issues Investment Trust implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

52% of the business is held by the top 7 shareholders

Insiders own 26% of Rights and Issues Investment Trust

Every investor in Rights and Issues Investment Trust Public Limited Company (LON:RIII) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 51% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Rights and Issues Investment Trust.

Check out our latest analysis for Rights and Issues Investment Trust

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Rights and Issues Investment Trust?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Rights and Issues Investment Trust already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Rights and Issues Investment Trust, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Rights and Issues Investment Trust. Jarvis Securities plc, Asset Management Arm is currently the company's largest shareholder with 10% of shares outstanding. With 10% and 8.2% of the shares outstanding respectively, Nicholas Lewis and Simon John Knott are the second and third largest shareholders. Simon John Knott, who is the third-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Member of the Board of Directors.

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 7 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Insider Ownership Of Rights and Issues Investment Trust

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Rights and Issues Investment Trust Public Limited Company. Insiders have a UK30m stake in this UK113m business. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 18% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that Rights and Issues Investment Trust is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- The trading of India stock futures that shifted to Gujarat from Singapore last week met with lukewarm reception, suggesting apprehension among some equity investors about the success of the switch.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The average number of open contracts for NSE International Exchanges key product GIFT Nifty was 32,934 in the week to July 7, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thats lower than the 60,884 future contracts in the first five trading days in April, May, and June traded on Singapore Exchange Ltd. The contracts had a notional value of about $7.5 billion when the switch in trading venue was made.

Trading in SGX Nifty, the SGX-traded futures on Indias key equity NSE Nifty 50 Index, was shifted to the NSE International Exchange at GIFT City on July 3, in a triumph for the South Asian nations attempt to bring back the transactions that had moved to global financial centers.

Four-five days are not enough to judge a trend but we are hopeful that by the end of the month volumes will pick up, said V. Balasubramaniam, chief executive officer of NSE IX Ltd., a unit of National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. There could be some apprehension among certain traders.

The bourse is processing membership applications from many local brokers which will allow them trading on four products, including GIFT Nifty 50 and GIFT Nifty Bank, he added.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
What led this nonagenarian barber to open a new shop in Hortonville? | The Buzz

Co-owner Bob Rohloff, 91, stands June 13 beside a chair at Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop, 251 E. Main St. in Hortonville. Rohloff recently opened the shop with Mark Karweick.

HORTONVILLE  By 91 years old, most people have retired, but Bob Rohloff decided it was the perfect age to open a new business.

Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop, 247 E. Main St., opened on June 5. Rohloff, the sole owner, is not new to the world of barbering. He has worked as a barber for roughly 75 years and during that time has owned several other barbershops with locations in Appleton, Black Creek and even Sun City, Arizona.

However, it's been a number of years since Rohloff has owned his own business, having sold his Arizona shop years ago to move back to Wisconsin.

For the last 11 years, Rohloff worked at the Hortonville Family Barber Shop and has been rolling around the idea of owning his own shop again.

"I've had it on my bucket list that I wanted, because I've always had my own shops, I wanted to have my own barbershop even at my age, if the right situation came along." he said. "I did not let my wife know. I didn't tell my family. I just had that in mind."

More: Houdini's Escape Gastropub is closing after 10 years: The Buzz

Barber Moira Schimke, left, and co-owners Bob Rohloff, seated, and Mark Karweick, right, stand June 13 in the recently opened Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop at 251 E. Main St. in Hortonville.

The right situation came when Mark Karweick, a 55-year-old barber, walked into the Hortonville Family Barbershop looking for opportunities to move from Escanaba, Michigan, to Appleton, his hometown. He was told to call Rohloff, and a few days later they had a conversation about opening a new shop.

"Believe it or not, after an hour of talking, we shook hands and that was the beginning of Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop," Rohloff said.

The shop, which took roughly three months to open, is decorated with red and white details. Rohloff owns it, but Karweick will take over when Rohloff decides to retire  whenever that may be.

Rohloff said a lot of the equipment came from an old shop in Michigan, making many of the items antiques. A great example is the red chair Rohloff uses to cut hair.

"The only thing in the barbershop older than I am, is the chair I work on," he said.

The chair is 100 years old.

Sign up for the Buzz newsletter Click here to get all the business openings and closings news right in your inbox

More: Bona Fide Juicery is opening a Neenah location this summer: The Buzz

The business serves a wide variety of customers, but both Karweick and Rohloff said they have a lot of senior citizens come in. For that reason, Rohloff has promised to keep prices low until he retires.

Currently, a standard haircut is $14 and only $12 for seniors. Rohloff, Karweik and Moira Schimke, a previous owner of the Hortonville Family Barbershop, all work at the new shop.

Since Rohloff didn't tell his family about his dream of owning another shop, he received some big reactions when he shared his plans.

According to Rohloff, his wife of 72 years, Marian Rohloff, asked him, "Are you crazy?" But, he said, despite skepticism from his children and grandchildren, his family is now supportive of his endeavor.

Rohloff said what makes him the happiest is the support he has from his family, the "two best barbers" working for him and "the opportunity to serve the people of Hortonville, where the customers also became my friends."

Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. You can reach the shop at 920-779-4966. Customers are taken first-come, first-served.

Alexandria Bursiek Kloehn is a business reporter for the Appleton Post-Crescent. You can reach her at abursiekkloehn@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 91-year-old barber opens Bob's Old Fashioned Barber Shop in Hortonville
ALGIERS, Algeria, July 10, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

During a meeting held on July 9 in Algiers between Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE), and Toufik Hakkar, Chief Executive Officer of SONATRACH, several agreements were signed to strengthen the cooperation between the two companies in the production of natural gas in Algeria, the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, as well as the development of renewables in Algeria.

1. Natural gas: increased production at the Tin Fouye Tabankort fields

Under a first agreement, which remains subject to the approval of the Algerian authorities, SONATRACH and TotalEnergies have agreed to convert the production contracts for the Tin Fouye Tabankort II (TFTII) and Tin Fouye Tabankort Sud (TFT sud) fields in southern Algeria (Sonatrach 51%, TotalEnergies 49%) to the framework established by the new Algerian Petroleum Law enacted on December 11, 2019.

In this context, SONATRACH and TotalEnergies will pursue the investment program already launched to increase the gas production of TFTII and TFT South, which includes the upgrade of existing facilities and the drilling of additional wells. The combined production of the two fields is expected to exceed 100,000 boe per day by 2026, versus a level of around 60,000 boe per day in 2022, thus increasing the potential export of Algerian gas to the European market.

2. European energy security: additional LNG deliveries

Under a second agreement, Sonatrach and TotalEnergies have extended for the year 2024 deliveries by SONATRACH of 2 million tons per year of LNG to TotalEnergies at the port of Fos-Cavaou, near Marseille, France. These deliveries of Algerian liquefied natural gas contribute directly to energy security in France and Europe.

3. Energy transition: developing renewables in Algeria

Under a third agreement, TotalEnergies and SONATRACH will cooperate to develop renewable energy projects in Algeria, specifically:

Renewables projects to solarize exploration and production sites for oil and gas;

A study of the potential for renewable, low-carbon hydrogen for the export market;

An R&D program in low carbon energies and the energy transition.

"I am delighted to sign these new agreements with our strategic partner SONATRACH. They testify to TotalEnergies close ties to Algeria, whose resources contribute directly to Europes energy supply and security. We are also delighted to be able to support Algeria in its energy transition and in the development of its huge potential for renewable energy production," said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

About TotalEnergies in Algeria

TotalEnergies is a long-standing player in the Algerian energy sector. Present in the country through its various subsidiaries. The Company is active in oil and gas exploration and production through its interests in the Tin Fouye Tabankort and Timimoun gas fields, the Berkine Basin oil fields (Blocks 404a and 208) and liquefied natural gas via supply contracts with Sonatrach. In 2022, the Company produced 62 kboe/d (group share) in Algeria through its interests in the TFT II and Timimoun gas fields and in the Berkine Basin oil fields (blocks 404a and 208). Downstream, TotalEnergies Lubrifiants Algerie SPA and TotalEnergies Bitumes Algerie SPA market lubricants and bitumen. This integrated model ensures synergies between the various activities and provides a comprehensive offering based on innovation, complementarity, and value creation. TotalEnergies is committed to supporting economic development by launching new investment programs that contribute to the country's development.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

@TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710329298/en/

Contacts

TotalEnergies

Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
Alta Copper Corp.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alta Copper Corp. (TSX: ATCU; OTCQX: ATCUF; BVL: ATCU) (Alta Copper or the Company) announces the appointment of Mr. Andrew Hamilton as a director of the Company.



We are pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Hamilton to the Board of Directors of Alta Copper. Andrews wealth of experience in construction, completion and commissioning of major projects will prove invaluable as we move to the next stage of development for our 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project, commented Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair of Alta Copper.

Mr. Andrew Hamilton is Technical Director of Fortescue Metals with the Corporate Strategy Team. He is a Mechanical Engineer, BEng. (Mech) from the University of South Australia while also being a graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. His current role also includes managing and reviewing critical metals project opportunities. Over his career, Mr. Hamilton has spent significant time in senior management and directorship roles, providing expertise in engineering, constructing, commissioning and business delivery services to mining, building infrastructure and fleet management.

Mr. Hamilton joined Fortescue Metals in early 2008 to complete, commission and ramp up Fortescues first operational Cloudbreak mine, and later delivery of the sites wet beneficiation and power station upgrades. Prior to this, Mr. Hamilton held Project Management and delivery roles at Project Magnet, South Australia, and managed the design of the African Minerals three stage Haematite & Magnetite development, delivering the first stage in West Africa.

In 2011 Mr. Hamilton managed the delivery of the Wet Front End modifications to the Cloudbreak processing plant, followed by technical and design input to Christmas Creek processing operations. In late 2013, Mr. Hamilton commenced work on the Iron Bridge project leading to design, construction, commissioning, and delivery of the full-scale Stage 1 developmental plant within a 15-month period. Upon successful operation of Stage 1, Mr. Hamilton managed and delivered the Investment Decision report to the Fortescue Board in 2019, culminating in approval of the 22mtpa Iron Bridge Magnetite JV (IBJV) Project. Mr. Hamilton held various roles on the US$3.9bn IBJV project including Project Director and Technical Director.

About Alta Copper

Alta Copper is focused on the development of its 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project. Canariaco comprises 97 square kilometers of highly prospective land located 150 kilometers northeast of the City of Chiclayo, Peru, which include the Canariaco Norte deposit, Canariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, all within a 4km NE-SW trend in northern Perus prolific mining district. Canariaco is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not held by a major.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the effective date of the consolidation and name change of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.

On behalf of the Board of Alta Copper Corp.

Joanne C. Freeze P.Geo., President, CEO and Director

For further information please contact:

Joanne C. Freeze, President, CEO and Director

jfreeze@altacopper.com

+1 604 512 3359

or

Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair and Director

gtbonifacio@altacopper.com

+1 604 318 6760








Amarillo's Cliffside Gas Plant up for sale, including pipeline and wells

Cliffside Gas Plant at 13301 Brickplant Road in Amarillo is now for sale.

About a decade after Congress passed the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, Amarillo's Cliffside Gas Plant and assets are beginning the sale process, according to a news release from the General Services Administration.

The sale process, which begins on Wednesday, will include the Cliffside Gas Plant at 13301 Brickplant Road. The plant, which is on 8.108 acres of leased land, includes a range of primary and support buildings.

Related: 2019 article details Amarillo's former status as 'helium capital of the world,' Lubbock balloon businesses' struggle

The sale will also include:

Mineral rights covering about 38,000 acres of gas and 60 acres of oil resources.

The Federal Helium system, including booster compressor, natural gas chiller skid, metering equipment, spare parts, emergency generators, storage tanks, and other machinery.

The Helium Storage Reservoir, also known as the Bush Dome. It is a natural geologic formation located approximately 3,000 feet below the surface, and containing about 66 billion cubic feet of helium (a mix of privately and federally owned).

23 natural gas wells, some of which are high-pressure injection wells.

The Federal Helium Pipeline, spanning 423.24 miles and connecting the Cliffside Field to privately owned helium refineries across North Texas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and South Kansas. It facilitates production, transmission, storage and delivery of crude helium to refineries. Under the Bureau of Land Management's ownership, the pipeline has delivered more than 2 million cubic feet of crude helium daily.

The sale process is expected to take eight or nine months.

Interested parties can contact William.rollings@gsa.gov. Further information about the property, including bidding procedures and asset specifications, can be found at gsa.gov.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo's Cliffside Gas Plant for sale after Helium Stewardship Act
Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikail Jabbarov met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

At the meeting, information was given on Azerbaijan's socio-economic goals and the work done to achieve them, the results achieved, the favorable business environment of our country, the increased transport and transit potential under the new realities, as well as the opportunities created for investors, Azernews reports, citing the meeting.

The ministry told that the growing dynamics of relations with Hungary, mutual official visits, high-level meetings, events held, and wide legal and contractual framework are of great importance in expanding economic relations. It was noted that our countries cooperate not only on bilateral platforms but also at the multilateral level. Besides, the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Hungary plays an important role in strengthening trade and economic relations and the implementation of projects in various fields.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto emphasized that his country attaches great importance to the expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan, expressed the interest of Hungarian companies in participating in projects implemented in our liberated territories, and spoke about the expansion of economic ties.

The ministers also discussed strengthening economic and trade cooperation, investments, stimulation of trade, and opportunities for the implementation of joint projects. In addition, the Hungarian minister said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will pay an official visit to Hungary at the end of January.

The two countries have signed documents aimed at further strengthening ties, and Azerbaijan intends to use its transit potential in favor of Hungarian companies. Thanks to the expansion of cooperation between the two countries, Azerbaijan and Hungary have every chance to strengthen their relations and create a mutually beneficial partnership.
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The company logo for Oracle Corp. is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York

(Reuters) - Australia's competition watchdog on Monday asked consumers, businesses and other relevant stakeholders to provide their views about the business practices of data brokers in an attempt to regulate the country's digital platform services sector.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will consider products and services supplied by major data brokers including Oracle, Equifax, Ireland headquartered Experian and global tech firm LiveRamp among other several providers to make a report on the sector.

"There is little transparency and awareness of how data brokers operate in Australia despite the vast amounts of information they collect about Australian consumers and the central role they play in enabling the exchange of information between businesses," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

Data brokers generally gather information like personal details of customers including their browsing and purchasing behaviour from a wide range of sources such as mobile applications, social media sites and card payment providers.

The report will explore how third-party data brokers collect and use information to create products and services and if there may be competition and consumer issues arising from this, the ACCC said in a statement.

The regulator's digital platforms branch has been conducting a five-year inquiry till 2025 to inquire into the markets for the supply of digital services.

The report will focus on businesses that collect information from third-party sources and share or sell data to other organisations and, on the off chance that there might be competition and customer issues emerging from it. It will be handed over to the treasurer in March 2024, the ACCC added.

(Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
(Bloomberg) -- Major banks are facing one of the biggest regulatory overhauls since the financial crisis, setting up a clash over the amount of capital that they have to set aside to weather tumult.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Federal Reserves top banking regulator, Michael Barr, said he wants Wall Street banks to start using a standardized approach for estimating credit, operational and trading risks, rather than relying on their own estimates. He added that the Feds annual stress tests should be rejiggered to better capture dangers that firms can face. The changes stem from a months-long review to align US rules with a set of international standards known as Basel III.

Industry titans have long fought against higher capital requirements, and the issue became a political lightning rod after several lenders including Silicon Valley Bank collapsed this year. Barr said his examination found that the current system was sound, but several changes were needed that will result in banks setting aside more money as a cushion to protect against losses. The announcement arrived just days before the largest banks begin posting their second-quarter results, starting on Friday with JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co.

These changes would increase capital requirements overall, but I want to emphasize that they would principally raise capital requirements for the largest, most complex banks, he said in a speech at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. We intend to consider comments carefully and any changes would be implemented with an appropriate phase-in, he said, adding that most banks already have enough capital to meet the new requirements.

Large Banks

Since taking the job last year, Barr has signaled that he generally supports tougher restrictions for bigger, systemically important lenders. Faced with that prospect, large banks sounded a relatively cautious approach for announcing payouts after they all passed the Feds annual stress test exam last month. Bank stocks were mostly higher on Monday, with the KBW Bank Index rising 0.2% in New York.

Analysts such as Kathleen Shanley at Gimme Credit have questioned the usefulness of the current setup of the Feds stress tests because most regional banks were exempted and the scenarios were designed before Marchs sudden swoon. Some large regionals have already restrained stock buybacks and dividends in anticipation of new capital minimums, she wrote in a note to clients.

The proposed rules would end the practice of relying on banks own individual estimates of their own risk and instead use a more transparent and consistent approach, Barr said of his plans. The largest banks would also have to hold an extra two percentage points of capital  or an extra $2 of capital for every $100 in risk-weighted assets.

We see this as consistent with our view that the proposed changes will result in modestly higher capital requirements, Jaret Seiberg, a TD Cowen analyst, wrote in a note to clients.

Barr said the changes will only take effect if theyre proposed and approved by the Fed, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. An initial plan could be released as soon as this month, but actual changes would not likely take effect for months or years. Industry will also have a chance to weigh in.

He added that enhanced capital rules should apply to banks and bank holding companies with more than $100 billion in assets. Currently, such restrictions apply to firms that are globally active or have $700 billion or more in assets, he said.

Setting aside more capital is not about smashing anything. Its about building resilience in the financial system. It enables banks to lend to the economy, Barr said during the question-and-answer portion of the event.

Industry Pushback

The long-awaited Basel III reforms to bank capital levels are part of an international overhaul of capital rules that started more than a decade ago in response to the financial crisis of 2008. The issue became more stark  and political  this year with the collapse of several banks. The top US banks are already subject to higher requirements than their European peers, according to the European Central Bank, which oversees lenders in the euro area. Despite that disadvantage, US securities firms were able to win market share from European competitors in previous years.

Tim Adams, head of the Institute of International Finance, said that the planned higher capital standards are puzzling and counterproductive because they could harm the economy. The financial system has proven it is resilient and well-capitalized, he said in a statement.

Barr acknowledged concerns that the changes in capital requirements could lead to banks altering their behavior, as well as the way that financial services are provided. But he said most banks already have sufficient capital today to meet new mandates. As for the rest, he estimates that they would be able to build enough capital through retained earnings in less than two years, even while maintaining their dividends. That assumes that they earn money at the same rate as in recent years.

Although his review began before this Marchs banking crisis, Barr said his plans would deal with some of the issues that were exposed by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and others.

Some industry representatives have claimed that SVBs problems were really related to poor management and shortcomings in the Federal Reserves supervision, Barr said. It is not logical to argue that failings in supervision must mean that SVB was adequately capitalized  it wasnt  or that supervision by itself can somehow assure safety and soundness throughout the banking system. It is not a choice between supervision and capital regulation  capital is and has always been the foundation of a banks safety and soundness.

--With assistance from Bre Bradham.

(Updates with closing share price in fifth paragraph.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
To tout a new green energy factory driven by incentives he signed into law last year, President Biden traveled on July 6 to a district in South Carolina represented by Joe Wilson, one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress.

While there, Biden announced hed be attending the groundbreaking of another green energy factory in the Georgia district of Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican bomb-thrower who wants to impeach him.

Some analysis has said that the laws I've signed are doing more to help red America than blue America, Biden said during his July 6 speech in West Columbia, SC. That's okay with me. Were all Americans.

To some extent, Biden is modeling the bipartisanship he promised while campaigning in 2020. But he may be also doing Republicans a favor by delivering some of the goodies that make their constituents feel better without forcing the legislators to vote for politically unpopular "big government."

Biden has signed three momentous pieces of legislation that are transforming important parts of the US economy: a $550 billion infrastructure law in 2021, the $50 billion CHIPS Act in 2022, and shortly after that, a $370 billion green-energy package. Some of the money is direct government spending, while there are also tax breaks and other incentives to lure private capital into semiconductor manufacturing, a green energy buildout, and other Biden priorities.

That gusher of money is beginning to flow, and Biden is touring the country to make sure voters connect new factories and jobs with Bidenomics. The White House says private-sector firms have invested $503 billion in new manufacturing facilities since Biden took office. Much of that is in response to incentives contained in the new laws. Another $225 billion in federal infrastructure spending has gone out the door under Biden. Theres more coming since the three big bills Biden signed could stimulate spending for a decade.

Much of the new investment is ending up in red states and districts. A Brookings Institution analysis from mid-June found that half of the private investment Biden is bragging about is going into counties Donald Trump won in the 2020 election, even though those counties account for only 28% of GDP. Trump country is benefiting disproportionately from laws Biden signed with little to no Republican support.

President Joe Biden speaks about his economic agenda at Flex LTD, Thursday, July 6, 2023, in West Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Thats not because of any red-leaning bias in the legislation itself. Since its private money, the government isn't steering it toward any particular part of the country. Instead, private-sector investors are choosing locations with cheaper non-union labor, affordable housing and energy, relatively low taxes, and plenty of workers. That leads to a lot of southern states that have voted Republican for decades, such as South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Louisiana.

[Drop Rick Newman a note, follow him on Twitter, or sign up for his newsletter.]

An investment boom in red states bears no overt political benefit to Biden. Forecasters think the 2024 presidential election will hinge on just a half-dozen swing states or fewer, just as the 2020 election did. They include Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and perhaps Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Biden says South Carolina is gaining $11 billion in new investment due to incentives he signed into law. Yet Donald Trump carried the state by a nearly 12% margin in 2020, and theres no chance it will vote Democratic in 2024.

In his July 6 speech, Biden highlighted Ohio, where Intel is building a $20 billion semiconductor factory that will generate thousands of relatively high-paying jobs. But Ohio is no longer viewed as a swing state and is likely to go Republican in 2024 as well. An Ohio Senate seat held by Democrat Sherrod Brown, whos up for reelection, is rated one of the easiest flips for Republicans.

Georgia is a beneficiary of Bidens legislation, with several electric vehicle and battery plants springing up recently. And it did go his way in 2020. But Georgia also has a popular Republican governor and it has been growing faster than the nation as a whole for years. Georgia swing voters may not necessarily think a new factory here or there is Bidens doing, and state officials can say it's because of their own efforts to lure businesses.

The Rust Belt is also seeing a spurt of new investment in battery factories and plants related to electric vehicles, but those are concentrated in Michigan, likely a safe Democratic state. Swingy Pennsylvania, by contrast, looks to be underrepresented on the Biden administrations manufacturing heat map, with a handful of new projects expected to bring fewer than 1,000 new jobs.

As he travels the country, Biden is making a point of calling out Republicans who voted against his legislation yet represent states and districts gaining jobs and new investment from it. Hes obviously hoping voters will notice the hypocrisy of Republicans who oppose everything Biden does yet brag to constituents about bringing home the goods from Washington  goods that Democrats sent, not Republicans.

Yet Republicans might benefit from this strategy more than Biden and his fellow Democrats. Many Republican voters still consider Donald Trump their party leader, despite two impeachments, his role riling up rioters at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, two criminal indictments, and never-ending lies about nonexistent fraud in the 2020 election. Ethical purity is not a Republican job requirement, and few GOP voters seem likely to punish their elected officials for publicly opposing government goodies, while privately cheering when it benefits them.

Some members of Congress know theyll benefit from a legislative outcome even if they dont vote for it. Thats a time-tested way of standing against something in principle, to appease constituents, while knowing there wont be a political price for it. Barack Obama famously did this as a senator in 2006 when he voted against raising the federal borrowing limit, knowing Republicans who controlled the Senate would muster enough votes to pass it. Five years later, as president, Obama described that as a political vote, as opposed to doing what was important for the country. It didnt stop him from winning the presidency, twice. Voters have short memories, which is why Republicans are unlikely to worry when the current president comes to town to pitch Bidenomics.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene's South Carolina District. The Congresswoman represents Georgia's 14th Congressional district. We regret the error.

Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman

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Doug Lawson, 34, was promoted two years ago to lead line cook by a contracting company that staffs many of the cafeterias at Facebook-parent Meta.

He was excited to take the new job, helping other cooks prepare food for the company's tech workers - whipping up dishes such as pork buns and steamed vegetables at the company's Seattle offices.

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But in March, contracting company Flagship gave Lawson and his fellow line cooks a stark choice: They could either accept a lower-level position with similar responsibilities and lower compensation, or be laid off. Lawson stayed, but the reduction in his monthly take-home pay has stung.

"Rent is not getting $160 cheaper. Food is not getting cheaper," said Lawson, who now makes about $26 an hour, $1 an hour less than before. "A lot of people couldn't take that," so they took a severance package and left, he said.

For years, tech giants like Facebook and Google have been known for generous perks like free food and massages, outfitting their sprawling campuses in Silicon Valley and beyond to attract the best engineering talent and keep them in the office as long as possible. Many of those services - plus others, from janitorial tasks to content moderation and engineering - are provided by an army of largely invisible contractors, like Lawson, who are employed by outside firms and don't receive the same benefits or compensation as direct employees.

Now, amid steep tech layoffs and cutbacks, due in large part to weaker spending on digital ads, those workers are some of the most vulnerable.

Google, in an email to staff earlier this year, said it would cut down on the number of "microkitchens" that dot its offices and are stocked by contract workers. Others who provide support for the company's army of engineers are being hit, too, as the firm cuts down on the free perks that defined its work culture for years. When Google laid off 12,000 employees in January, among them were two dozen massage therapists.

Tech companies often tout the generous benefits they offer the full-time workers they lay off, including several months of severance pay, post-employment health care, immigration assistance and job search resources. But many temporary workers and subcontractors don't get the same lifeline when tech companies cut or modify their jobs.

"All of the bad practices predate the layoffs, but the layoffs sort of compound" the issues facing subcontractors and contingent workers, said Catherine Bracy, chief executive of TechEquity Collaborative, which advocates for tech workers. "That's because these workers are in extremely precarious positions."

Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said that for almost two years, the company paid its vendors to ensure that workers assigned to a Meta building, such as janitors, security guards, shuttle drivers and culinary staffers, were paid even if they couldn't do their jobs from home.

"We are managing our spend more effectively as part of our companywide goal to create durable savings where possible, including with some of our vendor suppliers," said Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini.

Google cafeteria workers have unionized en masse over the past several years as part of their efforts to secure better health benefits and lower the wage chasm between them and full-time Google workers. Now, around 90 percent of those who cook food at Google offices belong to unions, according to Unite Here, a 300,000-member union representing hotel and food service workers. Last month, six Google contractors said they had been fired from Appen, the firm that employs them, for speaking out about their work conditions. They were reinstated by the company after The Washington Post reported on their firings.

Meta has laid off more than 21,000 full-time workers in multiple rounds of cuts as part of a larger push to become more efficient. The social media company offered those workers 16 weeks of severance pay and two additional weeks of pay for every year of service. Meta also agreed to maintain their health-care coverage for six months and connect the departing workers with job counseling and immigration specialists.

At Flagship, the contractor for food services, workers had a different experience. Roughly 223 Flagship food workers posted in Meta offices located in the Bay Area, Seattle and New York were laid off or demoted this spring after the social media giant decided to close some of its buildings, according to Unite Here. The workers were given two months of pay and health-care coverage, according to interviews and documents viewed by The Post.

Last month, Meta announced to culinary staffers that it was closing another commissary in September, according to Unite Here and documents viewed by The Post. The closure could result in laying off anywhere between 160 and 200 staffers, according to Unite Here.

In April, Flagship gave Bryan Kinney, 28, the choice of giving up his job as a prep cook in Seattle and becoming a dishwasher with a $2 an hour pay cut or changing his prep cook hours from mornings to evenings. Kinney, who was making around $21.75 an hour, took the third option: walking away with two months' severance.

It would be "undoable, because it would just change my life completely - turn it upside down," he said about the shift change. "The best option was to take the severance."

Silicon Valley giants like Facebook and Google have enjoyed years of seemingly unstoppable revenue growth, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the California area. But behind their prosperity is a workforce divided into haves and have-nots, based on their employment status. Workers employed directly by the companies earn the highest salaries and obtain the best job perks. But the companies also employ an army of shadow workers, through subcontractors and outside vendors, who don't receive the same kind of compensation as their full-time counterparts.

Companies often tap vendors to bring them workers to perform specific job functions such as food services, janitorial services or even software development. The companies also turn to staffing or temp agencies to bring on workers through short-term temporary contracts that are extended at the discretion of a company manager - often for only a few months at a time. Contingent workers often toil alongside full-time employees, and their work is often overseen by a tech company manager. But their pay and benefits are managed by the staffing agencies, according to a recent report from the worker advocacy group TechEquity.

"I'm working under the same ceiling, doing a job for them. How come I deserve less?" said Marisol Mora, a California-based line cook assigned to Meta who was laid off in January but was later asked to return as a temporary worker. "How come they don't treat us [the same] as the [full-time] workers?"

Contract workers, who are more likely to have gender and racial backgrounds that are underrepresented in the technology industry, are often paid less than full-time staffers at those same companies. That's in part because contracting agencies can take a 30 percent commission on the fees they collect from the tech companies to pay for the workers, according to the TechEquity report. And while many of these workers would like full-time jobs, offers are scarce.

Some regulators are taking notice. In California, a proposed bill would require employers to give workers at least 90 days' notice if they are laying off more than 50 workers at a time. The bill would require tech companies to offer the same benefits in the event that they are laying off contractors who have worked for them for at least half of the preceding year.

In May, a group of former janitors sued Twitter for ending their contract and then hiring a new contractor without retaining the original staffers - a practice they say runs afoul of a New York a labor law.

Lawson said he would also like to see change at Meta. He and his girlfriend, who is a local artist, are mostly reliant on his income to pay the bills. And he could use the money he lost to help pay down his credit card or student loans.

"It's just like another, like, slap in the face," he said. It's "just another way to eke out a few more dollars out of your paycheck so they can make a few more dollars, and it just seems completely unfair and unnecessary."

- - -

The Washington Post's Gerrit De Vynck in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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(Bloomberg) -- BlackRock Inc. expects the model-portfolio realm of money management to grow to a $10-trillion business over the next five years.

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The strategy, by which asset managers and investment platforms compile ready-made packages that are then sold to financial advisers, is set to grow from around $4.2 trillion currently, according to Salim Ramji, global head of iShares and index investments at the asset manager.

Its going to be massive, he said on Bloomberg Televisions ETF IQ on Monday. Its the way in which more and more fiduciary advisers are doing business, and, as a result, thats the way in which were doing business with them.

Model-portfolio investing is a booming corner of money management, with BlackRock and many of its competitors, including Vanguard and Charles Schwab, benefiting from the popularity of bundling funds into ready-made strategies. Allocation shifts in model portfolios, which usually package ETFs and other funds into these off-the-shelf parcels, are sometimes suspected to be behind dramatic flows of money.

Model portfolios make up a massive part of the iShares business, Ramji said. About two years ago, they comprised about a third of its US flows  last year, they grew to more than half.

In fact, Ramji said, the strategy has grown so fast that when BlackRock hosted its first models conference about six years ago, it had trouble filling a room  but two weeks ago, it hosted a full auditorium.

Its really just changed from being a cottage industry to being something thats a real force for every fiduciary wealth adviser in the United States, Ramji said, adding that he sees it soon growing in Europe, Japan and elsewhere.

BlackRock commands significant stature on Wall Street thanks to its $9 trillion in assets under control. It also ranks as the largest ETF issuer with trillions spread across more than 1,000 funds. In fact, the company sees the ETF business booming further in the coming years, thanks in part to model portfolios, which the firms Larry Fink cited as a reason the global ETF industry could balloon to $15 trillion in the years ahead.

In terms of the scale effects for us, we can do a lot more by really looking at this through the lens of a portfolio, and we can gain a lot more in flows and we can gain a lot more in assets as a result of it, Ramji said on ETF IQ.

--With assistance from Matthew Miller and Eric Balchunas.

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The fight against Britains paedophile gangs  and why its getting harder

Internet Watch Foundation

In a village on the leafy outskirts of Cambridge, an innocuous office block is on the front line of Britains battle to stop the spread of illegal child sexual abuse videos across the web.

Inside, a team of 30 or so analysts from the non-profit Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) filter through reams of potentially illegal material, either reported to its hotline by victims or hunted down proactively.

The foundation then alerts internet providers who take down illegal websites, which are often run by criminal paedophile gangs for profit. It also tags images with a special computer hash that means they can be instantly blocked if someone tries to upload them on the web again.

Dealing with such horror on a daily basis is a task few would willingly take on. However, for Dan Sexton, the groups chief technology officer, it is a moral imperative.

Everyone is here because they want to protect children, he says.

They want to make the internet a safer place. That drives people and pulls people together.

Last year, the IWF assessed 375,230 reports of child abuse content  a 4pc increase on the previous year  and found 255,588 of them contained illegal imagery, or were advertising it. It also identified over 1.6 million unique images of child abuse. Its team typically find a child abuse image every two minutes.

But its job is getting harder, Sexton says. The surging popularity of private messaging apps that rely on end-to-end encryption  scrambling their contents so they cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and receiver  has made it harder to put a stop to the spread of material.

And an even more recent threat identified by the IWF is the emergence of a new wave of artificial intelligence  so-called generative AI.

New AI tools can invent artificial yet extremely lifelike images based on text prompts. While some of these AI engines are controlled by tech companies, others are entirely open source, meaning anyone can access their code.

It has not taken long for dark web criminals to spot an opening. So-called deep fake pornography  artificial images and videos of celebrities  started proliferating some time ago. Now, paedophiles are using AI tools to generate sickening synthetic sexual abuse images of children. Such content is illegal in the UK.

Campaigners fear a trickle of these digitally produced images could become a flood. AI makes it trivially easy to recreate these videos on a massive scale.

Child sexual abuse offenders adopt all technologies and some believe the future of child sexual abuse materials lies in AI-generated content, GCHQ, the governments spy agency, told the BBC last month.

David Thiel, of the Stanford Internet Observatory, another non-profit that fights the spread of child abuse, told The New York Times in June AI-generated child abuse would be absolutely the worst case scenario for machine learning that I can think of.

AI generated imagery is a concern of ours, Sexton says, it was something that was a hypothetical a little while ago. Now it is definitely happening.

It has the potential to get much worse very quickly. It is something we need to be ready for. We only have a certain amount of resources.

How to spot a deepfake video

The IWF, which raised around 5.5m from donations and industry in 2022, is the only non-law enforcement group in Britain allowed to take proactive action to hunt down illegal child abuse videos.

Accessing or seeking out child abuse material is against the law, but the IWF, launched in 1996 and funded by the tech industry and private donors, operates under a special agreement with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to take down illegal websites.

At the centre of its headquarters is its hotline room, manned by a clutch of analysts and responders who take tip offs from the public or victims of abuse about videos spreading online.

When The Telegraph visits this inner sanctum, the team turn all their monitors off, as nobody without authorisation is allowed  or for that matter would wish  to see the websites they are inspecting.

Our hotline are experts in finding content, looking for exploitive websites, whether that is open web or dark web, Sexton says.

When the foundation finds illegal websites, its staff alert internet service providers and social media companies, which then block the addresses.

It also uses technology to stop the spread of illegal images. Known child abuse images are tagged  or hashed  with a kind of digital watermark. This coded image is then stored in a database. If the same image is shared or uploaded in future, tech companies can easily block it by spotting this code and the police can be alerted to its existence.

The upcoming Online Safety Bill will place added demands on tech companies to block illegal content  such as by using techniques like hashing images  and threaten them with huge fines if they fail to stop child abuse spreading.

But the wording of the bill has led to a bitter row between tech companies such as Meta-owed WhatsApp and the government, child safety campaigners and the police. Tech companies argue the government could open the door to state snooping by weakening encryption. Child safety advocates, on the other hand, argue they are being hampered by the popularity of end-to-end encrypted apps.

The bill, which is inching its way through Parliament, empowers Ofcom to compel companies to use their best endeavours to develop technology that can identify child abuse content.

Private messaging services WhatsApp, which is used by 2bn people worldwide, and Signal have warned this threatens their future in the UK. They say the law could force them to indiscriminately scan images on phones  in technical terms client side scanning  as they are uploaded. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, has said it plans to add further encryption to its other messaging services, such as Messenger.

Michelle Donelan has described the Online Safety Bill as a 'win' for parents - John Lawrence

Last week, Apple echoed these concerns, arguing the bill posed a serious threat to the privacy provided by encryption and calling for an amendment to the law.

Sexton says the debate has grown very unhelpful and very frustrating.

Our worry is at some point these children might just say, Well theres no point reporting it, he says.

The IWF engineer argues that it is within the gift of tech companies to stop abuse spreading, claiming they already run some checks on encrypted messaging apps for viruses and scam links.

WhatsApp insists these checks are very different from tools that scan images and videos, and no data is sent to third party servers or shared with law enforcement.

The overwhelming majority of Brits already rely on apps that use encryption to keep them safe from hackers, fraudsters and criminals, a spokesman for Meta says.

We dont think people want us reading their private messages so have developed safety measures that prevent, detect and allow us to take action against this heinous abuse, while maintaining online privacy and security.

Apple and Meta are both members of the IWF and each has donated to the group, as have Amazon, Google and TikTok. Sexton says the foundation aims to support all these companies to find a solution.

Still, the IWF and many of its funders appear increasingly at odds over encryption.

Its letting children down, Sexton says.

Theyre directly asking those platforms: Please stop this image being distributed. And they can do it.

Its just a false choice to say someone elses privacy is more important than those childrens dignity and their privacy.

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Philip Jansen will step down over the next 12 months at an appropriate moment

BT chief executive Philip Jansen has announced plans to step down amid mounting speculation about a possible takeover bid.

The telecom company said Mr Jansen would leave at an appropriate moment within the next 12 months.

The 56-year-olds planned departure comes as BT steps up work with advisers Robert Warsaw and Goldman Sachs on a takeover defence, amid rumoured interest from Deutsche Telekom, which holds a 12pc stake in the business as a result of BTs 2016 takeover of EE.

BTs shares have slumped nearly 50pc during Mr Jansens tenure and the collapsing share price has left the company vulnerable for a possible bid.

Deutsche Telekoms chief executive Tim Hottges fuelled speculation earlier this year when he said of the companys stake: There will be a time when we will do a deal.

As well as Deutsche Telekom, City observers have wondered whether French-Israeli telecoms billionaire Patrick Drahi could mount a bid after building a 24.5pc stake in BT. However, Mr Drahi has ruled out a bid for now and is said to be supportive of management.

Adam Crozier, BT group chairman, said the board was well prepared for chief executive succession and expected to update investors on Mr Jansens replacement over the summer.

Kester Mann, an analyst at CCS Insight, said confirmation of a new chief executive could be expected within weeks and said BT would likely look at both internal and external candidates.

Marc Allera, the head of BTs consumer division, is viewed as a front-runner to succeed Mr Jansen.

Mr Crozier said: Philip has done an excellent job in his time at BT and the board is fully supportive of our long-term strategy which he and his team are pursuing.

The former chief of payments company Worldpay, Mr Jansen joined BT in 2019 and has overseen a 15bn project to upgrade the companys copper infrastructure to modern fibre-optic broadband.

Earlier this year he also announced a sweeping cost-cutting programme to help BT remain competitive amid soaring inflation, with 55,000 jobs to be lost over the next decade.

Mr Jansen said: I am fully committed to driving the businesses forward until I hand over to my successor.

Shares in BT fell 1.3pc in early trading on Monday.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
(Bloomberg) -- Berkshire Hathaway Energy agreed to buy Dominion Energy Inc.s stake in a Maryland liquefied natural gas export project for $3.3 billion.

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The deal will boost the companys limited partnership ownership of the terminal to 75%, while a unit of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners holds the remaining 25%, Warren Buffetts Berkshire said in a statement Monday.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. first took a stake in the one-train export plant with an annual export capacity of 5.25 million tons in 2020.

The deal will give Berkshire control of one of just seven operational US facilities that can export LNG at a time when the fuel has assumed an increased economic and geopolitical significance. Natural gas prices surged in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, and US exports of the liquefied form of the fuel helped to sustain Western European economies after Russia cut supplies.

Cove Point LNG is contracted on a long-term basis to companies including Tokyo Gas Co. and Sumitomo Corp.

Dominion said in a separate statement that it will use the proceeds to repay debt. Dominion, which has been conducting a business review, has said it plans to host an investor day in the third quarter to give an updated strategic and financial outlook.

--With assistance from Christine Buurma.

(Adds details from Dominion. An earlier version corrected details on contracts in fifth sentence)

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Key Insights

The projected fair value for CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad is RM0.66 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM0.70 suggests CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

The RM0.92 analyst price target for CCK is 41% more than our estimate of fair value

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad (KLSE:CCK) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad

Crunching The Numbers

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM31.3m RM30.3m RM29.9m RM30.0m RM30.4m RM30.9m RM31.7m RM32.6m RM33.6m RM34.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -6.24% Est @ -3.29% Est @ -1.23% Est @ 0.21% Est @ 1.22% Est @ 1.92% Est @ 2.42% Est @ 2.76% Est @ 3.00% Est @ 3.17% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10.0% RM28.5 RM25.1 RM22.5 RM20.5 RM18.9 RM17.5 RM16.3 RM15.2 RM14.3 RM13.4

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM192m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM35m (1 + 3.6%)  (10.0% 3.6%) = RM559m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM559m ( 1 + 10.0%)10= RM216m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM408m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.7, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

The Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Malaysian market.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad, there are three fundamental elements you should further research:

Risks: You should be aware of the 2 warning signs for CCK Consolidated Holdings Berhad we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does CCK's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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FILE PHOTO: The HSBC headquarters is seen in the Canary Wharf financial district in east London

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's finance ministry has extended the consultation period for Royal Bank of Canada's $13.5 billion proposed acquisition of HSBC's Canadian unit by 15 days due to a technical error that prevented the department from receiving some submissions by email.

The Finance Department said the technical issue has now been resolved and stakeholders can submit their views and feedback by July 21. The acquisition is set to close in the first quarter of 2024.

The deal, announced in November, is subject to approval from the Finance Department and the Competition Bureau. The Finance Department has said that it was seeking comments on how the deal could impact consumers and the stability of the broader banking sector.

The Competition Bureau's consultation, which closed last month, would asses whether the deal lessens competition in Canada's already concentrated banking industry where the top six lenders account for more than 80% of the banking assets.

The deal is the biggest acquisition for RBC. The last time a deal of this size was attempted in the country was in the early 1990s, when RBC wanted to acquire rival Bank of Montreal but was blocked by regulators from doing so.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Nick Macfie)
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Stressing the importance of reciprocal visits in terms of deepening the bilateral relations, President Ilham Aliyev recalled his visit to the Vatican in 2020 and his meeting with Pietro Parolin, as well as Pope Francis`s visit to Azerbaijan.

The head of state expressed confidence that Cardinal Pietro Parolin`s visit would contribute to the expansion of bilateral ties.

Hailing his meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed Pope Francis`s greetings and best wishes to the head of state, as well as his gratitude for the attention shown to the Catholic community in the country.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the greetings and warm words, and asked Pietro Parolin to communicate his greetings to Pope Francis.

The head of state noted the opening of the embassy of Azerbaijan in the Holy See.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin thanked for the opening of the embassy, and congratulated the head of state on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev.

During the conversation, they lauded the successful cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Holy See.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin praised the ongoing work in order to restore religious monuments in Azerbaijan, and highly appreciated the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in terms of the ongoing restoration work in the Catholic Church.




First gold poured from the Las Calandrias heap leap project

Las Calandrias is now ramping up to full production, expected in Q3 2023

MDC (Brazil) Feasibility Study in the final optimization stage

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 10, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. [TSX.V:CERT][OTCQX:CRDOF] ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has poured its first gold from its new heap leach gold production project at the Las Calandrias area in Argentina. Mining and stacking operations are at planned capacity, and gold production is expected to steadily increase as the retention period for the stacked ore is reached, allowing the project to reach design capacity during the third quarter of this year.

Las Calandrias heap leach gold pour

Cerrado Gold Inc., Sunday, July 9, 2023, Press release picture

The Company also wishes to report it is in the final stages of completing its Feasibility Study for Serra Alta deposit at the Monte Do Carmo ("MDC") project in Tocantins, Brazil. Together with its consultants, the project team are conducting final optimizations, design trade offs and sequencing of the mine plan and we expect to complete the feasibility shortly.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman commented, "We are extremely pleased to see the first gold poured from the Las Calandrias project and this is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the operations team. In addition, this represents a significant milestone for Cerrado as we continue to deliver on our production growth strategy in Argentina. In Brazil, as we near the completion of the study phase, we continue to be confident that the MDC Project will be a very robust project which should position Cerrado for a period of rapid growth."

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Brazil, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte Do Carmo Project, through feasibility and into production. Serra Alta is expected to be a high-margin and high-return project with significant exploration potential on an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 hectare land package.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

For further information, contact:

Mark Brennan Mike McAllister

CEO and Chairman Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the time required to reach production capacity at Las Calandrias, the future operating costs in Argentina, as well the timing of the feasibility study at Monte Do Carmo. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/766370/Cerrado-Gold-Announces-First-Gold-Pour-at-Its-Las-Calandrias-Project-in-Santa-Cruz-Argentina




FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the WHO Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends an ACANU briefing in Geneva

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Belize as being free from malaria, marking success for the Central American country after 70 years of continuous efforts to eradicate the disease.

The number of cases of malaria, which is caused by a bite from an infected Anopheles mosquito, have dropped from about 10,000 cases in 1994 to zero indigenous cases in 2019.

Belize is "another example of how, with the right tools and the right approach, we can dream of a malaria-free future, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said in a statement.

In its efforts to wipe out the disease, Belize has worked with the Belize Vector Ecology Center to analyse data on the density and distribution of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It has encouraged the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and trained community workers to give more timely diagnosis and treatment.

It has also collaborated with neighbouring Mexico and Guatemala, which the WHO said had been "essential".

The WHO has so far certified 42 countries and one territory as having managed to eradicate malaria.

"Belize becomes the fourth country in the Americas and the second in Central America to be certified as free of malaria over the last five years," Dr Jarbas Barbosa, director of the Pan American Health Organization, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jyoti Narayan, Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
(Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. is looking to expand its footprint in a market thats so far been dominated by Credit Suisse, according to a senior banker at the Wall Street firm.

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Jay Collins, vice chairman of banking, capital markets and advisory, said Citi is absolutely interested in arranging new deals in the market for debt-for-nature swaps, which allows countries to restructure their debt in exchange for promises to protect the environment.

There are requests for proposals out there that Citi is and will participate in to help get these deals done, Collins said in an interview.

Before its near-collapse earlier this year, Credit Suisse had cemented a reputation as the top bank for arranging such refinancing structures. Its most recent swap marked a record deal arranged for Ecuador. That followed transactions for Barbados and Belize.

In all, the Swiss bank has helped replace about $2.3 billion of debt with roughly $1.2 billion of new financing tied to nature projects, according to Ramzi Issa, who oversaw the deals at Credit Suisse.

With Credit Suisse now being absorbed by UBS Group AG and mass job cuts underway, banks across the US and Europe are vying to structure the lucrative deals as new opportunities emerge. Barclays Plc says the market for debt-for-nature swaps may reach $800 billion, as the list of countries voicing interest grows.

Issa at Credit Suisse recently told Bloomberg hes still keen to build out the market, even though that may no longer be possible within the Swiss bank.

Citi has already acted as a financial adviser to countries structuring debt-for-nature swaps, Collins said. Im huge fan.

However, theres also reason for caution, he said. The financial structures behind such deals remain very complex and they take a long time, according to Collins. Most countries trading at deeply discounted debt cant wait that long.

The comments echo concerns raised by HSBC Holdings Plc, which has signaled its keen to compete for such deals. Farnam Bidgoli, HSBCs managing director and global head of ESG solutions, recently told Bloomberg she thinks many countries would be better off tapping more traditional debt markets.

A key concern is keeping costs down for the borrower, Bidgoli said. She also pointed out that structures to date have left very little cash for actually protecting nature.

Debt experts and nonprofits are among those to have raised concerns regarding the costs associated with such swaps, especially after the products were adapted for private markets. And analysts at Barclays have questioned the use of a blue-bond label on swaps arranged for Belize and Barbados, after establishing that only some of the proceeds would go toward marine conservation.

We have to create simplicity, scale, speed, Collins said. We cant reinvent the wheel every time we do one of these transactions.

Debt-for-nature swaps should be seen as just one part of a wider toolkit, he said. This doesnt solve the whole emerging markets debt problem, Collins said.

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Commodities trader caught in DOJ probe ruined her own non-prosecution agreement by taunting the former colleagues she was helping to investigate

A trader reacts during the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on February 28, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City. JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images

Charlotte Bamber admitted to wire fraud and price manipulation while working as a commodities trader.

She entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ in exchange for cooperating with a probe.

A court filing shows Bamber ruined the agreement by harassing colleagues she was helping investigate.

A former commodities trader who admitted to wire fraud and price manipulation ruined a non-prosecution agreement she scored after it was revealed she was harassing the former colleagues she was helping to investigate.

Charlotte Bamber, a former trader of oil products at Trafigura Group, entered into the non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ in 2020 in exchange for cooperating with a probe into her former employer.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bamber was not to have contact with her colleagues and would not face jail time if she helped investigators dig into the price manipulation plan she was a part of.

In a June 26 court filing reviewed by Insider, Bamber acknowledged she violated the agreement after the investigators on the case discovered she was sending threatening messages to her former co-workers.

Bamber did not acknowledge she had sent the emails until confronted with the evidence by FBI and DOJ agents. It remains unclear how the agents tracked the emails to Bamber.

"You should probably tell your family what is about to be made public," Bamber wrote to another employee being investigated, using a pseudonymous email account, in November 2021. "Everything you do always catches up with you. Always. You'll get a great roommate, don't worry."

In January of the following year, she wrote another taunting email to a different employee of the firm: "Tick Tock. There's no way out for you. Enjoy balding even further, if that's possible."

Bamber specifically mentioned the investigation and that management planned to throw the former employees "under the bus" for participating in the trading fraud.

"Guess who snitched on the other about C07 payment approvals?" Bamber wrote, copying two colleagues under investigation in the same email thread: "One of you will lose everything."

In a February 2022 interview, according to the filing, Bamber was asked by FBI agents and DOJ Fraud Section attorneys whether she had any contact with other employees of Trafigura Group  and lied about it. She denied having had contact with her former colleagues, violating the non-prosecution agreement, and opening herself up to a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

"In relation to the previous investigation referred to in this document, external legal counsel conducted a review and found no evidence of improper trading activity by Trafigura or its employees," Representatives for Trafigura Group told Insider in an emailed statement. "From our perspective, this matter is now closed."

Bamber's sentencing hearing, which would have been avoided had she not sent the harassing emails, is set for October 24.

Lawyers representing the United States and Bamber did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Week

Magazine publisher Future has launched a 45m share buyback to placate investors, as the media group battles to reverse flagging earnings and readership.

Future, which owns titles including The Week and Country Life, said it planned to repurchase up to 10pc of total shares.

The London-listed company said the move would provide greater flexibility to deliver value for shareholders, while still maintaining a strong balance sheet.

Shares rose 48p to 741p on the announcement.

However, industry analysts said the buyback was an attempt to soothe investor concerns about Futures flagging share price and earnings.

Jon Steinberg replaced Zillah Byng-Thorne as chief executive of the company in April - Future

Under previous chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne, the publisher embarked on an aggressive acquisition spree that saw it buy up a host of magazine titles as well as price comparison sites including Go Compare.

The strategy was a bet that the group could use its online titles to funnel readers towards its own e-commerce and financial services brands.

During Ms Byng-Thorne tenure, Futures share price surged to a peak of 39 in 2021, giving the company a market value of roughly 4.7bn.

However, its market capitalisation has collapsed since then to fall below 900m. The slump comes as it grapples with an advertising downturn and declining reader numbers.

Profits dropped by 18pc in the first half of the year, with earnings from its crucial US operations down 17pc.

Alex DeGroote, a media analyst, said: Normally, companies that buy back shares are quite boring companies that generate a lot of cash and dont know what to do with it. Not go-go media companies, not exciting growth media companies.

The deeper story here is that this hints at a company which is in trouble.

Mr DeGroote said Future should use its cash reserves to pay down its debt, rather than buy up shares. Net debt stood at 390m at the end of March.

Jon Steinberg, a former senior figure at Daily Mail and BuzzFeed, was brought in as Ms Byng-Thornes replacement in April. He has been charged with overseeing the groups expansion in the US after snapping up titles such as Marie Claire US.

A Future spokesman said: Whilst the macroeconomic environment remains challenging, the fundamentals of our business are strong and we are well placed to further enhance our brand leadership positions.

Our diversification and investment in new strategic verticals, coupled with our tech stack and operating model, will create long-term value for our stakeholders.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Crypto, Stablecoins May Pose 'Threat to Financial Stability' if Widely Used: BIS Survey

The number of central banks intent on debuting CBDCs in the immediate term has doubled since last year, despite the calamity that has since ensued in the crypto market.

If widely used for payments, cryptoassets including stablecoins may constitute a threat to financial stability, read a new survey from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). To strengthen and coordinate regulatory approaches to contain their risks to the financial system, the CPMI, IOSCO, FSB and BCBS published updated or new guidance and standards for stablecoins or crypto activities and markets more broadly.

Almost a quarter of all central banks globally are currently piloting a retail CBDC, with over two dozen such state-backed digital currencies set to roll out by 2030, the BIS has found.

CBDCs, or central bank digital currencies, are digital forms of a nations or international economic zones currency, issued by that entitys central bank. Most analogous to stablecoinscryptocurrencies that peg their value to fiat currencyCBDCs have already been issued by Nigeria, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Eastern Caribbean.

Those entities are soon to be joined by numerous others, according to Mondays survey. By the end of the decade, 15 consumer-facing retail CBDCs, and nine wholesale CBDCs (designed to facilitate transactions between financial institutions) are expected to launch across the world, both in emerging and established economies.

US 'Has Not Yet Determined Whether It Will Pursue a CBDC,' Says Treasury Official

60% of central banks surveyed said that the emergence and proliferation of stablecoins and other cryptoassets have accelerated their work on CBDCs, according to the report.

That does not mean, however, that the calamitous crypto news cycle of the last year has convinced all central banks of the necessity of a state-backed digital currency.

Bank of England-Backed Project: CBDCs Could Enable 'Programmability' for Money

While 93% of all central banks are investigating CBDCs in some capacity, a growing number of those banks have also indicated with greater certainty that they do not intend to issue a digital currency any time soon.

A clear divergence has emerged: compared to last year, some central banks have become more likely to issue a CBDC within the next three years, while others indicated to be less likely to do so, the report reads.

One country that appears yet to have made up its mind is the United States.

Last month, a U.S. Treasury official revealed that the department has not yet determined whether it will pursue a CBDC.

In May the state of Florida banned CBDCs, deriding the innovation as Big Brothers digital dollar.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Daimler Truck has raised its profit and revenue guidance due to an easing of supply chain constraints, stronger demand in its core markets and the after-sales business, the company said on Monday.

The company has updated its guidance for adjusted returns on sales in its industrial business to a range of 8.5% to 10% from 7.5% to 9% previously for the financial year 2023, it said on Monday.

The truck and busmaker now expects revenue to reach 56-58 billion euros ($63.79 billion), from 55-57 billion previously, with unit sales forecast around 20,000 higher to a range of 530,000 to 550,000.

Its adjusted return-on-sales forecast rose to 11-13% for its North America division, 8-10% for its Europe division, and 4-6% for its Asia division.

Its forecast for Daimler Buses was raised to 3-5% from 2-4% previously.

The company also announced a share buyback program starting August 2023 of up to 2 billion euros, to be acquired over up to two years.

Daimler Truck forecasts a slight increase in its group investments and research and development costs. It also foresees a significant increase in its free cash flow of the industrial business segment.

($1 = 0.9092 euros)

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Maria MartinezEditing by Marguerita Choy)
The benchmark price used for most fuel surcharges rose for the first time in three weeks and just the third in the last 23. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The diesel price used as the basis for most fuel surcharges reversed course this week, rising 3.9 cents a gallon for the first increase in three weeks and just the third in the past 23 weeks.

The Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration price was posted at $3.806 a gallon Monday. The reversal of recent trends came as gains in the broader oil market have been significant and sustained enough that some analysts say the weak market that has been the driving force for most of the first half of the year might have run its course.

The Brent market, the worlds crude benchmark, peaked this year with a settlement price of $88.19 a barrel on Jan. 23. After the early April announcement of a cut in production from the OPEC+ group of oil exporters, Brent rose as high as an $87.33-a-barrel settlement on April 12, climbing from prices in the $70s that prevailed for much of the second half of March.

But the OPEC+ cuts, even when bolstered by further Saudi cuts in addition to the OPEC+ reductions, did not have staying power in stemming the slide in prices. Brent on the CME commodity exchange settled at $72.26 a barrel on June 27.

Since then, in mostly steady gains without any spectacular one-day increases, the price of Brent climbed as high as a $78.47-a-barrel settlement Friday before a decline Monday to $77.69. The Friday settlement was the highest since May 1.

The sense that the oil market may have hit a bottom and that fundamental supply and demand was pushing numbers higher was summed up in a statement to Reuters by the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol.





According to Reuters, Birol said the IEA still sees the oil market as tight going into the second half of the year.

Even in sluggish economic growth, China and other developing countries demand is strong, he said. Taken together with the production cuts coming from key producing countries, we still believe that we may see tightness in the market in the second half of this year.

That strength is showing up even stronger in diesel markets. After a recent low settlement of $2.3091 a gallon on June 12, ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) on the CME climbed Friday to a settlement of $2.5591, up exactly 25 cents a gallon from its June 12 low. The price retreated slightly Monday, to $2.5532, down 0.59 cents.

More notable recently has been the strength of ULSD against Brent. The front-month comparison has climbed to roughly 70.3 cents a gallon, up from about 60 cents just one week earlier.

While physical market diesel spreads in the U.S. are not showing signs of any particular tightness, Bloomberg reported late last week that was not the case in Europe.

Citing refinery disruptions in Germany and the Persian Gulf, the news agency quoted Philip Jones-Lux, commodity owner at Sparta Commodities, as saying that the diesel market is being hit by reduced flows out of the Middle East. [With] some volumes on water only expected to arrive toward the end of July, there is a need to entice more volumes out of storage in the short term, Bloomberg quoted Jones-Lux as saying.

Water levels on the Rhine continue to be a problem in Europe as well, having the potential to slow diesel deliveries along that waterway, which supplies parts of Germany, France and Switzerland.

Quantum Commodities, in an email, said the water level at the important measuring point of Kaub will likely decline to a level below 100 centimeters by the middle of this week, citing German government data. Quantum said that puts water levels at a number not seen since at least 2000.

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A northeast Iowa landowner is challenging whether Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon-capture pipeline fits the state definition of a hazardous liquid pipeline, a distinction that could complicate the Ames company's efforts to build the $4.5 billion project.

Brian Jorde, an Omaha, Nebraska, attorney representing Floyd County landowner George Cummins, said the carbon dioxide the pipeline would transport isnt a hazardous liquid, as defined in state law, which covers materials like crude oil, refined petroleum products and liquid fertilizers.

Pipelines carrying "liquefied carbon dioxide" also fall under the Iowa Utilities Board's jurisdiction. But Jorde argues in the motion to dismiss Summit's petition for a permit to build the pipeline that the CO2 the company plans to capture from ethanol plants would be in a supercritical phase, somewhere between a gas and a liquid.

An Iowan holds up a sign at a rally at the Iowa Capitol on Feb. 21, 2023, in opposition to the use of eminent domain by carbon-capture pipeline companies in Iowa.

Carbon dioxide in the supercritical phase is not a liquid, Jorde said in the motion to dismiss. Additionally, supercritical carbon dioxide is not the same as or synonymous with liquified carbon dioxide.'

If the Iowa Legislature intended supercritical carbon dioxide be included in Iowa law, Jorde wrote, it would have added the word.

The company has until next week to respond to the motion to dismiss and declined Friday to comment.

Lawmakers are meeting in a special session beginning July 11 to consider limiting access to abortion, and could potentially be asked to clarify the board's jurisdiction. But Jennifer Zwagerman, director of Drake Universitys Agricultural Law Center, said she doubted that lawmakers would be inclined to take up the issue, considering the divisions across the Republican-controlled Legislature over carbon-capture pipeline proposals. Summit and other companies seek to use the pipelines to transport carbon dioxide to sites in Illinois and North Dakota for sequestration deep underground.

Lawmakers are under particular pressure to cut off the ability of the Iowa Utilities Board to grant the companies eminent domain, which the companies could use to force reluctant landowners to sell them access to their property for the pipelines. This year, the Iowa House passed a bill that would restrict eminent domain, but the bill failed to come to a vote in the Iowa Senate.

I'm not sure there's enough consensus that they would want to try and take something like that on, Zwagerman said. Particularly when they already have such a contentious issue set up for it.

Here's what to know about Cummins' motion and its implications.

What's Summit's proposed project?

Summit filed a petition last year seeking Iowa Utilities Board approval of its request for a permit to build a 687-mile hazardous liquid pipeline across about 30 counties in Iowa. The carbon dioxide collected from ethanol plants would be compressed under pressure into what the company described as a liquid and would be transported to a sequestration site.

Two other companies  Navigator CO2 Ventures and Wolf Carbon Solutions  have proposed similar carbon-capture pipeline projects. They contend the projects will lower the carbon footprint of ethanol, of which Iowa is the leading producer. That would help keep it viable amid growing restrictions on carbon emissions, which are linked to global warming. The federal government is offering rich incentives for pipeline construction.

What is the argument to dismiss Summit's petition?

Jorde, Cummins' attorney, points to testimony from Summit leaders at a hearing in North Dakota, where they described moving the carbon dioxide through the pipeline in a supercritical phase. His motion to dismiss provides statements from two chemical engineers who outlined the differences between a liquid and a supercritical fluid.

When CO2 exceeds the critical point through a combination of pressure and temperature applied, 88 degrees Fahrenheit and 1,073 pounds per square inch, CO2 is no longer in the liquid or gas state and instead is in the different and distinct supercritical fluid state, Jasper Hardesty of New Mexico wrote. Liquid or liquefied carbon dioxide is not the same as supercritical carbon dioxide.

When will the board respond to the dismissal motion?

Zwagerman and others say it's unclear when the three-person utilities board will act. Jorde said he believes the board should provide an answer before a scheduled Aug. 22 hearing on Summit's request to build the pipeline.

Given the board's desire for timely action on Summit's request, it should be able to respond quickly, he said.

What is the chance the motion will succeed?

Drake's Zwagerman said the motion to dismiss will be hard to win. Its definitely an argument to make, but it's going to be a stretch simply because a court and the board could very easily consider this to be a type of fluid or a type of liquid, even if it's not traditional liquid carbon dioxide, she said.

Will the motion delay the August hearing?

Zwagerman believes the August hearing in Fort Dodge on Summit's request to build the pipeline will likely start as scheduled, even if there is an appeal of the Iowa Utilities Board's ruling on the motion. And the Iowa Legislature could clarify the law during its next regular session in January, if needed, she said.

Are there other challenges?

Jorde also filed a request that the Iowa Utilities Board reconsider starting the Summit hearing Aug. 22, two months before the date the board initially had considered. The board said it would first listen to concerns from landowners targeted for eminent domain, flipping the traditional order of having them testify last.

Jorde said the switch doesn't give landowners sufficient time to prepare. He also said the utilities board staff lacks enough time  estimated at about 4,000 hours  to evaluate the roughly 1,000 parcels that could be subject to eminent domain.

"The new hearing schedule violates the procedural due process rights of ... landowners by requiring them to testify approximately four months earlier than previously scheduled and requiring them to testify about the proposed pipelines impact to their land before the party with the burden of proof  Summit  testifies," Jorde wrote.

What's next?

The Iowa Utilities Board plans to hold a prehearing status conference Monday after its regular 1 p.m. meeting.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Landowner questions whether Summit carbon pipeline plan meets Iowa law
NYSE American:EU

TSXV:EU

DALLAS, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - enCore Energy Corp. ("enCore" or the "Company") (NYSE American: EU) (TSXV: EU) announced today that the Company has received 9,263,800 shares of Nuclear Fuels Inc. (CSE: NF) (formerly Uravan Minerals Inc.) in exchange for shares of a private BC company (also named Nuclear Fuels) which held uranium projects in Wyoming and Arizona. (enCore NR dated Nov 3, 2022).

enCore Energy Logo (CNW Group/enCore Energy Corp.)

Immediately prior to the acquisition, enCore held 64,000 post-consolidated common shares of Nuclear Fuels Inc. (CSE:NF). Following the business transaction completion, enCore holds a total of 9,327,800 shares representing approximately 19.9% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Nuclear Fuels Inc.

enCore is holding the shares of Nuclear Fuels Inc. for investment purposes, and may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership of the Company's securities, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

The disclosure respecting enCore's shareholdings contained in this news release is made pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 and a report respecting the above acquisition will be filed with the applicable securities commissions and will be available for viewing at www.sedar.com. Solely for the purposes of the report, the consideration shares of the Company that were received by enCore were attributed a deemed price of $0.45 per Company share as determined in accordance with stock exchange rules, resulting in a deemed value of the Company shares received by enCore of $4,168,710. A copy of the report may also be obtained by contacting William M. Sheriff, Executive Chairman, 361-239-5449, or at info@encoreuranium.com.

About enCore Energy Corp.

enCore Energy Corp., America's Clean Energy Company, is committed to providing clean, reliable, and affordable domestic nuclear energy by becoming the next United States uranium producer in 2023. enCore solely utilizes In-Situ Recovery (ISR) for uranium extraction, a well-known and proven technology co-developed by the leaders at enCore Energy. In-Situ Recovery extracts uranium in a non-invasive process using natural groundwater and oxygen, coupled with a proven ion exchange process, to recover the uranium. Uranium production is planned at enCore's licensed and past-producing South Texas Rosita Processing Plant in 2023, and at its licensed and past-producing South Texas Alta Mesa Processing Plant in 2024.

Future projects in enCore's production pipeline include the Dewey-Burdock project in South Dakota and the Gas Hills project in Wyoming, along with significant uranium resource endowments in New Mexico providing long term opportunities. The enCore team is led by industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of ISR uranium operations and the nuclear fuel cycle. enCore diligently works to realize value from other owned assets, including our proprietary uranium database that includes technical information from many past producing companies, from our various non-core assets, and by leveraging our ISR expertise in researching opportunities that support the use of this technology as applied to other metals. enCore is also committed to working with local communities and indigenous governments to create positive impact from corporate developments.

Neither the NYSE American nor the TSX Venture Exchange or 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:

Certain information contained in this news release, including any statements regarding future expectations, beliefs, goals or prospects, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "expects", "is expected", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken) should be considered forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; the ability of enCore to implement its business strategies; and other risks. A number of important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including without limitation exploration and development risks, changes in commodity prices, access to skilled mining personnel, the results of exploration and development activities; production risks; uninsured risks; regulatory risks; defects in title; the availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government approvals and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations; risks posed by the economic and political environments in which the Company operates and intends to operate; increased competition; assumptions regarding market trends and the expected demand and desires for the Company's products and proposed products; reliance on industry equipment manufacturers, suppliers and others; the failure to adequately protect intellectual property; the failure to adequately manage future growth; adverse market conditions, the failure to satisfy ongoing regulatory requirements and factors relating to forward looking statements listed above which include risks as disclosed in the Company's annual information form filings. Should one or more of these risks 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. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the various securities commissions which are available online at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations, beliefs and plans of management. Such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes and readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, that speak only as of the date hereof, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/encore-energy-reports-19-9-ownership-of-nuclear-fuels-inc-301872640.html

SOURCE enCore Energy Corp.
On the eve of the 3rd anniversary of the Tovuz battles, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry organized a tour for media representatives to the territory where the operations were carried out, Azernews reports, with reference to the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry.

The media representatives filmed and interviewed participants of the Tovuz battles, as well as servicemen serving in the military unit stationed in the area.

The servicemen shared their memories of the combat operations conducted on 12-17 July 2020 in the direction of the Tovuz section of the state border as a result of a gross violation of the ceasefire regime.

As part of the media tour, the media representatives got acquainted with the conditions created in the military unit for the organization of service and combat activities of servicemen, as well as the provision of living conditions.

The servicemen expressed satisfaction with the conditions created and pride in serving the Motherland.

On 12-17 July 2020, a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Tovuz section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border led to a series of hostilities. After the conflict ended, the servicemen shared their memories of the hostilities.

The conflict began on 12 July when Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijani positions in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan. In response, Azerbaijani troops launched a counter-offensive and repelled the Armenian attacks.

The battles were fought on several fronts, with both sides using artillery, tanks, and aircraft. The Azerbaijani troops successfully repelled the Armenian attack and by 17 July the conflict ended with Azerbaijani troops taking control of the region.

The battle was one of the most intense in recent years, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Azerbaijani troops suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100 servicemen killed and more than 200 wounded. Armenian troops also suffered losses, although the exact number is unknown.

The Battle of Tovuz was a significant victory for Azerbaijani troops, who were able to successfully repel the Armenian attack and maintain control over the region. The servicemen who took part in this battle will never forget the tension of the conflict and the courage and bravery of their comrades.
It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like COSOL (ASX:COS), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide COSOL with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for COSOL

COSOL's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Impressively, COSOL has grown EPS by 29% per year, compound, in the last three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. While we note COSOL achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 49% to AU$60m. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for COSOL?

Are COSOL Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So we're pleased to report that COSOL insiders own a meaningful share of the business. In fact, they own 59% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at AU$70m at the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at!

Is COSOL Worth Keeping An Eye On?

You can't deny that COSOL has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. Further, the high level of insider ownership is impressive and suggests that the management appreciates the EPS growth and has faith in COSOL's continuing strength. Fast growth and confident insiders should be enough to warrant further research, so it would seem that it's a good stock to follow. It is worth noting though that we have found 2 warning signs for COSOL that you need to take into consideration.

Although COSOL certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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EU seals new US data transfer pact, but challenge likely

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies that transfer personal data across the Atlantic.

The move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement.

The commission and the United States had been struggling to reach a new agreement after Europe's top court annulled two previous pacts that underpinned the transfer of personal data across the Atlantic for services ranging from cloud infrastructure to payroll and banking.

The commission, the EU's executive arm, said measures taken by the United States ensured an adequate level of protection for Europeans' personal data transferred across the Atlantic for commercial use.

It said new binding safeguards, such as limiting U.S. intelligence services' access to EU data to what is "necessary and proportionate" and the establishment of a Data Protection Review Court for Europeans, address the concerns raised by Europe's top court.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the data transfer pact and said it reflected a "joint commitment to strong data privacy protections."

EU justice chief Didier Reynders said he was confident of fending off any legal challenge.

"The principles of the data privacy framework are solid, and I am convinced that we have made significant progress which meets the requirements of the European Court of Justice case law," he told a news conference. "I am very confident of fighting, defending the new data agreement."

But Schrems said the latest revision was inadequate.

"Just announcing that something is 'new,' 'robust' or 'effective' does not cut it before the Court of Justice. We would need changes in U.S. surveillance law to make this work," he said in a statement.

"We have various options for a challenge already in the drawer, although we are sick and tired of this legal ping-pong. We currently expect this to be back at the Court of Justice by the beginning of next year," Schrems added.

Lobbying group DigitalEurope, whose members include Airbus, Amazon, Apple , Ericsson, Nokia, Philips and Samsung, welcomed the deal.

"Data flows underpin the EU's annual 1 trillion euros of service exports to the United States, and this decision will give companies more confidence to conduct business and help our economies to grow," its director-general, Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, said.

Earlier this year, the EU's privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Board, said the latest data agreement still fell short and urged the commission to do more to protect Europeans' privacy rights.

Europe's top court scuppered the previous two deals after challenges by Schrems because of concerns about U.S. intelligence agencies' accessing European citizens' private data.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop, Christina Fincher and Leslie Adler)
Europe signs off on a new privacy pact that allows people's data to keep flowing to US

FILE - A worker adjusts the US and EU flags prior to the arrival of European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the EU-US Energy Council Ministerial meeting at the European Council building in Brussels, on April 4, 2023. The European Union signed off Monday July 10, 2023 on a new agreement over the privacy of people's personal information that gets pinged across the Atlantic, aiming to ease European concerns about electronic spying by American intelligence agencies. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LONDON (AP)  The European Union signed off Monday on a new agreement over the privacy of people's personal information that gets pinged across the Atlantic, aiming to ease European concerns about electronic spying by American intelligence agencies.

The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework has an adequate level of protection for personal data, the EUs executive commission said. That means it's comparable to the 27-nation's own stringent data protection standards, so companies can use it to move information from Europe to the United States without adding extra security.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October to implement the deal after reaching a preliminary agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Washington and Brussels made an effort to resolve their yearslong battle over the safety of EU citizens data that tech companies store in the U.S. after two earlier data transfer agreements were thrown out.

Personal data can now flow freely and safely from the European Economic Area to the United States without any further conditions or authorizations, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said at a press briefing in Brussels.

Washington and Brussels long have clashed over differences between the EUs stringent data privacy rules and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law. That created uncertainty for tech giants including Google and Facebook parent Meta, raising the prospect that U.S. tech firms might need to keep European data that is used for targeted ads out of the United States.

The European privacy campaigner who triggered legal challenges over the practice, however, dismissed the latest deal. Max Schrems said the new agreement failed to resolve core issues and vowed to challenge it to the EUs top court.

Schrems kicked off the legal saga by filing a complaint about the handling of his Facebook data after whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations a decade ago about how the U.S. government eavesdropped on people's online data and communications.

Calling the new agreement a copy of the previous one, Schrems said his Vienna-based group, NOYB, was readying a legal challenge and expected the case to be back in the European Court of Justice by the end of the year.

Just announcing that something is new, robust or effective does not cut it before the Court of Justice, Schrems said. We would need changes in U.S. surveillance law to make this work  and we simply dont have it.

The framework, which takes effect Tuesday, promises strengthened safeguards against data collection abuses and provides multiple avenues for redress.

Under the deal, U.S. intelligence agencies' access to data is limited to what's necessary and proportionate" to protect national security.

Europeans who suspect U.S. authorities have accessed their data will be able to complain to a new Data Protection Review Court, made up of judges appointed from outside the U.S. government. The threshold to file a complaint will be very low" and won't require people to prove their data has been accessed, Reynders said.

Business groups welcomed the decision, which clears a legal path for companies to continue cross-border data flows.

This is a major breakthrough," said Alexandre Roure, public policy director at the Brussels office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google and Meta.

"After waiting for years, companies and organisations of all sizes on both sides of the Atlantic finally have the certainty of a durable legal framework that allows for transfers of personal data from the EU to the United States, Roure said.

In an echo of Schrems' original complaint, Meta Platforms was hit in May with a record $1.3 billion EU privacy fine for relying on legal tools deemed invalid to transfer data across the Atlantic.

Meta had warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it would be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
An orphaned well in the Wayne National Forest that is being plugged. The forest has received new federal funding to cap 29 orphaned wells.

Wayne National Forest, home to at least 200 abandoned oil and gas wells in southeast Ohio that date to the 1800s, is getting federal money to clean up 29 of them and, in the process, addressing a tiny fraction of a problem that has plagued the state for decades.

The Biden administration announced in June that it has committed $63.8 million to plugging and remediating 300 orphaned oil and gas wells in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and on other public lands and waters. That includes money for Wayne, a patchwork of land that covers a quarter-million acres in southeast Ohio.

Orphaned and abandoned wells cause environmental, health, and safety concerns. These particular wells can contaminate soil and water with leaking oil and brine, and may also emit methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change," Wayne National Forest Supervisor Lee H. Stewart said in a statement. "This funding to inventory and cap these wells is a critical need for our National Forest.

"By addressing these legacy issues, we are taking proactive measures with our partners, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, to mitigate the potential hazards they pose to our climate, natural resources, and people.

The money for the forest is the second such award for federal lands from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal law passed in 2021 that commits $1.2 trillion to fix roads and bridges, expand internet access, provide access to clean water, improve ports, invest in public transportation and other purposes.

The law provides $16 billion to address what the Biden administration calls legacy pollution by reclaiming abandoned coal mines and plugging orphaned wells. It's also meant to create jobs, improve public safety and reduce methane leaks that contribute to climate change.

Of the $16 billion, $4.7 billion is for orphaned wells, including $4.3 billion for wells on state and private lands and $250 million to cap wells on public lands like Wayne National Forest.

Last year, Cuyahoga Valley National Park received money to clean up three orphaned wells as part of a $33 million award to fix 277 orphaned wells nationwide.

The money is in addition to a $560 million award the U.S. Department of the Interior made last year from the law to to plug, cap and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells on state and private lands, including 245 wells in Ohio.

The forest says it is working the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Bureau of Land Management to identify and implement plugging operations across the area.

So far, the forest has found about 200 orphaned wells, but the search for more wells is continuing and the forest believes there are likely far more than that.

How serious is the problem of orphaned wells?

Thousands of oil and gas wells have been drilled throughout southeast Ohio since 1859, the year of the first oil boom in the U.S.

In the early years of extraction, there were no regulations. Drillers operated wells until they stopped producing oil and gas, and then abandoned them.

These orphaned wells aren't tied to any person or company that would be responsible for covering the costs to plug them, according to the forest.

Orphaned wells pose risks to people and the environment.

Functionally, they are open cavities that can be hundreds to thousands of feet into the ground. They can leak oil and brine, polluting the surrounding soil and water.

An orphaned well in the Wayne National Forest that is leaking gases, most likely methane.

They also can emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas the contribute to climate change.

As of 2021, states have identified more than 129,000 orphaned wells on state and private land, according to the Biden administration.

This number is expected to grow as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding becomes available for further records research, more field equipment, improved well location techniques, and increased site inspections and data collection, the administration said.

In Ohio, 19,000 orphaned wells have been identified, but there are probably more, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

A Columbus Dispatch story last year said the state has potentially 100,000 abandoned oil and gas wells and that 250,000 wells have been drilled in the state.

Ohio established an orphan well program in 1977, and Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz noted in testimony in May before the Ohio Senate that the federal money is helping the state to plug more wells.

"From 2013 to 2018, a total of 113 orphan wells were plugged," she said. "From the beginning of this administration, over the last four years, 636 orphan wells have been plugged and 249 wells are in contract to be plugged  that is a lot of progress. This new federal funding combined with Ohio's already robust state funding will allow an unprecedented opportunity for the next decade, with $634 million in potential funding through 2035."

The department estimates that the program will make $326 million available to the state for plugging orphan wells.

What does the work typically entail?

Orphaned wells are typically plugged by filling the drilled hole with concrete and sealing it close to the surface.

That keeps oil, gas, saline water and various other substances from escaping into the surrounding ground, water and air, according to the forest.

In some cases, the wellbore must be re-drilled to remove any obstacles before the well can be secured. This process may involve leveling the area surrounding the well site to establish a well pad for the drill rig.

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Federal grant to clean wells at Ohio's Wayne National Forest
Key Insights

Finsbury Food Group's estimated fair value is UK1.88 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of UK0.95 suggests Finsbury Food Group is potentially 50% undervalued

The average premium for Finsbury Food Group's competitorsis currently 156%

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Finsbury Food Group Plc (LON:FIF) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Finsbury Food Group

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK11.3m UK12.1m UK12.7m UK13.1m UK13.5m UK13.9m UK14.2m UK14.4m UK14.7m UK14.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.78% Est @ 3.72% Est @ 2.97% Est @ 2.45% Est @ 2.09% Est @ 1.83% Est @ 1.66% Est @ 1.53% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% UK10.6 UK10.6 UK10.4 UK10.1 UK9.7 UK9.3 UK8.9 UK8.5 UK8.1 UK7.7

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK94m

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK15m (1 + 1.2%)  (6.8% 1.2%) = UK270m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK270m ( 1 + 6.8%)10= UK140m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK234m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK0.9, the company appears quite undervalued at a 50% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Finsbury Food Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Finsbury Food Group

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the British market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for FIF.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Finsbury Food Group, we've put together three important items you should consider:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Finsbury Food Group that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does FIF's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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A former Kentucky sheriff accused of skimming cash from his office and taking property bought with taxpayer money has pleaded no contest to the charges.

Former Greenup County Sheriff Keith Cooper entered the plea on one charge of mail fraud and one charge of misappropriation of funds on Friday in federal court in Lexington.

A no-contest plea means a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.

The effect is the same as if the person pleaded guilty.

U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove will decide whether to accept the plea.

Coopers attorney, Edward L. Metzger III, said Cooper, 70, strongly maintains he did not commit any crimes, but would have a hard time refuting the allegations because he did not keep adequate records.

Cooper would have to pay $90,275 as a result of his plea, Metzger said.

Van Tatenhove will decide whether Cooper has to serve jail time. The sentencing hearing is scheduled in October.

Cooper was sheriff of Greenup County for more than 20 years, from 1996 until the end of 2018, and had served two decades as a Kentucky State Police officer before that, according to court records.

The mail-fraud charge against him involved an account in his office that held money seized in criminal investigations, such as cash taken from a drug dealer.

Investigating agencies get to keep some of that money and are supposed to use it for law-enforcement purposes.

The indictment said between early 2013 and March 2017, Cooper took cash from that account, and used it for personal and otherwise unauthorized uses as he deemed fit.

Cooper allegedly tried to cover up the skimming by making up details about illegal drug activity he purportedly investigated and having a deputy prepare case reports with the fabricated information.

He was charged with mail fraud because he allegedly mailed a report to the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office in 2017 that included details he made up.

The indictment also charged that on multiple occasions, Cooper had deputies buy ammunition that did not match the weapons issued to them by the office.

As a result, the office accumulated thousands of dollars worth of bullets without an official use for them, the indictment said.

Cooper allegedly had deputies take ammunition from the office and first put it at his house and later at a storage unit.

Sometime in 2018, another local official told Cooper to return any ammunition he had that had been purchased with taxpayer money.

Cooper had deputies return a modest amount of ammunition and kept the rest in his storage unit, the indictment charged.

Cooper kept ammunition that his office had spent $30,000 in public money to buy, according to the indictment.

The charges said he also used his official vehicle for personal trips, including to Colorado, Alabama and Tennessee, and used his official credit card to pay for the gas.

Metzger said Cooper denies illegally taking cash from the fund that held seized money.

Cooper kept the money in an envelope in a locked drawer in his desk. He did that so he could get cash quickly if he needed it for an undercover case, Metzger said.

Cooper often did undercover work by himself and used money from the envelope in those cases, Metzger said.

However, Cooper did a poor job of keeping records so has no way to show he spent the money for legitimate purposes, Metzger said.

As for the ammunition, Cooper paid for it by putting money into the envelope of cash he used for investigations, then used it on other cases, but again does not have documentation to prove that, Metzger said.

The allegation that Cooper made up investigations he didnt really conduct is false, but he did investigations alone so only he knows the details, Metzger said.

Sheriff Cooper did not do what he is accused of doing but the evidence sure makes it look like he did, Metzger said. Does it look bad? Sure. Did he do it? No.
We're definitely into long term investing, but some companies are simply bad investments over any time frame. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Imagine if you held Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI) for half a decade as the share price tanked 80%. We also note that the stock has performed poorly over the last year, with the share price down 60%. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 18% in the last 90 days. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

After losing 11% this past week, it's worth investigating the company's fundamentals to see what we can infer from past performance.

See our latest analysis for Hanesbrands

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Over five years Hanesbrands' earnings per share dropped significantly, falling to a loss, with the share price also lower. The recent extraordinary items contributed to this situation. At present it's hard to make valid comparisons between EPS and the share price. However, we can say we'd expect to see a falling share price in this scenario.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

Investors should note that there's a difference between Hanesbrands' total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for Hanesbrands shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 76%, over the last 5 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 12% in the last year, Hanesbrands shareholders lost 58%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 12% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Hanesbrands , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Hanesbrands is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Gemini Sues Digital Currency Group and Barry Silbert for Fraud

Gemini Asserts That It Was Misled Into

Gemini Trust Company has filed a lawsuit against Digital Currency Group (DCG) and its CEO, Barry Silbert, accusing them of fraud.

According to the complaint, DCG and Silbert misrepresented and omitted information to Gemini in a deceptive, misleading and incomplete manner. Gemini Earn, a scheme that allowed customers to earn income in exchange for depositing their cryptocurrency holdings, has become the subject of a public dispute between the two businesses.

Gemini asserts that it was misled into believing that Genesis, DCG's insolvent digital asset company, was lending out the money of its Earn customers in a way that minimized risk and produced a return on their deposits. According to the lawsuit, Genesis carelessly lent enormous sums to a counterparty who DCG knew was using them to finance a risky arbitrage trading scheme. DCG has refuted the accusations, calling them baseless, defamatory, and completely false."

In November 2022, Genesis stopped allowing withdrawals, which prompted customers and the founders of Gemini to threaten legal action. Over the next months, a public argument took place. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss asked that Genesis present a repayment strategy for the $900 million loan they made to the now-bankrupt Genesis Global. In January, Silbert and DCG requested more time. Then, in February, it appeared that the companies had reached a repayment deal. However, by late May, things had already soured: Genesis had skipped a loan payment of $630 million.

Last week, Gemini released an open letter and made a final offer to restructure Genesis's debt in an effort to avert a lawsuit. In this letter, Gemini claimed that Silbert had committed fraud and that it would file a lawsuit if Barry Silbert did not respond.
FILE PHOTO: Scenes near Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global hedge funds posted gains of 2.2% in June, as artificial intelligence-related stocks surged and the banking crisis eased, data provider HFR said on Monday.

In the first half of the year, hedge funds added 3.45% to their investors.

"Hedge funds surged in June, led by growth equity exposures and, specifically, artificial intelligence. While gains were driven by these dynamic exposures, industry performance was strong across-the-board," said Kenneth J. Heinz, president of HFR.

Equity hedge funds, which bet stocks will fall or rise, posted the best performance among all four categories tracked by HFR, both in June and in the year, with gains of 2.94% and 5.55%, respectively.

Still, equity hedge funds lagged the S&P 500 index, which soared 16.9% in the first half of 2023.

Macro hedge funds ended June down 0.47% in the year, as they were able to erase some losses earlier in the year last month, up 1.47%. Hedge funds that bet on economic trends had a challenging beginning of the year as they were hard hit by the banking crisis in March.

Event-driven hedge funds, which include shareholder activism and those betting on M&As, rose 2.99% in the first half of the year and 2.78% in June.

Relative value strategies, which trade asset price dispersion, ended June up 2.66% in the year and 0.9% in the month.

(Reporting by Carolina Mandl in New York; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates)
Global Sales of Logic Semiconductor is Expected to Accelerate at a Whopping 10.4% CAGR, Reaching US$ 491.1 Billion by 2031 - TMR Report

Transparency Market Research

Doubling of electric vehicle sales between 2021 and 2020 is attributed to Asia Pacific's dominant share of the global logic semiconductor market

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global logic semiconductor market was valued at US$ 186.9 Bn in 2021 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2031.



Increase in demand for smart and compact electronic devices is fueling the logic semiconductor market. Semiconductors are key components of electronic devices, which are used in a range of devices from smartphones, televisions, and watches to digital cameras, refrigerators etc.

Key role of semiconductor devices in improving technical functionalities of application devices to meet next-gen processing needs is fueling market development. This is driving logic semiconductor designers and manufacturers to focus on new techniques to improve the efficiency of logic devices, which impacts the overall productivity of semiconductor driven systems.

The need to lower the power consumption of electronic devices is leading to surge in demand for programmable logic devices, which, in turn, is contributing to the logic semiconductor market growth.

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Market Snapshot:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue US$ 186.9 Bn Estimated Value US$ 491.1 Bn Growth Rate - CAGR 10.4% Forecast Period 2022-2031 No. of Pages 178 Pages Market Segmentation By Product Type, Type, Industry Vertical Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Companies Covered Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Broadcom, Infineon Technologies AG, Intel Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor, Microchip Technology Inc., Microsemi Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, ROHM CO., LTD, STMicroelectronics, Teledyne Defense Electronics, Texas Instruments Incorporated., Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation, Inc.

Key Findings of Study

Rise in Demand for Consumer Electronics  Growth in population, rapid urbanization, and rise in disposable income have led to increased demand for consumer electronics.

Rise in demand for consumer electronics, such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and smartphones, is fueling the utilization of semiconductor components such as counter ICs, Flip flop ICs, and encoder and decoder ICs.

According to data published by the India Brand Equity Foundation in 2021, the washing machines, refrigerator, and air conditioner market in India was valued at nearly US$ 8.43 Bn, US$ 3.82 Bn, and US$ 3.84 Bn, respectively. Hence, manufacturers are focusing on the development of logic semiconductors to serve the high volume demand for smart and compact electronic devices.

Surge in Adoption of Broadband Devices  Currently, demand for high bandwidth is increasing at a rapid pace to meet the speed of electronic devices, as large populations utilize broadband for long distance transfer of voice, data, and video to long at high speeds.

According to DoT, India, broadband users in India stood at 800.9 million by 2022. Therefore, high volume demand for broadband devices is fueling logic semiconductor market size.

Manufacturers are focusing on technological advancements for faster data transmission that require powerful and faster processor, and denser memory chips. Therefore, these technological advancements need advanced logic devices to attain greater processing speed to be compatible with them. This is expected to improve the performance of a number of applications and services for 5G mobile telecom service providers, cloud data center operators, and research organizations.

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Utilization of Programmable Logic Devices in Several Applications Boosting Market Value  Based on type, the programmable logic devices segment accounted for the leading market share in 2021. The trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. Growth of the programmable logic devices segment is ascribed to increasing usage in various applications such as telecommunications, computers, consumer electronics, and industrial control systems.

Programmable logic devices are adaptable. These can be remodeled to perform large number of functions based on the users needs. Programmable logic devices exhibit exceptional ability to shorten development cycles, and thus enable electronic equipment manufacturers to get their product faster to the market.

Growth Drivers

Rise in demand for consumer electronics and surge in adoption of broadband devices are fueling the logic semiconductor market

Increase in demand for programmable logic devices to reduce power consumption of electronic devices is augmenting market growth



Regional Landscape

Asia Pacific held 46.1% share of the global industry in 2021. This can be ascribed to the growth of automotive and consumer electronics industries in countries such as China, India, and South Korea. International Energy Agency statistics revealed that sales of electric vehicles doubled from 6.6 million in 2020 to 16.5 million units in 2021.

North America accounted for 23.4% share of the global industry in 2021. The region is anticipated to continue to account for significant market share due to rise in digitization and technological advancements.

Competitive Analysis

The global landscape is fragmented, with the presence of large number of small-sized and global players. Leading players are engaging in expansion of product line and M&As to consolidate their position.

Prominent players in the logic semiconductor market include Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, Lattice Semiconductor, Microsemi Corporation, and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

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The global logic semiconductor market is segmented as follows;

Global Logic Semiconductor Market, by Product Type

Logic gates

Flip Flop ICs

Multiplexers/Demultiplexers ICs

Encoder and Decoder ICs

Counter ICs

Others

Global Logic Semiconductor Market, by Type

Fixed Logic Devices

Programmable Logic Devices

Simple Programmable Logic Device

Complex Programmable Logic Device

Field Programmable Gate Array



Global Logic Semiconductor Market, by Industry Vertical

Aerospace and Defense

Consumer Electronics

Automotive and Transportation

IT and Telecommunication

Industrial

Others

Global Logic Semiconductor Market, by Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America



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GaN Semiconductor Devices Industry Growth Analysis [2023-2031] | Industry Share, Trends

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"I do not remember such a conference between the countries. This is an example of friendship and brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkiye," Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said, speaking at the conference on cross-border cooperation between the prosecutor's offices of Azerbaijan and Turkiye held in Nakhchivan, Azernews reports.

The Prosecutor General noted that a number of issues were discussed with Turkish colleagues during his stay in Nakhchivan.

"The most discussed issue is Armenia's offense in the border region. The degree of pollution of the Araz River is obvious, and the construction of a factory there has resulted in an environmental crime. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev also raised this issue at the Non-Aligned Movement and once again pointed out Armenia's crimes out loud."

"The construction of the plant creates huge problems for both Turkiye and Azerbaijan, and we have brought this to the attention of the international community as an environmental crime. Given that the Okchuchay flows into the second largest river in the South Caucasus, the Araz, its pollution affects the water reserves of the Araz River," the Prosecutor General added.

The Okchu River in Azerbaijan has become a target of environmental terror in the form of heavy pollution and waste from Armenia's chemical plants.

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, the pollution of the river has reached catastrophic proportions and has led to the death of flora and fauna and jeopardized its continued existence.

"There are two major mining and processing plants in Armenia in the Okchu River basin. These are the Gajaran-Zangazur copper-molybdenum combined and the Gafan iron ore combines. Water contaminated with heavy metals during the production process at these enterprises is discharged into the Okchu River without filtration, which leads to serious environmental disasters in the river basin," Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Vugar Kerimov said.

The Okchuchay is the left branch of the second largest Azerbaijani river Araz on the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border. The Ohchu River is 85 km long and flows through the territory of the Gafan region of Armenia and the Zangilan region of Azerbaijan. It originates at an altitude of 3.285k meters above sea level on the Gapijig Mountain, the highest point of the Zangazur Range, which forms the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Okchu River is one of eleven rivers located in the liberated Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where more than 30 percent of the country's water resources are concentrated. During the nearly 30-year illegal Armenian occupation of the Karabakh region, environmental crimes, including deforestation, illegal trade in natural resources, and pollution of water reserves, have become commonplace.

Azerbaijani authorities are convinced that Armenians are purposely polluting rivers to cause an agricultural, environmental, and humanitarian catastrophe in Azerbaijan. The Okchu River is believed to be used by Armenian producers as a "collector" to transport industrial waste out of the country.

"Water has been called "the most common victim of mining". An environmental disaster is unfolding on the Okchu River, which flows from Armenia to Azerbaijan. Severe chemical pollution is the result of Armenia's mining industry. Responsible companies must stop their activities," Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, wrote on his Twitter page.

The Karabakh region water study took place against the backdrop of the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from 30 years of illegal occupation by Armenia.

During a counter-offensive operation conducted between 27 September and 9 November 2020, Azerbaijani forces forced the Armenian military out of more than 300 settlements in the Karabakh region, including the towns of Jabrail, Fizuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha. The war ended with a trilateral statement signed on 10 November by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. According to the statement, Armenia also returned the occupied districts of Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin to Azerbaijan by 1 December.
(Bloomberg) -- A bearish research report on Chinese banks by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has drawn fresh criticism from a major lender and one of the nations largest macro hedge funds after receiving a backlash from state media.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Goldmans assumptions have misled some investors and caused them to worry about the asset quality, China Merchants Bank Co. said in a clarification statement to investors that was seen by Bloomberg News.

Shanghai Banxia Investment Management Center also dismissed the note on Monday, saying the US banks prediction that local government debts would sink Chinese banks profits and push up their bad loans will likely be proven wrong.

At stake was a report published by Goldman analysts including Shuo Yang last Tuesday, which highlighted margin risks and potential credit losses from banks exposure to local government debt. Yang, a former official at the China banking regulator, estimated that the implied loss ratio of credit portfolio in debt investment book could reach 25% for Merchants Bank, compared with 6% on average for lenders under its coverage.

A representative for Goldman declined to comment.

Shares of Merchants Bank have lost 12% in Hong Kong since Goldman cut its target price for the second time in three months with a neutral rating. The US bank now has one of the lowest target prices for the Chinese lender, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Merchants Bank argued that Goldmans report is illogical in the way it calculates the potential losses, lacks basic common sense, and also overestimates its exposure to the local government financing vehicles.

Pushback against negative financial commentary in China has become more noticeable in recent weeks, with a prominent finance writer and two of his peers getting suspended from a social media platform for spreading negative and harmful information about the nations faltering stock market. Such moves risk stoking concern among foreign investors about access to independent information on Chinese companies and the economy.

Goldmans report comes at a time when investor concerns are mounting over the health of Chinas debt-laden local-government financing vehicles. Worries that banks may incur losses from these debts started spiraling after some state-owned lenders began to offer extra credit support to LGFVs.

Merchants Bank said it had about 132.6 billion yuan ($18.3 billion) of loans to LGFVs on its balance sheet at the end of 2022, much lower than Goldmans estimate of 1 trillion yuan.

Separately, Banxia Investment said some local authorities recent moves to replace debts with ultra-low-interest, long-term loans can help them avoid defaults and spare banks from booking a big increase in bad loans, according to an article on its Wechat account.

In a rates market with adequate administrative management and notable segregation, Chinese regulators have enough incentives, wisdom and methods to keep major banks balance sheets undisturbed, the fund said.

This isnt the first time Wall Street research has proved controversial in China. The last high-profile saga involved an uninvestable call on Chinese Internet firms by JPMorgan Chase & Co. last year, which eventually cost the brokerage a senior underwriter role in a stock listing. The incident underscored the tricky path global banks have to navigate as they ramped up their businesses in China, while still giving clients access to candid research on the countrys turbulent markets.

--With assistance from Heng Xie and Jeanny Yu.

(Adds Goldman response)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
GUANGZHOU, China, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from GDToday:

Fresh litchi sent from Guangdong[Photo provided by GDToday]

On June 29, a Guangdong litchi promotion event kicked off at Scarlett Supermarket, the largest Chinese supermarket brand in Singapore.

Representatives from China Singapore Chamber of Commerce, leading litchi export enterprises from Guangdong, export bases and Singaporean supermarkets were invited to taste fresh Guangdong litchi. They also discussed opportunities for Guangdong litchi to gain a higher market share in Singapore and other RCEP member countries, thus satisfying local consumers' demands for healthy and fresh fruits.

Three different litchi varieties served at the event, including Jianggang Hongnuo, Nuomici and Liuxi Guiwei, were offered by Guangzhou Conghua Hualong Fruit and Vegetable Company, a leading agricultural enterprise in Guangdong. After being picked at the company's litchi orchard, the litchi was delivered to Singapore by air within 24 hours.

"Our litchi can arrive in Singapore's markets within a day and in Europe within three days," said Alvin Ye, the representative of Guangzhou Conghua Hualong Fruit and Vegetable Company. "We are also working on litchi fresh-keeping technology, making sure that they can keep fresh for a long time at a specific temperature, so as to further meet overseas consumers' demands."

"This event is conducive to pushing forward the agricultural cooperation between Guangdong and Singapore, allowing Singaporean locals to taste fresh litchi from Guangdong," said Dorothy Seet, the immediate past chairperson of SingCham China and the chairperson of SingCham Alumni. She also stressed the expectation that more Guangdong litchi will hit Singapore's shelves in the future under RCEP.

"It is my first time tasting such fresh litchi from Guangdong. Big in size, it is very sweet and crispy," said Casey Woo, CEO of Sheng Yeh International Trading Pte. Ltd. in Singapore.

Fresh litchi also served as an ingredient of the dishes for the event, including roasted goose with litchi, steamed plaice with litchi, as well as snacks and beverages including dried litchi, litchi cake and litchi wine.

By virtue of this promotion event, Guangdong litchi is expected to enter 19 chain stores of Scarlett Supermarket in Singapore, as initial cooperation intention has been achieved between suppliers from Guangdong and purchasers from Singapore.

Moreover, brochures featuring litchi export enterprises from Guangdong were also provided at the event, so guests could contact the companies for further cooperation.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/guangdong-litchi-woos-singaporean-consumers-301872595.html

SOURCE GDToday
Another day, another phishing attack in crypto.

The official Twitter account of the popular Ethereum NFT collection Gutter Cat Gangand its co-founder's accountwas hacked resulting in the loss of at least $750,000.

Others have suggested as much as $900,000 was lost to the exploit. At least one of the attacker's wallets has since sold the stolen assets for $640,000, as verified by AegisWeb3.

Someone lost their ape pic.twitter.com/idcePIfyZa  ZachXBT (@zachxbt) July 7, 2023

The wide range of estimates is likely due to the wide range of NFTs nabbed and their varying floor prices.

Put otherwise, at least 87 NFTs were stolen from 16 users with one address losing 36 NFTs, including a Bored Ape that sold for $125,000 back in September 2021.

The hacker tweeted Friday, promoting a "public airdrop" of GutterMeloa legitimate Gutter Cat Gang collection released late last month. The hacker posted a phishing link to a fake airdrop that drained wallets that connected to the site.

"Most of the time [with an attack like this] a victim is interacting with a malicious contract to which the victim gives approval to that contract to spend the tokens on behalf of the user. That's how transferFrom() works," Adrian Hetman, tech lead triager at Immunefi, told Decrypt. "From there, the hacker controlling the contract basically can transfer the user's NFTs as they want."

Two days later, the Gutter Cat Gang Twitter posted a debrief on the situation, expressing remorse, that they are working with law enforcement, and that they are taking steps to prevent an attack from happening again.

Fans of the project were disappointed to not see any mention of possible compensation for the victims.

Gutter Cat Gang Twitter accounts were compromised yesterday. Malicious tweets were posted Friday afternoon, July 7 (Eastern Time). The team has regained control of the known compromised accounts. We promptly reached out to our contacts at Twitter, law enforcement and mobile  Gutter Cat Gang (@GutterCatGang) July 8, 2023

Decrypt has contacted the Gutter Cat Gang team but they have not responded at the time of publication.

Gutter Cat Gang security?

Despite the hack, Gutter Cat Gang claims to have been using "multi-factor authentication and security measures."

It's unclear what multi-factor authentication and security measures the team was using. Twitter offers three multi-factor options: app-based authentication, SMS, or a dedicated key.

"The most secure option, by far, is app-based authentication using something like Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, or Google Authenticator," Cyber-security expert, James Bore told Decrypt. "The authentication code is never transmitted over any network, so there is no opportunity for someone to intercept it."

"A dedicated USB security key is a more secure option than a phone app, but often less popular due to the additional expense, inconvenience, and that you are more likely to lose or forget a hardware key than your phone," added Bore.

However, crypto sleuth ZachXBT claims that the team used SMS authentication, adding that, "it is gross negligence to have used SMS [two-factor authentication] on your socials after all of the recent SIM swaps."

"A SIM swap attack is where a fraudster takes over a victim's phone number by convincing their phone provider that the phone has been lost and the number needs to be ported to a new SIM," Andrew Whaley, senior technical director at social media security company Promon. "The new SIM, of course, is the fraudster's, and once ported, they have access to phone calls and SMS messages. In this case, Twitter allows password resets by texting a one-time code to the users phone. So the fraudster used this, following the SIM swap, to take over the Twitter account."

SIM swap attacks have been prevalent in the crypto world lately with ZachXBT claiming there have been, "30+ crypto-related SIM swaps in the past few weeks."

This is a project that was not able to secure not one but two of their team accounts There has been 30+ crypto related SIM swaps in past few weeks. When you know projects are being targeted why would you continue to use SMS 2FA instead of an Authenticator app or security key  ZachXBT (@zachxbt) July 7, 2023

"This illustrates why SMS is not a particularly secure form of two-factor authentication (2FA)," Whaley said. "SIM swap attacks vary by country and mobile provider in how easy they are to pull off. In some countries, they are as easy as pressing '1' on the phone keypad."

How to stay protected?

This has raised questions about how crypto projects are securing their social media accounts.

Bore recommends using a "long, unique password" while using a hardware key for second-factor authentication.

Users should also turn on password reset protection which requires both your email and phone number before someone can attempt to reset an account's password.

For a final layer of protection, Bore recommends having a phone number that you only use for security, meaning you never give your number out to people to contact.
Half a Billion Has Poured Into Bitcoin Funds in Past Three Weeks

Institutional investors have put half a billion worth of assets into digital asset investment productsmostly ones that hold Bitcoinin the last three weeks, reversing the down trend that's been plaguing crypto funds since April.

According to a recent report by CoinShares, digital asset investment products registered $136 million in inflows in the past seven days, bringing the 3-week total to $470 million.

This half a billion eclipses and erases the previous nine weeks of outflowsbringing year-to-date flows to a bullish $231 million.

PEPE Leads Meme Coin Losses as Fresh Token Launches Grab Traders Attention

Digital asset investment firm CoinShares follows the investment activity of important exchange-traded products, mutual funds, and over-the-counter (OTC) trusts, in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and other altcoins and publishes its findings in a weekly report.

Glassnode noted that exchange inflows are at a cycle low, registering $2.3 billion in deposits. In conjunction with todays CoinShares report, these numbers suggest that institutions might be bullish.

Bitcoin is by far the most solicited asset, clocking $133 million in buying done by institutions this past week. With weekly inflows for crypto-related investments reaching $136 million, the interest in the top digital asset accounts for an astounding 98% of institutional investments.

In second place, Ethereum filed a meager $2.9 million on the week, registering a negative year-to-date outflow of $63 million.

Solana Co-Founder Says Ethereum Could Be Layer-2 for SOL

Aside from Solanawhich recorded $1.2 million in inflowsnearly every other altcoin saw less than $1 million in activity from institutional investors. Cardano was the only cryptocurrency that was led by the bears, according to CoinShares, reporting $1.3 million in outflows.

Germany-based funds led the week, with $61.5 million in inflows, marking a solid $212 million in institutional activity on the year. The United States landed in second place over the past seven days, posting $55.9 million, followed from afar by Canada and Switzerland, who lodged $11 million and $8.9 million respectively.

James Butterfill, head of research at Coinshares, indicated that despite this recent surge, volumes remain at seasonal lows.

The Northern Hemisphere typically dies down from July through August, wrote Butterfil, showcased by investment products totaling $1 billion on the week, down from $2.5 billion in the previous two.
HARTFORD, Conn., July 10, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hartford has appointed Laura Hamilton head of the Western Division for the companys Middle and Large Commercial insurance business. Hamilton will lead the sales and underwriting operations for the companys independent agents, brokers, and customers across 13 Western states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. She will report to Gretchen Thompson, head of Field Operations & General Industries for Middle and Large Commercial.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710742280/en/

The Hartford has appointed Laura Hamilton head of the Western Division for the companys Middle and Large Commercial insurance business. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Laura is an ideal fit for this leadership position in our Western territories having played a key role in the growth of our business in the region," said Thompson. "Her attention to detail and keen focus on creating a culture of empowerment, collaboration and high performance has elevated our position in the market and made The Hartford a winning brand for our partners."

With more than 23 years of industry experience, Hamilton was most recently the regional vice president of Southern California, where she worked across multiple lines of business including Large Property, Construction, Marine, and Multinational, as well as The Hartfords Global Specialty organization, to drive profitable growth and market success on the West coast. She joined The Hartford in 2018 and resides in Redondo Beach, California.

About The Hartford

The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. For additional details, please read The Hartfords legal notice.

HIG-MLC

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

From time to time, The Hartford may use its website and/or social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at https://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section at https://ir.thehartford.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710742280/en/

Contacts

Media:

Saverio Mancini

(860) 748-8750

saverio.mancini@thehartford.com
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, July 10, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) ("Hecla") and ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX:ATC) ("ATAC") announced today the completion of the ATAC acquisition.

"With the ATAC acquisition, we continue to execute our strategy of acquiring large land packages with significant exploration potential in favorable mining jurisdictions," said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla President & CEO. "The Rackla and Connaught properties in the Yukon are a massive land package of over 700 square miles (1830 square kilometers), almost half the size of Rhode Island, with identified gold, silver, and base metal mineralization. As a result of previous investment in exploration by ATAC, Hecla is not obligated for the next decade to make significant expenditures to maintain control of the land package, so while we will advance the exploration as quickly as possible, we will have flexibility on our pace of spending."

Baker continued, "The acquisition further cements our position in the Yukon, with our Keno Hill mine going into production in the third quarter. Keno Hill is expected to produce more than 2.5 million ounces of silver in 2023 and to become Canada's largest and highest-grade primary silver mine. We look forward to continuing to build our relationships with the Na-Cho Nyak Dun and Trondek Hwechin Han First Nations and the Yukon Territory through our work at Keno Hill and the Rackla and Connaught Properties."

Details of ATAC transaction

Hecla acquired all the outstanding shares of ATAC for total consideration of approximately US$18.8 million in Hecla common stock with the issuance of 3,676,904 shares to ATAC shareholders based on the share exchange ratio of 0.166 of Hecla share for each ATAC common share. As part of the acquisition, Hecla acquired 5,502,956 units consisting of (i) shares of Cascadia Minerals Ltd. ("Cascadia") representing a 19.9% stake, and (ii) full warrants with a five-year term for a C$2 million cash investment. Cascadia will be managed by the former management of ATAC, who will explore specific properties in the Yukon and British Columbia. Hecla will have the right to appoint two directors to Cascadias board.

Restart of Casa Berardi Mine

Hecla also announced that Casa Berardi successfully restarted operations on June 29th following the partial lifting of Quebecs ban on access to the road to the mine. All mining and processing activities have resumed normally.

The impact of the suspension and restart on Casa Berardis production and cost guidance are expected to be updated in the second quarter earnings release.

ABOUT HECLA

Founded in 1891, Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL) is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho, and Quebec, Canada, the Company is developing a mine in the Yukon, Canada, and owns several exploration and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America.

Cautionary Statements to Investors on Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws, including Canadian securities laws. When a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition and often contain words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "could," "would," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "project," "target," "indicative," "preliminary," "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, without limitation: (i) Keno Hill silver production is expected to exceed 2.5 million ounces in 2023, (ii) the Keno Hill mine is expected to be the largest and highest grade primary silver mine in Canada and (iii) Casa Berardis production and cost guidance are expected to be updated in the second quarter earnings release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230710246613/en/

Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Anvita M. Patil

Vice President - Investor Relations and Treasurer

Cheryl Turner

Communications Coordinator

800-HECLA91 (800-432-5291)

Investor Relations

Email: hmc-info@hecla-mining.com

Website: www.hecla-mining.com
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Having said that, from a first glance at TAKKT (ETR:TTK) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for TAKKT, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.097 = 90m  (1.1b - 182m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

Thus, TAKKT has an ROCE of 9.7%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 7.6% generated by the Commercial Services industry, it's much better.

View our latest analysis for TAKKT

roce

In the above chart we have measured TAKKT's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering TAKKT here for free.

What Can We Tell From TAKKT's ROCE Trend?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at TAKKT doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 15%, but since then they've fallen to 9.7%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

In Conclusion...

In summary, TAKKT is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And with the stock having returned a mere 37% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. As a result, if you're hunting for a multi-bagger, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for TAKKT you'll probably want to know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Chevron (NYSE:CVX). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Chevron with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Chevron

How Fast Is Chevron Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

Over the last three years, Chevron has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Outstandingly, Chevron's EPS shot from US$10.67 to US$19.14, over the last year. It's a rarity to see 79% year-on-year growth like that. That could be a sign that the business has reached a true inflection point.

It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. The music to the ears of Chevron shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 12% to 18% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Chevron's future profits.

Are Chevron Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$288b company like Chevron. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. To be specific, they have US$48m worth of shares. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Despite being just 0.02% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.

Is Chevron Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Chevron's earnings per share have been soaring, with growth rates sky high. This level of EPS growth does wonders for attracting investment, and the large insider investment in the company is just the cherry on top. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point, so there's a potential opportunity to be had here. So at the surface level, Chevron is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Chevron you should know about.

Although Chevron certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

So should Technology Metals Australia (ASX:TMT) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

Check out our latest analysis for Technology Metals Australia

Does Technology Metals Australia Have A Long Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Technology Metals Australia last reported its balance sheet in December 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$12m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$1.2m. Therefore, from December 2022 it had 9.6 years of cash runway. While this is only one measure of its cash burn situation, it certainly gives us the impression that holders have nothing to worry about. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Is Technology Metals Australia's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Technology Metals Australia didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. With cash burn dropping by 11% it seems management feel the company is spending enough to advance its business plans at an appropriate pace. Technology Metals Australia makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

Can Technology Metals Australia Raise More Cash Easily?

While Technology Metals Australia is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$66m, Technology Metals Australia's AU$1.2m in cash burn equates to about 1.9% of its market value. So it could almost certainly just borrow a little to fund another year's growth, or else easily raise the cash by issuing a few shares.

Is Technology Metals Australia's Cash Burn A Worry?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Technology Metals Australia's cash burn. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. Its weak point is its cash burn reduction, but even that wasn't too bad! After considering a range of factors in this article, we're pretty relaxed about its cash burn, since the company seems to be in a good position to continue to fund its growth. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 4 warning signs for Technology Metals Australia (of which 2 don't sit too well with us!) you should know about.

Of course Technology Metals Australia may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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At the invitation of the Union of Turkiye Municipalities, representatives of East Zangazur and Karabakh economic regions of Azerbaijan paid a working visit to Ankara, Azernews reports.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation met with heads of departments in the building of the Union of Turkiye Municipalities.

The main purpose of the visit was to exchange experiences related to the formation of municipal revenues and the application of other management models.

The delegation also met with Turgut Altinok, Chairman of Kechioren Municipality, and Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin.

The members of the Azerbaijani delegation also met with Sukru Karatepe, Chief Advisor to the President of Turkiye. During the meeting, a number of opinions were expressed on further directions of activity of the two friendly, brotherly countries in the territories liberated from occupation.

Note that the East Zangazur and Karabakh economic regions of Azerbaijan were established in 2021 as part of the reform of the system of economic regions of Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the ensuing dispute between the first republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1918-1920.

The East Zangazur region includes Jabrail, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, and Zangilan districts, while the Karabakh region includes Aghdam, Shusha, Fizuli, Khojali, Khojavand, and Tartar districts, as well as the city of Khankendi. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen ties between the two countries and discuss the potential for economic development of the newly created regions.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveils much-awaited pension reforms aimed at strengthening UKs position as a leading financial centre - Stefan Rousseau/PA

Jeremy Hunt has vowed to boost future pensioners incomes by 1,000-a-year as part of post-Brexit reforms aimed at supporting retirees and British businesses.

The Chancellor used his first Mansion House speech on Monday night to unveil plans to increase returns for savers by boosting pension funds investments in British companies.

Measures include a voluntary compact among the countrys biggest pension funds to invest 5pc of their assets in start-ups and private equity, potentially unlocking up to 50bn in investment for fast-growing businesses by the end of the decade.

Aviva, Scottish Widows, L&G, Aegon, Phoenix, Nest, and M&G have all signed up to the plans, collectively representing hundreds of billions of pounds in retirement savings and millions of savers.

Mr Hunt has also proposed measures to accelerate the consolidation of smaller pension schemes into so-called superfunds that have the scale to take more risks and generate potentially larger returns.

The Treasury will examine what role the pension industry lifeboat could play in creating or supporting superfunds. Reforms will focus on incentives to consolidate existing pension pots to create the scale needed to invest in high-growth companies and other illiquid assets.

The Treasury has estimated that the package of changes could increase the size of a pension pot for an average earner who starts saving at 18-years-old by 12pc over their career. That amounts to more than 1,000-a-year of extra income in retirement.

The Chancellor said: British pensioners should benefit from British business success. By unlocking investment, we will boost retirement income by over 1,000 a year for a typical earner over the course of their career.



This also means more investment in our most promising companies, driving growth in the UK.



Mr Hunt sought to reassure markets that the changes would be an evolutionary not revolutionary change to our pensions market and said the shift would not impact Britains government bond market, which draws significant support from pension funds.

He said: We will always prioritise a strong and diversified gilt market. It will be an evolutionary not revolutionary change to our pensions market. Those who invest in our gilts are helping to fund vital public services and any changes must recognise the vital role they play.

The reassuring words follow upheaval in the bond market last September after investors reacted with dismay to former Prime Minister Liz Trusss mini-Budget.

The Chancellor said his Mansion House reforms were driven by three rules: securing the best possible outcome for pension savers; prioritising a strong and diversified gilt market; and strengthening the UKs position as a leading financial centre to create wealth and fund public services.

The reforms come amid concerns about the low level of pension cash invested in UK assets compared to international peers, with fears that retirement savers are missing out on higher returns.

The proposals are also aimed at encouraging more companies to stay in the UK and list on the London Stock Exchange, following a number of high-profile defections to the US.

In May, Andrew Griffith, the City minister, urged pension funds to embrace a culture of risk-taking amid fears that a reluctance to put money in the stock market is holding the economy back.

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: Our reforms will benefit savers and society  unlocking investment into pioneering UK businesses, growing the economy, and helping the record number of people in this country saving into a pension to achieve the retirement they want.



David Postings, chief executive of UK Finance, said: We welcome the plans announced by the Chancellor in his Mansion House speech, alongside his ongoing commitment to ensuring the UK has a strong and globally competitive financial services sector.



These reforms will help support economic growth and bolster our capital markets by delivering more investment and making it easier for companies to grow and list here in the UK.



Mr Hunt said the Government would also push ahead with plans to scrap the EU-era Mifid 2 rulebook.

Mifid rules force financial companies to separate the cost of investment research from trading expenses. It was introduced by the EU and was intended to reduce conflicts of interest but is widely felt to have harmed capital markets by reducing available research.

Mr Hunt said the changes would ensure we are better able to fund quality research into the new Silicon Valley sectors.

The package of reforms also includes proposals to speed up the consolidation of Local Government Pension Scheme into a superfund.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for iTech Minerals

When Might iTech Minerals Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In December 2022, iTech Minerals had AU$8.5m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$3.6m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of about 2.4 years from December 2022. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. Importantly, if we extrapolate recent cash burn trends, the cash runway would be a lot longer. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is iTech Minerals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Although iTech Minerals reported revenue of AU$69k last year, it didn't actually have any revenue from operations. To us, that makes it a pre-revenue company, so we'll look to its cash burn trajectory as an assessment of its cash burn situation. Remarkably, it actually increased its cash burn by 214% in the last year. Given that sharp increase in spending, the company's cash runway will shrink rapidly as it depletes its cash reserves. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of iTech Minerals due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.

How Easily Can iTech Minerals Raise Cash?

Given its cash burn trajectory, iTech Minerals shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

iTech Minerals' cash burn of AU$3.6m is about 12% of its AU$31m market capitalisation. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted.

So, Should We Worry About iTech Minerals' Cash Burn?

Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought iTech Minerals' cash runway was relatively promising. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about iTech Minerals' situation. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 3 warning signs for iTech Minerals (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Jack Ma's run-in with Beijing not only saw him disappearing for over 2 years, it also cost his companies over $850 billion

Jack Ma's empire came under regulatory scrutiny following his criticism of Beijing in late 2020. Wang HE/Getty Images

Jack Ma's Alibaba and Ant Group collectively lost $850 billion in value since their peak in 2020.

They came under pressure following Ma's criticism of Beijing, which spurred a regulatory crackdown.

On Friday, Beijing announced a $985 million fine for Ant Group, signaling an end to the crackdown.

Chinese tech titan Jack Ma had been having it rough ever since his criticism of Beijing triggered a backlash on his companies and wealth  but a recent development may change the tide.

On Friday, China's central bank announced a fine of 7.12 billion yuan, or $985 million, for Ant Group  the fintech giant co-founded by Ma that operates the Alipay payments app  signaling that its years-long regulatory crackdown is ending.

But the years-long crackdown has taken a heavy toll on Ma's wealth and the market valuations of the companies he holds stakes in.

Alibaba  the flagship company he co-founded  saw a 45%, or $620 billion, drop in market value since shares hit their peak in 2020, per Bloomberg's calculations on Sunday.

Ant Group is now valued at around $78.5 billion  marking a steep 75% discount to its valuation of $315 billion in a scuttled IPO before Beijing's regulatory crackdown in 2020.

The collective $850 billion wipeout in Alibaba and Ant's valuations has sent Ma's net worth plunging from about $61 billion in October 2020 to $34.1 billion as of Monday, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

On a personal level, Ma has also been lying low for more than two years.

Ma angered Chinese authorities after giving a speech in October 2020 in which he criticized China's financial regulatory system and claimed Chinese banks were operating with a "pawnshop" mentality. His words prompted intense regulatory scrutiny of his businesses  including Alibaba and Ant  and a wider crackdown on tech firms in China.

In January, he was spotted in Bangkok, where he visited a Michelin-starred street-food restaurant and watched a Muay Thai fight. He also popped up in Hong Kong in the same month.

In March, Ma returned to a school he founded in his hometown of Hangzhou in eastern China.

In April, he was appointed an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong. In May, Ma took up a teaching position in Japan, one of the first public roles he has assumed since disappearing from the spotlight in 2020.

Last month, Ma attended the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition finals in Hangzhou, where Alibaba is based.

Alibaba shares in Hong Kong were up 3.1% at 86.90 Hong Kong dollars apiece at midday, buoyed by news of the fine. The company's shares in New York closed 8.1% higher at $90.55 apiece on Friday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Judges Scientific's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

50% of the business is held by the top 15 shareholders

Insiders have been selling lately

Every investor in Judges Scientific plc (LON:JDG) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 58% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Judges Scientific.

Check out our latest analysis for Judges Scientific

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Judges Scientific?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Judges Scientific. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Judges Scientific's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Judges Scientific is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO David Cicurel with 11% of shares outstanding. With 6.2% and 5.9% of the shares outstanding respectively, ODIN Forvaltning AS and Puma Investment Management Limited are the second and third largest shareholders.

A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 15 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Judges Scientific

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Judges Scientific plc. Insiders own UK83m worth of shares in the UK609m company. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 21% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Judges Scientific. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Private Equity Ownership

With an ownership of 5.9%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Judges Scientific .

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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High-tech and defense powerhouse L3Harris Technologies Inc. is proposing a $294.1 million expansion of its Palm Bay campus that would create 201 high-paying jobs at the company and 212 spinoff jobs.

Details of the proposal were revealed in documents filed with Brevard County and Palm Bay governments, as Melbourne-based L3Harris is seeking property tax breaks totaling $17.98 million from the county and city.

L3Harris said it is considering five other states for the expansion, but winning tax breaks from Brevard and Palm Bay could help solidify the Space Coast for its expansion.

High-tech and defense powerhouse L3Harris Technologies Inc. is proposing a $294.1 million expansion of its Palm Bay campus that would create 201 high-paying jobs at the company and 212 spinoff jobs.

There are two separate projects involved  code-named Project LEO, an acronym for low-earth orbit; and Project SAMT, an acronym for secure advanced manufacturing technology. They would be in separate new buildings on the L3Harris campus at 2400 Palm Bay Road.

The Palm Bay City Council on Thursday gave its initial approval to city property tax break for the projects totaling $11.30 million. The Brevard County Commission will have its first discussion of the proposal for $6.68 million in county property tax breaks on Tuesday evening.

L3Harris said Project LEO would be a production facility for building and testing space hardware for commercial and governmental customers, including payloads, unfurlable space antennas, low-earth-orbit space vehicles, and space vehicle constellations.

The project would require construction of a 93,000-square-foot facility on a 3.8-acre site, with investment of about $70 million in building construction costs, plus an additional $13.1 million in manufacturing equipment.

Project LEO would create 101 jobs at L3Harris dedicated to this project from 2024 to 2027, with an average annual wage of $104,805.

In addition, the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast estimates that 103 spinoff jobs would be created by Project LEO, with the total annual payroll of the 204 jobs estimated at $17.08 million.

Project SAMT would enable L3Harris to expand its manufacturing technologies into new products.

Jason Lambert, L3Harris Technologies Inc.'s vice president of operations for space and airborne systems, addresses the Palm Bay City Council on Thursday night.

The project would require construction of a 105,000-square-foot intelligence-cyberbusiness facility on 4.6 acres, with an estimated construction cost of $120 million, with additional investments of $80 million for manufacturing equipment and $11 million in business personal property.

Major acquisition: Melbourne-based L3Harris set to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne in $4.7 billion deal

Project SAMT would create 100 jobs at L3Harris dedicated to this project from 2024 to 2027, with an average annual wage of $110,869.

The Economic Development Commission estimates that 109 spinoff jobs would be created by Project SAMT, with the total annual payroll of the 209 jobs estimated at $17.89 million.

The company said the two projects combined would create 60 engineering jobs at L3Harris with an average salary of $146,243, and 98 production technician jobs with an average salary of $81,414. The highest-paid positions would be 10 program managers earning $208,848 a year.

The other 33 jobs are in these categories: configuration management/data management, facilities, material management, quality assurance and security.

Tax breaks

The Palm Bay City Council gave preliminary approval to a 10-year property tax break for the two facilities.

Under the agreement, the company would get $11.3 million in tax breaks over the next 10 years while paying just under $2 million in city taxes on the two properties during that time.

Aviation contract: L3Harris, partner company land special operations military plane contract worth up to $3B

A second vote on the breaks will be held at a future City Council meeting.

L3Harris is seeking a 100% county property tax break from Brevard County for 10 years. That would total an estimated $3.96 million for Project SAMT and an estimated $2.72 million for Project LEO.

The Economic Development Commission estimates that, even with the county tax break, the project would generate about $9.61 million in new revenue to the county over the 10-year period, including for school taxes, which are not part of the tax break program.

As part of a three-step process, the County Commission is scheduled to take a preliminary vote on the proposal at its meeting Tuesday evening, declaring L3Harris an eligible business under the county's tax abatement program. If that proposal gains majority support, it then would go to an advisory panel, the Economic Development Commission's Ad Valorem Tax Abatement Council, which would issue a recommendation to the County Commission. County commissioners then would hold a public hearing and vote on the proposed tax break.

The company would need to meet its job-creation and capital-investment promises to be eligible for the tax breaks.

The company said it also is looking at Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas, but the Brevard and Palm Bay tax breaks "would competitively position Palm Bay as the location of choice" for these projects.

The L3Harris employs 6,861 people in Brevard, making it the county's third-largest employer, behind Health First and Brevard Public Schools.

Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina said he is gung-ho about the L3Harris expansion plans.

We were a bedroom community. There was a stigma. And this falls in line with creating prosperity, creating jobs, Medina said. And these are new jobs. These are jobs that I truly believe are going to go to our Palm Bayers. And I truly believe its going to just enhance the quality of life in our community."

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

Rick Neale is the South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: L3Harris proposal: Add 201 jobs in Palm Bay, get $17.98M in tax breaks
Does GM know something Apple doesnt? Or has the automaker overplayed its hand in a way that could damage the launch of its vital upcoming electric vehicles?

We may know by the end of this year.

GM has bet potentially billions of dollars on its ability to beat the champion of tech usability at its own game, developing a new smartphone interface for the automakers crucial wave of electric vehicles  and eliminating the Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto apps millions of drivers expect to use for music, phone calls, texts, navigation and more.

The automaker has developed a new system it says will provide many of the same benefits as CarPlay and Android Auto, while also making it easier for drivers to access other functions, like satellite radio and climate control. The system will launch this year on the highly anticipated electric Chevrolet Silverado, Blazer, Equinox; GMC Sierra and ultra-luxury Cadillac Celestiq.

A new version of Apple CarPlay will add vehicle info and be display on the whole instrument panel

GM has not made the system available for evaluation by outsiders  or even its own dealers, many of whom are concerned.

Its not broken

CarPlays not broken. Why fix it? asked a source in close contact with multiple GM dealers and who requested anonymity for business concerns. The risk of failure is very high.

Thats a common sentiment from dealers and potential customers. Apple CarPlay is available on 98% of new vehicles sold in the United States. People are used to it. They expect the convenience of accessing their contacts, music and more via familiar and reliable controls and commands.

In a recent survey by Consumer Reports, 57 percent of our survey respondents said they were very satisfied with CarPlay compared with a 50 percent satisfaction rating with built-in systems and 44 percent for Android Auto, the magazine reported.

While CarPlay is more widely used than Android Auto, both systems can bring familiar phone apps to your cars screen and make a bad system much better, in the words of Consumer Reports.

Customers otherwise eager to buy GMs new EVs are expressing concern, according to dealers.

Many GM vehicles will still have CarPlay

I dont even know the name of (GMs) new system, much less what benefits our customers can expect, the dealer source said. Nobody has had any communication from GM. What am I supposed to tell my customers?

The 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir, and other new vehicles with internal combustion engines, will continue to offer CarPlay and Android Auto.

People familiar with GMs system say it will use a Bluetooth connection to provide the same access to phone calls, text messages and audio as CarPlay and Android Auto. It also allows drivers to access built-in features, like SiriusXM and the automakers navigation system without having to switch from CarPlay to another display, as is necessary in many vehicles.

However, the GM system will be unable to reach into your iPhones contacts list for commands like, Directions to Caroles house.

GM responds that all its owners will have to do is create a contacts list in their Google account.

Thats true but it overlooks the fact that people in practically every new vehicle can already get directions to Carole from their phone. No additional work or new account required.

More: New Stellantis CFO Natalie Knight: Automaker has 'big growth ambition'

More: Some Jeep plants to run 7 days per week; other Stellantis facilities on summer shutdown

The new system cant just work, the dealer source said. It has to be the best in the market. Its got to be better than CarPlay.

GMs EVs use Googles operating system. Conventionally powered new GM vehicles like the new Buick Envista SUV also use that, and offer CarPlay and Android Auto.

Interestingly, Honda and Acura say the Prologue and ZDX EVs, respectively, that GM will build alongside its new EVs also use the Google OS, and will have CarPlay and Android Auto.

New features coming to CarPlay

Why are we doing this with the launch of our most important new vehicles? the source asked. Shouldnt all the resources devoted to developing it have been spent on launching the actual vehicles?

The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST touch screen showing Android Automotive icons for vehicle and cloud features.

Theres an infinite number of ways this could go bad.

People familiar with updates coming to CarPlay say it allows drivers to simultaneously access other vehicle functions taking over the instrument cluster to project everything from vehicle speed to turn signals and fuel level. Other automakers have to work with Apple to allow that level of integration. A list of vehicles with that fully enabled version of CarPlay should be available later this year.

CarPlay also gets regular free updates, access to Apple Music, and the ability to use the same apps while driving that you access at home, on the boat or in the office.

In addition to a lack of video, GMs Bluetooth connection to smartphones could reduce sound quality from the high-end audio systems many of its new EVs are likely to have. Bluetooth sound quality is catching up to Wi-Fis greater bandwidth, but isnt there yet, audio experts say.

A lot riding on this

Theres widespread suspicion GM is making the change so it can charge owners for more features  including some they might get in free updates from Apple or Google.

GM says it wont charge for the infotainment system, but automakers attempts to get monthly subscription fees for everything from driver assistance systems to heated seats have made buyers suspicious.

The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST goes on sale to individual customers in fall 2023. Prices for the First Edition model start at $105,000.

GM dealers and salespeople are concerned the change will cost them money, too. Complaints about a vehicle or its features can reduce payments they get for customer satisfaction, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We would hate for there to be a hiccup in the launch of these key new products, one said. We have a lot riding on this.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM doesnt think youll miss Apple CarPlay. Its dealers arent so sure
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:AIRPORT) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.098 = RM1.6b  (RM19b - RM2.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

Therefore, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad has an ROCE of 9.8%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 9.8%, it's still a low return by itself.

See our latest analysis for Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad

roce

In the above chart we have measured Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

What Does the ROCE Trend For Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad Tell Us?

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad is showing promise given that its ROCE is trending up and to the right. The figures show that over the last five years, ROCE has grown 116% whilst employing roughly the same amount of capital. So it's likely that the business is now reaping the full benefits of its past investments, since the capital employed hasn't changed considerably. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

The Bottom Line On Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's ROCE

To bring it all together, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. Astute investors may have an opportunity here because the stock has declined 19% in the last five years. So researching this company further and determining whether or not these trends will continue seems justified.

One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad that you might find interesting.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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JAYAPURA, Indonesia, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf), Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, praised the successful organization of the 2023 Crossborder Skouw Festival, which took place on July 6, 2023. The attendees 1000-1500 are coming from both Papua and Papua New Guinea, at the event that centered around the National Crossborder Post (PLBN) RI-PNG in Skouw, Muara Tami District, Jayapura City, Papua. "I thank everyone involved. This is the third Crossborder Skouw Festival, and it forms part of our efforts to strengthen brotherhood, boost the economy, and achieve our collective goal of recovering from the pandemic," said Menparekraf Sandiaga. He also mentioned that this event is a direct implementation of President Joko Widodo's directive to host events across Indonesia to ensure economic equality for all citizens.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, officially opened the "Skouw Crossborder Festival" at the Skouw Integrated Border Post in Papua, on Thursday (7/6/2023). The Minister also expressed his gratitude to all parties for the successful organization of the crossborder event for the third time.

For the third time, the Crossborder Skouw Festival was held at the easternmost gateway of Indonesia. The Festival is part of the effort to achieve the target of 8.5 million foreign tourists and 1.4 billion domestic tourist movements this year. It aims to enhance the working relationship and friendship between Indonesia and neighboring Papua New Guinea. The festival was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, in collaboration with BNPP, PLBN, the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in Vanimo, TNI, POLRI, Jayapura City Tourism Office, local government, private sector, the running community "Lelarian Sana Sini", and local MSMEs in Papua.

The Crossborder Skouw Festival is a fun festival encompassing various exciting activities like music, sports, and MSMEs, featuring performances from local Papua musicians such as Epo D'Fenomeno, MAC, Dave Solution, and Blager. Additionally, there were performances from SMAN 2 Jayapura's marching band and the modern dance group Freedom Squad, which got festival goers dancing. In total, about 100 local workers (60 construction workers and 40 cleaners), as well as 110 artists and event supporters (66 musicians, 45 marching band crew members, and 10 dance crew members) were involved in the event.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno attended the festival and participated in a 5 km fun run, with a route crossing two countries (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). The run, which also featured members of the TNI/POLRI and the "Lelarian Sana Sini" community, marked the close of the festival.

Thirty-two booths of local MSMEs across various sectors such as F&B, fashion, and souvenirs added vibrancy to the festival. There was also a coffee exhibition in collaboration with local coffee shops and baristas. Not only were visitors able to sample the coffee, but they could also buy it, either ready to drink or as beans. The average transaction at F&B stands was recorded at around IDR 25-50 thousand.

In his speech, Menparekraf Sandiaga said he hoped the festival could be held annually in various border areas of Indonesia. This would offer a multiplier effect on employment, provide local communities with opportunities to get involved, promote local wisdom, and recognize and appreciate local cultural heritage, thereby enhancing pride in and identification with Wonderful Indonesia.

On the day of the Crossborder Skouw Festival 2023, the economic turnover nearly reached IDR 3 billion, and the economic transaction volume for the day was close to IDR 200 million. This data indicates a significant boost to the economy, particularly benefiting local MSMEs and creating job opportunities. Furthermore, the creative economy sector is now one of the largest contributors to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), at 7.35%. The 2021/2022 Tourism and Creative Economy Outlook shows that the three largest contributing sub-sectors to GDP and exports are culinary (39%), fashion (17%), and craft (14.9%).

Stay tuned for the latest updates from the "Crossborder Skouw Festival" on the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's YouTube account, and Instagram @kemenparekraf.ri.

About the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf)

Driven by a vision to position Indonesia as a world-class tourism destination, the Republic of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has made various breakthroughs to continue fostering tourism and the creative industry in Indonesia. The Ministry's strategy focuses on developing national tourism sectors and marketing with an international orientation, while also enhancing the capability of creative economy players in the development of creative economy products to make them highly competitive.

About National Crossborder Post (PLBN) Skouw

Inaugurated by President Jokowi on May 9, 2017, PLBN Skouw is part of the "Nawa Cita" program, aimed at building Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages within the framework of a unitary state. PLBN Skouw is located in Muaratami District, Jayapura City, Papua, and is one of two national border posts in Papua Province, the other being Sota in Merauke.

To support mobility and economic needs of the residents of Papua and Papua New Guinea, the government has built Skouw Market, located just 500 meters from PLBN Skouw. Established on a 3,600 square meter plot of land, the market consists of 506 stalls and is usually bustling on market days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday).

On non-market days, around 300 people cross the border from PNG per day, whereas on market days, the number can reach up to 1,000 people per day. On Saturdays and Sundays, many Jayapura residents and surrounding community members visit PLBN Skouw with their families.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ministry-of-tourism-and-creative-economy-revitalizes-tourism-and-economy-at-indonesia---papua-new-guinea-border-301872944.html

SOURCE Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy
By Ananya Mariam Rajesh

(Reuters) -Constellation Brands' Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand in the United States for a second consecutive month in June, after first dethroning Anheuser-Busch InBev's Bud Light in May.

Bud Light, which held the top spot as the most-sold beer in 2022 and in the first four months of this year, has seen sales drop after a backlash from conservatives over a social media promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Several U.S. retailers have faced pushback from conservatives over the sale of LGBTQ+ merchandise. Target, which has sold Pride-themed merchandise in June for years, was forced to remove some of it following confrontations between customers and employees.

Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand for the four weeks ended July 1, with an 8.7% share of overall beer sales through retail stores for the period, while Bud Light came in second with a 7% share, according to consulting company Bump Williams, which sources data from NielsenIQ.

AB InBev's CEO Michel Doukeris said in May that it was too early to have a full view of the impact of the backlash against Pride-linked promotions.

"This boycott has now become something much more permanent than anyone anticipated," said Neil Reid, professor of geography at the University of Toledo, who researches the beer industry.

Sales of Bud Light and Budweiser dropped 28% and 11.7%, respectively, from a year earlier, while Modelo Especial sales rose 8.5%.

"The Bud Light and Budweiser share losses would persist through the year and we believe that the consumers who have opted to move away from those two brands are ultimately lost to the company," said TD Cowen analyst Vivien Azer.

Azer added that consumers had quickly figured out AB InBev's other beer brands like Michelob Ultra and Natural Light, which are also seeing a fall in sales. Before the backlash, Natural Light was gaining due to cost-conscious consumers opting for cheaper six-packs.

Companies like Target are now facing criticism from gay rights groups for insufficient support for the community. In June, New York Attorney General Letitia James had also called the company's move "wrong" and urged the retailer to reverse its decision.

Even workers at dozens of U.S. Starbucks locations held strikes in June after the union representing the company's baristas alleged that managers had banned Pride-themed decor.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
How Much You Need To Live Comfortably in 20 Florida Cities

Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock.com

Overall, Florida isn't known as one of America's most expensive states. However, depending on where exactly you live, some cities in the Sunshine State can be much more costly than others.

Learn: Why Retirees Are Expected To Sell Their Homes in These 10 Cities

Discover: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

To determine their affordability, GOBankingRates sourced data regarding the cost of groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare, rent and mortgage payments in Florida's 20 biggest cities. Annual expenditures were then compared with median incomes.

To determine the cost to live comfortably, GOBankingRates used the 50-30-20 rule, which assumes that 50% of income should go toward necessities, 30% toward discretionary spending and 20% toward savings.

Data was provided by Sperling's Best Places, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey. Results of the affordability study are presented below, in no particular order.

Also see Florida cities that could be heading for housing crises.

SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Jacksonville

Median Household Income: $58,263

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $84,601

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $81,178

Jacksonville is one of the few big cities in Florida where you can either own a home or rent comfortably on an income of less than $85,000.

Check Out: 12 Cities With Really High Salaries and Really Low Costs of Living

I'm a Financial Planning Expert: Here Are 5 Things You Should Never Spend Money on If You Want To Be Rich

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

Miami

Median Household Income: $47,860

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $131,776

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $122,642

A relatively low median household income and high expenses in Miami means that the city ranks as the most unaffordable in Florida, in terms of the difference between median salary and average annual expenditures.

See: How Much Is Ron DeSantis Worth?

ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com

Tampa

Median Household Income: $59,893

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $99,235

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $94,726

You'll need to add about $35,000 to the median household income to live comfortably in Tampa.

Orlando

Median Household Income: $58,968

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $98,189

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $91,102

For such a popular, globally known destination, Orlando remains relatively affordable.

ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com

St. Petersburg

Median Household Income: $64,375

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $94,661

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $90,114

The oldest city in America remains relatively affordable, particularly for renters.

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

Tallahassee

Median Household Income: $49,077

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $79,854

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $75,045

Tallahassee's the place to be if you want to live in Florida on a lower income. You can live comfortably there on the lowest income of any of the 20 biggest cities in Florida.

Ft. Lauderdale

Median Household Income: $66,994

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $127,932

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $109,624

The gap between the cost of a mortgage and the average rent is quite high in Ft. Lauderdale, making it much more affordable for renters than owners.

I'm a Real Estate Agent: Here Are the 6 Cities Where You Should Avoid Buying a Home This Summer

Juanmonino / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hialeah

Median Household Income: $43,181

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $116,091

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $112,713

The median income is quite low in Hialeah and not enough to easily support a comfortable lifestyle in the city.

Khairil Azhar Junos / Shutterstock.com

Cape Coral

Median Household Income: $65,282

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $98,852

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $99,342

Rents are high in Cape Coral, making it one of the few cities on the list that are more unaffordable for renters than homeowners.

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Port St. Lucie

Median Household Income: $68,647

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $96,210

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $98,661

Port St. Lucie is one of the few Florida cities where it costs more to live comfortably as a renter than as a homeowner.

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Pembroke Pines

Median Household Income: $73,024

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $122,035

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $107,396

Pembroke Pines has quite high home prices, making it more unaffordable for homeowners than renters.

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Hollywood

Median Household Income: $56,912

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $112,752

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $106,881

Costs are relatively high in Hollywood, and the mid-level median income isn't enough to make for a comfortable lifestyle.

Find: 15 Cities Where Houses Are the Best Bargains Right Now

Bryan Pollard / Getty Images

Gainesville

Median Household Income: $40,937

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $84,151

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $79,586

Gainesville has the lowest median income of any of Florida's 20 largest cities, but expenses are so low the city still remains affordable.

Clearwater

Median Household Income: $54,182

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $96,864

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $90,264

Home prices in Clearwater are above the national average, helping contribute to a fairly large gap in affordability between homeowners and renters.

NoDerog / Getty Images

West Palm Beach

Median Household Income: $56,549

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $109,855

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $102,545

The gap between expenses and incomes in West Palm Beach is fairly high, lowering the city's affordability score.

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Pompano Beach

Median Household Income: $56,109

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $103,759

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $99,407

Homeowners in Pompano Beach require a relatively high income to live comfortably, but things are a bit easier on renters.

I'm a Real Estate Agent: Buy Real Estate in These 10 Cities To Be Rich in 10 Years

Cooltapes / Wikimedia Commons

Brandon

Median Household Income: $64,401

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $93,129

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $92,180

Brandon is one of the 14 cities in Florida that requires an income of less than $100,000 in which to live comfortably.

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Spring Hill

Median Household Income: $55,573

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $85,782

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $90,992

You won't need a huge income to live comfortably while paying a mortgage in Spring Hill. But if you're a renter, the city is significantly more unaffordable.

Peter Titmuss / Shutterstock.com

The Villages

Median Household Income: $67,239

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $98,063

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $89,936

There's a fairly small gap between the median salary and the annual expenditures in The Villages, making it a relatively affordable place to live.

MG_Photos / Shutterstock.com

Coral Springs

Median Household Income: $81,944

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Mortgage: $130,213

'Live Comfortably' Income Needed If Paying Rent: $99,827

Coral Springs ranks as the most affordable in Florida in terms of the difference between median salary and income needed to cover annual expenses.

Methodology: GOBankingRates found the cost of living in Florida's biggest cities (in terms of total households, according to the 2021 American Community Survey) by analyzing the following factors: (1) Cost of living index for groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare sourced from Sperling's Best Places. Each index was multiplied by the annual expenditure amount in each category from Bureau Labor of Statistics' 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey, which measures household annual mean expenditures to determine the annual mean spending for each category; (2) Rent costs were sourced from Zillow's rental data for May 2023 and were multiplied by 12 to obtain an annualized yearly spending on rent; (3) Mortgage payments were based on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, using an average mortgage rate of 6.69%, which was the current average national rate at the time the study was conducted, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; the city's median home value for a single-family residence, according to Zillow's May 2023 home value index, and 20% down payment; (4) Median household income was sourced from Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey (this is income prior to being taxed). Once all the data was found, the annual expenditure amount was calculated by adding together the annual spending for each category. GOBankingRates found the annual expenditures for both people paying a mortgage payment and for people who are paying rent separately and the median income was subtracted by annual expenditures for those paying a mortgage and those renting to see how much money was needed or left over for each city. GOBankingRates then used the 50-30-20 rule, which assumes that 50% of income should go toward necessities, 30% toward discretionary spending and 20% to savings. All data was collected and is up to date as of June 21, 2023.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Live Comfortably in 20 Florida Cities
Turkish President Erdogan on Monday said he will urge the NATO summit to open a path for Ankara's EU membership so Turkiye paves the way for Sweden's NATO membership, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

"Almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the EU. I am calling out to these countries that have kept Turkiye waiting at the door of the EU for more than 50 years, but I will also call out to Vilnius.

"First, let's pave the way for Turkiye in the EU, and then we will pave the way for Sweden just as we did for Finland," Erdogan said at a news conference in Istanbul before heading to Lithuania's capital Vilnius to attend a NATO summit.

Erdogan said he will express these views and make the demands while meeting with leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Later on Monday, Erdogan said he will have a trilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, adding: "As for Sweden, the process continues. Our relevant institutions maintain their contacts with their Swedish counterparts with a transparent and well-intentioned manner."

However, the president also reiterated that Sweden's NATO membership is contingent on the fulfillment of issues outlined in a tripartite agreement signed last year in Madrid during a NATO summit.

"As Turkiye, we are tired of repeating that we need to fight terrorist organizations and their extensions indiscriminately," he added.

In a situation where Turkish soldiers, police officers, and civilians citizens have been martyred by the terror groups, no one should expect Ankara to show concessions and understanding, Erdogan added.

Stockholm's accession to NATO is also at the discretion of the Turkish parliament, he stressed.

During the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, the leaders will address ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, its challenges to NATO, and steps to strengthen the military alliance's defense and deterrence. Sweden's bid to join NATO bid will be also on the agenda.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched war on Ukraine in February 2022.

Although Turkiye approved Finland's membership to NATO, it is waiting for Sweden to fulfill its commitments under the deal.

Previously, Erdogan underlined that Sweden cannot hope to join NATO as long as it gives shelter and a green light for terrorists and supporters of terrorists.

To join NATO, Sweden needs the approval of all of its current members, including Turkiye, which has been in the alliance for over 70 years and boasts its second-largest army.

'Sweden's NATO bid, Ankara's F-16 purchase from US not linked'

Erdogan also said Sweden's NATO bid and Turkiye's F-16 purchase from the US are not linked to each other.

Ankara requested F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits in October 2021. The $6-billion deal would include the sale of 40 jets as well as modernization kits for 79 warplanes already in the Turkish Air Forces inventory. The State Department has informally notified Congress of the potential sale.

However, key lawmakers at Capitol Hill have vowed to nix the deal over several demands, including making the purchase contingent on Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid.

Ankara maintains that the jets would strengthen not only Turkiye but also NATO.

"While we continue to fight against terrorism, especially Daesh, in the world, we brought the Finland issue to our parliament, since Finland is not involved in terrorism in this regard. At this point, our parliament paved the way for its membership. And we're done. But the F-16 issue is not like that," the president said.

He added that he will hold further talks with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit, saying: "With this meeting, I hope that we will overcome this problem. It also saddens us that this is associated with Sweden. This is something different. We will reiterate this to them."

During the summit, Erdogan said the leaders will review the decisions made at the Madrid Summit to support the partners, especially Ukraine, and to strengthen the deterrence and defense structure of the alliance.

"We believe that ending the war with a fair and lasting peace as soon as possible will further facilitate Ukraine's NATO membership process," he added.

He also said he will reiterate Ankara's call to the allies who have imposed sanctions and restrictions on Turkiye to swiftly reverse the mistake.

"The restrictions and obstructions that some of our allies have unfairly imposed on our country are limiting us. Our country, which saw almost 2% in 2019 defense expenditures, has now decreased to 1.30%," he added.

Black Sea grain deal

Regarding the last years landmark Black Sea grain deal, which is set to expire on July 17, Erdogan said Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Turkiye next month.

"If Putin's visit to Turkiye takes place, of course, we will discuss it 100%, and we will discuss this issue in face-to-face meetings. Ukraine said: 'We are ready to do our part.'," he said, adding in the upcoming meeting with Putin he does not expect anything different.

Last June, Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which had been paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

More than 33 million tons of grain have been transported to people in need, according to Turkish officials.

Russian officials have strongly hinted that Moscow could block the extension of the deal this month, complaining that parts of it to allow Russian exports have gone unfulfilled.

Turkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has repeatedly urged Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through talks.???????
Wright One Paint and Body Shop owner Harold Wright (right) examines a repair job with technician Eric Jackson, in this photo from 2017. Wright One recently was purchased by body-repair chain Classic Collision.

A local auto body shop has hammered out an agreement with a nationwide chain; a former Plant Vogtle engineer has opened a local painting franchise; two new convenience stores are ready for truckers; and a regional food bank needs helping hands this summer.

Here's a brief look at openings, closings and other changes in Augusta-area business:

Wright One Paint and Body Shop

Classic Collision

FINDING MR. WRIGHT: A full-body collision repair shop thats thrived at its Gordon Highway address for more than a decade has been sold.

Wright One Paint and Body Shop, 1848 Gordon Hwy., has been acquired by Atlanta-based repair chain Classic Collision, the latter company announced recently.

Classic Collision already operates two other locations in the Augusta area, at 3069 Washington Rd. in Augusta and at 1800 William Few Pkwy. in Grovetown.

Former owner Harold Wright acquired Taylor Paint and Body on Gordon Highway more than 15 years ago, changing the business name to Harold Wright Automotive, then to Wright One Paint and Body.

Our mission at Wright One Paint and Body has been to provide high-quality repairs with an excellent level of customer satisfaction, and wholeheartedly believe that Classic Collision will uphold our mission, Wright said in a statement.

Wright One Paint and Body has been a top performer in our home state of Georgia, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Classic family as we continue to expand our footprint in Georgia where it all started, said Classic Collision CEO Toan Nguyen.

The company hired Nguyen in 2019 to pursue an aggressive expansion strategy, and the most recent numbers show it. The Augusta location was the 22nd Classic Collision to open in 2018. In October 2022 the company celebrated opening its 200th location in Texas.

Still opening: 129-year-old Augusta family business is not closing

Fresh Coat Painters

BRUSHING UP: An engineer who worked on the ongoing Plant Vogtle nuclear plant expansion is pursuing a new line of work by opening a residential and commercial painting franchise.

Andrew Hughes is one of the newest franchisees in the Augusta area for the Fresh Coat Painters service chain, which he joined earlier this year.

Interviewed in June by the franchise-industry trade publication 1851, Hughes told his story of working in the oil-and-gas industry like his father, then selling houses and residential pools before graduating college with a mechanical engineering degree. He completed a college internship at Plant Vogtle in the summer of 2018, and after graduation returned to the nuclear plant.

Around the start of 2021, I started looking at opportunities for a customer-facing business, he said. I liked the person-to-person interaction of working with homeowners.

Fresh Coat started in 2004 and has since stablished more than 170 franchises nationwide. Fresh Coat stands by a "3-3-3 Service Pledge," promising to answer a customer's call within three minutes; submitting a quote within three days; and scheduling a project within three weeks.

GasPro

NEW LOCATIONS FOR STATIONS: A Grovetown-based convenience store chain has opened a pair of new locations in Edgefield County, S.C.

GasPro recently acquired two former Billys gas stations at 66 Hilltop Dr., Johnston, and at 1 Pine House Rd., Trenton. The stores several pumps and broad, paved parking areas make the stations ideal to continue GasPros business plan of catering not only to motorists but also to truckers.

The Trenton store held its grand opening June 24 with free hot dogs and drinks, and prizes including a 55-inch smart TV.

GasPro also operates nine stores across Georgia.

Golden Harvest Food Bank

ANY VOLUNTEERS? Each summer, the need for volunteers spikes at Golden Harvest Food Bank, and this summer is no different.

The Augusta-based food charity announced late last month that it needs volunteers to pack and sort food boxes at the Faith Food Factory warehouse at 3708 Benchmark Dr. The boxes are funded by the Georgia Nutrition Assistance Program and aimed at families experiencing food insecurity.

Volunteers are also encouraged to sign up to prepare and serve meals at The Masters Table soup kitchen at 702 Fenwick St.

The harsh reality is that one in six children in our service area are food-insecure, and with school being out for the summer, families are struggling to put more food on the table, said Amy Breitmann, Golden Harvest's president and CEO. Additional food resources have been pouring in and we are calling on our community to stand alongside us to support these families and help get them the vital nourishment they need.

For a complete list of volunteer opportunities, visit volunteers.goldenharvest.org or contact Doressa Hawes, volunteer program manager, at (706) 736-1199, ext. 227.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Now Opening: Chain buys Augusta body shop; food bank needs summer help
It's possible to achieve returns close to the market-weighted average return by buying an index fund. A talented investor can beat the market with a diversified portfolio, but even then, some stocks will under-perform. While the Old Chang Kee Ltd. (Catalist:5ML) share price is down 18% over half a decade, the total return to shareholders (which includes dividends) was -4.8%. That's better than the market which declined 6.6% over the same time.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

See our latest analysis for Old Chang Kee

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Old Chang Kee actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 10% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

It is unusual to see such modest share price growth in the face of sustained EPS improvements. We can look to other metrics to try to understand the situation better.

The revenue fall of 2.1% per year for five years is neither good nor terrible. But it's quite possible the market had expected better; a closer look at the revenue trends might explain the pessimism.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Old Chang Kee the TSR over the last 5 years was -4.8%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 2.4% in the last year, Old Chang Kee shareholders lost 1.7% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 0.9% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Take risks, for example - Old Chang Kee has 3 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Singaporean exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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From what we can see, insiders were net buyers in Singapore Shipping Corporation Limited's (SGX:S19 ) during the past 12 months. That is, insiders acquired the stock in greater numbers than they sold it.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Singapore Shipping

Singapore Shipping Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman Chio Kiat Ow for S$89k worth of shares, at about S$0.25 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is S$0.25. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. Happily, the Singapore Shipping insider decided to buy shares at close to current prices. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Chio Kiat Ow.

Chio Kiat Ow bought a total of 471.00k shares over the year at an average price of S$0.25. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Singapore Shipping insiders own 51% of the company, currently worth about S$52m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Singapore Shipping Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Singapore Shipping shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Singapore Shipping insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example, Singapore Shipping has 4 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Fortune Business Insights

The global pharmaceutical packaging market covered major segments by Material (Plastics, Glass, Metal, Paper & Paperboard), By Product Type (Bottles, Caps & Closures, Pre-fillable Inhalers, Pre-Fillable Syringes, Vials & Ampoules, Blister Packs), By Drug Delivery Mode (Oral Drug Delivery Packaging, Injectable Packaging, Topical Drug Delivery Packaging, Pulmonary Drug Delivery Packaging, Transdermal Drug Delivery Packaging, Ocular Drug Delivery Packaging, Nasal Drug Delivery Packaging) and region.

Pune, India, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global pharmaceutical packaging market growth was valued at USD 99.94 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 105.01 billion in 2023 to USD 156.12 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.83% during the forecast period. The surge is due to the escalating prevalence of non-communicable and communicable diseases across various regions. This information is presented by Fortune Business Insights, in its report titled, Pharmaceutical Packaging Market, 2023-2030.

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List of Key Players Mentioned in the Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Report:

Amcor Plc (Switzerland)

Gerresheimer AG (Germany)

SCHOTT AG (Germany)

Westrock (U.S.)

AptarGroup, Inc. (U.S.)

Berry Global, Inc (U.S.)

NIPRO (Japan)

CCL Industries Inc. (Canada)

West Pharmaceutical Services (U.S.)

SGD Pharma (France)

Ardagh Group S.A. (Luxembourg)

International Paper (U.S.)

Comar LLC (U.S.)

Vetter Pharma (Germany)

Nolato AB (Sweden)

Origin Pharma Packaging (U.K.)

Huhtamaki Oyj (Finland)

Parekhplast India Limited (India)

Regent Plast Pvt. Ltd. (India)

Graham Blow Pack Pvt. Limited (India)

Becton Dickinson and Company (U.S.)

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Attributes Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast CAGR 5.83% 2030 Value Projection USD 156.12 Billion Market Size in 2022 USD 99.94 Billion Historical Data 2019-2021 No. of Pages 318 Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Company Profiles, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors and Latest Trends Segments Covered By Material

By Product Type

By Packaging Type Regions Covered North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa pharmaceutical packaging market Growth Drivers Oral Drug Delivery Packaging to Hold Dominating Share Owing to Flexibility in Designing Dosage Innovative Product Launch Initiatives by Key Players to Bolster Market Growth

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/pharmaceutical-packaging-market-102860

Segments:

Plastics Segment to Gain Traction Considering its Extensive Usage

Based on material, the market is segmented into plastics, glass, metal, paper & paperboard, and others. The plastic segment is anticipated to depict a notable upsurge over the forecast period. Plastic is the most considerable raw material used in the production of pharmaceutical packaging.

Bottles Segment to Register Prominent Share Impelled by Low Costs

Based on product type, the market is subdivided into bottles, vials & ampoules, caps & closures, blister packs, pre-fillable inhalers, pre-fillable syringes, bags & pouches, jars & canisters, cartridges, and others. Of these, the bottles segment is poised to expand at a substantial pace over the estimated period. The surge is on account of low cost and light weight.

Primary Packaging Segment to Grow at the Fastest Pace Impelled by the Advantage of Protection Against Chemicals

On the basis of packaging type, the market for pharmaceutical packaging is categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary packaging segment is estimated to expand at a commendable pace over the study period. The products help in the maintenance of shelf life and protect the drugs from chemicals and moisture.

Oral Drug Delivery Packaging to Hold Dominating Share Owing to Flexibility in Designing Dosage

By drug delivery mode, the market is segregated into oral drug delivery packaging, nasal drug delivery packaging, topical drug delivery packaging, ocular drug delivery packaging, injectable packaging, transdermal drug delivery packaging, pulmonary drug delivery packaging, and others. The oral drug delivery packaging segment held a dominating share in the global market.

By geography, the market has been studied across North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

COVID-19 Impacts:

Increasing Demand for Online Shopping Fueled the Market Growth

The coronavirus pandemic caused hardship to several businesses driven by the shortage of raw materials and interrupted supply networks. West Pharmaceutical Services businesses, however, were excluded from the lockdown limitations due to the importance of their operations to the neighborhood. In order to produce healthcare items, the pharmaceutical business was established, and government support for prescription meds and generic medications will encourage market expansion. The market's leading manufacturers have automated their processes to keep up with the rising demand for pharmaceutical items connected to COVID-19.

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https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/pharmaceutical-packaging-market-102860

Report Coverage:

The report presents a systematic study of the markets segments and a thorough analysis of the market overview. An in-depth evaluation of the current market trends as well as future opportunities is offered in the report.

Drivers and Restraints:

Expanding Pharmaceutical Industry Around the Globe to Drive Market Growth

In wealthy nations such as the U.S., the U.K., and Germany as well as in developing nations such as China, India, and Brazil, the pharmaceutical sector is expanding quickly. The population is growing, technological advancements are increasing, and new government regulations are being put in place to stop the spread of infectious diseases. Additionally, the rising demand for biological products and emerging treatments such as cell and gene therapies are expected to promote the pharmaceutical packaging market growth.

However, an escalation in counterfeit drugs could hamper industry expansion to a considerable extent.

Regional Insights:

North America to Lead Backed by Elevated Demand for Packaging due to Rising Healthcare Expenditure

The U.S. is the largest contributor to North America, which has the largest pharmaceutical packaging market share. The region's development is attributable to the pharmaceutical industry's explosive growth. The market growth in this region is being driven by the increased need for primary packaging goods, surging healthcare spending, and rising disease prevalence.

Germany, the U.K., and Italy in Europe accounted for the second-largest market in the globe. Pre-filled syringes, plastic bottles, containers, vials, and ampoules have all aided in the expansion of this industry.

China, Japan, and India are the top three nations in the Asia Pacific contributing to the market expansion.

Competitive Landscape:

Innovative Product Launch Initiatives by Key Players to Bolster Market Growth

The prominent players adopt several strategies to bolster their position in the market as leading companies. One such key strategy is acquiring companies to bolster their brand value among users. Another essential strategy is periodically launching innovative products with a detailed study of the market and its target audience.

Key Industry Development:

August 2022  Aptar Pharma announced its acquisition of global clinical-stage rights to the Orbital inhaler. The product was originally developed by Pharmaxis.

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https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/pharmaceutical-packaging-market-102860

Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis Impact of COVID-19 on the Pharmaceutical Packaging Market

Global Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Plastic Glass Metals Paper & Paperboard Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Product Type Bottles Caps & Closures Pre-Fillable Inhalers Pre-Fillable Syringes Vials & Ampoules Blister Packs Bags & Pouches Jars & Canisters Cartridges Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Drug Delivery Mode Oral Drug Delivery Packaging Injectable Packaging Topical Drug Delivery Packaging Pulmonary Drug Delivery Packaging Transdermal Drug Delivery Packaging Ocular Drug Delivery Packaging Nasal Drug Delivery Packaging Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Packaging Type Primary Secondary Tertiary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

North America Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Material Plastic Glass Metals Paper & Paperboard Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Product Type Bottles Caps & Closures Pre-Fillable Inhalers Pre-Fillable Syringes Vials & Ampoules Blister Packs Bags & Pouches Jars & Canisters Cartridges Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Drug Delivery Mode Oral Drug Delivery Packaging Injectable Packaging Topical Drug Delivery Packaging Pulmonary Drug Delivery Packaging Transdermal Drug Delivery Packaging Ocular Drug Delivery Packaging Nasal Drug Delivery Packaging Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Packaging Type Primary Secondary Tertiary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country United States Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Product Type Bottles Caps & Closures Pre-Fillable Inhalers Pre-Fillable Syringes Vials & Ampoules Blister Packs Bags & Pouches Jars & Canisters Cartridges Others



TOC Continued...!

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Aseptic Packaging Market Expected to Hit USD 121.96 Billion by 2028 | Exclusive Research Report by Fortune Business Insights

Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market to Reach USD 10.76 Billion by 2027; Development of New Glass Types to Boost Growth, Says Fortune Business Insights

Sterile Medical Packaging Market to Worth USD 68.49 Billion by 2028 | Sterile Medical Packaging Industry Overview, Trends, Historical Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast Report by Fortune Business Insights

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New power lines take a decade to build because of red tape, complains National Grid

UK power lines

The boss of National Grid has complained that it takes a decade to build a new power line in an attack on planning red tape.

John Pettigrew, the companys chief executive, said that Britains planning rules add seven years of delays to the construction time for cables.

His warning comes amid ongoing rows over delays in connecting new wind and solar farms to the UKs electricity grid, which are threatening the Governments target of making the network carbon neutral by 2035.

Speaking to shareholders at National Grids annual meeting, Mr Pettigrew said: Typically, to build a transmission line in the UK it takes about 10 years.

Seven of it is in the planning process and three in construction.

Fierce rows have raged over delays to grid connections, with some renewable energy developers complaining that they have been pushed to the back of the queue until the 2030s.

National Grid itself is responsible for managing the waiting list of projects, but says it is forced to deliver them on a first come, first served basis that leaves legitimate schemes stuck in limbo behind others that are highly speculative and unlikely to ever be built.

Energy watchdog Ofgems chief executive has accused National Grid of presiding over unacceptable delays and threatened to strip the company of its role in the planning process.

The company, meanwhile, argues that the first come, first served rules are the problem and has called for reform. In February, National Grid told The Telegraph that it had a backlog of 600 requests to connect, even though around 70pc of such applications ultimately come to nothing.

Mr Pettigrew said on Monday: The reason theres a delay is those at the front of the queue, even if they have no intention of developing, actually hold up those people who are behind.

We need a new regulatory framework to accelerate the ability for people who have genuinely got projects they want to get onto the system to the front of the queue.

The one-time state monopolys boss added that there are about three times more generation [companies] wanting to connect to the system than is actually needed to meet any of the net zero targets that have been set.

Current plans require Britain to have up to 248 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generation capacity by 2035, more than double todays 104GW, as heating and cars go electric.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
GEORGETOWN, Penang, Malaysia - (NewMediaWire) - July 10, 2023 - Global Bike Explorer Sdn Bhd, a renowned adventure company, is thrilled to unveil the upcoming Ekspedisi Perpaduan Watikah Kemerdekaan 66 London-Kuala Lumpur 2023 together with Quantum Metal. This extraordinary motorcycle expedition coincides with the 66th Merdeka Day celebrations in Malaysia on August 31st, 2023. It aims to honor the historic journey of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who courageously brought the Malayan Declaration of Independence from London to Kuala Lumpur in 1957.

Led by the esteemed CEO of Global Bike Explorer Sdn Bhd, Mr. Arep Kulal, the expedition embarks on a daring 66-day adventure, traversing 66 cities in 16 countries, covering an impressive total distance of nearly 22,000 kilometers. The primary objective is to retrace the footsteps of Tunku Abdul Rahman and experience the hardships he encountered during his momentous voyage.

Commencing on June 20 in London, the Ekspedisi Perpaduan Watikah Kemerdekaan 66 London-Kuala Lumpur 2023 promises to be an awe-inspiring journey. As the participants venture through diverse landscapes and engage with various cultures, they will foster strong bonds of unity and solidarity among themselves and the people they meet along the way.

Originally scheduled to commence last year in conjunction with the 65th Merdeka Day, the expedition faced unforeseen challenges when Myanmar's borders closed. As a result, the event was postponed to this year, presenting an even more meaningful opportunity to join the 66th Merdeka Day parade in Kuala Lumpur.

The significance of this unprecedented expedition from London to Kuala Lumpur cannot be overstated. Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, wholeheartedly supports the event, recognizing its role in nurturing patriotism within Malaysian society. Minister Tengku Zafrul remarks, "This program aims to showcase the arduous struggles undertaken by our past leaders through a long and challenging journey, serving as a source of inspiration for our youth."

The Superbikers Association Malaysia, the largest motorcycle association in the country, proudly stands behind this extraordinary expedition. Notably, Dato Lim Khong Soon, founder of Quantum Metal Review and a leading sponsor, has made significant contributions to bring this remarkable undertaking to life.

To commemorate the nation's Independence Day, the Ekspedisi Perpaduan Watikah Kemerdekaan 66 London-Kuala Lumpur 2023 will distribute 5,000 souvenirs in the form of flag-shaped keychains and iconic buildings representing Malaysia to the public at each stop along the route. This initiative seeks to instill a sense of national pride and engage the public in the spirit of the occasion.

The participants of the Ekspedisi Perpaduan Watikah Kemerdekaan 66 London-Kuala Lumpur 2023 eagerly anticipate embarking on this extraordinary journey. They are excited to create lasting memories and share their experiences upon their return to Malaysia.

About Quantum Metal Sdn. Bhd:

Quantum Metal Sdn. Bhd. is a leading sponsor of the QMEPWK66 expedition. With a commitment to supporting initiatives that promote national pride, unity, and adventure, they have played a vital role in making this extraordinary journey possible.

Media Contact



Organization: Quantum Metal Malaysia

Contact Person: Dato Lim Khong Soon

Website: https://www.quantummetal.com.my/

Email: info@quantummetal.com

Contact Number: +60 4 - 2260755

Address: 4, Jalan Residensi, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

City: Georgetown

State: Penang

Country: Malaysia





PR Contact: King NewsWire
NADI, Fiji, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Radisson Hotel Group is delighted to announce the signing of the new Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island, expanding the Group's presence in the dynamic Fijian market.

Artist impression - Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island

Renowned for its idyllic sun-soaked beaches, turquoise waters, and lush tropical landscapes, Fiji offers a perfect escape for travelers seeking relaxation and rejuvenation. The archipelago's unique blend of pristine nature, rich cultural heritage, and diverse range of activities makes it a leading destination for leisure travel.

The new Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026, is poised to become a premier resort for travelers seeking a tranquil tropical getaway. Set against the stunning backdrop of Naisoso Island, the 250-key resort will offer guests direct beachfront access from apartments that overlook the South Pacific Ocean.

Guests can choose from a range of thoughtfully designed accommodations, including contemporary guestrooms boasting a neutral coastal palette, as well as spacious apartments ranging from 64m2 to 106m2 including one-bedroom to three-bedroom units and expansive villas equipped with modern kitchen amenities. Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island offers an array of leisure facilities, including three beachfront swimming pools, a gym, and a kids' club. The resort will also offer an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a swim-up pool bar, and event spaces for up to 150 guests.

Lachlan Hoswell, Managing Director Australasia, Radisson Hotel Group said, "We are thrilled to announce the signing of the Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island, which marks the latest expansion of our portfolio in Australasia. According to Tourism Fiji, tourism in Fiji is expected to grow by 10% from 2019 to reach 1 million international visitors by 2024, which is huge testament to the market's growth potential. Located on the newly developed Naisoso Island, Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island will offer a stunning beachfront location and excellent amenities which will mark the expansion of our upper-upscale brand to this enchanting destination."

Bob Lowres, Managing Director of Relcorp (Fiji) Pte Limited, the developers of Naisoso Island said, "We are truly delighted to have Radisson Hotel Group partnering with us to launch Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island. When we first acquired Naisoso Island, we set out with the vision to create Fiji's finest resort and luxury residential island address. We are excited to realize this vision with our resort coming under the upper-upscale Radisson Blu brand which has been hugely successful in Fiji and widely recognized for its excellent service and amenities. Our Mirage development offers freehold units that presents a unique investment opportunity for owners which will provide ongoing returns as well as a lifetime of memorable holidays at Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island. Construction is already well underway, and we expect all apartments to sell out quickly."

Conveniently located just five minutes from Nadi International Airport, Naisoso Island is seamlessly connected to the mainland via a private gated bridge, ensuring privacy and seclusion for guests. The island's prime location also offers easy access to various attractions, with Nadi township only 15 minutes away, Namaka township just nine minutes away, and the popular Port Denarau is 15-minutes through a water taxi ride.

Radisson Blu Mirage Resort, Fiji Naisoso Island is part of the Mirage development master plan which also includes Mirage Luxury Apartments and The Marina, a mixed-use integrated development that encompasses a diverse range of dining venues, bars, and cafes.

To learn more about Radisson Hotel Group, please visit www.radissonhotels.com.

###

RADISSON HOTEL GROUP

The Radisson family of brands can be found around the world in more than 120 countries, with currently over 1,700 hotels in operation and under development. Radisson Hotel Group operates the business in EMEA and APAC with over 1,150 hotels in operation and under development. The international hotel group is rapidly growing with a plan to significantly grow the portfolio. The Group's overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos.

The Radisson family of brands portfolio includes Radisson Collection, art'otel, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards is Radisson Hotel Group's loyalty program, which delivers an elevated experience that makes Every Moment Matter. As the most streamlined program in the sector, members enjoy exceptional advantages and can access their benefits from day one across a wide range of hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral.

At Radisson Hotel Group we care for people, communities and planet and aim to be Net Zero by 2050 based on the approved near-term Science Based Targets. With unique solutions such as 100% carbon neutral Radisson Meetings, we make sustainable hotel stays easy. To facilitate sustainable travel choices, all our hotels are becoming verified on Hotel Sustainability Basics.

The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group's portfolio are subject to health and safety requirements, ensuring we always care for our guests and team members.

For more information, visit our corporate website . Or connect with Radisson Hotels on:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

(PRNewsfoto/Radisson Hotel Group)

Cision

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SOURCE Radisson Hotel Group
(Bloomberg) -- A rising number of senior staff quitting Australias central bank may prove a doubled-edged sword for efforts to overhaul the institution  resulting in both an injection of new talent and a loss of corporate memory, according to former officials and economists.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Assistant Governor Luci Elliss announcement Monday that she is heading to the private sector after 32 years at the Reserve Bank is the latest move. Other high-profile departures include former Head of Domestic Markets Jonathan Kearns in March after 28 years service and ex-Deputy Governor Guy Debelle in early 2022 after 25 years.

The loss of experience adds to the sense of flux at the central bank given the uncertainty over the future of Governor Philip Lowe. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is due this month to announce the next head of the RBA, which may see Lowe extended, or more likely, someone new appointed to the role.

Long serving staff leaving usually sets in motion a process of evaluation and reprioritization, said Prashant Newnaha, Singapore-based macro strategist at TD Securities. Even with the exodus of RBA staff, it does not necessarily make the next governors job easier.

Newnaha highlighted that a major review of the central bank was likely a catalyst for some of the high-profile departures. The RBAs next chief will be charged with implementing the reviews recommendations, including a new monetary policy committee, fewer interest-rate meetings and press conferences after each one, among other changes.

As a result, while the exit of senior officials opens up positions for new, talented people with different perspectives and thinking, it also implies a loss of experience and corporate knowledge.

Its a double edged sword insofar as youre losing something, but you might gain something, said Alex Joiner, chief economist at IFM Investors Ltd, which manages about A$217 billion ($145 billion) in assets. And as the Reserve Bank seeks to refresh its image, that might be a good thing.

Angela Jackson at Impact Economics echoed Joiners view, while adding that Ellis was by all accounts doing an exceptional job and would be a loss.

The downside is not having her expertise and experience in the organization if indeed somebody new from outside the Reserve Bank does end up being appointed as the new governor, she said.

Should Lowe receive an extension when his seven-year term expires in mid-September, theres likely to be less impact from the loss of personnel given his decades of experience. However, if an external candidate takes over as governor, the loss of corporate memory could bring some difficulties.

In addition to Ellis, Kearns and Debelle, the RBA in late 2021 also lost head of Payments Policy Tony Richards after 20 years to retirement; former head of the International Department Alex Heath is on an extended secondment to Treasury; and Adam Cagliarini, deputy head of Payments, is on secondment to the banking regulator.

Yet, the restructuring of the central bank may also provide opportunities for some who left recently to make a comeback, said Peter Tulip, a former senior member of the RBAs economic research department.

When we have the new monetary policy board that theyre setting up, all of us would jump at it, said Tulip, now chief economist at the Centre for Independent Studies. So theres a sense the review is going to be reversing some of that exodus.

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Currently, the markets are experiencing a bullish trend. However, the conventional wisdom says that were looking at a recession, likely short and shallow, to play out during the second half of this year, with a chance of extending into 1Q24.

Looking at the situation from RBC Capital, Lori Calvasina writes, There are two ways it can go from here: Something could go wrong with those winning companies and pull the market down, or the markets leadership could broaden out. One of those paths isnt automatically more likely than the other We recommend a balance: some defensive stocks, some value, and some growth [We] also like energy stocks. Energy has a high dividend yield relative to other sectors and versus its history, and energy companies have been active in buying back stock.

RBCs 5-star analyst Scott Hanold is following Calvasinas lead, recommending two high-yielding energy dividend stocks, including one that yields around 8%. These strong dividend payers offer the protection of a steady income stream even through a downturn. Lets take a closer look.

Chesapeake Energy (CHK)

Well start with Chesapeake Energy, an oil and gas production firm founded in 1989 and operating today in three high-output shale formations: the Eagle Ford of south Texas, the Haynesville of northwestern Louisiana, and the Marcellus shale of northeastern Pennsylvania. The company specializes in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, while implementing proven environmental protective measures to protect aquifers and other natural resources.

The Marcellus holding is Chesapeakes largest, at approximately 465,000 net acres and production of 1.97 billion cubic feet equivalent per day. In the Haynesville formation, the company holds 370,000 net acres and produces 1.55 bcfe/d. The Eagle Ford assets are Chesapeakes smallest, after the company sold off $2.8 billion worth of land holdings in the first quarter of this year. Chesapeake retains about 50,000 net acres focused in the Rich Gas portion of this Texas play.

Altogether, these assets generated a total of 4.1 bcfe/d in 1Q23, and brought the company an adjusted net income of $270 million, or $1.87 per share by non-GAAP measures. This EPS figure beat the forecasts by 18 cents. In addition to its earnings beat, Chesapeake also generated $889 million in net cash from operations, and $241 million in adjusted free cash flow.

These latter two metrics are of particular interest to dividend-minded investors, as cash flow typically supports the dividend payment. Chesapeakes last payment was sent out on June 6, at $1.18 per common share. The annualized rate of $4.72 gives a yield of 5.75%. Chesapeakes dividend payment made up a significant portion of the $250 million-plus the company returned to shareholders during the first quarter.

Checking in with RBCs Scott Hanold, we find that the analyst points to the companys ability to maintain capital return as a key point for investors. In his comments on the stock, Hanold writes, There are several potential catalysts over the coming quarters including increased buybacks, improving natural gas prices, and a sale of its remaining Eagle Ford asset. CHK plans to remain flexible with its natural gas directed drilling program that currently contemplates activity reductions over the next few months. There is flexibility to taper more budgeted activity if the natural gas macro remains weak, which we dont anticipate at this time. The pacing of buybacks appear more ratable and amount to around 8% of the market cap through YE23.

Hanold goes on to rate CHK shares as an Outperform (i.e. Buy), while setting a price target of $110 to indicate his confidence in a 33% upside potential for the coming year. (To watch Hanolds track record, click here)

Overall, Chesapeake gets a bullish Strong Buy consensus rating from the Street, based on 14 recent analyst reviews that include 11 to Buy against 3 to Hold. The shares are selling for $82.71 and their average price target of $107.64 implies a 12-month gain of ~30%. (See CHK stock forecast)

Chord Energy (CHRD)

The second energy producer well look at is Chord Energy, an operator in the vast Williston Basin, a major geological formation that spreads across the border regions of Montana-Dakota-Saskatchewan. Chords position in the formation is located mainly in North Dakota, although it does extend into Montana. The company is a major hydrocarbon producer, and holds 963,000 net acres in the Williston. In May of this year, Chord entered into an agreement with XTO Energy to acquire additional Williston acreage assets, in an all-cash transaction worth $375 million.

By the numbers, Chord saw total first quarter production volumes of 164.7 MBoepd, a figure that came in above the midpoint of the firms guidance. This total included 95.1 MBopd in oil volume. The companys crude oil production beat the guidance high-end, based on accelerated activity and strong oil well performance.

Beating production guidance led to beating revenue and earnings expectations. In 1Q23, Chord saw $766.2 million in revenues from oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. The companys total quarterly revenue came to $896.5 million, a total that was $219.8 million better than had been forecast. At the bottom line, Chord saw a non-GAAP EPS of $4.49. This was down from $8.32 in the year-ago quarter, but was 20 cents per share ahead of expectations. The company had $468.8 million in net cash from operating activities, and a quarterly adjusted free cash flow of $198.6 million. Chord had $592 million in cash on hand as of March 31 of this year, which it used in the XTO acquisition.

On the dividend, Chord declared its dividend in early May for a May 30 payment. The dividend included a base of $1.25 per common share and a quarterly variable dividend of $1.97, for a total payment of $3.22. Calculating forward, the total dividend annualizes to an impressive $12.88 per share and gives a high yield of 8.3%.

Tuning again to RBCs Hanold, we find him tapping the free cash flow and acquisition potential as attractive features of this energy firm. Laying out his opinion on Chord, Hanold states, CHRDs leading FCF profile and cash position should provide investors and strong return along with the ability to compete for accretive M&A opportunities. Shareholder returns could start to be more balanced with buybacks, but a leading dividend likely remains the case as well. We see a nice path during 2H23 where capital spending tapers as production ramps higher.

These comments back up Hanolds Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating on CHRD, and his $185 price target implies a 19% upside going to the one-year horizon.

Zooming out a bit, we find that Chord gets a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating from the Streets analysts, based on 8 recent positive reviews. With the stock selling for $155.24 and carrying an average price target of $188.29, the shares have a one-year upside potential of 21%. (See CHRD stock forecast)

To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at EITA Resources Berhad (KLSE:EITA) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for EITA Resources Berhad, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.054 = RM12m  (RM332m - RM107m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

So, EITA Resources Berhad has an ROCE of 5.4%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Machinery industry average of 11%.

View our latest analysis for EITA Resources Berhad

roce

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for EITA Resources Berhad's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating EITA Resources Berhad's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at EITA Resources Berhad, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 5.4% from 12% five years ago. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased.

The Key Takeaway

We're a bit apprehensive about EITA Resources Berhad because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. However the stock has delivered a 45% return to shareholders over the last five years, so investors might be expecting the trends to turn around. In any case, the current underlying trends don't bode well for long term performance so unless they reverse, we'd start looking elsewhere.

Since virtually every company faces some risks, it's worth knowing what they are, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for EITA Resources Berhad (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should know about.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Tianjin welcomes first int'l cruise ship in 3 years

Xinhua) 08:11, July 10, 2023

This photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows the Liberian cruise ship, Dream, docking at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality. A cruise ship registered in Liberia docked at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality on Saturday, becoming the first international cruise ship received by the Tianjin port over the past three years. (Xinhua)

TIANJIN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A cruise ship registered in Liberia docked at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality on Saturday, becoming the first international cruise ship received by the Tianjin port over the past three years.

The cruise ship, Dream, is 261 meters long and 40 meters wide, and has a gross tonnage of 77,500 tonnes. It can accommodate over 2,000 passengers with more than 1,000 cabins.

To ensure the efficient berthing of the ship, local authorities helped more than 60 Chinese and foreign crew members fulfill all the formalities online for entering the port.

Tianjin has long been a cruise ship hub in north China. The coming of the Liberian cruise ship marked the post-COVID recovery of the city's cruise tourism sector.

This aerial photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows the Liberian cruise ship, Dream, docking at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality. A cruise ship registered in Liberia docked at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality on Saturday, becoming the first international cruise ship received by the Tianjin port over the past three years. (Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows the Liberian cruise ship, Dream, berthing at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality. A cruise ship registered in Liberia docked at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality on Saturday, becoming the first international cruise ship received by the Tianjin port over the past three years. (Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows the Liberian cruise ship, Dream, berthing at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality. A cruise ship registered in Liberia docked at a port in North China's Tianjin Municipality on Saturday, becoming the first international cruise ship received by the Tianjin port over the past three years. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
KFH Capital, Kamco Invest and Warba Bank have successfully completed the KD103.1 million ($335 million) sukuk issuance for Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) Kipco, the first Kuwaiti Dinar denominated corporate sukuk.

The sukuk issuance, jointly managed by KFH Capital, Kamco Invest, and Warba Bank, is part of the $2 billion Kipcos International sukuk Programme. Application has been made for Certificates issued under the Programme to be admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange's International Securities Market (ISM), a market designated for professional investors.

The sukuk comprises two profit rates certificates, fixed and floating, with a tenure of 6 years. The KD66.05 million fixed rate certificates offer a profit rate of 6.5%, whereas the KD37.05 million floating rate certificates offers a profit rate of 7.00% (3.00% over the CBK Discount Rate), provided that the floating rate shall never exceed 7.50% per annum.

Profit payment

The profit payment on both certificates will be paid semi-annually. KFH Capital and Kamco Invest acted as Global Coordinators on the issuance and Joint Lead Managers along with Warba Bank.

The Chief Executive Officer at KFH Capital, Abdulaziz Al Marzooq, stated: As the Sole Structuring Agent, were proud to lead the first Kuwaiti Dinar denominated corporate sukuk. Our team at KFH Capital collaborated closely with the client to innovate and architect the inaugural Wakala / Murabaha sukuk. The commendable cooperation of the Kipco group was instrumental in the successful completion of this groundbreaking transaction."

Al Marzooq further underscored the significance of this issuance, characterising it as a pivotal moment that marks a new chapter for prospective sukuk issuers in the Kuwaiti marketplace. He said: "This landmark transaction sets the stage and paves the path forward for Kuwait based Corporations to use sukuks as a mean for their funding requirements in Kuwaiti Dinar and other currencies.

Key achievement

Abdullah M AlSharekh, Managing Director of Markets and Investment Banking at Kamco Invest, said: This transaction represents another significant achievement that will contribute to the expansion of local and regional debt capital markets. Kipco's solid financial position, forward-looking vision, and successful history of utilising the debt capital markets have played a crucial role in attracting substantial investor interest, further bolstering its prospects for future issuances.

AlSharekh added: We value the role our investment banking team is consistently undertaking in key transactions and putting forth their experience and credibility to deliver the best possible outcome.

Thuwaini Khaled AlThuwaini, Chief Investment Banking Officer at Warba Bank, said: We confirm Warba Banks keenness to participate as a joint lead manager and joint subscription agent for the issuance of sukuk for Kuwait Projects Company. Warba Bank succeeded during the last period in strengthening its role in the field of managing and issuing sukuk to its clients inside and outside Kuwait, by arranging new issuances and supporting the capital market. This has positioned Warba Bank amongst the most active players in the regional sukuk market, which affirms its role and experience in this field.-- TradeArabia News Service
(Bloomberg) -- The backlash against investing strategies that factor in environmental, social and governance issues is rising in the US and is impacting the way managers are thinking about integrating such considerations into their funds, according to a survey by HSBC Holdings Plc.

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The London-based lender polled 310 professionals across the globe in roles related to ESG decision making from May 31, 2023 to June 24, 2023. These respondents represented $8.9 trillion in assets under management across 292 institutions, HSBCs global research team led by Wai-Shin Chan and Anushua Chowdhury wrote in a note published this month.

There is undoubtedly a rise in anti-ESG sentiment in the US, wrote the analysts. In our view, this falls along mostly political lines and is isolated to the US.

The effects of the pushback are evident in the US. For example, in North America, there has been a decline in those saying that sustainability is a fund objective. Nearly a quarter of respondents in North America this year said sustainability is a primary or secondary objective, compared to 37% who said the same last year.

Additionally, about 44% of North American respondents also said that their reasons for having an ESG strategy have become weaker over the past twelve months, the survey found.

Read more: Republicans Prepare to Ramp Up Their Anti-ESG Campaign in 2023

Political Backlash

In the fixed income market, there is a notable shift in the way investors are integrating ESG considerations into their portfolios, according to the survey. The proportion of respondents citing use of ESG integration and labeled bonds increased quite sharply compared to last years survey and the long-term trend.

Both negative screening and use of ESG ratings declined as the primary method of implementing ESG, indicating, in our view, further progress on the part of investors to developing more bespoke forms of ESG analysis, wrote the analysts.

However, backlash and scrutiny is hurting US sales of bonds designed to help companies do good as pressure from investors and Republican politicians mounts.

The acronym ESG was coined almost two decades ago with the idea that investors should take into account environmental, social and governance risks in their financial calculations. But Republicans in recent years have blasted ESG financial practices and increased their scrutiny of what they call woke capitalism.

One of their main complaints is that environmental, social and governance investing is part of a broader Democratic effort to prioritize climate change and other societal issues to the detriment of the fossil-fuel industry.

Last year, HSBC suspended Stuart Kirk, who was head of responsible investing for the banks asset management unit, after he used a conference speech to criticize the finance industry for spending too much time worrying about climate change, slamming what he said was the sectors environmental hyperbole. Kirk subsequently resigned from the firm.

HSBC distanced itself from Kirks comments following his speech, with Chief Executive Officer Noel Quinn saying his views were inconsistent with the banks strategy.

Kirk didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

HSBCs ESG survey attempts to understand where investors are now on specific ESG issues, where the momentum is and what the future intentions are, according to the analysts.

--With assistance from Saijel Kishan.

(Adds context in paragraph 11 and 12)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals will operate security robots inside and outside its building at Hong Kong International Airport. (Photo: Hactl)

The largest independent cargo handler at Hong Kong International Airport is taking security measures to the next level with robots that patrol its facilities and sniffer dogs trained to detect lithium batteries in shipments.

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. (Hactl) announced last week that the first security robot is ready to begin surveillance, initially patrolling vehicle parking areas and export goods handling zones during the peak nighttime period. The airline service provider said the robots will also be deployed during daylight hours as required. It aims to have two or three in service next year.

In addition to complementing an existing closed-circuit television system for theft prevention, the robots will also monitor the condition of cargo throughout the companys massive 4.2 million-square-foot super terminal and video record incidents of damage to help with insurance claims.

Hactl would not disclose from which technology company it is purchasing the robots, which feature a thermal imaging camera, a high-resolution camera with a wiper for outdoor use, a lidar sensor for navigation and multiple ultrasonic sensors for collision avoidance.

By reducing reliance on human patrols, we are freeing up valuable night shift security staff resources to focus on making our security regime even more proactive, flexible and responsive to any incidents. This is a significant step forward in strengthening our overall security programme, said Hactl CEO Wilson Kwong in a news release.

This is the third area of Hactls business that has seen the introduction of robotics. During the pandemic, Hactl introduced sanitization robots to help reduce the risk of infection among its workforce. More recently it launched an automated parts store to dispense urgent spare parts that are needed around the clock to maintain its large automated handling systems.

In April, Hactl began using specially trained detector dogs from MSA Security to check outbound shipments on Qatar Airways freighter aircraft for undeclared lithium batteries, which can pose a fire safety risk if they overheat. During trial runs at Hactls super terminal, an MSA dog successfully detected packages containing lithium batteries in PCs, and even a single power bank, located on pallets containing other general cargo.

Qatar Airways Cargo and Hactl are the first carrier and cargo handler in Hong Kong to utilize trained sniffer dogs for lithium battery detection. Qatar Airways said it opted to use dogs rather than traditional X-ray detection alone because it is difficult to reliably detect lithium batteries by imaging, especially for e-commerce shipments containing multiple types of products in small packages.

Kansai Airport in Japan has tested two security robots that conduct autonomous patrols of passenger terminals.

A year ago, GXO Logistics deployed air and ground security robots from Asylon Inc. at a major distribution center in Clayton, Indiana, and said at the time it planned to significantly increase deployment of automated security systems across other sites within the next year. GXO has used Asylons tech to collect real-time data about on-site activities, investigate and clear alarms, conduct video-verified security audits and more.

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

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While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZSE:RYM) share price up 29% in a single quarter. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. After all, the share price is down 47% in the last three years, significantly under-performing the market.

While the last three years has been tough for Ryman Healthcare shareholders, this past week has shown signs of promise. So let's look at the longer term fundamentals and see if they've been the driver of the negative returns.

See our latest analysis for Ryman Healthcare

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During the three years that the share price fell, Ryman Healthcare's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 11% each year. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 19% annual reduction in the share price. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Ryman Healthcare's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

Investors should note that there's a difference between Ryman Healthcare's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Ryman Healthcare's TSR of was a loss of 38% for the 3 years. That wasn't as bad as its share price return, because it has paid dividends.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Ryman Healthcare had a tough year, with a total loss of 12%, against a market gain of about 6.8%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 6% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Take risks, for example - Ryman Healthcare has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Ryman Healthcare is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on New Zealander exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Comedian Sarah Silverman has teamed up with two novelists to bring a potentially groundbreaking case against Meta and OpenAI, alleging that their copyrighted material was used to train chatbots without permission.

The proposed class actions, brought by Silverman alongside authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, claim that their books were ingested to train OpenAIs ChatGPT and Metas LLaMA without their permission, according to documents filed to a San Francisco court on Friday night.

ChatGPT and LLaMA are both large language models (LLMs), a type of AI algorithm that is trained on vast amounts of data scraped from multiple sources. This has led to accusations that developers are pilfering information from publicly available but protected works.

Senators Question Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Over LLaMA AI Model Leak

In the suit against OpenAI, lawyers for Silverman and the other plaintiffs said that the company had admitted it used databases of books while training ChatGPT.

While the exact datasets used have not been disclosed, lawyers used deduction to suggest that one was public domain digital library Project Gutenberg. The other was likely to be a shadow library such as Library Genesis, Z-Library or Sci-Hub, which often contain copyrighted materials.

To prove their point, lawyers asked ChatGPT to summarize works by each of the authors.

Though some details were wrong, they argued that the results show ChatGPT retains knowledge of particular works in the training dataset and is able to output similar textual content.

A larger fight for artists rights

The suits are led by San Francisco firm Joseph Saveri, alongside lawyer and author Matthew Butterick. Alongside the Silverman suits, the same team has also put together a separate case representing authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad in a class action against OpenAI.

Speaking late last month, Joseph Savari said it was critical that we recognize and protect the rights of authors such as these against unlawful theft and fraud.

GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 are not just an infringement of authors rights; whether they aim to or not, models such as this will eliminate author as a viable career path, argued Saveri. This case

represents a larger fight for preserving ownership rights for all artists and other creators.

The rapid rise of AI has caused controversy and existential angst for artists across creative industries. Speaking on a podcast in May, megastar Tom Hanks revealed that actors are now scrambling to secure the digital rights to their images thanks to the AI boom.

Hollywood Writers on Strike Will Not Rest Until AI Is Stopped

Last week, Japan took an early stance on the issue, deciding that model trainers can gather public data without having to license or secure permission from owners.

Elsewhere the question of what counts as copyright infringement is far from settled.

The European Union has proposed that companies will have to disclose any copyrighted material used in developing their systems. The U.S. Copyright Office has launched an initiative to examine the law and policy issues raised by AI.
Sovereign Cloud Holdings (ASX:SOV) shareholders are up 30% this past week, but still in the red over the last year

Sovereign Cloud Holdings Limited (ASX:SOV) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 42% in the last month. But that's small comfort given the dismal price performance over the last year. Like a receding glacier in a warming world, the share price has melted 65% in that period. So the bounce should be viewed in that context. It may be that the fall was an overreaction.

The recent uptick of 30% could be a positive sign of things to come, so let's take a look at historical fundamentals.

Check out our latest analysis for Sovereign Cloud Holdings

Given that Sovereign Cloud Holdings didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

In the last twelve months, Sovereign Cloud Holdings increased its revenue by 32%. We think that is pretty nice growth. Meanwhile, the share price tanked 65%, suggesting the market had much higher expectations. It is of course possible that the business will still deliver strong growth, it will just take longer than expected to do it. For us it's important to consider when you think a company will become profitable, if you're basing your valuation on revenue.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

Investors should note that there's a difference between Sovereign Cloud Holdings' total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. We note that Sovereign Cloud Holdings' TSR, at -54% is higher than its share price return of -65%. When you consider it hasn't been paying a dividend, this data suggests shareholders have benefitted from a spin-off, or had the opportunity to acquire attractively priced shares in a discounted capital raising.

A Different Perspective

Given that the market gained 10% in the last year, Sovereign Cloud Holdings shareholders might be miffed that they lost 54%. While the aim is to do better than that, it's worth recalling that even great long-term investments sometimes underperform for a year or more. With the stock down 29% over the last three months, the market doesn't seem to believe that the company has solved all its problems. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Sovereign Cloud Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 6 warning signs for Sovereign Cloud Holdings (of which 4 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

We will like Sovereign Cloud Holdings better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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MANITOWOC  Ship ahoy! After a three-year hiatus, the S.S. Badger car ferry will again make overnight journeys across Lake Michigan.

The popular car ferry, which makes a four-hour trip to and from the Wisconsin and Michigan shorelines, suspended overnight sails in 2020. Lower public demand during the pandemic and the cost of carrying a large ship across the water also led Lake Michigan Carferry, which owns the Badger, to end the ships season two weeks early that year.

Now, tides are turning.

We have seen a continued increase in traffic and demand for the additional crossing, said Shelby Soberalski, director of marketing and sales for Lake Michigan Carferry, in a news release. Many passengers have expressed how much they missed being able to sail at night and now we are ecstatic to service our passengers in this capacity again.

Brew N Bee III: Spell Harder!: 5 things to know about the Manitowoc library fundraiser that mixes beer and spelling

The overnight trip offers passengers a unique opportunity to travel and view the night sky, stars and sunsets as part of the route to their destination, she said.

These sailings are offered Thursday through Sunday evenings through at least Aug. 6, according to the news release.

That means that, in addition to the scheduled day crossing, the Badger will make a second departure from Manitowoc at 1:30 p.m. Central Time, and leave Ludington, Michigan, at 8:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, for Manitowoc.

According to the release, on the 8:45 p.m. departure passengers can expect the same amenities offered during day trips, including Badger Bingo, dining and bar service. Anyone holding tickets for a day crossing who wishes to change to an evening adventure can call the reservation department at 1-800-841-4243.

Savor Manitowoc: Lunch at the new El Patio restaurant on Washington Street in Manitowoc

Visit ssbadger.com for information or to make a reservation.

The Badger is the largest cross-lake passenger and car ferry service on Lake Michigan. The ship can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles and is celebrating 70 years on the water this year.

Got a tip, comment or question for Streetwise Manitowoc? Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2586. Follow her on Twitter @PGPattiZarling.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: SS Badger night sails between Manitowoc and Ludington, Michigan resume
Just shy of $45 billion or 20% of Ethereum in circulation has been stakeda milestone reached on Monday that captures coins at work like never before.

People pledge tokens to the network to keep it secure and receive rewards for doing so. And close to 24 million Ethereum is currently locked up across 744,000 validators that process transactions, according to a dashboard on Dune Analytics created by a user named hildobby.

Ethereum is one of many blockchains that utilizes a proof-of-stake consensus model, which, in the case of Ethereum, involves validators pledging at least 32 Ethereum for the chance to validate transactions and receive associated fees.

But that hasnt always been the case. In September of last year, after much anticipation, Ethereum transitioned from proof-of-workan energy-intensive process used by networks like Bitcointo proof-of-stake. And for months, staked Ethereum couldnt be withdrawn until an upgrade this past April enabled it.

What Is Ethereums Shanghai/Shapella Upgrade?

For reference, around $29 billion worth of Ethereum, or 14.5% of ETH in circulation, was pledged leading up to the pivotal Shanghai upgrade that enabled staking withdrawals.

Mondays milestone represents a noteworthy achievement and captures the success of Ethereums journey toward a consensus model thats ultimately friendlier on the environment, prominent venture capitalist and crypto analyst Adam Cochran told Decrypt.

This is a huge point of progress for the network, aligning economic incentives with security goals works and is critical for a decentralized network, he said. We should all be proud of this milestone.

When it comes to how people stake their Ethereum, Lido Finance, the crypto markets largest liquid staking protocol, is by far the most popular choice. Allowing users to stake ETH in any amount and receive a staked Ethereum token called stETH in exchange, it accounts for nearly 32% of all staked Ethereum, according to Dune.

Ethereum Energy Usage, Carbon Footprint Down 99.99% After Merge: Report

Cryptocurrency exchanges are also big players. Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, and OKX account for around 19% of all staked Ethereum, according to Dune. In a bear market, where trading volumes are depressed, staking has helped exchanges find an alternative source of revenue.

Yet regulators in the U.S. have their qualms with how staking services are offered to customers, alleging they run afoul of securities laws. Both Kraken and Coinbase have faced regulatory heat for staking products this yearKraken settled a lawsuit in February and Coinbases is ongoing.

Financial institutions are paying attention to staking and exploring how it can bolster the products they offer, in Canada, at least. Two weeks ago, the digital asset manager 3iQ said two of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will offer staking to clients in August.
Kameleon007 / iStock.com

The recent end of President Joe Bidens federal student loan forgiveness plan at the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court has left millions of borrowers scrambling to come up with a strategy to begin repaying debt again. Payments are expected to resume in the fall following a payment pause that began in March 2020.

Discover: New Student Loan Forgiveness Rule Simplifies Process  Who Qualifies?

See: Student Loan Pause Officially Ends in October  Are You Ready To Start Making Average $503 Payments Again?

Borrowers who seek other loan forgiveness options can look into programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness, which provide pathways to debt cancellation. But even if you dont go that route, there are ways to save money on your student debt through programs due to take effect in 2024.

Find: All of the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans

In a June 30 announcement that followed the SCOTUSs decision to kill loan forgiveness, the White House issued a memo detailing a pair of initiatives that aim to provide debt relief for as many borrowers as possible, as fast as possible.

One of them is a 12-month on-ramp to repayment that runs from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024. Under this program, financially vulnerable borrowers who miss monthly payments during that time period wont be considered delinquent and wont be reported to credit bureaus, placed in default or referred to debt collection agencies. Payments will still be due and interest will accrue during the period, but the interest wont capitalize at the end of the on-ramp period.

The other program, called Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), is an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that aims to cut monthly payments in half. Some borrowers will qualify for $0 monthly payments under the plan, while all other borrowers will save at least $1,000 a year. The plan will also ensure that borrowers dont see their balances grow from unpaid interest.

By law, the regulations will go fully into effect on July 1, 2024, according to the White House. But some of the benefits will be implemented this summer, before the student loan payment pause ends.

Here are highlights of the SAVE plan:

For undergraduate loans, the plan will cut in half the amount that borrowers have to pay each month from 10% to 5% of discretionary income.

Increase the amount of income considered non-discretionary and therefore protected from repayment. This will guarantee that no borrower earning less than 225% of the federal poverty level  up from 150% previously  will have to make a monthly payment. Those who earn the income threshold (about $15 an hour for a full-time worker) or less could qualify for a $0 monthly payment on the SAVE plan, CNBC reported.

Forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments instead of 20 years for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that this reform will help nearly all community college borrowers be debt-free within a decade.

Eliminate charges to borrowers with unpaid monthly interest. Unlike other IDR plans, this means no borrowers loan balance will grow as long as they make their monthly payments  even when that monthly payment is $0 because their income is low.

All student borrowers in repayment will be eligible to enroll in the SAVE plan, the White House said. Borrowers will be able to enroll later this summer before any monthly payments are due, though no specific date had been set at the time of the announcement.

Borrowers who sign up for or are already enrolled in the current Revised Pay as You Earn (REPAYE) plan will be automatically enrolled in SAVE once the new plan is implemented. To learn more about the new SAVE plan, visit the Department of Educations website.

Also beginning in July 2024, borrowers who have granted the Education Department access to their tax information will be automatically enrolled in an IDR plan if they are 75 days late on their loan payment, CNBC reported.

Federal loans are considered delinquent the day after you miss a payment, but loan servicers dont typically report it to national credit bureaus until youre 90 days delinquent. Automatic enrollment wont necessarily reduce your monthly payment to $0, according to CNBC, but it should make your monthly payment more manageable and help you avoid defaulting.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Student Loan Borrowers Will Save Additional Money With These Changes Coming in 2024
With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 1x in the Multiline Retail industry in Singapore, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group Ltd.'s (SGX:5SR) P/S ratio of 0.6x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Check out our latest analysis for Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group

How Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing revenue performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 2.0%. Unfortunately, that's brought it right back to where it started three years ago with revenue growth being virtually non-existent overall during that time. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 209% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

The Key Takeaway

It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We find it unexpected that Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group trades at a P/S ratio that is comparable to the rest of the industry, despite experiencing declining revenues during the medium-term, while the industry as a whole is expected to grow. Even though it matches the industry, we're uncomfortable with the current P/S ratio, as this dismal revenue performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Zhongmin Baihui Retail Group (of which 2 make us uncomfortable!) you should know about.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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At least 45% of US tap water may be contaminated by one or more types of forever chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a new study by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used across various applications, from the linings of fast-food boxes and non-stick cookware to firefighting foams, pesticides, cosmetic creams, furnishing textiles and outdoor clothing.

The USGS findings are both shocking and scary as PFAS has been found in tap and bottled water around the world and linked to numerous adverse human health effects, says Bengt Rittri, the founder and CEO of the global beverage and water purification company Bluewater.

EPA warning

A Swedish environmental entrepreneur who has made it his life mission to bring safe and healthier water to everyone, Rittri noted that the US Environmental Protection Agency EPA has warned that high concentrations of PFAS chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women as well as kidney or testicular cancer, raised cholesterol levels, and damage to the immune system, for example.

The issue of PFAS is not restricted to the US. The European Environment Agency reports that national monitoring activities have detected PFAS in the environment across Europe. It says the production and use of PFAS in products has resulted in the contamination of drinking water supplies in several European countries.

In some highly polluted areas, concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorosulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water were above the limit value for individual PFAS proposed in the 2018 recast of the EU Drinking Water Directive (EC, 2017). And in China, a 2021 study by a team from Tsinghua University found that nearly 100 million people had been supplied water laden with levels of toxic chemicals that exceeded safe limits.

Long-term tail

The long-term tail of PFAS contamination is such that even if the release of the toxic chemicals was stopped tomorrow, the European Chemicals Agency warns they would continue to be present in the environment and humans for many generations, Rittri said.

Rich Razgaitis, CEO of Bluewater North America, concurred with Rittri: This study is a compelling confirmation of the contaminants in our drinking water here in the US and how widespread the problem is. He said the USGS research adds tremendous urgency for why our schools, businesses, and consumers need to take water purification into their own hands right where they work, rest and play.

According to USGS, their new research marks the first time anyone has tested for and compared PFAS in tap water from private and government-regulated public water supplies on a broad scale throughout the US.

Those data were used to model and estimate PFAS contamination nationwide. Because they break down very slowly, PFAS are commonly called forever chemicals. The USGS said PFAS persistence in the environment and prevalence everywhere make them a unique water-quality concern.

In their study, USGS scientists collected tap water samples directly from peoples kitchen sinks at 716 locations representing a range of low, medium, and high human-impacted areas. They discovered the interim health advisories released by the US EPA in 2022 for PFOS and PFOA were exceeded in every sample in which they were detected in their new study, which tested for 32 individual PFAS compounds using a method developed by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory.

In independent tests, Bluewater has confirmed its purifiers can successfully remove up to 99.99% of the health-threatening PFAS chemicals, such as PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, and PFBS, which have been found in the tap water of communities worldwide.

Bluewater research

The Bluewater research was carried out in a laboratory at the prestigious Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), and the results were verified by the independent bio-analytical testing group Eurofins.

Dr Ahmed Fawzy, PhD, a senior research scientist at Bluewater who carried out the tests at KTH verified by Eurofins, said little detailed information is available regarding which specific PFAS are used in what applications and to what extent. Due to the uncertainty, we decided to independently test the PFAS removal efficiency of our Bluewater Pro water purifier, he said.

The tests encompassed the four most common PFAS compounds in drinking water listed by the Swedish National Food Agency, PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, and PFBS.

SuperiorOsmosis technology

Dr Fawzy said: We deliberately contaminated the water entering the Bluewater Pro with PFAS at concentrations higher than average levels and then fed the water through the Bluewater purifier. Testing the purified water revealed an unequivocal result; Bluewaters unique second-generation SuperiorOsmosis technology had removed up to 99.99% of all the PFAS chemicals we tested for.

PFAS has been shown to accumulate over time in humans and the environment. The European Environment Agency (EEA) describes PFAS as moderately to highly toxic, particularly for childrens development, while In mid-January 2021, a study published in Environmental Sciences Europe said around 100 million Chinese in 66 cities across China were drinking tap water with unsafe levels of PFAS.-- TradeArabia News Service
TPG to buy Forcepoint unit from Francisco Partners for $2.45 billion - WSJ

A screen announces the listing of private-equity firm TPG, during the IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in Times Square in New York

(Reuters) - Buyout house TPG is buying a business unit of software provider Forcepoint for $2.45 billion from Francisco Partners, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday citing people familiar with the matter.

TPG is acquiring Forcepoint's government cybersecurity business, known as Forcepoint Global Governments and Critical Infrastructure, according to the report. The unit focuses on critical infrastructure for U.S. government and federal agencies.

Francisco which bought Forcepoint from Raytheon Technologies in October 2020 will retain a minority stake in the unit, WSJ said, adding that it will continue to own and manage its commercial cybersecurity business as a separate entity.

TPG and Francisco Partners declined to comment while Forcepoint did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Austin, Texas-based Forcepoint develops and creates computer security software, data protection, and firewall solutions. Its business that caters to the U.S. government currently generates about $400 million of annual revenue.

Forcepoint is exploring sale of its governments security unit for more than $2 billion as part of its strategy to focus on growing its commercial business, sources told Reuters in April.

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Diane Craft)
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported better-than-expected sales on a boom in artificial intelligence applications demanding more of the industry-leading firms chipmaking capacity.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Second-quarter revenue totaled NT$480.8 billion ($15.3 billion) according to Bloombergs calculations. That marked a 10% decline on the prior year, though the drop was not as bad as feared, beating an average analyst estimate of NT$476.2 billion. Sales in June came in at NT$156.4 billion.

TSMC is the primary contract manufacturer of Nvidia Corp.s AI accelerator chips, widely seen as the best hardware for training large data models such as the one underpinning OpenAIs ChatGPT.

The Taiwanese firms shares were unchanged on Monday before it reported the monthly sales figure. Goldman Sachs analysts earlier raised their target price for the company to NT$700. The stock has risen more than 25% since the beginning of the year, despite the companys caution that revenue for 2023 might fall low- to mid-single digits in US dollar terms.

We view TSMC as the key AI enabler among our Taiwan semi coverage thanks to its leadership stance in leading edge nodes and advanced packaging technology, Goldman Sachs analysts Bruce Lu and Evelyn Yu said ahead of the results. The company has 37 buy recommendations, one hold and no sells, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says

Smartphone demand headwinds are proving more formidable than anticipated, detracting from robust AI chip orders. Although TSMCs reported sales beat consensus, after adjusting for currency tailwinds, results lie at the mid-point of the guidance range. In my view, this underscores the significance of the soft smartphone sector on its overall performance. Moving forward, market conditions warrant closer scrutiny, particularly any indicators of smartphone demand recovery, to gauge their potential impact on 2H earnings trajectory.

 Charles Shum, BI analyst

--With assistance from Jeanny Yu.

(Updates with BI analyst commentary)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
FILE PHOTO: Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Financial Officer Nelson Chai on trading floor of NYSE during the company's IPO in New York

Uber CFO Nelson Chai plans to step down - Bloomberg News FILE PHOTO: Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Financial Officer Nelson Chai on trading floor of NYSE during the company's IPO in New York

(Reuters) -Uber Technologies Chief Financial Officer Nelson Chai is planning to leave the ride-hailing company, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Chai informed Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi of his intentions to move on, though a decision on the timing of his departure hasn't been made, according to the report.

Uber did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Uber's shares, which closed marginally lower on Monday, slid about 1% in post-market trading.

Chai was brought in at Uber as finance chief in 2018 and he shepherded the company through its IPO a year later.

He has overseen multibillion-dollar deals  including the $2.65 billion acquisition of Postmates in 2020 and the $2.25 billion buyout of logistics operator Transplace the following year  as well as divestiture of assets in some geographies.

Before Uber, Chai had served in senior roles at the New York Stock Exchange, Merrill Lynch and CIT Group.

Uber is cutting costs even as it rides an upswing in its business as commuters return after COVID restrictions eased. The company said in May it was on track to post operating income profits this year.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shailesh Kuber)
FILE PHOTO: FCA signage is seen at its head office in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday it has stopped 26 machines across the country for illegally offering cryptocurrencies, warning consumers they could lose all of their money.

A member of the public paid in a thousand pounds into a crypto ATM in Sheffield, northern England, in an attempt to buy cryptocurrencies, but no cryptocurrency or funds were returned, the FCA said.

The watchdog, in a coordinated operation with other law enforcement agencies, inspected 34 locations suspected of hosting crypto ATMs since the start of this year and "disrupted" 26 machines.

"If you use a crypto ATM in the UK, you are using a machine that is operating illegally and you may be handing your money over to criminals," Steve Smart, joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said in a statement.

"You will not be protected if something goes wrong, and you could lose your money," Smart said.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by David Evans)
A United Airlines flight heading from Houston to Amsterdam was diverted to Chicago after an unruly business class passenger interrupted the flight, reportedly because his first meal choice was unavailable.

Related: Remember your training: teen pilot makes emergency landing on Route 66

The flight took off at 4.20pm local time in Houston on Sunday, and was in Chicago airspace two hours into the flight. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the plane circled Chicagos OHare airport as it had to use up fuel, known as dumping fuel, or it would have been too heavy to land.

#UA20 from Houston to Amsterdam jettisoning fuel prior to diversion to Chicago due to an unruly passenger. https://t.co/aAyj03wnLY pic.twitter.com/FzGN6090MC  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 10, 2023

Aviation insider XJonNYC posted internal United communications on Twitter that reported a disruptive [passenger] on board and a threat level of one, the lowest level of threat. In another tweet, he reported that the passenger seemed to be enraged over meal choice.

In a statement to the Guardian, United said: United flight 20 from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Amsterdam diverted to OHare International Airport and landed safely following a passenger disturbance. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and escorted the passenger off the plane. The aircraft then continued to Amsterdam.

According to Flightrader24, the flight ended up landing just over three hours after its scheduled arrival, touching down at about 12.30pm local time in Amsterdam. The typical total flight time for the trip is nine hours and 30 minutes.

While it is unclear exactly what meal the unruly passenger had gotten upset over, business class passengers on United are typically offered a full three-course meal in addition to more food throughout the flight.

The airline has faced criticism that its in-flight meals had failed to return to pre-pandemic norms and it announced last year it was upgrading its business class fare.

Travel review website Live and Lets Fly reported that business class passengers flying from Newark to Amsterdam had a choice between seared beef short rib, seared lemon grass salmon, or ricotta salata and wild honey manicotti as their main meal. A one-way business class seat on the Houston to Amsterdam United flight typically costs $6,927.

The Federal Aviation Administration can impose fines on passengers for unruly behavior, up to $37,000 for each violation, with each incident having the potential for multiple violations. Passengers are also subject to being prosecuted on criminal charges.

The International Air Transport Association reported earlier this year that unruly passenger incidents increased 47% in 2022 compared with the year before, with an incident occurring once every 568 flights.
Veteran chefs start new Japanese restaurant in Ormond Beach. Here's where it's going.

ORMOND BEACH  Two longtime chefs at a popular Japanese restaurant here are starting one of their own across town. They've enlisted help from some old friends.

The new restaurant is called Koji Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, at 175 S. Nova Road. It opens on July 11.

Realtor Gina Sweringen, left, joins the management team at Koji Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, on Friday, June 30, 2023. From left: Sweringen, co-owner Kris Nguyen, head chef Thien "T-Bone" Mai, head sushi chef Hein Le, co-owner Le Tran and general manager Michelle Harvey.

What are the owners' backgrounds?

The owners are Le Tran, Thien "T-Bone" Mai and local investor Kris Nguyen.

Tran for over 20 years was executive chef at a Japanese restaurant on Williamson Boulevard. Mai worked there as a teppan, or hibachi grill, chef.

Nguyen met the two as a customer. He owns Meraki Nail Spa at 299 W. Granada Blvd.

How did they team up?

Nguyen came up with the idea to partner with Tran and Mai. "I convinced Le and T-Bone to open a restaurant with me because they're very good at it," he said.

They chose the name "Koji" because it means "peace," said Tran.

Tran and Mai asked former co-worker Gina Sweringen, now an agent with Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, to find them a place.

Sweringen worked at the other Japanese restaurant for over 10 years, starting as a hostess, then a server, and eventually as bartender/assistant manager.

The partners agreed to lease the former Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar space at Nova Shoppes, north of Ormond Beach Fire Station No. 92.

Tran and Mai recruited two more former colleagues to join them: head sushi chef Hien Le and Michelle Harvey, a former bartender/assistant manager at the Japanese restaurant on Williamson. She is now the general manager at Koji.

"We've all worked together on and off," said Sweringen. "I've known them (Tran and Mai) since I was 16. I'm 33 now. It's come full circle."

This is the exterior of the new Koji Steakhouses & Sushi Bar as it nears completion at 175 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach, on Friday, June 30, 2023. It is set to open 5 p.m. July 11.

What nationality are the owners?

Tran, Mai, and Le are Vietnamese, but their experience is in Japanese cuisine. "All my life and T-Bone's life, we've worked in Japanese food," Tran said.

How do they hope to differentiate themselves?

"I know what people want: a friendly, entertaining place to eat that serves good food," said Tran. "We want to make this a fun, upbeat atmosphere."

What's the menu price range?

The menu was not yet finalized at the time of this interview.

Prices will likely range from $22 to $35 per person, said Tran. In addition to sushi and Japanese dishes, "we'll be serving steaks including ribeye and filet mignon," he said. Koji will also serve beer, wine and cocktails.

What changes have they made?

Tran said he and his partners invested $150,000 in renovations. "We've spent two months, working seven days a week, to clean this place up," he said. Improvements include new furniture and lighting, and a more open floorplan.

Koji Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar Co-owner Le Tran works in the wine cellar inside the new Ormond Beach restaurant on Friday, June 30, 2023.

How many have they hired?

The restaurant so far has hired 20 employees. It's looking to add at least 10 more, said Tran.

What are its hours?

Koji will open at 5 p.m. on July 11. Regular hours will be Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING: Sushi is more popular than ever, but is it healthy?

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Longtime chefs start Japanese eatery of their own in Ormond. Here's where it's going.
(Bloomberg) -- The Kremlin is willing to let Yevgeny Prigozhins Wagner Group keep some of its extensive operations in Africa, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, as Russia scrambles to retain its influence in the resource-rich continent in the aftermath of his attempted mutiny.

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The deal includes Wagners operations in the Central African Republic and has the support of President Vladimir Putin, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is sensitive.

The agreement emerged as the Kremlin disclosed Monday that Putin held nearly three hours of talks with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders on June 29, just five days after the unprecedented mutiny in Russia that threatened the presidents nearly quarter-century rule. By building an army of thousands of guns-for-hire, Wagner has for years given the Kremlin a way to pursue its foreign policy in Africa on a shoestring, making inroads at the expense of the US and former colonial power France, with the added bonus of deniability.

As the US tries to exploit the mutiny to dislodge the mercenary group from the continent, Russia is acting swiftly to safeguard those gains. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has scrambled to reassure African counterparts that Russia remains committed to a network of security partnerships  including the provision of military instructors in the Central African Republic  that were agreed as ties with former colonial power France soured. Later this month, Russia will reinforce its engagement by hosting its second Africa summit in St. Petersburg.

But what Russia describes as military instructors, the US says are Wagner operatives in combat roles. The Defense Ministry  bogged down in Ukraine and hampered by western sanctions  isnt immediately in a position to take over Wagners complex and often murky operations in CAR and may also need the private contractors to achieve its foreign policy objectives in Sudan and elsewhere.

Beyond CAR, Putin was assessing his options but would likely end up leaving Wagner in charge of operations that pay for themselves while bringing activities more directly dependent on Moscow under its direct control, according to another person close to the Kremlin.

Wagner will stay in Africa, that's for sure, said Sergei Markov, a political consultant with close Kremlin ties. But whom it will report to, Prigozhin or another oligarch, has yet to be decided.

Confusion in CAR

CAR is one of three former French colonies that have strengthened security ties with Russia following disputes that led to the expulsion of French and international forces fighting jihadists in the Sahel region.

But it is Wagner forces that have helped the CAR government fight off a rebel insurgency since 2018. The US and others have accused them of involvement in massacres again Muslims.

In return, Wagner-linked companies have been granted gold and timber concessions and run one of the countrys leading beer-makers.

As many as 600 Wagner contractors have left CAR since the short-lived mutiny in Russia ended on June 25, Sky News reported in recent days, after refusing to switch to Russian Defense Ministry contracts. Alexander Ivanov, the official representative of Russias military trainers in CAR, issued a statement Saturday saying they were there to stay.

CAR is confident that Russia will keep up its support, Hassan Bouba, the former rebel leader and influential Livestock Minister, said in a phone interview.

Moscows two key interlocutors in CAR are local Wagner commander Vitali Perfilev and Dmitri Sytyi, who runs the Russian House cultural center. Both remain on the ground and hold daily meetings with the CAR army chief, said Bouba.

They are the leaders in Bangui. For us, nothing has changed, he told Bloomberg. The last word resides with President Putin to say if the Central African Republic continues with Wagner or there will be new forces that will come and replace them.

Read More: What Wagners Mutiny Means for Its Sprawling Business Empire Russias Footprint Grows in Africa as France Leaves Burkina Faso Wagner Is Losing Its Grip on Africa, Too: Bobby Ghosh

Prigozhins main asset to African leaders was his access to Putin, which makes him less useful than he was, said a person in a Russian state company with knowledge of Africa operations who requested anonymity to talk about the issue.

Hard to Replace

Nevertheless, his personal connections with those African leaders, and his mens loyalty, mean he also wont be easy to replace, said Marat Gabidullin, a former senior Wagner commander and Sergei Khrabrykh, an ex-Russian Defense Ministry official. Both now live in France.

The mutiny, prompted by a row over the handling of Russias war in Ukraine, came as Wagner was busy expanding its African footprint. It has held talks with military rulers in Burkina Faso and sent a small contingent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to offer training and assistance to forces battling rebels, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Wagners spreading influence on the continent was drawing US scrutiny  and sanctions  even before Prigozhins revolt. And the US has used the turmoil to step up calls on African leaders to expel the mercenaries.

We continue to urge governments in Africa and elsewhere to cease any cooperation with Wagner and not pursue any further, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

French ruling party lawmaker Benjamin Haddad said the events in Russia should serve as a warning to leaders in Africa.

Any nationalization of Wagner would give the west an opportunity to re-brand the Wagner Groups war crimes and predatory economic activity as Russian state policy toward Africa, said Alia Brahimi, an expert at the Atlantic Council who has advised several governments on Middle East and North Africa policy.

Sudan Test

The next big question could be the future of Wagner operations in Sudan, where Prigozhin had been assisting rebels battling the army even while Moscow maintains close ties to the military leadership in Khartoum.

The Kremlin has been able to pursue this dual policy by covertly deploying the mercenaries, an approach it has also used in oil-rich Libya.

The US in May accused Wagner of delivering surface-to-air missiles to Sudans Rapid Support Forces, which since April have been waging a campaign to overthrow the military junta that seized power in 2021.

The weapons deliveries were confirmed by two people in Moscow and a western diplomat with knowledge of the issue. The assistance includes portable missiles from Wagners stockpile in Libya, said Gabidullin. Arms have also been coming from Wagner forces in CAR, according to western diplomats and rebel forces in the country.

The Russian secret services are betting on both sides in Sudan, said Gleb Irisov, a former Russian air force officer. This way they benefit whoever comes out on top.

Russia has more at stake in Sudan than it does elsewhere, however.

Its sought for years to establish its first naval base in Africa on Sudans Red Sea coast. That would give Moscow permanent access to the Suez Canal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Peninsula, according to Viktor Bondarev, a former Russian air force chief, areas currently policed by the US and its allies. The US has warned Sudan against proceeding with the plan.

Sudan is also a critical part of the logistical corridor that connects Wagners operations from Syria to Libya and deeper into Africa, allowing it to ferry equipment and fighters to countries including CAR and Mali.

Read More: How a Sanctioned Russian Company Gained Access to Sudans GoldSudan Charges Russian National in Gold-Smuggling Probe That Showed Power Feud

Africa remains a high priority on the Russian foreign policy agenda and so far no sign of disruption is going on there. It could take time to untangle Wagner Group and replace it with something else, said Lou Osborn, an analyst at All Eyes on Wagner, a consortium that tracks the groups activities using open-source investigation. It may not even happen.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Water Analysis Instruments Market Revenue to Cross US$ 9.3 Billion at 6.8% CAGR by 2031| Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research

Stringent government regulations for controlling water quality used for consumption and industrial processes are propelling market growth in North America

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, July 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global water analysis instruments market was valued at US$ 5.2 billion in 2021. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2031.



Increase in rate of adoption of advanced tools and technologies to monitor the quality of water in several water-intensive industries is fueling the water analysis instruments market.

Rise in concerns about the quality of water has compelled several industries, such as food & beverage, aquaculture, and pharmaceutical, to employ new tools and technologies in order to test and analyze the quality of water they use.

Water is heavily used in these industries, and some of the advanced water quality tools that these industries are investing in include water treatment systems, sensors and monitoring devices, and software platforms for data analysis and management.

Water analysis instruments comprise tools and devices to monitor and manage the quality of water. Water analysis instruments measure various physical, chemical, and biological parameters of water samples.

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Market Snapshot:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue US$ 5.2 Bn Estimated Value US$ 9.3 Bn Growth Rate - CAGR 6.8% Forecast Period 2023-2031 No. of Pages 205 Pages Market Segmentation By Instrument Type, By Product Type, By Application, By End-use Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Companies Covered ABB, Agilent Technologies Inc., Danaher Corporation, Emerson Electric Co., Endress+Hauser Group Services AG, Horiba, Ltd., Labcompare, Laval Lab Inc., Mettler-Toledo International Inc., Myron L Company, Shimadzu Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Yokogawa, YSI/Xylem

Key Findings of Study

Need for Clean and Safe Water for Growing Population Fueling Market Development  Growth in population, globally, and urbanization has fueled the demand for clean and safe water for everyday functioning.

Contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals can cause health issues when consumed or used in industrial processes, and thus necessitate adoption of water quality monitors.

According to a publication of the United Nations World Water Development, approximately 6 billion people are expected to face scarcity of clean water by 2050. Therefore, there is a pressing need to save water, adopt measures to limit pollution, and preserve water reservoirs across the globe. Consequently, increase in demand for water quality analyzers is anticipated to boost the market size in the next few years.

Increase in Demand for Water Analysis Instruments in Emerging Markets  In developing countries, poor water quality and pollution, inefficient wastewater management, political greed, and underinvestment are pressing issues that need attention.

Rapid industrialization in developing countries has worsened water contamination. This has compelled authorities to enact and enforce stringent regulations on water quality standards, driven by the rise in awareness about the importance of water quality and its impact on public health and the environment. Therefore, increase in investments in water sampling equipment in developing countries is anticipated to fuel market demand during the forecast period.

Agriculture utilizes nearly 70% of the freshwater available on the planet. Developing countries are mostly hit by water shortages, poor water quality, and flooding. Up to 80% of illnesses in developing countries are associated with inadequate water and poor sanitation.

Water pollution and rising sea levels are contaminating reliable water sources in several countries. This is leading to rise in adoption of water analyzers in developing countries, which in turn is propelling market expansion.

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High Demand for TOC Analyzers for Detailed Examination of Water Quality  In terms of instrument type, the TOC analyzers segment is anticipated to account for significant market share in the next few years. TOC analyzers feature several favorable properties; they can be used in combination with other tools to provide a detailed assessment of water quality. Additionally, TOC systems are well-suited for power plants cycle chemistry, pharmaceutical waters, and microelectronics ultrapure waters.

Growth Drivers

Need for clean and safe water for the growing global population is fueling the water analysis treatment market

Technological advancements in water analysis instruments is augmenting market growth

Regional Landscape

North America contributed the highest revenue to the global industry in 2022. An increase in demand for water due to population growth as well as stringent regulations that control water quality are major factors fueling the North American market.

Developing countries in Asia Pacific is driving the demand for water analysis instruments in the region. Therefore, Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the leading share of the global market, by the end of the forecast period.

Competitive Analysis

Competition in the market is intense, with the presence of large number of participants from various industries and sectors. This includes a wide range of end-users, such as industrial water users and environmental testing labs.

Prominent vendors in the water analysis instruments market include ABB, Danaher Corporation, Horiba Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Water Corporation.

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The global water analysis instruments market has been segmented as follows:

Global Water Analysis Instruments Market, by Instrument Type

PH Meter

Conductivity Meter

Turbidity Meter

Dissolved Oxygen Meter

Spectrophotometer

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analyzer

Multiparameter

Others

Global Water Analysis Instruments Market, by Product Type

Portable

Benchtop

Handheld



Global Water Analysis Instruments Market, by Application

Physical Analysis

Chemical Analysis

Biological Analysis



Global Water Analysis Instruments Market, by End-use

Residential

Commercial

Industrial



Global Water Analysis Instruments Market, by Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America



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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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In our weekly list of business people on the move, we highlight Palm Beach County professionals who are making a difference. These are people from across the spectrum of public and private endeavors, those working in charities, court houses, private practices and beyond. They are moving up within their industry, advancing their careers and standing out for their services within our community.

If you are looking for more insight into the movers and shakers operating in the Palm Beaches, subscribe to our real estate newsletter, The Dirt, keep an eye out for stories and insight from veteran reporters Kimberly Miller and Alexandra Clough. If you have an announcement for Business People on the Move, please send it to Pbbusiness@pbpost.com.

Hedrick Brothers name new director of business development

Hedrick Brothers Construction has promoted Sean Denyse to director of business development for South Florida. He will lead the commercial business development efforts from Miami to Martin County, focusing on hospitality, industrial, multifamily, Class A office, education, and municipal market sectors. Denyse joined the company in 2020 and has more than a decade of business development, marketing, sales, and construction safety management experience. His career began as a country club golf professional, and he applies that experience to Hedrick's clients in the hospitality market.

Sean Denyse

Palm Beach County Habitat for Humanity announces CEO build officials

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County has announced that the annual CEO Build will be held September 21 and 22, in Lake Worth Beach. The co-chairs of the 2023 event are Kenneth Lebersfeld, CEO of Capitol Lighting, and Jean-Paul Renard, CEO of SourceNow. The honorary chairs are Angelo Bianco, managing partner of CP Group, and Jesse Rack, vice president of Rack Electric. CEO Build is an annual fundraising and home-building event that brings local executives and leaders together to partner with Habitat for Humanity and help local families build a path to a better life through affordable homeownership.

Kenneth Lebersfeld (left) and Jean-Paul Renard

HabCenter Boca Raton board names new executive director

The Habilitation Center (HabCenter) board of directors has selected 20-year nonprofit executive Sherry A. Henry as the affiliates new executive director, effective Aug. 1. Henry currently serves as the director of development, overseeing fundraising efforts, community engagements and donor relations. Before this position, she worked in higher education for more than 19 years. HabCenter Boca Raton is a nonprofit organization that opened its doors in 1978 to equip adults with special needs with the knowledge, skills, and behavior needed to lead useful and productive lives with dignity, respect, and independence.

Sherry A. Henry

Sachs Sax Caplan founding partner celebrates 50 years practicing law

Sachs Sax Caplan, P.L., a Boca Raton-based law firm, announced that founding partner Peter S. Sachs is celebrating 50 years of practicing law in the state of Florida. Sachs became a member of The Florida Bar in 1973 and founded Sachs Sax Caplan in 1979. Sachs is board-certified in condominium and planned development law by The Florida Bar and through the years has handled a multitude of matters related to community associations (condominiums, cooperatives, homeowners, master and country clubs). He is considered one of the pioneers in the development of community association law. Sachs and his fellow 50-Year members of The Florida Bar were honored at the 2023 Florida Bar 50-Year Member Luncheon at The Boca Raton on June 23.

Mack new chairman of MorseLife Health System

Palm Beacher and philanthropist David S. Mack has been appointed as the new chairman of MorseLife Health System, a leading senior lifestyle community in West Palm Beach. With a longstanding connection to MorseLife through his father's involvement as a founder, Mack's philanthropic efforts and commitment to the organization have been highly valued.

David Mack

Grovecourt Capital Partners acquires Premier Radiology Services

Grovecourt Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in West Palm Beach, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Premier Radiology Services, a leading provider of teleradiology services based in Miami. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Premier has established itself as a trusted name in the industry since 2006, providing reliable and accurate interpretations of medical images to patients in 48 states through its innovative technology-enabled platform. With a robust network of approximately 100 radiologists, Premier interprets nearly 2 million medical images per year.

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best businesses, professionals, business people in Palm Beach County
Saudi Industrial Investment Group has announced that it has acquired a strategic 24% stake in Unibio International, a leader in bioprotein production technology sector for $70 million.

Headquartered in Roskilde, Denmark, Unibio is a specialist in fermentation technology, high mass transfer from gas to liquid, high yields and low KwH ( kilowatt hour) use.

The investment was made in two phases, wherein 9.9% of the shares was acquired initially, said Saudi Industrial Investment Group in its filing to the kingdom's bourse Tadawul.

This was followed by the second phase wherein the remaining 14.1% stake was bought after the Danish Governments go-ahead for the foreign direct investment, it stated.

The funding for both the phases of the investment came from internal resources, it added.
(Bloomberg) -- Westpac Banking Corp.s Bill Evans will switch out of the chief economist role he has held for more than 30 years and be replaced by Reserve Bank Assistant Governor Luci Ellis, in a significant change for both institutions.

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Ellis oversaw economic forecasting at the central bank and was Governor Philip Lowes chief economic adviser. She told Bloomberg Monday that having been at the RBA for 32 years, replacing Evans was an opportunity I simply couldnt pass up.

Evans will remain with Westpac as a senior economic adviser from January 2024. The RBA confirmed Elliss departure, first reported by the Australian Financial Review, and Westpac said she will take up her new position on Oct. 9. Marion Kohler will act as RBA assistant governor responsible for economics and the role will be advertised both internally and externally.

There does seem to be more movement now to the private sector from the RBA, said Diana Mousina, deputy chief economist at AMP Capital Markets. Its definitely nice to have anther female chief economist. I think its really important and its a good signal. Theres definitely not enough, Mousina said, adding its a surprise that Bills going to be around too as a senior adviser.

Evans, who joined Westpac at the height of the 1991 recession, has been one of Australias pre-eminent market economists, particularly when it comes to picking turning points in RBA policy cycles. His most-memorable call came in July 2011 when he predicted an easing cycle  sending markets gyrating  at a time when most economists were still forecasting interest-rate hikes.

Evans proved correct as the RBA began lowering borrowing costs in November 2011, in an easing cycle that would persist through to the pandemic.

I have a lot of respect for Bill, said Alan Oster, chief economist at National Australia Bank Ltd. Hes been very good over a very long period of time.

Westpac Chief Executive Officer Peter King said in a statement that Evans has defined the role of a major bank chief economist in Australia.

Elliss decision to leave the RBA comes as Treasurer Jim Chalmers is due to decide on its next governor, with Lowes term expiring in mid-September. Her departure adds to a drift of officials with PhDs away from the central bank, said Jonathan Kearns, who headed up domestic markets until March.

These include: Tony Richards, a former head of payments who retired; Guy Debelle, a former deputy governor who left for the private sector; Alex Heath, head of the International Department who is on an extended secondment to Treasury; Adam Cagliarini, a deputy head in Payments Policy, seconded to APRA; Kearns and now Ellis.

I dont think there has been any inflow to replenish the stocks, said Kearns, now chief economist at money manager Challenger Ltd. Theres certainly much less experience there.

Should Governor Lowe fail to be reappointed, the loss of experience at the central bank would increase further.

--With assistance from Tim Smith.

(Adds comment from NABs Oster, photos, background.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The World Bank on Monday named 15 chief executive officers including financiers and asset managers to a group launched by the lender's president, Ajay Banga, aiming to marshal more private capital to combat climate change and boost investment in developing countries.

The "Private Sector Investment Lab" will begin work in the coming weeks, initially focusing on expanding financing for the transition to renewable energy and associated infrastructure, the bank said in a statement released at a climate meeting in Britain attended by U.S. President Joe Biden and King Charles.

Banga announced the initiative at a global finance summit in Paris last month alongside Mark Carney, the U.N. special envoy on climate action, and Shriti Vadera, chair of Prudential Plc. Monday's announcement identified other participants.

The World Bank and the CEOs will work "to develop, test, implement and ultimately scale financing structures that can most effectively mobilize private capital," Carney said in a statement.

The other CEOs are: Thomas Buberl of AXA; Larry Fink of BlackRock; Noel Quinn of HSBC; Shemara Wikramanayake of Macquarie; Hironori Kamezawa of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group; Hendrik du Toit of Ninety One; Jessica Tan of Ping An Group; Feike Sijbesma of Royal Philips; Sim Tshabalala of Standard Bank; Bill Winters of Standard Chartered; Damilola Ogunbiyi of Sustainable Energy for All; Natarajan Chandrasekaran of Tata Sons; Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara of Temasek; and Mark Gallogly of Three Cairns Group.

"Results won't come overnight, but if successful, this group has the potential to unlock significant investment that will deliver jobs and better quality of life for people living throughout the Global South - the surest way to drive a nail into the coffin of poverty," Banga said.

Banga, the former Mastercard CEO who took office in June, is working to boost the World Bank's lending resources to expand its work beyond traditional development projects to tackle climate change, pandemics and other global challenges.

He said in a statement that the Private Investment Lab CEOs were a "crucial piece of the puzzle" to devise ways to pull more private sector investment into the intertwined challenges of poverty, climate and fragility.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Will Dunham and David Gregorio)
Shania Lewis has always been a writer, but until recently, her work was mostly personal.

I always wrote little poems and in high school I started journaling, said Lewis, a 2017 graduate of Spotsylvanias Massaponax High School.

But after watching poet Amanda Gorman recite her poem The Hill We Climb at the January 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden, Lewis felt inspired and compelled to put something out into the world  specifically, something to inspire young Black girls like herself.

I thought, what are the words I wanted to hear growing up? Lewis said.

The resulting poem, Dear Little Black Girl, became a childrens book that was published this summer and is available on Amazon.

Its full of affirmations aimed to instill confidence in Black girls.

There is not a lot of focus on the joy and excellence Black girls bring, Lewis said.

Lewis worked closely with her illustrator, Rafaela Demori, to develop the art for the book. The pictures show a little girl  modeled after Lewis  sporting different hairstyles, from twists to braids to an afro to two curly puffs, representing different expressions of Black beauty.

Showing her in different hairstyles  that was a big thing for me, Lewis said.

The little girl is also shown winning medals, celebrating a birthday, speaking out in a library and even traveling to the moon.

When they say the sky is the limit, please know that thats not true/Only you can set the limit for you/So why stop at the sky when you can reach the moon?

Lewis said she wanted the little girl to be depicted in a positive light, where she is the star, getting positive attention.

Lewis credits her theater teacher at Massaponax, Kimberly Kemp, with helping her learn how to write for children.

In a high school forensics class, Kemp assigned Lewis to study storytelling. She had to memorize a childrens book and act it out for a live audience, using body language and different voices to embody the different characters.

I really excelled at it, said Lewis, who performed the books Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Space and Who is Melvin Bubble? for a group of children at the local YMCA, where she worked.

Growing up, Lewis, who now works as an assistant preschool administrator in Spotsylvania, loved the Junie B. Jones book series about a sassy almost first-grader.

I had all the books. I was a Junie B. Jones girl, she said. I used to mimic Ms. Junie B.

But as much as she admired and related to the outspoken Junie B. Jones, Lewis said it would have meant a lot to see more books featuring main characters that looked like her.

Representation matters, she said. We are in a time where books are so crucial. Theyre not only educational. There are so many things a book can do for a child.

In recent years, books written by Black authors or featuring Black characters have increasingly been challenged and charged with being too controversial or making readers feel uncomfortable about their race or sexuality.

Gormans poem, which inspired Lewiss book, was banned this year from a Florida elementary school.

Lewis said shes saddened by the movement to restrict access to books. She said that if her book were challenged, she would fight it.

Why ban something that is promoting love, strength and positivity? Lewis said.

Lewis said she has been asked to write a similar book of affirmations for little Black boys, and though shes only ever imagined writing for girls, if the community says they want it, I will put my brain to it.
With millions of square feet in data center rezoning applications filed in Spotsylvania County, the Board of Supervisors is set to hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.

The board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Holbert building. The public hearings are set to begin at 5:45 p.m.

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendments at its June meeting.

The proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan provide a guide to land use for the fast-growing technology industry, according to a county staff summary.

Data centers  server farms for cloud computing housed in large buildings filled and with computer equipment  have been popping up in droves in the state, primarily in Northern Virginia, where various issues have prompted opposition to some projects.

Spotsylvania is a popular target for proposed developments, with several recent applications filed. The county started adjusting in preparation for data centers in July 2020, when the county amended zoning code to include data centers as office use.

According to a county staff report, the proposed amendments include the addition of data centers as a target industry; the establishment of data center land use potential within and outside of the periphery of the Primary Development boundary; and adding data center-centric land-use policies geared toward access to public water and sewer outside the countys development boundary.

The amendments would add the countys interest in keeping data centers inside the development boundary, or near it, as well as close to electric transmission lines. But the staff report also notes a lack of property inside the development boundary, meaning there likely will be interest outside the zone. County officials want to keep data centers within one mile of the boundary.

Other facets of the amendments aim to minimize noise impacts from data centers; include roof designs that incorporate heat island reduction elements; encourage alternatives to public water-based cooling systems; discourage private water wells; and promote the use of onsite renewable energy to ensure data centers do not interrupt local electric service.

While the county has worked on its Comprehensive Plan for data centers, developers already are seeking rezoning for developments in the county.

Tech giant Amazon recently filed four rezoning requests for developments that could include several million square feet of data centers. Another company also filed a rezoning request for data centers in an unrelated development.

In another proposed development, earlier this year the supervisors approved rezoning that changed 314 acres between U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 in Thornburg from agricultural to industrial to allow the building of a 2.9-million-square-foot corporate technology campus, which also could include data centers.
NEW YORK  Seven weeks before the premiere debate of the 2024 GOP primary, anxiety is building that the event could prove messy and divisive for the party.

Some candidates, like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, are struggling to meet fundraising and polling requirements to make it onstage. He and others are pushing back on a loyalty pledge the Republican Party is insisting candidates sign to participate. And the race's frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, is considering boycotting and holding a competing event instead.

That's turning what is typically the highly anticipated opener of the election season into a source of uncertainty for the candidates and broader party. The frustration is particularly acute for candidates who hoped to use the forum as a powerful opportunity to confront Trump and try to blunt his momentum.

If the outcome of all of these machinations is a very limited field and no Trump in the first debate, it's hard to see how that can be successful, Hutchinson said. Still, he said he was confident he will make it to the stage, even though he said he has only received contributions from over 5,000 donors.

We're not there yet. We've got a ways to go. And we fully intend to get there, he said.

The Republican National Committee has said that, in order to participate in the Aug. 23 debate in Milwaukee, candidates must have received contributions from at least 40,000 individual donors, with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states. They also must earn at least 1% in three high-quality national polls, or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21.

Candidates will also have to sign a pledge agreeing to support the eventual party nominee, according to an RNC news release, and one agreeing not to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debate for the remainder of the election cycle.

Our criteria is very clear, we are ensuring quality polls are used to determine which candidates make the debate stage and we are confident that there will be enough polls for our candidates to qualify, said RNC spokeswoman Emma Vaughn.

The candidates who say they have qualified so far include Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Some lesser-known candidates, such as conservative radio host Larry Elder, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, appear unlikely to make the cutoffs.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who launched his campaign June 7, has not yet released a tally of donors, but his campaign said it had raised well into five digits" in the weeks since his announcement.

Getting in late made it more difficult, but were confident well get there, said Pence spokesman Devin OMalley.

As part of that effort, the campaign focused on direct mail, aided by the list it has rented from Pences nonprofit, Advancing American Freedom. That group had well over 40,000 donors, and Pence aides are hopeful those donors will also give to the former vice presidents campaign.

He's also been holding a series of fundraisers, including one in Boston next week that will be hosted by top Massachusetts Republican donor Bob Reynolds, the CEO of Putnam Investments.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has also expressed confidence he will hit the benchmarks, has pitched himself as the candidate most qualified to directly take on Trump onstage. While Trump's threats to boycott have complicated that argument, Christie's campaign has nonetheless urged donors to give even $1 to help him qualify.

Anthony Scaramucci, the financier who served briefly as Trump's White House communications director and is now supporting Christie, recently encouraged even those who have no intention of voting for the former New Jersey governor to nonetheless chip in.

Whether youre a Republican or Democrat, whether you would vote for Chris or wouldnt vote for Chris, we need someone onstage to tell the truth and put a stop to this nonsense, he said during a recent podcast interview with the candidate.

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has urged his followers to do the same. Smith said he's not endorsing any candidate but feels it is imperative to have Christie onstage for several reasons.

"Christies presence will force both Trump and DeSantis to defend their positions in ways others may be unable to pull off, he said in an email, adding that watching Christie tussle with the likes of Trump and DeSantis would be must-see TV, in my opinion.

At the same time, Christie has criticized Trump for threatening to boycott.

He should show up because he owes it to the Republican Party and the voters of the Republican Party to stand up and defend his record, he said on CNN Thursday, urging viewers to visit his website, donate to me, make sure Im on that stage, because, if I am, I will raise those issues right to the presidents face.

Trump, according to campaign officials, has yet to make a final decision on his plans. But he has indicated both publicly and privately that he is not inclined to participate, and aides have been considering options for an alternative event.

DeSantis said Thursday night that he planned to participate in the debate regardless of Trump's decision.

I hope everybody who's eligible comes. I think it's an important part of the process and I look forward to being able to be on the stage, he told Fox News.

The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced Donald Trump, Republican Nikki Haley, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Marianne Williamson, Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Democrat Larry Elder, Republican President Joe Biden, Democrat Asa Hutchinson, Republican Tim Scott, Republican Ron DeSantis, Republican Mike Pence, Republican Chris Christie, Republican Doug Burgum, Republican Francis Suarez, Republican Will Hurd, Republican
Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac has experienced his share of intense moments in a military career that spans 45 years, the last 10 as adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard.

But absolutely nothing tops the 2019 floods  an exhausting time for the Guard and for Bohac, who also leads the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

To know the waters coming  theres nothing you can do to stop it, Bohac said. Every night, for about five nights, I was worried we didnt get to somebody we could have saved.

The Great Flood of 2019 was the worst weather catastrophe in Nebraska history. On Saturday, Bohac, 62, will turn over responsibility for disaster response to his successor, Brig. Gen. Craig Strong.

Strong, an attorney from Silver Creek, Nebraska, has spent 35 years in the military, 28 of it with the Nebraska Army National Guard. He served two tours in Iraq and commanded National Guard relief efforts in the Virgin Islands after they were hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

The change-of-command ceremony  at 10 a.m. Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln  is open to the public.

The event includes a flag-furling ceremony for Bohac, a promotion ceremony for Strong to the rank of major general and the change of command between the two.

Also planned: the first presentation of Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal, which was created last week through an executive order by Gov. Jim Pillen to recognize a military or civilian guard member for heroic life-saving actions while not on active duty.

The award will be presented to an Army National Guard sergeant for exceptional heroism while responding to a major accident and rendering roadside aid  to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation on May 18, 2019, according to a Nebraska Guard news release.

Bohac is relinquishing command almost exactly 10 years after assuming the post from now-retired Maj. Gen. Judd Lyons. He leaves as the nations second-longest-serving adjutant general.

Bohac started his term with a National Guard force hardened by combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the time, he was concerned that his troops skills might wither as those conflicts drew down.

That turned out not to be a problem. Even with fewer deployments to combat zones, the past decade has been among the busiest in Nebraska National Guard history.

In 2014, the Guard responded to a series of tornadoes in Beaver Crossing, Pilger, and several northeast Nebraska towns. In 2017  the year of the hurricanes  the Nebraska National Guard assisted for weeks following devastating storms in Texas, Florida and the Virgin Islands.

Those disaster responses seemed like only a warmup for the 2019 flood, which saw most of the states major rivers and streams overflow their banks. National Guard helicopter crews rescued dozens of stranded people and pets under extreme conditions.

The Guards big Chinook helicopters also proved perfect for dropping bales of hay to cattle isolated by flood waters  a mission Bohac said he is particularly proud of.

He sees the massive response to a home-state disaster as a transformational moment for his soldiers and airmen.

Ever since that event, weve forged some really strong bonds among people across the Nebraska National Guard, from army and air coming to work together, Bohac said.

Those bonds would be tested in 2020 and 2021, during the response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Even more troops were called up for the pandemic than the flood, Bohac said. They helped in multiple ways, gathering and delivering boxes of food to strapped food banks, staffing COVID testing sites, and filling in as poll workers during the 2020 elections because of shortages of volunteers.

The pandemic also caused some of the most divisive moments of Bohacs term when some Guard members refused mandatory COVID vaccinations  defying an order from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

A small but vocal minority disagreed with that mandate, he said. For the first time in the service, we saw this idea of individuals so-called rights should prevail over the responsibilities and roles that come with raising your right hand and taking an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Bohac enforced the order, despite criticism from some GOP legislators who opposed mandatory COVID vaccinations. About five airmen and 89 soldiers were discharged from the Nebraska Guard.

He said nearly half of them were reinstated after Congress compelled the Defense Department to drop the requirement late last year. Guard officials were warned to expect some friction between the large majority who accepted the vaccine, and those who refused it.

We have to have a lot of patience for that, Bohac said. I think weve treated everybody with some level of dignity and respect, and acknowledge that difficult choice.

In addition to deployments and call-ups, Bohac presided over the restructuring of Army National Guard units across the state, which saw about 1,100 of 3,600 Army Guard members retrained for new jobs  in some cases, in brand-new units.He opened several new National Guard readiness centers and broke ground on what will be the states largest, in Bellevue near Offutt Air Force Base.

Earlier this year, he cut the ribbon on a major renovation of the Guards largest training base, Camp Ashland. The facility, on the banks of the Platte River, was rebuilt after flooding in 2015, only to be destroyed again during the 2019 deluge.

This time, all the buildings were rebuilt on stilts, with funding secured through the efforts of Nebraskas congressional delegation. And the Platte River levee was extended to the north end of the property.

Bohac said some people questioned why he would want to rebuild on a vulnerable site that had flooded three times in less than a decade.

Its 1,100 acres of training ground, some of it austere, which is perfect for some of the training we need to do, he said. Where else will I find 1,100 acres of training ground? Nowhere.

Bohac leaves behind a Guard that is short of personnel. He said the Air National Guard has dropped from 102% of strength to 94%, largely because of the addition of 119 new positions in an expanded unit at Offutt. The Army Guard is down from a typical figure of 92-95% of authorized strength to 89%.

He attributed the shortfall to the pandemic, which kept National Guard recruiters out of high schools for up to a year.

Our recruiting is improving month over month, he said. Its going to take us awhile to climb out of that dip.

Strong, his successor, has announced what he is calling a monster blitz across the state to bring in new recruits.

Were confident that well build on the momentum that Gen. Bohac has established, he said at his introductory press conference with Pillen in May.

With 45 years of military service behind him, Bohac is retiring to spend time with his wife, Kris. But they wont be going far. He plans to take it easy for a few months before deciding what comes next.

My wife and I are born and raised here, he said. Well stay in Nebraska. Im not going anywhere.

Through the years: Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac as adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard
STERLING  There are African religions that believe you are not truly dead until you are forgotten, a retired Unitarian Universalist minister told me last week from inside the walls of the Sterling Correctional Facility.

When Corey Johnson was put to death by lethal injection in January 2021, Bill Breeden promised the condemned killer and his family that he would not be forgotten.

Tonight, I feel like I kept that promise, Breeden said after attending the opening of If Light Closed Its Eyes, a groundbreaking new play written, developed and performed by more than 50 incarcerated residents of the prison located 120 miles northeast of Denver.

His name is in this play  and that means his name will live forever.

The goal of the University of Denvers Prison Arts Initiative creative team was to better understand the bones of the criminal justice system at this moment in history. Breeden was one of more than 100 who were interviewed for the nearly three-year project, along with victims, family members, legal officials, politicians and other spiritual leaders.

Their words were transcribed and painstakingly shaped into what is called a verbatim documentary play that premiered July 20 in the most authentic setting that any live play about the prison system ever could be: Deep within the sprawling, barbed bowels of the largest prison in the Colorado Department of Corrections system.

Breeden traveled to Colorado to see the play from Indiana. Thats where, just five days before Joe Bidens inauguration, Johnson became the 12th of 13 men to be executed in the final six months of Donald Trumps presidency after he ended a 17-year hiatus on federal executions.

Johnson was a 23-year-old drug trafficker who left seven people dead in a shockingly violent killing spree in Richmond, Va. His lawyers argued that Johnson was mentally impaired from a physically abused childhood. That he was abandoned by his drug-addicted mother at age 13 and eventually aged out of the foster-care system. At his execution, witnesses in the death-chamber cheered when Johnson was pronounced dead at 52.

Not Breeden, who served as a spiritual advisor to inmates on death row for 30 years. When he met Johnson just two weeks before the execution, he became the first in-person visitor Johnson had been allowed to see in his 29 years on death row.

I spent about 30 hours with Corey, and thats the most real 30 hours Ive ever spent with anybody, said Breeden, who called ministering to Johnson in his final days probably the greatest honor Ive ever had in my life  and its also probably broken me more than anything has ever done.

Breeden condemns Johnsons crimes but not the man, which is just some of the difficult terrain If Light Closed its Eyes tackles through words, art, live music, movement and dance for a once-in-a-lifetime immersive theater experience that rattled the capacity audience to its core like the shaken bars of a prison cage.

We worked to try to tell a 360-degree story that is incredibly complicated and full of light and dark in a meaningful and innovative way, said DU Prison Arts Initiative founder Ashley Hamilton, who is also the director and one of the actors in the play.

Another was none other than Dean Williams, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections 19 prisons. Williams is a kind of minister in his own right, zealously preaching the gospel of normalization within the state prison system as the best possible way to ensure success when the incarcerated reintegrate into the outside world.

We are showing the world how it can be different, Williams said after essentially playing himself in the story. Hes been a lightning rod in the national criminal-justice conversation because he has the audacity to believe that justice and mercy can live together in the same cell block, alongside accountability and redemption.

Every day there are forces working against me who want to go back to the Dark Ages, he said. But this has to be a place where things can get better, not worse.

Using creativity for healing

The DU Prison Arts Initiative exists to create opportunities for incarcerated people to develop healthy, meaningful artistic outlets to express themselves. It stages plays like Antigone and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, produces both a podcast and a prison newspaper, coordinates fine-art showings and runs the nations only statewide prison radio station. By giving prisoners a purpose, a project, a goal and some positive reinforcement, Hamilton believes they are shifting the dialogue around the value we place on incarcerated lives.

The team behind If Light Closed Its Eyes cast got plenty of positive reinforcement from their initial audiences, who were treated to an immersive experience that starts the moment they drive into a parking lot surrounded by miles of wire and soul-deadening gray concrete.

After passing through a security screening and a quick orientation, they are led deeper into the prison grounds than most people ever see. The performance actually begins in the yard, on the long walk to Cell Block 4. And its a living, breathing, 3-D art show. Sixty inmates line both sides of a sidewalk now reimagined as The Hallway of Humanity, each wearing drab institutional gray that stands in stark contrast to the colorful paintings they hold that were created by an incarcerated artist.

As you pass, the men repeat poetic mantras such as, I still believe there is value in me, and, There is more to me than the decisions Ive made. Daniel Malcolm, a man with the words DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES tattooed across his face from one ear to the other, tells this very living tale: The majority of men in prison are there because of the choices that were presented to them in life. Along the way, you are encouraged to stop, look and listen to these men in ways you may never have felt safe in another setting. And what you see is just  people.

The capacity audience of 100 mingled corrections officials with the legal crowd, formerly incarcerated parolees, family members of victims and performers, police officers, adventurous theatergoers and many of those whose interviews became the basis for the script. And, talk about realism: Dozens of extras help set the mood in the form of jailhouse flies constantly buzzing in the audiences faces.

Throughout the ambitious evening, the audience is given much to contemplate about accountability, regret, God, trauma, dignity, racism and the lasting damage that is done to victims and their families that can only be salved by time, accountability, education, forgiveness and the kind of healing than can only be achieved through honest, restorative justice. Difficult questions are asked. Yes, these men have done things they can never undo. And they should pay for their crimes. But does time spent in prison actually pay for anything? To anyone?

The best plays feature complex and sometimes contradictory characters, and they dont come much more of either than Breeden, now 70, who was brought up from birth to be a Nazarene preacher in an Indiana town where no person of color could be out after sundown. I was raised as a racist fundamentalist Christian, said Breeden, who began preaching at 15. I thought I was preaching the teachings of Jesus, but most of what I was preaching was just (bleep), he said. I was a racist, ignorant, white preacher boy who thought he knew everything and didnt know (bleep).

His conversion happened when he encountered a hungry Black woman in the alley behind the supermarket where he worked as a teen. It was an encounter that started him on a lifelong journey of challenging old assumptions. I call her Jesus, Breeden said, because she changed my life.

Dark turn into light

The play itself takes place in a large cell house  three horizontal stories of showers and jail cells that slide open to the sound of a loud metal clang and from which actors emerge to tell their stories.

On the top tier, there is a large blank canvas that  taking a cue from a Cloud Cult concert  becomes a fully fleshed painting throughout the evening. A cellist provides a soundscape against a cacophony of storms, phones and a crying baby. By the end of the play, dozens of real-life characters have invited the audience to confront their inherent biases and prejudices.

Hamiltons radically empathic belief is that telling stories from behind the walls changes hearts and minds. Theres the way things are  and theres how things could be. Theres the way Bill Breeden was, was spewing the same supremacist bile that had been fed to him like toxic mothers milk. And there is the Breeden now at the other end of his life, an honored humanitarian who believes, if theres not room in the heart of God for Corey Johnson, theres not room in the heart of God for me.

That execution, he added, was the worst thing I have ever been through. In part because Johnson was put to death while sick with COVID. But on this night 30 years later, watching this play, Breeden said, I feel like these men have given me a real gift.

The plan was for If Light Closed its Eyes to be performed for two weekends, but yet another outbreak of COVID has canceled this second week, reducing their nearly three years of work to a precious three public performances. But plans are in the works for a production of Godspell at another state prison this December.

Williams believes we are changing the system  one theater show at a time.

John Moore, The Denver Gazettes Senior Arts Journalist, also teaches a journalism class at the Fremont Correctional Facility for the DU Prison Arts Initiative. Email him at [email protected].
TRINIDAD - There are no rules for building an art car, says Rodney Wood.

You can glue thousands of cigarette butts into a spiraling mosaic on a Volkswagen Beetle; plaster newspaper clippings next to baby doll heads; even spit fire out of the mouth of a 25-foot-tall dragon constructed from old CDs.

After months of tapping into your inner designer, your art car and more than 100 others parade down the streets for more than 10,000 people who flock to Trinidad for the countrys second-largest art car parade.

You can drive your car down the street and people cheer, said Wood, the director of ArtoCade. How many artists hold up a painting and people cheer? That doesnt happen.

In the end, there are no prizes, no bragging rights, nothing to sell.

The barometer for success is the creativity that inspired what Wood calls kooky conveyances, even if the artists behind the designs were imprisoned for breaking societys rules.

A life of art

Art is something Steven Carter has known his entire life. It was a foundation for a childhood that he later considered as a possible career.

Before being sentenced to the Trinidad Correctional Facility, though, he lost sight of those ambitions.

I was substituting my creative outlet with alcohol and drugs   he said. The first couple of years I was incarcerated, I didnt draw anything. I wasnt trying or working in art. My head was still elsewhere.

He picked up drawing again, and it became rehabilitation.

The second I started to make art and do drawings, my life changed, even inside of the correctional facility, he said.

The prison had no structured program for inmates to publicize their art, which Carter sees as a way to make the world beautiful. He submitted a proposal for the offenders to have a means of exhibiting their art, but heard nothing back and figured it had been denied or just got mixed in with other paperwork.

The first of its kind

About the same time, the first ArtoCade came to Trinidad. In the crowd was Rosaline Marquez, the prisons programs captain.

We were watching all the cars, and I looked up and said, You know what the men here, the men that are incarcerated at TCF, they can do this,  she said. They are so artistic, and they have so much talent. I knew they would be able to make some beautiful cars.

Art cars have no rules. The prison system does.

This was the first project of its kind in a corrections facility in the country, so no rules and procedures were in line to ensure safety.

Actually getting the project here, I didnt think we had a shot   said Lt. James Costin, the prisons volunteer coordinator. But we found a way to make it work.

In 2014, prison officials transported a car without wheels, a battery or anything else the offenders could use to escape the prison. Every brush, paint bottle and can was counted and recorded to ensure that what came in left in a box or on the car.

There was a lot of scrutiny (on the first car), Carter said. A level of trust has now been instilled with the officers, since weve had no problems. And when there are no problems, were given more freedom.

Six inmate artists built a van called Plan B, which was inspired by the idea of exploring the Earth. The next year, the men utilized materials they had on-hand.

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I asked the guys, What do you have besides a lot of spare time? Rodney said. They said soda cans. Theyre everywhere  it became the inspiration for the Albert Canstein car.

The staple visuals of the car were a 4-foot-tall painting of Albert Einsteins face and a pink brain made of stacks of smashed soda cans painted pink. Around the rest of the car were Einsteins quotes and mathematical equations embellished with more crushed cans.

In the rule-bending fashion of art cars, the offenders werent strict to the geniuss words, splashing Be there or be MC on the front bumper.

You cant think about art inside of a box, Carter said.

Changing public perception

Neither should the offenders, the project illustrates.

Carter believes creativity is what distinguishes humans from animals.

We have the opportunity to work collaboratively on an art project, and what better way to prove to the rest of the world that were not animals, that the guys that are locked up here, we arent predators or something like that, Carter said.

With at least 12 states represented in the parade, the redefined image of an offender spreads beyond the burgeoning art scene in Trinidad.

The publics perception is that theyre in jail for a reason, and that you should throw away the key, Costin said. As you work with them, you realize that they are human beings as well. (That public perception) is something that we try to change.

Kelvin Jack, another offender who has worked with Carter on the art cars, said the project altered how he wants to operate day to day both in prison and once he is released.

In the past, Jack was driven by the wrong choices, even after he was incarcerated. Now, a slip-up can revoke his privilege to wake up every morning and work on the car.

Being able to come out here and knowing the consequences of my actions is actually helping me to stop, Jack said. When the situation comes up when I have a choice to make  its giving me that pause I need to make the right choice.

I wouldnt give this up for the world, he said.

A chance at freedom

The day before the ArtoCade in downtown Trinidad, 250 offenders  about half the prisons population  racked their weights and lined the fence adjacent to the main entrance.

For 20 minutes, the 24 art cars lapped the visitors parking lot, blasting 80s pop hits, honking their horns and waving at the offenders. Even the toughest guy in the yard smiled and waved back, Carter said.

This year, the offenders built a car around the theme of vanity, specifically how vanity manifests itself in the destruction of nature by humans.

The offenders constructed a half woman-half tree figure out of the bottle caps, paying close attention to how the layering would produce shadows that accentuate her form. They stuck rocks from the prison track around the word VANITY on the trunk, and splashed sand in the negative spaces.

Im proud of it Im proud of the people that I worked with cause we all worked out here, and we worked hard, Jack said.

Only a small group of offenders wielded the industrial glue guns and arranged the New Belgium bottle caps into lips on the front bumper, but all those who attended the miniparade could touch the liberation that Jack and Carter feel.

It reminds the guys, too, that there is a reality out there, that theres a life waiting for us out there, Carter said. It reminds me that even in prison, one can be free.
The Colorado Springs Police Department is short more than 100 officers amid a rise in crimes, including homicides.

The city has had 40 homicides so far this year, up from 30 at this time last year, Police Chief Adrian Vasquez told the City Council Monday during a budget workshop.

The chief shared additional crime statistics with the board Tuesday and strategy for increasing overall staffing through more frequent police academies at a board retreat with Mayor John Suthers.

The community has seen an increase in both property crimes, such as burglary, and crimes against people, such as assault, in recent years, although the rate is not increasing locally as fast as it is in similarly sized cities nationally, Vasquez said. Property crimes are up 9% year to date and crimes against people are up 8.7% year to date in Colorado Springs, Vasquez said.

He noted that some recent statewide criminal justice reforms have worked against police when it comes to stopping "prolific offenders."

"The problem is they are not in jail very long," he said.

There is no clear reason why homicides are rising, but Vasquez said he has noticed some disturbances are turning deadly faster among people who don't know each other.

The Police Department has 693 sworn officers, he said, not counting 41 people who are in the academy and will join the department later this year.

The city has designated enough funding for the department to have 803 sworn officers and expects to boost the funding again in 2023 to add an additional 15 positions. The chief told the council he does not expect to fill all the funded positions until 2024.

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Attrition has been a major issue for the department, with 78 officers leaving last year and 64 leaving so far this year. About half the officers who left last year and so far this year retired. The next largest group of officers changed careers, he said.

The local trend is in line with national patterns. The Police Executive Research Forum found 23.6% more retirements in 2021 than in 2019 and 42.7% more resignations in 2021 than in 2019 across 179 departments in the U.S. and five in Canada.

Vasquez said the department is going to shift how it runs academies to help fill positions and get ahead of attrition.

"We are going to start smaller academies, but we are going to have them very frequently pushing people through," he said.

The city has also boosted pay for new hires in the academy slightly, up to $62,000, city staff said.

Councilman Wayne Williams noted the trends in retention have improved a bit lately.

"The number of people leaving for nonretirement reasons is going down," he said.

The Police Department is also prioritizing funding improvements suggested by a third-party consultant study that examined use of force at the department earlier this year, Vasquez said during a budget workshop Monday. The study found that officers were unhappy with their use-of-force training.

The department is planning to hire an independent contractor soon to complete an audit of the existing training, Vasquez said.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain) has organised a member-exclusive event to welcome US Senator, Rick Scott, from the State of Florida to Bahrain and discuss bilateral relations.

The reception provided a unique forum to align the business interests of the State of Florida and Bahrain.

The President of AmCham Bahrain, Qays Zu'bi emphasised the importance of connecting members of the AmCham business community with US Senator Rick Scott to explore avenues for collaboration, promote bilateral trade, and overcome obstacles that hinder economic cooperation.

Trade growth

Zu'bi highlighted the significant growth in trade between Bahrain and the US, with bilateral trade reaching $2.8 billion in 2022, indicating a commendable growth rate of 12% over two years, January 2021  December 2022. He stressed the need to foster an increased business climate between the State of Florida and Bahrain.

The guests included Senator Scott; his wife, Ann Scott; the US Ambassador to Bahrain, Steven Bondy; members of the AmCham Board of Directors; members of the US Embassy team; and members of the AmCham business community.

Scott shared his experiences in building relationships to achieve economic development. Drawing from his extensive background as a former Governor of Florida and a business owner, Senator Scott expressed his commitment to promoting a stronger relationship between the State of Florida and Bahrain.

Support to trade missions

He offered his support in organising trade missions in Florida and facilitating meetings with key stakeholders, leveraging his network and expertise.

Ambassador Bondy applauded the efforts of AmCham Bahrain in promoting trade and investment relations between Bahrain and the US. He emphasised the strategic priorities of the US Embassy, including building a strong naval relationship. The Ambassador recognised the value of Senator Scott's advocacy in elevating Bahrain's profile in Washington and furthering the bilateral relationship.-- TradeArabia News Service
One person was killed in a shooting involving law enforcement officers in Summit County Sunday morning, officials said.

During the police activity, a shelter-in-place was issued for Summit Cove in Keystone, Colorado, Denver Gazette media partner KUSA reported.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies responded to reports of a man walking through a neighborhood, waving a firearm and "banging on residents' doors," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

"The individual failed repeatedly to comply with verbal commands given to him," according to the news release.

The man allegedly pointed a handgun at a deputy and an officer, who both fired their weapons in response, the sheriff's office said. Law enforcement began rendering medical aid to the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office did not identify the man who died or the officers who fired their guns. Both the deputy and the police officer were placed on paid administrative leave. Neither was injured in the incident.

We recognize that incidents like this have a significant impact on our community, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual who lost their life. We understand the pain and grief that follows such a tragic event, and we are committed to providing support and resources to those affected during this difficult time, Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in the news release.

The sheriff's office did not respond to interview requests.

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The sheriff's office initially reported that it received six calls between 11:50 p.m., Saturday and 7:30 a.m., Sunday reporting a man acting erratically in the Summit Cove neighborhood. A call came in Sunday morning for a man with a handgun.

A Summit County Sheriff's deputy and a Dillon Police officer responded, and the suspect was shot and killed.

The sheriff's office said the suspect was a man who had been contacted several times in the past several weeks by the Summit County SMART team, a mental health response team that tries to deescalate situations before someone gets hurt, but the suspect refused help each time he was contacted.

Our Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team, our SMART team as we refer to [them], responded to numerous calls with this individual over the last 24 hours and has actually been working with this individual for the last three weeks," FitzSimons said. "During all of the interactions with this individual, at no time did the person present a danger to himself or others and refused voluntary services, and so was let go to family during these contacts.

A shelter-in-place was issued to Summit County around 8 a.m., Sunday. Around 8:45 a.m., an all-clear message was sent out to residents. According to a Facebook post from the Summit County government, the all-county message for the shelter-in-place was sent in error.

The shelter-in-place was lifted around 8:50 a.m., but residents were asked to avoid the area.

Anyone with more information or who witnessed the incident can contact Summit County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Mark Gafari at 970-423-8960.

This is a developing story and will update once more information becomes available.
LONDON (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that Ukrainian membership of the NATO military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europe's security architecture and that Moscow would respond firmly to any such step.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was speaking on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.

"You know the absolutely clear and consistent position of the Russian Federation that Ukraine's membership in NATO will have very, very negative consequences for the security architecture, the already half-destroyed security architecture in Europe. And it will be an absolute danger, a threat to our country, which will require from us a sufficiently clear and firm reaction," Peskov told reporters.

Russia launched its war in Ukraine last year, something it calls a "special military operation," after seeking and failing to obtain what it called "security guarantees" from the West that its neighbour would never be allowed to join NATO. The United States said the demand was a "non-starter", and Ukraine should be free to decide its own alliances.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has made clear that Kyiv will not become a member while war rages, and that the Vilnius summit will not issue a formal invitation.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The United Auto Workers union said on Monday it will open contract talks with Detroit's Big Three automakers starting on Thursday, ahead of the mid-September expiration of the current four-year labor deal.

The union said talks will open on Thursday with Chrysler-parent Stellantis, on Friday with Ford Motor and on July 18 with General Motors on agreements covering about 150,000 U.S. workers.

UAW President Shawn Fain has said repeatedly that the UAW wants to eliminate the two-tier wage system under which new hires earn as much as 25% less than veterans. He has also said the union will push to restore pay improvements tied to the cost of living and to retiree benefits cut during the 2008-2009 Great Recession.

In a break with tradition, the UAW will forgo the traditional media event of shaking hands with company executives to mark the formal opening of talks. Instead, UAW leaders will meet with auto workers on Wednesday at three Detroit-area plants to mark the beginning of talks.

"Ill shake hands with the CEOs when they come to the table with a deal that reflects the needs of the workers who make this industry run," Fain said in a statement on Monday.

Detroit's automakers have doubled down on cutting costs, saying it will help fund an accelerated transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles.

Analysts have said the automakers face billions of dollars in losses on EVs over the next several years, as they replace high-volume combustion vehicles with low-volume EVs powered by expensive batteries.

On Monday, GM said it has "a long history of negotiating fair contracts with the UAW that reward our employees and support the long-term success of our business" and said its "total compensation package ... is one of the best in the industry."

Ford CEO Jim Farley said in an opinion piece published in the Detroit Free Press last week that "success in this new world will require us to adapt. Some jobs will be disrupted, and some will be created." Late last month, Ford had another round of salaried-worker job cuts.

UAW Vice President Chuck Browning said in a response to Farley on Monday that hourly workers have received "unfairly disproportionate" pay.

The UAW in May said it was not yet endorsing U.S. President Joe Biden for re-election, citing his policies on EVs. Fain called a Biden administration plan to lend $9.2 billion to a joint venture of Ford and South Korea's SK On to build three U.S. battery plants a massive "giveaway" with "no consideration for wages, working conditions, union rights or retirement security."

The White House said it has named adviser Gene Sperling as a "point person" on the UAW automaker labor talks.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in WashingtonEditing by David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis)
By John Irish and Andrius Sytas

VILNIUS (Reuters) -Ukraine's largest Western allies are still finalising a joint framework that would pave the way for long-term security assurances for Kyiv, and may wait until the end of a NATO summit this week to announce them, European diplomats say.

The 31-member NATO alliance meets in Lithuania on Tuesday, aiming above all to give Ukraine some kind of path to membership, but still divided over how far to go.

Ukraine knows it will not get entry into the alliance while the war with Russia continues, given that NATO's Article 5 - which says that an attack on one member is an attack on all -could push the alliance into war with Russia. But it wants a firm commitment at the summit that it will be invited to join after the war.

In the meantime, it has sought assurances of current and long-term security commitments to help it defend itself now and deter renewed aggression from Moscow once the war ends.

NATO has assiduously abstained from giving military assistance to Ukraine as an organisation, to avoid entering a direct conflict with Russia, and is keen to continue leaving that to member states and others.

Britain, France, Germany and the United States, known as the Quad, have been negotiating with Kyiv for weeks over a multilateral text that would create a broad framework for member states that want to provide, or keep providing, military aid including advanced weapons, as well as financial assistance.

The European Union, which would pursue its financing of weapons support through its Peace Facility, and Group of Seven (G7) powers including Japan, have also been privy to the discussions.

The multilateral framework makes it easier for countries to conclude detailed individual arrangements with Ukraine.

"The Americans do not want to mix discussions on NATO prospects with guarantees, so the guarantees may only be agreed after summit," said one European diplomat. A second Quad diplomat also said it was heading in that direction.

A French presidency official told reporters on Friday that the discussions were "very advanced". Two other diplomats said the hope was to complete them by the end of the summit.

A senior German official told reporters that there would be an agreement at the level of the G7, which comprises the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy and Britain, as well as the European Union.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is en route to Lithuania, told CNN on Sunday that Washington was ready to provide security to Ukraine in the mould of what it provides to Israel: "the weaponry they need, the capacity to defend themselves".

The United States' military aid for Israel is worth about $3.5 billion a year, but the relationship also entails a great deal of political support.

"The possible difference with Ukraine is that the American support is results-driven," said an Israeli official.

"With Ukraine, the Americans will ask themselves 'What did we get for $100 bln' and whether this is sustainable in the long-term as this conflict may not end, may just stay frozen."

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that the United States' suggestion of Israel-style security guarantees for Ukraine was one of several options being discussed but that the talks were not close to being resolved.

"The proposal made by the U.S. president is not a brand new one, but it plays a major role and gives somewhat of an indication of what they could be. But the discussion is far from over," he said.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Alexander Ratz in Berlin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
President Joe Biden is set to meet with King Charles III Monday morning for the first time since the latter's coronation and as part of a busy trip overseas for the United States leader.

Biden is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 5:45 a.m. Washington time before leaving London to head to Windsor Castle, where he will take part in a ceremony for King Charles as well as host a forum focusing on clean energy strategies.

US ALLIES AND PEERS MOVE TOWARD REGULATING 'MISINFORMATION' ON BIG TECH

FILE - President Joe Biden arrives at Stansted Airport in Stansted, England, Sunday, July 9, 2023. Biden is making a brief stop to visit King Charles III before heading to Lithuania to attend the NATO Summit. Biden's initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where he'll meet with King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Susan Walsh/AP

Biden's trip to Europe is highlighted by the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, beginning on Tuesday. But before the president heads to the Baltics, he is tasked with maintaining the strong relationship between the U.S. and one of its most important allies.

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The president did not attend King Charles's coronation, instead sending first lady Jill Biden. But he told the king in May that he would visit soon, per the Associated Press, with Monday now showing him fulfilling that promise.

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Biden's trip abroad will be dominated by the war in Ukraine and NATO's efforts to strengthen, primarily by working with Turkey and Hungary to accept Sweden's bid to join the organization. The president said in an interview this week that the U.S. is at an "inflection point" and has the opportunity to make "positive changes in the world."

Original Location: Biden set for first meeting with King Charles III since his coronation

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Readouts from the White House and No. 10 Downing Street on the meeting between President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not mention Biden's decision to send Ukraine cluster bombs despite ally objections.

The pair's meeting in London comes before this week's NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and amid Ukraine's slower-than-expected offensive against Russia.

US President Joe Biden and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leave 10 Downing Street after a meeting in London, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

SUPREME COURT NEWS: ROBERTS AND KAVANAUGH EMERGE AS THE COURT'S MOST PIVOTAL VOTES

"They reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression," the White House said Monday. "The leaders discussed the Atlantic Declaration on economic partnership they launched in June, including next steps to drive toward key outcomes in the months ahead. They also reviewed developments in Northern Ireland and efforts to ensure continued progress there."

Since Biden and Sunak's meeting at the White House last month, the two countries have made progress on the U.S.-U.K. Critical Minerals Agreement and the Joint Action Group on Energy Security, according to No. 10, with the prime minister also updating the president on the AI Summit in the U.K., which is planned for the fall.

"On broader NATO issues, they agreed on the need to ensure that Sweden has a swift path to full NATO accession," No. 10 said. "The Prime Minister and President Biden also discussed the broader geopolitical context, including in the Indo-Pacific and with regard to Iran."

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Biden has defended his "very difficult decision" to send the cluster bombs to Ukraine, conceding it took him "a while to be convinced to do it" but that "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

Sunak had earlier underscored how the U.K. is one of 123 countries that have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production and use of the bombs.

Original Location: Biden-Sunak meeting readout silent on Ukraine cluster bombs amid backlash

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Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said calls by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for the Department of Justice to investigate the Florida governor's flights of immigrants to California were "absurd."

DeSantis, when asked about the Golden State governor's recent pleas, said sanctuary jurisdictions should be responsible for taking care of illegal immigrants. He made the comments while speaking on Fox Business's Varney & Co.

WALL OF WASTE: BIDEN ENDING TRUMP WALL LEAVES BORDER RANCHER WITH FIELD OF 'RUSTING' STEEL

"Well, I think it's just absurd. I mean, California is a sanctuary state, and they actually provide benefits for illegal aliens, and so they're serving really as a magnet for people to cross our border illegally. Don't get me wrong, Stuart. We will shut the border down when I'm president. We'll stop the invasion. We will build the border wall because I think you need that, and we'll hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable for what they've done to poison tens of thousands of Americans every year," DeSantis said.

"At the same time, if you do have people here illegally and a court says they can stay until there's some type of court date, I think that's a bad system, but if it is, the sanctuary jurisdiction should be the one to have to bear that burden. We're not a sanctuary state in Florida, and I think it's wrong that states that are doing it right would have to bear a burden, and so they've asked for this, they've invited it, and they should step up," he added.

Newsom sent a letter, also signed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff Javier Salazar, in which he implored the Justice Department to open an investigation into the transportation of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in 2022 and Sacramento, California, earlier this year.

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The letter alleges that the state of Florida "deceived migrants into taking flights to these particular locations based on promises of jobs and shelter."

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DeSantis's office has stated that the immigrants on the planes gave written or verbal consent to their transport before boarding the planes.

Other governors, including Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), have participated in transporting immigrants from the southern border towns to large cities, such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

Original Location: DeSantis calls Newsom's plea for DOJ immigrant flight investigation 'absurd'

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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) reported a massive fundraising haul during the second quarter of the year, far surpassing his previous total as Republican leaders pull out all the stops to retain their majority in 2024.

Emmer raked in $3.1 million during the first quarter, bringing his fundraising total to $5.3 million since taking over as majority whip in January, according to his office. The second-quarter haul marks a nearly 50% increase compared to the first quarter when Emmer raised $2.2 million.

SUPREME COURT NEWS: ROBERTS AND KAVANAUGH EMERGE AS THE COURT'S MOST PIVOTAL VOTES

"The work necessary to deliver on the promises we made to the American people never stops," Emmer said in a statement. "I want to thank all our donors who contributed to the cause this quarter as we build momentum for 2024. House Republicans will expand our majority this cycle and continue delivering common-sense solutions for all Americans."

Emmer has transferred more than $2 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee since taking office, with more than two-thirds of that raised during the second quarter, according to the whip's office. Another $300,000 has gone directly to incumbents and other GOP candidates as the 2024 cycle heats up.

The strong fundraising numbers come as Republicans seek to hold on to their slim majority in 2024, especially after Democrats managed to outraise their GOP counterparts during the midterm cycle.

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All 435 seats are up for grabs in 2024, of which 46 are considered competitive. Most swing seats are held by Democrats, giving the GOP a slight advantage as it prepares for the next election cycle.

However, of those competitive seats, 18 are held by Republicans in districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, compared to just five held by Democrats who must defend their seats in districts carried by former President Donald Trump.

Original Location: GOP whip reports massive fundraising haul as party fights to keep House majority

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An Argentine bishop tapped by Pope Francis this month to lead one of the Vatican's most powerful departments admitted to making mistakes in responding to accusations that a priest in his diocese had sexually abused children.

Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, the archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, told the Associated Press that he would have handled the case of Eduardo Lorenzo very differently today than he did in 2019. Lorenzo was accused of sexual abuse by several children and was found dead of an apparent suicide after an Argentine judge ordered his arrest in December 2019. Critics have accused Fernandez of not believing the allegations against Lorenzo.

GOP WHIP REPORTS MASSIVE FUNDRAISING HAUL AS PARTY FIGHTS TO KEEP HOUSE MAJORITY

"Today I would certainly act very differently and certainly my performance was insufficient," Fernandez told the outlet about his handling of the accusations against Lorenzo.

Fernandez's handling of the case has drawn renewed scrutiny since Pope Francis announced that the Argentine bishop would be leaving his post in Argentina to become the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office charged with ensuring that Catholic doctrine is followed. The dicastery is also tasked with responding to cases of sexual abuse by clergy. On Sunday, Francis announced that Fernandez would be elevated to the rank of cardinal in September, granting him voting privileges at the next papal election.

The archbishop is a longtime ally and friend of the Argentine Pope Francis, dating back to the pontiff's days as archbishop of Buenos Aires prior to his election to the papacy in 2013 following the historic resignation of Benedict XVI that year.

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The archbishop and cardinal-designate told the Associated Press that his "insufficient" response to the Lorenzo accusations was due to a lack of experience as the head of a diocese prior to becoming the archbishop of La Plata in 2018.

"I cannot say that I have committed a crime or something against what was established at that time, but that I could have been a much better father, much better pastor, and much more efficient," he said. "That, of course, I recognize ... with everything I say it is clear that I did not act in the best way."

Original Location: New Vatican official says his handling of abuse allegations against priest in his diocese was 'insufficient'

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Responding to the growing threat of ransomware attacks against schools around the world, IBM has announced it will provide in-kind grants valued at $5 million to help address cybersecurity resiliency in schools.

Since its creation in 2021, the IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants programme has expanded globally, and this year will also include enhanced offerings from IBM SkillsBuild on topics including AI and cybersecurity.

Ransomware is unfolding faster than ever, with attackers managing to cut down the time required to deploy ransomware attacks from over two months to just under four days between 2019 and 2021, according to IBMs X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023.

Education sector most hit

In fact, the share of cybersecurity incidents observed in the education sector more than doubled in 2022 compared to the year prior, experiencing the largest increase year over year than any other industry.

Time and time again attackers go after the education sector, yet many of these institutions remain constrained in their security resources, said Andy Piazza, Global Head of Threat Intelligence, IBM Security X-Force.

To date, this programme has helped more than 350,000 students across schools in the US and abroad, with IBM Service Corps helping them recover from ransomware attacks, strengthen their security posture against future attacks, and prevent further disruption.

Applications for schools are now open globally. Grants valued at $500,000 each ($5 million in total) will be awarded to six school districts in the US with an additional four around the world.

Professional skills

Volunteers, through IBM Service Corps, will use their professional skills to help schools establish programmes to address cybersecurity resiliency. Each selected school will receive:

incident response plans and ransomware playbooks,

programmes to help address the need for updating operating systems,

strategic communication plans to use in response to cyber incidents, and

training and digital credentials through IBM SkillsBuild on topics including AI and cybersecurity, and additional benefits such as enhanced access to IBM mentors, teacher training and toolkits, and customised learning pathways.

The global skills gap across cybersecurity and AI is a growing challenge that demands immediate attention, said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Chief Impact Officer. "To address this challenge, IBM awards Education Security Grants to drive impact with schools worldwide. This year, were excited to expand the programme to bring the benefits of IBM SkillsBuild training on topics like AI and cybersecurity for students and teachers.

Since its inception in 2021, IBM has received hundreds of applications for this award-winning programme from school districts seeking to strengthen their security postures in response to the growing threats in the education space. Past recipients of the IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants, a list of which can be found here, have encouraged other schools to apply.

Incident response plan

With IBM's assistance, we improved our cybersecurity incident response plan and used it to better prepare us for handling incidents in the future, said Robert Losinski, Manager of Information Security at Denver Public Schools.

Attackers are targeting schools because many do not have mature security frameworks to effectively defend against ransomware and other cybercrime. Getting professional assistance in expanding your cybersecurity programme will really help you identify the most critical areas to protect. -- TradeArabia News Service
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after the latter's short-lived attempted mutiny last month, according to a spokesperson for the Kremlin.

Prigozhin, who founded the Wagner Group, had publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with top Russian military leaders, whom he accused of withholding necessary supplies from his troops who were leading the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine. At the peak of their dispute, Prigozhin attempted to capture two top Russian military leaders in late June, though his plan was foiled.

JANET YELLEN SAYS RISK OF RECESSION 'NOT COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE'

Prigozhin and Putin met on June 29, five days after the mutiny ended, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Monday. It lasted about three hours, and Putin invited nearly three dozen people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and his unit commanders.

"The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company's actions at the front during the special military operation [in Ukraine] and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June [the day of the mutiny]," Peskov told reporters.

"The commanders outlined their version of what happened. They emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander in chief," he continued. "They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the motherland."

Prigozhin's troops briefly took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building with little resistance, though that success, despite authorities' prior knowledge of the plan, raised questions about the capability of Russia's forces.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was able to broker a truce between Putin and Prigozhin.

Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin, who previously served as the top commander in Ukraine, had advance warning of Prigozhin's plans, the New York Times reported last month, citing U.S. officials. Both his whereabouts and his possible involvement in the attempted mutiny remain unknown, though the Moscow Times reported on June 28 that Surovikin had been arrested.

On the day of Putin's meeting with Prigozhin and his lieutenants, the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged there were still "some elements" of the Wagner Group in Ukraine, though many had not been on the front lines as they had been during the monthslong battle of Bakhmut, which was one of the deadliest battles of the war.

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The Wagner Group has operations and influence in a number of African nations, where they act on behalf of Russia's interests and will continue to do so, according to top Kremlin leaders. U.S. officials have said in the time since the attempted mutiny that they are still concerned about the Wagner Group's influence in Africa.

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"Since 2016, Wagner has infiltrated African countries, like the Central African Republic and more recently Mali, undermining their sovereignty, stealing their natural resources, killing their people," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters on June 30. "No indication that Wagner is decreasing its intent to exploit African countries despite the events of last week."

He said the Malian transition government has paid more than $200 million to the Wagner Group since late 2021, while terror attacks and violent crime have increased in Mali's "center region" since they were deployed there in December 2021. He also claimed, without providing evidence, that Prigozhin and his forces attempted to "eliminate" an African leader from Chad.

Original Location: Russia coup: Kremlin claims Putin met with Prigozhin just days after attempted mutiny

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Two simple questions for Colorado:

1. Do we want soaring property taxes to exacerbate the housing crisis?

2. Do we want first-degree murder suspects roaming our streets?

Based on national trends, were guessing the answer to both is a resounding no  even in Colorful Colorado.

This gives Gov. Jared Polis an easy answer to another question: should he call a special session of the Colorado Legislature this summer to address these dilemmas?

Yes.

Though it is not their objective, Senate Republicans would do Polis a favor by convincing him to host a special session vone controlled by his party. Things are not going in Colorados direction. Only outcomes will determine the governors potentially bright political future and legacy in a national party lacking marquee figures.

Colorado, the envy of the country for much of the past 30 years, has seen better days.

Under the one-party leadership of all of state government, we have seen an unprecedented crime spree, soaring taxes disguised as fees, escalation of a deadly opioid crisis, increasing youth violence, more homelessness and all the other problems associated with cities and states governed by progressive Democrats with big ideas about defunding cops and tolerating crime.

Metadata compiled by real estate companies Rent.com and Redfin find Colorado with the fifth highest negative lead rates in the country. Consumers drive negative leads when they search for properties out-of-state.

Only ultra-liberal Illinois, Maine, New York and Vermont have higher negative lead rates than Colorados. Redfin reports more people considered leaving Denver in late 2022 than any city other than Hartford, Conn.

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All over the news we hear about an exodus from Democratic to Republican States. To escape escalating crime, taxes, fees, drugs and other undesirable elements of urban chaos, people are moving to Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and other southern and midwestern states with more conventional views of drugs, violence, crime and prosperity.

This explains why Florida has shifted from swing-state status to solidly red in less than a decade. It explains why historically purple Colorado has gone blue as rural and working-class families leave.

Natives and other old timers would like people to stop moving here and would welcome an exodus. Yet, no one thinks we should control Colorados growth by making the state undesirable and dangerous for those who live here.

We recently asked Polis about far-left radicals and extremists in the Democratic Party, of which he is Colorados highest-ranking member. Polis offered a reasonable answer, saying the legislature reflects the diverse views of a diverse Colorado.

Hes right, of course. Our legislature will always contain spectacles of extremism on the right and left who too often propose and pass bad ideas other states would not consider.

Whether we talk mouse protection, growth limits or construction defects laws, an assortment of bad legislative regulations have caused Colorados housing crisis. The legislature needs to fix the problem with a real solution to soaring housing costs and the associated taxes.

Instead, Polis wants voters to decide by voting for Proposition HH, the most deceptively worded tax hike in Colorado history. It is a joke and by the time November gets here anyone who can read should know this for a scam.

Prop HH asks voters to reduce property taxes by allowing the state to keep tax refunds otherwise required by the Colorado Constitutions Taxpayers Bill of Rights. This is smoke-and-mirrors fun-house policy on display.

Republicans also want a special session to ensure we have an immediate and foolproof response to a decision last month by the Colorado Supreme Court. Polis and the legislature eliminated capital punishment three years ago, and the states highest court ruled last month that suspects accused of crimes formerly subject to the death penalty are now eligible to be released on bail  including those charged with first-degree murder. Fear the day a mass killer with cash comes under the supervision of Billy Bobs AAA Discount Bail Bonds.

Colorado was family friendly, business friendly, affordable, safe and enviable. That has changed and the problems are urgent. Gov. Polis should rise to the occasion and be the leader we need. He should convene a special session, lead us out of these problems and show other blue states how to stop harming minorities, the working class, the poor and others damaged by rising costs and danger.
When Congress created the U.S. Sentencing Commission in 1984, it intended to reduce disparities in criminal sentencing at the federal level by developing a set of guidelines, which trial judges now reference during sentencing.

However, the guidelines are also accompanied by commentary  notes that clarify and expand upon the meaning of the guidelines. In recent years, federal appeals courts have reached different conclusions about when judges should apply the commentary and when they should ignore it.

Last month, the federal appeals court based in Denver weighed in, deciding it is appropriate to apply the sentencing commentary unless it runs contrary to federal law or the guidelines themselves.

"Neither the guideline provisions nor the commentary has any binding legal authority to begin with," clarified Judge Gregory A. Phillips in the June 23 opinion from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Regardless, he added, there is "nothing tyrannical about judicial deference to the commentary."

The effect of the decision is to give greater weight to the Sentencing Commission's annotations to its guidelines, which, in the case of Quindell Tyree Maloid, added at least 14 months to his criminal sentence.

Maloid pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and the government initially agreed he faced between 30 and 37 months in prison. However, the U.S. Probation Office calculated a minimum sentence of 51 months for Maloid because of his previous conviction in Colorado for conspiracy to commit felony menacing.

That offense, the office believed, amounted to a violent crime under the sentencing guidelines. The guidelines themselves define violent crime as the use or attempted use of force against another. But the commentary expands upon that definition, including "conspiring" to commit such an offense as violent crime.

U.S. District Court Senior Judge William J. Martinez agreed the commentary applied and he sentenced Maloid to 51 months in 2021. At the same time, he complained that the U.S. Supreme Court and appeals courts had not "done a better job of guiding us" about whether to classify offenses as violent crime.

Maloid challenged the application of Colorado's conspiracy law to his sentence, but he also disputed the weight trial judges should place on the Sentencing Commission's commentary based on recent developments.

For decades, the Supreme Court held that the commentary was "authoritative" unless contradicted by federal law or the guidelines themselves. Then, in 2019, the court issued Kisor v. Wilkie, finding a government agency's interpretation of its own rules does not deserve a court's deference unless the rule is "genuinely ambiguous."

Although Kisor involved the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, federal courts soon began to reconsider how to treat the Sentencing Commission's interpretation of its guidelines through the commentary.

For some appeals courts, the answer was that Kisor applied to the commentary.

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"Now the winds have changed," wrote Judge Stephanos Bibas of the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit. "In Kisor, the Supreme Court awoke us from our slumber of reflexive deference: Agency interpretations might merit deference, but only when the text of a regulation is truly ambiguous."

The federal government has also accepted that Kisor requires judges to examine sentencing commentary more critically. In November 2022, the solicitor general's office acknowledged in a filing to the Supreme Court that Kisor provides the "authoritative standards for determining whether particular commentary is entitled to deference."

However, the 10th Circuit was not convinced.

Maloid, on appeal, urged a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit to find the sentencing guidelines themselves unambiguously excluded conspiracies from the definition of violent crime. Therefore, the court should not give weight to the commentary that asserts otherwise.

Phillips, in the panel's opinion, noted that the Kisor decision pertained to executive branch agencies, not the Sentencing Commission.

"Thats a critical distinction," he wrote.

The Sentencing Commission is not a policymaking body, but an entity providing guidance to judges, Phillips elaborated. Judges retain discretion to deviate from the sentencing guidelines, and Congress can exercise its power to reject any amendments the Sentencing Commission proposes.

"In sharp contrast lie executive agencies, which can aggrandize their own authority by implementing vague executive policy and then divining new rules from that policy," Phillips wrote.

Consequently, Martinez was within his authority to rely on the commentary to hand down a harsher sentence to Maloid. Phillips noted that in November, proposed changes to the sentencing guidelines will take effect, with the explicit inclusion of conspiracies in the definition of violent crime.

Attorney Adam Mueller said the Supreme Court will potentially have to resolve the split between those appeals courts that still permit judges to lean on the sentencing commentary and those that have now adopted the Kisor decision's more skeptical approach.

"In most cases, given how the guidelines function, the commentary will increase a defendant's recommended sentencing range," he said. "The upshot is that this decision will likely result in longer sentences."

Judge Allison H. Eid wrote separately to say that while she agreed with the outcome in Maloid's case, she saw "no need to opine" on whether Kisor affected the Sentencing Commission.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court turned down an appeal that sought to clarify how lower courts should now treat the sentencing commentary.
Americas first statewide prison radio station, Inside Wire, launched March 1 with a media blitz that drew national attention and packed the education and library building at Limon Correctional Facility on Colorados eastern plains.

The half-dozen attendees who werent free to leave after the festivities returned to their regular schedules, in a facility where the fruit of their labors now streamed from TVs in cells and community rooms, and to lives they say suddenly felt more connected.

Walking into work these past couple days, its almost like everything is in technicolor because of the vibe we had the other day, 58-year-old Inside Wire producer Jody Aguirre said on Thursday. I think part of that comes from feeling human again. We werent in prison on that day. And in a way were not in prison now because of the effects of that day.

A project of the University of Denvers Prison Arts Initiative, Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio originally was envisioned as a first-of-its kind project that could help build trust and connections among the more than 14,000 incarcerated listeners at Department of Corrections sites around the state, and with the staff who work at those facilities, said general manager and program director Ryan Conarro.

This is our belief about arts-based programming in general, in some ways its almost more about how youre doing what youre doing as opposed to what, said Conarro, whos on staff at DU. I think we grow in our relationships and understanding with each other, and I think that kind of growth and impact is what we hope is going to happen to listeners.

The decision was made late last year to go for an even bigger first, making the station, its sounds and insights available to a much wider audience, via app and streaming at coloradoprisonradio.com.

Theres obviously really important reasons we did choose to invite the public listeners to also get a window into this media platform inside facilities, Conarro said. But at the end of the day the first and most important audience to all of us are the people inside.

Inside Wire broadcasts round-the-clock, airing pre-recorded DJ-hosted music segments, interviews and spots that include inspirational messages and history blurbs. All content is created by producers serving sentences at prisons in Colorado  six producers in Limon, three in Denver Womens Correctional, and six in Sterling.

Conarro said project leaders considered a number of factors when deciding which inmate applicants to bring on board.

The question I was most interested in wasnt about technical experience or audio production or music, said Conarro, of a process that set out to instead gauge enthusiasm and commitment to building a program from the ground up. Because of the length of their sentences, some producers werent sure how to turn on a computer, or even what a computer was, he said.

One question Connaro said they didnt ask was what had landed applicants in prison.

As a practice, whenever we do any work with people inside, we do not ask people what it was that led them to the prison, or try to look it up via social media or records. We chose to meet each person were working with where they are, and where theyre meeting us, Conarro said.

Inside Wire is the first station to broadcast statewide and beyond, but its not the first prison radio station in Colorado.

For generations, as modern tech brought the world closer to the fingertips of those on the outside, within prisons the only sounds filling the space often were ambient noises, and  if you were lucky  hyper-local airwaves.

Seth Ready remembers how vital a role radio played in the rehabilitation of his thinking behind bars, and ultimately his life beyond, after serving a 15-year prison sentence.

Prison is lonely enough as it is, and to not have access to music, or the kind of music you want? Its tough, said Ready, 46, who was introduced to the medium through a program in Buena Vista that ultimately saw him serving as the facilitys part-time rock DJ, while earning college journalism credits. I got involved in the program because of music, but once I did I found I was good at it, I enjoyed it. To this day, its the best job that Ive ever had. During my time it was the only time when I wasnt in prison, mentally.

Ready completed his prison sentence 12 years ago, and now works for Denver Universitys Prison Arts Initiative, supporting Inside Wire producers and a project whose potential impact hes seen, and experienced, first hand.

It was something that even from a distance I could tell was the most important thing, in my opinion, that had ever happened for the Department of Corrections, he said. You know kind of the mindset that people have about people who are in prison  (and) to have the chance to change that mindset and make it more acceptable for people to come together? Thats huge.

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Music is just one piece of Inside Wire, and also a way to get to some of the deeper and more universal stories and sentiments that emphasize connection rather than division.

A regular segment, One Tune, features interviews with inmates and staff and poses a question: If you could listen to only one song, for the rest of your life, what would that song be, and why?

Kelly Kuhns, who teaches customer service to inmates at Limon, was interviewed for that segment. She chose the song Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw, a tune with a message that channels the ethos that led her into a career, and community, whose potential shes excited to see being tapped in such a way.

She remembers watching the studio at Inside Wires home base come together in the classroom next door, and was there to celebrate the projects debut.

As a teacher, I think it is really important to support peoples efforts to reunite with their potential, and I saw that happening with these guys doing something that they love, Kuhns said Tuesday. Whatever they had going on before they got incarcerated, it is a mechanism for them to find joy in a job, something theyre committed to, something theyre creating. I think education is a great vehicle for transformation, because within the scope of education you build relationships and relationships are change agents. We need the relationships with offenders so we can send them home better people, better parents, better community members. Were safer that way.

Kuhns used to teach third and fourth grade, where she saw the impact such programs have in providing tools that inform and empower identity and in encouraging mutual respect and understanding.

Id say its really not that much different, just bigger bodies, more tattoos. Those things that worked for 3rd and 4th grade that built that connection and that community for people are the same things that work for them, Kuhns said. There are so many people who are incarcerated. We all know someone at some point who has fallen on the wrong side of the law. And I think that when you talk about the basic humanity of people it does connect and build bridges instead of walls.

During the weeks and months features director Benny Hill and the team were banking content ahead of the launch, he said he could see its power at work among his peers at Limon.

Consider the chow hall face  the intimidating look that means dont mess with me or talk to me, said Hill.

I just had this interview a couple days ago, this guy came in with a chow hall face into the studio. As soon as he got into the booth and in front of the microphone it just all came down. And he was the person who he was in front of his mother, said Hill, 49. And as soon as he left the studio, as soon as the interview was over, the face came right back up.

Hill said that in five months with Inside Wire, hes learned more about his peers and the staff at Limon than he has in two decades at the facility.

Were finding that these people come in with these stories that are heartfelt, that they actually care, that they have struggles, they have triumphs, they have victories, Hill said.

When we start tapping into those little nuggets, these ingredients with these people who have these voices, then we start tapping into human truth.

And when you can get somebody to identify with the human truth of somebody with a chow hall face then you really start getting into something special. Because Ive seen dudes breakdown and cry.

Ive seen guys come in and totally become vulnerable, which is something that doesnt happen very often in prison.

Conarro said the hope now is to expand the DU program to other facilities in the state, and continue broadening the programming.

Ive been saying for the last few weeks  were just about finished figuring out how to launch a radio station and (now) were going to need to figure out how to run a radio station, he said. Its been an incredible journey so far, and of course in many ways Tuesday was the very beginning. It was one of those very special moments in life that was both the culmination and the start.

The Inside Wire crew may be locked away from the world, but through the ethereal, timeless medium of radio, their thoughts and their presence reach far beyond the walls.
Minutes before midnight on a Friday last May, gunfire ripped through the walls of Babilonia Bar along Platte Avenue.

Nineteen-year-old Montaries Jennings, there for a show by his favorite rap artist, fought his way to safety through the panicked, stampeding crowd before posting on social media that hed just seen a man get shot, and that he was praying for him.

He then called his mom and told her he was bruised but alive, and heading home.

Jennings hung up and a few miles east pulled his car into the parking lot of Woodys Bar and Grill off Pikes Peak Avenue. He planned to stay only a moment, to pay homage at what remained of a sprawling chalk-painted mural honoring his auntie Gwen Watson, his moms close friend, who had been shot to death there the previous summer. He wanted to thank her for keeping him alive.

It was then that three bullets pierced the teens side and lung, dropping him to the ground by the memorial to the woman he called his guardian angel. Three others also were shot, and survived, but Jennings, caught in the crossfire of other mens wrath, died.

Montaries Jennings, who died May 28, was the 23rd homicide in Colorado Springs, during a year of record-setting violence in a city thats bucking national trends in the bleakest of ways.

"It's just been tragedy after tragedy," said Jennings mother, Tameka Totten, 43, reflecting on how Colorado Springs (a city that also saw a record number of traffic fatalities in 2022) is a much more dangerous place to raise a family than it was a generation ago. "As soon as they walked out the door I started to panic. Those streets are not safe. They're just not safe."

The Springs saw more homicides last year than in any year since 1985, FBI data shows, even as pandemic highs were creeping down in other cities.

Fifty-four people were killed in murders and negligent homicides here in 2022.

More than three-quarters of that number  41 people  died by gunfire.

Young men and boys represented nearly a third of victims.

The first homicide of 2022 was that of a 13-year-old boy with a baby face, Marcus Venezio-Hernandez, who died in a Jan. 9 shooting that also killed his 15-year-old friend, Nevean Tafoya.

Victim vignettes Sofia Hernandez Crade hasnt picked up a paintbrush for months. Before sunrise on Oct. 11, the Old Colorado City-based artists life was forced to a standstill when her mom called her in a panic to tell her that her little brother, 19-year-old Demitri Crockett, had been shot and killed by a still unidentified youth the evening before. On Black Friday, 2022, Andrea Bettis claims she watched her roommate shoot and kill her husband outside their apartment in Colorado Springs. Two months later, despite Bettis stating there were multiple people who witnessed the shooting, Colorado Springs Police Department has yet to make an arrest in the death of Jacob Langley. When Jessica Westrich raced to the hospital the night of her sons death last March she drove past the flashing lights of a crime scene at the Citadel Mall. She had no idea yet her oldest child, Matthew Westrich, had died, likely instantly, during a shooting in the malls parking lot along with Jeremiah Brown, 20, on March 25, 2022. On June 1, 2022, 19-year-old Castle Rock native Hoani Bartlett was sitting in the car outside an apartment complex, writing a poem for his 9-month-old son Elijah. A man in a ski mask walked up and shot at the the car several times. Hoani was hit passed away a short time later. As the best friend of one victim of gun violence and the mother of another, Tameka Totten has borne her share of tragedy. On May 28, 2022, her son, 19-year-old Montaries Jennings was caught in the crossfire of a feud at a bar where his moms friend had been gunned down less than a year before.

The older of the two suspects in the robbery gone wrong that led to their deaths was young enough at the time of the killings that  given a recent plea agreement and seven-year sentence to Colorados Youthful Offender System  he could be free before his youngest victim would have turned 21.

Nationwide, homicide rates spiked by almost 30% during the pandemic, with more people in America felled by guns in 2020 than in any other year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Much of the country saw those numbers begin to drop slightly last year, as the factors experts say contributed to the rise  social and economic upheavals, shutdowns and shut-ins  continued to lighten, level out or, at least, sink in.

Not Colorado Springs, which had 10 more homicides than in 2021 and was on track to break a grim record even before the mass shooting at Club Q on Nov. 19.

El Paso County also had a record-setting year for homicides, with 72 in 2022 compared with 61 in 2021 and 55 in 2020, said Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly.

Colorado, by contrast, saw 366 homicides in 2021 and provisional data shows 236 homicides in 2022, according to the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Denver recorded 88 murders in 2022, the Denver Police Department reported, down from 96 in 2021 and 95 in 2020.

Colorado Springs wasnt the only city to defy more-encouraging statistical trends.

Thirteen of the 27 cities the Council on Criminal Justice looked at for its year-end report on the Pandemic, Social Unrest, and Crime saw more homicides in 2022 than in 2021, including Seattle, Milwaukee and Raleigh, N. C.

Homicides resulting from domestic and family violence are far and away the largest category locally, said coroner Kelly.

"These are committed almost entirely by men who are struggling to deal with general, normal stresses of life," Kelly said.

While the city's population growth, 18% since 2010 would figure into increased homicides, it isn't the only factor.

"Weve almost doubled the number of death investigations and autopsies (since 2010), which  all things being equal  should have increased by 18%" Kelly said.

"You would expect that as a population grows all of these types of deaths grow essentially at the same rate as the population, and so increases over time dont worry me and they shouldnt worry the community. Its when you see dramatic deviations from your population growth or when you see dramatic deviations from one year to the next, is when you have to ask, whats happening thats different?"

Family violence can erupt into greater conflict with a police officer getting injured in one case last year.

A spate of homicides in the homeless community led to 10 deaths within that small subset of the population in 2022, Kelly said.

Cycles of violence can become storms when the root causes remain unaddressed, say experts. What those root causes may be, however, depends on who you ask.

David Pyrooz, a sociology professor who studies crime trends and criminal justice policy at the University of Colorado Denver, said many point to the impact of criminal justice trends and a modern emphasis on reform, rather than incarceration.

This, he said, has led some to believe that criminals are becoming more emboldened to commit crimes.

Its about (the) certainty of being punished rather than the actual punishment itself, Pyrooz said. It gives a sense of impunity.

Mike Williams, executive director of the Citizens Project, has heard from residents in Colorado Springs community meetings that economic drivers and a lack of social connectedness  compounded by pandemic isolation  is contributing to the overall rise in crime, although he could not speak specifically to homicides.

When you are not connected to other people, you may not see them as your neighbors, he said.

The connections police build and maintain within a community can also play a powerful role, not only in deterring crime but encouraging cooperation in solving crimes when they occur, said Ernesto Lopez, with the Council on Criminal Justice.

A report earlier this year found that Colorado Springs police officers said they do not have enough time to spend on proactive policing or building relationships.

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The annual homicide clearance rate for the department, which CSPD spokesperson Lt. Pamela Castro said is usually over 80%, was 58.4% for 2022. CSPD blamed the low rate on the high number of cases that are still in the investigation phase. Once arrests are made, the rate will go up.

Castro concedes that CSPD is currently understaffed.

It has 763 officers currently employed, including 48 academy trainees, and the department would be fully staffed at 818 officers. The homicide unit currently has 15 detectives and three sergeants, with just one detective vacancy.

Understaffing plays a role in CSPDs ability to properly police and respond to crimes across the city, Castro said, but added that the department believes one of the primary drivers of the rise in homicides and violent crime in the city has nothing to do with the police department.

She pointed to new Colorado laws and policies that restrict the lengths to which law enforcement can go to take criminals off the streets, specifically changes in legislation regarding weapons possession by previous offenders.

Changes in state law have consequences, Castro said.

Colorado once barred anyone who was convicted of a felony from purchasing firearms, but in 2021 state law changed so that only those convicted of crimes identified in the Colorados Victim Rights Act face additional penalties for possessing a gun. The act covers 50 violent crimes, such as murder and rape, The Gazette reported previously.

Where we would have arrested individuals who were convicted of illegally possessing a gun before, now we cant arrest them for that, Castro said.

She also pointed to the impact of changes in parole policies.

In the past if previous offenders violated their parole, they would be arrested and not given the chance to post bond, she said. In many cases such offenders now remain eligible for parole, a chance to bond out and potentially commit more crimes.

We are currently looking to reduce the number of people in jail. Well, that means just by the nature of that scale there can be a resulting increase in crime, Castro said.

A study by the U.S. Justice Department following a half-million prisoners freed from state prisons in 2008 found that 82% were rearrested within 10 years of their release.

Of the 27 known individuals charged with a homicide in Colorado Springs in 2022, The Gazette found that 11 had previously been convicted of one felony in Colorado. Seven of those convictions were for violent crimes, with one additional person facing an open case for second-degree assault against a peace officer.

It's still too early to tell whether Colorado's 2021 safe storage law, aimed at keeping guns from juveniles and others prohibited from having such weapons, has had the effect advocates hoped it would on gun violence, injuries and suicide specifically. The most recent data available is from 2020.

A "red-flag" law passed in 2019 made it easier to legally remove guns from those who pose a risk to themselves or others in Colorado. That law, however, failed to keep firearms out of the hands of Anderson Lee Aldrich, accused of killing five people and injuring 18 in the Nov. 19 mass shooting at Club Q.

The effectiveness of the laws in preventing homicides is difficult to parse because among firearm deaths in general, murder is rare, said Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The laws also are not well understood, and greater education could help ensure families know the steps to take in times of crisis, he said.

"Every household that has guns should understand those laws, he said.

At the federal level, the CDC was barred from conducting any firearm-related research for more than 20 years, until 2019, because of a law preventing the agency from using federal money to "advocate or promote gun control."

Understanding motives and preventing violent outcomes likely requires a more nuanced approach, a better understanding of those perpetrating crimes as well as the potential influence of virtual peers and social media, especially among younger generations, say those who've studied the trends, and those whove lived them.

Sofia Hernandez Crade, whose foster brother Demitri Crockett was shot to death Oct. 10, said she believes whoever pulled the trigger did so out of pride and adrenaline, which, when mixed with the rationality of a teenage brain and easy access to firearms, creates a cocktail for lots of unnecessary death.

I feel like a lot of young men feel very lost and kind of frail, and that they lean on this hyped-up machismo sense of manhood to give them power and to feel less afraid in a scary world, Crade said.

Whatever the causes, Castro said if changes arent made she believes the homicide and violent crime rate could continue to escalate.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome, Castro said. I dont think we can say things are going to change if we stay on the same path. Our community, our society and Colorado as a whole has to decide what balance were willing to trade: Freedoms and crime rates."

While violent crime and homicides have been on the rise in Colorado Springs, Castro emphasized that the city remains a safe place.

Only a small segment of the community is responsible for committing a majority of the crimes in Colorado Springs, Castro said she believes.

Neighbors who live near the places where crimes are frequent are pushing back in their own ways.

Men of Influence, a group dedicated to quelling violence, successfully worked with gang members to stop the string of shootings at Memorial Park, said DOntay Roy, chairman of the city's Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission. Men of Influence's members include those who participated in violence in the past and do not want to see others repeat their mistakes.

However, he expects real change will take participation across the police department, justice system and the community. The police department could hire more and better qualified police officers and the justice system could ensure consistency in discipline, Roy said.

"Until we actually start valuing peoples lives I dont think much is going to change, Roy said.

Neighbors who heard the gun shots the night Jennings fled Babilonia are also fighting to have the venue's liquor license revoked. The bar is now known as Paradise Night Club and Restaurant, but it is owned by the same people and operates under the same license.

In their formal objection letter, neighbors cite the bars history of violence and crime including eight shootings between January and June of last year, as well as armed robbery, assault, disorderly conduct, and brawling in the streets.

A judge's decision on the liquor license is expected on Feb. 3 after the hearing was postponed last week, when city attorneys said they were not taking a position on the license.
An Arapahoe County judge refused to issue a key jury instruction in a high-profile murder trial, which lowered the prosecution's burden of proof and prompted Colorado's second-highest court to overturn the defendant's conviction last month.

Lloyd Chavez IV, a student at Cherokee Trail High School, died in May 2019 after four teenagers attempted to rob him during a meetup to purchase vaping supplies. Demarea Mitchell was the one who fatally shot Chavez, but jurors also convicted Kenneth Alfonso Gallegos of felony murder.

Felony murder does not require that someone pull the trigger and cause another person's death. Instead, to be guilty of felony murder, someone need only participate in certain serious offenses, like robbery, in which a person happens to die.

Gallegos insisted he did not plan to rob Chavez, nor was he aware the other members of the group had a gun. To that end, he asked District Court Judge Ben L. Leutwyler to instruct jurors about Gallegos' affirmative defense to felony murder. Leutwyler rejected the request and jurors found Gallegos guilty.

Luetwyler made a mistake, concluded a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals, because some evidence did exist to support the idea that, even if he were guilty of attempted robbery, Gallegos was not automatically guilty of felony murder. To hold otherwise would force Gallegos to admit to the underlying robbery in order to assert a defense for felony murder, or deny the robbery and relinquish his defense to murder.

"This argument erroneously equates guilt of the predicate offense with guilt of felony murder," wrote Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov in the panel's June 1 opinion. "A jury may convict a defendant of the predicate offense yet acquit on the felony murder count."

Case: People v. Gallegos Decided: June 1, 2023 Jurisdiction: Arapahoe County Ruling: 3-0 Judges: Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov (author) Terry Fox Karl L. Schock Background: Teen vape juice shooter sentenced to life in prison in metro Denver

The Court of Appeals addressed an apparent misunderstanding of affirmative defenses, in which a defendant generally admits to a crime but has a justification that warrants acquittal. The standard for felony murder, explained Lipinsky, is not whether Gallegos admitted to or denied the underlying robbery. Instead, he was entitled to have the jury consider his defense if there was "some credible evidence" meriting an acquittal for murder.

The Colorado Supreme Court "has never imposed on the affirmative defense statute a categorical requirement that the defendant admit to the underlying charged offense. And the General Assembly has not done so either," Lipinsky added.

Gallegos, Mitchell, Dominic Stager and Juliana Serrano went to Chavez's home in Centennial to purchase vaping products from him. There was testimony that Gallegos played a role in planning the robbery. Stager had a gun, which he passed to Mitchell in the backseat. Once at Chavez's house, Mitchell engaged in a struggle with Chavez and shot him. Gallegos drove them away.

Gallegos and Mitchell were tried as adults and received life in prison with the possibility of parole. Stager and Serrano were treated as juveniles and received light sentences after agreeing to testify against the others.

At the time of Chavez's murder, there were six elements of an affirmative defense to felony murder  any one of which prosecutors could disprove in order to invalidate the defense and secure a conviciton. For example, the government would need to successfully dispute that Gallegos had "no reasonable grounds to believe that any other participant was armed," or that Gallegos had no reasonable belief anyone "intended to engage in conduct likely to result in death."

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Leutwyler refused to let the jury evaluate Gallegos' affirmative defense, as Gallegos was "not acknowledging in any way, through any evidence that has been presented, his involvement in any part of the crime."

On appeal, Gallegos argued Luetwyler misunderstood the law on affirmative defenses. The Colorado Attorney General's Office countered that the evidence was sufficient to show Gallegos knew his companions had a gun during the robbery attempt.

The Court of Appeals panel agreed the evidence, and not Gallegos' denial, dictated whether jurors should have considered his affirmative defense. But contrary to the government's claims, the evidence showed:

 Serrano and Stager did not initially implicate Gallegos in planning the robbery

 They changed their story when offered a plea deal in exchange for their testimony

 Serrano said there "wasn't really a plan" for the gun

 Stager testified Gallegos had said to "stop it" when Mitchell began struggling with Chavez

While it was the jury's job to decide which portions of Stager and Serrano's testimony to believe, wrote Lipinsky, there was clearly evidence supporting Gallegos' defense to felony murder.

"Failing to instruct on the affirmative defense 'impermissibly lowered' the prosecutions burden of proof for the felony murder charge," he concluded.

The panel ordered a new trial for felony murder, while upholding Gallegos' convictions and 16-year sentence for the attempted robbery. The government has since asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision.

The case is People v. Gallegos.
Its been a dozen years since Colorados general election ballot has been as sparse as it will be next year.

Instead of electing a governor, U.S. senator or other statewide executive offices, Coloradans will only be faced with voting for president and the at-large University of Colorado regent seat in 2024, just as they were in 2012.

Thats due to the staggered, six-year terms served by the states two U.S. senators, which leaves one in every six general elections without any candidates running for major statewide office at the top of the ticket.

Of course, the ballot will still feature plenty of races in addition to the presidential contest. Up for grabs are Colorados eight U.S. House seats  one more than the state boasted in 2012  as well as legislative, county and district attorney elections, plus CU regent, state board of education and any initiatives or referenda that make the ballot.

A lot has changed in the state politically in just 12 years, though there are strong echoes of the 2012 election as next years ballot take shape.

Like in 2012, a Democratic president with upside-down approval ratings in the state will be seeking a second term in 2024, while a couple of targeted congressional incumbents will almost certainly face tough bids for reelection, drawing a national spotlight and millions of dollars in campaign spending to their districts.

Heading into the 2012 election, President Barack Obama had a roughly 40% approval in Colorado in 2011, according to Gallup, after carrying the state by an almost 9 percentage point margin four years earlier.

While the comparison isnt precise, President Joe Biden, who won the state by a 13.5 percentage point margin in 2020, has had about 42% approval in Colorado since April, according to the Race to the WH site.

Unlike in 2012, however, Colorados electoral votes arent considered in play next year, with Biden favored to win the state, like the Democratic nominee has in each of the last four presidential elections.

Twelve years ago, three of Colorados seven congressional districts were pegged as competitive: the Western Slope-based 3rd District, represented by first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, and the suburban 6th and 7th districts, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman and Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, respectively.

By the time Election Day was in sight, Tipton had outpaced Pueblo Democrat Sal Pace, the state House minority leader, winning reelection by 12 percentage points. But Coffman and Perlmutter had what appeared to be tight races on their hands.

Ultimately, Coffman squeaked to a third term by a closer-than-expected 2 percentage points over Democratic state Rep. Joe Miklosi, whose narrow loss put a target on the incumbent in the evenly divided district. Perlmutter, however, fended off a spirited challenge from brewery magnate Joe Coors, the GOP nominee, winning by nearly 13 percentage points.

Just two of the states eight congressional districts could be up for grabs next year: the slightly reconfigured 3rd District, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert  who ousted Tipton in the 2020 GOP primary  and the new 8th District, which covers suburbs north of Denver and a chunk of Weld County and is represented by first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo.

Boebert has already drawn a challenge from Aspen Democrat Adam Frisch, who trailed the Republican by just 546 votes last year in the countrys closest congressional race. Frischs campaign said hes raised $4.4 million through June 30, shattering fundraising state and national records for a House candidate in an off-year. Boebert, who has yet to release her second quarter figures, is head-and-shoulders the most prominent elected Republican in the state and has proven herself a fundraising powerhouse.

Caraveo, who narrowly won election last year by just over 1,600 votes, has yet to draw a challenger, though both parties agree the toss-up seat is crucial to winning the House majority and will be among the most competitive races in the country next year.

After last years election, Colorado cemented its blue status as a solidly Democratic state  for the time being, at least  by sweeping the ballot statewide and in nearly every competitive district, a far cry from the deep purple hue the state enjoyed ahead of the 2012 election, when all eyes were on battleground Colorado.

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Democrats had been ascendent since the middle of the previous decade, but voters rendered a split decision in 2010, electing Democrats John Hickenlooper to his first term as governor and Michael Bennet to his first full term in the U.S. Senate, with Hickenlooper winning comfortably and Bennet winning by a whisker. At the same time, Republicans won the other statewide executive offices  attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer  and reclaimed the majority in the state House by a single seat while Democrats maintained a majority in the state Senate.

The 2012 election was shaping up to be a barnburner. Its no exaggeration that Colorado was the quintessential swing state in a presidential election expected to go down to the wire.

After nearly five decades of voting for the Republican in nine of 10 presidential elections  the exception was when Bill Clinton carried the state in 1992, helped by Ross Perots unusually strong third-party candidacy  Colorado had been the tipping-point state in 2008. It provided the electoral votes that pushed Obama past the 270 required to claim the White House.

The concept, popularized by the election data crunchers at Fivethirtyeight.com, describes the state that puts the winner over the edge in the Electoral College after ranking states by the winning candidates margin of victory.

It turned out that Colorado would repeat the feat in 2012.

Election observers werent surprised.

In June 2011, top Republican strategist Karl Rove predicted as much at a GOP fundraiser in Denver.

I hate to tell you, but youre ground zero, he told donors. In 2012, as goes Colorado, so goes the nation. Youve got a lot of work to do.

A month later, as Obamas team kicked off a massive early organizing drive across the state, Rick Palacio, the Democratic state chair, made the same point.

Colorado is definitely a state that is a swing state, probably a prime example of the definition of the swing state, he said.

Both parties poured tremendous resources into Colorado, though the Republican nomination wouldnt be settled until late spring, about six months before the election, giving a head start to Democrats working to reelect Obama.

In a bid to have a say in the nominating process, the state GOP moved the partys 2012 precinct caucuses from its customary date in the first week of March to the first week of February. Democrats, who didnt have much to decide beyond endorsing Obamas reelection, stuck with the later date.

Although Colorado Republicans sided with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at caucuses  he snagged about 40% of the vote, ahead of second-place finisher Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, who got nearly 35%  within weeks Romney had sewn up the nomination.

Obama, Romney and their surrogates made so many campaign swings through the state that summer and fall that by the time they met at the University of Denver on Oct. 3 for the first presidential debate of 2012, they were on a nodding acquaintance and first-name basis with their Colorado organizers.

State voters were routinely treated to dueling rallies, like in mid-September when Obama orated at a park in Golden in the morning and Romneys son Josh revved up a smaller crowd on a street corner that afternoon just blocks away. As the election neared, Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan filled Red Rocks one evening in late October, and Obama answered by drawing an even larger crowd at Denvers City Park the next afternoon.

Just over a week before the 2012 election, polls showed Colorado among a handful of states that were too close to call, with competing polls showing the candidates trading the lead, though neither was ahead by more than 1 percentage point. By the time the votes were counted, however, Obama carried the state convincingly  by about 5.5 percentage points.
Democrat Elliott Hood plans to report raising more than $52,000 in June for his bid for the at-large University of Colorado regent seat, his campaign told Colorado Politics.

That's more than any candidate for the CU board has raised in a single quarter since the advent of modern campaign finance laws, according to records maintained by the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.

We are very excited and encouraged by the outpouring of support for this campaign, but we are only getting started," Hood said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to engage with people across Colorado about this important election and how we can make CU more accessible, equitable, and sustainable.

The 41-year-old education attorney and CU alumnus is so far the only declared candidate in the race for the open seat, which will be the only statewide contest on Colorado's ballot next year other than the race for president.

Hood, who announced his run on June 1, plans to report his campaign had more than $51,000 cash on hand at the end of the quarter, which ran from April 1 to June 30. His campaign said he received more than 160 individual donations.

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Quarterly campaign finance reports for state offices are due by June 17.

The incumbent at-large regent, Democrat Lesley Smith, announced in April that she's running for an open state House seat, rather than seek a second term on CU's governing board.

The nine-member board of regents, established in the state constitution, oversees the CU systems roughly $5.5 billion annual budget and makes key hiring and policy decisions for the universitys four campuses  CU Boulder, CU Colorado Springs, CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Members serve staggered six-year terms.

The board has one at-large member and eight members elected from each of the state's congressional districts. Members serve staggered six-year terms. After last year's election, Democrats hold a five-seat majority on the board.

He and his wife, Caroline, have two young sons. They live in Boulder.
A pair of first-year Democratic lawmakers is suing the Colorado House of Representatives and the chamber's leaders from both parties, alleging lawmakers routinely participate in  and leadership endorses  meetings that break state law.

The lawsuit claims the Democratic and Republican caucuses each held mandatory secret meetings at least weekly during the 2023 legislative session, directing legislative aides to omit or disguise the meetings on legislators' calendars. There was no public notice provided and minutes of the meetings were not made available to the public, in violation of Colorado's law governing open government meetings.

The meetings were said to include presentations of legislation by bill sponsors, question and answer periods, and discussions of how members would vote on legislation.

"These discussions inform the course of legislative action to be later taken publicly and are routinely conducted outside of public view, without providing public notice, and without recording or publishing meeting minutes that the public can access," Reps. Elisabeth Epps of Denver and Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch said in the suit filed on July 7. They are being represented by attorney Steve Zansberg, who also represents Colorado Politics on First Amendment issues.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, and Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, said they "are still reviewing the complaint in full" when asked for comment on the lawsuit.

House Democratic leadership is committed to open and transparent government and ensuring a fair and public process for policymaking," they said in a statement. "We stand by our caucus  dedicated public servants who work tirelessly on behalf of their constituents.

Along with House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, McCluskie and Duran are named as defendants in the lawsuit. Other defendants include the chamber itself, as well as both of its caucuses.

House Republican Deputy Chief of Staff Roger Hudson criticized the lawsuit, calling it "a distraction to the priorities that (Coloradans) care about."

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This lawsuit is what Coloradans hate about politics at the Capitol," Hudson said in a statement. Republicans continue to believe that the people of Colorado deserve access to their government through comprehensive open meetings and open records laws  we welcome any conversation that will update our statutes to keep up with rapidly evolving technology.

The lawsuit also claims that both party caucuses regularly use the encrypted messaging service Signal to discuss public business outside of public view, with the messages set for automatic deletion. Messages allegedly discussed policy in real-time during committee hearings, with legislators communicating about witness testimonies and their expected votes on legislation.

What's more, Epps and Marshall said they directly approached leadership about ending the practices, but "ultimately House leadership failed to act and defendants continued to violate (Colorado's open meetings law)." The lawsuit claims a House staffer raised similar concerns about illegal meetings in 2022, submitting written complaints to the former House speaker and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, but the complaints were dismissed.

Marshall told Colorado Politics he hopes House leadership will confess to the secret meetings and accept an order to stop the behavior without a court hearing. He said the ultimate goal is to adjust Colorado's open meeting law to a version that is more workable for the legislature, instead of ignoring it.

"We're blatantly and brazenly violating (Colorado's open meeting law) constantly," Marshall said. "If they had to strictly follow it as written, it is very unworkable to do it. But the right answer isn't 'we don't like this law because it's hard to comply, so we just won't comply.' ... This is not right, we need to fix it."

Marshall is also the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging the Douglas County Board of Education violated Colorados open meeting laws when planning former superintendent Cory Wises ouster by using a series of one-on-one and private meetings.

This new lawsuit asks the court to declare the secret meetings in violation of state law, instruct House leaders not to hold any such meetings again, and pay all related costs and Epps' and Marshall's attorney fees.

"Plaintiffs have no confidence that defendants can or will change these unlawful practices without judicial intervention," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiffs are forced to enlist the authority of the states judicial branch to bring the legislature into compliance with (Colorado's open meetings law) and to ensure that the House of Representatives conducts its public business publicly as required by Colorado law, not in secret."
This article is the fourth in a series of reports on the war in Ukraines effect on bordering Eastern European countries. It is written by two Colorado College students traveling through the region and gives an overview of the wars spreading, collateral impact on the region.

TBILISI, Georgia  On a warm midsummer night, Tbilisis downtown comes alive. Near the citys Liberty Square, a lively bar draws in a crowd of young adults.

An array of backgrounds and nationalities compose the bars nightly clientele. Romance and Slavic languages alike cut through the blaring music. But one language can be distinctly heard above the rest. It is not Georgian nor English, but Russian.

Ever since Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the nation has harbored a significant Russian population. Both Georgian and Russian languages are commonly heard throughout the country. Travel is common too  Russians, in particular, seek out their southern neighbor to enjoy swimming in the Black Sea or to enjoy the abundant fresh fruit.

But the small country was not prepared for what happened when the Ukrainian war began.

As Vladimir Putin turned his army westward, Russians headed south in droves. Conscription took on new meaning for young men. A draft notice no longer signaled a one-year career interruption, but instead introduced them to the horrors of frontline combat.

They get sent off, basically, to be meat, said a young Russian man who migrated to Georgia after the conflict began, and asked not to be identified. After receiving a draft notice, military service becomes nearly impossible to avoid, he said.

Once you get taken, you're taken. That's done. If they get you in a van, that's it. No lawyer. No nothing.

At the outset of what Russia deemed a special military operation, Russian authorities were required to notify citizens of their conscription in person. Men attempted to evade conscription officers, a feat many accomplished simply by moving to a residence registered under a different name.

But on April 14, Putin changed the legal requirements for conscription notifications. An electronic message became the standard official notice. Failure to comply brought a surfeit of financial and travel restrictions, making it difficult to continue day-to-day life as a working citizen.

Instead of moving inside Russia, men looked for alternative ways to avoid the draft.

Individuals could employ legal firms to find medical abnormalities that would disqualify them from military service. They're finding real medical issues. And everybody has them, but you have to actually prove it, said the Russian man. You can't use an independent doctor to prove it, either. You have to use the military doctors for it.

Pursuing higher degrees was another popular strategy  undergraduate and graduate students are protected during their time in school. Those who have received their doctorates are exempt from the process entirely, but only if the government complies with its own eligibility restrictions.

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In this way, the legal and academic routes to avoid the draft pose the same danger: continued domestic residence. Russian authorities are infamous for inconsistency in draftee selection. Rural communities, often made up of racial and religious minorities, face far higher conscription rates than their urban counterparts.

Russias neighbors offer proximity to home without the risk of conscription. As long as they have not been sent a draft notice, Russians can freely travel to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. These countries have become four of the most popular destinations for military-age men fleeing Russia, and do not require a visa for entry.

For the Russian man now living in Georgia, getting out of the country was not a challenge. Nor was it difficult for him to find reasons to leave. He opposed paying taxes to a military cause he did not support and his exit from Russia brought peace of mind for his family.

For the Russians who have fled to Georgia en masse, it has largely been to avoid the consequences of the war. Many still support the Russian government, according to Nika Chitadze, director of the Center for International Studies at the International Black Sea University.

They support the Kremlin, but they prefer to be in their apartment watching TV, said Chitadze. They themselves do not want to be recruited to the army, but from the other side, they want to support the Kremlin. Why not?

And Kremlin-friendly Russians residing in Georgia could pose a significant danger to their new county. As migrants fleeing conscription pour into their southern neighbor, operatives actively working to promote Russian foreign interest move with them.

When Russia attacked Georgia in 2008, Russia at the same time justified this invasion in Georgia. One of the main reasons was that they protected Russian citizens, said Chitadze.

When Russian forces invaded northern Georgia 15 years ago, there was effectively no response from other international powers.

The United States refused to help the Georgian military and the Europeans refused to do that as well, said Lasha Tchouridze, professor of international affairs at Norwich University. According to Tchouridze, Russia stopped its advance after the substantially smaller Georgian army successfully held back the invading forces.

To this day, Russia continues to occupy 20% of Georgian territory. While there is limited active fighting along the border, it remains militarized.

But now, with a rise in Russian migrants and a lack of support from the West, Georgian authorities struggle to combat Kremlin agents spread throughout the country.

The Georgian government, being a small country and having fewer assets, they can monitor things. But they cannot really organize large-scale operations to counter those who are working in Georgia from important countries, said Tchouridze.

Just as mass migration brings uncertainty for Georgian security, Russians themselves have to adjust to life in a new country and deal with the potential implications of their nations actions.

Its finding comfort in all of the uncertainty of just whats happening the next day, said the Russian. Rebuilding a life you sort of lost back there. And a lot of people arent going back at all.
Abu Dhabi Art, an influential platform anchored in the Wanasa region art scene, is welcoming galleries across the globe for the 15th edition of the fair, taking place from 22 to 26 November 2023 at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi art is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

New and returning galleries have submitted proposals via the Abu Dhabi Art website for the upcoming 2023 edition. Exhibitors applied to sectors including Modern & Contemporary, which is open to Modern and Contemporary galleries who have been operating for at least seven years; Special Projects, where galleries which have been operating for at least three years can present solo or two-artist exhibits; and Emerge, where galleries present artworks under $3,000.

Alongside these is the Focus sector, showcasing galleries which have been invited to participate with specific artists chosen by a guest curator. The 2022 fair featured its largest and most diverse gallery line-up to date, with 80 galleries from 28 countries presenting more than 900 artworks by 300 artists from around the globe.

Abu Dhabi Art has also announced the selection of Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, who represented the United Arab Emirates at the 59th International Art Exhibition  La Biennale di Venezia in 2022, as this years visual campaign artist. As in previous years, a selection of works by the artist will be used to create a global campaign for the fair, enabling a wide international audience to discover his works while also forming the overall visual identity for the fair in November. Ibrahims works reveal his own form of language  inscriptions, lines and abstract forms that are reminiscent of ancient cave drawings  marking time and memory through meditative repetition.

Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art, said: We are already building on the diversity and depth of booth presentations at the fair for the upcoming edition, together with our galleries and guest curators. Visitors will discover contemporary artists from around the world, consider the context of the UAE hosting COP28 this year and the relationship of certain artists to the environment, whilst also encountering a platform for further research on Modern Wanasa artists. The contribution of Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim as our visual campaign artist sets the tone for Abu Dhabi Art 2023 from the outset, as he has an extraordinary relationship to the landscape around him and to nature, one that has evolved in the fullness of time to represent a connection to the UAE that is both singular and collective, local and global in its resonance. As we look forward to our 15th edition in November, our visual campaign signposts the way for a fair that has taken root in the community in lasting ways.

As one of the foremost artists in the UAE today, his appointment as this years visual campaign artist is a continuation of an on-going relationship with the fair, from his role in creating a special commission for the fairs exhibition Gateway in 2017 to curating Abu Dhabi Arts Beyond: Emerging Artists programme in 2018, as well as having a solo booth at the fair with his gallery Lawrie Shabibi in 2020.

Ibrahim said: "As one of the most important platforms for art, Abu Dhabi Art has tremendous value and visibility for local and global artists and art lovers. Having personally participated in its exhibitions since its inception and seen its growth over the years, I have always believed in its prominence and distinction. The same can be said of the organisers, who champion a community of culture and position it prominently as one of the most important international art exhibitions worldwide. Abu Dhabi Art is a pillar of the local and international art community and we are proud, as its host to welcome Abu Dhabi Art visitors to our city of culture.

Previous artists who have participated in the art fairs annual visual campaign were Farah Al Qasimi (2022); Ayesha Hadhir, Rawdha Khalifa Al Ketbi and Shaikha Fahad Al Ketbi (2021); Ebtisam Abdulaziz (2019); Monira Al Qadiri (2018); and Tarek Al-Ghoussein (2017). -TradeArabia News Service
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has tapped a familiar face to serve as his budget director, naming former House Speaker Mark Ferrandino to head the Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting, Polis' office announced Monday.

Tthe executive director of the state Department of Revenue since November 2020, Ferrandino takes over for Lauren Larson, who announced last month that she's departing as budget director after five years in the position.

Colorados economy is thriving and Mark is well-positioned to help propel our shared efforts with the legislature to ensure we have a more affordable, safer, cleaner Colorado today and for future generations, Polis said in a statement.

I am delighted to welcome Mark to this new role and look forward to working with the Joint Budget Committee and state legislature to build off the work Lauren Larson started to maintain strong budgetary reserves for a rainy day, to help save people money, and to craft a state budget that continues to build a Colorado for all.

Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat, was a member of the legislature's powerful Joint Budget Committee before his election as House speaker for the last of his four terms in the Colorado House of Representatives. After he was term-limited in 2015, Ferrandino served as Denver Public Schools' deputy superintendent of operations and chief financial officer.

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Setting budgets and funding priorities are among the most powerful tools governments have to make transformational change, and I am thrilled to begin serving in this position on behalf of Governor Polis, his administration, and Coloradans," Ferrandino said in a statement.

"In partnership with the governor and state legislature, I look forward to bettering peoples lives through responsible budgeting."

Ferrandino, who had previously worked as a budget analyst for the state, was appointed in 2007 to fill a vacancy in Denver-based House District 2 and easily won reelection three times. He was the first openly gay male lawmaker to serve in Colorado's General Assembly.

Polis' office said the administration will announce the process to fill the department of revenue position soon.
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics' roundup of news from the third branch of government.

At the end of June, the U.S. and Colorado Supreme Courts wrapped up their 2022-2023 terms, and Colorado Politics took a closer look at what transpired in each venue.

SCOTUS rules on 2 Colorado cases

 This past year, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted two cases  one criminal and one civil  out of Colorado. In Counterman v. Colorado, the court ruled that state laws implicating "true threats," like Colorado's stalking statute, must account for the alleged perpetrator's intent. Policymakers suggested they may revise the law to balance the Supreme Court's concern about free speech with the need to ensure stalkers and harassers don't traumatize their victims without recourse.

 The court also decided 303 Creative v. Elenis, which permits business owners who create "speech" as their product (in this case, wedding websites) to refuse service when there is a message they disagree with. The practical effect is that a Christian website designer can turn down wedding-related requests from LGBTQ customers. Lawmakers are mulling whether to tweak Colorado's anti-discrimination law in response.

 Justice Neil M. Gorsuch authored the majority opinion in 303 Creative and he repeatedly referenced his friend and former colleague on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich. Tymkovich was the lone dissenting judge when 303 Creative reached the 10th Circuit two years ago, but the Supreme Court's conservative majority sided with him on appeal. Granted, the two men's opinions had some obvious differences  for instance, Gorsuch didn't liken anti-discrimination laws to a "'slippery slope' toward authoritarianism," as Tymkovich did.

 Elsewhere, Coloradans reacted to the conservative court's rejection of the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness initiative and the gutting of race-conscious college admissions.

 One more thing about 303 Creative: Roughly 24 hours before the Supreme Court handed down its decision, The New Republic reported that a piece of evidence submitted in the lower courts may have been fabricated. Colorado Politics confirmed the strange development, but also noted the evidence in question played no role in the ultimate First Amendment question.

Meanwhile, at the other Supreme Court

 On a quieter note, the justices of the Colorado Supreme Court are also on their summer break. They decided one final case, finding a Boulder officer acted reasonably when he asked a driver to take a blood or breath test at the scene of a car crash as part of the police's investigation.

 The court also agreed to take on several cases involving 1.) whether a landlord's discriminatory or retaliatory behavior can be used to halt an eviction, 2.) a Nebraska man's protest against having his divorce case heard in Colorado's courts, and 3.) whether a man's 14-month confinement before trial requires dismissal of the charges.

 Colorado Politics' cover story from last week examined the most consequential decisions and actions the state Supreme Court took during its term, including new policies on courtroom technology, fallout from the repeal of the death penalty, and a major blow to survivors of childhood sex abuse.

 Also, Colorado Politics looked at an interesting development: an extended period of no turnover on the Supreme Court, after more than a decade where new members joined every couple of years. Here is an excerpt from the story:

Justice Monica M. Marquez, who has witnessed the entire court turn over during her tenure, and Justice William W. Hood III, who joined in 2014, sent a joint response to Colorado Politics about how stability can positively and negatively affect a court.

"As with most jobs, experience helps. Over time, we hopefully become more adept and efficient at doing the work and addressing unusual situations," they wrote. "Stability on the court also allows us to complete multi-year projects and initiatives that require sustained focus and effort."

On the other hand, the "danger is that we become too rigid."

Marquez and Hood estimated it takes a new justice roughly one year to acclimate, and they described the long-term initiatives the current court is undertaking, including a statewide listening tour last year for judicial employees and a "workplace culture initiative."

Heard on appeal

 Colorado's Court of Appeals didn't believe a juror was biased simply because he was "buddies" and did "a lot of stuff together" with a prosecution witness.

 Public statements made about a high-profile Adams County suicide, which implied the victim's husband bore responsibility for her death, are protected from a defamation lawsuit, the Court of Appeals decided.

 The Court of Appeals reinstated a slip-and-fall lawsuit against Jefferson County, while the state Supreme Court prepares to hear another injury case involving a fall at the same Jeffco government campus.

 The appeals court clarified the meaning of "tips" and "sales employee" in a wage theft case, and agreed a banquet server at The Broadmoor resort didn't make sales simply by pouring wine to guests.

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 A police officer's claim that a motorist "refused" a blood or breath test, with no additional information about what happened, isn't enough to revoke her driver license.

 The Court of Appeals agreed a Colorado Department of Transportation employee demonstrated his superiors likely retaliated against him for his whistleblowing activity.

 A lawsuit against Colorado State University for failing to refund tuition and fees when classes moved online in spring 2020 may proceed, the Court of Appeals ruled by 2-1.

 Fake profiles used by police to arrest potential child sex offenders can count as "victims," the Court of Appeals decided, meaning perpetrators may have to register for life even though there was no human victim.

 A man received ineffective assistance from counsel when his trial lawyers failed to object to multiple pieces of damaging testimony that had little significance to his child sex assault case, the appeals court ruled.

 The Court of Appeals expanded the ability of convicted defendants to have their postconviction claims investigated, as long as there is some merit to the request.

 By 2-1, the Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for a man convicted of sex assault because of improper testimony about the victim's reaction to the encounter.

In federal news

 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit declined to apply a recent Supreme Court decision to federal sentencing guidelines, and ensured that defendants will be subject to longer sentences in some instances.

 Two ex-military personnel have no basis to challenge the Defense Department's now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccination requirement, the 10th Circuit ruled.

 Although the Colorado Supreme Court will be considering the question soon, the 10th Circuit went ahead and decided that state law does not prohibit an injured motorist from seeking payment from his employer's auto insurance company in addition to seeking workers' compensation.

 Three Douglas County sheriff's employees didn't violate a man's clear constitutional rights when they entered his house to arrest him without a warrant, over his explicit objection.

Club Q

 The person who murdered five people at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub last year pleaded guilty and received an effective life sentence. Victims expressed anger at the sentencing hearing, and the elected district attorney called the case an example of why capital punishment should still exist in Colorado.

Vacancies and appointments

 The governor has selected prosecutor Christopher B. Rhamey to succeed District Court Judge Robert Lochary in the First Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin counties).

 There are three finalists to succeed retiring District Court Judge Cynthia Mares in the 18th Judicial District (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties): Robert E. Caldwell Jr., Victoria E. Klingensmith and Magistrate Donna M. Stewart.

Miscellaneous proceedings

 Several media organizations (including Colorado Politics) have urged a Denver judge not to halt his order for Denver Public Schools to release a recording of an improper closed-door meeting.

 The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline will experience significant turnover as members' appointments expire.

 Denver County Court judges will not be affected by any reforms voters enact to the state's system of judicial discipline, The Gazette reported.

 This Saturday at Aurora CentrePoint Plaza (14980 East Alameda Dr.), people with warrants for misdemeanors, traffic offenses or certain low-level felonies may meet with attorneys and potentially resolve the cases against them without arrest. Those who wish to inquire about their eligibility can call the public defender's office at 303-799-9001.
The fate of a little free pantry in Corvallis remains uncertain after finding itself in the city's crosshairs.

The operator has been given until Tuesday, July 11 to either:

Spend thousands to enclose the shelves of goods so they can't be seen.

Move the operation to another area.

Close down.

As the deadline approaches, Amy Crevola has tried to find room to compromise. She's hoping it's enough.

A hub for resources and social exchange, the loss of a space would shatter the community, organizers say.

For two years Crevola has created a space for free resources out of her carport and driveway. But after recent complaints were filed with the city, Crevolas efforts may be shut down because it doesnt comply with the citys zoning laws as a home business.

The whole thing has been frustrating, Crevola said, because the space isnt a home business, and she isn't selling anything. Shes facilitating a space for the community, she said.

If we had to close, a lot of connections would be lost. It would be a tragedy. Crevola said. Its an important staple in the community.

Resources

It all started as a little free library, Crevola said, pointing to the structure jutting out from her lawn. A mosaic of orange, yellow and blue tiles, mirror fragments and bottle caps decorate the free-standing bookshelf.

Across the driveway a pair of pink shoes rested on a stack of folded sweaters on a table. Clothes hung from racks inside the carport and containers held tea, coffee, condoms, deodorant, sunscreen and their corresponding drawers neatly labeled.

Beans and pasta lined the pantry shelf under the words, Take what you need, leave what you can. Inside the mini fridge there are eggs, tomatoes, apples and fresh spinach.

Now, its a little free library that exploded, Crevola said, her silver hair pulled into a knot with a pencil.

The space has been open 24/7, Crevola said. And thats important because many services are closed on the weekends.

Its meant to be a zero barrier to access to needs, Crevola said.

A social worker, Crevola has always had a passion for people. Not everyone that comes to Roadside Moon is experiencing homelessness, she said. But many of them are or are of lower income.

The 20-year Corvallis resident also had her own experience with housing insecurity when she was raising five kids on her own and living with a friend trying to make ends meet, she said.

Many of the people who pass through tell her of how they just moved into their van because rent went up, she said.

Some just stop in for a free warm drink, she said. One person, an insomniac, likes to visit in the middle of the night for a cup of tea, she said.

Community

But more than a place for people to come by and pick up some basic needs items, Crevola offers her friendship and a listening ear, she said, seated on an upholstered chair beneath a tree. Across from her is a loveseat and a gingham sofa chair.

She has invited people to sit and just talk with her here, she said. Its a space where people are looking after one another.

Carla Schmidt has both donated and taken from Roadside Moon, and she has come away feeling like she has gained something.

Its helped me immensely. Its helped pull me out of my shell, she said.

Schmidt started coming by to get clothing and gifts for her grandchildren. On a fixed income, every little thing helps, she said.

And then, it became more than a place for basic needs. It became a place to be seen.

Schmidt had been the sole caregiver to her sister who had cancer. Her whole life revolved around her, she said.

When she passed away, I felt like a fish out of water, she said.

Schmidt described herself as having a stray cat personality. She felt anti-social and had difficulty trusting people, she said.

But that started to change when she frequented Roadside Moon. Speaking with Crevola changed her perspective and made her want to open up to people more, she said.

She wanted to pay the warmth and generosity forward. Schmidt began to bring items to Roadside Moon for others to use: food, household items and plants, she said.

She would come to chat, pick up a peanut butter sandwich or help fold and tidy up, she said.

Schmidt had been unhoused before in both Corvallis and Sweet Home, she said.

You dont know everyones story, she said. If this place was open when I was homeless, it would have given me hope.

Crevolas work isn't thankless. In fact, she has a whole box full of thank you letters, labeled happy notes. Some scrawled on the back of ramen packages, others on notebook paper.

And lately, she is getting messages on the daily, especially when word spread about the potential closure of Roadside Moon.

Opposition

A letter from the city cited Crevola for exterior displays, outside storage of merchandise or materials, commercial activity and excessive traffic and noise.

Roadside Moon violates city code because of the zone it is in, Corvallis Community Development Director Paul Bilotta said. Zoning dictates the type of "land uses" are allowed in an area. And Roadside Moon is in a residential area.

Even more than that, the property is zoned for low density housing, one of the more restrictive zones, Bilotta said by email. If a use isnt specifically permitted, then it is not allowed.

Many of the community services that serve people who are unhoused fall under the land use category of social services, but that isnt permitted in the low-density residential zone, he said.

The zoning does allow for home businesses, he said.

Choosing to call this a home business is a way to allow the use, not disallow it, he said.

For Crevola, its been a frustrating process, because she isnt selling anything and doesnt think home business is a fair category to describe what is happening at her property. She feels that there could be another category that could better fit its unique circumstances.

But Bilotta said an exchange in funds isnt a requirement of a home business.

Calling Roadside Moon a home business "is good for the property owner in this instance, because it allows the city to use home business as a potential regulatory pathway to allow the use, he said.

Those regulations would ensure that it is operated in a manner that is compatible with its neighborhood and wont generate community complaints, Bilotta said.

Crevola also finds it frustrating that there are many people with items on their driveway in the area that also are not in compliance with the code but do not have to change anything because the system is complaint-based.

Crevola had been complaint-free for two years  until about two months ago, that is, she said.

What she really wants is a mediation session with the complainant, Crevola said, believing that would be a more effective way of resolving the dispute. The city of Hillsboro, for example, has such a process. In Corvallis there are mediation services, but they aren't meant for violations in city code, according to an email Crevola received from attorney representing the city, Catherine Pratt.

To become a home business that is code-compliant, some operational changes are needed. One of them would have Crevola eliminating open storage in the front yard and converting the partially enclosed carport into a fully enclosed service area, so that the activities take place inside.

But thats easier said than done, Crevola said. The way she sees it, her two options are to either have Roadside Moon be off-site or enclose her carport. Both would require thousands of dollars, she said.

For now, a multicolored tarp closes off the carport from passersby's view. Crevola isn't sure if it will suffice since it blocks off her carport but is not a door. She finds out on Tuesday.

Neighbor Aaron Coles, an ally, said he hopes it's enough.

The city gave Crevola until Tuesday to comply or face possible civil penalties. She's been angling for an extension, but it was not granted, she said on Monday, July 10.

Its been a confusing process. Crevola said she wrote a letter to appeal the violations, but she doesn't feel like she has gotten a clear answer on what that process looks like, and some of her questions have gone unanswered.

It is rare for the perpetrators of residential zoning violations to face civil penalties, but technically speaking, the code states those penalties could be as high as $1,000  and the violator can face additional penalties every 30 days, Bilotta said.

In most instances the city wants to work together in encouraging residents to comply, and he feels confident Roadside Moon could make some changes that would make the use legit, he said.

Crevola hopes the solutions wont compromise the service Roadside Moon offers and wont cost her money. She has sought legal advice from the Institute of Justice, a Virginia-based, nonprofit public interest law firm which sent a letter to the city. But she's hoping the legal entanglements stop there.

She just wants to continue to keep the space open for the community. But she realizes she will have to make some changes to comply to the city code. On Monday, the carport was curtained off, and goods have been reduced with none in the driveway.

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There are some things Crevola is not willing to change. There will still be 24/7 access to drinking water and a few basics, such as period products, protein bars and condoms, tucked into the street facing cupboard with doors, similar to the free library.

Its discouraging to fight so hard for something that does such good, Coles said.

Staff writer Cody Mann contributed to this report.

Related stories:
A number of agreements were signed to strengthen the partnership between Sonatrach and TotalEnergies in the production of natural gas, the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, and the advancement of renewable energy in Algeria during a meeting held on July 10, in Algiers.

Under a first agreement, which remains subject to the approval of the Algerian authorities, Sonatrach and TotalEnergies have agreed to convert the production contracts for the Tin Fouye Tabankort II (TFTII) and Tin Fouye Tabankort Sud (TFT sud) fields in southern Algeria (Sonatrach 51 per cent, TotalEnergies 49 per cent) to the framework established by the new Algerian Petroleum Law enacted on December 11, 2019.

These are the first conversions of contracts in Algeria under the regime of the new Petroleum Law.

In this context, Sonatrach and TotalEnergies will pursue the investment program already launched to increase the gas production of TFTII and TFT South, which includes the upgrade of existing facilities and the drilling of additional wells.

The combined production of the two fields is expected to exceed 100,000 boe per day by 2026, versus a level of around 60,000 boe per day in 2022, thus increasing the potential export of Algerian gas to the European market.

Under a second agreement, Sonatrach and TotalEnergies have extended for the year 2024 deliveries of 2 million tons per year of LNG to TotalEnergies at the port of Fos-Cavaou, near Marseille, France. These deliveries of Algerian natural gas by sea contribute directly to energy security in France and Europe.

TotalEnergies and Sonatrach have also signed a third deal to examine the development of projects to produce renewable energy in Algeria, specifically renewables projects to solarise exploration and production sites for oil and gas, and to power seawater desalination plants, a project to produce renewable, low carbon hydrogen for the export market, and an R&D program in low carbon energies and the energy transition.

The agreements were signed by Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, and Toufik Hakkar, Chief Executive Officer of Sonatrach.

Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said: "I am delighted to sign these new agreements with our strategic partner Sonatrach. They testify to TotalEnergies close ties to Algeria, whose resources contribute directly to Europes energy supply and security. We are also happy to support Algeria in the energy transition, by examining and developing its huge potential for renewables production." -TradeArabia News Service
Prairie Ridge's Downtown Drop-In Center is a community center on a mission.

According to the Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Health Center's website, that mission is to "empower individuals to live healthy purpose-filled lives on their terms."

The drop-in center supports that idea and patients with peer support and activities, crisis counseling and case management.

"When most people think about Prairie Ridge, they think about substance abuse or residential treatment. The drop-in center is a little more informal, and we welcome anyone who needs a chance to talk or unwind a little," said Cassy Daleske, case manager.

Centers like Prairie Ridge's downtown location are designed to offer patients and community members a comfortable and welcoming place, whether they're experiencing distress or just want a place to spend some time.

Mel Tilley provides peer support in addition to her position as activities coordinator. She's a friendly and welcoming face in the drop-in center's lobby and greets new visitors with grace and an abundance of helpful information.

"Stop in and talk for a minute, even if you're just curious. See what we're all about," she said. "There's probably something we offer that can help you or someone you care about."

One of the most accessed services at the center is crisis counseling to help people focus in stressful situations, offer support and guidance if needed and assist in getting other needed services.

"We have crisis counseling for anyone who needs it. You don't have to be a Prairie Ridge patient or even have insurance. We do our best to get folks connected to what they need no matter their circumstances," said crisis counselor Stephanie Patterson. "We're here to help you map out a path to success. It doesn't matter where you are in your life, when you've got something going on we're here to talk."

Patterson, Daleske and Tilley don't work miracles as often as people in distress would like one, but having community and peer support can make a tough time easier to bear.

"For lots of people, relationship building is stronger in an informal setting. We may have people in crisis stop in for daily check-ins to be sure we're on the right track. Some people come by once a week for conversation. Each person is different, and we do our best to build the foundation they need to be successful," said Daleske.

Being a part of Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Health gives the staff at the center a lot of resources to lean on. PRIBH offers a multitude of programs like residential service, in-home assistance through integrated health home, and the assertive community treatment  or ACT  team that is a specialized and individualized plan of care for situations that require more support.

The staff at the drop-in center also are familiar with services offered by other agencies and have strong connections with providers in the area.

"One thing that can really knock people for a loop is the loss of stable housing. It's hard to get or keep a job if you don't have that stability in your life. It's hard to get stable housing without a job, so it becomes a feedback loop," Patterson said. "We work very closely with Northern Lights Alliance for the Homeless Shelters, 43 North Iowa, Friends of the Family and others to assist in housing needs."

"We have rental applications here you can fill out. We also have computers set up for you to use to apply for jobs or access documents and online accounts. Feel free to stop by with a friend to check us out," said Daleske. "We've got warm heat in the winter and cool air conditioning in the summer."

The enter offers support and guidance in times of personal turmoil. Crisis counseling is often the first step in setting priorities, and peer support can make meeting those goals feel less challenging.

Prairie Ridge Downtown Drop-In Center is located at 112 Second St. N.E. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. No appointment is necessary.
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History hosted an opening reception June 25 for the Robert Marsh Retrospective exhibit. The show comprises more than 50 etchings, paintings and artists' proofs to honor the memory of the beloved professor at Averett University. Born on June 16, 1944, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Marsh came to Danville in 1969 to teach at the then all-girls school, Averett College. He had a terminal degree in Studio Art from the University of Mississippi. Marsh, known by his students as Professor Marsh, taught at Averett for 53 years. He was also a professional artist and well known locally, regionally and nationally. He was the 1984 recipient of the W.C. Bradley Fellowship. He was described as one of Virginia's most distinguished artists. His work has been shown in galleries and museums across the country.
McCrory isnt suing makers of political ad

RALEIGH  North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory wont sue outside political groups for a commercial last month questioning his links to a Charlotte company because the ad is no longer on TV.

A McCrory attorney filed paperwork last month to start a lawsuit against the Democratic Governors Association and North Carolina Citizens for Progress over the commercial McCrory called false.

No lawsuit was filed. McCrory campaign spokesman Brian Nick said recently there was no reason to file a lawsuit because the ad isnt running now, so the issues are moot.

Democrats said McCrory never planned to sue and filed the notice to get media attention.

The two groups have sued McCrory and his campaign. They want a judge to rule the commercial about the company Tree.com is true.

Man admits he killed his girlfriend, her son

CHARLOTTE  A Charlotte man has been sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and her son more than three years ago.

Scott Davis, 50, pleaded guilty July 3 to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Davis also pleaded guilty to attempted murder for shooting and wounding the womans daughter.

Gabrielle Kinard, 38, and daughter Angelo Kinard, 18, were shot Dec. 13, 2008.

Prosecutors said the shooting followed a discussion about Davis moving out because of his loss of a job and refusal to get counseling.

Teen makes threat after pet euthanized

DOBSON  A 15-year-old in Surry County has landed in hot water after threatening the staff of Surry County Animal Control with physical violence, Sheriff Graham Atkinson said July 3.

According to Atkinson, deputies with the sheriffs office received a call about 11:15 a.m. July 7 that an unknown male subject had called and communicated a specific threat of violence to the shelter staff.

Shelter staff immediately went into lockdown as a precautionary measure and were pulled from the building for nearly three hours, according to Thomas Williams, spokesman for the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center, which oversees county shelter operations.

Following an investigation, the sheriff filed a juvenile petition against the 15-year-old for communicating a threat.

Atkinson said the incident began after a family put a pet up for adoption at the shelter.

The best I can tell you is that this family had put up a pet for adoption and found out that (it) had been euthanized, he said.

After shelter officials spoke with an adult female on a call, Atkinson said the teenager came on the line using profanity and threatening the staff at the facility.

State EMS employees travel troubles solved

RALEIGH  North Carolinas Office of Emergency Medical Services will mark its cars as emergency vehicles so that staffers who are always on call dont have to reimburse the state for travel between work and home.

The decision is the result of a review by state Auditor Beth Wood. The review found that 24 employees in the office have state vehicles assigned to them. State law requires that they reimburse the state for trips between work and home, even though they are always on call, because their cars arent marked as emergency vehicles.

Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Al Delia agreed with Woods recommendations and responded that all 31 individual and agency cars will be clearly marked.

St. Andrews planning to offer MBA in summer

LAURINBURG  St. Andrews University will offer a masters degree later this summer.

The school in Laurinburg said that it will offer a masters in business administration beginning in August.

Dean Robert Hopkins said full-time students could complete the program in 19 months. Courses will include financial reporting, global economic environment, marketing philosophy and management.

St. Andrews has about 600 undergraduate students.

Triangle buses will pass traffic on road shoulder

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK  Drivers for a Research Triangle-area public transit system are beginning training on a program designed to help them avoid traffic jams on Interstate 40.

Triangle Transit will practice along the shoulder of I-40 in Durham County to prepare for the Buses on Shoulders System program, which starts next month.

The state Department of Transportation and Triangle Transit have created the states first BOSS program.

It allows buses to travel on the shoulders of selected highways in times of heavy traffic congestion to help maintain schedules and bypass problem areas.

Buses would use the shoulders only when travel speed falls below 35 mph. The buses cant move faster than 15 miles per hour than the traffic theyre passing, and never go faster than 35 miles per hour on the shoulder.

Police: Women stole from bank account

WILMINGTON  Warrants have been issued for five Wilmington women after a retired Army veteran said more than $260,000 was stolen from his bank account.

A sheriffs detective said 74-year-old Kenneth Ray Nash of Leland reported last October that someone had taken over his account and removed the money, The StarNews of Wilmington reported.

Brunswick County Sheriffs Detective Ed Carter said one of the women worked as a home health-care provider for Nash. Carter said she was caught stealing cash from a nightstand and was fired but already had gotten Nashs banking information.

Carter said the group would collect a cash portion of a persons cable, cellphone, mortgage, car payment or other monthly expense and use Nashs bank account to electronically pay the total bill and pocket the cash.

Report of snake attack may be fueled by meth

SHELBY  Authorities think a Shelby man was hallucinating from heavy methamphetamine use when he called sheriffs deputies to say he was being attacked by snakes.

The Cleveland County Sheriffs Office said a deputy went to the home of Myron Ritchie Tesseneer, 56, on July 3 after a 911 call.

Sheriff Alan Norman said the man told the deputy he was being attacked by snakes and asked him to search the home.

Norman said the deputy found material that could be used for making methamphetamine in the house. The deputy found no snakes.

Tesseneer is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of precursor chemicals.

He is being held in the Cleveland County Detention Center under $100,000 bond. Tesseneers attorney wasnt immediately available for comment Tuesday.

 Wire Reports
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has ratified the air services agreement that had been signed between Bahrain and Turkmenistan in February this year and promulgated Law 11/2023, reported BNA.

This comes following its approval by Shura Council and the Council of Representatives.

The agreement, attached to this law, was signed in Manama by Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, Bahrains Transportation and Telecommunications Minister, and Mammethan Chakyev, Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers in Turkmenistan during the official visit of its President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in February this year.

The Prime Minister and ministers, each in their capacity, shall implement the provisions of the law, which takes effect the day following its publication in the Official Gazette, it added.
AICPL stands a cut above the rest of the consultancies through its worldclass consulting services devised for the biomedical, healthcare, & hospital domains

Today, AICPL is not just a name but has been a pillar of strength for more than 150 clients. The company started its journey by servicing the government sector and catering biomedical maintenance services to the defense force. The service portfolio slowly grew to include the sale of medical equipment and healthcare consultancy. As a consultant, the company guides the owners and doctors to build and design the hospitals, right from floors to an ICU or OT room as per JCI, NABH, and NABL accreditations, with each accreditation handled by a separate dedicated team of highly qualified personnel. The adept team also helps cut construction costs strategically by offering various cost-effective options to choose from.Claimed to be the largest and fastest-growing biomedical service provider, AICPL hosts end-to end equipment and capital asset management programs aimed at streamlining operations. The team also provides multiple products for ICU, OPD, OT, and radiology, including refurbished devices. Additionally, the company ensures proper installation and timely maintenance of equipment. In fact, it holds a distinct recognition of repairing equipment that was previously declared dead by an engineer, and the repair was done at an economical price. Understanding the rising demand for healthcare professionals, AICPL assists hospitals in recruiting the best suited experts, irrespective of the department. In addition, the agency also dons the cap of a marketer to empower their customers to achieve a competitive advantage through advertising and other value-based marketing strategies.Apart from its innovative solutions, AICPL is also widely acknowledged for its team of 28 best minds, with each of them specializing in a different service category. Due to such excellence, the firm has been recognized with an ISO certificate and several accolades in the state of Gujarat. En route to a brighter future, the company is currently engaged in the projects of a 1080-bed medical college and a 300-bed hospital in Gujarat and intends to build projects in different states in the next five years. With a firm foothold in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Nehru Nagar and Patel Nagar of Delhi, the firm looks forward to expanding its geographical presence in the upcoming years.
A man was listed in stable condition Monday after being shot late Saturday inside a residence by someone he knew, Helena police said.

Police dispatchers received a 911 call at 11:15 p.m. Saturday about someone trying to break into a residence in the 900 block of Gibbon Street.

The woman who called said the man she was with in the residence had a gun. While officers were en route, she said the person had forced his way into the residence.

Officers learned all those involved were acquaintances. About an hour prior to the incident, the male who was shot reportedly threatened to kill the other man and woman while traveling on Interstate 15 in the North Hills area, authorities said.

He was then left on the side of the road on Interstate 15. It is believed he received a ride into town from an unknown person, according to police.

The man who was shot and forcibly entered the residence had lived at this 900 Gibbon Street address for about two weeks, police said.

Police said Sunday afternoon that no criminal charges have been filed and the investigation is continuing.

Helena police are asking the public to for help with the investigation and to contact Detective Sean Schoenfelder at 406-447-8475. They are hoping to hear from someone who gave a man a ride into town from Interstate 15 between 10:15-11:15 p.m. Saturday.

No further information was immediately available.
About 70 people protested Gov. Greg Gianforte's decision to not accept $10 million in federal funding for a pandemic-era child nutrition program Monday on the steps of the Montana Capitol.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services announced the opt-out in May, citing administrative burden.

Montana received the pandemic electronic benefit transfer program funds the previous two years, which provided more than $97 million to Montana families for food.

State Rep. Laura Smith, D-Helena, who previously served as deputy director of DPHHS when this federal program came about, told the protesters securing the funds has always presented an administrative burden.

"Just a couple of years ago when we had the opportunity to accept these funds, our team came to me and said 'this is going to be a little difficult.' There was data involved." Smith told the crowd. "I said, 'Go back to the drawing board, call USDA, work your way up the chain and bring a solution.' And guess what, that's exactly what we did."

Smith said in a conversation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture just days prior, she was told the agency is "willing to work with states to find a path forward."

"It's not too late to prioritize our kids and find a path forward," Smith said. "Our kids, all our kids, mine, yours, the kids of our fellow Montanans deserve the best from their government."

State Sen. Shannon O'Brien, D-Missoula, also called on the governor's office to reverse its decision.

The state has until Sunday to apply for the funds.

"In a state with such abundance, it is unconscionable that so many of our children go to bed hungry," O'Brien said. "This situation is only worsened because our governor has simply declined $10 million to help feed Montana's children. Someone please help me understand how this is good for Montanans."

O'Brien called the Gianforte administration's reasoning for not accepting the funds "false rhetoric."

"(Gianforte) needs to be in touch with our families; he needs to understand what's really going on," she said. "Leaving these mouths unfed is not OK."

Kaitlin Price, a spokeswoman for Gianforte's office, defended the governor's decision.

"In addition to supporting children with existing, pre-pandemic food security and nutrition programs, DPHHS and the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) continue to operate several other food initiatives to serve low-income families and reduce food insecurity, including SNAP, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and the Summer Food Service Program," Price said in an email.

Price said DPHHS observed about a 50% decrease in P-EBT eligibility in May 2021 as compared to October of 2020.

"Today's partisan event featured politicians who are promoting the leftist agenda and who have made it clear they want Montana to cling to a forever COVID state of emergency," Price said. "The Pandemic EBT program was set up as a temporary measure during the pandemic, and leaders, from the president to local officials, acknowledge the public health emergency is over. The state has and will continue to effectively administer programs targeted to Montana children who face food insecurity, including the Summer Food Service Program."

Former gun industry executive turned author and advocate Ryan Busse also addressed the crowd Monday. Busse said in an interview after the rally that the cause of child hunger is certainly worthy enough to get him to drive from Kalispell, but that the administration's decision is part of a larger concern of his, the degradation of democracy.

"There's no reason not to do this," he said. "Real people are impacted by this decision."

He told the protesters during his speech that while the (GOP House speaker) Rep. Matt Regiers of the world focus on "fanning the flames of culture wars to distract everybody," this program has a positive benefit on thousands of Montana children.

"I live in Kalispell, right? So I see so much of this radicalization of just made-up culture war crap. In the end, it's not impactful to most people's lives other than to infuriate them. This is a thing in government that has real, tangible impacts on thousands of kids. Take care of this."

Helena resident Sheena Wilson attended the protest Monday. Wilson said she spent most of her working life as a government employee.

"In all my years in and around government, I've never seen something as silly as not accepting federal money because you don't want to fill out some paperwork," she said.

Rally: Tell Gianforte No Montana Kids Hungry
In what could turn out to be a rematch of the first contest for Montanas then-newly drawn western U.S. House district, Democrat Monica Tranel announced her candidacy for the seat Monday.

Lets see if the minivan has another 60,000 miles in it, the Missoula resident said during a recent interview, referencing her main mode of transportation during the 2022 race.

That year Tranel faced Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, the former Secretary of the Interior and previous congressman for the state. He won with 49.6% of the vote to Tranel's 46.5%, a 7,837-vote margin that the Democrat sees as an opening to a chance at victory next year.

We came closer than any other race in a Trump plus-4-or-more district, Tranel said. We were taking on a very well-known (essentially) incumbent, a former Secretary of the Interior, twice elected to Congress. Ryan Zinke was a formidable opponent, and I had no outside support.

Zinke is expected to run for re-election after quashing any idea of making a bid for Montanas Senate seat in 2024 following his endorsement of fellow former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy in that races GOP primary. While Tranel faced a three-way Democratic primary last year, she emerged nearly 40 points ahead of the next-closest candidate.

Theres no doubt next years election will be dramatically different from the 2022 midterm. Montana will have one of the countrys hardest-fought and most expensive U.S. Senate races, as three-term incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester runs again. His 2018 victory against Republican now-U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale was at the time the states most expensive Senate race, with spending reaching more than $63 million.

Next fall's Senate contest is expected to blow that tally out of the water, and on top of that flood of money will be a long ballot with both of the states seats in the House plus every other statewide elected office, not to mention a presidential race, up for grabs. That will bring excitement, and cash, to Montana unlike what Tranel experienced last year, but could also make finding advertising space to purchase a challenge.

Certainly there will be a significant investment here, but thats going to come from both sides, Tranel said of the expected effects of the Senate race. Im going to do what Ive always done. Im the middle kid in a big family, Im used to making my voice heard in a noisy space.

Like Tester, Tranel in the last race staked her place as a middle-of-the-road Democrat, often using the word pragmatic to describe her approach to issues and frequently referencing the states history of splitting tickets by electing both Democrats and Republicans.

Tranel said shes running again for the same reasons as before  to take on corporate greed and to work for Montana families and Main Street businesses  and to pick up where she left off two years ago.

I came really close to climbing that mountain without any outside support, Tranel said, adding that she would want to work on pocketbook issues that parallel her career as a lawyer where recently she litigated against a rate increase proposed by NorthWestern Energy.

The work for me is to tell my story, what Ive done for Montana, Tranel said. Ive kept $10 million in Montanans' pockets. Ive spent my career working for Montanans here in Montana.

Tranel said she also wants to focus on using Montanas natural resources to benefit people, like permitting reform to ease the path of the Grid United transmission project pitched to run from Colstrip east through North Dakota. She also wants to see action out of conversations with the Crow Tribe to tap wind energy there.

The issues that I really do want to focus on highlight how we can use Montana's resources really to benefit Montana, Tranel said.

Tranel pointed to population growth in western Montana increasing demand on natural resources like Flathead Lake, which is seeing concerningly low water levels.

While Zinke has joined others in calling for a release of water from the Hungry Horse Dam to increase flows, Tranel called that a not a real solution and a Band Aid that ignores the problem of the extreme drought. We are seeing the reality and the impact of the use of fossil fuel over the last 100 years.

Looking at places in the state like Lincoln County, Tranel said part of the solution will be logging projects to pull out some forest growth, adding that after years of extreme drought not doing so is borrowing trouble.

And we need to talk about solutions, and figure out how we're going to solve these problems and not just bury your head in the sand, Tranel continued.

Tranel said she'll aim to highlight her same concerns about Zinke as she did in the 2022 race, such as his past consulting work for oil companies. The 2022 election gave Tranel data points on where to focus this go-around, like underperforming areas like the Blackfeet Nation, Butte and Anaconda.

In the last presidential election year, Montana Republicans saw wins by big margins up and down the ballot. But Tranel said she plans to focus on reminding voters about legislative victories Democrats have notched at the national level that have brought federal money to Montana, like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support.

For me, it was about dusting off the purple DNA of our state, Tranel said. She said like last race, she'll aim to reach out to not just Democrats but also Republicans and any voters who aren't sure what party fits them best.

It feels like the work isnt finished for me, Tranel said. "Where we left off ... it wasn't an end point. It was really an investment and it was a race that we started and we didn't finish the work. ... I'm not one to leave things unfinished. And it turns out I'm actually pretty competitive."
DECATUR  Floating a new record to celebrate the 100th birthday of Lake Decatur turned out to be a bridge too far on Sunday.

But hundreds of participants got close to pulling it off, and those who came down to the lake to celebrate its 100th anniversary in three days of festivities judged the Centennial Lake Fest a buoyant success.

The record attempt hinged on floating enough tiny plastic bottle sailboats for a whole minute to earn a berth in the Guinness World Records book.

Michael Empric, the official adjudicator for Guinness who flew in from New York City to judge and count the boat launch, said Lake Decatur had achieved 282 boat-sailing participants.

So we fell about 48 people short of the existing record, he told the Herald & Review.

But it was a great effort, and here is the thing: Coming out as a community and celebrating the community resource that the lake represents is just fantastic. The record would have been the cherry on top, but coming out and having a great day in beautiful weather, that is what really matters.

He got no argument there, as Sundays wrap-up day concluded with 80-plus degree sunshine amid pretty much ideal conditions.

The festivities had started Friday evening with an illuminated boat parade and continued Saturday and Sunday with everything from live bands to car shows, petting zoos and displays of military and firefighter equipment. There were also dozens of food and craft vendors, along with play equipment and attractions aimed at kids, and even a fishing competition.

Stephanie Endsley, the organizer for the entire three days, said it was all about celebrating the lake by giving people a chance to make their own memories. And to also reintroduce the lake to those who may drive past it every day but have forgotten how much fun it can be.

That was exactly the mission, the mission was to give the lake back to Decatur and let people have an experience that means something to them," added Endsley. "Its their lake, and we just want them to love it a little. And I really think weve done that.

Sunday visitor Jay Wrigley had grown up in Decatur but recently moved back to the city, and has been happy to get reacquainted with the lake he knew as a younger man. There is a lot of positivity around the lake, said Wrigley, 34.

And just seeing Decatur do stuff like this really gives me a lot of hope. This is good.

Visitor Alex Randall had just watched her 7-year-old daughter Kehleigha Randall brave a miniature mechanical riding bull attraction until she tumbled off, giggling, onto a suitably padded floor. Weve had a good time here, said Randall, 33.

I grew up around the lake and it's just really cool that my daughter can, too.

And while the boat record never made it, there were other winners on Sunday. Nine-year-old Jaxon Stuart of Decatur managed to pull out a 1-pound largemouth bass just before the bottle boats launched, and that won him the Centennial Lake Fest fishing competition.

18 photos of the Staley Pump House through the years
LAKE DECATUR ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE

We like to point out Decatur jewels, especially the ones that have been around a long time. Do any of those jewels have the usefulness, longevity, history and importance of Lake Decatur?

Decatur is marking the 100th anniversary of its lake this weekend and throughout the year. This weekend's celebration includes a lighted boat parade on Friday, July 7. Saturday, July 8, activities include a car show, yoga at the lake, a petting zoo and the grand opening of Staley Basin. Music stages will feature in excess of a dozen musical performers to the Sunday, July 9, conclusion of the Nelson Park activities.

Envisioned 100 years ago by agri-business pioneer Augustus Eugene Staley, Lake Decatur drains from a 926-square-mile watershed and holds nearly 10 billion gallons of water.

Staley's corn starch plant needed 10 million gallons of water a day, and as the city's supply struggled, Staley set up his own temporary dam while urging the city fathers to back a major dam project to create Lake Decatur. Water treatment plants owned by the city of Decatur and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (which arrived in the city in 1939) now pull 34 million gallons of water out of the lake daily between them.

Providing water to large businesses is vital to the area's economy. But the lake is also a significant attraction for recreation. Not just the water, either, although you'll see plenty of boats and water scooters taking advantage when conditions are reasonable. Nelson Park has in recent years added the attractions of a water park and an amphitheater. They'll draw thousands to the lakefront on a regular basis.

They're just following the benchmarks of previous sites and events, from the Pump House to the motorboat races, from arts festivals to previous performance venues, from professional fishing to Fourth of July celebrations.

Mark W. Sorensen, the official Historian of Macon County, describes the effort to create the lake as "the most important civic project in the history of Decatur." He also said, "Since the connecting of the two major railroads through the city in the 1850s, this lake has made a greater impact on the way of life in Decatur than any other project."

The lake cost more than $2 million in 1920s dollars, which would be about $35 million today.

Sorensen said that given today's regulatory environment and spiraling costs, it's hard to imagine how long it would take a contemporary endeavor the size and scope of Lake Decatur to succeed.

Its status as a jewel of the community is undeniable. If the lake is not the best thing Decatur has to present to show off for potential businesses and homeowners, it's high on the list.

The simplicity of Lake Decatur's surface beauty hides the miracle that it is. The fact that we are able to enjoy it without even thinking that it's only been in existence for 100 years is a testament to Staley and the city.
A Lenoir woman was killed, and a man seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash in Caldwell County on Friday.

Virginia Stines Shew, 82, died at the scene. James Cecil Shew, 84, was transported via helicopter to Johnson City Medical Center, N.C. State Highway Patrol Master Trooper Christopher Casey said in a news release on Saturday.

The crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday along Abington Road near Collettsville Road. A 2005 Lincoln Town Car was traveling south on Abington Road, drove off the right side of the road and struck part of the bridge railing, Casey said.

James Shew was driving the car. Virginia Shew was riding in the front passenger seat, Casey said.

Charges are pending upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Caldwell County District Attorneys Office, Casey said.
Qatar-based Estithmar Holding has announced that its key Saudi subsidiary, Elegancia Arabia Trading, has secured MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) works packge for two 200-key hotel properties on Al Shura Island within The Red Sea destination.

Elegancia Arabia said the contract win for West Hotel 3 and 4 properties comes on top of the three previously announced ones - the Central Hotel project featuring 430 rooms, a 150-key and a 180-key property on the East side of the island.

According to Estithmar, these premium resorts are part of the 11 currently underway on the main hub island of The Red Sea destination.

Red Sea Global continues to set new standards as it contributes to the Kingdoms focus on sustainability, evident in the work of the Saudi Green Initiative and in-built into the goals of Vision 2030.

The ongoing construction works, underpinned by a regenerative approach to tourism development, are a critical part of building the Red Sea Global legacy and supporting the delivery of the Saudi Vision 2030.

With a LEED platinum rating and featuring a built-up area of 88,269 sq m, these mark one of the largest developments in the kingdom and a flag bearer for regenerative tourism worldwide.

"Elegancia Arabia Trading is committed to adopting innovative, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions throughout our performance of the awarded MEP package works, aligned with industry-leading guidance in the Energy and Environmental Design LEED certification.-TradeArabia News Service
For some Latino students, attending college is just an idea. Time spent on a college campus brings that idea to life.

Research has shown us that getting students on a college campus is really crucial to their success in applying (to) and attending college for a lot of students and families, Catawba Countys Juntos 4-H Program Coordinator Holly Ellwanger said. The idea of college is just an idea. Its not an experience theyve had; its not something they really know about. So, its really important for our students to get on a college campus and know I belong here. Theres something for me here.

She shared the story of student Eirvin De La Cruz-Cardenas.

After visiting N.C. State Universitys campus for a week-long program through the Juntos Summer Academy last year, De La Cruz-Cardenas cemented his desire to attend the school.

He applied last fall.

As a member of the Juntos 4-H Program, De La Cruz-Cardenas and other Latino students in grades 8-12 have the opportunity to attend the Summer Academy and learn about a variety of topics in a college environment with the intention of preparing students for higher education.

Although his decision was deferred to this spring, De La Cruz-Cardenas received the final ruling on his admission while attending the National Juntos Convening in Oregon, an annual gathering of Juntos organizations from across the nation. Thats where the initial deferment transformed into confetti and the yes he had been waiting for.

Ellwanger said this was a moment that exemplifies the goal of the program  to support local Latino students and guarantee that they graduate from high school with a plan that reflects their dreams and aspirations.

Ive had a lot of moments with students where I found out later that their dreams were realized, but Ive never been there for that (exact) moment, she said. Being able to be there for that moment was really powerful.

Juntos, the Spanish word for together, collaborates with community partners such as Catawba County Cooperative Extension and Catawba County Schools to provide Latino students and parents the resources to keep students in school while helping them reach higher education.

This year, Catawbas Juntos chapter sent 19 students from the area to join more than 100 high school students across North Carolina for the annual Summer Academy experience from June 13-17.

Giselle Hernandez, a current rising senior at St. Stephens High School, has been a member of Juntos since middle school. She attended this years Summer Academy on the N.C. State campus. She said her favorite memories are centered on meeting new people through the organization.

My favorite thing about the academy is the college fair, she said. Since Im a rising senior, its really helped me to learn about different colleges and to talk to people from those colleges. Its been very helpful to (learn) not only about the things that N.C. State has to offer, but also other universities and how we can get there.

The Summer Academy also connected Hernandez to other opportunities such as a STEM camp in Tennessee that she will attend later this summer.

Aliah Escamilla is a rising sophomore at Discovery High School. She said the Summer Academy taught her how to build a resume and how to highlight her volunteer work in applications. Escamilla hopes to pursue engineering in college, a dream shes had since fifth grade because she was involved in a robotics program for four years.

Ellwanger said that Juntos program has grown since its founding in 2016. In the programs first year, Juntos served about 30 students and had only one senior. Now, the 4-H program serves more than 100 students primarily from St. Stephens High School, Arndt Middle School and Challenger Early College. Eighteen students graduated earlier this summer.

In addition to helping students, Juntos works closely with parents and families to make sure that language barriers do not hinder their ability to navigate the college application process with their children as well as any information that the chapter shares with its members.

This program works because the families want it, Ellwanger said. Theyre putting in the work, and theyre putting in the effort. Were just here answering their questions and trying to meet their needs, but theyre the ones doing the hard work.
Hansford County Hospital District Offered Aid Following Perryton Tornado Weather Event

Hansford County Hospital Districts CEO, Jonathan Bailey, provided the following statement to the High Plains Observer.



First responders from surrounding communities, including staff from Hansford County Hospital District are pouring in to offer aid for Perryton after the small town was severely damaged by a tornado that struck on the evening of June 15, killing three people and injuring dozens more.



Jonathan Bailey, CEO of Hansford County Hospital District, said 16 patients were transported to Spearman for treatment from injuries sustained in the tornado, and local medical staff provided medical care there overnight.



Like other communities across Texas and the panhandle, self-reliance is a way of life, but when tragedy strikes, we can always count on our neighbors stepping up to help no matter what it takes, Bailey said. We are supporting the community of Perryton in a variety of ways and standing by as the recovery progresses.












Over 25 Businesses To Attend Hillsboro Hiring Fair Thursday Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas will host the Hillsboro Hiring Fair in partnership with the Hillsboro Economic Development Corporation and the Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday, July 13. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at Historic City Hall, located at 127 East Franklin Street in Hillsboro.



Officials said that more than 25 local businesses are expected to participate in the event, and hundreds of job openings will be available for job seekers to explore. This event is provided at no cost to job seekers or employers.



Participating employers include Frontier Waste Solutions, Wisenbaker Builder Services, Homestead Nursing and Rehabilitation of Hillsboro and other employers in Hillsboro and the greater area.



Applications for job openings will be available for attendees to fill out onsite. Attendees are encouraged to bring resumes, dress to impress and be prepared for onsite interviews.



For more information, visit www.hotworkforce.com.



Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas provides comprehensive services for businesses and job seekers in its six-county service area, which includes Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties.



Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas is one of 28 local workforce development boards under the direction of and funded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).


Multiple media outlets shared stories last week that truckloads of fresh farm milk are dumped into Milwaukees sewerage system . While the journalists called the problem a glut of farm milk, and rightfully so, nearly every media outlet missed the larger story  people. More specifically, labor shortages.

It's people power that has prevented once willing cheesemakers from taking spot loads of milk. If cheesemakers had people to work the extra shifts during the weekends and nights, that extra milk during June Dairy Month would not have been hitting sewer pipes. Instead, it would be flowing to cheese vats because the extra milk presents a great opportunity to lower product costs.

Weeks before this story broke, Hoards Dairyman editorial staff members talked to a number of dairy cooperative executives. Time and time again, each one shared that its been far more challenging to sell spot loads of tanker milk than before the pandemic. Plants just dont have the people to take the extra milk was the reoccurring theme. Remember, in Wisconsin alone, there are over 300 licensed dairy processing plants. Nearly every one of them has a dearth of labor.

Most dairy co-ops take in far more member milk than can be processed at cooperative-owned plants. A great deal of that extra member milk is sold via contract to proprietary processing plants. However, there is a lot of ebb and flow to milk, and that excess member milk is sold on the open market as spot delivery milk.

On top of the aforementioned spot milk being dumped into the sewerage district, milk continues to spill out of Hastings, Minn., as the local dairy plant cannot process milk as a result of a dispute with the city and its sewerage district. That displaced milk is hunting for a home.

The reason behind June Dairy Month

June Dairy Month provides a wonderful way to promote the U.S. dairy industry. However, June Dairy Month has its roots in this long-standing marketing dilemma  too much milk in June due to the spring flush.

So, in 1937, June Dairy Month started out as National Milk Month as a way to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus. Since those days, it has been transformed into an annual tradition that celebrates the worldwide contributions of dairy. After the National Dairy Council stepped in to promote the cause, the name soon changed to Dairy Month.

Back to the story



Current weak prices and the margin situation arent attributable to one single factor; rather, its an accumulation of many small weaknesses in many areas, with some further deterioration in just the last couple of months, shared Peter Vitaliano in his Hoards Dairyman Intel Price and margin outlooks challenge farmers.

The National Milk Producers Federation economist goes on to explain, USDA reports of plentiful supplies for manufacturing, milk selling below class prices, and busy production schedules suggest that milk production is definitely part of the problem. And the production itself needs to be understood because milk solids production is a more reliable indicator of the aggregate supply of dairy products available in the markets. And thats up 1.1% during the first third of the year, shared Vitaliano.

While it is awful, the lost milk to sewerage systems should be a short-term predicament.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2023

July 10, 2023
Brian Grant: "The growth and success of a cloud-first business today relies as much on great data security as on protecting its cash flow.

Cloud assets are the most attacked targets in New Zealand, the global security vendor Thales claims, adding that 67% of businesses in the country suffered a data breach in their cloud environments last year.

The company provided the statistic as part of its 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study, an annual assessment of cloud security threats, based on input from nearly 3000 professionals across 18 countries, including New Zealand.

The percentage of breached businesses in New Zealand was up from the 38% reported in 2022, the study said, adding that human error was the leading cause in 38% of the cases in 2023.

The study, commissioner by Thales, said there had been a dramatic rise in the amount of sensitive data stored in the cloud, with about 70% of businesses surveyed saying more than 40% of what they placed in the cloud could be classified.

Last year, about 57% of businesses surveyed had made this claim. Nearly half the survey participants said SaaS applications were a major focus for attackers, with data (44%) in motion being second.

Not many of those who stored data in the cloud used encryption with less than a fifth (17%) reporting more than 60% of their sensitive data was encrypted. On average, only 45% of cloud data was encrypted globally.

Businesses were found to be generally having no control over encryption keys, with only 6% saying they controlled all the keys to their encrypted data. Two-thirds (64%) said they had five or more key management systems, meaning increased complexity.

The survey, carried out by S&PGlobal Market Intelligence, found that the use of multi-cloud environments was increasing around the world, with 79% having more than one cloud provider.

The use of SaaS apps was on the rise, growing to 19%, from a figure of just 4% reporting use of more than 100 different SaaS applications in 2021.

The Thales survey said identity and access management was crucial to mitigated data breaches. On the plus side, it found adoption of robust multi-factor authentication in New Zealand had risen to 66%.

Thales Cloud Security regional director, ANZ, Brian Grant, said: New Zealand is home to a dynamic multi-cloud landscape. As organisations continue their digital transformations, more and more sensitive data will move to the cloud.

"This data remains the responsibility of the enterprise customer and not the cloud service provider. Ultimately, if businesses and their executive leadership teams do not take action to embed effective data security in their cloud environment, the consequences can be catastrophic.

While cloud environments offer many benefits, the reality is that they are complex; it takes only one small oversight to open the door to a skilled attacker.

"When this occurs, sensitive cloud information can be stolen or compromised, costing organisations hundreds of times more than the investment to secure the cloud data in the first place.

Data encryption, data access control and data-at-risk alerts are three essential security measures every organisation should have in place if they are to successfully leverage the cloud while ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their valuable information.

"The growth and success of a cloud-first business today relies as much on great data security as on protecting its cash flow.
GUEST OPINION: Artificial intelligence has featured prominently in the news of late: the good news and the bad.

On the one hand it has been branded an existential threat to humanity akin to nuclear weapons in the 1980s, remarked by an international group of doctors and public health experts. On the other hand, Artificial intelligence (AI) is being rapidly adopted by some of the world's, and Australia's, largest organisations that see it as extremely beneficial. When the CEOs of three of Australia's top four banks take time out to visit Seattle for a Microsoft AI conference, they are clearly taking it seriously.

Whatever Australian organisations plan to do with AI, they will not be able to realise their goals without people skilled in how to manage and use it. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023, AI and machine learning specialists represent the fastest growing role over the next few years, with a predicted 40 percent jump in the number of jobs by 2027.

Not only will there be many opportunities for people with AI skills, but the demand for many other roles will also decline sharply, so there is likely to be strong demand for AI training as people seek to reskill when their existing skills become redundant.

According to the CSIRO and Deloitte Access Economics, Australia will need up to 161,000 new specialist AI workers by 2030, with a range of skills in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and other AI technologies.

National AI strategy called for: but does it miss the point?

In late September 2022, a group of Australia's leading AI professors met in Canberra to discuss how to better coordinate and accelerate Australia's education effort so the nation can achieve maximum benefit from the AI revolution. To formalise their initiative they formed the Kingston AI Group.

In February 2023, the group issued a statement saying that failure to fill AI roles could compromise Australia's ability to sustain a complex, prosperous economy, and maintain sovereign control over key industry sectors, and its democracy.

Most important, according to the group, was the need for Australia's universities to produce a critical mass of AI experts at both graduate and postgraduate (levels), because it was such experts that Australia would primarily rely on in the future.

However, universities' track record in meeting Australia's need for IT skills suggests this may not be the best source of AI expertise.

A recent survey from the Australian Information Industry Association found Australian ICT graduates were not meeting industry standards, with many needing significant additional on-the-job training to be effective employees. The survey asked representatives from over 100 companies operating in Australia  most of which were small and medium businesses  their thoughts on the current state of ICT training and the industry more broadly. A meagre five percent of respondents assessed graduates as being job ready.

And quite frankly, the results make sense. University courses last for at least three years  a long time in a fast-developing field like AI. Add to that the time taken for curriculum change to reflect developments in the real world and incorporate these, and it becomes very difficult for any university course to produce graduates with the current knowledge to be immediately effective in such a fast-moving and competitive field as AI.

Short courses are the key to boosting AI skills efficiently

Shorter courses present a compelling alternative to university degrees to meet the AI skills shortage. They get students job-ready much faster, and their curriculums are developed using vendor-certified content based on current technology developments, so the skills students graduate with are highly relevant.

Furthermore, short courses encourage those seeking a career change to take the plunge. It is far easier to make a six-month commitment to a new career than a four-year commitment. And arguably, those are the people that businesses want most - people with real-world experience who can use their transferable skills from prior roles to add value to their new position, as opposed to fresh graduates who haven't developed their soft skills, which are critically important in the age of remote work (and increasingly valuable to employers over the last few years).

There is scope for governments  federal and state  to take the initiative to build Australia's AI skills base by supporting such courses and helping workers make the transition. The Victorian Government's $34 million Digital Jobs program provides a good model for all governments to follow.

It has two components. Victorians aged over 30 from any background or industry can apply for 12 weeks free training in an industry-backed course in one of a dozen digital disciplines, including AI. On completion they are eligible for 12 weeks in a paid digital role with a Victorian business. To support these roles, businesses and organisations receive a $5,000 subsidy for each person they take on.

Similar AI-focused initiatives would likely deliver a substantial return. When Minister for Science and Industry Ed Husic launched the National AI Centre's Australia's AI Ecosystem Momentum report in March 2023 he cited a 2019 estimate from McKinsey that, if Australia seized the opportunities provided by AI, between $1 trillion - $4 trillion could be added to the economy over the next 15 years. That prediction will not be fulfilled without AI skills of sufficient quality and quantity.
The third stage has been reached in camouflaging open source vendor Red Hat's new curbs on access to the source code for its enterprise Linux distribution.

For the uninitiated, as iTWire outlined on 27 June, the second stage is when the person who made the original statement issues a "clarification" to provide the actual meaning of the original statement.

The third stage is when friendly tech writers are invited, or else spontaneously decide, to exonerate the company for its move and blame it on some other entity (the government, the private sector, goblins, the Australian Labor Party, AI, the Loch Ness monster, the Abominable Snowman etc).

Open source writer Steven Vaughan-Nichols has taken up cudgels for Red Hat, blaming IBM, which now owns the Linux firm, for the changes in access to RHEL source code.

Hein The Register: "It's not Red Hat's fault, I blame IBM for the company's recent Linux code licensing changes and all the misery it unleashed."

IBM acquired Red Hat in July 2019 for US$34 billion (A$50.8 billion). The Linux firm has been run as a separate entity since then, and not absorbed into IBM's labyrinthine innards. Restrictions on access to RHEL source code have been announced on two occasions: December 2020 and June 2023.

On the earlier occasion, Red Hat killed off the CentOS distribution which it had bought in 2014 and moved in-house. CentOS, set up in 2002, was stripping out the trademarks  the only proprietary element of RHEL  making it possible for a much larger number to use the distribution without paying for it.

Last month, Mike McGrath, Red Hat's vice-president of Core Platforms Engineering, announced that the company would be imposing more curbs on access to RHEL source code, a move that resulted in a flood of criticism from the industry.

Vaughan-Nichols wrote that numerous distributions, which had sprung up using RHEL source code sans trademarks, had been set up due to self-interest. This is something like saying the Pope is Catholic.

He pointed out that while CentOS was asking people to use RHEL, most of these people tended to stick with CentOS. This led, Vaughan-Nichols argued, to Red Hat going after CentOS in 2005 for alleged violation of trademarks, at which point CentOS stopped referring to Red Hat by name, instead using "prominent North American enterprise Linux vendor" to refer to the company.

According to Vaughan-Nichols, Red Hat's acquisition of CentOS also did not solve the problem of people continuing to use this distribution instead of RHEL. Which then led to the December 2020 action, when CentOS was scrapped and replaced with CentOS Stream.

The June change means the CentOS Stream  which serves as an upstream distribution to RHEL  would be the only repository for public RHEL-related source code releases. Given that CentOS Stream is upstream of RHEL, they will be exactly the same only for a brief period after a release of RHEL leads to synchronisation of their code. Red Hat's community distribution, Fedora, is upstream of CentOS Stream which means that it will be even less likely to have the latest packages and bug fixes.

Vaughan-Nichols did not mention anything about the code; instead he blamed staff movements as another dumb move by IBM. In his words, "Instead of IBM becoming more like Red Hat, the stage was set for Red Hat to become more like IBM." One of the changes he cited was not making Jim Whitehurst, president and chief executive of Red Hat in 2021, the top dog at IBM.

Other staff changes that Vaughan-Nichols referred to were the recent sacking of 4% of Red Hat staff, a group that involved many of the best open source people at the company.

"So it is that IBM wants to squeeze more profits out of Red Hat by making it more like IBM, cutting costs, and increasing RHEL licensing volume. It won't work. This move will hurt Red Hat's culture and IBM's bottom line," he concluded.

This again is not breaking news; as I pointed out when McGrath made his announcement, "The change [announced on Friday] could have something to do with the revenue which Red Hat's owner, IBM, has been reporting for Red Hat. In the first quarter of 2023, the company reported an 8% rise in revenue; for the previous four quarters it was 18%, 12%, 12% and 10% respectively."

Vaughan-Nichols' arguments could have been taken a wee bit more seriously if he had not included a lengthy PR quote from Gunnar Hellekson, Red Hat's vice-president and general manager for RHEL, which bleated that Red Hat was the good guy on the block, not the bad guy that open source people were making it out to be.

But Vaughan-Nichols is known for gilding the lily when it comes to open source companies. He himself gives an indication of why he should not be writing about Red Hat by mentioning: "I should have taken co-founder Bob Young up on his Red Hat IPO stock offer in 1999 instead of sticking with the lucrative world of tech journalism."

If any journalist is that close to a company, then he/she is hopelessly compromised. While Vaughan-Nichols did his level best to paint Red Hat as some kind of blend of Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, one reader, posting under the name keithpeter pointed to a site that clearly showed the company was not exactly run by the heavenly host.

The site he linked to listed a 7 July proposal by Red Hat's Michael Catanzaro, "to enable limited data collection of anonymous Fedora Workstation usage metrics". Keithpeter wrote: "*Proposal* to use a telemetry system developed by the Endless OS people to gather data to improve yada yada. I think the hatters are pretty good at being controversial all by themselves without IBM. I think the hatters are pretty good at being controversial all by themselves without IBM."

Rather than ask a company for a comment about this bid by Vaughan-Nichols to paint over Red Hat's blunders, I instead asked well-known free software and open source developer Russell Coker for his take.

"To upgrade to a new Ubuntu release you run 'sudo do-release-upgrade'. To upgrade to a new RHEL release you apparently need to follow a web page or do a fresh install," Russell pointed out.

"If an organisation running RHEL8 needs to do a fresh install to go to RHEL9, then doing a fresh install to go to Ubuntu 22.04 seems a reasonable option as they know that a single command will take them to Ubuntu 24.04 in a year or two (lots of companies are upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 this year and will probably upgrade to 24.04 in 2025).

"I think it would be a good idea for Red Hat to make their upgrade process as easy as possible, following Ubuntu's example of a single command upgrade would be a sensible way to do it. Especially when doing things that will alienate some users.

"Generally I don't see the problem with that article in The Register. It is a bit tabloidish, but that's what they are all about."

Another FOSS expert based in Melbourne, who preferred anonymity, told iTWire: "For as long as I've been using Red Hat, upgrading to a new major version has required a fresh install. That changed with the introduction of Leapp, the tool referenced in the above blog post.

"I'm not sure why Red Hat haven't historically supported in-place upgrades between major versions. Personally, if I'm upgrading a production system, I generally prefer to parallel install from scratch, as there's always the perceived/real risk of an in-place upgrade 'breaking' the system.

"This is a fairly standard approach in enterprise-land and so this may explain why Red Hat never made it a priority. That said, I've used in-place upgrade on Ubuntu for desktop systems and have found that it works well."
Global automobile giant Toyota has announced specifications for a new solid-state battery which has a range of 745 miles (nearly 1200km) and charges in just 10 minutes.

The announcement was reported in CleanTechnica, an American site that publishes clean tech news and analysis, which quoted the company as saying at the time [14 June]: The next-generation battery EVs will adopt new batteries, through which we are determined to become a world leader in battery EV energy consumption."

"With the resources we earn, we will improve our product appeal to exceed customer expectations and secure earnings. We will roll out next-generation BEVs globally and as a full line-up to be launched in 2026.

"By 2030, 1.7 million units out of 3.5 million overall will be provided by [the] BEV Factory. Please look forward to a carmaker-produced battery EV that inspires the hearts of all customers.

In a related development, The Washington Postanalysts as claiming that "range  and all that battery  misses the point, and wastes resources. Only 5% of trips in the US are longer than 30 miles (48km). The vast majority of big batteries will never be used  particularly if the owner has a place to plug in their car every day.

CleanTechnica quoted Keiji Kaita, president of the Toyota Research and Development Centre for Carbon Neutrality, as saying on 3 July: For both our liquid and our solid-state batteries, we are aiming to drastically change the situation where current batteries are too big, heavy and expensive. In terms of potential, we will aim to halve all of these factors. Kaita's statements were also quoted in the Financial Times.

iTWire contacted Toyota Australia and asked for the original statement made by Kaita. The company apparently could not locate it and instead sent a link to a presentation made by a number of other officials on 13 June titled: "Toyota unveils new technology that will change the future of cars."

This presentation quoted Takero Kato, BEV Factory president of Next Generation Battery EV Strategy, as saying: "On the vehicle axis, through technologies such as the integration of next-generation batteries and sonic technology, we will achieve a vehicle cruising range of 1000km.

"To bring more stylish design, aerodynamic performance is supported by AI, while designers will focus on expressing natural sensibility. The Arene OS and full OTA will infinitely expand the possibilities for enjoying cars."

In November 2021, Toyota announced that it would be launching its first battery EV, jointly developed with Subaru, in Europe in December of that year.

The company has lagged behind other manufacturers in launching EVs, though it has several hybrid electric vehicles in its range which have been available in Australia for a number of years.

CleanTechnica writer Steve Hanley was quite sceptical about the Toyota announcement, writing, "...if the news today [3 July] from Toyota is true  emphasis on if  the path of the EV revolution is about to be altered forever," he wrote.

"The fact that it comes from Toyota, a company we have been lambasting for years because of its refusal to take electric cars seriously, makes this news all the more surprising."

Regarding Toyota's strategy to build hydrogen vehicles, Mitsumasa Yamagata, hydrogen factory president of Toyota's Hydrogen Business Strategy, who was appointed on 1 July, said: "The hydrogen markets in Europe, China, and North America will be by far the largest in 2030, and the fuel cell market is expected to expand rapidly toward that point, reaching the level of 5 trillion per year.

"We are promoting external sales of fuel cells using the Mirai's hydrogen units and have received offers for external sales of 100,000 units by 2030. Most of them are commercial vehicles.

"To respond to the rapid changes in the market, we will establish a new organisation called Hydrogen Factory in July, which will be able to make immediate decisions under one leader, from sales to development and production, all at once. The Hydrogen Factory will promote business on three axes.

"The first is localising R&D and production in countries within the major markets. We will accelerate our efforts by establishing local bases, mainly in Europe and China.

"The second is strengthening alliances with leading partners. We will do our best to deliver affordable fuel cells to our customers by consolidating sufficient quantities through alliances. The third is competitiveness and technology."
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Hannah Arendt, who observed the trial of Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann many decades ago in Israel, coined the phrase "the banality of evil" to describe crimes that were anything but banal. She was actually referring to what kind of person was capable of committing these horrific acts, not the acts themselves.

She wrote that "[Eichmann] was not Iago and not Macbeth  he merely, to put the matter colloquially, never realized what he was doing  it was sheer thoughtlessness  that such remoteness from reality and such thoughtlessness can wreak more havoc than all the evil instincts taken together  that was the lesson one could learn in Jerusalem."

Sadly, while evil clearly exists, it is not so easy to figure out who is likely to be its architect. Eichmann, as Arendt wrote, could be considered an evil person because of his ability to simply ignore the humanity of the victims he condemned to death.

But this "omission" of compassion, this lack of empathy for human beings, this sociopathy, is far too common to be considered an exception to the human rule. And so, we are forced to confront the possibility that all of us are capable of evil acts, even though we would never consider ourselves to be inherently bad.

Conversely, there is nothing "banal" about the virtue that we find in unexpected places. The kernels of kindness strewn among our normal social interactions are becoming more and more uncommon these days, and when we happen on them, it is like water in a desert.

I was able to observe both forms of humanity or lack thereof, this past week as I watched the reaction in my native Philadelphia to the arrival of the Moms for Liberty. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this is a group of women, most but not all of them actual mothers, who have banded together to fight for more parental control and involvement in public schools, who oppose what many see as the inclusion of sexually inappropriate materials in school curricula and libraries, who support what was once called American values but are now labeled "white privilege" or even "white supremacy," and who have been very effective in getting their messages across.

There have been no incidents, as far as I know, of Moms for Liberty members vandalizing buildings, stalking children or committing any crimes. It is possible that there are members who have sent angry emails, screamed at school board members and gotten overly zealous in their defense of their position, but I'll see your Moms for Liberty and raise you a Black Lives Matter riot any day.

So, then, while there are many who might object to their goals (and this writer certainly does not, as a former teacher and a woman who does not have children but knows how they are often used as pawns to advance an adult agenda) they should have the right to express those views without being labeled a hate group, and thereby exposed to all sorts of threats and intimidation. This is, even more, the case when they come to the city  my city  where the whole concept of freedom of expression was codified in the Constitution.

The Southern Poverty Law Center disagrees. The SPLC used to be a respected organization that fought against fascism, bigotry and discrimination. It was instrumental in helping to dismantle the Ku Klux Klan and was one of the organizations that my father, a fledgling civil rights worker, appreciated when he went down to Mississippi in 1967.

But that SPLC no longer exists. It has been transformed into an AK-47 of alt-left progressive fascists who have decided that they, and only they, get to determine what is culturally acceptable and legitimate. They have become a clearing house for progressive hatred of conservative causes, including my own Catholic church.

It is therefore no surprise that it listed Moms for Liberty as a hate group, giving the go-ahead to violent activists who verbally abused the participants at this year's national convention at the downtown Marriott Hotel.

Despite grudging comments from Mayor Jim Kenney about wanting to protect the safety of everyone in the city, including the "problematic" Moms, there was very little action taken against the mobs that came for them. Even worse than the banal, ineffective shoulder-shrugging of the mayor were the comments from some city council members like Kendra Brooks, who tweeted out: "Moms for Liberty is a hate group," and attached a disjointed and incoherent statement conflating the group with transphobia, racism, Republicans, and Florida orange growers (OK, I made up that last part.) But if I used to think AOC tweeted out hormonal trash on a fairly regular basis, I have to admit that Philly girl Kendra just topped her.

Then, there was the vandalism of the Museum of the American Revolution, which hosted one of the convention events. There was little to no outrage from the city council, the Mayor's office, public officials or the local media. I suppose this evil was too "banal" for comment.

But even with these junior league terrorists, there was some grace. As I noted before, the Marriott hosted the event. Even in the face of vituperative, vicious people daily spitting out their hatred in the faces of our city guests, the staff and administration at the hotel were kind, considerate, accommodating and courageous. It takes courage to do your job when people scream obscenities in your direction for even daring to pour coffee for a Mom. It takes courage to live out the principle that everyone deserves respect when they are a guest in your home, even as the tempest rages outside the door.

That is not banal. That sort of virtue is immense, commensurate with the fierce courage that is present in those who believe in democracy. And that was much more powerful than the common, mundane, shallow and pitiful displays of common, mundane and pitiful protesters this week.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Christine M. Flowers is a lawyer and columnist.
Erdogan, Biden discuss Sweden's NATO bid ahead of summit

Xinhua) 08:13, July 10, 2023

ANKARA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed on Sunday Sweden's NATO bid with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden over the phone ahead of the alliance's summit this week.

The two leaders also discussed Ukraine's position in NATO, the delivery of F-16 fighter jets and Turkiye's efforts to join the EU, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

During the phone call, Erdogan noted "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction" toward the ratification of its NATO bid by making changes in its anti-terrorism legislation, said the statement.

However, the Turkish leader said these steps were "nullified" as the supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "continue to hold demonstrations freely in the country to advocate terrorism."

Erdogan also stressed that it was not correct to associate Turkiye's F-16 purchase from the United States with Sweden's NATO bid, referring to several objections from the U.S. Congress to Ankara's purchase demand for F-16s over its veto of Sweden's NATO membership.

The two presidents agreed to meet face-to-face to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues in detail at the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on July 11-12, according to the statement.

Regarding Turkiye's EU bid, Erdogan told Biden that his country was "principled and honest" about EU membership, appealing to revive its membership process and hoping for getting a clear and strong message of support from leading countries of the EU at the upcoming Vilnius Summit.

Biden, for his part, conveyed to Erdogan his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to a White House statement.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but met with objections from Turkiye on the grounds that the two countries harbor members of PKK and the Gulen movement.

Turkiye eventually lifted its objection to Finland's NATO accession earlier this year after Helsinki took what Ankara calls "concrete steps" against such organizations. In April, Finland became NATO's 31st member state.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Premium private aviation firm RoyalJet and Malaysias Sapura Resources Berhad (SRB) have signed a conditional heads of agreement (HOA) for the potential acquisition of SRBs aviation business at Subang International Airport.

RoyalJet intends to establish a presence in the Southeast Asian private aviation market by designating Subang International Airport as its regional hub for private charters and for their maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business. This strategic move represents RoyalJets geographic expansion into the Asian market, a statement said.

Mohammed Husain Ahmed, CEO of RoyalJet, sees this discussion with SRB as a solid foundation for building a stronger presence in the region. We are keen to expand our business in Asia. The ongoing discussions with Sapura Resources Berhads aviation business offers promising opportunities, he added.

With support of the excellent bilateral relations of the two countries, we look forward on the discussions with RoyalJet, said Dato Shahriman Shamsuddin.

Both companies believe that the proposed acquisition of SRBs aviation arm by RoyalJet is in tandem with the current plans to rejuvenate the private aviation industry, which would directly benefit Selangors economic development around Subang airport.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports Dato Iskandar Mizal Mahmood says that this potential deal between Royal Jet and SRB complements the efforts to rejuvenate Subang Airport.

Our focus is to position Subang Airport as a premium city and regional airport, as well as further develop the general and business aviation sectors in Malaysia. The presence of Royal Jet in Subang Airport will create momentum in attracting more international aviation players into the ecosystem, he said.  TradeArabia News Service


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The family that skates together stays together.

The influence-peddling, money laundering, and foreign shakedowns encircling Hunter Biden, his uncle Jim, and The Big Guy in the Oval Office have received considerable attention, at least in the conservative media. But even Fox News addicts would be stunned by how many Bidens have T-boned into the law and waltzed away from the wreckage. The Biden family is an ongoing crime spree in which the word "consequences" might as well be in Swahili.

New York Post's Jon Levine recently detailed how the Bidens get away with lawlessness over and over and over again. Being a Biden means never facing the music for crimes that routinely land non-royals behind bars.

 First Son Hunter Biden earned at least $8.3 million in foreign schemes, according to IRS whistleblowers, evidently in exchange for access to his father. Echoing Watergate's Saturday Night Massacre, the U.S. Department of Obstruction of Justice told the IRS on May 15 to instruct whistleblower Gary Shapley and his 12-member team to stop investigating Hunter. A concurrent DOJ probe already had devoured five years, as statutes of limitation repeatedly expired.

With Hunter no longer under IRS' microscope, his lawyers and DOJ agreed that federal prosecutors would request two years of probation once Hunter pled guilty to misdemeanors, not felonies, for not paying $100,000 in taxes on $1.5 million in income in 2017 and '18. This 6.7% effective tax rate is the Democrats' new definition of "fair share." If tax-evading actor Wesley Snipes were named Wesley Biden, he would have savored such a wrist massage. Instead, he spent nearly three years in prison.

Hunter lied on a gun-purchase application, claiming to be drug-free. He soon illegally possessed a gun while drug-addicted. Federal prosecutors want Hunter in a diversion program, not prison. Confirming America's two-track justice system, rapper Kodak Black received a 46-month prison sentence for lying on a gun form.

An anti-corruption non-profit called Marco Polo on July 1 released photos discovered on the Laptop from Hell. In them, Hunter snapped himself holding a crack pipe while driving through Arlington, Virginia, on June 12, 2018. That August 1, Hunter photographed himself piloting a Porsche to Las Vegas at 172 MPH.

Again: No punishment.

What next? Will Hunter become the Department of Transportation's Man of the Year?

 First Daughter Ashley was busted for marijuana possession in 1999, while at Tulane University. New Orleans police confirm her arrest, but court documents show no conviction.

Ashley offended again, after a 2002 bottle-shattering fracas outside a Chicago bar. She allegedly tried to obstruct a cop and made "intimidating statements." So what? Charges were dropped.

In 2009, Levine reports, a woman who looks like Ashley appeared in a video, seemingly snorting cocaine at a Delaware house party. Once again, Ashley skated.

 First Brother Frank was a passenger in an August 14, 1999 drunk-driving crash near San Diego. On September 2, 2002, a court found Frank partially liable for fatally hitting single-father Michael Albano. Frank was told to pay Albano's daughters $550,000 in damages. With interest, this had grown to $880,000. As the Daily Mail reports, Frank skipped court appearances and paid the Albanos nothing through at least 2020.

On August 20, 2003, Frank was arrested for drunk driving in Fort Lauderdale. His license had been suspended four times. Penalty: Six months' probation.

That October 27, Biden got nabbed at a Pompano Beach, Florida, Blockbuster with two stolen DVDs shoved in his pants. He missed his court hearing and apparently skirted prosecution.

On November 21, 2004, Frank was arrested yet again for driving with a suspended license. Rather than jail, he got three months at the Watershed rehab facility.

 First Niece Caroline was charged in September 2013 with punching an NYPD officer at her Tribeca apartment after an unpaid-rent dispute went violent. She underwent anger management, and everything vanished without prison time.

In 2017, Caroline charged $110,000 on a stolen credit card. She spent these funds at Manhattan's elegant Bigelow Pharmacy. This fraud won her a felony conviction. However, she later re-pled to petty larceny, a lower crime, and avoided prison.

While driving sans license in August 2019, Caroline plowed into a tree in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. She "had difficulty focusing," said arresting officer Jeffrey Seamans. Blood tests verified that Caroline was under the influence of several drugs, including carisoprodol (a prescription muscle relaxant) and lorazepam (a pharmaceutical anti-anxiety aide).

Fifteen months later, she was arraigned on November 4, 2020  one day after the Biden-Trump general election. How convenient.

What did these three crimes cost Caroline? Probation!

Dr. Jill seems to be the only prominent Biden not suspected of, charged with, nor guilty of serious crimes. Like a Mafia matriarch, she smells like a rose, and she ain't seen nuttin.'
TOLEDO  A Robinson man charged with the fatal shooting of a Lerna man has now also been charged in Cumberland County with concealing this homicide.

Cumberland County State's Attorney Bryan Robbins listed off the first-degree murder charge, which had been filed last week, and the new concealment charge during a bond hearing for Lance T. Newcomb, 24, Monday morning in circuit court in Toledo.

Judge Jonathan Braden said due the seriousness of these charges, he set Newcomb's bond at $2 million. Newcomb would need to post $200,000 in order to be released from the custody of the Cumberland County jail.

Newcomb's appointed attorney, Public Defender Shon Park, had sought a bond of $200,000-$250,000 and Robbins had sought a bond of $3 million during the hearing. Newcomb has been scheduled for a July 24 preliminary hearing, at which the judge will determine if there is probable cause for court proceedings to continue on the charges.

While listing the charges, Robbins said Newcomb is accused of fatally shooting Ryan L. Waggoner, 55, in the head on or about June 2 in Cumberland County and then concealing the homicide.

The Illinois State Police had earlier reported in a missing person notice for Waggoner that he was last seen on June 2 at his residence in rural Lerna in northwest Cumberland County.

On June 8, the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office requested that ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 investigate the Waggoner missing person case. The investigation led division agents on June 27 to a rural address in Crawford County, where human remains were located.

Lance Newcomb and two others were arrested and then charged by the Crawford County State's Attorney's Office with concealment of a homicidal death. ISP reported that the remains were positively identified on July 6 as Waggoner. Newcomb has been transferred from the Crawford County jail to the Cumberland facility.

Robinson residents Angela S. Newcomb, 58, who is Lance Newcomb's mother, and Hiley A. Schulte, 52, are the two others who have been charged with concealment. Angela Newcomb also has been charged in Crawford County with obstructing justice/destroying evidence. These are all felony charges.

Angela Newcomb and Schulte have each posted $10,000 bond and have been released from the Crawford County jail. Lance Newcomb's preliminary hearing in Crawford County is scheduled for Wednesday, Schulte's first appearance hearing is set for July 20; and Angela Newcomb's first appearance hearing is slated for July 26.

Personnel from the Crawford County Sheriffs Office, Robinson Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriffs Office assisted with the investigation and arrests.

Photos: 1982 Tylenol murders James Lewis - January 1983 Tylenol 1982 Tylenol Tylenol 1982 Tylenol murders 1982 Tylenol murders Tylenol murders Tylenol Poisonings James W. Lewis - Mug Tylenol Poisonings Tylenol Poisonings Notorious Recalls The_Pantagraph_Fri__Oct_1__1982_.jpg
CHICAGO  Natural disasters can be dramatic  barreling hurricanes, building-toppling tornadoes  but heat is more deadly.

Chicago learned that the hard way in 1995.

That July, a weeklong heat wave that hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit killed more than 700 people. Most of the deaths occurred in poor and majority Black neighborhoods, where many elderly or isolated people suffered without proper ventilation or air conditioning. Power outages from an overwhelmed grid made it all worse.

Initially slow to react, Chicago has since developed emergency heat response plans that include a massive push to alert the public and then connect the most vulnerable to the help they may need. Other cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix now have "chief heat officers" to coordinate planning and response for dangerous heat. Around the world, cities and countries have adopted similar measures.

But experts warn those steps might not be enough in a world that is seeing heat records consistently shatter and with continuing inequality in who is most vulnerable.

"I don't know a single city that is truly prepared for the worst-case scenario that some climate scientists fear," said Eric Klinenberg, a professor of social sciences at New York University who wrote a book about the Chicago heat wave.

Heat preparedness has generally improved over the years as forecasting has become more accurate, and as meteorologists, journalists and government officials have focused on spreading the word of upcoming danger. Chicago, for example, has expanded its emergency text and email notification system and identified its most vulnerable residents for outreach.

But what works in one city might not be as effective in another. That's because each has its own unique architecture, transportation, layout and inequities, said Bharat Venkat, an associate professor at UCLA who directs the university's Heat Lab, aimed at tackling what he calls "thermal inequality."

Venkat thinks cities should address inequality by investing in labor rights, sustainable development and more. That may sound expensive  who pays, for instance, when a city tries to improve conditions for workers in blistering food trucks?  but Venkat thinks doing nothing will ultimately cost more.

"The status quo is actually deeply expensive," he said. "We just don't do the math."

France launched a heat watch warning system after an extended heat wave in 2003 was estimated to have caused 15,000 deaths  many of them older people in city apartments and homes without air conditioning. The system includes public announcements urging people to hydrate. Just last month, Germany launched a new campaign against heatwave deaths that it said was inspired by France's experience.

In India, a powerful heat wave in 2010 with temperatures over 118 degrees Fahrenheit led to the deaths of over 1,300 people in the city of Ahmedabad. City officials now have a heat action plan to improve awareness in the local population and health care staff. Another simple initiative: Painting roofs white to reflect the blazing sun.

Ladd Keith, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, cited Baltimore's Code Red Extreme Heat alerts as an example of a well-designed alert system. The alerts go out when the forecast calls for a heat index of 105 Fahrenheit or higher, and sets in motion things like more social services in communities most vulnerable to heat risks.

He lauded the heat officers in cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix, but said there are "still over 19,000 cities and towns without them."

Inkyu Han, an environmental health scientist at Temple University in Philadelphia, noted that cities are still struggling to get aids such as cooling centers and subsidized air conditioning into poorer neighborhoods. He said more can be done, too, with simple and sustainable solutions such as improving tree canopy.

"Notably, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color in Philadelphia often lack street trees and green spaces," Han said.

In Providence, Rhode Island, the Atlantic Ocean typically moderates temperatures but the region can still get heat waves. Kate Moretti, an emergency room physician, said the city's hospitals see more patients when the heat strikes  with increases in illnesses that may not be obviously related to heat, like heart attacks, kidney failure and mental health problems.

"We definitely notice that it puts a strain on the system," Moretti said. Older people, people who work outdoors, people with disabilities and people who are homeless make up a big share of those admissions, she said.

Miami  considered a ground zero for the climate change threat due to its vulnerability to sea level rise, flooding, hurricanes and extreme heat  appointed its heat officer two years ago to develop strategies to keep people safe from the heat.

Robin Bachin, an associate professor of civic and community engagement at the University of Miami, noted that the federal government has laws to protect people in cold climates from having their heat shut off in dangerous conditions, but doesn't have something similar for cooling.

"For people in apartments that are not publicly subsidized, there is no requirement for landlords to provide air conditioning," Bachin said. "That's incredibly dangerous to particularly our local low-income population, let alone people who are unhoused or are outdoor workers."

Klinenberg said that the United States has so far gotten lucky with the duration of most heat waves, but that electrical grids vulnerable to high demand in some regions, along with persistent social inequities, could spell serious trouble in the coming decades.

That's partly because the underlying social problems that make heat events so deadly are only getting worse, Klinenberg said. Chicago's 1995 deaths were clustered not only in poor and segregated neighborhoods, but also specifically within what he calls "depleted" neighborhoods, places where it's harder for people to gather together and where social connections have been worn thin. Empty lots, abandoned restaurants and poorly maintained parks mean that people are less likely to check up on each other.

Noboru Nakamura, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Chicago who specializes in extreme weather events, said he thinks Chicago has made plenty of smart changes by implementing heat emergency plans, routine wellness checks and cooling centers.

But he too cited inequality as a difficult challenge.

"A systemic problem of a resource inequity is something that you can't really get rid of overnight. And we still have the same issue that we had back then today," Nakamura said. "So that aspect still is a big, big, big, big unsolved problem."

___

O'Malley reported from Philadelphia.
SECOR  The ParkLands Foundation Ridgetop Hill Prairie packs a lot into a small package.

Recognized as an Illinois Nature Preserve in 1984, the 17.4-acre site contains upland and bottomland forest and former pastureland being restored as prairie, but its key feature is a high-quality glacial drift hill prairie.

Depending on when you visit, you will find various wildflowers from pale purple coneflowers and wild petunias to blazing star and purple prairie clover.

The mix of blooms changes from month to month and even week to week. The coneflowers are finishing their blooming period, but purple prairie clover has just started, and by the end of the month, the large yellow flowers of false foxglove will take their turn, according to Sherrie Snyder, a ParkLands volunteer who is the lead steward at the preserve.

Later this summer or early fall, expect to see grasses common to hill prairie such as little bluestem and sideoats grama.

Back in the 1970s, the botanists in the state of Illinois did a natural area inventory, the INAI, and found this place to be a high-quality hill prairie, which are very rare in the state of Illinois, explained Snyder.

Only 500 acres of high-quality hill prairie remain in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and 10 of those acres are at the Ridgetop preserve.

Several spots along the ridge, 110 feet above the Mackinaw River, provide beautiful views, although the fully leafed-out trees make it difficult to see the river in summer.

There are no formal trails at the nature preserve, but a path is mowed about once a year to help volunteers get to where they need to work.

Otherwise, theyre just deer trails and whatever occurs naturally, said Snyder.

The preserve is in Woodford County at 434 County Road 1975 East in Secor. Park in the grass near the entrance sign.

Hikers should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. If you are sensitive to poison ivy, this not the place for you, as the three-leaved plant is abundant in some areas. Bring water but leave your dog at home; dogs are not allowed in the preserve.

The out-and-back path is less than a mile, but there is plenty to see and hear.

The flute-like song of the wood thrush and musical notes of orioles greeted me as I walked through the site. The bouncing notes of the field sparrow, which starts slow and speeds up like the sound of a dropped pingpong ball, joined the chorus, as did the very vocal house wrens.

Butterflies, dragonflies, bees and other insects share the air with the birds.

As I bent down to take a picture of a wildflower, a tiny gray tree frog, barely over an inch long, hopped quickly in the leaf litter.

Theres so much to find out there if you have the time to look, said Snyder.

Shes been a steward there for about five years, organizing work days, battling invasive plants and doing whatever else needs to be done.

On Tuesday she was out early in the heat and humidity removing yellow sweet clover, an invasive plant that spreads, harming diversity and shading out other plants.

When I was introduced to Ridgetop Hill Prairie, I recognized what a beautiful place it was, said Snyder. She decided to volunteer to help ensure it got the regular management needed to preserve the beauty of the place and the plants.

For more information, go to parklandsfoundation.org.
The N.C. Rural Center has scheduled two Triad and Northwest N.C. events for its summer road trip program,

The events will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. July 26 at Wilkes County Agricultural Center in Wilkesboro, and from 10 a.m. to noon at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth.

Rural Center staff at each location will share a regionalized version of its statewide publication Forces Driving Change in Rural North Carolina, that serves as an examination of eight major forces driving change in modern rural communities.

There will be a question and answer session and a time for discussion among meeting participants.

Data and stories from the tour will be featured at the Centers 2024 Rural Summit in Raleigh, and also will be used to refine and deepen our publications and research.
The long-planned renovation of the terminal building at Smith Reynolds Airport will begin later this summer, thanks to a new $11.2 million construction contract approved by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on June 29.

It will take around a year to bring to completion, but the building will be restored to much of its 1942 appearance, but at the same time provided with modern updates behind the scenes: things like mechanical systems, plumbing and a better WiFi.

I have always envisioned it as the front door to the community, said Mark Davidson, the airport director. It has gone through renovations, but nothing as major as this is going to be. The facade and design characteristics will be amazing.

County officials also hope to wow visitors with a replica of a Savoia Marchetti S56c biplane like the one that Z. Smith Reynolds used to hopscotch from England to China from 1931 to 1932.

Theres a lot of history behind the building, said architect Ken McDaniel of the Walter Robbs architectural firm. Some of the original windows were covered and this will uncover those windows.

The county received five bids for the work, and selected low bidder I.L. Long Construction Co., a Winston-Salem company, to do the work for $11,153,000. The bids ranged from that amount to almost $12.9 million.

Tentative plans call for a groundbreaking on Aug. 3, when county officials are also planning to cut the ribbon on the two new corporate hangars that are at construction at the airport.

The terminal was designed by Chicago architect Howard Lovewell Cheney and modeled in the International Style similar to his much larger National Airport in Washington, according to architectural historian Heather Fearnbach in her book, Winston-Salems Architectural Heritage. One of the prominent features was a full height glass curtain that gave the waiting room an expansive view of the runway.

That feature was obscured by the later addition of a waiting room for Piedmont Airlines passengers, but the renovation will demolish that addition to bring back the original appearance of the glass.

Part of the terminal will be leased to Signature Flight Support, which provides general aviation services at the airport. Auto rental offices will be on site along with offices available to lease to aeronautical businesses, Davidson said. Some common-use areas will allow food trucks to come in.

The terminal will have an elevator and upgraded security features, he said.

County officials see the airport as a driver of future economic growth, and the terminal renovation contract is the latest in planned improvements.

Still, Davidson said there are no plans to try to bring back commercial flights to the airport, although charter flights will continue to operate out of the airport. Smith Reynolds was actually the busiest commercial airport in the state in 1963-65 and in 1969. Commercial service terminated in 2000.

McDaniel said his company is pleased to be involved in the project as one that is based in the community. The Charlotte-based architectural firm C Design also participated in the design work, he said.

McDaniel noted that famous airport visitors have included generals, presidents and movie stars, who have left their signatures in the airport registry.

This will be the first significant renovation since the 1980s, he said.
An Omaha man died after the motorcycle he was riding veered off the road in rural Saunders County on Saturday, officials said.

The Saunders County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash near the intersection of U.S. Highway 79 and County Road 25 just south of Morse Bluff a little before 5:40 p.m.

David Sebben, 63, had been riding his 2007 Harley-Davidson northbound on Highway 79 when it went off the right side of the road, the Sheriff's Office said in a Sunday news release.

First responders used lifesaving measures on Sebben before paramedics took him to a Fremont hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

In addition to deputies from the Saunders County Sheriff's Department, Prague Fire and Rescue, Fremont Fire Department, Morse Bluff Fire Department and the Dodge County Sherriff's Office also responded to the crash.

Top Journal Star photos for July 2023
A 22-year-old Iowa man died early Sunday after the motorcycle he was riding rear-ended a motorcycle driven by his brother on a South Omaha street.

The collision occurred just before 1 a.m. at Missouri Avenue and L Street, an Omaha police spokesman said. Riley Denisse of Neola, Iowa, was eastbound on L Street on a 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that struck the rear of a 2007 Harley-Davidson driven by Austin Denisse, 25, of La Vista.

Investigators said the force of the collision caused Riley Denisse's motorcycle to go over a curb and flip over a guardrail. Austin Denisse lost control of his motorcycle and went into a slide.

The brothers were taken to an Omaha hospital where Riley Denisse died. Austin Denisse suffered a broken leg that is not considered life threatening.

The crash remains under investigation.

Top Journal Star photos for July 2023
A year after a turbulent convention resulted in a massive turnover of party leadership, local donations to the Nebraska Republican Party have yet to return to previous levels.

Since the state party convention on July 9, 2022, the last 11 months of local donations to the Nebraska GOP added up to about $122,000, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. In the year leading up to the convention, the party raised nearly $1 million.

In contrast, national donations to the Nebraska GOP as recorded by the Federal Election Commission remained at the same level. The party collected about $632,000 in money during the last 11 months, according to FEC reports, and $631,000 in the previous year.

All told, the state GOP has brought in roughly $746,000 since the convention, compared with more than $1.6 million the previous year.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska Democratic Party has outraised the Nebraska GOP, both in local and national money. Combined, over the last 11 months, the states Democrats have raised roughly $2.1 million.

Thats unusual, according to former Nebraska GOP Chairman Dan Welch and current Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb. While some Democratic congressional candidates have outraised their Republican opponents in individual races, the two said its abnormal for the state Democratic party to outraise its Republican counterpart, especially by this much. Welch said it never happened during his eight years as chairman.

The Nebraska GOP convention last year was marked with tension from beginning to end, culminating in delegates voting to change the partys constitution so they could immediately vote out Welch and replace him with current Chairman Eric Underwood.

Welchs removal prompted a wave of resignations among other leaders in the party, including the executive director, the national committeewoman, the first and second district chair, the party treasurer, the secretary, the assistant chairman and the assistant state party chair.

Whether the events of the convention are the main cause of the drop in local donations to the party is up for debate. But observers tend to agree that its at least a factor.

Underwood said there hasnt been much time to focus on fundraising efforts because of the partys restructuring, multiple major elections and a contentious legislative session. But in recent months, he said, hes begun developing a new fundraising method that he believes will bring the partys revenues back to more normal levels by 2024.

Kleeb said the $746,000 total that the Nebraska GOP has raised in the past 11 months is barely enough to maintain the normal operations of a state party. In a heavily red state like Nebraska, Kleeb said, a Republican organization ought to have annual donations in the millions.

If Republicans are unable to turn their fundraising around, Kleeb and others said it could affect how the party operates in the future.

Without money, essentially you shrivel up and die, said University of Nebraska at Omaha political science professor Randall Adkins.

Both Adkins and Underwood noted that political parties typically raise more money during election years than during off years, and 2023 isnt an election year.

Still, roughly four months of the donations over the last year included the lead-up to the 2022 midterms, and the Nebraska GOP received lower contributions in those months than during the months before the July 2022 convention.

Another major factor is the absence of donations from Sen. Pete Ricketts. In the year before the convention, when Ricketts was governor, more than half of the $1 million in Nebraska donations to the party came from the Ricketts family. But since the convention, the family hasnt donated any money directly to the Nebraska GOP.

Ricketts has continued to contribute to individual campaigns and other political groups in Nebraska, however. He gave $150,000 to Suzanne Geists mayoral campaign in Lincoln, and more than $60,000 to Rep. Don Bacons upcoming reelection campaign. Hes also donated $250,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and nearly $290,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

When Ricketts was governor, Kleeb said the Nebraska GOP was the epicenter of campaign coordination. But after the events of the convention  which many suspect was in part an act of resistance against Ricketts influence over the party  Ricketts and other donors lost trust in the party, she said.

Underwood acknowledged that Ricketts was the single biggest funding source for the party before the convention. However, he argued it was poor planning for party leadership to rely solely on one donor for the majority of its fundraising. He said he intends to cast a wider net when collecting donations.

Since the convention, Underwood said, several other major donors besides Ricketts have not contributed to the party. In the last month, however, he said hes begun to reach out to them to work on rebuilding those relationships.

Adkins said he assumes the latest legislative session  which tackled several divisive topics such as gender-affirming care, abortion and gun control  affected donations to the party. The shifting political landscape nationally could also play a role, he said.

Adkins wasnt surprised by the lack of change in contributions recorded nationally to the Nebraska GOP. Though some Nebraska residents are among those donors, the bulk of donations recorded by the FEC to either party came through large contributions from national political organizations. Such groups are unlikely to change their donations based on local events like a contentious state party convention, he said.

While donations to the Nebraska Democratic Party have ebbed and flowed over the years, contributions to Democrats during the past year have been higher than usual, Kleeb said. She hopes to make the most of that money by focusing more on rural Nebraska and putting more effort into recruiting candidates for smaller races where Republicans have often run unopposed.

Kleeb said she still expects Republican candidates in Nebraska to be well-funded even if less money is going directly to their party. Candidates will continue to be supported by contributions straight to their campaigns or through political action committees and other groups, she said.

Even so, she said less money for the state party could affect Republicans overall. State parties are able to use more political tools like direct mail at a lower cost due to their tax status, she said, allowing candidates to spend their money on other things. Welch said parties also have a lot of influence on turnout through voter outreach efforts.

Money is the lifeblood of these political races, Welch said.

Beginning in April, Underwood said he began developing a new method of fundraising. Rather than focusing on large contributions from a handful of donors, Underwood said he plans to focus on building relationships with a larger group of Republicans.

One of the new strategies the party recently launched on its website includes multiple tiers of party membership for individuals based on how much they donate annually.

The first level, NEGOP+, is for members who donate between $150 and $600 each year, and includes perks such as access to special party events and party merchandise. The second level is for larger donors who contribute between $1,000 and $25,000 yearly, and offers a range of additional benefits, such as invitations to a private reception with elected officials.

Underwood said he anticipates that the new effort, combined with more traditional event-based fundraising, will bring the Nebraska GOPs fundraising closer to what the party was getting before the convention.

Youll see, from the party here, a natural ramp up, Underwood said.

Photos: Former President Trump speaks at the MidAmerica Center
With the end of the Supreme Courts 2022 term, what have we learned about the most junior justice? To some, Ketanji Brown Jackson has been a reliable vote for the liberal coalition. Ohers contend shes a swing vote with a tendency to surprise her fans by joining the courts conservatives.

On the evidence so far, Im struck by a different thought  that she might prove a worthy successor to the first Justice Jackson. That would be Robert H., the Nuremberg prosecutor, perhaps the most influential member of the court in the middle years of the 20th century, who was lauded in particular for his close and careful reading of statutes. That fascination with the details of the law might be the most overlooked aspect of her first term.

Just consider how Jackson writes. She has mostly resisted the habit, unhappily common on the current court, of penning opinions with an apparent eye to quotation in the press. Instead, she writes -- well, like a lawyer: It soon became clear that our primary and secondary escheatment rules were resulting in inequitable distributions, at least with respect to particular instruments. Try posting that on social media and see how often its retweeted.

Jackson does not relax this tendency even when arguing forcefully for an expressly liberal goal, such as her June dissent defending a broad scope for habeas corpus review of criminal convictions:

[I]t is precisely because the text of 2255(h)(1) and (2) speaks unequivocally to the narrowing Congress wished to effect with respect to new evidence and new constitutional claims that we should not ascertain that Congress meant for the second or successive bar to have the same effect with respect to legal innocence.

Jacksons compelling argument on behalf of a prisoner plausibly claiming to be innocent rests crucially on that sentence  but a search for quotations of even bits of the sentence in media coverage returned zero hits.

I dont say this in criticism. I applaud Jacksons recognition of why judges write opinions at all. The Supreme Court is a court of law, and the principal audience for its opinions is, properly, the bar. Activists might wax furious or dance with delight over the outcome of a given case, but for the lawyer or the legal scholar, the first question should involve not the result but the quality of the reasoning. And thats where, just like her namesake, Jackson shines. Particularly when a case turns on the close and careful reading of a statute, she crafts meticulous opinions. (Even when eight justices say shes wrong.)

Yes, Jackson sometimes votes differently from the rest of the liberal bloc, but those occasions, too, tend to reflect her insistence on precision in understanding the words with which Congress expresses itself. Consider Bittner v. United States, an important February decision that narrowed the scope of individual criminal liability under the Bank Secrecy Act. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion of the court, except for one section where he applied a canon of statutory construction known as the rule of lenity. Of the four justices who voted with Gorsuch to form the 5-4 majority, we should hardly be surprised to learn the only one who signed on to that segment was Jackson.

On the other hand, those who insist that shes a reliable leftish vote point to her 95% rate of agreement with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. But the lowest rate of agreement between two justices in the 2022 term was 60%, and all but a handful of pairs were above 70. More important, the 95% figure is itself driven in part by her fascination with the intricacies of statutory interpretation. For example, in a complicated bankruptcy case decided in February, Jackson was the only member of the court to join Sotomayors brief concurrence, which clarified a minor point of statutory interpretation that the majority left unaddressed. The issue possesses no discernable ideological resonance. But Jackson likes statutory analysis tidy, and Sotomayors three-paragraph statement cleaned up an omission most observers would probably find trivial.

Jackson's first term has not been without blemish. For instance, in a recent majority opinion, she repeats an old myth about President Ulysses S. Grant's enthusiasm for the Civil Rights Act of 1871. A detail, yes, but Jackson is a justice to whom, happily, the details matter. In any case, that slip represents a small wrinkle in a quite intriguing freshman season for the most junior justice.

The first Justice Jackson once warned that the language of statutes is artificial, elusive and difficult to carry in mind. For some jurists, the courts newest justice among them, those difficulties are what make reading the law with care so important. Given that statutory analysis constitutes far more of the courts work than constitutional interpretation, Ketanji Brown Jacksons fascination with getting statutes right is likely to shape the law for decades to come.
A 22-year-old Racine man is accused of fleeing from Kenosha police in a vehicle early Saturday morning at high speeds.

Christobal Romero was charged Monday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with felony attempting to flee or elude an officer and misdemeanors of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Romero made his initial appearance at Intake Court Monday afternoon where Court Commissioner William Michel imposed a $15,000 cash bond. Romero remained in custody Monday evening.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday, a Kenosha police officer observed a Dodge Charger headed westbound on 52nd Street at excess of 70 mph in a posted 30 mph zone, according to the criminal complaint.

When the officer attempted to pursue the vehicle the he overheard the chargers exhaust noise increase as the vehicle began accelerating, according to the complaint.

The driver of the Charger allegedly rapidly increased to an estimated 80 mph in a posted 30 mph zone and the officer reportedly saw the Charger weave between vehicles and continue to increase its speed.

Despite having his emergency lights and siren activated, the officer reported the Charger increased to speeds estimated in excess of 110 mph in posted a 45 mph zone on Green Bay Road.

Eventually, the driver came to a stop on Brumback Boulevard from Washington Road. After a high-risk traffic stop was performed, the driver was identified as Romero, according to the complaint.

Officers reportedly noticed the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and located glass smoking devices inside. Officers also reportedly located a firearm and several un-fired bullets inside.

Romero reportedly said all of the items belonged to him.

A preliminary hearing is set for July 18.

Mugshots: Kenosha County criminal complaints from July 8-10 Charvis Loudal Burnes Charvis Loudal Burnes, 37, of Kenosha, faces charges of bail jumping. Elizabeth Michelle Calderon Elizabeth Michelle Calderon, 37, of Kenosha, faces charges of theft of movable property (less than or equal to $2,500, all other larceny), bail jumping, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting or obstructing an officer, possession of cocaine, and probation and parole. Gabriel A. Carambot Gabriel A. Carambot, 36, of Kenosha, faces charges of felony bail jumping. Michael Christopher Cortino Michael Christopher Cortino, 51, of Genoa City, faces charges of stalking, contact after domestic abuse arrest, and bail jumping. Zaniyah Monae Crosby Zaniyah Monae Crosby, 18, of Kenosha, faces charges of child abuse (intentionally cause harm), and disorderly conduct. James Anthony Defazio James Anthony Defazio, 43, of Kenosha, faces charges of bail jumping, battery, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct. Brittany Erin Gleason Brittany Erin Gleason, 32, of Bristol, faces charges of bail jumping, resisting or obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, drive or operate vehicle without consent, vehicle operator flee/elude officer, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (1st offense). Donaldvon Albert Gordon Donaldvon Albert Gordon, 42, of Zion, Illinois, faces charges of probation and parole, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (1st offense). Sarah Nicole Grassnickle Sarah Nicole Grassnickle, 31, of Kenosha, faces charges of battery (domestic abuse repeater), and disorderly conduct (domestic abuse repeater). Angela Marie Grecian Angela Marie Grecian, 34, of Kenosha, faces charges of bail jumping, and probation and parole. Nicholas Ryan Haas Nicholas Ryan Haas, 48, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole. Princeton Dwight Herron Princeton Dwight Herron, 30, of Kenosha, faces charges of intimidation of a victim (domestic abuse), disorderly conduct, burglary of a building or dwelling, criminal damage to property (over $2,500), and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (2nd offense). Jondelyn Emon Jackson Jondelyn Emon Jackson, 34, of Bristol, faces charges of disorderly conduct, battery, and third degree sexual assault. Felicia Maria Jones Felicia Maria Jones, 41, of Kenosha, faces charges of child abuse (intentionally cause harm). Robert Wayne Moses Robert Wayne Moses, 52, of Kenosha, faces charges of bail jumping, battery, and disorderly conduct. Brandon Zachary Puente Brandon Zachary Puente, 24, of Kenosha, faces charges of possession with intent to deliver THC (less than 200 grams or less than 4 plants). India Jakiya Richardson India Jakiya Richardson, 21, of Kenosha, faces charges of child abuse (intentionally cause harm), substantial battery (intend bodily harm), and bail jumping. Christobal Romero Christobal Romero, 22, of Racine, faces charges of vehicle operator flee/elude officer, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Michael Joseph Sanderson Michael Joseph Sanderson, 46, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole, resisting or obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, and carrying a concealed knife. Richard Frank Stachura Jr. Richard Frank Stachura Jr., 59, of Trevor, faces charges of probation and parole. Jasper Jerome Tye Jasper Jerome Tye, 44, of Milwaukee, faces charges of probation and parole. Jalisha Mamie Ware Jalisha Mamie Ware, 35, of Zion, Illinois, faces charges of first degree reckless endangering safety, and vehicle operator flee/elude officer. James Earl Wilkerson III James Earl Wilkerson III, 18, of Kenosha, faces charges of child abuse (intentionally cause harm), and bail jumping. Montreal Clevenston Williams II Montreal Clevenston Williams II, 34, of Zion, Illinois, faces charges of retail theft (intentionally take between $500-$5,000). Robert Williams NO PHOTO AVAILABLE Robert Williams, 29, faces charges of burglary or a building or dwelling, strangulation and suffocation, false imprisonment, and battery.
RACINE  When Xander Niles and his two younger brothers, Zane and Ezekiel, finished their school work, theyd often spend their afternoons making armor out of duct tape.

So when Niles mom, Rachael, mentioned the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, the recent graduate from Racine knew he wanted to participate.

Stuck At Prom is a scholarship for students ages 14 to 17 hosted by Duck Brand. Participants from across the United States and Canada are invited to make and wear prom attire using Duck Brand duct tape.

From 10 finalists, the public is invited to vote for two winners  one from the tux category and the other from the dress category.

Now, Racine residents have the opportunity to vote for a contestant from their own community.

Each winner will receive a $10,000 prize. The other eight finalists will get $500 and a $100 Duck Tape prize pack.

Hatching a plan

Rachael found the contest while searching for scholarships that Niles could pursue.

Remembering her sons after-school duct tape activities, Rachael thought the project was definitely something that would be up his alley, adding that she knew that it would at least be something worth trying.

Now one of the 10 finalists, Niles duct tape prom attire is a Samurai-inspired tux, calling upon imagery of modern and historic Samurai artwork.

Niles, who graduated in May, referenced these works when selecting the tuxs colors, mainly using red and black throughout the piece and incorporating blue on the shoulder pads.

I knew (the blue) would stand out and would just add to the feel of the armor, but it would still not be like a dramatic shift in color, he said.

Niles also was influenced by the artist Hokusai.

Hokusai created works like The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Dragon, and Niles incorporated imagery from both pieces into the suit, using duct tape to craft a blue and gold dragon encircled by white waves.

Niles creation also nods to the Samurai sword collection hanging in his dads home office, which was a Fathers Day gift. The sheaths of the swords feature gold details and iconography, leading Niles to incorporate the color into his work.

When I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for my tux, I knew I wanted to do something inspired by Samurai, and then I saw those swords and that was part of what tied in the gold with the black and red, he said.

After completing initial sketches, Niles started to construct the suit.

Building the suit

He began with what he believed would be the easiest part: the shoulder pads. This strategy  starting with something easy  is similar to how he said he works on his miniature paintings, which he does as a hobby.

If you just get one part done, you see that finished, and then you want to work on the next part, Niles said.

Indeed, completing the shoulder pads encouraged Niles to continue with the project, moving on to the vest, the jacket and the pants.

For Niles, the back of the jacket was hands down, the easiest and the hardest part.

Although constructing the jackets paneling was easy, Niles struggled with the waves and dragon on the back, spending days redoing both parts and then painting the dragons detailing with acrylic paint.

Despite the challenges he faced, Niles completed the tux after spending close to 85 hours on the project.

For Niles, the medium itself reminded him that he could complete the project.

I knew I could succeed because Id spent five/six years making stuff out of duct tape and cardboard in my parents basement, Niles said.

The potential scholarship prize also motivated Niles to persevere through the roadblocks.

He plans to attend Lipscomb University and study mechanical engineering in fall 2024, and will be paying his own tuition.

Niles, in addition to working at Sebastians, 6025 Douglas Ave., and earning other scholarships, is hoping to put the $10,000 toward his college tuition.

The biggest thing was just knowing that if I didnt finish this because of me  not because of anything else, if I just didnt finish it  that I wouldnt have a shot at the scholarship, Niles said.

Support for the project

He also pushed through challenges thanks to support from his parents.

When Niles was working on the dragon and waves on the back of the jacket, he struggled and wanted to change the design.

Noting the intricacies, Rachael said she and Niles dad, David, encouraged him to keep going with this idea.

For us to be other eyes for him and encouragement that its going well  continue with what youre doing, its looking great  that was helpful, Rachael said.

Rachael and David helped Niles throughout the process, with David focusing on cutting small details and working on the helmet with Niles.

Rachael promoted Niles project on her social media, garnering support from the beginning of the process.

Indeed, Niles friends and family contributed to the 25 duct tape rolls Niles used after Rachael posted about his project.

Now, Rachael is encouraging people to vote.

Spending time with his parents, Niles said, was one aspect he enjoyed most about making his tux  in addition to putting my artistic ability to the test.

Niles, who was homeschooled along with his siblings, has always spent a lot of time with his mom, adding, She would guide us through everything.

However, Niles said growing up, he didnt get to spend a lot of time with his dad because of his work hours.

Now, David has a remote job, so Niles said theyre spending more time together, watching movies and experimenting with Niles 3D printer.

This project served as another opportunity for Niles to bond with his father, and together, the pair made the helmet that went with his suit.

Weve gotten to do a lot more recently, but its an experience I will not forget, doing these projects with my dad and my mom as well, he said.

Rachael said she believes her sons efforts will inspire his brothers and his 7-year-old sister Azariah to pursue things they may not have done.

It will encourage them to pursue scholarships, knowing that when you work hard, its worth it, she said. This sort of effort does have fruit, it does have results, when you put your mind to something like this.

For Niles, winning the scholarship would help encourage his siblings, saying that he could tell them that working hard and giving up in the middle doesnt mean youve done it. Youve done it when you get to the end and you find out your results.

He also believes earning the prize would validate his artistic efforts.

I would have the ability to say, Hey, I actually won the scholarship because I tried hard, and I worked hard,  and I persevered through it, Niles said.

Voting is open and ends on July 12. The winners will be announced on July 19. You can cast your vote online at https://www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom.
The lone remaining parent suing the Madison School District over its policy concerning the gender identity of students has dropped the case after deciding to not enroll her child in the district for the coming school year.

The parent, who was represented in the case by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and the Alliance Defending Freedom, both conservative law firms, had appealed a Dane County judges decision last year to dismiss the case, but dropped the case on June 30, according to court documents posted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.

The parent has decided not to enroll her child in the Madison School District for the 202324 school year, and thus no longer has standing to challenge the Districts Policy, according to court documents.

The parent, only identified in the ruling as Jane Doe 4, was the last of 14 parents who initially sued the district in 2020 over a policy thats part of a guidance document on student gender identity. The policy covered topics that include communication with the families of transgender and nonbinary students about their identities.

The issue of whether the 14 parents who initially sued in 2020 could do so anonymously went to the state Supreme Court, which ruled 4-3 last summer that the parents identities must be disclosed to attorneys involved in the case, but not to the public. All but one parent ultimately dropped out of the case.

Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington in November ruled that the parent cannot sue the district because she had not identified any harm shes suffered or was likely to suffer as a result of the policy.

In June, the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied a motion to review the case, which was filed by the plaintiffs in an effort to bypass the Court of Appeals.

Jon Davidson, senior staff attorney at the national ACLU, said in a statement the dismissal brings a welcome conclusion to a protracted and arduous legal battle over the ability of Madison Metropolitan School District students to freely and safely explore their identities on their terms, and we are glad that trans and nonbinary students will continue to have the ability to express themselves at school, without fear of being involuntarily outed by staff.

We know that trans and nonbinary students are safer when they are able to choose when, how, and who to come out to, and we know that students feel happier and are better able to learn at school when they are affirmed in their gender identity, Davidson added.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Wisconsin represented Madison school groups that intervened in the case to defend the districts policy with pro bono help from Quarles & Brady.
July 3-7

This list is not comprehensive. Municipalities are listed as they appear on the criminal complaint. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To see mugshots of the accused, visit journaltimes.com/gallery. Additional information about the complaints can be found at: journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts.

Jordan Lee Alvey, West Allis, operate motor vehicle while revoked, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Deon Barber, Green Bay, operate motor vehicle while revoked.

Terrance G. Barkley, 1100 block of Geneva Street, Racine, second degree recklessly endangering safety, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor bail jumping, obstructing an officer.

James L. Benefiel, 1500 block of Sheridan Road, Kenosha, possession of narcotic drugs, possession of THC.

Eric M. Bose, 1000 block of Four Mile Road, Racine, obstructing an officer.

Marvin Brown, 1700 block of Warwick Way, Racine, misdemeanor battery, disorderly conduct, felony bail jumping, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Marilyn A. Burgess, 1300 block of Center Street, Racine, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor bail jumping, felony bail jumping.

Jermaine Lee Carothers, 1700 block of Birch Road, Kenosha, possession of a firearm by a felon.

Deandre Kenneth Clark, 5200 block of Byrd Avenue, Racine, possession of cocaine, possession of THC, felony bail jumping.

Razelle T. Creed, 900 block of North Memorial Drive, Racine, substantial battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), felony intimidation of a victim (domestic abuse assessments).

Adrina M. Dennis, Milwaukee, carrying a concealed weapon.

Danesha S. Johnson, 8400 block of Broadway Drive, Sturtevant, criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments).

Marshall F. Kolbeck, 2000 block of DeKoven Avenue, Racine, disorderly conduct, entry into a locked vehicle, misdemeanor theft.

Kassandra J. Kostos, 5100 block of Hunt Club Road, Racine, possess/illegally obtained prescription, felony bail jumping.

Anthony R. Lopez-Figueroa, Milwaukee, misdemeanor retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500), possession of THC, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Dontrell E. Lynch, 2200 block of Center Street, Racine, delivery of schedule I or II narcotics (possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), maintaining a drug trafficking place, deliver fentanyl (less than or equal to 10 grams, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), possession with intent to deliver fentanyl (greater than 50 grams), possession with intent to deliver/distribute/manufacture THC (less than or equal to 200 grams), felony bail jumping.

Gail (aka Tanya Williams) A. McCurry, Milwaukee, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (first offense with a minor child in the vehicle), neglecting a child (specified harm did not occur), obstructing an officer, possession of THC.

Thomas A. Mikulance, 700 block of 10th Street, Racine, criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor bail jumping, resisting an officer.

Rodney C. Miller, 1300 block of Russet Street, Racine, criminal damage to property (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments), misdemeanor bail jumping (domestic abuse assessments).

Traveail D. Oliver-Thomas, 3700 block of Victory Avenue, Racine, felony retail theft from person or corpse (elderly person), negligent operating of vehicle.

Patti R. Panure, 33000 block of Bohner Drive, Burlington, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).

Damon (aka Michael Davis) A. Petty, Milwaukee, possession of a controlled substance, possession of THC, operate motor vehicle while revoked, failure to install ignition interlock device, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Anthony M. Pietsch, 1700 block of North Wisconsin Street, Racine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine (between 5-15 grams), possession with intent to deliver fentanyl (less than or equal to 10 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, felony bail jumping.

Eric D. Rogers, 1600 block of Flett Avenue, Racine, manufacture/deliver cocaine (less than or equal to 1 gram, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), deliver fentanyl (less than or equal to 10 grams, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Gerald Ross, Westmont, Illinois, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Miguel E. Sierra, 1400 block of Grange Avenue, Racine, possession of a firearm by a felon.

Alexis S. St. Amant, 2500 block of Delaware Avenue, Racine, aggravated battery (use of a dangerous weapon), disorderly conduct (use of a dangerous weapon).

Dauntae Stamps, Milwaukee, possession of cocaine, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carla J. Stockwell, 9100 block of Hollyhock Lane, Mount Pleasant, resisting an officer, misdemeanor intimidation of a victim, disorderly conduct.

Samuel R. Torres III, 200 block of Kewaunee Street, Racine, misdemeanor retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500).

Starr Urban, Milwaukee, misdemeanor battery (use of a dangerous weapon), disorderly conduct (use of a dangerous weapon).

Monique L. Valentine, Milwaukee, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct.

Nile L. Williams, 1800 block of Geneva Street, Racine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine (between 5-15 grams), possession of THC, possess/illegally obtained prescription.

Derrick D. Wilson, 600 block of 10th Street, Racine, possession of THC, obstructing an officer, felony bail jumping, manufacture/deliver cocaine (less than or equal to 1 gram), delivery of schedule I or II narcotics, maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Justin D. Woods-Vaughn, Twin Lakes, possession with intent to deliver/distribute/manufacture THC (less than or equal to 200 grams), operate motor vehicle while revoked, misdemeanor bail jumping.

Nashakia N. Wright, 6500 block of 17th Avenue, Kenosha, possession of an electric weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of THC, felony bail jumping.
1. Yes. Voters across the city filled the seat in the first place. Voters should decide again.

2. Yes. An election is much preferable to back-room decisions among council members.

3. No. The charter calls for the council to fill the vacancy by appointment. Follow the rules.

4. No. An election would be expensive, both for the city and for the potential candidates.

5. Unsure. An election seems more transparent, but its not the perfect answer.

Vote

View Results
KEARNEY  When Brad Kernick and the Cruise Nite Steering committee first thought about organizing a tour to area assisted living facilities and nursing homes, they didnt know how important it would be.

That has become one of our more popular events, Kernick said. I had a couple activity directors from a couple of the homes reach out to me and say, You know, we have some people who love cars but we just cant get them downtown. Is there anyway that you guys could do something to show them some cars? We looked at our calendar and our calendar was full.

The next year Central Nebraska Auto Club added a specific night for a tour of living and nursing homes.

Oh, my gosh, that has just exploded, Kernick said. Last year I think we had 200 cars or more that participated in the tour.

While the official start of Cruise Nite begins with a show and shine Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. at Blueprint Engines, many members of the club consider the tour to assisted living facilities as the real start of the six days of Cruise Nite.

The tour begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, leaving from the First Baptist Church parking lot, exiting onto West 35th Street. Highlights include E-Free Church at 6:10 p.m., Kinship Pointe Kearney Northridge at 6:16 p.m., Central Nebraska Veterans Home at 6:25 p.m., Dryden Park at 6:44 p.m., Mother Hull Home at 7:02 p.m. and Peterson Senior Center at 7:18 p.m., concluding with ice cream treats and live music by Rascal Martinez from 7:30-9 p.m.

To see a full map, visit KearneyHub.com.

Each of the homes usually have their residents in lawn chairs to watch the tour, Kernick said. The joy it brings to their faces is immeasurable.

Many people along the route also gather to watch the cars.

Its not unusual for us to go by a residential area that has six or eight or 10 people in lawn chairs out on the front lawn, maybe having an adult beverage, maybe having a cheeseburger, and just enjoying it, Kernick said. And then we go by a park and there again, its not unusual to see 20 or 30 people gathered, waiting for us to go by. Its really become a big deal. I feel good about that.

Kernick calls the community support for the tour encouraging.

The partnership with the Kearney Police Dept. has been really helpful because the event has gotten so big, he said.

The event differs from a static car show because patrons can hear and see the vehicles in action.

I think we maybe had 75 vehicles during the first year, Kernick added. Its just amazing how its grown. The happiness it brings to people, thats really rewarding to see.

Other events during Cruise Nite include a concert with Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations, a classic car auction and the Kid-Friendly Cool Car Carnival at Hilltop Mall.

The keystone event, the show and shine in Downtown Kearney: The Bricks, draws classic and collectible vehicles from a wide area.

Its not unusual for us to have participants from four or five or six states, Kernick said. Now, Im not going to tell you that they made a special trip from California to Kearney for Cruise Nite, but there they are. We have out-of-state participants every year. And the food court at the City Hall parking lot, that has grown and evolved, too. We have a good selection of different food you can get there, everything from a Philly cheese steak sandwich to a cheeseburger to a hot dog to ice. Its just amazing.

Last year the Nebraska Dept. of Tourism awarded Cruise Nite as the Outstanding Event for Communities 10,000 and larger.

Thats a feather in our hat, Kernick said. That does not go unnoticed. And its the fourth time we received that award.

For more information about Cruise Nite, visit CruiseNite.org.

Start your engines What: Classic Car Tour to area assisted living and nursing homes. When: 6 p.m. Wednesday. Where: Starting at the parking lot of the First Baptist Church at 3610 Sixth Ave. Admission: Free. Contact: CruiteNite.org. Cruise Nite highlights: Tuesday 5-7 p.m.  Show & Shine at Blueprint Engines with food truck on site and plant tours. Wednesday 6-7 p.m.  Classic Car Tour to area assisted living and nursing homes. Thursday 5-7 p.m.  Show & Shine at Midway Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac with oldies music and goods available. 8 p.m.  Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations in concert at the Merryman Performing Arts Center. Friday 5-7:30 p.m.  Show & Shine at Buffalo County Fairgrounds with oldies music, food and drink available. 7-10:30 p.m.  Classic & Collectible Car Auction, Expo Building, Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Saturday 8 a.m.-noon  Registration for Show & Shine, Downtown Kearney: The Bricks. 9-11 a.m.  Kid-Friendly Cool Car Carnival, Hilltop Mall. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  Eagle Riders Bike Show, Eagles Club. Noon-3:30 p.m.  Engine Building Demonstration from SCC Milford. Noon-4 p.m.  Show & Shine, Downtown Kearney: The Bricks. 4-11 p.m.  NHRA Drag Races at Kearney Raceway Park. Sunday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.  NHRA Drag Races at Kearney Raceway Park. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Show & Shine at Classic Car Collection.
My adult children asked why I havent installed a porch light near my front door. A little light on the situation would make it easier to navigate the steps and find the doorknob. I welcome their visits but I think they can all figure out how to get inside regardless of the time of day. And they all carry cell phones with flashlight features  or at the very least, a screen that glows with enough light to signal an oil tanker 10 miles off shore.

In all honesty, I cherish the darkness. As an expression of my love and respect for their wishes, I did crawl to the top of my TV antenna and install a solar light. So far none of my children have noticed because the light glows with about the same intensity as a far away star. And I like it that way.

As a deterrent to crime, yard light retailers encourage common folk like us to install more lights around our houses. I think a yard light merely allows criminals to see what theyre doing. And if light works as a deterrent, this world would be totally safe from bank fraud and internet scams.

I started thinking about all this after reading an article that said each year the night sky grows 10% brighter because of overuse of lights. These days we go to the planetarium to see what we used to see in our backyards  a spangle of stars, the power of the planets and the silver glow of the moon.

I have friends who routinely travel to Merritt Dam in northwest Nebraska, a place certified as an International Dark Sky Park by a grassroots organization, the International Dark Sky Places Program. There they can see the nocturnal sky in a way that gets harder and harder to find in our civilized world.

I believe that looking at stars in an otherwise black sky helps ground us in our world. It reminds us of our place and how we fit in to the grand scheme of things.

Darkness reminds us to dream, to envision things beyond what we can see. It also lets our other senses take over for awhile. Hearing becomes more acute, our olfactory kicks in and we can begin to feel and touch things around us.

OK, I dont know all that for a fact, but I thought I would just throw it in because it makes my point sound better. Oh, and imagination. I almost forgot about the most important sense  imagination. We can imagine almost anything because thats when we start to enter the dream world.

To the casual observer, it might sound like Im coming up with some pretty thin excuses to avoid installing a porch light. I get that. But I also believe that if you disagree with polluting a river with a sewer pipe draining raw sewage, and you care about the night sky, you shouldnt light up your house like, well, your neighbors house.

Im lucky enough to live several miles north of Kearney. I can see the stars clearer than in town, but I can also see plenty of city lights from my deck. On clear nights, it seems darker because the light goes straight up. On a cloudy night, everything pretty much glows from the extra street lights, headlights and even the lights on the water towers.

I like to remind my children of my good fortune in living in a place that still holds on to the darkness and values it. I hope they can see that fact without a headlamp.
After an eventful several years, Chief Warrant Officer Eric Wieczorek relinquished command of Coast Guard Station Kenosha to Senior Chief Christopher Skala at a lakefront ceremony on Friday.

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, fire chiefs of Kenosha and Wilmette, and the commanding officers of Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary units across Lake Michigan came to the local station as Wieczorek was commended for outstanding leadership."

Captain Seth Parker, commander of Sector Lake Michigan, presented Wieczorek with the Coast Guard Commendation Medal with Operational Device, for superior acts of leadership and public service.

Characterizing Lake Michigan search and rescue missions as daunting, Parker described recent rescues performed in the dark of night during gale force wind and wave conditions.

Since 2020 as Officer in Charge of Station Wilmette, his crew received 129 search and rescue cases, in which 93 lives and $143,000 in property were saved.

Station Kenosha reopened after a four-year period of inactive status in 2021, where Wieczorek oversaw the transfer of over $5 million in equipment from Wilmette as well as the relocation of all his personnel and their families.

Parker went on to say that during the period of civil unrest and the tense Rittenhouse trial, Chief Wieczorek took measures to temporarily relocate crew member families to safe locations.

While guiding Station Kenosha through the quarantine measures of the global pandemic, he also worked closely with the marine units of the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department and fire departments of Kenosha and Wilmette to integrate and coordinate local search and rescue efforts.

"To say that Chief Warrant Officer Wieczoreks term has been eventful would be an understatement," Parker said.

Following the final inspection of the unit with incoming Senior Chief Skala, Wieczorek thanked his family and bid a tearful farewell to the local station personnel.

Although hailing from Florida and unaccustomed to Wisconsin winters, his family has become immersed in the community and will miss Kenosha. What a ride weve had, he reflected to the crew, stating that he had been blessed with the best.

Incoming commander Skala comes to Kenosha from Coast Guard Station Oxford in the Chesapeake region of Maryland. Bringing a wealth of experience with him, Skala thanked Chief Wieczorek for the high morale evident at the local station and is looking forward to leading the crew in coming years.

Wieczorek will be moving to a new assignment in Delaware Bay.
Tremper Class of 83

The Tremper Class of 1983 will hold its 40th reunion on Saturday, July 15, at the Sunnyside Club, >7517 22nd Ave.

Classmates can contact Pamela Rizzo at 920-838-3904 for more information.

Bradford Class of 56

The classs rescheduled 65th reunion will be held on Saturday, July 22, at Stellas Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road), from noon to 4:30 p.m.

Cost: To be determined; Contacts: Marge Huck Hall, 262-883-4070 and Dennis Filippelli, 262-657-3061

Bradford/Tremper 66

Bradford/Tremper Classmates of 66 will celebrate their 75th Happy Birthday Wishes at The Taste of Wisconsin Jazz Tent on Friday, July 28, at 7 p.m.. Look for the red, white, and blue balloons. It will be held at the Taste of Wisconsin at Kenoshas lakefront, which has free entry and you can buy local foods, treats and special drinks.

For more information see the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/832010226919220/permalink/5873422062777986/?mibextid=UUgoR4.

Bradford Class of 68

The class 55th reunion will be held on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Stellas Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road), staring with a cash bar from 5-6 p.m., followed by a buffet from 6-8 p.m. featuring pizza, appetizers and desserts; Music by Trip begins at 8 p.m.

Cost: $30/person; Registration deadline extended to July 18.

Make check payable to Bradford Class of 68 and send to: Sue (Bundy) Sereno (ph: 262/652-4379), 4206 45th Ave., Kenosha, WI 53144

If you do not plan to attend the reunion but would like to keep our class website going, please send a check to the above address, noting that it is for the web site.

Contact: Margie (Cantrell) Hannes, 262-496-9393 cell or 262-859-9396 home, or reach out via email, mhannes65@gmail.com.

On Facebook at the Bradford 68 Kenosha Class website: https://www.bradford68.com/class_index.cfm.

Bradford class of 85

The class will hold a mini, casual 38th class reunion on Saturday, July 29, at Petrifying Springs Biergarten, starting at 2 p.m. until the park closes at 8 p.m. No carry-ins allowed. Tables in the Biergarten on a first come, first served basis. No RSVP is necessar.

Use online link to leave comments on whether you can attend: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094188662723.

St. Joseph Class of 63

The St. Joseph High School 1963 graduates 60th year class reunion will be held at Casa Capri in Kenosha, on Aug. 12, starting at 5 p.m.

Those interested on attending are asked to contact: Katie Wojtak, 6906 Fifth Ave., Kenosha, WI. 53143; email khwojtak@icloud.com; or phone 262-658-2769.

Bradford Class of 78

The 45th class reunion will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, at Kenosha Brewing Company (4017 80th Street). It will start at 6 p.m. with a buffet served indoors until 8 p.m. There will be a cash bar, band at 7 p.m., performing outdoors on the KBC lighted patio.

Tickets: $15 cash/person at the door.

Bradford Class of 61

An 80th birthday party weekend will start with an ice breaker on Friday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m., at Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road), followed by th party on Satuday, Aug. 26, with 5 p.m. cocktails and 6 p.m. dinner service at Kenosha Country Club (500 13th Ave.).

Visit the class website to register and pay: www.bradford61.com

Bradford Class of 73

The class 50th reunion will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15-16. It will begin with a 6 p.m. ice breaker on Friday at Kenosha Brewing Co (4017 80th Street), with no reservations required. It is a cash bar with food available off the menu at your own expense.

The reunion will be Saturday, Sept. 16, at Stellas Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road), starting with a 5 p.m. cash bar with snacks and a silent auction. It will be follwoed by a 6:30 p.m. buffet featuring pizza, chicken wings, salad and homemade desserts.

Reservations required. Carpooling suggested, due to limited availability of parking spaces.

Contact: Randy Vaccaro, 262-551-0510. The class website is www.bradford73.com.

Bradford Class of 58

The class 65th reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Stellas Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road), from noon to 4 p.m.

Cost: $25/per person for family style dinner and cash bar; Reservation deadline is Aug. 1.

Contacts: Juanita Jornt Becker, 262-222-3233, rbecker40@wi.r.com; Judy Michelen Maegaard, 262-657-5538; Beth Covelli Wade, gewade70@yahoo.com; or Connie Bruch McCurdy, 262-652-9550

Class website: Bradford High School Class of 1958, Kenosha, WI.

2024 REUNIONS Bradford Class of 57

The Reunion Committee has reserved Stellas Casa Capri (2129 Birch Road) for the reunion, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

More details to come.

Do you have a reunion coming up? Let us know about it and well get out the word. Send the information to newsroom@kenoshanews.com.
Monday

KENOSHA COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING & DISABILITY SERVICES: Noon, at the Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 Sheridan Road (North 2). Items on the agenda include: Aging Advocacy update; state budget update; program updates.

BROOKSIDE BOARD OF TRUSTEES: 3 p.m., at Brookside Care Center, 3506 Washington Road. Items on the agenda include: reports from Willowbrook, Life Enrichment, Nursing Department, administrator, trustees and chairperson.

WILMOT UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD: 4:30 p.m., at the school library, 11112 308th Ave., Wilmot. This is a work session with discussion items including: school perceptions community survey proposal, priorities for year 3 of district strategic plan, facilities assessment proposals, Fund 46, and board member appointment process.

PLEASANT PRAIRIE VILLAGE BOARD: 5 p.m., at the Village Hall Auditorium, 9915 39th Ave. Items on the agenda include: consider approval of contract to Buteyn-Peterson Construction Co. for the FEMA Lake Michigan Shoreline project; consider approval of ordinance to the Land Division and Development Control Ordinance related to variances, design standards and definitions; consider approval of authorizing issuance and sale of $45.545 million in general obligation promissory notes.

KENOSHA CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC SAFETY & WELFARE COMMITTEE: 5 p.m., at the municipal building, 625 52nd St., room 204. The agenda includes: Wisconsin Department of Justice JAG Records Management Systems updates grant; ordinance to create city code section on landlord registration and residential rental dwelling unit inspection program.

KENOSHA BOARD OF PARKS COMMISSION: 5 p.m., at the municipal building, 625 52nd St., room 204. The agenda includes: request for use of Pennoyer Park and bandshell on Aug. 13 for Taco Fest and health fair; request to use Pennoyer Park and bandshell on Sept. 10 for Fiestas Patrias Festival/parade; request from KASL to have pop-up beer tent at Anderson Park on Sept. 23; agreement with Lakeshore Pedal Tours LLC for use of Simmons Island Beach House; accept tree removal project (various city locations) and tree planting (citywide locations).

KENOSHA CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: 5:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 625 52nd St., room 202. The agenda includes: request to use Seventh Avenue from 44th Street to Pennoyer Park on Sept. 10 for Fiestas Patrias Festival/parade; request from Three Harbors Council of Boy Scouts of America to use city sidewalks, HarborPark promenade and grassy area west of Civil War Museum for Scoutopoly on Oct. 7; award contract for concrete street and joint repairs (various locations) Parmentier Property Works LLC of Pleasant Prairie for $177,000; accept tree removal project (various city locations) and tree planting (citywide locations).

Tuesday

KENOSHA COUNTY PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 11 a.m., at the Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th St., Bristol, in the Planning & Development Conference Room. This is a monthly work session and possible tour of sites.

TREVOR-WILMOT SCHOOL BUILDING AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE: 4 p.m., in the school library, 26325 Wilmot Road, Trevor. Agenda items include: facility usage form change; 2023-24 project proposals including retrofitting lighting, additional Fob stations, and replacing the movable stage platform; and comprehensive safety manual draft.

SOMERS TOWN BOARD: 5:15 p.m., in the Town/Village Hall, 7511 12th St. Items on the agenda include: public hearing and action on alcohol application for BBs Pub; operators licenses.

SOMERS VILLAGE BOARD: 5:30 p.m., in the Village/Town Hall, 7511 12th St. Items on the agenda include: special event application for Snap-on company picnic on July 22; operators licenses.

Wednesday

KENOSHA HOMETOWN HEROES COMMISSION: 5 p.m., at the municipal building, 625 52nd St., Room 301. The commission will discuss veteran recognition banners at Harborside Academy.

KENOSHA COUNTY PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 6 p.m., at the Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th St., Bristol, conference room B. Items on the agenda include: feature program Antioxidant Small Fruit Trial Program; WU-Extension educator/program updates; UW-Extension director updates; public hearings on land use items.

Thursday

KENOSHA COUNTY BROADBAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE: 10 a.m., at the Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th St., Bristol, in conference room A. Items on agenda include: presentation by Midwest Fiber Networks; review for recommendations proposals on Wi-Fi and Security Camera Solutions in county parks including Kemper Center, Anderson Arts Center, Silver Lake Park and Old Settlers Park; and presentation on additional opportunities for ARPA funding.

KENOSHA SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCY BOARD: 4:30 p.m., at the municipal building, 625 52nd St., room 204. The board will hold two public hearings on petitions for exemption to the residency restrictions, followed by closed sessions for discussion of these petitions.

KENOSHA COUNTY RACIAL & ETHNIC EQUITY COMMISSION: 6 p.m., Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 Sheridan Road, entrance D. Items on the agenda include: discussion and possible action on renaming the Jennie Tunkieicz Award for Gender and Racial Equity.

KENOSHA COUNTY FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 6:30 p.m., at the Kenosha County Administration Building, 1010 56th St., in the second floor committee conference room. Items on the agenda include: resolution to authorize sale of Highway F remnant parcels; resolution to accept Community Development Block Grant to support the 2023 Kemper Center building exterior renovation project; resolution authorizing director of highways to accept $50,000 from Silver Lake Solar WI for road repairs to vacant lot owned by the county; monthly reports.
You Too Can Be A KGNU Underwriter Sponsoring and underwriting programs is one of the best ways for your organization to support KGNU Community Radio while increasing your visibility across the Front Range. Reach New Customers Everyday retail stores, restaurants, concert promoters, theaters, service providers, nonprofits and many more reach out to KGNU's progressive, diverse, and dedicated audience by sponsoring, or "underwriting," specific programs. Underwriters receive on-air acknowledgments during those programs that let listeners know who they are, what they do, and how to reach them for more information. KGNU reaches over 40,000 loyal listeners every week, who tune in stay informed on local and global news, public affairs, and enjoy diverse music and the arts. KGNU listeners are progressive, thoughtful, educated, environmentally conscientious, and overwhelmingly support the causes they believe in. They consistently return, are engaged, active, and generous. See our list of Underwriters Here's what some of our underwriters have to say: We tried underwriting with KGNU to inform people about Mother House before Colorado Gives Day. We received many donations from new individuals. We will work with KGNU again and do more underwriting in the future.



-- Nikki Cohen, Treasurer of Mother House. We are a proud partner of KGNU because we see the value in community radio and understand the importance of supporting local organizations. KGNU not only entertains their listeners but is dedicated to educating and informing others which we appreciate.



-- Chris Nelson, CEO of Attention Homes I am so proud that I have been a KGNU member and one of the sponsors of the Grateful Dead Hour for the last 22 years, and I am so glad to be part of this special radio station.



-- Mark Milavitz, Alternative Law Office of Mark Millivitz Weve partnered with KGNU in various capacities over the years, and pretty recently we co-hosted an event together which we live-streamed on KGNUs website and the program was also later re-broadcast during the Morning Magazine on KGNU. KGNU is such a valuable asset to our community and nonprofit organizations like Motus theatre because they help take our work and amplify it. When we perform we perform, we usually perform in front of two to three hundred people at a time, when we partner with KGNU, we reach the entire Front Range, From Denver to Boulder to Fort Collins. Thats huge for us. Especially when traditional media outlets are struggling to keep reporters on to cover the arts, KGNU is there for us, always there, to help us spread our message, whether thats broadcasting segments of our performances or helping us promote our events. I support KGNU personally and I encourage you to do the same.



-- Kirsten Wilson, Executive Director Motus Theater Affordable Rates Underwriting generally ranges from $30-$50 per message. News Drive Time and Saturdays Less than 50 announcements - $50 per message

50 or more announcements - $45 per message

100 or more announcements - $40 per message

150 or more announcements - $35 per message Non-Drive Time and Late Night Sundays Less than 50 announcements - $35 per message

100 or more announcements - $30 per message

150 or more announcements - $25 per message There are times KGNU may be interested in offering underwriting announcements in trade for goods or services. For in-kind or trade underwriting agreements, announcements are individually negotiated with the business. Contact Sarah@kgnu.org for more information. Underwriting 101 Underwriting is not considered "advertising."

Underwriting promotes, in a 20-second on-air message, and acknowledges an institution's philanthropic support of KGNU Community Radio.

KGNU underwriting announcements are pre-recorded, and in some instances, read live by our on-air hosts.

No more than two 20 second underwriting announcements run per break on KGNU. Your message will get heard and doesn't get lost in the clutter of typical commercial radio breaks.

FCC regulations govern all underwriting support announcements by nonprofit broadcasters. The regulations require stations provide on-air recognition of funders while stipulating that these announcements are strictly for identification; they cannot be promotional. What can Underwriters Say on KGNU? Underwriting announcements are regulated by the FCC and must conform to the following guidelines: Allowed: Value-neutral description of product or services.

Product or service listings that aid in identifying the business. For example: "This program is supported by the KGNU Listener Members and by ABC, whose product 123 is available at XYZ. More information available at ABC dot com." Prohibited: Comparisons and Endorsements, Qualitative statements, Expressions of viewers, Superlative descriptions

Price or value information

Calls to action

Slogans Get Started Now (Opens in new window) Have questions about underwriting on KGNU or would like to get started? Please email underwriting@kgnu.org or contact Kenneth Flowe, KGNU Account Manager at kenneth@kgnu.org or (720) 317-7230 (cell) or (303) 449-4885 (office).


By Macky Sall



DAKAR  In late June, Senegal celebrated the feast of Tabaski, our version of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. But for some, the festivities were overshadowed by mourning for those who lost their lives in an inexcusable outbreak of violence last month. Civil unrest has tested Senegal's social cohesion and our long tradition  enviable in Africa  of peace and stability. Our fellow citizens' lives should not be sacrificed on the altar of political interests. We have an obligation to protect the life and dignity of all Senegalese.



My government is now investigating the causes of the violence, particularly the malign forces behind the unrest, which coincided with a torrent of hate speech on social media and cyber-attacks against strategic government websites and vital services, such as water and electricity. Nothing can justify such acts of violence and disruption, not to mention the destruction of public and private property, including universities and schools. The subversive groups behind the violence clearly wanted to plunge our country into darkness and destabilize our democracy.



Senegal was hit hard by the economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, and by the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, which is making life difficult for many households. But I know that Senegal's hard-working people have the strength to overcome such challenges. Senegal has one of the strongest and most stable democracies in Africa, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to my predecessors for this proud record. We have made massive progress since independence 60 years ago, and we now have the opportunity to leave a great legacy. The decisions we make together will shape the future of Senegal and the lives of our children and theirs.



That brings me to the choice for president on Feb. 25 next year, when Senegalese will continue the country's proud tradition of holding free and fair elections. I have been gratified by the many agencies, NGOs, and individuals  including 512 of the country's 601 mayors and department-council presidents  urging me to stand for another five-year term. I have also received encouragement and support from the diaspora, youth movements, women, our respected sages, teachers, Arabists, religious organizations, and many others. All have demonstrated an eagerness to lead the fight for my re-election. To all these compatriots, I want to express my deep gratitude.



After long and careful consideration, however, I have decided that I will not stand as a candidate, even though the constitution permits me to do so. This decision may surprise many who have extended me their admiration, trust, and loyalty. But I would remind everyone that Senegal is greater than any one individual. Our country is blessed with other leaders who are also capable of leading us to the next level of development.



I have announced this decision to put to rest the rampant speculation about my candidacy. For the rest of my term, I will remain focused on running the country and delivering on my promises to the people. Contrary to rumors that I harbored new presidential ambitions, I have not forgotten what I said many times previously: that the term I began in 2019 was my second and last one. My sense of personal honor and historical responsibility demand that I keep my word and preserve my dignity.



I am determined to continue Senegal's proud tradition of democracy. Until the handover of power next April, I will devote all my strength and energy to defending our republic's constitutional institutions. That means showing respect for court decisions, safeguarding our territorial integrity, and protecting people and property.



We have made undeniable achievements, and we still have incredible potential. But we must remain vigilant and aware of the difficulties we face. The obstacles before us are real, and we have enemies working against us both inside and outside the country. For the sake of both present and future generations, Senegal must stay on the path of peace, stability, social cohesion, respect for law, public order, and national unity.



That will require all of us to adhere to the civic and religious principles that underpin our model of society. We must stand up for democracy and freedom, and uphold the best of our collective Senegalese and African identity  an identity that is both rooted in our traditions and open to a world of innovation and opportunity. We owe our unique national success to it, and we must not take it for granted.





Macky Sall is President of Senegal. This column was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Eau Claire and the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC will host a free Small Business Clinic on July 26 at the former UW-Richland Campus, 1200 Hwy. 14, Richland Center.

The daylong clinic is a choose your own adventure for entrepreneurs. Sign up for one meeting and consultation with an expert or stay for the day. Participants with questions about starting a business, financials, marketing or legal matters, will be able to book 30-minute one-on-one appointments from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. In addition to the 30-minute appointments, participants may choose to attend lecture-style sessions at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., featuring: Social Media Marketing with Heather Ferguson from UW-Madisons SBDC, General Business Law with the UW-Madison Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, and All About E-Commerce and How to Get Your Business Online with entrepreneur Becca Cooke of Eau Claire. Additionally, free professional headshots will be available to attendees, further supporting entrepreneurs in building a professional brand image.

To register for the clinic general sessions, individual consults and professional headshots, visit this link: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/July-26thSmall-Business-Clinic or email: nora.roughen-schmidt@business.wisvonsin.edu call/text 608-716-9441

This event was made possible thanks to an Innovation Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation awarded to the SBDC at UW-Eau Claire.

The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a network supporting entrepreneurs and business owners through no-cost, confidential consulting, and business education. Our regional expertise is accessible to anyone anywhere across more than a dozen locations. The Wisconsin SBDC is one of five programs at the Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, which provides specialized resources and helps clients craft personalized plans to grow their businesses. The Institute is part of the world-class University of Wisconsin System.
A La Crosse County program designed to identify and address root causes of drug-related crime is gaining momentum  with an assist from a UW-La Crosse sociology class.

The countys Drug Treatment Court was established in 2002 with the goal of breaking a cycle of repeat offenses. Using a combination of substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation services and community supervision, it seeks to help those who have committed drug-related offenses successfully reintegrate into society. This spring, La Crosse County enlisted students in Associate Professor Lisa Kruses Methods of Social Research I course to develop a system for tracking the effectiveness of the program year to year.

Kruse calls the project an impactful experiential learning opportunity  one that allows students to engage with the community while developing skills that will serve them well in their careers.

Its all about giving students a work-integrated learning experience, bringing the type of project they might eventually do for work into the classroom, she explains. Not everyone will go on to do data analysis. But my hope is to show them that, even if their primary responsibilities have nothing to do with research, they could still be a competitive job candidate if they can do basic analyses and write reports on how well a program is working.

Kruse incorporated the project into the existing structure of the course, which begins with a review of foundational concepts such as mean, median and mode. The class then builds toward more advanced tasks such as analyzing data through Excel or SPSS and reporting findings through formal write-ups.

In developing their report, students analyzed outcomes for those who had completed all or some of the yearlong treatment program, including whether they had gone on to reoffend, the amount of time it took them to reoffend and the severity of the repeat offense.

To avoid inconsistencies in their analysis, the class compared pre-COVID data from 2018 and 2019. During that span, the Drug Treatment Court graduation rate increased from 36% to 47%, and the new conviction rate dropped slightly, from 50% to 47%.

While its too early to draw meaningful conclusions, the students work was key in establishing a method and baseline for annual evaluation.

Kruse hopes to continue the project in future sections of her Methods of Social Research I course, which is offered each spring semester. La Crosse County Circuit Judge Scott Horne, who oversees the Drug Treatment Court, sees value in that, too.

The work of Dr. Kruse and her students was thorough and of high quality, says Horne, who also serves on the UW-L Foundation Board. This partnership is a good example of the Wisconsin Idea at work  the knowledge and expertise of the university is applied to practical challenges faced by community organizations, benefiting the community as a whole. I look forward to continuing the collaboration with the goal of helping the drug court achieve its full potential.

The partnership  part of UW-Ls Community Engaged Learning program  also promises to send ripples into the workforce, preparing the next generation of sociologists and criminal justice professionals.

One such student, Katie Last, recently completed her first year at UW-L. Last, a West Bend native with a double major in sociology and theatre arts, says she enjoyed the project for a few reasons.

It allowed her to develop a variety of new skills in research and data analysis. It laid the groundwork for her prospective career as a school social worker.

And it dealt with a local, real-world problem rather than a hypothetical one, empowering Last and her classmates to make a positive difference.

I grew up in a family of educators, and their stories about kids who struggle at home and how it impacts them in school have always hurt my heart, she says.

The lessons I learned in this class will significantly apply to my future career, whether I decide to pursue school social work or not. It taught me how to take a step back and think critically about how real socioeconomic issues affect others and how we, as aspiring sociologists, can help find solutions.
Ritter on Callous Hypocrisy of U.S.s Cluster Munitions in Ukraine

July 9, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Scott Ritter argues in a hard hitting op-ed yesterday in Sputnik that the Biden Administrations arguments for sending cluster munitions to Ukraine are fraudulent. He starts with the claim, made by both Jake Sullivan and Colin Kahl at the Pentagon that the M864 DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) that the U.S. plans to send to Ukraine, will only consist of rounds with a certified dud rate of under 2%. Ritter exposes it as a calculated lie, as the testing was done under laboratory conditions that dont exist in Ukraine. When employed in real-life situations, the dud rate of the sub-munitions will be much higheroften up to 20%, Ritter says.

Rough terrain, mud, soft soil, trees, and bushes all conspire to prevent the sub-munitions from detonating, Moreover, given that the lifespan of a 155mm artillery shell is 20 years, and that production of the M864 round, which began in 1987, terminated in 1996, the vast majority of the M864 artillery shells being provided to Ukraine have reached or exceeded their expiration date, which means that there is an increased probability that many of these shells will not perform as designed.

And the U.S. government knows it, he asserts: The fact is that the M864 DPICM round being delivered to Ukraine is neither as reliable or safe as the Biden administration contends.

Ritter also argues that the lethality of the DPICM rounds will also turn out to be much lower than claimed. The U.S. army calculatesagain under ideal conditionsthat a DPICM round is 5-15 times more lethal than a regular artillery shell, but under real conditions it degrades significantly. In short, the M864 is not a game changer,  Ritter says. The Ukrainian forces will achieve limited tactical advantage through its employment, and in many cases, see their probability of kill factors drop.

But the claims made for the DPICM are not the real reasons the administration decided to send it to Ukraine. The U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with the M864 DPICM round is driven by one thing and one thing onlythe fact that Ukraine is running out of 155mm artillery shells, and the U.S. has nothing left to give Ukraine except the M864, Ritter writes.

As things stand, Ukraine will exhaust its supply of 155mm artillery shells prior to any of the objectives set for the counteroffensive having been met. The Biden administration has decided to provide the M864 DPICM round as an emergency stop-gap measure designed to allow Ukraine to sustain its planned rate of fire until which time U.S. and European production of 155mm artillery can be expanded to meet Ukraines operational needs, something that isnt anticipated to occur until mid-2024 at the earliest.

Further, the M864 wont change the reality that Ukraine does not have the capability to successfully defeat Russian forces on the battlefield. The decision by the Biden administration to supply Ukraine with the M864 round is simply a callous continuation of a policy designed to prolong a conflict Ukraine cannot win, and which causes Ukraine to lose hundreds of men killed every day, Ritter concludes. It does nothing to alter the current trajectory of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which as things currently stand points to a decisive Russian victory, an outcome the Biden administration is loath to accept.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR MONDAY JULY 10, 2023

At the Crossroads of History: We Need an Explosion of Optimism

July 9, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Weather forecasts can be fairly predictable, except when theyre not. Its those fascinating intervals when great forces gather, seemingly out of nowhere, that epochal changes may occur.

At a momentous Schiller Institute conference in Strasbourg, France, its founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche challenged those attending on her forecast. The variety of processes that are unmistakably afootincluding the blowout of the financial system, the exhaustion of the Ukrainian population, the Global South on the risemake the immediate period ahead both full of danger and pregnant with the most exciting opportunities for world development. South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa was cited as encapsulating the rise of the Global South. His June 22 Paris challenge to the West was to put up or shut up: Build the long-delayed Inga Dam project for the Congo River (key for addressing the over half a billion Africans without electricity) or we simply cant trust anything you say. Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche emphasized that there is a palpable determination to build a new, workable economic system, but that there are branching points in history when changes may come too late. We are in the middle of that process now, and that is the defining activity for at least the next year or two.

On the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, July 11-12, Western media outlets are obsessed that Vladimir Putin and Russia will celebrate the disunity and fracturing of the vaunted Western alliance, on the heels of the vaunted Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ruptures over whether to commit to Ukraine joining NATO, which is understood to mean an escalated path to thermonuclear confrontation with Russia, is dividing Germany from Poland, etc. The media outlets, however, are mainly concerned not to give Putin a victory, so their concerns over Vilnius amount to putting lipstick on a pig. Yet the participants have to figure out how to phrase NATOs language on the future Western collaboration with Ukraine, and this boils down to, how long can one dance with the devil of a thermonuclear exchange. Further, the decades-long immiseration of Western industry has left Ukraine without munitions, and the price of buying time is the only supply of munitions the U.S. can throw at the problemcluster bombs. The ugliness of such desperation is fracturing the Western allies even further.

In the U.S., Politico covered the outbreak of various Democrats to Bidens decision, including that of Rep. Betty McCollum (MN), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, who said: The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake. They reported on months of efforts by House Democrats, warning the administration to stay clear of cluster bombs. Whether their perceived insult and outrage drives them toward sanity remains to be seen. But they are not alone.

On July 7, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Grahams craziness accomplished some good. He claimed that his resolution for putting Ukraine into NATO was supported by an overwhelming majority of senators; and this triggered a very healthy outburst of Republican legislators calling out Grahams flight-forward as madness and exactly wrong, even bringing up the systematic extension of the Cold War relic NATO as the cause of the present conflict.

Of note, Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy perhaps said it best:

Joe Biden needs to man up to his bully-friend Zelensky & clearly state that we are dead-set opposed to Ukrainian admission to NATO. This should be a hard red line. Its shameful that even Republicans like Lindsey Graham are now pushing for it. Stop marching us to the brink of nuclear war.... [T]he neocon-Democrat establishment is shockingly silent on James Bakers famous 1990 Not-One-Inch commitment to Gorbachev that NATO would never extend east of Germany. NATO was created to deter conflict with the USSR, yet NATO has expanded most rapidly after the fall of the USSR & is now worsening the risk of nuclear war with Russia itself. This is sheer lunacy. As President Ill refuse to be bullied by an anti-democratic comedian-turned-leader & its truly mystifying to me that the rest of the West is eating out of this Pied Pipers hand every day (emphasis in original).

Between Democrats betrayed over cluster bombs and Republicans horrified over nuclear gamesmanship, a certain reality, seemingly unexpectedly, made its way into American politics over the last 48 hours. But a great moment in history must not find a little people. The deliberations of the last 48 hours at the Schiller Institute European conference are the most efficient pathway to overcome littleness.

More will come shortly on the deliberations of that conference. For now, here is a paraphrase of some of Zepp-LaRouches concluding remarks:

We have to go out of the conference with the commitment to organize this beautiful European continent. We contributed science, but what is of lasting value to the new paradigm, which is possible in the short term, is our culture. Africa, Latin America, Asia are moving forward. We have to prevent that Europe should end in chaos, sidelined, in a museum in Mongolia.

We have had the Italian Renaissance, the French Polytechnique tradition, German Classical music. Not one European politician speaks about the substance of the great thinkers. We have to have the commitment to revive the European culture. The human soul, the power of creativity is stronger than the power of hatred.

We need an explosion of optimismthat with our optimism, we will be hegemonic, and not the enemy.
Scientists say that, for the first time, they have observed gravitational waves caused by black holes and other huge space objects moving through the universe.

A group of international scientists using radio telescopes in North America, Europe, China, India and Australia made the observation.

The existence of gravitational waves was first predicted more than 100 years ago by physicist Albert Einstein as part of his General Theory of Relativity. Einsteins theory proposed that gravity is caused by a curving of space and time.

Scientists believe that, as gravitational waves travel through space, they press against and stretch everything they pass through. But researchers have struggled for many years to find solid evidence of the waves. In the 1970s, researchers found indirect proof by studying the motion of two crashing stars. That work was honored as part of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics.

Then, in 2016, astronomers announced they had detected the first direct evidence of gravitational waves. That evidence came from an American-based research project known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO. The LIGO project used ground-based telescope instruments to detect a gravitational wave produced when two black holes crashed into each other about 1.3 billion light years from Earth.

But the LIGO effort was only able to pick up waves at high frequencies. In the latest research, scientists were attempting to find low-frequency waves as a way to confirm gravitational wave signals.

The researchers said they successfully discovered such signals using about 15 years of data from a project called NANOGrav. This project has long used telescopes across North America to search for low-frequency gravitational waves. The results were recently published in a study in The Astrophysical Journal of Letters.

The research involved scientists aiming a series of radio telescopes at dead stars called pulsars. The pulsars send out radio wave signals as they spin around in space. These signals are so predictable that scientists know exactly when the radio waves are supposed to arrive on Earth. The pulsars are like a perfectly regular clock ticking away far out in space, said NANOGrav member Sarah Vigeland. She is an astrophysicist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

But gravitational waves can affect the distance between Earth and the pulsars, which can change the signal activity. The researchers examined small changes in the ticking rate across 68 different pulsars. Some signals came early while others came late. The scientists said this research method provided enough evidence that gravitational waves were passing through.

So far, this method has not been able to identify exactly where these low-frequency waves are coming from, said Marc Kamionkowski. He is an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University who was not involved with the latest research.

But Kamionkowski told The Associated Press the process does demonstrate how low-frequency gravitational waves appear to produce a continuous background noise. He compared the sound to what a person hears when standing in the middle of a party. Youll hear all of these people talking, but you wont hear anything in particular, Kamionkowski said.

The discovered background noise is louder than some scientists had expected, said Chiara Mingarelli. She is a member of the NANOGrav team and an astrophysicist at Yale University. Mingarelli told the AP this could mean there are more, or bigger, incidences of black holes coming together in space than previously thought.

Or it may suggest there could be other sources of gravitational waves that could raise new questions about the formation of the universe. For example, another theory is that gravitational waves could be left over from a fast expansion period that came right after the Big Bang. The Big Bang is the explosion many scientists believe created the universe.

Michael Keith was a member of the research team and works with the European Pulsar Timing Array, a collection of research telescopes. He said the galaxies between Earth and the Big Bang were likely "drowning out" such gravitational waves.

In the future, scientists say low-frequency gravitational waves could provide even more information about early expansion of the universe. In addition, such a study could also help expand research on the mysteries of dark matter.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and West Virginia University.

Quiz - Scientists Observe Gravitational Waves Linked to Black Holes for the First Time Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

curve  v. to form a curve: a line that bends continuously and has no straight parts

detect  v. to find or discover

frequency  n. the number of times a wave is produced within a particular period

tick  n. the sound a clock or watch makes each second when keeping time

source  n. where something comes from

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A new United States citizenship test is expected to be launched by late next year. Some immigrants and their supporters worry the updated exam will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English skills.

The test is one of the final steps to gain American citizenship. The entire process takes months. It also requires legal permanent residency for years before applying.

The test currently in use was last updated in 2008.

In 2020, the former presidential administration launched a new citizenship test. It was harder and longer than the test it replaced.

When President Joe Biden came in to office months later, he ordered an end to that test. The order re-established the former test.

Late last year, U.S. officials announced that the test would be updated.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has proposed that the new test update the English-speaking part of the test. It suggests that test givers show images of simple, everyday things like weather or food, and ask the applicant to describe what they see.

In the current test, an officer examines an applicants speaking ability during the naturalization interview. The examiner asks personal questions that the applicant has already answered in writing, for naturalization documents.

For me, I think it would be harder to look at pictures and explain them, said Heaven Mehreta. She emigrated from Ethiopia 10 years ago. Mehreta passed the naturalization test in May and, last month, she became a U.S. citizen.

Another proposed change would make the civics section on U.S. history and government multiple-choice. Currently, applicants give spoken short answers.

Bill Bliss is a language and civics educator in Massachusetts and a writer of citizenship textbooks. In a blog post, he gave an example of how the test would become more difficult and require more knowledge.

A current civics question asks the applicant to name a war fought by the U.S. in the 1900s. An applicant only needs to say one out of five correct answers  World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War or Gulf War  to get the question right.

But in the proposed test, the applicant would read that question and mark the correct answer from the following choices:

A. Civil War

B. Mexican-American War

C. Korean War

D. Spanish-American War

An applicant must know all five of the wars fought by the U.S. in the 1900s to choose the one correct answer, Bliss said. That requires a much higher level of language proficiency and test-taking skill.

Currently, an applicant must answer six out of 10 civics questions correctly to pass. The 10 are among 100 possible civics questions. An applicant is not told which questions will be chosen for their test, but can see and study all the possible questions before taking the test.

Lynne Weintraub is with Jones Librarys English as a Second Language Center in Massachusetts. She said the proposed test for the civics section could make the citizenship test harder for people who struggle with English literacy. That includes refugees, older immigrants and people who have disabilities.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a December announcement that the proposed changes reflect current best practices in test design.

Under federal law, most applicants seeking citizenship must show an understanding of the English language. That includes speaking, reading and writing words in normal usage. Applicants must also show knowledge of U.S. history and government.

The agency said it will hold a nationwide trial of the proposed changes in 2023. Then, a group of experts in the fields of language, civics and test development will review the trials results. They will suggest ways to best make changes.

More than 1 million people became U.S. citizens in the 2022 financial year. That is among the highest number documented since 1907, when officials started keeping such records.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from Associated Press.

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Words in This Story

applicant  n. someone who formally asks for something

interview  n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information

resident  n. someone who lives in a particular place

civics  n. the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works

proficient  adj. good at doing something

reflect  v. to show
Researchers in the city of Spanish city of Barcelona are trying to trick nature by engineering a uterus from special materials.

The goal is to use the artificial uterus to protect babies who are born too early and who have not developed enough to survive outside the womb.

The scientists have tested the artificial uterus with animal fetuses. They were able to keep one fetus alive for 12 days.

The researchers also created an artificial placenta. The placenta is an organ that develops during pregnancy to provide nutrients to the growing baby in the uterus.

The artificial uterus recreates a protected environment in which the fetus organs can continue to develop. It is made of a clear material that the researchers say does not react with tissue.

The artificial uterus is connected to a system that continuously introduces amniotic fluid: a fluid that helps the baby develop in the uterus. The artificial uterus keeps the fetus separated from outside influences but still permits testing and observation.

Babies born after six months of pregnancy or less are considered extremely premature, or underdeveloped, with a high risk of death or disability. The latest numbers from the World Health Organization show that 900,000 premature babies died around the world in 2019.

Eduard Gratacos is head of the project. He told Reuters news service that the researchers are trying to develop a system that permits them to keep a fetus outside its mother but still in fetal conditions. Those conditions include breathing and eating through the umbilical cord, the passage that connects the baby to the placenta. The researchers hope to keep a fetus surrounded by fluid and at a controlled temperature so it can survive and develop.

Gratacos leads a team of 35 scientists from BCNatal Medical Research Center. The center is linked to two hospitals, the University of Barcelona and the non-profit organization called the La Caixa foundation. It combines experts in maternal-fetal medicine and obstetrics.

The team has studied the manufactured uterus with baby sheep. They also plan to test the system with pigs before proposing human studies in a few years.

Gratacos said the complex project includes many different specialties of medicine and requires several kinds of engineers. He added, It's a challenge, it's extremely delicate to achieve this, to trick nature to make this possible.

There are a few similar projects around the world. One group of scientists at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia kept animal fetuses alive for up to 28 days.

Kelly Werner is a professor of baby development at Columbia University in New York City. Werner told the Science Media Centre in Britain that the Spanish teams results must be completely tested on humans for safety and side effects.

Werner said that although it is an interesting development, the manufactured placenta is not meant to replace a natural placenta. She said, We still should make every effort to support maternal health and decrease risk factors that lead to preterm birth.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Horaci Garcia reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

artificial adj. manufactured by humans, not natural

trick  v. to deceive (someone)

obstetrics n. the area of medicine that deals with the care of a mother before, during and after birth, and the process of giving birth to a child

challenge  n. a difficult task or problem

delicate  adj. requiring special care or skill

achieve  v. to get or reach (something) by working hard

maternal  adj. of or relating to a woman who is having a baby

factor  n. something that helps produce or influence a result

_______________________________________________________________

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The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the United Nations body that makes rules about the worlds ocean floor. It is preparing to continue negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining, including for materials central to the move to green energy.

The organization will soon need to begin accepting mining permit applications after years of negotiations.

But environmental activists and some scientists are expressing concerns over the possible effects on animal life and the deep-sea environment.

What is deep sea mining?

Deep sea mining involves removing minerals and metals from the oceans seabed. There are three kinds of deep sea mining.

The first involves taking materials known as polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor. The second involves mining seafloor sulphide deposits. And the third involves taking cobalt crusts from rock.

These mined materials contain nickel, rare earth, cobalt and more. Such materials are needed for batteries and are used in developing renewable energy. The materials are also for everyday technology like phones and computers.

Companies and governments view these resources as very important as current reserves decline and demand continues to rise.

What are the current rules for deep sea mining?

Countries control their ocean territory and special economic areas. But the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. It is considered to be a rule for all states, whether or not they have signed or officially approved it.

Under the treaty, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered the common heritage of mankind. The resources must be managed in a way that protects the interests of humanity. The idea is to share economic benefits, support scientific research, and protect ocean environments.

Companies interested in deep sea mining are partnering with countries to help them get exploration licenses.

More than 30 exploration licenses have been issued so far. Most of these have activity in an area called the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which crosses 4.5 million square kilometers between Hawaii and Mexico.

Why must ISA establish rules now?

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Seas says that the ISA is supposed to complete rules governing deep sea mining by July 2023.

Countries and private companies can start applying for early, or provisional licenses if the U.N. body fails to approve a set of rules by July 9.

What are the concerns?

Yet environmental activists and scientists are concerned about deep sea mining.

Only a small part of the deep seabed has been explored and some worry that the environment will be damaged by mining.

Engineering and technology used for deep sea mining are still developing.

Some companies are looking to get materials from the seafloor using large pumps. Others are developing artificial intelligence-based technology that would teach deep sea robots how to get materials from the floor. Some are looking to use special machines that could mine materials off the sides of underwater mountains and volcanoes.

Damage from mining can include noise and light pollution, as well as possible leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.

The full effects on the deep-sea environment remain unclear. But scientists have warned that biodiversity loss is sure to happen and could be irreversible.

Christopher Kelley is a biologist with research expertise in deep sea ecology.

Were constantly finding new stuff and its a little bit early to start mining the deep sea when we dont really understand the biology, the environments... or anything else, he said.

What comes next?

The ISAs Legal and Technical Commission, which oversees the development of deep sea mining regulations, will meet in early July to discuss the mining rules.

The earliest that mining under ISA rules could begin is in late 2024 or 2025. Applications for mining must be considered and environmental studies need to be carried out.

For now, some companies  such as Google, Samsung, BMW and others  have backed the World Wildlife Funds call to promise to avoid using minerals that have been mined from the planets oceans.

More than ten countriesincluding France, Germany and several Pacific Island nations have officially called for a ban or pause on deep sea mining, at least until environmental protections are in place.

Other countries, such as Norway, are proposing opening their waters to mining.

Im John Russell.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

Victoria Milko reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

seabed  n. the ground that is at the bottom of the sea

permit  n. an official document that shows that a person is allowed to do or have something

application  n. a formal and usually written request for something

battery  n. a device that is placed inside a machine to supply it with electricity

heritage  n. the traditions or achievements that are part of the history of a group

license  n. an official document that gives you permission to do, use, or have something

irreversible  n. impossible to change back to a previous state
LEXINGTON  The organization that aims to bring homeless shelter services and transitional housing to Dawson County is working to purchase the former Plum Creek Care Center facility.

Crossroads Mission Avenue has been working to open a facility in Lexington since September 2022. With their first plan being to open a homeless shelter at the former Love in Action site at 907 W. 8th St.

Crossroads is a Christian non-profit that provides housing, job training and support to enable homeless people to become self-sufficient. It was launched 39 years ago in Hastings. It expanded to Kearney in 2012 and to Grand Island in 2018.

Crossroads Executive Director Daniel Buller said over the years they have been able to see where the needs are in surrounding counties.

For instance when they opened in Hastings, they were seeing Hall County residents, when they opened in Grand Island, they aided Buffalo County residents and now their Kearney facility, opened in 2012, has been aiding Dawson County residents.

After presenting the plan to Lexingtons Planning Commission, it received approval, despite several local business owners and residents raising concerns about a homeless shelter in their vicinity.

To date, the facility on 8th St. has been opened as a thrift store to help raise funds for remodeling the space as a shelter.

Each Crossroads Mission Avenue location includes a Mission Avenue Thrift Store which provides local employment and volunteer opportunities while providing a local option for low-cost clothing and household goods. Sales from the thrift stores directly support the homeless ministry in each location and are an essential part of Crossroads sustainability model, Crossroads stated.

However, plans have changed as Crossroads has signed a purchase agreement for $2.3 million to purchase the former Plum Creek Care Center facility, located at 1505 N. Adams St.

The Plum Creek Care Center facility has sat empty since October 2022, after Lantis Enterprises announced the closure. The facility went up for auction in December 2022, along with three other former Lantis facilities in Iowa and South Dakota.

Crossroads is actively campaigning to raise the funding needed to complete the acquisition and recently received a $10,000 donation from the Lexington Ministerial Association and $6,000 from the Trinity Foundation.

There will be a presentation of the donations Wednesday, July 12 at 10 a.m. at the former Plum Creek Care Center site.

The Planning Commission will consider Crossroads application for a conditional use permit to open a shelter in the building during their meeting on Wednesday, July 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Buller said Crossroads has been talking to the owners of this facility since late summer 2022 and we are excited to come to an agreement and a path forward to purchase a facility that will adequately serve the need. We have a lot of work to do and we are ready for the task. Crossroads works out of a former nursing home in Hastings, these types of facilities are perfect for the work that we do.

Opening of the facility is anticipated in spring 2024, which will complete Phase One for the future Lexington Crossroads Mission Avenue campus. Phase Two will include renovations to the older portion of the building, Crossroads stated in a press release.

In 2022, Crossroads Mission Avenue served 1,103 men, women, and families in Central Nebraska by providing almost 65,000 nights of stay for the needy. Phase One of the Capital Campaign will provide supportive services to homeless and needy Lexington residents, and affordable housing options for Dawson County, Crossroads stated.

The planned facility will include housing for homeless individuals with emergency shelter beds as well as transitional living apartments for individuals coming out of the 4-Phase Recovery program, or those referred by another agency. Crossroads Mission Avenues housing model provides a safe, sober, and clean living scenario which restores dignity to each individual, per Crossroads.

The ministry of Crossroads Mission Avenue is blessed to be in a position that allows us to expand our services across underserved areas of Central Nebraska. Our dedication is bringing glory to God through the helping of people. We are committed to serving Lexington and Dawson County by offering emergency shelter and transitional living services along with Bible-based programming and case management to help stop cycles of poverty in the lives of those we are privileged to serve, Buller stated.

God is glorified when we compassionately extend a helping hand to our struggling neighbors and help carry the burdens that lend to the state of homelessness that people are faced with. At Crossroads we refer to each individual as a guest of the mission, and we are excited to soon open the doors to our Lexington guests and see the amazing work of God in their lives. Thank you to everyone who is willing to help make this amazing facility, programming, and case management a reality for this area of the great state of Nebraska, said Buller.

According to the US Census Bureau (QuickFacts on Nebraska and Lexington city), the per capita income in the past 12 months (2017  2021) in Lexington is $21,229, which is below the Nebraska per capita income statewide average of $35,189.

Within the last year, Crossroads has served 4,638 households representing 16,638 individuals with a monthly mobile food pantry in partnership with Food Bank for the Heartland.

This monthly food distribution is bringing relief to many families experiencing food insecurities. A core value of Crossroads Mission Avenue is to care for those in need in Central Nebraska. Crossroads Mission Avenue regularly partners with local clergy to recognize and meet the needs of families within the communities where they serve, Crossroads stated.

The addition of a Crossroads Mission Avenue shelter in Lexington will bring critical relief to the mid-Nebraska region, as emergency shelter services are scarce from Kearney westward. The needs are great, and Crossroads Mission Avenue is Following the Need to serve the Lexington community, per Crossroads.

About Crossroads Mission Avenue

Crossroads has been serving the homeless in Central Nebraska for 40 years. They have grown to include campuses in Hastings, Grand Island, and Kearney, which served 1,103 individuals in 2022.

Each location provides services that include emergency shelter, 4-Phase Recovery program, and personalized case management which helps their guests gain employment, financial independence, and stable housing. Crossroads Mission Avenues mission is to bring glory to God through the helping of people.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw has been involved in secret talks with the provisional IRA in London.

Mr Whitelaw broke the news to the House of Commons as he announced that the two week ceasefire in Northern Ireland had come to an end.

Six IRA leaders were involved in the meeting that took place in a private house on Friday 7 July.

After numerous approaches by the IRA this was the first time that Mr Whitelaw had met with provisional leaders and he claims that he did so to preserve the peace.

In the face of criticism by Conservative backbenchers, Mr Whitelaw said: I decided that if I were to see these people personally I might be able to do something to save lives.

The meeting lasted three hours and gave the IRA an opportunity to make demands that they claimed were a fair exchange for continued peace.

The demands were: a total withdrawal of British forces; the right to self-determination by the Irish people; and an amnesty for political prisoners.

Mr Whitelaw knew the British Government would not accept what was essentially a re-statement of routine and unworkable demands.

Before he had chance to discuss the matter with his cabinet colleagues hostilities recommenced in Belfast over the distribution of housing amongst Catholics and Protestants.

Mr Whitelaw points to intimidation on both sides and says: I want to make it perfectly clear that terrorism and extremism in the community cannot be tolerated, that the rule of law and justice must be restored.

He has sent a further 1,800 troops to Northern Ireland in preparation for the marching season and to respond to IRA threats that they will use the utmost ferocity.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

William Whitelaw was the first Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after Direct Rule was established there by UK Prime Minister Edward Heath in March 1972.

With 467 deaths in 1972 alone this was the height of the Troubles and a period that Willie  later Viscount  Whitelaw regarded as the most challenging of his career.

In March 1973 he published a White Paper that proposed the election of a 78 member power sharing executive and in December the Sunningdale Agreement was signed.

By May 1974 Unionist divisions caused the fledgling Council of Ireland to collapse and Direct Rule was re-imposed.
The Islands Medical Complex project is on track and will open the doors of its first phase by December this year, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong said on Friday on the sidelines of the Third Standing Committee meeting of the Legislative Assembly. The meeting was held as a discussion on the details of the facilitys management regime.

Questioned on the topic, Ao Ieong told the media that everything is in order for the timeline to be accomplished and that the recruitment of staff is also taking place without delays or issues.

She reaffirmed that those Macau residents who currently enjoy free medical care (people indicated for such care for public health reasons, oncologic patients, and family planning as well as pregnant women, children up to 10 years old, and students of primary and secondary education levels and all those over 65 years of age), will be able to continue to enjoy free services, when the medical care provided by the Islands Hospital is by Health Bureau (SSM) referral.

The Secretary also noted that in addition to the 50 employees appointed by the Peking Union Medical College Hospital  whose functions will be related to the management of the facility  the government has also recruited over 400 medical personnel, prioritizing local recruitment, where possible.

She stressed that recruiting from the mainland or abroad will be resorted to as a solution only in the case of a shortage of human resources.

As for the services provided by the Islands Hospital, Ao Ieong noted that there will be three fare levels. The first is dedicated to the residents who currently enjoy free medical care. If they are transferred by the SSM, they will continue to enjoy the same privileges. The second level is for residents transferred by the SSM but who do not enjoy free medical care (i.e. the majority of the population), in which fees will be reasonably charged, she said. The third and last level refers to the fully private system, who are provided with high quality private medical services. For private patients, the fee charged will be based on the market price, according to the Secretary.

Central Library car park deletion not yet decided

The possibility was aired last week by community leaders that the government would remove the car park from the Central Library project, reserving the space for the mechanical rooms and other storage facilities. In response to questions on this topic, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong said that the matter is yet to be decided.

However, after a preliminary analysis, we realized that if it were to be built, there would not be many parking spaces due to the space limitations, she said. Her response suggests that the car park may not be built.

Contributing to suggestions that the carpark idea may be abandoned, she also mentioned the construction time of the project and alluded to the need for more efficient use of public funds.
South Korean opposition lawmakers sharply criticized the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog yesterday for its approval of Japanese plans to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

They met with Rafael Grossi in a tense meeting in Seoul that took place while protesters screamed outside the door.

Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agencys director general, arrived in South Korea over the weekend to engage with government officials and critics and help reduce public concerns about food safety.

The IAEA last week approved the Japanese discharge plans, saying the process would meet international safety standards and pose negligible environmental and health impacts. South Koreas government has also endorsed the safety of the Japanese plans.

In his meeting with members of the liberal Democratic Party, which controls a majority in South Koreas parliament, Grossi said the IAEAs review of the Japanese plans was based on transparent and scientific research. He acknowledged concerns over how the Japanese plans would play out in reality and said the IAEA would establish a permanent office in Fukushima to closely monitor how the discharge process is implemented over the next three decades.

Our conclusion has been that this plan, if it is carried out in the way it has been presented, would be in line, would be in conformity with the international safety standards, Grossi said.

The lawmakers responded by harshly criticizing IAEAs review, which they say neglected long-term environmental and health impacts of the wastewater release and threatens to set a bad precedent that may encourage other countries to dispose nuclear waste into sea. They called for Japan to scrap the discharge plans and work with neighboring countries to find safer ways to handle the wastewater, including a possible pursuit of long-term storage on land.

The party has also criticized the government of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for putting peoples health at risk while trying to improve relations with Japan.

If you think (the treated wastewater) is safe, I wonder whether you would be willing to suggest the Japanese government use that water for drinking or for industrial and agricultural purposes, rather than dumping it in the sea, Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party lawmaker who attended the meeting, told Grossi. The party said Woo has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days to protest the Japanese discharge plans.

Further details from the meeting werent immediately available after reporters were asked to leave following opening statements. Closely watched by parliamentary security staff, dozens of protesters shouted near the lobby of the National Assemblys main hall where the meeting was taking place, holding signs denouncing the IAEA and Japan. KIM TONG-HYUNG, Seoul, MDT/AP
Being one of Macaus major integrated resorts enterprises, MGM was honored to participate and devote its undivided support towards the 11th Macao International Travel Expo (MITE), which concluded with success earlier this month. Besides setting up a themed booth in the event, this year, MGM fully embraced the theme of gastronomy by taking part in the Bartender Live Event and partnering with two chefs from Portugal and the United States, who were among the 23 guest chefs from different UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy invited by Macao Government Tourism Office, for an exchange of culinary arts. This collaboration was part of MGMs endeavors in promoting local culinary culture, and more essentially strengthening Macaus legacy as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

Chef Collaboration of UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy

As one of the fascinating highlights, MITE brought together chefs from 23 UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy to demonstrate culinary skills. Leveraging this precious occasion, MGM pledged to collaborate with Chef Sara Rute Mendes de Oliveira Santos from Portugal and Chef Stephen M. Paprocki from the United States. The two guest chefs were invited to the kitchens of Grill 58 at MGM COTAI and Rossio at MGM MACAU for culinary and cultural exchange sessions, where they shared their culinary philosophies, techniques and skillsets during the culinary cultural exchange session for over 40 chefs from MGM.

Followed by sharing sessions, Chef Santos and Chef Paprocki teamed up with the culinary teams of the aforesaid MGM restaurants to present exquisite cross-cultural flavors for residents and visitors at the four-hands culinary pop-up events. Chef Sara Santos worked with Chef de Cuisine of Rossio, Ricardo de Oliveira, to line up a four-hands long table dinner for 20 guests exclusively, where she showcased the variety of Portuguese dishes from different regions of the country. On the other hand, Chef Paprocki worked with Tiago Reis, Chef de Cuisine of Grill 58, to line up a four-hands pop-up in the regular brunch station, which highlighted the Western culinary art of traditional techniques with contemporary twists. The collaboration showcased the exotic Tex-Mex flavor, Beef Enchiladas, with interesting use of fermented ingredients from Chef Paprockis recipe together with the dry-aged ingredients and the grills at Grill 58.

Bartender Show Highlighting Macaus Rich Heritage

During the three-day Expo, MGM also took part in the Bartender Live Event to showcase unique cocktails that infuse oriental cultures. Nino J. Angeles Silan, an award-winning mixologist who is also the supervisor of Bar Patua at MGM COTAI, was invited to flaunt his meticulous mixology skills to the locals and tourists in MITE. He has especially crafted a lineup of the bars signature cocktails, such as Patua, a staple that pays homage to the endanger Macanese language, which also best represents Macaus East-meets-West culture and unique heritage.

MGM

Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau

E info@mgmchina.com.mo

W http://www.mgm.mo/
Taiwan has restated that Taiwanese travelers should carefully assess the need to go to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced last week. This also comes following the US Department of States updated travel advice, recommending that Americans reconsider travel to China. The current yellow travel alert, which is equivalent to the US Travel Alert Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), is still in place. Taiwan said it will keep a travel warning issued for Hong Kong and Macau for personal safety reasons.

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sudan was on the brink of a full-scale civil war as fierce clashes between rival generals continued unabated yesterday in the capital, Khartoum.

He warned on Saturday evening that the war between the Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary force is likely to destabilize the entire region, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general.

Sudan descended into chaos after months of tension between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and his rival Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in mid-April.

Health Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim said in televised comments last month that the clashes have killed over 3,000 people and wounded over 6,000 others. The death tally, however, is highly likely to be much higher. More than 2.9 million people have fled their homes to safer areas inside Sudan or crossed into neighboring countries, according to U.N. figures.

The fighting came 18 months after the two generals led a military coup in October 2021 that toppled a Western-backed civilian transitional government. The conflict dashed Sudanese hopes of a peaceful transition to democracy after a popular uprising forced the military removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

The war has turned the capital Khartoum and other urban areas across the country into battlefields.

Residents in Khartoum said fierce fighting was underway early Sunday south of the capital. The warring factions were using heavy weapons in the battles in the Kalaka neighborhood and the militarys aircraft were seen hovering over the area, said resident Abdalla al-Fatih.

In his statement, Guterres also condemned an airstrike Saturday that health authorities said killed at least 22 people in Omdurman, a city just across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum. The assault was one of the deadliest in the conflict.

The RSF blamed the military for the attack in Omdurman. The military, in turn, denied the accusation saying in a statement Sunday that its air force didnt carry out any airstrikes in the city that day.

The secretary-general also decried the large-scale violence and casualties in the western region of Darfur, which has experienced some of the worst fighting in the ongoing conflict, Haq said in a statement.

There is an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that is dangerous and disturbing, Guterres said.

U.N. officials have said the violence in the region has recently taken an ethnic dimension, with the RSF and Arab militias reportedly targeting non-Arab tribes in Darfur, a sprawling region consisting of five provinces. Last month, the governor of Darfur, Mini Arko Minawi, said the region was sliding back to its past genocide, referring to the conflict that engulfed the region in the early 2000s.

Entire towns and villages in West Darfur province were overrun by the RSF and their allied militias, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee to neighboring Chad. Activists have reported many residents killed, women and girls raped, and properties looted and burned to the ground.

There were clashes between the military and the RSF elsewhere in Sudan yesterday including the province of North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. SAMY MAGDY, CAIRO, MDT/AP
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen yesterday said she agreed Washington will listen to Chinese complaints about security-related curbs on U.S. technology exports and might respond to unintended consequences as she ended a visit to Beijing aimed at reviving strained relations.

Yellen defended targeted measures on trade that Chinas leaders complain are aimed at hurting its fledgling tech industries. She said the Biden administration wants to avoid unnecessary repercussions but gave no indication of possible changes.

Relations between the two biggest economies are at their lowest level in decades due to disputes about technology, security and other irritants. A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other U.S. technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Partys development of smartphones, artificial intelligence and other industries.

We will open up channels so that they can express concerns about our actions, and we can explain and possibly in some situations respond to unintended consequences of our actions, Yellen said at a news conference.

Yellen talked with Chinas No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, and other officials during 10 hours of meetings. She had a five-hour session Saturday with her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. Treasury officials said in advance there were no plans for her to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Yellen received a warm welcome and prominent coverage by the state press, but Chinese officials gave no sign they would change industrial or other policies that Washington and other governments say violate Beijings free-trade commitments. On Saturday, He said Washington should adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude to improve relations.

Yesterday, Yellen announced no agreements on major disputes or plans for future activity but said her department and Chinese officials would have more frequent and regular communication.

U.S.-Chinese political strains are adding to uncertainty that is dampening the willingness of consumers and businesses to spend and invest.

Chinas economic growth rebounded to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2023 from last years 3% after anti-virus controls on travel and business activity were lifted in December. But factory activity and consumer spending decelerated in the quarter ending in June.

Xi accused Washington in March of trying to hold back Chinas industrial development.

Beijing has been slow to retaliate for U.S. technology restrictions, possibly to avoid disrupting its own industries. But three days before Yellens arrival, the government announced unspecified controls on exports of gallium and germanium, metals used in making semiconductors and solar panels. China is the biggest producer of both.

Yellen said she tried to reassure officials Washington doesnt want to decouple or separate its economy from China, while it tries to de-risk trade.

The Biden administration is pressing semiconductor makers to move production to the United States to reduce reliance on Taiwan and other Asian suppliers, which is seen as a security risk. Washington wants to develop alternatives to Chinese supplies of rare earth elements, metals used in smartphones, wind turbines and other products.

They have expressed some concern that de-risking amounts to decoupling, Yellen said. She said she tried to assure my Chinese counterparts that this is by no means the same thing.

The de-risking involves attention to clearly articulated and narrowly targeted national security concerns, as well as broader concern with diversifying our supply chains, which the United States is doing in a few important sectors, she said.

Throughout her visit, Yellen appealed for healthy economic competition, a reference to complaints Beijing violates its free-trade commitments by subsidizing and shielding politically favored industries from private and foreign competition.

Yellen said she had expressed concern to Chinese officials about coercive activities against U.S. companies.

On Saturday, Yellen appealed to He for cooperation on climate change, the debt burdens of developing countries and other global challenges. She said their governments shouldnt let disagreements about trade and security derail economic and financial relations.

Beijing broke off climate discussions with Washington last August in retaliation for a visit by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives to Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by China as part of its territory.

President Joe Bidens climate envoy, John Kerry, is due to become the next senior official to visit China next week. China and the United States are the worlds top emitters of climate-changing carbon.

China signed an agreement last month to restructure the debt of Zambia, including billions of dollars lent under Beijings Belt and Road Initiative to build ports and other infrastructure across Asia and Africa. Treasury officials pointed to that as successful cooperation. JOE McDONALD, BEIJING, MDT/AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the 500th day of the war Saturday by hailing the countrys soldiers in a video from a Black Sea island that became the symbol of Ukraines resilience in the face of the Russian invasion.

Speaking from Snake Island, Zelenskyy honored the Ukrainian soldiers who fought for the island and all other defenders of the country, saying that reclaiming control of the island is a great proof that Ukraine will regain every bit of its territory.

I want to thank  from here, from this place of victory  each of our soldiers for these 500 days, Zelenskyy said. Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!

It was unclear when the video was filmed. Zelenskyy was returning from Turkey on Saturday.

He announced that five commanders of the defense of the Azovstal steel plant, a grueling months-long siege early in the war, were returning on the plane with him.

The sprawling steelworks was the last bastion of resistance as Russian forces took control of the port city of Mariupol. Its defenders became renowned among Ukrainians for holding out in wretched conditions in the plants tunnels and corridors.

Azovstals more than 2,000 defenders left the steelworks in mid-May 2022 and were taken into Russian captivity. The five leaders, some of whom were part of the Azov national guard regiment that Russia denounces as neo-Nazi, were freed in a September prisoner swap and taken to Turkey.

Under the exchange, the leaders were to remain in Turkey until the end of the war under the Turkish presidents protection. There was no immediate official explanation from Ankara or Kyiv about why they were allowed to return to Ukraine.

The return of the leaders of the Azovites from Turkey to Ukraine is nothing more than a direct violation of the terms of the existing agreements. Moreover, in this case, the terms were violated by both the Ukrainian side and the Turkish side, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Russian forces took control of Snake Island on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Moscow launched its invasion, in the apparent hope of using it as a staging ground for an assault on Odesa, Ukraines biggest port and the headquarters of its navy.

The island took on legendary significance for Ukraines resistance, when Ukrainian troops there reportedly received a demand from a Russian warship to surrender or be bombed. The answer supposedly came back, Go (expletive) yourself.

The islands Ukrainian defenders were captured but later freed as part of a prisoner exchange. After the island was taken, the Ukrainian military heavily bombarded the small Russian garrison there, forcing the Russians to pull back on June 30, 2022. The Russian retreat reduced the threat of a seaborne Russian attack on Odesa and helped pave the way for a deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports.

Let the freedom that all our heroes of different times wanted for Ukraine and that must be won right now be a tribute to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. We will definitely win!

Intense battles continued to rage Saturday in the countrys east and south as Ukrainian forces pressed their attacks against multi-layered Russian defenses in the initial stages of their counteroffensive.

Ukraines interior ministry said that a Russian rocket strike on the town of Lyman killed eight civilians and wounded 13 others early Saturday. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the eastern Donetsk region, posted images showing some of the dead, including a body lying under a bicycle and body fragments on the pavement next to a damaged vehicle, saying that the Russian terrorists are continuing to strike civilians in Donetsk.

Lyman is a few kilometers (miles) from the front line, where Russian troops have recently intensified fighting in the forests of Kreminna.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update that the eastern town of Bakhmut that was captured by the Russians in May has seen some of the most intense fighting along the front during the last week.

It said that Ukrainian forces have made steady gains to both the north and south of Bakhmut, noting that Russian defenders are highly likely struggling with poor morale, a mix of disparate units and a limited ability to find and strike Ukrainian artillery.

Amid the fighting, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of planning to sabotage the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is Europes largest, fueling fears of a radiation catastrophe. Ukraines military intelligence claimed Saturday that Russian troops have planted more mines around the plant, a claim that couldnt be independently verified.

The head of the United Nations nuclear agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told The Associated Press on Friday that the International Atomic Energy Agency experts had recently gained access to more of the site, including the cooling pond and fuel storage areas, and found no mines there. Grossi said he was still pushing for access to the rooftops of reactors where Ukrainian officials accused Russia of planting explosives. FELIPE DANA, KYIV, Ukraine, MDT/AP
A Zhuhai-Macau island tour route will be launched in the short term, according to director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Senna Helena de Senna Fernandes. As cited in a TDM report, Fernandes believed that the tour route can further enrich the experience of leisure tourism activities in Macau and meet the needs of citizens for diversified tourism products.

She said that the Zhuhai-Macau island tour project will be launched in the short term, before August. Starting from Macau, the tour will include a boat trip to Zhuhai Island, as well as leisure activities, staycations, and water sports.
Wandering the Isthmus on Saturday was much like navigating a warm jar of honey  slow, sticky, and, thanks to many vendors peddling fresh-squeezed lemonade and other sugary goods, sweet.

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Arts biggest fundraiser of the year, the 65th annual Art Fair on the Square, saw densely packed crowds strolling at leisurely speeds down State Street, pausing to pick up a painting or a sculpture at some of the more than 400 artists booths lining the sidewalks.

Under the shade of a well-trafficked booth sat Greta Sandquist and her many paintings. This is Sandquists third Art Fair on the Square, her favorite yet, she says, due to her status as this years featured artist, a title given to her by a committee at the museum. Her featured piece, an oil and copper leaf painting of a fox titled Edge of the Forest, made the rounds on T-shirts and programs for this years art fair, as well as being available to bidders at a silent auction tent.

Sandquist is one of many artists for whom events like the Art Fair on the Square are a primary source of income. While shes enjoyed setting up shop at similar events, she says this particular art fair is special.

Ive loved every year that Ive been (at the Art Fair on the Square), its one of my favorite shows that I do, said Sandquist. What I love is being able to interact with people who buy my art.

So, each year she loads up her pieces and travels to Downtown Madison from her home in St. Paul, Minnesota, guided by her love of art, which she says began in childhood. She began selling acrylic paintings in 2011, but shes since grown fond of oil paints in her work, which she uses to add a thicker texture and more movement in capturing her primary inspirations: nature, women and animals.

Its hard to describe why someone makes art, its that creative drive in me that makes me want to paint, she said. I love using a lot of color and texture in my paintings.

Further off from Sandquists booth, the dreams, nightmares and encounters of Tomas Savrda take physical form. His assemblages and kinetic objects, as he calls them, feature doll parts, clowns and sculpture work. Many involve multiple layers, moving parts. His inspirations are varied, he said, but many come from his subconscious, with emphasis on dreams, the environment, childhood and, most of all, the human condition.

Sometimes I see the dark side of things, and I mean, you know, you have to take these things in stride, said Savrda.

An Art Fair newcomer, Savrda drove from Connecticut for the weekend and set up shop at 5 a.m. Saturday. While this is his first Art Fair on the Square, its far from his first endeavor into art. He doesnt recall exactly how many years its been since he quit his career in advertising for art, a decision he made so that he could do whatever he wants, instead of being told but its been at least three decades, and he doesnt plan on putting his materials down anytime soon.

Time flies when youre having fun, he said.

Behind much of the color, sound and flavor of the day was Marni McEntee, communications director for MMOCA. For McEntee, this weekend meant a huge undertaking, hours of preparation, committee meetings, and other types of organizing on the museums end go into the fair each year.

Its been a great turnout, thats really important, said McEntee. A lot of the artists make their living on the art fair circuit.

For the museum, the fair is a large fundraising opportunity, powering things like free educational programming. For hotels and restaurants around the city, its an influx of customers, an economic boost. For the 425 artists working booths, the fair is a chance to interact with the people buying their art, showcasing pieces to new crowds. For the community, its a slow walk around Capitol Square, perhaps with family and friends, set to a soundtrack of the Bee Gees from a speaker, Billy Joel covers and a cappella opera music.

Photos: Art Fair on the Square
WINDSOR, England  President Joe Biden and King Charles III, two leaders who waited decades to reach the pinnacle of their careers, used their first meeting in those roles Monday to zero in on the generational challenge of climate change, prodding private companies to do more to bolster clean energy in developing countries.

The meticulously choreographed gathering at Windsor Castle injected substance into the type of encounter between president and monarch that historically has been more about ceremony. After the arrival formalities, Biden and Charles participated in a climate-focused roundtable with officials from the financial and philanthropic sectors. John Kerry, the U.S. envoy on climate, also attended.

The 74-year-old Charles, who was crowned in May, has long fought to protect wildlife and battle climate change. Biden, for his part, identified climate change as one of the four crises he was determined to confront as president. He signed a sweeping legislative package last year that includes nearly $375 billion in climate-related incentives.

Biden, 80, last had formal talks with Charles, then prince, at the COP26 U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. The U.S. president also attended the state funeral of Charless mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September as well as a reception for heads of state at Buckingham Palace the night before the service. Biden did not attend Charless coronation, sending first lady Jill Biden instead.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said the president has huge respect for the kings commitment on the climate issue in particular. He said Charles has been a clarion voice on climate and someone whos mobilized action and effort.

Biden and Charles made sure to show off their still-developing friendship and warmth during the ceremonial arrival at Windsor Castle, outside London. After they shook hands, Biden put his hand on Charles's arm, then on the king's back as they approached a viewing platform to inspect an honor guard. They appeared relaxed and cordial  a contrast to more formal encounters between past U.S. presidents and British royalty. Biden and Charles discussed climate, China and shared stories from the past during their visit, according to Sullivan.

The views of the late Queen Elizabeth II on politics and political issues were a closely guarded secret, and her meetings with world leaders were almost entirely ceremonial. Charles spent his decades as heir to the throne expressing opinions on issues from architecture to the environment, and has continued to take a keen interest in climate change now that he is king. However, neither he nor Biden spoke publicly at Windsor Castle.

Biden's royal visit was paired with his sixth meeting with the British prime minister since Rishi Sunak took office, The two discussed a range of global issues, including the war in Ukraine. Both nations are among the most stalwart defenders of Kyiv, and the United Kingdom has pushed the White House to take more aggressive steps in providing military aid to Ukraine.

Following his meetings with Charles and Sunak, Biden flew to Vilnius, Lithuania, for the annual NATO summit. Discussion about the war in Ukraine is expected to be front-and-center over two days of talks that begin Tuesday.

His talks with Charles were meant to highlight the so-called enduring special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. When Biden declined to attend Charless coronation, he promised the king in a phone call that he would visit soon.

Biden's meeting with Sunak at the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing St. included discussion about the U.S. presidents decision this week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a weapon that more than two-thirds of the members of the NATO military alliance have barred for their potential threat to civilian life.

Biden has said that providing the bombs  which open mid-air and release smaller bomblets across a broad swath of land  was a difficult decision but he noted that the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and that the weapons were necessary for them to continue to fight Russian forces.

It took me a while to be convinced to do it, Biden said in a CNN interview broadcast as he flew to London. But the main thing is, they either have the weapons to stop the Russians ... from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they dont. And I think they needed them.

Sunak, for his part, has distanced himself from the U.S. decision. The prime minister's spokesman said the leaders spoke Monday about Britains opposition to the use of cluster munitions.

The first thing to say is this was a difficult choice for the U.S. that has been forced on them by Russias war of aggression, said Sunaks spokesman, Max Blain. As the prime minister said over the weekend, the U.K. is a state party to the convention on cluster munitions. They discussed the commitments the U.K. has under that convention both not to produce or use cluster munitions and to discourage their use.

The U.S. is not a party to that agreement. Sunak stressed over the weekend that Britain will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russias illegal and unprovoked invasion, but weve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine.

Charles III: Key dates in the life of Britains new king Nov. 14, 1948: Born on the royal estate at Sandringham, first child of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Feb. 6, 1952: Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her father, King George VI. July 1, 1969: Formally invested as Prince of Wales. July 29, 1981: Marries Lady Diana Spencer. June 21, 1982: Birth of first son, William Arthur Philip Louis. Sept. 15, 1984: Birth of second son, Harry (Henry Charles Albert David). June 15, 1992: Andrew Mortons book Diana: Her True Story is released. Dec. 9, 1992: He separates from Princess Diana. Aug. 28, 1996: Charles and Diana divorce. Aug. 31, 1997: Diana is killed in Paris automobile accident. Feb. 10, 2004: Charles announces his engagement to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. April 8, 2005: He marries Camilla in a civil ceremony. April 29, 2011: His son, Prince William, is married to Kate Middleton. Dec. 2011: Hospitalized for treatment for a blocked coronary artery. June 2013: Admitted to the hospital for exploratory operation on his abdomen. July 22, 2013: Becomes grandfather for the first time with the birth of Prince George, William and Kate's oldest child. May 19, 2018: His second son, Harry, marries American Meghan Markle. April 9, 2021: His father, Prince Philip, dies at 99. May 10, 2022: Charles stands in for Queen Elizabeth II for the first time during the state opening of Parliament. Sept. 8, 2022: Becomes king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
NATO

WASHINGTON  As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO's much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The world's biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO's next leader forced an extension of the current secretary-general's term for an extra year.

Perhaps the most difficult questions are over how Ukraine should be eased into NATO. Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfill a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict.

"I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview airing Sunday. He said joining NATO requires countries to "meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole range of other issues."

He said the United States should provide long-term security assistance to Ukraine  "the capacity to defend themselves"  as it does with Israel.

Bickering among friends is not uncommon, and the current catalog of disputes pales in comparison with past fears that Donald Trump would turn his back on the alliance during his presidency. But the current challenges come at a moment when Biden and his counterparts are heavily invested in demonstrating harmony among members.

"Any fissure, any lack of solidarity provides an opportunity for those who would oppose the alliance," said Douglas Lute, U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to exploit divisions as he struggles to gain ground in Ukraine and faces political challenges at home, including the aftermath of a brief revolt by the Wagner mercenary group.

"You don't want to present any openings," Lute said. "You don't want to present any gaps or seams."

An energized NATO

By some measures, the war in Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, which was created at the beginning of the Cold War as a bulwark against Moscow. NATO members have poured military hardware into Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive, and Finland ended a history of nonalignment to become NATO's 31st member.

"I think it's appropriate to look at all the success," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told The Associated Press. "So I think the invasion has strengthened NATO  exactly the opposite of what Putin anticipated."

He noted Germany's shift toward a more robust defense policy as well as increase in military spending in other countries.

The latest test of NATO solidarity came Friday with what Biden said was a "difficult decision" to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. More than two thirds of alliance members have banned the weapon because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. The U.S., Russia and Ukraine are not among the more than 120 countries that have not signed a convention outlawing the use of the bombs.

As for Ukraine's possible entry into NATO, the alliance said in 2008 that Kyiv eventually would become a member. Since then, little action has been taken toward that goal. Putin occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014 and then tried to capture the capital in 2022 with his invasion.

"A gray zone is a green light for Putin," said Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland who is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for a unified signal from NATO on Ukraine and for his country to join the alliance.

"It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia," Zelenskyy said through a translator in an ABC interview, when asked whether he would come to Vilnius. "Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. And that is a very important point. Only under these conditions our meeting would be meaningful. Otherwise, it's just another politics."

The U.S. and Germany insist that the focus should be on supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, rather than taking the more provocative step of extending a formal invitation to join NATO. Countries on NATO's Eastern flank  Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland  want firmer assurances on future membership.

NATO could decide to elevate its relationship with Ukraine, creating what would be known as the NATO-Ukraine Council and giving Kyiv a seat at the table for consultations.

Turkey's demands

Also in the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle to Sweden's attempts to join NATO alongside neighbor Finland.

Erdogan accuses Sweden of being too lenient on anti-Islamic demonstrations and militant Kurdish groups that have waged a long insurgency in Turkey.

Sweden recently changed its anti-terrorism legislation and lifted an arms embargo on Turkey. But a man burned a Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm last week, and Erdogan signaled that this would pose another hurdle. He equated "those who permitted the crime" to those who perpetrated it.

Turkey and the U.S. are also at an impasse over the sale of F-16 fighter jets. Erdogan wants the upgraded planes, but Biden says Sweden's NATO membership has to be dealt with first. McConnell said in the AP interview that he supports the sale of the fighter jets to Turkey "provided that the membership of Sweden is settled."

Underscoring the prominence of Turkey at the upcoming summit, Biden held a lengthy call with Erdogan aboard Air Force One on the way to London. During the conversation, Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," according to the White House.

It's not the first time that Erdogan has sought to use a NATO summit for Turkish gain. In 2009, he held up the nomination of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as secretary-general but agreed to the move after securing some senior posts for Turkish officials at the alliance.
The Rotary Club of Twin Falls will host its 12th annual Ice Cream Funday fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 22 at Twin Falls City Park.

The event will feature 20 local businesses that have worked with Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl to create and name their own unique ice cream flavors. Attendees will taste and vote for their favorites, and the winning flavor will be Cloverleafs August flavor of the month.

This is the Iron Chef of ice cream! Eric Smallwood, president of the Rotary Club of Twin Falls, said in a news release.

The 2023 participants: Best Day HR; Claude Browns Carpet Cleaning & Restoration; Clark Oral & Facial Surgery; Commercial Creamery Company; Family Health Services; Frontier Pediatrics Partners; Giltner; Harris CPAs; Pickleball Association of Twin Falls; St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center; The Optimist Club; The Walker Center; Times-News; TOK Commercial; Tripp Family Medicine; Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce; Twin Falls School District; Twin Falls Veterans Council; Ward Orthodontics; and ZXM Psychiatry.

Admission is $10 per adult and $5 for children ages 11 and under. It is an all-you-can-eat fundraiser, sponsored by Dairy West and Middlekauff. All proceeds will benefit Rotary and the Rotarys Frontier Park restroom project.

For more information, call Jill Skeem at 208-320-2786, or email jillasherman@yahoo.com.

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The safest of Idahos 44 counties sits in the Magic Valley, according to an annual Idaho State Police report that brings together statewide data from multiple law enforcement agencies.

Camas County, for the second straight year, topped the annual report, with overall crime (per 1,000 population) down 22.87% from 2021  including zero reports of animal cruelty, embezzlement, pornography, sexual assault or stolen property.

With a 9.31% overall crime rate, Camas ranked ahead of Franklin (12.11%), Jefferson (15.1%), Madison (15.4), Butte (17.71%) and Clearwater (18.63). Despite achieving the steepest drop in year-over-year crime, Clark County had the highest rate per 1,000 at 82.8%, according to the Crime in Idaho 2022 report from the Idaho State Police Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Camas, Cassia and Lincoln were the only Magic Valley counties with fewer reports of crime in 2022 than 2021. Cassias overall crime rate was down 20.74% to rank 14th overall, three spots behind Blaine County and one spot ahead of Gooding County.

Heres a county-by-county look across the Magic Valley:

Blaine County

Whats the data tell us?

Crime was up 26.64% in 2022, the fifth-highest increase in the state.

Whats up?

Steep increases in weapons charges (6 total), motor vehicle thefts (17, up from 4 in 2021) and burglary (27, up from 12 in 2021) chased the countys percentage to higher levels.

Whats down?

Arrests for drugs and narcotics dropped by 1.79%, plus the county reported no cases of arson or robbery after singular incidents in 2021.

Camas County

Whats the data tell us?

The overall crime rate has ranked as the lowest in the Gem State for two straight years.

Whats up?

Nothing.

Whats down?

The total cases of larceny, assault, destruction and burglary dropped by at least 20% from 2021.

Cassia County

Whats the data tell us?

Only seven counties in Idaho reported a sharper drop in overall crime in 2022.

Whats up?

Burglary is the glaring exception in an otherwise cleaner report, with cases increasing by 280%  from five incidents in 2021 to 19 last year.

Whats down?

There were no cases of robbery following a pair of 2021 incidents, and destruction, down 46.63%, and drugs and narcotics, down 35.53%, fell in 2022.

Gooding County

Whats the data tell us?

The overall crime rate ranked 15th in the state, despite a 5% increase from a year ago.

Whats up?

Cases of counterfeiting (3 in 2022, compared to 1 in 2021) and two incidents of kidnapping, arson and stolen property pushed the countys percentage upward.

Whats down?

A 70.97% drop in sexual assault cases (from 31 in 2021 to 9 last year) was most dramatic in the statistics, while burglary cases were also sharply down (from 21 to 12)

Jerome County

Whats the data tell us?

Crime increased by 13.29% from 2021, pushing the overall rate per 1,000 to the highest in the Magic Valley (47.48%).

Whats up?

A 300% spike in embezzlement cases (4 in 2022, compared to 1 in 2021) and considerable increases in destruction (142, from 102) and drugs and narcotics (431, from 370) were the primary culprits in the data.

Whats down?

Burglary was down 36.92%, from 65 cases in 2021 to 41 in 2022. The total number of cases for weapons, kidnapping, stolen property, arson and extortion were also down last year.

Lincoln County

Whats the data tell us?

A 15.16% drop in overall crime last year was second in the Magic Valley to Cassia County and the 13th-best improvement statewide from 2021.

Whats up?

There were increases in just five categories of crime: Sexual, fraud, weapons, assault and motor vehicle theft  with the highest totals in assaults (75, up from 50 in 2021) and sexual cases (13, up from 5).

Whats down?

Decreases in cases of drugs and narcotics, larceny, destruction and burglary, combined with no cases of other crimes such as animal cruelty, arson, robbery and stolen property, resulted in a year-over-year improvement.

Minidoka County

Whats the data tell us?

The overall crime rate increased in 2022  but only slightly at 2.49%.

Whats up?

Cases of motor vehicle theft (29 last year, up from 18 in 2021), fraud (34, from 22), assault (179, from 131) and larceny (149, from 113) were mostly responsible for the countys overall increase.

Whats down?

A 28.90% decrease in drugs and narcotics, from 263 cases in 2021 to 187 last year, represented the most significant decrease in overall incidents.

Twin Falls County

Whats the data tell us?

Crime was up 11.14% in 2022, the third largest spike in the Magic Valley behind Blaine and Jerome counties.

Whats up?

Steep increases in kidnapping (92.86%, 27 cases), burglary (60.75%, 172 cases), weapons (44.12%, 98 cases) and drugs and narcotics (29.03%, 1,160 cases), plus half of the Magic Valleys six reported homicides in 2021, stood out in the data.

Whats down?

The total number of cases for sexual offenses (from 188 in 2021 to 127 last year), animal cruelty (4, down from 10) and extortion (1, down from 9) were among the highlights.

To view the full report, go online to the Idaho UCR Program website at https://nibrs.isp.idaho.gov/CrimeInIdaho/Home/Index.{span class=print_trim}(tncms-inline)5a913abc-1bd2-42d8-b2a9-abe3fb415da4[0](/tncms-inline)
There were only a few miles of sagebrush between Frances Clark and a herd of roughly a dozen pronghorn that the local botanist and citizen scientist thought she might not see this year, or for years to come.

I was thrilled, Clark said, remembering peering out into Grand Teton National Park for her glimpse at those animals on May 23. I was tremendously relieved that they were there, and there in some numbers.

Clarks sighting was one of the first times  if not the first time  that pronghorn were spotted in the park this spring. Her observation and subsequent surveys by state and federal wildlife biologists have allayed fears that a brutal winter and new respiratory illness would wipe out one of the countrys most iconic migration routes: The Path of the Pronghorn.

By mid-May, starvation and pneumonia had killed every collared animal that took the path in 2022, venturing from the Sublette Pronghorn Herds winter ranges in the Upper Green River Basin to green summer pastures in Grand Teton. While some were expected to make the journey, it wasnt a guarantee, Wyofile first reported.

I was worried that no pronghorn would make it back, park wildlife biologist Sarah Dewey said. The good news is that some pronghorn survived and migrated back. The memory for that migration is still in the herd.

Because all the collared animals died, biologists cant say with complete certainty that the pronghorn in the park made the migration route. But theyre all but certain that the animals are migrants. Jackson Holes winter was severe enough to kill any pronghorn remaining in the valley when snow started falling.

The pronghorns return to the park is not, however, without risk.

Wildlife managers arent sure whether pronghorn can carry mycoplasma bovis, the respiratory pathogen thought to have killed 1,000 or so antelope near Pinedale this winter. The question is: Do antelope die when they contract the pneumonia? Or can some live, carry the disease and pass it along to other animals?

If the latter is true, state and federal officials wonder if pronghorn migrating to Grand Teton could carry the pathogen with them and spread it to the parks bison herd, which is roughly 500 animals strong.

Thats the million-dollar question, said Samantha Allen, state wildlife veterinarian.

Researchers rarely detect mycoplasma bovis in wildlife. This winter was only the second time its cropped up and killed a significant number of pronghorn in the Cowboy State, the first being 2020 when it claimed the lives of some 450 antelope near Gillette. It has not been detected in Grand Teton National Parks bison.

The disease is typically found in cattle, which can carry the pathogen with no clinical signs and arent often severely affected. Infected bison, however, typically contract pneumonia and die. Reports of the disease in farmed bison have shown that it causes death in up to 50% of infected animals. The fact that some bison have been documented surviving infection is a sign they can carry and transmit the disease, Allen said.

Pronghorn, on the other hand, appear to just keel over when confronted with the biological storm.

All these pronghorn just seem to be dropping dead, Allen said.

Thats a bad sign for pronghorn but could be a good sign for park bison. If pronghorn cant survive long enough to carry the disease with them through the Gros Ventre Mountains, it might not reach the park.

But the Wyoming Game and Fish Department wants to gut check that assumption. A pronghorn buck that died in Pinedale in May has biologists worried that some pronghorn may be carriers. Allen said the state wants to sample more apparently healthy animals to determine if theyre infected, but asymptomatic.

Park officials, meanwhile, are on alert. Grand Teton wildlife biologist Dewey compared mycoplasma bovis to a related bacterium: Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, which can lead to respiratory disease such as pneumonia in wild and domestic sheep and goats.

Domestic sheep have introduced the bacterium to wild bighorns through intermingling, including in the Gros Ventre mountains, where pneumonia die-offs have caused sheep populations to crater every time they reach about 500 animals.

Dewey doesnt want to see something similar happen to Grand Tetons bison herd. Similar die-offs, followed by disease persistence in the bison population, could be devastating, she said.

We dont know exactly how mycoplasma bovis might impact bison, but it is very concerning, Dewey said. It is something that were thinking about and trying to learn as much as we can about.

The hope is to prevent the pathogen from being introduced into the bison herd, she said: Were trying to avoid that at all costs.

While research into pronghorns potential pestilence plays out, park and state scientists are keeping an eye on the pronghorn that made it back to the park. Like Clark, the botanist, theyre celebrating their return.

However, there arent all that many animals to celebrate.

Recently, park scientists used a fixed-wing aircraft to fly over the park and count pronghorn in transects, or pre-established plots of land, that were about a half-mile apart. That survey methodology isnt a census, meaning it doesnt capture a picture of all pronghorn in the park. Rather, its an annual study intended to gauge whether pronghorn population numbers in Jackson Hole are going up or down.

When the plane flies in June, the park typically counts about 200 animals. This year, park officials counted only nine. From other observations, Dewey said there are clearly more animals than that in the park: At least 25.

Aly Courtemanch, Wyoming Game and Fishs Jackson-area wildlife biologist, has received reports of about 10 near Lupine Meadows, about 25 near Elk Ranch and smaller groups near Antelope Flats.

But, she said, theres definitely a striking lack of pronghorn compared to what you normally see.

How many pronghorn return to the park remains to be seen. Game and Fish typically conducts its ground survey in August, when pronghorn begin to congregate for the breeding season.

In the past few years, biologists have counted north of 500 pronghorn in Jackson Hole  record high totals that include animals in Grand Teton, on the National Elk Refuge and in the Gros Ventre mountains.

Counts later this summer are all but certain to be far lower.

As it stands, park officials have seen three does with fawns. Pronghorn often have twins. Each of the spindly, ungulate mothers only had one offspring this year. But Dewey said there are likely other animals with young.

Pronghorn have endured severe winters before, and the population has rebounded, Dewey said. Its really good news that some of the pronghorn made it back and that we have seen some signs of reproduction.

Dewey said the recent rain will probably help the fawns survive.

The forage is really abundant, so these animals have an opportunity to put on weight, Dewey said. If those fawns survive, itll be another generation that makes that migration, and itll build back.

As nature takes its course, Dewey said its critical to conserve habitat outside of the park. Game and Fish also has slashed tags for this years pronghorn hunt, hoping to give the fecund animals a chance to reproduce.

The Path of the Pronghorn is recognized and protected on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, where it became the first federally recognized migration corridor in 2008. The state of Wyoming has yet to establish similar protections for the southern reaches of the route, which stretch through gas fields and new suburbs.

The key is really conserving habitat, and all types of habitat: The movement corridor and the wintering and summer areas, Dewey said. If were able to do that, Im optimistic that this herd can build itself back up.

In the meantime, visitors should give pronghorn space. Grand Teton regulations require people to stay 25 yards or more away from all wildlife, and 100 yards or more away from bears or wolves.

If animals respond when people approach, humans are too close.

To be able to pack on the pounds to make that migration and be prepared for next winter, they really need to be spending time foraging rather than being vigilant because they feel threatened, Dewey said.
On July 1, Idaho state government left its old fiscal year and entered a new one, which means a new state budget has taken effect.

There have been changes. One of the smallest, almost microscopic in dollar amount, has gotten little attention. But it could turn into a matter of life and death, and it could make Idaho notably dangerous (well, more so) for women who become pregnant or have children. And its worth mentioning here as a point of context that, as researchers worldwide have noted, The United States has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among high-income countries.

What were talking about is the states Maternal Mortality Review Committee, an advisory and information-gathering group, set up within the state Department of Health and Welfare, and what it looks into is deaths associated with pregnancies. The committee includes physicians and other medical personnel, a coroner, a special worker and others; the broad-based analysis of the medical data is what makes this panel different from simply collecting the raw information and filing it away.

Quote ... it could turn into a matter of life and death, and it could make Idaho notably dangerous (well, more so) for women who become pregnant or have children.

It is inexpensive in state terms, barely there, amounting to possibly $15,000 by one estimate, but most or all of that is paid for by federal funds; it has been estimated to be revenue-neutral for Idaho government. The idea is to learn from and prevent future maternal deaths.

A national report on the committees work said, The United States can best save lives and prevent harm by thoughtful and strategic practices that honor states unique contexts and needs, and at the same time adopt a cohesive approach that leverages all of the data we collect on maternal deaths. MMRIA also provides support to reviews that take on challenging emerging issues, such as maternal suicide, drug overdose, and intimate partner violence, in the form of scientific and practice-based resources and tools.

Idaho was not on the cutting edge here; the efforts to launch the committees started in 2015 with a national health industry initiative. In fact, every other state, plus some other jurisdictions, has similar committees. (Utah and Wyoming share one.)

It was set up in 2019; the Legislature decided to end it effective this month, leaving Idaho as the only state which doesnt have one of these multidisciplinary committees looking into pregnancy-related deaths.

The derailing of the Idaho effect now amounts to truly weird timing, coming at a point when the Legislature is crawling all over the subject of regulating  and changing the law in relation to  pregnancies.

In a sense, we should recognize that the raw numbers involved are not large; but they do represent the life and death of real people and our ability to learn from them. The most recent annual report from the group said, Seventeen women died in Idaho while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy. Sixteen of these deaths were reviewed by the MMRC  Fifteen deaths were determined to be preventable. Nine of the deaths were determined to be pregnancy-related.

You have to wonder what the numbers will look like this year, and next.

So why did the Legislature kill the health review?

It was not inadvertent. Debate was substantial in the House Health and Welfare Committee, and a bill to continue the committee was considered but did not get the votes to progress.

One news story from KFF Health News said, Idaho lawmakers decided not to advance a bill that would have embraced the committees recommendation to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation said the committee would do little except be used as a vehicle to promote more government intervention in health care. Of course, the committee has no lobbyists.

Or maybe, when it comes to finding out why pregnancy-related deaths will be occurring in Idaho in the coming year and more, the Legislature, with its now deeply-rooted responsibility in exactly that question, would rather not know.

In contrast to 49 other states.
Chowking, the #1 Chinese quick service restaurant brand in the Philippines, has recently unveiled the all-new Spicy Chao Fan  made with the perfect blend of spices for that signature spicy wok-fried flavor.

The new product was launched by celebrity actress and longtime endorser Kim Chiu at the #ShareTheSpice press event on July 3, 2023.

Chowkings Chao Fan has always been a crowd favorite, and now it just got a spicy upgrade.

When we were creating the Spicy Chao Fan, we deliberately wanted it to have the right level of spice that everyone can enjoy. Its not spicy for spicys sake, it has just the right Spicy Wok-Sarap kick that will leave you wanting more, said Jonathan De Quiroz, Chowking Brand Director for Chao Fan & Brand Operations.

Kim Chiu introduced the #ShareTheSpice challenge where she invited everyone to try the new Spicy Chao Fan, post about the experience on any social media platform with the hashtags #ShareTheSpice and #SpicyChaoFan, and then tag two friends you want to share the spice with.

When you post and join the movement, you get the chance to win gift certificates and special prizes from Chowking.

(Join the #ShareTheSpice movement and try the all-new #SpicyChaoFan, available via Dine-In, Take-Out, Drive-Thru, and delivery through chowkingdelivery.com or the Chowking App.)

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Vatican City, Holy See  Pope Francis said on Sunday he would appoint 21 new cardinals from across the world at the end of September as he seeks to leave his imprint on the papacy.

The upcoming assembly of cardinals, scheduled for September 30 and known as a consistory, will be the ninth for Pope Francis, 86, who became pope a decade ago and is seeking to put a lasting stamp on the institution.

Their provenance expresses the universality of the Church that continues to proclaim Gods merciful love to all people on earth, said the pope, following his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Saint Peters Square.

Francis new choices are closely watched as an indication of the future direction of the Catholic Church and its priorities for the 1.3 billion faithful.

All cardinals under the age of 80, including 18 out of the group named on Sunday, are known as cardinal electors, who will participate in the vote to nominate the successor to Pope Francis.

Following the consistory in late September, there will be 137 cardinal electors, about three-quarters of whom will have been appointed by Francis.

Since becoming pope, Francis has sought to elevate clergy from developing nations far from Rome to the highest ranks of the Church, as part of his general philosophy of diversity and inclusion.

The names Francis announced Sunday include clergy in regions where Christianity is growing, such as Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Among the archbishops to become cardinals are those of Juba in South Sudan, Cape Town in South Africa and Tabora in Tanzania.

The list also includes the bishop from Penang, Malaysia, and that of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow Sau-Yan, who has a Harvard PhD in psychology and will be key in improving the Churchs fraught ties with communist China.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the top Catholic in the Holy Land, Italys Pierbattista Pizzaballa, whose archdiocese encompasses Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus, also will be inducted.

 Missionaries and administrators 

Francis is also tapping the heads of key dicasteries, including the Italian Claudio Gugerotti, currently prefect for the Dicastery of the Eastern Churches, and Argentinas Victor Manuel Fernandez, chosen earlier this month by the pope to head the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Chicago-born head of the Dicastery for Bishops, Robert Prevost, who is charged with overseeing bishop appointments and a longtime missionary in Peru, was also named, as was the Holy Sees apostolic nuncio, or diplomat, to the United States, Christophe Pierre from France, who has also served as envoy in Haiti, Uganda and Mexico.

Included from Latin America is the emeritus archbishop of Cumana, Venezuela, the archbishop of Cordoba in Argentina, and a 96-year-old Capuchin priest from Buenos Aires.

The last consistory was held in August 2022, when Francis inducted 20 cardinals.

Cardinals, who wear the scarlet robes of their office, serve as the popes top advisers and administrators.

During the consistory, the future cardinals kneel one by one at the feet of the pope, who places on their heads the quadrangular scarlet cap, or biretta.

Following the ceremony, the Vatican holds a traditional courtesy visit, in which the new cardinals greet the general public.

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Seoul, South Korea  North Korea on Monday accused a US spy aircraft of violating its airspace and condemned Washingtons plans to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula.

A spokesperson for the Norths Ministry of National Defence said provocative flights were made by US spy aircraft this month, with one reconnaissance plane intruding into its airspace over the East Sea several times.

There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea, the spokesperson said in a statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The spokesperson cited past incidents when Pyongyang shot down US aircrafts, and warned the United States will pay for its frantically staged air espionage.

The statement also slammed the planned deployment of US strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula as the most undisguised nuclear blackmail to North Korea that posed a grave threat to regional and global security.

The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the U.S. provocative military action, it read.

Washington said in April that it would send a nuclear ballistic submarine to make the first visit to a South Korean port in decades, without specifying the timing.

North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and in May attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

The United States and South Korea have ramped up defence cooperation in response, staging joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and high-profile US strategic assets.

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Photo by Peter Paul Duran

The Lamudi Property Fair 2023, co-presented by IKEA and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), opened its doors to the public this July 7, 2023, at the TriNoma Activity Center, Quezon City. Property seekers and real estate professionals flocked to the kickoff day of the biggest property festival in the country.

The Lamudi Property Fair 2023 is a three-day real estate festival happening from Friday, July 7, 2023, until Sunday, July 9, 2023, at Ayala Malls TriNoma.

In its on-ground comeback since 2019, the top developers of the Philippines gathered to provide the best deals, discounts, and promos to interested property buyers to help them find their dream homes.

Lamudi Philippines country head Anurag Verma expressed his gratitude to all partner exhibitors who made the Lamudi Property Fair possible.

We have different kinds of properties available at our event until Sunday, so I encourage you all to really explore these properties, search to your hearts content, ask the right questions, look for discounts, and find the property which best suits your lifestyle and budget, he added.

Actress and model Phoemela Baranda hosted the grand opening of the Lamudi Property Fair 2023.

IKEA, BPI Joins Lamudi Property Fairs Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Photo by Peter Paul Duran

IKEA Philippines Marketing and PR Manager Patrick Marcelo shared IKEAs vision of helping Filipinos through its home furnishings.

At IKEA, our main goal is to create a better everyday life for Filipinos through our well-designed and affordable home furnishings. Were glad to be part of the Lamudi Property Fair to help Filipinos achieve their goals of having their dream homes, Marcelo added.

Attendees are encouraged to visit IKEA Philippines booth where IKEA experts can help design your dream wardrobe and storage for your home.

BPI Product Marketing Division Head Mark Launcel Panizales welcomed property seekers to the opening of the Lamudi Property Fair 2023.

Kami at BPI, nagpapasalamat sa Lamudi, IKEA, sa lahat ng participating developers, na andito ngayon para tuparin ang pangarap ng bawat Pilipino na magkaroon ng sariling bahay, Panizales said.

(BPI would like to thank Lamudi, IKEA and all participating developers present here today to make the dream of every Filipino of owning a home a reality.)

Property seekers can avail of BPIs various home loan packages at the banking institutions booth exhibit at the Lamudi Property Fair.

Sa BPI, proud po kami na meron na po tayong housing loan na maaari nyo pong i-avail at payable up to 30 years, he added.

(BPI is proud to offer a housing loan package payable up to 30 years that attendees can avail at the Lamudi Property Fair 2023.)

Lamudi Philippines Associate Director for Brand Marketing Carlo Rosales joined IKEA and BPI for the official ribbon cutting and program opening.

What to Expect at the Three-day Property Festival

Photo by Peter Paul Duran

Home seekers are welcome to browse different property options from condominiums to houses and lots at the Lamudi Property Fair 2023, co-presented by IKEA and BPI.

The property festival will also feature insightful talks and exhibitions focused on property investment as well as games and activities for attendees throughout the three-day fair.

Moreover, government agencies like the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Pag-IBIG Fund will discuss their services and educate the public. In addition, all attendees will get grocery discount voucher codes from MetroMart and Pick.A.Roo.

Some of the top developers in the country that will showcase their projects and developments during the Lamudi Property Fair are the following:

Federal Land

Aboitiz Land

Filinvest Alabang

RLC Residences

Avida Land

Amaia Land

BellaVita

Solar Resources

Buena Mano

Community Creators

Golden Home Realty and Development Corporation

Primeworld Land Holdings

Aseana Residential Holdings

Metrostar Realty and Development

Taft Properties

Picar Development

DMCI Homes

P.A. Properties-Hankyu Hanshin

Brokerage firm PropertyPRO will also present their available properties during the event.

Lamudis Latest Superapp for Real Estate Professionals

In line with elevating all sectors of the Philippine real estate industry, top real estate platform Lamudi is committed to bridging the gap between developers and property sellers.

We are launching Lamudi Connect, a super app for [real estate] agents which is gonna help bridge the gap between developers and real estate professionals, Verma said.

Interested brokers are invited to tune in to Lamudi Academys onsite session on the second day of the Lamudi Property Fair this July 8, 2023.

Lamudi Property Fair 2023s media partners are Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Inquirer Property, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, Business Mirror, and Malaya Business Insight. The media support are Mediablast Digital Corporation, Negosentro, Property Finds Asia, Village Connect, and Real Estate Blog PH.

Dont miss the largest property festival in the country. Visit the Lamudi Property Fair 2023 at TriNoma Activity Center until Sunday, July 9, 2023.

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THIS year, the PPA is celebrating its 49th anniversary under the theme Sa progresibong Pantalan, aasenso ang bayan, alluding to the institutions continuing bid for innovation. The celebrations last from July 10 to 14 to commemorate the achievements, milestones, and constant progress that has shaped the world of the PPA throughout its 49 years in the industry.

Since the 1970s, the PPA has upheld its mission of providing modern, sustainable, and resilient port infrastructures and facilities. Its recent undertaking is developing and operating ports that cater to the needs of local and global clients using best practices and state-of-the-art technologies.

The PPAs responsibilities include offering responsive, reliable, and efficient port services while promoting a transparent, fair, and relevant regulatory framework in pursuit of a national development program. This agency also leads the charge to establish, develop, regulate, manage, and operate a rationalized national port system to support trade.

Stakeholders from across the Philippines can join the various activities the PPA planned to highlight the authoritys achievements and relevance to the Filipinos.

Looking back at PPAs successes

Every government agency and industry in the Philippines felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But PPAs 2021 Annual Report claimed that the countrys maritime transport sector remained resilient and showed remarkable recovery in the same year.

The economic growth in 2021, which posted a 5.6 percent increase in GDP from the negative 9.5 percent recorded in 2020, was ultimately the result of the governments economic stimulus packages, reopening of the domestic markets, and gradual lifting of restrictions such as those in the supply chain of essential goods, and trade in general.

Such developments positively influenced the countrys overall trade and shipping performance during the year in review.

Driven by the favorable outcome in shipping and trade volume, PPA generated a total revenue of P17.673 billion during the year.

It also coincides with PPAs bid to help the Philippines in Healing As One Maritime Nation.

Besides helping the Philippines recover from the throes of the pandemic, the PPA also had to adapt to meet the demands of the new normal. The authoritys efforts include constant improvement to ensure the efficient flow of goods in ports across the country.

In response to the present realities and to identify new opportunities, the PPA has amended and formulated policy measures and recalibrated its action plans to improve its port operations and services.

The PPAs efforts continue today to maintain efficient operations that meet the demands of a modern world that is still reliant on ports for transportation.

A brief history of the PPA

Before the PPA, the Philippines port administration merged with the traditional function of revenue collection of the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The Bureau of Public Works (BPW) was responsible for port and harbor maintenance. In the early 1970s, there were already 591 national and municipal ports, plus 200 private ports scattered all over the country, demanding long-range planning and rationalization of port development.

There was an identified need to integrate and coordinate port planning, development, operations, and regulation at the national level. Around this time, the BOC proposed to the Reorganization Committee and Congress the creation of a separate government agency to integrate the functions of port operations, cargo handling, and port development and maintenance to enable the Bureau to concentrate on tax and customs duties collection.

Soon, the government and its concerned agencies realized that establishing and operating port authorities led to improved port operations. They felt similar benefits could come from a national port authority to administer and manage Philippine ports. Not long, Presidential Decree No. 505, subsequently amended by P.D. No. 875 in December 1975, created the PPA.

The latter decree expanded the PPAs scope and functions, tasking it to facilitate the implementation of an integrated program for the planning, development, financing, operation, and maintenance of ports or port districts for the country.

In 1978, the charter was further amended by Executive Order No. 513, the salient features of which were the granting of police authority to the PPA, the creation of a National Ports Advisory Council (NPAC) to strengthen cooperation between the government and the private sector, and empowering the PPA to exact reasonable administrative fines for specific violations of its rules and regulations.

The PPA was also part of what was then the Ministry of Public Works and Highways (MPWH), which also served as the executing agency for all port construction projects. Under this setup, the PPA prepared the general plans, programs, and project priorities, while the MPWH was responsible for detailed engineering, actual construction, and supervision of port construction projects.

Later, the PPA became independent of the MPWH (now the Department of Public Works and Highways or DPWH) and attached to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for policy and program coordination. Subsequently, under Executive Order No. 159, in 1987, the PPA is now vested with undertaking all port construction projects under its port system, relieving DPWH of this responsibility. The executive order also granted the PPA financial autonomy.

For nearly five decades, the PPA has held the fort for efficient and secure services throughout the various ports in the Philippines. As 2030 nears, the authority is also taking the necessary steps to move closer to becoming part of an integrated transport and logistics system, provide port facilities and services at par with global best practices, and have a port regulatory environment conducive to national development.

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As Michael and Brittany Layne try to piece together how their 17-year-old son, Nick, died from an accident involving fireworks, they say none of the information theyve received makes any sense.

They know he had gone with a neighbor to a friends house in Louisa County, the Saturday before the Fourth of July. Theyve since learned he was on the porch with others about 9:30 p.m., as the fireworks show was about to start.

But no one seems to know what happened next, said the parents, who live in Hanover County. It was dark, and people said they had their backs turned to Nick when they heard this loud boom, the mother said.

He just kind of stopped, she said. I think they ended up laying him down and starting CPR on him right away.

Nicholas Ryan Layne died that night, a month shy of his 18th birthday, in a darkened yard off Belle Meade Road in Bumpass. The Louisa County Sheriffs Department hasnt gotten a report from the medical examiners office on his cause of death.

Nicks parents believe a firework blast threw him into cardiac arrest. But they also said that a funeral home director told them there were no signs of an explosion on his chest or body except for some marks on his left hand.

A spokesman for Found and Sons Funeral Chapel wouldnt confirm what was said, stressing that the funeral home doesnt discuss information shared with family members for privacy reasons.

The only thing I can think is, its just a freak accident. It was just something that you could not even reproduce if you wanted to, Nicks mother said as tears welled in her eyes. I dont question Gods timing or what His will is and were gonna celebrate the 17 years that we had with him.

On Saturday, a week after Nicks death, the Louisa County Sheriffs Office stated in a news release that while responding, deputies were advised that the victim had a firework explode in their hand, was not breathing, and that CPR had been started by individuals on location.

The fire marshal and detectives from several units collected evidence and are awaiting the medical examiners report.

The Louisa County Sheriffs Office responds to numerous calls for service each year involving fireworks, and this incident is proof that handling fireworks the wrong way can cause serious injury or death, said Sheriff Donald Lowe. Let the professionals handle the fireworks while you celebrate New Years and Americas independence responsibly and safe.

Rockets red glare

Last year, 10,200 Americans were treated for injuries from fireworks and 11 of them died, according to a Consumer Product Safety Division report.

Most of the deaths occurred around the July 4th holiday and were associated with mortar-style explosions, according to the CPSD. Misusing fireworks resulted in five fatalities, with victims ranging from ages 11 to 43.

Any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is considered illegal in Virginia, according to the State Fire Marshals Office.

But as evidenced by the glare of red rockets and the booms of pyrotechnic blasts in backyards across the Fredericksburg region last week, plenty of people cross state lines, where they can legally buy whats illegal to have in Virginia, and bring them home.

Then, they become part of the type of Independence Day gathering that Nick Layne attended. His parents had been to similar celebrations over the years and stressed in an interview on Friday that they taught fireworks safety, just as they drilled in proper procedures with firearms, to Nick and his 14-year-old sister, Savannah.

If they dont know, then how can they be safe? his mom asked.

His father cant believe Nick would have lit a firework in the midst of so many people or held one that was lit.

Theres no way that he would have intentionally done anything while on the porch, at someones house with people around, Michael Layne said. He was taught to be much more respectful than that.

Left to wonder

The parents said they dont want the Sheriffs Office to press charges against the homeowners who hosted the party or whoever might have brought illegal fireworks to the event.

While laws at the county, state and federal level address the purchase and transport of fireworks, theyre difficult to enforce unless someone is selling them illegally in Virginia.

Last week, Stafford Fire and Rescue officials seized the largest cache of illegal fireworks in county history, more than $600,000 worth of items that were being sold at a stand in the White Oak area, according to public information officer Katie Brady. The items were displayed in plain sight, and an anonymous tipster told the county about them.

Its a different matter altogether when numerous people are gathered on someones lawn, shooting off fireworks.

The challenge that many of our fire marshals encounter is determining who, in a large group of people, actually purchased, transported and shot off the illegal fireworks, Brady said.

Michael Layne said he was definitely angry from the start about the fact that illegal fireworks were present at the event. But the more he talked to others, including the man who hosted the party, the more he realized the accident involving Nick wasnt anything intentional. They did everything they could to help him.

And what good does being angry do? his wife asked. Its only going to create bitterness in our own hearts. We want to show love and compassion. We dont blame anybody. We want to also be supportive of our daughter, too, because she needs us as well. What would we be teaching her if we got angry?

However, the father would like to know more details about exactly what happened the night his son died.

I just dont want to go on forever, wondering, he said. If I can get a definitive answer, its one more thing I wont have to think about.

Hippie style

As noted in Nick Laynes obituary, the young man loved his long hair and hippie style. It was more than a phase, his family said, with his interest in music and people from the 1960s and 70s starting when he was about 10.

He loved Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, said his grandmother, Sherry Pritchert of Stafford County.

She talked about the weekends he spent at her home, the way hed climb up the shelf in her garage and retrieve about 30 bins of Christmas decorations. Then after the holidays, hed be there to put them all back.

He enjoyed playing bass guitar and putting together complex Lego sets. He loved the outdoors, fishing, playing video games and cards, skateboarding, fast food and lasagna.

He really knew who he was and he was comfortable with who he was, his mother said. He didnt care what anybody else thought. He was just gonna be his own person and we embraced him and we loved him for that.

But it didnt necessarily make him popular in high school, and he was bullied, his parents said. He took some online classes and planned to get a GED when he turned 18.

Nick also wanted to celebrate his birthday by jumping out of an airplane, so his family is honoring those wishes by supporting anyone who wants to fly with him. Friends, family members and co-workers have donated several thousand dollars toward the event, which probably will involve about 12 people skydiving next month.

A relative will take some of his ashes and swirl them into resin beads so the jumpers will have a piece of Nick with them. His parents had planned to be there in August when he made his celebratory jump  to watch and support him, but not to participate.

Its not something that I ever wanted to do, but I feel like I owe it to him, his mother said.
Fourteen giraffes arrived in Angola last week from neighboring Namibia, announced by an organization campaigning to reintroduce the species after decades of depletion due to civil war.

The graceful animals have taken up residence in Iona, one of Angolas largest parks, covering an area of 15,200 km, close to the border between the two southern African countries.

This transfer is the first of a series to restore and enrich the parks biodiversity, according to African Parks, an NGO with which Prince Harry is associated and which manages around twenty parks on the continent.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), giraffes were extinct in Angola at the end of the 1990s, decimated by poaching, until their gradual reintroduction to the south of the country in 2015. The Angolan giraffe disappeared locally before the 1980s due to indiscriminate poaching during the civil war, according to the Namibian Journal of Environment, a leading scientific publication.

At the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola renewed its commitment to wildlife conservation. Stephanie Fennessy, co-founder of the Namibia-based Giraffe Conservation Foundation, welcomed the transfer, saying that by reintroducing the spotted animal with the endless neck to its historic range () we are ensuring its long-term survival and helping to restore the ecological balance.

The Angolan government hailed this as a remarkable milestone. The former Portuguese colony endured almost three decades of civil war, between its independence in 1975 and 2002, at the cost of some 500,000 deaths.
The Interior Ministry wants to investigate alleged irregularities involving phantom salary payments to security staff and protocol bodies of the Angolan Parliament.

The National Assembly of Angola announced on Sunday that the Ministry of Interior has opened an enquiry to investigate alleged irregularities involving phantom salary payments to elements linked to personal security and protocol entities.

In a statement, the Angolan parliament said it had been informed of a complaint about the introduction in the salary sheets of the Parliamentary Protection Unit and the Honour Guard Unit (UPP/UGH) of names of people that do not belong to them, and that it had referred the case to the competent bodies.

According to an anonymous complaint circulating on social networks, more than 300 people who do not belong to these structures receive monthly salaries and allowances from the National Assembly.

Although these two structures are an external body to the National Assembly, given the seriousness of the situation described in the complaint, with criminal contours, the case was presented to the Military House of the President of the Republic and the Office of the Minister of the Interior, for the establishment of the facts and legal treatment, according to the statement.
The 63rd session of the Conference of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) came to a close late on Sunday, July 9. Nigerias President, Bola Tinubu, was unanimously elected the organizations new acting Chairman. One of his priorities at the head of ECOWAS is to combat unconstitutional changes.

Bola Tinubu, the newly elected President of the Conference of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has just announced that he does not support the installation of the military in power following a coup dEtat. In Bissau, before his peers, he declared that democracy would be the cornerstone of his action at the head of the sub-regional institution. Nigerias President has chosen strong words and shock phrases to denounce and condemn coups detat in the sub-region.

In the capital of Guinea-Bissau on Sunday, some Heads of State were not at all happy because some of these countries, where there is a military transition and where young people have come to power, have recently refused to receive emissaries from the Economic Community of West African States.

There were also discussions about the installation, for example, of a ECOWAS force with two objectives: to combat terrorism in the ECOWAS zone, and to intervene if necessary in States to re-establish constitutional order.

We also discussed the forthcoming end of the MINUSMA mission in Mali, and the concerns already felt by the populations of States in the sub-region.
Morocco and Guinea reiterated, on Monday from the Saharan city of Dakhla, their shared desire to make their partnership relations a model of inter-African cooperation.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the 7th session of the Morocco-Guinea Joint Cooperation Commission, co-chaired by the two countries Foreign Ministers Nasser Bourita and Morissanda Kouyate, the two parties underlined the interest shown by King Mohammed VI and Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya in the development of economic relations between the two brotherly countries, as part of a new partnership strategy and their shared willingness to contribute to the preservation of peace and stability on the African continent.

The two sides hailed the sustained pace of their mutually beneficial and fruitful cooperation, as well as the prospects for diversifying and consolidating this partnership in promising sectors such as training, agriculture, food security, sea fishing, hydraulics, health, energy, port management and mining.

Bourita expressed the Kingdoms readiness to contribute to Guineas socio-economic development efforts, particularly in priority sectors such as security, fisheries, health, social development, agriculture, vocational training, water and energy.

The two parties also reaffirmed their shared desire to develop an ambitious Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that would be mutually beneficial for both countries, to serve as a model for South-South cooperation on the continent.

During their talks, Bourita underlined the positive momentum generated by Kouyates visit to Rabat on May 09, and expressed Moroccos full readiness to continue working to give renewed impetus to this momentum of cooperation and solidarity.

He also reiterated the thanks and gratitude of the Government of Morocco for Guineas unconditional support, as demonstrated by the positions it has taken in various regional and international bodies, the joint statement noted, adding that the two parties have agreed, to this end, to support, in a concerted and mutual manner, the Moroccan and Guinean bids at the level of these bodies.

The two parties also noted with satisfaction their convergence of views on various regional and international issues of common interest, while reiterating their determination to take part in efforts to settle disputes in Africa, the joint statement underlined.

The Moroccan-Guinean joint cooperation commission highlighted by the signing of 8 agreements and conventions including a security cooperation deal, meant to strengthen cooperation mechanisms so that both countries can act jointly against terrorism and other forms of transnational crimes  including drug trafficking and irregular migration.

The other agreements cover international road transport of passengers and goods; realization of projects in the field of hydrocarbons; metrology, accreditation and consumer protection; cooperation and exchange of information on the process of developing standards, the implementation of measures likely to promote mutual recognition of certificates of conformity to internal and international standards; promotion of cultural, scientific, technical and socio-economic cooperation; and vocational training.

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) provides Guinea with an annual quota of 180 scholarships in the academic and technical fields.

The two parties agreed to hold the eighth session of the Morocco-Guinea Joint Cooperation Commission in Conakry, on a date to be decided by mutual diplomatic agreement.
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The introduction of robots powered by artificial intelligence has the potential to address the shortage of nurses. However, it raises several ethical issues that must be addressed before developing and deploying intelligent robots for nursing tasks. Credit: IBM Research from flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/40748696@N07/31347695101)

The recent progress in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) promises a future where these technologies would play a more prominent role in society. Current developments, such as the introduction of autonomous vehicles, the ability to generate original artwork, and the creation of chatbots capable of engaging in human-like conversations, highlight the immense possibilities held by these technologies. While these advancements offer numerous benefits, they also pose some fundamental questions.

The characteristics such as creativity, communication, critical thinking, and learningonce considered to be unique to humansare now being replicated by AI. So, can intelligent machines be considered 'human'?

In a step toward answering this question, Associate Professor Tomohide Ibuki from Tokyo University of Science, in collaboration with medical ethics researcher Dr. Eisuke Nakazawa from The University of Tokyo and nursing researcher Dr. Ai Ibuki from Kyoritsu Women's University, recently explored whether robots and AI can be entrusted with nursing, a highly humane practice. Their work was published in the journal Nursing Ethics.

"This study in applied ethics examines whether robotics, human engineering, and human intelligence technologies can and should replace humans in nursing tasks," says Dr. Ibuki.

Nurses demonstrate empathy and establish meaningful connections with their patients. This human touch is essential in fostering a sense of understanding, trust, and emotional support. The researchers examined whether the current advancements in robotics and AI can implement these human qualities by replicating the ethical concepts attributed to human nurses, including advocacy, accountability, cooperation, and caring.

Advocacy in nursing involves speaking on behalf of patients to ensure that they receive the best possible medical care. This encompasses safeguarding patients from medical errors, providing treatment information, acknowledging the preferences of a patient, and acting as mediators between the hospital and the patient.

In this regard, the researchers noted that while AI can inform patients about medical errors and present treatment options, they questioned its ability to truly understand and empathize with patients' values and to effectively navigate human relationships as mediators.

The researchers also expressed concerns about holding robots accountable for their actions. They suggested the development of explainable AI, which would provide insights into the decision-making process of AI systems, improving accountability.

The study further highlights that nurses are required to collaborate effectively with their colleagues and other healthcare professionals to ensure the best possible care for patients. As humans rely on visual cues to build trust and establish relationships, unfamiliarity with robots might lead to suboptimal interactions. Recognizing this issue, the researchers emphasized the importance of conducting further investigations to determine the appropriate appearance of robots for facilitating efficient cooperation with human medical staff.

Lastly, while robots and AI have the potential to understand a patient's emotions and provide appropriate care, the patient must also be willing to accept robots as care providers.

Having considered the above four ethical concepts in nursing, the researchers acknowledge that while robots may not fully replace human nurses anytime soon, they do not dismiss the possibility. While robots and AI can potentially reduce the shortage of nurses and improve treatment outcomes for patients, their deployment requires careful weighing of the ethical implications and impact on nursing practice.

"While the present analysis does not preclude the possibility of implementing the ethical concepts of nursing in robots and AI in the future, it points out that there are several ethical questions. Further research could not only help solve them but also lead to new discoveries in ethics," concludes Dr. Ibuki.

More information: Tomohide Ibuki et al, Possibilities and ethical issues of entrusting nursing tasks to robots and artificial intelligence, Nursing Ethics (2023). DOI: 10.1177/09697330221149094
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Dr Fiona Zheng (pictured) investigated potential differences in how educators and children talk to each other depending on the infants' language background. Credit: Macquarie University

Infants from multilingual backgrounds "talk" less with their early childhood educators, which could slow their language development, according to a new study. But researchers also found the children catch up over time.

The study, published in the journal Infant Behavior and Development, is the first major analysis from the MQ TaLK project, currently the biggest study in Australia to investigate how early childhood education settings support infant and toddler language development.

The researchers found that English-speaking infants from 12 to 18 months old in early childhood centers "vocalized" (spoke or made speech-like sounds) more than multilingual infants.

"The extent to which children vocalize in infancy strongly predicts their language development and it also affects how much they are spoken to, so these are significant findings," says Professor Sheila Degotardi, who is the Director of the Center for Research in Early Childhood Education at Macquarie University.

"However, we found that as multilingual children spent more time in their early childhood center, the difference in vocalization rates between the two groups disappeared," she says.

Words count

The research team studied more than 180 children aged 12 to 18 months old attending early childhood centers, 45% of whom were multilingual, and compared language environments between monolingual and multilingual children in their homes and in early childhood centers.

"This is a very comprehensive study, gathering data on aspects of language environments such as how many words infants hear from their parents or educators. How many vocalizations they produce, and how many conversational turns they are engaged in," says Professor Degotardi. "We also looked at the quality of those language interactions."

Along with video recordings, the researchers had participating children wear a specialized recording device called LENA (Language Environment Analysis), which records their speech interactions across a full day.

Postdoctoral research fellow and study co-author Dr. Fiona Zheng analyzed the LENA data.

"We wanted to find out about how the language environments might differ for children who are growing up speaking or hearing a language other than English," she says.

The findings are particularly significant because the 2021 Census showed that nearly half of Australians (48%) had a parent born overseas, 27% were born overseas and 22% spoke a language other than English at home.

The study suggests that early childhood center attendance during infancy may support early language development, Dr. Zheng explained.

"In the future our analysis will look at how 4-year-olds use their language, from how they construct a story narrative to how they describe things in a picture. And we also plan to look at how they use language to express what they know and understand," says Dr. Zheng.

Shining a light

Professor Degotardi says this study could shed light on Australian data showing that children from non-English speaking backgrounds often start school with weaker language skills than their English-speaking peers.

"Early childhood educators often ask about aiding language development in young children, and how to support children from non-English speaking backgroundsthis project is all about getting that data," Professor Degotardi says.

The study takes a deep dive into language interactions in early childhood, she says.

"We're observing how educators might consciously or unconsciously adjust the ways they interact with children depending on their language background, and whether the children themselves vocalize differently depending on their language background."

"These findings suggest that educators need to be aware of individual differences in language environment experienced by multilingual and monolingual infants," says Dr. Zheng.

Group sizes matter

The study also found that infants in smaller groups also vocalized more frequently than those in larger groups.

"There is no limitation on group size in Australia and the largest class size we studied was over 25 childrenthese big classes are likely to be noisier and busier, which runs the risk of impacting on the quality of their interactions with educators," Professor Degotardi says.

One surprising result from the study was that the number of words adult caregivers spoke differed according to the gender of the infant.

"In general, educators talked more to female infants than to male infants," says Professor Degotardi.

"Regardless of their multilingual status, all girls were exposed to significantly more language than boys."

This finding was a sideline to the current research, but will be explored in more detail in future, Professor Degotardi says.

"Could female infants be already socialized into wanting more language interactions than male infants by this young age? Is there a genetic predisposition, or even unconscious bias on behalf of educatorsthere's a number of avenues to explore further."

Bridging the gap

The study highlights the importance of understanding multilingual infants' language environments in early childhood education settings, says Professor Degotardi.

"Early childhood education plays a critical role in language development for a large group of Australian children," she says.

"Our research highlights the need for educators to be supported so they can focus on providing a rich and varied language environment for all children regardless of their multilingual status."

That should include frequent conversational turns, rich experience with adult talk and the encouragement of infant vocalizations, she says.

"These findings should encourage centers to have smaller group settings to support frequent opportunities for one-on-one interaction with educators," Professor Degotardi says.

More information: Zhijun Zheng et al, Effects of multilingualism on Australian infants' language environments in early childhood education centers, Infant Behavior and Development (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101799
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A major clinical trial has found a simple change to world practice for kidney transplants could deliver real benefits for recipients and reduce their need for dialysis by 25%.

The BEST-Fluids trial was conducted by the Australasian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN) in collaboration with researchers from The University of Queensland, The University of Adelaide, and The University of Sydney. The research was published in The Lancet.

ATKN chair and UQ Professor David Johnson said the trial assessed the use of an intravenous fluid containing sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride in proportions similar to human bloodinstead of the usual practice of using normal saline (sodium chloride and water).

"Of those study participants who received intravenous Plasma-Lyte 148, 30% needed dialysis after their transplants, compared to 40% for those given normal saline," Professor Johnson said.

"This is a significant improvement in outcomes for those undergoing kidney transplant surgery."

Royal Adelaide Hospital Nephrologist Dr. Michael Collins led the study and said the findings would change world practice for kidney treatments.

"Based on these results, we believe that balanced crystalloid fluids should be used for all patients during and after kidney transplant surgery," Dr. Collins said.

"Balanced fluids are relatively cheap and widely available, which makes them a useful treatment for most of the estimated 200,000 kidney transplant operations that are conducted globally each year."

University of Sydney Professor and Senior Investigator Steve Chadban said with regular saline, as currently used, about one in three transplanted kidneys did not work immediately.

"Kidneys can be effectively 'stunned' by the traumas of donation surgery, transportation and then transplant surgery," Professor Chadban said.

"When a kidney doesn't work immediately, dialysis is required.

"This can cause anxiety and inconvenience for patients, as well as potential longer-term damage to the kidney."

More than 800 transplant recipients participated in the study, across 16 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand between January 2018 and August 2020.

The trial was double-blinded, meaning participants and researchers were not aware who had received which fluid until its conclusion.

More information: Michael G Collins et al, Balanced crystalloid solution versus saline in deceased donor kidney transplantation (BEST-Fluids): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial, The Lancet (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00642-6 Journal information: The Lancet
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An accurate three dimensional structure of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-O-acetate (THC-O-acetate 3D). Credit: Mplanine/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

The cannabis plant is complex, with about 100 cannabinoids, or compounds, many of which science still knows little or nothing about. The two most prevalent active ingredientstetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)have been well-studied.

However, a variety of other cannabinoids are being introduced to the marketplace at a fast clip. Among the latest is THC-O-acetate, which has been gaining traction amid claims on social media, online message forums such as Reddit, and even some manufacturers' own advertising, that it produces psychedelic effects similar to LSD or psilocybin mushrooms.

But claims of a mystical experience have been greatly exaggerated, according to a University at Buffalo-led study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs that is the first to examine the alleged psychedelic effects of THC-O-acetate.

THC-O-acetate is a semi-synthetic compound that's derived from delta-8 THC, another cannabinoid that has garnered much interest in the last few years among curious consumers, as well as state legislatures leery of its potential dangers. (In New Jersey, where cannabis is legal, lawmakers are currently debating a bill that would ban delta-8 products.)

"THC-O-acetate has been getting a lot of attention because people are saying it's stronger than regular THC and there are these claims that it produces psychedelic effects. We wanted to study this and see, is there really a psychedelic cannabinoid? Can we find evidence that THC-O-acetate has this effect? And the answer is, not so much," says study lead author Daniel J. Kruger, Ph.D., research associate professor in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions and research scientist in the Department of Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.

Kruger and study co-author Jessica S. Kruger, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions, conducted a study last year that surveyed users' experiences with delta-8 THC. Taking a look at THC-O-acetate was the next logical step.

There's also a public health arm of their interest in this particular cannabinoid: It's an acetate, and when acetates are heated they can produce ketene, a toxic gas. In 2019, more than 2,800 people were hospitalized and 68 deaths were reported due to a condition called "e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury" (EVALI) after vaping products containing vitamin E acetate.

2018 Farm Bill created loophole

Congress' passage of the Farm Bill in 2018 made growing hemp legal at the federal level. Essentially, hemp is cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC, the chemical compound that creates the "high" that people feel. While it made growing hemp legal, the Farm Bill unintentionally created a loophole allowing manufacturers to produce and sell thousands of products containing CBD. Many are marketed with claims like "sleep aid," "pain relief" and "pet calming."

But such claims are often unvalidated, and little research has been done to better understand what's in products that are being sold online, in gas stations, corner stores and shops across the country.

"It opened up entire new markets for cannabis companies and created a sort of gray market pathway," says Daniel Kruger. "It's kind of like the Wild West. There's a huge demand for CBD products and companies have jumped in to supply this demand. Of course, they want to make a product that will stand out and get attention. Everyone's got CBD, here's something else."

Enter THC-O-acetate.

For the study, Kruger and his colleagues developed a survey that asked nearly 300 participants to indicate the extent to which they experienced the following when using THC-O-acetate: altered sense of time, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, euphoria, hallucinations, pain relief, paranoia, and relaxation.

Participants also completed items from the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a classic instrument for assessing psychedelic experiences developed in the 1960s by Walter Pahnke. They were also asked which, if any, psychedelics they had used, such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms.

When asked directly, 79% responded that using THC-O-acetate is "not at all" or "a little" of a psychedelic experience. Participants' responses were significantly below the threshold for a complete mystical experience, and those who had used classic psychedelics had lower scores on all MEQ dimensions. The most prominent experiences reported were moderate relaxation, euphoria and pain relief.

So why do some people report having a psychedelic experience with THC-O-acetate? Kruger says there are three likely explanations:

It may be due to expectations based on what users have heard or read.

Some users may have experienced a very intense high and thought it was psychedelic.

The product may have contained a contaminant.

The latter is particularly troubling from a public health standpoint, researchers say. "People have to be careful," Daniel Kruger says. "It's possible that some of these extreme effects are the result of some sort of contamination, and that's one of the real dangers of these products if you don't really know what's in them."

Some companies will include a QR code on the product label, directing consumers to a website that contains information on specifically what's in the product. But many don't.

"There's tons of interest in delta-8 and THC-O-acetate, and lots of claims being made about them with virtually no research," Daniel Kruger says. "They're really new to the consumer market and cannabis still has this weird mix of policies where it's illegal at the federal level, so we don't have national regulations, certainly not the kind of testing you'd have with a prescription drug."

More information: Daniel J. Kruger et al, THC-O-Acetate: Scarce Evidence for a Psychedelic Cannabinoid, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2023). DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2230573
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Distribution of expenditure (a) and accesses (b) for different healthcare services, grouped by population. Credit: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416447

Undocumented migrants in Italy make more use of emergency rooms and hospital admissions than pharmaceutical prescriptions and specialist visits. This is true even for chronic diseases for which undocumented migrants are entitled to essential treatment beyond emergency: hospitalizations account for about 50% of total expenditure for Italian citizens affected by diabetes, but as much as 90% for undocumented migrants.

Furthermore, services provided to them by charities seem to be more effective than services provided by the Italian National Health System to documented migrants. In the case of diabetes again, receiving health care services from a charitable organization rather than from the NHS increases the probability of complying with prescriptions by 1.19 times.

These observations are among the first outputs of Motive, a project financed by the Italian ministry of Education and Research, which seeks to build a research platform containing a wealth of multiple-source health care data about migrants and frail populations. The aim is to promote its use to generate evidence for an efficient and effective decision-making process.

Modern technologies allow collection from various sources of an unprecedentedly vast amount of health-relevant information, generally referred to as "real-world data." Specifically, local and regional health care databases, that collect data for health care delivery system management, are very valuable resources for health care research. This is precisely the sort of information used in the project.

The project team includes representatives of various Italian universities, among which CERGAS Bocconi's Elisabetta Listorti and Aleksandra Torbica. As a result of the project, the two scholars, along with Silvano G. Cella, Gianfrancesco Fiorini, Giovanni Corrao and Matteo Franchi from University of Milan,University of Milan-Bicocca and Istituti Clinici Zucchi, have authored two papers about undocumented migrants affected by diabetes. Credit: Bocconi University

The first paper maps the types of diabetes care services used in Lombardy, quantifies the impact of preventable hospital admissions and examines the health care patterns linking pharmaceutical prescriptions with hospital accesses for three different categories of patients: Italian citizens, documented migrants and undocumented migrants. For short-term complications of diabetes, the authors find, preventable hospitalizations for undocumented migrants are four times higher than for Italian citizens.

The second paper shows that charities seem to provide services more sensitive to cultural specificities, leading to higher therapeutic compliance. This result highlights the need for better coordination by the authorities.

"The large gap between entitlements and actual use of health care services echoes the WHO call for improving health for all and reducing inequalities by addressing the challenges faced by migrants," Aleksandra Torbica explains. "As a starting point, we need to reflect on the barriers encountered by migrants in accessing all the health care services and the actions undertaken to overcome them."

"The essential role of charities has beneficial effects, such as a higher use of health care services by migrants thanks to the implementation of a series of migrant-oriented practices. However, the absence of integration between the NHS and these organizations makes it impossible to draw a complete picture of the use of health care services by undocumented migrants, leaving several questions open about their unmet health needs," Elisabetta Listorti says.

More information: Elisabetta Listorti et al, Healthcare Services for Undocumented Migrants: Organisation and Costs from the Italian NHS Perspective, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416447 Elisabetta Listorti et al, A Cohort Study on Diabetic Undocumented Migrants in Italy: Can Charitable Organizations Contribute to Higher Adherence?, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20042794 Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Provided by Bocconi University
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LIONESS delineates the complexity of dense brain tissue. a: Complex neuronal environment b: LIONESS can image and reconstruct the sample in a way that clarifies many dynamic structures and functions in live brain tissue. Credit:  Johann Danzl

Brain tissue is one of the most intricate tissue specimens that scientists have arguably ever dealt with. Packed with an immeasurable amount of information, the human brain is the most sophisticated computational device with its network of around 86 billion neurons.

Understanding such complexity is a difficult task, and therefore making progress requires technologies to unravel the tiny, complex interactions taking place in the brain at microscopic scales. Imaging is therefore an enabling tool in neuroscience.

The new imaging and virtual reconstruction technology developed by Johann Danzl's group, at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), is a big leap in imaging brain activity and is aptly named LIONESSLive Information Optimized Nanoscopy Enabling Saturated Segmentation. Their work has been published in Nature Methods.

LIONESS is a pipeline to image, reconstruct, and analyze live brain tissue with a comprehensiveness and spatial resolution not possible until now.

"With LIONESS, for the first time, it is possible to get a comprehensive, dense reconstruction of living brain tissue. By imaging the tissue multiple times, LIONESS allows us to observe and measure the dynamic cellular biology in the brain take its course," says first author Philipp Velicky. "The output is a reconstructed image of the cellular arrangements in three dimensions, with time making up the fourth dimension, as the sample can be imaged over minutes, hours, or days," he adds.

With LIONESS, neuroscientists can image living brain tissue and achieve high-resolution 3D imagery without damaging the living sample. LIONESS can image and reconstruct the sample in a way that clarifies many dynamic structures and functions in live brain tissue. Credit:  Julia Lyudchik ISTA

Collaboration and AI key

The strength of LIONESS lies in refined optics and in the two levels of deep learninga method of artificial intelligencethat make up its core. The first enhances the image quality and the second identifies the different cellular structures in the dense neuronal environment.

The pipeline is a result of a collaboration between the Danzl group, Bickel group, Jonas group, Novarino group, and ISTA's Scientific Service Units, as well as other international collaborators. "Our approach was to assemble a dynamic group of scientists with unique combined expertise across disciplinary boundaries, who work together to close a technology gap in the analysis of brain tissue," Johann Danzl of ISTA says.

Surpassing hurdles

Previously it was possible to get reconstructions of brain tissue by using electron microscopy. This method images the sample based on its interactions with electrons. Despite its ability to capture images at a few nanometersa millionth of a millimeterresolution, electron microscopy requires a sample to be fixed in one biological state, which needs to be physically sectioned to obtain 3D information. Consequently, no dynamic information can be obtained.

A pipeline to reconstruct live brain tissue. Acquisition of Microscopy with optimized laser focus  Image Processing (DL)  Segmentation (DL)  3D visual analysis. Credit:  Johann Danzl

Another previously known technique of light microscopy allows observation of living systems and record intact tissue volumes by slicing them "optically" rather than physically. However, light microscopy is severely hampered in its resolving power by the very properties of the light waves it uses to generate an image. Its best-case resolution is a few hundred nanometers, much too coarse-grained to capture important cellular details in brain tissue.

Using super-resolution light microscopy scientists can break this resolution barrier. Recent work in this field, dubbed SUSHI (Super-resolution Shadow Imaging), showed that applying dye molecules to the spaces around cells and applying the Nobel Prize-winning super-resolution technique STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion) microscopy reveals super-resolved "shadows" of all the cellular structures and thus visualizes them in the tissue.

Nevertheless, it has been impossible to image entire volumes of brain tissue with resolution enhancement that matches the brain tissue's complex 3D architecture. This is because increasing resolution also entails a high load of imaging light on the sample, which may damage or "fry" the subtle, living tissue.

Herein lies the prowess of LIONESS, having been developed for, according to the authors, "fast and mild" imaging conditions, thus keeping the sample alive. The technique does so while providing isotropic super-resolutionmeaning that it is equally good in all three spatial dimensionsthat allows visualization of the tissue's cellular components in 3D nanoscale resolved detail.

LIONESS collects only as little information from the sample as needed during the imaging step. This is followed by the first deep learning step to fill in additional information on the brain tissue's structure in a process called "image restoration." In this innovative way, it achieves a resolution of around 130 nanometers, while being gentle enough for imaging of living brain tissue in real-time. Together, these steps allow for a second step of deep learning, this time to make sense of the extremely complex imaging data and identify the neuronal structures in an automated manner.

The Danzl group and collaborators photographed under ISTAs new Michael Groller Bridge. Credit:  Peter Rigaud | ISTA

ISTA Scientist Johann Danzl in his lab at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. Credit:  Nadine Poncioni | ISTA

Homing in

"The interdisciplinary approach allowed us to break the intertwined limitations in resolving power and light exposure to the living system, to make sense of the complex 3D data, and to couple the tissue's cellular architecture with molecular and functional measurements," says Danzl.

For virtual reconstruction, Danzl and Velicky teamed up with visual computing experts, the Bickel group at ISTA and the group led by Hanspeter Pfister at Harvard University, who contributed their expertise in automated segmentationthe process of automatically recognizing the cellular structures in the tissueand visualization, with further support by ISTA's image analysis staff scientist Christoph Sommer.

For sophisticated labeling strategies, neuroscientists and chemists from Edinburgh, Berlin, and ISTA contributed. It was possible to bridge functional measurements, i.e. to read out the cellular structures together with biological signaling activity in the same living neuronal circuit.

This was done by imaging Calcium ion fluxes into cells and measuring the cellular electrical activity in collaboration with the Jonas group at ISTA. The Novarino group contributed human cerebral organoids, often nicknamed mini-brains that mimic human brain development. The authors underline that all of this was facilitated through expert support by ISTA's top-notch scientific service units.

Brain structure and activity are highly dynamic; its structures evolve as the brain performs and learns new tasks. This aspect of the brain is often referred to as "plasticity." Hence, observing the changes in the brain's tissue architecture is essential to unlocking the secrets behind its plasticity. The new tool developed at ISTA shows potential for understanding the functional architecture of brain tissue and potentially other organs by revealing the subcellular structures and capturing how these might change over time.

More information: Dense 4D nanoscale reconstruction of living brain tissue, Nature Methods (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01936-6 Journal information: Nature Methods
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Percent of samples from EEA database in Massachusetts exceeding the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) of 50 g/L or lifetime health advisory (LHA) of 300 g/L. Darker shading represents greater percentage of samples above guideline values. Number of samples in each town is labeled in text within town lines. a Percent of samples collected between September 2018 and December 2019 above the SMCL. b Percent of samples collected between September 2018-December 2019 above the LHA. c Percent of samples collected between 1994 and 2022 above the SMCL. d Percent of samples collected between 1994 and 2022 above the LHA. Credit: Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00563-9

Manganese is an unregulated contaminant often found in drinking water, but safe levels of this metal are currently unknown, and prior research has indicated that overexposure to manganese may be harmful to children.

Now, a study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) has found that concentrations of manganese in a Massachusetts community's drinking water often surpassed the maximum recommended levels of manganese stated in current guidelines.

Published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the findings also suggest that the observed manganese levels may be high enough to pose a risk to children and other vulnerable communities who are exposed.

Manganese is a naturally occurring component of soil and rock, and it is both an essential nutrient and a toxic substanceso, too little or too much exposure can be harmful to health. Despite the fact that manganese is found in many communities' drinking water across the US, it is not federally regulated. The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed guidelines that identify a maximum level of daily exposure to manganese for "aesthetic" purposes (i.e. color and taste), as well as for the overall health and safety of the general population. But these guidelines are only recommendations; they cannot be enforced in the way that established primary standards can.

"Some level of manganese is needed for health, but growing evidence suggests that excess levels of manganese can harm children's brains," says study lead and corresponding author Alexa Friedman, a doctoral student at BUSPH at the time of the study. "Our findings suggest that the level of manganese that is present in public drinking water exceeded, on average, the aesthetic guidelines 40% of the time, and health-based guidelines 9% of the time. These data support the need for a legally enforceable primary drinking water standard for manganese in order to better protect children's health."

The new study is among the first to examine manganese concentrations in drinking water across time and location in the United States.

For the study, Friedman and colleagues examined residential tap water samples collected between September 2018 to December 2019 in the suburban community of Holliston, Mass., as part of a community-initiated pilot study called ACHIEVE (Assessing Children's Environmental Exposures). Holliston residents had reported concerns about the quality of their drinking water and the safety of children in the community after noticing that their tap water turned black or brown occasionally. Communities that receive tap water from shallow aquifers are especially vulnerable to being exposed to high levels of manganese, and Holliston residents rely on this source for almost all of their drinking water.

"Although average water manganese concentrations in Holliston were relatively low, our work showed that levels nonetheless often exceed the current aesthetic and health-based guidelines," says study senior author Birgit Claus Henn, associate professor of environmental health at BUSPH. "While the existing guidelines may be helpful benchmarks, without an enforceable standard in place, there is a limit to what will be done to ensure the water is safe to drink and/or meets these guidelines."

The researchers also compared their community-level manganese samples to public data on state-wide manganese levels. They found comparable ranges, suggesting that overexposure to manganese is not an isolated issue within the Holliston community.

To better understand the health risks of exposure to manganese in drinking water, Claus Henn and Friedman recommend that policymakers and other researchers increase monitoring of manganese in water, conduct health studies on this exposure in communities, and consider an enforceable standard.

"If residents are concerned about the level of manganese in their drinking water, they should refer to these resources online from Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection," Friedman says. "It is also important to know that manganese cannot be removed by boiling the water, and many household filters are not effective for removing manganese from water," she adds. "Residents should only use filters that are capable of removing manganese, and the filtration units should clearly state this capability."

More information: Alexa Friedman et al, Manganese in residential drinking water from a community-initiated case study in Massachusetts, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00563-9
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Pediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS) are quality improvement tools to help identify clinical deterioration in hospitalized children. Investigators from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, together with partners across Latin America, have worked to bring PEWS into hospitals in the region. Their analysis of the multi-institutional program's impact, demonstrating that PEWS saves lives, was published today in The Lancet Oncology.

Children who are hospitalized can experience clinical deterioration events, defined as a change in a patient's status that requires a transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) or an ICU-level intervention such as mechanical ventilation or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation outside the ICU. PEWS are designed to identify early signs of clinical deterioration in patients.

The system starts with an assessment given at the patient's bedside. The assessment includes a scoring tool to evaluate a patient's neurologic, cardiovascular and respiratory status alongside staff and family concerns. It takes into account vital signs, physical examination findings and treatment requirements.

The score is interpreted with an action algorithm that guides the team through the next steps for that patient, which are adapted to the local context and systems for how care can be escalated for a sick patient. This process is often envisioned as a traffic signal: green for a stable patient, yellow for a patient at risk for deterioration, and red for a patient needing immediate intervention.

"When children with cancer are in the hospital, they may develop clinical changes, that if not recognized early, can become significantly worse, leading to death," said corresponding author Asya Agulnik, M.D., MPH, St. Jude Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and St. Jude Global Critical Care Program director. "Most hospitals in high-resource settings use some form of PEWS to help identify deterioration, but they are very under-utilized in resource-limited settings."

Through the work of St. Jude Global, Agulnik collaborates with doctors and nurses in hospitals in Latin America to implement PEWS. Their recent study looked at the impact of PEWS in 32 hospitals in 11 countries showing that the intervention saves livesoften in the hospitals with the greatest need.

"We see this as a real call for the need to scale PEWS globally," Agulnik added. "This intervention should be used in the care of every single child with cancer who is hospitalized."

Tailoring PEWS to the Latin American region

The global burden of pediatric cancer is greatest in low- and middle-income countries, which bear over 90% of cases with survival rates as low as 20%. While timely diagnosis and access to cancer care remain a challenge, up to 50% of deaths are due to the toxicity of cancer-directed therapy.

This is because hospitals in low-resource settings frequently lack adequate infrastructure and staff to provide supportive care, resulting in the late identification of clinical deterioration and high rates of preventable deaths. PEWS is a known tool for monitoring clinical deterioration, but there are barriers to implementation.

"There are lots of reasons why PEWS are underutilized," Agulnik explained. "These include being harder to implement in resource-limited settings, as well as language barriers. But these systems are essential for caring for children with cancer, who experience more frequent deterioration, and are more likely to develop a critical illness, have serious consequences, or die.

"In resource-limited settings, children with cancer have worse outcomes and higher treatment-related mortality, often because the supportive care systems and hospital systems in place to care for critically ill children are much less developed. This means PEWS are usually not used in the settings where potentially they're the most needed," Agulnik continued.

Proyecto EVAT was created to address this gap in care. It is a multi-center quality improvement collaborative to improve outcomes for children with cancer who develop critical illness by implementing PEWS among hospitals providing childhood cancer care throughout Latin America. The first group of pediatric oncology centers joined Proyecto EVAT in 2017, and 1015 centers have enrolled in the program every year since.

It includes a mentored implementation process to support the initial assessments and planning, the adaptation of the tools, and then the piloting and implementation of PEWS. Once complete, the program still includes an assessment of outcomes and an emphasis on clinical sustainability. The group has previously published their work about the feasibility of implementing PEWS in low-and middle-income settings, and the barriers and enablers of implementation as reported by partners on the ground.

However, this is the first time the group is sharing quantitative data about the impact of PEWS implementation on patient mortality across Proyecto EVAT centers.

PEWS saves lives

The researchers compared outcomes from 32 centers that implemented PEWS through Proyecto EVAT between April 2017 and May 2021, examining the clinical deterioration event mortality rate before and after PEWS implementation. The researchers found an 18% reduction in the rate of clinical deterioration event mortality and a reduction in the percentage of events that resulted in mortality.

They found fewer cardiac arrests outside of the ICU, and patients with deterioration were identified and transferred to a higher level of care at a lower severity of illness. Notably, there was no increase in the use of ICU resources after PEWS implementation.

"Across the 32 centers overall, there was a very significant improvement in patient outcomes, but there was a different degree of impact in terms of how much benefit each center saw," Agulnik said. "Some centers saw a more significant benefit than others, so we were able to do an analysis looking at center factors that contributed to the magnitude of the impact of PEWS on deterioration event mortality."

The researchers found that centers that started with higher deterioration mortality saw a greater benefit. Additionally, centers using PEWS more consistently saw more benefits. These results show that the intervention is most effective in the hospitals that potentially need it most and also highlight that the implementation process is vital for success.

PEWS implementation work continues

The St. Jude Global team will continue its work to assist hospitals worldwide with implementing PEWS. The current iterations of the intervention are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and the team will continue enrolling hospitals into Proyecto EVAT. The team is also looking to more rapidly scale PEWS implementation in Brazil, as well as exploring how to expand PEWS for countries in the African and Asian regions. This work aims to scale up the implementation process more quickly to help more hospitals adopt the program.

"These are preventable deaths; they don't have to happen," Agulnik said. "We're now pleased to show that it is true that PEWS is an effective intervention to prevent these deaths and an intervention to reduce disparities in childhood cancer outcomes globally. This would not have been possible without the work of hundreds of people on the ground across different institutions doing this work."

More information: Asya Agulnik et al, Effect of paediatric early warning systems (PEWS) implementation on clinical deterioration event mortality among children with cancer in resource-limited hospitals in Latin America: a prospective, multicentre cohort study, The Lancet Oncology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00285-1 Journal information: Lancet Oncology
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Indigenous Peoples in Canada have higher illness rates and lower life expectancies than non-Indigenous Canadians. A new study reveals that Indigenous men in the country who have prostate cancer are being diagnosed with more advanced and more aggressive tumors than their non-Indigenous counterparts. The findings are published in Cancer.

To identify disparities in prostate cancer screening, diagnoses, management, and outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous men in Canada, a team led by Adam Kinnaird, MD, Ph.D., of the University of Alberta, examined data on 1,444,974 men who were screened for prostate cancer in 20142022 and were enrolled in the Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative.

When they examined testing rates by postal code, the investigators found that men in Indigenous communities were less likely to have prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to detect prostate cancer than men outside of Indigenous communities (32 versus 46 PSA tests per 100 men aged 5070 years within one year).

Also, among 6,049 men diagnosed with prostate cancer, Indigenous men were more likely to have PSA levels 10 ng/mL (48% versus 30%), stage II or higher cancer (65% versus 47%), and high-grade tumors (79% versus 64%) than non-Indigenous men. In addition, over a median follow-up of 3.3 years, Indigenous patients were 2.3-times more likely to experience cancer spread, or metastasis, than non-Indigenous patients.

"What is critical about this is that these results come from within a publicly funded universal health care system in which all peoples should have equal access to care," said Dr. Kinnaird. "The findings are significant because they identify Indigenous men as a population at risk for more aggressive prostate cancer and potentially worse survival. Key infrastructure changes, including better access to primary care physicians, may help improve prostate cancer screening and identify men at earlier, and curable, stages of the disease."

More information: Alex Kiciak, Disparities in prostate cancer screening, diagnoses, management, and outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous men in a universal healthcare system, Cancer (2023). DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34812 Journal information: Cancer
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In 1951, the Boggs Act signed into law by President Harry S. Truman meant that anyone caught with cannabis received a prison sentence of two to 20 years, on top of a $2,000 fine. Today, however, adults in Maryland can consume cannabis with no penalty, thanks to legislation enacted on July 1, 2023, making the former Schedule I drug legal to use and possess statewide.

Maryland joins 23 other states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, in permitting anyone 21 and older to buy and use cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes. But as more states make cannabis legal, what are policymakers and government agencies doing to ensure its safety? What does the latest research on cannabis indicate that can help the public make informed decisions?

For answers, The Hub at Johns Hopkins University recently sat down with Ryan Vandrey, an experimental psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who works with an interdisciplinary team in the Cannabis Science Laboratory. There, he investigates the effects and pharmacokinetics (how the drug moves through the body) of cannabis on humans. He also tests products and tracks trends in the burgeoning retail cannabis market, seeking to understand how alterations in dose, chemical components, and methods of use can affect the user experience.

Vandrey has spent more than two decades studying cannabis and can rattle off with ease long lists of new cannabinoid isomers on the market, from delta-10-THC to delta-6a(7)-THC. Below, he breaks down the science of cannabis and the unsettling need for more education, research, and testing to ensure the safety of the products now available at the roughly 102 licensed dispensaries in Marylandand thousands more nationwide.

What follows is an edited version of the conversation.

As someone who spends day in and day out studying cannabis, what does the legalization in Maryland mean to you?

People get harmed by drugs all the time, even prescription drugs, and cannabis is no exception. But if there wasn't good reason to believe that some value would come from legalization, it wouldn't have happened. On the benefits side, there's been a clear demonstration that the long-lasting war on drugs has been largely ineffective and has marginalized subgroups of individuals. There's also clear evidence that making cannabis illegal hasn't stopped people from accessing it. This isn't my area of expertise, but from a criminal justice perspective, it makes sense to try to establish quality control for this commodity and to pull manufacturing and revenue out of the hands of drug dealers and into the hands of responsible businesses.

But there's always risk and some level of concern when you grant open access to the public of a substance that can produce intoxication and impairment. My biggest worry is with public education and the information about the risks and potential harms of using cannabis that might get lost in the excitement of legalization.

What important research findings do you think are getting left out of the public conversation about cannabis?

[As a society,] we need an open dialogue and increased education about the risks and how to minimize the likelihood of harm for individual users. There just isn't enough discussion currently. For example, research tells us that there are subgroups of people with certain health conditions who should not use products with high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that produces the "high" in cannabis. These include individuals with a personal or family history of psychosis, who can end up in an acute psychotic state that lasts hours or days. Likewise, individuals with heart conditions or even asymptomatic cardiovascular disease can end up having a heart attack or heart failure, despite exhibiting no previous signs of trouble.

Then there's the risk of accidents that can happen as a result of impairment from intoxication. THC does, in fact, impair a person's ability to driveand impair plenty of other things, such as decision-making and sense of time. There's also the potential for interaction between cannabis products and medications people takeinteractions that many physicians are unaware of. CBD, for instance, inhibits the metabolism of a wide range of prescription drugs, but few people realize this.

Broadly speaking, cannabis containing THC is a drug of abuse. Users can become dependent on it, which means that addiction is another concernthe science is very strong on that, despite many proponents of cannabis use stating otherwise. There's an abundance of evidence showing that the earlier in life someone begins using cannabisfor example, in early or late adolescencethe more likely they are to use cannabis heavily over the long-run. With long-term, heavy use comes the risk of long-term negative health outcomes. The research on that is also clear. All of this said, I want to point out that the science on this is specific to the non-medical use of cannabis that contains THC and is typically inhaled. The risk of abuse for other types of cannabis, other routes of administration, or solely for medical purposes remains to be determined.

Popular messaging suggests that since cannabis is natural, it must be healthy and good for you. On the flip side, there's an outspoken group of people who view cannabis as terrible, as a gateway to misery, despair, and more drug use. So, cannabis tends to be polarizing, much like gun control and abortion, with camps at both extremes.

The truth, if you take all the evidence, is in the middlecannabis can be both beneficial and harmful. Whether it's beneficial or harmful depends on an individual's genetics and disposition, what product they use, how they use it, how frequently they use it, and at what dose. It's nuanced.

A wide range of cannabis products exists on the market. What concerns do you have about the safety and regulation of these products?

Twenty years ago, cannabis gummies and vaporizers didn't exist. If you used cannabis, everyone could smell it, and the products inhaled through a joint or bong were generally chemically the same. Now, we have a range of different methods of administration, different doses, and different chemical compositions that make products substantially different from the naturally occurring chemical components of the cannabis plant. Manufacturers are doing selective breeding by extracting and reconstituting plant constituents in unnatural ratios, or they're making the predominant chemical not THC or CBD but THCV [delta 9 tetrahydrocannabivarin], CBG [cannabigerol], and HHC [hexahydrocannabinol]. We don't really have safety data on these chemicals. They may be very innocuous, or inert, or unsafewe just don't know. For instance, with CBG, we're only halfway through the first human experiment on the chemical, and I could probably name 20 other compounds being added to products in high amounts for which we have zero human data.

This is an example of where the readily available products in the marketplace have littleif anyscience that's been done on safety toxicology and things like that. There's a push for cannabis businesses to differentiate themselves and create new products. Market competition, instead of safety, is driving a lot of this.

Some of your research looks specifically at edibles. What have you discovered?

The big takeaway from the research on edibles is that there's a lot of variability in drug absorption and the magnitude of drug effects. Unlike alcohol on an empty stomach, which can cause more impairment, edibles taken on an empty stomach are poorly absorbed. When taken with food, however, edibles produce a higher drug effect. The more fat in the food a person eats, the faster and more [potently] the drug gets absorbed.

It's important, then, that people taking edibles consider their gastric contents and how quickly the product might get absorbed. Someone might take an edible, wait 20 minutes, feel nothing, and decide to take another one. Then they get twice as much THC as they need for an effect and have a terrible experience.

The effects of taking an edible also last longer than when cannabis is inhaled. This may be beneficial for someone trying to manage symptoms of a chronic health condition, but at the same time, can put someone at greater risk if they try to drive home, say, from a friend's house or party.

The other main finding we have discovered is that edibles containing CBD can interact with many prescription medications and increase the likelihood of side effects. Edibles with high amounts of both THC and CBD can have stronger effects than edibles with just THC.

What adverse reactions can people experience, presumably from too much THC?

When people get too much THC, they can have a couple of different types of experiences. One is the impairment of functioningimpaired psychomotor ability, attention, and higher-order cognitive abilities like judgment, planning, and prioritizing. People can also get what's called orthostatic hypotension, meaning they get dizzy when they go from sitting to standing.

Another experience involves nausea. In our laboratory studies, it is not uncommon for healthy adults to feel nauseated or even vomit when they get high doses of THC. Others can get really anxious and paranoidand start to question, for instance, whether they're ever going to come down. Anxiety, nervousness, and paranoia can occur in social settings or even when people are alone. Typically, these symptoms resolve with time and rarely require any kind of medical intervention. But to the extent possible, we encourage people to have a confidant nearby to help them get into a comfortable, supporting environment as they ride out any uncomfortable drug effect.

Of course, there are individual circumstances that can warrant medical attention. If the user has a personal or familial history of psychosis and starts to experience psychotic thoughts or behavior, then absolutely, go to a hospital. The same holds true for cardiac events. THC increases heart rate, and there's growing recognition of risk for cardiovascular eventsof people, for instance, having a myocardial infarction right after using cannabis. In many cases, these are younger individuals with no telltale signs of cardiovascular disease. But if someone uses cannabis and notices symptoms along these linestightening or pressure in the chest, heartburn, shortness of breaththen they'll want to get to a hospital.

Again, it's important for people to understand their family history and genetics and carefully weigh the risks and benefits of deciding to use cannabis.

According to your research, how much THC is too much? And how can users avoid these unwanted effects?

The common adage is to start low and go slow. This way, people can carefully work their way up and find out how they're going to react to a certain dose.

Our research has shown that healthy adults can typically tolerate up to 10 milligrams of THC fairly well, but for some individuals, 10 milligrams can produce a very strong drug effect and lead to an adverse reaction. That's why, for those who choose to use cannabis, we recommend starting at 2.5 milligrams, and then, if desired, working up to five milligrams of THC. If someone can handle five milligrams, then they might consider 10, but they should know that at 10 milligrams of THC and higher is where unwanted consequences like vomiting, anxiety, and paranoia can start happening.

When it comes to edibles, the largest unit dose of THC in Maryland is supposed to be 10 milligrams. But that's too much for many people, so it's important to understand that the edible needs to be broken up into smaller portions. In some cases, that means eating only a quarter of a gummy bear.

Medical emergencies involving vapes continue to make headlines. What have you learned, whether in your own research or elsewhere, about the safetyor lack thereofof cannabis vaping?

In our laboratory, we've found that vaporization tends to produce a stronger drug effect than smoking due to the combustion of material that happens during smoking, which probably destroys some of the drug. So, if you put the same amount of cannabis in a pipe or joint that you put in a vape, then the vape will produce the stronger effect. Compared to edibles, vaping again produces a stronger effect, but the timing is different. By inhaling the drug through a vape, the peak effect of the drug happens almost immediately and then reduces fairly linearly over time, whereas an edible involves a much slower onset, a longer peak effect, and a slower return back to no drug effect.

Less harmful byproducts are inhaled with vaping, compared to smoking. But research indicates that vaping devices can introduce other harmful substances that wouldn't be introduced, when say, smoking cannabis in a pipe or eating an edible. For example, a lot of vaporization devices have heating coils made of a certain type of metal, or coated in a certain metal, that can break down and get inhaled. So, it really depends on how the device is manufactured. It also depends on the voltage of the battery because the higher the voltage, the higher the heatand the more THC (and perhaps metal) getting inhaled.

Right now, there are a lot of unknowns about the long-term health effects of using vape cartridges that contain things like vegetable glycerin or other kinds of vehicles for the drug. Research coming out on e-cigarettes shows that propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin [two chemical compounds present in most e-cigarettes and vaping products], are harmful to a person's pulmonary health in the long term. I would predict that being the case for cannabis vaporizers, too.

Based on that research, I expect the safest method of consumption would be to use the raw botanical flowerthe dried flowers, [which are the actual green buds of the plants]and a vaporizer that doesn't involve putting the cannabis into any kind of liquid or cartridge or anything like that. But again, users need to weigh the risks and benefits, while keeping in mind that everyone reacts differently to THC.

It's important to know, too, that some cannabis extract products like "wax" and "shatter" may contain up to four times the THC than the naturally occurring flower. The use of these products, then, can make it more difficult to titrate the inhaled THC dose with extracts. So, high THC extracts may raise the risk of someone inhaling too much THC and having an adverse reaction.

You've alluded, throughout our conversation, to gaps in knowledge and a need for more research. Are scientists only beginning to scratch the surface on cannabis research? From your perspective, are more policies and regulation needed on things like marketing and advertising?

Most certainly, there's a need for more research. In fact, we have lifetimes of science to try to catch up with where the market is now. I believe strongly that the onus is on the state to invest funding to evaluate the public health impact of these changes in regulation and laws around cannabis. I'd like to see legislators and policymakers do far more, not only with the rollout of the medical cannabis program but also now, with the adult recreational program. Colorado, California, and Michigan have invested millions of dollars into research on the public health impact of cannabis legalization and on laboratory science to better understand the therapeutic and non-therapeutic effects of cannabis. But Maryland lags behind in that area.

It's easy for scientists and policymakers to lose sight of the medical program versus the non-medical program, but these are separate and distinct programs that need to be looked at through different lenses. For example, what is the rate of misuse of cannabis among those who are using for medicinal versus non-medicinal purposes? What is the public health burden associated with adult non-medical cannabis use, and how does that compare with alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use? Will cannabis legalization result in meaningful changes in the public health burden of other drugs or of criminal justice impacts on marginalized communities? I would like to see the investment of resources to understand the impact of policy change on these areas. Data needs to be collected at the state, community, and even individual level.

We also need evidence-based regulations on packaging, labeling, and advertising. There's huge concernand rightly soabout the accidental ingestion of edibles by both children and adults (particularly adults impaired by intoxication). And if we're going to make a drug like cannabis and THC available to the public, then we need to make it distinguishable from non-drug containing food products. There's no reason, for instance, that cannabis needs to be put into a gummy bear, cookie, or brownie for it to work and do what it's intended to do for the end user, whether therapeutic or not. What about the impact of flavors and other formulations of products that are designed to draw in younger users? Right now, regulations around product specifications, packaging, and advertising are poorly developed, and there's a need for research on these topics.

Another piece is education. Adults using cannabis products need to keep them locked up and completely out of reach and sight of kids. Likewise, would-be consumers need to know what an appropriate starting dose of cannabis might be. They need to know the differences between THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids, and how drug effects differ based on whether the drug is inhaled, swallowed, or topically applied to the skin. People need to discuss use with their doctors to determine if there might be interactions with medications they are taking. For example, we recently completed a study showing that oral CBD can significantly inhibit the metabolism of many prescription medications and can increase the potency of oral THC. That's a significant finding that could affect millions of people.

In general, there just needs to be more of an open conversation about cannabis and the potential risks that come with using. Education and dialogue are key to empowering people to make informed decisions and avoid risky use patterns.
Assyrian Iranians Mark Thousand-year Ceremonies

Assyrians in the northwestern Iranian province of West Azerbaijan held a thousand-year ritual honoring the Saints of the Church. The event was held on Sunday evening at Mardanial church in Urmia, the provincial capital.

Besides paying respect to the status of the Saint, they held annual ceremonies and traditions, including lighting candles, performing the Sacrament and slaughtering sacrifices.

Assyrians have been performing the ceremonies for more than a thousand years, called Shanader in local Azeri language.

The participants in this ceremony also spent a few hours with their relatives and friends. Among those present, there were some Assyrian Iranians who had migrated abroad but returned to Urmia to attend this ceremony.

Similar ceremonies are simultaneously held in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and all other countries that are affiliated to the East Assyrian Church.

The ceremony is held on the passing anniversary of Church Saints having two spiritual and social dimensions.

The spiritual aspect includes saying prayers, making vows and sacrifices, and the distribution of charity food.

As for the social aspect, which occurs on the evening of the day, Assyrians gather together in the church grounds or other places to see each other and reunite.
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Molecular mechanism of miR-212-3p in AD-induced neuroinflammation. Credit: Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. AD is the most common cause of dementiaa continuous decline in thinking, behavioral, and social skills that affects a person's ability to function independently. It affects millions of people around the globe.

Alzheimer's disease typically starts slowly and then progressively worsens. The earliest symptom is usually difficulty remembering recent events, which is often described as forgetfulness. As the disease advances, symptoms can include confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, trouble with language, and long-term memory loss. With an aging population, the battle against this devastating disease has never been more urgent. Recently, a team of researchers has uncovered a new potential weapon against Alzheimer's disease.

Building on existing knowledge that the molecule microRNA-212-3p, referred to as miR-212-3p, could play a role in combating Alzheimer's disease, a research team performed a series of meticulous experiments to explore how this might work. The results suggest that boosting levels of miR-212-3p in the brain might help to control inflammation, one of the major players in Alzheimer's disease. These findings shine a beacon of hope for patients and their families and present an exciting avenue for potential future therapies. The findings are published in the Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences.

Unpacking the science: MicroRNAs, inflammation, and Alzheimer's disease

MicroRNAs, including miR-212-3p, are small molecules found in cells that play a crucial role in controlling the activities of certain genes. Our genes are the blueprint for every protein our bodies make, and by controlling them, microRNAs like miR-212-3p help to keep our bodies functioning properly.

Inflammation is part of the body's natural defense mechanism, but in Alzheimer's disease, this protective response gets out of control and ends up harming brain cells, contributing to memory loss and cognitive decline. The team behind this study wanted to understand whether miR-212-3p could help to control this harmful inflammation and thus fight Alzheimer's disease.

To test their theory, the team conducted a series of careful experiments. They began by injecting a compound called A1-42, known to cause Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms, into rats. They then artificially increased the levels of miR-212-3p in the brains of some of these rats, while others served as control groups.

An exciting discovery: miR-212-3p improves memory and learning

The results were promising. Rats with elevated levels of miR-212-3p demonstrated improved learning and memory capabilities, a sign that the increased presence of miR-212-3p may be able to reverse some of the effects of Alzheimer's disease. This is significant as it is the first time that miR-212-3p has been demonstrated to have such a positive impact.

Building on these positive results, the researchers also found that the increased miR-212-3p reduced the levels of inflammation in the rats' brains. High levels of inflammation are a known driver of Alzheimer's disease, so these findings suggest that boosting miR-212-3p could provide a novel approach to tackle this damaging inflammation and thus slow down or even prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Digging deeper: SP1, BACE1, and inflammation

To understand how miR-212-3p was achieving these impressive effects, the team delved deeper into the molecular machinery of the brain cells. They discovered that miR-212-3p interacts with two other molecules, SP1 and BACE1, effectively dialing down their activity.

SP1 and BACE1 are part of the inflammation-causing pathway in the brain and are known to be overly active in Alzheimer's disease. By turning down their activity, miR-212-3p can help to control the damaging inflammation in the brain, protecting brain cells from harm.

The team confirmed these findings with further experiments in cell cultures, strengthening the evidence for the role of miR-212-3p in controlling inflammation.

Implications and future directions

The findings showed the potential therapeutic role of miR-212-3p in Alzheimer's disease. By showing that this molecule can control inflammation in the brain and improve memory and learning in rats, the research provides a promising lead for the development of new treatments for this devastating disease.

Lead researcher, Dr. Wei Nong from Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China, said, "Our research provides a new understanding of how miR-212-3p could play a role in controlling the inflammation that drives Alzheimer's disease. It's the first step towards potentially harnessing this molecule for therapy in the future."

It's essential to note that while these findings are promising, more research is needed. The researchers used a rat model of Alzheimer's disease and human cell cultures in their study. While these are well-established research methods, further research will be needed to confirm these findings in people with Alzheimer's disease.

For instance, a crucial next step will be to investigate miR-212-3p's levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy individuals. The team also plans to delve deeper into how miR-212-3p levels might be manipulated in the human brain to achieve therapeutic effects and evaluate the role of miR-212-3p in AD-induced oxidative stress injury.

"The journey to a potential new treatment for Alzheimer's disease is a long one, and we are still in the early stages," Dr. Zhiquan Wei from Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China, added. "Our study is a promising start, but we need to do more research to understand the full potential of miR-212-3p."

While we are still far from a cure for Alzheimer's disease, this study shines a light on a potential new pathway for treatment. By understanding how miR-212-3p operates within the brain, researchers are paving the way for new therapies that could slow or even stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

More information: Wei Nong et al, miR-212-3p attenuates neuroinflammation of rats with Alzheimer's disease via regulating the SP1/BACE1/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway, Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2021.6723
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Two years after Brazil began emerging from its pandemic horror show thanks to a massive immunization campaign, officials face a paradoxical predicament: vaccination rates have plunged, and not just for COVID-19.

The troubling trend has left millions exposed to once-eradicated diseases.

Doctors, public officials and UNICEF have sounded the alarm over collapsing immunization rates in Brazil, where overall vaccination coverage has fallen from an impressive 95 percent in 2015 to just 68 percent last year, according to official figures.

For polio, the figure fell from 85 percent to 68 percent, triggering warnings that the disease could make a comeback in Brazil, where it was eradicated in 1989.

The figures are similar for other vaccines, allowing diseases to spread. Measles, officially eliminated in Brazil in 2016, returned two years later. There are fears diphtheria is making a resurgence, too.

Health experts say vaccine hesitancy is a growing problem worldwide. But it is particularly worrying in Brazil, a sprawling country of 203 million people that until recently was hailed as a champion of mass vaccination drives.

Then an anti-vax movement started spreading around 2016, soon gaining outsize influence via a powerful ally: far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, president from 2019 to 2022, who refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, joking the jab could "turn you into an alligator."

"It's very sad to see how a country whose vaccination programs set an example for the world can suddenly suffer from an anti-vaccine movement," Natalia Pasternak, head of the Question of Science Institute (IQC), a public policy think tank, told AFP.

"It's very sad to see how 50 years of work can be so easily destroyed in three."

Success story undone

COVID-19 highlighted the shots-in-arms capacities of Brazil's struggling but lauded universal public health system.

Back in 2020, some of the most haunting images of the pandemic were of mass graves and corpses piled in refrigerator trucks in places such as Manaus, in northern Brazil, whose overwhelmed hospitals ran out of oxygen.

Then new images started emerging in 2021, of public health workers turning Rio de Janeiro's carnival parade venue into a drive-through immunization center, or boating deep into the Amazon rainforest to administer vaccines in Indigenous villages.

Experts credit the campaign's success with stopping a far bigger tragedy in Brazil, where more than 700,000 people have died of COVID-19, second only to the United States.

Despite a slow startwidely blamed on BolsonaroBrazil had by early last year vaccinated 93 percent of adults against COVID-19.

Then rates fell, not only for COVID-19 vaccines but across the board.

The 'infodemic'

Many factors are driving the decline, experts say.

They include failure to catch up on vaccines delayed during the pandemic, inaccessible health care and declining awareness of the dangers of once-ubiquitous diseases.

But experts say a new element is making things much worse: the toxic mix of politics, polarization and disinformation that exploded during the pandemic and is increasingly familiar worldwide.

In Brazil, despite Bolsonaro losing a divisive 2022 election to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the anti-vax movement still thrives.

"We're facing a post-trust scenario, in which families are being attacked by disinformation and lies. It's not just the occasional fake news story, it's very structured," said Isabella Ballalai of the Brazilian Immunization Society.

"The consequences of that 'infodemic' will be worse than the pandemic itself."

Brazilian Health Minister Nisia Trindade says the government is evaluating how to punish doctors spreading anti-vax disinformation.

"Criminal fake news is sowing doubt and fueling vaccine hesitancy," she told AFP.

Going local

A recent survey by the Brazilian Pediatrics Society (SBP) and IQC found that doctors said parents' most common reasons for not vaccinating their children were fears of side effects and mistrust of vaccines.

Experts say health workers are desperate for reliable information to counter the flood of anti-vax disinformation.

Pasternak, whose organization is working on creating just that, says health officials also need to think locally.

"Studies show the best way to convince people to get vaccinated is working with local leaders... People listen to those they trust: pastors, community leaders," she said.

But reversing the trend will not be easy, Pasternak admitted.

"We have lots of work to do."

 2023 AFP
Fundraising for the Missoula mayors race is already breaking records, approximately four months ahead of the November election.

Mayor Jordan Hess and City Councilor Mike Nugent are both ahead of former Mayor John Engens record of $32,457.01 raised by June 15, 2021. According to the Montana campaign electronic reporting system, Hess raised $39,386 by June 15, 2023. Nugent, per his report, has raised over $62,000 so far.

Homeword Executive Director Andrea Davis, a third candidate for mayor, raised $19,850 by the June 15 deadline. Candidate Shawn Knopp raised $2,854 and no data was available for candidate Brandi Atanasoff.

Nugent, the leader in the clubhouse for campaign fundraising, noted the 2023 election represents the first truly open mayors race in decades.

He said he senses excitement among community members to select a mayor this time around.

Among those people are local firefighters, members of the real estate industry and nonprofit leaders. Nugents campaign chest is supported by a prominent number of real estate industry representatives, along with donors from outside states including Washington, Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin, Alaska and California.

He also said the multiplying avenues for reaching voters  including various social media and in-person options  necessitate more spending from candidates.

Hess counts Missoula nonprofit heads, lawyers and businesspeople as some of his top donors. All three Missoula County commissioners have donated to Hess campaign, as have City councilors Stacie Anderson and Amber Sherrill, Nugents ward mate in Ward 4.

Hess donors hail from Montana, as well as Colorado, Washington, Texas, California and Tennessee.

Davis notable donors include former Mayor Mike Kadas, Soft Landing Executive Director Mary Poole and Kalispell Councilor Kyle Waterman. The owners of Circle Z Ranch and multiple National Wildlife Federation employees also donated to Davis.

Her donors include people living in Idaho, Oklahoma, Washington, Texas, Vermont and Washington, D.C.

Knopps main donor of note is Susan Reneau, who ran for Montana Senate District 45 in 2020 and Missoula County Justice of the Peace in District 2.

Nugent was proud of his campaigns fundraising benchmark, citing the ability to reach Missoulians who dont always participate in civic life. He believes his experience, which bridges time on City Council, in the business and nonprofit sectors, has encouraged many donors.

I think Ive got a unique background to help solve those issues, he said, and people seem to agree.
A never-tried-before-in-Montana experiment to create a new type of affordable housing for low-income renters has proven successful in Missoula, although it took a lot of time and effort.

Now that it worked, though, people involved in the project say it can be replicated  next time with perhaps fewer hurdles  to help alleviate the state's severe and historic housing crisis.

It's called a Limited Equity Housing Cooperative, and the residents of eight apartment homes in Missoula's Northside were the brave few that had the tenacity to go through years of meetings to make it happen.

"Signing those closing documents was super surreal," said Cassandra Rabe, one of the residents. "It's still hitting me that we really did set a new precedent and it is super exciting because of its novelty."

How it worked

"So this was just a seriously awesome collaboration," explained Brittany Palmer, executive director of the North Missoula Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that worked with Great Falls-based nonprofit NeighborWorks Montana, the city of Missoula and other partners on the project.

In the spring of 2021, when the pandemic was throwing the economy into turmoil and remote workers with big salaries were upending the Missoula housing market, it appeared that the residents of an apartment complex in Missoulas Northside neighborhood, on Wolf Avenue, would have their lives disrupted as well.

As artists and service workers and such, nobody in the aging buildings had a huge income.

The two buildings and one small house, comprising eight households, went up for sale that year. Nobody living there needed a clairvoyant to see that their relatively low rents would be on the chopping block.

"And this is like the height of the housing crisis, Palmer explained. The rental displacement rate is really high at that point. A neighbor next door heard that all her friends in those buildings were going to get displaced as a result of the sale.

So, after almost two years of legal work, financing, meetings and effort, the residents worked with the NMCDC, the property manager, the city and other organizations to form Montanas first Limited Equity Housing Cooperative on Community Land Trust property.

Its called the Wolf Avenue Collective, and now the residents will have a set monthly payment to pay off their housing rather than being at the whims of a landlord or the tumultuous housing market.

It was complicated to make it work, but Palmer says the success of the project can now be replicated throughout Missoula and the state.

The first step was when Collin Bangs, a local real estate agent and Missoula Housing Authority board member, bought the property and held on to it so that the residents could figure out how to come up with a way to acquire it.

Then, the NMCDC got a $340,000 award from the citys Affordable Housing Trust Fund to purchase the land underneath the property as a Community Land Trust, which means it will be affordable in perpetuity. NeighborWorks Montana was able to give each household an interest-deferred loan.

Each tenant owns a share in the cooperative entity that owns the buildings.

So the co-op is like a business that the residents own together, Palmer explained. They have their own budget that covers their operating expenses. The rents that they pay, they pay to the co-op. And then as a collective, they manage this cooperative business together. Its not necessarily a profit-generator, but its to make sure that they have the money that they need for repairs and upgrades and that their rents remain stable and as low as they can.

Palmer said a lot of the residents had pretty low incomes, so other affordable housing models wouldnt necessarily have worked.

Somebody worked full-time at the Burns Street Bistro, she said. Somebody owns a hair salon business. A couple of them are like writers and artists, students, retired people. Really interesting Missoula-type people.

In a traditional Community Land Trust, the building would have been separated into condos and each resident would buy their own unit, with the land underneath in the trust.

And when we looked at the incomes, they were so low it wouldnt have supported the majority of them being able to stay in their home as a condo, Palmer explained. And so we started looking at this Limited Equity Housing Cooperative model.

If one of the residents decides to move or get out, they still get a little bit of equity from each year of living there.

The process, since it hadnt been tried in Montana before, took the help of many lawyers donating time and many meetings with the residents.

Theres so many legal documents we had to create, Palmer said.

Kaia Peterson, the executive director of NeighborWorks Montana, said her organization has worked with many mobile home communities to form Resident Owned Communities, which have similar characteristics, to the new model on Wolf Avenue.

"We really used that experience to expand into a new type of housing," Peterson said.

She noted that NeighborWorks Montana worked closely with the NMCDC on the project.

"We're trying to continue that approach," she said.

Replication

In early June, NeighborWorks was awarded $500,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support the conversion of a 14-unit property in Missoula to a limited equity housing cooperative.

The lack of affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing our state, said Sen. Jon Tester in announcing the funding award. Home ownership opens doors, and keeps folks from moving out of the rural communities that power the Treasure State, so Im proud to have secured this award for NeighborWorks Montana to continue expanding housing opportunities in Missoula and beyond."

Rabe, the resident at Wolf Avenue, said it's a relief knowing that she'll never be subject to the whims of a profit-driven new landlord. The price she and the other residents are paying for their homes are extremely fair compared with the red-hot market in town.

"It's still below, I would say, the average rental price for a one-bedroom in Missoula," she said. And even when she's long gone, someone will be able to afford living there.

"It'll be affordable housing forever," she said.

She is hopeful that others will try the same experiment now that they've blazed the path forward.

"Like, now we built the model so it absolutely can be replicated," she said. "And as we've seen with the clearing out of the outdoor houselessness population, Missoula needs it."
Montana needs more investigators to address drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney for Montana Jesse Laslovich.

Our main issue, at least for me, is that we need more boots on the ground for investigating cases, Laslovich told the audience at City Club Missoula Monday. He and Missoula Police Chief Michael Colyer discussed the impact of drug crimes on Montana with a special emphasis on fentanyl.

Laslovich said the Bureau of Indian Affairs is currently grossly underfunded without enough agents to serve Montanas tribal reservations.

Do you think these sophisticated drug traffickers know that there arent a lot of law enforcement resources on reservations? They do, Laslovich said. So its not a coincidence that a lot of those DTOs (drug trafficking organizations) are in Indian Country, because we dont have a law enforcement presence there, or at least not a significant presence.

Colyer said his department has funding shortfalls around keeping its technology up-to-date. Colyer said it is very time-intensive and labor-demanding to just access and collect data.

Technology is just huge, Colyer said. We are constantly working phones and that type of stuff so staying up on the ability to investigate that technology, store that data and analyze that data is forever changing.

Colyer mentioned the department will continue chasing for modernization of technology. New tools like spectrometers now help officers analyze for fentanyl without even opening a package, he said.

Laslovich mentioned Missoula as one of three cities alongside Great Falls and Billings in Montana that have started a pilot program for a federal drug court. Similar to drug courts at state and local levels in Montana, it focuses on rehabilitation for people who plead guilty for drug-related crimes and connects them with available resources and a provider for treatment.

If they successfully complete it, then we rip up the indictment at the end, Laslovich said. So, its a carrot and stick approach. If they dont successfully complete it, then they will continue the sentence and go to prison.

The federal treatment program gets applied more to drug traffickers than people with drug possession charges, but Laslovich noted that many people wind up in that trafficking position because of addiction. The program is expected to continue until midway next year, when they can determine if it is successful.

Colyer noted that concerns around the risk to bystanders of fentanyl powder floating in the air have been largely exaggerated. Nonetheless, he cautioned against hanging around drug users due to the unknown amounts of fentanyl getting mixed into other drugs. Because it's often 100 times more powerful than morphine, the chances of an unexpected overdose with fentanyl are high.

Drug trafficking organizations have been located and broken up recently in Butte and Billings and the Northern Cheyenne and Crow reservations, according to Laslovich.
Rimrock Auto Group owner Steve Zabawa is being sued by his brother, Michael Zabawa, in a dispute over more than $6 million.

The two had worked together for at least seven years for WebBuy, a company allowing buyers to purchase and sell vehicles online through a national network of auto dealers.

The younger brother Michael says he was unjustly fired and is owed the millions in unpaid bonuses, back pay, penalties, attorney fees and other financial contractual obligations. The lawsuit was filed in Douglas County Nebraska where Michael Zabawa lives.

WebBuy was founded in 2014 by Steve Zabawa and Tom Murray, who also recently left the company. Steve Zabawas son, Matt, is currently listed as the companys vice president of products.

Michael Zabawa was WebBuys CFO and Human Resources director. In 2021, his business relationship with Steve began to erode, prompted partly by his claims that Steve was violating corporate policy. In the lawsuit, Michael describes Steves response to those challenges as intimidating, threatening and hostile and he has filed a separate harassment claim against him.

In recent years, Steve Zabawa has also become a prominent anti-marijuana crusader in Montana, writing editorials condemning the drug and several times unsuccessfully pushing referendums to have it banned.

As a business owner, Zabawa has a history of soured partnerships and business deals that have resulted in numerous lawsuits. In 2021, he ended his rocky business partnership with John Soares, and as part of that separation the two sold the Rimrock-Mercedes Benz dealership they co-owned in Billings.

During the sale, the buyer of the dealership, WeatherTech, sued Zabawa saying he had inflated an appraisal of the dealerships value and then tried to influence an independent third-party appraisers valuation of the property. The suit also claimed Zabawa provided inaccurate financial statements during the sale. The suit was later settled and the sale went through.

Ernie Lee, a former managing partner in Zabawas Rimrock Auto Group, was fired in 2018 and then sued claiming he was owed $1.2 million. That lawsuit was also settled.

Steve Zabawa described his brother Michael as a decent employee of WebBuy, but said the company was stagnating and Michael didnt have the business acumen needed to keep up with the companys ambitious growth plans.

We wanted a different direction for the company and Michael was not the guy to make it scale up and grow like we wanted, Steve said in a recent conversation with the Billings Gazette.

Michael claims he was pushed out just after signing a five-year contract to remain with the company.

Steve claims the contract was never valid, that it wasnt signed off on by all the company officials, including himself.

Michael forgot to do his homework before filing his suit, Steve said. He didnt get a contract signed by everyone, and I wouldnt have signed it anyway.

Michael Zabawa says he has multiple emails from Steve that supports his contention the contract was final. He told the Gazette hes made several generous offers to Steve that could end the lawsuit, but has gotten no response.

All Steve has to do is pick up the phone and be reasonable, Michael said.

WebBuy currently has hundreds of auto dealerships from nearly every state in its network, Steve Zabawa said. In the next five to 10 years, the company plans to build the network to as many as 5,000 dealerships.

He said Michael still owns many shares in the company.

Hell do well at the end of the day whether he wins his suit or not, Steve said. If the company does well, and it will, hell be very comfortable.

Steve acknowledged the difficulty of being embroiled in a multi-million dispute with his younger brother.

Its disheartening. I love my brother Mike, he said. But hes been paid all hes owed.
As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent.

In 14 states, these councils have the ultimate say on the money, which comes from companies that made, distributed, or sold opioid painkillers, including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Walmart. In 24 other states, plus Washington, D.C., the councils establish budget priorities and make recommendations. Those will affect whether opioid settlement funds go, for example, to improve addiction treatment programs and recovery houses or for more narcotics detectives and prisons.

KFF Health News, along with Johns Hopkins University and Shatterproof, a national nonprofit focused on the addiction crisis, gathered and analyzed data on council members in all states to create the first database of its kind.

The data shows that councils are as unique as states are from one another. They vary in size, power, and the amount of funds they oversee. Members run the gamut from doctors, researchers, and county health directors to law enforcement officers, town managers, and business owners, as well as people in recovery and parents whove lost children to addiction.

The overdose crisis is incredibly complex, and it demands more than just money, said Rollie Martinson, a policy associate with the nonprofit Community Education Group, which is tracking settlement spending across Appalachia. We also need the right people in charge of that money.

Thats the $50 billion question: Are the right people steering the decisions? Already, criticism of the councils has been rife, with stakeholders pointing out shortcomings, from overrepresentation to underrepresentation and many issues in between. For example:

Council membership doesnt always align with the states hardest-hit populations  by race or geography.

Heavy presence of specific professional groups  treatment providers, health care executives, or law enforcement officials, for example  might mean money gets directed to those particular interests at the expense of others.

Few seats are reserved for people whove dealt with a substance use disorder themselves or supported a family member with one.

Admittedly, no one can design a perfect council. Theres no agreement on what that would even look like. But when a pile of money this big is at stake, everyone wants in on the action.

More than $3 billion of opioid settlement funds has already landed in government coffers, with installments to come through 2038. The money is meant as restitution for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have died from drug overdoses in recent decades.

But what restitution looks like depends on whom you ask. People running syringe service programs might suggest spending money immediately on the overdose reversal medication naloxone, while hospital officials might advocate for longer-term investments to increase staffing and treatment beds.

People naturally want money to go toward their own field or interest, said Kristen Pendergrass, vice president of state policy at Shatterproof.

And that can trigger hand-wringing.

In many parts of the country, for instance, people who support syringe service programs or similar interventions worry that councils with high numbers of police officers and sheriffs will instead direct large portions of the money to buy squad cars and bulletproof vests. And vice versa.

In most states, though, law enforcement and criminal justice officials make up fewer than one-fifth of council members. In Alaska and Pennsylvania, for instance, theyre not represented at all.

Outliers exist, of course. Tennessees 15-member council has two sheriffs, one current and one former district attorney general, a criminal court judge, and a special agent from the state Bureau of Investigation. But like many other councils, it hasnt awarded funds to specific groups yet, so its too soon to tell how the council makeup will influence those decisions.

Pendergrass and Johns Hopkins researcher Sara Whaley, who together compiled the list of council members, say criticism of councils drawing too heavily from one field, geographic area, or race is not just a matter of political correctness, but of practicality.

Having diverse representation in the room is going to make sure there is a balance on how the funds are spent, Pendergrass said.

To this end, Courtney Gary-Allen, organizing director for the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project, and her colleagues chose early on to ensure their states 15-member council included people who support whats known as harm reduction, a politically controversial strategy that aims to minimize the risks of using drugs. Ultimately, this push led to the appointment of six candidates, including Gary-Allen, to the panel. Most have personal experience with addiction.

I feel very strongly that if these six folks werent on the council, harm reduction wouldnt get a single dollar, she said.

Others are starting to focus on potential lost opportunities.

In New Jersey, Elizabeth Burke Beaty, who is in recovery from substance use disorder, has noticed that most members of her states council represent urban enclaves near New York City and Philadelphia. She worries theyll direct money to their home bases and exclude rural counties, which have the highest rates of overdose deaths and unique barriers to recovery, such as a lack of doctors to treat addiction and transportation to faraway clinics.

Natalie Hamilton, a spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who appointed the members, said the council represents a wide geographic region, including seven of the states 21 counties.

But only two of those represented  Burlington and Hunterdon counties  are considered rural by the states Office of Rural Health needs assessment. The states hardest-hit rural counties lack a seat at the table.

Now that most of the council seats nationwide are filled, worries about racial equity are growing.

Louisiana, where nearly a third of the population is Black, has no Black council members. In Ohio, where Black residents are dying of overdoses at the highest rates, only one of the 29 council members is Black.

Theres this perception that this money is not for people who look like me, said Philip Rutherford, who is chief operating officer of Faces & Voices of Recovery and is Black. His group organizes people in recovery to advocate on addiction issues.

Research shows Black Americans have the fastest-rising overdose death rates and face the most barriers to gold-standard treatments.

In several states, residents have lamented the lack of council members with firsthand knowledge of addiction, who can direct settlement dollars based on personal experiences with the treatment and criminal justice systems. Instead, councils are saturated with treatment providers and health care organizations.

And this, too, raises eyebrows.

Service providers are going to have a monetary interest, said Tracie M. Gardner, who leads policy advocacy at the New York-based Legal Action Center. Although most are good people running good treatment programs, they have an inherent conflict with the goal of making people well and stable, she said.

That is work to put treatment programs out of business, Gardner said. We must never forget the business model. It was there for HIV, it was there for covid, and its there for the overdose epidemic.

Councils in South Carolina and New York have already seen some controversy in this vein  when organizations associated with members pursued or were awarded funding. Its not a particularly surprising occurrence, since the members are chosen for their prominent work in the field.

Both states councils have robust conflict-of-interest policies, requiring members to disclose professional and financial connections. New York also has a law precluding council members from using their position for financial gain, and South Carolina uses a rubric to objectively score applications.

That these situations cause alarm regardless shows how much hope and desperation is tied up in this money  and the decisions over who controls it.

This is the biggest infusion of funding into the addiction treatment field in at least 50 years, said Gardner. Its money coming into a starved system.

Database Methodology

The list of council members names used to build the database was compiled by Johns Hopkins Universitys Sara Whaley and Henry Larweh and Shatterproofs Kristen Pendergrass and Eesha Kulkarni. All council members, even those without voting power, were listed.

Although many states have councils to address the opioid crisis generally, the database focused specifically on councils overseeing the opioid settlement funds. A councils scope of power was classified as decision-making if it directly controls allocations. Advisory means the council provides recommendations to another body, which makes final funding decisions.

The data is current as of June 9, 2023.

KFF Health News Aneri Pattani, Colleen DeGuzman, and Megan Kalata analyzed the data to determine which categories council members represent, based on the following rules:

 Each council member can be counted in only one category. There is no duplication.

 People should be given the most descriptive categorization possible. For example, attorneys general are elected officials, but it is more specific to say they are law enforcement and criminal justice officials.

 A government representative is typically a government employee who is not elected and does not fit into any other descriptive category  for example, a non-elected county manager.

 People who provide direct services to patients or clients, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, and social workers, are classified as medical and social service providers. People with more administrative roles are typically classified as public or private health and human services, based on their organizations public or private affiliation.

 Lived or shared experience refers to someone who has personally experienced a substance use disorder, has a family member with one, or has lost a loved one to the disease. Because peoples addiction experiences are not always public, only individuals explicitly appointed because of their firsthand connection or to fill a seat reserved for someone with that experience were categorized as such.

KFF Health News Colleen DeGuzman and Megan Kalata contributed to this report.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Destiny Sawyer (left) and Aidan Sison have started a vintage clothing business, Thrift Kist. They are planning their first big event, Cream City Vintage Fest, on Aug. 5 at the Baird Center.

They may be only 19, but for two West Bend vintage clothing entrepreneurs, their knowledge of vintage clothing styles stretches to before they were born.

Destiny Sawyer and Aidan Sison, who are also dating, especially love the clothing of the early 2000s. Remember those low-rise jeans? Or when low-rise jeans were paired with a chunky belt and a cropped top?

Sawyer said she also loves clothes with "Clueless" vibes, a reference to the 1995 movie which became a television series from 1996 to 1999.

"The miniskirts," she said. And who can forget when Alicia Silverstone would pair the plaid or boldly designed miniskirts with a cropped jacket?

The two entrepreneurs started their business during COVID-19. At first, they planned to sell their old clothes to make money, but then they changed their minds.

"We were very ambitious; we wanted to push ourselves to our limits," Sawyer said.

The pair named their business Thrift Kist  "thrift" meaning their clothes are second hand and "kist," a Scottish word for a chest used for storing clothes. The two have a vintage chest they bring to their vending events.

Two young entrepreneurs, Destiny Sawyer (left) and Aidan Sison (right) have started a vintage clothing business, Thrift Kist. They sell at events and organized the Cream City Vintage Fest, which is scheduled for Aug. 5 at the Baird Center.

After vending at many vintage fairs, they are organizing their first big event  Cream City Vintage Fest  from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug 5 at the Baird Center (formerly the Wisconsin Center), 400 West Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee.

Admission is free. Besides vintage clothing, Sawyer and Sison said the market will feature handmade jewelry, art, antiques and vintage furniture.

"We were inspired to throw on this event through vending events that had begun to pop up around the Milwaukee area and the work and dedication other small business owners had when hosting their own events," said Sawyer and Sison, in a news release. "This event's main goal is to bring the Milwaukee community together whether you are a citizen of Milwaukee, a small business owner, an artist or collector."

While their goal is to host 200 vendors, they have 3400 square- feet of space and room for 340 vendors, said Jon Sison, father of Aidan, who was hired to be the consultant of the business. "It is a big undertaking."

The vintage clothing look

Sawyer and Sison said they spend any chance they get going to rummage or garage sales and getting donated items from family, friends and neighbors who have used clothing. Their goal is to get vintage clothing that looks cool and has a nostalgic feel.

This sweater, which was popular in the '80s and '90s, is sold through Thrift Kist, a local business founded and run by two young West Bend entrepreneurs.

Remember the sweaters with colorful designs known as "ugly sweaters?" Those are items Sawyer and Sison love to find, they said.

"We call them exotic," clarified Sawyer. The windbreakers of the '80s and '90s, ski jackets, T-shirts with vintage tags or vintage Disney T-shirts are also huge finds to sell, said Sison.

Vintage dresses, long ones with designs, or a little ruffle, sparkles and even with a fishtail are things they want to sell.

Jean jackets, higher-waisted pants and jeans  including "mom" jeans  are also items they like to locate and sell.

The two stress the importance of sustainability. They reuse their price tags, for example. Sison said they also keep their prices affordable with a range of $15 to $20 so people in the community can afford the clothes.

But as Sison's father  who is proud of their achievements  pointed out, they do not take all clothes. They look at what is cool and what will sell.

So Jon Sison said his son has said no to his clothes, at times. But all the same, Jon respects their judgement and business skills.

The future

Sawyer and Sison are both working toward college degrees that could help them take Thrift Kist to the next level if they choose. Sawyer is studying in the Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies Department with an emphasis on public relations at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sison plans to enroll at Arizona State University online to pursue an entrepreneurship- or business-related degree.

They are both 2022 high school graduates, Sison graduating from West Bend West and Sawyer from Divine Savior Holy Angels.

While they have vended at events in Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Madison, and Green Bay, they said they would like to create more of their own events. "Maybe do one every month," said Sison. Or possibly organizing more events at different geographic locations.

He also thinks having their own storefront may be a cool idea much later on.

"We are living for the now," said Sison.

For more information or to be a vendor, visit www.instagram.com/thriftkist or find Thrift Kist on Facebook.

More: Fairs and community festivals in the Milwaukee area for summer 2023

More: Where to celebrate July 4th 2023 events in Milwaukee and the suburbs, including fireworks and parade times

Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Young West Bend entrepreneurs find new life for vintage clothing
A man with a history of driving while impaired was charged again Sunday night after a hit-and-run crash in downtown Morganton.

Stephen Mickeal Miller, 51, of Morganton, was charged with driving while impaired, assault with a deadly weapon, hit and run, driving while license revoked and failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision, according to a news release from the Morganton Department of Public Safety.

Miller was arrested a few hours after officers received a call for a hit-and-run crash on West Fleming Drive near South College Street, the release said.

The victim said an early 2000s blue Dodge Dakota hit his car, then hit it another two times trying to get around it and leave the scene, the release said. The suspects vehicle was reported to have a camper shell over the bed, and the victim provided officers with a partial license plate.

About three hours later, officers were patrolling the area when they saw a vehicle matching that description parked near the gas pumps at the Bypass Package on East Fleming Drive, the release said.

Officers found matching damage on the vehicle and the vehicles license plate matched the partial license plate the victim provided, the release said.

This isnt Millers first DWI charge.

North Carolina court records showed Miller has been convicted of driving while impaired at least five times in the last 25 years.

Miller first was convicted of driving while impaired in 1998 in Caldwell County, court records showed.

In 2003, Miller was charged with two counts of driving while impaired for offenses that happened within a week of each other. The first offense that year happened in Wilkes County, and he was convicted of it in 2004, court records showed. The second offense was in Catawba County, and he was convicted of it in 2005.

Thirteen years later in 2016, Miller was charged with driving while impaired in Burke County. He was convicted on that count in 2017.

In 2020, Miller was charged again in Caldwell County for driving while impaired. He was convicted of that charge in 2021, according to court records.

Through all of those charges, court records indicate Miller has only been sentenced to probation. He also has a conviction of breaking and entering and larceny from the late 1980s, court records showed.

He was issued a $1,000 secured bond for the new charges and held at the Burke County Jail, according to the press release from MDPS. His first court appearance is set for Aug. 11.
In 1906 when the Silver Bow Club was planning to build its new building at the corner of Granite and Alaska streets, two buildings stood in the way. But neither was demolished.

The two-story brick veneer business block on the corner was cut in half and moved to South Idaho Street, but the frame house adjacent to the old 1884 courthouse was placed intact on wheels and hauled off to the east.

The house was built about 1877 and in 1906 was considered one of the few surviving remnants of Buttes earliest days. It was built by pioneer miner Joel Ransom, who bought the two lots there for $10 each plus a $4 filing fee. Ransom was involved in the Modoc, Gagnon, and Neversweat Mines, but by the mid-1880s, he took his Butte earnings to California where he bought a vineyard, which he sold for a $75,000 profit in 1887. He eventually sold the house to Marcus Daly.

The Anaconda Co. acquired the house from Daly, but beginning in the 1890s, it was rented to John and Elizabeth Robinson. He was a dance master from Philadelphia, and she was in business on her own as a costumer. Both were well known in Butte society circles.

John Robinson was 88 when the Silver Bow Club bought the house and land from the Anaconda Co., but he was still active. He lost a piano in the great fire of October 1905, but served as a volunteer watchman in the damaged Library where his piano had stood in the Auditorium.

John died February 5, 1910, at age 92, one of the oldest people in Montana. Elizabeth, reportedly young enough to be his daughter, continued her Exclusive Costuming Emporium from her new home at 334 S. Main St.

The Robinsons daughter, Belle, left Butte in 1895 at age 18 to perform with several prestigious traveling vaudeville groups based in New York, including the Buster Brown Theatrical Co. and with the road show of The Wizard of Oz. In Butte, she had been a member of the exclusive Entre Nous club, and the Butte Miner reported, It is asserted that Miss Robinson can come nearer to kicking the chandelier than any woman in Butte, professional or non-professional.

The house move was accomplished with two teams of four horses. Moving the two-story business block on the corner, contracted to Charles W. Palmer, was more complicated. Palmers contract said the building had to be moved in six days, mostly to avoid interfering with the street railway on Granite Street.

But removing the veneer, cutting it in half, and maneuvering it onto the street took 13 days, part of which was a delay caused by the city council passing a law forbidding moving buildings of a certain size, which this structure exceeded. Palmer was allowed to proceed after it was determined his contract predated the new law, but in the meanwhile the street railway billed him $91 for the disruption of their Walkerville Line, which he refused to pay until he was arrested for obstructing the street, since the building was in Granite Street. Then he paid the railway, and the rest of the move reportedly went smoothly.

Matthew Kiewiet is the managing editor of the Independent Record and The Montana Standard.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  The U.S. citizenship test is being updated, and some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency.

The naturalization test is one of the final steps toward citizenship  a monthslong process that requires legal permanent residency for years before applying.

Many are still shaken after former Republican President Donald Trumps administration changed the test in 2020, making it longer and more difficult to pass. Within months, Democratic President Joe Biden took office and signed an executive order aimed at eliminating barriers to citizenship. In that spirit, the citizenship test was changed back to its previous version, which was last updated in 2008.

In December, U.S. authorities said the test was due for an update after 15 years. The new version is expected late next year.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposes that the new test updates the speaking section to assess English skills. An officer would show photos of ordinary scenarios  such as daily activities, weather or food  and ask the applicant to describe the photos.

In the current test, an officer evaluates speaking ability during the naturalization interview by asking personal questions the applicant has already answered in the naturalization paperwork.

For me, I think it would be harder to look at pictures and explain them, said Heaven Mehreta, who immigrated from Ethiopia 10 years ago, passed the naturalization test in May and became a U.S. citizen in Minnesota in June.

Mehreta, 32, said she learned English as an adult after moving to the U.S. and found pronunciation to be very difficult. She worries that adding a new speaking section based on photos, rather than personal questions, will make the test harder for others like her.

Shai Avny, who immigrated from Israel five years ago and became a U.S. citizen last year, said the new speaking section could also increase the stress applicants already feel during the test.

Sitting next to someone from the federal government, it can be intimidating to talk and speak with them. Some people have this fear anyway. When its not your first language, it can be even more difficult. Maybe you will be nervous and you wont find the words to tell them what you need to describe, Avny said. Its a test that will determine if you are going to be a citizen. So there is a lot to lose.

Another proposed change would make the civics section on U.S. history and government multiple-choice instead of the current oral short-answer format.

Bill Bliss, a citizenship textbook author in Massachusetts, gave an example in a blog post of how the test would become more difficult because it would require a larger base of knowledge.

A current civics question has an officer asking the applicant to name a war fought by the U.S. in the 1900s. The applicant only needs to say one out of five acceptable answers  World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War or Gulf War  to get the question right.

But in the proposed multiple-choice format, the applicant would read that question and select the correct answer from the following choices:

A. Civil War

B. Mexican-American War

C. Korean War

D. Spanish-American War

The applicant must know all five of the wars fought by the U.S. in the 1900s in order to select the one correct answer, Bliss said, and that requires a significantly higher level of language proficiency and test-taking skill.

Currently, the applicant must answer six out of 10 civics questions correctly to pass. Those 10 questions are selected from a bank of 100 civics questions. The applicant is not told which questions will be selected but can see and study the 100 questions before taking the test.

Lynne Weintraub, a citizenship coordinator at Jones Librarys English as a Second Language Center in Massachusetts, said the proposed format for the civics section could make the citizenship test harder for people who struggle with English literacy. That includes refugees, elderly immigrants and people who have disabilities that interfere with their test performance.

We have a lot of students that are refugees, and theyre coming from war-torn countries where maybe they didnt have a chance to complete school or even go to school, said Mechelle Perrott, a citizenship coordinator at San Diego Community College Districts College of Continuing Education in California.

Its more difficult learning to read and write if you dont know how to do that in your first language. Thats my main concern about the multiple-choice test; its a lot of reading, Perrott said.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a December announcement that the proposed changes reflect current best practices in test design and would help standardize the citizenship test.

Under federal law, most applicants seeking citizenship must demonstrate an understanding of the English language  including speaking, reading and writing words in ordinary usage  and demonstrate knowledge of U.S. history and government.

The agency said it will conduct a nationwide trial of the proposed changes in 2023 with opportunities for public feedback. Then, an external group of experts  in the fields of language acquisition, civics and test development  will review the trial's results and recommend ways to best implement the proposed changes, which could take effect late next year.

More than 1 million people became U.S. citizens in fiscal year 2022  one of the highest numbers on record since 1907, the earliest year with available data  and USCIS reduced the huge backlog of naturalization applications by over 60% compared to the year before, according to a USCIS report also released in December.

Could you pass the U.S. citizenship test? A look at what's on the U.S. citizenship test Question #1: What is the supreme law of the land? Question #2: What does the Constitution do? Question #3: The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? Question #4: What is an amendment? Question #5: What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution? Question #6: What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? Question #7: How many amendments does the Constitution have? Question #8: What did the Declaration of Independence do? Question #9: What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? Question #10: What is freedom of religion? Question #11: What is the economic system in the United States? Question #12: What is the "rule of law"? Question #13: Name one branch or part of the government. Question #14: What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? Question #15: Who is in charge of the executive branch? Question #16: Who makes federal laws? Question #17: What are the two parts of the US Congress? Question #18: How many US Senators are there? Question #19: We elect a US Senator for how many years? Question #20: Who is one of your state's US Senators now? Question #21: The House of Representatives has how many voting members? Question #22: We elect a US representative for how many years? Question #23: Name your US representative. Question #24: Who does a US senator represent? Question #25: Why do some states have more representatives than other states? Question #26: We elect a president for how many years? Question #27: In what month do we vote for president? Question #28: What is the name of the president of the United States now? Question #29: What is the name of the vice president of the United States now? Question #30: If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president? Question #31: If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president? Question #32: Who is the commander-in-chief of the military? Question #33: Who signs bills to become laws? Question #34: Who vetoes bills? Question #35: What does the president's Cabinet do? Question #36: What are two Cabinet-level positions? Question #37: What does the judicial branch do? Question #38: What is the highest court in the United States? Question #39: How many justices are on the Supreme Court? Question #40: Who is the chief justice of the United States now? Question #41: Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government? Question #42: Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? Question #43: Who is the governor of your state now? Question #44: What is the capital of your state? Question #45: What are the two major political parties in the United States? Question #46: What is the political party of the president now? Question #47: What is the name of the speaker of the House of Representatives now? Question #48: There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. Question #49: What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? Question #50: Name one right only for United States citizens. Question #51: What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? Question #52: What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? Question #53: What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? Question #54: How old do citizens have to be to vote for president? Question #55: What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? Question #56: When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms? Question #57: When must all men register for the Selective Service? Question #58: What is one reason colonists came to America? Question #59: Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? Question #60: What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? Question #61: Why did the colonists fight the British? Question #62: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Question #63: When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? Question #64: There were 13 original states. Name three. Question #65: What happened at the Constitutional Convention? Question #66: When was the Constitution written? Question #67: The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. Question #68: What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? Question #69: Who is the "Father of Our Country"? Question #70: Who was the first president? Question #71: What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? Question #72: Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. Question #73: Name the US war between the North and the South. Question #74: Name one problem that led to the Civil War. Question #75: What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? Question #76: What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Question #77: What did Susan B. Anthony do? Question #78: Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s. Question #79: Who was president during World War I? Question #80: Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? Question #81: Who did the United States fight in World War II? Question #82: Before he was president, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? Question #83: During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? Question #84: What movement tried to end racial discrimination? Question #85: What did Martin Luther King Jr. do? Question #86: What major event happened on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States? Question #87: Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. Question #88: Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. Question #89: What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? Question #90: What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? Question #91: Name one US territory. Question #92: Name one state that borders Canada. Question #93: Name one state that borders Mexico. Question #94: What is the capital of the United States? Question #95: Where is the Statue of Liberty? Question #96: Why does the flag have 13 stripes? Question #97: Why does the flag have 50 stars? Question #98: What is the name of the national anthem? Question #99: When do we celebrate Independence Day? Question #100: Name two national US holidays.
Investigations have been launched into the death of a Catholic Priest who passed away hours after spending Saturday night with his alleged lover.

Fr. Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku, 43, is said to have checked into the Monalisa Hotel, Muranga on Saturday evening accompanied by a 32-year-old woman identified as Ruth Nduhi.

One Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku a k/m/a aged 43yrs old, a Catholic priest at Archdiocese of Nairobi and a farmer at Mangu area checked in at the said hotel together with his girlfriend who also happens to be her colleague at the workplace in Ruai, a police report read in part.

On Sunday morning, however, the clergyman at the Archdiocese of Nairobi(St. Peters Church Ruai) experienced health complications.

Then this morning at around 0800hrs the priest (sic) girlfriend notified the hotel management that the boyfriend was being (sic) dizzy and getting unconscious so that they could rush him to the hospital, police added.

Police added that Fr Kariuki was pronounced dead on arrival at Kenol Hospital.

Officer from this command responded and found the body in the car back seat half covered with the hotel bedsheet and white foam oozing from the mouth and nose, the police report reads.

The clerics body was moved to Mater Hospital mortuary in Nairobi pending autopsy and further investigations.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo arrived in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday afternoon to represent Kenya at the 2023 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council meeting.

ITU is a specialized agency of the United Nations that was established to coordinate global operation of telecommunications networks and services. It is also meant to advance the development of world communications technology, as an impartial, international organization.

Within ITU, Governments and the private sector are expected to work together for individual national good and collective global benefit.

Key areas of concern include global agreements on the functioning and regulation of the radio communications sector (ITU-R), also known as (BR); standardization of the telecommunications sector (ITU-T), also known as (TSB); and regulation of telecommunications development sector (ITU-D), also known as (BDT).

Kenya is one of the elected 40 ITU council member states in the 193-members states parties entity; not to mention membership by private companies, academia, and international and regional organizations.

On Monday, Owalo will attend a closed-door meeting with fellow global ministers in charge of ICT.

He will also be in the company of ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin and other council members.

On Tuesday, July 11, the Cabinet Secretary will issue a high-level panel statement on behalf of the Kenya Government. The statement will be on meaningful universal digital connectivity and access.

CS Owalo is also scheduled to meet specific country delegations that are of special interest to Kenya and explore with them spaces and possibilities for symbiotic cooperation.
Janny Mwarangu lost both her father and brother to alcoholism. Today, she is a passionate addiction therapist who is providing psychological help to substance addicts.

Mwarangu shares her journey and gives insight into how the government should deal with the drug menace.

What inspired you to become an addiction therapist?

During my formative years, I grew up in a family where I witnessed my dad struggle with alcoholism. He was a respected clinical officer but alcoholism took a toll on him until he drank himself into an early grave.

Growing up in Kiamaragwe village, we were surrounded by many people who used to manufacture illicit brews and I couldnt understand why many young and old people loved drinking these dirty-looking drinks.

Later on, I left my village and went to college and found out that drinking alcohol was so rampant not only in my village. In 2011, I visited a friend who used to work in a rehabilitation centre along Kiambu Road. It is during my visit that I got to interact with one therapist by the name of Ken.

From his explanation, I got really interested to learn more about addiction and recovery. I was a frequent visitor to that rehab and so I asked Ken how I could become a therapist too.

He directed me to Support for Addictions Prevention and Treatment in Africa (SAPTA Kenya), along Ngong Road then. In 2015, I lost my brother Nicholas too and this was a wake-up call for me. I really wanted to understand addiction deeply. In 2019, I joined SAPTA Kenya offices now in Corner House, and pursued a Diploma in Chemical Dependency and Addiction Counseling

Approximately how many cases have you dealt with and what was the most challenging one?

I have dealt with very many cases considering that I operate in informal settlements. However, there is this particular case of a Form 3 boy who was smoking bhang. He was a straight A student but he had dropped to C- (Minus).

During our session, I realised that there were very many factors that contributed to his behaviour. His dad had passed away early and his mother was left to cater for him and his three siblings. Life was very difficult and to numb his psychological pain, he turned to drugs.

At one point, I brought in his mother in one of the sessions and we had to team up to help the boy. He stopped taking bhang and managed to graduate from high school with a B (Plain) and he is now at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

What does a workday for an addiction therapist look like?

Being an addiction therapist, flexibility is a key factor. Since I do other things during the weekdays, I get to see my clients on Saturdays. My day starts at 9 am and ends at 4.30/5 pm. I do assessments, drawing of care plans, contracting, evaluations and group therapy. I also collaborate with other counsellors for referral purposes since I am not able to meet all the clients needs.

Despite the problems caused by drugs and substances, illicit drugs and substances are still rampart in both urban and rural centres, what in your view should the government do to eradicate this?

The problem of drugs and substance use is deeper than many people think. For us in this field, we have to face these facts every day. The government needs to deal with the root causes and not the symptoms. We all need to understand why people indulge in drugs and substance use and address this directly:

a) Offering education on drug addiction in schools as part of learning.

b) Parents to take a role in talking to their children about the dangers of abusing drugs.

c) In urban centres, most young people between 20 to 30 years lack jobs hence; find themselves in drugs and, therefore, the government should create jobs or social amenities where these young generations may indulge their skills and talents.

Even with rehabilitation, some dont get cured of substance addiction, how do you address such a situation?

We need to understand the process of addiction and how addiction alters the normal brain function and with this in mind, we will accept the fact that not everyone will live a life free of drugs and substances. Some will still relapse but the majority are able to pull through and live a normal life.

The factors that contribute to relapse are the environment where one lives, the support system and the willingness of an individual to change. I choose to celebrate those who I have helped pull through and accept the fact that not everyone who goes to the hospital gets cured. We lose some along the way and we save some too.

Recent reports by NACADA show that the number of drug and substance users in Kenya has increased significantly over the past few years. What do you think is fueling this phenomenon?

This is true and there are very many factors that have contributed ranging from individual to societal factors as explained below:-

a). Stress levels have really gone high due to the fact that the living standards have become too expensive for many to cope with.

b) Joblessness  Looking back to the year 2020 when Covid-19 hit, many people lost their jobs leading to increased stress levels and as a coping mechanism, many people turned to drugs and substance use

c). Unresolved childhood traumas which lead to difficulties with social interaction. In a bid to gain courage and interact with peers, one tends to use substances. Unresolved childhood trauma leads to low self-esteem. In order to boost ones self-esteem, many people use drugs and substances.
Mark Omollo was forced to drop out of school after his mother disappeared on him without any reason. He shares how he beat the odds to become an entrepreneur and gospel artist.

How can you describe yourself?

I am 24 years old, a gospel minister, philanthropist and businessman based in Nairobi. I was born in Meru but grew up in Kisumu, Eldoret and later Nairobi.

Why was your relationship with your mother and stepfather frosty?

Yes, at first it was frosty due to the things she did to me. However, we have mended fences and I can say we are now best friends

Tell us what caused the friction.

You see, my mother bore me while she was still in high school. Despite this, my grandparents allowed her to return to school and even took her to college while they took care of me. After college, she got a job at a private school and was later employed by TSC and posted to Meru. Now that she had a decent job, my grandparents asked her to take me in and she obliged. She enrolled me in a school near her workplace. I was in Form 1.

What happened next?

When I got to Form Two, she met someone, a doctor, and they eventually got married. The doctor was a single father having separated from his wife. He lived and worked in Eldoret. My mother used to go to Eldoret only when schools closed. Then one day, something happened which made me think I was in dreamland.

I was sent home for school fees. When I arrived, I saw new curtains but it did not ring a bell immediately. I knocked at the door and thats when I realised the house had new occupants. When I visited her school, I learnt she had requested a transfer, but to where nobody seemed to know.

I went to my grandparents but they too did not know her whereabouts. We tried looking for her everywhere to no avail. We even contacted my stepfather but he too claimed he did not know her whereabouts.

Does it mean that you discontinued your education?

Of course. There was no one to pay my fees. I left home for Nairobi. When I came to the city, I didnt know anybody so I used to sleep in hotels and bus stations. However, it didnt take long before I got a Good Samaritan who offered to house me for a while.

How did your turnaround come about?

I did some hustles like babysitting for a neighbour and started saving the little money I made. Later on, I went to Gikomba picked some clothes and started selling. The business picked and I was able to increase stock gradually. Currently, I deal in bales and I have even employed people.

Besides, I am a gospel artiste and my music is doing well.

How did you eventually reunite with your mother?

When she heard of my success she came looking for me and asked for forgiveness. Being born again, I forgave her.

Courtesy: The Nairobian
Steve Biko is a lawyer and governance expert with over 12 years of experience in finance and data analytics. He talks about the countrys economic status and taxation.

What is Kenyas economic status?

Kenya stands at the crossroads of growth and failure. Examining the economy, it is evident that Kenya is facing critical challenges that may undermine any prospects of better growth. These challenges include high levels of poverty, with approximately 43 per cent of Kenyans living below the national poverty line, and significant inequality, with the richest 10 per cent controlling about 40 per cent of the countrys wealth.

Corruption poses a major obstacle to economic growth, and climate change threatens Kenyas agricultural sector. Additionally, high unemployment rate remains a contentious issue between the government and the opposition, along with high cost of living, which has fuelled opposition protests. The signing of the Finance Bill 2023 by the president creates a sense of unease within the business community. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate our current course towards economic growth at 3/10.

Talk about the signed housing levy in the Finance Act 2023; what are the notable implications?

There are several. First, it would impose an increased financial burden on Kenyans through the implementation of a 3 per cent housing levy, leading to a significant rise in the cost of living. Second, the housing levy would reduce disposable income, limiting the amount of money available for expenditure on other goods and services. Furthermore, the Bill would require substantial government spending to establish the National Housing Development Fund (NHDF) and the National Housing Authority (NHA), contrary to calls for reduced government expenditure.

Do you think housing should be the main issue given the economic status of the country?

Housing is an important issue, and the Constitution stipulates that every Kenyan is entitled to better housing. However, it is not the role of the Kenyan government to directly provide homes for its citizens. Kenya operates as a capitalist state, not a socialist one. Instead, the governments responsibility lies in creating an enabling environment for Kenyans to secure sustainable jobs that would allow them to afford better housing. There are more pressing matters that demand the governments attention, such as addressing the challenges within the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), ensuring adequate funding for schools and counties, combating crime and corruption, and promoting a conducive manufacturing environment.

Right now everything seems to be pegged on tax, what are the implications?

The governments heavy reliance on taxes to generate revenue and fund development projects will have various implications for businesses and individuals.

These implications include: Increased costs: Higher taxes have compelled businesses to pass the burden to consumers, resulting in higher prices. Reduced investment: Businesses will be hesitant to invest in a country where they anticipate having to pay substantial taxes, resulting in slower economic growth.

Reduced disposable income: This limits their ability to save, invest, and spend, leading to decreased consumer spending. Increased corruption: The need to circumvent the high tax rates will contribute to increased corruption, as individuals seek ways to evade the system and retain more money. Increasing unemployment: With taxes levied on various aspects, job opportunities will diminish, leading to rising unemployment rates creating a ripple effect throughout the economy.

Are there other ways the government can apply without hurting Kenyans pockets?

The government has been hesitant to implement alternative strategies for revenue generation, despite potential solutions that could alleviate the burden on Kenyans. To enhance revenue collection, the following measures could be considered: Reduced fuel costs would lower energy expenses and transportation costs, leading to increased business opportunities, job creation, and subsequent tax contributions.

Restructuring the governments debt portfolio to create a more favourable environment for businesses to thrive and grow and implementing a zero-rated tax policy for farming inputs, which will provide a much-needed boost to the agricultural sector and facilitate its industrialization.

Are there things we can do right now to cope with the tough economy?

When times are tough and challenging, it becomes necessary to prepare ourselves to face the difficulties ahead.

Here are some ways to navigate such situations: Prioritise spending on critical and important matters only. Obtain affordable health insurance coverage to safeguard against medical expenses.

Consider seeking remote job opportunities to supplement limited resources. Engage in side hustles that do not interfere with your main job.

Utilise any available land back home to grow your own food, thereby saving money for investments and allowing your money to work for you.

Explore the possibility of cost-sharing with someone else to enhance savings. This can be achieved through finding the right partner/spouse.

Lastly, what can you advise the president and his entire team?

Unfortunately, they do not listen to anyone except their own interests, personal gain, and their associates. However, if they were to listen, here are some suggestions: Take responsibility for the economic situation. Uphold all promises made during the campaign period. Cease the Us vs Them rhetoric; Tackle corruption alongside efforts to promote the housing fund; Respect the law, accept all court rulings, and honour the Constitution by adhering to its principles; Respect the separation of powers among the three branches of government. Ensure that the deputy president refrains from speaking to the media for at least a year.

Embrace all Kenyans as one united nation.

Courtesy: The Nairobian
Green development propels China's rural revitalization

Xinhua) 08:32, July 10, 2023

GUIYANG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Luo Wenmei, a resident of Qingshan Village in southwest China's Guizhou Province, felt lucky to join the local project of planting Sichuan pepper in the mountainous area which used to suffer from stony desertification.

"I can earn more than 2,000 yuan (about 277.57 U.S. dollars) a month by planting the pepper," said Luo, who was excited to see how the plant, with strong drought tolerance, developed root system, good water retention ability and high output, has turned local hills green and fattened rural residents' wallets.

So far, the pepper industry has created 15,000 job opportunities, helping the 200 households in the village increase their income by more than 6,000 yuan on average.

Like the progress in Qingshan Village in the southwestern part of Guizhou, various other such examples ranging from green agriculture and clean energy to rural tourism were introduced during the two-day Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 that opened Saturday in the provincial capital Guiyang. These cases illuminated China's practices in advancing ecological conservation and promoting rural revitalization.

This year's event, themed "pursuing modernization of harmony between humanity and nature -- promoting green and low-carbon development," has attracted over 2,500 participants with both online and offline activities.

In an interview with Xinhua, James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, stressed the importance of ecological conservation in promoting rural revitalization.

"Deterioration of ecological environment will lead to poverty, and poverty will accelerate the deterioration of the ecological environment as you can not address them in isolation," he said, noting that pursuing economic growth without paying attention to environmental protection will lead to a vicious cycle.

Attaching great importance to environmental protection, Huawu Village, a once nationally designated poor village, has shaken off poverty and become a pilot project in developing rural ecological tourism.

Located near the source of the Wujiang River in the western part of Guizhou, the natural environment of the small village of Miao ethnicity has improved thanks to concerted efforts of water pollution control, ecological restoration and a fishing ban in the Wujiang River basin.

Targeting the attraction of splendid mountain views and vast water bodies, in addition to a unique ethnic Miao culture, the village has made great efforts in developing rural tourism. It has been active in building tourism infrastructure, such as roads, parking lots, campsites and guest houses, producing distinctive agricultural products and exhibiting traditional Miao embroidery.

Local residents have received the dividends of ecological tourism. Since 2021, tourists have made over 900,000 trips to the village. The combined tourism income of the village exceeded 300 million yuan, with per capita net income reaching 25,000 yuan.

"Targeted initiatives in China that acknowledge local natural assets, explore new livelihood opportunities and take into account the domestic economic challenges, have enabled more policies and actions to be grounded," said George.

The key moving forward is also scaling up the best practices and leveraging insights from the lessons learned to accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in China, he said.

As a world leader in renewable energy development, China's robust progress in this field has also brought benefits to rural residents.

In the Yi-Hui-Miao Autonomous County of Weining, which is near the peak altitude of Guizhou, it is hard to plant crops due to the high altitude. In recent years, new opportunities for local growth emerged as the province accelerated the development of new-energy power generation.

Covering an area of more than 1,300 mu (about 86.67 hectares), the Jinyuan Meihuashan agricultural photovoltaic power station can generate 53 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year.

"Photovoltaic panels can help block sunlight and reduce water evaporation, so the vegetation at the photovoltaic base grows better," said Tian Haokun, head of the station.

Photovoltaic power generation not only saves energy and reduces carbon emissions, but also helps with soil and water conservation on barren hills and prevents the expansion of desertification, Tian added.

The income of local villagers has significantly increased as the station pays a large amount in land rent to them each year and offers plenty of job opportunities. The grass flourishing under the photovoltaic panels also provides quality pasture for herding.

From 2012 to 2022, the total installed capacity of clean energy reached 3.68 million kilowatts in the county of Weining, with a cumulative power generation of 29.4 billion kWh and an industrial output of 14.6 billion yuan.

The significant rise of industrial output and tax revenue has provided the once poverty-stricken county with more funds to invest in projects aiming at improving local residents' livelihoods.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A woman who filed a lawsuit against Mining Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, claiming that he is her biological father and should support her financially, has been allowed to publish her case papers against the minister in newspapers.

Kakamega Senior Principal Magistrate Joseph Ndururi issued the directive after the Mining CS proved unreachable.

The court also allowed the woman, Yvonne Anono Omazi from Kkakamega, to affix her case papers at his office or other prominent locations.

Through her lawyer Edwin Wafula, the 29-year-old woman had expressed frustration with attempting to serve the minister with the legal documents for the lawsuit.

Wafula told the court last week that he made numerous attempts to serve the minister with the lawsuit documents, but was unsuccessful each time.

I have on several times visited Mvuryas office in Nairobi but was denied entry by security details, he wrote in his application seeking orders to use the substitute means to serve him.

RELATED  Woman Claiming to be Ministers Daughter Sues for Financial Support

Mvurya being the CS for Mining, wields enormous powers and being aware of this matter, has decided to frustrate service. Ms Omazis suit can therefore not be filed for hearing since the defendant (Mvurya) has not been served, the lawyer said.

He also informed the court that he could not serve the writ through WhatsApp or email as the ministers phone number had not been linked to WhatsApp, and the only email he had, was associated with his job and not the personal one.

Consequently, Wafula requested the court to grant orders for substitute service, enabling the case to proceed despite the ministers inability to be served with the papers.

In response to the application, Magistrate Ndururi granted the lawyer permission to carry out substituted service on the defendant (Mvurya) due to the unavailability of regular personal service.

The substituted service involves the publication of notices in newspapers or the affixing of a copy of the lawsuit in a prominent location, such as a part of a building where the defendant is known to have last resided, carries on their business, or works.

Wafula mentioned that he intends to purchase advertising space in nationally circulated newspapers to serve the legal documents.
Journalists from all over the world, people are dying a few kilometers away from you! UJA

China supports sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia: Deputy Foreign Minister

Russia says new grain deal with Turkey is possible

Aliyev threatens Armenia

Prime Minister Pashinyan receives Igor Khovaev

Aliyev hurries to sign peace treaty with Armenia

Aliyev announces mass settlement of occupied part of Artsakh

Supply of dairy products to Artsakh no longer possible

Armenia agrees to meeting of FMs in Moscow

Aliyev once again rattles with arms

Lavrov, Bayramov discuss normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations

Aliyev confirms upcoming Moscow meeting of Azerbaijan, Armenia FMs

Erdogan hopes for continued grain deal with Russia

A legal solution acceptable for Armenia and Russia will be found: Arshakyan on Armenias joining Rome Statute

38th sitting of Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Armenian-Russian Cooperation will be held in Dilijan

Ardshinbank terminates operations with the Unistream money transfer system

Immediate measures should be taken to unblock the Lachin corridor - Lukashevich

Aliyev's latest visit to occupied Armenian Shushi

Azerbaijan is holding a media forum in occupied Armenian Shushi

The Lachin Corridor should be opened immediately - Matthew Miller

Artsakh parliament calls on Armenia to ask UN to grant international mandate to peacekeepers

Russias Federal Council urges Armenian MPs to consider risks of Armenias joining the Rome Statute

Armenian and Azerbaijani deputy PMs will meet in different parts of border each time. Sputnik Armenia

I still don't know how to shout to make them realize the situation is grave. Ombudsman of Artsakh

We are ready to recognize Azerbaijans 86,600 square km, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh. Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Russian Federation reaffirms its intention to contribute to the restoration of normal life in Nagorno-Karabakh

Artsakh President assures: All decisions will be made jointly

A handcuffed man threw himself from the 5th floor of the Investigation Department of SRC and died

Ambassador of Poland was presented with the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

EU Council extends Toivo Klaar's mandate for one year

Turkey slows pace of rate hikes, jeopardizing the lira

EU Mission at the OSCE Council meeting: Brussels calls on Baku to ensure movement along the Lachin corridor

Zakharova evades question on sending Arstakh aid by Russian planes

Stores in Artsakh no longer sell bread

Russian MFA Spox: Artsakh is not in area of CSTO responsibility

State Revenue Committee head: Armenia cooperates with partners transparently

Armenia requests OSCE Permanent Council speacial meeting: Mirzoyan made a speech

Armenian Health Minister: Transport of medicine to Artsakh is disrupted

Russia MFA spox on organizing Mirzoyan, Bayramov meeting in Moscow: Chances are good

Russian MFA: Stability in South Caucasus should be in Turkey's interests

We should specify the cartographic basis of demarcation activities in the near future. Pashinyan

Brussels meeting brought no concrete results in opening Lachin Corridor, resolving humanitarian crisis in NK.Pashinyan

Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomes Canadas initiative to join European monitoring mission

Artsakh residents hold a protest near the UN office in Yerevan

EU foreign ministers to discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement in Brussels

Armenian-French cooperation will continue to strengthen. Nikol Pashinyan received French Ambassador

The process of the program of formation of Digital Society and Economy discussed at Government

State minister: We may have situation when we cant wait for the 7 days noted by Karabakh President

The Prime Minister hosts Aram Arzumanyan, disabled as a result of the 44-day war

Nikol Pashinyan, Mikhail Mishustin hold phone talk

Nersisyan. The more Armenia lowers bar on Karabakh issue, the harder it will be for people of Artsakh to raise it

Karabakh official: Armenia has only one thing to do in discussions with Azerbaijan

Artsakh state minister: Many illogical things are happening on European platform; is it serious conversation?

Karabakh minister of state: We managed to make our voice heard by all to which nationwide movement was directed

Lachin corridor has no alternative: Several Armenia NGOs issue joint statement on Charles Michel statement

Karabakh state minister: We are in disaster but we will never surrender

Karabakh ex-official Vitaly Balasanyan is charged on 4 counts

Analyst: Armenia has not recognized Azerbaijan territorial integrity with Karabakhs inclusion

Armenia PM is briefed on plan to establish EHL Hospitality Business School branch in Gyumri

Our link should be with Armenia only: Karabakh residents comment on their blocking of Askeran-Aghdam road

Missing servicemens parents reopen Yerevan major intersection, but on condition

Armenia army General Staff chief meets with US Air Force chief of staff (PHOTOS)

Parents of missing soldiers close off major avenue in Yerevan

Edmon Marukyan: Azerbaijan has no plan to integrate Christian Armenians

Azerbaijan MFA responds to Armenia FM with series of absurd accusations

Livestock sector is in much worse situation in besieged Karabakh, agriculture minister says

Agriculture minister: Scheduled power outages, lack of diesel fuel also cause problems in Karabakh irrigation system

Karabakh MoD: Defense Army did not carry out fortification work in Askeran Region

Newspaper: What 'tougher actions' Karabakh will take?

MoD: Armenia army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions

Worlds most expensive iPhone is sold in US

US returns 105 antiquities illegally exported from India to latter

David Babayan: Karabakh grandpa who fought at Stalingrad, took Berlin never imagined he could die of hunger

Russia, Iran FMs interested in consultations with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan

Austria FM: Lachin corridor blockade must be stopped immediately

Deputy PM Grigoryan's office: Armenia, Azerbaijan have not made decision on any map

Armenia FM briefs OSCE Secretary General on situation in Karabakh

Armenian Foreign Minister expresses Yerevan's readiness to hold talks with Turkey in Vienna

Armenia is not going to become a space where sanctions could be bypassed: Ararat Mirzoyan

Dollar, euro increase in Armenia

Armenia FM: Regrettable that instead of engaging in dialogue, Azerbaijan pursues policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh

FMs sign protocol on implementation of Armenia-EU readmission agreement between Armenia, Austria (PHOTOS)

Karabakh residents block Askeran-Aghdam motorway, with concrete barriers (PHOTOS)

Armenias Pashinyan receives ex-MP Francois Rochebloine of France

Yerevan municipal election events schedule announced

Karabakh NGOs: Support being provided to Artsakh people cannot be at cost of trampling on their dignity

American University of Armenia has new president

Hyundai releases first photos of new generation Santa Fe crossover

Public Television to present dire situation in Karabakh every day live from capital Stepanakert's Renaissance Square

Teen found dead in Armenia river

European Parliament committee calls on Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide

Armenia FM visit to Vienna kicks of with private talk with Austria colleague

Karabakh operational headquarters chief: Presidents sit-in could be beneficial

European Parliament accuses Azerbaijan of bribing PACE lawmakers, some other offenses

Karabakh presidential advisor warns of taking extreme measures

Iraqi Kurdistan leader visits Azerbaijan

In support of Karabakh demonstration participants march to US Embassy in Yerevan

US embassy: Passengers are denied entry to Armenia for possession of drugs

Azerbaijan continues to settle occupied Berdzor-Lachin town of Karabakh

Armenia army chief attends US National Guard State Partnership Program 30th Anniversary conference (PHOTOS)
The Police of Armenia are carrying out a special operation, within the framework of which several persons were brought to the Dilijan city police department, shamshyan.com reported.

At around 11:30pm on July 6, a call was received from the Dilijan Medical Center to the Dilijan Police Department that a young man with stab wounds was brought to this hospital.

The police found out that the injured person is Dilijan resident Albert Harutyunyan, 23.

While the doctors were fighting to save his life, which they succeeded in doing, the Tavush provincial police found out the circumstances of this incident.

Criminal proceedings were launched on charges of attempted murder.

Dilijan police detained Kotayk Province resident Armen S., 20, Gegharkunik Province residents Samvel G., 21, Ashot Kh., 21, Nver Gh., 22, Karen Vardanyan, 22, Arsen S., 21, Levik P., 21, and Artem M., 18, who registered in Russia.

Also, it was found out that on July 6, while celebrating Karen Vardanyan's birthday at a guest house in Teghut village of Tavush Province, Albert H. and Tavush Province resident Seyran Gh., 14, had had an argument about raising the volume of the music, during which Armen S. had stabbed Albert Harutyunyan with a knife, causing physical injuries.

The police found most of the participants in this incident. Additional investigative measures are being taken to find the other participants.
The 30th anniversary General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) was held in Halkidiki, Greece with the title of 30 years of IAO: Facing new challenges: Before new perspectives, the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) informs Armenian News-NEWS.am

At the end of the Assembly, with the proposal of the Secretary General of the IAO, the participants of the session adopted a statement in which Azerbaijans blockade of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was also condemned.

The head of the RA NA delegation to the IAO, the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Sisak Gabrielyan, the MPs Tsovinar Vardanyan, and Hrachya Hakobyan participated in the Assembly. The delegates of the Parliaments of 19 countries and the representatives of various international organizations attended the Assembly.

Sisak Gabrielyan took part in the closed meeting of the International Secretariat preceding the Assembly, where issues regarding the further activities of the organization were discussed.

During the Assembly, the Head of the RA NA delegation Sisak Gabrielyan, congratulating on the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the organization, highly valued the latters role in overcoming inter-religious contradictions and deepening inter-religious dialogue. He also emphasized the role of IAO in creating an exclusive platform for cooperation for parliamentarians of different countries, which aims to protect the religious rights and freedoms of Christians and promote peace policy. Sisak Gabrielyan also referred to the blockade of Artsakh, the ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan, the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia and the aggressive policy continued by Azerbaijan.

RA NA lawmaker Tsovinar Vardanyan touched upon the ongoing developments surrounding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh in her speech, presented the resolution adopted by the PACE on June 23 in detail, and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Artsakh Human Rights Defender (ombudsman) Gegham Stepanyan has publicized an open letter by the civil society of Artsakh to the international community due to the ongoing policy of Armenian ethnic cleansing and genocide by Azerbaijan. The open letter runs as follows:

The people of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), facing the threat of genocide, appeal to all countries and peoples of the world, as well as to international organisations designed to ensure proper implementation of international law.

Since June 15, 2023, having resorted to a provocation on the Hakari Bridge, Azerbaijan has tightened the blockade of Artsakh, which lasts for almost 7 months, starting from December 12, 2022, and has blocked the humanitarian transportation carried out by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping contingent, including transportation of patients to medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia, supplies of food, medicines, essential goods, fuel, thereby sharply aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the country. A week later, on June 22, 2023, the Azerbaijani side installed concrete blocks on the bridge where an illegal checkpoint had been installed on April 23, 2023, literally blocking the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world. Since June 25, 2023, the transportation of patients to medical institutions in Armenia accompanied by the ICRC has been restored, however, knowing the destructive pattern of Azerbaijan, which uses humanitarian issues as a lever of pressure on Artsakh, there are no guarantees that it will not be interrupted yet again. These actions of Azerbaijan should not be considered as separate acts of aggression, but as a part of the consistent and systematic policy of ethnic cleansing against Artsakh and its indigenous Armenian population. On the night of June 28, 2023, Azerbaijan resorted to another military provocation against Artsakh using long-range artillery and a drone, resulting in the death of four Artsakh servicemen defending their Homeland and the peaceful population from the Azerbaijani aggression.

Ignoring the adopted resolutions of the European Parliament of January 19, 2023 and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of June 22, 2023, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of December 21, 2022, the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations (UN) of February 22, 2023, Azerbaijan, as if mocking the authority of these organisations, stubbornly continues to conduct the policy of genocide and patriacide against the people of Artsakh, demonstrating criminal self-will, thereby opposing itself to the civilized world. In addition, the President of Azerbaijan openly allows himself to threaten representatives of the international community who do not share his approach to resolving the Artsakh issue, while believing that international law is entirely on the side of Azerbaijan.

Official Baku rejects the demand to provide guarantees for the security of the people of Artsakh and constantly insists that this is an internal problem of Azerbaijan, which it intends to solve at its discretion. Against the background of blatant Armenophobia, which has become part of the state policy of the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan and completely permeates the Azerbaijani society. As there is plenty of evidence, it is not difficult to imagine what this "solution" might be if the people of Artsakh suddenly find themselves under the rule of Baku.

We welcome the growing international understanding that the people of Artsakh need firm international guarantees of protection. We thank the congressmen who spoke on this matter in the US Congress on June 21, 2023, calling a spade a spade and giving an objective assessment of Azerbaijan's policy, as well as all other international actors who have the courage to speak out loud about the existential threats posed by Azerbaijan and looming over the people of Artsakh.

We express our hope that more and more people in the world will understand the genuine causes of this conflict and understand why the people of Nagorno-Karabakh made a legitimate request to withdraw from the Azerbaijani SSR and join Armenia in 1988, which led to the beginning of Azerbaijani aggression and a bloody war in which Artsakh people were forced to defend themselves.

Now, when there are calls from various international platforms for a peaceful resolution of the conflict by including Artsakh in Azerbaijan, we suggest recalling the history of the Second World War and trying to imagine: would it be possible to call Jews to live under Hitler's Nazi government? Modern Azerbaijan is also a Nazi state in relation to the Armenians, and it is not difficult to make sure of that  in case of an objective look at this issue without unilateral consumption of the Azerbaijani propaganda.

Having survived the horrors of the three wars unleashed by Azerbaijan, pogroms, exile, psychological terror, human and material losses, continuing to live with the looming existential threat, the people of Artsakh are demanding to use all existing international mechanisms to prevent ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Azerbaijan.

In view of the current situation, we demand the presence of representatives of all relevant international organizations in Artsakh. Taking into account the violations of the agreements reflected in Point 6 of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, according to which free and safe passage through the Lachin corridor should be ensured, we call on the international organizations, namely the UN, to send an international mission to the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh, strengthen and improve the functioning of the peacekeeping institute.

Also, due to the fact that Azerbaijan openly ignores the implementation of the decisions of the ECHR and the ICJ of the UN issued during the blockade, we appeal to the international community to impose sanctions against this country.

On behalf of the civil society of Artsakh, we appeal to the international human rights and civil society to help bring the voice of Artsakh to the wider international community and demand that their governments take real preventive measures in order to prevent Azerbaijan's next crimes against humanity.

While expressing our gratitude for being concerned about the fate of the people of Artsakh, we emphasize that the only reliable guarantee of our rights and security is the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, which is based on the right of the people to self-determination, enshrined in international law, and the free will of the people of Artsakh.

Artsakh is not a territory inherited by someone by the right of the strong, but our Homeland, where we have a full and inalienable right to a safe life. Artsakh is not just a handful of 120,000 people, not counting about 30,000 forcibly displaced Artsakh residents, who were expelled from their homes as a result of Azerbaijan's military aggression in 2020. Today Artsakh is a test of the values declared by the democratic world and a litmus test of the world order. The essence of the value system of the changing world order will be defined by the choice made between lies, discrimination, violence, terrorism, authoritarianism on one hand or freedom, democracy and respect for human rights on the other.

The Union of Writers of Artsakh NGO

The Union of Journalists of Artsakh NGO

The Union of Artists of Artsakh NGO

The Association of the Blind of Artsakh NGO

Revived Motherland NGO

Motherhood NGO

The Federation of Trade Unions of the NKR NGO

The Union of Relatives of Deceased Freedom Fighters of the NKR NGO

The Union of Relatives of Missing Freedom Fighters NGO

The Union of Refugees NGO

Our home is Artsakh NGO

Kachar Scientific Center NGO

The Union of Veterans of the Afghan War NGO

NGO for the Protection of the rights of Artsakh Armenians Krunk

GEN Initiative Center NGO

Spiritual revival NGO

Animal Protection in Artsakh NGO

Independent Center for Strategic Studies NGO

Council of Elders of Artsakh NGO

The Union of Relatives of Dead and Missing Servicemen in the Third Artsakh War" NGO

The Generation of Hayq NGO

The Power of Mind NGO

MilaGri Foundation

De-occupation of Hadrut NGO

Youth Center for Public Research NGO

Cultural Ombudsman of Hayq NGO

Return to Dizak NGO

Civic Hub NGO
09:35





He writes: "DESOLATION ROW

I don't know if this has ever happened to you. But it has certainly happened to me. I have entirely lost my appetite. I cannot eat more than two or three mouthfuls of melon, or of pain aux raisins. Sometimes I have some chocolate or a protein drink and all day a little bit of water. But otherwise my appetite is dead.





"I have felt nauseous most of the time and have vomited. When I see my sons tucking into a massive salmon and cream cheese sandwich I am shocked by how much they manage to consume. Friends bring me the most delicious food they can think of to try and tempt me, but there is not a particular taste I am looking for. All food repulses me. But because I have been living in a hospital since Christmas, it wouldn't be surprising that I have become disillusioned, and no longer read the papers or watch the news.





"I have no desire to watch movies or comedy shows. In the evenings, before Isabella leaves me, she always reads to me from my friend David of Bromley's blog, and then several delicious pages from Elton John's autobiography, which always cheers me up before the long fear and desolation of the night, that I have to go through alone. It isn't surprising, since I am so depressed and ill, that my libido has died. At least one more discouraging thing.





"I found out in Rome that the doctors there have been giving me a small amount of anti-depressant. I didn't ask for them, and I didn't particularly want them, but I discovered they were on my pharmaceutical agenda.





"Here, in this new hospital, they have doubled the dose, since I didn't much notice I was taking them anyway. Asking around my friends, it turns out that at least 50% of them have been, or currently are on, some kind of anti-depressants. Some have been running major institutions on them.





"One friend has been taking them for twenty years, because he has reproachful thoughts after midnight, and has no intention of giving the meds up. Other friends have been off and on them for most of their lives. They all ask me what particular variety I am taking but I can never remember the name or pronounce it. I never wanted to take them since I have my own cure in psychoanalysis twice a week. One friend said "anti-depressants get you to the party and psychoanalysis enables you to enjoy the party once you get there'.





"I avoided them because I didn't want to mess with my brain, which I require in order to be a writer. But I am beyond that now. I am suffering more than I deserve.





"I cannot believe that I have been living on a dementia ward for three weeks, because that is where they have been able to find a room for me. It is worse than a bad joke. The cries and howls are very disturbing. Previously I had led a lucky life; I had all the luck in the world. Now it has run down. I spend as much of the day as I can with friends. People are still keen to visit me. I have given up writing for conversation. I can no longer make things up for a living - it seems too artificial in the face of this absurdity - and I have to say that the conversation has been a lot of fun. I like listening to others. People's generosity and kindness has overwhelmed me.





"In circumstances like this you really find out who your friends are, and how loving people can be. I wish I had been kinder; and if I get another chance, I will be."





He signs off writing, 'Hanif xx'

A long, sombre tweet from acclaimed author Hanif Kureishi from his hospital bed. Kureishi is the author of My Beautiful Laundrette; Buddha of Suburbia, and winner of the Whitbread Award.
SRV Media New Delhi [India], July 10: MBD Group, an embodiment of excellence, reliability and expertise across various sectors including Education, EdTech, Skill Development, Capacity Building, Exports, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Malls, Realty, Design & Construction, Residences and Commercial spaces operating in India and abroad, recently commemorated its 78th Founder's Day with indomitable spirit and zeal. This momentous occasion honoured the outstanding legacy of their visionary founder, Ashok Kumar Malhotra. This event served as a heartfelt tribute to his remarkable contributions, untiring commitment and transformative ideas towards empowering people. Employees from diverse verticals were honoured for their invaluable contributions, and their unwavering dedication was acknowledged as the backbone of MBD's success. Furthermore, as a testament to their commitment to employee growth, MBD Group extends support to selected individuals by providing scholarships to fund their education. This longstanding tradition is upheld every year, reflecting MBD Group's steadfast dedication to the professional and personal development of its employees. The Ashok Kumar Malhotra Charitable Trust, the CSR division of MBD Group, also unveiled its "Love to Learn" initiative, with an aim to ignite passion for education in every student. Through this initiative the Group aims to revolutionise traditional classrooms by incorporating technology which will open up a world of endless possibilities for learners. This initiative has been implemented in numerous schools located in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Approximately 25,000 students will benefit from this initiative.Expressing joy on celebrating the 78th Founder's Day, Satish Bala Malhotra - Chairperson, MBD Group - said, "We MBDians gather each year on Founder's Day to honour the enduring values and belief system established by Ashok Kumar Malhotra; a profound sense of pride fills my heart with joy that we are upholding the philosophy and values instilled by our Founder. I strongly believe we should give back to society and endeavour constantly to disseminate education." Monica Malhotra Kandhari - Managing Director, MBD Group - said, "On Founder's Day, I would like to congratulate each one of you for having successfully launched the 'Love to Learn' initiative. We aim to narrow the educational gap and provide equal opportunities for all the students, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. Along with upgrading infrastructure we are committed to empowering teachers through capacity building programmes thus ensuring the sustainability of the project." Sonica Malhotra Kandhari - Joint Managing Director, MBD Group - said, "Our Founder was always committed to transform education and make a positive impact in society. By upgrading traditional classrooms into digital classrooms, we create engaging and interactive spaces for students to learn and explore. This initiative will be an ongoing effort, running year after year, with the intention of benefitting an increasing number of students pan India." MBD takes immense pride in its tie-up with the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) in a heartfelt mission to transform traditional classrooms into digital classrooms in budget private schools. With this tie-up, MBD is fully committed to strengthening schools nationwide because we believe that giving students the resources they need to thrive in the digital age is essential. Dr Kulbhushan Sharma - President NISA - said, "MBD's decision to transform classrooms into smart spaces is quite admirable. During a panel discussion where Monica Malhotra Kandhari was also present, I asked if there will ever be a CSR initiative for budget private schools. To my surprise, MBD not only took my question to heart but also took action. Classrooms are now becoming digital and students are being connected to new technologies. It's incredible to witness their genuine care and commitment.' Guided by the core principles of making resources accessible to those who require them, the Group spearheads its CSR initiatives through 'MBD - MY BEST DEEDS'. Furthermore, MBD Group extends its philanthropic efforts through the AKM Charitable Trust. The Trust actively supports projects aimed at empowering girls through education, establishing MBD libraries in various schools, donating books and stationery, and many more. On the 78th Founder's Day, MBD Group commemorated Ashok Kumar Malhotra's enduring legacy and pioneering spirit, which have become a source of inspiration for generations to come. MBD Group Founder, Ashok Kumar Malhotra, started with one bookshop in 1956 from Jalandhar, Punjab, and today under his leadership we are a conglomerate of Education, EdTech, Skill Development, Capacity Building, Exports, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Malls, Realty, Design & Construction, Residences and Commercial spaces operating in India and abroad. Website: https://mbdgroup.com (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 10: Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is becoming a leading cause of premature death and disability in countries like ours, largely driven by demographic changes and increasing prevalence of the key modifiable risk factors. This can happen to anyone, most commonly to people between the ages of 40 to 60 years and above. The good news is that now effective treatments can help prevent disability from stroke. Jehangir Hospital provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic as well as therapeutic services for patients with any neurological ailments. Jehangir Hospital's Neurosciences department provides efficient 24/7 services and is renowned for treating stroke patients during the critical Golden Hour. The first 4.5 hours after a stroke are crucial because 2 million neurons are lost per minute. Patients who receive clot-dissolving injections within this timeframe have a higher chance of survival and avoiding long-term brain damage. In acute ischemic stroke cases, treatment should be administered within 60 minutes of the patient's arrival. Dr Sandeep Borse, Neurologist at the Jehangir Hospital says, "Majority cases that we see are the patients from age group of 60 years and above. There are many cases from the age group of 30-45 years too. This is because of the lifestyle that we are leading nowadays. However, a brain stroke is also hereditary in nature." He further added, "When an acute stroke patient comes within the Golden Hour in the Emergency room, a CODE STROKE is activated. Then a rapid neuro examination, CT scan and MRI is done in no time, following which the decision for IV Thrombolysis is taken. If the CT scan shows major vessel blockage then, to remove the clot neuro intervention can be done in time. We have achieved Thrombolysis in 13 minutes (DTN) from arrival which was the fastest thrombolysis done. At Jehangir hospital, all the hospital staff is trained, ensuring rapid and effective treatment for a patient suffering from a stroke." Jehangir hospital offers top-quality multidisciplinary care and has a dedicated neuro team. They have implemented the Acute Stroke Care-Pathway system for systematic documentation of patient records, facilitating better guidance during follow-ups. The hospital also provides comprehensive epilepsy care for patients who have experienced strokes or other brain injuries. Advanced diagnostic tools such as EEG, video EEG telemetry, MRI, and PET scans aid in rapid assessment and adjustment of antiseizure medications. Pediatric Neurological services like Clinical Neurology, Neurogenetics disorders, Neuroendocrine tumor and accessibility of various major tests like the EMG/NCV, BERA are also available. The hospital has a world class infrastructure with the state-of-the-art PICU and NICU for all pediatric neurological emergencies such as brain trauma, brain infections, autoimmune disorders and status epilepticus and acute pediatric stroke. Neurological Services : 1. Acute stroke thrombolysis 2. Neuro intervention (mechanical thrombolysis, aneurysm coiling, carotid stenting, AVM embolization) 3. Carotid endartrectomy 4. Separate Neuro ICU care 5. Advance care for GB syndrome, myasthenia grains and neuropathy 6. Pediatric Stroke management Hospital on Wheels: Jehangir hospital pioneered fully equipped Specialty Care Ambulances in 2003, offering 24/7 emergency services for strokes, cardiac issues, and trauma. Ambulances are dispatched within 5 minutes with trained medical staff, ensuring rapid intervention and communication with the hospital. Call 8888881066 for assistance. CODE STROKE: Dr Soumya Chandrashekhar, Consultant - Accident and Emergency Department says, "The stroke team comprising the emergency physician, emergency department nurse, intensivist, neurologist, radiologist, interventional neurologist and neurosurgeon on call are alerted via this code. Within the first 4.5 hours of the onset of the stroke a patient may be eligible for fibrinolytic therapy. We ensure that through continuous quality monitoring, the time of arrival of a patient to the AED to the time of administration of the fibrinolytic agent is minimized to less than 60 minutes. When the patient is eligible for endovascular therapy, such as a mechanical thrombectomy, our interventional neurologist and radiologist, step in for immediate management." Jehangir Hospital implemented the CODE STROKE PROGRAM in 2015. Jehangir Hospital's Emergency Department is a Level-1 tertiary care facility with standardized clinical systems, including the CODE STROKE, CODE CARDIAC, and CODE TRAUMA programs. The hospital has been recognized by the World Stroke Organization for their prompt treatment with door-to-needle times under 45 minutes. Radiology: CT and MRI study of Brain play important roles in acute stroke management. Dr Rajendra Chavan, Interventional Neuro - Radiologists at Jehangir Hospital says, "Stroke patients undergo brain CT or MRI to rule out other causes. Once these causes are ruled out, eligible patients receive clot-dissolving drugs intravenously to restore blood flow. Some patients may require additional imaging of blood vessels if they don't show improvement. Patients with large blood vessel occlusions may undergo Mechanical Thrombectomy if specific criteria are met." Mechanical Thrombectomy is at the cutting edge of Acute Stroke treatment since the last decade. Dr Anand Alurkar, Consultant Interventional Neurologist at Jehangir Hospital and President - elect of Indian Stroke Association, says "This procedure is performed in the cathlab via the patient's groin artery. This is a highly effective therapy and about 80% of patients benefit in the form of early and significant recovery. With recent developments in protocols and case selection, this therapy can be offered in the first 24 hours too, provided certain criteria are satisfied. In patients who have minor strokes or 'Transient ischemic attacks', a major stroke can be prevented with highly effective and safe procedures like 'Carotid Stenting' and 'Intracranial Stenting'. Jehangir Hospital has all the necessary expertise, equipment and protocols in place for Stroke patients to benefit from these procedures." Neuro Surgery: Occlusion of blood vessels supplying the brain causes significant ischemic damage, leading to Malignant Cerebral Infarction. Severe brain damage and midline shift indicate a life-threatening condition. Without surgical intervention, mortality is around 80%. Decompressive craniectomy is the only available treatment, reducing mortality but often resulting in disability. The decision to perform decompressive craniectomy requires careful assessment by physicians and surgeons, considering factors such as the patient's condition, potential benefits, and predicted quality of life post-surgery. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for managing this complex decision-making process. Recovery from decompressive craniectomy can take 4 to 8 weeks. Post craniectomy, the bone is replaced once the swelling subsides and the patient has a good recovery. In some cases, we use 3D printed titanium mesh. This procedure is called Cranioplasty. Brain surgical services: * Microsurgery for Brain Tumors * Endoscopic Brain Surgery * Skull Base Surgery * Brain Trauma Surgery * Congenital Cranial Deformity * Craniofacial Surgery with FMS (Facio-Maxillary Surgery) * Brain Surgery for Abnormal Blood Vessels * Brain Surgery for Epilepsy * Brain Surgery for Removal of Blood Clots * Stereotaxic Brain Surgery for Tumor and Functional Neurosurgery * Interventional / Neuro-endovascular Therapy for Cerebro-vascular Diseases and Tumors * Pre-operative Embolization of Brain Lesions Neuro Rehabilitation The rehab team at Jehangir Hospital provides comprehensive cognitive and physical disability assessment and therapy for a wide range of neurological disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, hypoxia, brain infections, epilepsy, neurosurgery, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis movement disorders, ataxias etc. A WHO Sustainable Development Goal suggests: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well -being for all at all ages". In keeping with the WHO guidelines Neurorehabilitation at Jehangir Hospital is based on high-quality integrated care, Individually tailored, Evidence-based, Multidisciplinary teamwork, Early intervention is essential, and Clinical Care Pathways. Physiotherapy and Functional Rehabilitation Expert physiotherapists plan goal-oriented therapy based on detailed assessments. Functional rehabilitation includes: Early interventions during the critical care period, Neurofacilitation techniques for neurological disorders, Tailored therapy for restoring functional ability and independence, Training for balance, coordination, mobility, and agility, Discharge planning and support for level of care required at home, Training for transferring patient management skills outside of rehabilitation setting, Assessment of work/home environment and adaptations, assistive devices, Strength and endurance training, and Focus on long-term community integration: improving participation for return to appropriate levels of work, study, hobbies, leisure or daily living. Neurocognitive rehabilitation Holistic approach to cognitive rehabilitation is followed. This includes: Detailed cognitive assessment, Cognitive rehabilitation strategies to help overcome problems like memory, attention and concentration, perceptual, neglect and other such difficulties, Memory aids clinic, Assistive technology/Virtual reality based cognitive rehabilitation, Teaching cognitive strategies to improve optimal daily functioning, recommendations and suggestions for return to work after stroke, Goal setting, establishing daily and weekly routines, simulation of everyday activities, Psychological counselling for emotional problems like depression, fear, anxiety and anger, Education on understanding stroke, preventing another stroke, Caregiver training for implementing rehab strategies at home, Counselling and guidance for caregivers experiencing depression, anxiety or stress, and Dementia diagnosis and rehabilitation clinic. The neurorehabilitation team at Jehangir Hospital also offers a wide range of support services for people after stroke. These include: * Post stroke follow-up: with physicians and rehabilitation specialists * Virtual Reality based rehabilitation (Cognitive + Physical Rehabilitation) * Geriatric cognitive and physical stimulation programme * Cardiac Rehabilitation * Multi-disciplinary program for management of stroke risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cholesterol etc. * Wellness Centre * Resources: Relevant websites, adaptive equipment, education booklets on a range of topics related to stroke and its management * The rehabilitation department is spacious and well-equipped with specialized and relevant technological equipment in order to achieve the goals of independence and community integration. Education material is also provided on a range of relevant topics. Unique features of Neurorehabilitation at Jehangir Hospital: * Team of experienced and talented rehabilitation professionals * Inputs from different rehabilitation departments under one roof such as Physiotherapy, Neuropsychology, Speech/Language therapy and Physician * Utilizing advanced technology in rehabilitation where appropriate * Cost effectiveness compared to international neurorehabilitation centres. Prevention is better than cure The incidence of stroke and stroke-related dementia is increasing in India due to lifestyle-related risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, poor sleep, and smoking. Stroke cases among young people have risen by 12%, causing long-term neurodisabilities. Jehangir Hospital's rehab department takes a holistic approach to preventive treatment, offering awareness sessions, physical fitness testing, stress profiling, and lifestyle modification programs. They also educate about cardiac risk factors as part of their Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. These efforts aim to optimize brain health and reduce the impact of stroke. Testimonial "In 2021, I experienced a stroke without warning signs. Despite feeling normal, I noticed my grip weakening and objects slipping from my hands. It was only when my wife noticed changes in my face and speech that we realized it was a stroke. My family rushed me to Jehangir Hospital where Dr. Sandeep Borse and his team provided timely care. The suddenness of the stroke emphasized the importance of quick medical intervention. I consider myself fortunate to have received prompt treatment at Jehangir Hospital, where I was pulled out of danger with compassionate care." says Shankar Travadan. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
With Foxconn deciding to withdraw from its semiconductor joint venture (JV) with Indian mining conglomerate Vedanta, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that has no impact on India's semiconductor fabrication goals. Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited and Taiwan's Foxconn in September 2022 had signed MoUs with the Gujarat government for setting up a semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state with an investment of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore. They also signed a joint venture. "This decision of Foxconn to withdraw from its JV with Vedanta has no impact on India's Semiconductor Fab goals. None," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet on Monday. The minister said both Foxconn and Vedanta have significant investments in India and are valued investors who are creating jobs and growth. "It was well known that both companies had no prior semicon experience or Technology and were expected to source Fab tech from a Tech partner. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," he said. He said Vedanta thru VFSL has recently submitted a 40nm fab proposal backed by Tech licensing agreement from a Global Semicon major - which is currently being evaluated by a Tech Advisory Group. "It is not for government to get into why or how two private companies choose to partner or choose not to, but in simple terms it means both companies can and will now pursue their strategies in India independently, and with appropriate technology partners in Semicon and Electronics," the minister said. He said India's strategy of catalyzing Semiconductor Ecosystem has seen rapid progress in the 18 months since PM Narendra Modi approved India's semiconductor strategy and policy. "To those editorializing about this decision of Foxconn/Vedanta being a 'blow' to India's Semicon ambition , I can only say it's a bad idea to bet against India under PM Modi. India is just getting started," he said. India aims to become a global manufacturing hub and a major player in the semiconductor supply chain. The central government has taken several key initiatives to reduce the dependence on imports of electronic goods by giving impetus to domestic manufacturing of electronic, semiconductor products and components. (ANI)
In a video obtained by TMZ, the "Day Shift" actor can be seen smiling and making the peace sign as he cruises down the Chicago River on a boat on Sunday.

For the weekend outing, the "Ray" star, 55, wore an all-black ensemble with aviator sunglasses. At least two other passengers were with him.

It was Foxx's first public appearance since being released from the hospital.

He has yet to address the health scare publicly, as per Page Six.

Foxx was hospitalised in Georgia on April 12, according to his oldest daughter Corinne, who posted about it on social media.

"We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery," she wrote at that time.

Corinne is Foxx's daughter with his ex-wife Connie Kline. He also has a 14-year-old daughter with his ex-wife, Annalise Bishop.'

The actor's unspecified condition was serious enough that his family travelled to be by his side at the time.

He had been filming the Netflix film "Back in Action" with Cameron Diaz prior to the medical emergency.

Diaz continued to film other scenes with Foxx's body double while he was in the hospital. It's unclear when the "Just Mercy" star will return to the set.

Last month, a family member told Page Six that the secrecy surrounding his condition has raised concerns about how his career might be affected in the future.

The fate of "Back in Action" is also uncertain. (ANI)
The actor has been a regular on the daytime drama since 2006.

Time Out New York theatre editor Feldman called Carlson she announced the news on Twitter.

Feldman called Carlson a powerful actor, deadline reported.

He wrote, "RIP Jeffrey Carlson, 48, exposed-nerve star of Broadway (Billy in The Goat, Marilyn in Taboo) and TV (the groundbreaking trans character Zoe on All My Children). A powerful actor and a painful loss."

https://twitter.com/FeldmanAdam/status/1677862081545003009

Carlson first appeared on the show in August 2006 as Zarf, then returned in November as Zoe, a trans woman.

On Facebook, the Shakespeare Theatre Company paid tribute. "STC is deeply saddened by the recent death of Jeffrey Carlson. Throughout his career, Jeffrey gave beautiful and nuanced performances that took him from television and film to Broadway and, thankfully for us, to STC."

According to the post, his memorable performances include Lorenzaccio (2005), Hamlet (2007), Free For All (2008), Romeo and Juliet (2016), and the 2017 version of Free For All, as per Deadline.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jeffrey's friends, family, and colleagues who knew and loved him the most."

Carlson, who was born in Long Beach, California, attended the Juilliard School.

In 2003, he made his Broadway debut in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who Is Sylvia.

He would later co-star with Academy Award winner Hilary Swank in Tartuffe and The Miracle Worker.

Carlson was also known for his role as Marilyn, an '80s British pop star, in Taboo from 2003 to 2004. (ANI)
Makers of the upcoming romantic drama film 'Bawaal' on Monday, unveiled the video song of the track 'Tumhe Kitna Pyaar Karte'. The song is composed by Mithoon, with lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir, in the soulful voice of Arijit Singh. It features Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead roles. Taking to Instagram, Janhvi shared a glimpse of the song which she captioned, "Tareef Hum Tumhaari, Yun Beshumaar Karte, Tum Pyaar Karne Dete, Toh Tumhe Kitna Pyaar Karte!" #TumheKitnaPyaarKarte video out now!. Link in Bio. Produced by #SajidNadiadwala and Directed by @niteshtiwari22 #BawaalOnPrime, July 21 on @primevideoin." https://www.instagram.com/p/CugwLjHvBuu/ Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Bawaal' is all set to stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video from July 21. Recently the makers released the official trailer of the film which received decent responses from the fans. 'Bawaal' revolves around Ajay Dixit, an ordinary albeit popular high school history teacher, also known as Ajju bhaiya, who enjoys a degree of mini-celebrity status in his hometown thanks to the false persona he has created for himself. Due to certain circumstances, he travels to Europe during World War II with his newlywed bride Nisha, with whom he has a tense relationship. The succession of events that come after put his marriage to the test and makes him face the inner conflict, which is the greatest battle of all. This love story, which was filmed in India and other foreign countries, offers a deep message that somewhere relates to many. Varun talked about the entire concept of the film and said, "A definitive landmark in my career, Bawaal has been a challenging journey for me, but it has also been one of the most exciting and extremely rewarding ones too. Despite his popularity, Ajju is constantly warring with circumstances beyond his control. A character is so intricately woven but literally, a bawaal within and all around, that it will hold a special place in my heart. I just cannot wait for the audience from all across the globe to watch and experience this unconventionally beautiful romantic tale of Ajju and Nisha." Janhvi added, "As actors we play roles that are either made for us or ones that we adapt to. But rarely do we get the opportunity to embody a role so coveted that offers an actor more scope to perform. In this unique romantic tale, Nisha is seemingly a simple girl with hopes and dreams, but she's so endearing that she makes you want to feel every emotion that she is experiencing. In Bawaal, Nisha is taking a journey that will make you look beyond the surface into her life, her love, and everything in between." (ANI)
Record rainfall over the last couple of days has taken a heavy toll of the national capital, with as many as 15 house collapse incidents leaving 2 dead and 7 injured, an official informed on Sunday. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the director of Delhi Fire Service, Atul Garg, confirmed receiving as many as 15 calls pertain to house collapse incidents over the last couple of days. He informed further that in several of these incidents, the firefighters ran into trouble reaching the spot on account of heavy and extensive waterlogging. "We received 15 such calls, the most in a single day. Some old, decrepit houses and some under-construction buildings couldn't sustain the heavy rainfall and collapsed. Further, on account of severe waterlogging, we had trouble reaching the spot," Garg told ANI. Meanwhile, in another incident, a wall caved in at Delhi's Sunder Nagar market due to heavy and unrelenting showers. However, no casualties were reported in this incident. In Tis Hazari, a wall of a veterinary hospital collapsed, leaving one dead and another injured, a Delhi Fire Services official said. In another incident, the boundary wall of a government school at Garhi Jharia Maria in the East of Kailash collapsed on Saturfay due to heavy rainfall. After learning of the incident, Delhi Education Minister Atishi instructed officers to inspect all Delhi government and MCD schools to prevent such incidents. "Many of our schools are very old. In two of such schools, walls, walls over 35-40 years old, collapsed. Delhi received 150 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour span, which was a record in 20 years. We have instructed officers to inspect all government and MCD schools and run necessary repairs so that such incidents could be prevented," the Education minister said. Meanwhile, the AAP government in the national capital issued a flood warning after one lakh cusecs of water were released from the Hathinkund barrage at 4 pm, said an official. The official informed further, "The water level of the Yamuna, in Delhi, is rising. It was recorded at 203.66 metres at the old railway bridge at 9 pm. The warning level of the Yamuna is at 204.50 metres and the danger level is at 205.33 metres. Water is continuously being released from the Hathinkund Barrage into the Yamuna." (ANI)
Unrelenting showers since Saturday morning left vast swathes of Morabadad city under water, with several residents complaining of commuting woes.

Amid heavy rainfall on Saturday evening, a student died after he fell into an open sewerage tank near Nawalgarh Road in the Sikar district, an official from the Civil Defence Team (CD) said.

After receiving word of the incident, a Civil Defence Rescue team reached the spot and recovered the student's body, he said.

Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra, BJP MP Swami Sumedhanand and former MLA Amra Ram also visited the spot after learning of the incident.

Sharing her concerns, on the prevailing situation, a resident said, "While the rains have brought us some respite from the heat, we are facing a lot of difficulty commuting due to extensive waterlogging. We are experiencing showers at regular intervals."

In its daily weather briefing on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy rainfall was likely to occur over North India in the next four to five days.

"Heavy rains in North India for the next four to five days. The effect of active monsoon will be seen in other states," the IMD said in a statement.

The agency urged people up north to take necessary precautions against heavy rainfall.

"Weather Warning for Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh are under a heavy rainfall alert from July 8 to 9. Be prepared for intense rain and take necessary precautions," the agency stated. (ANI)
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud assured that the Supreme Court will not pass any adverse order on Monday in the absence of any advocate due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the national capital. CJI DY Chandrachud stated as much after considering the requests of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association. "In pursuance to the request made to the office of CJI in regard to the current situation of heavy rainfall and waterlogging, he assured that he would personally ask all judges of the Supreme Court to not pass any adverse order tomorrow -- July 10 -- in the event of absence of any lawyer due to adverse weather conditions," Advocate Rohit Pandey, secretary, Supreme Court Bar Association, told ANI. He stated further that the Advocate on Record Association requested the Supreme Court registrar to assist in clearing out rainwater in the areas surrounding the Supreme Court. "Further, the association requested the registrar concerned to clear out stormwater in areas surrounding the Supreme Court and it was assured that it will be drained out," he said. (ANI)
Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) on Sunday issued a communication to its member lawyers that no adverse orders will be passed in the event of lawyers unable to present themselves before the court on Monday due to heavy rainfall in the national capital. DHCBA said a request was made to the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, which the latter accepted. "Considering the torrential rains since July 7, 2023, and the Orange Alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for July 10, 2023, the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on request of DHCBA has agreed that no adverse orders shall be passed in case the lawyers are unable to present themselves before Courts on July 10, 2023," DHCBA said in a statement. (ANI)
"All Government and Private Schools (including Play schools etc.) falling in Gurugram district are hereby directed to remain closed tomorrow i.e. on the 10th of July in the larger public interest and for the safety & security of the students," said the Gurugram district administration in an advisory.

The district administration further advised all corporate offices and private institutions to work from home to avoid traffic jams.

"All corporate offices and private institutions in the district are advised to guide their employees to Work from home tomorrow i.e. on the 10th of July so that traffic congestion can be avoided and repair/restoration of civic amenities can be carried out smoothly by Govt. agencies," said Gurugram district administration.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram Nishant Kumar Yadav appealed to everyone to step out of the house only if there is urgent work as Civic authorities are draining the water.

"It is raining heavily in Gurugram today. Heavy rains have caused water-logging in some areas. Civic authority teams are engaged in draining the water. I appeal to all people to step out of the house only if there is urgent work," said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram

The area near Gurugram's Sadar Police Station witnessed severe waterlogging due to heavy rainfall in the city.

Meanwhile, severe waterlogging was witnessed near Gurugram's Narsinghpur Chowk as the city continues to receive heavy rain.

Gurugram's Sector-51 also witnessed severe waterlogging due to heavy rainfall in the city.

Gurugram's Subhash Chowk also had severe waterlogging as the city continues to receive heavy rain. (ANI)
Delhi saw insistent, heavy rain since yesterday. Due to the heavy rain, several places in Delhi were waterlogged, and several building collapses were also reported. Delhi received heavy rain in areas including India Gate, Greater Kailash, Feroz Shah Road, Rafi Marg, Lodhi Estate, and Shantipath. IMD has predicted heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. However, the intensity of the rain for the next four to five days will remain low. "Yesterday's intensity of rain will continue in the mountains. The intensity will lower in the plains, still, there are predictions of rainfall. Delhi-NCR is likely to receive heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, however for the next four to five days it will rain but the intensity will remain low. Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours...," says Charan Singh, Head Regional Meteorological Centre, Delhi. Meanwhile, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi assured that the Delhi government is fully prepared to face any situation amid the heavy rain. She further added that the officers and workers are working continuously to clear waterlogged roads. "The amount of rainfall in 12 hours on Saturday was 15 per cent of the total monsoon rain. The record of the last 20 years has been broken. As far as the preparations are concerned, we were fully prepared. However, the problem of waterlogging arose because of record rainfall. I want to ensure the public of Delhi that all the officers and workers are working continuously...They have been working day and night in places where there is waterlogging," said Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi. Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Atishi visited Tilak Bridge, ITO areas to review the situation after Delhi received 150mm of rain. While speaking to ANI, she said all Delhi ministers and the mayor are examining the spots where waterlogging might happen and are working to enhance our capacity to handle heavy rain. "All Delhi ministers and the mayor are examining the spots where waterlogging might happen. All pumping stations were functioning yesterday. Now, we are working to enhance our capacity. It is expected that the water level in the Yamuna River will rise by July 11 as 45,000 cusecs of water have been released from Hathni Kund today," said Minister Atishi. (ANI) "
Delhi Education Minister Atishi issued an order to ensure the safety of schools amid incessant rains, on Sunday. "As we are aware that during last few days, the city has faced continuous heavy rainfalls and it might have affected the conditions of government school buildings," stated the order. All regional directors, zonal directors, deputy directors, principals and vice principals of the education department were directed to conduct physical inspections of schools. The Education minister also asked the authorities to ensure that as the schools open on Monday, there is no shortage of resources or infrastructure that may affect the children. "It is directed that all Regional Directors, Deputy Director of Education - Zones and District, Principals and Vice-Principals must conduct physical inspection of all the Government Schools under their jurisdiction today itself and ensure that on opening of schools tomorrow there are no such deficiencies are found which may cause problems for the security of the school children," the order read further. The minister has also ordered the Education secretary and the director to ensure the safety of government school buildings and file a compliance report by Monday night. "In case, any deficiencies or serious problem is found then the same should be cordoned off to avoid any mishappening. Secretary/Director, Education must ensure compliance of the same and a compliance report be submitted to me by tonight i.e. 09.07.2023 positively," the order stated further. (ANI)
Dissident NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday responded to Sharad Pawar apologising to the people of the former's Assembly constituency, Yeola, for making him an MLA, saying that if kept apologising in this manner, he will have to visit many other places and express regret similarly. Earlier, Sharad Pawar, who now heads the rival NCP faction following the split in the ranks triggered by his nephew, Ajit Pawar, said at a rally in Nashik's Yeola that his decision to appoint Bhujbal as the party's candidate from the constituency was wrong. Apologising to the people for his decision to field Bhujbal from Yeola, Pawar senior said, "I came here to apologise to all of you (people in Yeola). My decision was wrong, you trusted me and voted for my party but my decision (of having Chhagan Bhujbal as an MLA from Yeola) failed." Addressing the media persons on Monday, Bhujbal said, "He (Sharad Pawar) should not have apologized as people are happy here (in Yeola). They elected me four times. If he apologises like this then he will have to go to many other places and express regret similarly." Formerly a key aide of the NCP patriarch, Bhujbal was among the 8 NCP rebels who joined the NDA government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Sharad Pawar's nephew and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Maharashtra was rocked by a fresh political quake after Ajit Pawar split the NCP down the middle and joined the NDA government in the state along with 8 fellow MLAs and top leaders, including Bhujbal, Praful Patel and Hasan Mushrif. While Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shinde government, his fellow dissidents were also sworn in as ministers. (ANI)
He will also offer prayers at a temple and later, he will interact with eminent people from different sections of society in Vadodara, said the party's state leadership.

Notably, Nadda on Sunday chaired a crucial regional consultative meeting of senior BJP leaders of southern India and some other states in Hyderabad to chalk out the party's strategy for next year's Lok Sabha elections and other important issues.

Leaders from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Andaman and Lakshadweep were present at the meeting.

Earlier, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was on a visit to Gujarat. On June 29, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Gujarat and Micron Technology, America's largest semiconductor memory IDM (Integrated Device Manufacturer).

The MoU was signed in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Minister Vaishnaw had called it a 'historic day' for India. (ANI)
Devotees offered prayers at the Nageshwar Shiv temple in Kanpur and the Daksha Prajapati Shiv temple in Haridwar.

''Bhasma aarti'' was performed at Ujjain''s renowned Mahakaleshwar Temple on the first Monday of Sawan month in Madhya Pradesh.

In the national capital, devotees were seen offering prayers at Gauri Shankar Temple in Chandni Chowk.

Devotees also thronged the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi

In Gorakhpur, devotees offered prayers at Mahadev Jharkhandi Shiv Temple on the occasion.

This year, Sawan will last for two months. It started on July 4 and will go on till August 31. It would be 59 days long and there would be eight Mondays instead of four.

In the Hindu calendar, ''Sawan'', also known as ''Shravan, is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year. This year, the Shravan period stretches for two months instead of the usual one-month period. Previously, an almost two-month-long Shravan period was observed approximately 19 years ago.

Additionally, the Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during the month of Sawan. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as Kanwars. Devotees don saffron-coloured clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of the River Ganga and then worship the God with that water. Sawan commenced on July 4 this year and will continue till August 31. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to prepone the hearing of a case related to RTI information on Prime Minister Modi's Graduation Degree. The court has listed the matter for hearing on October 13. An application seeking early hearing on the plea moved by Delhi University challenging Central Information Commission's (CIC's) 2016 direction to allow inspection of records. Justice Subramonium Prasad refused to grant an early hearing on the petition moved by the University challenging an order passed by the Central Information Commissioner (CIC). The CIC had directed the University to allow inspection of records related to students of the BA Course of the year 1978. PM Modi is also stated to have passed the BA of Delhi University examination in 1978. The order passed by the CIC was stayed by the High Court in January 2017. However, the High Court issued the early hearing application moved by the RTI Activist Neeraj Kumar. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde appeared for the applicant and submitted that the matter requires an early hearing as it has been pending for a long time. Justice Prasad refused to grant an early hearing and said, "The matter is listed in October. Take it from me, it will be disposed of then, provided I continue in the roster. It does not impress why it (preponing) should be done." The bench issued notice on the application on the date already fixed in the matter. The applicant had filed an RTI application seeking a record of the results of the students of DU who appeared in the BA examination in 1978. He also sought their other details like roll number, name, marks and results of the exam. This information was denied by the University on the ground that it is related to a third party. Neeraj Kumar had challenged the order of the university. The CIC had passed an order directing the university to allow the inspection of records. It said that the information sought is available in the university's private register, a public document. The University had challenged this order before the Delhi High Court. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday cautioned the counsels representing the Meitei and Kuki groups to refrain from levelling allegations and using the court as a platform to escalate the volatile situation in Manipur. The cautionary remarks of the apex court came after senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the Kuki group, made repeated attempts to claim that the violence against the Kuki community was state-sponsored. "We do not want these proceedings to be used as a platform for further escalations of violence and other problems. We must be conscious that we are not running security or law and order. This is a humanitarian issue and needs to be looked at from that angle," said a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha while intervening Gonsalves. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government, said the matter may be taken up by petitioners with utmost sensitivity as any misinformation can aggravate the situation. As Gonsalves kept on submitting that there has been a serious escalation in the Manipur situation and the narrative is against Kuki tribals, CJI Chandrachud said, "Your scepticism cannot lead us to take over the law and order." The bench further asked Gonsalves and other advocates appearing for the Meitei group to give constructive suggestions on the fresh affidavit filed by the State government on measures taken for relief and curb violence in the State. The bench posted the matter for hearing on July 11. The bench also enquired from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta about the seizure of weapons from police stations and asked for an update on actions taken in this regard. It directed the Chief Secretary of Manipur was directed to file a status report. It further asked both the Centre and State governments to consider a plea made by the Manipur High Court Bar Association, which requested that a 10-kilometre stretch of a crucial National Highway, serving as the only lifeline for essential supplies, should be kept clear for reaching essential commodities to the State resident. Manipur government in its affidavit stated that as per the police report, around 5,995 FIRs have been registered as of July 4 and are being investigated in connection with different allegations, mishappenings and offences that happened during the ongoing crises. "Six important FIRs had been transferred to CBI for investigation independently and with transparency," the affidavit said. Furthermore, illegal bunkers constructed by miscreants, which have been a cause of concern for society in both hills and valleys are being dismantled by the security forces, it said. "It is stated that security cover for undertaking agriculture and for escorting essential items from Jiribam at Imphal has been deployed. In general, curfew relaxation hours are being enhanced across the state keeping in view the local conditions," the affidavit said. "Security deployment is being planned, implemented and reviewed on a daily basis by the Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur. In this regard, the State Police is spearheading the efforts ot bring normalcy to the State under the leadership of the newly appointed Director General of Police. Furthermore, standard operating procedures (SOP) have been put in place to deal with general area domination as well as to address any emergent situations," it added. On July 4,354 relief camps are operational in the affected areas with amenities and medical care made available for the convenience of the inmates. It is stated that more than 400 officers along with COs are involved in monitoring camp operations, the affidavit said further. Earlier, the Supreme Court sought an updated status report from the State of Manipur regarding the present situation and measures taken to curb the violence in the State. The top court seized the cases relating to the violence in Manipur and sought status reports from the Centre and State on the relief and rehabilitation efforts for the people affected by the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities. Earlier, the top court expressed concern over the loss of lives and properties in Manipur during the violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities and stressed taking adequate measures to restore normalcy in the northeastern state. On March 27, the High Court directed the State to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. The violence in Manipur between the Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, who are Christians, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3. Violence has gripped the entire state for over a month now and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control. (ANI)
Gunadhar Nandhi Maharaj Jain Muni at Navgrah Tirth Monday announced to withdraw his "fast unto death" after meeting Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara following the murder of Jain monk Acharya Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaja of Chikkodi two days earlier. He told ANI that the home minister agreed to all their demands including constituting a Jain Development Board. "I have withdrawn my fast at the request of Minister Parameshwara," he said in Hubli today. Following the murder, Gunadhar Nandhi Maharaj said that he will undertake a fast unto death demanding security for Jain Munis. The last rites of the Jain seer were performed as per Jain traditions on Sunday at Hirekodi village. Home Minister G Parmeshwar assured Gunadhar Nandhi Maharaj and said the government is working for the interests of the Jain Community, they said. They said that the minister told him that the investigation is underway into the matter. Police recovered body parts of the Digambar seer from a defunct borewell in a field in Chikkodi in Belagavi district on Saturday (July 8). The monk was reported missing by the manager of the ashram where he used to stay and two persons have been arrested in this connection. The Union Minister had on Sunday met with Gunadhar Nandhi Maharaj Jain Muni at Navgrah Tirth and condoled the death of the Chikkodi Jain seer. G Parameshwara on Monday said there is no need for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder case. Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has termed the murder as "highly condemnable." "The murder of Sri Kamakumara Nandi Maharaja is highly condemnable. The name of the accused was not even revealed initially. Attempts were made to force local people to give statements that he (the deceased monk) was involved in some financial transactions," Joshi said in Hampi today. The Karanataka home minister said he had on Sunday spoken to the Jain seers who were fasting to protest the murder (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks to the State of Assam to file its affidavit on a plea of Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas BV, challenging Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in alleged harassment case filed against him. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala adjourned the hearing for six weeks after the counsel of the Assam government sought time to file an affidavit. Earlier, the apex court had granted anticipatory bail to Srinivas in an FIR registered against him by expelled woman party member for allegedly causing her mental agony. Srinivas challenged the Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea. On May 5, the Gauhati High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Srinivas in a case lodged by a former colleague and the ex-president of Assam Youth Congress accusing him of causing mental agony to her. High Court had also refused to quash the FIR. In her complaint, the woman alleged that Srinivas persistently harassed her mentally by way of sexist remarks and slang words. On her complaint, an FIR was registered to book Srinivas under Sections 352 (assault or criminal force), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (1)(iv) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code. The woman had claimed that Srinivas had heckled her, held her arm, pushed and pulled her and used slang words during the party's recent plenary session in Raipur. He had also threatened to ruin her career in the party if she complained against him, she alleged. The alleged offence had occurred in Raipur in Chhattisgarh which was beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Dispur police station, where the case was filed and Assam police had no jurisdiction to investigate or register an FIR for an offence which allegedly took place in Chhattisgarh, Srinivas said. The Congress had issued a show cause notice to the woman and later expelled her from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities. (ANI)
The Prime Minister inquired about the loss of life and property, the condition of roads including the Char Dham Yatra, the condition of agriculture, farmers and crops and the conduct of the Kanwar Yatra.

The Chief Minister gave detailed information about the Char Dham Yatra and Kanwar Yatra along with the loss of public money and blocked roads at various places due to heavy rains.

The Chief Minister also informed about the condition of farmers and crops.

The Chief Minister said that the government, SDRF, police and administration are working in full alert mode. JCB machines have been deployed at various places so that the blocked roads can be opened immediately. Continuous monitoring is being done from the highest level.

The Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister of full cooperation from the Centre.

Earlier today, PM Modi spoke to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and inquired about the extent of the damages caused to life and property due to heavy rains and floods in the state.

According to the release, Chief Minister informed him that the State has been severely affected by floods and heavy rainfall, leading to extensive damage and provided an update on the situation and sought liberal assistance from the Central Government to tackle this natural calamity.

The Chief Minister informed PM Modi that the State Government is closely monitoring the situation.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, also called the Chief Minster on the phone and took stock of the damages and about relief and rescue operations being carried out in the State. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court of Delhi on Monday convicted four Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives namely Danish Ansari, Aftab Alam, Imran Khan and Obaid-Ur-Rehman under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Court convicted them for hatching a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the country by conducting terrorist attacks across the country. Special Judge Shailender Malik convicted the IM operatives under various sections of the IPC and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA had lodged a case in September 2012 under Sections 121A (conspiracy to wage war against government of India) and 123 (Concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) of the IPC and under sections 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terror act), 18A (organising terrorist camps), 18B (recruiting persons for terrorist act) and 20 (being member of terror organisation) of the UAPA. Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed the court that Mohammad Danish Ansari, a key operative of Indian Mujahideen (IM). Danish Ansari, also said to be a close aide of Yasin Bhatkal, one of the founders of Indian Mujahideen (IM), was arrested at Darbhanga by NIA in 2013. According to the NIA Chargesheet, terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen(IM) with some functionaries of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) are undertaking large scale recruitment or induction of new members, for carrying out terrorist acts in various parts of the country with the active aid and support from their Pakistan based associates and with their sleeper cells within the country to commit terrorist act by causing Bomb Blasts at important and prominent places in India especially in Delhi. NIA further stated in the Chargesheet that, source information revealed that Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives and its frontal organizations are receiving regular funding from abroad to finance their terror activities. During the investigation, the role of another IM operatives, namely Md. Danish Ansari, Abdul Waheb, Saleem, Abdullah, Mohd Aftab Alam, Farooq, Shaikhchilli, Hafij Ji, Imran Khan, Zakaria, Saleem, Fazal, Tabrez, Raj, Patel and Obaid Ur Rehman and one other transpired. They were involved in the larger conspiracy of the IM to wage war against the Indian government. (ANI)
The darkest hour is just before dawn, good will happen in the days to come, said West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday following his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah here in the national capital. The meeting is significant as it was scheduled just two days after the violence in West Bengal Panchayat elections which has claimed over a dozen lives in the state. Bose met with the Home Minister at his North Block office in the national capital. The meeting lasted for nearly 30 minutes. "The darkest hour is just before dawn. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is -if winter comes can spring be far behind? Good will happen in the days to come," said West Bengal Governor after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Bose didn't speak about the violence in West Bengal during the Panchayat polls on Saturday. Several incidents of violence were reported during the Panchayat polls in Bengal on Saturday. Repolling took place at 697 booths across five districts of the state on Monday. The State Election Commission on Sunday said that police have confirmed 10 deaths in poll-related violence. There were reports of booth capturing, damage to ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia. Counting of votes will start at 8 am on Juy 11. All counting centres will have a deployment of Central forces and CCTV cameras installed. To conduct a fair, safe and impartial election for 3317 Gram Panchayats, 341 Panchayat Samitis and 20 Zila Parishads in West Bengal on Saturday, security forces from the Centre, as well as the state, were deployed on all 61,636 polling booths. The state Election Commission had set up a total of 61,636 polling booths across West Bengal to conduct the election. A total of 59,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other State Armed Police (SAP) forces have been deployed at sensitive polling booths and the rest of the troops of CAPF and SAP along with local State Police were given the responsibility of security at the remaining polling booths. Amid the polling on Saturday in the state, several incidents of violence were reported despite the security arrangements. Several other incidents of ballot box and ballot paper looting and destruction were reported on Saturday from numerous polling booths in the state. The repolling in West Bengal concluded today to choose representatives for nearly 928 seats across 22 Zilla Parishads, 9,730 Panchayat Samiti, and 63,239 Gram Panchayat seats. The number of village Panchayat Election centres is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at Panchayat Samiti and 928 at the Zila Parishad level. In 2018, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won uncontested, 34 per cent of the seats in panchayat elections, which also saw various instances of violence. Trinamool Congress has won many seats uncontestedly in the 2023 elections as well. Following the violence, a war of words escalated between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress.(ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will hear the pleas relating to the demolition drive of the properties of the accused persons across the country in September. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala listed the matter for hearing in September. The court was hearing Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and other petitions against the demolition drive. During the hearing, the court sought to know whether the petitions survive yet. Responding to the court's query, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave said, "These days it is becoming a fashion and raised questions on the need of demolishing the house of a person in Madhya Pradesh who urinated on a tribal. Senior Advocate Dave blamed the BJP and said that they are targeting people from minority communities." However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised an objection and apprised the court that people from the majority community were also found encroaching on the areas. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had moved the Supreme Court against employing bulldozers to raze down the houses of persons suspected to be involved in criminal incidents such as violence. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has urged the Supreme Court to issue appropriate directions to the Centre and state governments that no lasting *precipitative action* be taken against any accused in any criminal proceedings and issue directions that residential accommodation cannot be demolished as a punitive measure. In its petition, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind said that recently there has been an increase in the incidents of demolition of residential and commercial properties by government administration in several states as a punitive measure towards persons purportedly involved in criminal incidents such as riots. In a separate application, the organisation Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has sought to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh that no precipitative action be taken in Kanpur District against the residential or commercial property of any accused in any criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, in its application, also sought to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that any demolition exercise of any nature must be carried out strictly in accordance with applicable laws, and only after due notice and opportunity of hearing is given to each of the affected persons. (ANI)
The accused have been identified as Mohd. Khalid a resident of Chand Bagh, Delhi.

"With the help of technical surveillance, accused Mohd. Khalid was arrested from Moreh, Imphal, and Manipur (near the Myanmar-India border)," police said.

Police said Khalid was one of the proclaimed offenders involved in the killing and was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest.

"A team of Western Range-II/Crime Branch arrested a proclaimed offender, Mohd Khalid, resident of Chand Bagh, Delhi. He is involved in the murder case of Head Constable Rattan Lal, Police Station Dayalpur, Delhi. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was also declared for his arrest," it added.

Based on secret information, the Delhi Crime Branch was able to apprehend the accused, said the police.

"Secret information was received by Inspector Gurmeet Singh that a proclaimed offender, Mohd. Khalid, who is wanted in the murder case of Police Station Dayalpur, Delhi, is hiding at Moreh, Imphal, Manipur (near the Mayamar-India border) and could be apprehended from there," it further added.

Earlier on June 21, accused Mohd Ayaz, a resident of Chand Bagh in Karawal Nagar, was apprehended in the same case for his alleged involvement in the killing of Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal.

This case pertains to the larger conspiracy of the North East Delhi riots of February 2020. In this riot, 53 people were killed and hundreds were injured. Riots were reported from many parts of North East Delhi on February 2020. (ANI)
As four days are left for the common public to present their views on Uniform Civil Code, the legal experts have expressed that concerned representatives must take into account India's diversity while providing a common minimum code for all citizens to follow. Expressing his view, Senior Advocate Nidhesh Gupta said that Article 44 of the Constitution of India requires the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code throughout India. "Being a part of the Directive Principles, it is a guiding principle that the State must aspire to secure," he stressed. "At the same time while providing a Uniform Civil Code, which provides a common minimum code for all citizens to follow, there must be some play in the joints for different citizens to pratice and profess matters of their faith," Nidhesh Gupta said. He further added that India being a country of much diversity freedom of expression peculiar to different citizens must be allowed. With regard to the reference dated June 17, 2016, sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the 22nd Law Commission of India examined the subject matter of the Uniform Civil Code. Initially, the 22nd Law Commission of India examined the subject of the Uniform Civil Code. It solicited the views of all the stakeholders through its appeal along with a questionnaire dated Oct 7, 2016, and further public notices. The 22nd Law Commission of India had decided again to solicit the views and ideas of the public at large and recognized religious organizations about the Uniform Civil Code and asked the interested ones to present their opinions by July 14. According to noted lawyer Ashish Dixit, the Constitution makes UCC desirable but not mandatory, unlike the other fundamental rights. Dixit said that Article 44 casts the onus on the State to take steps to implement UCC and the present exercise being undertaken by the Executive including the Law Commission is part of the consultation process leading to the enactment of the law. Dixit said that the Law Commission can only give suggestions in the form of a report, which is strictly not binding on the Government. If Government is of the view that the time is right to implement UCC it would require the approval of parliament, he further added. Advocate Utkarsh Singh, who deals with human rights violations, remarked that In India, even "Equality before the law" is read as "Equality among equals". Advocate Utkarsh Singh opined that drawing a straight line in the name of UCC can be very complex. However, he said, "If the UCC intends to bolster gender justice and cleave patriarchal supremacy, we should accept it with open minds and hearts." However, in a pluralistic society with syncretic culture, how will it tend to customs and convention is yet to be seen, Advocate Utkarsh Singh said. (ANI)
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Monday. Earlier, the governor met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Governor Bose's meeting with Amit Shah is significant as it was scheduled just two days after the violence in West Bengal Panchayat elections which has claimed over a dozen lives in the state. "The darkest hour is just before dawn. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is -if winter comes can spring be far behind? Good will happen in the days to come," the West Bengal Governor said after his meeting. Several incidents of violence were reported during the Panchayat polls in Bengal on Saturday. Repolling took place at 697 booths across five districts of the state on Monday. The State Election Commission on Sunday said that police have confirmed 10 deaths in poll-related violence. There were reports of booth capturing, damage to ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia. Governor expressed disappointment and concern over the violence witnessed during the election. He called for violence to be removed from the realm of politics and stressed the importance of peace for the well-being of future generations. "What I have seen on the field is very disturbing. There is violence, murder, force and intimidation. It is the poor who get killed. We should kill poverty, instead, we are killing the poor. This is something which is very disturbing," the West Bengal Governor said. Asking people to take violence off the purview of politics and how lack of peace will affect the new generation, he said that violence needs to be "nipped in the bud". "Lack of peace in society will affect the new generation. Politics is there. But violence, I would like to take it off the purview of politics. There is nothing called our violence and your violence. Violence has to be condemned. Violence has to be nipped in the bud," the Governor said. The counting of votes will start at 8 am on Juy 11. All counting centres will have a deployment of Central forces and CCTV cameras installed. (ANI)
Terming "political conspiracy"of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Gujarat High Court rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 'Modi Surname' defamation case, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar on Monday said that BJP could not digest the strength and support to Rahul Gandhi. Moreover, Congress workers and leaders will hold "maun satyagraha" on July 12 near Mahatma Gandhi statues in every state capital to lodge a protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha. Gujarat High Court on Friday upheld Sessions Court's order denying a stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case in the 'Modi surname' remark. "Since Rahul Gandhi wanted to raise his voice for the nation, he has been given an unprecedented sentence by the judiciary. It is a political conspiracy by BJP leaders, they (BJP) could not digest the strength and support to Rahul Gandhi," DK Shivkumar said. "We won all Assembly segments in Karnataka where Rahul Gandhi walked during Bharat Jodo Yatra'," he claimed. He further mentioned that "All the party members are with Rahul Gandhi and are against his disqualification. We are organising a silent protest to support him as he is raising his voice for the nation." Earlier, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal wrote to the state party presidents requesting them to organise a massive one-day 'Maun Satyagraha' (silent protest), in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statues, at all state headquarters on July 12 to express solidarity with party leader Rahul Gandhi. The Gujarat High Court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea and noted that at least 10 criminal cases were pending against him and even after the present case, some more cases have been filed against him. One such case has been filed by the grandson of Veer Savarkar, the court said. Earlier in May this year, Gujarat HC reserved its order on Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2019 'Modi surname' defamation case. Rahul Gandhi had moved the Gujarat High Court on April 25 challenging the Surat sessions court order which declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case. The Surat sessions court had on April 20 rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the criminal defamation case. (ANI)
In a significant accomplishment for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the second state in the country in the disposal of cases of crimes against women. According to an official, until July 6, the Women and Child Protection Organization had solved 97.80 per cent of cases of crime committed against women. Uttar Pradesh has also secured second position in the country in the disposal of pending cases of crime against women while it ranks fifth in terms of registration of FIRs and investigation of such cases. It is worth mentioning here that the Yogi Government has taken several steps to prevent and control crime against women in the last six years as part of its commitment to eliminate crime from the state and get criminals punished and has succeeded also to a great extent in its effort, the release stated. It further mentioned that CM Yogi himself monitors continuously the law and order situation in the state, including crimes against women, while the Chief Secretary holds monthly review meetings and the DGP issues guidelines to the police officers from time to time, which has collectively led to a considerable decline in such crimes. Meanwhile, CM Yogi recently held a high-level meeting on crimes against women and girls under section 376 of IPC, harassment of women and POCSO Act, in which he told officers to check such criminals in line with zero tolerance policy of the government and get them punished in the minimum time. "On this, the police officials informed CM Yogi that until July 6, 2023, the state witnessed disposal of 97.80 per cent of FIRs registered under Section-376 of IPC and POCSO Act, bagging second position in the country," it stated. Meanwhile, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu have bagged the first place in solving cases of crime against women with 98.30 per cent disposal of cases and Puducherry the third place, with 97.50 per cent disposals. The worst performance in solving cases of crime against women has been of Bihar with 18.5 per cent disposals. It is followed by Manipur at 20.6 per cent and Assam at 46.7 per cent. Bhadohi has secured the first position in the state with a total of 230 cases related to crimes against women registered till July 6 there and final reports submitted in all the cases. It is followed by Mau where 659 cases were registered, of which final reports were submitted in 656 cases (99.54 per cent). Balrampur ranks third with 605 cases registered, out of which final reports were submitted in 601 (99.34 per cent). Furthermore, Uttar Pradesh ranked second in the country with 0.30 per cent disposal of cases of crimes against women registered under Section 376 of the IPC and POCSO Act, which have been pending for more than two months. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh ranks fifth with investigations completed in 73.10 per cent of cases of crime against women within two months of registration. Meanwhile, CM Yogi instructed the Home Department officials present in the meeting to speed up the investigation process and complete the pending investigation at the earliest. He told the officers to make sure that when the next meeting is held in this regard, Uttar Pradesh is at the top on both counts. According to the CM, this will create a good image of the state within the country and also abroad, having a direct impact on investment. CM Yogi said that it would help the state achieve the 1 trillion dollar economy goal at the earliest. He instructed the officers to pay special attention to districts whose performance is not up to the mark. He said that the cases related to the POCSO Act should also be reviewed every month at the district level. (ANI)
A group of eminent alumni/benefactors called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday evening on the sidelines of the visitor's conference 2023. During the interaction, President Murmu appreciated the benefactors for their contribution to the cause of education and society. "Working to improve educational conditions and eradicating inequality in society is the duty of all of us. Wealth should be used for the betterment of society and the country," she said. "Our society and country have contributed to our success in some way, therefore we should try to pay back to society," she added. President said that the wealth should be used for the betterment of society and the country. She emphasized that our society and country have contributed to our success in some way, therefore we should try to pay back to society. She was happy to note that benefactors are donating generously for the welfare of society without any compulsion. She wished that they would continue with their noble efforts. The President said that she was particularly elated to be in the company of those who had been making donations for selfless purpose of improving the education and health of the people. "You have been doing great work," she said. Rakesh Gangwal, Co-Founder of Indigo Airlines; Muktesh Pant, Former CEO of Yum China; Subroto Bagchi, Co-founder of Mindtree; Prashanth Prakash, Co-Founder and Partner, Accel India; Dr. Shridhar Shukla, Co-Founder, Chairman, KPOINT Technologies; Rizwan Koita, Co-Founder and CEO of CitiusTech; Vikram Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures Advisors Pvt. Ltd; T.T. Jagannathan, Chairman of TTK Prestige; Nemish Shah, Co-Founder of ENAM and Board of Governor of FLAME University; Roshni Nadar, Chairperson of HCL Technologies and Trustee of Shiv Nadar University; and Ajay Piramal, Chairman of the Piramal Group attended the interaction. (ANI)
Mysuru's Kuvempu city police arrested a fraudster who was allegedly targeting widows, divorced women, and unmarried elderly women on matrimonial sites, said the police. The accused has been identified as Mahesh Tanorva, a 35-year-old Banashankari, Bengaluru resident who would marry these women and abscond with their cash and valuable gold ornaments, the official said. Following a complaint filed by a victim, a case was registered, leading to Mahesh Tanorva's arrest. "He had pressured Hemalatha to lend 70 lakhs to open a clinic after marriage. He also threatened to kill me if I didn't pay the loan or money. Finally, he stole gold jewellery and Rs 15 lakh in cash from Hemalatha and escaped. In this regard, Hemalatha had filed a complaint against her husband, Mahesh, at Kuvempunagar Police Station in Mysore," said a Kuvempu Nagar Police official. The police investigation revealed that he was married 15 times by gaining the women's trust and escaping with gold ornaments and money, they said. "It is reported that Mahesh Tanorva has cheated 15 women so far. But the police are investigating why the women have not filed a complaint and who they are," the police added. Mahesh, used the alias of a doctor, to come into contact with them through the matrimonial website. Presenting himself as a respectable doctor, he use to gain trust, eventually marrying them. "After registering a complaint, the Kuvempu Nagar police have succeeded in arresting the accused, Mahesh Tanorva. It has come to light that the accused, cheated many women by claiming to be an engineer, contractor, and government employee," the police said. The police seized Rs 2 lakh in cash, 2 cars, one gold bracelet, one ring, two gold bangles, a necklace, and seven mobile phones from the accused, the police said. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
A case was filed under sections 10 and 13 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and section 121A of Indian Penal Code at Kothibagh police station.

The persons arrested, along with others, were planning to revive these organisations on the directions of their Pakistan-based handlers, the police said.

A press statement by the Jammu and Kashmir police said initial investigation revealed that the arrested persons were in touch with entities based abroad. Few of them were members of groups that propagate secessionism like Kashmir Global Council, headed by Farooq Siddiqui, and Raja Muzaffer of JKLF, the release stated.

Under the garb of manufactured pretext, a meeting took place with the agenda of discussing strategy of revival. Initial investigation has also revealed that a similar preliminary meeting took place on June 13 which was most of them attended, the release added.

The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Yaseen Bhat of Nigeenbagh, Sgr, Mohammad Rafiq Pahloo from Natipora, Shams u din Rehmani frfom Lalbazar, Jahangeer Ahmad Bhat from Batengo, Sopore, Khurshid Ah Bhat from Rawalpora, Shabir Ah Dar from Badamwari Sopore, Sajad Hussain Gul from Panthachowk, Srinagar, Firdous Ah Shah from Abiguzar, Srinagar, Parray Hassan Firdous from Lawaypora, Srinagar, and Sohail Ahmad Mir from Peerbagh, Budgam).

The police said that investigation in the case was on in full swing and some more arrests are likely. (ANI)
Earlier, on Monday, Union Minister of State for Social Justice, Ramdas Athawale met state minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was the dissident Nationalist Congress Party leaders to have joined the Eknath Shinde-led government along with Ajit Pawar in the wake of a split down the middle in the party.

On Thursday, Athawale met Ajit Pawar at the latter's residence in Mumbai.

After the meeting, Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India, reacted to merging of the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance, saying that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA will weaken further in light of this development.

Maharashtra has been witnessing hectic political developments ever since the split in the NCP happened. (ANI)
Chandrayaan-3, scheduled to be launched from Sriharikota this week, will make "India the fourth country to land its Spacecraft on the surface of the Moon", said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, on Sunday. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent US visit was marked by significant Space-related agreements indicating that the countries which had started their Space journey long before India are today looking up to the country as an equal collaborator. https://twitter.com/isro/status/1677262883103596544 After such a quantum rise in our Space expertise under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, "India can no longer wait to be left behind in its march to the Moon," the minister said. Singh said Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission of Chandrayaan-2 and is aimed at demonstrating India's capability in soft landing and roving on the surface of the Moon or the Lunar surface. The complex mission profile, he said, required for the Spacecraft to enter the Moon's orbit has been executed very precisely. "After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the surface of the Moon, the rover, which has six wheels, will come out and is expected to work for 14 days on the Moon. With the support of multiple cameras on the rover, we will be able to receive images," he said, as per a release by the Ministry. Giving full credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing an enabling environment for Space workers and taking path-breaking decisions like unlocking the Space sector for Public Private Partnership (PPP), Singh said, based on the current trajectory of growth, India's space sector could be a 1-trillion US Dollar economy in the coming years. Singh said, "The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold, to demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface, to demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments." The minister recalled that the first in the series of Chandrayaan missions -- namely Chandrayaan-1 -- is credited with having discovered the presence of water on the surface of the Moon, which was a new revelation for the world and even the most premier Space agencies like the US's NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) were fascinated by this discovery and used the inputs for their further experiments. Chandrayyan-3, he said, will be operating at the next level. The spacecraft will use Launch Vehicle Mark-3 developed by ISRO for its launch, he added. Singh added, "There is tremendous excitement across the country about the launch of Chandrayaan-3, particularly because Chandrayaan-2 Mission could not yield the desired results because of a lapse just about 13 minutes after Spacecraft began its descent on September 6, 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally present at Sriharikota to witness the event." The minister added, "A successor to Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 has undergone a few changes to increase the robustness of the Lander. He said, all these modifications have been subject to exhaustive ground tests and simulations through test beds." "The Lander and Rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is also configured with payloads that would provide data to the scientific community on various properties of Lunar Soil and rocks including its chemical and elemental composition," Singh was quoted as saying in the release. (ANI)
Govind Mohan, secretary, Ministry of Culture, said at the third G20 Culture Group (CWG) meet that nearly 150 artifacts are expected to be returned by the US over the next 3 to 6 months, the Union Ministy of Culture informed on Sunday. The third G20 Culture Group (CWG) meet began in Hampi, Karnataka, on Sunday, and, in a media briefing on the event, Mohan said the 3rd Culture Working Group Meeting under India's G20 presidency would be hosted by the city from July 9 to 12. He informed further that the meeting will be attended by delegates from G20 members, guest nations and several international organisations. On the event's theme -- 'Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property', he said, "The UNESCO convention of 1970 enjoins on signatory parties to voluntarily return those artefacts or antiquities belonging to other countries which have been taken there because of colonial plunder, or because of post-colonial misappropriation like smuggling, theft etc", as per an official release. He added that the effort at these meetings is for all the G20 countries to become signatories to the convention which will benefit India. He informed further that India was trying to reach bilateral agreements with countries in this regard, and the same was evident from the Joint Statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden State visit to the United States recently. The Cultural Property Agreement being negotiated between India and US will enable the US authorities to intercept smuggled goods and artifacts and return them expeditiously, he said, adding, "Around 150 artefacts are expected to return from US in the next three to six months." He informed that the first two CWG meetings were held at Khajuraho and Bhubaneswar, and the omgoing third meeting at Hampi has drawn 50 participants G20 member countries, invitee countries and seven multilateral organisations. He added that four expert-driven Global Thematic Webinars were organised successfully, as all the 29 countries and 7 multilateral organisations participated in them, the release said. The secretary for the Culture ministry stated further that the 3rd CWG meeting will now try to achieve a consensus on the recommendations and best shared practices pertaining to the 4 priorities of the CWG. He informed that the Culture Working Group's meetings centre around 4 main priority areas that have been outlined as part of the Culture Track during India's G20 Presidency. "The four priority areas are -- Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property; Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future; Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy; and Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture," he added. Mohan added, "Focus is on coming out with a joint statement alomgh with other member countries for the Culture Ministerial Meeting to be held in August at Varanasi." Briefing the media Joint Secretary Lily Pandeya said the third culture working group meeting is being attended by all the 20 member-countries along with the 9 dialogue partners of the guest nations and the 7 international organisations. She informed that the aim of this meeting is to arrive at the consensus and the language of the culture ministerial declaration. She also informed that a report of the global thematic webinars will be launched during the Culture Ministerial meeting in Varanasi on August 26, this year. She said a robust declaration with action oriented tangible outcomes is expected from the last meeting, according to the Ministry of Culture. Speaking on the Lambani embroidery work exhibition, Pandeya said, "The CWG aims to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by creating the largest display of Lambani embroidery patches. The theme for the exhibit is 'Culture Unites All', which will be inaugurated by Prahlad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines." This attempt will involve over 450 women artisans from the Lambani community, closely associated with Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra, displaying around 1,300 lambani embroidery patch works made by them. She also informed that a range of cultural experiences has been carefully selected and arranged for the delegates throughout their visit. These include a visit to heritage sites such as the Vijaya Vittala Temple, the Royal Enclosure, and the Yeduru Basavanna complex of the Hampi Group of Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She informed that delegates will also experience the famous Coracle Ride in the Tungabhadra River. DIY activities like Leather puppetry, Ganjifa artwork, Bidri artwork and Kinhal craft have been arranged for the delegates to participate and cherish. Bamboo Symphony band and other cultural performances will be presented to the delegates. The Culture Working Group is working with delegates of the G20 members, guest nations and international organisations through an inclusive process of in-depth discussions. These deliberations are aimed at reaffirming critical areas for collaborative action and to further develop tangible recommendations and best practices for sustainable development, the release said. (ANI)
US Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen concluded her Beijing visit with no announcement of developments or agreements for improving the ongoing rifts between the two countries, The New York Times reported. She indulged in ten hours of meetings over two days and left for Washington on Sunday. However, it is unlikely that the economic tension between the two countries will actually ease, the report noted. Even as more talks are expected from Yellen's visit, neither she nor Chinese officials changed their stances on important policy issues, leaving the two sides facing the prospect of more conflicts over trade, investment and technology. US-China ties had been deteriorating for years overs significant points of tension -- including war in Ukraine, a Chinese spy balloon that flew over US territory and was shot down by the American military, and the two countries' escalating exchange of restrictions on trade, reported NYT. Yellen concluded her visit on Sunday. Her trip came a few weeks after US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken. Later in July, John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate change, will also visit China to resume global warming negotiations. During her visit, Yellen made it apparent that the Biden administration has serious concerns about a number of China's business practises, including how it treats foreign compaines, as well as its policies, which the US perceives as attempts at economic coercion. China's official news agency, Xinhua, reported on Yellen's visit hours before her news conference, hailing the talks as constructive while also restating what China sees as key areas of dispute. China's ongoing opposition to the Biden administration's emphasis on protecting American national security through trade restrictions was emphasised in the report. "China believes that generalizing national security is not conducive to normal economic and trade exchanges," Xinhua reported, adding, "The Chinese side expressed concern about U.S. sanctions and restrictive measures against China." Chinese officials spoke with Yellen on their own worries. The tariffs placed on Chinese imports by the Trump administration, which are still in effect, were discussed, according to the Treasury secretary. While Yellen has criticised tariffs as being ineffectual, she also reiterated the administration's stance since President Biden took office by suggesting that no decisions on the levies will be made until the conclusion of an ongoing internal study of them, according to NYT. Officials and experts in China are also concerned that the administration's efforts to restrict the country's access to some technologies may hinder the growth of high-potential industries like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Yellen said on Sunday, "I explained that President Biden is examining potential controls on outbound investment in certain very narrow high technology areas," adding that such restrictions "should not be something that will have a significant impact on the investment climate between our two countries." Since 2015, China has imposed its own, more extensive restrictions on foreign investment, encouraging businesses and households to avoid speculating in foreign real estate in favour of making investments abroad in strategic industries like cybersecurity, heavy manufacturing, and aircraft production, reported NYT. Wu Xinbo, the head of international studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, issued a warning that the Biden administration's policies towards China must also alter in order for Yellen's visit to have a significant positive impact on ties. "So far, we haven't seen any sign that Biden will rethink his economic policy toward China," he said. But even after Yellen's visit, many in China are skeptical. As the United States presents policies as "just for national security, then the question is how big is the yard of national security", Wu Xinbo added, according to The New York Times. (ANI)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having won the recent elections in Turkey, after weathering the biggest challenge in his long career, is trying once again to play the role of peacemaker in the war in Ukraine, renew the deal allowing the export of grain and fertilisers from Ukraine and Russia, and show the West that he is the kingmaker, as he holds the key regarding Sweden's application to join NATO. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine about 500 days ago, Erdogan sought to play a mediating role in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Together with all NATO member states, Erdogan condemned the Russian invasion and rejected attempts at annexing Ukrainian territory, while he supplied drones and other military equipment to Ukraine, helping it in its war effort. However, the Turkish President adamantly refused to apply Western sanctions on Moscow. At the same time, he uses his special relationship with President Vladimir Putin and offers to act as mediator between the warring sides. On July 7, in a statement that will surely displease Putin, President Erdogan, speaking after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, expressed clear support for Kyiv's NATO aspirations and said: "Ukraine deserves membership in NATO. And in your presence, I want to emphasise once again that no one will lose from the coming of a just peace. We will provide any support so that Ukraine gets back on its feet. Since the annexation of Crimea, to this day, we declare on all platforms our support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. And we demonstrated our solidarity with Ukraine in practice by providing concrete assistance in the political, economic, humanitarian and technical spheres. We have also become the country that is making the most efforts to end the war." Ukraine's declared aim of becoming a member of NATO, is expected to be one of the subjects that will be discussed next Tuesday and Wednesday at a summit of the Alliance in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, but it is unlikely that Ukrainian's wish will be granted before the end of the war. The NATO the allies are not eager to become involved directly in the war. Erdogan also said he would discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to visit Turkey next month, possible prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine. It should be noted that in the past, Erdogan helped arrange prisoner exchanges. Zelenskyy said the return of prisoners, including children deported to Russia, was the first thing on the two Presidents' agenda. Continuing, he said: "We are working on the return of our captives, political prisoners and Crimean Tatars (members of Ukraine's Muslim community). Our partners have all the lists. We are really working on this." Undoubtedly, one of President Erdogan's biggest diplomatic successes is last year's Black Sea Grain Initiative, allowing the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea despite the war. Thanks to the arrangement brokered by Erdogan and the United Nations, about 33 million tons of Ukrainian grain as well as Russian fertilisers were exported mainly to developing nations as well as food aid for the World Food Programme. The deal expires on July 17 and Russia, which is reportedly angry about some aspects of the implementation of the deal, has threatened not to allow its further extension. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a statement stressing the indispensable role food and fertiliser exports from the Russian Federation and Ukraine continue to play in support of global food security. "Together, these agreements are contributing to sustained reductions in global food prices, which are now more than 23 per cent below the record highs reached in March last year," Guterres statement said. Erdogan, speaking at a joint news conference with Zelenskyy, said he was pressing Russia to extend the Black Sea Grain Deal by at least three months and for longer periods beyond that. Projecting his role as a possible mediator between Ukraine and Russia, he declared that Turkey has the "most sincere desire to see Kyiv and Moscow return to the negotiating table." In sharp contrast to his recently declared support for Ukraine's bid to join NATO, Erdogan has stubbornly refused to give the green light to Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The application must be unanimously approved by all current NATO members, but Turkey and Hungary have failed to ratify the bid. On Friday, Erdogan confirmed that his country would not ratify Sweden's accession to NATO unless the Nordic country takes a firm stance against "terrorist groups." He claims that Sweden provides a safe haven for Kurdish terrorists. "How can a state that does not distance itself from terrorist organisations contribute to NATO?" Erdogan asked at the graduation ceremony at the National Defense University in Istanbul, indicating that Stockholm will not receive the green light from Ankara in tomorrow's NATO summit in Vilnius. Ankara refuses to ratify Sweden's NATO bid unless the Nordic country distances itself from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU, and extradites about 120 Kurds it accuses of acts of terrorism. Trying to appease Turkey, Sweden has recently passed a constitutional amendment which allows it to create tougher anti-terror laws demanded by Turkey and has convicted a PKK member to four-and-a-half years in prison for terrorism financing. However, the recent Quran burnings in Sweden have angered Muslims around the world and Erdogan declared: "We will eventually teach the arrogant that Westerners that insulting Muslims is not freedom of thought." By keeping Sweden's NATO bid hostage to his wishes, Erdogan wants to show the West that he is the kingmaker who dictates the affairs of the organisation. At the same time, he projects himself as a peacemaker. (ANI)
The US military has claimed that a drone strike in eastern Syria killed an ISIS leader, reported Al Jazeera. Osama al-Muhajer was killed in the strike on Friday, according to a statement released on Sunday by the US Central Command. US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Michael Kurilla said, "We have made it clear that we remained committed to the defeat of ISIS through the region." He added, "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM also claimed that no civilians were killed in the operation but coalition forces are "asserting reports of a civilian injury." It also said that the drones used to attack had been harassed by Russian warplanes earlier in the day, as per Al Jazeera. On Friday's attack, CENTCOM said that it "was conducted by the same MQ-9s (drones) that had ... been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours." Russian military aircraft disturbed US drones participating in operations against ISIL in Syria on Thursday for the second time in 24 hours, a US commander reported at the time. "The planes dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved," said Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, read a report published in Al Jazeera. Grynkewich has stated that three Russian jets dropped parachute flares in front of US drones on Wednesday, forcing them to evade, and has urged Moscow to "cease this reckless behaviour." US Reaper drones and Russian aeroplanes engaged in two distinct incidents on Wednesday and Thursday, according to video footage released by the US. A diplomatic row briefly broke out earlier this year, when the US alleged that Russian jets were to blame for the downing of the USD 30 million Reaper drone, which was packed with sensitive US spying technology and was operating over the Black Sea. Although Moscow denied that its jets were to blame for the drone that crashed into the water in March, US military video showed Russian planes performing manoeuvres to obstruct the drone's flight path, according to Al Jazeera. President Bashar al-Assad's administration in Syria counts Russia as a crucial ally. Assad has gained back a lot of the ground that was lost in the early phases of the Syrian crisis, which began in 2011 when the regime ruthlessly suppressed pro-democracy protesters, with the help of both Moscow and Iran. The Idlib region in northern Syria, which is controlled by rebels, is one of the remaining strongholds of armed opposition to Assad's regime. The United States has roughly 1,000 troops stationed in Syria as part of global efforts to combat ISIL, which was destroyed in Syria in 2019 but still retains hideouts in remote desert regions and still carries out periodic attacks, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
Rinkevics vowed to uphold Latvia's support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, as he was sworn in as president.

"Russia's war and genocide in Ukraine have created a new, harsh reality," the German news agency DPA quoted Rinkevics as saying. He warned of the threats of "imperial Russia and the [Belarus leader Alexander] Lukashenko regime" against the region, Europe and the whole world, as per DW.

Deutsche Welle is Germany's international broadcaster and media outlet.

The speech of the former foreign minister came days before the NATO summit in Vilnius.

"Latvia will stand for a strong and effective NATO, the European Union, a law-based international order and close cooperation with our friends and allies," he said.

The 49-year-old has held the highest diplomatic position for Latvia since 2011 and has long backed Ukraine against Russian aggression, as per DW.

After his predecessor, Egils Levits, opted not to seek re-election, the parliament elected Rinkevics to the mostly ceremonial position of president in May.

He is now the first openly gay president of an EU member state and the first head of state of Latvia.

After being sworn in, Rinkevics gave a speech in which he vowed to work for inclusiveness and equality in Latvia.

"Every person in Latvia, its citizens, must feel that they belong, legally protected and safe," the new president said, DW reported. (ANI)
Twitter reportedly blocked Pakistan's official Twitter account in Gilgit-Baltistan and is showing the location of the region in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Dawn reported. As per the Pakistani English-language newspaper, even after the users turn the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from J-K. The locals explicitly showed changes in Twitter location and blocked access to Pakistan Government's official account. The issue came to light when several Twitter users in Gilgit-Baltistan complained that they were unable to access the government's official account from the region. When users tried to access the account, a message was displayed stating the "account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand". The newspaper reported that Pakistani officials denied any such changes and termed the claim 'baseless' despite dozens of reports to the contrary. "There are no restrictions on the freedom of the internet, media and expression in the entire Gilgit Baltistan," officials said. The government's official account has been banned in India since March 2023. In 2022, the account was withheld twice over "legal complaints". "I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter can't show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, I'm in Pakistan why can't I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?," tweeted Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit, according to Dawn. While talking with Dawn, Hussain said that when he tried to add the location to his tweets, he found that the app located him in the Union Territory of J-K, rather than GB. He further stated that the officials in Pakistan should take "serious cognisance" of this matter as India "might have influenced Twitter to change GB's geotagging". Another Twitter user, Karim Shah Nizari also reported that he can't add Pakistan's location to his tweets. "The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir." Mr Nizari told Dawn that he was based in the Yasin Valley of Ghizer district, but the Twitter algorithm was showing him tweets from India on his feed. The GB government said those making such claims on social media should stop spreading fake news. Users in GB said the social media platform has "disrespected the status of Gilgit-Baltistan" and called it an attack on the region's identity, Dawn reported. (ANI)
He is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia from Sunday to deepen the defence cooperation between the two countries.

The members of the Indian diaspora were seen chanting slogans and waving the tricolour upon Singh's arrival in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Defence Minister also greeted the people with 'namaste' and shook hands with them.

Earlier on Sunday, the office of the Defence Ministry wrote, "Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Kuala Lumpur on a three-day official visit to Malaysia. @hcikl"

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan will exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. Singh will also call on Malaysia's Prime Minister YB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.

"India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two democracies have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security," the Ministry of Defence statement said in a statement.

Both countries are committed to working under the vision of the enhanced strategic partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Malaysia in 2015, the statement said.

India and Malaysia share deep and warm relations. Recently in April, India and Malaysia agreed to settle trade in the Indian rupees, the Ministry of External Affairs announced.

The announcement came against the backdrop of ongoing official efforts to Safeguard Indian trade from the impact of the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier, this June, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met with Malaysia's Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar and they agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on opening all sectors to Indian workers in Malaysia.

Taking to Twitter, Muraleedharan stated, "Glad to meet Hon'ble Minister of Human Resources Malaysia H.E. @Sivatronoh in Kuala Lumpur Thanked the Minister & Malaysian government for opening all sectors to Indian workers at par with other foreign workers in Malaysia. Both agreed to expedite signing an MoU in this regard." (ANI)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed displeasure over recent meetings held in Dubai between the top leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Dawn reported on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Rehman also the chief of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- the ruling coalition -- said questions were being raised within the alliance regarding the "scheduled" meeting between the two major government allies. "PML-N is a part of PDM. How is it possible if it was not a scheduled huddle," he wondered, asking, "Why the PDM was not taken into confidence regarding the huddle with the PPP, which was not part of the alliance?" Questioning the "international support" for PTI chief Imran Khan, The JUI-F chief stated, "Those who desecrate our religion [Islam], those who burn [copies of the] Holy Quran are raising voices for Imran Khan. We put up a serious fight against him [Imran Khan] and we [also] fought against the recognition of Israel". Maulana Fazl also said that the tenure of the National Assembly would end within a month and an interim set-up would be appointed ahead of polls. The term of the National Assembly, along with the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, is set to expire on August 12 and elections are required to be held in October this year. In an apparent reference to the PTI's supporters, Fazl hoped that they "would not push the country towards destruction", Dawn reported. Talking about the no-confidence motion last year, that led to the ouster of former PM Imran Khan, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief said that his party was "against the no-trust vote as it favoured street protests to compel the then-PTI government to step down", Dawn reported. "However, the PPP, PML-N and other opposition parties said the no-confidence resolution against Imran Khan was ready to be tabled," he added. Maulana Fazl also claimed that former spy chief, retired Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, in a meeting with him, offered him the membership and chairmanship of the Senate, but he refused the offer since the former general "wanted a change within the system", Dawn reported. On being asked about the trial of civilians in military courts, Fazl said the military itself was a complainant in that case. "The military is a complainant in the cases against those involved in attacks on installations on May 9, 10 and it wants a trial of suspects in their [military] courts," Dawn quoted Fazl as saying. While talking about attacks against the JUI-F leadership in Bajaur and other tribal districts, the party chief said 18 religious scholars were targeted in attacks over the past 18 months in Bajaur and some five active members, including public representatives, were targeted in North Waziristan. "Why Al Qaeda and Daesh [the militant Islamic State group] could not be eliminated," he questioned. The JUI-F said that security issues were the domain of the military and the army discussed such issues only with the prime minister. (ANI)
Indian Rafale jets reached France where they will take part in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour. Taking to Twitter, France's ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain said, "A warm welcome to France for the Indian Rafale jets that will soar in the skies of Paris on Friday for #BastilleDay!" The French traditional military parade is held in Paris during Bastille Day on July 14. PM Modi's visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "strategic partnership" between France and India. At the invitation of France President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour on France's National Day on July 14. Earlier, on July 8, Indian Air Force (IAF) officials said that the IAF flying contingent of 4 Rafale aircraft and 2 C-17 Globemasters were welcomed by the French Air and Space Force (FASF). The statement also said that India and France have a long history of cooperation, particularly in the area of air power, as seen by the flypast and march of the IAF air warriors on Bastille Day. "The flypast and marching by the IAF air warriors on Bastille Day follow a long association that the two nations share, especially in the field of air power," said the statement. Many Indians like Welinkar, Shivdev Singh, HC Dewan and Jumbo Majumdar fought over the skies of France during the two World Wars. Some, like Jumbo Majumdar, were also decorated for their gallant action, over the Falaise Gap, during the terminal phase of World War II, added the official statement. The statement also said, "The Indian Air Force has operated multiple French aircraft starting with the Ouragan." This was followed by fighter aircraft like Breguet Alize, Mystere IVA, SEPECAT Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and now, the Rafale. "Helicopters like the Alouette-III & Lama continue to render yeoman services to India, especially in the remote Himalayan areas," it added. The official statement also stated that IAF marching contingent was commanded by Squadron leader Sindhu Reddy, an accomplished helicopter pilot. It said that Reddy has also extensively flown the Alouette-III helicopter while in her service. "As a matter of fact, the IAF marching contingent is commanded by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, who is an accomplished helicopter pilot. She has also extensively flown the Alouette-III helicopter in her service," said the statement. The statement further said that professional ties between the two Air Forces were strengthened during flying exercises like Ex Desert Knight, Garuda and Orion. It also added that the strategic friendship, which spans decades and continues to develop both on the ground and in the air, can be seen in the IAF's Rafale aircraft flying wings to wings with the FASF. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought up the issue of the extradition of fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi in every India-UK trade-related meeting, according to sources. Time and again, the delegations from the UK that have come to India have faced Indian pressure to extradite Mallya and Nirav Modi, the sources revealed. In a recent interview with private English news channel Times Now, senior advocate Harish Salve said that the British always complain that as soon as there is a meeting the first question that PM Modi would ask is the progress of the extradition proceedings of Mallya and Nirav Modi. "PM Modi has strongly told the UK government that you can't be a trade partner and a home for fugitives at the same time," Salve said. Vijay Mallya, chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, was ordered to be extradited by the British judiciary in 2019 and is yet to be sent to India. Similarly, diamantaire Nirav Modi has been held in custody at south London's Wandsworth prison since he was arrested in 2019. India and the UK had signed an extradition treaty in 1992. This was ratified the following year and has been in force since. Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's plea to move the UK Supreme Court against his extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering was denied in December last year. Nirav Modi lost the bid to take his fight against extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering to the UK's Supreme Court. Nirav Modi, a prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, had fled India. He lost his appeal after he moved the High Court in London against his extradition on mental health grounds. Earlier this March, without mentioning the names of fugitive economic offenders, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had said that the British Judicial system is independent of the government and it is them to decide. Cleverly told ANI, "The legal process in the UK, just as it is in India, is independent of the government. We always want to see the machinery of the justice system working promptly but those are the decisions of the British Judicial system." (ANI)
The Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MSRA) between India and the US is another milestone in the partnership between the two countries, the US Consulate General in Chennai said on Monday and added that the deal will strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific. "Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MSRA) is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding US-India partnership. This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and demonstrates US commitment to utilizing repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli. This agreement will serve to strengthen our two nations' strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific," US Consulate General in Chennai Judith Ravin said. The US-India Major Defense Partnership has emerged as a global peace and security pillar. Through joint exercises, strengthening of defence industrial cooperation, the annual "2+2" Ministerial Dialogue, and other consultative mechanisms. Notably, US Navy Ship Salvor reached Larsen & Toubro Port Kattupalli for repair and US Consulate in Chennai welcomed the ship. Last month, US Navy signed an agreement with L&T for ship repairs. After the agreement signing, US Navy Shop Salvor will be the first ship to come for repairs. Earlier, during the June 2023 State visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US, President Joe Biden welcomed India's emergence as a hub for maintenance and repair for forward-deployed US Navy assets and the conclusion of Master Ship Repair Agreements with Indian shipyards. This allowed the US Navy to expedite the contracting process for mid-voyage and emergent repair. As envisaged in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, both countries agree to work together for the creation of logistic, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for aircrafts and vessels in India. While addressing the welcoming ceremony of the US Navy Ship, Ravin said that the MSRA symbolises a strengthened US-India partnership. "Today marks yet another step forward in Indian US maritime coorporation. The MSRA with L&T, demonstrates how the US Navy and Indian companies are better together for the advancement of our collective maritime security," the US Consulate General in Chennai said. "By partnering to deliver economical and effective repair of US naval vessel, our shipping industries positively contribute to free and open Indo-Pacific. We can also see the result in every aspect of that relationship," she added. Ravin further stated that the US is India's largest trade with over 191 billion dollars in trade. She also gave details of the criteria for MSRA and said that an MSRA contractor must be a company engaged in ship repair. It must possess an organization capable of the full scope of planning, engineering, quality control, shipboard/off-ship production, and component/systems testing and trials. MSRA contractors must be capable of performing 55 per cent of a complex repair and alteration work package. While talking with ANI, Ravin said the current time is a very "particular time" in US-Indian history as Prime Minister Modi, in June, visited the US and now, President Joe Biden is expected to arrive in India for G20 Summit. "We're building on that incredible defence partnership, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and today is just another example of how emerging technologies AI innovation, education, entrepreneurship and so on build on that relationship," she said. Giving the details about the USNS Salvor, Captain Michael L Farmer, US Embassy New Delhi's Office of Defense Cooperation chief told ANI that the ship's "mission is literally to salvage vessels that have sunk, to reopen ports, to conduct repairs on ships. And so, in the event of a crisis, like a typhoon or whatnot, sinks a ship in aport and they need the port to be reopened." "This ship, her crew and her complement of divers could do that, could bring ships up off the bottom, and clear wreckage. So this ship directly contributes to both Free Ninoopen Pacific and also allows India and America to work together with other partner nations on those same skills so that everyone can do the same thing. So this ship is due to import for approximately only two weeks for the mid-voyage repair session," he added. (ANI)
Second Lieutenant Sundaram was felicitated by the Union Defence Minister at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh felicitating Second Lieutenant Sundaram, an INA veteran who fought alongside Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at the Burma border at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is 99 years old," the Defence Minister's Office tweeted on Monday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia to deepen the defence cooperation between the two countries. He arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Taking to Twitter, the office of the Defence Ministry wrote, "Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Kuala Lumpur on a three-day official visit to Malaysia. @hcikl"

Rajnath Singh on Monday called on Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and evaluated the defence cooperation between the two countries.

Taking to Twitter, the Union minister said, "Called on the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr @anwaribrahim in Kuala Lumpur. Deeply appreciate his positive approach and interest towards further deepening India-Malaysia bilateral relations."

In a series of tweets, Malaysia's Prime Minister tweeted, "In this meeting, we were able to evaluate the defence cooperation between Malaysia and India as well as discuss new forms of cooperation that can be explored together."

He stated that both sides also had the opportunity to exchange views on international issues of mutual interest.

Ibrahim also said that he was also informed about the exchange of letters (EOL) to amend the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defence cooperation between Malaysia and India which was completed by the two Ministers involved.

After meeting Prime Minister, Singh met Foreign Minister of Malaysia Zambry Abdul Kadir and discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest aimed at further strengthening the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

"Fruitful meeting with the Foreign Minister of Malaysia, H.E. Dr Zambry Adbul Kadir. Discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest aimed at further strengthening India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership," Singh said. (ANI)
With the participation of more than 15 million voters in Sunday's polls, Mirziyoyev secured a majority of votes.

Notably, the Uzbek President, who has been in power since 2016, called an early election after a vote changed the constitution, resetting his term count and increasing the presidential tenure from five to seven years.

Mirziyoyev was already predicted to win the most votes despite competing against three relatively unknown candidates from the Ecological Party, the People's Democratic Party, and Adolat Social Democratic Party, Al Jazeera reported.

Since assuming power, Mirziyoyev, who had previously served as prime minister under his predecessor Islam Karimov, had positioned himself as a reformer.

He had implemented long-awaited reforms that simplified taxes, removed barriers for businesses, and allowed many people to resolve their bureaucratic issues by submitting petitions on the presidential website, according to Al Jazeera.

The economy and education have been the main issues of Mirziyoyev's reelection campaign. He has stated that his immediate goal is to double the nation's GDP to USD 160 billion.

Like other nations in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is attempting to limit the negative effects of Western sanctions against its longtime trading partner Russia because of the conflict in Ukraine. (ANI)
ARY News is a Pakistani news channel.

The PTI chief has been summoned to join the investigation in five cases registered against him and other PTI leaders in Islamabad.

The ATC has also summoned Asad Umar, Amir Mehmood Kiyani, Jamshed Mehboob and Munir Ahmed.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday extended the former Pakistan prime minister's interim bail in three cases.

The PTI chairman was granted bail by the ATC in three cases registered against him at the police stations Kahna and Bhara Kahu, as per ARY News.

The court while extending Khan's interim bail ordered the police to initiate a transparent inquiry, delay will not be tolerated at any cost.

We are not supporting the accused nor the prosecution, but inquiry should be conducted transparently, the judge remarked, as per ARY News.

The cases are connected to the attacks on Jinnah House, Askari Tower, the Shadman Town police station, vandalism at the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) office in Model Town and the setting ablaze of a container when protests broke out in the country after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's arrest on May 9. (ANI)
"India welcomes leading Saudi Arabia voice of moderation n peace advocacy H.E. Dr Mohammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa @MhmdAlissa SG @MWLOrg n Chairman @The_CRL. The visit shall surely boost, empower voices of faith, reasons n understandings which cherish and celebrate Unity in Diversity," GaddiNashin-DargahAjmerSharif, Chairman-ChishtyFoundation, Haji Syed Salman Chishty tweeted on Monday.

Al-Issa, leading voice of moderation and peace advocacy, during his six-day India visit will be meeting India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for a one-on-one in the evening.

On July 11, at 11 am, on the invitation of the Khusro Foundation, Al-Issa will address a gathering of prominent religious and community leaders, academics and media at BS Abdur Rahman Auditorium at the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval shall also address the gathering. Al-Issa will be in India from July 10-15.

As per sources, Al-Issa is expected to meet India's Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, and Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, and he may also call on the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.

He will also meet the President of ICCR and interact with a group of distinguished faith leaders at Vivekanand International Foundation. As per sources, he might visit Akshardham Temple and meet some prominent personalities.

During his stay in the national capital, an important part of his engagement will also be the visit to Jama Masjid Delhi for Friday Prayers. He is also scheduled to visit Agra.

Notably, Al-Issa is an Islamic scholar and a leading voice on moderate Islam. He is also a promoter of inter-faith dialogue and world peace.

He is a prominent religious leader, Islamic scholar and reformist from Saudi Arabia. Before being appointed as the Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016, Al-Issa served as the Minister of Justice in the Saudi Cabinet.

As the Secretary General of the Muslim World League, an influential non-governmental organization representing Muslims worldwide, Al-Issa has spearheaded initiatives to build partnerships and strengthen relations between diverse communities, faiths, and nations.

He also serves as the chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership, a body of globally influential government, faith, media, business, and community leaders working together to solve the challenges facing humanity and the world today. (ANI)
Manish is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1997 batch.

"Manish presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, Vancouver has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus," a Ministry of External Affairs release said.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. (ANI)
As the Indian Army contingent is set to participate in Bastille Day celebrations in France, the preparations of the troops are in full swing. During the preparations of the Indian Army Contingent in France today, the Chief of Defence Staff of France, Gen Thierry Burkhard and Military Governor of Paris, Lt Gen Christophe Abad, took the salute from the Indian contingent. Taking to Twitter, the Indian Army posted a video of the marching contingent and wrote, "Participation of the Indian Armed Forces Contingent is testimony to more than a Century old affiliation and the bond between both the Armies and the Nations." "It reminds us of the valour & courage of the Indian soldiers on the French soil during the World Wars," the Indian Army tweeted. Yesterday, the Indian Tri services contingent held practice sessions in France for the Bastille Day parade on July 14, the Indian Defence officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this year's parade as the guest of honour at the invitation of France's President Emmanuel Macron. The tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts left for France on Thursday. The Bastille Day Parade will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French partners, the Ministry of Defence said. The Fete Nationale Francaise is celebrated on July 14 or the National Day in France. It is also known as Bastille Day as this day is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution. The Ministry further stated that the association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War 1. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never return again, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil also. This year, both countries are celebrating 25 years of Strategic Partnership. The armies of both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defence partners. (ANI)
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday acknowledged making a mistake while delivering a speech that landed him in controversy as he addressed the parliament after the opposition ends the deadlock. Dahal acknowledged the mistake while making controversial remarks during a book launch on July 2. Addressing the parliament, he pledged to exercise greater caution while expressing personal emotions. "You all know that I am a bit emotional and a sentimental person; this is what Prachanda is. I got fluctuated in emotion and I should not have made that statement, that statement wasn't that important for me to say it. It clicked me and I said it," Dahal said while addressing the parliament today. The main opposition party, CPN-UML, disrupted the House of Representatives for three days, demanding the Prime Minister's resignation over the aforementioned controversial remarks on Sardar Pritam Singh, a trucking entrepreneur in Nepal. Earlier on Monday morning, Prime Minister Dahal, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli, and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba convened at Singha Durbar to discuss the removal of the parliamentary obstruction. On July 2, Dahal, while addressing a function to launch the book 'Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal', had said, "He [Singh] had once made efforts to make me the prime minister. He reached Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with politicians in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister." During a book launch event in Kathmandu last Monday, Dahal had said that Sardar Pritam Singh had repeatedly visited Delhi to make him prime minister. The main opposition CPN-UML had then obstructed Parliament proceedings demanding Dahal's resignation over his controversial remark. Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party had also joined in the protest. The House meeting finally resumed on Monday afternoon after the top leaders of the three major parties -- PM and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli -- agreed to end the obstruction and allow Dahal to clarify the matter in Parliament. (ANI)
The deal is due to expire on July 17 this month.

The grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia last year, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations (UN), permits Ukrainian ships to export grains from Black Sea ports to the rest of the globe.

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan predicted that Putin would visit Turkey in August as he spoke before leaving for a NATO conference in Vilnius.

Earlier in May, Russia agreed to extend the Ukraine Black Sea grain deal for another two months, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced, according to The Moscow Times reported.

This announcement came just a day before a 60-day extension, agreed back in March, was set to expire.

"Our Russian friends said they will not interfere with Turkish ships leaving [Ukraine's] ports. We thank them for this," The Moscow Times quoted Erdogan as saying.

Earlier in March, Erdogan announced an extension of the Black Sea grain deal. However, he did not reveal details regarding the expiration date of the deal at that time.

The deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July to ensure safe passage for ships carrying grain exports from Ukraine, especially at a time when the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine resulted in global food shortage. (ANI)
The education sector of China is facing chaos due to frequent scandals, tarnishing its reputation and causing extensive damage, Greece-based Infognomon Politics reported. The primary responsibility for these issues lies with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership. The culprit for the situation of education sector of China is the party leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Infognomon Politics reported. The CCP focuses on indoctrinating teachers who follow the party's agenda and do not foster critical thinking and political development. One particularly notorius incident involves the former Principal of Bo'ai Special Education School in Suixian County of Hubei Liu Aiye. Liu was involved in the sexual molestation of several specially abled underage girls in the premises of schools, Infognomon Politics reported. The court took four years to conclude the case with Liu being charged with crime of obscenity in May 2022. Just a year prior to these revelations, Liu was praised as a heroic figure in propaganda. The root cause of these problems could be related to the ideological orientation of the education system in China which stresses on instilling patriotic, collectivistic, and socialist values, neglecting the crucial aspects of morality and personal responsibility. Eudcation should ideally instill a sense of ethics and accountability in individuals. However, the current education system in China falls short in this regard which plays a part in the turmoil and negative outcomes. The Chinese education system has been criticized for stressed on exams and its focus on molding individuals into conforming to the CCP's ideology. Students are taught to prioritise loyalty to CCP above all, sparking concerns regarding the system's influence on their independence of thought. This deviation from the core principles of education affects its essential purpose, Infognomon Politics reported. Textbooks of the school often includes propaganda, instilling in children a sense of unwavering devotion to the party. Some critics have said that this extreme indoctrination removes the concept of "citizen" from education materials, leaving students with a limited understanding of their role within society. The education system under the CCP has not focused on the promotion of universal values. Instead of focusing on philosophical thinking, the focus have moved towards politics and the principles of the rule of law and civic education, as per the Infognomon Politics report. Further, indoctrination has replaced critical thinking. A prominent scholar has said that the scandals involving Liu Aiye has been caused due to an education system shaped by party leadership lacking moral values or universal values, the report said. Teachers who have immigrated from China have claimed that classroom teaching is often not sufficient and additional tutoring is given at a cost. The Chinese education system is characterised by a component called as "special recruitment," Infognomon Politics reported. This process enables children from privileged backgrounds, including those from the elite class, to get admission to top-tier institutions, irrespective of their academic performance. As per the news report, the primary goal of the CCP is to cultivate individuals who meet the desired qualifications, often termed as "qualified leeks." (ANI)
Bangladesh's Minister of Road Transport and Bridges and Awami League general secretary, Obaidul Quader, on Sunday claimed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has secret ties with Israel and its intelligence agency, The Daily Star reported. He said the meeting between a senior BNP leader and the Israeli intelligence agency's representative was exposed in the media. In a statement, Obaidul Quader said, "The meeting between a representative of the Israeli intelligence agency and a senior BNP leader was exposed to the media. BNP is always involved in such anti-state activities", reported The Daily Star. He added that BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made a false statement regarding the use of Israeli technology to hack the phones of opposition leaders. He stressed that such an irresponsible statement made by a political leader is very shameful, the report said. Speaking on the ties between Bangladesh and Palestine, Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had extended invitation to then Palestine President Yasser Arafat for the celebration of the silver jubilee of Bangladesh's independence, The Daily Star reported. The Awami League general secretary said Alamgir could not share any particular evidence regarding phone hacking, adding it was "illegal" to make statements on such a sensitive issue without any evidence. He termed Fakhrul's statement nothing but the continuation of their ongoing propaganda and rumour. Quader accused Fakhrul of being involved in conspirational activities with the goal to influence the people of Bangladesh and abroad with false and fabricated information. He said government agencies are always working to suppress anti-state subversive activities and maintain peace and law and order. He added that the Bangladesh government shows respect to the rights of the people as enshrined in the country's constitution, reported The Daily Star. Quader said the Awami League has established the voting rights of people through a long struggle, adding that the ruling party came to power because of the mandate of the people, stressing that this constitutional and democratic process will continue in the future as well. He called on BNP leaders to shun their anti-election stance and take part in the upcoming elections. Further, The Daily Star report quoted Quader as saying, "We urge BNP leaders to shun their anti-election stance, participate in the upcoming national elections and focus on democratic politics." (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan appeared before two Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) to record his statement in 12 cases registered under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA) and Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on Monday, reported The News International. Two JITs, headed by Senior Superintendent Of Police (SSP) Yasir Afridi and SP Rukhsar Mehdi, asked more than 25 questions to Imran while recording his statement. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his statement, said, "I have no abhorrence of Pakistan and the national institutions. I respect the Pakistan Army, martyrs, Ghazis and monuments of martyrs from the core of my heart." Sources disclosed that Imran had openly condemned the May 9 incident, however, Imran said, "The PTI workers or I have nothing to do with the May 9 occurrence." He further claimed it was a conspiracy against him and his party, according to The News International. "I will never accept responsibility for the occurrence because the conspiracy has been hatched by the government and law enforcement agencies engaged in entrapping me and the party in legal clutches," he said. He repeatedly said, "I do not agree with the assertion that the PTI workers were involved in the May 9 episode because I have proof of conspiracy linked to the occurrence." "They are trying to eliminate me from politics but they can't triumph in their design," Imran concluded. The PTI Chief has earlier recorded his statement in seven cases, out of which four were registered under ATA offences with Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police and three with different police stations. However, he refused to respond to the questions in the remaining five cases and said that he was not prepared to record his statements in the residual cases, reported The News International. Investigators further accused him of not appearing before the JIT for investigation. The sources said 12 notices were served on the former premier, including seven issued by the CTD and six by JIT but he never responded to the notices. However, two final notices were served on him with the warning that legal action would be taken if he avoided appearing on July 9 at the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Complex at 2 pm. (ANI)
Military Sealift Command's rescue and salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) on Sunday arrived at Larsen & Toubro Ltd, commonly known as L&T Shipyard, in Kattupalli near Chennai for voyage repairs. USNS Salvor is the third US Navy ship visiting L&T Shipyard for voyage repairs, after USNS Charles Drew and USNS Matthew Perry, according to an official release. The USNS Salvor, which was welcomed with a ceremony at L&T Shipyard, is the first ship to arrive after the signing of the landmark five-year Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) between the US Navy and L&T. The ceremony was attended by US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin, US Embassy New Delhi's Office of Defense Cooperation Chief Captain Michael L Farmer, L&T Defense Business Executive Vice President and Head A.T. Ramchandani, senior US Embassy officials, and L&T leadership attended the ceremony. US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said, "This Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding US-India partnership. This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and demonstrates US commitment to utilizing repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli. This agreement will serve to strengthen our two nations' strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific." Judith Ravin said, "This is a very particular time in US-Indian history. We have had Prime Minister Modi come to the United States and we have President Biden coming to India under the G20 and under India's leadership, so we are building on that incredible defence partnership, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and today is just another example of how emerging technologies AI, innovation, education and entrepreneurship and so on built on that relationship." US Embassy in New Delhi's Office of Defense Cooperation chief Captain Michael L. Farmer commended Larsen and Toubro on their accomplishment in finalizing the MSRA, and their induction of this third vessel into mid-voyage repair activities, as per the release. The USNS Salvor is a rescue and salvage ship and is used as a platform to support recovery missions. The ship regularly conducts salvage, diving, towing, offshore firefighting, heavy-lift operations, and theatre security cooperation missions. The United States government-owned USNS Salvor is one of only two rescue and salvage vessels in the MSC inventory and the only ship of its kind in the Far East. (ANI)
1 injured after shots were fired into an apartment building in Harrison Township

One person was injured after shots were fired into an apartment building in Harrison Township.

Allegheny County Police say they were called to the 2000 block of Broadview Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Authorities say multiple gunshots had been fired into the apartment building.

One person had a minor injury and was treated at the scene.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 1-833-ALL-TIPS.

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A convicted sex offender killed a 10-year-old girl who was playing outside with her younger sister, Illinois police say.

Police in Rockford said officers dispatched at about noon on Saturday, July 8, when a 6-year-old girl came home and told her mom that her 10-year-old sister was taken by a man.

A half hour later, a different man found an unresponsive girl outside a house, according to police. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she died, police said in a news release.

She was identified in a GoFundMe as Destiny Renee Huggins.

Police said she was playing outside with her sister when some conversation ... took place between the girls and 44-year-old Antonio Monroe. At some point during the encounter, Monroe took the two girls, the police department said

Monroe, a registered sex offender, strangled both girls, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said during a news briefing. The 6-year-old escaped and was treated and released from a hospital.

Police said Monroe was taken into custody following a brief struggle with officers. He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery/strangulation and two counts of kidnapping.

My stomach has been in a knot, Redd said. I met with the mom yesterday. My deepest condolences to that family. No one ever wants to get a knock on the door, hear from the police, that their child has been murdered, especially an innocent child.

Its unclear why Monroe was in Rockford, which is about 100 miles northwest of his home in Blue Island, a suburb of Chicago.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara referred to Monroe as a real life monster.

This is truly a real life nightmare and honestly probably worse than any nightmare or situation I can think of on my own, McNamara said.

Monroe will be taken to the Winnebago County Jail.

Convicted sex offender takes niece on road trip to sexually assault her, feds say

Man convicted of child sex crime went on the run and became teacher in Mexico, feds say

Kidnapping investigation of sex offender leads to rescue of 3 teens, New York cops say
1st Asian American woman-owned bookstore in NYC receives more than $300,000 in donations after fire damage

[Source]

Yu & Me Books, the first Asian American woman-owned bookstore in New York City, has received more than $300,000 in donations after a fire destroyed the store.

What happened: A fire broke out in a residential unit directly above the bookstore in the citys Chinatown on July 4, causing massive smoke and water damage to the store. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Weve lost the majority of our inventory and much of the equipment that makes our day-to-day business possible, the staff wrote in a statement on its GoFundMe page. Most devastatingly, weve been told that the store will require a complete gut renovationestimated to take about a year to complete.

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Donations: With more than 6,000 donations to help the bookstore recover, Yu & Me Books has exceeded its $150,000 GoFundMe goal, raking in more than $326,000 as of Monday.

Among the donors were actor Simu Liu and authors Celeste Ng and Min Jin Lee. According to the bookstore, the donations will go toward paying staff wages and replacing furniture, equipment and all damaged inventory. The owner also plans to create a pop-up or temporary space while the bookstore is under renovation.

Facing closure for an entire year is catastrophic for a small business, the staff said. Insurance money wont be coming in for at least eight months, taxes and other bills are due, and we want to make sure we can keep our staff paid while keeping their health insurance.

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About Yu & Me Books: The bookstore was opened in December 2021 by Lucy Yu, a former chemical engineer and supply chain manager hoping to spotlight stories by immigrants and people of color.

Yu & Me Books is considered the first female-owned Asian American bookstore in New York City. The store has since become a safe haven for the Chinatown community.

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If youve been to any of our book launches, artist pop-ups, open mic nights, safety device distribution events, or even just visited on a weekday afternoon, you know what this space means to so many people, the staff said.
Two women have been charged in a shooting believed to stem from an order mix-up at a Platte County restaurant. One person was injured.

A shooting was reported at about 5:20 p.m. Saturday at the Vivion West Shopping Center in the 2500 block of Vivion Road, where a 24-year-old woman was shot one time in the foot while working at a restaurant, said Major Eric Holland, a spokesman for the Platte County Sheriffs office.

Renyshia Handson is charged with unlawful use of a weapon and Aaliyah Kidd is charged with third-degree-assault, according to a news release Sunday from the Platte County Prosecutors Office. More charges could be filed as the investigation continues.

Witnesses told police that Handson and Kidd came into the restaurant, ordered food and then Kidd seemed dissatisfied with the order. An argument followed as Kidd allegedly threatened to physically assault two employees behind the counter if she didnt fix the order, according to the probable cause statement.

Kidd eventually walked out of the restaurant after continuing to verbally assault the employees, charging documents read. Handson stayed behind; as the restaurant employees tried to push her out of the business, she threatened to pistol whip them, witnesses told authorities.

Handson then appeared to hit one of the employees in the back with the butt of a gun she had with her.

As Handson went to leave the business, she turned around and shot once into the building, missing an employee who was standing in the doorway but hitting a different employee who had been standing inside filming the interaction. That person suffered an abrasion to their foot from the bullet, court records show.

In an interview with police, Kidd said employees had messed up her order, giving her food she was allergic to. Handson told detectives she fired the shot because she was being jumped and because an employee was trying to choke her. However, video of the incident obtained by police shows that Handson was never choked, charging documents read.

We are fortunate no one lost their life simply because someone pulled out a gun over a food order, Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said in a news release Sunday.

The women are being held at the Platte County Detention Center. Handsons bond is set at $100,000 cash and Kidds bond is set at $5,000 cash.
A List of the 2023 Emmy Nominees in All the Major Categories

David M. Russell - HBO



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Now that the fate of Waystar Royco is sealed, Succession stars Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong have a new competition: winning an Emmy Award.

With Wednesdays announcement of the 2023 Emmy nominations, all three were chosen for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Thats the most ever in the category for a single TV program. As expected for its final season, the acclaimed HBO drama fared well with 27 total nominations, including Sarah Snooks nod for Best Actress.

Another departing show that won big was Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso, which wasnt far behind with 21 nominations, including Jason Sudeikis for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. HBOs post-apocalyptic thriller The Last of Us and dark comedy The White Lotus were also among the big winners on Wednesday.

These are the 2023 Emmy nominees in the major acting, directing, writing, and overall series categories. Bolded nominees are selections that made Emmy history.

Get the latest news about the Emmy Awards delivered straight to your inbox.

Acting Nominees

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jeff Bridges, The Old Man

Brian Cox, Succession

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Jeremy Strong, Succession

Getty Images

Selected for his role as Joel Miller in The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal became only the second Latino actor nominated for Lead Drama Actor. He joins Jimmy Smits, who earned four nominations for NYPD Blue. Pascal, also recognized for his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live and narration in Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World, received the most nominations ever by a Latino actor with three.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters

Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaids Tale

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Sarah Snook, Succession

Liane Hentscher - HBO

Bella Ramsey, 19, became only the second nonbinary actor to receive a nomination after Carl Clemons Hopkins for Hacks in 2020. They are also the fourth-youngest nominee ever for Lead Drama Actress.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus

Nicholas Braun, Succession

Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus

Theo James, The White Lotus

Matthew Mcfadyen, Succession

Alan Ruck, Succession

Will Sharpe, The White Lotus

Alexander Skarsgard, Succession

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus

Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus

Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus

Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul

J. Smith-Cameron, Succession

Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus

Getty Images

Aubrey Plaza, who is half Puerto Rican, became only the third Latina actor nominated in the category after Morena Baccarin and Alexis Bledel.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Bill Hader, Barry

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

Jenna Ortega, Wednesday

The 20-year-old Jenna Ortega is only the third Latina actor to be nominated in any Lead Actress category and the first eligible for Lead Actress in a Comedy series since America Ferrera in 2007 for Ugly Betty.



Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Carrigan, Barry

Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

James Marsden, Jury Duty

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

Henry Winkler, Barry

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Getty Images

The nominations for Ayo Edebiri, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jessica Williams mark the first time four Black women have ever been nominated in a single category.

Lead Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

Taron Egerton, Black Bird

Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales

Evan Peters, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Michael Shannon, George & Tammy

Steven Yeun, Beef

Lead Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble

Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy

Dominique Fishback, Swarm

Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six

Ali Wong, Beef

Supporting Actor in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

Murray Bartlett, Welcome to Chippendales

Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird

Richard Jenkins, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Joseph Lee, Beef

Ray Liotta, Black Bird

Young Mazino, Beef

Jesse Plemons, Love & Death

Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome to Chippendales

Maria Bello, Beef

Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble

Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales

Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & the Six

Niecy Nash-Betts, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things

Directing Nominees

Directing for a Comedy Series

Wow Bill Hader, Barry

So Long, Farewell Declan Lowney, Ted Lasso

Review Christopher Storer, The Bear

Four Minutes Amy Sherman-Palladino, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Dont Touch My Hair Mary Lou Belli, The Ms. Pat Show

Wednesdays Child Is Full of Woe Tim Burton, Wednesday

Directing for a Drama Series

Rix Road Benjamin Caron, Andor

The Prick Dearbhla Walsh, Bad Sisters

America Decides Andrij Parekh, Succession

Connors Wedding Mark Mylod, Succession

Living+ Lorene Scafaria, Succession

Long, Long Time Peter Hoar, The Last of Us

Arrivederci Mike White, The White Lotus

Directing for a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

Figures of Light Lee Sung Jin, Beef

The Great Fabricator Jake Schreier, Beef

Bad Meat Carl Franklin, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Silenced Paris Barclay, DahmerMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Me-Time Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, Fleishman Is in Trouble

Dan Trachtenberg, Prey

Getty Images

With his selection for the series finale of Dahmer, Paris Barclay is the first Black director to be nominated across all three series directing categories. He was previously nominated for NYPD Blue, The West Wing, and Glee.



Writing Nominees

Writing for a Comedy Series

Wow Bill Hader, Barry

Ineffective Assistance Mekki Leeper, Jury Duty

I Know Who Did It John Hoffman, Matteo Borghese, and Rob Turbovsky, Only Murders in the Building

So Long, Farewell Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

System Christopher Storer, The Bear

Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, The Other Two

Writing for a Drama Series

One Way Out Beau Willimon, Andor

The Prick Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer, Bad Sisters

Point and Shoot Gordon Smith, Better Caul Saul

Saul Gone Peter Gould, Better Call Saul

Connors Wedding Jesse Armstrong, Succession

Long, Long Time Craig Mazin, The Last of Us

Arrivederci Mike White, The White Lotus

Writing for a Limited/Anthology Series or Movie

The Birds Dont Sing, They Screech in Pain Lee Sung Jin, Beef

Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island

Me-Time Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Fleishman Is in Trouble

Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg, Prey

Stung Janine Nabers and Donald Glover, Swarm

Al Yankovic and Eric Appel, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Series Nominees

Outstanding Comedy Series

Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Limited/Anthology Series

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Donald Trump's rhetoric and slogans are practically ubiquitous on the 2024 campaign trail  sometimes even at rallies and events where the former president isn't the featured candidate.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his presidential campaign by declaring, "I'm running to lead the Great American Comeback." It's a slogan Trump used in his 2020 State of the Union speech, and it was the title of a digital video released by the Trump White House previewing the address.

Whether DeSantis intended to borrow the phrase from Trump or happened upon it on his own, the use of the quote prompted a quick response from the Trump campaign.

"ICYMI: Ron DeSantis Blatantly Plagiarizes President Trump's "Great American Comeback," the subject line of one Trump campaign press release read.

The accusation surfaced again in a press release mocking DeSantis' rocky campaign launch on Twitter Spaces.

"Amid a catastrophic failure to launch, Ron DeSantis announced his candidacy with 'Great American Comeback,' a phrase stolen from President Donald J. Trump's 2020 State of the Union address," the release said.

The DeSantis campaign has not responded to a request for comment.

And the Florida governor isn't the only one who appears to be borrowing Trump phraseology. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who announced his campaign on June 7, told voters proclaimed that Iowa was the perfect place to "start the Great American comeback."

He also used the phrase at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference on June 23.

"Like all of you, I know in my heart of hearts we're just a year and a half away from a great American comeback," Pence said.

Repetitions  and variations  on Trump's 2016 campaign call to "build the wall" have also been uttered by multiple 2024 GOP presidential contenders.

Trump declared in 2015 as he announced his presidential candidacy that he would build the southern border wall.

"I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively, " Trump said. "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border."

Like Trump, DeSantis also has a plan to build a wall, and he's repeated the pledge on multiple occasions since the start of his campaign. He brought it up last month at a town hall in Texas that was focused on his border policy.

"We are going to build a wall," DeSantis said. "Walls work."

The Florida governor expanded on the statement later that day: "We will be on a mission to stop the invasion at our southern border, to fight the drug cartels that are poisoning our citizenry, to build the border wall and to reestablish the sovereignty of this nation."

File: Florida Governor and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis speaks with voters and residents in border-adjacent communities during a campaign event in Eagle Pass, Texas, on June 26, 2023. / Credit: SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images

He also promised to deliver on a mass deportation program  a promise Trump made during his presidency, but did not follow through with.

"I think we would be much more assertive than he was in his first administration," DeSantis said in Texas last month.

DeSantis is joined by several fellow GOP candidates in the call for a wall. Many have vowed to prioritize building the wall and finish what Trump started.

"We will turn our attention to our southern border and build a wall," candidate Tim Scott said at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in June.

So, are these candidates marketing themselves as "Trump 2.0" to take on the former president? Gunner Ramer, political director of the Republican Accountability Project, attributes these echoes to the way Trump changed the very constitution of the GOP.

"You have to recognize that Donald Trump fundamentally changed the Republican party," Ramer said. "If your idea is that you want to win an election, of course you are going to go where the party goes."

Recent CBS News polling also shows Trump leading in the early stage of the primary campaign, with 61% of likely GOP voters saying they'd vote for him if the election were held today.

Further, a CBS News poll from June 11 showed that if Trump is not the nominee, 74% of likely GOP voters want the nominee to be "similar to Trump." This may lead candidates to believe it's in their interest to stick close to the front runner's ideas and rhetoric.

Ramer says he's also seeing many Republican voters starting to "shop around for alternatives to Trump"  especially those who are concerned about fielding a candidate who can beat President Biden.

David Barker, a professor of Government and the Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, agrees that similarity to Trump could be an important quality for Republican primary contenders.

"It is certainly in their best interest when it comes to winning a Republican primary," Barker said.

On the trail, DeSantis has sought to portray himself as a kind of Trump without the drama, and is trying to highlight his record in Florida, appealing to Trump voters through his "culture wars" and "fighting the woke" in education, abortion and even business, embracing a high-profile feud with Disney after contesting its support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Barker says this attitude has become a necessity for Republican candidates.

"The party is just radically more combative than it used to be," Barker said. "To make it as a Republican now, you have to demonstrate that you are a no-holds-barred, bloody-knuckle battler. You're gonna stand up and fight and 'own those libs.' In some ways, that's all that matters."

He attributes this trend to earlier conservative figures like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich.

"Trump obviously took it to another level," Barker said. "He has been more of an acceleration than a cause."

But if someone like DeSantis were to win the GOP nomination and gain the support of those looking for an alternative to Trump, the challenge will be winning over independent and moderate Republican voters in the general election. That is why Ramer regards the Trump modeling as a "losing strategy" for GOP candidates. Ramer says it will force the nominee to then shift in the general election to court these voters, potentially alienating the more right-wing Republican base that tends to vote in the primaries.

"It is going to be tough to pivot back in the general election," Ramer said.

And Barker notes that the Trump-like behavior is not necessarily appealing to swing voters.

"The very behavior that enables them to be attractive to a median Republican primary voter is the kind of behavior that turns off swing voters," Barker said. "They're in a pickle."

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3-year-old found dead after playing in the rain at 1 a.m., Tennessee cops say

The search for a missing toddler in a Tennessee neighborhood ended in tragedy when his body was found in a nearby lake, deputies said.

On July 7, a resident in a Memphis neighborhood saw two toddlers playing in the rain around 1 a.m. police told WREG.

A neighbor had seen the children on her doorbell camera, WMC reported, and after asking her neighbors if their children were outside, she called the sheriffs office.

When deputies arrived, they found a 4-year-old girl, but her 3-year-old brother, Israel Powell, was missing, according to WHBQ.

SCSO is seeking the publics help in locating 3-year-old Israel Powell, a male black missing since last night from the 5100 block of Laurel Springs Dr. in SE Shelby County. He is 22 tall, 35 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes, last seen wearing black shirt and multicolored socks. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/UahqbN3wuV  ShelbyTNSheriff (@ShelbyTNSheriff) July 7, 2023

The 4-year-old was taken to the hospital, and deputies started going door-to-door, asking residents if they had seen Israel, WREG reported.

A deputy (came) to the door around 2:00 this morning, neighbor Charles Fox told WMC. He had his phone and he asked if I had seen this kid or if I knew him. I didnt.

Around 5:30 a.m., the childrens mother called the sheriffs office to report her children missing, not knowing that her daughter was already in the hospital, WHBQ reported.

Nearly 12 hours after the children were first spotted outside, deputies discovered the body of a child in the neighborhoods lake, according to a Twitter post from the Shelby County Sheriffs Office.

On July 8, the medical examiner confirmed the body was 3-year-old Israel.

The lake is over half a mile from the childrens home, WMC reported.

All morning when I saw the news I was just praying that he wouldnt be gone, family member Kim Brewer told WREG. Im sorry yall, I never had something to touch me this close  and just pray for us.

No charges have been filed in connection with Israels death, but the investigation is ongoing.

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50 officials on trial in Vietnam over rescue flight bribes

Former Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc fell from power amid a massive corruption scandal linked to the Covid-19 pandemic (Jack TAYLOR)

More than 50 officials will go on trial in Vietnam on Tuesday for alleged corruption over repatriation flights during the Covid-19 pandemic, a scandal that has seen several senior ministers fired.

The case is part of a major anti-corruption drive that led to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's sudden resignation earlier this year -- an unprecedented move in communist Vietnam, where political changes are normally carefully orchestrated.

"The prosecutors will charge 21 officials and civil servants... for receiving almost seven million dollars from up to 100 businesses to solve administrative procedures for repatriation," state-run Thanh Nien newspaper said, quoting the prosecutors' indictment.

Thirty-three others will face various other charges, including "offering or intermediating bribes, fraudulence and power abuse," the report said.

The total amount of bribery money in this case reached $9.5 million, according to Thanh Nien's report on Monday.

That included about $2.65 million given to police officials to avoid prosecution, it added.

Eighteen defendants, including To Anh Dung, former deputy minister of foreign affairs, and Nguyen Quang Linh, former assistant to the deputy prime minister, could face the death penalty if found guilty.

In early 2020, Vietnam closed itself off to the world in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and organised nearly 800 charter flights to bring citizens home from 60 countries and territories.

But travellers faced complicated procedures while paying exorbitant airfares and quarantine fees to get back to Vietnam, according to official and social media reports.

Dung is alleged to have received nearly $910,000 in bribes to add companies to a list of repatriation flight providers.

- Purge -

The graft allegations come as part of an anti-corruption purge that has involved a number of deals done during Vietnam's Covid pandemic response.

Earlier in the year, the country's rubber-stamp National Assembly removed Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam from their positions as deputy prime ministers.

Minh was a minister of foreign affairs while Dam was in charge of the country's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At least 100 officials and businesspeople, including Dam's assistant, have been arrested in connection with a scandal involving the distribution of Covid-19 testing kits.

The purge -- led by Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong -- also brought down President Phuc, who "took political responsiblity" for various officials' shortcomings, a party central committee statement said at the time.

Authoritarian Vietnam is run by the Communist Party and officially led by the party general secretary, president and prime minister, with key decisions made by the politburo.

The repatriation flight trial, which follows a yearlong investigation and involves more than 100 defence lawyers, is scheduled to last one month.

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The Armed Forces of Ukraine is an army of fearless phenomena and unprecedented paradoxes. In the midst of our ongoing war of liberation, Id like to point out 10 key facts that shed light on the intensity and distinctive aspects of the conflict:

1. Five hundred days plus eight years of real combat experience: No modern army has been engaged in a war of such high intensity. The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine has become the largest-scale conflict in Europe since World War II.

2. This war can easily be described as the first drone war. The density of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is unmatched worldwide. Unmanned aerial, ground, and waterborne systems are integrated into every phase of military operations. We were also the first in the world to extensively employ strike quadcopters and first person viewer drones.

3. Ukraines air defense has achieved a historic milestone by successfully integrating and deploying state-of-the-art Western equipment alongisde Soviet systems, combat aviation, and mobile anti-aircraft missile units.

4. The offensive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have challenged one of the fundamental principles of military science regarding the necessity of numerical superiority (3-5 times) in both manpower and armament during an offensive. The Ukrainian army is making advancements and liberating territory despite facing overwhelming enemy superiority in both armaments and personnel.

5. There are 5,000 women on the frontlines out of over 42,000 women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in total.

The offensive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have challenged one of the fundamental principles of military science

6. A unique system of assistance for the wounded, unparalleled anywhere in the world, has been established: the Integrated Medical Space. This innovative system combines military and civilian medical facilities along with a specially designed logistics system that spans the entire territory of the country and utilizes all modes of transport. Consequently, up to 82% of injured Ukrainian servicemen are able to return to service after recovery, and 80% of the injured receive appropriate assistance within the crucial golden hour. Moreover, the mortality rate of soldiers during the evacuation phase has experienced a significant reduction.

7. The professional and meticulous planning of offensive operations by our command means that the attacking side experiences significantly fewer casualties compared to the defending side.

8. Ukrainian military forces have successfully shot down a hypersonic Russian missile, known as Kinzhal, for the first time. The hostile target was destroyed with the assistance of the Patriot air defense missile system.

9. Infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars, said General John Pershing, a U.S. Army general during World War I. Despite the vast expanse of the front and the expansion of our army, our logistics consistently ensures the replenishment of food, fuel, equipment, weapons, and ammunition. The logistics system has been optimized, taking into account the risks posed by aviation and missile strikes.

10. Digital Weaponry  Throughout the 500 days of the war, IT solutions have been implemented for combat management, operations, and comprehensive support. These include the tactical command and control system known as Kropyva, the situational awareness platform Delta, the NATO Logistics Functional Services project called LOGFAS, and the Ochi project.

Article published with permission from the author.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
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Six people, including three children, were recently killed in a knife attack in Chinas southeastern Guangdong province.

What happened: On Monday, a 25-year-old man surnamed surnamed Wu entered a kindergarten in Lianjiang county at about 7:40 a.m. local time as children were being dropped off for summer classes. Wu, who lives in the same county, went on a stabbing spree, killing at least three children, two parents and one teacher.

A graphic video circulating online shows bodies on the ground outside the school and police officers and ambulances surrounding the site.

Arrest and investigation: Wu was arrested at around 8 a.m. local time, and an investigation is currently underway. While his motive is currently unknown, police deemed the attack as an intentional assault.

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Mass knife attacks: There has been a string of knife attacks in China over the past few years, raising nationwide concern about the safety of children at school.

In August 2022, three people were killed and six others were injured in a stabbing spree at a kindergarten in Jiangxi province. In April 2021, two children were killed and 16 others were wounded in another knife attack in southern China. Back in 2020, a school security guard wielding a knife wounded 37 students and two adults at an elementary school in southern China.

Calls for action: While China prohibits private gun ownership, most mass attacks in the country are carried out with knives, homemade explosives or gasoline bombs. The attacks in schools have prompted calls for research into the root causes of the attacks and have led authorities to step up security.

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Experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a factor behind the increase in mental health issues in China. The perpetrators are often in deep grievances with feelings of anger, resentment and loss and are looking to exact revenge on society.

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72-year-old shoots and kills husband who she accused of cheating, Tennessee cops say

A Tennessee woman killed her husband over his alleged infidelity, police said.

Christine Roberts, 72, shot her husband, Thomas Roberts, 68, on the front porch of their Nashville home on July 9, according to a news release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

He died of a single gunshot wound to his chest, police said.

Police were dispatched to their Howard Avenue home around 8 p.m. There they found Christine Roberts, who confessed to shooting her husband because she claimed he had cheated on her.

A pistol was discovered at the home, police said.

Christine Roberts was charged with criminal homicide, and her bond has been set at $100,000.

When contacted by McClatchy News on July 10, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said there were no further updates, saying there is an open and active investigation into the incident.

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The vast majority of Ukrainians support Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Source: results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on 26 May - 5 June

Quote from KIIS: "89% of Ukrainians now want to see Ukraine become a member of NATO, and the vast majority in all oblasts support this step, ranging from 79% in the East to 93% in the West. It means society has finally consolidated on this issue and is demonstrating a unified view."

Details: Meanwhile, only 18% of respondents would accept giving up joining NATO for the sake of peace, while 76% of respondents would find such a price unacceptable.

Sociologists note that there is also a consensus in terms of the regional perspective, ranging from 67% in the East to 81% in the West, that such a concession is unacceptable for peace.

KIIS also compared how the attitude of Ukrainians has changed towards receiving security guarantees instead of joining NATO.

In May 2022, 39% insisted on only joining NATO, while 42% considered it acceptable to receive "security guarantees" instead. By May 2023, public opinion had changed significantly, as the share of those who insisted on NATO membership had increased to 58%. At the same time, the percentage of those who would accept "security guarantees" dropped to 29%.

Sociologists emphasise that those who insist on joining NATO prevail in all of Ukraine's oblasts.

The survey took place from 26 May to 5 June. A total of 1,029 Ukrainians aged 18 and older living in the government-controlled areas of Ukraine were interviewed by telephone. The sampling error under normal circumstances does not exceed 3.4%. Another survey was conducted by KIIS on 10-21 May. A total of 2,509 people were interviewed by telephone. The sampling error under normal circumstances does not exceed 2.4%.

Background:

The NATO Summit will take place on 11-12 July in Vilnius.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he does not want to go to the NATO summit in Vilnius "for fun": he is expecting Ukraine to receive an invitation to the Alliance and interim security guarantees.

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